Magickal Languages

So there I was, procrastinating as usual. I’m supposed to be preparing an important draft for something, but I didn’t really feel like working and was browsing YouTube instead.

“But you said you would be working” says the Higher Self.
“But I hate working. I just want to chill out and relax and eat a chocolate and sleep”
“Then why don’t you? Why are you watching a YouTube video while thinking about work?”
“Well, you got me there. But it’s not even midday”

And suddenly, I saw something that caught my eye. There’s a band called Warduna. It’s a Nordic band who make a lot of folk, pagan songs. If you have ever watched the hit TV series Vikings, then a vast majority of the music in that was made by Warduna.
And they had put out a trailer for a virutal release show called “First Flight of the White Raven”. Basically, it’s a virtual concert. They called it “age defining”, since this is quite a novel, and somewhat revolutionary concept (if they pull it off). Very much in line with the Age of Aquarius which we have now entered into.

But my mind was focused on just one thing, First Flight of the White Raven. Releasing mere days after the Spring Solstice. And so I think to myself “I think the Universe is trying to tell me something”.

For about a month and a half, I’ve been working on the great secret of magick part 2. However, it’s very long and elaborate, and will take longer to complete, making sure all my facts are right. This made me realise that if I focus solely on the longer, elaborate posts, the blog will move along very slowly. Additionally, there are many, many shorter concepts I want to write about. Some I’ve been sitting on for years, and unless I get them out they’ll be on the back-burner forever.

So while you wait for the next part of the secret of magick, here’s a much shorter post.

Secondly, I want to make a short announcement, although a formal one will follow soon. Last July, I published an e-Grimoire titled “The Tree of Life: A Beginner’s Guide”.

I wrote and edited the book myself, and attempted to put a decade of Kabbalistic study into a few condensed pages. However, I am currently editing it, and a new version will be available shortly, Of course, it will be freely available to anyone who has already purchased the book, and those who purchase the book from then on, will receive the second version. There will be corrections, and some new material. I am not satisfied with how certain concepts have been explained, so I will be expanding on various things, and clarifying many more.

Anyway, let’s get to today’s post.

The Evolution of Languages

There are many languages spoken in the world today, and all are different. As far as anyone can guess, human language is extremely unique compared to other animals. We do not know exactly how it came about. The general opinion is that the first humans living on the African continent must have had a single, common language. Then, through migrations and the fracturing and expansion of human culture, languages diverged and evolved separately. This process continues even today, and all new languages are born from older ones. Every language begins as a dialect of an older language, but then if any time is spent separated, they may become completely separate from one another. Sometimes the separation is not so obvious.

The other opinion, of course, is that language emerged independently in many different places. There’s already indication that things like agriculture, writing, the wheel and fire were invented/ discovered multiple times. Meaning these things were discovered independently by different groups at different times. However, language is much more ancient. It’s so ancient that it’s difficult to be sure if there is one, single root language or multiple ones.

Research shows that when a infant is learning to speak, it isn’t making meaningless noises. When it “babbles”, it is slowly going through every single sound that it can make, and from observing its parents it is learning a ‘language’. Basically, it’s almost like you’re born with the ability to pronounce every single imaginable language. As you learn your ‘mother tongue’, your speech becomes more fixed and linear. I mean, to me that sounds like language is not learned, nor inherited. Rather, it is so old it is simply part of our genome. If language really is that old, all of them probably emerged from a single language. Human beings are genetically able to speak language. Sophisticated language is part of our very nature, and it isn’t learned. This may be why it is so hard to ‘teach’ language to animals.

English and Scotts are separate languages, but they are also often treated as just two dialects of the same language. Meanwhile, Urdu and Hindi really are just separate dialects, but treated as different languages due to the script they are written in. Italian and Spanish are completely separate languages, but have common ancestry and are mutually intelligible. Meaning, an Italian can understand a Spanish speaker (to an extent) and vice versa.

Meanwhile, Spanish and Mexican Spanish are the same language, but centuries of separation has almost made them mutually unintelligible. Chinese and Japanese Kanji are the same script and language, but pronounced completely differently. Persian and Russian have a common heritage, but for all intents and purposes they are entirely different.

Hebrew is a derivation of Aramaic and Coptic. Greek is derived from it, and Latin from it. Yet, of these languages only Greek and Hebrew remain commonly spoken, and due to cultural differences you can barely see any similarity.

The point is, there are many, many languages. Some old, some young, and each equally valid to those who speak it. There is a phenomena where if you hear someone speaking a language very differently from you, or speaking your language with an accent, your brain perceives them as being ‘childish’ or ‘uncivilised’.

Throughout history, many cultures have had such tendencies. This is very odd, but you can see why it is such. Maybe our brain perceives a foreign language as “babbling”, and interprets it as the utterances of a toddler. The word “barbarian” literally comes from the Ancient Greeks, who remarked that non Greek languages sounded like gibberish, or ‘bar-bar’. The Ancient Vedic people had a similar term ‘mleccha’ for non-Sanskrit speakers, indicating how the languages sounded crude and random.

In other words, language is intimately tied to culture. We may even say that language IS culture, and most languages evolved with a culture, and are intimately tied to it. The characteristics ascribed to a culture, are also often ascribed to the language. In fact, it is often that the characteristics of the language define many behaviors and mindsets found in it’s speakers.

Language Affects the Brain

The example I gave above is just one example to show how language profoundly affects our brain. This is a known and proven fact that the way we use language determines the way we think, and speaking multiple languages enhances this.

To all magicians and occultists, this should be something to take note of. Our magick is the manifestation of our mind. The way we think, determines our reality. And if our way of thinking is determined by our language, then we’d do well to understand this.

As far as I can tell, there is no clear scientific consensus on this yet, and many opinions, and here I cannot present evidence, but only tell you what I have channeled during magickal work.

Terrence McKenna had once stated “reality is language”. This is a very deep, and profound statement. It means that the reality that an individual lives in, is defined by them. When we label, judge, describe, categories things mentally, we are basically creating our own reality, our own universe. Mercury, the planet ruling speech and communication, also rules magick. Mercury was depicted with winger sandals, because speech is like Mercury. It travels through the air, taking our will and intentions into the Universe, and into the minds of others.

Maybe this is why so many religious scriptures describe the Universe as being “spoken” into existence. Thoth, the Egyptian God who is the Patron of ceremonial magick, is regarded as the throat and voice of Amun-Ra. Da’ath, the most important Sephirah of the Tree of Life, is placed on the throat of the individual. This whole idea of naming, and categorizing things is important.

Speech is also important, and in magick/ yoga you are asked to vibrate words of power for both manifestation and self transformation. During magickal initiation, the student is also encouraged to break down the words they use so carelessly. For example, by not using their own name, or using words like “I” and “me”, they can begin to break down fixed ways of thinking and bring about spiritual evolution. In ancient Egypt, they refused to put negative or horrific events into writing. They realised that language dictated reality, and this is one reason why there is no hieroglyphic depiction of the death of Osiris at the hands of Set, although his resurrections is often shown.

During channeling I was told that language, both in form of speech and writing, dictate our neural pathways, and determines how our mind works. A powerful magician/ yogi can alter reality by mere utterances, and this is also why Adepts remain silent more often than not. They are able to generate a lot of energy, and understand that what they say, will manifest. The purpose of drawing in and building up spiritual energy in oneself is so that it may be projected, in the form of speech.

You remember how, when you were young, you were forced to learn “cursive” writing? Depending on how archaic your education system was, you may or may not have. Those of you who did, may remember that it was a pretty annoying task. For me, I could NEVER get it right. It was very difficult for me to replicate things exactly as I saw them, and this is something that is reflected even today in my artwork (I struggle at still life drawings. I don’t like replication. Instead, I simply use things as reference and draw them spontaneously, building them up from basic forms instead of ‘copying’ them as they are).

Due to this, I was branded as having ‘bad handwriting’ until I was about 11 years old. And in my school, these sorts of things were considered really important for some reason. My mother would often sit me down and make me go through handwriting exercises. But I remained bad, and hated having to replicate the same sentence over and over, and in an exact, pre-specified pattern. When I was in 6th grade, one teacher probably noticed my awful, almost unintelligible notebooks filled with cursive, which often I myself couldn’t read. She called me over and asked if I’d ever considered writing in block letters. No, I hadn’t. She asked me to try it, and the result was almost like magick. After 11 years of painstaking gibberish, the words and letters I made actually looked…clean, and legible. I was rather proud of myself then, and have continued writing in block letters since.

Now consider this: every ancient language, and pretty much every language until the middle ages was written in block letters. The first languages, Sumerian, Harappan, Chinese, Mycenean and Egyptian were all like this. This is largely because cursive was not possible until paper and ink was common, cheap and easy to source. You cannot do cursive on clay, stone or wood.
All ‘magickal’ languages, like Hebrew and Runic, are written in blocks, and not cursive. The greatest Empires of the world, like Rome, used block letters. Enochian, the only magickal language that was directly channeled and is the single most powerful magickal language today, is written as blocs, with no cursive version possible nor available.

Remember that I am simply relaying what was told. I am not criticising anyone. I was told by the Spirits that forcing people to write in cursive is basically a tool of enslavement, and of ensuring obedience. You know how Spirits often tell magicians that we can’t understand certain things because we think in a very ‘linear’ manner? In fact, creativity itself requires lateral, not linear thinking.

Well, I was told that the cursive script basically conditions and programs the brain to think linearly and categorically, and the standardization of cursive script limits individual expression. There’s a reason why magicians, mystics and shamans did not write using cursive or employ repetitive calligraphy.

We are told to write in a fixed, linear pattern. The words are joined to one another, and separated by spaces. Through this, we condition ourselves to view the world categorically, and moving through linear time. The spirits literally called modern English “the language designed for bureaucratic administration“. Recently, I was in the midst of a deep trance, and channeling some stuff from an Enochian King. He paused, and remarked how tedious the English language was. He said that he would much rather speak in symbols or impression, and each impression I received had to be laboriously unpacked into many words. So many words to say so little. So many needless vowels. I asked if I should employ Hindi instead, but no. After that, he encouraged me to write in keywords instead, not using a singe complex term. Problem is, in English only elaborate and complex phrases can be used for intricate ideas. The simple words indicate simple, crude ideas. Unlike in ancient languages, words for complex emotions, concepts and modes of thinking do not exist in modern tongues. This problem is also present in Indian and Middle Eastern languages, such as Hindi, where words are joined using straight lines after being written, and Arabic which generally cannot be written without continuous connection. Arabic and Farsi do not even have bloc forms, as far as I know.

I was told that this makes most languages unsuitable for true magickal use, since a person is simply unable to break away from fixed ways of thinking, even though their mother languages etc. allowed for this. Keep in mind that I’m only referring to the way the scripts are commonly taught, not criticising the languages themselves.

Even previously, the Angels had remarked that many of their teachings were misunderstood along the ages due to the English language. This happened when we were talking about ‘failure’ and they showed annoyance at that word. What even is ‘failure’? The correct words should be success and un-success, they remarked, since a failure is either something that wasn’t meant to be, or something that hasn’t worked out yet. I’d once even asked about free will, asking if we were truly free, or was our life determined. Here too, they shows confusion and discomfort, saying that such a question made no sense.
“When one is in service of their Highest Ideal, then their Will is free. And when not, it is un-free, since it is controlled by lesser ideals and desires” they said.

This reminded me of ancient Sanskrit, where words often were like that. Often, a word would be a concept, and its opposite was the same word, with an ‘a’ or ‘un’ before it. For example

Shubha: Auspicious
Ashubha: Unauspicious

Anta: Ending
Unanta: Not ending (eternal)

Jeevit: Breathing (word for alive)
Ajeevit: Not breathing (word for dead)

Unlike modern Indian languages, which are joined together using strokes and very ornately formed, ancient Sanskrit was written in a much simpler, bloc letters. One such discovered script is Brahmi. Look at the differences between Brahmi, and modern Devanagari, used often for Hindi, Bengali and Sanskrit these days.

I was told that this is why groups like the Golden Dawn insisted on using Hebrew, which is a language free of such cursive repetition and joining. And yet, it has it’s own problems. If you go and try to learn Hebrew, you will most likely be told that you should use a special flat tipped, calligraphy pen. If you’ve ever seen Hebrew letters, you’ll know why. There is a specific way to form each letter, and early in my magickal practice I spent an entire week learning to draw each letter. But it wasn’t perfect, and I don’t use it often. Sometimes, while making talismans, the letters I drew would turn out wonky and imperfect, and this bothered me. Often, I’d even remake entire talismans if I got the lettering wrong or made mistakes.

I was told that this too was just me enslaving myself, and become subservient to arbitrary methods. Lately I’ve been working on a new magickal circle, and was told that I should use the old Aramaic or Coptic script instead of Hebrew. Aramaic is the root of the Hebrew script, and is written as bloc letters. I’ve often seen advanced magicians using it in place of the modern Hebraic script. I was also told to write Hebrew plainly, and without any elaborate flairs.

These dogmas and ‘sophisticated’ methods were originally out of necessity. The ancient Hebrew scholars would have used flat tipped reed pens, hence their specific style of writing. Today, it makes no sense for us to buy special calligraphy pens.

I was told that one language which had escaped this treatment was Japanese. Anyone who knows a bit about Japan and Japanese will know that Shinto is among the few religions where magick, spirituality and religion are still enmeshed and unseparated. Japan is also the centre of a staggering amount of occult activity, and many occultists. Far, FAR more than anywhere else, except maybe Northern Europe. Somehow, Japanese enables its users to more easily understand magick.

Japanese is a complex language, containing 3 separate scripts. Kanji is the Chinese characters which were carried over into Japanese. It is a pictorial language, rather than alphabetical. Yet, it also has an alphabetical counterpart (unlike Chinese) called hiragana. Most Japanese know roughly 1000 Kanji, and each characters represents a concept. Words and sentences are the expressions of compound concepts, made from simpler concepts. Sometimes, even simple Kanji are put together to form more complex Kanji. Words can be interpreted many different ways, and there is a great ability to play around with and use words in interesting and unique ways, making literature and poetry quite interesting. It is a language that conditions the brain to be fluid, open minded and lateral. This is perhaps why Japanese culture encourages creativity and problem solving far more.

And yet, I was told that even here there was an problem. When I was learning Japanese, one thing that struck me as odd is that Kanji must be drawn in a very specific way. Meaning, you don’t just draw what you see. Instead, there is a fixed sequence and hand motion that is made for every stroke or every character. Yes, it is exactly as crazy as it sounds. Imagine if there was a single way to draw the letter “A” and every stroke had to be memorised, and most native speakers could tell if it was drawn wrongly. Additionally, many rules and regulations exist in how the language must be used, and there’s many, many ways to offend people. This is one of the reasons I haven’t done any Japanese study in about 10 months. I simply did not have the time to memorise how to draw the Kanji.

The sequence of strokes is again, simply the carrying on of an old tradition. In old days, Kanji were written using an ink brush. The strokes and their order was simply to ensure the letter was clean, used minimal ink and did not smudge. In modern times, it is senseless and needless, as are many feudal formalities and behaviors.

The Enochian King told me “do not get obsessed with methodical and intricate ways of doing things”.

I was told calligraphy may be used as an art form, but here it should be an individual expression. So it should not have dogmatic or rigid methods that have to be adhered to. It really does not matter how you form letters as long as you can read it. If you want to be artistic about it, it should be a personal, artistic expression, not a repetition of someone else’s methods.

Language has become a tool of enslavement and control. As George Orwell would say, by controlling language, you control the mind. You control thought, and the ability to think. In order to keep a population in check, language is the best thing to standardize. At this point, the Angels tell me to just create my own language and use it for channeling and magick. This brings me to a new point.

Sacred and Mundane Languages

Anyone who has practiced any spiritual path will see a rather odd occurrence. Very often, we use ‘exotic’ terms within spirituality and magick, often words that originate from the culture where the tradition comes from.

For example, I am an initiate of Hermetic Kabbalah. And yes, Hebrew and Coptic are given tremendous importance, and frequently used in ritual. For Rosicrucians, this may be Greek and Latin.

If you practice Yoga or Tantra, chances are your tradition employs many Sanskrit and Tibetan words. With Daoist and Shaolin traditions, it’s Chinese. With many neo-pagan traditions, it’s old Norse and Greek, and so on.

Why? Is it just exoticism? Just because these languages feel ‘fancy’.

Sometimes, this is absolutely the case.

Vincent Bridges, a great Occultist from recent times, once stated that Sanskrit, Hebrew, Tibetan, Persian and Ancient Greek are all highly effective languages for “programming the Matrix” (for doing Magick). It’s not just these languages that work, but he picked out these languages since they are ancient.

It is not that ancient languages are better. But we can imagine that language was historically used for both mundane life, as well as for sacred ritual work. Naturally, the documents and manuscripts which were often recorded and preserved related to the sacred part of life. The Vedas, the Book of the Dead, the Shabaka Stone, all of these are highly mystical and mythological in nature, partly because the ancients believed that these things needed to be preserved and replicated.

Second came legal and political documents, but these are generally simple and contain lists, inspections and such. I think the Sumerians are one culture which seem to have produced more legal and political documents, than spiritual ones. They really liked taxation.

Documents of mundane activities were, perhaps, not so important. Even if this was put to writing, it was unlikely to be, say, placed in a Temple and preserved for centuries. Ask yourself, what is our primary source for studying ancient Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic? Well, it’s the Jewish and Gnostic holy scriptures, documenting their rituals and containing magickal symbolism of the old Hebrew mystics. You probably won’t find the personal diary of some random Hebrew peasant who worked as an ironsmith.

Put simply, we use ancient languages in magick because they represent that language used in its most exalted and sacred state, designed specifically for ritual work. Often, it contains words of power and other important concepts in an unaltered state. Indeed, the Golden Dawn believed that Hebrew was descended from ancient Egyptian, and that the Hebrew godnames were, in truth, Egyptian words of power, which had remained unchanged, even as the language had evolved.

Samuel Mathers had once remarked “..for Hebrew is but a copy of Egyptian, and a many times faulty copy at that, save the holy names of God..”. This mentality is not new, and has been common throughout history. In medieval Europe, Kabbalists would often use Hebrew since it was considered sacred, even when the language was not native to them. The Catholic Church still insists on using Latin for its ritual ceremonies. We can imagine that when the Roman Church was founded, Latin was used simply because it was most common in Rome and surrounding regions. But the Church preserved its sacred Latin perfectly, while the common Latin continued to evolve and eventually became various different European languages, and most people could no longer understand the sacred hymns. A similar thing happened in India, where Vedic Sanskrit was carefully preserved, only for ritual use. Common Sanskrit, which is called Prakrit, was used by ordinary people and evolved to become the various languages spoken today in North India.

So, are ancient languages better than modern languages? Not precisely. Rather, some languages are better for use in magick, because of how they influence the brain. Sacred and magickal languages tend to have unique properties and characteristics, and their usage conditions the user’s mind to comprehend and perceive spiritual phenomena. It just happens so that most of these languages are ancient, but many are more modern too. Take the Theban script, for example, or Enochian. The language is not sacred because it is ancient, but because it is powerful and exalted. And if a language truly is powerful, it is likely to be preserved in a more exalted state over long periods of time, while mundane languages grow out of it, evolve, and fade away. This is why Latin is still around and used for rituals, more or less exactly as Romans used it, while the much more recent Anglo-Saxon is a dead language, and has been replaced by English.

The Pronunciation of Magickal Languages

Finally, we have come to the last and most important part, the usage of magickal language.

First, I would like to draw your attention to Hebrew. Hebrew scriptures tells us that YHVH is a powerful godname. It is a word of power that is ineffable, meaning ‘unpronounceable’. There is some evidence that YHVH is derived from a very ancient expression of divinity in that region.

But Judaism has made an error. It has mistaken “cannot be pronounced” with “should not be pronounced”. Like most modern religions, mainstream Judaism is more concerned with adhering to outdated tenets than actual, magickal work. So, many Jews simply do not pronounce the name, and call it Tetragrammaton instead. Christians just crudely butcher it as ‘Jehovah’ or ‘Yahweh’.

Even in the Golden Dawn, the Adepts either did not understand this, or (more likely) they DID understand the truth but did not put it into writing. They pronounced it as ‘Yehovah’. By the way, for most magickal purposes you should use this pronunciation, since it is a word free from religious connotations, and unlike the previous two terms its energy has not been tainted by dogma.

You see, I discovered in my channeling (and also working with a more experienced channeller) that there are two ways of using magickal languages, and this was their intended use.

The first is what I have decided to call ‘the guttural noises’. When the magician enters into a deep trance, he begins doing what Christian mystics call “speaking in tongues”. No, there is no difference between “divine” and “demonic” speech. It’s all just various different forms, depending on what the magician, mystic or yogi is invoking. In this state, the words spoken by the magician are difficult to ascertain.

What you’ve probably commonly seen is not the true version, but rather a tame version, where conscious effort is made to ‘speak gibberish’ and enter into trance. However, this is not guttural noises, but barbarous speech instead. Barbarous because it’s literally gibberish, and designed to enter trance and ‘turn off’ the conscious ego. The barbarous names from the Bornless Ritual are these. However, the guttural noises I’m talking about happen in deep trance, and naturally. It’s practically impossible to decipher or record it, and even if the best attempt was made, it would merely be a meaningless string of letters, which would seem un-pronounceable. It sounds very similar to the way that Serpent tongue thing was depicted in Harry Potter, whose name I cannot recall. It’s also similar to the “black speech” from Lord of the Rings (which, by the way, is a fantastic depiction of how magick works, if you read the books).

THIS is the truth behind the “ineffable” names of God, such as YHVH. Even if I wanted to tell you how to pronounce it, I couldn’t. But if you Will yourself to read it in deep trance, you’ll be able to, as well as learn the true pronunciation of other words of power. Of course, don’t worry about not being able to. This is one of the purest forms of speech with Higher powers, since they do not speak in language or symbols, but rather in impressions. These noises are simply manifestations of those impressions, which are understood by the speaker in quick succession. In a few utterances, the speaker, even in trance, understands the full context of the message being delivered. Vibrating the names normally also has power, and most magicians will spend years vibrating words of power before they learn to enter deep enough trance to make the guttural noises, and this is totally normal and the experience for everyone. No matter how you pronounce them, words of power are words of power, and can be vibrated. Intent and emotion contain the real force behind them.

This brings me to the second mode of magickal speech, which I call “mystic vibrations”.

Consider the human throat, vocal chords, mouth, tongue and lips to form a complex, elaborate and wonderful musical instrument. It is simultaneously a wind instrument and a string instrument. Like a trombone, flute and harp all merged as one. The guttural noises are made by the throat, blowing out air. The contractions of the throat form words, and the tongue and mouth push it out. The vibrations, then, are musical notes played by the vocal chords. Here, trance is not needed, but helps. Keep in mind that I am not a singer, and have no formal training. Generally, I can’t raise my voice beyond a single octave. However, when I am in deep meditation I can go up and down the octave with ease, even playing little melodies with them as I would on my guitar.

The musical notes and keys, of course, are related to the 7 Chakras, and 7 Septenary spheres in various ways. There are seven notes in your standard octave 9since the 8th is simply the first note of the next octave). They relate to the 7 chakras.

The most effective usage of this was in ancient Greece, where they employed various “modes of chanting” to invoke the energies of the Seven planets, This practice was later adopted by both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, and even today these “Gregorian modes” are used very, very effectively to invoke planetary energies, and I am certain that many Christian mystics are also aware of this. However, the most potent mode of this chanting I have ever encountered was by the early Satanic folk movements of the mid-20th century. Since it is “Gregorian”, you can bet the Cathars had a hand in reviving it.

Perhaps, if you had a key, or created one, you could translate magickal languages like Hebrew, Sanskrit and Runic into musical notes. You could then, perhaps, arrange and compose melodies using the Gregorian modes of chanting. You could play this on an instrument, or those of you who can actually sing well could use this to chant. If I can generate as much energy as I do by merely going up and down a single octave, imagine what a proper singer could do with 5 octaves.

Perhaps, the purest magickal language would be a combination of both guttural noises and mystic vibrations. I have often heard that something of the sort is done in Mongolian throat singing, but I don’t know enough about it to confirm. I can, however, confirm that I have witnessed an arrangement of Chinggis Khaani Magtaal being used to channel Chinggis Khan himself (who, by the way, was a Shaman and ascended master. His history and life is grossly distorted, since the Mongols, like Vikings, did not write their own histories and all history comes from accounts by their enemies. Despite the efforts of historians, popular myths stick around. I will soon have a complete article on Tengri shamanism). Maybe, if there is a Mongolian throat singer reading, you could try this.

Now, guttural noises can only be used in trance. Enter into trance and have, say, Hebrew godnames before you. Have these as they are in ORIGINAL Hebrew, meaning without vowels. So, rather than Yehovah, Adonai, Ahaayah and Agla, just have YHVH ADNI AHIH AGLA. In trance, attempt to speak them. Call for guidance if you must, and you shall pronounce them correctly.

As for musical keys, I will leave that to another time.

Artificial Languages and Daily Life

There are many artificial languages in the world, made for various purposes. Many of you have perhaps seen LOTR or read the works of J.R.R Tolkien. All the languages depicted in his stories are real languages, and he put a lot of effort into them. In fact, there’s a joke that he didn’t create the languages for the stories, but rather created the stories so he’d have somewhere to use his languages.

The most famous are, of course, Theban and Enochian. Theban is not really a language, but rather a cypher system. Meaning it’s still English, but written with an alternative script. I’m pretty sure the occultist Donald Tyson has also created a similar set of glyphs.

But Enochian is truly unique. It is a complete, comprehensive language, and very similar to the condensed, ancient languages like Sanskrit or Egyptian. Perhaps if one could learn and use it, it would condition our minds to be very much aligned with magick. Sadly, I do not know of any such attempts made to teach the language or use it in daily speech. However, there is still something we can learn from all this.

First, it is entirely possible to create a system of glyphs for your personal use, like Theban is. It is also possible to create or channel a language entirely of your own for magickal use. It may take a little study of linguistics. At the very least, knowing more than one language helps, but Tolkien made several. I don’t see why you can’t make one.

The ancient, sacred languages are condensed and simple. Meaning you can say a lot with just a few words. They are usually written with bloc letters (Hebrew/Sanskrit) or pictorial symbols (Japanese) where each letter/symbol represents a whole concept in and of itself, and words are compounds of concepts, while sentences are an expression of multiple concepts. This is very sophisticated compared to modern, alphabetical language use. We use many words to say little, and lack words to express complex emotions, and express things not as fluid concepts, but as categorical “objects” which all proceed from each other in a linear fashion. We express things as they happened or things as they are, rather than ideas and impressions and emotions. It is very obsessed with categories, labels and the idea of reality being fixed and systematic, with a hard separation between past, present and future. Very un-magickal.

For this I have no remedy, I can only share my own experiences. Reading lots of magickal literature, and especially invocations written by the Golden Dawn, has had an effect on me, and that ornate, grimoire style of English comes very easily to me these days. I mean, yeah, 8 years of study of magickal literature will do that. I find this English to be more refined, and when I go into my ritual space and start doing magick, I can switch to this style of speech almost spontaneously, on a whim.

This is generally the way I speak during ritual, but never in daily life. This keeps the style ‘sacred’ and free of profanity. In daily life, I take a very different approach.
Additionally, I try to avoid speaking about things that I don’t want happening, especially to other people or online. Words have power, and the intention of others has even more power. I also avoid listening to or filling my head with disempowering thoughts, ideas and symbols. I try to use simple, straight forward vocabulary, to keep mainly my own mind clear about what I want and what I mean. I try to speak less, and don’t waste energy talking about pointless things. Sometimes, I do get lost in thought or conversation, but this leaves me a bit drained, and I abstain from speech after this. Finally, learning other languages has helped me open and expand my mind to other ways of thinking about the world. I’ve found Japanese to be especially interesting, and very different from my usual speech. It’s a shame I haven’t had much time to study it since last July.

I have said my piece.

Until Next Time
White Raven Invictus

Ritual of the Central Pillar

The Tree of Life is a symbolic representation of the whole of reality, and a map that enables the magician to traverse his entire Being.

This ancient symbol rests upon an even more ancient symbol, called the two Pillars. These represent the fundamental dual forces that exist at the beginning of time. The first disparity. Light and Dark, Life and Death, Order and Chaos.

Together, they produce the third, Middle Pillar. This Pillar does not, in truth, exist. However, though it is a mere illusion, it is the path of Enlightenment, Liberation and Immortality. It is the path of Magick, from where the Higher descends into the Lower, and the two mingle and unite at it’s centre.

Given here is the Ritual of the Central Pillar. It is to be used for invoking the Divine, and can be thought of as being similar to the Bornless Ritual, the Pentagram Ritual, or any other preliminary ritual mean to unite the Individual with his or her Higher Self. Anyone is free to use it, or make alterations and use it as a guide. In magick, nothing is set in stone.

Throughout this ritual, the magician is called to use his name, or magical motto/craft name. Here I have used mine (although White Raven is simply my name for this blog, not my actual motto). You should use your own, or any symbolic name.

The ritual contains English, Latin and Hebrew, along with some Coptic for specific Egyptian terms. The Hebrew godnames should be vibrated. The Coptic terms may not be vibrated, but should be chanted clearly and with respect. The Latin and English should be spoken with authority. The original version that I use also contains Enochian, but I have omitted them here since they require the use of the Enochian tablets, which not everyone uses.

The Latin and Coptic can be translated into English, and I have given their meanings next to them. In fact, the entire ceremony can be further translated into any language that is comfortable to the user. However, the Hebrew Godnames (which are all in bold) must be left as they are, and never distorted. Their correct pronunciation is given as well.

The Ritual

The Oath

  1. I call upon thee, oh Ancient One
  2. Thou maker of the black and the white
  3. Thou producer of dry and moist
  4. Thou that didst birth the Cosmos and the World
  5.  I call thee by thine name, ASAR UN NEFER! (Myself Made Perfect)

The Greatest and Deepest Truth!

  1. Thou art the Devourer of Flesh!
  2. Thou art the Conqueror of Spirit!
  3. Thou redeemer of the righteous, and burner of the fallen!
  4.  Thou madst the Man and the Woman
  5. Partaking of the Knowledge of Infinity
  6. Standing upon the Saints, and the Beasts!

I am thy emissary, who hast willingly set foot into this Ancient Temple! W.R.I is my name!
Hear me, thou who holdest the elixir born of the mud, the Light of the Life!
Thou art the Serpent who hosteth the Blood, the Blood that maketh the Man! Isis-Apophis-Osiris

Air

  1. Te Invoco! Lux Resergens! (Light Ressurected)
  2. Te Invoco! Vitae Essentia! (Essence of Life)
  3. Te Invoco! Ignis Spiritus Tempestus (Bringer of Storms)
  4. Semper Fluentem! Absit Extendentem (Ever flowing, far reaching)
  5. Cognitor Veritatis! De Catonis Ruptor (Knower of Truths, breaker of chains)
  6. Excita et Somnus! (awaken from sleep)

AHIH! YHVH ALHA va DA’AT
(Ah-hah-yah, Yehovah Eloha va daath)

The Lord of All things is Thee! Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

Fire

  1. Te Invoco! Rex Invictus! (Unconquered King)
  2. Te Invoco! Gladio Indomitus (Sword Indomitable)
  3. Te Invoco! Ignis Immortalis! (Undying Flame)
  4. Lux in Tenebris! Tepor ad Frigus! (Light in Darkness, Warmth in Cold)
  5. Vita Statore! Nequam Vestabat! (Sustainer of Life, Destroyer of the Worthless)
  6. Excita et Somnus!

IAH! YHVH ALHIM!
(Yah, Yehovah Elohim)

The Lord of All things is Thee! Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

Water

  1. Te Invoco! Mater Secretorum! (Mother of Secrets)
  2. Te Invoco! Bonae Vitae! (Nourisher of Life)
  3. Te Invoco! Domine Stellarum! (Lady of the Stars)
  4. Profundum Aeternam! Infinitum Firmamentum! (Depth Eternal, Expanse Infinite)
  5. Amor Autem Resistis! Solvet Circumscriptio! (Bringer of Love, Dissolver of Boundaries)
  6. Excita et Somnus

ASRA! SHADDAI Al Chai!
(Asherah, Shaddai El Chai)

The Lord of All things is Thee! Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

Earth

  1. Te Invoco! Mariae Eterna! (Eternal Virgin)
  2. Te Invoco! Medicus Dolorem! (Healer of Sorrows)
  3. Te Invoco! Vas Autem Sanguinis! (Vessel of the Holy Blood)
  4. Mater Dracones! Divina Antiqua! (Mother of Dragons, Divine Consort)
  5. Domina Voluptati! Sanctificetur Sacrificium (Lady of Pleasure, Holy Sacrifice)
  6. Excita et Somnus

ADNI Ha’Aretz! ADNI Mal’akh!
(Adonia Ha-aretz, Adonai Malakh)

The Lord of All things is Thee! Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

(Everything in italics should be spoken as if it were being said to the magician by another, distant and powerful voice)

Spirit

Holy art thou!

  1. Oh Lord of the Everlasting Embers!
  2. Oh Mighty Depth of Eternity!
  3. Thou mighty tempest, from whom nothing can hide!
  4. Hear me, oh Glorious Beast with the Deafening Roar!
  5. Almighty, All knowing Truth! Eternal Way of Light! Unity of the Aeons, oh Shepherd of Humanity, I call unto thee by Thy Name, IAO! YHSVH YHVSH! (Yehoshuah Yehovashah)

This is the Almighty One, before whom all shall tremble!
This is the Eternal Way, which leads all to Truth!
This is the Mystery of Ancients, which none shall ever Know!

This is He who Spake the first Word, and who raised the first mound from the Waters of the Abyss!

Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

Hear me!

  1. My inner strength and guiding light!
  2. The everloving waters that dwell in my being!
  3. The twin pillars of wisdom and understanding!
  4. Oh golden one, who bestoweth the favours of love!
  5. Oh majestic warrior that destroyeth my foes!
  6. Oh indwelling of dreams and visions profound!
  7. Thou cosmic rebel who gave me the flame!
  8. Oh horned God of my lust and power!
  9. My teacher and immortal mentor!
  10. The secrets that are deep within my being!
  11. The cosmic scale that brings me balance!
  12. Oh eternal virgin, and my purity of purpose!

AIMA ELOHIM!

Communion

(The following should be whispered)

  1. I call him, who bellows in the place of desolation!
  2. I call her, the horned one, the first and true Creator!
  3. I call her, who burns away inequity without equal!
  4. I call him, whose name is unchanged from what it was!

I am now dead.

  1. Let me be reborn.
  2. Let me be granted the Eyes of God, so that I may look upon the splendor of the Cosmos.
  3. Let me be granted Speech, to convey the divine Will.
  4. Let me be granted a Heart, to love those who could not be loved.
  5. Let me be granted Strength, to fight for that which is True.
  6. Let me have a Guiding Light, that I may never go astray.
  7. Let my body be a pure Temple of the Mysteries.

I now quit the Night and seek the Day!

AHIH (to be chanted 33 times, or longer, until communion is successful. Then stand)

Attainment

  1. I am He! the Bornless Spirit! having sight in the feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire!
  2. I am He! the Truth!
  3. I am He! Who hates that evil should be wrought in the World!
  4. I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth!
  5. I am He, from whom is the Shower of Life of the Earth!
  6. I am He, whose mouth ever flameth!
  7. I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light!
  8. I am He, The Grace of the Worlds!
  9. “The Heart Girt with a Serpent” is my name!
  10. I walk upon the Earth and in Heaven, forever and ever more!

KHABS AM PEKHT (Light in Extension)

Charge

Awaken within me, the primal urge of Evolution and Transcendence! Open my Eyes to the Truth, and grant me the authority to command all that ever was, is, and will be. Let all the cosmos and anti-cosmos bow to me, and all things made manifest by my Will. Let all beings of all planes be subject unto me! AMEN!

Proclamation

On this day I am born again, on this night I have known the secret.
I have come into this world to find the sacred path
Now that path lays open before me, illuminated by sacrifice.

I was consumed and I was devoured, and burnt away into ashes
I was cast into darkness where I have known the deepest of sorrow
Now I am released, stronger than all who came before me.

I become the shining Light, who walks the path of Truth
Blessed by the brilliant, ineffable glory that shines deep within
Now I proclaim my name, and let it be heard for aeons to come.

My name is White Raven Invictus

L.V.X
I.A.O
A.U.M

Performance and Meaning

The ritual itself is quite fluid, and can be adapted in various ways. For example, you can circumambulate your magic circle during the parts for the four elements (Air in the East, Fire in the South, Water in the West, Earth in the North). You are free to move around, or include any extra motions, salutations or gestures. You can also use idols or images to represent each of the 4 elements.

By the way, the entire ritual refers to the Divine as “He”. Needless to say, if you’re a woman, change this to “She”. The Higher Self should be regarded in the way most comfortable and meaningful to your personally. The only exception is the first section under “Communion”.

During the last section of “Spirit”, we are calling on the forces of the 12 Zodiac, starting with Leo and moving counter clockwise, ending with Virgo. During this portion, Tarot cards representing each of the Zodiac signs may be used, and further cards may be placed on the altar for the 4 elements and Planets.

During the second list under “Communion”, there are 7 statements. Each of these refers to one of the 7 chakras, and these should be visualised in brilliant white light, moving from the Crown to the Root. So, when you say “Let me be reborn”, visualise the crown chakra glowing brilliantly. On the next statement, “Let me be grated Eyes…etc” visualise this bright light moving further into the 3rd Eye Chakra, and so on, until you reach the end. Each Chakra should be visualised as a perfect, white sphere.

This ritual can be combined with a Catholic style Eucharist. I know Catholics aren’t the only ones to do this, but that’s one example everyone will know. In this case, a glass of water, juice or wine may be charged with the energy of each element. When you say “I quit the Night and Seek the day”, consume this oblation.

Personally, I’d just use water. But, if I’m doing a the ceremony in a very formal way, I will charge different ingredients for each element and put them into a central bowl. For example, when I am reciting the section for Air, I will visualise energy going into a small bowl of cinnamon I have kept to the East of the Altar. Or you can even draw the invoking Air pentagram over it. Then, when I vibrate the Godnames for Air, I add some of this this charged cinnamon into a central bowl. Then I do the same for Fire, using chilli pepper. For water, I will add the Wine (which is the main basis of the drink) and Salt for Earth. Then, I will visualise visualise white energy charging the whole drink at the Spirit section. Finally, I shall drink the whole thing at the Communion, right before chanting “AHIH” 33 times. The wine and the cinnamon give a calming effect and pleasant smell, while the chilli and salt are painful and give a kick. Thus, the two Pillars of Life and Death. The sensation produced this way is very powerful.

Why 33 times? Well, with each recitation, I would visualise the Tree of Life forming around my body. The Tree of Life has 32 Paths, and the 33rd refers to the Tree as a whole. It may take a bit of memorisation, but remembering the order of the Paths is not that hard. The key is to keep reciting until you feel like you’ve connected with the Divine energy. The term translates to “I Am”.

The “Attainment” should be done after this, when communion has been attained. Chant “AHIH” more than 33 times if necessary, but do so until you feel a powerful sensation, and feel like you are closer to the Divine. Only you can know when this is. Once you feel, stand up straight, with your chest puffed out. The Attainment and sections after that should be done standing up, while everything prior to that should be done kneeling down. The ritual can be part of a larger ritual if needed, and any preliminary banishings and invocations should be done beforehand.

The language that I have used is specially designed to be evocative to a modern magician, and ignite their imagination. You see, all religious and spiritual prayers and hymns have this purpose. You can be sure that when Christian prayers were originally convinced, they gripped the fancy of the Romans and Jews, and seemed very arcane and mystical. However, as time goes on these prayers become more and more mainstream, and lose that fantastical element, until they end up being boring and tedious. Even invocations from just 100 years ago, such as the Bornless ritual, seem dated and mundane to us. They have lost their mystique and charm as time goes on. This is why all the language in this ritual is the way it is. This is my best attempt to impress upon the 21st century mind. This is also why Latin has been used.

The Latin intended to be used here is Imperial Latin (as it was spoken by Romans), rather than the soft Ecclesiastical Latin used today by the Church. It’s entirely up to you how you pronounce it. But if possible, try to pronounce it in imperial Latin, which sounds sharp and authoritative. By the way, “Te Invoco” simply means, “I Invoke Thee”.

You will notice one of the final sections is straight from the Bornless Ritual. These are 9 proclamations, each corresponding to one of the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. I have added a 10th for Malkuth. In my opinion, this section is already fantastic and there is nothing I could come up with that was better.

The first section under “Communion”, which is to be whispered, are a translation of the Enochian calls for the four quarters. Even if you have Enochian tablets, or use Enochian magick, I suggest reciting these in English. This section isn’t meant to be Enochian.

The term “Yeheshuah Yehovashah” is complicated, and I want to speak as little as I need to about it. Basically, some of you may reognise it as a title for Jesus Christ, and may mistakenly think this Ritual is Christian.

Here’s the thing: YHVH is the symbolic Hebrew name of the Tetragrammaton, spelt with the letters Yod-He-Vau-He. Each letter represents one of the 4 elements (Fire, Water, Air, Earth). The letter Shin represents spirit, and its insertion into the name YHVH represents the descent of Spirit into Matter. In other words, it’s a symbolic name. It is not actually the name of Jesus. We already know “Christ” is a title, given to him by the Gnostics probably 200 years after he died. “Jesus” may also have been just a title. Heck, for all we know he was never called by that name, and the name only came around centuries later by Gnostics and Kabbalists who wished to use this figure as a symbol for their saviour.

Rosicrucians use the name YHSVH YHVSH as a symbolic name, or title for Jesus/Yeshua, whom them consider to be the Master. Other Kabbalists even use the name to refer to the gods Horus, or Dionysus, or simply the Messiah from Judaism. The name is a title, and is symbolic of the Higher Self. It does not specifically refer to Jesus, and this is not an intrinsically Christian ritual. Nor is it intrinsically Jewish, Pagan or Egyptian. It just is what it is.

Finally, the ritual should be ended by proclaiming the terms L.V.X, I.A.O and A.U.M. You can either state every letter (el-vee-ex, i-ay-oh, ay-yu-em), or pronounce them as words (Lux, Iao, Aum). The final word AUM can also be chanted. In this case, let it be long and sonorous, as resonate with your whole body. It is the sacred sound of the Universe.

Happy New Year
May this Decade be Fun

Until Next Time
White Raven Invictus

An Ancient Egyptian Initiation Ritual

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) is a well known and common magick ritual. These days, its even begun to enter mainstream spiritual thought. The ritual was originally created by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn to banish spiritual energy and clear a space.

The LBRP is well known not just because is is an energy clearing ritual, but also because it lays out the format for various other rituals, both greater and lesser. It was originally a Golden Dawn ritual, but Pagans, Satanists, Thelemites and various other minor Temples and traditions use this format. It also incorporates many different systems, and this gives it some sort of universal appeal.

I’m sure a majority already know it, but to recap, the ritual goes like this:

Kabbalistic Cross (Part I)

Face EAST.

Visualise a brilliant ball of light floating above your forehead, about 12 inches in diameter.

Using either a dagger, or your middle and index finger, reach up and draw the light down to your forehead.

Vibrate ATAH

Touch your solar plexus, visualising the light travelling down your body to form a similar ball under your feet.

Vibrate MALKUTH

Touch your right shoulder, visualising another ball of light.

Vibrate VA-GEBURAH

Touch your left shoulder, visualizing the light travelling across your chest to another sphere.

Vibrate VA-GADULAH

Clasp your hands at your chest, and vibrate LA-OLAHM

Now say AMEN.

Invoking the Watchers (Part II)

Once again, with your dagger and index/middle finger, point outward. Now, trace the Banishing Pentagram of Earth (beginning at the bottom left, moving to the top point).

