_How to raise up the Ghost of one that hath hanged himself._
This experiment must be put in practice while the Carcass hangs; and
therefore the Exorcist must seek out for the straightest hazel wand
that he can find, to the top whereof he must binde the head of an Owl,
with a bundle of _St. John’s Wort_, or _Milliès Perforatum_: this done,
he must be informed of some miserable creature that hath strangled
himself in some Wood or Desart place (which they seldom miss to do)
and while the Carcass hangs, the Magitian must betake himself to the
aforesaid place, at 12 a clock at night, and begin his Conjurations in
this following manner.
First, stretch forth the consecrated Wand towards the four corners of
the World, saying, _By the mysteries of the deep, by the flames of_
►Banal◄, _by the power of the_ East, _and the silence of the night,
by the holy rites of_ ►Hecate◄, _I conjure and exorcize thee thou
distressed Spirit, to present thy self here, and reveal unto me the
cause of thy Calamity, why thou didst offer violence to thy own liege
life, where thou art now in beeing, and where thou wilt hereafter be_.
♦The ceremonies of Necromancy.♦
Then gently smiting the Carcase nine times with the rod, say, _I
conjure thee thou spirit of this_ N. _deceased, to answer my demands
that I am to propound unto thee, as thou ever hopest for the rest of
the holy ones, and the ease of all thy misery; by the blood of Jesu
which he shed for thy soul, I conjure and bind thee to utter unto me
what I shall ask thee_.
Then cutting down the Carcass from the tree, lay his head towards the
East, and in the space that this following Conjuration is repeating,
set a Chafing-dish of fire at his right hand, into which powre a
little Wine, some Mastick, and Gum Aromatick, and lastly a viol full
of the sweetest Oyl, having also a pair of Bellows, and some unkindled
Charcole to make the fire burn bright at the instant of the Carcass’s
rising. The Conjuration is this:
♦The Conjuration.♦
_I conjure thee thou spirit of_ N. _that thou do immediately enter into
thy antient body again, and answer to my demands, by the virtue of the
holy resurrection, and by the posture of the body of the Saviour of
the world, I charge thee, I conjure thee, I command thee on pain of
the torments and wandring of thrice seven years, which I by the power
of sacred Magick rites, have power to inflict upon thee; by thy sighs
and groans, I conjure thee to utter thy voice; so help thee God and the
prayers of the holy Church. Amen._
Which Conjuration being thrice repeated while the fire is burning with
Mastick and Gum Aromatick, the body will begin to rise, and at last
will stand upright before the Exorcist, answering with a faint and
hollow voice, the questions proposed unto it. Why it strangled it self;
where its dwelling is; what its food and life is; how long it will be
ere it enter into rest, and by what means the Magitian may assist it
to come to rest: Also, of the treasures of this world, where they are
hid: Moreover, it can answer very punctually of the places where Ghosts
reside, and how to communicate with them; teaching the nature of Astral
Spirits and hellish beings, so far as its capacity reacheth.
♦The answers of the Spirit.♦
All which when the Ghost hath fully answered, the Magitian ought out
of commiseration and reverence to the deceased, to use what means can
possibly be used for the procuring rest unto the Spirit. To which
effect he must dig a grave, and filling the same half full of quick
Lime, and a little Salt and common Sulphur, put the Carcass naked into
the same; which experiment, next to the burning of the body into ashes,
is of great force to quiet and end the disturbance of the Astral Spirit.
♦How to lay the Spirit.♦
But if the Ghost with whom the Exorcist consulteth, be of one that dyed
the common death, and obtain’d the ceremonies of burial, the body must
be dig’d out of the ground at 12 a clock at night; and the Magician
must have a companion with him, who beareth a torch in his left hand,
and smiting the Corps thrice with the consecrated rod, the Exorcist
must turn himself to all the four winds, saying:
_By the virtue of the holy resurrection, and the torments of the
damned, I conjure and exorcize thee spirit of_ N. _deceased, to answer
my liege demands, being obedient unto these sacred ceremonies on pain
of everlasting torment and distress_: Then let him say, ►Berald,
Beroald, Balbin gab gabor agaba◄; _Arise, arise, I charge and command
thee_.
♦Another form.♦
After which Ceremonies, let him ask what he desireth and he shall be
answered.
But as a faithful caution to the practicer of this Art, I shall
conclude with this, That if the Magician, by the Constellation and
Position of the Stars at his nativity, be in the predicament of those
that follow Magical Arts, it will be very dangerous to try this
experiment for fear of suddain death ensuing, which the Ghosts of men
deceased, can easily effect upon those whose nativities lead them to
Conjuration: And which suddain and violent death, the Stars do alwayes
promise to such as they mark with the _Stigma_ of Magicians.
♦A Caution for the Exorcist.♦