The Magus, or Celestial Intelligencer; being a Complete System of Occult Philosophy

«IN THREE BOOKS: Containing the Antient and Modern Practice of the Cabalistic Art, Natural and Celestial Magic, &c.; shewing the wonderful Effects that may be performed by a Knowledge of the Celestial Influences, the occult Properties of Metals, Herbs, and Stones, AND THE APPLICATION OF ACTIVE TO PASSIVE PRINCIPLES.» — la portada anuncia tres libros y una sola mecánica de fondo: el efecto se produce aplicando lo activo a lo pasivo, con el conocimiento de las influencias celestes y de las propiedades ocultas de metales, hierbas y piedras como palanca.

«EXHIBITING THE SCIENCES OF NATURAL MAGIC; Alchymy, or Hermetic Philosophy; ALSO THE NATURE, CREATION, AND FALL OF MAN; His natural and supernatural Gifts; the magical Power inherent in the Soul, &c.; with a great Variety of rare Experiments in Natural Magic:» — el programa del libro I según su propia portada: magia natural y alquimia junto a una antropología —creación y caída del hombre— porque el poder mágico se dice inherente al alma, no añadido desde fuera.

«THE CONSTELLATORY PRACTICE, or TALISMANIC MAGIC; The Nature of the Elements, Stars, Planets, Signs, &.; the Construction and Composition of all Sorts of Magic Seals, Images, Rings, Glasses, &c.; The Virtue and Efficacy of Numbers, Characters, and Figures, of good and evil Spirits.» — el programa de la parte talismánica, que la portada llama práctica constelatoria: elementos, astros y signos por un lado, y por otro la manufactura de sellos, imágenes, anillos y espejos con la virtud de los números y los caracteres.

«AND CABALISTICAL OR CEREMONIAL MAGIC; In which the secret Mysteries of the Cabala are explained; the Operations of» — el programa del libro II, que empareja magnetismo y cábala bajo el rótulo de magia ceremonial; la frase se corta aquí porque la enumeración sigue en la plana siguiente.

«good and evil Spirits; all Kinds of Cabalistic Figures, Tables, Seals, and Names, with their Use, &c.» — continuación de la enumeración anterior al abrir la plana 4: el objeto declarado son las operaciones de los espíritus y el repertorio de figuras, tablas, sellos y nombres.

«THE TIMES, BONDS, OFFICES, AND CONJURATION OF SPIRITS.» — la portada anuncia como materia propia los tiempos, las ataduras, los oficios y la conjuración de los espíritus, es decir el formulario operativo entero.

«The Whole illustrated with a great Variety of CURIOUS ENGRAVINGS, MAGICAL AND CABALISTICAL FIGURES, &c.» — la portada declara que el aparato gráfico —grabados y figuras cabalísticas— es parte de la obra; en este ejemplar esas láminas no tienen capa de texto y quedan fuera de la ficha.

«the Author undertook to compose THE MAGUS, presuming that his labours herein will meet with the general approbation of either the novitiate or adept: for whose use and instruction it is now published.» — Barrett explica el motivo editorial del volumen: reunir en un solo libro lo que obliga al estudiante a gastar en muchos, y lo dirige por igual al novicio y al adepto; nótese que habla de sí en tercera persona.

«in which we fully demonstrate the power and efficacy of Talismans, so much talked of, and so little understood, by most men: we therefore explain, in the clearest and most intelligible manner, how Talismans may be made, for the execution of various purposes, and by what means, and from what source they become vivified, and are visible instruments of great and wonderful effects.» — el objeto declarado de la parte talismánica: no solo cómo se fabrica un talismán, sino de qué fuente recibe su vivificación —la pregunta que Barrett dice que casi nadie plantea bien.

«in the next place, we have taught that our own spirit is the vehicle of celestial attraction, transferring celestial and spiritual virtue into Seals, Images, Amulets, Rings, Papers, Glasses, &c.» — la tesis operativa que sostiene todo el sistema: el vehículo de la atracción celeste es el espíritu del propio operador, que traslada la virtud a la materia del talismán; sin esa transferencia el objeto es inerte.