Once it is traced, stab it in the middle, and see it burst into white flames. As you do so, vibrate YHVH (Pronounced YEHOVAH)

Now turn clockwise to the South, tracing a quarter circle with your dagger/fingers, and do the same.

This time, vibrate ADNI (Pronounced ADONAI)

Continue clockwise to the West, and do the same.

Vibrate AHIH (Pronounced AHA-YAH, or Ehee-yeh for anglophones)

Finally, continue to the North. This time, vibrate AGLA.

Continue clockwise to the East, completing the circle you were tracing.

Now say the following:
“To my right, MIKHAEL
(vibrate the name of the archangel, while visualising the towring figure of Mikhael appear to your right. Repeat the same for the other three archangels)
“To my left, URIEL
“Before me, RAPHAEL
“Behind me, GABRIEL

(Mikhael and Raphael are generally seen as male, Gabriel and Uriel as female)

Spread your legs and your arms, as if forming a pentagram with your body. Now visualise a white burning pentagram, similar to the ones you traced superimposed on yourself, and also focus on the four Pentagrams you traced previosuly.

“For about me flames the Pentagram”

Visualise a Hexagram burning at your chest. This can be the GD Hexagram, or just white.

“And within me shines the Six Rayed Star”

Visualise a brilliant column of light shining within you, travelling infinitely upward and downward.

Finally, repeat the Kabbalistic Cross (Part III)

Thus concludes the well known LBRP.


Uses of the Pentagram Rituals

As we saw, this was the banishing ritual. In order to do the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, all we’d need to do is replace the banishing pentagram of the Earth with an invoking one (starting at the top point, moving towards the bottom left point). While the LBRP is a general banishing, the LIRP is a general invocation.

The reason the Earth pentagram is used, is because it is the lowest element, and thought to “contain” the other 3 elements within it. This is also why it is a white pentagram (if we were to invoke Earth separately, we’d use green and black pentagrams).

Many magicians will start the day with a LIRP, and do an LBRP before they sleep. This draws in spiritual energy to start the day off, and ends the day by clearing all energies from their mind and environment. It’s not too different from working out in the morning, and meditating or reading a book before sleep (or…drinking coffee in the morning and alcohol at night).

You can try this out for a week or so, and see how it works.

I want to provide a Initiation ritual that utilises the Egyptian gods along with the Invoking ritual of the Pentagram. It is based on a Sumerian ritual, but I always found the Egyptian deities resonate more with hermetic and kabbalistic work (for ME personally).

This ritual is to be every single day until the effects are felt, and serves as a simple initiation into the Hermetic tradition. It also draws in energy, so it is a good ritual for anyone who works with pagan, thelemic, kabbalistic or hermetic magick.


The Egyptian Initiation Rite

For this, all you need is a glass or cup, filled with water.

I’d suggest doing it in the morning, after bath/shower.

All the words given in bold capitals must be vibrated. Vibrating means saying the word with a deep, resonant voice, almost like a hum or song. When we vibrate magickal names, we draw the breath from within the belly and chest, and it will feel like the word is “vibrating” the whole body.

The rest of the words should be stated with a firm and clear voice, without any fear of being heard or judged. This ritual is simple, but very powerful when done right.

Cross of Ptah (Part I)

Face EAST.

Visualise a brilliant sphere of light above your head, about 12 inches in diameter.

Reach up, and draw down the light to your forhead.

Say “The world was created..”

Now touch your heart center, visualizing the light travelling down your body in a column, to form a sphere under your feet.

“…by the thought of the Heart”

Now touch your right shoulder, forming another ball.

“Life was given..”

Touch your left shoulder, drawing the light across.

“…by the magic of the Word”

Clasp your hands, and say “Amen”

Invocation of the Gods (Part II)

Now, trace an Ankh (clockwise for invoking, counter clockwise for banishing) of the Earth in the East.

Vibrate RA-RAURET

Turn to the South, with your fingers still outstretches, tracing a circle of light and draw the Pentagram again.

Vibrate HAUHET-HEH

Continue to the West, and do the same.

This time, vibrate NAUNET-NUH

Continue to the North, do the same.

Vibrate TA-TENEN

Continue to the East, closing your circle of light.

Now say the following:

“To my right, AUSET”

“To my left, NEBET-HET”

“Before me, ASAR”

“Behind me, AUSET”


Each time, visualise the mighty forms of the respective deities appearing in each direction, holding an ankh in one hand and the wajded staff in the other (although it is entirely up to you how you want to visualise them. Go with what feels natural)

Spread your hand to either side, and procliam:

“For about me flames the Living Ankh”

Visualised the circle you traced becoming a sphere around you. The top half is a dome of brilliant pale sunlight, and below you is a dome of black, earthy ground. In the center, standing tall, is the Ankh

“And within me shines the Eternal Djed”

As you say this, cross your arms across your chest, and visualise the Djed shining in your entire being, and a beam of light travelling infinitely upwards and downwards.

Blessing of the Water (Part III):

Take you glass/cup/goblet of water. Move to the Easter quarter, right in front of you. Here, you had invoked Tehuti. State:

“Lord Tehuti, hail unto thee! I ask for thy blessing in my life, and the path of High Magick”


Pause a moment, then walk clockwise to the South (where Heru is invoked), and repeat the same recitation to him. Then do the same as you continue to the West and finally the North, making your prayer to Auset and Nebet-het. With each recitation, visualise the glass of water glowing brighter and brighter with light.

Now return to the center of the circle, and hold out your glass, visualising it containing bright, burning white light:

“Within the elixir shines the eternal light!”

Visualize an Ankh glowing brightly within the water.

“And within me dwells the eternal life!”

Consume the water, visualising the white brilliance entering your body, and filling your whole being with the same bright light.

Now, repeat the Cross of Ptah (Part IV) and end the ritual by bowing down.


Meaning of the Ritual

The ritual may sound long, but the whole thing will likely take little less than 5 minutes, and it probably took me longer to write it than it will take to perform it.

The speech at the beginning is a homage to the primordial creator god Ptah, who spoke the cosmos into existence (much like the God of the old testament).

The four Pentagrams utilize spiritual concepts.

Amun, the hidden Godhead, and Ra, the highest deity and God of Light. Their compounded form Amun-Ra represents the beginning of all things.

Heh is the personification of infinity, or the flood of Chaos that existed before the beginning of the world. Hauhet is the feminine form, while Heh is masculine.

Nu is the primordial watery Abyss, from which all life first emerged. It is the cosmic womb, and Naunet is its feminine form, while Nun is masculine.

Ta-Tenen is the primal mound, or the first piece of land that emerged out of the waters of chaos that filled the abyss, at the behest of the godhead. Upon this mound, the first Djed was erected and Time began.

Aten refers to the sun-disk, and the light of the heavens. Aker is the name for the kingdom of Matter.

The Ankh is the symbol of life, and it is carried by all Egyptian gods. The Djed is a symbol of the indomitable Will. Djed and the Ankh represent the male and female principle respectively.

You may know the four deities Tehuti, Heru, Auset and Nebet-het by their more common Greek names: Thoth, Horus, Isis and Nephthys respectively.

Thoth is the God of Writing, and the celestial scribe. He is the ruler of Air. He may be visualised as having the head of an Ibis or a Baboon, with glowing pale skin, as if made of moonlight, with similar eyes. His garments may be seen as plain and white. On his head is a crescent with a sun disk.

Horus is the God of War, and the avenger. He is the ruler of Fire. He may be visualised with the head of a hawk or falcon, with burning red skin, as if made from flames. His garments can be seen as having gold or bronze armour plates. On his head if the double crown of ancient Egypt.

Isis is the Goddess of the Fertility, and the cosmic mother. She is the ruler of Water. She may be visualized as a beautiful woman, with golden, glistening skin, as if made of liquid metal. Her garments can be seen as shimmering with multicolored rainbow light, or as deep blue, and embedded with precious stones. On her head is the throne of Egypt.

Nephthys is the Goddess of Night, and the patron of both chilbirth and death, and also magick. She is the ruler of Earth. She may be visualised as a younger woman, with dark black skin, as if made from fertile soil. Her garments may be seen as simple green/brown robes with a golden trim. On her head is a pillar.

Reference for the Sun disk on the head of Thoth, which isn’t given in the previous image.

When we make the crossed sign across our chest, we pay homage to Asar, known more commonly by the Greek name Osiris, the King of the Gods and ruler of the Duat (underworld/realm of the Gods). He rules Spirit.

Initially, there may be some resistance to the daily ritual. As with any new habit, it will take some time to become natural. But it’ll happen eventually.

Also, I’m aware that some of the incantations and recitations may seem bit clumsy to some people, so feel free to reword them in a way that makes sense to you. As long as the general tone and contents are retained, how you word it is up to you.


That’s all for now. I’m working on a bunch of stuff and I’m really excited to put it all out. I’ve got a lot of stuff regarding Indo-European magick, I want to talk about next. Look forward to it!

Until Next Time
~White Raven

Making Real Fairy Salve

Hello, and welcome back.

First off, I want to make a quick announcement. Thank you to everyone who purchased The Tree of Life: A Beginner’s Guide. The sales have been good enough that there’s a good chance I will release another e-Grimoire before the end of the year.

I understand that these are difficult and confusing times for some, and as far as I’m concerned all this will continue for at least several more years. This first book was introductory, but from now on I shall focus more on practical magick that can be done to improve one’s life and find one’s path.

But let’s move to today’s topic: Fairy Salve, and how to make it for spiritual and occult purposes.


The Story of the Fairy Ointment

The idea of “Fairy Salve” or Fairy Ointment comes to us from English and Celtic folklore. It’s essentially a folktale.

Like many other stories of its kind, it was most likely the result of strange encounters with some kind of occult phenomena.

There are many variations of the story, but in general it goes like this:

A nurse/midwife is visited at midnight by a strange looking man at her doorstep. He tells her that his wife is too ill to give birth alone, and he needs her help. The midwife is suspicious, but goes along with him in his horse drawn carriage, to his home.

There, she helps deliver the child, and cares for it while the mother recovers. She is instructed by the mother to rub a certain ointment on the baby’s eyes when it wakes up.

In some versions of the tale, the baby is anointed all over its body. Anyway, the baby opens its eyes, and the midwife notices his pupils are large and oddly shaped, almost like slits. But does as she was told, rubbing its eyes with the ointment. Either by accident or out of curiosity, she rubs some of it on her right eye, and immediately her surroundings change.

The small cottage is transformed into an elaborate or luxurious castle. In some versions, it turns into a dank (haha) cave. The midwife sees the child and its mother have turned even more beautiful (or ugly, in the cave version). She sees the baby’s siblings, who also have a strange appearance, playing around and doing all kinds of mischief, and realises she is in the home of pixies.

She doesn’t say anything, and when the father returns she demands to be taken home immediately. She sees the horse that draws the carriage is now pitch black with burning eyes. Upon returning home she is given a large payment. Some days later, she is at the market and sees the strange man, tha father of the baby, at the market. He’s taking whatever he wants from various different stalls, though no one seems to notice.

She immediately calls him out on it for stealing, and he is surprised by this. He demands to know if she can see him, and she says yes (famous last words). In response, he accuses her of stealing as well, and getting involved in things that aren’t her business. Reaching out, he touches the affected eye, saying she wont be seeing fairies anymore. Her right eye is then permanently blinded.

Some versions of this story also involve the nurse being kept prisoner by the fairies until she is recused by her husband. In other versions, she finds the salve in the home of a suspected witch, and later finds the witch’s husband stealing at the market, who then blinds her.


The Fae and English/Irish Folklore

To make fairy salve, it’s important to understand the context of this story. The main takeaway is that the Fairy Salve was believed to be an ointment that helped you see spiritual or otherworldly creatures. From the story it seems even the creatures themselves needed to use it, which is interesting.

Generally speaking, you may be familiar with the friendly and helpful fairies that appear in Fairy Tales, such as those in Cinderella or Snow White. However, all of those stories are German. In this case, we are not referring to the Fairies from the German “Fairy” tales.

Then you might be thinking of the Elves, Dwarves, and other such mythical creatures, with pointed ears and a proud disposition. However, those are from Norse mythology, and this is not the place to get into those.

In Irish and English folklore, the word “Fairy” essentially referred to Spirits that lived alongside humans. This is not referring specifically to good or bad spirits, but rather a vast range of creatures. These are similar to what the Greeks called Nature spirits, or what the Japanese called Ayakashi, and in India they are called Yaksha. While the Norse use a different system of classification, some of their spirits are part of this category. The same can be said for the Arabic Djinn.

Put simply, these are not Gods, nor Demons, nor Angels. In Magick, they are often given the title of Elementals. The main thing to remember is that they live alongside humans in this material plane, not in some place beyond.

The idea of such things has been around ever since humanity started living together in settlements and communities, and staying separate from Nature. At the edge of Civilisation, where human life met the raw forces of Nature, people had strange experiences and thus the idea of the nature spirits came about. Many legends and folk tales refer to a time when these spirits lived with and mingled with humans, but then the two groups fell apart (referring to how humanity became separate from nature). In most cultures, this referred to the spirits of the trees, rocks, deserts, rivers and mountains. Some could be vast, dwelling in mountains, some small, dwelling in grains of rice.

This belief is called Animism, and was/is a part of ‘primitive’ cultures: the idea that everything has a spirit of it’s own. In other cultures, particularly after organised religion came about, people only began to think of these spirits as dwelling in wild places, such as deep in the desert or in unexplored parts of forests. Whether they are friendly depends on the culture, region and geography.

In almost all cases, animals themselves were also considered to be a part of this category. The most well known examples are Native American and Siberian shamanism, where animals are just as much spirits of nature as any mythical creature. To us in our modern societies, this may sound strange, because we have documented animals so well, and even tame and breed them regularly. But to our ancient ancestors, most animals were as strange and magical as any fairy or nymph, not to mention the large number of dangerous wild animals that could attack and kill humans.

Even now, look at the kinds of things we are discovering in the deep sea, which are completely strange and contrary to our expectations. Look at videos or pictures of these things, and see if you don’t feel a sense of mystery, wonder and even fear.

Various cultures then, established all sorts of rules and regulations about how to deal with Nature Spirits, and how to respect their boundaries. This was not mere superstition, but also served to protect people from wandering into the territory of bears, tigers or lions. It kept them safe from various natural phenomena they did not understand. For example, to keep people indoors after night, away from forests and lakes, or to have them stick to roads and not venture off course, to be wary of strangers, to avoid the spread of disease etc. In magick we understand that “as above so below”. Any event occurring on the material plane has a spiritual counterpart, and you will see that all these things that people were afraid of were indeed “Spirits of Nature” .

To those who like films, I highly suggest the 2004 film called The Village. Don’t read any reviews or summaries, just go and watch it. It may give you something to think about.

In England, Scotland and Ireland (and Wales), these were often called the ‘Fae’ (fair folk). “Fair” here means beautiful, not ‘pale’.

Some fae were helpful, some were malicious. The most common distinction I’ve found is between “Night” and “Day” Fae. The Fae/Faery played an important role in the daily lives of people (even more than Gods) and therefore having a good relationship with them was important, as well as keep them at a distance. While the Fae were helpful, they could also be mischievous. They are forces of Nature, and i’m sure I don’t need to tell you that Nature does not always act as humans would like it to.

Painting by Floris Didden

The fundamental thing to understand is that the Fae weren’t ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but that each things had its own purpose, and acted according to its nature. That is perhaps the greatest difference between modern and ancient humanity. Our ancestors lacked the means to control their lives and environment the way we can. As a result, they were not so arrogant and proud. They understood that Nature had its rules, and they had to live according to it. Things like fire were helpful, but if used incorrectly, they would burn you. Things like controlled gas stoves (and now electric ones) have been around for a century or so, but humanity have walked the Earth for over 200,000 years in its present form. When people were blessed with good fortunes or wealth, or when they had a good harvest, it was because they had been blessed by fairies. But when children went missing, when people died of disease or got lost in the woods, it was also fairies.

After the advent of Christianity, the Church struggled to reconcile these beings with their Scripture. It is well known that while several regions of Western Europe embraced the Chruch, the Irish stubbornly insisted on bringing along their pagan legends and folk traditions (ironically, hundreds of years later it would be the opposite, and the Irish would be hated for refusing to leave the Church and join the protestant cause. Ah..the joys organised religion).

The best answer the the Priests could give was that the Fae were somehow “fallen” creatures, similar to fallen angels, and that they must be feared.

Now, it must be clear why the Fairy Salve story has different versions. The version where the pixies are beautiful and live in a castle is probably the original, while the one where they are ugly and live in a hovel is post-Christian.

We could go on and on, but this is a very extensive topic. So I’ll cut it short with some thoughts on a certain famous occultist you’ve probably heard of: William Shaksepeare.

Yes, Shaksepeare was a magus. He was also associated with John Dee (yes, THAT John Dee, noted astrologer and alchemist, who created the Enochian language and tablets along with Edward Kelly, and who served as a spy for Queen Elizabeth).

You see, Shaksepeare was quite a radical individual for his time (like all Occultists). Though today we think of him as ‘sophisticated’ and his works are considered ‘classics’, they weren’t so when he was alive. The language he uses, which now is seen as posh, was actually a bit crude for his time. While he wrote a lot of historical plays, he also threw in spirits, ghosts and other random shit. He was like a 14th century Kurt Cobain. Naturally, it was this radical spirit that made so many love and appreciate his work. Contrary to what some may tell you, society does value and respect free thinkers, especially those who produce creative works.

To anyone who’s read his work, you can see the very clear presence of fairies. The most notable is probably The Tempest, which straight up has a sorcerer who has bound an elemental spirit to him. It is strange to say, but we don’t actually have many written records of what medieval British and Irish people thought of Fairies. Our modern perception of the Fair folk is greatly influenced by people like Shakespeare. This includes the notion of Titania and Oberon being the King and Queen of Fairies, of their general humanoid appearance and attitude.

Honestly, to make a full and complete deconstruction of the exact sources of modern fairy lore would be quite difficult, to put it lightly, so let’s cut it here.


Creating Fairy Salve

I have created this substance only twice. The first was by a pagan method (I was still new to magick and very experimental), the second by a kabbalistic. Both worked extremely well, and I shall outline them roughly.

What is the purpose? Well, it is both a ‘offering’ to be made to elemental spirits, as well as an anointing oil that can aid psychic perception during ritual. Simply put, it will help you sense spiritual phenomena during any sort of spiritual working. This idea is neither new nor limited to the British Isles, and there are several medieval grimoires that call for anointing the temples and eyes before a magick ritual (most commonly the Oil of Jerusalem, which is a certain type of enchanted lamp oil).

The Pagan Method

The pagan method will appeal more to neo-pagans, shamans, witches and the like. It takes longer, and can be easily personalised.

The basic idea is to saturate an oil with herbs, and bless it with the forces of nature. Since elementals/Fae are meant to live alongside humans, this recipe calls for herbs that have been collected from one’s own garden. It doesn’t matter which herbs you pick, but ideally it should be something you grow. Maybe choose the oldest plants you have, or those that appear to have a magical connection. You may also look into the folklore of your region, to see if any herbs or plants stand out as being associated with nature spirits.

You need to pick a time for this, and I would suggest the full moon. Or just the early morning of an auspicious day. Select a certain number of herbs. Perhaps 7 different varieties, and 3 of each?

Next, you must choose the oil. Since we are trying to make a ‘salve’, it’s a good idea to choose something that is more like a paste rather than a complete liquid. Coconut oil or ghee (clarified butter) are good, because they harden when cold. If you plan to burn it as an offering, make sure it’s flammable. If you cannot get these, you can use any normal oil. However, I do suggest going to the effort of procuring these, because this and the herbs are the only two ingredients needed, the rest is magick!

You may, if you want, add some salt. An enchanted salt, or mineral salt is good. Salt is used by many neo-pagans for protection from negative influence.

Put the chosen oil in a steel container, and then put it in a larger container filled with water. This is just a general guideline for heating any kind of oil. If we put the the container with the oil directly on the fire/stove, it will ‘cook’ the oil. In some cases, it may even vaporize the oil. Therefore, we use a water bath, to avoid burning/cooking our ingredients, and also maintain the temperature at 100 degrees Celsius.

Fun fact: This set-up, though very common in modern kitchens, is said to have been discovered by an alchemist. It was a Jewish adept from Alexandria called Mari the Prophetess (1st-3rd Century C.E.). Hence, this set up is known in alchemy as the balneum-Mariae (Bath of Mari).

Bring the water to a boil and allow the oil to heat up. As it heats, you add your herbs, either grown up or just broken up by hand. You can say a prayer at this point to any Gods of your choosing. When I first made it, I had prayed to Diana, a form of Venus and a prominent pagan goddess, and Pan, an important pagan deity for all works concerning nature and the wild. Diana is also considered to be the Goddess that is worshiped by the fair folk themselves. I do not remember exactly why this is, but I think we have Shakespeare to thank for this as well. Use a wooden stirring rod for mixing (never use iron. Steel is acceptable, but not ideal). Mix slowly, on a low heat.

Finally, when you feel the herbs have been fully saturated with the oil (10-15 minutes of heat), take it off the heat and leave it to cool. Do not cover it until it is cool. You may cover it with a cloth, if you have to.

The first process is done. The mixture has been prepared using the four elements (herbs picked from the earth, heated with fire and water, and cooled by air).

The elements are done, and we move on to Darkness. Put the mixture in a closed, opaque contained, and leave it sitting in a cool place where it will not be disturbed or be exposed to the light. Since this is a pagan method, you can also thrown in any consecrated crystals or other objects into this.

Here, the substance is blessed by the forces of darkness, whose blessing is essential so that obstacles and challenges are not faced in the future. Ideally, this should can sit for at least a week, but probably for longer. You’re waiting for the full moon. However, let it be no longer than a month, to avoid rotting or decay.

On the day of the full moon, you shall filter out the herbal components, and put the oil in a clear glass jar (plastic works too). These are no longer needed and can be discarded (ideally thrown back into the soil to decompose). Be sure to remove any stones, crystals or object you’ve put in.

