
Christian History Home > Issue 57 > From Black Magic to Mystical Awe

From Black Magic to Mystical Awe
Glimpses of many-sided Roman paganism—from engravings, parchments, and tablets of the ancient world.
posted 1/01/1998 12:00AM
Casting Spells
From a book of spells, early fourth century:
Spell of Attraction: it attracts those who are uncontrollable and require no magical material and who come in one day. It inflicts sickness excellently and destroys powerfully, sends dreams beautifully, accomplishes dream revelations marvelously. …
Take a field mouse and deify it in spring water. And take two moon beetles and deify them in river water, and take a river crab and fat of a dappled goat that is virgin and dung of a dog-faced baboon, two eggs of an ibis, two drams of storax, two drams of myrrh, two drams of crocus, four drams of Italian galingale, four drams of uncut frankincense, a single onion. Put all these things into a mortar with the mouse and the remaining items and, after pounding thoroughly, place in a lead box and keep for use. And whenever you want to perform a rite, take a little, make a charcoal fire, go up on a lofty roof, and make this offering as you say this spell at moonrise and at once she comes.
Spell: ...
To view this item, you must be a member of ChristianHistory.net.
|
If you ARE a member of ChristianHistory.net…
Please login:
| |
If you are NOT a member of ChristianHistory.net…
Please click here to see our membership options. As a member, you will be able to have access to all of the content on ChristianHistory.net.
|
|
Browse More ChristianHistory.net Home | Browse by Topic | Browse by Period | The Past in the Present | Books & Resources
|  |
 |