List of occultists
This list comprises and encompasses people, both contemporary and historical, who are or were professionally or otherwise notably involved in occult practices. People who were or are merely believers of occult practices should not be included unless they played a leading or otherwise significant part in the practice of occultism.
Antiquity
People professionally or notably involved in occultism prior to the Middle ages- Abe no Seimei, Japanese painter and alleged mage.
- Abaris the Hyperborean, a legendary sage, healer, and priest of Apollo
- Alexander of Abonoteichus, founder of Glycon-worship and oracle
- Apollonius of Tyana, Philosopher.
- Apuleius, author of a magical novel
- Apsethus the Libyan, magician who attempted to prove he was divine
- Atomus, Magus who worked for Antonius Felix at Caesarea
- Empedocles, Philosopher who advocated the idea that all matter is composed of water, fire, air and earth.
- Elymas, Jewish Magus who opposed Paul on Cyprus
- 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, Theurgist
- Mary the Jewess, 4th century alchemist
- Merlin, Wizard in Arthurian Legend.
- Morgan le Fay, Goddess, whose name is used in the legend of her being the witch sister of fictitious King Arthur who is portrayed as a savior of his people from tyranny, pre-Roman invasion of the West Isles
- Plato, philosopher
- Plotinus, neo-platonist philosopher important in occultism
- Pythagoras, Greek mathematician, numerologist, philosopher important in occultism
- Ptolemy, astrologer
- Simon Magus, magician mentioned in New Testament of the Christian Bible.
- Solomon, reputed inventor of the Seal of Solomon and supposed author of the Testament of Solomon, Key of Solomon, Magical Treatise of Solomon, Lesser Key of Solomon
- St Cyprian of Antioch, 4th Century sorcerer & patron saint of dark magic who converted to Christianity when the maiden Justinia resisted his love spells through prayer.
- Virgil, subjected to magical legends
- Vyasa, author and character of Mahabharat
- The Witch of Endor, witch and spirit medium of King Saul in the Old Testament
- Zhang Jiao, leader of the Yellow Turban Rebellion
- Zhuge Liang, advisor to Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms period
- Zoroaster, founder of the order of the Magi
- Zosimos of Panopolis, Egyptian alchemist and gnostic mystic
Middle Ages
- Abraham Abulafia, kabbalist "messiah"
- Abramelin the Mage, Egyptian sage
- Roger Bolingbroke, astrologer and alleged necromancer
- Albertus Magnus, had many magical texts attributed to him
- Gerald FitzGerald, 3rd Earl of Desmond, associated with the goddess Áine
- Gerald FitzGerald, 8th Earl of Kildare, shapeshifter skilled in the black arts
- Gerald FitzGerald, 11th Earl of Kildare, alchemist thought to have magical powers
- Gilles de Rais, serial killer accused of sorcery
- Jābir ibn Hayyān, Persian-Arab alchemist that influenced all Medieval alchemy
- Joachim of Fiore, Christian esotericist who founded his own group called the Joachimites
- John of Nottingham and Robert Marshall, accused of attempting to kill Edward II with magic
- Nicolas Flamel, considered one of Europe's greatest alchemists
- Pietro d'Abano astrologer and purported author of the Heptameron
- Ramon Llull, syncretic mystic
- Roger Bacon, philosopher accused of magic
- Michael Scot, Magician
- Ímar Ua Donnubáin, Norse-Gaelic navigator and sorcerer
16th-century
- Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, occult philosopher, astrologer
- Giordano Bruno, occult philosopher
- Benevenuto Cellini, sculptor whose diary relates experience summoning spirits
- Cosimo Ruggeri, Italian astrologer and occultist
- John Dee, occult philosopher, mathematician, alchemist, Queen Elizabeth's advisor
- Gerhard Dorn, Belgian follower of Paracelsus
- Faust, made a pact with the Devil, also see Doctor Faustus
- Marsilio Ficino, astrologer and translator of the "Corpus Hermeticum"
- Edward Kelley, spirit medium and alchemist who worked with John Dee, founder of Enochian magic
- John Lambe, astrologer to George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham
- Nostradamus, one of the world's most famous prophets
- Paracelsus, medical pioneer and occult philosopher
- Henry Percy, "Wizard Earl"
- Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, humanist and neoplatonist
- Sir Walter Raleigh, practiced alchemy
- Johannes Reuchlin, German cabalist magician, summoned angels
- Rudolph II, Holy Roman Emperor, patron of alchemists
- Ursula Southeil, English soothsayer and prophet
- Johannes Trithemius, cryptographer and magical writer
- Johann Weyer, German physician, occultist and demonologist.
17th-century
- Elias Ashmole, the first known speculative Freemason.
