A Talismanic Mishmash Online

I have been perusing a variety of written amulets being sold online, and noted in several instances a great mishmash of differing amulets being conjoined in a single Kamea, and sold at hefty prices as a legitimate item which would bring the bearer great fortune. The fact of the matter is that in several instances, the variety of Divine and Angelic Names, including magical seals, merged in such a willy-nilly manner, are respectively applied for a number of quite divergent purposes, hence they should not be intermingled in a single amulet. Of course, it is perfectly clear that there are "soferim" (scribes) who are not only keen to devote themselves to writing and selling amulets, but all too eager to impact the minds of potential clients with impressive seals and signs. It would seem they think this approach would generate the best possible prices for their fanciful talismanic constructs, and they appear to be wholly indifferent to the fundamental influences of the active "psycho-spiritual potencies" triggered and channelled by the amulets in question.

It is worth noting that much of this amalgamated material was derived directly from the "Shorshei ha-Shemot" by Moses Zacutto. As it is, the author of this seminal text on Jewish Magic, delineated in the greatest detail the construction and employment of each of its listed amulet, hence there is nothing to be said in mitigation of a mindless approach to Hebrew amulets. For the sake of interest, let us consider the following set of Hebrew words and angelic names aligned with magical seals, which were conjoined with several divergent magical signs and seals in a complex contemporary amulet said to bring "good luck," etc.

This amulet is basically recommended to individuals wishing to rise in prominence. So if anyone wishes to increase his or her social status, etc., they could create this amulet by tracing the magical seals and writing the words and names on a piece of deerskin parchment. Regarding the latter, which may be hard to acquire today, I have noted that a clean sheet of high quality paper will do nicely. The amulet is then worn on the person of the individual requiring this support, and, we are informed, the said individual will then be perceived by all and sundry with great love and affection.

We are further told that if anyone should desire to grow and succeed in all his or her endeavours, then that individual should draw the seals and write the names of this amulet on the lines of the palm of his or her hand. In this instance the procedure is concluded by uttering the following incantation:

Transliteration:

Y’hi ratzon milfanecha YHVH Elohai v’Elohei avotai Elohei ha-tzva’ot b’choach eilu ha-shemot v’ha-chotamot sh’tatzlichuni b’chol mah she’ertzeh

Translation:

May it be your will YHVH My God, and God of my fathers, God of the Hosts, in the power deriving from the names and the seals for me to have success in all that I want to.

As said, there are Hebrew amulets doing the rounds in which this Kamea is combined with unrelated material, in fact, conjoined with certain seals and signs which many might loath wearing on their persons. Maybe I am just overly fussy, but I personally prefer to be informed regarding the methods of construction and actual meanings of amulets I select to wear on my person or carry in my wallet!

Hebrew Amulets: Let's drink 'em.....bottoms up!!

In "Practical Kabbalah" there are literally thousands of Divine Names, many of which were derived from biblical verses, etc., by means of highly specialised techniques. Notwithstanding this, there are many "Divine Names" the origins of which appear to have been lost in the mists of time. Take the following set of amulets as a case in point. All comprise variant formats of the same set of Divine Names, and are employed with slight variation for virtually the same purposes. Another common factor amongst all of them is the fact that one has to literally "drink the amulets." In this instance the procedure requires one to dissolve the "Divine Names" in water, which is afterwards imbibed by the individual requiring this unique support. As it is, the latter action is not altogether unique, since it is recommended not too infrequently in a number of primary Jewish magical writings dealing with Kameot, Segulot, Refuot, etc.

Now, the first set of the mentioned mysterious Divine Names, was created to defend an individual against the offensives of injurious spirits, e.g. those who strangle humans, or of any malevolent force for that matter. Here the instruction is for one to write the following set of Divine Names in ink on a piece of paper with the right hand:

The writing is then, as mentioned, dissolved in a glass of water, which is afterwards consumed by the one who is afflicted. Next, in order to prevent these malevolent forces from returning, one has to write the following seals with ink on a clean piece of paper to be carried on the victim’s person:

I was informed the letters in the top right and bottom left triangles of the large Magen David, are abbreviations of the Ineffable Name () which, in combination with the expression below, reading v’lech (“and go”), are meant to “inhibit” the power of the baneful spirit forces, and direct the “goodness” of the Eternal Living Spirit to the one carrying the amulet.

