Lévi Seals for Shemhamephorash
As a follow-on to the previous post, here are my realization of the Lévi seals for work with the Shemhamephorash.
Firstly, I apologize for those of you who have contacted me regarding the disappearance of the book by Lenain from amazon.com. This was due to a disconnect between my printer and amazon, which unfortunately took over two weeks to fix. I’m delighted to say that the book is now available on amazon.com once more.
The images for the 72 Geniuses in the accompanying book “The Science of the Kabbalah” are necessarily small. I am therefore making full-sized one available at the bottom of this post (the ‘Golden Dawn’ style Rosicrucian seals being made available in my previous post). You will note that they are imperfect. This is deliberate for two reasons. Firstly, the original designs and notes were hand-drawn and handwritten by Eliphas Lévi. Secondly – and to my mind just as importantly – when working in the theurgical or magical field you should endeavor to make as much of the materials, robes and equipment as possible yourself. This is in order to imbue it with your personal qualities and to create a ‘link’ between you and the implements, and by extension with the image, spirit or genius you are intending to conjure. That’s why, while using modern software, I always made sure there was either an element in each seal which was hand-drawn, or that an error was introduced into each seal in order to create such a link (I hasten to add that none of the minor so-called errors are ‘blinds’, or that they adversely affect the seals in any way! It merely means that a font might be too big, a line too thick or too light, or a hand-drawn element not perfectly rendered).
The next few month will see a number of new books in various categories being published. As well as the 1882 Tennessee Templar Ritual mentioned in a previous post, there will be a book containing talks and rituals useful to a Royal Arch Chapter, called Royal Arch Masons Educational Resources, which will appear in September with the approval of General Grand Chapter. It will be in binder format for ease of photocopying pages for use in Chapters and elsewhere. Also, the popular Capitular Development Course will soon have an ‘Ohio‘ version, with a closer focus on their history and practices. I also hope to have a new translation (or rather, a book of translations) out before the year end, on which more in a future post.
However, the news I wanted to share with you is the fact that, in September, the first of three books by Rémi Boyer will appear under the Rose Circle imprint! Rémi has an extraordinary reputation in France and in many countries as one of the preeminent esoteric thinkers in our times. It is our great fortune that Michael Sanborn has been working his him to translate his books into English, and Rémi has given his blessing to them appearing over the coming year. The three books will successively cover three Spiritual Paths familiar with most who read this Blog: Freemasonry, Martinism and Rose Croix. The first, Freemasonry as a Way of Awakening, will come out towards the end of September.
In the meantime, click the link below to obtain a PDF containing the 72 Seals of the Geniuses as interpreted from Eliphas Lévi’s books, which appear in my translation of Lenain’s work, The Science of the Kabbalah.
I have just become aware of your realization of Levi’s Shemhamphorash seals.
I have been working with the Blaise de Vigenère seals since 2016; three cycles of active contact and cycle of passive contemplation of the seals during the second year of the cycle.
I am resolved that when the current cycle is done that I will do a cycle with these seals. I expect that I will have more to thank you fr than I know yet–but you have my thanks now.
I have a question: do you commence from Aries or Leo? What particular reasons do you find persuasive here? I have heard and considered arguments for both, yet have chosen to commence from Leo. I would not be adverse to switching to Aries to maintain the integrity of a received model and I have always thought that I will do an Aries cycle for perspective.
I think you for your time and attention in reading this.
Hi Benjamin,
I read your comment with interest. I know that there are two (at least) versions of how to organize the 72 Geniuses/Angels, which seem to be broadly split between the Golden Dawn-Astrological approach (Leo) and French-Christian Mystical approach (Aries). I tend to follow the cycle commencing with Aries based on Papus and Lévi, and also Blaise Viginaire himself. Papus/Levi’s version was primarily based on Tarot attributions. In The Tarot of the Bohemians, Papus commences the 26 decanates in Aries, the first suit being Scepters (wands), which Lévi associates with “Air” and with “Spring” in his writings. Papus describes the 1st Decan as being ‘of Aries’, and so forth. Even Viginaire begins in Aries. His first seal, Vehuiah, starts with the words: “20 March – Aries. The sun is in the sign of Aries…” and the subsequent seals cover each 5 degree period following that. So for those reasons I stick with Aries as my starting point.
However, there is no doubt that the Golden Dawn have held to commencing in Leo (though their system of ‘grouping’ triads of symbols based on Tarot suits results in one having to jump all over the place to find the relevant Angel! Personally, I find the system unnecessarily complicated – but that’s only my humble opinion!). It appears Mathers took Viginare’s seals from the Arsenal manuscript – but not his instructions! However, the usefulness of a system is based on whether it works; and it clearly does, since both Pat Zalewski and Chic & Tabby Cicero have since put out books on the Shem which use this system: clearly the system is successful.
So all I can really say is: use the system which works best for you!