This is the point where the Septuagint and Masoretic Psalms diverge. Thus the Psalm attributions in the Sepher Shimmush Tehillim from this point are one greater than those in Le Livre d’Or. For this reason there is another attributed Psalm following this paragraph, and the subsequent Psalms as far as 146 will be matched on their content rather than the number which is out by one.
In Sepher Shimmush Tehillim this Psalm is used for banishing unclean, evil or restless spirits. Spring water is gathered in an earthenware pot in the name of the patient, and olive oil added whilst the divine name El Mez (AL MZ, ‘Strong God of the Oppressed’) is kept in mind. The Psalm is recited nine times with a prayer at the end of each recital.xlix
In the Goetia, four of the Shemhamphorash angels are associated with verses of this Psalm. The sixth angel Lelahel is associated with verse eleven, “Sing ye to the Lord, who dwelleth in Sion: declare his ways among the Gentiles”;l the twelfth Shemhamphorash angel, Hahaiah, is associated with verse twenty-one, “Why, O Lord, hast thou retired afar off? Why dost thou slight us in our wants, in the time of trouble”;li the fourteenth angel Mebahel with verse nine “And the Lord is become a refuge for the poor: a helper in due time in tribulation”;lii and the twenty-fifth angel Nithahaiah with verse two “I will give praise to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart: I will relate all thy wonders”.liii
Verses fifteen and sixteen, “the Gentiles have stuck fast in the destruction which they have prepared. Their foot hath been taken in the very snare which they hid. The Lord shall be known when he executeth judgments: the sinner hath been caught in the works of his own hands”, are given in order to recover hidden objects in A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah.liv
PSALM 10
In te Domine confido. Elmas
Write this Psalm on a parchment of wild billy-goat until Ignis & sulphur & Spiritus procellarum and also the [185] characters with a pen from bronze and bury it under the door of your enemies. Write in the same way on another piece or parchment and place it upon the head of a dead man; if your enemy is a man, bury it in the sepulchre of a woman and if it is a woman, in that of a man and may the death take place within a day.
The Moon being in or in hour of or of .
ORATION
Cast Thine merciful eyes, Oh Lord, upon us, who are beaten down by our poverty; cover us with the arch of our faith, so that being sheltered from injury of unjust blood, we may serve Thee and preserve justice through our Lord Jesus Christ. So mote it be.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is the opening words of verse two, “In the Lord I put my trust”.
For the third time the Mars character is given in error, as the Moon could not be in Mars (another planet), and there should be a zodiacal sign here. As discussed in the commentary to Psalm 1, the most likely candidates are either Sagittarius or possibly the signs ruled by Mars, i.e. Aries or Scorpio.
The bronze pen is reminiscent of spells in the Greek Magical Papyri (C2nd BCE – C5th CE).
This is a similarity to in that the charm for the Psalm given there is used for protection from persecution, with the divine name Pele (PLA, Sepher Shimmush Tehillim ‘Wonderful’).lv
In A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah, verses three and eight are combined in a charm, “For, lo, the wicked have bent their bow; they have prepared their arrows in the quiver; to shoot in the dark the upright of heart. For the Lord is just, and hath loved justice: his countenance hath beheld righteousness”, to save yourself from pirates and assassins.lvi
PSALM 11
Salvum me fac Domine
If you have an enemy who says something evil about you, in order to prevent him from doing so, write this Psalm and the characters on a glass plate, perfume it with borax, read the entire Psalm over water and bury the plate under the door of your enemy.
The Moon being as above.
ORATION
Have compassion on our fragility O Father most Holy, give to us [186] the grace to be able to please you with a glad heart and protect us from the mouths of those who speak much ill of me. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, So mote it be.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is the opening words of verse two, “Save me, O Lord”.
As with the previous verse, in Sepher Shimmush Tehillim this Psalm is used for protection from persecution. The holy name used therein with this Psalm is Aviel (AVIAL, ‘Strong God, My Father’).lvii
In A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah, verse six, “By reason of the misery of the needy, and the groans of the poor, now will I arise, saith the Lord. I win set him in safety; I will deal confidently in his regard”, is suggested to deliver a sick man from all infirmity.lviii
PSALM 12
Usquequo Domine oblivisceris me in fine? Ja
Against rogues and for teaching children easily.
If you are afraid that rogues may set a trap for you, recite this Psalm three times and they will flee. If you have fallen asleep in a desert, read this Psalm until ne quando dicat three times and with the aid of God, you will have naught to fear. If you wish to make a child more amenable to Education, write these characters, wash them with holy water, which you then collect in a drinking glass and give it to the child to drink. He will have an amazing idea
The Moon being in or hour of or .
ORATION
Turn not Thine face away from us, Oh Lord, Almighty God, for fear that our enemies may prevail against us; disperse rather their evil intention of heart, through Thine aid, so that we may obtain an easy death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So mote it be.
[187]
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is from verse one, “How long, O Lord, wilt thou forget me unto the end?” Ja occurs in the Heptameron as a divine name, and may be a contraction of Yah.
