Musings About End of 2022

 

It was a very interesting year for me, considering my writing endeavors with Witchcraft and ritual magic. I had completed my book “Talismanic Magic for Witches” and started to go through the process of revising it, submitting the final revised form to Llewellyn for production. I also wrote and completed “Sacramental Theurgy for Witches” and I will submit that project to Llewellyn by the end of February, where it will go through its revision process and ultimately into production.

I am presently writing the final book in that series, and that has the working title “Transformative Initiation for Witches,” and I should be done with that manuscript before the end of Spring 2023. There will be, once the last two books go through production and end up in print, five books in the “For Witches” series. The cover colors are related to gem-stone type hues, with the series represented by onyx, amber, amethyst, emerald and garnet. I am looking forward to walking into a lecture or a book signing some day with all five books under my arm. It is quite an achievement, and one that started in 2016.

Why did I write this series of books? I have put seven years of life into researching, developing and writing them, and they are all books with the traditional Witch or Pagan audience in mind. You might ask me the question, aren’t there enough books out in the public for the Witchcraft or Pagan community? Why do we need more of this kind of literature when the publishing world appears to be saturated with this media topic?

To answer this question you have to look at what is out there in the public domain. There are a lot of good books, but none of them cover the kind of advanced magical workings that my series touches on. The areas that I wanted to address in my books has to do with the magical and religious initiative of the individual Witch or Pagan seeking to perform more advanced kinds of magical workings that are just as cutting edge and relevant as what the ceremonial magical community are performing.

These works of mine will allow the Witch or Pagan to either access the work currently occurring in the magical community, such as with newly translated grimoires or historical research in the areas of magic and witchcraft, or to build their own independent comparable magical systems. It was my objective and hope that the reader of my books would work to build up their own magical system extended off of the baseline traditions of modern Witchcraft and Pagan magic. It is the path that I forged back in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and it is very relevant today, because I continued to develop these methodologies over the years. I have not been resting in my imaginary laurels. I have continued to reinvent my magic over the decades so that what I am presenting today is as fresh as it was back 40 years ago.

So, that is the answer to why I worked to write these five books. A deeper reason is that I had the pride and arrogance to believe that what I had started to develop years ago was an important contribution to the practice of Witchcraft magic, despite the absolute plethora of books in print now and for the foreseeable future. It is my legacy to pull together this lore and present it in an organized and accessible media for all other interested parties to examine it, and hopefully, to adopt some of it in their own workings. It is my belief and hope that such a prideful journey is not hopelessly corrupted by my own hubris, as is the case with many human endeavors to capture a lifetime of work in a series of books.

To answer the question of what I wrote, I can elucidate that answer here. There were, in my estimation, five different areas that were missing from the cannon of magical lore in the modern Witchcraft traditions. None of these methodologies are to be found in the traditional Book of Shadows. The five areas are as follows:

1. (Onyx) Spirit Conjuration including the acquiring of a familiar spirit and the mastery of the domain of spirit, ancestor worship, building a shrine of spirits and demigods, communicating with the spirits and accessing the spirit world, appropriating and making use of the old grimoires in one’s magic.

2. (Amber) Advanced Energy Magic - working with the four elements as the 16 Elemental Spirits and 40 Qualified Powers, developing energy structures beyond the cone of power to include the Pyramid of Power, magical Octagon, sigil creation, and other energy model of magic constructs.

3. (Amethyst) Talismanic Magic - working planetary and zodiacal magic, using the septagram to invoke and establish planetary intelligences, developing the mechanism to generate talismans, using the lunar mansions, zodiacal decans and septans, and performing celestial magic within a strict observance of the planetary day, hour and associated astrological auspices.

4. (Emerald) Sacramental Theurgy - enhancing the religious elements of Witchcraft magic to bring them into the ritual workings, godhead assumption reformation and full godhead personification, consecration rites of the mass, the benediction, and the Great Rite, creating sacred magical artifacts, animating statues or paintings with the essence of a godhead, operating within a sacred and magical grove, the assembling and performance of the Grand Sabbat.

