When I was reading the last part of the Agrippa’s book Three Books of Occult Philosophy or Magic I was pleasantly surprised about the last chapter.

It was added by his editor who claimed to be in contact with the intelligences of other dimension and I thought their message was very interesting.

They described how to become a mystic and make a magic mirror to contact them. But that’s not the reason why I found the message important. It was their description of how to grow spiritually that really resonated with me.

Therefore I include the full chapter of this old book here for you to read and hopefully gain some inspiration and guidance. And if you do want to get in touch with them, that’s fully up to you – I never tried, so I don’t know what those entities are.

(Italics are mine.)

Listen to “How to Make a Magic Mirror (and Attain Spiritual Mastery)” on Spreaker.

A Message to Mystics by Direction of the Brotherhood
of Magic

STATEMENT BY THE EDITOR.

The Editor wishes to state, plainly and positively, that he knows the Art of Magic to be a truth; and, further, that he knows of the existence of the Astral Brotherhood of Magic, an occult organization both here and in the unseen world.

He has received the following Message to Mystics in regard to the Magic mirror, that wonderful instrument so long used by advanced Mystics for communication between the two worlds, and gives it, as it comes to him, by direction of the unseen Brotherhood.

To THE Mystics of Earth, the Astral Brotherhood of Magic send Love and Greeting:

Until the Astral Fire is kindled by the Lord on his Sacred Altar in Egypt there is work for us to do preparatory thereto.

The chains of centuries, of cycles, and of ages, are riven at length by their own heart-eating rust. No bond that comes of darkness can endure the full dawn of the Day.

To carry this work into full success we must have true, tried, and capable brothers on the Earth who will act in concert with us for the uplifting and education of Humanity. No man-made law can set aside or annul the Laws of Nature.

The educated Mystic—who, of all the children of Earth, acts unselfishly—is Nature’s own true instrument in human advancement. He is the one who has met and overthrown error and arrogance in high places, who has denied the Divine Right of Kings, who has uprooted the rule of the despot and tyrant, who has lead humanity with the potent weapon of thought to triumph over superstition and ignorance, and who will finally be the means of ending the reign of the Beast who exists only for a time, and times, and half a time.

Before the truths of our Brotherhood the bonds and shackles of mankind are destined to melt as snow beneath the Sun of Aries.

***

You need not ask if whether or no you are a Mystic. Every soul contains within itself the attributes of divinity. They may be repressed and crucified to the loss of the soul, or they may be made to bloom, like the lotus, to a beauty and power that may set the more inferior limitations of existence at any length.

Are you selfish? This is the question you should ask yourself. This is the deep, underlying condition we most must combat. Can you lay this selfish instinct aside to work for the good of all in place of the aggrandizement of self?

If so, then we welcome you to our Brotherhood. We reach out to you a hand over the infinite spaces, from the dim, forgotten centuries, and recognize you as brother and comrade.

***

The reign of absolute justice, truth, and goodness comes, at length, to every peopled world. To such culmination the march of mankind is marked with every vicissitude that the changes of fixed forces may imply.

When such a state has been accomplished the planetary forces that before indicated so much of sorrow and suffering are found to be needful to the perfect social organization. The force of war is then turned into the force of perpetuity, the force of delay and obstruction and slow decay to the force of steady, sure and safe advancement.

The Infinite Intelligence is also infinitely good. We cannot judge justly otherwise by a set of limited comparisons. All evil in the end becomes either extinct or developed good.

***

If these words stir thee within it is the answering cry of the true Ego—the Astral self recognizes the vibrations of the eternal. It rests wholly with you if this recognition shall go by unfruitfully.

If you would act consider well our advice. “Be ye wise as serpents but harmless as doves.” There is much in this command.

A bulb – before it becomes a blooming plant – lies secret and silent in the earth. It finds in this condition its only opportunity of existence. Antagonistic forces pass it by as it lies hid in its work of self-development.

So must your reason develop – hid in yourself.

Money will not buy knowledge, nor can it destroy knowledge. Mysticism cannot be measured with money. Your reason must spring to life from within.

There is no problem too sacred for investigation, and it is the peculiar province of the Mystic to desire to reason on all problems with the utmost carefulness.

The health of youth, the energy that an ardor for truth inspires, mark his movements. No laggard, no dotard, no waiting, shiftless soul may hope to overtake the nimble feet of esoteric truth.

The Mystic must possess an intelligence that brightens with attrition [sustained pressure]. No obstacle should daunt him, no wall should bar him, no cord or chain should bind him in his intellectual development and search for truth.

He should acquire facts as a miser does his wealth – to hold – his memory his strong box; but, unlike the miser, he can give of his store and yet retain his all.

Purity of purpose and of the physical being is a necessary condition in traveling the rugged path of Mystic development. We cannot enter into diseased conditions.

