Will-Based Magic vs Theurgy

 

 

Goddess of Witchcraft

A while back I attended a class presented by Taylor Elwood, who has been a mentor and friend to me for many years. He was there to help me in the first stage of my literary pursuits. Taylor is also an amazingly brilliant and creative man, and has many books and other media available for those who might be interested in a very fresh and modern approach to magic. We do have in common a disdain for traditionalists and grimoire purists, and we approach magic in a creative and experimental manner. Anyway, in his class, Taylor said that will-based magic has many limitations, and by itself, can often fail more often than succeed. He discussed his own history to emphasize his point that human-centric magic is not the optimal approach to working magic. I heartily agree with this perspective, and I consider it one of the rules of magic.

However, after pondering his words, I was unable to find a time in my life except when I was a teenager just starting out in magic where this kind of rule reduced my expected outcome for any and all magic that I worked. The only successful workings that I managed to perform were with the aid and alignment to my personal Goddess, whom I saw as the Goddess of Witchcraft. I also suspect that beginners fail more often than succeed simply because they are learning about what works for them, and what doesn’t work. It is a continual sorting process that shapes all magical development, from the beginning and throughout one’s magical career.

Still, once I was initiated into Witchcraft proper back in 1976, it profoundly changed both the scope and the rate of success of my magic. It was no longer a matter of hit or miss for me, but it became apparent to me that knowing where to apply my magic and exactly when, and ensuring that I had multiple plans and did the mundane work, was I was able to achieve whatever I set out to do. The only thing that evaded me was finding a mate, but for that situation I had a profound blockage and an inability to clearly see what was internally blocking me. The spirits that I had engaged with over time continually told me what the problem was and how to resolve it, but I was unable to really comprehend and take action to make myself successful in that pursuit as well. Thus, most of my magical workings were successful except in the matter of love, and I have not had any situation where I experienced a complete failure or breakdown regarding my magic and its outcome. (Ultimately, even that issue was resolved over time.)

Listening to Taylor’s short biography and how he had to make a major paradigm shift in his magical thinking, thereby realigning his magical work to ensure a more successful outcome was fascinating, and the contrast between our two paths couldn’t be more stark. However, what Taylor talked about is something that other magicians have related during all too brief moments of personal revelation. If you are a magician, you will likely talk about your successes and achievements and omit any discussion about your failures, and for anyone practicing magic, the failures will outnumber the successes, especially in the beginning. It would appear the Thelemic creed that our true will is indomitable is an erroneous assumption, particularly if we forget that our supposed True Will might be something that is beyond or even contrary to our personal ambitions at the moment. It would seem that our True Will is more bound to our higher selves than to our petty egos. At any rate, the True Will is a misnomer that I don’t consider in any of my magical workings, as we shall see.

All of these thoughts and considerations had me pondering, since I saw a contrast between the experiences and history of what Taylor underwent and what I have experienced. What is the difference between our two paths that might make a difference between what we both experienced over the years? Additionally, we will need to differentiate between the kinds of the magic where the will would play a greater part in magical workings, and where either spirits or planetary archetypes play a greater role. Depending on the type of magic worked, the role of the magician’s will is quite different, so it cannot be either a consideration nor a stumbling block for some kinds of magic. There is also a specific kind of magic where the individual will plays no part at all, but we will get to that consideration in this discussion as well.

If I were to choose forms of magic where the magician’s will plays a critical role then I would pick the energy and information models of magic. Magical energy needs to be visualized in some manner so that it can be generated, but essentially breath and bodily movement are the drivers for that kind of magic. What is required of the magician is where they will imprint the collected and compressed energy field with their desire and then exteriorize it. Information model forms of magic are where symbols and language are manipulated, but it is the will that projects and sets the magical objective in motion. These two models rely heavily on the use of the magician’s will to set the outcome.

Additionally, the magician must also perform various mundane steps to ensure that the outcome is inescapably set, or at least as much as possible. What I have found is that the magician must also work divination both before and after the working to make certain that they have not unwittingly erected any blockages or counter aspirations that might stop or degrade the outcome. As you can see, a will-based magical operation, in order to have a chance of success, must be reduced down to the simplest expression and thoroughly examined to determine that it is clear of any other internal or external impediments or distractions. Any other derivation may prove to be fatal to the outcome of a magical working. What that means is that a will-based working must focus on a single objective at a time so that the energy or manipulated symbols or sigils will apply a more concentrated  magical effect to the overall desired outcome. This is why complex or multiple outcome magical objectives will likely fail to produce results because the energy is dispersed or the symbology is too multifaceted and ambiguous.

