Book of Magical Charms - Revision history

Occultwiki at 17:10, 24 August 2025

2025-08-24T17:10:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:10, 24 August 2025
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			[[File:NewberryMS.png\|400px\|thumb\|Page from the ''Book of Magical Charms'']]
	The '''''Book of Magical Charms''''', also known as '''''Newberry 5017''''', is a handwritten [[occult]] commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.		The '''''Book of Magical Charms''''', also known as '''''Newberry 5017''''', is a handwritten [[occult]] commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.

			The original volume has no title, but "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts.

	==Author==		==Author==
	Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. ~~No copies~~ of the ~~book were ever made~~.		Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. There is a 27-page section of the text in a distinctly different handwriting not written by Ashley.

	==Composition==		==Composition==
	The ~~original volume has no title~~, ~~but "~~Book of Magical Charms" is the ~~title assigned~~ to it by the ~~library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts~~.		The book is written in the style of other [[King Solomon\|Solomonic]] texts, such as the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'' and was Ashley's private notebook compiling spells, invocations, and other [[ritual magic]] techniques from multiple sources. This is borne out by the numerous blank pages between sections, as though the author was leaving space for additional entries at a later date.

			Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using both Latin and archaic English.

			==Content==
			The ''Book of Magical Charms'' contains numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice. The creation of [[talisman]]s and the invocation of spirits are a major theme of the magic found in the book. Nearly half the text is devoted to techniques of [[natural magic]].

			The book was intended to be read from the back to the front as demonstrated by the inscription (attributed to early Christian author Lactantius) on the final page: "The first step toward knowledge is to distinguish what is false."

			When opened from the front (which was actually the back), the opening passage includes an invocation calling upon three spirits:
			* Asazel ([[Azazel]])
			* Raphan ([[Archangel Raphael]]?)
			* [[Oberion]]

	~~Its pages were~~ written ~~using iron gall ink and likely~~ a ~~quill pen using Latin and archaic English~~, ~~and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache~~ or ~~recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits~~.		Some of the spells would have been viewed as [[black magic]] during the time the book was written:
			* Proke a person into an unlawful love.
			* Destroy, waste, or impair the goods of another person.
			* Hurt or destroy the body of another person.

	==Publication==		==Publication==
	~~The~~ Newberry Library ~~has made~~ the book's pages available ~~for~~ the public ~~to read~~ and ~~transcribe~~/~~translate~~.		As the original text was more or less a private journal of Robert Ashley, the text was never intended to be published, and no copies were ever made. In 2017, the Newberry Library digitized the book's 153 pages and made them available to the public.

			The original volume is a pocket-sized text of 285 leaves of paper measuring 16 x 11 cm (6.2 x 4.3 in) bound in dark cloth over boards. At one point, the book was owned by Sir Richard Grosvenor, 1st Baronet, who was a politician and member of the House of Commons from 1621 - 1629.

			==External links==
			* [https://collections.newberry.org/archive/-2KXJ8Z9UGC2Q.html Digital manuscript]

	[[Category: Grimoires]]		[[Category: Grimoires]]
	~~[[Category:Poor Articles]]~~

Occultwiki at 21:40, 25 January 2025

2025-01-25T21:40:38Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:40, 25 January 2025
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	The '''Book of Magical Charms''', also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten [[occult]] commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.		The '''''Book of Magical Charms''''', also known as '''''Newberry 5017''''', is a handwritten [[occult]] commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.

			==Author==
			Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.

	==Composition==		==Composition==
	The original volume~~, which has dos-à-dos binding,~~ has no title ~~nor any named author—~~ "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts.		The original volume has no title, but "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts.

	Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.		Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits.

			==Publication==
	The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.		The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.

	[[Category: Grimoires]]		[[Category: Grimoires]]
	[[Category:Poor Articles]]		[[Category:Poor Articles]]

Occultwiki at 08:57, 14 November 2024

2024-11-14T08:57:17Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:57, 14 November 2024
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	[[Category: Grimoires]]		[[Category: Grimoires]]
			[[Category:Poor Articles]]

Occultwiki at 20:28, 21 February 2022

2022-02-21T20:28:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:28, 21 February 2022
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	The '''Book of Magical Charms''', also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. The original volume, which has dos-à-dos binding, has no title nor any named author— "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts. Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.		The '''Book of Magical Charms''', also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten [[occult]] commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois.

			==Composition==
			The original volume, which has dos-à-dos binding, has no title nor any named author— "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts.

			Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.

	The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.		The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.

	[[Category: Grimoires]]		[[Category: Grimoires]]

KS at 22:18, 20 February 2022

2022-02-20T22:18:05Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:18, 20 February 2022
Line 1:		Line 1:
	The '''Book of Magical Charms'''also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. The original volume, which has dos-à-dos binding, has no title nor any named author— "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts. Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.		The '''Book of Magical Charms''', also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. The original volume, which has dos-à-dos binding, has no title nor any named author— "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts. Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.

	The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.		The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.

	[[Category: Grimoires]]		[[Category: Grimoires]]

KS: Created page with "The '''Book of Magical Charms'''also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace grimoire composed in England in the seventeenth century and currentl..."

2022-02-20T22:17:37Z

Created page with "The '''Book of Magical Charms'''also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace grimoire composed in England in the seventeenth century and currentl..."

New page

The '''Book of Magical Charms'''also known as '''Newberry 5017''', is a handwritten occult commonplace [[grimoire]] composed in England in the seventeenth century and currently in the holdings of the Newberry Library in Chicago, Illinois. The original volume, which has dos-à-dos binding, has no title nor any named author— "Book of Magical Charms" is the title assigned to it by the library staff who acquired it in 1988 along with a bundle of medical texts. Its pages were written using iron gall ink and likely a quill pen using Latin and archaic English, and contain numerous passages regarding charms for things such as healing a toothache or recovering a lost voice as well as how to talk to spirits. Although the book's principal author is not named, he was identified in 2017 from his handwriting as a London lawyer named Robert Ashley. Ashley likely composed the book over the course of his lifetime. No copies of the book were ever made.

The Newberry Library has made the book's pages available for the public to read and transcribe/translate.

[[Category: Grimoires]]