Travis Simpkins: Ars Notoria

Showing posts with label Ars Notoria. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 7, 2021

The Sworn Book of Honorius. Liber Iuratus Honorii. Honorius of Thebes. Translated by Joseph Peterson

I'm journeying back several hundred years to spend some time with "The Sworn Book of Honorius", which roughly dates to the 13th or 14th Century.
All of the grimoires and other works translated by Joseph Peterson are nicely done, but this one is particularly great.

As the title testifies, students were sworn to secrecy before being given access to this magic text, and only a few manuscripts have survived. Bits of its teachings, such as the use of the magic whistle for summoning spirits, are alluded to in other texts. Another key element of its ritual, the elaborate “Seal of God,” has been found in texts and amulets throughout Europe.
Interest in The Sworn Book of Honorius has grown in recent years, yet no modern translations have been attempted―until now.
Purporting to preserve the magic of Solomon in the face of intense persecution by religious authorities, this text includes one of the oldest and most detailed magic rituals. It contains a complete system of magic including how to attain the divine vision, communicate with holy angels, and control aerial, earthly, and infernal spirits for practical gain.
Largely ignored by historians until recently, this text is an important witness to the transmission of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism to European Hermeticists.

Saturday, June 5, 2021

The Greek Magical Papyri. by Hans Dieter Betz. Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic. by Stephen Skinner

I have enjoyed traveling back in time 2,000 years through the Temples of Alexandria, Egypt. The Papyri Graecae Magicae (PGM) is a fascinating collection of texts, ranging from the 2nd Century BC to the 5th Century AD, and is representative of the magical practices in Egypt at that time. It is particularly interesting to look at it in terms of lineage and see the various practices that have continued on, albeit in modified forms. Some workings in the ancient PGM papyri later reappeared in Byzantium (the Hygromanteia), and then reappeared again in medieval grimoires like the Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon).

If you're interested, I would suggest buying these two books (in the photo) together as a set. The Greek Magical Papyri is not a particularly easy read, and Dr. Stephen Skinner's companion book kindly creates some order out of the chaos.

"The Greek magical papyri" is a collection of magical spells and formulas, hymns, and rituals from Greco-Roman Egypt, dating from the second century B.C. to the fifth century A.D. Containing a fresh translation of the Greek papyri, as well as Coptic and Demotic texts, this new translation has been brought up to date and is now the most comprehensive collection of this literature, and the first ever in English.

The Greek Magical Papyri in Transition is an invaluable resource for scholars in a wide variety of fields, from the history of religions to the classical languages and literatures, and it will fascinate those with a general interest in the occult and the history of magic.

Uncover the Techniques Used by Graeco-Egyptian Magicians
Egypt was once at the heart of magical practice, and the Graeco-Egyptian papyri are the clearest and most extensive documentation of some of these earliest methods. Using academic tools, Stephen Skinner has translated and presented the information contained in the papyri so that the magic will transcend theory and become a real practice.
More than simply a guide to the papyri, Techniques of Graeco-Egyptian Magic is a complete survey and explanation of the techniques, including:
Attracting love, health, and foresight
Bowl and lamp skrying
Sending of dreams
Mystery rites for fellowship with the gods
And more!
Uncover the techniques once used by Graeco-Egyptian magicians to bring this powerful magic into your life.

Friday, May 14, 2021

Ars Notoria. The Grimoire of Rapid Learning by Magic. Dr. Stephen Skinner. Daniel Clark

The Ars Notoria has intrigued me since I first learned of it's existence. For someone such as myself, with too many interests and always crunched for time, the idea of a book that enables one to learn entire subjects very quickly is quite appealing.

The Ars Notoria was a memory aid utilized by medieval monks, so it is intended for mastering a 13th Century curriculum (the 7 liberal arts and sciences).
This is not to say that you will somehow miraculously obtain knowledge through this system. You won't. You still have to do the work/studying. However, the prayers, incantations and meditations contained therein put you in a relaxed mindset that allows your brain to absorb much more than it would under normal circumstances.

