If the history of black magic and the occult reveals anything, it reveals that the drive to marshal the unseen powers of the dark, and bend them to mortal will, is as old as mankind itself. Men and women have believed, in virtually every age and in every land, that there is another world—a world of spirits and souls,
angels and
demons, gods and monsters, and in it can be found all the great questions: What is lite all about? Does man decide his own tate? Is there a Heaven? And is there, perhaps more importantly, a Hell?
As they sought the answers to these questions, the occult pioneers often stumbled upon real and verifiable truths-the astrologers napped the heavens, and paved the way for the astronomers wh followed. The alchemists, in their futile quest to make gold tron lead, discovered everything from phosphorous to the manufacturing of steel. Even the seers, who read palms and interpreted dreams, contributed to the vast catalogue of human thought and deed, anticipating such later practices as psychology and hypnosis.
Here, in one spellbinding volume, is a history of the major occult arts—necromancy, sorcery, astrology, alchemy, and prophecy-as they have been practiced from ancient Babylon to the present day. Raising Hell weaves history with myths, quotes, anecdotes, and illustrations to provide a vivid chronicle of the evolution of the occult arts. From the origins of the pentagram and the sacred circle, to the incantations of necromancers, to the prophecies. of Nostradamus, this definitive source offers a compelling look at the black arts...and those who risked their lives-and some say souls-to explore them.