by "Gnosticles" of the Kerdeans, 1997
There have been several efforts, through history, to use nymic magic to draw on the power of the tetragrammaton, the eunym or "true name" of the god of the Abrahamic religions, written (without vowel points) יהוה in Hebrew and translitered as YHWH. People have succeeded in drawing power from different versions of the tetragrammaton, but the levels of power drawn indicate that they have only coined a word of power.
This article records the best-attested instances of using the tetragrammaton as a source of magical power.
A matter of legend, the tetragrammaton spoken to Moses and used by him to work the miracles of the Exodus.
Coined in the magically intensive reign of Solomon, used by the priests of the First Temple as a prana treasury, but revoked by the time of the Babylonian Exile.
Coined by proto-Cabalists in the Exile period, assimilated to the Second Temple tetragrammaton.
Allegedly used by proto-Cabalists of the Second Temple period, though charged unknowingly by the priests through their sacrifices. Alleged to have been learned by Jesus and used by him to power his miracles. Alleged to be still available, with its residue of prana, to any nymic mage able to discover the correct pronunciation.
Coined by this esoteric group, aspected for use only by members, spelled with traps and misdirections for non-members, leading to prana-drain and insanity.
Coined by John Dee, still used by ceremonial magicians, aspected specifically for divination. The aspecting also draws users into extended dream states.
Coined by Johan Faust, still used by ceremonial magicians, aspected specifically for the control of demons. This tetragrammaton is known to be infested by ka-fragments, minor djinn, and perhaps minor demons.
Coined by the Baal Shem Tov ("Master of the Good Name," R. Israel ben Eliezer, 1698–1760), used to drive his own spiritual advancement. Rumored to still contain a fortune in variously aspected prana.
Coined by the esoteric backers of the Order of the Golden Dawn, easy to guess and relatively widely disseminated, spelled to extract a moderate but steady prana drain from any user.
Coined for his private use by Fr. Simon le Clerk (1779–1945), this tetragrammaton was aspected specifically to yield prana only to le Clerk, but was used by his followers in ceremonial chants, during which they unknowingly charged it with their own prana. The "anti-tetragrammaton" was a word of power coined and aspected to destroy individual prana stores and ectoplasmic bodies.
The full text of this study will appear in Acta Kerdeana DXCIII.
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Copyright © Earl Wajenberg, 2010