Magick & TheurgyThe Eternal Feminine l Do Spirits Exist? l Ficino’s Natal Chart
Heart of the Hermetic Traditionwww.magick-theurgy.com October/November/December 2011
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2 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
WORKSHOPIN LAS VEGAS
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THE DIVINE ARCANAof the Aurum Solis
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CONTENTSMAGICK & THEURGY Oct./Nov./Dec. 2011
FeaturesThe Naxos Sphinx 8and the Delphi SanctuaryBy Myriam Rotzetter.
Hermes 14The Wise and Volatile GodBy Sophie Watson
The Divine Arcana of the 18Aurum SolisInterviewBy Martin Béliard
From the Calyx to Hermes 24By Jean-Louis De Biasi
Body, Mind & Soul 31By Patricia Bourin
Symbols of the Great Work 33The Mercury of the WiseBy Martin Béliard
4 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
DEPARTMENTS
Editor’s Letter
The Gorious Star Around the
World
Hymn to Eros
The Eternal Feminine
Marsilio Ficino’s Natal ChartBy Frater Jovis
Voices from the Forefathers
Apuleius, Isis, and the MysteriesBy Irene Craig
Do Spirits Exist?By Ian Elliott
Reviews
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EDITOR’S LETTER
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MAGICK & THEURGY
The Western Tradition has a long and re-
spectable history at the origin of many of
the spiritualities existing all around the
world. Many studies, to this day, testify of this im-
portance seen, for example, in the Chaldean and
Egyptian origin of Astrology before its spread to the
East.
However, during long periods of time, this sacred
knowledge and theurgic practices have been hidden by initiates, lost or destroyed
by fundamentalists, twisted by religious translators, etc. Fortunately, the Light of
this Tradition was reactivated in Renaissance Italy through translations of ancient
texts, art, philosophy, private rituals, etc.
From this time onward, the Golden Chain of Hermetists remained powerful, ac-
tive and discreet. New research from scholars allows for a deeper understanding
of the roots of this inheritance. These new elements, when associated to the inner
teachings transmitted by initiates, give wonderful opportunities for this new cen-
tury. During the Ptolemaic Period in Egypt, the Golden Age of this civilization,
Greeks and Egyptian religious and philosophers united their traditions to create an
original syntesis. It was sometime called “Religio Mentis.” This “Religion of the
Spirit” was a balanced combination of science, philosophy, spirituality, and reli-
gion. All beliefs and theories were welcome as new perspectives capable to im-
prove the common knowledge of humankind.
But it is important to not be mistaken. This attitude does not mean that all things
are equivalent and can be accepted as true. Do not forget that the essence of the
world (macrocosm) and of any Human being (microcosm) should not reduced to
the texts who tried to explain them. Texts, theories, and spiritualities are just maps.
They are not the truth. If you plan to visit a city or country you will have to choose
a map. There is not just one representing the territory. You have to find the best
for you and your own experience will help you for this choice. We have to be pru-
dent with a country hiding maps only authorizing a single one. The same thing ap-
plies to Religion, and esotericism. It is good to remember that there is not just one
representation of the Cosmos. Science has to be present in this explanation, and
so is initiation. A true Hermetist and theurgist, according to the Western Tradition,
is someone eager to understand the visible world and the invisible one. This is
someone who knows that it is possible to enjoy both life in this world and perform
inner practices revealing the inner planes.
You are not alone in this quest. Wise Masters initiated in this Tradition have
written several books in the last four thousand years. All have useful insights ca-
pable to bring a new understanding of our essence and destiny. This magazine is
here to bring you this heritage enlightened
by the Hermetic Initiatic Tradition.
In the Light of the Great Star, Jean-Louis DE BIASI
Editor in Chief
6 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
South America (Brazil): Tradi-
tional handcrafted box.
North America (USA): Minnesota
State Capitol
THE GLORIOUS STAR AROUNWORLD:
By Julien Larche
North America (USA):
Ceremonial drum
Europe (Portugal):
Monastery of Alcobaça
7www.magick‐theurgy.com
Middle East: Rug (Detail)
Europe (Spain): Medieval
Windows
Africa (Egypt): Medieval
door.
Central Asia: Rug
ND THE
Europe (France): Medieval
bishop’s shoes
Among the numerous votive offer-
ings scattered over the most fa-
mous sanctuary of ancient Greece,
the temple of Apollo in Delphi, one
stands out: the sphinx offered by
the inhabitants of the Aegean is-
land of Naxos. The sphinx is considered as having been
“the most remarkable monument of the sanctuary at the
time of its offering” .
Origins of the Sphinx figure
In Greek mythology, the sphinx was a single being, a
demonic and merciless figure of destruction. Unlike its
Egyptian counterpart, the Greek sphinx was a female. It
was introduced in Greek art in the Archaic period
through Oriental influences. In his Theogony, Hesiod
says the beast was born of Echidna and her dog son, Or-
thron. According to ancient sources, she had the body
of a lion inherited from her sister Chimera, the head of
a young woman from her mother Echidna, and the
wings of a bird of prey from her ancestresses the
Harpies. Her genealogy links her to the chthonic figures
8 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
The
NAXOS SPHINXand the
DELPHI SANCTUARYby Myriam Rotzetter
from early Greek myths, before the Olympian gods’
rule.
“In the ancient Greek imaginary, hybrid creatures
such as the sphinx or sirens symbolised the uncontrol-
lable forces which governed man’s destiny. The sphinx
was very often associated with funereal art and, like
other fantastic creatures coming from the Orient, she
was the recipient of a sacred power” .
The sphinx remains famous in Western culture for its
riddle. It is said that Hera sent her from Ethiopia – as
the Greeks never forgot the foreign origin of the sphinx
- to punish the city of Thebes for the crimes of its King,
Laius. Another version relates that it was Dionysus who
sent her to punish the Thebans for neglecting his wor-
ship. In any case, she was standing on a high rock near
the city gate and asked all travellers her notorious ques-
tion, "What creature with one voice walks on four legs
in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs
in the evening — and is weakest when it has the most
legs?" No one could answer, and she strangled and de-
voured all those who failed. It took Oedipus to find the
solution and free the Thebans from the monster. Upon
hearing Oedipus’ answer, “Man, who walks on all fours
in infancy, walks upright on two legs in the midday of
his life, and hobbles about with a staff in old age,” she
9www.magick‐theurgy.com
threw herself from her rock and died.
The Naxos Sphinx
The sphinx measures 2,32 m and 1,35 m in width and
sits on an Ionic column about 10 metres tall. It was dis-
covered in pieces in 1861, and is dated circa 570-560
BC. Given the impressive size of the work, the sculptor
was able to work its features in quite some detail in spite
of the coarse texture of the Naxos marble. Unlike the
sphinxes placed on top of funereal monuments, with
their head turned sideways to frighten strangers, this one
looks straight ahead. Sphinxes in sanctuaries were “per-
haps the guardians of a hero’s tomb placed in the sacred
soil – in Delphi it was Dionysus’, patron-god of Naxos.”
Dionysus is of heroic nature as he was killed by the Ti-
tans, and then resuscitated to become immortal. He may
have had a tomb next to the ditch above which Apollo’s
priestess channelled his oracular replies in the adytum,
the temple’s forbidden inner sanctum.
The sphinx has a woman’s head, oval and elongated,
a feline body with the front legs end-
ing in eagle claw, and big wings
starting on the shoulders, mounting
in a sickle form to end over the head.
Over the forehead, the hair locks
take the form of a semi-circle.
Sphinxes always have long plaits
framing their face, and a headband.
The chest is garmented with inci-
sions, which give a feathers-like im-
pression. The wings are divided in
three parts with different decora-
tions. These nuances emphasise
the sculptor’s dexterity and under-
line the decorative function of
votive sculptures. Although we
are used today to seeing them
colourless, ancient sculptures
were actually painted and the different colours certainly
underlined the subtleties of this work.
“This ex-voto offers us one of the most ancient rep-
resentations of this legendary demon, which has inspired
many Greek artists, especially in the Archaic period.
They had to come a long way to produce such a master-
piece; the harmonious use of curves vouches for a long
experience and a refined sensitivity. This monument
also vouches for the piety and wealth of Naxos’ inhabi-
tants, as well as well as the supremacy in the art of mar-
ble sculpture in the Archaic period.”
Today, its enigmatic
aspect and impressive
size makes it one of the
most popular artefacts in
the Delphi Museum.
A Brief History of the
Delphic Oracle
Many legends surround the
origins of the Delphi sanctu-
ary. According to H. W. Parke, “the foundation of Del-
phi and its oracle took place before the times of recorded
history.” The site was originally devoted to the worship
of the Earth goddess Gaia, mother of all gods. She was
the first to give oracles, succeeded by her daughter
Themis. The Homeric hymn to Apollo relates how the
god took over the site and erected his first temple after
having killed Python, the giant snake guardian of Gaia’s
sanctuary. Following his killing of Python, Apollo con-
demned himself to eight years of exile in accordance
with the divine sanction befalling on assassins. He then
returned to Delphi and became the master of the site.
10 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
Another story says that Zeus, wishing to know where
the centre of the Earth was, sent two eagles from the two
corners of the world. The eagles met in Delphi, and thus
it became the navel of the Earth. Zeus marked the site
with the omphalos ("navel") stone. Pilgrims from all
over the ancient world gave offerings of umbilical form,
as the fame of the Delphic oracle went far beyond the
frontiers of Greece, up to far away countries. A Roman
or Hellenistic copy of the omphalos is exhibited in the
museum.
The authority and prestige of the Delphi sanctuary
came from its oracle, one of the oldest in Greece. An-
cient sources cite it numerous times. Different tech-
niques of divination were
used, but the most famous was
the oracle given by the Pythia,
the woman chosen by Apollo
to speak under his direct inspi-
ration. According to Plutarch,
the Pythia was in her fifties, an
advanced age at this time. She
had to leave husband and chil-
dren to serve her function.
When she sat on Apollo’s sa-
cred tripod, hidden from view,
she fell into ecstasy and
shouted the divine message.
Priests interpreted and trans-
lated her cryptic words for
those consulting her. “Until the
Classical era, no one ques-
tioned how came the Pythia
suddenly spoke the god’s
words. It is only when the be-
lief that cold reason could ex-
plain everything, divine
messages included, started to
supersede faith that different
possible explanations were
given, such that it was the in-
halation of telluric vapours
emanating from a crevasse that
set her in trance, or the leaves
she chew or the water she
drank.” No proof of such telluric vapours having ever
emanated from the ground has been found though.
The Delphic oracle was notorious for its ambiguous
messages. One well-known anecdote relates that Croe-
sus, the wealthy Lydian king, provoked his own down-
fall by misinterpreting Apollo’s message: the god told
him he would destroy a great kingdom if he went to war
against the Persians. Croesus didn’t understand it meant
he would destroy his own kingdom.
The fame of the oracle lasted for centuries and influ-
enced the development of the Hellenic world in many
ways. Offerings from pilgrims made it fabulously
wealthy, even if from the 3rd century BC, offerings had
more to do with kings’ showing off their wealth than
piety. Its decline started in the 1st century BC. In 83 BC,
Thracians sacked the sanctuary and “according to tradi-
tion, the sacred fire went out for the first time after hav-
ing enlightened the Greeks and barbarians for
centuries.”
