Most Goetic workings that use the Black Mirror can be broken down into two distinct steps: the Invocation of the Angels for protection and then the actual Evocation of what some may refer to as the Demons. The Invocation of the Angels is far more than a quick Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagrams (LBRP). It is a process requiring some time, over a long period. These two steps should most definitely be worked together. Not all Operators use the Black Mirror method, and we use several methods of Goetic Evocation ourselves.

It is quite true that the Archangels switch on your Magick Circle of protection. When you cast your Magick Circle with a traditional LBRP ritual, you are calling for the protection of these Archangels. But this is not enough. These Archangels must be present in your heart and soul and live in your life. Which is why this step takes some time. And why it must not be skipped.

Before we begin, allow me to share with you the description of Vassago from the Goetia of the Lemegeton:

"The Third Spirit is a Mighty Prince, being of the same nature as Agares. He is called Vassago. This Spirit is of a Good Nature, and his office is to declare things Past and to Come, and to discover all things Hid or Lost. And he governeth 26 Legions of Spirits, and this is his Seal."
Magickal Record: Evocation of Goetic Demon Vassago

We had a full Temple this evening, meaning we had an Operator, a Receiver, a Server and an Acolyte. In the hours leading up to the ritual, I performed a Solomonic Ritual Bath. Upon arriving at our temple, we performed a meditation in the outside common room before entering the Temple proper.

We opened our Temple on the day and hour appropriate to our working. Our Will stated (to call upon Vassago to visible appearance) we began by the Archangelic Invocation. A LBRP ritual was performed, followed by a Planetary Septagram. After which we entered our Magick Circle and closely surrounded our Altar. On the Altar is our Mandala and crystal orb. Appropriate incense is lit. All within the Circle travel deosil as we chant the Archangel's name.

After our Preliminary Invocation using the Bornless Ritual, we invoked the particular angel of the SHEMHAMEPHORASH that corresponds to the Spirit Vassago.

I then began the Conjuration of Vassago. Our Receiver is seated within the Magick Circle, before the Black Mirror, with the unique Sigil of Vassago inscribed upon a brass lamen which is then hung around his neck. The Receiver also has a candlestick in each hand. In the Black Mirror method, the Receiver's reflection blanks out, and what comes back is actually the reflection of the particular Demon being Evoked.

I repeated this conjuration 3 times, and at last, our Guest had arrived. Vassago made his presence known among us, and we formally welcomed him.

Because Vassago is charged with prophesy, we asked Vassago for an oracle, and Vassago granted one to us. Vassago is of a kindly and good nature, and is always a pure joy to work with. During this particular working, Vassago had many interesting things to say, and one in particular that struck our minds. Many times, prophesy is guarded and Esoteric, and cannot be understood until the events prophesized have come to pass. It usually takes me quite a while to actually understand what message a particular Working may have.

The working had an atmosphere of peace and sacredness about it. After we received our messages from the Great Prince Vassago, we spoke the License to Depart. Thus ended our Sacred Rite of Magick.

Seshat has given her full thoughts on the day here, and I'd urge you to read both her post and mine to get the full picture! I was very much concentrating on studious scribbling, so may have missed the local colour!

Held in what can only be described as a hut in deepest suburban Oxford, the day comprised a series of talks, food, a Gnostic Mass and a live band / DJ set until 2am, with bar. Ambitious, perhaps, but the level of attendance was startlingly good. The quality of attendance was equally good. The speakers were, frankly, excellent and so highly organised, thoughtful and well-researched that it makes me wonder if this is a sign of the type of folk who practise Thelema or the result of practising it. 

I am clearly not a Thelemite, nor do I know the first thing in any real sense about the subject matter; this made it an extremely interesting day out for me. Expecting to be hurled off the deep end and to feel utterly adrift from the swirl of discussion, I was surprised and pleased to feel as included as I think I could have done; I could make sense of the lectures and get them into context. 

The running order was as follows; Peter Grey and Partner : Babalon, an Evocative Glimpse; Mike Magee : Shiva, Shakti and the Five Senses; Melissa Harrington : Thelema and the Feminine Pt II; Charlotte Rodgers : Taboo and Blood Rites; Jake Stratton-Kent : Goetic Magic and the Grimorium Verum; and David Beth on Voudon Gnosis.

I took copious notes, apart from the last speaker; for whatever reason a fuse went in my head and I couldn't make head or tail of the lecture from a note-taking perspective, which is not to say David Beth was unintelligible - far from it. It was just so far outside my frame of reference that I put my pen away and concentrated on what he was saying. I'm glad I did, because it was fascinating. More details here.

Sketches follow of my take on the main themes of the talks - I will be writing up lecture notes shortly if anyone would like copies. If I have misrepresented any of the speakers, it is through ignorance; do let me know and I'll be happy to reframe my comments to reflect the subject matter more accurately.

Babalon: an Evocative Glimpse - this was a new look at the subject matter, from a comparative perspective. There's clearly a great deal of feeling within Thelema about the differing ways Babalon, the Scarlet Woman, is portrayed. To me, this piece presented Babalon in a different light to the traditional representation in the Bible - it discussed the subversion of the image and the removal of her power; stripped of her glamour she's rolled in the dirt, raped and ridiculed by patriarchy and those who follow the biblical God. This piece and the companion piece that followed called for an honest reappraisal of Babalon. How should we see her? Give her back her majesty and her jewels and her glamour and her power and stop seeing her as an archetypal strong, strident whore. She is what she is - if she's a whore, it's because the world says she's so. We should celebrate the blood, power, sex, dirt and pleasure she brings. Love is the central point of her being - are we ready for it?

Transcripts of their pieces can be found here at Scarlet Imprint - they were strong and fearless and quite wonderful. Very emotional. I'd like to go over them again, in detail, at leisure.

Shiva, Shakti and the Five Senses - Mike Magee endeared himself to the audience by admitting, quite matter-of-factly, that he'd been expelled both from the order he founded and a subsequent one; whoops and cheers and 'Go Yourself!'s from the audience pleased me no end. The whole crowd was partisan and happy to be there, supportive and sincerely interested. No factionism, at least none displayed. Keen to listen and contribute. Makes other conferences I've attended in the pagan world look a little flat. Where's the partisanship in Wicca, for example? Get 60 Wiccans of whatever stripe in a room together and they'll pick a fight within 5 minutes. I find this a bit sad in comparison with these happy Thelemic types. I bet they argue too; just not when they're trying to celebrate their similarities. Good on 'em! Well, digression over, let's get back to the matter in hand.

From what I could gather (this was one of those times I felt the lack of clear grounding in the subject matter) the discussion centred around a Left Hand Tantric Tradition, the second degree of which comprised 26 weekly exercises designed to expand and encourage the feeling of the centre of the self, which is seen as the centre of knowing. The aim was the relating of many differing forms of Shiva and Shakti to the self, by developing the senses. In the first week, the identification of as many shades of grey as possible, with specific reference to when those shades may have been seen before during the celebrant's life; the point being to relate previous life experience to the now and the future, and to relearn lessons perhaps forgotten. The next week centred on listening, gauging conversations for what was not said; week three might focus on taste, week four on smell, and so on.

The premise was that we are all so ignorant of the world around us, so uncaring of impression. We don't know what affects our essential natures, and so we can't alter them. The knower, the means of knowing and the known are all forms of consciousness. More information on this from www.shivashakti.com as there's no doubt I've missed the greater part of the point.

Thelema and the Feminine Part II saw Melissa Harrington take the stage. A Wiccan, Thelemite, practising magician, mother and wife, as well as an academic, she was completely fired up and ready to go from the off. Her Part I had been delivered at the last Symposium, which I gather was 10 years ago, and was a success even then.

I loved the way she spoke, and felt resonance with many of the things she said. Her position was in polite counterpoint to Peter Gray. She saw a masculine and chauvanistic tone to Thelema in general; the OTO and more recent Thelemic organisations are largely male led. She called it 'boys' magic' in counterpoint to witchy, more visceral women's magic.

The main entree currently to Thelema for women seems to be via their male partner. Can Thelema draw women? Does it want to? Several commentators have spoken, which Harrington summarised thus;

Tim Maloney - a largely androcentric approach.

Karl Abrahamsson (apols for incorrect spelling, I'm doing all this phonetically) 'Get out it you don't like it!' (cue loud and appreciative laughter and clapping from the floor).

SubRosa (BabalonNew forum) Thelema is genderless in theory. In practice, of course, it is androcentric. The Sacred Feminine is there but not yet fully awake. Women are not yet active enough in divining their own role. 'Let the re-evolution begin!'.

Parenthood has changed Harrington's view of Thelema. She is in intense opposition to Crowley, and finds his treatment of his Scarlet Women shoddy at best. She feels him to have been incapable of facing his own responsibilities, and that he blamed his Scarlet Women for their own problems.

