Enochian Binary Planetary Spirits and Invocation Rite Part 1

Every book that I have written has revisions, and sometimes, whole sections or chapters that are removed from the final manuscript. This was the case with this two part article that was supposed to be included in the appendices of my forth-coming book “Talismanic Magic for Witches.” It was considered too complex and it departed from the context of the rest of the book. I also had to reduce the size of the manuscript so that it would still be affordable to my readers and manageable for the printer, considering the size of the book should match those that were previously printed.

Since it is the season for giving, I have decided to publish this excised chapter in two parts. I felt that it was a valuable chapter from my book that I wanted to share with my readers, and this medium seems to be as good as any to make it available. The first part contains the background lore to the work of invoking a Bonarum or Binary-Planetary Intelligence, and the second part contains the ritual pattern. The pattern is based on those ritual patterns used in my new book, so it might be also helpful to purchase that book. However, for the erudite student, the pattern alone will help them to build their own invocation ritual, and the background lore will give a meaningful structure to the list of 49 spirits that is not present in the Enochian lore, as currently described by the many books on this subject.

Here is the omitted chapter, so enjoy my gift to the magical community and let me know if you are able to use this pattern to your own enrichment.

Note: You will need to use a septagram painted or inscribed on a piece of parchment or painted on a tag-board or section of plywood. This is because I use a centrally placed septagram to draw the lines of force to invoke a planetary intelligence. The details for building this specialized tool is found in my forthcoming book.

The Enochian system of magic introduced to me the concept of the Talismanic Elementals through the qualifications of the 24 Seniors and the four Kings, making for 28 empowered planetary spirits that I was able to use when building my first talismanic ritual technology. I only later added the 28 lunar mansions, so for some time, I used the names of the Enochian Seniors and Kings to summon the talismanic field to charge a talisman receptor.

However, the Enochian system of magic had another body of planetary based spirits in its lore, and these consisted of two planets conjoined, where one planet was the base and the other, the qualifier. Such a combination produced a curious array of intelligences, such as Mars of Venus, Moon of Saturn, Sun of Moon, etc. These spirits were part of what Dee called the Heptarchia Mystica, or the Mystery of Seven-fold, and the 49 spirits that were a major part of this system were called the Bonarum, or Good Spirits. Because they consisted of a combination of two planets fused together, I referred to them as the Binary Planetary Intelligences or Spirits. These 49 planetary intelligences really intrigued me, and as I pondered about their strange qualities and I also began to try to figure out how to invoke using the talismanic rituals that I was using.

By itself, a binary planetary intelligence would not have an associated talismanic field, based on the requirements of the talismanic equation. Yet it would be a dynamic field because the two planets would polarize each other. In my imagination, I saw these binary planetary intelligences representing a kind of conflict, or a conjunction between two different qualities of intelligence. Consider, if you will, the combination of Venus and Mars, which is supposedly a volatile combination of love and war. If Venus was the base and Mars was the qualifier then the combination would be ruled by Venus. You would expect such a combination to be the constructive use of martial energy for peaceful, social and ordered uses. If Mars was the base and Venus was the qualifier then the combination would be ruled by Mars. Such a combination would be volatile, uncontrollable, lustful and even violent. It could provoke jealousy, irrational passions or instigate an aggressive amorous conquest, perhaps even sexual assault or rape.

Thinking about these combinations, I became aware that some of them would be emotionally or psychically toxic and problematic while others would be extremely beneficent and harmonious. It would depend on the combination of planets but also on which one was the base and which one, the qualifier. What I saw in this array of 49 spirits was a veritable goldmine of planetary workings. There were so many possibilities to explore that I decided to design and construct a magical working that would be able to invoke one of these binary planetary intelligences. I found this to be quite simple since I already had rituals to invoke talismanic elements and the decans.

