From: The Book of Solomons Magick by Carroll Poke Runyon, M.A. C.H.S.

Publications, Silverado, Cali ornia

Co!yri"#t $%%& by Carroll R. Runyon

Know that the Jinn which mighty Solomon Did conjure in the Triangle of Art Were formed in the reflection of his face For they were the aspects of his soul, Each agreeing unto a uadrant, A planet and a metal thereof Which when !urnished did reflect E"en as a mirror And when thou holdest the lighted tapers #n thine own hands And thou dost ga$e deep into thine own eyes Know that thou dost perform The Art #n the "ery manner in which it was truly done rom The %oo& of Astarte by Frater Aleyin '(#abion) CHAPTER TWO: THE SECRET OF THE DARK M RROR M* +,,-.SS A-/ M* 01+23(+C attem!t to cure it t#rou"# #y!nosis #ad driven me into t#e s#amanic tradition o my ancestors 44 and, as t#e sayin" "oes, 5#en t#e student is ready, t#e teac#er a!!ears. +n t#is case t#e teac#er came in t#e orm o a book. My irst introduction to 6estern Ma"ick still stands as t#e best survey 5ork 5ritten on t#e !ractical as!ects o t#e sub7ect: The %lac& Arts by Ric#ard Cavendis#, !ublis#ed in $%&8. 1sin" Cavendis#9s e:cellent biblio"ra!#y + ;uickly ac;uired 6aite9s The %oo& of %lac& 'agic ( )acts alon" 5it# t#e Mat#ers4Cro5ley *oetia, Mat#er9s The Key of Solomon the King, and Francis <arrett9s The 'agus. (#e medieval Key of Solomon !rovided an aut#entic #andbook or makin" ma"ical re"alia, im!lements and talismans but it 5as t#e more notorious *oetia of the +emegeton, t#e so4called +esser Key of Solomon, t#at 5as t#e real 5i=ard9s +i!er Spirituum. (#e *oetia '!ronounced >o4.*4s#a) catalo"ed and described ?@ rebellious s!irits t#at, accordin" to a (almudic le"end, old Ain" Solomon #as im!risoned in an enc#anted <rass vessel submer"ed in a lake in <abylon. (#is read like a abulous tale rom (#e Arabian -i"#ts but in my irrational state + 5as convinced t#at t#ere 5as a #idden trut# be#ind t#e antastic story. ,ike Aladdin9s 5onder ul lam! or Ali <aba9s 3!en Sesame t#ere 5as a Secret Aey to callin" u! t#ose mi"#ty !rinces o t#e Binn t#at Solomon #ad im!risoned so lon" a"o C and + 5as determined to ind it. *ears later, 5#en + 5as doin" "raduate studies in cultural ant#ro!olo"y + reali=ed t#at back in $%&% + #ad crossed over into a realm o divine madness t#at e5 An"lo4Americans #ad ever e:!erienced. + #ad "one t#rou"# a true s#amanic initiation, t#at mortal illness and vision ;uest t#at brin"s t#e s#aman in touc# 5it# #is "ods and "ives #im t#e !o5er to !ractice #is cra t . . . +t 5as durin" t#at season o my madness, 5#en a"ony alternated 5it# ecstasy, t#at + #ad discovered, or more !ro!erly re4discovered, t#e lost secret o t#e ma"ical Art and + 5rote The %oo& of Astarte rom 5#ic# t#e key !assa"e t#at #eads t#is c#a!ter is dra5n. 'see -ote $.) + #ad studied t#e 5ritin"s o t#e ancient and modern ma"icians. (#ey #ad illed t#eir books 5it# t#e most detailed instructions on #o5 to build, inscribe and decorate all t#e necessary e;ui!ment, all t#e si"natures o t#e s!irits and even t#e #ours in 5#ic# to summon t#em C but t#e most im!ortant element, t#at met#od by 5#ic# one could make t#e s!irit !#ysically a!!ear, 5as al5ays missin" rom t#e old "rimoires and not e:!lained in t#e recent te:ts, + kne5 t#at over a do=en ancient and modern 5riters on ma"ick could not be involved in one bi", lon"4standin" cons!iracy to su!!ress t#is inal secret, so it seemed obvious t#at at some time a ter t#e $?t# century and be ore t#e middle o t#e $%t# century t#e !ractical keys to t#e ma"ical evocation and invocation !rocesses #ad been lost.

