Lesson Seven Geburah
The crimson sphere of Geburah is the first of the higher powers above Tiphereth on the Tree of Life. The powers of Geburah and its twin, Chesed, are the forces that can be wielded safely only by an initiate who has made communion with the higher self in Tiphereth. The left corner of the Ethical Triangle, Geburah, is power. Geburah is, quite literally, force. Its name means “strength” or “might,” and it is the strength of will and power. It is the energy needed to manifest will. Though power to manifest will can be accessed by all manner of people, the most effective use of power is power applied to True Will, showing us why Tiphereth comes first on the climb of the magician. Geburah is the higher octave of Hod, and where Hod is individual thought and the personal ideas the magician can choose to manifest, Geburah is the raw power, the higher will or higher thought, the divine component in the formula, supplying the energy.
Astrologically, Geburah corresponds to the red planet Mars, which is the indicator of will in a natal chart. Mars is the drive forward, named after the war god. It is the impetus and our ability to act. The sign that Mars occupies in our birth chart shows the style in which we act. When you look at the environment of Mars as a planet with magickal symbolism in mind, its extreme power becomes more apparent. What little water, or emotion, that is present on it is frozen, suspended. Though the planet has an Earth-like size and shape, and much pseudoscientific speculation abounds regarding former life and even civilizations on Mars, it is not currently supportive of life or nurturing in any way. The environment is tough, martial, and unforgiving. Sandstorms continue to scar the surface, scourging it of the past and making it fresh.
The power of Geburah, though it can be used to accomplish things, is described as catabolic. It is destructive in nature, like the metabolic process breaking down energy sources to then release the energy. The martial might of Geburah can break down forces, seemingly destroying them, only to use that energy for a higher purpose. The power of Geburah is the power to destroy what no longer serves your highest will. Sometimes that destruction isn’t easy or pleasant, but it is a necessary part of the process. The power of Geburah is impersonal and does whatever must be done to create change and make space. Unlike with the lower sephiroth, there is no sentimentality in the way Geburah functions. In our world, we can see the power of Geburah manifest in disasters and accidents, such as fires and floods, as well as the long and continuous shaping of the land by weather and wind. Although sometimes traumatic, these occurrences bring change and new creation. Another name for Geburah is severity, as it sits in the center of the Pillar of Severity. Geburah is said to be devoid of mercy, the quality of Chesed with which it must be balanced.
Geburah
Meaning: Strength, Might, Power
Levels of Reality: Force and Motion
Parts of the Self: Will, Volition, Right Shoulder
Experience: Vision of Power
Obligation: Courage
Illusion: Invincibility
Virtue: Courageous Behavior
Vice: Wanton Destruction or Cruelty
Name of God: Elohim Gibor (Gods of Strength, Gods of Power)
King Scale Color: Orange
Queen Scale Color: Red
Prince Scale Color: Bright Scarlet
Princess Scale Color: Red flecked with Black
Element: Fire
Planet: Mars
Image: Warrior in Chariot
Archetypes: Warrior Deities, Forge Deities
Greek/Roman Deities: Ares, Mars, Athena, Minerva, the Furies
Egyptian Deities: Horus, Sekhmet, Maat
Middle Eastern Deities: Ninurta, Nergal
Celtic Deities: Bran, Morrighan, Macha
Norse Deities: Tyr, Thor
Hindu Deities: Kali, Durga
Archangel: Kamael (Archangel of Strength)
Angelic Order: Seraphim (Fiery Serpents)
Choir: Virtues
Grade of Initiation: 6 = 5 Advanced Adept
Animal: Basilisk
Planetary Vowel Sound: O (oh)
Resonant Letters: ng
Musical Mode: Lydian
Musical Note: F#
Tools: Scourge, Spear, Chain, Sword, Pentagon
Incense: Tobacco, Dragon’s Blood
Tarot: Five of Wands, Swords, Cups, and Pentacles
Hanged Man—To Hod
Justice—to Tiphereth
Strength/Lust—to Chesed
Chariot—to Binah
Metal: Iron
Stones: Ruby, Bloodstone, Carnelian
Plant: Cactus
For this month’s lesson, Geburah’s themes are done in fives, and are associated with martial correspondences, the fives of the four tarot suits, red candles, iron and steel, red fiery stones, and stimulating, powerful incense. The traditional scent is tobacco, but many witches dislike meditating with this. If you do use tobacco, choose a natural, untreated tobacco. Asafoetida is a substitute. Used to banish spirits and demons, it actually smells a lot worse than regular tobacco, and many believe it will neutralize the charge of all your ritual tools. The best substitute for tobacco is dragon’s blood, as it is just as powerful and stimulating magickally but has a less offensive smell. I suggest making an altar using your peyton as the center, surrounded by your five red candles and other tools, along with the major arcana cards representing the pathways in and out of Geburah. It’s interesting that, through the pentacle, there is a resonance between Geburah and Malkuth.
