Audiobook13 hours
Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual
Written by Eliphas Lévi
Narrated by Henry Schrader
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
()
About this audiobook
Transcendental Magic: Its Doctrine and Ritual by Éliphas Lévi explores magic, the "esoteric science," and its place between science and religion.
Born Alphonse Louis Constant in 1810, this French occultist originally planned for a career in the Catholic Church. Constant was educated at Saint Sulpice's seminary, and planned to become a priest. Yet just before he was to receive his ordination at age 26, Constant renounced his ecclesiastical goals and returned to civilian life.
The following years tested Constant's conscience and resilience. He was disowned by his family, and worked as a tutor to earn an income. Without the structure from the seminary, he found himself adrift.
Constant dedicated much of his early life to promoting the ideals of a utopian socialist society that worked for the economic improvement of all people. He shared these ideas in an early work called The Bible of Liberty. Within an hour of its release, the copies were seized by French authorities, and Constant spent the next six months in prison.
After a failed marriage and the death of his young daughter, Constant discovered the world of the occult and mysticism. He became a ceremonial magician, and developed a social circle of many of the occultists and Kabbalists of the time. Writing on the subject under the Hebrew name Éliphas Lévi, he began to share his ideas on magic with the public in the 1850s.
This work explores the magician's foundations for his spiritual beliefs, as well as his idea that an elite class of priests would be necessary to lead the people into both social and magical order. He writes, "Occult philosophy seems to have been the nurse and godmother of all intellectual forces, the key of all divine obscurities, and the absolute mistress of society, in those ages when it was exclusively reserved for the education of priests and of kings ... Magic is the traditional science of the secrets of Nature which comes to us from the Magi."
Born Alphonse Louis Constant in 1810, this French occultist originally planned for a career in the Catholic Church. Constant was educated at Saint Sulpice's seminary, and planned to become a priest. Yet just before he was to receive his ordination at age 26, Constant renounced his ecclesiastical goals and returned to civilian life.
The following years tested Constant's conscience and resilience. He was disowned by his family, and worked as a tutor to earn an income. Without the structure from the seminary, he found himself adrift.
Constant dedicated much of his early life to promoting the ideals of a utopian socialist society that worked for the economic improvement of all people. He shared these ideas in an early work called The Bible of Liberty. Within an hour of its release, the copies were seized by French authorities, and Constant spent the next six months in prison.
After a failed marriage and the death of his young daughter, Constant discovered the world of the occult and mysticism. He became a ceremonial magician, and developed a social circle of many of the occultists and Kabbalists of the time. Writing on the subject under the Hebrew name Éliphas Lévi, he began to share his ideas on magic with the public in the 1850s.
This work explores the magician's foundations for his spiritual beliefs, as well as his idea that an elite class of priests would be necessary to lead the people into both social and magical order. He writes, "Occult philosophy seems to have been the nurse and godmother of all intellectual forces, the key of all divine obscurities, and the absolute mistress of society, in those ages when it was exclusively reserved for the education of priests and of kings ... Magic is the traditional science of the secrets of Nature which comes to us from the Magi."
More audiobooks from Eliphas Lévi
The Doctrine and Ritual High Magic: A New Translation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Doctrine of Transcendental Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Related to Transcendental Magic
Related audiobooks
Modern Occultism: History, Theory, and Practice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Ritual of Transcendental Magic Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Rosicrucian Wisdom: An Introduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Path of Freemasonry: The Craft as a Spiritual Practice Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Heretic's Handbook Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Occult Book: A Chronological Journey from Alchemy to Wicca Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Secret History of the Hell-Fire Clubs: From Rabelais and John Dee to Anton LaVey and Timothy Leary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A Witch's Den: A look into the darker rituals of late 19th Century rural India Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Astral Plane: Its Scenery, Inhabitants and Phenomena Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Rosicrucian America: How a Secret Society Influenced the Destiny of a Nation Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Witches' Ointment: The Secret History of Psychedelic Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Occult Russia: Pagan, Esoteric, and Mystical Traditions Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Paradoxes of the Highest Science Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ceremonial Magic and Sorcery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Elements and Their Inhabitants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Egregores: The Occult Entities That Watch Over Human Destiny Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Psychic Self-Defense Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Sane Occultism Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Life and Teachings of Thoth Hermes Trismegistus Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Dark Arts of Tantric Yoga and Other Timeless Secrets Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Liber AL vel Legis - The Book of the Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Liber Null & Psychonaut: An Introduction to Chaos Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Theory and Practice of Alchemy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Book of Lies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The book of Thoth: A Short Essay on the Tarot of the Egyptians Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Path of Alchemy: Energetic Healing & the World of Natural Magic Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Liber Kaos: The Psychonomicon Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Occult & Paranormal For You
Journey of Souls: Case Studies of Life Between Lives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5American Cosmic: UFOs, Religion, Technology Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Book of Enoch the Prophet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life After Life: The Investigation of a Phenomenon---Survival of Bodily Death Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Destiny of Souls: New Case Studies of Life Between Lives Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kybalion: Hermetic Philosophy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The 12th Planet Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Afterlife of Billy Fingers: How My Bad-Boy Brother Proved to Me There's Life After Death Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Custodians: Beyond Abduction Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Imagine the God of Heaven: Near-Death Experiences, God’s Revelation, and the Love You’ve Always Wanted Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Secret Teachings of All Ages Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Chariots of the Gods Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A Haunted Road Atlas: Sinister Stops, Dangerous Destinations, and True Crime Tales Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Living the Faery Life: A Guide to Connecting with the Magic, Power, and Joy of the Enchanted Realm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5End of Days: Predictions and Prophecies about the End of the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Between Death & Life: Conversations with a Spirit Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Kybalion: A Study of Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Keepers of the Garden Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Between Two Worlds Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Tarot: No Questions Asked: Mastering the Art of Intuitive Reading Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal about Life and Beyond Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5101 True Scary Stories to Read in Bed Tonight Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tarot: The Ultimate Guide to Tarot Card Reading Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Transcendental Magic
Rating: 3.688524603278688 out of 5 stars
3.5/5
61 ratings2 reviews
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5The book is bent on being as cynical as possible. The narration is ok/good.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5a great insight from a master in this field .