Forty Qualified Powers

Since we have covered the utility and methodology of the ritual of the Pyramid of Power, I felt that it would be necessary to examine the target force of that ritual, which are the Forty Qualified Powers. The source of this article was taken from my book, “Mastering the Art of Ritual Magick - Grimoire,” chapter 8. The Qualified Powers are extremely useful to the practicing ritual magick, as an examination of this article will no doubt show. I would like to remind my readers that a more thorough and contextual analysis of this material will be found in all three books of the “Mastering the Art of Ritual Magick” series - so consider this a recommendation.


The forty Qualified Powers are magickal energies that are generated by the Pyramid of Power ritual. The easiest way to imagine one of these energies is to compare it to one of the 40 Tarot cards of the Lesser Arcana.

A Qualified Power is a force that is a combination of two qualities – one that is the foundation or base and the other that is the activator. In this case, the foundation is one of the four Elements, and the activator is one of the ten Attributes of the Deity. The same combination of qualities is found in the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot. The ten Attributes of Deity are conceptualized as the ten archetypal godheads, representing the ten incremental levels of the conscious creation of the universe.

The forty Qualified Powers consist of the combination of one of the ten Attributes of the Deity with one of the four Elements. The generation of a force (Element) is combined and qualified with a symbol of godhead (Attribute of Deity) within the imagination of the magician. It is expressed as the visualization of an empowered dynamic godhead acting through the magician’s will. When it is generated, the Qualified Power acts as a living spiritual force, symbolically aligned to the godhead within the magician.

Once the Qualified Power is generated, then it needs to be imprinted with the magician’s desire and objective. This process is aided through the use of a sigil, which serves as the symbolic link between the magickal power and the magician’s objective. The imprinted energy is then released and sent to its target, where it affects the potential outcome. However, this article is concerned primarily with the nature and definition of the Qualified Powers and how they can be utilized by the magician.

A Qualified Power is not just a magickal power, it can also be defined as a domain, a location within the mystical worlds of the inner planes. This is because the four Elements, which act as the base, can also be perceived as one of the four Qabbalistic worlds of Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah. So, the forty domains of this spiritual world are represented by the correspondence of an Attribute of the Deity (Godhead) combined with one of the Four Qabbalistic Worlds.

Each domain contains various spirits and entities, angels, demons, godheads, mythic themes and spiritual powers. An excellent example of this composition may be found in the depictions of the Lesser Arcana in the Rider-Waite Tarot deck, where each Naib card shows an allegorical theme with underlying spiritual forces and intelligences.

Another way of looking at these domains is to examine the spiritual occupants of the four Qabbalistic worlds.

Atziluth - variations of the Godhead
Briah -  Stellar Beings (Archangels or Mythic Deities)
Yetzirah - Spiritual Beings (Angels, Demons, Demigods, Heroes, etc.)
Assiah - Physical Beings (Human Ancestors, Mythic Beasts, animal totems or body chakras).

The four Elements and the four Worlds can also be represented by the four Suits in the Tarot:

Atziluth - Wands (Fire - Knowledge)
Briah - Cups (Water- Emotions),
Yetzirah - Swords (Air - Actions)
Assiah - Pentacles (Earth, Fortune). 

The four Suits act as a symbolic analogue for both the four levels of consciousness and the four Elements. Therefore, the Elements have four qualities in the manifestation of conscious reality that are Knowledge, Emotions, Action and Fortune.

Having covered the characteristics and qualities of the four Elements, we need to define the ten Attributes of the Deity in order to fully comprehend the nature of the Qualified Power.

Attributes of Deity are characterized by emanations of spiritual, mental and physical creation. They are a model of how the (spiritual) universe was created and formed, beginning with the most abstract and ending with the most dense material qualities.

The most abstract quality is perfect union – where everything is spiritually one and indivisible. The densest quality is the material universe itself. Attributes of Deity trace an evolving course from spiritual union to the multiplicity of material things, as well as everything in between.

The ten Attributes of Deity can also be directly related to the ten Sephiroth of the Qabbalah, since these are also characterized as a kind of involution of spirit into matter. The ten Sephiroth form the Tree of Life, a powerful model that has many applications. It can represent simultaneously the nature of the Deity, the nature of an individual human being, the mechanism of divine creation, and the technique of individual spiritual ascension.

The structure of the ten Sephiroth as depicted in the Tree of Life represents a duality of masculine and feminine archetypes. These pairs of archetypes are joined to create a third archetype which is neutral. The masculine, feminine and neutral archetypes form three triangles of Spirit, Mind and Soul (Emotions). The tenth Sephirah symbolizes the earth, the densest plane, which is base or root of the Tree of Life.

Ten Sephiroth as employed in the three trinary structures of Spirit, Mind and Emotions, and the fourth (Malkuth) as the Body, characterize specific qualities within these fourfold dimensions of being.

The triangle of Spirit contains the three qualities of Union (Kether), Wisdom (Chokmah) and Understanding (Binah). The three Sephiroth form a triangle with a point facing up, symbolizing the ascendant nature of what is called “the supernal triad.” The highest expression is union, and branching down from it is wisdom and understanding, both aspects and expressions of the monad. 

The triangle of Mind contains the qualities of Compassion (Chesed), Judgment (Geburah) and Identity (Tiphareth). This triangle has its point facing down, focusing on the manifestation of the godhead as the Universal Mind. Identity is the combination of Compassion and Judgment, and so it is positioned below them both, branching down and forming the point of the descending triangle. Identity is the mediator of the forces of mercy and severity, compassion and fate. Within the Deity it is the human face of the messiah or avatar, within a human being it is the higher self – the spiritualized ego, or true self.

The triangle of Emotions contains Love (Netzach), Knowledge (Hod) and Dreams (Yesod). This triangle also has its point facing down, signifying that the process of involution continues with the manifestation of the first structures and forms. The triangle of Emotions symbolizes the powers and forces of the Deity as it seeks to express itself in matter. The descending point of the triangle is expressed as the coalescence of spirit into form, and the formulation of laws and restrictions. As a model of the emotional nature of a human being, it is the integration of desires (Love), experiences (Knowledge) and fantasy (Dreams) that qualify the inner world of the self.

Fusion of these three triangles of Spirit, Mind and Emotions produces the emanation of matter (Malkuth) and the manifestation of living beings. In this manner, Spirit, Mind and Emotions dwell in the Body, and beings imbued with sensation, sentience and spiritual awareness are so created. Through this unified field of essence, of thought, feeling and life, we seek to grasp the wonders of our world.

To Recap: Qualified Powers symbolize the combination of an Element and one of the ten Attributes of the Deity. Since we have covered these two categories of symbolic characteristics, it is possible to examine and define them.

Table of Correspondences

This section contains the table correspondences that list each of the forty Qualified Powers, comparatively arranged to the 40 Lesser Arcana of the Tarot. This table is organized into a matrix of key words that characterize the specific qualities of each of the powers. There are also definitions representing the combination of a Sephirah and a Qabbalistic World, symbolized by one of the Four Elements and one of the ten Attributes of the Deity.

Ten basic symbols and four primary colors can also be used to form a simple system of symbology, which will assist in creating imagery of the chosen magickal power.

For example: If one were interested in invoking the Qualified Power with the keyword of Pure Creativity, the symbolic construct would consist of Light (a symbol of Chokmah) and the color of Gold (symbol of Wands, Fire, Atziluth and Knowledge) producing a Golden Light or Ray image. This power can also be qualified by the Tarot card of the 2 of Wands. To wield this Power, the magician would use both the Tarot card and the symbolic imagery.

Symbolic correspondences for spiritual beings for each Element are also listed. These consist of the Hebrew God-name of the Sephiroth, the Elements and the matrix of forty qualities that describe each qualified power with a key word.

 

In addition, there is also a detailed description of each individual power to assist in defining them further. These symbols and qualities are joined together to form the symbolic Key of correspondences for the four Elements.

The forty Naib cards of the Tarot can be studied and analyzed so that the forty Powers may become further understood. However, one must recognize that variations between the many Tarot decks do occur, requiring you to adjust your Tarot deck to the magickal qualities as defined by the forty Qualified Powers.

Base Element: Fire - Knowledge
Symbol as Abstract Being

Fire of Union: Ace of Wands  

Symbol = Circle.

The power of Gnosis is the ability to perceive the relatedness of everything and to experience everything as one. This power allows one to perceive the relatedness that exists between all things, both animate and inanimate.  (Resolution of Spirit and Knowledge)

Fire of Creation: Two of Wands 

Symbol = Light.

The power of pure creativity is the ability to anticipate the patterns of probable manifestation before manifestation occurs. This power allows one to engage in unfettered visionary experiences and prophecy.  (Masculine of Spirit and Knowledge)

Fire of Reception: Three of Wands 

Symbol = Eye.