5. (Garnet) Transformative Initiation - Differences between the scripted initiation rites and the process of psychological transformation, initiations beyond and below the tradition three, madness and enlightenment, dark night of the soul and its mitigation, the twenty-two stages of the hero’s journey as the cycle of transformative initiation, the stages of the heroine’s journey, harnessing the cycle of initiation to enhance and empower constructive forms of internal and external transformation, the key to spiritual evolution in the Witchcraft tradition.

These are the five areas that I address in the five books that are a part of the “For Witches” series of books. I believe that any Witch from any of the various traditions should be able to make use of the lore in these books and thereby enhance and expand their magical and liturgical work to include areas that are not typically defined in these traditions. The test will be relevancy within the tradition that one is following, the desire for more advanced methodologies and techniques of magic and the need to have a greater magical and liturgical impact within one’s mind, coven or group, or community at large. These books are not for everyone, and of course, some or all of them might not be relevant. However, for the typical magical practitioner who is also a Witch or Pagan, I believe that these books will help to build a more complete tradition, filling in the gaps that may exist in these practices.

While four of the books are under contract by Llewellyn, I believe that the fifth will also be published by them, since it is the last area not covered by the advanced lore that I have learned and mastered over the year. I expect to see all five books together in print by the summer of 2024, and I will then have completed my tasks, as I envisioned them back in 2016. While I did not anticipate five books in total, I knew that this series would fill in the gaps that I had to develop nearly fifty years ago. I am glad that my muse drew me through this intricate maze to help me produce these five books, and I look forward to when I can start writing other books in another series, to build on the legacy that I have established in my literary journey that started in 1992.

Frater Barrabbas

Enochian Binary Planetary Spirits and Invocation Rite Part 2

Here is my rare gift to those who read my blog, an actual ritual pattern that you can use. Consider this a Solstice gift from me to you. Just flesh out this ritual pattern and you will have a powerful ritual to invoke one of the 49 Bonarum. I have found these spirits to be profoundly useful and very insightful. Bright blessing to you this wonderful day, December 21, 2022.

Now that we have classified these 49 Bonarum spirits we can present the ritual for invoking one of them.

The Invocation of a binary planetary intelligence uses the same pattern as the invocation of the Talismanic Elemental, with some additional features. Instead of invoking the ruling planet of the lunar mansion, the operator would perform a double invocation of the planetary base and then the planetary qualifier. There is no charging vortex used, so instead the operator would set the zenith with a great rose ankh, set the four watchtowers with the lesser hexagram of union (earth) and then draw a rose ankh on the parchment sigil.

To invoke a binary planetary intelligence, the parchment sigil should contain the sigil of the function or purpose of the working, the sigil of the name of the spirit, as derived from the alphabet wheel (use the English wheel for Enochian spirit names), and the symbols of the two planets, the qualifier set above the base planet. When I make this composite symbol, it looks like a fraction with a line separating the base from the qualifier.

Invocation of the Binary Planetary Intelligence Spirit Ritual

Here is the ritual pattern for you to examine. 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 target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
2.    Proceed to the southern watchtower. Facing the south, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
3.    Proceed to the western watchtower. Facing the west, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
4.    Proceed to the northern watchtower. Facing the north, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
5.    Proceed to the center of the circle. Facing the center, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
6.    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.
7.     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.
8.    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.
9.    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.
10.    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.
11.    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. 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.
12.    Using the wand, proceed to the northern watchtower, and therein draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
13.    Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
14.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
15.    Proceed to the eastern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
16.    Proceed to the center of the circle and draw a rose ankh to the nadir, projecting into it a deep violet color.
17.    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.
18.    Proceed to the western watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
19.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
20.    Proceed to the eastern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
21.    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.
22.    Return the wand to the altar. Proceed to the eastern watchtower, face the west.
23.    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.
24.    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
25.    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.
26.    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.
27.     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.
28.    Using the wand, draw the invoking pattern for the base 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.
29.    Using the wand, draw the invoking pattern for the qualifier 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.
30.    Draw three consecutive invoking spirals over the septagram icon, and then name the binary planetary spirit, touching the wand to the parchment sigil.  
31.    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.
32.    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.
33.    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.
34.    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.
35.    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.
36.    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.
37.    Intone the prepared invocation of the binary planetary intelligence, and then call its name repeatedly, with a dramatic voice. Let the voice diminish in volume until it is just a whisper.
38.    Sit in meditation before the center altar and internally call to the binary planetary intelligence until a response is sensed. Use the imagination to help enhance the experience of that spirit.
39.    When the meditative communion with the spirit is completed, then stand before the septagram icon and take up the wand and draw a banishing spiral over it, and give the target spirit a warm farewell and thanks for visiting.
40.    Place the wand on the septagram icon, and then turn around and proceed to the west then turn again to fact the east.
41.    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.
42.    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
43.    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.
44.    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.
45.    Take up the wand and proceed to the eastern watchtower and with the wand, draw therein a sealing spiral.
46.    Proceed to the southeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
47.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
48.    Proceed to the southwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
49.    Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
50.    Proceed to the northwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
51.    Proceed to the northern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
52.    Proceed to the northeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.  
53.    Return the wand to the altar. The vortex is sealed and the ritual is completed.

