This little grimoire written by John Dee predates his magical workings documented in the Mysteriorum Libri . It may be an example of the Ars Steganographiae of Abbott Trithemius. For a critical edition with German translation, commentary and critical apparatus, see Jörg M. Meier, Das Büchlein der Venus (Bonn 1990). NOTE: This transcription is based on several manuscripts. Primary ones are: W = London, the Warburg Institute. Warburg Ms. FBH 510; E = Erlangen, Universita:tsbibliothek Erlangen-Nu:rnberg. Ms. 854; M = Mu:nchen, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. let. 27005. |, ||, ||| marks page ending of each manuscript: Diagonal stroke (/) for W, simple longitudinal line (|) for M and double longitudinal line (| |) for E. A triple line (|||) stands, if the ends of page of all three manuscripts end. LIBELLUS VENERI NIGRO SACER
Transcript
This little grimoire written by John Dee predates his magical workings documented in the Mysteriorum Libri. It may be an example of the Ars Steganographiae of Abbott Trithemius. For a critical edition with German translation, commentary and critical apparatus, see Jörg M. Meier, Das Büchlein der Venus (Bonn 1990).
NOTE: This transcription is based on several manuscripts. Primary ones are: W = London, the Warburg Institute. Warburg Ms. FBH 510; E = Erlangen, Universita:tsbibliothek Erlangen-Nu:rnberg. Ms. 854; M = Mu:nchen, Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Cod. let. 27005.
|, ||, ||| marks page ending of each manuscript: Diagonal stroke (/) for W, simple longitudinal line (|) for M and double longitudinal line (| |) for E. A triple line (|||) stands, if the ends of page of all three manuscripts end.
LIBELLUS VENERI NIGRO SACER
Venus is the name given to me by the gods in the starsThe inhabitants soon Stygian trumpet sings while he is hereHere are signs of the power within it subject to gemiscitWell done! WOUNDED a victorious return from the enemy
(TUBA VENERIS)That is, Been called, or the Summonings of the Six Spirits ruled by Venus, where it is taught method to create the Seal the Horn of Venus, and Circle of, proper names of the Spirits, Their Calls and Seals with hours for preparation. Consecration of the Book, the Working Rite. Dismissal of the Spirit in the work with still other things to be observed.
John Dee to lovers of magic S.P.D
Not a question of art or the definitions of the various Negromanticæ or divisions of the same or species, or even the various areas of our practice of writing this is the intention of the Scopusque of our little book, for as many as possible of those things which only a few are clear | and true, | | rather difficult volumes, and were then prisoners as well as the practice of . But the sound of the trumpet, six of which, here, the reader with you, Beloved of Venus subject to the dominion of the Spirit in the dance, and he wakes up in accordance with a method that are cited more often than not exercised with myself as I am instructed.
Summons demons for you, above all, everyone was invited to the proper / necessary. By the way does not | | appear | although they can be forced by strong conjurations as the efficacy of the bonds shall not deny, however, not without great effort or amplivaguis long and difficult circumstances. But if this being, that is familiar with the terms of their own, from which the planets are called the angels are commanded you notice is not required in the rest of this petition has been assigned to our lack the | | and without delay, noise and terror | all images of a very remote speed and â Spirit, they had been compelled to appear in the form of the human experience. You should know that the good God teropt. Time. the Spirits of the evil to be put in charge of them, as in the rule, which, if by the Spirit for the sake of the good of anything evil to anyone, be enjoined to this he was called he calls his jubetque competent, even though it happened to be in the language of mortals / unknown to us, indeed, why not their own. Among the Learned there are indeed various | | | the certainty of the opinion, however, at this time no. For the true creator of all, however, the greatest of the name of a character to every creature as one who put it on a certain number of the stars and calls them all by their names. al.CXLVI. Now all the evil demons, when the stars in heaven are antecedently, the names of those standards imposed by the Supreme Creator, and as long as they retain through this very | | them | and citing the need to force a way in which we can appeal to even the good angels, and as I have shown elsewhere shown. Above this knowledge from the ancient fathers of Israel, the Chaldeans, and many others have practiced by the godly men and hodiedum
practicandam. From that time revealed the knowledge of are: / Magic, and Negromantia Qabala, with which last the Egyptians and the Persians | | | Arabs and flourished not a little, even though in the form of an abhorrent and by usurpation, corrupted torn in pieces, Sacrilege, the articles of agreement in the possession of the evil men, to the slaves voluntarily delivered themselves that it is a horrible thing to hear. For the sake of the worst abuse of such a man is forbidden by the Church and Lay Magistrates this
Art piously love the fit and for this reason very few of his books to find it is right to practice. Therefore, the Horn of hancce noctram | of | | your good faith, however, won a special no end in your death (which, due to the abuse she encounters shared legatamque :) we want you to use it for your good and welfare v: g: eg for lifting hidden treasures Trade for Navigating to the march of to war, and the like to which the Spirit of benefit to you, and may be subservient to use it. / Practice and experience will teach them. | | | There are still others, called to be in other respects of the Spirits, or citations that are made by the princes of the highest of them, having them between themselves, but these are very difficult to obey in no other way than with a great noise, and most of all in the form of appearing in a terrible Operatoris not without great danger.
