The Ceremonies of
High Magick
When I think of the ceremonies of high magicians, I envision a solitary magician locked in a tower room, circle drawn on the floor in chalk and the atmosphere thick with incense and flickering candles. Shelves of books line the walls, with an alchemical laboratory of beakers and bottles. Rather than the shaman traveling in spirit to other worlds, I imagine the magician summoning the forces of the universe, the powers and spirits, to this workroom.
Though it’s a romantic image, and some forms of magick do work that way, the foundation blocks of ceremonial magick are somewhat more like an exercise regimen. Ideally, they are daily rituals to build your psychic and magickal “muscles.” As with lifting weights or doing aerobics, the more you perform these rituals—some of which may seem mundane or repetitive to the creative soul seeking to do everything intuitively and on the spur of the moment—the greater the benefits you will reap for your overall magickal health and strength. The element of air, and the tool of the blade, or sword, are most strongly associated with the path of the magician. Though we tend to associate the element of earth with (physical) discipline, air is the power of mental discipline needed to perform magick, particularly the traditions of ceremonial magick. This is a path of discipline. This is a path of mental structure and understanding. This is the path of the magician.
The Yoga of the West
Dion Fortune is well known for calling Qabalah “the yoga of the West.” That can be interpreted in many ways. Much as yogic philosophy is a pivotal part of the Eastern spiritual landscape, Qabalah holds the same position, as the spiritual framework, the spiritual technology, geared to Western consciousness. Many Western seekers study the traditions of the East but discover that the programs, symbols, and traditions don’t suit their Western world “software.” Qabalah uses images that are more in harmony with the Western collective consciousness. While in our modern, multicultural world the traditions of the East and West are blending together in a more balanced manner than they were in Dion Fortune’s time, she still has a valid point when she stresses that Westerners should be versed in Western esoteric systems rather than wholeheartedly abandoning the West and embracing the East. When I began my spiritual quest, I looked into Hinduism, Shintoism, and Buddhism, but nothing clicked with me, resonated with my soul, until I found witchcraft, as modern witchcraft, with its Qabalistic influences, is framed for a Western consciousness. Fortune feared that the cultural soul of Britain would be polluted by Eastern spiritual tradition, and sought to synthesize the European pagan traditions and Grail mysteries with Qabalistic traditions. Though she might not be in favor of a multicultural view of witchcraft and Qabalah, her work brings into focus the varying Western traditions in relationship to the Tree of Life.
Qabalistic ceremonial magick is like the yoga of the West, not only for the philosophical framework that it provides Westerners, with a framework as to how the universe is structured and the path of enlightenment, but also in its physical rituals. While ceremonial magick, like yoga, involves meditation, it also involves ritual movements. The familiar poses of yoga—bending, stretching, and taking on forms of animals, trees, mountains, and stars—are not so dissimilar to the rituals of ceremonial magick. The rituals of ceremonial magick involve techniques found in ITOW, OTOW, and TOSW, but fuse together these techniques, creating moving meditative rituals. In one ritual, a mage is simultaneously gesturing, chanting, visualizing, moving energy, and summoning spirits. A strange synergy occurs, where all these different disciplines become synchronized, and the magician becomes a finely tuned instrument for the divine will. As with a musician, there must be practice. There must be a relationship between the musician and the instrument, for the musician to be in the moment, to be in the flow where the divine truly plays through them both.
These rituals are much like yoga, or martial arts. Several small actions build to create larger rituals. One form builds upon another. The Western magick traditions either have a spiritual root similar to that of the Eastern traditions or have a literal influence from them, because each ritual includes the use of sound, sacred language, movement, geometry, visualization, ritual tools, and intention to create a change in consciousness and reality. As with martial arts and yogic postures, the first change happens in the practitioner, who is aligned with these divine forces, and then a change comes to the outer world, if necessary.
Upon first glance, the sequence of actions in ceremonial magick rituals is complicated and involved, but the sequence works well, and there is a clear pattern and intention behind each action, even if these are not obvious at first. Once the basics are mastered, more complicated rituals are developed from the foundation.
The differences between Qabalistic magick and yoga become clearer when we look at the actual practices of the two traditions. In the yogic traditions, much attention is focused on moving energy up the spine, the central axis, to make matter and consciousness ascend. The forces are embodied by Shakti, the Goddess, rising within us, from the base of the spine, to meet the celestial Shiva in the heavens. Much of the Qabalisitc rituals involve bringing down the light from the heavens at the top of the Tree, through the middle pillar of the body, the central axis, and into the kingdom of the material world.
The foundations of modern ceremonial magick come from the traditions of the Golden Dawn. Revealed to the world by initiates of the order, and adapted and varied by those in the tradition founding new orders with similar structure, the original Golden Dawn material is the foundation of modern magick. Though we’ll be looking at that foundation, the rituals outlined in this material are not always true to the Golden Dawn versions, though they are very similar. Many versions exist, from the various ceremonial orders to the strains of witchcraft that use and have adapted these rituals to make them more Craft-friendly, and from the descendents of Alexandrian Wicca to the Goddess- and Earth-reverent traditions of Dion Fortune.
The first foundational exercise of ceremonial magick is known as the Qabalistic Cross. Upon it, all other rituals are built. It is with this exercise that you align your personal self with the forces of the Tree of Life. You bring a cross of infinite light through the center of your being. In essence, you become a crossroads of light, where all things are possible.
While the Qabalistic Cross is simple and complete as it is described here, more detailed instructions on using words of power, ritual movement, and tools in ceremonial magick rituals will follow in the next section.
Qabalistic Cross
1. Traditionally, one starts in the center of the room or on the west side of the altar, facing east. A ritual dagger or blade can be used to direct energy. Hermetic witches can use their athame, though some reserve a special banishing dagger for this ritual, as discussed in step 3. Many modern magicians simply use the fingertips of the right hand. I was taught to use the index and middle fingers together, with the rest of the fingers in a fist, but most traditions use only the index finger.
2. Visualize yourself growing larger and larger, to titanic proportions, as the Earth beneath your feet assumes the size of a soccer ball. Even though the Earth is small, you are firmly anchored to it and will not float away. You are extended into the heavens and among the stars in the cosmos. Visualize one bright star above your head. As it descends toward your crown, it grows in size, to become a ball of brilliant white light, emanating from the source. It is only a small portion of this source, but it still burns brighter than ten thousand Suns. Bring your knife or finger up to the ball of light, piercing it. A beam of white light descends to your forehead as you guide it with your finger or blade. Touch your forehead with the tip of your finger or blade, and vibrate: Ah-TAH.
3. Bring your hand/blade down vertically across your body, until you are pointing at the ground, with your hand covering your groin area. Visualize the shaft of light descending through your body with the motion of your hand and then into the Earth, into the star in the center of the planet beneath your feet and onward through infinity. Vibrate: Mahl-KOOT.
(Note: Some believe that a magickal dagger should never be pointed at the Earth, so instead you would point the handle of the dagger at the Earth. Others feel the blade points toward where you are directing energy, so if you are directing energy to the Earth, then the tip of the dagger must point that way. In the end, choose the position that works best for you.)
