Workings with Lilith

Written: April 17th, 2018 | Edited: 24th March 2019

As promised, my experiences with Lilith. I will do Lucifuge Rofocale soon, I promise, but there’s a few more things I want to write about before that.

Ok, so Lilith. Perhaps one of the most popular mythical figures of our time, and possibly the only figure of such popularity that doesn’t come from Hellenic paganism.

I mean, think about the relative obscurity of most minor characters that only “sort of” fit into the Biblical mythos. Those that have maybe a few sentences referring to them. Unlike them, Lilith has a robust set of non canonical myths about her, several romanticized origin histories, a large spiritual following and a prominent position within pop culture. And the reason is pretty obvious: sex.

Now, I don’t mean to discredit all the other exaltations of Lilith that one would find online and in books. There is an abundance of sensationalized “summon a succubus” literature about her that hide behind click-bait titles (unfortunate consequence of her nature), which inevitably involve mimicking edgy teen novels and possible blood sacrifice.

But, when you dig past all the bullshit written by people who don’t really know anything about magick, you’ll find a wide variety of material on her. Some are just about summoning her for a sexual experience, while others regard her as a pagan deity. Some simply talk about her past and mythos, while others talk about first hand experiences. And trust me, when it comes to Lilith, you really have to dig to find genuine occult stuff. You have to go deep into forums to find that one guy opens up about his genuine occult experience with Lilith. Maybe because of her nature, people are even uneasy to talk about an actual experience, especially one that’s more complex. I don’t think I need to elaborate more, you get exactly what i’m saying.

I’m just going to go ahead and acknowledge all these, and then go in a completely different direction and talk only about my personal encounters, all of which are confusing and inconclusive. Unlike all my other posts, this one is actually going to be about something that I never truly managed to accomplish to a satisfying level, despite years of trying, and now i’m past the point where it has much merit to me. So take everything with a grain of salt.

vhavxy3

So, right of the bat, this is not a single detailed experience on an invocation, nor is it a guide on how to actually invoke Lilith. It’s a random collection of events, experiences and thoughts. Hopefully you’ll find it interesting anyway. Let’s begin.

Update (2019): Oh look, I’ve already triggered edgy novice magicians who’ve convinced themselves that certain deities and traditions are their “property”, and that the very existence of someone who has approached what they do from a different path is offensive. You know what that reminds me of?
Christian fundamentalists. Those who act like the very existence of something outside of their narrow interpretation of the Bible is evil. I empathize with all such people, but I have low tolerance for such nonsense.

Also I finally broke through to Lilith properly this year.
I don’t want to add it here, because I don’t want to change the nature of this post. I’ll write about it in coming months. It happened as my magickal practice (I follow the GD tradition) led me to overcome my repressed sexual aspects. After that it was easy.


Lilith in Religion

Ok, first off, get rid of any misconceptions you may have of her from New Age cults. Those stories have their place, but I usually take a very objective approach.

Lilith starts out as a minor character in the Talmud. Unlike what many believe, she was not a Goddess who was perverted, but simply a demon who preyed on men at night, stole babies and was sexually deviant. She was also blamed for sleep paralysis. The dark seductress archetype.

From the purely Biblical standpoint, that’s more or less all she is. As far as I know, she’s mentioned only a few times in scripture, usually associated with demons, and living in the middle of a desert (the Kabbalistic symbolism is important though).

sleepparalysisthumbnailProbably what the oldest conception of Lilith was like.
(Source- My Dream, My Bad Dream, 1915, by Fritz Schwimbeck)

It is speculated that the inspiration for her character, or at least name, might have come from older Sumerian spirits called Lilitu, which appear prominently in the Epic of Gilgamesh, but it’s unclear whether or not there is a real theological connection.

Also, a Sumerian relief sculpture of a woman with bird talons has been making its rounds, with people claiming that it is Lilith depicted as a Goddess. However, I actually bother to fact-check, and it seems historians now believe this is a depiction of the fertility goddess Ianna. So, in religious theology Lilith had a minor role.
And hey, I understand that Lilith often appears the same way. Both Ianna and Lilith connect to the same archetype, but my point is that the people who made this sculpture were not depicting “Lilith”, either by name or nature. As far as they were concerned, this was Ianna/Ishtar. I go into details about this goddess in my post about pentagrams.

british_museum_queen_of_the_nightThis is Ianna, NOT Lilith!
 (Source- British Meuseum)

In folklore, she takes on multiple roles, which at times tie in to other deities/spirits that have similar characteristics. Sometimes, she is said to steal babies from their cot, much like evil Fae. She is also blamed for causing wet dreams, especially in the more sexually repressed periods when the Church condemned sexuality. She is said to be a seductress and enchantress who tempts men, especially to the Greeks who already connected her to figures like Circe and Pandora (the old version as a sly sorceress, not the innocent little girl who opened a box). She is also said to be the mother of succubi/incubi. Often, she is associated with the sacred feminine, the new moon, sexual deviance etc.