The power of unbiased perception, the understanding of reality as it truly exists, naked of value and personal perspective. This power dissolves everything into pure actuality, thus cutting through all irrelevancies.  (Feminine of Spirit and Knowledge)

Fire of Benefaction: Four of Wands
Symbol = Cross.
The power of guidance and realized patterns of personal destiny as it relates to the cosmos of the individual. This power attunes the operator to various subtle and personal directives as manifested from higher spiritual realities. (Masculine of Mind and Knowledge)

Fire of Judgment: Five of Wands
Symbol = Staff.
The power of equilibrium and balance is established through the imposition of rationality over emotions or physical reactions. This type of balance restores order to disordered emotions or impassioned feelings through the use of rationalization and clarity.  (Feminine of Mind and Knowledge)

Fire of Identity: Six of Wands 
Symbol = Mirror.
The power of illumination is the exaltation and transcendence of self-knowledge, the revealing the spiritual dimension of the self and its collective and absolute truths.  This power causes the ineffable to become revealed and experienced. (Resolution of Mind and Knowledge)

Fire of Passion: Seven of Wands 
Symbol = Heart.
The power of love and charismatic glamour that causes the breakdown of differences and the establishment of love, peace and conciliation. This power is the embodiment of diplomacy and peacemaking, literally the knowledge of transforming love. (Feminine of Emotions and Knowledge)

Fire of Sagacity: Eight of Wands 
Symbol = Scroll.
The power of eloquence in speech, writing, and the knowledge of how to communicate. This power transcends language and reveals the source of understanding and communication between beings. (Masculine of Emotions and Knowledge)

Fire of Dreams: Nine of Wands
Symbol = Star.
The power of emotional exaltation of the self and the power of inspiration. This power causes the reversal of misfortune and sorrow through the application of projecting fantasy in a creative “as if” manner. (Resolution of Emotion and Knowledge)

Fire of World: Ten of Wands 
Symbol = Flower.
The power of deductive reasoning and the practical application of wisdom, divinely inspired, applied to the challenges of everyday existence. This power is the great problem solver. When applied to the internal issues of the individual, it causes them to be resolved.  (Life Force and Knowledge) 

Base Element: Water - Emotions
Symbol as Stellar Beings

Water of Union: Ace of Cups  
Symbol = Eros.
The power of spiritual love or devotion. This is the power that connects individuals in alignment to the Deity, however Deity is perceived. This power directs the forces of harmony (Tao) to still the lake of one's emotions so that it becomes like a mirror to reflect the wisdom of the Spirit.  (Resolution of Spirit and Emotions)

Water of Creation: Two of Cups 
Symbol = Uranos.
The power of emotional balance and equilibrium and ability to cause emotions to find a greater depth of awareness. This power makes the operator experience a profound mind-state of tranquility that is quite contagious.  (Masculine of Spirit and Emotions)

Water of Reception: Three of Cups 
Symbol = Hera.
The power of true love and the mysterious force that determines the destiny of one's loves.  It also determines whether one’s love has a higher spiritual alignment or is an illusion. The power can also generate potent bonds of spiritual love between individuals if their karmic potential shall allow it.  (Feminine of Spirit and Emotions)

Water of Benefaction: Four of Cups 
Symbol = Zeus.
The power of divine compassion, love and its spiritual effect, charisma. This power represents the process of overall emotional healing through the benediction and intervention of the Spirit upon an issue. It may even correct inequalities through the  power of inspiration, which through self-empowerment and positive thinking brings good fortune. (Masculine of Mind and Emotions)

Water of Judgment: Five of Cups 
Symbol = Ares.
The power of internal emotional strength, the force that fuels one's convictions and allows one to undergo and transform all adversity. This power represents inner strength and the ability to project one's beliefs in a very resolute manner. (Feminine of Mind and Emotions)

Water of Identity: Six of Cups
Symbol = Apollo.
This power reveals the mysteries of the hearts of others. This is the power that establishes a network of sympathy, the web of emotional connection.  (Resolution of Mind and Emotions)

Water of Passion: Seven of Cups
Symbol = Aphrodite.
The power of passion, the lighting of the fires of sexual desire. The intensification of this power will cause heightened states of sexual stimulation that can result in ecstasy and the liberation of the soul.  (Feminine of Emotions and Emotions)

Water of Sagacity: Eight of Cups
Symbol = Hermes.
The power of gaining trust, confidence, and building friendships and important social connections. It facilitates the establishment of platonic relationships. This power also fosters peace and tranquility between people of different persuasions or backgrounds.  (Masculine of Emotions and Emotions)

Water of Dreams: Nine of Cups
Symbol = Artemis.
The power of the imagination as it impacts one's feelings. It produces the inner knowledge of the heart that is expressed through desires and fantasies. This power allows the emotions to be expressed freely and without inhibition as the heart's secret desires.  (Resolution of Emotion and Emotions)

Water of World: Ten of Cups
Symbol = Poseidon.
The power of the theatrical expression of love as an archetypal romance. This power not only expresses itself as a common and often-played theme, but also has many deeper levels. At its most fundamental level, this power is the ritual drama of the soul's ascendancy through the union of love.  (Life Force and Emotions)


Base Element: AIR - Aspirations
Symbol as Spiritual Beings (These classes of angels represent my own personal system.)

Air of Union: Ace of Swords
Symbol = Seraphim (Spirits of Illumination). 
The true will is the power of the realization of one's principal destiny.  This true will is forged through challenges and adversities and it is derived by much thought, design and deliberate artifice. The method of gaining insight into one's motives is a potent technique for unleashing the power of personal direction .  (Resolution of Spirit and Action)

Air of Creation: Two of Swords
Symbol = Cherubim (Guardian Spirits). 
The power of courage that assists one in successfully meeting challenges. This is the power of perseverance and the empowerment of self-belief that is instrumental in resolving difficulties and actualizing through adversity.  This power is experienced through decisiveness, which facilitates the quick achievement of results. (Masculine of Spirit and Action)

Air of Reception: Three of Swords
Symbol = Dominions (Spiritual Bases). 
The power of the clarity of motivation that enables one to be decisive and confident. This power represents the faith in one's own internal process and the belief that all of one's choices are indeed deliberate, significant, and that they reflect the ultimate good of one's life process. This power of clarity also causes one to resolutely adhere to a specific direction and endure all its vicissitudes.  (Feminine of Spirit and Action)

Air of Benefaction: Four of Swords
Symbol = Benefactors (Spirits of Goodness). 
The power rectifying legal inequalities and injustices. This power is very potent in that it causes justice to be wrought upon all wrongs associated with a specific issue, always weighing in favor of the absolute truth, regardless of who is rewarded or punished. So  this power must be used with care. It shall neither aid nor hurt the magician, but only follow the path of truth, judging all by the higher and inscrutable law of karma. (Masculine of Mind and Action)

Air of Judgment: Five of Swords
Symbol = Powers (Spirits of the Will of God).
The power of purification, the elimination of that which is irrelevant and unrefined. This power is intense and will cause a brief burst of disharmony in order to clear the atmosphere of disassociated and discordant beliefs. This power also causes one’s mind to become consolidated and complete.  (Feminine of Mind and Action)

Air of Identity: Six of Swords
Symbol = Virtues (Helping Spirits). 
The power of self-realization. This entails the dual revelations of the spiritual self (unifying principle) and one's true will.  This power of revelation is managed through the agency and inner knowledge of the higher self (self as Spirit) that is experienced directly through one's personal identity, thus causing the revelation of one's destiny.  (Resolution of Mind and Action)

Air of Passion: Seven of Swords
Symbol = Principalities (Spirit Rulers). 
The power of initiating or ending relationships with other individuals.  The key to this power is understanding the importance of other people in one's life.  If there is no spiritual bond between two persons, generating this power can create one, but only as an intellectual type of bond or partnership. It can also sever bonds that no longer serve any positive purpose, and it can also protect one from perversity.  (Feminine of Emotions and Action)

Air of Sagacity: Eight of Swords
Symbol = Intelligences (Spirits of Knowledge).
The power of maintaining one's direction and the integrity of one's purpose through discipline. This discipline causes one to undergo a continual process of self purification and refinement. Thus when it empowers one, it does so without a corresponding inflation of the petty ego.  (Masculine of Emotions and Action)

Air of Dreams: Nine of Swords
Symbol = Bene Elohim (Scion of the Deity). 
The powers of self-determination that are represented as actualizing one's potential through the artifice of the imagination, thus inspiring one's boundless willpower. When one’s true will is inspired, nothing can halt the process that ultimately brings success.  (Resolution of Emotion and Action)

Air of World: Ten of Swords 
Symbol = Arelim (Spirit Watchers).
The power of establishing ideas and beliefs as permanent features in the collective mind. This can be accomplished only if one projects an archetypal process (myth) into society, and through inspiration spreads it throughout the masses. (Life Force and Action)

Base Element: EARTH - Fortunes
Symbol as Physical Beings

Earth of Union: Ace of Pentacles
Symbol = Ecosphere.
The power of growth, well-being and physical goodness. This power represents the source of all life in its purest manifestation, which is the Egregore of existence and the Spirit of Life.  This power causes growth, wholeness and material perfection in all that it touches. However, it is necessary for one to be able to mediate the spiritual essence of life in order to harness it.  (Resolution of Spirit and Fortunes)

Earth of Creation: Two of Pentacles
Symbol = Man.
The power of evolution, revolution and transition, through transformation of the physical world. This power causes all things physical to change, particularly within the sphere of the individual magician who works with these forces. Static situations are swept away and trapped psychic energies released.  Change causes all physical things to complete their cycles.  (Masculine of Spirit and Fortunes)

Earth of Reception: Three of Pentacles
Symbol = Woman.
This power represents the organizing forces of nature that draw individuals together to work and enjoy the fruits of their labors. This is the socializing power that assists the individual in manifesting inner desire that is shared and realized by many.  (Feminine of Spirit and Fortunes)

Earth of Benefaction: Four of Pentacles
Symbol = Horse.
This power represents the use of laws and rules to ensure the security of one's person and one's belongings. This is the power that protects one against calamities and unforeseen misfortune by invoking the social symbols of the protective institutions and using their powers to protect one's interests. An image of this power is the fortress, wherein one is ensured protection.  (Masculine of Mind and Fortunes)

Earth of Judgment: Five of Pentacles
Symbol = Raven.
This power represents the kind of steadfast commitment required to cause great changes or reforms that affect many people. This is the power of destiny, the realization of self direction and the successful conclusion of one’s primary aspirations. Once unleashed, this power establishes a continuous wave of willpower to fortify the pursuit of one's desires.  (Feminine of Mind and Fortunes)

Earth of Identity: Six of Pentacles
Symbol = Phoenix.
This power represents the knowledge of solving problems and achieving ultimate ends.  It is the continual regeneration of life that inspires one through intuitive wisdom to achieve material success and physical accomplishment. Intuitive wisdom may also be used to creatively resolve issues and establish methods for the successful pursuit of one's desires. This power is dedicated to long-term instead of short-term gain. (Resolution of Mind and Fortunes)

