A Guided Tour through the Untamed Territories of Magic
Book 1 of the Great Wizards of History Trilogy
The history of wizardry comes alive with dozens of unique portraits capturing the most remarkable and infamous practitioners of magic and alchemy. Combining up-to-date historical scholarship and his own keen interpretations of primary texts, Guy Ogilvy develops a fascinating saga of magical thought and practice.
The story begins with the prehistoric culture of the Lion Man and moves on to Orpheus and the great figures of myth. Discover the unparalleled influence of Pythagoras and the pre-Socratics as they experience the mysterious glories of Apollo's touch. Behold the leading alchemists of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance as they carry forth the surviving wisdom of the ancients, working their unique magic even as powerful social and political forces align against them.
Magic is a vital element of history. The Great Wizards of Antiquity weaves together the loose threads of magic to form a comprehensive tapestry, challenging the ideas brought forth by peddlers of the mundane and returning a sense of enchantment to its rightful place in the human spirit.
In this book, you will discover the beliefs and teachings of sorcerers, healers, philosophers, alchemists, and mythological figures, including:
The Lion Man
Animal magic & the modern mind
Orpheus
Incantations & the magic of music
Dionysus
Wild rites & the gift of wine
Pythagoras
Metempsychosis & the wisdom of the cave dwellers
Pherekydes
Open secrets & the immortality of souls
The Pythia
The oracle at Delphi & ecstatic prophecy
Epimenides
Sacred caves & the unknown gods
Abaris
The golden arrow & the Hyperborean Apollo
Zalmoxis
Thrace & the Celtic connection
Hermotimus
Astral travel & the preeminence of psyche
Aristeas
The form of a raven & the wonders of Apollo
Parmenides
The man who knows & the nightmare ride to hell
Empedocles
Bronze sandals & the four elements
Zosimos
Transmutation & inner purification
J?bir ibn ?ayy?n
Islamic alchemy & the theory of balance
Jan Baptista Van Helmont
The stranger & the projecting powder
The Comte de Saint-Germain
Universal medicine & the elixir of life
Paracelsus
Legendary cures & the open book of nature
James Price
The Royal Society & the Philosopher's Stone
