Will-Based Magic vs Theurgy

 

 

Goddess of Witchcraft

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Frater Barrabbas

Godhead Assumption and Sacramental Magic

 

As Witches and Pagans, our beliefs and practices have established a practical theology that proposes an immanent and intimate encounter and engagement with Deity. While monotheistic traditions had adopted a theology that proposed that Deity was both transcendental and immanent, in practice they established a Deity that was purely transcendental. This is why Islam and Judaism held forth sanctified individuals who acted as intermediaries for their Godhead (i.e., prophets, high priests or sheikhs), and why Christianity established a Son of God that was both flesh and blood, mortal and also one with the transcendental Deity. A transcendental Godhead is remote, segregated from material life and outside of creation altogether. This, of course, is a fundamental difference between modern Witchcraft and Paganism and monotheistic faiths, since our deities are a part of creation and also participate in the material world and our mortality. Witchcraft and Pagan Deities are accessible, immanent, and intimate to us as we worship them. Therefore, we have a right and a privilege to access them, and to engage, and assume, briefly, their god-like nature into our humanity.

I know that in my past years of functioning as a Witch that the tradition has reserved the godhead assumption to that elect group of initiates known as high priestesses and high priests. However, we should understand that there is no barrier between even the least experienced of us and the Goddesses and Gods that we worship. The role of vested and permanent intermediary in our faith is one that is false and borrowed from Christian sacerdotalism, so it must be stated that the titles of high priestess and high priest are both somewhat arrogant and likely misleading. In point of fact, we are all priestesses and priests of the Deities that we worship.

We don’t need unelected leaders and intermediaries in our faith and religious practices to block us from the true relationship between our Deities and ourselves, since we are gifted and privileged with direct access to our Goddesses and Gods. If someone leads a ritual, performs an exclusive drawing down, or lives their life as one who personifies and functions as a terrestrial representative of the Gods, then they do so with our affirmation, honor, and engagement. We know that such roles are assumed by us to worship and honor the Gods and they are not done for selfish and egotistic reasons. Some of us are gifted as role-playing leaders in our ceremonial rites, and some of us have mastered the art of godhead assumption or live as mortal representatives of the Gods, but only in service to the Deities, and such roles are brief or limited by human weakness and mortality.

There should never be any kind of assumption of personal power or assumed authority when it comes to acting as an intermediary for the Gods by an individual. This is why I believe that functioning as a group leader and also exclusively acting as an spiritual intermediary is a potential problem, and therefore, I don’t allow it for myself and I hope that it will evolve out of our praxis. Acting as an intermediary should always be a temporary role within the religious practices of a Witch or Neopagan group, and it should be separated from any kind of position of leadership.

Sacraments

Now that I have laid down the foundation of my thoughts on godhead assumption, I would like to progress to another associated concept and that it the generation and use of sacraments. Anything that is blessed by the Deity is considered a sacrament, particularly if it is blessed by someone acting through a godhead assumption. They will take the object in their hands, blow their breath upon it (pneuma - spirit), make a sign upon it, say words to the effect that it is now blessed, and that object is now and forever changed, becoming a sacrament associated with that Deity. Typically, sacraments consist of food and drink or lustral water, but they can also be amulets or tokens, oils or balms, perfumes, potions and medicinal concoctions.

These sacraments represent what is returned from the Deity to the worshipers, in contradistinction to the votive offerings and prayers made to it. There is a complete cycle of offerings made to the Deity by us and sacraments returned from it to us. The whole basis of generating sacraments is that it is a medium through which pagans and witches establish communion with their Deity, and in this fashion, they are continuing a methodology and practice that was found in Roman Catholic rites until recently. The difference is that pagans and witches deal directly with their Deities and experience them in a tangible and material fashion, unlike the Eucharistic rites of Catholic and Orthodox Christians, who make due with a surrogate officiant. A pious Catholic would never say that their priest had assumed the godhead of Christ, but they would say that he was acting as a mere representative for the miraculous transubstantiation ordained by their God. A godhead assumption does not even conceivably play a part in that rite, but it is a core practice in the rites of modern Paganism and Witchcraft.

So, it would seem that the central tenant in the modern practice of Paganism and Witchcraft is the ritual of godhead assumption, performed as not only a sacred communion rite, but where the practicing medium becomes for a short time the actual personification of that Deity. There is not only transubstantiation involved in the communion rite, but there is also a powerful transformation of the elected officiant who directly assumes the target covenstead Deity. However, that ritual practice and the role of priestess or priest is not delegated to a single specialized individual, but it is available to all participants. Additionally, the items that are consecrated and sacralized in the communion process can be used as magical tools and devices imbued as they are with the essence of the Deity. Not only can sacraments be used to charge and sanctify other objects, they can be used to project the power and authority of the Deity into the material world. Using sacraments in magical workings in this manner is what I call sacramental theurgy.

Individual Godhead Assumption

Godhead assumption is not limited to the drawing down rites of the covenstead Goddess or God, but a singular version of it can be used to assume a godhead for any practical and magical working. Witches can observe and experience strong and deep trance alignments with the Deity, or weaker and more conscious focused assumptions. The effect of the godhead assumption can be made more intense and deep or less intense and more conscious by establishing the baseline trance as either deep or shallow. In either situation, the connection between the Deity and practitioner is strong enough to impact the communion rite at its deepest level, or any other magical ritual working while assuming a state that allows for conscious actions and individual awareness. When I consider the methodologies that I use to perform my ritual workings, everything that I do while performing rituals is through the guise of a weak but effective godhead assumption. In this manner, all the magic that I am performing is a form of theurgy, because the gods are engaged and aligned with the ritual work that I am doing, and they are guiding and adding their power and authority to assist my goals. What that means is that my magic is, at its core, not will-based magic, since I am incorporating the Deity whose persona I have assumed and through that guise I will perform my magical working. When I work magic, then, it is the “will of the Gods” through whom I am seeking a material or spiritual objective.

While the Drawing Down rite for a goddess assumption is publicly available as is the drawing down of the god, the more basic and simpler version of this more elaborate rite is what is used by individuals to perform the godhead assumption rite. I have covered this ritual extensively in my book “Spirit Conjuring for Witches”, but I will briefly discuss it here as the nine steps for individual godhead assumption. It is assumed that the operator will have previously performed votive offerings, prayers, hymns of praise and adulation, and other liturgical tasks associated with the worship of this Deity before attempting to perform the godhead assumption. (We will cover that in the next section.)

Rite of Godhead Assumption

1. Begin with a preliminary period of meditation and trance induction. The trance state can be deep or shallow, depending on the type of godhead assumption to be worked. Once the meditation is completed, then stand fully erect, aware and awake.

