I have already described in detail the nature of the Power Octagon that is used to generate and summon an Elemental. I have also indicated that the Elemental is the building block for advanced magickal workings, such as invocation and evocation. With these two points already made, I would like to demonstrate how the Power Octagon can be modified to generate what would be described as an energy envelope or container through which a spirit can be summoned and given a quasi energy form.
Since the type of magickal system that I use to invoke spirits seeks to define their strategic components, and then when combining them through magickal fusion, generate a simulacrum of that spirit, the foundation for that kind of working lies in the specialized Power Octagon that is used to materialize an aetheric body. The basic premise that I use is that a qualified energy formulation (Power Octagon) is joined to a precise expression of a spiritual intelligence (Activated Septagram), and through an empowered gateway of invocation (Mystery Gateway), these parts are caused to join to become a fully realized and manifested spirit, emulating the entity that the magician sought to invoke. In such a system, developing and refining a highly condensed and relational symbolic matrix through which a spirit is defined and invoked is of paramount importance. However, the specialized Power Octagon acts as the foundation, and we need to analyze this specialized ritual and its structure to help us make sense of the entire process of invocation, as it is deployed using this methodology.
The ritual devices used in the specialized Power Octagon are the inverted and obverse invoking pentagrams, the pylon and the cross roads. An inverted invoking pentagram produces a kind of anti-element force, and is rarely used by most other organizations. It is much more common in the ritual workings of the Order, since it is the natural compliment of the obverse invoking pentagram. Inverted devices are selectively used in the Order, so not every device has its inverted opposite. The pylon has already been discussed, and for that matter, so has the creation of a cross roads through the use of opposing Watchtowers or Angles. Still, this Power Octagon uses two sets of cross roads to produce two different phenomena simultaneously - a vortex container and a mystery domain where the worlds of spirit and matter intersect. Thus eight points are drawn together at the Infra-point (nadir) of the magick circle. In that nexus point is placed a rectangular talismanic trigon, which has painted on it the Lamen of the magician or the temple.
Four pylons are erected at the four Watchtowers, with each one consisting of supporting element invoking pentagrams at the base and the apex. The base of the pylon is set with an obverse invoking pentagram and the apex, with an inverted invoking pentagram, symbolizing the joining of the base element with its anti-element qualifier. Each pylon is characterized by a specific Elemental force, summoned with its own Enochian call, and these four pylons are drawn together through the device of a cross-roads that connects the Watchtowers to the Infra-point in the center. The second set of cross-roads, applied to the four Angles, establishes a kind of anchor that bestows a high degree of stability to the overall ritual structure (making it into a rather solid focal container). Because the four Elementals are drawn together, they no longer function as separate forces or entities, but as a collage or a fusion of energies blended into a singularity.
Since the Watchtowers function as placements for four selected Elementals, the Angles are used to hold devices representing some variation on the symbology of the divine tetrad. In the case of the Order, the Angles are set with devices characterizing the tetrasacramentary of Thelema (Rose or Iron Cross), Thanatos (Pshent or Pisces Cross), Agape (Hexagramic cross) and Eros (Rose Ankh). Each Angle would also be set with some kind of formula and declaration.
A final action performed in this ritual structure of the angular cross-roads is where a penultimate magickal device is drawn in the Ultra-point (zenith) of the magick circle, and a pylon (consisting of an invoking spiral) joins the trigon in the Infra-point with the device in the Ultra-point. This device, as depicted in the Order, is a symbol of the Grail itself, which looks like the antique version of the symbol of the planet Pluto. (You can find this engraved on the central chalice in the Lamen of the Order.) Coincidentally, the devices and declarations established at the four Angles and the Ultra-point are also depicted in some geometrical manner on the Lamen trigon placed in the center of the circle. Thus, the four Angles and the Ultra-point give a kind of metaphysical qualification to the foundation of the Power Octagon.
The last two elements of this specialized Power Octagon consist of widdershins and deosil vectors set at the periphery of the magick circle, thereby joining all eight points into a unified expression of both coalescing and exteriorizing forces. Once this is done, the Power Octagon is fully activated and able to function as a power-base for other types of ritual workings, most notably, the rite of invocation.
