Lesser Key of Solomon: GoetiaCeremonial MagicMystical / EsotericEnglish / Latin magical textual traditionShareLesser Key of Solomon 2de Laurence - EnglishMoreVersion - 1 availablede LaurenceLanguageEnglishEspañol‹Lesser Key of Solomon 1Lesser Key of Solomon 2Lesser Key of Solomon 3Lesser Key of Solomon 4Lesser Key of Solomon 5Lesser Key of Solomon 6Lesser Key of Solomon 7Lesser Key of Solomon 8Lesser Key of Solomon 9Lesser Key of Solomon 10Lesser Key of Solomon 11Lesser Key of Solomon 12Lesser Key of Solomon 13Lesser Key of Solomon 14Lesser Key of Solomon 15Lesser Key of Solomon 16Lesser Key of Solomon 17Lesser Key of Solomon 18Lesser Key of Solomon 19Lesser Key of Solomon 20Lesser Key of Solomon 21Lesser Key of Solomon 22Lesser Key of Solomon 23Lesser Key of Solomon 24Lesser Key of Solomon 25Lesser Key of Solomon 26Lesser Key of Solomon 27Lesser Key of Solomon 28Lesser Key of Solomon 29Lesser Key of Solomon 30Lesser Key of Solomon 31Lesser Key of Solomon 32Lesser Key of Solomon 33Lesser Key of Solomon 34Lesser Key of Solomon 35Lesser Key of Solomon 36Lesser Key of Solomon 37Lesser Key of Solomon 38Lesser Key of Solomon 39Lesser Key of Solomon 40Lesser Key of Solomon 41Lesser Key of Solomon 42Lesser Key of Solomon 43Lesser Key of Solomon 44Lesser Key of Solomon 45Lesser Key of Solomon 46Lesser Key of Solomon 47Lesser Key of Solomon 48Lesser Key of Solomon 49›The Initiated Interpretation Of Ceremonial Magic.Lesser Key of Solomon 2ListenPlay this chapter in spoken English.Save chapterListen to chapter1It is loftily amusing to the student of Magical literature who is not quite a fool—and rare is such a combination!—to note the criticism directed by the Philistine against the citadel of his science. Truly, since our childhood has ingrained into us not only literal belief in the Bible, but also substantial belief in Alf Laylah wa Laylah, and only adolescence can cure us, we are only too liable, in the rush and energy of dawning manhood, to overturn roughly and rashly both these classics, to regard them both on the same level, as interesting documents from the standpoint of folk-lore and anthropology, and as nothing more. 2Even when we learn that the Bible, by a profound and minute study of the text, may be forced to yield up Qabalistic arcana of cosmic scope and importance, we are too often slow to apply a similar restorative to the companion volume, even if we are the luck holders of Burton’s veritable edition. 3To me, then, it remains to raise the Alf Laylah wa Laylah into its proper place once more. 4I am not concerned to deny the objective reality of all “magical” phenomena; if they are illusions, they are at least as real as many unquestioned facts of daily life; and, if we follow Herbert Spencer, they are at least evidence of some cause.[4] 5Now, this fact is our base. What is the cause of my illusion of seeing a spirit in the triangle of Art? 6Every smatterer, every expert in psychology, will answer: “That cause lies in your brain.” 7English children (pace the Education Act) are taught that the Universe lies in infinite Space; Hindu children, in the Akasa, which is the same thing. 8Those Europeans who go a little deeper learn from Fichte, that the phenomenal Universe is the creation of the Ego; Hindus, or Europeans studying under Hindu Gurus, are told, that by Akasa is meant the Chitakasa. The Chitakasa is situated in the “Third Eye”, i.e., in the brain. By assuming higher dimensions of space, we can assimilate this fact to Realism; but we have no need to take so much trouble. 9This being true for the ordinary Universe, that all sense-impressions are dependent on changes in the brain,[5] we must include illusions, which are after all sense-impressions as much as “realities” are, in the class of “phenomena dependent on brain-changes.” 10Magical phenomena, however, come under a special sub-class, since they are willed, and their cause is the series of “real” phenomena called the operations of ceremonial Magic. 11The circle, square, triangle, vessels, lamps, robes, implements, etc. 12The combination of all these and reflection on their significance. 13These unusual impressions (1-5) produce unusual brain-changes; hence their summary (6) is of unusual kind. Its projection back into the apparently phenomenal world is therefore unusual. 