Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris

161 Pages·2009·84.889 MB·English

by  Stephen Edred Flowers

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This work is dedicated to my Teachers, m y Students,
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First published in 1995 by
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and most especially to Prj—ev —Erj©, whose Word
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
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EO. Box 612 guided my hand, and to Z e x v a K T , whose Works show
York Beach, ME 03910-0612
us further horizons.
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Copyright © 1995 by Stephen Edred Flowers, Ph.D.
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It is also dedicated,, i.n.. the deepest sense, to
All rights reserved. No part o f this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
K p u a x a ^ ^ ia , who is mmyy ^W isdom and m y Power.
any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
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recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in
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writing from Samuel Weiser, Inc. Reviewers may quote brief passages. Material
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
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Flowers, Stephen E.
-
Hermetic magic : the postmodern magical papyrus o f Abaris /
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Stephen Edred Flowers.
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p. cm.
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1. Hermetism. 2. Magic. 3. Rites and ceremonies.
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BF1611.F57 1995
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1 3 5 '.4 _ d c2 0 95-38494 »*•¥.!
ISBN 0-87728-828-3 CIP
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Typeset in 11 point Garamond
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Printed in the United States of America
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The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the Ameri­
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Z39.48-1984.
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Table of Contents
List o f Figures...... XV
List o fT a b le s.......
X V
Preface...................
X V I I
Abbreviations.......
X X I
Acknowledgments
X X l l
Introduction........
X X l l l
PART I: A H ISTO RY OF H ERM ETIC MAGIC
ORIGINS
The Hellenic Root, 4
The Egyptian Root, 5
The Hermetic Tradition, 7
The Ancient Phase, 8
The Modern Phase, 11
The Postmodern Phase, 13
The Papyri in History, 14
T H E HERM ETIC SYNTHESIS
The Egyptian Stream, 19
The Hellenic Stream, 20
The Iranian Stream, 24
The Gnostic Stream, 26
The Semitic Stream, 30
The Christian Stream, 34
Principles o f the Hermetic Synthesis, 37
C o n te n ts
IX
CONTENTS
V l l l
II: T H E SCIENCE OF T H E STOICHEIA
PART TH EO R Y
The Esoteric Study o f Letters, 115
COSM O LO GY
Operative Phonology: Names o f Power, 125
Neo-Platonic Cosmology, 49 Arithmosophy: Hermetic Numerology, 130
Gnostic Cosmology, 55
Egyptian Cosmology, 60
MAGICAL THEORIES
Hermetic Cosmology, 63
Ancient Theory, 135
Modern Theory, 137
Postmodern Theory, 138
HERMETIC A N T H R O PO LO G Y
Hellenistic Anthropology, 71
Egyptian Anthropology, 73
Mystical Judaic Anthropology, 77 PART III: PRAXIS
TOOLS
TH EO LO G Y A N D D A IM O N O L O G Y
Altar, 145
Circle, 146
Egyptian Gods and Goddesses, 84
Hellenic Divinities, 91 Robe, 148
Black (Isis) Eye Band,
Semitic Divinities, 95
Gnostic and Iranian Divinities, 97 Tripod, 148
Daimonology, 99 Lamp, 149
Bowl, 150
8. Brazier, 150
GOÉTEIA, MAGEIA A N D TH EO U R G IA 9. Stylus, 150
10. Papyrus, 151
Goeteia, 102
Consecration ofTools and Phylacteries,
Mageiay 102
TheourgiUy 103
RITUAL STRU CTUR E...
