Spirit Forces in Hebrew Amulets - Part 4

In the previous instalment of this set of essays on "Spirit Forces in Hebrew Amulets," I referred to the four great archangels, i.e. Rafa'el, Micha'el, Gavri'el and Ori'el. Whilst these specific Spirit Intelligences feature prominently in numerous Kameot, there are often a number of Angelic and Divine Names included in these highly specialised items. In this regard, we have noted in "Part 2" the extensive collection of Angels allied to the "tried and tested Kamea for the protection of pregnant women and infants." In that instance the accompanying Spirit Intelligences are listed at the base of the amulet. However, in many cases a Kamea would be comprised of a bold "letter square" constructed from the initial letters of words in biblical phrases, and which is often accompanied by a set of angelic appellatives located to the left of the square.

Amongst this variety of Hebrew amulets is one comprised of the Divine Name (Ashtzei [also Oshotziyiyi]). This Divine Name construct comprises the five letters respectively succeeding the five occurrences of the Ineffable Name (YHVH) in Psalm 121, i.e. (Ayin) verse 2; (Shin) and (Tzadi) verse 5; and the two letters (Yod) from verses 7 and 8. The power of this Divine Name is said to be vast and mighty, i.e. subduing "outsiders" (demonic forces); restraining the mouth that curses; etc. There are also five important angels aligned with the five letters of the Name (Ashtzei), i.e. (Azri’el); (Sari’el); (Tzadki’el); (Yisra’el) and (Y’hadri’el).

We are further told the gematria of (Ashtzei ) is equal to that of (Lilit ). It is said that the “secret” here is the protection of the “Brit Milah” (Holy Covenant [circumcised penis]) against impurities and spontaneous seminal flow, i.e. nocturnal emissions. Talking of “seminal flow,” I am reminded of the following Kamea in which the Name , in this instance vocalised Oshotziyiyi, is employed in conjunction with the Divine Name (Tzamarchad); (Anaktam Pastam Paspasim Dionsim [“Twenty-two Letter Name”]); and (Yohach Kalach). The Names of twenty angels are added to the mix, meant to support and protect a woman who suffers miscarriages and whose children are dying. The twenty angels listed in alphabetical order in the Kamea are:

Transliteration:

Ori’el Baruchi’el G’dodi’el Dodi’el

Hadri’el Vataki’el Zehori’el Chasdi’el

Tuvi’el Yofi’el K’vodi’el Malchi’el

Nuri’el Satari’el Azri’el Palati’el

Tzadki’el K’doshi’el Rachmi’el Shamri’el

The amulet is written on deerskin parchment in the name of the individual requiring this support, hence the Kamea opens with her name written at the top of the amulet. Below the name insert the following written incantation:

Transliteration:

Y’hi ratzon milfanecha YHVH Elohai v’Elohei avotai rofe rachman rofe ne’eman rofe chinam ozer kol ne’ezar rofe kol basar v’mafli l’asot sh’tishmor noset kamea zeh aleiha hi v’pri bitnah m’kol nez’kei shedin v’lilin v’ruchin b’ishin v’shivtah u’b’kumah u’v’lechtah u’v’vo’ah v’b’shichbah m’kol mikreh ra omein ken y’hi ratzon (Psalm 91:10) lo t’uneh alecha ra’ah v’nega lo yikrav b’oholecha b’shem LTA RVL YBK MYL LBD AKY PTB RASh VTT KVK BchV AKY ShYV AAB AVA BYShV ATY

Translation:

May it be your will YHVH my God, and God of my fathers, merciful healer, loyal healer, gratuitous healer, helper of all who needs aid, healer of all flesh who works wonders, to save the one who is bearing this Kamea on herself and the fruit of her belly from all maleficent shedin (demonic fiends), and lilin (night demons), and ruchin (ghosts), and ishin (evil spirits), when she sits and when she rises, and when she goes and when she comes, from all bad incidents, Amen thus be it so willed. (Psalm 91:10) "There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent," in the Name of LTA RVL YBK MYL LBD AKY PTB RASh VTT KVK BchV AKY ShYV AAB AVA BYShV ATY

The concluding set of Divine Names was constructed from the initials of the words comprising Psalm 91:10. This set of Divine Names are said to have the power to defeat and eliminate all debilitating hindrances and evil situations.

