Now Available!






  • Paperback: 480 pages

  • Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide; (October 2005)

  • ISBN: 0738703036

  • Author: Aaron Leitch

  • Order your copy now!


    



    

    

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    Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires:
    
The Classical Texts of Magick Deciphered    

    Legends of King Solomon, his work with Angels and his command of "unclean spirits" were popular in medieval Roman Catholic Europe.  In time, this generated a "Solomonic" tradition among European mystics.  These people were among the first to record aspects of their magickal traditions in book form- which we today refer to as "Grimoires" (textbooks).  Included in this genre are such titles as The Key of Solomon the King, The Lemegeton or Lesser Key of Solomon, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosphy, Barret's The Magus, The Grand Grimoire and many others.

    Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires is an in-depth exploration of Solomonic mysticism- including large portions of all of the above titles (and more), with their methods explained step-by-step all the way:  


    Part I of the book explores the development of mysticsm throughout Western history- from the most ancient shamanic healers, to the witchcraft of the Afro-Cuban faiths, and even the more contemporary efforts of such men as Timothy Leary and John Lilly.  The foundational philosophy behind the grimoires is laid out, along with explainations and tips for the modern reader who wishes to practice personal mind-alteration.  


    Part II of the book is an A to Z instruction manual (a grimoire) that can lead the reader through a lifetime's worth of true Solomonic ritual and exploration.  Magickal timing, all of the Solomonic ritual Tools, preparations, invocations, consecrations, conjurations, Angelic summoning, and exorcism of spirits are all included with simple explanations and "how-to" instruction.

    

    




    

    




    Top Links and Grimoire Web Portal:
    


    

Join Aaron's Solomonic Group!

    

    Anything discussed in the book is on-topic: from the grimoires and medieval magick, to the Greek/Gnostic mysteries, to shamanism, to Western history and religion, and even topics surrounding the work of such men as John Lilly, Tim Leary, and Robert Anton Wilson. Download grimoires to study for free!  Look through the photos and images of Solomonic tools, talismans, sigils, and diagrams.  Visit the grimoiric web through the links section!

    


    Aaron's Grimoire Bookstore:
    
This is my on-line bookstore for grimoires and books related to their study.  You can find most of the texts I discuss in "Secrets..." right here (Agrippa, Key of Solomon, Goetia, Magus, Abramelin, etc), along with plenty of material to expand your understanding of the medieval texts.


    Twilit Grotto - Archives of Western Esoterica:
    
Joseph Peterson's webiste dedicated to grimoires. There are TONS of grimoiric texts here (it is my main internet resource for girmoires and related material)! You can also order the Twilit Grotto CD- an amazingly comprehensive collection of classical grimoiric material- and it is worth much more than he charges for it!


    Christopher Warnock's Renaissance Astrology:
    
Christopher Warnock's website dedicated to Renaissance Astrology.  This site is a MUST-READ for anyone practicing traditional grimoiric magick! (Start with the yellow menu bar on the left.)


    Portal to the Web of Grimoires:
    
This takes you to my links pages on the Solomonic Group.  Everything worthwhile I can find on the Web about the grimoires, or any study related to them, is included in the links section.


    Obscure Grimoiric Items:
    
The grimoires call for several obscure items - such as robes worn by Priests, thread spun by a young maiden, fresh bee's wax, blessed items from churches, certain metals, etc, etc. This folder contains resources for finding such items.


    Internet Tools for Solomonic Magick:
    
Useful internet resources for practitioners of Solomonic magick.  Astrolabe for Zodiacal Charts, Naval Observatory for celestial info, Farmer's Almanac, etc.


    Downloadable Grimoires:
    
This takes you to my files pages on the Solomonic Group.  There are many grimoires and related texts here in PDF, DOC or ZIP formats.  There are also helpful programs like magickal hours calculators, etc.


