Al - Kindi's Theory of The Magical Arts: Esmé L. K. Partridge

Al-‐Kindi’s
Theory of The

Magical Arts
A Commentary on Al-‐Kindi’s Treatise
‘On Rays’
Esmé L. K. Partridge

Al-‐Kindi’s Theory of The

Magical Arts
A Commentary on Al-‐Kindi’s Treatise
‘On Rays’
Esmé L. K. Partridge

© Copyright Esmé L. K. Partridge, 2018

2

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Mogg for sharing some of his expertise, and to the rest of the Oxford
Talking Stick moot for all of the inspiration

3
Contents

Introduction 5
A note on structure 6
Commentary on ‘On Rays’:
Chapter 1: On the Origin of Opinion 7
Chapter 2: On the Rays of Stars 8
Chapter 3: On the Rays of Elements 11
Chapter 4: On the Possible 12
Chapter 5: On the Things Which Bring About the Effect of Movement 14
Chapter 6: On the Virtue of Words 18
Chapter 7: On Figures 24
Chapter 8: On Images 28
Chapter 9: On Sacrifices 30
Chapter 10: On the Beginnings of the Works 33
Critical Analysis and Conclusion 35
Bibliography 44
Appendix 48

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Introduction

Regarded as ‘The Father of Arab philosophy’1, Abu Yūsuf Yaʻqūb ibn ʼIsḥāq aṣ-‐Ṣabbāḥ al-‐
Kindī (Born in Basra, 801 AD) was an accomplished Muslim philosopher and polymath.
His corpus of over 300 works2 spans a vast array of subjects, a prominent one of these
being Aristotelian philosophy (by which he was greatly influenced, with his lifetime
coinciding with the Greek-‐Arabic translation movement that began in the late 8th
Century 3 ). His treatises also address a breadth of subjects from astronomy and
psychology; to music theory and perfume-‐making; to more obscure titles such as ‘On the
surface area of rivers and other things’, and ‘On the types of bees, and their noble
attributes’4.

But amongst his myriad of both intellectual and practical fields of expertise, Al-‐Kindi
was also an ‘astral magician’5, whose metaphysical and magical writings contributed to
the development of Islamic mysticism and esotericism. The art of astrology in particular
was a subject that Al-‐Kindi actively taught to his students, inferable from the title of one
of his lost epistles ‘To his student Zarnab, on the secrets of astrology and how to teach
the principles [of the stars’] actions’6. Beyond the Arabic tradition, Al-‐Kindi’s influences
on astrology, and the overall philosophies underlying early modern Western Occultism,
have also been a focus of recent research7. Unfortunately, many of his astrological and
magical works (along with the majority of his corpus) are now lost, however the
pinnacle of Al-‐Kindi’s writing on these topics has survived in Latin, and is the subject of
the following commentary: On Rays.

Also known as On The Stellar Rays, or by its Latin titles De Radiis and Theorica Artium
Magicae (The Theory of Magical Arts), this fascinating esoteric text presents a
cosmology that is rooted in the Aristotelian structure of the universe. Upon this, Al-‐Kindi
develops a metaphysical dimension based on the concept of ‘rays’: the agent responsible

1 Abboud, T. (2006), Al-‐Kindi: The Father of Arab Philosophy. Rosen Pub. Group
2 Glassé, C., Smith, H. (2003), Al-‐Kindi: An Entry from The New Encyclopedia of Islam, Rowman
Altamira
3 Adamson, P. (2016), Philosophy In The Islamic World, Oxford University Press, 19
4 Adamson, P. & Pormann, P. E. (2012), The Philosophical Works of Al-‐Kindi, Oxford University
Press, LIX, LXI

5 Davies, O. (2012), Magic: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press
Press, LXI
7 Saif, L. (2016), The Arabic Influences on Early Modern Occult Philosophy, Springer
5
for all causation within the universe from the plane of the divine, to the heavens, to the
elements and ultimately to the material world. Having elaborated on this process, Al-‐
Kindi then dedicates the latter half of the text to the theory of the magical arts that are
Words, Figures, Images and Sacrifices. According to Al-‐Kindi, all of these methods
cooperate with the human ability to produce and exert one’s own rays into the world.
Much of his writing on the theory and practice of these is relevant to various esoteric
traditions from both hemispheres, from both before and after the composition of the
text. Some of these potential connections have been explored within the body of the
commentary, and also in the conclusion.

The following commentary is based on the only two existing English translations of Al-‐
Kindi’s On Rays. Firstly, Peter Adamson and Peter E Pormann’s shortened version
presented in their excellent 2012 work ‘The Philosophical Works of Al-‐Kindi’, which
provides up to Chapter 5 of the text. Secondly, Robert Zoller and Robert Hand’s 1993
translation, which was published as part of their Project Hindsight foundation, has also
been the basis for this work. This volume provides a translation of the entire text from
Chapters 1 to 10 with comprehensive footnotes. Overall, both sources have been
generally coherent with each other and extremely useful in themselves, however it is
necessary to note that neither version is derived from the original Arabic text but rather
from the only surviving Latin translation of it. As a result, deductions of Al-‐Kindi’s
original intended meaning may not be entirely reliable. To resolve this, I have conducted
background research into Al-‐Kindi’s general philosophical thought, amongst other
textual sources on medieval Islamic occultism and philosophy as a whole, in the hope of
providing accurate interpretations of the treatise. In producing this commentary, I hope
to revive this rare and fascinating text in full, as this has not been done for over two
decades since Zoller and Hand’s work, and I believe that there is now much more to be
discussed about the text.

A note on structure

The commentary attempts to adhere to the structure of Al-‐Kindi’s thought throughout
each of the ten chapters of the original text. However, in some cases it deviates for the
sake of drawing in other relevant concepts and evidence, and linking some ideas back to
previous ones to aid clarity.

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1: On the Origin of Opinion

On Rays opens with a reassertion of Al-‐Kindi’s empirical approach to epistemology,
which is expressed in his preceding philosophical works such as On First Philosophy. He
presents a mechanism through which the knowledge of forms and objects is acquired
through the human senses, which begins with the observation of the qualities of a form
or an object. In the case of an hourglass, for instance; one first notices its shape; that it is
made of glass; and contains sand, and so forth. Once these physical properties are
recognised by the senses, it is the faculty of reason that then identifies these distinct
qualities as attributes of an hourglass, and concludes that the object is in fact an
hourglass. In such cases, to put it simply, one is able to perceive something on the basis
of the senses.

However, Al-‐Kindi proceeds to explain that there are other forms which cannot be
comprehended by the senses. He provides the example of the ‘power of heating’ in a fire;
the naked senses alone cannot perceive the process that causes the burning or the
emission of heat within a fire. Yet, one can, through application of reason, synthesise
prior knowledge on the nature of combustion and exothermic chemical reactions to
form an accurate conclusion on why fires produce heat. An alternative analogy could be
that of rainbows; through sense-‐perception, one can observe with the eyes how the
illusion of a rainbow is formed with a glass of water and a source of light. One can then,
through reason, apply this empirical observation to conclude that the refraction
occurring here is also the cause of the meteorological phenomena of a rainbow. It is
through this logical pattern that Al-‐Kindi asserts that the nature of the cosmos cannot be
experienced directly through the senses, but rather it can be understood through the
application of prior empirical knowledge and reason. This works in the same manner
that the formation of a meteorological rainbow cannot be grasped by the senses, but
rather a microcosm of it can. This type of knowledge, that arises from the application of
reason, is of a higher form than that based solely on the senses. Emphasising this, Al-‐
Kindi states:

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‘When someone perceives things and conditions which are less perceptible, then he is, and
is said to be, more knowledgeable. Therefore those imbued with a holy desire for
knowledge strive most to understand the hidden condition of things’8

Such an attitude regarding the ‘hidden condition of things’ appears to foreground Al-‐
Kindi’s occult themes (considering that the etymology of ‘occult’ derives from ‘hidden’9)
which become more apparent as the treatise progresses. Before delving into this,
however, it is paramount that the empirical epistemology presented in Al-‐Kindi’s
opening passage is fully understood. So far, Al-‐Kindi has presented what can be reduced
to three fundamental points regarding knowledge:

1. That knowledge of the cosmos can be based on knowledge of the world from the
senses.
2. That the use of reason is what converts knowledge of the sensible world to that
of the cosmos.
3. That this form of knowledge (that which uses reason) is higher than that derived
solely from the senses.

Throughout the treatise, Al-‐Kindi uses these logical foundations to present a
cosmological model and, following from this, an explanation of the metaphysics of
magic.

2: On the Rays of Stars

In the second passage of On Rays, Al-‐Kindi concentrates on the nature of the stars. He
begins by postulating the view that every star (and presumably, every planet) in space is
unique; each is formed from a particular composition of elements in varying
proportions, with a particular position in the fabric of the cosmos. Consequently, Al-‐
Kindi proceeds to explain, each star emits ‘rays’ that are also unique. These rays are
manipulated by movements of the celestial bodies, and their ever-‐changing positions
and proximities to each other. For example, a particular ‘ray’ might be temporarily
produced by a conjunction of two planets when their rays interact or ‘blend’ together, as
their rays gravitate towards Earth. Al-‐Kindi describes such a process:

8 Al-‐Kindi, On Rays, Trans. Adamson, P., Pormann, P. E. (2012), The Philosophical Works of Al-‐
Kindi, Oxford University Press, 221

9 https://www.etymonline.com/word/occult (Date Accessed: January 2018)
8

‘Each star emanates rays to each location. Therefore the various rays, as if fused into one,
change the things contained in all the locations, as in each location the course of the rays is
different, for it [the course] is determined by the overall harmony of the stars’10

From a 21st Century perspective, Al-‐Kindi’s concept of energy being emitted by stars
would appear to correspond with the notion of electromagnetic radiation. It is arguably
not unlikely, considering the advancement of medieval Islamic science11, that Al-‐Kindi’s
propositions would today be accepted as referring to a similar concept. However, as
Robert Hand states in the introduction of his and Robert Zoller’s edition of the text, it is
important not to wholly project 21st Century understandings of physics onto Al-‐Kindi’s
philosophy 12 . While Al-‐Kindi’s ‘rays’ and EM Radiation certainly have distinct
similarities, rays are not limited to electromagnetic radiation and, as will be explored in
the latter chapters, actually encapsulate other forms of energy such as sound waves. A
major factor that differentiates Al-‐Kindi’s theory of rays to a contemporary view of EM
radiation is that he presents them as a much broader concept, and introduces
metaphysical dimensions to the idea. This is introduced in Al-‐Kindi’s next proposition:
that the nature of the celestial bodies in the ‘heavens’ is subtly transmitted to nature on
Earth.

