Magic

"Magic" is defined in the Picatrix as "any act someone performs in which the spirit and all the senses are engaged throughout the whole process and through which miracles are produced to the extent that the senses are driven to their contemplation and wonder".

Magic is also stated as being difficult to perceive with the senses, because the ability to perceive and use magic is a divine ability, and no mortal can simply learn how to perceive it. Only those with the ability to perceive magic can properly use it.

## Theoretical and Practical Magic

Theoretical magic is knowing the positions of the fixed stars, and from that knowledge learning the position of the constellations. It also includes general knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics, and the practice of astrology comes into the domain of theoretical magic.

Another part of theoretical magic concerns words, their meanings, and how to put them together in specific ways to get a desired outcome.

There are three main types of practical magic: spirit-to-spirit magic (true magic, or ceremonial magic), spirit-to-matter magic (talismans), and matter-to-matter magic (alchemy). The term "magic" is generally applied to each of them.

According to the *Picatrix*, these three forms of practical magic require the power of the stars to function, and that heat is also needed as it is an agent of purification. Whenever a spell or ritual calls for fire, it must be a natural fire that is used, otherwise it is useless.

## Ceremonial Magic

Also known as "dark magic", it has a number of potential uses.

The art of creating illusions comes under ceremonial magic, which can be considered the base form of ceremonial magic.

According to the *Picatrix*, this also relies on astrology, and can only be used by those who have mastered the following fundamentals of astrology:

1. All the figures of the zodiac
2. The motion of those figures
3. The motion of other celestial spheres
4. The divisions of the twelve signs and their degrees and motions
5. The qualities of each sign and their influence of the world
6. The parts of the planets in these signs
7. The movements of the zodiac and the times of conjunctions
8. Natures of the seven planets and the Head and Tail of the Dragon
9. Their locations in the heavens and their effects on the world
10. How to predict ascendants and descendants
11. Which ones rise and fall before the others
12. Their radical significations

Also, one must know which of the planets dominates which sign, their proper order in that dominion, and determine the parts of the planets from the zodiac. In simple terms, to perform illusion magic, one must have a working knowledge of astronomy, and presumably modern astronomical knowledge can be used in place of medieval astrology, if the implication within the text is correct.

## Talismans

The term "talisman" means "force-bearer" because those who make them force the talisman's material into the desired shape.

Talismans are made using mathematics proportions and influences, and are attuned to celestial bodies, and thus relies on theoretical knowledge of astrology. This attunement is done by using materials that reflect certain aspects of the celestial body that the talisman is to be attuned to, as well as by making it at a specific time, and by using special fumes to attract specific spirits to inhabit the talisman.

## Alchemy

*See:* Alchemy

Alchemy is matter-to-matter magic, using created substances to act on other substances in the alchemist's stead. The matter-to-matter description of alchemy means it's primarily for transmuting something into a different thing. Poisons are a simple alchemical substance that enters the body and changes it to become closer to an unliving corpse. The final goal of alchemy is the creation of the elixir, also known as the Philosopher's Stone.

## Further Reading

* *Rutbat al-Ḥakīm* - Further information on the Elixir.
* *Chaldean Agriculture* - Information on magic performed under the influence of Saturn and Venus.

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Picatrix, (1256). *Picatrix*. Bk.1, Ch.2