So, that is the ritual pattern for invoking the binary planetary intelligence also called the Bonarum. I have presented enough information in this appendix for you to be able to experiment with these spirits, and I invite you to do just that. I think that you will find them to be very powerful indeed.

Frater Barrabbas

Enochian Binary Planetary Spirits and Invocation Rite Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

49 Bonarum – Binary Planetary Intelligences

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

End of Part 1 - Stay tuned for Part 2.  

Frater Barrabbas

Frater Barrabbas Author Literary Tour - Part 8 - Sacramental Theurgy For Witches

 

This book, unlike the previous, is still in manuscript form and hasn’t been submitted to Llewellyn for publication. I am pretty certain that they will want to publish once they get it, since it fits into a set of books that are good sellers. (Note: I am signing a contract to publish this book soon.) It makes good business sense to continue a series if it is popular and people are buying the books. Still, I am not in the literary business to make money as much as I am writing books to ensure that my legacy of knowledge and practical experience is shared with a large audience. Perhaps I can even imagine that these books might be getting used and thus changing the way that Witches and Pagans practice their magic. I can only hope that such a process is underway.

I wrote this book last summer and it only took me two months to complete it. A lot of the material used in the book I already had on hand, and I was very keen on sharing that material with my community. Still, one might ask what could sacramental theurgy possibly have to do with Witches and Pagans. The title sounds kind of pretentious and very high-brow, sort of like some book on philosophical magic or some trendy breed of ceremonial magic. Of course, I don’t write high-brow books on Witchcraft magic. I leave that to the academics, whose works on the history of magic and witchcraft are now becoming more numerous and quite fascinating. This book is purely about a kind of Witchcraft praxis that is advanced, but it is actually quite obvious and deals with something that is fundamental to Witchcraft religious magic.

Here is the advertisement that I have written to be used with this book when it is published.

Theurgy is defined as a magical operation that induces the Deity to perform a paranormal operation to benefit an individual or a group or to refrain or block an occurrence that would cause harm. The Greek word ‘theurgy’ is interpreted to mean, “God Work”, so it is a form of high magic that directs the supernatural powers of the Deity to either make something materialize or to block something from happening. A theurgist is someone who has the ability to directly converse with the Gods and Goddesses and to either urge them to act or to abrogate their powers and assume their identity and then perform the desired work.

While this kind of religious magic was considered the ultimate mastery possessed by Neoplatonic philosophers of late antiquity, such a practice and its associated perspective is very relevant today for modern Pagans and Witches. It is, in fact, the natural evolution of our practices of liturgy and magic that the two approaches should become united into an advanced formulation of magic, a kind of Witchcraft Theurgy. This evolution is already occurring today, and in fact it represents the cutting edge of Witchcraft practices that certain select senior members of our community are developing and practicing in private gatherings, covens and groves.
 
Witchcraft Theurgy can be divided into two basic categories: sacramental magic and the mysteries of transformation. In both of these categories the Deities are engaged and their impact enlarged so that the magic performed is done explicitly through them. This would require not only defining the Deities in greater intimate detail than what is typical in a coven or group, but it would also require expanding the scope of Deities so that the world surrounding these Witches would be filled with Deities representing the cosmic, regional and local geographic domain of the covenstead.