2. First self-centering and ascending wave of energy. Visualize and draw the energy up from the soles of one’s feet, through the body positions, of feet, knees, crotch, heart, lips and crown and beyond in an ascending wave. Lift the arms up and look to the zenith point and beyond. Feel the body open up to the greater spiritual influences. The ascending wave is marked by a slow inhalation and body stretch from feet to crown.

3. Primary invocation to a specific Deity. Call to a specific Deity, request it to descend down into oneself. Build an image or imago of the Deity, and establish an emotional yearning and passion for union. The calling and summoning can be memorized or it can be extemporaneous, or a combination of both.

4. Second self-centering and descending wave of energy. Visualize and draw the energy down from above the crown of the head, to the crown, lips, heart, crotch, knees and feet in a descending wave. Start with the arms up raised and then draw the energy down into oneself, where the arms are swept down to one’s side and head down and looking at the feet. Feel the spiritual light enter into the body and flow down from the crown to the feet, while performing a slow exhalation.

5. Mantle of Glory - draw a cross on the body, connecting the head to the crotch, right shoulder to the left shoulder with the right hand. Place the hands palms together before the chest and feel the energy of the cross radiating on one’s body and centering in the heart.

6. Heart Gateway - with the right hand, draw a triangle on one’s body, with the points of the right breast, left breast, and the crotch. Place the hands palms together before the chest and feel one’s heart opening and filled with love. Then perform a second invocation, calling the Deity to enter into the gateway of the heart and to join with the operator. This invocative becomes more like a chant, where the operator says, over and over, “come into me, join with me, let us be one.”

7. After pausing for a short period, perform the third centering and ascending energy wave. Visualize and draw the energy up from the soles of one’s feet, through the body positions, of feet, knees, crotch, heart, lips and crown and beyond in an ascending wave. Lift the arms up and look to the zenith point and beyond. Feel the body with its assumed Deity riding up into the heavens. The ascending wave is marked by a slow inhalation and body stretch from feet to crown.

8. Connect with assumed Deity and feel the merging of both strands of consciousness into a single strand. Stand for a period until the state of mind feels stable and fully established. Once this is done, then one can perform any tasks in the guise of the Deity, especially the blessing, charging and consecrating of sacraments.

9. Once the work is completed, stand silently for a moment, and thank the Deity for its appearance, feel love and gratitude for it, and then release it from oneself. After a short period of sitting meditation, perform a ground exercise to unburden the body of excess energies and to return to fully normal consciousness.

One thing that I will make apparent to my readers is that the above ritual has an implicit pattern of invocation, constraining, binding and releasing within it. These are the hallmarks of Witchcraft magic, except that the receptacle of this work is oneself.

Votive Offerings and Deity Worship

In order to assume the godhead of a Deity, it is important to give offerings and worship to it before ever approaching the godhead assumption rite. Regarding the cycle of Deity reciprocity, it is important to begin that cycle with the offerings and worship of a votive offering. I have discussed this in previous articles, the books “Spirit Conjuring for Witches” and my latest book, “Mastering the Art of Witchcraft,” so here is what that formal liturgical pattern would look like. You will need to have written up special invocations, worshipful hymns, and have at hand the offering of candles, incense, food and drink. Focusing on one special Deity is also a good idea as long as the other Deities in the pantheon are not omitted from the general offering. If this votive offering is being made to seek a favor from the Gods, then that will be part of what is stated when the working is performed.

This rite is performed in sacred space, so the circle will be consecrated before this work commences. In addition to the prayer hymns, the officiant will also use the image descriptions and the invocation calls to each Deity, asking them to descend and bless the temple. When this rite is performed as part of a full moon esbat or solar sabbat, the officiant will present to the Deities token offerings of food and drink. Here is the pattern for this rite.

1. Perform the circle consecration and any preparation steps required for a full temple operation. Liturgical rites are best performed in sacred space.

2. Stand before a shrine or altar decorated for one’s pantheon, and light some candles. Then using the censor, incense the whole area of the altar or shrine. Then bow low before it and back away, facing the altar or shrine from a comfortable distance.

3. With arms and hands extended in the form of an entreaty, recite a memorized short hymn or prayer to each of the Deities in the pantheon. (These can be extemporized as well.)

4. Kneel and bow before the shrine or altar briefly touching the head to floor, and then rise and recite the memorized invocation for each of the Deities, including the short description to formulate an image of each one.

5. If this is a monthly full moon or a solar sabbat, then the officiant will rise and get the food and drink offering and place it on the shrine or altar. Officiant bows low before the shrine and says: I offer unto you a more fitting sacrifice of food and drink, given to you as a sign of my care, devotion, and alliance. May this offering please you and be acceptable.

6. Sit before the shrine or altar and perform the meditation session for around fifteen minutes.

7. Stand up, bow before the shrine, and address each Deity and thank them for attending your prayer session.
   
Meditation and prayer in the temple should be a daily practice, and votive offerings of incense and candle light can be part of a weekly practice. You can also add offerings of food and drink at least once a month or whenever a magical working is planned.

The cycle of reciprocity with the Deity will help to empower your magical workings and bring you closer to your pantheon. It consists of votive offerings, godhead assumption and sacramental communion. The rite of godhead assumption and communion can be performed once a month when the moon is full, or whenever you have need. A regular liturgical practice such as this should function as the foundation of your religious and magical endeavors. It will also ensure that you are in proper alignment with your pantheon, and with that special godhead to whom you are performing the assumption rite.

Intimate Deities and Magic

This brings us to our conclusion, and that is to discuss pulling together all of these practices to ensure that the operator is fully empowered, sacramentally aligned and capable of working magic in the guise of their Deity. What this does to the operator is to mask their individual will with that of the Gods, so that the magic that is performed is represented as the work in the material world of the Deity. Working magic while under the powerful influence of the godhead assumption will give greater power and authority to whatever magical objective one seeks to achieve.

However, there is a wrinkle to this approach to magic, and that is knowing the will of the Gods. When approaching the Deity for a favor or securing a material objective, it is important to know that such a goal is within the provenance of the Deity. Individual Deities have individualized personalities and motives, and they can be capricious and changeable. Yet, even Gods cannot make the impossible into an achievable objective, unless conditions for a “black swan” incident are met. Asking for the impossible may also be deemed impertinent, and asking for a favor that is outside the purview of their powers and qualities will meet with little success. Thus, it is always wise to divine the will of the Gods for any spiritual or magical endeavor. The use of dice or knucklebones is probably the easiest way to ask if the Gods are aligned to a specific objective, and through offerings and worship, a negative response can possibly be made into a positive one.