I Frame Rituals, 154
MAGICAL W R IT IN G SYSTEMS
The Egyptian Systems, 107
SELF-INITIATION
The Greek System, 110
Preliminary Rite o f Self-Initiation, 161
The Coptic System, 112
C o n te n ts
CONTENTS XI
212
BOWL D IV IN A TIO N S
PART IV: T H E P O ST M O D E R N
MAGICAL PAPYRUS O F ABARIS
19. Bowl Divination, 212
20. Bowl Divination o f Aphroditè, 216
IN T R O D U C T IO N T O T H E OPERATIONS
IN IT IA T IO N S .................................................................................... 167
218
DREAM ORACLES
1. The Operation o f Pnouthis the Sacred Scribe, 168
21. Dream Oracle, 218
2. The Mithraic Initiation, 173
22. Dream Oracle, 218
3. The Stele o f Jeu the Hieroglyphist or The Rite o f the
23. Dream Oracle, 219
Headless One, 182
24. Dream Revelations, 219
PR O TEC TIO N
4. A Powerful Phylactery, 185 TO APPEAR IN D R EA M S.................
5. Another Phylactery, 186
I 25. To Appear in Dreams, 221
6. Another Phylactery, 187
222
VISION
D IV IN E IN V O C A T IO N S 188
7. An Invocation to Apollo, 188 26. Vision, 222
8. A General Prayer, 191
27. Revelation, 224
9. M oon Prayer, 192
28. Direct Vision, 225
10. Prayer to Mène (M oon), 195
11. General Magical Invocation, 196
226
A W O R K IN G FO R MEMORY
12. Another General Invocation, 197
13. The Hidden Stèle, 198
I 29. Memory, 226
14. Bear Working To Arktos, 200
W ORKINGS FOR LIBERATION 227
A RING CHARM 202
30. Release from Bonds, 227
15. A Magical Ring, 202
31. Deliverance, 228
C O N T R O L L IN G T H E S H A D O W ...... 206
OPERATIONS T O GAIN FAVOR
1 16. Controlling the Shadow, 206
32. Stèlè o f Aphroditè for Favor, 230
OPERATIONS FO R PICKING HERBS
33. To W in the Favor o f Crowds, 231
17. To Pick a Plant, 209
18. Plant Picking, 210
• I
C o n te n ts
CONTENTS X i l l
X ll
APPENDICES
W ORKINGS FO R T H E G A IN IN G OF LOVE
34. For Love, 232
R EC IPES........................................................................................
35. For Love, 232
Myrrh Ink, 257
36. For Love, 233
Typhonian Ink, 257
37. For Love, 233
Natron, 257
38. Love, 235
For a General Oflfering, 258
39. For Love and Attraction, 235
B. DAYS FOR D IV IN A T IO N ....................................................... 259
40. To Gain Friendship, 237
C. LU N A R PO SITIO N S FOR W O R K IN G S............................ 260
RESTRAINING OPERATIONS
D. M AG ICO -PO ETIC NAMES OF HERBS............................ 261
41. To Restrain Anger and Gain Success, 238
E. O N T H E W R ITIN G OF GREEK LETTERS A N D
42. To Restrain Anger, 239
T H E IR T R A N SC R IP T IO N ....................................................
43. Cease Anger, 239
E O N T H E PR O N U N C IA T IO N OF GREEK A N D
44. Restraining Operation, 239
HELLENIZED FOREIGN W O R D S ....................................
45. Restraining Operation, 240
46. Restrain Anger, 242
G. T H E SEM ITIC W R ITIN G SY ST E M ................................... 268
A N OPERATION T O CAUSE SEPARATION
Glossary o f Divine N am es................................................................... 271
I 47. To Cause Separation, 243
Index o f C om m on Magical Formulas............................................... 275
Bibliography.......................................................................................... 277
VICTORY A N D SUCCESS OPERATIONS
Index.......................................................................................................
48. Victory, 245
49. Victory, 245
About the Author.................................................................................. 292
50. Hermes’ Victory Working, 246
51. For Victory and Success in All Things, 247
W IN N IN G AT GAMES OF C H A N C E
52. To W in at Dice, 249
53. To Catch a Thief, 249
FORM ULA OF TH A N K SG IV IN G
Figures
Figure 1. The Hellenistic Cosmographic Tree....................... 50
Figure 2. Neo-Platonic Threefold Emananation................... 51
Figure 3. The Hellenistic Cosmograph................................... 54
Figure 4. A Gnostic Cosmograph............................................ 58
Figure 5. Circle o f L ife............................................................... 58
Figure 6. The Heliopolitan C osm ogony................................. 61
Figure 7. The Hermopolitan C osm ogon y ............................. 62
Figure 8. The Egyptian C osm ograph..................................... 63
Figure 9. The Hellenistic Soul.................................................. 72
Figure 10. The Egytian Anthropology....................................... 76
Figure 11. The Four Aspects o f a Stoichion................................ 117
Figure 12. Postmodern Hermetic Altar....................................... 146
Figure 13. Inscribed Magic C ircle............................................... 147
Figure 14. Magical L am p .............................................................. 149
Figure 15. Design o f the Stylus................................................... 150
Figure 16. Spatial Model o f the Ritual o f the Heptagram ..... 156
Tables
Table L The System o f Egyptian Phonem es............................ 108
Table 2. Correspondences between Egyptian Phonemes
and H ebrew..................................................................... 110
Table 3. The System o f Greek ET O IX EIA .............................. I l l
Table 4. The Coptic System ........................................................ 113
Table 5. The Greek AJphabeta and Mithraic
Correspondences............................................................ 123
Table 6. Seed-W ords..................................................................... 128
Table 7. Transliteration o f Seed-Words..................................... 128
Preface
“ Quod superius est sicut quod inferius et quod inferius est sicut quod su-
perius adperpetranda miracula rei unius— That which is above is like
that which is below and that which is below is like that which is
above, to achieve the wonders o f the One T hing.” These words ring
out from the wisdom o f Hermes Trismegistos— the Thrice-Greatest,
as recorded in the Tabula Smaragdina^ or Emerald Tablet. As it was, so
it might also be, applied to the Hermetic laws as far as the working o f
true Hermetic magical formulas is concerned. The Hermetic tradi­
tion o f magic is one o f the most often invoked o f the so-called West­
ern schools o f magic. Its technical formulas have been well
documented for nearly a hundred years. But even now they remain
only barely known to the com m unity o f modern magicians— or
theurgists— who would make use o f them. The formulas have been
“buried” out in the open— in academic books, many written in non-
English languages. This book is intended to open the gate to the ac­
tual use o f the real Hermetic formulas concealed in the magical
papyri o f Egypt.
