A classic of occultism - practical magic. Strong rituals for fulfillment of desire: Papus, Maria Lenormand, Lissy Moussa, Natalya Pravdina

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Papus, or Gerard Encausse, was born in Spain, in the town of La Coruca on July 13, 1865 in the family of a French woman and a Spaniard. When he was four years old, the family moved to France, where Gerard received his education.
In his youth, Encausse spent much time in the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris studying the Kabbalah, Tarot, magic, alchemy and the works of Eliphas Levi. The pseudonym "Papus", which Encausse subsequently took, was borrowed from Eliphas Levi's Nuctemeron of Apollonius of Tyana (published as an appendix to his book Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic) and meant "doctor". Papus became famous primarily as the author of more than 400 articles and 25 books on magic, Kabbalah and Tarot. He was considered a prominent figure in various occult organizations and Parisian spiritualistic and literary circles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
During his spiritual quest, Papus spent some time in the French Theosophical Society, but quickly left it, as he was dissatisfied with the fact that it studied only Eastern occultism. He then joined the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. At the same time with his friend, he founded the magazine “Initiation”, which was published until 1914. A craving for occult sciences brought him together with different people, famous scientists and doctors, with some he published scientific works, and with others he practiced in medical clinics, but in 1888 he, together with his mentors, founded the Order of the Rose Cross.
Papus himself repeatedly took part in the most famous duels of his time. And everywhere I tried to use my skills as a magician and healer. In one case, the horse of one of the duelists was seized with wild terror and almost took the life of its rider; moreover, during the duel, the pistols mystically misfired and everyone remained alive.
During the second duel, Papus's opponent's carriage overturned twice. And when the duelists began to fight with sabers, no one was seriously injured. Papus's magic worked unconditionally.
Subsequently, Papus became the last and only leader of the Cabalistic Order of the Rose-Croix. He also created the Martinist Order, which was based on two forgotten Masonic rites. This order has stood the test of time and continues the work of Papus to this day.
Papus was also one of the first to be ordained bishop of the Gnostic Church, an organization that positioned itself as the “true” Freemasons.
But, despite his serious studies in the occult, Papus did not give up his studies at the University of Paris. In 1894 he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine for a dissertation on philosophical anatomy, and later opened a clinic on the Rue Rodin and had a thriving practice.
Three times (in 1901, 1905 and 1906) Papus visited Russia with lectures on magic and the occult.

It is known from sources that he advised the crowned family as a doctor and occult advisor.
Papus also conducted seances and evoked the spirit of Alexander III, the father of Nicholas II, who predicted the tsar's death at the hands of the revolutionaries. According to written evidence, Papus promised to use magical experiments to delay the fulfillment of the prophecy until his own death (and this statement turned out to be very accurate, since Nicholas II lost his throne 141 days after the death of Papus himself). Apparently, Papus himself seemed to be a kind of shaman for the king and queen, but he assisted them in making government decisions. In personal correspondence, he repeatedly warned them about the negative influence of Grigory Rasputin.
There is information that Papus, together with Nicholas II, organized a Martinist lodge in Tsarskoe Selo, but this message has not been confirmed.
During World War I, Papus fought as part of the French medical corps. His contemporaries recalled that, as the chief physician of a front-line hospital, he spared no effort in treating not only French soldiers, but also German ones. Upon returning to Paris, he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 51.
His works were translated in many countries, and he was the most published of all occult authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries. “Practical Magic”, “Magic and Hypnotism”, “Initial Information on Occultism”, “The Science of Numbers”, “Kabbalah, or the Science of God” and many others were repeatedly published in Russian.
We present a new translation of his book “Practical Magic”, which for many years has deservedly enjoyed enormous popularity among readers interested in various magical and occult practices.

We give the following definition: Practical Magic is the art of influencing the dynamized will of man to accelerate the evolution of the living forces of Nature, and this book explains and develops this definition. We think that we were able to describe the theory of the human psyche, once proposed by Plato and developed in the works of Fabre d’Olivet, in accordance with the data of modern physiology. This part of the work is a necessary basis for further understanding of the topic.
At the same time, many chapters of this work are devoted to the study of the living forces of Nature, their astral origin and their correspondences in the sublunary world.
These important questions are very often not taken into account by those who began to study Magic without knowing the basic principles set forth in the traditions.
This book contains not only the general theory of magical actions, but also examples of prayers and spells. Naturally, when you have mastered Theoretical Magic well, then you will be able to do without these examples: your immortal spirit itself will suggest the necessary expressions that are ideally suited to each specific action. But this is your own business, my duty is to show you the way and irrevocably remove from it all those who are incapable.

Prayer! Spell! Mysterious formulas!

Don’t you think it’s funny that in the 19th century an author who claims to be thorough presents all this to the “sons of progress”, “famous children of the age of railways and telephones”, while also advising readers to protect themselves from such extremes as clericalism and materialism?
Isn't this enough to make the modern skeptic, vain, proud and impatient, throw this book into the fire?
In our time, when such phenomena are becoming fashionable everywhere, when “magicians”, “clairvoyants” and “great initiates”, “professors of occultism and witchcraft” are growing around us like mushrooms and overwhelming publishing houses with their obscure works, a ray of light is urgently needed , a guiding thread that allows thoughtful readers to appreciate these “great people” at their true worth. And if the proposed work helps them even a little in this matter, we will be fully rewarded for our efforts.
If we talk about people who sincerely believe in the correctness of modern official science and consider the practice of magic to be pure quackery or the play of a sick imagination, let’s ask them: shouldn’t the laws of development apply to physical forces in the same way as they apply to the rest of Nature? and will we take upon ourselves the courage to set any boundaries for the transformation of energy in any of its forms?
And doesn’t the whole course of history prove to us that very often what is considered wisdom today was called madness yesterday, and doesn’t it follow by analogy that what seems illogical to us is just a logical manifestation of reasons still unknown to us?
After all, the action of an electric machine with insulated glass legs is considered logical, converting mechanical work spent on rotating its glass disk into electrical energy and accumulating this electrical energy on the metal balls of the conductor. Why then, a priori, is the action of a magician considered senseless and absurd, isolated within his circle and transforming into astral energy the physical and mental work that he has done on his body in the process of preparation, and accumulating this energy on a metal ball located at the end of his wooden, covered varnish of the wand?
Everyone finds it logical and rational to have a lightning rod that attracts and extinguishes the electrical energy of a cloud, or a metal tip that dissipates electrical energy in a Ramsden machine.
But when a magician, armed with a metal tip called a magic sword, absorbs the energy concentrated in the system of astral forces, then immediately everyone who considers themselves entitled to bear the title of people of science shouts: “madness,” “hallucination,” or “deception”!
I repeat: the forces used by the magician are of the same order as all other forces of Nature, and they are subject to the same laws. The difference is that they originate from the transformation of psychic energy in a living environment and retain traces of their psychic origin in the form of some signs of rationality.
The illiterate and fanatical person sees these forces as the devil; the scientist, who is prevented from calmly studying his microbes, sees only the whims of those who have the courage to study questions that are not included in the curriculum of any university in the world.
A serious researcher must be fully aware of all the smallest details of the issue being studied and must not react to words, no matter where they come from.