Be that as it may, the Kamea is concluded by writing the following letter square, seals, Divine Names and Angelic Names below the incantation:

Fish and Hebrew Amulets

A while back I chanced upon this lovely Shadai amulet for sale on the internet. Its shape reminded me of the importance of fish in Hebrew amulets. As an aside, the Hebrew term (Argaman), spelled by the five platelets dangling below the fish ornament, is an acronym constructed from the initials of the names of the angels (Auriel [Ori’el]), (Rafa’el), (Gavri’el), (Micha’el) and (Nuri’el).

The symbol of the fish dates back to the whole of the ancient Far and Near East, not forgetting ancient Greece, the Roman empire, ancient Europe, Scandinavia, etc. It certainly predates Christianity by many centuries. Regarding its employment in identifying Christians, the popularity of the fish is witnessed today in its prominent display on businesses, vehicles, websites, etc., most of which belong to Christians of the fundamentalist type. On questioning its display on a keyring, the owner informed me that since it is the sign of the Christian Saviour, the keys can never be lost or stolen. In this regard, I can only imagine how many Christians are employing their “Jesus Fish” for other than symbolic purposes.

Be that as it may, the symbol of the fish is popularly acknowledged in Jewish circles as “a symbol of both good luck and fertility" [Dennis, G.W.: The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism, Llewellyn Publications, Woodbury 2007]. The Talmud (Bavli Berachot 20) tells us the “Evil Eye” has no effect on fish, hence the popularity of this symbol in amulets against the “Evil Eye.” In this regard images of fish at one time featured quite prominently at the entrances of private residences, e.g. those of the Jews in Djerba, North Africa. On the other hand, we are told that the fish is a symbol of immortality, and that “the Jewish motif of the Feast of Leviathan might reflect the actual practice, in various religious traditions, of a fish dinner as a foretaste of immortality,” hence its appearance on graves and ancient synagogues [Wineman, A.: Mystic Tales from the Zohar, The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1997].

Amongst the North African Jewish folk customs, an early 20th century traveller named Nahum Slouschz made reference to “a whole series of beliefs which have sprung from the cult of the fish, a cult the traces of whose ancient predominance may be found scattered across the whole Mediterranean. Thus, the Jewish fortune-tellers practise divination with fish. At Tunis, even at Tangiers, there are certain kinds of fish which it is forbidden to eat, on account of their use in divination. It is not in good taste to use the word ‘hut’ (fish), its use is replaced by the phrase Mta el hara or el bahra (beings of the sea)” [Slouschz, N.: Travels in North Africa, The Jewish Publication Society of America, Philadelphia 1927].

Interestingly enough, I have investigated an amulet in which fish scales feature rather prominently. This amulet is said to be good for everything. In this instance the following eighteen tri-letter combinations should be written on one side of the skin of a fish with its scales still intact, i.e. one tri-letter combination per scale:



Afterwards, the following word square is written on the opposite side of the same skin:

The letter combinations in the magic square comprise an arrangement of a phrase derived from 1 Samuel 1:17. It reads:

Transliteration:

YHVH Elohei Yisra’el yiten et she’altech asher sha’alt ki mei’imo

Translation:

YHVH God of Isra’el grant thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.

In this instance the Ineffable Name was added as a prefix to the biblical phrase, and there have been some minor adjustments in the component words in alignment with the basic intention of the Kamea in question, which is plainly the granting of an earnest request. However, there is no instruction on what to do with the fish skin afterwards. I surmise one might place it in a little bag to be carried on ones person.

