specific ink (rosewater, orange blossom water, etc.)

Ingredients

rosewater, orange blossom water

Preparation Steps

Original Recipe Text

The instructions found in al-Būnī's work (specifically the Laṭāʾif al-ishārāt) for utilizing the occult properties of letters for material gain specify that 'the letter has to be written on a specific material (parchment, paper, etc.), sometimes with a specific ink (rosewater, orange blossom water, etc.), in specific conditions to produce a specific effect (taʾthīr)' (p. 238). For example, the letter ḥāʾ may be written eight times on a seal or placed in water for sick people to drink to cure diseases (p. 238-239). The effectiveness of the ink is inextricably tied to the shape (shakl) of the letter and the ritual conditions (p. 238).

Evidence

"The instructions to use the properties for a material gain usually indicate that the letter has to be written on a specific material (parchment, paper, etc.), sometimes with a specific ink (rosewater, orange blossom water, etc.), in specific conditions to produce a specific effect (taʾthīr)."

Remarks

The paper distinguishes between genuine 13th-century works of al-Būnī and later apocryphal works in the corpus bunianum (p. 230). In his authentic works, al-Būnī describes 'theurgic' practices involving letters and magic squares, emphasizing the relationship between the physical medium (such as organic inks) and the intended esoteric effect (p. 238). Specific ritual purity and auspicious celestial moments (e.g., hour of the Moon, hour of Jupiter) are frequently required during the writing process to ensure the ink's potency (p. 241-242).