You, of course, have heard the joke about the chicken egg that Christopher Columbus put on the table? There is no need to repeat it to you again.
This anecdote shows that, simply put, of all the solutions to any problem, the simplest one is the hardest to find. Likewise, Magic seems mysterious and incomprehensible to those who decide to study it seriously, only because the student immediately delves into complex details, in which he becomes confused.
Readers see that I, as an author, love comparisons and sometimes even abuse them. Whether this habit is a disadvantage or an advantage, it is so deeply rooted in me that I will not give it up in this work, just as I have never given it up before. Therefore, it seems to me that an excellent beginning for explaining Magic is such a strange, at first glance, question: “Have you seen a carriage driving down the street?”
“Why this question?” - you ask. And besides, I will answer to show you that someone who carefully observed the crew can easily comprehend Mechanics, Philosophy, Physiology and, among other things, Magic.
If you consider my question and, most importantly, my answer stupid, it means that you do not know how to observe; what you look but do not see; you sense it, but you don’t feel it. This also means that you do not have the habit of thinking about what you see, looking for connections between the simplest objects.
One day, Socrates, walking through the streets of Athens, saw a man carrying firewood and noticed how skillfully they were stacked. The philosopher approached and talked with this man, after which he took him as his student, from whom the famous Xenophon later grew up. From this it is clear that Socrates saw better with his mind's eye than with his eyes.
So, if you decide to study Magic, then first you need to realize the following idea: all the phenomena of the external world that strike your senses are just visible reflections of invisible ideas and laws that can be deduced by the thinking mind from these sensory perceptions.
What should interest you, as a serious person, in the personality of another? Not his clothes, but his character and the way he acts. Clothing, especially the manner of wearing it, only roughly indicates a person’s upbringing, and this is only a weak reflection of his internal properties.
This means that all physical phenomena that strike our senses are only reflections - the “clothing” of higher entities - ideas. The bronze statue standing before me is the form in which the sculptor has clothed his thought; a chair is a material representation of a craftsman’s thought. And this applies to all of Nature: a tree, an insect, a flower - all these are materialized images of abstractions in the full sense of the word. These abstractions are not noticed by the scientist who is concerned only with the external essence of things, for whom this is quite enough. On the contrary, poets and women better understand this mysterious language of Nature, intuitively feeling what universal love is. You and I will soon see why Magic is the science of love, but for now let’s return to our crew.
A carriage, a horse, a coachman - that’s the whole philosophy, the whole Magic, of course, if we consider this rough example as just an analogy with skillful observation.
Please note: if the coachman (a thinking being) wanted, while sitting in the carriage, to set it in motion without the help of a horse, he would not have succeeded. Don’t laugh and call me an eccentric, because many people consider Magic to be the art of moving carriages without horses or, in scientific terms, influencing matter by force of will without any intermediary agent.
So, let's remember the first thing: a coachman, sitting in a carriage, cannot set it in motion without a horse. But have you noticed that although the horse is stronger than the coachman, he subjugates this brute force with the help of the reins and leads it? If you paid attention to this, then you are already half a magician, and we can safely continue our studies, presenting our example in “scientific language.”
The coachman symbolizes the mind, and mainly the will, that directs the movement, so it can be called the “controlling principle.”
The crew symbolizes inert matter that supports a rational being and is a “movable principle.”
The horse represents strength. Submitting to the coachman and influencing the carriage, the horse sets in motion the entire system, this is the “motive principle”, which at the same time represents the intermediate principle between the coachman and the carriage - the connection of what supports with the one who controls, that is, matter with will .
If you understand this well, then you have learned to observe the crew and now you can understand what Magic is.
As you understand, it is very important to be able to control a horse, resist its whims, know how to make it exert all its strength at the right moment or, conversely, save it for the entire long journey.
In fact, the coachman is the human will, the horse is life in all its manifestations, the same for all animate and inanimate objects. From this it follows that life is an intermediary, a connection, without which the will cannot influence matter, just as a coachman cannot influence an unharnessed carriage.
If your brain does not have enough blood to carry out its functions, then your will, no matter how much you want, will not be able to set your body in motion, you will be paralyzed, and gradually you will even lose consciousness. This means that anemia is a lack of dynamism in the blood, and dynamism is the force that the blood supplies to all organs, including the brain; call it oxygen, heat, oxyhemoglobin - with this you will only describe its external properties, its shell; but if you call it life force, you will define its real character.
Do you see now how useful it is to look at the carriages passing along the street? Our horse has turned into an image of blood - (vital force!) acting in our body, and then, of course, you will understand that the carriage is an image of our body, and the coachman is an image of our will.
It happens that we get so irritated that we “lose our heads,” our blood rushes to the brain, in other words, the horse bites the bit, and then woe to the coachman if he does not have the strength to cope with the horse. Under no circumstances should he let go of the reins, but on the contrary, pull them tightly - and the horse, tamed by the coachman’s energy, will gradually calm down.
The same can be said about a human being: his coachman (will) must influence anger with his energy, tightening the reins connecting the life force with the will, and the person will quickly calm down.
In order for the coachman to be able to curb a horse that is many times stronger than him, he needs reins and a bit. In humans, the means by which the will influences the body is nervous force. The ability to direct and concentrate this nervous force is the first degree of magical development.