Now begins the consecration by the four elements and Light (both of the Sun and the Moon). On the night of the full moon, put this jar in a container of water, and leave it outside or by a window. The water should ideally be from a natural source, such as a spring, river or from rain. When I was doing it, I did a ritual to make it rain, which worked (this was the very first time my magick had worked on such a grand level, and the single most important event that cemented by spiritual faith permanently). If not, then get some drinking water (do not get water from the bathroom sink). If you have enough, this water can also be used for the initial water bath.

It’s good if it’s directly exposed to the moon all night. But, since this is difficult for many people, it’s okay as long as it is outside or by an open window, where it can be hit by the wind. Say a prayer to the Moon if you want, and to the Fae of the Night to bless it.

Here, the salve is being consecrated once again by Air and Water, as well the Moon. Leave this overnight, from Sunrise to Sunset.

The next Day, at Sunrise, take this jar out of the water and put it in the ground. Do not bury it completely, and make sure the top is sticking out. You can also use a planting pot, or just a container with dirt in it. You also need some incense. The way I did it, is half buried the jar in an empty pot, then covered it with a larger plastic container with a incense cone next to it. This ensured that the smoke actually touched jar instead of just blowing away. Leave this in the sunlight until sunset. Call on the Sun and to the Day Faeries for blessing it.

The salve is now being consecrated by the Sun, by Fire (incense) and Earth.

When I first made this, I was lucky enough that the Full Moon was on a Monday, and immediately following a Summer solstice on Sunday. The second part of the consecration was on Tuesday. Don’t obsess over timing, but it’s good if you happen upon such an auspicious time.

Now, at sunset you take your jar, draw upon it a sigil that represents spiritual sight, or something else that is relevant. You’re free to create this sigil however you want, or choose a symbol that already exists and is important to you. You may even use the symbols of any Gods you worship.

At night you will conduct a ritual where you shall call upon the power of the forces of nature to bless and complete the Fairy Salve. A good set of deities is Diana, Pan, Titania and Oberon, and maybe even Gaia, the Earth Mother. Titania and Oberon may be seen as essential, since the substance is made by their authority. It’s a good idea to give some offering as well (candles, milk/honey, fruits etc). State the purpose of the Fairy Salve, and you’re pretty much good. When the ritual is done, thank the forces involved and clear your space. Your Fairy Salve is done. Use it as an offering, and anoint your temples and eye lids before a ritual.

As we discussed before, a good way to offer it is to burn it in a traditional oil lamp.

The Kabbalistic Method

For this method we are going to follow a similar, yet different approach. It is better for those who want to make the Salve more quickly, but don’t mind putting in more work. Ideal for kabbalists, thelemites, rosicrucians and hermeticists.

The Pagan method has relatively simple instructions, because much of the work is begin done by the spiritual forces of nature over a longer period of time. Here, the work is done mainly the the magician him/herself.

Once again, we begin by collecting the herbs. Once again, it is good to collect garden herbs, or herbs in your kitchen. We shall select 7 different varieties of herbs, once for each planet.

For this you must do your own research, and see which herbs are more commonly available in your region. I could give you an arbitrary list, but it would be better to make your own list. You can easily find the planetary rulers of most common herbs online. Ideally, pick herbs which has some association with psychic senses, nature spirits or magick. The variety of herbs needed for fairy salve are what make it more complex than your usual magick oils for things like prosperity or love, which usually only need a few herbs of any single planets.

Let’s say this is too daunting a task. In that case, you may select only herbs associated with the Moon, since the Moon rules psychic powers and visions. You also need Frankincense (or some other sweet smelling resin that can be melted). Just look for powdered frankincense, which should be easy to find, as it is commonly used as incense. If you can’t, do magick to get it.

Next, we pick a base again (ideally coconut oil or ghee, or something similar, which hardens when cold. This is not compulsory, but these are easier to rub on your eyes. Whatever you pick, ensure it smells nice and is pleasant. After all, why would you offer something repulsive to the fair folk? So no, don’t go busting out the mustard oil). We do this on Monday, in the hour of the Moon, during the waxing phase.f.

We now prepare it again, as we did before, in a water bath, adding in our broken up ingredients into the heating oil. As we stir it, we visualise white light comic from above and saturating the mixture.

We once again let it cool uncovered. The mixture has once again been blessed by the four elements, and you must offer a silent prayer and thanks, for these four elements make up the mechanistic Universe as we know it.

You shall take the mixture and pour it into an opaque container, so that no light may touch it. Having done so, draw upon it the symbol of Saturn, the bringer of Death, the collector of Dues. Place it in a cool dark place, and visualized a deep and complete darkness surrounding it, purging all that is unneeded.

Planetary symbols for your reference. These will be used throughout the Kabbalistic method. Beginning from the top left, the symbol of: Sun, Mercury, Venus, Moon, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

The mixture shall now be left untouched over night, where the herbs shall give up the last of their essence. The next morning, awaken at sunrise and thank the lord Saturn. Erase the symbol from the container, and open it. With a solemn and serious heart, filter out the herbs. Heat the mixture again in a bath, and now add it your frankincense. Let it remain in heat for as long as it takes the powder to melt dissolve. Do not add large pieces of frankincense, as these will never dissolve. Everything must be finely powdered. When it is done, take it off the heat and pour the mixture into a clear glass jar and seal it shut. This shall serve as the philosophic egg, where the mixture shall hibernate. Be sure not to add the mixture if it is too hot and the glass is too cold, since the glass may crack.

Take the mixture outside and lay it to rest in Earth. Do no bury it completely, and let it’s top stick out, so that it may breathe the life giving Air, and lay before the radiant light of its father (Sun). In the soil around it, trace an upward pointing triangle (Fire) and draw on each point, the symbol of the Sun, Venus and Jupiter. Pray that, by their benevolence, they may awaken the spirit within. Now you shall mourn it’s passing, and offer a silent plea to the Spirits of the Day, to impart their blessing on it.

At sunset, you shall go again to the place of the burial, and erase the planetary symbols. Now trace a downward triangle (Water) around it, and draw the symbols of Moon, Mercury and Mars around it. Pray that they, by their harshness, by invigorate the spirit within the salve, and purge it of all impurities. Offer a silent plea to the spirits of the Night, that they may remove any obstacles in the working to be done. The ointment is in darkness again, but this time it has the guiding light of its Mother (Moon). Now leave with a hopeful heart, praying for the success of your working.

The next morning, awaken when you may with a happy and joyous heart. Wash your body and go to the place of burial. Remove any remaining symbols and offer heartfelt gratitude. Take the jar and clean it by submerging it in water (making sure no water gets in), and then cleanse it with incense, thus removing both physical and spiritual impurities.

Draw upon it the following symbols: Around the circumference, you shall draw the symbols of the four elements. At the bottom, draw the planetary hexagram, and on top of the lid, draw a pentagram. On either side of it, the symbols of Uranus and Neptune, and the symbol of Pluto at the bottom. Reflect for a moment, on a purpose of this ointment.

Now do a ritual of consecration. Begin with the lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram, and the banishing ritual of the hexagram. As you say the last words, IAO, visualized brilliant white light streaming from the heavens into the jar, and saturating the mixture within. You may also use any other rituals that are used in your own tradition. These are simply the ones I use.

Close your eyes and meditate with the jar in hand, and make a prayer to the Elementals of the four quarters. Pray to the the elementals of Fire and their Ruler, and trace the Invoking pentagram of Fire with your finger on the jar. Do the same for Water, Air and Earth. The spirits and Kings are named thus:

ElementName of ElementalsName of Ruler
FireSalamandarsDjinn
WaterUndynesNycksa
AirSylphsParalda
EarthGnomesGhob
For example, “I call upon thee, oh great Paralda, to bless this jar of ointment. I call upon thy kin, the Sylphs, to lend me their power!” Then trace the Pentagram.

The Pentagrams traced should be visualised as red, blue, yellow and green respectively. When you feel the ritual is done, give thanks and welcome the elementals into your life. As them for their favour, and give offerings often. Warn them regarding mischief or harm towards any living thing.

Now give your heartfelt thanks, perform the Lesser Banishing again and you’re done.

Now you may make a small offering of thanks that very night. You can leave some food or drink outside in your garden and balcony, and call on the Faeries/Elementals to partake. Leave it overnight, throw it out the next day. To test the efficacy of your Ointment, apply some on your temples and eyelids. You should feel its power immediately, and enter into a light trance. If you do not feel it, then it is possible the mixture is not charged enough. It can be charged by leaving it on an altar or meditating on it. Remember, if your psychic senses are not fully developed, you may not immediately see spirits. However, this will strengthen your psychic sense greatly. Do not obsess over being able to physically see the spiritual beings you are invoking. If it has to happen, it will happen in time, when you are ready.


In Conclusion

I know, the rituals seem extensive, but they’re actually a lot quicker to do. It actually takes longer to describe them than do them. You’re free to omit any parts you feel like, or add any of your own, or mix and match as you please. It can be as simple, or as elaborate as you want.

I mean, you could simply take some random oil, dissolve some moon herbs in it, bless it and call it a day. But the amount of energy put into magick determines its result. If you can muster up all the energy needed with a simple prayer, go right ahead. But most will require rituals to build up the same energy. Like everything on this blog, the process if described to be extremely friendly to people who are new to magick. Those who are more proficient are free to use what they need and discard what they don’t (although going through the whole process will only generate more energy).

I mean, the second time I made the ointment, I did not do any prayers or mourning, nor did I trace the triangles. That’s because when I buried my jar, I was able to mentally call on the aid of the planets. But for many others, the visual aid will help greatly. Some people may even go a step further, and place objects associated with the planets around the jar.

It is up to you when you make offerings to the Elementals. You can use the Fairy Ointment during any sort of ritual where you need to invoke them or their rulers. It may be a good idea to make an offering of this ointment every Solstice and Equinox. At least on the both Solstices.

So there you have it, I have finally answered what is probably the very first question I was ever asked by a reader all those years ago.

Until Next Time
~White Raven

New Book Release | The Tree of Life: A Beginners Guide

Hello, and welcome back.

I’m very pleased to announce the release of my first book on Magick. I present to you The Tree of Life: A Beginner’s Guide.

It contains a wealth of information regarding the Sephiroth, Kabbalah, the Tree of Life, Astrology, Sacred Geometry, the Qliphoth and much more.

Let me start at the beginning. I am a Hermetic Kabbalist, and have been practicing Magick for several years. I’ve been sharing my thoughts and experiences here since 2015.

Over the years, lots of people have asked me various questions, the most common being how to get started with magick and spiritual work.

For those who want a start, this book is the prefect thing for you. It will familiarise you with the basics of High Magick, and in particular the Tree of Life and the philosophy of Kabbalah.

So, I bring you some of my best work yet. This book has gone through various iterations, as I’ve compiled all my knowledge regarding Kabbalah, and the Tree of Life in particular, and tied it all up in a articulate fashion.

What’s the point if you have to spend decades pouring over books just to get started? And let’s be honest, not everyone speaks English as their first language, and even those who do may find the writings of eccentric English noblemen to be difficult. Don’t get me wrong, these writers were brilliant. Some of the most important people who lived in the last century. But, it is time to make the knowledge more open. The Age of Aquarius demands it.

Kabbalah is a beautiful and sacred art, and has usually been kept hidden. In this book, I have explained all the details and symbolism in plain and clear language. I wanted to write something that anyone, even a complete novice to Magick, could read and understand. It will provide a clear and complete understanding of the Sephiroth, and exactly what they are, outside the usual framework of religious dogma. I have tried to cover all the bases, and touched on astrology, alchemy, and sacred geometry as well, and how they relate to the Sephiroth. As far as I’m concerned, understanding the Sephiroth is the key to all practical magick, as well as life in general.

It is my great hope that this book will answer many, many questions that people have, and especially help those who want to practice ceremonial magick and have a thirst for information that is not designed to mislead them.

I have also put in high resolution diagrams, as well as two different versions of the Tree of Life that can be easily printed on an A4 paper without loosing quality. I’ve made sure of this.

For the time being, I have decided to use Gumroad to release this book. If all goes well, you can look forward to more books on a variety of other topics. I am working on a conclusive method for Invocation and Evocation as well. That one might take me the longest time, but there is plenty more to Magick 😀

Head over to:

https://gumroad.com/betweenthepillars

You can also click this link here and go directly to the product page.

How does it work? You purchase it on Gumroad and then you get a PDF version of the book. If you experience any issues with the purchase, send me an email. As of now, it’s going to be an E-Book (maybe some day I’ll be fancy enough to sell physical books. But then again, I dislike being fancy).

And for those who have been asking for years now, don’t worry. The invocation of the Archangel Michael and the recipe for making Fairy Salve are going to be my next posts. I’ll touch upon how to cast a circle as well.

That’s all for now. Thank you for all your support and generosity over the years 🙂

Until Next Time.
~White Raven

The Best Way to do The Bornless Invocation

Yes. I know. This is the first time I’ve made 3 continuous posts without a 6 month gap between them. You must be so proud.

Before we get to today’s article, I have an announcement to make. This Full Moon, I’m releasing an E-grimoire, which will be the first of hopefully many on specific topics. It’s going to contain a lot of theoretical, and practical information along with diagrams. More on that later, but look forward to it. If you’re reading this after June 2020, chances are it’s already out. Check the ‘Books’ tab on the top bar.


On this blog I have two types of visitors. The first are people who are curious about the Occult or just starting out, and come by to read about my experiences with summoning demons, explanations of the pentagram or simple spells. Then there’s those who are experienced Occultists, who can put up with me rambling on and on about specific Sephiroth and Gematria values, and understand every word perfectly. At the very least, anyone who reads this blog has made the choice to learn about and hopefully practice the true magick of the Light, free of superstition, danger and shallow spiritual thrills.

What I’m writing about today may attract people who are so new to the Occult they don’t even know it’s the Occult. To them I say, keep an open mind as you read, and don’t stress about not understanding some things.

I know this because the Bornless Invocation was my first foray into the Occult. While I had some exposure to new age stuff before, it was with this ritual that I was exposed to names like Crowley, Mathers, the Golden Dawn etc. Until then, I only thought of spirituality in the hippie sense. I couldn’t even grasp the depth of what I’d stumbled on.

It’s a bit strange thinking back on it. How something that has become an integral part of my life came to me when I was bored and randomly typed “how to summon demons” into Google. Fate perhaps, or just luck.

Today I’m going to go over a brief history of this ritual, and then tell you the most efficient way to perform it, at least according to me.

A lot of information on it online is from dabblers and armchair occultists, because few real practitioners of Magick actually use it in ritual practice. But I’m one of them, so let me give a clear guide to it, without the nonsense.


What is the Bornless Ritual

I’m guessing most people, if not all, came to know of this ritual from the Ars Goetia, which is the first part of The Lesser Key of Solomon. If you google it, you’ll find a lot of websites that basically copy paste the same ‘definition’, calling it the ‘prliminary invocation of the Goetia’. While that’s technically true, it gives off the wrong impression.

This is the most commonly encountered version of the ritual:

“Thee I invoke, the Bornless one.
Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens:
Thee, that didst create the Night and the day.
Thee, that didst create the darkness and the Light.
Thou art Osorronophris: Whom no man hath seen at any time.
Thou art Iabos:
Thou art Iapos:
Thou hast distinguished between the just and the Unjust.
Thou didst make the female and the Male.
Thou didst produce the Seed and the Fruit.
Thou didst form Men to love one another, and to hate one another.
I am Ank F N Khonsu Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Khem:
Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.
Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel of Apophrasz Osorronophris: this is Thy True Name, handed down to the Prophets of Khem.
Hear Me: Ar: Thiao: Reibet: Atheleberseth: A: Blatha: Abeu: Eben: Phi: Chitasoe: Ib: Thiao.
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God: Who dwellest in the Void Place of the Spirit: Arogogorobrao: Sochou: Modorio: Phalarchao: Ooo: Ape, The Bornless One: Hear Me!
Hear Me: Roubriao: Mariodam: Balbnabaoth: Assalonai: Aphniao: I: Tholeth: Abrasax: Qeoou: Ischur, Mighty and Bornless One! Hear Me!
I invoke Thee: Ma: Barraio: Ioel: Kotha: Athorebalo: Abraoth: Hear Me!
Hear me! Aoth: Aboth: Basum: Isak: Sabaoth: Iao:
This is the Lord of the Gods:
This is the Lord of the Universe:
This is He Whom the Winds fear.
This is He, Who having made Voice by His Commandment, is Lord of All Things; King, Ruler, and Helper. Hear Me!
Hear Me: Ieou: Pur: Iou: Pur: Iaot: Iaeo: Ioou: Abrasax: Sabriam: Oo: Uu: Ede: Edu: Angelos tou theou: Lai: Gaia: Apa: Diachanna: Chorun.
I am He! the Bornless Spirit! having sight in the Feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire!
I am He! the Truth!
I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!
I am He, that lightningeth and thundereth.
I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth:
I am He, whose mouth flameth:
I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light:
I am He, the Grace of the World:
“The Heart Girt with a Serpent” is My Name!
Come Thou forth, and follow Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry land, or in the Water: of whirling Air or of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God, may be obedient unto me!
Iao: Sabao: Such are the Words!”

First things first though. The Lesser Key of Solomon is a famous medieval grimoire of unknown origin, claiming to have been written by King Solomon himself, but that’s probably not true. It was very common for medieval authors of grimoires to remain anonymous, and attribute their books to legendary figures like Solomon, Moses or Christ. This was partly to protect their identity, but also to separate themselves from their work. Most magicians even today write under a pseudonym (including me), so that people can focus on the information instead of the person.

The book has five parts, although most people only know about the first, the Ars Goetia. This is a list of 72 ‘demons’ who allegedly helped King Solomon (a Biblical figure who was a great King of Israel) build his Temple at Jerusalem. The book gives their seals, descriptions and various rituals to summon them. The book was compiled in the 17th century, although it is based on many older texts, such as the works of Johanne Weyer, Henry Cornellius Agrippa and Eliphas Levi.

And that’s what the book was for centuries. However, in 1904, a man named Samuel Lidell Mathers translated this work, along with several others. Mathers is an important figure within the Occult, one of the founding members of The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (i’m sorry for so many long names right off the bat, but the quicker we get them out of the way the better. Many of you will already be familiar with these).

Mathers was the first to translate and publish this manuscript, and it was edited by his then friend and fellow Golden Dawn member, and the well known occultist who rose to infamy: Aleister Crowley. At the very beginning of the book, Crowley decided to add a rather peculiar ritual: The Bornless Invocation.

A rare photo of Mathers and young Crowley together. This was when Crowley was initiated into the Inner Order of the Golden Dawn by Mathers.

Now, understand that this ritual was not part of the original manuscript. In fact, i’m sure the original medieval authors of the Lesser Key wouldn’t even have known about this ritual. But, it was not created by Crowley either. The Bornless Invocation was originally in Greek, although if you look at its contents, you’ll see it actually has Egyptian origin.

It was most likely created by Gnostics, a mystery cult in era of the Roman Empire which would go on to become Christianity. Many Gnostics would have been Greek, and were heavily inspired and influenced by the Egyptian and Jewish mysticism making its way into Europe. That would explain why, despite being Greco-Egyptian, it appears to have Abrahamic language that we see in Judaism and Christianity, and why it places an emphasis on Osiris, whose myths and symbolism served as a basis for the Gnostics to create their own symbolism and tradition. Also, for the sake of clarity, i’m referring to the early Gnostics of the Roman Empire, who were basically proto-Christians, not the Cathars who were around almost 800 years later.

It’s also worth mentioning, that in this version by Crowley, he added “I am Ank F N Khonsu Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Khem“. Khem is the ancient name of Egypt, and Ankh F N Khnosu was a magickal motto used by Crowley.

In the older, Abrahamic versions, it is written as “I am Moshe Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Ishrael“. Here, Moshe is the Hebrew name of Moses, and Ishrael is the fabled Holy Land of the Biblical Jews (not to be confused with the modern nation state of Israel. There is much overlap, but they’re not exactly the same thing)

The Gnostics probably used Jewish symbolism, but Crowley saw fit to make it Egyptian, based on its origin. As it should be obvious, this translation was made to be practical to ceremonial magick, and not necessarily accurate. Many linguists and historians have translated the ritual in various, more accurate ways since then, although none have the same flair as the GD version.

The dialect you see here is late Middle English, or at least, what people in the Victorian era (such as Mathers) thought Middle English was like. Hence why many words have suffixes, such as the term “flameth” instead of flames. Pre-classical English used to be language with almost as much beauty and intricacy as Sanskrit, Latin or Hebrew. This is the dialect used in many English versions of the Bible.

The reason Crowley chose to include this ritual in the Goetia, is because it calls upon the authority of the Most High. The term ‘Bornless One’ means that which is eternal, which has no beginning. In fact, a more accurate translation of the name would be “Headless One”. To us modern people, that name sounds scary. But to the Gnostics (and possibly ancient Egyptians), it meant something more profound. Having no ‘head’, means having no ‘Ego’. That which is ultimate and self realised.

The original prayer calls on Egyptian God Osiris (Asar). In the modern version, we see the term ‘Osorronophris’, which is a Greek distortion of ‘Asar un-Nefer’, meaning Osiris the Beautiful.

The Golden Dawn worked very heavily with Egyptian gods, so it’s clear to see why they would choose this ritual. It appealed to their highly Egyptian sensibilities and style of magick, while still retaining the Kabbalistic/ Gnostic imagery they were familiar with. Within the GD tradition, Osiris is often considered the highest God. Modern media presents him as some sort of underworld Deity. But when you realise that the ancient Egyptians believed the afterlife was under the Earth, not up in the Sky, this has much more significance.

Osiris was also the God of fertility (and Egypt was a largely agricultural society). The annual flooding of the Nile marked the Egyptian New Year, and it was linked to the rebirth of Osiris. But the most important thing for us, is that the Pharaoh was said to be the living manifestation of Osiris on Earth. Thus, he commanded authority over the entire Empire.

