History of Magic and the Occult [Hardcover]

Kurt Selegmann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 7, 1997

From the demons of Mesopotamia to those plaguing our own late-20th-century civilization, this comprehensive primer covers every aspect of magic and the occult since earliest recorded time. Spanning 5,000 years of world history it covers every major civilization and includes sections on alchemy, the Devil, witchcraft, the cabala, astrology, the tarot, the Rosicrucians, Nostradamus, and vampires. Profusely illustrated with nearly 170 black-and-white illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

From the demons of Mesopotamia to those plaguing our own late-20th-century civilization, this comprehensive primer covers every aspect of magic and the occult since earliest recorded time. Spanning 5,000 years of world history it covers every major civilization and includes sections on alchemy, the Devil, witchcraft, the cabala, astrology, the tarot, the Rosicrucians, Nostradamus, and vampires. Profusely illustrated with nearly 170 black-and-white illustrations.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Gramercy (July 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0517150328
• ISBN-13: 978-0517150320
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,133,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining panorama on magics and demon, May 3, 2002

By 

Burak Eldem (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Magic and the Occult (Hardcover)

Seligmann, an artist and a "bibliophiliac" of twentieth century, presents a noteworthy panorama on the roots of magic and ancient beliefs & superstitions in this richly illustrated work. This is not a book an enthustiastic "Wicca" would be enjoyed or feel excited to read. Rather it is a well organized collection of historical accounts (mostly dealing with the "Western" side of the subject) and esoteric knowledge. Seligmann provides us a classified history of magic, beginning with ancient Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Canaan and Greece; then shifts the main route towards the medieaval Europe. All sections concerning with ancient cultures has very interesting details on ancient rituals, myths and the concept of "demons". He especially provides very interesting material on Hermetic philosophy and gnosticism. The hundreds of illustrations in the book, add an entertaining taste into the story. This book would have well deserved "five stars" if it included ancient Eastern beliefs and rites in same detailed style, so I rate Seligmann's work with 4 stars. But in general, "The History of Magic and Occult" is a "compact encyclopedia", you'd like to own.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a bibliophiliac wedding of the SURREALIST & the OCCULTIST, May 6, 2001

By 

Anita Fix (Alcazar in the Land of Enchantment) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Magic and the Occult (Hardcover)

Kurt Seligmann, Surrealist artist par excellence, admitted & unashamed bibliophile, has ravaged his occult library in a miraculous marriage giving birth to this classic historical account of Magic and Occultism; entirely written for the proverbial 'man about the street', and a very cosmic avenue is here tread in an admireable chronological ordering of the various mystical houses. Addressing all the various occult(semantic definition of "hidden & rejected knowledge") routes via the shortcut of this Art Historian's scholarly mind, as a whole this work is one of the best and most easily approachable "magic histories" for those who have no previous knowledge concerning occultism except an undeniable interest and fascination with the mysterious and the spiritual.

Kurt Seligmann is darkly fascinated and explores endlessly the multitude of historic beliefs concerning the study of the nature of evil... such as black magic, necromancy, Elizabethian era conjurers and their Enochian magic,primitive rites, evocations of the Cultus Satanus, Goetia Demonomania, et.al....as an example, early on he discusses Chaldean phliosophies in which: "Evil was born from God's disturbing thoughts"...I have long wondered if the proposed thoughts had to do specifically with humanity?...and this book will surely set the fire or fan the sulphurous flames of those burning to know more about all things occult.

The book primarily deals with Western Esoteric Traditions, which, being a westerner, appeals to my insatiable explorative appetite in studying and discovering the divinity of humankind and the accorded propensity & potentials of individual spiritual progress through Magick and the strengthening of divine will ; in comparison with more Eastern idealogies concerned with mystical enlightenment and the abolishing of the ego to attain Nirvana.

In summation, Kurt Seligmann, as one of the last efforts of his exemplary artistic journey throughout the early 20th century avant-garde, has given the world a completely unbiased in-depth world history from a magical perspective, a genuine labor of love which will always retain its intimately artistic personality in contrast to the strict scholarly treatise of the newspaper skeptic variety; and although there are better, more developed and intrigueing accounts out there, none are at the moment so readily available and economic, nor so expressive, or conclusively compact as this. Finally, the book has over a hundred and fifty illustrations from alchemical treatise and magical grimoires which compliment his descriptive writing style.

It is besides all this, another exclamation point puncuating the Surrealist movement. surrealyours, an occultist.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Informative but dry..., January 9, 2004

By 

blackrose "rosendubh" (Philadelphia, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: History of Magic and the Occult (Hardcover)

I have the older version of the book, but I understand that the content is generally unchanged.

As someone who was desperately seeking some history without the New Age spin, this is a good resource. I'm almost tempted to say excellent resource, for what's there, tho he does focus on Western and Middle Eastern concepts.

The main flaw I see with the book is the writing style. It's very 'academic', which I often find is synonomous with dry. I understand why the flashy New Age books sell - they capture the audience who doesn't go for the more scholarly approach... and I have difficult reading this book without my mind wandering.

That said - it's not about flash, it's about substance... and it is a very interesting and informative piece of works.