
God's Pretenders: Incredible True Stories of Magic and Alchemy
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $6.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Lorraine Ansell
-
By:
-
G. Michael Vasey
About this listen
Harry Potter has nothing on these real wizards and alchemists who wielded God-like magical powers and performed the most amazing magical spells.
These amazing magicians, wizards, and warlocks could:
- Change the weather
- Heal the sick
- Raise the dead
- Turn lead into gold
- Be in two places at once
- Make fire with their will power
- Levitate
- Live forever and never age
The book contains chapters on the following magicians:
- Apollonius of Tyana - Wizard, Wanderer & Sage
- Simon Magus - The Pretender Messiah
- Michael Scot - The Great Scottish Wizard
- Nicholas Flamel and the Book of Abraham the Jew
- Paracelsus and the Beginnings of Science
- Henry Cornelius Agrippa - The Occult Philosopher
- John Dee & Edward Kelly - Elizabethan Magical Adventurers
- Sir Francis Bacon / St. Germain - Royal Adept?
- Sir Isaac Newton - Scientist and Secret Alchemist
- Eliphas Levi - Founder of Modern Magic
- Austin Osman Spare - Artist and Dark Magician
- Frantisek Bardon - The Czech Master Magician
- The Ordinary Magician - A Modern Tale of Magick
Listen now to learn about the amazing lives of real magicians and discover that fact is indeed often stranger than fiction....
©2015 G. Michael Vasey (P)2016 G. Michael VaseyListeners also enjoyed...
-
Martin Luther
- The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
- By: Eric Metaxas
- Narrated by: Eric Metaxas
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five hundred years after Luther's now famous 95 Theses appeared, Eric Metaxas, acclaimed biographer of the best-selling Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future.
-
-
A Metaxas Hat Trick
- By Tommy on 11-04-17
By: Eric Metaxas
-
Jesus and the Essenes
- By: Dolores Cannon
- Narrated by: Carol Morrison, Saundra Kaye, Ted Snow
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This extraordinary document represents a new form of historical research and straightens out many open questions and misinterpretations. It takes the form of direct dialogues between a modern researcher and a member of the Qumran Essene community. Alive around the time of Christ, this community has become the focus of ideas about the connection of Jesus' teachings to earlier traditions.
-
-
everyone should read or listen to this
- By Fractal Cat on 03-24-19
By: Dolores Cannon
-
History's Most Powerful Witches and Wizards
- 2 Books in 1
- By: Desmond Wilde
- Narrated by: Charles D. Baker
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Witches have always worried, scared, and fascinated people in equal measure. From dark magic to home remedies, they have been part of the cultural landscape for people across the world. From Europe to the Americas, Asia to Africa, the idea of women who delve deep into magic has created some of the most enduring stories in the history of humanity. Often, these stories blend the real with the unreal, truth with fiction, and magick with the mundane.
By: Desmond Wilde
-
The Swerve
- How the World Became Modern
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late 30s took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic by Lucretius—a beautiful poem containing the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles.
-
-
Very compelling history, a less compelling thesis
- By A reader on 05-01-12
-
Magick and the Bible: Is Magick Compatible with the Bible?
- Bible Magick, Book 1
- By: Baal Kadmon
- Narrated by: Resheph
- Length: 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is volume one of the Bible Magick series. In this book we will discuss magick and some of its uses in the Bible. Often we are told that magick and the teachings of the Bible don't mix. We are warned time and time again that if we use magick we are breaking God's law. In this book, I will show you clearly that magick has been used in the Bible by divine command. This book is not a book on how to perform Bible magick, but rather that there is such a thing as Bible magic.
-
-
good basic book
- By Latreian on 11-19-20
By: Baal Kadmon
-
The Occult Book
- A Chronological Journey from Alchemy to Wicca
- By: John Michael Greer
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the occult from ancient times to the modern day with one of its most respected scholars and practitioners. Take an enlightening journey through occult history, exploring 100 dramatic incidents, arcane knowledge, and key historical figures from around the world. John Michael Greer delves into two millennia of tradition, from the earliest alchemists to pagan rituals; from the philosopher's stone to cabala, the first tarot, and the Knights Templar; and from the first horoscopes to fortune-telling trials and the birth of modern witchcraft, or Wicca.
-
-
A list of men, erasing women from history
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-20
-
Martin Luther
- The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World
- By: Eric Metaxas
- Narrated by: Eric Metaxas
- Length: 20 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five hundred years after Luther's now famous 95 Theses appeared, Eric Metaxas, acclaimed biographer of the best-selling Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, paints a startling portrait of the wild figure whose adamantine faith cracked the edifice of Western Christendom and dragged medieval Europe into the future.
