Other Za'irajah Methods

A number of Maghrib people know the science of letter magic.

They have produced extraordinary things.

Every virtue depends on exertion.

A good habit, together with patience, is the key to everything good, just as a lack of skill and haste are the beginning of all failure.

If one wants to know the power of each letter of the alphabetos, one must look for the number that belongs to each letter, to the last number.

This is the beginning of the science of letters which leads to the harmony for the letters.

This harmonry is the power that a particular letter has with regard to the corporealia.

The number is then multiplied by itself.

The result is the power that a particular letter has with regard to the spiritualia.

It is the “chord” of the particular letter.

This can only be done with letters that have no diacritical points, because the letters with diacritical points have different degrees of meaning.

The form of every letter has a corresponding form in the divine world.

These forms may be moving or stationary, high or low, as is indicated in the proper places on the tables written down in connection with the za’irajahs.

The powers of the letters fall into 3 categories.

1. A power that becomes manifest after the letters have been written down

This is the least important.

Such a letter is thus written down for a spiritual world which belongs to that particular letter.

Whenever the letter produces a psychic power and concentration of mind, the powers of letters exercise an influence on the world of the bodies.

2. The power of (the letters) in the realm of thought.

It is the result of the activation of the spiritualia for the letters.

It is a power among the spiritualia on high, and a formal power in the world of corporealia.

3. The power that causes the inward - the psychic power - to concentrate upon bringing (the letter) into being.

Before a letter is pronounced, it is a form in the soul.

After it is pronounced, it is a form among the letters and a power in speech.

The natures of the letters are the same as those attributed to all created things, namely:

• heat-and-dryness
• heat-and-cold
• cold-and-humidity
• cold-and-dryness

This is the secret of the ogdoad.

Heat combines air and fire.

The 2 are represented by the letters alif, h, t, m,, f, sh, dh, j, z, k, s, q, th, and z.

Cold combines earth and water: d, h, l, ‘ayn, r, kh, gh, b, w, y, n, s, t, and d.

Humidity combines air and water: j, z, k, s, q, th, z, d, h, l, ‘ayn, r, kh, and gh.

Dryness combines fire and earth: alif, h, t, m, f, sh, dh, b, w, y, n, s, t, and d.

This is the relationship and mutual interpenetration of:

• the letters representing the natures
• the particulars of the world within the letters on high and here below, through the agency of the primary mothers, that is, the 4 elements.

If one wants to find an answer to a question, one must ascertain the ascendant of the questioner, or the ascendant of his question.

Then, the letters of the 4 cardines of the horoscope - one, five, seven, and ten must be “spelled” (istintaq) equally and according to order.

The numbers of the powers and the chords must be found out.

One adds up, establishes proportions, and tries to open up [?] the answer.

Thus, one will find what one is looking for, either clearly expressed or implied.

The same is the case with any question one may happen to have to explain.

If one wants to discover the powers of the letters of the ascendant, together with the name of the questioner and the object, one must add up the numerical values of (the letters) according to the “great calculation.”

Let us assume that the ascendant is Aries.

• The fourth sign after Aries is Cancer
• The seventh is Libra
• The tenth is Capricornus, the strongest of the cardines

The article that goes with the name of each sign is omitted.

One notes which rational numbers placed in their circle belong to each house (of the zodiac).

Then, all the parts of multiples [?] in the proportions resulting from istintaq are eliminated.

Under each letter, (the number [?]) which belongs to it in this connection is written down. Then, one follows the same procedure with regard to the numerical values of the letters of the 4 elements and (the number [?]) that belongs to them. All these (numbers) are written as letters.

The cardines, powers, and dispositions 941 are arranged in a mixed line.

One spells the letters out and multiplies whatever must be multiplied, in order to find out the (various) scales.

One sums up and tries to open up [?] the answer. Thus, the hidden thought and its answer will be found.

For instance, if the ascendant is Aries (al-hamal), it is written down in unconnected letters h-m-l.

The numerical value of h is 8.

• This can be divided by 2, 4, and 8.

It thus yields:

• d (four)
• b (two)
• alif (one)

The numerical value of m is 40.

• This can be divided by 2, 4, 8, 10, and 20.

It thus yields, to be precise, [m (forty),] k (twenty), y (ten), h (five), d (four), and b (two).

The numerical value of l is 30.

This can be divided by 2, 2/3, 3, 5, 6, and 10.

It thus yields k (twenty), y (ten), w (six), h (five), and j (three).

The same is done with all the letters of the question and the name in each word which happens to occur (in connection with the problem).

The chords are found by dividing the square of each letter by its smallest aliquot part.

For instance, the numerical value of d is four, the square of four is sixteen.

This number is to be divided by its smallest aliquot part, namely, two.

Thus, the chord of d is eight.

Each chord, then, is placed opposite its letter.

Then, the elemental relationships are found out, as has been mentioned before in connection with the explanation of the spelling (method of the greatcalculation).

They have a foundation useful for finding them out from the nature of the letter and the nature of the field of the table in which the (letter) occurs, as was mentioned by the shaykh for (the benefit of) those who know the technical terminology.