The Fiery Angel (15 page)

At last, in the first days of the month of November that had crept on us unheeded with its cold winds and long twilights, no objections remained to me and I saw the necessity of yielding to Renata’s insistence. From book and theoretical studies we turned to practice, and undertook the final preparations for the precarious experiment, which were as yet by no means easy, for we had carefully to acquire the rare objects needed, and to make ready, with every precaution, the necessary instruments. In this too, Renata helped me as patiently and as cheerfully, day by day more convinced that the hour of her reunion with Count Heinrich was at hand, and telling me so with extreme heartlessness as if not noticing the torment it caused me. While, in me, the closer approached the appointed day, the more there rose in me ill-forebodings like ghosts, and, standing in the corners of my soul, they gloomily nodded their heads both at the words of Renata and at my replies.

It was first suggested that I should act alone as invocator, for Renata believed that participation in the matter would tarnish her soul, which she wanted to keep pure for her Heinrich. I tried to overcome this consideration, pointing out that we were seeking power over the demons not for base gains, but for a good purpose; and that to force the evil spirits to tremble and obey is a worthy deed, not disdained by many of the Holy, as, for example, Saint Cyprian and Saint Anastasius. After some hesitation, Renata agreed with me, but rather, it seemed to me, because she did not entirely trust my abilities as a magus and was afraid that I should either forget, or be unable to perform, something vital. Thus we approached the decisive experiment together,
magister cum socio
.

I want to describe in all its details the invocation that we performed, so that an experienced and learned man, if this Narrative should fall into his hands, shall be able to determine what we omitted and what, therefore, accounted for the pitiful and miserable failure of our undertaking.

The day we selected, after many discussions, was a Friday, the 13th day of November, because the demons of Friday, which is consecrated to Venus, are especially apt to return women the affections of their lovers; the field of operations was that selfsame closet from which I had attempted my unsuccessful aerial journey to the Sabbath. On this date, we assembled there all we might require for the invocation, and we also took steps to ensure that there should be none other in the whole house that evening except ourselves, for the loud noises might have evoked the suspicions of our Martha. We prepared ourselves for the experiment by forbearance from all food, complete abstinence from wine and the concentration of our thoughts upon our single purpose.

The first care of the invocator is always the magic circle, for it serves as defence against the attack of inimical demons from without, and that is why on the execution of this circle, according to the name of the invoked demon, the distribution of the constellations, the place of the experiment, the time of year and the hour—a great deal of attention is always lavished. We first drew the magic circle on paper, and transferred it in charcoal on to the floor of the closet only on the day of the experiment. It consisted of four concentric circles, the largest of a diameter of nine elbows and enclosing three perfect circles set one within the other, the outer, middle and inner of these three being set each a palm from the other. The middle ring thus formed was divided into nine equal parts, and in these houses was inscribed: in the first, turned straight towards the West, the secret name of the hour we had selected for the invocation, that is, the midnight of Friday,
Nethos;
in the second the name of the demon of that hour,
Sachiël;
in the third—the character of that demon; in the fourth—the names of the demon of that day,
Anaël
, and of his servants
Rachiël
and
Sachiël;
in the fifth—the secret name of the time of year, that is, autumn,
Ardaraël;
in the sixth—the names of the demons of that time of year,
Tarquam
and
Guadbarel;
in the seventh—the name of the root of that time of year,
Torquaret;
in the eighth—the name of the earth at that time of year,
Rabianara;
in the ninth—the names of the sun and the moon by which they are known at that time of year,
Abragini
and
Matasignais
. The outer ring was divided into four equal parts and in these houses, turned due West, North, East and South, were inscribed the names of the demon of the air who was in command that day,
Sarabotes rex
, and his four servants:
Amabiel, Aba, Abalidoth, Flaef
. The inner ring was also divided into four parts, and in these houses were inscribed the eternal divine names:
Adonay, Eloy, Agla, Tetragrammaton
. And, lastly, the space within the inmost circle, where the invocators were to stand, was divided into four sectors by a cross, and without the circles, at the four corners of the world, were drawn five-pointed stars.