    Creating and Using Books of Power:
    
Frater NERO has posted this course on the creation of magickal books - such as the Liber Angelos and Liber Spiritus described in "Secrets..."  This was down for some time, but has finally returned at Sacred-Magick Forums.  (You'll have to register to read it.)
    





    

    Useful Grimoiric Posts:
    



    A Few Questions About Abramelin:
    
My responses to an aspirant seeking to begin the Abramelin Rite.  Covers many things you may want to know about: blended Qabalah, instructions on fasting and diet, requirements for giving/receiving the Rite, the 72 Florins, etc.


    Are Angels and Spirits "Real"? (1):
    
Are Angels and Spirits "Real"? (2):
    
Are Angels and Spirits "Real"? (3):
    
Are Angels and Spirits "Real"? (4):
    
These four posts, written at various times for the Solomonic Group, explain my take on the "biology" of spiritual entities, and why I view them as real and objective beings rather than mere psychological constructs.  The keys are memetics and information theory.


    Celestial or Elemental? (1):
    
Celestial or Elemental? (2):
    
I made these posts at different times to the Ritual Magic and Magickal Working Groups, explaining the connections between the Celestial (Planetary/Zodiacal) forces and the Elemental forces in classical magick.


    The Holy Guardian Angel vs. the Nativity Angel - What Gives?:
    
In this post, I outline the differences between the Holy Guardian Angel (a la Abramelin) and the Angel of the Nativity (discussed in my essay The Angelical Alphabet).  Both are Guardian Angels, but each descends from a different part of Heaven and has its own particular function.  Toward the end, I include quotes from Agrippa that support these same theories.


    Abramelin Oil - Solved? (1):
    
Abramelin Oil - Solved? (2):
    
The recipe for Holy Oil given in the Book of Abramelin is very obscure, and has confused scholars and aspirants for generations.  In this post, I suggest a possible solution, including my instructions for making the Oil itself.
    


    The Seals of Solomon:
    
My thoughts about the symbology found on the Talismans in the Key of Solomon the King.
    


    Post-Abramelin: What to Expect:
    
My own experience at the end of the Abramelin Rite, and what I did about it.


    72 Golden Florins - Abramelin:
    
An explanation of the Golden Florins described in Abramelin (French version), and what that means for today's aspirant.


    No Shortcut to Abramelin:
    
A short rant about Abramelin vs. shortcut methods of gaining contact with the Holy Guardian Angel.


    Religion and Abramelin:
    
Religion and Abramelin II:
    
The first post concerns the Abramelin (French version) instruction to embrace one's birth religion. (Written before the new translation of the original German text.)  In the second post, I discuss how the new translation of the original German Book of Abramelin reveals an entirely different instruction concerning one's birth religion.


    Abramelin Magick:
    
Abramelin Magick II (Abramelin Squares):
    
These are overviews of the magickal system outlined in the Book of Abramelin (Book III of the Mathers text, Book IV of the Dehn text).  The first post, "Abramelin Magick", outlines how to evoke the spirits associated with the squares.  (It was written about the old French/Mathers version of the text, though it is still relevant.)  The next post, "Abramelin Squares", addresses that issue and then explains the "how to's" of working with the squares.


    Summoning the Archangel Michael II:
    
The first Solomonic evocation of Michael in our new house.
    


    Summoning the Archangel Michael:
    
A Solomonic evocation of the Archangel Michael.


    Geomancy Box for General Divination:
    
A Solomonic Consecration/Enliving for a Geomancy Box.  The Box's main purpose is for general communication with spirits.  Specifically the spirits governed by the Seven Planetary Intelligences.


    Getting Started on Solomonic Tools:
    
This is a post I made to the Solomonic Group.  It is a guide through the Key of Solomon and the creation of the initial magickal tools.  Links are provided to all the relevant chapters of the Key (thanks to Joseph Peterson at www.esotericarchives.com), so there is no need to have the book to get started.


