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the secret teachings of all ages
CEREMONIAL MAGIC AND
SORCERY
CHAPTER XVIII
manly p. hall
CEREMONIAL magic is the ancient
art of invoking and controlling spirits by a scientific application of
certain formulæ. A magician, enveloped in sanctified vestments and
carrying a wand inscribed with hieroglyphic figures, could by the power
vested in certain words and symbols control the invisible inhabitants of
the elements and of the astral world. While the elaborate ceremonial
magic of antiquity was not necessarily evil, there arose from its
perversion several false schools of sorcery, or black
magic.
Egypt, a great center of
learning and the birthplace of many arts and sciences, furnished an
ideal environment for transcendental experimentation. Here the black
magicians of Atlantis continued to exercise their superhuman powers
until they had completely undermined and corrupted the morals of the
primitive Mysteries. By establishing a sacerdotal caste they usurped the
position formerly occupied by the initiates, and seized the reins of
spiritual government. Thus black magic dictated the state religion and
paralyzed the intellectual and spiritual activities of the individual by
demanding his complete and unhesitating acquiescence in the dogma
formulated by the priestcraft. The Pharaoh became a puppet in the hands
of the Scarlet Council--a committee of arch-sorcerers elevated to power
by the priesthood.
These sorcerers then began the
systematic destruction of all keys to the ancient wisdom, so that none
might have access to the knowledge necessary to reach adeptship without
first becoming one of their order. They mutilated the rituals of the
Mysteries while professing to preserve them, so that even though the
neophyte passed through the degrees he could not secure the knowledge to
which he was entitled. Idolatry was introduced by encouraging the
worship of the images which in the beginning the wise had erected solely
as symbols for study and meditation. False interpretations were given to
the emblems and figures of the Mysteries, and elaborate theologies were
created to confuse the minds of their devotees. The masses, deprived of
their birthright of understanding and groveling in ignorance, eventually
became the abject slaves of the spiritual impostors. Superstition
universally prevailed and the black magicians completely dominated
national affairs, with the result that humanity still suffers from the
sophistries of the priestcrafts of Atlantis and Egypt.
Fully convinced that their
Scriptures sanctioned it, numerous mediæval Qabbalists devoted their
lives to the practice of ceremonial magic. The transcendentalism of the
Qabbalists is founded upon the ancient and magical formula of King
Solomon, who has long been considered by the Jews as the prince of
ceremonial magicians.
Among the Qabbalists of the
Middle Ages were a great number of black magicians who strayed from the
noble concepts of the Sepher Yetzirah and became enmeshed in
demonism and witchcraft. They sought to substitute magic mirrors,
consecrated daggers, and circles spread around posts of coffin nails,
for the living of that virtuous life which, without the assistance of
complicated rituals or submundane creatures, unfailingly brings man to
the state of true individual completion.
Those who sought to control
elemental spirits through ceremonial magic did so largely with the hope
of securing from the invisible worlds either rare knowledge or
supernatural power. The little red demon of Napoleon Bonaparte and the
infamous oracular heads of de Medici are examples of the disastrous
results of permitting elemental beings to dictate the course of human
procedure. While the learned and godlike dæmon of Socrates seems to have
been an exception, this really proves that the intellectual and moral
status of the magician has much to do with the type of elemental he is
capable of invoking. But even the dæmon of Socrates deserted the
philosopher when the sentence of death was passed.
Transcendentalism and all forms
of phenomenalistic magic are but blind alleys--outgrowths of Atlantean
sorcery; and those who forsake the straight path of philosophy to wander
therein almost invariably fall victims to their imprudence. Man,
incapable of controlling his own appetites, is not equal to the task of
governing the fiery and tempestuous elemental spirits.
Many a magician has lost his
life as the result of opening a way whereby submundane creatures could
become active participants in his affairs. When Eliphas Levi invoked the
spirit of Apollonius of Tyana, what did he hope to accomplish? Is the
gratification of curiosity a motive sufficient to warrant the devotion
of an entire lifetime to a dangerous and unprofitable pursuit? If the
living Apollonius refused to divulge his secrets to the profane, is
there any probability that after death he would disclose them to the
curious-minded? Levi himself did not dare to assert that the specter
which appeared to him was actually the great philosopher, for Levi
realized only too well the proclivity of elementals to impersonate those
who have passed on. The majority of modern mediumistic apparitions are
but elemental creatures masquerading through bodies composed of thought
substance supplied by the very persons desiring to behold these wraiths
of decarnate beings.