Sometimes, in some niche movements, she is associated with the primal feminine force, and associated with the Hindu Goddess Kaali. As a Vedic Hindu myself, I do not take this perspective, as the two are fundamentally different. Both can, however, be seen as a manifestation of the archetypal Shakti. Both Kaali and Lilith are present in the Hermetic kabbalah, more on that later.

goddess-kali-ql29_lThis is Kali. Also not Lilith!
(Source- Dolls Of India)


Adam’s First Wife

Now, this is the one story that made Lilith popular. It’s not Biblical cannon, bear that in mind. You all know the story of Adam and Eve. This is something of a prequel to that.

It goes like this: In the beginning God made Adam and Lilith, as the first man and woman. Unlike with Eve, they were actually made equal, from the same substance, and they lived in the Garden of Eden with everything provided, but couldn’t eat from the Tree and all that (you know the drill.)

However, when the time came to have sex, Lilith took great offense to the fact that she had to be underneath Adam. She wanted to be on top, and Adam refused (and I’ve no idea why anyone would oppose that, lol). He insisted that he could not be under her as she was not fit to be on top. She insisted that they were created equal, and they had a fallout (the first marital disagreement).

In her anger, she utters the ineffable name of God (which is important if you are familiar with Kabbalah) , and rises in the air, demanding his aid, but God strikes her down for pronouncing the name. She then leaves the Garden, disillusioned, and no one is able to stop her. Adam asks God what the hell just happened, who then sends three Angels (Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangelof) to bring her back. They find her at the edge of the sea, and try to get her to come back.

She refuses, and tells them that she was would bring sickness to infants forever. Now of course, that’s less than ideal for the angels, so she promises that if she sees the names of these three Angels written on an amulet that the infant was wearing, she would leave it alone.

She later meets Samael (or Lucifer/Satan, depending on which version you’re using. From a magickal perspective, it should be Lucifer) and has kids with him, thus becoming mother of all demons, and his consort. After this, God created Eve from Adam’s rib, specifically to ensure she was tame.

In some of the newer retellings of this story, Lilith sometimes becomes the serpent who tempted Eve to eat the Apple, instead of Satan/Samael/Lucifer. In this case, the theme of the story changes from the Devil being a trickster or an adversary to Lilith being envious and spiteful. It also shifts the focus from Mankind as a whole to a personal rivalry between Lilith and Eve. It also makes it so that Eve isn’t seduced by the Devil’s charm, but rather fooled by Lilith.

481px-cornelis_cornelisz-_van_haarlem_-_the_fall_of_man_-_wga05250A gist of this tale.
(Source- The Fall of Man by Cornelis van Haarlem, 1592)

It’s a story loaded with metaphor, symbolism and bizarre political commentary all at the same time, and I have a suspicion that it was also a way to sell amulets and/or validate the Hebrew practice of using amulets to cure illness (which works by the way).

I’m actually very impressed that people in that time period were thinking about such complex sexual and political themes. The blatant hint at gender inequality (that would have been prevalent at the time) is evident, though i’m not sure if Lilith is meant to be positive or negative.

A lot of New Agers and feminists claim that this was the original story of Lilith, and that the evil patriarchal Jews omitted it so as to remove her traces, ensuring that no one would ever know about the “first feminist”.

Unfortunately, this story is not actually from the Talmud, but from an 8th-10th Century work called the Alphabet of Ben Sira. As I mentioned, it’s very important, but not canonical. There is no evidence, that this was originally part of the Talmud or Torah.

(Also for the love of fucking GOD stop making shit up. Having your own interpretations is a good thing, but it’s incredibly pathetic to come up with fake conspiracy theories and events that never happened. I saw this way too much when I was doing research. Baseless bullshit without even so much as a mention of a source. People writing articles literally come up with their own make believe events, and every other person then copy/pastes it. I mean, at LEAST have it based on some personal gnosis. Don’t push political ideology into magick. It is profane.)

I’ve said on this blog before that it doesn’t matter what the original story of a Spirit is, and that all myths and legends about a Spirit are relevant, especially the ones which are popular. So, this story, which is effectively Biblical fan-fiction, is much more relevant to Lilith as far as magick is concerned than the orthodox Judaic version, because the former has become very influential over the centuries.

Lilith has been a positive figure for sexual deviance and magick for sometime now, as evidenced in the  Goethe’s 1808 work Faust: The First Part of the Tragedy, in which she is the wife of the legendary magician Johann Faust. This was one of her first appearances in Romantic (i’m talking about the era, not the genre) literature, after which she continues to make several appearances in various fictional works.

tumblr_nvnyxnuish1rv2dfko1_1280Faust and Lilith by Richard Westall (1831)

Nonetheless, when it comes to politics I lean to the Right, and I absolutely despise the distortion of history and truth for the purpose of pushing a political narrative (feminism and new agery in this case). You don’t get to rewrite history, no matter how noble you think your purpose is.

Lilith was not omitted from the Bible, she just didn’t have a big role in it to begin with. She was not a pagan Goddess either, and was seen as simply another demon, until the rise of occultism in the Middle Ages, when she becomes prominent.


Lilith in the Hermetic Kabbalah

On the Tree of Life, Lilith is the first Sphere of the Qliphoth, also known as Nehemoth (Whispers), the dark side of Malkuth. Lilith is also the ruler of the second Sphere, known as Gamaliel (Polluted of God), the dark side of Yesod. Therefore, she essentially represents the temptations/desires of the material plane, as well as the repressed sexuality in the subconscious.

