Arbatel of Magick: aphorisms 22–35

The third Septenary.

Aphor. 22.

We call that a secret, which no man can attain unto by human industry without revelation; which Science lieth obscured, hidden by God in the creature; which nevertheless he doth permit to be revealed by spirits, to a due use of the thing itself. And these secrets are either concerning things divine, natural or human. But thou mayest examine a few, and the most select, which thou wilt commend with a many more.

Aphor. 23.

Make the begining of the nature of the secret, either by a spirit in the form of a person, or by virtues seperate, either in human Organs, or by what manner soever the same may be effected; and this being known, require of a spirit which knoweth that art, that he would briefly declare unto thee whatsoever that secret is: and pray unto God, that he would inspire thee with his grace, whereby thou mayest bring the secret to the end thou desirest, for the praise and glory of God, and the profit of thy neighbour.

Aphor. 24.

The greatest secrets are in number seven.

• 1. The first is the curing of all diseases in the space of seven days, either by characters, or by natural things, or by the superior spirits with the divine assistance.
• 2. The second is, to be able to prolong life to whatsoever age we please: I say, a corporal & natural life.
• 3. The third is, to have the obedience of the creatures in the elements which are in the forms of personal spirits; also of Pigmies, Sagani, Nymphs, Dryades, and spirits of the woods.
• 4. The fourth is, to be able to discourse with knowledge and understanding of all things visible and invisible, and to understand the power of every thing, and to what it belongeth.
• 5. The fifth is, that a man be able to govern himself according to that end for which God hath appointed him.
• 6. The sixth is, to know God, and Christ, & his holy spirit: this is the perfection of the Microcosmus.
• 7. The seventh, to be regenerate, as Henochius the King of the inferior world.

These seven secrets a man of an honest and constant mind may learn of the Spirits, without any offence unto God.

The mean secrets are likewise seven in number.

• 1. The first is, the transmutation of Metals, which is vulgarly called Alchymy; which certainly is given to very few, and not but of special grace.
• 2. The second is, the curing of diseases with Metals, either by the magnetick virtues of precious stones, or by the use of the Philosophers stone, and the like.
• 3. The third is, to be able to perform Astronomical and Mathematical miracles, such as are Hydraulick-engines, to administer business by the influence of Heaven, and things which are of the like sort.
• 4. The fourth is, to perform the works of natural Magick, of what sort soever they be.
• 5. The fifth is, to know all Physical secrets.
• 6. The sixth is, to know the foundation of all Arts which are exercised with the hands and offices of the body.
• 7. The seventh is, to know the foundation of all Arts which are exercised by the angelical nature of man.

The lesser secrets are seven.

• 1. The first is, to do a thing diligently, and to gather together much money.
• 2. The second is, to ascend from a mean state to dignities and honours, and to establish a newer family, which may be illustrious and do great things.
• 3. The third is, to excel in military affairs, and happily to atchieve to great things, and to be an head of the head of Kings and Princes.
• 4. To be a good house-keeper both in the Country and City.
• 5. The fifth is, to be an industrious and fortunate Merchant.
• 6. To be a Philosopher, Mathematician, and Physician, according to Aristotle, Plato, Ptolomy, Euclides, Hippocrates and Galen,
• 7. To be a divine according to the Bible and Schools, which all writers of divinity both old and new have taught.

Aphor. 25.

We have already declared what a secret is, the kinds and species thereof: it remaineth now to shew how we may attain to know those things which we desire,

The true and only way to all secrets, is to have recourse unto God the Author of all good; and as Christ teacheth, In the first place seek ye the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

2. Also see that your hearts be not burthened with surfeting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life.

3. Also commit your cares unto the Lord, and he will do it.

4. Also I the Lord thy God do teach thee, what things are profitable for thee, and do guide thee in the way wherein thou walkest.

5. And I will give thee understanding, and will teach thee in the way wherein thou shalt go, and I will guide thee with my eye.

6. Also if you which are evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give his holy Spirit to them that ask him?

7. If you do the will of my Father which is in heaven, ye are truly my disciples, and we will come unto you, and make our abode with you.

If you draw these seven places of Scripture from the letter unto the spirit, or into action, thou canst not err, but shalt attain to the desired bound; thou shalt not err from the mark, and God himself by his holy Spirit will teach thee true and profitable things: he will give also his ministering Angels unto thee, to be thy companions, helpers, & teachers of all the secrets of the wo[…]ld, and he will command every creature to be obedient unto thee, so that chearfully rejoicing thou mayest say with the Apostles, That the Spirits are obedient unto thee; so that at length th[…] shalt be certain of the greatest thing of all, That thy name is written in heaven.

