Levi, Eliphas

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Éliphas Lévi

1810–1875

Éliphas Lévi

(French: Eliphas Levi; Alphonse Louis Constant, Альфо́нс-Луи́ Конста́н)

(8 February 1810 − 31 May 1875)

(1810–1875)

The real name of this learned Kabalist was Abbé Alphonse Louis Constant. Eliphas Lévi Zahed was the author of several works on philosophical magic. Member of the Fratres Lucis (Brothers of Light), he was also once upon a time a priest, an abbé of the Roman Catholic Church, which promptly proceeded to unfrock him, when he acquired fame as a Kabalist. He died some twenty years ago, leaving five famous works — Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1856); Histoire de la Magie (1860); La Clef des grands Mystères (1861); Legendes et Symboles (1862); and La Science des Esprits (1865) ; besides some other works of minor importance. His style is extremely light and fascinating; but with a rather too strong characteristic of mockery and paradox in it to be the ideal of a serious Kabalist (TG).

Renowned French occultist and writer, b. Feb. 8, 1810; d. May 31, 1875. Early life divided between a clerical career (seminary of Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, Saint-Sulpice) and, after leaving the Church in 1836, years of literary and artistic work marked by several imprisonments for radical pamphlets. From the mid-1850s published his major works under the name Eliphas Levi, including Dogme et Rituel de la haute magie (1856), Histoire de la magie (1859) and La Clef des grands mystères (1861). In 1854 in London, together with Bulwer-Lytton, conducted magical experiments in the course of which he evoked the spirit of Apollonius of Tyana. H.P.B. held him in high esteem as "undoubtedly a great occultist," though she cautioned that he "muddles more than he teaches" and never regarded him as an initiate. (BCW 1:491-495).

The bibliography lists Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (1856), La Clef des grands mystères (1861) and La Science des esprits (1865), and refers to volume I, pages 491-495, for an account of his life and work. (BCW 3:514).

Some links:

• Quotes: H. P. Blavatsky, Zirkoff, Boris
• CTD article in Russian: Леви, Элифас
• Theosophy Wiki: Éliphas Lévi Zahed
• Wikipedia: Éliphas Lévi
• Other resources: Theosophy World Encyclopedia

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Lifetime: 1810–1875
Shortly: The real name of this learned Kabalist was Abbé Alphonse Louis Constant. Eliphas Lévi Zahed was the ...