The volume traces the entwined histories of magic, natural philosophy, and emergent experimental practices across the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, moving chapter by chapter through key medieval thinkers, translators, and texts. It examines scholastic responses to astrology and demons, the transmission of Arabic and Hermetic material into Latin, and medieval treatments of alchemy, medicine, and marvel literature. Biographical and textual studies of figures such as Abelard, Hugh of St. Victor, Adelard of Bath, Maimonides, Albertus Magnus, Roger Bacon, and Thomas Aquinas illuminate attitudes toward experiment, occult arts, and scripture. The narrative combines manuscript evidence, translations, and analytical chapters on technical treatises, grimoires, and dream-books.
