The Magus, Celestial Intelligencer

The Magus, Celestial Intelligencer

Illustrations from The Magus

A book by 'demonologist' Francis Barrett. It details various occult practices, beliefs, and rituals related to demons, including different runes for summoning specific demons, artistic renderings of said demons, and what purpose they can serve. This book helped to influence our contemporary understanding of the occult as Barrett attempted to revitalize an interest in the occult. The book, unlike others written on this subject, makes very few moral or religious judgement on the occult and instead simply attempts to document what he saw as important practices and ideas on this subject.
In terms of our contemporary understanding of this work, the neutral way that the supernatural is presented has clear implications for how we treat similar images today. The growing popularity of works that not only embrace monsters and demons but actively love them (Shape of Water, Twilight, Beastly, etc) reflects not only a growing tolerance of the other but an ideological neutrality that embraces occult ideas and symbols as something fun and interesting.

Francis Barrett

Cornell University Library Witchcraft Collection

Glasgow University Library Collection

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