Olympic Spirits Of Arbatel, Following strictly only the text of the grimoire Options

I've been preparing for evocation of Ophiel for a while now and I'm faced with a dilemma.

Most of the ritual diaries that are available on the net seem to be using a ritual basis from the Goetia (triangle, circle etc) accompanied with GD rituals instead of the actual grimoire text which doesn't mention any of these. Instead, the Olympic spirits are described as angelic beings:

"There are seven governors or different offices of the Olympians, which God has established for administering the entire fabric of the Universe. And their visible stars are ARATRON, BETHOR, PHALEG, OCH, HAGITH, OPHIEL, PHUL, according to the Olympic speech. Each of these has under them a considerable heavenly militia."

Also, the only requirements according the grimoire for the evocations are faith, pious life and prayers to God (which are also included in the text) and the use of the name and offices of the spirit and it's seal.

For protection only faith in God is required if I'm reading the text correctly:

"...For neither evil daemon nor ill fate can harm one whose help rests in the Most High. Truly any of the Olympic spirits might teach or effect whatever is portended or appropriate to their star, however without divine permission nothing can be accomplished. Indeed it is GOD alone who enables them to accomplish it. All things obey God the creator, whether supercelestial, celestial, sublunary or infernal. Therefore strive for this that GOD LEADS you in all everything you undertake, and EVERYTHING WILL COME TO A HAPPY AND DESIRED OUTCOME, as the history of the world testifies, and daily experience shows. With the pious there is peace, but 'there is no PEACE for the wicked', the Lord says."

Also:

"The HUMAN SOUL is the SOLE producer of wonders, to the extent that it is joined with the chosen spirit; once joined it will reveal what you desire. Therefore you must proceed with CAUTIOUSLY in acts of MAGIC, lest we be cheated by sirens and monsters, who are also attracted to the HUMAN SOUL. Therefore always hide under the WINGS OF THE MOST HIGH, lest you offer yourself to be devoured by the roaring lion. For those who desire worldly things are hard pressed to escape the snares of SATAN."

"CARE must be taken not to mix experiments, but each one should be simple and by itself. For GOD and NATURE have ordered each towards a fixed and destined end.... ....In the same way are sayings, which when spoken, the visible creations and invisible creatures immediately show obedience, whether from our world, such as the aqueous, the aerial, or subterranean, as well as the Olympic, supercelestial, infernal and even the divine.

Strive therefore for the greatest simplicity, and strive to obtain from God knowledge of the simple things. The rest can only be acquired by experimenting."

So, if I'm to follow the instructions in the grimoire to the letter, no circle, triangle or any sort of altar is to be present in the evocation?

Feel free any mistakes I've made reading the text. :flamesuit on:

This post has been edited by ComaOfLoss: Sep 14 2009, 08:16 AM

Hey. Just checked back on the site after many months. Glad I could offer some insight. The Seal of Secrets is like a yantra and can be different information inbedded in it. In part, it is like a calendar and the the lines raying out of it (27 per each quadrant) related to the mansions of the moon. So you want to refer to the Picatrix and get refer to a lunar mansion calendar to see what planet is ruling what day. As I mentioned in another string, Governing angels also probably are important to using the seal of secrets, but what angels correspond exactly to the parts of the seal are not known (the author may not have used the same paradigm as, say, Agrippa, and we speculate, actually, that Giordano Bruno may have been the author.

To work with the Arbatel, it is best to follow its simple instructions. If you really REALLY feel the need to circle cast, do what is most comfortable to make you feel safe and efficient. But you really just need to sit down, focus, be sincere, say the little prayer in the Arbatel or a variation of it that goes with your personal paradigm, focus on the sigil, invite the Olympic spirit and be attentive to what you experience.