Barrett, Francis
Francis Barrett (19th c.) was an English magician and occultist. Little is known about Francis Barrett beyond his authorship of The Magus, a compendium of occult and magical information, published in London in 1801.
A self-described Rosicrucian, Barrett taught chemistry, metaphysics, and natural occult philosophy. He gave lessons in the magical arts from his apartment in Marlebourne. Most of his occult knowledge probably came from books rather than personal experience as a magician. The Magus borrows heavily from Three Books on Occult Philosophy written by Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Barrett also borrowed extensively from the works of Peter of Abano, Jean Baptiste von Helmont , and other alchemists and occultists. Barrett added new illustrations, portraits of important Demons that he may have seen while scrying.
Despite its lack of originality, The Magus stimulated a revival of interest in occultism; the great occultist Eliphas Levi was influenced by it.
FURTHER READING:
- Barrett, Francis. The Magus. 1801. Reprint, Secaucus, N.J.: The Citadel Press, 1967.
- Encyclopedia of Occultism & Parapsychology. 5th ed. J. Gordon Melton, ed. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001.
SOURCE:
The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley Copyright © 2006 by Visionary Living, Inc.