Top 10 magical writings of antiquity

2024 Author: Seth Attwood | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 15:55

The human race has long indulged in various mysticism, promising to give the lucky one power or enlightenment. Some texts are devoted to this practice, where complex and mysterious rituals are set out - supposedly the key to long and fruitful communication with otherworldly forces …

Greek magic papyri

Greek magical papyri dates back to the second century BC. They contain spells, fortune-telling and rituals. There are detailed instructions on how to summon a headless demon, open the door to the underworld and protect yourself from wild beasts. And the most, perhaps, the desired and at the same time hopeless spell promises the help of a supernatural helper from the other world, who will obey all your orders.

Most often in papyri there are spells and rituals for gaining clairvoyance. One of the most famous passages describes how to predict events using "an iron lamp, sacrificial incense and an innocent child." It is necessary to lead the child into a deep trance, and in the tongues of flame he will see the upcoming events.

One of the most famous rites is called the Liturgy of Mithras. With the help of this ceremony, it is allegedly possible to go through the seven higher planes of being and speak with the deity Mithra.

Black hen

The grimoire "Black Hen" was written in the 18th century in France. It talks about the study of magical talismans - special objects engraved with magical words that protect the wearer and endow him with supernatural powers.

It is believed that the grimoire was written by an unknown soldier of the Napoleonic army, who claimed that he received secret knowledge from a magician during an expedition to Egypt. The Hen contains detailed instructions on how to make talismans out of bronze, silk and special ink.

There are various spells. You can, for example, summon a genie - a creature made of smoke and fire, capable of giving you true love (no matter how ambiguous it sounds). If you have big ambitions, then "Hen" will help you make a talisman that will force the "restrained person" to tell you his secrets, see through closed doors and destroy anyone who has planned evil against you.

But the most important of the mystical teachings of the "Black Hen" is … the creation of a magic black chicken, capable of finding treasures.

Ars Almadel

Ars Almadel is the fourth book of The Lesser Key of Solomon, also known as Lemegeton. The book was written in the 17th century by an unknown author. But "Ars Almadel" is a special manuscript, it contains instructions on how to create an almadel - a magic altar made of wax, similar to a talking board. Almadel allows you to communicate with angels.

The book speaks of the four heavens, or "Choirs". In every heaven there are angels endowed with special abilities. The text contains the names of the angels of each Chora (for example, Helomioris and Afriza) and the best calendar dates to invoke them. All angels should be asked only proper questions, that is, "just and lawful."

There are also brief descriptions of angels: for example, the angels of the Third Chora appear in the form of "short women in wreaths of laurel leaves, dressed in green and silver."

Picatrix

The Picatrix is a medieval manuscript on astrology, practical magic and talismans. It was originally written in the 11th century in Arabic and was called "Gayat al-Hakim". The grimoire consists of 400 pages of astrological theory. In it you will find rituals and spells to direct the occult forces of the planets and stars to acquire personal power and wisdom.

Perhaps the Picatrix is best known for its nasty and obscene magical recipes. The dire and potentially fatal concoctions should induce an altered state of consciousness and lead to an out-of-body experience. This is not for the faint of heart: among the main ingredients are blood, bodily secretions, mixed with a lot of hashish, opium and psychoactive plants.

For example, to create a mirror that allows you to control the dead, you must take the poisonous fumes of "blood, semen, saliva, earwax, tears, feces and urine."

Galdbrook

Icelandic Witchcraft Book, dated 1600. A small manuscript containing a collection of 47 conspiracies collected by several magicians. Like most Icelandic magical beliefs of the period, Galdbruck pays special attention to runic wands with magical properties. Runes are especially powerful when drawn on the body, carved on objects, or written on paper.

In "Haldbrook" there are instructions for creating wands to attract and retain the favor of the powers that be, to instill fear in enemies and in order to make a person fall asleep.

Most of the spells contained in "Haldbrook" ward off trouble, they are intended to protect the adept and heal ailments - fatigue, headache, insomnia and difficult childbirth.

Other spells are quite peculiar. Spell number 46 with the funny name "Fart Runes" teaches how to make a special wooden wand: if you hit an enemy with it, then "his stomach will cramp, he will constantly suffer from flatulence and will not be able to stop."

Spell number 27 says which runes should be drawn on the enemy's food. This will make him so sick that he will not be able to eat all day. Wand 30 is designed to kill an animal belonging to another person. There are also wands for protecting the house from unwanted visitors, catching thieves and "getting satisfaction in a court case."

Magic Arbatel

Written at the end of the 16th century by an unknown author, The Magic Arbatel is a comprehensive guide to spiritual advice and aphorisms. Also "Arbatel" is considered a book for mystical help to oneself. It emphasizes the importance of Christian piety, positive thinking, and the use of magic for good, not harm.

The most important wisdom of the book: “Live for yourself and the muses; avoid friendship with the multitude "and" avoid the worldly, seek the heavenly."