“Yesod is the place of the final forms that become matter in Malkuth. The Gamaliel are the Misshapen and polluted images that produce vile results. The outer form is the order of Ogiel, ‘those Who Flee from God’.”

To Gamaliel, Lilith is attributed and “is the grand lady of all demons. The demons are sometimes considered to be the children of Lilith and is said to be the woman who comes to men in their dreams.”

Update (2019): I forgot to mention, but Lilith has a much higher aspect relating to Saturn. I have not dealt with this aspect her, but it would relate to Binah/Satariel. This is the relation to Ishtar/Ianna and Kaali as well, since all 3 would have their highest aspect in Shakti.

Additionally, Lilith is attributed to the 29th path, which connects Malkuth to Netszach. However, the GD made a clear distinction between this “lilith” and the Lilith of Nehemoth. A better, more modern attribution to this path would be Black Isis. The idea is that as one approaches Netszach, you would first be greeted with the claw and tooth aspect of Mother Nature, the dark goddess, Black Isis, and it’s seeming cruelty and horror. But then you’d emerge from the Path into Netszach, where you would understand White Isis, loving and benevolent. This is basically one of the mysteries of the Hermetic Kabbalah, but it shines light on an important aspect of Lilith. It is related to the true understanding of the Sacred feminine.


Lilith in Pop Culture

Lilith is certainly an interesting figure today, regardless of whether you are into the occult, or even religious. She certainly has a political angle to her.

The Far Left sees her as a patron of feminism, the first “strong, independent” woman who don’t need no man (even though she’s literally the partner of Samael, who practically saved her and gave her emotional support like a Knight in shining armor), and goes against the evil “cisgendered, hetenormative patriarchy and it’s evil Jewish male God”.

To the Religious Far Right, she’s an evil reprehensible figure who represents degeneracy and is an embodiment of Sin, a female counterpart to Satan who tempts men away from God (even though religion enforces sexual repression, which inevitably leads to perversion, which is what actually brings about degeneracy, like a toxic self made cycle, and Lilith could literally release one’s repression and bring an end to perversion. You’d think the religious would love the idea of Lilith, but they’re too busy watching porn and hating themselves for it)

On the other hand, normal people see her as a neutral figure. Modern depictions show her as a much more complex figure, which goes past the simple good/bad dichotomy of monotheism. She is a beautiful seductress, and a powerful enchantress. She’s a tragic anti-hero who stood up to authority, but at the same time became dark and twisted. Both positive and negative at times. If you think about it, she’s perceived EXACTLY the same way as the modern version of Lucifer: the charismatic cosmic rebel who stood up against evil, but also does some pretty evil stuff. Just as she seduces men, he seduces women.

436(Source- Kostas Kiriakakis)

Despite the desire to see the world as good and evil, characters and stories of incredible complexity have been around since the beginning of Civilization. People have always understood that things just aren’t that simple.

And, even if Lilith does represent a clear archetype from an occult point of view, this archetype itself is much more complex. Sure, plenty of figures represent the same archetype, but we’ve humanised these archetypes to the point where we may as well start treating them as humanised characters instead of simple, one dimensional components of the psyche. Another, more theistic perspective is that as man has evolved, he’s come to develop a greater understanding of the cosmic forces and beings that he shares the cosmos with, and so instead of fearfully rejecting reality, humanity begins to embrace it.

And after all, can you blame poor medieval peasants who were just trying to get by, for being scared of the rebellious, deviant nature of Lilith? Historically, our ancestors face a lot of suffering and hardship. They needed things to stay simple and organised. I blame them for nothing. But you see, we don’t live in those times. We’re far better off, and we have no excuse for being fearful or cowardly. If anything, do it to honour your ancestors who struggled so much to give us this world. Do not fear things, just because they are complicated and dark.

Too heavy? Ok, let me stop now and get to the actual workings. Sorry, I tend to rant (I’ve literally been sat here typing for 2 hours)

Nonetheless, Lilith has now, like many such figures, become prominent in a variety of media, such as games, movies and anime, in which her portrayals vary wildly from a demon, to a tragic anti hero, to even a protagonist. The name has become so symbolic that it is no longer even attributed to the mythical character itself, but even used for others, just as a descriptive name for a character’s personality. The name has become synonymous with strength, rebellion, and power, as well as deviance, depravity, and evil.

In fact, the lore of Diablo makes some very direct references to her story, despite her never appearing in the game. She is essentially a positive figure.

ruby_-_lilithLilith, as a demon and antagonist, in the TV Series ‘Supernatural’
(I’ve watched segments. But, the occult inaccuracies are annoying)

78a1854d18cc19b1b3e7ef1134d25fff39931165_hqLilith Asami, a protagonist in the fantasy anime Trinity Seven
(The anime is good, but “questionable”. Basically, don’t watch if upset easily)


Invocations

I have worked with Lilith several times, and I’ve never truly had any success that I can call definitive. Most of these weren’t even recorded in my diary, and did not follow any single format. I tried out a bunch of things, and some work better than the other. Instead of giving you a single set of instructions, I’ll just give you a general overview of my experiences.

So first off, you may know that there isn’t actually an official sigil of Lilith from any of the old grimoires. However, I can confirm that it works better if you use one. If you search the internet, there are exactly 2 contemporary sigils of hers that are relatively well made. I used this one:

lil-2

Other than that, you would usually use a black candle, and perform the ritual on a Monday in the hour of the Moon, or, alternatively, on a New Moon’s night. Naturally, the New Moon has stronger correspondences.

Now, there is something on the internet called “the letter method” of calling her. The letter method is GOOD, regardless of your purposes. For whatever reason, most of methods are either really niche and specific to certain cults/LHP groups, and not really suitable unless you follow their tradition and read their literature.

However, the letter methods works very well. It essentially involves writing out a letter on a black piece of paper (preferably with pencil). This letter will contain whatever “desire” you have from Lilith, be it the summoning of a succubus (not recommended, follow up post coming soon), or the gaining of knowledge, or anything of the sort. You do this during the ritual, and then burn up the note. I usually throw it in a stone cauldron I happen to have. And yes, this is exactly how some people usually make pacts with Goetic spirits, though in this case it is regarded more as a prayer rather than a contract. (Like a letter you write to Santa instead of what you show the Lawyer 😀 )

During her invocations, I have found that having an offering, especially liquor, is good. I usually offer up homemade beer (This is a Shinto method, trust me!).

I would avoid any inherently Christian incenses (like Frankincense or Myrrh, given her mythology). Jasmine works well.

I’ve tried many, many different chants. Honestly, I found all to work more or less the same, and not that effective. My personal opinion is just call out to her, repeat her name, or make your own chant.

Update (2019): FYI, use the demonic enn to invoke Lilith. Works very well.
Also you may use an image/statue instead of seal. That’s what I do these days, because it appeals to my Hindu sensibilities.

Now, one thing to keep in mind. Lilith has a very strong presence when the Invocation is done right. In fact, even all the one off, quick invocations I tried, without taking time or place into consideration, with just a candle, have a strong effect. And it’s important that you understand this, so you don’t get scared when it happens. 

lilith_and_the_seven_deadly_sins_by_naeloj-da9k7deCredits- Vampire Kingdom on DeviantArt

When she comes, it gets very hot (and very intense), and you get sweaty. Your pulse will speed up, your breathing will be shallow and rapid. You might get dizzy. The first time it happens, it can be unnerving, but try to stay focused. There are also certain other spirits which have this effect.

Don’t worry. Unless you’re doing something severely wrong, like having raw meat dripping with blood in front of you (yes, I’ve known people that stupid) you won’t pass out or anything.

I have never actually had full visual manifestation, even on the astral. But when the stuff above happens, you can be assured she has arrived. When you calm down, you know she’s listening.

I treat her generally as a Deity, so it’s usually not a case of exchange. I’ve never made a deal with her. Just made a offering of liquor, and sometimes incense too, and it’s always worked out.

Also, it’s important to have a very clear idea of what exactly it is that you want. I’ve found that with her, indecisiveness is a bad idea, since in that case the ritual never actually amounts to anything and eventually her presence fades.

I’ve also closed many rituals on my own because of the lack of manifestation/interaction, or because it was just taking too long. Sometimes, it just gets hot and nothing happens, and at times I just got frustrated or plain bored. So, Initiative is Key.

Always have a clear plan when dealing with Lilith as she does not really offer prompts or help. You’ll get nothing unless you ask, and once you do, it will be sure to manifest. Generally, knowledge is a good idea. Strange as it may sound, keep your sexual thoughts at bay. All i’ve found is that they distract me and break the trance, and it leads to nothing. In fact, her presence is not even strongly sexual, which I found odd.

Now, sexual insights or developments may occur AFTERWARDS in many different ways, but right now i’m talking about what happens during the ritual itself.

And again, these are just my personal expereinces. Yours may vary wildly.

Update (2019): Another thing she helps with is honing the psychic senses. And yes, she specifically told me last time, when I actually had a ‘conclusive’ experience, that her presence isn’t meant to be sexual for most people. She’s the dark goddess, the ‘black Isis’.

Apparently she also takes offence when she’s associated with weird, “degenerate” fetishism. Hmm, maybe we should make her a Right wing goddess instead, huh?

jk.


What I Learnt

Every person, no matter what gender or culture they come from, feels SOME guilt regarding their sexuality. It’s one of those things often repressed in the subconscious.

This was one of the few reason I invoked Lilith. Over the course of several invocations, I went all sorts of places. Falling into degeneracy and indulgence, to the most severe asceticism and repression of my libido. I just couldn’t get it right. I looked into what various religious and spiritual paths say. Some say to embrace your libido, others say that it is what leads to darkness, still others say to explore further, and actually delve into the darkness.

I gained various insight from Lilith, and I finally made a breakthrough after the very last invocation I ever did. I can’t really explain it, because the only way to get it, is to experience it. Because we all know that moderation is the key, but just knowing something and actually practicing it are two very different things. Lust, libido and sexuality are really just like hunger.

You can curb your hunger with two bags of chips and coke, or with a nice balanced meal. But, if you start living on nuts and fruits, you’ll loose your mind and start craving junk food. You have to find that balance, and still understand that certain things are off limits. Just like certain foods are just too bad for you, certain thoughts are too unhealthy and need to be purged. But, you have to allow yourself some wiggle room.

