Aaron,
I've yet to run across any mention of a German version of the book, save for the 1985 Schikowski edition (which I haven't seen), and what I'm seeing in Mathers' comments on the topic don't inspire much confidence that it had a German origin.
Sincerely,
Dan Harms
Instructional Services Librarian and Bibliographer
SUNY Cortland Memorial Library
P. O. Box 2000
Cortland, NY 13045
(607) 753-4042
-----Original Message-----
From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Aaron Leitch
Sent: Monday, October 04, 2010 6:11 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] The Grimoire of Armadel
Greetings!
Circumstances have recently led me back to an examination of the Grimoire of Armadel. While this text has often been written off as of little interest or importance, I have always felt it holds a more significant place among the ranks of operations such as the Seventh Book of Moses and perhaps even those of the Notary Arts. That is, it is a transcendental system that appears to focus (primarily) upon spiritual/intellectual enlightenment rather than the more typical magickal powers promised by Solomonic grimoires. As another author put it (http://fraterbarrabbas.blogspot.com/2010/09/grimoire-of-armadel-curious-history-and.html), the Grimoire of Armadel seeks to affect the "disposition" of the conjurer.
There has been some speculation that the book was written backward - with the title page at the back, preceded by the magickal requisites, preceded by the many chapters of Seals and finally (the book begins with) the conjuration and license to depart. I find this theory to be plausible but hardly proven. Other grimoires- such as the Goetia- give their magickal seals first and follow them with the magickal requisites. In any case, I find it ultimately irrelevant in regard to the practical use of the text.
I do have a question for all of you, however. A Frater Alastor published a PDF version of the text (with the order of chapters reversed), which you can read here:
http://www.hermetism.info/public/Grimoires/Grimoire%20of%20Armadel.pdf
I note that in a couple of places, Frater Alastor has given diagrams or sigils that do not appear in the Mathers translation. Specifically, note the "Characters of Michael" and the Magickal Circle (both found near the front of the book). Neither of these images appear in Mathers' version, but Frater Alastor claims he found them "in the German original."
What German original? Frater Alastor entirely fails to cite the source for these inclusions. Is there a German original of Armadel that has been discovered? Or was Frater Alastor making things up as he went along?
LVX
Aaron
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