Sources of the Invocation of Perfect Nature

Invocation to Perfect Nature (from Arabic)

I call you, you High and Powerful Spirit of Spirits, the Wisest of all Wise, Intelligent of all Intelligence, Knowledgeable with the World's Knowledge, answer me and come to me and (1) get me close to (2) your knowledge, make me as wise and powerful as you are, let me understand what I do not understand, (3) let me see what I cannot see and protect me from ignorance, forgetfulness and cruelty and make me like the Forefathers of Wisdom the ones that had intelligence, wisdom, attentive awareness and understanding in their hearts, let all that live in my heart and never depart from it.

Prayer to Mercury (from Arabic)

(..) In the name of Hercules the ruling king of your matters, answer my prayer, hear my call, make my request come true by making me stronger, (1) get me closer to the kings, with your handling me, (2) with your supporting of me with wisdom, with your providing with strength and knowledge, with what you taught me of what I did not know, (3) make me see the unseen, keep away all badness from me, the badness that comes from ignorance, forgetfulness, cruelties, weakness, till you make me reach the high levels of first rulers, the ones that had wisdom, intelligence, awareness, sighting, understanding in their hearts, make all this in my heart and of your spiritual and honorable power a force that remains inside of me as a light to guide me in all my matters. Grant me the service of the kings, ministers, sultans, and great money benefits (..)

Invocation to Perfect Nature (from Latin)

I call to you, O strong, potent, and exalted spirit, because from you proceed the knowledge of the wise and the understanding of the intellect, and by your virtue the desires of the wise are accomplished, that you may respond to me, and be present with me, and (1) unite with me (2) your powers and the virtues that accompany you, and (3) strengthen me with your knowledge so that I may understand that which I du not understand, and know that of which I am ignorant, and see that which I do not see; and (4) remove from me all blindness, turpitude, forgetfulness, and infirmity; and lift me up (5) to the degree of the ancient sages (those, indeed, whose hearts were filled with knowledge, wisdom, understanding, and cognition), and affix the aforesaid things in my heart, so that my heart may be made like the hearts of the ancient sages."

Prayer to Mercury (from Latin)

(...) Thus I conjure you by Arquyl, who is the angel whom God has set beside you to complete your acts and works, that you will receive my petition and hear my prayer and attend to my requests and fulfill them. I ask also that you help and strengthen me with your spirit, and (1) join me by your spirit and power to the affection of kings, and (2) aid me to attain knowledge and wisdom by your virtue, and by your assistance so help me (3) that I may know what I do not know, and can understand what I do not understand, and can see what I do not see, and (4) remove me from necessity and all that decreases understanding and leads to division and illness, so that I may attain (5) to the level of the sublime ancient sages (those, that is, who had knowledge and understanding in their spirits and minds), and send to my spirit your power and spirit, in order to elevate me, and make me attain to the aforesaid state, and direct me in knowledge and wisdom and in all my deeds, that I may have grace and power by serving kings and exalted people (...)

Source

1. PN-L: Invocation of Perfect Nature (untitled), translation from Latin
2. OJ-L: The Operation of Jupiter, translation from Latin
3. PN-A: Invocation of Perfect Nature (untitled), translation from Arabic
4. OJ-A: The Operation of Jupiter (untitled), translation from Arabic

Time

1. PN-L: when the Moon is in the first degree of Aries
2. OJ-L: day of Jupiter, Sun in Saggitarius or Pisces, the Moon in the head of Aries
3. PN-A: when the Moon comes down to the level of the Head of Aries
4. OJ-A: when the Sun enters Saggitarius or Pisces, or when it drops down to the Moon at faces (?) the Head of Aries, or when it faces the Sun

Who is said to perform it

1. PN-L: ancient sages
2. OJ-L: Roman sages
3. PN-A: philosophers
4. OJ-A: the Roman rulers

How often does one perform it

1. PN-L: every year
2. OJ-L: each year
3. PN-A: once or twice a year
4. OJ-A: each year

Why does one perform it

1. PN-L: for the sake of their spirits, so that they might put in order their Perfect Nature
2. OJ-L: prayer of the planets (...) and especially for Jupiter; the spirits will receive your petition that which you desire will come into being in the manner you wish, your knowledge and understanding will be assisted, and the power of the spirits will defend and protect you
3. PN-A: to connect to their perfect spirit's nature (elsewhere: perfect spiritual nature), the way they learned from Hermes
4. OJ-A: to ask a specific need of Jupiter; "This is the Roman rulers' invocation for the spirits and one of their important secrets and of their holy days and prayers that they celebrate each year"

In what place should one perform it

1. PN-L: a house that is clean and splendid
2. OJ-L: a clean and splendid house, with hangings and curtains and cloth goods finely decorated
3. PN-A: a clean house
4. OJ-A: build a clean house, furnished with the best you can afford. You stay in that house alone and that becomes your temple.

