Arbatel: Concerning the Magic of the Ancients

Like other texts of magic he has translated, Joseph Peterson has given us the definitive English translation of the Arbatel, superceding Robert Turner's dominant 1655 translation, and also taking it out of the shadows of the title of Pseudo-Agrippa's Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy under which Turner published it. A nice jacketed hardcover of this Turner translation and collection of magic texts is available from IBIS PRESS (the same publisher), introduced with commentary by Stephen Skinner. Although Peterson gives due respect to Turner's translation, saying it "has a wonderfully archaic feel," he corrects the few mistakes within it and restores the text's interesting use of capitalized words. He also provides the Latin text out of which the book was translated and maintains the capitalization and diacritics used in the 1575 Latin edition. Additionally, there are numerous informative footnotes throughout the introduction and translation. The Arbatel is not to be confused with the magic texts Ars Almadel from The Lesser Key of Solomon (the Lemegeton) and The Grimoire of Armadel, although as Peterson points out, the latter was one of numerous magic texts directly influenced by the Arbatel (Intro., pages xxx - xxxi). In his over 20-page introduction, he covers not only the title and origins of the text, including the date, provenance, publisher, and probable author, but also the themes, editions, and influence of the book. Among the influences on the text, including those from the ancient esoteric currents of hermetism and Neoplatonism, the Bible and Paracelsus are prominent. Although the text has received opposition from certain Christian authorities, it is definitely cast in a Christian mold and is thought to have influenced not only certain Christian "proto-theosophers" such as Weigel, Khunrath, and Arndt but also the Christian theosophical current following Jacob Boehme. The biblical archangels Raphael, Michael, and Gabriel are recognized in the text, but so also are the seven "Olympic" spirits who correspond with the seven traditional astrological planets. These spirits and their seals have influenced other magical texts or grimoires, several of which Peterson lists (including The Magical Calendar, The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses, and the Secret Grimoire of Turiel). Peterson also summarizes the magical method of the Arbatel in the intro, noting its simplicity compared to other grimoires. He also notes that unlike many other grimoires which focus on seclusion, the Arbatel defines the true magus as being involved with helping the community. Peterson also includes after aphorism 27 (which describes it) a circular diagram called "the Seal of Secrets" which is found in another collection of magic texts that include an English translation of the Arbatel independent of Turner's (Sloane manuscript 3851, dated 1696). This seal is not shown in any other version that Peterson has seen. Overall, this is a "wonderful" version of the text to own, reference, and compare with other works of a similar magical nature.

Bilingual Latin and English side by side, which makes it great for Latin language students.

Great book and the fact that it is a bilingual edition makes it more valuable, especially if your speak Latin (or if you are learning the language). It is such a shame that only the Isagoge survived (or was written). The binding and the overall quality of the book is good. It arrived in perfect condition.

I hope that those reading this will listen closely to what I'm about to say because it is important. First & foremost, Peterson has done another outstanding job with this book. He is to be commended for his work as it has proven invaluable to the Solomonic/grimoire community. Secondly, I have been reading about & practicing magic for over thirty years. As far as Solomonic texts go, the aphorisms in this book are the primary seeds from which your practice should grow. They are the missing pieces to the other grimoires, following them will put you far along the path. The more serious you take them, the better the results obtained, I cannot stress this enough. It is unfortunate that the diagram of the wheel inside the book is virtually useless since there isn't enough information in the book to practice with it.

For anyone aspiring to use magic for the purposes of justice, love for their neighbor, and spiritual growth! Thanks to the authors and Amazon for the book in good condition.

With each new translation and hand written manuscript of ancient wisdom that made its way to Medieval Europe, the Holy Roman Empire slowly gave way to the Renaissance. Each manuscript must surely have been greeted with the excitement of a new era by some and the fear of the end by others. In many ways we are fortunate to live in such times. Today several of the oldest manuscripts steeped in the wisdom of the ancients that have been locked away in old languages and library collections, are now making their way to us with the help of private book binders, antiquarian book sellers and digital archives. While the publication of such texts has recently been on the rise it is still a rare treat to have a classic text such as this be accompanied with all the benefits modern scholarship has to offer. Joseph H. Peterson's Arbatel is such a work and a magical work in deed. With the charm of a munificent mage, Peterson has breathed life into yet another age-old text with the full skill set of a scholar allowing the text to speak in new ways. Arbatel's relation to ritual practices, arcane traditions and esoteric text are clearly described. The corrected text, presented in both Latin and Modern English, is richly footnoted, thoughtfully illustrated and ends with a remarkable bibliography that is current with the most recent scholarship.

I guess I mis-understood what this book was about. I was expecting lots of ancient esoteric, occult knowledge and magical methods. However I didn't get any of that. This book is basically a book on magical philosophy and conduct. Lessons I learned from it is that one must be born a MAGUS from the womb, ask God to send his angel to reveal the secrets to you. Keep the commandments of God and don't sin etc, and everything you want to know, along with all you want to do will be accomplished. Their is also lots of emphasis placed on not falling into the snares of the devil. But as usual Peterson presents the material well so my issue isn't with his translation.

Excellent translation of The Arbatel. We've formed a group to begin working this grimoire. The Arbatel was written with a very little amount of ritual direction. It has an invocation in which the names of the Olympic Spirits are switched out for one another, the direction to call them from, and their specialties. It has a lot of pious general instruction for ritual preparation, and some occult intricacies. Besides also having it's own license to depart, the rest of the instruction is to "follow usual ritual methods" of it's day (circa 1575). A great quick read.