The spirit model of magic is not as affected by the will of the magician to set the magical objective of a working. The magician’s will is focused on the task of successfully performing the evocation, and constraining and binding the spirit. If that process is successful, then the outcome will more likely be a success than a failure. However, there are other factors that make this kind of working fraught with failure, and that revolves around the nature and quality of the spirit and the relationship between the spirit and the human operator. Questions that need to be answered in this regard are whether the spirit is the proper agent and has the capability to meet the magician’s objective, and whether the spirit is amendable to doing the work for the magician. Is their relationship on a solid and cooperative foundation? As you can see, there are quite a number of variables involved, so even successfully conjuring a spirit will not necessarily mean that the magical objective will be fulfilled.

Perhaps the least will-based kind of magic is talismanic magic. Generating a talismanic field and charging a metallic talisman artifact during an auspicious moment, not to mention the preparations, research and development needed, requires a level of discipline and consistency that a honed and empowered will can greatly ensure a successful completion. A talisman is where the magician’s objective coincides with the astrological auspices and the combination of planetary archetype and element foundation to forge a charged artifact that will send out its magic continuously as long as the magician keeps a periodic conscious connection with it. A talisman can have its target altered but not its basic qualities, and it can be given to a client to aid and assist them. It is quite versatile, however, it is completely dependent on the combination of the talismanic field, the auspices active at the time of its creation, and the kind or quality of change that it can promote. Some talismanic fields are fast acting but limited in the duration or depth of the change, and others are slow but produce long-lasting changes. The greatest variables are to be found in the natal chart of the operator, since generating a talismanic field cannot overcome aspects and attributes found in the baseline of one’s personality, as determined by the natal chart. Overall, talismanic magic is least reliant on the magician’s will, but it has other, more complex, considerations that must be tackled to ensure success.

That leaves us with few other magical methodologies to consider, but one that has dominated my magical life is the question of the role that Deities, the Higher Self and one’s initiatory “process” plays in the working of magic. Since I was initiated a many years in the past, nearly 50 years ago, I have operated as a Witch under the alignment and in an intimate association with the Deities of my craft, most specifically, the Goddess of Witchcraft. However I have view her, she has been with me since even before I was initiated, but became dominant when I was initiated. That means that every magical working that I have performed since I was initiated was through and within her. She has been my most powerful authority, guide, teacher, law-giver, arbiter, and my principal intercession between the world of spirit and myself.

Additionally, there is my Higher Self, or the God Within, that I have invoked numerous times through the use of variations of the Bornless or Headless One Rite. Whenever I work magic, I do it under the godhead assumption of my internal Deity, so my magical workings are empowered by this singular connection. Since I was initiated many years ago, I have discovered that there is an interactive magical “process” that has been strategically engaged with me while I have endured the fortunes and failures of my mundane and magical life. That initiatory process has ensured that my life’s path has help and assistance so that I will ultimately achieve my overall purpose and directive in life. Sometimes that direction is a mystery to me, other times it is briefly revealed to me in a breath-taking manner. I have faith that my life’s path will not lead to disaster and that there is always a path that can help me mitigate any crisis that I have encountered.  The combination of my Higher Self God-Within and my initiatory process has kept me from encountering a disaster or experiencing complete failure.

How I would define this particular magical and spiritual path that I am progressing through is that it is based on theurgy, or God Work. I am never performing any kind of magic or liturgy without the engagement or intercession of my Deity, both within me and without me. While I may desire, seek and attempt to will something, my work will be for nought unless the Deity is brought into the working. Actually, I would never perform any working without that engagement and connection since it is part of my magical practice. As a Witch practicing theurgy, what I personally will in regards to magic has to be in alignment with my Deity or I won’t make the attempt. I determine the will of the Gods through a more sacred and formal practice of divination, where they are involved in the revelation of what is or what will be. I am also operating in my daily life with an array of talismanic artifacts with all 28 of the Talismanic Elementals actively set, so I can direct magical energy to given direction whenever I might need it. While I am not wealthy, I am comfortably well-off, and so far, my life has qualities that lend to my subjective definition as being ‘charmed.”