As indicated, the peculiar set of Divine Names listed above are employed in variant formats, all for purposes of protection against man, spirits, etc. In the next instance it is recommended the following version of the Divine Names in question being employed as a safeguard against negative thoughts and fantasies, especially those acting in a most powerful corrupting manner on ones personal being. These are said to be particularly powerful on a Tuesday (the day of Mars pertaining to fury) and a Saturday (the day of Saturn pertaining to melancholy and despondency). Here the format of the said Divine Names is:

The instruction is for a man to write this particular set of Divine Names on a piece of paper with his left hand, and for a woman to do the same with her right hand. The writing is again dissolved in a glass of clean, fresh water, which is afterwards consumed by the individual requiring the special support rendered by this activity. It is said, that with the help of the Divine One, the action will be effective, especially if one drank the infused water from a kosher glass.

Elsewhere again, the set of Divine Names is listed as:

In this instance the application pertains to special protection when one is being threatened by humans intent on taking ones life. We are informed to write the listed set of Divine Names in ashurit, i.e. the standard square Hebrew letters, on a sheet of paper with the right hand. The writing is again dissolved in a glass of water, to be consumed by those whose lives are being threatened. Afterwards the set of Divine Names is rewritten and carried on the person of those requiring this unique protection.

Considering the three variant formats of the Divine Names in question, I have been told that all of them could be and were successfully employed interchangeably for exactly the same listed purposes.

An Amulet to Break Evil Spells

It always comes as a surprise to me that the instant one is concentrating on a specific magical application, a query would seem to appear, seemingly out of nowhere, in direct relation to the very topic one is engaged in. In the current instance I am referring to an individual quizzing me on the possible use of amulets to counteract "evil spells." As it is, I was just writing a short insert on this very topic to be included in my forthcoming "Book of Seals and Amulets." Whilst I have subsequently shared the amulet pertaining to this matter with the mentioned querant, I thought I would share the same here. The item referred to is the following simple Kamea:

This curious amulet, employed to cancel all magical spells of both the written and spoken varieties, is constructed from the three words of Exodus 22:17 [16] reading

Transliteration:

m’chashefah lo t’chayeh

Translation:

"Thou shalt not suffer a sorceress to live."

Note there is an additional (yod) in the amulet, this being included in the word . The reason for this appears to be the "harmonising" of, as it were, the "incantational order" of the letters comprising:

Line 1. Four sets of letter combinations incorporating three letters each formed from the said biblical verse;

Line 2. The reverse of line 1;

Line 3. Six two letter combinations, arranged in the following manner:

a. the initial of the first word of the verse in question conjoined with the concluding letter of the third word;

b. the second letter of the first word coalesced with the penultimate letter of the third word;

c. the third letter of the first word combined with the additional (yod) in the amulet;

d. the fourth letter of the first word correlated with the second letter of the third word;

e. the concluding letter of the first word coupled with the first letter of the third word;

f. the interchange of the two letters comprising the second word.

Line 4. The reverse of line 3.

In conclusion, the entire construct is hedged in by the well-known conjugation of the Divine Names (YHVH) and (Adonai), i.e. (YAHDVNHY—"Yahadonahi"), the component letters of which having been divided into four groups of two letters respectively located in the four corners of the Kamea. Commencing top right, the entire word can be traced, right-left-down-right, around the construct.

On sharing this amulet on the "Concepts of Kabbalah" Yahoo egroup (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Kabbalahconcepts/), I was queried as to whether the fact that the term m'chashefa (sorceress) in the Biblical verse employed in this Kamea, would pertain to a man casting the "evil spell." In this regard, we might recall that in the overtly "sexist times" when that portion of the Bible was written, it was generally believed that sorcery was mainly practiced by women.

However, in Practical Kabbalah there is no particular interest in whether the verse in question refers to a male or a female, since the actual Hebrew text is considered a powerful incantation against ALL magical spells of the malevolent kind, whether perpetrated by men or women. The fundamental reasoning here is that the Hebrew letters comprising the verse in question, are basically the "bodies," so to speak, of powerful "Spirit Intelligences," these being "channelled" in the mentioned manner in order to obliterate all "baneful psychic influences."