The sanctuary remained in func-
tion under Roman rule, but the
death knell of paganism sounded
when Roman Emperors became
Christian. Pagan cults had to dis-
appear from their empire, although
they had no qualms about pillaging
sacred sites. For instance, Nero
took 500 statues from Delphi to
Rome in AD 51. Julian the Apos-
tate, the last pagan Emperor
(reigned AD 355-363), tried to re-
vive ancient traditions and cults.
He sent a messenger to question
the Pythia, who gave this last
prophecy foretelling the end of her
oracle:
Tell to the king that the carven
hall is fallen in decay;Apollo has
no chapel left, no prophesying
bay,No talking spring. The stream
is dry that had so much to say.
Theodosius I, Emperor AD 379-
395, proscribed the practice of pa-
ganism. In AD 380, he declared
Christianity the official religion of
the Roman Empire and refused to
give funds to maintain pagan tem-
ples. In AD 381, the Christian persecution of paganism
began. The etymology of paganism shows how “the
Christians’ rejection of polytheism was encapsulated in
their argot for heathen cult and myth: “paganismus.” A
“paganus” in Latin was either a country
(continued on page 12)
11www.magick‐theurgy.com
(Continued from page 11)
peasant or, in the language of the army, a civilian.” The Delphi sanctuary was closed in AD 395, and remained
in abandon for nearly a century until the arrival of Christian settlers.
Today, the breath-taking beauty of the site, as well as the aura of mystery still surrounding the ruins of the sacred
site, make it the most popular destination in Greece after Athens’ Acropolis. The remains of the temple visible are
from the one built in the mid-4th century BC. Small groups of people, who still have faith in the ancient gods,
even discreetly meet at times by the sacred Kastalia spring, nearby Apollo’s temple, to honour the deities from the
past. And indeed, if you visit the site in the middle of winter, away from the crowds, and are lucky enough to
wander among the ruins undisturbed, you get the impression that above the remains of his sanctuary, on Mount
Parnassus, Apollo himself is smiling upon you.
Find the Bibliography online at:http://www.magick-theurgy.com
12 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
SACRED HYMNS
Hymn to Eros
English translation by Martin Beliard
O Eros, I invoke you !
You are great, pure, desirable, sweet, impetuous,
skilled and cunning.
You are the powerful archer, winged, agile, running
in the fire and playing with Gods and mortals.
The keys of the aether, of the heavens, of the sea,
of the Earth, and of winds are yours.
The fruit bearing Goddess nourishing mortals and
the master of the Tartar and of the raging seas recog-
nize your kingship; you alone are the mover of the
course of all things.
O blessed God, come to your initiate with a sacred
voice and disperse away unworthy desires.
13www.magick‐theurgy.com
DISCOVERTHE AURUM SOLIS SET
- The full color Tarot Deck
- The booklet
- A die
- And more AVAILABLE AT: http://goo.gl/0mEQN
AN INTRODUCTION TO HELLENISTIC ASTROLOGY
AN ONLINE COURSE
Hellenistic astrology is a tradition that originated in Egypt in the
1st century BCE. The astrologers of this time period commonly
attributed the creation of the system to Hermes Trismegistus, and
the astological motifs that permeate the philosophical Hermeticaare rooted in this tradition.
The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth introduction
to the history, philsophy and techniques of ancient astrology.
The course is geared towards those who wish to become familiar
with the practice of ancient predictive astrology, although the
philosophical and cosmological implications of this material are
addressed as well.
The course contains over 20 hours of audio lectures, a detailed
course manual, guided readings of ancient astrological texts, and
much more.
For more information please see:
http://www.hellenisticastrology.com/courses/
Myths and Folklore: Hermes is the mes-
senger of the Gods. A trickster and a
thief, he is also the Divine patron of
healers, wise men and women, and of
the Hermetic Tradition. He is the son of Zeus and Maia,
and the father of Hermaphroditus and Pan. Keryx, the
first herald of the Mysteries at Eleusis, is sometimes
considered his offspring, as are
many local heroes across Greece.
Myths tell us Hermes was born in
Arcadia on Mont Cyllene. On the
day of his birth, he killed a tortoise and
made a lyre with its shell. Later on the
same day, he secretly stole fifty cows from
Apollo in order to make offerings to the Immortal
Olympians. Apollo later found out, but Hermes gave
him his tortoise lyre to appease him. Recognizing Her-
mes’ wits and talents, Apollo bestowed great powers
upon him.
A popular myth featuring Hermes in classical times
is the story of the murder of Argus. The nymph Io, who
was loved by Zeus, had been changed into a heifer. The
14 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
HERMESThe Wise and Volatile God
Myths and Folklore: Hermes is
the messenger of the Gods. A
trickster and a thief, he is also
the Divine patron of healers,
wise men and women, and of the
Hermetic Tradition.
by Sophie Watson
Father of the Gods transformed her so as to protect her
from the wrath of Hera. However, Zeus was later tricked
into giving the heifer to his wife. Hera decided to put Io
in Argus’ care. The latter was a herdsman with a hundred
eyes all over his head. Argus never lost sight of the
nymph. Displeased at his beautiful lover’s captivity,
Zeus asked Hermes to kill Io’s monstrous keeper and
free her from Hera. The messenger of the Gods,
equipped with winged feet, a helmet, and his caduceus,
went in search of Argus. On the way he stole a herd of
goats to disguise himself. Walking by with his caduceus
as a shepherd’s crook, and playing the reed pipe, he
found Argus on the slopes of a hill.
Hermes tried to charm Argus to sleep with his music,
but it was of no use as the herdsman resisted every song
he knew. As Hermes was singing about the invention of
the reed pipe, Argus finally drowsed, and Hermes cut
off his head. Free, Io wandered to Egypt where Roman
poets claim she became the great Goddess Isis. As for
Argus, Hera took his hundred eyes and put them on the
peacock’s colourful tail. The latter part of the story has
since been understood by alchemists to signify the ex-
traordinary succession of colours crowning the Great
Work.
The name ‘Hermes’ most probably comes from
‘herma’, a very old Greek word meaning ‘pile of
stones’. Piles of stones assembled in various ways were
used early on in ancient Greece to mark important social
and religious spaces. In Plato’s time, one would often
encounter later versions of such markers. Rectangular
stone pillars decorated with an erect phallus and a
sculpted head of Hermes could be seen at crossroads, in
the agora, next to doors, in a house’s vestibule, and on
the threshold of sacred spaces (sanctuaries, temples, and
cemeteries). Such pillars were called ‘Hermae’, and
were mostly used as boundaries and markers of space
they were thought to magically protect.
From the Ptolemaic era onward, especially in Khmun
(Hermopolis), Hermes was identified with the Egyptian
God Thoth with whom he had much in common. Not
only was Thoth the messenger of the Gods and God-
desses, but he ruled over the magickal and sacerdotal
arts, and was the God of understanding, language, and
the judgement of individual souls. Works with Hermes
in the Ogdoadic Tradition carry, to this day, this impor-
tant association between Egyptian religion and Greek
Mysteries.
Invokation: Hermes is the wise and volatile God as-
sociated with Mercury. He is the patron of magick,
prophecy, divination, alchemy, the healing arts, and se-
crecy. He is also associated with speech, music, num-
bers, good luck, travels, exchanges, transmissions,
translations, and mediations, be they inside one’s being
(the nervous system), with other individuals (communi-
cation and affects), or between the physical and the spir-
itual realms (in theurgy).
15www.magick‐theurgy.com
Hermes should be invoked in matters connected to
the learning, teaching, and practice of magick and
theurgy. The same could be said of alchemy and astrol-
ogy. His influence is paramount in matters of divination
and healing, but also, in any work involving passages
from the visible to the invisible and vice versa. Hermes’
influence should be sought in all matters related to in-
tellectual and mental activities and processes as well as
the transmission of knowledge. Hermetists wanting to
develop their focus, a clarity of mind, wit, memory, vi-
sion, and awareness should work with him. He can also
be invoked, along with Selene, to develop dream-con-
sciousness and empathy in general.
Symbols: You can decorate your lararium (a tradi-
tional altar to the divinities and to one’s ancestors) ac-
cording to certain symbols when invoking Hermes. A
list is given below. These symbols can also be used
when making talismanic images, furniture, or jewellery
for the God. Drawing from these specific symbols in
your work will ensure harmonious and propitious con-
tacts with Hermes. They can be used as materials (wood,
rocks and gems, magical objects), or as images. The
shapes, patterns, and colours of leaves, fruits, rocks, and
gems should inspire your creations:
In the vegetal realm: Angelica, anise, basil, buttercup,
carrot, celery, citronella, coltsfoot, dill, endive, fennel,
fern, flax, garlic, gentian, harefoot, hawthorn, hazel,
hop, lavender, liquorice, magnolia, mandrake, marjo-
ram, mercury flowers, mint, mulberry tree, myrtle, oak
tree, oats, orange, oregano, parsley, parsnip, pistachio,
poplar tree, poppy, valerian, and wormwood.
In the animal realm: Baboon, birds in general, chee-
tah, fox, gazelle, giraffe, ibis, jackal, mule, rooster,
snake, wolf, zebra and from mythology: Sphinx, uni-
corn, winged snake, three-headed snake, and hermaph-
rodite.
In the mineral realm: Abalone shell, banded agate,
alexandrite, cinnabar, opal, rhinestone, quicksilver, and
topaz.
Other symbols include coins, shells, pebbles, dice,
winged hat, broad-rimmed felt hat, winged boots, ca-
duceus, syrinx (reed pipe), lyre, shepherd’s crook, san-
dals, sacred wand, papyri, stylus, hood, and alchemist’s
vessel.
Offerings and perfumes: When working with Hermes,
one should draw from the symbols of the vegetal realm
above for food offerings. Beer, and in some cases mead,
or anise scented liquors such as Arak Razzouk, are the
best all around beverages used in rites and prayers to the
God. The burning of perfumes should precede offerings
when working with the divinities. You can either use a
thurible or a cauldron for these incense offerings. You
can experiment with the perfumes of some of the plants
and seeds mentioned above (be careful to distinguish
between roots and leaves in your notes), but should also
familiarize yourself with age-old perfumes associated
with Mercury: mastic, liquid storax, spikenard oil,
lavender flowers and oil, poppy seeds, and yellow san-
dal, either as wood or oil. I personally use a mix of mas-
tic, oliban, and lavender for works with Hermes as the
Divine Patron of Hermetism, and a recipe with fair
amounts of spikenard oil and poppy seeds for works in-
volving Hermes’ proximity with death, dreams, and the
pilgrimages of the Soul.
With time, your relationship with Hermes will de-
velop, and allow you to properly recognize the perfumes
associated with him. You will then be able to explore
and discover new perfumes related to Mercury, and try
out different incense recipes of your own creation. Sym-
bols, offerings, and perfumes are
there for you to discover the God’s
role in nature, as well as in yourself.
Have fun experimenting with these,
and discovering your own divinity.
May Hermes be with you. n
Beverage suggested for the offerings:
- Red beer, American Indian Pale Ale
- Orange and Mango juice
Personal Harmonization with Hermes:
Bentley cocktail
On ice, stir 1 1/2 oz brandy or calvados, 1 oz ver-
mouth, add 1 twist orange or lemon peel and serve.
