Agrippa: The Philosophy of Natural Magic, Chapter XLV — Of Collyries, Unctions, Love-Medicines, and Their Virtues · 2 of 2 · tr. Henry Morley; L. W. de Laurence ed.
Chapter XLV, Section 1b
Also by divers rites, observations, ceremonies, religions and superstitions; all which shall be handled in their places.
And not only by these kind of arts are passions, apparitions and images induced, but also things themselves, which are really changed and transfigured into divers forms, as the poet relates of Proteus, Periclimenus, Acheloas, and Merra, the daughter of Erisichthon.
So, also, Circe changed the companions of Ulysses; and of old, in the sacrifices of Jupiter Lycæus, the men that tasted of the inwards of the sacrifices were turned into wolves which, Pliny saith, befell a certain man called Demarchus.
The same opinion was Austin of, for, he saith, whilst he was in Italy, he heard of some women that by giving sorceries in cheese to travelers, turned them into working cattle, and when they had done such work as they would have them, turned them into men again; and that this befell a certain priest called Prestantius.
The Scriptures themselves testify that Pharao's sorceries turned their rods into serpents and water into blood, and did other such like things.
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
Shapeshifting Transformationtheology
Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. Loki and Odin's transformations in Norse, Math's pigs and Blodeuwedd's owl-shape and Pwyll's exchange with Arawn in the Mabinogion, the Greek Proteus, the Indian dasavatara, Vainamoinen's bird-flight in the Kalevala, Ovid's metamorphoses, the shamanic and witch's capacity for ritual form-change. Distinct from anthropomorphism (divine taking specific human form, single embodiment) in that anthropomorphism establishes a stable form whereas this concept establishes form's plurality and instability.
The passage centrally describes Proteus, Circe, and other figures altering forms between human, animal, and elemental states through sorcery.
All passages →Related passages · 9 parallels
theosophy|The Secret Doctrine|Page 12 (part 6)
“" The Dhyanis ( Pitris ) are those who have evolved their BHUTA ( doubles ) from themselves , which RUPA ( form ) has become the vehicle of monads ( seventh and sixth principles ) that had completed their cycle of transmigration in the thre…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
western_esoteric|The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite)|Page 53
“§ 2. Concerning the Forms of Infernal Spirits in their Manifestations Having regard to the nature and antecedents of the Intelligences with which Black Magic professes to be concerned, it must be highly important that the operator should kn…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
western_esoteric|The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Manly P. Hall)|The Elements and Their Inhabitants-e
“The imagination of the Greeks peopled the regions of earth and sea with divinities, to whose agency it attributed the phenomena that our philosophy ascribes to the operation of natural law." Thus, in behalf of the plant it worked with, the…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
western_esoteric|Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi)|14. Transmutations-b
“The life of beings is a progressive transformation, and its forms can be deter-mined, renewed, prolonged further, or destroyed sooner.
If the doctrine of metempsychosis were true, might one not say that the debauch represented by Circe rea…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
hinduism|The Bhagavad Gita|Chapter XI, Section 1a
“CHAPTER XI.
Ar g una said: In consequence of the excellent and mysterious words concerning the relation of the supreme and individual soul,, which you have spoken for my welfare, this delusion of mine is gone away.
O you whose eyes are li…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
theosophy|The Secret Doctrine|Page 14 (part 4)
“I am merged in Sekten." This last sentence gives the corroboration of, and repeats the doctrine of, esoteric Buddhism, for it alludes directly to the fifth principle (Manas), or the most spiritual part of its essence rather, which merges in…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
hinduism|The Bhagavad Gita|Chapter XI, Section 1c
“O infinite lord of gods!
O you pervading the universe!
you are the indestructible, that which is, that which is not, and what is beyond them .
You are the primal god, the ancient being, you are the highest support of this universe .
You…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
western_esoteric|The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite)|Page 62 (part 5)
“Having read so far, if he come not, write his seal on parchment; put it in a black box, with brimstone, assafœtida and other stinking perfumes; bind the said box with iron wire, hang it on the point of your sword, hold it over the fire of c…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
western_esoteric|Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi)|18. Philtres And Magnetism-a
“Let us now adventure in Thessaly, the country of enchantments.
Here was Apuleius beguiled, like the companions of Ulysses, and underwent a humiliating metamorphosis.
Here all is magical - the birds that fly, the insects humming in the gra…”
Shared concept: Shapeshifting Transformation — Form-mutability as a constitutional property of divine and preternatural beings — gods, heroes, spirits, and their human practitioners possessing inherent capacity to alter form across human, animal, plant, or elemental states. (derived)
Contrasts · where traditions diverge
western_esoteric|Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi)|14. Transmutations-a
“St.
Augustus speculates, as we have said, whether Apuleius could have been changed into an ass and then have resumed his human shape.
The same doctor might have concerned himself equally with the adventure of the comrades of Ulysses, tran…”
Both passages discuss the concept of transformation or metamorphosis through magical means, citing similar examples such as Circe transforming Ulysses' companions and the magical transformations mentioned in religious texts. They share a structural parallel in exploring the idea of magical transfiguration.