If an operator performs the cycle of devotion and assumption for a long enough period of time, then it is likely that they will begin to intuitively know the will of the Gods without having to perform divination. Still, it is a good idea to always to check, and so there is always a role for divination to know, at that moment, what the Gods ordain.

Frater Barrabbas
 
 

Changing Fortunes and Beginners Book

 

The month of March certainly was a wild ride for me. Paganicon was a great experience and also one that was personally very meaningful to me. While I was exposed to a very hostile winter like Spring, I enjoyed the warmth of meeting old friends and making new ones. I met a few people who would play a key roles in my changing fortunes as a writer. Things that I had thought were reliably set turned out to be capriciously overturned. It seemed that I had been inspired while at the convention to try to write a beginner’s book on Witchcraft magic, but I had doubts that Llewellyn would want to publish such a book.

I returned to Richmond resolved to get my fourth book in the “For Witches” series, “Sacramental Theurgy for Witches” into the production with Llewellyn and fulfill my contractual obligations. Folks at the Llewellyn HQ seemed to love the print out copies of the illustrations, so I thought that everything was all set. I just needed to hear back from my acquisitions editor about any revisions or fixes that would be required for the manuscript. Little did I realize that things were about to abruptly change.

Ten days after I had returned home from the convention, and still touched by the glow of what had happened to me there, I received notification from my Llewellyn acquisitions editor that Llewellyn staff  had met in their vision meeting and decided that they didn’t want to publish my book “Sacramental Theurgy for Witches.”  They got the impression that I was trying to urge the Witchcraft community to adopt my own idiosyncratic practices and drop their tried and true ones, and I was trying to sell revised practices that they already had been using. In their opinion, this was very different from the previous three books, and they just couldn’t see any profit in publishing this book.

While it is true that I had sought to reform the basic traditional coven practice where the High Priestess ran the coven and also channeled the covenstead Deity, because I saw it as a conflict of interests and a means of giving too much power to her over the other members of the coven, the rest of the book contained nothing but new practices, many of them cutting edge for the Witchcraft community. It almost seemed as if the staff at Llewellyn was talking about another book than the one I had written. It was a surprising superficial judgement on a book that I had felt the Gods and my spirit muse inspired me to write. Llewellyn, therefore canceled my contract, which also halted the publication of any of the other books in that series.

Needless to say, I was devastated. Not only had I written that book, but another one had not even been pitched yet because I was ordered to slow-go presenting new manuscripts to Llewellyn. I would not likely be able to pitch the last book in the series, which was titled “Transformative Initiation for Witches.” Now, I had talked about these two manuscripts with friends and interested parties at the convention, and they were keen on seeing them in print. Same is true with my fan base on Face Book. Many people were looking forward to seeing these two books published. I was briefly at a loss about what course of action I should take to continue to move forward.

One thing that I want to point out is that Llewellyn is in the business of publishing books and making a profit. They have been publishing occult books for a very long time, and they are successful enough to have their own building and adjoining warehouse, and a large staff of editors, marketing folk, artists, clerks, and warehouse workers. They are a friendly group of people and I liked everyone that I met at the HQ meeting in March. Still, they are a business, and in canceling my contract, they made a business decision. I had been one of their authors for over ten years, so that is a long time for a business relationship to last. Publishing companies typically drop and add new authors at a frightening frequency, so my relationship was unique in that regard. While my acquisitions editor may have rejected my current selection of books to publish, she did not close the door on our relationship. The fact that I don’t agree with the marketing decision that Llewellyn made in regards to the books I wanted to publish doesn’t mean that I am at crossed purposes with them. It’s just business as usual. Who knows, maybe they are correct about my books, but I kind of doubt it. Only time will tell who is correct.

However, in my experience, when one door closes another always opens. In fact, I had met two really amazing men at the convention who had their own publishing company. They were at the convention to help promote one of their authors (Alaric Albertsson), and I happened to meet them just before my book signing was to start. They knew about my work and they were impressed enough to tell me that if I ever wanted to publish a book, they would be happy to talk to me about it. At the time, I felt I had obligations as an author to Llewellyn, and I was expecting to write a few more books for them in the future. Still, I chatted with them for a bit, got their business cards and said that we might consider doing business in the near future. They discussed with me the possibility of picking up the book Mastering the Art of Ritual Magic from Immanion Press and adding it to their publishing company catalog. These two gentlemen were Blake and Wycke Malliway, and their publishing company was Crossed Crow Books. I liked them a lot, but I never thought that I would be doing business with them so soon.

My shock and sadness at Llewellyn canceling my book contract was only a brief ordeal, since I reached out the very next day to Blake and asked him if he would be interested in picking up the rest of the “For Witches” series, since Llewellyn had already rejected the latest one in that series. To my surprise, Blake was immediately interested, but wanted to know why Llewellyn had canceled my contract. After reviewing the brief email that my acquisitions editor had sent me explaining the reason for the rejection, and meeting with Blake and his acquisitions editor Becca, they decided to not only pick up the last two books in the “For Witches” series, but also wanted me to write a beginner’s book as well. Just a mere five days after receiving the cancellation from Llewellyn, I had signed a contract with Crossed Crow Books to write and publish three books. So, I was quite amazed and happy with the results.

Now, as you know, I never wanted to write a beginner’s book on Witchcraft. I felt that there were a large volume of media available to the public in the form of books, web pages, YouTube lectures, ritual presentations, and a plethora of people wanting to sell tools, robes, candles, incense, perfumes, witchy garb, talismans and amulets, and other materials too numerous to mention. Yet when I perused many of these offerings in my researches, I saw that nearly all of the educational offerings were limited or incomplete in one manner or another. None of these books, lectures or presentations would prepare someone to be able to pick up my five-book series unless or until they had spent years going over this material and experimenting with it, or by chance, if they got initiated by a coven and spent a few years in that traditional organization. Indeed, there wasn’t a convenient bridge to the “For Witches” series for a beginner to cross.

So, the question proposed to me at the convention by more than a couple of individuals was if I wrote a beginners book, what should I write into a book that would get someone efficiently to the point where they could start working with the “For Witches” series of books. That was the challenge presented to me, and when I got home from the convention and was diddling around with ideas for this book, the entire table of contents for it seemed to manifest out of thin air. My muse was once again active! This occurrence happened before my contract with Llewellyn was canceled, so I was seeking a way to pitch this book to them until I had the rug pulled out from under my feet. The Malliway brothers helped me to solve this conundrum, and that is when the book “Mastering the Art of Witchcraft” or MAW for short, was born.