That’s what the Bornless Ritual is: authority. When you stand within the magick circle, and summon angels or demons, you do so with that authority. The performance of this ritual is the the proclamation of that authority, that has been granted unto you by the Divine (however you choose to think of it). Put bluntly: it is an Invocation of God, and in the magick circle, you are the God of the circle.


Structure of the Ritual

There are various versions of the ritual. However, for the practical 21st century magickian, this version is the most powerful and correct, as well as efficient. I present to you, the Bornless ritual:

The Invocation of the Bornless One

Thee I Invoke, the Bornless One!
Thee that didst create, the Earth and the Heavens!
Thee that didst create, the Darkness and the Light!
Thou art
Asar-un-Nefer, whom no man hath seen at any time!
Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust!
Thou didst make the Female and the Male!
Thou didst produce the Seed and the Fruit!
Thou didst form us to love one another, and to hate one another!
Thou didst produce the moist and the dry,
and that which nourisheth all created life!

I Invoke Thee, the Mighty and Ineffable God,
Who dwelleth in the Void place of the Spirit.

I am He! The Bornless Spirit!
Having sight in the feet: strong, and the Immortal Fire!
I am He, the Truth!
I am He, who hates that evil should be wrought in the world!
I am He that bringeth the Lightning and Thunder!
I am He, who showereth life upon the Earth!
I am He, whose mouth ever flameth!
I am He, the begetter and manifester unto the Light!
I am He, the Grace of the World!
The Heart Girt of the Serpent in my name!

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto me,
So that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether,
Upon the Earth or under the Earth,
On dry land and in water, if whirling air and of rushing fire,
And every spell and scourge of God,
May be Obedient unto Me. Amen!

It is this version used by the OTA, a group founded by Mason and prominent ceremonial magician, Poke Caroll Runyon. The OTA omits the “barbarous names” and has no repetitions, and I agree with that. More on it later.

Also, I should mention, I changed “terrible and invisible God” to “mighty and ineffable God”. The words used in the original and OTA version are really bad, because most people have a negative association with the words “terrible” and “invisible”. Western ceremonial magicians frequently fail at separating their innate guilt and fear from this most sacred and beautiful art of Magick. It is up to you, but I suggest using my words. And for what it’s worth, the original Greek translates to something like “I call upon you, awe-some and hidden God..”

When reading the ritual, you may notice that it has two distinctive parts. The first, appears to be a ‘prayer’. It involves several lines praising the Divine, and describing it in various ways. You will notice that it reconciles all duality, always using both sides of every aspect. The Divine is the source of ALL things.

The second is seemingly abrupt. Suddenly, the praises stop and we are met with a string of “I Am” statements. This ends with both a proclamation and a plea, simultaneously asking for and granting ourselves authority over the Cosmos.

The third part, which is removed here, are strings and strings of random words. These are the famous ‘barbarous names’, and they usually are what makes the ritual much longer than is presented here. You can see them in the original version I have provided at the beginning.

“…Hear Me: Ar: Thiao: Reibet: Atheleberseth:………etc.”

Usually, the whole thing is repeated multiple times, with these barbarous names dividing each part. Many of these were probably Greek distortions of Egyptian terms, and many were probably Greek originally, and yet who knows how many more have been added by the Golden Dawn. It should be noted that both of them further distorted several names, although to be honest no one at the time knew as much about these things. Over the years many others have tried to ‘correct’ these names. For anyone interested, here is an online journal which gives the origin and meaning of all of them, as well as the entire ritual.


How to Perform the Ritual

First of, let’s start with the barbarous names, and why modern magicians omit them. Some people might think it just seems like a bunch of mindless, meaningless nonsense. Ironically, those people would be correct.

You see, the mind has two halves. There’s the critical, conscious part, and the subconscious, intuitive part. Successful magick relies heavily on the subconscious mind, since the magician must have absolute faith when he performs his magick. Any doubts, limiting beliefs, and harmful perspectives can hinder the work. If you’re doing a ritual, and all the while thinking about how it’s all stupid and fake, or worried about whether you’re doing it right, or trying to think about the logic of it…well, the ritual would fail.

The way Crowley put it: by forcing you to recite these odd, strange and senseless words, you would push away the doubt. In his words “by enthusiastically invoking something we know not to exist, we are refuting the conscious mind!” (not the exact words, but close enough).

I wouldn’t quite put it that way though. A better way to think is that you’re keeping the conscious mind occupied. By giving it a fairly complex task to perform and keep track of, you’re keeping it from hindering with the ritual.

But, this is actually not a great way of doing so (and in case you’re wondering, the evocation methods that the Golden Dawn finally ended up using did not use the Bornless Invocation, nor any orations from the Ars Goetia). The barbarous names are a bit tedious. You can use them if you want, but a much better way to keep the mind busy is by adding complexity to the ritual. It is for this reason that many Occult rituals have such intricacy. I wouldn’t doubt Crowley and Mathers, as they were very powerful magicians, but I personally find the barbarous names clumsy. Poke Runyon, an equally powerful mage, seems to think so too.

Okay, so now let’s focus on the other two parts. An Invocation consists of two parts: praise and identification. In the first, obviously, we praise the Spiritual force being invoked. You may have noticed this in religious ceremonies, where the Deity in question is called by his many epithets. You may have heard Hindu prayers, where the gods in question is clearly defined using all sorts of traits, such as appearance, powers, clothing and other things. You may have heard Christian hymns where Christ or God are praised through the various roles they play in people’s lives.

The purpose of this is simply: to help us visualise the Spiritual force. If you look at most Occult Invocations, they always begin with such a prayer. This helps the magickian clearly formulate and understand what s/he is communing with, like an ‘image’ of the force. In the Bornless Ritual, we are trying to call on the Divine itself, which is why all the traits seem contradictory, since the Divine is the source of ALL things.

The second part is what religions usually leave out: identification. This is the actual “Invocation” or ‘calling in’ of the Spiritual force. Religion always uses the first part, because it wants you to feel the Gods, without identifying with them. I mean, if most religious worshipers were to identify with their Gods, they they would have no need for religious dogma. They would no longer need the religion to be a middle man between them and their God. And, to the credit of religion, invoking deities requires a well balanced individual who has done spiritual groundwork. Most people cannot just invoke a Deity without preparation. But since the Bornless Invocation calls on the Divine itself, it has few dangers, and anyone can perform it (because the Divine is in all things, whether we like it or not).

Thus, during the first part of the operation, the magus must fill himself with faith and devotion. I normally kneel when I do this part, and speak the words as if in prayer. It’s not just about repeating the words, but understanding their implication. If you believe in and pray to God, this should be done with the same fervour.

grayscale photography of praying hands

Then, the identification. At first, you were calling upon the Divine. Now, the Divine has been invoked and entered the practitioner, and s/he has to assume that mindset and framework. This is where I suddenly stand up straight and proclaim the “I Am” statements in a loud and resonant voice, believing each of them completely. In this short sequence, you have to completely identify with the Divine, and assume the persona of the Master of the Temple. Ideally, having a strong Will and Self Esteem helps. If not, then that can be built up. Doubt and fear have no place, because you’re going to be calling upon forces that will place a great strain on you, as well as those who will test you at every turn.

Personally, I also recommend people who are struggling with self esteem or confidence issues to recite the Bornless Invocation every morning like a prayer, since recognizing oneself as Divine is a crucial aspect of any occult practice. On the other hand, if you’re already really confident and can do this easily, you should be careful using this invocation because it may inflate the Ego, which is one the biggest dangers in magick.

Repetition is not needed, though you may recite it three times if you want, with identification happening in the final half of the 3rd repetition. A lot of the extra bits from the original are unneeded in serious occult practice, although being familiar with the text helps.


In Conclusion

I’ve run out of complicated things to say, so I’m going to link two videos here. The first is an old recording of Israel Regardie reading out the Bornless Ritual, as originally intended by Crowley and Mathers. Regardie was the man responsible to publishing most of the teachings of the Golden Dawn, along with Crowley and Dion Fortune, who were both his peers within the Order. Here he is using the Egyptian version by Crowley.

The second is a video of Poke Runyon performing it within the OTA. This is the version I have used, more or less, and here you can actually see the rite in action during a live ritual. Here, the barbarous words and references to Egypt or Israel are omitted, with no repetitions. (I’ve timestamped the moment where it begins. It’s up to you if you want to watch the rest of the video, which is about an hour long and deals with OTA methods of Evocation. If you’re using mobile, the timestamp may not work. Skip to 55:40)

I like the flair with which the OTA do the rituals, but I dislike their flat tone and spoken pronunciations. This is understandable as it’s simply a minor invocation to the OTA, and much more attention is given to the rituals preceding and following it. While their rituals are no doubt powerful, and while they take great care in creating their temples, props and sigils, I really don’t like the plain English and somewhat dull non-musical recitations, or the spooky woo aesthetic. In fact, it’s all a bit cringey (no offence to any OTA practitioners 🙂 )

I think in terms of the actual words, Regardie says it with more fervor. Notice how he even pronounces all the classical English words correctly. While I always felt the Golden Dawn made everything over complicated and inaccessible, they did understand the sublime beauty of the whole process and didn’t try to replace that with cheesy looking props and spoken English orations. At the very least they made the effort to learn the Hebrew, Enochian, Latin, Greek and Egyptian orations and correctly pronounce them. But it WAS inaccessible. Most ordinary people don’t have time to learn 6 different languages, or procure lion skin belts, or make golden lamps burning olive oil impregnated with snake fat. The OTA has greatly simplified the whole process and made it so anyone, with discipline and commitment, can enter into the Temple of the Mysteries. Personally, I would combine the fervour and force of the GD performance, with the simplicity and flair and the OTA.


That’s all for today. I hope this helped you gain a better understanding of the Bornless Invocation, and various theoritcal and practical aspects of High magick.

I hope you look forward to the release of my first E-Grimoire this Sunday. Be sure to follow this blog for more content. You can also follow me on Instagram @WhiteRavenMagus. Thanks for reading.

Until next time.
~White Raven

The Most Powerful Occult Ritual I’ve Ever Done

First off, I want to announce that I’ve made an Instagram account. I basically dislike most social media, especially Twitter and Facebook. However, some people have asked for a better communication methods than back and forth emails, so Instagram it is. I’m not even sure what I’ll put there, but we’ll see.

So anyway, I’ve been engaged in High Magick for years now, and I subscribe to a specific tradition of ceremonial magick called Hermetic Kabbalah. In particular, the types of rituals practiced by the early 20th century group called the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (to whom almost ALL modern spiritual movements can be directly or indirectly traced).

I‘ve done all sorts of rituals over the years, and tried out different variations. Sometimes I go with what an old grimoire is saying, sometimes I stick to the traditions of one or more Occult groups, sometimes I use a modern, minimalist method and sometimes I create my own. Some rituals work better than others.

I’ve never had a definitive ritual structure that I used for everything, because I wanted to learn and explore first. Most magickians are expected to develop one over time. Trust me, learning from personal experiences is much better than dogmatically adhering to some premade system (that’s called religion).

Recently, I started doing some rituals that are largely derivative of the Golden Dawn method. I just want to share how I do them, and my thought process behind a recent Invocation I did. The reason is so that people can see how Magickians design rituals and ceremonies seemingly from scratch, and completely on their own without having to rely on a grimoire. It’s something anyone can, and should work towards.

It may work better for some people than others. I may share how to actually do the ritual on the blog at some point.


The Magickal Heirarchy

An important thing to understand about ceremonial magick is its hierarchical nature. Essentially, it’s a soft polytheistic idea that when you call upon spiritual forces, you start from the ‘top’ and then work your way down. This is similar to Hinduism in some sense, in which all Gods, Demons, Humans etc. are ultimately manifestations of a single Divine Force, which fragments into small forces, which further fragment into further forces (or avatars).

The Western ceremonial tradition handles this as an almost social hierarchy, instead of using ‘avatars’. You’ve probably seen it in books like the Ars Goetia, where we have Kings, which then rule over Princes, which are then rule over Dukes, then Earls and so on.

The Golden Dawn tradition intertwines Abrahamic and Egyptian hierarchies, and these can be as fluid as one needs. At the top you have the Divine, invoked through Godnames, and beneath that are the Holy Living Ones, each ruling an alchemical element. Then Archangels, Angels, Planets, Elemental Kings and their kin, Spirits and Intelligences etc.

Intertwined into this are the Infernal hierarchies, with Archdemons on top, then Demons, Dark Planets, King of the Quarters and their kin.

Additionally, they try to include the various Gods and Goddesses of Egypt. These forces are are generally parallel to the Angelic hierarchies.

Almost all members of the Golden Dawn were strongly rooted in the Rosicrucian tradition. They constantly struggled with classifying the Egyptian and Demonic forces, and when they did, they made it so needlessly complicated that I genuinely struggle to understand their descriptions in some places. It’s a thing I’ve always seen monotheistic occultists struggle with, when it’s really not so complicated.

There’s also the Enochian system, but that’s for another time (and oh boy won’t that be fun).

A lot of witches and pagans today have a strong dislike of ceremonial magick, because they consider it rigid and narrow. They think it doesn’t allow for individualism or personal interpretation. However, this is untrue. Most of the time it only seems to be rigid, but in truth it’s still extremely fluid and open, and many systems have been combined to create it, which are far form cohesive.

The ritual I designed relied on my own interpretation of the hierarchy. I begin with preliminary banishing and meditations. Then, I call upon the Most High, which is completely personal.

After that, I invoke the God that I feel should preside over the ritual, and the entire ritual derives it’s power from this God.

Next, the Holy Livings Ones. These are neither fully Abrahamic nor Pagan. The GD corelated them to each of the letters of the 4 lettered name: YHVH.

However, their forms are derived from the Sphinxes found in both Egypt and Sumeria. They are: The Lion (Y), The Eagle (H), The Man (V) and the Bull (H). They each represent an Alchemical element: Fire (Y), Water (H), Air (V) and Earth (H).

From there, I invoke an Archangel, the Planet/s whose energy is used in the ritual (and if needed, the Olympic Spirit under them). Then come the Elementals (and their King), and then the Angel and Intelligence (Archon) of the Element.

Now, on some occasions, I will invoke an Archdemon or King of the Quarter at this point. Remember, technically the Archdemons and Kings are equal to the Archangels and Elemental Kings, and not ‘under’ the planets, Angels or Intelligences. However, it is generally a good idea to Invoke them after the Celestial and Planetary forces have been called. And only then, should you consider calling on Demons and Spirits. In fact, if the ritual does not require calling upon any infernal forces, it should be avoided altogether.

Obviously, most rituals do not require going through the entire chain of command. It all depends on the ritual, and I’m simply giving the whole thing to explain the logic of it all.

True and powerful magick could be performed by simply uttering one’s intent. There’s nothing to stop this. Just saying something puts your energy into it. However, that’s not always enough and not everyone can do that. Hence we have ceremonies and rituals and spells. The Invocations simply give it more power, and the hierarchies are more to help us put our magick in a logical framework, rather than representative of the actual state of affairs regarding these spiritual forces. Ultimately, we are the ones doing magick, and these forces simply help us connect to various parts of our own Soul.

Different people may have different hierarchies. Someone may consider Christ to be the Highest Force, while another may call on Krishna. One person may think Lucifer to be a God, while to another he could be an Archdemon. Ultimately, the ‘ranks’ you ascribe to these spirits are components of your own Psyche.

The spiritual forces are the same, and what symbols you use to approach them do not matter. However, it is more likely than not, that our mythologies and stories are at least rooted in some reality.


The Invocation of Air

The ritual in question was an Invocation of the element of Air itself. The purpose was to consecrate a talisman for certain purposes. The talisman, which in this case was a Ring, would be blessed and consecrated with various energies from the dominion of Air.

Now, this is not the usual way of consecrating talismans. In fact, you can read about the usual method here. However, this was not an ordinary talisman. Therefore, I was guided to create a ritual that would call upon the entire Air hierarchy. This was also for my own learning. While I asked each and every Force to bless the ritual and talisman, it can also be utilized for much simpler workings. Instead of asking every force to bless the ritual, you could simply just invoke them in the correct sequence, and that would make the ritual much more powerful. This rituals took about an hour, but technically much shorter versions could be performed based on requirement.

So, I spent about a week working out a hierarchy I was comfortable with. I performed a simple divination from time to time, asking the Archangels if what I was doing was correct. At times, I was asked to make corrections and changes were suggested.

I did the ritual on a Sunday, in the Waxing Moon. The entire day prior had been spent preparing for this ritual, and I think that certainly added to the power. I should mention, while I did use GD rituals and chants, all the prayers were written by me personally. I was told that prayers should always be written to any spiritual force by the individual (if s/he is able), because this is a much stronger expression of love and devotion than merely repeating what has been written before.

The ritual technically had to begin at sunrise, but I was more or less close enough to it. That is to say, I woke up at 6:00 AM, showered, had coffee and began getting things ready. I later realised that the reason this ritual was so powerful was because I had done nothing but work towards it from the moment of waking. On another day, I would do a similar Invocation of Fire, which was slightly weaker because it was at midday, and my mind had already been filled with other distractions.

I had an altar at the Eastern edge of the circle. At the center of it was the Armadel sigil for Raphael, with the Talisman on it. I had previously the area with water and incense. At the ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ of the altar were my dagger and wand, for banishing and invoking respectively.

Around the altar, was a cup of water (water), a stick of incense (fire), a small container with salt (earth) and a feather (air). Outside the circle, I had placed a covered cup with rum from a newly opened bottle, and a small lamp with my own personal blend of fairy salve, which I keep specially for offering to the Elementals.

I also had sigils to the Olympic spirits of the Sun and the Moon, called Och and Phul respectively. The Olympic spirits are often called for consecration of talismans.

The Sun and the Moon are the planets that rule Air (Jupiter and Mercury rule Air, Venus and Mars rule Fire, and Saturn rules Earth).

I started the ritual, with a Salutation to the God Ra. Ra rules the Sunrise (as Hathor, Tum and Khepra rule the midday, sunset and midnight respectively. They are different avatars of the god Amun-Ra, the Egyptian Sun God). After the salutation, I spent a few moments in meditation.

Then came the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (and a short prayer to the Tetragrammaton), and then the banishing Ritual of the Hexagram ritual, followed by the Middle Pillar ritual to ground myself. These three rituals are essential components to most ceremonial workings.

I spoke the Invocation of the Bornless One. This is a well known ritual in magick, and gives you the ‘authority’ to command the Temple and all Forces that appear within it. It is a Greco-Egyptian prayer that calls upon Lord Osiris, who rules the Element of Spirit. (Next post will be about that, since I’ve had enough people ask me about it over the years)

Now, I could begin the ritual itself. I remained facing East, because I was invoking Air.

First, a prayer to Thoth, the God who rules the element of Air. The elements of Fire, Water and Earth are ruled by Horus, Isis and Nepthys in the GD tradition. This was a prayer that I wrote. There some invocations out there that are very elaborate and long, but you really don’t need such long invocations. Although many magicians are uncomfortable with this, having the blessing and aid of Gods is extremely important for spiritual operations. Even medieval Christian occultists would make prayers to the Holy Trinity.

As I did the prayer, I saw Thoth appear, enormous and with an Ibis head, standing as they are depicted in ancient statues. He held up his hand and blessed the ritual. Next, I made a prayer to the Kerub of Air. The Kerub of Air appears as a Man, and I traced the Hebrew letter Vav in the East. I could feel energy flowing from the direction as the Kerub empowered the ritual.

I then did two pentagram rituals, invoking Spirit (Active) and the element of Air respectively.

The most important part of the Ritual came now. I was going to invoke the Archangel Raphael until I was effectively one with him. The remainder of the ritual and consecration of the Talisman would happen with me adopting the guise of Raphael. I had prepared a Greek Mantra.

Remember, to call on any entity, the chant “Agios [Entity]” works very well, and is used in several traditions. Thus, my complete chant for Raphael was:

Ela! (x5)
Agios Raphael! (x7)
Kalo Se Sena! (x10)


It translates to Come! Saint Raphael! Hail Unto Thee!

In fact, I have lately discovered that magical chants and mantras, especially those in ancient languages, should be sung, not just spoken. This empowers them significantly. As I repeated the chant, I slipped into a near complete trance. I saw the Archangel Raphael, with brilliant eyes shining yellow, with long black flowing hair. He often appears to be in yellow robes with purple triangles stitched onto it. He blessed me, then entered me. When I was done, the union was complete. I was me, but I was also Raphael. This is called complete invocation. Usually this takes longer, but with practice it came become quick. Also, the entire ritual done until now, along with the musical key and incense help greatly.

We held out our hand, and called into it the Cosmic kingdom of Air. I saw the entire Universe before us, and then I saw it in a purpulish hue. It was all the nebulae, clouds, dust, plasma, supernova, and everything that gave it beauty and sheen. I saw all the ‘Air’ in the Universe compress together until it was one ball of energy in my hand, bluish and purple. I pushed it into the talisman, and now it grew heavy and warm.

Then I did the Hexagram rituals to Invoke both the Sun and the Moon, for these are the planets that are under the element of Air, and opening both spheres give me the energy I needed. I uncovered the sigils of the Olympic Spirits, and asked each to bestow the planetary energies into the Talisman.

Now, I lit my lamp, and made a prayer to the Elemental ruler of Air, called Paralda, and his kin, who are the the Sylphs. You see, the Elementals co-exist with us on this material plane. This is why so much magick involves the four elements and quarters, because it is the Elementals who grant us the energy for the magickal working. If we were to use our energies, we would cause damage to ourselves, even die. The Elementals must be regarded with great respect, for they are more like us than anything else.

I welcomed them into the Circle and presented my offering. I thanked them for coming, and the Ruler Paralda blessed me in return. I could see little specs of light curling around my hands, giving me the energy I would need to do the consecration.

At this point I was totally in trance, and beginning to get tired. There was sweat dripping from my brow. But I continued intuitively. I made a prayer to the Angel of Air, called Chassam, and Archon of Air, Ariel. The angel empowered the ritual with the invigorating energy of Air, like a gentle breeze. The Archon bestowed upon it, the powerful winds that strip away ignorance and stagnation, and bring knowledge and liberty.

