Three Books of Occult Philosophy

...and teaching curious marvels for the sake of ostentation original: "ad ostentationem curiosa docere prodigia"; referring to performing magic tricks or "low" magic just to show off.; leave these aside as vain things, yet do not remain ignorant of their underlying causes. However, those things which can be done for human benefit—to avert misfortune, to destroy harmful sorcery original: "maleficia"; specifically refers to "black magic" or curses meant to cause harm., to cure diseases, to drive away apparitions, and to preserve the health and prosperity of life, honor, and fortune—all without offending God or harming religion: who would not judge such things to be as useful as they are necessary?

But because I have warned you that I have written many things by way of reporting rather than asserting—for it seemed necessary to do so, that we might omit as little as possible—and furthermore, as we have followed many of the opinions of the Platonists and other pagan original: "gentilium"; referring to non-Christian ancient philosophers whose works were being rediscovered during the Renaissance. philosophers where they suggested arguments suited to our purpose: therefore, if there is any error anywhere, or if anything is stated too boldly, forgive my youth. For I composed this work when I was barely a young man, so that I might excuse myself by saying: "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things." A direct quote from the New Testament, 1 Corinthians 13:11, used here to suggest the author has matured since the initial writing. Indeed, in my book On the Vanity and Uncertainty of the Arts and Sciences, I retracted a great portion of this work.

But here you might perhaps rebuke me again, saying: "Look, you wrote this as a young man and retracted it as an elder; why then have you published it?" I confess that I began writing these books when I was very young, yet with the hope of eventually releasing them in a more corrected and enriched form. For that reason, I first offered them for correction to Johannes Trithemius A famous Benedictine abbot and polymath (1462–1516) who was a mentor to Agrippa and a major figure in Renaissance occultism., the abbot of Würzburg original: "Peapolitano"; referring to the monastery of St. James in Herbipolis/Würzburg. and formerly of Sponheim, a man very diligent in secret matters.

It happened afterward, however, that the work was intercepted; before I could put the finishing touches to it, it began to circulate in corrupt copies—mangled and unpolished—passing through many hands in Italy, France, and Germany. Some individuals, with a lack of patience or perhaps even modesty, were even wishing to send this unfinished work to the printing press. Disturbed by this single misfortune, I decided to publish it myself, thinking there would be less danger if these books were issued somewhat more refined by my own hand than if they were spread about in ragged and disorganized fragments by the hands of others. Furthermore, I considered it no sin to ensure that this specimen of my youth was not lost. We have, however, added several chapters and inserted many things that it seemed careless to omit—a fact which the attentive reader will easily notice from the unevenness of the prose itself—for we did not wish to rewrite the entire work from scratch,