On Celestial Intelligences, Virtues, Numbers, and Magic Squares

on Celestial intelligences virtues numbers and magic squares adapted from Francis Barrett the magus 1801. part one that the passions of the Mind are assisted by celestials and that constancy of mind is in every work necessary the passions of the Mind are much helped and are helpful and become most powerful by virtue of the heaven as they agree with the heaven either by any natural agreement or voluntary election four as Ptolemy says he who chooseth that which is better seems to differ nothing from him who hath this of nature it's conducive therefore very much for the receiving the benefit of the heavens in any work if we shall by the heaven make ourselves suitable to it in our thoughts affections imaginations elections deliberations contemplations and the like for such like passions vehemently stir up our spirits to their likeness and suddenly expose us and ours to the superior significators of such like Passions and also by reason of their dignity and nearness to the superiors do partake more of the celestials than any material thing for our mind can through imaginations or Reason by a kind of imitation be so conformed to any Star as to suddenly be filled with the virtues of that star as if we were a proper receptacle of the influence thereof now the contemplating mind as it withdraws itself from all sense imagination nature and deliberation and calls itself back to the things separated affects diverse things by faith which is called a firm adhesion a fixed intention and vehement application of the worker or receiver to him that cooperates in anything and gives power to the work which we intend to do so that there is made as it were in us the image of the virtue to be received and the thing to be done in us or by us we must therefore in every work and application of things affect vehemently imagine hope and believe strongly for that will be a great help and it is verified amongst Physicians that a strong belief and an undoubtable hope and a love towards the physician can do so much to health yay more sometimes than the medicine itself for the same that the efficacy and virtue of the medicine works the same doth the strong imagination of the physician work being able to change the qualities of the body of the sick especially when the patient places much confidence in the position by that means disposing himself for the receiving the virtue of the physician and the physic therefore he that works in Magic must be of a constant belief B credulous and not at all doubt of the obtaining of the effect for as a firm and strong belief doth work wonderful things although it be in false works so distrust and doubting doth dissipate and break the virtue of the mind of the worker which is the medium betwixt both the extremes once it happens that he is frustrated of the desired influence of the superiors which could not be enjoined and United to our labors without a firm and solid virtue of our mind part two how man's mind may be joined with the mind of intelligences and celestials and together with them impress certain wonderful virtues upon inferior things the philosophers especially the Arabians say that man's mind when it is most intent upon any work through its passion and effects is joined with the mind of the stars and intelligences and being so joined is the cause that some wonderful virtue be infused into our works and things and this is because there is in it an apprehension and power of all things so because all things have a natural obedience to it and of necessity and efficacy and more to that which desired them with a strong desire and according to this is verified the art of characters images enchantments and some speeches and many other wonderful experiments everything which the Mind affects by this means whatsoever the mind of him that is in vehement love affects hath an efficacy to cause love and whatsoever the mind of him that strongly hates dictates hath an efficacy to hurt and destroy the like is in other things which the Mind affects with a strong desire for all those things which the Mind acts and dictates by characters figures words speeches gestures and the like help the appetite of the Soul and acquire certain wonderful virtues from the soul of the operator in that hour when such alike appetite doth invaded so from the opportunity and Celestial influence moving the mind in this or that manner for our mind when it is carried upon the great excess of any passion or virtue oftentimes takes to itself a strong better and more convenient hour or opportunity which Thomas Aquinas in his third book against the Gentiles allows so many wonderful virtues both cause and follow certain admirable operations by great affections in those things which the soul doth dictate in that hour to them but know that such kinds of things confer nothing or very little but to the author of them and to him who is inclined to them as if he were the author of them and this is the manner by which their efficacy is found out and it is a general rule in them that every mind that is more excellent in its desire and affection makes such like things more fit for itself as also efficacious to that which it desires everyone therefore that is willing to work in magic must know the virtue measure order and degree of his own soul in the power of the universe part three showing the necessity of mathematical knowledge and of the great power and efficacy of numbers in the construction of talismans Etc the doctrines