voces-magicae.

com

¤ The Invocation ¤

Mighty Typhon, scepter-bearing almighty power and sovereign, god of gods; Lord

ABERAMENThÔOULERThEXANAXEThRELUOÔThNEMAREBA.

Disturber of the dark, bringer of thunder, sender of storms, lighting flasher of the night! You are the one
who exhaled the cold and the heat. Stone-shaker, wall-breaker earth-quaker, boiler of the waters. You
are the one who stirs the depths to motion,

IÔERBÊT AU TAUI MÊNI

I am he who searched the entire world to find the great Osiris, whom I brought you bound. I am he who
together with you allied with the gods (others say against the gods); I am he who shut heaven’s double
door and put to sleep the unseen serpent, who at the edge of you kingdom, stopped the sea, the
streams, and the flowing rivers. But, as your soldier, I was defeated by the gods and was cast face down
on account of empty wrath. Awaken me, I beseech you, I implore you, friend; do not leave me here cast
upon the earth, o lord of gods:

AEMINAEBARÔThERREThÔRABEANIMEA

Fill me with power, I beg you, grant me this grace, that whenever I call upon any one of the gods, they
come to me swiftly and appear visibly before me.

NAINE BASANAPTATOU EAPTOU MÊNÔPhAESMÊ PAPTOU MÊNÔPh ·

AESIMÊ · TRAUAPTI · PEUChRÊ · TRAUARA · PTOUMÊPh · MOURAI · ANChOUChAPhAPTA ·

PTOUMAU · LALAPsA · TRAUI TRAUEPsE MAMÔ PhORTOUChA ·

AEÊIO IOY OÊÔA · EAI AEÊI ÔI IAÔ AÊI AI IAÔ

Analysis of the Invocation¤

The voces magicae conveniently divide the invocation into four sections. The first calls upon Typhon by
name and defines his magical role in this rite and in the entire magical system of PGM IV 154- 285.
Typhon is identified as σκηπτουχίας (‘Scepter-bearing’, or ‘Staff-bearing’), a title indicating a supreme
degree of spiritual authority, and an epithet shared only with Apollo in the magical papyri (PGM II. 82,
PGM II. 98). To drive the point home, Typhon is identified as θεὲ θεῶν (‘god of gods’).

This understanding of Typhon is unique to the traditions of the PGM. Here he is a deity endowed with
the authority and power generally ascribed to the demiurgic godheads such as the Semitic YHVH,
Canaanite Baal, or Gnostic IAO . Yet he remains as a manifestation of the primordial volatile and chaotic
forces of the universe, having much more in common with the Ophion and Chronos serpents of the
Orphic traditions than the Typhon ‘monster’ of the Olympic mythologies. [6]

Typhon is called forth as ABERAMENThÔOU, an epithet we discussed previously that is used in the PGM
and in later gnostic traditions to denote the lord of the waters and master of cosmic forces.[7] The
complete palindromic formula is:

ABERAMENThÔOULERThEXANAXEThRELUOÔThNEMAREBA

αβεραμενθωουλερθεξαναξεθρελυοωθνεμαρεβα
 This is the first of the voces magicae in the passage and marks the transition into the next stage of the
invocation. The magical names Aberamenthôou and Lerthexana also appear together in the Demotic
Leiden Papyrus (Col. XXIII.) in a spell calling forth the syncretic Typhon-Set. Additionally, a nearly
identical version of this formula occurs in PGM I. 262-347, a spell to invoke Apollo. The name
Aberamenthôou is very important within the context of the rite because it now identifies Typhon
specifically with the element of water; both metaphorically – as in the cosmic waters of the sky, and
literally – as in the waters of the sea. The epithets that follow clearly continue this association.

While these can be translated in a myriad of ways, they all retain the common meaning of being directly
related to violent and choatic aspects of nature in motion. Specifically, the manifestation of storms and
earthquakes. These are generally associated with the olympian Poseidon who – interestingly enough – is
entirely absent from the PGM. These attributes also bring to mind the Babylonian storm deity Hadad
who we discussed in PGM IV. 154-285: A complete Magical System as one of the first deities associated
with the magical practices of Evocationary Bowl Scrying.

