Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm · draft

Book Two, chapter 9

Images from conjunctions of the fixed stars

Ritter pp. 104–105 · 9 passages

Ritter p. 104

1Chapter 9

فصل (٩)

2Let us return to our purpose. We say that among those images which we had mentioned before and alluded to, which are those that arise from the conjunctions of the fixed stars, there is that on which there is agreement and whose effect has been known to be true. Among them:

ولنرجع الى غرضنا فنقول ان من تلك الصور التى كنّا قد قدّمنا ذكرها ولوّحنا بها وهى الحادثة من اجتماعات الكواكب الثابتة ما أُجمِع عليه وعُرِفت صحّة تأثيره، فمنها

ṣuwar here in the talismanic sense, 'images'.

3(1) "A talisman for driving away mice." That is, you draw this image on a plate of red copper at the rising of the first face of Leo. This image is composed of the stars that are in Leo. Put it in a place, and the mice flee from the place in which it is. And this is the image: [figure]

(١) «طلسم لنفى الفأر» وذلك ان ترسم هذه الصورة فى صفيحة نحاس احمر عند طلوع الوجه الاول من الاسد وهذه الصورة مؤلّفة من الكواكب التى فى الاسد وضعْها فى موضع فان الفأر يهرب من الموضع الذى هو فيه، وهذه الصورة:

Ritter prints the figure, a group of star-signs drawn as circles joined by lines, which cannot be rendered in text. 'Face' (wajh) is the decan.

4(2) "A talisman for driving away gnats." You draw this image on a stone of sulphur at the rising of the second face of Taurus, and it is put in a place; for the place in which that stone is, no gnat comes near it. And this is the image of the stars which by their conjunction drive away gnats: [figure]

(٢) «طلسم لنفى البعوض» ترسم هذه الصورة فى حجر كبريت بطلوع الوجه الثانى من الثور ويوضع فى موضع فان الموضع الذى يكون فيه ذلك الحجر لا يقربه بعوض وهذه صورة الكواكب التى تنفى باجتماعها البعوض:

Ritter prints the figure, which cannot be rendered in text.

5(3) "A talisman for driving away flies." This image is pictured on a plate of tin at the rising of Scorpio, and with the third face of it, and it is put in a place; for the flies flee from it. And this is the image of the stars which by their conjunction drive away flies: [figure]

(٣) «طلسم لنفى الذباب» تصوّر فى صفيحة قصدير هذه الصورة عند طلوع العقرب وبالوجه الثالث منه وتوضع فى موضع فان الذباب يهرب منه وهذه صورة النجوم التى تنفى باجتماعها الذباب:

Ritter prints the figure, which cannot be rendered in text.

6(4) "A wondrous talisman." If you want the one you love to come to you in haste, draw this image on a new piece of cloth on the day of Venus and in her hour, the ascendant being the second face of Taurus, with Venus in it; and kindle its edge with fire and mention the name of the one you want, and he will come to you in haste to the place of the work. This image is generated at the strength of the indication of Venus while she is in this face. And this is the image: [figure]

(٤) «طلسم عجيب» اذا اردت ان يأتيك من تحبّه مسرعًا فارسم هذه الصورة فى خرقة جديدة بيوم الزهرة وساعتها والطالع الوجه الثانى من الثور والزهرة فيه واوقد طرفها بالنار واذكر اسم من تريد فانه يأتيك مسرعًا الى موضع العمل وهذه الصورة تتولّد عند قوة دلالة الزهرة وهى فى هذا الوجه، وهذه الصورة:

Historical belief: an operation to act on another person's will without their consent. Historical belief: an operation to act on another person without their consent. Ritter prints a row of figures (linked strokes ending in small circles) after 'this is the image'; they are not reproduced. ṣūra is rendered 'image' in this talismanic context.

Ritter p. 105

7(5) "A talisman for enmity." If you want to bring about dispersion and separation between two persons, draw this image on a plate of black lead with the canine tooth of a black dog, on the day of Saturn and in his hour, the ascendant being the third face of Capricorn with Saturn in it; and take care to put that plate in the place of one of them, or in the place where they meet, and they will separate in the most unfortunate of what may be of the abhorrent. This image is generated at the strength of the indication of Saturn while he is in this face. And this is the image that is drawn: [figure]

(٥) «طلسم للعداوة» ان اردت ان توقع الشتات والفرقة بين شخصين فترسم هذه الصورة فى صفيحة رصاص اسود بناب كلب اسود بيوم زحل وساعته والطالع الوجه الثالث من الجدى وزحل فيه وتعمد وضع تلك الصفيحة فى موضع احدهما او فى موضع اجتماعهما فانهما يتفرّقان بأنحس ما يكون من المكروه وتولّد هذه الصورة عند قوة دلالة زحل وهو فى هذا الوجه، وهذه الصورة التى ترسم:

Historical belief: an operation to act on other persons without their consent. 'Black lead' (raṣāṣ aswad) is lead. Ritter prints a row of figures after 'the image that is drawn'; they are not reproduced.

8(6) "A talisman for emptying places and preventing their habitation." Depict this image with the canine tooth of a pig on a plate of lead, on the day of Saturn and in his hour, the ascendant being the second face of Capricorn with Saturn in it; and put that plate in the place you want, and the Saturnine bane will descend upon it, and it will not be inhabited as long as the image is in it. And this is its drawing: [figure]

(٦) «طلسم لاخلاء المواضع ومنع عمارتها» تصوّر هذه الصورة بناب خنزير فى صفيحة رصاص بيوم زحل وساعته والطالع الوجه الثانى من الجدى وزحل فيه وضعْ تلك الصفيحة فى الموضع الذى تريده فان الآفة الزحلية تحلّ به ولا يعمر ما دام فيه الصورة، وهذا رسمها:

Historical belief: an operation to bring a bane on a place. Ritter prints a row of figures after 'this is its drawing'; they are not reproduced.

9And I did not find, in what I have seen of al-Ra'īs in this art, according to what he mentioned of the kinds of images, more than these talismans, so I saw fit to set them down in this book of ours. And after this I shall mention what stones belong to the planets, and the drawings of the images, and the wonders of their effects.

ولم اجد فيما رأيته للرئيس فى هذه الصناعة على ما ذكر من انواع الصور اكثر من هذه الطلسمات فرأيت اثباتها فى كتابنا هذا، وانا اذكر بعد هذا ما للكواكب من الاحجار ورسوم الصور وبدائع آثارها.

al-Ra'īs ('the Chief') is left transliterated; the identity of the authority is not stated in the text.