THE NUCTEMERON OF APOLLONIUS OF TYANA Translated and interpreted by Eliphas Levi AMUNCINE Boston – Cambridge 2014 The Greek text was first published after an ancient manuscript, by Gilbert Gautrinus, in De Vita et Morte Moysis , Lib. III., p. 206 ; and subsequently reproduced by Laurent Moshemius in his Sacred and Historico -Oitical Observations. Amsterdam, 1721. Translated and interpreted for the first time by Eliphas Levi. NUCTEMERON signifies the day of the night or thet illumined nigh by day. It is analogous to the " Light Issuing from Darkness," which is the title of -known a well Hermetic work. It may also be translated THE LIGHT OF OCCULTISM. This monument of transcendent Assyrian magic is sufficiently curious to make it superfluous to enlarge on its importance. We have not merely evoked Apollonius, we have possibly resuscitated him. THE NUCTEMERON The First Hour. In unity, the demons chant the praises of God ; they lose their malice and fury. The Second Hour. By the duad, the Zodiacal fish chant the praises of God ; the fiery serpents interlace about the caduceus, and the lightning becomes liarmonous. The Third Hour. The serpents of the Hermetic caduceus entwine three times ; Cerberus opens his triple jaw, and fire chants the praises of God with the three tongues of the lightning. The Fourth Hour. At the fourth hour the soul revisits the tombs ; the magical lamps are lighted at the four corners of the circle ; it is the time of enchantments and illusions. The Fifth Hour. The voice of the great waters celebrates the God of the heavenly The Sixth Hour. The spirit believes itself immovable ; it beholds the infernal monsters swarm down upon it, and does not fear. The Seventh Hour. A fire, which imparts lifeto all animated beings, is directed by the will of pure men. The initiate stretches forth his hand, and pains are assuaged. The Eighth Hour. The stars utter speech to one another ; the soul of the suns corresponds with the exhalation of the flowers; ch ains of harmony create correspondence between all natural things. The Ninth Hour. The number which must not be divulged. The Tenth Hour. The key of the astronomical cycle and of the circular movement of human life. The Eleventh Hour. The wings ofthe genii move with a mysterious and deep murmur; they fly from sphere to sphere, and bear the messages of God from world to world. The Twelfth Hour. The works of the light eternal are fulfilled by fire. EXPLANATION THESE twelve symbolical hours,alogous an to the signs of the magical Zodiac and to the allegorical labours of Hercules, represent the schedule of the works of initiation. It is necessary therefore (1) To overcome evil passions, and, according to the expression of the wise Hierophant, comp el the demons themselves to praise God. (2) To study the balanced forces of nature, and know how harmony results from the analogy of contraries ; to know also the great magical agent and the twofold polarisation of the universal light. (3) To gain initiati on into the triadic principle of all theogonies and all religious symbols. (4) To know how to overcome all phantoms of imagination, and triumph over all illusions. (5) To understand after what manner universal harmony is produced in the centre of the four elementary forces. (6) To become inaccessible to fear. (7) To practise the direction of the magnetic light. (8) To learn prevision of effects by the calculus of the balance of causes. (9) To understand the hierarchy of instruction, to respect the mysteriesof dogma, and to keep silence in presence of the profane. (10) To study astronomy exhaustively. (11) To become initiated by analogy into the laws of universal life and intelligence. (12) To fulfil the great works of nature by direction of the light. Here follow the names and attributions of the genii who preside over the twelve hours of the Nuctemeron. By these genii the ancient hierophants understood neither angels nor demons, but moral forces or personified virtues. Genii of the First Hour: PAPUS, hysician. p SINBUCK, judge. KASPHUIA, necromancer. ZAHUN, genius of scandal. HEIGLOT, genius of snowstorms. MIZKUN, genius of amulets. HAVEN, genius of dignity. Explanation: We must become the physician and judge of ourselves in order to vanquish the witchcrafts of the necromancer, conjure and contemn the genius of scandal, triumph over the opinion which freezes all enthusiasms, and confounds everything in the same cold pallor, like the genius of the snowstorms; know, finally, the virtue of signs so as tonchain e the genius of amulets that we may reach the dignity of the magus. Genii of the Second Hour: SISERA, genius of desire. TORVATUS, genius of discord. NITIBUS, genius of the stars. HIZARBIN, genius of the seas. SACHLUPH, genius of plants. BAGLIS, ius of gen measure and balance. LABEZERIN, genius of success. Explanation: We must learn how to will and thus transform the genius of desire into power ; the hindrance to will is the genius of discord, who is bound by the science of harmony. Harmony is theenius g of the stars and of the seas; we must study the virtue of plants, and understand the laws of the balance of measure in order to attain success. Genii of the Third Hour: HAHABI, genius of fear. PHLOGABITUS, genius of adornments. EIRNEUS, destroyinggenius of idols. MASCARUN, genius of death. ZAROBI, genius of precipices. BUTATAR, genius of calculations. CAHOR, genius of deception. Explanation: When you have conquered the genius of fear by the growing force of your will, you will know that dogmas ar e the sacred adornments of truth unknown to the vulgar ; but you will cast down all idols in your intelligence ; you will bind the genius of death ; you will fathom all precipices and subject the infinite itself to the ratio of your calculations ; and s thu you will ever escape the ambushes of the genius of deception. Genii of the Fourth Hour: PHALGUS, genius of judgment. THAGRINUS, genius of confusion. EISTIBUS, genius of divination. PHARZUPH, genius of fornication. SISLAU, genius of poisons. SCHIEKRON, genius of bestial love. ACLAHAYR, genius of sport. Explanation: The power of the magus is in his judgment, which enables him to avoid the confusion consequent on antinomy and the antagonism of principles ; he practises the divination of the sages, but he despises the illusions of enchanters who are the slaves of fornication, artists in poisons, ministers of bestial love ; in this way he is victorious over fatality, which is the genius of sport. Genii of the Fifth Hour: ZEIRNA, genius of infirmities. ABLIBIK, T genius of fascination. TACRITAU, genius of goetic magic. SUPHLATUS, genius of the dust. SAIR, genius of the stibium of the sages. BARCUS, genius of the quintessence. CAMAYSAR, genius of the marriage of contraries. Explanation: Triumphing over u hman infirmities, the magus is no longer the sport of fascination ; he tramples on the vain and dangerous practices of goetic magic, the whole power of which is but dust driven before the wind ; but he possesses the stibium of the sages ; he is armed with all the creative powers of the
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