However, I didn’t want to model this ritual after the simple planetary invocation rite because I wanted the dynamic planetary polarization to occur within some kind of energy field, even though I wasn’t going to use it to charge a talisman. Opposing intelligences would likely make for a poor talisman. The invocation would be used to foster a powerful psychic experience in the operator, similar to addressing a specific psychological issue and seeking to resolve it. To help that process, I decided to include an energy foundation based on one of the twelve zodiacal signs. You could use any of the twelve, but it would be important to check on the astrological meaning behind two planets being conjunct in a specific sign.

To help me determine the meaning of these 49 binary planetary intelligences, I used a book that listed the various transit aspects between the planets in a natal chart and the planetary positions for a given elective chart. That is the only kind of book that would show aspects between two planets that are identical, like between natal Venus and transit Venus. For the binary aspect of the spirits, I would treat them as a conjunction between a natal and transit planet. In this manner, I was able to determine the quality of each of the 49 Bonarum spirits.

Since this is a new list of spirits, I will need to present a table that shows the spirit’s name and its association with a base planet and a qualifying planet. Here is a table that shows how such a list would look.

The organization of this table list the qualifying planets in the top row and the base planet in the cell with the spirit’s name. For instance, the spirit B-Arfort would have the base of Luna or the Moon, but the qualifier would be Mars, so the binary quality would be Mars of Moon. Each spirit as the letter-hyphen ‘B-‘ attached to the name, perhaps to indicate that it is one of the Bonarum. When naming one of these spirits, what I do is add vowels where helpful and start the name with prefix ‘Beta’. So, B-Arfort would be called “Beta-Areforte” when vocalizing its name.

49 Bonarum – Binary Planetary Intelligences

The following represents the correspondences of meaning for each combination of two planets. However, it is unnecessary to list every possible position planet to planet combination, therefore, this list deals with only the combination of planets and explains the difference relative to which planet is the qualifier and which planet is the base. I felt that such a key is necessary because I am introducing a new list of spirits, and determining their qualities is an important step to using them.

Sol/Sol - Competitive self-expression causes a significant change in one's outer material world and inner goals. The identity is perfectly revealed and exalted with this combination.   (B-Obogel)

Sol/Luna - The natural balance of the archetypal feminine and masculine - the polarities found in natural creativity. The Sun's outer intensity is received by the Moon's inward strength. Sun base represents the revelation of psychic knowledge, Moon base represents the deepening of the exterior self.  (B-Ablibo, B-Risfli)

Sol/Mercury - The ability to combine the intellect and the self-expression of the identity into a harmonious creative tool. Sun base represents communication and the desire to be understood, Mercury base represents speculation and pure creativity.  (B-Ariges, B-Ernole)

Sol/Venus - The sharing of esthetic values for beauty and culturally significant artistic expressions. Sun base represents the expression of the arts, Venus base represents their enjoyment and display.  (B-Ornogo, B-Agnole)

Sol/Mars - Inspired and energized self-expression causes enthusiasm and constructive work, also competition and war. Sun base represents constructive cooperation, Mars base brings out competitiveness and the desire for conquest.  (B-Onefon, B-Efafes)

Sol/Jupiter - Compassion, benevolence, charity and extreme generosity. Exalted spiritual, philosophic and cultural values. Sun base concerns itself with helping others directly, Jupiter base is the teacher aspect.  (B-Arnafa, B-Asmelo)

Sol/Saturn - Patience, self-discipline, self-analysis, objective self-evaluation, perception of the patterns of being. Sun base represents the laws of balance applied to one's self, Saturn base represents the efforts of the spiritual policeman.  (B-Uscnab, B-Ranglo)

Luna/Luna - Emotional empathy, anticipation of inner cycles and changes. There is also the potential for excessive emotional preoccupation.  (B-Lumaza)

Luna/Mercury - Arbitration of emotional issues, guidance and communication effect insights regarding personal needs and motives. Moon base establishes and defines the context of the internal self, Mercury base represents active emotional mediation. (B-Aspalo, B-Arfort)

