THE PRACTICE OF MAGICAL EVOCATION. Instructions for Invoking Spirits from the Spheres Surrounding Us

The Practice of Magical Evocation is divided into two parts: the first section deals with evocational magic, and second with the hierarchy of the beings in the different spheres.

Magic is the highest knowledge that exists on our planet, because it teaches the metaphysical as well as the metapsychical laws on every plane of existence. Since time immemorial, the highest knowledge has been called "Magic" but it was accessible only to particular circles, predominantly the High Priests, and the most powerful rulers. The highest initiates were considered to be Magi. They were the only ones who knew about the true teachings, but they guarded them with all their might. They knew the synthesis of their own religion as well as the synthesis of other religions. But the people were only given their religion in symbols no matter kind of religion they believed in. Only after many centuries, a few crumbs of this knowledge made its way among the people, but still completely veiled. And since the majority of the people were not lawfully magically educated, they could only understand this fragmented information from an individual point of view, and thus could only pass this knowledge on in a very one-sided and incomplete manner. That is why magic knowledge remains to this very day, without exaggeration, a very secret knowledge. The understanding of the true magic laws depends upon the magico-spiritual maturity of the individual.

Whosoever wishes to learn the subject of magic, must first learn all the effects of the lower laws of Nature before he can progress to the higher laws. You could divide magical knowledge into three categories: lower magic, intermediate magic, and high magic. This book gives the reader the significance of the magic circle, triangle, the magic mirror, the magic wand, and so forth.

The second part discloses the names and signatures of the different heads, genii and intelligences of the various planetary spheres in our solar system, how to communicate with them and also what their specific tasks are. These heads or genii have their specific field; there is not one field of endeavor which is not covered by one or another head, intelligence or genii. A detailed description of their expertise in a particular field is listed in this book by name and sphere, and how to establish contact with these beings. It should however be mentioned that you cannot succeed in contacting these beings unless you have practically and successfully completed the first volume Initiation into Hermetics, or you must have at least successfully completed the eighth step.

In 1924, the spirit of a high Hermetic adept entered the body of a fourteen-year-old child named Franz Bardon, destined to become one of the most remarkable magicians of the twentieth century.

Though he maintained a normal life as an industrial mechanic and family man in the Czech town of Opava, his other, occult life was full of attainment and tragedy.

During the last years of World War II, Franz Bardon spent three and a half years in a concentration camp. After the war, he practiced as a Naturopath and Graphologist and devoted himself to the teaching of Hermeticism and the writing of his books.

His work was interrupted forever in 1958, when he was arrested during one of Czechoslovakia's notorious Communist purges. He was falsely accused of not paying taxes on alcohol used in the preparation of spagyric remedies; he was further accused of treason, for allegedly making unfavorable comments about his country in a letter to Australia. On July 10, 1958, Franz Bardon died under "unusual circumstances" in a prison hospital in Brno, Czechoslovakia.