However, you also stop eating when you’re full. No matter how delicious your meal is, overeating will make you fat, unhealthy and sick. It’s the same concept.

Through invocations with her, it was as if I finally came to terms with my own thoughts and desires. But treat it as yet another need to be fulfilled. When the need is not there, or when it is satisfied, don’t follow it down the rabbit hole, for that is where degeneracy lies. As Gandhi would say, take as much as you need, not as much as you want. Excess is unhealthy, and ultimately detrimental to magick. Although, sexual force is also an integral part of magick and spiritual alchemy. I think this is why it makes sense for her to be the one who tempts Eve.

Side Note: By the way, I’m still not fully there yet. Sexuality is a very intrinsic aspect of human beings, and I come from a very conservative culture (perhaps a bit too much). So I’m still working on sexuality, and sorting stuff out. But invoking her helps greatly. At the very least, you learn to accept that it’s something that needs to be dealt with. It is no wonder that the three places which have the least amount of sexual openness (India, the Middle East and Japan), are also the highest consumers of porn. 
On the other hand, the Western nations have gone too far, and that’s leading to the opposite problem of low sexual satisfaction and toxic relationships. At the end of the day, a place like India has one of the most sexually satisfied populations, because most people are very monogamous and have sex after marriage. Unfortunately, they also watch porn like no tomorrow.
On the bright side, the Scandinavian countries have figured it out. Basically Denmark.
Damn you Danes, give us your secrets!
Then again, it is also a very small nation with a small homogeneous population, so who even knows if anything they do will work anywhere else.

Lilith interacts a lot through dreams, and it usually has a healthy outcome. Perhaps that is why people from fundamentalist backgrounds are drawn to her. She helps unclog a lot of problematic stuff in the subconscious. Maybe you’ll even have better luck, and not stumble through it like I did. She is also incredibly powerful in helping you hone your psychic senses. She can’t give you gifts you don’t have, but at least she can enhance what you do have (cue immature joke about D size).

6f88a9d5a88d5874a0e7cbeb0485496a

Another thing I learned, that most people know already, is that your sexual fluids are representative of life force. It’s powerful, and produces a strong state of consciousness.

Now, this next part is also important. Listen and try to understand. This post is over 3000 words so I won’t elaborate much, but this bit is crucial. What I’m about to say I learned from Archangel Gabriel, and confirmed through Lady Lilith.

Sexual energy can imbue things with living energy. After all, it is used to create literal life, but also consecrate talismans and sigils. Be careful WHAT exactly you direct this force at. I know most people do not think of this, but most people aren’t occultists either. I would be very careful what this energy is consumed for.

Whatever it is directed at, can potentially enter the subconscious directly, and can also bring forth new entities in the astral (to those who are well read, you’ll know that both these statements are essentially identical).

Every time this energy is released, a new entity is born. Certainly, it can be used for very powerful magick, as well as self energizing and empowerment, and even to connect spiritually with a partner. 

Be careful that it is directed at good, healthy thoughts, or something at least desirable and beneficial to you personally. Even if you sink into depravity sometimes, do not direct the released energy itself into anything depraved. It WILL mess with you.

That moment of release is crucial to the health and well being of one’s physical, mental and spiritual body. That is also why people have different opinions on masturbation. Those who direct sexual energy at themselves or let their mind go blank, enjoy the act and feel great afterwards. Yet others who direct it at longings, pornography, or some sort of unnerving/guilty fetish will say they feel terrible and unhappy, and hate themselves for it.

Right now, I genuinely believe that the Astral Plane is overrun and horribly polluted with gross entities born from pathological sexual desires, much more so than it has ever been, thanks to the availability of all manner of things to satisfy any desire you may have on the internet. On the internet, the thought becomes visual, and with a huge number of iterations.

Are you familiar with the lore of Warhammer 40k? You know that thing that happened to great and mighty race of the Eldar? That.

That is very close to the occult truth of the matter (as many things in 40k are). With every release of this life force into horrific or degenerate thoughts, ideas or visions, the more they grow and become alive. As the name suggests, Gamaliel: The Polluted of God. I also believe that succubi and incubi, at least most of them, are also such entities. Again, believe is the keyword here. I can’t be sure, but I am very certain.

On the other hand, a release of repressed subconscious desires requires an encounter with Gamaliel. There is no other way. Self-Righteous and indignant suppression only makes the problem worse (and that’s why there’s so many pedophiles in the Church). Lilith has little tolerance for such intolerance towards sexuality. She’ll just say “fuck you then” and leave. As I said, she also find sexual fetishism to be bothersome. 

In other words, like most women, she is very difficult to understand and easily upset (please don’t smite me for that Mother Lilith)

3c433caef93ea74c7673b1c0f3d1b94bSeriously though, read about Warhammer 40k. Look up the “Fall of the Aeldari

Learn from Lilith. Learn control in the face of temptation and desire. And once you do, you shall no longer be ruled by your own lust. Instead, you shall be in control. And most importantly, it is about accepting yourself. It is a perspective on the Sacred Feminine only a few things can give you.

(Credits for Cover photo- Blackwell Art)


Thank you! This has been a long post written over the course of 3 months, about Lilith, the Goddess of the New Moon and first wife of Adam, a ruler of the Qliphoth, and the archetype of lust and fantasy. A great Spirit to work with, try not to do anything stupid.

