I’ve been hosting an online course on the Abramelin Tradition for several years now. The goal of the classes is to explore not only the Book of Abramelin itself, but also the historical context that underpins the intense magical operation it describes. We discuss the uniquely fluid nature of the text’s instructions, and how they allow (even directly encourage!) us to adapt the Rite to our personal circumstances. I bust a ton of myths about Abramelin – such as the idea you have to rent a house in the middle of nowhere to accomplish it. (In the book itself, the author – Abraham von Worms – performs the Rite in his home, with his family there.) Or that you have to quit your job, or subject yourself to months of pure isolation, etc, etc. (I’ll put a link in the comments if you want to look into what the course offers.)
In case you’re not familiar with the Book of Abramelin, it is a(n originally Jewish) grimoire dedicated to invoking and bonding permanently with one’s Holy Guardian Angel. The operation it provides to accomplish this feat is 18 months long(!), beginning at Passover, and consisting of three “phases” of six months each: Passover to Tabernacles (Sukkot), Tabernacles to Passover, then Passover to Tabernacles once more. At some point, it was translated from its original German into French – apparently by a Christian Solomonic magician, as the text has not only been translated but also Christianized. This unknown translator/editor also decided to shorten the length of the endeavor to a mere six months – running for three phases of two months each, starting at Passover and ending at Tabernacles in the same year. This was the version discovered and translated into English by Samuel Mathers in the early 20th century, after which it became the “standard” and most accessible edition of the work for the next 100 years! More recently, Georg Dehn and translator Steven Guth have finally provided us with an English edition of the German original – casting a fresh light on what Mathers offered so long ago.
I am writing this blog because my students keep running into a major stumbling block, which can be found in the German original version of the Book of Abramelin. See Dehn, p. 137:
“After the Feast of Passover, at the start of the next day, do carefully what is mentioned in the first chapter and also the following things…”
From here, the text goes on to describe what I call the “Day of Consecration.” This is the first of the final Seven Days of the Rite itself – that is, the days during which all of the evocations are performed. The first day, beginning right after the start of the Feast of Tabernacles, is dedicated strictly to the consecration of every single item inside the Oratory (prayer room). The robes and crown, the tools, the altar, the lamp, the censor, the doorways and windows, even yourself – everything is prayed over for success in the work ahead for the next six days.
But there is a problem here. You’ll note the above quote says “After the Feast of Passover…”., and that’s a problem because the Abramelin operation begins on the day after Passover starts. It ends at the Feast of Tabernacles, meaning the Day of Consecration (as I’ve described it) has to take place then, not at Passover. At first I thought maybe this was a typo on the part of Mr. Guth during his translation work – but, nope! When checked against the original German manuscript, it’s right there: Ostern. Did Abraham von Worms make a mistake??
In my view: yes he did, and I’ll explain why. But, first, let me outline the other option: what if we consider Abraham as unimpeachable? Thus, if the Book of Abramelin says to perform the Day of Consecration at Passover, then we do so! To be fair, I can see how this makes sense on the surface. The third phase of the Rite is when it really kicks into high gear, requiring you to not only pray in your Oratory three times a day, but to do so wearing the robe and with the Lamp and incense lit – this is the point where it really starts to feel like an active magical operation! So, it does make sense to assume it is here – at the beginning of this super-intense third phase – that one should consecrate everything.
Yet… there are a few problems with this idea. First, the exact same chapter quoted above – after giving the instructions for the Day of Consecration – ends with the following (p. 139):
“Make note not to carry any of the consecrated accessories out of the prayer room: they must stay there until the completion of the Work.”
And why is this an issue? Because the grimoire previously instructed (p. 124 and 126) to use the incense to “besmoke” our bedchamber and our clean clothing every Sabbath Eve. If we are not to take anything outside of the Oratory after the consecrations – this would mean the Sabbath Eve rituals would be impossible, as you could not take the incense, nor the censor, out of the Oratory and into your bedroom.
Another problem is the structure of the text. The section that contains the actual instructions for the Rite begin with Chapter 7 of Book 3 (or, in the Mathers version, Book 2 – that’s another long story!). Here is what the chapter headings look like in the Dehn/Guth translation:
Chapter Seven: What one should do in the first six months when learning this art.
Chapter Eight: What should be done in the second half-year.
Chapter Nine: How to behave in the third and final half-year.
The next two chapters discuss things you can study during the Rite that will not interfere with it, and then miscellaneous instructions such as how to find the proper place to do the Work, and how to prepare the incense and oil. Finally, we reach Chapter Twelve (this is the important one for this discussion!):
Chapter Twelve: How the person or magus should consecrate himself, the prayer room, and its accessories.