The "Arbatel" contains rituals for invoking the seven heavenly rulers and their legions that rule over parts of the universe. The ruler Bethel brings miraculous medicines, Peleg gives glory to the warriors, and Aratron "creates hairy men." However, the rituals can only be performed by a person "born in magic from the womb of his mother." The secrets of "Arbatel" will not be revealed to everyone else.

In addition to angels and archangels, "Arbatel" talks about other useful spirits living on the other side of the physical world - pygmies, nymphs, dryads, sylphs (tiny forest men) and sagans (magical mortal spirits of the elements).

Ars Notoria

Ars Notoria is a Solomon grimoire composed in the 13th century. There is no description of spells or potions in it. Instead, the book is about mastering the sciences, training memory, and ways to deeply comprehend difficult books.

Ars Notoria helps the practitioner to master the humanities - geometry, arithmetic and philosophy - through lengthy daily training, including visualization, contemplation and speech. Having mastered speech, you will be able to ask God for intellectual gifts - eloquence, heightened feelings, wisdom and perfect memory.

The book focuses on education. Ars Notoria, on the other hand, does not approve of the harmful aspects of magic. However, not everyone was convinced of the harmless and even kind nature of the grimoire.

For example, in the 14th century, the monk John of Morinsky at first devoutly followed the teachings of Ars Notoria, and then he began to have obsessive visions, and as a result, he began to claim that these visions were sent down by demons. The monk warned people about the devilish nature of the grimoire in his mystical manuscript entitled "Liber Visonum".

Pseudomonarchy of demons

"Pseudomonarchy of Demons" was written in the 16th century by the famous physician and demonologist Johann Weier, inspired by his former teacher, the famous German occultist Heinrich Cornelius, aka Agrippa. The book was an addendum to Weier's main work, On the Deceptions of Demons, which Sigmund Freud considered one of the most important books of all time.

"Pseudomonarchy of Demons" is a list of 69 noble demons that figure prominently in the hierarchy of Hell. The book also describes their specialties and ways to conjure the Dukes of Hell. For example, Naberius is the marquis of the underworld, who appears in the form of a raven and "makes a person capable of any arts."

Foras is an important official "capable of recovering lost items and finding treasures." Among other members of the demonic aristocracy, one can also distinguish Haagenti, who turns water into wine, Shax, who can steal any horse and deprive people of sight and hearing, and Eligos, who can predict the outcome of wars and the fate of soldiers.

At the same time, Weier was a devout Christian and said that it was necessary to invoke the spirits of Hell with great care. In his book, he omitted key rituals and urged all readers of Pseudomonarchy not to "prove their stupidity."

The Cursed Book of Honorius

The Cursed Book of Honorius is a medieval grimoire and protection against ritual magic. It is believed that Honorius of Thebes wrote it - a mysterious and, possibly, mythical person. It is not known whether such a person actually existed. The book begins with a sharp criticism of the Catholic Church: she, being a convinced enemy of the dark arts, is allegedly corrupted by the Devil, whose goal is to take away from humanity all the benefits that magic brings.

The "cursed book" makes very high demands on the adepts of magic. Only three copies of the book can be made. A random person cannot own a book - you need to find a worthy magician and inherit the book on his grave. Also, all adepts should "completely avoid female society."

As with many other grimoires, the rituals from The Book of Cursed are mainly about invoking angels, demons, and other spirits to gain their knowledge and power. The Adept is promised amazing abilities: from terrifying (the ability to cause floods and destroy kingdoms) to terrible (to see purgatory and find out the hour of his death). Among the most unkind spells - "make any person sick", "cause strife and quarrel" and "kill whoever you want."

Book of the magician Abramelin

Written in the 15th century, The Book of the Magician Abramelin is one of the most famous mystical texts of all time. It was created by Abraham von Worms, a Jewish traveler who, during his wanderings in Egypt, allegedly encountered the mysterious wizard Abramelin. In exchange for ten florins and a promise to be pious, Abramelin presented Abraham with a magical manuscript, and that then gave it to his son Lamech.

There is only one ritual in the book, but it is extremely difficult. Abramelin calls it an "operation." It consists of 18 months of prayer and cleansing and is only recommended for men in good health between the ages of 25 and 50. For women, the "operation" is not recommended at all because of their "curiosity and love of conversations", although an exception can be made for virgins.

If all the steps of the "operation" are followed exactly with unshakable determination, then the adept will come into contact with his Holy Guardian Angel, who will give him wealth and amazing abilities - necromancy and fortune-telling, foresight, weather control, knowledge of secrets, vision of the future and the ability to discover locked doors.

Much attention in the book is paid to magic squares - unique puzzle words. Like the Icelandic wands described in Haldbrook, the squares take on mystical and occult properties when written out. For example, the word "Milon" reveals the secrets of the past and the future if it is written on parchment and placed above the head, while the word "Sinah" unleashes a war. The author warns that some of the squares are too "sinister" to use.

The text deeply influenced the famous occultist Aleister Crowley, who claimed that he experienced several supernatural events after embarking on the ritual and joining the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a 19th century British order of magicians. Crowley later used the book as the basis for his own magical system.