This mystical object was an extremely powerful spell book, containing a wide variety of magical incantations, of which most were in Latin, and was once owned by Margaret Isobel Thoreaux. Every time the book was opened near a fireplace, the fire would suddenly ignite. When Lana was possessed, the fire grew enough to blast Jason Teague off his feet.
When Isobel's blood entwined with the symbol in the book before she was burned at the stake, it called to her heir, which turned out to be Lana Lang. Once Lana touched the book, Isobel gained possession of her body. She used this book to awaken herself within Lana, since she carried the Mark of Transference which Lana received after touching Isobel's tomb in a Parisian church.
Isobel used a potion containing the following ingredients: the wings of a bat, tails of a lizard, petals of a rose, fungus, cloves, hair of two virgins, oil of mushrooms, twigs of a fig tree, pomegranate juice, and seaweed to resurrect the spirits of her comrades Madelyn and Brianna within Chloe Sullivan and Lois Lane. The potion was used to spike some wine during a toast. However, Isobel asked for a particular wine (Vintage Merlot from Southern France), so the wine may have played some part in the spell.
The book was destroyed by Clark using his heat vision, which released Lana, Chloe, and Lois from its magic. Lana still had the Mark of Transference though, and Isobel was able to possess her at a later date.
In "Justice" Lex mentions the last time Bart stole from him, which is this book.
Contents
The pages of the book shown were:
A drawing of witches making a pact with the Devil, plus illegible Latin lines. Resembling Francesco Maria Guazzo's drawing from "Compendium Maleficarum".
Several lines of Latin text, a griffin, and three witches at a cauldron. The Latin script is a mix-around of words that relates to Isobel's recipe to transfer her comrades. "Alae Vespertilionis", "Caudae Salamandrarum" and "Capilliduarum Virginum" are somewhat translated as: "Wings of a bat", "Tails of a lizard", and "Hair of Virgins". (See full recipe).
A two lined triangle with a two lined circle inside, and two eyes next to it.
A large depiction of the Mark of Transference, presumably detailing the properties of the Mark, or the Crystal of Water, which bore it. This was the page that Isobel spat on to preserve her soul. Under the symbol were three women raising their arms in praise to it. There was text, but it was made illegible by Isobel's blood. The Latinised chant is "Corpus non est id quod nos ligat. / Est vas. / Est vas. / Est vas." The true Latin translation is: "Corpus est non quid ligat nos! / Est exinanita vas! / Est implero vas!" Which is: "A body is not what binds us! There is a vessel emptied! There is a vessel to be filled!"
The legend of the Stones of Power, depicting the three symbols for the Stones in a flaming Kryptonian pentagon, flanked by pillars. The water/transference symbol in particular glowed fiercely as the book was destroyed. The some of the text is in view for a moment, and the visible text reads:
Diffissum, id quod nos ligat / Eiulatus tonitrusque / murus ante nos. /
Potestas trium / Potestatem kuntus vocat. / Portas tuas apert, voluntas tua fiat.
Unsure of the true Latin translation, it appears to be a smattering of words to make it a Latinised Formulae.
This probably is what caused Isobel to cast Murus Scindandum.
Spells
There were many Latin spells in Isobel's spellbook, usually a simple command such as Abitere. She used most of them in Spell, possibly because she lost the book and could not look up any spells. They are, in order of use:
Anima remitto (I send back the spirit) Stores the soul of the user inside a chosen item. Used when Isobel spat on the book.
Vines Chet (Liberate Written charter) Causes a written text to free itself from imprisonment. Caused the manuscript to disappear from its case, though to what location is unspecified. The same phrase was used multiple times in the Power Removal spell, Being Chet in the phrase means Gift
Finis (End) End the targets actions. Used against Lex.
Infinitas (Infinity) Causes the target to continuously carry out a task until they are forced to stop. Used to make Lex play the piano until his fingers bled.
Per lunam et mare, redi e aquae sublatus sunt, per lunam et mare, redi e aquae sulbatus sunt, per lunam et mare, redi e aquae sulbautus sunt, per lunam et mare, redi e aquae sublatus sunt. (Through moon and sea. Return from beneath the water) Chanted by Isobel as she mixed the ingredients to the possession potion. The moon and sea may be references to their being in a foreign country to their native France, and the potion being mixed at night. It is unknown if this was a required spell or a chant, though it is likely as the potion gave off the violet glow used to denote magic. As she chanted this the three Kryptonian symbols for the Stones glowed on the ground. It is possible the spell specified the potion to Madelyn and Brianna, and the Symbols invoked their will to continue the quest.
Liberate bestia (Set free the wild animal) Used to liven up Chloe's party.
Vapulate (Carry)
Sursum (Upwards) Causes the target to surge upward. Used to throw Jason into the ceiling.
Surgite (rise) Causes an object to violently crash rise towards a specified direction. Used to throw a wheel at Clark.
Incede (March) Causes various objects to move in an organized fashion, one at a time. Used to throw many small metal objects at Clark, though he deflected all of them with his heat vision.
Evertere (overturn) Forces the target to raise upward in a violent gust of wind and causes bruises and other bleeding injuries, as an invisible force physically attacks the victim and severely weakens them. Used on Clark.
Vestue Vines Chet. Potestas Genuras Genset. Vestue Vines Chet. Potestas Genuras Genset. Potestas Et Vellar Vis (Liberate Your Gift. Sort the Power and Clan. Liberate Your Gift, Sort the Power and Clan. Pull the Power and Strength) Strips a target with some sort of abnormal ability of their power, weakening them to the point of unconsciousness in the process, seemingly if combined with other severe injuries. Used on Clark.
Monstra (point out) Forces the target to reveal a secret. Used on Clark to force him to reveal the location of the Stone of Fire. She seduced him before the spell, so a weakening of psychological defenses may have been needed beforehand. Violet smoke drifted from his mouth to form illegible script, and a disembodied male voice whispered The Caves.
Abitere (Depart) Teleports the user (and several others) to a specified location. Used to teleport Isobel, Brianna and Madelyn to the caves.
Murus scindandum (tear the wall). Opened the wall of the altar chamber in the Kawatche Caves forcibly.
Mitares meus anima liberare (Set My Soul Free) Used by Isobel to escape the electrocution chair and return to Lana's body.
Spectaculum Lapis. (Show the Stone) Illuminated the Crystal of Air in its hiding place.
Penatrali a suus corpus! (Penetrate his flesh) Greatly increases the force of a weapon. Used to enchant a sai and a samurai sword to use against Clark, and the sai was so powerful it went right through his shoulder.
Volutus vita nostra est. - Our life has been turned.
Non Verbal
Two spells were never accompanied by an incantation. These were:
Pulling Spell - Pulls an object into the user's hand instantly. Used to take the book from Jason's hand when he attempted to destroy it.
Crushing Spell - Crushes the chest of the target. Used on two occasions, when Isobel lifted Clark and Jason.
