(SWCM - Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic Vol. XV Series)

This grimoire dating from 1346 is the root of many other grimoires, and contains much practical magic that has been lost from later grimoires. This is the first publication in English in the last 700 years. It was owned and treasured by Trithemius and Dr John Dee, and was the root of Shemhamphorash, Solomonic and Enochian magic.

The Summa Sacre Magice by Berengarius Ganelli, written in 1346 AD, is a foundational grimoire. Unlike most early grimoires, which often lack the author's name and date, this manuscript proudly includes both. Its ancient origins and its wealth of lost knowledge make it an invaluable resource. Later grimoires failed to capture much of the detailed richness found in this text, confirming its status as the most significant Latin text on magic that has survived. The Summa Sacre Magice is a complex and extensive work, containing over 200,000 words, divided into five books and encompassing 85 chapters.

This present volume contains all of Books 1 & 2, while the next volume will cover Books 3, 4, and 5. Remarkably, it has never before been published in either English or Latin. This work stands as the most comprehensive overview of Latin medieval magic that has endured for almost 700 years. Among its many secrets are some of the earliest details of angelic invocations from the Almadel, tables from the Shemhamphorash, the 10 candariis talismans, and the hierarchy of Tartarus.

It also includes parts of other significant early grimoires, such as the Liber Juratus (The Sworn Book of Honorius), with explanations of these early texts. These are intricately woven into the tapestry of the practical and sacred magical tradition. One of the most exciting aspects is the detailed instructions for making four of Solomon’s magical rings and his pentagram.

The transmission of this sacred knowledge passed through four main teachers: from the 12th century Solomon (not the famous Biblical king) to Toz the Greek, then to Honorius , the author of Liber Juratus (13th century), and finally to Berengarius Ganelli (14th century).