Éliphas Lévi’s The History of Magic is a masterwork of esoteric thought and hidden history—a philosophical and spiritual excavation of magical traditions, suppressed knowledge, and forbidden religious science from antiquity to modernity. Translated by A.E. Waite, this monumental text unlocks the door to the hidden architecture of civilization itself, revealing how secret doctrines shaped religion, politics, and the soul of humanity.

Lévi—a former deacon turned magus—presents magic not as superstition, but as the Absolute Science: a system of divine knowledge suppressed by the Church, corrupted by sorcerers, and preserved in fragments by secret initiates.

• Origins of Magic: From the Magi of Persia and Hermetic Egypt to India, Greece, and Kabalistic Judaism, Lévi traces the line of sacred science.
  

• Mystery Schools and Initiations: Ancient rites of purification, ordeal, and revelation formed the foundation of early civilization—now lost or buried in symbols.
  

• The Pentagram, Kabbalah, and Astral Light: Core magical symbols and metaphysical concepts are decoded, revealing how they encode cosmic truths.
  

• Christianity and Magic: Christ, Lévi argues, was accused of sorcery by the Jews—but was also the fulfillment of magical prophecy, the Logos in human form.
  

• Witchcraft, Necromancy, and Sorcery: A deep dive into the demonology, prosecutions, and metaphysical mechanics of black magic.
  

• Alchemy and the Philosopher's Stone: Lévi blends spiritual allegory and physical alchemy, revealing the mystic quest for divine transformation.
  

• Magic and Revolution: The Enlightenment, Illuminati, and French Revolution are shown to be influenced by hidden forces and initiatory conspiracies.
  

• Occult Freemasonry: Lévi traces the symbolic and magical origin of Masonic rites to ancient Egypt and the Temple of Solomon.
  

What sets Lévi apart is his synthesis of religion, mysticism, and scientific philosophy into a single initiatory framework—Magic as the universal key that binds all doctrines, myths, and faiths. While warning of the dangers of black magic, hallucination, and delusion, he maintains that true Magic reconciles reason with faith, matter with spirit.

This book is not simply a “history”—it’s a doctrinal manifesto, a metaphysical treatise, and an esoteric chronicle that shows:

🔑 “Magic is the absolute science of Nature and its laws; the sacred tradition of those who know.”

Whether you're a seeker, mystic, occultist, or scholar of hidden traditions, The History of Magic is essential reading. It reveals the conspiratorial, sacred, and spiritual lineage that threads through ancient religions, secret brotherhoods, and revolutionary thought.

Key Elements of the Book: