Coming Soon: Liber Salomonis

I am now three quarters of the way through editing the (extremely antiquated) Liber Salomonis; a Hermetic era compilation of treatises masquerading as a Kabbalistic work from the times of Solomon or (as the text claims) even the times of Adam under the name "Sepher Raziel." I have already discussed in brief the obviously falsifiable claim of its ancient origin, but as a purely European text merely deriving content from Hebraic material it does not disappoint; it's extremely dense, and sometimes you will see the same word spelled in four or five variations in a single treatise, but the resulting material, once edited into an easier form, is quite good.

Perhaps the most important part of the work, the Ala or wings, which I have completed already, dwells upon the natures of twenty four each of herbs, beasts, stones, and letters, as well as speaking of the elements and principle virtues and powers behind the same. It gives lengthy passages on the creation of incense used to fumigate oneself, or a home, or a tomb, or anything else, and by means of the same work various enchantments. Interestingly, most of the "fish" spoken of (whales, dolphins, squid) aren't fish, biologically speaking; quite telling, regarding its date of origin.

A few of the species of herbs mentioned in this work I covered in Fruits of Eden and the use thereof and the virtues or evils from each species appear to largely agree with the other materials I consulted for writing my own herbal- marjoram and chicory are mentioned frequently both in the herblore as well as the creation of seven specific fumigations each for one day of the week and each with its own power and purpose.

Funnily enough, while this work speaks of Solomon and Hebrew letters, at the time it was made the jews, in Europe, were being frequently outed by kingdom after kingdom, migrating around the continent as worried christians remarked that they were causing outbreaks of plague or poisoning wells and fields alike.

In other news the; Stone of Urine, by Hollandus, is already fully edited, but I have not yet illustrated the same; I'm too focused on the Liber Salomonis and I'm still suffering from the end of a mild cold; sneezing on ones' illustrations is not a good way to spend your time productively!