Thelema and the feminine is difficult because the divine feminine is too close to being a prostitute. This is the worst example of female oppression and exploitation by men. A whore cannot be sacred; she is chattel. So in the end, who loves Babalon? Who nurtures the Scarlet Woman? Is Babalon, and hence Thelema, in the final analysis, barren?

Harrington called for a book focussing on Crowley's Scarlet Women in their own right, as people and magical practitioners. She recommended Gray's 'Book of the Scarlet Goddesses', and suggested feminist Thelemites should quit, have a drink, and remake the model in their own image.

Taboo and Blood Rites saw Charlotte Rodgers come forward. This woman was the most interesting of the day's speakers for me. Admittedly flawed and damaged by her practice, and quite happy to confess mistakes in judgement, she is guided by the magical and transformative, and fascinated by that which crosses the boundaries of 'acceptable' life. She has spent 8 years submersed in experiential and academic research, and stresses her personal approach to the subject matter.

The subject matter, it must be said, will not be everyone's cup of tea, a phrase she later got a big laugh with when used in context. She researches blood rites; namely, those rites involving her own venous and menstrual blood. Coming from an anthropological background, as I do, it doesn't seem horrific that some choose to let their own blood and use it in rite; rather, I'm interested in the theory. When one is concerned with stripping away boundaries, particularly in the West, one must try pretty hard. 

Taboo and the origins of the word were discussed, and Charlotte's interest in ritualised sigilisation in the form of tattoos and scarification - the deliberate emplacement of pattern to effect change.

Menstruation and her research into it was covered; she is dissatisfied with male researches into to the subject and sees woman as a battery, whose energy can be used differently at varying times in her cycle. A recommendation of reading material, the Thunder Perfect Mind of the Nag Hammadi gospels, hit home to me; and her description of the use of blood on mirrors to draw the other half of the self and effect the world beyond struck a nerve; who has not, as a child, tried to speak to and act upon the person in the mirror?

Goetic Magic and Jake Stratton-Kent's talk upon it was the last one I was able to note. Jake gave a very engaging and comprehensive overview of the Grimorium Verum, together with some crafty sideswipes at other Goetic magicians, particularly those who (over) emphasise the Solomon the King grimoire. He disputes the general translation of the term 'goetia' as 'howling', and suggests 'lamenting' as more appropriate, given that Goas were those who lamented at funerals. Goetia is concerned with the dead, with the earth, and not with any celestial or imparted religions. Its primary role was benign, in the laying of ghosts and the settling of unquiet spirits. The other use was necromancy, the temporary retrieval of spirits from the underworld to work on one's behalf in divination. the most sinister aspect is the calling of such spirits for purposes other than divination.

The identity of the operator makes goetia what it is. There is no celestial authority, and therefore the practice has its own morality, world view and as such forms the basis of the whole Western tradition of magic.

These are necessarily tiny extracts of the talks, probably skewed entirely away from the main thrust of the speakers' intentions. For this I apologise, but I was so overwhelmed by the level of information that I just got my head down and scribbled. 20 sides of notes. Argh! But what a wonderful day. Thank you, one and all, for putting it on. I shall attend next year.

The Goetia (A Preview of Parts 1 & 2)

In other writing related news, I also edited Meandering Poem, which you can get HERE. 

As ever, all of my writing has rights reserved under a Creative Commons license.

invoked the HGA - the 4 corners - then Fahfur.

invited him into my hand to write.

he writes:

"I want to smell blood. the blood i crave is of squirrels, bats and frogs."

"Let me touch you deeper..."

"Give me the Shaman's drum the water of quartz, keep the triangle blue always light blue. feed me the fruits of entropy. kneel not before me for i despise beggars and piety of all form. i manifest as The Great Horned One for i am The Elk of the Norn, i am The Hart of Solomon, The Dagger of Kish, The Protector of Secret places in Nature."

"My hooves in the mire, my horns in the sphere of the moon, my flamming tail licks at the sun. my ass to heaven's face. ask me anything, for there is naught that is hidden from me."

so my smart ass decides to test this and sarcasticly i ask: "what is the key to it all?"

he replies: "That which is hidden from man in plain sight."

so i ask: "which is, what?"

he replies: "What you call SAHU, a realization and kept awareness encompassing all form of intelligent omnipresence."

i say: "um, simplify please..."

he responds: "BOHAGAPE."

i say: "in OUR tongue please..."

he responds with: "There is no word in human tongue, and you donot want truth."

he continues: "Here is a taste of TRUTH..."