-
-
A Metaxas Hat Trick
- By Tommy on 11-04-17
By: Eric Metaxas
-
Jesus and the Essenes
- By: Dolores Cannon
- Narrated by: Carol Morrison, Saundra Kaye, Ted Snow
- Length: 12 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This extraordinary document represents a new form of historical research and straightens out many open questions and misinterpretations. It takes the form of direct dialogues between a modern researcher and a member of the Qumran Essene community. Alive around the time of Christ, this community has become the focus of ideas about the connection of Jesus' teachings to earlier traditions.
-
-
everyone should read or listen to this
- By Fractal Cat on 03-24-19
By: Dolores Cannon
-
History's Most Powerful Witches and Wizards
- 2 Books in 1
- By: Desmond Wilde
- Narrated by: Charles D. Baker
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Witches have always worried, scared, and fascinated people in equal measure. From dark magic to home remedies, they have been part of the cultural landscape for people across the world. From Europe to the Americas, Asia to Africa, the idea of women who delve deep into magic has created some of the most enduring stories in the history of humanity. Often, these stories blend the real with the unreal, truth with fiction, and magick with the mundane.
By: Desmond Wilde
-
The Swerve
- How the World Became Modern
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Nearly six hundred years ago, a short, genial, cannily alert man in his late 30s took a very old manuscript off a library shelf, saw with excitement what he had discovered, and ordered that it be copied. That book was the last surviving manuscript of an ancient Roman philosophical epic by Lucretius—a beautiful poem containing the most dangerous ideas: that the universe functioned without the aid of gods, that religious fear was damaging to human life, and that matter was made up of very small particles.
-
-
Very compelling history, a less compelling thesis
- By A reader on 05-01-12
-
Magick and the Bible: Is Magick Compatible with the Bible?
- Bible Magick, Book 1
- By: Baal Kadmon
- Narrated by: Resheph
- Length: 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is volume one of the Bible Magick series. In this book we will discuss magick and some of its uses in the Bible. Often we are told that magick and the teachings of the Bible don't mix. We are warned time and time again that if we use magick we are breaking God's law. In this book, I will show you clearly that magick has been used in the Bible by divine command. This book is not a book on how to perform Bible magick, but rather that there is such a thing as Bible magic.
-
-
good basic book
- By Latreian on 11-19-20
By: Baal Kadmon
-
The Occult Book
- A Chronological Journey from Alchemy to Wicca
- By: John Michael Greer
- Narrated by: Eric Martin
- Length: 4 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Explore the occult from ancient times to the modern day with one of its most respected scholars and practitioners. Take an enlightening journey through occult history, exploring 100 dramatic incidents, arcane knowledge, and key historical figures from around the world. John Michael Greer delves into two millennia of tradition, from the earliest alchemists to pagan rituals; from the philosopher's stone to cabala, the first tarot, and the Knights Templar; and from the first horoscopes to fortune-telling trials and the birth of modern witchcraft, or Wicca.
-
-
A list of men, erasing women from history
- By Anonymous User on 05-06-20
-
Witch Queens, Voodoo Spirits, and Hoodoo Saints
- A Guide to Magical New Orleans
- By: Denise Alvarado
- Narrated by: Karen Chilton
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New Orleans has long been America’s most magical city, inhabited by a fascinating visible and invisible world, full of mysteries, known for its decadence and haunted by its spirits. If Salem, Massachusetts is famous for its persecution of witches, New Orleans is celebrated for its embrace of the magical, mystical, and paranormal. New Orleans is acclaimed for its witches, ghosts, and vampires. Because of its unique history, New Orleans is the historical stronghold of traditional African religions and spirituality in the US.
-
-
A Gem
- By Amber on 04-09-22
By: Denise Alvarado
-
Mythology: Folklore, Myths & Legends: The History of Gods, Men and the Mythologies of the World
- By: Michael J. Stewart
- Narrated by: William Bahl
- Length: 1 hr and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When is a story more than just a story? When does it become a myth? When it holds a piece of truth about our history, our morality, and the cosmos. Throughout history, humankind has used stories to explain the unknown. From the cycle of the moon to the changing of the seasons, tales about supernatural beings and events have served to account for the purpose of the cosmos. But mythology isn’t entirely fiction. These stories have been passed down for generations for a reason.