Earth of Passion: Seven of Pentacles
Symbol = Swan/Dove.
This power is the force of mediation, the establishment of long-term partnerships (marriages or business partnerships) and the bestowing upon them a potent benediction for material realization. This power is known as the forger of life bonds that causes material well-being as well as spiritual bonds, resulting in harmonious partnerships. (Feminine of Emotions and Fortunes)

Earth of Sagacity: Eight of Pentacles
Symbol = Ape/Dog.
The power of seizing the initiative and collecting small-term gains. This is the power that assists the gambler or the seeker of fortune. It gives one the sense of timing that enables fortuitous coincidences. However, this power also enables one to overcome small issues (selections or other random choice types) and to perceive the patterns of events in order to realize gain. This power is experienced as serendipity.  (Masculine of Emotions and Fortunes)

Earth of Dreams: Nine of Pentacles
Symbol = Sphinx.
This power causes the manifestation of dreams and desires so that they may be acted out in full realization. This power is the desire that causes dreams to become manifest. It is also the power of pleasure and its associated feelings of fulfillment and satiety.  (Resolution of Emotion and Fortunes)

Earth of World: Ten of Pentacles
Symbol = Eagle.
This power is represented by all forms of healing; the life force is poured upon the earth and all that it touches is potently revitalized and regenerated.  This power could, if completely realized, provide the magician with eternal potency in life (eternal life). This power also represents the maximization of all that is in potentiality, thus causing it to gain physical form.  (Life Force and Fortunes)


Frater Barrabbas

Pyramid of Powers - Tool of the 40 Qualified Powers

“At the turning of the Third Millennium before the common era, there arose into the heavens great citadels of power and majesty.

In ancient Khem, the laborers of the God-King Khufu the Mighty, for a generation, toiled and built the Great Pyramid to house the king’s remains and to ensure eternal communion with his Masters who dwelt amongst the stars.

And also in ancient Ur, the worshipers of Su’en built the great ziggurat and re-established a connection to the forgotten gates wherein the Gods visited the land.

Yet the stones did not contribute to the virtues of these edifices, nor did the blood and sweat of those who built them. For herein lieth a mystery; that even after these monuments outlasted their creators and slowly crumbled into dust, the Ghosts of the Gates remain!

Let me raise my hand and send forth an etheric wall of power, charged and sealed, meeting and merging into a point: a single ideal. Let there be an [empowered] base, a fusion of energies, and behold! I shall raise up a temple, a pyramid of power, and through the virtue of its angles – the trapezohedron vortex – shall I establish once again the forgotten gates and extra-terrestrial voices of the Gods, speaking, laughing and screaming unto the eternal void!”
Rite of the Tessarenoi - Frater Barrabbas Tiresius (p. 22)


A pyramid was first conceptualized long ago as an emblem symbolizing the rays of the sun shining down from the sky in a blazing star burst of lights, slanting at an arc of 45 degree angles from their blinding source - the Aten disk. This is how some believe the pyramid was understood by the mysterious ancient Egyptians, who made the pyramid their defining cultural icon. Another myth associates the pyramid with the Benben, a phallic totem representing a mound of earth that first rose from the primordial waters, which the temple facade, obelisk and the top of a pyramid seemed to model. The Benben was associated with the creator god Atum, who was believed to reside within it, thus giving it the power to create a universe.

The pyramid is also one of the most stable building structures, able to be extended to great heights, but only if the angle of ascent is kept at a optimum degree (around 42 degrees) and the base is wide and strong enough to support the weight. The pyramid can be characterized as a foundational structure of strength, stability and also empowerment. So if a ritual magician emulates its shape and structure within a prismatic energy pattern, then he or she has harnessed a truly great force – one that can completely transform an individual, or even a world. This article describes the nature and methodology behind the pyramid of powers, which is the prismatic energy pattern used in my particular practice of ritual magick.

We have already discussed the cone of power, the vortex and the gateway; we have also touched on the methodologies of shaping the energy generated in a magick circle into various shapes. Yet the pyramid is probably one of the most intriguing and empowering structures, since it takes the simple form of the cone of power and modifies it strategically into a far more versatile and useful energy pattern. Since I learned to master this ritual structure many years ago, I have never since bothered to use the cone of power, preferring instead the greater utility of the pyramid of power.

Despite the obvious differences found in the shapes of these energy patterns, how did I come up with the pyramid as my principal power structure? How is a pyramid formed in a temple, and how does it differ from a cone of power? What are the basic parts or ritual “building blocks” used to build the prismatic energy field of a pyramid?

There are two ritual structures used in the pyramid of power that are unique energy patterns unto themselves. These are the circle squared, and the energy pylon - without these two constructs, a pyramid of power is impossible to build. A third element is the invoking pentagram, used to generate a specific element power. Let us examine these two structures and the pentagram to see how they are applied and used in ritual magick.



Circle Squared

If ever there was a symbol for the joining of the archetypal male and female, then the square within a circle is that symbol. There are numerous symbolic examples of this combination, but it signifies polarity (angles versus curves) and union (male within female). The boundary circle of this structure is provided with the consecrated and empowered magick circle, which acts as the foundation for all ritual workings. The square is a simple overlaying ritual structure consisting of either the four watchtowers or the four angles joined by four straight lines and four right angles. Thus the square is the joining of four points in the circle through the use of lines of force, drawn with a sword or a transmutar wand.

Metaphysically speaking, the circle and the square exemplify the spiritual and material worlds, and when they are joined together, that union symbolizes the ultimate sacred bonding that produces sentient or ensouled material beings, such as ourselves. We, as conscious physical beings, epitomize the confluence of spirit and matter, which is tightly unified so that the product is one and whole. Thus, the circle squared is the symbol of incarnated divinity and divinitized humanity.

This, of course, brings up the age old mathematical problem of attempting to construct a square equal in area to a circle, using only a rudimentary straightedge and a compass. The term squaring the circle has also had occult and magickal connotations for many centuries, but it was only until the late 19th century that such a geometric construct was proven impossible. It is now a term synonymous with intuitively or logically attempting to do the impossible. This impossibility was due largely to the revelation that the number for Pi was determined to be transcendental instead of irrational, thus defying anyone the ability to draw a circle and square of the same area to 100% of accuracy.

However, in occult metaphysics, particularly in applied magick, squaring the circle can be perfectly accomplished in the manner indicated above, where the circle in question is the magick circle, and the square is set within it. Of course, they cannot be the same area, but within the construct of a consecrated and empowered magick circle, they assume the qualities of the ideal, and thereby become, within our minds, as a perfect representation of a circle squared.



Magick Pylon -

The second shape used in the pyramid of power is the magick pylon, the line of force that unites two devices or points. This magickal structure was discovered when I learned to generate the greatest polarity in a magick circle, and have it centered at the opposed points of the ultra-point (zenith) and infra-point (nadir). It seemed natural to just draw a line from those two points and express their union as a line of power, a conduit or a pylon. I have also used a staff, Stang, or my own body as the conduit as well, all with excellent results. So the pylon had its origin in drawing forces together in the center of the magick circle. Later on I began to use the pylon at other points in the magick circle, uniting two devices (one above the other) in order to merge different elements into a composite structure.


Yet the Pylon has other qualities as well. The pylon is characterized by the term “occurrence”, as it is used in the book, “Mastering the Art of Ritual Magick - Foundation.” It is the second part of the five different categories of ritual action and spiritual alignment, which represent the various archetypal relationships that can be established between the magickal practitioner and the Deity. I will loosely quote from the original text of that work, defining the word “occurrence” and the ritual structure of the pylon.

Occurrence:  The second relationship represents a progression from one dimension (the "I am") to two dimensions (the "I am" and the "Thou"). The first relationship could be represented by the form of a single point in space, and the second relationship has produced a second point, and thus the form of a line is produced. The second relationship is defined as the state of differentiation, and it is the condition in which the individual has realized the presence of another individual.

When a magician draws lines of force with his/her magick dagger or wand, erects a magickal pylon or performs divination, then the quality of occurrence is being used. Occurrence is the relationship of the self in contradistinction to others, and when a magician draws lines of force between two objects in the temple, they are said to be united but differentiated. It is in the same fashion that the Deity became aware of the need to differentiate itself, becoming the primal cause for creation. This relationship is the most paradoxical of all of the relationships, and it is aptly symbolized by the mirror and the magician’s Imago.

The category of Occurrence is represented by the ritual structure of the Pylon, which is the physical joining of two opposite points, such as the two points in the center of the magick circle, the zenith and the nadir. If the magician joins these two points, a line of power is created between them. They are joined to establish a structure that acts as a channel (stairway or ladder) between what is symbolized as the Macrocosm and the Microcosm, contrasting the levels of the Deity and individual beings. The Pylon defines an entity in relationship to time and space, and also the nature of its spiritual essence. Therefore, this ritual structure defines the existence of an object.

The ritual structure of the Pylon is symbolized by the number 2, which is Wisdom (Chokmah). However, there is an implicit symbolic quality to the Pylon, and that is symbolized by the unmanifested state of Mystery (the Limitless Void of the Tree of Life, symbolized by the zero). These two emanations, Wisdom and Mystery, represent the quest for spiritual knowledge.

This quest is defined as the discovery of a paradox, and the subsequent analysis and intuitive understanding of it (acceptance) that generates a kind of integral knowledge. The quest for spiritual knowledge represents the process by which the magician seeks to know the ways of the World of the Spirit through the channel created by the Pylon. The end of the quest reveals the great hidden knowledge (Greater Arcana) that assists the magician in perfecting his/her magickal work. The author and the source of this hidden knowledge is the ultimate guide and teacher of the magician. The Pylon is analogous to the symbol of the transformation of the line.