Al-‐Kindi compares the nature of celestial bodies existing in constant motion and flux to
that of the world that we can sense. In his major treatise on metaphysics, On First
Philosophy, Al-‐Kindi posits that the sensible, material world is transient and ever-‐
changing; a ubiquitous belief across both Eastern and Western schools of Philosophy. In
Buddhist philosophy, for example, the doctrine of Anicca refers to the transient and
impermanent quality of all within the physical world13. Similarly Plato, in The Republic,
observes the imperfect, unstable and ever-‐changing nature of the sensible universe,
claiming that this is because the world is merely an imitation of perfect forms14.


11 https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-‐and-‐history/magazine/2016/11-‐
12/muslim-‐medicine-‐scientific-‐discovery-‐islam/, (Date Accessed: February 2018)

12 Al-‐Kindi, On The Stellar Rays, Trans. Zoller, R., Ed. Hand, R. (1993), Project Hindsight, Latin
Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, IV

13 The Dhammapada, Maggavagga, Verse 277
14 Plato (380 BC), The Republic, Ed. Lee, H. D. P. (2003), Penguin Books
9
The principle that the world is a weaker impression of divine forms can perhaps be
interpreted as an implication of Al-‐Kindi’s emanationist cosmological view. The fact that
he employs the term ‘emanates’ in the above quotation is also potentially an indication
of this. Emanationism is the Neoplatonic principle, purported by Plotinus15, that the
universe has a hierarchical structure with the divine at the highest point, emitting what
is often analogised as a potent light. This light (which represents the unity, purity and
perfection of the divine) emanates down into the lower cosmological spheres, through
the heavens and towards the world. Its intensity gradually weakens as it pervades
through each one, until it reaches the material world where it is at its lowest point,
manifesting itself as multiplicity, transience and ultimately imperfection16. This idea is
believed to have been generally adopted by Al-‐Kindi17, despite this not being explicitly
mentioned within On Rays itself.

Potentially as a result of this emanationist stance, Al-‐Kindi presents in On Rays that
there is some relationship between the nature of the heavens and the nature of the
world. Although the heavens are ‘higher’ in their divinity and perfection than Earth is,
the two are still related to each other due to their adjacency in the hierarchy; the
material world is the next an emanation ‘down’ from the celestial sphere. Therefore, the
transient nature of the world is in fact a weaker impression of the ever-‐changing nature
of the heavens (this presumably meaning the orbits and retrogrades of the planets,
etcetera). Through this idea, Al-‐Kindi implies a ‘macrocosm-‐microcosm’ cosmology; a
significant world-‐view in occult philosophy and magical practice, postulated by the
syncretic magical figure Hermes Trismegistus who taught the axiom ‘whatever is above
is like that below: and whatever is below is like that to above’18. By identifying the
resemblance between heaven and the nature of the world, it can be interpreted that Al-‐
Kindi implies this concept. This is feasible as, as Antoine Faivre writes, Hermeticism
certainly had an influence on Medieval Islamic thought19, which is demonstrated in
other 9th Century Arabic magical texts such Al-‐Majriti’s The Picatrix; a grimoire of
magical methods, which would also appear to be influenced by the laws of Hermetic
philosophy.

15 Ogorzaly, M. A. & Frank, Waldo (1994), Prophet of Hispanic Regeneration, 29
16 Blackburn, S. (2016), The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy, 150
17 Al-‐Kindi, On First Philosophy, Trans. Ivry, A. L. (1974), Al-‐Kindi's Metaphysics: A Translation of
Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-‐kindi's Treatise "On First Philosophy", SUNY Press, 165
18 Godwin, J. (1981), Mystery Religions in the Ancient World, Thames and Hudson, 22
19 Faivre, A. (2000), Eternal Hermes: From Greek God to Alchemical Magus, Red Wheel/Weiser,
20
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Ultimately, what Al-‐Kindi implies in the second chapter is that there is a defined
relationship between the nature of the heavens and the world. This appears to be a
fundamental assertion in the theory of astrology (which essentially explores such a
celestial-‐terrestrial relationship), and facilitates Al-‐Kindi’s understandings of how
humans can interact with the nature of the wider universe. In the following chapter, Al-‐
Kindi develops the emanationist principle of transmission between the spheres through
rays, describing exactly how the two spheres are connected. In Chapter 3, he proposes
an agent that causes the rays from the heavens to affect the state of the material world;
namely, the elements.

3: On The Rays of Elements

Many are familiar with the
quadripartite system of elements;
Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Purported
by Aristotle, these four supposed
roots of all matter are present across
a myriad of major astrological and
cosmological treatises, such as
Claudius Ptolemy’s influential 2nd
Century AD work Tetrabiblos. In
works such as this, the four elements
are the primary foundations of all
Figure 1 : Aristotle’s Classical Elements
within the sensible world; a notion
that Al-‐Kindi adopts (also proposing the existence of a fifth element, the aether -‐ an
intangible ‘essence’ separate from the primary four). Al-‐Kindi, in a letter on ‘The
Definitions and Descriptions of Things’ defines an ‘Element’ (al-‐ustuquss) as ‘the
material constituent of the body’20, and asserts not only in the present text but also in
earlier ones, such as his Two Texts On Colour, that all change brought about in the world
is induced by changes in the elements21. Consequently, anything that alters the nature of
the world (in this case, the rays of celestial bodies) must be processed through the
elements in order for the effect of rays to manifest in any physical matter or ‘body’.

20 Al-‐Kindi, On the Definitions and Descriptions of Things, Trans. Adamson, P. & Pormann, P. E.
(2012) The Philosophical Works of Al-‐Kindi, Oxford University Press, 302
21 Al-‐Kindi, Two Texts on Colour, Trans. Adamson, P. & Pormann, P. E. (2012) The Philosophical
Works of Al-‐Kindi, Oxford University Press, 134
11
It is therefore the reaction between stellar rays and the elements that allows the nature
of the celestial sphere to influence the ever-‐changing nature of the world. There must be
a process, in Al-‐Kindi’s thought, that brings the nature of the fluctuating movement in
the heavens down to the lower emanation that is matter in the world, where it manifests
itself in forms of imperfection (such as that of the growth and decay of plants, or even
meteorological defects such as natural disasters, for instance). This process supposedly
occurs when rays, once emanated from the heavens, make contact with the elements,
the foundations of all sensible matter. This process is like a chemical reaction between
celestial rays and the elements, the product of which being effects in the world. Al-‐Kindi
bases this proposed process on empirical evidence, evident in his analogy of medicine:
before medical drugs enter the body, they exist in their own form, i.e. a pill or a liquid
solution. When inside the body, the drugs react with forms inside the body, such as pain
receptors, to become something different, producing an ultimate effect. Al-‐Kindi
provides another example of this nature, describing the reactions that occur when
objects collide with each other:

‘When bodies collide, they emit a sound which spreads itself everywhere, through the rays
specific to them [the colliding things]; and each coloured object sends out its own rays
through which one can see it’22

Placing this metaphor into the context of rays: the celestial rays are one ‘body’, and the
elements are another ‘body’, and when they collide, the ‘sound’ that they produce is
equivalent to the rays transmitted to Earth, responsible for changes in the nature of the
world. This process is evident in the physical world -‐ for example, the rays of heat and
light emitted by the sun react with the soil in a plant, the ultimate effect of which being
the stimulation of the plant’s growth. In this respect, Al-‐Kindi’s theory can be considered
no more than an extension from natural science, complimenting his empirical
epistemology presented in the opening chapter.

4: On The Possible

In the following chapters, Al-‐Kindi addresses the human psyche’s relationship with the
stated cosmological model.

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Al-‐Kindi opens Chapter 4 with the proposition that when one has a knowledge of
sensation (from the physical world), then one is able, to an extent, to apply it to reason
to predict certain outcomes. For example, returning to the rainbow analogy; if one has
seen the illusion of a rainbow formed from the reaction of a glass of water and source of
light, then they can predict to see a rainbow in the sky in certain weather conditions
whereby sunlight and rainwater are both present. In such cases, it is possible to
estimate the nature of the universe from a synthesis of empirical sense-‐perception and
reason.

However, Al-‐Kindi then proceeds to assert that while some aspects of nature can be
deduced in this way, it cannot be the basis for an understanding of universal nature
holistically. He proposes that it is impossible for one to make accurate assumptions on
the nature of the universe based on sense-‐perception, as they would make assumptions
of a rainbow from prior experiences of it. This is due to the ultimate inadequacy of the
human senses. In order to understand the true nature of the cosmos entirely through
sense-‐perception, one would have to possess sense-‐perception of everything in physical
existence; and this is impossible. The limitations imposed by our five senses, and the fact
that the physical world is the lowest emanation of true reality, mean that aspects of
nature are unperceivable. For instance, returning to Al-‐Kindi’s original example, ‘the
power of heating in a fire’; or, other non-‐perceptible phenomena such as infrared rays,
atomic structure, or DNA, are all believed to physically exist yet cannot be perceived
through the naked human senses alone. This approach of Al-‐Kindi’s echoes the
epistemological rationalism of Plato, who, in his famous Allegory of The Cave, illustrates
the inadequacy of the human senses in grasping the true nature of reality23:

‘Out of the totality of things, some can be known, whereas others remain completely
unknown’24

Therefore, the only way to understand the nature of the universe is through the
metaphysical propositions that Al-‐Kindi has made so far. His theory on stellar rays, and
their effect of their reactions with the elements, is not a process that can be grasped
through the senses alone, but rather the application of reason to science that is already
known. This is a hidden truth; according Al-‐Kindi, attempting to base predictions of the

23 Plato (380 BC), The Republic, Ed. Lee, H. D. P. (2003), Penguin Books
13
future, such as that of an individual or of the universe as a whole, is a product of human
ignorance. Since our human senses are limited, our basis for making future predictions
is invalid; trying to predict anything of the wider world through our limited perception
will always prove unsuccessful. Al-‐Kindi explains that the whole concept of fate is a
manifestation of ignorance, and that alternatively, there is an esoteric cosmic order, and
this is that perpetuated by rays. Once this is realised, Al-‐Kindi suggests that it is possible
for humans to actually be in control of their own future, through the utilisation of rays
and the hidden cosmological structure. In fact, Al-‐Kindi proposes that one can produce
their own rays, that can be exerted directly from the mind into the world to cause
changes in nature at will.

Before proceeding onto Al-‐Kindi’s explanation of how human are capable of producing
rays, a secure understanding of the previous points in essence is necessary:

1. To an extent, observations from sense-‐perception can be applied to predict
outcomes.
2. However, the human sense-‐perception of the universe as a whole is limited, and
so predictions of universe based on human sense-‐perception are inaccurate.
3. In fact, the concept of possibility and a ‘chance’ of things happening is a product
of human ignorance -‐ in reality, there is an actual causation, and this is the
metaphysical theory that Al-‐Kindi has proposed.
4. In order to have control over what happens, one can utilise their own rays.