"When you are hungry, donot eat. when you are lust, donot copulate. when you are NOT hungry, then eat. when you are NOT ready, then go."

"You must learn to turn your back on all that comes with ease. anything easy is trickery."

"But what man has strength enough to deny the great lie?"

"Jesus did not, the 337 TRUE buddhas did not, even Lucifer could not. rather he did not DESIRE to when he foresaw the outcome. that one great angel could have changed everything. and there would truely now be NOTHING. but he took the world into himself. he intervened the way many men do when they see a mother and her children trapped beneath the boot of an abusive, ignorant tyrant of a father. true he would not bow down to the image of man, but he did not foresake man."

i ask: "Where is Lucifer these days?"

he responds: "I am not at liberty to say. invoke him yourself."

nice huh?

(the rest of this conversation is private so... yeah.)

wow.

lovin this.

A Golden Dawn Templemate thought that it would be an interesting experiment to evoke Belial with more than one person in the Magick Circle. I don't mean the technique of using a black mirror with a receiver and Magus. I mean just 2 people in the Circle, and the Triangle on the floor.

In this case, it was me and my Templemate's sister, Soror X; a girl who was highly clairvoyant, and also a member of the OTO. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was young, and foolish, and I thought that we would be perfectly protected. I was wrong.

The Operation went fairly smoothly at first. It seemed that Belial had arrived (though I did not see him), and it was clearly a case of a weakened link in the Circle. meaning that the Circle is only as strong as those within. Clearly we were in trouble, as Soror X was not as experienced as I thought. What started out as a strong connection with Belial turned into a nightmare. She began to act incredibly frightened (remember, I did not see Belial at all) and told me she wanted to stop. I asked her what was going on, and she began to panic, and at one point, she tried to run out of the Circle, which is the LAST thing you want to do.

She began to suffer from difficulty in breathing, and I spoke the License to Depart. A few times, just to be sure. I also lit banishing incense that we created. In the adjoining hall, her brother was waiting to hear the exciting news. Instead, he was greeted with the sight of sister having a full blown asthma attack. We all took her to emergency room, and she was promptly treated.

The following day, I asked her what had happened. She told me a strange and frightening tale. Apparently, she didn't see Belial either, though she more than made up for that by hearing him. As I mentioned, she is a gifted clairvoyant. Belial apparently had a few choice words for her, about her past, her loss as a child of a parent, and some very personal things that she wouldn't share. But it was enough to send her to the hospital. Was she the weak link, or was I? Clearly, she is a far better clairvoyant than I.

But I learned a valuable lesson: multiple people in the circle isn't a good idea. I suspect that if she had evoked Belial on her own, she still would freaked. Maybe it would have been far worse; at least I was there to prevent her from running out of the circle. But I think that I had - and have - a responsibility to keep my Demons to myself, and I'd rather be responsible for just me.

In writing this, and peeking at my old Magickal Journal, I'm inspired to further my work with Belial. Now, where's my brandy...

I am also working with the angels of the Schemhamephorash, which are seventy-two angels that form the extended Name of God. The names of the angels come from Exodus in the Bible. In some of our Goetic workings, I draw the appropriate sigil of the angel and the Latin verse on the reverse side of the seal of the spirit. The sigils are from MacGregor Mathers working from a French manuscript and the Latin invocations are credited to Dr. Rudd.

Although our ancient Magicians held great importance on the appropriate day, hour and moon phase of their workings, it has been my experience that the spirits can be evoked at any time. I try not to be very superstitious and I like to work out methods that are more meaningful to me rather than rely on working by the book (someone else's book at that).

Journal entry of my working follows.

1 August 2008 e.v.

Ritual purpose: To evoke to visible appearance the third spirit of the Goetia, Vassago, for the purpose of gathering information regarding future (very near future) events and a special request unto the spirit.

Site of Working: My home Temple.

Basic Ritual Outline: After the appropriate cleansings, ritual bath and banishings, I worked as follows:

1: Preliminary Invocation of the Goetia
2: Appropriate Enochian Calls
3: The Welcome Unto the Spirit
4: Addressing the Spirit - requests made and "conversation" had
5: The License to Depart.

Results: It took little time in getting Vassago to visit. Although I was really trying for a visible appearance, this did not happen. But what did happen was that the green circle in the Triangle of Art began swirling in a clockwise direction, and points of lights began to appear right above it. But I did not get any detail of a figure. But I don't consider that failure because I often don't get a physical manifestation. I proceeded to ask for verification.

