WBM-13

Chapter Ten

A Pyramid of Light and a
Labyrinth of Darkness

The only person who can solve the labyrinth of yourself is you.

Jeremy Denk

As I have expressed within my other books, Diana, the Goddess
of Witches, fulfills many roles for us: she teaches us, guides us, empowers us, protects us, and through her work she helps us to understand ourselves and our magic. She has been called by many names and known by many faces, any one of which could have reached out to you and ignited the spark of witch power that was smoldering in the coals.

She is the goddess of darkness, mystery, and power, and it is through her that the authentic nature of the soul is revealed. Within her labyrinth are six gates, five watched over by the Cosmic Grigori, the last by Diana herself. Meet the Grigori, perform their rites, and initiate into their mysteries. Only then will the sixth and final gate be revealed, the one that leads to the void where God Herself can be found.

Mapping the Labyrinth

The Labyrinth of Diana may reveal itself through the witch’s dream, but it can still be mapped—though not just any map will do, of course. Our map is going to have to be three-dimensional in design and four- to five-dimensional in concept. The gods of witches aren’t of nature, they are nature, all of nature. They are primordial forces whose opposition provided causation for all that there is and ever will be. Our gods are genderless forces that ask us to give ourselves wholly to the expression of divinity. We recognize that these forces exist in new forms all over and that part of our job is to identify those forces and bring them into harmony.

In most of paganism, a primary spiritual focus derives from a similar notion: bringing the male and female halves of our species together so that life may be created and the cycle of life can continue. But this is perhaps the most basic expression of the mysteries. As genderless forces, the gods can be either or all, and the creation of life did not happen when they were brought together as biological sexual partners. It happened when the forces that comprise the universe became unified. Sex is a simple way of looking at it, but sex and gender are two very different things. Sexually, these two energies came together, but the act resulted in a total union, not climax and impregnation.

When we describe the creator spirit as being a coin with two halves, this is what we are talking about. If the coin were to be divided in half, it would lose total value. If Diana or Lucifer were to not exist, then nothing would exist. These are not interchangeable forces but rather the initiating forces behind all that we know. Their expression comes in many forms, and pieces of them can be found in all aspects of nature: birth and death, geometry and illusion, the calculable and the incalculable.

To make this a bit easier, if the creator of all things had a brain like ours, Diana and Dianus would be the left and right halves of the brain. Both are needed for consciousness and both inform and create reality. In this way, we can also see them as forces that are continually developing, learning, and experiencing for the first time but that are also vital to the function of the body. In our case, the body is creation, aka the universe and everything within it. To map the labyrinth we will need to keep in mind that we are the product of forces being in harmonic opposition to one another.

The Tetrahedron and the Merkaba

To help get a visual idea before we dive in, imagine there is a triangular pyramid before you made of light that is roughly five feet tall and wide. There are four faces total, four points or vertices, and six edges. This shape is called a tetrahedron and has been known since the time of antiquity as being one of the fundamental three-dimensional shapes in the universe. For our purposes here, this form is referred to as the Pyramid of Dianus and symbolizes everything that falls under his domain as the body of light-force in the universe.

pyramid of dianus

See another tetrahedron before you, but this time upside down and made of darkness; this is the Pyramid of Diana. It is identical in shape and size but of the exact opposite material.

pyramid of diana

Now, let’s take it a step further and fuse the two together to form what we call a star tetrahedron, or merkaba. At each point of the merkaba, as well as in the exact middle, rest the Grigori and the gates of power we seek.

merkaba

The Medicine of the Grigori

When we work with any spirit for empowerment of any kind, we are working with what is often referred to in the shamanic community as the “medicine” of that spirit. Spirits that we work with religiously or for long periods of time (three months or longer) often make this sort of psychic and spiritual adjustment to our individual home frequency (your natural, unencumbered psychic resonance). The more we work with that spirit, the more we encounter its medicine, and the longer we work with that medicine, the closer and more in resonance we become with that spirit. To receive that medicine, we have to allow the connection with the spirit to be symbiotic—to fairly take and fairly give with this spirit, and to make room for the many ways their medicine might manifest in your life.