Entities of Geburah
The glyph of Mars, the ruling planet of this sphere, is also the male symbol used in our modern culture, just as Venus’s glyph is the female symbol. The glyph has been characterized as the shield and spear or arrow of a warrior. The powers of Mars have been equated with the warrior, as the planet was named after the Roman war god, with his corresponding association with the Greek war god Ares. The traditional image of Mars is the warrior in his Chariot, riding out to battle.
All warrior figures and deities can be assigned to Geburah. Tyr, of the Norse, is the Mars cognate, but it is important to remember that Tyr is not only a warrior, but a god of justice and sacrifice. He sacrificed his hand to bind the Fenris wolf and protect all the nine worlds. Justice is a strong component of the entities of Geburah, as the implication is that the conflict, the war, is just and necessary, not foolhardy and ill-conceived. Bran is the Welsh warrior king who led the forces to battle Ireland to avenge the honor of his sister, the goddess Branwen. Horus of the Egyptian pantheon, though seen as a solar figure and child king, is also a war god and mighty avenger who battled his uncle for the throne of Egypt.
Almost any of the gods with warrior aspects can be assigned to Geburah. Many of these gods have other attributes as well, so Geburah can include a wide range of traits other than just martial force. I find it interesting that so many warrior gods have agricultural or fertility aspects associated with them. At one time, Ares was tied to agriculture and healing, revealing another link from Geburah to Malkuth.
The forge and furnace gods also can be associated with Geburah. It is the fire of destruction to then create new forms and shapes. Metals must be melted in the forge before being reshaped. Hephaestus in the Greek mythos and Vulcan in the Roman are the best-known forge gods. Other gods with similar associations include Ptah, Nusku, Tubal Cain, Volund, Weiland, Govannon, Goibniu, Goban, Luchtaine, and Creidne.
Despite all this male-god imagery, much of the lore surrounding Geburah is distinctly feminine. Some people are shocked by this, but Geburah appears on the left, or negative, side of the Tree of Life. Some believe that the pillars spiral like DNA or the caduceus; the active principle alternates from Chokmah to Geburah to the fiery Netzach, while the receptive principle alternates from Binah to Chesed and down to mercurial Hod. Nevertheless, Geburah is on the dark pillar and could be described as the feminine side of the active principle. Besides all the war-god imagery, we have the warrior goddess and destructive feminine principles. We have the warrior queen, sovereign over life and death.
Athena of the Greeks and Minerva of the Romans both are said to embody the higher aspect of the warrior—the strategist. They have a relationship to their brothers Ares and Mars, yet take a “higher” road that is symbolized perfectly by Geburah, being a higher sephira. We could see the male gods as the lower expression of will, with the goddesses as the higher expression. In European traditions, many of the goddesses are warrior goddesses. The Celtic traditions are filled with dark warrior queens associated with the battlefield. The Morrighan, a triple goddess of the battlefield and the Underworld, consists of the three goddesses Anu, Badb, and Macha or Badb, Macha, and Nemain, all of whom have dark warrior aspects.
In terms of primal Geburah goddess figures, a perfect fit would be the lion-headed Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. In a display of the destructive power of the Sun, she conducted an enraged slaughter of humanity that had to be quelled by the gods. But her priestesses and priests were also great healers, able to remove illness and disease with the power of the Sun’s destructive light, brought down in carefully measured ways.
Kali from the Hindu traditions is another Geburah figure. Though Kali is truly a goddess of nature, and is both creative and destructive, many in the West choose to focus on her more fearsome and destructive aspects. She is fiery, black-skinned, many-armed, and demon-like, instilling fear and panic. She wears a necklace of skulls and a skirt of severed arms. She represents destruction, but one cannot create if one cannot destroy.
Looking through the lens of Geburah, we cannot help but see that the province of the warrior, the avenger, the destroyer and creator, can be found in both the gods and the goddesses. The divine name of Geburah sums it up quite nicely: Elohim Gibor, the gods and goddesses of strength, might, and power.
The archangel assigned to Geburah is traditionally Kamael, the archangel of strength, courage, justice, and severity. His name has been translated as “He who seeks God,” “He who sees God,” or “Burner of God.” Each name relates to his ability to see the divine within another, as an archangel of testing. Kamael is linked to the great tester Samael, a controversial figure in angelic mythology, related to death and sometimes to the angel of the “fall.” The angel of the Geburah station tests our convictions and motivations, purifying them. He also is responsible for making sure the power of the Tree of Life is modified as it descends into the spheres below Geburah.
The traditional angelic order of Geburah is the Seraphim, the fiery serpents or burning ones, said to carry out the divine’s destructive and purifying will, removing imperfection from the divine order. In another system, the Seraphim are related to the highest spheres, and separated from humanity, simply singing the praises of the divine. In this system, the angels of the martial sphere are known as Virtues. They infuse creation with blessing, with virtue, particularly those who have demonstrated valor or are in need of valor.