«We have likewise proved how cures are performed by virtue of sympathetic powers and medicines—by seals, rings, and amulets, even at unlimited distances, which we have been witnesses of, and are daily confirmed in the true and certain belief of.» — Barrett declara la curación simpática a distancia ilimitada y la funda en testimonio propio —dice haber sido testigo—, no en autoridad ajena.

«We know how to communicate with any person, and to give him intimation of our purpose, at a hundred or a thousand miles distance; but then a preparation is necessary, and the parties should have their appointed seasons and hours for that purpose; likewise, both should be of the fame firm constancy of mind, and a disciple or brother in art.» — afirma la comunicación a mil millas y le pone tres condiciones: preparación previa, horas convenidas de antemano y que ambas partes sean del arte; el escaneo imprime *fame* donde el impreso dice *same*.

«But I would advise, that we do not depend too much upon our own wisdom in the understanding of these mysteries; for all earthly wisdom is foolishness in the esteem of God---I mean all the wisdom of man, which he pretends to draw from any other source than God alone.» — el límite que Barrett pone a su propio sistema: la comprensión de estos misterios no se saca de la sabiduría humana, y toda la que no venga de Dios la declara necedad.

«so as to free the name of Magic from any scandalous imputation; seeing it is a word originally significative not of any evil, but of every good and laudable science, such as a man might profit by, and become both wife and happy;» — el argumento etimológico con que reclama el nombre de magia: la palabra no significaba en origen nada malo sino ciencia laudable; el escaneo imprime *wife* por *wise*.

«The magicians were the first Christians; for, by their high and excellent knowledge, they knew that that Saviour which was promised, was now born man—that Christ was our Redeemer, Advocate, and Mediator;» — la tesis histórico-teológica que recorre el volumen y que la Biographia Antiqua desarrollará al final: los magos fueron los primeros cristianos porque su saber les hizo reconocer al Salvador.

«for the true magician is the truest Christian, and nearest disciple of our blessed Lord, who set the example we ought to follow;» — el corolario de lo anterior, en forma de identidad: el mago verdadero es el cristiano más verdadero, no un competidor de la fe.

«some few most secret things being reserved by the Author for his pupils only, not to be taught by publication.» — Barrett declara una reserva deliberada: parte de la materia cabalística queda fuera del libro impreso y solo se transmite a sus alumnos, lo que enlaza con el anuncio de escuela del final del volumen.

«The Third Book forms a complete Magical Biography, being collected from most antient authors, and some scarce and valuable manuscripts; and which has been the result of much labour in acquiring.» — declara la fuente del libro tercero —autores antiguos y manuscritos raros— sin nombrar ninguno aquí.

«remember our instructions—to be silent: talk only with those worthy of thy communication—do not give pearls to swine;, be friendly to all, but not familiar with all;» — el cierre del prefacio es una regla de silencio: hablar solo con quien lo merezca; el prefacio se firma con el nombre del autor en la plana siguiente.

«AS an Introduction to the Study of Natural Magic, we have thought fit to premise a short discourse on the Influence of the Stars, and on Natural Magic in general,» — el aviso que abre el volumen anuncia el orden de exposición: antes de la magia natural va un discurso sobre la influencia de los astros.

«shewing how far the influences of the heavenly bodies are useful to our purposes, and likewise to what extent we may admit those influences; rejecting some speculations concerning the planetary inclinations, as far as they appertain to questionary abuses, that seem to us idle, and of no validity, or yet founded on any principles of found philosophy, or corresponding to the word of God in the Scriptures.» — Barrett declara de entrada que la astrología se admite con recorte: rechaza las especulaciones sobre inclinaciones planetarias que llama abusos de pregunta, por no tener principio filosófico ni acuerdo con la Escritura.

«In which discourse we have fully set down our reasons for rejecting some parts of astrology, and admitting others which are founded on good principles, and coinciding with the Scriptures and Natural Philosophy:» — el criterio doble con que declara separar lo que admite de lo que rechaza: buenos principios, y coincidencia con la Escritura y con la filosofía natural.

«our purpose being to clear the understanding of errors, and not to enforce any thing but what appears to be substantiated by nature, truth, and experiment.» — el propósito declarado no es fundar doctrina sino limpiar errores, y el filtro que se impone es lo sustentado por naturaleza, verdad y experimento.

