A WONDROUS SPELL - NECROMANCY IN THE PGM
The PGM (Greek Magical Papyri) has become a staple in the libraries of many modern day occultists and is something that I personally want to continue to explore. It is a collection of individual texts with rituals and spells from Graeco-Roman Egypt that have survived the tests of time and date from the 100s BCE to the 400s CE. It is incredible that we even have these because it gives us a glimpse into the magical practices of sorcerers in antiquity which is something I find very interesting. In the translation by Hans Dieter Betz he states:
“The history of the discovery of the Greek magical papyri is a fascinating subject. We know from literary sources that a large number of magical books in which spells were collected existed in antiquity. Most of them, however, have disappeared as a result as the systematic suppression and destruction. The episode about the burning of magical books in Epesus in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 19:19) is well known and typical of many such instances.
As a result of the acts of suppression, the magicians and their literature went underground. The papyri themselves testify to this by the constantly recurring admonition to keep the books secret. Yet the systematic destruction of the magical literature over a long period of time resulted in the disappearance of most of the original texts by the end of antiquity. “
As such, you can see why the translations of these texts are treasured by so many people in the occult revival. We are fortunate to have copies that are mass produced and widely available to the greater community for the first time. However, despite it being easy to pick up a copy for yourself it can be difficult to navigate if you’re not already familiar. The fact that it is a collection of individual rituals and spells means that there is much to explore. Each spell has the potential to have layers of background knowledge that could be valuable to us once uncovered. This pamphlet is an example of the sort of thing one might uncover when doing your own Work with the PGM.
One of the many reasons I love Hadean Press is because they publish pamphlets that assist us in connecting dots and further expanding on the material we know and love to work with. The printed versions are under $5 plus shipping and the ePub is about $2 which makes them extremely affordable. They are often under twenty pages which is perfect for neurodivergent or busy people like myself who prefer to read in short bursts. I often learn important details about things that I would have otherwise missed or have not yet discovered. And if I want to learn more about something that was touched on in the pamphlet it is as easy as a Google or Facebook search to follow up.
Thus, I would like to present to you a recently published pamphlet A Wondrous Spell: Necromancy in the PGM written by my friend Mat Hadfield. Some of the reasons I love this pamphlet are because of what is stated above. It is jam packed with information that is very useful and accessible yet it is only sixteen pages. I don’t want to give away the details but I do want to highlight some of the things that I think will peak your interest.
The pamphlet is an analysis of PGM IV. 296-466 which is a “wonderous spell for binding a lover”. Whether you are already in a relationship or have a moral objection to love spells you may have overlooked a spell like this. Additionally, although the list of Materia is quite small one may still find it difficult to obtain the items or work with it because it calls for you to craft a figure out of virgin clay and inscribe voces magicae on each of the body parts of said figure. Mat provides some great solutions to these concerns which is very encouraging and states that:
“I must preface this next section by saying that there is much more we can do with this spell than force someone to be our sex object! My goal here is to expand on the use and application of such spells, allowing you as the operator to see past the specific use of a spell as written and to extract the techniques that can be used to adapt such spells for yourself.”
He expands on the components of it by going into detail about the underlying necromantic theme and other details of this particular spell (and surely many others). It utilizes the assistance of a Shade who has died an untimely or violent death and Mat explains why something like this is common and the root of Goetic tradition. He goes even further by giving you some helpful tips on how to be a respectful and responsible necromancer by sharing some of his own personal practice. This is important because although it is not specifically stated in the PGM spells themselves there were most likely similar practices done at the time.
In conclusion, I highly recommend that you pick up the PGM as well as this pamphlet and start experimenting yourself. Having read this I now have a deeper appreciation for the plentiful amount of similar spells that can be found in the PGM and look forward to my own exploration. If you’re on Facebook, don’t forget to join the PGM Study & Practice Group as well as Goetia and Grimoire magic groups to share your results and engage with other people in the community who are interested in the same things. Side note - If you haven’t already and want to learn more about the Goetic tradition I highly recommend that you purchase Encyclopædia Goetica by Jake Stratton-Kent. His books are extremely comprehensive and will further expand your knowledge in ways that I can not. I find that I learn something new each time I read them and they are a staple in my library. I hope that you have found this review helpful and wish you well on your own adventures!
<3 Aequus
ORIGINALLY POSTED - November 4, 2020
