power – Between The Pillars

Magick is the Path of Warriors and Kings

March 3, 2022March 3, 2022Tagged gods, hermeticism, how to learn magick, invocation, kabbalah, kings, living god, magic, magic power, magick, magickal power, mysticism, Occult, power, real magic, spiritual path, spirituality, warrior, what is magick, wizardry1 Comment

Welcome to the new year, my dear readers. I say this because it is now March. For me, Spring marks the new year, when the Sun enters into the house of Aries.

The Sun is ‘The King’, and Aries is ‘the Warrior’, associated with the Tarot card ‘Emperor’. What a fitting time to put this post out.

Interesting times are upon us, and the world is changing very quickly. Knowledge is a tool and a weapon to survive and thrive in these times, and to help others.

I also want to mention that from now on, the stuff I write on this blog may become increasingly radical. Why? Because I am, indeed, a radical. A spiritual radical, and mine is a transgressive and all encompassing path. How funny, that in a time of extreme polarity, the ‘Middle Path’ becomes the radical path.

Remember, you don’t have to agree or disagree. That would be boring. Discourse is meant to move us, to stimulate us and cause us to think. That is all.

Magick is the Art of Kings

First let me ask you a question: what is the best way to define a person who studies and performs magick?

Many answers may be given: a mystic, a monk, a holy man, a priest, a witch, a sage, a hermit, a conjuror, a wizard, a shaman…and so on and so forth.

But you know, there’s an interesting thing you’ll notice if you look back on history.

There appear to have been two main types of people who practiced magick: those who already possessed a noble, spiritual or royal lineage, the result of generations of intellect, power and wealth, and those who attained such wealth, status and power by becoming magicians.

You know, it’s worth noting: Jesus was a magician, and he was called King of the Jews. He wasn’t really a King, but a carpenter. But he is not called a rebel, a prophet or a mystic. No, he is specifically called King of the Jews. It is an integral part of his character. The same could be said for King Solomon. Indeed, when magicians were not kings, they were often associated with Kings and Monarchs. Think Imhotep, Merlin, John Dee, etc. It is also no coincidence that symbols of enlightenment within magickal systems, like Krishna, the Buddha, Dionysus, Horus etc. were Kings or Warriors (often both).

In the collective consciousness of the human race, there appears the figure of a wizard, alchemist or magician who has enormous power. This figure is not bound by the rules of the world, and is able to attain whatever he or she desires. The idea of the wizard’s tower on top of a mountain, or an alchemists fortress is nothing but this.

The magician was always regarded as a noble sort of figure. In his writings, Aleister Crowley uses the word ‘Kings’ to refer to Adepts of magick. Not mystic or magi or master, he specifically calls the Adept as a ‘King’.

Look at the Kabbalistic Tree of Life: the highest Sephiroth that can ever be attained or manifested in this world is Chesed: the King. The Higher Sephiroth of Binah, Chokmah and Kether are subtle and sublime, and are experienced only internally. Hence, even one who has internally attained Da’ath or the worlds higher, shall be as a King upon this Earth.

The greatest magicians in history had the attitude and dignity of Kings. They were not servants or martyrs. They are not found living in poverty or lacking in life. Even when they walked the path of Asceticism, one did not think of them as ‘impoverished’. Because what is a King, if not a ideal that inspires their subjects? In fact, the whole idea of the ascetic path in magick, is that the magician can attain whatever they need simply by focusing their Will upon it. So, they give up their worldly possessions as a show of this level of attainment. Any other type of asceticism is flawed, especially the ones focused on poverty, or born out of a hatred for the body or matter itself.

There is a great lie that has pervaded in recent times, and perhaps this lie was created to keep potential students as poor and weak. The lie is this: that a magician is a strange, ostracized creature, who must become cold and inhumane for the sake of knowledge, and give up the pleasures of life. Every story, from the green skinned witch who lives in a swamp and eats children, to the immoral necromancer who defiles dead bodies, to the impoverished hermit who lives in a cave..all these are lies designed to stop magicians from existing within the mainstream, and enacting their Will in the world.

You see, the very existence of a magician is a threat to all that is corrupt and degenerate. Those who are spiritually and morally bankrupt cannot survive if there are magi in the world. Even without coming out in the open or talking about our magick, magicians can seldom be ignored. Their actions, beliefs, thoughts, their very way of living turns them into beacons of Light, Strength and Willpower. Like the allegorical Philosopher’s Stone, which turns lead into gold, the Magician serves as a catalyst, that can elevate and transform the people and environments they are in. An Adept magi turns that which is degenerate and profane, into that which is sacred and regenerate.

The Joy of the Magi

Recently, during an invocation, I asked the spirit guides why so many historical mystics and magicians had such tragic lives. Why is it so often, that they were forced to be martyred for their ideals, and generally hated by people. I demanded to know why so many of these higher beings, who are apparently here to help us, and encourage us to study magick, did not save them. I was told a couple of interesting things:

“How do you know that they were killed, martyred and hated? Were you there, or are you simply basing this on the history that is presented to you? How do you that you are not being lied to? What if the great magi did not die as you think they were? What if they flourished, prospered and lived lives to the fullest? What if their death here was simply a step in a greater existence?”

“Those who were martyred, martyred themselves. The life of an individual is a projection of their consciousness, and they themselves bring about their whole lives. Many magi fell into despair, they could not live up to their ideals. They turned themselves into martyrs, and convinced themselves that their path was difficult or lonely. This manifested in their martyrdom. Never did the Gods ordain this. They manifested their own hardships”

This…hit me pretty hard. It made me wonder: why has magick has been turned into an object of fear and hate, and the history of magick and mysticism presented as tragic? It’s almost like whoever created this flawed perspective, was saying “look, look at these people. They practiced magick, and they challenged the status quo. And for that, they suffered. Horrible things happened to them. Now, you wouldn’t want to practice magick and challenge the world, would you?”

Of course. If doing magick means committing oneself to a life of hardship and suffering, why would anyone take a risk? Who envies the path of a martyr, or the tortured seeker of truth?

And when we do talk about magick as a means to attain our desires, it is conveniently distorted to become ‘devil worship’. Because we have been conditioned to believe in ideologies that consider pleasure, joy and happiness to be sinful. It is indeed, a very effective way to keep the masses in line, by turning suffering into a virtue. Why ask for more, if doing so means flirting with evil? So let me be clear

Sufferings is NOT a virtue.

We are presented, by mainstream culture, with two archetypes of the ‘Magician’. Either the magician is a ‘good’ figure, and such a person is impoverished, passive and pacifist. He gives up family, happiness, pleasure and ambition to become some sort of ascetic seeking the truth, and is ultimately sacrificed for the ‘greater good’. Or, it is the ‘evil’ figure, where the magician decides to greedily better his life and makes a pact with dark forces. He becomes cruel and inhuman, and uses people as he sees fit to attain his own goals. This is quite an unhealthy and extreme polarity, and explains very well why most people are put off by the word ‘occult’ (which just means ‘hidden’, and is a reference to esoteric knowledge, not necessarily ‘secret’ knowledge).

Nothing could be further from the truth, and the longer you follow the path of magick and mysticism, the more this childish façade falls away.

Remember that in Kabbalah, Tifaret is the Sephirah which represents Adepthood, and is also associated with Joy and Happiness. It is also the Solar centre, and represents the Self.

Compared to the time of ancient Egypt, India, China, Sumer and Mycenae, when magick was the highest and most sacred art, the cornerstone of society and object of admiration and study, in recent times it has been suppressed and presented as a niche hobby pursued by eccentrics, or as a mere alternate religion, and the symbols of magick are turned into idols of worship, used to justify all sorts of corrupt actions and false beliefs. Make no mistake, it is a very recent trend. Perhaps not even a hundred years old. Perhaps it is because the Internet has suddenly made knowledge far more easily accessible than before.

Even some major New Age and neo-Pagan traditions present magick as some path of self sacrifice and meekness, wrapped in a moral dogma more absurd and rigid than even Churchianity! The make ‘magick’ look like the silly, childish pastime of bored hipsters in first world countries. Meanwhile, some ‘dark’ magicians have done a great job of becoming social outcasts, and make magick look like a hobby for the mentally ill (no offence, but let’s be honest now).

The most powerful type of Magick, often called ‘Enochian’ magick, is presented as being dangerous and unfit for practice even among authentic traditions and communities. Yes, it is ‘dangerous’. If you took a person who never driven a car, and made him compete in Formula One, that would also be dangerous.

But magick cannot be veiled or hidden. Its truth shall shine across time and space, across generations and cultures.

A magician is a unique individual, someone who has the potential to uncover the Mysteries of the world. Magick, Spirituality and Religion are simply different degrees of the same thing. Magick is simply the highest type of religion, and mainstream religion teaches the simplest magickal truths. A magician who has attained Adepthood, and invoked their Higher Self, is a King or Queen in their own right.

Every human has a ‘seed’ inside them: the ability to become a King/Queen, to attain that dignity. It flourishes in all people in varying degrees, and this can be seen as ‘potential’. The art of transforming potential into action, is magick. Those who practice this to the highest degree are magicians: individuals who can transform the world, its culture, and the perceptions of those around them through manifesting their Will. That’s what a magician is, a transformer, a spiritual alchemist, just as their own consciousness is transformed by even greater forces and symbols.

This is all allegorical, and should be understood as such. Misunderstanding these ideas has led many magicians to develop delusions of grandeur and messiah complexes. As the Daoists say, one must cultivate the practice of ‘not doing’. I’m not saying go try to preach to people, to fight for some ideology, or try to ‘do’ anything. The transformation is natural, it happens on its own. The magician is not sitting there choosing or deciding things logically, but having the will and the courage to keep moving forward on the path that continually manifests in the world.

A true magician is only to live in a dignified and justified manner, through inner wisdom. This is revealed through meditation, and invocation, and the purpose of life is to discover one’s path and walk it. This is meaning of True Will. One who follows their true Will shall be favoured by the Universe.

The Privilege of Magick

To do magick is a privilege, for it is a noble craft.

Let me clarify what I mean.

We live in a strange time where suffering is a virtue, and so privileged individuals want to pretend that they struggled as much as others and never had any help. Can you imagine, if ancient Kings insisted they had no wealth and power, and were the same as an ordinary peasant? Would anyone follow a King?

When I say privilege, I’m referring to certain types of privilege. Is it a privilege to be born intelligent, creative and with a healthy mind and body?

Yes. And practicing magick requires various things. And these are privileges. I am unspeakably privileged, to have been born intelligent, healthy and creative. To simply have been shown this path, and to have uncovered this knowledge, is a privilege. One might say it s the greatest privilege, and we need not be ashamed of what we know and can do.

I am privileged, unimaginably so, because I know magick. And I will never apologise for this.

I’m a magician, and I define my own reality. It is a choice, whether we identify as privileged or not. A lot was denied to me, and I’ve been through many hardships…but I honestly don’t care about that nor do I want pity. No, I view myself as elite, privileged and standing upright over the world, and my attitude reflects this. It may comes across as arrogant, but so what? Have you had a look around? Have you noticed that life is….brutal? Meekness, passivity, mediocrity are not even an option. In order to be truly ‘good’, to stand up for one’s beliefs and values, to help those less fortunate, and to live a life worth living, such a perspective is necessary. Unless, you think that a victimized, self loathing person can save even themselves, let alone others.

Perception is powerful indeed, and your perception of yourself defines who you are. The real privilege is to simply know this.

To simply know that one can define one’s reality, that one can manifest one’s desires, and that one’s power is entirely within oneself is the highest and greatest privilege of all. I cannot even imagine being ‘normal’ anymore, and living my whole life thinking someone or something outside me was in control, or being subservient to cultural, spiritual or ideological dogma, or having disempowering beliefs and constantly being in conflict over arbitrary, pointless things. I know that each and every thing that happens to me, that has ever happened or will ever happen is the Universe directly speaking to me: the world around us is a mirror, and we are looking at ourselves.

What truth could be greater, and what knowledge could be more powerful?

To be a magician is a privilege, and many, many privileges go along with it. The intelligence required to understand this blog alone is a monumental privilege. Never, ever apologise or think yourself to be weak and unprivileged. Magick is a privilege because it enables the attainment of all other privileges: wealth, status, power, happiness, whatever you want. Never feel like these are unearned, because it is not some external deity giving them to you. Magick is the manifestation of one’s Will.

The Spiritual Warrior

But, you may now ask: so why is life filled with suffering? If we are so privileged, why do we suffer? In fact, why do even the most privileged among us suffer, and why do those who try to do the greatest things, suffer the most? And why does following one’s path lead to suffering? Why is is more difficult to learn magick, and understand these things, than to live without them? Why is it more comfortable to be weak and ignorant? Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

Suffering is part of it, and no magick can ever help you avoid the lessons you have to learn. The greater the suffering, the greater the magician who endures and overcomes it. Suffering is not a virtue, but it is the fire which forges us. It is the alchemical fire which produces the shining Stone of Light.

You see, privilege NEED NOT be earned. That is to say, we don’t need to ‘earn’ the right to live, to walk our path, to be happy, and to possess knowledge.

Instead, the person bestowed with privilege should make themselves worthy of it. And if a person has no privileges, a person may reach out and take it for themselves. Power is given to the worthy, and this worthiness is proved through suffering. Adversity brings out the best in us.

This is why the magician suffers, and why this path can be hard at times. I mean, everyone suffers. It’s up to you to decide if this suffering is meaningless, or worth something. Don’t think “oh, why am I being punished? Am I not a good person? I’m doing magick, aren’t I? I’m following my true will after all”.

No, see it instead like, “here I am, trying to manifest my Will. And the Universe rises up like a serpent all around me, to test me. I am being tested, to see if I am worthy of Power. And my Will must be unyielding, and I must overpower these challenges!”

After all, these ‘challenges’ are nothing but the manifestation of the inner world. They represent aspects of you which are repressed, conflicted or unaligned. It is lesser Wills within you, competing for dominance, rejecting the doctrine of your ‘True Will’. You are overpowering parts of your own Self, and in this way you are becoming stronger and more perfect. The result of this is that you become ‘powerful’. It is all internal, essentially.

There is, in reality, no such thing as revolution, oppression, exploitation, progress or tradition. Instead, it is the Will of people, of cultures, of communities, of factions, of societies, and the forces of nature pitted against others of a similar nature. Humanity itself is a single consciousness, and itself has many aspects which are repressed, unaligned or in conflict. And just as a war rages within the Individual, war rages in the world, in societies. Even the forces of nature are conflicted, even stars and galaxies consume each other. All of it must be allowed to come to pass, to be faced and overcome, so that the ‘Self’ of the human consciousness, and even the ‘Self’ of the Universe may be realised and perfected.

This is why War exists, and what the Path of the Warrior is. As much as we may desire it, the world cannot reign in artificial peace. If peace must exist, it must be true peace. We can ‘put off’ conflicts and wars only for so long, as world governments are so apt at doing.

War is simply the final means to force action and change. It is only when action has not been taken when it should have, when things are ignored or denied, that violence ends up erupting. One might say that war is the result of action not taken. Mars is the spirit of War, and it rules both action and warfare, as well as strength and transformation. When one does not take action for fear of minor conflict, one will eventually be forced into a major and violent conflict.