Now, as I’m sure, I said many awful things at some point or another. If you have been offended, please feel free to leave me an angry, pointless comment that I will ignore : )

(If you have actual criticism/praise/thoughts, let me know! I am actually a pretty nice person)

If you liked this post, please follow my blog for other such stuff.

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

Thank you, and have a nice day. Until next time.

~White Raven

Why Your Magick Seems to be Failing

Written August 17th, 2016 | Edited: 8th March 2019

Magick, like all other fields pursued by humanity, requires dedication, practice, study and commitment. That is why dabblers usually end up quitting before they actually find anything. We’re all familiar with the former “occultists” who tried out the occult for something very simple like money or love, didn’t actually bother learning anything, and eventually quit because it didn’t work, either because they didn’t put any effort into it, or they did put effort into it but didn’t know what they were doing and screwed themselves. Then there’s the average atheist who did a ritual once, just so he could boast about how it did not work and shut out spirituality entirely.

But why then, does magick sometimes not work, especially when we’re new? The thing to remember is: Magick always works. It may not seem to work, but it always causes some kind of change in you or your surroundings. So perhaps the real question is, why does magick sometimes not work the way you want it too. Just by thinking, praying or even focusing your intent on something, you do magick. You use your intent to move your hand, and your brain sends electrical signals to the muscles of the hand to move according to your Will. This is magick, and everything is really just an extension of this principle, from casting a spell for money to Invoking the Gods of the Zodiac.

There’s plenty of little factors which determine the degree to which your magick will work. I think everyone knows that. However, people get confused and target the wrong factors; superficial things like the appearance of your tools, your circle, the time at which the magick was done, the incantations spoken etc. Sure these things affect, and greatly aid your magick, but they’re just extensions. The key to magick lies, not in the external, but in the internal: on your physical, mental and emotional states.

Now, i’m not going to go on a lecture regarding how magick works, but i’m going to give you a little list of things that may not be obvious, especially to a newcomer. Someone really ought to do so, so i’m doing it. Bear in mind though, that you will grow and become more capable with experience. I myself have a lot to learn.

However, mentioned here are things I wish someone would have told me when I first started out, so I would not have blamed lack of ritual tools and such when my Magick didn’t quite work out. That’s all for dabblers who feel there is only one way of doing magick,  while the real mistakes are often subtle and simple. Guess what, it doesn’t actually matter if you levOsa or levioSA.

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You Masturbate Too Much

Though this isn’t the biggest, or even the most important, i’m going to put this on number one, and make it a bit long, since it is this very topic that made me write this article. Because this is apparently a really important factor that for some reason no one wants to mention.

All the grimoires say things such as “you shouldn’t be defiled by a woman” before a ritual, whereas religion says to be celibate. Modern adepts say don’t be celibate but abstain, and science says sexual repression is unhealthy. Som traditions say sexuality is the literal key to magick, while others act like ejaculation is the greatest and most evil sin the magician can commit. The internet is full of polarised opinions about sex and masturbation, and they usually don’t focus on the magickal aspect. The ones that do, usually talk about sexual rites, not spirituality in genera;. I can talk about it, from personal experience, instead of tiptoeing around something that forms one of the central pillars of the human being.

So, first off, we know most religions condemn masturbation. No, this is not just false superstition, and like all religious tenets, it’s based on some reality. On the other hand, Science has shown us that sexual repression is unhealthy and leads to problems. Then there’s this thing called the NoFap community on the internet, which is basically a community of people who stopped masturbation, usually those who had become too addicted to it, and talk about the positive experiences they have had (keep in mind, they aren’t celibate). They’ve even got some broscience to back it up. I don’t know about it’s validity, but I do understand the spiritual side of things. And then you have guys like Crowley, who it feels didn’t do sex for magick, but rather did magick for sex (jk).

There’s a good discussion that could be had regarding the Sacral Chakra, Yesod and Gamaliel, but put simply, your body contains a reserve of creative force, and the crucible for this is Sephiroth of Yesod, or the Sacral Chakra. This energy is physically represented by the sexual fluids, just as the life force is represented by blood. This creative force is what is used to push you onto Tipareth and Kether, above Yesod, or manifest things on Malkuth, below Yesod. It is the raw energy reserve that is used for magick, like fuel. It is also used whenever you do things in daily life, and urges you to be creative and accomplish things.

Making sense yet? Naturally, this energy is constant and does not deplete, except in the most extreme circumstance, which is during sex, when humans perform their highest act of manifestation, that is creation of life. So when you masturbate, you’re wasting this energy on nothing more than pleasure, and giving it away. Why do you think they say “sex sells” and constantly surround us with sexual stimuli? Because they want people to continue wasting all their creative energy and being creatively exhausted. We wonder why so many people are unfulfilled in today’s world, and it is because today’s world glorifies sex and masturbation, and makes you think it is the path to success (Wolf of Wall Street). Yes, it relieves stress (so does meditation), but you need to work first to accumulate stress.  

masturbate-advice-duck-yeah-science-bitchThings like this abound the internet. Though healthy, they make it seem like doing it a lot is good. Disagreeing get’s you branded a religious lunatic or a toxic male. I should make it clear, i’m NOT saying it is a bad or immoral thing or saying it makes you a “loser”. I’m not that stupid. A magician should also learn abstinence, even though it is considered taboo these days, much like masturbation was in the old days. 

