The Philosophy of Natural Magic: A Complete Work on Magic and Sorcery (Forgotten Books)

This is an early 20th century edition of Agrippa's Philosophy of Natural Magic, along with a wealth of background material. Originally published in 1531-3, De occulta philosophia libri tres, (Three books of Occult Philosophy) proposed that magic existed, and it could be studied and used by devout Christians, as it was derived from God, not the Devil. Agrippa had a huge influence on Renaissance esoteric philosophers, particularly Giordano Bruno.While this is not a specialist edition, it will suffice for the casual reader who doesn't want to wade through Elizabethan typography and spelling, just enough of which is preserved here for flavor. [..] This edition is a pastiche of a portion of a translation of Agrippas' libri tres by an unidentified translator, excerpts from a book on Agrippa by Henry Morley with extensive background, and some self-promotional material by the publisher, de Lawrence, who was a notorious pirate publisher. This end material is of interest because it is a good example of early 20th century American occult publishing. (Quote from sacred-texts.com)About the AuthorHeinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (September 14, 1486 - February 18, 1535) was a German magician, occult writer, astrologer, and alchemist.Agrippa was born in Cologne in 1486. In 1512, he taught at the University of Dole in France, lecturing on Johann Reuchlin's De verbo mirifico; as a result, Agrippa was denounced, behind his back, as a "Judaizing heretic." Agrippa's vitriolic response many months later did not endear him to the University.In 1510, he studied briefly with Johannes Trithemius, and Agrippa sent him an early draft of his masterpiece, De occulta philosophia libri tres, a kind of summa of early modern occult thought. Trithemius was g