Chango - using traditions you are unfamiliar with

So, my girlfriend does not necessarily believe in Magic but she is superstitious. That means she has respect for something that may exist and work in some way and you never know anyways. She also has a little misconception about the Magic I am practicing when she asks me now and then whether I could not perform a ritual to get something she needs or wants etc.

However, she has a few issues going on for which she needed help. One thing was that she needed to win a law suit which would guarantee some payments she is entitled to. She went to my magical supply store and got a green candle with a little ritual advise. The candle was supposed to burn for a few days and so she needed to do a little focussing every evening. She won the case, so far so good.

There is another thing going on where someone wants to get something from her so she could loose some property. So she went again. This time she got a different candle. Chango or Shango, orange/white.

The woman in the store told her that Chango is a very good looking dude, that he likes orange and that she needs to put some orange things next to the candle. He also would like carrots, corn and other stuff she should put. Oh, and flowers. I am sorry if I am mixing up things now but I really have no real idea about Yoriba and Orishas. It seems that this Chango is an Orisha, a god or so whose equivalent in Santeria is St. Barbara. He is related with war. I read some stuff and he seems to be demanding and it also said you should not mess with him. Now, whatever may be behind this, as I said, I am far away from having much knowledge here, why on earth would someone advise a Magical ritual for someone which is clearly linked to a specific religion and/or tradition, when that person has no idea about the religion/tradition and the context the ritual or specifically the forces used stand in? It is a bit like someone performing Solomonic Magic or necromancy without any background and preparation just because he is bored. I do not know if also in this case things can go wrong but we know that some forces need to be treated in the right way. I tried to make her go and get another “simple” candle but she does not want (I believe it is the imagination of a very good looking guy with a battle axe is too appealing). At the end of the day I told her not to think too much about the background of Chango but to focus on what she wants him to do (win the case and keep her property).

Personally I believe that most rituals do not work if you do not have at least a basic understanding about the ritual and its various components and the context/tradition it has to be seen in. Of course some rituals do have effects even without that while opening the subconscious and working there. But here you ask for something specific, want some force to work in your favour.

Maybe I am too naive or missing the point but I hope that this will go well and does not have any unwanted side effects…..

But what do you think? Is it ok to advise someone to use rituals including deities which are totally unknown to the person, deities or forces which are from a religious (or Magical) tradition about which nothing is known to that person?

Would You...

ever consider using any of your magical „powers“ or abilities against someone else? Maybe if it is in defense?

I do believe in the general understood and agreed principle that magic should not serve as a tool to gain or execute power over others. I also do believe that no one should try to interfere with someone else’s free will. If you have a problem with someone or something you need to solve it here, in the mundane world. Right? I mean at least this should be your first way of conflict resolution and trouble shooting. You may use magic to support you – being open, being receptive for a solution, asking the divine forces for advise or support. Asking for someone else to come to reason. Maybe even asking for someone not to bother you any longer and disappearing from your life – in a non violent way of course. Like you may ask for healing, enlightment, support in job search etc, you may ask for assistance in conflict resolution.

But what if you have that one dude in your life that is not only bothering you in an inconvenient way. What if that one is trying anything and everything he can to make your life as miserable as possible. What if that one’s actions go as far as putting your very livelihood in danger by causing immense financial burdens to you and your family not to speak about stress levels caused to the entire family… Is there a right to self defence with all means it needs – magically speaking? I mean I could shoot or stab someone attacking me with an axe – if I get a chance.

Of course I am not trying to discuss the obvious question if things like these, putting a spell on someone, asking the 72 demons to assist you etc actually work other than in your mind. I am just talking about the general question. So, would you?