So, it would seem that of all of the systems of the magic, theurgy has very little will-based attributes, since the operator has, for the most part, surrendered themselves to the will of the Deity. There is no need to strictly control everything (and everyone), and there is a still-point when my mind and the Deity merge together briefly at the height of a godhead assumption. There is also the requirement for periodic and regular liturgical practices that ensure I am always engaged, aligned and connected to the Deity. This is not a process where the magic is performed once with the optimistic hope that it will produce the desired results. Like talismanic magic, it is a cyclic, periodic and continual process, and it fully objectifies the inward godhead connection into the outer material world. That is the premise of God Work, and it is a methodology that I have used for nearly my entire magical career. I am a Witch, ritual magician, and my magic is theurgic in nature. Since the Deity is involved in this work, the only will that is present is the will of that godhead, both within me and without me. My own will is merely aligned to that greater will, and my magic has been much more successful because of it.

I don’t know a lot about Taylor’s biography, or how other magicians have approached this issue, but I do know that the will of the individual has some severe limitations in regards to will-based magic. Perhaps initiation into a pagan magical tradition might help overcome that limitation, or individuals can learn to modify their approach, just as Taylor has done to create an entirely new paradigm for their magical work. However, I do know that my petty will was sacrificed to the Goddess decades ago, and whenever I have attempted to unwisely to resurrect and wield it, whatever I think I am doing has amounted to a lot of nothing. Fighting against the Gods when you are supposed to be their arbiter in this world is a fruitless exercise, and one that court trouble and spiritual disharmony. Divination is the key to knowing the Will of the Gods; it is to that process of divination and what it reveals to me that I adopt as my unerring directions and guidance in life. Of course, I also talk to the Gods and they talk back, but that is another topic for another time.

Frater Barrabbas

Further Considerations on Godhead Assumption

I have been in communication with a number of individuals who have presented to me their various opinions about my previous article on this subject. I believe that I have presented the truth about these practices, since many have agreed with what I have said. Others in the ceremonial magickal discipline have been surprised, perhaps even shocked, to learn that there are some folks who engage in mediumistic godhead assumptions for their coven-stead congregants, while acting in a leadership role within that group. While these exclamations of surprise only show the differences between a religious and magickal perspective on these practices, those who find it an incorrect application of magickal practice have some basis of truth for their opinions. However, there is a place for this kind of practice in modern pagan organizations, but only as long as certain strictures are followed.

An open ended godhead assumption done in a coven setting as a means to obtain communion, healing, blessings and prophecy from the gods is probably not only hazardous to the coven members, but also to the coven leaders as well. This methodology not only goes against many basic teachings in the arena of ritual and ceremonial magick, but it’s not supported by pagan practices in the greater community. Whether one examines practices in antiquity or even in present day heathen rites, such a practice is not found. For a spiritual leader in a small group to also assume a nameless godhead (as The Goddess or The God) in an open ended assumption rite is not only quite wrong, but it also is very likely a source of corruption and the very opposite of a proper godhead alignment. After reflecting on what I have written previously and what others have shared with me, I find the whole proposition somewhat disturbing. I think that this paradigm should be changed, and I have some compelling reasons why it should be changed.

If we consider that adherents to witchcraft (and I consider myself one of them) represent a third wave in religious theology and practices, then the use of any kind of religious intermediary must be considered an unusual and temporary measure, since the most important driving force of that spiritual movement is the unfettered and direct contact with the various Gods and Goddesses in all of their various forms.

Christianity is a religion of intermediaries (priests, pastors, church leaders), where the form of worship is lead by one individual for the benefit of the whole congregation. Protestantism may have broken this down somewhat, allowing for individuals to seek communion with their god on their own terms, but church organizations still thrive. In the Catholic Church, a celebrant priest assumes the role of the resurrected Jesus Christ and channels the unique power of transubstantiation so that the congregation may acquire through communion, intimate union with that sublime being.

However, witchcraft and paganism, especially as they are defined in the post modern world, do not require any kind of intermediary. In fact they are quite adamant in declaring that all adherents have direct access to the gods without exception. Witchcraft and paganism, as they are practiced in the western world today, are religions of liberty, equality and complete freedom from spiritual tyranny of any kind. If we can accept this as being true, then the assumption of the godhead for the benefit of others must be a highly controlled and moderated process, or else it becomes a counter force in the wiccan and neopagan movement; a kind of pernicious repatriation into forms of worship found specifically in Christianity, but without the powerful limiting structures of religious doctrine and dogma. It is, in a word, an invitation to a kind of spiritual slavery.

What this means is that the role of a High Priest or High Priestess amongst an initiated body is redundant, particularly in the area of being the representation of the Goddess or the God. Initiates can and should have direct access to the gods, and their training should specifically guide them in achieving that end. I know that this concept is troubling, since it may go against how some covens practice their faith. Yet those covens that have earned longevity have indeed learned this lesson, and ceased to perform this kind of rite in exclusion to other more open and pluralistic rites and ceremonies. Talk to anyone who has been in a coven that has lasted for a couple of decades and you will find that everyone in that group has become co-equal and shares equally in the roles of liturgical leadership.

An acting surrogate for the power and majesty of the gods must, by definition, be a very temporary situation, and one that follows the basic rules and restrictions that I laid down in my previous article. Yet it is important for all wiccans and pagans to be able to approach the gods and obtain a proper alignment on their own, without interference or imposition.  Thus they should be able to obtain their own empowerment, prophecies, prognostications, blessings and healing. They can and should ask others to help when needed and even to worship together in groups, but never to abrogate their right to having direct access to the gods.

Ritual and ceremonial magicians perform the rite of godhead assumption in their personal workings, practicing it until it becomes almost as automatic as assuming their magickal and spiritual persona. In fact the godhead assumption and the assumption of the magickal persona are strongly related, since the persona is a kind of avatar for that targeted deity. In the art of ritual magick, the magician will assemble all of the rites and regalia to erect and establish a personal religious cult of the chosen deity (or deities), and seek to become the priest-magician and avatar of that deity, performing all of the acts required to make it an indelible fact. When experienced magicians come together to work magick, they perform the godhead assumption silently and internally, to represent the joining of the various facets of the collective deity together in a powerful and holy union. This is why, in such a “star” group, the egregore of the temple is so incredibly powerful, since it is the fused representation of each magician’s internally assumed godhead. Also, in most cases, the godhead assumption is not the same as what is used in a mediumistic trance, since the magician must be capable of fully functioning, performing rituals and ceremonies once the initial assumption is complete.

Whether one is a witch, pagan or a practicing ritual magician, the outstanding question is how does one obtain access to a chosen deity or deities? This may be a topic that is not talked about extensively in wiccan and pagan communities, but, in my opinion, it should be the most important topic. As members of the third religious wave, we are responsible for our own spiritual alignment and should know the rites and liturgies that allow us to keep this alignment active and empowered. However, just learning to function in a coven or grove in the classical traditions of wicca and paganism may not be enough to master these most important practices. So for this reason, I have decided to write an exposition on these practices, especially in regards to functioning as an autonomous and self-directed ritual magician.

First of all, we need to define what is meant by a spiritual alignment. In the domain of ritual magick, a spiritual alignment consists of the practices and exercises that foster a strong bond between a practitioner and her targeted deity or deities. When a ritual magician can feel the presence of deity active in her ordinary world as well as in the temple practicing magick, then she has established a strong alignment or bond with that deity. Therefore, alignment with the Godhead consists of the following general practices, including basic lifestyle habits, goals and affirmations.

• Devotions and spiritual service (meditative contemplation)
• Oblations, offerings and sacrifices
• Invocations, orisons and paeans
• Communion (sacred food and drink - sacramentation)
• Godhead assumption (can include sacred sexuality)

As stated previously, the ritual magician performs all of these operations as a religious specialist, assuming a role or a magickal persona, and adopting a personal religious cult. This will require a space in one’s abode where a shrine can be erected, a place where the god centered liturgies can be performed as well as sessions for meditation, contemplation and devotion.

Shrines can be  part of one’s magickal temple or they can be in a small room removed from one’s usual habitation. I have known a couple of people to equip a large closet as their shrine, and others have placed it in a nook or a small room. One person had their shrine in the their bedroom, for obvious reasons. Whatever works for the magician and allows for a modicum of movement and prolonged occupation is more than adequate.  The shrine should have an altar or altars, statues, pictures, cult objects and relics, tapestries, incense burners, candles or lamps, sacred jewelry, vestments - the list is endless.

A shrine can be simple or quite elaborate, but it does require a few things: some kind of utensils or bowls for offerings, burning incense, colored cloth and perhaps even the walls painted, banners, and either a statue or a picture (or both) of the gods that are targeted by the magician as representing his own special personal cult. Cult objects, which would be symbols representing the deity in an abstract form, and other regalia can add to the over-all effect. Special meditation pillows or cushions are helpful to aid long periods of sitting in meditation or contemplation. Another important item is some kind of yantra or symbolic diagram that has specific meaning and significance to the magician. This will be focused on and stared at during the exercise of mandala or yantra yoga.