«IT has been a subject of ancient dispute whether or not the stars, as second causes, do so rule and influence man as to ingraft in his nature certain passions, virtues, propensities, &c., and this to take root in him at the very critical moment of his being born into this vale of misery and wretchedness; likewise, if their site and configuration at this time do shew forth his future passions and pursuits; and by their revolutions, transits, and directed aspects,» — el planteamiento de la introducción: la disputa antigua sobre si los astros, como causas segundas, injertan pasiones y propensiones en el hombre desde el instante del nacimiento.

«therefore in this place it is highly necessary that we examine how far this influence extends to man, feeing that I fully admit that man is endowed with a free-will from God, which the stars can in no wise counteract.» — Barrett fija su premisa antes de discutir: admite el libre albedrío como don de Dios y declara que ningún astro puede contrariarlo; todo lo que sigue se mide contra ese límite.

«And as there is in man the power and apprehension of all divination, and wonderful things, feeing that we have a complete system in ourselves, therefore are we called the microcosm, or little world; for we carry a heaven in ourselves from our beginning, for God hath sealed in us the image of himself; and of all created beings we are the epitome, therefore we must be careful, left we confound and mix one thing with another.» — el fundamento microcósmico: el hombre lleva un cielo dentro desde su origen porque Dios le selló su propia imagen, y por eso es epítome de todo lo creado.

«Nevertheless, man, as a pattern of the great world, sympathizes with it according to the stars, which, agreeably to the Holy Scriptures, are set for times and seasons, and not as causes of this or that evil, which may pervade kingdoms or private families, although they do in some measure foreshew them, yet they are in no wise the cause;» — la distinción que ordena toda la introducción: los astros están puestos para tiempos y sazones y pueden prenunciar, pero no causan; Barrett la apoya en la Escritura.

«therefore I conceive in a wide different sense to what is generally understood that “Stars rule men, but a wise man rules the stars:” to which I answer, that the stars do not rule men, according to» — toma el adagio corriente sobre el sabio que rige los astros y declara entenderlo en un sentido muy distinto del recibido; el tramo se corta ahí porque la frase sigue en la plana siguiente.

«as if the stars should stir up men to murders, seditions, broils, lusts, fornications, adulteries, drunkenness, &c. which the common astrologers hold forth as found and true doctrine;» — la doctrina que atribuye a los astrólogos comunes y que se dispone a objetar: que las configuraciones de Marte y Saturno empujan al hombre a los vicios; el escaneo imprime *found* por *sound*.

«but know that it is not from without, but within, by sin, that evil inclinations do arise: according to the Scriptures, “Out of the heart of man proceeds evil cogitations, murmurs, adulteries, thefts, murders, &c.”» — su tesis sobre el origen del mal: no viene de fuera sino del corazón por el pecado, y lo funda en un versículo evangélico.

«God created the heavens without spot, and pronounced them good, therefore it is the greatest absurdity to suppose the stars, by a continual inclining of us to this or that misdeed, should be our tempters, which we eventually make them, if we admit they cause inclinations;» — el argumento teológico contra la causalidad astral: si los astros inclinaran al mal, serían tentadores, y Dios los declaró buenos.

«because there are many whom I have lately conversed with, and great men, too, in this nation, who readily affirm that the Stars are the causes of any kinds of diseases, inclinations, and fortunes; likewise that they blame the stars for all their misconduct and misfortunes.» — Barrett declara haber tratado con hombres notables del país que culpan a los astros de sus enfermedades y desgracias; la objeción es a contemporáneos suyos, no a autoridades antiguas.

«Nevertheless, we do not by these discourses prohibit or deny all influence to the stars; on the contrary, we affirm there is a natural» — el recorte queda del lado que admite: no niega toda influencia; la frase se corta al pie de la plana y continúa en la siguiente.

«sympathy and antipathy amongst all things throughout the whole universe, and this we shall shew to be displayed through a variety of effects; and likewise that the stars, as signs, do foreshew great mutations, revolutions, deaths of great men, governors of provinces, kings, and emperors; likewise the weather, tempests, earthquakes, deluges, &c.; and this according to the law of Providence.» — lo que sí concede: simpatía y antipatía por todo el universo, y los astros como signos que prenuncian mutaciones, muertes de grandes hombres y fenómenos atmosféricos, bajo la ley de la Providencia.

