Customer Reviews

The Book of Abramelin: A New Translation

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First let me say that I have, as many students have done, poured over the Mathers edition of "Sacred Magic" and for the better part of my life, took for granted that I was well versed in the Art of Abramelin, planning only to wait until my kids were grown to see it through to completion. It was well I waited, as the translation of the original German texts show where the French version Mathers worked with, was lacking in more than a few places.

The underpinnings remain the same. The ultimate goal of Abramelin's Art is to gain direct conversation with your Holy Guardian Angel. There is also the book Abraham writes to his son, as an explanation of how the Treasure and the Art came into his hands. Anyone familiar with the Mathers version will also recognize the last book. It consists of magical squares that produce sundry effects by way of the spirits that are bound to them.

If it sounds like too much is the same to bother purchasing this book, let me counter by listing the things that are different.

* There is a fourth book, in addition to the three Mathers translated from the French edition. This book deals with what Abraham calls the "mixed kabbalah". It is in effect a formulary of folk cures, charms, and nostrums that are not to be found at all in the Mathers edition.

* Instead of six months, the operation detailed here, is a much more complex 18 months.

* The squares from the final book that mesmerize so many students are completely different in the original German, than they are in the manuscript Mathers had worked from. Instead of 242, mostly incomplete squares, the German manuscripts show 251 squares, and every single one of them is completely filled in. That is to say, the Mathers version gave not only an incomplete list of squares, but out of the ones that are listed, two thirds are not completely filled in. What lines in the squares are filled in, you quickly discover, are misspelled, out of order, and almost wholly in disagreement with the original sources the present author uses.

In addition to the above, the author goes to great lengths retracing the steps of Abraham, making a case for his historcal reality, as well as the hermatage of Abramelin the "old father" himself.

In all, I am very pleased with this addition to my library. If you are familiar with the original Mathers translation, you owe it to yourself to take a second journey with Abraham to Egypt, and look anew at the teachings of Abramelin the Mage.

This Art takes a loftier place in Western Tradition than most tomes of its time and kind. Rather than idols, pentacles, and babarous names, the Operation draws its power from the exercist being virtuous. That is, god-like power is granted on the condition of piety. It is important to note that there is an 18 month initiation involving fasting, prayer, study of the Holy Books, and doing good deeds, culminating in a union between the prospecive Magi and the Divine, completing both in the process.

This is just one example of the Western Tradition aspiring to lofty spiritual goals, usually thought of as Eastern in nature. Another good book along that same line is a book discussing the art of Mandala Meditations in the west, also edited and compiled by mathers. "The Grimoire of Armadel "

The book of Abramelin is a highly important and original book of magic, which describes a process for getting in touch with one's Holy Guardian angel. It was rediscovered and published for the first time by Macgregor Mathers, a co-founder of the Golden Dawn. It obsessed Aleister Crowley, who was unable to carry through the ritual it describes. Mathers only had a French exemplar of the text. More reliable German versions were discovered and published by Dehn in 1995/2001, in German. This is the English translation of that work.
Dehn has based his text on several manuscripts which were unknown to Mathers. But this is not a critical text, as no manuscript readings are reported by Dehn, and we do not know how he weighed the different readings, or how he decided which reading was correct.
A completely new feature of the present edition is the inclusion of "Book Two", a collection of medieval magical recipes. The original manuscripts contain a total of 160 recipes, but Dehn only includes 36 representative examples in this edition.
"Book Four" contains the famous magical squares. It is here that Dehn's textual methods are most obscure and disappointing, as many of the problems posed by the squares remain unresolved. As an example, the first word of square 1\8 should read "EKDILUN", and we can arrive at this corrected reading quite easily by approaching the squares as though they were Sudoku puzzles. But Dehn does not correct any of the squares in this way, and he remains silent as to which manuscript his chosen reading came from. Many other squares can be resolved logically by the Sudoku method. Other squares, such as 4\1 or 4\6 can only be resolved up to a certain point, after which we need to choose a reading from one or other of the manuscripts, which Dehn, as mentioned, does not report.
In conclusion, we can say that Mathers did a commendable job considering the paucity of his sources; while Dehn, despite his many manuscripts, has let us down.
The Ibis Press has made a sterling effort with this book: the type-setting and binding and over-all design are top-notch. Bravo!

"The Book of Abramelin - A New Translation" by Dehn and Guth may very well be the finest contribution to modern esotericism in a generation.

Those familiar with the Mathers translation will find stunning new material in this edition, as well as practical advice not present in the French manuscript used by Mathers. In addition to corrections, stating that the Operation used to achieve "Knowledge and Conversation" with one's Holy Guardian Angel, takes place over an 18th month period and not 6 as previously believed, there is an entire chapter on magical operations that students of German folk magic or "brauche" (aka Pow-wow) will find of interest in that they have found their way into the now famous "Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses" once popular among the Pennsylvania Germans and their magical arts. The author clearly defines that distinctions between calssical kabbalah, 'mixed-kabbalah,' and the 'Sacred Magic' as he is presenting it.