So, put simply, stop masturbating often. I’m not saying practice celibacy (just as bad), but abstinence. Today people have become slaves to lust. Learn to control that. Advanced magicians say it like it’s very easy, but they’re middle aged and don’t feel it so strongly. They already have a degree of sexual control. I know first hand how difficult it is, especially at early adulthood, to let go of it, but work towards it. Once you learn to control your lust, you’ll gain an incredible amount of control over your life. And you’ll suddenly realise just how powerful magick is. It will also benefit you in life, you’ll be stronger and motivated. That does not mean kill your sexual passions, or repress them. That will lead you down a much, much worse path into hell (it is no unknown fact that celibate priests turn into pedophiles. To stop this, some monks become eunuchs, but that is extreme asceticism)

One thing that confused me at first was the concept of sex magick. After all, if masturbation could be used for manifestation, it can’t be bad right. I’ll say this: in a ritual setting, none of the above matter. I don’t know why, but in a ritual masturbation is an effective tool.

I can’t say exactly how to go about it, for it is different for each. But remember this, every time you spill this energy, it takes time to replenish. Know thyself. It is up to you what you want to do about it. Don’t go into the circle spent, unless the ritual demands it.

Trust me, eventually lust will become just another feeling you can choose to feel when you want. It shall no longer rule you. 

UPDATE (2019): I’d like to add a bit to this, since I’ve learned some new things over the past few years. Sexuality is one of the hardest things that a magician has to deal with. First off, the context does matter. Masturbating to pornography will leech your energy like hell. That is something most people can agree on, stop masturbating to porn. Casual sex is fairly tricky too. I’d be careful with getting too promiscuous.

The release of sexual energy is a potent tool for magick, so never waste it. Ideally, when you release, the aim is to let the energy nourish your own energy body, or to direct it at magick, or at your partner (who will direct theirs at you). Masturbating to porn releases the energy into other sources, usually perverted fantasies, or at things other people want you to focus on (why do you think all the porn companies will put their logo on the corner of the screen. It acts like a sigil that you direct your energy at, which then helps them get richer).

Another thing is that it is different for men and women. I’m not going into how or why, but men loose a lot more from orgasm than women, and are capable of doing it a lot less to. So, it is more important for the male magician to control his lust. Men also more easily fall victim to it.

There’s a difference between lust and free sexual expression. Use your own intuition to know that. Usually, you’ll know innately what is right and wrong.

Yet another thing is that abstinence is not the same as repression. What we want to do is control and tame our own sexuality, not clamp down on it. This leads to a stagnation of sexual energy, and a break in connection with spiritual forces. It leads to that sexuality emerging as a negative force, and tormenting you since you refuse to face it.

Finally, know that total abstinence leads to an “ungrounding” of the magician. Usually, you need SOME rajasic energy to remain interested in the world, or you very quickly drift away and become monastic. That’s good if you want to be a monk, but not so good otherwise. Most people who abstain totally, either become monastic or make up for it with other practices, like eating meat. If you are vegetarian like me, you will have to engage in some degree of sexuality. Besides, most magicians usually do not want to become monks. Another thing I have noticed is that for artistic or creative people, total abstinence leads to a decline in creative insight and ability. There’s a reason most creative people are also sexually eccentric. There’s a connection somehow, since Netszach, the Sephiroth of pleasure, is also the Sephiroth of creativity.


You Don’t Have A Clear Intent

Magick will bring you exactly what you want. Though it sounds less poetic, the Universe does not give you what you need or deserve, but what you want. (Well, it shows you what you need, but ultimately you have to agree to it. It’s your life. Free Will, not even the Gods can take that from you.)

Your magickal practice should include understanding yourself and knowing exactly what you want.

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Yes, it is not wise to be greedy or become infatuated with the result, but when you cast magick, you need to focus on your goal completely: spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically. If you want something, focus on that, and not on the money to get it. If you want sex, don’t cast for love. If you want manifestation of a spirit, don’t be afraid and expect to see it visibly. This will take practice and focus.

Whatever magick you do, be it ceremonial magick and sending out the intent, crafting it into a sigil, or asking a deity to help you in something, be very clear what you want. It shows you have a clarity of thought. And like I said, don’t just think about it and speak it, but feel it as well. Don’t fret about seemingly impossible things that you don’t think can happen. All things are possible with Magick. Leave the little details to the Universe, just know what you want. Lack of this clarity will undermine your magick. Same goes for hesitation or unwillingness. Don’t want something? Afraid of something? Don’t cast for it. Magick is like a bullet, once you pull the trigger, it will go exactly where you pointed it initially, and can’t be stopped. If you stand in front of it, you’ll only get hurt.

I should mention, that very often you may not know what you want. You may think you want something, but you really don’t. Sometimes you may want something because you think it is the right thing to have, but deep down you know it isn’t for you. The reason I’m adding this here is because I have, at one point, had the entire heavenly and infernal host deny me something I really wanted. “Want” is a bad place to be. I just use the word for convenience, but it’s really about the feeling that you already have what you need. The feeling of abundance is important, because it will put you in a place where you can get whatever you need. When you begin to “want”, you enter a state of poverty and the magick stops working. Sometimes, very rarely, in matters of great importance, the Universe will purposefully deny you from going down the wrong path. Usually there is learning to be done before what you want can actually be given. 

