List of occultists
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.
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
- Jesus Christ, miracle worker
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
- Vergil, subjected to magical legends
- Simon Magus, magician mentioned in New Testament
- Apuleius, author of a magical novel
- Apollonius of Tyana, wizard
- 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
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
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
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
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
- 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
- René Guénon
Magical movements, societies, and organisations:
- The Magi
- hermeticism
- Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Ordo Templi Orientis
- Wicca
- New Age
- Theosophy
- Theosophical Society
- Anthroposophy
- Rosicrucianism
- Illuminati
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
- Gandalf the Grey (The Lord of the Rings)
- Dr. Strange (Marvel comics)
- Sparrowhawk
- Belgarath
- Polgara
- Fizban
- Raistlin Majere
- Harry Potter