Following these epithets of Typhon, the next magical name to be spoken is:

IÔ ERBÊT AU TAUI MÊNI

Ἰω ερβήτ αυ ταυϊ μηνι

IÔ ERBÊT and the cognate IÔ ERBÊTh is a divine name used throughout the PGM in magical formulae
associated with Typhon, Set and the syncretized Typhon-Set. [8] Ἰω, while a name for the moon, is also
used in the context of a sudden call, as if saying ‘look’ or ‘hail’, and as such ERBÊT is the operative word.
Ερβήτ does not mean anything in Greek; however, in Hebrew ‫הר בית‬, translates to ‘mountain house.’
Given Typhon’s association to mountains in mythology, and our discussion in PGM IV 154-285:
Phylactery of 100 Letters, this deserved a mention.[9] I have not found much regarding AU TAUI MÊNI,
other than a reference to an obscure Babylonian deity and the phonetic spelling of the Egyptian words
Aw (measure of space/time), tAwy (‘two lands’, i.e. Egypt), and mHn.I (‘O serpent spirit!’) .[10]

It may be interesting to look further into the possible Egyptian phonetic sounds of AU TAUI MÊNI as in
the context of this invocation, these voces magicae herald the next stage of the rite that is very clearly
influenced by Egyptian cosmology. It is in this segment that the candidate aligns himself with Set as the
one who “searched the entire world to find the great Osiris, whom I brought you bound.” Needless to
say, this is a reference to the capture and murder of Osiris. What is different here, is that Set is acting on
behalf of a greater power, and according to the text this power is the primordial Typhon. While it is well
documented that in the Hellenic world Set and Typhon were often synonymous and even syncretized
into one as Set-Typhon; the scribe of PGM IV. 154-285 is very clear in distinguishing the primordial
“lord of gods”, Typhon, from the anthropomorphic god who performs the deeds associated with Set. In
this context, the candidate by self-identifying with Set is thereby becoming a suitable vessel to receive
the power of Typhon.

Next, the candidate states that together with Typhon they ‘allied with the gods (others say agains the
gods).” The parenthetical contradiction highlights the duality of Set’s role; who according to this papyri
was acting in accordance with the gods; a role that has been misunderstood by “others.” The idea is that
the murder of Osiris was a necessary act in order to bring further life to the Nile and continue to evolve
Egypt from a land of gods, to one of men. This is the principle represented by both Typhon and Set as
that fundamental chaotic and destructive force that is essential to the continual motion of nature and
the cosmos. Again, I am stressing the importance of motion as I did earlier, because according to this
rite the true enemy of man, cosmos and the gods is stasis.

ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ κλείσας οὐρανοῦ δισσὰς πτύχας και κοιμίσας δράκοντα τὸν ἀθεώρητον, στήσας θάλασσαν,
ῥεῖθρα, ποταμῶν νάματα, ἄχρις οὖ κυριεύσης τῆσδε τῆς σκηπτουχίας. [11]

‘”I am he who shut heaven’s double door and put to sleep the unseen serpent, who at the edge of you
kingdom, stopped the sea, the streams, and the flowing rivers.”

Δράκοντα τὸν ἀθεώρητον (‘the unseen serpent’) is an epithet of Apep (Apophis) common in the magical
literature; [12] he is the serpent that Set must defeat daily in order to ensure the perpetual motion of
the sun and cycles of the universe. Here the candidate is referencing Set’s role in the Egyptian Book of
the Dead where he figures as a prominent protector of the solar barque.[13]

According to Spell 111 in the Egyptian Book of the Dead, at midday the course of the sun is threatened
by the serpent Apep who in one gulp swallows the waters of the cosmic stream effectively bringing the
solar barque to a halt. Set declaring himself “the Great of Magic, son of Nut” defeats the serpent that
threatens the death and dissolution of the sun. As a result, Apep regurgitates all that he has swallowed
and the cosmic waters continue to flow. This act ensures the that the cosmos will remain in motion for
another day and averts the return to the static state of non-existence. [14]

The lines in the invocation to Typhon perfectly echo this narrative, even in the choice of language – Set
“put[s] to sleep” the serpent in the PGM and “close[s] thy eye” in the Book of the Dead. The στήσας
(‘stopping’, ‘made to stand’) of the bodies of waters in the invocation describe Apep’s swallowing of the
cosmic stream, an act that directly opposes Typhon’s power over the cosmic waters and role of
maintaining nature in motion. The temporal synchronicity should not be overlooked as this cosmic battle
occurs near noon, when the sun is at its zenith, the same time that the scribe of PGM IV 153-285
indicates that this ritual should take place. It is at this hour, as the sun reaches the apex of its journey
and Set defeats the serpent threatening the preservation of daily order, that the candidate through self-
identity with Set has effectively “attached [them]self to Helios.”

