Available as a single volume or as part of the 10 volume set "Frances Yeats: Selected Works"

It is hard to overestimate the importance of the contribution made by Dame Frances Yates to the serious study of esotericism and the occult sciences. To her work can be attributed the contemporary understanding of the occult origins of much of Western scientific thinking, indeed of Western civilization itself. The Occult Philosophy of the Elizabethan Age was her last book, and in it she condensed many aspects of her wide learning to present a clear, penetrating, and, above all, accessible survey of the occult movements of the Renaissance, highlighting the work of John Dee, Giordano Bruno, and other key esoteric figures. The book is invaluable in illuminating the relationship between occultism and Renaissance thought, which in turn had a profound impact on the rise of science in the seventeenth century. Stunningly written and highly engaging, Yates' masterpiece is a must-read for anyone interested in the occult tradition.

A history of the role that the occult has played in the formation of modern science and medicine, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the western esoteric tradition. Beautifully illustrated, it remains one of those rare works of scholarship which the general reader simply cannot afford to ignore.

Giordano Bruno is known as the Prophet of the New Age, and his vision of an infinite universe grounded in science is increasingly celebrated. One of the principal forces behind his rediscovery was the great British historian Frances Yates. In calling attention to Giordono Bruno, she paved the way for a revaluation of the esoteric influences at play during the onset of the modern era. Today, when traditional answers about the universe and our place within it are under increasing scrutiny, Giordono Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition proves itself a true classic for our time.

First published in 1999. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Giordano Bruno is known as the Prophet of the New Age, and his vision of an infinite universe grounded in science is increasingly celebrated.

One of the principal forces behind his rediscovery was the great British historian Frances Yates. In calling attention to Giordono Bruno, she paved the way for a revaluation of the esoteric influences at play during the onset of the modern era. Today, when traditional answers about the universe and our place within it are under increasing scrutiny, Giordono Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition proves itself a true classic for our time.

Table of Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction J. B. Trapp

1. Hermes Trismegistus

2. Ficino’s Pimander and the Asclepius

3. Hermes Trismegistus and Magic

4. Ficino’s Natural Magic

5. Pico della Mirandola and Cabalist Magic

6. Pseudo-Dionysius and the Theology of a Christian Magus

7. Cornelius Agrippa’s Survey of Renaissance Magic

8. Renaissance Magic and Science

9. Against Magic: (1) Theological Objections; (2) The Humanist Tradition

10. Religious Hermetism in the Sixteenth Century

11. Giordano Bruno: First Visit to Paris

12. Giordano Bruno in England: The Hermetic Reform

13. Giordano Bruno in England: The Hermetic Philosophy

14. Giordano Bruno and the Cabala

15. Giordano Bruno: Heroic Enthusiast and Elizabethan

16. Giordano Bruno: Second Visit to Paris

17. Giordano Bruno in Germany

18. Giordano Bruno: Last Published Work

19. Giordano Bruno: Return to Italy

20. Giordano Bruno and Tommaso Campanella

21. After Hermes Trismegistus was Dated

22. Hermes Trismegistus and the Fludd Controversies.

Index /

In the early seventeenth century, a new movement was proclaimed throughout Europe, announcing the universal reform of religion, science, art, and society. The main proponents of this movement were the esoteric "Rosicrucians". Europe was a world in transition and Rosicrucianism was but the latest movement to capture the public imagination. Concerned with spiritual illumination and intellectual knowledge the movement continued to have widespread influence long after it was supposedly over, as can be traced in the works of Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon. A history of the role that the occult has played in the formation of modern science and medicine, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the western esoteric tradition. Beautifully illustrated, it remains one of those rare works of scholarship which the general reader simply cannot afford to ignore.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203166019

Frances Yates (1899-1981) was an English historian renowned for her extensive writings on Western Hermeticism. Originally published in 1936, this early text by Yates takes as its starting point the question of whether the character of Holofernes in Love's Labour's Lost was intended by Shakespeare to be a satirical portrait of his contemporary John Florio. The elucidation of this problem leads on to a broader discussion regarding the play as a whole and its contextual significance. Appendices and a detailed introduction are also included. This is a highly readable book that will be of value to anyone with an interest in Florio and Shakespeare criticism.

It is hard to overestimate the importance of the contribution made by Dame Frances Yates to the serious study of esotericism and the occult sciences. To her work can be attributed the contemporary understanding of the occult origins of much of western scientific thinking, indeed of western civilization itself. The Occult Philosophy of the Elizabethan Age was her last book, and in it she condensed many aspects of her wide learning to present a clear, penetrating, and, above all, accessible survey of the occult movements of the Renaissance, highlighting the work of John Dee, Giordano Bruno, and other key esoteric figures. The book is invaluable in illuminating the relationship between occultism and Renaissance thought, which in turn had a profound impact on the rise of science in the seventeenth century. Stunningly written and highly engaging, Yates' masterpiece is a must-read for anyone interested in the occult tradition.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203167112