Thanks to Dr. Stephen Skinner for making this text (and the other books in his SWCM series) available. The scholarship is superb. This is part one of two. The second Ars Notoria volume was just recently published.

Stephen Skinner began his career as a Geography lecturer and magazine publisher, but his long term interests have always been Western magic and feng shui.
During the 1970s he was the driving force behind Askin Publishers, producing a number of classic magical works by Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley, and others. During the 1970s he co-wrote many books with Francis King, including the still popular Techniques of High Magic. Also with Francis King he wrote Nostradamus. His interest in prophecy stimulated by this book, he went on to write the best selling Millennium Prophecies.
Stephen is credited with bringing the art of Feng Shui to the West, and in 1976 he wrote the Living Earth Manual of Feng Shui, which was the first English book on feng shui in the 20th century.
Stephen has written more than 35 books, which have been published worldwide in 28 different languages. These books have had introductions by such diverse people as Colin Wilson, HRH Charles Prince of Wales, and Jimmy Choo, shoe designer to the stars.
Stephen lives in Singapore. Stephen is the first Westerner to be awarded the title of Grand Master of Feng Shui by the International Feng Shui Association.

Daniel Clark was born in Hobart, Tasmania. He developed a serious interest in magic from a very early age with a particular focus on the grimoires. His interests range from Solomonic and Faustian traditions and demonology, to the more obscure esoteric areas of Japanese Onmyodo and Yokai mythology. Over the past few years Daniel has been striving to help important and often forgotten manuscripts of magic get digitized, and has tracked down and located many variant grimoires residing in universities and libraries around the world, many of which are still waiting to be re-discovered.

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

The Key to Solomon's Key. Lon Milo DuQuette. Knights Templar. Freemasonry. Goetia. Ceremonial Magick

An interesting (and very different) perspective on King Solomon, the Knights Templar and Freemasonry... by the knowledgeable and engaging Lon Milo DuQuette.

"Sketching out a fascinating network of historic figures, cults, and Christendom, this book by an occult-studies expert and respected authority on magic and sorcery takes Western spiritual traditions seriously—but examines them with common sense and self-effacing humor. Working backward from the Freemasons to one of their original orders, the 14th-century Knights Templar, the account considers sorcery, heresy, and intrigues; explores the legend that the Knights possessed a powerful secret dangerous to the Church of Rome; and finds an essential clue to the order's practices in their connection to the biblical Solomon, king of Israel in the 10th century BC. This updated edition features new images, chapters on important symbols, and a new preface."

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

The Three Magical Books of Solomon. Greater Key. Lesser Key. Goetia. SL MacGregor Mathers. Aleister Crowley

Essential texts, conveniently with all three Magical Books of Solomon in one volume...

