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an experiment for the

dead

Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft (London, 1584)

My new webinar course on early modern cunning-craft - once more hosted by

those devilishly handsome chaps at Wolf & Goat - begins on Saturday 21 April.
This course will be the rst of the Sourcebook Series, concentrating on close
reading and analysis of particular primary source texts. In this case, I have chosen
to begin with a bang by exploring Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Witchcraft, a text of
central importance to early modern demonology, ritual magic, and folk charms as
well as witchcraft itself.

So what's the big deal with Scot's Discoverie? Why should we pay attention to a
book that was, after all, written explicitly to dismiss magic as superstition and
magicians as idiots, madmen, frauds and con-men? Well, in short, owing to its
incredibly detailed records of the very spells and magical operations it criticised,
the book became a staple in the modest libraries of folk magicians. Recent
scholarship has demonstrated that this tome was in fact popularly received as ‘a
treasure trove of magical information, providing spells, Catholic prayers,
exorcisms, charms, talismans, and rituals on how to communicate with angels,
demons, and the spirits of the dead’. One historian has even gone so far as to
suggest that ‘Scot produced what amounted to the first grimoire printed in the
English language, and while he did so to prove the worthlessness of its contents he
unwittingly ended up democratizing ritual magic rather than undermining it.’
Powerful stu indeed.

This is what I wish to explore and celebrate in my upcoming Sourcebook Course:

Discoverie of Witchcraft - not simply a historical explication of the material in this
book, but an engagement with the text that mirrors the reception and articulation
of this book by our early modern cunning forebears, actually working this tome as a
resource for practical magical results.

But what, I might hear you asking, are these spells, rituals, and charms contained
within like? How detailed are the descriptions? What can be done with them? In
order to answer this, I'd like to direct your attention to one of the more infamous
and explicitly necromantic operations contained therein: An Experiment for the
Dead. Described in the marginalia as a 'Conjuring for a dead spirit', the rite
involves summoning the ghost of a suicide or an executed person. Crucially, it also
involves a 'Crystal Stone', visiting the grave of the person whose shade you wish to
summon, a hazel wand, a lamen or protective seal to wear on the breast of the
operator, and notes on other equipment and techniques. Finally, the working is
also fascinating because it expressly charges the ghost to go to fetch 'the faerie
Sibylia', a 'gentle Virgine [Queen] of Fairies'!

I thus include the entire Chapter XVII of Book XV detailing this operation for
your edi cation.

CHAP. XVII. An Experiment of the Dead

First fast pray three dayes, and abstain thee from all lthiness; go to one that
is now buried, such a one as killed himself, or destroyed himself wilfully: or
else get the promise of one that shall be hanged, and let him swear an Oath to
thee, after his body is dead, that his Spirit shall come to thee, and do thee true
service, at thy commandements, in all days, hours, and minutes. And let no
persons see thy doings, but thy fellow. And about eleven a clock at night, go
to the place where he was buried, and say with a bold faith, and hearty desire;
to have the spirit come that thou dost call for, thy fellow having a Candle, in
his left hand, and in his right hand a Crystal-stone, and say these words
following, the Master having a Hazel-wand in his right hand, and these names
of God written thereupon, Tetragrammaton + Adonai + Agla + Craton +
Then strike three strokes on the ground, and say;

Arise N. Arise N. Arise N. I'conjure thee Spirit N. by the Resurrection of our

Lord Jesus Christ, that thou do obey my words, and come unto me this night verily
and truly, as thou believest to be saved at the day of Judgment. And I will swear to
thee an Oath, by the peril of my soul, that if thou wilt come to me, and appear to me
this night, and shew me true visions in this Crystal-stone, and fetch me the fairie
Sibylia, that I may talk with her visibly and she may come before me, as the
Conjuration leadeth: and in so doing I will give thee an alms-deed, and pray for
thee N. to my Lord God, whereby thou mayest be restored to thy Salvation at the
Resurrection day, to be received as one of the Elect of God, to the everlasting glory.
Amen.

