Forty Qualified Powers

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Table of Correspondences

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

Base Element: Fire - Knowledge
Symbol as Abstract Being

Fire of Union: Ace of Wands  

Symbol = Circle.

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

Fire of Creation: Two of Wands 

Symbol = Light.

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

Fire of Reception: Three of Wands 

Symbol = Eye.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Base Element: Water - Emotions
Symbol as Stellar Beings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Base Element: EARTH - Fortunes
Symbol as Physical Beings

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


Frater Barrabbas

Pyramid of Powers - Tool of the 40 Qualified Powers

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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



Circle Squared

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

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

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

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



Magick Pylon -

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Superior Pentagram Ritual

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pyramid of Power Ritual Structure

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Ritual Pattern:    

Establishing the Power Base:

1. Statement of Purpose                                                    

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

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

Summoning the Qualified Power:

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

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

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


Releasing the Qualified Power:

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


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

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

Frater Barrabbas

Golden Dawn and British Tradition Witchcraft Magic - Blending Into New Forms

As I have stated previously, the Golden Dawn system of magic has strongly influenced many other systems of magic in use today. I would like to focus on how the Golden Dawn influenced the method and techniques of working magic in the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions of Witchcraft, and also on how I was able to derive a completely new system of magic by blending them together.

Basically, the typical Wiccan Esbat as practiced in the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions of witchcraft has the following structure.

1. Circle Consecration
2. Raising the Cone of Power - first iteration
3. Imprinting the power and releasing Cone of Power
4. Godhead assumption - particularly the rite - Drawing Down the Moon
5. Blessing and communion
6. Circle banishment

This ritual working structure may seem unique, but it’s really a clever adaption of the Golden Dawn ritual working.

To recap, this is the typical ritual pattern for a Golden Dawn working. Notice the similarities.

1. Temple opening rites - banishing and purification - lesser banishing rituals of the pentagram and hexagram, and performing the rite of purification with water and consecration of fire - unwrap specific tool (element or specific invoking wand).

2. Qabbalistic cross, invocation of the Highest Divine Force

3. Core rite to invoke aspect of spiritual hierarchy - using the greater invoking ritual of the pentagram or the hexagram to each quarter beginning in the east and ending at the altar. Assume Egyptian godform, draw devices (invoking pentagram/hexagram with color and associated symbolic character), give secret name and grade signs. Trace appropriate sigils and Hebrew Godnames over altar, vibrating spirit names of the hierarchy in a descending order, and ending with the incantation of one of the Enochian calls.

4. Circumambulation of the circle specific number of times and perform the Rite of the Adoration of the Lord of the Universe. State magical intentions and then perform the middle pillar exercise. Skry into the corresponding plane of the spiritual hierarchy - one can also perform specific practical magical workings.

5. Rewrap tool(s) and any other charged devices. Reverse circumambulation of the circle the same number of times and then perform the godform divestment.

6. Perform Greater Banishing rite of the Pentagram or Hexagram. Perform lesser banishing rituals of the pentagram and hexagram. Declare temple to be closed.

Wiccan magic incorporates a magic circle in its rites, so the first ritual in a Wiccan working is called a circle consecration rite. However, if one were to pull together the rite of purification with water and consecration of fire, and follow it with the setting of the four cardinal directions with invoking pentagrams, then one would have a rite similar to the circle consecration rite. The cone of power would be understood to be a simpler version of the Golden Dawn ritual working used to invoke and project an Element. The Qabbalistic Cross and the godhead assumption have been incorporated into the rite Drawing Down the Moon.

Both magical systems begin with the creation of sacred space, build up an Element power using deosil circumambulations, and complete the working with a proper circle banishing rite. The consecration of the magic circle in the Wiccan rite uses a variation of the invoking pentagram drawn to each of the four cardinal directions, erecting four empowered wards. However, the circle in Wicca is used to gather the power together and focus it, establishing a boundary between the inner sacred domain and the outer profane worlds. A magic circle is not used in the Golden Dawn system of magic unless one is performing a goetic evocation, and then it functions as a protective barrier between the magician and the domain of the demon. So there are some differences and variations (as would be expected), but both systems seem very closely related.