Curiously enough, the amulet in question was tried and tested successfully by a woman who was impacted malevolently by a male "sangoma" (African medicine man). According to the lady in question "the Kamea worked like a dream!"

Sterility and the Twenty-four Permutations of Adonai

I am deeply embroiled in the "race" to complete "The Book of Seals and Amulets," the third volume of the "Shadow Tree Series." As might be expected, the contents of this text is of great personal interest to me, and I am having a difficult time deciding exactly what to include in the mentioned text, and naturally not very keen to exclude anything.

Be that as it may, I am currently perusing the use of the twenty-four permutations of the Name Adonai in Hebrew amulets. The information I have at my disposal pertains mainly to their conjoined employment in a "magic square" as an aid against infertility in women. In this regard I am consulting two primary texts, i.e. "Shorshei ha-Shemot" by Moses Zacutto and the anonymous "Refuah v'Chayim m'Yerushalayim." I am aware that the twenty-four permutations of Adonai are employed in a variety of ways in Jewish mysticism, magic and meditation, but I am currently specifically dealing with its use in Hebrew amulets.

In reference to the mentioned topic, I thought I might share with you the details on the utilisation of the twenty-four permutations of Adonai in Hebrew amulets. As you probably know, the Name corresponds to Malchut (Kingdom) on the Sefirotic tree. The letters comprising this wonderful Divine Name, are permuted in twenty-four different ways as shown below:

Transliteration:

ADNY ADYN ANDY ANYD AYND AYDN

DNYA DNAY DYNA DYAN DAYN DANY

NYAD NYDA NAYD NADY NDAY NDYA

YADN YAND YDAN YDNA YNDA YNAD

Each of these twenty-four permutations are respectively associated with three portions of the "Name of Seventy-two Names," i.e.

The twenty-four permutations of Adonai combine in a "magic seal," of which there are a number of configurations. However, the correct combination is as shown below:

This "magic seal" is employed as a Kamea (amulet) in order to cure a barren woman of sterility. In this regard the instruction is to inscribe the square comprising the twenty-four permutations in the format of this magic "word square." Since this chotam (magic seal) is understood to receive an influx of "power" from the "Name of Seventy-two Names," one is instructed to state the purpose of the amulet below the "magic seal," and to do this in the name of the "Seventy-two Names of Chesed" (Lovingkindness). Hence this Divine Name is listed in full, also referencing the combination . This special "Name," pertaining to both Chesed (Mercy) and Gevurah (Strength), is said to battle the Klipot (demonic shards). The gematria of this peculiar Hebrew letter combination is 216, which we are told relates to the 216 letters of the "Name of Seventy-Two Names." It is also said that the entire construct comprising the "magic seal," pertains to the word (Ibur — "impregnation" or "gestation"), this being the fundamental purpose of the amulet in question. As it is, the gematria of this word is 288, i.e. 4 x 72, hence this term is also included in the amulet we are considering.

In conclusion, there are further instructions to add Genesis 21:1 as well as Genesis 30:22 to the amulet, these verses being traditionally employed in Jewish magic to promote fertility and to ease childbirth.

Sacred Writ & Kameot: Psalms.....Psalms.....Everywhere! - Part 5

As far as its employment in Hebrew amulets is concerned, Psalm 67 features particularly prominently in protection amulets, and whilst we have thus far looked at complete Psalms or large sections comprising several verses being used in Kameot, entire Psalms or verses therefrom are often employed in abbreviated formats in Hebrew amulets. Such condensations are considered equally as effective as the Psalm it represents. Taking Psalm 67, the “Menorah Psalm,” as a case in point, we note that the entire Psalm was abbreviated, with its traditional menorah format maintained, in order to fit on fairly small metal amulets, as indicated in the following Shiviti Kamea:

This amulet comprises a superscript from Psalm 16:8 reading (Shiviti YHVH l’negdi tamid—“I have set YHVH before me always”), hence the appellative “Shiviti” amulet. The right outer, bottom, and left outer border of the construct comprise an abbreviation of Numbers 8:4, with the left border including both the conclusion of the said verse, as well as an abbreviation of Genesis 49:18, as shown below:

RIGHT OUTER BORDER DOWN

Transliteration:

v’zeh ma’aseh ha-menorah mikshah zahav ad y’rechah ad.....

