Influence and Legacy of Agrippa's Occult Philosophy

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's three books of occult philosophy have had a significant influence over the past 500 years since their original publication. The fourth book of occult philosophy, which appeared 30 years after Agrippa's death, caused controversy as his student Johann Weyer denounced its authenticity. However, it remains a remarkable volume, filled with ritual instructions and usually packaged alongside other famous occult works. The first English translation of occult philosophy came out in 1651, over a century after its initial publication, and included an introductory poem by Thomas Vaughn, a Welsh Rosicrucian. English magician Francis Barrett, in 1801, published "The Magus," a book of ritual magic heavily influenced by Agrippa's work. Barrett's influence extended to prominent figures such as Eliphas Levi and Edward Bulwer Lytton, contributing to the 19th-century occult revival. Agrippa's material continues to influence modern Western esotericism, found in books filled with tables of correspondences, like Alistair Crowley's "777" and Stephen Skinner's "The Complete Magician's Tables."