The Cosmic Grigori are not unlike other spirits in that they do have medicine to share; to receive it, however, we must allow ourselves to be moved by their message. Each introduction is meant to inspire and to encourage your gnosis, to reinforce what you potentially are already feeling and thinking, and to evoke the witch power in your soul through exposure to their medicine. They are without question angelic spirits of the highest order and do not lightly engage mortals. Our witch power is uniquely suited to engage and interact with them. But that doesn’t mean they are our friends; it means that they know we can see them, too.

Approach each of the Grigori as their own school and come prepared for a new class each meeting. Once you have visited them, continue to do so and ask questions of them. Work with these spirits to better understand your power and your potential, and always seek guidance from your own spirit guides and familiars when processing the information you are given during your sessions. Write down what you can remember of your sessions, sketch out the spirits as you see them, and keep track of your experiences with them as a scientist would. Most importantly, however, when all is finished, ask yourself the following questions, and do not act on the information given to you until you can answer them.

1. Is this information relative to my current lifetime and current situation? If not, how is this information valuable to me? What information do I need to clarify in a follow-up session with this spirit? We need to find out if this is useful to you now, if it is something that can be explored at a later time, or if it is random information that doesn’t have a particular purpose. Sometimes we will collect information or be told something by a spirit that isn’t actually of any use. For instance, you might discover at the temple of time that you were a shoemaker in a past life. That might be useful to know if you were suffering from a shoe addiction, but otherwise it is white noise. In my experience, nine times out of ten the information is valuable and applicable to my current situation, but this isn’t always the case. As a powerful witch who is interacting with primordial cosmic forces, it is essential to separate the valuable information from the rest.

2. How does this information apply practically? How does this information apply spiritually? Not all information is going to have a real-world application, and not all information is going to apply to your spiritual paradigm. In my experience, people tend to get caught up in experiences and knowledge that aren’t applicable, despite their interest or energetic investment. You might find while visiting the Grigori of Space that you feel at home in another galaxy, perhaps even that a piece of your soul once lived there. That information isn’t exactly applicable in real life, but it might be spiritually. Likewise, visiting the molecular structure of an apple while traveling with the Grigori of Matter isn’t likely to help you with your day job. Record as much information as possible, but always be sure to look for practical or spiritual applications for it outside of your interactions with the Grigori.

3. It has also been my experience that because of the nature of the information you will receive while visiting the Grigori, every message is in some way a reflection of you: your past, future, desires, fears, secrets, and inner truths. I have taken to asking myself one fundamental question: What does this information mean about me? Sometimes you won’t find the answer quickly, but it is nice to know how this information is reflective of both your conscious and subconscious efforts.

The Medicine of Earth

We work with the Grigori of Earth to better understand stability, substance, structure, and growth. Earth teaches us to be strong and firm and encourages us to persevere and overcome obstacles through growth, balance, and the development of deep roots.

The Medicine of Air

We work with the Grigori of Air to better understand communication, knowledge, thought, and clarity. Air teaches us to listen before we speak and to speak with purpose. It also teaches us to be creative and to grow by harmonizing with the vibrations of our home frequency instead of the frequency of others.

The Medicine of Fire

We work with the Grigori of Fire to better understand passion, determination, creation/destruction, and the mysteries of the internal flame (metabolism). Fire teaches us to destroy the bonds of the old so that something new can be forged in their place and to overcome obstacles through action and discipline.

The Medicine of Water

We work with the Grigori of Water to better understand emotion, the subconscious, the physical senses, and cleanliness. Water teaches us that healing comes through purification and renewal and to find peace in surrender. The medicine of water is also closely linked to psychic abilities and prophecy.

The Medicine of Spirit

We work with the Grigori of Spirit to better understand our gifts, life purpose, and our connection to the Divine. Spirit is associated with personality and consciousness, teaching us that the mind and soul are not too separate from one another and what is good for one is often good for the other. The medicine of spirit is also related to gnosis and the witch eye.

The Medicine of Space

We work with the Grigori of Space to better understand limitation, emptiness, expansiveness, and connection. Space teaches us to be vast and endless, and not unlike everyone’s favorite blue box, it teaches us that we are much bigger on the inside than we appear to be on the outside. Space is everywhere; around and inside of everything, and as a force within nature, it connects all things together.

