Geosophia: The Argo of Magic II

by Jake Stratton-Kent

Volume 2 of The Argo of Magic, tracing the development of magic from the Greeks to the grimoires. Jake Stratton-Kent lays bare the chthonic roots of goetic ritual. By exposing the necromantic origins of much of modern magic we are able to reconnect with the source of our ritual tradition. There is a continuity of practice in the West which encompasses the pre-Olympian cults of Dionysus and Cybele, is found in the Greek Magical Papyri and Picatrix and flows into the grimoires. Rather than a muddle of superstition, the grimoire tradition is revealed as the living descendant of the ancient practices of the Goes. This is a work which redefines our understanding of the Western tradition, one which does not begin with Kabbalah or Solomon, but rather descends into the Underworld and brings forth new life. JSK illuminates scarce and overlooked texts with an incisive commentary, from volcanic conjurations to over 70 pages dealing with Picatrix. Following the voyage of the Argonauts, Geosophia offers biographies of the heroes and gods, and discovers the hidden magical meanings and significance of their actions and adventures. Yet this is not a history lesson, JSK foresees a global synthesis of magic where Western goetic magic, reconnected to its chthonic origins can dovetail with the African Traditional Religions. Like The True Grimoire, this further work in the Encyclopædia Goetica series is both a scholarly and eminently practical work. Geosophia equips the modern grimoire magician with an arsenal of techniques and approaches that will transform their personal art. The mythic structure of Geosophia anchors the practice of the modern necromancer in an indigenous yet eclectic history which transfuses the Western magical tradition with the same vitality that we find in the African diaspora religions.

CONTENTS Volume 2:

Book 5
The Barbarian Interpretation; The Hero; The Great Mother of the Gods; Hieros Gamos and Deification; Goetic Barbaricæ; Cosingas; Abaris; Zalmoxis; Aristeas; Argonautica Jason and Medea; Goetic Sympathia; Empedocles; Goetic Maters de Mysteria; Melissa; Medea as Scarlet Woman; Papyrus Parallels; Implications for Modern Practice

Book 6
Volcanic Conjurations; Argonautica Homeward Bound; Nebiros and Hermes Chthonios

Book 7
The Magical Papyri; Typhon-Set; Theurgia; Goetic Metamorphica; Pythagoras; Reformers and Backsliders; Familiar and Unfamiliar Spirits

Book 8
The Magic of the Picatrix; Sabean Practices; Sabean Rites of the Planets; Al-Istamatis; Works of the Moon in the Twelve Signs; Talismans & Works of the Lunar Mansions; Astrological Talismans; Correspondences I; Correspondences II; The Figures of the Stones


Astrological Notes
Typhonian Star Lore

Genres: Occult, Magic, History, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion

326 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Jake Stratton-Kent has been a goetic magician since 1972, making more than forty years of continuous goetic practice. His practical work integrates the magical papyri, italo-french grimoires in particular the Grimorium Verum and African traditional religions with a focus on Quimbanda and magia negra. His interest in magic spans the ancient, medieval, renaissance, and modern as well as stretching from the West to the Middle East and crucially, the New World. His scholarly approach is backed with a personal relationship with the spirits.

Reviews

[Gaze Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Taken together with the first volume, this was truly a tour de force effort.
I can see why many refer to these two volumes as Jake Stratton-Kent's masterpiece.
As Mr. Stratton-Kent himself admits within this book, he is hardly the first to point out the Greek origins of Goetia and Goetic magic. But he is the first, in my opinion to truly write an entire book to examine it. Where many of Mr. Stratton-Kent's other books show us how to do magic and evocations, "Geosophia" goes into the why we do it this way. But this book goes beyond mere sourcing the origins of many of today's popular grimoires, it is also a peek at the various pre-classical beliefs of Mediterranean. It is an exploration on the fluid history of myths and gods.
The information presented within the two volumes is also presented in a highly accessible manner, and it made for a fascinating and enjoyable read. The author had the wonderful idea of framing the presentation of his researches around the voyage of the Argonauts, which gives these volumes their title, "The Argos of Magic." Mr. Stratton-Kent noticed, and makes a convincing case, that this mythic voyage seems to touch upon most, if not all, of the salient concepts inherent in Goetic practices. Take note however, that Goetic magick in the past, was not the concept most people think of today (where it is seen as the evocation of demons). Make no mistake, to be a Goes was to have a connection to the underworld, but this underworld was by no means the Christian Hell. It was the home of many Cthonic deities, as well as the dead of all moral compasses. It was also a matter of course that the Goetes served a needed purpose in the ancient society. Whereas most of the other books on the origins of grimoires focus on the Solomonic and Cabalistic influences, this book was an eye-opener that truly changed my conception of the grimoires I thought I knew. For anyone who works with or has an interest in classic grimoires, or even simply likes Ancient Greek mythology and culture, I would highly recommend this book!

[Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was rather harsh with JSK in my review of the first volume. All those points still stand, then again I found this volume more accessible than the previous, probably because the big names like Knronos or Dionysos are featured here. A monumental effort, this encyclopedia, for sure and largely succeeding.