The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage

Abramelin's operation is a long retreat of mounting prayer and purity. In Mathers' French-derived text it lasts six months, divided into periods of two months; the German manuscripts edited by Dehn give eighteen months. The aspirant prepares an oratory with a window, an altar, a lamp of oil and a terrace or lodge, and keeps strict moral discipline, limiting worldly business and washing before prayer. Prayer lengthens and intensifies with each period. A holy oil of myrrh, cinnamon, galangal and olive oil and an incense of olibanum, storax and lignum aloes are used. At the culmination the angel is invoked, the spirits are then summoned and sworn, and only afterwards are the magic squares used.

Purpose

The operation aims at "the knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel", after which the operator is said to command the spirits by means of the book's letter squares.

Timing

Duration

six months (Mathers); eighteen months (German MSS)

Mathers: begin on the morning following the celebration of Passover. Some versions and many later practitioners substitute Easter. Passover (15 Nisan) and Easter are movable feasts, so the start date must be computed each year.

Materials

• olive oil
• myrrh
• cinnamon
• galangal
• olibanum (frankincense)
• storax
• lignum aloes
• lamp oil
• white linen tunic
• silk robe and girdle

Tools

• oratory with altar and lamp
• wand of almond wood
• censer
• letter squares (written after the operation)

Cinnamon oil can burn or sensitise skin.