The Threefold Rule – or eat what thou wilt

Currently I am reading Scott Cunningham’s The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews. I bought that book a few years ago because I wanted something that tells me what kind of incense would go with what purpose and also because it has a bit about herbs etc. A few days ago I was looking for something and the book came to my attention again and so I stated to read. I could say a lot about the book and its advantages and disadvantages but what strikes me most are the manifold general and special warnings it contains. One of those which is repeated several times throughout the book is: do not do black magic, anything you do will hit you back three times harder. – Is that so? I have some basic knowledge of Wicca and know the 3 fold rule (this is just to mention the concept. I do not claim to know the exact details how that rule works etc. according to Wiccan belief). I also know that “white” magicians claim that anything containing “black” magic will come back to the magician using these dark energies or powers. Apart from the definition regarding black and white magic (are there black and white screwdrivers, since you can use them as a tool to construct something good like a shelf – or stab someone in the eye with it?), the way this warning was repeatedly used annoyed me somehow. It made me think about the concept of good and bad and the question who decides upon it. I do believe in moral and ethics but seriously, is my standard the one for all? I am conditioned by our western culture and by Christianity, indeed. Thus, some of my moral and ethical views came by default – so to say. But what if someone does not believe in that – or anything? As a good magician I am allowed to defend. Let’s say I want to use some ritual for protection and defence, can it include a pre-emptive strike? How far can I go? In law, I am allowed to use any means which make sure that an (unjust) attack against me is stopped – for good. I do not have to try various things first. I have to be proportionate though as the only limit. Answering a slap and the treat of another slap with a machine gun may not be proportionate. But what if I am under a “black” magic attack and the usual defence rituals do not work? Can I use the grimoires to call upon forces to stop the aggressor? - By any means? Or do I just have to say make him/her stop by opening his/her mind, realizing that he/she does no good? If I am Jewish and I take the eye for an eye approach, does that make me a “black” magician?

Also, as I see it, a lot of the “do not do this or else a flash will struck you down immediately – or a bit later” comes from religion. It obviously makes sure that you do follow the rules. The concept then was incorporated into many other fields of life and activities and I tend to believe that this is where some of the believe behind the 3 fold rule and equivalent ideas in magic comes from. If I tell my son to not touch X, he may even more enjoy doing it. If I tell him that he may burn in hell afterwards in case he does not obey my rules, he may have second thoughts. Thus, we find that people who reject the “oppressive” element in religion and specifically in Christianity, use the very same concept to keep their folks reasonable. Do not get me wrong, out of my personal belief system I do indeed believe that it will hit me back sooner or later if I do or maybe even wish harm to someone else. It may depend on the situation though. I also believe that any “negative” energy (another term to define) raised, maintained, released, will start to rotten the one using it from within. If you are always angry and stressed out, chances you end up with serious stomach issues up to cancer may be higher than in the case you are a balanced person. There may be some additional effects from outside of course, I will not deny that indeed. But I think the “punishment” mainly comes from within.

On the other hand, if you believe that the 72 demons mentioned in The Lesser Key of Solomon are living within your brain representing different aspects of you and your psyche and that you need to balance and prepare yourself first, reach a psychic and physical stability and then be protected against any unwanted side effects when evoking these forces by opening regions of your brain you can not control otherwise, why shouldn’t you be able to prepare and protect against unwanted punishment in case you decide to work on the dark side?

Coming back to my personal background and belief system. Christianity initially was only a part of Judaism. Neither Jesus, nor his early disciples thought of splitting off Judaism and changing the rules. It seems clear that - according to what we can read in the relevant texts, Jesus obeyed the old traditional rules. This includes the rules referring to living kosher. Now, how come that Christians eat pig? Apparently the punishment for violating the old rules was significant. So are Christians doomed? In this case – as in many other cases, the Christians have to say thanks to St. Paul. He decided that the old rules are obsolete. A good question to ask is where he got the authority from. Christ himself made clear that the old rules are to be obeyed. So how come someone below the grade of “god” or “god like” can make such a significant change? We know the reasons: manifesting the separation from Judaism, political reasons, power, etc. He and his successors therefore created new rules which include burning eternally in hell etc. It seems that things can change though.

Apparently, people need a “do not…or else” kind of a concept – or that’s what other people believe they need. I’d like to make up my mind on my own responsibility. I know that any act I do and even any thought I may have, has consequences, either way….

How do you see the concept of what goes around comes around in magic?

Burning the Sorcers and Witches

Somehow I randomly bumped into Mary K. Greer's Tarot Blog. There I found a post regarding a TV fortune teller from Beirut, having been arrested and sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, while being on a pilgrimage. A first appeal was rejected and so far things do nto look too promising. Amnesty International is also reporting upon the case and is reporting other cases and an increasing of accusations for sorcery in Saudi Arabia (see also CNN)


On MSNBC there is an article about the increasing accusations of kids as being witches in Nigeria, based on Christian Pentacostal Churches or communities (excuse me if I am not precise enough in defining who is who) which are linked to their respective mother churches in the US. Children there get accused and then “exorcised”, basically tortured, a lot of them do not survive the attempts to save their souls.

