Moreover, in a fashion utterly suitable to the publication of such things, today's formal release date of February 24th marks the anniversary of the very first vision in 1567 that prompted the grimoire to be received and worked in the first place. Four hundred and fifty-three years ago to this very day, the two operators of the Excellent Booke (Humphrey Gilbert and John Davis) received a vision of themselves moving through a landscape of spirits, seeing themselves - arrayed in the stylishly black regalia of nigromancers - subjugating spirits using the classic grimoiric magicians' tools of sword and book. This vision informs their fundamental practices: it shows them how to do what they want to do, with what tools they need to have to do that, and how they should be dressed to achieve it. The book, whose very opening intimidated these spirits, was directed to be written in specific colours of ink. Nothing seems incidental; all is ritually significant. The spirits obey, and the pair of magicians continue exploring this visionary landscape.

Following this scene of spirit subjugation, the vision details a number of spirits who appear and give instruction. This litany of tutelary spirits is a rogue's gallery indeed, including as it does a fallen Enochic angel ('Assasell' aka Azazel); three dead magicians, two "mythic" (Adam and King Solomon) and one certainly historical (Roger Bacon); and a Biblical figure (Job) to boot. These tutelary shades instruct the two operators, confirming their students' status as commanders of spirits, and give them specific advice about the practice of conjuration. Particularly, an explanation right at the end of the vision for why one would even resort to necromancy is recorded which continues to give me pause for thought...

In honour of this text, of the work Phil and Peter and Alkistis and I have put into our book, and of its tutelary shades, I include the first vision in its entirety here:

This vision appeared on the 24 of February

at the sun rising towards the east,

Anno Domini 1567

'There appeared a long blue cloud, like a streak from the east to the west, on the which H.G. went, having a gilt sword in his hand, & Jo. Davis going after him with a book covered with a skin, the hairy side outward. Himself being apparelled in a black robe, & cape cloak, with a payer of black silk nether­stocks gartered with black, gathered close above the knee; having a velvet cap, & a black feather. And very many, like men, running away before him, kneeling and falling down, holding up their hands to him. And he followed them very cruelly, and struck one of them, that had a crown on his head, with the sword in his hand, most royal to behold. And he struck the king so cruelly that he fell down on his knees to him, holding up his hand. And yet he struck him again with great fury, as though he would have killed him. Then the boy opened his book, holding it abroad. And then they said to the boy’s hearing ‘What lack you that you show such cruelty unto us? Shut your book, and you shall have done what you will desire.’ This book was written with black, white, yellow, blue, green and red. H.G. passed on with great force after him, and at the last there appeared Assasell, Solomon, Bacon, Adam, Job, and they said to the boy’s hearing who they were. Also there appeared a blue cloud, like a man with one leg, holding up the other. And Salomon said that H.G: & Jo. should rule him; and also Job said to Jo.’s hearing: ‘Trust no spirit visible or invisible, but the spirit of dead men. For they love man more then the others do.'

Thus begins a record of the forays of Humphrey Gilbert and John Davis into the House of Solomon - in which a tree of crystal yields texts of conjuration and the spiritual advisors to understand them - as well as encounters with headless birds, the Four Regents, burning skies, angelic Evangelists, notae of spirit torture tactics, rulings on exactly how long you can keep a spirit in a stone, scrying best practices - from what spirit-sign looks like to how to get it more easily and effectively- and of course the importance of wearing black while you do it.

You can purchase An Excellent Booke of the Arte of Magicke here. It is dedicated to dead magicians. I hope it serves you well.