David Rankine

Book of Secrets is as evocative a term as Book of Shadows, though it has a somewhat older provenance for contaning material regarding charms and rituals.  From the sixteenth century, simple charms and procedures were often found in such Books of Secrets, which focused on simple techniques that could be practiced by anybody rather than long and complex rites.  These works made magic available to anybody who could read a book and gather simple ingredients, rather than the moneyed classes with elaborate paraphernalia and expensive hand-copied grimoires.

The popularity of such Books of Secrets can be seen when you look at the number of editions published.  The most famous of all of these books, Secreti by Alessio Piemontese was published in 104 editions in nine European languages between 1555 and 1699.  These books were amongst the early best-sellers, and contained a diverse spectrum of useful remedies from magical to medical, gardening to cosmetics and metalwork!  Such books sold not only to the middle classes, but also at village fairs and wherever an audience could be found.  An excellent study of these books is Science and the Secrets of Nature by William Eamon.

From the mid-seventeenth century scientists would start to repudiate Books of Secrets as propagating fake secrets and vulgarities with no basis in fact, and as purveying dubious folklore and esoterica which were challenged by the ongoing Scientific Revolution.  Nevertheless in societies where a university education remained an expensive privilege, the Books of Secrets remained popular into the eighteenth century, and their importance in the propagation and development of magic should not be ignored.

I am often asked by people to recommend books on certain subject areas.  This can be a tricky task, as people do not always know exactly what they want!  This is even more difficult if they have some knowledge and are looking fo the next thing beyond primers.  However in some respects it is more difficult for the person being asked, as you have to put aside your own likes and dislikes, and consider what is approrpiate fo rhte person asking.  So whilst you might think a book is naive or not very informative, it might be exactly what somebody with 20 years less experience of a path needs to help them expand their ideas and perceptions.

Another problem is that people often give you a funny look that can mean all sorts of things from “you’ve got a big ego” to “why should I buy your book”, if you recommend that something you have written is appropriate.  The person is willing to accept your opinion and expertise on what to read, as long as you don’t recommend your own material!  Well the truth is I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t know how much work, experience and research went into it, which I can’t often say for other people’s work (unless I know the author).

One thing I do always say to a person is look at the bibliography of a book.  No bibliography is often a bad sign, suggesting an author may put personal opinion across as absolute truth.  Also read the foreword and introduction if you can get hold of the book in a shop.  Many people ignore these, much to the regret of authors who use this part of the book to set the context for the material, and often their journey to researching, gathering and collating material.  These two sections are like the bread which encompasses the filling of a sandwich - without them your sandwich is a pile of something on the plate.  So please do read those forewords and introductions, and check the bibliography.  If you can’t look at the book, at least read the publicity information (aka back blurb), which although it will obviously present highlights of the content, should give you an idea of whether you want to find out more.

VKOS

The Key of Solomon is the most significant of all the grimoires, being effectively the manual of practice which unlocks the other grimoires.  The fact that more than one hundred and forty manuscript copies of the Key of Solomon, survive dating between 1440-1825 CE, clearly shows how much more common it was than any of the other grimoires, none of which can be found in more than half a dozen extant copies.

The Key of Solomon describes all the necessary preparation, of the magician, place, and equipment, from robes to the magic circle to the appropriate prayers.  Armed with this knowledge, which is often absent or only partially present in other grimoires, the magician could then perform the ceremonies other grimoires contained.  Based on this frequency and the nature of the material, it seems likely that the Key of Solomon was the essential primer which any self-respecting grimoire magician would have to acquire, as it provided all the instructions of the art which enabled easy practice of the other rarer and more obtuse grimoires.  Even today the Key of Solomon remains an essential text for anyone wanting to study the development of magic.

Rather than join the huge crowds at Stonehenge, we decided we would rather have our own quiet day today for the solstice.  The coincidence of Fathers Day and Summer Solstice was an interesting blend, and we went to visit a local church, at Bredwardine, where we found a Sheela-na-gig carving on the outside of the church.  As well as the Sheela-na-gig, which has suffered some erosion and what looks like a bit of deliberate hacking at one stage to the explicit area, she is next to what looks in the rough stone like a ram-headed male figure, making a fascinating duo!  Additionally the two carvings are flanked by six-spoked wheels.  Unlike the modern eight-spoked wheel associated with the concept of the wheel of the year, the six-spoked wheel was commonly associated with the Romano-Celtic Wheel God, a curious figure that has not been definitively identified but remains the source of much speculation, as we discussed in our work The Isles of the Many Gods.