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Bygone Beliefs: Alchemy, Magic, Talismans, etc — Alchemy

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Bygone Beliefs: Alchemy, Magic, Talismans, etc

Name: Bygone Beliefs: Alchemy, Magic, Talismans, etc
Price: 28.99 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9781846641015

✍️ Redgrove, H Stanley

Reader Score

4.5

(5 reviews)

$28.99 ~~$37.00~~ Save $8.01 (21%)

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

Stanley Redgrove argues that every ancient belief, no matter how bizarre, stems from a discernible logic rather than mere ignorance. This republished 1920 classic surveys medieval thought, Pythagorean philosophy, and the historical intersection of medicine and magic. Through twelve dense chapters, he challenges the modern dismissal of the past as simple superstition, urging readers to investigate the underlying reasons for phenomena like talismans, ceremonial magic, and architectural symbolism. It is a rigorous attempt to find the scientific thread in the tapestry of the arcane.

Redgrove, H Stanley

📚 all books by this author (5) →

⚗️

Alchemy

🏛 Obscure Press 📖 284 pages 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9781846641015

Fun Fact

Redgrove succeeds in treating the arcane with academic respect, offering a fascinating glimpse into how early 20th-century scholars rationalized the irrational. It is a must-read for historians of ideas and occultists alike. However, readers seeking practical grimoires or new theories will find it dry and repetitive. It sits firmly as a historical survey, valuable for its context rather than its innovation.

📚 This Book in Collections

🔮 Divination & Oracles ⚗️ Magick Studies 🕯 Occultism 🌀 Mysticism 🗿 Ancient Mysteries

📝 Description: Bygone Beliefs: Alchemy, Magic, Talismans, etc

Originally published in 1920, this rare early work on ancient beliefs is both expensive and hard to find in its first edition. Obscure Books Press have now republished it, using the original text and illustrations. The author was an expert in the study of superstitions and the occult and wrote several books on these and other related subjects, as well as being a prolific contributor to The Occult Review. In this book he expounds on his opinion that there is a reason for every belief, even the most fantastic, and that it should be our objective to discover this reason. He considers that it is too easy for the superficial thinker to dismiss much of the thought of the past as mere superstition, not worth the trouble of investigation: but that is not scientific. The book's two hundred and twenty pages contain twelve comprehensive chapters plus many illustrations: Some Characteristics of Medieval Thought Pythagoras and His Philosophy. Medicine and Magic. Superstitions Concerning Birds. The Powder of Sympathy: A Curious Medical Superstition. The Belief in Talismans. Ceremonial Magic in Theory and Practice. Architectural Symbolism. The Quest of the Philosopher's Stone. The Phallic Element in Alchemical Doctrine. Roger Bacon: An Appreciation. The Cambridge Platonists. Everything possible to be believed is an image of truth. William Blake.

💎 Expert review

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💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

Redgrove’s work is a dense, uncompromising survey that demands attention from its reader. While it successfully resurrects the rational logic buried beneath centuries of occult practice, it is not for those seeking light entertainment or simplified historical narratives. The twelve chapters are heavy with medieval thought and architectural symbolism, requiring a steady mind and an open, yet critical, intellect. It does not suit readers who prefer clear-cut distinctions between science and superstition without nuance. However, for the scholar willing to engage with its challenging prose, it offers a unique perspective on the intersection of medicine, magic, and philosophy in the past.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who find themselves fascinated by the hidden architectures of history will gain immense value from this rigorous exploration. It is ideal for those weary of superficial judgments regarding ancient beliefs, offering instead a deep dive into the discernible logic behind ceremonial magic and talismans. If you appreciate understanding why medieval thought and Pythagorean philosophy operated with such internal consistency, this book provides the necessary intellectual scaffolding. It rewards the patient investigator who seeks to uncover the scientific thread woven through the arcane tapestry, transforming dismissed superstition into a coherent system of rational inquiry that respects the past's complexity.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

Readers interested in the intellectual history of magic, those weary of modern condescension toward past beliefs, and students of folklore seeking to understand the structural logic behind ancient rituals and talismans.

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 5 reviews

Jasper S.

April 16, 2026

My book club chose this last month. It pairs well with more modern commentaries on the same tradition. Highly recommend to serious students.

Victor R.

March 29, 2026

Very good

Honestly wasn't sure what to expect, but I'm impressed. Plenty of passages worth underlining; my copy is already full of margin notes. The font runs small in the appendices. Solid, if not essential.

Aurora K.

October 27, 2025

Good addition to the shelf

First purchase from this shop. It connects ideas I'd only seen treated separately elsewhere. The ideas are old but land with surprising force today. Still worth having on the shelf.

Hazel G.

February 12, 2025

Deep and rewarding

Not my usual area but wanted to branch out. It pairs well with more modern commentaries on the same tradition. I appreciated how the argument builds steadily from first principles. Would buy from this store again.

Esoterica Books editorial team

Redgrove’s work is a dense, uncompromising survey that demands attention from its reader. While it successfully resurrects the rational logic buried beneath centuries of occult practice, it is not for those seeking light entertainment or simplified historical narratives. The twelve chapters are heavy with medieval thought and architectural symbolism, requiring a steady mind and an open, yet critical, intellect. It does not suit readers who prefer clear-cut distinctions between science and superstition without nuance. However, for the scholar willing to engage with its challenging prose, it offers a unique perspective on the intersection of medicine, magic, and philosophy in the past.

❓ Frequently asked questions

No. Redgrove analyzes the historical and philosophical underpinnings of magical practices rather than providing instructional rituals or spells.

Yes, this edition preserves the original text and illustrations from the 1920 publication.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Rationality of Superstition

Historical Occultism

Symbolic Medicine

📜 Historical context

Emerging in 1920, this work bridges late Victorian occultism and early twentieth-century anthropological inquiry. It reflects a period where scholars began treating superstition not as error, but as a cultural artifact requiring serious sociological and psychological analysis, distinct from the purely mystical approaches of the era.

📚 Glossary

Powder of Sympathy
Phallic Element
Ceremonial Magic

📔 Questions to reflect on

What modern belief might future generations dismiss as 'superstition' before investigating its underlying logic?
How does the concept of 'sympathy' in ancient medicine reflect our current understanding of placebo effects?
In what ways do architectural symbols still convey hidden meanings in contemporary public spaces?