Once more the Mars character is an error, as the Moon could not be in Mars (another planet), and there should be a zodiacal sign here. As discussed in the commentary to Psalm 1, the most likely candidates are either Sagittarius or possibly the signs ruled by Mars, i.e. Aries or Scorpio.
In Sepher Shimmush Tehillim this Psalm is given for protection from unnatural death and all bodily sufferings for twenty-four hours. The Psalm is recited with devotion whilst thinking of the divine name Esriel (ASRIAL, ‘My help is the Mighty God’) and the appropriate prayer.lix The same prayer and Psalm are also given for speaking over a plate which heals eye conditions.
Verses 4-5, “Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death: lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him” is written around the edge of a Solar Pentacle (see Sun 4, Appendix 4) to make spirits appear visibly, and not be able to be invisible. A Saturnian Pentacle against sudden death and accidents also uses the same verses around the edge (see Saturn 8, Appendix 5), as does a Jupiterian Pentacle for games of chance (see Jupiter 1, Appendix 5).
This Psalm is used as part of the preparation of the Wonderful Ring of Lucibel (Lucifer) in A Collection of Magical Secrets.lx In A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah, verses four and five, “Consider, and hear me, O Lord my God. Enlighten my eyes that I never sleep in death: lest at any time my enemy say: I have prevailed against him. They that trouble me will rejoice when I am moved”, are given to save yourself from pirates and assassins.lxi
PSALM 13
Dixit incipiens in corde suo. Non est Deus. El.
If you want to appear Majestic before someone and be respected for it, read this Psalm over pure water until Quoniam Dominus in generatione Justa est and write the characters and perfume it with mastic and musk and wash over them with pure water and pour it out before the door of the person, by whom you wish to be respected
The Moon as above.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is from verse one, “The fool hath said in his heart: There is no God”. El, meaning ‘God’, is the divine name of the Sephira of Chesed on the Qabalistic Tree of Life.
A similar use of this Psalm is seen in Sepher Shimmush Tehillim, where it is used for gaining favour, in conjunction
with a prayer and the divine name El Amet (AL AMTh, ‘The True God’).lxii
A parallel may be seen in the use of this Psalm as the second in the sequence of five Psalms (17, 13, 54, 80, 117) to be recited whilst bathing before conjuration in the Key of Solomon.lxiii
PSALM 14
Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo?
If you want to enter into any town or approach any Prince, read this Psalm while entering and write these characters and carry them upon you.
The Moon in or in hour of or .
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is from verse one, “Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle?”
For the fifth time the Mars character is an error, as the Moon could not be in Mars (another planet), and there should be a zodiacal sign here. As discussed in the commentary to Psalm 1, the most likely candidates are either Sagittarius or possibly the signs ruled by Mars, i.e. Aries or Scorpio.
In this Psalm is used for several purposes, including protection from evil spirits, which parallels enchantments of wicked people to a degree. The Psalm is recited over a new pot filled with well water whilst contemplating the divine name Iali (ILI, Sepher Shimmush Tehillim ‘My Lord’). The appropriate prayer is then recited as the patient is washed with the water.lxiv
This Psalm is one of those in the sequence of nineteen (130, 14, 101, 8, 83, 67, 71, 132, 112, 125, 45, 46, 21, 50, 129, 138, 48, 109, 52) recited for conjuration of the wax used in making the Pentacles in the Key of Solomon.lxv
PSALM 15
Conserva me Domine, Hely
If you want to be protected from enchantments of wicked people and prevent them from harming you, write this Psalm and these characters and carry them with you.
The Moon as above.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is from verse one, “Preserve me, O Lord”. Hely, meaning ‘Ascension’, is a divine name used in a number of the grimoires including Liber Juratus, the Key of Solomon and the Goetia.
Sepher Shimmush Tehillim gives a technique for learning the name of a thief, again showing a degree of similarity. This is done by taking mud or slime and mixing it with sand, all taken from the same stream. Write the names of the suspects on strips of paper and apply the mixture on the reverse of the paper. Then lay them one by one in a large clean basin, filled with water from the same stream whilst reciting the Psalm ten times with the appropriate prayer and thinking of the divine name Chai (ChI, ‘Living’). The slip of paper with the thief’s name on will rise to the surface if he is there.lxvi This Psalm is also credited with turning sorrows to joys, changing enemies to friends and dispersing pain and sorrow if said on a daily basis.lxvii
In the Goetia, the sixty-ninth Shemhamphorash angel Rahel is associated with verse five of this Psalm, “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me”.lxviii
Verses five and six, “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: it is thou that wilt restore my inheritance to me. The lines are fallen unto me in goodly places: for my inheritance is goodly to me”, are used in A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah to prosper in all things.lxix
PSALM 16
Exaudi Domine justitiam meam. H Hav
If you wish to avoid scandal and strife, read this [188] Psalm until Eripe amimam meam ab impio seven times and write these characters and perfume them with mastic and carry them upon you.
