A Parisian adventure
It was June 4th 2022. Hekate and I were climbing down the steep and crowded streets of Montmartre after a scorching summer day of exploring Paris. We had just visited Place du Tertre and stopped at the Sacré-Coeur Basilica, so I brought up my usual quest to find an occult bookshop.
Without even asking Google Maps for directions, we made our way through a few narrow streets before stumbling upon a tiny library with a strong Lovecraftian feel to it. The owner looked over his reading glasses as he welcomed us in his humble bookstore, full of classic, ancient, and rare occult books. Weird masks, eerie puppets and colorful engravings of mushrooms surrounded us as we excitedly shifted through his dusty tomes.
A particularly large red book caught my attention: Traité méthodique de magie pratique (Methodical Treatise of Practical Magic in English) written by Papus. Published for the first time in 1893, this book aims to present the foundations of practical magic in an actionable and accessible way. “Here’s my souvenir” I told myself, since the book checked all the boxes and the author’s name had a funny ring to it. After purchasing this rather expensive grimoire and having a warm discussion about occultism with the owner, Hekate and I started walking back to our hotel.
The sky had become very cloudy and dark, a stark contrast with the lovely weather of the dat. We had only walked a block or two when one of the most violent thunderstorms in years hit the city. In a few minutes, the streets became flooded. We ran and ran, trying to find cover, but to no avail. I even had to chase down one of my sandals, and our clothes and backpacks were completely soaked. Disoriented and blocked out of crowded metro stations, we ran and slipped around, eventually reaching our hotel. Fortunately (and strangely enough), none of our electronics were damaged, and the book was completely intact.
Back to our room, a quick Google search of the author taught me a lot about the context and richness behind this book. Papus, whose real name was Dr. Gérard Encausse, was a prominent figure in the French occult scene of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on July 13, 1865, in La Coruña, Spain to a French father and a Spanish mother, he spent much of his childhood in Paris, where he attended medical school and developed a deep interest in the occult and questioning the radical scientism of the times.
After leaving Mme Blavatsky’s Theosophical Society due to its strong focus on Eastern occultism, Papus became a lifelong member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, a British organization dedicated to the practical study of the occult. He was also involved in the Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross, France’s first occult society, since its foundation. Later, he himself founded the Martinist Order in 1889, which was based on the teachings of the French mystic Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin and focused on the study of Christian mysticism and esotericism. Papus was a prolific and highly respected writer, and his books covered a wide range of topics related to the occult, such as divination, alchemy, and ceremonial magic, as well as on more general topics such as the history of magic and the philosophy of the occult. Some of his most famous works include “The Tarot of the Bohemians”, “The Science of Initiation,” and “The Qabalah”. He contracted tuberculosis when serving as a medic during World War I, and died on October 25, 1916, at the age of 51, leaving behind a legacy of important contributions to the study of the occult, which continues to be studied and respected by many occultists today.
I laid down on the bed, felt the fatigue of the day run through my body, and opened the book to a random page. Page 359, Chapter XIII – The Week of the Mage. In this brief chapter, Papus outlines a simple schedule based on esoteric correspondences, to help mages structure their days and weeks while allowing time for life responsibilities and work, enjoyment, and occult practice. Whether one seeks to practice the occult traditions, start a personal contemplative practice, or reflect on and express their psychonautic experiences, we can draw significant inspiration from Papus’ following suggestions. Here’s my summary of the core of this chapter:
Chapter XIII – Overview
Papus describes four types of mandatory prayers in the mage’s week (Table 1) and argues that this classification allows the harmonization of these necessities over the day and the week, as we will see next.
| Forms of prayer | Description |
| Oration | Ceremonial devotion and reciting of sacred texts |
| Profession | Work for sustenance and to benefit society |
| Occupation | Study and practices for intellectual, creative and spiritual growth |
| Meditation | Reflection, introspection, journaling |
Papus breaks down the phases of the day as corresponding to each of the four seasons. These correspondences are analogous to the way these phases of the day ought to be approached and, in accordance with esoteric thought, inform us on which type of prayer should be done. Table 2 shows this structure for the working week from Monday to Friday/Saturday, depending on preference and needs. The author argues that professional work is one of the most meaningful types of prayer, and should be prioritized during this part of the week.
| Time of the day | Season | Purpose | Tasks |
| Morning | Spring | Intellectual blossoming | Daily oration and purification |
| Profession | |||
| Midday | Summer | Flourishing | Profession |
| Afternoon | Autumn | Fruitfulness and realization | Profession |
| Occupation | |||
| Evening | Winter | Rest and meditation | Meditation on oneself and the day |
The Seventh Day of the week exists outside of this natural rhythm. Contrary to the working week, the majority of this day ought to be focused on the esoteric and artistic occupation rather than on the profession. Papus also warns against the dangers of laziness and inaction, and describes true intellectual rest as the engagement in one’s occupation.
| Time of the day | Purpose | Tasks |
| Morning | Devotion | Solemn oration at a sacred location |
| Midday | N/A (not mentioned) | Rest |
| Afternoon | Engage in occupation | Occupation |
| Evening | Review | Occupation |
| Meditation about past week | ||
| Closing meditation and oration |
So there you have it, the week of the Mage. For more of us, following this to a T is pretty unrealistic, if not impossible. We must all approach this with flexibility and discernment. Look at your current life, and figure out what mindless activities or habits you can cut out to make room for the practices that matter to you.
What we can therefore draw from this chapter, is to do our best to do the right thing at the right time in our respective lives. Papus, in his esoteric mind, drew correspondences between the time of the day and the four seasons. Listen to how you feel throughout the day, and strive to be mindful about how you approach each task of the day. Do your best to align your habits and practices to the rhythms of the day, according to what you resonate with. Are you more creative in the morning or evening? Do you usually work early, or later? Map this out as to leave adequate room for all your work:your profession, your occupation, and your spiritual work. Again we are all different and have different lives, so don’t forget to listen to yourself and your needs as you outline your own week of the Mage.
I could’ve kept reading, lying down on our hotel bed, but it was time to go. Hekate and I were starving after this long and chaotic day. I put this grimoire down on the small desk in front of me, took a shower and got dressed. Time to enter the “rest” period of the day, and enjoy a good dinner on a Parisian terrace.
References
Papus. (1983). Chapitre XIII – La Semaine du Magiste. In Traité méthodique de Magie Pratique (pp. 359–371). chapter, Dangles.
