I write quite a bit about the PGM, clearly it is very important element of my magical and spiritual practice. Yet despite working very closely with some Graeco-Egyptian deities, I do not strongly identify with either Greek or Egyptian “religion.” So why do I place such high value on the PGM? This is a question that I have recently begun to […]
‘Don’t judge a book by its cover’, surely this idiom borders on the cliche. Yet, it speaks to an undeniable truth – one that those of us experimenting with the Greek Magical Papyri should keep in mind as we leaf through this rich collection of spells. Spells with titles that rarely appeal to our current and modern lives. Seriously, how […]
The Maskelli Maskello formula is one of the most common magical incantations of the ancient world. We find it in love spells, coercion spells, curses and invocations, it can stand on its own as well as be mixed into other strings of voce magicae. The widespread use of the formula within the magical papyri and on other magical […]
Few deities have forged the intimate link with magicians, witches and magical practitioners that Hekate has in her various manifestations. As the bonafide patroness of magic and witchcraft and goddess of liminality, Hekate has represented and embodied the sacred mysteries and arcane arts for millennia. Hekate’s antiquity is indisputable with most scholars tracing her worship to a remote prehistory […]
Inquiry of bowl divination and necromancy. Whenever you want to inquire about matters, take a bronze vessel, either a bowl or a saucer, whatever kind you wish. Pour water: rainwater if you are calling upon heavenly gods, seawater if gods of the earth, river water if Osiris or Sarapis, spring water if the dead. Holding the […]
The magical system of PGM IV 154-285 promises “a holy power” and the ability to evoke and obtain information from any spirit or god.[1] Such operations of “miraculous nature” require that the practitioner first complete the initiation ritual that constitutes the majority of the text.[2] It is through this rite that one obtains the necessary spiritual authority to call upon the gods and […]
The invocation to Typhon (lines 180-209) is the crux of the initiation rite into the magical system of PGM IV. 154-285. As we have discussed previously, this is literally the rite of passage that the candidate must complete prior to engaging in the Evocationary Bowl Scrying practices. It is through this initiation that the practitioner gains the spiritual authority necessary to call forth […]
In the Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) the term ‘phylactery’ describes an object that is worn by the practitioner as protection from the gods, daemons and other spirits. Unlike amulets and talismans, a phylactery is only worn during magical rituals and was not intended for daily use.[1] This form of ritual protection is very common in the PGM and it continued to […]
This is the first post, on a series of posts I intend to make on PGM IV 154-285, “Nephotes to Psammetichos letter concerning bowl divination.”[1] The intent here is to introduce the passage and present it as a complete and workable system of magical practices. Future posts will delve deeper into the individual rituals of the passage and document my […]
The pronunciation of the divine names, nomina barbara, or voce magicae of western ritual magic can be a hotly debated subject. Many will argue that proper pronunciation of these magical formulae is not critical and that it is the intent behind the word that empowers the rite. Indeed, the power of intent is indisputable; however, there is also the essential vibrational quality of sound that I believe is as important as […]
This post, as many do, began as a series of notes regarding the use of the magic name Αβεραμενθω (“Aberamenthô”) in the PGM. I was surprised to discover that references to this name appear outside the PGM as well. In the gnostic manuscript Pistis Sophia and the untitled work in the Askew Codex, Aberamenthô is used as an epithet of Jesus when […]
The Black of Isis is a magical cloth mentioned in two rituals of initiation and three oracular spells in the PGM. It is generally understood to be a linen cloak (or piece, thereof) used to dress the effigies of the goddess.[1] Our goal in this post is to better understand the use and significance of this Black of Isis in the PGM and within […]
