Richard Cavendish (1930-2016) was a highly regarded and widely published British historian of magic, myth, and the occult. Educated at Oxford, Cavendish is best remembered for The Black Arts (1967) and for editing the acclaimed 24-volume Man, Myth & Magic- An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural, published from 1970 to 1972.
“We are all black magicians in our dreams, in our fantasies,
perversions, and phobias... In The Black Arts, Richard Cavendish
has not only gathered many fascinating facts from the past and from
our own time; he has also presented the philosophy of the black
magicians and gives many excellent interpretations of their symbols
and rites. He has done all this in such a concise and readable
style that the reader is hardly aware of how much effort has gone
into this work and how original are many of its ideas and
interpretations ...Works such as Cavendish’s are a reminder that we
are living in an era of amnesia. We have forgotten those vital
truths that man once knew and by whose strength he lived.” —Isaac
Bashevis Singer, Book Week
“In The Black Arts, Cavendish captures the human striving and
universality behind the magical search. He also demonstrates
virtuosity for explaining ancient and more recent rituals, rites,
and esoteric philosophies with splendid clarity … It stands nearly
alone as a simultaneously comprehensive and inviting guide to the
world of pre-modern esoterica.”—Mitch Horowitz, from the new
introduction
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