Three Books of Occult Philosophy

by Henry Cornelius Agrippa

THREE BOOKS

OF

Occult Philosophy,

WRITTEN BY

Henry Cornelius Agrippa,

OF

NETTESHEIM,

Counseller to Charles the Fifth,

Emperor of Germany:

AND

Iudge of the Prerogative Court.

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Translated out of the Latin into the
English tongue, By J.F.

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London: Printed by R.W. for Gregory Moule, and are to
be sold at the Sign of the three Bibles neer the
West-end of Pauls. 1651.

Contents

• An encomium on the three books of Cornelius Agrippa Knight
• The life of Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Knight
• To my most honorable, and no less learned friend, Robert Childe, Doctor of Physick
• Poem
• To the reader
• To R.P.D. Iohn Tritemius, an abbot of Saint James in the suburbs of Herbipolis, Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheym sendeth greeting
• John Tritemius, abbot of Saint James of Herbipolis, formerly of Spanhemia, to his Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettes-heym, health and love
• To the Revernd Father in Christ, and most Illustrious Prince, Hermannus, ... Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettes-heym, sendeth greeting
• Judicious reader!
• Errata
• {{larger|Book 1}}
• {{larger|Book 2}}
• {{larger|Book 3}}
• Index

Book 1

• Chapter 1: How magicians collect vertues from the three-fold world, is declared in these three books
• Chapter 2: What magick is, what are the parts thereof, and how the professors thereof must be qualified
• Chapter 3: Of the four elements, their qualities, and mutuall mixtions
• Chapter 4: Of a three-fold consideration of the elements
• Chapter 5: Of the wonderfull natures of fire, and earth
• Chapter 6: Of the wonderfull natures of water, aire, and winds
• Chapter 7: Of the kinds of compounds, what relation they stand in to the elements, and what relation there is betwixt the elements themselves, and the soul, senses, and dispositions of men
• Chapter 8: How the elements are in the heavens, in stars, in divels, in angels, and lastly in God himself
• Chapter 9: Of the vertues of things naturall, depending immediatly upon elements
• Chapter 10: Of the occult vertues of things
• Chapter 11: How occult vertues are infused into the several kinds of things by idea's, through the help of the soul of the world, and rayes of the stars: and what things abound most with this vertue
• Chapter 12: How it is that particluar vertues are infused into particular individuals, even of the same species
• Chapter 13: Whence the occult vertues of things proceed
• Chapter 14: Of the spirit of the world, what it is, and how by way of medium it unites occult vertues to their subjects
• Chapter 15: How we must find out, and examine the vertues of things by way of similitude
• Chapter 16: How the operations of severall vertues pass from one thing into another, and are communicated ne to the other
• Chapter 17: How by enmity and friendship the vertues of things are to be tryed, and found out
• Chapter 18: Of the inclinations of enmities
