Transcendental Magic — Éliphas Lévi

p. 242in our own day, and even those who are devoid of religion suspend it from the necks of their children. Moreover, its figures are so perfectly Kabbalistic that it is truely a marvellous double pantacle.

On the one side is the great initiatrix, the heavenly mother of the Zohar, the Isis of Egypt, the Venus-Urania of the Platonists, the Mary of Christianity, throned upon the world, and setting one foot upon the head of the magical serpent.

She extends her two hands in such a manner as to form a triangle, of which her head is the apex ; her hands are open and radiant, thus making a double triangle, with all the beams directed towards the earth, evidently representing the emancipation of intelligence by labour.

On the other side is the double Tau of the hierophants, the Lingam with the double Cteis, or the triple Phallus, supported, with interlacement and repeated insertion, by the kabbalistic and masonic M, representing the square between the two pillars JAKIN and BOHAS ; below are placed, upon the same plane, two loving and suffering hearts, with twelve pentagrams around them.

Every one will tell you that the wearers of this medal do not attach such significance to it, but it is only on that account more absolutely magical ; having a double sense, and, consequently, a double virtue.

The ecstatic on the authority of whose revelations this talisman was engraved, had already beheld it existing perfectly in the astral light, which once more demonstrates the intimate connection of ideas and signs, and gives a new sanction to the symbolism of universal magic.

The greater the importance and solemnity brought to bear on the confection and consecration of talismans and pentacles, the more virtue they acquire, as will be understood upon the evidence of the principles which we have established. This consecration should take place on the days we have indicated, with the appointments which we have given in detail.

Talismans are consecrated by the four exorcised elements, after conjuring the spirits of darkness by the Conjuration of the Four. Then, taking up the pantacle,

THE SEPTENAKY OF TALISMANS 243 and sprinkling it with some drops of magical water, say : In the name of Elohim and by the spirit of the living waters, be thou unto me a sign of light and a sacrament of will ! Presenting it to the smoke of the perfumes : By the brazen serpent which destroyed the serpents of fire, be thou, &c. Breathing seven times upon the pantacle or talisman : By the firmament and spirit of the voice, be thou, &c. Lastly, placing some particles of purified earth or salt triadwise upon it : In the salt of earth, and by the virtue of eternal life, be thou, &c. Then recite the Conjuration of the Seven as follows, alternately casting a pastille of the seven perfumes into the sacred fire : In the name of Michael, may Jehovah command thee, and drive thee hence, Chavajoth ! In the name of Gabriel, may Adona'i command thee, and drive thee hence, Belial ! In the name of Eaphael, begone before Elchim, Sachabiel ! By Samael Zebaoth, and in the name of Eloim Gibor, get thee hence, Adrameleck ! By Zachariel and Sachiel-Meleck, be obedient unto Elvah, Samgabiel ! By the divine and human name of Schaddai', and by the sign of the pentagram which I hold in my right hand, in the name of the angel Anael, by the power of Adam and of Heva, who are Jotchavah, begone, Lilith ! Let us rest in peace, Nahemah ! By the holy Eloim and by the names of the genii Cashiel, Sehaltiel, Aphiel, and Zarahiel, at the command of Orifiel, depart from us, Moloch ! We deny thee our children to devour. The most important magical instruments are the rod, the sword, the lamp, the chalice, the altar, and the tripod. In the operations of transcendent and divine magic, the lamp, rod, and chalice are used ; in the works of black magic, the

MAGICAL INSTRUMENTS. Lamp, rod, swordt and dagger.

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p. 245rod is replaced by the sword and the lamp by the candle of Cardan. We shall explain this difference in the chapter devoted to black magic. Let us come now to the description and consecration of the instruments.

The magical rod, which must not be confounded with the simple divining rod, with the fork of necromancers, or the trident of Paracelsus, the true and absolute magical rod, must be one perfectly straight beam of almond or hazel, cut at a single blow with the magical pruning - knife or golden sickle, before the rising of the sun, at that moment when the tree is ready to blossom.

It must be pierced through its whole length without splitting or breaking it, and a long needle of magnetized iron must fill its entire extent ; to one of its extremities must be fitted a polyhedral prism, cut in a triangular shape, and to the other a similar figure of black resin.

Two rings, one of copper, and one of zinc, must be placed at the centre of the rod ; subsequently, the rod must be gilt at the resin end, and silvered at the prism end as far as the ringed centre ; it must then be covered with silk, the extremities not included. On the copper ring these characters must be engraved : nKHpnD^SW* and on the zinc ring : HD^ "]tan.

The consecration of the rod must last seven days, beginning at the new moon, and should be made by an initiate possessing the great arcana, and having himself a consecrated rod. This is the transmission of the magical secret, which has never ceased since the shrouded origin of the transcendent science.

The rod and the other instruments, but the rod above all, must be concealed with care, and under no pretext should the magus permit them to be seen or touched by the profane ; otherwise they will lose all their virtue. The mode of transmitting the rod is one of the arcana of science, the revelation of which is never permitted.

The length of the magical rod must not exceed that of the operator's arm ; the magician must never use it unless he is alone, and should not even then touch it without necessity. Many ancient magi made it only the length of the forearm and concealed it beneath their long