-
-
Very useful
- By Angela on 02-10-21
-
Socrates in 90 Minutes
- By: Paul Strathern
- Narrated by: Robert Whitfield
- Length: 1 hr and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Just a century after it had begun, philosophy entered its greatest age with the appearance of Socrates, who spent so much of his time talking about philosophy on the streets of Athens that he never got around to writing anything down. His method of aggressive questioning, called dialectic, was the forerunner of logic; he used it to cut through the twaddle of his adversaries and arrive at the truth. Rather than questioning the world, he believed, we would be better off questioning ourselves.
-
-
I thought it was OK
- By Theodore on 11-21-11
By: Paul Strathern
-
Maria of Agreda
- Mystical Lady in Blue
- By: Marilyn H. Fedewa
- Narrated by: Kelley Hazen
- Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Stories of Maria of Agreda's exceptional attributes spread from her cloistered convent in seventeenth-century Agreda, Spain, to the court in Madrid, and beyond. Without leaving her village, the abbess impacted the kingdom, her church, and the New World. Based upon her transcendent visionary experiences, Sor Maria chronicled the life of Mary, mother of Jesus of Nazareth, in the Mystical City of God. This work was temporarily condemned during the Spanish Inquisition.
-
-
Life Changing
- By Reg on 05-23-17
-
How to Live
- Or a Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at an Answer
- By: Sarah Bakewell
- Narrated by: Davina Porter
- Length: 13 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This question obsessed Renaissance writers, none more than Michel Eyquem de Montaigne, perhaps the first recognizably modern individual. A nobleman, public official, and winegrower, he wrote free-roaming explorations of his thought and experience, unlike anything written before. He called them essays, meaning “attempts” or “tries.” He put whatever was in his head into them: his tastes in wine and food, his childhood memories, the way his dog’s ears twitched when it was dreaming, as well as the religious wars....
-
-
Interesting and in parts Inspired.
- By Darwin8u on 05-21-12
By: Sarah Bakewell
-
The Rise and Fall of Alexandria
- Birthplace of the Modern Mind
- By: Justin Pollard, Howard Reid
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Founded by Alexander the Great and built by self-styled Greek pharaohs, the city of Alexandria at its height dwarfed both Athens and Rome. It was the marvel of its age, legendary for its vast palaces, safe harbors, and magnificent lighthouse. But it was most famous for the astonishing intellectual efflorescence it fostered and the library it produced. If the European Renaissance was the "rebirth" of Western culture, then Alexandria, Egypt, was its birthplace.
-
-
A good listen
- By Jeffrey on 10-02-08
By: Justin Pollard, and others
-
Seedtime and Harvest
- By: Neville Goddard
- Narrated by: Mitch Horowitz
- Length: 1 hr and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Seedtime and Harvest is one of Neville Goddard's classic books in which he explains Biblical passages in light of modern metaphysical interpretation. Filled with powerful, timeless truths familiar Biblical stories and passages provide insight into the metaphysical principles that form the foundation of physical experience. The tale of Cain and Abel, Jacob's ladder dream, and many other passages are explored to spark deeper understanding of consciousness and empowerment.
-
-
Here's the real secret
- By Truth Seeker on 01-04-15
By: Neville Goddard
-
Alice in Rocky Horrorland
- Entertainment's Pursuit of the Transhuman Desert Apocalypse
- By: Isaac Weishaupt
- Narrated by: Isaac Weishaupt
- Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The project referred to as Alice in Rocky Horrorland: Entertainment's Pursuit of the Transhuman Desert Apocalypse is a compilation of various research efforts to expose the entertainment industry's attempt to implant certain messages and themes into humanity's subconscious via pop culture. Many of us have participated in these events; whether it was enjoying the tale of Alice in Wonderland and her occult initiation into the underground.
-
-
Another Classic by Isaac Weishaupt
- By Qabick on 03-09-17
By: Isaac Weishaupt
-
Aleister Crowley
- Man, Myth & Magick
- By: Steven Ashe
- Narrated by: Cliff Truesdell
- Length: 4 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ask almost anyone their view on Aleister Crowley and opinions will polarize: he was a genius; a psychopath; a drug-riddled sex maniac; a champion of sexual freedom against the restrictions of Victorian prudery and hypocrisy; he was a secret agent; a lost-soul poet; a playboy with little better to do than dabble in magic; a lifestyle imitator of Oscar Wilde and Richard Burton; a drug addict; a narcissistic sadist; a visionary artist.
-
-
Straight to the Point Biography of Crowley
- By Dobbs on 08-18-15
By: Steven Ashe
-
The Renaissance
- A Captivating Guide to a Remarkable Period in European History, Including Stories of People Such as Galileo Galilei, Michelangelo, Copernicus, Shakespeare, and Leonardo da Vinci
- By: Captivating History
- Narrated by: Richard L. Walton
- Length: 3 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you want to discover the captivating history of the Renaissance, then pay attention.
