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7/29/2019 A Trip Down Memory Lane - Unknown
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Digital Enchiridion
michaelseblux.wordpress.com/tag/ritual/page/2/[7/3/2012 8:11:58 PM]
A Trip Down Memory Lane
OCTOBER 31, 2011 LEAVE A COMMENT
So, as sometimes happens, I have been carefully looking through my private journal entries and stumbled upon this
gem that I wrote about three years ago (December 4th, 2008) and, you know what, Im still impressed with what I had
going on then. Maybe Ill revisit this particular subject more in-depth:
Socio-cultural approaches to learning and development tend to emphase the interrelationship and
interdependence of social and individual processes in the co-construction of knowledge. According to
the pre-eminent Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, the central tenants of this learning framework
are: (a) social sources of individual development, (b) semiotic (signs and symbols, includinglanguage) mediation in human development, and (c) genetic (developmental) analysis. In this
framework language and culture have a profound effect in human development. This, in essence, is in
agreement with my speculations yesterday regarding the interrelationship between the individual, their
environment and the other in the role of creating shared meaningful experiences in communication
and the development of the individual process of self-knowledge. Interestingly enough, from a magical
perspective, these central tenets are also present in the process of initiation that guides the magician
in their individual process of self-discovery and the generation of gnosis.
Initiation, from initiatus, pp. of initiare originate, initiate, is the fundamental process in an individuals
life where the transition from one state of being or consciousness is formally or informally accepted,
giving the individual or initiate a particular set of knowledge as dened by their social group or
environment. In pre-modern societies initiation was oftentimes the marker of acceptance or entrance
into a group or society (vis. Childhood to adulthood) where the initiate would be reborn into a new rolein their society. Even today in various religious or spiritual communities, initiation is often imparted
during a ritual process in which certain signs, gestures, words and actions convey the roles to which
the initiate is expected to conform. In the secular world initiations oftentimes occur marking various
stages of social development, such as a childs rst day of school, obtaining a driving license or
permit, graduation, enlistment or enrollment in college, military, etc.
In Western Esotericism, the model of initiation typically corresponds to a set of ideas of natural human
life: Birth, Life, Death; sometimes even speculation on a supposed afterlife. The earliest organized
examples of initiation in Western agricultural society stem from the ecstatic rites of the Elusinian
Mysteries about which little knowledge exists other than the celebration of the Demeter/Persephone
Mythos; contained a systematic, graded hierarchy and, according to Martin Nillson, were designed to:
elevate man above the human sphere into the divine and to assure his redemption by making him a
god and so conferring immortality upon him. Later mystery cults, such as the Orphism and Mithraism,
would form the basic model from which modern day magical or esoteric fraternities (eg. Freemasonry,
Rosicrucianism, O.T.O., traditional Wicca) would operate. The fraternity or society, therefore, would
therefore represent the social source from which the individual development would take place. During
the course of ritual, semiotic mediation would take place with which the individual would formulate or
be given a developmental analysis corresponding to the groups ideology.
The actual process of initiation is experienced separately from the ritual itself, the ritual creating a
symbolic scaffold that the initiate would be able to use in integrating the semiotic content into their
individual learning and developmental process. In this sense, initiation occurs following the ritual
process and lasts until either the initiate goes through another initiatory processes (as in the graded
systems of modern fraternal organizations) or reaches a point of satiety where no further learning
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takes place and they continually process or redene the experience for themselves. The benet of the
graded initiation system is that each successive initiation allows the individual to reprocess previous
knowledge and integrate it into successive learning experiences. In this case, the process of initiation
becomes a cyclical integrative process leading into constant developmental analysis.
Initiation need not necessarily be a group process. In the twentieth century, Aleister Crowley in many
ways pioneered what would become known as self-initiation. Prior to this, there are examples of
possible self-initiation rituals as recorded in the Greek magical papyri, especially in PGM I. 42-195,
PGM IV. 475-829 and, questionably; PGM V. 96-172 (popularly known as the Rite of the Headless
One, later modied into Liber Samekh). The latter of these, the Rite of the Headless One, or, Bornless
Ritual as well as the revelation received in Liber 418 (see, Liber VIII) are described by Crowley as
suitable for operations pertaining to knowledge and conversation with ones holy guardian angel. This
process, also a self-initiation, dates back to at least the 15th Century with the popularized Book of the
Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. Specically, these rituals address the need of the individual in
achieving a sort of heightened self-awareness in connection with their social consciousness using
Freuds model creating dialogue between the conscious ego and the largely unconscious super-ego;
later integrating the Id or non-integrated portions of the conscious mind.
While contemporary society seems largely indifferent or uninterested in ritualized initiation in the
above sense, the processes explored can be easily applied in different therapeutic systems such as
psychoanalysis and different forms of gestalt therapy. The individual need not subscribe to a particular
belief system, which in our contemporary society could be perceived as a bigger obstacle for many
considering the changes in the religious and spiritual landscape of the western world and a more
global society. Instead, it is at the imperative of the individual that they undertake some form of
initiatory process as a way to create a meaningful dialogue with themselves and their relationship with
their society as a whole in a mindful and constructive manner.
Yeah, Im denitely going to have to revisit and revise this essay. Damn Im awesome.
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Baphomet, from "The Mysteries of French Masonry"
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION TAGGED WITHALEISTER CROWLEY,ANGELS,BAPHOMET, ECCLESIA
GNOSTICA CATHOLICA,ESOTERICISM,GNOSIS, GNOSTICISM,INVOCATION,RITUAL, THEOLOGY,WRITING
A Magical Reection on Environmentalism
OCTOBER 24, 2011 9 COMMENTS
Seymour once said that all we do our whole lives is go from one little piece of Holy Ground to the
next. J.D. Salinger, Seymour: An Introduction (1959)
One of the major impasses one nds in contemporary paganism and reconstructionist practices is recapturing or
resacralizing our particular regions. For many, the primary problem comes from the fact that many of us who are part
of such groups tend to adopt religious practices and devotions to deities and spirits that are not a part of where we
currently live and learning to work with local spirits and manifestations of the divine in contexts that may not exactly
reect what was practiced or done back in the third century of the common era, let alone the sixth century before
common era. While I denitely have to give my warmest regards to people who aim for strict adherence to historical
orthopraxy, in many cases this is not possible nor, in my opinion, particularly desirable.
