Key of SolomonCeremonial MagicMystical / EsotericLatin, French, Italian, and Hebrew magical manuscript traditions represented in EnglishShareKey of Solomon 55Mathers 1889 - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availableMathers 1889LanguageEnglishEspañol‹Key of Solomon 3Key of Solomon 6Key of Solomon 8Key of Solomon 9Key of Solomon 10Key of Solomon 12Key of Solomon 14Key of Solomon 16Key of Solomon 19Key of Solomon 21Key of Solomon 22Key of Solomon 24Key of Solomon 26Key of Solomon 28Key of Solomon 30Key of Solomon 32Key of Solomon 34Key of Solomon 36Key of Solomon 38Key of Solomon 40Key of Solomon 42Key of Solomon 45Key of Solomon 46Key of Solomon 47Key of Solomon 48Key of Solomon 49Key of Solomon 50Key of Solomon 51Key of Solomon 53Key of Solomon 55Key of Solomon 57Key of Solomon 59Key of Solomon 60Key of Solomon 63Key of Solomon 65Key of Solomon 67Key of Solomon 69Key of Solomon 71Key of Solomon 73Key of Solomon 76Key of Solomon 79Key of Solomon 81Key of Solomon 83Key of Solomon 85Key of Solomon 87Key of Solomon 89Key of Solomon 91Key of Solomon 93Key of Solomon 95Key of Solomon 97Key of Solomon 99Key of Solomon 101Key of Solomon 103Key of Solomon 104Key of Solomon 106Key of Solomon 107Key of Solomon 109›Book Ii, Chapter I: At what hour after the preparation of all things necessary, we should bring the Exercise of theKey of Solomon 55ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1The Days and Hours have already been treated of, in general, in the First Book. It is now necessary to notice in particular at what hour accom- plishment and perfection should be given to the Arts, all things necessary having been previously prepared. 2Should it then happen that thou hast undertaken any secret operation for conversing with or conjuring Spirits, in which the day and the hour are not marked, thou shalt put it in execution on the days and hours of Mercury, at the sixteenth or twenty-third hour, but it will be still better at the eighth, which is the third of the same night, which is called and means before the morning, for then thou shalt be able to put in practice all the Arts and Operations which should be performed, according as it shall please thee by day or by night, provided that they have been prepared at the hours suitable to them, as hath been already said. But when neither hour nor time of operation or invocation is specified, it is then much better to perform these experiments at night, seeing that it is more easy to the Spirits to appear in the peaceful silence of night than during the day. And thou shouldest inviolably observe, that wishing to invoke the Spirits, either by day or by night, it is necessary that it should be done in a place hidden, removed, secret, convenient, and proper for such Art, where no man frequenteth or inhabiteth, as we shall relate more fully in its place. 3If then thou shouldest operate touching anything which hath been stolen, in whatever way it be performed and whatever way it may have been prepared, it is necessary to practise it on the days and hours of the Moon, being if possible in her increase, and from the first unto the eighth hour of the day. 4But if it be by night, then it should be at the fifth or at the third hour; but it is better by day than by the night, for the light justifieth them, and maketh them much more fit for publication. 5But if the Operations be regarding Invisibility, they should be put in practice at the first, second, and third hour of Mars by day. But if by night, until the third hour. 6If they be Operations of seeking love, grace, or favour, they should be performed until the eighth hour of the same day, commencing with the first hour of the Sun; and from the first hour of Venus unto the first hour of the same day of Venus. 7As for Operations of destruction and desolation, we should practise and put them into execution on the day of Saturn at the first hour, or rather at the eighth or fifteenth of the day; and from the first until the eighth hour of the night. 8Experiments of games, raillery, deceit, illusion, and invisibility, ought to be done at the first hour of Venus, and at the eighth hour of the day; but by night at the third and at the seventh. 9At all times of practising and putting into execution Magical Arts, the Moon should be increasing in light, and in an equal number of degrees with the Sun; and it is much better from the first quarter to the Opposition, and the Moon should be in a fiery Sign, and notably in that of the Ram or of the Lion. 10Therefore, to execute these Experiments in any manner whatsoever, it should be done when the Moon is clear, and when she is increasing in light. 