Athanasius Kircher intended Magnes sive de Arte Magnetica to be his grand compendium on magnetism
encapsulating all the knowledge he possessed on the topic and its reach into all realms of existence
In his book, Kircher attempts to apply a scientific approach by combining a discourse on contemporary works with his own theoretical explanation, along with empirical and anecdotal evidence, of magnetic attraction and repulsion in geology, botany, medicine, astronomy and theology.