Now I sat silent, regarding all the energies I had invoked.

Then I got up, and performed an invocations of the Shadow side with a ritual I had very carefully prepared. I was told before hand that I did not need to call any of the Infernal hierarchies, except of course, the King of Air.

When I whispered the words to invoke the Shadow, I felt hot and there was a pressure building up. Just as with Raphael, I began to chant. I was still singing, but not vibrating, the name. King Amaymon was there even before I was finished chanting his enn.

I uncovered the alcohol, and welcomed King Amaymon. The Kings are only to be called on important occasions, and received very well. Amaymon is, in some ways, the Black Sun, and possibly an avatar of Lucifer.

He graciously accepted my offer. I saw nothing, though the image that comes to mind is a figure dressed in pitch black robes, so dark that no light reflects, with dark blueish eyes and hair, wearing a dark metallic crown.

If archangel Raphael represents the beauty of the Sun, then Amaymon rules over the Black Sun. Overcoming the Black Sun, and resisting it is integral for any Magician to truly reach adept-hood. The usual symbol of the Black Sun is the Sonnenrad. It is a Nazi symbol, not a pagan one as many New Agers claim. But this is no co-incidence, because they are an example of a group that was completely consumed by the Black Sun. The spirit of rebellion is a powerful force, but as Nietzsche once stated:

“Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster… for when you gaze long into the abyss. The abyss gazes also into you.”

I requested Amaymon to open the Eastern gate. This would let loose the “dark” side of Air, that needs to be tempered and integrated. If Air is the element of the mind, representing Liberty and Knowledge, then it’s dark side is Rebellion and Transgression. It can be a destructive force that levels civilisations, but when integrated and channeled to serve the Divine Will, it becomes the force that breaks the shackles of deception, ignorance and delusion. It breaks the chains of conformity that keep us bound. But anyone who doesn’t know what they are doing, should not invoke these energies, lest he become unbalanced and be consumed by his own Shadow. The Kings of the Quarters will open the gate if you ask them, without regard to how you will handle it. But a divination I had done before told me I was prepared.

I think Amaymon even asked “are you sure”, to which I said yes. I got the impression that the Gate was opened.

The moment this happened, I felt energies so strong, I suddenly had the thought that I may pass out. I hadn’t eaten anything, and suddenly got very dizzy. I felt my stomach drop, and I began to sway. The energy continued to build up, but I was being told to hold on, and to brace myself. So I did, for as long as I could. For a scary moment, I genuinely thought I would faint. You know that light headed feeling right before you loose consciousness? When your mind goes blank and all you want to do is lie down and close your eyes.

But then I recovered my composure. The energy swirled around me, I made a gesture as if breaking chains that were around me. I said a short prayer, and then pushed this intense energy into the talisman.

As is tradition, I used the salt, water, incense and feather to consecrate the Talisman in all 4 elements, and proclaimed it’s purpose. I used the Rose Cross, and the name YEHESHUAH YEHOVASHAH to seal it.

The Kings can open the Gates, but I needed to close the Eastern gate myself, using the Rose Cross again. Then, I began the various thanks and farewells to all the Gods I had called, and finished with banishing all the forces I had invoked and giving a license to depart to any lesser spirits.

I instinctively waved my hand about, as if dispersing energies, because I still felt a lot of stuff around. Finally, the ritual ended.

Sometimes, though rarely, I use a Tarot deck to gauge the relative ‘power’ of a ritual. This is a pretty crude method, and does not show the efficacy of the ritual, only how much energy was generated. But, I still asked the archangel Raphael to tell me how powerful the ritual was, on a scale of 1-10. Then I pulled out an 8. All in all, a pretty good ritual!

Now, ironically, the ring is way too narrow for my finger. Ha. Probably should have checked beforehand. But I can still slip it around the little finger, and it tingles where it touches the skin. It does work very well.

And that’s it for now. So remember to check out the new Instagram page (@whiteravenmagus). If you liked what you read, be sure to follow my blog, and share it with anyone who may enjoy it as well.

Until Next Time
~White Raven

What “Enlightenment” means within The Occult

Greetings. I’m back.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Raven, you said you’d write more regularly. It’s been nine months

Well, I don’t have much to say. I have no excuses. Without going into too many details, my country was undergoing…economic turmoil. I was not in the best state of mind to write about spiritual matters, and sometimes it’s better to stay silent than say thing you don’t mean because of anger or frustration. I get a lot of emails from people who put a great deal of faith in what I say, and I don’t plan to give anyone bad or misleading information. By the way, I read all your messages and emails, although I cannot reply to all, and I’m thankful to everyone who writes in.

But anyway, here we are again.



Western, Eastern and Modern Ideas of Enlightenment

When I say the word “Enlightenment”, there’s one of three ideas that comes to your mind. First, the most common concept of ‘Nirvana’ that comes primarily from Buddhism, though it has merged to some degree with Hindu and Sikh asceticism. You may think of the myraid of ‘gurus’ parading around with long beards, decked out in orange or white clothing, and teaching really generic “spirituality” to the masses. Many of these dudes either run shady cults or international bodies that primarily attempt to hold political power (especially in the East). I’m not saying there’s nothing to be gained from them, but it’s simple spiritual practices that is packaged for mass consumption, without deviating too much from the standard norms for thinking.

There are of course, authentic mystics that are said to be enlightened, but they don’t normally have a public presence. Real ascetics, like the ones who live in Varanasi, are following a specific spiritual traditions, much like the rest of us. Many of them are also just weed smoking hippies.

Secondly, you may think of the Western televangelists. Generally, they are part of megachurches and to them “enlightenment” means some kind of experience with God, Christ, or an advanced knowledge of the Scripture. Unlike the ‘gurus’, these preachers make no attempt to sell “spirituality”. To them, ‘spirituality’ and ‘enlightenment’ fall entirely within the dogma of their specific sect. Here, we see “enlightenment” presented as a by-product of institutional power. This has lately been extended to Islamic clerics and certain Rabbis as well.

The Pope and Dalai Llama fall into this category. While I have nothing against them, you must realise that they are basically political leaders of different religions, and are said to be “enlightened” because of this authority, not because of anything they’ve done outside of the religion. According to them, to know scripture is to know God. This applies to Buddhism as much as it does to the Abrahamic religions. I would not call these people spiritual or ‘enlightened’, though maybe people find a sense of comfort in listening to them.

Finally, you may think of the word “enlightenment” in the context of the historical era we call the “Enlightenment”, which followed close at the heels of the French revolution, and was the result of the printing press and democratic attitudes spreading across Western Europe, North America and Japan. The spread of the scientific method, coupled with the liberalization of culture, the introduction of the Parliaments, the Age of Exploration and finally, the Industrial revolution and the subsequent end of Feudalism and Religious authority thrust us into what we now call “modernity”.

On one hand, this “Enlightenment” refers to “classical liberal” values, such as Secularism, Democracy, Equality, Liberty etc. Today we take these for granted, but just 150 years ago people would have told you that only “Enlightened” parts of the world followed this.

On the other hand, people who use this term today refer to scientific, materialistic determinism, often coupled with atheism or at least a rejection of traditional religion, with the statement that “subjective” cultural values like beauty, morality, virtue etc. do not really exist. Ironically, while it has improved our quality of life substantially, it has also made people nihilistic, and given rise to the belief that there is no purpose to life, good or justice in the world and a reason for living. After all, if everything is a man made creation that can be deconstructed, what is the point of anything at all? In the past few years there has been a resurgence of traditional dogma.

I’m not going to give an opinion on how “Enlightened” our current time is, because throughout all of history people have always considered their time to be “enlightened” and the past to be “dark”. 500 years from now, we’ll be the ones with crazy dogmas and “unenlightened” beliefs. And, if you’re even reading this blog, I think it’s safe to assume that you aren’t satisfied with being told you’re an insignificant speck of dust on a ball of rust, spiraling around a failing nuclear reactor that’s hurtling through a pointless abyss.



The Dual “Enlightenment”

Within the Occult, the term “enlightenment” often applies to two things.

First, the act of “being Initiated” is and has always been considered important in the Occult. In fact, various occult schools use the terms “Initiated” and “Uninitiated” to distinguish between magickains and non magickians. Some groups like the O9A took it rather far with the term “kindred” and “mundane”, even encouraging violence, deception and manipulation against the “mundane”. But, although I don’t condone treating anyone as lesser, I can see where the anger and frustration stems from.

Over the years, you’ve heard various terms like the “masses”, “NPCs”, “normies” or just “average people” thrown around, and not just by Occultists. This highlights an important point that this type of Enlightenment isn’t just about belonging to a specific magickal tradition or even being an occultist. But who exactly uses these terms? The Elite? Intellectuals? ‘Smart’ people? These are equally vague terms.

You might say perhaps this difference doesn’t even exist, but it does. And trust me, this isn’t an elitist statement, because I despise elitism.

In my opinion, the first thing that can be attained is “Initiation” or “Adepthood”, and is said to be accompanied by the religious experience. Organised religions try to replicate this through various initiation rituals that members are meant to go through either at birth, or adolescence, or whenever they join. Unfortunately, this means anyone who has undergone a certain ritual or been given a position by a tradition, claims superiority due to being an “Adept”.

Next, comes the state of Niravana or Salvation. In Hermetic Kabbalah, this is reached after an experience called ‘Crossing the Abyss’. People who reach this are often called by various names within religions, like Boddhissatvas, Rishis, Ascended Masters, Saints etc. Such people are often regarded with a near God like status. Many, many pretenders claim to be divine as well.

“Anyone who must say ‘I am King!’ is no true King”
~Tywin Lannister, Game of Thrones



The True Meaning of Initiation

From the point of view of any specific tradition, being Initiated, in my opinion, means that you can now teach that system without guidance.

So when a specific School of Magick insists on going through the process of Initiation, they say it primarily to help you understand and internalize the teachings of that system. You may already be an Adept, but you still need to learn the system.

For example, if reached Adepthood through pagan Witchcraft, you may be great magickian. But if you were to decide to learn ceremonial Magick, you can’t just start from it’s Adept rituals. After all, you need to understand the theory and symbols, and work with them so they actually mean something to you. In the most mundane sense, that it why Initiations exist.

People think becoming an Adept involves having special powers, being more knowledgeable than others, having had some kind of psychic vision, or even a Kundalini awakening. ALL of these may accompany Adepthood, but they aren’t what define it. After all, some people are simply psychically gifted since birth. Some people have early Kundalini awakenings. Some people simply are smarter or more creative than others.

Adepthood comes with independent and original thinking.

I know, sounds cliched, but hear me out. The fundamental difference that people see between Initiated and Uninitiated people is the lack of independent thinking. No one is born with this. In fact, each and every one of us is born into a culture and society that restrains and controls our thoughts and beliefs. Even if you ‘rebel’, as many do, you’re usually just abiding by an alternative and often ‘counter’ culture, which itself is most likely the norm for another culture.

Yes, it’s possible that certain social norms, belief systems and systems work better than others on a cultural level. But there is debate over this and people often become foot soldiers in this culture war, slowly giving over their agency either to their own culture or the new one they’ve adopted. It’s also possible that certain modes of thinking are better for an individual than others. For a highly artistic person, altruistic and liberal beliefs probably help him. For a soldier in the military, traditional notions of hierarchy and duty may be better. My point, it doesn’t matter what is better or worse, but your ability to think for yourself and decide this.

What are the ‘masses’. Put simply, people who do not think for themselves. This is most of the human population. Practically everyone sticks with inherited beliefs and social norms. People have a morality and values that are circumstantial, hence one moment you have people talking about unity and empathy, and the next they’re viciously attacking those who don’t think or look like them. I’ve personally seen people’s beliefs change based on what they saw on the News (but this post isn’t about that)

People repeat the ideas of others without ever challenging them. You may think you don’t, but at some point in your life you definitely have. It’s human nature to be tribal.

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers”
~George Carlin
(Funnily, I’m sure people who opposed him thought the exact same thing)

Dr. Jordan Peterson once remarked that most people, were they living in Germany in 1933, would most likely be Nazis. Although many think they would fight against their own society and save the Jews, this is highly unlikely, even in brave and moral people. Like I said, this isn’t about having superior or inferior qualities, but the agency of thought.

Even when a truly transgressive movement emerges, over time it too develops a “group think” that it’s new members simply abide by. Think about Christianity. Think about Communism or Democracy. Each of these were highly radical for their time. Even the very philosophy of Individualism comes with a baggage.

I would like to go in details, but perhaps in a future post. This isn’t the place.

Thinking independently is not something that one is born with or gets by virtue of intellect, knowledge or maturity. It is something you strive for, and in my opinion this is the true meaning of spiritual growth. Everyone, as far as I’m concerned, is moving towards this over the course of their existence. Through the practice spirituality, you slowly begin to care less about what other people think or say, and become more content with yourself. This becomes most evident when you realise that you don’t care about debating with or correcting others, unless it has some real implication. Generally, all that will be achieved is sour the relationship or push the person further into their dogma.

aren’t we all

Ever heard of the axiom “Speech if silver, Silence is Gold” ? The reason magickians don’t go red in the face trying to explain to the others what magick is or convince them that it works, is because they don’t feel the need to tell everyone. Put simply, it doesn’t really matter. This is not apathy, but acceptance of the way things are. It would be far better to improve the world through action, than by arguing with others and endlessly worrying about what the world thinks.

Interestingly, this ties into the values of the Enlightenment era. The scientific method states that nothing should simply be accepted, unless it has been tested and proven effective. Classical liberalism encourages us to live and let live. If you look at history, you’ll see these values didn’t come about in the Enlightenment for the first time, and have existed and evolved since the birth of Civilisation, and often spoken within spiritual and Occult traditions.

The Hermetic Order of the Golden dawn used to insist that the Adept must have three key qualities. Not intellect, nor magick powers. Simply: Persistence, Determination and Humility.

People who are intelligent, or gifted, or rich, or well educated can fail. These things aid people in succeeding, but they do not guarantee success and fulfillment in life. Nor is it that the poor, illiterate, or those who have gone through a lot of hardship always succeed. The only quality common across those who are Adept is their persistence, determination and humility.

When you look at truly great people, you always see that they had a goal that they pursued no matter what, and a strong moral code they lived by. The pursuit of this goal led to failure after failure. But it doesn’t matter how many times they failed, but rather that they continued until success was found.

When you practice magick, you may find that you very quickly start transforming yourself and gaining an edge over others. But we have to constantly remember that we are not superior, or ‘higher’ than others. You have to treat even “lowly” people with respect.

I’m not making a case for pacifism, meekness or servility. Certainly, if someone crosses you, you have to deal with them firmly. Never turn yourself into an unwitting martyr. It’s okay to want things, it’s okay to have desires and ambition, and it’s okay to be aggressive. The Gods favor these qualities. But petty elitism, entitlement, and cruelty toward those who are weak are signs of an inflated Ego. That usually leads to the fall of the Magickian.



The Meaning of Godhood

We have established that the Initiation or Adepthood means the ability to think independently. The key qualities that are sought for in an Adept are humility, persistence and determination.

Most Occult traditions bring about this process through a system of “grades”. Usually, each grade involves rituals, meditations, learning, real world tasks and self analysis. These days, most people self initiate, especially in Western traditions. In Eastern traditions it is still more common to find a teacher.

Every system is different, and it’s not necessary that every person who has achieved a ‘rank’ is actually Enlightened or Spiritual, nor that Initiation can only be attained through this method. The aim is to bring about self transformation.

Every great magickian has only one trait in common, that they truly think for themselves, and would not compromise their principles and values due to social pressure.

The second “enlightenment”, was summed up simply by the Oracle of Delphi:

Know Thyself

Buddhism is the only religion that is the most blunt about how Buddhahood is achieved. It is done through the acquisition of Self Knowledge.

Each person has their own path to this, because each person is unique. The Western traditions call a person’s life path as his “True Will”, and the performance of your True Will is doing the “Great Work”. Hinduism calls it “Dharma” or Duty (in the Bhagavat Gita sense, not Hindu orthodox sense)

These are all simply fancy ways of saying “know thyself”. A person who understands himself, also learns to see himself in others. Each of us will have some degree of insight, and we do various things to increase this. I mean, it is often said that everyone is just looking for love and happiness. Perhaps a better way to put it, would be that everyone is looking for fulfillment.

They want to know what their life means, what they enjoy, whom they are meant to be with, what their profession is supposed to be. “God’s plan” as the Christians put it.

Obscurantism in the Occult has made it seem like ‘Enlightenment’ is some distant, magical privilege afforded only to holy men living in the mountains, or monks living in isolation with nothing but a devotion to God. This is why people allow so called “Enlightened” men and women to take control of their lives, and dictate social norms. This is why people would rather rely completely upon ‘divinely’ inspired scriptures of various political ideologies that promise Utopia, instead of their own intuition and wisdom. Simply put, people do no know themselves, and you cannot trust what you do not know. And so, people seek Divinity in everything but themselves.

Unlike Initiation, there is no specific structure to ‘attain’ Enlightenment’ The simplest way to put it would be to discoverer and follow your unique path. I do not know if everyone’s purpose is Divinely ordained, although I believe this. Even if it isn’t, self knowledge leads the the perception that one is doing what one was meant for, and this brings fulfillment.

As far as I am concerned, Enlightenment means coming to terms with the suffering of life, and then finding something that makes it all worthwhile. If, when my time comes to die, I am not filled with regrets and feel I lived as I was meant to, I think that’s Enlightenment. Sometimes, this means standing against the status quo, and challenging it.

Generally, the Golden Dawn and other such groups stated that integrating the Jungian Shadow and developing a strong moral code, and finally being able to rely completely on your own wisdom, to the point where you do not even need the the symbols of various Occult traditions, is how Enlightenment is achieved. But the point is, it’ll be different for each person, and only each person can know what it means.

It has been described by Western occultists as “the moment where the Individual realises that the entire Universe is speaking to him personally”. The Zen Buddhists speak of ‘spontaneous enlightenment’. In other words, not an elaborate process, but a sudden realisation of Self. Becoming who you are.

For someone, it might mean creating a great scientific invention and for another it may just mean running a bakery in their village. Some enlightened people may develop spiritual powers or take part in the destiny of nations, while others may find fulfillment in gardening or a simple service job. People are different, but, in my opinion, it comes down to Independent Thinking, which then leads to Self Knowledge.

If you can think for yourself, you can act for yourself and do what’s right for you. Over time, you can understand what it is you should do with your life. You can figure this out at 18, or you can figure it out at 50, and then spend the rest of your life pursuing it. This is my interpretation of Dharma.



How to Get On Your Path

First off, I think one should become depolarised. I’ve linked a great video on this topic by Frater Xavier, who explains depolarisation better than I ever could. You don’t have to do “magick” for it, but rituals and meditation certainly helps. Namely, a daily performance of the Middle Pillar Ritual.
A big part of this, as Frater will explain, is learning not to react.

Secondly, learn to be self reliant. During this lockdown, I made an interesting observation. A huge number of people, of all ages, do not know how to perform simple tasks: like cooking, cleaning, and saving money. I suppose I should thank my mother for teaching me everything under the sun. When the lockdown started, and we ran out of Gin, I started brewing alchohol at home using baker’s yeast, burnt bread and a pressure cooker (a Russian drink called Kvass). On the other hand, there were people who are so reliant on immigrant maids cleaning and cooking for them, they can’t even figure out how to make rice.

I’m not trying to pass judgements, but this lockdown brought one thing to everyone’s attention: we simply aren’t self reliant enough: as nations, as communities and as people. We’ve come to rely completely on this interconnected social web that without it, everything starts collapsing. Countries are starting to be forced to open up, even though the virus is still around, because of the very nature of our economy.

I’m not going to say what’s right or wrong, instead I’ll tell you this: this isn’t the first or last time something like this has or will happened. The enormous comfort, peace and prosperity that the world has enjoyed since 1950 is extremely unusual in terms of human history. And let me remind you that everytime things go wrong, people first come after those like us. People like us who are somewhat unusual, do not conform to social norms, have unorthodox beliefs and practices etc. Yeah, we are in an “enlightened time”, but then again, there ARE still countries where ‘witch hunts’ happen. History shows us that things can change radically in just over a decade.

As magickians, we need to learn to rely on ourselves. Learn all basic skills that are needed to live independently. I’m not saying to be detached from society (although some may prefer that), but learn to take care of yourself, so that you aren’t dependent on others. Self reliance is the first Step to Self Knowledge.

Finally, learn. You are part of a vast and complex social network that you were born into. It is not important that you go out and start challenging it, but at least start learning about it. Learn about your religion, your country’s real history, about the political parties you support, what you believe and why. Learn these things without passing judgement, and expose yourself to opposing ideas without engaging it debate or mental justification/retorts. Open your mind, and then open your heart. This is what it means to think for yourself.

And there we go, Enlightenment. It means different things for different people, but the most important thing to remember that it was always supposed to be something the Individual himself can attain, not something rewarded to a few special people.

Until next time.
~White Raven.

 

I Invoked Dionysus, Pissed him off, then made up

Ey! Hello, and welcome back to my blog! This is a short update for veteran readers (and for any new ones, if you’re interested). Then we will get to the article.

So, I did some soul searching. I noticed how when I started this blog I used to write a lot, but as I got busy, I began to fall short. For 2017 and 2018 I literally just wrote 5 posts each year. But now college is ending and suddenly I’m a lot more free. I decided that I would ignore this blog no longer, and actually update it more often. I was also stuck, both in life and in magick, for two years, becoming very internal and reflective. But recently I’ve made breakthroughs, and once again I’m excited about magick, and life in general 😀

I’ve spent the last month going through every single article, adding new information and insights, fixing grammatical mistakes, and tagging properly, and I’ve already started getting more traffic. If you’re a veteran reader, I really recommend going back and reading anything you liked. There’s tons of new information and thoughts in every post written between 2015-2018.