A King, put simply, is an individual who has dominated their inner universe to this Will, for they understand that the Microcosm is the Macrocosm. And this is done by facing the world, unafraid, with an unbreakable will. Magickal power is attained through courage and might. It is a warrior’s path, and life is a battlefield.

Spiritual gifts are not attained by living a stress free life in a monastery, by listening to positive platitudes or by drugging oneself to the point of numbness These practices have produced a lot of so called ‘masters’ who could lose their minds if they had to live in a densely populated urban center and hold a proper job. The mother who wakes up at 5 am to prepare food for her school going children every single day without fail, has a far greater and stronger Will than the person who comfortably sits around all day without responsibilities, and proclaims how stress free their ‘spiritual’ life is.

So don’t let such people belittle you for not being spiritual enough, for doing ‘mundane’ things. If you’re facing life, doing things that need to be done: studying, working, raising families, cooking, cleaning, paying bills and living, then you are already transforming.

If a magician, or indeed any individual loses their power or suffers, it is basically an inner force that challenges their Will. One may find all sorts of external forces to blame. One may point to politics, to economics, to religion and culture. One may find every excuse to call the world unjust and unfair. But if you understand the great Hermetic secret: that every single individual deserves every single thing that happens to them, including exaltation as well as abject failure, then you shall not suffer, because nothing holds power over you, and everything is in your power.

And a King who has steadily subdued the inner Universe has great power. They may pass it on to their children, or share it with their community. In this way the whole collective becomes empowered. THIS is empowerment, not waiting for apathetic politicians, celebrities or religious messiahs to come and put food in one’s mouth.

Without a King, there is no Slave. The Slave is merely a King of the lowest degree, and a King simply the highest Slave, having no Kings over him.

Remember polarity: without shame, there can be no pride. Since I am not ashamed of my privilege as a magician, I’m not proud of it either. It emerged within me, and can emerge within anyone. I am not ‘superior’ to others, because if I thought that way, I’d have to accept that someone or something was ‘superior’ to me!

The Sacred Philosophy

A person is a slave. They are born into this world, and immediately conditioned by their environment. They inherit various traits and qualities, and they are also taught all sorts of things. How to think, how to feel, what is right and wrong, why things work the way they do. Some people may be in a community with many empowering beliefs, others in ones with disempowering beliefs, and most people will have a mix of these. This is unjust and unfair, but it is by design, and likely serves a purpose, primarily to survive and find comfort.

The person is then unable to ever, truly, experience freedom. Their entire life, they belong to categories defined by others, and believe in all sorts of abstractions. Every aspect of their life shall be defined, and they will eventually cling to it. Almost nothing can break the conditioning, and this too is by design. The conditioning is like a ship, drifting on a stormy, chaotic sea. As alluring as it may seem to jump overboard, it is a terrible idea. You will drown. This is what many magicians try, unsuccessfully, to do. They reject all social norms, all notions of common sense, all morals and values, and all traditional symbols. They lose touch with reality, and are consumed by Chaos. There is some truth in the tales of magicians who sought knowledge and went mad because they couldn’t handle it.

But instead, what if we learned to sail the ship, and take control of it. We may become a master of the ship, and and go where we want. And, if we come across other ships, our knowledge will help us guide them also. We may become the Master of a fleet. What if we committed ourselves to become a master of our inner world, and of our own destiny?

This is a King, capable of attaining anything they want by focusing their mind and will upon it. This is what magick is.

It is misunderstood by many, who think it involves casting spells or conjuring spirits and begging them for favours. No. Those are simply a means, a method of focusing a Will. To attain something may involve conjuring a spirit, OR it may involve invoking a god, OR it may involve going to college and getting a degree, or it may involve learning some skill. All of these are a medium for magick.

The difference is, a weak person may do these things due to imagined external circumstances. A person may call upon a God because it is a religious obligation, while a magician shall do it because it is their Will. A person may pursue a certain career because it is what is asked of them, or they think it is ‘good’ or will lead to money. A magician does it, because it is their Will.

Do what you Will, and face the repercussions. Their is no sin, only cause and effect. What you sow, you shall reap. It is not some biased deity ‘judging’ you, you are simply getting the fruit of your labour, and you perceive it as good or bad. And sometimes, it is also generational, so you may be reaping the fruits of your ancestors actions. That is what ‘karma’ means by the way (which literally just means ‘action’), and why Hindu mystics focused on karma instead of on the idea of ‘sin and virtue’. This is also why they say ‘karma is inherited’. It may be unfair, but it is what it is. Sometimes, one may have to break free of societal or ancestral karma, which involves breaking toxic cycles in which one’s family, society or community has become trapped. It is hard, but if you can first free yourself, only then you have a chance at freeing others. And sometimes, others are not ready, and must be left to learn their own lessons.

Do you understand now, why some individuals who commit ‘evil’ actions apparently get away? Because it is not the action that is evil. If a soldier, out of love for his country, kills another soldier, they may feel a sense of glory, and be honoured as a hero. But if they do it out of hatred, malice or for sadistic pleasure, they should not be surprised if the world around them hated them, and seemingly tortures them for pleasure. A person who has sunk into depravity becomes a tortured and bitter person. Here are those who complain that God is unfair, not understanding that everything is just. Nothing in the Universe can deviate from it’s principles, which are precise and exact, and human society and life is governed by the same natural principles which govern the stars, the seas and the seasons. We are really not so different and special. A seemingly complex machine can be operated by an experienced user, who understands clearly how it works. This person does not demand the machine to work in ways it cannot. Imagine, if a person could fully grasp the principles governing their life, behaviors and beliefs. Would this person not control their whole reality?

And these principles are what are called ‘The Mysteries’, the esoteric knowledge uncovered by studying the occult. Utilising these principles correctly is ‘magick’. Self knowledge leads to Worldly knowledge, and Worldly knowledge leads to Self knowledge, because they are part of the same machine (are they not?).

Most sufferings is no some ‘bad’ thing happening to a person, but simply not having the knowledge or understanding to overcome a challenge. But by facing the challenge, this knowledge may be obtained, or some new principles understood.

Or you may die. But then what can be done? For better or for worse, that’s how this Universe is. What will you, blame mortality itself?

The magician is, therefore, unapologetic and does not rely on anything but themselves. They may not even rely on the Gods, on Prophets, on Angels or Demons, or even on so called ideals and high minded morals. These are guides and teachers, but we are the master of our reality. ‘Piety’ is a waste of time, but faith is not.

Pleasure is not sin, although lesser pleasure may be sacrificed for greater pleasure. The pleasure of eating junk food may be given up for the pleasure of a fit and healthy body. Every greater pleasure is exponentially higher than the lower ones, just like the path of Kings is exponentially powerful than all lower and lesser paths. And in this path, the Universe shall raise up the aspirant, so that they may stand over the world and attain anything. This is what Magick is, the Royal path on the Warrior.

If you liked this post, be sure to follow Between the Pillars. You can also check out my Books to learn more about magick, or subscribe to my Patreon to learn about spells, tarot, invocation and evocation.

Until Next Time
White Raven Invictus

Dark Meditations with Archangel Samael

November 15, 2021January 10, 2022Tagged Angel, Angels, Archangel, black magick, dark, esoteric, hermeticism, kabbalah, magic, magick, meditation, paganism, power, qlipphoth, religion, ritual, samael, sephiroth, spell, spirituality, white magick3 Comments

Hello. It’s me.

This Mercury Retrograde has been..annoying, to say the least. But now things should get back on track, hopefully. I’m still working on the next book, which has now been in the works for a while now.

There’s also some major changes coming to both the Blog and Patreon.

I’ve also gotten very busy lately in life, especially my non-occult pursuits. Recently, my magick has evolved in big way. The knowledge that I have sought after for a long time, is finally being revealed to me, and I’m being asked to share it. I’m trying of course, but it isn’t always clear how this stuff should be made public.

I’ve always strived to make the contents of this blog as clear and accessible as possible. But in the pursuit of that simplicity, I’ve somehow managed to make everything complicated.

It’s polarity. What is simple takes more effort to understand. What is complicated is easier to understand.

For example, imagine a complex math equation. Such an equation can be written in just one line, but it represents years of study and work. To the average person, it looks like gibberish, but to a mathematician, who understands the symbols and theorems behind it, everything is very clear.

On the other hand, we could show the entire proof of the equation. We could fill an entire page with formulae, showing how we arrived at the equation. This makes the task of reading it a lot harder, but now any person who knows basic arithmetic can follow along. But, this means true mathematicians must sit through a lot more tedium just to get to the point.

So who should I write for?

I think there’s enough material out there for absolute beginners of magick, and often such material doesn’t go deeper. It doesn’t need to. So why cover trodden ground?

What’s the point going over pages upon pages of theory and tables and correspondences? What’s the point explaining, for the 1000th time, how to make a sigil or charge a candle? Why would anyone need to read an article on Between the Pillars for something like that, where there’s already hundreds of five minute youtube videos explaining it?

You see, I was afraid. I didn’t want to be the crazy guy, standing in the city square, ringing a bell shouting “it’s a lie, it’s a lie! History is a lie, culture is a lie, religion is a lie. They’re lying to you! They’ve been lying to you for twenty five centuries!!”

But now I think: why do I need to go to the city square? There are enough people to do that. I could also be the crazy guy living in a hut in the forest, saying the same thing but only attracting the attention of those who would care to listen.

I’m a bit of an elitist, which probably comes as no surprise to anyone. This knowledge isn’t for everyone, and I won’t pretend that it is. I want to share what I’ve learned with others who are on the same page, with those who understand, because that’s how our community grows and evolves, and how new ideas are generated. The longer we pretend to involve everyone, the longer we delay.

And if it scares or upsets people, so be it. Fear is all they’ll ever know. No more hiding.

This is a blog. A blog is like a journey. My journey. Today, I’m going to share an experience I had recently with the Archangel Samael.

Revisiting Samael

My invocation of the Archangel Samael was the very first post I ever made to this blog. Over time, I have made various edits and cleanups, and a few years back I went and updated all the older posts on the blog, including that one. The updates were mostly addendums about how my opinions about certain things had changed, or how my understanding had developed or evolved. At times, entire concepts from older posts had become obsolete. Instead of just getting rid of them, I simply included an update regarding them. This way, people can read the original material along with my evolving opinions.

Most occultists change their opinions and beliefs extensively throughout their lives. Dogma is really bad for magick, and if you read the works of any prominent occult or esoteric writers, you will see they rarely ever ‘double down’ on things they previously believed. That doesn’t mean what was believed before is ‘wrong’, merely that it has served some purpose and now is no longer needed. That’s how spiritual evolution works.

The Archangel Samael is a very, very important and prominent part of my magickal journey. Despite this, I haven’t written much about him, and that’s largely because there was a massive gap between my early days of spiritual dabbling, and eventual initiation into the Golden Dawn system, where I rarely invoked him in any major way. Yes, there were times when I called him, but it was never something to write a whole blog post about.

The experience I’m going to write about today is a recent experience that’s actually worth sharing.

Not a ‘ritual’ exactly. More like a meditative trance I was guided in the middle of the night. I was half asleep, which is apparently a great time for spiritual work and to receive messages. According to Samael, conscious resistance is very low, and information can be downloaded easily.

As I recently explained on my Patron, spirit communication does not happen in words. Rather, it takes place in the form of impressions, which the conscious mind then unpacks and translates into language. When a trance is deep, the impressions are all that come, and barely become words. That was the case here. So all the messages I write are actually paraphrased, rather than straight dictates.

At it’s purest and highest forms, such communication is even more sublime. Rather than impressions, a whole concept or set of information gets instantly understood and internalised. This is called Gnosis, or ‘knowing’.

The Dark Meditation

I did not plan this meditation. But that’s just how synchronicity works. I was going to sleep at midnight, but ended up staying awake till 2am.

It was dark and cold, and suddenly I started to feel like…well, like not sleeping. Instead, the thought of calling on Archangel Samael and meditating came to me. And when I say ‘came to me’, that’s how messages from the Higher Self come. You simply know that a certain thing needs to be done at a certain point.

I was guided to turn off the lights, get some water and sit on my bed to meditate. I was about to draw the curtains, but a sharp resistance stopped me. This ritual was to be done in total darkness.

I was also guided to put on my headphones and use some ambient music for the meditation. At first, I tried some generic choir music. But then I was urged to specifically find thunder, lighting and rain, because those are apt for calling Samael. At this point he was already around, by the way. The ‘calling’ is more a formality to match our wavelengths. So I was about to start, and then it struck me: what mantra or enn to use? I had nothing prepared after all!

Samael told me to go online on my phone, and look for an enn. So I did, and found many, many different people, all with different enns that they claimed was the ‘correct’ version. Then Samael spoke:

“You see how many mantras there are? And they all will work! There is no ‘correct’ mantra, and there never was..”

I was then informed that essentially ALL mantras, enns and hymns, in all religions and spiritual traditions, were essentially barbarous speech. That is to say, one must think of a deity, focus on its energy, and then simply start chanting. The words come naturally, but have no logical meaning.

Apparently, this is how the ancient sages channeled hymns and such, and why most spiritual traditions were oral (for example, the Vedas). But then these utterings were noted down, memorised and repeated. And thus the original effect and power was lost or diluted.

Therefore, I simply began to channel a hymn to Samael. You’ll remember that when I first invoked him, I’d ALSO channeled a hymn. But this time, it was not English words. It was simply incantations meant to push deeper into trance. He also clarified that barbarous speech and words of power are not the same thing. Words of Power DO need to be spoken exactly as intended, and there the sound produced itself has power. It should also be noted that devotional songs, as well as subconscious affirmations neither barbarous speech nor words of power, but two separate things entirely.

Anyway, as I invoked, the darkness around me got thicker, and my heartrate went up. The trance got stronger and stronger, and I fell fully immersed in the ambient thunder and rain. I saw visions of the sky opening, and a mighty angel with many wings descending. It was all in black and white, and completely silent. Absolute silence is a very common aspect of Samael.

Now, here’s how I was directed to do the meditation. It followed a very normal pattern of energising the chakras and aura. Normally, I visualise light entering my chakras, moving down the central channel, and finally radiating out to my aura, energising me. This I do often, and Samael directed me to do something similar, but with darkness instead.

At first, my immediate reaction was to stop it, because I normally visualize impurity and profane energy as darkness. Like for example, when I am taking a ritual bath, I will visualise my body covered in a black ink, and it gets washed away. My subconscious understands black energy as negativity. But then Samael informed me:

“Darkness is not negative. That’s just how you choose to perceive impurity. If you want, you could visualise impurity in any other way, so why choose darkness? Darkness is also the colour of emptiness. Darkness is the colour of the inner void, that empty place where the inner light dwells!”

He then recited the famous Golden Dawn motto I hold very dearly to myself: “The light shineth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not..”. I believe it is a Biblical saying.

Interestingly, I had once called on Samuel Lidell Mathers (the founder of the Golden Dawn who had chosen this phrase in the first place), and indeed he had come. When I questioned him regarding this axiom, he actually gave me a second part of it: “and the darkness hideth in the Light, but the Light seeketh it not.”

In case you didn’t know, the Golden Dawn adepts count, to a certain degree, as ascended masters. It’s easier to call them when you also belong to the tradition.

Samael then explained that he was the spirit of the inner void. He was the emissary of the inner womb, the darkness from which the light shines. He explained that one must look deeper into the darkness, to perceive the light. He explained that this could be a scary and radical act for many magicians. However, since I had already faced many of my fears and overcome many of my complexes, it would be relatively easy for me.

