The Book of Gold (Le Livre d’Or) - 17th Century Book of Spells, Charms & Magic using the Biblical Psalms of David
Page 13
I
Whosoever wishes to be saved, before all things it is necessary that he knows and holds the Catholic Faith.
II
And if anyone does not conserve it undefiled and without doubt, he will perish eternally.
[226]
III
Thus, the Catholic Faith consists in adoring one Sole God in three Persons in one Sole Godhead.
IV
Without the three Persons being confused and without separating the Substance
V
For there is one Person of The Father, another of The Son and another of The Holy Ghost.
VI
But the Godhead of The Father, The Son and Holy Ghost is one and the same, Their glory is equal and Their majesty co-eternal.
VII
Such as The Father is, such is The Son, such is The Holy Ghost.
VIII
The Father is Uncreate, The Son is Uncreate and The Holy Ghost is Uncreate.
IX
The Father is Great,cdlxxx The Son is Great, The Holy Ghost is Great.
X
The Father is Eternal, The Son is Eternal, The Holy Ghost is Eternal.
XI
And yet they are not Three Eternal Beings, but One Eternal Being.
[227]
XII
As also they are not Three Uncreated Beings, nor Three Greatcdlxxxi Beings, but One Uncreated Being and One Great Being.
XIII
In the same way, The Father is Almighty, The Son is Almighty and The Holy Ghost is Almighty.
XIV
And yet, they are not Three Almighty Beings, but One Almighty Being.
XV
Thus is The Father God, The Son is God, The Holy Ghost is God.
XVI
And likewise, They are not Three Gods, but One Sole God.
XVII
Thus is The Father Lord, The Son is Lord and The Holy Ghost is Lord.
XVIII
And yet, They are not Three Lords, but One Sole Lord.
XIX
For as the Truth commands us to confess that each Person is God and Lord, so does the Catholic Religion prohibit us from calling Them Three Gods or Three Lords.
XX
The Father knows no beginning, nor has he been made, nor has he been begotten.
[228]
XXI
The Son has been neither made, nor created but was begotten of the Sole Father.
XXII
The Holy Ghost has been neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeds from the Father and the Son.
XXIII
There is therefore but One Sole Father, not Three Fathers, One Sole Son, not Three Sons, One Sole Holy Ghost, not Three Holy Ghosts.
XXIV
And in this Trinity No One comes First or Last, No One is greater or lesser, but each of the Three Persons is co-eternal and equal together.
XXV
So that in all things and in all places as has been said beforehand, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
XXVI
Whosoever wishes, therefore, to be saved must hold these sentiments of the Trinity.
XXVII
But for Eternal Salvation, it is necessary that each person firmly believe in the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ.
XXVIII
This is therefore pure and true faith that obliges us to believe and to [229] confess that Our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, is God and Man.
XXIX
God was begotten of the Substance of the Father before all the Ages and Man was born of the Substance of His Mother into the World.cdlxxxii
XXX
Perfect God, Perfect Man composed of a rational soul and human flesh.
XXXI
Equal to The Father according to his Godhead and inferior to The Father according to his Humanity.
XXXII
Yet although He is God and Man, He is not two Christs, but One Sole Jesus Christ.
XXXIII
I say One, not by the transformation of Godhead into Humanity, but by the union of the nature of Mankind to the nature of God.
XXXIV
One, not through the confusion of Substance but by Unity of Person.
XXXV
For as the rational soul is One Sole Man of flesh, thus God is one Sole Jesus Christ with Man.
[230]
XXXVI
He, who has suffered death for our Salvation, descended into Hell and on the third day, He rose from the dead.
XXXVII
He, who ascended into Heaven, is seated at the Right Hand of God The Father Almighty and from whence He will come to judge the quick and the dead.
XXXVIII
At whose coming all men shall rise again in body and give account for their own actions.
XXXIX
And they that have done good deeds will go into Life Eternal and they that have done evil will go into eternal fire.
XL
This is the Catholic Faith and whosoever will not believe in it sincerely and firmly will not be saved.
END
COMMENTARY:
This is one of the Creeds given place in the Catholic Church, which gives a clear Commentary: of the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation. Most other Creeds deal with other ‘fundamental truths’, whereas this Creed (cf. The Nicene Creed) deals with these two exclusively.
The Creed is thought to have been written by another Archbishop of Alexandria or his provincial synods around the year 361 CE, rather than by St Athanasius (who was Pope of Alexandria), to whom it is credited. However, there is significant controversy and debate surrounding its author and date of origin.
Like the Psalms, the Creed was also used for magical purposes. The opening words of the Athanasian Creed are spoken three times over a pregnant woman’s body in the fifteenth century Sloane MS 962 to ease childbirth, interestingly followed by the words of the Sator magic square.
The Athanasian Creed is also to be found in Verus Jesuitarum Libellus (The True Petition of the Jesuits). In that small grimoire which is believed to date to the nineteenth century it is recited along with Psalm 129 at the end of the Discharge of the Spirit from the first conjuration in the manuscript.
