The Heptameron of Peter de Abano: Medieval Planetary Magic and Spirit Conjuration

The Legacy of the Paduan Physician: Peter de Abano and the Magic of Seven

In the early fourteenth century, the university town of Padua was home to one of the most brilliant medical and philosophical minds of the era: Peter de Abano (Petrus de Apono). A professor of medicine, astrology, and natural philosophy, Peter had traveled widely, translating the works of Galen and studying the Arabic astrological traditions in Constantinople. But his brilliance drew the attention of the Inquisition, which accused him of heresy, pacts with spirits, and possessing the secret of the philosopher's stone. Though he died in prison before his trial could be completed, his name became legendary, and in the centuries that followed, various magical texts were attributed to him to capitalize on his reputation.

Among these pseudepigraphal works, the most famous is the Heptameron, or "The Seven Days," first published in Latin in the late sixteenth century as an appendix to Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa's De Occulta Philosophia. Named after the seven days of the week, the Heptameron is a practical grimoire of planetary magic. Unlike the theoretical treatises of the universities, it presents the magician with a highly structured, operational manual for the conjuration of the planetary spirits. It details the preparation of the ritual chamber, the design of the magic circles, the names of the angels governing the hours, and the specific conjurations required to draw the celestial forces down to the earthly plane.

The Geometry of the Circle: The Ritual Sanctuary

At the core of the Heptameron's practical magic is the design of the magic circle. In medieval ceremonial magic, the circle was not merely a protective barrier; it was a microcosm, a temporary temple built to replicate the coordinates of the celestial spheres. The circle was drawn upon the floor of the ritual chamber using consecrated chalk, charcoal, or red earth, with a diameter of nine feet.

The geometry of the Heptameron's circle is highly complex, divided into concentric rings containing specific names and sigils:

1. The Outer Ring: This ring contains the names of the angels of the day, the names of the angels governing the current hour, the name of the season, and the names of the spirits of the air associated with that day.
2. The Middle Ring: This ring contains the names of the divine attributes (Tetragrammaton, Adonai, Sadai) and the names of the directional winds.
3. The Inner Circle: This is the sanctuary where the magician and their assistants stand. At the center is a square, representing the stability of the physical earth, within which the names of the angels are inscribed.

By standing at the center of this geometric pattern, the magician acts as the central axis of the cosmos, the point where the celestial and terrestrial planes intersect. The circle is a protective shield, preventing hostile spirits from disrupting the operator's attention, but it is also a sympathetic lens. The names and sigils inscribed in the rings tune the ritual space to the specific frequency of the planet being invoked, creating a sympathetic resonance that draws the planetary spirit down to the threshold of the circle.

The Seven Days of the Week: The Planetary Hierarchies

The Heptameron is organized around the seven days of the week, with each day corresponding to a specific planet, a hierarchy of angels, and a set of operational objectives:

• Sunday (Lord's Day) – Sun: Governed by the angel Michael. The spirits of the Sun appear in large, golden, or radiant forms, bringing success, wealth, and the favor of kings.
• Monday – Moon: Governed by the angel Gabriel. The spirits of the Moon appear in watery, silver, or fluid forms, governing dreams, voyages, and the secrets of the subconscious.
• Tuesday – Mars: Governed by the angel Samael. The spirits of Mars appear in fiery, red, or armored forms, governing conflict, courage, and the destruction of enemies.
• Wednesday – Mercury: Governed by the angel Raphael. The spirits of Mercury appear in swift, changeable, or multi-colored forms, governing trade, science, and the communication of secrets.
• Thursday – Jupiter: Governed by the angel Sachiel. The spirits of Jupiter appear in majestic, violet, or benevolent forms, governing honors, legal judgments, and the expansion of wealth.
• Friday – Venus: Governed by the angel Anael. The spirits of Venus appear in beautiful, green, or attractive forms, governing love, friendship, and the generation of life.
• Saturday – Saturn: Governed by the angel Cassiel. The spirits of Saturn appear in old, black, or skeletal forms, governing memory, buildings, time, and the secrets of the earth.

For each day, the Heptameron provides a specific conjuration, detailing the names of the spirits of the air and their ministers. The magician must perform the operation during the astrological hour of the planet, ensuring that the planetary coordinates are in perfect alignment. The operation is a precise, celestial timing, a synchronization of the human breath and ritual action with the great gears of the planetary clock.

The Instruments of the Art: Consecration and Intent

Before the conjuration can begin, the magician must prepare and consecrate the instruments of the art. The Heptameron describes the use of a sword, a wand, a cap, a robe, and a pentacle of parchment. Each tool must be purified with holy water and censed with specific planetary perfumes (such as frankincense for the Sun, myrrh for Saturn, or saffron for Venus).

The consecration of the instruments is not a superstitious rite; it is an act of psychological charging. The tools are the extensions of the magician's will and intellect. By purifying them of all previous material associations, the magician creates a set of transparent conduits, capable of projecting the spiritual force without distortion. The sword represents the sharp power of discernment; the wand represents the directed force of the will; the robe represents the protection of the divine presence; and the pentacle represents the physical blueprint of the planetary command.

During the ritual, the magician must maintain absolute focus, keeping their mind clear of all personal desires and worries. The prayers and conjurations are recited in a loud, commanding voice, using a rhythmic, resonant tone that vibrates the air of the chamber. This chanting is the method of pneumatic ignition, using the human voice as the carrier wave to project the names of power through the boundary of the magic circle.

The Conjuration: The Arrival of the Celestial Influx

The climax of the Heptameron's operation is the formal conjuration of the planetary spirits. Standing within the circle, holding the sword in one hand and the pentacle in the other, the magician recites the ancient, Latin calls, summoning the spirits by the names of the angels and the divine attributes.

As the conjuration proceeds, the atmosphere of the chamber changes, manifesting as a sudden shift in temperature, a perfume in the air, or a vibration in the floor. The spirits do not appear as physical, flesh-and-blood entities, but as visual and energetic forms at the edge of the magic circle, visible to the magician's spiritual sight or projected within a mirror or a vessel of water. The magician must demand that the spirit show itself in a beautiful, non-threatening form and swear obedience to the names of the angels.

Once the spirit has answered the magician's questions or agreed to perform the requested operation, the magician must formally license the spirit to depart. The Heptameron provides a strict formula for this license, thanking the spirit for its obedience and bidding it to go in peace without causing harm to the operator or their assistants. This final step is critical, ensuring that the planetary force is cleanly disconnected from the ritual chamber, leaving the magician in a state of absolute quiet, possessing the key to the planetary wisdom.

Lux Esoterica.
2026.