Cora's Spell Book

"These are straight-up spells. Rough on the system."

- Mr. Gold to Regina

Cora's Spell Book is a magical item featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the second episode of the second season.

Types of Spells

 * Immobilization spell - Manipulates plants (either actual plants or representations such as drawings) to grab someone by their arms and legs.
 * Barrier spell
 * Plant healing spell
 * Shielding spell
 * Summoning spell
 * Memory spell - Erases and wipes out a designated period of time in a person's memory. The person affected by the spell will have no recollection nor any sense of having forgotten the memories.

Trivia

 * -|On-Screen Notes=

On-Screen Notes

 * As Regina looks through the book to restore her magical powers, there are alchemical symbols printed on the pages —Fusion, Flowing Melting, Composition 2, Fixation, Filtration 1, part of Lutation Sealing 2, Extraction of Dryness, Filtration 2, Lutation Sealing 1, Fire of Circulation 2, Grades of Fire, Fire of Circulation 1, Dry, and Distillation 2.
 * When young Regina summons Rumplestiltskin, the Sigillum Dei, a late Middle Ages magical diagram, is pictured on the page with Rumplestiltskin's name on it. The Sigillum Dei ("seal of God") was an amulet which allowed the initiated magician to have power over all creatures except Archangels. However, it was usually only reserved for those who can achieve the blessed vision of God and angels; rather ironic for a spell book belonging to the Dark One.
 * The page also shows the astrological symbols for Aries (♈), Gemini (♊) and Leo (♌).
 * This page also contains stanza 5 and stanza 6 from the Latin poem, "Estuans Intrinsecus" (also known as the "Confession") by the 12th century Latin poet Archipoeta. The poem is number 191 in Carmina Burana ("Songs from Beuern"), a medieval manuscript of poems and dramatic texts. In this satirical poem, the author confesses his love for drinking, gambling and women. The stanzas printed in the book, read thus:

Via lata gradior more iuventutis implico me vitiis, immemor virtutis, voluptatis avidus magis quam salutis, mortuus in anima curam gero cutis.

Presul discretissime, veniam te precor: morte bona morior, dulci nece necor, meum pectus sauciat puellarum decor, et quas tactu nequeo, saltem corde moechor


 * Which translates as:


 * "I tread the primrose part, as young men do, enmeshing myself in vice, forgetful of virtue; keener on pleasure than salvation, dead in the soul, I take care of my skin."


 * "Most discerning prelate, I ask your pardon: I die the good death, I perish in sweet destruction; my heart is wounded by feminine charm, and those I cannot touch, I lust at least in the heart."


 * Several pages contain slightly altered versions of demonic seals from the Lesser Key of Solomon, a spell book on demonology published in the 17th century:
 * The Seal of Botis, a demon described in the book as a Great President and Earl of Hell, commanding sixty legions of demons.
 * The Seal of Buer. Buer is a demon that appears in the sixteenth century grimoire Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Hierarchy of Demons) and its derivatives, where he is described as a Great President of Hell, having fifty legions of demons under his command.
 * The Seal of Amon. Amon is a demon and the Grand Marquis of Hell who governs forty infernal legions.
 * The seal of Marbas, the Great President of Hell governing thirty-six legions of demons.
 * One page shows a Transmutation Circle, which is believed to help an alchemist focus their energy to change one item into another (such as lead into gold).
 * The opposite page contains the last stanzas (17 - 19) from the "Confession" (note that the spellbook's rendering of the these two stanzas has a few misspellings, and some words are repeated; also, the words written in red are not actually part of the poem, and appear to be gibberish):

Iam virtutes diligo, vitiis irascor, renovatus animo spiritu renascor, quasi modo genitus novo lacte pascor, ne sit meum amplius vanitatis vas cor. Electe Coloniae, parce poenitenti, fac misericordiam veniam petenti et da poenitentiam culpam confitenti! feram quicquid iusseris animo libenti. Parcit enim subditis leo rex ferarum et est erga subditos immemor irarum; et vos idem facite, principes terrarum! quod caret dulcedine nimis est amarum.


 * Which translates as:


 * "Already I value virtues, I am angry at vices, Renewed in soul I am born again in spirit, Like a new-born, on fresh milk I feed, So that my heart should no longer be a vessel of vanity."


 * "Oh, Elect of Cologne, spare the repentant, Show mercy, to one seeking pardon; And give penance to one confessing guilt! I will do whatever you order with willing soul."


 * "Lo, the lion, king of beasts spares his subjects; And is toward the subjects oblivious of anger, And do the same ye, the rulers of lands, What lacks sweetness (softness) is too bitter."


 * A page with roots of incantations shows the Tree of Life from Kabbalah. This symbol represents, as a series of divine emanations, God's creation, the nature of revealed divinity, the human soul, and the spiritual path of ascent by man.
 * Even though Regina says that the characters on this page are Elvish, they are actually symbols for alchemical processes – Abstraction, Putrefication, Digestion 1, Purification 1, Pulverise 1, Purification 2, Pulverise 2, Reverberation 2, Coagulation 1 and Reverberation 1.
 * The opposite page contains the astrological symbols for Aries (♈), Taurus (♉) and Gemini (♊) —the first three astrological signs in the Zodiac. A couple of alchemical symbols (Fire of Circulation 3 and Fire of Rotation) can also be glimpsed.
 * This page also contains stanza 1 and stanza 3 from from the "Confession". The original text reads thus (note that the book's rendering of stanza 1 has a few alternate spellings, and the first two words of stanza 3 have been omitted):

Aestuans intrinsecusira vehementi in amaritudineloquor mee menti: factus de materialevis elementi folio sum similis de quo ludunt venti.

Feror ego veluti sine nauta navis, ut per vias aerisvaga fertur avis. non me tenent vincula, non me tenet clavis. quero mei similes et adiungor pravis.


 * Which translates as:


 * "Burning (boiling) inwardly with vehement indignation in bitterness will I say to my soul: Made of the stuff of a light element, I am similar to a leaf with which winds play."


 * "I am borne like a ship without a sailor, like a wandering bird through airy ways. I am confined by neither chain nor key, I seek out my likes and keep wicked company."


 * Several pages  contain symbols from the reconstruction of the mysterious Emerald Tablet, which is one of the pillars of Western alchemy. It has been translated by many people over the centuries, and is said to be inscribed with the secrets of the universe. One interpretation suggests that the text describes seven stages of alchemical transformation—calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation and coagulation.
 * As Regina is looking through the book to find a cure for "Marian's" affliction, we see a palmistry illustration of a hand, with astrological symbols for the mounts on the palm. Mounts are the bumps of flesh on the palm, which are named after planets, and which play a very important role during a palmistry reading. Four astrological symbols can be seen on the illustration:
 * Venus (♀), the mount by the thumb.
 * Jupiter (♃) is erroneously printed on the mound between the thumb and the index finger, which is where lower Mars should be.
 * Mars (♂) is erroneously printed on the mound beneath the index finger, which is actually Jupiter's mound.
 * Saturn (♄), the mount under the index finger.
 * Note that the mounts of Apollo (the sun) and Mercury, which are placed beneath the ring finger and the baby finger respectively, are obscured.
 * -|Set Notes=

Props Notes

 * The book was designed by production designer Michael Joy, and was built by a book-binding company in Vancouver, Canada, where production for Once Upon a Time is based.

Appearances
Note: "Archive" denotes archive footage.