Ritual Magic

Occult knowledge and practices can be divided into three main branches: astrology, whose goal is to manage a person's fate through predictions; alchemy, which seeks to find the philosopher's stone and, along with it, limitless power; and ritual magic, which aims to control the world of spirits. In this literary work (first published in 1949), Elizabeth Butler explores ritual magic, using a variety of sources: from pre-Christian rituals of the Akkadians and Chaldeans to the "Keys of Solomon" of medieval Europe. The book is full of quotes from these documents, which give the reader an understanding of how strongly occult knowledge and myths from different eras influenced people's minds. In her research, Butler also examines the career successes and failures of notable magicians of the 15th–19th centuries, the history of ceremonial magic in England, the myth of Satanism, and rituals related to Faust's pact with the devil. This book is worth recommending to anyone interested in the history of magic and how magical traditions change depending on the characteristics of different eras and cultures.