Exploring The Arbatel Options

Has anybody worked with the Arbatel de magia veterum? I've been reading it and liked the way its a much 'barer' system than Goetia/Enochian. I think it divides the practice of magick into separate schools and links them to mythical founders (even Homer..who is linked with cacoedemons). Dee doesn't say much about it, though the book is contemporary and Dee references cacoedemons. He probably shared the Arbatel's ideal of a magician as "divinorum cultor & interpres". I think it sits closer to the Enochian rather than Goetic tradition... maybe it's an example of late Renaissance magick (the astrology is there)... I don't know enough about either.

Any experiences or ideas?

The Arbatel is one of my favorite grimories. Sadly it is incomplete but I believe if it was complete it would now be THE grimorie. Often this book is looked over because people believe it doesn't contain anything useful other than the Olympic spirits. This is far from the truth, careful study of the Isagoge will reveal several nuggets of wisdom that will apply to all magick and grimoric magick especially.

Aphor. 9 reads like an expanded 'as above, so below'. I've been using a personalised version of the Aphor. 14 prayer, just as one way of involving myself with the text. I think I'm responding to the simplicity... the Arbatel doesn't feel inane, or out to impress. And, something it shares with all the best grimoires, it's a mystic's handbook. Following its teaching honestly and without prejudice (post-modern or otherwise) would definitely lead to some brilliant results. Though, I'm still getting my head round the idea of pre-determined secrets (I spose they're some kind of buffer, keeping the magician away from any requests that might threaten his relationship with God). I like the Arbatel's sigils too. Must be part of its Greco-Renaissance inheritance to keep things clean and angular. I don't think I'm any closer to those nuggets of knowledge you've hinted at though...

What about the other 8? Are they....lost......?

No one is really sure what ever happened to the other 8 books or chapters. Most people tend to assume that the list was just what the author planned to write but then just never did for whatever reason. I really wished he had or that they would have been found. My mind wonders at the discoveries that could have existed in those missing books.

The grimoire stands well alone, so if there are any other books that have survived, they're probably enclosed mini-systems too. It would be great to see how everything united as a whole, though. It's interesting to think that Dee came into contact with the book not long before he began his own experiments with mystical magick... there's much about this text that deserves a deeper look. I plan to treat it practically too: so if you've attempted the rituals, I'd be interested to hear about that.

You mentioned using the Aphor. 14 prayer, notice the language used in that prayer. Such as:

"Grant me therefore one of thy spirits, who may teach me those things which thou wouldest have me to know and learn...
Give me also an apt and teachable heart, that I may easily understand those things which thou shalt teach me, and may hide them in my understanding, that I may bring them forth as out of thy inexhaustible treasures, to all necessary uses. And give me grace, that I may use such thy gifts humbly"

Notice you will find similar language in the Greater Key.
Such as:
"Grant, O Lord, that we may become responsive unto Thy Grace, so that through it we may have a full confidence in and knowledge of Thee, and that the Spirits may discover themselves here in our presence, and that those which are gentle and peaceable may come unto us, so that they may be obedient unto Thy commands..."
or,
"grant unto me Thy Grace I beseech Thee, so that what I conceive in my mind I may accomplish in my work, through Thee, O God..."

The compare these to some of the prayers of Paracelsus such the wording paraphrased, Show me what I cannot see, teach me what I do not know, give me what I do not have that I might accomplish the great work...

You will see that they all approached the work from the same prospective. The differences might jump out at you at a first reading but once you study the text you will notice they are very very similar in the manner of which they work. The Arbatel does the best job of pointing out how to use these texts.

Wouldn't it be an interesting experiment to ask one of the spirits about the information contained in the lost books, or the location, or if they were ever wrote in the first place?

My favorite grimoire, I learned a lot from it. I want to work with the olympick spirits as soon as possible. . .

My favorite grimoire, I learned a lot from it. I want to work with the olympick spirits as soon as possible. . .

Me too! Just building the NEccissary Equipt. work in progress!

Wouldn't it be an interesting experiment to ask one of the spirits about the information contained in the lost books, or the location, or if they were ever wrote in the first place?

Has anyone ever tried this? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/ac42.gif)

Has anybody worked with the Arbatel de magia veterum? I've been reading it and liked the way its a much 'barer' system than Goetia/Enochian. I think it divides the practice of magick into separate schools and links them to mythical founders (even Homer..who is linked with cacoedemons). Dee doesn't say much about it, though the book is contemporary and Dee references cacoedemons. He probably shared the Arbatel's ideal of a magician as "divinorum cultor & interpres". I think it sits closer to the Enochian rather than Goetic tradition... maybe it's an example of late Renaissance magick (the astrology is there)... I don't know enough about either.

Any experiences or ideas?

I haven't worked with the Olympic spirits personally although I plan to in the future
Anyway here is a link to some Olympic spirit evocation experiences of others.http://www.dadamancer.com/topics/olympic-planetary-spirits/

This post has been edited by wise sage: Sep 1 2008, 07:02 PM