A circle drawn on the floor before dawn. Four candles at the cardinal points. The practitioner holds a seal engraved with the name of the angel of the day, his voice deliberate as he recites the oration. Outside, the sun rises.
The Heptameron is a Renaissance grimoire of angelic magic attributed to the 13th-century philosopher Peter of Abano, containing instructions for invoking the seven planetary angels who govern the days of the week. It is one of the most accessible angelic grimoires in the Western tradition, and for four centuries it has been used by practitioners who seek direct communication with celestial intelligences rather than the spirits of the Solomonic tradition.
A single copy of the text survives in the same form it first took when printed in 1559. The title means “seven days” — hepta and hemera — and the book is structured around exactly that framework.
Where Did the Heptameron Come From?
The Heptameron first appeared in print in 1559 in Venice as part of a collection of magical texts edited by the Venetian publisher Francesco Sansovino. The collection bore the title Clavicula Salomonis et Alchimia — the Key of Solomon and Alchemy, and the Heptameron was attributed to Peter of Abano, a Paduan physician and philosopher who died in 1316.
Peter of Abano was a real historical figure. He taught at the University of Padua, wrote commentaries on Aristotle, and was known for his interest in astrology and medicine. Whether he actually wrote the Heptameron is debated. Scholars such as Thorndike and Kieckhefer note that the text draws heavily on the Solomonic tradition and on the works of Agrippa von Nettesheim, whose De Occulta Philosophia was published in 1533. This suggests a date of composition later than Peter’s lifetime, probably in the mid-16th century.
The attribution to Peter of Abano gave the grimoire a veneer of scholarly authority. His name carried weight in the Renaissance as a man who had studied the secrets of nature. The Heptameron uses that authority to ground its angelic invocations in a system of planetary hours and astrological correspondences, a system that Peter himself would have recognized.
The text circulated widely in manuscript and print through the 17th and 18th centuries. It appeared in English in 1655, translated by Robert Turner, a London astrologer and occultist. Turner’s translation became the standard version used by English-speaking practitioners, and it remains the most common reference today.
What the Heptameron Actually Contains
The Heptameron is a short book. A modern edition runs to fewer than fifty pages. But within those pages lies a complete system of angelic invocation that requires only a few tools and a careful understanding of time.
The core of the grimoire is the seven angels of the days, each ruling a day of the week and a planetary hour. The angels are:
- Sunday, Michael (Sun)
- Monday, Gabriel (Moon)
- Tuesday, Samael (Mars)
- Wednesday, Raphael (Mercury)
- Thursday, Sachiel (Jupiter)
- Friday, Anael (Venus)
- Saturday, Cassiel (Saturn)
Each angel is assigned a seal, a set of conjurations, and a specific planetary hour during which the work must be performed. The planetary hours are not the same as the civil hours of the clock. They are calculated by dividing the time between sunrise and sunset (or sunset and sunrise) into twelve equal parts. A practitioner must know the precise time of sunrise and sunset for his location on the day of the operation.
The Heptameron also provides instructions for the consecration of the circle and the preparation of the operator. The circle must be drawn with a consecrated sword or knife, inscribed with the names of God and the angels of the four cardinal directions. The operator must fast, bathe, and wear clean white linen. The entire procedure is a ritual of purification before the angelic presence.
Each day’s conjuration includes a prayer, a reading from the Psalms, and a specific oration addressed to the angel of the day. The practitioner stands inside the circle, faces the direction of the angel (east for Michael, west for Gabriel, etc.), and speaks the words without hesitation.
The Symbolism of the Seven Days
The Heptameron’s reliance on the seven-day week is not accidental. The week is the oldest and most universal cycle of planetary time, known to the Chaldeans, the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews. Each day carries the influence of a planet, and the Heptameron uses that influence to align the practitioner with the appropriate celestial current.
The number seven appears throughout the grimoire: seven days, seven angels, seven planetary spheres, seven seals, seven conjurations. The sevenfold structure mirrors the seven heavens of the hermetic tradition, through which the soul descends into matter and ascends back to the divine. By invoking the angel of a given day, the practitioner is not merely calling a spirit. He is aligning himself with a specific layer of the cosmos.
The planetary associations also govern the types of operations. Angelic magic is not about bending spirits to one’s will; it is about requesting guidance or assistance. The Heptameron states that Michael (Sunday) is invoked for matters of authority and rulership, Gabriel (Monday) for travel and messages, Raphael (Wednesday) for knowledge and healing, and so on. The system is hierarchical and orderly, reflecting the Renaissance belief in a universe governed by correspondences.