Israel Regardie published his multi-volume book The Golden Dawn in the 1930's, so it is very likely that Gerald B. Gardner would have had access to it and could have built up his system of magic from it. He also had access to other materials written by Aleister Crowley and a copy of the Key of Solomon. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the methods of working basic magic in Wicca would have been remarkably similar to the Golden Dawn and also influenced by Crowley and the Key of Solomon. There are some differences, as I have already pointed out, but the similarities are quite striking. Since the source materials existed long before Gardner had built out his system of Wiccan magic, then it is not inconceivable that they influenced his writings (and not the other way around).

The Alexandrian tradition of Wicca, although a mirror image of the Gardnerian tradition, did have some additional lore, although it may be more specific to my initiatory line than to the tradition as a whole. The Rose Cross ritual was used to model a new ritual called the Rose Ankh. The ritual pattern was analogous to the Rose Cross, although I am not at liberty to discuss it in much detail. One could consider the Rose Ankh ritual to be a derivative rite of the Rose Cross ritual, and it generated a specific energy associated with the Goddess that was similar but different from the Rose Cross. There was also another version of the Analysis of the Key Word that was associated with the Rose Ankh rite, and used Goddess names and their associated aspects instead of the LVX God names associated with the Rose Cross version of that rite.

In summation, the above six step ritual working for Wicca was, I believe, derived from the Golden Dawn ritual working of the Greater Invoking Pentagram rite. Alexandrian tradition added a couple of additional rituals (as stated above), but beyond that, there was no additional lore developed. That represented the collective lore that I received years ago when I was initiated into the Alexandrian tradition of Witchcraft. The coven that I practiced with also used the Golden Dawn rituals, but there was little guidance as to how to formulate a complex working using the Greater Hexagram rite and other rituals, but the material was presented and explained in the classes that we held. So that was the source material that I had to build a new system of magic.


Extending Beyond the Two Traditions - My Work

Needless to say, I took these rituals and the class notes and began to experiment with them, particularly the Greater Pentagram rite. I also made it a point to study in great detail the Rose Cross ritual, since it seemed to me to have a quality that other rituals lacked. I felt that the Rose Cross ritual was very powerful and that if one could understand the structure of that ritual, one would discover a important key to working ritual magic. In fact, as time went on, I merged these two rituals together to produce a ritual that I later called the Pyramid of Power ritual, but what I was seeking was a method of making the Wiccan cone of power ritual more efficient and more powerful. I was also putting together a system of magic that would invoke powers and intelligences through a matrix.

It had always seemed to me that the cone of power ritual, when analyzed, had a masculine property. It was obviously phallic shaped, following a sun-wise circuit around the circle, and it modeled the masculine cycle of orgasm - building the energy up to a plateau, then imprinting it, and then pushing it to a final climax. I always saw the power projected out of a cone of power as being like a pulse of energy or a fire bolt or lightening bolt, and it was also like the ejaculation of semen.

However, if there was a masculine power in the cone of power rite, then there should be a feminine energy that would balance it. What would that rite look like, what would be its form and how would its energy work? It would, of course, be the opposite of a cone of power. Let’s contrast these two types of energy to each other - starting with the cone of power.

• Follows a deosil circuit
• Polarized along its periphery
• Spirals up to the center of the circle and beyond

So the opposite kind of magical power would have the following opposite qualities.

• Follows a widdershins circuit
• Polarized to the center of the circle
• Spirals down to the center of the circle and below the plane of the ground/floor

This feminine force is called a vortex and it is the opposite of a cone of power. The simplest way to create a vortex is to polarize the four points in the magic circle, join them together in the center of the circle (creating a cross roads), and then raising the energy by circumambulating widdershins along the periphery to the center of the circle and projecting it down to the lowest point (below the plane of the floor) called the nadir. Where a cone of power is imprinted with a charged desire and released at the ritual’s climax to perform a specific task or impact a specific target, the vortex acts like a container for magical powers, preserving them and focusing them to a greater intensity.