16 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
“Lastly, most women, in order to exhibit their native gracefulness and allurements, divest themselves of
all their garments, and long to show their naked beauty; being conscious that they shall please more by
the rosy redness of their skin, than by the golden splendor of their robes. But (though it is a thing not law-
ful to speak of, and may there never be so dire an example of such a thing) if you deprive a woman of the
most surpassing beauty of her hair, and strip her face of its native elegance; though she were sent from the
heavens, produced from the sea, and nourished in the waves; though, I say, she were Venus herself, sur-
rounded by all the Graces, and attended by the whole family of Loves, girded with her cestus, fragrant
with cinnamon, and dropping balsam as she moves; yet if she were bald, she would not be able to please
her own Vulcan.
How beautiful is the hair, when it is of a pleasing color, shines with a
glittering light, is vividly refulgent when opposite to the rays of the sun,
or is more mildly resplendent, and varies its appearance in a different
gracefulness ; at one time emitting a brightness like that of gold, it
sinks into a slender shade of the color of honey; at another, with a
blackness like that of a crow, it emulates the azure flowers of
the neck of doves; or now, anointed with Arabian drops, [i.e.
the tears of myrrh] separated by the slender tooth of a sharp
comb, and tied behind the head, it presents itself to the
eyes of the lover,—it then, like a mirror, reflects a more
pleasing image. How beautiful, when being thick,
it is agglomerated with prolific abundance on
the crown of the head, or
extended in a long series
flows down the back!
Lastly, so great, is the
dignity of the hair of the
head, that though a
woman should be
adorned with gold, rich
garments, precious
stones, and every other
ornament, yet she would
not seem to be decorated,
unless her hair was
gracefully divided.”
Apuleius, The Metamor-
phosis, Book 2-9.
17www.magick‐theurgy.com
Everywhere in the world women are still
persecuted for not being men! Keeping this
in mind, it is interesting to read an excerpt
from a book by Apuleus, a Master of the past
initiated to the Ancient Mysteries. See for
yourself how far the Western Tradition is
from a fundamentalist attitude against
women!
THE ETERNALFEMININE
Martin Béliard – In your new book,
The Divine Arcana of the Aurum
Solis, you unveil the Aurum Solis’
use of ancient Hermetic Arcana at
the origin of Modern Tarot’s major trumps. As
Grand Master of the Order, why did you choose to
first write on the Tarot instead of other elements of
the Hermetic tradition?
Jean-Louis de Biasi – The Tarot has an amazing his-
tory. It is impossible for someone interested in the West-
ern Tradition not to be aware of it. Books on this subject
are countless and so are Tarot decks. In fact, the Tarot is
a tool for divination and, at the same time, a book of
symbols. This combination makes it a unique and fruit-
ful set of Arcana to explore. Now is not the time to de-
velop the history of the Tarot at length, but it is impor-
tant to highlight elements of its history. The modern
Tarot occult system was mainly created by three French
occultists: Comte de Mellet, Etteilla, and Eliphas Levi.
The Golden Dawn made extensive use of the correspon-
dences created at this time. They developed these sym-
bolic representations and system according to their own
tradition and creativity. As you will learn in my book,
these developments had some productive effects, but
also produced mistakes. Today, usual Tarots derived
from the “Tarot de Marseille”, or even from the earlier
“Visconzi-Sforza Tarot”, have become the source of
great artistic inspiration and symbolic studies. This is
beautiful and undoubtedly a great way to approach this
aspect of the Western Tradition.
However, it is important to note that the “modern”
Tarot is a later occult system indirectly inspired by the
original Hermetic system of theurgy. The Hermetic Tra-
dition, which is also called the Ogdoadic Tradition, is
rooted in the deepest sources of Humanity, a part of the
18 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
world which was the place where humanity created the first languages,
religions, philosophies, and magickal systems. The Hermetic Tradition
took form at the end of the Egyptian civilization in Alexandria and gave
birth to something you can call an Alexandro-Egyptian Hellenism. It was
usual at this time to study and represent the cosmos through divine powers
called Gods. The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis is composed of divine
representations which were progressively chosen by initiates to synthesize
their understanding of the cosmos on the material and spiritual level. As
such, every Arcanum is clearly and precisely linked with a Divinity and
associated with his/her sacred names so as to enable the practice of
theurgy. Several architectural monuments, artifacts, and writings were
used in Italy and other countries to keep these hidden hermetic keys alive.
In Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis, I investigate, among other things,
a number of roman artifacts as well as a strange pagan church in the
North-East of Italy. These are just a few examples of the rich heritage of
this Tradition.
Coming back to your question, it seems logical to begin by speaking
about the Hermetic representations of the macrocosm and microcosm.
Doing so, I am providing keys for the readers which will enable them to
immediately start working at the theurgic level.
M.B. – Why is the Aurum Solis Tarot using 24 Arcana instead of
22 like other Tarot decks? Moreover, why are its Arcana representing
divinities instead of allegorical figures, or events, like Modern Tarot
trumps?
JL. DB. – As you can imagine, I cannot properly answer this question
here. You will find a detailed answer in my book as well as in an article
entitled “did you miss something?” published on the Llewellyn website
(http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2230). A few elements, how-
ever, could shed lights on your question. Sometimes Traditions carry both
great insights and profound mistakes in their teachings. A Tradition, as a
family, is a very powerful and useful element. You can receive teachings,
19www.magick‐theurgy.com
The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis
by Martin Beliard
An interview with the author
20 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
Throughout history there
has been many representa-
tions of the Qabalistic Tree of
Life.
Even if the number of
spheres is very often the same,
you can see on these qabalis-
tic documents that the paths
can be very different. Their
number and, their positions is
not the expression of an ab-
solute and defintive revelation.
We are far from the dogmatic
representations of some mod-
ern magical Orders.
This Hermetic Tree of
Life in Sub Rosa Nigra
mode is the result of
inner research con-
ducted for many years
by the Grand Officers
of the Aurum Solis.The Sephirotic Tree
according to Rabbi
Isaac Luria.
rituals, a magickal link with an egregore, and much
more from it. In different situations, a Tradi-
tion can also become an obstacle when dogmas
begin to constitute its main element as well as
what keeps it alive. Sadly, this is the case of a
number of initiatic Orders. The reason I am say-
ing this is easy to understand. Everyone learning
or practicing the Western Tradition is accustomed
to the number 22. Have you ever asked yourself
why? From the 16th century onward, Christians in-
terested in the Western Tradition have been learning
Hebrew Qabalah. They discovered this biblical eso-
teric tradition and used it in their own research and re-
ligion. Later in the 19th century, French occultists were
also focused on what they called the “esoteric” aspect
of Catholicism. Eliphas Levi (who was a Christian
priest) developed in his books the links between Chris-
tianity, Qabalah, esotericism and the Tarot. The result
was the association between the Hebrew Alphabet (22
letters) and the number of Major Arcana of the Tarot. As
I already mentioned, these correspondences were pro-
gressively emphasized by well known British initiatic
groups. The Western Tradition, however, is not restricted
to Qabalah and the Biblical Tradition.
As I wrote in a blog (http://goo.gl/tn6kb) philosophy,
theurgy, rituals, etc. existed before Qabalah was in-
vented. At that time, the sacred languages of Hermetists
were Chaldean, Egyptian, and Greek. Greek was the lan-
guage used during the Ptolemaic period to develop the
Hermetic teachings. There are 24 letters in the Greek
Alphabet. As I explain in my book, this number also cor-
responds to the Hermetic representation of the cosmos:
4 elements (plus one: the Ether), the 7 planets and the
12 astrological signs. From the beginning, the Masters
of the Ogdoadic Tradition always maintained this
knowledge, root of all Hermetic practices and rituals.
Even if they used some elements from Hebrew Qabalah,
it was always according to Hermetic teachings and cos-
mology.
Regarding the representations of the trumps, you have
to understand that symbols change through time. The
first Tarot play cards used allegorical figures the way
people were used to in the Renaissance. Allegory was
used to entertain through various references to society,
class, stages in life, etc. Of course these cards were not
connected to any numbers or letters. Later, when psy-
chics used these trumps for divination, they started
adding increased interpretation to these various figures.
Occultists then connected the trumps to numbers and
Hebrew letters. Under their influence, the many figures
started to change. Symbols which could be connected
to Qabalah, alchemy, and magic were emphasized, and
others reduced. Different books combined with the in-
fluence of modern initiatic groups increased this “nat-
ural selection” to obtain a sort of “Dogmatic Tarot”
considered to be the true representation of the original
teachings of the Western Tradition. To this day, modern
artists and authors interpret with their own talent the
same structure. It is always pleasant to see pagan, and
magickal interpretations of the Tarot rooted on a Hebrew
Qabalistic system, which is very different from Her-
metism. They have very different philosophical and es-
oteric representation of the Cosmos!.. Maybe it is time
to simply ask yourself: if the Tarot gives essential keys
I can use for rituals and divination, do I need to use a
hidden Qabalistic egregore in order to be efficient, or
should I draw from the clarity and precision of the orig-
inal hermetic Tarot system? I am sure my book will give
21www.magick‐theurgy.com
One of the earliest Tarot, the Tarot of Man-
tegna is composed of a set of 50 engravings.
Several are precisely connected to the Immor-
tal Divinities and to the hermetic representa-
tion of the cosmos.
The system of 22 major trumps derives from
the Hebrew Qabalah, and the mid-nineteenth
century French Occult revival. It was especially
disseminated by Eliphas Levi and, later, incor-
porated in the teachings of Westcott, Mathers
and Waite.
you several elements to decide by yourself without hid-
den dogmas.
M.B. – Can the Aurum Solis Tarot be used as any
other Tarot deck? How is it related to the theurgical
work of the Ordo Aurum Solis?
JL. DB. – First of all, just reflect on how you can use
usual Tarot decks? Symbolic study and meditation could
be the first answers. As training, this is really useful, and
something akin to what you will be able to do with al-
chemical or astrological figures. But after that you can
ask yourself: how I can use these trumps for inner prac-
tice and real rituals? Are they really useful? Take a few
seconds to answer. As you can see this is not so easy be-
cause the real keys are hidden and sometimes the corre-
spondences used on the trumps are wrong.
So yes, what you called “the Aurum Solis Tarot” (but
it is best to call it “the Divine Arcana of the Aurum
Solis”), can be used for symbolic and mythological
study. It can be used for meditation, visualization, inner
practice, magick and theurgy. You can also use it to have
an action on different situations in your life. Various
charts in the book give you a very precise list of qualities
and psychological functions, and the rituals and divini-
ties you can draw from to better your life. As you can
see, its uses are far more deeper than what you can
imagine.
I know that for many people, theurgical work seems
very similar to a magickal work. You can find in this
issue of the magazine a short FAQ about this question.
But in few words, I can say that according to
Iamblichus, theurgy is the use of symbols and rituals in
order to engage with various levels of consciousness and
raise your soul to the most divine realities. Theurgy can
be seen as a magickal system founded on spiritual de-
velopment. In this case you can easily understand that
the modern Tarot decks are not very efficient for that.
When you will see the Divine Arcana of the Aurum
Solis you will be able to understand that you can use it
instantaneously to invoke inwardly and outwardly the
Divine powers. The hermetic sacred names, the divine
figures and the original correspondences will allow you
to work theurgically.
M.B. – Can the Aurum Solis Arcana be used in
group rituals? Could you give us an example of the
kind of group magical work one can do with these
Hermetic Arcana?
JL. DB. – Of course yes! This is an important ques-
tion. In initiatic Orders like ours there are always two
levels of group rituals. One is accessible to everyone,
the other one is generally restricted to initiates and per-
formed under the protection of the egregore of the
Order. So it is not necessary to be initiated in order to
begin your group rituals. However, it is important to
have someone experienced to teach and supervise this
kind of group work. This is what I do during seminars
or workshops open to everyone. You have a large prac-
tical part in the book and you will be able to read and
try individual rituals. All individual rituals can be prac-
ticed in group.
