Occultists

Since this is a subject which has attracted hoaxes, folklore, and tall tales, the inclusion of historical persons is limited based on considerations of accepted historical fact - a restriction which obviously does not apply to fictional or mythological figures.

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:

Ancient world:

• Apollonius of Tyana, wizard
• Apuleius, author of a magical novel
• Gyges of Lydia, king said to possess magical artifacts
• Heraclitus, philosopher important in occultism
• Hermes Trismegistus/Thoth
• Iamblichus, neo-platonist philosopher, espoused theurgy
• Iannes and Mambres, magicians at Pharaoh's court mentioned in the New Testament
• Julian, practiced occult theurgy
• Plato, philosopher important in occultism
• Plotinus, neo-platonist philosopher important in occultism
• Pythagoras, philosopher important in occultism
• Simon Magus, magician mentioned in New Testament
• Vergil, subjected to magical legends
• The Witch of Endor, Biblical witch
  

  Mediæval Europe:

• Abraham Abulafia, kabalist "messiah"
• Albertus Magnus, had many magical texts attributed to him
• Gilles de Rais, serial killer accused of sorcery
• Merlin, (probably fictional) Arthurian wizard
• Nicholas Flamel, alchemist
• Ramon Llull, syncretic mystic
• Roger Bacon, philosopher accused of magic
  

  Renaissance:

• Abramelin the Mage, alleged author of a grimoire
• Francesco Giuseppe Borri, alchemist
• Sir Thomas Browne, hermetic author
• Arthur Dee, hermetic author
• Athanasius Kircher, Jesuit priest, wrote on magical subjects
• Benevenuto Cellini, sculptor whose diary relates experience summoning spirits
• Christina of Sweden, abdicated Queen who dabbled in alchemy
• Giordano Bruno, occult philosopher
• Edward Kelley, medium who assisted John Dee
• Faust, made a pact with the Devil
• Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, occult philosopher, astrologer
• Henry Percy, "Wizard Earl"
• Johannes Reuchlin, German cabalist magician, summoned angels
• Johann Weyer (aka Johannes Wierus), German physician, occultist and demonologist.
• Dr John Dee, seer, astrologer, and occult philosopher
• Nostradamus, soothsayer, seer, astrologer
• Olaus Borrichius, alchemist
• Paracelsus, medical pioneer and occult philosopher
• Robert Fludd, occult philosopher and astrologer
• Sir Walter Raleigh, practiced alchemy
• Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, employed alchemists
• Johannes Trithemius, cryptographer and magical writer
  

  Enlightenment and early modern period:

• Adam Weishaupt, founder of the Illuminati
• Antoine Court de Gebelin, connected tarot and esotericism
• Martines de Pasqually, theurgist founder of the Ordre des Chevliers Maçons Elus Coëns de l'Univers
• Louis Claude de Saint Martin, founder of martinism, writer known as the Unknown Philosopher
• "La Voisin, French sorceress
• Count of St Germain, alchemist
• Etteila, fortune-teller
• Françoise Athenaïs Rochechouart, marquise de Montespan, another royal mistress
• Giuseppe Balsamo, "Count Alessandro di Cagliostro," occult charlatan
• Sir Isaac Newton, physicist and alchemist
• Isobel Gowdie, self-confessed witch
• Margaret Matson, New Sweden (colony) witch
• Matthew Hopkins, commissioned English witch-finder
  

  Nineteenth century:

• Algernon Blackwood, member of the *Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
• Allan Kardec, founder of Spiritism
• Arthur Machen, member of the *Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
• Marie-Anne Le Normand, fortune-teller favoured by Joséphine de Beauharnais
• Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym, French demonologist
• Arthur Edward Waite, occult author and Golden Dawn member
• Edgar Cayce
• Eliphas Lévi, occult author
• Evangeline Adams, astrologer to the famous
• Francis Barrett, wrote a book on magic
• Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy
• John George Hohman, American wizard
• Marie Laveau, American voodoo practitioner
• Papus, pseudonym for Gérard Encausse, occult author
• Pekka Ervast Finnish Theosophist
• Stanislas de Guaita, occult author
• Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers, Golden Dawn founder
• William Blake, poet of the occult
• Dr. William Wynn Westcott, cofounder of the *Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn

  Twentieth century:

• Margot Adler, witch and NPR reporter
• Kenneth Anger, disciple of Crowley
• Fairuza Balk, actress and owner of witchcraft store
• Franz Bardon, occult author, magician
• Christian Bernard, Imperator of AMORC
• Ior Bock, Finnish cult leader
• Isaac Bonewits, occult author
• Aisling Bronach, editor of Traditions Magazine
• Livingstone Bramble, world champion boxer, suspected of practicing witchcraft before fights
• Raymond Buckland, Wiccan author
• Zsuzsanna Budapest, feminist witch
• William S. Burroughs, member of the Illuminates of Thanateros
• W. E. Butler, occultist and esoteric author
• William Butler Yeats, poet, Golden Dawn member, astrologer
• Peter Carroll, occult author, co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros
• Constant Chevillon, the head of FUDOFSI
• Andrew D. Chumbley, occult author and artist. Magister of the Cultus Sabbatai
• Andrew Collins, author and noted Psychic Quester
• Aleister Crowley, occult author, poet, magician, astrologer
• Maya Deren, filmmaker
• Ramsey Dukes, occult author
• Gerina Dunwich, witch and occult author
• Julius Evola
• Dion Fortune, occult author
• Henri Gamache, authority on the Evil Eye
• Gerald Gardner, founder of Wicca
• Kenneth Grant, Occult author and Outer Head of the Typhonian OTO
• Robert Graves, poet and mythographer
• Rene Guenon
• Jaq D. Hawkins, occult author
• Max Heindel, occultist and mystic Christian, founder of The Rosicrucian Fellowship
• Phil Hine, occult author
• Frater Adsum Iterum (Auxilior Arti), occult author, magician, a principal of Companions of the Glyph
• Alejandro Jodorowsky, filmmaker, comic book writer
• Robert Johnson, allegedly sold soul to Devil for musical talent
• Albert S. Kivinen, Finnish occultist
• Gareth Knight, occult author
• Timothy Leary, member of the Illuminates of Thanateros
• Dave Lee, occult author
• Sybil Leek, witch and occult author
• Ralph Maxwell Lewis, Imperator of AMORC
• Harvey Spencer Lewis, founder of AMORC
• Jack Parsons, occultist
• Israel Regardie, occult Author, magician, pupil of Crowley
• Virginia Kent Roberts, occult author
• Paolo Sammut, occultist and ghost hunter
• Ray Sherwin, occult author, co-founder of the Illuminates of Thanateros
• Pamela Colman Smith, Golden Dawn member, artist, did tarot deck
• Austin Osman Spare, occult artist
• Starhawk, witch and occult author
• Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy
• Gary L. Stewart, founder of Confraternity of the Rose Cross, past Imperator of AMORC, Knight Commander of the OMCE
• Valentin Tomberg, Christian mystic and mage
• Julian Vayne, occult author
• John L. Westbrook, former politician
• Joshua Wetzel, occult author
  

  Magical movements, societies, and organisations:

• Anthroposophy
• Companions of the Glyph
• Dragon Rouge
• Hermeticism
• Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
• Illuminates of Thanateros
• Illuminati
• The Magi
• New Age
• Ordo Templi Orientis
• Servants of the Light
• Theosophy
• Theosophical Society
• Thule Society
• Wicca

  Rosicrucian Movements:

• Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis (AMORC)
• Confraternity of the Rose Cross
• Fraternitas Rosae Crucis
• Rosicrucian Fellowship (The)
• Rosicrucianism

  Other Mystical Movements:

• Freemasonry
• FUDOSI
• FUDOFSI

  Fictional wizards, magicians, and witches:

• Baba Yaga (Slavic mythology)
• Belgarath the Sorcerer
• Doctor Strange (a comic book superhero and wizard appearing in Marvel Comics)
• Elminster (Forgotten Realms)
• Elric of Melniboné
• Eric, from Eric by Terry Pratchett
• Fizban
• Gandalf the Grey (The Lord of the Rings)
• Harry Potter
• Väinämöinen (Kalevala)
• Polgara the Sorceress
• Raistlin Majere
• Rincewind the magically-challenged wizard from Terry Pratchett's Discworld series of books.
• Prospero, (The Tempest by Shakespeare)
• Pug from Raymond E. Feist's book Magician, and many others.
• Sparrowhawk
• The Wizard from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
• The Wicked Witch of the West

  See also

• List of dignitaries of mystical organisations
• List of spirituality-related topics