5: On the Things Which Bring about the Effect of Movement

Before proceeding onto Chapter 5, prior knowledge of Al-‐Kindi’s perceived cosmological
structure is necessary. In the present text up to this point, Al-‐Kindi discusses the
celestial bodies as the cause of rays, however he does not explicitly mention God as the
ultimate cause behind the celestial bodies. Returning to the idea of emanationism, it is
important to consider that God’s involvement occupies a vast dimension of Al-‐Kindi’s
theory. This is explained in an earlier epistle of his titled On The Proximate Agent Cause
of Generation and Corruption, in which Al-‐Kindi compares God’s involvement with the
universe to that of somebody shooting with a bow and arrow and their target. In this
simile, the shooter of the bow and arrow is God; the bow and arrow as an instrument
represents the heavens; and these are what facilitate the achievement of the shooter (or
14
God’s) objectives in the world25. To use a more modern simile: God is the photographer;
the celestial bodies are the camera; and the impact is the photograph. Essentially, God
uses the heavens, and their subsequent rays, as a medium for his operations within the
world.

Returning to the present text, Al-‐Kindi has established in the earlier sections that the
transmission of stellar rays, after reacting with the four elements, exerts change within
the material world. Incorporating the divine causation of this cosmic operation that is
explained in On The Proximate Agent Cause of Generation and Corruption, it can now be
confirmed that God is the ultimate cause of this. Al-‐Kindi opens Chapter 5 by
emphasising that this process in totality is a series of motions; a chain of cause and
effect. The chain (linking to the emanationist cosmology) begins with God, and second to
this, the heavens, which emit rays, which react with and alter the elements, which
causes an impact on man in the material, sensible world.

Man26 is therefore at the receiving end of this chain of cause and effect. He then proceeds
to explain that, in regard to ‘good and evil’, it is useful for one to grasp the mechanisms
of this motion. The medium for doing so is through rays, as these are what could be
described, in Aristotelian terms, as the ‘efficient cause’ for all that occurs in the world.
Al-‐Kindi posits that humans are able to produce their own rays, through mechanisms
that resemble divinatory or magical practices. This is as a result of the macrocosm-‐
microcosm cosmology; he employs the term ‘balanced existence’ (Latin: existentia
proportionata) to encapsulate how humans directly mirror the divine. Like the stars and
planets produce rays that induce change, the human mind is also able to to produce rays
that induce motion, therefore altering the elements and ultimately causing change:

‘Through his balanced existence, man turns out to be similar to the world itself. Therefore
he is, and is called, a ‘microcosm’. Therefore he possesses the ability to initiate movement in
a suitable manner through his actions, just as the macrocosm does’27

25 Al-‐Kindi, On The Proximate Agent Cause of Generation and Corruption, Trans. Adamson, P. &
Pormann, P. E. (2012), Oxford University Press

26 My use of the term ‘man’ here is an emulation of Al-‐Kindi’s originally masculine-‐dominated
language, which I have not changed here to avoid distortion of his original meaning. If I may add
a personal note, I do not see why this should not be interpreted by today’s audience as gender
neutral; if extracted from its male-‐dominated Medieval context, I see no reason for gender
exclusivity.
15
Specifically, there is one faculty of man which has the ability to emit rays (referred to
here as merely ‘movement’) in such a subtle manner: the imagination. In Chapter 5, Al-‐
Kindi describes how when wanting to creating something, man plans to do so through
utilising the imagination to conceive a mental image of it. He then analyses this mental
image to determine whether or not he desires it, or wishes to adapt or reject it. To
analogise, if I was planning on creating something, for instance, a photograph of a
certain landscape, I would use my imagination to envision how the picture might look
from one angle. If, upon contemplation, I realise that this mental image does not fulfil my
intentions, then I would imagine the outcome from another angle, or in a different
lighting, and so on, until I was confident in creating the perfect photograph. In essence,
the imagination is the primary agent in any creative process performed. To put it simply,
Al-‐Kindi views the the imagination as a creative faculty.

Furthermore, the imagination’s creative ability is considered to be a quality arising
directly from the fact that man mirrors God, the creator. Returning to Al-‐Kindi’s
statements on man’s ability to ‘initiate movement’, it is the imagination specifically that
facilitates this as, like the divine, it is able to create things; echoing the macrocosm-‐
microcosm cosmology stated earlier. This could be compared with the Medieval Saint
Thomas Aquinas’ notion of the Ratio; the faculty of the human mind that allows us to
create ideas, stories and art. Such a faculty is supposedly God-‐given, which can be
attributed to the Imago Dei principle presented in Genesis, whereby humans were
created in God’s image.28. Specifically in Arabic theology there exists in the notion of the
Fitra (roughly translating to human instinct or ‘the primordial human nature’29), which
refers to the human’s natural resemblance with God, including his qualities of
intelligence and initiative. Because humans are a reflection of God, we possess his divine
attributes, and therefore we possess God’s ability to create rays that cause change via
the natural elements.

Furthermore, it could be added that not only is the imagination divine because of this
creative element, but also because it is does not rely on everchanging and hence
unreliable sense-‐perception. Instead, as Al-‐Kindi describes in the present work and also
in his other psychological treatises such as On the Quiddity of Sleep and Dream, it
possesses fixed concepts, that are not subject to change. A physical apple, for example,
will be weathered by the environment and eventually rot. An apple conceived in the

28 Aquinas, T. Summa Theologica, Book 1
29 Izzati, A. (2002), Islam and Natural Law, Islamic College for Advanced Studies Press, 93
16
imagination, however, can theoretically stay in that form for as long as it is in the
imaginative realm. The imagination is therefore superior because it can hold fixed,
absolute ideals and concepts; qualities which, again, reflect an attribute of God.
Fundamental to Islam is the doctrine of Tawhid, which ‘declares absolute monotheism -‐
the unity and uniqueness of God as creator and sustainer of the universe’30. As a Muslim,
this concept would have undoubtedly been embedded into Al-‐Kindi’s divine cosmology,
and thus his God represents pure, absolute ‘oneness’. If this absolute oneness is the
highest principle, then the transient and unstable nature of the material world that is
subject to ‘generation and corruption’ as Al-‐Kindi phrases it in his On First Philosophy, is
not one, but is in fact multiple, and therefore is inferior. In contrast, the imagination is
divine as it is able to conceive that which embodies absolutism and ‘oneness’, despite
the absence of these traits in the material world. It is likely for this reason that other
Islamic mystics place such an emphasis on the value of imagination, with the Sunni Sufi
philosopher Ibn Arabi for instance stating that ‘he who does not know the status of
imagination has no knowledge whatsoever’31.

Interestingly, Al-‐Kindi’s implications that the imagination can access ideal absolutes or
concepts, such as Tawhid, are resonant of Plato’s Theory of Forms. In Chapter 7 of The
Republic and the dialogue Meno, Plato advocates the existence of fixed, ‘perfect’ forms
such as the perfect man or the perfect circle, yet in the physical world only imperfect or
‘dim’ impressions of these forms are apparent. This Platonic idea appears only in the
present text but also in Al-‐Kindi’s treatise On the Quiddity of Sleep and Dream, whereby
he explains that the imagination, when asleep, operates in symbols and images,
representing certain forms and ideals. Returning to Al-‐Kindi’s ideas in the present text,
perfect forms do supposedly exist mentally in the mind, or as Al-‐Kindi describes, the
imagination. The imagination operates in symbols, and is closer to these perfect forms -‐
therefore, it is perhaps inherently connected to the ‘perfect’ divine source.

This divine significance of the imaginative faculty or ‘the spirit of imagination’ means
that, according to Al-‐Kindi, objects or concepts conceived in this faculty gain their own
form of existence within it. They exist within a divine ‘plane’, not in actuality, yet in
potentiality. Al-‐Kindi asserts that the fundamental factor in bringing imaginary forms,
perhaps such as visions of the future perhaps, into actual existence, is through

30 http://www.oxfordislamicstudies.com/article/opr/t125/e2356, (Date Accessed: February
2018)
31 Chittick, W. C. (1994), Imaginal Worlds: Ibn al-‐Arabi and the Problem of Religious Diversity,
SUNY press, 12
17
combining the imagination with desire. He uses a simile to express this point which
recurs throughout the rest of the text:

‘The imagination is mixed with the desire, just as medicine is mixed with scammony’ 32

To summarise, Al-‐Kindi regards the imagination as a faculty with divine qualities,
meaning that, like God, it is possible for an individual to access the power of the
imagination in order to create a change that achieves the ideals of the imagination.
Consequently, the Godlike aspects of the imagination mean that, like God, humans are
capable of producing their own rays that, like stellar rays, can influence the elements
and cause change within the world. In the remaining chapters, Al-‐Kindi provides four
methods for tuning the imaginative faculty with desire to emit these rays; namely
Words, Figures, Images and Sacrifices.

6: On The Virtue of Words

Al-‐Kindi dedicates Chapter 6 to the power of the spoken word (and more generally,
sound). He describes its ability to emit its own rays which alter the elements, and
ultimately induce a desired change. Numerous implications within this detailed passage
have distinct connections
With magical notions such as vocables, incantations and spells, while also addressing
the role of prayer in Islam.

The passage opens with the general statement that words produced ‘in actuality’
(simply, in real life) emit rays. Approaching this from a 21st Century perspective, it
would appear feasible perhaps that Al-‐Kindi is referring merely to the physical
vibrations produced by sounds. Even disregarding the metaphysical or magical
dimensions that will soon be introduced to this idea, it can be accepted as fact of modern
physics that spoken words themselves are the result of the vibration of the vocal cords,
and in themselves produce longitudinal sound waves. Developing this fact of natural
science, Al-‐Kindi proceeds to explain that each individual word or sound is unique. As a
result, each word or sound emits a unique type of sound wave or ‘ray’.

18
This echoes his statements on stellar rays in Chapter 2; each celestial body has a unique
position in the fabric of the cosmos, hence producing a ray of a similarly unique nature.
The unique rays of each spoken sound, Al-‐
Kindi posits, are inherently related to these
unique celestial rays. He proposes that each
type of sound refers to a different type of
‘celestial harmony’, implying that different
pitches and tones correspond with those of
certain stars and planets. This is consistent
with the Hermetic ‘as above, so below’
cosmology presented earlier in the text; rays
of words and sounds ‘below’ in the material,
sensible world, reflect rays of celestial bodies
‘above’ in the heavens. The Ancient Greek
philosopher and mathematician Pythagoras
famously proposed a similar correspondence
in his model of the Harmony of the Spheres (a
15th Century Renaissance illustration of
Figure 2: The Music of the Spheres
which is which is depicted in Figure 2), in
which certain musical tonalities are identified with certain planets. In a specifically
magical context, the principle of the seven sacred Greek vowels derived from the Greek
Magical Papyri also shares a similar idea. In this tradition, which is endorsed in various
occult practices such as Planetary Magick, the seven vowels correspond with the seven
planets, for example the planet Saturn is associated with the vowel O (Omega)33.

