When it first appeared in 1801, The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer soon came to be regarded as the foremost reference book on the Western magical tradition.

When it first appeared in 1801, The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer soon came to be regarded as the foremost reference book on the Western magical tradition, unique as a consummate manual for the study of magic of a kind that had not been seen since the Middle Ages. A scholar of the magical arts, the enigmatic Francis Barrett revived popular interest in the supernatural with this absorbing compendium of occult philosophy, employing an array of authoritative sources to compile studies upon natural magic, alchemy, talismans and cabalistic philosophy. Complete with illustrations derived from ancient and medieval texts, this book continues to be much sought after as a primary source on all things magical. It allows the reader to delve into the mysterious world of the supernatural that so fascinated Barrett's contemporary society, and continues to enchant and engross the modern magus.