the book of ceremonial magic contents - Yankeeclassic.com

Then gently smiting the carcase nine times with the rod, he adds:--I conjure thee, thou
Spirit of this N. deceased, to answer my demands that I propound unto thee, as thou ever
hopest for the rest of the holy ones and ease of all thy misery; by the
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Blood of Jesus which He shed for thy soul, I conjure and bind thee to utter unto me what I
shall ask thee.
Then, cutting down the carcase from the tree, they shall lay its head towards the east; in
the space that this following conjuration is repeating, they shall set a chafing-dish of fire
at its right hand, into which they shall pour a little wine, some mastic and some gumaromatic,
and lastly [the contents of] a vial full of the sweetest oil. They shall have also a
pair of bellows and some unkindled charcoal to make the fire burn bright when the
carcase rises. The conjuration is this:--
I conjure thee, thou Spirit of N., that thou do immediately enter into thy ancient body
again and answer to my demands; by the virtue of the Holy Resurrection, and by the
posture of the body of the Saviour of the world, I charge thee, I conjure thee, I command
thee, on pain of the torments and wandering of thrice seven years. which I, by the force of
sacred magic rites, have power to inflict upon thee; by thy sighs and groans I conjure
thee to utter thy voice. So help thee God and the prayers of the. Holy Church. Amen.
This ceremony being thrice repeated, while the fire is burning with mastic and gumaromatic,
the body will begin to rise, and at last will stand upright before the exorcist,
answering with a faint and hollow voice the questions propounded unto it: why it
destroyed itself, where its dwelling is, what its food and life are, how long it will be ere it
enter into rest, and by what means the magician may assist it to come to rest; also of the
treasures of this world, where they are hid. Moreover, it can answer very punctually
concerning the places where ghosts reside, and of the manner of communicating with
them, teaching the nature of Astral Spirits and hellish beings so far as its capacity
alloweth.
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All this when the ghost hath fully answered, the magician ought out of commiseration
and reverence to the deceased, to use what means can possibly be used for procuring rest
unto the spirit, to which effect he must dig a grave, and, filling the same half full of
quick-lime, with a little salt and common sulphur, must put the carcase naked into it.
Next to the burning of the body into ashes, this is of great force to quiet and end the
disturbance of the Astral Spirit. But in this and in all cases where the ghosts or
apparitions of deceased persons are raised up and consulted, great caution is to be
observed by the Magician to keep close within the circle; for if, by the constellation and
position of the stars at his nativity, he be in the predicament of those who follow the
Black Art for iniquitous purposes, it is very dangerous to conjure any spirits without
describing the form of the circle, and wearing upon the heart, or holding in the hand, the
Pentacle of Solomon. For the ghosts of men deceased can easily effect sudden death to