. The Moon as above.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is from verse one, “Hear, O Lord, my justice”. Hav is a name used on one of the pentacles in the copy of the Key of Solomon to which the Le Livre d’Or was bound.
In Sepher Shimmush Tehillim this Psalm is given for recitation to protect a traveller from all evil for twenty-four hours, when recited with its appropriate prayer and the divine name Yah (IH, ‘God’, divine name of the Sephira of Chokmah in the Qabalah, and the first half of Tetragrammaton, being known as the ‘Inner Chamber’) concentrated on.lxx
PSALM 17
Diligam te Domine fortitudo mea. Sad.
If there are any sick people in any one place, take a new earthenware bowl and fill it with pure water and read this Psalm over it and write these characters in the corners of the house and they will be healed.
The Moon as above this one.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is verse two, “I will love thee, O Lord, my strength”. The word Sad is probably an abbreviated form of the divine name Shaddai (ShDI, ‘Almighty’, a divine name attributed to the Sephira of Yesod on the Qabalistic Tree of Life).
This technique could hint at a demonic aspect to the sickness, as the use of bowls of water for containing demons is well documented in Jewish lore (see Flavius Josephus and also the Sepher Shimmush Tehillim).
A similar use is seen in A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah, where verses five, six and thirty-six, “The sorrows of death surrounded me: and the torrents of iniquity troubled me. The sorrows of hell encompassed me: and the snares of death prevented me. And thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me” are given to deliver a sick man from all infirmity.lxxi
In the same work, verses three and four, “The Lord is my firmament, my refuge, and my deliverer. My God is my helper, and in him will I put my trust. My protector and the horn of my salvation, and my support. Praising I will call upon the Lord: and I shall be saved from my enemies”, are given for use against highway robbers.lxxii
In Sepher Shimmush Tehillim this Psalm is used for treating people close to death, through recitation over olive oil and water.lxxiii The Psalm is also given in that text for protection from robbers, used with a prayer and concentrating on the divine name El Yah (EL IH, ‘Mighty God’).lxxiv
This Psalm is the first in the sequence of five Psalms (17, 13, 54, 80, 117) to be recited whilst bathing before conjuration in the Key of Solomon.lxxv
Verse 8, “The earth shook and trembled: the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were moved, because he was angry with them” is used in a Saturnian Pentacle for creating earthquakes (see Saturn 7, Appendix 4). A derivative version of the same Pentacle attributed to the Moon is described as preventing earthquakes (see Moon 4, Appendix 5).
In the Goetia the eleventh Shemhamphorash angel Lauviah is associated with verse forty-seven of this Psalm, “The Lord liveth, and blessed be my God, and let the God of my salvation be exalted”.lxxvi
PSALM 18
Cæli enarrant gloriam Dei. El Ja.
Write this Psalm until Exultavit ut gigans and place it under the feet of a woman in labour, who cannot give birth. As soon as she does give birth, write this Psalm also onto a glass plate with the characters and perfume them with aloes and wash them with holy water and give it to her to drink and read out this Psalm and rub it onto her stomach.
The Moon as above.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is the first part of verse two, “The heavens shew forth the glory of God”. El Ja is probably a form of El Yah, meaning ‘Lord God’, a combination of the divine names of the Sephiroth of Chokmah and Chesed in the Qabalistic Tree of Life. However we may note that Ja also occurs in the Heptameron as a divine name.
This use is another one that seems to be derived from Sepher Shimmush Tehillim where it is recommended for a prolonged and difficult labour. The procedure is to take earth from a crossroad, write the first five verses of the Psalm on it and lay it on the abdomen of the woman. The Psalm is then recited seven times with an appropriate prayer whilst thinking of the divine name He (HI, the first two letters in the Tetragrammaton reversed) and the earth left on the woman until she has successfully given birth.lxxvii
Another use in this work is to bestow intelligence on a son to ensure he understands his lessons. The Psalm is placed over a cup of wine and honey, and the divine name pronounced with an appropriate prayer. T
he boy then drinks the wine and honey.lxxviii A third use is for driving away evil spirits by reciting the Psalm and prayer seven times over the afflicted person with the divine name.lxxix
Verse two is used in the second of two versions of the conjuration of the Prince of the Thumb found in Munich CLM 849, for obtaining information. The verse, “The heavens shew forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands”, is recited whilst casting the second of the three circles.lxxx
PSALM 19
Exaudiant te Dominus in die tribulationis. Hy.
If you read this Psalm three times every day, you will be blessed by the Lord and write these characters and carry them on you [189]. If you read this Psalm over a sick person; if he is to live, he will be calmer and will be at rest but if he is not to live, he will die immediately.
The Moon as above.
COMMENTARY:
The Latin in the title is the first half of verse two, “May the Lord hear thee in the day of tribulation”. Hy is a name found in conjurations in the Heptameron of Peter de Abano.
The Book of Gold (Le Livre d’Or) - 17th Century Book of Spells, Charms & Magic using the Biblical Psalms of David Page 3
