Grimorium Verum

This is a compendium of different versions of a Black Magic Grimoir that probably no longer exists in it's original form. Other reviewers give the translating scholar high marks for his work. But not being an expert myself, I can't say.

What I can say is that it's very odd and intriguing curiosity. The rituals are a bizarro compendium of garbled Kabbalism, Medeval Demonology, and good old fashioned folk magic. It speaks volumes on the character and psychology of the actual and would be magicians that used it. Of scholarly note, it appears that the old Blues and Hoo Doo legends about making a deal with the devil at the crossroads has origins in this book.

Magic today tends to be an alternative spiritual and philosophical path. Few magickians today emphasize actually doing magick. But the Medeval/Renaissance magicians that used this book and other books like it wanted RESULTS. Since life was short back then, they wanted them NOW. So you'll be amused to see spells for finding treasure, getting laid, and becoming invisible. One thing that should be noted is that the book isn't all about demons. In fact, most of the spells include supplications to the Christian God and His Angels. A few try to incorporate both. If you consider a Medeval peasant using prayer to God as a magic spell for good crops, money, etc., magicians using this book are just equal opportunity employers. They don't care WHO brings the bacon as long as they bring it.

As for using the book, I wouldn't recommend it. You'll see immediately the spells are so unabashedly materialistic, you'd feel silly even considering it. Or ought to. All but a few of the spells have awkward spell ingredients. The mundane ones were easy to get in the Renaissance but not so easy now. Procuring the exotic ones is a felony.

Belief is a key component in magic, so even if you get the ingredients together, the next hurdle is to execute a ritual without laughing out at yourself. Some of the spells are so wacky I think they were included to convince the Inquisition that prosecuting magicians was a waste of time. There's a reason magicians emphasize secrecy in the Art. Because if they're silly enough to get all the Grimoir ritual ingredients together, best case scenario is standing around at midnight looking like a rejected Harry Potter extra.

The worst case scenario is, in spite of the silliness, it works. But because it's based on good English translation of a clumsy Italian translation of a bad Latin translation of a garbled Greek translation of a misunderstood Hebrew text, including the personal views from generations of certifiable wackos they summon a Demon that will own them. But that's just with me keeping a mind so open that, as Buffy says, "if it were more open my brain would fall out."

I give this three stars because it's a neat curiosity.

The book is a must-have for collectors of grimoires. For anyone else, please walk away.

Peterson has done a fine job editing and translating a much maligned, highly touted, and absurdly delightful book. The entire work is composed of sinister folk-magic, very dark, and quite impractical. If you can imagine, think of it as being three parts Scott Cunningham to one part Anton LaVey.

Three out of five stars are given as an average of the 5-star rating I would give to Peterson's job of editing, annotating, and compiling the work and a 1-star rating for the material itself.

Cheap paper, sacrifices, evil spirits. I mean what more could one ask for? Lol. This book is not to be taken seriously, because quite frankly, you would go to prison. It has been proven to be a fabrication, and should be treated as such. With that in mind, it is a fun read for a scholar of the arts, nothing more

I bought this book last year around Halloween. During Thanksgiving, one of my cousins had a few too many and started reading it aloud. Sure enough, he summoned Belial. It's August and he is still hanging around the house, screaming, "Feel my wrath" this and "I'll make your soul bleed" that. It is tiresome. Not to mention, he is also not house-trained and regularly leaves a trail of carnage everywhere around the house and refuses to flush the toilet. It h as gotten so bad that after the 7th postal delivery person was killed and their soul devoured that USPS now refuses to deliver to our house; we have had to get a P.O. Box. It is so inconvenient to have to pick our mail after picking up after a demon.

You know how instruction manuals usually have one half such and such language, and the other half is another?
...this book does that. ..was I supposed to know that? Is it all the same content? Dunno, can't read french.

the pictures given of the cover of this book, would indicate that it was something of antiquity, however upon it's arrival, to my surprise (but not demise), it was the usual glossy paperback. just beginning in the "practice" of "majick", this can serve a good skeleton of "spells, or works". it should be noted that results can be variable, not to mention consequential. one should have a good grasp of "oneself", as well as a CONSCIENTIOUS view of the consciousness itself, before delving into the world of the "lesser works", or Lower Mind. lately i have run into persons, who in younger days, assumed to be witches/warlocks and the like. now they suffer from physical, emotional, and mental setbacks. even terminal illness. wanna know more?... better be sure. great book; as an idea, but be careful what you wish for...
MOST IMPORTANTLY: one should never call upon G-Ds, that he does not understand.

For those who are interested in the subject of "quaint and curious volumes of forgotten lore" Joseph Peterson's republication of the Grimoirium Verum is a welcome release of a work that has seldom seen the light of day since it first circulated among dabblers in the occult centuries ago. Peterson's copious notes and reference citations are an aid to understanding the background of the material presented; though one always wishes that books of this sort were available in a more exact fascimile edition, bound as an attractive hardcover, for collectors of such works.

As we have gotten used to from Peterson his grimoire translations are of first class and the Grimorium Verum is no exception. It is presented in both English and in the original languages French and Italian so you can check the translation if you want to. It also contains variations of the text and pictures so you can chose your own way to go after your own theory. Also the notes made by Peterson are usefull and valid.

