Books and texts

Grimoires, magical papyri, Kabbalistic and Hermetic works and the manuals of cunning folk.

A book with a clasp: grimoires, papyri and manuals of rites, and the learned side of magic.

Magical texts are the books, scrolls and papyri that record spells, rites and lore: the Greek Magical Papyri, the Hebrew Sefer Yetzirah and the Zohar, the Picatrix, the Key of Solomon, the Grimorium Verum, the Hindu Atharvaveda, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, the Chinese Taoist ritual manuals and the grimoires of the European cunning folk. This page asks what these texts are, who wrote and read them, and why their authority is complicated.

What the texts are

Some are scripture, such as the Atharvaveda, which contains charms and healing hymns beside its worship. Some are handbooks, like the Greek Magical Papyri from Roman Egypt, which mix Greek, Egyptian and Jewish elements. Some are medieval compendia, such as the Arabic Picatrix. Many European grimoires were printed cheaply and passed hand to hand, and names such as Solomon were attached to give them credit. Some are tiny, such as a few lines on a papyrus strip folded into a case, and some run to hundreds of pages, but all were handled by a small number of people.

Readers and gatekeepers

Literacy mattered. A text of magic could only be used by someone who could read, copy and, often, read Latin, Hebrew or Arabic. That made the learned magician a figure of the elite and left village healers with oral knowledge. In Ethiopia, the debtera, a church-trained scribe, writes protective scrolls. In Java and Malaysia, Quranic and Sanskrit-derived texts are kept by family teachers. Where a text was in a sacred language, the ritual use sometimes outran the meaning, and people recited words they could not translate because the sound itself was held to matter.

Censorship and burning

Texts have been burned. The Church placed books of magic on its Index, Chinese dynasties restricted books of divination, and Qing and later authorities attacked books they saw as superstition. The Nazi regime closed occult lodges and seized their libraries. What we now know of some practices survives because inquisitors, in transcribing confiscated books, kept copies. Preservation depends on accident as well as intention: papyri survived in the dry sands of Egypt, while many paper books of village healers were lost when families moved or owners died.

Authenticity and the market

Many famous grimoires are not as old as they claim. The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses is a nineteenth-century compilation. Scholars study such works to see how people imagined power, not to test it. Modern editions and online copies are popular, and some publishers present them as ready-to-use manuals, which the guide treats as a matter of belief and not of instruction. Collectors, museums and antiquarian dealers now trade in old manuscripts, and some forgeries sell as originals, which is another reason scholars check provenance.

Text on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

BeliefHindu and Tantric Buddhist Jain Muslim and Sufi Jewish Christian Sikh Zoroastrian Shinto and Taoist Indigenous and shamanic African and Afro-diasporic Pagan and Neopagan Esoteric and occult Folk and village custom Secular and stage Other traditions

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇮🇸 IcelandGaldergaldr A Germanic incantation and the written charms derived from itText · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 5 moreSator Square A five-word Latin palindrome found in Roman ruins and medieval churchesCharm · Protection · Healing Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 3 moreRenaissance magic A 15th and 16th century revival of magical arts blending philosophy, astrology, and hidden knowledge.Tradition · Power and authority · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomMother Shipton An English prophetess and herbalist from folklore, known for predictions printed long after her death.Figure · Seeing and foretelling · Healing Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomGeoffrey of MonmouthGruffudd ap Arthur A medieval cleric whose writings shaped the King Arthur legend and British myth.Text · Power and authority Historical 🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreSixth and Seventh Books of Moses A grimoire claiming to reveal the hidden spells of Moses for controlling spirits and natureText · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreThe Holy Blood and the Holy Grail A 1982 book proposing Jesus had a bloodline protected by a secret societyText · Cursing and harm Historical 🇫🇷 FrancePlanchette A wooden device for automatic writing used in Victorian spiritualist séancesCharm · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇪🇸 Spain and 5 moreAlfonso X of Castileel Sabio A medieval king who sponsored astronomical tables and translated works on magic and astrology.Text · Power and authority · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇩🇪 GermanyMalleus Maleficarum A 15th-century manual on witchcraft written by Heinrich KramerText · Cursing and harm · Binding and oaths Historical