"For the first time, the three great magical works of King Solomon are together in one volume. The Greater and Lesser Keys give a practical guide to the operation of his magic. The testament gives a historical account of its use by Solomon himself.
The Key of Solomon the King was originally researched and translated by S.L. MacGregor Mathers from ancient manuscripts in the British museums. Included by Mathers is the Order of the Pentacles of Solomon, the Ancient Fragment of the Key of Solomon, The Qabalistic Invocation of Solomon, and 15 plates full of figures, seals and charts, as well as the original text giving detailed instruction for spells and invocations.
The work is traditionally divided into two books detailing the Key of King Solomon. Book One explains the operation of conjurations, curses, spells and other magical works. Book Two instructs the practitioner on the proper attire, purification rituals and other means of obtaining the goals of the Goetia. Between these two books is the list of plates that contain numerous illustrations and secret seals of Solomon, including the Mystical Seal of Solomon, the Pentacles of Solomon, and the Mystical Alphabet, which impart the mechanisms and requirements for the invocation of spirits and demons.
The Lesser Key of Solomon, or the Clavicula Salomonis Regis, or Lemegeton, is a compilation of materials and writings from ancient sources making up a text book of magic or “grimoire.” Portions of this book can be traced back to the mid-16th to 17th centuries, when occult researchers such as Cornelius Agrippa and Johannes Trithemisus assembled what they discovered during their investigations into their own great works.
As a modern grimoire, the Lesser Key of Solomon has seen several editions with various authors and editors taking liberty to edit and translate the ancient writings and source material. In 1898, Arthur Edward Waite published his The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts, which contained large portions of the Lemegeton. He was followed by Mathers and Crowley in 1904 who published The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon.
In the preface to this edition, it is explained that a “Secret Chief” of the Rosicrucian Order directed the completion of the book. The original editor was a G. H. Fra. D.D.C.F. who translated ancient texts from French, Hebrew, and Latin, but was unable to complete his labors because of the martial assaults of the Four Great Princes. Crowley was then asked to step in and finish what the previous author had begun.
The Testament of Solomon is a pseudepigraphical work attributed to King Solomon the Wise of the Old Testament. Written in the first-person narrative, the book tells the story of the creation of the magical ring of King Solomon and how Solomon’s ring was used to bind and control demons, including Beelzebub. In this book of King Solomon, the discourses between the King and the various spirits are told, and the story shows how Solomon uses his wisdom to withstand the demons’ tricks and guile and enlist their aid in the building of his temple.
The manuscripts from which this work was discovered date from the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries. All were written in Greek. This dating makes most experts believe that the work is medieval. But some scholars, including D.C. Duling, argue that it is likely that the work comes from the 5th or 6th centuries.
No matter the date, the text provides an immensely interesting description of how King Solomon tamed various demons to build his temple. The text includes predictions of the coming of Christ, as one demon explains to Solomon that while he may be bound, the only thing that can truly take his power away is the man born from a virgin who will be crucified by the Jews."

Saturday, January 2, 2021

Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Edited by Donald Tyson. Llewelyn Publications

Three Books of Occult Philosophy. Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Edited by Donald Tyson. Llewellyn Publications

Published in the 1530's, Agrippa's "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" has been THE book of occult studies for nearly 500 years.

This new hardcover edition from Llewellyn Publications is very nicely put together!

"The Single Most Important Text in the History of Western Occultism
The vast store of magical lore within the Three Books of Occult Philosophy has been an essential resource for occultists since its original publication nearly five centuries ago. In this hardcover edition, editor Donald Tyson presents these writings in their complete form, free from the hundreds of errors made in the original translation and supplemented by notes and explanations to contextualize the material for the modern reader.
The most complete repository of Pagan and Neoplatonic magic ever compiled, this book is packed with material you will not find elsewhere, including copious extracts on magic from obscure or lost works by Pythagoras, Pliny the Elder, Cicero, Ptolemy, Plato, Aristotle, and many other authorities. Donald Tyson's detailed annotations clarify difficult references and provide origins of quotations, expanding upon them as necessary in order to make Agrippa's work more accessible.
As well as providing extensive insight into the foundations of the Western esoteric tradition, the Three Books of Occult Philosophy is the ultimate "how-to" for magical workings. It describes how to work all manner of divination and magic in such clear and useful detail that it is still the guide for modern techniques. And the extensive supplementary material―including biographical and geographical dictionaries and appendices―provides quick reference to many previously obscure matters in classical magic."

Friday, January 1, 2021

The Order. Netflix Series. Magic Secret Society

The Order. Magic Secret Society. Netflix Series. Sarah Grey as Alyssa Drake

Created by Dennis Heaton, The Order became a hit series on Netflix with the first two seasons airing between 2019 and 2020. The success has kindled rumors that there will be a third season in 2021.

The plot is summarized: "When Belgrave University student Jack Morton joins a fabled secret society, the Hermetic Order of the Blue Rose, he is thrust into a world of magic, monsters and intrigue. Out to avenge his mother's death, he uncovers dark family secrets and lands in an underground battle being waged between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic. Assisting Jack in the fight is Alyssa, a tour guide at Belgrave and fellow member of the Order, which is led by Jack's estranged father."

The Order offers much interest for those who are versed in Ceremonial Magick. Magic circles, sigils and other elements of the Key of Solomon are very apparent as well as references to actual historical grimoires such as the Sworn Book of Honorius.

The cast does great job all around, including Sarah Grey, Jake Manley, Louriza Tronco, Katherine Isabelle, Adam DiMarco and Thomas Elms.