It seemed as if I was destined to write this book. What I wanted to do was to present both the liturgical and magical sides of Witchcraft for someone who was practicing as a solitary practitioner. That is the path that I presented in my “For Witches” series, which are magical practices that should be done by the independent Witch, whether in a coven or functioning as a solitary Witch. I also wanted to establish the basic practices, tools, meditation techniques and promote to the beginner the idea of building their own lunar and solar calendar, mapping out the full moon esbats and eight sabbats. As for the magic, a simplistic version of the energy model of magic was a good place to start, and I also threw in simple negative and positive vortex ritual patterns to use along with a slightly more complex cone of power. I also added in the basic binding rite, poppet magic rite and the rite to evoke the four elements combined within the flesh, blood and bones of the operator for an enhanced ritual of self-empowerment. These three rites had been in my Book of Shadows for decades, although they were not oath-bound material.

What I had determined is that if someone were to take this book, copy and embellish the rituals and practices written in it, and then armed with the lunar and solar calendar, practice these for a two year period, then that person would be prepared to study and use the “For Witches” series of books. In the final chapter, I included a list of books and topical areas of study that a person would need to round out and deepen their abilities and understanding. Everything that I wanted to say in this book just fell together, and writing it was almost effortless. I completed writing the book in around three weeks. That has to be a record for the amount of time it took for me to write a book, and the whole process was very inspired and magical. At 44K words, it is not a large book, but it is, in my opinion, substantive.

I also had a meeting with Crossed Crow Books staff and my manuscript “Sacrmental Theurgy for Witches” should be in print and available in February 2024. The other two books will follow, and hopefully, by the late autumn next year, all three will be in print. With the five books in the “For Witches” series in print, and this new book “Mastering the Art of Witchcraft” I will have the means of training a Witch and a practicing ritual magician from the perspective of a beginner to acclaimed mastery. I think, although I might be wrong, that no other author can make such a claim to fame. What I will need to do is put together a series of classes and maybe record them and put them on a YouTube channel. However, I also have other book writing projects that I would like to explore, such as my ideas for the book “Liber Nephilim,” which I will likely explore either later this year or early next year. I will definitely keep you posted.

Frater Barrabbas

UPG - Unverified Personal Gnosis

 

 

One of the most controversial topics in the arena of Witchcraft, Paganism, or other forms of Occultism is the consideration of unverified personal gnosis, or UPG. This term is defined as a vision, insight or paranormal experience which an individual experiences that is used to develop or support certain beliefs or practices without any corroborative evidence. Of course, such a definition would pretty much define a lot of the beliefs, theology and practices of most religions, occultism and magic. It would seem that the sources for practically everything that is spiritual or magical in the world was at some point originally based on unsupported or unverifiable allegations.

Science cannot prove most of the tenets of religion, metaphysics, spirituality or the occult, so that would be the ultimate kind of verification, and in most cases, it is unavailable. However, there are other forms of verification including the participation of groups or even communities of individuals engaged with a specific religion, metaphysical teaching, or occult tradition. A certain degree of objectivity can occur when groups of people have similar experiences while undergoing an extraordinary spiritual occurrence. Additionally, a form of verification can be derived if an experience agrees with written texts, sacred writings or agreed upon tenets or theology, particularly if that agreement is with doctrines that have an historical provenance. I believe that these kinds of verification are the only kinds that are available to Witches, Pagans, magicians and occultists. Does a particular experience, derived belief or visionary insight agree with what is written or accepted as a fact in a spiritual or magical context? If it doesn’t, then it is unverified.

Now, I am not saying that something has to be verified in order to be considered legitimate, since a profound personal experience is certainly authentic. However, because it is something that someone actually experienced, it should be accepted as a truth, but only narrowly within the context of that experience. If an experience such as this is later found to be backed up by something in print or discovered to be unknowingly shared by others then that experience can be cautiously put forward as a verified and supported experience. If it gets adopted by other practitioners then it slowly evolves into an article of accepted practice or doctrine. The reason why I am saying the words “cautiously” and “slowly” when talking about a vision, experience or insight becoming an accepted part of a practice is because it needs to be vetted by more than a few or just one individual before it can be considered verified. This is where authentic experience meets legitimacy within a given tradition or practice.

There is a balance between an idea or a vision in getting slowly accepted as opposed to taking everything at face value and assuming that it is legitimate simply because it is accompanied by a powerful emotional experience. This is a problem in our Witchcraft community, and I suspect that it is a problem in other occult and esoteric communities as well. For Witches, our creative endeavors have shaped what we are practicing, particularly because it is an underdeveloped religious and magical tradition. We need visions, inspirations, new ideas and new practices, but not just anything will work. There has to be some kind of validation process as well, whether that is by community consensus or by some kind of corroborative textual proof. However, some do not agree, and this has led to all sorts of half-baked and even crazy beliefs and practices being shared as truths around the various communities.

Examples of this kind of spurious activity abound, but I refuse to point them out and name any names. Instead I will use myself as an example. When I first started out on my magical path I had developed out of my fevered dreams a system of magic that I believed was the visionary and inspired Atlantean beliefs and practices, long forgotten but now fully realized. I have reams of barely legible writings with all of these types of simple magical operations cobbled together from various sources, primarily Egyptian with a lot of imaginings sandwiched between. It had no relation to anything that was being practiced, either at that time (1970's) or even previously in antiquity. It was based wholly on my creative inventiveness and visions that I had at the time.

I fervently believed in the veracity of this Atlantean magic, at least for a few years, until I found actual occult writings that seem much more interesting and realistic to me. The imaginary Atlantean system of magic was abandoned for the real thing. Still, I would have sworn up and down at the time that I had received these visions from a past life when I was an Atlantean high priest and magician. Looking at them now, they are laughably slim on actual useable occult lore and yet full of hyperbole and visionary excess. I quickly and quietly outgrew my obsession with Atlantis and my supposed past lives, and continued to grow and develop my personal system of magic based on sound occult lore and experimentation.

However, could you imagine what I would be like today if I had persisted in that belief and developed my magic in that vein, using my imagination and ignoring available occult lore while stealing and padding what I had with whatever seemed to work in terms of my egotistical pursuit of fame and glory in the public arena. We can laugh at that kind of characterization which would satirically manifest when considering such a crazy person and their mad quest.

Still, there are some systems of occultism, magic, magical orders and even traditions of Witchcraft that were created in this manner. Are they wrong headed? Ultimately, that depends on the people who follow such an imaginative, volatile, crazy and creative leader, since it would be up to them to revise a practically insane system into one that worked on a functional basis which managed to agree in part with what is practiced by other groups.

I believe that this is what happened when Doreen Valiente took on the task of revising Gerald Gardner’s vision of a Witchcraft tradition in the 20th century. What he had was cobbled together from various sources. What she did was give that vision a practical and inspired set of lore, accessible to many, and it was her work that actually started the witchcraft religious revival.

