Latin — 1533, repaired
Dicunt Philosophi, maxime Arabes, animum humanum quando per suas passiones et effectus ad opus aliquod attentissimus fuerit, coniungi ipsum cum stellarum animis, etiam cum intelligentiis, et ita quoque coniunctam causam esse ut mirabilis quaedam virtus operibus ac rebus nostris infundatur, cum quia est in eo rerum omnium apprehensio et potestas, tum quia omnes res habent naturalem obedientiam ad ipsum, et de necessitate efficaciam, et mouet ad id quod desiderat animus forti desiderio. Et secundum hoc uerificatur artificium characterum, imaginum, incantationum et sermonum quorundam et plurimorum aliorum experimentorum mirabilium ad omnem rem quam animus affectat. Hoc modo quicquid dictat animus uehementer amantis, efficaciam habet ad amorem, et quicquid dictat animus fortissime odientis habet efficaciam nocendi et destruendi. Similiter et in caeteris quas adfectat animus forti desiderio. Omnia enim quae tunc agit et dictat ex characteribus, figuris, uerbis, sermonibus, gestibus et eiusmodi, omnia sunt adiuuantia appetitum animae, et acquirunt mirabiles quasdam uirtutes, tum ab anima operantis in illa hora quando ipsam appetitus eiusmodi maxime inuadit, tum ab opportunitate re[i] caelesti animum tunc taliter mouente.
Animus enim noster quando fertur in aliquem magnum excessum alicuius passionis uel uirtutis, arripit saepissime ex seipso horam uel opportunitatem fortiorem, meliorem et magis conuenientem. Quod etiam Thomas Aquinas tertio libro contra Gentiles fatetur. Sic mirandae multae uirtutes ad mirabiles quasdam operationes causantur, et sequuntur, per gradus affectiones in rebus illis quas destinat tunc anima in illa hora ad illas. Sed scias eiusmodi res nihil, uel saltem parum, nisi authori ea conferre, atque illi qui iam inclinatur ad illas ac si iam esset author illarum: et hic est modus per quem inuenit efficacia ipsarum. Et est generalis regula in istis, quod omnis animus qui est magis excellens in suo desiderio et affectu, ipse efficit sibi res huiusmodi magis aptas, efficaces, ad id quod appetit. Oportet igitur quemcunque uolentem operari in magia, scire et cognoscere sui ipsius animae proprietatem, uirtutem, mensuram, ordinem et gradum in potentia ipsius uniuersi.
Close translation
The Philosophers say, most of all the Arabs, that the human soul, when through its passions and effects it has become most intent upon some work, is joined with the souls of the stars, and even with the intelligences, and that this very conjunction is likewise the cause why a certain wondrous power is infused into our works and things — both because in it lies the apprehension and mastery of all things, and because all things owe it a natural obedience, and of necessity an efficacy, and it moves toward what the soul desires with a strong desire. And according to this the working of characters, images, incantations, and certain speeches, and very many other wondrous experiments, is verified for every matter the soul aims at. In this way, whatever the soul of one loving vehemently dictates has efficacy toward love, and whatever the soul of one hating most fiercely dictates has efficacy toward harming and destroying. Likewise too in the other things which the soul aims at with strong desire. For all the things it then does and dictates — out of characters, figures, words, speeches, gestures, and the like — all these assist the appetite of the soul, and acquire certain wondrous powers, both from the soul of the operator at that hour when such an appetite most invades it, and from the opportuneness of the celestial thing then moving the soul in such a way.
For our soul, when it is carried into some great excess of a passion or power, most often seizes from itself an hour or opportunity that is stronger, better, and more fitting. This Thomas Aquinas too admits, in the third book Against the Gentiles. Thus many wondrous powers are caused toward certain marvelous operations, and follow, through the degrees of the affections in those things to which the soul at that hour then directs itself. But know that such things confer nothing, or at least little, except upon their author, and upon him who is already inclined toward them as if he were already their author: and this is the way by which their efficacy is found. And this is a general rule in these matters: that every soul which is more excellent in its desire and affect makes such things more apt and efficacious for itself, toward what it seeks. It behooves, therefore, whoever wishes to work in magic, to know and recognize the property of his own soul, its power, measure, order, and degree in the power of the universe itself.
Modern rendering
The philosophers — the Arabs especially — say that when the human soul, driven by its passions and impulses, becomes fully absorbed in some work, it joins with the souls of the stars and even with the intelligences. That joining is itself why a remarkable power gets infused into our works and undertakings: partly because the soul grasps and masters all things, partly because all things owe it a natural obedience and, necessarily, an effectiveness, and partly because it moves toward what it desires with a forceful desire. This is what makes characters, images, incantations, certain spoken formulas, and many other marvelous practices actually work for whatever the soul is set on. So whatever a soul deep in love dictates has power to produce love, and whatever a soul deep in hatred dictates has power to harm and destroy. The same holds for anything else the soul pursues with strong desire. Everything done and expressed in that state — through characters, figures, words, spoken formulas, gestures, and the like — reinforces the soul's drive and picks up remarkable powers, both from the operator's own soul at the hour that drive seizes it most, and from the celestial timing that is moving the soul that way.
Our soul, in fact, when carried into some great excess of passion or power, very often seizes on its own the stronger, better, more fitting hour or occasion for itself. Thomas Aquinas admits as much in Book III of the Summa Against the Gentiles. This is how many astonishing powers get caused, toward certain marvelous operations, and follow by degrees the affections directed at those things in that hour. But understand: such things confer little or nothing except on the one who originates them, and on whoever is already inclined toward them as though he were already their author — that is the mechanism by which their effectiveness is found. And the general rule here is that any soul more excellent in its desire and drive makes such things more apt and effective for itself, toward whatever it is after. So whoever wants to work in magic needs to know and understand the nature of his own soul — its power, measure, rank, and standing within the power of the universe itself.
Editorial flags — draft status
- uncertain: Clause ending the first paragraph ('tum ab opportunitate re[i] caelesti... mouente') is badly garbled in OCR ('re8C influxucoelestianimumtunc talitcrmoventc'); reading is a best-effort reconstruction of sense (celestial opportunity moving the soul), not a confident transcription of the exact wording.
- uncertain: 'quas distat tunc anima' reconstructed as 'quas destinat tunc anima' — moderate confidence only.