Foreign languages and the occult grimoires

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

It seems to me German, French and Latin are must haves in terms of readability and writeability.
Then there are Hebrew and Greek, possibly Arabic.

It also seems to me the student must know a certain language, pick a grimoire and translate it, prior to using it, so the full effect is there provided that language is not your native language.

Is it common for anthropologists, foreign language experts, and occultists to all follow the same language learning track?

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

It seems to me German, French and Latin are must haves in terms of readability and writeability.
Then there are Hebrew and Greek, possibly Arabic.

It also seems to me the student must know a certain language, pick a grimoire and translate it, prior to using it, so the full effect is there provided that language is not your native language.

Is it common for anthropologists, foreign language experts, and occultists to all follow the same language learning track?

Given this is true, which resources are best for the student to start working with the language?

Im already involved with Greek and Hebrew primarily for Gematria, but for reading the OT and NT, and for working with angels in a traditional Hebrew-greek circle style evocation.

So Latin seems to be the one I should concentrate on first, then French or German.
Then probably work simultaneously with one for reading and writing and speaking, Hebrew Greek or Arabic.

Then, on the question of resources, Ive worked with Pimsleur before with German, and used to have foreign language CD sets that have been lost now. So online resources would be best for me, particularly at an adult level of learning reading and working the language.
Would language to language dictionaries be sufficient? Use google translate and write?

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

I have both a Siddur and an Interlinear Greek-English NT book.
Hebrew seems to be the first primary language, then latin to learn?
It seems to me most grimoires would be in latin. Plus there is the vulgate and other texts.
Greek for gnostic texts and interlinear NT, papyri mageica.

 

[auza121]

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is a decent translator for old texts. I try to find pdf conversions of say latin to be able to copy and paste to the translator

 

[Divs]

I personally dont trust google translate all that much. That said, it has improved significantly over the last few years. I'm simply on the defensive about it. So perhaps its usable, but I would probably attempt to verify it through some other means.

I'm learning Greek (modern) currently. I chose modern over ancient because its readily accessible and with any luck I can use it to springboard into understanding ancient a bit easier. I currently use language apps, but there are several in depth onlin schools for Greek available. I would assume this is true for most if not all the languages you mentioned.

On a final note, I had a conversation with a popular occult author a few years back who suggested French as the first language for anyone who was set on going the way of grimoire magic. That's always stuck with me, but I think the choice of what languages should take priority should be based on what subject matter you're most drawn to.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

French it is for me. I should have followed my sister's lead a bit. She took a language each year in high school alone. Me? A little .. now none ... Pimdleur German.

 

[Divs]

I didn't start learning until last year and I'm in my late 30's. There's always time. Best of luck to you on this journey.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Right on, Im a 53 year old Neophyte-Zelator.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

A rule for the Golden Dawn, and other groups using Hebrew, was that you as the Neophyte were to learn Hebrew, and draw it to the best of your ability - the reason why was the considered Holiness of the language itself; the letter of the alphabet are sacred.
I would suspect the same of Greek and Arabic.

 

[Divs]

I can say for me personally Greek holds that same power. I've spent a lot of time just working to draw the letters. I'd imagine you're correct about Arabic as well.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

I tried to learn Arabic in my early 20s and got so frustrated I gave my three books on it away. Didn't have the impatience I have now (sarcasm), Im much more patient these days than a previous half-decade block of time.
Hebrew on the other hand, I love, and Greek is not terribly difficult for me, since I was exposed to the alphabet when I joined a fraternity tin my late 20s.
Celestial and Malachim I love. Thebes and Draconic script piss me off to be honest, cause it is so tedious to draw a letter.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

I tried to learn Arabic in my early 20s and got so frustrated I gave my three books on it away. Didn't have the impatience I have now (sarcasm), Im much more patient these days than a previous half-decade block of time.
Hebrew on the other hand, I love, and Greek is not terribly difficult for me, since I was exposed to the alphabet when I joined a fraternity tin my late 20s.
Celestial and Malachim I love. Thebes and Draconic script piss me off to be honest, cause it is so tedious to draw a letter.

By the way, I dont know any of the languages, just their alphabets.

 

[Divs]

Knowing the alphabets is half the battle honestly. I tried Hebrew earlier in life but went about it the wrong way and, like you, got frustrated. With Greek I started by learning the alphabet and that has made it much more conducive to actually grasping it. Plus once I started learning words it's easy to see the evolution to Latin, and ultimately English.

Of course knowing Greek opens the door for languages that use cyrillic, but in an occult sense Russian and Bulgarian are only useful in a limited sense in my personal opinion. In terms of translating manuscripts, specifically.

 

[Öwnchef]

Be careful. I learned old Egyptian and Hieroglyphs just to discover that the texts in question were written in Demotic which can only be studied at the Berlin University.
My French is fluent, no chance with old French though, can't even read Les Fleurs du Mal. That goes on and on.

Dann aber spreche ich ein perfektes Deutsch. Auch mittelalterliches Deutsch.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

German, I thought there were a few written in German, it just seemed miniscule compared to those written in other languages by volume.

 

[Öwnchef]

Very few is written in German. And most old Arabic texts are very flowery homoerotic texts. Hard to explain but the symbols and keys given can only be understood with this knowledge.
Similar to old Greece where pedophilia is often the secret.
But yes, you will never understand fully, if you have no knowledge of the cultures, history and languages.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

You know, it may not be necessary to be written as far as grimoire knowledge and understanding.
Perhaps they had organized writings of their processes and rites nd such, but the Mesamerican cultures, they definitely have their own pantheons, lore, and associated aspects shared with the deity, etc; even to the tune of many lesser known but existing still practicing today indigeneous Mesoamerican groups and tribes.
It would be interesting to pack all of that knowledge and wisdom in grimoire form.
Undoubtedly these would be Portoguese, Spanish, or unknown indigenous alphabets/languages.

 

[Öwnchef]

Mankind could take a giant leap into a prosperous and beautiful future.
They decided otherwise, though. Then again, who knows? There still is a big chance, the Aquarius is very young.

 

[Amur]

I would go with Latin, since the Latin bible was still good and uncorrupted, when it got translated to English it went really corrupt. In Latin there are also alot of other good grimoires that date back far in time. The entire european world was Latin at one stage.

 

[Öwnchef]

Correct. Hellenistic Greece has some similarities to Latin and will be easier to learn. Then Hebrew.