The Secrets of Helios: Unlocking the Practical Uses of PGM IV.1596-1715

Today we are delighted to announce the release of The Secrets of Helios: Unlocking the Practical Uses of PGM IV.1596-1715 by Alison Chicosky, with an original translation by Cory C. Childs and artwork by Adaline Soothtell.

The Secrets of Helios: Unlocking the Practical Uses of PGM IV.1596-1715 is an invocation of the sun as eternal lord and ruler of the cosmos and a request for various blessings to be granted contained in the larger collection known as the Greek Magical Papyri (Papyri Graecae Magicae, or PGM). It was written sometime during the third or fourth century C.E. in Thebes as part of a larger document known as the Great Magical Papyri of Paris, which is believed to have been a manual for the professional practitioner of magic. An example of Egyptian heka for personal use, this spell draws on the original and daily vivifying forces of the sun from Egyptian theology, combined with astrological lore surrounding the changing benefits of the sun in the hours, which are found in several other spells of the Greek Magical Papyri. This Guide seeks to help the reader understand the cultural context and nature of the spell, while also providing directions for the modern practitioner to perform this practical and well-tested magic. 

This Guide is available from our main site in print and digital editions, and from our EU site in print. EU customers please note that you should be able to purchase digital editions from the main site as long as there are no print titles in your order. This will also be available on Amazon for Kindle shortly.