Customer Reviews

The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This interesting grimoire was published by S.L. Mathers in 1898, based on a flawed French manuscript. The elaborate and lengthy method it describes for attaining magical knowledge and power is considerably different from the Solomonic grimoires, which it disparages. The flamboyant occultist Aleister Crowley considered it of great importance and underwent the magical operation described. The noted occultist Franz Bardon was familiar with and used the 1725 edition of Peter Hammer.

The text was evidently originally written in German, and a German edition which compares the known manuscripts has been published recently by Georg Dehn. (Abraham von Worms. Buch Abramelin. Ed. G. Dehn, Saarbrücken 1995.) Although Dehn was impressed by how closely Mathers rendered the French text, it is clear that Mathers' exemplar did not fully understand the text it was based on, so cannot be entirely relied upon.

These older German manuscripts have additional material, and reflect a more elaborate operation. One notable difference is that the operation lasts a year and a half, not six months as described in Mathers' text. Dehn's edition also contains an additional book (mostly a collection of recipes) not found in Mathers' edition. Another problem with Mathers' text is that it did not fill in most of the letters in the magical squares, so many of Mathers' comments on the same are irrelevant. Note that with the corrections, there is a close connection between the lists of spirits and the magical squares.

Dehn regarded the name "Abraham of Worms" as a pseudonym for the well known scholar Rabbi Jacob ben Moses ha Levi Moellin, more commonly known as "The MaHaRIL." However, see comments by Gershom Scholem in Kabbalah (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House: 1974, p. 186) who was not impressed with it. According to Scholem, the author, although possessing an uncommon knowledge of Hebrew, was not in fact Jewish. He sums it up thus: "It shows the partial influence of Jewish ideas but does not have any strict parallel in kabbalistic literature."

Although Mathers' edition will give a good idea of Abramelin's methods, Dehn's German edition must be considered indispensible until an English translation based on his texts is available.

This is a complex book and the rituals involved should not be attempted by any initiate, and especially not by the un-initiated. It involves the Practical aspects of the Qabalah, what Abraham the Jew (the supposed author) describes as a Lesser Form of the Theoretical Qabalah known as the "Sacred Magic".

The most significant part of the book involves the Ritual to Attain to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn this mystical ritual was described as Seeking the Higher Genius. Aleister Crowley adopted the language of the Sacred Magic when he utilized Aiwass 418 as his own Holy Guardian Angel. However, the Jewish Qabalists refer to it as the Maggid or Angelic Preacher, and it was a major aspect of the Safed school.

The Sacred Magic is essential in that it is the only manual available that so eloquently describes the process by which one might attain to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Maggid. This is the Heart of the Tree of Life glyph. It is Tifareth (Beauty or Harmony). It is the apex of the Meditative Qabalah, as well as the Theoretical and the Practical.

The Sacred Magic is divided into 3 Sections:

Section 1 is an autobiography of Abraham b. Simon the Jew. Since Lamech is his second-born son, he provides him with the Lesser Qabalah, whereas he provided his first-born son, Joseph, with the Greater Qabalah. Abraham descibes the process by which he received this Tradition from Abramelin the Jew of Egypt.

Section 2 describes the ceremonial magic (theurgy) by which one might obtain to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. These rituals often require a deep knowledge of Judaica

Section 3 describes the actual Sacred Magic, which involves Magical Squares by which one subjugates the Evil Spirits to perform miraculous feats for the Adept. These Qabalistic Squares are complex and require a deep knowledge of Hebrew and Gematria.

The Sacred Magic promotes actions that might be considered immoral by our modern society. Abraham appears to have been a Bogomil, and therefore, one should have a deep knowledge of history in order to comprehend the maning. Otherwise, Abraham appears to promote an anti-female bias, and even appears to promote child-endangerment with his use of the Child Clairvoyant.

The translator S.L.M. Mathers provides excellent commentary throughout, unfortunately, the Old English is often difficult to understand. It is like reading the King James Bible. And, the overall appearance of the book and the pages of the book appear to be rather antiquated as well. But, this is the only version of the book that is available right now, and it is an excellent Resource.

Shalom - Soror Samhain

This book is an amazingly real Grimoire and textbook on the "summoning" variety of Magick. It's easy to understand, but that doesn't make it for the beginner! Surely, only an experienced Magician can use this book effectively and without dangerous side effects. One word of caution to even the most advanced: BE CAREFUL! This book has well been known to summon things of it's own accord. If you keep a copy around, be sure to perform Banishings daily!

I give this book a fantastic rating. The first part of the book reveales a truely captivating tale of the Mage's quest for true magick. However the magical squares revealed in the second part, as Crowley said, have a tendency to get loose and they do things on their own that you will not like. The squares deal with the dark powers, and thus are extremley dangerous to the novice and expert. This is in all a form of an EXORCIST'S HANDBOOK, as the squares can affect small children, those who are emotionally vunerable, and animals, even if gazed upon for a moment. Crowley said in his book, Magic Without Tears, "that it is foolish to have this book, unless one is going to go through the whole six months purification ritual."