As I said, each Arcanum is linked to a divine power.
In a group ritual performed in workshop, you can see
how the energies are organized in your inner and invis-
ible bodies. You can find what planet, sign, etc. is an ob-
stacle (or help) for you. After that, and this is something
which is peculiar to theurgy, you can re-balance these
powers by an immediate use of the Arcana. All members
of the group focus their energies in a ritual dedicated to
one of them. The power of the Divine Arcana associated
with the power of the group gives a very efficient result.
This is a simple example of what is practiced in a work-
shop.
M.B. – This book is your second at Llewellyn Pub-
lication in less than a year. Do you plan on publishing
any other soon? Can you tell us a bit about your
forthcoming projects?
JL. DB. – Yes, I do! First of all the full colored Tarot
Deck of the Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis has been
released One month ago.
As for books, I am working on a book entitled Be-
coming Gods. The subtitle says a bit more about its
topic: “Invoking the Powerful Divinities to Transform
and Enjoy your Life.”
The next one will be “The Couple’s Magickal Path .”
It is important not to unveil every details immediately.
The content of these two books will be released progres-
sively.
Thank you for your questions. n
22 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
OCTOBER 28 1433 (GREG) 13:26 LMT
FIGLINE VALDARNO, Italy
11E28 43N37
Sun 18 55′12″ Libra Swati
Moon 26°45′16″Sagittarius U.Shadha
Mars 13°49′14″Capricorn Sravana
Mercury 12°08′14″Scorpio Anuradha
Jupiter 02°37′59″Leo Magha
Venus 04°09′04″Virgo U.Phalguni
Saturn 26°04′42″Capricorn Dhanista
Rahu 18°14′15″ Sagittarius P.Shadha
Ketu 18°14′15″ Gemini Ardra
Ascendant 20°56′06″ Sravana
Saturn in the 1st house gives an austere and hermit-
like outlook on life; it is the reason why Ficino took the
name "Saturnus" within the Careggi Circle; Ficino iden-
tified himself to the qualities of Saturnus.
The 2nd lord, Saturn, in the 1st house gives knowl-
edge of different languages. All odd signs are afflicted
by the Rahu-Ketu axis, and the 8th lord, the Sun, is
placed in the 10th house. These factors are probably
what drew the native close to God (Ficino became a
priest in 1473 during his Rahu/ Moon period, Vim-
soothri dasa system). The 9th lord (religion and philos-
ophy) in the 11th house (gains) suggests Ficino gained
through knowledge and philosophy (Mercury gives in-
tellect and to know by reason). The 7th lord in the 12th
house gives litigation through partners as can be shown
when he was subject to the inquisition (6th house is lit-
igation but both 6th and 12th houses are afflicted). He
was described as mild, refined and gentle, though with
possible flash of anger. Content with a simple dress and
lifestyle, he was conscientious and frugal. His quick
flash of anger is apparently due to Mars in the 1st house.
The 10th lord (occupation) is placed in the 9th house
(religion). Ficino did indeed have his priesthood or-
dained by fate. This chart shows that he overcame his
hardships in life by embracing religion and philosophy.
Saturn in the 1st house gives a renunciation attitude to-
wards material and sensual pleasures.n
23www.magick‐theurgy.com
MARSILIO FICINO’SNATAL CHART
by Frater Jovis
The Calyx is a fundamental technique of the Ordo Aurum
Solis sometimes compared to the Qabalistic Cross you
can find in the Golden Dawn Tradition. Its general struc-
ture and goal is very well described in the book “Magi-
cal Philosophy” and we will begin with this analysis.
[The quotations below are from “The Magical Philoso-
phy,” Volume 3.]
“The Calyx is a fundamental technique of Art Magick, which both
aligns the practitioner with the forces of the cosmos, and awakens aware-
ness of the counterparts of those forces with the psyche. It can thus be said
to encapsulate in brief compass the chief method and purpose of all work-
ings of High Magick.
The Calyx is variously employed as a psychic energizer, as a mode of
adoration, or as a preparatory formula for the bringing through of power.”
This last sentence has to be read carefully to be fully understood. The
two authors hid several keys here.
Obviously, the first step is related to the magick level which consists of
working on your inner psychic abilities. The second plane concerns the spir-
itual level which will be developed later in this article through the Sacred
Gesture of Hermes. The third level is related to Theurgy. When you are aware
of your inner abilities your consciousness is open to the spiritual levels and,
as a result, it becomes possible for you to build a strong link inwardly and
outwardly with the Divine powers.
“It forms, for example, an integral part of the rites of the Setting of the
Wards (Papers III, IV, and V follow below), where its primary function is to
imbue the operator with the power necessary to establish a sealed and sanc-
tified environment, and a vibrant astral matrix, in which to conduct his work.”
It is important to remember that such ritual work is performed on the inner
plane first. Gestures and vibrations can have an effect only if you intend to
do this practice on the invisible level. If you do not use a proper visualization
or do not know which aspect you have to be focused on, the practice will only
be a physical exercise. You really have to build a precise invisible environ-
ment. To accomplish this, the first step is to learn how to visualize. Later on,
other keys are necessary to learn how to “seal” this sacred space in order to
24 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
From the Calyxto HERMES
by Jean-Louis De Biasi
perform strong and efficient spiritual
work. This is usually passed on
through oral teachings.
“At the conclusion of some of the
Ritual Formulae, the Calyx is em-
ployed as a gratulatio, a magical
thanksgiving. In this context, the
function of the Calyx is twofold: in
the ambience of an achieved rite it
honors the sublime reality of the
forces of cosmos and microcos-
mos, and it affirms and establishes
the equilibrium of potencies within
the psychic organism of the opera-
tor.”
Again it is essential to remember
this necessary connection between
microcosm and macrocosm. A
Theurgist must perform rituals by
choosing the symbols and different
elements according to the law of
correspondences, but also with his
mind focused on the highest spiri-
tual levels. Having this as his goal
makes a fundamental difference.
This is an important part of the
safety of the entire process. As the
quotation reads, the use of the
Calyx allows you to balance the
energies in your aura. In order to
achieve this result, you can simply
follow the directions, as presented
in the book. The results will come
(depending on the regularity of
your practice). However, if you
use the description of the process
on the invisible level, your work
will be more efficient and your
progression much more faster.
The awareness of this occult
process will always help you to
better understand what you are
doing. Consequently, it will affect
the success of your entire work.
“Although relatively simple,
the Calyx is a complete spiritual
"toner" in its own right, and the
student should use it frequently:
whether to enhance their personal psychic energies in
preparation for another activity (ritual, meditative, or
other), or as mode of attunement to the great forces of
life, or for the sheer joy of the work, or for bliss of
being.”
This is a great aspect of the Ogdoadic Tradition, - the
Aurum Solis always helps student connect their self-de-
velopment with their spiritual life.
“In the text of the Calyx, the Words of Power are
given in both Hebrew and Greek forms.”
Thanks to the former Grand Masters of the Aurum
Solis, the Calyx is not limited to words taken from He-
brew as you can see in the Golden Dawn tradition. The
Greek vibrations (Sub Rosa Nigra mode) and Latin
names are provided in order to give you the opportunity
to experience another kind of energy. It is important for
you to realize that the sacred names always connect the
practitioner to a certain quality of energy. Correspon-
dences between names do not mean they are equivalent!
The results of using Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or Egyptian
are not identical. Of course the main goal and the
essence of the practice remain the same. However, the
character and the tone of the work on the spiritual level
are not the same. If you want to turn a light on, the
process is simple. Just flip the switch. However you can
easily understand that even if the power is the same, the
light will be different if you use different colored lamps.
Consequently your feeling will also be different if you
are under the influence of a red light, as opposed to a
green, black or natural light. It is the same when you are
using vibrations from different origins and this is why
you have to choose them very carefully. You must also
consider that theses sacred languages are associated with
special cultures and, therefore, with specific egregores.
Again, the powers with which you would be connected
with if you act without being aware of the occult issues
will have a very different impact on your psyche. All
these elements have to be enlightened in order for you
to understand the consequences of these issues on your
life. I had the opportunity to write an article about this
subject and you can find it at: http://goo.gl/CJAdp.
If you consider these aspects in relation to the Qabal-
istic map, we could say that the Magus restores the true
balance between Binah and Chokmah. At this moment,
“his is the mind now in truth of the all-potent Father and
of the Bright Fertile Mother: he is the Right Hand and
the Left Hand both upheld in the Gesture of the Calyx:
and above and between them shines the Illimitable Bril-
25www.magick‐theurgy.com
liance of the Primal Glory.” (Magical Philosophy, Vol-
ume 2, Chapter IV)
THE PROCESS ON THE INVISIBLE PLANES
Now let us take a closer look at the Calyx ritual. Some
people have erroneously reduced the Calyx to a modi-
fied form of the Qabalistic Cross. This failure to inves-
tigate and understand the deeper meaning of the Calyx
has led to a complete misunderstanding of its most im-
portant characteristics. I will repair some of that damage
here by offering more information about its purpose and
meaning.
Calyx is a Greek word meaning “cup” or “shell.” The
meaning of this word reveals the receptive essence of
your being as you perform this ritual. In the Calyx, the
focus is on our complete receptivity to the Divine forces
that ennoble us. Therefore, the Calyx can be a “stand
alone” ritual, which is both intellectually and emotion-
ally profound.
To understand the meaning and the symbolism of this
practice, and to avoid mistakes, you must understand
what happens on the different planes (at the levels of
your invisible bodies) during the ritual. The best way to
understand this is for me to describe this ritual and what
is happening internally, and for you to follow the
process by enacting it (at least mentally). This way you
will have a much clearer idea of the power of the Calyx
and its potency.
Before I describe
the Calyx, It is
very important to
point out again
that the Calyx may
be performed in
different lan-
guages, and that
the language used
has an effect on
the practitioner.
You can listen to
the correct pro-
nunciation of the
words used in the Calyx on the Aurum Solis Website at:
http://goo.gl/cggDf to help the reader understand this, I
will describe the occult process of these different for-
mulas of the Calyx.
At the first moment of the ritual, the Magus concen-
trates on his/her Corona Flammae (Kether) before be-
ginning the breathing sequence; this stimulates a kind
of vibration in the aura. We might compare this effect
to the moment before a storm bursts, when we feel the
electric tension building in the air. At the first inhalation,
an intense white sphere appears just above your head.
The most advanced teachings of our Order explain the
connection between this sphere and the seven planetary
spheres, but I will not develop this aspect here. Next, a
26 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
Repeatedly used in the an-
cient Mediterranean Tradi-
tions, winged snakes can
be found in many places
and symbols..
rippling, undulating movement appears inside the
sphere. A kind of flame (similar in shape to the Hebrew
Letter Yod) appears and begins to manifest itself as a
pulsating sphere of light, -increasing in diameter as you
visualize it.
This divine flame is called from the highest planes of
the Magician’s psyche. This little flame (visualized
above your head) represents the Supreme Power, the
source, the origin of all magickal power, the sacred fire
which enables us to practice divine Magick (Theurgy).
The localization of this flame above the head specifies
that it originates far from the profane being, the physical
body and its surroundings. This manifestation helps the
Magus make contact with the powers used to perform
the rituals that follows.
