TRANSCENDENTAL MAGIC by Éliphas Lévi
Translated by A. E. Waite
$21.95
Steeped in the Western occult tradition, Éliphas Lévi (Alphonse Louis Constant) was a master of the Rosicrucian interpretation of the Qabalah, which forms the basis of magic as practiced in the West today.
The first half of this book deals with the principles and theories that underlie magical work, covering the subject from the Qabalistic, Hermetic, and Christian points of view; while in the second half, instructions are clearly given for the preparation of the instruments of the art of their ceremonial employment in the rites governing necromancy, spells, and divination.
The translation and notes by A. E. Waite are immaculate. Waite, a noted scholar of his day, taught the theory and practice of magic in both the Hermetic and Rosicrucian orders. Due to the high caliber of both author and editor, this book maintains its preeminent position in the literature of the magic arts.
Alphonse Louis Constant, who wrote under the pseudonym Éliphas Lévi, was born in France in 1810. A master of the Rosicrucian interpretation of the Kabalah, Lévi attended seminary at Saint-Sulpice but was expelled for teaching doctrines contrary to those of the Roman Catholic Church. Lévi's studies in the occult sciences began in 1825, and he wrote extensively on his findings for thirty years. His other books include Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual, Mysteries of the Qabalah, and The Book of Splendours. Éliphas Lévi died in 1875.
A. E. Waite (1857 - 1942) is one of the best-known authors and translators of magic and the occult. He is the author of several books including Book of Black Magic and Pictorial Key to the Tarot, and is the creator of the immensely popular Rider-Waite tarot.