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We have seen that the sorcerer of the Middle Ages was usually squalid and necessitous; hence he coveted treasures: he was usually despised, and hence he longed for mastery, for the prestige of mystery and the power of strange arts: he was usually lonely and libidinous, and hence he sought, by means of spells and philtres, to compel the desire of women. To be rich in worldly goods, to trample on one's enemies and to gratify the desires of the flesh--such are the ends, variously qualified and variously attained, of most Ceremonial Magic; hence also the Rituals abound in Venereal Experiments.
In such as the Grimorium Verum there is no attempt to hide their illicit nature; in the Key of Solomon it is disguised, but the process for obtaining favour and love which occurs in that work is not really a more lawful experiment than that Pour faire venir une Fille vous trouver, si sage qu'elle soit. The Key of Solomon is reticent and the Grimoires are frank; the one promises the fulfilment of the operator's desire without defining it; the others are explicit and particular. It is true also that the one has recourse to Adonai and implores his assistance, while the others invoke the powers of Hell.
The Book of True Black Magic for once ignores the experience of the Clavicle and substitutes the following:--
Concerning the Experiment of Love
Whatsoever person be the object of this experiment, whether man or woman, it is needful in making it to observe the proper day and hour. Note further that it is performed by means of an image of wax or other suitable matter. Before composing it, say the following words over the wax: NOGA, JES, ASTROPOLIM, ASMO, COCCAV, BERMONA, TENTATOR, SOIGNATOR--I conjure you, ministers of love and incontinence, by Him who hath condemned you to hell! Do ye consecrate this wax in a regular manner, that it may acquire the desired virtue, by the Power of the Most Holy Adonay, Who liveth and reigneth for ever and ever. Amen.
The image must then be composed and suitable characters inscribed thereon with the male goose-quill of the Art, after which it must be fumigated while reciting the following words:--O thou most Powerful King PAYMON, whose absolute rule and reign is in the western quarter! O thou, EGIM, Most strong King, whose empire is in the cold region! O thou, ASMODEUS, who governest in the South! O thou, AYMAMON, Most noble
[paragraph continues] King, monarch of the Eastern world, whose reign began from of old and will endure to the end of time! I invoke and beseech you by Him Who spake and it was, Whose sole word hath created all, Whom all creatures obey; by the seat of His Majesty; by His Will and His Name; by Him Who was before the ages and hath created the ages; Whose Name is written with the four letters JOD, HE, VAU, HE; by the enchantments and power thereof; and by all the signal Names of the Creator; I conjure you to consecrate this image and grant that it may acquire virtue according to our desire, by the Most Holy Name Adonay, the Power of which is without beginning or end.
This being done, conjure with the Conjuration of the image, and if the woman or man should not appear, place the said image beneath the pillow of your bed, and before three days you shall behold admirable things, while chains or earth shall not stay the desired person from coming to you, for the fulfilment of your purpose, nothing being excepted.
But if the experience be to find the beloved person, place the image under the door which he or she must pass. In either case a powder must be made and cast upon the person, or given them with their meat or drink. The solemnities of the hours, matters and instruments must be faithfully observed, and the Spirits conjured by name, saying also: I conjure and constrain you, ye Devils, who have the power to disturb the hearts of men and women! By Him Who hath created you from nothing and by this image, I conjure you this night into my presence, that I may have the power to compel whomsoever I will to love me, whether male or female.
When the characters and images have been prepared, say over them: I conjure you, O ANAËL, DONQUEL, THELIEL, Princes of love, and all your ministers, who have power to fill
with fervour the hearts of men and women, and to kindle the fire of love! I conjure. you by Him Who is seated upon the Cherubim and guardeth the abysses, by Him Who maketh the world to tremble, Whom all creatures obey! Grant that these characters and figures may possess this virtue, that such man or woman may love. me, may desire me and thirst for my love, and that it shall be impossible for him or her to love any person save me.
Place the image in a vessel for one night, operate on the day and in the hour appropriate thereto, and you shall behold a wonder.
The compiler of the Grimorium Verum, who seems to have selected almost invariably the most bizarre processes, instructs his pupils
HOW TO CAUSE THE APPEARANCE OF THREE LADIES OR THREE GENTLEMEN IN ONE'S ROOM AFTER SUPPER
§ 1. Preparation
Abstain for three days from the hidden offices, and then shall your spirit be fortified. On the fourth day, you shall cleanse and prepare your chamber as soon as it is morning, immediately after dressing, the whole fasting. But see you do it in such a way that it will not be liable to disarrangement during the remainder of the day. Note that there must be no hangings, nor anything set crosswise, no tapestries, no hanging clothes, hats, bird-cages, bed curtains, &c. Above all, let the appointments be clean in every respect.