-
-
Monotone reader
- By Harry R. Martin on 08-07-19
-
The Secret History of the World
- By: Jonathan Black
- Narrated by: Robert Powell
- Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Here, for the first time, is a complete history of the world based on the beliefs and writings of secret societies, researched with the help of an initiate of more than one secret society.
-
-
Not for beginners
- By Being of Light on 09-13-12
By: Jonathan Black
-
The Two Marys
- The Hidden History of the Mother and Wife of Jesus
- By: Sylvia Browne
- Narrated by: Jeanie Hackett
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
No conversation about Jesus Christ is complete without a discussion of the two Marys: one his mother, and the other his wife. Sylvia Browne's readers are deeply committed to exploring the life of Jesus through her eyes. Continuing the journey she began a year ago with The Mystical Life of Jesus, the respected psychic seeks and reveals answers to questions that have been asked by countless people of faith.
-
-
blasphemy
- By David on 03-10-08
By: Sylvia Browne
What listeners say about God's Pretenders: Incredible True Stories of Magic and Alchemy
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Sasquatch Survivor
- 03-22-16
All of the stories sound the same
What did you like best about God's Pretenders: Incredible True Stories of Magic and Alchemy? What did you like least?
I enjoyed the narrators cadence and pleasant voice in general. I did not enjoy the "true stories" that the author put forth. Before every account of magic, the author applies the disclaimer "the legend suggests" or "some people believe". I don't think true stories need to be partially discounted before the tale is even told.
Any additional comments?
With every Magician, they are bright and write of alchemy. In most cases they go on to find the philosophers stone and move to Asia. I felt like I was reading the same story with a different name and time during the dark ages. The Narrator was great and I would enjoy hearing her read again. I received this book for the purpose of review from the narrator or author at no cost through audiobook blast.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Teresa
- 03-12-16
A Neat Look at Early Alchemists and Magicians
GOD'S PRETENDERS was a pretty interesting listen for me. This audiobook is listed for 8-10 year old's (perhaps a little too much info for that age group) but I enjoyed hearing about the different alchemists and magicians. A few in particular stood out to me; John Dee, astronomer, occultist, and adviser to Queen Elizabeth l. There are claims that he may have been the original 007, Another was Austin Osman Spare, an artist and occultist who influenced Aleister Crowley, and Eliphas Levi who was involved with The Order of the Golden Dawn. I really enjoy G. MICHAEL VASEY'S books. They're informative and I even looked at the fabulous artwork by Spare.
LORRAINE ANSELL has such a lovely voice. I could listen to her all day. She has a beautiful cadence and it's as if she's speaking to you, the listener, (well she is actually) but she speaks clearly and has an upbeat style that I like.
"This audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review courtesy of Audiobook Blast."
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nana
- 07-24-20
Short, yet informative ^^
It was a familiar listen, on some notes and others I was not aware of. For this I'm grateful. Since it was a clear informative listen I'll definitely keep it as a reference book to listen to again in the near future.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Reg
- 03-21-16
Much History in this Short Listen!
Any additional comments?
I found this listen intriguing...and I also found myself rewinding or starting over again so I could get all the names (they are in the book details so you don't have to do that) to go back and research them later.
While it is only an hour and 19 minutes long, there is a lot of history packed into this little audiobook with more detail than I would have thought possible. For almost all of the backgrounds, documented eye witness account lend validity to the idea that these people did indeed perform miracles or magical feats. From greek/roman times into the present, there are people in almost every generation that display the abilities and mystical learning that the author is retelling. The only one I would like more information on was the last one, I didn't catch a website to go view The Ordinary Magician and would like to be able to view some of the material for myself.
Lorraine Ansell narrated the material beautifully and gave life to the material that few could have. She made it enjoyable to listen to this audiobook.
I received this audiobook from Audiobook Blast in exchange for an honest review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
3 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mary Karowski
- 03-11-16
Fictional (?) biographies of historical ppl involved in magic and mysticism
A unique story. I applaud anyone
Who can write and get published however not every story is for everyone. I personally found the idea of the various historical people living forever due to te philosophers stone etc to be a stretch. Taken as a a fantastical historical fiction it was good, taken as presented it was too far fetched. I received this audiobook from the author narrator or publisher for free via audiobookblast in exchange for an unbiased review
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Mary Marcella Atoigue
- 10-10-17
nice
best and most fascinating wizard fan fic I've read in quite some time, truly a masterpiece of historical mythologies and a good look into the believer theory and the desire of human kind to feel special and as if they have unique meaning.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!