The Magical Book of Mary and the Angels

So I'm wandering around the Macquarie University library this afternoon, searching for a spare computer so I can research my group assignment on schizophrenia. I can't find one, not one, so I wander over to the psychology shelves, even though electronic on-line journals usually give far more up to date research, that's targeted to the specific area that you're researching.

I'm in moral psychology, which is not to far from religion, pondering the fact that our next prac is on personality traits, when I spy this......

The Magical Book of Mary and the Angels by Marvin Meyer (co editor of Nag Hammadi Library)

its a 7th century Coptic text, from the Heidelberg codex, invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary in healing rituals. In turn, adjuration is made to the 24 elders and the nine archangels, and recipes and spells and pictures are all drawn on the papyrii.


So the Opening Prayer:

This is the prayer that the virgin
Mary spoke on the day of her
falling asleep. It restrains the powers of
the adversary and it cures every
disease and every sickness, in peace, Amen.

Now Mary lifted her eyes up to the heaven
toward God almighty. She said
I entreat you today,
who exists forever.
I praise you today,
Yao, who is coming upon the clouds of heaven,
Sabaoth, who is stronger than them all,
who exists before all the aeons,
Before heaven and earth appeared.
Heaven for you became a throne
and the earth a footstool for your feet.
Listen to me today,
through your great, blessed name.
Let all things submit to me,
for I am Mary,
I am Mariham,
I am the mother of life of the whole world,
I myself am NN.
Let the rock split before me today,
let the iron dissolve before me today,
let the demons withdraw before me today,
let the angels and the archangels appear to me today,
let the doors that are bolted and closed open for me,
at once and quickly,
so that your name may become my helper and life,
whether in all the day or in all the night.

Atonai Cherem Atoma
Chialas Baboth Stieph
Ba Satha Chithi Tha Sabaoth
God listen to me today,
you who are seated upon your exalted throne,
before whom there tremble all spirits,
those of heaven
and those of earth
and those who are under the earth
and those who are in the air
who are troubled by your great holy name,
which is
Yao Sabaoth Atonai Eloi
you who destroy everything in which there is malice,
all acts of magic and sorcery that happen
through wicked and meddlesome people,
whether blindness
or lameness
or speechlessness
or headache
or attack of the demons,
whether having a fever
or being troubled
or depressed
or hemorrhaging
or having pain from the demons
or oil or fruit or a potion in a jar.

In short, let whatever he has be eradicated, through your great holy name, from NN. Let NN become safe, in his body, and his entire body become strong, his sinews and his bones, and his flesh safe from all magic of people and all attacks of the demons day and the night, whether fates or gods.


Sometimes I cannot credit the sheer beauty of experience, that which continues to amaze me, surprise me and astound me with the audacity with which information is placed in front of me, right when I need to hear/see/know of these words, this knowledge, right now.

Bring on the love of Sophia and the light of Christos, indeed!