- Olaus Borrichius, Danish alchemist
- Thomas Browne, hermetic philosopher
- Arthur Dee, hermetic author, and son of John Dee
- Robert Fludd, occult philosopher and astrologer
- Isobel Gowdie, self-confessed professional sorcerer
- Sir Isaac Newton, renowned physicist and alchemist
- Ali Puli, anonymous author of seventeenth-century alchemical and hermetic texts
- La Voisin, French professional magician
- Krishnananda Agamavagisha, Tantric guru and scholar from Bengal
18th-century
- Ulrica Arfvidsson, politically influential Swedish fortune-teller
- Gustaf Björnram, Swedish spiritual medium
- Alessandro Cagliostro, Italian occultist
- Antoine Court de Gebelin, connected tarot and esotericism
- Etteilla, fortune-teller
- Marquis de Sade, the 18th aristocrat, writer and libertine
- Count of St. Germain, alchemist and occultist
- Höffern, German-Swedish fortune teller
- August Nordenskiold, alchemist and Swedenborgian
- Charlotta Roos, Swedish spiritual medium
- Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, founder of Martinism, writer known as the Unknown Philosopher
- Emanuel Swedenborg, alchemist, founder of Swedenborgianism
- Henrik Gustaf Ulfvenklou, Swedish spiritual medium
19th-century
. From left to right: Margaret, Kate and Leah
- Albert Pike, An authority as regards Freemasonry and arguably the most imperative mason during his time.
- Mirra Alfassa, Indian poet and mystic.
- Evangeline Adams, astrologer to the famous
- Francis Barrett, wrote a book on magic
- Alexis-Vincent-Charles Berbiguier de Terre-Neuve du Thym, French demonologist
- Algernon Blackwood, member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Helena Petrovna Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy
- Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Baron Lytton, author of several occult novels
- Constant Chevillon, head of FUDOFSI
- Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes
- Robert Felkin, medical missionary and explorer, member of Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Stella Matutina, author on Africa and medicine
- Paul Foster Case, founder of BOTA, adept of the Western mystery tradition, teacher, occult author
- Henri Gamache, authority on the Evil Eye
- A. Frank Glahn, German mystic
- Stanislas de Guaita, occult author
- John George Hohman, American wizard
- Allan Kardec, founder of Spiritism
- Giuliano Kremmerz alchemist and occult author
- William Lyon MacKenzie King, prime minister of Canada
- Marie Laveau, American New Orleans Voodoo practitioner
- Marie Anne Lenormand, French fortune-teller favoured by Joséphine de Beauharnais
- Eliphas Lévi, French occult author and ceremonial magician
- Guido von List, Austrian writer and mystic.
- Arthur Machen, member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Moina Mathers, first initiate in Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, wife of S.L. MacGregor Mathers, and Imperatrix of the Alpha et Omega
- Samuel L. MacGregor Mathers, founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Papus, pseudonym for Gérard Encausse, occult author
- Jacques Collin de Plancy, French occultist, demonologist and writer
- Paschal Beverly Randolph, African American physician and sex magician
- Grigori Rasputin, Russian mystic and healer
- Carl Reichenbach, Austrian Occultist.
- Theodor Reuss, German mason.
- Arthur Rimbaud, visionary poet, adventurer
- Pamela Colman Smith, Golden Dawn member, artist, designed the Waite-Smith tarot deck
- August Strindberg, dramatist, alchemist
- Arthur Edward Waite, occult author and member of Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- William Wynn Westcott, cofounder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
- Karl Maria Wiligut, Austrian occultist and SS-Brigadeführer
- William Butler Yeats, poet, Golden Dawn member, astrologer
- Charles Webster Leadbeater, occult books author and influential member of the Theosophical Society Adyar.
- Annie Besant, British writer, socialist and occultist
- Pierre Bernard, American occultist, businessman and yogi popularly known as "Oom The Omnipotent"
- Damodar K. Mavalankar, Indian Theosophist.
20th-century
- Adolf Hitler, German politician.
- Margot Adler, witch and NPR reporter
- Antero Alli, author, artist, teacher
- Kenneth Anger, filmmaker, author, and disciple of Crowley
- Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki, occultist, occult author, teacher
- Alice Bailey, English writer, mystic and Theosophist
- Franz Bardon, occult author, magician
- Christian Bernard, as of 2020, he is the current imperator of the mystical organization; Ancient Mystical Order Rosae Crucis
- Michael Bertiaux, author of the Voudon Gnostic Workbook, occult artist
- William Breeze, author, musician, occultist, member of rock band Coil and Current 93. Since 21 September 1985, Breeze served as the Head of Ordo Templi Orientis.
- David Bowie, musician and actor
- Brother XII, mystic and founder of Canadian cult
- Ray Buckland, author, teacher
- William S. Burroughs, author, Beat writer
- W. E. Butler, esoteric author
- Laurie Cabot, witch, high priestess, author
- D. J. Conway, occult author
- Marjorie Cameron, scarlet woman of Jack Parsons' rituals, artist, actress
- Peter J. Carroll, occultist, author, founder of Chaos magic
- Carlos Castaneda, sorcerer, writer, anthropologist
- Jean Chevalier, occult author, philosopher, theologian
- Gurumayi Chidvilasananda, Indian mystic and yogi who is the spiritual head of Siddha Yoga.