Whatever the nature of the gods, spirits and demi-gods; the twenty-rst century is merely a blink of an eye in a long
history of devotion and relationship with humanity and is not the rst time things have had to changed, or be adapted.
Inability for us to adapt our devotions in a consistent manner to those forms that we worship in many ways can be
paralleled to an inability to adapt to our very real, esh-and-blood relationships romantic and otherwise. Writers such
as H. Jerimiah Lewis,Dver, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus and Erynn Rowan Lauriehave written much over the years on
this very topic from a reconstructionist perspective in their varying religious practices. Additionally, writers such as
Brandy Williams,Sam Websterand Jake Stratton-Kent are great resources for people who are more magically inclined
and seeking to reclaim the sacred in the modern world.
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Digital Enchiridion
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Dairy Farm in Fife, Washington
In my own personal journey, coming from an agricultural background, the land on which I live or have lived at varying
points has had a profound role in the development of my personal practice and my theology. Growing up on a farm in
the Puyallup River Valley, a third generation American from Scandinavian and Central European stock, I remember my
grandparents and my parents instilling in me a deep respect of the land where we lived and farmed. The Puyallup
River itself formed a major boundary on our property, in the back of the elds we had marshland, and the divides
between our property and those of our neighbors was very clearly demarcated by geographical features along with
rusty barbed wire fences. At night I remember watching owls swoop down in the elds to catch mice and other rodents;
during the day I watched hawks circle the pastures and in the early morning I remember watching coyotes sulk through
the raspberry elds.
Seattle skyline
When I moved to the city I had to adapt to a new landscape and introduce myself to new spirits. The city itself is a living
organism, a conglomeration of different landscapes, people and energies. In my magical practice, Ive had to learn to
become something of a sacred scavenger when it comes to picking up supplies that are not usually available in the
market specically stores like Edge of the Circle or Travellers. If I need railroad spikes for protection magic, I go to
SoDo in the middle of the night and walk along the train-tracks until I nd spikes that have been loosened and lying
next to the railroad ties; if I need graveyard dirt for something, I research local celebrities such as Henry L. Yesler if I
want to enlist their aid for prosperity magic or Bruce and Brandon Lee for martial or protective rites these are some of
the the deii loci of Seattle. If I want to deposit something in a particularly innocuous place, there are plenty of
roundabouts to choose from in rough parts of town that I can leave my spell remains and if I need a particular branch
or herb, theres the botanical gardens and various parks where I can what I need.
7/29/2019 A Trip Down Memory Lane - Unknown
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View of Seattle from the railroad tracks, photo courtesy of Jay Taylor Photography
Hydromancy plays a role in my personal divinatory practice and, thankfully, there are a number of streams, lakes, and
springs to choose from; not to mention simply setting out a mason jar with a funnel if I need to collect rainwater. Some
places are better than others, of course, due to pollution concerns. This of course reinforces the incentive for
magicians and pagans to be involved in local restoration and environmental activism. That the magical path is not
separate from the natural world is a common enough idea in various pagan communities, but if we really want to make
a difference and be real magicians, we have to use our relationships with the land and our communities to make the
real magic happen and change the world in such a way that future generations will be able to enjoy it and our esoteric
descendants will be able to walk the same railroad tracks and gather water from the same streams and fountains that
we do today.
Yesler gravesite, Lakeview Cemetary Seattle
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION,RITUAL TAGGED WITH DVER, ENVIRONMENTALISM, ERYNN LAURIE, H.
JEREMIAH LEWIS, MAENADS,MAGIC,OCCULTISM,P. SUFENAS VIRIUS LUPUS , RECONSTRUCTIONISM,RITUAL,
SEATTLE,SYNCRETIZATION,THEOLOGY,WRITING
Other Gnostics, an Appreciation
SEPTEMBER 26, 2011 5 COMMENTS
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Digital Enchiridion
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Ecclesiastic Seal of EcclesiaGnostica
Yesterday I took a few hours out of my life to investigate another gnostic community, Hagia Sophia Gnostic Parish of
Ecclesia Gnostica, in my fair city in the spirit of exploration and religious education. It was overwhelmingly a positive
experience with the added benet that their current meeting place is about three blocks from where I live. As some of
my readers may know, I am a member of Ordo Templi Orientis, a Thelemic order dedicated to the high purpose of
securing the Liberty of the Individual and his or her advancement in Light, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, and
Power through Beauty, Courage, and Wit, on the Foundation of Universal Brotherhood following the teachings of the
British occultist and religious philosopher, Aleister Crowley. Within my particular tradition there exists an ecclesiastical
branch, Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica, which administers to the religious end of the Order and whose central ritual, Liber
XV: The Gnostic Mass is said to contain every secret of the order in symbol and in sign. Naturally, as a self-described
gnostic, my experience was very interesting to see what gnostics outside my tradition practice. What I found was very
interesting.
Upon entering the University Christian Church, I went through the maze of doors, up the elevator and waited patientlyoutside while their clergy prepared for celebration of the Eucharist. The priest, a very nice man in his mid-forties
quickly introduced himself as I sat down to my chair admiring the temple space. It was very beautiful in its simplicity
and arranged in much the same format as conventional Christian chapels. The vestments and everything else seemed
to be an interesting blend of pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism combined with various esoteric symbols, including a
beautiful statue of the Sophia above the Tabernacle something which I personally thought to be a very beautiful
sentiment as well as very symbolic. In total there were roughly eight people in attendance including the priest, Rev.
