Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Product ID: 281604325
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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 errors introduced from other editions, drawing on new research and access to Agrippa’s source texts • Restores all of Agrippa’s original illustrations • Presents a nearly complete bibliography of Agrippa’s primary sources One of the most important texts in the Western magical tradition for nearly 500 years, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s 1533 work Three Books of Occult Philosophy collates a multitude of sources from the Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance periods and organizes them into a coherent explanation of the magical world. Divided into three parts--the natural world, the celestial world, and the divine world--the book systematically explains the philosophy, logic, and methods of magic and astrology and how they work. The basis for 19th-century magical orders such as the Golden Dawn and a primary source for countless books on magical uses of stones, herbs, incense, and astrology, Agrippa’s many lists and diagrams have proven invaluable to magicians since the 16th century. Yet, until now, all English editions of Agrippa’s Three Books were based on the same flawed 1651 translation from the mysterious “J.F.” In this new translation from the original 1533 Latin edition, Eric Purdue corrects the many mistranslations, copyist mistakes, and errors introduced from other editions as well as restores all of Agrippa’s original illustrations. Purdue notates every correction and offers commentary, drawing on major developments in the research of older magical and astrological texts. He also presents a nearly complete bibliography of Agrippa’s primary sources, revealing Agrippa as a mainstream scholar of his day. Presenting the first new English translation of Three Books of Occult Philosophy in more than 350 years, this three-volume hardcover boxed set repairs the gaps in knowledge pervasive in the original translation and restores the magical spirit of Agrippa’s masterpiece, allowing us to hear Agrippa speak again. Review: Like an Ancient Spirituality 101 textbook - (I am new to the classics, so my review may not be helpful for those who are well versed in them. ) Amazing. This is like a textbook for a university-level Ancient Spirituality 101 course. The Three Books provide a high-level overview of the Spiritual beliefs of the ancients from Plato to Aristotle to the Egyptians and so on. The books provide practical instructions, logic, explantaions. My world has opened up! Purdue does a stellar job providing sources for as much of the data and instructions as possible. His hard work in producing this translation and reference allows me to find the ancient or archaic referenced book(s) on a topic so that I may go deeper. My library is now becoming full of the great minds whom I was led to believe were nothing more than stodgy philosphers; I never realized until this book came along how *spiritual* and practical Plato, Aristotle, etc were! And their knowledge & spirituality were very much based on logic and reason, something that has been removed from modern-day spirituality (from my personal observation and to my chagrin). As one anonymous poster wrote: Modern-day spirituality books are like 5th-grade science books compared to this book being like an intro to biochemistry textbook. TIP: Bookmark an etymology dictionary website to read this. Many words used by Agrippa/Purdue do not have the same modern-day meanings. Example: 'Accidents' Modern meaning: an unfortunate, unforeseen event Aristotle (and thus Agrippa/Purdue) used 'accident' in a philosophical sense to describe "distinction between the essential and accidental properties of a thing. For example, a chair can be made of wood or metal, but this is accidental to its being a chair: that is, it is still a chair regardless of the material from which it is made." (Wikipedia) Therefore all of our individual Accidents makes us *unique* and who we are. But we're still human. Do you see what I mean about how this book is expanding my world? I don't know that I'll ever buy a modern spirituality book again. Thank you for your hard work, Purdue. Friends have already ordered their copy as well. Review: Currently the most accurate version - This version by Eric Purdue is the most accurate version while being easier to read you'll be able to buy today. Unlike the Llewellyn version which is a few decades old now served us well over the years did have some inaccuracies. Also the text was much more flowery and in older style English so for those that don't like reading text like that, you'll not have an enjoyable time digesting these books. Purdue's version is a healthy mix between the Llewellyn version and the Black Letter Press version by sitting between the two extremes of overly flowery and modern clinical. So while Purdue does simplify the language he takes care not to remove beauty of it. Lastly Purdue does a great job with diagrams and charts and their printing clarity is fantastic, which was a big criticism for the Llewellyn's version that was blurry and low resolution. Well that's all I got to say about the book. It's a must read for those diving into the occult and witchcraft and other magickal practices. Agrippa explains basically every mechanic that goes into the magickal systems we use today and it is incumbent for any practitioner to at least read this text once to know both the ethics and mechanics of magick.