11In order to put in execution those of Invisibility after everything is properly prepared, the Moon should be in the Sign of the Fishes, in the hours proper and fitting, and she should be increasing in light. 12For experiments of seeking love and favour, in whatever way it may be desired, they will succeed, provided that they have been prepared at the proper hours, and that the Moon be increasing in light and in the Sign of the Twins. 13So exact a preparation of days and hours is not necessary for those who are Adepts in the Art, but it is extremely necessary for apprentices and beginners, seeing that those who have been little or not at all instructed herein, and who only begin to apply themselves to this Art, do not have as much faith in the experiments as those who are adepts therein, and who have practised them. But as regards beginners, they should always have the days and hours well disposed and appropriate unto the Art. And the Wise should only observe the precepts of the Art which are necessary, and in observing the other solemnities necessary they will operate with a perfect assurance. 14It is, nevertheless, necessary to take care that when thou shalt have prepared any experiment thyself for the days and hours ordained, that it should be performed in clear, serene, mild, and pleasant weather, without any great tempest or agitation of the air, which should not be troubled by winds. For when thou shalt have conjured any Spirits in any art or experiment, they will not come when the Air is troubled or agitated by winds, seeing that Spirits have neither flesh nor bones, and are created of different substances. 15Others from the keenness and strength of Fire; and when they are invoked or summoned, they come always with great noise, and with the terrible nature of fire. 16When the Spirits which are created of Water are invoked, they come with great rains, thunder, hail, lightning, thunder-bolts, and the like. 17When the Spirits which are created of Clouds are invoked, they come with great deformity, in a horrible form, to strike fear into the Invocator, and with an exceeding great noise. 18Others which are formed from wind appear like thereunto and with exceeding swift motion, and whensoever those which are created from Beauty} appear, they will show themselves in a fair and agreeable form; moreover, whensoever thou shalt call the Spirits created from Air, they will come with a kind of gentle breeze. 19When the Spirits which are created from the Vapours of the Sun are invoked, they come under a very beautiful and excellent form, but filled with pride, vanity, and conceit. They are clever, whence it comes that these last are all specified by Solomon in his book of ornament, or of beauty. They show great ostentation and vainglory in their dress, and they rejoice in many ornaments; they boast of possessing mundane beauty, and all sorts of orna- ments and decorations. Thou shalt only invoke them in serene, mild, and pleasant weather. 20The Spirits J which are created of Fire reside in the east, those created of Wind in the south. 21Note then that it will be much better to perform the experiments or operations in the direction of the East, putting everything necessary in practice towards that point. 22But for all other operations or extraordinary experiments, and for those of love, they will be much more efficacious directed towards the north. 23Take heed further, that every time that thou performest any experiment, to reduce it unto perfection with the requisite solemnities, thou shalt re- commence the former experiment if interrupted therein, without the preparation of hours or other solemnities. 24If by chance it should happen that having performed an experiment with due observance of days, hours, and requisite solemnities, thou shalt find it unsuccessful, it must be in some manner false, ill-arranged and defective, and thou must assuredly have failed in some matter; for if thou doest ill in one single point, these experiments or these Arts will not be verified. 25Thus upon this Chapter dependeth this whole Key of Arts, Experiments, and Operations, and although every solemnity be rightly observed, no ex- periment will be verified, unless thou canst penetrate the meaning of this Chapter. 26f The Name of the Sixth Qabalistical Sephira or Emanation from the Deity, which is called Tiphereth, or Beauty. 27JI have usually found it said exactly vice versa. ‹Previous chapterKey of Solomon 53Next chapterKey of Solomon 57›Similar passagesBy tradition and source labelFind similarCompare selectedCompare with similarAsk Deep ThoughtSelect passages to search for parallels.Tap any verse to select it, then compare selected passages or ask Deep Thought. 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