In her post, Mary Greer also quotes Helen Ukpabio, the leader of Liberty Foundation Gospel Ministries from her book “Unveiling the Mysteries of Witchcraft” with: a child under the age of two that cries at night and has poor health is ‘an agent of Satan “ –imagine to how many of our kids this fits? Well but then, we are all to be burned at steak anyways…

I have no illusions about the world we live in. Throughout my professional experience I have see the worse humanity is capable of. However, this still reminds me once more in what world we live in and that all the freedom we enjoy – and that includes our ability to more or less freely and publicly work our traditions and rituals – does not come for granted and may be not safe for ever…

Self Initiation and the Golden Dawn

I created this blog not only but also for the solitary student who is looking into the studying of the occult in general by using the GD tradition in special, when joining an existing GD Order or group is not possible for whatever factual or personal reason. At this point I can not teach anything but expressing my thoughts and showing my experiences on that path. I am however not dogmatic about being solitary. For the time being I have some factual and some personal reasons but I truly wish to be able to join in real temple work sooner or later (rather sooner).



Having said this, the path of a solitary practitioner is difficult. Finding your way through the published material. Figuring which system is best for you. One shouodl note that there are various ideas about how self initiation is supposed to happen , which rituals should or could be used and the like. There also is a lot of discussion about the possibility, the acceptance and even the existence of self initiation and also astral initiation in the first place. I do not want to repeat all this, one may research on the usual well known GD forums and websites. However, I am glad that initiates of GD orders seem to accept the fact that self initiation can have some value and can be a way to work with(in) the GD tradition. Of course no one should confuse self initiation with real initiation and should call himself a member of a specific GD order. However after self initiation you are a member of the greater GD community and Tradition. Regarding this and also for having some valuable guidance, if self initiation is your way into the GD tradition, on how to structure the work, I want to recommend Sincerus Renatus’ latest post Golden Dawn and self initiation. Within that post he suggests some very helpful structure for the studying and practice of the different grades and levels.

He also suggests to keep the work “clean” meaning clean from other non GD work. This is an important aspect while working on or with self initiation. I have to admit that I have used other, non GD rituals now and then – depending on the purpose. However, I do not mix the systems and their rituals while working and I would recommend to stick to the “pure” GD while working with the grades. You may have some single rituals you like in your daily practice, like some daily or solar adorations, some balancing meditation etc. Using these independently and out of the GD ritual context may not harm. However, there will be the question of the necessity at some point since the grade work will provide for everything you need.

In L.V.X.

Arcad

Finding Mentors, Teachers, Tutors

In a lot of books you will read that finding a teacher or mentor is essential or at least important or preferred when it comes to the studying of the occult. In a way this is obvious since even the most skilled person will have a better understanding when being guided while moving through unknown terrain. Some need more others need less guidance.

A mentor or teacher will help finding missing links needed for the connecting and understanding of different aspects of a given subject or principle.



The mentor will “guard” the student’s progress, lead him/her in other directions when the student gets stuck or needs to focus (more) on a different aspect of the work. Amongst other things, a mentor will provide for and bring the necessary balance – equilibrium into the students work and progress. Thus, the student does not get lost.

Today we have a lot of material out there. The internet makes it even easier to access any information you want. You will be able to find most of the stuff you need for your development, although not everything is published (yet). However in a way alone the amount of material out there is overwhelming and uncontrollable. What to read first, where should be the priorities? It made sense that in the olden times, a student would only have access to the material necessary for his current work/grade/state of development he was in. No distraction, unlike today where you will find reference on reference and jump from this to that. As much fun and entertaining as it is, and it surely also will provide for important valuable knowledge, this way of learning easily leads to a “superficial” knowledge of bits and pieces of everything and nothing without providing for the necessary deeper knowledge and understanding of the complex interactions and relations of all the various aspects and elements of the various subjects which are necessary for the successful development.

But: how to find a mentor? Of course, joining a group or order would be the easiest way. Most orders and groups will provide for a tutor, mentor, senior Frater/Soror, which will provide for guidance. If however one is unable to join such an order or group, then it really becomes difficult. A lot of capable Fratres and Sores out there already have their students from their groups and orders and would not necessarily have the time, capacity or will to add an “outsider”. That leaves the solitary student only with books and the various forums to be found throughout the internet. Specifically these forums are indeed a valuable source of assistance and guidance. The only problem is that, by asking a question you get many, you may get a variety of answers which do not have to comply. They may all be correct from different points of view, but then again this leaves it up to the student to prioritise etc. This can be a good way for growing understanding and is better than being totally alone but it still can cause distraction and maybe confusion. Having said that, a mentor is not supposed to take the student’s hand and pull him through the work spoon feeding him. Guidance is the keyword, not dominance. In that respect, the forums are a great tool of guidance for the solitary student. There still is a difference from having a personal tutor.

