The Book of
Loagaeth and Gebofal
“And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals…And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof.” (Revelation 5:1, 9)
The Book of Loagaeth—the “book of the speech from God”—is an earthly copy of the celestial “Book of Life” that is the divine record of every created thing that ever was, is, or ever will be. It is said that the book contains the very words with which God created the universe, and it is from this book the angels draw their own Angelical tongue. It has only been revealed to humanity twice: once to the prophet Enoch and once again to the scholar and mystic John Dee and his skryer Edward Kelley. This is the Book of the Lamb described in the Revelation, whose seven seals are opened during the world’s final days.
The Holy Book was revealed to Dee and Kelley by Raphael, the archangel of wisdom, language, magick, science, and medicine. He referred to the book as a divine elixir or medicine that would heal the world.
Each table in the book is associated with one of the forty-nine gates of heaven; forty-eight of them lead into the twelve kingdoms of heaven (the astrological houses), but the highest gate remains closed at all times. That sealed gate is reserved for the Christos, or Messiah.
The book also encompasses the entire universe from creation to destruction, symbolically represented by the seven biblical days of Creation. By summoning the angels who guard the gates, one can learn about absolutely anything or achieve any goal. There are strong clues in Dee’s journals that each leaf of the Book of Loagaeth represents a specific astrological force (such as the twelve signs of the zodiac, the four elements, etc.)—however, exactly which force is represented by each leaf was never recorded.140
Meanwhile, the angels did reveal a set of invocations, or callings, written in their own Angelical language, to open the gates and call forth the angels who guard them. Likewise, the same invocations can grant one access to spiritually enter the gates and explore the celestial cities beyond them. To accomplish either feat, the angels revealed the system of Gebofal for putting the Holy Book into practice.
The forty-nine-day ritual of Gebofal is devotional mysticism—a method of harmonizing oneself with the greater universe, obtaining prophetic visions, and gaining wisdom from the angels. Put simply, Gebofal is an initiation ceremony that introduces you to the gatekeepers of heaven and grants you access to all the wisdom and knowledge of the universe. Many aspirants have come to view Gebofal as the primary initiation ceremony for all Enochian work.
Once the Gebofal initiation has been accomplished, it appears that the Holy Book and the Angelical Callings can be put to any number of practical uses. Only one was outlined in Dee’s journals: the Parts of the Earth system (which will be covered in chapter 10). It made use of the last thirty tables of Loagaeth, and the Angelical Call(s) that opened them, to perform remote viewing of any location on earth. Sadly, the exact uses of the first eighteen tables of Loagaeth were never recorded.141
Unfortunately, available space in this book will not allow me to include the forty-nine massive word-tables of Loagaeth. At this time, I am only aware of two sources for the tables 142—however, I do hope to publish my own edition of the Book of Loagaeth in the future.
Below, I will give a brief outline of how to accomplish the Gebofal initiation ritual. For an in-depth exploration of this fascinating system of devotion and mysticism, I strongly recommend my own Angelical Language, Volume I: The Complete History and Mythos of the Tongue of Angels, especially chapter 4.
Gebofal: Opening the Gates of Heaven
“And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven...” (Matthew 16:19)
What You Will Need
For this and, in fact, all Enochian summoning rituals, you will need the Holy Table (including the five wax seals and seven Ensigns of Creation, the silk cloths, and your chosen skrying receptacle), the Ring of Solomon, and the Holy Lamen. You will also need to establish the same kind of sacred space as for Heptarchic rituals. You will not have to create your own prayers or talismans for this work. If you wish to use an incense, I suggest frankincense, church incense, or Abramelin incense. As before, a plain white robe would be appropriate attire—and it must be perfectly clean.
You will also need to make a “perfected copy” of the Book of Loagaeth.143 All items used in its creation (pen and ink, paper, the silk covering, etc.) must be ritually purified beforehand, and you must purify yourself through washing, fasting, and prayer before working on the book. You are also required to be alone when you do the work.