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE
OF BLACK MAGIC
Some understanding of the
intricate theory and practice of ceremonial magic may be derived from a
brief consideration of its underlying premises.
First. The visible
universe has an invisible counterpart, the higher planes of which are
peopled by good and beautiful spirits; the lower planes, dark and
foreboding, are the habitation of evil spirits and demons under the
leadership of the Fallen Angel and his ten Princes.
Second. By means of the
secret processes of ceremonial magic it is possible to contact these
invisible creatures and gain their help in some human undertaking. Good
spirits willingly lend their assistance to any worthy enterprise, but
the evil spirits serve only those who live to pervert and
destroy.
Third. It is possible to
make contracts with spirits whereby the magician becomes for a
stipulated time the master of an elemental being.
Fourth. True black magic
is performed with the aid of a demoniacal spirit, who serves the
sorcerer for the length of his earthly life, with the understanding that
after death the magician shall become the servant of his own demon. For
this reason a black magician will go to inconceivable ends to prolong
his physical life, since there is nothing for him beyond the
grave.
The most dangerous form of
black magic is the scientific perversion of occult power for the
gratification of personal desire. Its less complex and more universal
form is human selfishness, for selfishness is the fundamental cause of
all worldly evil. A man will barter his eternal soul for temporal power,
and down through the ages a mysterious process has been evolved which
actually enables him to make this exchange. In its various branches the
black art includes nearly all forms of ceremonial magic, necromancy,
witchcraft, sorcery, and vampirism. Under the same general heading are
also included mesmerism and hypnotism, except when used solely for
medical purposes, and even then there is an element of risk for all
concerned.
Though the demonism of the
Middle Ages seems to have disappeared, there is abundant evidence that
in many forms of modern thought--especially the so-called "prosperity"
psychology, "willpower-building" metaphysics, and systems of
"high-pressure" salesmanship--black magic has merely passed
through a metamorphosis, and although its name be changed its nature
remains the same.
BAPHOMET, THE GOAT OF
MENDES.
From Levi's Transcendental
Magic.
The practice of magic--either white or black--depends upon the ability of the adept to
control the universal life force--that which Eliphas Levi calls the
great magical agent or the astral light. By the manipulation of this
fluidic essence the phenomena of transcendentalism are produced. The
famous hermaphroditic Goat of Mendes was a composite creature formulated
to symbolize this astral light. It is identical with Baphomet the
mystic pantheos of those disciples of ceremonial magic, the Templars,
who probably obtained it from the Arabians.
A well-known magician of the
Middle Ages was Dr. Johannes Faustus, more commonly known as Dr. Faust.
By a study of magical writings he was enabled to bind to his service an
elemental who served him for many years in various capacities. Strange
legends are told concerning the magical powers possessed by Dr. Faust.
Upon one occasion the philosopher, being apparently in a playful mood,
threw his mantle over a number of eggs in a market-woman's basket,
causing them to hatch instantly. At another time, having fallen
overboard from a small boat, he was picked up and returned to the craft
with his clothes still dry. But, like nearly all other magicians, Dr.
Faust came at length to disaster; he was found one morning with a knife
in his back, and it was commonly believed that his familiar spirit had
murdered him. Although Goethe's Dr. Faust is generally regarded as
merely a fictional character, this old magician actually lived during
the sixteenth century. Dr. Faust wrote a book describing his experiences
with spirits, a section of which is reprinted below. (Dr. Faust must not
be confused with Johann Fust, the printer.)
EXTRACT FROM THE BOOK
OF DR. FAUST, WITTENBERG, 1524
(An abridged translation from
the original German of a book ordered destroyed.)
"From my youth I followed art
and science and was tireless in my reading of books. Among those which
came to my hand was a volume containing all kinds of invocations and
magical formulæ. In this book I discovered information to the effect
that a spirit, whether he be of the fire, the water, the earth or the
air, can be compelled to do the will of a magician capable of
controlling him. I also discovered that according as one spirit has more
power than another, each is adapted for a different operation and each
is capable of producing certain supernatural effects.
"After reading this wonderful
book, I made several experiments, desiring to rest the accuracy of the
statements made therein. At first I had little faith that what was
promised would take place. But at the very first invocation which I
attempted a mighty spirit manifested to me, desiring to know why I had
invoked him. His coming so amazed me that I scarcely knew what to say,
but finally asked him if he would serve me in my magical investigations.