Superior Pentagram Ritual

We need to cover the nature of the pentagram, from a symbolic perspective, and then understand how it works. Examining the Golden Dawn classical Superior Pentagram Ritual can assist in understanding how the pentagram is used in the Pyramid of Power ritual. First, let us examine the pentagram. I have taken text from the raw pre-edited version of the “Disciple’s Guide to Ritual Magick” because the explanations used in that manuscript are pertinent and quite explanatory.

The most widely recognized magickal device in western occultism is the Pentagram. Although some currently believe that it is a device of satanic origin, the Pentagram has been found in many different guises, spanning numerous centuries and many cultures, both Eastern and Western, and until recently, it was always treated with veneration and respect. The Pentagram was documented as a magickal talisman of great power in the Renaissance European grimoire The Greater Key of Solomon, where it was embellished with sigils, characters and sacred words of power. However, the place of origin of the Pentagram may have been in the Middle East and so far in the remote past as to be undeterminable.

The Pentagram symbolizes the eternal cycle of life and its ultimate perfection. As a lamen (the magician's personal cosmic diagram), it is a symbolic model of the universe. The two arms and legs represent the four Elements and the head represents the quintessence, the fusion of the four Elements as Spirit.

A five-pointed star has always been an emblem of humanity, representing the erect human form or even the spread fingers of the human hand. The Pentagram also symbolizes the spiritual ascent of humanity and the descent and incarnation of the Deity. As a symbol of the cycle of spiritual powers, the Pentagram was used throughout the ages as a ward against evil and a focus for healing and protection.

The Pentagram was believed to be a generator of spiritual power, and magicians employ it so today. It is for this reason the Pentagram has come to symbolize the powers of magick itself. As a device, however, the Pentagram allows for eight different linear transcriptions along its outline, each with a different starting and finishing point. Each of these eight different tracings of the Pentagram represent a different type of symbolic power, an element, and six of these tracings have an invoking and a banishing direction pair (making for twelve total). Thus a pentagram can invoke and banish Fire, Water, Air, Earth and Spirit. (The two other tracings are used for the Lesser Pentagram ritual - although in the Golden Dawn they were used for the equalibriating passive and active forms.)

The method of establishing the nature of each of these eight powers is through the placement and determination of the five points of the Pentagram. The top point is obviously associated with the element of Spirit. Yet the other points are defined usually by tradition and without any explanation. The five points are analogous to the divine tetrad (YHVH), plus the addition of another letter. The traditional YHVH is modified to become YHShVH, which is a variant formula of the Hebrew word for deliverer. The addition of the Hebrew letter Shin symbolizes the element of Spirit and also Fire (the Hebrews originally believed in the existence of only three elements).

Because the Hebrew alphabet was written from right to left, as were all Semitic languages, the placement of these five letters on the Pentagram would begin at the bottom right point and proceed around the periphery of the Pentagram, counterclockwise, to the bottom left point. This placement establishes the letter Shin at the top point where the element of Spirit is placed. The other points take on the attributes of the elements associated with them.

There is a method of testing the above placement of the five points and it focuses on the relative polarities of the Elements. The Element of Spirit is considered neutral, but both Fire and Air are considered masculine, and Water and Earth are feminine. If one examines these polarities and their placement on the Pentagram, it becomes evident that there is a natural polarity of masculine and feminine forces either directly across or on either side of each point, but not diagonally. Because of this polarization, the Pentagram is a natural generator of magickal elemental powers.

A Pentagram device is featured in two strategic rituals in the Golden Dawn; these are known as the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and the Superior Ritual of the Pentagram. Since I work magick using a consecrated magick circle, there is no need for the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, although some may still deploy it in a magick circle. However, the Superior Ritual of the Pentagram is the perfect model for deploying an element field within the magick circle.

The basic ritual pattern for the Superior Pentagram ritual consists of the ritual actions of first, the performance of the Qabbalistic Cross, then drawing the invoking pentagram of either the equalibriating active or passive (spirit) invoking pentagrams, and either below them or overlaying them, the invoking pentagram of the target element. The pentagram is drawn, then the element sigil is drawn within it and finally the correct Enochian words of power are intoned. This is done to the four cardinal directions, starting and ending in the East (to create a completed circuit), and proceeding clockwise (deosil). At the conclusion, the magician intones the same formula for the archangels that is used in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.

I was quite fascinated many years ago with the ritual pattern of the Superior Pentagram, and I spent a lot of time examining it and analyzing how it worked. I even created many variations of this rite for my own personal use. After a long period of time and experimentation, I was able to derive a whole new structure using a combination of the ritual structures of the circle squared, the pylon and the Superior Pentagram ritual. The resultant combination produced a uniquely new ritual structure and pushed the development of a completely new kind of magick. This new ritual generated a pyramidal prismatic energy field. Once I had fully tested this rite, I discovered a much more powerful kind of magick. I called this new ritual, “the Pyramid of Power.”

Pyramid of Power Ritual Structure

Now we can finally move on to discussing the ritual structure for the Pyramid of Power ritual. The Pyramid of Power ritual was an important component of the nine rituals used in the series “Mastering the Art of Ritual Magick,” although it was too useful to be left to that system alone. I had it reworked and incorporated into the body of lore used in the Order, where it is deployed as part of the Elemental magickal system. The explanation and description of this ritual was well writ in the MARM series, so I decided to take the raw unpublished text and present it here as part of this article.

The ritual of the pyramid of power is essentially a modification of the cone of power, although perhaps it is more based upon the Superior Pentagram ritual used in the Golden Dawn. The pyramid shape is determined by the four Angles and a pylon erected in the center of the circle. When the four angular points are drawn laterally together and fused to the ultra-point, a pyramid energy structure is established. An invoking Pentagram is drawn at each of the four Angles to generate a specific element, and this energized element is imprinted by one of the Ten aspects of the Deity (or the Ten Emanations of the Tree of Life). Thus are the forty Qualified Powers generated, and these powers are the energies used to cause magickal effects.

The forty powers are characterized by the forty Naib cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot (Ace through 10 of each Suit). The Naib cards of the Tarot deck depict the qualities of these powers, thus they are used as a reference. So, it is the 40 cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot that represent the key symbolic element of the 40 Qualified Powers - they are considered to be one and the same. To access a qualified power, one need only to use the associated Tarot card as the key, and then perform a variation of the Pyramid of Power ritual. With 40 variations to choose from, the magician will not lack in having a qualified power to perform any imaginable task. The facility that this grants the ritual magician is almost unlimited. Still, only one qualified power may be invoked and projected at one time - otherwise, they tend to become confused and merge together, canceling each other out. (You can tell that I have learned this lesson the hard way.)

These forty Qualified Powers also represent the Qabbalistic structure of the Inner Planes, the Forty Domains of the Four Archetypal Worlds of the Ten Sephiroth (4 × 10 = 40). A magician can therefore use all of the correspondences of the combination of Sephirah and Qabbalistic World, including the complete hierarchy associated with each one. This would include the Hebrew Godnames, Archangels, Angelic choirs and mundane chakras. These classical references may be added if one desires to use them, or not. The forty Qualified Powers and their Tarot images can be used alone to facilitate the summoning of these forces.

The Pyramid of Power also incorporates a spiral composed of three concentric circles employed as both a means of invoking and exteriorizing. The invoking spiral is performed by the Celebrant who circumambulates the circle three times forming an inward spiral that starts on the outside and terminates at the center of the circle. The Celebrant chants a suitable power chant while walking the pattern, causing the invoking Pentagrams in the four Angles to resonate their power into the center of the circle. With the power thus established, the Celebrant will imprint it with the proper attribute of the Deity and the selected Tarot card, thus specifically qualifying it as a given power. He or she then further imprints it through the artifice of a magickal sigil, which is devised specifically to symbolize the objective or desire of the ritual. The Celebrant then employs a banishing or exteriorizing spiral (the exact opposite of the invoking spiral) to cause the resultant Qualified Power to be exteriorized and released, so fulfilling its objective.

When the pyramid energy field is released, it becomes a yod or lightening bolt that quickly seeks its target through the Celebrant's defined intention (the sigil). This signifies that the power unleashed is only as effective as the will power and passion of the operator, and it is dependent upon whether he or she is able to capitalize upon those opportunities that manifest.

Additionally, the magician will employ the advanced mind control techniques of filling his/her body with a specific element, then exhaling and projecting that element into the temple (as found in the teachings of Franz Bardon). In this manner, the temple will be loaded and fully charged with that element, helping to intensify the element power generated in the pyramid. This makes the action of unleashing it even more powerful.


 Pyramid of Power: The purpose of this rite is to generate one of the forty qualified powers, imprint it with the magician's desire represented by the sigil (link) and then to project that resultant power into the exterior world (exteriorization). Thus there are three major parts to this ritual – establishing the power base, summoning the qualified power and releasing the qualified power.

Ritual Pattern:    

Establishing the Power Base:

1. Statement of Purpose                                                    

2. Setting the Five points of the magick circle, in a deosil progression (Angles and Ultrapoint) with the base element to the four Angles and Spirit Masculine to the Ultrapoint, using the invoking Pentagram device. (In this case, the qualifying of the Infra-point is omitted, but it is implied. So there actually is a pylon in the center of the circle.)

3. Drawing together the lines of force of the five points, using the sword to create the geometric pattern of the Pyramid.

Summoning the Qualified Power:

1. Circumambulation spiral deosil to the center of the magick circle, with three revolutions (walking the spiral), and resonance of the charged field.

2. Centering power through the Self (Mesopoint) with the power chant.

3. Charging the Magickal Link. Summoning the Qualified Power (qualifying the base energy).


Releasing the Qualified Power:

1. Exteriorization – circumambulate spiral three times widdershins, starting in the center and proceeding to the outer periphery of the circle, using extreme resonance with a releasing power chant.