Further workings, such as an invocation of a spirit, would require the preliminary steps of performing a magickal Mass and a benediction, which would make the temple domain highly sacralized and energized. These two rituals are part of the essential repertoire of the practicing ritual magician who would seek to use this methodology.
To continue, the magician then proceeds to build other structures overlaying the Power Octagon, beginning with the Activated Septagram. I have discussed this structure previously, but this ritual structure consists of the drawing of an inner circle, then the placement of the charged Septagram talismanic trigon therein, and finally, the erection of four Rose Ankh devices (charged with an ultra-violet colored energy) to the four Watchtowers, joined to a Rose Ankh device set at the Infra-point, overlaying the Septagram. The four Watchtowers are joined to the Infra-point, and then a widdershins spiral is set over them, producing a magnetically charged invoking vortex. For this particular working, the Septagram talisman would be placed on top of the Lamen trigon, thus physically demonstrating the layering of ritual structures.
Once this is accomplished, then the magician intones the first invocation of the spirit proper and declares the authority (spiritual hierarchy) through which that is accomplished, ritually establishing that the summoning of that entity has been initiated. Then the magician performs a series of planetary invocations, progressing through all seven planets and qualifying them with astrological signs, thereby building a kind of neural network of planetary intelligences that are specifically associated with the spirit. Once this has been completed, then a second invocation is performed, and also the Imago of the spirit is declared. The imago is a qualified description of all of the various characteristics of the spirit, which can include physical features. The final act is where the magician performs another invocation of the spirit, but this time using a sacred language or barbarous tongue as a kind of empowered exhortation compelling the spirit to appear.
Combining the specialized Power Octagon with the Activated Septagram functioning at its core can, by itself, materialize a spirit into a proper type of invocative manifestation. This union produces what is called in the Order, the Quintedecim Complex, or the ritual structure of Fifteen (8 + 7). There is a custom rectangular trigon that has painted on it an octagon, with a septagram and a triangle within it. That device is placed over the stack of the Lamen and Septagram trigons in the center of the circle. (The logo for this blog is represented by that image of the superimposition of octagon, septagram and triangle.)
Still, to fully realize the power and intelligence of the summoned spirit, the magician performs another specialized ritual that incorporates additional attributes into this working. Such additional elements that it contains are the trapezoidal vortex, an empowered underworld gateway, and through the artifice of sacramental alchemy, the magician charges an internal triangle of invocation and installs therein the blessed sigil of the spirit. Then to gain full immersion, the magician performs the bodily discipline of chakra alignment and assumes a deep trance state induction facilitated by the Lotus 7-Breath prana-yama technique. Through these additional ritual actions, the magician enters completely and thoroughly into the domain of the spirit, therein fully experiencing, through immersion, its manifested personality and actualized spiritual attributes. This gateway operation is a Mystery Gate, and is rightfully called, in the Order, the “Gate of Revealing.”
I will discuss the Activated Septagram and the Gate of Revealing in future articles, but let us recap the ritual structure of the specialized Power Octagon that is used as the foundation for the process of invocation. This ritual pattern contains six basic steps, and I will highlight those steps, so that a capable student could write their own ritual. It is assumed that these steps are performed within a fully consecrated magick circle.
1. Place the rectangular Lamen talismanic trigon in the center of a consecrated magick circle. The blessed sigil of the spirit (if this is to be an invocation) is placed on the trigon, and both are charged with an inverted invoking pentagram of spirit superior (masculine).
2. Set the four watchtowers with a pylon characterized by a specific Elemental. The celebrant begins in the South, then proceeds to the North, then to the East, and finally, to the West. The first cross-roads is established by the activation of this ritual structure. The celebrant performs the following actions at each of the four Watchtowers.
3. Set in the center of the circle at the Infra-point with an invoking pentagram of Spirit Superior (masculine), then make the appropriate sign, charge with a visualized energy, and then declare the formula letter/word. The Enochian Call of Spirit (#2) should also be intoned.
While still in the center, the celebrant faces East and intones the formula keyword and gives a declaration of its meaning and significance. This action joins the primary five points of the circle into a unified structure.