The core concept presented in this book is that when someone undergoes the ritualized process of godhead assumption, anything that they bless or imbue with their assumed powers becomes a sacred object, whatever its form. In traditional Witchcraft, the drawing down of the moon is followed with the rite of cakes and wine, which functions as a form of communion between the living Deity and the coven of Witches. It follows that anything else so blessed by that godhead, such as oils, balms, amulets, tools or even initiated members, becomes imbued with the powers and essence of that Deity. What is missing is, of course, the bloody sacrifice, but everything else is there to tie these modern practices to some of what was done in antiquity. This is, then, the basis for the generation of sacraments, and their use in Witchcraft or Pagan magic is a kind of magic defined as theurgy. It is also the foundation through which the mysteries are experienced and heightened. This is because it is through the Deities and our intimate contact with them that this kind of magic is possible.

When pagan religious cults were banned and disappeared in the Roman empire certain practices were absorbed into Christianity. While the obvious animal sacrifices were no longer practiced, other offerings were encouraged. Catholics had replaced the pagan bloody sacrifice with the consecration and offerings of wine and bread and brought into vogue the concept of transubstantiation to justify that such offerings were in reality the blood and body of Christ. Such a replacement in a religious context brought the ancient ideas of magic into the cultic practices of Christian liturgy. This is because the concept of transubstantiation is a magical one, and it has nothing to do with theology or sacred writings - it is a magical substitution.

Those magical ideas also caused the spread of ideas that other sacraments, such as baptism water, consecrated oils and balms, as well as relics, the blessings of bishops, prelates and even anointed kings carried the attributes of godhead within them and could be used to charge and bless both the community and individual possessions and undertakings. These were old magical ideas that had been a part of the religious practices of the pagan era, and now were brought into the religious practices of Christianity. It is ironic that a supposed monotheistic religion became so infused with idolatry and magical practices that both Islam and Judaism found the practices of Christianity liturgy offensive. It is also no wonder that such practices brought about the reformation in the 16th century. By the 20th century, the Catholic church had quietly shelved those ideas that were magical and pagan in origin, and even changed the mass to remove all such “superstitions” from their practices.

Yet to the late 20th century practicing Witches and Pagans, such ideas fit perfectly within their creeds and praxis, so some of those rites were reverse engineered into the rituals that adherents of these new religions practiced. What you had were practices of godhead assumption, as derived from both the Catholic mass rite and the practices of the Golden Dawn, and the rite of communion of cakes and wine consecrated by the hand and breath of the godhead. I saw that appropriation as the first step down a slippery slope, which led into the magical well of full and complete ownership of the magic that was once used by Christian Catholics. What was once used to bolster the faith within a population of recently converted pagans could now be used to enhance the religious magic of a modern Witchcraft and Paganism.

As I have stated, the core of the magical religious practices of these new faiths was the rite of drawing down a targeted Deity into the body and mind of a specialized and trained adherent. In the new faiths of Witchcraft and Paganism, it was not only conceivable that a person could masquerade and personify their chosen Deity, it was an expected part of the praxis. With such a ritual acting as the central feature of this new pagan faith, it would seem a natural evolution that all things that are holy and sacramental would come from this transformed individual through their blessings of touch, blowing of breath and kiss.

While this was something that ancient pagan cults would have allowed, it was not actually part of their regimen. They had beautiful temples, priests and priestesses and grand statues to represent their deities for the state religion, but a lot of religious activity went on in the private sphere, and this is where sacred persons could assume the mantle of a deity on a temporary basis and act as intermediaries for the personalized aspects of the Deities. What actually transpired in these private religious occurrences are not plainly known nor understood, but it is likely that they modeled what passes today as the practices of home-based worship, the giving of offerings and prayers and the making of sacrifices. These rites are practiced in some form in modern day India, and from them we can deduce the practices of ancient pagans in the Greco-Roman world.

Still, this practice of godhead assumption brought the numena of the Deity into the group so that the adherents could commune and worship that Deity directly and intimately. A human personifying a Deity could then also bless substances, such as cakes, wine, oils, anointments and jewelry (as amulets). There could also be requests for aid, healing, prophecy and guidance. This rite was where the worshipers and the godhead met to strengthen the spiritual bonds and empower the members. This practice became the center of cultic practices for both Witchcraft and modern Paganism.