Here, Abraham reminds us once again that all of this is divided into three phases. He gives us an extra instruction for “the first half-year” (though I can see no reason it wouldn’t apply to the second phase as well!) to light the lamp and incense during our prayers every Sabbath. He then goes on to discuss the “third half-year” – but it’s entirely a pep-talk, assuring you that your Holy Guardian Angel has been with you throughout the first two phases, and will continue to do so until the very end.
THEN we reach the instructions for the Day of Consecration. And it begins with the words I quoted previously: “After the Feast of Passover…”. The instructions are given as I described them above, followed by the proscription against taking anything out of the Oratory afterward. The, the very next chapter is entitled:
Chapter Thirteen: How the good spirits should be called
It begins, “Now it comes to the point. Now you will see if you have sincerely followed my instructions…” Thus it is made clear we are speaking about the end of the Operation, the time when the actual evocations are performed. The very next paragraph begins, “After the Feast of Tabernacles at the end of the last half-year…” – then continues to give exhaustive instructions for the next six days (three for invoking the Holy Guardian Angel, and three for conjuring the chthonic spirits).
Sadly, the wording here adds even further confusion – because it sounds like it is telling the aspirant to begin these six days on the very next day after Tabernacles begins. The problem here is that it only describes six days – absolutely no mention is made of a seventh day following them. Yet these days are intended to follow the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles – so what do we do on the seventh day? (And before we assume this just means it should be a Day of Rest – keep in mind this day will very rarely ever land on the actual Sabbath!)
But this is a digression from my main point; which is that the structure of the text of the Book of Abramelin, through these specific chapters, shows a clear progression from the beginning of the Rite (chapter 7) to the end (chapters 9, 12 and 13). The instructions for the Day of Consecration may say “After the Feast of Passover…”, but this isn’t where the instructions for the “first half-year” were given.
It seems far more likely that Abraham could have written (with a quill pen by candlelight!) a single word incorrectly, than to assume he misplaced an entire section of instructions in the wrong chapter of the book. And, yes, I acknowledge that Abraham was a cheeky boy who liked to hide little tid-bits, secrets, and instructions throughout the book* (to make sure you’re really reading it!) – but that is not the same thing as writing the actual book out of order. This is an entire section of instructions we are talking about here, after all, and he does not misplace or hide any other blocks of text this large. The instructions for the Day of Consecration follow his discussion of the three phases of the Rite, and precede the instructions for the six days of evocation.
(* – Just an aside here: I think the French translator was more prone to this than Abraham himself was.)
And though I don’t think the following proves anything, I would also like to point out I am not alone in my assumptions here. The mysterious French Solomonic magician, as he was replacing references to Jewish holidays with Christian ones, edited the text here:
“The two Moons being finished, in the morning ye shall commence all that is commanded in the ninth chapter, and further observe this present chapter.”
Notice there is no mention of the Feast of Passover, and the author did not replace it with Easter. Instead, he chose to simply refer to the two final moons (that is, the final phase of the six-month version of the Rite) that had just been discussed in the previous paragraph. And he added the words “being finished” to make it clear the following instructions (the Day of Consecration) were for after the final phase, not at its beginning. Of course, that means it was to fall upon Tabernacles – which does not have a Christiaan analog, so the French author just skipped mentioning a holiday here.
All things considered, I am convinced Abraham von Worms made a mistake by writing “Passover” in chapter twelve, where he should have written “Tabernacles.” It makes more sense to begin the final week by consecrating everything for the coming evocations. And it also makes more sense to have seven days of ritual to match the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, rather than having just six days of evocation with a seventh day left entirely unspoken in the text.
I’ve told my students to open their copies of the book and make the correction (or at least print out my picture and keep it in the book). Feel free to do the same, if you are inclined to see things as I, and the French translator, see them.
It has come to my attention that a very strange idea is spreading in modern occultism. Because I just don’t have the time or the mental energy to endure most occult groups on Facebook, or WitchTok, or wherever else today’s witchipoos and chaotes hang out, this one flew under my radar! Apparently, according to this theory, you can’t get your Talisman wet – especially with Holy Water! – as it will destroy the Talisman’s effectiveness.
Say what now?
So that threw me for a loop. At first I didn’t even believe this was a thing – but I was shown a heartbreakingly large number of screenshots of occult “experts” saying exactly that. And I can only say this is a perfect example of “I can see how you totally misconstrued what you learned here…” So, if you don’t mind, I’ll put my response on the record – just in case anyone is interested in what I think…
If you have an object with a chthonic spirit attached to it, they are not likely going to enjoy being splashed with holy water. It could even drive them away – at least temporarily. (We’re talking just getting some holy water on it here, not performing a full-on exorcism.)
