Three Books of Occult Philosophy

dominions, for behold, among my hidden papers, the books on Occult PhilosophyThe study of the "hidden" or "secret" laws of nature, which in the Renaissance included subjects like astrology, alchemy, and natural magic., or on Magicoriginal: "Magia." In Agrippa's time, "natural magic" was often viewed as a form of advanced natural science rather than something demonic., suddenly presented themselves. I had begun to write these while quite young and had left them aside for many years, as if forgotten. Soon, out of reverence for your greatness, I hurried to finish them, as if to fulfill a solemn vow. Truly, I convinced myself that I could give you nothing more pleasing than a new work on an ancient and most abstruse doctrine—a work, I say, of my inquisitive youth, but a teaching of antiquity which I dare say no one until now has attempted to restore.

Yet these writings of mine are not dedicated to you because they are worthy of you, but so that they might open for me a path to your goodwill. I ask, therefore, if it is not improper, that they might find some excuse in your eyes. Offering all my prayers to you, should these studies of my youth come into public notice under your greatness's protection, and—with envy driven away—should the memory of them remain by right of permanence to our benefit of a good conscience; for many things in them seem to me, even now that I am older, to be both very useful and necessary to know.

You have, therefore, a work not only of my youth, but also of my current age: for I have corrected many errors of that youthful work, brightened many places with insertions, and expanded it with many chapters—which can easily be detected from the unevenness of the style itself—and thus you will know that I shall be devoted to your service for all my life. Farewell,