Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians: Stories of Taoist Mystics

by Thomas Cleary

Thomas Cleary (Translator)

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Here is an introduction to the magical and mystical realm of Taoism through biographical and historical sketches of Taoist adepts over two thousand years. This panoramic view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with Chinese culture and society includes intriguing accounts of the Taoist secret societies that carried out mystical exercises and powerful consciousness-altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration.


This collection of sketches, compiled by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, and translated by renowned translator Thomas Cleary, portrays more than one hundred remarkable individuals from the eleventh century B.C.E. to the thirteenth century C.E. It introduces us to a broad and fascinating range of personalities including philosophers and scholars, magicians and mediums, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, and artists and poets, among many others.


Cleary’s expert translation and informative footnotes make this collection a lively and accessible read.
  • ISBN10 1590306597
  • ISBN13 9781590306598
  • Publish Date 13 January 2009
  • Publish Status Out of Stock
  • Out of Print 11 May 2021
  • Publish Country US
  • Imprint Shambhala Publications Inc