Father Kolvenbachs Notes on the Livre d’Ivon

First there is a typewritten summary.

Although the original is said to have been written by Eibon, wizard of Hyperborea, no earlier versions than the Latin version appear to exist. There were notations at the Chapel which suggest the cultists had a copy of that, Leiber Ivonis, version, to which it would be very useful to compare this, later, text. It is probable that the Vatican possesses such a copy as well but I would certainly not be permitted access.

 The First Two books: Through a pact with Tsathoggua – the being occasionally referred to in later, folk, sources as Saint Toad - Eibon gained greater knowledge and power, and even went so far as to discover a way to personally visit him. In fear of his power, the priests of Yhoundeth drove a campaign of persecution against Eibon, finally causing him to flee through a “Gate” that led to Saturn. There is a complex, and I believe, essentially useless, section which purports to describe the “family tree” of the being, Tsathoggua and how he/it arrived upon the earth from Saturn, via a lightless gulf called N’Kai.

  Book Three This is a complex and difficult section which appears to present a history of the world and the greater universe, with reference to Azathoth, The Elder Beings and various bizarre creatures which are said to have inhabited this world before man. This seems to be supported by Laban Shrewsbury.

  Books Four and Five A compendium of spells and rituals. This is the practical heart of the work. And I list below the contents:
 Call/Dismiss Azathoth
Call/Dismiss Shub Niggurath
Contact Yok Zothoth (Yog-Sothoth)
Contact Tsathoggua
Contact Burrowers Beneath
Create Barrier of Naach-Tith,
Create Gate
Contact Child of Tsathoggua
Open Gate to Child of Tsataoggua
Call/Dismiss Child of Tsathoggua
Create Mist of R’lyeh
Enchant Knife
Green Decay
Voorish Sign
Wither Limb.

 Book Six The Epistles of Eibon is an extensive series of instructions on study of the occult and the proper forms of worship due Tsathaggua. The Chapel appears to have followed some, but not all of these dicta. In fact, unless my translation is at fault, there appear to be internal contradictions between some of these and others are so vague that there would have to be some separate source to clarify them. One, which seems rather ominous in light of what we know about the Chapel, is The Second Epistle of Eibon Unto His Deciples, which includes this passage: In the remoteness of time, upon the fifth retreat of the ice, a resurgence of the worship of Tsathoggua by learned sages shall see the rebirth on earth of the Lord Toad incarnate. Contact His Children. Open the Gate to Them. Become as one with Them.

SPOILERS BELOW - SPOILERS BELOW 

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Then it goes into a mix of typewritten and handwritten notes. A sheaf of them…

 There is a full annotation of “Invoquer Brouillard des R’lyeh”.
  This seems not to require apparatus but to consist of a rather complex set of images and incantations, most of which must be memorized and recalled with utmost clarity although the actual casting only requires a short incantation aloud and a simple hand gesture. The instructions are clear and the images are carefully drawn (recognizably the same as ones in the Livre d'Ivon.)
  A page cut from the journal accompanies and indicates that Father Kolvenbach cast this spell five years ago late one night on the roof of Campion House. He describes the experience as slightly draining – It left him feeling a bit worn but unharmed and the effect was “…a spherical cloud of opaque fog 10-20 feet in diameter which appeared in front of me and moved as I moved, always before me and just beyond my reach. It remained for not long over a minute and was gone. What earthly good it might be is beyond me, but its reality is disturbing in the extreme.”

  There are many pages of notes which appear to be an attempt to understand the Contact and Dismissal spells. The circles, and apparatus involved are compared and Father Kolvenbach seems to have been trying to derive some sort of general rules. This seems very complicated and refers frequently to Laban Shrewsbury, “The Golden Bough” by Sir James George Frazer, and several familiar medieval grimoires.

  As part of this section Father Kolvenbach describes “Call Child of Tsathoggua” as the only Calling in the Eibon which seems even remotely practical as stated since the others require a special building (Yog Sothoth), massive bloodletting (Shub Niggurath) or are inconceivably dangerous (Azathoth). Then he goes on to give precise instructions for “Call Child of Tsathoggua” and the “ Dismissal of Child of Tsathoggua” These require a magical circle some yards across and a smaller one beside it plus various other items (A brazier of burning sulfur, a chalice of blood from the “operator” and black paintto be daubed on the operator’s head etc.)

  Amazingly enough, it seems that Kolvenbach actually tried the spell in an empty storeroom on the campus, late one night, four years ago.
  He describes this in detail but states: “The final result was a massive sense of weakness, which staggered me and left me barely able to clean up the mess I had made and return to my rooms. Nothing appeared, perhaps fortunately, as I was in no state to execute the ‘Dismissal’. I was left with a recurrence of the disturbing dreams which had waned since I placed the stone in its box in the cellar early in 1915.