Three Books of Occult Philosophy

by Cornelius Agrippa

Book Overview

The first new and complete English translation of Agrippa's classic masterwork in more than 350 years - Three hardcover volumes in slipcase - Corrects the many mistranslations, copyist mistakes, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1478344342
• ISBN13: 9781478344346
• Release Date: August 2012
• Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
• Length: 98 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.2" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

An occult classic

Every student of occult sciences should have this volume of work in their occult library. It is one of the "bread and butter" grimoires of Western Occultism. A lot of occult philosophical teachings that developed after the age of Agrippa have their foundation in H.C. Agrippa's writings. I am always amazed Agrippa developed such a large and vast body of magickal knowledge as well as knowledge of the natural world. His writings are not easily understood in some chapters but this book is not meant to be read "novel style". It is an occult textbook and one must read it as such. I would not recommend this book as an introduction to occult science. For someone who only wishes to learn an overall view of occultism this book would be overwhelming if not actually boring. But for the student who is ready to understand some of the foundations of what shaped the Western Mystery tradition as well as develop skills of ceremonial magick this book is a must read. It is a large body of writing and one must be committed to such a reading undertaking but for those who do so you will be rewarded with an insight and grasp of occultism few people will ever take the time to develop. And your occult knowledge will increase each time you study from this book. I have had this book for three years and Agrippa's writings still have much to teach me.

The best book on Occultism

I just purchase Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosphy and I must say so far it has been one of, if not the best, book I've read on occultism, magic, or western occulticism/religion/metaphysics. Here are a few of the things that really impressed me: For starters, Agrippa seems very modern in that, whether he was aware of it or not, he brings up two points that I've only heard from more contemporary occultists. First, much of his book, to me, seems to tie in with Joseph Cambell's The Power of Myth(which discusses world myths and comparative religion). Agrippa, often when discussing a single concept, simultaneously pulls from hebrew and the Qabalah, christianity and the Bible, Greek, Roman, and Egyptian mythology, and Greek philosophers such as Plato and Pythagoras. It seems that in his mind, all these beliefs and philosophies hold truths in them and he takes them all into consideration, like a scientist would take in all the facts he recieves from the natural world. I'm certain that if Agrippa was fimilair with far east philosophy, such as Taoism and the concept of Yin and Yang, he would have incorporated that too, since it easily ties into a lot of the concepts he already elobarates on through the ideas of multiple religious and spiritual schools of thought. And secondly, the idea that what a magician is really doing is using words, symbols, etc. to focus and strengthen the mind and will, and that it is really the human mind and will that creates all the magic, is also suggested by Agrippa. I've read this theory from Aliester Crowley and another modern occultist (Brennan, I think). Agrippa states that words, numbers, and symbols have power because of the way they interact with our souls and that it is our souls that are actually effecting the world, not the words, symbols, etc. themselves. Further more, while the book has no apparent actual magic rituals, spells, etc., it provides the philosophy and concept behind the magic, which I feel is ultimatly more important. The book is thoroughly annotated, to the point were the footnotes are often longer than the chapters, so that everything is understandable to a modern reader, and provides a great springboard for further and more indepth study into all of Agrippa's sources and influences, and into some of the most important spiritual and philosophical writings in western history. And, just to make me love it more, Agrippa is probably the first occult writer who doesn't write with that annoying pompous, or arrogant attitude, nor talks down or oversimplifies things as if he thinks his readers are to stupid to understand. So many occult writers come off this way, either oversimplifying or overdoing it to the point of sounding arogant or full of themselves. Agrippa talks like an educated scientist, talking to someone of equal intellegence on a subject that is serious, but accessable to all. in his words, occultism and magic don't seem to be some mysterious, shadowy, and dark subject, but r

