15. The Sabbath Of The Sorcerersg

a black seamless and sleeveless robe must be provided; a leaden cap emblazoned with the signs of the moon, Venus and Saturn; two candles of human fat set in black wooden candlesticks, carved in the shape of a crescent; two crowns of vervain; a magical sword with a black handle; the magical fork; a copper vase containing the blood of the victim; a censer holding perfumes, namely, incense, camphor, aloes, ambergris and storax, mixed together with the blood of a goat, a mole and a bat; four nails taken from the coffin of an executed criminal; the head of a black cat which has been nourished on human flesh for five days; a bat drowned in blood; the horns of a goat cum quo puella concuberit; and the skull of a parricide. All these hideous objects - though scarcely possible to obtain - having been collected, they must be arranged as follows: a perfect circle is traced by the sword, leaving, however, a break, or point of issue, on one side; a triangle is drawn in the circle, and the Pantacle thus formed is coloured with blood; a chafing-dish is placed at one of its angles, and this should have been included among the indispensable objects already enumerated. At the opposite base of the triangle three little circles are described for the sorcerer and his two assistants; behind that of the first the sign of the Labarum or monogram of Constantine is drawn, not with the blood of the victim, but with the operator's own blood. He and his assistants must have bare feet and covered heads. The skin of the immolated victim must be brought also to the spot and, being cut into strips, must be placed within the circle, thus forming a second and inner circle, fixed at four corners by four nails from the coffin mentioned already. Hard by the nails but outside the circle, must be placed the head of the cat, the human or rather inhuman skull, the horns of the goat, and the bat. They must be sprinkled with a branch of birch dipped in the blood of the victim, and then a fire of cypress and alderwood must be lighted, the two magical candles being placed on the right and left of the operator, encircled with the wreaths of vervain. The formulae of evocation can be pronounced now, as they are found in the Magical Elements of Peter of Apono, or in the Grim-oires, whether printed or manuscript. That of the “Grand Grimoire”, reproduced in the vulgar Red Dragon , has been altered wilfully and should be read as follows: By Adonai Elohim, Adonai Jehovah, Adonai Shaddai, Metraton On Agla Adonai Mathon, the Pythonic word, the Mystery of the Salamander, the Assembly of Sylphs, the Grotto of Ghomes, the demons of the heaven of God, Almousin, Gibor Jehovah, Evam, Zariatbatmik, Come, Come, Come! The Grand Appellation of Agrippa [1] consists only in these words: DIES Mies JESCHET BOENEDOESEF DOUVEMA ENITEMAUS. We make no pretence of understanding their meaning; possibly they possess none, assuredly none which is reasonable, since they avail in evoking the devil, who is the sovereign unreason. Picus de Mirandola, no doubt from the same motive, affirms that in Black Magic the most barbarous and unintelligible words are the most efficacious and the best. The conjurations are repeated with uplifted voice, accompanied by imprecations and menaces, until the spirit replies.