Vision of Geburah
Geburah’s divine experience is the Vision of Power, which is the key to understanding and unlocking your power to manifest your divine will, and not necessarily your personal will, in the world. The obligation of this vision is courage, for if you are not courageous, if you cannot follow the road, follow the call of divinity even when things look rough and the outcome is uncertain, then you cannot have access to this divine power. The virtue of Geburah is much like the obligation. Those who attain the Vision of Power find that courageous behavior comes naturally, for they are in touch with the primal forces of power and can wield them. The illusion of Geburah is that one is invincible. Some have not yet attained this vision but think they have, and believe themselves to be invincible in the face of all challenges. Others do attain this vision, but then fall, confusing divine will with personal will. Sometimes it is in accord with divine will and power to not get what you want. Sometimes your defeat serves you and serves creation. Those who attain a certain measure of power, but abuse it through wanton and unnecessary destruction and cruelty, thinking they are beyond such moral constraints, have great difficulty reaching the true Vision of Power.
Geburah Magick
Geburah magick is that of creation and destruction. More appropriately, it is the correct use of power—magickal power, psychic power, and worldly power—in the context of a spiritual life.
Once you ascend past Tiphereth, there is no single elemental correspondence for each sephira, as there is for the lower spheres. These higher spheres are simply too powerful to be limited by one element. Though we may glance at the astrological correspondences and make some assumptions, the upper spheres are too complex to pin down neatly. Geburah is the sphere of Mars, and obviously of fire because of that association. It forms a nice balance with Netzach, diagonally across Tiphereth, as they are both related to fire. But as the sphere of judgment and catabolic processes, Geburah is much more than that. Mars rules both Aries and, in traditional astrology, Scorpio, associating the planet with both fire and water. Geburah is the fire of destruction, but also the cleansing flood of the ancient legends. It is storms, earthquakes, volcanoes, and other natural disasters on the planet and their symbolic correspondences in our lives.
The totem of Geburah is the mythical basilisk, one of the most dangerous totemic figures on the Tree. Nobody knows for sure what the basilisk looks like, as it’s impossible to see it and survive, but it’s believed to be a serpent or dragon-like creature, with a gaze that would kill. Some legends say the basilisk was created from Medusa’s blood, as she is a Gorgon whose gaze turns the viewer to stone. We must be vigilant with our Geburah power, lest it destroy us rather than our target.
All the tools of Geburah are martial. Iron is the sacred metal, and one of the tools most useful to humanity. Without iron, many of our technologies and innovations would not have been possible. Yet the Iron Age in our mythologies experienced a decline in spiritual awareness from what has been termed the Golden and Silver Ages of great innocence and harmony with the planet. Iron oxide is a key component of Mars the planet and Geburic magick. The red quality of the “star” of Mars is due to the oxidation of iron. Did the ancients know that the iron on our planet corresponded so well to the iron of Mars? Probably not, but it’s an interesting question. In magick, iron is used for protection, to block harm like a lightning rod, grounding it. It is also a substitute for blood, as it mimics the redness of our blood and is considered to be a form of blood from the Earth. Older traditional spells calling for blood as an ingredient can be performed using iron/rust, salt, and water as a substitute. Martian energy is stimulating, and any herb, oil, scent, or stone that is stimulating is a good match. The scent of tobacco is a stimulant, and thorny plants such as roses, thistles, and stinging nettles also are associated with Mars. High-energy stones, like ruby, or stones working with the blood, like bloodstone and hematite, are aligned with Geburah.
To witches, the tool associated most strongly with Geburah is the scourge. It is the tool of discipline. Although not popular in most modern traditions of witchcraft that are not from a British Traditional line, scourging the self is both a part of initiation rites, to ritually teach the threefold law, and a method of raising power and altering consciousness. Interestingly enough, the markings of the traditional scourge are those of the three degrees of traditional witchcraft, all involving the pentagram (Figure 55).
The pentagram, pentacle, and pentagon all are aligned with Geburah, being the fifth sphere. The initiation symbols of the scourge can be outlined quite easily on the Tree of Life (Figure 56).
It is interesting how stars are associated with the military in general, and the pentagon shape is the one chosen for the American military headquarters, giving it further Geburah connotations. Known by many names, such as the endless knot, goblin’s foot, or witch’s cross, the pentagram was said to be the symbol on the knight Percival’s shield, and is aligned with the old Celtic war goddesses, giving it another Geburah association. In the medieval tales of Sir Gawain, it also is on his shield, but is given Christian symbolism of the five wounds of Christ as well as the virtues of the knight: frankness, fellowship, purity, courtesy, and compassion. The image of the five-pointed star is not simply a symbol of earth and the combination of the five elements, but a symbol of mastery over the elements and the material world. When one attains the power of Geburah, one has a certain level of power to achieve goals and accomplish divine will in the world at large. This is one of the many reasons why the various versions of the star are used as initiation symbols and carved on the scourge.
