The Vessel Inquiry (λεκανομαντεία, leh-kah-noh-man-TAY-ah) is a divination ritual from PGM IV, the Great Paris Magical Papyrus, the largest surviving text from the Greek Magical Papyri, dated to the 4th century CE.
A vessel of water is consecrated and used as a scrying medium. A boy medium gazes into the surface while the operator recites invocations to Helios and the divine light, summoning a presence to answer questions about the future.
This ritual blends Egyptian solar theology, Greek Neoplatonic light mysticism, and Jewish divine names, a perfect example of the syncretic magic of Greco-Roman Egypt.
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Preparation of the Vessel
Λαβὼν λεκάνην καινὴν ἐπίχεε ὕδωρ καθαρόν, καὶ κατάθες ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους. Στῆθι δὲ πρὸς ἀνατολὰς καὶ εἰπὲ τὴν ἐπίκλησιν ταύτην ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος.
Take a new vessel and pour pure water into it, and set it down upon the ground. Stand facing east and speak this invocation over the water.
LAH-von leh-KAH-nayn KAY-nayn eh-PEE-kheh-eh HEE-dor kah-thah-RON, keh KAH-tah-thes eh-PEE too EH-dah-foos. STAY-thee deh pros ah-nah-toh-LAS keh EE-peh tayn eh-PEE-klay-seen TAF-tayn eh-PEE too HEE-dah-tos.
The Solar Invocation
Ἐπικαλοῦμαί σε, τὸν μέγιστον θεὸν Ἥλιον, τὸν φωτίζοντα πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, τὸν ἀνατέλλοντα ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν καὶ δύνοντα ἐπὶ δυσμῶν.
I call upon thee, the greatest god Helios, who illuminates the whole inhabited world, who rises in the east and sets in the west.
Eh-pee-kah-LOO-meh seh, ton MEH-ghees-ton theh-ON AY-lee-on, ton foh-TEE-zon-tah PAH-sahn tayn ee-koo-MEH-nayn, ton ah-nah-TEL-lon-tah ap ah-nah-toh-LON keh DEE-non-tah eh-PEE dees-MON.
Σύ εἶ ὁ μέγας Σαραπίς, ὁ συνέχων τὸν κόσμον.
Thou art the great Sarapis, who holds the cosmos together.
SEE ay ho MEH-ghas sah-RAH-pees, ho see-NEH-khohn ton KOS-mon.
Σύ εἶ ὁ κύριος τοῦ φωτός, ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν θεῶν.
Thou art the lord of light, the king of the gods.
SEE ay ho KEE-ree-os too foh-TOS, ho bah-see-LEVS ton theh-ON.
Invocation of the Divine Light
Ἐλθέ μοι, κύριε, φωτεινὸς καὶ ἀγαθός, ὁ φωτίζων τὴν ὑπὸ γῆν καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς οἰκουμένην.
Come to me, lord, luminous and good, who illuminates the world below the earth and the world above the earth.
el-THEH moy, KEE-ree-eh, foh-teh-NOS keh ah-gah-THOS, ho foh-TEE-zon tayn ee-POH geen keh tayn eh-PEE gays ee-koo-MEH-nayn.
Σύ εἶ ὁ πατὴρ τοῦ φωτός.
Thou art the father of light.
SEE ay ho pah-TAYR too foh-TOS.
Φάνηθί μοι ἐν τῷ ὕδατι τούτῳ καὶ ἀποκάλυψόν μοι τὴν ἀλήθειαν.
Appear to me in this water and reveal to me the truth.
FAH-nay-thee moy en toh HEE-dah-tee TOO-toh keh ah-poh-KAH-leep-son moy tayn ah-LAY-theh-ahn.
The Boy Medium
Παιδίον ἀγαθὸν κάθισον ἐπὶ τοῦ ἐδάφους πρὸ τῆς λεκάνης. Κάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ εἰπὲ εἰς τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ·
Seat a good boy upon the ground before the vessel. Cover his eyes and speak into his ear:
peh-DEE-on ah-gah-THON KAH-thee-son eh-PEE too EH-dah-foos pro tays leh-KAH-nays. KAH-leep-son toos of-thal-MOOS af-TOO keh EE-peh ees toh OOS af-TOO:
Καὶ ἐρώτα αὐτὸν ὅ τι βούλει μαθεῖν. Ὁ θεὸς ἀποκρινεῖται διὰ τοῦ παιδίου.
And ask him whatever you wish to learn. The god will answer through the boy.
Keh eh-ROH-tah af-TON ho tee BOO-lay mah-THAYN. Ho theh-OS ah-poh-kree-NAY-teh dee-AH too peh-DEE-oo.
The Names of Power
Ταῦτά ἐστιν τὰ ὀνόματα τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου, ἃ δεῖ λέγειν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὕδατος·
These are the names of the great god, which must be spoken over the water:
TAF-tah EH-steen tah oh-NOH-mah-tah too theh-OO too meh-GAH-loo, hah day LEH-gheen eh-PEE too HEE-dah-tos:
Λέγε δὲ ταῦτα ἑπτάκις πρὸς ἀνατολάς, ἑπτάκις πρὸς δυσμάς.
Speak these seven times toward the east, seven times toward the west.
LEH-gheh deh TAF-tah hep-TAH-kees pros ah-nah-toh-LAS, hep-TAH-kees pros dees-MAS.
The Dismissal
Ὅταν δὲ θέλῃς ἀπολῦσαι τὸν θεόν, εἰπὲ οὕτως·
When you wish to dismiss the god, speak thus:
HOH-tahn deh THEH-lay ah-poh-LEE-seh ton theh-ON, EE-peh HOO-tohs:
Απελθε, κύριε, εἰς τὸν σὸν τόπον, εἰς τὸν σὸν κόσμον, εἰς τὴν σὴν τάξιν.
Depart, lord, to your own place, to your own cosmos, to your own order.
ah-PEL-theh, KEE-ree-eh, ees ton son TOH-pon, ees ton son KOS-mon, ees tayn sayn TAX-een.
Καὶ ἐκχέε τὸ ὕδωρ εἰς τὴν γῆν.
And pour the water out upon the earth.
Keh ek-KHEH-eh toh HEE-dor ees tayn GAYN.