The Key of Solomon

I have just finished reading an English translation of this e-book Edited by S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers
and Revised by Joseph H. Peterson, and wondered if anyone here has read it, if so what do you make of it?
I particularly found interesting the Pentacles of the different Planets and the tables for finding out the various hours of the day related to Planets, Angels etc.

I do not expect any replies from practising Masons as I believe there is not a lot they can freely discuss about the subject with a non brother. I also recently reaad a book on the ceremonies and rituals of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite and can see connections between what is in Key of Soloman and some of the ceremonies described in the latter book.

Also if you study the Tarot, you will see many a connection with both of the above and the A. E Waite/Ryder deck of cards. Many of the designs on the cards are typical of the designs and imagery used throughout Freemasonry. Interesting stuff.....

PEACE,
RK

reply to post by Rigel Kent


The Clavicles of Solomon are not Masonic, per se, and I'm sure any Freemason familiar with the book will be happy to discuss it. While I would venture most Masons have never heard of it, a few Masons have drawn a lot of inspiration from its symbology.

F & S, thanks for the post! I find this kind of stuff most interesting. I first heard the Key of Solomon last year and looked it up on Wikipedia. King Solomon seems very intriguing, I wonder if there are any films or documenteries available about him?

reply to post by Rigel Kent


I've studied the books as well as many others, quite intensely when I was younger. The interesting thing is the misinformation in the utility of the 72 "guardians." If you cross reference information from the Geotia with "The Sacred Squares of Abremalin the Mage" (also by Mathers), you'll see the connections and the interface. As an aside, Mathers and Crowley resurrected the "Order of the Golden Dawn," another one of those occultist platforms.

BTW, did you read the PDF files on Scribd.com or did you obtain actual hardcopy. I myself owned all five first print original books at one point which I purchased from an antique bookstore in Toronto (Fifth Kingdom) in 1973. They were eventually sold to the owner of a large car dealership (in 1975), I couldn't turn down his price, but I know he still has them and he's a a mason.

Cheers - Dave

The writings of S.L. MacGregor Mathers are good. We used to have Kabbalah Unveiled for reference (I ought to get it again, and study it in its entirety); but have not yet read The Greater Key of Solomon.

Like any other book that is written by Initiates of the White Lodge about Occultism, Gnosticism, Tarot and Kabbalah, etc. (especially the ones written during the Age of Pisces), the hidden meanings in books like those of S.L. MacGregor Mathers only truly begin to become unveiled for us when we have the Key of Daath (see my current signature).

reply to post by Masonic Light


Perhaps the book is not on the Masonic reading list but there are subtleties contained therein which suggest to me at least that The Masonic movement may have drawn some inspiration from it. At first, I found it very heavy going to be perfectly honest as it makes many references to other literary works to which I am not familiar and I had to keep re-reading paras and chapters.

Like you I did find much of the symbology quite intriguing and initially I was of the opinion that it was a work of fiction but when I neared the end I formed the opinion that it was quite a serious read. I understand that the original version would have been written in Hebrew so probably much fine detail has been lost in translation. Nevertheless I found it both fascinating and rewarding to read.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

PEACE,
RK

Originally posted by bobs_uruncle
reply to post by Rigel Kent

 

I've studied the books as well as many others, quite intensely when I was younger. The interesting thing is the misinformation in the utility of the 72 "guardians." If you cross reference information from the Geotia with "The Sacred Squares of Abremalin the Mage" (also by Mathers), you'll see the connections and the interface. As an aside, Mathers and Crowley resurrected the "Order of the Golden Dawn," another one of those occultist platforms.

Cheers - Dave

Dave you are slightly mistaken. Crowley did not resurrect the Golden dawn. Crowley joined the the Golden dawn when it was an established magical order.

The version of the Abramelin is very workable IF you get the 18 month ritual. Thereis a new book out (say 2 years old ) thayt goes into it in detail.

It is also a fact that the first owner of Watkins books which published the first edition in the UK played around with the Abramelin, became frightened and actually changed the squares around. I have not got around to comparing the two boks but will in due course.

Some Masons practice ritual and ceremenial magic as per th eGolden Dawn. Masons cover all aspects of human activity. Some are butcher bakers and candlestick makers. Masonry doesnot have an official linkage to any esoteric system.

As a non mason I would actually argue that masonic ritual is more psychodrama than anything else but perhaps that is a bit harsh.

Thanks to everyone for your contributions. I have the book in a word doc rather than hard copy. If anyone would like a link to a free download of this and many other related titles, please PM me and I will send to you.

PEACE,
RK

RK,

Since you mentioned Tarot, I would encourage you to read The Qabalistic Tarot. It is an easy read, even for the uninitiated...
The Qabalistic Tarot

It will give you some good "ah ha!" moments....

"We recommend The Mystical Qabbalah by Dion Fortune and my book Tarot and Kabbalah. These books are essential; study them." - Samael Aun Weor

I'm a Mason and a member of the Golden Dawn. I'd be happy to talk about the Lesser/Greater Keys of Solomon. I can also confidently say that it is not associated with Blue Lodge Masonry.

Fun Fact: The Rosicrucian branch of York Rite Masonry is the precursor to the Golden Dawn. This is all well published information.

reply to post by Tamahu


Tamahu,

Both are very good books! Nice recommendation...

reply to post by Masonic Light


True, I've never heard of it, but it sounds interesting. I will have to check it out.

reply to post by Rigel Kent


Every stone on the path leads back to the source. The temple was built by a king that is from the times before the deluge of myth.

