List of occultists
List of notable occultists and mystics. See also List of dignitaries of mystical organizations.This is a list of notable people, whether contemporary, historical or legendary, who are or were involved in any of the following practices and traditions:
The subject is one that has attracted hoaxes, folklore, and tall tales; the inclusion of a person on this list means only that they have been associated with the practice of paranormal magic, but not necessarily that they did practice it.For a list of sleight of hand artists and practitioners of stage magic, see: List of magicians.
Famous magicians:
Some historical or legendary magicians, wizards, witches, or people who have been claimed to be so, are:
Classical mythology:
- Circe, legendary sorceress
- Medea, legendary sorceress
- Semiramis, semi-legendary queen and sorceress
- Hecate, goddess of witchcraft
- Cassandra, oracle
Ancient world:
- The Witch of Endor, Biblical witch
- Iannes and Mambres, magicians at Pharaoh's court mentioned in the New Testament
- Solomon, Biblical king associated with legendary magic
- Gyges of Lydia, king said to possess magical artifacts
- Heraclitus, philosopher important in occultism
- Pythagoras, philosopher important in occultism
- Plato, philosopher important in occultism
- Jesus Christ, miracle worker
- Vergil, subjected to magical legends
- Simon Magus, magician mentioned in New Testament
- Apuleius, author of a magical novel
- Apollonius of Tyana, wizard
- Plotinus, philosopher important in occultism
- Iamblichus, philosopher of gnosticism
- Julian, practiced occult theurgy
Mediæval Europe:
- Merlin, Arthurian wizard
- Gilles de Rais, sorcerer and serial killer
- Roger Bacon, philosopher accused of magic
- Albertus Magnus, had many magical texts attributed to him
- Joan of Arc, accused of witchcraft and heresy
- Nicholas Flamel, alchemist
- Pope Silvester II, alleged magician
- Pope Honorius III, had magical texts attributed to him
- Ramon Llull, syncretic mystic
- Abraham Abulafia, kabalist "messiah"
Renaissance:
- Paracelsus, medical pioneer and occult philosopher
- Nostradamus, soothsayer
- Giordano Bruno, occult philosopher
- Faust, made a pact with the Devil
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, occult philosopher
- Athanasius Kircher, Jesuit priest, wrote on magical subjects
- Benevenuto Cellini, sculptor whose diary relates experience summoning spirits
- Robert Fludd, occult philosopher
- Dr John Dee, seer and occult philosopher
- Edward Kelley, medium who assisted John Dee
- Elizabeth Bathory, serial killer for magical rites
- Johannes Reuchlin, German cabalist magician, summoned angels.
- Johann Weyer (aka Johannes Wierus), German physician, occultist and demonologist.
- Sir Walter Raleigh, practiced alchemy
- Henry Percy, "Wizard Earl"
- Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, employed alchemists
- Sir Thomas Browne, hermetic author
- Arthur Dee, hermetic author
- Christina of Sweden, abdicated Queen who dabbled in alchemy
- Francesco Giuseppe Borri, alchemist
- Olaus Wormius, runologist credited by H. P. Lovecraft as translator of the Necronomicon
Enlightenment and early modern period:
- Sir Isaac Newton, physicist and alchemist
- Matthew Hopkins, commissioned English witch-finder
- Isobel Gowdie, self-confessed witch
- Giuseppe Balsamo, "Count Alessandro di Cagliostro," occult charlatan
- Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon, mistress of Louis XIV, practiced magic for youth and beauty
- Françoise Athenaïs Rochechouart, marquise de Montespan, another royal mistress
- "La Voisin, french sorceress
- Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati
- Margaret Matson, New Sweden (colony) witch
- Etteila, fortune-teller
- Antoine Court de Gebelin, connected tarot and esotericism
- Count of St Germain, alchemist
Nineteenth century:
- Evangeline Adams, astrologer to the famous
- Francis Barrett, wrote a book on magic
- William Blake, poet of the occult
- John George Hohman, American wizard
- Eliphas Lévi, occult author
- Papus, occult author
- Marie Laveau, American voodoo practitioner
- Stanislas de Guaita, occult author
- Allan Kardec, founder of spiritualism
- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of theosophy
- Arthur Edward Waite, occult author and Golden Dawn member
- Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers, Golden Dawn founder
- Edgar Cayce
Twentieth century:
- Aleister Crowley, occult author, poet, magician
- William Butler Yeats, poet and Golden Dawn member
- Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy
- Austin Osman Spare, occult artist
- Pamela Colman Smith, Golden Dawn member, artist, did tarot deck
- Constant Chevillon, the head of FUDOFSI
- Christian Bernard, Imperator of AMORC
- Dion Fortune, occult author
- Robert Graves, poet and mythographer
- Gary L. Stewart, founder of Confraternity of the Rose Cross, past Imperator of AMORC, Knight Commander of the OMCE
- Gerald Gardner, founder of Wicca
- Maya Deren, filmmaker
- Harvey Spencer Lewis, founder of AMORC
- Henri Gamache, authority on the Evil Eye
- Sybil Leek, witch and occult author
- Valentin Tomberg, Christian mystic and mage
- Robert Johnson, allegedly sold soul to Devil for musical talent
- Margot Adler, witch and NPR reporter
- Zsuzsanna Budapest, feminist witch
- Starhawk, witch and occult author
- Isaac Bonewits, occult author
- Ralph Maxwell Lewis, Imperator of AMORC
- Rene Guenon
- Julius Evola
- Ior Bock, Finnish cult leader
- Kenneth Anger, disciple of Crowley
- Jack Parsons, occultist
- Ramsey Dukes, occult author
Magical movements, societies, and organisations:
- The Magi
- hermeticism
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Ordo Templi Orientis
- Wicca
- New Age
- Theosophy
- Theosophical Society
- Anthroposophy
- Servants of the Light
- Illuminati
- Black Order
- Thule Society
Rosicrucian Movements:
- Rosicrucianism
- Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)
- Confraternity of the Rose Cross
- Fraternitas Rosae Crucis
Other Mystical Movements:
Fictional wizards, magicians, and witches:
- Väinämöinen (Kalevala)
- Baba Yaga (Slavic mythology)
- The Wizard of Oz (The Wizard of Oz)
- The Wicked Witch of the West
- Elminster (Forgotten Realms)
- Elric of Melniboné
- Eric, from Eric by Terry Pratchett
- Gandalf the Grey (The Lord of the Rings)
- Doctor Strange (a comic book superhero and wizard appearing in Marvel Comics)
- Sparrowhawk
- Belgarath
- Polgara
- Fizban
- Raistlin Majere
- Harry Potter
- Rincewind the magically-challenged wizard from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books.
- Prospero, (The Tempest by Shakespeare)