The Medicine of Time

We work with the Grigori of Time to better understand our soul’s history and its promise. Traveling to previous lives to find the root of a problem that vexes you in this life, discovering the power that was stripped away from you in an earlier incarnation and restoring it in this life, even rediscovering spirit allies from another existence are all immensely powerful experiences for us as witches who seek to live in our truth.

The Medicine of Matter

We work with the Grigori of Matter to better understand how chaos becomes order, how from nothingness comes everything, and of the cycles of creation. Exploring the natural progression from randomness to structure allows us to better understand how we manifest and bring magic from the other planes to our own.

The Medicine of Energy

We work with the Grigori of Energy to better understand the forces that move creation, are the result of creation, and that continue to shape creation. In doing so, we better understand how our own power relates to the universe as well as how it may have influence within it.

The Medicine of Quintessence

We work with the Grigori of Quintessence to better understand magic and the ways it permeates the universe around us. Magic is not physical, spiritual, mental, or psychic, but rather a combination of all of the above. Communing with the Grigori of Quintessence helps us to connect with the hidden veins of magic that exist all around us and to tap into and harmonize with them. Furthermore, as beings of magic, exploring quintessence also allows us to expand our personal definitions of magic and our potential-related abilities.

The Medicine of the Light God

After working with the Terrestrial Grigori, we will work with the spirit of Dianus to declare ourselves ready to enter the Pyramid of Diana. All that is known, seen, and understood lies under the domain of Dianus. Among many things, he is an embodiment of science, knowledge, alchemy, and confirmed gnosis. The Terrestrial Grigori, those related to earth, air, fire, water, and spirit, combine as the separate parts that equal his whole. In our creation story, Dianus sacrifices his body so that it may become the bones and flesh of the universe, the spark that ignites the big bang and ultimately brings on the actualization of God Herself and the birth of all that is. As the universe expands, the Grigori are brought into existence and become the spiritual embodiments of the fundamental forces of that universe. Those primary forces that make “life as we know it” are of his domain; those that represent mystery and the unknown are of hers. The medicine Dianus has to offer relates to sacrifice and the potential of discipline and action.

The Medicine of the Dark Goddess

Lastly, once we have worked through the rites pertaining to the Grigori, we will hopefully be admitted access to Diana herself. She is the guardian of the ultimate mysteries and the keeper of secrets, and it is by her that we may gain entry to the edges of creation so that we may know God Herself, the creator and force of all things. The medicine that Diana has to offer relates to the freedom and authority of the soul, its sovereign right to exist and thrive, its path toward greatness, and the unbinding of its essence.

The Medicine of the Void

It is said that the void can bring madness or prophecy to those who gaze upon it, but no one walks away the same person. For me, the experience was not exactly what I had thought it would be at first, but it quickly evolved into some of the most life-changing work I have ever done. My priorities changed; my needs, my drives, my motivations and desires all went up in the air, and I realized that I was taking so many things for granted. Suddenly I stopped inviting drama and chaos into my life, I started to hold myself and those around me accountable for our actions; I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and I began to see the world in an entirely new way. The thing was, I didn’t know I was doing any of those things until I met God (or the spiritual consciousness of the universe, if you like). It wasn’t that God made me feel petty or shameful, but that she made me feel precious and coveted. I learned of my real value—of all of our value—and it made me feel like I had been wasting so much time on things that just didn’t matter in the end. The medicine of the void is to experience universal ecstasy, to gaze upon the outer reaches of everything and look back at it all in stunning clarity, and to redefine what it means to be a conscious part of it all.

This is the work of the priesthood, of those who wish not only to connect to the higher powers but to channel and embody them as living temples of God Herself.

The Rituals

As I mentioned earlier, the rituals we will perform to meet and engage with these spirits will follow the protocols we have discussed in this book. Also, you will need a handful of other techniques under your belt, which I have discussed in depth in my previous books, such as soul alignment and mediumship. Where these aspects of the work come up, I try my best to guide you through the process regardless of your individual skill level. It would be a good idea to reference these techniques before engaging in these rituals.

