ceremonial magic Ceremonial magic (ritual magic, high magic or learned magic) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic. The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories to aid the practitioner. It can be seen as an ex ...

, a magical formula or a word of power is a word that is believed to have specific

supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

effects. They are words whose meaning illustrates principles and degrees of understanding that are often difficult to relay using other forms of speech or writing. It is a concise means to communicate very abstract information through the medium of a word or phrase. These words often have no intrinsic meaning in and of themselves. However, when deconstructed, each individual letter may refer to some universal concept found in the system in which the formula appears. Additionally, in grouping certain letters together one is able to display meaningful sequences that are considered to be of value to the spiritual system that utilizes them (e.g., spiritual hierarchies, historiographic data, or psychological stages). A formula's potency is understood and made usable by the magician only through prolonged meditation on its levels of meaning. Once these have been internalized by the magician, that person can then utilize the formula to maximum effect. Since most of these permutative arrangements have their origin in

Hermetic Qabalah Hermetic Qabalah () is a Western esoteric tradition involving mysticism and the occult. It is the underlying philosophy and framework for magical societies such as the Golden Dawn, Thelemic orders, mystical-religious societies such as the Bu ...

, many of the formulae listed below can be best understood by using various techniques of Hebrew Kabbalah such as ''

gematria Gematria (; he, גמטריא or gimatria , plural or , ''gimatriot'') is the practice of assigning a numerical value to a name, word or phrase according to an alphanumerical cipher. A single word can yield several values depending on the cipher ...

'' (or ''

isopsephy Isopsephy (; ''isos'' meaning "equal" and ''psephos'' meaning "pebble") or isopsephism is the practice of adding up the number values of the letters in a word to form a single number. The total number is then used as a metaphorical bridge to othe ...

''), '' temurah'', and '' notariqon'' to analyze them.

Formulae

Abracadabra ''Abracadabra'' is a magic word, historically used as an incantation on amulets and common today in stage magic. Etymology ''Abracadabra'' is of unknown origin, but according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'', its first known occurrence ...

. A common

incantation An incantation, a spell, a charm, an enchantment or a bewitchery, is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremo ...

used in ancient times as a cure for fevers and inflammations. *

ABRAHADABRA Abrahadabra is a word that first publicly appeared in ''The Book of the Law'' (1904), the central sacred text of Thelema. Its author, Aleister Crowley, described it as "the Word of the Aeon, which signifieth The Great Work accomplished." This ...

. This formula was coined by author and

occultist The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism an ...

Aleister Crowley Aleister Crowley (; born Edward Alexander Crowley; 12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947) was an English occultist, ceremonial magician, poet, painter, novelist, and mountaineer. He founded the religion of Thelema, identifying himself as the pro ...

, who described it as "the Word of the

Aeon The word aeon , also spelled eon (in American and Australian English), originally meant "life", "vital force" or "being", "generation" or "a period of time", though it tended to be translated as "age" in the sense of "ages", "forever", "timele ...

, which signifieth the Great Work accomplished." *

ABRAXAS Abraxas ( grc-x-biblical, ἀβραξάς, abraxas, variant form romanized: ) is a word of mystic meaning in the system of the Gnostic Basilides, being there applied to the "Great Archon" (), the princeps of the 365 spheres (). The word is foun ...

. *

AGAPE In Christianity, agape (; ) is "the highest form of love, charity" and "the love of God for man and of man for God". This is in contrast to philia, brotherly love, or philautia, self-love, as it embraces a deep and profound sacrificial love tha ...

. A Greek word meaning "the highest form of love,

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

," which enumerated in Greek

equals 93. *

AGLA AGLA () is a magic word that appears in some Incantation, charms. Its meaning is unsettled, but is widely repeated to be a ''Notarikon, noṭariqōn'' (kabbalistic acronym) for ''ʾAtā gībōr ləʿōlām ʾĂḏōnāy'', "Thou, O Lord, art migh ...

. is said to be a '' noṭariqōn'' ( kabbalistic acronym) for ''ʾAtā gībōr ləʿōlām ʾĂḏōnāy'', "Thou, O Lord, art mighty forever." It is said daily in the '' Gevurot'', the second blessing of the ''

Amidah The ''Amidah Amuhduh'' ( he, תפילת העמידה, ''Tefilat HaAmidah'', 'The Standing Prayer'), also called the ''Shemoneh Esreh'' ( 'eighteen'), is the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy. Observant Jews recite the ''Amidah'' at each o ...