According to Al-‐Kindi, however, audial correspondence with the celestial bodies is not
exclusive to music or a specific array of vowels. Rather, it pervades human language
altogether. He proposes that the reason that we form words in the first place is through
the association of certain sounds with meanings that ultimately originate from the
heavens. Considering the cosmological model adopted in the present text, in which all
within the material world originates from rays of celestial origination, it can be
understood therefore that language itself is ultimately derived from this same source.
Therefore, Al-‐Kindi is here implying the existence of a natural language.

33 Denning, M., Phillips, O. (2011), Planetary Magick: Invoking and Directing the Powers of the
Planets, Llewellyn, 21
19
However, Al-‐Kindi recognises that the form of this natural language is subject to
geographical location and culture; in simpler terms, there are universal meanings, but
not a universal language in the literal sense. For example, all languages have a term that
refers to the feeling of nostalgia, except in French this term is ‘nostalgie’ or in Arabic,
‘‫ ’ﺣﻧﻳﯾﻥن‬ (‘hunayn’), and so on. All cultures recognise abstract concepts, such as nostalgia,
yet express them in different ways:

‘Because of diverse times and places men are informed with diverse qualities in their ruling
unity according to the demand for their physical constitutions’34

Although this may seem obvious, it has a particular significance to Al-‐Kindi in regard to
rays; he attributes this fact to the astrological principle that different celestial rays have
different effects subject to the location of their effect on Earth. According to his
argument, if you are French, you will know love as ‘amour’, because the phonetic
configuration of the term is derived from the stellar rays that have ‘fallen’ onto the area
of France. This is because stellar rays have slightly different effects as they are
transmitted towards Earth and combined with or distorted by other rays during the
process. Each different area therefore receives different ‘rays’ from the heavens,
meaning they have slightly differing deductions of what each ray represents and
therefore which sound corresponds with each ray. To summarise, language is simply a
certain culture’s deduction of rays from the cosmos, and the sounds that have been
consequently attached to these. This aspect of Al-‐Kindi’s theory is perhaps the most
difficult to comprehend from a 21st Century stance. However, it is not strictly necessary
for one to believe or even remotely agree with it; what is ultimately important in this
point of Al-‐Kindi’s is that verbal language itself varies across different chronological and
geographical contexts.

So, verbal language in itself does not reflect the absolute qualities of the cosmos, as it
varies from culture to culture. This is significant to Al-‐Kindi, who explains therefore that
the most important factor in language itself as a universal is not the words but rather
the sound of the words. The phrase ‘harmonic disposition’ is mentioned frequently
throughout the passage, which encapsulates Al-‐Kindi’s believed significance of sound
and tonality in itself. Reflecting on practical scenarios, this idea would appear feasible; if
you were begging for help in a public place, for example, and were approached by

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 29
20
somebody who spoke a different language to you and could not at all understand your
words, they would still likely be able to deduce that you were in need of help. This
would be apparent partially perhaps through prosodic features such as body language,
but predominantly the tone of exclamation. Al-‐Kindi proposes that there are six types of
universal ‘tones’ that are universal even while verbal language is not. In their translation
of the text, Zoller and Hand have helpfully defined each of these: Indicative (making a
simple statement or declaration); Imperative (a command); Optative (making a wish);
Deprecative (begging for forgiveness); Obsecrative (begging for a request or favour,
possibly in this context from the divine); and finally, Execrative (cursing)35. In modern
linguistics, these could perhaps be considered as classifications of different pragmatic
forces, that are significant in achieving the desired effect of a spoken utterance.

Again, this may appear to be obvious and, at this stage, no more than a basic
classification of common speech tones. However, these tones are the basis for the
formations of rays, as they constitute the ‘sound waves’ discussed earlier. Reiterating Al-‐
Kindi’s cosmological model presented in Chapters 2 and 3, the way in which change
within the world occurs is as follows: firstly, rays are emitted from bodies (specifically,
celestial bodies) in the heavens. The rays are transmitted down towards Earth. Then,
they have an effect on the elements, which consequently affect all matter, as the
elements are the basis of all matter. The example of effect of the sun on a plants’ soil,
comprising mainly of the element of Earth, and then the plant’s consequent growth
because of the soil, is a good demonstration of this. Certain sounds, Al-‐Kindi posits,
correspond with celestial bodies, because as we are a microcosm of the divine, we can
create sounds just as God created the celestial bodies. Therefore, like celestial bodies,
sounds can also produce unique rays. These rays can also affect the elements, and too
cause change.

In the present treatise, and in numerous of his other works, Al-‐Kindi elaborates in more
depth on the relationship between certain tones or sound ‘rays’ and the elements. In
Chapter 6, he exemplifies how the virtue of sound impacts each element:

‘For, the earth, because it is naturally frigid, by the power of words becomes hot and
retains the heat. Water too, which, according to its nature, permits itself to receive heavy
bodies within itself, and becomes such that iron will swim on its surface. Air too, by words

21
ceases from blowing and from the generation of rain. Even fire ceases from combustion by
means of words through combustibles be applied to it36’

In Al-‐Kindi’s treatises on music (which he produced numerous of37, being an avid
musician), he implies a further connections between specific sound tones and the
elements. In one epistle, he provides a description of the oud, a common musical
instrument in the Middle East in the medieval period. Here, he explains that the four
strings of the oud are representative of the fourfold nature of the universe; each string,
according to Al-‐Kindi, is correspondent with one of the four corners of the sky, the four
winds, the four seasons, and, of course, the four elements38. Relating this to his claims in
the present text, perhaps the use of the Oud could also potentially be magical as the
tuning and playing of the oud is fulfilled by our human creativity, or Fitra, and thus our
godlike attributes. Thus, even without words, sounds, or at least tones, produced by
humans are capable of emitting rays that interact with the elements and are therefore
capable of causing subtle change.

However, for sound, be that through vocables or incantations, or even the harmonic
plucking of the oud to emit rays, there is one other component that is essential in its
production: desire. It has been established that language alone is ineffective in relating
to divine attributes as it is culturally dependent. It has also been established that
tonality or ‘harmonic disposition’ is therefore the essential device for communicating
the divine, universal meanings of language. However, even this is inferior if the human
will, desire, and ultimately the imagination, are not used as the fuel, so to speak. In
Chapter 5, Al-‐Kindi emphasised how when planning to create something or act, man first
conceives the intended something in his imagination. He described how ‘the desire is
joined to the imagination just as medicine is mixed with scammony’, which is once again
relevant in how desire is a paramount factor in any metaphysical operation. He develops
this metaphor in the present chapter:

‘When, therefore sounds significant by human application are uttered conjoined in a mode
of perfect discourse, from their conjunction they are often allotted an effect by their rays


Press, LII
38 Adamson, P. (2013), Strings Attached: Music and Philosophy,
https://www.historyofphilosophy.net/music, Date Accessed: February 2018
22
which they do not have if uttered separately, just as herbs made into a confection have an
effect which they would not have separately’39

In other terms, one could not simply mumble a spell, or few vocables or sacred vowels;
this would be effectively meaningless. It is a strong sense of will or desire, or perhaps
what could be understood as ‘wishing’, that animates these sounds with the appropriate
tone and metaphysical power that produces rays. Just as God uses the cosmos as a
medium or ‘proximate agent’ for his desires for occurrences on Earth, humans can use
their capacity for desire to use sound as a medium for their own manipulation of rays, to
effectively induce a change. Therefore, according to Al-‐Kindi’s theory, incantations,
vocables, and potentially even music, when cast with the appropriate tonality powered
by the imagination and a potent desire, are a valid method of altering subtle elemental
changes to achieve an effect.

In regard to what constitute these magical ‘changes’, Al-‐Kindi is rather unspecific. After
all, the Latin title of the text is The Theory of Magical Arts, as opposed to a practical
handbook. This leaves much of Al-‐Kindi’s conception of practical magic to be open to
interpretation. At a first glance, his implications of spells and incantations appears to
resemble magic such as that which is typically adopted within branches of neopaganism;
in such practices, magic may be used in a polytheistic framework, i.e. the invocation of
deities. A myriad of magical grimoires of this nature exist, for example The Magical
Greek Papyri, which includes spells for invoking deities such as Zeus, Aphrodite and
Hermes. Some magical practitioners, such as those practicing Planetary Magick, may
also exclude the monotheistic element of Al-‐Kindi’s theory and instead regard the
planets as deific figures of reverence (which is interestingly practiced across other
religions such ad in the Vedic Tradition of Hinduism, where each of the planets is deified
as a God or Goddess40). However, despite the possibility of polytheistic interpretations,
it is important to remember that Al-‐Kindi was a Muslim, and hence a monotheist.
Therefore, the polytheistic application of his magical theory would in fact be regarded as
Shirk (an Arabic term encapsulating all idolatrous practice), and strongly rejected. In
conclusion, therefore, Al-‐Kindi’s form of magic through the spoken word was likely not a
intended as a tool for polytheistic invocation or ‘idolatry’, but rather a means of utilising


40 Frawley, D. (1992), The Astrology of The Seers: A Comprehensive Guide to Vedic Astrology,
Motilal Banarsidass
23
our God-‐given aspects; activating our divine, ray-‐generating abilities, to cause subtle
elemental changes through the use of the will.

Chapter 7: On Figures

Chapter 7 presents a similar process to that described in the previous chapter, however
here Al-‐Kindi concentrates on the effect of figures. He does not provide a clear definition
of ‘figures’ in the present text, and there is difficulty in confirming the exact definition of
the term in its original context without knowledge of Latin or, better still, the original
Arabic text. Upon a comparison of two different translations of Al-‐Kindi’s most notable
metaphysical treatise On First Philosophy, which features the term, it is evident that
there are multiple interpretations of the word: In Alfred L. Ivry’s 1974 English
translation of this work, the term ‘figure’ is used in one passage41; however, in Peter
Adamson’s 2012 publication of the same passage, it is replaced with the English term
‘shape’42. Throughout the chapter in the present text, Al-‐Kindi also employs the term
‘character’ as a substitute for ‘figure’, so deducing from these sources it is feasible that in
English a ‘form’ may refer generally to drawn shapes, symbols, and perhaps what could
be understood as sigils. However, this does not include images, as these are a separate
focus in Chapter 8.

