Éliphas Lévi Zahed, born Alphonse Louis Constant (8 February 1810 – 31 May 1875), was a French esotericist, poet, and author of more than twenty books about magic, Kabbalah, alchemical studies, and occultism. Considered the most influential occultist of the 19th-century,[citation needed] he pursued an ecclesiastical career in the Catholic Church until, after great personal struggle, at the age of 26, he abandoned the Roman Catholic priesthood. At the age of 40 he started to profess a knowledge of the occult, also becoming a reputed ceremonial magician.[1]

The pen name Éliphas Lévi, was a transliteration of his given names Alphonse Louis into the Hebrew. Levi gained renown as an original thinker and writer. His works attracted the attention of the heterogeneous ambiences of the era in Paris and London; from esotericists to artists of romantic or symbolist inspiration. He also expressed his independence by leaving the Masonic lodge of the Great Orient, believing that it was a form of modern secularization, where knowledge of the original meanings of symbols and rituals was lost. I ceased being a freemason, at once, because the Freemasons, excommunicated by the Pope, did not believe in tolerating Catholicism.[2]

Many authors influenced Constant's political, occultic and literary development, such as the F