Elementary Treatise on Practical Magic

Well written but a word of caution: this is not a Magic 101 book. If you are new to the occult or the Craft, expect a great deal of side trading in order to understand the context. Well wish the price and the time to get through it.

When you understand what Papus is talking about, you understand how diabolical magic can really be.

A lot of books claim to explain magical theory and practice, but this book actually does. Highly recommended to any sane student of Renaissance and Rosicrucian magic. Papus was a truly great man and this book is proof. Many thanks to Mr. Vaughn for his most excellent translation. Perhaps one of the most wonderful surprises is Papus has what essentially works out to a Three Dantien system in this book. While most occult authors of his time just took things about chakras from the few books available (deeply misunderstanding chakras and leading to the new age confusion we see today) Papus instead worked his own theory of the Three Factories-- head, chest, and belly-- likely due to his medical training and practice. Papus seems to be one of the few magical authors who understands that the great magical agent, the astral light, is nothing other than the Chi of Daoism directed externally. Anyone who practiced Daoism will see this right away. Imo this is easily the best book on magic out there (:

A friend of mine recommended to me this book and I am thoroughly impressed. I really love this book. The reading is deep but not heavy. Emphasis on practical, and a lot to be gleaned. Parusing the table of contents is enough to show you the depth and complexity of the knowledge contained therein. My only regret is that I did not purchase the hard cover.

When reading this book you have to put yourself back into the late 1800s, because what Papus thinks as Practical in those days is not always applicable today. So a great book for the esoteric student to understand a major writing of that time enjoyed by French Esoteric scholars for many decades - now available in English and I certainly enjoyed studying it.

Extremely detailed

This book is incomplete. All the good parts were pulled and what’s left is just a filler. Obviously people reviewing have no idea what they’re talking about. Returned.

I was really impressed with the quality of this translation. The fact is, French occult works are difficult to translate due to the nuances of the french language, combined with the obscure symbolism and processes of the esoterics of magic. Mr. Vaughan, an exponent of the western esoteric tradition, brings an intimate knowledge of the language, the culture, the history and the symbolism to the table in a manner few others would be qualified to. Papus is not straightfoward, simple reading; the man was profound, and his writings demand patience and thought. This is not 'pop' esotericism, but rather college level study for the passionate and serious. Many thanks for Mr. Vaughan for his 'Ora et Labora' in this realm. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in these subjects. Note - please disregard the negative review below; the book is complete, and well translated, with excellent footnotes.

Was surprised how packed with info this book is. If you know what your talking about it’s probably nothing new but it really is a joy to read and has many interesting passages on subjects as broad as astrology to magical tools and items. Some illustrations are a little hard to read unfortunately though. That’s the only flaw

Este foi meu primeiro livro de Magia aborda tudo,fiz questão de ter o exemplar na versão em Inglês.Recomendo difícil hoje em dia de achar.

A hearty thank you for this and all the other translations you have worked on. Your dedication to the work is astounding. May your rose circle continue to blossom and it's essence awaken the hearts of those who seek.

well done

Piers does it again. Darcy Kuntz introduction is excellent . Papus is a genius. It is interesting that Piers captures the voice of Papus which is very different than other translations he has done (Robert Ambelian and LC de Saint Martin )