A Course of Instruction of Theory & Practice of Magic+ Magical Evocation + Magical Words

This volume contains all three books of theoretical and practical use by Franz Bardon. Franz Bardon needs no introduction in the field of Magic, Evocation, occultism, practical use of the first three tarot cards, use of magical words and letters. A Course of Instruction of Theory & Practice of Magic+ Magical Evocation + Magical Words Anyone who should believe to find in this work nothing else but a collection of recipes, with the aid of which he can easily and without any effort attain to honor and glory, riches and power and aim at the annihilation of his enemies, might be told from the very inception, that he will put aside this book, being very disappointed. Numerous sects and religions do not understand the expression of "magic" otherwise than black art, witchcraft or conspiracy with evil powers. It is therefore not astonishing that many people are frightened by a certain horror, whenever the word "magic" is pronounced. Jugglers, conjurers, and charlatans have discredited this term and, considering this circumstance, there is no surprise that magic knowledge has always been looked upon with a slight disregard. Even in the remotest times the MAGUS has been regarded as one of the highest adepts and it might be of interest to learn that, as a matter of fact, the word "magic" is derived from this word. The so called "sorcerers" are by no means initiates but only imitators o the mysteries, who counting partly on the ignorance and partly on the credulity of the individuality or a whole nation in order to reach their selfish aims by, lies and fraud. The true magician will always despise such practices. In reality, magic is a sacred science, it is, in the very true sense the sum of all knowledge because it teaches how to know and utilize the sovereign rules. There is no difference between magic and mystic or any other conception of the name. Wherever authentic initiation is at stake, one has to proceed on the same basis, according to the same rules, irrespective of the name given by this or that creed. Considering the universal polarity rules of good and evil, active and passive, light and shadow, each science can serve good as well as bad purposes. Let us take the example of a knife, an object that virtually ought to be used for cutting bread only, which, however, can become a dangerous weapon in the hands of a murderer. All depends on the character of the individual. This principle goes just as well for all the spheres of the occult sciences. In my book I have chosen the term of "magician" for all of my disciples, it being a symbol of the deepest initiation and the highest wisdom. Many of the readers will know, of course, that the word "tarot" does not mean a game of cards, serving mantical purposes, but a symbolic book of initiation which contains the greatest secrets in a symbolic form. The first tablet of this book introduces the magician representing him as the master of the elements and offering the key to the first Arcanum, the secret of the ineffable name of Tetragrammaton*, the quabbalistic Yod-He-Vau-He. Here we will, therefore, find the gate to the magician's initiation. The reader will easily realize, how significant and how manifold the application of this tablet is. Not one of the books published up to date does describe the true sense of the first Tarot card so distinctly as I have done in my book. It is – let it be noted – born from the own practice and destined for the practical use of a lot of other people, and all my disciples have found it to be the best and most serviceable system. *Tetragrammaton literally means "the four-letter word". It was a subterfuge to avoid the sin of uttering the sacred name YHVH (Yahveh) or Jehova as it later became when the vowels of another word were combined with the consonants of YHVH. But I would never dare to say that my book describes or deals with all the magic or mystic problems.