The book includes the grimoire «The Magic of Arbatel» as well as the classical work by Agrippa «Occult Philosophy». Agrippa of Nettesheim (Heinrich Cornelius) is a significant figure of the Renaissance, a natural philosopher, theologian, excellent orator, and humanist, who corresponded with Erasmus of Rotterdam. He inspired Goethe to write «Faust». His contemporaries referred to him as a black magician, believing that he could turn metals into gold, be in different places at the same time, and had domestic demons in the bodies of dogs. Agrippa sought to engage with the occult sciences of the ancients: «Platonic theology, hermeticism, and Kabbalah. The work is a systematic presentation of all the information available at that time about occult sciences, methods of conducting magical operations, which is why it is still recognized by many as a «textbook» on magic. The proposed edition includes 4 books: the first is devoted to natural magic, the second - to celestial magic, and the third and fourth - to ceremonial (ritual) magic.
In the first book, the author discusses the structure of the Universe, the interconnection of its elements, the occult properties of things, their correlation with the planets, and explains what it means to be a magician. You will also learn about the power of the Word, the properties of names, what gives language its magical strength, and how to create a spell using the attributes and name of a deity.
The second book, «Celestial Magic», as mentioned above, is translated into Russian for the first time. Thanks to the second book, you will become familiar with Agrippa's complete understanding of magic as an activity that reveals the true nature and interconnection of all things. It is in the second book that the role of mathematics in magic is sanctified. You will learn how to perform magical operations without the help of natural forces, using the laws of number, weight, and measure; this section includes magical squares, describes the role of numbers and planets in magic: it provides a list of planetary attributes and properties that must be used during rituals, and much attention is given to the zodiac signs. The author's described methods for crafting talismans with planetary images will be very useful in magical practice. Knowledge is the result of human self-discovery; it is the power that grants a person authority. A magician is a sage and prophet, and magic is a science, not sorcery; it is created by the concentration of will and imagination, for which control of the mind over the body is necessary.
In the third book, the names of God are examined, their influence on things, the spell Abracadabra, and amulets for healing. The author reflects on pagan gods, describes the nature of spirits, demons, and angels, mentions their names and symbols, and pays some attention to religious ceremonies.
The fourth book describes ways to find the names of spirits that govern the celestial realm, whose help is needed in one ritual or another. You will also learn about necromancy, methods of summoning elementals, magical tools needed in witchcraft practice, as well as the specifics of creating pentacles. As mentioned earlier, this edition also includes the grimoire «The Magic of Arbatel». Thus, «The Magic of Arbatel» is a wonderful addition to the third and fourth books of «Occult Philosophy», which is why this grimoire and Agrippa's classical work are bound under one cover.