(#is turned out to be true. (#e ancient 5riters #ad #idden t#e secrets in !lain si"#t C as you 5ill see 5#en 5e e:amine t#e old te:ts C but t#e Dictorian a"e ma"icians o t#e >olden /a5n sc#ool, 5it# t#eir !#obia a"ainst #y!nosis and t#eir commendable distrust o !assive s!iritualist mediums#i!, #ad de4 em!#asi=ed t#e actual met#ods o renaissance evocation and invocation in avor o a 6estern (antra in 5#ic# ima"es are care ully built u! in t#e ima"ination and t#en allo5ed to !rovide !syc#ic eedback. +nstead o t#e traditional crystals and dark mirrors or visionary 5ork, t#ey !re erred to use abstract colored symbols to stimulate t#e ima"ination. (#ese met#ods are di erent in conce!tion and tec#ni;ue rom t#e s#amanic callin" do5n or summonin" u! o s!ontaneous visions rom t#at "reat store#ouse o ima"es renaissance ma"icians kne5 as (#e 6orld Soul and 5e no5 re er to as (#e Collective 1nconscious. + + #adn9t been touc#ed 5it# divine madness aty t#e time + !robably 5ould #ave acce!ted t#e Dictorian reconstruction o ma"ick and !ut aside my yearnin" to actually con7ure s!irits to visible a!!earance in Solomon9s (rian"le o Art. + 5ould #ave a"reed 5it# critics like Pro essor .li=a <utler t#at t#ose 5#o !racticed out o t#e old "rimoires 5ere credulous and sel 4deluded. Ho5ever Art#ur .d5ard 6aite, 5#o 5as also a rut#less critic o t#e Art Ma"ical, #ad conceded t#at t#ey #ad ac#ieved results. +n t#e introduction to #is $8%8 %oo& of %lac& magic ( )acts #e 5rote: 44 +t 5ould, #o5ever, be unsa e to a irm t#at all !ersons makin" use o t#e ceremonies in t#e rituals 5ould ail to obtain results. Per#a!s in t#e ma7ority o cases most o suc# e:!eriments made in t#e !ast 5ere attended 5it# results o a kind. (o enter t#e !at# o #allucination is likely to ensure #allucination, and in t#e !resence o #y!notic and clairvoyant acts it 5ould be absurd to assume t#at t#e seeerin" !rocess o ancient ma"ic C 5#ic# 5ere many C did not !roduce seers#i!, or t#at t#e auto4#y!notic state 5#ic# muc# ma"ical ritual 5ould obviously tend to occasion in !redis!osed !ersons did not re;uently induce, and not al5ays in t#e !redis!osed. (o t#is e:tent some o t#e !rocesses are !ractical, and to t#is e:tent t#ey are dan"erous. (#is !ara"ra!# 5as one o t#e clues t#at set me on t#e trail to discoverin" t#e secret o Solomon9s (rian"le. +t s#ould be note t#at + #ad irst read all t#e available $&t# and $?t# century material be ore + "ot into Re"ardie and t#e >olden /a5n. (#ere ore my ori"inal !ers!ective 5as, and still remains, t#at o a renaissance ma"ician rat#er t#an a Dictorian occultist 'even t#ou"# + 5ill be t#e irst to concede our tremendous debt to t#e >olden /a5n). + t#ink it is im!ortant to mention t#is because t#ere is a natural tendency or !eo!le to be #eavily in luenced by t#eir irst im!ressions in any ield o endeavor. (#is 5as es!ecially true in my case "iven my near4terminal illness and altered state o consciousness. + literally devoured t#e books listed above 5it# t#e obsession o a reli"ious anatic. <ut even in t#e "ri! o a to:ic !syc#osis, + #adn9t lost my intellect. Madness is kno5n to stimulate "enius. + 5as on t#e ver"e o