On the other hand, anything associated with the celestial (or above) can be splashed with all the holy water you want. You can regularly bless and consecrate it.
Just getting something “wet” with regular water isn’t going to do a thing. You can use fresh and running water in cleansings, of course – but, again, we’re talking about just getting the object wet here. And, finally:
NOTE: all of the above applies to objects that won’t be damaged by water! What makes a talisman lose power is damage, yellowing, rust, tarnish, dirt, stains, etc. If it’s something that can be cleaned off, restoring the talisman to pristine condition, its power will kick back up again. (Yes you can even repaint, touch up, etc – so long as everything is consecrated and magical timing is observed. No reason to let your statues become drab!) Damage that cannot be repaired/undone lessens its power permanently.
Of course, this doesn’t even scratch the surface of how different types of Holy, Herbal, Fresh, and other Waters are used in occult practice! But I hope this has at least provided some perspective on the “never get your Talismans wet” nonsense.
Beautiful rainbow-color Mercury Talisman on parchment. (CAN be damaged by water!)
In the Enochian diaries of Dr. John Dee, the Angels revealed the secret “True Name” of Satan, uttered only among their ranks: CORONZOM. (Later corrupted as “Coronzon” or even “Choronzon”.) As a name for “The Devil”, this cosmic being is as complex and misunderstood as any figure of Satan! In this video, I reveal some little-known facts about Coronzom, where in history he comes from, explore the etymology of his Angelical name, and – most importantly – decipher exactly “which Satan” the Angels were talking about.
When [the Magi] had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. – Matthew 2:9
Gnosticism doesn’t put much emphasis on the birth of Joshua ben Joseph (aka Jesus); instead focusing upon his baptism and the descent of the Christos upon him – making him properly Jesus Christ. But, as a magician, I just can’t help it – the appearance of a group of literal Magi in the Gospels has to hold a special place in my heart. 😉
I’m sure you know the story: Three Magi (often mistaken as “Kings”) witness a star rising in the East, which they follow to the birthplace of Jesus. Upon arrival, they present the newborn Messiah with rare and expensive (for the time) gifts and declare him the true Son of God.
There’s actually a bit more to the story, of course – it remains one of my favorite tales in the Bible. You see, the Magi didn’t just follow a star that was hovering over a manger. They actually went directly to King Herod, assuming the newborn king was surely his son. They were actually shocked when the king’s response to their congratulations was, “What son??” The Magi watched in horror as Herod ordered his men to scour Bethlehem for every single newborn boy and put them all to death. So, under the cover of darkness, the Magi snuck out of the palace and made a time’s-running-out mad dash to get to Mary and Joseph before Herod’s men found them. It’s like a cloak-and-dagger thriller! I just can’t help but imagine an ending where two of the Magi switch clothing with Mary and Joseph, and then stay behind while the third Magi leads the family away under the noses of the arriving soldiers. 🙂 🙂
As exciting as this VERY brief tale in the Bible may be, there’s actually a lot more going on between the lines than you might suspect. And, to get into that, I want to share with you a riddle I post (almost) every year on my Facebook page:
The Three Magi were from Chaldea – which is far east of Jerusalem. To get there, you have to travel westward across either the Fertile Crescent or directly across the Arabian Desert. It’s even in the Christmas song “We Three Kings”: “Westward leading, still proceeding…” So the riddle is: How did they follow a star in the east to get from Chaldea to Jerusalem? How did an Eastern Star lead them westward?
And the answer to that riddle involves all the “unwritten” stuff that is going on in the story of the Three Magi. First and foremost, the Magi were indeed from Chaldea. The word “Mage” (lit. “Wise One”) was the term for a Zoroastrian Priest. It is very important to note, for this discussion, that the Zoroastrian faith was the Western world’s dominant religion at the time Jesus was born. And it is of equal importance to note that Zoroastrian Magi were quite famous for their astrology. Just as the Egyptians’ obsession with tombs and talismans gave them a reputation for being wizards, the Zoroastrians’ expertise in astrology gave them the same occult mystique. (So much so, this is where we get our modern words “mage”, “magic/magick”, “magician”, and terms related to these.)
This may lead you to ask several further questions: Why would three priests from a religion other than Judaism show up at the birth of the Jewish Messiah? Why not three Priests from the Holy Temple right there in Jerusalem? And why would those three non-Jewish priests declare the Jewish Messiah the true Son of God??