The fourth Septinary.

Apor. 26.

There is another way which is more common, that secrets may be revealed unto thee also, […] thou art unwitting thereof, either by God, […] Spirits whi[…]h have secrets in their power; […] dreams, or by strong imagination[…] & […] or by the constellations of a nativity […] knowledge. After this manner are made heroick men, such as there are many, and all learned men in the world, Plato, Aristotle, Hippocrates, Galen, Euclides, Archimedes, Hermes Trismegistus the father of secrets, with Theophrastus, Paracelsus; all which men had in themselves all the virtues of secrets. Hitherto also are referred, Homer, Hesiod, Orpheus, Pytagoras; but these had not such gifts of secrets as the former. To this are referred, the Nymphs, and sons of Melusina, and Gods of the Gentiles, Achilles, Aeneas, Hercules: also Cyrus, Alexander the great, Julius Caesar, Lucullus, Sylla, Marius.

It is a canon, that every one know his own Angel, and that he obey him according to the word of God; and let him beware of the snares of the evil Angel, lest he be involved in the calamities of Brute and Marcus Antonius. To this referr the book of Jovianus Pontanus of Fortune, and his Eutichus.

The third way is, diligent and hard labour, without which no great thing can be obtained from the divine Deity worthy admiration, as it is said. Tu nihil invita dices faciesve Minerva. Nothing canst thou do or say against Minerva's will.

We do detest all evil Magicians, who make themselves associates with the devils, with their unlawful superstitions, and do obtain and effect some things which God permitteth to be done, instead of the punishments of the devils. So also they do other evil acts, the devil being the author, as the Scriptures testify of Judas. To these are referred all idolaters of old, and of our age, and abusers of fortune, such as the heathens are full of. And to these do appertain all Charontick evocation of Spirits, as the work of Saul with the woman, and Lucanus prophesy of the deceased Soldier, concerning the event of the Pharsalian war, and the like.

Aphor. 27.

Make a Circle with a center A, which is B. C. D. E. At the East let their be B. C. a square. At the North, C. D. At the West, D. E. And at the South, E. D. Divide the several quadrants into seven parts, that there may be in the whole 28 parts: and let them be again divided into four parts, that there may be 112 parts of the Circle: and so many are the true secrets to be revealed. And this Circle in this manner divided, is the seal of the secrets of the world, which they draw from the only center A, that is, from the invisible God, unto the whole creature. The Prince of the Oriental secrets is resident in the middle, and hath three nobles on either side, every one whereof hath four under him, and the Prince himself hath four appertaining unto him. And in this manner the other Princes and Nobles have their quadrants of secrets, with their four secrets. But the Oriental secret is the study of all wisdom; the West, of strength; the South, of tillage; the North, of more rigid life. So that the Eastern secrets are commended to be the best; the Meridian to be mean; and the East and North to be lesser. The use of this seal of secrets is, that thereby thou mayest know whence the Spirits or Angels are produced, which may teach the secrets delivered unto them from God. But they have names taken from their offices and powers, according to the gift which God hath severally distributed to every one of them. One hath the power of the sword; another, of the pestilence; and another, of inflicting famine upon the people, as it is ordained by God. Some are destroyers of Cities, as those two were, who were sent to overthrow Sodom and Gomorrha, and the places adjacent, examples whereof the holy Scripture witnesseth. Some are the watch-men over Kingdoms; others, the keepers of private persons; and from thence, any one may easily form their names in his own language: so that he which will, may ask a physical Angel, mathematical, or philosophical, or an Angel of civil wisdom, or of supernatural or natural wisdom, or for any thing whatsoever; and let him ask seriously, with a great desire of his mind, and with faith and constancy; and without doubt, that which he asketh he shall receive from the Father and God of all spirits. This faith surmounteth all seals, & bringeth them into subjection to the will of man. The Characteristical manner of calling Angles succeedeth this faith, which dependeth only on divine revelation; But without the said faith preceeding it, it lieth in obscurity. Nevertheless, if any one will use them for a memorial, & no otherwise, and as a thing simply created by God for this purpose, to which such a spiritual power or essence is bound; he may use them wi[…]hout any offence unto God. But let him bew[…]re, lest he fall into idolatry, and the snares of th[…] devil, who with his cunning sorceries, easily deceiveth the unwary. And he is not taken but only by the finger of God, and is appointed to the service of man; so that they unwillingly s[…]rve the godly; but not without temptations & tribulations, because the commandment hath it, that he shall bruise the heel of Christ, the seed of the woman. We are therefore to exercise our selves about spiritual things, with fear and trembling, and with great reverence towards God, and to be conversant in spiritual essences with gravity and justice. And he which meddleth with such things, let him beware of all levity, pride, covetousness, vanity, envy and ungodliness, unless he will miserably perish.