Altar

1. PN-L: a raised table toward the eastern side, in a corner of the house
2. OJ-L: a large table in the place of honor, supported by a strong tripod
3. PN-A: a table at the eastern corner of the house on a step higher than the ground
4. OJ-A: a big table in a corner of the house on top of another solid stable table

Offerings

1. PN-L: four pitchers of fats (butter and 3 kinds of oils), four pitchers of wine, mixture of nut oil, butter, honey, and sugar
2. OJ-L: a mixture or compote of honey, butter, nut oil, sugar; a pastry of flour, butter, milk, sugar, and the most delicate saffron; perfumes (nutmeg, camphor, lignum aloes, "and other good smelling things"), a measure of mastic; four open pomegranates, roast meat (ram, chicken, pigeon); a jug full of wine; a branch of myrtle
3. PN-A: four cups (that fit a pound) of fats (butter and 3 kinds of oils), four cups of alcohol, candy made of walnut oil, butter, and sugar
4. OJ-A: hard candies made of honey, butter, nut oil, and sugar; soft (candy) that is also (?) made of butter, milk, sugar, and saffron; a triangle of all scents and expensive perfumes, rose of Jericho, musk, camphor, sandalwood and mastic; four baskets full of bread and cold meat (lamb, chicken, hen) and all kinds of beans; four bottles of wine and four glasses; four sprigs of basil

How to arrange the items on the table

1. PN-L: glass vessel with the mixture and a burning candle in the centre; one pitcher of wine, one pitcher of oil/butter at each of the four cardinal points
2. OJ-L: a burning candle in the centre; behind it pomegranates and roasts; a jug of wine and a clear vessel at the head of the table; a branch of myrtle above the table; censer before the table
3. PN-A: glass vessel containing candy and the candle in the centre; a cup of alcohol and a cup of oil/butter at each of the four cardinal points
4. OJ-A: on the first table: the perfumes; on the second table: in the centre the sweets and a braided candle, beside it the four baskets; by each basket a bottle of wine, a clear glass, and a sprig of basil

Fumigation

1. PN-L: two thuribles, one with frankincense and mastic, the other lignum aloes (placement not mentioned)
2. OJ-L: censer composed of the metal of Jupiter; suffumigate with mastic and lignum aloes at the head of the table, and with mastic in the other parts of the house
3. PN-A: two braziers, one with Kandar and good smelling glue (?), the other lignum aloes
4. OJ-A: in front of you, put a brazier made of one of the metals that is (associated) with the planet; cense one side with sandalwood and the other with mastic

Facing direction at invocation

1. PN-L: towards the east
2. OJ-L: (not mentioned, likely towards the table)
3. PN-A: face the east
4. OJ-A: (not mentioned, likely towards the table)

How to invoke

1. PN-L: repeat the names seven times, then speak the (provided) prayer to the perfect nature
2. OJ-L: no one should be in the house besides yourself; say the names and invite the spirits, seven times; go out of your house and stand quietly for some time; repeat the invocation and going out; after sixth invocation the spirits come in
3. PN-A: repeat the names seven times, then speak the (provided) prayer to the perfect nature
4. OJ-A: invoke while alone; speak the sequence of names followed by the invitation, seven times in total; after the sixth repetition leave the house for one hour, then call (the spirits) again

After the ritual

1. PN-L: the sages would feast together with your friends after whatever is on the table nearest to them
2. OJ-L: call together your friends and associates, prepare food, eat and drink together and perfume with perfumes and suffumigate with suffumigations
3. PN-A: (nothing)
4. OJ-A: gather your friends to eat the food, drink the wine, and use the pleasant incense and smoke

Source named

1. PN-L: Book of Antimaquis (either containing a story told by Hermes, or remixed with a book by Hermes)
2. OJ-L: Aristotle in the Book of Antimaquis, which he wrote for Alexander
3. PN-A: Aristotle in Kitab al-Istamatis (either containing a story told by Hermes, or remixed with a book by Hermes)
4. OJ-A: Aristotle in Kitab al-Istamatis, which he wrote for Alexander