Call the Spirits of Venus, which we write here as our own, and it is from us | | Tuba | Friday called for the demons of the seven planets, almost all the angels who are the subject of this petition are included under the dominion of Venus, from which only included the Book of Venus from we were even given a title of this planet is to be consecrated to the description of which is now beginning to make you all care / listen to and heed your advice. Goodbye!
Perfect and it was recorded in London in1580. The day before the Nones of June. | | |
The first trumpet of VenusHow the Seal or Sign of Venus pediciendum
The first requisite of our Seal of Venus to Negromanticam this activity is that in this way prepare.
Take a piece of bronze of Cyprus new and never completed used| | | from the figure of a little plate that rent should be delineated according to the number of planets to our own, in the six angles, to which the instrument of iron or steel as well as new and clean, but it becomes a
character insculpatur in the third and the tenth hour in the day of this in the night / be counted as a setting. If space is not sufficient, must wait until an hour of one | | to the other, ie the tenth in the hour of Venus | and, indeed, since work is only permitted in the hours (which, again, notendum ) in the new moon, and therefore if the seal of the hours in one night in the two prescribed for the same reason can not complete the must wait until the next new moon. After completion of the Seal infumetur the very day and hour.
FUMIGATION be done on the species:
* Puscia with the sacred and moss.
Wrapped in linen, then | | a | and again in the time of the said first day horæque night plunges to the ground, dug out of the water flowing in the subsequent day / hour and keep it together in the night for a chance to work. | | |
Sigillum Veneris
Caput Secundum.
(According to the head.)
How to prepare short Friday.
Taken of a living Bull Horn and then take the vitriol with which he melted the vine vinegar wash and purify the Horn, which was the steel instruments to any party insculpantur characters to use in the following outlines are. The whole of | | these things, including the preparation of the Horn, | from the bull, the time it is snapped up, for the same ratio, and the Seal is in the times, days and hours to be done well ought to be that it should be noted. And afterwards in the Infumetur be wrapped up in linen / and together with the Seal, wraps, and in the use of preserved. | | |
Tuba Veneris
Caput Tertium
How circle should be made.
Call or talk to the spirits before they go on the composition of the circle we must, as the Negromantici all in their operations always use this as the strongest bulwark against the devils insidiationes | | | watching themselves. Is, however, the composition of the various areas of the circles, Some, who work in the houses of the same colors, perfect the chalk, coal or some that they do in the woods or the highway, at * exorzisantes gldio or at certain staves; Others, however, create a circle out of a parchment, with an inscription / God 's name, and whom we have chosen us to our oporationem, even more favored as its inheritance with the other requirements of all immediately | | | made up, not its form, and the reason for the order and integrity of our work here subjoin. Let it be accepted, therefore, parchment or virgin paper, and cuts for three of his in the breadth of the circle. in the amplitude of the first two or three feet six inches narrower, later at the prescribed times horisque divine Names are inscribed in the colors as seen in the following circle | shape. | | Infumetur not bury into the land of the circle after it was completed here, keep it for use. | | |
Forma Circuli
Caput Quartum
Call the Spirits, their signs and their special names and how they are to be held.
Let it be accepted of the green Wax, to be mingled with the soot, are made out of it with steel instruments, splinter round into them the Seal of that Spirit to invoke. these other things done as
aforesaid, in like manner at the time of day and the hour of incense, with intermission, but not bury this for the benefit of safe keeping.
How to consecrate the Book:
Book (in, to whom he was summoned, and are inscribed with the names of the Spirits, it is necessary to consecrate the :): of course, to make use of the ancient wise men they have done in similar books apperiendo the consecration of the constitution so that only the spirit of the book soon to appear; however, which, however, seems to us too much | | dangerous, particularly if such a book infortuitously fell lest he fall into the hands of men ignorant of the art at all. Why do you prefer to consecrate our book the following way. Let it be the symbol of Parchment, and, if one of the Book / The image of this Planet
, with the sign of the figure represented over its Head. Book should be called:
Sacred Book of the dark.
