(wheel of 32 angels, from The Goetia, 1904)

THE PRELIMINARY DEFINITION OF MAGIC

Magic is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of Natural Philosophy, advanced in its works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents² being applied to proper Patients,³ strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced. Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature; they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effort,⁴ the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a miracle.

Origen saith that the Magical Art doth not contain anything subsisting, but although it should, yet that it must not be Evil, or subject to contempt or scorn: and doth distinguish the Natural Magic from that which is Diabolical.

Apollonius Tyanaeus only exercised the Natural Magic, by the which he did perform wonderful things.

Philo Hebraeus saith that true Magic, by which we do arrive at the understanding of the Secret Works of Nature, is so far from being contemptible that the greatest Monarchs and Kings have studied it. Nay! among the Persians, none might reign unless he was skilful in this Great Art.

This Noble Science often degenerateth, from Natural becometh Diabolical, and from True Philosophy turneth unto Nigromaecy.⁵ The which is wholly to be charged upon its followers, who, abusing or not being capable of that High and Mystical Knowledge do immediately hearken unto the temptations of Sathan, and are misled by him into the Study of the Black Art. Hence it is that Magic lieth under disgrace, and they who seek after it are vulgarly esteemed Sorcerers.

The Fraternity of the Rosie Crusians thought it not fit to style themselves Magicians, but rather Philosophers. And they be not ignorant Empiricks,⁶ but learned and experienced Physicians, whose remedies be not only Lawful but Divine.

THE BRIEF INTRODUCTORY DESCRIPTION

(N.B. This is taken from several MS. Codices, of which the four principle variations are here composed together in parallel columns as an example of the close agreement of the various texts of the Lemegeton.

For in the whole work the differences in the wording of the various Codices are not sufficient to require the constant giving of parallel reading; but except in the more ancient examples there is much deterioration in the Seals and Sigils, no that in this latter respect the more recent exemplars are not entirely reliable.)^a

which containeth all the Names, Offices, and Orders of all the Spirits that ever he had converse with, with the Seals and Characters to each Spirit and the manner of calling them forth to visible appearance:

In 5 parts, viz.:

(1) THE FIRST PART is a Book of Evil Spirits, called GOETIA, showing how he bound up those Sprnts, and used them in general things, whereby he obtained great fame.

(2) THE SECOND PART is a Book of Spirits, partly Evil and partly Good, which is named THEURGIA-GOETIA, all Aërial Spirits, etc.

(3) THE THIRD PART is of Spirits governing the Planetary Hours, and what Spirits belong to every degree, of the Signs, and Planets in the Signs. Called the PAULINE ART, etc.

(4) THE FOURTH PART of this Book is called ALMADEL OF SOLOMON, which containeth those Spirits which govern the Four Altitudes, or the 360 Degrees of the Zodiac.

These two last Orders of Spirits are Good, and to be sought for by Divine seeking, etc., and are called THEURGIA.

(5) THE FIFTH PART is a Book of Orations and Prayers that Wise Solomon used upon the Altar in the Temple. The which is called ARS NOVA, which was revealed unto Solomon by that Holy Angel of God called Michael; and he also received many brief Notes written with the Finger of God, which were declared to him by the said Angel with Claps of Thunder, without which Notes King Solomon had never obtained his great knowledge, for by them in a short time he knew all Arts and Sciences both Good and Bad; from these Notes it is called the NOTARY ART, etc.

Now this Book containeth all the Names, Orders, and Offices of all the Spirits with which Solomon ever conversed, the Seals and Characters belonging to each Spirit, and the manner of calling them forth to visible appearance:

Divided into 5 special Books or parts, viz.:

(1) THE FIRST BOOK, or PART, which is a Book concerning Spirits of Evil, and which is termed THE GOETIA OF SOLOMON, sheweth forth his manner of binding these Spirits for use in things divers. And hereby did he acquire great renown.

(2) THE SECOND BOOK is one which treateth of Spirits mingled of Good and Evil Natures, the which is entitled THE THEURGIA-GOETIA, or the Magical Wisdom of the Spirits Aërial, whereof some do abide, but certain do wander and abide not.

