Magical alphabet

Short description: Substitution cyphers popular among modern occultists

A magical alphabet, or magickal alphabet,({{{1}}}, {{{2}}}) is a set of letters^[1]^[2] used primarily in ceremonial magic ('magick'),^[3] occult practices, and esoteric traditions. These alphabets serve various purposes, including encoding secret messages, conducting rituals, creating amulets or talismans, casting spells, and invoking spiritual entities.^[4]^[5]^[6] Several magical alphabets, including the Celestial Alphabet, Malachim, and Transitus Fluvii, are based on the Hebrew alphabet, which itself has a long history of use in mystical and magical contexts.^[6]^[7]

As ordered letter-sets, magical alphabets are distinct from the various non-alphabetic, non-sequential "magical/magickal scripts" which contain symbols representing entities,^[8] festivals,^[9] ritual objects or practices,^[10] alchemical/astrological/astronomical objects or events,^[11] or other ideas,^[12] rather than sounds. Some alphabets, like runes, may serve both purposes,^[13] thus acting as both alphabets and logographic/ideographic scripts according to their use at the time.

Examples

The following are examples of alphabets considered magical/magickal:

Alphabet of Daggers: presented in occultist Aleister Crowley's The Vision and the Voice ^[14]
Alphabet of Desire, or Atavistic Alphabet: created by occultist Austin Osman Spare, influential to chaos magic.
Alphabet of the Magi: used by some members and emulators of the Order of the Golden Dawn; strictly speaking, an abjad.^[15]
Celestial Alphabet, or Angelic Alphabet: used by some pagans; another abjad.^[16]
Enochian: tied to the language of that name, and used in some ceremonial magic.^[17]
Malachim: used by high-ranking Freemasons to a limited extent; an abjad.^[18]
Ogham: especially used by modern Druids and Celtic reconstructionists.^[19]^[20]
Runes: especially used in northern-Europe-oriented religions like Heathenry, but also widely elsewhere.^[21]
Theban alphabet: especially used by Wiccans, though it predates Wicca by centuries.^[22]
Transitus Fluvii or Passing the River: shown in the movie The Blair Witch Project; an abjad.^[23]

A natural language's alphabet can also be used for spellwork or encryption,^[24] so the above list cannot be exclusive.

Using such an alphabet may or may not involve using the language from which it came, e.g. users might transcribe their own language's words between its alphabet and another. Some traditions, but not all, expect members to inscribe their own tools;^[25] thus it is possible an item's owner might not be able to read it.