The Master standing at the head of the grave, his fellow having in his hands
the Candle and the Stone, must begin the conjuration as followeth, and the
Spirit will appear to you in the Crystal-stone, in a fair form of a child of
twelve years of age. And when he is in, feel the stone, and it will be hot; and
fear nothing, for he or she will shew many delusions, to drive you from your
work: Fear God, but fear him not. This is to constrain him, as followeth.

I conjure thee Spirit N. by the living God, the true God, and by the holy God, and
by their vertues and powers which have created both thee and me, and all the world.
I conjure thee N. by these holy Names of God, Note in marg: Note what these great
words may do. Tetragrammaton + Adonay + Algramay + Saday + Sabaoth +
Planaboth + Panthon + Craton + Neupmaton + Deus + Homo + Omnipotens +
Sempiternus + Ysus + Lerra + Vnigentius + Salbator + Via + Vita + Manus +
Fons + Origo + Filius +. And by their vertues and powers, and by all their names,
by the which God gave power to man, both to speak or think; so by their vertues and
powers I conjure thee spirit N. that now immediately thou do appear in this
Crystal-stone visibly to me and to my fellow, without any tarrying or deceit. I
conjure thee N. by the excellent Name of Jesus Christ ? and O the rst and the last.
For this holy Name of Jesus is above all Names; for in this Name of Jesus every
knee doth bow and obey, both of heavenly things, earthly things, and infernal. And
every tongue doth confess that our Lord Jesus Christ is in the glory of the Father:
neither is there any other Name given to man whereby he must be saved. Therefore
in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth, and by his Nativity, Resurrection, and
Ascension, and by all that appertaineth unto his passion, and by their vertues and
powers I conjure thee Spirit N. that thou do appear visibly in this Crystal-stone to
me, and to my fellow, without any dissimulation. I conjure thee N. by the blood of
the innocent Lamb Jesus Christ, which was shed for us upon the cross; for all those
that do believe in the vertue of his blood shall be saved. I conjure thee N. by the
vertues and powers of all the royal names and words of the living God of me
pronounced, that thou be obedient unto me and to my words rehearsed. If thou refuse
this to do, I by the Holy Trinity, and by their vertues and powers do condemn thee
thou Spirit N. into the place where there is no hope of remedy or rest, but
everlasting horror of pain there dwelling, and a place where there is pain upon pain,
dayly, horribly, and lamentably, thy pain to be there augmented as the Starrs in the
Heaven, and as the gravel or Sand in the Sea: except thou Spirit N. do appear to
me and to my fellow visibly, immediately in this Crystal Stone, and in a fair form
and shape of a child of twelve years of age, and that thou alter not thy shape, I
change thee upon pain of everlasting condemnation. I conjure thee Spirit N. by the
golden Girdle, which girdeth the loins of our Lord Jesus Christ; so thou Spirit N. be
thou bound into the perpetual pains of Hell re, for thy disobedience and unreverent
regard, that thou hast to the holy names and words, and his precepts. I conjure N. by
the two edged Sword, which John saw proceed out of the month of the Almighty;
and so thou Spirit N. be torn and cut in pieces with that Sword, and to be
condemned into everlasting pain, where the re goeth not out, and where the worm
dyeth not. I conjure thee N. by the Heavens, and by the celestial City of Jerusalem,
and by the Earth and the Sea, and by all things contained in them, and by their
vertues and powers; I conjure thee Spirit N. by the obedience that thou dost owe
unto the principal Prince. And except thou Spirit N. do come and appear visibly in
this Crystal-stone in my presence, here immediately as it is aforesaid, Let the great
curse of God, the anger of God, the shadow and darkness of death, and of eternal
condemnation be upon thee Spirit N. for ever and ever; because thou hast denyed
thy faith, thy health, and salvation. For thy great disobedience, thou art worthy to
be condemned. Therefore let the divine Trinity, Thrones, Dominions, Principates,
Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Seraphim, and all the souls of Saints, both of
men and women, condemn thee for ever, and be a witness against thee at the day of
judgment, because of thy disobedience. And let all creatures of our Lord Jesus
Christ, say thereunto Fiat, Fiat, at. Amen.