Some variants to this ritual would include explicitly qualifying the infra-point and deliberately creating a pylon structure, which would require a six letter formula (for each of the circle nodes). If pylons are set to the four Angles instead of just an invoking pentagram, uniting two devices at each point, then the resultant energy structure would be what I call a kind of “step pyramid” or “grand pyramid.” As you can see there are many variations that can be developed just by experimenting with these structures. For instance, a double squared base produces an octagon, which is an energy pattern that I use to manifest one of the 16 elemental forces, but one could also use the pylons set to the angles to do the same thing.  

So we have now completed examining the ritual pattern for the Pyramid of Power ritual. We have also discussed the 40 Qualified Powers, which is the purpose and function of that rite, but only briefly. Since the Qualified Powers are a completely new basis for characterizing a magickal energy, we will also need to examine the nature of these occult forces in greater detail. I will show you how they are defined and what they can do. Knowing this will certainly make the Pyramid of Power ritual a lot more compelling. We will leave that discussion for a future article – so stay in touch.

Frater Barrabbas

Ancient Greece - Sole Source of Goetic Magick?

I have recently read an article about a forthcoming book from Scarlet Imprint that touts the revelation of the source of Goetic magick as being a purely Greek phenomena. The book that is promoting this perspective is the much anticipated second installment of the Encyclopaedia Goetica, written by Jake Stratton-Kent, which has the title, “Geosophia: The Argo of Magic.” You can find the announcement of this new book here – I will certainly buy it, at least to thoroughly acquaint myself with Jake’s thesis.

While I must wait just like everyone else for this book to be printed and distributed, which will occur some time later this autumn, I can at least make a few comments about the reputed theme of this work. I will have to read it thoroughly before I can accurately gauge its usefulness and judge the plausibility of its principle theory. I have to admit that I am a bit skeptical about this claim. I feel this way because I have read the book “The True Grimoire,” and found within it some of Jake’s pronouncements about the historical authenticity of that grimoire compared to the Goetia of the Lemegeton. These comments seemed to be quite personally biased, and in my opinion, without much merit. I have found that what Jake has said contradicts what David Rankin and Stephen Skinner have proposed in their book “Goetia of Dr. Rudd.” Jake has some strong opinions about Goetic magick, its history and evolution from the early Renaissance to the 21st century. Jake seems to believe that the actual history of Goetic magick goes all the way back to the practice of necromancy in ancient Greece, and that the Goetic tradition, represented by some grimoires, has an unbroken lineage of practitioners.

While there is little doubt that there is a Greek source to the Goetic tradition, there are other cultural elements that were mixed in as well. I also don’t agree with any argument that proposes an unbroken lineage based on very sketchy circumstantial evidence. However, Jake is a brilliant writer and occultist, even if some of his arguments don’t seem to be very plausible to me. However, his opinions are often controversial but also compelling, so they are not easily dismissed or overturned. Instead, they offer quite a bit of material to ponder, analyze and compare against what others have said - practitioners and scholars.

The main theme of the book is quoted from the pre-sales text found on the publisher’s web page. I would like to discuss this theme and add some of my own questions and thoughts about it for my readers to ponder along with me.

“Geosophia is a very important text. Tracing the development of magic from the Greeks to the grimoires it lays bare the chthonic roots of ritual. By exposing the necromantic origins of much of modern magic we are able to reconnect with the source of our ritual tradition. There is a continuity of practice in the West which encompasses the pre-Olympian cults of Dionysus and Cybele, is found in the Greek Magical Papyri and Picatrix and flows into the grimoires.”

While I might be intrigued by the ideas promoted in this book’s advertisement, some of Jake’s opinions are both puzzling and appear to go against the grain of what academics have established as a basic understanding of the period of late antiquity, and the various occult ideas that were flourishing at that time. We should keep in mind that the time period and culture that we are talking about existed over a couple of thousand years ago. Existing source material is scarce, even for popular writings of such philosophers as Plato and Aristotle, or even the plays of Aristophanes, some of which are lost to time. Obscure grimoires and occult writings are nearly nonexistent. Modern occultists have had to reconstruct these ancient systems using very meager literary sources enlivened with a great deal of imagination. For instance, to this day, we still know very little about the mystery cults practiced in antiquity, and in most cases, not enough information exists to accurately replicate them.

Using single sources, such as the “Greek Magical Papyri” as representing the whole of the tradition of magick in late antiquity could also be a problem. Often, practical magick is a regional phenomenon, related to place and time. The bulk of the “Greek Magical Papyri” are a collection of Graeco Egyptian magick spells, whose place would be Hellenized Egypt, and whose time would be from the first two centuries before and after the common era. Location is an important consideration, since the original massive scroll that makes up this work was supposedly found in the tomb of a rich man who was buried in the Karnak area (Thebes). This should inform us that the collection of spells are particular to Egypt during and after the Ptolemaic period. While there are identifiable sources in that collection from Jewish, Greek and even Persian sources, it should be considered mostly an Egyptian collection, with a particularly Egyptian perspective on magick.

There are quite a large number of obvious spells and rites in the PGM that use Jewish formulations, in fact a number of sections of the papyri are devoted exclusively to these cultural artifacts. The editor of this scroll assembled a large number of the spells together from many sources, and seemed to be more driven by their reputed power than if they were Greek, Egyptian, Hebrew or even of Persian derivation. The mixture of cultures, god names, heros, and cultural sources represents a phenomenon that was characteristic of the times - cultures, languages, religious beliefs and superstitions were melted together to form a massive heterodoxy, much like gnosticism. The magickal language consisting of words of power also seem to meld various words from several languages together to form a strange polyglot, what scholars have called a verba ignota (unknown tongue). It’s interesting to note that the verba ignota was a feature of some Christian European grimoires, but not the Greater and Lesser Keys of Solomon, or the Grimoirium Verum.

A further quote from another website that Jake has authored presents his opinions in a clearer manner. It’s taken from Hadean Press’s “Mark Ye Well the Dead Underworld of Hadean Press.”

“The Hellenic sources of the Picatrix are indicative of the real roots of the entire genre. The form and style of the grimoires were determined millennia in advance by magical texts in Greek. This far predated the influx of Christianised Kabbalah into Western magic in the late 15th century; erroneously credited with supplying the basis of Western occultism. ”

I would agree that the Picatrix, an Arabic grimoire from the 11th century (translated into Latin in the middle of the 13th century) drew its sources from earlier Greek manuscripts and practices. The original source of this grimoire, now lost, was very likely produced from the occult tradition that thrived through the various writings and teachings of Neoplatonism. How Neoplatonism found its way into Arabic culture of the early middle ages could be explained by the transition of Greek philosophy and the academy in Athens to Harran (529 CE), and the building of a university there by the Caliph, Umar II (717 CE). The Neoplatonists thrived in their new location and continued their work until the around the 11th century, and two centuries later, the Picatrix was translated in Spain.

During that time, Jews lived and congregated in the Persian and Parthian areas of influence, and later managed to continue to thrive within the newly established empire of Islam. Since Jews were expelled from Alexandria during the Christian era, it is possible that they sought refuge in various parts of the middle east where they had been living for centuries, including Mesopotamia, which would have also placed them in Harran at the same time as the Neoplatonic philosophers. It is possible, and even likely, that magickal and occult practices continued to blend together, with Judaism supplying a large share of the derived lore. The Qabbalah would have had its birth during this time (Sepher Yetzirah - 4th century CE), and the first example of a grimoire working with both angels and demons (Testament of Solomon). 

We can see the same kind of blending occurring in the earliest writings of the Qabbalah, where the obvious Neoplatonic concept of emanation became a critical part of that occult system. The Qabbalah as we know it today is a thorough mixture of Hebrew occultism, Neoplatonism and Christian theology. If one were to attempt to purge one or more of these strains from the Qabbalah, it would cease to be useful or perhaps, even recognizable. There were obviously a lot of ideas being passed back and forth between occult scholars over the past two millennia, and this exchange powerfully impacted the various practices of Qabbalah, alchemy, astrology and ceremonial magic. I believe that to attempt to extract and remove Christian and Hebrew influences from the various ceremonial magickal grimoires would be not only an impossible task, but one that would undoubtedly produce a whole new system of magick. It would be something contrived and derived, not representing the more original source, which is obviously lost to time.

Whatever was practiced in ancient Greece and called necromancy had already been contaminated by Pythagorean beliefs and practices at the beginning of the classical period. Pythagorean philosophy probably had eastern sources and influences, as the belief in the transmigration of souls appears to attest. Not much is known about Pythagorus or his philosophy, and what is known was probably written a couple of centuries after his death. However, Pythagorean philosophers were reputed to be able to see the ghosts of dead people, and were able to call them up and talk to them. This appeared to be a grafting of Pythagorean teachings with more primitive shamanic practices involving divination of the dead, or necromancy. Pythagoreans were often conflated with goetic magicians who specialized in necromancy.

How we get to the conjuration of demons from the summoning and incubation of the spirits of the dead is probably a bit of a logical over-reach. I have already written two articles that explore this idea from two different perspectives, but it would seem that the Greek concept of the invocation or summoning of daimons would be quite different than the ceremonial magician conjuring demons - they represent cultural perspectives separated by more than fifteen hundred years. There is also the consideration that Jewish and Christian religious influences have had a huge impact on this system of magick, making it nearly impossible to retrieve the earlier system intact.

Without an authentic source document written from that time period (predating Christian and Jewish influences), I believe that no one could reconstitute the ancient Greek system of Goetic magick. It’s also very likely that ancient Goetic magick was an oral tradition practiced by individuals who couldn’t read or write. However, this is all speculation, since records of what was actually practiced don’t really exist.

What we have are just intriguing fragments and literary constructs, possibly derived from a combination of realistic observation and fantasy. The fragments of actual magickal workings consists of curse tablets and various bits and pieces of parchment and papyri. The PGM is the only complete source scroll from that time, and relying too heavily on a single source is problematic. So the task of deriving a pure source of occult and magickal practices from antiquity to the compilation of the grimoires in the 16th century is likely a fool’s errand, since none of this would pass the inspection of historians, archaeologists and anthropologists. What we are dealing with here is an “As If” approach to reconstruction, where we use creativity and our imaginations to fill in the huge gaps in actual evidential knowledge.