    (Watch for this section to exapnd over time, as I update it with further instructions and helpful hints!)


    

    

    		

    

    




    

    

    

    




    Stuff From the Book:
    

  • Acknowledgements  

  • Table of Contents  

  • Chapter One: Medieval Magick

    

    



    Cool Stuff Related to the Book:
    


    Grimoire Shamanism
    
A major premise of my Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires is that the Solomonic texts draw much from tribal shamanic practices and worldview.  This essay focuses upon that premise, and provides a great introduction to the book.  It also includes two anecdotes about modern Solomonic shamans at work.


    Modern Grimoire Magick: Folk Magick and the Solomonic Path
    
An essay I wrote for the Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition about the movement of Solomonic magick from medieval Europe to New England (Pow-wow, etc), and finally into the American South (Hoodoo, etc).


    Understanding the Ancient Tomes
    
I wrote this short article for Llewellyn's New Worlds of Mind and Spirit Magazine about the creation of Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires.


    Introductory Course on Grimoiric History:
    
At www.WitchSchool.com, Chapter One of Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires has been converted to a series of lessons on Medieval history and Solomonic Magick.  (Go to the Course Offerings, and scroll to "Introduction to Magickal Grimoires.")  So far (June 2005), over 12400 students have signed up for the class!


    See More of Aaron's Work:
    
On the Writings page of my homepage, you'll find more work on the grimoires, Enochian magick, Abramelin, Hermeticism and more!


    




    


    Reviews:
    



    "This book is a splendid guide to the magick of the Grimoires, opening up the whole subject in a way the modern revival has not previously achieved."
    
Review by Jake Stratton-Kent.

a splendid guide to the
magick of the Grimoires


    "This is one big book, and in the history of western magick I believe it will be considered a rather important one."
    
Review by Silver Star Journal: Popular Occulture Reviews.


    "...will open up a whole new world for the student of ritual magick."
    
Review by Real Magick and Occult Archives.


    "One of the best modern occult books to be written. Highly recommended, a true gem."
    
Review by The Practical Occultist.


    Knowledge is Power: "...a new light shines on these often discussed, but long neglected books on our shelves."
    
Review by Samuel Scarborough in Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition.


    "Finally, a Western Ceremonial Magical text from Llewellyn that delivers!"
    
Review by Brother Moloch posted at Moloch's Reviews.


    "Range, Readability and Spirit"
    
Review by Don Karr in The Study of Solomonic Magic in English.


    "This book deserves to be read by every would-be mage."
    
Review posted by Mike Gleason at alt.pagan.magick


    "A Massive Analysis of Classical Texts of Magick"
    
Review posted at Ghostvillage.com


    "Covers All of the Essentials and Then Some"
    
Review by Mark Stavish at VOXHERMES


    "Provides a tremendous amount of new insight into the world of the medieval mage."
    
Review by Chic and Tabatha Cicero at the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn Homepage.


    Reviews at Amazon.com
    
Check often for new reviews!

    


    

    

    


    

    Brahm's Bookworks
    
Handcrafting the World's Finest Grimoires

    


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    Events, Appearances and More:
    

    Click Here for Aaron's Blog.
    

    

    


    Aaron's Homepage:  Read all of my essays and articles for free.

    "Aaron Leitch has been a scholar and spiritual seeker for nearly two decades. His explorations have taken him into many fascinating areas of human spirituality, their history and their modern practice. His writings (both in print and on the web) cover such varied fields as Middle Eastern Religion and Mythology, Shamanism, Neoplatonism, Hermeticism and Alchemy, Traditional Wicca and Neopaganism, The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Thelema, Angelology, Qabalah, Enochiana, African Diaspora Religions, Pow-wow and Hoodoo folk traditions, Psychology and Consciousness Expansion, Cyberspace, Modern Social Commentary, and several student resources. His most recent project is Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, released by Llewllyn Worldwide in October 2005."

    


    


    

    


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