4. Set the four Angles with the devices of the divine tetramorph, proceeding from the Southeast, to the Northwest, then to the Northeast, and finally, to the Southwest. The second cross-roads is established by the activation of this ritual structure. The following ritual actions are performed at each of the four Angles.
5. Set in the center of the circle at the Ultra-point the device of primacy (representing the joining of the tetramorph), charge device with colored energy, and then declare formula word and specific significance or meaning (can also use special invocation).
While still in the center of the circle, facing the West, the celebrant intones the formula keyword and gives a declaration of its meaning and significance. This action joins the secondary five points of the circle into a unified structure.
6. Celebrant, using the sword, draws the four Watchtowers and four Angles to the Infra-point, beginning in the South and proceeding widdershins around the circle. Then using either the sword or the staff, the celebrant traces the outer magick circle, first proceeding widdershins, then deosil. The celebrant then intones the intention of the work, usually in a sacred language that will also be used in the final invocation.
So, these are the six steps that are used to produce the specialized Power Octagon, a ritual structure that functions as a foundation for many other more advanced ritual workings. An important consideration for using this ritual structure is the variation associated with the magician’s choice of the four Elementals. Obviously, a magician could choose different Elementals, or Elementals with the same base element, or even the same Elemental at each of the four Watchtowers. There is also a slight variance depending on which Watchtower a specific Elemental is deployed, although when they are fused together, that variance would disappear. The specialized Power Octagon is the “work horse” for advanced ritual workings in the Order, and I have presented it here because I think you’ll find it both useful and interesting.
Since the type of magickal system that I use to invoke spirits seeks to define their strategic components, and then when combining them through magickal fusion, generate a simulacrum of that spirit, the foundation for that kind of working lies in the specialized Power Octagon that is used to materialize an aetheric body. The basic premise that I use is that a qualified energy formulation (Power Octagon) is joined to a precise expression of a spiritual intelligence (Activated Septagram), and through an empowered gateway of invocation (Mystery Gateway), these parts are caused to join to become a fully realized and manifested spirit, emulating the entity that the magician sought to invoke. In such a system, developing and refining a highly condensed and relational symbolic matrix through which a spirit is defined and invoked is of paramount importance. However, the specialized Power Octagon acts as the foundation, and we need to analyze this specialized ritual and its structure to help us make sense of the entire process of invocation, as it is deployed using this methodology.
The ritual devices used in the specialized Power Octagon are the inverted and obverse invoking pentagrams, the pylon and the cross roads. An inverted invoking pentagram produces a kind of anti-element force, and is rarely used by most other organizations. It is much more common in the ritual workings of the Order, since it is the natural compliment of the obverse invoking pentagram. Inverted devices are selectively used in the Order, so not every device has its inverted opposite. The pylon has already been discussed, and for that matter, so has the creation of a cross roads through the use of opposing Watchtowers or Angles. Still, this Power Octagon uses two sets of cross roads to produce two different phenomena simultaneously - a vortex container and a mystery domain where the worlds of spirit and matter intersect. Thus eight points are drawn together at the Infra-point (nadir) of the magick circle. In that nexus point is placed a rectangular talismanic trigon, which has painted on it the Lamen of the magician or the temple.
Four pylons are erected at the four Watchtowers, with each one consisting of supporting element invoking pentagrams at the base and the apex. The base of the pylon is set with an obverse invoking pentagram and the apex, with an inverted invoking pentagram, symbolizing the joining of the base element with its anti-element qualifier. Each pylon is characterized by a specific Elemental force, summoned with its own Enochian call, and these four pylons are drawn together through the device of a cross-roads that connects the Watchtowers to the Infra-point in the center. The second set of cross-roads, applied to the four Angles, establishes a kind of anchor that bestows a high degree of stability to the overall ritual structure (making it into a rather solid focal container). Because the four Elementals are drawn together, they no longer function as separate forces or entities, but as a collage or a fusion of energies blended into a singularity.
