Eliphas Levi

¿Existe una magia, existe verdaderamente una ciencia oculta que sea ciertamente un poder y opere prodigios capaces de competir con los milagros de las religiones autorizadas? A estas preguntas, y a otras, responderemos con una palabra y con un libro. El Libro sera la justificacion de la palabra, y esta palabra es: SI Si, ha existido y todavia existe una magia poderosa y real. Si, todo cuanto las leyendas dicen es cierto; aqui, unica y contrariamente a lo que ocurre generalmente, las exageraciones populares no eran tales, sino que estaban muy por debajo de la verdad. Si, existe un secreto formidable cuya revelacion ya ha trastornado el mundo, como lo atestiguan las tradiciones de Egipto, resumidas simbolicamente por Moises, en el comienzo del Genesis. Ese secreto constituye la ciencia fatal del bien y del mal, y su resultado, cuando se divulga, es la muerte. Si, existe un dogma unico, universal, imperecedero, fuerte como la razon suprema, sencillo como todo lo que es grande, inteligible como todo lo que es universal y absolutamente verdadero, y ese dogma ha sido el padre de todos los demas. Si, existe una ciencia que confiere al hombre prerrogativas, en apariencia sobrehumanas, helas aqui tal y como las hemos hallado enumeradas en un manuscrito hebreo del siglo XVI.

¿Existe una magia, existe verdaderamente una ciencia oculta que sea ciertamente un poder y opere prodigios capaces de competir con los milagros de las religiones autorizadas? A estas preguntas, y a otras, responderemos con una palabra y con un libro. El Libro sera la justificacion de la palabra, y esta palabra es: SI Si, ha existido y todavia existe una magia poderosa y real. Si, todo cuanto las leyendas dicen es cierto; aqui, unica y contrariamente a lo que ocurre generalmente, las exageraciones populares no eran tales, sino que estaban muy por debajo de la verdad. Si, existe un secreto formidable cuya revelacion ya ha trastornado el mundo, como lo atestiguan las tradiciones de Egipto, resumidas simbolicamente por Moises, en el comienzo del Genesis. Ese secreto constituye la ciencia fatal del bien y del mal, y su resultado, cuando se divulga, es la muerte. Si, existe un dogma unico, universal, imperecedero, fuerte como la razon suprema, sencillo como todo lo que es grande, inteligible como todo lo que es universal y absolutamente verdadero, y ese dogma ha sido el padre de todos los demas. Si, existe una ciencia que confiere al hombre prerrogativas, en apariencia sobrehumanas, helas aqui tal y como las hemos hallado enumeradas en un manuscrito hebreo del siglo XVI.

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Durante mucho tiempo –y aun hoy- la Magia ha sido relacionada con la prestidigitación, el ilusionismo, alucinaciones de mentes perturbadas, trampas de aprovechadores y la más amplia gama de supercher

"The Paradoxes of the Highest Science" was the first of Lévis books to be translated into English. The original French version was published in 1856. This translation (by an unknown hand) was first published in 1883 by the Theosophical Society, and re-issued in 1922, with additional extensive footnotes by an Eminent Occultist (herein, E.O.). The identity of E.O. is unknown, but it is believed from the style and views expressed that it was none other than Helena P. Blavatsky.By the time of his death in 1875, Eliphas Levi was recognised in both Europe and America as the greatest occultist of the 19th century."The Paradoxes of the Highest Science" first appeared in Calcutta as a pamphlet in the Theosophical Miscellanies series. In it, Levi makes an appeal for a balance between science and religion by addressing seven paradoxical statements including "Religion is magic sanctioned by authority,""liberty is obedience to the Law," and "reason is God."

This work is in two parts: in this one we establish the kabalistic and magical doctrine in its entirety; the other one, called "The Ritual of Transcendental Magic", is consecrated to the cultus, that is, to Ceremonial Magic. The one is that which the ancient sages termed the Clavicle, the other that which people on the country-side still call the Grimoire. The numbers and subjects of the chapters which correspond in both parts, are in no sense arbitrary, and are all indicated in the great universal key, of which we give for the first time a complete and adequate explanation. Let this work now go its way where it will and become what Providence determines; it is finished, and we believe it to be enduring, because it is strong, like all that is reasonable and conscientious. Contents:IntroductionThe CandidateThe Pillars Of The TempleThe Triangle Of SolomonThe TetragramThe PentagramMagical EquilibriumThe Fiery SwordRealizationInitiationThe KabalahThe Magic ChainThe Great WorkNecromancyTransmutationsBlack MagicBewitchmentsAstrologyCharms And PhiltresThe Stone Of The Philosophers - ElagabalusThe Universal MedicineDivinationSummary And General Key Of The Four Secret Sciences

This work is in two parts: in the first one, called "The Doctrine of Transcendental Magic", we establish the kabalistic and magical doctrine in its entirety; this here, the second part, is consecrated to the cultus, that is, to Ceremonial Magic. The one is that which the ancient sages termed the Clavicle, the other that which people on the country-side still call the Grimoire. The numbers and subjects of the chapters which correspond in both parts, are in no sense arbitrary, and are all indicated in the great universal key, of which we give for the first time a complete and adequate explanation. Let this work now go its way where it will and become what Providence determines; it is finished, and we believe it to be enduring, because it is strong, like all that is reasonable and conscientious. Contents:IntroductionChapter I - PreparationsChapter Ii - Magical EquilibriumChapter Iii - The Triangle Of PantaclesChapter Iv - The Conjuration Of The FourChapter V - The Blazing PentagramChapter Vi - The Medium And MediatorChapter Vii - The Septenary Of TalismansChapter Viii - Warning To The ImprudentChapter Ix - The Ceremonial Of InitiatesChapter X - The Key Of OccultismChapter Xi - The Triple ChainChapter Xii - The Great WorkChapter Xiii - NecromancyChapter Xiv - TransmutationsChapter Xv - The Sabbath Of The SorcerersChapter Xvi - Witchcraft And SpellsChapter Xvii - The Writing Of The StarsChapter Xviii - Philtres And MagnetismChapter Xix - The Mastery Of The SunChapter Xx - The ThaumaturgeChapter Xxi - The Science Of The ProphetsChapter Xxii - The Book Of Hermes

