Three Books of Occult Philosophy · 185 of 186

Book III, Ch. 64: Of certain Religious observations, ceremonies, and rites of perfumings, unctions, and such like

Whosoever therefore thou art, who disirest [desirest] to operate in this faculty, in the first place implore God the Father, being one, that thou also maiest he one worthy of his favour, be clean, within and without, in a clean place, because it is written in Leviticus, Every man who shall approach those thing which are consecrated, in whom there is uncleanness, shall perish before the Lord; Therefore wash your selves oft, and at the daies appointed, according to the mysteries of number, put on clean clothes, and abstain from all uncleanness, pollution, and lust; for the Gods will not hear that man (as Porphyry saith) who hath not abstained many dayes from venereous Acts; Be not thou coupled to a polluted or menstruous woman, neither to her who hath the Hemorhoides [hemorrhoids], touch not an unclean thing; nor a Carkass [carcass], whence Porphyry saith, whosoever shall touch a dead man, may not approach the Oracles, perhaps, because that by a certain affinity of the funeral ill odour, the mind is corrupted and made unfit to receive divine influences; Thou shalt wash, and anoynt [anoint], and perfume thy self, and shalt offer sacrifices: for God accepteth for a most sweet odour those things which are offered to him by a man purified and well disposed, and together with that perfume condescendeth to your prayer and oblation, as the Psalmist singeth; Let my prayer, O Lord, be directed to thee, as incense in thy sight; Moreover, the soul being the offspring and Image of God himself, is delighted in these perfumes and odours, receiving them by those nostrils, by the which it self also entred into this corporeal man, and by the which (as Job testifieth) the most lively spirits are sometimes sent forth, which cannot be retained in mans heart, boyling [boiling] either through choler, or labor; whence some think that the faculty of smelling is the most lively and spiritual of all the senses. Further, perfumes, sacrifice, and unction penetrate all things, and open the gates of the Elements and of the Heavens, that through them a man can see the secrets of God, Heavenly things, and those things which are above the Heavens, and also those which descend from the Heavens, as Angels, and spirits of deep pits, and profound places, apparations of desart [desert] places, and doth make them to come to you, to appear visibly, and obey you; and they pacify all spirits, and attract them as the Loadstone Iron, and joyn them with the elements, and cause the spirits to assume bodies: for truly the spiritual body is very much incrassated by them, and made more gross: for it liveth by vapours, perfumes and the odours of sacrifices: moreover whatsoever thou operatest, do it with an earnest affection and hearty desire; that the goodness of the Heavens and heavenly bodies may favour thee, whose favour, that thou maiest more easily obtain, the fitness of the place, time, profession, custome, diet, habite, exercise and name also do wonderfully conduce: for by these the power of nature is not only changed, but also overcome, for a fortunate place conduceth much to favour: neither without cause did the Lord speak to Abraham that he should come into the land which he would shew him; and Abraham arose and journeyed towards the south: in like manner, Isaac went to Gerarath, where he sowed & gathered an hundred fold, and waxed very rich: but what place is congruous to each one, must he found out by his nativity, which thing he that knoweth not, let him observe where his spirits are especially recreated, where his senses are more lively, where the health of his body and his strength is most vigorous, where his businesses succeed best, where most favour him, where his enemies are overthrown, let him know that this region, this place is preordained by God and his Angels for him; and is also well disposed, and prepared by the Heavens. Therefore reverence this place, and change it according to your time and business, but alwayes flie an unfortunate place: fortunate names also make things more fortunate: but unfortunate, unhappy; Hence the Romans in lifting their souldiers [soldiers] were wary, least that the first souldiers names should be in any measure unfortunate; and for paying tributaries, and mustrings of their Armies and Colonies, they did chuse Censours with good names. Moreover they believed, that if unfortunate names were changed into fortunate, that the fortune of things would also be changed into better; So Epidamnus, least that sea men going that way should suffer damage, they commanded to be called Dyrachius; for the same cause they called Maleoton, least he should cause some mischief, Beneventus; but they thought good to call Lacus, Lucrinus, for the goodness of the name being the most happy place of all: make election also of hours and dayes for thy operations, for not without cause our Saviour spake, Are there not twelve hours in the day, and so forth? for the Astrologers teach that times can give a certain fortune to our businesses; the Magicians likewise have observed, and to conclude, all the ancient wise men consent in this, that it is of very great concernment; that in what moment of time, and disposition of the heavens, every thing, whether naturall or Artificiall hath received its being in this world; for they have delivered, that the first moment hath so great power, that all the course of fortune dependeth thereon, and may be foretold thereby, and in like manner, by the successes of the fortune of every thing, they both firmly believed, and experience also testifleth, that the beginning of any thing may thereby be found out; even as Sulla the Astrologian foretold, that a most certain destruction approached Caligula, who asked him advice concerning his nature; Metheon the Astrologer foresaw the calamity of the wars which happened afterward to the Athenians, making an expedition against the Syracusans: to the same about to sail to Sicilia, Meson the Astrologer foretold a great tempest. Anaxagoras by the knowledge of the times, forewarned on what dayes a great stone should fall from the Sun; as afterward it happened at Aegos, a river of Thracia; on the contrary, L. Tarnucius Firmianus by the acts and fortune of Romulus, found both the time of his conception and nativity; the same man found out also the nativity of the City of Rome, by making the successes and fortunes of that City: so Maternus reporteth, that the beginning and Creation even of this world was found out by the events of things: For that times can do very much in naturall things, may be manifested by many examples; for there are trees, which after the Solstice do invert their leaves, as the Poplar, Elm, Olive, Linetree, whitewillow; and shelfishes, Crabs and Oisters [oysters] do increase, the Moon increasing, and when the Moon decreaseth, do grow lean; & the Seas in ebbing and flowing do observe the motions and times of the Moon; and Euripus in Euboea, doth it not seven times with wonderfull swiftness ebbe and flow? and three dayes in every moneth, viz. the 7. 