The labyrinth is easy to get lost in as it is uniquely staged within the witch’s dream. It is a mental puzzle whose pieces can be put together only through careful thought and consideration. You will notice that the preparatory aspects of the work are there to prime your mind, to open the way for the initial introduction to the spiritual force behind these fundamental aspects of existence. The ingress of each working will place us in contact with the conscious aspects of these forces and invite them into our own lives. When we hold congress with these spirits, we can ask them questions and seek out hidden knowledge about ourselves and our purpose. During this phase of our workings, we will fuse our life force with their own and initiate into their individual mysteries. Finally, the egress portion of each working allows us to separate from these spirits while bringing the wisdom gained during congress back with us, so we can add it to our gnosis and continue with the journey. Once connected to these spiritual forces, you will never be disconnected. It is like hearing a sound that has been there the whole time: once you know it is there, you will always hear it.

The Opening Ritual

Preparation

It will be important for you to do three nights of purification before starting the journey. Each consecutive night you should take a bath or shower, dry yourself with a clean white towel, and invest fifteen minutes in meditation and reflection, and then another ten minutes at least to writing in your journal or sketching your thoughts. During this time, it will be essential to free your mind of excess burdens and free the spirit of unneeded or harmful energies. Be sure to visit the witch’s dream to communicate with your allies regularly over these three days, and spend as much time as possible in an aligned state. You will also want to cleanse your home and ritual area during this period.

Ingress

On the final night, lay the compass and summon the witch’s tree in the space where you will be performing the working. Look around you: memorize this place and reconstruct every detail in your mind. Feel the energy of the compass touch and imbue everything with power, feel the guardians who watch over us and spirits move around its edges, and feel your awareness extend in all directions. At the center place your altar, and upon that altar place a black candle.

Light the candle. Place your right hand over your heart and your left hand over that to touch the right side of your chest and recite the following prayer invocation to the Star Goddess. As you finish, gently bow in reverence and solidarity.

The Star Goddess Prayer

Holy Mother, in you we live, move, and have our being.

From you all things emerged, and unto you all things return.

Summoning the Pyramid of Dianus

Next, we will want to summon the first tetrahedron, known as the Pyramid of Dianus. Focus on the candle flame and notice how its tip comes to a point. Envision a small pyramid emerging from that point and then growing so large that it stands tall enough to fill the space. Take a deep breath and feel grounded. Draw the sigil for Gia in the air with yellow fire and recite the following invocation to the Guardians of the Elements:

Spirits of the Pyramid, ancestors of bone!

Come and bring form! Come and bring life!

By the power of Gia, great Guardian of the Earth,

I bid you rise from the caverns below and be here now.

gia’s sigil

Feel a presence move from the edges of the compass to join you and see the bottom left corner of the pyramid glowing brightly in response, signaling the arrival of the first guardian. In the witch’s dream, reach out and sense the presence of Gia, allowing it to coalesce and take shape around a pair of dark brown eyes. Take a few deep breaths and gaze deeply into the eyes of Gia, and see that a line of raw power connects you both. As you notice it, let it fill you with the energy of earth. Find yourself feeling grounded and your energy stabilized.

See the pyramid turn clockwise 60 degrees, so that the point that was to the bottom right is now to the bottom left. Take a deep breath and feel focused. Draw the sigil for Wind-Walker in the air with yellow fire and say:

Spirits of the Pyramid, ancestors of breath!

Come and bring inspiration! Come and bring life!

By the power of Wind-Walker, great Guardian of Air,

I bid you come from the deep meadow and be here now!

wind-walker’s sigil

Feel a presence move from the edges of the compass to join you, and see the bottom left corner of the pyramid glow brightly as before, signaling the arrival of the second guardian. Reach out in the witch’s dream and sense the presence of Wind-Walker, the Grigori of Air, and allow this spirit to take a form around a pair of brilliant light blue eyes before you. Take a few deep breaths, gaze deeply into these sapphire eyes, and notice that a line of power connects you. As you notice this, allow Wind-Walker to fill you with the power of air, and find yourself feeling clear-headed and focused on the moment.

Take a deep breath and see the pyramid again turn clockwise 60 degrees. Take a deep breath and feel passionate. Draw the sigil for Fire-Dancer in the air with yellow fire and say:

Spirits of the Pyramid, ancestors of desire!

Come and bring creation! Come and bring life!

