The Magic and Science of Jewels and Stones
CHAPTER XXXIV
GEMS IN HERALDRY, MAGICAL SQUARES OF ABRA MELIN THE MAGE, CHARUBEL’S GEM INFLUENCES, GEMS OF COUNTRIES
GEMS IN HERALDRY
“_Sweet mercy is nobility’s true badge._” “TITUS ANDRONICUS.”
Without doubt the science of Heraldry was evolved from ancient astrological philosophy.
Various distinctive badges, shields and tokens were employed by the peoples of the past, but the system as known today did not properly evolve much before the 13th Century. In the present book, that section of Heraldry known as Blazoning by Planets and Precious Stones deserves some passing notice. By Blazoning the Sovereigns and Peers were distinguished, the former by the Planets and the latter by precious stones, as shown in the following table:
_Tincture_ _Planet_ _Precious Stone_
Or Sun Topaz
Argent Moon Pearl
Sable Saturn Diamond
Gules Mars Ruby
Azure Jupiter Sapphire
Vert Venus Emerald
Pupure Mercury Amethyst
Tenny Caput Draconis (Moon’s Jacinth North Node)
Sanguine Cauda Draconis (Moon’s Sardonyx South Node)
The planetary gem grouping is not quite accurate according to astrological science, and the errors can be referred to the early chroniclers. For example, the ruby is given to Mars and the topaz to the Sun, whereas the ruby is a stone of the Sun and the topaz a stone of Mars. Mars is termed Warlike and Violent in old works, whilst the Sun is the emblem of Faithfulness and Constancy. At the coronation of a British Sovereign a ruby ring emblematical of Faithfulness and Constancy is placed on his finger.
Thus it is in harmony with the royal sign Leo—the sign of the Sun—and the Monarch who is astrologically ruled by the Sun. The pearl is correct for the Moon; the diamond is not a stone of Saturn; the sapphire is not a stone of Jupiter; the emerald is correct for Venus; the amethyst is not a stone of Mercury. The assigning of jacinth and sardonyx to the North and the South Nodes of the Moon has not the support of astrological science.
MAGICAL SQUARES OF ABRA MELIN THE MAGE
“_The Wisdom of the Lord is an inexhaustible fountain, neither hath there ever been a man born who could penetrate its veritable origin and foundation._”
“The Second Book of the Sacred Magic.”
In that remarkable ancient magical work, “The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra Melin the Mage,” skillfully translated by a past Rosicrucian adept, Monsieur le Comte Macgregor de Glenstrae, are a number of symbolic Name Squares which were variously employed by the old masters who so well knew the use of them. For the finding of certain treasures which are not “magically guarded” (“magically” may here be accepted in a wide sense) the following symbolic power figures were employed:
For JEWELS:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ B │ E │ L │ I │ A │ L │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ E │ B │ O │ R │ U │ A │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ L │ O │ V │ A │ R │ I │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ I │ R │ A │ V │ O │ L │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ A │ V │ R │ O │ B │ E │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ L │ A │ I │ L │ E │ B │ └───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
This square, the Comte notes, is a square of 36 squares, and the name BELIAL that of one of the four great chiefs of the Evil Spirits.
For PEARLS:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ I │ A │ N │ A │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ A │ M │ E │ N │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ N │ E │ M │ A │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ A │ N │ A │ I │ └───┴───┴───┴───┘
A square of 16 squares.
For DIAMONDS:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ B │ I │ C │ E │ L │ O │ N │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ I │ R │ O │ L │ A │ T │ O │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ C │ O │ R │ A │ M │ A │ L │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ E │ L │ A │ M │ A │ L │ E │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ L │ A │ M │ A │ R │ O │ C │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ O │ T │ A │ L │ O │ R │ I │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ N │ O │ L │ E │ C │ I │ B │ └───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
A square of 49 squares.
For RUBIES:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ S │ E │ G │ O │ R │ ├───┼───┴───┴───┼───┤ │ E │ │ │ ├───┤ │ │ │ G │ │ │ ├───┤ ├───┤ │ O │ │ E │ ├───┼───┬───┬───┼───│ │ R │ │ │ B │ S │ └───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
A border of 12 squares from a square of 25 squares.