These formulas are at least part o f the basis o f what later came
to be known as the “Hermetic tradition.” The most famous example
o f this is the “Hermetic Order o f the Golden Dawn” in the late
1800s. The Victorian understanding o f the formulas was, however,
rather limited and sometimes misinformed. N o doubt the magic
contained in the papyri has great potency. It represents the first
known attempt to bring together many traditions o f magic in the
world and to forge them into a unified eclectic system. The papyri
themselves, the great repository o f these formulas, required extensive
research by experts over a period o f several decades before they were
truly ready to reveal their many secrets. N ow is that time. These are
their secrets.
I originally had the idea for this book when doing academic re­
search for the Runic school o f magic. I became aware o f the fact that
there were well over a hundred documents o f original magical litera­
ture dating from the first four centuries which contained the
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PREFAC E
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roots o f what was widely practiced out o f occult books o f our day.
This is a book o f experimental and experiential philosophy and
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These documents were written in the Greek, Coptic, and Egyptian
paleology— the study o f ancient things. It is not enough to read m
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languages.
about such things. We can learn something o f the true essence o f a
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Further research, both scholarly and practical, revealed that the
•.li-'- teaching by experiencing its actions as much as by hearing or reading
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magic o f the papyri was much more “down to earth” and pragmatic
its words. Purely “academic” exploration is rarely transformative. The
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than the often complex forms o f Renaissance and Victorian oc­
voyager must actually do, work, experience and thereby gain real re­
cultism derived from the practices outlined in the papyri. This prag­
sults and real understanding. It is by such voyaging that the magician
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matic base became clear once a certain set o f codes was cracked open.
reaches the opposite shore o f the river.
V.iv
This book also might have been titled “The Practical Greek
f! ». But as the Hermetic dictum is applied to a temporal model— as
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Kabbalah.” But this title would not be entirely accurate. It would,
it was, so shall it be— by experiencing the sights, sounds, thoughts,
however, express the great debt we owe to the Hebrew tradition for
actions, and all the dozens o f other things that come with the perfor­
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having preserved intact a system o f mystical speculation and cosmol­
w mance o f magical acts, we can not only become one with the an­
.s •• ogy. W ithout the Hebrew Kabbalah the reconstruction o f the “H el­
m cients, but more importantly we can become one with the very
lenistic Cosmograph” would have been impossible. However, the
• ^ - S - ' models or “paradigms” they themselves were using.
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tradition expressed in this text is something other than the Hebrew
.* It is my hope that the reader— the experimenter and explorer—
Kabbalah. It is a pagan parallel and analog to that tradition.
will undertake this voyage o f discovery along the path o f the ancient
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The original papyri contain many formulas which call for ani­
Ks'' Hermeticists. To know, to will, to dare, and to conceal what you learn
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f mal sacrifice or the use o f substances that must be obtained from
in the depths o f your hearts. For, in the end, no matter how much
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.^•4.1 dead animals. None o f the workings presented in this book do so. But we
you try to say concerning what you will experience, the truth will
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must remember the time and place o f the papyri— a largely agricul­
tCi only be audible in silence.
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tural world o f some 1500 to 2 0 0 0 years ago. W hen one o f the old
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Stephen Edred Flowers, Ph.D.
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ingredient than, let s say, the crank case oil o f a black Chevy pickup
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book seriously to look into the originals behind the forms given here.
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(They can be found in English translation in The Greek Magical Pa­
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by the University o f Chicago Press in 1986.) In choosing the models
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for the workings given in the practical part o f this book, I always
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chose ones that did not even originally require the use o f practices or
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substances now repugnant to us. This, by the way, was not difficult
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since a great number o f the workings rely almost totally on verbal
and other symbolic acts.
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In many ways this book is different from other modern manu­
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als o f magical practice. More details are given on how it is different in
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book, refer back to this preface for clarification.
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