However, keep in mind the full Biblical story! The Magi didn’t head directly to Bethlehem to worship at the manger – they went instead to Herod’s court, fully believing they were on a routine diplomatic mission to congratulate a neighboring king on the birth of a new son. You see, the Magi would have been casting astrological charts for the coming new year*, for both their own empire and the kingdoms surrounding them. When they cast their chart for Judea, they would have seen a Star rising in the ascendant – the eastern horizon – indicating a new king was about to be born there. (There have been many theories on exactly what the Magi saw in the ascendant, and I think it very likely to have been Regulus – the brightest star in Leo.) And this answers how the Magi “followed a Star in the East” in order to reach Jerusalem westward from their home. The Star was simply in the east, or ascendant, of their charts.
(* – By the way, the new year for Chaldeans was the spring equinox, when the Sun passes from Pisces back into Aries. This is one of the bits of evidence the Bible provides that Jesus was born in the spring, not the winter solstice.)
Ok, so the Magi cast some charts, and the one for Judea made them think Herod was about to have a new son. They headed over to make nice, which was likely routine diplomacy. But, then, they realized they had screwed up royally after learning Herod had no son on the way, and seeing the petty little creep have a panic attack that led him to order a small-scale genocide. So they quickly headed out to the manger…
Wait – how in the world did they find Mary and Joseph?? Isn’t there a plot hole here? You’ll note, at the beginning of this blog, I quoted Matthew 2:9 – where it appears the Magi really did follow a Star hovering in the East that led them directly to the manger, and – viola!- millions of Nativity Dioramas were destined to decorate lawns for Christmas forevermore! (LOL) Many traditions hold that the Eastern Star was actually an Angel, intervening to help the Magi beat Herod’s men to the manger. And, it is true the word “Star” is often used in the Bible interchangeably with “Angel.” However… let me quote the previous two lines from Matthew for you:
Then Herod, when he had privily called the [Magi], enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. – Matthew 2:7-8
Note very carefully, the king asked the Magi exactly what time the Star appeared, and somehow this enabled the Magi to find the birthplace of Jesus – after going out on a diligent search, of course. What time? Not what location? This would sound odd if we didn’t already know the Magi were expert astrologers. Herod was making a direct reference to the chart they had cast – which would have been very precise about both its location and its time. It would have indicated exactly what time the new child was supposed to be born – thereby narrowing down the search. More than likely, the Magi performed further calculations to narrow down the possible birthplace (figuring out it was somewhere in Bethlehem), and then the king – the sniveling coward – duped them into going out and searching for it house to house. (I’m sure he provided them with some manpower to accomplish this.)
Most importantly, what we learn from these two passages is the Magi had already found Joseph and Mary before Matthew 2:9 takes place. When they snuck out of the palace to warn the young family, it was really just a mad dash directly there. The lines about the Star – or Angel – guiding them was more of a poetic flourish that the Gospel itself isn’t trying to hide.
In fact, I would dare say everything that happens in this tale from 2:9 onward is more properly mythology. That is to say, it moves out of the realm of mere legend at this point, because here we reach the entire reason the story exists – both spiritually and politically. Here is the point where the Three Magi bring their gifts, originally intended for Herod, and give them instead to this poor family of carpenters. They kneel down, and declare baby Joshua the true Son of God. Why?
Because the author of the Gospel was trying to illustrate that three Priests from the world’s most dominant religion were willing to kneel down before the Jewish/Christian Messiah. This was the young, and still struggling, Christian Faith declaring that it should have a seat at the adults’ table of world religions. In fact, it’s more than that – because it dares to suggest the Magi would (eventually) bow down to the Christian God! I can imagine Zoroastrian Priests of the day were unamused by such literature. Or, perhaps, it did amuse them to see this young start-up religion shit-posting about them thousands of miles away – who knows?
So now you know what was really going on in that beloved Christmas tale: who the Three Magi were, why they made the trip to Judea in the first place, and why they thought the birth of a poor carpenter’s son in Bethlehem was so important. Plus, of course, how in the world they got to Judea by following a “Star in the East.”
There are tons of things I could cover about the traditions that grew up around the Magi over the centuries since – but I think that info is easy enough to find. You’ll discover that some countries replaced Santa Claus with the “Three Kings” – who bring gifts on Epiphany instead of Winter Solstice You’ll learn they’ve been given many names over the years – I’d say the most common, or popular, are Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar. And, of course, there are Epiphany traditions surrounding these guys that we follow in our home. Maybe I’ll do a post about all of that next year…?
For now, I hope each of you have a wonderful Holiday Season, and an awesome Christmahanakwanzika to all! (And, Festivus, for the rest of’yas.)