APPENDICES
1. PRÉCIS OF ALL OF USES OF THE PSALMS IN LE LIVRE D’OR
#
Purpose
Reps
Ingre-
dients
Equip-ment
Notes
1
Pregnancy protection
Mastic
Written on paper
Bound to right arm
2
Curing over-eating pains
Oil
Anointed with oil
2
Welcome by a prince
Oil
Tablet
Ash tablet and anoint self with oil
3
Headache cure
Written on paper
Bound round head
4
Protection from watery peril and accidents
4
Friendship of great people
7
Characters written on left hand
5
Protection from malicious people
3
Olive oil
Head anointed and characters written on hand
5
Friendships of lords
3
Olive oil
Head anointed and characters written on hand
6
Dealing with Judges
7
6
Curing eye disease
7
Repeated for three days
7
Protection from enemies
Earth
Recite over earth and throw in direction of enemies
7
Vanquishing enemies
4
Water
Earthenware jar
Water thrown where enemies pass
8
Prevent children crying
Written on paper
Bound on right arm
8
Holding and moving honey bees
Recite first verse only
9
Honoured by king or prince
Olive oil
Glass plate
Write on plate, wash with oil and anoint face with oil
10
Killing enemies
Parchment
Buried under dead person’s head
11
Preventing slander by enemies
Borax, water
Glass plate
Read Psalm over water, bury plate under enemy’s door
12
Protection from rogues
3
12
Making a child amenable to education
Holy water
Drinking glass
Write characters, wash with holy water and give to child to drink
13
Appearing majestic
Mastic, musk, pure water
Write characters, perfume and wash then pour water on doorstep
14
Approaching a prince
Carry characters on you
15
Protection from enchantment
Carry characters on you
16
Avoiding scandal
Seven
Mastic
Perfume characters and carry on you
17
Healing sick people
Pure water
Earthenware bowl
Recite over bowl of water and place in room.
18
Assisting pregnancy
Holy water, aloes
Written on paper, glass plate
Write on paper and place under feet, after birth written on plate, perfumed with aloes, washed with water and given to her to drink and rubbed on stomach
19
Healing sick person
20
Being well received and honoured
7
Rose oil, mastic
Written on tablet
Perfume tablet, wash with oil then use to anoint face
21
Protection from petty & malicious people
7
21
Vanquishing enemy
Mastic, pure water
Glass plate
Write characters on plate, perfume then wash & bury under enemy’s doorway
22
Protection when travelling
Oil
Read Psalm over oil and anoint face with it
23
To be loved
Musk, saffron, rose water
Write characters and perfume with the fragrances
24
Helping a sick person sleep
Written on paper
Place Psalm under head
25
Destroying enchantments
25
Protection from enemies
26
Protecting vine tree
Spring water
Write Psalm and wash in spring water used to water tree
26
Curing worms for a child
Use Saint name possessed by child
27
Protection from your children and close friends
27
Reconciliation with enemies
3
Form character with fingers
28
Healing sick man
Barley beer
Recite Psalm in his ear whilst drinking beer
28
House blessing
Nutmeg
Write on paper
Perfume with nutmeg and bury at four corners of house
29
Curing sickness
7 & 7
Pure water, good oil
Recite Psalm seven times over water then bathe, seven times over oil and anoint
30
Release from prison
2 & 2
Bread
Write characters on bread and eat, recite Psalm twice by day and by night
31
Removing desire
7
Holy Water, Mastic
Write characters on paper
Recite Psalm seven times over holy water and wash, perfume characters and bind to right arm
32
To ensure conception
Mastic, incense
Write characters on paper
Perfume with mastic & incense & bind on her right arm
33
Heal toothache or fractured bone
7
Date stones
Go to crossroads, recite Psalm 7 times, burn date stones and smoke face
34
Access to a Prince
7
Write Psalm on paper
Bind on right arm
35
Safe pregnancy
Write Psalm on paper
Place paper in hood or bind to right arm
36
Destroying your enemy and his family
Write Psalm on paper
Bury paper under front door
37
Healing eye pain
Holy water, mastic, incense
Write characters on paper
Read Psalm over holy water at Christmas & wash eyes, perfume characters with mastic & incense and hang round neck
38
Removing bad dreams
Write Psalm on right side of face
39
Preventing miscarriage
Write characters and Psalm on paper
Bind paper on right arm
40
Controlling an untrusted mistress
7
Rose oil, saffron, rose water
Goat vellum
Read Psalm 7 times over oil and anoint face
41
Dispersing enemies
Recited at Vespers
42
Access to a king or prince
Write Psalm on paper
Bind paper on right arm
43
Destroying a enemy
Bird’s blood
Write Psalm on paper in blood
Bury paper under enemy’s front door
44
Gaining a desired person
Myrrh, aromatic gum, cinnamon
Write Psalm and name on paper
Perfume paper and bury it on front of door
45
For armed combat
7
46
Lucky in affairs
7
Write Psalm on paper
Carry paper and read 7 times a day
47
Seeing a thief
Write Psalm and characters on paper
Place paper above head of bed
48
To be loved and cherished
Write Psalm on paper
Carry paper
49
Killing and distributing a sheep to the poor
7
Read Psalm 7 times
50
Protection for haemophilia
Write Psalm on person
51
Pregnancy protection
Write Psalm on paper
Attach to arm
52
Vanquishing enemies
Dust
Read Psalm 7 times over dust and throw in enemies’ faces