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Revision as of 18:55, 5 December 2004 by Ihcoyc (talk | contribs) (→'''''Renaissance:''''': + Trithemius; alphabetizing)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)List of notable occultists and mystics.
This is a list of notable people, whether contemporary, historical or legendary, who are or were involved in any of the following practices and traditions:
- paranormal or supernatural magic, black or white
- witchcraft
- sorcery
- wizardry
- alchemy
- practical mysticism
- voodoo
- divination and fortune-telling
- theurgy
The subject is one that has attracted hoaxes, folklore, and tall tales; the inclusion of a person on this list means only that they have been associated with the practice of paranormal magic, but not necessarily that they did practice it.
For a list of sleight of hand artists and practitioners of stage magic, see: List of magicians.
Famous magicians:
Some historical or legendary magicians, wizards, witches, or people who have been claimed to be so, are:
Classical mythology:
- Cassandra, oracle
- Circe, legendary sorceress
- Hecate, goddess of witchcraft
- Medea, legendary sorceress
- Semiramis, semi-legendary queen and sorceress
Ancient world:
- Apollonius of Tyana, wizard
- Apuleius, author of a magical novel
- Gyges of Lydia, king said to possess magical artifacts
- Heraclitus, philosopher important in occultism
- Hermes Trismegistus/Thoth
- Iamblichus, neo-platonist philosopher, espoused theurgy
- Iannes and Mambres, magicians at Pharaoh's court mentioned in the New Testament
- Jesus Christ, miracle worker, claimed as an Ascended Master by Theosophists
- Julian, practiced occult theurgy
- Plato, philosopher important in occultism
- Plotinus, neo-platonist philosopher important in occultism
- Pythagoras, philosopher important in occultism
- Simon Magus, magician mentioned in New Testament
- Solomon, Biblical king associated with legendary magic, alleged author of grimoires
- Vergil, subjected to magical legends
- The Witch of Endor, Biblical witch
Mediæval Europe:
- Abraham Abulafia, kabalist "messiah"
- Albertus Magnus, had many magical texts attributed to him
- Gilles de Rais, serial killer accused of sorcery
- Merlin, (probably fictional) Arthurian wizard
- Nicholas Flamel, alchemist
- Pope Silvester II, alleged magician
- Pope Honorius III, had magical texts attributed to him
- Ramon Llull, syncretic mystic
- Roger Bacon, philosopher accused of magic
Renaissance:
- Abramelin the Mage, alleged author of a grimoire
- Francesco Giuseppe Borri, alchemist
- Sir Thomas Browne, hermetic author
- Arthur Dee, hermetic author
- Athanasius Kircher, Jesuit priest, wrote on magical subjects
- Benevenuto Cellini, sculptor whose diary relates experience summoning spirits
- Christina of Sweden, abdicated Queen who dabbled in alchemy
- Giordano Bruno, occult philosopher
- Edward Kelley, medium who assisted John Dee
- Faust, made a pact with the Devil
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, occult philosopher, astrologer
- Henry Percy, "Wizard Earl"
- Johannes Reuchlin, German cabalist magician, summoned angels
- Johann Weyer (aka Johannes Wierus), German physician, occultist and demonologist.