“You have already suffered. You are already emptied, and prepared to receive the Light”

And then I began the visualisation without fear. “Fear is failure, and the forerunner to failure” as the GD axiom goes.

First, I visualised a deep, absolute darkness fill my Crown chakra. Then it travelled down, to my Third eye, and so on, down the channel. Normally I visualise white planetary symbols on my chakras as they fill with light, but now I visualised black symbols of the planets instead. The darkness travelled down, all the way to my Root chakra. Then it coursed through my body, and radiated out to fill my aura.

The light is cold, but the darkness feels warm. I felt empty, barely conscious, and without resistance, fear or doubt. At that moment, everything fell still and silent.

Then it began: some sort of transformation, along with a whole host of messages. I will do my best to recall.

The Messages from Darkness

The Archangel Samael told me the root of his name. As you know, the name Samael is often translated as the ‘poison of god’.

“Indeed, darkness is the blinding venom of God. For the foolish, it can be terrifying. But the wise can navigate it without fear”

He then drew my attention to the secret syllable ‘Sham‘, which is a root word in Hindu tantra, and used for a specific purpose in Kundalini yoga. He told me that this is the real root of his name, and is a word of power. It is also where the term ‘Ha Shem’ comes from, which denotes the 72 fold name of God in Judaism. It is the root of the Persian word ‘Shyam’, meaning evening, and also the root word for Shamash, the Babylonian term for the Sun.

Thus, the Archangel Samael (Sham-ah-il) is associated with the Kundalini. The Kundalini is a feminine, draconic force that rests in all individuals. There’s little more I can say regarding that.

At this point, my back began to hurt. This is quite a common thing that happens when meditating, especially if one does not have a proper seat or cushion. Normally, the key is to simply ignore it and get through it. Samael explained why this is

“The minor pains and annoyances are meant to keep the unworthy away from this knowledge. This knowledge is meant only for those who are prepared. This is the first threshold to cross, and very few shall ever cross it. You must resist the urge to stop.”

So I continued despite the minor aching in my lower back and knees. As I know from experience, it goes away in a little while.

I got further messages.

“People fear the darkness because it reflects their fears. It forces them to turn within and acknowledge the emptiness they harbour”

I saw ghosts. I saw phantoms. I saw serpents. A ghost came up, and was inches from my face.

“But he who has recognised that the dakrness comes from within has nothing to fear. No force can harm him, because he recognises that all is within. A mere reflection!”

I saw the creatures melt into puddles of darkness, and then merge into a massive shadow which was emanating from my own body.

“People focus only on the light, and neglect the darkness. This halts the process of ascension. Everyday, you meditate on the light. From now on, meditate once on the darkness and once on the light each day.”

I came to realise that I was totally immersed in Boas, Pillar of Severity. I could see orange flames inside me, and a flaming orange Swastika in my crown chakra. I also saw a white, glowing symbol on my root chakra, shaped like a wheel. They looked..organic.

“True symbols of power are revealed in visions, but people are unable to copy them. So they become simplified, distorted and eventually lost”

I then realised that this weird wheel like thing, which almost looked like an iris drawn in chalk, was the actual symbol of Spirit. It dawned on me that this was the original inspiration behind the more well known symbol:

It looked a lot more organic and ‘real’, and it dawned on me that all magickal symbols were simply an approximation of the real thing, almost like a motif. The real symbols were too complex to remember and replicate, so simplified symbols were made instead, to act as anchors for those forces. It was like comparing a real object, to a simplified picture of it.

I saw the Tarot card of Death, and I realised that Samael was the very embodiment of it. He brought death, upheaval and rebirth. To many, Death represents the absolute end of things. But to magicians, it is in fact an important threshold to cross in order to truly awaken.

I was then told that I was at the second threshold of the meditation: boredom and emptiness. I was told that now a strong desire to end the meditation would come, believing that all the work was done. Instead, I should continue. I was led to bend my back downwards, while still sitting, so that my head was touching the ground.

“This posture causes blood to rush to the head, activating the spiritual senses and pineal gland”

I then realised that both Hindus and Muslims do this. We place our head on the ground during or at the end of prayer, but it is normally a sign of prostration and submission.

“A misunderstood gesture. The true purpose of this gesture was to bring blood to the head, and bring alertness, activating the psychic senses.”

As I sat there, head down, I was told to cover my eyes and “focus on the void”.

Then I sat up again, and now I could feel an immense power rising up inside me. A chill passed through me, and I was covered in goosebumps. And then the energy and adrenaline exploded inside me, spreading out my heads in rapid, spontaneous movements. I was reminded of traditional dance. I realised that religious and traditional dances were originally a way to channel and direct energy this way, and modern dynamic dance forms still do this. The products of culture: dance, language, song and art, were never meant to be repetitive, reproduced or dogmatically adhered to. All of it was meant to be natural expressions of the energy that builds up inside.

And then I was done. I was a bit tired so I fell back on my bed. The Archangel Samael commended me on making it through that. I asked “So, are we done”

“We are never done. This was the first part of the meditation. You can rest and continue later”

But I asked why I couldn’t just do it then and there. I wanted to see how far I could go. So I told Samael “take me as far as you can”

“How far I can take you: no person can go”

“Then take me as far as I can go”

Then I sat up, after a bit of rest, and began meditating once again.

The Light Meditation

The second time was a more standard meditation. I visualised a beam of radiant light, as often. But it was so much more powerful than I have ever felt. Once again, I visualised white light coming into my Crown Chakra, then down the channel to the Root, fill my body and radiate into my aura. The Light was bright, cool and full of life.

It was not Samael now, but another figure. I could see a vibrant purple. As weird as this may sound, the energy felt almost ‘biblical’.

It was the Archangel Metatron, as I would later realise. And he told me a variety of things. By then I was so deep in trance that I could not comprehend most of it, but I must have downloaded all the messages subconsciously.

He told me that the ancient prophets, magi and sages underwent similar meditation.

“When the sages of the past, emerged from their meditations and went into the world, they faced ridicule and mockery, and they were attacked and challenged. But they were not affected, for they understood that all they saw and encountered, was an expression of themselves. And so, they laughed in the face of adversity and mockery, and no harm could come to them”

I was also told:

“Spirit is immortal and everlasting, and it has no need to fear. It cannot be touched or harmed, and nothing can exist, which is not part of it. Therefore, have no fear before anyone, for you can accomplish anything.”

The visions came further. I saw old men and women, from all over the world. They were from many different times and of many different races, in many different garbs. They were invoking the mysteries, and they had ascended and seen the inner light.

“You have no idea how powerful you are. This power should not be ridiculed, nor underestimated. Never profane that which is sacred”

I saw purple spirals, like rolling wings, before my eyes. It was all lighted up, like someone shining a torch in my eyes. Now, this is pretty standard for meditation, and has happened before. But it was somehow more powerful, more grounded.

Often, meditation makes me feel light and disconnected. But now I felt immersed in the world, in reality itself.

I saw the dark and the light body next to each other. And then, they merged, and overlapped, and became one. The chakras were neither light nor dark. Instead, they were like black balls of crystal with a powerful light shining inside them, making them glow.

“The light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not. The darkness hideth in the light, and the light seekest it not.”

I was witnessing Spirit shine within Matter. The union of the Male and the Female.

Damn.

I was told that this was, and always has been known to the great Masters. But it is generally not spoken of, and kept hidden. It was only taught to students who were ready.

But secrecy had caused the knowledge to be distorted, and misunderstood by the masses. It had created the false dichotomy of Spirit and Matter, and matter, the feminine, was suppressed. Spirit, which was masculine, having lost its connection to Matter, appeared tyrannical and harsh, like a wrathful God punishing his subjects.

Conclusions

Am I telling you to try this meditation?

Absolutely.

But, it may be different for you. Essentially, the Archangel Samael told me that every type of meditation has two forms: a light form, and a dark form. Both should be done. Over time, both shall happen simultaneously.

For example, when you meditate on the chakras, and fill them with white light, you should also do one for darkness. Every meditation of light has a counterpart, which is the same meditation with darkness.

As I’m sure you know, the work of magick produces obstacles. When we, for example, start invoking the light, it forces our life to become purified. We may be forced to shine a light on those parts of ourselves which we are ignoring, to let go of toxic beliefs and ideas, and so forth. Invoking the darkness is similar, and can only happen when a person has internalised the light.

Otherwise, instead of power, you shall find repressed memories, fears, complexes, and all sorts of other hidden aspects of oneself. The darkness will become scary, and terrifying.

I’ve done the darkness meditation several times now, and at one time I was faced with waves and waves of terror, and I became paralyzed with fear. Then I faced it once again, but this time I was not afraid. It’s hard to put in words. But, I was told that this is a test. Each time I maintain my calm, and face the terror, I grow stronger. It subsides, and dissolves like a mirage.

Reminds me of that scene from the new Dune film (which I have already watched three times because I love it), where Lady Jessica is reciting a prayer against fear.

This is not a practice for beginners, because it will test you. But those who have already internalized the light, who have already faced their fears and and redeemed their inner self, this may be a vital practice. This may be why so many of us, who have fully internalized the light, begin to feel weak, ungrounded or unable to face the darkness of the ‘real’ world. It’s because this crucial part of the puzzle was kept hidden.

An Angel once literally told me “The ancient magi, fearing that the key would fall into the wrong hands, broke it into two, and scattered the pieces in different directions”.

This is the other part of the puzzle. The darkness, or Matter, is a receptacle for the light of Spirit, and must be invoked by a balanced adept. It will give much needed strength and a feel of connection to the world around.

This is real. This is really how it is. So do with it what you will. I will see you soon.

~Peace and Farewell
White Raven Invictus

The Great Secret of Magick Pt3: The Mind, Body and Soul

July 2, 2021July 2, 2021Tagged Angels, ceremonial magick, demons, enlightenment, evocation, hermeticism, invocation, kabbalah, magic, magick, Occult, philosophy, power, religion, secret, spirituality, Theory and Insights, white raven, witchcraft1 Comment

Welcome back. Let me do a little follow up to the last post, which was perhaps a bit strange and felt unfinished. It was important to show the history of how and why ideology replaced traditional religion. And additionally, I had to draw attention to the source of human endeavor, which is Will to Power, which is often ignored, and many people they that they alone are correct and that their beliefs are ‘good’, not realising that everyone is driven by the same impulses as them.

We are motivated, to a great extent, by this Will, and it drives us forward. Each person has their own truth, their own ‘god’, and eventually a magician has to discover and speak their own truth, rather than attempting to realize some grand and false ideal they have been conditioned into. Especially in this time where many of the old ideals have fallen from their place.

I began to pursue magick for two reasons: to take control of my life, and to see what was beyond the mundane perception. I started this blog to share insights and experiences I had had, for the benefit of others, and eventually began to weave them into a philosophy.

You see, I was angry, depressed and bored. I was a pawn in someone else’s game, and like everyone around me, I believed that someone else had the keys to my happiness and someone else would create my future. But I found magick, and after my first successful evocation I committed to it.

I went deep. I did not stop at sigils and spells, but I kept following the rabbit hole until I reached Wonderland. It was mostly an escape. But then I tore down the walls, and brought Wonderland up to the Surface. The two integrated, and I no longer had to escape. I knew, from a certain moment, that there was no rabbit hole nor wonderland to begin with. Reality simply is, and magick is not an escape. Magick is reality itself. It is life, a life lived fully.

Even if you feel upset by my ideas and opinions, remember that you were likely drawn to this blog because of my unorthodox approach. To me, all this is absolutely real. Magick is not just psychodrama. It’s all literally true, and the more I realise that, the more my faith strengthens. And the more I feel like it’s okay to open up about these things on this blog. So pardon me, sometimes I need to shake things up a bit.

I waited, for far too long, for older and wiser folk to get around to it. But they’re unhappy and depressed, and they’re just making it worse. Life is so very short. Too short to spend waiting for it to begin. So you know what, fuck it. I’m going to say what I know to be true. Just because I can. Just because I was given the gift of speech, and for no other purpose than that.

Magick And Archetypes

In Magick, we often work with various beings that are not quite of the material plane. We call them gods, demons, angels, spirits, and all manner of other names. Traditionally, religion told us that these spirits or beings have a fixed place and purpose, in relation to humanity.

Isn’t it strange how, in most religious theology, only human beings seem to be evolving? Why is it that only we seem to have a destiny, a mortality, a free will and the ability to sin, while everything else is seemingly eternal and serves only one purpose?

Mainstream religion in the 21st century gives various justifications which have no reasoning nor basis behind them. These beings are shown to not have a Will of their own. They are presented as not growing or evolving, but being as they are forever. It’s quite an anthropocentric view of the Universe, where our own conscious, perceiving Mind alone is special and evolving, and all other things are fixed. In fact, religion acts as if these beings aren’t actually real, and as if religion only has a utilitarian purpose. As Richard Dawkins once joked “all religious people are atheists”. In a weird sort of way, this is true.

Then you come to magick, where many traditions tell you that these beings exist inside of your head. This is why they’re eternal, because they’re actually just projections of your own psyche, like personas who become detatched from you and act as independent characters during a ritual. Of course, this illusion falls apart for any sufficiently experienced magician.

First and foremost, I want you to full understand archetypes.

What are archetypes?

Archetypes was an idea explored most in depth by Carl Gustav Jung, often called the father of modern psychology. Those of you who have studied kabbalah may have heard of the “archetypal” plane as being the highest plane of existence.

12 Jungian archetypes. But this is not all there is. There are, in fact, infinite archetypes of thought, behaviour and narratives. Jung’s theory was actually much more fluid and complex than often depicted.

Archetypes are essentially prototypes, of behaviors, forms, symbols etc. For example, we can say that there is an archetypes of a ‘chair’, which would be a transcendent object which contains all the defining traits of a chair. All things that we recognize as ‘chairs’ would adhere to its traits and characteristics.

Jung recognised that archetypes are the framework of the human psyche. These archetypes came about as the result of millions of years of evolution, and strongly influence the way we see the world. For example, ‘Mother’ is an archetype, as is ‘Father’. We, as human beings, do not ‘learn’ what mother, father, king, teacher, tyrant, trickster are. We simply have a natural inclination to recognise these archetypal ideas. ‘God’ is an archetype, as is ‘tribe’.

Not only Jung, but various others have also recognised certain archetypes which are universal. Sage, magician, wise man, hero, jester, tyrant, creator, devil, all these are archetypes. Homeland can be an archetype. Even the ‘Known’ and ‘Unknown’ are archetypes, as are Heaven and Hell. You could say that the Magician or occultist is like a archetype of the person who ventures into the Sacred space, while ‘shaman’ is the archetype which is shifting and fluid.

In the last post, we discussed how Culture is the Divine Father, and responsible for morality, which is learned. These archetypes are not ‘learned’, but inherited. They exist within us naturally, and thus they are the product of Nature, the Divine Mother.

But Jung studied these further. This is the most important thing to understand in this post: the projection of archetypes. Essentially, human beings do not just use these archetypes on other people, but also project them onto the world. For example, we project the archetype of ‘Mother’ onto our surroundings, and the place of dwelling. Somehow, millions of years of evolution have molded the human psyche to regard ‘Mother’ as the nourisher and protector. Hence, we say ‘Mother Nature’ and ‘Motherland’. We say ‘God the Father’ and regard our culture and religion as a patriarch. Remember how in the last post we talked about Utopia simply being paradise on earth? In essence, it is simply taking the archetype of Heaven, but instead of projecting this idea to the afterlife, it gets projected to the future here on Earth. Utopian and Dystopian stories are no different than mythology about Heaven and Hell.