I know the “Biblically-accurate Angel” thing is popular right now, and it’s hilarious. But, I’ll just say this because someone needs to:
NO, those images are NOT “Biblically accurate.” The descriptions of Angels in the OT are poetic descriptions, not literal. For example, let’s take for example the Vision of Ezekiel (chapter 1):
4 And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the colour of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
5 Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.
6 And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
7 And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot: and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass.
8 And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings.
9 Their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
10 As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.
11 Thus were their faces: and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.
12 And they went every one straight forward: whither the spirit was to go, they went; and they turned not when they went.
13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps: it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.
14 And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
15 Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold one wheel upon the earth by the living creatures, with his four faces.
16 The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the colour of a beryl: and they four had one likeness: and their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the middle of a wheel.
17 When they went, they went upon their four sides: and they turned not when they went.
18 As for their rings, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rings were full of eyes round about them four.
19 And when the living creatures went, the wheels went by them: and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.
20 Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went, thither was their spirit to go; and the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
21 When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up over against them: for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.
22 And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creature was as the colour of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.
23 And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other: every one had two, which covered on this side, and every one had two, which covered on that side, their bodies.
24 And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.
25 And there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads, when they stood, and had let down their wings.
26 And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it.
27 And I saw as the colour of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.
28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spake.
In this vision, Ezekiel is not describing Angels with four animal faces or Angels shaped like literal wheels. He is describing the sky as it appears at night:
-The four Faces – Lion, Eagle, Man, and Bull – are the four constellations that contain the four Royal Stars (Regulus, Antares, Aldebaran, and Fomalhaut. These appear in Leo, Scorpius, Pisces Australis*, and Taurus respectively. (* – The “Southern Fish”, not to be confused with Pisces. Because this is not one of the four Fixed Signs, the honor of this Kherubic Face was shifted to Aquarius instead.)
-The “Wheel within a Wheel” that is so tall its “height is dreadful” is literally the sky (the ecliptic nested within the horizon).
-The term “eye”, in this sense in the Bible, meant “point of light.” He was saying the Angels’ wings were “full of stars”.
-The Four Kherbus are described as holding up a “firmament” that looks like crystal – in other words, the airy sky. And the “Throne of God” is the Earth itself, if not the entire universe.
All of the same applies to other such descriptions, like the Vision of St. John. Even Jacob – who saw a “ladder” upon which the Angels ascend and descend – was talking about the Zodiac. And, no, this is not a “modern interpretation.” Each of these prophets were describing the majesty of the Created Universe, as embodied in Angelic figures.
I was recently asked: “You often say that angels were humans in the past? Is this present in the grimoires as well? I haven’t seen it.”
Nope, it’s not in the grimoires. It’s an idea I have come to over many years of both studying the historical record of the development of religions and mystical systems and actively interacting with these entities. As I recall, it was a concept Jake Stratton-Kent was flirting with as well – as some of the grimoires seem to hint at a connection between the demons and things like human graves. (Even the practice of conjuring spirits is called “Necromancy.”)
However, to say that I believe “all spirits are human spirits” is way oversimplified and not exactly accurate. I grant there are spirits who embody non-human concepts. I grant that what we call “the spiritual universe” didn’t just pop up when humans appeared on the scene.
BUT:
As with all things, we humans can’t experience “the real thing” in its pure and raw form. All of our experiences take place through human-friendly filters that we create for ourselves. And that absolutely applies to the spirit world. We imagine that the forces of nature organize themselves into courts and choirs and grant one another ranks and titles just like we do here on Earth. We assume they understand our languages, and we assume they think like us and understand our needs and desires. We even assume they look like us!
But, think about it: do you really believe all the gods and spirits of the universe looked and acted that way before humans came along? You think there was, for example, an intangible white guy with wings named “Michael” flying around keeping track of dinosaurs?
Sticking with that example: We humans can’t talk directly to “the Sun”. The Sun doesn’t have a personality, a language, or any experience that could be remotely comprehensible to a bunch of hairless monkeys three planets out. However, we CAN talk to the Archangel Michael. He knows our languages, he knows our needs and desires, he understands humans. And, historically, Michael traces back to a very ancient tribal god who was originally an ancestral spirit.
Michael is a human ancestor who, at some point, bonded with the Sun. As such, he becomes the point of contact you and I can use to communicate with the Sun. Humans didn’t create the Sun nor all of its spiritual virtues – but we did create our method(s) of interacting with those forces.
So, yes, in that sense I do believe that any spiritual entity you can talk to, and expect to get answers back from, is likely ultimately an ancestral spirit who became bonded to the force you are invoking.
