Arithmancy, part IV

(please read previous posts in this series for continuity)

Practical Method of Arithmatic Magic—the Mudra

          Agrippa teaches in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy about the power of certain movements of the fingers and hands, which the Magicians of old used to silently signify “words unknown by sound, various with numbers, yet of great virtue, by their fingers joined together, and sometimes changed, and did the sacred silence worship the Gods that rule over the world”. This is an allusion to the use of Mudra, bending and twisting the fingers into shapes that signify numbers, that themselves are used to invoke the power of the Planets and the fundamental virtues of the primary numbers.  Using Number we invite into our spheres and into objects the power of the Seven themselves, containing their virtue through sympathy and echo.

The Magical Gestures (Mudras) of Number

           To make the number 1, bend the little finger of the left hand and touch the middle of the palm.

            To make the number 2, bend the ring finger of the left hand  so that it joins the little finger in the middle of the palm.

            To make the number 3, bend the middle finger to join the other little and the ring finger in the center of the palm.

            To make the number 4, the previous fingers stay upon the palm as aforementioned but for the little finger which is lifted up.

            To make the number 5, lift up the ring finger as well, so that only the middle finger is touching the center of the left palm.

            To make the number 6, lift up the middle finger as well, and then place the ring finger alone in the center of the palm.

            To make the number 7, place only the pinky finger so that it its tip hovers over the root of the palm, with the rest being lifted up.

            To make the number 8, place only the ring finger so that its tip hovers over the root of the palm, with the rest being lifted up.

            To make the number 9, place only the middle finger so that its tip hovers over the root of the palm, with the rest being lifted up.

            To make the number 10, bend the index finger so that the nail touches the inside middle joint of the thumb, with the rest of the fingers being raised.

            To make the number 20, bend the middle finger and place it against the index finger, with the tip touching the thumb’s middle joint.

            To make the number 30, touch the nail of the thumb to the forefinger while keeping the other fingers raised.

            To make the number 40, touch the inside of the thumb to the outside of the index finger.

            To make the number 50, bend the thumb so that the tip points as close as possible toward the center of the palm, forming what looks similar to the letter “G”.

            To make the number 60, keep the thumb bent as before, and bend the index finger so that it wraps over it.

            To make the number 70, keep the index finger bent as before, and place the thumb over it.

            To make the number 80, keep the index finger bent as before, and toucth the middle joint of the index finger with the nail of the thumb.

            To make the number 90, straighten out the thumb and place the nail of the bent index finger at its root.

            To make the number 100, make the figure of ten upon the right hand.

            To make the number 200, make the figure of twenty upon the right hand.

            To make the number 2000, make the figure for 2 upon the right hand.

To create 1000-9000, simply create the numbers for 1-9 on the right hand.

            To make the number 10,000, put the lift hand upward on the chest, the fingers all pointing up toward heaven.

            To make the number 50,000, lay the thumb of the right hand pointing sideways, while on the navel.

            To make the number 60,000 hold the left thigh with the right hand in a fashion similar to fifty.

            To make the number 70,000, the thumb points up. The rest of the fingers are closed.

            To make 80,000, the above mentioned thumb is place upon the the same downward on the thigh.

            To make 90,000, hold the loins with the above hand, turning the thumb downward.

            To make 1,000,000, bring the hands together with fingers interlocked, and clasp them together as if in prayer.

Using mudra to build symbols works so well because it links physical action with mental concept and spiritual Virtue; the levels of Being symbolized by the number 3 and representative of our manifest reality. The only thing missing, in my opinion, from this equation is the vibration of sound. My method of Arithmatic magic addresses this using the traditional scales of the numbers to Sing a certain Virtue into an area or environment.