4. Bring your hand/blade up and touch your right shoulder. Imagine a star at your right shoulder. Visualize the vertical beam of light in your body extending a beam out from your heart area to the star in your right shoulder and out through infinity to your right. Focus on the beam of light. Vibrate: Vih-G’boo-RAAH.
5. Bring your hand/blade horizontally across your body, to your left shoulder. Imagine a star at your left shoulder. Visualize the horizontal beam of light now extending to the left star and infinitely to the left. Focus on the beam of light. Vibrate: Vih-G’doo-LAH.
6. Clasp your hands together over your chest in a prayer position. If you are using the dagger, hold it, point up, between your knuckles. Imagine beneath your hands, at the heart area, a golden glowing light. Vibrate: Lih-Oh-LAHM, Ah-MEN. Feel yourself in a cross of light, stretching infinitely through the universe.
When you are done, and if you are not continuing on to other rituals, bring your awareness back to the material world, resuming normal proportions and letting the cross of light fade. The words of this ritual basically translate to a prayer familiar to many: “For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and forever. Amen.” As you explore the sephiroth on the Tree of Life, you will learn how this prayer is really used as a code to ground the Tree of Life, through four main centers, in your body. The sephira at the top is the godhead, the “thine” of the prayer. The one at your feet translates to “kingdom,” the one on your right to “power,” and the one on your left to “glory,” or “mercy.” Though the Lord’s Prayer was added to the Gospels, some believe it shows that the early Christians knew about the Tree of Life. Modern magicians will debate as to whether the prayer or the Qabalistic Cross came first.
Pronouncing the Words of Power
One of the most common complaints of aspiring ceremonial magicians concerns the vibration, or toning, of the sacred sounds. Many books and lessons inspire fear in the practitioner, making the new mage question if the pronunciation is correct and/or if the way the words are intoned is correct. Not until I studied with a modern ceremonial magician did I realize that intention is the most important thing. This is the advice I give my own witchcraft students. It’s better to do it, holding a strong intention, and let the practice evolve rather than not do it because you are afraid to do it wrong.
I’ve found that pronunciation is varied, depending on the tradition of ceremonial magick, the geographic location, and the cultural accent. I’ve heard a well-versed magician from Europe pronounce certain words one way, while American mages pronounce them slightly differently. I’ve studied some Hebrew with those in the Jewish tradition, but modern Hebrew and the Hebrew of ceremonial magicians are quite different. Hebrew, once a dead language, was resurrected recently as the language of modern Israel. The modern version of Hebrew is most likely quite different from the ancient version, even in meaning. Ancient Hebrew has broader and vaguer terms in the mystic traditions, showing the relationship between concepts, while modern Hebrew, like any modern language, has to be more precise. Even though ceremonial Hebrew is based on ancient magickal Hebrew, it is somewhat Anglicized. With the advent of popular books with phonetic spellings, we find that the Hebrew words have mutated yet again. We find pronunciations based on what the words look like in English rather than traditional Hebrew. We find variations of the terms Ches-sed versus Hess-ed and Bye-nah versus Bee-nah. Yet at the same time, all of these versions work. When I start to worry about getting it “right” or fearing that some aspect of my Qabalah studies and pronunciation is wrong, I’m consoled by the words of a very wise modern mystic and Qabalist, Lon Milo DuQuette. In The Chicken Qabalah, he writes:
The first liberating secret Chicken Qabalists learn is that (as far as the Qabalah is concerned) there is no such thing as correct Hebrew Pronunciation. Yep. That’s right. No matter how you pronounce the various words in the system, some snob is sure to pop up (especially in public) and correct you . . . . I repeat, nobody knows for sure what the sacred language of the ancient Hebrews sounded like, or even if it was spoken at all! Pronunciation has less than nothing to do with the study and practice of the spiritual applications of the Qabalah.
Another enlightening folk tale on correct pronunciation comes from the East. A teacher of mantra meditation is traveling throughout the countryside, searching high and low for those in need of his teachings. He comes to a mountain where an old hermit is said to live. He crosses the lake near the bottom of the river, climbs the mountain, and comes to an cave, where he finds the old hermit, reciting the mantra but pronouncing it all wrong. He goes in, interrupts the hermit, and teaches him the correct pronunciation. The hermit thanks him profusely. The teacher thinks that at least this old man will get some benefit from practicing the correct method before he dies and will find himself in a better life in his next incarnation, though it’s probably too late for him to reach enlightenment in this lifetime since he’s been using a faulty mantra. The teacher continues on his travels and sees the hermit behind him, asking the correct pronunciation again, wanting to make sure he really got it. The teacher is a little annoyed, but instructs him again. The hermit thanks the disgruntled teacher and bounds back toward his mountain home, walking right across the surface of the lake as if it were solid land. The teacher is baffled. Perhaps his mantra, or more importantly the hermit’s sincere effort and intention, are what led the hermit to enlightenment and gave him the miraculous ability to walk across water.
Intention is the key. We have the idea from our popular media that magick words press the secret buttons of the universe. We subconsciously think that, if a specific word is said, things will happen automatically. Yet from most traditions of witchcraft and magick we know that the power is really in the magician and the magician’s connection to the universe. Words and symbols have a vibration, a resonance, but no matter how perfectly and technically they are executed, if the ritual is not a focus for intention, it won’t be that effective. Even though we draw upon the “current” of those who have performed the ritual before us—using what witchcraft teacher and author Raven Grimassi calls the “momentum of the past,” which adds power and provides a reason to follow traditional methods and ritual—if we have no will, then our momentum won’t take us where we really want to go. In the end, even if we do something differently from other traditions or in a way that people might consider “wrong,” if our ritual is filled with intention, then it will be successful. In this book, the foreign words will be spelled out phonetically, as I’ve learned them. You might find other pronunciations that work better for you in other texts, so feel free to use them.
The process of toning the various words of power also varies, depending on the tradition. The use of tones is called vibrating, toning, or intoning. Magicians also refer to it as a “vibratory formula.” Basically, each word is said with force and power, in a manner similar to a drawn-out chant. Some people do it quite loudly, while others do it with less volume. Some draw out the syllables over a long period of time, while others finish phrases fairly quickly in comparison. Some feel a resonance in the upper palate and nasal cavities, which gives it that “vibration” sensation. Others don’t. A long-enough vibration from your voice will result not only in other objects around you vibrating with this sound, but also parts of your energy bodies and the astral plane vibrating with this power.
I usually suggest that you take a full, deep breath and extend the phrase on the full breath, completing it as you run out of breath. It almost is shouted and often is pitched higher that your normal speaking voice, though some with low, resonant voices pitch it at the same level or lower. For example, “Ah-TAH” would be “AAAAHHHH-TAAAAAAHHHHHHHH.” If you are moving forces in your own body, as in the Qabalistic Cross, then your aim is for an inner resonance, particularly in your head. Lastly, as you learn to vibrate the names of the divine, you will aim to project the vibration, out into the world in front of you, to summon divine forces.