'', the central

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

prayer. * ALHIM. This is a transliterated Hebrew spelling of Elohim, a name of God—or "Gods" in this case, since the name is a masculine plural of a feminine noun. According to Crowley, it is a formula best used for consecration, since it "is the breath of benediction, yet so potent that it can give life to clay and light to darkness." *ARARITA. According to Crowley, "a formula of the Macrocosm potent in certain very lofty operations of the Inmost Light." * AUMGN. For both symbolic and

numerological Numerology (also known as arithmancy) is the belief in an occult, divine or mystical relationship between a number and one or more coinciding events. It is also the study of the numerical value, via an alphanumeric system, of the letters in ...

reasons, Aleister Crowley adapted ''aum'' into a Thelemic magical formula, adding a silent 'g' (as in the word '

gnosis Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where it ...

') and a nasal 'n' to the ''m'' to form the compound letter 'MGN'; the 'g' makes explicit the silence previously only implied by the terminal 'm' while the 'n' indicates nasal vocalisation connoting the breath of life and together they connote knowledge and generation. ''Om'' appears in this extended form throughout Crowley's magical and philosophical writings, notably appearing in his ''

Gnostic Mass A Gnostic Mass is a liturgical Mass administered by a Gnostic church. Several such churches exist, each with its own version of the Mass. Some of these are: * Ecclesia Gnostica celebrates a traditional Gnostic Mass called the Gnostic Holy Euchari ...

''. Crowley discusses its symbolism briefly in section F of "

Liber Samekh The Libri of Aleister Crowley is a list of texts mostly written or adapted by Aleister Crowley. Some are attributed to other authors. The list was intended for students of Crowley's magical order, the A∴A∴. Classes The publications of t ...

", and in detail in chapter 7 of ''

Magick (Book 4) ''Magick, Liber ABA, Book 4'' is widely considered to be the ''magnum opus'' of 20th-century occultist Aleister Crowley, the founder of Thelema. It is a lengthy treatise on magick, his system of Western occult practice, synthesised from many s ...

''. *

BABALON Babalon (also known as the Scarlet Woman, Great Mother or Mother of Abominations) is a goddess found in the occult system of Thelema, which was established in 1904 with the writing of ''The Book of the Law'' by English author and occultist Al ...

. A

goddess A goddess is a female deity. In many known cultures, goddesses are often linked with literal or metaphorical pregnancy or imagined feminine roles associated with how women and girls are perceived or expected to behave. This includes themes of s ...

Thelema Thelema () is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. The word '' ...

, whose name means "Gate of the Great God ON" according to ''Liber Samekh''. * HRILIU. used in ''

Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass Aleister Crowley wrote The Gnostic Mass — technically called Liber XV or "Book 15" — in 1913 while travelling in Moscow, Moscow, Russia. The structure is similar to the Mass of the Eastern Orthodox Church and Roman Catholic Church, c ...

''. * IAO.

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

– Apophis –

Osiris Osiris (, from Egyptian ''wsjr'', cop, ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ , ; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was ...

. * IHVH. See YHVH. *

INRI In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews, both at the beginning of his life and at the end. In the Koine Greek of the New Testament, e.g., in John 19:3, this is written as '' Basileus ton Ioudaion'' (). Both uses of t ...

. he, ינרי Yod, Nun, Resh, Yod. Hebrew translation of the Christian

Jesus, King of the Jews In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the King of the Jews, both at the beginning of his life and at the end. In the Koine Greek of the New Testament, e.g., in John 19:3, this is written as ''Basileus ton Ioudaion'' (). Both uses of the ...

formula, This magical formula represents the passing of life to death and

Resurrection Resurrection or anastasis is the concept of coming back to life after death. In a number of religions, a dying-and-rising god is a deity which dies and is resurrected. Reincarnation is a similar process hypothesized by other religions, which ...

, Used in many rituals including the

Rose Cross The Rose Cross (also called ''Rose Croix'' and Rosy Cross) is a symbol largely associated with the legendary Christian Rosenkreuz; Christian Kabbalah, Christian Kabbalist, Alchemy, alchemist, and founder of the Rosicrucianism, Rosicrucian Order. T ...

and

the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...

by both O.T.O,

A∴A∴ The A∴A∴ ( ) is a magical organization described in 1907 by occultist Aleister Crowley. Its members are dedicated to the advancement of humanity by perfection of the individual on every plane through a graded series of universal initiation ...

, and the

Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn ( la, Ordo Hermeticus Aurorae Aureae), more commonly the Golden Dawn (), was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of occult Hermeticism and metaphysics during the late 19th and early 20th ce ...

. *

IPSOS Ipsos Group S.A. () (an acronym of ) is a multinational market research and consulting firm with headquarters in Paris, France. The company was founded in 1975 by Didier Truchot, Chairman of the company, and has been publicly traded on the P ...

. the word of the aeon of Ma'at other spellings include IPSOSh, IPShOS, IPShOSh from ''

Liber Pennae Praenumbra In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...