He replied that if certain conditions were agreed upon he would. The
conditions were that I should make a pact with him. This I did not
desire to do, but as in my ignorance I had not protected myself with a
circle and was actually at the mercy of the spirit, I did not dare to
refuse his request and resigned myself to the inevitable, considering it
wisest to turn my mantle according to the wind.
"I then told him that if he
would be serviceable to me according to my desires and needs for a
certain length of time, I would sign myself over to him. After the pact
had been arranged, this mighty spirit, whose name was Asteroth,
introduced me to another spirit by the name of Marbuel, who was
appointed to be my servant. I questioned Marbuel as to his
suitability for my needs. I asked him how quick he was, and he answered,
'As swift as the winds.' This did not satisfy me, so I replied, 'You
cannot become my servant. Go again whence you have come.' Soon another
spirit manifested itself, whose name was Aniguel. Upon asking him
the same question he answered that he was swift as a bird in the air. I
said, 'You are still too slow for me. Go whence you came.' In the same
moment another spirit by the name of Aciel manifested himself.
For the third time I asked my question and he answered, 'I am as swift
as human thought.' 'You shall serve me,' I replied. This spirit was
faithful for a long time, but to tell you how he served me is not
possible in a document of this length and I will here only indicate how
spirits are to be invoked and how the circles for protection are to be
prepared. There are many kinds of spirits which will permit themselves
to be invoked by man and become his servant. Of these I will list a
few:
"Aciel: The mightiest
among those who serve men. He manifests in pleasing human form about
three feet high. He must be invoked three times before he will come
forth into the circle prepared for him. He will furnish riches and will
instantly fetch things from a great distance, according to the will of
the magician. He is as swift as human thought.
"Aniguel: Serviceable
and most useful, and comes in the form of a ten-year-old boy. He must be
invoked three times. His special power is to discover treasures and
minerals hidden in the ground, which he will furnish to the
magician.
"Marbuel: A true lord of
the mountains and swift as a bird on the wing. He is an opposing and
troublesome spirit, hard to control. You must invoke him four times. He
appears in the person of Mars [a warrior in heavy armor]. He will
furnish the magician those things which grow above and under the earth.
He is particularly the lord of the spring-root. [The
spring-root is a mysterious herb, possibly of a reddish color,
which mediæval magicians asserted had the property of drawing forth or
opening anything it touched. If placed against a locked door, it would
open the door. The Hermetists believed that the red-capped woodpecker
was specially endowed with the faculty of discovering
spring-root, so they followed this bird to its nest, and then
stopped up the hole in the tree where its young were. The red-crested
woodpecker went at once in quest of the spring-root, and, discovering
it, brought it to the tree. It immediately drew forth the stopper from
the entrance to the nest. The magician then secured the root from the
bird. It was also asserted that because of its structure, the etheric
body of the spring-root was utilized as a vehicle of expression
by certain elemental spirits which manifested through the proclivity of
drawing out or opening things.]
"Aciebel: A mighty ruler
of the sea, controlling things both upon and under the water. He
furnishes things lost or sunk in rivers, lakes, and oceans, such as
sunken ships and treasures. The more sharply you invoke him, the swifter
he is upon his errands.
"Machiel: Comes in the
form of a beautiful maiden and by her aid the magician is raised to
honor and dignity. She makes those she serves worthy and noble, gracious
and kindly, and assists in all matters of litigation and justice. She
will not come unless invoked twice.
"Baruel: The master of
all arts. He manifests as a master workman and comes wearing an apron.
He can teach a magician more in a moment than all the master workmen of
the world combined could accomplish in twenty years. He must be invoked
three times.
A MAGICAL SWORD.
From Levi's The Magical
Ritual.
Eliphas Levi describes the
preparation of a magical sword in substance as follows: The steel blade
should be forged in the hour of Mars, with new tools. The pommel should
be of hollow silver containing quicksilver, and the symbols of Mercury
and the moon and the signatures of Gabriel and Samael should be engraved
upon it. The hilt should be encased with tin, with the symbol of Jupiter
and the signature of Michael engraved upon it. A copper triangle should
extend from the hilt along the blade a short distance on each side:
these should bear the symbols of Mercury and Venus. Five Sephiroth
should be engraved upon the handle, as shown. The blade itself should
have the word Malchut upon one side and Quis ut Deus upon
the other. The sword should be consecrated on Sunday.
A MAGIC CIRCLE.
