List of notable occultists and mystics
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.
Some historical or legendary magicians, wizards, witches, or people who have been claimed to be so, are:
Classical mythology:
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
- Elias Ashmole[?], alchemist
- Johannes Reuchlin[?], German cabalist magician, summoned angels.
- 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
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
- Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati
- Margaret Matson, New Sweden (colony) witch
- Etteila[?], fortune-teller
- Antoine Court de Gebelin[?], connected tarot and esotericism
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
- Dion Fortune, occult author
- Robert Graves, poet and mythographer
- Gerald Gardner, founder of Wicca
- Maya Deren, filmmaker
- 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
- Rene Guenon[?]
- Julius Evola[?]
- Ior Bock, Finnish cult leader
- Kenneth Anger[?], disciple of Crowley
- Jack Parsons, occultist
Magical movements, societies, and organisations:
Fictional wizards, magicians, and witches:
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