| Best Sellers Rank | #90,589 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #24 in Freemasonry (Books) #31 in Hermetism & Rosicrucianism #36 in Kabbalah & Mysticism |
| Customer Reviews | 4.9 out of 5 stars 255 Reviews |
S**R
Like an Ancient Spirituality 101 textbook
(I am new to the classics, so my review may not be helpful for those who are well versed in them. ) Amazing. This is like a textbook for a university-level Ancient Spirituality 101 course. The Three Books provide a high-level overview of the Spiritual beliefs of the ancients from Plato to Aristotle to the Egyptians and so on. The books provide practical instructions, logic, explantaions. My world has opened up! Purdue does a stellar job providing sources for as much of the data and instructions as possible. His hard work in producing this translation and reference allows me to find the ancient or archaic referenced book(s) on a topic so that I may go deeper. My library is now becoming full of the great minds whom I was led to believe were nothing more than stodgy philosphers; I never realized until this book came along how *spiritual* and practical Plato, Aristotle, etc were! And their knowledge & spirituality were very much based on logic and reason, something that has been removed from modern-day spirituality (from my personal observation and to my chagrin). As one anonymous poster wrote: Modern-day spirituality books are like 5th-grade science books compared to this book being like an intro to biochemistry textbook. TIP: Bookmark an etymology dictionary website to read this. Many words used by Agrippa/Purdue do not have the same modern-day meanings. Example: 'Accidents' Modern meaning: an unfortunate, unforeseen event Aristotle (and thus Agrippa/Purdue) used 'accident' in a philosophical sense to describe "distinction between the essential and accidental properties of a thing. For example, a chair can be made of wood or metal, but this is accidental to its being a chair: that is, it is still a chair regardless of the material from which it is made." (Wikipedia) Therefore all of our individual Accidents makes us *unique* and who we are. But we're still human. Do you see what I mean about how this book is expanding my world? I don't know that I'll ever buy a modern spirituality book again. Thank you for your hard work, Purdue. Friends have already ordered their copy as well.
F**I
Currently the most accurate version
This version by Eric Purdue is the most accurate version while being easier to read you'll be able to buy today. Unlike the Llewellyn version which is a few decades old now served us well over the years did have some inaccuracies. Also the text was much more flowery and in older style English so for those that don't like reading text like that, you'll not have an enjoyable time digesting these books. Purdue's version is a healthy mix between the Llewellyn version and the Black Letter Press version by sitting between the two extremes of overly flowery and modern clinical. So while Purdue does simplify the language he takes care not to remove beauty of it. Lastly Purdue does a great job with diagrams and charts and their printing clarity is fantastic, which was a big criticism for the Llewellyn's version that was blurry and low resolution. Well that's all I got to say about the book. It's a must read for those diving into the occult and witchcraft and other magickal practices. Agrippa explains basically every mechanic that goes into the magickal systems we use today and it is incumbent for any practitioner to at least read this text once to know both the ethics and mechanics of magick.
C**.
For those that seek esoteric knowledge and a deeper understanding of the world around us.
For those that study the Occult arts, these books are key to ones foundational understanding of all the various aspects occultism in order to become intimately familiar with the spiritual, practical and esoteric side of the Occult. I bought these for my collection, but also have the paperback version I use for study. And of course book four will complete the set if one so desires which is also an excellent read.
M**R
The Holy Grail of Magick books.
Books arrived within 20 hours after ordered. Good packaging. Contents were in mint condition. I paid $132 (tax included) at Amazon. The cover price is $195. I saved $65 which I would have gladly paid. These books are excellent. The binding is made of sewn in signatures with hard covers. They are cloth bound, crisp and handsome with dust jackets. The three volumes came in a sturdy slip case. Published in 1533 in Latin. This is the newest complete translation from the 1533 edition. I got it about two hours ago and only had time to skim through the tables of contents and picking random paragraphs from two of the volumes. I am excited to read this master work by such a great renaissance magician.
B**N
The new standard
This new translation of Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia is both fluent in its rendition for a modern audience, and a great asset for researchers, with its footnotes indicating the specific primary sources from which the text's many obscure allusions may have been derived. The corrections to questionable translations found in previous editions, also listed in the footnotes, are a philological gift to casual readers and serious scholars alike! If you can own only one version of Agrippa's work in English, I would recommend this one.
T**N
Integrity!
This edition restores structural integrity where earlier translations introduced confusion or omission. For those working seriously with Agrippa, the difference is not cosmetic, it is functional.
V**N
Exceeded all my expectations!
Excellent book. Nicely made. Extremely understandable and clear. Exceeded all my expectations.
C**L
Amazing books!
These books are an absolute must have for anyone dealing with a spiritual awakening. So many things are explained…..from old time magic, the power of numbers and the planets, every day signs and omens etc. definitely worth it!
R**S
This is the translation you want
This is the translation you want.
S**R
Stunning!
This is a stunning work! Warnock's attention to detail in unpacking the translation of this classic is admirable, and will deepen the reader's appreciation of this important material, contextualized thus as a compendium of about 200 other books to which most readers will not have access. A real labour of love, which must have taken a very long time to compile. The translation is fluid, inviting, illuminating and easy to read. Also, the material is beautifully formatted, with proper Table of Contents and back-links to the many notes, making for smooth navigation of the text for study purposes. I do really look forward to the next two books being published!
A**A
Buena traducción
Excelente presentación, buena calidad de impresión y diseño. Buena traducción (ya que el texto original fue escrito en latín).
A**R
Wonderful
Great quality book set
J**A
The best so far.
The best so far. I'm still on volume one and can say that it was beautifully written. So far so good ❤
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