Has anybody worked with or encountered the elemental beings listed in The Arbatel of Magic?
If I’m understanding correctly, The Arbatel focuses on prayer and the use of divine names and seals, while Bardon’s system involves working with the elements and the corresponding elementals through visualization, meditation, and ritual practices. Would anybody be able to verify that?
Thanks!
These are not elemental spirits. If you read the Arbatel, they are presented as the Spirits of the Planets. So, the Magical Calander gives their Seals for the “7 Spiritus Planetarum”.
They are celestial spirits.
I have once called upon Och and Ophiel before, and I believe twice I have called upon Hagith. As well as Bethor once before as part of a different ritual to make holy water with a plant ruled by Jupiter.
Interesting spirits! I mostly used the ritual to contact them from ‘The Master Works of Chaos Magick’ by Adam Blackthorne (Excluding when I called upon Bethor), so not following the directions in the Arbatel. This was also before I learnt astrology (But the Arbatel only recommends to call upon the Spirits on the first Hour of the Day of their Planets). I’d need to interact with them more to give my own opinion on them. They feel very… Interesting. Hmm, different from the world, I’d say. It’s hard to explain. I’ll say, I currently don’t believe that they are the same as the Planets, however.
Edit: Important to note if you haven’t read the Arbatel - These are only 4 of the 7 Spirits. They are called the Olympic Spirits in the text.
Also, Phaleg as Air is interesting… since he is the spirit of Mars. But, Mars rules over Fire, not Air.
The other attributions do make sense. But again, they are not traditionally elemental spirits.
I have not; I’m currently reading through The Goetia of Dr.Rudd and The Practice of Magical Evocation in my newfound attempt to understand the post-pagan roots of western ceremonial magick.
Clearly I have a poor understanding of The Arbatel and will need to read the actual text. Thank you for yet more clarification Dank. Your knowledge is truly impressive 
I was curious about this again. Where did you see that the Spirits of the Arbatel are Elemental?
I asked chatgpt 
lesson learned!!!
Ahh very interesting! It’s actually quite impressive for ChatGPT then, because 3 of the four correspondences match, but not for Phaleg.
Since the Planets rule over the Elements, these Spirits also have power over the Elements.
So, you could make a ritual focusing on the Elements using this correspondence:
Arathron: Earth
Bethor: Air
Phaleg: Fire
Och: Fire
Hagith: Water (Alternatively, Air)
Ophiel: Earth
Phul: Water
(I am using Agrippa’s rulership of the Planets over the Elements, and William Lilly’s description of the Nature of the Planets with the Four Qualities for this)
Although, I want to add, I personally believe if these Spirits are the Planets, they are not quite the same, but a more specific part of the Planets. So, for example, I wouldn’t make a Mars talisman with a Mars image and various of the goals that can be obtained from Mars and call upon Phaleg for it. I think calling on Kamael as the Angel of Mars is still fine, although I would call upon Mars himself (The Celestial Mars, I believe, is different from the Roman God Mars).
But, that’s my view on that! I think some do see them as the same, and if I recall correctly, the Arbatel isn’t entirely clear on it. I’d have to read it again.
Otherwise, a Phaleg Mars talisman, for example, is possible, but the image and powers should be obtained from Phaleg himself. It would likely be ensouled with the power to bring specific group of powers under Mars that Phaleg has. The Arbatel does give the specific powers of the Olympic Spirits, so perhaps just the Image would need to be obtained.
Edit: From the Arbatel, it seems to say that the Olympic Spirits govern all the things under the respective Planets, but also lists more specific works they can perform.
The Arbatel also says that these Spirits are appointed to their respective Star, so not necessarily that they are the Planets themselves, it seems to me as far as I’ve read.