Since the Watchtowers function as placements for four selected Elementals, the Angles are used to hold devices representing some variation on the symbology of the divine tetrad. In the case of the Order, the Angles are set with devices characterizing the tetrasacramentary of Thelema (Rose or Iron Cross), Thanatos (Pshent or Pisces Cross), Agape (Hexagramic cross) and Eros (Rose Ankh). Each Angle would also be set with some kind of formula and declaration.
A final action performed in this ritual structure of the angular cross-roads is where a penultimate magickal device is drawn in the Ultra-point (zenith) of the magick circle, and a pylon (consisting of an invoking spiral) joins the trigon in the Infra-point with the device in the Ultra-point. This device, as depicted in the Order, is a symbol of the Grail itself, which looks like the antique version of the symbol of the planet Pluto. (You can find this engraved on the central chalice in the Lamen of the Order.) Coincidentally, the devices and declarations established at the four Angles and the Ultra-point are also depicted in some geometrical manner on the Lamen trigon placed in the center of the circle. Thus, the four Angles and the Ultra-point give a kind of metaphysical qualification to the foundation of the Power Octagon.
The last two elements of this specialized Power Octagon consist of widdershins and deosil vectors set at the periphery of the magick circle, thereby joining all eight points into a unified expression of both coalescing and exteriorizing forces. Once this is done, the Power Octagon is fully activated and able to function as a power-base for other types of ritual workings, most notably, the rite of invocation.
Further workings, such as an invocation of a spirit, would require the preliminary steps of performing a magickal Mass and a benediction, which would make the temple domain highly sacralized and energized. These two rituals are part of the essential repertoire of the practicing ritual magician who would seek to use this methodology.
To continue, the magician then proceeds to build other structures overlaying the Power Octagon, beginning with the Activated Septagram. I have discussed this structure previously, but this ritual structure consists of the drawing of an inner circle, then the placement of the charged Septagram talismanic trigon therein, and finally, the erection of four Rose Ankh devices (charged with an ultra-violet colored energy) to the four Watchtowers, joined to a Rose Ankh device set at the Infra-point, overlaying the Septagram. The four Watchtowers are joined to the Infra-point, and then a widdershins spiral is set over them, producing a magnetically charged invoking vortex. For this particular working, the Septagram talisman would be placed on top of the Lamen trigon, thus physically demonstrating the layering of ritual structures.
Once this is accomplished, then the magician intones the first invocation of the spirit proper and declares the authority (spiritual hierarchy) through which that is accomplished, ritually establishing that the summoning of that entity has been initiated. Then the magician performs a series of planetary invocations, progressing through all seven planets and qualifying them with astrological signs, thereby building a kind of neural network of planetary intelligences that are specifically associated with the spirit. Once this has been completed, then a second invocation is performed, and also the Imago of the spirit is declared. The imago is a qualified description of all of the various characteristics of the spirit, which can include physical features. The final act is where the magician performs another invocation of the spirit, but this time using a sacred language or barbarous tongue as a kind of empowered exhortation compelling the spirit to appear.
Combining the specialized Power Octagon with the Activated Septagram functioning at its core can, by itself, materialize a spirit into a proper type of invocative manifestation. This union produces what is called in the Order, the Quintedecim Complex, or the ritual structure of Fifteen (8 + 7). There is a custom rectangular trigon that has painted on it an octagon, with a septagram and a triangle within it. That device is placed over the stack of the Lamen and Septagram trigons in the center of the circle. (The logo for this blog is represented by that image of the superimposition of octagon, septagram and triangle.)
Still, to fully realize the power and intelligence of the summoned spirit, the magician performs another specialized ritual that incorporates additional attributes into this working. Such additional elements that it contains are the trapezoidal vortex, an empowered underworld gateway, and through the artifice of sacramental alchemy, the magician charges an internal triangle of invocation and installs therein the blessed sigil of the spirit. Then to gain full immersion, the magician performs the bodily discipline of chakra alignment and assumes a deep trance state induction facilitated by the Lotus 7-Breath prana-yama technique. Through these additional ritual actions, the magician enters completely and thoroughly into the domain of the spirit, therein fully experiencing, through immersion, its manifested personality and actualized spiritual attributes. This gateway operation is a Mystery Gate, and is rightfully called, in the Order, the “Gate of Revealing.”