Dont get too wrapped around the axel on organizations that harbor the wisdom of antiquity. Keep on truckin. Below is a link a great book, written by a hermetic student, that speaks to the tarot and the symbolism within.

Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism

There is one God, we are here to afford the creator the ability to experience itself. Life is hard and the lessons are even harder. Study and maybe you wont have to come back

I own the Goetia (Lesser Key of Solomon) and I also own the THOTH tarot deck which was created by Crowley.

Fun fact: It is highly unlikely that these writings actually came from King Solomon himself.
They first appeared in the 14th or 15th century and contain references to Christ.
Solomon died before Christ was even born so he would have no knowledge of Christ's existence.
Here is a wikipedia page with all the info. en.wikipedia.org...

Originally posted by Choronzon
Fun Fact: The Rosicrucian branch of York Rite Masonry is the precursor to the Golden Dawn. This is all well published information.

The books of Kenneth R.H. Mackenzie, William Wynn Westcott, and Edward Bulwer-Lytton are a worthwhile study, if one is interested in their writings; as we can deduce and intuit that they are overall inspired by the White Lodge.

The works of John Yarker are interesting too.

Originally posted by CIAGypsy
Tamahu,

Both are very good books! Nice recommendation...

The writings of Eliphas Levi and Manly P. Hall are very good too.

And the works of Huiracocha (Arnold Krumm-Heller) and Mago Jefa (Jorge Adoum), if you speak Spanish.


reply to post by zroth

I've never heard of that book. It looks interesting. Apparently the author is Valentin Tomberg, who is said to have been an Anthroposophist.


About Anthroposophy:

"The work of Rudolf Steiner is grandiose.

"His books are wells of profound wisdom."

"Steiner was a true Rosicrucian Gnostic".

- Samael Aun Weor

However, just because someone's writings are apparently influenced by a positive tradition (such as Anthroposophy) does not automatically make their writings necessarily positive.

One relevant example, is the teaching of Ra Un Nefer Amen. He is said to have been the head of the Anthroposophical Society at one time, and his writings are very interesting and even seem to be very positive. But after months of reading them, I later found out that the teachings of Ra Un Nefer Amen condone fornication, so are therefore not of the White Lodge.

Not to make assumptions one way or the other about Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism, as it could very well be an excellent book. I'm only suggesting that it is smart to be selective in regard to the Spiritual food that we take in.

Anyhow, I'd like to see if my local library has Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism, in order to investigate it; because it does look interesting.

"We may be Rosicrucian, Theosophist, or Spiritualist students. We may practice Yoga, and there is no doubt that in all this there are marvelous works and magnificent esoteric practices; but if we do not practice Sexual Magic, we will not be able to create the Christ-astral, the Christ-mental and the Christ-will vehicles. Without Sexual Magic we cannot be born again.

"Practice what you will, study in any school that you like. Pray in the temple that pleases you the most, but practice Sexual Magic. Live the path of the Perfect Matrimony.

"We are not against any holy religion, school, order, or sect. All of these sacred institutions are necessary. Nevertheless, we advise you to live the path of the Perfect Matrimony. The Perfect Matrimony is not opposed to any religious way of life or to the esoteric practices of Holy Yoga. The Gnostic Movement is made up of people from all religions, schools, lodges, sects, orders, etc."

- The Perfect Matrimony by Samael Aun Weor

For further studies regarding King Solomon:

"Indeed, we Gnostics are the elect ones, possessors of three great treasures that are:

"A) The Philosophical Stone B) The Clavicle of Solomon C) The Genesis of Enoch."

- The Three Mountains by Samael Aun Weor

The Invocation of Solomon

"The great magician and Kabbalist Solomon, son of David and King of Israel, gave this powerful gift to humanity: a prayer that calls upon many important names of God, in order to call for assistance, guidance, and protection. In order to understand this prayer, one must study the Kabbalah. In order to actualize this prayer, one must be an authentic Kabbalist. That is, one must be acquiring cognizance—conscious experience—of the Sephiroth in oneself."

Egregore

"Eliphas Levi commits the mistake of commenting about an apocryphal document of Enoch, and falsely judging the twenty Egregores who descended upon Ardis, which is the top of the Mount Armon and dogmatically condemning them by qualifying them as demons...

"Azasel is an Egregore who gave great assistance to humanity. Azasel was the king Solomon. Actually, the Bodhisattva of Azasel is fallen, but it is logical that, in the close future, this Bodhisattva will rise from the clay of the earth again.

"All the angels of families, angels of countries, angels of tribes, etc. are Egregores.

"We find written in the Theosophical Glossary of H.P.B the following:

“Egregores” from the Greek Egregori, “watcher.” Eliphas Levi calls them “the chiefs of the souls who are the spirits of energy and action”; whatever that may or may not mean. The Oriental Occultists describe the Egregores as “Beings whose bodies and essence is a tissue of the so-called Astral Light. They are the shadows (Bodhisattvas) of the higher Planetary Spirits whose bodies are of the essence of the higher divine light.” The Book of Enoch gives the name Egregores to the angels who married the daughters of Seth and who begot with them giants as children." - Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message

The Lesser Key of Solomon

"The Lesser Key of Solomon, a book of Black Magic wrongly attributed to this great Initiate, relates with the inverted polarization or negative aspect of the Shem Hamphoraseh Stone (of Yesod)."