Sam Osborne, and his acolyte.
The ordo of the service pretty much followed the conventionalmissa of pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism with some
verses changed to reect a more mystical or gnostic perspective. Starting with the ceremony of the Introit, the priest
and acolyte approached the altar and reciting the intention of the day and giving the traditional opening benediction: In
the name of the Father X and of the Son and of the Holy Spiritto which we all responded, Amen. Next followed the
ascent toward the altar in which the priest approached it with three steps, saying: Lord of the Past, we hail Thee. Lord
of the Present, we hail Thee. Lord of the Future, we hail Thee. This I found interesting in that it is common to both the
pre-Vatican II mass to recite a prayer of ascent upon coming forth to the altar, but more interesting was the similarity to
how, in my tradition, upon coming out from the tomb the priest also gives three steps giving the pre-Crowley signs and
steps.
I found the asperges to be particularly moving, particularly the prayer calling for the purication of the chapel from the
forces of evil and obstruction and to open the hearts of those in attendance to the indwelling Christ. I found the kyrie
and pronouncement of absolution to be very much reminiscent again of the Latin Rite, but the collects more than
interested me for their inclusion of a beautifully paraphrased section from the Chaldean OraclesAdoration of the Lord
of the Universe:
Holy art Thou, King of the Universe.
Holy art Thou, Whom nature hath not formed.
Holy art Thou, Who art the living one among the living.
Thou art the Holy One among the Holy;
Thou art God among the Gods.
Thou art the Lord among the Lords.
Thou art the house and Thou art the Dweller in the house;
and Thou art the Alone-Begotten, Light, Life and Grace.
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Pour forth Thy Glory upon us. Amen
Following the collects came the hymn, and the Lessons which included the following from The Great Announcement,
attributed to the Simon Magus:
Of all things that are concealed and manifested, the re which is above the heavens is the
treasurehouse, as it were a great Tree from which all esh is nourished. The manifested side of the re
is the trunk, branches, leaves, and the outside bark. All these parts of the great Tree are set on re
from the all-devouring ame of the re and destroyed. But the fruit of the Tree, if its imaging has been
perfected and it takes shape of itself, is placed in the storehouse and is not cast into the re. For thefruit is produced to be placed in the storehouse, but the husk to be committed to the re; that is to say,
the trunk, which is generated not for its own sake but for that of the fruit.
Followed by a gospel reading from The Gospel of Philip:
If anyone becomes a son of the bridal chamber he will receive the light. If anyone does not receive it
while he is in this world, he will not receive it in the other place. He who has received that light will not
be seen, nor can he be detained; and none shall be able to torment one of this kind even if he dwell in
the world. And again when he goes out of the world he has already received the truth in images. The
world has become the aeon. For the aeon is for him the pleroma and it is in this manner; it is revealed
to him alone, not hidden in the darkness and the night but hidden in a perfect day and a holy light.
Following the readings, my ears perked up substantially during theAct of Faith:
We know one secret, Supreme and Ineffable Lord, the Father of us all, unchanging in essence, yet
ever changing in appearance and manifestation; And the Logos, the Son, the Divine Manifestation of
God, the only begotten of the Great Stillness, begotten by an act of consciousness alone, which
comes to the esh to destroy incarnate error; And the Holy Spirit, the giver of life and goodness, the
principle of love and compassion, which remains here on earth to guide and care for those still groping
in the darkness of matter, which with the Father and the Son, forms the wholeness upon which the
manifested universe is erected; We honor one Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, the communion of
the Holy Aeons and Saints, Custodians of the essential wisdom of the race, who preach the great law,
who live and labor unselshly, dedicated to the advancement of all beings; We acknowledge the
innite wheel of existence, immutable laws that govern and sustain the universe. We look to the
resurrection and ascension of our souls into the Universal Will and thus liberation from the innite
chain of attainment. Amen.
This interested me due to the many similarities to the Credo of my Liber XV: The Gnostic Mass:
I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the Company of Stars of whose re we
are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name
CHAOS, the sole viceregent of the Sun upon the Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that
breathes.
And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and
wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.
And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET.
And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose
Law is THELEMA.
And I believe in the communion of Saints.
And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I believe in the
Miracle of the Mass.
And I confess one Baptism of Wisdom whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.
And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.
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Upon further research, I was more intrigued since the earliest date we have for the writing of Liber XV: The Gnostic
Mass is said to have been written in 1913 while Aleister Crowley was traveling through Moscow and was inspired by
the Orthodox liturgy of Saint Basil. While I have my own personal thoughts on that particular idea, considering the
closer similarities to the Latin and Sarum Rites, I was more interested by the idea that possibly the EGC liturgy may
have inuenced this particular one since the earliest date for the liturgy of Ecclesia Gnostica is likely of no earlier date
than 1953.
The offertorium, censing, lavabo and other preceding rituals to the consecration of the eucharist were not particularly
unusual nor different from the symbols and prayers used in the Latin Rite. Once again my ears were perked when the
priest recited the Commemoration of the Saints:
We commemorate those who did of old adore Thee, and manifest Thy glory unto men. First of all, the
Holy Virgin of Light Sophia, and Mary ever Holy. Of your blessed companion Mary Magdelena, your
Holy Apostles John, Paul, Peter, Andrew, James, Thomas, James the less, Philip, Bartholomew,
Matthew, Simon, and Thaddeus; the Holy and enlightened teachers: Simon, Menander, Saturinus,
Cerinthus, Basilides, Valentinus, Marcion, as well as Thy Holy Prophet Mani, and the Master of the
Templars Jacob Molay, who transmitted the Light of the Gnosis to us, their successors and heirs. Hear
Ye, all saints of the true church in every age, now essentially present in our midst, of you we claim
heirship, with you we claim communion, and from you we claim benediction and intercession in the
name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Thus we commemorate all the saints who were, and are, and
are to come.