of mathematics are so necessary too and have such an affinity with magic that they who profess it without them are quite out of the way and labor in vain and shall in no wise obtain their desired effect for whatsoever things are and are done in these inferior natural virtues are all done and governed by number weight measure Harmony motion and Light and all things which we see in these inferiors have root and foundation in them yet nevertheless without natural virtues of mathematical doctrines only works like to Naturals can be produced as Plato saith a thing not partaking of Truth or Divinity but certain images akin to them as bodies going or speaking which yet want the animal faculty such as were those which amongst the Ancients were called daedalus's images and automata of which Aristotle makes mention namely the three-footed images of Vulcan and Daedalus moving themselves which Homer saith came out of their own accord to the exercise in which we read moved themselves at the Feast of yarba the philosophical exerciser so there are made glasses some concave others of the form of a column making the representation of things in the air seem like Shadows at a distance of which sort apollonius and vitalius in their books de prospectiva and speculis taught the making and the use and we read that Magnus pompeus brought to certain class among the spoils from the East to Rome in which we're seeing armies of armed men and there are made certain transparent glasses which being dipped in some certain juices of herbs and irradiated with an artificial light fill the whole air around them with visions and we know how to make reciprocal glasses in which the sun shining all things which were illustrated by the Rays thereof are apparently seen many miles off hence a magician expert in natural philosophy and Mathematics and knowing the middle Sciences consisting of both these namely arithmetic music geometry Optics astronomy and such sciences that are of Weights measures proportions articles and joints knowing also mechanical Arts resulting from these May without any wonder if he Excel other men in the art and wit do many wonderful things which Ben May much admire there are some relics now extant of the Ancients namely Hercules and Alexander's pillars the gates of caspia made of brass and shut with iron beams that it could by no art be broken and the pyramids of Julius Caesar erected at Rome near the hill vaticanas and mountains built by Art in the middle of the sea and towers and heaps of stone such as I have seen in England put together by incredible art but the vulgar seeing any wonderful sight imputed to the devil as his work or think that a miracle which indeed is a work of natural or mathematical philosophy but here it is convenient that you know that as by natural virtue we collect natural virtues so by abstracted mathematical and celestial we receive Celestial virtues as motion sense life speech sooth saying and divination even in matter is less disposed as that which is not made by nature but only by art and so images that speak and foretell things to come are said to be made as William of Paris relates of a Brazen Head made under the rising of Saturn which they say spake with a man's voice but he that will choose a disposed matter and most fit to receive and the most powerful agent shall undoubtedly produce more powerful effects for it is a general opinion of the pythagoreans that as mathematical are more formal than natural so also they are more efficacious as they have less dependence in their being so also in their operation but amongst all mathematical things numbers as they have more of form in them so also are more efficacious as well to affect what is good as what is bad all things which were first made by the nature of things in its first age seem to be formed by the proportion of numbers for this was the principal pattern in the mind of the creator hence has borrowed the number of the elements hence the courses of the times hence the motion of the stars and the revolution of the heavens and the state of all things subsist by the uniting together of numbers therefore are endowed with great and Sublime virtues for it is no wonder seeing there are so many occult virtues and Natural Things although of manifest operations that there should be in numbers much greater and more occult and also more wonderful and efficacious for as much as they are more formal more perfect and naturally in the celestials not mixed with separate substances and lastly having the greatest and most simple commission with the ideas in the mind of God from which they receive their proper and most efficacious virtues wherefore they also are of most force and conduce most to the obtaining of spiritual and divine gifts as in Natural Things Elementary qualities are powerful in the transmuting of any Elementary thing again all things that are and are made subsist by and receive their virtue from numbers for time consists of numbers and all motion an action and all things which are subject to time and motion Harmony also and voices have their power by and consist of numbers and their proportions and the proportion arising from numbers due by lines and points make characters and figures and these are proper to magical operations the middle which is betwixt both being appropriated by declining to the extremes as in the use of letters and lastly all species of natural things and of those which are above nature are joined together by certain numbers which Pythagoras seeing says that