Aphor. 28.

Because all good is from God, who is only good, those things which we would obtain of him, we ought to seek them by prayer in spirit and truth, and a simple heart. The conclusion of the secret of secrets is, that every one exercise himself in prayer, for those things which he desires, and he shall not suffer a repulse. Let not any one despise prayer; for by whom God is prayed unto, to him he both can and will give. Now let us acknowledge him the Author, from whom let us humbly seek for our desires. A merciful and good Father. loveth the sons of desires, as Daniel; and sooner heareth us, than we are able to overcome the hardness of our hearts to pray. But he will not that we give holy things to dogs, nor despise and contemn the gifts of his treasury. Therefore diligently and often read over and over the first Septinary of secrets, and guide and direct thy life and all thy thoughts according to those precepts; and all things shall yield to the desires of thy mind in the Lord, to whom thou trustest.

The fifth Septenary.

Aphor. 29.

As our study of Magick proceedeth in order from general Rules premised, let us now come to a particular explication thereof. Spirits either are divine ministers of the word, and of the Church, and the members thereof; or else they are servient to the Creatures in corporal things, partly for the salvation of he soul and body, and partly for its destruction. And there is nothing done, whether good or evil, without a certain and determinate order and government. He that seeketh after a good end, let him follow it; and he that desireth an evil end, pursueth that also, and that earnestly, from divine punishment, and turneth away from the divine will. Therefore let every one compare his ends with the word of God, and as a touchstone that will judge between good and evil; and let him propose unto himself what is to be avoided, and what is to be sought after; and that which he constituteth and determineth unto himself, let him follow diligently, not procrastinaing or delaying, until he attain to his appointed bound.

Aphor. 30.

They which desire riches, glory of this world, Magistracy, honours, dignities, tyrannies, (and that magically) if they endeavour diligently after them, they shall obtain them, every one according to his destiny, industry, & magical sciences, as the history of Melesina witnesseth, & the Magicians thereof, who ordained, that none of the Italian nation should for ever obtain the rule or Kingdom of Naples; and brought it to pass, that he who reigned in his age, to be thrown down from his seat: so great is the power of the guardian or tutelar Angels of the Kingdoms of the world.

Aphor. 31.

Call the Prince of the Kingdom, and lay a command upon him, and command what thou wilt, and it shall be done, if that Prince be not again absolved from his obedience by a succeeding Magician. Therefore the Kingdom of Naples may be again restored to the Italians, if any Magician shall call him who Instituted this order, and compel him to recall his deed; he may be compelled also to restore the secret powers taken from the treasury of Magick; a Book a Gem, a Magical Horn, which being had, any one may easily, if he will make himself the Monarch of the world. But Judaeus chused rather to live among Gods until the judgment, before the transitory good of this world; and his heart is so blind, that he understandeth nothing of the God of heaven and earth, or thinketh more, but enjoyeth the delights of things immortal, to his own eternal destruction. And he may be easier called up, than the Angel of Plotinus in the Temple of Isis.

Aphor. 32.

In like manner also, the Romans were taught by the Sibyls books; and by that means made themselves the Lords of the world, as histories witness. But the Lords of the Prince of a Kingdom do bestow the lesser Magistracies. He therefore that desireth to have a lesser office, or dignity, let him magically call a noble of the Prince, and his desires shall be ful[…]lled.

Aphor. 33.

But he who coveteth contemptible dignities, as riches alone, let him call the Prince of riches, or one of his Lords, and he shall obtain his desire in that kind, whereby he would grow rich, either in earthly goods, or merchandize, or with the gifts of Princes, or by the study of Metals, or Chymistry: as he produceth any president of growing rich by these means, he shall obtain his desire therein.

Aphor. 34.

All manner of evocation is of the same kind and form, and this way was familiar of old time to the Sibyls and chief Priests. This in our time, through ignorance and impiety, is totally lost; and that which remaineth, is depraved with infinite lies and superstitions.

Aphor. 35.

The human understanding is the only effecter of all wonderful works, so that it may be joined to any Spirit; and being joined, she produceth what […]he will. Therefore we are carefully to proceed in Magick, lest that Syrens and other […]onsters deceive us, which likewise do desire the society of the human soul. […]et the Magician carefully hide himself al[…]ys under the wings of the most High, lest h[…] off[…]r himself to be devoured of the roaring Lion; […] they who desire e[…]rthly things, do very hard[…]y escape […]he shares of the […]evil.