This very much interested me since it mirrors the words of the priest in EGC during theConsecration of the Elements:
Hear ye all, Saints of the True Church of Old Time, now essentially present as well as the Collect of the Saints:
LORD of Life and Joy, that art the might of man, that art the essence of every true god that is upon the
surface of the Earth, continuing knowledge from generation unto generation, thou adored of us upon
heaths and in woods, on mountains and in caves, openly in the marketplaces and secretly in the
chambers of our houses, in temples of gold and ivory and marble as in these other temples of our
bodies, we worthily commemorate them worthy that did of old adore thee and manifest they glory unto
men Oh Sons of the Lion and the Snake! With all thy saints we worthily commemorate them worthy
that were and are and are to come. May their essence be here present, potent, puissant and paternal
to perfect this feast!
I found myself very excited at this point at the possibility of a deeper relationship, even if by plagiarism, by the two
churches. If plagiarism is not of a particular issue, it begs a great many more questions surrounding the liturgies of
other gnostic communities inclusive of Thelemites, whom many dont consider gnostic due to issues of apostolicity or
other issues such as our whole-scale removal of our church from Old Aeon Christian trappings.
Replacing the traditional Pater Nosterwas a unique version of the same called theGnostics Prayerthat I found
particularly beautiful, although Im more of a proponent of the Nepios of the Thelemic Rite. Communion itself was
reminiscent of the Sarum and Latin Rite and I did feel that it was appropriate that I commune, if only as an act of good
faith.
Following communion, Rev. Sam gave a moving if not ideosyncretic sermon on the lessons. Sadly, I was not able
to stay longer due to a meeting with my own local bishop over coffee, but none-the-less I do intend on attending a few
more of their services and talking with members of their community. Overall, I was impressed and feel that there is still
much to learn about other contemporary strains of Gnosticism and much work that could be done to improve relations
and dialogue between those who seek divine knowledge.
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION,RITUAL TAGGED WITHALEISTER CROWLEY, BAPHOMET,CHRISTIANITY,
GNOSIS, GNOSTICISM, PRAYER,RITUAL, THELEMA
An Apology for Baphomet and SOLVE et COAGULA
SEPTEMBER 24, 2011 22 COMMENTS
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Two weekends ago I was blessed, once again to attend the annual Esoteric Book Conference. As Ive mentioned to a
few of my friends offhandedly, the Esoteric Book Conference is possibly the closest thing to a high, holy day that I
make a point of participating in surrounded by many friends and well-informed ritualists, artists and occultists from
around the world. Probably the best description of the event in the weeks following, written by my dear friend and co-
religionist, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, also approaches one of the interesting turn of events this year regarding gender,
identity and theology in occultism, specically surrounding a performance piece by Australian occultist and performer,
Orryelle Defenestrate-Basculeentitled SOLVE et COAGULA:
The Ancient Greek bard Orpheus can never return to the Underworld after seeking his lost love there.
Immortalised yet unable to appreciate His eternal body, he was torn limb from limb by the Maenads,
wildwomen in the retinue of Dionysos. The disembodied head oated off down the river of Acheron,
singing ever
A head, alone on the currents, adrift on the elements, found by the Knights Templar and become their
oracle
A head, having learnt presence, disembodied yet with heightened senses, aware now of the power of
the physical form in which it is forever encased, wise and carnal, desires to make a new body
The performance itself, in my opinion, was one of the better pieces Ive seen by Oryelle in recent years and did a good
job of pulling together many disparate streams of Western esotericism and religion into a new and innovative form.
Oryelle, who describes hirself as a Baphometic avatar somewhat obsessed with physical reication and Malkuthian
manifestation, continues in this particular performance exploring the interplay between the dichotomies of body and
spirit, male and female, light and darkness.
Maenads in the Melbourne preview production of SOLVEet COAGULA. Photo by Shami Kiely
Unfortunately, it appears that some of the imagery was lost upon some and initiated further discussion surrounding the
gender disparity in the Esoteric Book Conference itself which has historically had an uneven balance of male and
female presenters as well as some of the emerging dialogue of gender politics in esotericism and paganism as a
whole. I think, as well, that theres also some presumptions that need to be addressed regarding the differences in
context between those who are occultists and the wider pagan community.
While good arguments can be made that occultists and esotericists should be included within the greater pagan
community and vice-versa and indeed theres a lot of cross-over the two cultures as they exist today operate under
a vastly different set of assumptions and use dramatically different symbol sets and values. Paganism, in particular
Neo-Paganism, is almost always religious in nature and represents a theological perspective that may or may not
include (or approve of) magic in the personal practices of its adherents. Magicians, occultists and esotericists, while
many are religious and use religious or mytho-poetic themes, generally pursue their work from an operative
understanding which rarely, if ever, has anything to do with devotional practices. In short, magicians are more
concerned with the technology of the sacred and paganism, as a religious umbrella, is more concerned with the
relationship of the practitioner and their understanding of the sacred.
Specically to the performance piece, a discussion was had regarding Lupus well-founded disappointment in the
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theological monism of the piece. In his perspective, hes totally in the right, but in the context of this performance (and
indeed most ritual magic) theology isnt the point rather the illustrative principals of different cultures and milieus in
the vast melting-pot of Western esoteric thought and modern magic.