All of the magical squares are filled in, unlike the Mathers edition, wherein only parts of the squares were known, and extensive biographical information on the author of "The Book of Abramelin," and the travels of its current translators rounds out the book making it not only a highly practical manual of self-initiation, but also contemporary and living, instead of a historical curiosity.

The similarities between the author's period (15th Century) and our own in many respects also has a strange appeal in bridging the centuries and making "The Book of Abramelin" very appropriate, albeit needed, for our times. Oddly, students of the Golden Dawn will walk away with an even greater respect for Mathers work as they will have a better understanding of the tremendous contribution he made and the limited resources he worked with.

I first read the Abramelin text when I was 14. For me the most fascinating part was when the author describes others he has known that practiced magic. The author writes in such a style that you really begin to feel as if you can see into some small portion of his mind ... it feels as if a "real" individual is talking to you. This is rare in most occult works from the period. Mather's translation left a strong impression on me and I'm amazed that it's taken this long for an individual to revisit the text ... but it's heartwarming to see it revisited so well and with such personal warmth. The text truly comes alive under Mr. Dehn's scholarship. When the original author of the Abramelin text describes the use of magic squares, he also describes their limitations and how he himself made use of them and to what effects. You get an intimate feel for how the author's mind works and to me this is probably the most valuable thing that this new translation provides.

For decades (nearly a century, unfortunately) Mathers' incomplete version of this great work served as the only available edition. Very few of the students and practitioners who made use thereof devoted great lengths of time to practice, not to mention years of study, not knowing that the book from which they based their work was hugely flawed. Dehn's is far more complete and accurate, having taken into consideration many of the available mss from which the work was derived and pieced together a whole, usable and cohesive system.

All the reviews I read on this were absolutely correct. This new translation is superb and complete. For any serious student of the occult I cannot recommend this edition enough. Do not be fooled into thinking this is anything like the Goetia: Lesser Key of Solomon, it is NOT. This is the true source material and not to be toyed with. A fanastic read even if you are not a practicing esoteric technician.

As solitary (Unaffiliated with OTO, G.'.D.'. or BOTA) practitioner of the Western Esoteric Traditions, I have read many works on Magick by the "Crowleyans," "Mather's current" users and many other practitioner's books on the Esoteric Arts. However, this is one of the few truely "Magical" texts I have read. The "Abra-Melin" is a long working and it involves eighteen months of progressively demanding prayer work which culminates with the gift of Knowledge and Conversation with one's Holy Guardian Angel; a must for those engaged in the "Great Work." Although I have not yet attained said K&CHGA, I am confident that this is my ticket to it. I recommend this book enthusiastically for the historian, student of Judaism and future Mage alike!

This is more that a re translation, The moving force behind this work, Georg Dehn, has made a concerted effort to discover the author of this work, as well as to locate the location of the hermitage of the original Abramson. It would seem that he has been successful.
The additional chapter concerning folk spells is of interest, and lends authority to the text. The more complete translation, and the better display of the magical squares is made more interesting for the reader.
I still doubt that many people will be tempted by the eighteen months of Theurgy this book requires for the perfection of the art. Non the less, this is still one of the foundation books of the magicians library, and now more valuable than ever.
If you are serious about magic, you cannot afford to be without this book.

This is a readable edition of an essential work of ritual magic. I strongly recommend reading the foreword, translator's note and introduction before entering the main text, as they provide useful information to orient the reader towards the history and purpose of the work. The appendices also contain useful background and detail. Those who know this work only by reputation (as I did) will be surprised at the 'orthodox' character of much of the material. Properly understood "The Book of Abramelin" is a trustworthy guide to introducing oneself to denizens of the otherworlds. If you just jump in and start 'casting spells' and find yourself increasingly in dire straits, don't look to the book for blame. Look in the mirror.

This brand new translation from a newly-discovered German grimoire by Steven Guth and compiled and edited by Georg Dehn makes the Mathers' edition completely obsolete. Among the interesting aspects of the book is a thirty page description of the adventure that led to the discovery of Abramelin Book Four and this new translation, which forms Appendix One, and is entitled THE EDITOR'S QUEST. This shows how many years and how many miles across the world that Dehn traveled to compile the information that led to this most complete edition.

Profusely illustrated and loaded with charts and detailed information, this new book is a joy to read and to use.

Dehn also explains that the real and complete Abramelin ritual series is an eighteen month commitment, and NOT the six months, as previously thought. This three-times longer preparation and study helps the magician to become better acquainted with the material -- and more effective at the magic shown in the book.

Also throughout the book is a running commentary, where various aspects of the operation are commented upon right in the text, and was not merely relegated to some footnotes at the back of the book.

There is a explanation of the word squares, and how to use them. This is explained in the language of today, so it is easily understandable to all who read it. In addition, there are many plates showing actual pages from the original manuscript, which I found to be a nice touch. There are also -- maps, photos, manuscript pages, as well as artistic renderings of some of the principals involved in the creation of the modern-day Abramelin grimoire editions.

I give this my highest recommendation -- and this book is REQUIRED for every serious mystic's magic library.