Agrippa__The_Books_of_Occult_Philosophy_-_Book_1.pdf

Three Books of Occult Philosophy, or of

Magick; Written by that Famous Man

Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Knight,

And Doctor of both Laws, Counsellor to

Cæsars Sacred Majesty, and Judge of the

Prerogative Court.

BOOK I.

Chap. i. How Magicians Collect vertues from the three-fold World, is

declared in these three Books.

eeing there is a three-fold World, Elementary, Celestiall, and

Intellectual, and every inferior is governed by its superior, and receiveth the influence of

the vertues thereof, so that the very original, and chief Worker of all doth by Angels, the

Heavens, Stars, Elements, Animals, Plants, Metals, and Stones convey from himself the

vertues of his Omnipotency upon us, for whose service he made, and created all these

things: Wise men conceive it no way irrationall that it should be possible for us to ascend

by the same degrees through each World, to the same very originall World it self, the

Maker of all things, and first Cause, from whence all things are, and proceed; and also to

enjoy not only these vertues, which are already in the more excellent kind of things, but

also besides these, to draw new vertues from above. Hence it is that they seek after the

vertues of the Elementary world, through the help of Physick [=medicine], and Naturall

Philosophy in the various mixtions of Naturall things, then of the Celestiall world in the

Rayes, and influences thereof, according to the rules of Astrologers, and the doctrines of

Mathematicians, joyning the Celestiall vertues to the former: Moreover, they ratifie and

confirm all these with the powers of divers Intelligencies, through the sacred Ceremonies

of Religions. The order and process of all these I shall endeavor to deliver in these three

Books: Whereof the forst contains naturall Magick, the second Celestiall, and the third

Ceremoniall. But I know not whether it be an unpardonable presumption in me, that I, a

man of so little judgement and learning, should in my very youth so confidently set upon

a business so difficult, so hard, and intricate as this is. Wherefore, whatsoever things have

here already, and shall afterward be said by me, I would not have any one assent to them,

nor shall I my self, any further then they shall be approved of by the Universall Church,

and the Congregation of the Faithfull.

Chap. ii. What Magick is, What are the Parts thereof, and how the

Professors thereof must be Qualified.

Magick is a faculty of wonderfull vertue, full of most high mysteries, containing the most

profound Contemplation of most secret things, together with the nature, power, quality,

substance, and vertues thereof, as also the knowledge of whole nature, and it doth instruct

us concerning the differing, and agreement of things amongst themselves, whence it

produceth its wonderfull effects, by uniting the vertues of things through the application

of them one to the other, and to their inferior sutable subjects, joyning and knitting them

together thoroughly by the powers, and vertues of the superior Bodies. This is the most

perfect and chief Science, that sacred and sublimer kind of Phylosophy [philosophy], and

lastly the most absolute perfection of all most excellent Philosophy. For seeing that all

regulative Philosophy is divided into Naturall, Mathematicall, and Theologicall: (Naturall

Philosophy teacheth the nature of those things which are in the world, searching and

enquiring into their Causes, Effects, Times, Places, Fashions, Events, their Whole, and

Parts, also

The Number and the Nature of those things,

Cal'd Elements, what Fire, Earth, Aire forth brings:

From whence the Heavens their beginnings had;

Whence Tide, whence Rainbow, in gay colours clad.

What makes the Clouds that gathered are, and black,

To send forth Lightnings, and a Thundring crack;

What doth the Nightly Flames, and Comets make;

What makes the Earth to swell, and then to quake:

What is the seed of Metals, and of Gold

What Vertues, Wealth, doth Nature's Coffer hold.

All these things doth naturall Philosophy, the viewer of nature contain, teaching us

according to Virgil's Muse.

---------- Whence all things flow,

Whence Mankind, Beast; whence Fire, whence Rain, and Snow,

Whence Earth-quakes are; why the whole Ocean beats

Over his Banks, and then again retreats;

Whence strength of Hearbs [herbs], whence Courage, rage of Bruits

[brutes],

All kinds of Stone, of Creeping things, and Fruits.