If you are in a living situation in which you cannot perform these tones out loud, then you can do it with a powerful inner voice, filled with magickal intent. Donald Michael Kraig refers to it as the “Great Voice.” You can do it in a low voice, whisper, or even silently, but you must feel the vibration of the words in you. Again, it comes back to your intention, and using your voice as a vehicle for directing your will and intention. Find a place where you can practice it out loud, and then when you go to do it quietly, you will know how to conjure the same vibratory feeling within your body.
The Signs
Another component of ceremonial magick similar to that of the Eastern arts is the various ritual motions that act as the building blocks for the more complicated rituals. Many of the ritual gestures of the Golden Dawn are associated with the grade or level of initiation in its system of magick. Becoming thoroughly familiar with the various gestures will aid you later when you learn the rituals. Each gesture is not just a physical movement, but a gesture with occult significance. When you perform the gestures in the ritual correctly, you move energy and interact with the unseen worlds.
The Sign of the Enterer, also known as the Sign of Horus or the Attacking Sign, is used to direct magickal energy forward (Figure 7). Start with your feet parallel and a shoulder’s length apart. Imagine a star of light above you sending light down to a star beneath your feet. Inhale the energy down from the star above, and draw your elbows up and out, parallel to your shoulders. Bring your hands up to the level of your ears, bringing them parallel with the floor. Have your palms facing down and your fingers pointing forward. Step forward with your left foot, pushing your hands forward, lowering your head between your arms but gazing forward. Exhale and imagine the light coming back up and out through your arms and fingertips.
The Sign of Silence also is known as the Sign of Harpocrates or the Protecting Sign (Figure 8). It stops attack and seals energy. It often follows the Sign of the Enterer. Start by making a fist with your left hand, and extend your left index finger. Bring your hand up to your mouth and press your index finger lightly upon your lips, as if saying “shhh.” If your left foot is extended from the Sign of the Enterer, make sure you bring it back. In either case, stamp your left foot once forcefully. Together, the Sign of the Enterer and the Sign of Silence are the signs of the Neophyte grade in the Golden Dawn.
For the Sign of the Zelator Grade, you raise your right hand upward in front of you, at an angle of forty-five degrees, with the fingers extended and palm flat (Figure 9). Your left arm is loose at your left side while you stand tall with your feet together. This is also a sign of elemental earth and the realm of Malkuth.
The Sign of the Practicus Grade requires you to raise your arms upward, forming a T shape until you bend your elbows backward with your hands flat and upward, as if holding up the sky above your head (Figure 10). Feet are together or a shoulder’s length apart as you stand tall. This is the sign of air, also traditionally known as the Theoricus grade and assigned to the realm of Yesod and the rank of 2 = 9 . In the symbolism of this text, the Practicus grade corresponds to air, the realm of Hod, and the rank of 3 = 8 , so we shall be calling this the Sign of the Practicus Grade, again differing from most traditional sources.
Like the previous sign, the Theoricus sign has you raise your arms until your elbows are parallel with the shoulders, but bring your hands in to your chest area, palms toward your body. With your thumbs and index fingers, make a triangle with the point facing downward (Figure 11). This is the sign of water, also traditionally known as the Practicus grade and assigned to the realm of Hod and the rank of 3 = 8 . In the symbolism of this text, the Theoricus grade corresponds to water, the realm of Yesod, and the rank of 2 = 9 , so we shall be calling this the Sign of the Theoricus Grade, differing from most traditional sources.
The Sign of the Philosophus Grade mimics the previous sign, with a triangle formed with your index fingers and thumbs, but the triangle is now pointing upward, palms facing outward from the body, with the triangle up above the forehead (Figure 12). This is also a sign of elemental fire and the realm of Netzach.
The two signs of the Portal grade are much like the magician’s equivalent of cutting a door in a magick circle space (OTOW, Chapter 11). They are used to leave and enter a circle during a ritual. They should not be used if you are summoning any harmful force averse to you, but only during more benign rituals. To make the Sign of Rending the Veil, bring your hands up to your chest, clasped together as if in a prayer position. Thrust them forward and separate them, as if you are opening a curtain (Figure 13). Step forward through the opening with your left foot. The Sign of Rending the Veil also is known as the Active Sign of the Portal.
The Sign of Closing the Veil is done with almost the opposite motion as the previous sign, as you stand with your arms out like a cross, palms facing forward. Bring your hands together before you as if you are closing the curtain (Figure 14). Step backward with your left foot, and let your arms fall to your sides. The Sign of Closing the Veil also is known as the Passive Sign of the Portal.
The four signs of the Adeptus Minor grade are some of the most magickal signs and are used in some of the most spiritual rituals of ceremonial magick. They are based on imagery of Egypt, like much of modern ritual magick. In particular, this grade focuses on the triple forces of Isis, Apophis-Typhon, and Osiris. The signs usually are performed in this sequence.
To make the Sign of the Mourning of Isis, or the L sign, place your right foot forward with your left foot at a right angle, slightly a shoulder’s width apart from the right (Figure 15). Raise your right hand upward to the sky, with your palm facing the left. Extend your left arm parallel with the floor, palm downward. Look to the left, along your arm, resting your chin on your left shoulder.
To make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon, bring your feet together, facing forward. Look up to the sky, and reach upward with both of your arms, forming a V (figure 16). Some feel this sign is similar to the Goddess position of Wicca (OTOW, Chapter 11) if the feet were spread wider apart.
To make the Sign of Osiris Slain, continue looking up, but extend your arms parallel to the ground, forming a cross, palms facing forward (Figure 17).
For the Sign of Osiris Risen, bow your head and cross your arms over your heart, traditionally right over left (Figure 18). The Sign of Osiris Risen is also the God position of traditional Wicca (OTOW, Chapter 11).
Other gestures have been adapted from the occult arts to be used in ritual, such as the stance of the Magician, with the right hand extended to the heavens and the left hand pointing to the ground, symbolizing the macrocosm and microcosm connected through the magician. Other gestures from tarot cards, such as the Emperor, Hierophant, Hermit, and Temperance cards, have made their way into modern magickal rituals. A witchcraft stance that can be adapted to ritual magick is the pentagram position. Simply extend your arms straight out from your sides and spread your feet apart, holding your head high and forming a five-pointed star.
Witches have a variety of hand gestures that are similar to those of Eastern mudras and ceremonial stances. Strega, or Italian witches, use gestures known as gettatura. The traditional sign of blessing is the thumb, index finger, and middle finger extended upward and stiffly pressed together, with the ring finger and pinky folded downward toward the palm. Known as the mano pantea, it is used for blessing and protection from the evil eye and is quite similar to the ceremonial magician’s hand position when performing ritual without a blade or wand. In the traditional Hierophant card of the tarot, the figure is forming this position with his right hand. If you spread your first two fingers and thumb apart while still holding the ring and pinky fingers down, you have another magickal gesture known as the sign of the crossroads. The three fingers of the crossroads position also are used for blessings and for witches to identify each other, like a secret wave. Another Strega gesture is the sign of the fig, or fare la fica, a feminine hex sign. Make a fist and place your thumb between your index and middle fingers, sticking out to resemble feminine genitalia. I know one witch who performs his Qabalistic Cross using this sign, to attune better to the Goddess, as the source of creation. The masculine hex sign is the mano cornuta, or sign of the horns. Tuck your thumb under your middle and ring fingers, and extend out the index finger and pinky, forming two horns.