Eliphas Levi's Baphomet
At any rate, a small difference in understanding but the major (and it is sizable by any point), was the culmination of the
rst performance with the Baphometic sculpture reuniting, being made symbolically whole by the attachment of a large
phallus which the performer intimates, in his ritual piece, is also emblematic of the lost phallus of Osiris. For those
unfamiliar with the image of Baphomet, the most common image illustrative of this imagined deity comes from the
writings of French occultist, Eliphas Levi:
The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at thetop, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white
moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect
harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyne of
Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the
same symbol. The ame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal
balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the ame, whilst being tied to matter, shines
above it. The beasts head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely
responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to
its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes
eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the
feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne
arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.
Despite the various schools of magical thought, most esotericists and occultists would have seen little problem in the
coming together of symbols since these symbols inundate the foundations of much of our modern magical practice and
are, for the most part, accepted as such. However, I think that the concern by some members in the audience as being
representative of gender disparity in magic, while interesting from a feminist and post-modern perspective, are largely
unfounded in the contextual understanding of the image. To wit, the phallus attached at the end was one of the many
human-shaped gures and was expressly meant to be female in form which occurs often as an expiation of one occult,
and common sexio-magical formula that the male must receive his power from the female if he is to become truly
empowered or initiated among many other possible options. From a Thelemic perspective, British occultist Aleister
Crowley has much to write on the image of the Phallus in modern occultism in The Book of Lies:
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Mighty and erect is this Will of mine, this Pyramid
of re whose summit is lost in Heaven. Upon it
have I burned the corpse of my desires.
Mighty and erect is this Phallus of my Will. The
seed thereof is That which I have borne within me
from Eternity; and it is lost within the Body of
Our Lady of the Stars.
I am not I; I am but an hollow tube to bring down
Fire from Heaven.
Mighty and marvellous is this Weakness, this
Heaven which draweth me into Her Womb, this
Dome which hideth, which absorbeth, Me.
This is The Night wherein I am lost, the Love
through which I am no longer I.
Additionally, the image of the phallus in this context, has been regarded by Crowley as identiable with the image of
the dying god of which Dionysus, Osiris and Christ are the most common examples. Further, following the phallic
image of the caduceus which is most explicitly described in the Levi image, Crowley writes in Confessions:
The caduceus contains a complete symbol of the Gnosis; the winged sun orphallus represents the
joy of life on all planes from the lowest to the highest.
These images, while fraught with some problems in the context of modern queer and feminist theory, is a well-
established idea that I personally (as a cisgender, queer, bio-male) dont nd much objection to especially since, from
the biological principal of these formulae, is precisely what needs to happen for the creation of the magical child. If
there are other formulae, they either havent been written about extensively or dont have the wide-appeal that would
make sense to the general occult audience to be worth mentioning.
Theologically, the performance comes relatively short, but in the end it was never meant to be a theological dialogue
and cannot be judged within a framework apart from that toward which it appeals. To judge it from a Pagan, Christian,
Satanic or any other religious perspective would do an injustice to the performance, art and science of the ritual as well
as to the general understanding that the Esoteric Book Conference is not a pagan event such as PantheaCon, rather a
gathering of occultists and academics concerned with the development, preservation and promulgation of the ideas
and theories of Esotericism.
FILED UNDER GOINGS ON TAGGED WITH EXPERIENCE,RITUAL, MAGIC, OCCULTURE,BOOKS, WRITING,
SYNCRETIZATION,PAGANISM,ESOTERICISM,OCCULTISM, BAPHOMET, GENDER,LGBTQ,SEX MAGIC,ESOTERIC
BOOK CONFERENCE,THEOLOGY,SYMBOLS,PANTHEACON,DIONYSOS, BACCHUS,ORPHEUS,MAENADS,THEATER,
ALEISTER CROWLEY
Registering Spirits, Considerations for Post-Modern Grimoires
SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 2 COMMENTS
With the upcoming Esoteric Book Conference, I nd my thoughts preoccupied with thinking about books and, by
extension, the intense amount of effort that magicians have spent over the centuries in the creation and preservation of
occult texts. All things considered, few things things epitomize the popular image of the magician more than a robedman*, standing in a magic circle, holding a large book in one hand and his wand in the other while shadowy images of
angels and demons surround the periphery of the oratory as he seeks to contact or command representatives of the
celestial and infernal worlds.
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Faust in his Study
While few examples of such texts remain from the medieval age, we have enough evidence to suggest that they haveexisted and the practice of creating such texts is a continuing art among contemporary magicians in one form or
another and, honestly, what modern-day magician doesnt like the idea of having a beautifully bound, hand-written and
illuminated book of conjurations, or Liber Spirituum? In The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, written by pesudo-
Agrippa, an entire chapter is dedicated to outlining how one may make such a text:
There is extant amongst those Magicians (who do most use the ministery of evil spirits) a certain Rite
of invocating spirits by a Book to be consecrated before to that purpose; which is properly called,A
book of Spirits (Liber Spirituum); whereof we shall now speak a few words. For this Book is to be
consecrated, a book of evil spirits, ceremoniously to be composed, in their name and order: whereunto
they binde with a certain holy Oath, the ready and present obedience of the spirits therein written.
Now this book is to be made of most pure and clean paper, that hath never been used before; which
many do call Virgin-paper. And this book must be inscribed after this maner: that is to say, Let there be
placed on the left side the image of the spirit, and on the right side his character, with the Oath above
it, containing the name of the spirit, and his dignity and place, with his ofce and power. Yet very many
do compose this book otherwise, omitting the characters or image: but it is more efcacious not to
neglect any thing which conduceth to it.
Moreover, there is to be observed the circumstances of places, times, hours, according to the Stars
which these spirits are under, and are seen to agree unto, their site, rite, and order being applied.
Which book being so written, and well bound, is to be adorned, garnished, and kept secure, with
Registers and Seals, lest it should happen after the consecration to open in some place not intented
[sic], and indanger [endanger] the operator. Furthermore, this book ought to be kept as reverently as
may be: for i rreverence of minde causeth it to lose its vertue, with pollution and profanation.