Luna/Venus - Harmony through social and amorous relationships. Emotional empathy is joined with love and sympathy to create the strongest of bonds. Moon base represents the requirements of a secure bond (as its basic component), and a Venus base represents the pleasures and fantasies of joining. (B-Asledf, B-Agenol)

Luna/Mars - Constructive, mutual action, this is perceived in the acting out of feelings and inner convictions. These interactions can produce potent inner self stimulation. Moon base represents the inward (astral) journey within the psyche, Mars base resents the outward interaction with other individuals.  (B-Ragiop, B-Usduna)

Luna/Jupiter - Harmony, trust and confidence. The susceptibility of the Moon is filled with the buoyancy of Jupiter. Moon base indicates solidity and inner strength, Jupiter base indicate optimism and emotional serenity.   (B-Elmara, B-Lingef)

Luna/Saturn - Emotional clarity, resolution and understanding. The inner emotional nature of the Moon is tempered and disciplined by Saturn. Moon base indicates the search for inner understanding, Saturn base indicates cautious self-judgement.  (B-Ralges, B-Amnode)

Mercury/Mercury - Communication, self-expression, the ability to see two sides to any issue. Intellectual clarity and the power of the rational mind.  (B-Naspol)

Mercury/Venus - Emotional communication, poetry and intellectual ordering of emotions.
Appreciation of the esthetic beauty. Mercury base indicates friendship, communication of feelings, poetic expression; Venus base indicates gracefulness, personal refinement, love of luxury.  (B-Lamapo, B-Inodab)

Mercury/Mars - Mental stimulation leads to constructive action and efficient use of energy. Mercury base indicates patient use of resources, knowledge precedes action; Mars base indicates the activation of ideas, the ability to quickly respond and take action.  (B-Azpama, B-Inofon)

Mercury/Jupiter - Good-will, constructive communication, assistance and honor. The Mercury base indicates a rational interpretation of religious and philosophic ideals, the Jupiter base indicates the giving of council and optimistic mediation.  (B-Lisdon, B-Aldago)

Mercury/Saturn - Structured goals, a strong sense of self identity, attentiveness and accuracy. The Saturn base indicates mental discipline and total objectivity, the Mercury base indicates accurate communications and extreme reliability.  (B-Liigan, B-Rorges)

Venus/Venus - Extreme romanticism, emotional sympathy, love and gentle passion. This represents the feminine essence of sexuality and therefore it is gentler and more emotional, reflecting throughout all artistic and social expressions.  (B-Aligon)

Venus/Mars - A strong and intense sexual polarity, with either the feminine or masculine in the ascendancy, depending on which planet is the base. The Venus base indicates the spiritualization of desire and the transmutation of the base emotion into its highest expression, the Mars base indicates physical sexuality, perhaps even aggressive pursuit, and the fulfillment of desire as found in sexual union. (B-Ermale, B-Apnido)

Venus/Jupiter - Spiritual love amplified from the individual level to the social level. Sympathy, compassion, generosity. The Jupiter base indicates the nature of giving and the benevolence which it entails, the Venus base indicates the beneficence of all the arts as they elevate the individual.  (B-Enpagi, B-Esgeme)

Venus/Saturn - Cooperation, loyalty, emotional strength, the ability to maintain long term relationships. The combination of the brightening and stabilizing of emotions. Saturn base represents clear directives and equality in relationships, Venus base represents personal security and emotional restraint. (B-Ormifa, B-Mamgal)

Mars/Mars - Activity, aggression, impulsiveness and competitiveness. Resolution for constructive action, the power of the self engages in the drive for self-mastery.  (B-Abalel)

Mars/Jupiter - Dynamic, enthusiastic involvements within the spheres of social, philosophic and religious concerns; the transformation of idealism into realization. Jupiter base represents the guidance of wisdom and ethics upon one's action. Mars base represents efficiency in implementing ideal goals.  (B-Milges, B-Utmono)