Having said that, I do not have a mentor/tutor/teacher. I am sucking from what I find on the net. I am reading the GD forums (not posting yet), I am reading the blogs, I am reading the material found in books or elsewhere on the net. I sometimes ask advanced Fratres and Sores I know and I also now and then answer questions in other forums, since this is a great way to straighten thoughts and often is leading to a complete different understanding of a subject. I still would like to have “my own” mentor….

Lent

Lent started today. I am not Catholic or orthodox, so I am not forced to give up anything. However, a few years ago I started to give up some things like meat, alcohol, sweets for the following 40 days starting with ashes Wednesday. It is a good way for getting aware of all these little habits which secretly sneaked into everyday life and which, as habits, took over more or less great parts of it. The usual glass (or two) of wine with dinner, the usual meat, salami pizza or sandwich, afternoon and in-front-of-TV-chocolate, cake, chips, cookie etc. I do enjoy all of this but it is nice to realize that it is possible to have less – or none of this at all. To realize that there are other things besides that you could eat or drink. But that is just the obvious aspect.



It also has with a spiritual aspect. I have started this in a semi religious context without feeling being obliged since I do not really feel that anyone cares what I eat, drink, watch etc. However, I have to spend more time carefully thinking about alternatives. I have to open my eyes and maybe taste, to look out for what else is there, and if it is just in order to not getting bored with the same veggie stew and glass of water. On the spiritual level it should have the effect of being more aware of what is going on instead of living daily routine. As I mentioned before, I am having a difficult time keeping my ritual routine. However, adding this as an aspect of the growing (self) awareness, I will wrap lent into a spiritual exercise. And which time could be better than the time of the passion of Christ with it’s very peak, the sacrifice of God, followed by his resurrection. I assume that the will and persistence in increasing and focussing on ritual work during this very special time adds some spice to the rituals and their meaning to my life in a very special way. Suffering, sacrifice, death and resurrection, the eternal circle….



I believe that an increased self awareness together with an increased awareness of the mystery as it happens (Passion time) (so to say) will cause a very different kind of experience….

In expectation of the Light to come,
Arcad

The Name of the Rose, or: You can call me Al

Every magician has a motto. In a way it is the magician’s business card and badge of authority. I also see it as one of the magicians tools amongst the other tools like the wand, dagger, pentacle, cup etc.

Now how important is a motto? The motto is not important at all and at the same time it is essential. I know, but let me explain. The motto represents change. By adopting a motto, the magician makes a statement that he now chooses another path in his life. Maybe you can say by choosing a motto he creates a new identity or a new reality, an additional one in which he is all Magus – separate from his mundane being. I would even say that it is not a separate reality but another level/plane of his reality – however you want to define reality in the first place. Like with the preparation for ritual, taking a ritual bath, putting on the gown, preparing the altar, the tools, the temple etc, the motto as the magicians name helps to create a mind shift for the performance of ritual. It also is good for self assurance to remind the magician on who he is and what his place and abilities are. If you would have a strong will and focus, together with the necessary knowledge and understanding, you would not necessarily need any of this. All these tools are just little helpers. However, most of us do not function like that and though we need these helpers to enter and live in the magician’s world. A friend of mine insists that only if he wears a suit at the office, he would be able to take his (solely in house) work as a lawyer serious. In my case, I could sit here in a clown’s costume and be as effective but I have to say when I go to court, wearing a suit, putting on my black gown (yes, we still do wear these), I feel better – different, maybe even stronger than in cases when I am appearing in court in jeans and without my gown. At the end of the day cloth make people. The same goes with a name, specifically if you get to choose it yourself. Now and then the magician will proclaim his name in ritual while calling upon entities and forces, showing his badge of power and authority. That way, the motto also is a name of power. In that very moment in a ritual, it expresses all the power and abilities and authority the magician has before the forces he is dealing with. So you better choose wisely in order to be taken seriously. Also the magician needs to fully understand his chosen motto or name or this name can never expand its function and authority in relation to the magician but also in relation to external entities and forces.