The whole point of having powerful and visionary experiences is that they ultimately need to be translated into intelligible and practical lore, whether that would be mythic poetry, artwork, theater, music, or ritual and occult metaphysics. Visions are part of another realm altogether, but in order to be truly useful, they need to be interpreted and grounded in the reality of doctrine and established practice. That will cause the vision to be diluted, and it will lose some of the power that it had when it was initially experienced. However, translation is the only way for high level visions and insights to be made available to others and subject to peer review.

This whole process of vision translation is a major part of the Hero’s journey. The vision that is translated is the boon made manifest for all to realize and use.  The Hero’s journey is, of course, associated with the cycle of transformative initiation, so the stage where the boon is translated into a medium intelligible to others outside of this cyclic process is the most difficult and important step in the whole process. Because this is a natural cyclic part of transformative initiation, it would seem that the process of verification and validation is built into the process of achieving a world transforming vision and then translating it into something that is recognizable and accessible to others. One could consider that all of the world’s great religions followed this pattern.

What this means is that if someone has a powerful visionary experience and they don’t bother to translate or mediate it so that it fits into the current tenets and doctrines or is accepted as valid by other practitioners, then they have not completed the most important part of having that vision in the first place. They, more or less, have failed in their quest! This is something important to consider when seeking to popularize the results of visionary experiences. In such a situation, context is important, where the beholder makes certain that others are aware of how these insights and new perspectives came about. That they were part of a visionary or paranormal experience and that they are, as of yet, unverified by either practice or doctrine. I think that such an approach is the most ethical, but it does diminish the power of the experience.

Since my days as a prophet of the Atlantean system of magic, I made an effort to let people know if something that I have discovered or insightfully experienced was derived through a visionary experience or was the product of the conversations that I have had with various spirits and Deities. Some of things that I have been told appear to be groundless or even foolish, while others have opened doors to new practical lore or new ways of thinking about a topic. Not everything that I experience within a magical operation is prophetic, profound or pure genius. Most of it is just the debris of my magical avocation, and if it is useful, it is often only useful to me. When presenting such an idea I make certain that my colleagues know my sources and whether or not such ideas are validated, or as of yet not validated. I don’t pretend that something is a fact until I discover corroborative evidence, and even then, it is still subject to peer review and possible disputation.

I believe that this is way we should all behave when we encounter powerful visionary experiences or paranormal occurrences that impart to us new perspectives and possible lore. While the emotional investment is very high, the path of translation and validating should be equally gratifying, although requiring a fair amount of time and effort. What we don’t need in the present age are hair-brained ideas, ridiculous pronouncements or practices that are based on unsubstantiated or unverified personal gnosis. I know that such experiences can be compelling, but often what we receive under such circumstances is for our own personal consideration. Not everything that we receive from the Deities is prophetic or profound, except to ourselves, and only in that moment of divine inspiration.

Frater Barrabbas

Image of Godhead or Anthropomorphic Idolatry

 

In the lecture that I attended presented by Andras Corbin-Arthen at Paganicon, he made the point that to use anthropomorphic images of the deity is contrary to a religion that worships nature. In doing so, we are placing human-kind at the pinnacle of godhead and thereby allowing and even excusing human domination and exploitation of our natural world. He stated that indigenous pagan groups around the world do not use anthropomorphic images of their deities, and in fact, their concept of godhead is altogether different, and perhaps devoid of deities altogether.

This was one of the issues that he brought up that I did not agree with and felt that it was an oversimplification, or even a conflation of two different issues. First, we need to define exactly what deities are, where they reside and their overall function or purpose. One of the first things that I will bring up here is that the reality of deities is not to be found in the material world. There are neither super-human nor supernatural beings in our material universe. Yahweh or Zeus doesn’t live in the sky or in a palace on the highest mountain. We have explored the whole planet, and even other planets, and the natural world seems to lack any kind of super-human or supernatural beings. If there are gods and goddesses, where are they? Where do they reside?

In my various books I have stated that nearly all of the spiritual and magical phenomena that we humans experience are part of the greater domain or field of consciousness. Whether that consciousness can exist independently of human beings is a big question. I for one, believe that consciousness has an existence and reality all its own, but others have disagreed. Are deities accessible to the animal and plant kingdoms of the earth? That is another interesting question. I would suspect that animals do not need deities to function and perceive spirit; their world is complete and whole for them. So, it would seem that the whole concept of deities and godhead are a proclivity strictly associated with human perceptions and experiences.

Spiritual consciousness, as I have experienced it over the decades, can function as a mirror to those who seek to perceive and understand what is within it. It can be an illuminating mirror, or it can be a dark and distorted one. Deities are living attributes or characterizations of the symbolic life and death of everything in the world perceived by humanity. Deities therefore have no true form, but as protean entities, assume whatever form we perceive them to be. Their function and importance is that they represent points in our collective conscious world where the disembodied consciousness assuming various deific forms can dynamically interact with our individual minds. This means that the deities are both within us and also outside of us, residing within the space of our collective consciousness. We are the deities and they are us, but they are also apart from us. Some people can sense them and emotionally engage with them, while others cannot. That engagement, however it occurs, is the basis for most of the religions of the world.

The domain of spirits, intelligences, magical powers and deities is also represented as a single agency that ties everything within that world of consciousness together in a living web of unity. When I have discussed the quality of union that pervades all things, it is based on my personal experiences of the transcendental state of consciousness perceived as the result of my most intense magical workings. It is this unity, or monism that has no name or characterization, that appears to be the foundation and the source for all spiritual and magical phenomena. We can encounter this state at brief moments of our spiritual and magical workings, and these would be peak moments of clarity and illuminated insight. It is in that moment that I have experienced spirit as a single overarching phenomenon where no individual entities reside, including myself. What that means is that if I perceive deities, then there are, for me, deities. If I perceive this domain as it truly is then there are no deities - there is a one-ness, a unity of all things and beings. Since deities function as points (or stars) within the domain of spirit representing the potential or gateway to that one-ness that is beyond their reality, then how we perceive them is a reflection on how we perceive ourselves.

If we characterize our deities as human-like, then we are making them similar to ourselves, and this is done so that groups and individuals can intimately and comfortably relate to the phenomenon of deity. It also has the power to briefly make deities equal, identifiable and accessible to ourselves. There is no fault in making use of the anthropomorphic qualities of deity in order to establish the means for experiencing union. As long as the image of the deity conforms to what the worshiper expects and desires to see, then the means of accessibility and ultimately union is possible.

