After the lecture, I will be demonstrating the use of the use of the book, by permission of Aratron. This will include a ritual use of the text, adopting heavily from my own understanding of the system, which I believe is complete as published.
I have a means by which each of the promised 9 tomes is found in the very same 49 Aphorisms depending on the order and sequence in which you read select ones. Furthermore, I maintain this was a intentional component of the text in light of its obviously Paracelsan origins and influences. The injterplay of the book can be seen in of itself to be much like the two tenets of Celsus and the 7 tenets of "Paracelsus". The two majhor tenets of Celsus, in relation to Christianity are perfectly concise within the approaches to the "Goes" (Goety, Goetia) and cacodaemons in the book, in relation to opponents of Christianity and the support of poly-theistic rationale being unfit to condense the essential tenets to Christianity as a key to Magick in relationship to Paracelsus own writings.
My adoption will largely demonstrate how to "decode" the aphorisms, and how to apply them to a more fitting model of spiritual accord, in this case, to the Gnostic Mass of the OTO, a ritual we regularly perform and of which I am a novitiate Priest.
This operation will be useful and purposed to demonstrate how the text is meant to work, the purpose of the seal of secrets, and to specifically employ the powers of Saturn, per the text, to:
quòd quænis [*quaeuis] potest in lapidem conuertere etiam in momento, veluti animal aut plantam retinentem eadem obiecta visus.
Translation: Scrying. To see whatsoever or what new comes in, its countenance being in a stone. To turn into stone is to calcify, which indicates the restrictive nature of saturn and thus to bring things in sensible comprehension. This scrying is not simply looking into a stone but rather to see the "stone" in all things, and to see all things in the stone. This is in part due to the nature of animal, vegetable, and mineral alchemies, in which all things can be reduced down to stones, and therefore a stone is itself the reduction of things.
Paracelsus was the one who took the calcified stones of the body as tincture for illness and used them to diagnose his patients, and to use them as powerful tokens in their cures and the talismans and tinctures he gave them for their troubles in business, health, and other personal and civil ailments.
Conuertit thesauuros in carbones, ac contra carbones in thesauros.
Translation: Proper investment. The turning of money to coal and the turning of coal to money. This is the classic business exchange of the late 15oo's and it was starting to drive economic growth like never before. The mention of this form of transmutation shows a play on words that is totally lost in translation.
Dat familiares cum definita potestate.
Translation: Initiation - "gives familiars with a definite power." The definite power. Three things are the signs of the definite power - Mercury, Salt, and Sulfur. Three things in Music are definite power to Paracelsus, The First Major Third and Perfect Fifth. Three things in the heavens, three things in man and three things in life are definite powers: Birth, Life, and Death. Hence, Initiation. Remember, this word in 1575 does not yet mean "spirit." It is simply common Latin and means "fellows, friends, those of a common temperment and demeanor."
Docet Alchimiam, Magiam, Physicam.
Teaches Alchemy, Magic, and Physics. (nuff said.)
Conciliat homini Pygmæos, homines pilosos.
Makes one favored by Spirits of the Element of Earth... called by Paracelsus "Pygmies" and elsewhere known as Gnomes.
Facit inuisibilem.
Translation: He makes one inconspicuous.
Infœcundum facit fœcundum, & donat longeuitatem.
Translation: He causes one to live a long life and persist in legacy.
Hope to see ya there if you can get there! Attendance is free, but donations for our rental of the space is great! We all pay dues to make our humble Lodge happen.