When the time of midnight approached, carefully locking all the entrances of our dwelling, and having once more ascertained that there was no one within it but ourselves, we entered the experimental closet. Here Renata and I robed ourselves in new dresses of pure white linen, specially prepared, long and concealing our feet, and held at the waist by belts made of the same material. On our heads also we placed linen headwear, resembling mitres, on the front part of which was written the Divine Name, our feet we left bare. While robing, we recited the established prayer:
Anco, Amacor, Amides, Theodonias, Anitor, per merita angelorum tuorum sanctorum, Domine, induam vestimenta salutis, ut hoc, quod desidero, possim perducere ad effectum
. In our hands we took each a magic wand, made of wood, unbranching, and with a metallic point like a tiny sword. Then, not yet entering the circle, we laid on a table, placed to one side and covered with a white linen cloth, a parchment with the sign of the pentagram and the name and character of the demon
Aduachiël
, for the sun was then at the sign of the bowman, and on a wooden tripod, placed at the very edge of the circle itself on its western side, we laid the
librum consecratum
, that is, the book in which were faithfully transcribed all the incantations we intended to pronounce that day. Near the tripod we lit two candles of pure wax, and, on the four five-pointed stars—four earthen lamps, filled with pure vegetable oil and with a burner made of vegetable fibre.

When all had been thus prepared, I looked at Renata and saw that her excitement had reached its utmost limits—her hands shook, her face was pale and she could hardly stand. Then I turned to her like a
magister
to his
socio:
“Friend, remember the importance of this hour,” and hastened to begin the experiment. Having sprinkled all around with holy water, pronouncing the established words:
Asperges me Domine
, I firmly entered the magic circle from its western side through a door left by us there in drawing it, and, when I saw that Renata had followed me, I locked the door with the sign of the pentagram. In my soul at that moment there was coldness and sorrow, but I remembered clearly all I had to do.

Turning to the four corners of the world, I called the twenty-four names of the demons on guard that day, six to each corner, then the names of the seven demons who govern the seven planets, then those of another seven to whom are entrusted the days of the week, the seven colours of the rainbow and the seven metals. In the meantime, Renata, having become accustomed to the duties of a disciple, sprinkled the lamps with the fumigators prepared by us, into the composition of which entered: lavender, the powder of bracken and verbena, the oriental resin of styrax, and, particularly, the ointment of the plant nard, dedicated to the day of Venus, and from the lamps there rose streams of aromatic smoke, which, gradually spreading, began to cloud the room with an indefinite bluish mist.

Then I commenced the invocation proper, trying to speak in a tone of voice that should be welcoming, but yet commanding. First I read some church prayers that protect the invocator, and then I pronounced the summons to the demons of the air, which begins with the words:
Nos facti ad imaginem Dei, dotati potentia Dei et ejus facti voluntate per potentissimum et corroboratum nomen Dei, El, forte admirabile, vos exorcisamus
. I could hear the voice of Renata giving me the responses to my prayers. Soon I noticed, or it appeared to me, that in the swaying smoke of the incense there formed and flickered various shapes, probably lower spirits, attracted by the odour of the nard, and I directed at them the point of my wand, forbidding them to touch us. Believing then that the time for the extreme invocation had come, I pronounced the last of the preparatory words:
Ecce Pentaculum Solomonis quod ante vestram adduxi praesentiam
, and so forth.

There blew into my face a cold wind, which lifted my hair, and at that moment I was convinced no less than Renata, of the success of the experiment. Glancing at her I saw that her trembling had not calmed and that she was nearly dropping with exhaustion. So, hastening, I began to walk round the circle from west to east, pronouncing the main invocation addressed to the demon Anaël.