The Name Shadai in Hebrew Amulets - Part 5

I made reference to the name (B'dafti'el) earlier, and thought I should mention that we are informed that if you recall the name B’dafti’el when travelling around at night, you will have no fear since no harm will befall you, and you will not be beset by any injurious spirits. It is worth noting that the gematria of (B’dafti’el)

is equal to that of the word (Kol—“voice,” “sound” and “thunder” ). In this regard we are reminded that the gematria of the full spelling of the letters comprising the word , i.e. , and

is equal to that of the word (Ga’ar—“to scold” ). In this regard, it is understood that the “voice” of B’dafti’el “rebukes” all evil, including the Klipot (demonic shards).

Now, I have been addressing the employment of Divine Names and biblical verses to avert miscarriage and protect infants. In this regard, there is a simple practice in which the Name Shadai is utilised to aid a woman who lost her sons. In this instance seven coins are collected from seven pregnant ladies. These coins are conjoined into a single disc on which the Name (Shadai) is engraved, which is afterwards placed in the hand of the sorely afflicted woman. In contrast to other similar practices listed elsewhere in "The Book of Seals and Amulets," this specific working does not appear to require any prior purification or, for that matter, any special prior preparation.

The Name (Shadai) is also said to alleviate the plight of a woman who has suffered miscarriage. In this instance one starts the procedure by writing Psalm 55:9 [8] and Genesis 21:1 on deerskin parchment, or a sheet of clean good quality paper. It is good to verbalise the words as one writes them. The said verses read:

Transliteration:

(Psalm 55:9 [8]) Achishah miflat li meiruach so’ah misa’ar

(Genesis 22:1) v’YHVH pakad et Sarah ka’asher amar

Translation:

Psalm 55:9 [8]) I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.

(Genesis 22:1) And YHVH remembered Sarah as He had said.

Next continue, by writing the following incantation:

Transliteration:

B’shem Shadai tehe kamea zu l’[.....Plonit bat Plonit.....] shelo tapil yeladeiah v’lo mitipat dam ha-mapelet lo yiyeh miskal v’miskalah b’shem Ehyeh asher Ehyeh YH YHVH ub’shem Micha’el Gavri’el Rafa’el Dani’el Katuti’el Pani’el Sanoi Sansanoi Semangelof Omein Netzach Selah Va-ed

Translation:

In the Name Shadai this Kamea will be for [.....fill in the name of the sufferer.....] that she will not abort her children, and not emit any blood of a miscarriage, and will not loose boys or girls. In the Name Ehyeh asher Ehyeh YH YHVH and in the name Micha’el Gavri’el Rafa’el Dani’el Katuti’el Pani’el Sanoi Sansanoi Semangelof Amen Victory Selah Forever.

Afterwards the Kamea is carried on the arm of the woman in question.

The Name Shadai in Hebrew Amulets - Part 4

Following the previous parts in this set of essays on the Divine Name (Shadai), I received a response directed to me personally by an individual who maintained that since the letter (Shin) is so important in Judaism, i.e. featuring on Mezuzot, Tefillin, etc., that must surely give credence to its importance in the name of the "saviour" Yeheshuah, with special reference to the Renaissance invention called the "pentagrammaton." In this regard, I have noticed that whilst certain individuals readily admit the "YHShVH" to be an invention and equally concede that it is not a genuine Hebrew term, they dismissively and quite glibly repeat a statement made some time ago that "this is a brilliant invention."

