Transcendental Magic — Éliphas Lévi
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p. 246mantles, shewing only the simple divining rod in public, or some allegorical sceptre made of ivory or ebony, according to the nature of the works. Cardinal Richelieu, always athirst for power, sought through his whole life the transmission of the rod, without being able to find it.
His Kabbalist Gaffarel could furnish him with sword and talismans alone ; this was possibly the secret motive for the cardinal's hatred of Urbain Grandier, who knew something of his weaknesses.
The secret and prolonged conversations of Laubardement with the unhappy priest some hours before his final torture, and those words of a friend and confidant of the latter, as he went forth to death — " You are a clever man, monsieur, do not destroy yourself " — afford considerable food for thought.
The magical rod is the verendum of the magus ; it must not even be mentioned in any clear and precise manner ; no one should boast of its possession, nor should its consecration ever be transmitted except under the conditions of absolute discretion and confidence.
The sword is less occult, and is made in the following manner : — It must be of pure steel, with a cruciform copper handle having three pommels, as represented in the enchiridion of Leo III, or with the guard of a double crescent, as in our own figure. On the middle knot of the guard, which should be covered with a golden plate, the sign of the macrocosm must be chased on one side, and that of the microcosm on the other.
The Hebrew monogram of Michael, as found in Agrippa, must be engraved on the pommel; on the one side of the blade must be these characters : roioa •»& mm D^fcO, and on the other the monogram of the Labarum of Constantino, followed by the words : Vince in hoc, Deo duce, comite ferro. For the authenticity and exactitude of these figures, see the best ancient editions of the " Enchiridion.
The consecration of the sword must take place on a Sunday, during the hours of the sun, under the invocation of Michael. The blade of the sword must be placed in a fire of laurel and cypress ; it must then be p. 247dried and polished with ashes of the sacred fire, moistened with the blood of a rnole or serpent, the following words being said : — Be thou unto me as the sword of Michael, by virtue of Eloi'm Sabaoth, may spirits of darkness and reptiles of earth flee away from thee ! — It is then fumigated with the perfumes of the sun, and wrapped up in silk, together with branches of vervain, which should be burned on the seventh day.
The magical lamp must be composed of the four metals — gold, silver, brass and iron ; the pedestal should be of iron, the mirror of brass, the reservoir of silver, the triangle at the apex of gold. It should be provided with two arms composed of a triple pipe of three intertwisted metals, in such a manner that each arm has a triple conduit for the oil ; there must be nine wicks in all, three at the top and three in each arm.
The seal of Hermes must be engraved on the pedestal, over which must be the two-headed androgyne of Khunrath. A serpent devouring its own tail must encircle the lower part. The sign of Solomon must be chased on the reservoir. Two globes must be fitted to this lamp, one adorned with transparent pictures, representing the seven genii, while the other, of larger size and duplicated, should contain variously tinted waters in four compartments.
The whole instrument should be placed in a wooden pillar, revolving on its own axis, and permitting a ray of light to escape, as required, and fall on the altar smoke at the moment for the invocations.
This lamp is a great aid to the intuitive operations of slow imaginations, and for the immediate creation in the presence of magnetised persons of forms alarming in their actuality, which, being multiplied by the mirrors, will magnify suddenly, and transform the operator's cabinet into a vast hall filled with visible souls ; the intoxication of the perfumes and the exaltation of the invocations will speedily change this fantasia into a real dream ; persons formerly known will be recognised, phantoms will speak, and something extraordinary and unexpected will follow the closing of the light within the pillar and the ncrease of the fumigations.
248 THE RITUAL OF TRANSCENDENT MAGIC CHAPTER VIII A WARNING TO THE IMPRUDENT THE operations of science are not devoid of danger, as we have stated several times. They may end in madness for those who are not established firmly on the basis of supreme, absolute, and infallible reason. Terrible and incurable diseases can be occasioned by excessive nervous excitement.
Swoons and death itself, as a consequence of cerebral congestion, may result from imagination when it is unduly impressed and terrified. We cannot sufficiently dissuade nervous persons, and those who are naturally disposed to exaltation, women, young people, and all who are not habituated in perfect self-control and the command of their fear.
In the same way, there can be nothing more dangerous than to make magic a pastime, or, as some do, a part of an evening's entertainment. Even magnetic experiments, performed under such conditions, can only exhaust the subjects, mislead opinions, and defeat science. The mysteries of life and death cannot be made sport of with impunity, and things which are to be taken seriously must be treated not only seriously but also with the greatest reserve.
Never yield to the desire of convincing others by phenomena. The most astounding phenomena would not be proofs for those who are not already convinced. They can always be attributed to ordinary artifices and the magus included among the more or less skilful followers of Eobert Houdin or Hamilton. To require prodigies as a warrant for believing in science is to shew one's self unworthy or incapable of science. SANCTA SANCTIS.
Contemplate the twelfth figure of the Tarot-keys, remember the grand symbol of Prometheus, and be silent. All those magi who divulged their works died violently, and many were driven to suicide, like Cardan, Schroppfer, Cagliostro, and others. The magus should live in retirement, and be approached with difficulty. This is the significance of the ninth key of the Tarot, where the initiate appears as
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