14Herein then consists the reality of the operations and effects of ceremonial magic,[6] and I conceive that the apology is ample, as far as the “effects” refer only to those phenomena which appear to the magician himself, the appearance of the spirit, his conversation, possible shocks from imprudence, and so on, even to ecstasy on the one hand, and death or madness on the other. 15But can any of the effects described in this our book Goetia be obtained, and if so, can you give a rational explanation of the circumstances? Say you so? 16The spirits of the Goetia are portions of the human brain. 17Their seals therefore represent (Mr. Spencer’s projected cube) methods of stimulating or regulating those particular spots (through the eye). 18The names of God are vibrations calculated to establish: 19(a) General control of the brain. (Establishment of functions relative to the subtle world.) 20(b) Control over the brain in detail. (Rank or type of the Spirit.) 21(c) Control of one special portion. (Name of the Spirit.) 22The perfumes aid this through smell. Usually the perfume will only tend to control a large area; but there is an attribution of perfumes to letters of the alphabet enabling one, by a Qabalistic formula, to spell out the Spirit’s name. 23I need not enter into more particular discussion of these points; the intelligent reader can easily fill in what is lacking. 24If, then, I say, with Solomon: 25“The Spirit Cimieries teaches logic,” what I mean is: 26“Those portions of my brain which subserve the logical faculty may be stimulated and developed by following out the processes called ‘The Invocation of Cimieries.’” 27And this is a purely materialistic rational statement; it is independent of any objective hierarchy at all. Philosophy has nothing to say; and Science can only suspend judgment, pending a proper and methodical investigation of the facts alleged. 28Unfortunately, we cannot stop there. Solomon promises us that we can (1) obtain information; (2) destroy our enemies; (3) understand the voices of nature; (4) obtain treasure; (5) heal diseases, etc. I have taken these five powers at random; considerations of space forbid me to explain all. 29(1) Brings up facts from sub-consciousness. 30(2) Here we come to an interesting fact. It is curious to note the contrast between the noble means and the apparently vile ends of magical rituals. The latter are disguises for sublime truths. “To destroy our enemies” is to realize the illusion of duality, to excite compassion. 31(Ah! Mr. Waite, the world of Magic is a mirror, wherein who sees muck is muck.) 32(3) A careful naturalist will understand much from the voices of the animals he has studied long. Even a child knows the difference of a cat’s miauling and purring. The faculty may be greatly developed. 33(4) Business capacity may be stimulated. 34(5) Abnormal states of the body may be corrected, and the involved tissues brought back to tone, in obedience to currents started from the brain. 35So for all other phenomena. There is no effect which is truly and necessarily miraculous. 36Our Ceremonial Magic fines down, then, to a series of minute, though of course empirical, physiological experiments, and whoso will carry them through intelligently need not fear the result. 37I have all the health, and treasure, and logic, I need; I have no time to waste. “There is a lion in the way.” For me these practices are useless; but for the benefit of others less fortunate I give them to the world, together with this explanation of, and apology for, them. 38I trust that the explanation will enable many students who have hitherto, by a puerile objectivity in their view of the question, obtained no results, to succeed; that the apology may impress upon our scornful men of science that the study of the bacillus should give place to that of the baculum, the little to the great—how great one only realizes when one identifies the wand with the Mahalingam, up which Brahma flew at the rate of 84,000 yojanas a second for 84,000 mahakalpas, down which Vishnu flew at the rate of 84,000 croces of yojanas a second for 84,000 crores of mahakalpas—yet neither reached an end. 39Boleskine House, Foyers, N.B. 40This, incidentally, is perhaps the greatest argument we possess, pushed to its extreme, against the Advaitist theories. 41Thought is a secretion of the brain (Weissmann). Consciousness is a function of the brain (Huxley). 42Apart from its value in obtaining one-pointedness. ‹Previous chapterLesser Key of Solomon 1Next chapterLesser Key of Solomon 3›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 in the United States via Project Gutenberg