§ 2. Ceremony
After supper pass in secret to your chamber, made ready as above; kindle a good fire; place a white cloth on the table, round which set three chairs, and before each chair, upon the
table, let there be a wheaten roll and a glass full of fresh clear water. Lastly, draw up a chair and settee to the side of the bed and retire to rest, uttering the following
CONJURATION
Besticitum consolatio, veni ad me vertat Creon, Creon, Creon, cantor laudem omnipotentis et non commentur. Stat superior carta bient laudem omviestra principiem da montem et inimicos meos ô prostantis vobis et mihi dantes que passium fieri sincisibus.
The three persons, having arrived, will rest themselves near the fire, drinking, eating and finally thanking him or her who has entertained them; for if it be a young lady who performs this ceremony, three gentlemen will come; but if it be a man, three young ladies will appear. The said three persons will draw lots among each other to know which of them shall remain with you. If a man be the operator, she who wins will place herself in the arm-chair which you have set by the bed, and she will remain and commune with you until midnight, at which hour she will depart with her companions, without any need of dismissal. As regards the two others, they will keep themselves by the fire, while the other entertains you. So long as she remains you may question her upon any art or science, or upon what subject soever, and she will immediately give you a positive answer. You may also inquire of her whether she is aware of any hidden treasure, and she will instruct you as to its locality and the precise time suited to its removal. She will even appear there with her companions to defend you against the assaults of the Infernal Spirits who may have it in their possession. At parting, she will present you with a ring, which, worn on the finger, will render you lucky at play, while if it be placed upon the finger of any woman or girl, you shall there p. 304
and then have your will with them. Observe, however, that you must leave your window open in order that they may enter.
This ceremony may be repeated frequently at the will of the operator.
It must be acknowledged that the above experiment offers a large return for very small pains in the preparation, and hence it is very popular with the makers of Grimoires. The same observation applies to the following process, which is common to the supplementary portions of the Grand Grimoire, the Grimorium Verum, the Grimoire of Honorius and most of the minor collections. It is described as an experience of the wonderful power of the Superior Intelligences. The nature of the superiority may, however, be inferred from the title.
TO CAUSE A GIRL TO SEEK YOU OUT, HOWEVER PRUDENT SHE MAY BE
Whether in the increase or wane of the Moon, a star must be observed between eleven o'clock and midnight. But before beginning do as follows. Take a virgin parchment. Write thereon her name whose presence you desire. The parchment must be shaped as represented in the following figure. On the other side inscribe these words: Melchiael, Bareschas. Then place your parchment on the earth, with the person's name against the ground. Set your right foot above it, while your left knee is bent to the earth. In this position observe the brightest star in the firmament, holding in the right hand a taper of white wax, large enough to last for an hour, and recite the following
CONJURATION
I salute and conjure you, O beautiful Moon, O beautiful Star, O bright light which I hold in my hand! By the air which I breathe, by the breath which is within me, by the earth which I touch, I conjure you, and by all the names of the spirits who are Princes residing in you; by the ineffable Name ON, Which hath created all; by thee, O Resplendent Angel Gabriel, together with the Prince Mercury, Michiael and Melchidael! I conjure you again by all the Divine Names of God, that you send down to obsess, torment and harass the body, spirit, soul and five senses of the nature of N., whose name is written here below, in such a way that she shall come unto me and accomplish my will, having no friendship for any one in the world, but especially for N., so long as she shall be indifferent to me. So shall she endure not, so shall she be obsessed, so suffer, so be tormented. Go then, promptly; go, Melchidael, Baresches, Zazel, Firiel, Malcha, and all those who are without you (sic). I conjure you by the great living God to accomplish my will, and I, N., do promise to satisfy you duly.
Having thrice pronounced this conjuration, place the taper on the parchment and let it burn. Take the parchment on the morrow, put it in your left shoe and there leave it until the person for whom you have operated shall have come to seek you out. You must specify in the Conjuration the day that you desire her to come, and she will not fail.
This process has its disadvantages, and even its difficulties. It seems absurd to suppose that there are Spirit Princes inhabiting the flame of a taper, and the treatment invoked upon the lady is of a turbulent kind, nor is there any colourable pretence on which the position of the rival lover can be justified;
but it has the touch of the picturesque, and, making all allowance for the potencies which may inhere in Sator, Arepo, Tenet, Opera, Rotas, it does not suffer seriously by comparison with the method of the Clavicle.