While a cone of power is built up and then released, a vortex perpetually contains the powers generated within it. When a vortex reaches a kind of critical mass, it releases waves of force that circle around the epicenter of the vortex, much like a pebble dropped into a pond creates circular waves around it. And these subtle and powerful waves influence and bend reality in a manner that is much more effective than a cone of power. The vortex has to have a certain level of power built up within it before that power can be released in a wave-like manner. Yet like a cone of power, a vortex releases its power through resonance. A vortex can’t be banished since it’s structure remains in place with a residual force even when the energy that it contained is released. A cone of power requires banishment after the rite is completed, but the vortex is just sealed in place until the next time that magic is performed. One would only need to unseal a vortex and it would be ready for use, containing the same level of intensity when it was previously sealed. For some unknown reason a vortex always seems to contain energy, acting like a bottomless well. Whatever energy is released is always renewed within it.

The technique of generating and working with a vortex was something that I had actually invented myself. Previous rites had only indirectly produced a vortex like energy field. I discovered this bit of magical lore when I examined how the Rose Cross and Rose Ankh rituals worked. I had also experimented with the Rose Ankh device, learning that it produced a kind of powerful magnetic magical energy when drawn. So I decided to use the Rose Ankh device, and I drew it in the four points of the magic circle, thus polarizing them to create the base of the magnetic energies of the vortex. I used a magic sword to draw the four points together in the center of the circle and perform a widdershins circuit, and the resultant ritual produced astonishing results. All of the qualities that I described above were realized through the use of this new ritual. With the Rose Ankh device and the ritual structure of the vortex, I had my first really potent hybrid ritual structure to build a new magical system.

While I was experimenting and formulating the vortex, I was working on other rituals, too. These were based on the Golden Dawn rites and what I had learned in Wiccan circles. I wanted to produce new forms of raising energy that were more powerful, structured and detailed than the cone of power. So I began to experiment and in the process discovered completely new ritual structures.

Perhaps one of the most interesting and startling discoveries that I made was the pylon. A pylon is nothing more than two devices placed one above the other with an invoking spiral drawn through them so that they are connected into a line of power or a pillar of light. I called this new structure a pylon because it was used to erect magical geometric structures, just like a pylon is used in modern architecture.

The pylon was not an entirely new ritual structure, since a form of it had been used in the Greater Pentagram ritual of the GD. In that ritual the invoking pentagram of the Element and the invoking pentagram of active or passive spirit are drawn to the same cardinal point, but the pentagram of spirit is drawn above the pentagram of the Element. There was also an implied line drawn between them, and they were both drawn together in a line drawn to the next cardinal point. However, I made this action into a deliberate ritual structure, and that was different than what was implicitly done in the Golden Dawn rite.

A pylon allows two different devices to be bound into a single line of force. Typically I use invoking pentagrams for a specific Element for the base of the pylon, and the qualifier is set with the invoking pentagram of spirit active or passive, depending on the quality of the base Element. A pylon consisting of invoking pentagram devices produces a great deal of magical energy, since they combine together and also polarize each other. This kind of pylon can be used in two different manners to produce two kinds of pyramid structures. The first is where a pylon is set to the center of the circle, and invoking pentagrams of the base Element are set to each of the four points in the magic circle. When the four points are drawn together, and then drawn to the apex of the central pylon, a pyramid of Element power is created. The second is where one sets four pylons to each of the four points and a pylon to the center of the circle, and then draws the four points together (in a square), followed by drawing the four points to the apex of the center pylon, then a greater pyramid of power is created.

Each of these two ritual structures produce a great deal of magical power, due to the polarities produced, the joining of forces and also because of the squaring of the circle. A deosil spiral from the periphery of the circle to the center is used to draw the power into a point, and a widdershins spiral that exits the center of the circle and disperses the energy out through the periphery of the circle are employed to resonate and exteriorize the magical power.

The pyramid of power is much more efficient and refined than the cone of power, since it can define a specific element power which can be imprinted with one of the attributes (Godnames) of the ten Sephiroth. I call this combination of Element and Sephirah one of the Qualified Powers, and they are analogous to the 40 cards of the Lesser Arcana of the Tarot. The Pyramid of Powers rite was also the first ritual to work through a matrix of spirits and powers.

