Sepher Raziel

Book excerpt: Now available in paperback! SepherRaziel--also called Liber Salomonis--is a full grimoire in the Solomonic tradition from a sixteenth century manuscript. It contains seven books: the Clavis, concerned with astrology and its use in magic, with precise interactions between planets, Signs, and Houses; the Ala, outlining the magical virtues of stones, herbs, and animals; the Tractatus Thymiamatus, which determines perfumes and suffumigations used in the Art; a Treatise of Timesdetailing the correct hours of the day for each operation; a Treatise on Preparationson ritual purity, and abstinence; Samaim, on the different heavens and their angels; and finally, a Book of Namesand their virtues and properties, being seven semiforas of Adam and seven semiforas of Moses. The Sepher Razieltext is given in two forms: a literal transcription with no changes in spelling or wording and a modern English version. This volume also includes a foreword which offers an overview of Raziel manuscripts, which represent a number of independent traditions, an essay on the literature of Solomonic magic in English, an introduction to the Sepher Razielmanuscript presented, an appendix on incense nomenclature as a supplement to Tractatus Thymiamatus, a list of printed notices and manuscript sources of Sepher Raziel,and a full bibliography of printed works on Solomonic magic and items of related interest.