- Aleister Crowley, English occultist and ceremonial magician, founder of Thelema religion
- Jinx Dawson, ceremonial magician, artist, founder of rock band Coven, recording artist
- Samson De Brier, Actor and occultist.
- Maya Deren, filmmaker and Haitian Vodou priestess
- Ramsey Dukes, occult author
- Gerina Dunwich, witch and occult author
- Lon Milo DuQuette musician, lecturer, and occultist.
- Julius Evola, Italian philosopher.
- Stewart Farrar, Alexandrian Wiccan, journalist, author
- Dion Fortune, considered one of Great Britain's most famous occultists
- Fulcanelli, French alchemist and esoteric author
- Gerald Gardner, author and founder of the religion of Wicca
- Mort Garson, esoteric electronic music composer
- H. R. Giger, artist, designer, member of the O.T.O.
- Rudolf John Gorsleben
- Kenneth Grant, occultist, author, pupil of Crowley
- John Michael Greer, occult author, fantasist, blogger.
- Eugen Grosche, German occultist, author, founder of the lodge Fraternitas Saturni
- Manly Palmer Hall, occult author, teacher
- Frieda Harris, occultist, artist
- Max Heindel, author
- Heinrich Himmler, Nazi Reichsführer SS
- Phil Hine, occult author
- Murry Hope, occult author
- Christopher Hyatt, author, teacher, publisher
- Bola Ige, Nigerian lawyer and former minister of power who was a Rosicrucian.
- Guru Maharaj ji, Nigerian grand master occultist, self proclaimed living perfect master and god.
- Alejandro Jodorowsky, filmmaker, comic book writer, author and teacher on 'Psychemagia'
- Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian occultist and philosopher, who was declared by the Theosophical Society Adyar as the incarnation of Jesus Christ and Krishna, and was destined to be a world teacher.
- Siegfried Adolf Kummer, German occultist.
- Kurt E. Koch
- Konstantinos, American occultist and writer.
- Nina Kulagina - Russian psychic who claimed to possess telekinetic abilities.
- Dora van Gelder Kunz, occult author
- Roger de Lafforest, occult author
- Anton LaVey, occult author, founder of the Church of Satan
- Timothy Leary, psychologist, member of the Illuminates of Thanateros
- Sybil Leek, witch and occult author
- Harvey Spencer Lewis, founder of AMORC
- Ralph Maxwell Lewis, former imperator of AMORC
- Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, Austrian occultist and pioneer of Ariosophy
- Friedrich Bernhard Marby, German rune occultist.
- Martinus, Danish occultist
- Alan Moore, British writer and occultist
- Evan Morgan, poet and aristocrat Lord Tredegar
- Grant Morrison, comic writer and magician
- Jim Morrison, musician, occultist, member of rock band The Doors
- Erwin Neutzsky-Wulff, occultist, science fiction writer
- Eddie Nawgu, Nigerian sorcerer and self-proclaimed prophet of the Biblical God
- Rosaleen Norton, self-proclaimed Australian witch
- Pericoma Okoye, Nigerian spiritualist, traditional prime minister, and musician who supposedly manifested several metaphysical abilities during his lifetime.
- Tommaso Palamidessi, Christian Occultist, founder of the Archeosophical Society
- Jimmy Page, musician, occultist, member of rock band Led Zeppelin
- Jack Parsons, occultist, author, and rocket scientist
- Genesis P-Orridge, of Psychic TV video group and TOPY chaos magician
- Mark L. Prophet, founder of the Summit Lighthouse and proponet of the "I AM" movement who supposedly achieved unification with God and became an 'Ascended Master'
- Israel Regardie, occult author, magician, pupil of Aleister Crowley
- Jane Roberts, author
- Alex Sanders, founder of Alexandrian Wicca
- Miguel Serrano, Chilean diplomat, author of books on Esoteric Nazism
- Pekka Siitoin, Finnish occultist and neo-Nazi
- Robin Skelton, British-Canadian witch, poet
- Austin Osman Spare, author, painter, magician
- Ludwig Straniak
- Stephen Skinner, Australian author
- Starhawk, witch and occult author
- Rudolf Steiner, founder of anthroposophy
- Gerald Suster, occult author
- Ralph Tegtmeier aka Frater U∴D∴, occultist, author, founder of Pragmatic Magic, Cyber Magic and Ice Magic
- Howard Thurston, American magician.
- Eckhart Tolle, German writer, mystic and spiritual teacher.
- Paul Twitchell, Founder of the Eckankar religion and student of oriental occultism.
- Mellie Uyldert, occult author
- Doreen Valiente, priestess and author
- Hannes Vanaküla, mage
- Swami Vivekananda, Indian mystic who supposedly possessed all occult powers known and also was a chief disciple of Ramakrishna.
- Leila Waddell, mystic and muse
- Don Webb, author of occult books and former high priest of Temple of Set
- Samael Aun Weor, theurgist and founder of the Gnostic movement
- Robert Anton Wilson, author
- Catherine Yronwode, occult author
- Jesu Oyingbo, A Nigerian traditionalist & spiritualist who proclaimed himself to be Jesus Christ.