We can now examine each of the points of the practice of alignment.

Devotions and spiritual service - simply put, these are things that one does to connect to the deity. Devotions are simple services where one retires to the shrine and performs a series of deep meditation sessions, covering the areas of asana, prana-yama, mantra and yantra yogas. In addition, one should contemplate on the inspiring virtues of one’s godhead, engaging the mind in all of the qualities that are good, empowering, fulfilling and liberating. The magician should approach the godhead with love, adoration, inspiration and even self induced ecstasy. The meditation services should be periodic, regular (hopefully daily) and intense. The magician puts all of her passions and spiritual aspirations into this practice, deliberately increasing the intensity over time. Spiritual service includes doing things for others, unasked and unsought. This can be in the range of giving money to charities to helping out friends, relatives, or even strangers. The magician can also develop spiritual affirmations that fit the qualities of the godhead, and by repetition, they are subsumed deeply into the mind, where they act as a transforming power.

Oblations, offerings and sacrifices - these are things that we give to the godhead in exchange for blessings, grace and empowerment. That which we offer becomes property of the godhead, and it is thus sacralized. Water, perfume, incense, oil, salt, wine, food, candles or lamp light, as well as all of the regalia required to keep the shrine active. Once something is given to the godhead, it can never be retrieved. The more dear the offering is for the magician, the more auspicious and empowering the accepted gift is to the godhead. Offerings should be performed periodically, and also when something specific is needed.

Invocations, orisons and paeans - these are the words of love, praise, and adoration that are used to build a powerful bridge between the magician and the godhead. They may be researched and written down, or they may just emerge from the heart and soul. They may contain strange and exotic words of power, and they may seek to summon the godhead to appear and reveal itself to the devotee - but such words are always couched in love and complete surrender to the deity - at least for that moment. In the case of the private religious cult of the magician, often the godhead built up in the shrine can be the divine image of the magician himself, functioning as a kind of imago of the higher self, which in sense, it is.

Communion - these are the things that we share with the godhead, usually food and drink. While offerings are exclusively given to the godhead, communion is where the godhead imbues the food and drink with its essence, and the partaking of these sacraments forges a powerful magickal bond between the magician and the godhead. Communion rites can be simple or elaborate, such as the ritual of the Mass and Benediction. In the Order, these rites serve a dual purpose of producing an empowering alignment to the godhead as well as charging the temple environs for magickal workings. Sacraments can be extended to include any substance that can be consumed or applied to the skin. They can even be used as magickal objects. The Order uses sacraments to assist in the materialization of invoked spirits.

Godhead assumption - this is the specific rite or practice where the magician assumes and completely identifies with the godhead, so that she is acting through that deity in order to perform various rites, whether strictly magickal or liturgical. I will go over one version of this rite in a future article so that it can completely understood and integrated into everyone’s personal magickal workings. Godhead assumption requires a certain degree of trance work, particularly in the beginning, later it can become almost automatic. Perhaps the greatest of all of the godhead assumption rites are variations of the Bornless One invocation rite.

All of the above five methodologies are practiced together in a unified and integrated manner, so that it becomes the magician’s personal religious cult. This cult would have a liturgical calendar consisting of special feasts, celebrations, times of atonement or jubilation, all of which would be based on the Lunar and Solar cycles. There would be regular offerings, prayers, devotions and times for deep contemplative meditation. In addition, the magician would steadfastly work to forge a powerful imago for the godhead, using all of the statues, pictures, cult objects, colored cloths, incenses and various sacraments to aid in this project, so that the godhead would become something completely tangible and active in the day to day life of the magician. The liturgical calendar would merge seamlessly into the active workings and practices of ritual magick, which would include personal ordeals, extensive divination and oracular activities, and transformative initiations and profound spiritual revelations and encounters. The magician would function as high priest and chief celebrant, devotee, congregant and even avatar, all in one functioning role. When in the throes of complete assumption, the magician would even dare to consider herself, albeit temporarily, a living extension of the godhead.

Of course, the final and most important consideration is the choice of the specific deity or deities that will become the magician’s focus within her private religious cult. Choosing a deity that would favor individual magickal and liturgical work, as well as foster and imbue a high degree of passion, inspiration and aspiration is very important. A ritual magician will undergo a long period of development and acquire many spiritual experiences, all of which will indicate the nature of the godhead that is driving and inspiring her. A deepening search will almost always reveal the nature of this deity and its many diverse forms. It may even reveal a complete pantheon or an unrelated group of gods and goddesses particular to the aspirations and spiritual perspective of the magician. However, the most important of all of the practices outlined in this article is the assumption of the godhead in it’s complete and total formulation, however that is defined in rituals and practices. This is because the ultimate purpose of all ritual magick, in my opinion, is complete at-one-ment with the godhead.

