The lesser Key of Solomon, Goetia, the book of evil spirits : $b contains two hundred diagrams and seals for invocation and convocation of spirits, necromancy, witchcraft and black art
Religion
The lesser Key of Solomon, Goetia, the book of evil spirits : $b contains two hundred diagrams and seals for invocation and convocation of spirits, necromancy, witchcraft and black art
Magic; Occultism
This being true for the ordinary Universe, that all sense-impressions
are dependent on changes in the brain,[5] we must include illusions,
which are after all sense-impressions as much as “realities” are, in the
class of “phenomena dependent on brain-changes.”
Magical phenomena, however, come under a special sub-class, since they
are willed, and their cause is the series of “real” phenomena called the
operations of ceremonial Magic.
These consist of
(1) Sight.
The circle, square, triangle, vessels, lamps, robes, implements,
etc.
(2) Sound.
The invocations.
(3) Smell.
The perfumes.
(4) Taste.
The Sacraments.
(5) Touch.
As under (1).
(6) Mind.
The combination of all these and reflection on their significance.
These unusual impressions (1-5) produce unusual brain-changes; hence
their summary (6) is of unusual kind. Its projection back into the
apparently phenomenal world is therefore unusual.
Herein then consists the reality of the operations and effects of
ceremonial magic,[6] and I conceive that the apology is ample, as far as
the “effects” refer only to those phenomena which appear to the magician
himself, the appearance of the spirit, his conversation, possible shocks
from imprudence, and so on, even to ecstasy on the one hand, and death
or madness on the other.
But can any of the effects described in this our book Goetia be
obtained, and if so, can you give a rational explanation of the
circumstances? Say you so?
I can, and will.
The spirits of the Goetia are portions of the human brain.
Their seals therefore represent (Mr. Spencer’s projected cube) methods
of stimulating or regulating those particular spots (through the eye).
The names of God are vibrations calculated to establish:
(_a_) General control of the brain. (Establishment of functions relative
to the subtle world.)
(_b_) Control over the brain in detail. (Rank or type of the Spirit.)
(_c_) Control of one special portion. (Name of the Spirit.)
The perfumes aid this through smell. Usually the perfume will only tend
to control a large area; but there is an attribution of perfumes to
letters of the alphabet enabling one, by a Qabalistic formula, to spell
out the Spirit’s name.
I need not enter into more particular discussion of these points; the
intelligent reader can easily fill in what is lacking.
If, then, I say, with Solomon:
“The Spirit Cimieries teaches logic,” what I mean is:
“Those portions of my brain which subserve the logical faculty may be
stimulated and developed by following out the processes called ‘The
Invocation of Cimieries.’”
And this is a purely materialistic rational statement; it is independent
of any objective hierarchy at all. Philosophy has nothing to say; and
Science can only suspend judgment, pending a proper and methodical
investigation of the facts alleged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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