#90 / Dr Al Cummins on The Art of Cyprian's Mirror of the Four Kings

For episode 90 we welcome Dr Alexander Cummins.
Dr Al is a consultant, diviner, writer, magician, and historian.
He approaches ritual, divination, and sorcery both as a long-term
practitioner and a historian of early modern magic. Dr Cummins
has worked as a professional diviner for over a decade, and
published several works on astrological magic, grimoires, and
folk necromancy. He also provides training, workshops, and
coaching in many aspects of magical theory and practice.
Originally from the Midlands of the UK, Al now makes his home in
the US.


We discuss his new title "The Art of Cyprian's Mirror of Four
Kings: An Early Modern Experiment of Cyprianic Conjuration". The
Art of Cyprian, found in MS Sloane 3850, contains instructions
for the construction and use of a magic mirror attributed to
Saint Cyprian of Antioch. Along with the preparation of the
mirror itself – which includes making and consecrating a
particular ink for drafting certain figures of Solomon – come
instructions detailing a conjuration of the ‘four worthy princes
of the earth’, including a special appeal to the King of the East
as their primus inter pares, and a dismissal of these same ‘four
kings of the four parts of the world’. In this Guide to the
Underworld, Alexander Cummins illuminates further Cyprianic
dimensions of these directional courts of the various cardinal
kings and their messenger-king attendants in the grimoiric
corpus.


We also discuss his journey into magic which including the
collaborative storytelling of  Dungeons and Dragons and the
influence of Aikido and childhood paranormal experiences at
national trust properties and the spectrum of ancestor work and
working with the dead.


In the Plus show we talk to how the dead can step forward in a
practical sense and our ‘family’ is bigger and stranger than we
think it is. We also continue Dr Al’s journey into the occult as
he started Chaos Magic as a young adult and discuss at point in
his life things became ‘real’. Dr Al relays an intriguing story
about using divination that returned life changing results for a
sick friend whose condition had baffled doctors.

We get into responsibility to others when practising spirit work
and co-habiting and keeping oneself grounded. We discuss dealing
with the restless dead and necromancy courses Dr Al has coming
up.  We also go through his approach to dealing with
hauntings and dealing with ancestors, especially the tricky, more
pushy ones!


Show Notes: Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/grimoiresontape/
Website http://www.alexandercummins.com
Art of Cyprian's Mirror of Four Kings
https://www.hadeanpress.com/shop/the-art-of-cyprians-mirror-of-four-kings-an-early-modern-experiment-of-cyprianic-conjuration

Courses
https://www.morbidanatomy.org/classes/everyday-planetary-magic-a-seven-part-series-on-simple-star-sorcery-and-spellcraft-with-historian-dr-alexander-cummins
https://www.thecauldronblack.com/event-details/necromancy-for-beginners-an-online-5-part-modular-class-series-with-dr-alexander-cummins-2022-03-28-19-00


Keep in touch?
https://linktr.ee/darraghmason
Music by Obliqka https://soundcloud.com/obliqka