Yet, ‘on account of empty wrath’ (μηνίδος εἵνεκεν κενῆς), Set was vilified and was ‘cast face down’
(πρηνὴς ῥέριμμαι). It is from this desolate and prostrated position that the candidate petitions Typhon,
his ‘friend’ and ‘lord of gods’ to elevate him. The word ἔγειρον is translated in the Betz edition as ‘raise
up’; however, it is more commonly used in the context of ‘awakening’, ‘arousal’ and even to be ‘raised
from the dead.’ In this sense it is the request for a spiritual awakening and rebirth from the darkness
implied by one ‘cast face down’ on the ground and literally experienced by the candidate who is
wrapped in a burial shroud and blindfolded during this ritual.

This is followed by the voce magicae:

AEMINAEBARÔThERREThÔRABEANIMEA

αεμιναεβαρωθερρεθωραβεανιμεα

Like the Aberamenthôou formula, this too is palindromic. Variations of this palindrome appear in three
other spells of the PGM (together with the Aberamenthôou formula) and in also in invocations
associated with Typhon, Set, or Apollo. [15] The meaning of this formula eludes me at this moment, I
firmly believe that as with the other formulae in this invocation it has either Semitic or Egyptian origins.
One can perhaps make out Hebrew words such as ‫( אמן‬amen, ‘truth’), and ‫‘( ברר‬bright’, ‘purify’, ‘purge’).
More compelling, are the potential Egyptian phonetic representations of ia (‘arise’, ‘ascend’), minA
(‘hither’, ‘here’), bA (‘possessing soul’), rW (‘lion’), and tr (‘respect’, ‘pray’, ‘worship’). Αεμιναε being a
phonetic spelling of ‘arise/ascend here’ (ia minA) in Egyptian seems quite relevant within the present
context.[16]

The text that follows should resonate familiar with those of us who have worked with medieval and
renaissance grimoires (as indeed so would the entire structure of the invocation). It is here that the
practitioner asks to be empowered so that they may have the authority to call forth the gods and spirits
and that they respond and come swiftly and visibly. Presumable after performing the invocation three
times (according to the scribe), the practitioner will receive a clear sign that they have been imparted
the spiritual authority from the ‘lord of the gods.’

The invocation ends with a voce magicae of forty names. As with the 100-later name, the Egyptian
words approximated by the phonetic sounds of the voce magicae are surprisingly quite relevant within
the context of the rite. Particularly [Link]/[Link] (‘the mountain’, ‘sky mountain’) and the imperative mi
(‘come!’), both of which we previously discussed in the context of Typhon’s 100-letter name. [17] The
frequent occurrence of μην (Egyptian mHn, ‘coiled one’ or ‘serpent spirit’) and μαυ, μου, and μω
(Egyptian mw, ‘water’) are also very much inline with the rest of the invocation. The words are grouped
into sections as indicated by the half-stop punctuation sign (·) in the original Greek papyrus. And, as
with the previous post, I reiterate that there is no way to properly translate these words and what I
present is purely speculative.

Pronunciation of 7 vowels

the “A” with an open mouth, undulating like a wave; [A, α]

the “O” succinctly, as a breathed threat. [O, ο]

the “IAÔ” to earth, to air, and to heaven. [ΙAΩ, ιαω]

the “Ê” like a baboon; [Η, η]

the “O” in the same way as above; [O, ο]

the “E” with enjoyment, aspirating it, [Ε, ε]

the “Y” like a shepherd, drawing out the pronunciation. [Υ, υ]

Both the sounds for Alpha (A/ A, α) and Omicron (O /O, o) are straight forward and correspond with the

generally accepted Koine and the older Attic pronunciation.[4] We can identify these as a open-long

vowel sound for Alpha (as in father) and a short vowel sound for Omicron (quicker than the o in or).