'' by

Nema The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) is the largest trade association of electrical equipment manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1926, it advocates for the industry, and publishes standards for electrical product ...

. *

JAHBULON Jahbulon or Jabulon or Jahbuhlun (supposedly from he, יָהּ‎ בַּעַל אוֹן, translit=Yāh baʿal ʾōn, " Jah-Baal-strength") is a word which is allegedly used in some rituals of Royal Arch Masonry and derivations thereof. Backgr ...

. According to

Francis X. King George Francis King (10 January 1934 – 8 November 1994),''England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916–2007'' known as Francis X. King, was a British occult writer and editor from London who wrote about tarot, divination, w ...

in ''The Secret Rituals of the O.T.O.'', the word is used in two rituals of the

Ordo Templi Orientis Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.; ) is an occult initiatory organization founded at the beginning of the 20th century. The origins of the O.T.O. can be traced back to the German-speaking occultists Carl Kellner, Heinrich Klein, Franz Hartmann and T ...

: ''the Lodge of Perfection'', in which the candidate receives the Fourth Degree (which is called ''Perfect Magician and Companion of the Holy Royal Arch of Enoch''); and the ''Perfect Initiate'' (or ''Prince of Jerusalem'') degree, which falls between the fourth and fifth degrees. King prints in his book the lyrics of a song that contains the word "

Jahbulon Jahbulon or Jabulon or Jahbuhlun (supposedly from he, יָהּ‎ בַּעַל אוֹן, translit=Yāh baʿal ʾōn, " Jah-Baal-strength") is a word which is allegedly used in some rituals of Royal Arch Masonry and derivations thereof. Backgr ...

." *LAShTAL. *LVX. Lit.= Latin word; Lux, or light. Part of the formula of the, "analysis of the key word," used in the

Adeptus Minor An adept is an individual identified as having attained a specific level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude in doctrines relevant to a particular author or organization. He or she stands out from others with their great abilities. All human quali ...

ritual of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, in which it is described in a ritualized manner, linking each letter with an Egyptian Godform. Perhaps most popularized amongst the occult community at large by being included as the opening part to the

Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram Lesser, from Eliezer (, "Help/Court of my Elohim, God"), is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Adolf Lesser (1851–1926), German physician * Aleksander Lesser (1814–1884), Polish painter and art critic * Anton Lesser (born 1952 ...

Donald Michael Kraig Donald Michael Kraig (March 28, 1951 – March 17, 2014) was an American occult author and practitioner of ceremonial magic. Kraig published six books, including his 1988 introduction to ceremonial magic, ''Modern Magick''. He was also an editor for ...

's 1989 book, ''Modern Magick''. * MEITHRAS. *

NOX In atmospheric chemistry, is shorthand for nitric oxide () and nitrogen dioxide (), the nitrogen oxides that are most relevant for air pollution. These gases contribute to the formation of smog and acid rain, as well as affecting tropo ...

. According to Crowley, "It is explained that this triad lives in Night, the Night of Pan, which is mystically called N.O.X., and this O is identified with the O in this word. N is the

Tarot The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots, ...

symbol,

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

; and the X or Cross is the sign of the

Phallus A phallus is a penis (especially when erect), an object that resembles a penis, or a mimetic image of an erect penis. In art history a figure with an erect penis is described as ithyphallic. Any object that symbolically—or, more precisel ...

. NOX adds to 210, which symbolizes the reduction of duality to unity, and thence to negativity, and is thus a

hieroglyph A hieroglyph ( Greek for "sacred carvings") was a character of the ancient Egyptian writing system. Logographic scripts that are pictographic in form in a way reminiscent of ancient Egyptian are also sometimes called "hieroglyphs". In Neoplatoni ...

of the Great Work." *ON. Looks like the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...

name for Heliopolis, from an original meaning "pillar" or "pillars". This city claimed to hold the Primeval Mound where

Atum Atum (, Egyptian: ''jtm(w)'' or ''tm(w)'', ''reconstructed'' ; Coptic ''Atoum''), sometimes rendered as Atem or Tem, is an important deity in Egyptian mythology. Name Atum's name is thought to be derived from the verb ''tm'' which means 'to com ...

(sometimes identified with the mound) created the world. By Crowley's numeration, ON equals the Hebrew word

Samekh Samekh (Phoenician ''sāmek'' ; Hebrew ''samekh'' , Syriac ''semkaṯ'') is the fifteenth letter of the Semitic abjads, including the Hebrew alphabet. Samekh represents a voiceless alveolar fricative . Unlike most Semitic consonants, the pro ...