The problem, and this is where I would partially agree with Andras, is where we believe that the deity we worship is absolute in its form and character. A human looking deity is a tool or mechanism that allows us to be able to identify and access this being. A deity, as I have stated, has no real shape or form itself, and it is our imagination and passions that give it an image, form and even a tangible means for union. If we can understand that our images of deity are constructed so we can access them, and that they have no real singular form or character by themselves, then I think that we will not be guilty of engaging in an anthropomorphic idolatry. Deities mirror the natural world, but they are not of the earth. They are a part of the greater domain of consciousness that exists within our minds and in the cultural of our shared world, and it is a very human centric domain. Some may be able to perceive that unity behind all spiritual phenomena, and some might not. Some may need deities to engage their spiritual sensibilities, while others might not even have such sensibilities.

Thus, I think that our perception and engagement with deities is a matter quite distinct from the way we have dominated and treated the very earth that we live in. Ecology and theology, although perhaps touching on the same points here and there, are separate concerns for the post modern world. Conflating them creates a false dichotomy and can promote confusion and division within our community.

Frater Barrabbas

Paganicon 2023 - Thoughts and Impressions

The last time I attended Paganicon, in the Twin Cities, MN, was in 2017. At that time, I was living in the northern suburbs and was able to drive and take in some classes and meet folks, but I didn’t plan on staying at the hotel. I only went for a couple of days, did some impromptu book signing because my first book in the “For Witches” was in print. I presented the lecture on the Egyptian Mysteries of the Dead, namely on the contents of the Am Duat with a PowerPoint lecture slide deck. You can read about it here, since I did do a write-up on it for my blog. Needless to say, that was the last time that I attended the convention. I was working and traveling during the following year, and then moved to Virginia. I really couldn’t find the time to make a return visit in 2019, and then the pandemic came in 2020.

During that interlude, I wrote and published two more books with two more manuscripts ready for whenever Llewellyn can put them into production. It was a busy time, but I thought that it would be nice to return this year now that the pandemic has become an endemic disease, more or less. I got emails about what was happening, but I didn’t pay much attention to them. I know that the year 2020, the convention was canceled, and in 2021 it became remote access attendance kind of event, and in 2022, it started to return to a normal convention. Because I had two more books in my series, I felt that it was time for me to return. So, I sent in a lecture request, signed up and then made all of the arrangements to travel to Minneapolis and attend the convention. I also wanted to see the many friends and associates that I had left behind and soak up a bit of the social scene with my pagan tribe. 

Overall, the trip was a big success, although I had to endure a very cold wintry spring, with temperatures nearing zero degrees F. It was very cold, icy and snowy outside, but at the convention center, it was warm and inviting. I had a mini lecture on the nature of a talisman and how to make one at the Llewellyn hospitality suite, and I had a main lecture on the Temporal Model of Magic and the importance of time for celestial types of magical workings. Both went well and were decently attended. I had 25 attendees at the main lecture, because I used up all of the handouts that I had made. My lecture was unfortunately scheduled at 9:30 AM CDT on Sunday, the morning after the ball and extended parties. Those who made it in to my lecture were serious about the topic, regardless of the lack of sleep. Still, the lecture was a success and I even went off script and that made it even better.

While represented my own contribution to the convention, I also attended a number of lectures, and particularly enjoyed those presented by Andras Corbin-Arthen, the found and director of EarthSpirit community, and Kristopher Hughes, chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, a native of Wales and an impressive author. Both of these men presented their own perspective on what could be called a kind of survival of indigenous European paganism. Paganism has survived in obscure rural pockets in Europe, or as in Wales, it has been reconstituted as an integral part of the national culture. Andras, who was born in Galiza in northern Spain, encountered a couple practicing an authentic indigenous form of Witchcraft from the highlands in Scotland when he was a young man and studied with them for over five years. While Andras has deepened and developed his training, and also traveled over much of Europe to discover more remnants of paganism, Kristopher was favored with a cultural foundation for a pagan and magical heritage, revitalized in recent times.

What I learned from these two remarkable men in their lectures is that paganism and witchcraft as practiced by these surviving pockets of Europeans has much in common with other indigenous non-Christian traditions, like the Native American religious practices. There are common threads to all of these groups, and these commonalities can help us modern pagans and witches to be more authentic in our beliefs and practices. Both men showed that it is very important for any pagan religion to include a cultural perspective along with their religious practices. Universal faiths, such as Christianity and Islam, proclaim to be beyond culture or locality, but paganism is dependent on both culture and locality in order to fully function. Witchcraft or paganism are poor faiths if they are stripped of their culture and locality, which was something made abundantly clear in the teachings that Kristopher presented to us at Paganicon.

So, what I learned at this Paganicon was quite illuminating. I learned the following important concepts.

• Paganism or Witchcraft, even as modern practices must have the following qualities.
• Culture - a style of life based on older precedents, whether through emulation of actual pagan survivals, reconstructed or developed with available cultural tropes.
• Location - a typically rural location occupied for centuries with mythic associations, or elected special topographic places where myths are developed, shared with others and passed on.
• Language - an actual language (Welsh, Gaelic, Celtic, Nordic, Germanic, Saxon, etc.) or a specific terminology (borrowed from other languages or academia) to describe states of consciousness, compose invocations, hymns and incantations, names of magical objects and themes, various beings, deities and demigods, and place names.
• Folk Practices - rituals, ceremonies, songs, life event rites and celebrations, lunar and solar cycles, recipes for food and drink, special clothing, special decorations, and folk magic.

Some of the qualities that Andras discussed about what these pagan survivals had in common was even more striking.

• Lack of deities - especially anthropomorphic gods and goddesses. These often assume the guise and nature of animals with only a kind of archetypal representation.
• Belief in an unifying mystery or web connecting all things together into union - a living tapestry where all things appear as one united design. This one-ness has no name, other than naming it “Mystery”.

The word pagan comes from the Latin pagani, which means rural inhabitant, as opposed to the urbani, folks that live in the city. Pagani was also considered a kind of insult, similar to “country bumpkin” or “red neck”. When the Christians later called the Roman polytheists pagani, this considered quite a powerful insult.

Some of the important guiding points that Andras gave the modern community of Witches and Pagans in the U.S., was to make a conscious break with the underlying culture that promotes capitalism and the exploitation of people and resources, and to build a truly polytheistic culture to underlie our religious and magical practices. We should develop a common language to discuss what we are experiencing and what we believe to ensure better communication and reduce the confusion that an unsupported language might give to a group of people committed to acting outside of the Christian culture. I will have to consider these guiding points, and I am not certain that I agree with them all.

Additionally, it is a sign of extreme foolishness to engage in attacking or discriminating against other pagan or witchcraft traditions when we have more in common with each other than with other faiths that are fundamentally inimical to our practices.