As the Magus inhales, he/she attracts the light down
through and into the spinal column, so that it travels eas-
ily down to the Instita Splendens (Malkuth) where this
power has its roots. If you watch carefully as the light
descends through the central column, during its move-
ment you will see the seven colors that are associated
with the seven planets. After the light is rooted in the In-
stita Splendens, the light in the spinal column becomes
like an intense white hot magnesium flame surrounded
by little red flames. The shape of this light is very spe-
cific and can be likened to a tube.
If you look carefully at what is occurring in the Instita
Splendens, you will see the seven prismatic colors be-
coming a rainbow, which gives birth to a spiral shape.
The movement is completed as they fuse into a dark, vi-
brating color. Even though this deep color is dark and
earthy in appearance, it is not associated with a heavy
feeling at all.
The arms are raised. They are on the horizontal
plane, parallel to the floor, palms up. The Calyx (or cup)
is then created in the mind. This is a major point of dif-
ference between the Calyx and the Qabalistic Cross,
demonstrating the inaccuracy of any comparison be-
tween them. Without revealing the inner teachings of
the Aurum Solis, I can highlight that there is a relation-
ship between the position of the hands, and the spheres
Chokmah and Binah (on the Tree of Life). There are also
specific movements and visualizations that can be used
in order to increase the power of the Calyx in more ad-
vanced forms of the ritual. During this process the Flos
Abysmi (Daat) becomes the central focus. An intense
hub of energy suddenly appears in Tiphereth. One after
the other, the left hand and then the right hand is placed
on the shoulders. If the inner work is properly per-
formed, several phenomena will occur within the invis-
ible body. First, this is the moment when the Magus
crosses the barrier between Atziluth and Briah. Wisdom
(Chokmah) connects to Strength, and Mercy connects
to Hod (the Intellect). This action creates the two pillars
that are on the two sides of the central column (present
in the spinal column).
When your hands are brought in contact with the two
centers associated with your shoulders, you will see the
light increasing
in these two
spheres: (Gedu-
lah/Chesed at the
left shoulder and
Geburah at the
right shoulder).
An intense influx
of light moves
down through
each column, ac-
tually creating
three columns in
your invisi-
ble body.
At this mo-
ment, the
light in the
central column becomes very intense and it is quite im-
possible to hold it in your mind. You will simply feel
the verticality of this link between the sky and the earth.
We may be surprised by this astral process, but it is im-
portant to clarify that there really is no “cross” in your
aura here. The concepts related to any mystical practice
that comes from the Christian ‘sign of the cross’ are not
connected to the process of the Calyx. The Aurum Solis
Calyx is definitely connected to a more ancient Her-
metic practice of Aurum Solis called the “formula of the
Porch of the Temenos” (“Temenos” meaning “Temple”).
This is a very accurate empowerment of your invisible
body that helps to rebalance your inner energies into the
shape of the three columns. As Denning and Phillips
have previously remarked, it is profitable for the student
to understand the relationships between the porch, the
superstructure, the vault and the manifestation of the
Grail.
Your entire aura is now full of bright, luminous rivers
of energy. An intense solar light radiates at the center of
your body, in the Orbis Solis (Tiphareth); it begins to
27www.magick‐theurgy.com
A very interesting bronze ring from
Ancient Egypt, with the crowned
Snake rising to the sun.
crackle like a fire and radiates energy like the warmth
of the rising sun. This occurs at the moment you enter
into the Yeztiratic plane.
The two columns on either side of the spine receive
the same influx of light, and enjoy the same experience
as the central column (spine). Then they gradually begin
to disappear from the mind of the Magus. Only the ra-
diance of the aura continues to be felt.
Completely balanced and fully aware of his/her inner
abilities, the Magus is now able to continue his/her mag-
ical work.
In Volume 3 of “Magical Philosophy,” the au-
thors wrote “In some measure, it may be said
that the Calyx foreshadows the Formula of
the Grail.” This reference leads us back to the
dawning of the Western Tradition. At first
glance, we will be tempted to associate the
Grail to the medieval Christian Tradition. However the
books of the “Magical Philosophy” create a clear and
immediate relation to the pre-Christian Celtic Tradition.
“The Grail is in some aspects closely related to the an-
cient Cauldron of Regeneration which appears in Celtic
mythology. This is represented as an actual magical ves-
sel, from which (after certain operations) the subject
emerges renewed in life and in youth. Its archetype is
nothing less than the "Cauldron of Annwn." (Magical
Philosophy, Vol. 1 - Chapter VII)
“It [the Grail] is also the specific and sacred symbol
of the Goddess in her Binah Aspect, as receptacle of the
power of the Supernal Father. The Grail thus represents
a high spiritual reality: one of its co-symbols is the Uni-
verse. To raise up a magical instrument, as has been said,
is to bring it into manifestation and into operation. He
who elevates the Grail in solemn ritual, therefore, is
making offering so far as he is able, of the universe itself
as a receptacle and instrument of Divine Power. Not
only that: he is also whether explicitly or implicitly of-
fering himself as an instrument of that Power. Even thus
does the Grand Master make offering of the Order, and
of himself its representative before the Gods.” (Magical
Philosophy, Vol. 3, p. 114)
We will have the opportunity to talk
about the important Celtic tradition in another issue of
the magazine, but it is interesting to emphasize this ref-
erence as a major key for the understanding of the Her-
metic concept of the Calyx. First of all, as the last
sentence states, the Grand Master has an essential
Theurgic work in connection to the Immortal Divinities:
“the Gods.” This high spiritual work connects the egre-
gore of the Aurum Solis to the divine founders of the
Tradition by the observance of advanced rituals. For the
good of everyone, it is essential that this channel stays
powerfully alive in order to give its power (through ini-
tiation, which creates a link), and, as Proclus said, by
the consecration and blessing of ritual materials received
through the Magus and Officers at this special moment.
The safety of the individual spiritual practices is one of
the consequences of this aspect of the Calyx. The Ec-
clesia Ogdoadica, which is the religious part of the Her-
metic Tradition, reveals this relationship in an aspect
which is more focused on the field of Adoration. As I
previously stated, the Grail is also the Cauldron of Re-
generation. As you might expect in a Hermetic Tradition
like Aurum Solis, other evidence supporting this fact can
be found in the sacred text “Corpus Hermeticum” which
is also called “The Cup or Monad.” (The relationship
becomes clear.)
“Tat: Why then did God, O father, not bestow on all
of us, the Noûs (the Divine inside us)?
Hermes: He willed, my son, to have the Noûs pre-
28 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
FROM THE GRAIL TO THE HERMES FORMULA
sented to the souls,
just as if it were a
prize.
Tat: And where
hath he it set up?
Hermes: He filled a
mighty Cup with it, and
sent it down, joining a Her-
ald [to it], to whom He gave
the command to make this
proclamation to the hearts of
men: “Immerse thyself in this
great Cup, thee who want to
walk on the sacred way of the re-
turn and want to know for what
thou didst come into being!”
As many then as understood the
Herald's tidings and doused them-
selves in Mind, they became partak-
ers in the Gnosis; and when they had
"received the Mind" they were made
"perfect men."
But they who do not understand the
tidings, these, since they possess the aid
of Reason [only] and not Mind, are igno-
rant wherefore they have come into being
and whereby. [...]
That is Tat, the science of the Noûs: contemplate the
Divine essences and understand God. That is the whole-
someness of diving into the Divine cup.”
The connection between Thoth-Hermes and the
essence of the Cup is obvious. This large cup is a Divine
emanation which contains the Noûs, the Divine sub-
stance which helps us to become Gods, to realize our
own divinity and to reveal the desire to come back to
the origin, which is the Divine world. So more than the
Cup itself, it is what the Cup contains which is essential,
as well as the consequence of using the Cup. This is a
Cup of regeneration of the soul, and, at the same time,
it is a reminder of your own origin and Divine nature.
Now, you can understand why there is a connection be-
tween the Calyx and the large cup from the Hermetic
Tradition. Obviously this name “Calyx” contains more
than expected. This is also why other formulations of
the Cup have been developed in order to increase the
connection to this Hermetic origin.
In the sacred gesture of
Hermes used by initiates and
non initiates, the Hermetic
archetype is used to raise
your soul and enable you to
undertake your ascent to the
divine Cup.
This is how you can proceed:
1- You are standing, your arms
naturally relaxed.
2- Extend your arms in front of
you, raised to approximately 70º
above the horizontal plane, palms
up (supine). Maintain this position
while visualizing the descent of the
spiritual light.
Holding this position, says: EI
3- Lower your arms with your palms
down. Bring them parallel to the floor. The
palms are level with your hips. Holding this
position, says: HE BAZILEIA
4- Simultaneously raise your arms. Cross
them on your chest, right
over left.
Holding this position,
once more, says: KAI HE
DUNAMIS
Holding this position,
once more, says: KAI HE
DOXA
5- Extend your arms in
front of you, raising them
as you open the wings of
29www.magick‐theurgy.com
The manifestation of
inner energy can be
seen as the rise of the
winged serpent:
Agathodaimon!
Hermes, palms up (supine). Your arms should be wide
open and your eyes should be lifted to the heavens.
Maintain this position says: EIS TOUS AIONAS
A few indications of the occult process of this gesture
may be useful.
The first step is intended to give you the opportunity
to balance your inner energies. Your mind has to be
empty of any thoughts. You have to feel your feet on the
floor, the temperature, the nature of the ground, etc.
Breathe in silence. This is the moment when your own
energies are connected to the powers of the earth. Your
body begins to be an extension of the earth. A flow of
subterranean energy comes to your feet and penetrates
up through your feet as an inner vibration. When you
feel this vibration in your feet, turn your consciousness
in the direction of the upper levels, and raise your arms.
This movement will give a direction to the flow of earth
energy which will rise up your spinal cord. When the
energy ascends toward your head, a kind of tube of en-
ergy is created. This channel seems empty because the
energy is very subtle. This is the essence of the earth en-
ergy which activated this bridge between earth and sky.
When your arms are extended in the direction of the
sky, this original energy (which has reached your head)
shines forth in the direction of the sky, in the shape of a
very thin string of light.
This is the moment to turn your mind in the direction
of the original fire, the highest Divinity, without shape,
which is above all other Demiurges, Gods and God-
desses. In specific rituals, the Aurum Solis Tradition
uses a prayer saying:
“I call upon you,
You, the Secret Flame who resides in the luminous
and sacred silence!
You, the Light of the Great Gods, and the Life of the
Worlds!
You, the Powerful, the Resplendent, whose Spirit fills
everything!
You the sanctified Fire who is called upon in each
sanctuary of the skies!”
A golden-yellow energy is attracted by this adoration.
This is an act of love, a desire to see this source of all
life descend into your body as a true revelation of the
Divine in you. When you feel this contact, this magne-
tization, vibrate the first sacred sound. The movement
of energy will be activated and the movement of descent
will begin.
This flow of energy (which is at the same time subtle
and powerful) penetrates you and descends to your solar
plexus using the channel created at the beginning by the
energy from the earth. As soon as you feel this presence,
go immediately to step 3. Move your palms so they are
facing the floor and allow the energy to continue to
progress up through your feet to create this bridge of
light. The second vibration will reinforce this vertical
axis, which rises up your spinal column.
The following steps are related to the revelation of
your own divinity with the help of the Hermetic process.
At this point your desire has to be crystal clear: increase
the awareness of your own divinity and ascend to the
highest spiritual levels by raising your soul through the
celestial spheres.