The pentagram also is aligned with mastery over the physical world because of the very magickal mathematical proportions encoded in its very structure. Within the proportions of the pentagram are the geometries to reproduce itself perfectly (Figure 57). This magickal star is a prime example of the Principle of Correspondence, showing that patterns repeat themselves on many scales and levels.
The most remarkable thing about the pentacle is that encoded within its proportion is the phi ratio, also known as the Golden Section. The Golden Section is a remarkable ratio and pattern, observed and revered by the ancients. Plato saw it as the mathematical key to the universe, the underlying pattern of everything, while the Egyptians saw it as the process of creation. And it is. The Golden Section is an asymmetrical division of unity that results in the diverse creation of life yet shows the fundamental and underlying unity among all things. It describes a progression of forms, shapes, or numbers expanding or contracting so that the new measurement is to the original as the original is to the whole. In geometry, one could say that B is to A as A is to A + B (Figure 58). The pattern is best seen in the pentagram, but also can be seen in the human body and the Western musical scale. It also roughly describes the proportions of the solar system, at least of the inner planets, as the ratio begins to break down the further out you go. The phi ratio shows us the wisdom of “as above, so below.”
We can see the proportion in a sequence known as the Fibonacci sequence: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144 . . . Each new number is generated by adding the previous two. This sequence is how the infinite spiral is brought into form in the material world (Figure 59). The ratio is infinite, but often is expressed numerically as 1.618. Each number is in the phi ratio to the previous number, moving infinitely closer to perfection yet never reaching that mathematical perfection in the physical world, which is why we call it an irrational number.
These sequences appear in nature. The Fibonacci can be found in the branching patterns of grasses, flowers, bushes, and trees. It is in the spiraling patterns of a pine cone, as well as the patterns in horns and shells of animals. The pattern is found in the ancestry of bees. You see it in the proportions of the human body. The length of your elbow to the tip of your fingers is in the phi ratio to the length of your entire arm. The length of your body from your waist to the top of your head is in the phi ratio to the entire length of your body, head to toe. The pattern continues to all the divisions of the body, down to the joints in your fingers. Much of the art of the ancient world, and then the Renaissance, used the proportions of sacred geometry, including the phi ratio, while most modern art does not. Though both bring their blessings, there is something vastly different between art that uses sacred geometry and art that does not.
The pentagram, with this proportion encoded within it, is the key to linking the perfected supernal world of the upper triad with the manifestation of life in the material world. This is one of the reasons why it is the shape that grants mastery over the physical world and encompasses all the elements. As a symbol of incarnation, a human with two arms, two legs, and a head, it brings the perfected divine spark into the material existence. The flowers that repeat its pattern of five petals are the most spiritual, yet they are either very healing or very toxic, bringing this life force in and out. Fruits with five-petaled flowers, such as the apple, usually have the pentagram in their seed pattern and have long been revered for their connection to witchcraft. The pentagram, containing the geometry to replicate itself, is the power of regeneration in the living world, and the regenerative life force of nature, sacred in the ancient world both to the goddess Venus and to Pan, the All. The pentagram holds the key to the mysteries of life, death, infinity, and power.
As the aspiring ceremonial magician starts with the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, the logical expansion is to the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram. Many witches forgo learning the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, feeling that the traditional magick circle of witchcraft is more than adequate for their work. I must agree that, when the two are compared, I favor the magick circle found in witchcraft, and detailed in the second book of this series, The Outer Temple of Witchcraft. Before the advent of the Golden Dawn, ritual magicians all had personal and unique ways of creating their circles, in chalk or other markings on the floor, inscribing rings within rings with sacred names of the divine and angelic symbols. The traditional nine-foot “circle of the art” aligned the force of the Moon, as Yesod is the ninth sphere. The diameters of subsequent inner rings also can have Qabalistic symbolism attached.
With the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, we start to unravel the deeper mysteries behind the pentagram. Witches often look at the associations of the elements with the points on the pentagram and wonder if they are arbitrary or not. If not, what is the logic behind them? If you draw the pentagram clockwise, starting from the top, you move from spirit to fire, air, water, and earth, and back to spirit again, arranging the elements from least dense to most dense, starting from and returning to spirit. It also goes in the order of the alchemical circle, with fire and air connected with one line and earth and water connected with one line. Those two lines are not used in the traditional drawing of invoking and banishing the four elements by pentagram. They are used in the active and passive spirit pentagrams (figure 60). Drawn as either invoking or banishing pentagrams, the active pentagrams of spirit are drawn first in the quarters of the active elements—fire and air—followed by the appropriate traditional elemental pentagram. The passive pentagrams of spirit are drawn first in the quarters of the passive elements—water and earth—and likewise followed by the appropriate traditional elemental pentagram. The invoking spirit pentagrams are known as equilibrating, while the banishing pentagrams are known as closing pentagrams. By starting with the spirit pentagrams, the four elemental gateways are fully empowered, making it truly the greater ritual in power and purpose when compared to the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.