Audi, Anaël! ego indignus minister Dei, conjuro, posco, urgeo et voco te non mea potestate sed per vim, virtutem et potentiam Dei Patris, per totam redemptionem et salvificationem Dei Filii et per vim devictionem Dei Sancti Spiritus. Per hoc devinco te, sis ubi velis, in alto vel abysso, in aqua vel in igne, in aere vel in terra, ut tu, dæmon Anaël, in momento coram me appareas in decore forma humana. Veni ergo cum festinatione in virtute nominum istorum Aye Saraye, Aye Saraye, Saraye, differas venire per nomine æterna Eloy, Archima, Rabur, festina venire per personam exorcitatoris conjurati, in omni tranquillitate et patientia, sine ullo tumulto, mei et omnium hominum corporis sine detrimento, sine falsitate, fallacia, dolo. Conjuro et confirmo super te, dæmon fortis, in nomine On, Hey, Heya, Ia, Ie, Adonay, et in nomine Saday, qui creavit quadrupedia et animalia reptilia et homines in sexto die, et per nomina angelorum servientium in tertio exercitu coram Dagiël angelo magno, et per nomen stellæ quæ est Venus et per sigillum ejus quod quidem est sanctum—super te, Anaël, qui est præpositus diei sextæ, ut pro me labores. El, Aty, Titeip, Azia, Hyn, Ien, Minosel, Achadan! Va! Va! Va!

I had time to make three rounds of the circle while pronouncing this invocation. In the bluish smoke around swayed devilish faces, and everywhere from the floor of the room rose streams of mist, in miniature resembling those I had seen at the Sabbath. But in vain did I wait to see appear before me in vision the image of little girls at play, that would serve as indication of the apparition of the demon of Venus. Passing Renata thrice I saw that she was in a state of extremest tension, with eyes opened as if in ecstasy and supporting herself with an effort by means of the wand, which she used as a staff. Knowing, however, that to attract the demon into one’s sphere whole hours of labour are often required, as yet I did not lose hope and I began to pronounce the more forcible invocations:

“Quid tardas? ne morare! obedito præceptori tuo in nomine Domini Bathat, super Abrac ruens, superveniens. Cito, cito, cito! Veni, veni, veni!”

A confused rumble was now filling the room, as though wind or rain were coming towards us along the foliage of tall trees. The expectation of something as yet unseen and striking seized me with all its power; my flesh and my reason were taut and ready, either for defence or attack. But at this moment, while I was facing the tripod and staring into the swaying mist, there sounded behind me, where Renata was, a knock, as deafening and as sudden as if our house would split. With an involuntary cry, I turned round and saw that one of the lamps, the one near which Renata stood, had gone out. I flew there with the magic wand, pointed forward, for I knew that access within our circle to evil spirits had thus been opened, but it was probably already too late. Encountering Renata’s face, I hardly recognised it, for it was distorted and twisted, and it must be supposed that one or several demons, making use of the breach in the circle, had seized and possessed her. Renata, who a moment ago had hardly had the strength to stand up, suddenly pushing me aside with extraordinary force, rushed with her wand uplifted towards the other lamps. I had neither the strength of will nor means to stop her, and she, though of course her hand was guided by him who concealed himself within her, destroyed not only the other three lamps, but also the two wax candles with a few blows of the wand. We were plunged into complete and utter darkness and around us rose, if it were not a deceit of our senses, a wild howling, a roaring of laughter and whistling.

In this moment of danger, I realised that the magic circle could no longer protect us, for in any case it was broken, and therefore, loudly repeating the words of release:
Abi festinanter, apage te, recede statim in continenti!
—I dragged Renata with all my strength away from the room. On the threshold, hurriedly unlocking the door, I pronounced the final exorcism, considered especially powerful:
Per ipsum et cum ipso et in ipso
. I think that never, not in the most ferocious battle with the redskins, did I stand in such danger as in that room, filled with inimical demons and like that cage of mad dogs and poisonous snakes of which Renata warned me. Probably only my extreme presence of mind saved us from death, for I just managed to open the door and lead Renata first into the fresh air of the corridor, and then into the moonlight that streamed into her room.

But Renata’s face remained terrifying and quite unlike her, for it even seemed to me as if her eyes had become larger, her chin more pointed, her temples more prominent than normally. Renata threw herself furiously about in my arms, tore off both the mitre and the linen robe, and incessantly shouted words in a hoarse, almost masculine voice, not her own. Listening, I realised that she spoke in Latin, though, as I have already mentioned, she knew nothing of that language. The import of her words was terrible, for Renata heaped curses on me, on herself, on Count Heinrich, uttered furious blasphemies, and threatened me and the whole world with the most fearful calamities.