By the power of Fire-Dancer, great Guardian of the Flame,

I bid you come from the desert sands and be here now!

fire-dancer’s sigil

Now envision that the pyramid begins to rotate clockwise on its own. Take another deep breath and recite the charge. As before, feel a presence move from the edges of the compass to join you and notice that the top of the pyramid is glowing in response to the arrival of the third guardian.

Reaching out through the witch’s dream, find yourself staring at a pair of red eyes off in the distance, and notice that the shape of Fire-Dancer takes form around them. Gaze deeply into their fiery eyes and feel a sense of warmth move through you. Take a few deep breaths and notice a cord of power connecting you, and allow it to fill you with the power of fire. Soon you will feel excited and possess a sense of anticipation.

Take a deep breath and feel your own depth. Draw the sigil for Ophion in the air with yellow fire and say:

Spirits of the Pyramid, ancestors of blood!

Come and bring purity! Come and bring life!

By the power of Ophion, great Guardian of Water,

I bid you rise from the darkest depths and be here now!

ophion’s sigil

Just as before, reach out through the witch’s dream and sense the presence of Ophion, the great Grigori of Water. Find yourself staring into a pair of black eyes, and allow the Grigori to take shape around them as you gaze. Take a few deep breaths and notice that there is a line of energy that connects you and this spirit. Allow Ophion to fill you with the powers of water and feel your blood tingle for just a moment. As the energy settles, notice that you feel cleansed and purified.

With the pyramid continuing to spin clockwise, bring your attention to its exact center and recite the invocation of the final elemental guardian as you draw the sigil for the Fata in the air before you in yellow fire:

Spirits of the Pyramid, Guardians of Destiny!

Come and weave the threads! Come and bring life!

By the power of the Fata, great Guardians of Fate,

I bid you fall from the heavens and be here now!

fata’s sigil

Feel a presence move from the edges of the compass to join you, heralding the arrival of the final Terrestrial Grigori. Reach out in the witch’s dream and sense the presence of the Fata, the three sisters of fate who together are the Grigori of Spirit, and allow them to take form around six white eyes before you. See them spinning a thread of power that connects to you, and take a few deep breaths of power as the Fata fill you with the power of spirit. After a few moments, you feel a sense of spiritual purpose and intention.

As you finish, feel a presence move from the edges of the compass to join you, and see the entire pyramid light up as if turning on a light bulb. Take three grounding breaths and then seal the pyramid with the following invocation to Dianus:

Father of the witches, come, be here now, complete the sum.

By four points and sacred center, I call Dianus to here enter.

I summon the elements fivefold, by your might this power hold.

What is of light shall this contain;

What is of darkness shall not remain.

Feel the powers of the Terrestrial Grigori join in unison as they move around and through you. Notice that you can sense a new but familiar presence there with you in the witch’s dream: the power of Dianus, radiating from the still-spinning pyramid of light. Say:

I am earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. I am wise, and I am cunning;

I am bold, and I am strong! I embark upon this journey

Knowing that what lies beyond is darkness and mystery.

I take this responsibility and shoulder its burden

As I walk upon the lonely road seeking Diana, Queen of Witches all!

Dianus, bear witness and be my guide;

Stay with me and be the light at my side.

Visualize the Terrestrial Grigori all returning back to the boundaries of the compass, but notice that the spinning pyramid of light still remains, along with the sense of Dianus emanating from it.

Summoning the Pyramid of Diana

Approach the black candle once again and lift your palms upward in the air over your head as you recite the “Invocation of the Cosmic Grigori,” below. While doing this visualize the darkness that surrounds you caving in and condensing into the shape of an upside-down tetrahedron. See before you an upside-down black pyramid hovering just above the pyramid of light. We will go through point by point in the following chapters; for now just focus on the darkness condensing into a perfect pyramid and then seeing that pyramid expand to mirror the size of the other.

Invocation of the Cosmic Grigori

Next, feeling the confidence and strength found by invoking the Pyramid of Dianus, visualize the second pyramid and say:

I part the worlds with my desire and burn all blocks with sacred fire.

I call the spirits of the witch’s tree, I call these spirits to set me free.

I call to Oronos, the Grigori of Space.

Infinite Keeper of the Endless, Winged Serpent of Emptiness,

Come now from the starry labyrinth and open the sacred gates,