Book of Abramelin

At a glance

History, context & interpretation

The text and its story

Describes a long rite of purification and prayer to contact one's guardian angel, then command spirits using letter squares. It strongly influenced the Golden Dawn and Crowley.

Traditional attribution

Teachings of the Egyptian mage Abramelin to Abraham of Worms.

Historical scholarship

Authorship debated; Abraham of Worms may be a pen name.

Context and curiosity

Occult lore warns that its letter squares should not be copied carelessly.

Chronology and transmission

This text belongs to Hermetic, Magical & Mysterious (German-speaking Europe). The catalogue gives its approximate dating as set c. 1458; oldest manuscripts c. 1608 CE and original language or script as German, Hebrew, French. The dated manuscript witnesses and traditional claims may not refer to the same historical event.

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Sources and further reading

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Book_of_Abramelin

Historical descriptions are educational summaries. Religious traditions, scholarly interpretations and unverified claims are distinguished where possible; imagery may be illustrative rather than an artifact photograph.