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THREE BOOKS OF OCCULT PHILOSOPHY OR MAGIC BY THE FAMOUS MYSTIC HENRY CORNELIUS AGRIPPA VON NETTESHEIM Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924006718757 Henry Cornelius Agrippa Henry Qornelius (iAgrip])a-> HIS Fourth BOOK OF O ecu It P hilofophy. Of Geomancy. Magical Elements ofTeterde <iAbano. Astronomical Geomancy. The Nature of Spirits. zArbatel of Magick. Tranflated into Englifh by Robert Turner, ,w\W LONDON", Printed by^fkln Publifhers, 16 Ennismore Ave at the Eaft-endof Chyfvvick.1978 First English edition published 1655 First Facsimile edition 1978 Published by Askin Publishers Ltd 1 6 Ennismore Avenue Chiswick London W4 England ISBN 9503876 7 3 © Askin Publishers Ltd Distributed in the USA by Samuel Weiser Inc, 625 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10012 USA Typographic restitution by Graham Knight Typeset by Academic Typesetting printed by Unwin Brothers Limited TBE GRESHAM PRESS OLD WOKING SURREY ENGLAND . Limited Edition of 500 copies handbound in leather of which this is number... Jti-o. This is volume 4 of: Source Works ofMediaeval and Renaissance Magic Volume 1: A True & Faithful Relation of what Passed for Many Yeers Between Dr. John Dee... and some Spirits . Meric Casaubon Volume 2: The Archidoxes of Magic Paracelsus Volume 3: Three Books of Occult Philosophy Henry Cornelius Agrippa CONTENTS The Preface to the unprejudiced Reader Commendatory Poems I Of Geomancy 1 — Henry Cornelius Agrippa II Of Occult Philosophy, or Of Magical Ceremonies: The Fourth Book 32 — Henry Cornelius Agrippa III Heptameron: or, Magical Elements 73 — Peter de Abano IV Isagoge: An Introductory Discourse on the nature of such Spirits as are exercised in the sublunary Bounds; their Original, Names, Offices, Illusions, Powers, Prophecies, Miracles; and how they may be expelled and driven away 107 — Georg Pictorius Villinganus V Of Astronomical Geomancy 155 — Gerard Cremonensis VI Of the Magick of the Ancients 177 — Arbatel INTRODUCTION It is amazing how often it is said that The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy is spurious. This is repeated by one 'authority' after another, obviously without any reference to the text itself. For this volume is not so much a single book as a collection of six treatises on various aspects of practical magic and divination. A glance at the table of contents will confirm that only the first two treatises actually claim to be by Henry Cornelius Agrippa. Agrippa (1486—1535) was in many ways an all round Renaissance man, being a writer, soldier, and physician. However, his main claim to an important place in the history of the thought of the period is as a magician, and this is by no means a belittlement of his other attainments for as Agrippa himself says: 'Some that are perverse .... may take the name of Magick in the worse sense and, though scarce having seen the title, cry out that I teach forbidden Arts, sow the seed of Heresies, offend pious ears, and scandalize excellent wits; that I am a sorcerer, and superstitious and divellish, who indeed am a Magician: to whom I answer, that a Magician doth not, amongst learned men signify a sorcerer, or one that is superstitious or divellish; but a wise man, a priest, a prophet' Turning to the contents of this volume let us examine each treatise in turn: I. Of Geomancy — Henry Cornelius Agrippa Probably it is this treatise which is mentioned by Agrippa in 1526 when he sent to Metz for his work on geomancy. Again Agrippa refers to a work on geomancy in his De Incertitudine (Cap 13) where after listing earlier geomancies by Haly, Gerard of Cremona, Bartholomew of Parma, and Tundinus, he says of his own geomantic treatise "I too have Vlll written a geomancy quite different from the rest but no less superstitious and fallacious or if you wish I will even say 'mendacious'" Agrippa was nothing if not frank about his own work! Geomancy was from the 12th to the 17th Century one of the major forms of divination in Europe, taking second place to astrology but precedence over the tarot. The first part of this book is concerned with the mechanics of geomantic divination, the second part with their application'in an astro- logical context, and the third, and by far the bulkiest part, is concerned with the meanings of each of the sixteen geo- mantic figures in each of the 12 Houses of heaven. This text on geomancy is extremely interesting in that it provides much of the material for later derivative works on the subject. Interestingly, it expands greatly Agrippa 's re- marks on the subject in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy. The actual practice of geomancy is set out in a rather compressed form. For example the table on page 6 is