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The Book of Ceremonial Magic (A.E. Waite) · 132 of 175 · tr. Arthur Edward Waite

Page 64 (part 6)

This he must cast upon the treasure, grasping one of its coins at the same moment as a pledge and a surety, and previously flinging down a piece of his own money bitten by his own teeth, after which he may retire, walking backwards and carrying away what he can of the treasure. The rest cannot escape him after the above precautions. He must, however, take heed not to turn round, whatever noise he may hear, for at this critical moment it will truly seem as if all the mountains in the world were being precipitated upon him. He must for this cause be fortified with special intrepidity, must take fright at nothing but keep perfectly firm. So acting, he will be led back by the Spirit to the entrance of the circle. Then shall the Karcist recite the following discharge of the Spirit. CONJURATION AND DISCHARGE OF THE SPIRIT O Prince Lucifer, I am, for the time, contented with thee. I now leave thee in peace, and permit thee to retire wheresoever it may seem good to thee, so it be without noise and without leaving any evil smell behind thee. Be mindful, however, of our engagement, for shouldst thou fail in it, even for a moment, be assured that I shall eternally smite thee with the Blasting Rod of the great ADONAY, ELOIM, ARIEL and JEHOVAM . Amen . ACT OF THANKSGIVING O Omnipotent God, Who hast created all things for the service and convenience of men, we return Thee most humble thanks for the benefits which, in Thy great bounty, Thou hast poured out on us during this night of Thine inestimable favours, wherein Thou hast granted us according to our desires. Now, O Almighty God, have we realised all the scope of Thy great promises, when Thou didst say to as. Seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you. And as Thou hast commanded and warned us to succour the poor, we promise Thee, in the Presence of the great ADONAY, ELM, ARIEL and JEHOVAM , to be charitable and to pour out on them the beneficent beams of the Sun with which those four Potent divinities have enriched us. So be it. Amen . VALE
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Themes
Covenanttheology

A binding agreement or relationship between the divine and a people or individual, establishing mutual obligations.

The magician establishes a binding engagement with the spirit and makes a promise to God regarding charity in the presence of divine names.

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Divine Providencetheology

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 text references God creating all things for the service of men and granting desires according to promises.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

God is addressed as an active agent who grants favours, hears thanks, and commands charity.

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Love Of Neighbourethics

Active compassionate care for others as a central spiritual obligation or expression of divine love.

The Act of Thanksgiving explicitly promises to be charitable and pour out beneficence on the poor as a condition of the divine favor received.

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Magical Willpraxis

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 text emphasizes the need for 'special intrepidity' and keeping 'perfectly firm' to ensure the spirit obeys and the treasure is secured.

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Prayerpraxis

Direct address to the divine, whether petitionary, contemplative, or liturgical; speech and silence offered upward.

The passage includes a formal 'Act of Thanksgiving' addressed to the Omnipotent God, expressing gratitude and making vows.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The text explicitly invokes multiple divine names (ADONAY, ELOIM, ARIEL, JEHOVAM) as instruments of power to threaten the spirit and sanctify the promise.

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Spirit Conjurationpraxis

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 passage details the specific ritual procedures for commanding a spirit (Lucifer), binding it to an engagement, and formally discharging it from the circle.

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Word Power Incantationpraxis

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 efficacy of the ritual relies heavily on the recitation of specific conjurations and discharges to command the spirit and seal the engagement.

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