On Superstition and the Bonds of Demons

The first and principal Angel of Saturn, as has already been said, is called Oriphiel, who, along with the other Angels of the Planets, rules the world in his order for 354 years and four months. This refers to a medieval system of "chronocrators" or time-rulers, where angels govern long historical epochs. He holds the first part of power both in the day and in the night; through him, operations are performed from sunrise during the day, and from sunset at night, up to and including the third hour in all matters pertaining to Saturn. Therefore, when you wish to announce something to an absent person during the first quarter of Saturn without using words or letters, you must call upon no other spirit of Saturn than Oriphiel, because through him you will be able to communicate everything most perfectly on his day.

First, consider in which zodiac sign this Saturn is located, at what degree, and whether it is direct or retrograde, and with which planets it is in conjunction. An example is given for the first part: behold, Saturn is now at the 25th degree of Taurus, on the 28th day of the month of April in the present year, which is the year of our Lord 1500. This specific date places the text's composition or setting in the high Renaissance, coinciding with the life of Johannes Trithemius. Now, therefore, let us multiply 24 by 25, which makes 600; let us divide these by four equal quarters, and 150 will remain for each quarter. Let us complete all the degrees of Saturn in the sign of Taurus, which will be 30; let us multiply another 30 by 25 in total, which makes 750. Let us reject the four superfluous degrees from the middle of the third quarter, and 650 will remain. Let us now take the point of Saturn's motion from the astronomical tables for the present day and hour; and we will be able to know the rising, the elevation, and the setting of the Angel Oriphiel with Saturn in the first quarter. Once these are known, the operation will be easy.

CHAPTER III.

After these things have been most diligently considered, it is established that Oriphiel, the Angel of Saturn, is separated from Saturn by 25 degrees and 15 minutes, and is 625 gradations distant to the East from the first point of Saturn's motion, and 25 minutes from the end of the motion. Once these are known, let an image be made of wax, or painted on new paper, depicting the figure of Oriphiel in the likeness of a bearded and naked man standing upon a bull of various colors, holding a book in his right hand and a pen in his left. While you are making this, let it be said: original: "Fiat hæc imago Oriphielis plena, perfecta, et apta nunciare mentis meæ secretum N. filio N. amico meo secure, fideliter, et integre: Amen." "May this image of Oriphiel be full, perfect, and fit to announce the secret of my mind to [Name], son of [Name], my friend, securely, faithfully, and entirely: Amen." The "N. son of N." is a standard formulaic placeholder for the names of the sender and recipient. Write your name on the forehead with ink tempered with oil of roses, and write the name of the absent friend on the breast, saying: original: "Hæc est imago N. filii N. cui per Angelum Saturni Oriphielem nunciatur mentis meæ conceptum. Amen" "This is the image of [Name] son of [Name], to whom the conception of my mind is announced through the Angel of Saturn, Oriphiel. Amen." On the forehead of the image, let Mendrion be written, and on the breast Troesda; (23) then join both images together, saying: "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."

(23) TRITHEMIUS Trithemius (1462–1516) was a German abbot and polymath famous for his work on cryptography and "angel magic." reports that this secret of science was revealed in dreams; by what testimony does he prove this? If this art were not vain, false, and repugnant to reason, why did he hand down the keys and conjurations in hidden characters? If we are often ignorant of the effects of evidence beyond the wonders of nature, how can the question be granted without the act of an agent matter? This marginal note expresses a skeptical or critical perspective on the validity of Trithemius's magical claims.