Book Description

"The Three Books of Occult Philosophy's vast store of magical lore has been so influential that occultists have been drawing upon it for the past five centuries. This classic work was first published in 1531, and translated into English in 1651, but it has never since been reprinted in its entirety. Now--for the first time in 500 years--editor Donald Tyson presents these writings as Agrippa intended them to appear: wholly complete and free from the hundreds of errors made in the original translation. The Three Books of Occult Philosophy is the most complete repository of pagan and Neo-platonic magic ever compiled. This book is packed with material you will not find elsewhere, including copious extracts on magic from obscure or lost works by Pythagoras, Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Ptolemy, Plato, Aristotle, and many other authorities. Donald Tyson's detailed annotations clarify difficult references and provide origins of quotations, even expanding upon them in many cases in order to make Agrippa's work more accessible to the modern reader. As well as providing extensive insight into the foundations of the Western Esoteric tradition, the Three Books of Occult Philosophy is the ultimate 'how-to' for magical workings. It describes how to work all manner of divinations and natural and ceremonial magic in such clear and useful detail that it is still the guide for modern techniques. And the extensive supplementary material--including biographical and geographical disctionaries and appendices--provides quick reference to many previously obscure matters in classical magic. The Three Books of Occult Philosophy is an essential reference tool for all students of the history of ideas and the occult tradition."--back cover.