This desire has to remain in your mind as you simul-
taneously raise both arms. Breathe in as you visualize
the first aspect of the serpent, the good spirit Agathodai-
mon, rising up around you, encircling you clockwise.
When his head has reached the level of your shoulders,
vibrate the sacred word. Do the same for the second as-
pect of Agathodaimon, who encircles you anticlockwise.
As you can see in the illustration, two powerful currents
of energy surround you filling your aura with a bright
golden light.
Now perform the last step, opening your arms in the
direction of the sky. The divine wings of the caduceus
of Hermes open widely. There is a kind of explosion of
fire inside your aura, and your soul can use this celestial
and inner fire to undertake the sacred way of the return.
This occult process unveils for you another under-
standing of what is usually called the “Calyx.” As you
now realize, Hermeticism is not a simple word. These
exercises and Theurgic practices can be used with as
much success today as they were at the beginning of this
Tradition. n
30 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
As many people, I believe it is important to
have a good balance in life. Especially
when you want to have greater awareness
of yourself and, at the same time, increase
your quality of life and your spirituality. So I would like
to share some thinking about life and balance with you.
We live in a visible world which is linked to an im-
measurable invisible world (the spiritual world) in many
ways.
As a human being, the first step – as for a house- is
to build our body, and to discover and learn how to use
it. Indeed, our body is physical, material and as a baby
we can discover it and use it, even before the age of self-
awareness. We develop our mind step by step in parallel
to this initial physical discovery. We learn to speak, and
to understand our native language. Later, we start to
think, to be aware of ourselves and of the world around
us, and so on. We learn, and experience life. These steps
are a lesson for one’s whole life, one’s body changes,
but mind, and the world, change too.
I think it is important to be equally interested to these
two levels: the invisible and the visible. However, find-
ing a balance between mind and body can be a challenge
for most of us. Why?
Maybe it is because we do not really pay enough at-
tention to our whole being? Or because religion has, in
the last centuries, always insisted on mind and soul
while forgetting about the body?
Why are people not paying attention to their body? Is
it because they are working at a spiritual level? But the
mind is inside the body. If the body is a vehicle, why
should it be left in a bad shape, or neglected? The body
partially reflects our mind and our life.
Our body is not only muscles, bones and flesh; it is
also flexibility, endurance, and breathing. Some of it is
innate, and some of it we learn and develop along the
way. However, as human beings, we also have mind
(i.e. such as in the rhythm of a voice, a music or a noise).
Since we are not alone on Earth, our body lives with the
rhythm of the world around us: the seasons, weather,
and other people. Our body reacts with feelings and rea-
son. There is a link between words and feelings, like be-
tween feelings and reason. If we cut these links, we will
be off balance, and sometimes, even get sick. We can
find a lot of examples of mental or physical illnesses
caused by imbalance between mind and body. Obesity,
diabetes, anorexia and so on, but also sadness and anger;
for some people this lack of balance is not visible, it is
deep inside. People can have strange feelings too, as a
hole inside them, and anxiety, simply because they for-
get their mind and only pay attention to their body, or
vice versa. As many physicians know, to be off balance
has negative consequences in life.
Everyone has a different perception of his body ac-
cording his taste for sport, dance, hiking, meditation,
etc. So according to the lifestyle we have, our body is
more or less important. Of course, for some people it
could be just about satisfaction; everybody knows that
31www.magick‐theurgy.com
BODY, MINDand SOULCan the body become the most precious
ally we have to ascend to the Divine?
by Patricia Bourin
bodies need rest, water, and food (I am hungry so I eat.
I am tired so I go to sleep). The amount of food can be
important for balance; some people can only eat a little
quantity of food per meal, while others need a large
quantity. For other people, eating is not enough; it needs
to be pleasurable, as when you enjoy a good dinner with
family or friends.
Of course, every person has a different perception of
his body, and of the mind too. However, it is always im-
portant to increase the quality of our life at the intellec-
tual, spiritual and material levels. To achieve this goal
we cannot put away a part of ourselves and work only
on the other part. So we need to be aware of our body
as well as of our mind. The possibility for harmony in
our life arises from the care of our whole being.
I am writing about balance, but for me balance is nec-
essarily linked to freedom. To some extent, it is our
choice to decide the way we live, whatever the level.
For different reasons, some people experiment with
fasting, or fast for periods of time. Usually, they do so
for spiritual reasons.
It is important to say here that the Ogdoadic Tradition
does recommend fasting. If you do so, please keep in
mind to drink water as often as you want. It is also im-
portant to be aware of the risks you take when you ex-
periment with fasting for more than 1 day. In this case,
it is important to talk to your doctor first.
Why do people fast? The primary goal is to clean the
body, but also, to increase the distinction between mind
and body, and
the self-aware-
ness of their re-
lation. This
experience can
help us under-
stand the links
between the
body and the
world around
us, but also,
discover the
i m p o r t a n t
power of the
mind. On the
other hand, this
kind of experi-
ence can bear
negative consequences on one’s health. In the latter case,
we are far away from balance and harmony!
The most important thing is to learn how to live with
the minimum, but also, how to appreciate the best. It
sounds simple but it is far from being easy to do. One
day to enjoy a luxurious dinner with sophisticated meals
and wines. The day after to be able to be satisfied with
a few olives, a piece of bread and fresh water.
So, to work in order to have healthy body and mind,
to reach a good balance between body and mind, what
do we need? In my opinion, we need to pay attention to
both parts, something that is not obvious for most of us.
In different ways and at different times, each of us de-
cided to work about our spiritual development. We have
the desire to work at the invisible level and we want to
continue to develop the spiritual aspect of our self. It is
a natural reflex to put first what we want to increase the
most: the mind.
A good way to set a regular routine is to start with a
few simple things: eat well (quantity and quality), do
some physical exercise you like, a meditation, a ritual,
relaxation, and reading.
It is only then we can pay more attention to our Soul,
this invisible part of our being many people do not
speak about.
Good morality can be the origin of a good health for
the spiritual body. This level makes the difference. Pay-
ing attention to the spiritual level means we already es-
tablished the connection between our mind and the Soul.
This connection allows us to know what balance is, and
how we can achieve it.
We will have the opportunity to develop more about
the Soul in the next issue of this magazine.
Socrates' guiding rule was, "Know yourself (Thy-
self)." These words are of eternal significance. No better
advice has ever been given to man or woman.
To learn and know about ourselves is the foundation
of our work. It is really difficult to work and increase
the spiritual part of our being if we are too concerned
with our material life. Too much is never good, but it is
also necessary to sufficiently work in through material
life... We are not only spirit. n
32 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
From the earliest times Hermetism devel-
oped a philosophy along with its rituals
and ceremonies. Concepts specific to Her-
metism appeared, or were redefined by
early initiates. It is the case, for example,
of concepts such as Gnôsis (Divine knowledge), Noùs
(Mind), and Heimarmenê (Fate). In relation to such con-
cepts emphasis was made, especially in Alexandria, on
theurgical works with the great solar snake-God Agath-
odaimon. In the Corpus Hermeticum, Noùs, says Her-
mes Trismegistus teaching to his son Tat, is what can
bind mortals to Gods and Goddesses. Noùs, he adds,
‘(…) is the Agathodaimon’. The snake-God is one of the
most important key to the mysteries of Regeneration.
It is my argument that this important idea barely
changed over time. The cult of Agathodaimon went into
secrecy along with the Hermetic Tradition on the thresh-
old of the Middle Ages, but the occult principles con-
veyed by the God endured. It took, among other things,
the form of a symbol called the ‘Mercury of the Wise’.
In effect, it found its way in the Renaissance through a
33www.magick‐theurgy.com
SYMBOLS OF THE GREATWORK:THE MERCURYOF THE WISE
Emphasis was made in Alexandria,
on theurgical works with the great
solar snake-God Agathodaimon.
by Martin Beliard
bur-
geoning European alchemi-
cal and magickal Tradition nourished by local
developments, interactions with Ottoman and
Arabic cultures, and the re-discovery of ancient Her-
metism. As with the Raven which was the object of last
issue’s Symbols of the Great Work series, the Mercury
of the Wise is both a multifarious symbol, and a princi-
ple of occult philosophy. It is just waiting to be redis-
covered in light of ancient Hermetism.
It is common knowledge alchemists posit there are
three principles guiding their work. Following Paracel-
sus, everything has form (Salt), life (Sulfur), and essence
(Mercury). Of course, these terms are not literally re-
lated to the chemical body they refer to in Modern
chemistry. Salt is fixed and solid, Sulphur is rich and
oily; it binds the Salt to the Mercury, whereas Mercury
is aerial, volatile, and liqueur-like; it is both an essence
and what allows an individual, plant, animal, or mineral,
to relate to the Cosmos. Compared to Salt and Sulphur,
Paracelsus notes that Mercury is not specific to a given
being, but universal; it is the principle by which sympa-
thies and antipathies are created with the visible world
and beyond. He sometimes call this Mercury ‘Mercury
of Life’. Others after him used the term ‘Mercury of the
Wise’, especially among French authors.
Paracelsus sees this Mercury as that which gives
virtues and powers. It is the ‘Arcana’, or ‘key’, of one’s
being; what gives movement to life, and rouses it up-
ward. It’s association in the Renaissance to the Christian
concept of Spiritus, although incomplete, is not acciden-
tal at all. In alchemical iconography, this Mercury can
take many forms. One sees it, among other things, as
dry water, Neptune, caduceus, Hermes, hermaphrodite,
snake, winged snake, threefold snake, Ouroboros, uni-
corn, dragon, and rooster.
As you might already know, alchemical language can
be rather abstruse. It is not my intent to dwell upon it at
length, but students of alchemical symbolism should be
aware of two things. First, alchemical language is a tool;
it is not an end in itself, and alone it is rather insignifi-
cant. It becomes fruitful when it allows one to effec-
tively understand, translate, and communicate with
clarity one’s theurgical experiences. This comes with
time when one has been immersed in these symbols, and
has connected to their ‘reality’. Sadly, however, cen-
turies of armchair commentators obscured this fruitful
language and mystified its concrete uses. Secondly, if
one is able to read between the lines, alchemical sym-
bolism is capable of great malleability and precision. As
such, one can be confronted, for example, with many
types of ‘Mercuries’, either because symbols are used
differently by various authors, or because they signify
the action of one principle at different stages of the Great
Work. Allegories, for example, where one finds either a
rooster and a fox, a unicorn and an elk, or a single snake
coiled around a staff most probably refer to Mercury as
34 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
The Mercury of the Wise’s relation to snakes in
alchemical imaginary testifies of deep rooted and
ancient associations between this Renaissance
Hermetic principle and Agathodaimon.
one of the two dynamic natures of the Great work men-
tioned in last issue’s Symbols of the Great Work series.
A crowned hermaphrodite, a winged snake, or a wise
man with a caduceus generally refer to the Mercury of
the Wise. The two Mercuries are related, but different.
The occult philosophy of traditional Hermetism sheds
light on the matter.
The Mercury of the Wise’s relation to snakes in al-
chemical imaginary testifies of deep rooted and ancient
associations between this Renaissance Hermetic princi-
ple and Agathodaimon. Most of the Mercury of the
Wise’s various symbols can be related to the snake-God.