Translation:

“And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold; unto the base thereof, and unto.....”

BOTTOM BORDER

Transliteration:

.....ad pir’chah mikshah hiv kamar’eh asher.....

Translation:

“.....unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work; according unto the pattern.....”

LEFT OUTER BORDER UP

Transliteration:

.....her’ah YHVH et Moshe ken asah et ha-menorah (Genesis 49:18) lishu’atcha kiviti YHVH

Translation:

“.....which YHVH had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.” (Genesis 49:18) “I wait for Thy salvation YHVH.”

The method of abbreviation employed here is “Serugin” or “trellis writing,” which is affiliated to the Kabbalistic system of Notarikon, which I have defined in “The Book of Sacred Names” to be “a sort of short-hand, or system of acronyms. Notarikon is therefore a method in which the single letters of a word, become words themselves.” In the case of the Serugin method, an entire chapter can be condensed by employing the initials or the first two letters of a word. In this regard, Psalm 67 was compressed in the Shiviti amulet in the following manner:

CENTRE TOP: ARCHED SUPERSCRIPT

Verse 1: [First three letters of the first three words; and first two letters of the concluding word]

CENTRE: SEVEN BRANCHED CANDELABRUM

Verse 2 [1]: [First two letters of the first five words; the initial of the next word; and the first two letters of the concluding word]

Verse 3 [2]: [First two letters of the first five words; and the initial of the concluding word]

Verse 4 [3]: [First two letters of the first five words; and the initial of the concluding word]

Verse 5 [4]: [First three letters of the first word; first two letters of the succeeding nine words; and the first letter of the concluding word]

Verse 6 [5]: [First two letters of the first word; and the initials of the following five words]

Verse 7 [6]: [Initial of the first word; first two letters of the following two words; and the initials of the concluding three words]

Verse 8 [7]: [Initials of the first six words; and the first two letters of the concluding word]

The remaining portions of the Shiviti amulet comprise:

RIGHT INNER BORDER DOWN

(Michael)
(Gavriel)
(Tzamarchad)

LEFT INNER BORDER UP

(Oriel)
(Rafael)
(Gavriel)
(Agala’a)

CORNERS ABOVE THE ARCH OF THE MENORAH SUPERSCRIPT

[Right] (Sanoi)
[Left] (Sansanoi)

BELOW THE MENORAH PSALM

(Semangelof)

RIGHT LOWER CORNER

Initial letters of the first nine words comprising Genesis 49:22 reading:

Transliteration:

ben porat Josef ben porat alei ayin benot tza’adah.....

Translation:

“Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain; its branches run.....”

LEFT LOWER CORNER

The initials of the concluding two words of Genesis 49:22 reading (alei shur—“over the wall”); (Argaman—Divine Name constructed from the initials of the names of the angels Auriel [Oriel], Rafael, Gavriel, Michael and Nuriel); and concluding with the initials of the phrase (Chen y’hi ratzon—“Be it willed” [“So mote it be”]).

Each of the items constituting this amulet, are dealt with separately in my forthcoming "The Book of Seals and Amulets," and much of the mentioned material has been fairly extensively addressed in "The Book of Sacred Names."

Be that as it may, it should be noted that whilst this Shiviti Kamea was created to protect a woman in childbirth, against the “evil eye” and the demoness Lilith, the “Menorah Psalm” is also abbreviated on Hebrew amulets, as a call for help by individuals who find themselves in grievous circumstances. In this regard there are Kameot constructed from only the initials of the words comprising this Psalm, all of which were configured into a set of eighteen letter combinations as shown below:

Whilst this presentation is certainly a lot simpler than the method employed in the Shiviti Kamea, those who prefer an even quicker and somewhat easier “call for spiritual help” when they find themselves in dire need, have noted that single verses from the same Psalm can equally be employed on Hebrew amulets in the same abbreviated manner, e.g.

verse 2 is abbreviated ;

verse 1 and 2 reduced to ;

and verse 2 and 3 to .

Any of these abbreviations could be applied for the very same purpose assigned to the entire Psalm.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that a very special Divine Name, , was constructed from the initial of the first words of verses 2 to 8 of Psalm 67. This Name is said to pertain to the wonders of the sacred incense (k’toret).