• Chapter 19: How the vertues of things are to be tryed and found out, which are in them specifically, or any one individuall by way of speciall gift
• Chapter 20: That naturall vertues are in some things throughout their whole substance, and in other things in certain parts, and members
• Chapter 21: Of the vertues of things which are in them only in their life time, and such as remain in them even after their death
• Chapter 22: How inferiour things are subjected to superiour bodies, and how the bodies, the actions, and dispositions of men are ascribed to stars, and signes
• Chapter 23: How we shall know what stars naturall things are under, and what things are under the sun, which are called solary
• Chapter 24: What things are lunary, or under the power of the moon
• Chapter 25: What things are Saturnine, or under the power of Saturne
• Chapter 26: What things are under the power of Jupiter, and are called Jovial
• Chapter 27: What things are under the power of Mars, and are called Martial
• Chapter 28: What things are under the power of Venus, and are called Venereall
• Chapter 29: What things are under the power of Mercury, and are called Mercuriall
• Chapter 30: That the whole sublunary world, and those things which are in it, are distributed to planets
• Chapter 31: How provinces, and kingdomes are distributed to planets
• Chapter 32: What things are under the signes, the fixed stars, and their images
• Chapter 33: Of the seals, and characters of naturall things
• Chapter 34: How by naturall things, and their vertues we may draw forth, and attract the influencies, and vertues of celestiall bodies
• Chapter 35: Of the mixtions of naturall things one with another, and their benefit
• Chapter 36: Of the union of mixt things, and the introduction of a more noble form, and the senses of life
• Chapter 37: How by some certain naturall, and artificiall preparations we may attract certain celestiall, and vitall gifts
• Chapter 38: How we may draw not only celestiall, and vitall, but also certain intellectual and divine gifts from above
• Chapter 39: That we may by some certain matters of the world stir up the Gods of the word, and their ministring spirits
• Chapter 40: Of bindings, what sort they are of, and in what wayes they are wont to be done
• Chapter 41: Of sorceries, and their power
• Chapter 42: Of the wonderfull vertues of some kinds of sorceries
• Chapter 43: Of perfumes, or suffumigations, their manner, and power
• Chapter 44: The composition of some fumes appropriated to the planets
• Chapter 45: Of collyries, unctions, love-medicines, and their vertues
• Chapter 46: Of naturall alligations, and suspensions
• Chapter 47: Of Rings, and their compositions
• Chapter 48:
• Chapter 49:
• Chapter 50:
• Chapter 51:
• Chapter 52:
• Chapter 53:
• Chapter 54:
• Chapter 55:
• Chapter 56:
• Chapter 57:
• Chapter 58:
• Chapter 59:
• Chapter 60:
• Chapter 61:
• Chapter 62:
• Chapter 63:
• Chapter 64:
• Chapter 65:
• Chapter 66:
• Chapter 67:
• Chapter 68:
• Chapter 69:
• Chapter 70:
• Chapter 71:
• Chapter 72:
• Chapter 73:
• Chapter 74:

Book 2

• Chapter 1: Of the necessity of Mathematicall learning, and of the many wonderfull works which are done by Mathematicall Arts only
• Chapter 2: Of Numbers, and of their power, and vertue
• Chapter 3: How great vertues Numbers have, as well in Naturall things, as in Supernaturall
• Chapter 4: Of unity, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 5: Of the Number of Two, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 6: Of the Number of three, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 7: Of the Number of Four, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 8: Of the Number Five, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 9: Of the Number six, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 10: Of the Number Seaven, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 11: Of the number Eight, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 12: Of the Number Nine, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 13: Of the Number Ten, and the Scale thereof
• Chapter 14: Of the Number eleven, and the number twelve; with a double Scale of the Number twelve Cabalisticall, and Orphicall
• Chapter 15: Of the Numbers which are above twelve, and of their powers and vertues
• Chapter 16: Of the notes of numbers, placed in certain gesturings
• Chapter 17: Of the various notes of numbers observed amongst the Romans
• Chapter 18: Of the notes or figures of the Græcians
• Chapter 19: Of the notes of the Hebrews, and Caldeans [Chaldaeans], and certain other notes of Magicians
• Chapter 20: What numbers are attributed to letters; and of divining by the same
• Chapter 21: What numbers are consecrated to the Gods, and which are ascribed, and to what Elements
• Chapter 22: Of the tables of the Planets, their vertues, forms, and what Divine names, Intelligencies, and Spirits are set over them
• Chapter 23: Of Geometrical Figures and Bodies, by what vertue they are powerful in Magick, and which are agreeable to each Element, and the Heaven
• Chapter 24: Of Musicall Harmony, of the force and power thereof
• Chapter 25: Of Sound, and Harmony, and whence their wonderfulness in operation
• Chapter 26: Concerning the agreement of them with the Celestial bodies, and what harmony and sound is correspondent of every Star
• Chapter 27: Of the proportion, measure, and Harmony of mans body
• Chapter 28: Of the Composition and Harmony of the humane soul
• Chapter 29: Of the Observation of Celestials, necessary in every Magical Work
• Chapter 30: When Planets are of most powerful influence
• Chapter 31: Of the Observation of the fixt Stars, and of their Natures
• Chapter 32: Of the Sun, and Moon, and their Magicall considerations
• Chapter 33: Of the twenty eight Mansions of the Moon, and their vertues
• Chapter 35: How some artificiall things as Images, Seals, and such like, may obtain some vertue from the Celestial bodies
• Chapter 36: Of the Images of the Zodiack, what vertues they being ingraven, receive from the stars
• Chapter 37: Of the Images of the Faces, and of those Images which are without the Zodiack
• Chapter 38: Of the Images of Saturn
• Chapter 39: Of the Images of Jupiter
• Chapter 40: Of the Images of Mars
• Chapter 41: Of the Images of the Sun
• Chapter 42: Of the Images of Venus
• Chapter 43: Of the Images of Mercury
• Chapter 44: Of the Images of the Moon
• Chapter 45: Of the Images of the head and Tayle of the Dragon of the Moon
• Chapter 46: Of the Images of the Mansions of the Moon
• Chapter 47: Of the Images of the fixed Behenian Stars
• Chapter 48: Of Geomanticall Figures, which are the middle betwixt Images and Characters
• Chapter 49: Of Images, the figure whereof is not after the likeness of any Celestiall figure, but after the likness of that which the mind of the worker desires
• Chapter 50: Of certain Celestial observations and the practise of some Images
• Chapter 51: Of Characters which are made after the rule and imitation of Celestial, and how with the table thereof they are deduced out of Geomantical figures
• Chapter 52: Of Characters which are drawn from things themselves by a certain likeness
• Chapter 53: That no Divination without Astrology is perfect
• Chapter 54: Of Lottery, when, and whence the vertue of Divining is incident to it
• Chapter 55: Of the soul of the World, and of the Celestials, according to the traditions of the Poets, and Philosophers
• Chapter 56: The same is confirmed by reason
• Chapter 57: That the soul of the world, and the Celestiall souls are rationall, and partake of Divine understanding
• Chapter 58: Of the names of the Celestials, and their rule over this inferiour world, viz. Man
• Chapter 59: Of the seven governers of the world, the Planets, and of their various names serving to Magicall speeches
• Chapter 60: That humane imprecations do naturally impress their powers upon externall things; And how mans mind through each degree of dependencies ascends into the intelligible world, and becomes like to the more sublime spirits, and Intelligencies