Stories and narratives which are extremely compelling are often archetypal in nature. Religion makes strong use of archetypal narratives, as do political ideologies. This is why they replaced religion.

Hero and Saviour can be seen as archetypes too. The longer something is around, the more it gets ‘refined’ and closer to being archetypal. This is why the more ancient a religion gets, the more its power grows. Gautama Buddha was likely a mystic who lived in the 7th-5th centuries BCE. But, over 2000 years, his story has become ‘archetypal’, meaning it has slowly warped and changed to resemble the archetypal story of the ‘Hero’. By the way, this is also why mythology from different parts of the world often has similarities. Human beings have the same archetypes, and all over the world, even in disconnected cultures, these archetypes emerge.

In magick, many traditions make heavy use of archetypal narratives. The myth of Christ, Bacchus, Buddha and Horus are often used to show the stages of magickal initiation. This shows that archetypes are more than just stories and symbols, but behaviours too. They are intrinsically linked to human existence. These figures, by the way, may be real people. But that’s not the point.

We use their legends because these are archetypal. Modern day superheroes are nothing but a modern expression of archetypal figures. Where once people were obsessed with Pantheons of Gods, now they are drawn to characters in pop culture. Superman is particular, is a strong symbol for magicians to study. And yes, the story of Superman was inspired by Nietzsche’s ‘ubermensche’.

People who do not know about archetypes often make the error of claiming that if two cultures have the same mythology, symbols, rituals and language, then one of them must have borrowed or learnt or it from the other. For example, why does the story of Jesus so closely resemble that of Horus and Bacchus? Why did the Mayans and Egyptians built pyramids? Why do so many cultures have the idea of an Earth goddess and a Sky Father? People then, mistakenly, assume that one of these must have ‘stolen’ these ideas from another. Now, there are many cases of overlap and cultural exchange, but not always.

Yes, some cultures have similarities and some religions came from the same place. But all these cultures and religions are simply expressions of the one culture and one religion shared by all humanity, expressed as archetypes all over the world. People respond to these symbols and myths on a very strong and emotional level. We feel that they are ‘true’, as in they are linked deeply to the human experience.

Its almost like the archetype describes characters and a script, and we put on these masks and personas and act out the play, at different times and places.

It isn’t just mythology that is archetypal either. Star Wars is pretty damn archetypal, as is Lord of the Rings. The Journey of Frodo and Luke Skywalker are simply another iteration of the same journey and sacrifices undertaken by Christ, Hercules, Bacchus, Horus and Krishna, or those of Beowulf and Arthur.

This how the Tree of Life works. The Sephiroth represent archetypal categories, to which multiple symbols can be ascribed.

For example, Geburah is the archetype of the War God. Horus, Nergal, Parashurama, Samael, Kamael, Indra, Tyr, Ares, all adhere to this archetype.

The mistake that many, many magicians make is failing to understand what the Tree of Life actually is. For example, they will force a deity like Sekhmet to fit into Tiphareth because she is ‘solar’ or was worshipped as a solar deity. In reality, she is an archetypal War Goddess, and belongs to Geburah. Or perhaps they will force Artemis into Geburah because she is is a Huntress, when her place is clearly Yesod as well.

A deity can even have different attributions. For example, Horus the Avenger may belong to Geburah, the Horus the Prince belongs to Tiphareth. Horus the Elder certainly belongs to Kether.

Human beings, therefore, project the contents of their psyche onto the world. It is my understanding that we project the Archetypes of our own mind onto the Cosmos. A dark forest becomes the archetypal ‘underworld’. A strange epidemic becomes the archetypal Judgement Day. The leader of an enemy nation becomes the archetypal Devil, and a charismatic political leader becomes the Messiah.

Ancient astrologers, projected the archetypal deities onto the constellations. Aries the Warrior, Taurus the Mother, Gemini the Twins, Virgo the Sacred Virgin, Leo the Hero!

When you truly love a person romantically, or truly hate a person, this is more descriptive of you than of them. Because what you’re seeing is a reflection of you, your own archetype of the Lover and the Adversary. This affects your relationship not just with people, but with Spirits, with nations and religions, and with ideas and beliefs and philosophies.

Our life becomes an archetypal journey, a story narrated by our own Mind, filled with archetypal characters, and this is especially true for a magician, who will attempt to see their life paralleled by legends of great heroes and prophets. A fantastic study of this phenomena was done in the book, The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Despite getting flak for being new age, the book is a solid exploration of the magickal initiation, and written by a openly practicing magician.

But the trouble begins where people do not realise this, and think that the archetypes are outside themselves. And then, the power passes from them to external forces.

Pay close attention to how your magick manifests, how the Deities appear, how your spells work, what you see and what symbols you channel, and what experiences you have. This is your own mind being reflected back at you. This is why you should write it down, and contemplate it.

When the contents of the mind become projected and visible, the magician can interact with them. He can interact with these archetypes, now manifest in the realm of the Unknown into which they have stepped. The magician learns about them, knows them, faces them and embodies them. And then, they recede back into his mind, now integrated into the Ego, which transforms into the Self.

Written here, is the whole secret of the magickal art, to those who will read between the lines.

The Projected Cosmos

You have likely come across the idea in many modern works of magick that magick is all psychodrama. In the 20th century, the scientific method was all the rage. Magick, occultism and spirituality were fast fading into obscurity as weird delusions and primitive superstitions.

Then came along Carl Jung with his revolutionary research on archetypes. Despite being accepted by mainstream science, very few textbooks on psychology will ever give you a full picture of Jung’s work. Jung was openly mystical, and a self proclaimed alchemist. He made absolutely no attempts to hide the full contents of his belief and work. Once, asked if he believed in God, he simply smiled and said “I don’t need to believe. I know”.

But much of it is not promoted. If you look into mainstream psychology today, you’ll see that his dry, scientific analysis is all they look at. Most are too scared to talk about or even admit to the existence of his other works like Aion, to say nothing of The Red Book. The content of these works is too much to be attributed to such a major scientific figure. Then again, no one talks about the major spiritual experiences of Newton, Descartes or many other scientists either.

Magicians too, seem all too happy to say that it is all psychodrama. Scientific materialism is all the rage among many magi these days, who are maybe too keen to be part of the status quo, or simply unwilling to challenge it. But the Gods are real. Let me explain.

Let us revisit archetypes. Consider your ‘Mother’

She is a real person, yes? And onto her, from the moment of your birth, you have projected the archetype of ‘Mother’. To you, she represents Motherhood. Keep in mind that even if it isn’t your biological Mother, you likely have a Mother figure if your life.

But, while this individual is a Mother figure to you, that’s not all she is. She is a lot more than that. An individual in her own right. A complete manifestation of the Universe, with her own Will and Destiny. And yet, within your psyche, and your perception of reality, this individual is a ‘Mother’.

Similarly, you are her Son or Daughter. But to a friend of yours, you might fill a different role, and yet to an enemy, you are the ‘adversary’. To different people, you wear a different mask/persona. In fact, in traditional theater, this is literally what actors do. While the individuals are ever changing, evolving and growing, they exist within your mind as a fixed archetype. The Mother shall always be the Mother, even though she will change a lot in one’s life.

Are the Gods real? They are. They manifest to you within the framework of your spiritual tradition, complete with a name, appearance and traits we have ascribed to them. Sometimes these are symbolic of their own Nature. But beyond that, they have an independent existence, just as you and I. Everything in Nature is alive, evolving and independent, regardless of which mask it wears at which time.

Ares is not just the God of War. This being, or phenomena of Nature, merely filled the role of War god to the ancient Greeks, who dressed him in their cultural symbolism, and gave it a Greek name. And today, we may dress him in our own symbolism. The true nature of this Being shall never be known to us, since we cannot experience the world from it’s perspective, only our own. This same being may have filled different roles/ work different masks at different times for different cultures.

If you want a quick run down on Jung, watch this video. I highly recommend it, and it will help cut down this post by 1000 words.

There are said to be three major components to magick: astrology, alchemy and theurgy. In the first post, we already discussed how the ancient Alchemists projected their minds onto the alchemical processes. These projections are really just archeytpes, and these archetypal stories and characters are encoded into alchemical mythology.

This is even more evident in astrology. Ancient humans projected their archetypes onto the celestial bodies. The constellations formed the 12 core archetypes. The planets came to represent parts of the human psyche, with the Sun being the Ego (the conscious awareness, or Ruach). You may now understand the point of astrology. As the Ego (Sun) goes around the Zodiac, it expresses itself as different archetypes. The ancient people then turned the Cosmos into a map of their own psyche. So when the Ego (sun) is in Virgo, it was understood that the energies of the Virgin archetypes would be more prevalent in people’s conscious awareness. When the sexual drive (Mars) was in Scorpio, it was understood that people would be more driven to explore hidden or taboo sexuality, as Scorpio is the archetype of the Concealer, or Antihero.

The astrological chart is really a map of one’s own consciousness. The constellations are archetypes, the planets are parts of the psyche. This is why tropical astrology works better than sidereal astrology. This is why there’s no ‘correct’ version of astrology. It all depends on which magickal tradition you use. You tap into that current, and us its symbols.

Because yes, archetypes must be understood as symbols. The last aspect of magick, theurgy, is also about projecting archetypes. Theurgy refers to invocations and evocations of various spiritual beings.

You may have heard that a ‘true’ system of magick is one which provides the student with a ‘complete’ set of symbols. This is what that means. A real, effective system of magick takes into account all the parts of the psyche, and the archetypes which they can express. For example, take the system from the O.T.A, who combine the Keys of Solomon with astrology. It gives you 72 angels and 72 demons, each divided under the Zodiac, and by planetary rank, which are under 4 Kings and Watchers. In a sense, you have every archetype you could imagine represented here, and many sub archetypes. This is a COMPLETE system. If you use this system, you do not need to include Pagan or Egyptian gods, or Rosicrucian mysteries.

The same would be said for various schools of Witchcraft, or the Golden Dawn, or Thelema, or Tantric Yoga. However, you have probably come across certain new age schools which basically throw together a hodge podge of random symbols, often deities who are all roughly the same. This is an incomplete system of magick. There is no complete set of archetypes, nor a complete cosmology given. It is based on limited logic and lack of experience, and the previous post should have made it clear why logic and commonsense can only take the magician so far.

The Symbolic Universe

While our axiomatic Values are learned, and therefore unique to each individual, these archetypes are inherited. All of humanity has the same archetypes. This is why they are said to belong to the ‘collective’ unconscious.

This idea is often misunderstood. People think of it as some sort of Hive mind, or some energetic field ‘separate’ from us. But what this really means is that there are certain traits common to all of humanity, and inherited from previous generations. This is the collective unconscious. Archetypes are universal, and passed on from generation to generation. The collective unconscious refers to those parts of the human psyche which we all share.

For millions of years, humanity lived as nomadic hunter gatherers. Our modern agricultural societies, which are only about 12,000 years old, are relatively young by comparison. Therefore, the archetypes we project are reflective of our older, nomadic past.

For example, why do many cultures depict ‘demons’ with reptilian skin, glowing eyes, sharp teeth and claws? Simple, reptiles and carnivorous animals were the biggest threat to our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Even if you’ve never seen a snake, you’ve got a fear of snakes and lions hardwired into your DNA. If you ever see glowing eyes in the dark, your first and most natural reaction would be to run, because your primal consciousness knows it means ‘predator’.

Similarly, many of our Gods of prosperity and fertility are depicted with radiant halos, golden or white clothing and vibrant faces. Because to daytime mammals like us, the Sun represents safety, security, life and warmth. The darkness represents fear, danger and death. Hence our Gods of death often appear dressed in black robes. If we were a nocturnal species, perhaps this symbolism would be inverted.

Let us assume you invoke the God Ares. He is the God of War, and there almost a grantee that he will appear to you as a well built, perhaps bearded, male. This the archetype of the Warrior. For millions of years, women gathered food and men hunted. Our brains are hardwired to recognise the ‘warrior’ as being a physically strong man, perhaps armed with a spear. Interesting how so many war Gods appear with spears, because we have used those for far longer than we have used swords, and perhaps have a natural recognition of it. The God of Wilderness, Pan, on the other hand, shall likely have horns, body hair and hoofs. The God Osiris may appear glowing, wearing white clothing, and a crown, archetypal symbols of purity, power and royalty. Kali may appear with black skin, covered in blood, with fangs and glowing eyes, archetypal symbols representing predators, danger, fear and the nighttime.

Different cultures, in different time periods, projected their archetypes onto the world. This resulted in the birth of various Pantheons. It’s the same Gods you see, and the same fundamental archetypes from the Dawn of time, and perhaps the same beings who embody them, but different manifestations.

In his book Aion, Jung described how when these symbols first appear, they grip the imagination of a culture. But then over prolonged periods of time, they turn stale and boring. Everything that can be gleamed from them has been learned, and they begin to feel empty and hollow. This is quite literally a cultural Ragnarok, or what Nietzsche called the “Twilight of the Idols”.

These symbols, or ‘idols’, die. And then a new set of symbols emerges, more relevant, more meaningful, more powerful. Sometimes, the new symbols may just be a reiteration of older symbols. (Such is the case, for example, with Paganism, Christianity, and neo-Paganism)

Interestingly, I think this is what the mystics of various religions meant when they asked their followers to give up “idolatory”. In a sense, they thought that they could get most people to give up the worship of symbols and work with the forces behind them.

And yet, it seems all such efforts are in vain. Idols do not refer to physical statues, they refer to symbols. But it seems that symbols do not go so easily. Only the most advanced Adept who has gone through all the trials of initiation can successfully give up the symbols and recognize the nameless, formless archetypes that dwell behind them.

Different orientations of these symbols produces different spiritual traditions and religions. This is what is really meant by the phrase “all religions teach the same truth”. It doesn’t mean all religions have the same moral and philosophies, because of course they don’t. But they are all paths to the same primordial, archetypal forces, and teach the same archetypal myths. Although they may be represented by various different symbols, and recognised in various external forces and phenomena, they are inner forces, found within the heart, mind and soul of every human being.

Religion involves the worship of these symbols, to imbibe and commune with the energies behind them, and spirituality involves learning to study and understand them, to increase one’s knowledge. Magick is the work beyond that, to actively call upon them, to embody them and recognize them within one’s own Being.

Nature, The Divine Mother

A lot of people these days are believers of social constructivism: the idea that pretty much all human behavior, beliefs and values are the result of social conditioning.

You know, the idea that human beings are a blank slate at birth and entirely the product of their environment.

The truth is that we are affected by Nature more than we realise. She is our Divine Mother and Her influence remains hidden in the unconscious. So much of what we do and who we are is the result of our genetic predisposition. Recent studies show that even your political leaning is genetic. This is why it’s pointless to debate people over politics, since people do not vote based on facts or beliefs, but rather based on their temperament, which is biological.

The archetypes, whatever they really are, are understood in magick as cosmic concepts. But this isn’t just a concept dreamed up by magicians in the 20th century.

