Book XV, chapters 6–10: Airy spirits, the good genius, Luridan and Balkin

CHAP. VI. How to raise and exorcize all sorts of Spirits belonging to the Airy Region.

THe Garment which the Exorcist is cloathed withall at the performance of this action, ought according to the opinions of the chiefest Magicians, to be a Priestly Robe, which if it can no where be procured, may be a neat and cleanly linnen Vest, with the holy Pentacle fastned thereunto upon Parchment made of a Kids skin, over which an Invocation must be said, and then the Pentacle must be sprinkled with holy Water. At the putting on the Magical Garment, this Prayer must be repeated: By thy holy power Adonai Sabaoth, And by the power and merit of thine Angels and Archangels, and by the vertue of holy Church, which thou hast sanctified, do I cloath me with this consecrated Garment, that what I am to practice may take effect through thy Name who art for ever and ever.

Now as for the time of operation, and the manner thereof, The Instructions before set down, are sufficient to direct the Exorcist; only the Acter and his Scholar must be mindful in the way, as they go towards the place of Conjuration, to reiterate the sacred forms of Consecrations, Prayers, and Invocations, the one bearing an Earthen Vessel with consecrated fire, and the other the Magical Sword, the Book and Garments, till approaching nigh the place where the Circle is to be drawn, they must then proceeed to compose it after the aforesaid manner. And at last Exorcize the Spirits on this following manner:

Seeing God hath given us the power to bruise the Serpents head, and command the Prince of Darkness, much more to bear rule over every airy Spirit: Therefore by his strong and mighty Name Iehovah do I conjure you, (naming the Spirits), and by his secret commands delivered to Moses on the Mount, and by his holy Name Tetragrammaton, and by all his wonderful Names and Attributes, Sadai, Ollon, Emillah, Athanatos, Paracletos, &c. That ye do here immediately appear before this Circle, in humane form, and not terrible or of monstrous shape, on pain of eternal misery that abides you, unless you speedily fulfil my commands, Bathar, Baltar, Archim, Anakim, Nakun. Amen.

When the Exorcist hath finished this Conjuration, he and his companion shall continue constantly turning themselves to the East, West, North and South, saying, with their Caps in their hands, Gerson, Anek, Nephaton, Basannah, Cabon; and within a little space they will behold various apparitions upon the ground, and in the air, with various habits, shapes, and instruments; after that, he shall perceive a troop of armed men with threatning carriage appear before the Circle, who after they are conjured to leave off their phantasms, will at last present themselves before the Exorcist in humane form.

Then the Master must be mindful to take the consecrated Sword, and the cup of Wine into his hands; the Wine he shall pour into the fire, and the Sword he shall brandish in his right arm, being girded about with a Scarlet Ribbon; after this the Magician shall say, Gahire, Gephna, Anephexaton; then the Spirits will begin to bow unto the Exorcist, saying, We are ready to fulfil thy pleasure.

So that when the Magician hath brought the Spirits to this length, he may ask what ever he desireth, and they will answer him, provided the questions belong to that order whereof they are.

Now the properties wherein they excel, are these; They can give the gift of Invisibility, and the fore-knowledge of the change of weather; they can teach the Exorcist how to excite Storms and Tempests, and how to calm them again; they can bring news in an hours space of the success of any Battle, Seidge, or Navy, how farr off soever; they can also teach the language of Birds, and how to fly through the air invisibly.

'Twas through the assistance of these airy Spirits, that Charchiancungi, the Tartarian Emperour did give the Chinois such a desperate rout near the year 1646. for it is reported, that he had constantly in his presence two Magicians, named Ran and Sionam, who perceived every motion of the China's Army, and had intelligence by these Spirits of the Emperours private Counsels and Consultations.