From The Complete Book of
Magic Science (unpublished).
The above figure is a complete
and faithful representation of a magic circle as designed by mediæval
conjurers for the invocation of spirits. The magician accompanied by his
assistant takes his place at the point formed by the crossing of the
central lines marked MAGISTER. The words about the circle are the
names of the invisible intelligences, and the small crosses mark points
at which certain prayers and invocations are recited. The small circle
outside is prepared for the spirit to be invoked, and while in use has
the signature of the desired intelligence traced within the
triangle.
"These are the spirits most
serviceable to man, but there are numerous others which, for lack of
space, I am unable to describe. Now, if you desire the aid of the spirit
to get this or that, then you must first draw the sign of the spirit
whom you desire to invoke. The drawing must be made just in front of a
circle made before sunrise, in which you and your assistants will stand.
If you desire financial assistance, then you must invoke the spirit
Aciel. Draw his sign in front of the circle. If you need other
things, then draw the sign of the spirit capable of furnishing them. On
the place where you intend to make the circle, you must first draw a
great cross with a large sword with which no one ever has been hurt.
Then you must make three concentric circles. The innermost circle is
made of a long narrow strip of virgin
parchment and must be hung upon twelve crosses made of the wood of
cross-thorn. Upon the parchment you must write the names and
symbols according to the figure which follows. Outside this first circle
make the second as follows:
"First secure a thread of red
silk that has been spun or twisted to the left instead of the right.
Then place in the ground twelve crosses made of laurel leaves, and also
prepare a long strip of new white paper. Write with an unused pen the
characters and symbols as seen on the second circle. Wind this latter
strip of paper around with the red silken thread and pin them upon the
twelve crosses of laurel leaves. Outside this second circle make a third
one which is also of virgin parchment and pinned upon twelve crosses of
consecrated palm. When you have made these three circles, retire into
them until at last you stand in the center upon a pentagram drawn in the
midst of the great cross first drawn. Now, to insure success, do
everything according to the description, and when you have read off the
sacred invocation pronounce the name of the spirit which you desire to
appear. It is essential that you pronounce the name very distinctly. You
must also note the day and the hour, for each spirit can only be invoked
at certain times."
While the black magician at the
time of signing his pact with the elemental demon maybe fully convinced
that he is strong enough to control indefinitely the powers placed at
his disposal, he is speedily undeceived. Before many years elapse he
must turn all his energies to the problem of self-preservation. A world
of horrors to which he has attuned himself by his own covetousness looms
nearer every day, until he exists upon the edge of a seething maelstrom,
expecting momentarily to be sucked down into its turbid depths. Afraid
to die--because he will become the servant of his own demon--the
magician commits crime after crime to prolong his wretched earthly
existence. Realizing that life is maintained by the aid of a mysterious
universal life force which is the common property of all creatures, the
black magician often becomes an occult vampire, stealing this energy
from others. According to mediæval superstition, black magicians turned
themselves into werewolves and roamed the earth at night, attacking
defenseless victims for the life force contained in their
blood.
MODUS OPERANDI FOR THE
INVOCATION OF SPIRITS
The following condensed extract
from an ancient manuscript is reproduced herewith as representative of
the ritualism of ceremonial magic. The extract is from The Complete
Book of Magic Science, an unpublished manuscript (original in the
British Museum), with pentacles in colors, mentioned by Francis Barrett
in his Magus.
"Opening
Prayer
"Omnipotent and Eternal God who
hath ordained the whole creation for thy praise and glory and for the
salvation of man, I earnestly beseech thee that thou wouldst send one of
thy spirits of the order of Jupiter, one of the messengers of
Zadkiel whom thou hast appointed governor of thy firmament at the
present time, most faithfully, willingly, and readily to show me these
things which I shall ask, command or require of him, and truly execute
my desires. Nevertheless, O Most Holy God, thy will and not mine be done
through JC, thine only begotten Son our Lord. Amen.
"The
Invocation.
[The magician, having properly
consecrated his vestments and utensils and being protected by his
circle, now calls upon the spirits to appear and accede to his
demands.]
"Spirits, whose assistance I
require, behold the sign and the very Hallowed Names of God full of
power. Obey the power of this our pentacle; go out your hidden caves and
dark places; cease your hurtful occupations to those unhappy mortals
whom without ceasing you torment; come into this place where the Divine
Goodness has assembled us; be attentive to our orders and known to our
just demands; believe not that your resistance will cause us to abandon
our operations. Nothing can dispense with your obeying us. We command
you by the Mysterious Names Elohe Agla Elohim Adonay Gibort.