Book 3

• Chapter 1: Of the necessity, power, and profit of Religion
• Chapter 2: Of concealing of those things which are secret in Religion
• Chapter 3: What dignification is required, that one may be a true Magician and a worker of miracles
• Chapter 4: Of the two helps of Ceremoniall Magick, Religion and Superstition
• Chapter 5: Of the three Guides of Religion, which bring us to the path of Truth
• Chapter 6: How by these guides the soul of man ascendeth up into the Divine nature, and is made a worker of Miracles
• Chapter 7: That the knowledge of the true God is necessary for a Magician, and what the old Magicians and Philosophers have thought concerning God
• Chapter 8: What the Ancient Philosophers have thought concerning the Divine Trinity
• Chapter 9: What the true and most Orthodox faith is concerning God and the most holy Trinity
• Chapter 10: Of Divine emanations, which the Hebrews call Numerations, others attributes; The gentiles gods and Deities; and of the ten Sephiroths and ten most sacred names of God which rule them, and the interpretation of them
• Chapter 11: Of the Divine names, and their power and vertue [virtue]
• Chapter 12: Of the influence of the divine names through all the middle causes into these inferior things
• Chapter 13: Of the members of God, and of their influence on our members
• Chapter 14: Of the Gods of the gentiles, and souls of the Celestiall bodies, and what places were consecrated in times past, and to what Deities
• Chapter 15: What our Theologians think concerning the Celestiall souls
• Chapter 16: Of Intelligences and spirits, and of the threefold kind of them, and of their diverse names, and of Infernall and subterraneall spirits
• Chapter 17: Of these according to the opinion of the Theologians
• Chapter 18: Of the orders of evil spirits, and of their fall, and divers natures
• Chapter 19: Of the bodies of the Devils
• Chapter 20: Of the annoyance of evil spirits, and the preservation we have by good spirits
• Chapter 21: Of obeying a proper Genius, and of the searching out the nature thereof
• Chapter 22: That there is a threefold keeper of man, and from whence each of them proceed
• Chapter 23: Of the tongue of Angels, and of their speaking amongst themselves, and with us
• Chapter 24: Of the names of Spirits, and their various imposition; and of the Spirits that are set over the Stars, Signs, Corners of the Heaven, and the Elements
• Chapter 25: How the Hebrew Mecubals draw forth the sacred names of Angels out of the sacred writ, and of the seventie two [seventy-two] Angels, which bear the name of God, with the Tables of Ziruph, and the Commutations of letters, and numbers
• Chapter 26: Of finding out of the names of spirits, and Genius's from the disposition of Celestiall bodies
• Chapter 27: Of the calculating Art of such names by the tradition of Cabalists
• Chapter 28: How sometimes names of Spirits are taken from those things over which they are set
• Chapter 29: Of the Characters and Seals of spirits
• Chapter 30: Another manner of making Characters, delivered by Cabalists
• Chapter 31: There is yet another fashion of Characters, and concerning marks of spirits which are received by revelation
• Chapter 32: How good spirits may be called up by us, and how evil spirits may be overcome by us
• Chapter 33: Of the bonds of spirits, and of their adjurations, and castings out
• Chapter 35: Of the Mortall and Terrestrial Gods
• Chapter 36: Of Man, how he was created after the Image of God
• Chapter 37: Of mans soul and through what means it is joyned [joined] to the body
• Chapter 38: What Divine gifts man receiveth from above, from the severall Orders of the Intelligences and the heavens
• Chapter 39: How the superior Influences, seing they are good by nature, are depraved in these inferior thing, and are made causes of evil
• Chapter 40: That on every man a divine character is imprinted, by the vertue of which man can attain the working of miracles
• Chapter 41: What concerning man after death, diverse Opinions
• Chapter 42: By what wayes the Magicians and Necromancers do think they can call forth the souls of the dead
• Chapter 43: Of the power of mans soul, in the mind, reason and imagination
• Chapter 44: Of the degrees of souls, and their destruction, or Immortality
• Chapter 45: Of Soothsaying, and Phrensie [phrensy]
• Chapter 46: Of the first kind of phrensie [phrensy] from the Muses
• Chapter 47: Of the second kinde from Dionysius [Dionysus]
• Chapter 48: Of the third kind of phrensie [phrensy] from Apollo
• Chapter 49: Of the fourth kinde of Phrensie [phrensy], from Venus
• Chapter 50: Of rapture, and extasie [ecstasy], and soothsayings, which happen to them which are taken with the falling sickness, or with a swoune [swoon], or to them in an agonie [agony]
• Chapter 51: Of Prophetical Dreams
• Chapter 52: Of Lots and marks possessing the sure power of Oracles
• Chapter 53: How he that will receive Oracles must dispose himself
• Chapter 54: Of cleanness, and how to be observed
• Chapter 55: Of abstinence, fastings, chastity, solitariness, the tranquillity and ascent of the mind
• Chapter 56: Of Penitency, and Almes
• Chapter 57: Of those things which being outwardly administred conduce to Expiation
• Chapter 58: Of Adorations, and vowes
• Chapter 59: Of sacrifices and oblations, and their kinds and manners
• Chapter 60: What imprecations, and rites the ancients were wont to use in sacrifices, and oblations
• Chapter 62: Of Consecrations, and their manner
• Chapter 63: What things may be called holy, what consecrated, and how these become so betwixt us and the Dieties [deities]; and of sacred times
• Chapter 64: Of certain Religious observations, ceremonies, and rites of perfumings, unctions, and such like
• Chapter 65: The Conclusion of the whole Work

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