And it is credibly reported by Magicians, that wonderful things may be with facility effected through the assistance of these aforesaid Spirits, so that the Exorcist must be very affable unto them, and gently dismiss them (when he is satisfied) in this following manner;

Seeing ye have willingly answered all our Interrogations and desires, we give you leave and licence, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy-Ghost, to depart unto your place, and be ever ready to attend our call; Depart, I say, in peace, and peace be confirmed betwixt us and you. Amen. ✚ ✚ ✚.

After all these Ceremonies are finished, the Spirits will begin to depart, making obeysance as they go; and then the Master must demolish the Circle, and taking up all the Utensils repeat the Pater Noster as they are going away from the place of Conjuration.

CHAP. VII. How to obtain the familiarity of the Genius or Good Angel, and cause him to appear.

ACcording to the former Instructions in conjuring Spirits, we must proceed to consult with the Familiars or Genii; first, after the manner prescribed by Magicians, the Exorcist must inform himself of the name of his good Genius, which he may find in the Rules of Travius and Philermus; as also, what Character and Pentacle, or Lamin, belongs to every Genius. After this is done, Let him compose an earnest Prayer unto the said Genius, which he must repeat thrice every morning for seven dayes before the Invocation.

The Magician must also perfectly be informed to what Hierarchy or Order the Genius belongs, and how he is dignified in respect of his Superiours and Inferiours; for this form of Conjuration belongs not to the Infernal or Astral Kingdom, but to the Celestial Hierarchy; and therefore great gravity and sanctity is herein required, besides the due observation of all the other injunctions, until the time approach wherein he puts the Conjuration in execution.

When the day is come wherein the Magician would invocate his proper Genius, he must enter into a private closet, having a little Table and Silk Carpet, and two Waxen Candles lighted; as also a Chrystal Stone shaped triangularly about the quantity of an Apple, which Stone must be fixed upon a frame in the center of the Table: And then proceeding with great devotion to Invocation, he must thrice repeat the former Prayer, concluding the same with Pater Noster, &c. and a Missale de Spiritu Sancto.

Then he must begin to Consecrate the Candles, Carpet, Table and Chrystal; sprinkling the same with his own blood, and saying, I do by the power of the holy Names Aglaon, Eloi, Eloi, Sabbathon, Anephexaton, Iah, Agian, Iah, Iehovah, Immanuel, Archon Archonton, Sadai, Sadai, Ieovaschah, &c. sanctifie and consecrate these holy utensils to the performance of this holy work, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen.

Which done, the Exorcist must say this following Prayer with his face towards the East, and kneeling with his back to the consecrated Table.

O thou blessed Phanael my Angel Guardian, vouchsafe to descend with thy holy Influence and presence into this spotless Chrystal, that I may behold thy glory and enjoy thy society O thou who art higher then the fourth Heaven, and know'st the secrets of Elanel. Thou that ridest upon the wings of the wind, and art mighty and potent in thy celestial and super-lunary motion, do thou descend and be present I pray thee, and desire thee, if ever I have merited thy society, or if my actions and intentions be pure and sanctified before thee, bring thy external presence hither, and converse with thy submissive Pupil, by the tears of Saints and Songs of Angels, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who are one God for ever and ever.

This Prayer being first repeated towards the East, must be afterwards said towards all the four winds thrice. And next the 70. Psalm repeated out of a Bible that hath been consecrated in like manner as the rest of the utensils, which ceremonies being seriously performed; the Magician must arise from his knees, and sit before the Crystal bare-headed with the consecrated Bible in his hand, and the Waxen Candles newly lighted, waiting patiently and internally for the coming and appearance of the Genius.

Now about a quarter of an hour before the Spirit come. There will appear great variety of apparitions and sights within the glass; as first a beaten road or tract, and travelers, men and women marching silently along; next there will Rivers, Wells, Mountains and Seas appear: after that a Shepherd upon a pleasant hill feeding a goodly flock of Sheep, and the Sun shining brightly at his going down; and lastly, innumerable shews of Birds and Beasts, Monsters and strange appearances, noises, glances, and affrightments, which shews will all at last vanish at the appearance of the Genius.

