Reading the Stephen Guth translation, it is interesting to see what magicians in the 1300's were trying to find spells for in their day. To discover the past and the future. To receive reports of all sorts of things. To make spirits appear. To create visions. To turn spirits into servants. To do various mining works. To make alchemy work. To make and prevent storms. To make people into animals and animals into people. To prevent or remove other magic. To find lost books or manuscripts. To hear hidden plots and plans. To make a dead person walk for seven years. Invisibility. To have the spirits bring things to eat and drink. To recover treasure. Traveling in the air. Healing illnesses. Creating friendships. Causing animosity. To change appearance. Causing illnesses. To collapse walls and houses. For the return of things. To live underwater. To open and close locks without a key. To make various things appear. To make coins appear. To make a phantom army appear. To have the spirits perform singing, music, and juggling.

Another interesting overview of the Abramelin is that the best explanation of the difference between black magic and white magic is given. In white magic the Guardian Angel is invoked to get the demons (AKA Unredeemed Spirits) to do something, and at the end the Guardian Angel sends them away. In black magic the wizard goes directly to the demons who will do the work needed, but at the end they won't go away, and drive the wizard insane. This is supposedly what happened to Faustus.

There is also a word-square magic spell of Solomon's. He supposedly used demons to build his Temple and this spell was for protection from the demons. There is more on this in the Upper and Lower Keys of Solomon.

Also known as the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon. Also, in Islamic folklore, they were called djinn instead of demons. In Manley P. Hall's Secret Teachings of All Ages, more is given about the Seals of Solomon which were the designs on the lids to containers of brass and other materials in which the demons/djinn were imprisoned when not building the temple.

One of the very interesting things in the Buch is the difference between the Harmonic Saturn Square (an old magic square) and the Witch's Square, and the mnemonic that helps you remember how to turn the former into the latter. This mnemonic is by Goethe is supposedly what brought down Faust. It is a catchy little poem, the mnemonic is.

Another great thing is that the magic word squares (spells) in the newer Stephen Guth translation are all complete and the typos fixed. The Mather version based on a French translation was full of typos and had many gaps in the magic spells.

I re-read a section of the Buch wherein it is described how to not interpret certain things literally in the goals of certain magic word squares. For example, being able to live for 7 days under water can be interpreted to mean to stay in the realm of the soul for 7 days. Causing walls to collapse can mean walls in your mind. And other systems are shown to have similarities to various things in the Buch, including ideas from the American Indian system. For me to be reminded to not be too literal seems helpful.