When working with the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, one must decide how to formulate it, as either invoking or banishing. Usually the traditional preliminary banishing of the LBRP and LBRH are done to clear the space, and then the sacred space is created through the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram. Next, the work is done, and then the space is released through the Greater Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, followed by a repetition of the LBRP and LBRH.
The practical witch might look at all these steps and wonder why on Earth anyone would go through this when you could just cast a witch’s magick circle. The complexity and precision of the steps really are meant to short-circuit your doubts, fears, and much of your conscious mind, allowing you to fully engage your magickal self once you are in the space to do the working you have chosen, be it spell casting, energy work, divination, or meditation. Much like a martial discipline, a vigorous yoga, Eastern martial art, or extended circle dancing, these complex movements become second nature to the trained practitioner. These movements teach the practitioner how to make new connections between his or her personal energy, thoughts, physical body, and vocalizations, to make some truly spectacular magick.
Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram (GIRP)
1. Perform the LBRP (Exercise 5). Ideally, also perform the LBRH (Exercise 20), though some magicians would consider that step optional.
2. Repeat the Qabalistic Cross (Exercise 2).
3. Facing east, draw an equilibrated active invoking pentagram of spirit in white light. Vibrate the divine name: Eh-heh-yeh.
4. Make the Active Sign of the Portal, the Sign of Rending the Veil (page 107).
5. Draw an invoking pentagram of air in yellow light. Make the Sign of the Enterer (page 102), empowering the air pentagram while vibrating the divine name: Yud-Heh-Vahv-Heh.
6. Make the Sign of the Practicus Grade, 2 = 9 , for air (page 104). Point your finger/blade in the center of the pentagram, and trace one-quarter of the circle in the air with a line of light, bringing you to the south.
7. Facing south, draw an equilibrated active invoking pentagram of spirit in white light. Vibrate the divine name: Eh-heh-yeh.
8. Make the Active Sign of the Portal, the Sign of Rending the Veil.
9. Draw an invoking pentagram of fire in red light. Make the Sign of the Enterer, empowering the fire pentagram while vibrating the divine name: Elohim.
10. Make the Sign of the Philosophus Grade, 4 = 7 , for fire (page 106). Point your finger/blade in the center of the pentagram, and trace one-quarter of the circle in the air with a line of light, bringing you to the west.
11. Facing west, draw an equilibrated passive invoking pentagram of spirit in white light. Vibrate the divine name: Ah-glah.
12. Make the Passive Sign of the Portal, the Sign of Closing the Veil (page 108).
13. Draw an invoking pentagram of water in blue light. Make the Sign of the Enterer, empowering the water pentagram while vibrating the divine name: El.
14. Make the Sign of the Theoricus Grade, 3 = 8 , for water (page 105). Point your finger/blade in the center of the pentagram, and trace one-quarter of the circle in the air with a line of light, bringing you to the north.
15. Facing north, draw an equilibrated passive invoking pentagram of spirit in white light. Vibrate the divine name: Ah-glah.
16. Give the Passive Sign of the Portal, the Sign of Closing the Veil.
17. Draw an invoking pentagram of earth in green or black light. Make the Sign of the Enterer, empowering the earth pentagram while vibrating the divine name: Ah-doh-nye.
18. Make the Sign of the Zelator Grade, 1 = 10 , for earth (page 103). Point your finger/blade in the center of the pentagram, and trace one-quarter of the circle in the air with a line of light, bringing you to the east.
19. Repeat the Qabalistic Cross. When the working is done, it should be followed by the Greater Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, following the same steps yet using banishing pentagrams. Many also close the temple with the LBRP and LBRH.
As with the previous rituals, there are many variations of the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram. Often the portal signs are omitted entirely, or only the active signs are used in the invoking rituals and the passive signs are used in the banishing rituals, which I prefer. Remember that in our elemental ranking system in The Temple of High Witchcraft, the Theoricus and Practicus signs have been switched in name, yet the elemental symbolism is consistent with each of the four quarters. The most complicated version of this ritual, involving Enochian words of power, is known as the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, or SIRP.
The Greater Ritual of the Pentagram can be adapted from invoking to banishing by drawing all banishing pentagrams, for both the spirit and the four elements, in place of invoking pentagrams. Unlike the end of a traditional witch’s circle, the Greater Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram moves deosil (clockwise) to close the space.