Even an examination of the various names of the goetic demons reveals that there are Hebrew, Greek and Latin elements merged together. Some names are taken directly from Hebrew folk traditions, gathered together from many Semitic sources (Akkadian, Canaanite and Egyptian), and then there are the Greek and Latinized names whose source is completely unknown. Attempting to put together a list of demonic names reclaimed from ancient Greek sources would be nearly impossible, since some of the names are obviously of Semitic derivation. What we would have to do is to detach the list of goetic demons from the infernal princes and put them into a chthonic pagan context, a task that I have promoted in my previous articles about this subject. 

Perhaps a clue as to what Jake is proposing can be found in his article published in the anthology “Both Sides of Heaven.” In the article entitled “Grimoires for Pagans,” Jake lays the foundation for establishing a pagan chthonic perspective to goetic grimoires, such as the Grimoirium Verum. The principal infernal triumvirate that rules over the demonic hoards are Lucifer, Belzebuth and Astaroth, and to these demonic princes, Jake has attributed the Greek gods Hermes, Hades and Persephone.  One would also want to add Dionysus, Cybele, Circe, Orpheus, Isis and Osiris (from the mystery cult), and most importantly, Hecate, to the assembly of gods, goddesses and demigods as well.

To alter and exchange the demonic princes with these three Greek gods is a startlingly revelation, certainly one that could begin an entire process of reclamation. I have long sought to encourage this kind of complete rewriting of the goetic magickal tradition using a completely pagan perspective, since dealing with the infernal princes through their ambassador (Scirlin) assumes that one has bought into the whole Judeo-Christian theological premise of demons being evil fallen angels. Some proponents of goetic magick have maintained that only those who are piously associated with the “Abrahamic” traditions should have a right to work this magick. At least I can agree with this approach, since I am not a adherent to this tradition.

What all of this seems to mean is that Jake is in the process of creating a whole new tradition, starting at the top and working on down to the very foundation. When he is finished, in my opinion, he will have created a completely new and unique magickal perspective, not unlike others who espouse either a chthonic pagan perspective or outright demonalotry. Jake will then take the Grimoirium Verum out of it’s Christian environment, and put it into a newly derived context, one that will integrate old and new elements together. Thus, we can expect that the end result will be a whole new approach to goetic magick and very likely, a new set of grimoires to replace the ones that were first printed in the previous epoch. I very much look forward to that day, since that will certainly end the debate in various magickal circles between Neopagans and Christian occultists, both of whom claim the goetic tradition as their own.

So we can look forward to the publishing of Jake’s new book “Geosophia: The Argo of Magic,” regardless whether we agree with the whole of his premise, or not. 

Frater Barrabbas

Key to Evocation: Zodiacal Decans

I have previously published this article on the e-zine, Rending the Veil, and I thought that it would be useful to post it here for my readers to examine, just in case they didn’t catch it. This article represents the core principle that I use in establishing the hierarchical structure and methodology of performing theurgy and goetic evocation.


Matrix of Possibilities

There are many ways to perform the operation of theurgy and the evocation of spirits. Most of those who practice this kind of magickal operation work through one or more of the many available grimoires. However, there are other ways to perform this operation that have little to do with the old grimoires; yet these other methods require the invention of a completely alternative magickal technology to make use of them. A practitioner is generally stuck between using existing information and available materials or creating something entirely new. The path that I took was to create a new methodology for invocation and evocation, but the clues on how to proceed were already well documented, even though they were subtle and obscure.

Ever since I first examined the Goetia of the Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon, I have been fascinated by those entities called Goetic Demons, but found the methodologies for invoking them to be too abbreviated and incomplete to be entirely useful to me. Others have made use of this grimoire, but I found it beyond my ability to produce an effective methodology for evocation. I also found the 72 angels of the Shemhemphorasch (ha-Shem) in this same category, even though they were not specifically listed in any grimoire that I had at the time. To me there seemed to be a lot of pieces of occult lore without the ability to pull them all together. So I tended to work with the spirits and powers that I was able to access through my developed ritual systems, and ignore all of the other spirits that didn’t fit into those structures.

However, when I first read Aleister Crowley’s Book of Thoth and also studied Israel Regardie’s The Golden Dawn (specifically, Book T) there seemed to be a new structure implied that might associate the Tarot, Astrology, Qabbalah and the hierarchy of Spirits into one unified system. That structure was found in the 36 Naib cards of the Minor Arcana of the Tarot and the 36 Astrological Decans.

Aleister Crowley discusses that there is an associated spiritual hierarchy with each of the Naib cards, stating it as such: “ It is governed from the angelic world by two Beings, one during the hours of Light, the other during the hours of Darkness. Therefore, in order to use the properties of this card, one way is to get into communication with the Intelligence concerned, and to induce him to execute his function.” (See “Book of Thoth”, p. 43) Crowley goes on to write that these two spirits are the Angels of the Shehemphorash and that there are a total of 72 of them, corresponding to the five degree astrological segment of the “quinaries” or what I refer to as the quinarians. Crowley omits relating the astrological decans to these 36 Naib cards, but he does use the old style planetary rulers that are associated with them in assigning the planets to these Tarot cards. One can see this illustrated in a table on page 283 of the Book of Thoth.

Book T goes further than Crowley by not only showing that the astrological decans correspond to the 36 Naib cards of the Tarot, but also that there is a larger matrix consisting of the 16 Court cards and the four Aces. (This association was first documented in the Golden Dawn material, particularly Book “T” - Tarot. See Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie, 6th edition, p. 551. )

So it would seem that there is a very tight tabular system consisting of all of the 56 cards of the Lesser Arcana. This tabular system can also be used to represent a spiritual hierarchy of the four Elements, the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. The one association that is missing is where the decans are shown to be hierarchically related to the quinarians, since the former would represent a ten degree segment of the zodiacal wheel and the latter, a five degree segment. A decan would therefore be the higher order structure of two corresponding quinarians. What this means is that the decan and its associated spirit correspondences rules over the associated quinarian and its spirit correspondences. If the angels of the ha-Shem and the demons of the Goetia are associated with the quinarians, then the angelic ruler of the decanate would be their hierarchical lord, and the decan would be the key to the quinarian.

Clues to the nature of the astrological structure of these spirits is found in the lore from the Golden Dawn, Alesiter Crowley, and they were used by Carrol Runyon in his work. In the book 777 (cols. CXXIX - CXXXII, CXLV - CLXVI), the angels of the Ha-Shem, Angelic Rulers of the Decans and Daemons of the Goetia are organized by the Zodiac, using the ascendant, cadent and succeedent parts of the wheel of the Zodiac, by day and night. (Actually, the Angels of the ha-Shem correspond to nine of the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life for the four suits of the Tarot, paired by day and night. Pulling the various pieces together requires a correspondence between the Decans and the Naib cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot.)

It would seem that the number 72 would lend itself to being a multiple of six times twelve, both very sacred numbers in Judaism. Also, there already was an astrological structure for the quinarians as lesser aspects of the decans, so I think that it would fit into a neat hierarchy. I don't know where this idea originally came from, but I was using existing schemes for all of this, as well as hints from Aleister Crowley in the appendices of the Book of Thoth - so I didn't invent it. (The Goetia of Dr. Rudd has paired the angels of the ha-Shem with the Goetic demons. The relationship of the 72 spirits to the quinarians is quite old, and may be a part of the ancient system of astrological magick, such as that proposed in the Picatrix (11th century). However, there is no prior precedence for grouping the decans and the quinarians together, and organizing the associated spirits into a hierarchy.) As a system it fits really well together, and is better than using the Shemhemphorash as a unique and separate set of spirits without any correspondences. As I have stated above, determining a context for spiritual entities so that they may be defined and highly qualified is important if the magician seeks to invoke that spirit.

When I carefully researched the clues, I found where the angels of the Shemhemphorash were given their astrological correspondences - it was in Agrippa's Book III of Occult Philosophy, Chapter XXV, paragraph 6. Agrippa writes: "And these are those [angels of ha-Shem] that are set over the seventy-two celestial quinaries,.." So if the angels of ha-Shem are set over the seventy-two celestial quinarians, then their hierarchy would naturally be associated with the 36 decans and the twelve signs of the Zodiac, and also with their associated archangels and angelic rulers. This relation between decan and quinarian is not spoken of by either Agrippa or anyone else, but is alluded to in Aleister Crowley's Book of Thoth, (Part I - Theory - p. 40 - 44, and Appendix B, p. 283) and also Book T of the Golden Dawn (p. 550). If you put what he says together with the tables in 777, you come up with the system that I am using. To my knowledge, no else quite makes all of the combinations that I have made - but it seems to be functionally elegant.

There is some dispute in occult circles as to whether there actually were 72 goetic demons, since the earlier forms of this list of spirits have only a total 67 demons. I am, of course, referring to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Johann Weyer (1563). Earlier versions of this list show an even smaller number of demons, so some purists have stated that the number 72 must be later and not valid. Of course, the same argument could be used for the twenty-two trumps of the Tarot. Earlier versions of the Tarot do not agree on the total number of trumps, and the correspondence between them and the Qabbalistic pathways wasn’t made until the 19th century. Would purists insist on using the older variations of the Tarot and omit comparing the trumps to the paths because it was a later adaptation? Of course not! Yet because of the elegance and the tight manner that three different angelic hierarchies fit together under the aegis of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot, and how they represent a holistic astrological hierarchy, I feel compelled to disagree with the purists and instead propose the system that I have found to be most useful and quite powerful. Some may disagree with what I have pulled together, but I believe that this system represents a greater truth, just like the current knowledge and insights associated with the Tarot.

