[Music]
welcome to watch mojo
and today we're counting down our picks
for the top 10 real life spell books
do not read the latin read it
for this list we're looking at grimoires
also known as spell books
that contain allegedly authentic
instructions on how to perform magical
spells and rituals
we're excluding funerary texts that
incorporate spells
although if you're worried about the
afterlife arm up with the egyptian book
of the dead
do you believe in magic let us know in
the comments
number 10 the book of saint cyprian
there are actually multiple grimoires
attributed to this 3rd century figure
a pagan magician who converted to
christianity and was martyred
at least according to legend the most
fascinating text is arguably the
portuguese version
dating back to the 19th century it
includes a description of the legend of
saint cyprian
and instructions on alchemy divination
exorcism and love magic
[Music]
you just need a little spark of magic
what's most unique about this grimoire
however
is that it also contains maps to sites
of hidden treasure
and details on how to obtain magical
riches some additions even include the
success story of one french peasant who
used the maps to successfully find
treasure
i'm rich i'm wealthy
i'm comfortably well off
also known as arbitel of the magic of
the ancients
of all the spell books on this list this
one seems most likely to be used by
glinda the good witch
are you a good witch or a bad witch
for me published in switzerland in 1575
this book won't tell you how to perform
dark magic to harm others
but it will tell you how to live a kind
honest and charitable life
though it deals with matters of the
occult the most frequently cited work in
the arbitel is actually the bible
the overarching theme of this grimoire
is the positive relationship between
humanity and the heavens
if you want to learn how to recruit the
help of angels and other benevolent
spirits in your life
this would be the book to use i knew
he'd send you
gabriel
you're always so eager to please him
number eight the sworn book of honorius
dating back to at least the 14th century
this encyclopedic spell book is an
incredibly
influential guide to medieval magic
according to the prologue
a group of magicians facing persecution
at the hands of the catholic church came
together to compile
all of their magical knowledge into this
oath-bound volume they got that right
then am i
thus the sworn book of honorius was
published with 93 chapters containing
virtually everything there was to know
about magic
from summoning demons to finding
treasure just a handful of this stuff
would make me richer than this
originally students of magic reportedly
had to take an oath of secrecy before
being allowed to read it
any copy they made went with them to the
grave upon their death
swear to it
make the unbreakable fur today however
the secret's out you can easily buy it
on amazon
number seven the black pullet from 18th
century france this spell book is unique
because the information within it is
presented as more of a narrative
than an instruction manual the text
tells the story of a french officer sent
by napoleon on an expedition to egypt
there he meets an elderly turkish man
who teaches him all the secrets of
magical talismans
these mystical engraved objects give the
wearer supernatural protection and
special powers
such as the ability to summon a gin and
make the gin bring your own true love
yo rug man haven't seen you in a few
millennia give me some tassels
yeah yo for those with more material
ambitions
you could try summoning the titular
black pullet itself
a hen that lays golden eggs that can
provide you with
infinite riches number six the greek
magical papyri
by far the oldest entry on this list
this collection of ancient magical
knowledge has sections that date back
over 2000 years
the book is a collection of papyri from
greco-roman egypt
written primarily in ancient greek that
contains magical spells
recipes and rituals that were supposedly
used by magicians throughout the
mediterranean region for centuries
the collection includes spells that
promise to grant one the ability to see
the future
and instructions on how to create a
figurine similar to a voodoo doll
did you just have a vision oh yeah
chills yeah and i saw you um putting up
posters over there on that wall over
there
the papyri were compiled and published
as one book during the 19th century
which is now widely available today
what the hell was that number five the
lesser key of solomon
while other grimoires contain a wide
variety of magical information
this book is strictly limited to
demonology and on that subject it is
very thorough
split into five sections the lesser key
of solomon lists 72 different demons
complete with descriptions as well as
instructions on how to summon them and
make them do your bidding
the book claims to have been written by
king solomon but the most well-known
version of the text
is only a few centuries old unknown
author aside
this book is one of the most popular
sources of demonology information
and is given credence by many in the
occult community
number four the key of solomon so
influential that it may have inspired
the previous entry on this list
this spell book is the quintessential
collection of renaissance magic
again though it's said to be written by
king solomon the real author is unknown
its contents include many spells and the
methods of casting them
with all of the book's magic being made
possible by the power of god
who are you i'm the one
creed of the heavens and the earth alpha
and omega
oh i see where this is going although
the church denounced the book as heresy
many clergymen in the 15th century
studied the text in secret
hoping to gain the wisdom and power the
book claimed it could grant
today the book is available to read in
its english translation for anyone who
wants to learn more about these
solomonic spells
number three the sixth and seventh books
of moses
allegedly written by moses this text
claims to contain books of the hebrew
bible that were hidden or otherwise lost
it was first published in germany around
the 19th century
in keeping with the theme the spells
within this book are explicitly biblical
including many of the same spells moses
allegedly used to perform miracles like
parting the red sea
due to advancements in printing press
technology this grimoire became one of
the most widely circulated in the world
spreading throughout europe the americas
and parts of africa
as a result the spell book is
significant to diverse groups
from folk magicians in the appalachians
to rastafarians
in jamaica number two simon necronomicon
oh god look at this this grimoire may
have been published in 1977
but it's not as far removed from some of
the older spell books as you might think
if the name sounds familiar you likely
know it from an hp lovecraft story
or from the evil dead series in addition
to a lovecraftian influence
this version contains elements of middle
eastern mythology and an overarching
theme of good versus evil
though its authenticity as a grimoire
has been contested due to it being so
clearly inspired by fictional works
most of the spells and rituals within
the book are copied directly from other
spell books
most older grimoires were compiled the
same way meaning this newer text is
arguably just as authentic as any other
before we unveil our top pick
here are some honorable mentions
galdrabok
book of magic an icelandic book of
magical healing spells
pikatrix a book of astrology and occult
magic
filled with gruesome and dangerous
spells pseudo monarchia dimonum
false monarchy of demons a list of 69
demons and how to summon them
putsit albert a french book of household
magic and recipes
the magus an occult handbook compiling
spells and ceremonies from the most
famous magicians
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number one the book of shadows though
it's less than 100 years old this book
is the most
influential magical text for modern
lovers of the occult
between the late 1940s and early 1950s
english wiccan gerald gardner composed
it from knowledge he claimed to have
acquired from a coven of witches
it went on to become one of the founding
texts for wicca
partly a religious text and partly a
spell book it borrows elements from
other occult sources
such as the works of magician and
self-styled prophet aleister crowley
to remove crowley's influence it was
rewritten by the high priestess of
gardner's coven
doreen valiente some and practitioners
also have their own versions
though its origins and authenticity have
been debated the book of shadows has
shaped how people view the occult today
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