“These are the names of the seven overseers who sit upon (the) seven thrones: the name of the first is ‘WRPNY’L, and the name of the second is TYGRH, and the name of the third is DNHL, and the name of the fourth is KLMYY’, the name of the fifth is ‘SYMWR, the name of the sixth is PSKR, the name of the seventh is BW’L. And all of them were created from fire and their appearance is like fire, and their fire is blazing, for from fire they emerged. And without permission, (the angels who serve them) do not go out to engage in magical actions.“
Sepher haRazim
So about the Overseers in the Heptameron: These are the rulers of the seven heavens mentioned in the Conjurations of the Days of the Week. (Such as Orphaniel, Salamia, etc.) I’ve wanted to know more about these guys for years, but information on them was difficult to find. We’ve even brought them up in my Solomonic group on Facebook, but the discussions didn’t go very far.
My own interpretation was fairly Gnostic. I assumed (incorrectly!) these guys were in positions of authority over even the Archangels that rule the heavens. Jewish lore mentions Eight Mighty Archangels who overrule even Metatron himself, and I’m pretty sure this descends from Merkavah (aka Jewish Gnosticism) where they had adopted the concept of the Aeons. I thought, when we finally learned the provenance of Orphaniel and his pals, we would find links to this concept.
Now, however, I know how wrong that was. As Alexander Eth made clear in his most recent Patreon release (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ69kEC1C4I), these guys come to us via the Book of Raziel – which I admit has been a bit of a blind spot in my own studies. However, if you follow this link, you’ll find the origin of the seven Overseers mentioned in the Heptameron.
Liber Razielis tells us the Overseers are terrifying beings of fire who live below Shamayim (the Lunar Sphere) – that is to say, they live here in the Terrestrial plane with us. They are not said to rule over the “heavens” as the Heptameron says, but over “encampments” (which is very Merkavah terminology) of angels and spirits associated with the Planets. I suspect all of this means they actually rule the seven physical Planets we see in the night sky; which makes them rather similar to the Planetary Intelligences (Agiel, Iophiel, and their pals) as well as to the Heptarchic Royal Angels recorded in Dee’s Enochian journals.
Any magick you accomplish, says the Book of Raziel, only happens when these Overseers consent to your request and send out the angels and spirits who do the work. With all of this in mind, we might call these guys the principle gatekeepers to the Planets.
Upon a review of the Heptameron’s Conjurations, I see it was merely my own mis-interpretation of the passages about the Overseers that led me to think they overruled the Archangels. As Alexander aptly points out, the Conjurations are broken into three primary parts: the first part invokes the Archangel, the second part invokes all the angels and spirits within that Archangel’s heaven, and the third is the actual petition/charge. The Overseer is mentioned in the second part of this formula, where he is said to govern all of the angels and spirits who “rule within” that heaven. It was my assumption this should include the Archangel – who certainly rules within the heaven. However, if we replace the word “heaven” used here in the Heptameron, with the word “encampment” as it originally appears in the Book of Raziel, the passage makes much more sense. The Archangel – invoked first and foremost in the conjuration – governs the entire heaven, the Day of Creation as described in Genesis, the associated Planet, as well as the Overseers and all of the angels and spirits governed by that Planet.
Meanwhile, the Overseer – invoked next after the Archangel in the conjuration – is in charge of the encampments of angels who live in that sphere of heaven. If the Archangel accepts the petition, the order to carry it out goes first to the Overseer and from there to the planetary angels and spirits. As they exist beneath Shamayim, and are specifically said to be terrifying (even vengeful) beings composed of Fire – this leads me to see a much more likely connection between the Overseers and the Arabic Jinn Kings than with the Gnostic Aeons. (This might be supported by the Sepher haRazim mentioning the name of the seventh Overseer as “BW’L” – likely a form of Baal – which classes them with goetic forces rather than celestial. Even the name WRPNY’L – Orphaniel – strikes me as similar to Oriens, the name of the Demon King of the East.)
This may also suggest the Overseers are the (Demon) Kings of the seven Planetary Winds – which were mentioned only cryptically in the Heptameron and Liber Juratis. In those latter texts, we are simply given the compass directions associated with each of these Winds. Perhaps this relationship between them and the Overseers, if it exists, will lead us to further insight on that topic.
In any case, I think this gives us a view into the true position these Overseers hold in the celestial hierarchy. Not to mention why they are important to our magick. As for me, it has revolutionized how I view the Conjurations of the Days of the Week that I’ve been using to open my Planetary Altars for years!
I was recently asked a question via email about the “Pentagram of Solomon” found in the Goetia, and how to properly use it. This is a Pentacle made in gold, with the Seal of the Spirit you are summoning inscribed on the opposite side, and worn around the neck of the exorcist as a lamen.