However, to perform magical actions it is not enough to know the structure of the human body and its will. It is also not enough to study the technique of magical actions from any textbook - you need to practice regularly; just like becoming a coachman, constantly driving horses.
The difference between Magic and General Occultism is that Magic is a practical science, while General Occultism studies theory. But trying to perform magical experiments without knowing the Occult is the same as driving a locomotive without knowing about Mechanics. Just as the dream of a child with a wooden saber to turn into a general will never come true, the dream of a layman who knows magic firsthand will never come true - to stop the flow of water or the movement of the Sun with the help of a spell memorized by heart for the sake of bragging in front of friends or to seduce a girl from a neighboring villages. How great is his disappointment when such an experiment fails!
And what would the soldiers say if a kid with a wooden saber suddenly began to command them?
Before you can control the power contained in the grain, you must first learn to control yourself.
Never forget that in order to receive a professorship, you must first graduate from high school and higher education. Well, for those who find this difficult, they can become a groom, for which a few months of training is enough.
Like all applied sciences, Practical Magic requires knowledge of relevant theories. You can become an engineer by studying Mechanics at a higher educational institution, or a technician if you study in a locksmith workshop. It's the same with Magic.
There are people in the villages who cure certain diseases and perform interesting actions - they learned this art from others. Such people are called sorcerers, although it is completely in vain to be afraid of them. Along with these mechanics of Magic, there are people who have studied the theory of the magical actions they perform; these are engineers of Magic, and the work we offer is intended mainly for them.
We have already said that Practical Magic is an applied science; it teaches us the applications of will - this guiding principle, the coachman of the system. What is the will attached to? Just not to matter, since this would mean the coachman’s desire to move the unharnessed carriage while sitting on the box. But the coachman leads the horse, not the carriage.
One of the most important achievements of Occultism is the position that the spirit cannot directly influence matter; it only influences the intermediate principle, which transmits this influence to matter itself.
Thus, the magician must influence with his will not directly on matter, but only on that which constantly modifies it, on what in Occultism is called the “plane of formation” of the material world, or the astral plane.
Magic was once defined as the application of will to the forces of Nature, and modern physical sciences formed part of Magic: the initiate was taught to handle heat, light and electricity. However, in our time this definition has become too narrow and does not correspond to the concept that the occultist has of Practical Magic.
Undoubtedly, the Magician or his student influences with their will some forces of Nature; All that remains is to establish which ones. Obviously, not physical ones, since handling them is the specialty of an engineer, not a magician.
But you and I know that, in addition to physical forces originating from machines, there are also hyperphysical forces, originating, unlike the first, from living beings.
Consideration of the forces released by living beings, namely: heat, light and electricity, is not included in our program, because, I repeat once again, these are purely physical forces.
In 1854, Reichenbach, having carried out a series of experiments, proved that living beings and some magnetic bodies emit special fluids in the dark that are visible to sensitive people. As Reichenbach himself believed, these fluids represent a manifestation of an unknown force, which he called “odam.” Later, Dr. Lewis and Colonel de Rocha also observed various manifestations of the same phenomenon. Science has now confirmed the existence of this force, and we can confidently base our further research on it.
In India there is a group of people called fakirs, who through many years of exercise have developed the ability to control these hyperphysical forces.
One of their usual experiments is as follows: at a distance of one and a half meters from the fakir sitting on the floor, they place a pot of earth and plant a seed of some plant in it. The fakir, fixing his gaze on him, gradually turns pale and freezes in one position, with his hands outstretched to the grain, immersed in a state of trance, while his body cools slightly.
After some time, a shoot appears in the pot and begins to grow quickly.
If you do not interrupt the experiment, then in three to four hours the plant will bloom, and then ripe fruits suitable for food will appear on it.
What happened in this case?
The will of the fakir focused the nervous force of his organism, thereby bringing into action the vital force latent in the grain and causing the plant to pass in a few minutes into a state that it would have reached only after several months of normal growth. Everyone knows this power - this is life.
We will not now examine whether life is the effect or the cause of organic movement. We are interested in the essence of what happened, which is that the will of the fakir influenced the plant force dormant in the grain and forced it not only to awaken, but also forced it to act much more energetically than is usually the case.
Can this be called a supernatural phenomenon? Not at all.
The fakir, having accelerated the normal course of natural phenomena, conducted a magical experiment without doing anything supernatural. By influencing the life of the plant, the fakir influenced its matter. So how did it affect the dormant life of the plant?
Knowledge of occult Science allows us to give an unambiguous answer: with our own vital force, in the language of modern Medicine called the force that produces phenomena in the plant or organic life of a human being.
The main thing that may confuse an observer accustomed to dealing with physical forces is that the life force comes out of a person and acts at a distance; but even a superficial study of the healings performed by modern psychics over the past 50 years will direct the researcher on the right path.
Let us explain the experience of a fakir using the example of our crew.
Let us imagine a fakir as a team, the driver of which represents the will, the horse the vital force, and the carriage the body.