The Magician’s Tools
The magician’s tools and altars are not so different from those of the witch. Though we all focus on the four elemental tools common to both—the blade, cup, wand, and pentacle—the magician’s altar has quite a few different tools that should be familiar to the ceremonial witch.
Book of the Art
The Book of the Art, or a magickal grimoire, is much like a magician’s version of a Book of Shadows. In fact, many believe that the concept of having such a book in witchcraft was borrowed from ceremonial magick, as any medieval witchcraft tradition most likely was oral, being practiced by those who didn’t know how to read or write. Modern magicians often are meticulous in keeping magickal journals, following the example of Aleister Crowley. The traditional book was not just a journal with notes, but a magickal tool in itself. During summoning rituals, the seals and sigils of various spirits, angels, and demons would be written in the book, and the owner of the book was said to have knowledge of, and even control over, such spirits because the magickal book and symbols granted power over the spirits. Today, the Book of Shadows, often abbreviated as BOS, can be a similar working tool for the ceremonial witch. In fact, Gardner’s name for his first Gardnerian BOS was Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical. I have a magickal journal that, though sacred, is different from my ritual book, which is a consecrated tool I use during circles.
Brass Vessel
A brass vessel or pot can be used as a container for seals of spirits, particularly a group of spirits known as the Goetia, as legend says the spirits themselves were contained in a brass vessel. Others use brass containers with a layer of sand at the bottom as censers for incense, used with charcoal. Many traditions of spirit summoning require a lot of smoke to summon the spirit to visible manifestation, and usually suggest burning Dittany of Crete incense for this purpose. Modern magicians attempting spirit summoning are advised to use charcoal with loose incense instead of commercial cones or sticks, because loose incense provides thicker smoke.
Chalk
Consecrated chalk is used for drawing the outline of a circle or triangle in certain rituals. It marks the physical boundary of where the energetic boundary is created through ritual. Names of divinity, angels, and spirits, along with magickal symbols, often are drawn in chalk in and around the circle where the magician will work. Others cast the outline of their circle in other powdery substances, from salt to powdered grain.
Cingulum
The cingulum, or cord, found in traditional witchcraft and often associated with the garter or belt, can be used for both measuring out circles or marking the boundary by laying the cord around the edge of the circle. Modern witches will improvise with this boundary and sometimes use masking tape, stones, coins, or candles to mark the boundary.
Cloth
Ritual tools often are wrapped in specially prepared and consecrated cloths to shield them from unwanted influences. Most favored are silks, coming from the living silkworm and said to be of a high vibration to both contain the tool’s energy and reflect any unwanted vibrations attracted to it. Appropriate cloth colors include black, white, or the color of a specific sephira, depending on the tool, though white is often the default color because it naturally reflects energy.
Cubic Altar
The cubic altar consists of two cubes, one on top of the other, symbolizing the magician’s concept of the macrocosm over the microcosm. In sacred geometry, the cube is a symbol of the element of earth, of manifestation. Performing your work on the upper cube shows that whatever change you manifest on your altar will occur in ritual on the macrocosmic level, the realm of forces. Then the result will manifest on the microcosmic level, or world of humanity. Though many traditions are stringent about the size, shape, and composition of this altar, I believe that most working witches know the altar is the embodiment of the macrocosm and microcosm in a magickal practice, and they don’t necessarily need to abandon their altar to obtain a double cubic altar unless they feel personally motivated to do so.
Elemental Tools
The ceremonial magician’s elemental tools are much like the witch’s four main tools. Both use the wand, blade, cup, and pentacle, but the ceremonialist often will have these tools to work exclusively with the elemental forces, marking them with specific colors, Hebrew letters, and sigils relating to the elements. They can be referred to as the fire wand, air blade, water cup, and earth pentacle. Another wand is used for purposes not dealing directly with fire. Known as the lotus wand, it is tipped with a lotus shape and banded with fourteen colors—white for ultimate spirit, twelve chromatic colors for the zodiac signs, and then black for the material world. The magician holds it by the band representing the force he or she wishes to invoke. The air blade is used exclusively to direct the energies of air. Another blade, usually separate and distinct, is used for rituals that do not involve working specifically and solely with air, such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, or LBRP for short, in which the banishing pentagrams of earth are used. A traditional Golden Dawn–style magician might have an elemental banishing dagger and a planetary banishing dagger.
A witch’s tools often are more practical and, once consecrated, can embody the forces of several complementary concepts, and not be separate and distinct in physical form but still retain their effectiveness in function. Most ceremonial witches use their double-edged, black-handled knife—the athame—as both a tool for air and for the LBRP and associated rituals that require a blade. Many witches think the markings and use of the ceremonial magician’s tools are overly complicated and unnecessary. But in his influential book Mastering Witchcraft, Paul Huson describes a tradition that claims to be unrelated to Gardnerian lines, that is highly influenced by ceremonial information, and the ritual tools are depicted with markings different from, yet just as complex as, those of the Golden Dawn. Many think the traditional witch’s athame and its traditional markings actually are based on tools from the grimoire known as the Key of Solomon.
Ink
Since the arts of ceremonial magick involve sacred language in its spoken and written forms, many magicians and ceremonial witches go to painstaking lengths to create magickal inks to write out their spells and rituals, with ingredients ranging from herbal substances to mineral compounds. These inks often are aligned with astrological or Qabalistic forces.
Lamen
The lamen is usually a symbol designed in a piece of jewelry to be worn about the neck, falling at heart level. It is usually a disc in shape and made from a precious metal, such as silver or gold or any of the other planetary metals, depending on its use and purpose. The lamen suspends the concept it represents at the heart space of the magician, to become a focus for the magician. A lamen can be designed to be representative of a particular order or group. The Rose Cross of the Golden Dawn is an example of such a lamen, representing the center of the Tree of Life, Tiphereth. Sometimes the seal of a spirit is drawn on one side of the lamen, with an upright pentacle, for protection and to control the spirit on the other side. Modern magicians could use a plain, flat, solid disc, with a pentacle etched on the reverse side.
Lamp
The lamp is a symbol of spirit, used for the central flame of the Creator and the original spark of divinity. Other candles are lit from this central flame, as the oil also symbolizes the essence of life. Some traditions use colored glass or, for the modern practitioner, colored theatrical “gels” around the lamp, to color the light radiating in the ritual room to align with a specific ritual correspondence. Many witchcraft traditions do not use a specific oil lamp, but instead use a central pillar candle of white, gray, or an appropriate seasonal color.
Parchment
Just as the use of magickal inks is important to a magician, so is the proper paper also important. Various forms of parchment are used, from pretty colored modern paper to more traditional forms of velum or papyrus. Some magicians are of the mind that if a traditional spellbook calls for a sigil on goatskin, then no substitute will do. Though I love my collection of fancy paper for spells and rituals, and have used some handmade primitive papers, I don’t have anything as exotic as animal skin.