We may set those forces in operation that will assuage deep-seated sorrow and physical suffering, but we cannot promise to bring music out of inharmonious notes.

To try to do so would result in deep injury to ourselves. Be pure.

The Mystic who lives a pure life, does not dissipate his forces. The dissolute man does. The unspent germinal forces give the individual a purple aura, which envelops him at all points.

This is broken down and destroyed by those acts which result from animal instincts. With this aura unimpaired the Mystic possesses the power necessary to the practice of Magic.

Take heed, therefore, that this force is preserved.

***

We now propose to indicate the path of communication. Should you, having filled all necessary conditions, fall short of this end, do not be cast down. To those who are faithful will be given much.

Some other time – the occasion not now having arisen – we shall handle this problem. Even if no apparent results are obtained – persevere, if necessary, for years.

While capacity will mark the degree of advancement of the true Mystic, the principle of co-ordination will signify the degree of communication. To enter into such relations with us he must place himself in a class of vibratory forces that co-ordinate with our own.

To attain this condition he should carefully fix a practical ideal in his mind of the kind of life a true Mystic should live. He should examine himself like he would a parcel of goods, seeking both inferior and superior qualities, and note each hindrance and virtue.

Then let him plan, like a general, the attack and defense of an ideal Mystical life. Having done this, live the ideal life. Until you so live, do not expect to
rise.

As the ideal life is lived many questions arise, and we here furnish the answers to a few. Right and pure thoughts are essential. They will drive away and destroy all vain and frivolous fancies.

Aspire and you will be inspired. Do the work you find ready to do; do not defer a good action or a laudable ambition. The time to do a thing is when the ambition takes hold of the mind. Then natural ardor sustains the energy, and a clear conception, undimmed by procrastination, act most effectively for success.

Thus thinking and doing, in the ideal life of a Mystic, you will make rapid progress to a point where we may be able to establish communication with you.

The making of magic mirror

Having arisen to life you are now in a condition to seek relations with us through the Magic Mirror.

The wise Mystic makes his own mirror. Not that it cannot be made for him, but that if he makes one himself it will more surely co-ordinate with his own personality, and it will not prove a bar to communication like one impregnated with the selfish and perverted forces of some other person whose sole object is of a financial nature.

Procure the following materials with which to make the Magic Mirror:

• One 6 and a half x 8 and a half concave glass, free from flaws.
• Small amount of turpentine asphaltum.
• One pint of spirits of turpentine.
• Suitable one-inch hair brush.
• A box to hold the mirror.
• Half a yard of new cloth.

The total cost of the above materials should not exceed one dollar. A plush covered case for the mirror should not be much more. There are no superior materials in existence with which to make a Magic Mirror.

The superior mirrors are always dark. If the size of the mirror seems too small, one 8×10 may be procured. The turpentine is to clean the glass and brush with – not to dilute the asphaltum.

The brush should be new, like everything else used. The box may be of cardboard or wood, clean and fresh.

The cloth should be agreeable to the touch and sight. You may select any color or shade you like best; it is used to wrap the mirror with when not in use.

***

With these things you will enter a room that has been thoroughly set in order, free from taint of any kind. Let the day and surroundings be bright and cheerful, with nothing to disturb the agreeable conditions.

Now, with a new piece of cloth, clean the glass well with turpentine. This is also necessary to make the asphaltum adhere well to the back. Clean the brush well, also, with turpentine, some of which may be poured into a saucer for the purpose.

Now carefully coat the convex side of the glass with the asphaltum, beginning at one end of the glass and working gradually to the other. Lay the coating on smoothly and evenly, not stopping for any other purpose until it is finished.

Do not go back over your work. Any imperfection in the coating is to be remedied by another coat on another day—three such coats being usually necessary to make the glass opaque.

The coating being finished, you will now magnetize the mirror as follows: With the right hand, held with the palm about three inches over the glass, you will describe a circular motion for a minute or so and then do the like with the left hand.

The line of motion made by the hands will intersect each other, you will find if you do it properly, on that side of the glass farther from you, like two wheels running in contrary directions.

Whatever motions you feel impressed to make outside of these here specified you may follow with confidence, as they pertain to your own individuality, only do not try to give any special movement to the hands for fancy’s sake only.

The palms of the hands should be held over all parts of the glass. A slow movement is better than a fast one, and at times both hands may be held perfectly still over the ends of the glass.

It is not the movement of the hands that magnetizes the coating of asphaltum, but the aura of the individual. The asphaltum is a substance that will absorb the vital aura in itself, more so than any other material thing, and the movements of the hands should be such as will give the substance an opportunity to absorb the magnetic aura in an even and orderly manner.