discoverin", or re4discoverin", an e:traordinary secret #idden in t#ese ;uaint, and a!!arently 5#imsical, books o or"otten lore. + kne5 t#ere #ad to be a 5ay to make Solomon9s traditional o!erations actually 5ork 5it#out resortin" to dru"s, astin" or endless con7urations to !roduce #allucinations t#rou"# #ysteria and e:#austion. A century a"o Aleister Cro5ley #ad tried to con7ure one o t#e ,eme"eton9s >oetia demons out o incense smoke. He #ad very little success a ter a "reat deal o e ort. As a sel 4tau"#t #y!notist t#is did not sur!rise me. (ryin" to orm an ima"e, or commandin" a s!irit to !roduce an ima"e out o curlin", t5istin" smoke 5as more o an e:!eriment in telekinesis t#an a scryin" !rocess. Cro5ley obviously did not kno5 t#e tec#ni;ue but #e certainly understood t#e !#iloso!#y. He stateed it clearly in #is $%EF edition o The *oetia: <ut can any o t#e e ects described in t#is our book *oetia be obtained, and i so, can you "ive a rational e:!lanation o t#e circumstancesG Say you soG + can, and 5ill. (#e s!irits o t#e *oetia are !ortions o t#e #uman brain. (#eir seals t#ere ore re!resent 'Mr. S!encer9s !ro7ected cube) met#ods o stimulatin" and re"ulatin" t#ose !articular s!ots 't#rou"# t#e eye). (#e names o >od are vibrations calculated to establis#: 'a) >eneral control o t#e brain. '.stablis#ment o unctions relative to t#e subtle 5orld.) 'b) Control over t#e brain in detain. 'Rank or ty!e o s!irit.)

'c) Control o one s!ecial !ortion. '-ame o t#e s!irit.) (#e !er umes aid t#is t#rou"# smell. 1sually t#e !er ume 5ill only tend to control a lar"e areaH but t#ere is an attribution o !er umes to letters o t#e al!#abet enablin" one, by 0abalistic ormula, to s!ell out t#e s!irit9s name. + need not enter into a more !articular discussion o t#ese !ointsH t#e intelli"ent reader can easily ill in 5#at is lackin". + t#en + say, 5it# Solomon: (#e s!irit Cimieres teac#es lo"ic, 5#at + mean is: t#ose !ortions o my brain 5#ic# subserve t#e lo"ical aculty my be stimulated and develo!ed by ollo5in" out t#e !rocess called (#e .vocation o Cimieres. + #ave ;uoted t#e above !assa"e at some len"t# because it made suc# a stron" im!ression on me 5#en + irst read it. +t is certainly not romantic or artisticH in act it is do5nri"#t analytical C like 5irin" a ballet dancer 5it# electronic sensors so 5e can "et a scienti ic read4out on S5an ,ake C but it serves an absolutely necessary !ur!ose. Cro5ley9s statement !laces Solomon9s Ma"ick s;uarely 5it#in t#e !arameters o a !syc#olo"ical system. Solomon9s s!irits are !ortions o t#e #uman brain. <ut t#e #uman brain is only t#e #ard5are or t#e "reatest com!uter system ever desi"ned: (#e Human Mind. A modern #acker4ma"us 5ould say 5e run our Solomonic Ma"ick !ro"ram on an o!eratin" system desi"ned by Carl Bun" usin" a lan"ua"e called A"ri!!a ???. For t#ose 5#o are not yet ma"ical cybernauts t#at needs some e:!lainin": Cro5ley9s conce!tions o Ma"ick !re4dated Carl Bun"9s Arc#ety!es in t#e Collective 1nconscious t#eory. Cro5ley kne5 t#at ma"ical mani estations involved altered states o consciousness and could !roduce !syc#osomatic e ects but #e may not #ave been a5are t#at entire !ant#eons o ancient >ods and >oddesses, c#oirs o An"els, and #ordes o demons mi"#t e:ists in t#e dee!est reac#es o everyone9s mind. Actually t#e t#eory 5as not very modern. Around @EE A./. Hermes (risme"istus, t#e mysterious ounder o Hermetic P#iloso!