Notes

↑ Clair, Kate; Busic-Snyder, Cynthia (2012-06-20). "Key Concepts". A Typographic Workbook: A Primer to History, Techniques, and Artistry. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. p. 347. ISBN 9781118399880. https://books.google.com/books?id=Lf0iDYCr6w0C&dq=Bassa%20(Vah)&pg=PA343. "alphabet: a set of visual characters or letters in an order fixed by custom. The individual characters represent the sounds of a spoken language."
↑ "alphabet". alphabet. August 11, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alphabet. "1.a. a set of letters or other characters with which one or more languages are written especially if arranged in a customary order".
↑ The synonym 'magick' is an archaic spelling of 'magic'^* used during the Renaissance, which was revived by Aleister Crowley to show and differentiate the occult magic from stage magic.
* Crowley, Aleister (1997). Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4, Parts I-IV (Second revised ed.). Boston: Weiser. p. xxiv. ISBN 0877289190.
↑ Buckland 1986.
↑ Pennick 1992, back cover.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Rabinovitch & Lewis 2004, p. 153.
↑ Pennick 1992, pp. 39–42.
↑ E.g. the Horned God, 22px the Triple Goddess. See also: Sigils.
↑ E.g. the eight-spoked wheel 15px, which in India is the Wheel of Dharma, is to Wiccans the Wheel of the Year representing the four seasonal festivals (in the Northern Hemisphere, Imbolc on February 1, Beltane on May 1, Lughnasadh on August 1, Samhain on November 1 — or the nights before) interspersed with four solar festivals (in the Northern Hemisphere, Ostara at the Spring Equinox c. March 20, Litha at the Summer Solstice c. June 21, Mabon at the Autumn Equinox c. September 23, Yule at the Winter Solstice c. December 21); Wiccans in the Southern Hemisphere often rotate these dates by six months. These major festivals are the eight sabbats; esbats are lesser gatherings usually held at or around the nights of the 12–13 full moons every year.
↑ E.g. in Gardnerian Wicca the slashed-S symbol 8px (glyph 54, "ì", in pagan-symbols font Symbats) represents the ritual scourge, or the ritual practice of scourging; it appears in Gerald Gardner's own Book of Shadows ("The Laws" paragraphs 161 & 162).
↑ E.g. 🜁 Air 🜂 Fire 🜄 Water 🜃 Earth, the four classical elements.
↑ E.g. 15px Pentagram, or 16px Pentacle, representing the human essence and role in the universe; the lower four points are said to stand for the four classical material elements, while the fifth point on top is said to stand for either Aether or Spirit. E.g., Tyson 2001, p. 147: "In the system of the Golden Dawn, the top point of the pentagram is assigned to Spirit, the upper-left point to Air, the upper-right point to Water, the lower-left point to Earth, and the lower-right point to Fire. These elemental forces are summoned and banished by projecting the pentagram in various ways."
↑ As for instance the sundry rune-poems discuss the runes in terms of their names' meanings rather than their sounds – though most stanzas' first line "head-rhymes" (alliterates) with that sound, the rune's name being the first word.(Page 1999, p. 188.) E.g. the first line of the Old English rune poem, "ᚠ [Feoh] bẏþ frofur fira gehƿẏlcum", uses the rune for its name's meaning "wealth": "Wealth is a comfort to all men".(Page 1999, p. 65.) A runic talisman might use that single rune to attract wealth. In the sole extant manuscript of the poem Beowulf, the ēðel rune ᛟ was used as a logogram for the word ēðel (meaning "homeland", or "estate"), per Page 1999, p. 221. Cf. Lebensrune as a symbol for life or (inverted) for death.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Daggers alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/daggers.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Alphabet of the Magi". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/magi.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Angelic alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/angelic.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Enochian alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/enochian.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Malachim alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/malachim.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Ogham alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/ogham.htm. ^{[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]}
↑ Ager, Simon. "Ogham for English". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/oghamforenglish.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Runic alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/runic.htm. ^{[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]}
↑ Ager, Simon. "Theban alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/theban.htm.
↑ Ager, Simon. "Passing the River alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/ptr.htm.
↑ Including both the original Latin alphabet (see Sator square, Abracadabra amulet) and the modern Latin alphabet, as with the spells and talismans in the folk magic book: Hohman, John George (1820) (in en). Der lange verborgene Freund. (published first in German, then in English). Reading, Pennsylvania. (Entire text online; Internet Archive copy of 1850 edition; printed replicas in each language are still sold.) Viz. the amulet at p. 17, resembling the Abracadabra triangle.
↑ Buckland 1986, p. 57.

