Kurt Seligmann (1900-1962) was a Swiss-American Surrealist painter and expert on magic, known for his extensive collection of rare books and his monumental role in the popularization of Surrealism in the United States. After the outbreak of World War II in 1939, he was the first European Surrealist to arrive in New York. After the war his work was exhibited widely and acquired by museums throughout the United States and Europe. He taught for many years at various colleges in New York City.

Note from the Publisher

FOREWORD

The Artist behind the Mirror of Magic
BY CELIA RABINOVITCH

PREFACE
The Emancipatory Power of Magic
BY GRAŽINA SUBELYTE

THE ORIGINAL TEXT
THE MIRROR OF MAGIC
A History of Magic in the Western World

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

MESOPOTAMIA
THE FORGETFUL GODS

DIVINATORY ARTS THE

MYSTERY OF STARS AND NUMBERS

THE TOWER OF BABEL

PERSIA

ZOROASTER

MAGIC ABOUT HAIR AND NAILS

CASTING OUT THE FLY DEMON

THE HEBREWS

JEHOVAH’S WARRIORS

MAGIC IN HOLY WRIT

EGYPT

THE SPHINX

MORTUARY MAGIC

JOURNEY TO THE UNDERWORLD

THE WORD

ISIS

GREECE

MAGIC IN PHILOSOPHICAL GARB

DREAMS, GHOSTS AND HEROES

OMENS, ORACLES AND ASTROLOGY

THE MYSTERIES OF ELEUSIS

GNOSTICISM

THE WAY TO BLESSEDNESS

THE GNOSTIC SECTS

THE ROMAN EMPIRE

MAGIC UNDER THE ROMAN EMPERORS

NEO-PLATONISM

JULIAN THE APOSTATE

THE RUIN OF PAGAN MAGIC

ALCHEMY

ORIGINS OF ALCHEMY

HERMES TRISMEGISTUS

HERMETICA

THE PRINCIPLES OF ALCHEMY AND THE PHILOSOPHERS’ STONE

VAS INSIGNE ELECTIONIS

HERMETIC ENIGMAS

THE ALKAHEST

EARLY ATTACKS ON ALCHEMY

FAMOUS TRANSMUTATIONS

THE INHERITANCE OF THE ACCURSED

THE MIDDLE AGES

MAGICAL MISCELLANY IN PRE-ARABIC TIMES

THE ARABS

MAGICIANS OF THE MIDDLE AGES

ALBERTUS MAGNUS

ROGER BACON

THE DEVIL

THE PRINCIPLE OF EVIL

INFERNAL HELPERS

UNHOLY IMAGES

WITCHCRAFT

POSSESSIONS

THE SABBATH

THE DEVIL’S SHARE

THE WITCH

THE PURSUIT OF AN IDEAL

THE WITCH CONTROVERSY IN ENGLISH LITERATURE

DIABOLIC RITES

BLACK MAGIC

PORTAITS
THE MAGUS

PICO DELLA MIRANDOLA

TRITHEMIUS

AGRIPPA VON NETTESHEIM

PARACELSUS

NOSTRADAMUS

GUILLAUME POSTEL

GIAMBATTISTA DELLA PORTA

CABALA
CHRISTIAN CABALISTS AND THE JEWS

SECRETS OF THE BIBLE

MAGIC OF LETTERS

THE BOOK OF YETZIRAH

MAGICAL ARTS

THE WONDER CAVE

ASTROLOGY

DIVINATION BY MOLES

METOPOSCOPY

PHYSIOGNOMY

CHIROMANCY

THE TAROT

TAROT PIPS AND TRUMPS

THE JUGGLER

REFORMERS

THE ROSICRUCIANS

VALENTINE ANDREAE

SECRET SOCIETIES

THE CLASSICAL IDEAL

THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

REVOLT AGAINST REASON

VAMPIRES

MAGIC UNVEILED

MASONIC LODGES

THE COUNT OF SAINT-GERMAIN

EPILOGUE

CONCLUSION

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHIC RÉSUMÉ

INDEX