Amen.
"I call upon thee, Zadkiel, in
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, blessed
Trinity, unspeakable Unity.
"I invoke and intreat thee,
Zadkiel, in this hour to attend to the words and conjurations which I
shall use this day by the Holy Names of God Elohe El Elohim Elion
Zebaoth Escerehie Iah Adonay Tetragrammaton.
"I conjure thee, I exorcise
thee, thou Spirit Zadkiel, by these Holy Names Hagios O Theos
Iscyros Athanatos Paracletus Agla on Alpha et Omega Ioth Aglanbroth
Abiel Anathiel Tetragrammaton: And by all other great and glorious,
holy and unspeakable, mysterious, mighty, powerful, incomprehensible
Names of God, that you attend unto the words of my mouth, and send unto
me Pabiel or other of your ministering, serving Spirits, who may
show me such things as I shall demand of him in the Name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
"I intreat thee, Pabiel,
by the whole Spirit of Heaven, Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominations,
Witnesses, Powers, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels, by the holy,
great, and glorious Angels Orphaniel Tetra-Dagiel Salamla Acimoy
pastor poti, that thou come forthwith, readily show thyself that we
may see you and audibly hear you, speak unto us and fulfil our desires,
and by your star which is Jupiter, and by all the constellations of
Heaven, and by whatsoever you obey, and by your character which you have
given, proposed, and confirmed, that you attend unto me according to the
prayer and petitions which I have made unto Almighty God, and that you
forthwith send me one of your ministering Spirits, who may willingly,
truly, and faithfully fulfil all my desires, and that you command him to
appear unto me in the form of a beautiful Angel, gently, courteously,
affably, and meekly, entering into communication with me, and that he
neither permitting any evil Spirit to approach in any sort of hurt,
terrify or affright me in any way nor deceiving me in any wise. Through
the virtue of Our Lord JC, in whose Name I attend, wait for, and expect
thy appearance. Fiat, fiat, fiat. Amen, Amen, Amen.
"Interrogatories.
[Having summoned the spirit
unto his presence, the magician shall question him as
follows:]
"'Comest thou in peace in the
Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost?' [And the
spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
"'Thou art welcome, noble
Spirit. What is thy Name?' [And the spirit shall answer:]
'Pabiel.'
"'I have called thee in the
Name of Jesu of Nazareth at whose Name every knee doth bow in heaven,
earth, and hell, and every tongue shall confess there is no name like
unto the Name of Jesus, who hath given power unto man to bind and to
loose all things in his most Holy Name, yea even unto those that trust
in his salvation.
"'Art thou the messenger of
Zadkiel?' [And the spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
"'Wilt thou confirm thyself
unto me at this time and henceforth reveal all things unto me that I
shall desire to know, and teach me how I may increase in wisdom and
knowledge and show unto me all the secrets of the Magic Art, and of all
liberal sciences, that I may thereby set forth the glory of Almighty
God?' [And the spirit shall answer:] 'Yes.'
"'Then I pray thee give and
confirm thy character unto me whereby I may call thee at all times, and
also swear unto me this oath and I will religiously keep my vow and
covenant unto Almighty God and will courteously receive thee at all
times where thou dost appear unto me.'
"License to
Depart.
"'Forasmuch as thou comest in
peace and quietness and hath answered unto my petitions, I give
humble and hearty thanks unto Almighty God in whose Name I called and
thou camest, and now thou mayest depart in peace unto thine orders and
return unto me again at what time soever I shall call thee by thine
oath, or by thy name or by thine order, or by thine office which is
granted thee from the Creator, and the power of God be with me and thee
and upon the whole issue of God, Amen.
THE PENTAGRAM.
From Levi's Transcendental
Magic.
THE PENTAGRAM. The pentagram is
the figure of the microcosm--the magical formula of man. It is the one
rising out of the four--the human soul rising from the bondage of the
animal nature. It is the true light--the "Star of the morning." It marks
the location of five mysterious centers of force, the awakening of which
is the supreme secret of white magic.
FORM OF PACT WITH THE SPIRIT OF
JUPITER.
From The Complete Book of
Magic Science.