If desired, the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram can be focused on one specific element. You can focus on only one quarter and fill the space with elemental energy from that quarter, or you can draw the same spirit pentagram and same elemental pentagram in each of the four quarters, as in the traditional LIRP or LBRP.
Some practitioners have special words they use to both open and close a powerful ritual, particularly the Greater and Supreme Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram. To open the space, they use Hekas, Hekas, Este Bebeloi, meaning “Be ye far, all ye profane.” At the end, they use a declaration that the temple is duly closed: “I now release any Spirit that may have been imprisoned by this ritual. Go now, with blessings. May there always be peace between us, and may you always come when you are called. I now declare this ritual duly closed.”
Barbarous Words of Power
If Geburah is said to be the higher octave of Hod on the Pillar of Severity, and Hod magick includes alphabets and language, then I place the use of powerful words and phrases, that do not necessarily conform to an intelligible language or script, in the primal realm of Geburah magick. Known as the barbarous names (or words) of power, they are words and phrases that have no specific meaning to the magician, yet their power is twofold.
One theory holds that the function of their magick is in the sound of the words, not in the meaning. For example, many of us start to do the LBRP without a full understanding of the Hebrew, yet we find something powerful in the sounds and tones and the ritual is supremely effective. This theory would hold that magick words, the sounds themselves, are keyed in to the powers of the universe and help make the magick. One shouldn’t try to decode them, even if it’s possible, for in that decoding they might lose their magick.
The second theory is that even though the sounds may be unfamiliar, if they are said with authority in the context of the ritual, they have a profound psychological and magickal effect on the magician. The power of the ritual comes from the magician’s own connection to the universe, enhanced by the flavor of the ritual, rather than any power inherent in the sounds themselves. The words should be uttered “thunderously” to command and direct power. We can find this technique effective in that same LBRP, even if in retrospect we find that we were unsure of the pronunciations, or find that our pronunciations differ from those suggested in the manual.
In truth, I think it’s a little of both, and although the barbarous names are not as popular in magick today, I’ve found them very effective. I’ve done several exorcism rituals in my healing practice for those with attached spirit entities, and in some of the most effective of these rituals, I used foreign languages and untranslatable words of power. I started with the popular phrase “Hekas, Hekas, Este Bebeloi.” Not only did this connect me to a sense of magickal history, but the unfamiliarity of the words helped my client release. Combining this phrase with words of power and the Hebrew version of the ceremonial rituals induced a profound psycho-magickal state in both myself and the client in which this difficult magick could be done effectively and completely.
The term barbarous name comes from the Greek barbaroi and is the root for our word barbarian, which simply meant “one who didn’t speak Greek.” A barbarous name referred to any word in a ritual, possibly a god name, that didn’t make sense in Greek. The term voces magicae, meaning “words of power,” also can be used. The Ephesia Grammata, literally “Ephesian letters” in Greek, were the best-known and most commonly used words of power in the classical Greek world. They were used widely to confer power and victory, and eventually became equated with the concept of barbarous names to mean any unintelligible name. The Ephesia Grammata are askion, kataskion, lix, tertrax, damnameneus, and aision (aisia).
The idea of barbarous words of power was later adopted by other cultures to mean any magickal word that didn’t make sense in the well-known tongue. Such names of power were derived from Egyptian, Hebrew, Persian, and later Greek, though many words cannot be traced to any root language and just appear to be gibberish. A major source for such names is the Graeco-Egyptian Magical Papyri, mixing pagan, Jewish, and Christian forms of magick and terms of power. Such words have been used in a variety of cultures and forms of magick, from curse tablets to love spells. The tradition was powerful up through the Middle Ages, yet other than in the modern revival of Enochian, Goetia workings, and a ritual known as the Bornless Rite, very few modern magicians use the classical barbarous names of power. Examples of these names include ablanathanalba, akrammachamarei, anaboria, baldachia, asanexhexeton, and sesengenbarpharanges.
Certain other barbarous words have been passed down. In The Key of Solomon, to consecrate water, or to prepare what some call the Bath of Solomon, the following names are used:
Mertalia, Musalia, Dophalia, Onemalia, Zitanseia, Goldaphaira, Dedulsaira, Ghevialaira, Gheminaira, Gegropheria, Cedahi, Gilthar, Godieb, Ezoil, Musil, Grassil, Tamen, Pueri, Godu, Huznoth, Astachoth, Astachoth, Adonai, AGLA, On, El, Tetragrammaton, Shema, Aresion, Anaphaxeton, Segilaton, Primeumaton.
To consecrate the salt, to add to the water, other barbarous names are used:
Imanel, Arnamon, Imato, Memeon, Rectacon, Muoboii, Paltellon, Decaion, Yamenton, Yaron, Tatonon, Vaphoron, Gardon, Existon, Zagveron, Momerton, Zarmesiton, Tileion, Tixmion.
