1644 - Della Porta’s Natural Magic - Great Deal!
This 1644 Leiden edition of Magia Naturalis XX is a significant text for understanding the development of Western esotericism and magic. Della Porta's original Magia Naturalis, first published in 1558 and expanded in subsequent editions, was a hugely influential compendium that explored the hidden virtues and powers within the natural world. It meticulously detailed a wide range of subjects crucial to both natural philosophy and early modern magical practice, including the properties of herbs, stones, metals, animals, and the effects of celestial influences. This 1644 edition, appearing under a slightly modified title presents a wealth of information on these interconnected realms, offering practical recipes, observations, and explanations rooted in a worldview that saw profound correspondences throughout nature.
Giambattista della Porta (c. 1535 – 1615) was a pivotal figure in the transmission of Renaissance occult philosophy and the burgeoning interest in empirical observation as it intertwined with magical thought. His Magia Naturalis served as a cornerstone text, bridging the gap between ancient Hermetic ideas, medieval natural philosophy, and the emerging scientific inquiries of the early modern period. Della Porta's work was widely read and cited by subsequent generations of scholars and practitioners interested in the occult sciences. He established a framework for understanding "natural magic" not as supernatural intervention, but as the skillful application of knowledge about the hidden sympathies and antipathies within nature to achieve specific effects. This edition, published decades after della Porta's death, testifies to the enduring impact and continued relevance of his encyclopedic exploration of the natural world through a magical lens.
For those studying the Western esoteric tradition, this 1644 edition provides direct access to the kind of knowledge that informed the practices and theories of later magicians, alchemists, and other esotericists. It exemplifies a crucial historical moment where the investigation of nature was deeply imbued with a sense of wonder and the belief in inherent occult properties. The "twenty books" would have offered a comprehensive survey of this interconnected worldview, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the intellectual context from which later magical systems and esoteric philosophies evolved. Despite the binding's condition, the well-preserved interior underscores the historical importance of this volume as a conduit for della Porta's influential ideas.
Giambattista della Porta. Magia Naturalis Libris XX, in quibus Scientiarum Naturalum Divitiae & Deliciae Demonstrantur. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: apud Voge. 621 pp. +271 pp Felwinger w/index. Thick octavo (Thick 8vo). Bound in contemporary vellum. Features woodcut illustrations within the text. Lacking the frontispiece. Ex-library copy, rebound with: Felwinger, J.P.
This 1644 Leiden edition of Magia Naturalis XX is a significant text for understanding the development of Western esotericism and magic. Della Porta's original Magia Naturalis, first published in 1558 and expanded in subsequent editions, was a hugely influential compendium that explored the hidden virtues and powers within the natural world. It meticulously detailed a wide range of subjects crucial to both natural philosophy and early modern magical practice, including the properties of herbs, stones, metals, animals, and the effects of celestial influences. This 1644 edition, appearing under a slightly modified title presents a wealth of information on these interconnected realms, offering practical recipes, observations, and explanations rooted in a worldview that saw profound correspondences throughout nature.
Giambattista della Porta (c. 1535 – 1615) was a pivotal figure in the transmission of Renaissance occult philosophy and the burgeoning interest in empirical observation as it intertwined with magical thought. His Magia Naturalis served as a cornerstone text, bridging the gap between ancient Hermetic ideas, medieval natural philosophy, and the emerging scientific inquiries of the early modern period. Della Porta's work was widely read and cited by subsequent generations of scholars and practitioners interested in the occult sciences. He established a framework for understanding "natural magic" not as supernatural intervention, but as the skillful application of knowledge about the hidden sympathies and antipathies within nature to achieve specific effects. This edition, published decades after della Porta's death, testifies to the enduring impact and continued relevance of his encyclopedic exploration of the natural world through a magical lens.
For those studying the Western esoteric tradition, this 1644 edition provides direct access to the kind of knowledge that informed the practices and theories of later magicians, alchemists, and other esotericists. It exemplifies a crucial historical moment where the investigation of nature was deeply imbued with a sense of wonder and the belief in inherent occult properties. The "twenty books" would have offered a comprehensive survey of this interconnected worldview, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the intellectual context from which later magical systems and esoteric philosophies evolved. Despite the binding's condition, the well-preserved interior underscores the historical importance of this volume as a conduit for della Porta's influential ideas.
Giambattista della Porta. Magia Naturalis Libris XX, in quibus Scientiarum Naturalum Divitiae & Deliciae Demonstrantur. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: apud Voge. 621 pp. +271 pp Felwinger w/index. Thick octavo (Thick 8vo). Bound in contemporary vellum. Features woodcut illustrations within the text. Lacking the frontispiece. Ex-library copy, rebound with: Felwinger, J.P.
This 1644 Leiden edition of Magia Naturalis XX is a significant text for understanding the development of Western esotericism and magic. Della Porta's original Magia Naturalis, first published in 1558 and expanded in subsequent editions, was a hugely influential compendium that explored the hidden virtues and powers within the natural world. It meticulously detailed a wide range of subjects crucial to both natural philosophy and early modern magical practice, including the properties of herbs, stones, metals, animals, and the effects of celestial influences. This 1644 edition, appearing under a slightly modified title presents a wealth of information on these interconnected realms, offering practical recipes, observations, and explanations rooted in a worldview that saw profound correspondences throughout nature.
Giambattista della Porta (c. 1535 – 1615) was a pivotal figure in the transmission of Renaissance occult philosophy and the burgeoning interest in empirical observation as it intertwined with magical thought. His Magia Naturalis served as a cornerstone text, bridging the gap between ancient Hermetic ideas, medieval natural philosophy, and the emerging scientific inquiries of the early modern period. Della Porta's work was widely read and cited by subsequent generations of scholars and practitioners interested in the occult sciences. He established a framework for understanding "natural magic" not as supernatural intervention, but as the skillful application of knowledge about the hidden sympathies and antipathies within nature to achieve specific effects. This edition, published decades after della Porta's death, testifies to the enduring impact and continued relevance of his encyclopedic exploration of the natural world through a magical lens.
For those studying the Western esoteric tradition, this 1644 edition provides direct access to the kind of knowledge that informed the practices and theories of later magicians, alchemists, and other esotericists. It exemplifies a crucial historical moment where the investigation of nature was deeply imbued with a sense of wonder and the belief in inherent occult properties. The "twenty books" would have offered a comprehensive survey of this interconnected worldview, making it an invaluable resource for understanding the intellectual context from which later magical systems and esoteric philosophies evolved. Despite the binding's condition, the well-preserved interior underscores the historical importance of this volume as a conduit for della Porta's influential ideas.
Giambattista della Porta. Magia Naturalis Libris XX, in quibus Scientiarum Naturalum Divitiae & Deliciae Demonstrantur. Lugduni Batavorum [Leiden]: apud Voge. 621 pp. +271 pp Felwinger w/index. Thick octavo (Thick 8vo). Bound in contemporary vellum. Features woodcut illustrations within the text. Lacking the frontispiece. Ex-library copy, rebound with: Felwinger, J.P.