Skinner notes that since the second “O [is the] same way as above,” both Omicron and Omega (Ô/Ω,ω)

should be pronounced the same.[5] The assumption here is that the scribe mistakingly included a

second Omicron instead of an Omega. However, the scribe did not make a mistake. It is clear that these

vowels reference the nine-lettered magical formula that ends the incantation on line 23 of the same

papyri, which indeed contains two Omicrons and the exact sequence of vowels (AOIAÔ ÊOEY). In the

context of the PGM, Omega and Omicron would have most likely represented two different vowel

sounds; a fact indicated in various other spells that not only speak of seven vowels, but also of seven

unique sounds.[6]

Thus, while this passage is a great reference for how some ancient Greek vowels of the PGM may have

been pronounced it does not provide any insight into the vowel sounds of Omega nor Iota (I / I,ι). The

scribe, does however, give us a spatial dimension in regards to these vowels in the context of the IAÔ

formula, something we will return to shortly. Most scholars of ancient Greek indicate that Iota was

pronounced very much like modern Greek (as ee in see) and Omega was a longer form of Omicron (as

the aw in saw, in Koine Greek it was more rounded as in or). [7]

guttural and shrill ‘eh’ sound (as if holding the a in day). If, like me, you don’t happen to live in a area

with a healthy baboon population, I suggest you do a quick search to find a video on youtube on

baboon vocalizations. Epsilon (E, ε) is an aspirated shorter sounding ‘eh’ (as in get), a sound that can be

created by following the scribes instructions and quickly aspirating ‘eh’ while smiling.

Lastly, the scribe completely baffles us in stating that Upsilon (Υ, υ) should be pronounced “like a

shepherd.” Perhaps, this is one of those sounds that may have been common in the pastoral lands of the

hellenic world, but today has very little meaning. Among other sounds the scribe may be referencing the

sound of a panpipe or a shepherd’s flute, or perhaps even the deep bark of Molussus shepherd dog.[8]

In this context, perhaps it is best to assume that the scribe was giving more of an indication on how to

draw out the sound of the vowel than the actual sound. Unlike modern Greek where Upsilon is

pronounced exactly like Iota, it is believed that the sound in classical and hellenic times was more similar

to the French ‘u‘ (as ou in you but tending towards the sound ‘ee-you’).[9]

Drawing from these base vowel sounds we can start to examine their vibration qualities . This is

accomplished by ordering the seven vowels according to their average frequency and pitch.

Seven Vowels arranged in a scale of Average Frequency

I,ι [i] 1963 Hz “to earth”

E,ε [e] 1782 Hz “with enjoyment, aspirating it”

H,η [ε:] 1617 Hz “like a baboon”

A,α [a] 1566 Hz “with an open mouth, undulating like a wave” | “to air”

Υ,υ [y:] 1492 Hz “like a shepherd, drawing out the pronunciation.”

O,ο [ŏ] 1074 Hz “succinctly, as a breathed threat”

Ω,ω [o:] 1074 Hz “to heaven”

Seven Vowels arranged in a scale of Average Frequency

Frequency is a measure of vibration, thus this also correlates with how we experience the sound

physically. Higher frequency and therefore higher pitched sounds resonate in our heads while deep base

tones resonate in our basal and sacral region.

There is an apparent inversion when comparing the resonant pitch of the vowels to how the scribe

indicates that the IAÔ formula should be spoken. The ‘natural’ directionality based on where the vowels

physically resonate, would be Iota – Above and Omega – Below. However, the practitioner is instructed

to employ the complete opposite directionality by vibrating the high-frequency Iota vowel below, and

the low-frequency Omega above.

countermovement in other rituals of the PGM as a means to draw and center power from the

unification and balance of two antipodal poles.[12] Vibrating the IAÔ formula “to earth, to air, and to

heaven” has the effect of reflecting the natural tonal frequency of sound. It is as if the magician is

directing the power of the heavens downward while elevating earth energy up. The intersection and

thus point of tension and balance of these two polarities is the body of the practitioner; and more

precisely the harmonic breath of Alpha.

While it may be impossible to fully reconstruct the sounds of these ancient formulae, I believe that there

is still much more practical knowledge we can learn by making our best attempts to pronounce the

words a precisely as possible. Not only do we uncover additional levels of meaning when we examine

the sounds, but we are also tapping into the specific spiritual-acoustic technology used by the Graeco-

Egyptian magicians of the PGM.