Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Magical Alphabets

I've recently taken an interest in magical alphabets, specifically the Theban alphabet.  Magical alphabets have the advantage of giving something a mystical feel as well as concealing information from those that cannot read the text.  Using a magical alphabet also allows for a deeper level of abstraction and symbolism which can aid in some forms of magic (sigil magic comes to mind).

Most of the popular magical alphabets are quite old and related to us through Agrippa.  These alphabets are usually based on Latin or Hebrew and are little more than substitution ciphers.  As with certain languages, the age could be said to aid in the potency of the alphabets.  This potency is also added to by the effort expended by a person in learning and writing the magical alphabet.  In the case of Enochian, we have a means to communicate with the angels themselves.

Enochian is not merely a magical alphabet though.  Enochian is an entire language, channeled by John Dee and Edward Kelly in the 1500s from the angels themselves.  Through the use of Enochian and the associated magical system one is said to be able to gain secret knowledge.  Obviously, learning an entire language (a complex one at that) takes a lot more effort than learning a new alphabet so it is perhaps not for everyone.  Those not particularly interested in ceremonial magic may have no use for Enochian at all.

If you are interested in incorporating magical alphabets into your own practice then see the links below.

Theban Alphabet
Enochian Alphabet
Enochian Language on Wikipedia

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