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Picatrix:

A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic

ISBN-13: 9780271082127
Publisher: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Imprint: PENN STATE UNIVERSITY PRESS
Translated by David Porreca, Translated by Dan Attrell
Price: AUD $86.99
Stock: 1 in stock
Availability: Order will be despatched as soon as possible.
Local release date: 16/04/2019
Format: Hardback (100.00mm X 100.00mm) 384 pages Weight: 700g
Categories: Religion & beliefs [HR]

Description

Table of Contents

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A manual for constructing talismans, mixing magical compounds, summoning planetary spirits, and determining astrological conditions, Picatrix is a cornerstone of Western esotericism. It offers important insights not only into occult practices and beliefs but also into the transmission of magical ideas from antiquity to the present. Dan Attrell and David Porreca's English translation opens the world of this vital medieval treatise to modern-day scholars and lay readers.

The original text, Ghayat al-?akim, was compiled in Arabic from over two hundred sources in the latter half of the tenth century. It was translated into Castilian Spanish in the mid-thirteenth century, and shortly thereafter into Latin. Based on David Pingree's edition of the Latin text, this translation captures the spirit of Picatrix's role in the European tradition. In the world of Picatrix, we see a seamless integration of practical magic, earnest piety, and traditional philosophy. The detailed introduction considers the text's reception through multiple iterations and includes an enlightening statistical breakdown of the spells and ingredients described in the book.

Framed by extensive research on the ancient and medieval context that gave rise to the Latin version of the text, this translation of Picatrix will be an indispensable volume for students and scholars of the history of science, magic, and religion and will fascinate anyone interested in the occult.

Contents

List of Tables

Acknowledgments

Introduction

A Prehistory of the Latin Picatrix

A Brief History of the Latin Text

On Knowledge, Wisdom, and Self-Legitimacy in the Picatrix

On Nigromancia

Th e Cosmology of the Picatrix

Th e Picatrix, Social History, and Material Culture

Psychoactive and/or Poisonous Substances in the Picatrix

Translators’ Notes

Picatrix

Prologue

Book 1

Book 2

Book 3

Book 4

Notes

Bibliography

Index of Terrestrial Names

Index of Celestial Names and Magical Words

Index of Subjects and Materials

“The Picatrix reemerged in the mid-fifteenth century, almost two centuries after the Latin version of the Ghâyat al-Hakîm had been produced. Thank goodness that this learned and living English translation of such an important Latin book of astral magic will reach its twenty-first-century audience of scholars and inquisitive spirits much more quickly!”

—Nicolas Weill-Parot, École Pratique des Hautes Études

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Picatrix:

A Medieval Treatise on Astral Magic