Overview: Acclaimed by Publishers Weekly as "a classic reference, dizzying in its breadth," this volume explores the themes underlying ancient mythology, philosophy, and religion. Hundreds of entries range from esoteric elements of Islamic and Christian history to arcane rituals practiced by Druids, Freemasons, alchemists, and other secret societies. 16 pages of color plates, 100 black-and-white illustrations.

Fifteenth-century document provides instructions -- for the period's professional magicians and sorcerers -- for evoking good and evil spirits, divining rare metals and treasures, warding off evil magic, healing illnesses, rendering oneself invisible, reading minds, working black magic, and more. An entertaining medieval course in legerdemain -- one of the most important books in the history of occultism.

An air of profound mystery surrounds the fraternal order of Free and Accepted Masons, or Freemasons. Built on three pillars of brotherly love, charity, and truth, the order ranks among the world's oldest and most renowned societies. This classic study explores Freemasonry's history and traditions, both legendary and documented, and chronicles the society's influence on the Western world, particularly in regard to American culture and government. Author...

Vividly detailed and highly readable, this classic history of witchcraft and demonology provides a thorough exploration of sorcery, Satanism, and every variety of the black arts. Reflecting popular folklore and theological opinions of the late medieval and early Renaissance periods, this survey of necromancy traces witchcraft from ancient times to the twentieth century, describing the link between heresy and the occult. Threaded with dramatic accounts...

First published in 1923, "The Lost Keys of Freemasonry" or "The Legend of Hiram Abiff," by Manly P. Hall is an illuminating and informative explanation of Freemasonry symbolism and ritual. Hall was born in 1901 in Ontario, Canada and moved to California in 1919 and was immediately drawn into studying Christian mysticism, esoteric arts, world religions, and Greek philosophers. He began publishing numerous books on Freemasonry and mysticism in the 1920's...

This scholarly exploration of the borderlands between science and fantasy features four complete works by the redoubtable Charle Fort (1874-1932): The Book of the Damned, Lo!, Wild Talents, and New Lands. All concern the bizarre phenomena unexplained by traditional science: flying saucers, telekinesis, sudden showers of fish from the sky, stigmata, poltergeists, and spontaneous combustion.