Now this sacred book being this composed according to the maner already delivered, we are then to
proceed to the consecration thereof after a twofold way: one whereof is, That all and singular the spirits
who are written in the book, be called to the Circle, according to the Rites and Order which we have
before taught; and the book that is to be consecrated, let there be placed without the Circle in a
triangle. And in the rst place, let there be read in the presence of the spirits all the Oathes which are
written in that book; and then the book to be consecrated being placed without the Circle in a triangle
there drawn, let all the spirits be compelled to impose their hands where their images and characters
are drawn, and to conrm and consecrate the same with a special and common Oath. Which being
done, let the book be taken and shut, and preserved as we have before spoken, and let the spirits be
licensed to depart, according to due rite and order.
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While we can safely assume that few books were made in such an elaborate way, we have no evidence to suggest to
the contrary. Reasonably, I would wager that most of these books would have been less assuming in appearance and,
depending on where and when they were written, would not have been subjected to such formal treatment. Again, I
could be wrong.
Having recently read and re-read Michael CecchetellisCrossed Keys, I found myself thinking about the idea of the
Liber Spirituum and early grimoires not so much as a grammary of magic but as something much more intimate to
the magician and commoner of that age, the personal psalter. These little books in many ways describe to me exactly
what pseudo-Agrippa would have been writing about and would have been just as important to the magician in that
both contain selections of prayers, calendrical tables and illuminations (images and seals of angels and devils).
Typically only the wealthiest of persons would have had access to such beautiful examples as Saint Albans Psalterorthe Belles Heures of Jean de France, but since evidence also suggests that the medieval magician was also most likely
to have been a member of clergy or at least a part of the minor orders of the Catholic Church, its possible that these
people would have had access to the materials in their construction.
Below I include a chart comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between most conventional psalter texts
alongside with descriptions from pseudo-Agrippa on the components of the Liber Spirituum:
Comparative Anatomy of the Grimoire to Psalter
Psalter Grimoire or Liber Spirituum (pseudo-Agrippa, et. Al.)
Calendar of church feasts Moreover, there is to be observed the circumstances
of places, times, hours, according to the Stars which
these spirits are under, and are seen to agree unto,
their site, rite, and order being applied.
Excerpts from the Synoptic Gospels
Little Ofce of the Virgin Mary (No cognate in most grimoires, although version of Ars
Notoria attributed to Mary)
Fifteen Psalms of Degrees Then let him enter the place fasting, and washed, and
let him begin to pray towards the east this whole
Psalm: Beati inmaculati in via, &c. Blessed are the
undeled in the way, &c. (Psal. 119 [Vulgate: 118])
(Psalm 119 mentioned in GKoS et. Al also, used
extensively in angel magic of the 72-letter Name)
Seven Penitential Psalms (Not overtly mentioned in text, but contextually can be
assumed due to presence in other grimoires, e.g.
Greater Key of Solomon, Lemegeton, True Grimoire,
etc.)
Litany of the Saints Conjurations
Ofce of the Dead (no cognate)
Hours of the Cross (see Calendar)
Other prayers Holy prayers and imprecations, as well unto God, as
to the holy Angels and Heroes.
*Plates and Medals
As we can see, there are many similarities in the construction of both texts. Of course, I have taken some personal
liberty in drawing parallels between certain parts, but for the time being I feel that this should provide a basic (though
imperfect) look at the construction of the two.
Today the skill needed to make such a text is more readily available than ever before and while taking a great deal of
time and effort, the materials are not prohibitively expensive depending on how involved you want to make the
process. Learning how to make one can also be a good exercise in ne arts learning calligraphy, the methods of
illumination, even book-binding for those who want to have complete control over every aspect of the process. Any
decent art-store should have the materials needed for converting a good, blank journal into an heirloom for generations
to come and, with advances in paper preservation, most modern texts would last a lot longer than ever before.
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-
*This is not to assume that there havent been female magicians, in fact there have been and independent scholar
Brandy Williams has recently written an entire book on the subject.
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION TAGGED WITH BOOKS,EVOCATION, INVOCATION,OCCULTURE, PRAYER,
RITUAL
Syncretizations of the SaintsSEPTEMBER 2, 2011 7 COMMENTS
In recent years, particularly among religious polytheists, conversation has arisen surrounding reclaiming known feast
days of particular deities from the Christian veneer painted over them, thus allowing them to be once again celebrated
using our calendric system which, in my opinion, seems to make a lot of sense since calculating religious dates can
sometimes become cumbersome depending on the use of particular cultures (e.g. Ptolemaic, Middle Egyptian, and
Akkadian calendars). To my knowledge, however, little has been discussed about converting conventional Christian
images or images from ones prevailing culture and effectively syncretizing them with ones personal deities.
While for some this may be in bad taste at best or meet with accusations of imperializing the religious beliefs of others,
I think in some way that a good argument can be made for doing so. In many cases conventional imagery of non-
Christian deities tends to be relatively expensive and unless one lives in a socially liberal or urban area, it might not be
in ones best interest to openly display objects of devotion openly. While nobody should have to do so out of fear of
persecution, in the world of religion as in art, sometimes the biggest attery can be wholesale imitation of known ideas
and works.
Lately Ive embarked on a personal adventure in re-exploring a series of workings I started last year around this time
focusing on the god-form of Zeus in his syncretization as Zeus (alternately Jupiter) Ammon. While there are some
very good images of Zeus-Ammon available on the internet and in specialty stores, my love for iconography has led
me to use the image of Moses the Law-Giver in my rituals since that particular image conveys to me many of the same
elements as the aforementioned deity and, thankfully to Jeromes terrible translation of Hebrew scriptures into the
vulgate Latin version of the Bible, most traditional images of Moses come complete with horns or beams of light issuing
from his brow something aesthetically in common with the ancient god.