And then the Genius will present it self amidst the Crystal, in the very same apparel and similitude that the person himself is in, giving instructions unto the Exorcist how to lead his life and rectifie his doings.

But especially (which is the proper work of every Genius) he will touch his heart and open his senses and understanding, so that by this means, he may attain to the knowledge of every Art and Science, which before the opening of his Intellect was lockt and kept secret from him.

After which, the Genius will be familiar in the Stone at the Prayer of the Magician.

CHAP. VIII. A form of Conjuring Luridan the Familiar, otherwise called Belelah.

LVridan is a Familiar Domestick Spirit of the North, who is now become servant to Balkin, Lord and King of the Northern Mountains, he calls himself the Astral Genius of Pomonia, an Island amongst the Orcades beyond Scotland. But he is not particularly resident there; for in the dayes of Solomon and David, he was in Jerusalem, or Salem, being then under the name of Belilah; after that he came over with Julius Caesar, and remained some hundred of years in Cambria, or Wales, instructing their Prophetical Poets in British Rhimes, being then surnamed Urthin-Wadd Elgin, from thence he betook himself unto this Island, Anno 1500. and continued there for 50 years, after which he resigned his Dominion to Balkin, and hath continued ever since an attendant unto this Prince.

He is a Spirit of the Air in the order of Glauron, and is said to procreate as mortals do; He is often sent by his Master upon errands to Lapland, Finland, and Strik-finia; as also to the most Northern parts of Russia, bordering on the Northern frozen Ocean: His office (being called by Magicians) is to demolish strong holds of Enemies, destroying every night what they build the day before; to extinguish fires, and make their Gunshot that it hath no power to be enkindled; for his nature is to be at enmity with fire: and under his Master with many Legions he wageth continual warrs with the fiery Spirits that inhabit the Mountain Hecla in Ise-land, where they endeavour to extinguish these fiery flames, and the inhabiting Spirits defend the flames from his Master and his Legions.

In this contest they do often totally extirpate and destroy one another, killing and crushing when they meet in mighty and violent Troops in the Air upon the Sea; and at such a time many of the fiery Spirits are destroyed, when the Enemy hath brought them off the Mountain to fight upon the water; on the contrary, when the battle is on the Mountain it self, the Spirits of the Air are often worsted, and then great mournings and doleful noises are heard both in Iseland and Russia, and Norway for many days after.

But to proceed to the form of conjuring this aforesaid Spirits, the Magician must draw a Circle in a Moonshine night in some solitary Valley; the Circle must be 18 foot over, and another Circle a foot distance within the same, being both drawn with chalk, and the Exorcist being girded about with two Snakes skins tyed together, and having many Snakes skins tyed to his cap, and hanging down before and behinde, must also with Chalk draw the form of a fiery Mountain at one side of the Circle on this manner;

[Figure]

And round about the Mountain these following names must be wrote, Glauron, Opotok, Balkin, Opotok, Vrthin, Opotok, Swaknar, Nalah, Opotok, ✚ ✚ ✚. After the Mountain is drawn, he must consecrate the same in these following words, Ofron, Anephexaton, Baron Barathron, Nah halge tour heela, In the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen. ✚ ✚ ✚. After the Magician hath consecrated the Mountain, he must write betwixt the circles these following words; Vrthin ✚ Malc hii ✚ ✚ Kiddal Kattton ✚ Agla ✚ Glaura ✚ Bashemo ✚ Yhowah ✚ Elohim ✚ Immannel ✚ Amen. 🜂 ✚ 🜂 ✚ 🜂 ✚. Which done, he must begin to Invocate the Spirit on this following manner.

