John Michael Greer & Christopher Warnock (transl.)

The Illustrated Picatrix

The Illustrated Picatrix Kirjat

John Michael Greer & Christopher Warnock (transl.)

The Illustrated Picatrix

Normaalihinta €52,00

Illustrated Picatrix, this is a hardcover 6"x9" edition of the Liber Atratus with Gothic woodblock capitals and basic Picatrix sigil images, but adding black and white illustrations of the 7 planets, 12 signs, 28 Mansions of the Moon and 36 decan/faces.

 

The Picatrix or Ghayat al Hakim, the Aim of the Wise, is one of the most important books ever written on astrological magic. Composed in Arabic in Andalusia around 1000 A.D., the Picatrix is an encyclopedic work, considerably larger than most other medieval grimoires or books of magic. It was translated into Latin in 1256 for the Castilian king Alfonso the Wise.

Picatrix is a strange mixture of the most exalted philosophy and the crassly material, explanations of the nature of the One and "confections" composed of blood, brains and urine. We can, however, clearly perceive the influence of the Harranian Sabians, who pursued their worship of the astral deities and the tradition of Hermetic philosophy well into the Middle Ages. The Harranians added much to the astrology of the advanced Islamic civilization which flourished between 800-1400 A.D., and produced such well known astrologers as Thabit Ibn Qurra, Al-Sufi and the alchemist, Jabir ibn Hayyyan, known to the West as Geber.

Picatrix is a compilation of many earlier works and represents, along with De Imaginibus "On Images" of Thabit Ibn Qurra, the height of astrological magic in terms of complexity and scope. Picatrix explains not only how to create and ensoul magical statues and talismans, but even speaks of whole cities constructed using the principles of astrological magic. This combination of practical application and theoretical rigor made Picatrix a key source for Renaissance mages like Cornelius Agrippa and Marsilio Ficino.

A complete English translation by John Michael Greer and Christopher Warnock of the Latin Picatrix is available in 7 paperback and hardcover editions.