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Coptic icon of Moses the Lawgiver
Below, I propose, a list of other possible syncretizations one may experiment with if so moved from Greco-Egyptian
polytheism:
Popular Deity Catholic Saint Equivalent
Agatha Tykhe Saint Catherine of Alexandria
Anubis Cynocephalic Saint Christopher
Aphrodite Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Virgin Mary)
Asklepios Saint Patrick of Ireland
Bast or Bastet Saint Gertrude of Nivelles
Bes Saint Bessus
Cybele Mary as Theotokos
Demeter Saint Lucy
Dionysus Saint John the Baptist
The Dioskouri Saints Cosmas and Damien
Hades Saint Athanasius
Harpokrates (Heru-sa-Aset) Infant Jesus of Prague
Hekate Our Lady of Czestochowa
Hephaistos Saint Eligius
Hermes Jesus the Good Shepherd
Horus the Elder (Heru-Wer) Imerius of Immertal
Kore-Persephone Saint Philomena
Maat Saint Catherine of Siena
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Poseidon Saint Nicholas
Ptah Saint Joseph the Worker
Ra Saint Thomas Aquinas
Thoth Saint Isidore of Seville
Zeus Moses the Patriarch
There are, of course, many other possible options and this list is by no means denitive, but rather illustrative of some
possibilities that one may wish to experiment with. If anyone does end up taking my suggestions here or has previous
experience doing the same, I would be very interested in sharing notes.
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION TAGGED WITH BLOGOSPHERE,GODS,RITUAL, SAINTS,SYNCRETIZATION
Experimenting With Divination
AUGUST 31, 2011 1 COMMENT
The rst one is drawn from a spell in the Marvelous Secrets portion of the Grimoirum Verum as provided in Petersons
treatise which calls for the magician to trap a spider in a shot glass placed over small pieces of papers, recite the
conjuration and smash the glass which will stun the spider who, upon waking, will scurry around overturning the
papers indicating winning lotto numbers. Interestingly, there may be a correlation between this particular ritual and an
African form of divination called Ngamb where a diviner places palm fronds around a spider hole, places a basket over
the same, and reads accordingly. I fused the two since I a.) am not interested in potentially hurting my tarantula, and
b.) gured it could be expanded in a way consistent with both traditions.
The second is based on a pious Jewish ritual with roots mentioned by Salomo Baal-Shem in his Qabalistic Magic
which involves an invocation of angels and verbal/written formulae. It is also consistent with some spells found in the
Greek Magical Papyri as well as references to divination/scrying found in the Bible. I baptized the bulk of the Jewish
text to t it in with the grimoire work Ive been using although one could easily use the original Jewish text or replace
the primary invocation with the one to Anpw/Anubis found in the PGM. The use of the text of the Gospel of John, I feel,
is an appropriate text due to its theologically mystical nature and that, it itself, seeks to understand the Word of God.
An Arachnomantic Div inat ion
On multiple strips of paper, write your petitions and place them face down on a black handkerchief. Asperse the four
corners of the kerchief with a bundle of mint, majoram, rosemary and rue while saying:
In the name of the Most High, O Theos+, O Ischiros+, O Athanatos+, I purify this ground that it may be a holy place, a
holy ground, like that upon which Jacob laid his head and dreamed and from which Joseph was delivered and gave
prophecy to pharaoh.
Place a large spider in the middle of the kerchief and place a basket over it. Strike the basket three times with your
wand, saying:
Venite! Venite! Venite! Give me the answer!
Leave the basket in place for the span of an evening. When you awake, there will be slips of paper overturned which
will provide you answer.
Divination by the Chalice of Saint John
In a large chalice or urn, ll i t half full with holy water and over that pour an amount of sacred chrism (either anointing
oil as described in Exodus or Abramelin Oil) so that it covers the surface.
In a darkened room, light a single candle and recite theCredo, Pater Nosterand Salve Maria recite the entire rst
chapter of The Gospel of John, from: In principio erat Verbum ending with,Et Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit
in nobis. The entire time, slowly stirring the waters with a skewer.
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Leave the chalice on the table overnight. The papers that sink indicate a negative answer and the papers remaining on
the surface a positive or afrmative. With the skewer, pierce the afrmative answers and hang them above your bed
and you will see these things come to pass. The remaining, take to a cross-road or graveyard, and bury. Make a bath
with the water while reciting Psalm 50, 23, and 150 and you will experience a gift of prophecy.
A brass scrying urn owned by the author, Michael SebastianLx.
FILED UNDER EXPLORATION,RITUAL TAGGED WITHANGELS,BIBLE,CHRISTIANITY, DIVINATION,JUDAISM,
MAGIC,RITUAL
Angelolatry
AUGUST 31, 2011 2 COMMENTS
Angelolatry: worship of angels, 1847, from angel + -latry.
Belief in angels is an accepted and, perhaps, expected accident of monotheism in the post-classical world. According
to a recent poll according to a survey of 1,648 adults, who were asked 350 questions on their religious practices
released in 2008 by Baylor University and subsequently reprinted in the Washington times, as many as 50% of
Americans believe in angels:
Mystical experiences are widespread, said Rodney Stark, co-director of Baylor Universitys Institute
for Studies of Religion Id have guessed 15 percent instead of 55, he added, referring to the 55
percent who claimed angelic protection. This is the taboo subject in American religion. No one studies
it, but there is a lot of it out there. Julie Duin. Half of Americans believe in angels, Washington Times.
09/19/2008
Interestingly, despite the widespread belief in angels, the three monotheisms represented by Judaism, Christianity and
Islam have, at varying points struggled with the roles of angels as represented within the context of their religions
ranging from wholly endorsed petitioning to these celestial messengers to outright prohibition of and condemnation for
those seeking angelic intercession.
