A History of White MagicThe world of magic is one of high imagination. In this wide-ranging historical survey Gareth Knight shows how the higher imagination has been used as an aid to the evolution of consciousness, from the ancient Mystery Religions, through Alchemy, Renaissance Magic, the Rosicrucian Manifestos, Freemasonry and 19th century Magical Fraternities, up to the modern era. Knight considers magic as a middle ground between science and religion, reconciling them in a technology of the imagination, which properly used, can bring about personal regeneration and spiritual fulfilment. He uses Coleridge's theory of the imagination as a basis for the validity of magic as science and art in its own right. Many systems and structures have come down through the ages slightly shoddy, misrepresented, maligned, misaligned. With this book a deconstruction becomes a recycling of raw material for the purposes of re-ordering and re-configuring - a righted prism, a shored up temple, a foundational re-ballasting. |
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alchemical Aleister Crowley ancient angelic archetype Bacon belief body called Catholic centre Chemical Wedding Christ Christian Rosencreutz church civilisation Coleridge concept creation crystalline spheres Dante described developed divine earth Egypt Egyptian elements evolution of consciousness fact Ficino Freemasonry gods Golden Dawn Greek heaven heavenly Hermetic Holy Grail human ideas important influence inner world intellectual Isis Jesus Jewish Jews Joseph of Arimathea Jungian Kathleen Raine King knight later legends magical tradition magician Marsilio Ficino matter means medieval mind modern Mysteries mystery religions mystical nature occult Old Testament original Osiris pagan phenomena philosophy pillars Pistis Sophia planetary planets powers practice primitive principles psyche psychic psychological Qabalah Qabalistic realised religion Renaissance represented Robert Fludd Rosicrucian scientific secondary imagination secret similar society Solomon soul speculation spiritual stars story symbolism Tarot teaching techniques Temple theology theory thought universe vision W. B. Yeats White Magic Zodiac