Instructor: Erik Arneson

This lecture explores Henry Cornelius Agrippa’s theory of divine light as illustrated in Three Books of Occult Philosophy. We will examine divine light’s role in both interior and exterior perception, an essential foundation for understanding the practice of image magic. Agrippa’s theory builds upon the earlier theory of rays of celestial influence that connected the macrocosm to the microcosm, and echoes of this approach have made their way into even modern magical practice.

In this lecture, you will learn many interesting elements of Renaissance magical theory, including:

Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy and its place within the Renaissance hermetic tradition.
Understanding divine light as the intermediary between the celestial and physical world.
Learning how active perception with the inner senses is core to Agrippa’s magic.
Techniques for empowering magical images using Agrippa’s theory of divine light.

This class is intended for any student of magic or Western occultism who wants to learn more about Three Books of Occult Philosophy and its importance in the Western esoteric tradition.

Erik L. Arneson is an independent scholar and practitioner with a focus on Hermeticism and Western esotericism. As the host of the Arnemancy podcast, Erik explores a range of mystical and occult subjects, offering deep dives into tarot, magic, and Hermetic philosophy. Through the Arnemancy website, he provides online tools, articles, courses, and lectures that explore occult concepts and practices.

You can find his work at https://arnemancy.com