Chapter Six

Protocols of Quintessence

We must all be aware that protocol
takes precedence over procedure.

ornament

Irwin Corey

There are four steps to the operation of every ritual or spell: preparation, ingress, congress, and egress.5 In our tradition we like to think of magic as something that is woven or sewn into and out of the fabric of the universe. The four steps will guide us as we weave and link our strands together. Generally, each part of a more considerable ritual working will contain various spells, invocations, charms, incantations, etc., and each of those (whether part of a bigger working or not) will contain some variation of each of the four steps. It is a micro/macro thing. The larger workings are made up of smaller workings.

Preparation is the first step in magic. As a part of our weaving, this not only includes the collection of all of our supplies but also the laying out of our warp. It is around this warp that the strands will be woven, so placing them in the right spots and making sure they are strong will provide a reinforced and sturdy final product. Lastly, it is the drawing of the first strand and lining it up in just the right spot so that the weaving can begin.

An act of ingress is like taking that strand and inserting it into the warp once it has been lined up. Acts of ingress take us into the misty curtain; they bring us into the frequency of whatever it is we are working with, and they merge our world with another. Ingress means to enter.

Next, congress: the weaving has begun, and the strand becomes live with power and intention. To hold congress is to commune with the power if only for a moment, to feel it and become alive with it, to channel it and see it emerge into being. This is where we align with the powers. Congress means to be within the domain or presence of active quintessence.

Lastly, egress, which is to take the strand and close the first loop in the pattern of the weave. This is us disconnecting from the frequency and returning to the place of origin. To perform an act of egress is to come full circle, to cross the veil once more, and to enter our world. Egress should be so smooth that it acts as part of your preparation, performing the last step of lining the strand up to make another loop in the pattern.

I was taught by my teachers that a good spell or ritual should be written like a story. It needs to have an exposition, complication, climax, and then a resolution. Either way we look at it, acts of magic—be they spells or rituals or ceremonies—should include at least these four parts. We should always make sure that we finish the pattern, close the loop, and seal the weave to keep it from unraveling, and this is how we do it.

Preparation

The entire first section of this book is all about preparation. It is showing you how to flip your way of thinking, to use the witch’s eye to pierce the veils of perception and view the threads of magic that extend from you in all directions. After that, the sky is the limit. The most significant hurdle for most of us is in switching to a mindset that allows magic to be engaged to begin with. This is why we spend so much time developing our perception and connection to the spirit world. It isn’t easy, and it isn’t something that will happen all at once; quite the opposite. If you are anything like me, you will likely find that the moment you feel prepared and capable, the tides shift and a new lesson unlocks, educating you to the fact that you will always be in a place of preparation. The whole thing can be a bit discouraging sometimes.

What I believe to be the most important thing to hold to the heart is that our whole life is preparation for the next, and the next life is simply preparation for the following. This life isn’t “it”; life doesn’t just all end; it continues, as will we. We must see our momentary existence as a giant act of preparation or, better yet, of becoming. For us to become what we are meant to be, we must prepare for what is to come.

I know a lot of witches who feel disconnected from their spirits and their magic. In my experience, this is because they stopped preparing their lives to include them. As I mentioned in the first part of the book, we have to approach our problems with magic, not drop magic when our problems come knocking. We simply cannot only be available for the powers when it feels sunny outside. If we want real magic to exist in our lives every day, we need to make way for it. If you take what we discussed in the first section of this book and apply it to the following practices, you will already be more prepared than the average witch.

In addition to this sort of preparedness that comes with the everyday engagement of your witch power, there will likely be other varying degrees of work you will need to do before engaging in the act of magic. When preparing to jump into magic, you should be asking yourself if you have everything you need. Do you have the tools, the allies, and the environment necessary to do the magic you want to do? If not, then can you work with what you have? How would that change your magic? Sometimes being prepared is all about looking at your goal, then taking stock of your resources and doing the best with what you have. There are, of course, other ways to become prepared and to always have the best resources available when needed so that every act of magic can benefit from preparedness, even when it must be performed on the fly.