I will discuss the Activated Septagram and the Gate of Revealing in future articles, but let us recap the ritual structure of the specialized Power Octagon that is used as the foundation for the process of invocation. This ritual pattern contains six basic steps, and I will highlight those steps, so that a capable student could write their own ritual. It is assumed that these steps are performed within a fully consecrated magick circle.
1. Place the rectangular Lamen talismanic trigon in the center of a consecrated magick circle. The blessed sigil of the spirit (if this is to be an invocation) is placed on the trigon, and both are charged with an inverted invoking pentagram of spirit superior (masculine).
2. Set the four watchtowers with a pylon characterized by a specific Elemental. The celebrant begins in the South, then proceeds to the North, then to the East, and finally, to the West. The first cross-roads is established by the activation of this ritual structure. The celebrant performs the following actions at each of the four Watchtowers.
- Draws invoking pentagram of base element at base of pylon.
- Draws inverted invoking pentagram of qualifying element at apex of pylon.
- Draws invoking spiral joining base and apex together into a pylon structure.
- Makes sign (representing element of Watchtowers), charges with visualized colored energy, declares formula letter/word.
- Intones Enochian Call for Elemental.
3. Set in the center of the circle at the Infra-point with an invoking pentagram of Spirit Superior (masculine), then make the appropriate sign, charge with a visualized energy, and then declare the formula letter/word. The Enochian Call of Spirit (#2) should also be intoned.
While still in the center, the celebrant faces East and intones the formula keyword and gives a declaration of its meaning and significance. This action joins the primary five points of the circle into a unified structure.
4. Set the four Angles with the devices of the divine tetramorph, proceeding from the Southeast, to the Northwest, then to the Northeast, and finally, to the Southwest. The second cross-roads is established by the activation of this ritual structure. The following ritual actions are performed at each of the four Angles.
- Draw tetramorphic device.
- Charge device with a visualized colored energy.
- Declare formula word and specific significance or meaning (can also use special invocation).
5. Set in the center of the circle at the Ultra-point the device of primacy (representing the joining of the tetramorph), charge device with colored energy, and then declare formula word and specific significance or meaning (can also use special invocation).
While still in the center of the circle, facing the West, the celebrant intones the formula keyword and gives a declaration of its meaning and significance. This action joins the secondary five points of the circle into a unified structure.
6. Celebrant, using the sword, draws the four Watchtowers and four Angles to the Infra-point, beginning in the South and proceeding widdershins around the circle. Then using either the sword or the staff, the celebrant traces the outer magick circle, first proceeding widdershins, then deosil. The celebrant then intones the intention of the work, usually in a sacred language that will also be used in the final invocation.
So, these are the six steps that are used to produce the specialized Power Octagon, a ritual structure that functions as a foundation for many other more advanced ritual workings. An important consideration for using this ritual structure is the variation associated with the magician’s choice of the four Elementals. Obviously, a magician could choose different Elementals, or Elementals with the same base element, or even the same Elemental at each of the four Watchtowers. There is also a slight variance depending on which Watchtower a specific Elemental is deployed, although when they are fused together, that variance would disappear. The specialized Power Octagon is the “work horse” for advanced ritual workings in the Order, and I have presented it here because I think you’ll find it both useful and interesting.
Frater Barrabbas
Have you ever tried integrating the Greek esoteric doctrine of the Powers into your elemental system? An overview of that system by John Opsopaus can be found here.
ReplyDeleteStudying the Powers gave me a lot of insight into the elements and how they work. I'd be curious to hear how they would fit into your schema.
Hi Ananael - Thanks for the interesting link - I am somewhat familiar with the Greek system of Elements and Elementals. However, these are qualities associated with a single element, not the combining of elements into Elementals, which appears to be a uniquely modern concept.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a new and unique concept Frater, Very interesting and I'll be following your blog for further revelations. Have you experimented at all integrating this model into other streams and traditions?
ReplyDelete@M.C. - No, actually, I haven't. I have found the other parts of my system to be quite advantageous. However, you are welcome to take the pattern and give it a try if you will.
ReplyDelete