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The Magical Ritual of the Sanctum Regnum


The Magical Ritual

of the

Sanctum Regnum

INTERPRETED BY THE TAROT TRUMPS

TRANSLATED FROM THE MSS. OF

ELIPHAS LEVI

WITH EIGHT PLATES

Edited by:

W. Wynn Westcott

Magus of the Rosicrucian Society of England

PREFACE BY THE EDITOR

This translation of a previously unpublished work by the late Alphonse Louis Constant, or, as he preferred to call himself, Eliphaz Levi, is published with the consent of its possessor, Mr. Edward Maitland, the eminent collaborateur of the late Dr. Anna Kingsford, to whom it was given by the Baron Spedalieri, so well known as the friend, disciple, and literary heir of Eliphaz Levi. The original MSS., which is in the handwriting of Levi himself, is written upon pages interleaved with the text of a printed copy of a work by Trithemius of Spanheim, entitled De Septem Secundeis: the edition was published at Cologne, and is dated 1567. This work of the Abbot Trithemius is a very curious and interesting dissertation upon the ruling of the world by the seven great Archangels, to each of whom in succession is alloted a period of 354 years and 4 months. The Archangels are referred to the Planets of the ancients, and their successive periods of dominion are taken in the following order:----


Orifiel representing Saturn

Anael " Venus

Zachariel " Jupiter

Raphael " Mercury

Samael " Mars

Gabriel " Luna

Michael " Sol

The first course of these rulers ended in Anno Mundi 2480. The Noachian Deluge is placed at 1656, in the reign of Samael. The destruction of the Tower of Babel (see Tarot Trump, No. XVI., page 63) occured in the Second reign of Orifiel; the life of Abraham in the Second reign of Zachariel; the life of Moses in the Second reign of Raphael; Pythagoras, Xerxes, and Alexander the Great in the Second Solar reign of Michael.

The era of Jesus Christ comes in the Third reign of Orifiel.

The Third reign of Anael began in 109 AD

The Third reign of Zachariel began in 463 AD

The Third reign of Raphael began in 817 AD

The Third reign of Samael began in 1171 AD

The Third reign of Gabriel began in 1525 AD

The Third reign of Michael began in 1879 AD

Levi appears to have been deeply impressed with this system of Rule by Archangels, and Edward Maitland, in his life of Dr. Anna Kingsford, refers to this volume with approval.

Under the heading of "Notes" the editor has given a short description of each Tarot Trump at the end of each chapter, and also a few notes on the mystical meanings assigned to the Tarots by Eliphaz Levi in his other works; some of the views of P. Christian are added. To facilitate reference to such information, a table is added here specifying the places to which the student can turn for further opinions and more detailed descriptions.

Court de Gebelin. Le Monde premitif analyse. Paris 1773-82. Volume 8.

Etteilla or Alliette. Philosophie des hautes sciences. Amsterdam. 1785.

Etteilla. Lecons theoriques et pratiques du livre du Thot. 1787.

Tarots Egyptiennes ou Grand Etteilla. 1830.

Etteila. Maniere de se recreer avec le jeu des Tarots. 1783-5.

Levi, Eliphaz. Nom de plume of Alphonse Louis Constant.

Rituel de la Haute Magie. Paris. 1861. Pages 344-356 give the several descriptions and

meanings of the Tarot Trumps; but the whole chapter entitled "Le livre d'Hermes," pages

332-384, is concerned with the subject. These Trumps are also allotted to Lunar days at

pages 265-269.

Dogme de la Haute Magic. Paris. 1861. The tenth chapter has especial reference to the

Tarot; but the whole volume is divided into chapters which relate to the Trumps.

Histoire de la Magie. 1860. Refer to pages 46, 81, and 109.

P. Christian. Histoire de la Magie. Paris. Special descriptions and occult meanings of the Tarot

Trumps are given on pages 114-131.

Papus. Le Tarot des Bohemiens. English translation by Morton. George Redway. 1896.

Wirth, Oswald. Le livre de Thot.

Waite, A.E. The Mysteries of Magic, a Digest of the Writings of Eliphaz Levi. London. George

Redway. 1886. See pages 242-265.

MacGregor Mathers, S. L. The Tarot, its Occult Significance. George Redway. 1888.

Willshire, W.H. A Descriptive Catalogue of Playing and other Cards in the British Museum. 1876.

Chatto, W. A. Facts and Speculations on the Origin and History of Playing Cards. 1848.

The ordinary reader who has made no special study of the magical writings of Eliphaz Levi, nor of the Kabalah, may consider that, however interesting the subject-matter of many of the following chapters, the connection between the Tarot Trumps and the details given under each heading is but slight. It must be understood that there is in all cases a direct relation between the card and subject; but the keys which connect them are missing by intention of the author, and yet are obtainable by study of Levi's other works.

The twenty-two Tarot Trumps bear a relation to numbers and to letters; the true attributions are known, so far as is ascertainable, to but a few students, members of the Hermetic schools: the attributions given by Levi in his Dogme and Rituel, by Christian, and by Papus are incorrect, presumably by design. The editor has seen a manuscript page of cypher about 150 years old which has a different attribution, and one which has been found by several occult students, well known to him, to satisfy all the conditions required by occult science.

The eight coloured plates with which this volume is embellished are facsimile copies of Levis own drawings; they add greatly to the charm of the work, and are a credit to the publisher and to the artist who executed them. The design on the cover is the monogram drawn by Levi to represent the "Completion of the Great Work," see page 45. The Cross---four, multiplied by the triangle---three, gives twelve the complete number of a cycle: the Hebrew letter Tau represents the Universe.

"The Mysteries of Magic, a Digest of the Writings of Eliphaz Levi, by Mr. A. E. Waite, published by Mr. Redway in 1886, has had so large a circulation among English readers, that the editor anticipates a cordial reception for this little volume.

LONDON, February 1896.

THE MAGICAL RITUAL OF THE

SANCTUM REGNUM

I

THE MAGICIAN---LE BATELEUR

Listen to the words of Solomon which he spake to his son Rehoboam: "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom, but the end of wisdom is the knowledge and love of Him who is the Source of all good, and the supreme Reason, whence all things do proceed." Adonai had passed an eternity in heaven, and then created Man; so a time on earth is given to man to comprehend Adonai. In other words, the knowledge which man attains concerning the Supreme Being springs from the faculties which have been bestowed upon him at his creation, in order that he might in his turn formulate an image of the Being who has sent him into this world.


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