How to choose your magical name then? Some magicians have more than one motto or name (sometimes one as a secret name only revealed in ritual towards any entity they deal with while the other name is used for being addressed by others in the magician’s outer world. However, in most cases the magician has only one name/motto he uses at a time. This motto should reflect his current ambitions, aims, abilities and position in the universe as it is revealed to him through meditation, ritual or by other means (like dreams). As mentioned before, it is essential, that the magician has a full understanding of the meaning and significance of his chosen motto. Usually the magician would adopt other mottos throughout his growing through work and experience as magician’s understanding of the universe and his position therein will change. Also his aims and ambitions will change. Sometimes that happens sooner than later, sometimes it takes a while. As a member of an order progressing through the grades of outer and inner orders, the magician does not necessarily has to pick a new motto with each grade. Usually the magician would change his motto when either, throughout initiation or other ritual (or in any other way) a new motto is revealed to him or if he feels that the current motto does not fit any longer, does not represent his current state of mind, his current understanding of the universe and his position therein. In so far, there is a similarity to the magician’s individual pentacle, a tool which also will change with the magician’s growing experience and understanding.

In my case, my first motto was something that popped up in my head after trying to think about what would be a suitable motto. Although this motto perfectly fit me and my understanding at that time, after a while I was not sure whether this name may have been too “constructed”, or “wanted”. I guess that is the case with a lot of beginners since at that very first stage of the magician’s life, there is no real feeling or influence from the work and ritual and the understanding of the universe is like a little flame shining somewhere far away in a deep dark tunnel. So what to pick? Within our group we had the same or similar experiences when it comes to the picking of our mottos. Throughout practice things became clearer, the light shines brighter and you find yourself and your current position, you are suddenly becoming aware of your next aims (and your long term goals), and after a while, in my case throughout ritual and meditation, suddenly there are some letters manifesting before your eye or sounding in your head. Unclear first but they become clearer and clearer. Maybe that was the best visualisation I ever had, even without aiming for it.

How is a motto compiled? Mottos are traditionally consisting of names, words or phrases in an ancient language such as Latin, Greek or Hebrew. You should not get overly stressed by finding a nice phase or word in one of these languages. There is no rule and you can call yourself whatever you want in any language you want. If you see your aims and ambitions clear and have a meaning for and understanding of your motto, you do not necessarily need to find someone who can give you an accurate translation into Latin or Greek. Of course it adds a mystical momentum to the magicians name and thus fits into the whole set up of mystical ritual. However, sometimes people try too hard and end up with something which – correctly re-translated – sounds quite different from what they were aiming for. That way, your motto may rather confuse (or amuse) the entities you are going to work with. It is more important that your chosen name is clear in its meaning than that it sounds fancy.

Sometimes, a student gets his (first or new) motto by a mentor, teacher or other elder member of a group or order. It then reflects the student’s current abilities, maybe his way of working, a specific ability or something it reflects what the student needs to focus on or aim for.

For picking your own first motto, some advise. Think about what your next aim is. Think about which words would express this in the best – straight to the point - way. If you use several words, do not pay attention that the short version can be pronounced as a word or sounds groovy. Meditate, contemplate, perform some basic ritual and ask the divine powers to show you your name. Believe me, something will happen and if it feels right, adopt it. For your next motto, you will see, it works different. You will feel the need for a change. With the grown experience and feeling for the current of your work and the power of the energies you are working with, you will see that the word(s) or name(s) will come by themselves. Maybe while meditating, within a ritual within a dream….

Spiritual Transformation - A Comment

This was supposed to be a comment on Fra. Peregrin’s last post about Spiritual Transformation or, a whole hunk of questions. I figured that it (my comment) went too long and decided to put it in my own post here in order not to hijack Peregin’s MOTO blog.
The questions raised by Peregrin are indeed good and important questions, and they are eternal questions which kept people busy for a while already.

If I may, I would answer the question “what do you want “ from going back to forth.