Sources

Bailey, Michael D. (2018). Magic: The Basics. Abingdon and New York City: Routledge. ISBN 978-1-138-80961-1.
Bogdan, Henrik (2012). "Introduction: Modern Western Magic". Aries 12 (1): 1–16. doi:10.1163/147783512X614812.
Buckland, Raymond (1986) (in en). Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 9780875420509. https://books.google.com/books?id=fAED7p4stxwC. "The Theban alphabet is used quite a lot in the Craft. In Gardnerian [Wicca], for example, it is used for writing the High Priestess's name on her bracelet. It is an attractive form of writing. ... But the Theban was written on parchment, as well as being engraved and etched on talismans...."
Kynes, Sandra (2020-03-08) (in en). Magical Symbols and Alphabets: A Practitioner's Guide to Spells, Rites, and History. Woodbury, Minnesota: Llewellyn Worldwide. Back cover. ISBN 9780738762005. https://books.google.com/books?id=z5TODwAAQBAJ. "Symbols and Alphabets for Dynamic Magic Witchcraft: Energize your Wiccan or Pagan practice with rich symbol systems and magical alphabets."
MacLeod, Mindy; Mees, Bernard (2006) (in en). Runic Amulets and Magic Objects. Martlesham, Suffolk, England: Boydell Press. ISBN 9781843832058. https://books.google.com/books?id=hx7UigqsTKoC.
Osborn, Marijane; Longland, Stella (1982). Rune Games. London and Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul. ISBN 9780710093035. https://archive.org/details/runegames0000osbo/mode/2up.
Page, Raymond Ian (1999). An Introduction to English Runes (2nd ed.). Woodbridge: Boydell. p. 188. ISBN 9780851159461. https://books.google.com/books?id=SgpriZdKin0C&pg=PT188. "If the rune-names are recited, they can form part of the verse form for they may carry stress and alliteration."
Pennick, Nigel (1992) (in en). Magical Alphabets. Newburyport, Massachusetts: S. Weiser. Back cover. ISBN 9780877287476. https://books.google.com/books?id=aivppFdzZwcC. "Using the premise that languages and the alphabets that comprise them are metaphorical microcosms of our world, Nigel Pennick demonstrates how various alphabets function as a metaphysical description of reality. Magical alphabets actually enable seekers to experience a transformative process. This inner transformation is one of the main objectives of all esoteric traditions, and it can be accomplished by using any of the alphabet systems described in this book."
"Magical Alphabets" (in en). The Encyclopedia of Modern Witchcraft. New York City: Citadel Press, Kensington Publishing. 2004. p. 153. ISBN 9780806524078. https://books.google.com/books?id=xuvLRbKvyGEC&pg=PA153. "Although most often associated with the practice of Western ceremonial magic, magical alphabets are used by other neo-Pagans as well. ... [illustration: 'Theban alphabet (partial)'] ... Among neo-Pagans, the two most commonly used magical alphabets are runes and Theban. ... Magical alphabets are used in spellwork and for the keeping of records that one wishes to make difficult to decipher. ... Magical alphabets are also used when personalizing talismans."
Tyson, Donald (2001). The Magician's Workbook: Practicing the Rituals of the Western Tradition . Llewellyn Worldwide. ISBN 978-0-7387-0000-7. https://books.google.com/books?id=r_fZeucTqVQC.
Zell-Ravenheart, Oberon (2004-02-04). "Magickal alphabets" (in en). Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard. Newburyport, Massachusetts: Red Wheel/Weiser. pp. 144–146. ISBN 9781601639714. https://books.google.com/books?id=395EDwAAQBAJ. "Any of various magickal alphabets created and used by magicians, alchemists, and Wizards."

External links

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Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical alphabet. Read more

[1] Clair, Kate; Busic-Snyder, Cynthia (2012-06-20). "Key Concepts". A Typographic Workbook: A Primer to History, Techniques, and Artistry. Hoboken, New Jersey: Wiley. p. 347. ISBN 9781118399880. https://books.google.com/books?id=Lf0iDYCr6w0C&dq=Bassa%20(Vah)&pg=PA343. "alphabet: a set of visual characters or letters in an order fixed by custom. The individual characters represent the sounds of a spoken language."

[2] "alphabet". alphabet. August 11, 2023. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alphabet. "1.a. a set of letters or other characters with which one or more languages are written especially if arranged in a customary order".

[3] The synonym 'magick' is an archaic spelling of 'magic'^* used during the Renaissance, which was revived by Aleister Crowley to show and differentiate the occult magic from stage magic.
* Crowley, Aleister (1997). Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4, Parts I-IV (Second revised ed.). Boston: Weiser. p. xxiv. ISBN 0877289190.

[FOOTNOTEBuckland1986-4] Buckland 1986.

[FOOTNOTEPennick1992back_cover-5] Pennick 1992, back cover.

[FOOTNOTERabinovitchLewis2004153-6] 6.0 ^6.1 Rabinovitch & Lewis 2004, p. 153.

[FOOTNOTEPennick199239–42-7] Pennick 1992, pp. 39–42.