number is that by which all things subsist and distributes each virtue to each number and proclus says number hath always a being yet there is one in voice another in proportion of them another in the soul and reason and another in Divine things but the mystias boethius and veroes the Babylonian together with Plato do so external numbers that they think no man can be a true philosopher without them by them there is a way made for the searching out and understanding of all things knowable by them the next access to Natural prophesying is had and the Abbott Joachim proceeded no other way in his prophecies but by formal numbers part 4. the great virtues of numbers as well in natural things as in Supernatural that there lies wonderful efficacy and virtue in numbers as well to good as to bad the most eminent philosophers unanimously teach especially Jerome Augustine origen Ambrose Gregory of nasiansen athanasius Basil Hillary rabbanis bead and many more conform hence Hillary in his commentaries upon the Psalms testifies that the 70 elders according to the efficacy of numbers brought the Psalms into order the natural number is not here considered but the formal consideration that is in the number and let that which we spoke before always be kept in mind namely that these powers are not invocal numbers of merchants buying and selling but in rational formal and natural these are the distinct mysteries of God and nature but he who knows how to join together the vocal numbers and natural with Divine and order them into the same Harmony shall be able to work and know wonderful things by numbers in which unless there was a great mystery John had not said in the Revelation he that hath understanding let him compute the number of the name of the Beast which is the number of a man and this is the most famous manner of computing amongst the Hebrews and kabbalists as we shall show afterwards but this you must know that simple numbers signify Divine things numbers of ten Celestial numbers of a hundred terrestrial numbers of a thousand those things that shall be in a future age besides seeing the parts of the Mind are according to an arithmetical mediocrity by reason of the Identity or equality of excess coupled together but the body whose Parts differ in their greatness is according to a geometrical mediocrity compounded but an animal consists of both namely soul and body according to that mediocrity which is suitable to Harmony hence it is that numbers work very much upon the soul figures upon the body and Harmony upon the whole animal part five the magic tables of the planets their form and virtue what divine names intelligences and Spirits are set over them there are certain magic tables of numbers distributed to the seven planets which they call sacred tables of the planets because being rightly formed they are endued with great many Virtues Of The Heavens in so much that they represent the divine order of the celestial numbers impressed upon them by the ideas of the Divine Mind by means of the soul of the world and the sweet harmony of those Celestial rays signifying according to proportion super celestial intelligences which can no other way be expressed than by the marks of numbers letters and characters four material numbers and figures can do nothing in the mysteries of hidden things but representatively by formal numbers and figures as they are governed and informed by intelligences and divine enumerations which unite the extremes of matter and spirit to the will of the elevated Soul receiving through great affection by the celestial powers of the operator a virtue and power from God applied through the soul of the universe and the observation of celestial constellations to a matter fit for a form the mediums being disposed by the skill and Industry of the magician but now we will hasten to explain each particular table the first table is assigned to the planet Saturn and consists of a square of three containing the particular numbers of nine and in every line three every way and through each diameter making 15.

the whole sum of numbers 45 over this or set such Divine names as fill up the numbers with an intelligence to what is good and a spirit to what is bad and out of the same numbers are drawn the seal and character of Saturn and of the spirits thereof such as is beneath ascribed to the table now this table being with a fortunate Saturn engraven on a plate of lead helps childbirth and to make any man safe more powerful and to cause success of petitions with princes and Powers but if it be done Saturn being unfortunate it hinders buildings planting and the like and casts a man from honors and dignities causes Discord quarreling and disperses an army yeah the second is the table of Jupiter which consists of a square drawn into itself it contains 16 particular numbers and in every line and diameter four making 34. the sum of all is 136. there are over it Divine names with an intelligence to that which is good and a spirit to what is bad and out of it is drawn the character of Jupiter and the spirits thereof if this is engraven on a plight of silver with Jupiter being powerful and ruling in the heavens it conduces to gain riches and favor love peace and Concord and to appease enemies and to conform honors dignities and counsels and if engraven on a coral dissolves enchantments the third table belongs to Mars which is made of a square of five containing 25 numbers and of these in every side and diameter five which makes 65 and the sum of all is 325.

