Three Books of Occult Philosophy · 172 of 186

Book III, Ch. 51: Of Prophetical Dreams

Now I call that a dream, which proceedeth either from the spirit of the phantasie [phantasy] and intellect united together, or by the illustration of the Agent intellect above our souls, or by the true revelation of some divine power in a quiet and purified mind; for by this our soul receiveth true oracles, and abundantly yieldeth prophesies [prophecies] to us: for in dreams we seem both to Ask questions, and learn to read and find them out; also many doubtfull things, many Policies, many things unknown, and unwished for, nor ever attempted by our minds, are manifested to us in Dreams: also the representations of unknown places appear, and the Images of men both alive and dead, and of things to come are foretold; and also things which at any times have happened, are revealed, which we knew not by any report; and these dreams need not any art of interpretation, as those of which we have spoken in the first book, which belong to divination, not foreknowledge; and it cometh to pass that they who see these dreams, for the most part understand them not; for (as Abdala the Arabian saith) as to see dreams, is from the strength of imagination, so to understand them, is from the strength of understanding; whose intellect therefore, being overwhelmed by the too much commerce of the flesh, is in a dead sleep, or its imaginative or phantastick spirit is too dull and unpolished, that it cannot receive the species and representations which flow from the superior intellect, and retain them when received, this man is altogether unfit for the soothsaying by dreams. Therefore it is necessary, that he who would receive true dreams, should keep a pure, undisturbed, and an undisquieted imaginative spirit, and so compose it, that it may be made worthy of the knowledge and government by the mind and understanding: for such a spirit is most fit for prophesying, and (as Sinesius saith) is a most clear glass of all the Images which flow everywhere from all things: when therefore we are sound in body, not disturbed in mind, not dulled by meat or drink, nor sad through poverty, nor provoked by any vice of lust or wrath, but chastly going to bed, fall asleep, then our pure and divine soul being loosed from all hurtfull thoughts, and now freed by dreaming, is endowed with this divine spirit as an instrument, and doth receive those beams and representations which are darted down, and shine forth from the divine minde into it self; and as it were in a deifying glass, it doth far more certainly, clearly, and efficaciously behold all things, then by the Vulgar enquiry of the intellect, and by the discourse of reason; the divine power instructing the soul, being invited to their society by the opportunity of the nocturnal solitariness; neither further will that deity be wanting to him when he is awaked, which ruleth all his actions: whosoever therefore doth, by quiet and religious meditation, and by a diet temperate and moderated according to nature, preserve his spirit pure, doth very much prepare himself, that by this means he may become divine, and knowing all things; but whosoever, on the contrary, doth languish with a phantastick spirit, receiveth not perspicuous and distinct visions, but even as the divine sight, by reason of its weakness, Judgeth confusedly and indistinctly; and also when we are overcome with wine and drunkenness, then our spirit being oppressed with noxious vapours (as a troubled water is wont to appear in divers forms) is deceived, & waxeth dull; for which cause Amphiarus the Prophet (as we read in Philostratus) commanded those, who would receive Oracles, to abstain one whole day from meat, and three days from wine, that the soul could not rightly prophesie [prophecy] unless it were free from wine, and meat; for to sober and religious minds, attending on the divine worship, the Gods are wont to give Oracles; whence Orpheus crieth out, ----- Thou spirit great of prophecy Dost go to souls that sleep fill quietly, And them inspire with knowledge of the Gods, And makest them soothsay ----- Hence it was a custom amongst the ancients, that they who should receive answers, certain sacred expiations and sacrifices being first celebrated, and divine worship ended, did religiously ly [lie] down even in a consecrated chamber, or at least on the skins of the sacrifices; of which ceremony Virgil makes mention in these verses, ----- Hence they sought Answers to doubts; when gifts the priests had brought, Here he reposed on skins of slaughtred sheep, And under silent night prepares to sleep. And a little after he singeth, ----- But now Here King Latinus Oracles to know, They did a hundred choyce sheep sacrifice, And on their skins, and spreding fleeces lyes ----- And the rulers of the Lacedemonians (as Cicero saith) were wont to lye [lie] down in the Temple at Pasiphae, that they might dream. The same was done in the Temple of Aesculapius, from whom true dreams were thought to be sent forth. And the Calabrians, consulting Podalyrius the son of Aesculapius, did sleep neer his Sepulchre in lambes skins; for so doing they were told in their dreams whatsoever they desired to know; for the most usuall time for dreams is the night, when the senses are freed from wandring objects, and meridian errours, and vain affections; neither doth fear strike the minde, nor the thought tremble, and the mind being most quiet, doth steadfastly adhere to the Deity; for there are, (as Rabbi Johenan in his book of Senatours saith) four kinds of true dreams: the first Matutine, which is made betwixt sleep and awaking: the second, which one seeth concerning another: the third, whose interpretation is shewen to the same dreamer in the nocturnall vision: the fourth, which is repeated to the same dreamer, according to that which Joseph saith to Pharaoh, But that thou hast seen the dream belonging to the same thing the second time, it is a sign of confirmation; But that dream is most sure, which is concerning those things which one did meditate on, and revolve in his minde, when he goeth to bed, as it is written, Thou O King didst think upon thy bed, what should become of these things; but it is necessary, that he which interpreteth other mens dreams, hath the knowledge by the which he can distinguish and discern the similitudes of all things, and know the customes of all nations, according to the laws which they have received from God and his Angels; farther this must be known, that there is scarce any dream without some vanity, as no grain of corn without his chaffe, which thing even the dream of Joseph the Patriarch manifesteth; which his father Jacob interpreted, saying; what meaneth this dream, that thou hast seen? what shall I, and thy mother, and thy brethren fall down and worship thee? which effect concerning his mother, who shortly after died, followed not. Also Rabbi Johenan in the forecited book, saith these things; and also Rabbi Levi affirmeth, that no prophetical dream can be kept back from his effect longer then twenty two years; so Joseph dreamed in the seventeenth year of his age; which was accomplished in the thirty ninth year of his age; therefore whosoever would receive divine dreams, let him be well disposed in hody, his brain free from vapours, and his mind from perturbations, and let him that day abstain from supper, neither let him drink that which will inebriate, let him have a clean and neat chamber, also exorcised and consecrated: in the which, a perfume being made, his temples anoynted [anointed], things causing dreams being put on his fingers, and the representation of the heavens being put under his head, and paper being consecrated, his prayers being said, let him go to bed, earnestly meditating on that thing he desireth to know: So he shall see most true and certain dreams with the true illumination of his intellect: whosoever therefore shall know to joyn together those things which here and there we have delivered concerning this matter in these books, he shall easily obtain the gift of oracles and dreams.