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The history of magic : $b including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteries — John Shaqi

The history of magic : $b including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteriesLévi, Éliphas

Religion

The history of magic : $b including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteries

Name: The history of magic : $b including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteries
Author: Lévi, Éliphas

Lévi, Éliphas

Magic -- History

CHAPTER V

                            MAGIC IN GREECE

 Fable of the Golden Fleece—Medea and Jason—The five magical
 epics—Aeschylus a profaner of the Mysteries—The Orpheus of
 legend—Orphic Mysteries—Göetia—The sorcerers of Thessaly—Medea
 and Circe                                                            82


                              CHAPTER VI

                   MATHEMATICAL MAGIC OF PYTHAGORAS

 Pythagoras an heir of the traditions of Numa—Identity of
 Pythagoras—His doctrine concerning God—A fine utterance against
 anarchy—Golden Verses—Symbols of Pythagoras—His chastity—His
 divination—His explanation of miracles—Secret of the interpretation of
 dreams—The belief of Pythagoras                                      92


                              CHAPTER VII

                           THE HOLY KABALAH

 Origin of the Kabalah—The horror of idolatry in Kabalism—Kabalistic
 definition of God—Principles of the Kabalah—The Divine Names—Four
 forms of Tetragrammaton—The word which accomplishes all
 transmutations—The Keys of Solomon—The chain of spirits—Whether human
 spirits return—The world of spirits according to the Zohar—Of spirits
 which manifest—Fluidic larvæ—The Great Magical Agent—Obscure
 origin of larvæ                                                     101


                                BOOK II

                 _FORMATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF DOGMAS_


                               CHAPTER I

                    PRIMITIVE SYMBOLISM OF HISTORY

 Allegory of the Earthly Paradise—The Edenic Pantacle—The Cherub—Folly
 of a great mind—Mysteries of Genesis—Children of Cain—Magical secrets
 of the Tower of Babel—Belphegor—The mediæval Sabbath—Decadence of
 the hierarchy—Philosophy of chance—Doctrine of Plato—An oracle of
 Apollo—Rationalism of Aristotle—The Cubic
 Stone—Summary of Neoplatonism                                       115


                              CHAPTER II

                               MYSTICISM

 Inviolability of magical science—Profane and mystic schools—The
 Bacchantes—Materialistic reformers and anarchic mystics—Imbecile
 visionaries—Their horror of sages—Tolerance of the true Church—False
 miracles—Rites of Black Magic—Barbarous words and unknown
 signs—Cause of visions—A theory of hallucinations                   125


                              CHAPTER III

                        INITIATIONS AND ORDEALS

 The Great Work—The four aspects of the Sphinx and the Shield of
 Achilles—Allegories of Hercules and Œdipus—The Secret Doctrine
 of Plato—Of Plato as Kabalist—Difference between Plato and St.
 John—Platonic theosophy—Fatal experiences—Homœpathy practised by the
 Greeks—The cavern of Trophonius—Science of Egyptian priests—Lactantius
 and the antipodes—The Greek hell—Ministry of suffering—The Table of
 Cebes and the poem of Dante—Doctrines of the Phædron—The
 burial of the dead—Necromancy                                       133

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The history of magic : $b including a clear and precise exposition of its procedure, its rites and its mysteries

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