Of The Calculating Art Of Such Names By The Tradition Of Cabalists

CHAP. XIV.

OF THE CALCULATING ART OF SUCH NAMES BY THE TRADITION OF CABALISTS.

THERE is yet another art of these kind of names, which they call calculatory; and it is made by the following tables, by entering with some sacred, divine, or angelical name, in the column of letters descending, by taking those letters which thou shalt find in the common angles under their stars and signs, which being reduced into order, the name of a good spirit is made of the nature of that star or sign under which thou didst enter; but if thou shalt enter in the column ascending, by taking the common angles above the stars and signs marked in the lowest line, the name of an evil spirit is made. And these are the names of spirits of any order of heaven ministering, as of good, so of bad, which you may after this manner multiply into nine names of so many orders; inasmuch as you may, by entering with one name, draw forth another of a spirit

p. 62

of a superior order out of the same, as well of a good as a bad one; yet the beginning of this calculation depends upon the names of God; for every word hath a virtue in magic, inasmuch as it depends on the word of God, and is thence framed. Therefore we must know that every angelical name must proceed from some primary name of God. Therefore angels are said to bear the name of God, according to that which is written, "because my name is in him;" therefore that the names of good angels may be discerned from the names of bad, there is wont oftentimes to be added some name of Divine Omnipotence, as El, or On, or Jah, or Jod, and to be pronounced together with it: and because Jah is a name of beneficence, and Jod the name of a deity, therefore these two names are put only to the names of angels; but the name El, because it imports power and virtue, is therefore added, not only to good but bad spirits; for neither can evil spirits either subsist or do any thing without the virtue of El, God. But we must know that common angles of the same star and sign are to be taken, unless entrance be made with a mixt name, as are the names of genii, and those of which it hath been spoken in the preceding chapter, which are made of the dispositions of the heavens, according to the harmony of divers stars. For as often as the table is to be entered with these, the common angle is to be taken under the star or sign of him that enters.

There are moreover some that do so extend those tables that they think also if there be an entrance made with the name of a star, or office, or any desired effect, a demon, whether good or bad, serving to that office or effect may be drawn out; upon the same account they that enter with the proper name of any person can extract the names of the genii under that star which shall appear to be over such a person as they shall, by his physiognomy, or by the passions and inclinations of his mind, and by his profession and fortune, know him to be either martial, or saturnine, or solary, or of the nature of any other star.

And although such kind of primary names have none or little power by their signification, yet such kind of extracted names, and such as are derived from them, are of very great efficacy; as the rays of the sun collected in a hollow glass do most intensely burn, the sun itself being scarce warm.

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

Click to view

p. 63

Now there is an order of letters in those tables under the stars and signs, almost like that which is with the astrologers, of tens, elevens, twelves. Of this calculatory art Alphonsus Cyprius once wrote, and also fitted it to Latin characters; but because the letters of every tongue, as we shewed in the first book, have, in their number, order and figure, a celestial and divine original, I shall easily grant this calculation concerning the names of spirits to be made not only by Hebrew letters, but also Chaldean, Arabick, Egyptian, Greek and Latin, and many others, the tables being rightly made after the imitation of the presidents.

But here it is objected by many, that it falls out that in these tables men of a differing nature and fortune do oftentimes, by reason of the sameness of name, obtain the same genius of the same name. We must know therefore that it must not be thought absurd, that the same daemon may be separated from any one soul, and the same be set over more. Besides, as many men have the same name, so also spirits of divers offices or natures may be noted or marked by one name, and by one and the same seal or character, yet in a different respect; for as the serpent does sometimes typify Christ, and sometimes the devil, so the same names and the same seals may be applied sometimes to the order of a good demon, sometimes of a bad one. Lastly, the very ardent intention of the invocator, by which our intellect is joined to the separated intelligences, is the cause that we have sometimes one spirit, sometimes another, (although called upon under the same name,) made obsequious to us.

See the following Plates for the tables of the calculation of the names of spirits, good and bad, under the presidency of the seven planets, and under the order of the twelve militant signs.