#y, #ad 5ritten in #is Asclepius t#at: (#e >ods o t#e Iodiac are eternal but man creates #is o5n lesser "ods. (#e im!lications o t#is statement are a5esome. + 5e create "ods, t#en 5e control t#emJ And i 5e can control t#em, are 5e not >ods ourselvesG '.n (uo (em!lo, (u .s /eusJ) (#is is 5#y t#e late 6arbur" +nstitute sc#olar Francis *ates called The Asclepius (#e c#ar"e o dynamite be#ind Renaissance -eo!latonism. .c#oes o t#at e:!losion reverberate in t#e 5ords o Heinric# Cornelius A"ri!!a 5ritten in $K@?: LSuc# t#in"s are delivered and 5rit by "reat and "rave !#iloso!#ers, 5#ose tradition 5#o dare say are alseG -ay, it 5ere im!ious to t#ink t#em lies: only t#ere is anot#er meanin" t#an 5#at is 5rit 5it# t#e bare letters. 6e must look or t#e !rinci!le o t#ese "rand o!erations 5it#out ourselvesH it is t#at internal s!irit 5it#in us 5#ic# can very 5ell !er orm 5#atsoever t#e monstrous mat#ematicians, t#e !rodi"ious ma"icians, t#e 5onder ul alc#ymists and t#e be5itc#in" necromancers can e ect. +n t#e $%@E9s Bun" declared t#at beneat# and beyond t#e !ersonal subconscious mind t#ere lo5ed a vast, dee! sea o dream ima"es and or"otten lore #e re erred to as (#e Collective 1nconscious. (#is mysterious !syc#ic ocean 5as not t#e e:clusive !ro!erty o any individual #uman bein". +t 5as a dimension s#ared by us allJ Here one mi"#t discover t#e "reat Arc#ety!es o myt#olo"y: t#e #eroes, t#e beauti ul courtesans, t#e martyred saints and monstrous villains o our !ast. Here 5ere t#e mysterious man4created "ods 5#ic# Hermes (risme"istus #ad 5ritten about so lon" a"o. Here 5as t#e 6orld Soul o t#e Renaissance ma"icians. Here 5ere t#e demons o Solomon9s <rass Dessel. 6#en Bun" discussed #is t#eory 5it# #is amous collea"ue, Si"mund Freud, Freud 5as #orri ied. CarlJ #e 5#is!ered. + you reveal t#is to t#e !ublic you 5ill release a black lood o occultismJ Ho5ever it 5ould take more t#an 7ust a t#eory to release t#e lood o occultism Freud eared. (#eories by t#emselves do not !roduce results. For results t#e ma"ician still de!ends today, as #e did t#ousands o years a"o, on met#ods and tec#ni;ues. Since time immemorial ma"icians #ave !laced t#emselves and ot#ers into states o trance durin" 5#ic# visions and oracles 5ere received. 6e no5 kno5 t#at t#is !rocess 5as #y!notic and t#at all t#e !#enomena 5e #ave come to associate 5it# modern #y!nosis 5ere in act kno5n and !racticed by ancient sorcerers under t#e "uise o M ascination9, Ms!ell4castin"9 and Menc#antment9. (#e !o5er ul #y!notic e ect ac#ieved t#rou"# a i:ed "a=e at a re lective sur ace is t#e reason 5#y t#e crystal ball, or s#e5stone, and t#e dark mirror 't#e s!eculum), 5ere used by 5i=ards o olden times as t#eir s!iritus locii, t#e actual !lace 5#ere t#e an"els and s!irits could be con7ured to visible a!!earance. (#is 5as and still is a #y!notic !rocess. . . Ho5ever t#e inal secret o #o5 to use t#ese ma"ical aides 5as al5ays missin". 6it# all t#e !#iloso!#y, t#e atmos!#ere, t#e !ara!#ernalia, t#e !o5er ul con7urations and

