Key of SolomonCeremonial MagicMystical / EsotericLatin, French, Italian, and Hebrew magical manuscript traditions represented in EnglishShareKey of Solomon 6Mathers 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 I, Chapter Ii: Of the Days, and Hours, and of the Virtues of the PlanetsKey of Solomon 6ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1When thou wishest to make any experiment or operation, thou must first prepare, beforehand, all the requisites which thou wilt find described in the following Chapters: observing the days, the hours, and the other effects of the Constellations which may be found in this Chapter. 2It is, therefore, advisable to know that the hours of the day and of the night together, are twenty-four in number, and that each hour is governed by one of the Seven Planets in regular order, commencing at the highest and descending to the lowest. The order of the Planets is as follows: ShBThAI, Shabbathai, Saturn; beneath Saturn is TzDC^, Tzedeq, Jupiter; beneath Jupiter is MADIM, Madim, Mars; beneath Mars is ShMSh, Shemesh, the Sun; beneath the Sun is NVGH, Nogah, Venus; beneath Venus is KVKB, Kokav, Mercury; and beneath Mercury is LBNH, Levanah, the Moon, which, is the lowest of all the Planets. 3It must, therefore, be understood that the Planets have their dominion over the day which approacheth nearest unto the name which is given and attributed unto them — viz., over Saturday, Saturn; Thursday, Jupiter; Tuesday, Mars; Sunday, the Sun; Friday, Venus; Wednesday, Mercury; and Monday, the Moon. 4The rule of the Planets over each hour begins from the dawn at the rising of the Sun on the day which take its name from such Planet, and the Planet which follows it in order, succeeds to the rule over the next hour. Thus (on Saturday) Saturn rules the first hour, Jupiter the Second, Mars the third, the Sun the fourth, Venus the fifth, Mercury the sixth, the Moon the seventh, and Saturn returns in the rule over the eighth, and the others in their turn, the Planets always keeping the same relative order. 5Note that each experiment or magical operation should be performed under the Planet, and usually in the hour, which refers to the same. For example: — 6In the Days and Hours of Saturn thou canst perform experiments to summon the Souls from Hades, but only of those who have died a natural death. Similarly on these days and hours thou canst operate to bring either good or bad fortune to buildings; to have familiar Spirits attend thee in sleep; to cause good or ill success to business, possessions, goods, seeds, 7fruits, and similar things, in order to acquire learning; to bring destruction and to give death, and to sow hatred and discord. 8The Days and Hours of Jupiter are proper for obtaining honours, acquiring riches; contracting friendships, preserving health; and arriving at all that thou canst desire. 9In the Days and Hours of Mars thou canst make experiments regarding War; to arrive at military honour; to acquire courage; to overthrow enemies; and further to cause ruin, slaughter, cruelty, discord; to wound and to give death. 10The Days and Hours of the Sun are very good for perfecting experiments regarding temporal wealth, hope, gain, fortune, divination, the favour of princes, to dissolve hostile feeling, and to make friends. 11The Days and Hours of Venus are good for forming friendships; for kindness and love; for joyous and pleasant undertakings, and for travelling. 12The Days and Hours of Mercury are good to operate for eloquence and intelligence; promptitude in business; science and divination; wonders; apparitions; and answers regarding the future. Thou canst also operate under this Planet for thefts; writings; deceit; and merchandise. 13The Days and Hours of the Moon are good for embassies; voyages; envoys; messages; navigation; reconciliation; love; and the acquisition of merchandise by water. 14Thou shouldest take care punctually to observe all the instructions con- tained in this chapter, if thou desirest to succeed, seeing that the truth of Magical Science dependeth thereon. 15The Hours of Saturn, of Mars, and of the Moon are alike good for com- municating and speaking with Spirits; as those of Mercury are for recovering thefts by the means of Spirits. 16The Hours of Mars serve for summoning Souls from Hades,t especially of those slain in battle. 17The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, are adapted for preparing any operations whatsoever of love, of kindness, and of invisibility, as is here- after more fully shown, to which must be added other things of a similar nature which are contained in our work. 18The Hours of Saturn and Mars and also the days on which the Moon is conjunct | with them, or when she receives their opposition or quartile aspect, are excellent for making experiments of hatred, enmity, quarrel, and discord; and other operations of the same kind which are given later on iri this work. 19The Hours of Mercury are good for undertaking experiments relating to games, raillery, jests, sports, and the like. 20in a different way in the ensuing paragraphs. 21f In the French “des Enfers,” in the Latin “ Inferis.” 22J Conjunction means being in the same degree of the Zodiac; opposition is being 1 80 degrees, and quartile yo degrees apart from each other. 23The Hours of the Sun, of Jupiter, and of Venus, particularly on the days which they rule, are good for all extraordinary, uncommon, and unknown operations. 24The Hours of the Moon are proper for making trial of experiments relating to recovery of stolen property, for obtaining nocturnal visions, for summoning Spirits in sleep, and for preparing anything relating to Water. 25The Hours of Venus are furthermore useful for lots, poisons, all things of the nature of Venus, for preparing powders provocative of madness; and the like things. 26But in order to thoroughly effect the operations of this Art, thou shouldest perform them not only on the Hours but on the Days of the Planets as well, because then the experiment will always succeed better, provided thou observest the rules laid down later on, for if thou omittest one single condition thou wilt never arrive at the accomplishment of the Art. 27For those matters then which appertain unto the Moon, such as the Invocation of Spirits, the Works of Necromancy, and the recovery of stolen property, it is necessary that the Moon should be in a Terrestrial Sign, viz.: — Taurus, Virgo, or Capricorn. 28For love, grace, and invisibility, the Moon should be in a Fiery Sign, viz.: — Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius. 29For hatred, discord, and destruction, the Moon should be in a Watery Sign, viz. Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. 30For experiments of a peculiar nature, which cannot be classed under any certain head, the Moon should be in an Airy Sign, viz.: — Gemini, Libra, or Aquarius. 31But if these things seem unto thee difficult to accomplish, it will suffice thee merely to notice the Moon after her combustion, or conjunction with the Sun, especially just when she quits his beams and appeareth visible. For then it is good to make all experiments for the construction and operation of any matter. That is why the time from the New unto the Full Moon is proper for performing any of the experiments of which we have spoken above. But in her decrease or wane it is good for War, Disturbance, and Discord. Like- wise the period when she is almost deprived of light, is proper for experiments of invisibility, and of Death. 32But observe inviolably that thou commence nothing while the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun, seeing that this is extremely unfortunate, and that thou wilt then be able to effect nothing; but the Moon quitting his beams and increasing in Light, thou canst perform all that thou desirest, observing never- theless the directions in this Chapter. 33Furthermore, if thou wishest to converse with Spirits it should be espe- cially on the day of Mercury and in his hour, and let the Moon be in an Airy Sign,+ as well as the Sun. 34Retire thou then unto a secret place, where no one may be able to see thee or to hinder thee, before the completion of the experiment, whether thou shouldest wish to work by day or by night. But if thou shouldest wish to work by night, perfect thy work on the succeeding night; if by day, seeing that the day beginneth with the rising of the Sun (perfect thy work on) the succeeding day. But the Hour of Inception is the Hour of Mercury. 35Verily, since no experiments for converse with Spirits can be done without a Circle being prepared, whatsoever experiments therefore thou wishest to undertake for conversing with Spirits, therein thou must learn to construct a certain particular Circle; that being done surround that Circle with a Circle of Art for better caution and efficacy. ‹Previous chapterKey of Solomon 3Next chapterKey of Solomon 8›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. Public Domain Mark 1.0 on Internet Archive metadata