Through creative experimentation I was thus able to derive a Pyramid of Powers ritual and a Rose Ankh Vortex rite. I began to use the Pyramid of Power rite within the core of an established vortex and discovered that I could layer and accumulate the power generated through several sessions of magical workings before they would be induced to a climax. The vortex could not be banished, it was instead sealed and unsealed as needed. I learned to use the devices of the sealing and unsealing spirals which I set to all of the circle nodes. The combination of these two rites allowed me to build up a magickal working over numerous sessions, so I didn’t have to complete a working in a single evening. I also noticed that my temple began to accumulate a great deal of power, since whatever was periodically discharged was readily replaced in the “well” of the vortex, and the accumulation of ritual workings naturally accumulated the power in the sealed vortex.

Another ritual structure that I discovered in my experimentation was the Western and Eastern gateway. I had deduced the great magical importance of Joseph Campbell’s Cycle of the Hero, particularly the remarkable fact that it had twenty-two stages and that these stages matched the twenty-two Trumps of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. However, I was also able to boil down the underworld descent and the re-ascent to three stages each, instead of the twenty-two stages that Campbell discussed. The three stages of descent or ascent are represented by the process of the dialectic method, which consists of thesis, antithesis and synthesis. The descent into the underworld is facilitated by the actions of the spirit helper or guide (thesis), the guardian of the threshold (antithesis) and the transformative ordeal itself (synthesis). The ascent out of the underworld is symbolized by the assistance from without (thesis), the guardian of the return threshold (antithesis), and the ordeal of re-translation (synthesis). These are the themes that are used to establish the full cycle of descent and ascent that represents transcendental transformation.

The gateway of transformation uses these thematic images of descent and ascent at each of the three points of the gate ritual structure, where they are superimposed to give them meaning. The gateway ritual structure is also erected within the magic circle, which is fitting for a Wiccan type magical working. The opening and closing portal gestures are a final dramatic flourish given to the two gateway rituals. They are done to mime the action of opening and closing the gateways.

The Underworld gateway is oriented to the West; the three points are the Northeast and Southeast angles, and the cardinal direction of the West. The Ascension into Light gateway is orientated to the East; the three points are the Northwest and Southwest angles, and the cardinal direction of the East. The three gate nodes are drawn together to form a triangle within the magic circle, and this becomes the gate ritual structure. The magician stands in the opposite point of the circle and faces the gate (West or East), sets invoking spirals to the three gate nodes, draws them together (into a triangle) and then proceeds to walk up to the gate threshold, performs the opening portal gesture, turns and proceeds to the center of the circle. Each of the three gate nodes can be qualified with a specific symbolic characteristic of the gateway ordeal. In addition to the three gate nodes discussed above, a fourth point can be used which is in the center of the circle at the zenith. The fourth point represents the resolution of the three gateway ordeal processes, which is implied when one proceeds to the center of the circle after opening the portal of the gate. Using a fourth point in the gate ritual patten produces the ritual structure of the tetrahedral gateway.

The use of the two gates, besides adding a powerful thematic element to a ritual, represents the passage of transformative powers into the deeper unconscious of the magician and out again, having been transformed and translated into a new perspective. The underworld gate is used to push down the energies of all prior workings and unite them into a single symbolic expression, where a new level of power and being is established. To fuse prior magical structures and workings together, a gateway is established. To gain a greater depth, the underworld gateway is used. To bring these forces and aspects of being into the greater light of consciousness (as revealed knowledge), an ascension gateway is used. Both of these gateway ritual structures are very important in the construction of complex workings and the performance of the mysteries.

The points of the magic circle, when limited to just the four cardinal points and the center of the circle, produces only a total of five. I had already worked out that pylons produced points above and below the standard five, so there were at least two points in the center of the circle. I had deduced that the center of the circle contained the zenith, which I called the ultra-point, and the nadir, which I called the infra-point. I found that it was very useful to have an eight point magic circle, and this ritual structure had been used in a simplistic fashion with the Alexandrian Rose Ankh ritual. There were the four cardinal points, which were called Watchtowers (for various reasons), and there were four additional points, called the four Angles, or cross-quarter points. So instead of just having four points in the magic circle, there were now eight, which contributed to a very important ritual structure, which is called the Octagon or double squared circle. If squaring the circle helped to generate a powerful magical charge, doubling that square should create even more magical energy, and indeed it does.