t#e #y!notic tec#ni;ues, suc# s!ontaneous visions in a crystal or in a dark mirror, still de!ended u!on some s!ecial !syc#ic talent. (o make it really 5ork one #ad to be a natural medium C -o5, 5it# all my #y!notic e:!eriments and my to:ic ever dreams, + #ad certainly become a mystic . . . but not a clairvoyant. (#is is a very im!ortant !oint. Mediums, !syc#ics and clairvoyants #ave dominated t#e mystic arts or centuries because most o us #ave assumed t#at t#ey are t#e only ones "i ted 5it# t#e abilities to see and #ear t#e s!irits. (#is situation 5as so !ervasive t#at even "reat ma"icians like Abramelin t#e Ma"e, /r. Bo#n /ee, Count Ca"liostro and t#e later Frederick Hockley t#ou"#t t#ey #ad to em!loy s!ecially talented scryers or "i ted c#ildren to do t#e actual receivin" or t#em. + + #ad been in a ully rational state o mind at t#e time + !robably 5ould #ave acce!ted t#is #istorically establis#ed #andica! C but obsessed "enius kno5s no bounds. + 5as convinced t#ere #ad to be a 5ay, a met#od by 5#ic# anyone 5it# t#e desire and t#e determination could summon s!irits to visible a!!earance and converse 5it# t#em. (#is 5as 5#at Solomon #ad !romised and C like t#e inde ati"uable amateur arc#aeolo"ist Henric# Sc#lieman, 5#o #ad actually discovered (roy ri"#t 5#ere Homer said it 5as C + 5as sure t#at t#e medieval MSolomon9 5as tellin" t#e trut#. + could !lace a crystal ball into t#e trian"le, but t#en i + stood back inside t#e ma"ick circle, as t#e o!erator 5as su!!osed to do accordin" to t#e ancient te:ts, even a &Emm ball 5ould a!!ear t#e si=e o a door knob C but + kne5 somet#in" #ad to be !laced in t#at trian"le: somet#in" ascinatin", somet#in" #y!notic, and somet#in" lar"e enou"# to !rovide a vie5in" sur aceL.3bviously t#e s!eculum, t#e dark mirrorL.And 5#at better entrance into t#at realm t#e mystic !oet Colerid"e #ad called: Caverns measureless to man. +t #ad to be t#e dark mirrorJ <ut #o5 to use itG Ho5 to make it actually 5ork, + asked mysel C t#en somet#in" + #ad read t#e year be ore 7o""ed my memory C somet#in" + #ad read some5#ere about t#e use o dark mirrors in t#e Far .astL.G (#at all4im!ortant clue #ad been sittin" ri"#t t#ere on my book s#el J (#e secret 5as in a 5ork called Tantra, The ,oga of Se- by 3mar >arrison !ublis#ed in $%&F. +n t#is book t#e aut#or e:!lained an ancient 3riental met#od o con7urin" u! ima"es o !revious incarnations rom t#e re lection o one9s o5n aceL..in a dark mirrorL. lanked by candlesJ As + re4read t#is !assa"e in >arrison9s book + elt a s#iver o e:citement. + 5as e:!eriencin" t#e same tin"lin" e:#ilaration t#at an arc#aeolo"ist must eel 5#en #e brus#es a5ay t#e sand and looks do5n at t#e unbroken seal o an ancient royal tombJ + tried >arrisons9s e:!eriment and ound t#at it 5orked 5it# remarkable e ectiveness. + a !erson in a darkened room stares or several minutes into a mirror lanked by candles, a stran"e !