I asked Vassago for something that I felt was spiritually & vitally important to me, and something that I have been recently struggling with. He gave a clear indication that I would notice changes in the very near future, partly because at the very moment I asked this request, a feeling of serenity washed over me and I felt sure he was listening. I also asked for an Oracle regarding a particular "situation" and it was granted.

After making my request I spoke the License to Depart and Vassago quickly left, probably more than happy to leave me to my journaling. It has been less than a week since that working and my request has already come to fruition. I think part of the reason being that, once the Operation was completed, I put it out of my mind and simply let Vassago do his thing. I feel that the Operation was very successful. I am looking forward to seeing the full effects of my working.

P.S. I love the funny face, Angela! You need to help me collect some Magickal items at the beach. I've made a list for us to take with us.

P.P.S. Maybe Arthur Rimbaud, Jim Morrison and Eddie Wilson had the right idea after all...

 

The Hitchiker stood
by the side of the road
& levelled his thumb
in the calm calculus
of reason.

This is a topic I get asked about quite often.  Many people confuse the word “evocation” with the term “invocation”, using the two interchangeably to mean the same thing.  Unfortunately, however, the two terms are names for completely different techniques.  Let me explain.  To “invoke” something means you take it into yourself, whether it be energy, a spirit, or a deity.  To “evoke” something means to call it forth into your presence, so that it’s in the room with you, not inside of you.  Simply put, evocation is the art of summoning spirits. 

One of the most popular grimoires used in evocation is the Goetia, or Legemeton, also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon.  This book presents the reader with a list of 72 spirits, each with its own specialization and personality.  If you are looking into evocation for the first time, or have tried and failed and are looking for a few pointers to help you get the spirit there, I hope this article will help.  Keep in mind that I am assuming you already have a method in mind for the evocation (out of the grimoire or otherwise).

PSYCHE OR SPIRIT?

Now, before going any further, there are essentially two schools of thought on exactly what these spirits (or any spirits) are:

1)      Parts of the magickian’s psyche or

2)      Actual individual autonomous entities 

Personally, I am of the latter group.  Through my own experience, I believe that they are individual, autonomous spirits with distinct likes, dislikes and tastes, and not a part of the human mind.  Whichever school of thought you ascribe to, however, is irrelevant -- it won’t affect the results of an evocation per se. 

BY-THE-BOOK METHOD

Near the end of the Goetia, a full system of calling forth these entities is given.  It is here where most people will stop and never attempt the summoning.  Not because of fear, mind you, but because the method outlined is really quite daunting.  And many of the supplies can be difficult to find, such as the lion skin girdle and genuine parchment. 

However, it is possible to obtain these items as prescribed in the book.  It may take some time and quite a bit of money, but it is possible.  And to be completely truthful, it is worthwhile.  Though much of the true meaning and intent behind the Goetia and other similar grimoires are veiled with clever wording and metaphor, successfully working the method listed in each respective book can be very rewarding.

And it is highly recommended that you attempt to work the grimoire’s method before moving on to attempt what I have to say in the next section, if only to give yourself a chance to try the summoning as it was meant to be.

Bear this in mind, too -- when reading through the Goetia and other grimoires, it is made distinctly clear (or at least clearly implied) that the author has evoked these beings into physical manifestation, meaning that they were visible with the naked eye.  Most modern magickians will tell you that it is EXTREMELY rare to get a full physical manifestation.  It is far more likely for you to “see” or “hear” them in your mind’s eye than to see them with your physical eye. 

One thought behind this is that the amount of energy it requires for them to manifest physically is enormous, and very difficult for them to muster.  Another is that in our modern age, we are far more concerned with instant gratification, thereby taking short cuts in our preparations.  The short cuts I’m referring to are, for example, buying the ritual blade instead of forging it, purchasing parchment instead of slaughtering your own goat and making it, printing the demon’s seal instead of hand-painting or drawing it on quality fabric, etc.. By taking such short cuts, and therefore not putting the amount of intent, focus, and will into the entire working that the authors intended, the manifestation results are much less spectacular than the grimoire describes.

Nevertheless, as you will agree, I’m sure, results are what really matter; not how well you could physically see the spirit standing before you.  As one of my former teacher’s once put it, “Who cares if you see the Devil sporting Jimmy Hoffa on his back and running naked through your living room if your desires never come to pass?”  Besides, you will have plenty of other “signs,” I am sure.