O ye Powers of the East, Athanaton; of the West, Orgon; of the South, Boralim; of the North, Glauron; I charge and command you by the dreadful Names here mentioned, and the Consecration of this terrible Mountain, to present your selves one of every sort before this Circle by the power of Immanuel, and his holy Name. After this hath with fervency been thrice repeated, the Exorcist will hear great noises of Swords and fighting, Horses neighing, and Trumpets sounding, and at last there will appear four little Dwarfs or Pigmies naked before the Circle, their speech will be antient Irish; which afterwards being confined to a Triangle, they will interpret; the substance thereof will be from whence they came last, and what wonderful things they can do; Then the Magician must ask them, if they know one Luridan a familiar; they will answer Hamah ni trulloh Balkin, he is Secretary or servant unto Balkin, and after the Exorcist hath charged them to bring the said Luridan unto him, they will immediately bring him like a little Dwarf with a crooked nose, and present him before the Magician in the triangle; then the Magician shall bind and tye him with the bond of obligation, and with his own blood, without any contract of conditions to be performed, that he will attend him constantly at his thrice repeating Luridan, Luridan, Luridan, And be ever ready to go whether he will, to the Turks, or to the uttermost parts of the Earth, which he can do in an hour, and destroy all their Magazines.

After the Magician hath so bound him, he shall receive from the Spirit a scrole written in this manner; [symbol] which is the Indenture to serve him for a year and a day; and then the Magician shall dismiss him for that time in the form of dismission.

CHAP. IX. How to Conjure the Spirit Balkin the Master of Luridan.

AS in the former Chapter, the Exorcist is instructed to draw the form of the Mountain Hecla within the circle, so in this form of Conjuration he must do the same, adding these names to be written round the Mountain Mathiel; Rahuniel, Seraphiel, Hyniel, Rayel, Fraciel. These are the names of Olympick Angels, governing the North, and ruling over every airy Spirit that belongs unto the Northern Climate; so that the authority of these names must be used in the calling up of this Spirit, because he is a great Lord, and very lofty, neither will he appear without strong and powerful Invocations.

Therefore the Magician must make upon Virgin Parchment the two Seals of the Earth, and provide unto himself a Girdle made of a Bears skin with a rough side next his body, and these names wrote round about in the outerside, ✚ Alpha ✚ Coronzon, Yah, Laniah, Adonay ✚ Soncas ✚ Damael ✚ Angeli fortes ✚ pur pur ✚ Elibra, Elohim ✚ Omega ✚ per flammam ignis ✚ per vitam Coronzon ✚ Amen. ✚. Also he must provide a black Priestly Robe to reach to his ankles, and a new Sword with Agla on the one side, and On upon the other; having likewise been very continent and chast for three days before the execution of his design: and when the appointed night approacheth, he must take with him an earthen pan with fire therein, and a little Viol with some of his own blood, as also some of the Gum or Rozin that comes from the Firr-tree.

And coming to the appointed place in some solitary Valley, the circle must be drawn with chalk, as the former, one circle within another, and these powerful names in the circumference, Otheos on Panthon ✚ Breshit Hashamaim, Vaharetz Vahayah ✚ Lohu ✚ va Bohu ★︎ ✚ ✚ ✚ ★︎ magnus es tu ben Elohim qui super alas ventorum equitaris ✚.

This Circumscription is accounted amongst Magicians of all the most powerful and prevalent.

After this the Circle, Mountain, Fire, Turpentine, Girdle, Garments, Sword and Blood must be consecrated according to the foregoing forms of Consecration, adding also this to the end of the consecration.

Mighty art thou O Adonay, Elohim, Ya, Ya, Aie, Aie, Acimoy, who hast created the light of the day, and the darkness of the night, unto whom every knee bows in Heaven and on Earth, who hast created the Lohu and the Bohu, that is stupor or numbness in a thing to be admired, and mighty are thy magnificient Angels Damael and Guael, whose influence can make the winds to bow, and every airy Spirit stoop; Let thy right hand sanctifie these consecrated utensils, exterminating every noxious thing from their bodies, and the circumference of this Circle. Amen. Calerna, Shalom, Shalom, Agla on Sassur, Lafrac, Angeli fortes. In Nomine Patris, Filii, & Spiritus Sancti. Amen, Amen, Amen. After that, he shall sweep the circle gently with a Foxes tayl, and sprinkle the same round with his blood, dipping also the Sword, or anointing it with the same, and brandishing the same in his right hand, he shall begin to conjure the Spirit on this following manner:

I Exorcize and Conjure thee thou great and powerful Balkin, Lord of Glauron, Lord of Luridan, and of fifteen hundred Legions, Lord of the Northern Mountains, and of every Beast that dwells thereon by the holy and wonderful Names of the Almighty Iehovah, Athanato ✚ Aionos ✚ Dominus sempiternus ✚ Aletheios ✚ Saday ✚ Iehovah, Kedesh, El gabor ✚ Deus fortissimus ✚ Anaphexaton, Amorule, Ameron ✚ ✚ ✚ Panthon ✚ Craton ✚ Muridon ✚ Iah, Iehovah, Elohim pentasseron ✚ ✚ trinus et unus ✚ ✚ ✚ ★︎ I Exorcize and Conjure, I Invocate and Command thee thou aforesaid Spirit, by the powers of Angels and Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim, by the mighty Prince Coronzon, by the blood of Abel, by the righteousness of Seth, and the Prayers of Noah, by the voyces of Thunder and dreadful day of Judgment; by all these powerful and royal words abovesaid, that without delay or malitious intent, thou do come before me here at the circumference of this consecrated Circle, to answer my proposals and desires without any manner of terrible form either of thy self, or attendants; but only obediently, fairly, and with good intent, to present thy self before me, this Circle being my defence, through his power who is Almighty, and hath sanctified the same, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

After the Magician hath thrice repeated this Conjuration, Let him immediately set the fire before him, and put the Rozin thereon to fumigate at the appearance of the conjured Spirits, and at the instant of their appearance he shall hold the Censer of fire in his left hand, and the Sword in his right, still turning round as the Spirits do.

For in a little space after the Invocation is repeated, he shall hear the noise of Thunders, and perceive before him in the Valley a mighty storm of Lightning and Rain; after a while the same will cease, and an innumerable company of Dwarfs or Pigmies will appear mounted upon Chamelions to march towards the Circle surrounding the same.

Next comes Balkin with his Attendants; he will appear like the god Bacchus upon a little Goat, and the rest that follow will march after him afoot.

Assoon as they come near the Circle, they will breath out of their mouths a mist, or fog, which will even obscure the light of the Moon, and darken the Magician, that he cannot behold them nor himself; yet let him not be discomfited, or afraid, for that fog will be quickly over; and the Spirits will run round the Circle after Balkin their Lord, who rides upon a Goat; they will continue to surround the Circle, till the Magician begin the form of obligation or binding their Leader or King in this form, with the Sword in his right hand, the Fire and Rozin burning before him.

I conjure and bind thee Balkin, who art appeared before me, by the Father, by the Son, and by the Holy Ghost, by all the holy Consecrations I have made, by the powerful Names of Heaven, and of Earth, and of Hell, that I have used and uttered in calling upon thee, by the Seals which thou here beholdest, and the Sword which I present unto thee, by this sanctified Girdle, and all the sanctified and potent things aforesaid, That here thou remain peaceably, and of thy present shape before the Northern quarter of this Circle, without injury to me in body, soul, or fortune; but on the contrary, to answer faithfully unto my demands, and not hence to remove, till I have licenced thee to depart, In the Name of the Father, Son, and holy Spirit. Amen.

When he is thus obliged, he will alight from his Goat, and cause his Attendants to remove further into the Valley, then will he stand peaceably before the Circle to answer the Magician.