#enomenon 5ill almost al5ays #a!!en: t#e amiliar re lection 5ill ade out and disa!!ear. (#e mirror 5ill "o black and, 5#en t#e ima"e returns, it 5ill be t#e ace o someone or somet#in" elseJ (#is e:!erience is usually accom!anied by a !ro ound sense o ot#er45orldly !resenceL+t 5as obvious t#at t#is !#enomenon must #ave been discovered lon" be ore any conce!t o reincarnation. +t !robably 5ent back as ar as t#e !aleolit#ic 5#en stone4a"e !eo!le stared ascinated at t#eir re lections in dark, still !ools o 5ater, seein" t#e stran"e trans ormation occur C and bein" convinced t#ey 5ere in t#e !resence o t#eir >odsJ + sus!ected t#at in a ritual settin", usin" traditional con7urations and symbols, s!eci ic s!irits and even ancient >ods and >oddesses mi"#t be summoned rom t#e M3t#er Side9L.(#is mi"#t 5ell be t#e ancient secret be#ind t#at stran"e !assa"e in t#e <ible t#at reads: >od as#ioned Man in His o5n ima"e. +t 5as certainly t#e reason 5#y Solomon #as us command t#e s!irit, o ten described as a monstrous #ybrid, to A!!ear in air and #uman orm and s!eak unto us in a clear, intelli"ible voice in our mot#er ton"ue. A ter t#is discovery t#e use o t#e ma"ick mirror in an elevated trian"le seemed obvious. 3ur late $?t# century +emegeton manuscri!t, Sloane @?N$, clearly s#o5s a lar"e black4 illed circle in t#e center o Solomon9s (rian"le.

-ote t#at t#e instructions 5ritten around t#e (rian"le say: (5o oot o rom t#e Circle and t#ree oot over.) C -ot (#ree oot across, as t#e !ublis#ed version #as it. (#e (rian"le 5as intended to be raised u! to eye level. . . . (#is is clearly s#o5n in a dra5in" rom a $?t# century manuscri!t by t#e mysterious /. (#omas Rudd, 5#ic# de!ticts a mirror on a stand 5it# Solomon9s Secret Seal rom t#e *oetia o t#e +emegeton clearly rendered on t#e reverse side. . . 'See i"ure @.) 6e kno5 t#at !olis#ed obsidian mirrors 5ere used in t#e neolit#ic Middle .astern city o Katal .yuc& as ar back as nine t#ousand years a"o C be ore t#e >reat Flood. And later, in t#e time o Solomon, t#e ."y!tians and Canaanites made mirrors o !olis#ed co!!er and o silver, metals attributed to t#e !lanet Denus and t#e MoonL. ,et your mind travel back to t#ose ancient times and ima"ine 5#at mi"#t #ave #a!!ened 5#en a !riestess sittin" be ore #er mirror, !uttin" #er make4u! on in t#e dim li"#t, sa5 #er ace c#an"e and become (#e >oddessJ Per#a!s s#e 5ould call t#e #i"# !riest to 5itness t#e trans ormation. (#ey 5ould bot# be amiliar 5it# !ossessions and trance states and 5ould be ;uick to see t#e !ossibilities. -o5 + am certain t#at some o my ma"ical collea"ues 5ill cluck in t#eir beards and say: 6ell Runyon develo!ed an e ective system C but it9s modern. (#ey 5ill cite t#e act, already mentioned, t#at Ca"liostro, /ee, Hockley and ot#ers #ad to em!loy scryers to do t#eir visionin". + t#ese 5ort#ies #adn9t kno5 t#e re lection secret, t#en 5#o #ad kno5nG My ans5er is t#at t#e medieval Arabian ma"icians !robably kne5 it as t#ese ;uotes rom C. B. S. (#om!son indicate: /According to Ara! tradition, magic or Msi#r9, which means 0to produce an illusion !efore the eyes1 was re"ealed !y two angels in %a!el, named Harut and Marut, who instructed man&ind in this art 2 2 2 When a miracle was deemed a Msi#r9 it was regarded as an optical illusion or