Many mystics throughout the ages have also realised that archetypes are universal. For example, there were many different local religious traditions in ancient India. The ancient priests noticed recurring themes, deities and practices in these traditions, and concluded that many of these deities must be ‘avatars’ of the same larger deities.

And so they made extensive study of these and categorized them. They imagined that there was one single Divine being, and it expressed itself as a few larger Deities. All the deities that were worshipped in the world (as they knew it) were simply avatars of these deities, and then those deities were further avatars of even bigger dieties.

Pretty much the exact same process occurred in other polytheistic cultures like Egypt and Rome, where all the various Gods and myths and cults were identified as different aspects and manifestations of a core pantheon of a dozen or so deities, which in turn were identified with about 3-5 major deities. And when foreign deities were encountered, they were identified with one of the existing deities. This was an early recognition of the concept of universal archetypes, and is called syncretism.

The ancient Hebrews took this a step further, and actually recognised the conceptual nature of archetypes. For example, there were many ancient Semitic deities. Many of them were called as Ba’al (lord) or YHVH (god). You see, YHVH is not the name of a specific deity. The word is a title for a ‘male God’. Their female consorts were called ‘ASRA’, which roughly translates as ‘Wife/consort’.

The Hebrews concluded that all these deities were simply different aspects of the same God/s, and they referred to this simply as ‘Yah’ or Yehovah, meaning Father or God. And so they decided that instead of worshipping many separate deities, they would categorise them and worship the category (archetype) itself. Instead of separately worshipping many Sky fathers or War gods, there would be one primordial ‘Sky Father’ (YHVH) or ‘War God’ (ELHIM GBOR) deity. Since they were concepts, not deities, they were left without name and appearance. Eventually, all 10-12 concepts became identified with a single Divine force.

Now they did end up demonising all the other Gods in the process, but they did have the right idea. It’s just that they thought this made their religion ‘better’ and that the other tribes were worshipping false Gods, which over time became perceived as demonic.

Hopefully you see now that archetypes are not a modern concept. Even before Jung, it was noticed that spirituality and religion were universal expressions. Cultures separated by hundreds of miles would have common spiritual expressions, since these are born from the psyche itself.

This psyche is the child of Nature. It is most of who and what we are.

The Masks of the Cosmos

When magicians encounter the Cosmos, we project our psyche onto it.

The psyche is a perfect Microcosm. It is a reflection of the complete Cosmos, and the Cosmos a reflection of it.

When you cast the circle, you are establishing a symbolic Order. It is ruled by the Sun, the bringer of Light and the Heroic Ideal. The circle itself is ruled by Saturn, the Lord who binds the Universe, and rules boundaries and separations. Beyond the magick circle is the symbolic darkness, is the Chaos, the Mother, the Unknown, and she is the Moon, who reflects the light of the Sun, but also at times becomes entirely dark.

She is the Cosmos in all it’s splendor. And when you invoke the Gods beyond the circle, they are in reality masks worn by the Mother of the Cosmos, just as you yourself are a mask worn by the Father.

But what is the Unknown, exactly? It is wildness, it is animalism. Religion can shun and be afraid of it, but the Horned wild ones are always there, always lurking, waiting for us to take the first step.

One comes into this world surrounded by symbols. We are kept safe within our culture, content to believe in the world as we know it. Even in a chaotic and uncertain time, people will often fall back on something they can rely on, even if it’s a fallible ideology. The forces of Light protect us, discipline us, and prepare us for the world. They are like a bulwark against fear and death.

But the Nightside beckons always, and always it is feared by the many. The magician is the one who looks to it, and at first it glistens with brilliance. Think of how Nature is portrayed in media, as peaceful, gentle and exotic. And it is this shining call to adventure that first draws the magician out of his shell, into the Unknown. He takes on the mask of Horus and follows his Mother Isis to reclaim his birthright.

But then, as he begins to take the Light into the darkness, leaving everything behind in a youthful impulse, suddenly the Mother disappears, and the magician realises with horror what awaits him. For he sees that the Cosmos is cold, harsh and that her laws are absolute. Isis is lost, and Horus is alone faced with Set, the fury and power of the Cosmos itself, which brings it’s entire arsenal against the young God. And here Horus is blinded, because the malice he faces is too great, too powerful and beyond his imagining. And thus he is banished into the desert, where he must wander alone and lament.

But there, Horus finds Hathor, his love, and must make himself worthy of her. Now there is no Isis to protect him, and Set comes ever closer to destroy him. And so here he must delve into the Underworld, which is yet another part of the Unknown. And then the magician sees that the Cosmos he perceived before was just a surface level illusion, and that Her true secrets lie in the darkness, in the crypts and caverns hidden from view, down in the Infernal Empire where there is only confusion.

But Horus must descend. He must pass through the Temples of Darkness unscathed, and he must resist their temptations. He must master their forces. And there, at the lowest point, lies the Sarcophagus of Osiris, his slain father. And now the Cosmos reveals her final mask, as Horus makes the ultimate sacrifice of love to revive his dead father, who returns and the whole of the Underworld is filled with Light, and it becomes a gateway to world beyond. And here the Cosmos shows herself as Osiris reborn!

And only then can Horus truly call himself a Warrior, now worthy of facing Set one final time, and this time he shall succeed, having the whole of the Cosmos assist him in his efforts. He shall succeed and be crowned King! And in this way the Mother reveals her triple aspect. In Pagan witchcraft, this is the Goddess Hecate as Virgin, Crone and Bride. In Tantra, this is the Goddess Shakti as Parvati, Kali and Durga. This is why Tiamat, and Ishtar were represented being half dragon.

The Cosmic mother is the sparkling lady of stars, and yet she is also a serpentine dragon who turns one to stone with a single gaze of her glowing eyes. But if one should stand firm under Her gaze and kneel before her power, she is the radiant and mighty Queen of the Heavens.

It represents the nature of reality at the most fundamental level. It shall be understood that just as here the analogy of the Mother, of Cosmos, and Nature refers quite well to the Human psyche. The Underworld is the Subconscious.

All symbols which surround us as masks worn by the Mother. And the Individual is the Mask of the Father, which shifts and varies also. Magick is the dance of these forces in passionate romance. The magick circle is a symbolic whirling of Light and Shadow, of Fire and Water, which merge and mingle together. And where they meat, the whole of Reality manifests in the conscious perception, which is Airy. The Line which separates the Inner and Outer reality is ruled by Saturn for a reason, since Saturn is ‘The Lord God’, the highest Ideal, the Law, the Reason and the Judge, which is created by the union of the Father and Mother (Order and Chaos/ Culture and nature), which are the also the Son and the Daughter (Sun and Moon).

The impulse to drive the circle outward into Chaos, to expand the Order is ruled by Mars, while the driving forth is towards Venus, his lover who dwells beyond the circle. And Jupiter rules the balance of these forces, while Mercury causes the cosmic dance to go faster and faster, dissolving the boundaries until there shall be only Unity. Sammadhi. Apokalypsis. Gnosis.

The Sacred Feminine

It is often common for magicians, especially ceremonial magicians, to focus too much on the Sacred Masculine. That is to say, to get lost in one’s abstractions and theories. In a hastiness to describe and understand and categorise all the spiritual phenomena, the magician can fail to experience the Unknown even as he walks in its midst. This is the problem with those who ‘have an answer for everything’.

Having absolute surety in everything is masuline, yes, but it is not Sacred. The impulse to expand Order is masculine, but unless it is complemented by the feminine, it is simply a mental tyranny. It is nothing more than ineffectual theories and worldviews which often do not have any basis in reality.

Similarly, some do focus too much on the feminine, but this is rare. This is for those who jump straight into the Chaos and completely disregard all culture, all tradition and indeed, civilisation itself. Here there is only insanity, and many magicians do suffer this fate as well. This insanity is feminine, but it is not sacred. Without the masculine, without a symbolic structure, it is simply a endless void which will consume one’s soul.

The Sacred feminine, then, is Nature. Our true Nature. We, often living inside our own heads, neglect our nature too often, as we do our impulses, our bodies and our emotions. We like to act that we are entirely a product of our own Will and choosing. We like to behave like we can think our way in and out of everything, and think our way to truth and happiness, and explain everything away with thought.

As if millions of years of evolution has no effect on us. As if we can somehow ‘think’ away or ‘will’ away ancient impulses, behaviors and emotions. Our animal instincts towards sex, hunger, and aggression. The traits of our ancestors, their diets, lifestyles and instincts. The way our body works, the way it is meant to move.

And then we wonder, why we are all always so tired and depressed. The Sacred Feminine is not an idea or thought. It is awareness.

Notice your body right now. Is it not aware? Is there not a feeling and awareness from head to toe? And yet, it is not thought. Your hand is aware, but it does not think. Your heart is pumping blood, but it does not require your will.

Are you not aware of the world around you too? How often does one notice the world, and really engage with it. How often is one not thinking about what one has to do, dwelling on pointless and chattering thoughts?

To do true magick, we develop not just a strong Will and Moral compass, but also an Awareness. We also have to tap into our drives and instincts, to become one with the body. We also have to learn to feel our emotions and sensations fully and freely.

To those of you who ask how to learn to feel and sense energy, and perceive spiritual phenomena, this is the answer. Only when we learn to flow with energy, to flow with the world, does the Mother reveal her secrets. For this we do meditation, where we learn to maintain awareness and breathe deeply. We practice mindfulness, and Qigong/ Yoga, so and we become in tune with our bodies and surroundings.

This is the secret also, behind many of the gestures and motions found in magick ritual. They are not mere gestures and salutations that one must memorise and perform, but ways to draw on and direct energies.

And these powers are also developed through suffering. As we discussed before, Nature seems inviting at first. But the moment we leave our mental abstractions and fantasies and engage with Her in reality, we will suddenly be faced with the absolute and inescapable fact that life is suffering. Living in the mind is simply a coping mechanism to numb and relieve this pain.

But if we engage this pain fully, push through it, and learn to endure it, then one’s own spiritual powers shall be developed. A warrior cannot train in his garden forever. Eventually they must face real battle, which will be very different, and only many battles can make a true warrior.

Archetypes are not thoughts or concepts, but the Fundamental principles which govern the Universe, the highest Meta-Gods. To stop living in one’s head will also involve slowly learning to not rely on one’s symbols, and by extension the Gods. Because the Gods certainly are here to help us, but you shall have understood by now that we rarely engage with the Gods directly. Instead, we engage with an ‘image’ of them, created within culture and passed on to us through religion. Too often, magicians are unwilling to alter or expand their various traditions and schools of magick. But then you should have stayed nice and safe within mainstream religion. If you’re going to make the effort to come this far, you may as well take the courage and open up that shell.

Stop being so quick to judge other magicians, to categorise their and your own expereinces, to decide what you agree or disagree with. Stop being to quick to make up your mind or project yourself onto others. This closes the aura to the actual world outside, to reality and to the outer Gods.

And when you invoke the Gods with an open mind, you will begin to see them outside the frameworks you are stuck in, and they will come as they really are. And when one has the recognition that the Cosmos within is mirrored in the Cosmos outside, there will be no fear and uncertainty.

One who understands that by controlling the mind, one can control one’s entire reality, and that everything in one’s life is the result of their own Mind, shall never lose their way or get lost. And if this isn’t obvious, and if you still look for the source of your problems in the world outside, and cannot understand why the World is unfair and cruel: seek the Underworld. There, in the subconscious, are all the problems you cannot seek. Set them right, and the world shall follow suit. Awaken the Father who was slain, and the Mother shall reveal herself in new glory. And this requires sacrifice. Let the first be to embrace the pain, and face the world and life head on.

And although in the last post I told people not to wait for Utopia, that does not mean give up hope. Change is coming, and change HAS come. Look around you, and you will see the world is rapidly changing. So have hope, the world will get better as a new age dawns. But remember that even in the new age, you’re the magician. You’re the one who directs the forces of your life.

That shall be all for this time. I hope you found it helpful and gained some insight. Remember, you do not have to agree or disagree. Just take it as it comes. We all do 🙂

Until Next Time
~White Raven

Urban Occultism

December 6, 2018June 11, 2020Tagged astrology, body, city, Earth, Expereinces, focus, guide, Knowledge, magic, magick, mind, new age, night, Occult, power, prayer, religion, self, spirit, spiritual, spirituality, sun, urban, yoga5 Comments

Written: December 6th, 2018 | Edited: 28th March 2019

I’ve been thinking about what to write next. The purpose of this blog was never really to talk about occult theory or kabbalistic correspondences, because I don’t like to think of myself as a teacher. Instead, it was to talk about personal experiences with magick, mysticism, the occult and other spiritual stuff.

I haven’t invoked or evoked any Spirits in a while, because I haven’t really needed to. I did have a little encounter with Lovecraftian magick, but I’m still not fully sure about the safety and potential benefits of something like that. I don’t think that’s something that should just be put on a public blog like this. More of something the advanced occultist will figure out and engage in themselves, if one should feel inclined to and see a real reason to do so.

So, I thought why not write about the fact that I live in an Urban environment, and that’s a pretty unique, yet such widespread situation. There’s probably thousands of occultists and magicians practicing in the hearts of metropolitan cities, and it’s certainly not how it was traditionally done. So, in the spirit of modernity and pursuing the Great Work against all adversity, this is what today’s post is about. There’s also some stuff about protection against unwanted subconscious control (which everyone in the modern urban environment is subject to, except for one who knows his own mind, and one who lives away from society).

Traditional Occult Practices

There are hundreds of different branches of occult, from various eras and cultures around the world. However, one way to distinguish them is by putting them in two broad categories: organised and folk traditions. Folk traditions refer to most ancient pagan systems, and naturally most neo-pagan practices of today, as well as Tantra, Witchcraft, Hoodoo etc.

Folk traditions were often carried out in the rural areas and the countryside. Some existed at the fringes of civilized society, where the Known met the Unknown. Today, people who continue to live in such areas find it easy to follow such traditions, and there is a great connection with the land, and importance of sourcing everything yourself, going out into natural places like forests and lakes, performing rituals at various odd times like midnight, exploration, and all sorts of other things that require outdoor space and considerable amounts of free time. It is a very hands-on approach to the occult, and it is the easiest way to fully connect to the Source, and to gain understanding of the Self. People who live in the countryside seem to be able to do it without much hassle.

Then, we have the highly organised traditions like the Vedanta, Egyptian magic, Kabbalah, The Mystery traditions, Alchemy (Al-Khemi) etc. These traditions often emerged out of city centers (such as Alexandria, Rome, London, Varanasi, Kyoto, Tenochtitlan, Damascus, Baghdad etc.), and were closely tied to organised religion (since they were probably practiced in close proximity to religious centers). Today, such traditions are still practiced by people who live in towns and cities, and smaller urban settings. There is usually not an emphasis on sourcing material or going into nature, since it would have been, and still is, somewhat tricky to simply go into the forest to do a daily ritual. People in such settings also have less time, even if they do not waste time in pointless tasks.

On the other hand, people in cities would usually have much more indoor space, and access to materials and knowledge beyond what was locally available. This is perhaps why such traditions, instead of working with nature, are usually associated with elaborate, consecrated Temples, which is usually furnished with items having very specific correspondences. The city dweller would usually not have any trouble finding materials, getting access to books and learning specialized skills like herbalism or metallurgy. In addition, one would not have to worry about things like food and water, due to the division of labour. The lack of time, space and nature was made up for by access to materials and knowledge, ability to devote oneself to specialised study, and space for a temple, library, laboratory etc.