Mars/Saturn - Restraint, caution, awareness of lawful action, effective discipline and purposeful work. Saturn base represents the controlling effect of discipline and structure within the manifested domain of life. Mars base represents the overturning of fear, bondage and inertia.
(B-Minpol, B-Lintom)

Jupiter/Jupiter - Extreme optimism, the celebration of culture, philosophy and the exaltation of ideals. Religious and spiritual beliefs are translated and made intelligible to the common humanity.  (B-Ynepor)

Jupiter/Saturn - Group organization, cooperation in education, social assistance and politics. Awareness of the needs of the group foster social movements. Saturn base represents pragmatism and realistic methodologies for social improvements. Jupiter base represents the maintenance of ideals and goals, and the energy to realize them all.  (B-Artiro, B-Alceor)

Saturn/Saturn - Security, stability, growth and responsibility. The focus is on justice, equality and personal integrity. Cautious ambitions forge lasting connections for mutual cooperation and the building of long-term institutions. The key concept is the requirement for trust. (B-Napsen)

End of Part 1 - Stay tuned for Part 2.  

Frater Barrabbas

Magick and Spirit - Thoughts About the Spirit Theory of Magick

We have already discussed in great detail the nature of pagan Deity and the nature of human spirituality, and how they are linked and inseparable. We’ve also briefly discussed the magickal use of angels and demons to a practicing pagan ritual magician. What we haven’t discussed in much detail are the rest of the spirits and their use in the practice of ritual magick.

We, of course, are discussing systems of magick that would be labeled invocation and evocation, theurgia and goetia, necromancy, planetary and elemental magick. All of these systems of magick use the Spirit theory of magick, which is to say that they promote a system of causing magickal effects and phenomena through the conjuration and manipulation of various spirits. There are many methods used to perform this type of magick, and the larger body of that lore has its roots in antiquity. If you include the invocation of various gods, goddesses, demigods, legendary heroes and aspects of the higher self, then the entire spectrum of Spirit would be included in these magickal considerations, producing a very powerful operational tool in the hands of the practicing ritual magician.

Spirit magick doesn’t just use and manipulate various spiritual entities as if they were inanimate objects, it also proposes that they are distinct intelligent disembodied beings who exist in a specific time and place. Therefore, spirits are living entities that truly exist, but who may not be perceived by most of humanity. They also have a place of origin, just as do we. This place, which I call the Domain of Spirit, has dramatically changed in the minds of men over the last five hundred years. In the previous epoch, whole continents, mysterious realms underneath the earth’s crust, the ocean’s vast depths or high up in the sky beyond the clouds were places that were essentially unknown to humanity, so they were the perfect places where savants and occultists believed spirits had their residence, a veritable undiscovered country. Spirits, strange and absurd people and fabulous mythological creatures conveniently existed in these little known places. They were believed to be actual physical locations and were capable of being visited by human beings either through extraordinary adventures or supernatural assistance, or so that is how people thought in those times. 

However, in the present post modern age, all of these areas have been thoroughly explored, mapped and placed within a modern scientific context that would seem to exclude spirits, mythical lands and mythical creatures. No one who has his wits about him is searching the world today for the entrance to the underworld, the stairway or ladder to heaven or the kingdom of Prestor John. Modern occultists have found a true geography for the domain of spirit and it is called the Inner Planes. This domain is part of what I call the super-symbolic plane of exalted consciousness, where symbol, myth, legend and language merge to form a cultural matrix of belief and inner experiences, all of which is highly subjective, culturally determined, but also common to all basic human experience. Ritual magicians have direct access to this domain through the magickal process of immersion and astral projection, but indirect access through scrying.

Ritual magicians use the structures of strategic tables of correspondences and the symbolic design of glyphs, lamen and models (such as the Tree of Life, Hieroglyphic Monad, etc.) to produce an operational mechanism to define and qualify spirits within a matrix of belief, symbol and spiritual meaning. Tables containing the names and qualities of various spirits are useful for one primary purpose, to invoke or evoke these entities into something that is consciously intelligible to the ritual magician. Thus, tables of correspondences and spirit lists are an important key to the practice of conjuring spirits.