Ring
A special ritual ring can be used in ceremonial magick. A ring often signals a rank. In some forms of witchcraft, a pentacle ring is used at first initiation. In ceremonial spirit summoning, a ring in the design of Solomon’s Ring is used to bind and command spirits. Various versions of the ring have been used with Solomon’s Seal as a pentagram or hexagram. Witches can consecrate a ring with the intention of commanding and binding spirits if the design of the ring is aligned with that intention.
Robes
Just as witches use robes and cloaks in ritual, so do magicians. Though many witches prefer to go skyclad in ritual, most magicians and magickal orders use specific vestments. Robe color or design often is indicative of rank within an order. The robe itself, cut in a T shape with a hood, is symbolic of the Egyptian ankh, favored by many ceremonialists. Robes often are worn doubled, with an inner robe, usually belted by a cingulum or other device, and an outer, open robe used somewhat like a cloak. The color of the robes can be in alignment with the correspondences of the elements, planets, or spheres on the Tree of Life. The robe, duly cleansed and consecrated, acts as a protective device for the magician, as well as being aesthetically pleasing.
Sandals
While it is quite possible to work barefoot, many magicians have special footwear for ritual. Sandals are sacred to the gods Hermes and Mercury, who as messenger gods are said to wear winged sandals. Some associate sandals magickally with the sphere of the Moon. Sandals can be trimmed in gold or silver, with magickal motifs.
Skrying Speculum
A speculum is a device into which a magician gazes during ritual to stimulate psychic vision. Traditional black mirrors and crystals balls can be used for skrying. Some magicians have ornate stones mounted on a frame, or highly decorated mirrors on a frame, designed to stand up at an angle, at a predetermined height, for ease of gazing in a specific ritual. I’ve noticed that many groups of witches prefer to spell scrying with a c, while magicians seem to prefer skrying with a k.
Sword
The sword is used in ritual work as an extension of the athame, often to cast a circle. Some covens have a sword belonging to the coven, as part of their group identity. In ceremonial magick, the sword is used in spirit summoning, to bind and threaten the spirit, as iron can disrupt the form of a spirit. This was true particularly in the medieval period. The sword has a longer reach than the dagger, so the magician can reach the spirit yet remain safely in the bounds of the circle. The sword also can be used to move things in and out of the circle, and into or out of the triangle, without the magician breaking the circle boundary.
Triangle
The triangle, also known as the Triangle of the Art or the Triangle of Manifestation, is used to contain a spirit being summoned before the practitioner. When upright, it’s a symbol of fire and Archangel Michael, the protector. Some magicians have a wooden or cardboard triangle, consecrated and decorated with traditional symbols and names of power. Others use more temporary boundaries to mark the edge of the triangle, like chalk or cord. A skrying device can be placed inside the triangle.
Lodge Traditions
Magickal lodges are the formal groups that organize the teachings of ceremonial magick. Much like a coven in the initiatory witchcraft traditions, a lodge holds a body of teachings, with linear and logical aspects as well as intuitive and cultural ones, passed to an initiate through traditional teaching methods and rituals designed to transfer the energy, or “current,” of the tradition to the initiate. With proper training, the initiate later will be able to pass that current on to others, adding to the energy and helping the tradition grow.
The term current is used in ceremonial magick to describe the cumulative living energy of the tradition, like a charge that moves in waves or bolts between current members, and even across time, to those of the past and future. The current can be thought of as an egregore. An egregore is a large, somewhat permanent thoughtform created by a group of people, a community, that survives over time as energy is added to it. Those connected to the egregore are able to draw upon its accumulated power, knowledge, and wisdom, like tapping into a vast reserve of energy. The egregore of a tradition carries its general “vibe,” or persona, as each tradition has a different personality and presence. The magick of one tradition has a very different flavor from that of another tradition or solitary practitioner. The lodge or tradition egregore is said to “live” in the current of that tradition.
Currents are not exclusive to magickal orders. One could say that various cultural movements have created currents that moved through the greater society, with unconscious or unrecognized egregores. From punk musicians to yuppies, from hippie flower children to neo-Nazis, each has its own current. A visionary can be viewed in a historical context as the parent of a current. Aleister Crowley was decidedly a visionary, and his religion of Thelema, often described by the number 93, is said to be the 93 Current. Though he initiated this move into the Aeon of Horus, with his own divine inspiration, others have added to the energies of Thelema, continuing the current after his death. Now, it is far more popular and well known than it ever was in his lifetime. We can look in a similar way at the traditions of the Golden Dawn or Gardnerian Wicca.
|
Modern Title |
Golden Dawn Title |
Rank |
Sephira |
Signs |
Work |
|
First Order |
|||||
|
Neophyte |
Neophyte |
0 = 0 |
Malkuth |
Sign of the Enterer, |
Practical magickal practices, keep a detailed journal; neophyte means “newly planted” |
|
Zealot |
Zelator |
1 = 10 |
Yesod |
Sign of the Zelator Grade |
Greater mastery of the physical form; begin mastery of the astral |
|
Theoricus |
Theoricus |
2 = 9 |
Hod |
Sign of the Theoricus Grade* |
Successful regular meditation and ritual practice |
|
Practitioner |
Practicus |
3 = 8 |
Netzach |
Sign of the Practicus Grade* |
Complete intellectual training, particularly in the Qabalah |
|
Philosopher |
Philosophus |
4 = 7 |
The Veil |
Sign of the Philosophus Grade |
Moral training; testing the initiate’s devotion to the Order |
|
Modern Title |
Golden Dawn Title |
Rank |
Sephira |
Signs |
Work |
|
Second Order |
|||||
|
Adept |
Adeptus Minor |
5 = 6 |
Tiphereth |
Sign of Rending the Veil |
Perform the Great Work of Knowledge and Conversation of your Holy Guardian Angel |
|
Advanced Adept |
Adeptus Major |
6 = 5 |
Geburah |
Sign of Closing the Veil |
Mastery of practical magick |
|
Perfect Adept |
Adeptus Exemptus |
7 = 4 |
Chesed |
Sign of the Mourning of Isis |
Perfection of all matters |
|
Modern Title |
Golden Dawn Title |
Rank |
Sephira |
Signs |
Work |
|
Third Order |
|||||
|
Master |
Magister Templi |
8 = 3 |
Binah |
Sign of Apophis and Typhon |
Tends to Disciples and is a master of Samadhi |
|
Mage |
Magus |
9 = 2 |
Chokmah |
Sign of Osiris Slain, |
Declares “Law” and is a master of all high magick |
|
Ipsissimus |
Ipsissimus |
10 = 1 |
Kether |
Sign of Osiris Risen |
Beyond all comprehension; master of all consciousness; the very very self; his very own self |
* For the purposes of The Temple of High Witchcraft, the Signs of Theoricus Grade and Practicus Grade have been reversed, to keep with the modern symbolism of assigning Hod to air and Yesod to water, rather than the traditional Golden Dawn assignments.