🇫🇷 France and 2 moreÉliphas Lévi A French writer who shaped modern occult thought and ceremonial magic.Text · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreJohn Dee An English scholar and advisor to Elizabeth I who pursued angelic communication through scrying.Tradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇮🇹 ItalySibylline BooksLibri Sibyllini Ancient Roman oracular texts consulted during state crises and disastersText · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇵🇱 Poland and 1 moreMichael SendivogiusMichał Sędziwój A Polish alchemist who discovered oxygen and wrote on the 'food of life'Text · Power and authority · Change and initiation Historical

🇪🇸 SpainDirectorium Inquisitorum A 14th-century manual for inquisitors on heresy, magic, and trial procedureText · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 1 morePietro d'Abano A medieval physician and astrologer accused of heresy and magic.Text · Healing · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 2 moreKey of SolomonClavicula Salomonis A Renaissance grimoire attributed to King Solomon, detailing ritual preparations and invocations.Text · Cursing and harm · Love and attraction Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomWilliam Lilly A seventeenth-century English astrologer and author who shaped Western tradition.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreNicholas Culpeper An English herbalist and astrologer who translated medical texts into English for the poor.Text · Healing · Power and authority Historical

🇮🇹 ItalyMarsilio Ficino A Renaissance priest and philosopher who revived Plato and blended astrology with Christian theology.Text · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Healing Historical

🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreThe Fool A tarot card of unique status, depicting a wanderer or madman outside the numbered sequence.Text · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇫🇷 FranceThree Books of Occult PhilosophyDe occulta philosophia libri III A Renaissance treatise on elemental, celestial and divine magicText · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇮🇶 Iraq and 5 moreGrimoire A textbook containing instructions for spells, rituals, and the creation of magical objects.Text · Protection · Healing Historical

🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 moreOgham᚛ᚑᚌᚐᚋ᚜ An early medieval script of notched lines used to carve Irish names on stone monuments.Text Historical 🇫🇷 FranceEtteilla The first professional tarot occultist who created a system for card divination.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical

🇩🇪 Germany and 3 moreRunesᚱᚢᚾᛟ An ancient Germanic script used for writing and magical signs.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical 🇩🇪 GermanyChymical Wedding of Christian RosenkreutzChymische Hochzeit Christiani Rosencreutz anno 1459 An allegorical romance and Rosicrucian manifesto detailing a seven-day alchemical initiation.Text · Change and initiation · Power and authority Historical

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreWitchcraft Acts A series of British laws that shifted from punishing witchcraft to punishing those who claimed to practice it.Text · Cursing and harm Historical

🇫🇷 France and 1 moreNostradamus A French astrologer and physician known for a book of poetic propheciesText · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Historical

🇩🇪 GermanyBasil ValentineBasilius Valentinus A pseudonymous alchemist whose chemical writings shaped early modern chemistry and hermetic tradition.Text · Power and authority Historical 🇮🇸 IcelandGaldrabók An Icelandic grimoire of spells and staves from around 1600Text · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical 🇬🇧 United KingdomGrimoire (sample) A handbook of rites and names.Text · Power and authority · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇳🇴 NorwayCyprianus A Scandinavian folk magic grimoire and the tradition of spells it containsText · Healing · Seeing and foretelling Historical

🇫🇷 FranceLarzac tablet A lead curse tablet from southern France invoking a goddess against a group of womenText · Cursing and harm Historical 🇮🇹 ItalySola Busca tarot The oldest complete 78-card tarot deck with unique illustrations and Roman numerals.Text · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇫🇷 FranceChamalières tabletPlomb de Chamalières A Gaulish lead tablet from a French spa, read as either a curse or a healing prayer.Text · Cursing and harm · Healing Historical 🇮🇪 IrelandLorica A Hiberno-Scottish monastic prayer for protection against evilText · Protection Historical 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreKollyra curse tablet An ancient Greek tablet cursing a thief to suffocation until stolen goods are returned.Text · Protection · Cursing and harm Historical