due to an illicit dealing with demons 2 2 2 The use of the magic mirror 3 which was made of metal or glass with a polished surface 3 for seeing spirits, was &nown to the Ara!s at an early period2 The image was said to Appear in a cloud or "apor floating !etween the medium used and the ga$er1s eye2 2 24 Ceco d9 Ascoli, /r. (#omas Rudd and ot#ers may very 5ell #ave kno5n but ke!t it secret. (#e met#od 5as so sim!le t#at t#ere 5as no need to 5rite it do5n. +t could #ave been !assed rom mout#4to4ear 'and yet t#e #ints in t#e Sloane @?N$ *oetia are almost too obvious). 6e s#ould recall t#at t#e *oetia 5as not a system ma"icians elt com ortable 5ritin" about back in t#e days o t#e +n;uisition. And t#ey did not need Carl Bun"9s sub7ective !syc#olo"ical t#eories to 7usti y usin" t#eir o5n re lection as a ocal !oint. (#ere 5as a #auntin" 3r!#ic myt# about /yonisus bein" entranced !y his own reflection in a mirror, cau"#t by t#e (itans and torn to !ieces, #is !arts rescued by Ieus and "iven to A!ollo to !lant in t#e eart# C rom 5#ic# #e rose reconstituted and revived. Here 5e #ave t#e modern !syc#olo"ical conce!ts o ra"mentation, reinte"ration and individuation o t#e !ersonalityH 5e also #ave our seventy4t5o all4encom!assin" s!irits let out and !ut back into (#e <rass Dessel. (#e ancients did not create suc# ables or idle amusement. <ut my most tellin" ar"ument sits in every "rammar sc#ool class in t#e country. Alon" 5it# !layin" #o!scotc# on (#e (ree o ,i e, c#ildren #ave a "ame called <loody Mary 'Clive <arker9s 5andyman ) 5#ic# t#ey #ave been scarin" eac# ot#er 5it# as lon" as t#ere #ave been mirrors to look into. Any modern ma"ician 5#o t#inks #is !redecessors didn9t discover t#is same !#enomenon a"es a"o and made use o it doesn9t #old t#em in very #i"# re"ard C but to t#ose 5#o still insist t#at t#is met#od o ma"ical evocation is modern, + 5ill be most #a!!y to acce!t credit or it. 'See -ote @.) +n t#e 5eek ollo5in" my remarkable discovery 'or re4discovery) my illness overcame me to suc# a de"ree t#at my doctor 5as com!elled to conduct a more t#rou"# e:amination. At t#at #e discovered t#e trut# and advised me t#at only an o!eration could save my li e C but t#at + 5as too debilitated and in lamed to under"o t#e sur"ery. + asked t#e Arc#an"el Ra!#ael to #eal me and Prince <a9al to "ive me stren"t# C t#en 'because t#e >ods #el! t#ose 5#o #el! t#emselves) + 5ent out and ound anot#er doctor. 6#en + recovered rom my sur"ical o!eration, #ealt# and sanity ;uickly returned C but + remember 5#at + #ad learned durin" my sabbatical in (artarus and, to my sur!rise, + discovered t#at Solomon9s Ma"ick 5as still as e ective C and even more so 5#en contrasted 5it# my ot#er5ise rational state o mind. (o my even "reater sur!rise, + ound t#at t#is ancient system 5ould 5ork or any sincere !erson 5#o could concentrate on a i:ed !oint lon" enou"# to ac#ieve a li"#t #y!notic trance. + e:tended my e:!eriments to include ot#ers and + soon discovered t#at t#e !rocess 5as 7ust as e ective i + C as t#e ma"ician C stood be#ind a !assive Mreceiver9 5#o 5ould only need to #old t#e candle sticks and concentrate on t#e mirror.