Analysing the life situation I live in – my personal microcosm (family, friends, work, closer social and cultural environment etc) as well as the macrocosm (the society I live in as such, the city, country, the world, (mankind - ?)), it seems obvious that “life” as such, as it comes by default is not perfect. Well for some people it actually is damn close to it but also these people have issues. I am caught up in the odds of everyday life, conventions, etiquette, customs etc which are all present at all levels concerning life. This affects my thinking and my acting. I may even be forced to act in way which do not make sense or are unfair. Unfortunately a lot of people settle with this or resignate, in the best case arrange, in the worse case ignorantly live in their own private comfort zone. I should maybe say that it is ok if someone wants to live a peaceful life not being bothered and has either arranged with the daily odds or is happy with things as they are.
However, realizing that there may be more than just that, seeing that life is covered with the daily mud, I would say I want to search out for a way to

1) gain competence over myself and my life
2) gain the ability to see beyond the borders of my comfort zone
3) hoping to find an answer to the questions you asked in your post –who are we, where is our position on earth, in universe, in the creation as such.

This goes beyond the quest for the sense of life. I may even say it has nothing to do with it. You should already see a sense in life. If you have none, well I am not sure that magic or transformation of any form will help you. But however, it may bring other aspects of such a (very personal) sense in/of life.
The thing is that I really do not know who I am in respect to creation. Am I part of the divine? Well I could give a standard answer: all and everything is connected with all and everything. God, or the One is within and around everything, and so on and so forth. And there lies truth within this, for sure. It also reflects the old hermetic principle of “as above, so below”. But it also does not explain much as to why one needs to or wants to transform. Am I impure, dirty, bad? Again, my start would be to analyse my status quo and go from there, hoping that I will find out.

As far as religion/theology is concerned, I agree with you that theology is helpful in practicing magic. I would even say that religion and faith is helpful, if not essential. Within our practice we work with the divine in so many ways and manifestations or representations, that I find it difficult for a real Atheist to transfer all this into simple representations of – well what? – aspects or principles of the universe or reality? Where does the power then come from?

All this may not work for everyone and it may well be that a lot of people start to follow the “path for transformation” (whatever that now means) but will never really transform. There also may be many other, maybe even better ways for reaching the goal – depending on ones very personal background. In Christianity, the mystics did not necessarily engage in magical practice but contemplation and other rituals aiming for the same thing than we aim for (writing this down, maybe it is being closer to God?). I also once read that some “teachers” advise their students – if not request it from them – to have their magical ritual work accompanied by therapy.

I find the questions raised by Peregrin very difficult to answer. They are eternal questions and it seems impossible to give a satisfying answer. However, unfortunately often enough people are not really willing to think about these questions but rather give a standard answer. These may need to contemplate the questions a bit deeper…

At the end, Fra Peregrin raises the maybe most important question regarding how to reach the aim: "What makes an esoteric path effective, what makes it actually able to lead us to the One is death. The ‘I’ now cannot become the ‘I’ we desire, so we must die. Effective esoteric paths shake us all the time; they invite us to die continually and completely. It is up us to choose death or not.” - I have nothing else to add.

Does this make sense?

Prohibition of the GD - nothing is for granted

I am working with Holocaust related issues. Through my work I found the Decree regarding the prohibition of esoteric and masonic groups and orders or similar orders, groups and organisations by the Chief of the Reich's SS and German Police, Heinrich Himmler, dated 20 July 1937 (these are poor photos of the pdf print out) . As you can see on page 3 you find the O.T.O. (Germer) and also the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (page 3, no. 16). With this, also the founding and continuation of any substitute organisation was prohibited with the threat of severe consequences under the penal code. I am not going into further legal details here but this should be a reminder that the freedom to follow and work the path of light is not for granted. We all should be grateful to live in a society where we are free to think, say and do what we want and are free to develop and evolve our spirituality and personality in which way ever we chose. It also should be a reminder that different opinions should be taken as a contribution to a fruitful discourse, which does not necessarily has to finish with total agreement, or worse, surrender, and that people at other times (depending where they live even these days) would not understand any dispute based on personality issues, urge for power and dominance or other issues which are not at all related to the true substance of the issue – the development on, or through the path of light, doing the Great Work.

And let us also remember that some of our brothers paid a very high price for their choice to do the Great Work. Some still do.

In L.V.X.

Arcad

The right Vibe

Two of the most essential techniques for performing ritual in Magic are Visualization and the proper Vibrating of divine names. At the same time these may be the most confusing elements of ritual work. Everyone who starts with ritual/ceremonial magic will have to face these two concepts and has to master them before he/she can really go on. Since this blog is about the struggles finding your way, and hopefully is helpful to someone who considers taking this path, I wanted to post about this for a while. Funny enough, on another blog I saw that Donald Craig just posted about visualization (and will have a follow up post on it). I like the way how he describes visualization as “mental magic”. Check it out.