But Mathematicall Philosophy teacheth us to know the quantity of naturall Bodies, as

extended into three dimensions, as also to conceive of the motion, and course of

Celestiall Bodies.

----- As in great hast [haste],

What makes the golden Stars to march so fast;

What makes the Moon sometimes to mask her face,

The Sun also, as if in some disgrace.

And as Virgil sings,

How th' Sun doth rule with twelve Zodiack Signs,

The Orb thats measur'd round about with Lines,

It doth the Heavens Starry way make known,

And strange Eclipses of the Sun, and Moon.

Arcturus also, and the Stars of Rain,

The Seaven Stars likewise, and Charles his Wain,

Why Winter Suns make tow'rds the West so fast;

What makes the Nights so long ere they be past?

All which is understood by Mathematicall Philosophy.

----- Hence by the Heavens we may foreknow

The seasons all; times for to reap and sow,

And when 'tis fit to launch into the deep,

And when to War, and when in peace to sleep,

And when to dig up Trees, and them again

To set; that so they may bring forth amain.

Now Theologicall Philosophy, or Divinity, teacheth what God is, what the Mind, what an

Intelligence, what an Angel, what a Divell [devil], what the Soul, what Religion, what

sacred Institutions, Rites, Temples, Observations, and sacred Mysteries are: It instructs us

also concerning Faith, Miracles, the vertues of Words and Figures, the secret operations

and mysteries of Seals, and as Apuleius saith, it teacheth us rightly to understand, and to

be skilled in the Ceremoniall Laws, the equity of Holy things and rule of Religions. But

to recollect my self) these three principall faculties Magick comprehends, unites, and

actuates; deservedly therefore was it by the Ancients esteemed as the highest, and most

sacred Philosophy. It was, as we find, brought to light by most sage Authours [authors],

and most famous Writers; amongst which principally Zamolxis and Zoroaster were so

famous, that many believed they were the inventors of this Science. Their track

[footsteps] Abbaris the Hyperborean, Charmondas, Damigeron, Eudoxus, Hermippus

followed: there were also other eminent, choice men, as Mercurius Tresmegistus

[Trismegistus], Porphyrius [Porphyry], Iamblicus [Iamblichus], Plotinus, Proclus,

Dardanus, Orpheus the Thracian, Gog the Grecian, Germa the Babilonian [Babylonian],

Apollonius of Tyana, Osthanes also wrote excellently in this Art; whose Books being as it

were lost, Democritus of Abdera recovered, and set forth with his own Commentaries.

Besides Pythagoras, Empedocles, Democritus, Plato, and many other renowned

Philosophers travelled far by Sea to learn this Art: and being returned, published it with

wonderfull devoutness, esteeming of it as a great secret. Also it is well known that

Pythagoras, and Plato went to the Prophets of Memphis to learn it, and travelled through

almost all Syria, Egypt, Judea, and the Schools of the Caldeans [Chaldaeans], that they

might not be ignorant of the most sacred Memorials, and Records of Magick, as also that

they might be furnished with Divine things. Whosoever therefore is desirous to study in

this Faculty, if he be not skilled in naturall Philosophy, wherein are discovered the

qualities of things, and in which are found the occult properties of every Being, and if he

be not skilful in the Mathematicks, and in the Aspects, and Figures of the Stars, upon

which depends the sublime vertue, and property of every thing; and if he be not learned

in Theologie [theology], wherein are manifested those immateriall substances, which

dispence [dispense], and minister all things, he cannot be possibly able to understand the

rationality of Magick. For there is no work that is done by meer Magick, nor any work

that is meerly Magicall, that doth not comprehend these three Faculties.

Chap. iii. Of the four Elements, their qualities, and mutuall mixtions.