And when he is appeared in the Crystal-stone, as is said before, bind him with
this bond as followeth; to wit,

I conjure thee Spirit N. that art appeared to me in this Crystal-stone, to me and to

my fellow; I conjure thee by all the royall words aforesaid, the which did constrain
thee to appear therein, and their vertues; I charge thee by them all, that thou shall
not depart out of this Crystal-stone, until my will being ful lled, thou be licened to
depart. I conjure and bind thee Spirit N. by that omnipotent God, which
commanded the Angel S. Michael to drive Lucifer out of the Heavens with a
Sword of vengeance, and to fall from joy to pain; and for dread of such pain as he is
in, I charge thee Spirit N. that thou shalt not go out of the Crystal-stone; nor yet to
alter thy shape at this time, except I command thee otherwise; but to come unto me
at all places, and in all hours and minutes, when and wheresoever I shall call thee,
by the vertue of our Lord Jesus Christ, or by any Conjuration of words that is
written in this Book, and to shew me and my friends true visions in this Crystal-
stone, of any thing or things that we would see, at any time or times; and also to go
and fetch me the fairy Sibylia, that I may talk with her in all kind of talk, as I
shall call her by any Conjuration of words contained in this Book. I conjure thee
Spirit N. by the great wisdom and divinity of his Godhead, my will to ful ll as is
aforesaid; I charge thee upon pain of condemnation, both in this world and in the
world to come, Fiat, at, at. Amen.

This done, go to the place fast by, and in a fair Parlor or Chamber, make a
circle with chalk, as hereafter followeth: and make another circle for the fairy
Sibylia to appear in four foot from the circle thou art in, and make no names
therein, or cast any holy thing therein; but make a circle round with chalk;
and let the Master and his fellow sit down in this circle, the Master having the
Book in his hand, his fellow having the Crystal-stone in his right hand,
looking in the Stone when the Fairy doth appear. The Master also must have
upon his brest this gure here written in Parchment, and begin to work in the
new of the {Moon} and in the hour of {Jupiter} the {Sun} and the {Moon} to
be in one of inhabiters signes, as . This bond as followeth, is to cause the
Spirit in the Crystal-stone, to fetch unto thee the fairy Sibylia. All things
ful lled, begin this bond as followeth, and behold, for doubtles they will
come before thee, before the Conjuration be read seven times.

I conjure thee spirit N. in this Crystal-stone, by God the Father, by God the Son
Jesus Christ, and by God the Holy Ghost, three Persons and one God, and by their
vertues, I conjure thee spirit, that thou do go in peace, and also come again to me
quickly, and to bring with thee into that circle appointed, Sibylia Fairie, that I
may talk with her in those matters that shall be to her honour and glory; and so I
charge thee declare unto her. I conjure thee spirit N. by the blood of the innocent
Lamb, the which redeemed all the world, by the vertue thereof I charge thee thou
spirit in the Crystal-stone, that thou do declare unto her this message. Also I conjure
thee spirit N. by all Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations, Principates,
Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Seraphim, and by their vertues and powers. I
conjure thee N. that thou do depart with speed, and also to come again with speed,
and to bring with thee the fairie Sibylia, to appear in that circle before I do read the
Conjuration in this Book seven times. Thus I charge thee my will to be ful lled,
upon pain of everlasting condemnation: Fiat, at, at. Amen.

Then the gure aforesaid [above] pinned on thy brest, rehearse the words
therein, and say + Sorthie + Sorthia + Sorthios + then begin your Conjuration
as followeth here, and say;