Recall the story of Hercules or Promethues or Moses. Sometimes, getting what you think you want prematurely can do more harm than good. Heck, take the classic story of Midas.

Personally, I’ve had times where I cast for something, but was not clear about my intent, and got caught up on little ways, confusing the Universe and having my magick manifest in way I did not intend, or expect, or even want.


Contradictory Actions

You can’t expect to be given loads of money if you yourself are greedy or stingy. You can’t expect everyone to love you, yet hate yourself or others. Don’t confuse the Universe and your own subconscious with having mismatched magick and actions.

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It’s as Aleister Crowley wrote, you need to become a receptacle for the force you are trying to attract. In other words, you must act according to what you want. If you act against it, it is almost like actively seeking to nullify any magick you have done. And this applies to life in general, not just magick.

You have to match your actions to your Will, and your desires, and most importantly, to your Will. Not just actions, but even thoughts and emotions. In fact, as it says in the Bhagvat Gita, it’s better to be true to your thoughts and act accordingly, than do false actions which match your intent but contradict your thoughts and emotions, or you’re just a hypocrite. (Be true to your nature, and seek to change it to be your ideal self, than pretend and force that ideal on yourself)

So, for example, if I want to become knowledgeable about something, and do magick for it, I will need to lower my defenses, ditch my beliefs and opinions and allow myself to become a blank slate, in order for knowledge and wisdom to come, even if it makes me uncomfortable. A simpler example is if you want to have money coming in, you have to be generous and open with money, rather than being greedy, or constantly worrying about having more money. Maybe you want that perfect job, but spend large amounts of time on unrelated tasks, and don’t actually take the opportunities you’ve been give.

It’s that story of the man who asked God to save him from a flood, but refused to get on all the boats that were sent to help him. 


Lack of Belief

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You know what they say, you gotta have faith! Put simply, if you don’t believe in the magick that you do, it won’t work. That’s why non believers who try magick with the purpose of proving it doesn’t work usually end up doing so. Of course, there’s more to it than just that, such as practice: you can’t pick up a guitar for the first time in your life, and expect to play the solo for Master of Puppets, and then proclaim that heavy metal is bad music, just because you can’t play it, but lack of belief is still the basic issue. I mean, you also gotta believe that Master of Puppets is one of the greatest metal songs of all time, or how will you ever make yourself learn that tough fucking solo?

Magick is deeply rooted in your faith. That is why people of various religions who believe in a form of divinity, usually experience that divinity, and then feel that their religion must be the right one, since it worked wonders, not realising everyone else felt the same, including the skeptic who strongly wanted to disprove what they felt.

Proponents of purely atheistic occult (aka dabblers, i’m not referring to Luciferians and Gnostics) use this to say that magick is all in the mind, and has no external influence whatsoever, since mere lack of belief nullifies it. But you see, the magick isn’t really nullified, and it’s the disbelief, and desire for it to not work, rather than lack of belief that causes this.

As we’ve already established, when you do a magickal operation, your intent and emotions mean a lot. When you do an operation, you need to add to it the belief that it will succeed. After all, you want it to work, right? It’s like hitting the “send” button when you type a message to someone. But when you believe it will not work, or even strongly desire it to not work, that will be the magick you cast. In other words, your magick will manifest, in the form of not manifesting, since you basically cast magick for you to not get results.

Funny isn’t it. Your magick needs to work only once, and then you will know for sure that it works, but you always have to make that leap of faith, and just have complete trust that it works, especially in the face of new experiences. In fact, one reason why magick works so well the first time for many people, is because they go into it having no clue what to expect. Sometimes, they just do it out of curiosity, and are shocked by the result.

In a way, not believing in magick is better than believing there is not magick. With lack of faith, you are still open. But once you have faith in the invalidity of faith, then you’ve sealed your self. Belief is more powerful than skepticism. And a bit of skepticism is always good to have anyway.

All those quotes about faith, in all religious doctrines, were there for a reason. You must believe in “God” to know “him”. You get what you want, including not getting what you want if that’s what you really want. People who believe they will never be happy will never be happy. Belief is at the root.

“I believe in everything until it’s disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it’s in your mind. Who’s to say that dreams and nightmares aren’t as real as the here and now?”
– John Lenon


Practice

This goes without saying, but even if your magick isn’t working quite how you want it, it will grow over time. Practice makes man perfect (I know, I’m an artist. I can compare two art works just a few years apart and see the enormous difference in them). The more you do, the more you’ll learn, and the better you will become. just just stick to it, and focus on doing your true Will, and eventually you will be well on your way.

So there you have it. There’s many more things I could say on this topic, but these basic points are things I feel it is always important to keep in mind. Besides, the masturbation thing was the important thing i wanted to discuss, because I feel no one covers it and it’s fairly important. But don’t worry too much, it’s okay to make mistakes. If you don’t make mistakes, you’ll never learn anything new!

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So then, until next time..

~White Raven