#122 - Naming the Heavens with Brian Johnson

Summary

In this episode, scholar Brian Johnson discusses his latest translation, 'Naming the Heavens,' which delves into the occult practices of the mid-1300s. The work showcases prayers and ritual inscriptions directed towards celestial spirits, utilizing secret names for protection and fortune. Johnson highlights the significance of astrological correspondences in ancient magical invocations.

Key takeaways

• 1Brian Johnson: Scholar and translator known for his work on occult texts
• 2'Naming the Heavens': A translation of orations and prayers from the Summa Sacre Magice
• 3Occult invocations: Use of secret names to connect with celestial spirits
• 4Historical context: Occult practices from the mid-1300s
• 5Astrological importance: Linking hours, days, and seasons with magical rituals

Glossary terms

Source

Transcript excerpt

Holy angels with power over all the doings of Diana, whose power and office it is to alter wills and thoughts, to prepare journeys, to deliver messages, to provoke rains, I conjure you, I beseech you by the one who created you from pure light and established you in such power and knowledge. Salutations listeners and welcome back to Glitch Bottle, the podcast where we uncork the uncommon in magic, mysticism and the generally misunderstood. I'm Alexander Rath and today we are so excited to talk about planetary orations with scholar and translator Brian Johnson. So what are some of the earliest grimoire recordings from nearly 700 years ago of detailed conjurations and names of planets, of angels, specific names of the days of the week and seasons that magicians all needed for successful operations? Well, Brian Johnson is one of the best people to ask. He's a translator, a transcriber, a humanities scholar, a freelance editor, and a writer. Brian's previous publications include Necromancy in the Medici Library, about a 15th century grimoire, and he's also translated 15th century Byzantine Greek manuscripts of the Testament of Solomon, which really added more context to the place of Solomon in grimoireic magic. Brian's latest work from Haitian Press is a translation and commentary entitled Naming the Heavens, Orations from the Summa Sacra Magice, which presents a series of prayers and ritual inscriptions from the mid-1300s addressed to the spirits of the heavenly bodies and facilitated via the invocation of those names, by which the hours, days, months, and signs are called in each season of the year. All of this intended to secure for oneself general protection and good fortune in any undertaking. ...

Excerpt from Glitch Bottle, Oct 26, 2022. Rights remain with the original creators. Hear the full episode at the source.