The Thirteenth Chapter. Concerning the Convocation of the Good Spirits

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THE THIRTEENTH CHAPTER.

CONCERNING THE CONVOCATION OF THE GOOD SPIRITS.

E are now arrived at a point at which ye shall be able to see clearly, having duly followed out and observed the instructions which I have given unto you, and having during all this time served God your Creator with a perfect heart. We are now arrived at the term, wherefore the following morning rise betimes, neither wash yourselves at all nor dress yourselves at all in your ordinary clothes; but take a Robe of Mourning; enter the Oratory with bare feet; go unto the side of the Censer, take the ashes therefrom and place them upon your head; light the Lamp; and put the hot coals into the Censer; and having opened the windows, return unto the door. There prostrate yourself with your face against the ground, and order the Child ¹ to put the Perfume upon the Censer, after which he is to place himself upon his knees before the Altar; following in all things and throughout the instructions which I have given unto you in the last chapter of the First Book, to which I am here referring. ² Humiliate yourself before God and His Celestial Court, and commence your Prayer with fervour, for then it is that you will begin to enflame yourself in praying, and you will see appear an extraordinary and supernatural Splendour which will fill the whole apartment, and will surround you with an inexpressible odour, and this alone will console you and comfort your heart so that you shall call for ever happy the Day of the Lord. Also

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the Child ¹ will experience an admirable feeling of contentment in the presence of the Angel. And you shall continue always your Prayer redoubling your ardour and fervour, and shall pray the Holy Angel that he may deign to Sign, and write upon a small square plate of silver (which you shall have had made for this purpose and which you shall have placed upon the Altar) another Sign if you shall have need of it in order to see him; and everything which you are to do. As soon as the Angel shall have made the Sign by writing, and that he shall have written down some other counsel which may be necessary unto you, he will disappear, but the splendour will remain. The which the Child having observed, and made the sign thereof unto you, you shall command him to bring you quickly the little plate of silver, and that which you find written thereon you shall at once copy, and order the Child to replace it upon the Altar. Then you shall go forth from the Oratory and leave the Window open, and the Lamp alight, and during this whole day you shall not enter into the Oratory; but shall make preparation for the day following; and during the day you shall speak to none, nor make answer, even were it your own wife or children or servants; except to the Child whom you can send away. Also you shall beforehand have set your affairs in order, and so arranged them that no embarrassment may be caused you thereby, which might distract your attention. In the evening when the Sun shall be set, you shall eat but soberly; and then you shall go to rest alone; and you shall live separated from your wife during these days.

During Seven Days shall you perform the Ceremonies without failing therein in any way; namely, the Day of

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the Consecration, the Three Days of the Convocation of the Good and Holy Spirits, and the Three other Days of the Convocation of the Evil Spirits.

Now the second morning after, you are to be prepared to follow the counsel which the Angel will have given you. You will go early unto the Oratory, you will place the lighted charcoal and perfumes in the Censer, you are to relight the Lamp if it be (by that time) extinguished; and wearing the same Robe of Mourning as of the day before, prostrate with your face towards the ground, you shall humbly pray unto and supplicate the Lord that He may have pity on you, and that He may deign to fulfil your prayer; that He will grant unto you the vision of His Holy Angels, and that the Elect Spirits may deign to grant unto you their familiar converse. And thus shall ye pray unto the utmost degree that shall be possible unto you, and with the greatest fervour that you can bring into action from your heart, and this during the space of two or three hours. Then quit the Oratory, returning thither at midday for another hour, and equally again in the evening; then you shall eat after the manner aforesaid, and go to rest. Understand also that the odour and the splendour will in nowise quit the Oratory.

The third day being now arrived, you shall act thus. The evening (before) you shall wash your whole body thoroughly; and in the morning, being dressed in your ordinary garments, you shall enter into the Oratory, but with naked feet. Having placed the Fire and the Perfumes in the Censer, and lighted the Lamp, you shall put on the White Vestment, and place yourself on your knees before the Altar, to render thanks to God for all His benefits, and firstly for having granted unto you a Treasure so great and so precious. You shall render thanks also unto the Holy Guardian Angels, praying unto them that henceforward they will have you in their care for

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the whole period of your life; also that he ¹ will never abandon you, that he will lead you in the Way of the Lord, and that he will watch carefully over you to assist you, and consent unto the present Operation of the Sacred Magic, so that you shall have such Force and Virtue that you may be able to constrain the Spirits accursed of God, unto the Honour of your Creator, and for your own good and that of your neighbour.

And then shall you first be able to put to the test whether you shall have well employed the period of your Six Moons, and how well and worthily you shall have laboured in the quest of the Wisdom of the Lord; since you shall see your Guardian Angel appear unto you in unequalled beauty; who also will converse with you, and speak in words so full of affection and of goodness, and with such sweetness, that no human tongue could express the same. He will animate you unto your great content in the fear of God, making you a recital of the blessings which you have received from God; and bringing unto your remembrance the sins by which you have offended Him during the whole period of your life, will instruct you and give unto you the manner in which you shall be able to appease Him by a pure, devout, and regulated life, and by honest and meritorious actions, and such things as God shall ordain unto you. After this he will show unto you the True Wisdom and Holy Magic, and also wherein you have erred in your Operation, and how thenceforward you should proceed in order to overcome the Evil Spirits, and finally arrive at your desired ends. He will promise never to abandon you, but to defend and assist you during the whole period of your life; on condition that you shall obey his commands, and that you shall not voluntarily offend your Creator. In one word, you shall be received by him with such affection that

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this description which I here give unto you shall appear a mere nothing in comparison.

Now at this point I commence to restrict myself in my writing, seeing that by the Grace of the Lord I have submitted and consigned you unto a MASTER so great that he will never let you err.

Observe that on the third day you should remain in familiar conversation ¹ with your Guardian Angel. You should quit the Oratory for a short time in the afternoon, remaining without about an hour; then for the rest of the day you shall remain therein, receiving from the Holy Angel distinct and ample information regarding the Evil Spirits and the manner of bringing them into submission, carefully writing down and taking notes of all these matters. Now, the Sun being set, you shall perform the Evening Orison with the ordinary Perfume, giving thanks unto God in particular for the very great Grace that He hath granted unto you in that day, there also Supplicating Him to be propitious unto you and to aid you during your whole life, so that you shall never be able to offend Him. You shall also render thanks unto your Guardian Angel and beseech him not to abandon you.

The Prayer being finished you will see that the Splendour will disappear. Then shall you quit the Oratory, closing the door, but leaving the windows open and the Lamp alight. You shall return as on the preceding days unto your apartment where you shall modestly recreate yourself, and eat your necessary food, then you shall go to rest until the following morning.

Footnotes

81:1 See Book I., Chapter XII.

81:2 Because previously when he has mentioned a foregoing chapter, it has been one of those in this Second Book to which he has referred.

82:1 If the Operator himself has developed the clairvoyant faculty; which the training he has subjected himself to for six months ought to have greatly aided, and be pure in mind, I can see no necessity for the employment of a Child as Seer.

84:1 I.e., your special and particular Guardian Angel.

85:1 "En la familiarité et conversation delange."