- Dr John Dee, seer, astrologer, and occult philosopher
- Nostradamus, soothsayer, seer, astrologer
- Olaus Borrichius, alchemist
- Paracelsus, medical pioneer and occult philosopher
- Robert Fludd, occult philosopher and astrologer
- Sir Walter Raleigh, practiced alchemy
- Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, employed alchemists
- Johannes Trithemius, cryptographer and magical writer
Enlightenment and early modern period:
- Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati
- Antoine Court de Gebelin, connected tarot and esotericism
- Martines de Pasqually, theurgist founder of the Ordre des Chevliers Maçons Elus Coëns de l'Univers
- Louis Claude de Saint Martin, founder of martinism, writer known as the Unknown Philosopher
- "La Voisin", French sorceress
- Count of St Germain, alchemist
- Etteila, fortune-teller
- Françoise Athenaïs Rochechouart, marquise de Montespan, another royal mistress
- Giuseppe Balsamo, "Count Alessandro di Cagliostro," occult charlatan
- Sir Isaac Newton, physicist and alchemist
- Isobel Gowdie, self-confessed witch
- Margaret Matson, New Sweden (colony) witch
- Matthew Hopkins, commissioned English witch-finder
Nineteenth century:
- Allan Kardec, founder of Spiritism
- Marie-Anne Le Normand, fortune-teller favoured by Joséphine de Beauharnais
- Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym, French demonologist
- Arthur Edward Waite, occult author and Golden Dawn member
- Edgar Cayce
- Eliphas Lévi, occult author
- Evangeline Adams, astrologer to the famous
- Francis Barrett, wrote a book on magic
- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy
- John George Hohman, American wizard
- Marie Laveau, American voodoo practitioner
- Papus, pseudonym for Gérard Encausse, occult author
- Pekka Ervast Finnish Theosophist
- Stanislas de Guaita, occult author
- Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers, Golden Dawn founder
- William Blake, poet of the occult
Twentieth century:
- Albert S. Kivinen, Finnish occultist
- Aleister Crowley, occult author, poet, magician, astrologer
- Andrew D. Chumbley, occult author and artist. Magister of the Cultus Sabbatai
- Andrew Collins, author and noted Psychic Quester
- Austin Osman Spare, occult artist
- Raymond Buckland, Wiccan author
- Constant Chevillon, the head of FUDOFSI
- Christian Bernard, Imperator of AMORC
- Dion Fortune, occult author
- Fairuza Balk, actress and owner of witchcraft store
- Franz Bardon, occult author, magician
- Frater Adsum Iterum (Auxilior Arti), occult author, magician, a principal of Companions of the Glyph
- Gareth Knight, occult author
- Gary L. Stewart, founder of Confraternity of the Rose Cross, past Imperator of AMORC, Knight Commander of the OMCE
- Gerald Gardner, founder of Wicca
- Gerina Dunwich, witch and occult author
- Harvey Spencer Lewis, founder of AMORC
- Henri Gamache, authority on the Evil Eye
- Ior Bock, Finnish cult leader
- Isaac Bonewits, occult author
- Israel Regardie, occult Author, magician, pupil of Crowley
- Jack Parsons, occultist
- Jaq D. Hawkins, occult author
- John L. Westbrook, former politician
- Julian Vayne, occult author
- Julius Evola
- Kenneth Anger, disciple of Crowley
- Kenneth Grant, Occult author and Outer Head of the Typhonian OTO
- Livingstone Bramble, world champion boxer, suspected of practicing witchcraft before fights
- Margot Adler, witch and NPR reporter
- Maya Deren, filmmaker
- Max Heindel, occultist and mystic Christian, founder of The Rosicrucian Fellowship
- Paolo Sammut, occultist
- Pamela Colman Smith, Golden Dawn member, artist, did tarot deck
- Peter Carroll, occult author, co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros
- Phil Hine, occult author
- Ralph Maxwell Lewis, Imperator of AMORC
- Ray Sherwin, occult author, co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros
- Rene Guenon
- Ramsey Dukes, occult author
- Robert Graves, poet and mythographer
- Robert Johnson, allegedly sold soul to Devil for musical talent
- Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy
- Starhawk, witch and occult author
- Sybil Leek, witch and occult author
- Valentin Tomberg, Christian mystic and mage
- Virginia Kent Roberts, occult author
- W. E. Butler, occultist and esoteric author
- William Butler Yeats, poet, Golden Dawn member, astrologer
- Zsuzsanna Budapest, feminist witch
Magical movements, societies, and organisations:
- Anthroposophy
- Companions of the Glyph
- Dragon Rouge
- Hermeticism
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Illuminates of Thanateros
- Illuminati
- The Magi
- New Age
- Ordo Templi Orientis
- Servants of the Light
- Theosophy
- Theosophical Society
- Thule Society
- Wicca
Rosicrucian Movements:
- Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)
- Confraternity of the Rose Cross
- Fraternitas Rosae Crucis
- Rosicrucian Fellowship (The)
- Rosicrucianism
Other Mystical Movements:
Fictional wizards, magicians, and witches:
- Baba Yaga (Slavic mythology)
- Belgarath the Sorcerer
- Doctor Strange (a comic book superhero and wizard appearing in Marvel Comics)
- Elminster (Forgotten Realms)
- Elric of Melniboné
- Eric, from Eric by Terry Pratchett
- Fizban
- Gandalf the Grey (The Lord of the Rings)
- Harry Potter
- Väinämöinen (Kalevala)
- Polgara the Sorceress
- Raistlin Majere
- Rincewind the magically-challenged wizard from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books.
- Prospero, (The Tempest by Shakespeare)
- Pug from Raymond E. Feist's book Magician, and many others.
- Sparrowhawk
- The Wizard from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
- The Wicked Witch of the West