Transcendental Magic — Éliphas Lévi
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
p. 221the gnomes is at the north, that of the salamanders at the south, that of the sylphs at the east, and that of the undines at the west. These beings influence the four temperaments of man, that is to say, the gnomes affect the melancholy, salamanders the sanguine, undines the phlegmatic, and sylphs the bilious.
Their signs are — the hieroglyphs of the bull for the gnomes, who are commanded with the sword ; those of the lion for the salamanders, who are commanded with the bifurcated rod or the magic trident; those of the eagle for the sylphs, who are commanded by the holy pantacles ; finally, those of the water-carrier for the undines, who are commanded by the cup of libations.
Their respective sovereigns are Gob for the gnomes, Djin for the salamanders, Paralda for the sylphs, and Nicksa for the undines. When an elementary spirit torments, or, at least, vexes, the inhabitants of this world, it must be conjured by air, water, fire, and earth, by breathing, sprinkling, burning of perfumes, and by tracing on the earth the star of Solomon and the sacred pentagram.
These figures must be perfectly correct, and drawn either with the charcoal of consecrated fire, or with a reed dipped in various colours, mixed with powdered loadstone. Then, holding the pantacle of Solomon in one hand and taking up successively the sword, rod, and cup, the conjuration of the four should be recited with a loud voice, after the following manner : — Caput mortuum, the Lord command thee by the living and votive serpent !
Cherub, the Lord command thee by Adam Jotchavah ! Wandering Eagle, the Lord command thee by the wings of the Bull ! Serpent, the Lord Tetragrammaton command thee by the angel and the lion ! Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Anael ! Flow, MOISTURE, by the spirit of ELO'I'M. EARTH, be established by ADAM JOTCHAVAH. Spread, FIRMAMENT, by JAHUVEHU ZEBAOTH. Fulfil, JUDGMENT, by fire in the virtue of MICHAEL.
Angel of the blind eyes, obey, or pass away with this holy water ! Work, winged bull, or revert to the earth, unless thou wilt that I should p. 222pierce thee with this sword ! Chained eagle, obey my sign, or fly before this breathing! Writhing serpent, crawl at my feet, or be tortured by the sacred fire, and give way before the perfumes that I burn in it !
Water return to water, fire burn, air circulate, earth revert to earth, by virtue of the pentagram, which is the morning star, and by the name of the Tetragram, which is written in the centre of the cross of light ! Amen. The sign of the cross adopted by Christians does not belong to them exclusively. It is also kabbalistic, and represents the oppositions and tetradic equilibrium of the elements.
We see by the occult versicle of the Lord's Prayer, which we have cited in our Doctrine, that it was originally made after two manners, or at least that it was characterised by two entirely different formulae, one reserved for priests and initiates, the other imparted to neophytes and the profane.
For example, the initiate said, raising his hand to his forehead, " For thine," then added " is," and continuing as he brought down his hand to his breast, " the kingdom," then to the left shoulder, " the justice," afterwards to the right shoulder, " and the mercy " — then clasping his hands, he added, " in the generating ages.
Tibi sunt Malchut et Geburah et Chesed per ceonas — a sign of the cross which is absolutely and magnificently kabbalistic, which the profanations of Gnosticism have completely lost to the official and militant Church. This sign, made after this manner, should precede and terminate the conjuration of the four. To overcome and subjugate the elementary spirits, we must never yield to their characteristic defects.
Thus, a shallow and capricious mind will never rule the sylphs ; an irresolute, cold, and fickle nature will never master the undines ; passion irritates the salamanders, and avaricious greed makes its slaves the sport of the gnomes. But we must be prompt and active, like the sylphs ; pliant and attentive to images, like the undines ; energetic and strong, like the salamanders ; laborious and patient like the p. 223gnomes; in a word, we must overcome them in their strength without ever being overcome by their weaknesses. Once we are well established in this disposition, the whole world will be at the service of the wise operator.
He will pass through the storm, and the rain will not moisten his head ; the wind will not move even a fold of his garments ; he will go through fire and not be burned ; he will walk upon the water, and will behold diamonds within the crust of the earth.
These promises may appear hyperbolic, but only to vulgar understanding, for if the sage do not materially and actually perform these things, he accomplishes others which are much greater and more admirable. At the same time, it is indubitable that we may direct the elements by our will up to a certain point, and can really change or hinder their effects.
For example, if it be established that persons in an ecstatic state lose their weight for the time being, why should it be impossible to walk upon the water ? The convulsionaries of Saint Medard felt neither fire nor steel, and begged for the most violent blows and incredible tortures as a relief. The extraordinary climbings and miraculous equilibrium of some somnambulists are a revelation of these concealed forces of nature.
But we live in a century when no one has the courage to confess the wonders he has witnessed, and "did any one say : " I have myself beheld or performed the things which I am describing," he would be answered : " You are amusing yourself at our expense, or, otherwise, you are ill. It is far better to be silent and to act.
The metals which correspond to the four elementary forms are gold and silver for the air, mercury for water, iron and copper for fire, lead for earth. Talismans are composed from these, relative to the forces which they signify and to the effects which it is designed to obtain from them.
Divination by the four elementary forms, respectively known as seromancy, hydromancy, pyromancy, and geomancy, is performed after various manners, which all depend on the will and the translucid, or imagination, of
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.