Practical magic

Foreword from the editor

In his youth, Encausse spent much time in the Bibliothèque Nationale de Paris studying the Kabbalah, Tarot, magic, alchemy and the works of Eliphas Levi. The pseudonym "Papus", which Encausse subsequently took, was borrowed from Eliphas Levi's Nuctemeron of Apollonius of Tyana (published as an appendix to his book Dogmas and Rituals of High Magic) and meant "doctor". Papus became famous primarily as the author of more than 400 articles and 25 books on magic, Kabbalah and Tarot. He was considered a prominent figure in various occult organizations and Parisian spiritualistic and literary circles of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

During his spiritual quest, Papus spent some time in the French Theosophical Society, but quickly left it, as he was dissatisfied with the fact that it studied only Eastern occultism. He then joined the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. At the same time with his friend, he founded the magazine “Initiation”, which was published until 1914. A craving for occult sciences brought him together with different people, famous scientists and doctors, with some he published scientific works, and with others he practiced in medical clinics, but in 1888 he, together with his mentors, founded the Order of the Rose Cross.

Papus himself repeatedly took part in the most famous duels of his time. And everywhere I tried to use my skills as a magician and healer. In one case, the horse of one of the duelists was seized with wild terror and almost took the life of its rider; moreover, during the duel, the pistols mystically misfired and everyone remained alive.

During the second duel, Papus's opponent's carriage overturned twice. And when the duelists began to fight with sabers, no one was seriously injured. Papus's magic worked unconditionally.

Subsequently, Papus became the last and only leader of the Cabalistic Order of the Rose-Croix. He also created the Martinist Order, which was based on two forgotten Masonic rites. This order has stood the test of time and continues the work of Papus to this day.

Papus was also one of the first to be ordained bishop of the Gnostic Church, an organization that positioned itself as the “true” Freemasons.

But, despite his serious studies in the occult, Papus did not give up his studies at the University of Paris. In 1894 he received the degree of Doctor of Medicine for a dissertation on philosophical anatomy, and later opened a clinic on the Rue Rodin and had a thriving practice.

Three times (in 1901, 1905 and 1906) Papus visited Russia with lectures on magic and the occult. It is known from sources that he advised the crowned family as a doctor and occult advisor.

Papus also conducted seances and evoked the spirit of Alexander III, the father of Nicholas II, who predicted the tsar's death at the hands of the revolutionaries. According to written evidence, Papus promised to use magical experiments to delay the fulfillment of the prophecy until his own death (and this statement turned out to be very accurate, since Nicholas II lost his throne 141 days after the death of Papus himself). Apparently, Papus himself seemed to be a kind of shaman for the king and queen, but he assisted them in making government decisions. In personal correspondence, he repeatedly warned them about the negative influence of Grigory Rasputin.

There is information that Papus, together with Nicholas II, organized a Martinist lodge in Tsarskoe Selo, but this message has not been confirmed.

During World War I, Papus fought as part of the French medical corps. His contemporaries recalled that, as the chief physician of a front-line hospital, he spared no effort in treating not only French soldiers, but also German ones. Upon returning to Paris, he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 51.

His works were translated in many countries, and he was the most published of all occult authors of the 19th and early 20th centuries. “Practical Magic”, “Magic and Hypnotism”, “Initial Information on Occultism”, “The Science of Numbers”, “Kabbalah, or the Science of God” and many others were repeatedly published in Russian.

We present a new translation of his book “Practical Magic”, which for many years has deservedly enjoyed enormous popularity among readers interested in various magical and occult practices.

The book “Practical Magic” by Papus will be useful to everyone who has decided to seriously study supernatural knowledge. Magicians, witches, and healers have existed for a long time. At different times they were called differently. Many people are afraid of them, and an equally large number do not believe in the existence of something magical, invisible, inexplicable.

At the same time, magic is of particular interest. People have always wanted to know the future, change their situation, understand how to act, and very often they were ready to do anything to save loved ones or themselves from illness. That's why secret knowledge is so popular. There are magicians and fortune tellers even now, but among them there are many charlatans who only want money. This book will help you develop the skills of a magician within yourself, so as not to turn to dubious people for help. And perhaps you will even be able to help someone else.

From this book, readers will learn how to develop extrasensory perception abilities. The author tells how man and nature are connected and energetically influence each other. He gives examples of spells and rituals. With the help of the book, you can learn how to perform special exercises that will help you focus on a specific subject. Readers will also learn how to use their thoughts and actions to achieve their desired goals and change their lives. Of course, you will have to try, not everything works out the first time, but it is quite possible that you will be able to comprehend something new and mysterious.

On our website you can download the book “Practical Magic” by Papus for free and without registration in fb2, rtf, epub, pdf, txt format, read the book online or buy the book in the online store.

Gerard Encausse offered the world a special approach to the study of occult sciences in practice in his work Practical Magic by Papus. He outlined his thoughts on this topic in two volumes of the book “White and Black Magic”. White magic is contained in the first volume. Here, through this ancient teaching, the reader will be able to learn various special techniques for influencing the outside world. Occultism and rituals of interaction with spirits are discussed in the second volume of the same book. Papus's magic - black or white - is, in principle, available to anyone who is willing to study this topic and adhere to the tips given in the books.

Practical magic by Papus - the occult textbook of all times

It is perhaps worth saying something special about this work of the great mystic and occultist. The book “Practical Magic” deserves a special mention of it, as it is capable of revealing new knowledge not only to beginners, but also to experienced magicians. Modern psychics of all stripes even today use the knowledge of Papus, which they themselves openly declare. His books are capable of revealing the psychic potential in every person who sets a similar goal. The system outlined by Papus with all his scrupulousness as a doctor and scientist makes it possible to direct theoretical knowledge in the right direction so that it can then be applied in practice.

Practical Magic is a symbiosis of science and mystical rituals with a bias towards the development of man as an individual. The author of the book believes that our spiritual world is closely connected with the physical, and therefore it is unreasonable to consider the soul and the invisible world without recognizing the structure of the world of the physical and visible body.

A person, according to Papus, consists of different types of personalities: some of them manifest themselves both during sleep and while awake, while others are visible only when they wake up from sleep (intellectual personality). The human body is closely connected with Nature and obeys the same laws as it. God manifests himself both in Nature and in man himself.

Man is the only judge and master of his actions, since the Creator granted him free will and the right to choose.

God, according to Papus, cannot be responsible for human misfortunes ,

because, as mentioned above, a person himself is responsible for them. Man, Nature and God are one, and in this unity lies great power. The mystic explains in his book that the Spirit of each individual is connected with the sensations that occur inside, so ignoring the needs of the body is stupid and dangerous. Body language is pain, letting you know that not everything is okay with the body. The body can also experience physical satisfaction by transmitting similar sensations to the spirit. But the real essence of everyone is not the body, but his soul.