I also discovered that there was a point in the circle that represented the magician in the magic circle, and that point was in the center of the circle, at a point between the ultra-point and the infra-point, which I called the meso-point. It was imagined to be at the exact height in the circle as my heart, being therefore, the magician’s heart in the center of the circle - where all points converge in the power of spiritual love. So now I had the four Watchtowers, the four Angles, the Infra-point, the Ultra-point, and the Meso-point - a total of eleven points in the circle. From these eleven points I was able to build any complex ritual structure.

The ritual structure of the Octagon was very useful for generating a magical power called an Elemental. An Elemental is defined as a base Element qualified by another or the same Element. Therefore, Fire of Earth, Water of Air, and Fire of Fire are all Elementals. There are sixteen Elementals, and these beings of magical power correspond to the 16 court cards of the Tarot, and the sixteen Enochian calls in the Enochian system of magic. These 16 Elementals are also spiritual powers that are based on a matrix, so an octagon ritual structure is made to activate that specific matrix, since there are four Watchtower and four Angles used to differentiate the power.

A basic premise of the ritual of the octagon is that a base Element is set to the four Watchtowers, and a qualifying Element is set to the four Angles. This is done using the invoking pentagram of that Element. The four Watchtowers are drawn to each other (to form a square) and to the center of the circle in the infra-point. The four Angles are drawn to each other (to also form a square) and to the center of the circle in the ultra-point. The magician stands in the center of the circle with his staff and draws the powers fused in the infra-point through the staff to the ultra-point. The magician may at this point intone the specific Enochian call for the Elemental, and may also summon the Godname pair of the Elemental entity - drawing the power of Elemental from the staff into his body. An Octagon ritual pattern, as it turned out, became the building block of many new and additional magical workings, and the eight point magic circle was also very useful as well.

Another ritual structure that I discovered was the internal circle that enclosed a star talisman, like the septagram, drawn or painted on a rectangular piece of wood. This new structure assisted me to develop some very complex workings, namely forms of talismanic magic and magical evocation. The internal circle was drawn in the middle of the circle, typically in a deosil circuit, and the opening portal gesture was performed over it to show that a new and more intensely circumscribed concentric circle structure had been activated. Within that new smaller internal circle was placed a rectangular piece of wood upon which was painted a septagram, eneagram or an undecigram. This painted talisman functioned as a powerful focus where one could further perform the drawing of complex devices and the using of larger array structures than either the pentagram or the hexagram. I also found that the septagram was much more appealing to use as a device to invoke planetary intelligences. However, I also discovered how difficult it was to draw an invoking septagram on demand in a magic circle. Instead of drawing the invoking septagram to each of the four cardinal directions, I traced the invoking septagram just a single time on the septagramic talisman. Along with the incantation of the planetary hierarchy and a derived Enochian call of the planet, I was able to establish in the inner circle the full invocation of a planetary intelligence.

So, after several years of experimentation, I had developed a whole new set of ritual structures that I could use to develop my own personal system of magic. This system was based on the original Golden Dawn rituals, but had expanded far beyond them in regards to ritual structure, flexibility and usefulness. These ritual structures are geometric in their construction, but the original Golden Dawn rites were also geometric as well, but using a more limited and simplistic structure. What seemed like just some simple extensions to the basic ritual structures of the Golden Dawn lore actually opened up a whole new system of possible magical rites. Even to this day, some thirty-five years later, I have not even begun to exhaust the possibilities. The new techniques have given birth to hundreds of ritual workings, and helped me develop a whole new system of evocation and a new type magic called Archaeomancy, which are subjects for future articles. So, too, is a discussion of the use of sacred geometry in these ritual structures.

To recap: the following new techniques were derived by me from the original Golden Dawn rituals:

• Rose Ankh Vortex
• Pyramid of Power Ritual
• Greater Pyramid of Power Ritual
• Western and Eastern Gateways - tetrahedral gateway
• Octagon Elemental Vortex
• Eleven Point Circle
• Inner Circle Star (Septagram, Eneagram, Undecigram)

Frater Barrabbas Tiresius