The Comte translates SEGOR as “to break forth” or “to shut in,” according as the root begins with S or SH.
For BALASSIUS RUBIES:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ H │ E │ T │ I │ S │ E │ R │ ├───┼───┴───┴───┴───┴───┼───┤ │ E │ │ │ ├───┤ │ │ │ T │ │ │ ├───┤ │ │ │ I │ │ │ ├───┤ │ │ │ S │ │ │ ├───┼───┬───┬───┬───┬───┼───┤ │ E │ C │ I │ N │ E │ S │ E │ ├───┼───┴───┴───┴───┴───┼───┤ │ R │ │ H │ └───┴───────────────────┴───┘
Twenty squares from a square of 49.
For EMERALDS:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ A │ S │ T │ A │ R │ O │ T │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ S │ A │ L │ I │ S │ T │ O │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ T │ L │ A │ N │ B │ S │ R │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ A │ I │ N │ O │ N │ I │ A │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ R │ S │ B │ N │ A │ L │ T │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ O │ T │ S │ I │ L │ A │ S │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ T │ O │ R │ A │ T │ S │ A │ └───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┴───┘
A square of 49 squares. ASTAROT is set down in the Comte’s notes as one of the 8 Sub Princes of the Evil Spirits.
To find stolen jewels, the following is given:
┌───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┬───┐ │ K │ I │ X │ A │ L │ I │ S │ ├───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┼───┤ │ I │ R │ I │ N │ E │ Q │ I │ ├───┼───┴───┴───┴───┴───┼───┤ │ X │ │ │ ├───┤ │ │ │ A │ │ │ ├───┤ ┌───┐ │ │ │ L │ │ M │ │ │ ├───┼───┐ └───┘ │ │ │ I │ Q │ │ │ ├───┼───┘ ├───┤ │ S │ │ K │ └───┴───────────────────┴───┘
The square consists of 22 squares taken from a square of 49 squares.
These and many similar figures were used by the Hermetic philosophers in their occult scientific practices.
They can be nothing but interesting curiosities to the majority who are ignorant of the trials, sufferings and disappointments of those brave and faithful Fraters and Sorores who regarded no sin so great as ingratitude and no tendency so foolish as incredulity. “For,” says Abra Melin, “you must have Faith. Neither should you dispute concerning that which you understand not. God out of nothingness hath created all things, and all things have their being in Him. Watch, labour and you will see.”
“PSYCHOLOGY OF BOTANY, MINERALS AND PRECIOUS STONES”
In the year 1907, a remarkable book bearing the above title, written by a gifted student who preferred to veil his identity under the pen name of “Charubel,” was published by R. Welch, Esq., 92 Shuttle St., Tyldesley, England. This work is now difficult to obtain. The author insists on a direct sympathy between the human soul and surrounding nature, and his work illustrates his method of linking together these eternal immortal powers so that the human can draw from these elements exactly that force he needs. The “Psychological Properties of Precious Stones,” includes his occult researches into hidden properties which he presents in certain order. The stones mentioned are the topaz, amethyst, coral, rock crystal, emerald, diamond, ruby, turquoise, sapphire, red garnet, carbuncle. “The realm of precious stones,” he writes, “abounds with wonders which transcend everything I may have hitherto been made conversant with. Hence, I am very much fascinated with these lustrous specimens of a chemistry which transcends the skill of the ingenious to identify or to produce the same. It is true that so far as appearance goes, modern skill can produce from a kind of paste what resembles the genuine stone, but he can no more produce a living stone than he can make a living tree. The true stone has a life and it is in this life that its true virtue consists.”
The virtues of the topaz, writes Charubel, are to be appreciated by “fair people with weak or fragile constitutions, inclined to become despondent, of cold habits. A help to those who are out of sight or in the shade. It begets hopefulness in the hopeless. Strengthens and fortifies the soul against evil, wicked persons.” The seal of the topaz is according to our author—[Symbol: topaz]
and the sacred name by which it is invoked is SOO-MAH-THU-EL-DI-VOO-MATH-EL.