The person who contacted me said they were assured by “a well known magician” that the Pentagram is supposed to face outward, with the sigil of the Spirit laying against your chest. Now, if the “well-known magician” happens to be reading this, I apologize in advance, but this instruction is just plain wrong. 😦 (It’s also possible I have made this very mistake at some point in my own writings – especially back when I was still trying to figure out this whole goety thing. If so, what I’m saying now will supercede anything I said then!)
The Pentagram of Solomon is what is known as a “spirit-warding” symbol. That is, it is the kind of symbol you display in order to drive spirits away. (You might have seen similar symbols inscribed over Amish barns – and that’s a folk practice that goes all the way back to the time the grimoires were written, and beyond.) You can see another example of this in the grimoires in the 5th and 6th Books of Moses, with the “Helig” Pentagram.
You could hang a copy of such a Pentagram over your bed to drive away nightmares. Or over the bed of a woman in labor. Or in your kid’s room if they complain of ghosts in their closet or under their bed. Or wear one in general to protect you from curses or spirit-attachment. Essentially, look into the lore of spirit-warding and you’ll find a thousand-and-one uses for this kind of talisman!
Back in the Goetia, we are told how to make the Pentagram of Solomon, and that it should be worn around the neck – but nothing else is said. It is by understanding the lore of spirit-warding (something the author of the Goetia would have taken as granted) that we know how to use it properly. If we summon a spirit with the Pentagram facing outward, we run the risk of either offending or driving away said spirit. On the other hand, wearing the lamen with the spirit’s sigil facing outward will be accepted as a kind of respect shown to the entity.
One could also make the argument that the inward-facing Pentagram, laying against your chest, acts as a kind of “buffer” between the spirit and your heart-center; but I’m not convinced the author of the Goetia would have been thinking in this type of “energy-model” manner. What seems more likely is the Pentagram is simply supposed to remain hidden (on the back of the spirit’s own sigil) so as not to offend the summoned being, but can be quickly revealed if things suddenly go south during the ritual. With just one flick of the wrist, the exorcist can go from respectfully displaying the demon’s sigil on their chest, to now displaying a golden warding symbol while demands to either leave or behave are recited. (In the latter case, the lamen can be flipped back once more to display the spirit’s seal before continuing with the ritual.)
Before I sign off, I’d like to address one more point of confusion about the spirits’ seals in the Goetia. We are told to fashion the seals in the proper planetary metals of the spirits, but the only other mention of those seals in the grimoire is in relation to the Pentagram of Solomon, which is made in gold. This would provide little issue for Solar spirits, whose metal is gold. But what of the other six Planets and their metals?
Basically, the grimoire is talking about two different Talismans here. One, the Pentagram of Solomon, is to be fashioned from gold with the spirit’s sigil inscribed on the opposite side. I would assume the author intended the exorcist to make one of these for every spirit you wish to summon – which is another great indicator that we were never intended to summon all 72 of these beasties – as 72 individual gold lamens would become prohibitively expensive! However, a modern innovation would be to create a lamen that is gold on the Pentagram side – maybe using gold-leafing – with the other side allowing for different sigils to be drawn in or attached for each spirit.
Meanwhile, the talisman that is made from the spirit’s proper metal – without the Pentagram on the obverse – would be either placed upon the table of practice during the ritual, or (even better, in my opinion) place inside the Triangle of the Art. If you are using a brass vessel as well, I would place it inside that vessel, along with other objects and ingredients sacred to the spirit/planet as I have explained in Modern Grimoire Magick (http://jwmt.org/v1n10/modern.html).
I hope this short essay has been enlightening and helpful in your own Work!
I tried to be nice. I really did. I know the Gallery of Magick is popular, and can often be among the first books new seekers encounter. And, let’s face it, we all find simplistic and silly books about the occult in our early studies. I didn’t want to discourage sincere students by bashing the very books that first sparked their interest in Western Esotericism. Even if it’s watered-down occultism, at least it isn’t on par with frauds and posers like Stephanie Connelly-Riser and E.A. Koetting…
Well… at least I used to think that way about it. Now, however, I have read Magickal Destiny by “Damon Brand.” Not only is this the worst book I have ever read about the Holy Guardian Angel (TBF – this book is NOT about the Holy Guardian Angel at all), but it now holds the unique position of the worst book on magick I have ever read.
Let’s set aside the fact I do not believe a “Damon Brand” even exists. I would accuse him of being an AI – but I honestly think AI could write a better book on the occult. The AI wouldn’t come across as this soulless, this uneducated, this biased against anything real, and this adept at marketing over magick. If we set all of that aside – the pages of this book are only useful if you need kindling.