The Timeless Masterwork of the Arch-Magus

Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy - a volume which is literally worth a barrow-load of today's contrived and wearisome pseudo-esoteric tomes. All the more amazing when you consider that this towering encyclopedic exposition of the Renaissance Magical Tradition was written when Agrippa Von Nettesheim was but 23 years old - clearly a 'fiery genius' as Erasmus termed him. Herein Agrippa guides the student through the three realms of the universe unfolding the Magical mysteries and technical lore along the way in fulsome and fascinating detail, ascending the Platonic Chain of Being from the sublunary or Natural World, through the astral and mathematical harmonies of the Celestial World high into the archetypal realms of Demons, Angels, Spirits and Gods in the Divine World, winging ever upwards beyond all multiplicity toward the unio mystica with the transcendent One, the Summum Bonum or Agathon of Plotinian philosophy. Agrippa's vast cosmic vision of the spiritual universe of the traditional Magus is entirely sublime and endlessly inspiring - one can only marvel at the richness and rigorous clarity of his exposition, the sonorous literary textures of his compact chapters, shot through and through with shimmering notes of poetic utterance and mystic profundity. The radiant teachings of the Magical Tradition revealed in this theurgic odyssey through the Three Worlds are a complete and integral vision of the Western Esoteric doctrines, bringing together the operative techniques of Marsilio Ficino's Astrological Magic and the Arab Nigromancy of the Picatrix with the arcane Angelology of Johann Trithemius and the lofty Christian Cabala of Pico Della Mirandola: the exalted mysteries of the Orphic-Pythagorean-Platonic current form the living philosophic foundation of Agrippa's Magical mindset orientated within the religious context of his intense Catholic faith and his deep grasp of Pauline theology. This book is a pivotal and perennial encapsulation of Western Magic in the Hermetic-Neoplatonic tradition at it's most glorious flowering in the Northern Renaissance and the sheer quality, solid reliability and astonishing scope of the knowledge this tome conveys to the Magical seeker cannot be lightly underestimated - this is real Magic as taught, studied and practised prior to the shadow of confusions which obscured the subject from the 18th century 'Enlightenment' onwards. Many modern-day magicians may find Agrippa's austere and majestic teaching of the Magical Wisdom too challenging to engage and implement practically and the fashionable preoccupations of todays occultnik scene will find little support in these densely-articulated pages : let such stay with the modern didappers, mountebanks and posturers they so vainly idolize - for those of us with eyes to see and ears to hear and wit to understand Cornelius Agrippa Von Nettesheim stands as the grand Arch-Magus of the Northern Renaissance and this volume a te

Essential work on Western occult tradition

Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy must rank as one of, if not the most important work ever written on the Western Occult tradition. Written in relative youth, it nevertheless has an immensely broad range of topics covering malefic and benefic magic while still remaining in the Christian tradition. Agrippa's work certainly provides numerous practical instructions, but always ties together a wide range of classical and traditional sources in a broad theoretical framework. As a traditional astrologer I found Agrippa's exposition of astrological magic to be among the best available in English, on a par with the Kaske and Clarke translation of Marsilio Ficino's Three Books on Life. This is not surprising as Agrippa draws directly from Picatrix, De Imaginibus of Thabit Ibn Qurra, Hermes on the 15 Fixed Stars and other key astrological magic texts. Donald Tyson, the editor of this modern edition of the original 17th century English translation of Three Books of Occult Philosophy, has done a good job of providing references and citations, though he occasionally makes technical mistakes. A perusal of the Brill Latin critical edition of Three Books of Occult Philosophy can be useful in this respect. In common with other traditional sources Agrippa does not lay out a recipe style method of magic (step 1, a, b, c, step 2, etc.) Instead as he states in the final chapter of book III, he deliberately scatters information throughout the three books. This points the way to the best method to learn from and absorb what Agrippa has written: deep and repeated study, practice and meditation. If I could have only one book on the Western occult tradition (perish the thought!) this would be it. Anyone with a serious interest in studying or practicing in this area should have this book.

More than worth the price...

I'm normally very skeptical about anything produced by Llewellyn, but not only is this an honest reproduction of Agrippa's brilliant works (I've seen the first English translation for myself--1560, I think), but Donald Tyson's scholarship is almost comparable to Agrippa's own. The notes are extensive & do a marvelous job of fleshing out the myriad brief & passing references in the text. Quotes from Agrippa's most likely sources provide timely insights into his own mind, and Tyson in addition offers a notes on sources foreign to or later than Agrippa for comparative study. Tyson's editing does not disturb the text at all, but rather makes it that much more clear. His diagrams & seals are well produced, & his corrections (which include skilled reanalysis of the Hebrew) & major additions are saved for the back of each chapter and of the whole volume. These appendices, and the bibliographical notes as well, are intelligent, clearheaded & very useful. Agrippa's genius is well known, but Tyson's fine scholarship for this volume deserves acknowledgment as well. I recommend this book especially strongly to serious students of magic who are tired of the flood of New Age-y magical manuals & gothic garbage tossed out like so much glitter by these shallow modern writers who use "magic" as a substitute for intelligence, or as a solution to their ego problems.