THE Days and Hours have already been treated of, in general, in the First Book. It is now necessary to notice in particular at what hour accomplishment and perfection should be given to the Arts, all things necessary having been previously prepared. Should it then happen that thou hast undertaken any secret operation for conversing with or conjuring Spirits, in which the day and the hour are not marked, thou shalt put it in execution on the days and hours of Mercury, at the sixteenth or twenty-third hour, but it will be still better at the eighth, which is the third 1 of the same night, which is called and means before the morning, for then thou shalt be able to put in practice all the Arts and Operations which should be performed, according as it shall please thee by day or by night, provided that they have been prepared at the hours suitable to them, as hath been already said. But when neither hour nor time of operation or invocation is specified, it is then much better to perform these experiments at night, seeing that it is more easy to the Spirits to appear in the peaceful silence of night than during the day. And thou shouldest inviolably observe, that wishing to invoke the Spirits, either by day or by night, it is necessary that it should be done in a place hidden, removed, secret, convenient, and proper for such Art, where no man frequenteth or inhabiteth, as we shall relate more fully in its place. If then thou shouldest operate touching anything which hath been stolen, in whatever way it be performed and whatever way it may have been prepared, it is necessary to practise it on the days and hours of the Moon, being if possible in her increase, and from the first unto the eighth hour of the day. But if it be by night, then it should be at the fifth or at the third
When the Spirits which are created from the Vapours of the Sun are invoked, they come under a very beautiful and excellent form, but filled with pride, vanity, and conceit. They are clever, whence it comes that these last are all specified by Solomon in his book of ornament, or of beauty. They show great ostentation and vainglory in their dress, and they rejoice in many ornaments; they boast of possessing mundane beauty, and all sorts of ornaments and decorations. Thou shalt only invoke them in serene, mild, and pleasant weather. The Spirits 3 which are created of Fire reside in the cast, those created of Wind in the south. Note then that it will be much better to perform the experiments or operations in the direction of the east, putting everything necessary in practice towards that point. But for all other operations or extraordinary experiments, and for
80:1 In 10862 Add. MSS. it says 'the second.' 82:1 This paragraph is only found in 10862 Add. MSS. 82:2 The Name of the Sixth Qabalistical Sephira or Emanation from the Deity, which is called Tiphereth, or Beauty. 82:3 I have usually found it said exactly vice versâ.AT WHAT HOUR AFTER THE PREPARATION OF ALL THINGS NECESSARY, WE SHOULD BRING THE EXERCISE OF THE ART TO PERFECTION