Arnemancy

The Sources of Occult Philosophy

Feb 24, 2022

In this episode of the podcast, the hosts delve into Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's 'Occult Philosophy'. They discuss how Agrippa managed to write such a huge book at a young age, revealing his use of plagiarism from over 200 sources. The hosts focus on three of Agrippa's sources: Johannes Trithemius, Pliny the Elder, and Johann Reuchlin. They also explore the influences of Pico de la Marandola, Francesco Giorgio, and Johannes Trithymius on Agrippa's work. The podcast provides interesting facts about Pliny the Elder's 'Natural History' and discusses the origins and influences of Christian Kabbalah through Johann Ruchlin's encounters with Pico della Marandola. The hosts also touch on Kabbalistic techniques, angel magic, and provide a sneak peek of upcoming topics and ways to support the podcast.

39:34

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Quick takeaways

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa extensively plagiarized over 200 sources to create his book on occult philosophy, but his ability to organize and synthesize the information was commendable.

Agrippa drew from diverse sources, including Johannes Trithemius, Pliny the Elder, and Johann Reuchlin, in shaping his influential occult philosophy.

Deep dives

Agrippa's Secret Circle of Friends

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa was part of a loose fraternity of enthusiasts who shared notes, resources, and information on occult matters. This group consisted of both German and non-German members who were intelligent, educated, and curious. Agrippa likely benefited from the knowledge and research of his friends, which helped him compile and assemble the vast array of sources for his book, 'Three Books of Occult Philosophy.'

Introduction

5min

Agrippa's Secret Circle and Meticulous Research

18min

Exploring Pliny the Elder's Natural History

5min

Facts, Magic, and Pliny the Elder

5min

The Origins and Influences of Christian Kabbalah

2min

Exploring the Sources of Occult Philosophy

4min

Welcome to the second part of our deep-dive into Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's hugely influential giant book, Three Books of Occult Philosophy. In this episode, we will be searching for the answer to a pressing question: how did Agrippa manage to write such an enormous book before he even turned 25? Thanks to Eric Purdue's long work on his translation of this book, we have a pretty good answer: plagiarism! Agrippa used material from over 200 sources to compile and assemble Occult Philosophy. In many cases, he simply lifted complete passages from some of these sources. However, in spite of the rampant plagiarism in the text, Agrippa was able to assemble quotes and passages from these sources—some of them quite mundane—to put forth an argument for his own definition of an occult philosophy that proved to be both remarkable and influential. We will look at three of Agrippa's sources:

Johannes Trithemius
Pliny the Elder
Johann Reuchlin

This series of episodes about Occult Philosophy will most likely last until Summer. My Patreon supporters will be receiving each episode a week before the rest of the world, along with bonus materials such as full interviews, a glimpse at works in progress, and the opportunity to suggest further topics for this Agrippa deep dive. If you enjoy these episodes and want to help support their development, you can help out by sharing this podcast with a friend! Let your weird wizard buddies and witch pals know that we have embarked on this journey. And if you want to contribute monetarily, you can go to the Support page on this website and find a number of options.

Credits

Pliny the Elder was played by Andrew B. Watt. The lyre music was performed by me, Reverend Erik! Pretty good stuff, huh? I used an Aklot 7-stringed lyre that I attempted to tune to something representing a Pythagorean scheme. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arnemancy Listen on Podcrypt

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