Without going too much into the messy theological disputes, I confess that I am an angelolater. While some may take
alarm at this, it provides me a pragmatic and practical connection in the vast webs of spiritual bureaucracies posited by
conventional and occult belief systems and, Ive found, gives me a particular edge in my personal practice. In my youth
and through college, my familys connection to Catholicism instilled in me a deep interest in the symbolism and reality
of angels which is something that I carried over with me in my journey into occultism. In recent years, there appears to
be a resurgence of similar practices to the ones I carry out among more high-prole occultists and co-practitioners
which has been fascinating to read about and exchange knowledge and experiences.
The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, the foundation ritual of post-Enlightenment ceremonial occultism
promoted by the Golden Dawn and its related magical organizations, is perhaps the rst ritual many encounter in
modern magic and contains within it a very explicit process of petitioning the angels Raphael, Michael, Gabriel and
Uriel to protect the magician during their magical undertaking and create an environment free from external (and
internal) psychic interference. Even the diabolical Aleister Crowley held the ritualized invocation of the Holy Guardian
Angel in highest esteem, so much so that he made it a mandatory part of initiation in his A .A system to gauge the
development of initiates. Yet, for all this, angels are treated as some otherworldly other at best, mental construct at
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worst, that are unable to relate to the everyday needs of practitioners except through formal invocation.
In my personal practice, Ive developed a sort of Angelic Psalter that I use in my daily devotional work to help me
connect to these messengers using elements orthodox Christian angelology combined with elements from Solomonic
[1] magical practice. As an example, Ill provide my Wednesday ritual to Michael the Archangel as a template for others
who wish to do similar:
Angelic Psal ter
I rst sprinkle the four corners of my altar with a sprig of rosemary or a combination of vervain , fennel, lavender, sage
(S. ofcinalis or S. apiana), valerian, mint, garden-basil , rosemary, and hyssop and Holy Water I get from a local
Catholic parish while saying:
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, O Lord, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me and I shall be made whiter than
snow.
Next, I bless my general altar incense[2], saying:
The God of Abraham, God of Issac, God of Jacob, + bless here the creatures of these kinds that they may ll up the
power and virtue of their odors; so that neither the enemy, nor any false imagination, may be able to enter into them.
Amen.
Then I exorcise the charcoal, saying:
Bless +, O Lord, this creature of re, and sanctify+ it that it may be blessed to set forth the praise of thy holy name, that
no hurt may come to the exorcist or spectators: through our Lord Jesus Christ +,
Then I bless myself with Holy Water upon my brow and perform the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. After completing
the LBRP, I then pray to the four directions:
O angels spoken of before, be my helpers in these petitions, andcome speedily to my assistance[3]. I adjure and call
you all forth, by the seat of ADONAY, and by HAGIOS, O THEOS, ISCHUROS, ATHANATOS; PARACLETOS, ALPHA
& OMEGA, and by these three secret names: AGLA, ON, TETRAGRAMMATON that you at once fulll what I desire.
I then return to my altar and uncover my talisman to Michael and recite his invocation[4] eight times:
I invoke and conjure thee, O Archangel MICHAEL, in the name of the most ineffable name ELOHIM TZABAOTH, the
Lord of Hosts. O Michael, Prince of the Heavenly Hosts and the Sons and Daughters of God, ruler over the sphere of
Kokab, ruler of this Day, I call your name to offer you praise and thanksgiving for this day over which you rule that I
may be preserved by your presence and guided by your wisdom. Preserve me in the course of my daily activities and
pray to the Lord of Hosts that we may thrust the Evil Urge[5] under our feet, so far conquered that it may no longer be
able to hold men in captivity and harm them. Offer our prayers in the sight of the Most High, so that they may quickly
conciliate the mercies of the Lord; and beating it down that it may no longer hold power over my life. AMEN.
When I feel the angels presence I offer him a glass of water and a candle, saying:
O Michael the Archangel, accept this offering of sacrice and praise to the greater glory of your name. AMEN .
I then spend time in quiet conversation or contemplation. And recite the license to depart:
In the name of the Father+, and of the Son +, and of the Holy Ghost +, go in peace unto your places; peace be
between us and you; be ye ready to come when you are called.
I repeat the LBRP and extinguish the altar candle, leaving the offering candle to burn out on its own.
While it may seem like a fairly involved service, the overall length of time from beginning to end is rarely longer than an
hour roughly the same amount of time spent by particularly devout Christians who practice the Liturgy of the Hours. I
personally nd a great benet to communicating with the angels in this more devotional method since it helps to
solidify my link on earth to the greater schema of the Macrocosm. Even if one doesnt practice it on a weekly basis year
round, it can be benecial for those who are preparing for longer magical operations that require a number of days
worth of preparation.
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Newer posts
Coptic Icon of Michael the Archangel
[1] In this particular case, drawing from The Heptameron, or Magical Elements attributed to Pietro de Abano and a
good chunk of inspiration from Aaron Leitch (if youre reading this I owe you a lot).
[2] Dominican brand incense is a good universal incense, however I use a variation of the Abramelin recipe consisting
of equal parts frankincense, benzoin, aloes and rose.
[3] Personal edit. O angels spoken of before, be my helpers in these petitions, and help me in my affairs and
petitions.
[4] Personal composition.
[5] Yetzer Hara, refers to the inclination to do evil, by violating the will of God. The term is drawn from the phrase the
imagination of the heart of man [is] evil (Hebrew: ,yetzer lev-ha-adam ra), which occurs twice in theHebrew Bible, at Genesis 6:5 and 8:21. Anything that distracts one from following their True Will Thelemites may
compare this to the concept of Chronzon.
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