I have to admit, reading “Damon Brand” is kind of nostalgic for me. Not because I began with these books (thank the Gods, my biggest obstacle was 1990s-era Llewellyn – and they were, at that time, the Library of Alexandria compared to the tripe we’re talking about in this review!), but because they have much the same feel as an old Scheuler Enochian book. That is, the chapter titles look good when you browse the book before purchasing it, but there is absolutely zero content in said chapters. It’s nothing but page after page of what the “author” thinks about magick – and even that is repeated over and again ad nauseum just to pad out the length.
And what are those thoughts, brothers and sisters? What kind of adepthood can we expect from “Brand”? Why, we can expect to be told – over and over and over again – how all of the traditional techniques of magick just fail, all the time. They require a ton of work and dedication – both of which this author is staunchly against! – and in the end they probably won’t work for you anyway.
Well thank God “Damon Brand” is here to save the day! He says we can achieve all of our goals and dreams without stupid things like work, dedication, study, practice, and (worst of all!) self-discipline! Why work for hours upon hours, months upon months, to achieve adepthood when you can just scrawl this sigil onto some notebook paper and stare at it for a few minutes and – viola! – you’re a master!
I spent most of this book waiting on Brand to get to a point of some kind – especially after the dozenth time he assures the reader that real books of magick are pointless. He finally gets to the practical stuff in the final couple of chapters – and what do we behold there? A series of newage “protocols” that amount to nothing more than “think happy thoughts”, followed by a bunch of meaningless “Enochian Sigils” that are stated to grant you entry into the Enochian Ethers (newsflash – they do nothing of the sort!). And, somehow, sitting and staring at these sigils for a few minutes each will grant you Knowledge and Conversation with your Holy Guardian Angel. (Updated news flash – it won’t!)
Nothing this book has to say about the Holy Guardian Angel is correct. Nothing it says about Enochian magick is correct. (And, I shouldn’t really have to point out, the Abramelin and Enochian Traditions have nothing whatsoever to do with one another!) The “author” (be it an AI or a marketing team) has no magical experience, no magical knowledge, and his main goal (well, second to separating you from your cash) seems to be stopping you from ever achieving any results or success in your magical practice.
These books hardly qualify as mental masturbation. They have the same “authority” behind them as a Riser Demonolatry book (that is – we have to accept the author is some kind of authority, but we aren’t “allowed” to know or see their credentials – because they have none). There is not one single word in this book that has the slightest value in your occult path. (And I’m including articles here! If he used the word “the”, it was wrong!) The Gallery of Magick isn’t a simple-if-silly series of books for beginners – it’s a barrier to entry. A net to catch LARPers.
Yes, I know there are many of you reading this who began with the GoM books – and you are sincere seekers. As a beginner, you can’t know what is nonsense intended to distract you and what is the real thing. So, you have to rely on guys like me to say something, to give you a warning when something is either wasting your time or actively harming you. So, I am saying it now (and I should have said it years ago) – Gallery of Magick is one of those obstacles. Keep your money in your pocket for stuff you need, don’t hand it over to a con-artist.
Be careful of conflating history with mythos. Academically, the Angelical Language of Dee and Kelley did not exist in any way before them. Hebrew could not have adopted anything from or been influenced by Angelical, because Angelical did not exist before 1581-2. In this light, Angelical would have to have Hebrew influence, not the other way around.
But the mythos – that is the “magical reality” – is different. For example, I was once told by my HGA that “Lapis Lazuli” has roots in Angelical. But I can’t make that claim on any kind of academic or historical or etymological basis. It’s no different than having Marduk, Ra, and Yahweh all claiming to have created the world single-handedly. Mythos isn’t literal history.
As for “Lapis Lazuli” (and I’m not even sure WHICH part of that is supposed to have Angelical roots!*) I would take this info as an invitation to incorporate aspects of one or both of those words into Angelical (like Dee did with Londoh and Madrid), rather than looking back in history for an Angelical basis for the mundane words.
* – As the Angelical for “stone/rock” is “-patralx” or “orri”, it seems unlikely “Lapis” has any link to those words. So perhaps “Lazuli” is where the Angelical is found – and a brief search suggests that word is of Arabic/Persian origin, and is simply the name of the place where the stone was mined. (Hence “Stone of Lazuli.”) So it at least has a mysterious origin to work with. 🙂
Get a signed copy of The Angelical Language (Vols I and II) and The Essential Enochian Grimoire at Doc Solomon’s Occult Curios.
Ananael (The Secrets of Wisdom) 