Grimoire Sympathia: The Workshop of the Infinite

Charubel, or John Thomas, is best known for his Degrees of the Zodiac Symbolised which, through reinterpretation by Marc Edmund, gave rise to a system known as Sabian Astrology. He also operated a magical order called the Celestial Brotherhood which was broadly similar to the Golden Dawn, i.e. it had a system of progressive grades, claimed its teachings were from hidden adepts and practiced magical rituals. Notable members of the Celestial Brotherhood included John Yarker and Major Francis George Irwin (who worked with Frederick Hockley). Charubel was also in contact with Peter Davidson and Thomas Burgoyne of the Hermetic Brotherhood of Light. This work is quite remarkable, being a grimoire of the spirits of plants, minerals and precious stones. The spirit for each has a name, a sigil and an invocation and these are used for healing purposes. In some instances simple rituals derived from folklore are given. The spirit attributions were derived by means of clairvoyant investigation, though the author is known to be familiar with Culpeper. However, this is not herbalism, the plants are not taken or used to prepare medicine, rather the magician attunes to their spirit to invoke sympathetic magic. Very few original grimoires were produced throughout the 20th Century and despite its gentle tone, this book is undoubtedly a grimoire — a grimoire which has been constantly overlooked.