In the second of a week long “Love-spell-a-Day” blog we have decided to do in celebration of all things love for St Valentine’s day. Today’s spell comes from the forthcoming book “The Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet” which is a 17th century London Cunning-man’s Book of Charms, Conjurations and Prayers. We expect that this book, which is being edited by David Rankine, will be available this Spring. It is a remarkable work, being a complete book of practice of a London Cunning-man in the 17th century which includes amongst its diverse contents numerous charms and conjurations for dealing with spirits to heal, help and protect. Replete with Christian magic using the Psalms and other biblical texts, as well as spells for using herbs and incense, this book demonstrates the eclectic nature of British Cunning-folk practices, also drawing on a number of major grimoires and earlier works contained within it, including the Heptameron, the Arbatel, the Key of Solomon, Discoverie of Witchcraft and the works of Cornelius Agrippa. A detailed introduction traces the history of the manuscript through its numerous owners and in so doing explores the world of Cunning-men and Angel magicians in 17th century London. The book contains, as you would expect, numerous Love Spells, including a long list of spells which uses apples, an ingredient of many traditional love spells and divinations…
What follows are three randomly selected examples of Love Spells from this 17th century grimoire… :
example 1/ Write in an Apple before it fall from the tree these 3 words with the blood ( ) Lucifer Sathanus Rusal And say Conjuro to porno per omnes damones qui tentaverint Adam et Evam in Paradisa ut quecunque mulier dete gustanerit in amore meo andeat.
example 2/ Write in an Apple with the point of a Knife, On the one side Tabora and on the other side Odul Ochara and give it to be eaten either to man or woman And he or she shall love thee
example 3/ Make an Image of virgin wax In the forehead whereof write her name And in the right front venus and in the left front saturnus and in the back Jupiter. Then take red thorns and make fire and say, I Conjure thee Image By the virtue of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that as thou dost waste so may this woman waste her love from all other men saving me. And I Conjure thee Image and Planets whose names are written in thee by the virtue of God and all holy Saints that you tempt this woman Ab whose form and name thou art made for That she shall not sleep nor take no rest in any place Neither Stand nor Sleep nor wake nor do anything else but that she come with all speed to fulfil my will and pleasure.
Always work this In the day and Hour of Venus.(Examples taken from the forthcoming Grimoire of Arthur Gauntlet by David Rankine- http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/221/?page_id=421 )
Clearly the publication of these spells are intended purely for the purposes of illustrating historical examples of these practices, in this instance Love Magic in 17th century London. We are not suggesting you do things to apples and wax just because we shared this here, nor are we guaranteeing any results if you do.
Enjoy!