After this the Magician shall begin to demand into his own possession a Familiar to build or pull down any Castle or strong hold in a night; and that this Familiar bring with him the Girdle of Conquest, or Victory, that the Magician being girded with the same may overcome all enemies whatsoever,

And further, the Spirit is able to inform him of all questions concerning Thunder and Lightning, the Motions of the Heavens, the Comets and Apparitions in the air, Pestilence and Famine, noxious and malevolent blasts, as also of the Inhabitants of the Northern Pole, and the wonders undiscovered throughout the world.

Likewise if the Exorcist inquire concerning the habitations of starry Spirits, he will readily answer him, describing their orders, food, life, and past-time truly and exactly.

After the Magician hath satisfied himself with inquiries, and curious questions unto the Spirit, there will come from amongst the company a little Spirit of a span long, like a little Ethiop, which the great King Balkin will deliver unto the Exorcist to continue as a Familiar with him as long as his life shall last. This familiar the possessor may name at it pleaseth him.

The three last, who had this Spirit into possession, were three Northern Magicians, the first Honduros a Norwegian, who called it Philenar, and commanded it at his pleasure with a little Bell.

After him Benno his eldest Son injoy'd the same under the same name.

And Swarkzar a Polonian Priest was the last who enjoy'd it under the Name of Muncula; all which names were imposed upon it, according to the pleasure of the Masters; and therefore the naming of this familiar is left to the discretion of the Exorcist.

Now when the Master hath taken this familiar into his custody and service, the Spirit Balkin will desire to depart, being wearied if the action continue longer then an hour. Therefore the Magician must be careful to dismiss him in this following form:

Because thou hast diligently answered my demands, and been ready to come at my first call, I do here licence thee to depart unto thy proper place, without injury or danger to man or Beast; depart, I say, and be ever ready at my call, being duly exorcized and conjured by sacred Rites of Magick; I charge thee to withdraw with quiet and peace; and peace be continued betwixt me and thee, In the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Then the Spirits company will begin to march about their Prince, and in a formal Troop will march along the Valley, whilest the Magician repeateth Pater Noster, &c. until the Spirits be quite out of sight and vanished.

This is a compleat form of conjuring the aforesaid Spirit, according to the Rules of Vaganostus the Norwegian.

CHAP. X. The exposition of Iidoni, and where it is found, whereby the whole Art of Conjuration is deciphered.

THis word Iidoni is derived of Iada, which properly signifieth to know; it is sometimes translated, Divinus, which is a Diviner or Soothsayer, as in Deut. 18. Levit. 20. sometimes Ariolus, which is one that also taketh upon him to foretel things to come, and is found Levit. 19. 2 King. 23. Isai. 19. To be short, the opinion of them that are most skilful in the tongues, is, that it comprehendeth all them, which take upon them to know all things part and to come, and to give answers accordingly. It alwayes followeth the word Ob, and in the Scriptures is not named severally from it, and differeth little from the same in sense, and do both concern Oracles uttered by Sririts, possessed people, or Coseners. What will not Coseners or Witches take upon them to do? Wherein will they profess ignorance? Ask them any question, they will undertake to resolve you, even of that which none but God knoweth. And to bring their purposes the better to pass, as also to win further credit unto the counterfeit Art which they profess, they procure confederates, whereby they work Wonders. And when they have either learning, eloquence, or nimbleness of hands to accompany their confederacy, or rather knavery, then (forsooth) they pass the degree of Witches, and intitle themselves to the name of Conjurors. And these deal with no inferiour causes: these fetch Devils out of Hell, and Angels out of Heaven; these raise up what bodies they list, though they were dead, buried and rotten long before; and fetch souls out of Heaven or Hell, with much more expedition than the Pope bringeth them out of Purgatory. These I say (among the simple, and where they fear no law nor accusation) take upon them also the raising of Tempests, and Earthquakes, and to do as much as God himself can do. These are no small fools, they go not to work with a baggage Toad, or a Cat, as witches do; but with a kind of Majesty, and with Authority they call up by name, and have at their commandement Seventy and nine Principal and Princely Devils, who have under them as their ministers, a great multitude of Legions of petty Devils; as for example.