Franz Bardon

Franz Bardon, born in 1909 in Austrian Silesia, was a Czech occultist and a dedicated practitioner and instructor of Hermeticism. His life's work focused on the teachings of Hermetics until his arrest in 1958 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. Tragically, he died from pancreatitis while in police custody on July 10, 1958.

Bardon is primarily recognized for his influential trilogy on Hermetic magic: "Initiation Into Hermetics," "The Practice of Magical Evocation," and "The Key to the True Kabbalah." These works are characterized by their straightforward approach, concise theoretical introductions, and extensive practical exercises designed for self-study. A fourth book, "Frabato the Magician," attributed to Bardon, is understood by many students to be a semi-autobiographical occult novel, co-authored by his secretary, Otti Votavova, based on Bardon's life experiences with significant fictional embellishments. His students, including notable figures like Emil Stejnar and Rawn Clark, considered his training programs to be among the most effective for aspiring magicians in the 20th century.

Franz Bardon's literary contributions are centered on providing a practical path to Hermetic magic. His core works, "Initiation Into Hermetics," "The Practice of Magical Evocation," and "The Key to the True Kabbalah," emphasize experiential learning over extensive theory. "Initiation Into Hermetics" offers a structured, ten-step program designed to develop the student's body, soul, and spirit through a balanced integration of mental, astral, and physical exercises. This comprehensive system aims for a holistic development, fostering occult abilities while ensuring the purification of the personality, making the practitioner incapable of wishing harm to others. The progression through these steps is crucial for safe and effective magical development.

"The Practice of Magical Evocation" serves as a guide to contacting divine entities within atmospheric zones and planetary spheres, presenting a modern perspective on communication with universal teachers. Bardon introduces an original magical hierarchy, from elemental spirits to those of the planets and zodiac, complete with unique sigils and Kabbalistic astrology. The book details the process of evocation, stressing the importance of completing prerequisite training and invoking entities under divine authority rather than as an equal, to prevent manipulation. "The Key to the True Kabbalah" explores the mystical dimensions of letters and numbers, presenting the "true Kabbalah" as an ancient, universal teaching for magical attainment. It focuses on the practical application of sound, color, number, and vibration, warning that improper or unprepared use of these methods can lead to severe psychological damage, such as personality fragmentation.

The book "Frabato the Magician," though credited to Bardon, was primarily written by his secretary, Otti Votavova, drawing from conversations with him. Bardon, who used "Frabato" as his stage name during his career as a performing magician, is depicted in the novel as facing dark occult forces and escaping Nazi Germany. A significant element of the book suggests that Franz Bardon was the final reincarnation of Hermes Trismegistus. It posits that Bardon fulfilled the karmic debts incurred by Hermes Trismegistus, differing from Masonic interpretations of universal laws and divine justice by emphasizing that forgiveness and karmic resolution are divinely ordained, not self-determined through balancing good and bad actions.

“...quite up to the reader to study my books merely theoretically. In doing so, he will acquire a knowledge which he would not be able to get from any philosophical book. But knowledge is not yet wisdom. Knowledge depends on the development of the intellectual features of the spirit; wisdom, on the other side, necessitates the equable development of all four aspects of the spirit. Therefore knowledge is mere philosophy, which by itself alone can make a man neither a magician nor a Quabbalist. A learned man will be able to say a lot about magic, Quaballah, etc., but he will never be able to understand the powers and faculties rightly. With these few words I have explained to the reader the difference between the philosopher and the sage.”

“...someone who wants to apply the methods on the use of genuine kabbalah at once, out of mere curiosity or inconsiderateness, exposes himself to various dangers. For in practice he would get into contact with various powers which he would not be able to control and thus he would be in danger of ruining his health. Therefore, anyone not sufficiently prepared for this step is herewith warned in time.”

“The idea is that the True Kabbalah is not a mantic art, as some perceptions of it (primarily relating to gematria) suggest, but a method of empowering the letters of the alphabet to create magical effects through their combination.”

“Mental exercises of the Spirit (or abstract mental being) begin with simply observing the mind and progress from there, with each subsequent exercise building on the previous.”

“Astral exercises of the Soul focus on systematically cataloging the positive and negative aspects of the self and, later, transforming and purifying the negative aspects into positives.”