Chart 1: Initiation Levels of the Tree of Life
In lodge traditions, the current is disseminated to its members through various levels of initiation. Initiation replaces the genetic links of tribe and family of more primal forms of magickal traditions, and in larger populations, creates a spiritual brotherhood and sisterhood of initiates into the mysteries. The practice of lodge traditions is simply an extension of the various temples and cults in the ancient pagan world. Each has its own current and persona. The Temple of Isis is different from the Cult of Mithras. Isis groups in the ancient world were different in different locations, yet they all shared some similar components, uniting them as a tradition across space and time. The same can be said of those in the traditions of Mithras, or any other mystery school or temple.
Golden Dawn–based traditions use the Tree of Life as a model for their hierarchy and rankings, as various officers and initiation levels can be mapped on the Tree. The Golden Dawn has an Outer Order of five levels—a Neophyte level and four levels based on the lower spheres on the Tree of Life. This Outer training is the foundation of the elemental teachings. The Second Order comprises the more advanced teachings related to the Great Work. The members of the Second Order are also the earthly governors of the Order’s terrestrial affairs. The Third Order, relating to the upper triangle on the Tree of Life, is represented by the Secret Chiefs, or inner-plane adepts that guide the Order spiritually and make their wishes known to the earthly heads of the lodge.
Many witches believe the initiations of high magick are similar in a spiritual nature to three traditional initiations in witchcraft. Both Alex Sanders and Gerald Gardner, with their links to ceremonial magick, equated various levels of spiritual initiation in Wicca with levels in the Golden Dawn or O.T.O.
Ultimately, one can follow the path from neophyte to inner-plane adept by climbing the Tree of Life. Each level is marked by two numbers: the initiation number, followed by the sphere on the Tree of Life associated with the level. The list in chart 1 shows my favorite, more modern names of the levels, followed by the traditional Golden Dawn names. Many different traditions using this scheme have broken away from the Golden Dawn titles.
The teachings of this book follow a lesson plan with a structure similar to that of the initiation levels. Just because you complete the last lesson in this book doesn’t mean you have achieved that level of consciousness. This is simply a method of organizing the structure of spiritual teachings, based on the overall current of ceremonial magick. You might find the symbolism, particularly the lower elemental correspondences, modernized from traditional Golden Dawn associations to keep them more intuitively aligned with the previous witchcraft teachings of the Temple of Witchcraft series.
The old lodge paradigm, while still quite useful and educational, is more of the Piscean current, of hierarchy, of parent/child relationships. Critics will look to the imperfections of the founders, the visible head of the order, and in particular Mathers and Crowley, and dismiss the teachings of the entire tradition. Though imperfect, as are almost all human vessels, they were the ones to receive the teachings of these inner-plane masters and anchor the inner-plane schools in the material world. Perhaps at that time and level of consciousness we needed an outer head to disseminate the teachings. Even if Mathers and Crowley were not perfect, their connection to and interpretation of the teachings were clearer than those of an initiate who is just stepping on the path. They performed a great service, planting the seeds of the next age through their teachings. But as the consciousness current changes, so do our structures.
As we enter the Aquarian Age, our model of currents, disseminated to the world, might change. Aquarius is the Water Bearer, pouring out the cosmic currents to the world. Its glyph is the waves of water, but also of electricity, of light, thought, and energy on all levels. The Aquarian ocean, by its very nature of multiplicity, teaches us that there are many currents in the ocean. We each have our own individual magickal current, our frequency in the Aquarian waves. Each of us is called to be the visible “head” of our own order, becoming the captain of our own ship.
Though some would say that initiated witches of various traditions have an advantage over those who are not formally initiated but are brought to the Craft by the gods, those who follow the new paradigm set out in the Temple of Witchcraft series are connecting to a current, a modern egregore, that is in tune with the Aquarian current of individuality and community. These teachings have been guided by those on the inner planes to construct a platform for others to build their own ships for the Aquarian sea. Use your own individual Aquarian genius and your connection to your inner-plane adepts and guides to deconstruct and rebuild the lessons and rituals of this book. You will create your own new traditions and share them with others to inspire them to find their own path of spiritual evolution. Together, on different paths leading to the same place, we will find community and support while maintaining our individuality.
Deconstructionism
When modern witches delve into ceremonial magick, one of their first complaints is a sense of incompatibility with the symbolism. Though we know that much of our lore is intertwined with ceremonial magick, the Judeo-Christian imagery, use of Hebrew, and dogmatic approach are real turnoffs for continued study. When I first began, I felt these rituals were important to know as part of my magickal education, but I never thought I would make them part of my regular practice.
When we look at the modern traditions of ceremonial magick, from the Golden Dawn to the more avant-garde traditions with the ethos of Chaos magick, we find a rich history of creativity. One could even say the rituals are made up, with no true direct link to the ancient past. True, practitioners of the Golden Dawn based their rituals on the material of the fabled Cipher Manuscript, but there was a lot of creativity in the symbolism of their rituals and teachings. They merged many Western currents, from Jewish and Christian influences to Greek, Egyptian, and Hindu ones. We know that the magi of Persia, Greece, and Egypt were not performing Golden Dawn or Thelemic rituals, even though there might be some similarities. The modern lodge traditions are the product of modern magicians, inspired to synthesize world traditions for the initiates of their era. On the surface, some of the teachings are seemingly incompatible, yet they all form an amazing amalgam that works as a powerful and complete system of teachings for any inspired initiate to follow.
When I look at the teachings of ceremonial magick, and the main concept of this level of witchcraft training through the element of air, I realize that the ideas and concepts and the creativity are the most important aspects of the lessons. Once you fully understand the ideas, there is no law that says you can’t change and adapt the execution of the ideas to suit your own personal tastes and needs. Well, perhaps a traditionalist would say there is an unwritten, or even written, law against it, but we know better. Do what thou will is the whole of the Law. Is it your will to adapt, create, and explore? If so, then, as a modern witch, you have the option of deconstructing and adapting the ceremonies of high magick to suit your own practice and tradition.
The traditional rituals, even though they are modern, are based on sound magickal principles and old roots. We need only look at the old medieval woodcuts to know that magicians and witches have been working with the ritual circle for quite a while. But how they cast it probably has never been as standardized as it is today. To deconstruct a ritual, you must intimately understand all the parts of the ritual, what they do, and how they do it. Many think such adaptation is a free license to cobble together anything that looks good at first glance, without an understanding of the forces involved. This is not at all what I’m advocating. If you’re going to change something, then make sure you know what you are changing and why you are changing it. Yes, there is a measure of inspiration involved, but there also is a measure of intellectual understanding and magickal theory. In the end, the proof will be whether the change or adaptation works. I’ve had students who have adapted the rituals, yet complained of their failure and ineffectiveness. When I asked them for the reasons behind their ritual actions and words, they gave answers such as, “It felt right there” or “That’s what my intuition told me.” I’m a big believer in intuition and feeling, but if you find that a change in ritual doesn’t work, then why not adapt it, or combine intuition and feeling with intellect? The traditional methods have been tested and proven to work. They became tradition only because others had found them to be effective. By following them, you can tap into that current of energy created by past users, and have even greater success. Why change a ritual if you don’t have to?