The aforesaid Bond of spirits,
together with the seal and character of the planetary angel, must be
written m virgin Parchment and laid before the Spirit [for signature]
when he appears; at that time the invocant must not lost confidence but
be patient, firm, bold, and Persevering, and take care that he asks nor
requires nothing of the Spirit but with a view to the glory of God and
the well-being fellow creatures. Having obtained his desires of the
Spirit, the invocant may license him to depart."
"'Glory be to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.'
[Note.] "It would be advisable
for the invocant to remain in the circle for a few minutes after
reciting the license, and if the place of operation be in the open air,
let him destroy all traces of the circle, etcetera, and return quietly
to his home. But should the operation be performed in a retired part of
a house, cc cetera, the circle may remain, as it might serve in alike
future operation, but the room or building must be locked up to avoid
the intrusion of strangers."
The agreement set forth above
is purely ceremonial magic. In the case of black magic, it is the
magician and not the demon who must sign the pact. When the black
magician binds an elemental to his service, a battle of wits ensues,
which the demon eventually wins. With his own blood the magician signs
the pact between himself and the demon, for in the arcanum of magic it
is declared that "he controls the soul who controls the blood of
another." As long as the magician does not fail, the elemental will
fulfil to the letter his obligation under the pact, but the demon will
try in every possible way to prevent the magician from carrying out his
part of the contract. When the conjurer, ensconced within his circle,
has evoked the spirit he desires to control and has made known his
intention, the spirit will answer somewhat as follows: "I cannot accede
to your request nor fulfil it, unless after fifty years you give
yourself to me, body and soul, to do with as I may please."
If the magician refuses, other
terms will be discussed. The spirit may say: "I will remain in your
service as long as on every Friday morning you will go forth upon the
public street giving alms in the name of Lucifer. The first time you
fail in this you belong to me."
If the magician still refuses,
realizing that the demon will make it impossible for him to fulfil his
contract, other terms will be discussed, until at last a pact is agreed
upon. It may read as follows: "I hereby promise the Great Spirit
Lucifuge, Prince of Demons, that each year I will bring unto him a human
soul to do with as it may please him, and in return Lucifuge promises to
bestow upon me the treasures of the earth and fulfil my every desire for
the length of my natural life. If I fail to bring him each year the
offering specified above, then my own soul shall be forfeit to him.
Signed . . . . . . . . . . . . . " [Invocant signs pact with his own
blood.]
THE
PENTAGRAM
In symbolism, an inverted
figure always signifies a perverted power. The average person does not
even suspect the occult properties of emblematic pentacles. On this
subject the great Paracelsus has written: "No doubt many will scoff at
the seals, their characters and their uses, which are described in these
books, because it seems incredible to them that metals and characters
which are dead should have any power and effect. Yet no one has ever
proved that the metals and also the characters as we know them are dead,
for the salts, sulphur, and quintessences of metals are the highest
preservatives of human life and are far superior to all other simples."
(Translated from the original German.)
The black magician cannot use
the symbols of white magic without bringing down upon himself the forces
of white magic, which would be fatal to his schemes. He must therefore
distort the hierograms so that they typify the occult fact that he
himself is distorting the principles for which the symbols stand. Black
magic is not a fundamental art; it is the misuse of an art. Therefore it
has no symbols of its own. It merely takes the emblematic figures of
white magic, and by inverting and reversing them signifies that it is
left-handed.
A good instance of this
practice is found in the pentagram, or five-pointed star, made of five
connected lines. This figure is the time-honored symbol of the magical
arts, and signifies the five properties of the Great Magical Agent, the
five senses of man, the five elements of nature, the five extremities of
the human body. By means of the pentagram within his own soul, man not
only may master and govern all creatures inferior to himself, but may
demand consideration at the hands of those superior to
himself.
The pentagram is used
extensively in black magic, but when so used its form always differs in
one of three ways: The star may be broken at one point by not permitting
the converging lines to touch; it may be inverted by having one point
down and two up; or it may be distorted by having the points of varying
lengths. When used in black magic, the pentagram is called the "sign of
the cloven hoof," or the footprint of the Devil. The star with two
points upward is also called the "Goat of Mendes," because the inverted
star is the same shape as a goat's head. When the upright star turns and
the upper point falls to the bottom, it signifies the fall of the
Morning Star.
THE PENTACLES OF THE SEVEN PLANETS AND
THE SEALS AND CHARACTERS OF THE PLANETARY ANGELS.
From a mediæval Book of
Spirits (unpublished).
The seven large circle are the
planets, while the two small circles under each contain the seal and the
character of the controlling intelligence of the planet.
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