(3) THE THIRD BOOK, called ARS PAULINA, or THE ART PAULINE, treateth of the spirits allotted unto every degree of the 360 Degrees of the Zodiac; and also of the Signs, and of the Planets in the Signs, as well as of the Hours.

(4) THE FOURTH BOOK, called: ARS ALMADEL SALOMONIS, or THE ART ALMADEL OF SOLOMON, concerneth those Spirits which be set over the Quaternary of the Altitudes.

These two last mentioned Books, the ART PAULINE and the ART ALMADEL, do relate unto Good Spirits alone, whose knowledge is to be obtained through seeking unto the Divine. These two Books be also classed together under the Name of the First and Second Parts of the Book THEURGIA OF SOLOMON.

(5) THE FIFTH BOOK of the Lemegeton is one of Prayers and Orations. The which Solomon the Wise did use upon the Altar in the Temple. And the titles hereof be ARS NOVA, the NEW ART, and ARS NOTARIA, the NOTARY ART. The which was revealed unto him by Michael, that Holy Angel of God, in thunder and in lightning, and he further did receive by the aforesaid Angel certain Notes written by the Hand of God, without the which that Great King had never attained unto his great Wisdom, for thus he knew all things and all Sciences and Arts whether Good or Evil.

which containeth all the Names, Offices, and Orders of all the Spirits with whom he ever held any converse; together with the Seals and Characters proper unto each Spirit, and the method of calling them forth to visible appearance:

In 5 parts, viz:

(1) THE FIRST PART is a Book of Evil Spirits, called GOETIA, showing how he bound up those Spirits and used them in things general and several, whereby he obtained great fame.

(2) THE SECOND PART is a Book of Spirits, partly Evil and partly Good, which is called THEURGIA-GOETIA, all Aërial Spirits, etc.

(3) THE THIRD PART is of Spirits governing the Planetary Hours, and of what Spirits do belong to every Degree of the Signs, and of the Planets in the Signs. This is called the PAULINE ART, etc.

(4) THE FOURTH PART of this Book is called ALMADEL OF SOLOMON, the which containeth those Spirits which do govern the Four Altitudes, or the 360 Degrees of the Zodiac.

These two last Orders of Spirits are Good, and are called THEURGIA, and are to be sought for by Divine seeking, etc.

(5) THE FIFTH PART is a Book of Orations and Prayers which Wise Solomon did use upon the Altar in the Temple. The which is called ARS NOVA, the which was revealed to Solomon by that Holy Angel of God called Michael; and he also received many brief Notes written with the Finger of God, which were declared to him by the said Angel with Claps of Thunder; without which Notes King Solomon had never obtained his Great Wisdom, for by them in short time he gained Knowledge of all Arts and Sciences both Good and Bad; from these Notes it is called the NOTARY ART, etc.

which contains all the names, orders, and offices of all the Spirits that ever Solomon conversed with, together with the Seals and characters belonging to each Spirit, and the manner of calling them forth to visible appearance: In 4 parts.

(1) THE FIRST PART is a Book of Evil Spirits, called GOETIA, showing how he bound up those Spirits and used them in several things, whereby he obtained great fame.

(2) THE SECOND PART is a Book of Spirits, partly Good and partly Evil, which is named THEURGIA-GOETIA, all Aërial Spirits, etc.

(3)THE THIRD PART is a Book governing the Planetary Houses, and what Spirits belong to every Degree of the Signs, and Planets in the Signs. Called the PAULINE ART.

(4) THE FOURTH PART is a Book called the ALMADEL OF SOLOMON, which contains Twenty Chief Spirits who govern the Four Altitudes, or the 360 Degrees of the Zodiac.

These two last Orders of Spirits are Good, and called THEURGIA, and are to be sought after by Divine seeking.

These Most Sacred Mysteries were revealed unto Solomon.