But if the symbolism of a ritual isn’t in tune with your own inner magickal landscape, and that symbolism prevents you from tapping into the current of a ritual, then adapt it to suit your purposes. Many times, the changes of the deconstruction/reconstruction project are more cosmetic, changing words, cultural imagery, and style. These things do change a ritual significantly, but if you keep the overall pattern, theoretically it will still work. It’s like having a computer with the same basic operating software and programs as another, but configuring the layout and interface so they are customized to your needs. The layout suits your own intuition and becomes more practical and easy to use. You also can think of it as saying the same thing to the universe but using a different “language,” knowing the divine understands all tongues and dialects.
Other adaptations are more radical, altering steps or components of the ritual on a fundamental level. Remember, the traditional rituals were “new” at some point, and had to be tested and repeated, but they were created by those who had a great understanding of the forces of magick. Only with that understanding, with the coupling of intellect and art with inspiration, can you create working variations of a ritual.
The concept of awen is a form of divine inspiration associated with the Welsh bards, such as Taliesin. Awen is a form of power that fuels the magickal words of the bards. It grants the gifts of poetry and prophecy. Many think of it as descending like a beam of light, or fire, upon the bard. One could think of awen as being similar to the Judeo-Christian concept of “the Word,” the sound of creation, or to the Hindu mantra OM, or AUM. Like AUM, awen is seen and often depicted as a triplicity of powers (OTOW, Chapter 6). Awen is depicted as three beams of light, sometimes with three dots on top, and surrounded by three circles, the three Celtic levels of creation, with this divinity in the center, radiating outward (Figure 19). One Welsh proverb states that the three forces of awen are knowledge, thought, and inspiration. These truly are the three concepts needed for reconstruction of any magickal ritual. You must have knowledge of the ritual, clear thoughts about what works and what doesn’t and how things should be changed, and inspiration to bring the ritual into form. The qualities necessary to master the element of air include an intellectual understanding of the theories, creativity and divine inspiration, and the ability to communicate these things to others and to the universe.
As you move through the exercises of this manual, keep in mind the following tips for deconstruction before attempting to adapt any ritual.
Learn the Original Ritual
Learn the traditional form of the ritual, even if it doesn’t resonate with you at first glance. You might find you like the original tradition better than you thought you would. If you don’t perform it, then you won’t know what doesn’t resonate with you, and why, so you won’t know where to begin in the process of changing it. By knowing what has worked in the past, you can use that as a strong foundation on which to build your future ritual.
Define Your Goal
What is the purpose of the ritual? Once you fully understand that, look at how that goal is executed in the original version. Which steps can you keep, and which should you omit? If you are leaving something out, why? What does it do? It’s probably in there for a reason, so what is that reason? Are you going to replace it with something that will fulfill the same purpose? If not, why not? If your ritual doesn’t work, look first to the steps you omitted or changed greatly and see if the problem lies there.
Learn the Rules before You Break Them
If you wish to do something different in a ritual, understand what has come before. Though there is something to be said about being a blank slate, if you want to create something for the future, you have to know what was in the past, so you don’t endlessly re-create the same things that have come before you.
Don’t Be Completely Averse to Cultural Symbols You Don’t Like or Understand
Though the whole process is about creating rituals that resonate best with your own magickal self, seek to understand all the unfamiliar symbols that initially might make you cringe. The mystical teachings of Judaism and Christianity are quite different from the orthodox mainstream teachings, and you just might come to appreciate these traditions by looking at them through a pagan Qabalistic lens. The sacrifice of Christ isn’t far from the pagan sacrificed gods. Most pagans, myself included, don’t find particular resonance with the Hebrew, but I found it quite interesting to know that the Irish filid—the guild of seers similar to the British bards in stature and task, both of which are related to the Druidic traditions—were well versed in Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Caesar made a commentary that the Druids knew Greek letters and writing, and used them when they needed to record something. So the languages of the ceremonial magicians, Hebrew and Greek, also are woven into the Celtic traditions. I always have looked to the Druids as my spiritual ancestors, so this was an important revelation for me. And I figured that, although the Hebrew came from a later period, perhaps the old ones saw a wisdom and power in it that I was missing. Western ceremonial magick can help us see the inherent wisdom in many mystery traditions that we normally would reject, yet without compromising our pagan roots and identity. When we can see the wisdom in another culture’s symbols or teachings, we do not need to fear or ridicule it.
Mixing Cultural Symbols
For some traditionalists, there is still a great debate over the effectiveness and danger of mixing the symbolism and pantheons of various cultures in the same ritual, or even in your overall personal practice. On one hand, people think it’s like mixing different software, where something is bound to break down in the process. Some even fear the wrath of the gods and spirits for disrespecting them. But when we look at the history of ceremonial magick, modern and ancient, we find a rich tradition of identifying similar currents of thought and similar godforms and borrowing liberally from neighboring and even conquering cultures. Roman soldiers in the cavalry in the Celtic territories worshipped the Celtic Epona, for she is a horse goddess. The Greek Apollo might have been “borrowed” from the concept of the Celtic solar figure Bel. The worship and art of Isis and Horus have been morphed into images of Mary and Jesus. The Greek Magical Papyri texts contain petitions to Greek, Egyptian, Sumerian, and Judeo-Christian figures, all in one spell.
The pattern continues today, and nothing horrible seems to happen. In many ways, new ideas and thoughts arise, while demonstrating the same age-old truths about magick. When we look at the modern rituals of ceremonial magick, we see they are amalgamations of Judeo-Christian symbolism and pagan elements from the Egyptians and Greeks. Not only do they work, but they work incredibly well for many practitioners. As we identify more and more with the entire globe rather than one land, we work in the images of our collective magickal identity from many lands. It all can work, but they are your rituals, so you must decide what symbols work for you. Are you a purist, seeking one culture? If so, that’s great and can be very rewarding, and the depths of your experience and knowledge will grow greatly over the years. Are you an eclectic? I know I am, with a foundation in Celtic witchcraft but also a deep resonance with Greek, Egyptian, and Norse teachings. Only you can decide where you stand on this issue, but when creating a body of rituals to be used together, be consistent. Have the same cultural threads woven through each.
Don’t Throw In Everything but the Kitchen Sink
At first, the rituals of ceremonial magick can seem rather overwhelming. There is a tendency to either minimize them so much that they are no longer artful and effective, or to throw in every symbol, technique, and teaching, making them clunky and unintelligible. Moderation is the key.
Seek Divine Guidance
The art of magick is not just you intellectually struggling to make a ritual work. It is a partnership with the divine. When you are working new rituals, check in with your gods and guides for advice and guidance. Many of my best reconstructed rituals were “given” to me in whole or part by my inner contacts. Through finding your awen, you will be guided to the proper balance and execution of your rituals.
With these points in mind, along with the many examples of reconstructed rituals, you will have a guide to help you work with the traditions of high magick and, if necessary, remake them in your own image. Reconstruction isn’t anything new. It’s been popularized with Chaos magick, and what I’m presenting here might be considered a more restrained take on the practice. Magicians have been innovators for thousands of years. We’re simply continuing that long tradition.