This setting is, while less conducive to being in touch with Nature, is extremely good for understanding extremes and confronting the Shadow.

While rural occultists would play an integral part in their community as community leaders (shamans, seers, medics, cheifs etc), urban occultists would play an integral role in a society as specialists (doctors, lawyers, politicians, priests etc). Together, humanity progressed forward,

This has pretty much been the state of things since the birth of organised cities around 3000 BCE.

A New Society

Since the end of World War II, a new kind of society has been emerging. A kind of human habitation that has never truly existed in the past, driven by technological and scientific innovation that cannot even be fathomed by the human mind, an explosion of culture, moral values, cooperation between all nations of the world on a common platform, the rise of the Internet, and, most importantly, Occult knowledge being freely and publicly available, on a scale never before possible. I mean, just think about how common it is for even the most average person, who knows nothing of mysticism or religion, to be familiar with basic ideas of spirituality like meditation, the power of the mind, what is good or bad for the body, and the notion of individualism.

However, as the Law of Polarity goes, this incredible Golden Age, which has really kicked off in the 21st Century, and gone into high-gear after 2012, has it’s various disadvantages and evils, which are just as extreme as it’s advantages, only much more subtle. While there is a steady increase in peace and quality of life as we overcome more problems (which we should all be extremely thankful for, by the way), there is a steady decline in true spirituality, magick and mysticism, along with the increasing attempt to remove these things from all sections of society. The average person might say that the trade off is well worth it, but i’m not sure. There’s a thin line between Utopia and Dystopia.

There has never been this much control and power over the masses. Never before have governments had access to private conversations, or international corporations such reach and resources. Never in all of human history has “mind control” been anything more that a delusion. Now, we live in a time where if Alex Jones gets drunk and starts rambling about conspiracy theories, you have to sit there and question how much of it is probably true. It’s strange when you think that everything he says is probable to some degree, and that’s terrifying. In the past, at best you had to worry about the King sending his troops to burn the crops. Now you wonder if your phone’s listening to you, if there’s an AI directing your daily actions, and if some shady international body has an algorithm that can predict where you’ll be before you know it (*cough* Google)

Now, with all that dark stuff out of the way, let me raise your mood by talking about how practicing Magick in the Urban metropolis may be made easier, and how most of it’s superficial challenges can be easily overcome. I don’t generally live in fear because when I think about just how massive and complicated human habitations have become, I feel like even the most powerful shady organisation is more or less powerless to control anything. If you really think about it, our society has become so intricate that no one really could control it. The only reason everything doesn’t spontaneously go to shit is because of mutual co-operation.

The Urban Metropolis

The Metropolis: a large, sprawling jungle of glass, steel and concrete. Brightly lit and well interconnected, it is usually brimming with a diverse population of hundreds of thousands of people, if not millions, or in a few cases, even tens of millions. On one hand, it looks like a City of Dreams, but on the other hand it is also a City of Illusion. You see, that is only from an observer’s perspective. To the people living in a metropolitan city (which at this point happens to be most of the populations of the Orient, parts of the Middle East, Western Europe and North America), it feels like home, like any other place in the world.

From the looks of it, the rest of the world will soon follow. If you’ve seen the design proposals for Pyramid cities, vertical cities, layered cities, aquatic cities, Moon/Mars colonies and heck, a full fledged artificial Moon (thanks China), you know it’s only just beginning.

In the 1920s, there was a dystopian horror film called Metropolis. I suppose back then the idea of such cities was terrifying. I happen to live in such a city, and I recently found out that my city is actually a popular location for horror, mystery and murder novels for people living in other, more traditional places within India.

This is very strange to me, since I grew up here, and as far as I’m concerned it’s a totally normal place. Past the facade of glass and steel, we got our little suburbs, with it’s local parks where children play, and the local grocers where we buy fruits and vegetables by the kilo. We have our schools, which are probably like any other public school anywhere else, and offices where people work (even if they are suspended a hundred feet in the air in a glass megalith shaped like a shoe).

So yeah, let’s be honest, even though metropolises were once the terrifying dystopia, life has worked out pretty well in them. Human beings wont change, even in a jungle of glass and steel, and a majority of the population already lives or is destined to live in a metropolis. Right now, all over the world, villages and towns are changing into cities and cities will change to metropolises. This is not the case everywhere though, but what’s important to note is that there’s a surge of populations into metropolises. Even if villages, towns and small cities remain, they’ll be largely devoid of population. This can already be seen in India and Western Europe.

In a way, it is actually going to solve most of the problems that the Industrial era brought, so I think it’s worth giving gratitude. But I feel a sense of uneasiness.

The problem however, is that the average metropolis, though giving people health, freedom and individual liberty, was designed with material and moral fulfillment in mind, but not necessarily spiritual. Magick has never been mainstream, and probably won’t be for some time still. Religion and New Agery may soon be well accommodated, but this doesn’t mean it gets any easier for actual occultists. So unless you want to renounce worldly life and go off to live in the mountains, we have to make the necessary adjustments.

Essentials

Let’s give a little background to the usual Metropolitan environment. Most people live in apartments (or flats). Based on the size of the building, you may be suspended hundreds of feet above the ground. Size of the apartment and number of rooms varies.

Usually residential and economic areas are separated, and multiple forms of public transport carry people from home to work, and back, and this is also when considerable amounts of time are wasted. Public spaces include squares, malls, shopping districts and promenades. Schools and Public service buildings are scattered about evenly. The cities are divided into various sections that have little to no interaction. Commercial buildings are glass, steel and concrete, while residential areas are plaster or brick and mortar.

“Nature” is limited to public parks and trees/shrubbery on the divisions between the large multi lane roads. If you’re lucky enough to be in a country like the Netherlands, you’ve got lakes and canals, though they’ll be off limits. Radio waves, smoke, bright light and noise may interfere with Magickal practice. I suggest working in the early morning, at late night or with windows closed.

Also, probably give up on observing the night sky in any meaningful way for astrology. Either you can’t see anything, or shit is behind buildings. There’s no way to see a full horizon.

Pollution is a thing, though the amount of it is based on how adept the Municipal corporations are, and the population is likely not homogenous, consisting of people speaking various languages, from various parts of the country, and many even from foreign countries.

Food, electricity and water is not a problem, opportunities and jobs are common and there’s a mix of rosy optimism and abject depression in the population. Everyone pulls their weight, there’s almost no idleness, people are always in a rush and have short attention spans.

Nothing is really seen as weird, including strange occult practices and fringe spiritual traditions, and there’s a general sense of comfortable chaos that everyone is used to. Everyone has strong political opinions but no one acts on it because the Left and the Right are forced to live in close quarters and co-operate to run the city. The intellectual nazi and the urban marxist may sometimes talk rather passionately about various subjects they know nothing about, but will usually go back to being busy with their own life. It’s never really dark or quiet. Ambient noises include the footsteps and chatter of thousands of people, distant drilling and machinery, cars, birds, and the low, perpetual hum of generators.

Sound familiar? Good. If you can relate to about 50-70% of the above, then you may find what I’ll write next as useful.

Temple

First off, the Temple. In any ceremonial tradition, the importance of a Temple is usually insisted upon. A general dedicated area where you can do your magick. Usually, a room is suggested. There may be specifications for the room too. You may read that an alchemical lab would need the space and fittings needed to carry out experiments, along with running water and a window or chimney, and heating apparatus. For a Kabbalistic temple, you may be told to use a square, empty room with the windows facing the cardinal directions, and be able to hang stuff on the walls, light candles, and if you’re up to it, install literal pillars. In the Book of Abramelin the Mage, an entire house is needed specially, and an entire room becomes the invocation circle, with a balcony separated by glass being the Triangle.

I’ll be blunt: in magick, you reap what you sow. That is true. The elaborate care taken in building a suitable place for magical work is with good reason. It’s the same idea as religious places of worship. However, we may also adapt our practice to the modern day.

Whatever path you’re following, learn what the core elements of your space/temple are, so you can simplify it. Cleanliness is a must, and it’s good to map out the cardinal directions. Remember, it does not have to be a room, but any dedicated space is enough. If there’s a small cubical gap in your home, you could clear it out of stuff, and put a rope circle on the floor. That’s a good enough Temple. I used one like it for 6 months. The idea is to have a place where you can do magick, and if possible it should be consecrated. All the other stuff can be added however you feel it should. Instead of Pillars, one can use a black and white curtain.

If you can’t find a special area, then you could just make a “collapsible Temple”. Simply put, you have all the implements stored away, and during ritual you can bring them out and establish a temporary Space. Once you’re done you could put everything away. Much like a Temple is meant to be closed to outsiders, I suggest storing the implements discreetly, and not visible to the world, like in a drawer or something. Don’t use the consecrated implements and furniture for anything else, and pick a spot that you will use each time.

It’s a good idea to keep the Temple portable. It’s your choice how many implements you want to use. Make it so that if you’re travelling, you can securely carry key implements. For things like Alchemy and Herbalism, the kitchen is plenty for most of the initial work. If you’re working with metals though, I say find an outdoor area.

You could rent a space or an office and use that for your Temple. Of course, rent is usually high in Metropolitan cities. Better off looking in the suburbs. This is not ideal for daily work, but not a bad idea for occasional work that is more grand.

I do none of that though. Personally, I just do all my rituals in my room, in the space between my desk and cupboard. I just move my chair out of the way, use some chalk to draw the circle on the floor, along with any other symbols needed, and do it that way. I keep the windows open so it doesn’t get stuffy, and that’s it. When I’m done, my few implements go into a drawer, and I wipe the circle off. Done!

Herbs

There’s always this thing about growing sacred herbs in your backyard or garden (something I don’t think even exists where I live) or going out to collect the needed materials (nowhere withing several hundred kilometers for me).

If you have a balcony, get plastic tubs or pots and grow some herbs. Ideally, it’s always a good idea to grow plants, and just because we don’t have a garden shouldn’t be an excuse. Growing local plants, flowers, and herbs is a good idea. Other than that, learn the correspondences of the herbs and spices you have in your kitchen, and use them. This is of great use when making incenses or oils, and most of what you want is usually found in the kitchen. It’s a far easier option than having to go out and buy or order exotic herbs every time you want to make a custom incense of oil, which I’ve seen people do. I’ve seen witches in India go out of their way to track down Irish moss or lavender, instead of use the marigold in their home or cinnamon in the kitchen.

So, instead of panicking when you can’t find Irish Moss or Dragon’s blood, learn to work with things like sandalwood and lemongrass (and yes, i’m well aware that it will vary from place to place. Apply the principle to where you live). And by growing stuff in the balcony, you’ll at least learn how to tend to plants. Do the hedge Wicca thing if you can’t do anything else. It’s an authentic enough spiritual practice.

It’s usually not hard to order very specific things online these days, but you wont be able to find things that don’t have commercial value, so knowing the correspondences of what you actually have access to is paramount. In a way, doing so is not very different from what the village shamans did in the olden days, when they learned about the herbs growing in the immediate vicinity.

Travel

Living in an Urban metropolis means you have little access to both natural places, like forests, lakes and mountains, and great artificial structures, like monuments, temples, cathedrals, museums. If you happen to live in some of the better planned metropolises, you may have intact forests and such nearby. Similarly, in cities of historic significance, you will probably be able to visit monuments.

Even so, travelling is great, and it should be of interest to any magician to explore and experience new things, and push himself out of his comfort zone. But it’s even more important to metropolis dwellers, both from a mystical and non-mystical sense. Being shut up in a city and going about your busy day is not enough. There’s a reason depression can run high in these places. Other than that, travelling will often give you a chance to do important Occult activities that you normally can’t do, like collecting stones, or wood for your wand, or observing celestial bodies, or collecting sea water and collecting dirt from specific places. Most of these are common in more folk paths. For urban paths, you can visit libraries, look at ancient relics, go to places where great events happened, or make a pilgrimage to religious grounds.

I could go on and on about the benefits of travel, but I’ll stop here. Yes, a more skeptic individual will say “Hah! We have the Internet! We have public parks! I could easily do most of this stuff without even leaving my own neighbourhood!”

To him I’d say: yeah, probably. But where’s the fun in that? Trust me, travel! It’s good for you. Some of the most profound mystical moments in my life have been when I’ve traveled. It’s good for the soul.

Remember, most Occult grimoires were written either in a time when people lived in vivid environments, or for people who traveled a lot anyway. The urban metropolis is a strange and modern phenomenon, and most Occult philosophy was probably written with the expectation of the individual experiencing certain things in life that people these days do not. No doubt Hermes Trismagistus would be confused if you told him you couldn’t understand his quote about “finding your haunt in every living creature” because the most complex animal you ever saw was a pigeon.

Get Used to Artificial Materials

Get used to the idea of using stainless steel, glass, plastic and plywood. I’ve sometimes seen people go to unreal lengths to find “natural” materials like Iron, wood, ceramic, natural stone such as granite, gemstones and heck, even pure gold. Look, it’s always important to use the best quality materials you can get when creating implements for magical work.

I find it is not a good idea to shortchange yourself or cut corners, especially if the desired material is within reach, but you’re too lazy or stingy to use it, since these things have a profound impact on the subconscious. Any material will also generate the energy it corresponds to during ritual. However, many a times the “best” materials available to you WILL be things like paper, steel or plastic. My own banishing dagger is made of stainless steel. I spent a lot of time trying to get the best thing I could, and this was what I found. When I make seals, I use good quality cartridge paper. After all, there’s a limit to what I can reasonably find and use, and vellum and parchment are out of the question in a big city, because they have little commercial benefit (and as we know, in the metropolis economy, only things that make money can survive).

Similarly, when I created my first proper Triangle of the Art, I used cardboard and painted acrylic. After all, I don’t just have a garage where I could do carpentry in order to make it out of wood, or cut glass.

I always try to find the best things I can find. The best paints, paper, wood or metal available to me. But, most likely those will be very different that what was traditionally available. So I wouldn’t be too upset if you, say, have to use a plastic stand on your altar. Don’t just make the new age fallacy of regarding all things artificial as “evil”. It’s no more artificial than iron, and ultimately everything is derived from nature. As for energy being generated, all objects have correspondences. A piece of gold will generate the energy corresponding to the Sun, but so will yellow ink and the circumpent (symbol of the Sun). An iron dagger will generate martial energy, but so will a steel one, and so will an image of war.

Recycled Stuff

I probably don’t need to tell you this, but it isn’t a good idea to use recycled material for magical implements, or materials which have been used for some other purpose before hand. If you do so, I suggest a formal cleansing and reconsecration. In my life I have tried to reuse old materials, but I find that over time I naturally accumulate fresh and new things. I actually collect items and materials expressly for magick purposes. Sometimes, it won’t actually be in use, but I don’t use it for anything else either. I store it away, so that if a time comes when I require something, I already have materials that can be used.

However, there are plenty of things that merely aid the magical work, but aren’t key components of it. A simple example would be jars or bottles, to store incense, oils and the like. I’ve seen people run off to hobby stores to buy brand new “antique” looking jars. The most amusing things are those jars that have purposefully made to look second hand, or “raw”, like those which have fake corks.

Ever seen a modern hippie who buys expensive mugs that are made to look like mason jars, and have a lid that’s plastic but looks like a cloth cover? He then pretends to be like the old hippies who used actual mason jars to drink. That’s what this reminds me of. Something stops being “hippie” once it’s mainstream.

