The Greater Key Of Solomon

PREFACE TO BOOK ONE.

In presenting this celebrated magical work to the student of occultism original: "Disciple of Occultism", a few introductory remarks are necessary.

THE KEY OF SOLOMON, except for a shortened and incomplete copy published in France in the seventeenth century, has never yet been printed. Instead, it has for centuries remained in manuscript form, inaccessible to all but the few fortunate scholars who had access to the innermost sections of the great libraries. I therefore consider myself highly honored to be the individual whose task it has been to edit and publish this American edition.

As the source and storehouse of Kabbalistic magic original: "Qabalistical Magic" and the origin of much of the ceremonial magic of medieval original: "Mediæval" times, the “KEY” has always been valued by occult writers as a work of the highest authority. Notably in our own time, Eliphaz Lévi Alphonse Louis Constant (1810–1875), a hugely influential French ritual magician and author. used it as the model for his celebrated work, “Dogma and Ritual of High Magic” original: "Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie". It must be evident to any initiated reader of Lévi that THE KEY OF SOLOMON was his primary textbook. At the end of this volume, I have included a fragment of an ancient Hebrew manuscript of THE KEY OF SOLOMON, translated and published in the “Occult Philosophy” original: "Philosophie Occulte", as well as a prayer called the “Kabbalistic Invocation of Solomon.” This invocation is very similar to one found in the FIRST BOOK, as it is constructed in the same way using the system of the Sephiroth The ten attributes or emanations in Kabbalah through which the Infinite reveals itself..

The history of the Hebrew original of THE KEY OF SOLOMON is discussed in the introductions, but there is every reason to believe that it has been entirely lost; Christian Jean-Baptiste Pitois (1811–1877), who wrote under the name Paul Christian., the pupil of Lévi, says as much in his “History of Magic” original: "Histoire de la Magie".

I see no reason to doubt the tradition that attributes the authorship of the “KEY” to KING SOLOMON. Among others, the Jewish historian Josephus specifically mentions the magical works attributed to that monarch. This is confirmed by many Eastern traditions, and Solomon's magical skill is frequently mentioned by the old adepts original: "Old Adepts"; highly skilled masters of occult secrets..

There are, however, two works on black magic, “The True Grimoire” original: "Grimorium Verum" and “The Adapted Key of Solomon” original: "Clavicola di Salomone ridolta", which have been attrib-