Al-‐Kindi opens Chapter 7 by explaining how manual operation (creating something) is a
process of ‘harmonizing’ the elements with a form of motion. Figures are a product of
motion; a drawing, for example, is the result of ink manipulated by a series of motions
exerted by the hand. It is this principle of movement that Al-‐Kindi relates to a more
cosmic force, explaining that different types of motion ‘harmonise’ with the heavens, just
as spoken words and their sounds correspond with celestial bodies through the rays
that bridge the macrocosm to the microcosm. The formation of a ‘figure’ in a magical
context is an act of creating something through a particular motion that corresponds
with the rays from the heavens. Therefore, as Al-‐Kindi describes, certain figures can be
cast to channel the powers of certain celestial bodies:

41 Al-‐Kindi, On First Philosophy, Trans. Alfred L. Ivry (1974), Al-‐Kindi's Metaphysics: A Translation
of Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-‐kindi's Treatise "On First Philosophy", SUNY Press, 90
42 Al Kindi, On First Philosophy, Trans. Adamson, P. & Pormann, P. E. (2012), The Philosophical
Works of Al-‐KIndi, Oxford University Press
24
‘Some characters, set down with proper ceremony, strengthen the operations of Saturn,
others of the other planets, and others of the fixed stars. In the same manner, some agree in
effect with Aries, others with the other signs’43

In terms of what constitutes ‘proper ceremony’, Al-‐Kindi again emphasises the role of
the imaginative faculty and desire. Just as how in Chapter 6, words are meaningless
unless performed with clear intention and activation of what could be interpreted as the
Fitra, Al-‐Kindi posits that the imagination must be used by the practitioner when
crafting a magical figure. This is because the imaginative faculty is inherently divine, and
is therefore the source of magical creative power.
As a result, the construction of figures can be a way
of channeling divine rays from the planets, and
consequently bringing one’s desired outcomes into
actuality.

This theory could be interpreted as the basis for
the talismanic and symbolic magic present across
various traditions. In On Figures, Al-‐Kindi provides
an example of a practical usage of his figure-‐
casting theory, namely to ‘expel or induce’ disease;
a principle emulated in the iconic ABRACADABRA

Figure 3: Abracadabra Figure
figure, which was first presented in Quintus
Serenus Sammonicus’ 3rd Century medical work, Liber Medicinalis. The inverted
triangular configuration of ABRACADABRA in this work (depicted in Figure 3) is
believed to possess healing powers, and serve as a cure for fever44. Furthermore, this
notion of certain figures possessing the ability of a higher power is also present in
Islamic talismanic magic. For example, shown in Figure 4 is a chalcedony amulet from
the Near East, dating from between the 16th and 20th Century, inscribed with the seven
magic seals or seven ‘signs’. These signs are believed to possess a certain divine power,
and are prominent for this reason not only in Islamic magic but also within Babylonian
and Jewish mysticism45.


44 Sammonicus, Q. S. (3rd Cent), Liber Medicinalis
45 Graham, L. D. (2012) “The Seven Seals of Judeo-‐Islamic Magic: Possible Origins of the Symbols”,
online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-‐

Islamic_Magic_Possible_Origins_of_the_Symbols
25

Approaching symbols and ‘figures’ from
an ancient philosophical perspective, it
could be argued that they possess a
divine significance merely in their
quality of absolutism. Returning to
Plato’s theory of forms, postulated in
the dialogue Meno, it could be
contributed that symbols have a higher
significance as they relate to ‘absolute’
forms. Regarding perfectly constructed

geometric shapes, for example, these Figure 4: The Seven Seals on
Islamic Talisman
possess a quality of absolutism and
perfection that cannot be replicated in the unstable, imperfect material world; for
example, it is believed that a perfect circle cannot physically exist in nature, and is a
merely an abstract proposition46. It is perhaps for this reason that symbols are used in
divine operations such as those proposed in Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magic; they have the
divine property of absolutism.

This appears to be apparent in the
examples of talismanic and symbolic
magic provided. For example, Islamic
Talismans, such as the one shown, often
feature Charakteres which are the
‘ancient term used for specific signs that
were applied in contexts of interaction
with higher powers47’. In other systems
of symbolic magic, such as the Tattvah
or Tattwa (depicted in Figure 5), a

Figure 5: Tattvah Vision similar notion of symbols possessing
absolute and distinct qualities is

46 Shepard, D. J. (2002), The War and Peace of a New Metaphysical Perception, Volume 1, Global
Academic Publishing
47 https://charakteres.com/what-‐are-‐charakteres/, (Date Accessed: February 2018)
26
adopted. In the Tattva, which has Vedic origins but was developed in the Hermetic Order
of the Golden Dawn48 during the 1920s, are five primary symbols representing each of
the Aristotelian elements (including his fifth element of the ‘spirit’ or ‘ether’); a red
equilateral triangle for Fire; a yellow square for Earth; a blue circle for Air; a silver
crescent for Water; and a black or indigo vesica piscis for the Spirit. In the Golden Dawn,
the contemplation of these symbols (when placed in conjunction with the others, as
illustrated in Figure 5) is believed to induce ‘astral clairvoyance’ and the unlocking of a
higher power. Perhaps, returning to Al-‐Kindi’s theory stated in the present chapter and
in previous ones, this could be interpreted again as an expression of figures as innate
forms within the imaginative faculty, which is inherently connected to the divine and its
absolutism.

Furthermore, the presence of universal figures in the human mind has been explored in
more contemporary psychological and neuroscientific studies. A major proponent of the
idea that symbols are omnipresent in the subconscious (and ultimately ‘collective
unconscious’) is Carl Jung, with his theory of Eternal Symbols49. The notion that key
geometric symbols, such as those included in the Tattvah, innately exist in human
consciousness has has also been investigated in neuroscientific studies, such as those
exploring entoptic imagery (which refers to ‘reproducible visible phenomena arising
from within the eye’50, such as spirals and other geometric formations often seen when
the eyes are closed or in other conditions). As Lloyd Graham concludes in his study on
the seven magic signs (which are inscribed on the in the amulet in Figure 4), perhaps
magical symbols such as these on the amulet are a result of figures that arise from the
visual cortex of the brain51. While Al-‐Kindi does not discuss this in On Rays, considering
that the advent of ‘neuroscience’ as it is known in the modern sense was not until long
after the medieval era, it is still a relevant interpretation of figures and why they are
considered universal or absolute. It could perhaps even compliment Al-‐Kindi’s
discussion of the absolute qualities of the human imagination and the notion of the Fitra
-‐ from a Kindian perspective, these shapes and symbols, or ‘figures’, could pre-‐exist in
the human mind as a result of our connection with the absolute nature of God.

48 Regardie, I., Greer, J. M. (2016), The Golden Dawn: The Original Account of the Teachings, Rites,
and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order, Llewellyn Worldwide

49 Jung, C., Franz, M. L. (1964), Man and His Symbols, Aldus Books / Jupiter Books London
50 Records, R. E. (1979), Physiology of the Human Eye and Visual System, Harper & Row, 482
51 Graham, L. D. (2012) “The Seven Seals of Judeo-‐Islamic Magic: Possible Origins of the Symbols”,
online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-‐

Islamic_Magic_Possible_Origins_of_the_Symbols
27
8: On Images

Al-‐Kindi opens Chapter 8 by stating the presence of images in ‘the observation of place,
time, and other ceremonies’, presumably referring to magical ritual. He then explains
that such images are brought into existence by men as a means of creating a ‘theme’.
This could be understood as the crafting of an atmosphere through visual tools in rituals
and ceremony. For example, in Christianity, the practice of incorporating liturgical
colours (specific colours that correspond with major Christian festivals, e.g. red for Good
Friday, or Green for Sundays) is common in services in different parts of the world. Or,
in some pagan practices, altars may be decorated with certain images such as statues or
images of the mythological Green Man for Beltane (the fourth Sabbat festival of the year,
also known as May Day). In both instances, certain colours and materials are used to
create images and an overall visual ‘theme’ which evokes connotations relating to that
particular festival or ceremony. Al-‐Kindi suggests that this is effective because the
creation of images involves the celestial rays (through movement, as with the case of
Figures). Images themselves too emit rays that can, in a particularly magical context,
induce the desired change in the same method described in the earlier chapters.

Particularly within Al-‐Kindi’s astral magic, in which rays are the ultimate tool for
manipulating the elements, there is emphasis on the specific type of rays that are
generated in order to achieve desired effects. This is because, as with all stars, sounds,
and figures, each different image emits different rays. The success in achieving the
objective of a spell or incantation, for example, is therefore dependent on the elemental
constituents of the image; to put it simply, what it is made of. Al-‐Kindi emphasises the
significance of the choice of materials in making images in relation to one’s objective in
magical ritual:

‘The kinds of the images require diverse materials according to what is done in diverse
constellations, also the diverse ceremonies of the work. The knowledge of all these things
proceeds from the knowledge of the nature of the stars and the nature of the matter either
agreeing or disagreeing with the property of the constellation’52

Certain materials, Al-‐Kindi posits, are selected for the configuration of magical images
because of their accordance with celestial rays. In a non-‐magical scenario, for instance,

28
an artist might choose to use canvas and oil pastels as the materials for a piece because
they allow them to replicate the colours and textures of a sunset. In the same manner,
certain materials and resources are selected for magical images because of their ability
to replicate the nature of celestial rays. Al-‐Kindi does not provide any practical examples
of this in the text, however Zoller and Hand do cite here that he is potentially referring
to astrological magic in which ‘appropriate materials’ would be engraved or sculpted for
a ritual. Taking this into account, it is perhaps feasible to invoke other sources on the
correspondences between materials and celestial bodies or zodiac signs.

One significant text of this nature is the medieval Islamic scholar Al-‐Biruni’s work The
Book of Instructions in the Elements of the Art of Astrology, in which he presents the
planetary and zodiacal correspondences of not only colours, plants, places and
personality traits, but also materials such as metals and gems. For example, according to
Al-‐Biruni in this work, the sign of Aries corresponds with copper, iron and lead; Leo
with gold and silver; or Scorpio with clay and materials from the sea, such as coral.
Regarding the planets, Al-‐Biruni associates Jupiter, for instance, with tin, brass and
white lead, or The Moon with nabatean glass and white stones53. Al-‐Biruni was born a
century after Al-‐Kindi’s death, however judging by the content it can be deduced that his
works are in fact a record of ancient astrological correspondences derived from both
Vedic and Ancient Greek sources, that would have likely informed Al-‐Kindi’s astrological
knowledge in his time. It can perhaps be concluded that Al-‐Kindi’s statements on
‘appropriate materials’ therefore refer to these types of celestial correspondences in
practice.