Frater Barrabbas

Further Magical Musings - Ritual Magic and Magical Power

We have been talking about the theories of magic and various perspectives on magical powers and how they can be developed and defined. I would like to continue this conversation and get a bit deeper into this topic. I would like to share with you some of my creations and perspectives about magical power. In addition, we will also need to talk a bit about altered states of consciousness and symbols of transformation. This will bring some elements of the psychological theory of magic into our discussions. We will also bring an element of the spirit theory of magic into our discussion when we examine the practice of performing magic while under the influence of godhead assumption.


Introduction

We talked about raising energy and the differences between the cone of power and the vortex. We also discussed how defining and shaping the energy can make it more effective. We covered the topics of imprinting the power, creating a magical link and exteriorizing that power once its qualified. However, I omitted a few other points that we should also go over, since they also greatly contribute to the effect of the magic where the energy model is used. These additional topics are using altered states of consciousness, symbols of transformation, and assuming a godhead. Discussing these topics will bring into our discussion on the energy model concepts borrowed from the spirit and psychology models.

As I have said previously, witchcraft magic is a hybrid system and it incorporates all three of the models of energy, spirit and psychology into its methodology. There are traditions of magic that use the energy model exclusively, such as Hoodoo and certain forms of ceremonial magic, where all considerations of spirit and deity are not relevant. Likewise there are traditions that use only the spirit model and/or the psychology model.

A pure energy model methodology of magic would stipulate that performing specific operations or mixing together certain elements at certain times and using them in a specific manner would be all that is required in order to successfully work magic. However, in a hybrid system such as this, altered states of conscious and aspects of the deity are employed in the magic, so we will need to cover them in this article.


Altered States of Consciousness & Mind Control

Altered states of conscious, as used in magic, is just a term that means controlling the mind. How is this done? It’s done through various forms of meditation, known categorically as asana, pranayama, mantra and mandala yoga. (These four systems of yoga loosely cover the areas of physical posture, breathing, hearing and seeing, respectively. All four areas used together allow the mind to be completely detached and unfocused from its usual activity.) You might ask why are these eastern systems of yoga employed in a western magical tradition? Isn’t there a more suitable western methodology?

There are alternative techniques in the western religious traditions of Christianity, Judaism and Islam, but these are steeped in the religious beliefs and theologies of their respective creeds. There undoubtably were techniques that were used in the pagan mysteries, but they have been either lost or incorporated into Christianity. What we use today represents the eastern traditional techniques of meditation and contemplation with all the theological underpinnings stripped away. There is also some strong evidence that these systems so deployed are similar to what the ancient shamans employed for their practice, so they represent the most simplistic and essential approach to controlling the mind.

Asana yoga is the technique of learning to sit in a comfortable posture that allows one to maintain this position for long periods of time without either succumbing to bodily fatigue or being too comfortable and falling asleep. Sitting cross-legged is probably the most basic asana, but there are others as well that assist one in stretching and maintaining bodily flexibility. Choreographed dance or free form dance could be another way of maintaining personal balance - such as the iterative dancing of the Sufi zikkar.

Pranayama yoga is the technique of controlling breathing, either by counting one’s breaths or controlling the interval of inhalation and exhalation. It can be slow and gentle like breathing during sleep or rest, or forceful, like forms of hyper-ventilation. Controlling the breath also controls the associated mental state that one is experiencing. This is probably due to the fact that breath determines the amount of oxygen introduced into the brain through the blood, and it also changes the focus of the mind to be centered exclusively on a specific bodily function.

Mantra yoga is the technique of intoning words or phrases repetitively, using the entire contents of air in the lungs to do so. Mantra yoga incorporates a kind of quick and deep inhalation so the cycle of mantric intoning is only briefly interrupted. The tone of the voice is also vibrated into the nasal passages and can go from being quite loud to a soft and internalized vibrating. Mantra yoga effectiveness has to do with the cyclic vibration of the nasal passages, which seems to stimulate the frontal lobes of the brain, causing a marked change in consciousness.