There are many Occult blogs out there, but they’re very, very theoretical and academic. Now, I love those and I’m sure they are very important. But that’s just not my thing. I’m young, and I know for a fact that there’s a gulf between young, spontaneous occultists who’ll literally explore as far as they possibly can, and the older, more mature middle aged occultists with glasses and goatees, dedicated to reading their 700 page tomes and doing their 5 hour invocations precisely.

Let’s be real, I’m not much into being tied down. Fuck that. College has made me realise why more people aren’t Occultists, why more people aren’t vibrant, alive and courageous. Society has become like a stagnant, infested swamp of boredom. But the world runs because magicians Will it to. And I’d rather be out there doing something of value, than sitting at some abhorrent desk job dying inside every day. And I encourage everyone to do the same. Now, what that is, I do not know.

But enough of my rant, and time to begin today’s post, the Invocation of Dionysus.


Why Dionysus?

You might ask, why Dionysus? I asked the same thing. Being a Kabbalist, I’ve only ever worked with Angels and Demons. In fact, even they’re rare. A majority of the magick I’ve ever done has been planetary and elemental magick.

Sure, I’ve had some encounters with other stuff (mainly Lovecraftian magick), but I think Dionysus was the first true “God” I ever invoked. I think it’s mainly because I wasn’t totally sure how to go about it, and I never really needed to.

The Planetary powers are also Greek/Roman gods, but I still invoked them as Planets, and knew all the astrological correspondences. But with deities like Dionysus, it gets a lot more complex, and it never seemed worth the trouble.

Before I became a magickian, I was exposed to the New Age stuff. Dionysus was an important figure in those spiritual circles, not to mention he’s kind of famous because a lot of Christian rituals were lifted from the Cult of Bacchus/Dionysus.

Since he’s an important spiritual figure in pop culture, I was always intrigued by him. He was said to party hard and impart ecstasy. Being from a fairly stuck up culture that shuns letting go and intoxication, I was very drawn to Dionysus as a young teenager.

800px-Los_borrachos_o_el_triunfo_de_Baco_1629_Velázquez

Most importantly, when I was young I had taken Pan (who is a deity very closely linked to Dionysus, if not a primordial aspect of him) as one of my patron Gods. This is before I ever got into Kabbalah. I’d always had a plan to invoke Dionysus at the back of my mind.

So, I finally decided to call on him. I was guided to do so by my intuition, so I thought “eh, what the heck”. I was also interested to see what a Hellenic deity is like.


History of Dionysus

Dionysus is a very interesting god, to say the least. Remember, the key to invoking any Being is to have a comprehensive understanding of their history and nature.

Dionysus today is generally thought of as the God of Wine. He was/is one of the Twelve Olympians from Greek mythology, a son of Zeus and therefore a demigod, invented wine, wandered the world and partied with people.

Many say he went to India (where he founded the city of Naragarhi/Nyssa) and for a long time there was the misconception that Dionysus was a foreign God that came to Greece when Alexander expanded his empire across Asia. I can see why people would think that, since ancient Greece and India had a lot of interaction, to the point where Greek manuscripts are a good source to study Indian history (because all the Indian libraries were brunt down. Thanks Islam ), and there’s people of Greco-Indian descent alive today. Dionysus was always seen as a “foreign” God in ancient Greece, and for this reason people thought he was an import from some other culture.

However, when we discovered that Dionysus was worshiped in the pre-Hellenic period as well, and possibly even before Mycanean period, this theory was rebuked.

Now it’s more clear, and it seems that Dionysus wasn’t a “foreign” god, but a God in whom “foreignness” was intrinsic. As I explain the history of his worship, you’ll see why he represents all that is foreign, alien and against social norms.

When he died Zeus wanted him to be an Olympian. For this, it is generally accepted (Thanks to the Percy Jackson novels) that the goddess Hestia, the former 12th Olympian, gave up her seat for Dionysus. Now he spends his days getting drunk and chasing nymphs. Technically, the myth of Hestia wasn’t official canon in Ancient Greece itself, and really is a modern invention. In reality, both Dionysus and Hestia are, based on different sources, said to be the 12th Olympian.

Needless to say, if you were to invoke Dionysus with only this to go on, you’d commune with a very shallow, pop culture aspect of him and at most feel a bit tipsy. So I’m going to do my best to outline a history for you.

Mycenaean Dionysus

To anyone interested in working with the Greek Gods, it is perhaps important to understand that most of our modern ideas about Greek religion, and culture in general, come from Hellenic Greek. This is why Greek neo-pagans of today are called Hellenists.
But Hellenic Greece was a late-comer to the world, appearing only in the 5th century BCE.

Obviously, that’s very late compared to it’s contemporaries like Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, China etc, and hardly befitting the title of “Cradle of Western Civilization”. Interestingly, when we say “Ancient Greece”, we’re talking about the Hellenic period.

Much of Hellenic culture and religion were actually carried over from a much more ancient period, called Mycenaean Greece. This is a mistake I see a lot of neo-pagans make when they try to practice magick from a purely Hellenic perspective, since Mycenaean religion was far more vested in magick and mysticism than the more philosophical and academic Hellenic period.

Mycenaean civilisation existed in Greece during 15th century BCE, until about the 8th Century BCE. 

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All of the Greek Gods have been found to have existed in this period, in their more ancient aspects. The emphasis was on Cthonic (dark underworld) deities instead of patriarchal sky Gods. In fact, this shift may be seen in all cultures, and there’s definitely Occult relevance there.

In other words, Poseidon was the chief Deity, not Zeus. Those of you who understand the Alchemical elements will see that the shift between these two civilisations was from Water to Air, and finally to Fire in the Roman era and it’s emphasis on Mars. Perhaps before the Cthonic gods of Mycanean Greece, people of the region worshiped Gaia and the Titans, and thus the element of Earth, which then went into Tartarus with subconscious repression.

Dionysus existed in this time as Di-Wo-Nu-Su (the Mycanean script is considerably different from modern forms of Greek). Diwonusu/Dionysus was fundamentally a Cthonic God, ruling Death and Rebirth. This makes him very similar to Osiris, and this is where the association with Rebirth in modern myths of Dionysus comes from. This is also why many people point to the Cult of Dionysus as a proto-Christian religion.

Prior to the discovery of this version of Dionysus, there were many linguists who thought his name was from modern Greece, and had various translations, ranging from “Zeus-limp” to “He who runs among trees”. However, it seems Diwonusu means something much more profound: “He who impels the world tree/mountain”. In other words, the driving force behind the Axis Mundi, the one who compels the spiritual ascent to the god-head, which makes sense if you consider the death and rebirth association.

Initially, this Underworld Deity was simply a Rebirth God, and his cult existed even then. At this time wine made it’s way to Greece, and became associated with the Cult of Dionysus.

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We know that the Mycaneans made extensive use of psychadelics mixed with wine (Terrence McKenna thought they made the wine from psychadelics, like ergot). 

I personally think the cult of Dionysus may have used psychedelics plants to commune with him, and he may already have had an association with intoxication. Perhaps they adopted wine and mixed the plants into it, because it was easier to consume or heightened the effects, thus making Dionysus the God of Wine as well as Rebirth.

This version of Dionysus was also horned and probably bearded, making him extremely important from an Occult standpoint, as a primal male fertility god, who dies and is reborn. A solar archetype. This is why I believe Dionysus and Pan are different aspects of the same deity. The fertility aspect of Dionysus would later emerge as Pan, who in mythology was his follower. However, when invoking these Gods you should treat them as separate.

Orphic Dionysus/ Esoteric Dionysus

Between the fall of Mycanean greece and the rise of Hellenic Greece, there is a period called the “dark ages” (not to be confused with the Christian Dark Ages which happen after the fall of Rome). We know very little about this period, due to the lack of records. Dionysus was worshiped during this time, but underwent a transformation. Perhaps an important deity within what would later become Orphism.

Orphism was much more concerned with esoteric symbolism. To them, the Underworld aspect of Dionysus was a bit less important that the intoxication and symbolism.

Orphic Dionysus was said to have been the son of either Zeus (Sky) or Hades (Death), and Persephone (Spring).  He was, much like Krishna, Christ and Horus, destined from birth to become King. This angered the Queen of the Gods, Hera, and she had the Titans tear him apart and consume him. However, his heart was saved by Athena (Wisdom) and he was reborn. You will notice this death and rebirth also has an association with how wine is made, by taking living grapes (living God), grinding them down (death), storing and fermenting the pulp (heart), and creating the drink from them (rebirth). And yes, this is precisely why the death and rebirth of Christ is celebrated through the consumption of Wine, aka the “blood” of Christ.

This Dionysus was still a horned God, though lacking a beard (making him seen as a younger, more spontaneous God) and represented the liberation from the Ego, and the ecstasy of an uninhibited subconscious that occurs during intoxication. However, the subconscious is also symbolised by the Underworld, so there is still an association with the old Cthonic Diwonusu.

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The Orphic cult celebrated the madness, insanity, and a celebration of the Divine. They also sacrificed Bulls. They also attracted a lot of members of Greek society who were of “low status” and oppressed, such as slaves, women and foreigners. The parallels with early Christianity are obvious.

On the other hand, now the dark ages ended, and Hellenic Greece came into being, and the modern Olympic pantheon as we know it was set. In other words, the Cthonic religion had transformed into a simpler, organised, scholastic and “noble” faith. So I guess the average Hellenic priests were not overly keen on the insane intoxicated death cult that was killing bulls and having orgies in the forest, or their weird undead horned God who drove people insane. Still their attempts at suppression failed. Thus, this fringe part of the religion was Orphism, while the mainstream part was Hellenism.

Bacchae Dionysus

So, what happens now? Well, apparently some crazy monarch called Pisistratus tried to popularize the worship of Dionysus to Athens, by trying to introduce a folk festival called the Dionysia. During this festival people carried giant phallic structures, and we see a glimpse of the very old aspect of Dionysus as a fertility God emerge again. People were uneasy at first, but Pisistratus informed them of all the horrible things Dionysus did to those who rejected him (are we sure these aren’t basically just Christians?).

And lo and behold, Dionysus slowly became mainstream. But not fully. A famous play from the 6th century BCE called the Bacchae depicts Dionysus as returning from his exile to Thebes to overthrow a king who outlawed his worship. The people don’t believe that he is a God so he drives them mad, and over time builds a following.

He is captured by the King and chained up, but the young Dionysus just laughs in his face. The King of Thebes presents chained up Dionysus to his followers, who are called the Maenads, as proof of his victory over their leader. He is then promptly torn apart and killed by them in crazed anger.

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I think this represents a transition phase, where Dionysus is like a mad, rebellious God with a large following who doesn’t care about society or how people see him. This is most likely an indication of the Cult of Dionysus during this time. He was considered an Olympian and his worship began to spread, despite all the crazy shit he did.

Hellenic Dionysus

As the prosperity of ancient Greece grew, thanks to the establishment of Alexander’s Empire across Asia,  the elite became interested in this strange new cult. Partying, intoxication, and excess became more common and Dionysus gained acceptance in Greek society, even though he was watered down to be basically a God of Wine and intoxication, but at least now he was a full fledged Olympian.

There are also accounts from this period which place Hestia, Goddess of Hearth, as an alternative 12th Olympian. Don’t know why this is. Presumably there was a more conservative, traditional part of the population who were more drawn to Hestia, and her assocations with home, family values and the hearth than to Dionysus, the God of Intoxication. Most peasants, who were neither part of the elite, nor the ostracized fringes, probably identified with Hestia more than Dionysus.

This is also the time when the Eleusinian Mysteries, another esoteric Cult, emerged in Greece, Crete and the Near East, and had many of the old Mycanean practices. Supposedly, this was much less fringe and almost all the important philosophers and figures of ancient Greece, including Plato, Socrates, Plutarch and Cicero, had been initiated into it.

This is also the first emergence of High Magick in western society, with the esoteric Mysteries being associated with the intellectuals of society rather than just the oppressed and alienated. Prior to this, it had only existed in Egypt and India in any real sense. You will notice that this is basically the status of most Occult traditions today, which attract the most intellectual and capable members of society as well as the most oppressed, and of course, there is also a strong overlap between the two groups.

The Hellenic myths of Dionysus state that he was born from Zeus and a mortal woman, Samella. While pregnant, she was tricked by Hera into goading Zeus to prove to her that he was a God. He revealed to her his true form, but since no mortal can look upon the true form of a God, she disintegrated, leaving a premature Dionysus behind. Zeus took the child and sowed him into his genitals, and gave birth to him this way (don’t even ask me to consider). This Dionysus grew up to be a dashing young man and gained a large following. He discovers how to make wine and spreads his gift with the world, travelling all around the globe.

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He is once captured by pirates, for his beautiful looks They are going to sell him as a slave, but suddenly he unleashes his true fury on them, driving them insane and enveloping the ship in vines. In their insanity, they jump overboard, and he takes pity on them and turns them into dolphins.

To me this shows that even now, the true origins of Dionysus still had a semblance in culture, like an old, forgotten memory. But other than that, he basically just drank a lot and chased nymphs. He once fell in love with a human woman called Ariadne, and upon her death she became his immortal wife in Olympus. Dionysus has become a much more “noble”, clean and watered down God.

Dionysus in Rome and Beyond

In the Roman era, Dionsysus was known as Bacchus and was still basically a wine God. However, by now the Cult of Bacchus had become very important, and their beliefs and practices would contribute to the foundation of Christianity. These people saw Bacchus as a solar god, who had been crucified and then reborn. This aspect of Dionysus is much more important if you are practicing magick within a Christian tradition, but less if you do so in a non Abrahamic one.

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Dionysus was also known in another form to the Romans, as Liber Pater. This was a god of fertility, wine and freedom. You see here that he had been split into Bacchus, the esoteric God of Rebirth, while Liber became the fertility side of him.

After paganism faded from Europe and gave way to Christianity, Dionysus, along with the other Gods, became more of a cultural facet than god. It seems some priest led a dance in the honour of Dionysus in Scotland during Easter, in 1282. He was then promptly killed by a Christian mob later that year.

The art and sculptures of the Renaissance often prominently feature Dionysus and Pan. This includes works by Michelangelo. Many during the Renaissance thought of their time as the pagan revival, and this is evident from their art.

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Naturally, the neo-pagan movements first sprang up in what is now the UK (which is still a prominent neo-pagan and occult centre) around the 18th century, and most modern neo-pagan movements can be traced back to those.

Dionysus and India

Many of my fellow Hindus today have a complete and utter inability to look at religion and spirituality beyond it’s surface level, and, much like Jews and Christians, are extremely concerned with the ethno-political aspect of Hinduism than any of it’s esoteric and mystical layers.

I have heard people say that Dionysus was a precursor to Shiva, since both are intoxicated deities. This is untrue, since we have just seen Dionysus is MUCH more than a mere wine God (and Shiva is much more than some stoned Hippie). The worship of Shiva in fact predates Vedic civilization, to the Indus valley. Both however, started out as primal fertility Gods and have their core aspect in the Horned God archetype.

On the other hand, I find myself wondering if Dionysus is the precursor to the worship of Krishna instead. You see, Krishna isn’t actually as ancient as people think, and definitely came around AFTER the Vedas. Much later in fact, possibly during the Bhakti movement.

Older Krishna, like Bacchus, has an aspect as the supreme solar archetype. Krishna in Hindu theology plays a more profound role as Law Giver, much like Christ. This aspect of Krishna is linked to Vishnu, to the Higher Self and the core of Vedic esotericism.

However, if you look at the stories of young Krishna, how he was born destined to be King, how he had many female followers (gopis), how he cared little for societal norms, it seems that “young Krishna” is Dionysus. We know the Greeks had a cultural impact on India, and I wonder if the worship of Krishna started out as the worship of Dionysus. But, I’ll stop speculation there, because I just don’t know enough right now, and I despise the Hindu fundamentalists  and rather not ruffle any feathers. If our ancestors were here today, they’d remark that they saw no religion around that resembled their own.


Dionysus in Magick

Dionysus is, fundamentally, a Sun god. Due to his association with both death and rebirth, as well fertility and celebration, he is halfway between the dark rebirth deities like Osiris, and the solar deities like Christ and Horus. He has several aspects, all of which could be invoked. The purest, most Occult aspect would the Orphic Dionysus.

Orphic religion is the most important to us as Magickians. You see, it was a Mystery cult.

In other words these people were Occultists themselves, as far as their time period was concerned. Sure, Hellenism has an occult side to it in modern time, but you have to understand that in it’s day, Hellenism was the organised religion of Greece. It was very similar to the Abrahamic religions (and others) today.

But Orphism back then was akin to the Occult traditions of today. It has been traced back to the beginning of the Hellenic period, and was basically a fringe, spiritual group with unorthodox, and authentic practices. They were also shunned by Hellenism, like every organised religion shuns the Occult movements of it’s time. Many of the ideas espoused by Orphism wouldn’t become mainstream in the world until well after Christianity had taken over, such as the ideas of equality among people, and the importance of freedom and liberty. Heck, one might say these ideas weren’t truly established until the French revolution.

In this sense, you may think of Dionysus as “The Transformer”, or a God of Alchemy. This is what the death and rebirth symbolise, and he transforms darkness into light. For example, he can transform anxiety, worry and depression into joy, intoxication, and warmth. He beings forth Beauty and Calmness from Horror and Confusion.

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The second thing to remember is that through the intoxication he induces, he breaks down the boundaries between the conscious and unconscious. He allows the magician to relax and let go of his worries, and in this process connect more deeply to himself and allow his deeper, intimate nature to shine through. If you take it far enough, he can also let the celebrant to embrace the animalistic, wild side of himself, being a God of the Wild and madness.

This sort of madness, from what I can see, is rare and I have never personally experienced it. It is possible the the amount of madness that will be produced depends on how repressed the person normally is. A person who is unable to ever express himself freely, either because of constraints placed by himself or by society, will probably benefit the most. In this sense we see the rebellious aspect of Dionysus as well, who pushes against oppressive social norms.

Dionysus, being the transformer, causes rebellion and upheaval which causes the transformation, and he does so by breaking down conscious constraints. At first all these aspects seemed random and disconnected, but if you think about it, they all lead to each other.

Normally, most magicians have already broken down most of the arbitrary constraints placed on them, and usually have a good mental balance, and express themselves more openly. I think it is because of this that occult practitioners only ever experience a relaxation and calmness, instead of full madness. We have less to let go off. For someone who is new to magick and coming from a strong orthodox religious background, the Invocation of Dionysus might be fruitful, especially if he/she is unwilling to work with being like Lucifer or Lilith.


Associations

Important Names: Diwonusu, Dionysus, Bacchus, Iacchus, Agrios, Bromos, Euious

Epithets: Loud roarer, First-Born, Twice/Thrice Born, Wild One, Bull faced, War-Like, The Liberator, The Subterranean, the Thunderer, The Prevailer.

Role: God of Wine, Fertility, Rebirth, Madness, Intoxication, Pleasure, Foreignness

Symbols: Thyrsus (staff covered in vines and leaves, topped with a Pinecone), grapes, wine, leopards, pinecones, phallus, bull, goat (as Pan), oranges

Planet: The Sun/Tiphareth and Mercury/Hod


The Invocation

I used the Orphic Hymn of Dionysus to invoke him. I shall give here the original Greek and the English transliteration, along with the translation I found.

Original

Κικλήσκω Διόνυσον ἐρίβρομον, εὐαστῆρα,
πρωτόγονον, διφυῆ, τρίγονον, Βακχεῖον ἄνακτα,
ἄγριον, ἄρρητον, κρύφιον, δικέρωτα, δίμορφον,
κισσόβρυον, ταυρωπόν, ἀρήϊον, εὔϊον, ἁγνόν,
ὠμάδιον, τριετῆ, βοτρυοτρὸφον, ἐρνεσίπεπλον.
Εὐβουλεῦ, πολύβουλε, Διὸς καὶ Περσεφονείης
ἀρρήτοις λέκτροισι τεκνωθείς, ἄμβροτε δαῖμον·
κλῦθι μάκαρ φωνῆς, ἡδὺς δ’ ἐπίπνευσον ἐνηής,
εὐμενὲς ἦτορ ἔχων, σὺν ἐυζώνοισι τιθήναις.

Transliteration

Kiklískoh Diónyson ærívromon, evastíra,
prohtógonon, diphií, trígonon, Vakheion ánakta,
ágrion, árriton, krýphion, dikǽrohta, dímorphon,
kissóvryon, tavrohpón, Aríion, évion, agnón,
ohmádion, triætí, votryotróphon, ærnæsípæplon.
Evvouléf, polývoulæ, Diós kai Pærsæphoneiis
arrítis lǽktrisi tæknohtheis, ámvrotæ daimon;
klýthi, mákar phohnís, idýs d’ æpípnefson æniís,
evmænǽs ítor ǽkhohn, sýn evzóhnisi tithínais.

Translation/Meaning

I call Diónysos the loud-roarer! Who wails in revel!
First-Born, two-natured, thrice-born, Vakkhic king,
Wild, inscrutable, cryptic, two-horned, two-shaped,
Bedecked in ivy, bull-faced, war-like, howling, holy,
Divine victim, feasted every other year, adorned with grapes, bedecked in foliage. Evvouléfs, counselor, Zefs and Kóri bore you…on a secret bed, immortal Daimon;
Listen happy one to my voice! Sweetly breathe on me with gentleness,
Be kind and grant my desire, with the aid of your chaste nurses!

I had no sigil or image, so I decided to use a large pine cone as a representation of Dionysus. I also had a small one that I would ask Dionysus to bless.

I kept the invocation relatively simple. I had a black lamp, and the pine cone on my altar. Instead of incense, I burned some orange oil, because oranges are favoured by Dionysus as an offering.

Ideally, you would offer wine to Dionysus. Unfortunately, I had none at this time. I’d bought some beer instead, but I felt intuitively that whiskey would be better. So I poured a small glass. I also had a small bowl of fresh green grapes (it wasn’t the season for black grapes and the purple ones aren’t native to my country).

Though this was not an Hermetic or Kabbalistic ritual, I still did the LBRP once. I then made a simple prayer asking for the success of the ritual, then began to chant.

