Transcendental Magic II: The Ritual (Éliphas Lévi) · 38 of 123 · tr. A.E. Waite
7. The Septenary Of Talismansc
The altar of perfumes and the tripod of sacred fire must be encircled by wreaths of laurel, heliotrope and sunflowers; the perfumes are cinnamon, strong incense, saffron and red sandal; the ring must be of gold, with a chrysolith or ruby; the carpet must be of lion-skins, the fans of sparrow-hawk feathers.
On Monday the robe is white, embroidered with silver, and having a triple collar of pearls, crystals and selenite; the tiara must be covered with yellow silk, emblazoned with silver characters forming the Hebrew monogram of Gabriel, as given in the Occult Philosophy of Agrippa; the perfumes are white sandal, camphor, amber, aloes and pulverized seed of cucumber; the wreaths are mugwort, moon-wort and yellow ranunculuses.
Tapestries, garments and objects of a black colour must be avoided; and no metal except silver should be worn on the person.
On Tuesday, a day for the operations of vengeance, the colour of the vestment should be that of flame, rust or blood, with belt and bracelets of steel.
The tiara must be bound with gold; the wand must not be used, but only the magical dagger and sword; the wreaths must be of absinthe and rue, the ring of steel, with an amethyst for precious stone.
On Wednesday, a day favourable for transcendent science, the vestment should be green, or shot with various colours; the necklace of pearls in hollow glass beads containing mercury; the perfumes benzoin, mace and storax; the flowers, narcissus, lily, herb-mercury, fumitory, and marjoram; the jewel should be the agate.
On Thursday, a day of great religious and political operations, the vestment should be scarlet and on the forehead should be worn a brass tablet, with the character of the spirit of Jupiter and the three words: GIA-RAR, BETHOR, SAMGABIEL; the perfumes are incense, ambergris, balm, grain of paradise, macis and saffron; the ring must be enriched with an emerald or sapphire; the wreaths and crowns should be oak, poplar, g and pomegranate leaves.
On Friday, the day for amorous operations, the vestment should be of sky-blue, the hangings of green and rose, the ornaments of polished copper, the crowns of violets, the wreaths of roses, myrtle and olive; the ring should be enriched with a turquoise; lapis-lazuli and beryl will answer for tiara and clasps; the fans must be of swan's feathers; and the operator must wear upon his breast a copper talisman with the character of Anael and the words: AVEEVA VADELILITH.
On Saturday, a day of funereal operations, the vestment must be black or brown, with characters embroidered in orange or black silk; round the neck must be worn a lamina of lead, with the character of Saturn and the words: ALMALEC, Aphiel, ZARAHIEL; the perfumes should be diagridrium, scammony, alum, sulphur and assafoetida; the ring should be adorned with an onyx; the garlands should be of ash, cypress and hellebore; on the onyx of the ring, during the hours of Saturn, the double head of Janus should be engraved with the consecrated awl.
Such are the antique magnificences of the Secret Cultus of the Magi.
With similar appointments the great magicians of the Middle Ages proceeded to the daily consecration of talismans corresponding to the Seven Genii.
Themes
◆Correspondencecosmology
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 passage is structured entirely around mapping specific materials, colors, and perfumes to planetary days, embodying the Hermetic axiom of cosmic reflection.
Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.
The text details ritual practices involving consecrated material symbols (talismans, robes, rings) to engage divine or spiritual powers directly.