One of the issues that I have with this practice is that it can lead to abuse and coercion, particularly if the person personifying the godhead was also the leader of the group. I have presented suggestions that the rite of godhead assumption be performed by someone who has prepared themselves for this exclusive act, while the leadership of the group be performed by others who not so engaged in the process of godhead assumption. I feel that it is necessary that the leadership of covens should not also be engaged with performing the godhead assumption so that they are not empowered as to become unassailable autocrats of the coven. After all, who would argue with the powers and commandments of the coven Deities? Instead, temporal authority should not be mixed with temporary Deity based empowerment. I believe that the mixture is toxic to the proper governance of a coven or group.

Additionally, I believe that the coven or group should be able to judge the level of manifestation of the Deity that occurs during a godhead assumption. There should be built in mechanisms that can be used to judge the efficacy of the drawing down rite. I present 10 stages that a drawing down rite can be observed to achieve when the godhead manifests through the target medium. First, I believe that there should be three simple questions that are presented to the medium when the godhead is fully manifested. The first two are simply questions that request the godhead to define itself by name and quality, and to describe its nature and character. A third question is secretly determined by the group without the prior knowledge of the medium, and it is requested to the Deity to outline its purpose for that evening’s working. 

The coven, apart from the sequestered medium, has determined the purpose of the evening’s work, and if the medium is able to clairvoyantly and accurately describe that purpose, then the group can be certain that the manifestation of the Deity is truly a powerful one. Other phenomena can also occur when the divine is immanently and tangibly present, and these I outline in the description of the ten stages. I also briefly discuss what a regressive godhead assumption is, and that it should be gently stopped and aid given if the medium should show signs of a seizure or bodily stress. The coven should document each and every godhead assumption and give a grade, based on the ten stages of Deity manifesting.

There is, however, a practice that is above and beyond the coven drawing down rite, and that is the full godhead personification. This is lifetime practice, but it can be immediately approached through an ordeal of devotion and the single minded focus and immersion into the being and persona of a selected Deity. The true regimen is a three month ordeal that starts out in a regular devoted fashion and becomes more intensive and focused as the moon goes through three cycles. A lesser ordeal has only one lunar cycle, but this is the kind of ordeal where a person seeks to be fully engaged and immersed within the spiritual body of the Deity. Some individuals will make this kind of ordeal and work their life’s sole purpose, where all else in life is sacrificed so that the sage is free to occasionally act and function as a full personification of the godhead. What she or he does while in that state of personification becomes the Deity performing blessings, empowerment, generating sacraments and aiding in the magical endeavors of initiated members. This, too, is sacramental theurgy in its most intensive and impressive style.

Other ritual workings are discussed in this book, such as the triple consecration rite of specific cult objects, such as the Stang, Besom, Cauldron, various statues or busts of the Deity, and individual amulets. These are considered sacred place-markers or representations of the Goddesses and Gods and function as both sacred objects as well as magical tools. The rituals of the mass and the benediction, reverse engineered from their Catholic sources and rewritten to celebrate and worship the Deities of the coven or group are presented, with full examples of those rites. The mass generates sacraments in a similar manner to a drawing down rite, and the benediction is used to super-charge a magic temple using the sacraments from the mass rite. These two rites are used to sacralize any magical working so to manifest within such a working the aid and manifestation of the Deity. I also present the methods of consecration of amulets and relics, and even the animation of a statue, bust of picture of a Deity, representing the full spectrum of sacramental theurgy. Still, I also discuss the elements of sacred sexuality and how it can employed in the magical workings of Witches or Pagans.

In the final section of the book, I cover the temporal mysteries of the sun and the moon, and present magical rites to be used for lunar and solar mystery workings. Another important mechanism in this kind of magic is the sacred grove, and I not only define the grove and how it is to be developed and used for working sacramental magic outdoors in the awesome beauty of nature. This brings the reader to the final chapter where I discuss the elements and workings of a Grand Sabbat that bring all of the previously discussed tools, methods and practices together in a powerful that brings to life the material embodiment of the Goddesses and Gods through personification into a temporary sacred community of Witches and Pagans.

I believe that this book will bring together practices and approaches to Witchcraft from a liturgical and magical perspective together into a single powerful practice, where the Deity will be directly engaged and embodied to assist in the magical aspirations of the individual, the group and the greater community. This book will be the capstone to these kinds of practices, and make more obvious the sacramental theurgy that is a natural function of the modern Witchcraft and Pagan practices.

Frater Barrabbas