At first I chanted in Greek. After 2-3 times, I thought to chant in English. Then after 3 rounds of that, I returned to Greek again. I developed a sort of patter, and between switching languages I’d vibrate his names DIONYSUS, BACCHUS, EUHOI, EUBOLOUS. I’d vibrate each name 8 times, then repeat.

This continued for some time. I no longer remember how exactly Dionysus manifested, and for some reason I don’t have notes of this. How strange.

But what I do remember is that his coming plunged the room into a state of extreme silence. I felt all the tension in my body and mind wash away, and I felt a bit light headed. I presented my offering to him, and thanked him for coming.

I was urged to drink the whiskey and eat some of the grapes. I did exactly that, and, similar to the Christian communion, I took the essence of Dionysus into myself, completing the task of Invocation.

Now I felt relaxed, and I felt myself loosen up. Till now, I had been sitting cross legged in a meditative posture, as I do in all rituals, but now I stretched my legs out and sat back. I didn’t feel “drunk”, but I felt happy and calm, more than I had in a while.

Dionysus said some things regarding his nature, worship and role in human society. Most of these insights havr already been mentioned above. I listened and I took notes. I also channeled two sigils of him. Although pagan Gods don’t normally use sigils/seals, I was told that these could be used to Invoke Dionysus if someone was so inclined. I did not get a physical manifestation, but his presence was very real. It made the air pressure in the room drop, and I felt warm and there was a mild fragrance of fresh grass.

It was rather odd. I just sat there, totally awake, with an ancient mystery God before me. 

I also asked Dionysus to bless a talisman, which was a tiny pine cone. He told me that if I ever felt worried, anxious or agitated, I could hold this in my palm and I would instantly become calm and relaxed. He also said that if I ever felt happy, calm or relaxed naturally, I should hold this talisman and use those feelings to charge it for later. I also put it out in the sun on exceedingly peaceful and clear days. It carries the energy of Spring within it.

What else. Oh yeah, he gave me his secret name.

How? Well, I asked nicely and I guess he trusted me. Well, that was his first mistake: assuming I know what I’m doing. More on that later.

After this, I asked for his help in some personal matters. I then gave thanks and bid him farewell. I finished the ritual with the LBRP.

I did the ritual at night, and now it was nearly midnight and I would be going to bed soon. However, before I did I had to clean up the ritual stuff and make some notes in my diary, which I have to after every magick working.

I often turn off all the lights and use candles when I perform rituals, and at the end I turn on the light again. This serves to dissipate any lingering effects of the ritual, and bring me “back” to the mundane world. After this ritual though, I felt so peaceful that I didn’t want it to end. Somehow, the vibe created by the ritual was so organic, so real, that I knew as soon as the crappy fluorescent electrical lighting came on all this peace would dissipate. So instead, I decided to light a spare white candle, put it on my desk, and write in the candle light.

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The fire had a calming effect. Perhaps it tapped into some primordial, evolutionary instinct, that our ancestors developed in the pre-historic days when they lit a fire in their cave to protect them from predators. It brought them safety, warmth, helped them cook their food. No wonder people were sitting by candles, bonfires and fire places until only 2 centuries ago. As I wrote, I noticed my handwriting was strikingly beautiful, and much better than usual.

I think this whole vibe was a mixture of the energies of Dionysus, the whiskey warming me up, and the peaceful lighting produced by the candle. I realised that human beings are adapted to two kinds of light: natural sunlight, and warm moody lighting produced by the fire. Frater Xavier on YouTube has this theory that all of these forms of light have an astrological association with the Sun, and thus with peace, happiness and comfort. He also believes that the modern LED and fluorescent lighting does not have this association because it doesn’t “burn”. Personally, I think it’s because modern lighting is cold and white.

I’ve been experimenting with this idea since then, for the past several months, and will probably write a separate post about it. But with this, my Invocation of Dionysus ended. What comes next though, is perhaps more important.


The Secret Name

So, I now had the secret name of Dionysus. I was warned explicitly against giving it away. You see, having the secret name of any entity (be it a human, god, angel, demons, spirit) gives you a certain power over them. That’s why in Hollywood movies when a priest is performing an exorcism, he asks the possessing demon to “give him it’s true name”.

Perhaps, it is also why your Governments insist that you use your “legal name” in any official processing or document (although your legal name isn’t your “true name”). This is also why most magicians have several personas. For example, I have my legal name, I have my online name, White Raven, and I also have a magickal name which I don’t share with anyone. Names have power. Why do you think orthodox Jews dare not utter the name of the Tetragrammaton lightly?

Well, this was the first time I’d ever asked a deity for their secret name. Having the secret name of a God can help you Invoke them and commune with them more effectively. But I had no experience with secret names.

I wanted to learn more about this name. I wondered if the name was ACTUALLY comprised of real Greek syllables, and had a meaning in ancient Greek.

I performed a Google search on this name, and naturally nothing came up. But, I’m one of those people who specializes in deep research. I began to look at the Greek alphabet, and began to scour every online resource I could find, from lists of Greek root words, to translators, to dictionaries. Very quickly I realised that not only was this was a deep, powerful and mutli-layered name, but also that if I could piece it together, it would shed light on the true nature of Dionysus.

The translations I had so far left me awestruck. I had a couple of meanings for parts of the name. I was very close, but now the trouble began. You see, I was not going to share the secret name, but I had planned to share it’s meaning on this blog. I don’t know in what stupor I thought that somehow sharing the MEANING of the secret name would be better than sharing the name itself.

As I was searching, the the power cut out and my screen went dark. You see, my computer runs on a UPS, but not my monitor. I thought nothing of this, and once the power returned a few minutes later, I continued my search.

However, about 10 mins later it happened again. This was my cue, and it suddenly occurred to me that sharing such a powerful name was a bad idea, and would compromise the God who had given it to me in such trust. So I made a promise not to share it, and stupidly continued. Now I felt a intense pressure on my body, and waves of heat flowing over me. Only now did I realise that Dionysus might be trying to get my attention, asking me to stop before I defiled the sacred pact and knew something I wasn’t meant to.

An old Japanese Shinto saying came to my head “Those mages who use their powers of sight to peer into the true nature of the Gods, stand to loose their power and favour with the Gods”.

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And now I stopped, immediately. I was so close, and tempted to continue, but I knew better. I stopped, then I prayed to Dionysus and asked for forgiveness. I felt the anger fade pretty quickly, though I still felt on edge. But after a while, I felt a sense of forgiveness and understanding, and I knew I was forgiven. Perhaps the Gods understood that I had made a mistake.

However, you see, I’m a bit of the rebellious type. I despise being restricted from things, especially the pursuit of knowledge. I hate being told that something if off limits. Maybe I’m just being childish, or maybe I’m right. But one way or another, this is who I am. At the time, I felt unsure about working with a Deity or system where I was more like a follower or “lesser” to the Deities. It reeked of organised religion, and was something I’d seen far too often with my fellow Hindus, who assume a position of subservience to the Gods.

This is not how a spiritual relationship should be. A deity should not have to go so far to stop me. Or maybe the God wasn’t angry at all. Perhaps he was warning me for my own good, and maybe it was just me who perceived this as anger. However, I have not worked with Dionysus since then.

I use the talisman from time to time, and it does work. But, I just can’t follow spirituality this way, where there is fear and arbitrary constraints involved. So yeah, I made a mistake, but I don’t regret it.


Well, so that was it. I hope you liked it. Check out some other articles, and remember to follow my blog for more 😀

EDIT 2020: As of July 2020, I’ve written a new book on the Tree of Life and Kabbalistic theory. I’m quite proud of it, and you can check it by going to the Books tab, or clicking right here.

You can also follow me on Instagram @WhiteRavenMagus

Until next time.
~White Raven

Making Occult Talismans and Charms (properly)

It’s 2019! Another year towards the Age of Aquarius, another year closer to the next inevitable world war. Then when I’m old, I can pretentiously lecture little kids about how it was a terrible idea to follow propagandists into the trenches. We’ll reminisce to the culture war of the good old days, back when Christianity still existed and memes were legal. Hopefully Musk would have gotten us to Mars by then, so I can leave this rock and live out my life as a peaceful space hermit.

But enough about politics and pop culture (yeah right, on this blog?). We are here to talk about the Occult, magick, spirituality and mysticism. In my last post, about Urban occultism, I talked about the pollution problem in big cities, and how I use a very effective talisman to ward off against it (which has had demonstrable results). So I thought i’d talk about the general process of creating talismans and charms, for protection or otherwise. I personally feel it’s an overlooked topic, overshadowed about stuff about seals, sigils, sacred relics and whatnot. In reality, talismans cut close to the heart of the Occult in the most authentic sense, and they’re incredibly effective. Talismans are one of those things that have very little variation across cultures, and it seems they are related to some deep, universal and innate human tendency.

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So the benefit is not just that pretty much anybody can use them, anywhere, by adapting it to local traditions, but also that it’s passive magick. In other words, it’s done once and sustains itself, and can technically last forever, even inherited, and it does not require you to consciously visualize or chant something (though you can do that if you want). Ultimately, it’s a very personal form of magick, which is also why it works so damn well.


Background on Talismans

So, what exactly do I mean my talisman/charms? Well, whatever comes to your mind when you hear the words, that there is your talisman. There’s really no “correct” occult definition for it, and it varies among cultures. Typically, it is some sort of object worn around the neck. It may have religious, cultural, or even personal significance. Of course, talismans which combine all three have the strongest impact on the wearer.

Traditional pendants involve religious symbolism. Think metallic/wooden crosses worn by Christians, often made of silver. Another example would be the teeth of some dangerous animal, like a bear or tiger, common in tribal cultures. There’s those rare flat stones with holes in them, formed by river action, that were worn by pagan Europeans to protect them against evil spirits. In Hindu tradition, people sometimes wear small silver capsules, in which there would be a small rolled up piece of paper inscribed with an entire hymn. Other examples include precious stones, motifs on clay/copper tablets, or objects that are important to people, perhaps given to them by someone important.

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Some modern examples are metallic disks or sculptures, with words or images inscribed on them, representing national identity, religious creed, political ideology, or occult symbolism. Obviously, in modern times we can produce much more intricate and beautiful objects, although the belief in and use of talismans in much more rare.

When people wear such objects, it is usually as jewelry. The only case where it has any spiritual significance is in case of religious symbols, like a Cross, a Hammer of Thor, a Swastika etc.

There’s this amusing example of the modern Hindu talisman. Instead of being a hymn on a small piece of paper, written using a secret technique, they use lasers to print it onto a tiny bit of glass. This is fitted into a cheap metallic case, with a small magnifying lens as well. Looking through your tiny pendant, you can see the hymn. These are then sold in bulk through telemarketing, promising all sorts of miraculous effects, similar to televangelists in America. How religion has devolved. Such items don’t have nearly as much power as a traditional talisman. I always say spiritual/religious gimmicks or scams as the worst kind of thing, because they prey on the desperate and the alienated, and god knows that’s what most young people are today, without offering any real value for the large sums of money they make.

We can say that some general characteristics of Talismans is that it is an object that is precious, unusual, or of personal importance. Like all magick objects, the amount of time and energy invested into one will increase it’s connection to you, and the stronger it shall be. Personally, I feel that a talisman of personal significance, such as an something given to you by a friend or loved one, or an heirloom (or an object a Deity or Spirit personally blessed for you) etc. has more power, but this is not required, as you’ll see.


How I Use Talismans

A talisman has a strong psychological significance. One of the best uses of one is for protection. And I have found from personal experience that they work extremely well.

So, let’s take one of my most important talismans. Those of you who’ve read this blog in the past know that I live close to New Delhi, and you also know that I really, really dislike the place. It is a city teeming with negative energy and parasitic entities, and has a long history of tyranny and bloodshed. It is also the most polluted capital city in the world (and that’s not an exaggeration). Now, this has various reasons, but I guess being the bastion of socialist thought, corrupt bureaucracy, crime and elitism for 70 years does a number on a place.

Capital cities have this aura about them, that is turbulent and dangerous. I have also felt it (though much less) in Amsterdam and London, and to a minor extent in Tokyo. There is great beauty, but also great evil.

So, simply put, living in New Delhi harms one physically, mentally and spiritually. Even though it is the Indian capital, Delhi is one of the rare places that has no patron Deity, and most of the intellectual manpower migrated to surrounding regions. Look I wont bore you with details, but think New York with Beijing’s air, Soviet governance and English classism. That’s basically it. The Muslims in India call it “City of Jinn”, and for good reason. Jinn are evil spirits in Islam.

Bear in mind, i’m not saying all people living in the city are bad. It’s just not a very nice place to live in. There’s good and bad stuff.

air-pollution-afp_650x400_71513090945.jpgLike there’s cool stuff, but you can’t see it because of smog.

Unfortunately, I often have to travel there. A few years ago, when I wasn’t aware of this problem, I’d managed to track in some sort of vampyric spirit that had begun to attack me and my family, causing ill health and turbulent times, and I had to perform an exorcism and cleansing to drive it out. It was somewhat dramatic, and you can read about it here.

I had to make sure that it didn’t happen again, and would make extensive use of protection magick. Eventually, I decided to create a talisman that would protect me passively, and it works wonder.

Not only does it keep me safe from negative spiritual influences, it keeps my mental state in check and also seems to physically repel the air pollution. Once upon a time, returning from Delhi would leave me tired and drained, in a very bad mood and with a sore throat, and out of action for like a day and a half. I’d usually have some sort of bad encounter, and banishing whatever minor entities had attached to me was almost a given (I usually call on the energy of mars to remove them from my aura, then cast them into the womb of the Earth Mother, to hopefully be transformed into something good).

Now, since I started using the talisman, that does not happen at ALL. Bear in mind, this is despite protective magick I do anyway, and daily rituals. If I, an occultist, am affected so badly, it’s really no wonder most ordinary people hate the place.

Another cool thing I’ve noticed that my talisman radiates power. At first I believed it to be largely a psychological phenomenon, with the talisman simply being a subconscious trigger that causes you to be extra vigilant against negative thoughts and emotions (and possibly causing your body to eject any particulate that enters). But, after repeated use, it becomes warm and heavy, and I can feel the heat even from a few inches away. After cleansing and reconsecration, it becomes cold against my chest, and almost appears to “shine”. It’s not just psychological, at least not anymore.

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I wear it around my neck, under my shirt (I have no interest in exposing it to unwanted eyes). I also have a second talisman I made recently, which I consecrated during an invocation of Dionysus (more on that in a future post). It’s a small pine-cone I found many years ago in the mountains, when I was a kid, and I’ve had it all these years. Perfect raw material.

Instead of trying to give a generic creation method, i’ll instead tell you how I created both of these, and my reasons for each step. That should give you a deeper understanding of the process.

As a side note, I should warn against over-protection. Bear in mind that I don’t wear this talisman all the time, or in day to day life. You don’t want to begin to rely too much on this type of magick, since it can keep you from facing challenges that will help you better yourself. They can also limit your social interactions. I only wear my talisman when I go to Delhi.

Think Frodo and the One Ring. Think of Gandalf and his magical powers. They certainly use their powers, but the real “magick” is in them. Frodo wasn’t able to enter Mt Doom because he used the power of the One Ring. He did so because his journey had transformed him, and given him courage, faith, strength and resilience, and helped him actually destroy the Ring (power). Gandalf is so powerful not because he solves all problems with a flick of his staff, but because of his knowledge, foresight and wise counsel. Spells and chants simply make them more formidable, but they’re extensions of magick, not magick itself.

Sauron is the one who is pathetically weak, not even having a body, and NEEDS the One Ring in order to command any real power. Without that, he simply disintegrated before Isildur’s blade. He would have been slain by Celebrimbor had he not tricked him into making the Ring in the first place. A true talisman would be Aragorn’s blade, or the Arkenstone, or that little vial of Light, or those guidance necklaces that the Elves made. Objects of great, positive power, but tools at the end of the day, to be wielded by those who are worthy.

(I’m sorry to all those who have no idea what i’m talking about)


Creation of a Talisman

Alright, so the first, and most important step is intent, as it is in all magick. My intent was protection. Protection from negative influences, be they spiritual, mental or physical.

Next comes choosing an object, and this is where you must get creative with symbolism. For example, for the talisman consecrated by Dionysus, I used the pine-cone. Pine-cones are a symbol of fertility, as well as the Wild. They are associated with Mercury and Dionysus. For my protection talisman, I chose a small pendant I had. I do suggest using something you already have had or have made, because it already has a connection to you. In this case, the pendant is made of obsidian, and shaped like an upside down 2D obelisk. Embedded vertically along the front face are 7 little spheres of different stones, symbolizing the chakras. This is attached to a silver cap that has a small ring, so you can thread it.

I know, sounds fancy. It wasn’t actually very expensive. I’d picked it up in some new age shop because I thought it looked cool when I was a teenager. I too, wore it for cosmetic purposes. Over time, I became less edgy and didn’t wear such things in public, but it stayed with me safe and sound.

Now we have both intent and object, so it was time to plan the ritual. You must decide what spiritual forces you must invoke. So, in this case for protection, I naturally chose Jupiter. However, you can get creative here too, and assign your own meaning to the talisman, based on physical attributes. For example, this pendant was a black inverted obelisk. Obsidian is used for protection, but a black inverted obelisk is strong Binah/Saturn imagery. The silver cap corresponds to the Moon. Both are associated with Water, which also has strong relation to an inverted obelisk and Binah.

I defined the talisman as having the following attributes: The black obelisk, corresponding to Saturn, would absorb an negativity born in me, because after all, it isn’t the external influence itself that is harmful, but our reaction to it. Touching my chest, it would take into itself any dark thoughts and emotions I experienced, since Saturn is associated with banishing and transforming, and meanwhile the silver cap would create a reflective shield around me, that would send all evil back to the place from where it was coming, like a mirror. It’s a easy, passive way to ensure that people/entities who seek to dump their trash on you have it flung back to them, but at the same time you don’t need to get involved in any trash flinging of your own. The Water symbolism was for purity and cleanliness (and was enhanced since I would anoint the thing with oil), and the 7 stones for the Chakras mean that this pendant protects you on each level, from the Crown to the Root.

As you can imagine, such careful and precise consecration works really well. I also prepared some protection oil, using the powers of Jupter, to add an extra layer of protection and keep the pendant itself clean (the oil becomes like a container for the negativity).

Now for the process. It begins with a cleansing, traditionally done with water and smoke (incense). Say any preliminary invocations if you want (LBRP, Kabbalistic Cross, Middle Pillar etc.). Ideally, take the time into account. For me it on the Day (Thursday) and Hour of Jupter, during the waxing moon. Prior to this, I’d left the Talisman is some salt for about a weak, so it would be a clean slate. I took a stick of frankincense and make it go round in a clockwise direction around the pendant. Then I cleaned it with a clean, damp cloth. Ideally you’d use holy water, but I just used regular water to great effect.

Then comes the consecration, and this is where you Invoke the forces with which the pendant is to be blessed. I believe I invoked Water first. Then Saturn and the Moon and visualised their energies going into the talisman, stating how the talisman will work.

To seal the talisman, I invoked Jupter and stated the larger purpose of the talisman (to protect), while anointing it with my protection oil. Now I gave thanks, banished and closed the ritual. The talisman was ready!

Now, you may be wondering, does a talisman blessed by Jupter but  partly consecrated with the power of Saturn not cause issues? And to you I say: probably.

But, so far nothing of the sort has happened. The talisman hasn’t spontaneously shattered or imploded, nor have I witnessed things going wrong around it. Who knows, maybe I just managed to do it right.

For the acorn, it was much easier. At the peak of the Rite of Dionysus, when I was closely communed with the deity, I asked him to bless the little acorn, and empower it. He then stated it’s purpose, and informed me how I was to use it.

All talismans, and indeed all magical objects are empowered over repeated use.

photo-1547807277-7fa9b944effe.jpgPrayer beads are a classic example of Talismans blessed through repeated ritual


Use and Maintenance

So, depending on the nature of the talisman, it may or may not require reconsecration. This varies wildly, and it’s entirely up to you (or the traditions which you follow) that will define how this is done.

For my talisman, I mentioned that as it absorbs more negativity, it grows warm and heavy. And it’s difficult to explain, but I get a sensation of “tiredness” from it, as if it is weary and exhausted. Technically, it should have been able to endure several uses, but Delhi really is so bad that a it it needs cleansing after being worn for only one day (two if I didn’t spend as much time in the city).

Remember how I said the oil is the carrier of evil forces? After I return from Delhi, I put it away to rest. This isn’t really needed, but I need to use the talisman only once a week or so, so I keep it covered, laying on a bed of cloth (these things should be treated with respect).

Before I must wear it again, I take the damp cloth and clean out the oil (that carries the absorbed energies), while visualising the talisman filled with brilliant white light and reciting “Be now clean and pure, and blessed by the Divine”. After that, I once again anoint it, now reciting it’s purpose to “protect me from all evil. Be my shield in the face of darkness”. I dunno, get poetic (you know, like the Christians.)

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After this, it feels light and cool again, and the reconsecration is complete.

I think it would be wrong if I didn’t mention my doubts. I have had the thought that perhaps, the talisman becoming warm and heavy is actually a sign of it being empowered and solely growing in strength, and maybe when I clean it and re-anoint it, i’m actually resetting it. Perhaps I shouldn’t actually mess with it once it’s anointed, and maybe Saturn banishes the negative energy on it’s own. Maybe I should just put it on some Earth to ground it.

I don’t know if this is true, but my intuition tells me that cleaning it is the right choice, and so I do it. There’s always going to be room for doubts, but we must trust ourselves. The air of Delhi has particulate in it, stuff like arsenic and lead. I don’t want that shit on my talisman, and it clearly attracts it (I can see a fine layer of white dust on it after one use). So, trusting my instincts, I do what I feel is right. And the instincts are the voice of the Self.


Well, that was all. Spring is upon us, so expect far more posts on this blog. I’ve decided to update it more regularly now. We do live in the Age of Information. So I’m doing my part. 

If you liked this, be sure to follow the blog. You can also follow me on Instagram @WhiteRavenMagus.

Well good luck, take care, and until next time. This has been White Raven, signing off.