How the Heptameron Is Used in Practice
The Heptameron is a practical grimoire. It assumes the reader intends to perform the operations, not merely study them. The instructions are specific and leave little room for improvisation.
The practitioner must first calculate the planetary hour. This is done by dividing the period from sunrise to sunset (or sunset to sunrise) into twelve equal parts. The first hour after sunrise on Sunday is the hour of the Sun, and therefore the hour of Michael. The Heptameron gives a simple method: take the total minutes of daylight, divide by twelve, and count from sunrise.
The circle is drawn on the ground with a consecrated sword or knife. It must be nine feet in diameter, with a smaller circle at the center for the operator. The names of the four archangels, Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, are written at the four cardinal points outside the circle. The practitioner stands inside, facing the direction of the angel.
The conjuration itself is a prayerful address. It begins with an invocation of God, followed by a naming of the angel and a request for his presence. The Heptameron includes a short oration for each day, but it also allows the practitioner to speak his own petitions once the angel has appeared. The text warns that the angel may appear in a terrifying form, wind, fire, or a figure of immense size, and the practitioner must not be afraid.
The operation ends with a license to depart, a polite dismissal of the angel. The practitioner then leaves the circle, moving eastward, and does not look back.
How the Heptameron Compares to Other Grimoires
The Heptameron belongs to the Solomonic tradition of ceremonial magic, but it is distinct from the two most famous grimoires of that tradition: the Key of Solomon and the Lesser Key of Solomon (the Ars Goetia).
The Key of Solomon is a comprehensive system of magic that includes the evocation of spirits, the construction of talismans, and the consecration of tools. It is long, complex, and heavily focused on the preparation of the operator. The Heptameron is shorter and more focused: it covers only angelic invocation, and it does not deal with demons or spirits of the dead.
The Lesser Key of Solomon contains the Goetia, a list of seventy-two demons with instructions for their evocation and binding. The Heptameron explicitly avoids this. Its angels are not compelled to obey; they are invited. The tone is reverent, not commanding. This makes the Heptameron a gentler entry point into the Solomonic tradition for those who prefer to work with celestial rather than infernal forces.
Another comparable grimoire is the Arbatel of Magic, a 16th-century text that also deals with the invocation of planetary spirits. The Arbatel is more philosophical and less procedural, offering general aphorisms rather than step-by-step instructions. The Heptameron is the opposite: it is a manual, not a treatise.
Common Misconceptions About the Heptameron
The Heptameron is not a medieval grimoire. It was first printed in 1559, nearly two centuries after the death of Peter of Abano. The attribution to him is a convention of the Renaissance publishing industry, which often used the names of famous scholars to sell books.
The Heptameron is not demonic. The text is exclusively angelic. It invokes the seven planetary angels and the four archangels of the directions. There is no mention of demons, infernal spirits, or binding with threats. The Heptameron is a work of theurgical magic, aimed at drawing the practitioner closer to the divine.
The Heptameron does not require a formal initiation. Unlike some grimoires that demand a specific lineage or priestly ordination, the Heptameron assumes that anyone with the proper tools and knowledge can perform the operations. This egalitarian approach made it popular among solitary practitioners.
The Heptameron is not a book of spells. It is a book of preparation and invocation. The practitioner does not cast a spell to achieve a specific outcome. He asks the angel for guidance, and then waits for the angel to respond, in a vision, a dream, or a sign in the world.
FAQ
Is the Heptameron safe to use?
The Heptameron is considered one of the safer grimoires because it works with angels rather than demons. Still, the text warns that the angelic presence can be overwhelming. Proper preparation is essential.
Do I need to be a priest to use the Heptameron?
No. The Heptameron does not require ordination. It only requires that the practitioner be in a state of spiritual purity, fasting, clean, and free of anger.
Why is the Heptameron called the “seven days”?
The word Heptameron comes from Greek hepta (seven) and hemera (day). The book is organized around the seven days of the week, each ruled by a different planetary angel.
The Heptameron sits at the intersection of Renaissance astrology, Christian angelology, and the Solomonic tradition. It is a short book, but it contains a complete system. For those who prefer to work with the light rather than the shadow, it remains the most direct path into the celestial hierarchy.
If you are ready to explore the wider tradition of Solomonic and angelic magic, begin with our guide to the grimoires, then move to the angelic sigils and seals that appear in the Heptameron itself. For a thorough study of the most famous of the Solomonic texts, read our article on the Lesser Key of Solomon.