The creation of the book is a monumental task that requires much dedication and devotion; many consider it an important part of the Gebofal process. Dee and Kelley left us the tables of Loagaeth written in English letters. Before you can use the book in your magick, you will need to convert all the letters into Angelical characters and write the text so that it reads from right to left—just as you would see in a Hebrew or Arabic book.
Once you have copied the forty-nine tables—in proper Angelical—into a bound book, you must cover the book with light blue–colored silk. On the front, paint the following title in Angelical characters (see figure 2; note that the seven wax seals in that figure are not required here) in letters of gold: Amzes Naghezes Hardeh.144
As you might imagine, with forty-nine huge tables filled with letters on the front and back, this leaves a lot of room for errors. The work must be done slowly and carefully, checking and double-checking for mistakes along the way. The angels gave Dee forty days to complete the task, and even he failed to accomplish the feat in that time. Fortunately, we are not given the same time limit to create our own copies—we need only to work when inspired to do so.
Besides the perfected copy of Loagaeth, you will also need to have the forty-eight Angelical Callings and the Prayer of Enoch on hand, as you will be reciting them every day. At the end of this book I will append a copy of my Angelical psalter—including all of the Angelical Callings, their translations, and an easy-to-understand pronunciation guide.
Ritual Preparation
Dee was instructed to purify himself for nine days before attempting Gebofal,145 which is possibly based upon the nine-day purification outlined in the Key of Solomon the King. You must isolate yourself as much as possible for the entire period, eat a fasting diet that includes no meat, and engage in prayer (especially confession) and washing.146 During this period, you may also prepare the magickal tools and sacred space.
There are no magickal days or times associated with this work; you are to undertake the ritual only when God calls you to do so—that is when you feel inspired. (And then it will be only for important “big picture” purposes, rather than day-to-day magickal uses.) However, once begun, you must commit to the entire process (nine days of purification followed by forty-nine days of invocations) without interruption. This is a lengthy and intensive ritual that will occupy your attentions—morning, noon, and night—for over two months.
The angels began the Loagaeth revelations on Good Friday and continued for forty-eight days. It would be traditional to begin the Gebofal working on the morning after Good Friday. Whatever day you choose, make sure your nine days of purification end on the night before your chosen start date.
The Gebofal Ritual
Day 1
Just before dawn, wash yourself thoroughly and don a clean white robe. Enter your sacred space and put on the Ring of Solomon and the Holy Lamen of Dignification. Sit at the Holy Table—facing east—and lay the Book of Loagaeth in front of you. Open it to the second table (as the first table is not accessible via Gebofal) and recite the Prayer of Enoch:
The Prayer of Enoch 147
Lord God, the fountain of true wisdom, thou that openest the secrets of thy own self unto man, thou knowest mine imperfection and my inward darkness. How can I (therefore) speak unto them that speak not after the voice of man, or worthily call on thy name, considering that my imagination is variable and fruitless and unknown to myself? Shall the sands seem to invite the mountains or can the small rivers entertain the wonderful and unknown waves?
Can the vessel of fear, fragility, or that which is of a determined proportion lift up himself, heave up his hands, or gather the sun into his bosom? Lord, it cannot be. Lord, my imperfection is great. Lord, I am less than sand. Lord, thy good angels and creatures excel me far—our proportion is not alike, our sense agreeth not. Notwithstanding, I am comforted, for that we have all one God, all one beginning from thee, that we respect thee as creator. Therefore will I call upon thy name, and in thee I will become mighty. Thou shalt light me, and I will become a seer. I will see thy creatures and will magnify thee amongst them. Those that come unto thee have the same gate, and through the same gate descend such as thou sendest.