Now in this Book Lemegeton is contained the whole Art of King Solomon. And although there be many other Books that are said to be his, yet none is to be compared hereunto, for this containeth them all. Though there be titles with several other Names of the Book, as THE BOOK HELISOL, which is the very same with this last Book of Lemegeton called ARS NOVA or ARS NOTARIA, etc.

These Books were first found in the Chaldee and Hebrew Tongues at Jerusalem by a Jewish Rabbi; and by him put into the Greek language and thence into the Latin, as it is said.⁷

Note 1: This Preliminary Definition of Magic is found in very few Codices, and is probably later than body of the work. -- Mathers

Addendum: The entire text of the Preliminary Definition is lifted from chapter twelve of the English translation of Michael Maier's Laws of the Fraternity of the Rosie Crosse, published in London in 1656. I have compared the definition of magic in the Goetia with Maier's text -- the wording is virtually identical, although the person who put together the manuscript version of the Goetia from which Mathers extracted this passage did a little editing of Maier's definition by shifting sentences around -- he may even have improved upon Maier slightly. There is no doubt that this part of the Goetia was copied from Maier's book; therefore, the manuscript that contains this passage from Maier was assembled after 1656. Of course, the main body of the text of the Goetia is much older. -- Tyson

Note 2: Or Activities. -- Mathers

Note 3: Or Passives. -- Mathers

Note 4: Or Effect. -- Mathers

Addendum: It is "effect" in Maier. The copyist of the Geotia made an error when transcribing Maier's words. -- Tyson

Note 5: Or the Black Art, as distinct from mere Necromancy, or Divination by the Dead. -- Mathers

Note 6: Or Quacks and Pretenders. -- Mathers

Note a: Evidently in Mathers' original plan for the book the four sections that describe the contents of the entire Lemegeton were to be arranged in parallel columns for purposes of comparison. The small page size chosen for Crowley's edition of the Goetia rendered this impossible. -- Tyson

Note 7: The first only of these five books is here published: the astral opposition incidental to the publication of any magical writing is not to be blamed for this; but the engorgement of the translator in a matter of other import, as previously hinted. The true life of this man and his associates, with a veridic account of their researches into magical arts, etc., may be looked for in my forthcoming volume: "History of the Order of the Golden Dawn." -- Crowley

Addendum: It is the common belief among those who study and practice Western ceremonial magic that spiritual forces conspire to make difficult or impossible the publication of important works about magic, particularly works concerning ritual evocation. Those who try to bring forth such books encounter baffling strings of bad luck, and have their efforts frustrated at every turn.

If we may rely on Crowley's interpretation of the circumstances surrounding Mather's translation, or rather transcription, of the Lemegeton, the difficulties raised by Mrs. Horos and her husband, Theo Horos, distracted Mathers from completing his projected edition of the Lemegeton.

There may be another explanation. I have studied all five books of the Lemegeton in Sloane 2731, and in the later books some of the spirit names are very corrupt, making decipherment difficult or impossible. Perhaps Mathers simply found the work increasingly taxing, and set it aside for a more opportune period that never came.

It would have been difficult for Mathers to complete this book while living in Paris, since most if not all of his source manuscripts were in the British Museum in London. Mathers published his edition of the Key of Solomon in 1888. He must have done his preliminary research into the Lemegeton in the reading room of the British Museum Library around the same period, while living in London. He followed his wife to Paris to live in May, 1892. She had gone there to paint. According to Moïna Mathers, her husband was directed to move to Paris by the Secret Chiefs. The meetings between Mathers and Mrs. Horos took place at his Paris flat in the spring of 1900. A letter by one of the Golden Dawn members reveals that during July of 1902 Mrs. Horos was serving a prison sentence. She remained incarcerated in 1903 when Crowley wrote his Prefatory Note to his edition of the Goetia -- the book was not published until 1904. Mathers was still living in Paris at this time.

It does not appear that Crowley ever wrote his history of the Golden Dawn. However, Crowley's periodical, The Equinox, contains large amounts of information about the Golden Dawn and its practices. -- Tyson