Furthermore, the magical operations that Al-‐Kindi describes are not limited only to
summoning the powers of certain celestial bodies or signs. As he states in the opening,
images of man and of species of animals can also be effective in impacting men or
animals in themselves:

‘An animal image, because it is a likeness of an animal that has a center and ruling unity
closely approaching equality, like the world, is more capable of receiving virtue through

53 Al-‐Biruni (11th Cent.), Trans. Wright, R. R. (1934), Book of Instructions in the Elements of the
Art of Astrology, Astrology Centre of America, 9, 34, 35
29
words and works in its formation than things employed by a man who intends the effect of
some theme’54

In other words, images may be incorporated in rituals as they allow the practitioner to
immerse themselves in a visualisation of their objective. In the provided example, for
instance, using the images or iconography of a certain animal will be more effective in
casting a spell on an animal. There appears here to be implications of the Sympathetic
Magic, which by definition is a branch of magic referring to ritual that uses ‘objects or
actions resembling or symbolically associated with the event or person over which
influence is sought’55. An example of this that popular culture is most familiar with is
that of ‘Voodoo dolls’. In this tradition, which is particularly associated with West
African folk religion 56, needles can be placed in parts of a doll that replicates an
individual, with the intention of that individual being injured in the same locations.
Practices such as this link to the Ancient Greek-‐derived principle of ‘magical mimesis’,
which refers to artistic impressions of the physical world57. Through mimesis, one can
replicate the object to channel a clear visualisation of it. In the most general respect, this
visualisation which is facilitated by correspondences, such as those adopted in
Sympathetic Magic, is fundamental because it aids the processes of the imaginative
faculty. It is this faculty, in conjunction with the will, that ultimately allows humans to
induce change through rays.

However, following on from his statements in the earlier chapters, Al-‐Kindi reiterates
that merely the right planetary or zodiacal correspondences, or images of men or
animals, are ineffective in any magical operation if they are not accompanied by the
desire. Be it words, figures or images, all methods are equally merely agents for the
operation that is essentially the exercising of the will to manipulate rays.

9: On Sacrifices

Al-‐Kindi dedicates the penultimate chapter of the text to the performance of sacrifices,
claiming that, of all of the magical methods, they are the most powerful. In essence, this


55 https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/us/sympathetic_magic Date Accessed: March
2018
56 Chesi, G. (1980), Voodoo: Africa’s Secret Power, Perlinger
57 Davies, O. (2012), Magic: A Very Short Introduction, Oxford University Press
30
is because the process of killing transforms a being of existence into a being of non-‐
existence -‐ and this very process releases a vast quality and quantity of rays which can
be magically utilised.

All living organisms are an assembly of elements, undergoing various processes in
which these elements change. Considering that Al-‐Kindi defines ‘elements’ as ‘the
material constituent of things’, this can be presumed to refer to blood, bones, muscle,
and other bodily substances that account for an organism in totality. The changes
performed by biological faculties such as these involve interactions with the elements in
the world. To give one example of this, informed by modern biology, living organisms
‘exchange’ oxygen from the atmosphere into carbon dioxide through the process of
respiration. In this respect, the body is a vessel that hosts the elements within it.

When an organism dies, therefore, this storage of certain elements ceases; it stops
respiring, digesting, or absorbing minerals, etcetera, and so releases elemental rays into
the world. In simpler terms, all living organisms are host to a form of energy, which is
released into the world (through rays) when the organism is killed. Considering that the
physical elements are the medium for the operations of all rays, this is greatly powerful;
according to Al-‐Kindi, this power can be manipulated to achieve the desire, perhaps in
the performance of a spell.

Moreover, the potency of this impact is subject to the type of creature, and the degree of
which a creature is ‘alike to the world’. Here Al-‐Kindi is perhaps reiterating his notion of
a Hermetic macrocosm-‐microcosm; humans, for example, mirror the divine and
therefore are what Al-‐Kindi might consider ‘alike to the world’. A beetle, on the other
hand, might not be considered in this way as it lacks the divine element of the Fitra,
which resides in the imaginative faculty of the human psyche. Therefore the sacrificial
killing of a beetle could be, in Al-‐Kindi’s view, less influential than that of a man in terms
of its ray-‐generating powers.

In contemporary Western occultism, this notion appears to have survived. The Western
20th Century Occultist Aleister Crowley, who formed the esoteric framework known as
Thelema, stated,

‘It was the theory of the ancient Magicians, that any living being is a storehouse of energy
varying in quantity according to the size and health of the animal, and in quality according
31
to its mental and moral character. At the death of the animal this energy is liberated
suddenly.’58

Crowley, discussing specifically the role of different animals and their effects, then states
that:

‘An animal should be selected whose nature accords with that of the ceremony -‐ thus, by
sacrificing a female lamb one would not obtain any appreciate quantity of the fierce
energy useful to a Magician who was invoking Mars. In such a case a ram would be more
suitable. And this ram should be virgin -‐ the whole potential of its original total energy
should not have been diminished in any way. For the highest spiritual working one must
accordingly choose that victim which contains the greatest and purest force. A male child
of perfect innocence and high intelligence is the most satisfactory and suitable victim.’5960

Al-‐Kindi later specifies why the killing of another man in particular is so potent in
comparison to other animals. He reiterates that man is a microcosm; like God, man is
capable of altering the elements through conscious actions. Therefore, by killing another
man, one is effectively ‘doubling’ their capacities of a divine power; not only have they
demonstrated their own abilities to cause changes, by ceasing the existence of an
organism, but they have also dominated that organisms divine, ray-‐producing faculty.
Human sacrifice could therefore perhaps be understood as a transferral of divine power,
where the sacrifice individual submits their divine essence to another.

This divine essence can be manipulated by the individual who conducts the sacrifice, as
they now have doubled their Godlike nature. Al-‐Kindi emphasises that this power
obtained from the sacrifice, as with the other magical methods, should be used in
conjunction with the imagination and desire in order for it to successfully yield a
particular intended effect:

58 Crowley, A. (1913), Magick in Theory and Practice
60 It should be noted that this last statement is probably a euphemism, but is still valid in its
historical accuracy; such ideas were endorsed in the ritual sacrifices documented n the Magical
Greek Papyri, for instance
32
‘Whence the imagination, intention and desire of man coming together simultaneously
with the work of killing an animal is allotted to the effect of a theme when the required
ceremonies are employed’61

As was explored in the case of Images, rituals and ceremonies can be crafted in a
particular way, through endorsing a particular ‘theme’ that evokes the imaginative
visualisation of the practitioners desired objective. In the example that Al-‐Kindi
provides in the text, fire can be used to sacrificially kill, alongside other sensory devices
such as ‘thyme and other spices’ can be used to create an overall theme. However, Al-‐
Kindi explains that this particular example of killing through a fire is an indirect method
of sacrifice, and therefore it lacks the same degree of potency as a man killing another. It
simply lacks the power dynamic as the metaphysical principle of ‘doubling’ man’s divine
power through killing is absent. Therefore, to yield the most power for using in a
ritualistic conext, men should be sacrificed directly.

However despite this, Al-‐Kindi clarifies that any method of killing, be it of an animal or a
human, direct or indirect, has a strong metaphysical significance. He implies that, unlike
words, figures or images, which rely heavily on the imagination and desire to be
effective, the act of killing in itself is highly potent in its ability to release vast quantities
of rays. Sacrificial killing can be used for generating this power and manipulating it to
induce a desired effect, but its effect exists regardless of magical intention. Al-‐Kindi
provides a simile to illustrate this:

‘Just as a herb placed on a wound is not impeded in its natural effect even if the one
applying it does not believe that it will help’62

10: On the Beginnings of the Works

Al-‐Kindi ends the treatise on the premise that the stated methods of magic are all
effective as a result of their utilisation of the celestial bodies and astrological signs. He
states that in a magical operation performed to induce good, the rays from celestial
bodies defend this operation from being interrupted. Alternatively, in a magical
operation performed to induce ‘infortune’, the celestial rays can in fact be manipulated


33
to cause an interruption. Furthermore, in the performance of magic itself, Al-‐Kindi
argues that if magic is done in accordance with the celestial rays, then it will be
successful; and if it is not, then it will be unsuccessful,

The role of the celestial bodies and their respective rays is paramount in each of the four
magical methods that Al-‐Kindi describes in the treatise. In the case of Words, it was
explained that all human conceptions of sound are originally inferred from celestial
rays, and these correspondences are the basis for vocables, incantations and even
perhaps magical music. With figures, all symbols and shapes are created through a
specific motion, and this motion corresponds with the nature of certain celestial rays.
This is the same situation in the case of Images, which are also crafted through motions
which correspond with celestial rays. Finally, in the practice of Sacrifices, the act of
committing a ritual killing releases a vast quantity of celestial rays that are stored within
the organism, being biologically intertwined with the elements which have come into
existence originally through celestial rays. In all four systems, therefore, it is the rays
from the heavens that can be manipulated in a magical context. The Hermetic
metaphysical proposition that underlies all of these ideas has been reiterated
throughout the text, however it is perhaps relevant to state it once again reflecting on
Al-‐Kindi’s text as a whole. Essentially, just as God uses the celestial bodies and their rays
as a ‘proximate agent’ for inducing change, the Godlike element in humans can also
manipulate their own rays as an agent for causing changes, to bring a desire into reality.

Al-‐Kindi ends the passage by stating that this is the theory of the ‘ancient physicians’,
who utilised the virtue of Words, Figures, Images and Sacrifices to bring about such
magical changes. Like Isaac Newton, who believed that ‘primeval priests-‐scientists were
privy to nature's deepest secrets’63, Al-‐Kindi adopts the attitude that this form of ancient
knowledge is perhaps more of a wisened understanding of the nature of reality:

‘That this is true there is no doubt for those who have knowledge of the secret marks of
heaven and of elemental nature’64

63 Stokes, M. (2010), Isaac Newton, Thomas Nelson, 91
34
Critical Analysis and Conclusion

Throughout the ten chapters of On Rays, Al-‐Kindi develops his cosmological and
metaphysical philosophies through the presentation of the four major magical methods.
Both the practices themselves and their underlying theories described in the text are
rich in their connections to other Islamic mystical traditions, in addition to what is
regarded as ‘Western’ occultism. Some of these connections have already been explored
within the body of the commentary, however here these (amongst other relevant
concepts) will be expanded in more detail.

It was mentioned in the commentary of Chapter 6 that On Rays does not serve as a
practical handbook; rather, it is the theory of magical arts. Considering the Islamic
context of the treatise, it can be argued that this is a result of the controversial status of
magical practice in the Islamic world. As the scholar Saiyad Nizamuddin Ahmad explains
in his 2013 lecture on Magic and The Occult in Islam at The Warburg Institute, the the
practice of magic in Islam is forbidden under the Sharia (the divine law of Islam), yet the
studying of it is not65. Furthermore, there is also a clear distinction between magic that
could perhaps be described as theurgical (has the function of divine revelation, and does
not ‘resort to demonic means’66), which is generally acceptable, and magic that involves
the summoning of demons, or Jinns as they are known in Arab culture. This latter branch
of magical practice is known as Shirk, and is impermissible. These points perhaps
provide a justification for the composition of Al-‐Kindi’s text in its Islamic context, as not
only can On Rays serve merely as a theoretical study of magic, but it is also centred
around the essentially theurgical principle of utilising one’s God-‐given powers; in this
respect, On Rays can be classified as a religiously monotheistic, mystical doctrine.