Needless to say, I was quite thrilled at how neat and tidy all of these various elements were pulled together through the cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot. I speculated that if one could identify the various correspondences associated with each of these cards, that one could put together a system to invoke and evoke all of the associated spirits. So, after basking in this wondrous revelation for a moment or two, I set to work to build a system of magick that would do just that.

To recap, the angelic ruler of the decan and Tarot Naib card has the following hierarchy:

• Element Godhead
• Qabbalistic Sephirah
• Zodiacal Base Element
• Zodiacal Triple Spiritual Intelligences (Archangel, Angel, House Ruler) - these qualify the specific Zodiacal Sign
• Planetary Ruler of the Decan
• Angelic Ruler of the Decanate
• ha-Shem Angel of Day and Night
• Goetic Demon of Day and Night (from Lemegeton - Goetia)
• Angel of the Zodiacal Degree (From Lemegeton - Ars Paulina - Part 2)

Obviously, if one were to perform an invocation of the angelic ruler of the decanate, or one of the angels of the ha-Shem, or one of the Goetic demons, then one would establish or invoke the associated spiritual hierarchy, beginning with the Element Godhead. Tools used to assist in the establishment of these qualities would be the pentragram (Element), lesser hexagram (astrological triplicities), hexagram or septagram (planetary ruler) and the eneagram (sephirah).

My methodology uses a technique that defines a spirit through a matrix of correspondences, and then generates the elemental body and planetary intelligences of the spirit from them. I will defer that explanation to a future article, but I think the above information is enough to get occultists thinking of an alternative method to performing invocation and evocation. 


Importance of the Astrological Decans

So, what is the importance and significance of the astrological decan? Even if it seems to fit into a nice tidy structure that defines a hierarchy of spirits, why is it such a compelling structure by itself? These are good questions, but in order to answer them, we will need to share some historical information about the decans. Once that is done, I am sure it will be obvious why they are significant.

The decans have a long history in the annals of magickal religion - the Egyptians had minor deities associated with each of them, and these play an important part in the Book of Gates. The decans are used in Horary (predictive) astrology to determine the dignity of planets in the divinatory chart, and they have been represented in both the Egyptian and Mesopotamian theological systems as sidereal gods of time and destiny. Thus the magician contacts the Angelic Ruler in order to realize and control his/her destiny, and to affect the general causality of the world. The decans were also used by the Egyptians to indicate the hour of the night.

What gave me a clue to the importance of the decans is when I came across a passage  in the book "Magic, Mystery, and Science - The Occult in Western Civilization" by Dan Barton and David Grandy, (Indiana University Press 2004). That passage said that the Egyptians used the decans (and their associated godheads and marking stars) to determine and qualify the hours of the night sky. During the night, the decan that appeared at the ascendant would tell the Egyptians what time it was. A decan would last approximately 40 minutes, so for each night approximately 18 of the 36 decans would be revealed, and during the changing of the seasons, the evening would potentially begin with a different decan over time, passing through the whole zodiacal wheel during an annual period.

So the decans were possibly used as magical hours during the night, but these hours would have lasted 40 minutes instead of 60, and each decan would have been accorded a different minor godhead and quality, not to mention the 12 gates of the diurnal solar boat transit through the underworld.

It would also seem that the Egyptians used a system of reckoning when attempting to determine the hours at night, using the decans passing over the horizon as a kind of clock. Since twilight would have made this reckoning impossible, there would have been 12 hours of night associated with the decans, since making this measurement would have required complete darkness. Dawning light would have also potentially interfered, so there would have been an hour and a half both before full night and before dawn when such reckoning would have been impossible.

A device called a merkhet (plumb line) was discovered in an Egyptian tomb. This tool, whose invention was late, probably around 600 BCE, was used to determine the north-south axis. Two of these devices were set up in a specific measured line from each other, and the subject would observe the rising of the decan star between the line of these two devices. It’s likely that this late tool was based on more primitive technology that was used to perform the same kind of sighting for untold centuries in the past.

Another interesting thing about the decans is that every 10 days a new decan would appear at the horizon at the first observable hour of the night. It’s from this array of 36 decans, each lasting 10 days, that the Egyptians determined their solar based calendar, where the last decan coincided with the annual inundation of the Nile river. They had a yearly calendar of 36 decans with five days added to the end to make 365 days in all. The five additional days would represent a 73rd quinarian in the Egyptian astrological system, but that is another interesting item to discuss in another article.

As you can see, the decans were used to measure time during the night. They also represented the hours of the domain of the underworld, where the solar boat and its occupants fought the threatening chthonic foes in order to gain passage to the gate of the dawn in the east. This underworld passage occurred every evening, but to the Egyptians it represented the mythic passage from death and mortality to the immortality of the gods - an initiation cycle of profound consequences.

If we now observe that the decans and the Naib cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot are analogous, then not only do we have an elegant system of occult correspondences, but we also have a map for an aspect of the Inner planes, governed by various spirits and representing the underworld passage of occult initiation.

Frater Barrabbas

Affiliate Membership to the E.S.S.G. - Order of the Gnostic Star

 

I wanted to share this document with my readers and let them know that there is now an official Affiliate Member role in the Order of the Gnostic Star. Individuals may apply for membership directly with me through this blog site. Please look over this document and let me know if you have any questions or thoughts. I apologize in advance for the overly formal writing style, but that is how we write official documents in the Order.



Special Rules, Considerations and Regulations

This is an official communication from the elders of the Order to anyone who is interested in joining but lacks the means or ability to form a working magickal group.

We, the elders of the E.S.S.G. in the outer Order, and the L.E.T. in the inner, recognize the difficulties and trials of being required to first form a group and then charter a temple before being admitted into the Order as fully functioning members. Membership does entitle the group to have access to the lore of the Order, most of which is not available to the general public. While this may change at some point in the next few years, at this date, the lore for the first two degrees is not generally available. For this reason, we have decided to allow individuals not associated with any group to petition the elders of said Order for the purpose of being granted an affiliate membership to the Order. There are certain and very specific guidelines associated with the granting of this honor, and because such a membership occurs outside of the usual expected development of a group, responsibility for ensuring continuity and steadfast adherence to the required workings and ordeals is between the affiliate member and his or her elder mentor.

An elder mentor of an affiliate member will be an initiate of the Order of a level not less than the 5th degree, being therefore, a member of the inner order of L.E.T. An affiliate member is recognized as such by this elder, who ensures that the affiliate member follows the strict guidelines and expectations for advancement. Temple autonomy is abrogated for the affiliate member, who must seek all of his or her lore and advancement through a mentor and not through the peer group of a chartered temple. Affiliate membership will include all of the lore, privileges and responsibilities of individuals who are engaging in the work of a first and second degree member within a temple association. The third degree can be awarded by special consideration from the elder mentor to the affiliate, but any further degree or lore considerations must be accomplished through a chartered temple, which the affiliate is expected at this point to have successfully established.

To obtain an affiliate membership, a seeker is required to contact an elder of the E.S.S.G., and then present a suitable biography of all of his or her spiritual and magickal accomplishments, including membership, initiations, degrees, awards and accolades from other spiritual and magickal organizations. Enough information should be presented so that the elders of the Order may confer and determine the entry point for the candidate. For anyone seeking to be an affiliate who doesn’t already have a steadfast and continuous spiritual and magickal discipline spanning no less than three years must begin at the very first entry point. Steadfast and continuous is defined as being involved or engaged with one specific group, discipline or organization for the duration of the period in question. Proof and affidavits of such a membership are helpful but not required – sincerity is often something that can be gauged by the candidate’s words, attitudes and opinions.

There are three entry points in the complete series of obligations associated with the affiliate membership. These entry points coincide with the lore of the Mastering of the Art of Ritual Magick series (Qualified Powers), and the lore associated with the first degree (Enochian Elemental magick) and the second degree (Enochian Talismanic Elemental magick) of the Order of the Gnostic Star. Let us now describe in detail these three entry points and the lore and trials associated with them.

One final but important consideration is that an affiliate member can at any time break his or her obligation to the elder mentor and the Order. All work and involvement in that obligation is performed in a completely voluntary manner, and there is never to be anything either forced or coerced in the attitude or expectations of the mentor towards an affiliate member. Also, an affiliate member may end the affiliation if he or she either forms a suitable working group and gains a charter, or joins an already existing chartered temple. Requirements for joining an existing chartered temple would require that the affiliate member live in some proximity to that temple, and that he or she has been unanimously accepted as a member by that group.


Affiliate Level 1 -

The first level of the affiliate membership of the Order is characterized by the necessity of that member to forge their own personal system of magick and a spiritual and magickal discipline. A candidate who is chosen to apply him or herself to this task is assumed to be lacking in either accomplishment. This situation shouldn’t be considered either derogatory or judgmental. A candidate should accept the wisdom that the tasks of acquiring a fully functional magickal system and then practicing it in a consistent and periodic manner is no mean feat. Many individuals who claim to have magickal knowledge and experience are unable, for various reasons, to acquire these two most important components in the practice of ritual magick. Possessing a personal system of magick and a spiritual and magickal discipline must be considered foundational to the competent practice of ritual magick. It is, therefore, the required first step.

The three volumes of the series entitled “Mastering of the Art of Ritual Magick” were written to assist students in designing and developing their own personal magickal system, and then adopting it as a powerful spiritual and magickal discipline. The primary task, then, for the first level affiliate member is to use the ritual structures outlined in the second volume of this series (the Grimoire) to forge a personal system of ritual magick. Thus the first assignment for the level one affiliate member of the Order is to craft a personal system of magick using the basic nine rituals discussed and examined in that series. It is expected that the level one affiliate will purchase all three of these books, study and master them, and then build a ritual magickal system.

We would also recommend the book “Disciple’s Guide to Ritual Magick” because it contains some important more in-depth explanations and rudimentary information that might be important to students who are seeking to build their own magickal system. There is also the blog “Talking About Ritual Magick,” which is located at the website www.fraterbarrabbas.blogspot.com. This blog has a lot of important articles that define the various topics of ritual magick in a specific and granular manner, which might answer questions and propose more basic ideas not found in any of the books. The student is referred to the index located on the left hand side of that blog web page, where the various subjects listed in the blog articles are to be found.