First, I would like to disagree with the statement from the book that the book can summon things on its own and also that the tablets have great powers which should not be shown to animals or childrens. - I do practice magick so I'm not a skeptic to magick, and I'm saying this as a practitioner - it seem that this is a bit of an overstatement. If books can really summon things on its own, then the warehouse of Amazon.com and many other bookstores are probably infested with netherworld beings. The tablet, like all sigils and symbols have its own energy and power - that is a fact, but it is not that extreme that it can not be shown to children or animals.
Now, about the book, yes its powerful. But you will need discipline to follow up with the 6 month preparation course. I really don't like the part where you have to involve a child. This is also introduced in Goetia. Thinking of it, I think using the Magick Mirror like in Goetia is safer. All in all, I would recommend the book for those who are interested in Evocation. This is a really powerful Magick, since the forces to work on the Magick, is not on the caster but on beings power (I wouldn't call them demons - since some are fallen angels, some are higher beings of another universe, some are consciousness beyond our understanding, etc).
I give it 4 since I find Goetia accessible than this. You can summon the same entity with Goetia anyways.

It's interesting that one of the foundations of science is empirical
evaluation, but when it comes to certain phenomina empirical evaluation
becomes non-applicable by the very same scientist. I wrote this
review in response to another reviewer who asked, if anyone stll
"believed in magick", knowing that who ever wrote that did not
carry out any empirical experiments with the magickal squares in
The Book of Sacred Magick of Abramelin, since there would be results
"disturbing" to the high brow scientific mind. Magick works, as it
has been working for thousands of years, the magickal squares, if used
properly in this book, will knock you off your chair in results, and
one day when "modern science" fades away from the human race as a result
of its methodical methods of self-destruction, magick will still remain
in the hands of the Masters to whom it has belonged since the dawn
of time.

Nobody can guarantee that a book of magick is going to have techniques that work for everyone. But for people looking for a real magickal text, this is the real thing. No 1970's camp, no new-age creation or H P Lovecraft ripoff, Abramelin dates back to the Middle Ages and its magick has been used by members of the Golden Dawn. Aleister Crowley recommends this book as an essential part of a magickal library; Waite mentions this book as a true tome, although he questions whether it was really made by a Jew named Abraham. Nonetheless this is genuine mideval European magick. A must for any student of the occult.

This book-- in a somewhat outdated fashion-- describes the methods of attaining a deep state of spiritual inner understanding. A How-To for Magical Mysticism to put it bluntly. It does not necessarily have to be accomplished in the medieval methods described-- women are particularly disadvantaged-- but, it would be advisable to stick to rules as close as one can in most cases. Many books propose to offer a practitioner magical transformations. This one, if followed honorably, actually does just that. And it does it in the safest, most godly [that is, theurgical] manner. I don't know that I would recommend it for beginners because I have strong doubts that beginners would have the sticking power to make it through the six months required. As for the "terribly dangerous" magical squares-- those were particular to the writer. No one knows what their ending will be until it arrives. If you are a magical person-- with or without the "k"-- and you want to progress deeply, you have found the right book. Even the errors in translation, and there are some, don't stop this from being one of the truly greatest magical tools of all time. And one that is still being used, if you care to read it for that information.

Some caveats: though it purports to be written by a Jew, it is very Christian in its methods, unlike many modern mages, and, secondly, there have been some later translations from the German that indicate the time involved was to be tripled. Three periods of six months each. Still, neither "problem" interferes with the efficacy of the book. However, I would advise a person of a different religious orientation from Christianity to adjust their use of it accordingly. The book is not a toy to be played with hypocritically.

This book covers almost exclusively the practice of magicthrough the use of acrostics, but also includes rites for otherpurposes. It is a translation by S.L. MacGregor Mathers, one of the most important practicants of the modern era. I would recommend it to any serious student of magic and the occult. It is not very useful in regards to ritual magicks, but as a work on Judeo-Christian magic it is excellent. This edition in particular is very nicely done.

I must first reject opinions that this book isn't for the beginner. I wish that I had such useful instruction when I began. Abramelin, through the wise scholarship of Abraham of Wertzburg, sets down the ground rules for the pious scholar who wishes to learn true magic(k) and not be drawn into the traps of the unrighteous....

The translation is not without its errors, though. For instance, Mathers translates what I believe was "creator" as "architect of the universe," a cleary masonic term. Also, although the day was divided into two 12-hour increments since Egyptian times, the term "o'clock" could not have been a proper term in the 1460's. Most of the book is obvioulsy trasnlated from old French, and not Hebrew as Mathers claims (for marketing reasons). I must disagree with Crowley, however, who blamed his initial lack of success with this book on its translator. Abraham insists on periods of prayer, meditation, and yes, celibacy before attempting any feat-- a regiment the undisciplined Crowley could clearly not stick to.

The scholar who wishes to learn and practice magic-- not false concepts of astrology, numerology, and the tricks of charlatans-- should read and study this as their first real instruction. This is truly the one book that any magus cannot live without.