Many modern witches of British Traditional lineages are taught to use abridged versions of these words of power: “Mertalia, Musalia, Dophalia, Onemalia, Zitanseia” for the water and “Yamenton, Yaron, Tatonon, Zarmesiton, Tileion, Tixmion” for the salt.
Witches also have adopted a form of barbarous words known as the Bagahi Rune. Like the Witch’s Rune (OTOW, Chapter 11), it refers to a chant, not the Teutonic symbol system. The origin of the Bagahi Rune is disputed, but many believe it began with the Basques, a people known for their connections to witchcraft, secret languages, and magick. Some speculate that it is a listing of god names in Basque, though we don’t know that with any certainty. The first written account of the Bagahi Rune appeared in a thirteenth-century manuscript attributed to the French troubadour Rutebeuf. Now it is used in Gardnerian and Alexandrian rites, particularly initiation ceremonies, and at Samhain. It also can be used to add power to any working of magick. Here is a phonetic suggestion to help you recite the Bagahi Rune, from The Goodly Spellbook: Olde Spells for Modern Problems by Dixie Deerman (Lady Passion) and Steven Rasmussen (*Diuvei):
Bagahi laca bachahe — Bah-GAH-hee LAH-ka BAH-khah-hey
Lamac cahi achabahe — Lah-MAHK kah-HEE ah-KHAH-bah-hey
Karrrelyos! — Kah-RREL-yohs!
Lamac lamec bachalyos — La-MAHK lah-MEKH bah-KHAH-lee-ohs
Cabahagi sabalyos — Kah-BAH-hah-gee sah-BAH-lee-ohs
Baryols! — Bah-RREE-oh-lahs!
Lagozatha cabyolas — Lah-goh-zah-THAH kah-BEE-oh-lahs
Samahac et famyolas — Sah-MAH-HAHK EHT fah-MEE-oh-lahs
Harrahya! — Hah-RRAH-hee-yah!
Modern magicians can make use of power words in similar ways. Here are some options.
Classic Barbarous Words
Through researching classic texts and grimoires, and the writings of those magicians who use them, you can find barbarous words that have been used in the past.
Foreign Languages
You don’t have to use any words that you are completely unfamiliar with, but you can ritualistically use the words of a foreign tongue that you are not as familiar with. I have found great use in translating rituals into Latin and Greek. This provides a mechanism for me to add power to my rituals, or at least sections of rituals, even though I’m not an expert in either of these languages, and even if my translations wouldn’t sound proper to a native speaker of the language.
Sigilization Method
You can make words of power with very specific intentions in the same manner in which you would create a sigil. Rather than using the remaining, unrepeated letters of a phrase to create a geometric design, you would use them in a chant (see OTOW, Chapter 13, and TOSW, Chapter 13).
Notarikon
In the tradition of notarikon, you can use the first letters of a statement to create a magick word. Our previous example, “I ASK THE GODS TO BE FINANCIALLY PROSPEROUS. SO MOTE IT BE,” would then become IATGTBFPSMIB, which I might divide as IATG TB FPS MIB.
Otherworld Languages
You can travel to the other realms and receive words of power from spirits, angels, and deities, and use them as instructed (see TOSW, Chapter 13). You can find your own divine names and power words for each of the sephiroth.
The use of any of these names of power is personal. Some magicians use them for evocation of spirits and creating sacred space. Others use them to raise energy for a spell. The recitation of a series of magickal words also can be the catalyst to cast the spell. If you so choose, experiment with the technique of using foreign words and sounds, researching both the psychological effect this has on you and others, but also determining if the sound itself has an effect on reality. Working names and words into melody and chant, particularly using the tones associated with the sephiroth, can be quite powerful.
Geburah Pathworkings
Based on the previous lessons, only two paths from Geburah remain, the path of Strength/Lust and the path of the Chariot. Each path is a process focused on the appropriate use of power. The path of Strength/Lust links Geburah to Chesed. Strength must be learned to properly apply both the power and mercy of these two spheres. The classic image of the woman holding open the jaws of the lion shows us that we must be fearless in balancing these mighty powers. Compassion without power is weakness. Power without compassion is dangerous and can run wild. We must learn to integrate the two, yet not fear the appropriate use of both power and compassion.
Geburah is linked to its highest form, Binah, through the mysteries of the Chariot card. The Chariot is the power of movement, of travel, and ultimately of the sacred quest. After a period of introspection and drawing boundaries, the withdrawal into the armor of the knight, the Grail Knight, the seeker must cross the Abyss and find the highest form of the divine feminine, the form found in Binah. This is the ultimate sacrifice for the understanding that comes with Binah.
Geburah Pathworking
1. Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (Exercise 5) and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (Exercise 20). Do any other ritual you feel is appropriate.