Mandala yoga is the technique of staring at a diagram or visually ambiguous pattern for long periods of time, where the focus of the mind is exclusively on the visual image of the pattern. Mandala yoga can also greatly alter the mind, although it is typically used to foster trance states, which are also very useful to the practice of magic.

In addition, the practitioner may also concentrate on a spiritual concept or ideal using breath control, mantra and mandala yoga together to create a very deep altered state of consciousness. In this state, one passively notes the various associations and thoughts that occur in conjunction with the spiritual concept, but without analyzing or examining them; just passively being aware of them. This technique is called contemplation, and it is used to concentrate on spiritual concepts within a deep meditative mind state. The purpose of this state is for searching the soul for inner revelations and insights.

All of these above techniques can be used individually or together to build a powerful system of meditation, which will enable the magical practitioner to enhance and greatly increase the effects of working magic. You can work magic without using any of these mind control techniques, but experience has shown me that the magic is typically less intense and effective. So I include them in my repertoire of practices, whether I work alone or with others.

The reason that these mind control techniques make magic more effective is that they foster a powerful altered state of consciousness, where the “as if” propositions of magic seem quite real. Trance and meditative states of consciousness also open the door on the deep inner self and allow communication between the conscious and unconscious minds. It is for this reason that altered states of consciousness are considered one of the most important elements in performing effective magical rituals. However, the mind state is only one of the elements, and by itself will not generate magical effects.


(The next two sections are distilled from my book “Disciple’s Guide to Ritual Magick”.)

Symbols of Transformation

If the adoption of a powerful altered state of consciousness is considered the foundation for practicing ritual magic, then the trigger or operator for magic is discovered in the symbols of transformation. The most effective type of meditation is where the meditator focuses on a religious Mandela or contemplates on religious ideals or concepts, and correspondingly, the most effective magic is where religious images or concepts are used.

This is because religious iconography and ideals are steeped in symbols of transformation and these act as triggers when a corresponding altered state of consciousness is adopted. The combination of a deep altered state of consciousness with a symbol of transformation unlocks the deepest aspect of the spiritual self and makes it powerfully available to the conscious mind. Symbols of transformation used during the adoption of an altered state of conscious together precipitate the transformation of consciousness, which is an important objective for any magical ritual working.

In the most basic forms of magic, there are six different categories for the symbols of transformation. These are: the point, line, circle, triangle, cross and the star. These geometric forms may seem very rudimentary, and indeed they are, but they also contain basic philosophical meanings and psychological effects that are powerfully meaningful and significant to the unconscious mind. Most religious symbols and iconography use a combination of these forms to produce sacred symbology and iconography, and they are rarely seen in their more simplistic forms.

Point represents an event, a position, a definition, a quality of self.

Line represents a relationship between self and other, the conduit which exists between heaven and earth or the place of spirit and the place of matter. A line connects as well as divides and it can denote direction.

Circle symbolizes a domain, a world, and a point within a circle symbolizes location. Two spaces are delineated by the circle, and these are inner space and outer space.

Triangle is a symbol of the nature of spirit (Deity), which represents the fusion of self and other, creating union; so the triangle symbolizes union. A triangle is also a gateway. It’s also the definition of a plane (three points) and a symbol of the three dimensions for objects that exist in space (reality).

Cross represents the intersection of two lines, dividing space into four quadrants, symbolizing the four Elements, the four directions and the four seasons. The cross also symbolizes the joining of heaven and earth, feminine and masculine, light and darkness, to produce the manifestation of earth and all that it contains. The cross, like the triangle, can assume many variations that augment and extend its basic meaning and effect. The cross and triangle are used extensively in religious iconography, both in the East and the West.

Star is a symbol of transformation itself, where the self is opened up like a flower to behold the full awareness of Spirit in Self. The star assumes many forms, and each one has its own symbolic qualities. Examples of the star are the pentagram, hexagram, septagram, octagram, eneagram, decagram, undecigram and the duodecagram. There could be numerous others, but once a star has more than ten points, it becomes less distinguishable, and therefore, less significant.

One could also categorize colors, sounds, scents - all things of the senses, and these, added to the basic symbols of transformation would be used to formulate icons, talismans, amulets and other symbols of magical power. The use of such a device would cause powerful alterations in the nature of an altered state of consciousness, which is their purpose. They are used in rituals as tools, ritual structures, devices, formulas, incantations, and contemplative mandalas. The key point is to powerfully impact this altered state of consciousness so that one’s higher self or spirit is drawn down into one’s conscious world and where the self is completely immersed within the domain of Spirit. This is the point where magic becomes capable of bending and transforming one’s physical reality - making the potential for the miraculous a probable outcome.

