The classic groundbreaking exploration of ancient occult philosophy by the author of  The History of Magic . Steeped in the Western occult tradition, Éliphas Lévi (Alphonese Louis Constant) was a master of the Rosicrucian interpretation of the Qabalah, which forms the basis of magic as practiced in the West today. The first half of this book deals with the principles and theories that underlie magical work, covering the subject from the Qabalistic, Hermetic, and Christian points of view; while in the second half, instructions are clearly given for the preparation of the instruments of the art and of their ceremonial employment in the rites governing necromancy, spells, and divination. The translation and notes by A.E. Waite are immaculate. Waite, a noted scholar of his day, taught the theory and practice of magic in both the Hermetic and Rosicrucian orders. Due to the high caliber of both author and editor, this book maintains its preeminent position in the literature of the magic arts. Alphonse Louis Constant, better know by his pen name Eliphas Levi, was a master of the traditional Rosicrucian interpretation of the Kabbalah. He was born in France in 1810, and through the offices of the parish priest, was educated for the church at SaintSulpice. He was later expelled from seminary for teaching doctrines contrary to those of the Roman Catholic Church. In 1824 Levi began studying the occult sciences, and wrote about magic and the Kabbalah for the next three decades. His other books include Transcendental Magic , Mysteries of the Qabalah , and The Book of Splendours . A.E. Waite (1857-1942) is one of the bestknown authors and translators of magic and the occult. He is the creator of the Rider-Waite tarot and is the author of several books including Book of Black Magic and Pictorial Keys to the Tarot . TRANSCENDENTAL MAGIC Its Doctrine and Ritual By Eliphas Levi Samuel Weiser, Inc. Copyright © 2013 Eliphas Levi All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-87728-079-8 Contents EXPLANATION OF THE FIGURESBIOGRAPHICAL PREFACETHE DOCTRINE OF TRANSCENDENTAL MAGICIntroductionI THE CANDIDATEII THE PILLARS OF THE TEMPLEIII THE TRIANGLE OF SOLOMONIV THE TETRAGRAMV THE PENTAGRAMVI MAGICAL EQUILIBRIUMVII THE FIERY SWORDVIII REALIZATIONIX INITIATIONX THE KABALAHXI THE MAGIC CHAINXII THE GREAT WORKXIII NECROMANCYXIV TRANSMUTATIONSXV BLACK MAGICXVI BEWITCHMENTSXVII ASTROLOGYXVIII CHARMS AND PHILTRESXIX THE STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS—ELAGABALUSXX THE UNIVERSAL MEDICINEXXI DIVINATIONXXII SUMMARY AND GENERAL KEY OF THE FOUR SECRET SCIENCESTHE RITUAL OF TRANSCENDENTAL MAGICIntroductionI PREPARATIONSII MAGICAL EQUILIBRIUMIII THE TRIANGLE OF PANTACLESIV THE CONJURATION OF THE FOURV THE BLAZING PENTAGRAMVI THE MEDIUM AND MEDIATORVII THE SEPTENARY OF TALISMANSVIII A WARNING TO THE IMPRUDENTIX THE CEREMONIAL OF INITIATESX THE KEY OF OCCULTISMXI THE TRIPLE CHAINXII THE GREAT WORKXIII NECROMANCYXIV TRANSMUTATIONSXV THE SABBATH OF THE SORCERERSXVI WITCHCRAFT AND SPELLSXVII THE WRITING OF THE STARSXVIII PHILTRES AND MAGNETISMXIX THE MASTERY OF THE SUNXX THE THAUMATURGEXXI THE SCIENCE OF THE PROPHETSXXII THE BOOK OF HERMESSUPPLEMENT TO THE RITUALTHE NUCTEMERON OF APOLLONIUS OF TYANATHE NUCTEMERON ACCORDING TO THE HEBREWSINDEX CHAPTER 1 THE CANDIDATE DISCIPLINA ENSOPH KETHER When a philosopher adopted as the basis for a new apocalypse of human wisdom theaxiom: "I think, therefore I am", in a measure he altered unconsciously, fromthe stand point of Christian Revelation, the old conception of the SupremeBeing. I am that I am, said the Being of beings of Moses. I am he who thinks,says the man of Descartes, and to think being to speak inwardly, such a one mayaffirm, like the God of St John the Evangelist: I am he in whom and by whom theword manifests— In principio erat verbum . Now, what is this principle? It is agroundwork of speech, it is a reason for the existence of the word. The essenceof the word is in the principle; the principle is that which is; intelligence isa principle which speaks. What further is intellectual light? It is speech. Whatis revelation? It is speech also, being is the principle, speech is the means,and the plenitude or development and perfection of being is the end. To speak isto create. But to say: "I think, therefore I exist", is to argue fromconsequence to principle, and certain contradictions which have been adduced bya great writer, Lamennais, have proved abundantly the philosophical unsoundnessof this method. I am, therefore something exists—might seem to be a moreprimitive and simple foundation for experimental philo sophy. I am, thereforeBeing exists. Ego Sum qui sum —such is the first revelation of God in man and ofman in the world, while it is also the first axiom of occult philosophy. [TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII]. Beingis being. Hence this philosophy, having that which is for its principle, can bein no sense hypothesis or guesswork. THE SIGN OF EXCOMMUNICATION Mercurius Tris