Introduction.

...and writings, which in recent times are distributed both secretly and publicly, and where each one always seeks to surpass the other in obscure presentation and mystical explanations, I came upon the idea to summarize the actual system of ancient Magic In this context, "Magic" refers to a formal system of esoteric knowledge rather than simple superstition., as it is scattered throughout many old and rare writings, into a brief extract and to publish it. This is intended to enable many an unbiased reader to judge these newer secret teachings with a proper knowledge of the subject, to separate the bad from the good, and to be able to survey the entire doctrine with an impartial eye.

The Materialist Someone who believes that only physical matter exists, denying the spiritual or supernatural. will thus find a refutation of his system here just as little as the Theosophist, Teacher of Spirits Original German: Geisterlehrer. This likely refers to pneumatologists or those who claimed to communicate with the spirit world., and Alchemist may expect a defense of theirs. I shall present things as they were, and in part still are. I leave the judgment of these matters to the reader’s own discretion.

Written in September 1785.