Before the Call of the Spirits let it be written | in Red, The trumpet to the Standard in our Book of Venus, who consecrated by me myself and all that belong to him and the other is left for future generations, if all these things just as fate into your hands. We so often mentioned in the book must be written at the time that it required a feather of a dove and a vessel trod by no one usatum | | Green rubeoque color | can use as they please, for these colors are welcome at all our planets.
After the book, and composed / written infumicetur. Then, taking the hands of the Vitriol water, which might be completed and the book of bapticetur saying.
Sacred love you black bookHorn of Venus is thy namebe well known to the inhabitants of trembling All | Orcs. | |
Oh Mighty Prince of the Angel of heaven!I humbly encourage you to bookHe always brought honor to your perennial source is washed.
Friday hours within it registeredIf it flies quick trumpet singswhat I want the blind, let him do against his will. Calmly I stand! /
After doing this, again, and in the Book infumetur embroiled in a cloth of green or red, is subject to the land with the rest of the things below, | | and | in the time prescribed for the use of dug out, and preserved.
How the operation is to be
If all of these aforementioned things at the hands have been properly prepared and ready and the operator that he has prepared himself very fit and bold (for use of that fearless magnanimumque | all want to go man) | | in the same / sæepe indicating the time at night and the place from all or better in the disturbance of men free from anxiety and or in the houses of
Sylvia biviisque absitis and the waste disposed of there and uupendat ring seal on the neck, and begin to make FUMIGATION call number assigned by the Spirit of His chosen. The whole, however, the Call of the Spirit through the Horn declare vocetque | | | in his own name at the beginning and at the end, but always with some citation to Pause.
Greet the Spirit in the following way:
Hail, noble and obedient Spirit (named here ) I order you, by the name of the Spirit by its awe-inspiring the name of Adonai, and with this Seal (show the Spirit :) Seal of the Angels / Angel of the Prince Regent of the Planet Venus, you may lead a quiet show | | |, peaceful, and in all the the things that I instruct you to fulfill my will. This I command you moreover by God the Father Son and Holy Spirit, and by the Triumphant Lord Jesus Christ, who shall come to judge the world through fire.
After this the Spirit will ask the Master why he has been summoned, he will ordain what in the world? And this the Master should then clearly and distinctly state. the square where it should be noted, if the Spirit of | | shows himself in some pertinacious, | to take the Seal, shall be given over the fire or coal with which the FUMIGATING came to pass, / does not use or if fumigio (: there is no necessity to such an extent as it is also a burning candle on the Seal to be lengthened :) becomes hot and placed it on the seal of the Spirit who is cited by the teacher to let them pray for this hugely tortured and tormented by the spirit of resistance and no longer fulfill his | will. | | In the not, however, exceeds the demands and wishes and the master too, urge, lest he provoke Divine wrath, nor inconstant vaticillantem no less astute spirits, or the conditions of the U.S. show that they suggest to be accepted. But the soul with a strong and constant petition of the Spirits of the once proposed that he / spirit, strength, and should persist even after threats of no account or the difficulties of simultaneous floccique, otherwise he will | of itself in | | Spirits. None the less, care must be taken not to the help of Spirits for perpetrating the wicked and criminal deeds which, indeed, can use for the more eager to show herself to the Spirit, but, even so the soul should suffer losses among the highest of course, he would have to exercise for as long as the devils of their own in the Lord, dedicated to his life in a horrible thing he would deliver up their. Why are a few out of all of this abuse of all and sundry | faithfully | | me against. But if, then the Spirit will of the Master fulfilled the commands or given license in the following way: /
Dismissal of the Spirits.This is done through the Horn, as he was summoned in these words:
Norcados Fenoram Anosiren (called here the spirit of his name once and maintained ) Oparcliim Amosan Zezaphilos Aspairath Anthyras Zyriffon.
Having heard these things according to their pleasure made the blessing of the master of the Spirits will immediately become invisible, and it is permissible to leave the Circle. /
Are yet to be observed in the operation of things that should be.
If only he would say to with the experiment is only the Spirits, Master of the acts, and he called on them, and the rest all observe silence. But if the Spirit to bring | the treasures of the money, and | | A treasure of money or be compelled in this way should be placed, emptied of its content after the Seal of the treasure from the protection of this treasure of his own and has previously been perfumed a new and blessed be transferred into another vessel. These, therefore, puts an end to our little book. But you, dear reader! Beware that this abuse of his writings are not to forget to consider / look at, and if | | you do wisely, | and you can achieve a constant and undaunted spirit, and you will be a great benefit and comfort.
One thing still remains to you, admonish you to do is to remember the best possible way in the good of the poor success of the work. And in this way then you will be blessed in this as well as in the other life but he will be merciful to all of us who is to come to judge the living and the dead, whose Kingdom there shall be no end.