and there are over it Divine names with an intelligence to good and a spirit to evil and out of it is drawn the characters of Mars and his spirits these with Mars fortunate being engraven on an iron plate or sword makes a man potent in war and judgment and petitions and terrible to his enemies and Victorious over them and if engraven upon the stone coriola it stops blood and menstruation but if it be engraven with Mars being unfortunate on a plate of red brass it prevents and hinders buildings it casts down the powerful from dignities honors and riches causes Discord and hatred amongst men and beasts drives away bees pigeons and fish and hinders Mills from working that is binds them that likewise renders hunters and Fighters unfortunate causes barrenness in men and women and strikes a terror into our enemies and compels them to submit the fourth table is of the Sun and it is made of a square of six and contains 36 particular numbers where of six in every side and diameter produce 111 and the sum of all is 666. there are over it Divine names with an intelligence to what is good and a spirit to what is evil and out of it is drawn the character of the Sun and the character of his spirits this being engraven on a plight of pure gold soul being fortunate renders him that wears it renowned amiable acceptable potent in all his works and equals him to a King elevating his fortunes and enabling him to do whatever he will but with an unfortunate son it makes one a tyrant proud ambitious insatiable and finally to come to an ill ending the fifth table is of Venus consisting of a square of seven drawn into itself namely of 49 numbers where of seven on each side and diameter make 175 and the sum of all is one thousand two hundred and twenty five there are likewise over it Divine names with an intelligence to do good and a spirit to evil and air is drawn out of it the character of Venus and her spirits this being engraven on a plate of silver Venus being fortunate promotes Concord ends strife procures the love of women helps conception is good against barrenness gives ability for generation dissolves enchantments causes peace between man and woman and makes all kinds of animals fruitful and likewise cattle and being put into a dove or pigeon house causes an increase it likewise drives away Melancholy distempers and causes joyfulness and this being carried about Travelers makes them fortunate but if fit be formed upon brass Venus being unfortunate it acts contrary to all that has been said the sixth table is of Mercury resulting from a square of eight drawn into itself containing 64 numbers where of 8 on every side and by both diameters make 260. and the sum of all is 2080.

and over it our set Divine names with an intelligence to good and a spirit to bad and from it is drawn a character of mercury and the spirits thereof and if with Mercury being fortunate you engrave it upon silver tin or yellow brass or write it upon virgin parchment it renders the bearer thereof grateful acceptable and fortunate to do what he pleases it brings gain and prevents poverty helps the memory understanding and divination and to the understanding of occult things by dreams but with an unfortunate Mercury it does everything contrary to this the seventh and last table is of the Moon it consists of a square of nine having 81 numbers in every side and diameter nine producing 369 and the sum of all is 3321. there are over it Divine names with an intelligence to what is good and spirit to evil and from it are drawn the characters of the moon and the spirits thereof this the Moon being fortunate engraven on Silver makes the bearer amiable Pleasant cheerful and honored removing all malice and ill will it causes Security in a journey increase of riches and health of body drives away enemies and other evil things from what place so ever Thou shalt wish them to be expelled but if the moon be unfortunate and it be engraven on a plate of lead wherever it shall be buried it shall make that place unfortunate and the inhabitants thereabouts as also ships Rivers fountains and Mills and it makes every man unfortunate against whom it shall be directly done making him fly his place of Abode and even his country where it shall be buried and it hinders Physicians and orators and all men whatsoever in their office against whom it shall be made now how are the Seals and characters of the planets are drawn from these tables the wise Searcher and he who shall understand the verifying of these tables shall easily find out the end if you would like to support more work such as this please visit patreon.