I conjure thee Sibylia, O gentle Virgine of Fairies, by the mercy of the Holy Ghost,
and by the dreadful day of doom, and by their vertues and powers, I conjure thee
Sibylia, O gentle Virgine of Fairies, and by all the Angels of {Jupiter} and their
characters and vertues, and by all the spirits of {Jupiter} and {Earth} and their
characters and vertues, and by all the characters that be in the Firmament, and by
the King and Queen of Fairies, and their vertues, and by the faith and obedience
that thou bearest unto them. I conjure thee Sibylia by the blood that ran out of the
side of our Lord Jesus Christ cruci ed, and by the opening of Heaven, and by the
renting of the Temple, and by the darkness of the Sun in the time of his death, and
by the rising up of the dead in the time of his Resurrection, and by the Virgin Mary
Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the unspeakable Name of God
Letragramaton. I conjure thee O Sibylia; O blessed and beautiful Virgin, by all the
royall words aforesaid, I conjure thee Sibylia, by all their vertues to appear in that
circle before me visibly, in the form and shape of a beautiful woman in a bright and
white vesture, adorned and garnished most fair, and to appear to me quickly
without deceit or tarrying; and that thou fail not to ful l my will and desire
e ectually: For I will choose thee to be my blessed Virgin, and will have common
copulation with thee. Therefore make hast and speed to come unto me, and to appear
as I have said before. To whom be honour and glory for ever and ever, Amen.

The which done and ended, if she come not, repeat the Conjuration till they
do come: for doubtless they will come. And when she is appeared, take your
censers, and incense her with frankincense; then bind her with the bond as
followeth:

I do conjure thee Sibylia, by God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Gost,
three Persons and one God, and by the blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of our Lord
Jesus Christ; and by all the whole and holy company of Heaven, and by the dreadful
day of doom, and by all Angels and Archangels, Thrones, Dominations,
Principates, Potestates, Virtutes, Cherubim and Seraphim, and their vertues and
powers. I conjure thee and bind thee Sibylia, that thou shalt not depart out of the
circle wherein thou art appeared, nor yet to alter thy shape; except I give thee licence
to depart. I conjure thee Sibylia by the blood that ran out of the side of our Lord
Jesus Christ cruci ed, and by the vertue hereof I conjure thee Sibylia to come to me,
and to appear to me at all times visibly, as the Conjuration of words leadeth,
written in this Book. I conjure thee Sibylia, O blessed Virgin of Fairies, by the
opening of Heaven, and by the renting of the Temple, and by the darkness of the
Sun at the time of his death, Note in marg: If all this will not fetch her up, the
Devil is a Knave. and by the rising of the dead in the time of his glorious
Resurrection, and by the unspeakable Name of God + Tetragrammaton + and by
King and Queen of Fairies, and by their vertues I conjure thee Sibylia to appear,
before the Conjuration be read over four times, and that visibly to appear,as the the
Conjuration leadeth written in this Book, and to give me good counsel at all times,
and to come by treasures hidden in the earth, and all other things that is to do me
pleasure, and to ful l my will without any deceit or tarrying; nor yet that thou shalt
have any power of my body or soul, earthly or ghostly; nor yet to perish so much of my
body as one hair of my head. I conjure thee Sibylia by all the royal words aforesaid,
and by their vertues and powers, I charge and bind thee by the vertue thereof, to be
obedient unto me, and to all the words aforesaid, and this bond to stand between
thee and me, upon pain of everlasting condemnation. Fiat, at, at, Amen.

I'm sure you can agree, there is plenty to get one's teeth into with this operation
alone! The three-part webinar course I'm beginning on Saturday will address these
and other similar operations as well as further contextualising the book, and
o ering examples of the actual use of such workings. We will, for instance, discuss
the seventeenth-century cunning-woman Mary Parrish's apparent adaptation of a
rite somewhat similar to the above working to summon and secure the ghost of an
executed friend she had met in debtor's prison.

So I hope you can join me on this webinar course for what promises to be an
exciting exploration of early modern cunning-craft. As always, if you'd like to
know more feel free to email at consultantsorcerer@gmail.com.

 Ritual Magic at the Museum of Witchcraft Upcoming Astrological Magic Anthology 

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“Necromancer (necromantes) he that practises that wicked Art, a Master of the Black Art, one that seeks to the dead; or consults
with Satan in the shape of a dead man. The Hebrews describe him thus; he made himself hungry, and then lodged among the
Graves, that the dead might come to him in a dream, and make known to him that which he asked, &c. Others there were that clad
themselves with cloathes for that purpose, and spoke certain words, burned Incense, and slept by themselves, that such a dead
person might come and talk with them in a dream.”
- Thomas Blout, Glossographia (London, 1661)

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