Behold, I offer my house, my labor, my heart and soul, if it will please thy angels to dwell with me, and I with them. To rejoice with me that I may rejoice with them. To minister unto me, that I may magnify thy name. Then, lo, the tables (which I have provided and, according to thy will, prepared) I offer unto thee, and unto thy holy angels, desiring them, in and through thy holy names. That as thou art their light and comfortest them, so they, in thee, will be my light and comfort. Lord, they prescribe not laws unto thee, so it is not meet that I prescribe laws unto them. What it pleaseth thee to offer, they receive. So what it pleaseth them to offer unto me, will I also receive.
Behold, I say (O Lord), if I shall call upon them in thy name, be it unto me in mercy, as unto the servant of the Highest. Let them also manifest unto me, how by what words and at what time I shall call them. O Lord, is there any that measure the heavens that is mortal? How, therefore, can the heavens enter into mans’ imagination? Thy creatures are the glory of thy countenance. Hereby thou glorifiest all things, which glory excelleth and (O Lord) is far above my understanding. It is great wisdom to speak and talk according to understanding with kings. But to command kings by a subjected commandment is not wisdom unless it come from thee.
Behold, Lord, how shall I therefore ascend into the heavens? The air will not carry me, but resisteth my folly. I fall down, for I am of the earth. Therefore, O thou very light and true comfort that canst and mayest and dost command the heavens: behold, I offer these tables unto thee. Command them as it pleaseth thee.
And O you ministers and true lights of understanding, governing this earthly frame and the elements wherein we live, do for me as for the servant of the Lord; and unto whom it hath pleased the Lord to talk of you.
Behold, Lord, thou hast appointed me forty-nine times. Thrice forty-nine times will I lift my hands unto Thee. 148 Be it unto me as it pleaseth thee and thy holy ministers. I require nothing but thee, and through thee and thy honor and glory. But I hope I shall be satisfied and shall not die (as thou hast promised) until thou gather the clouds together and judge all things; when in a moment I shall be changed and dwell with thee forever.
Then recite the first Angelical Calling, which is the key of the second table of Loagaeth. Afterward, sit back and meditate, pray, and/or begin to skry, allowing the angels to converse with you about the mysteries contained in their table. Record any insights or visions you gain; however, do not become discouraged if you do not experience much at this early point. If you do nothing more than spend a while in silent meditation, it will be enough.
Repeat this entire process again at noon, and then once again at dusk so the angels of the second table are invoked three times over the course of the day.
Days 2 through 48
At dawn of the next day, repeat the same process as before. Wash thoroughly, then sit at the Holy Table wearing the ring and lamen. This time, open the book to the third table. Recite the Prayer of Enoch followed by the second Angelical Calling, the key of the third table of Loagaeth. Once again, sit and meditate, pray, and/or skry for what the angels may have to teach you—if anything—about their table and its key. Again, do not be disappointed if you do not see or hear the angels yet. Just know they are there and that you have invoked their influence in your life. Repeat the invocation process again at noon and once more at dusk.
For the next forty-six days, repeat the same process three times each day—morning, noon, and dusk. On the third day, you must open Loagaeth to the fourth table and use the third calling. On the fourth day, open it to the fifth table and use the fourth calling, and so on. Each time, open the book to the proper table, then recite the Prayer of Enoch and finally the table’s key to call down its angels. Meditate, pray, or skry, and record any insights or visions you are granted.
Day 49 (Completion)
Once again, just before dawn, wash thoroughly. As the sun rises, don the clean robe along with the ring and lamen and sit at the Holy Table. This time, however, open the Book of Loagaeth to the first table—the gate that has no Angelical key to open it. Recite the Prayer of Enoch, then meditate or pray as before. Repeat at noon and again at dusk. That will complete the operation of Gebofal.
The forty-eight gates that you have opened are called the Gates of Wisdom or the Gates of Understanding by the angels. Opening them all is how we attain the forty-ninth gate. While we may not be able to pass through that gate, we can receive divine inspiration and blessings through it. That is the ultimate goal of Gebofal, and you will see its results manifest over the days, weeks, months, or even years that follow.