2. While in this space, call upon the divine forces of Geburah. Burn your five red candles and dragon’s blood incense. Knock on your altar five times. Vibrate the divine name of Geburah, Elohim Gibor, five times. Call upon any of the martial deities of the sphere, or Archangel Kamael.
3. To count down into a meditative state, do exercise 1 through step 7 (page 76).
4. Let the familiar world around you fall away, as if the material reality you know is only a façade and beneath it lies the beautiful garden of the Goddess, a veritable paradise surrounding you. The land around you becomes a vast primordial garden, the garden of Malkuth, the familiar garden of the four paths.
5. Go to the heart of Malkuth, to the Temple of Malkuth. Decide which path you wish to take to Geburah. Plot out the path in your mind, through the appropriate sephiroth and pathways. Perhaps try choosing pathways that you haven’t yet explored.
6. While on your path, reflect on the symbolism of each of the paths of wisdom. If you have walked a particular pathway before, let the wisdom reach a deeper level within you. Let the images of the associated tarot card and path come to you. Let your thoughts and feelings be guided by the power of the path. Learn what you can of the path, and of your process, to expand your consciousness to Geburah.
7. Feel the call of the red sphere from your path. You are bidden to enter the gates of Geburah, the realm of fire and smoke, the forge of power. You might have to give a symbol of Geburah as the key to enter the realm, such as the divine name (Elohim Gibor), the Mars glyph, or the name of a warrior deity. Once you enter the realm, you feel the heat and power of the sphere. Feel your power rise. Feel your strength. Notice how you feel about these qualities, as your body and psyche are stimulated by the energy. Explore the realm of Geburah, and welcome any beings that may come across your path, but be wary, as they might challenge your power, your strength, and your right to be there. And beware the basilisks.
8. Make your way to the Temple of Geburah. You enter a five-sided temple, made of ruby and iron, stark and powerful. You feel the essence of Geburah, of might and power emanating from the walls. Notice the gateways to the other paths in the temple, the gate from the direction in which you came and the other three gates.
9. The entities of Geburah are residing in the temple. The warrior gods and goddesses are present. Forge deities and destructive goddesses are potentially manifest, depending on your relationship to Geburah. Archangel Kamael also is available. Commune with the beings of the sphere. Ask to know the Vision of Power in a manner that is correct and for your highest good. Ask to learn the virtue and obligation of the sphere and ways to avoid the vice and illusion.
10. When done, thank all the beings who have communicated with you. They might offer you a gift, a token of their goodwill. If you accept, it is polite to reach within your being and offer them a gift of your goodwill.
11. Once you have said your farewells, leave the shrine and follow the path back. Return the way you came unless you feel guided to return via a different pathway and know the pathway back well. Return to the garden of Malkuth. Focus on the waking world you know, and feel it return around the garden.
12. To return to normal waking consciousness and end your journey, perform steps 15–17 from exercise 1 (page 78). You can close the temple by repeating the LBRP.
Geburah Initiation
In traditional ceremonial orders, the Geburah initiation is known as the 6 = 5 ranking, that of an Adeptus Major or Advanced Adept. The training and obligation of this level of initiation is to master all forms of practical magick. This is why the five-pointed star, a symbol of magick and all the elements, is such a good emblem of this level.
A true witch or magician has a thirst for all things magickal. We seek to know all systems of magick, to understand and expand our own worldview, even if we find that those traditions are not for us. We want to know, to learn, to understand the flow of magick in all things, in all people and cultures. There is a drive to explore and experience. That is the higher drive of Geburah, to have mastery over these skills, for we never know when we’ll be called upon to use them. Part of this fourth-level training is to prepare modern witches to understand and potentially use Qabalah in their personal magickal systems. Once they have achieved a certain level of mastery, it’s up to the individual witches to decide what aspects to synthesize into their worldview and what to leave behind, but only after attaining a thorough understanding of the tradition.
Homework
• Do Exercises 22–23 and record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.
• Learn and practice the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram (Exercise 22), the traditional version or your own personally reconstructed version.
• Explore working with words of power.
• Continue to practice the LBRP, LBRH, Middle Pillar, and Circulation of the Body of Light rituals, the traditional or personal versions. You can continue with the Four Adorations and the Ritual of the Rosy Cross, but this is not a requirement.
Tips
• Fill in the Geburah correspondences and colors on your own Tree of Life drawing. Contemplate them as you add them to the image. Start memorizing these correspondences.
• Review and reflect on all you have learned in this lesson.
• Continue to work with the four elements.
• Continue working with the lower sephiroth.
• Study the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram to deconstruct and reconstruct it to fit your worldview, if you so choose. If you are reconstructing it, make sure your symbolism is consistent with the pentagram rituals and other rites.
• Pick one other reality map from Appendix I to contemplate. Understanding a variety of worldviews will help you when you construct your own reality map.