A Trip Down Memory Lane - Unknown

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1/19

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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2/19

Digital Enchiridion


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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3/19

Digital Enchiridion


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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4/19

Digital Enchiridion


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.


5/19

Digital Enchiridion


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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6/19

Digital Enchiridion


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

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9/19

Digital Enchiridion


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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10/19

Digital Enchiridion


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:


11/19

Digital Enchiridion


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


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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12/19

Digital Enchiridion


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.

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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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Digital Enchiridion


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.

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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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