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 […]
PGM IV. 2708-2784: Invocati...
‘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 […]
Hekate in the PGM
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 […]
PGM IV 154- 285: Initiation...
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 […]
PGM IV 154-285: Phylactery ...
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 […]
Aberamenthô in the PGM
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 […]
Black of Isis
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 […]