The Book of Ceremonial Magic The Secret Tradition in Goëtia, Including the Rites and Mysteries of Goëtic Theurgy, Sorcery and Infernal Necromancy - Arthur Edward Waite 1913
Concerning The Virtues Of The Planets
The Initial Rites and Ceremonies
The Complete Grimore
THE Key of Solomon the King is the only ordinary Magical Ritual which regulates the operations of Magical Art in accordance with a formal attribution of certain hours in the day and night to the rule and influence of certain planets, while the Book of True Black Magic is the only Goëtic Grimoire which follows the Clavicle closely in this as in other respects. 1 The directions given are, however, exceedingly confused. The common attribution of the seven days to the seven planets obtains in both cases, and is set out in the Grimoire as follows: 2 --
But as there is inequality in the length of the days, says the Grimoire--that is to say, the comparative duration of day and night varies in accordance with the times of sunrise and sunset--so also the hours of the planets are unequal. When the day is, say, fifteen hours in length, to ascertain how many minutes compose an hour of the planet, multiply the fifteen hours by five; the result is seventy-five, and as many minutes will form the hour of the planet of that day. The corresponding hours of the night are nine; these multiplied by five produce forty-five, and as many minutes will form the hour of the planet of the night. The same method may be followed through all seasons of the year.
But in any given day of twenty-four hours the number of minutes is 1440, as against 1530 in the above computation, and the method is therefore absurd. 3 The attribution accepted by all writers on Natural Magic, and corresponding with the angelical succession in Peter de Abano, will be found in the following:--
TABLE OF PLANETARY HOURS COMPUTED FROM MIDNIGHT TO MIDNIGHT
HOURS OF THE DAY
HOURS OF THE NIGHT
It will be seen from this table that there is a recurring rule of the planets in unbroken succession through the whole week, after which the sequence recommences in the same order, each planet ruling the first and the eighth of the day hours and the third and the tenth of the night hours of the day referred to that planet. These constitute the planetary hours. The Book of Black Magic, still following and confusing the statements of the Clavicle, 4 lays down that the hours of Saturn, Mars and Venus are good for communion with spirits; the hour of Saturn serves for invoking souls in hell, and to have news of those who have died naturally. The souls of those who have been slain should be invoked in the hour and also on the day of Mars. It adds that experiments made faithfully and with great diligence, observing all that is laid down, will be invariably verified, but to fail over the smallest part will void perfection in any.
The hours of Saturn and of Mars are also good for preparation, on those days when they are in conjunction with the Moon, or indeed with one another. 5 In a contrary or quadrate aspect they are good for experiences of hatred, lawsuits, enmities, discords and so forth. The hours of the Sun, Jupiter and Venus, especially their planetary hour, are favourable both to ordinary and extraordinary experiments not included in those already mentioned. Those of the Moon are especially suited to the conjuration of spirits, works of necromancy, and the finding of stolen goods; but the luminary must be collocated and in a terrestrial sign-that is to say, (in conjunction) with Mercury for love, favours and invisibility; for works of hatred and discord in a sign belonging to the fiery triplicity--Aries, Leo, Sagittarius; for extraordinary experiences in an aquatic sign--Cancer, Scorpio, or Pisces. Should, however, the observation of these rules seem over-difficult, "do this only"--see that the Moon waxing is in an equal number of degrees with the Sun; it is then very good for the performance of the above experiments. When the full Moon is in opposition to the Sun, it is excellent for warlike, riotous and discordant experiments; in its last quarter it favours works which deal directly with operations of destruction and ruin. The best time for the experiences of death and invisibility is when the Moon is almost deprived of light.
When the Moon is in conjunction with the Sun nothing must be undertaken, because it is an unfortunate time and all things fail therein; but when in its crescent period, acuated with light, any experiences may be prepared and any writings and operations accomplished, especially for conversing with spirits. It must, however, be the day of Mercury and in the hour of that planet, the Moon being in an earthly or aërial sign, as above said, and in a pair number with the Sun. 6
Footnotes;
1 It should be observed. however, that favourable days and hours are occasionally mentioned, but there is no attempt at a systematic valuation of the times and seasons suitable to different operations
2 The apparently barbarous names given in the table are corruptions of Hebrew words, and the English editor of The Key of Solomon has restored their proper orthography, as follows: Shabbathai, Tzedek, Madim, Shemesh, Nogah, Cochab, Lebanah
3 It offers no analogy with the system set forth in the Clavicle, nor can it be definitely traced to any magical authority within my knowledge
4 In the version that follows, which condenses and summarises the original, there is an attempt to reduce them to order, and to make them consistent, if not intelligible
5 The Key of Solomon says that the hours of Saturn and of Mars, and also the days in which the Moon is in conjunction with these planets, are admirable for experiments of hatred, enmity and discord. It will be seen in what sense this farrago of villainous nonsense can be regarded as on God's side, as its impossible English editor would doubtless wish us to believe
6 The attribution in the original is throughout this portion not only erroneous, but seems to involve impossible positions. It has been corrected partially, in accordance with the Clavicle
The Book Of Ceremonial Magic By Arthur Edward Waite