8. and 9. day of the Moon it standeth still; and amongst the Troglotides there is a lake, which thrice in a day is made bitter and salt, and again sweet; moreover in the winter time, when all things wither and dry, Penyroyall [pennyroyal] flourisheth: on the same day, they say, that blown bladders do break, and that the leaves of Sallows and Pomegranats are turned and forced about; and its known to all, that which I have seen both in France and Italy, and I know also the sowing thereof, viz. that a nut-tree, which seemeth dry all the year, on the Even of Saint Johns day doth produce both leaves, and flowres [flowers], and ripe fruits: and this miracle doth wholly consist in the observation of the time of its sowing: moreover that times can yield some wonderfull power to artificiall things, the Astrologers in their books of Elections and Images do constantly affirm; and by this means, we read in Plutarch, That there was an image amongst the Peleneans made with such art, that what way soever it did look, it did strike all things with terrour and very great perturbation, so that no man durst through fear behold it; and we read in the life of Apollonius, that the Magicians of Babylon had tied to the roof of their house, four golden fowls, which they called the tongues of the gods; and that they had power to reconcile the minds of the multitude to the love and obedience of the King. In the Iland [island] Chios there was the face of Diana placed on high, whose countenance appeared sad to those which caine in, but to those that went out, it appeared chearfull [cheerful]: In Troas, the sacrifices which were left about the Image of Minerva did not putrifie; In the temple of Venus at Paphos, it never rained in the court: If any thing was taken forth from the Tomb of Antheus, showers were powred down from heaven till that which was digged up, was restored into its place: In the tomb of King Bibria of Pontus, did arise a Laurell, from which if any one did break a branch and carry it on shipboard, quarrells would never cease untill it was thrown over. In the Iland [island] Boristhenes, no bird did haunt the house of Achilles: at Rome, neither flie [fly], nor dog did enter into the Palace of Hercules, in the oxe market. In Olynthus of Thracia there was a place, into the which if a Beetle had fallen, it could not get forth, but writhing it self every way it died; I could bring even innumerable examples, and far more wonderfull then these, which Antiquity reporteth to have been done by the Art of images, and by the observation of times: but least any one should think them long since, obsolete, and repute them for fables, I will bring more new things, and such as remain even to this time in some places, and I will joyn to these some artificiall wonders; for they say, that by the Art of images it cometh to passe, that at Byzantine Serpents hurt not, and that Jackdaws flie [fly] not over within the wals [walls]; that in Crete there are no night Owls, that about Naples Grasshoppers are never heard; that at Venice, no kind of flie [fly] doth enter the publike [public] houses of Barbers, that in Toledo in the publike shambles, one only flie is seen all the year long, of a notable whiteness: and we in the foregoing book have declared already both the fashions and times, by the observation of which, these things and such like may be done; moreover you ought especially to observe the vertue of speeches and words, for by these the soul is spread forth into inferiour substances, into stones, metals, plants, animals, and all naturall things, imprinting divers figures and passions on them, inforcing all creatures, or leading and drawing them by a certain affection: So Cato testifieth, that weary Oxen are refreshed by words, and also that by prayers and words, you may obtain of Tellus, that it produce unusuall trees; trees also may by this means be entreated to pass over to another place, and to grow in another ground: Rapes grow the greater, if they be entreated when they are sown, to be beneficiall to them, their family, and neighbours; the Peacock also being commended, presently extends his feathers: but on the contrary, it is found by experience that the hearb [herb] Basill, being sown with cursings and railings, is more flourishing; also a kind of Lobster doth cure burnings and scaldings, if so be that in the mean time his name be not named: further, they which use witchcraft, kill trees by praising them, & thus do hurt sown Corn and children: moreover they say that there is so great power in mans execrations, that they chase and banish even wicked spirits: Eusebius declareth that by this means Serapis amongst the Ægyptians [Egyptians], did publish short sentences, by the which devils were expelled, and he taught also, how devils having assumed the forms of brute beasts, do ensnare men: To conclude, in all businesses, put God before your eyes, for it is written in Deuteronomie [Deuteronomy], When you shall seek the Lord your God, you shall find him. Whence we read in Mark, That whatsoever ye shall desire and pray for, believing that you shall receive it, it shal come to pass for you; and in Matthew, If you shall have faith as a grain of mustard seed, nothing shall be impossible for you; also the fervent prayer of a righteous man prevaileth much, for Elias (as James saith) was a man like unto us, subject unto passions, and he prayed earnestly, that it might not rain upon the earth, and it rained not in three yeers [years] and six moneths [months]; and again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit: but take heed in your prayers, least that you should desire some vain thing, or that which is against the will of God; for God would have all things good: neither shalt thou use the name of thy God in vain, for he shall not go unpunished, who taketh his name for a vain thing: be abstemious and give alms, for the Angel saith to Tobiah, prayer is good with fasting and alms; and we read in the book of Judith: Know ye, that the Lord will hear your prayers, if ye shall persevere in fastings and prayers in his sight.