Anyway, don’t waste time and money when it isn’t required. The amount of waste produced by big cities is already unreal, so we don’t need to add to that. Most of the stuff you’ll end up recycling, like jars and bottles, are high quality anyway because they’re mass produced in factories for a competitive market. Chances are your bottles of sauce, jam, and other drinks are good enough to be washed and recycles. In the city, almost everything is designed to be reused. Just consecrate and reuse, and save yourself a whole load of hassle. However, do not hoard. And stay away from plastic when you can, especially to store liquids.

Keep Things Very Clean

Speaking of not hoarding stuff, it is common knowledge that most students of magick keep their surroundings clean. You know how Jordan Peterson keeps saying “Clean your damn room”. In that statement he is conveying a deep and profound spiritual truth.

“Clean your damn sword, bucko!”

As within so without. The existence of filth and mess in a person’s surrounding is a reflection of everything around him. Now, this means just a little bit more in a big city.

Big cities represent, at their core, Chaos. Unlike a peaceful and serene environment of a town or village, where everything is Orderly and the magicians sometimes NEED to consciously bring in Chaos as the counterbalance, here it is flipped. Everything is highly Chaotic and the magician has to strive to bring in Order. So you’re not just cleaning up, you’re bringing Order.

Personally, to me cleaning is almost an alchemical process. When I clean up and set everything in Order, I feel like my heart is cleansed of darkness (and no, i’m not even exaggerating). I think this is similar to what the ancient alchemist experienced when refining metals. Gold from lead.

So, cleaning out the apartment or house is the cleansing of filth and removal of entities, the archetypal act of bringing Order out of Chaos, and the alchemical transformation of the mind and soul.

Adding to this is the fact that the air is big cities usually has industrial pollutants or smoke. Not always, but very often (especially if you’re somewhere it doesn’t rain a lot), so that just wafts through your windows and settles on your floor, shelves, carpets. Everything really. It’s enhanced by the dust from construction sites. You could just stay in and keep everything closed, but then I’m not sure what magick you’ll end up doing.

In the United States, Japan and other such countries this is less, thanks to strict regulation, but in India and China this is now probably the single largest concern (and I’m considering wearing a fucking gas mask if we can’t fix it soon. Can’t even leave my window open in winters without feeling like i’m in gas chamber. Fuck).

Update (2019): So I made a talisman that protects me from pollution. It is the post after this one. Click here to read it.

Just remember: unwanted entities dwell in filth and squalor. There’s a reason religions emphasise ritual purity, especially the older traditions.

On the other hand, try not to make things too sterile or perfect. That removes the soul from it. Obsessive cleanliness is as bad for you as untidiness.

Eat Normal Food

This is perhaps the most common thing I have seen in every great city I have visited: a population hopelessly addicted to processed or refined food. I’ll keep this one short because I don’t want to sound like some stuck up nanny, and I don’t think I actually need to tell people to eat healthy.

Simply put: try to cook your own food from good ingredients, avoid the sugar that’s in practically everything around you, and try not to live on frozen or instant meals….unless you’re in London, in which case you can’t buy the extravagantly expensive food anyway.

Sugar and salt directly affect the emotional balance of the body, so it is very important, especially for someone doing magick, to be careful of foods which have too much of either. Not to mention processed sugar practically works like cocaine (did you know the original recipe for Coca Cola used 9 milligrams of cocaine? These days they use “spent coca leaves”. Ha!)

I’m not going to go crazy and demand that you only eat raw vegan organic food. Just try to be healthy, and limit the alcohol. If the body is weak, no amount of mental, emotional or spiritual fortitude will help. Malkuth is the Kingdom on which all else stands. Magicians are very concerned with guarding against unwanted spiritual influences, thoughts and emotions. How about extending that favour to the body as well? Also, work out, because if the body isn’t fit, it will hinder the spirit. This isn’t just me, but one of the direct teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Additionally, try to do some yoga everyday. It is important to do yoga so that you can control your mind, body, and all it’s spiritual extensions.

I’ve known particularly gifted magicians to go haywire, because they ignored yoga and were unable to control themselves and their surroundings. Trust me, when things go wrong, you want to have that strength of Will that yoga produces. In the metropolis, you’re also much more likely to have less physical exertion, and you don’t want to let yourself become fat, weak or pasty.

Guard the Subconscious

One of the common aspects of large cities is that there is advertising everywhere. In other words, there subliminal stimulus everywhere, pushing you on to buy, eat and consume more and more and more.

Honestly, I don’t have a problem with advertising. It’s not that bad, but i’m not just talking about any old advertising. No, i’m talking about city centres, filled with neon lights, sounds and advertisements in every direction. Although I guess the TV and online ads replicate it pretty well now.

Once you’ve done magick for long enough, you begin to under the powerful effect these superstimuli have on the subconscious, and the subliminal stimuli hidden in them. It is important to not let your mind wander off in these situation, or you’ll end up with all sorts of programming entering the psyche. No matter how strong your will is, and how consciously dedicated you are, these things will keep popping up and creating challenges to the work of Self Realisation. I mean, yes, many advertisements these days have a very positive message. A Nike ad telling you to “Just Do It” with the name of the Goddess of Victory on it and an archetypal symbol of success may not be so bad. But an advertisement telling you to buy the latest product from a certain company so you can indulge in a lot of sex is just trying to create an association between consumption and sex, and in turn encouraging more consumption and sexual excess.

Even if you consciously recognize that drinking Coke isn’t actually going to give you a life full of happy memories, your subconscious isn’t that smart. It’ll simply remember that association and give you a craving for Coca Cola when you’re unhappy or lonely.

Look, as I said, i’m not against advertising or the free market. I fully understand that advertising is essential to sell products, and can ultimately be a force for the greatest good in making society better and improving the quality of life. However, it is important in big cities that you be vigilant and pay attention to your surroundings. We city folk have adapted to have short attention spans for that precise reason, to be able to notice everything around us quickly. THAT is why people in big cities have shorter attention spans than people who live in the forest. That also means you notice a lot of things in a short period of time without consciously understanding what it is, allowing all of it to directly go into the subconscious.

Would you ever inject food directly into your veins, without letting it go through the digestive system? No right. This is the same principle. Subliminal programming means that you’ll basically be doing subconscious magick without even wanting to. Maybe you work out each day, but can’t loose fat because you’re subconscious has been programmed to believe that unless you use a specific product, you cannot be thing. You may not even believe it, but your subconscious does. I mean, they’re literally using your own mind to do magick that hinders you. And most people don’t even know about magick. You know, when you live a newspaper lying around, you may ignore it but your subconscious sees everything. It sees all the ads and all the shitty news. You become a conduit to the astral plane for these people (I’m not even sure who ‘they’ are) to manifest their desires. For example, if a nation is flooded with subliminal messages promoting illness or civil war, the collective subconscious force of the population exposed to this propaganda will bring it about! If this isn’t like the Matrix, where the robots where using human beings as batteries, I don’t know what it.

Guard the subconscious!

If you consciously catch everything that you see, it won’t enter the subconscious directly, and will be processed instead. That, by the way, is one of the meanings of the god Anubis guarding the Gates of the Temple, as well as the Hall of Judgement from the dog faced demons.

Lighting

Update (2019): This wasn’t part of the original post, but I’m adding it in now.

Lighting profoundly affects your mood, and it has astrological symbolism. Generally, yellow lighting, such as produced from filament bulbs, has a strong sun correspondence. it will uplift your mood. The same can be achieved through yellow LED lights. That’s why most ‘fine’ establishments has yellow lighting. It calms you down and produces a similar affect to the sun, or fire. Our ancestors evolved to regard such lighting as positive.

On the other hand, white lighting is negative lighting. It is cold, bleak and sterile. It affects our psyche and produces depressive or negative states of mind. It isn’t homely.

Why do you think schools and offices have all this white lighting. It’s so that you’re not in a good mood. Basically, lighting is an important part of magickal practice, and has important occult significance. Remember to get out in the sun, and try to use warm lighting when you can. Avoid cold lighting.

My own room has cold lighting, but I do most of my work during the day. If you’re one of those people that does most of their stuff at night, I suggest buying some new lights. If you’re crazy enough, you can work at night using candles. I do so sometimes.

Alright well, that was fun. I have nothing more to say, and I hope this is of help to someone, or simply makes for an interesting read.

Remember to follow the blog, and you can also follow me on Instagram @WhiteRavenMagus

Until next time.
~White Raven

Timing Your Magick (Astrology Simplified)

January 1, 2018June 11, 2020Tagged astrology, ceremonial magick, christainity, cycles, days, energies, hermeticism, hinduism, insight, kabbalah, magick, months, moon, new age, Occult, paganism, planets, power, religion, ritualism, simplified, spiritual, spirituality, sun, vedanta, vedas, years, zodiac5 Comments

Written: Janurary 1st, 2018 | Edited: 24th March 2019

Hello! It’s me, Raven. I have a post about Lilith, and then a few about Lucifuge Rofocale coming in the next few weeks, so be excited. For now, have something more simple and mundane ^_^

Today i’m here to tell you about astrological timing. People sometimes obsess over when is the “correct” time to perform magick, and this happens to a great degree within the more elaborate ceremonial tradition, though sometimes even folk traditions have this, and almost every religion in the world has certain times of the year or month or day that are considered auspicious.

At times these may seem arbitrary. Why is Christmas on the 25th? Why is 3 am the witching hour? Why do certain types of yoga at sunrise? Well, this is largely based on something that is universally shared by all cultures: astrology.

Not only is it universal, it seems most of the time people’s interpretation of astrology was also the same, surprisingly. You could say this was Synchronicity at play, or you could say that ideas were shared by cultures as they interacted with each other, or you could say that we had the same ideas of astrology based on archetypes that are common to all human beings, and the product of evolution.

Regardless of what you think, astrology is important, and thanks to the rapid spread on information on the Internet in this day and age, it is effectively the same across the planet.

And let’s be honest, it works. Anyone who’s delved into spirituality proper, knows that astrology works. We don’t know if it’s due to forces we can’t understand yet, or if it’s simply psychological, but it works, and there’s no denying it.

I mean, they recently did a study in which they found out that the amount of sunlight hitting the Earth’s surface at any given particular time, affects whether people make good or bad economic investments. I mean, just think about how insane that sounds from a traditional scientific perspective, and yet it seems like it’s true. So who knows how deep the rabbit hole goes? And of course, if it works, why not use it?

Credits:Blue Flame Magick

Imagine, if humanity had never utilised the principle of gravity, to make projectiles, pumps, weights etc. until Isaac Newton discovered it. And ultimately, he wasn’t even fully right. Einstein would give a better hypothesis a century later, and even that was only proven to be true in 2017: THIS year.

Bottom line is, humanity would be very far behind if it refused to utilise principles that we knew existed, just because we didn’t fully understand them. That’s the whole idea of the occult.

Astrological times

In most modern systems of Magick, astrology is a preferred way of planning your rituals, spells, invocations etc. Ultimately, I think you should always keep astrology in mind when you go about your daily business. Start viewing planetary hours, phases of the moon, retrogrades etc. the same way you view the days of the week, hours of the clock, months and years. Just like you know that it gets colder in December, and so you go buy clothes for the winter, without thinking too much about it, you should train yourself to know when it’s, say, a Mercury retrograde, or when the Moon is waning.

However, astrology is fairly confusing, especially to someone not fully familiar with reading charts. As far as I know, I’ve never seen a simplified explanation of the various different factors affecting astrological times, or how to plan magick in accordance to them.

Either I see a new age explanation that condemns it, or something that merely tells people to do things at certain times, without actually giving a reason for it. Sometimes, when you do find it, you get an exceptionally elaborate explanation for seeing when EVERY planet is perfectly aligned, and the moon and the sun are in a specific sign and house, and everything is calculated right down to the degree and minute, in a complex chart that many people may not know how to read.

That’s useful of course, but not exactly convenient for the average magician. So, i’ll focus on the most important aspects, and break it up into sections, based on different types of celestial bodies.

Phases of the Moon

Credits: NASA/Bill Dunford

The most basic and simple thing to keep in mind, of course, is the phase of the Moon. The Moon goes through one complete cycle in about 27-30 days. This has two stages, the Waxing stage, in which the Moon grows larger, going from the New Moon to Full, and the Waning stage, in which the Moon reduces in size and goes from Full to New.

By the way, that’s also the reason a Month is around 30 days long. It’s based on the Moon cycle, though I guess it’s been shifting for centuries, and now the Moon cycle usually begins at ends about halfway through each month. I’m sure at some point it matched each month exactly.

(Unless, of course, you’re reading this 4000 years from now, in which case, it probably does. Good for you!)

The only thing to bear in mind is this:

Magick to bring things to you, or invoke, is best done during the Waxing moon, when it’s growing. The waxing moon is a time for activity and growth. It’s a good time to start things.

Magick to send things away from you, or banishing, bindings etc, is best done during the Waning moon, when it’s shrinking. This is a time for reflection and cleansing. A good time to end, not start, things.

The Full moon is usually considered to be a very powerful time to do anything spiritual. The New Moon is considered a dark and empty time. Also powerful, in the opposite way.

One last thing: every two to three days, the Moon moves from one sign to another. During the transition, the Moon is said to be Void of Course. Generally, this is a bad time to do magick, as the Moon is said to be unstable. So, if you’re planning any ritual, it’s good to have some sort of calendar that tells you when the Moon is void of course, so you can avoid those periods, which can range anywhere from 30 mins to 24 hours, if not longer. I’d suggest using an app for this purpose. I have one called “Void of Course calendar” on android.

Planetary Days

Most people probably know about planetary days. A week has seven days, and each day corresponds to one of the seven traditional planets of astrology. Most are named after the Norse gods corresponding to the planet.

Just in case you’re unfamiliar, it goes like this:

Sunday: Sun’s Day
Monday: Moon’s Day
Tuesday: Tyr’s Day – Mars
Wednesday: Woden’s (Odin’s) Day- Mercury
Thursday: Thor’s Day – Jupiter
Friday: Freya’s Day – Venus
Saturday – Saturn’s Day

Credits: Cafe Astrology

Now, you may have noticed that I started with Sunday, and not Monday. This is because the Sun is associated with beginnings, not the Moon. The week is traditionally meant to begin on Sunday and end on Saturday, as Saturn is associated with endings.

In fact, the reason everyone’s so miserable on Monday is because the Moon is associated with emotions and feelings. It’s an unnatural imbalance to start the week on Monday. The reason for this imbalance is because Christians used to attend Church on Sundays. They didn’t END the week with Mass, they BEGAN the week with Mass. Sunday was always the first day of the Week, but these days, few people actually attend weekly Mass, and so Sunday has become considered the Week “end”. This is an ancient concept, and Sunday was originally the day of the worship of Ra in Egypt (and other sun gods, to some varying degree in other cultures). Put simply, the Day that has been named the holy day (holiday, lol) of the Sun, should be the beginning of the week, regardless of culture.

Credits: Mortimer Arms

The real “weekend” should be Friday, associated with love, creativity, gratitude and celebration, and Saturday, the day of rest, reflection and endings. That’s why Jews don’t do shit on Saturdays.