Papus considers the concept of God broadly: He is in everything and everyone, His will gave humanity life and the means of existence in this life.

Thus, followers of Kabbalah and other mystics call:

Father - the Person responsible for the world in general and life in particular;
Son - the Person under whose command the human race;
Spirit - Personality who is responsible for connections with Nature.

Man also consists of three principles:

Macrocosm;
Microcosm;
Archetype.

And in general, any person is a smaller copy of the world. It obeys the same laws that the rest of the Universe obeys. Nature became the fulcrum and center for the manifestation of other principles. Man has certain properties due to which he is able to influence nature. He is the chain that connects creation with the Creator. With the help of reason and words, he is able to influence other people, and with the help of prayer, he is able to connect with God. For anyone who would like to understand the secrets of man and the Universe, this book is an indispensable guide. Papus talks a lot in it about the Creator of all things.

God controls the world by putting its other elements into action and connecting purpose and action into one whole and indivisible.

He also controls Providence, but does not interfere with the manifestations of other principles.

With the help of nature, everyone receives parents and relatives; with the help of society, a position in society. A person fights Fate with the help of his own Will and is able to control it, depending on the circumstances, subordinating it to one force or another. But most importantly -

a person is free to choose the side of Evil or the side of Good.

As for further, so-called ternary connections of being, then, according to the teachings of Papus:

facts - relate to the knowledge of nature;

laws - to the knowledge of man;

principles are the prerogative of God.

In addition to works of a conceptual nature, Papus also left us many works of an applied nature. And among them -

"Village Magic"

This book – Ceremonial magic in its purest form. Some practical guidance in the world of magic and the occult. In it you can find recipes for potions, spells, prayers and various occult techniques. Gerard borrowed all this from practitioners: witches from the countryside, whose traditions remained untouched by time.

In witchcraft - as strange as it may sound - there is its own classification of attributes and names of objects, as well as the means used in it. Thus, in “Village Magic,” Papus offers the reader some of this information, arranged in alphabetical order, for familiarization. Here magicians will be able to find for themselves all the terminology and definitions they need in their works. And the statement that village magic is incomparable with its other movements due to its simplicity and the absence of the need to use special paraphernalia is false. Know that rituals performed according to the principles of village magic work no worse than any others!..

Banishing corruption

Papus, revealing the essence of the terminology of the magical world, in his book “Practical Magic” explains damage as a kind of dark creature, fed by the magician who called it and poisoning the life of a person (usually an enemy).

Gerard explained that a lot of diseases that appear, at first glance, seemingly out of nowhere, can be the result of ordinary damage. He also gives examples of rituals of casting the evil eye or damaging enemies.

As for the expulsion of damage, it should be carried out using white magic. The ritual of delivering a person from the damage sent to him is given in the book “Black and White Magic,” and specifically in its second volume.

Removing damage from a church

The most effective method of removing damage is to enlist the help of a priest, who, during the service and prayers, helps the person get rid of the misfortune sent to him. But this method can only be effective if a person believes in God and himself prays for the salvation of his soul and help in business. Otherwise, expelling corruption may not be successful, especially if the person is not baptized and not a believer.

How to remove damage yourself

In order to remove damage yourself, you need to know what type of damage was applied to you. Thus, Papus in the collection “Black and White Magic” describes six methods of causing damage, carried out precisely and with the help of:

The waters with which the deceased was washed;
Volta - a figure depicting an enemy;
Using a hair (the ritual lasts 9 days);
Using nails in the trail left by an ill-wisher;
To the wind;
For trading.

Depending on what capabilities the magician has, the ritual he chooses can be determined.

The manual for practicing magicians from Papus provides examples of how a person should deal with damage caused either to himself or to someone from his environment. But without proper preparation, you are unlikely to be able to get rid of the most powerful magical effects. And if you feel that your failures or illnesses are of a magical nature, you should go to church and tell the priest about it, asking for deliverance from illnesses and evil influences.

General interpretation of Papus's activities

This in many ways unique person, in addition to everything listed above, was also involved in the interpretation of books of occult content, interpreting their content into more understandable forms. Thus, he worked on the work “The Keys of Solomon,” which, according to researchers, opens a figurative door to comprehend mystical secrets. In his books, referring to the Keys of Solomon, the author points out rituals that allow not only to summon dark creatures (demons) from the other world, but also to use their powers for one’s own purposes, to magically influence the course of certain events.

But it is important to remember that control over higher forces requires compliance with all practical safety rules. In addition to interpretations related to the summoning of various kinds of creatures and otherworldly entities, Papus talks in his books about the production of diverse magical paraphernalia, and about carrying out all kinds of occult and magical rituals.

All his works are accompanied by numerous illustrations, which also greatly helps to understand the application of the rituals described. Those who long to know the mysteries of love and love witchcraft can also find in Papus a lot of advice and specific mystical practices: he also describes various kinds of love spells and all kinds of ceremonies. An undoubted advantage of his books can be considered a clear and understandable style of presentation: many things that are incomprehensible at first glance are explained and revealed here in the best possible way.

In a word, the legacy of Papus and, in general, the practice and philosophy of occultism of the great initiate - all these descriptions of spells and ceremonies, pentacles (certain symbols containing certain occult meanings), advice and much more... All this is an invaluable guide to understanding and then, perhaps, to further use. But, it must be said in this regard that before trying to embark on the path of witchcraft, a person should take care of having certain specific knowledge.

Mistakes by novice magicians usually occur due to their lack of understanding of the essence of rituals and other nuances and mystical processes. And often these mistakes can have irreversible consequences...

“Happiness for a Magician is the fruit of the science of Good and Evil, but God allows this eternal fruit to be picked by a person who has achieved self-control in order to approach it without greed...

- Papus, "Gypsy Tarot"

...On October 25, 1916, Gerard Anaclet Vincent Encausse Papus said something strange to his wife Mathilde: “Monsieur Philippe is calling me away,” he suddenly said, and died...

Foreword from the editor

During the second duel, Papus's opponent's carriage overturned twice. And when the duelists began to fight with sabers, no one was seriously injured. Papus's magic worked unconditionally.

