Book: Heptameron Or Magical Elements by Peter De Abano
The earliest edition of this concise handbook of Ritual Magic appears to be Venice, 1496 (Lynn Thorndike (Magic and Experimental Science, vol. II, p. 925). It later appeared as an appendix of Agrippa's Opera, following Agrippa's Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy.Note that the theoretical framework for the text is indebted to Sepher Razielis, though redacted or adapted.
There are also close parallels between the chapters on the spirits of the planets and chapters CV-CXI of the Sworn Book of Honorius of Thebes (see also note on the "Theban alphabet" below). See Gosta Hedegard, Liber Iuratus Honorii: , Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 2002, p. 41. There are also close parallels with Sepher Razielis (Book 6). Compare for example Sloane 3846, fols. 154r-158r, transcription in appendix 8 of The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses.
The attribution of the text to the famous physician Peter de Abano (1250-1316) "seems quite certainly spurious" according to historian Lynn Thorndike (op. cit., p. 912). His reputation as a magician developed quite early however. Agrippa refers to de Abano in his Third Book as being his source (via Trithemius' Polygraphia) for the Theban alphabet of Honorius of Thebes. This alphabet has been widely used in modern Wicca. The Heptameron ("seven days") details rites for conjuring angels for the seven days of the week. It is heavily based on texts of the Solomon cycle, and in fact appears in the Hebrew Key of Solomon (Mafteah Shelomoh) fol 35a ff under the title the Book of Light (though without the Christian elements). It was also apparently one of the chief sources for the Lemegeton.
Ritual implements include: perfume, holy water, a new earthen vessel with fire, vesture, pentacle, the book, and a sword. The section On the manner of working mentions pentacles in the plural; this is another indication that this present method is indeed based on Clavicula Solomonis.
Free eBooks (Can Be Downloaded):
Marcus Bottomley - Nine Proven Magical RitesAnonymous - The Prayers Of The Elementals
Peter De Abano - Heptameron Or Magical Elements