When the magnetic process is finished you will be well aware of the fact. The hands will feel as though exhausted—and so they are, their aura having been absorbed by the mirror.

Let the mind be actuated by pure and lofty aspirations and desires when you make your mirror. Let care and worry and self be forgotten by employing the mind wholly with the work in hand and the purposes for which the mirror is being made.

It is well to read this article over carefully, in fact, just before you undertake the work. When you have given the mirror its coat of asphaltum and magnetized it as above, you will place it in the box on the cloth, and set it away to dry, taking care that it has a place of even temperature, and where it will be protected from the curious.

Temporarily, a new sheet of heavy paper may be used under the glass, as some of the asphaltum may run over the edge and soil the table or cloth. Leave the paper sticking to the under edge of the glass, until you have, on three different occasions, re-coated and re-magnetized the mirror. It will then be found opaque and ready for use.

This part of the matter being accomplished, you will cleanse the brush in the turpentine, working it in the fluid as long as any of , the asphaltum remains. When clean lay it aside for future use. Clean the china with turpentine also.

***

The ideal mystical life must not be relaxed. Keep it steadily in force. Examine the events of each day nightly and note every failure and lapse, resolving how to avoid future lapses of the same kind.

The ideal life will bring you new joys, peace of mind, and the inspiration of truth and goodness. You will feel a growth of your soul. The astral man is now unfolding.

As you succeed in attainment so you you will bring to yourself higher and purer forces and aspirations. With these comes power – the power that will some day rejuvenate the world, when each will give according to his ability and will receive according to his capacity.

This unfoldment, this progress, this uplifting, this power – all these – cometh from within. A legion of angels might stand at your beck and call and no result follow their ministrations.

The Ego must unfold from within. With a heart on fire for humanity, and a mind aspiring for truth, and a hand eager to engage in good works – all these resulting from the ideal life – you need and shall have our companionship.

How to sit before a mirror

In the first place you must give us an opportunity to communicate with you. This calls for certain conditions. You must secretly observe the regular duty of sitting at certain specified times. We say secretly.

This is for your own protection. The curious should know nothing of the matter. Set stated times for developing in the use of your Magic Mirror. Let nothing interfere with your sittings except sickness or death.

Do not disappoint us if you do not wish to disappoint yourself. Twice or three times a week is often enough. Once a week will answer in some cases.

Make your sittings from thirty minutes to an hour and a half, always commencing to sit at the same time of day. A neat, comfortable room should be used. No one else should be present.

The mind should be composed, and, above all, patient. Let the room be dark. You should not be able to see the mirror, though you gaze at it, or rather into it.

Sit comfortably, not bending forward, holding the mirror in both hands. If the mirror is boxed, let the thumbs touch the glass. As soon as any Mystic is known to be doing this he is visited by members of the Brotherhood and necessary data secured.

His capacity, ability, surroundings, vibratory forces, periods of sittings, and other necessary matters are all carefully noted. A report is made of this and it is recorded.

To establish communication a brother must be found whose vibratory forces co-ordinate with the sitter, and who will volunteer to be a companion to him and to establish communication with him at stated intervals.

Sometimes it may seem a long while before the right companion is found. But if the sitter will be patient, regular and faithful, he may expect that the Brotherhood is interested in him and keeps him in sight.

Many times the Mystic will be visited by those of us who could not communicate with him owing to some peculiar physical condition. We shall note his efforts and will help to bring him in communication with us.

When a brother volunteers as a companion results soon come on the mirror. At first a milky film will appear – a sort of white, cloudy appearance – which is the manifestation of the materialization of forces.

This, clearing away, a star may be seen to travel across the firmament of the glass. This is the first sign of success, and the Mystic should preserve his calmness, and not become too eager for developments.

When these results come you may know that we are with you; that we have measured you, and have recognized you. The veil of Isis is about to rise.

Knowing how, you should, if possible, make a mirror for anyone who desires you to do so. Let them apply to you through their astral influence and not by reason of an advertisement.

You should never solicit the making of a mirror. Should you charge for the
work, you should not ask over five dollars for the three coats of asphaltum. Make the mirror invariably as if it were for your own use, and deliver the one you make, no matter how much you may have become attached to it.

Instruct the recipient to let no one handle it but himself.

***

The work here undertaken will never end short of the well-being of Humanity. We care not for color, clime, or creed. All humanity must be made to know that they are brethren, and that the only true good of each lies in the permanent welfare of all.

Those Mystics who endeavor to follow the requirements of the Ideal Life as here indicated by the Brotherhood of Magic will receive additional information in regard to inquiries and other matters upon addressing the editor in care of the publishers as below.

HAHN & WHITEHEAD,

Postoffice Box 336, Chicago, III.

Read the full work here: Three Books of Occult Philosophy or Magic.