The Mercury of the Wise’s watery form also echoes an-
cient Hermetism. As that which creates, renews, and re-
generates all things according to their own essence, the
Mercury of the Wise is reminiscent of Nun, the Egyptian
God of the primeval ocean. Nun was sometimes seen as
the Father of the Gods. According to ancient papyri, Ra
went in Nun’s waters every night to be rejuvenated. Pop-
ular lore had it that human beings too, when sleeping,
dwelled in Nun’s waters. Belonging-to and individua-
tion-from appear to be profoundly related here. The
Mercury of the Wise is the crowned agent of the work,
the caduceus as a whole.
Noùs, according to the Corpus Hermeicum, is the
Agathodaimon. The snake-God of Alexandria is a rather
volatile God/principle to grasp. In its forms, it is
nonetheless closely related to the Mercury of the Wise
taking shape in the teachings of Renaissance initiates.
In Greece he was evoked by Socrates in Plato’s dia-
logues, but also, used as an epithet to Zeus, Dionysus,
and Helios. In ancient Egypt, he had his cult in Alexan-
dria, and was associated with Serapis, Ra, Thot, and
Khnum. Moreover, he was related to Kmeph, a demiur-
gic serpent-form of Osiris and Atum. This winged ser-
pent form also appears in the Orphic Hymns where
Protogonos, a primeval God associated with Dionysus,
is said to be the ‘two-natured’, ‘ether-tossed’, and
‘golden-winged’ creator of light, Gods, Goddesses, and
mortals. The snake and winged-snake forms of these
Gods, and their obvious solar and mercurial overtones,
give us a fair idea of Agathodaimon’s form, and his
place in Hermetic cosmology. In its association to
Kmeph, Thot and Hermes, in addition to being demiur-
gic, Agathodaïmon was seen by ancient initiates as the
great principle distributing individual Souls through in-
carnation, but also, presiding at their judgement in-be-
tween lives.
The relation we see here between a Renaissance sym-
bol and the cosmic signification of Agathodaimon in an-
cient Hermetism is not be understood as the
approximate equation of two unrelated notions, a reflex
common to many uncritical publications on the Western
Tradition, but rather, as the persistence, both in spirit
and in the historical works of various initiates, of a fun-
damental principle of Hermetic philosophy: Mind
(Nous). This not only testifies of the continuity of the
Hermetic Tradition, but of its coherence over time for
those who are able to perceive its signs and symbols.
Greater efforts should be made to uncover the essential
principles governing our works. Centuries of develop-
ments in the Western Tradition has given Hermetists a
wealth of resources, but it has also veiled our language
and our philosophy. Why not claim this ancient heritage
again under the protection of the Immortal Divinities?n
35www.magick‐theurgy.com
The following is an excerpt from Apuleius
of Madaurus’ novel The Metamor-
phoses. It is the second of three parts to
appear in Magick and Theurgy. Written
in the 2nd century CE, The Metamor-
phoses is also known as The Golden Ass. It is the story
of a man named Lucius who, after having been trans-
formed as an ass, travels to a temple of Isis to pray the
Goddess for a cure to his curse. The novel is a wonderful
story, but also, a great source of knowledge on the cults
and mysteries of the Queen of Heaven.
For more information on Isis, and on The Metamor-
phoses, see ‘Apuleius and the Mysteries of Isis’ in the
first issue of Magick and Theurgy. The excerpt below
was taken from the Gutenberg Project
(http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Main_Page), and
slightly modified to suit modern sensibilities. Enjoy, and
may this inspire you to joyfully worship the Great God-
dess.
36 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
Apuleius& the Mysteries of Isis.
The Metamorphoses
This done [an Initiation], I gave charge to some of my
companions to buy whatsoever was needful and conven-
ient for the Priesthood. Mithra then brought me to the
baths accompanied with all the religious sort. There, he
demanded pardon to the Goddess while washing me and
purifying my body according to custom. After this,
when noon approached, he brought me back again to the
Temple, presented me before the face of the Goddess,
and unveiled certain secret things unlawful to be uttered.
He then commanded me, as well as the other reli-
gious, to fast for ten days without eating any meat,
or drinking any wine. I observed these things with
consistency. Then, behold the day approached
when the sacrifice should be done. Night came, and
there arrived on every coast a great multitude of
Priests who according to their order, offered me
many presents and gifts. Afterward, all the laity and
profane people were commanded to depart as the
Priests put on my back a linen robe. Following this,
they brought me to the most secret and sacred place
of the Temple.
You would peradventure demand (you studious
reader) what was said and done there. Verily, I
would tell you if it were lawful for me to tell. You
should know if it were convenient for you to hear.
However, both your ears, and my tongue, incur the
pain of rash curiosity. Howbeit, I will content your
mind for this present time, which peradventure is
somewhat religious and given to some devotion,
listen therefore and believe it to be true. You shall
understand that I approached near unto Hades, even
to the gates of Proserpine, and after that, I was rav-
ished throughout the Elements. I then returned to
my proper place. At about midnight I saw the Sun
shine, and I saw likewise the celestial and infernal
Gods before whom I presented my self, and wor-
shipped them. Behold now have I told you, which
although you have heard, yet it is necessary you
conceal it. This have I declared without offence, for
the understanding of the profane.
When morning came, and the solemnities were
finished, I came forth sanctified with 12 conse-
crated robes whereof I am not forbidden to speak,
considering that many profanes saw me at that time.
There I was commanded to stand upon a seat of
wood, which stood in the middle of the Temple, be-
fore the figure and remembrance of the Goddess. My
vestment was of fine linen, covered and embroidered
with flowers. I had a precious cape upon my shoulders
hanging down to the ground, whereon were beasts
wrought of diverse colours as Indian dragons, and Hy-
perborean griffins, whom in form of birds the other
world do engender. The Priests commonly call such a
habit, a Celestial Robe. In my right hand I carried a light
torch, and a garland of flowers upon my head, with Palm
leaves sprouting out on every side. I was adorned like
unto the Sun, and made in fashion of an Image in such
sort that all the people assembled about did behold me.
37www.magick‐theurgy.com
by Irene Craig
They began to solemnize the feast of the nativity, and
the new procession with sumptuous banquets and deli-
cate meats. The third day was likewise celebrated with
like ceremonies with a religious dinner, and with all the
consummation of the order. While I was there, I felt a
marvellous pleasure and great consolation in beholding
ordinarily the Image of the Goddess.
The Goddess admonished me to depart homeward.
Upon hearing this I gave pious thanks to her, which al-
though it were not sufficient, yet they were according to
my power. Howbeit I could be persuaded to depart, be-
fore I had fallen prostrate before the face of the Goddess,
and wiped her steps with my face whereby I began so
greatly to weep and sigh that my words were inter-
rupted, and as devouring my prayer. I began to say in
this sort:
‘O holy and blessed Queen, the perpetual comfort of
human kind, who by your bounty and grace nourishes
all the world, and hears a great affection to the adversi-
ties of the miserable. As a loving mother you take no
rest, neither are you idle at any time in giving your ben-
efits, and protecting all men, as well on land as sea; you
are she that puts away all storms and dangers from
man’s life by your right hand, whereby likewise you re-
strain the fatal dispositions, appease the great tempests
of fortune, and keep back the course of the stars. The
Supernal Gods honour you. The Infernal Gods have you
in reverence. You who moves the World, give Light to
the Sun, and govern the Cosmos, you who treads on the
power of Tartarus, by your means time returns, planets
rejoice, and the elements serve. At your command the
winds blow, the clouds increase, the seeds prosper, and
the fruits prevail. The birds of the air, the beasts of the
hill, the serpents of the den, and the fishes of the sea
tremble at your majesty, but my spirit is not able to give
you sufficient praise; my belongings are not enough to
satisfy your sacrifice, my voice has no power to utter
that which I think, not even if I had a thousand mouths
and so many tongues. Howbeit as a good religious per-
son, and according to my estate, I will always keep you
in remembrance and close within my heart’.
When I ended my orison, I went to embrace the great
Priest Mithra, my spiritual father, and to demand his par-
don, considering I was unable to recompense the good
which he had done to me. After great greeting and
thanks I departed from him to visit my parents and
friends. I made up my bag, and travelled toward the city
of Rome, where with a prosperous wind I arrived about
the 12th day of December. The greatest desire that I had
there, was daily to make my prayers to the sovereign
Goddess Isis, who by reason of the place where her
Temple was built, was called Campensis. She was con-
tinually adored by the people of Rome. Her minister and
worshipper was I, howbeit I was a stranger to her Tem-
ple, and unknown to her religion there.
When the year ended, the Goddess warned me again
to receive a new order and consecration. I marvelled
greatly what it should signify, and what should happen,
considering that I was already a consecrated person. It
fortuned that while I partly reasoned with my self, and
partly examining the thing with the Priests and Novices,
there came a new and marvellous thought in my mind:
I was only religious to the Goddess Isis, and was not sa-
cred to the religion of the great Osiris, he who is the sov-
ereign Father of all Goddesses. Between Isis and Osiris,
although there was religious unity and concord, there
was a great difference of order and ceremony. Because
it was necessary that I should likewise be a minister unto
Osiris, there was no longer any delay in my consecra-
tion. On the following night appeared unto me one of
the order of the God. He was covered with linen robes,
and held in his hands spears wrapped in ivy, and other
things not convenient to declare. He left these sacred ob-
jects in my chamber, and sitting in my seat, recited to
me such things as were necessary for the sumptuous
banquet of my Initiation. So that I might recognize him
again, he showed me how the ankle of his left foot was
somewhat maimed, which caused him to limp.
To be continued…
38 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
A montage featuring the worship of
Isis.
If you say you believe in spirits
these days, people look at you
funny. Spirits are regarded as
relics of old ways of looking at the
world that have been superseded
by the scientific outlook. A certain
latitude is granted us to continue to
believe in persons and free will,
but any other entities that cannot
be seen, weighed and measured in the laboratory are dis-
counted. Effects from the unseen world are assigned to
impersonal forces, as if humanity consisted of 6 billion
ghosts wandering through an otherwise uninhabited ma-
chine.
Where are spirits? Well, if there are any, they are right
here. Then why can't we see them? Because, under nor-
mal conditions, they inhabit wavelengths or energy fre-
quencies that fall outside our range of perception. We
can only see 7/100,000ths of an ångstrom of the total
energy spectrum. Infrared and ultraviolet vibrations lie
just beyond our ability to perceive, yet we know they
are there by their effects. The same is true of radio
waves and gamma radiation. If some of these energy
flows are organized into persons, that is more than sci-
entists know, and, ordinarily, it is more than we can
know about it. People who claim to talk to spirits are
considered either mentally ill or at least weak-minded.
This attitude can be traced historically. Science had
to struggle against the power of the Church for the in-
dependence to conduct research and report discoveries.
The Church taught that psychological urges that were
hard to control came from spiritual entities called devils,
and states of unusual happiness and inner peace from
other beings called angels, or directly from a transcen-
dent creator called God (a name derived originally from
one of the titles of Thor, meaning `the handy one'). The
Church governed access to these angelic or divine be-
ings, and forbade traffic with the others. The Church, in
effect, was like a huge tourniquet on humanity's experi-
ence of spirits.
The scientific revolution against the Church re-as-
serted humanity's freedom to investigate all phenomena,
by denying the existence of spirits and insisting that it
was only investigating impersonal forces that could be
understood in solely mechanical terms. This meant that
approaching anything other than other humans on a per-
sonal basis was out; manipulation, not dialogue, was the
approved method. Some leeway was allowed to animal
researchers to approach their subjects on a simplified
personal level, but the reports they drew up had to be
totally impersonal and concerned only with details of
time and circumstance, presented in terms of measure-
ments. Behavioral psychology even extended this im-
personal approach to the study of fellow human beings.