So the "false name" is truth? What poppycock! In fact, regarding this fanciful construct, see my earlier essay titled "Christian/Hermetic Kabbalah, the Christian Saviour and Truth" dated 20th January 2012. For the sake of clarity, I am happy to reiterate the stated details which I published in "The Book of Sacred Names" regarding the deliberations, mystical or otherwise, on the letter (Shin) in Jewish thought. In this regard I wrote:

Due to some very fanciful notions regarding the letter Shin by Christian and Hermetic Kabbalists, this glyph has become rather controversial, especially as this letter was allotted a unique status of holiness, when Christian Kabbalists incorporated it into the Ineffable Name () to create the construct Yeheshuah (). This, we have been told, “is the esoteric name of the Messiah of the Jews and the Christ of the Christians,” the meaning of which is said to be “Jah liberates.” As it is, this construct does not have this purported meaning, and since it does not exist in Hebrew, it does not mean anything at all. The correct spelling of a personal name known to have the mentioned meaning is , which is correctly pronounced Yehoshuah, a fairly common Jewish Name.

Even in applying all the rules pertaining to Hebrew letters being interchangeable when they belong to the same phonetic family (i.e. being pronounced in the same spot in the mouth), we notice that although the letters Heh and Ayin are interchangeable (both being gutterals), the Vav and Shin are definitely not. The altering of letters in a Hebrew word, and then expecting it to retain its original meaning, is simply not feasible. Yet, that is exactly what was done with the Yeheshuah construct from the 15th to 17th centuries, by Christian Kabbalists who acted from their own religious bias.

Now, regarding the special holiness assigned to the letter Shin, it should be noted that in Kabbalah all the Hebrew glyphs are “Holy.” The letter Shin is no more holy than any other Hebrew glyph. In fact, it is worth considering that the Hebrew letters comprise both “positive” and “negative” qualities, and this should be kept in mind when studying each letter-sign. In this regard, the letter Shin is termed “the symbol of Divine Power” as well as of “Corruption.” True, it is the initial of two very important Divine Names, i.e. Shadai (“All-sufficient Unlimited One”) and Shalom (“Peace”). To these we might add other significant concepts like Shechinah, Shabbat, etc., and we might also consider that the letter Shin, in representing Shadai, is the single letter shown on every Mezuzah placed on the doors of Jewish homes.

It is true that is known to be the symbol of “Divine Power,” mastery and peace, but it is equally clear that this letter also denotes corruption and Sheker (falsehood), thus being the initial of the name “Shatan” (Satan). In other words, Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism in general, recognise a dual principle in this glyph. For greater comprehension of this fact, we might look again at the.....saga of the Hebrew letters passing before the Holy One, Who finally chose to create the universe by means of the letter Bet. About the letter Shin the Divine One said “True, you stand for (Shadai), Almighty, Who is the essence of Perfection, but for man, Divinity is interspersed with evil and deception. Inevitably, your neighbour (Kof) and (Resh) will draw you into a (Kesher), an alliance with them to establish (Sheker—“falsehood”) on earth.”

We are told that the three letters comprising “falsehood” appear at the end of the Hebrew alphabet, so that they are far removed from the central axis of the array of glyphs, i.e. the letter Mem representing stability. Furthermore, none of the milui, the full spellings, of each of the other letters (e.g. etc.) comprise any of these three letters. We are further informed that “to counteract the dangerous shin with its potential power to ruin mankind, the Alef-Beis ends with the letter tav, which alludes to Emet, Truth.” [Munk, M.L.: The Wisdom in the Hebrew Alphabet: The Sacred Letters as a Guide to Jewish Deed and Thought, Mesorah Publications, Brooklyn 1983] In this regard, we should note that (Alef) is the beginning, (Mem) the centre, and (Tav) the end of the Hebrew Alphabet, and that the combination of these letters in that exact order reads (Emet—“Truth”).

It is certainly clear that the "prediction" made regarding the letter Shin being drawn into a "conspiracy" (Sheker), an alliance which will lead to the propagation of "falsehood" (Kesher), is quite true. Like sheep, many bought the YHShVH invention! The literal meaning of the letter Shin is "teeth"; Kof is a "monkey"; and Resh refers to a "head." Monkeys can chew away quite mindlessly!

(More to follow)