Amusingly, it seems the Muslims got it right. Most Islamic cultures count Friday as a weekend, and usually people don’t work or work half days and then go to Mosque later. There’s a reason you feel so happy on Fridays. It’s your natural instinct. And I’m going to say that’s also why weekends go by so fast and people don’t get anything done. People want to party and make plans and enjoy on Saturday, and the energies of Saturn drain them, and then they spend Sunday recuperating, when they should be starting the next week. Friday, the day of celebration, is wasted on trying to finish work. And hey, i’ve been to Europe and noticed that people there too work halfday on Fridays. I’m beginning to think it’s only here in the East that people work full Fridays. (Maybe that’s why everyone is insanely stressed out, huh?)

Now of course, we can’t change the world around us, but we can use what we have learnt. All I can say to you is: stop working late on Fridays, and stop wasting your Sundays. Finish up everything by Friday afternoon, and then treat it like your weekend’s begun. Get on with your weekend plans. Chill out and rest on Saturdays, and around Sunday noon, start preparing for the coming week. Treat Sunday as the beginning of your week, and Saturday as the end, and follow this as much as you can.

I’m at a point where it’s natural for me to think like this. In fact, in my previous post, I talked about Assiatic path workings, in which one must meditate on each Sephiroth for seven days. I used to start each week long meditation on Sunday, not Monday, and it worked out great.

As for magick: all spiritual and magickal endevours can be classified under one of the seven planets. Do your magick on the Day of the planet under which it falls. And extend this to your daily tasks, and do tasks on their corresponding planetary day. The same would apply to invocation and evocations of any Spirit or deity, who also correspond to planets.

Sunday- Beginnings, Goals, Achievements, Self, Light, Heaven, Divine, Purity, Prayer
Monday- Water, Emotions, Astral plane, Dreams, Visions, Reflection, Cleansing
Tuesday- Fire, War, Victory, Passion, Sex, Lust, Movement, God, Strength
Wednesday- Air, Learning, Magick, Meditation, Knowledge, Divination, Travel, Commerce
Thursday- Money, Finance, Treasure, Leadership, Generosity, Kindness, Expansion
Friday- Earth, Celebration, Love, Fertility, Gratitude, Nature, Goddess, Wealth
Saturday- Darkness, Death, Endings, Rest, Introspection, Delay, Business, Legality, Justice, Destruction, Binding, Banishing

I avoid doing any magick on Saturday, unless it’s specifically Saturnine magick. Sunday is good day for almost any and every type of Magick.

Saturn Eclipsing the Sun, photo by Cassini probe

Planetary Hours

Source: http://www.astrology.com.tr/planetary-hours.asp

Now, a slightly more complicated concept, specifically relating to Magick. Each day has 24 hours, and you know that already.

However, each hour of each day is also ruled by a planet. Any planet, is strongest on it’s Day and in it’s own Hour. So, if you want to do a ritual for Money, you want to do it on Thursday (Day of Jupter) in the Hour of Jupiter, as it would be strongest at this time.

However, it is important to note that the planetary hours change on each day of the week. They’re not fixed like the hours on a clock.

On the day of any planet, the hour in which the sun rises, is the first hour of the Day, and the hour of that planet. So, for example, sunrise on Tuesday marks the beginning of the Hour of Mars, as well as the Day of Mars.

Here, we have another example of how modern standardization affects tradition. The sun rises at different times in different regions, and in the old days people would usually say that the Day began at sunrise and Night began at sunset, and still do, because of natural instinct. This has been the case since the dawn of man.

But, for the sake of international convenience, we have decided that the new day begins in any region at 12 am, or 00:00 hours. Generally speaking, modern systems of time keeping don’t designate a beginning for “night”, and, because of modern electrical lighting, we don’t need to worry about night. We do divide the day into two halves, but that is separated at Noon, 12 pm, or 12:00 hours, exactly 12 hours after our designated beginning of the day. It makes no real sense but it is the accepted norm.

This is good for time keeping, but terrible for Magick. The day, according to astrology, begins at sunrise, and night begins at sunset. I’m sure you can see that a problem arises.

That means, once the clock hits midnight on a Monday, Tuesday begins according to accepted norm, but from a spiritual point of view, it’s still Monday. Tuesday will only begin when the sun rises, which in most places would be between 6 and 7 am.

That is why when I write about my rituals, i’ll specifically use the words like “Day of Mars” and “Day of the Moon” instead of Monday and Tuesday, and I recommend making this switch. It may still be the Day of Moon at 2 am, even if most people would call that Tuesday.

(I know it’s confusing. Try to keep up, i’m trying my best)

Now of course, you can adhere to the norm when it comes to general communication, but, for your personal work and for magick, start viewing the day in terms of astrological hours.

Also, bear in mind that the astrological hours don’t necessarily match the hours on the clock. The sun does not always rise on 6 or 7 am sharp. It may, for example, rise at 6:22 am. And, these hours are not always exactly 60 minutes long. They’ll depend largely on where you live, and naturally, they change with the seasons, with the sun rising early in summers and later in winters, for example.

Update (2019): In ancient Japan, a brilliant man named Hisashige Tanaka created a mechanical clock called The Myriad Year Clock, which was finished in 1871. It has been called the “most complicated timepiece ever made” because the dial shifts with the seasons and years, and tells traditional Japanese time. It’s quite impressive, so you may be interested. I think in 2016 a Japanese artist took inspiration from it and created a wristwatch which did the same thing. There’s a documentary on it, so find it if you can.)

And once again, the best way to track this, is with an app or a program. I have a free app on my Android phone, which takes in your location and then tracks planetary hours for you. Other than that, just remember, the first hour after sunrise is ruled by the Planet of that day. It’s called “Planetary Hours” by ‘thereisonlywe’.

So, the first hour after sunrise on Tuesday is the hour of Mars, and on Wednesday, it’ll be the hour of Mercury. Roughly speaking, only the hour of the Planet that corresponds to that day is really important, and it comes 4 times a day, every 7 hours. The other hours between this are ruled by other planets. Although if you have magick that utilises the energy of two planets, you could mix and match this.

Generally, in most places of the world, since the sun will rise between 6 and 7 am, the hour of that day’s ruling planet will come again between 1-2 pm, then between 8-9 pm, and again between 3-4 am. At least, that is the case where I live, in North India.

And THIS is why 3 am is the witching hour. If you think about it, throughout all of history, and even today, it’s difficult to be open about practicing magick. Generally, you want to keep it hidden and not really get others involved. And of course, you want to avoid distractions too.

That means the best time to do magick for most people is around 3 am. I’m sure there’s much more to it, but from a astrological standpoint, this would be the reason. At 3 am, not only is the planet of that day powerful, but it’s also a time when everyone’s usually asleep and there will be very few disturbances or interruptions. Even most animals will be asleep. And you know, darkness if a good simulator of the pineal gland.

One last thing. You know that every 7 hours, starting at sunrise, is the hour of the planet of that day. But, how do you know which planets rule the other hours, without an app or a program?

Well, luckily, the planets have a set pattern, which is based on their order in astrology. I don’t remember what EXACTLY is the basis for this order right now, but i’ll write about it later if I can find it. Right now, just memorise the order so you know which hour comes after which. The order is:

Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter

You may have noticed that this hourly order is different from the order on which the days of the week are based. Again, I don’t remember exactly why the order is how it is, but I’m pretty damn sure there’s a laboriously intricate 10 page Golden Lecture lecture on it somewhere, like there is on all matters.

Retrogrades

Planets generally have two kinds of motions: direct and retrograde.

Other than the Sun and the Moon, all planets go retrograde at SOME point, and during this period they appear to be moving in the opposite direction in the night sky. This is largely an illusion due to their orbit, but it still affects us. All you need to know is that when a planet goes retrograde, Magick corresponding to that Planet does not work very well. Generally, other aspects of life ruled by this planet also suffer, or are reversed.

Now, Planets don’t go retrograde very often, and when they do, it can be for weeks, months, or sometimes even most of an year. The only retrograde the people generally care about is the Mercury retrograde, because it is common. In fact, as I write this, we’re coming out of what has been an especially troublesome Mercury retrograde.

Keep an eye out for Retrogrades, and you’ll be able to expect crazy shit.

Here’s an interesting anecdote. Pluto, which rarely goes retrograde, did so in 2016, and was in retrograde for most of that year. I remember, when 2016 started, and someone told me Pluto would be in retrograde that year, I remarked that we would probably see some weird shit.

I said that lots of people might die, virus might spread, and, most importantly, some extremely wierd political events would occur. The political authority (establishment) would suffer somehow.

Personally, I thought yet another dictatorship would fall. And, as you all know, in 2016 many, many celebrities died, there was a Zika outbreak in Africa, ISIS lost it’s capital in Mosul, Brexit happened, AND, the big one: Donald Trump won the US election.

In India, we had a big thing: demonetisation, and 85% of the currency was scrapped literally over night, in a bold attempt to catch tax evaders. After all, Pluto also rules money and hidden wealth. All of this was in line with the retrograde.

You can use astrology to predict things, and at least have a generic idea of what may happen. It’s much better than going overboard with weird conspiracy theories and urban legend.

Update (2019): 2020 is a very important year. In the last few years, Saturn and Pluto have moved intro Capricorn, and begun to break down established Order, traditions and societal structures. This is all in preparation of the Age of Aquarius, and the transition is now fully upon us. Hippies in the 1960s kept talking about it, but now it’s literally happening. Next year, Jupiter moves into Cancer. All the pieces are set, and things shall begin to happen.

Source: Inuyashiki (no, I have not seen the anime)

The Sun

That’s the major bulk of it. However, there’s a few other things to keep in mind, and these are largely based on the Sun.

Night and Day

The Night and Day cycle of course. Regardless to say, daytime and nighttime are good for invoking and banishing respectively. As I said, I do almost everything at Night, but you can still keep this in mind. Also, invoking Gods and Deities is better in the Day, while Night is good for Spirits and Demons. The Nighttime is also when one should beware of more dangerous influences, especially ‘ghosts’, and take extra precautions. We’re psychologically wired to feel fear in the Dark, especially in locations away from human civilization. But to face the darkness is an Occult act, to go boldly and encounter the unknown.

The Morning (or Sunrise), Noon, Twilight (or Sunset) and Midnight are especially powerful times. The Sun is pretty important, and it’s energy and influenced rises, hits a peak, then fades and disappears over the course of the Day. Consult the legend of Ra, and how he changes forms as the day goes by. Our mood is greatly affected by the Sun. bright sunlight brings joy, happiness and optimism.

Seasons

The seasons are important for folk magick. Generally, you have Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Sometimes, like in India, you also have a Monsoon. Different folk rituals and festivals are based on this cycle. For example, Spring is full of life and beginnings, Summer is about light, warmth and fertility, Monsoons are about rain, growth and nature, Autumn is about barrenness, transformation and death, Winter is about coldness, endings, rebirth and darkness. Consult your local traditions to understand this better.

From a Eastern spiritual point of view, Spring is the first season of the year, as it brings warmth and life. That’s why most Eastern cultures celebrate New Year in April. This is also a harvest season for the East, but not the West, because in most Western countries it snows in Winter so they don’t traditionally plant anything.

The reason the West starts the year on January 1st is because the Romans considered January to be the first month, as it was the month of Janus, the God of Beginnings and Doorways. Western culture is greatly influenced by Rome, and of course, it’s after Christmas so it ties in to the Western holiday season.

Many in the East have big celebrations in April, and many countries also treat it as the start of the Academic and financial year. It’s largely dependent on whether you live in the West of the East. I recommend going with what’s naturally done in your region. However, I start new, important things in April-May, including important Magickal phases. Both January and April have great power.

Months and Zodiac

The Months are important too, as they correspond to the Sun moving through the Zodiac. The Sun moves through each Zodiac sign in about 30 days, same as the Moon cycle. Of course, this has been shifting for centuries as well, so these days the Sun moves from one sign to the next around the 20-22nd of a Month. The Sign that the Sun is in is important, as Magick relating to that Sign is more powerful. The Moon sign also matters, but not as much as the phase of the Moon.
You may also take into account the Signs that the other planets are in, but the Sun and Moon matter the most.

Solstice / Equinox

Each year, we have a Summer and Winter Solstice, and a Spring and Autumn Equinox. Both are important in folk and ceremonial traditions. On each Equinox, the Day and Night are equal, and so these are days of balance and stability.

The Summer Solstice is the longest day, and the energies of light are very strong. It is the height of the Sun’s power. But, after that days start getting shorter, and it marks the waning of the Sun’s power. The Winter Solstice is the longest Night, and the energies of darkness are more powerful. The Greeks believed that the veil between the Mundane and the Spiritual world are thin, and it is easy for things to cross over. But, days start getting longer after this, and it marks the Sun’s revival. Thus, we celebrate Christmas.

Again, refer to local traditions for more information on this. Each Equinox and Solstice marks the official beginning of each season.

Years, Decades, Centuries, Millenia

Finally, years, decades, centuries and millennia matter, but not that much. Usually, each Year is ruled by a specific Zodiac sign. Each decade, there’s generally a miniature paradigm shift in the world, and about every half century, there’s a major one.

Every century or two, the outermost planets, Uranus (84 years), Neptune (160 years) and Pluto (250 years), complete one orbit. They also move from one zodiac sign to the next every couple of decades, and this causes significant changes in magickal energy and causes major changes in the world, as well as generational divides.
These things matter less for Magick and more for those who like to observe current events and study history. This may give you new perspective.

Some Stuff to Muse Over

And, I want to leave you one last thing. Here, it stops being practical and becomes largely philosophical, abstract and unscientific. It’s based on Hinduism, as well as astrology and some theoretical science. I see no harm in sharing ^_^

Roughly every 2000 years, we move from one astrological Age to the next. As you may have heard, we’re currently moving out of the Age of Pisces into the Age of Aquarius.
The Ages can be grouped into groups of 3, and thus, every 8000 years can be considered on Grand Age or Cycle. After the cycle ends, a new one begins and causes a rise and fall of human civilization. This, in accordance with astrology, could be further grouped into 3 sets of 4, that is 12 Ages ( one for each Zodiac) after which it repeats, making a grander cycle of 24,000 years. Generally, 72 of these grander cycles, or 1.7 million years, is said to be the lifetime of the archetypal Man (Adam, Manu etc.).

Interestingly, about 1.8 million years ago the early hominids spread across Europe, Africa and Asia, from wherever they first originated.

Every 230 Million years or so, the Sun completes one Orbit around the Milky Way. Currently, we do not know if our galaxy has any such cyclical motions. The Universe is about 14 billion years old, and may live for about 5 billion years more. Of course, this is all hypothesis and we barely know anything about the nature of the Universe. However, from a occult point of view, the Universe should also have cycles, of creation and destruction, which in modern science are called the Big Bang and Big Crunch.

If our cycle of creation ends, it should be followed by a cycle of destruction of equal length. Brahma, the Creator, goes to sleep, as to him, one creation cycle is one day, and one destruction cycle is one night, and Shiva the Destroyer, awakens.
After a hundred cycles of creation, even Brahma is said to die and a new Brahma will be born.

Ultimately, we can only theorise. We know nothing, and that’s totally fine.

That’s all for now, and I hope you enjoyed reading it. There’s plenty of other cool stuff here, so stick around and have a look, and follow me for more content like this. You can also follow me on Instagram @WhiteRavenMagus

If you’re feeling triggered about something, leave a comment, telling me how angry or upset you are ^_^

That’s all for now, until next time.

~White Raven