This is by far the best translation of this text so far and I definatly recomend it to all grimoire lovers.

This is a pseudo-magic book. It contains little fragments of perverted knowledge, along with bad transcripted sigils and pentacles from the Clavicula Salomonis and the Lemegeton. I highly suggest to buy the books previously cited instead of this one, which is total nonsense bullcrap.

Well, this was fairly kick-ass as grimoires go. I particularly liked the conjuration of Lucifer, that went really well. He didn't come, but a good time was had by all nevertheless. Some of the demonolotry was a big dodgy though. I mean who the hells is Scirlin? Does he do scrofula or something? That is just lame for a demon. Some of the other spells made me wonder a bit. For example, the spell to send three Ladies or three Gentlemen to your room after dining. You mean i have to feed them first? Clearly manners were a bit different back them. I was also interested in No. 32 'To make a girl dance in the nude'. I can think of some of my own spells for that. I suggest a Potion of Rohypnol and Absinthe (which makes the heart grow fonder). Or you could pay her, I think that's how it's usually done these days. Or - you could say to the girl, if you dance for me in the nude i will give you this very interesting and perfectly serviceable Grimoire. That should do the trick. Which brings me to No. 34. - 'For nailing'. does that relate to No. 32 perhaps? I was not sure. I also really enjoyed No. 47. - 'Secret for travelling 20 miles an hour'. Really, have these guys not heard of the Horseless Carriage? And in the midst of all this, you get to revive the dead (No. 57). All in all, a great romp.

I liked it.
The author did his research, and included all versions of this text into one book.
Much better than paying a lot more for the various individual books or copies if you can find them.
Two Thumbs or Horns Up!!

It is an understatment to say that joseph peterson is an absolute hack. Hes a rip off, it would save the eager student of medieval occult allot of time and money and just buy the grimorie of honorus to which most of the magical secrets in the publishing are ripped off from. As for the rest of the "original text" he only offers pieces and incomplete text. He's a hack, even going as far to write his own maladiction (so cute) to those online plagerizers he calls them. As if these were his magic secrets...The book is very poorly put together. Nothing in it is worth its price.

Grimorium Verum is one of the more interesting grimoires I've read. Allegedly dating to the time of Solomon (most likely at 17th or 18th century take on Goetia), it presents your typical demonic sigils and rites for summoning demons. I recommend this to anyone fascinated by this subject matter.

I was really looking forward to using this book. I went through the index and saw some interesting titles so I delved into them. This book has a christian outlook. Its all our lord this and holy trinity father, son and holy spigot that...NOT my cup of pagan craftwork. Maybe his other books are okay but when you're talking ritual magick it isn't based in christianity, its much older. My recommendation is to look for another book on magick cause this one does not cut it.

Indeed, Joseph does know what he's talking about. Reading between the lines is the real deal.
Highly recommended!
Not like those Kirikirikos and other wannaknows.
Keep up the good Work Joseph.
Thank you!
Also recommended: his 6th & 7th, cleaned up version of the Books of Moses. Especialy, for the real adepts: his added appendices.

Maybe if you're an aspiring occultist who believes in this sort of stuff you might like this. Maybe if you collect grimories this will be a good addition for your collection. Me? I bought this for inspiration in novel writing and I was disappointed to find more of the same old stuff in it. It has some ideas worth exploring in horror fiction, but overall there is nothing in it I can't find in any of the other similar books I've wasted my money on.
If you think you can make cold pieces appear out of thin air or you have canine rabies and you'd rather no go to a doctor for it or if you're planning on dueling someone and you don't want to be harmed and you believe a book available to the general public and sold on the store can do this for you . . . then go ahead and buy it, I'm not here to judge.

This "so called book of black magik" was nothing but hype, as a practioner of Obeah, there is only two legit rituals I found to be useful and both I actually saw performed by Obeah practitioners in Jamaica. on of which involved getting a human skull and seriously who's going to rob graves, not I!! these folks who write these sensationalized "dastardly books on magik" need a swift kick in the pants!! magik is of the earth, soul and bloodline. to truly master magik you have to open yourself up to divine interventions which will come through your bloodline linage, at least that's how I first learned magik, my female ancestors came to give rituals as a child in Jamaica and later on doing massive research into the occult. this book if full useless propaganda the "ceremonial, freemason crowd was so fond of churning out" as if they would ever publish any real rituals for the masses. your better off purchasing books by Dorothy Morrison, Judika Illes 5000 spell the mother of all spell book. Draja Michkaharic, Sonya Byrd, Cat or any of the other real authors on real old school earth magik, to find success with money, job, health, love, revenge and protection magik, what more can a human want? these books will give any budding magicians regardless of bloodline the tools to begin using magik. Grimorium Verum get's the ho sit down award from me.

I was hoping for some material on demonology but was rather disappointed. I don't think this book is good for Christians to read if you are a Christian looking for material on demonology and spiritual warfare. The author kind of goes though the same old lame material that demonologists are writing about. I can go to the sacred texts website and get better material than whats in this book. Peterson puts in his book the same stuff that is in Davidson's Dictionary of Angel's and Belanger's The Dictionary of Demons. I can go on about this book but just don't think its worth talking about anymore.