This is Lévi’s first book on magic, which was translated into English by Arthur Edward Waite as “Transcendental Magic, its Doctrine and Ritual“. The book’s famous opening lines introduce the central theme of Occultism and give a sense of its mysterious nature. They read: “Behind the symbols and mystical teachings of ancient beliefs, beyond the challenges of initiation rituals, beneath the surface of sacred texts, in the ruins of places like Nineveh and Thebes, on the worn stones of old temples, and on the weathered faces of the Assyrian or Egyptian sphinx, in the vibrant paintings of India that interpret the Vedas, in the secret symbols of alchemical books, and in the ceremonies practiced by secret societies, there are signs of a hidden doctrine that is the same everywhere, though carefully kept secret.”
Transcendental Magic – Eliphas Levi
Author: Eliphas Levi
Language: English
📗 Esotericism
Lévi’s interpretation of magic became widely popular, particularly after his death. The rise of Spiritualism on both sides of the Atlantic in the 1850s played a key role in this success. His magical teachings were free from obvious fanaticisms; he had nothing to sell, and did not pretend to be the initiate of some ancient or fictitious secret society. He incorporated the Tarot cards into his magical system, and as a result the Tarot has been an important part of the paraphernalia of Western magicians. He had a deep impact on the magic of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later on the ex-Golden Dawn member Aleister Crowley. He was also the first to declare that a pentagram or five-pointed star with one point down and two points up represents evil, while a pentagram with one point up and two points down represents good. It was largely through the occultists inspired by him that Lévi is remembered as one of the key founders of the twentieth century revival of magic.
