The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) · 52 of 175 · tr. Arthur Edward Waite
Page 17 (part 2)
The smoke generated passes through the holes, and when it is smelt by the Angel it is said that he begins to speak.
I should explain, however, that the furniture of the oratory and the vestments worn by the operator must be of the same colour as the Almadel .
The candles are lighted at the inception, the golden seal is placed in the middle of the talisman, and the Invocant kneels down, holding the Prayer at Calling, which must be written on virgin parchment.
The apparition manifests over the Almadel , at first in the form of a mist.
This Clears gradually, and when the incense rises the face of the Angel is turned towards the operator, who is asked in a low voice why the Princes of the particular Choir or Altitude have been thus called.
The answer is: "I desire that all my requests may be granted and that which I pray for accomplished, for it appears and is declared by your office that the same is possible to you, if it please God." The particulars are enumerated without fear and without disrespect.
It would seem on the surface of the text as if no preliminary invocation were needed for this work, but that is the confusion of the Ritual which relegates it to the end and to a distinct part of the process.
THE PRAYER AT CALLING Thou great, mighty and blessed angel of God N., who rulest as the chief and first governing Angel in the first choir or altitude in the East, under the great Prince of the East whom you obey, who also is set over you as King by the Divine Power of God, ADONAI , HELOMI , PINE , Who is the disposer of all things in heaven, earth and hell: I, the servant of that God, ADONAI , HELOMI , PINE , Whom you obey, do invoke, conjure and entreat thee, N., that thou wilt appear forthwith.
By the virtue and power of the same God I do command thee from thine order or place of abode to come unto me and skew thyself plainly here before me in thine own proper shape and glory, speaking in a voice intelligible to mine understanding.
O thou mighty and blessed Angel N., I, the servant of the same thy God, do entreat and humbly beseech thee to come and shew unto me all things that I shall desire of thee, subject to the power of thine office and the good Pleasure of the Lord our God.
By the three names of the true God, ADONAI , HELOMI , PINE , and by the name ANA BONA , I beseech and constrain thee forthwith to appear visibly in thy proper shape, speaking in my ears audibly, that I may have thy blessed, angelical and glorious assistance, familiar friendship, constant society, communication and instruction, now and at all times, herein and in all truths which the Almighty God, King of Kings, Giver of all good gifts, shall be graciously pleased to bestow on me.
Therefore, O thou blessed Angel N., be friendly unto me, do for me as God hath empowered thee, whereunto I now adjure thee to appear it; power and presence, that I may sing with His Holy Angels O MAPPA LAMAN, HALLELUJAH.
AMEN.
When he appears , says the Ritual, give him a kind entertainment; ask what is lawful, possible and becoming to his office; and you shall obtain it .
If, however, he should fail to appear, the four candles must be marked with the gold or silver seal, which apparently will ensure obedience.
There are, however, certain planetary considerations connected with this process, on which its success depends.
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
The angel is described as having a face, speaking in a voice, and appearing in a 'proper shape,' attributing human-like characteristics to the divine being.
The Hermetic axiom that the structure of the cosmos is reflected at every scale — 'as above, so below; as within, so without' — making each level a legible map of the others.
The requirement that furniture and vestments match the color of the Almadel implies a sympathetic link between material objects and spiritual efficacy.
Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.
The prayer acknowledges God as the 'disposer of all things in heaven, earth and hell' and subject to His 'good Pleasure'.
A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.
The text explicitly references a structured hierarchy of divine beings including God, Princes of the East, and Angels ruling specific Choirs or Altitudes.
The doctrine that human volition, cultivated by discipline and emancipated from passion and servitude, is the primary instrument of magical operation — will confirmed by persistent acts acquires causal power over self, others, and nature; distinct from faith and from mere desire.
The operator uses command ('I do command thee') and constraint ('beseech and constrain thee') to compel the angel's appearance, reflecting the doctrine of will in magic.
The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.
The text specifies requirements for vestments matching the Almadel's color and the use of virgin parchment, indicating a need for ritual cleanliness and preparation.
The grimoire-tradition practice of ceremonially commanding or binding a spirit through consecrated seals, circles, divine names, and prescribed instruments, compelling its appearance and obedience. Distinct from theurgy in the direction of the power relationship — theurgy is reverent engagement with the gods on the premise of the operator's own ascent, this is subordination of a lesser spirit to the operator's will — and from word_power_incantation and sacred_names, which name components (verbal force, name-power) this practice deploys rather than the ritual structure itself.
The core of the passage is a grimoire-style ritual commanding an angel to appear and obey using seals, prayers, and divine names.
The doctrine and practice that spoken or sung word carries causal-magical force — that uttering names, formulas, songs, or incantations alters reality directly rather than merely communicating about it. Vainamoinen's runo-songs that move mountains and command iron, Norse galdr, Vedic mantra, Shinto kotodama, the magician's barbarous names in the Greek Magical Papyri, Iamblichean arcane signatures and inexplicable symbols, biblical creation-by-word. Distinct from sacred_names (the ontological power of names themselves) and prayer (address to the divine); word_power_incantation is the magical-causal efficacy of the spoken word as such.
The text asserts that speaking the prayer and names commands the angel to appear and speak, demonstrating belief in the causal force of spoken words.