Today is the birth anniversary of Henry Cornelius Agrippa, the man who quite literally wroite the book on magic and the occult. Born in the same town as the Knights Templar Grand Master Jaques de Molay, Agrippa was an accomplished, brilliant genius who pursued successive careers in law, politics, philosophy, and medicine, as well as dabbling in a host of other occupations. Agrippa's exploits in magic were legendary, inspiring the tale of Faust and even the "Sorceror's apprentice." An early feminist, Agrippa argued for female equality and even succesfully defended a woman from a charge of witchcraft.

His three volume epic De Occulta Philosophia (Occult philosophy), remains one of the most important occult works ever published.

The biography below is excerpted from Barrett's Magus:

HENRY CORNELIUS AGRIPPA, a very learned man and a magician flourished in the sixteenth century. He was born at Cologne on the 14th of September, 1486. He descended from a noble and ancient family of Nettesheim. in Belgia; desiring to walk in the steps of his ancestors, who for many generations had been employed by the princes of the house of Austria, he entered early into the service of the Emperor Maximilian. He had at first the employ of Secretary; but as he was equally qualified for the sword as the pen, he afterwards turned soldier, and served the Emperor seven years in his Italian army. He signalized himself on several occasions, and as a reward of his brave actions he was created knight in the field. He wished to add the academical honours to the military, he therefore commenced doctor of laws and physic. He was a man possessed of a very wonderful genius, and from his youth applied his mind to learning, and by his great natural talents he obtained great knowledge in almost all arts and sciences. He was a diligent searcher into the mysteries of nature, and was early in search of the philosopher's stone; and it appears that he had been recommended to some princes as master of the art of alchymy and very fit for the grand projection. He had a very extensive knowledge of things in general, as likewise in the learned languages. He was pupil to Trithemius, who wrote upon the nature, ministry, and offices of intelligences and spirits. He was of an unsettled temper, and often changed his situation, and was so unfortunate as to draw upon himself the indignation of the Popish clergy by his writings. We find by his letters that he had been in France before the year 1507, that he travelled into Spain in the year 1508, and was at Dole in the year 1509. He read public lectures there, which engaged him in a contest with the Cordelier Catilinet. The monks in those times suspected whatever they did not understand, of heresy and error; how then could they suffer Agrippa to explain the mysterious works of Reuchlinus de Verbo Mirifico with impunity?

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