The purpose for such a magickal operation, though, has changed from the previous epoch. Do we really need to invoke or evoke spirits to help us find buried treasure, quickly transport ourselves or others to distant locations, send messages instantaneously, cure diseases, restore potency or reverse aging when there are quite a number of devices, services and products that already perform that function? Certainly, earth spirits, elemental and talismanic magick can be used to assist one in obtaining material advantages and insights that would obviously help living in the material world. However, the functional use of angels, demons, demigods and other entities is less clear, since much of what these entities can traditionally provide is already pretty well covered by a science driven technology. If we omit the various unethical purposes, such as seducing our neighbor’s wife or daughter, influencing men or women of power (for good or ill) and generally posing as some kind of arcane underworld power broker, then what is left to the original functional uses of angels and demons are the obtaining of occult wisdom and insights unavailable from any other source. This, in my opinion, is the true use for performing magick using the Spirit theory of magick. We seek occult wisdom through the intercourse with spiritual entities, and if we include their symbolic domain and seek immersion within that place, then we can also discover a kind of transformative initiation as well.

There are, then, five basic categories for the operation of spirit magick. While there could be more, I have grouped them into functional categories based upon the kind of magick that their conjuration would produce. Each functional group has a different mechanism and protocol for performing conjurations, so I have decided to group them as aspects of Godhead, Higher Self, Aligned Spirits, Unaligned Spirits and Planetary and Elemental Spirits. Each of these groups represents a completely different kind of magick and discipline to harness them. I have also ordered these entities into groups that have a higher to lower order of power and intelligence, with the bottom two tiers being roughly at about the same level. Let us examine these five groups, discussing the ritual mechanisms for conjuring them and the effect of that conjuration, keeping in mind that this is an organization that I have created as a heuristic device.

Godhead Spirits - These are the gods and goddesses of one’s pantheon or local area. There are also the elder gods of nature (sun, moon, seas, oceans, rivers, earth, etc.) as well as the gods of place and geographic location. Pantheons represent gods and goddesses that are determined by culture, language and also place of origin. Godhead Spirits may be categorized by the Qabbalistic Godhead, or not. One conjures godhead spirits in the most reverential and respectful manner, using liturgical rites and magickal rites of alignment, and these are called godhead invocations (to differentiate them from other kinds of invocations). Included in this group would be exalted demi-gods and honored ancestors. The mechanism of invocation would include paens, orisons, offerings and oblations (sacrifices). Godhead invocation causes a powerful alignment to a specific aspect or characteristic of Deity, even though that aspect of deity may or may not actually manifest.

Higher Self or Personal Godhead - An aspect of Deity that one is personally identified with, and is part of one’s religious and magickal practice. This is the God/dess Within, our own personal Atman through which all manifestations of Deity are experienced. One conjures the higher self godhead through rituals of personal alignment and godhead assumption. Performing such rites assumes that the magician is maintaining a specific personal cult of that godhead, making offerings, orisons and oblations to it, as one would do to one of the godhead spirits. The Bornless One Invocation rite and the Ordeal of Summoning the Holy Guardian Angel are variations on the personal godhead spirit. Godhead assumption, and its various analogous magickal practices, causes one to become consciously aware of the plane of Deity within oneself, producing states of divine ecstasy and the ascension and exaltation of the godhead self over the mundane self.