Anyways, as for visualisation, the first training recommended is trying to visualize a piece of yellow clay (or something similar) in your hand, forming a ball out of it, move it around in your hands and put it away. Throughout the following days, you create some other colored balls and at the end put them in an order and let them dissolve. I also once read that one could start with looking at a (real) flower for a longer time. In between change position so you see the various perspectives of the flower, the different forms and shapes depending on your view. After that, close your eyes and start to imagine that flower, turn it around, at some point maybe move it upside down, let it grow etc. I actually found that advise helpful since you train your inner eye with something your real eye was used to see before. Although in this exercise you only reproduce a picture of something you actually saw, it is a good start before you continue to create pictures your physical eye did not see before. You also could think about a picture you have no problem imagining – like a scenery or person from reading a book and then start to move items or that person...

More of a problem – or more confusing I would say – is the question of how to properly vibrate the divine names. In his Liber O. Aleister Crowley describes the technique like this:
3. The Vibration of God-names. As a further means of identifying the human consciousness with that pure portion of it which man calls by the name of some God, let him act thus:
4. ("a") Stand with arms outstretched.
("b") Breathe in deeply through the nostrils, imagining the name of the God desired entering with the breath.
("c") Let that name descend slowly from the lungs to the heart, the solar plexus, the navel, the generative organs, and so to the feet. {17}
("d") The moment that it appears to touch the feet, quickly advance the left foot about 12 inches, throw forward the body, and let the hands (drawn back to the side of the eyes) shoot out, so that you are standing in the typical position of the God Horus (Sign of the enterer); and at the same time imagine the Name as rushing up and through the body, while you breathe it out through the nostrils with the air which has been till then retained in the lungs. All this must be done with all the force of which you are capable.
("e") Then withdraw the left foot, and place the right forefinger upon the lips, so that you are in the characteristic position of the God Harpocrates (Sign of Silence)
5. It is a sign that the student is performing this correctly when a single "Vibration" entirely exhausts his physical strength. It should cause him to grow hot all over, or to perspire violently, and it should so weaken him that he will find it difficult to remain standing.
6. It is a sign of success, though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name of the God vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should appear to him as if that Great Voice proceeded from the Universe, and not from himself.
In both the above practices all consciousness of anything but the God-form and name should be absolutely blotted out; and the longer it takes for normal perception to return, the better. {18}
I am not sure how helpful this explanation actually is for anyone who never did this before, never saw anyone doing it and who just starts with ritual work. Although this explanation is used in many books and on many sites, I doubt that this is the answer one is looking for when asking him/herself “I wonder how I vibrate these names in the LBRP”. Also one may rather be distracted by the various elements of that explanation (is the name still descending down, passing the navel or is it already at my feet – how do I actually feel that name in me....).

I have seen people just shouting out the names in a quick, short way. Others are actually chanting them. Some let their voice actually vibrate, some rather silently push or hiss the names out... My experience is, you need to experiment to find out which way really works best with and mainly within you. For me, a loud(er) chanting works pretty well. My body then gets all involved and most of the times I can feel a kind of excitement and an energizing effect that shows me that I can not be that wrong. In a magical online class I attended, we had a discussion about the question whether you can actually silently vibrate the names (in order not to wake up family members or freak out colleagues in an office...). Most of us agreed that volume is not essential if you manage to find the right tone within you. However, I still would think that a “silent” vibration is for someone who has already some practice with a “non silent” vibration – and if it is only to learn how the feeling of the “right” vibration is.

In my case, after I found my way and was satisfied with the result, I went back to the explanation in Liber O. And now it made sense to me.

So, if you are a beginner, this may help. But always remember, in magic the key to success is practice, practice, practice – and patience.

Obviously this was only about the rather technical question HOW to do these things, not about WHY. That may be reserved for another post...

In
L.V.X.

Arcad

Scarifying my Life

In his recent post, Nick Farrell posted about becoming old (not really) and how things have changed since… He comments about how students these days do not always show the right dedication in following the magical path and are unwilling to scarify some of their private lives and convenience to their studies.

I definitely agree that a lot of “aspirants” these days may lack dedication and devotion. I assume that with all those Dan Brown like books, it is just fancy to call yourself a member of this or that mysterious order. I also guess that a lot of people have a profound misconception regarding the aim and essence of magical teaching and working and the “powers” one achieves as a member of such groups and orders. Such aspirants will not be missed because they would only take (if they even take) and leave instead of dedicate and provide.