When looking at the whole process of deconstruction and reconstruction of magickal ideas, the concept of reality mapping is a form of deconstruction. Many magicians take the reality map of their teachers and tradition and internalize it as their own reality. By making your own reality map, you are deconstructing an original, or several originals, and thinking outside the norms of your traditions, with your inspiration. This divine alchemy helps create the new systems of magick and enlightenment, flowing with the New Age.
The Magician’s Vow
Most of us on the path of the witch draw our spiritual inspiration from those of the Old Religion, who were an intuitive and often illiterate people. So why should modern witches be concerned with the written language, symbol systems, and mathematics and geometry that are found in the Qabalah?
Though we already have explored our entwined roots, of magician and witch, and know that these traditions are part of our own cultural revival, we have, even more importantly, the example of our Stone Age ancestors. Though we think of them as illiterate and uncivilized by today’s standards, they simply had their own civilization, which was, in many ways, far more complex than that of the medieval pagan peasants we know far more about. When we look to those in the Stone Age, the builders of stone circles and ancient monuments, we find a people highly versed in mathematics and measurement. We find a race deeply knowledgeable about the relationship of the stars and the Earth, of math and science, in relationship to their spiritual traditions. Though not directly linked to our Stone Age circle-building ancestors of spirit, the teachings of witchcraft and Qabalah grow from the same fertile grounds of Western consciousness.
As you explore these different forms of magick from the Western mind, keep in mind that this is a survey of different ideas designed to expose you to a new world and help you figure out what you can use at this time. Don’t feel pressured to use it all, or master it all in a year and a day. You can repeat this work several times over. I know I have. Be gentle with yourself. When you come across something that appears too vast for you—for example, Enochian magick or summoning Goetic spirits—learn the material intellectually, and then, as you grow in experience and confidence, contemplate actually doing the exercises. I know I wasn’t ready for Enochian when I first studied it, and it’s something I still struggle with. I spent years reading about it and talking to people before attempting it, and eventually realized that, at this time, it’s not for me and doesn’t fit into my practice of the Craft. But knowledge and understanding of it is an important part of my magickal education, even if I choose not to use it.
This process of study can be daunting for the intuitive witch. Though quite different from the shadow work of The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft, this exploration of the intellectual side of magick—how to be inspired and how to communicate your ideas and inspiration to others—can conjure a whole different side of the shadow, rooted in the air element.
Once you decide to embark on this course, I highly recommend that you commit to the year-and-a-day training with the intention vow given in exercise 3. The level-four teachings of this tradition are a process much like those of level three, and there are great rewards for those who experience the full process, even if the rewards are not quite clear in the middle. By the end, you will develop a great sense of intellectual and creative confidence and an ability to communicate your views to others, while not feeling threatened when others communicate their worldview to you. You will understand clearly and consciously how you see the world through your magickal eyes. And when that viewpoint no longer serves you, you will know how to adapt and reframe it for your highest good.
Intention Vow
Obtain a yellow candle. Yellow is traditionally the color of air in Western ceremonial magick. It can be a taper or jar candle, as long as you can carve your name on it. You can use your most current witch name. You can even carve your name in a special language or code, such as the runes.
Use some magickal paper and a special pen or special ink and quill if you want to be very romantic about it. Write the following intention on it:
I, (state your name), ask in the name of the Goddess, God, and Great Spirit to walk the path of the magi, to bring the arts and sciences of the magician to my own Craft. I make this vow to the powers that I will learn the arts of old, but also find my own ways as I grow these seeds of knowledge within my being. I ask the magicians and witches of old to guide my path, guide my mind in the assimilation of this work, as I take what I need and want and find ways to transform the rest, uncovering the truly ageless wisdom written beneath it all. I ask that this occur with ease, grace, and gentleness, for the highest good, harming none. So mote it be!
Next, cast a magick circle (OTOW, Chapter 11). If you desire, you can start with the Qabalistic Cross before you cast the circle. Hold your candle and think about your devotion to completing this work in the next year. Think about the mental mysteries, the mysteries of knowledge and communication. Light your candle. Bask in its light for a few minutes. Feel yourself in the center of your universe. Read your intention and ignite the paper, letting it burn in a flameproof cauldron. Take whatever time you’d like to meditate. Release the circle in the traditional way, and when cool, scatter the ashes to the winds.
Homework
• Perform Exercise 3: Intention Vow, and record your experiences in your Book of Shadows.
• Memorize the Qabalistic Cross (Exercise 2).
• Become familiar with the various grade signs. They will form the building blocks of future rituals.
Tips
• When working with the Qabalistic Cross exercise, keep in mind that there have been many variations to it. Some magicians imagine the horizontal beam of light starting in the left, from a point infinitely to the left, moving through the heart and out to the right infinitely. Many do not visualize stars or spheres of light at the shoulders, to simplify it. Alex Sanders, founder of the Alexandrian line of Wicca, was said to replace the word Ah-tah with the name of the top sphere, Kether. Many witches take out the Hebrew name of God associated with each sephira and simply use the sephira’s name. Aleister Crowley added a step between drawing the light down from the above to the Earth below. He would point to the heart and vibrate Aiwass, the name of Crowley’s Holy Guardian Angel, or higher self. Many of his followers either vibrate Aiwass as well, to be aligned with his current, or substitute their own Holy Guardian Angel’s (HGA’s) name, once they know it. Many also exchange the Amen at the end of the Qabalistic Cross with words such as Om, Aum, Aumgn, Aum-en, Amon, Ama, and Awen.
Recommended Resources
• As you continue on your path in ceremonial magick and reality maps for the next thirteen lessons, you will find several books quite helpful. Some of these books are manuals of ceremonial magick that cover the material in greater detail and from a more traditional approach. The others are reference books of occult systems that will be invaluable when you start to research and explore reality maps and correspondence systems.
Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig
The Golden Dawn by Israel Regardie
The Ritual Magic Manual by David Griffin
The Magick of Aleister Crowley by Lon Milo DuQuette
The Magician’s Companion by Bill Whitcomb
The Magician’s Reflection by Bill Whitcomb
The Eastern Mysteries by David Allen Hulse (formerly, The Key of It All, Book 1)
The Western Mysteries by David Allen Hulse (formerly, The Key of It All, Book 2)
The Secret Teachings of All Ages by Manly P. Hall
The New Encyclopedia of the Occult by John Michael Greer
777 and Other Qabalistic Writings of Aleister Crowley by Aleister Crowley
Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia by David Godwin
• Although not required of my students, I also highly suggest the comic book series Promethea by writer Alan Moore. The entire series is available in graphic novel trade paperbacks or hard covers. Through a visual medium, the comic teaches the reader about magick from a Western ceremonial perspective and spends quite a significant portion of the series on the Tree of Life. I find it to be one of the most effective teaching supplements I’ve ever used, making the highly intellectual ideas of Qabalah accessible to the general public. And it’s fun, too!
• If you desire to make a set of ceremonial magick tools with the traditional colors and markings in accord with the Golden Dawn style, begin researching and collecting the necessary materials. I again suggest Modern Magick by Donald Michael Kraig for precise and clear instructions.s