(a prop or support), which also serves as the name of a Hebrew letter. *

THELEMA Thelema () is a Western esoteric and occult social or spiritual philosophy and new religious movement founded in the early 1900s by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), an English writer, mystic, occultist, and ceremonial magician. The word '' ...

. Per Crowley, "Th -

Babalon Babalon (also known as the Scarlet Woman, Great Mother or Mother of Abominations) is a goddess found in the occult system of Thelema, which was established in 1904 with the writing of ''The Book of the Law'' by English author and occultist Al ...

and the Beast conjoined; e - unto

Nuit Nuit (alternatively Nu, Nut, or Nuith) is a goddess in Thelema, the speaker in the first Chapter of ''The Book of the Law'', the sacred text written or received in 1904 by Aleister Crowley. Based on the Ancient Egyptian sky goddess Nut, who ...

; L - the Work accomplished in

Justice Justice, in its broadest sense, is the principle that people receive that which they deserve, with the interpretation of what then constitutes "deserving" being impacted upon by numerous fields, with many differing viewpoints and perspective ...

; E - the Holy Graal; M - the Water therein; a - the Babe in the Egg (

Harpocrates Harpocrates ( grc, Ἁρποκράτης, Phoenician: 𐤇𐤓𐤐𐤊𐤓𐤈, romanized: ḥrpkrṭ, ''harpokrates'') was the god of silence, secrets and confidentiality in the Hellenistic religion developed in Ptolemaic Alexandria (and also ...

on the Lotus)." *

YHVH The Tetragrammaton (; ), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew theonym (transliterated as YHWH), the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are ''yodh'', '' he'', '' waw'', and ' ...

. The formula

Tetragrammaton The Tetragrammaton (; ), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew language, Hebrew theonym (transliterated as YHWH), the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are ''yodh'', ''he (l ...

refers to the four-letter Hebrew name of God,

Jehovah Jehovah () is a Latinization of the Hebrew , one vocalization of the Tetragrammaton (YHWH), the proper name of the God of Israel in the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament. The Tetragrammaton is considered one of the seven names of God in Judais ...

, or Yod, Heh, Vav, Heh (יהוה). These letters have been attributed to numerous four-part symbols, including the classic elements, cardinal directions,

suits, and so on. The formula is often represented by the Father (Yod) joining with the Mother (Heh), to produce the Son (Vav) and the Daughter (Heh). Within

Yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

it is possible to see this formula as describing the union of the subject and the object to produce the exalted state of mind and the resulting ecstasy.Crowley, '' Eight Lectures on Yoga'', "First Lecture" *VIAOV. Thelemic variation of IAO whose enumeration using gematria equals 93. *

VITRIOL Vitriol is the general chemical name encompassing a class of chemical compound comprising sulfates of certain metalsoriginally, iron or copper. Those mineral substances were distinguished by their color, such as green vitriol for hydrated iron( ...

. ''Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultem Lapidem'' ('Visit the interior parts of the earth: by rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone'). Ancient alchemical formula: Sulfuric acid was called "oil of vitriol" by medieval European alchemists because it was prepared by roasting "green vitriol" (

iron(II) sulfate Iron(II) sulfate (British English: iron(II) sulphate) or ferrous sulfate denotes a range of salts with the formula Fe SO4·''x''H2O. These compounds exist most commonly as the heptahydrate (''x'' = 7) but several values for x are know ...

) in an iron

retort In a chemistry laboratory, a retort is a device used for distillation or dry distillation of substances. It consists of a spherical vessel with a long downward-pointing neck. The liquid to be distilled is placed in the vessel and heated. The ...

. The first vague allusions to it appear in the works of

Vincent of Beauvais Vincent of Beauvais ( la, Vincentius Bellovacensis or ''Vincentius Burgundus''; c. 1264) was a Dominican friar at the Cistercian monastery of Royaumont Abbey, France. He is known mostly for his ''Speculum Maius'' (''Great mirror''), a major work ...

, in the ''Compositum de Compositis'' ascribed to Saint

Albertus Magnus Albertus Magnus (c. 1200 – 15 November 1280), also known as Saint Albert the Great or Albert of Cologne, was a German Dominican friar, philosopher, scientist, and bishop. Later canonised as a Catholic saint, he was known during his life ...

, and in

pseudo-Geber Pseudo-Geber (or "Latin pseudo-Geber") is the presumed author or group of authors responsible for a corpus of pseudepigraphic alchemical writings dating to the late 13th and early 14th centuries. These writings were falsely attributed to Jabir ...

's ''Summa perfectionis'' (all thirteenth century AD). * XNOUBIS.

References

Citations

Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Other sources

*Thelemapedia. (2003).
Magical Formulae
'. Retrieved May 14, 2006.

Formulae

See also

References

Citations

Works cited

Other sources

Further reading