BEHIND the veil of all the hieratic and mystical allegories of ancient doctrines, behind the shadows and the strange ordeals of all initiations, under the seal of all sacred writings, in the ruins of Nineveh or Thebes, on the crumbling stones of the old temples, and on the blackened visage of the Assyrian or Egyptian sphinx, in the monstrous or marvellous paintings which interpret to the faithful of India the inspired pages of the Vedas, in the strange emblems of our old books of alchemy, in the ceremonies at reception practised by all mysterious societies, traces are found of a doctrine which is everywhere the same, and everywhere carefully concealed. Occult philosophy seems to have been the nurse or god-mother of all intellectual forces, the key of all divine obscurities, and the absolute queen of society in those ages when it was reserved exclusively for the education of priests and of kings. It reigned in Persia with the magi, who at length perished, as perish all masters of the world, because they abused their power; it endowed India with the most wonderful traditions, and with an incredible wealth of poesy, grace, and terror in its emblems ; it civilised Greece to the music of the lyre of Orpheus ; it concealed the principles of all the sciences and of all human intellectual progress in the bold calculations of Pythagoras ; fable abounded in its miracles, and history, attempting to appreciate this unknown power, became confused with fable; it shook or strengthened empires by its oracles, caused tyrants to tremble on their thrones, and governed all minds, either by curiosity or by fear.

KNOWEST thou that old queen of the world who is on the march always and wearies never? Every uncurbed passion, every selfish pleasure, every licentious energy of humanity, and all its tyrannous weakness, go before the sordid mistress of our tearful valley, and, scythe in hand, these indefatigable labourers reap their eternal harvest. That queen is old as time, but her skeleton is concealed in the wreckage of womens beauty, which she abstracts from their youth and love. Her skull is adorned with lifeless tresses that are not her own. Spoliator of crowned heads, she is embellished with the plunder of queens, from the star-begemmed hair of Berenice to that-white, but not with age-which the executioner sheared from the brow of Marie Antoinette. Her livid and frozen body is clothed in faded garments and tattered winding-sheets. Her bony hands, covered with rings, hold diadems and chains, scepters and crossbones, jewels and ashes. When she goes by, doors open of themselves; she passes through walls; she penetrates to the cabinets of kings; she surprises the extortioners of the poor in their most secret orgies; she sits down at their board, pours out their wine, grins at their songs with her gumless teeth, takes the place of the lecherous courtesan hidden behind their curtains.

Behind the veil of all the hieratic and mystical allegories of ancient doctrines, behind the darkness and strange ordeals of all initiations, under the seal of all sacred writings, in the ruins of Nineveh or Thebes, on the crumbling stones of old temples and on the blackened visage of the Assyrian or Egyptian sphinx, in the monstrous or marvellous paintings which interpret to the faithful of India the inspired pages of the Vedas, in the cryptic emblems of our old books on alchemy, in the ceremonies practised at reception by all secret societies, there are found indications of a doctrine which is everywhere the same and everywhere carefully concealed. Occult philosophy seems to have been the nurse or god-mother of all intellectual forces, the key of all divine obscurities and the absolute queen of society in those ages - when it was reserved exclusively for the education of priests and of kings. It reigned in Persia with the Magi, who perished in the end, as perish all masters of the world, because they abused their power; it endowed India with the most wonderful traditions and with an incredible wealth of poesy, grace and terror in its emblems; it civilized Greece to the music of the lyre of Orpheus; it concealed the principles of all sciences, all progress of the human mind, in the daring calculations of Pythagoras; fable abounded in its miracles, and history, attempting to estimate this unknown power, became confused with fable; it undermined or consolidated empires by its oracles, caused tyrants to tremble on their thrones and governed all minds, either by curiosity or by fear.

El Gran Arcano del Ocultismo Revelado es una obra postuma de Eliphas Levi, en la que como Eximio Maestro y Gran Mago descorre el velo que por siglos encubrio el gran secreto del ocultismo, explicando a la luz de la ciencia y de la razon todos los secretos y poderes de la Alta y Baja Magia.

Magic has been confounded too long with the jugglery of mountebanks, the hallucinations of disordered minds and the crimes of certain unusual malefactors. There are otherwise many who would promptly explain Magic as the art of producing effects in the absence of causes; and on the strength of such a definition it will be said by ordinary peoplewith the good sense which characterises the ordinary, in the midst of much injusticethat Magic is an absurdity. But it can have no analogy in fact with the descriptions of those who know nothing of the subject; furthermore, it is not to be represented as this or that by any person whomsoever: it is that which it is, drawing from itself only, even as mathematics do, for it is the exact and absolute science of Nature and her laws. Magic is the science of the ancient magi; and the Christian religion, which silenced the counterfeit oracles and put a stop to the illusions of false gods, does, this notwithstanding, revere those mystic kings who came from the East, led by a star, to adore the Saviour of the world in His cradle.

Esta obra, ilustrada con más de noventa talismanes, pentáculos y figuras mágicas, es la reproducción exacta del manuscrito de Las clavículas de Salomón, copiado en 1861 por el barón Spedalieri atendiendo a un encargo de su maestro, el celebre mago y cabalista Eliphas Levi.