Ancient hellenistic sources of western esotericism - Italian Renaissance magic and Cabala - Planetary and angel magic in the Renaissance - Alchemy, Paracelsus and German naturphilosophie - Jacob Boehme and theosophy - Rosicrucianism - High-grade freemasonry and illuminism in the eighteenth century - Emanuel Swedenborg - Mesmerism and spiritualism - Ritual magic from 1850 to the present - Helena Blavatsky and the theosophical society - Modern esotericism and new paradigms.