It was an excellent Paganicon pagan convention, and it was probably one of the best that I have ever attended. The Pantheacon convention had its anthropologists and academics giving college level lectures, but that convention is no longer available. We still have Paganicon, and it is good to see that it is evolving and able to present good information to the community at large.

Frater Barrabbas

Personal Deity Invocation – Building a Natal Septagram

 

Like making a movie, some of the chapters of my book “Talismanic Magic for Witches” ended up the cutting room floor. My book project was just too large, and whatever was deemed either too complex or not fitting in with the theme of the book was omitted. However, I can re-purpose some of these chapters as blog articles, like what I am doing with this one.

One of the first methods that I developed in the late 1970's to invoke a spirit, typically one that was a demigod or a major spirit, such as one of the 20 chiefs of the Nephilim, or other similar entities, used a septagram pattern to define the specific personality of that entity. I have written about my methods of performing this kind of evocation in my blog in previous article, discussing the septagram as a symbolic tool, and then a three part article on the keys to invocation and evocation, which you can find here, here and here.

This article, unlike others that I typically publish in my blog, has a ritual pattern for you to use, if you should want to work with this kind of extension of the talismanic septagram ritual structure. I would recommend getting a copy of my book “Talismanic Magic for Witches” since this ritual fits into the ritual patterns from that book.

***
 
One of earliest methods that I developed to invoke a personal deity or demigod was to define its personality as if I were building it for a simple natal chart by performing the invocation of all seven of the planetary intelligences and then qualifying each one with one of the signs of the zodiac. For instance, I would perform the planetary invocation for the planet Mars using the septagram icon and then through a stated and expressed invocation, summon and define that quality of Mars as being in the sign of Scorpio, if I wanted to define that quality of Mars as an astrological quality. This was done for each of the seven planets sequentially, where each one was defined as being in a specific zodiacal sign and that would define the overall personality of the entity summoned within a kind of ad hoc natal chart definition once that ritual action was completed.

Defining a deity or demigod by invoking and qualifying all seven planets as residing in a chosen zodiacal sign for each would build a kind of natal chart and define the personality of that entity. When I devised this methodology, I believed that performing this operation would explicitly define the personality of the entity that I wanted to invoke. I could choose any planet and sign combination that I felt defined that particular facet of the spirit’s personality without being constrained by astronomical rules, such as Mercury and Venus would need to be close to the Sun, and that Jupiter and Saturn would represent the natal generation or period of the chart defining the personality. Any combination could be used, even ones that would be rare or impossible, like the Sun in Leo and Mercury in Capricorn. What would be missing would be the specific placement of the planets in the degrees of the signs, and there would be no house assignments. This would be a very simple natal chart without houses or aspects between planets. Such a simple chart would just define the planetary aspects of the personality of the target entity.

This was, I had thought, a pretty useful mechanism for defining the personality of a personal deity or demigod. To give such a spirit a foundation or energy base, I built what I called a pyramid energy envelope consisting of four different elemental pylons set to the four watchtowers, with the central pylon set with the invoking pentagrams of spirit creative and receptive. I overlaid an invoking vortex using the rose ankh upon that energy pyramid, opened a western gate portal and set an inner circle around the central altar and septagram icon. Then once all seven planetary intelligences were invoked and defined each through a zodiacal sign, I would set a great rose ankh in the zenith of the magic circle and lesser hexagrams of union (earth) to the four watchtowers, and perform a grand invocation of the deity or demigod. The combination of four elementals, making up the pylon pyramid of energies, the seven planetary invocations, and the rose ankh and hexagram invoking vortex generated an entity fully personified and expressing all of the qualities that I expected it to have.

Of course, the limitation of this kind of invocation mechanism is that it would be cumbersome and time consuming to define every single spirit in a spirit list, such as the 72 angels of the Ha-Shem, or the 72 demons of the Goetia, although it could be done. I decided to reserve this methodology for personal demigods and deities that I wanted to invoke, carefully selecting all of the variable components of this ritual that would serve to define the personality of the entity and give it a tangible manifestation through the use of the elemental energy envelope. This ritual worked quite well and I wrote a number of them to invoke specific entities that I wanted to access in my various magical workings.

One thing that I will note here is that this would be the perfect ritual to add the other planets beyond the traditional seven. Using an undecigram to perform this kind of working and qualifying all eleven planetary intelligences would produce an array that would be closer to a real astrological natal chart than just using the seven traditional planets. I know that in this book there is a dearth of celestial magical operations that would use the eleven planets, but this is due to the fact that the planetary array of spirits is typically defined by the number 7 or 12 in most of the operations. This is because celestial magic never advanced in association with modern astrology, but remained connected to traditional astrology. While coming up with spirit lists that would use the number 11 instead of just 7 would be a requirement to expand the use of the planets in celestial magic, here is a methodology that would be perfect to use the eleven planets to define any kind of spirit, demigod or deity that you would care to invoke using a custom ritual.

The ritual, which I have called the Tetra-Elemental Natal Septagram Invocation rite, has a number of components that the operator would need to determine before being able to write it up as a specific magical working. I would recommend selecting your favorite demigod as an example and going through the steps to determine the attributes of this ritual and then write it up and perform it. I think that you will be surprised and delighted by the experience.

The following list of components will be needed to be selected before you can write up the actual ritual working.

• Select the four specific elementals that you want to use as the pyramidal energy envelope. You can examine the 16 different elementals in my book “Elemental Powers for Witches” - p. 91 - 94 to select the ones that you would like to use. You will need to select these four elementals and assign them to a cardinal point or watchtower. For instance, one of the workings that I wrote had all four elementals of the base element of Fire, and this made a very fiery and energized energy field to act as the base of the ritual.
• Select a zodiacal sign for each of the seven or eleven planets. You will need to research what the qualities for each of the planets would be when associated with a specific sign. This is a fun exercise that allows you to create a kind of natal chart for the entity that you would like to invoke. Write down the qualities for each planet in a sign of your choosing as if you were describing that quality of the spirit. These will be read when you perform the planetary invocation for all seven or eleven planets.
• Write up a grand invocation for the target entity that you want to invoke. Describe the entity’s qualities and its personality, representing the union of all seven or eleven planetary attributes. This will be read at the end of the ritual under the cooling energies of the great rose ankh glowing in the zenith.

As for a parchment sigil that would be used in this written working, you can draw a sigil based on the entities name and using an appropriate alphabet wheel and also a sigil representing the reason that you summoned this entity and what you desire to accomplish. You can also add the symbols for the seven or eleven planets and the signs that they theoretically occupy, representing the defined natal attributes making up its personality.

You could also add symbols for the four elementals that you chose to activate and give an energized life to this spirit. Yet for this working there wouldn’t be any talisman. It functions more like an invocation than a celestial magical working, but because it uses all seven or eleven planets and has a tetra-elemental energy, there would be a kind of talismanic field, based on the requirements of the talismanic equation.