[8] E.g. the Horned God, 22px the Triple Goddess. See also: Sigils.

[9] E.g. the eight-spoked wheel 15px, which in India is the Wheel of Dharma, is to Wiccans the Wheel of the Year representing the four seasonal festivals (in the Northern Hemisphere, Imbolc on February 1, Beltane on May 1, Lughnasadh on August 1, Samhain on November 1 — or the nights before) interspersed with four solar festivals (in the Northern Hemisphere, Ostara at the Spring Equinox c. March 20, Litha at the Summer Solstice c. June 21, Mabon at the Autumn Equinox c. September 23, Yule at the Winter Solstice c. December 21); Wiccans in the Southern Hemisphere often rotate these dates by six months. These major festivals are the eight sabbats; esbats are lesser gatherings usually held at or around the nights of the 12–13 full moons every year.

[10] E.g. in Gardnerian Wicca the slashed-S symbol 8px (glyph 54, "ì", in pagan-symbols font Symbats) represents the ritual scourge, or the ritual practice of scourging; it appears in Gerald Gardner's own Book of Shadows ("The Laws" paragraphs 161 & 162).

[11] E.g. 🜁 Air 🜂 Fire 🜄 Water 🜃 Earth, the four classical elements.

[12] E.g. 15px Pentagram, or 16px Pentacle, representing the human essence and role in the universe; the lower four points are said to stand for the four classical material elements, while the fifth point on top is said to stand for either Aether or Spirit. E.g., Tyson 2001, p. 147: "In the system of the Golden Dawn, the top point of the pentagram is assigned to Spirit, the upper-left point to Air, the upper-right point to Water, the lower-left point to Earth, and the lower-right point to Fire. These elemental forces are summoned and banished by projecting the pentagram in various ways."

[13] As for instance the sundry rune-poems discuss the runes in terms of their names' meanings rather than their sounds – though most stanzas' first line "head-rhymes" (alliterates) with that sound, the rune's name being the first word.(Page 1999, p. 188.) E.g. the first line of the Old English rune poem, "ᚠ [Feoh] bẏþ frofur fira gehƿẏlcum", uses the rune for its name's meaning "wealth": "Wealth is a comfort to all men".(Page 1999, p. 65.) A runic talisman might use that single rune to attract wealth. In the sole extant manuscript of the poem Beowulf, the ēðel rune ᛟ was used as a logogram for the word ēðel (meaning "homeland", or "estate"), per Page 1999, p. 221. Cf. Lebensrune as a symbol for life or (inverted) for death.

[14] Ager, Simon. "Daggers alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/daggers.htm.

[15] Ager, Simon. "Alphabet of the Magi". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/magi.htm.

[16] Ager, Simon. "Angelic alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/angelic.htm.

[17] Ager, Simon. "Enochian alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/enochian.htm.

[18] Ager, Simon. "Malachim alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/malachim.htm.

[19] Ager, Simon. "Ogham alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/ogham.htm. ^{[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]}

[20] Ager, Simon. "Ogham for English". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/oghamforenglish.htm.

[21] Ager, Simon. "Runic alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/runic.htm. ^{[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}]}

[22] Ager, Simon. "Theban alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/theban.htm.

[23] Ager, Simon. "Passing the River alphabet". https://omniglot.com/conscripts/ptr.htm.

[24] Including both the original Latin alphabet (see Sator square, Abracadabra amulet) and the modern Latin alphabet, as with the spells and talismans in the folk magic book: Hohman, John George (1820) (in en). Der lange verborgene Freund. (published first in German, then in English). Reading, Pennsylvania. (Entire text online; Internet Archive copy of 1850 edition; printed replicas in each language are still sold.) Viz. the amulet at p. 17, resembling the Abracadabra triangle.

[FOOTNOTEBuckland1986[httpsbooksgooglecombooksidfAED7p4stxwCpgPT57_p.&nbsp;57]-25] Buckland 1986, p. 57.

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Magical alphabet

Topic: Social

Contents

Examples

See also

Notes

Sources

External links