Book Description

A Guided Tour through the Untamed Territories of Magic Book 1 of the Great Wizards of History Trilogy The history of wizardry comes alive with dozens of unique portraits capturing the most remarkable and infamous practitioners of magic and alchemy. Combining up-to-date historical scholarship and his own keen interpretations of primary texts, Guy Ogilvy develops a fascinating saga of magical thought and practice. The story begins with the prehistoric culture of the Lion Man and moves on to Orpheus and the great figures of myth. Discover the unparalleled influence of Pythagoras and the pre-Socratics as they experience the mysterious glories of Apollo's touch. Behold the leading alchemists of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as they carry forth the surviving wisdom of the ancients, working their unique magic even as powerful social and political forces align against them. Magic is a vital element of history. The Great Wizards of Antiquity weaves together the loose threads of magic to form a comprehensive tapestry, challenging the ideas brought forth by peddlers of the mundane and returning a sense of enchantment to its rightful place in the human spirit. In this book, you will discover the beliefs and teachings of sorcerers, healers, philosophers, alchemists, and mythological figures, including: The Lion Man Animal magic & the modern mind Orpheus Incantations & the magic of music Dionysus Wild rites & the gift of wine Pythagoras Metempsychosis & the wisdom of the cave dwellers Pherekydes Open secrets & the immortality of souls The Pythia The oracle at Delphi & ecstatic prophecy Epimenides Sacred caves & the unknown gods Abaris The golden arrow & the Hyperborean Apollo Zalmoxis Thrace & the Celtic connection Hermotimus Astral travel & the preeminence of psyche Aristeas The form of a raven & the wonders of Apollo Parmenides The man who knows & the nightmare ride to hell Empedocles Bronze sandals & the four elements Zosimos Transmutation & inner purification J?bir ibn ?ayy?n Islamic alchemy & the theory of balance Jan Baptista Van Helmont The stranger & the projecting powder The Comte de Saint-Germain Universal medicine & the elixir of life Paracelsus Legendary cures & the open book of nature James Price The Royal Society & the Philosopher's Stone