There are four Elements, and originall grounds of all corporeall things, Fire, Earth,

Water, Aire, of which all elementated inferiour bodies are compounded; not by way of

heaping them up together, but by transmutation, and union; and when they are destroyed,

they are resolved into Elements. For there is none of the sensible Elements that is pure,

but they are more or less mixed, and apt to be changed one into the other: Even as Earth

becoming dirty, and being dissolved, becomes Water, and the same being made thick and

hard, becometh Earth again; but being evaporated through heat, passeth into Aire, and

that being kindled, passeth into Fire, and this being extinguished, returns back again into

Aire, but being cooled again after its burning, becometh Earth, or Stone, or Sulphur, and

this is manifested by Lightening [lightning]: Plato also was of that opinion, that Earth

was wholly changeable, and that the rest of the Elements are changed, as into this, so into

one another successively. But it is the opinion of the subtiller sort of Philosophers, that

Earth is not changed, but relented and mixed with other Elements, which do dissolve it,

and that it returns back into it self again. Now, every one of the Elements hath two

specificall qualities, the former whereof it retains as proper to it self, in the other, as a

mean, it agrees with that which comes next after it. For Fire is hot and dry, the Earth dry

and cold, the Water cold and moist, the Aire moist and ot. And so after this manner the

Elements, according to two contrary qualities, are contrary one to the other, as Fire to

Water, and Earth to Aire. Moreover, the Elements are upon another account opposite one

to the other: For some are heavy, as Earth and Water, and others are light, as Aire and

Fire. Wherefore the Stoicks called the former passives, but the latter actives. And yet

once again Plato distinguished them after another manner, and assigns to every one of

them three qualities, viz. to the Fire brightness, thinness and motion, but to the Earth

darkness, thickness and quietness. And according to these qualities the Elements of Fire

and Earth are contrary. But the other Elements borrow their qualities from these, so that

the Aire receives two qualities of the Fire, thinness and motion; and one of the Earth, viz.

darkness. In like manner Water receives two qualities of the Earth, darkness and

thickness, and one of Fire, viz. motion. But Fire is twice more thin then Aire, thrice more

movable, and four times more bright: and the Aire is twice more bright, thrice more thin,

and four times more moveable then Water. Wherefore Water is twice more bright then

Earth, thrice more thin, and four times more movable. As therefore the Fire is to the Aire,

so Aire is to the Water, and Water to the Earth; and again, as the Earth is to the Water, so

is the Water to the Aire, and the Aire to the Fire. And this is the root and foundation of all

bodies, natures, vertues, and wonderfull works; and he which shall know these qualities

of the Elements, and their mixtions, shall easily bring to pass such things that are

wonderfull, and astonishing, and shall be perfect in Magick.

Chap. iv. Of a three-fold consideration of the Elements.

There are then, as we have said, four Elements, without the perfect knowledge whereof

we can effect nothing in Magick. Now each of them is three-fold, that so the number of

four may make up the number of twelve; and by passing by the number of seven into the

number of ten, there may be a progress to the supream Unity, upon which all vertue and

wonderfull operation depends. Of the first Order are the pure Elements, which are neither

compounded nor changed, nor admit of mixtion, but are incorruptible, and not of which,

but through which the vertues of all naturall things are brought forth into act. No man is

able to declare their vertues, because they can do all things upon all things. He which is

ignorant of these, shall never be able to bring to pass any wonderfull matter. Of the

second Order are Elements that are compounded, changeable, and impure, yet such as

may by art be reduced to their pure simplicity, whose vertue, when they are thus reduced

to their simplicity, doth above all things perfect all occult, and common operations of

nature: and these are the foundation of the whole naturall Magick. Of the third Order are

those Elements, which originally and of themselves are not Elements, but are twice

compounded, various, and changeable one into the other. They are the infallible Medium,

and therefore are called the middle nature, or Soul of the middle nature: Very few there

are that understand the deep mysteries thereof. In them is, by means of certain numbers,

degrees, and orders, the perfection of every effect in what thing soever, whether Naturall,

Celestiall, or Supercelestiall; they are full of wonders, and mysteries, and are operative,

as in Magick Naturall, so Divine: For from these, through them, proceed the bindings,

loosings, and transmutations of all things, the knowing and foretelling of things to come,

also the driving forth of evill, and the gaining of good spirits. Let no man, therefore,

without these three sorts of Elements, and the knowledge thereof, be confident that he is

able to work any thing in the occult Sciences of Magick, and Nature. But whosoever shall

know how to reduce those of one Order, into those of another, impure into pure,

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