«Therefore our astrologers in most of their speculations seek without a light, for they conceive every thing may be known or read in the stars: if an odd silver spoon is but lost, the innocent stars are obliged to give an account of it; if an old maiden loses a favourite puppy, away she goes to an oracle of divination for information of the whelp.» — la objeción a la astrología judiciaria menuda, en tono de burla: buscar en el cielo una cuchara de plata perdida o un perro faldero.

«Two penurious Frenchmen, taking advantage of the credulity of the common people, who are continually gaping after such toys, had so contrived a telescope or optic glass as that various letters and figures should be reflected in an obscure manner, shewing the images of men and women, &c.; so that when any one came to consult these jugglers, after paying the usual fee, they, according to the urgency of the query, produced answers by those figures or letters; the which affrights the inspector into the glass so much, that he or she supposes they have got some devilish thing or other in hand, by which they remain under the full conviction of having actually beheld the parties they wished to see, though perhaps they may at the same time be residing many hundreds of miles distance therefrom: they, having received this impression from a preconceived idea of seeing the image of their friend in this optical» — el caso que da como comprobado en Londres: dos franceses aparejaron un telescopio para reflejar letras y figuras, y el consultante se retiraba convencido de haber visto a su ausente; lo cuenta como fraude óptico, no como espíritu, y el tramo se corta al pie de la plana.

«it is to be noted what we have before said, in respect of the influences of the stars, that Ptolemy, in his quadrapartite, in speaking of generals, comes pretty near our ideas on the subject of planetary influence, of which we did not at any time doubt, but do not admit (nay, it is not necessary, seeing there is an astrology in Nature),—that each action of our life, our afflictions, fortunes, accidents, are deducible to the influential effects of the planets: they proceed from ourselves;» — el uso que hace de Ptolomeo: le concede la influencia planetaria en lo general —el escaneo imprime *quadrapartite*— y le niega que cada acción y accidente de la vida se deduzca de ella.

«but I admit that our thoughts, actions, cogitations, sympathize with the stars upon the principle of general sympathy. Again, there is a much stronger sympathy between persons of like constitution and temperament, for each mortal creature possesses a Sun and system within himself; therefore, according to universal sympathy, we are affected by the general influence or universal spirit of the world, as the vital principle throughout the universe:» — lo que admite en su lugar: una simpatía general, más fuerte entre temperamentos semejantes, porque cada criatura lleva un Sol y un sistema dentro de sí.

«therefore we are not to look into the configurations of the stars for the cause or incitement of men's bestial inclinations, for brutes have their specifical inclinations from the propagation of their principle by seed, not by the sign of the horoscope;» — el argumento de los brutos: sus inclinaciones vienen por semilla y no por horóscopo, luego tampoco las del hombre cuando obra como bruto.

«for, seeing likewise that the soul is immortal, and endued with free-will, which acts upon the body, the soul cannot be inclined by any configuration of the stars either to good or evil; but from its own immortal power of willingly being seduced by sin, it prompts to evil; but enlightened by God, it springs to good,» — el cierre de la cuestión: siendo el alma inmortal y libre, ninguna configuración puede inclinarla; se mueve al mal por dejarse seducir y al bien por ilustración divina.

«This edition first published in 2000 by Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC P. O. Box 612 York Beach, ME 03910-0612» — el pie editorial de la reimpresión que se trocea, firmada por Red Wheel/Weiser.

«New color separations copyright © 2000 Red Wheel/Weiser.» — lo único que la casa editorial reclama como propio de esta edición son las separaciones de color de las láminas; el texto se reproduce sin prólogo ni notas de editor.

«Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Barrett, Francis. The magus: a complete system of occult philosophy / by Francis Barrett p. cm. Originally published: London: Lackington, Allen, and Co., 1801.» — la ficha de catalogación de la Biblioteca del Congreso encabezada por el apellido del autor, con la mención de la edición original de 1801.

«ISBN 0-87728-942-5 (paper: alk. paper) ISBN 0-87728-943-3 (hardcover: alk. paper) 1. Magic. I. Title BF1611.B3 2000 99-049429 133—» — los dos ISBN de la tirada de 2000 y la clasificación temática con que la catalogación resume la obra entera.