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The virtues of the amethyst are set down as a cure for false vision, bad memory, colour-blindness, intoxication, etc. The seal is given as—[Symbol: amethyst]
and the sacred name by which the life of the amethyst is invoked is given as AVRUTHEL.
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The virtues of the coral, according to Charubel, benefit decrepit persons and those prematurely old. It quickens the senses, is good in defect of the eyesight from gradual loss of energy in the optic nerve, and it strengthens the mental faculties.
The seal is given as—[Symbol: coral]
and the sacred name of invocation AG-ATH-EL.
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The virtues of the Rock Crystal include, writes Charubel, safeguard against deception or imposition. “It is for the pure in heart and those who think of a better life.”
The seal is given as—[Symbol: crystal]
and the sacred name of invocation EV-AG-EL.
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The virtues of the emerald are for those “who aspire to wisdom and seek enlightenment, and for those who seek the good of life,” etc.
The seal is given as—[Symbol: emerald]
and the sacred name of invocation AM-VRADEL.
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The diamond is for “Kings, Monarchs, Presidents and people of high standing, etc., State Authorities and the advanced Occultists. The diamond is a gem by the virtue of its homogeneity and belongs to the domain of the true life. The diamond is _sacred_: one of the most _sacred_: yes, the most _sacred_ of all gems. I am not allowed to give word and seal for this gem.”
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Charubel hails the ruby as “the most precious of gems, a balm in the hour of trial, grief, bereavement, disappointment, a soother of agitation and disburdener of the oppressed soul.”
The seal of the ruby is given as—[Symbol: ruby]
and the sacred word of invocation as DER-GAB-EL.
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The turquoise is set down as the “Sympathetic Stone, an invaluable treasure to the thoughtful and meditative, a connector of souls, a developer of Inner Powers.”
The seal is given as—[Symbol: turquoise]
and the sacred word of invocation HAR-VAL-AM.
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The sapphire is written down as “a cure for doubt and despondency, a reviver of blighted hopes, which robs the future of its dread and renders the Valley of Death redolent with sunshine.”
The seal is given as—[Symbol: sapphire]
and the sacred word of invocation TROO-AV-AL.
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The red garnet is hailed as the stone of inspiration and a remedy for diabolical influences, etc.
The seal is given as—[Symbol: garnet]
and the sacred word of invocation as AR-HU-GAL.
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The carbuncle “physically strengthens and vivifies the vital and generative forces in human nature, those that lack energy, sufferers from anaemia, and those wanting in animal courage. It sharpens business propensities and is invaluable to the dull, lethargic, sluggish, lymphatic, and people of cold habits.”
The seal is given as—[Symbol: carbuncle]
and the sacred word of invocation APH-RU-EL.
GEMS OF COUNTRIES
Old philosophy allots a particular talismanic gem to every country in the world. Those of the following countries are:
Abyssinia Lapis Lazuli Afghanistan Catseye Albania Dark Onyx Algeria Banded Agate Arabia Flint Argentina Spodumene Australia Opal Austria Opal Bavaria Topaz Belgium Marble Brazil Jasper Bloodstone Bulgaria Striped Onyx Burma Malachite China Pearl Denmark Hematite Egypt Jasper Opal England Diamond France Ruby Germany Hematite Greece Dark Onyx Holland Pearl Hungary Carbuncle India Catseye Ireland Emerald Italy Sardonyx Japan Jade Judea Topaz Mexico Onyx Morocco Banded Agate New Zealand Nacre Norway Topaz Nubia Crystal Palestine Limonite Persia Mocha Stone Poland Emerald Portugal Chrysolite Prussia Sapphire Rumania Lapis Lazuli Russia Chrysoberyl-Alexandrite Scotland Chalcedony Sicily Carnelian South Africa Pearl Spain Turquoise Syria Limonite Sweden Sapphire Switzerland Jasper Turkey Jacinth Transvaal Cairngorm USA Tourmaline Wales Marble