Once students have built their own personal magickal system, they must thoroughly test it to ensure that it works as it should. They may, over time, customize their system until they have thoroughly modified these rituals into something that completely represents their own personal spiritual and magickal perspective.

Testing a personal magickal system is quite simple, the magician must simply use it for a period of time. We recommend that level one affiliate members should practice their system for no less than six months to one year. All workings should be accurately written down in a journal that would include dates, times, duration, and anything that happened during that rite. This may even include dreams, premonitions or even Tarot card readings. All of these experiences are written into a journal to function as a practitioner’s personal log, an important discipline which should be continued even after the period of affiliation is completed. The magick journal functions as a definitive proof that such workings were actually performed. The following minimum trials should be accomplished during the six month (or more)  period.

Perform six Lunar Mysteries with an associated Pyramid of Powers working. (These tasks will engage the student in fully experiencing the Forty Qualified Powers. Although simplistic in structure and use, these powers are deployed in more complicated rites later on, so they are very important to learn and master. )

Perform four Solar Mystery Sabbat rites.

Perform the Prefect Initiation ritual for Earth - using at least two or more witnesses who can attest that the ritual was performed successfully at the time reported.

The level one affiliate may perform more than the above minimum. He or she may perform more Lunar Mysteries, Sabbats and perhaps even the Prefect Initiation ritual for Air or Water.

Once this period of work is completed, the level one affiliate member will gather together a copy of the rituals and the journal entries and send them via the post to his or her elder mentor. After a careful examination and analysis of the results, the affiliate will receive either recognition for a successful passage to the next level, or some required remedial work and additional ritual workings. (This is true of any of the three levels - the only failure is not performing the work.)


Affiliate Level 2 -

Once the affiliate has successfully made the passage to level 2, he or she will receive in electronic format, all of the Order materials associated with the first degree. Since the first two initiations for the Order have been waived, it is important for all of the required work to be completed and properly documented in one’s magickal journal in order for that work to be considered valid.

The lore for the affiliate level 2 membership consists of the thorough mastery of Enochian Elemental Magick. Elemental magick is defined as rituals that invoke and project one of the sixteen elementals. The practitioner will read, study and master the documentation and the rituals associated with this methodology, and then he or she will perform a series of workings.

First, using the short form of the invocation working, the level two affiliate will invoke and manifest all sixteen Elementals. These will be performed sequentially, although the student can determine how many and how often this working will be done. Once all sixteen elementals have been invoked, the student will know from first hand experience the specific qualities of each. This will prepare him or her for the next phase of this trial.

Second, the level two affiliate will perform four complete Elemental workings, including the base Qualified Power, the Elemental invocation rite, Lunar Mystery and Elemental Gate. Each full working will take a full month to complete.

All twenty workings will be fully documented in the magick journal and submitted at their completion for examination by the elder mentor. In addition, the level two affiliate member will be responsible for performing all eight of the Gnostic Sabbat rites, which will be included in the lore presented to the affiliate. We also advise the affiliate member to download all of the ritual lore, the history and the bylaws for the ESSG from the Order’s website. All of these rites and documents should be examined, studied and used to develop individual rites. The more that the affiliate member does to master the basic lore of the Order, the more thoroughly and quickly he or she will advance to the next stage.


Affiliate Level 3 -

Again, once the affiliate member has successfully passed to the next level, based on the recommendations of the elder mentor, he or she will be given the documentation and rituals for the second degree in the Order. All of the required work must be completed and documented in the magick journal in order to substantiate that one has achieved full and complete mastery of this level.

The lore associated with the level three affiliate consists of talismanic magick. It is expected that the student will master the art of invoking and using Planetary Intelligences, and also invoking and deploying Talismanic Elementals (Enochian Seniors) and mastering the use of the 28 Lunar Mansions.

First, using the invocation rite for the Planetary Intelligences, the level three affiliate will perform the invocation of all seven of the Olympian Spirits, using the planetary hours and other useful lore to fully manifest the powers, intelligence and qualities of these spirits. The level three affiliate will perform these invocations sequentially and individually. We advise the affiliate member to perform no more than one of these spirits a week so as to fully absorb the working and understand the nature of the spirit. As always, the working will be fully documented in the magick journal.

Second, using the talismanic elemental working rituals, the student will perform three full invocation workings and generate three distinct talismans, using a combination of the Talismanic Elemental and the Lunar Mansion. These will be individually accomplished during a separate lunar cycle, so there will be no combining or stacking of these spiritual powers in a shorter period of time. Total time for these three workings should in the area of three to six months. Out of these three workings, one of the talismans will be duplicated, and that duplicate will be sent along with the copy of the magickal journal to verify that the work has been successfully completed. (The extra talisman will be returned when the examination is completed.)


Final Considerations for the Autonomous Third Degree Initiate -

Once an affiliate member has successfully completed all three levels of his or her training, then, with the affirmation of the elder mentor, the candidate may be considered for an individual and non-temple elevation to the third degree, receiving all of the lore and privileges associated with full membership in the Order. The candidate must travel to the home of the elder mentor and there receive a combination of official training and initiation into the Order as a fully vested ritual magician. The complete lore associated with the third degree will also be granted to the candidate, and he or she will receive personal training in the arts of invocation and evocation, as well as dispensation to perform a simple Mass rite to aid in that work. Once this training is completed, then the candidate may receive recognition as a fully autonomous third degree initiate.

A fully vested third degree initiate may keep his or her relationship with the elder mentor until achieving the fifth degree, or it may be dropped. However, the autonomous third degree can receive no further advancement in the Order until or unless a temple group is first assembled and duly chartered, with the third degree initiate acting as its first magister. When that newly chartered temple has had its first anniversary, then the autonomous third degree may petition his or her elder mentor or a suitable surrogate for advancement into the fourth, and if warranted, the fifth degree of the Inner Order.


Therefore, having written this addition to the normal proceedings of the bylaws, and having received unanimous consent from the other elders, the Affiliate Member Program is herein established.

Frater Barrabbas 

Twin Cities Pagan Pride 2010

Well, I attended and taught my workshop at the Twin Cities Pagan Pride this year. The location for this year’s event was at the Lake Harriet Spiritual Community, which is an old converted church in the western side of Minneapolis. Because of the new location and the smaller area, the venue was probably not as big as supposedly has been in previous years. Saturday was fairly well attended, but Sunday was only sparsely attended, at least until the mid afternoon. My class held on Sunday at 12:30 had only four of five attendees, but this made the workshop more intimate and allowed for a wider range of topics to be discussed. I also was able to really examine the nature of my workshop on Sacred Space, Temples and Groves, and found that it does need some adjustment, but overall, the class was a success. The weather for both days was quite nice, pleasantly warm during the day, and cool during the evening - and lots of brilliant sunshine, which I enjoyed soaking up a bit of that, too. (Winters can be pretty harsh up here in the great northern plains.)

I also got to meet some old friends that I haven’t seen in quite a long time, as well as hang with some friends that I hadn’t got the chance to socialize with during the summer months. It makes me realize that living way out in the countryside has its benefits and its drawbacks. Seeing friends on a regular basis is one of the things that doesn’t happen often enough, so I often feel like I am missing out on what is going in the city. However, the isolation has its uses, which is the peace, the silence, ability to tune into nature, and enjoy long periods of thinking, meditating and working magick as often as I please. I am lucky in that I have a large home in the country and can support both an indoor temple (with an adjoining fire place) and an outdoor grove. Having both of these features makes living out here both a positive experience and one that has aided my spiritual and magickal development.

So, with that being said, I am enjoying this autumn, but I am definitely feeling a lot of internal spiritual movement deep within my soul, and I know that there will be some very interesting things awaiting me in the next couple of months. Autumn is my favorite time of the year, and I love all aspects of it, especially Samhain! The period from late September through the end of December are my most productive times, and it’s the time when the magick really manifests in a very powerful way - so I look forward this autumn with a high degree of optimism and encouragement.

Some interesting points about sacred space were written into my notes for that workshop, and since I haven’t shared any of that information with my readers, I wanted to post it here for all to read and think about. Here are my notes, but I have restricted them to include only the initial information about sacred space.


Introduction to Sacred Space

To define sacred space, we need to first define the terms sacred and space.

The dictionary can help us with this task (Merriam Webster).

Sacred - something that is dedicated to (exclusive) religious use, hallowed - consecrated by love or reverence, dedicated to a person or purpose, inviolable.

Related words: Sacramental - anything that is considered to have a sacred significance. Sacrifice - making an offering to a deity, giving up of something cherished or desired.

Sacred Space - a place or area (room) dedicated (either permanently or temporarily) for religious use, consecrated by a special process (either an outward act or an inward perception) and using either obvious or implied boundaries.

Sacred space establishes a boundary threshold between the domain of spirit and the mundane world, where what is within that boundary is considered to be a participant of the domain of spirit.

What is outside that boundary is to be considered part of the mundane world, or that space which is not essentially a participant in the expression of the sacred.

The boundary that is used in Witchcraft and paganism (if it is used at all) is a circle.

A circle can be found in both an indoor temple and an outdoor grove.

Other most essential element is the altar, which symbolizes a point or specific place in the circle where the godhead may be approached and communicated with in a direct manner. (Think sacred mountain or world tree.)

Because of the use of a boundary for sacred space, the temple room or outdoor grove characterizes a kind of magick or liturgical operation that is defined as using the process of immersion.
       
The gods, spirits and special creatures in paganism and witchcraft are experienced directly and individually by all - there is no veiling, gradation or partitioning of that exposure.

Pagan and wiccan magickal and liturgical practices are different than Christian or ceremonial magickal practices. 

Frater Barrabbas