Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
The Book of Abramelin the Mage was written as an epistolary novel or autobiography of a person
known as Abraham of Worms. Abraham was a German Jew believed to have lived between the
14th and 15th centuries. The Book of Abramelin the Mage involves the passing of Abrahams magical
and Kabbalistic knowledge to his son, Lamech, and relates the story of how he first acquired such
knowledge.
Abraham begins his narration with the death of his father, who gave him signs and instructions
concerning the way in which it is necessary to acquire the Holy Qabalah shortly before his death.
Desiring to acquire this wisdom, Abraham said he travelled to Mayence (Mainz) to study under a
Rabbi, called Moses. Abraham studied under Moses for four years before travelling for the next six
years of his life, eventually reaching Egypt.
It was in Egypt that Abraham met Abramelin the Mage, an Egyptian mage who was living in the
desert outside an Egyptian town called Arachi or Araki. Abramelin is said to have then taught
Abraham his Kabbalistic magic and gave him two manuscripts to copy from. Pne of the highlights of
this grimoire is an elaborate ritual known as the Abramelin Operation, which is said to enable a
mage to gain the knowledge and conversation of his/her guardian angel and to blind demons. The
manuscript was later used in occult organizations such as Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and
Aleister Crowleys mystical system of Thelema.
As part of a larger collection known as the Lesser Keys of Solomon, the Ars Notoria is a book that is
said to allow followers a mastery of academia, giving them greater eloquence, a perfect memory,
and wisdom. The Ars Notoria is one of five books within a grimoire called the Lesser Keys of
Solomon, an anonymous text that was compiled from other works in the 17th century, and focuses
on demonology.
The Ars Notoria is the oldest portion of the Lesser of the Keys grimoire, dating back to the 13th
century. However, the texts contained within are a collection of orations, prayers, and magical words
which date back to well before the 1200s. The prayers are in several languages, including Hebrew,
Greek, and Latin. It was not a book of spells or potions, but a book of prayers and orations that are
said to strengthen and focus ones mental powers, by beseeching god for intellectual gifts. Among
these intellectual gifts is the concept of a perfect memory.
Those who practice liberal arts, such as arithmetic, geometry, and philosophy, are promised a
mastery of their subject if they devote themselves to the Ars Notoria. Within, it describes a daily
process of visualization, contemplation, and orations, intended to enhance the practitioners focus
and memory.
were accused of practicing. Twenty-seven years after this case, when Weyer was sixty-two years
old, he published Pseudomonarchia Daemonum.
Weyers work claims that while demons and the monsters from hell could have illusionist power over
people, the affected people were not witches on trialthe "mentally ill", as Weyer statedbut rather
the magicians who played tricks on common folk for an easy coin. Weyer's intention was to create a
creed to vet out the accused who were, in fact, innocent. How helpful Weyer's efforts for the accused
witches were remains unseen, yet there is evidence that his pleas for their mercy went
predominately ignored.
The Picatrix is an ancient Arabian book of astrology and occult magic dating back to the 10th or 11th
century, which has gained notoriety for the obscene nature of its magical recipes. The Picatrix, with
its cryptic astrological descriptions and spells covering almost every conceivable wish or desire, has
been translated and used by many cultures over the centuries, and continues to fascinate occult
followers from around the world.
The Picatrix was originally written in Arabic, titled Ghyat al-Hakm, which translates to The Aim of
the Sage" or "The Goal of the Wise. Most scholars believe it originated in the 11th century, although
there are well-supported arguments that date it to the 10th. Eventually, the Arabic writings were
translated into Spanish, and later into Latin in 1256 for the Castilian king Alfonso the Wise. At this
time it took on the Latin title Picatrix.
The text is composed of both magic and astrology. One element that has contributed to the notoriety
of the Picatrix is the obscene nature of its magical recipes. The gruesome concoctions are intended
to alter ones state of consciousness, and may lead to out-of-body experiences, or even death.
Ingredients include: blood, bodily excretions, brain matter mixed with copious amounts of hashish,
opium, and psychoactive plants. For example, the spell for Generating Enmity and Discord reads:
Take four ounces of the blood of a black dog, two ounces each of pig blood and brains, and one
ounce of donkey brains. Mix all this together until well blended. When you give this medicine to
someone in food or drink, he will hate you.
The Arbatel de magia veterum (Arbatel: Of the Magic of the Ancients) is a Renaissance-period
grimoire a textbook of magic and one of the most influential works of its kind. Unlike some other
occult manuscripts that contain dark magic and malicious spells, the Arbatel contains spiritual advice
and guidance on how to live an honest and honorable life.
The Arbatel is claimed to have been written in 1575 AD. The author remains unknown, although it
has been speculated that it was written by a man named Jacques Gohory, a Paracelsian (a group
who believed in and followed the medical theories and therapies of Paracelsus).
The focus of the Arbatel is on nature, and the natural relationships between humanity and a celestial
hierarchy. It centers on the positive relationships between the celestial world and humans, and the
interactions between the two. The Arbatel was an extremely influential work for its time.
Featured image: Person holding an ancient grimoire. (abovetopsecret.com)
By April Holloway