Preparation is all about knowing what you need, having what you need, and knowing how to use it when you need to. In the craft this extends to doing divination and laying out a plan. For now, whatever divination system you are most comfortable with should work. Before casting any spell, divine the following:

Again, this entire first section is all about preparation. Being prepared is a lifelong journey, so don’t get overwhelmed; embrace it and learn to love to journey. Once you get into the flow of things, get a decent idea of what you’re working with, and are able to pull from those wells of energy, you are ready for magic!

Ingress

The rites of ingress take us into the veil that separates the worlds and sets us upon our course for magic. If we were sewing, this is when the needle plunges through the fabric, and like a needle, we have to be sharp to pierce the veil. There are different ways of doing this, each tradition favoring their own unique take. Acts of ingress generally come in two parts.

Part One: Purification and Consecration

The first act of ingress opens the way for all of the magic we will carry out in our working. It syncopates our environment with the environment of the witch’s dream and simultaneously clears the path for more magic to follow. This is done in various ways, but in Sacred Fires it goes as follows:

For Consecration Without a Circle

Find yourself at the center of the space intended for magic and activate your holy fire as previously instructed. Take three deep breaths, and as you exhale, envision your holy fire pouring down from your body. Allow it to fill the floor or ground of the space around you in a perfect circle, cleansing the space around you for at least three feet in all directions. Focus on merely maintaining this image for a few moments, and then allow the flames to slowly sink into the ground beneath you. When you feel the energy, dedicate the space to the art:

By the powers of the triple soul, by the powers of a sacred flame,

I dedicate this space to the witch’s art!

Hear me, spirits; hear me keen: be here now or be unseen.

What soon comes does so with might;

I dedicate this space to my sacred rite!

Stomp your foot to seal the energy remaining.

For Consecration With a Circle

Not all witches cast circles. For me what determines this is comfort, need, and taste. Over time you will get used to the sensation of having an open magical space, but you may find yourself in a situation that requires you to have a sealed space, or you may just be entirely put off by the idea of not having one altogether. Once the witch’s tree is invoked, you are surrounded by your spirit guides and allies and the powers sworn to guard our rites. Not casting a circle does provide a particular type of energetic breathing to happen within the space, one that I found to be incredibly invigorating in ritual. If I am going to be doing a heavy working or working with people I am unfamiliar with, then I always cast a circle. I also always make sure to cast a circle if I need to be engaging spiritual energy that I am unfamiliar with. Again, this is all about comfort, need, and taste.

Find yourself at the center of the space intended for magic and activate your holy fire as previously instructed. Take three deep breaths, and as you exhale, envision your holy fire pouring down from your body. Move so that you are in the east, with your right shoulder facing inside the space that is to be the center of your circle and your left hand tilted down with your palm upwards at a 45-degree angle. Remember that your holy fire is unlimited energy, one that is the product of divine connection. Keep your head forward at all times. From the easternmost point of your circle, begin to steadily and with intent walk around the parameter of your circle space three times. Lift your right hand up into the air as if to catch the flow of white fire and continue to pour its liquid flame from your left hand as you slowly raise it into the air over the course of your three revolutions. As you do this you must envision that a perfect sphere of white flame is forming around you. Say:

I cast this circle thrice about to keep unwanted spirits out!

Sphere of power, sphere of the art, I conjure you by beating heart.

I bid you rise and contain; be a vessel for rites arcane.

From the shadows and light, I cast this circle with flame of white!

At the end of your third trip around the circle, you should again be in the east, facing the south. Turn so that you are facing the center of the circle space. When you feel the energy settle, dedicate the space to the art:

By the powers of the triple soul, by the powers of a sacred flame,

I dedicate this space to the witch’s art!

Hear me, spirits; hear me keen: be here now or be unseen.

What soon comes does so with might,

I dedicate this space to my sacred rite!

Stomp your foot to seal the energy remaining.

Part Two: Laying the Compass and Invoking the Witch’s Tree

In our tradition the following is more than sufficient to effectively pierce the veil and keep the space safe during any working. We tend to work a lot with our spirit guides and familiars, as well as a set of guardian spirits, and we enjoy the ability to produce spirit traffic during ritual, so casting a circle or container usually is not preferable. Because circles are designed to keep some things out and other things in, creating one will likely be anathema to working with the spirits in a less restrictive manner.