A MORE “LEFT-HANDED” APPROACH

Those who take a right-handed approach to evocation may not like what I have to say next, but ah well.  I am not a right-hand mage.  Even if you decide to use the methods outlined in the grimoire you are working with, at least the first portion of the following should be of value to you.  

Now, I’m sure you’ve heard the old adage, “You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar”.  Keep that saying in mind as you read the rest of this article.

In the grimoires, the magickian is given a plethora of spirit chains, curses, and bindings, all designed as threats to the spirit as a means of forcing them to obey.  Some magickians labor under the idea that they have a “god-given right” to command these spirits, whom they believe God has placed “under their feet”.  I apologize if you are one of those who feel this way, but one doesn’t treat their dog in such a manner.  Why would you treat a spirit, who is infinitely more powerful than you, in this way, and from whom you are asking favors?  That has never made sense to me. 

I would never willingly grant boons to someone who mistreated, threatened, or cursed me.  I would not even react favorably to them.  Neither would you.  Neither will spirits.  Yes, there are magickians who have had results with those horribly degrading methods, but they are neither necessary nor are they the best way.  No one wants to be thought of as a jack-ass amongst his peers.  Treating spirits that way will result in your gaining that reputation amongst them as well.

Keep in mind, too, that the spirits are often pagan gods that were relegated by the authors of the grimoires to the station of “demon.”  You will also often find that the personality described by the authors is nothing like what you’ll experience.  Many of the spirits that are supposed to be the real nasty bad boys have turned out to be the nicest, sweetest entities I have worked with.  I really do think their reaction to you depends upon how you treat them from the get-go.

Now, let me present you with a scenario. 

Let’s say you are standing outside your local shops, window shopping and minding your own business.  Suddenly, a well-dressed stranger walks up to you and said, “Hey, I need to borrow $50 from you, and I expect it by tonight.”  The stranger then says “thank you” and walks away.  What would your reaction be? 

I’m pretty sure your reaction is going to be, “Excuse me?  Hell no, I’m not giving you $50!  I don’t even know you!”  That would be my reaction, I can tell you that.  And I’m certain the same applies to most other people, as well. 

Now consider this -- when you evoke a spirit to ask it for assistance, you are putting yourself in the position of the well-dressed stranger.  The demon, daemon, or spirit you are calling is in your place in the above scenario.  Given your reaction to the stranger’s request, why should you expect a spirit, regardless of its type, one that you have never worked with or met, to simply obey your command just because you want it to?

Taking that same scenario again, replace the stranger with a friend who’s asking very politely for the $50.  How much more likely are you to give your friend the money?  I’d be willing to wager you’ll be a lot warmer to the idea than in the original situation.   

The same applies to spirits of all kinds.

If you don’t have a particular spirit in mind yet, look through the grimoire that you’re working out of, and read the description of each spirit listed there.  Do any catch your eye?  If so, choose of one of them to start with.  Chances are, if you feel some sort of connection from the description, you will have a much easier time during the evocation.

Before you actually perform your evocation, take some time to get to know the spirit that you intend to call.  This goes beyond just reading all you can about him or her.  Yes, reading what information you can find will help, but you really want to get acquainted with the spirit.

A good way to do this is to draw or trace (by hand) the sigil onto a piece of white fabric or a clean piece of paper.  DO NOT simply print the seal out on paper from your computer.  The action of drawing the seal by hand and the focus and energy you put into it will help connect you with the spirit.

Once you have the drawn sigil, for the next few nights, before you go to bed, hold it in your hands and ask the spirit to show you in dreams how you can best evoke it.  Ask it to tell you about itself, and let it know you want to get to know it.  Then, place the sigil under your pillow.  Keep close watch on your dreams for answers. 

For example, when I first did this with a spirit I work with very closely now, I dreamed I was sitting at a bar with a handsome dark-haired man.  As we chatted, he would tell me things he liked.  In this case, it was lavender, amethyst, almonds, and sweet grass.  Over the course of a few nights, I had a list of food, drink, scents, and other things that the spirit enjoyed, and was given ideas for adjustments to my ritual set-up that the spirit preferred. 

I would not do this for more than 4 or 5 nights in a row, however.  You may be sleeping, but that connection does slightly interfere with a good night’s rest.  It is not enough of an interference to be noticeable over the course of 5 days or so, but much longer and you will begin to notice a decline in sleep quality.

