Black Abbot · White Magic

by Frater Acher, José Gabriel Alegría Sabogal (Illustrator)

Black Abbot · White Johannes Trithemius and the Angelic Mind is the second volume of Frater Acher’s Holy Daimon cycle, and focusses on the magical legacy of Johannes Trithemius. The book includes the first full English translations of two angelic grimoires, reveals the construction of the talismanic Tablet of Truth, the compounding of a love philtre, the creation of the exorcistic powder of Pelagius and the purificatory counter-magic of the witch’s bath. Through Acher's careful analysis of these texts, the reader is guided towards a mystical and historically attested method of practicing angelic magic. The black abbot should be considered as the central figure in the evolution of the Western esoteric tradition. Trithemius was the teacher of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, a magical role model to John Dee and Paracelsus, and the inspiration behind many of the legends now attributed to Dr Faust. New material sheds light on Trithemius’ own magical practice and his formulation of a theologia magica, which relies on cultivating a relationship with the personal angel. The first part of the book provides translations and analyses of manuscripts attributed to Trithemius’ legendary teacher Pelagius the Hermit of Majorca, as well as his mysterious intermediary Libanius Gallus. Acher then examines two texts attributed to Trithemius, which evidence the blending of high and folk magic in practice, connecting the celestial intelligences leveraged in Pelagius’ writings with the chthonic virtues of plant and animal based concoctions. The second part of the book opens with a biographical essay by the leading Trithemius scholar, Professor Klaus Arnold. Acher then goes on to investigate the vexing relationship between Trithemius, his master Pelagius and their intermediary Libanius Gallus. He concludes with some thoughts on the hermetic allegorical engraving in the third volume of Johann Scheible’s Das Kloster (1846) for the reader to pursue in their own visionary work.

230 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2020

About the author

Frater Acher is the author of theomagica.com as well as a friend and collaborator of Quareia Magical Training. He holds an MA in Communications Science, Intercultural Communications and Psychology as well as certifications in Systemic Coaching and Gestalt Therapy. He has studied Western Ritual Magic in theory and practice at I.M.B.O.L.C. (magieausbildung.de) and has been actively involved in magic as a lone practitioner for more than twenty years. Frater Acher is a German national, and after several years of living abroad, he is now resident in Munich, Germany. Previous publications include 'Cyprian of Antioch: A Mage of Many Faces' (Quareia Press 2017) and 'Speculum Terræ' (Hadean Press 2018).

The Holy Daimon online project is a resource dedicated to research into, and the translation of ritual manuscripts from the 15th to 18th century with a focus on texts of daimonic theurgy.

Reviews

[Federico · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found the book to be as perplexing as its subject, our dear Johannes Trithemius. And while Scarlet Imprint is a sign of quality—the premier editor for occulture these days—and the book is magnificently researched, there is something that doesn’t add up. Exactly like with Trithemius.

The book’s goal is twofold. On one end, and foremost, it aims to present Trithemius’ lifelong purpose of creating a purely Christian system of magic, devoid of any dangerous associations with evil spirits or thinkers like Plato. On the other, it deals with the fabrication of Pelagius the Eremite of Majorca, presented by Trithemius as his teacher’s teacher—he also invented his teacher, of course. He had to play it safe.

The man was a genius, so I find it amusing that in a well-crafted lie he ends up making Pelagius, supposedly dead for decades, mention Agrippa—who was Trithemius’ own student. Fascinating. That being said, the narrative thread in the book is a bit loose, and Pelagius’ texts (meaning Trithemius’) while interesting, are overly analyzed.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

drags a bit, didn't love the organization