In our tradition we summon a field of energy known as the witch’s compass, and from it we erect the witch’s tree. The compass is a ceremonial fixture designed to give us access to specific energies we encounter as we walk our path on the lonely road. The lines of energy we lay down truly are the metaphorical and symbolic paths of the lonely road itself. What makes the compass so powerful is that it is composed of the symbolism from our tradition, so as it is conjured into the space, we are drawing upon the spirits and powers behind our tradition. At the center of the compass is a giant tree, known to us as the witch’s tree, which is the personification of your own witch power made manifest through the world tree. It is a symbol of our reach as witches: roots that dig deep into the underworld, a trunk that is tall and wise and extends through the middle world, and a canopy that extends into the overworld. For us, this tree is the altar from which all of our work will be done. It is the stang of creation.

Find yourself at the center of your working space and direct yourself so you are facing the northeast. Raise your arms so that your hands are over your head, slightly in front of your body, with your palms facing out. Say:

I stand at the center of four roads

Between the apex and vertex of time and space.

I conjure the witch’s tree from the black flame of God Herself

And look upon the void’s own face.

Before me and behind me lies the sovereign path,

The road of those who wear the crown.

At my side lies the crooked path,

The road of those who keep the way.

From north and south, the left-hand path,

The road of poisoners and the self-redeemed.

From east and west, the right-hand path,

The road of healers and the artists unseen.

Let eight be four and four be one

And the black flame eclipse the sun.

From the one, I call the tree,

And from the trunk unlock the three.

By the compass and the powers,

By the Grigori and the towers,

What is within is now without,

May all our enemies be turned about.

Brothers, sisters, others of the art,

Together in blood we ne’er shall part.

Spirits, allies, imps who don’t stray,

The witch’s blood opens the way.

Let three be one, and one be eight,

I blur the lines of life and fate.

By the black flame so must it be,

Of all worlds the witch’s tree.

Take a few moments and breathe slowly and deeply. See your spirit guides and familiars standing with you around the compass.

Congress

Ingress allows us to open the way and set the stage for our work. I liken it to stepping aboard the bridge of a starship: once you’re there and have set your course, you can go anywhere and do just about anything, from transcending the realms of humanity to summoning ancient spirits. We are now ready to boldly go where no one has gone before.

During congress, the meat of the working is performed. At this stage we will invoke our gods, conjure our spirits, raise energy, tread the mill, summon up quintessence to use in spells, and carry out our secret operations. Each ritual will be different and have its own requirements, so the only thing to focus on at this time is your operation!

If you are doing a ceremony of any kind, it is generally customary to invoke your deities. I included invocational prayers in chapter 7 to the different emanations of the Witch Queen and King; if you aren’t working exclusively with your own deity, check out mine! Otherwise, different traditions don’t really agree on if you should invoke the gods before every working or not. Unless I am working with them directly or performing a working that is ceremonial, I tend to leave them out. They get plenty of devotional time at my personal altar, so I only call them into magic space when I need them. Some traditions will invoke their gods during each working as a matter of respect. Again, this is one of those things that is up to the practitioner; there is no right or wrong way.

The only things you really need to keep in mind are to respect the boundary you made if you cast a circle and to release or ask the spirit you invoke to continue with you outside of ritual space. You have to play crossing guard and give clear instructions to any and everything that is brought into the ritual space. Don’t forget about someone and leave them hanging. It is also a good idea to leave offerings to these spirits after you work with them ceremonially, especially those who are gods.

If you cast a circle, in theory, the energies you invoked or summoned should leave once you have closed the space. This, however, doesn’t always happen. If you forget to tell a spirit where to go, usually they just follow you out of the space or will go back to where they came from and be less likely to show up next time. It’s a bit like being called to a party by your friend and then having them ditch you.

Once you have performed your ritual working, it is time to close up shop!

Egress

Just like camping, whatever you bring in, you take back with you. The rites of egress allow us to make our way back home once our magical workings have been completed during congress. Before you leave, however, it is essential to acknowledge the completion of the working and take a moment to think about how you will ground those energies in your life and the witch’s dream once you are finished with the main working.