Another way of forging that connection and getting to know the spirit is to hold the sigil in your hands and meditate on it.  You may receive visions or even hear the spirit speaking to you.  Keeping the sigil on your person, in a pocket, etc., during the day will also help to connect you by getting you acclimated to the spirit’s energies.  In this way, you may get subtle messages during the day.  For example, you could be at the grocery store and suddenly the idea may pop into your head, “I should pick up blueberries.  <Spirit’s name> might like those.”

During the evocation itself, you will want to use what information you’ve gleaned.  If the spirit likes the incense arranged in a particular pattern, for example, try your best to set that up.  If you are using a triangle, you’ll want to place a glass of water, some sort of food and drink offering they like, along with the sigil or black mirror (if you use one).

By making the ritual space more attractive to the spirit, and by offering it things it likes, you’re making it much easier for the spirit to manifest and giving it a reason to show up in the first place.  I know I’m personally more willing to put in a personal appearance at someone’s home if the activities and food are going to include things I like, and I’m sure you’re the same way. 

Above all, please remember to treat the spirit with respect.  Commanding, binding and threatening are not respectful.  They are quite the opposite.  This entity is not only stronger than you, it is also far more intelligent and powerful than you.  They deserve the same amount of respect you would give any one of your friends and that you yourself expect to be treated with. 

CONFLICTS

One factor novice magickians sometimes fail to consider is that not all spirits will mesh with them.  You may get along fabulously with Buer, but you and Orobas just may not mix.  It’s no different in human relationships.  No one gets along with everyone, and there are spirits that are just not going to like you because your energy is distasteful to them.  Don’t take this personally.  It’s an energy thing.  If you find that you can’t get an entity to come no matter what you do or how much time and effort you’ve put into getting to know them, try another spirit.  It may be that you and that entity just wouldn’t get along. 

CONCLUSION

Some people find the idea of evocation quite frightening.  However, it really is a very rewarding experience, both for you and the entity involved.  They, for the most part, enjoy interacting with us, and we in turn are able to ask for help in matters we can’t handle alone.  It can be difficult, and even daunting, but with a little work and perseverance, you can successfully summon an entity into your presence.  I hope that this article has given you some ideas for doing so, and I wish you the best of luck. 

Feel free to ask if you have any questions.  I don’t mind answering them.

On the 1^st of August it is Lammastide, or Lughnasadh, the harvest festival or Minden Day. Of course this is a time of celebration, especially if it is a plentiful harvest year. However, no matter how plentiful the harvest might have been that year, on 31^st of July in 1713 two lovers, Sarah and John, who had obtained permission from their parents that very day to finally get married, were struck dead simultaneously by lightning during the harvest. Their fate was recorded by the poet Alexander Pope thus:

“When eastern lovers feed the funeral fire,
On the same pile the faithful pair expire:
Here pitying heav'n, that virtue mutual found,
And blasted both, that it might neither wound.
Hearts so sincere th' Almighty saw well pleased,
Sent his own lightning, and the victims seized.”

Sarah and John might not have had much to celebrate that Lughnasadh, but by meeting their end thus, they did ensure their own immortality in the chronicles of history! Which is romantic in its own way!

Lugh, after whom the festival of Lughnasadh is named, is the son of Ethne (the daughter of Balar) and Cian (the son of Dian Cecht). His name is taken to mean ‘shining one’. Lugh was foestered with the smith god Goibniu who taught him all the crafts and he also gained the name ‘Lugh Lamfada’ (Lugh of the Long Arm). As the god of all crafts, he was challenged at the gates of Tara and replied that he was a builder, a smith, a champion, a harper, a warrior, a poet, a historian, a sorceror, a physician, a cupbearer and a brazier! It is clear from this why Caesar equated Lugh with the Roman god Mercury! The spear of Lugh was one of the four treasures of the Tuatha de Danann and ensured that no battle was ever won against who ever held it in their hand and both Lugh and his spear played a key role in many of the prophesies. His stories, myths, legends and worship is primarily tied to Ireland, but also appears in other parts of the British Isles – where he is also usually identified as both a solar and otherworldly god, sometimes in association with the Gallic Goddess Rosmerta. If you are going to celebrate Lughnasadh this year, make sure to make an offering into the Earth from your cup for Lugh! After all, it is HIS festival!

Here in Monmouthshire, David and I have been working to finish off some of the projects we have been working on for a while.