Papus was also one of the first to be ordained bishop of the Gnostic Church, an organization that positioned itself as the “true” Freemasons.

Three times (in 1901, 1905 and 1906) Papus visited Russia with lectures on magic and the occult. It is known from sources that he advised the crowned family as a doctor and occult advisor.

There is information that Papus, together with Nicholas II, organized a Martinist lodge in Tsarskoe Selo, but this message has not been confirmed.

We present a new translation of his book “Practical Magic”, which for many years has deservedly enjoyed enormous popularity among readers interested in various magical and occult practices.

Introduction

What is Practical Magic

At the same time, many chapters of this work are devoted to the study of the living forces of Nature, their astral origin and their correspondences in the sublunary world.

These important questions are very often not taken into account by those who began to study Magic without knowing the basic principles set forth in the traditions.

This book contains not only the general theory of magical actions, but also examples of prayers and spells. Naturally, when you have mastered Theoretical Magic well, then you will be able to do without these examples: your immortal spirit itself will suggest the necessary expressions that are ideally suited to each specific action. But this is your own business, my duty is to show you the way and irrevocably remove from it all those who are incapable.

Prayer! Spell! Mysterious formulas!

Isn't this enough to make the modern skeptic, vain, proud and impatient, throw this book into the fire?

In our time, when such phenomena are becoming fashionable everywhere, when “magicians”, “clairvoyants” and “great initiates”, “professors of occultism and witchcraft” are growing around us like mushrooms and overwhelming publishing houses with their obscure works, a ray of light is urgently needed , a guiding thread that allows thoughtful readers to appreciate these “great people” at their true worth. And if the proposed work helps them even a little in this matter, we will be fully rewarded for our efforts.

If we talk about people who sincerely believe in the correctness of modern official science and consider the practice of magic to be pure quackery or the play of a sick imagination, let’s ask them: shouldn’t the laws of development apply to physical forces in the same way as they apply to the rest of Nature? and will we take upon ourselves the courage to set any boundaries for the transformation of energy in any of its forms?

And doesn’t the whole course of history prove to us that very often what is considered wisdom today was called madness yesterday, and doesn’t it follow by analogy that what seems illogical to us is just a logical manifestation of reasons still unknown to us?

After all, the action of an electric machine with insulated glass legs is considered logical, converting mechanical work spent on rotating its glass disk into electrical energy and accumulating this electrical energy on the metal balls of the conductor. Why then, a priori, is the action of a magician considered senseless and absurd, isolated within his circle and transforming into astral energy the physical and mental work that he has done on his body in the process of preparation, and accumulating this energy on a metal ball located at the end of his wooden, covered varnish of the wand?

Everyone finds it logical and rational to have a lightning rod that attracts and extinguishes the electrical energy of a cloud, or a metal tip that dissipates electrical energy in a Ramsden machine.

But when a magician, armed with a metal tip called a magic sword, absorbs the energy concentrated in the system of astral forces, then immediately everyone who considers themselves entitled to bear the title of people of science shouts: “madness,” “hallucination,” or “deception”!

I repeat: the forces used by the magician are of the same order as all other forces of Nature, and they are subject to the same laws. The difference is that they originate from the transformation of psychic energy in a living environment and retain traces of their psychic origin in the form of some signs of rationality.

The illiterate and fanatical person sees these forces as the devil; the scientist, who is prevented from calmly studying his microbes, sees only the whims of those who have the courage to study questions that are not included in the curriculum of any university in the world.

A serious researcher must be fully aware of all the smallest details of the issue being studied and must not react to words, no matter where they come from.

Papus

Chapter 1: Definition of Magic

You, of course, have heard the joke about the chicken egg that Christopher Columbus put on the table? There is no need to repeat it to you again.

This anecdote shows that, simply put, of all the solutions to any problem, the simplest one is the hardest to find. Likewise, Magic seems mysterious and incomprehensible to those who decide to study it seriously, only because the student immediately delves into complex details, in which he becomes confused.

Readers see that I, as an author, love comparisons and sometimes even abuse them. Whether this habit is a disadvantage or an advantage, it is so deeply rooted in me that I will not give it up in this work, just as I have never given it up before. Therefore, it seems to me that an excellent beginning for explaining Magic is such a strange, at first glance, question: “Have you seen a carriage driving down the street?”

“Why this question?” - you ask. And besides, I will answer to show you that someone who carefully observed the crew can easily comprehend Mechanics, Philosophy, Physiology and, among other things, Magic.

If you consider my question and, most importantly, my answer stupid, it means that you do not know how to observe; what you look but do not see; you sense it, but you don’t feel it. This also means that you do not have the habit of thinking about what you see, looking for connections between the simplest objects.

One day, Socrates, walking through the streets of Athens, saw a man carrying firewood and noticed how skillfully they were stacked. The philosopher approached and talked with this man, after which he took him as his student, from whom the famous Xenophon later grew up. From this it is clear that Socrates saw better with his mind's eye than with his eyes.

So, if you decide to study Magic, then first you need to realize the following idea: all the phenomena of the external world that strike your senses are just visible reflections of invisible ideas and laws that can be deduced by the thinking mind from these sensory perceptions.

What should interest you, as a serious person, in the personality of another? Not his clothes, but his character and the way he acts. Clothing, especially the manner of wearing it, only roughly indicates a person’s upbringing, and this is only a weak reflection of his internal properties.

This means that all physical phenomena that strike our senses are only reflections - the “clothing” of higher entities - ideas. The bronze statue standing before me is the form in which the sculptor has clothed his thought; a chair is a material representation of a craftsman’s thought. And this applies to all of Nature: a tree, an insect, a flower - all these are materialized images of abstractions in the full sense of the word. These abstractions are not noticed by the scientist who is concerned only with the external essence of things, for whom this is quite enough. On the contrary, poets and women better understand this mysterious language of Nature, intuitively feeling what universal love is. You and I will soon see why Magic is the science of love, but for now let’s return to our crew.

A carriage, a horse, a coachman - that’s the whole philosophy, the whole Magic, of course, if we consider this rough example as just an analogy with skillful observation.

