The subject about which I have proposed to speak to you is vast and certainly, several lectures would not be sufficient to reveal it to you under its historical and philosophical form.

Besides, I am: permitting myself to retain you for a few moments, in order to give you introduction the course.

What is the definition of magic? From on historical point of view, Magic is divided into two categories: High Magic and Black Magic.

For all of those who are interested in the researches of different metaphysical questions, there always were two hostile camps concerning Magic, because for the ones, Magic consisted in arrogating to one's self the Power coming from Above; whereas for the others, they claimed their power from the Genii or Spirits living in the elementary World.

What is the origin of High Magic and Black Magic? We are able to discover its presence in the most primitive sanctuaries, but opinions are contradictory in the case of the attribution of the origin of Magic to one of the ancient peoples.

As for myself, I think that Egypt, is the cradle of Magic, but some people think that it comes from Assyria; others, from India. Egypt, having had the most ancient civilization, and taking my stand from an historical viewpoint, I think therefore, that it is here that Magic first saw the day; from there, the men, possessors of its secrets, transported it to the Far East. Because, at this epoch, those who had to expatriate themselves to the distant territories, left forever, or the tempest often cast them on distant lands, or on account of lack of means to continue their voyage, they were established there. Therefore, those who wore possessors of Wisdom, were transmitting their Knowledge to the good men of the place where they were established. In this way the Indians were initiated by the explorers of Egypt, and we find in the Egyptian texts three or four stories of similar voyages.

The Egyptians went to stony Arabia and further, and to other parts surrounding Africa; they were in America which explains the monuments which we rediscover there, and the characters of which are similar in form to those found in Egypt, indicating; the common origin. In the, same way the writing in the tombs is almost similar, it is hieroglyphic like the Egyptian characters and by hieratic writing several similar characters can be studied. It is, therefore, logical to admit that ancient Egypt has been the cradle of Magic.

How is it that this art which we call sacerdotal and its practice has been divided in two opposite camps? At the beginning of Egyptian civilization, it is seen that, under the direction of a Master, possessor of the science, the priest and some civilians who were interested in initiation were gathering. At the time of the forth dynasty, we are told that several great lords had a title which can be translated as Chief of the Secret, Chief of the Mystery, he who knows all secret things, and there were other titles having the same meaning. In the sanctuaries, the Divine Magic, the High Magic was not only studied but practiced and also realised.

But what could be obtained by the study and practice of High Magic? Innumerable results which in our epoch would be incomprehensible and would make one laugh with disbelief. Among the ancient people, the doctor of this day was replaced by the priest, and the healings were performed by the science of the Magician. ^[1]

In High Magic, a communion was established with the invisible Beings and forces, and according to the manner of which, the visible Masters had the power to enter in relation with the invisible World, they were called Initiates. The conditions for admission to Initiation were Draconian, and the Sphinx is the symbol, of evocation of the guardian of the sanctuaries that no profane person, who had adverse thoughts could reach without attracting a most terrible fate.

But in every school or society no matter how pure the purpose and the teachings may be, it always happens that fallen man, having received some wisdom there, and who had not the endurance and the power, necessary to undergo the tests and trials that the Initiates had to undergo separated from them; but those men possessing a science and being persecuted by the spirit of darkness were seeking to accomplish all alone that which their brothers were realizing under the auspices of a sane moral code. Well understood, they could only succeed to create a work of destruction for themselves and for their kind, in spite of the supernatural powers which they could appear to possess for a moment.

Thus at the 14^th dynasty, that is 2000 years before Christ Jesus, we are in the presence of two opposing, camps in Magic, the Masters of toe Divine or High Magic, and the sorcerers. The trace of these two camps is easy to rediscover, because in the tombs and the Book of Dead, can be seen amulets, small fetishes, strings with peculiar knots, which show very plainly the difference between the operations of the Magicians and the sorcerers.

Sorcery at a certain time, attained a development so considerable, and exercised such a hold on the people, that in order to remedy this we see a king: KOUNIATON breaking completely with tradition and sacrificing the cult of his a Fathers to introduce the cult of the One God symbolized by the sun.

However, there are great discussions about the reason which compelled KOUNIATON to make this religious revolution. This reason is double, moral and political, because the result of this reform is that, from this moment the king governs alone instead of doing it in union with the: hierophants, and also from this epoch, we do not see amulets is any more on the dead, therefore the moral reason had as its purpose, the destruction of the prestige of the sorcerer.

Egyptian civilisation died out and was followed by other civilizations, and Magic being transported from country to country, was diffused everywhere, and in all places, we see it divided into two camps according to the forms explained to you. Another danger, equally terrible as that of Black Magic was menacing Divine Magic this was the alteration.

Through the traditions and the transmissions, we rediscover Masters possessing the Keys of Divine Magic in Israel, in ancient Greece, and finally in a very altered way, during the middle ages, in the Occident. With the Hebrews, the alteration of truths so pure in origin was becoming an evident danger, the Initiates hid in the Kabala the true science of Magic. But the Kabala itself, from century to century, and from translation to translation, was altered by the hands of its commentators, and our modern savants, who wrote on this question, such Eliphas Levy, Frank and Papus, had not penetrated deeply enough in this science, because otherwise they would have indicated the alterations it had undergone.

In the teachings which I desire to give you, I will let you know, in a documentary manner, the history of Magic in ancient Egypt; I will inform you about the aims, theories and doctrines of Magic; I will bring out the primitive Ritual of Magic.

This study will allow those who will have followed all the arguments and demonstrations, to reconstruct a great part of the ritual and dogma of Magic.

We will not be occupied with Black Magic, the reason for this is known to you. Only, I want once more, to put you on guard and to recommend to you that you abstain from taking in your hands, books of Magic and to try to put in practice the theories which are exposed in them, because since you are not Initiates, the danger would be great for you; whoever approaches Magic and uses it in an arbitrary manner can, on account of the degradation which the science has undergone, place his individual life in danger.