When we are ready to leave, we merely follow the same procedures but retrace our steps to get back to the other side.

There are a few ways to approach this. Some traditions will merely acknowledge and release the energies they conjured during ingress, while others absorb those energies. I fall into the latter category. By the time you make it to egress, you are usually spent energetically, and absorbing energies back into your energy body once you are finished with them is an excellent way of restoring your power.

To Release the Witch’s Tree and Compass

The witch’s tree can actually be left up if you choose. This is usually a good idea if you did a positive working, as it will remain potent for a few days and continue to attract positive energies. The same cannot be said, however, for negative workings. If you do something intense or on the not-too-positive side, you will want to take it down! The decision is entirely yours. However, to release the witch’s tree, you simply need to face the center of the space, take three deep breaths to ground yourself in the energy, and then visualize the tree and compass dissolving into a billion little grains of white sand and being absorbed into your etheric body as you command it to release by saying:

Witch’s tree, whose power is of all planes,

I release thee now and take the reins.

Into my body, into my mind, into my soul a place you’ll find.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in. Blessed be.

To Release the Circle

Move so that you are in the west, with your right shoulder facing the outside of your circle, both hands up in the air in a Y formation, palms toward the ground. Keep your head forward at all times. From the westernmost point of your circle begin to steadily, and with intent, walk around the parameter of your circle space three times. Slowly lower your arms to your sides as you move around the circle and envision the power of the circle being absorbed into your fingertips. Use that energy to reinforce your own personal magical shields. As you move counterclockwise and absorb the energy, say:

Sphere of power with no start, vessel of the ancient art.

I release you, circle, and take back the flame;

Your power is mine to claim.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in.

As without so within, with my breath I draw you in. Blessed be.

What to Look For As You Weave

At any point in the process of performing magic, you might receive a message or impression from your spirit allies. One of the traits all parents or caregivers share is the ability to be focused on one thing while simultaneously focusing on their children or ward. We have to possess that same degree of multifaceted attention during our workings and keep ourselves always at least partially tuned in to our spirits, especially our familiars. They will be letting us know what is going on and if any changes need to be made to the work, and, perhaps most importantly, they will be able to let you know the safety of your surroundings.

As I mentioned before, more significant workings require more substantial buildup, and the more energy you are going to be working with, the more reinforcements you are going to need. Be prepared for that by planning things out in advance. Most of our workings should be simple and won’t require a lot of buildup, so ingress might be as simple as aligning your souls and igniting your holy fire. Congress might merely be a wishing spell. Egress could just be an acknowledgment that the wish has been made and is out of your hands. But sometimes it’s a lot bigger than a wishing spell, and you have to pull out all the stops like the ones I discussed in this chapter. Planning ahead will let you know what you are going to need to do to make the working effective.

Make sure that you can feel the energy of the working at all times. From the moment you initiate ingress until the very last second of egress, you should feel energy moving; at the very least you should feel your own energy moving. If you don’t feel it moving and aren’t feeling energy projecting from you, then take a few moments to realign your souls and perhaps perform a quick cleansing on yourself before you continue. Magic isn’t a race; no one wins if they speed through it. Magic requires us to feel and experience, and it should be something that we savor.

As we explore the feast days and other rituals in the coming chapters, make sure that you have these four stages woven into your plan and that they are present in the working. What I will present is the bare bones of the ceremonial system, but you are the one who has to write the ceremonies should you choose to engage the powers therein.

Journal Topics

In addition to the prompts from within this chapter, meditate on the following questions and answer them in your journal:

1. How do your spells and rituals compare to the outline presented in this chapter? Are all four parts evident in your work?

2. Write a spell that follows this method and then perform it. How did the energy feel in the beginning, middle, and end of the working?

3. Sketch some of your most affirming ritual experiences.

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5. In his book Azoetia, the late occultist Andrew Chumbley introduces these concepts to us as an outline for interaction with the witch’s sabbat. Ingress, congress, and egress are all presented as rituals in the book and provide their own unique support for the particular magic observed within his Cultus Sabbati.