This is a representation of how the Psychological model of magic would be used, drawing altered states of consciousness and expanding them with the magical devices and constructions that function as symbols of transformation. So we have the energy model of magic, and the psychological model, and there is also the need to consider the spirit model of magic as well, although that model uses the construct of the personal godhead instead of actually invoking external spirits.


Alignment and Godhead Assumption

I practice ritual magic through the guise of my personal Deity, and all that I do is colored by that assumption. What that means is that the assumption of the godhead rite is the prime ritual in my repertoire. Included are devotions, invocations, communion, and focused contemplation on that aspect of Deity and its image or imago. I can have statues of my godhead, where its spirit can reside, and I can also attempt to psychologically and spiritually become one with the Deity both in my spiritual liturgies and my magical practices. Why is this a part of the magic that I work? What is the function of assuming a godhead in the practice of ritual magic?

These are good questions, and the answer is that godhead assumption is fundamental to the type of ritual magic that I work, but it is not important to many other forms of ceremonial and religious magic. To assume the godhead is rather heretical to most forms or religion, with perhaps the exception of some forms of earth-based spirituality, most notably, Wicca and Neopaganism. If the purpose of ritual magic is to ultimately become one with the godhead, then what better way could one adopt than performing a ritual to assume the godhead? What this represents is a spiritual discipline incorporated within the magical discipline of practicing ritual magic.

A spiritual discipline within one’s practice of magic is a very unusual concept, and some magicians do not even feel that it is important and discard it as superfluous, seeking to reap the rewards of practicing magic without any spiritual considerations. To practice magic is to engage one’s spirit as the elements of higher consciousness, whether one realizes that fact or not. Therefore, a spiritual discipline involves the Self and its relationship to Deity, and includes spiritual exercises and even magickal rites that define and amplify that relationship. A spiritual discipline will enhance a magician’s ritual magic because it will cause the elements of higher consciousness that are engaged in the magic to be more intense and evolved, pushing the realizations from the psychic level of consciousness to the subtle, and even the causal.

A magician must develop a personal religious cult of one’s self as God, and perform within it as its priest, congregation and corporeal representative. As this relationship between Deity and magician is developed, the magician begins to become more profoundly altered and begins to assume more conscious aspects of one’s own spirit. The rites of alignment are particularly those that a magician practices and develops in order to facilitate a closer and immanent relationship with the nature of one’s Godhead, or God/dess within. So invocation, communion, devotion and assumption are the rituals of a spiritual discipline that are assiduously practiced by the ritual magician. A ritual magician would also perform meditations and contemplations on the nature of that Deity, which would change and evolve over time. Therefore, one can see that the merging of a magical and spiritual discipline represents the integral approach to the practice of ritual magick.

A magician is able, over time, to determine personal destiny. This is an evolving process, and one that is not usually answered with any immediacy. In order to know one’s destiny, magicians are compelled to know and define themselves, not in any tangible way, but only in a spiritual manner. So a magician must develop a spiritual identity even before beginning to realize what must be done for one’s life vocation.

Developing a spiritual identity is something that lies within both the magickal and spiritual discipline of the magician, and occurs through the process of gaining a greater perspective by realizing one’s spiritual dimension. This can only occur through an iterative exposure to magickal phenomena, and the immersion and transformation of the magician’s conscious mind by the powers and insights revealed through one’s spirit. What is progressively revealed is the magician’s higher self, and it is through this aspect that one realizes the inner truth to one’s self.

To foster this process, the magician will adopt a magical persona and identity that will link to one’s perspective of Deity, becoming an important part of a spiritual discipline and a personal religious cult. As time progresses, and the magician continues to assiduously practice ritual magic, that magical persona or identity will go through many changes and alterations, and eventually, it will become the vehicle for the higher self to manifest and superimpose itself over one’s being. Once magicians know themselves, then they can understand all that one has undergone as a preparation for that moment, so aiding the magician in perceiving and realizing the role and ultimate vocation in life, which is one’s destiny.

Thus the magician has a personal religious cult representing one’s personal aspect of Deity, and uses this as a mechanism to empower and potently charge the magic worked with the numen of the godhead. This is a variation of the Spirit model of magic, and it is used to empower the self and one’s magic, since it is through the godhead that all ritual is so executed.

Frater Barrabbas Tiresius