Please note: if the coachman (a thinking being) wanted, while sitting in the carriage, to set it in motion without the help of a horse, he would not have succeeded. Don’t laugh and call me an eccentric, because many people consider Magic to be the art of moving carriages without horses or, in scientific terms, influencing matter by force of will without any intermediary agent.

So, let's remember the first thing: a coachman, sitting in a carriage, cannot set it in motion without a horse. But have you noticed that although the horse is stronger than the coachman, he subjugates this brute force with the help of the reins and leads it? If you paid attention to this, then you are already half a magician, and we can safely continue our studies, presenting our example in “scientific language.”

The coachman symbolizes the mind, and mainly the will, that directs the movement, so it can be called the “controlling principle.”

The crew symbolizes inert matter that supports a rational being and is a “movable principle.”

The horse represents strength. Submitting to the coachman and influencing the carriage, the horse sets in motion the entire system, this is the “motive principle”, which at the same time represents the intermediate principle between the coachman and the carriage - the connection of what supports with the one who controls, that is, matter with will .

If you understand this well, then you have learned to observe the crew and now you can understand what Magic is.

As you understand, it is very important to be able to control a horse, resist its whims, know how to make it exert all its strength at the right moment or, conversely, save it for the entire long journey.

In fact, the coachman is the human will, the horse is life in all its manifestations, the same for all animate and inanimate objects. From this it follows that life is an intermediary, a connection, without which the will cannot influence matter, just as a coachman cannot influence an unharnessed carriage.

If your brain does not have enough blood to carry out its functions, then your will, no matter how much you want, will not be able to set your body in motion, you will be paralyzed, and gradually you will even lose consciousness. This means that anemia is a lack of dynamism in the blood, and dynamism is the force that the blood supplies to all organs, including the brain; call it oxygen, heat, oxyhemoglobin - with this you will only describe its external properties, its shell; but if you call it life force, you will define its real character.

Do you see now how useful it is to look at the carriages passing along the street? Our horse has turned into an image of blood - (vital force!) acting in our body, and then, of course, you will understand that the carriage is an image of our body, and the coachman is an image of our will.

It happens that we get so irritated that we “lose our heads,” our blood rushes to the brain, in other words, the horse bites the bit, and then woe to the coachman if he does not have the strength to cope with the horse. Under no circumstances should he let go of the reins, but on the contrary, pull them tightly - and the horse, tamed by the coachman’s energy, will gradually calm down.

The same can be said about a human being: his coachman (will) must influence anger with his energy, tightening the reins connecting the life force with the will, and the person will quickly calm down.

In order for the coachman to be able to curb a horse that is many times stronger than him, he needs reins and a bit. In humans, the means by which the will influences the body is nervous force. The ability to direct and concentrate this nervous force is the first degree of magical development.

However, to perform magical actions it is not enough to know the structure of the human body and its will. It is also not enough to study the technique of magical actions from any textbook - you need to practice regularly; just like becoming a coachman, constantly driving horses.

The difference between Magic and General Occultism is that Magic is a practical science, while General Occultism studies theory. But trying to perform magical experiments without knowing the Occult is the same as driving a locomotive without knowing about Mechanics. Just as the dream of a child with a wooden saber to turn into a general will never come true, the dream of a layman who knows magic firsthand will never come true - to stop the flow of water or the movement of the Sun with the help of a spell memorized by heart for the sake of bragging in front of friends or to seduce a girl from a neighboring villages. How great is his disappointment when such an experiment fails!

And what would the soldiers say if a kid with a wooden saber suddenly began to command them?

Before you can control the power contained in the grain, you must first learn to control yourself.

Never forget that in order to receive a professorship, you must first graduate from high school and higher education. Well, for those who find this difficult, they can become a groom, for which a few months of training is enough.

Like all applied sciences, Practical Magic requires knowledge of relevant theories. You can become an engineer by studying Mechanics at a higher educational institution, or a technician if you study in a locksmith workshop. It's the same with Magic.

There are people in the villages who cure certain diseases and perform interesting actions - they learned this art from others. Such people are called sorcerers, although it is completely in vain to be afraid of them. Along with these mechanics of Magic, there are people who have studied the theory of the magical actions they perform; these are engineers of Magic, and the work we offer is intended mainly for them.

We have already said that Practical Magic is an applied science; it teaches us the applications of will - this guiding principle, the coachman of the system. What is the will attached to? Just not to matter, since this would mean the coachman’s desire to move the unharnessed carriage while sitting on the box. But the coachman leads the horse, not the carriage.

One of the most important achievements of Occultism is the position that the spirit cannot directly influence matter; it only influences the intermediate principle, which transmits this influence to matter itself.

Thus, the magician must influence with his will not directly on matter, but only on that which constantly modifies it, on what in Occultism is called the “plane of formation” of the material world, or the astral plane.

Magic was once defined as the application of will to the forces of Nature, and modern physical sciences formed part of Magic: the initiate was taught to handle heat, light and electricity. However, in our time this definition has become too narrow and does not correspond to the concept that the occultist has of Practical Magic.

Undoubtedly, the Magician or his student influences with their will some forces of Nature; All that remains is to establish which ones. Obviously, not physical ones, since handling them is the specialty of an engineer, not a magician.

But you and I know that, in addition to physical forces originating from machines, there are also hyperphysical forces, originating, unlike the first, from living beings.

Consideration of the forces released by living beings, namely: heat, light and electricity, is not included in our program, because, I repeat once again, these are purely physical forces.

In 1854, Reichenbach, having carried out a series of experiments, proved that living beings and some magnetic bodies emit special fluids in the dark that are visible to sensitive people. As Reichenbach himself believed, these fluids represent a manifestation of an unknown force, which he called “odam.” Later, Dr. Lewis and Colonel de Rocha also observed various manifestations of the same phenomenon. Science has now confirmed the existence of this force, and we can confidently base our further research on it.

In India there is a group of people called fakirs, who through many years of exercise have developed the ability to control these hyperphysical forces.