On the subject of mysticism, there are clear relations between Al-‐Kindi’s theory and
other doctrines of medieval Islamic philosophy. A significant of these is the theory of
Illuminationism, advocated by the Persian philosopher Shahab al-‐Din Suhrawardi in the
12th Century. Suhrawardi developed an emanationist cosmology (similar to Al-‐Kindi’s),
consisting of God, The Supreme Light of Lights (Nur al-‐Anwar), radiating a metaphorical

65 Ahmad, S. N. (2013) Magic and the Occult in Islam: Ahmad al-‐Buni (622H/1225CE?) and his
Shams Al-‐Ma'arif, Lecture at The Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of
London, 3:23
66 Ahmad, S. N. (2013), Magic and the Occult in Islam: Ahmad al-‐Buni (622H/1225CE?) and his
Shams Al-‐Ma'arif, Lecture at The Warburg Institute, School of Advanced Study, University of
London, 2:44
35
divine light that weakens as it emanates down to the physical world, where it manifests
as imperfection67. Suhrawardi himself expresses the mystical implications of this:

‘Whoever knows philosophy (hikmat) and perseveres in thanking and sanctifying the Light
of the Lights, will be endowed with royal glory (kharreh) and with luminous splendor
(farreh), and—as we have said elsewhere—divine light will further bestow upon him the
cloak of royal power and value. Such a person shall then become the natural ruler of the
universe. He shall be given aid from the high heavens, and whatever he commands shall be
obeyed; and his dreams and inspirations will reach their uppermost, perfect pinnacle’68

A similar mystical emanationist cosmology is also apparent within Sufism, which is
defined as ‘the phenomenon of mysticism within Islam’69. Evidence would suggest that
the advent of the term ‘Sufism’ as an established branch of the religion was not until
after Al-‐Kindi’s lifetime70, yet there are implications of Sufi belief in Al-‐Kindi’s On Rays.
For example, in Chapter 5, Al-‐Kindi implies the Platonic concept of absolute, divine
forms that exist in the human imagination. He states that this absolutism is not reflected
in the ever-‐changing and unstable nature of the world; inferrably an attribute of his
emanationist cosmology, in which the perfection of the divine weakens as it permeates
through the imperfect, physical word. There is a Sufi proverb that encapsulates this idea,
titled ‘The Celestial Apple’:

Ibn-‐Nasir was ill and, although apples were out of season, he craved one.
Hallaj suddenly produced one.
Someone said: 'This apple has a maggot in it. How could a fruit of celestial origin be so
infested?’
Hallaj explained:
‘It is just because it is of celestial origin that this fruit has become affected. It was originally
not so, but when it entered this abode of imperfection it naturally partook of the disease
which is characteristic here.’71

67 Walbridge, J. (1992) The Science of Mystic Lights: Qutb al-‐Din Shirazi and the Illuminationist
Tradition in Islamic Philosophy, Harvard University Press

68 Ziai, H. (1998), The Book of Radiance, Mazda Publisher, 84,85
69 Lings, M. (19830,, What is Sufism?, Suhail Academy
70 Adel, G. H., Elmi, M. J., Taromi-‐Rad, H. (2012), Sufism: An Entry from Encyclopedia of the World
of Islam, EWI Press

71 Shah, I. (1968), The Way of The Sufi, Penguin Books, 278
36
Furthermore, concentrating on the coherence of Sufi thought with the philosophy of On
Rays, it is interesting to note that Sufi tradition incorporates the practice of reciting
certain words and sounds to achieve desired outcomes. In Chapter 6, which Al-‐Kindi
dedicates to the subject, he explains that the production of sound combined with the
faculties of imagination and desire can cause wishes or desires to materialise into
reality. The author Idries Shah describes a similar principle in explaining the use of
Dhikrs (mystical Islamic ritual prayers) within Sufi practice:

‘Dhikrs are generally said during the hours of darkness. When a supernatural result is
desired, the dhikr must dwell upon some facet of the Divine power allied to the effect to be
accomplished. Thus, when a Sufi wishes to cure illness, he prepares himself by repeating a
dhikr consisting of the Name of God which denotes healing. By this means the Sufi intends
to collect in his mind a tremendous potential of mental force associated with healing. This
he projects towards the object of his mentions, at the same time concentrating upon the
desired result’72

Regarding Islamic Mysticism in a broader
respect, there are other Medieval Arabic
sources which address not only the magical
performance of words and prayers, but also
astrology, geomancy and other forms of
divination. A notable grimoire of this type is
the 13th Century Shams al-‐Ma’arif or ‘The
Book of the Sun of Gnosis and the Subtleties
of Elevated Things’ by the magician Al-‐Buni,
in which he presents the theory of magic
squares73 (the arrangement of numbers and
letters into squares, believed to possess
magical power). Another significant volume is
the Kitab al-‐Bulhan or ‘The Book of Wonders’,
a 14th Century manuscript compiled by
Figure 6: The Sign of Cancer in the
Abd al-‐Hasan Al-‐Isfahani that depicts each Kitab al-‐Bulhan

72 Shah, I. (1956), Oriental Magic, Octagon Press, 69
73 Cosman, M. P., Jones, L. G. (2009), Handbook to Life in the Medieval World, 3-‐Volume Set,
Volumes 1-‐3, Infobase Publishing, 461
37
of the zodiac signs74 (an illustration of the sign of Cancer (al-‐Saratān) from which is
shown in Figure 6) and features astrological, astronomical and geomantic discourses75.
In both cases, the principles of the virtue of Words, Figures and Images that Al-‐Kindi
discusses in On Rays appear present. Finally, it is important to mention that the major
Arabic grimoire The Ghāyat al-‐Ḥakīm or ‘The Picatrix’ features numerous of the ideas
presented by Al-‐Kindi in the form of astrological rituals and other practices, such as the
construction of Talismans. Believed to have been composed by the Spanish Muslim
astrologer Maslama Al-‐Majriti roughly around the same time as On Rays, the work
shares not only similar magical practices to those presented in On Rays, but also its
underlying Hermetic ideas76.

Hermeticism is a major factor in the philosophy and cosmology proposed by Al-‐Kindi in
On Rays, which relates not only to the discussed Middle Eastern mystical traditions, but
also to Western ones. Al-‐Kindi’ frequently refers to the ‘as above, so below’ principle,
that can be attributed to the syncretic mythical figure Hermes Trismegistus77, who is the
focus of Hermetic spirituality. The principle can also be found in Western gnostic
thought, such as that of the 17th century Welsh natural magician and alchemist Thomas
Vaughan who stated that ‘magic is nothing else but the wisdom of the creator revealed
and planted in the creature’78. Al-‐Kindi posits a similar idea in Chapter 5, where he
expresses that humans have the divine ability of inducing change, as by nature they are
a ‘microcosm’ of the divine. In a specifically Islamic context, it has already been
suggested that here Al-‐Kindi is referring to the principle of the Fitra, which involves the
rational and creative faculty of humans as a reflection of God; a concept which could in
itself perhaps be compared with Hermetic cosmology.

Another Hermetic theme within Al-‐Kindi’s text is arguably the very nature of ‘rays’ itself.
The Kybalion, a text from the early 1900s that represents the Hermetic teachings,
provides a description of ‘energy’, which would appear to resemble Al-‐Kindi’s

74
http://bodley30.bodley.ox.ac.uk:8180/luna/servlet/view/search;jsessionid=665EC7758E04DE
D1DC1D84EB60E5055C?QuickSearchA=QuickSearchA&q=+Kitab+al-‐bulhan&search=Search
(Date Accessed: March 2018)
75 Al-‐Isfahani, A. (1390), Kitab Al Bulhan, https://archive.org/details/KitabAlBulhan, (Date
Accessed: March 2018)

76 Warnock, C., Greer, J. M. (2011), The Complete Picatrix: The Occult Classic of Astrological Magic
Liber Atratus Edition: The Classic Medieval Handbook of Astrological Magic, Lulu.com
77 The Three Initiates (1908) The Kybalion: A Study of Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and
Greece, The Yogi Publication Society, 21

78 Vaughan, T. (1650), Magia Adamica: or The Antiquitie of Magic
38
conception of rays. According to his theory, rays are the metaphysical agent for
transmitting sound, light and ultimately all forms of motion according to his theory,
which is emulated in the Kybalion:

‘Next above the Plane of Ethereal Substance comes the Plane of Energy (A), which
comprises the ordinary forms of Energy known to science, its seven sub-‐planes being,
respectively, Heat; Light; Magnetism; Electricity, and Attraction (including Gravitation,
Cohesion, Chemical Affinity, etc.) and several other forms of energy indicated by scientific
experiments but not as yet named or classified. The Plane of Energy (B) comprises seven
sub-‐planes of higher forms of energy not as yet discovered by science, but which have been
called “Nature's Finer Forces” and which are called into operation in manifestations of
certain forms of mental phenomena, and by which such phenomena becomes possible.’79

There is a lack of evidence to suggest
that the texts are directly related, yet
a strong thematic connection
between the two is inferable.
Furthermore, the nature of rays in a
Western context also exists in the
theory of the 18th Century Viennese
Doctor, Franz Anton Mesmer (from
whom the term ‘mesmerise’
originates). Mesmer, in the process
Figure 7: Mesmer’s Animal Magnetism of treating a patient suffering from

hysteria, formulated the theory of
‘animal magnetism’: that humans possess an invisible magnetic fluid, which exists in the
physical body. According to Mesmer, this fluid and can be channelled through magnets
and can also be manipulated to influence other bodies (Mesmer’s own illustration of this
is depicted in Figure 7)80. Although Al-‐Kindi’s principle of rays appears to refer to a
broader, perhaps more ‘Hermetic’ concept of energy, both present a similar
metaphysical notion of an immaterial substance that can be transmitted to influence and

79 The Three Initiates (1908), The Kybalion: A Study of Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and
Greece, The Yogi Publication Society, 31

80 Mesmer, F. A. (1779), Trans. Myers, V. R., Ed. Frankau, G. F. (2016), Mesmerism: the Discovery of
Animal Magnetism: English Translation of Mesmer's Historic Mémoire Sur la Découverte Du
Magnétisme Animal, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
39
cause changes in bodies external to the individual. In this respect, there is certainly
some identifiable similarity between Al-‐Kindi’s treatise and Mesmer’s theory.

Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magical arts has connections with other branches of occult thought
prominent in the contemporary Western world, such as the 20th century Magick of
Aleister Crowley, who advocated the spiritual system of Thelema. It has already been
established that Crowley’s propositions on ritual sacrifices correspond with Al-‐Kindi’s
statements on the subject in Chapter 9. Beyond this, however, it would also appear that
Crowley’s holistic definition of magic (or ‘Magick’, as it is known within his works) itself
also echoes the implications of On Rays; according to Crowley, ‘Magick is the Science and
Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will’81. The methods that Al-‐Kindi
provides are all fundamentally a means of orchestrating the human will with the
elements of the physical world around it, and therefore in this respect there is a distinct
similarity between Al-‐Kindi’s 9th century Islamic Magic and potentially the Thelemic
branch of occultism in Europe.

These are merely a small handful of connections that can be made between between On
Rays and other magical ideas. Sympathetic magic, voodoo and divination are among
other practices that could be explored in greater depth, however in this report enough
evidence has been discussed to conclude that Al-‐Kindi’s ideas are undoubtedly relevant
within a broad spectrum of philosophical and magical belief systems from both
hemispheres. But, what of their relevance in a 21st century context?

Firstly, it should be considered that Al-‐Kindi approaches the structure of the universe
from an early Medieval viewpoint. He adopts a geocentric view, with the Earth being
centrally positioned, apparent in his cosmological descriptions which often feature the
notion of rays radiating downwards to Earth as the ultimate destination and central
point in the heavens. This can be attributed to the fact that this was the accepted
cosmological viewpoint of the texts’ medieval context, prior to Copernicus’ propositions
of heliocentrism in the 16th century. In this respect, the grounds of On Rays are now
technically outdated, which inevitably may lead one to the conclusion that Al-‐Kindi’s
theory as a whole is now invalid. Yet, placing On Rays into a heliocentric viewpoint, his
theory could still be plausible (that is, on the assumption that his nature of ‘rays’ exists);
the stars and planets could still emit rays, and be transmitted through space, but
perhaps affecting other planets in addition to Earth. Or one could interpret that rays are

40
only relevant on Earth because it is host to human life, and it is human life that permits
the microcosm-‐macrocosm cosmology. These are merely some interpretations, but they
serve to note that the outdated geocentricity of the text does not necessarily cause the
text to be outdated as whole.

However, Chapter 9 ‘On Sacrifices’ is perhaps an exception to this. The ideas regarding
human and animal sacrifice that Al-‐Kindi presents appear to be torturous propositions
(e.g. the idea of man being ritualistically burnt in a fire), which from a modern point of
view are quite simply barbaric and unthinkable. Yet, this does not change the fact that
ritualistic human and animal sacrifices were once a part of ancient religious and
spiritual traditions, with some of these documented in the Magical Greek Papyri82, for
instance. It is relevant here to reinstate the fact that the text is merely the theory of
magical arts, and not instructions for practicing them oneself. Chapter 9 could be seen as
valuable merely in the sense that it facilitates an understanding of why ancient and
primitive cultures partook in the activity of sacrifice, rather than providing prescriptive
advice for the modern magician.

Finally, some discussion ought to be dedicated to the general question of whether or not
Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magical arts is feasible at all. Of course, the text is valuable from an
objectively historical, religious and anthropological stance, yet in terms of its
philosophical content its relevance is debatable; in a contemporary world, which tends
to favour empirical, ‘provable’ scientific evidence over theoretical metaphysics, what
can be said of the truth in Al-‐Kindi’s On Rays? Of course, some of the text’s content
relates to natural science and physics which does comply with modern knowledge. For
example, the notion that stars emit some form of energy is, despite this now being
reduced merely to electromagnetic radiation, somewhat accurate. Al-‐Kindi’s proposed
effect of this on the world is also technically correct, which was exemplified earlier with
the notion that ‘rays’ from the sun are transmitted to the elements (which, in this case,
comprises the soil in the ground), ultimately causing a change in the growth of a plant,
for instance. This natural science aspect of Al-‐Kindi’s theory can generally therefore be
considered valid.

However, Al-‐Kindi’s theory operates on the metaphysical dimension of these scientific
ideas, in which rays become not just the agent for tangible properties such as heat and

82 The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Including the Demotic Spells, Trans. Hans Dieter Betz
(1996), University of Chicago Press
41
light, but also meaning, desire and mental power, amounting to a medium for magical
practice. It is this aspect that is questionable to the modern mind. In the Ancient Greek
world, there were two types of philosophy: natural science, verifiable by empirical
evidence, and metaphysics, which is in its nature intangible and beyond the physical
world. Both appear to have been regarded as equally important and valid; after all, what
is to say that the human mind can perceive all within the universe on an empirical basis?
As Al-‐Kindi states himself in On Rays, ‘out of the totality of things, some can be known,
whereas others remain completely unknown’. The fact that Aristotle had two
consecutive works, one on ‘Physics’ and one on ‘Metaphysics’ is summative of the
Ancient Greek recognition of this. Yet in the present day, ‘metaphysics’ tends to be
reduced to the (generally derogatory) label of ‘pseudoscience’, with the attitude that
what cannot be proved by our systems of science cannot, and does not, exist. This was
the view of the Vienna Circle, the early 20th Century philosophical organisation
advocating the movement of logical positivism, which included members such as A.J.
Ayer who asserted that statements which cannot be empirically proven are
fundamentally meaningless83. It is perhaps a result of the prevalence of this attitude that
that many will, upon reading Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magical arts, view it as no more than
an artefact of ‘outdated’ science. Whether or not this is reasonable is the subject of
broad philosophical discussion, yet ultimately it could be argued that the limitations of
the human perception make it impossible to truly yield any conclusion from such a
discussion. After all, if our perception of reality is limited to the capacities of our five
senses, then how can it be guaranteed that nothing lies beyond that those five senses?

I will end this commentary on the words of the Hindu teacher and author David Frawley,
who contributes one opinion that is of relevance to this debate surrounding the validity
of Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magical arts:

‘We have turned the sacred powers of the cosmos into mere numbers and chemical
reactions. Such an attitude does not show any real sensitivity to life. It is like reducing a
human being to measurements of height and weight, or like looking at a great painting
according to the chemistry of its pigments. Through this view alone, we are not able to
understand who we really are or what the world is in truth. We are proud of our science
for the energy it has provided for us, and certainly it can be useful, but what has it really
done for our sensitivity to the Divine presence in all things? To what extent has it given us a
consciousness not limited by time, space, numbers or appearances? In this respect, the

83 Ayer, A J. (1936), Language, Truth and Logic, Dover Publications
42
ancients and their sciences, like astrology, were ahead of us, and we must return to their
approach to really go forward in our development.’84

84 Frawley, D. (1992), The Astrology of Seers: A Comprehensive Guide to Vedic Astrology, Motilal
Banarsidass, 22
43
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47
Appendix

Figure 1 -‐ Aristotle’s Classical Elements
Stock image depicting the Ancient Greek Philosopher Aristotle’s system of the four
natural elements
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element#/media/File:Four_elements_represen
tation.svg

Figure 2 -‐ The Music of The Spheres
Renaissance Italian engraving from the music theorist Gaffurius’ 15th Century treatise
Practica Musice, depicting the correspondences between the planetary spheres and
musical nodes
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musica_universalis#/media/File:The_music_of_the_sphe
res.jpg

Figure 3 -‐ Abracadabra Figure
The Encyclopædia Britannica’s impression of the magical ABRACADABRA figure,
originally advocated by the Roman 2nd Century physician Serenus Sammonicus in his
didactic medical poem Liber Medicinalis
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abracadabra#/media/File:Abracadabra_triangle_(cropp
ed).jpg

Figure 4 -‐ The Seven Seals on Islamic Talisman
Yellow chalcedony amulet featuring an inscription of the Seven Magic Signs, traced to
the Near East between the 16th and 20th Century. A part of Ludvik Kalus’ collection of
Islamic Seals and Talismans from the Yousef Jameel East Art Centre in the Ashmolean
Museum
Source: http://www.jameelcentre.ashmolean.org/object/EA1969.79

Figure 5 -‐ Tattvah Vision
Illustration of the esoteric Tattvah framework, consisting of the different symbols
representing the elements in isolation and in combination with each other
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tattva_vision#/media/File:Pez_ESDSol.jpg
48

Figure 6 -‐ The Sign of Cancer in the Kitab al-‐Bulhan
The Zodiac Sign Cancer portrayed in the 14th Century Arabic astrological manuscript
The Kitab al-‐Bulhan (or ‘Book of Wonders’)
Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Book_of_Wonders_folio_7b.jpg

Figure 7 -‐ Mesmer’s Animal Magnetism
Viennese Doctor Franz Anton Mesmer’s own woodcut engraving depicting his practice
of Animal Magnetism during a hypnosis
Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A_practictioner_of_Mesmerism_using_Anima
l_Magnetism_Wellcome_V0011094ET.jpg

49
© Copyright Esmé L. K. Partridge, 2018

Cover design: Artistic impression of Al-‐Kindi’s theory of magical arts, © Copyright Esmé
L. K. Partridge, 2018

50

Al - Kindi's Theory of The Magical Arts: Esmé L. K. Partridge

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Al-­‐Kindi’s

Theory of The

Esmé L. K. Partridge

Al-­‐Kindi’s Theory of The

Esmé L. K. Partridge

Press, LIX, LXI

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 221

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 222

12/muslim-­‐medicine-­‐scientific-­‐discovery-­‐islam/, (Date Accessed: February 2018)

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, IV

Works of Al-­‐Kindi, Oxford University Press, 134

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 226

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 228

Pormann, P. E. (2012), Oxford University Press

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 231

SUNY press, 12

Kindi, Oxford University Press, 232

Planets, Llewellyn, 21

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 29

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 37

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 42

https://www.historyofphilosophy.net/music, Date Accessed: February 2018

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 42

Works of Al-­‐KIndi, Oxford University Press

a principle emulated in the iconic ABRACADABRA

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 51

online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-­‐

forms. Regarding perfectly constructed

or Tattwa (depicted in Figure 5), a

and Ceremonies of the Hermetic Order, Llewellyn Worldwide

online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-­‐

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 53

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 53

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 56

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 58

Track Vol.1, The Golden Hind Press, 59

Tradition in Islamic Philosophy, Harvard University Press

of Islam, EWI Press

Volumes 1-­‐3, Infobase Publishing, 461

Accessed: March 2018)

Greece, The Yogi Publication Society, 21

Figure 7: Mesmer’s Animal Magnetism of treating a patient suffering from

Greece, The Yogi Publication Society, 31

(1996), University of Chicago Press

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12/muslim-‐medicine-‐scientific-‐discovery-‐islam/, (Date Accessed: February 2018)

Works of Al-‐Kindi, Oxford University Press, 134

Works of Al-‐KIndi, Oxford University Press

online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-‐

online at http://www.academia.edu/1509428/The_Seven_Seals_of_Judeo-‐

Volumes 1-‐3, Infobase Publishing, 461