Jose Leitao

José Vieira Leitão is a double PhD holder, with degrees in Experimental Physics from the Delft University of Technology (Netherlands), defended in 2014, and Modern History from the University of Coimbra, defended in 2024. His current lines of research focus on the mapping of both learned and folk magic in Portugal, as well as other expressions of esoteric practice and thinking in that country. This includes the search for autochthonous magic and esoteric texts in Portuguese and Iberian archives, and the understanding of the local circulation of European magic texts. Among these, José is particularly interested in expressions of folk magic and religion focusing on the figure of St. Cyprian of Antioch. He is a member of the European Society for the Study of Western Esotericism and has authored several annotated translations of literary works related to magic and/or religious heterodoxy, such as the first English translation of the Portuguese grimoire, «O Livro de São Cipriano» or «The Book of Saint Cyprian» (2014 non-academic publication by Hadean Pres).