1
/
of
2
Common Books
Christopher McIntosh - Eliphas Levi and the French Occult Revival
Christopher McIntosh - Eliphas Levi and the French Occult Revival
Regular price
$60.00
Regular price
Sale price
$60.00
Unit price
/
per
Couldn't load pickup availability
Eliphas Levi is one of the key figures of occultism and the man of whom Aleister Crowley claimed to be the reincarnation. This is the first full study in English of the life and writings of this colourful man and the occult revival of which he was part. It describes an era rich in bizarre characters and events: rival magicians fighting duels on the astral plane; Victor Hugo writing poetry aided by the spirit of Shakespeare: Leo Taxil, perpetrator of the most amazing occult hoax of all time.
This study not only brings out the sensational aspects of this era, but also analyses its importance in the history of occultism, giving much detailed information on the rites practised by the eighteenth- century occult masonic orders, and on the activities of de Guaita, Peladan, Papus and the other nineteenth-century Rosicrucians and cabalists. It also provides, for the first time, an objective and sympathetic assessment of Levi's magical teaching.
Lévi himself viewed occultism as a reaction to to too much emphasis on science and reason but emphasised its positive character through its roots in philosophy and ancient wisdom. He was influential in popularising this heritage against the view that all magic was mere manipulation of dangerous forces of nature. The historical balance of reason and faith in relation to this period are discussed
For the connoisseur of the strange and exotic this book is a rich source of material: for anyone seriously interested in the history or practice of magic it is required reading.
This study not only brings out the sensational aspects of this era, but also analyses its importance in the history of occultism, giving much detailed information on the rites practised by the eighteenth- century occult masonic orders, and on the activities of de Guaita, Peladan, Papus and the other nineteenth-century Rosicrucians and cabalists. It also provides, for the first time, an objective and sympathetic assessment of Levi's magical teaching.
Lévi himself viewed occultism as a reaction to to too much emphasis on science and reason but emphasised its positive character through its roots in philosophy and ancient wisdom. He was influential in popularising this heritage against the view that all magic was mere manipulation of dangerous forces of nature. The historical balance of reason and faith in relation to this period are discussed
For the connoisseur of the strange and exotic this book is a rich source of material: for anyone seriously interested in the history or practice of magic it is required reading.
Share
