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An Approach To The Operation Ol The Arhatel Ol Maic
(.)
hy Phil Leard (leardghtinternet.com)
Converted to Adohe hy www.sacred-maick.com


Background
The Arhatel ol Maic appeared at Basle, Switzerland in y in Latin and is one ol the
lesser known works ol the 'rimoire' tradition. Waite writes that it has the quality ol true
transcendental literature, hein lree lrom 'danerous instruction which makes lor open
Black Maic.' While it may he oin a little to lar to praise it as havin transcendental
quality, it can he considered more alined with 'white maic' (whatever that may he) than
most other hooks ol the rimoire tradition.
It is unlortunate that only one part ol the hook has survived or was ever written, hein
called the Isaoe, or Iundamental Instructions. The work promised a lurther eiht
volumes, concernin themselves with Microcosmical Maic, Olympic Maic,
Hesiodiacal and Homerical Maic, Sihylline Maic, Pythaorical Maic, The Maic
ol Appolonius, Hermetical Maic and Prophetical Maic. It would seem that
Arhatel is the name ol an anel or spirit, althouh a preliminary search turns up no such
anel as 'Arhatel' in the more popular works ol occult lore.
The Isaoe contains seven roups ol seven aphorisms, most ol these consist ol and
eclectic mixture ol mainly Christian and udaic lore, with inlluences lrom Pythaoras and
other esoteric philosophers. Examples ol the inlormation presented include spiritual
hierarchies, the properties ol certain numhers, prayers and various other spiritual secrets.
We shall he mainly concerned with the third septenary, which discusses the so-called
'Olympic Spirits' and the method ol callin upon them.
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The Olympic Spirits are the spirits which, under God, preside over the natural world.
There are seven chiel spirits, each correspondin to a planet (or planetary sphere), and
havin under them a certain numher ol provinces hein q6 in numher (althouh the
hook wronly states 86). The Olympic spirits, their siils and planetary associations are
thus.
Aratron Saturn

Bethor upiter

Phale Mars

Och Sun

Haith Venus

Ophiel Mercury

Phul Moon

Like the Secundadeians ol Trimethius, the Olympic spirits have planetary rule over a
certain numher ol years. The Olympic spirits rule lor qc years each. Accordin the hook,
Bethor ruled lrom 6chc to cad, Phale ruled until qacad, then Och until c, Haith
ruled until qcc. Therelore, the current ruler is Ophiel.
ohn Dee is known to have owned, althouh possihly not used, the Arhatel. He makes
several relerences to it and especially the spirit Och in his diaries ol mystical exercises
conducted with Edward Kelly. Alon with the Sworn Book ol Honorius and the
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mysterious Soya (The Book Soya or Aldaraia) the Arhatel may have played some
part in lormin Dee's Enochian system.
The names ol the Olympic spirits are not unique to the Arhatel, hut can he lound in
other maical manuscripts, althouh with many dillerent modes ol rulership associations
and siils. Ior instance, the so-called Sworn Book ol Honorius mentions Araton (sic) as
one ol the anels ol the lirst month. Also, Dr Rudd, in his Treatise on Anel Maic
reards the Olympic spirits as hein only slihtly less in power than the nine hierarchies ol
anels.

Practice
As with so many other medieval rimoires, the actual instructions lor the callin ol the
'Olympic spirits' are rather conlused and at times contradictory - prohahly due to years ol
(mis)translation and copyin. My approach to the Arhatel is quite simple, yet seeminly
quite ellective.
Iirstly the appropriate spirit must he chosen. The powers ol the spirits are as lollows.
Aratron is the spirit ol Saturn. He can apparently turn anythin into stone, turn treasure
into coal and coal into treasure, ive powerlul lamiliars, teach alchemy and maic,
reconciles the spirits ol the Earth, make one invisihle, make the harren lruitlul and
prolon lile.
Bethor is the spirit ol upiter. He can make one important, lind treasure, reconcile the
spirits ol Air which can transport precious stones and make medicine work miraculously,
he also ives lamiliars ol the lirmament.
Phale is the spirit ol Mars, which is descrihed as The Prince ol Peace. He is attrihuted to
ivin honour in allairs ol war.
Och is the spirit ol the Sun. He can ive 6cc years ol perlect health, hestow wisdom, ive
excellent lamiliars, teach medicine, turn thins into old and make a purse sprin with
old.
Haith is the spirit ol Venus. He makes people lair and heautilul, turns copped into old
and old into copper, and also ives lamiliar spirits.
Ophiel is the spirit ol Mercury. He ives lamiliar spirits, teaches all arts and enahles the
conversion ol Quicksilver into the Philosopher's Stone.
Phul is the spirit ol the Moon. He ives lamiliars ol the water and makes men live lor cc
years.
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The ahove claims ol the spirits powers may seem a little lar letched to many, hut the
hook ol the Arhatel states that the miracles which the spirits are ahle to hestow will only
happen il the maician helieves that they can - il he has laith in God and the spirits.
Some may like to see the powers ol the spirits as metaphorical.
The next step is to write the spirit's siil and the prayers on to new paper. The lirst prayer
is to summon the spirit and is thus.
Omnipotent and eternal God, who hast ordained the whole creation lor thy praise and
thy lory, as also lor the salvation ol man, I heseech Thee to send Thy Spirit (name), ol
the (order - solar etc.) order, that he may instruct me concernin those thins ahout
which I desin to ask him. Nevertheless, not my will he done, hut thine, throuh esus
Christ, thy only heotten Son, Who is our Lord. Amen.
The second prayer is to send the spirit away and is.
Iorasmuch as thou camest in peace and quietly, havin also answered unto my petitions,
I ive thanks unto God, in Whose Name thou camest. Now thou mayst depart in peace
unto thy orders, hut return unto me aain, when I shall call thee hy thy name, or hy thy
order, or hy thy ollice, which is ranted lrom the Creator. Amen.
You should wait until the day and planetary hour ol the spirit which you seek to call. The
hook suests that the hest time lor this is at sunrise, hut in my opinion any matchin
planetary hour should work well. Alter hanishin and openin (usin rituals such as the
LBRP and Middle Pillar), the lirst prayer is read aloud. I usually try to lace a window and
watch lor any sins that the spirit may have manilested, such as an animal appearin or a
sudden sound. The readin ol the lirst prayer may he used as the openin to meditation
on one ol the spirit's powers, lor example teachin alchemy. Throuh this meditation one
may come into contact with the spirit and even he ahle to enter into conversation.
However, the Arhatel warns that you should not keep the spirit more than one hour or it
may hecome 'lamiliarly addicted to thee'.
Once the workin has linished and the chare delivered, then the second prayer is read in
order to dischare the spirit. The paper with the siil and prayers on may then he stored
in a sale place, or carried ahout your person as a talisman.
That is all the rite consists ol. It is very simple, yet ellective - I have lound the powers ol
the Olympic Spirits to he most potent and uselul.

Notes
A copy ol the Arhatel ol Maic can he viewed at oe and Candy Peterson's Twilit Grotto
(siils and prayers may diller.)