One of the more unusual and exotic treasures of The University of Newcastle is a French magical manuscript entitled Talismans Cabalistiques Magiques, grands secretes des Planettes. The manuscript bears the date 1704 and was presumably created in the reign of the Sun King Louis XIV, le Grand Monarque and le Roi Soleil (1638-1715).
What Is It?
It is a handwritten and illustrated compendium of information relating to the manufacture of celestial talismans. The work is a manual of practical Cabalistic magic which instructs the reader in the art of using talismans which will attract and magnify the powers of the planets and which in turn give the user power over angels whose names have been revealed by the Cabalistic tradition.
Viewing the Manuscript
View it here: https://livinghistories.newcastle.edu.au/nodes/view/110423
or here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/uon/albums/72157600878015038/
Deep Dive Into Its Medieval Origins
Watch the Video
Gionni Di Gravio OAM
University Archivist & Chair, Hunter Living Histories