not very clear, and the diagram on the following page suffers severely from the deficiencies of the printer's art. So as to preserve the facsimile quality of the text these have not been altered. Reconstructions of these, together with complete instructions for geomantic practice appear in the present writer's The Oracle of Geomancy, Warner Destiny, New York, 1977, and a history of the subject in Divinatory Geomancy. II. Of Occult Philosophy, or Of Magical Ceremonies: The Fourth Book — Henry Cornelius Agrippa This treatise which appeared in Latin about 30 years after Agrippa's death, is effectively a self contained grimoire or grammar of sorcery which draws upon the Three Books of Occult Philosophy for its theoretical background. Johannes Weir, who was for a while Agrippa's disciple and amanuensis, declared in one of his voluminous works that this treatise was not after the style of his master, but elsewhere admits that Agrippa was so prolific that it was impossible to be sure exactly what amongst posthumously published material was actually by him. After an initial excursion into an astrological system IX for generating the names of good and evil spirits, Agrippa goes on to discuss the magnitudes of the stars and their symbols. A set of characters for both good and evil spirits follows, according to their rank and dignity. The familiar shapes of the spirits of the various planets are delineated to identify a particular spirit with its planet- ary ruler. Agrippa then explains how to make pentacles and what signs are to be used in their preparation. The form of these pentacles is similar to some given in The Key of Solomon where the picture is drawn representing a Biblical or Apocalyptic theme and then surrounded with the appro- priate verse and Godname. The work then touches upon the details of consecration of the various instruments necessary for the art of magic, the types of conjurations, unctions, suffumigations, prayers and benedictions to be used. There is special emphasis on the consecration of water, fire, oils and perfumes. Details of the consecration of the circle, which is to be the sanctum sanc- torum for the practice of magic and the use of the Liber Spirituum, or Book of Spirits, is explained. This book must be inscribed with the image and sigil of the spirit together with the oath which it must take when it is conjured. Finally, Agrippa reaches the details of the actual invoca- tion of spirits. He outlines the type of place in which the ceremony must take place, the preparation and condition of the Magus, the names to be worn and the days and times in which the operation is permissible. Further Agrippa explains dream oracles and the tablets and talismans requisite for this art, so covering the various forms of invocation not requiring a circle, and dealing with Nature spirits as well as the spirits of the grimoires. III. Heptameron: or, Magical Elements — Peter de Abano Peter of Abano (1250—131 7) was one of the most influen- tial men of learning of his time. Many, of his writings on medicine, philosophy and astronomy are extent, together with works on geomancy and magic often attributed to him, the latter possibly spurious. However it is easier to consider the Heptameron or Magical Elements and the Geomantia as by him: as he had quite a well paid practice as a physician and a place in society to keep up, it is conceivable that the above treatise remained in manuscript form till sometime after his death, especially as he was in some trouble with the Inquisition. He studied medicine in Paris before returning to Padua to practice as a physician. Towards the end of his life he was actually accused of practicing sorcery by the Inquisition and was imprisoned. He was later acquitted but then re-arrested and died in prison in 131 7 whilst awaiting trial. Amongst the less salubrious works from his pen was a work on poisons, commissioned by the then incumbent pope, possibly Pope Honorius IV. Of the books of magic attributed to Peter, the Heptameron is the best known, but Naude states that two other books of his were banned after his death, the Elucidarium Necroman- ticum and Liber Experimentorum Mirabilium de Annulis Secundum 28 Mansiones Lunae, or 'Book of marvelous experiments with rings according to the 28 mansions of the moon'. The Heptameron, which draws heavily on the Picatrix, a magical text by the Arab pseudo—Magriti, may have first appeared in Latin at Venice in 1496 before being bound with Agrippa in 1565. The Heptameron has well earned its reputa- tion as a key work on practical magic and it follows in the tradition of Trithemius' Steganographia in as much as it catalogues the names of many angels and the times of their conjuration.

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