At t#at time + 5as a bac#elor in my t#irties, livin" in a beac#4side Sout#ern Cali ornia a!artment and ridin" a motorcycle. (#is !ut me in a !osition to recruit youn" 5omen 5illin" to trans orm into t#e >oddess Astarte. (#ese e:!eriments, #armless as t#ey 5ere, made me notorious. Accordin" to one !ublis#ed account one o my Astartes disa!!eared o t#e ace o t#e eart# C and yet + sa5 #er socially a 5eek ollo5in" t#e o!eration. +t did a!!ear t#at 5omen made t#e best, or !er#a!s t#e most ent#usiastic, receivers but or t#e most !art my emale volunteers 5ere not clairvoyant. (#ose e5 5#o 5ere natural !syc#ics 5ould receive t#eir vision o 4 ace a ter t#e mirror blacked out. -on4!syc#ic receivers 'most o us) 5ill see a di erent ace re!lace our amiliar re lection. Ho5ever, it is im!ortant to note t#at rt#is trans ormation !rocess or non4!syc#ics is, i anyt#in", a more intense and consciousness4alterin" e:!erience t#an t#e more amiliar visionin" !rocess t#e !syc#ic under"oes. So + #ad t#e secret. ,ike /r. Frankenstein, # had learned how to do it C but even t#ou"# + may #ave been 7ust as obsessed as t#e ictional Dictor Frankenstein, # didn1t want to ma&e his mista&e. <e ore + o!ened t#e <rass Dessel and released t#ese s!irits into t#e 5orld a"ain, + 5anted to understand t#e !#iloso!#y and t#e s!iritual si"ni icance be#ind a !rocess t#at #ad been ke!t suc# a closely "uarded secret or t#ousands o years. + #ad to ask mysel , 5as it !ossible t#ere 5ere slumberin" demons rom our !ast t#at C as t#e late Ho5ard P#illi!s ,ovecra t #ad su""ested C might !etter !e left un6awa&ened7 Ho5 and 5#y #ad t#e beauti ul >oddess Astarte and #er #andsome consort, Prince <a9al, t#e (#under >od, become demons in t#e orbidden books o medieval balck ma"ickG . . . + ound some o t#e ans5ers to t#ese ;uestions in t#e lon"4lost <iblical %oo& of Enoch . . . !o"es on Cha#"e$ T%o: $. (#is !assa"e may be amiliar to some occult students outside o t#e 3.(.A. The %oo& of Astarte 8+i!er Astarte9 #as been !irated and circulated in t#e occulted under"round since $%?% even t#ou"# it 5as co!yri"#ted under my !seudonym by a ma7or university in $%?&.

@.

+n actual act t#e met#od #as become so !o!ular t#at one o my ormer students !rivately took credit or it and started t#ree mini4lod"es o #is o5n. Anot#er 3.(.A. de ector o ered a ty!escri!t e:!ose o t#e mirror4re lection *oetia tec#ni;ue in $%?% C t#en in $%88 a !o!ulari=er o o ma"ick admittedly dre5 on t#e earlier e:!ose or a c#a!ter on *oetia evocation in a book issued by a ma7or !ublis#er. He and #is !ublis#er ollo5ed t#is u! 5it# a sim!listic mass4marketed !#am!#let on t#e *oetia /ark Mirror met#od in $%%F. (#is inally !rom!ted us to "o into !roduction o The 'agic& of Solomon video and The %oo& of Solomon1s 'agic& to !resent t#e real story be#ind modern *oetia:Almadel magic& and teac# t#e !ro!er met#ods o !ractice. Other Chapters in The Book of Solomons Magick include: H&#nosis an' (oga) Fallen Angels an' Pagan *o's) The Sec$e" of "he Hol& Ta+le) The Ka++alah of Wi,a$'$&) A$a+ian O$igins of Magick an' Wi"chc$af") an' Solomons Se- Magick) an' mo$e. . . The$e a$e n/me$o/s $e#$o'/c"ions f$om ancien" man/sc$i#"s) incl/'ing all of "he o$iginal sigils of "he *oe"ia s#i$i"s) "he sigils of "he Shemhame#ho$ash Angels an' "he Demon Kings of "he 0/a$"e$s. The +ook con"ains "%o f/ll colo$ #la"es sho%ing "he Fo/$ *$ea" A$changels of "he 0/a$"e$s an' The Solomonic Mas"e$ Man'ala. The Book of Solomons Magick may be ordered direct from the publisher, C.H.S., Inc., for $24.95 postpaid in .S. !$2".95 Canada#.