Aligned Spirits - These are spirits that are aligned to aspects of Deity, such as Super-Archangels (Seraphim/Cherubim), Archangels, Angels (Rulers/Choirs), and Goetic Demons and their servitors. Omitted from my workings (but not the working of others) would be the infernal hierarchy of demon princes. The mechanism for conjuring these entities would be forms of invocation and evocation, or theurgy and goetic evocation. Theurgy would use the methods of empowered incantation (different than godhead invocation) through the associated spiritual matrix, beginning with the Qabbalistic Godhead and proceeding down the hierarchy. The technique that I use for this kind of invocation is to define and express the symbolic matrix that defines the aligned spirit and its specific inner planes domain, and then to use the offerings of sacramental bread and wine as a replacement for the bloody sacrifice, to quicken the spirit into manifestation. For the Goetic Demon, I would use the power of the godhead and angelic hierarchy (along with the HGA or Bornless One, if available), and would include the added ritual actions of constraining (constrictio) and binding (ligatio). The conjuration of Aligned Spirits would be performed principally for the purpose of acquiring occult knowledge, wisdom or illumination through transformative initiation and inter-spiritual dialogue (intercourse).

Non-Aligned Spirits - These are spirits that have no specific alignment to any Deity, and would include various earth spirits, fetches, lesser ancestors, ghosts or shades of the dead, unnamed entities associated with a specific place or geographic features. We could also include other such spirits, like the Angelic Watchers or the Nephilim (watchers who fell to earth and mated with women).  Some of these spirits are manufactured by the magician (certain types of fetches) while others are natural to place and location (or time and place, such as lesser ancestors or ghosts), or simply non-aligned to the powers of light and darkness.  These entities, if they are not generated, respond to a combination of flattery, offerings and coercion. One would use these mechanisms in the conjuring of such spirits, such as using incantations and descriptive invocations to flatter and charm, offerings to powerfully attract and then constraining and binding spells to force them into a position of servitude and cooperation. Non-Aligned Spirits are used for various lesser types of magick, such as divination, necromancy, cursing, magickally coercing commoners or mundane folk, or the finding of things lost or stolen. Angelic watchers would probably not be constrained or bound, but could be summoned, charmed and bribed with offerings. Entities like fetches, some of which are created, have other mechanisms used to formulate, engender and empower them, and then given simple objectives to fulfill. Such entities need to be cared for as if they were human children, requiring frequent periodic feeding and direction. Fetches such as these usually reside in some kind of container (bottle or wine skin) or in magick doll or manikin. They can also assume the form of a small pet (dog, bird, pig or cat, etc.).

Planetary and Elemental Spirits - These are specific entities associated with the seven planets, twelve signs of the zodiac or the four elements. Included within this group would be the Olympian Spirits, non-angelic Planetary Intelligences, non-angelic Zodiacal Intelligences, Elementals, Binary-Planetary Intelligences (Bonarum), and the Talismanic Elementals (Enochian Seniors). Elementals are not be confused with the earth spirits of the same name, since they are actually the Enochian Elementals, consisting of a matrix of the four elements (analogous to the 16 court cards of the Tarot). These entities are much more archetypal than the other spirits, and more rudimentary in their expressive intelligence. These spirits are perfect for performing elemental and talismanic magick, which are magickal processes that directly impact the physical plane and affect one’s greater and lesser personal fortune. The phases of the sun and moon must be carefully considered when working magick with these entities, and locking in auspicious aspects of the lunar cycle (moon sign/house, lunation type, lunar mansion) as well as the sun (zodiacal sun sign and solar season) have a powerful bearing on this kind of magick.

Techniques of invocation common to all of the five spirit groupings use the energy structures of the magnetic vortex and the western underworld gateway, as well as incantations (words of power), symbolic qualifiers (invoking through a matrix) and the assumption of higher states of consciousness (psychic, subtle or causal). The magnetic vortex and western gateway establish the internal temple mystery domain of the spirit, and the symbolic qualifiers define the qualities of that specific domain of Spirit. In addition, one can also use sigils, characters, amulets, incense, various tools and offerings (wine, bread, milk, honey, barley and oil). Techniques of invocation would also include immersion, sacramental quickening, astral projection and scrying, as well as involving arduous periods beforehand for atonement, fasting and purification.

Frater Barrabbas