I also think that the amount of magical orders, groups, lodges etc is legion and it is rather difficult to find a serious, reliable, not only profit orientated order which can provide real and profound knowledge and, in a optimal case, is close enough that one can actually afford to become a member. We see a hype about anything related to New Age, Mystical teachings, “Light Working” etc. If I just see how many kinds of Reiki were invented lately (Smurf Reiki I guess was one of the weirdest things I have read about) – there is a huge market out there and many want to get their piece of that cake. But that also means that even with modern means like the internet, finding a serious group that can provide real knowledge is still hard work.

In my case, I was reading a lot, comparing a lot, I (guess that I) developed a sense for the smell of the money (others want from me) and finally decided that the GD tradition is my way. Due to various reasons I need to stay solitary – one of then indeed is that there is no close by lodge/Temple. I simply can not afford a few hundred Euros every month or so to travel. And what I have close by indeed does not meet my needs.
Nick also said: “if people are not prepared to jump in a car or a plane to find the right training and path then let some other group have them”. That in a way sounds like promoting an elite kind of thinking. Only those who can afford and are ready to spend significant amounts of money have the right of the “right” magical training. Of course they could go to the next door group but what if that one is a scam? Tough luck? He also writes that in the old times people put their magical training as number one priority and even the loss of family, having to leave job and country would have not mattered in order to get the best training. Reminds me on Matthew 10:37,38: “He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me”. I do not think that it needs that much of a dedication that I need to be prepared to leave family, house, job, country etc. Also, lucky are those who have a profession that enables them to work anywhere in the world. Some of us are rather limited. In my case, I have been lucky to work in other countries (as I currently do) but also my flexibility is limited by my profession. Of course I could always become a waiter or work in a supermarket filling shelves. At the end of the day you need to be able to prepare for you (and your family). If now the true dedication to the studying of the western mysteries means that I need to be ready to give up everything else, well then I may rather quit – with a heavy heart – but if I have to loose everything I love first, how could I possibly reach the goal I am aiming for in my magical studies? I do admire those who are able to dedicate their entire life to the quest for the light – like the monks do (maybe most amazing is the order of the Carthusians, who are a group of hermits who do not talk at all and even do not eat together, just pray and sing together at the various times) and who still live very simple)
Anyways, I am over exaggerating and I am assuming that Nick did not intent to go as far as I described it above. But I believe that true dedication does not mean that I have to sacrifice everything else. I do, however, agree that some money, travelling, time, holidays etc need to be sacrificed for the goal of a magical training because, as you said, it requires a lot of time and effort and the path is not always straight, clean and free of rubble.
In L.V.X.

Arcad

Best Buy?

I always have been a skeptic. This is why it took me a while to adjust to the term “esoteric” - but that is for another post. However, although I learned to be open to other concepts of thinking and to people’s experiences, sometimes I am having a hard time to overcome my skepticism. Like, some of the homepages of people offering services, knowledge and what else in the field of spiritual development. The “idea” or concept promoted looks good but then there is all that additional merchandising . After reading Frater AIT’s recent post mentioning astral projection, I checked out Robert Bruce. On his webpage he not only sells his courses and books, he also sells some kind of Medaillon and I would not be surprised if there are some T-Shirts as well. Or Donald Walsh. Although I never read his books and I know people who highly value them, I am turned off by the inflation of similar books. Talks with GOD; more talks with GOD; Things GOD did not say but was supposed to add…. I am exaggerating but seriously, sometimes it looks like someone initially had a real or honest idea and then realized that there is a lot of money to make. Now, I am not saying that either` Bruce or Walsh or all the others are not serious and only after the money. I just used them as examples. I also think it is legitimate to make money in the field of the search for spiritual enlightment. Just sometimes my impression is that the selling interest is higher than the sharing of knowledge aspect. The problem is that there are so many schlemiels out there who want to sell you some nonsense, that it is difficult to filter what is useful if everyone uses the same way for promotion. In that sense it would be of great benefit if there would be some samples or excerpts of what is promoted . These should be of sufficient size or kind so one is able to judge if this is what one was actually looking for3- as subjective such an determination is, As I said, I am a general skeptic.

Having said that, I will have a look on Bruce’s books as this sounds interesting enough to give it a try and also because it was recommended by people who know what they are doing (Thanks for this, this is why I love these blogs).

In L.V.X
Arcad