🇫🇷 FranceDictionnaire Infernal A French demonology book cataloguing spirits and their hierarchies with engravings.Text · Power and authority Historical 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 1 moreThirteen Treasures of the Island of BritainTri Thlws ar Ddeg Ynys Prydain A collection of magical objects from late-medieval Welsh legendText · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 2 moreBevis of HamptonПовесть о Бове-королевиче A medieval chivalric romance about a hero's exile and return across Europe and the Near EastText · Wonder and entertainment Historical

🇬🇷 GreeceMinoan sealstones Carved gemstones and amulets from Bronze Age Crete used for identification and ritualCharm · Protection · Power and authority Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomSaducismus Triumphatus A 1681 English book defending witchcraft beliefs and attacking skepticsText · Cursing and harm Historical

🇬🇧 United KingdomBook of Magical Charms A seventeenth-century English manuscript of spells and medical remedies held in Chicago.Text · Healing · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical

🇳🇴 NorwayGrógaldr An Old Norse poem about raising a dead seeress to ask for helpText · Cursing and harm · Protection Historical 🇬🇧 United KingdomBarddas A 19th-century book presenting Welsh bardic and druidic theology as ancient traditionText · Speaking with spirits and the dead Historical 🇪🇸 SpainLiber Ignium A medieval Latin manuscript containing recipes for incendiary weapons and chemicals.Text · Cursing and harm · Power and authority Historical 🇮🇹 Italy and 1 moreBooks of secrets Early modern European compilations of recipes and formulae framed as hidden knowledgeText · Power and authority Historical

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Alfonso X of Castile: Otto Posse (1847-1921), Public domain, source
Grimoire: Bengt A. Lundberg, CC BY 2.5, source
Saducismus Triumphatus: unknown engraver of the 17th century, Public domain, source
Book of Magical Charms: Robert Ashley, died 1641, Public domain, source
Grógaldr: W.G. Collingwood (1854 - 1932), Public domain, source
Éliphas Lévi: Eliphas Lévi [1810-1875], Public domain, source
Witchcraft Act 1735: Richard van Bleeck, Public domain, source
Larzac tablet: Pankratos, Public domain, source
Directorium Inquisitorum: Nicolás Eymerich, Public domain, source
Chamalières tablet: Unknown, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
William Lilly: Simon Harriyott, CC BY 2.0, source
Nicholas Culpeper: Richard Gaywood, Public domain, source
Marsilio Ficino: Marsilio Ficino, Public domain, source
The Fool: Johann Georg Rauch, Public domain, source
Ogham: Runologe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Runes: Bengt Olof ÅRADSSON, CC BY 1.0, source
Nostradamus: After César de Notre-Dame, Public domain, source
Sator Square: M Disdero, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Renaissance magic: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Mother Shipton: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Geoffrey of Monmouth: Colin Cheesman, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
Galder: Bengt A. Lundberg, CC BY 2.5, source
Dictionnaire Infernal: Louis Le Breton, Public domain, source
Bevis of Hampton: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Malleus Maleficarum: Johann Jakob Wick, Public domain, source
John Dee: Unidentified painter, Public domain, source
Sibylline Books: kladcat, CC BY 2.0, source
Michael Sendivogius: Łuszczkiewicz, Public domain, source
Pietro d'Abano: Marco Chemello (Wikimedia Italia), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Key of Solomon: Anonymous Unknown author, Public domain, source
Three Books of Occult Philosophy: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Public domain, source
Minoan sealstones: Andree Stephan, CC BY 3.0, source
Basil Valentine: TomKidd, CC BY-SA 3.0, source