Tetra-Elemental Natal Septagram Invocation Ritual

Here is the pattern that I put together for this ritual so you can choose to write up a working to invoke a personal deity, demigod or specialized spirit. This ritual is performed within a fully erected and charged magic circle.

1. Take up the wand from the altar and proceed to the eastern watchtower. Facing the east, draw an invoking pentagram of the base element to the base, and above it, draw an invoking pentagram of the qualifier element. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the elemental quality.

2. Proceed to the southern watchtower. Facing the south, draw an invoking pentagram of the base element to the base, and above it, draw an invoking pentagram of the qualifier element. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the elemental quality.
Proceed to the western watchtower. Facing the west, draw an invoking pentagram of the base element to the base, and above it, draw an invoking pentagram of the qualifier element. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the elemental quality.
3. Proceed to the northern watchtower. Facing the north, draw an invoking pentagram of the base element to the base, and above it, draw an invoking pentagram of the qualifier element. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the elemental quality.
4. Proceed to the center of the circle. Facing the center, draw an invoking pentagram for spirit receptive to the base, and above it, draw an invoking pentagram of spirit creative. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the elemental quality of spirit.
Return the wand to the altar and pick up the sword. Proceed to the eastern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
5. Proceed to the southern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
6. Proceed to the western watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
7. Proceed to the northern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
8. Proceed to the eastern watchtower and draw a line on the floor from the east to south, then the south to the west, then the west to the north, and then a line to the east.
9. Return the sword to the altar. Take up the staff and proceed to the eastern watchtower. Begin a circumambulation starting from the east and proceeding deosil around the circle with a spiral arc towards the center of the circle, passing the eastern watchtower three times and entering to the center of the circle. 10. Place the staff before the center altar and imagine the energy field fully activated within the circle. Then return the staff to the altar and pick up the wand.
11. Using the wand, proceed to the northern watchtower, and therein draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
12. Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
13. Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
14. Proceed to the eastern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
15. Proceed to the center of the circle and draw a rose ankh to the nadir, projecting into it a deep violet color.
16. Return the wand to the altar, take the sword and proceed to the northern watchtower. Using the sword, draw a line of force from the ankh in the watchtower to the ankh in the center of the circle at the nadir.
17. Proceed to the western watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
18. Proceed to the southern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
19. Proceed to the eastern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
20. Return the sword to the altar, and pick up the wand. Proceed to the northern watchtower and starting from there, proceed to walk in around the circle widdershins, and slowly arc into the center of the circle, passing the northern watchtower three times, and holding the wand out to push the forces to the center of the circle. Once reaching the center, push the combined powers into the nadir. The invoking vortex is now set.
21. Return the wand to the altar. Proceed to the eastern watchtower, face the west.
22. Draw invoking spirals to the southeast, northeast and then the western watchtower – these positions are the Guide, Guardian and Ordeal respectively – address each when drawing the invoking spiral.
23. Draw lines of force with the right hand, from the southeast angle, to the western watchtower, to the northeast angle, and then back again to the southeast angle. The gateway is established
24. Proceed to walk slowly from the east to the west, and when arriving at the west, perform the pantomime of opening the veil or a curtain with a dramatic flourish. Step close into the western watchtower and turn to face the east, performing the descending wave of energy from above the head to the feet.
25. Proceed to walk slowly from west to the east, imagining descending into a chamber – stop at the center of the circle where there is placed the central altar.
26. Draw an inner circle around the central altar, starting in the north and proceeding widdershins around the circle until ending again at the north. Retrieve the wand and sigil from the altar and proceed to the central altar, standing on the western side. Place the sigil in the center of the septagram icon. (The center icon could also be the undecigram if you are using the eleven planets in this working.)
27. Using the wand, draw the invoking pattern for the first planet on the septagram icon. Start at the point opposite the target planetary point and draw a line towards it, then continuing drawing following the lines of the septagram until you reach the point just before the target, then draw the last line projecting the energy of the wand to the action.  Then point the wand at the sigil, and then draw an invoking spiral on the septagram icon, centering on the sigil and exhaling the breath. Then read the specialized zodiacal quality definition for this planet. Do this for all seven or eleven of the planets (if you are using an undecigram), reading the specialized zodiacal quality definition for each.
28. Standing at the central altar, facing the east, with the wand in hand, draw a great rose ankh in the zenith point. Project a deep violet color into the ankh.
29. Then step one step away from the central altar, facing the southeast, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the southeastern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
30. Turn to face the southwest, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the southwestern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
31. Turn to face the northwest, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the northwestern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
32. Turn to face the northeast, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the northeastern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
33. Draw a rose ankh upon the sigil in the center of the septagram icon and project a deep violet color into it. Then draw a line of force from the ankh in the zenith down to the ankh on the sigil.
Intone the prepared invocation of the entity three times, and then call its name repeatedly, with a dramatic voice. Let the voice diminish in volume until it is just a whisper.
34. Sit in meditation before the center altar and internally call to the entity until a response is sensed. Use the imagination to help enhance the experience of the entity.
35. When the meditative communion with the entity is completed, then stand before the septagram icon and take up the wand and draw a banishing spiral over it, and give the target entity a warm farewell and thanks for visiting.
36. Place the wand on the septagram icon, and then turn around and proceed to the west then turn again to fact the east.
37. Draw invoking spirals to the northwest, southwest and then the eastern watchtower – these positions are the Guide, Guardian and Ordeal respectively – address each when drawing the invoking spiral. (These will be the ordinary themes, not the angels.)
38. Draw lines of force with the right hand, from the northwest angle, to the eastern watchtower, to the southwest angle, and then back again to the northwest angle. The gateway is established
39. Proceed to walk slowly from the west to the east, and when arriving at the east, perform the pantomime of opening the veil or a curtain with a dramatic flourish. Step close into the eastern watchtower and turn to face the west, performing the descending wave of energy from above the head to the feet.
40. Proceed to walk slowly from east to the west, imagining ascending out of a chamber – stop at the center of the circle where there is placed the central altar.
41. Take up the wand and proceed to the eastern watchtower and with the wand, draw therein a sealing spiral.
42. Proceed to the southeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
43. Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
44. Proceed to the southwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
45. Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
46. Proceed to the northwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
47. Proceed to the northern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
48. Proceed to the northeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.  
49. Return the wand to the altar. The vortex is sealed and the ritual is completed.

So, that is the ritual pattern, and as you can see it uses a structure that should be quite familiar to you, having examined several varieties of this rite representing the workings in this book. I invite you to try and write a working and experiment with it. You won’t be disappointed.

Frater Barrabbas