One of their usual experiments is as follows: at a distance of one and a half meters from the fakir sitting on the floor, they place a pot of earth and plant a seed of some plant in it. The fakir, fixing his gaze on him, gradually turns pale and freezes in one position, with his hands outstretched to the grain, immersed in a state of trance, while his body cools slightly.

After some time, a shoot appears in the pot and begins to grow quickly.

If you do not interrupt the experiment, then in three to four hours the plant will bloom, and then ripe fruits suitable for food will appear on it.

What happened in this case?

The will of the fakir focused the nervous force of his organism, thereby bringing into action the vital force latent in the grain and causing the plant to pass in a few minutes into a state that it would have reached only after several months of normal growth. Everyone knows this power - this is life.

We will not now examine whether life is the effect or the cause of organic movement. We are interested in the essence of what happened, which is that the will of the fakir influenced the plant force dormant in the grain and forced it not only to awaken, but also forced it to act much more energetically than is usually the case.

Can this be called a supernatural phenomenon? Not at all.

The fakir, having accelerated the normal course of natural phenomena, conducted a magical experiment without doing anything supernatural. By influencing the life of the plant, the fakir influenced its matter. So how did it affect the dormant life of the plant?

Knowledge of occult Science allows us to give an unambiguous answer: with our own vital force, in the language of modern Medicine called the force that produces phenomena in the plant or organic life of a human being.

The main thing that may confuse an observer accustomed to dealing with physical forces is that the life force comes out of a person and acts at a distance; but even a superficial study of the healings performed by modern psychics over the past 50 years will direct the researcher on the right path.

Let us explain the experience of a fakir using the example of our crew.

Let us imagine a fakir as a team, the driver of which represents the will, the horse the vital force, and the carriage the body.

The grain is the second team with a very heavy and cumbersome cart, pulled up the mountain by a dead nag (plant life), whose driver, an inexperienced boy, is sleeping at the moment.

Our first crew is overtaking the second.

Taking pity on the nag, the fakir harnesses his horse to a heavy carriage, takes both horses by the bridle and quickly drags the cart up the mountain.

In a short time, the ascent (plant development), which under ordinary conditions would have taken a long time (a year), to achieve, is completed.

After this, the coachman (fakir) re-harnesses his horse (life) back to his carriage (body), which all this time stood without a horse (in a trance) on the road. Now do you understand the effect of fakir on the plant? If yes, then you imagine the role of life force in magical experiences.

As can be seen from this example, the force on which the will acts is life, and through this life force, which the will of a person has, he can act on another being of the visible or invisible world.

Therefore, Magic is the conscious action of the will on the life force, although this definition is not yet precise enough.

Will is a power that all people have, but very few people know how to use it wisely. This means that it is not enough just to have will, you also need to be able to use it, and this can only be achieved through education and training of the will.

We will add to the word “will” the adjective “developed” or, more precisely, “dynamized”, and it can only be dynamized through training.

At the same time, the word “life” or “world life” allows for a lot of interpretations and, in the usual sense, does not express any specific group of forces; Therefore, we will consider the meaning in which we will use this word in more detail.

We could say "life force", but this name has already been accepted as applied to man. In order to distinguish between the forces that Magic deals with and physical forces, we will call the former “living forces.”

A ridiculous name, our opponents will say. So what of this? But it is concrete and, in our opinion, strictly corresponds to its real essence, which we will try to prove in the future.

Putting all of the above together, we get the following definition of Magic.

Magic is the application of dynamized human will to the rapid development of the forces of Nature.

From this definition it follows, first of all, that the producer of the basic forces, that is, the will and its carrier - life, is man, and we will have to study man, mainly his mental component, and having understood how to train various human abilities, we will be able to develop and exercises for these workouts. And then, when a certain level of development is reached, a suitable field of action should be assigned to it.

Thus, we will talk about Nature in the sense in which the magicians understood it, and about those obstacles or, conversely, help that human power, controlled by the will, can encounter in it. At the same time, we will try to justify our strange name “living forces” by showing that the vital force of a person in some cases can act like a physical force and obey the same laws; and in other cases, well-known physical forces under the influence of vital dynamism can rise to the manifestation of obvious signs of rationality.

It is precisely this double influence of life on physical forces and physical forces on life that determines, on the one hand, the influence of the magician on plants, animals and other objects of visible nature, and on the other, similar actions of the luminaries, considered in Magic as sources of living forces in the full sense this word.

We understand perfectly well what effect this teaching will have on the minds of people who have formed their worldview on the basis of the provisions of the empirical sciences and consider these provisions to be the final truth. Experimental science has indeed given humanity a lot with its analytical discoveries in order to have the right to be strict. The harsh law demands that everything that comes out of the narrow framework of routine is doomed in advance to serve as a laughing stock to a “sensible” society.

I address my teaching to young people and those who are not mired in routine, who are not embarrassed by established dogmas and “excessive” courage; to those who feel that there is something beyond the phenomena covered by experimental science. It is to them that I say: carefully study the explanations given by Magic, analyze them and accept them only after the strictest experimental control.

You will have to study forces that have intelligence, and this will be as far for you from the works of your modern teachers as the doctrine of energy transformations is from ancient physics of the early nineteenth century.

Learn to look calmly into the eyes of the unknown, no matter in what form it appears to you, even if it is a classic ghost. Having defeated clerical hypocrisy, do not succumb to scientific hypocrisy; it is no less dangerous, despite its apparent liberality. Proud of your freedom, boldly use it and learn to be independent in everything, including in determining your scientific views.

Well, now, if the proposed plan doesn’t really frighten you, let’s turn the page and continue.

This refers to the once very famous anecdote about Columbus, who, due to court intrigues, had to return from America twice. Envious people argued that his merit in the discovery of America was small, and that anyone could have done it. Columbus was tired of this gossip, and once, during a reception at court, he asked for a raw chicken egg and invited anyone to put it on the tip right on one of the polished tables. Many tried, but of course no one succeeded. When everyone showed their complete incompetence, Columbus took the egg, hit the tip on the table and set it down. Thus, he demonstrated that the success of any business lies in the ability to take on it.