The researcher had to alienate him or herself from his
or her own personal feelings and only report what could
39www.magick‐theurgy.com
DO SPIRITS EXIST?
by Ian Elliott
be detected by a third observer. The criterion of repeata-
bility demanded that all observations be confined to the
realm of publicly verifiable statements.
The rubric of science that excludes spirits is called
`Occam's Razor,' named after the medieval philosopher
William of Ockham. It states that `entities should not be
multiplied beyond necessity.' Respectable tracts written
by scientists or research scholars, when encountering
accounts of spirits, always refer to such as employing
superfluous explanations. Yet there are areas of experi-
ence that require the use of personal knowledge, of com-
munication of subjective experience, which is excluded
from the canons of laboratory research. Science makes
allowance for this in its place, which is always limited
to interpersonal transactions. Anything private, however,
is merely subjective, and nothing noetic or effective is
to be expected from talking to oneself.
Now, the interesting thing is that certain schools of
therapeutic psychology depart from this model. They
advocate dialoguing with one's inner impulses, as if they
were persons inhabiting one's inner mentality. Is the as
if thrown in to ensure that the patient does not fall into
the error of schizophrenics, who regularly hear voices
and respond to them as though they were other entities
inhabiting their minds? If so, it would seem curious that
cognitive therapists (as they are called) think that the ad-
dition of two little words would be sufficient to guard
against this happening. Schizophrenia, as we are coming
to understand increasingly, is a biochemical condition,
and perfectly healthy, `normal' people can talk to them-
selves without any danger of falling into that condition.
Small children and isolated old people, for instance, talk
to themselves frequently, as do people of intermediate
age when they want to `see what they think' about a
given subject.
If, then, the as if is unnecessary from a therapeutic
point of view, what purpose does it serve? It is, I hold,
a sop thrown to our culture's mandate that `entities
should not be multiplied beyond necessity,' and taking
the notion of spirits seriously is regarded as exceeding
the bounds of necessity. Yet here we see that the interests
of resolving inner conflicts call for such dialogue,
though only as if we were talking to someone else. I
pointed out to my last therapist (the insurance rules
changed shortly thereafter, ending some twenty years of
therapy and workshops for me) that, since we are not
privy to each other's mental processes, we are already
speaking to each other as if we existed as separate per-
sons. He chuckled in response (the philosopher R.G.
Collingwood once remarked that people tend to be tick-
lish in their absolute presuppositions). So dialoguing
with inner ̀ drives' (mechanical metaphor) and ̀ urges' as
if they were persons simply amounted to dialoguing
with them. It was a distinction without a difference. This
suggests a refinement to Occam's Razor: "Entities
should not be multiplied beyond, nor subtracted within,
necessity." We need as many entities as are necessary to
deal with the world, including ourselves, but no more
than that number, and no less as well.
Nevertheless, in dialoguing with inner forces, I found
I was not employing ̀ entities' (that is, assumptions as to
existence) at all. I was simply engaging in the act of di-
alogue. An inspection of ancient religious psychology,
once we strip off modern bias on these points (see e.g.
The Greeks and the Irrational, by E.R. Dodds, Ch. 1, for
both the data and the bias) reveals that the act of dia-
loguing, or engaging in what the later Church would call
`traffic with spirits,' was the sole concern of the ancients.
If challenged as to whether the gods actually exist or
not, they would probably answer that the question, be-
sides being unanswerable, was irrelevant, since prayer
and offerings were found to be effective most of the time
anyway. It was the act of interaction with these `forces'
(modern mechanical metaphor) that counted, not what
one believed about them. Bringing the question of belief
into these studies is anachronistic, since the emphasis
on belief only arose with the advent of Christianity and
the subsequent defensive reaction against it among the
late pagans.
The better studies in their better moments will admit
that these questions simply `never arose' for the people
of those `primitive' times, but always regard such non-
questioning as a defect of pre-philosophical understand-
ing, but this is nonsense. Plenty of evidence exists that
people three thousand years ago and earlier questioned
the existence of the gods, and we have the Memphite
Theology from Egypt as an example of the philosophi-
cal sophistication of deep antiquity. So it is at least pos-
sible that the reason the question of independent
existence did not arise for people of those times was that
the question, if considered for a moment, was dismissed
as irrelevant.
The question of whether there are spirits, then,
changes into "Are there circumstances in which it is ef-
fective to regard certain situations as calling for a per-
sonal approach in order to cope effectively with them in
40 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
our lives?"
Someone might say at this point, "Oh well, if that is
all you mean by spirits, I am not very impressed. Do you
mean we can never see one, or that they never take the
initiative to appear to us?" I can only give a personal
answer to this question: "Yes, on rare occasions; and
when they do, you will probably wish they hadn't!"
To be continued
Next part: A personal Encounter n
Price, Simon. Religions of
the Ancient Greeks. Cam-
bridge, UK : Cambridge Uni-
versity Press, 1999. xii + 217
pp. $32.99. ISBN: 978-0-
521-38867-2.
‘Ancient Greece’ has often been an umbrella term for
scholars arguing for the uniformity and continuity of a
single Greek culture spanning from the 8th century BCE
to the 5th century CE. In such a perspective, religion,
culture, knowledge, and politics are not only seen as un-
changing over a given geographical space – Greece and
its colonies – but also, over 13 centuries of Greek civi-
lization. It implies that there was, in Ancient Greece, one
religion, one set of myths and stories, one type of phi-
losophy, and one way to govern a polis. Simon Price’s
Religions of the Ancient Greeks argues otherwise. En-
gaging with a wealth of archaeological and written
sources, Price traces a subtler portrait of Greek culture
and religion as he shows the richness and diversity of
Greek religious myths, theories, and practices. This re-
ligious plurality invites him to talk about Greek ‘reli-
gions’ instead of ‘religion’.
This, of course, does not mean the author fails to see
shared religious trends across Greece from Homer to the
last Mysteries of the Roman Empire. Price does, but he
refuses to give precedence to any particular myth, festi-
val, or ritual when studying Greek religions. The author,
for instance, highlights the fact that even if many myths
and stories were shared across Greece, Greeks them-
selves knew, and generally accepted, the existence of
multiple versions of any given myth. Orpheus, Homer,
and Hesiod were all seen as divinely inspired poets, and
even if these poets sometimes revealed apparently con-
flicting stories about the Gods, these were all thought as
being true. Similarly, Price notes that villages in the
vicinity of Athens, although participating to great Athen-
ian religious festivals such as the Panathenaia, had their
own religious calendars. These calendars were filled
with local festivals celebrating divinities in diverse fam-
ily and communal rituals often unknown outside of the
village. Such particularities, and the multiplicity of per-
spectives on Greek religious myths and practices, are
raised again and again in many sections of Religions of
the Ancient Greeks. In chapters on religious architec-
ture, on rites of manhood and womanhood, and on mys-
tery cults, the author shows how Greek religions were
varied and original. There was a ‘larger Greek world’
for Price, but Greek religious experience was first and
foremost instituted through local myths and ceremonies.
Religions of the Ancient Greeks will be of great in-
terest to modern practitioners of the ancient mysteries
for its wide array of resources and references to a great
variety of myths and festivals. It will also be of interest
for its insistence on the importance of understanding
Greek religions on their own terms instead of doing so
through our modern religious perspectives. Traditional
Theurgy as it is practiced in the A.S. and E.O. is founded
on ancient religions. Magi who cultivate deep relation-
ships with the Immortal Divinities are well aware of
this. Polytheism, however, is not an easy notion to un-
derstand for beginning students of Hermetism and
Theurgy. Price’s Religions of the Ancient Greeks gives
the reader a lively and fruitful account of ancient Greek
41www.magick‐theurgy.com
BOOK REVIEWSBy Martin Béliard
religions, and an estranging look into ancient men and
women’s relations with the Divinities.
Fowden, Garth. The Egypt-
ian Hermes: A Historical Ap-proach to the Late PaganMind. Princeton: Princeton
University Press, 1993. xxv +
244 pp. $30.95. ISBN: 0-691-02498-7.
Garth Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Historical
Approach to the Late Pagan Mind, has a rather different
mission than Price’s Religions of the Ancient Greeks. It
is more clearly defined as a work of intellectual history
than one of religious history. By ‘Late Pagan Mind’,
Fowden refers to the theories, teachings, and perspec-
tives of various ancient intellectual milieus – especially
Hellenised Egyptian ones – on Hermetic philosophy. His
study, initially published in 1987, shook the landscape
of scholarly research on Hermetism and called for a
more social-historical approach to the Hermetic texts,
or Hermetica. Not confined to academia, The Egyptian
Hermes: A Historical Approach to the Late Pagan Mind
also has much to offer to practising Hermetists in want
of a better understanding of the philosophical and reli-
gious origins of their Tradition.
Fowden’s initial breakthrough mostly came from his
approach to Hermetism. Not only did he draw on a vast
number of texts related to this Tradition, but he inter-
preted them in relation to the various milieus where they
appeared, engaging with the philosophical, magical, and
religious practices connected with the Hermetica. Doing
so, the author bridged ‘philosophical’ and ‘technical’
texts. Speculative texts such as the Corpus Hermeticum,
the Chaldean Oracles, Iamblichus’ De Mysterii, and var-
ious neo-platonic exegeses are not only read side by
side, but also, put in relation with practical texts such as
the Papyri Graecae Magicae, alchemical fragments by
Zosimus of Panopolis, and ancient astrological manuals.
The result is a rich and refreshing account of the milieus
where Hermetism flourished in late Antiquity. More-
over, it gives the reader a clear understanding of the re-
lation between Hermetic philosophy and its practice,
especially along the Nile Valley.
I strongly advise Hermetists who are not already fa-
miliar with Fowden’s The Egyptian Hermes: A Histori-
cal Approach to the Late Pagan Mind to read it. Of
course, as any book, it should not be read alone; students
of Hermetism should multiply their research on various
aspects of our Tradition inspiring them. Nevertheless, it
is a productive stepping stone to start your study as it
investigates the main texts of ancient Hermetism,
sketching a portrait of late Antiquity often unknown to
modern practitioners. n
42 MAGICK & THEURGY ‐ October/November/December 2011
THE GOLDEN CHAINThe Chain of the Adepts
The Aurum Solis tradition comes from a
very ancient lineage of Masters and Initiates.
All of them were a living link, passing over
to us these initiatic Mysteries.
These Masters were the true founders of
the Ogdoadic Tradition. Strongly connected
to the Pythagorean, Platonist and Neopla-
tonist schools, these initiates constituted
the Hermetic Mysteries. Many know the
names of Plato, Iamblichus, Plotinus, Pro-
clus. For our Order, paying due respect to
the Masters who gave the light of this Tradi-
tion to our Order is of paramount impor-
tance.
May their memory, always and forever, be
honored under the auspices of the Immortal
Divinities!
Read more at:http://goo.gl/CnxaU
Uncover the Hermetic Qabalah
with a series of posters
Connect to the
Immortal Divinities
through the Her-
metic Tree of Life.
Discover a rare illustration of the
Hermetic Macrocosm which summa-
rizes what Theurgists call "The Sacred
Way of Return."
Every Element, every Planetary
Sphere, every Zodiacal Sign is shown
associated with the Immortal Divinity
which is its Traditionnal Ruler.
Create your own
natal chart using the
Divine Arcana of the
Aurum Solis.
Academia Platonicawww.academiaplatonica.com