HORNS OF POWER: Manifestations of the Horned God is due out soon. Pre-orders open today and books will be dispatched on the release date (7^th August). All orders placed on or before the release date will receive a 25% discount, so make sure to place your order now: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalog/?page_id=59 This unique anthology brings together essays by a number of modern day scholars, priests and mystics, exploring the many facets of horned gods – from Cernunnos and Pan, to Veles, Khnum and Unicorns, there is something for everyone interested in the Horned God (or Goddess!). More information can be found by visiting http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

David has been putting the finishing touches to THE VERITABLE KEY OF SOLOMON, which he is co-authoring with Stephen Skinner. A limited edition of 25 copies full leather edition and a 350 copy half-leather edition will be available in full colour directly from http://www.goldenhoard.co.uk before the black & white hardback edition which will be available from Llewellyn in 2009. Interest in this project is phenomenal and those interested in finding out more are advised to visit http://www.goldenhoard.co.uk now and register their interest in the limited editions by emailing admin@goldenhoard.co.uk to be placed on the mailing list. Pre-orders will open later this week!

We hope that you and yours are well and, if like us you live in the UK, that you are enjoying the rare spell of warmer weather and sunshine we seem to be experiencing between the thunderstorms at the moment!

Blessings

Sorita d’Este

http://www.avalonia.co.uk

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

ps. Check out David Rankine’s new blog at www.ritualmagick.co.uk for interesting articles on magick, grimoires and other related fields!

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CONTENTS:

1/ AVALONIA OFFERS – SAVE 25% on Climbing the Tree of Life & WIZARDRY!

2/ HORNS OF POWER, edited by Sorita d’Este

3/ DEFENCES OF THE WITCHES’ CRAFT by John Canard

4/ NEW BOOK REVIEWS (The Esoteric Book Review)

5/ QABALAH THROUGH THE WORLDS – Workshop by David Rankine

6/ REVIEWS OF WICCA MAGICKAL BEGINNINGS

7/ WICCA in the NEWS

8/ THE COMPLETE MAGICIAN’S TABLES – SPECIAL OFFER save 33%!

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1/ AVALONIA BOOK OFFERS

*Special offers for the whole month of August on*

*Climbing the Tree of Life*

RRP £18.00, order now for just £13.50

- This book by David Rankine provides the reader with a practical manual of practical Qabalah as worked in the Western Esoteric Traditions

*Wizardry for the Uninitiated*

RRP £8.99, order now for just £6.99

- This book by Thea Faye provides the reader with practical insights from a modern day Wizard on the practices, philosophies and beliefs of a Wizard!

For more information on these book offers, see: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalog/?page_id=47

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2/ HORNS OF POWER, edited by Sorita d’Este

The raw, ancient and primordial force symbolised by horns has long had associations with mystery, magick and power. Our ancestors often envisaged their gods as anthropomorphic beings who encapsulated this wild essence. Today the gods of the bull, the ram, goat and stag still hold tremendous power and are invoked at rituals by a new priesthood who continue to seek the wildness of nature and the inspiration that it holds. These deities transcend the safe and known boundaries of human structure, sometimes even luring us across the threshold of the known into the unknown worlds.

This unique anthology brings together the work of more than twenty dedicated scholars with that of modern day mystics. Through their written and artistic contributions they illustrate just some of the many manifestations of the Horned God.

A true cornucopia of both insightful and well researched essays takes us from the well known Celtic Cernunnos and the legend of Herne the Hunter, to the goat-footed Greek Pan, the lesser known Slavic Veles and Egyptian Khnum. Horned serpents, unicorns, the tale of the Battle of the Bulls in the Irish Táin Bó Cúailnge, the Welsh Gwyn Ap Nudd and the faery Puck are all also considered.

Then a wild hunt as we journey with the mystics who share their own experiences of the gods of the wildwood and untamed beasts. Each story is as different as the person who experienced it - and each illustrating in its own unique way a Horned God who is wild, unpredictable, loving - and at heart a trickster. For those who wish to dare a bit more than others, visionary meditation journeys to explore the mysteries of Cernunnos and Gwyn Ap Nudd are included.

Horns of power would of course be nothing without the horns of beauty of the feminine divine, and in the final section of this anthology the reader is presented with essays exploring horned goddesses.

Whether through the mysteries of their existence, the vast scope of their influence or the endurance of their survival through to the modern day, each contributor provides a window into the wonders and magick of the enduring Horned God.

Pre-orders can now be place at: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalog/?page_id=59 – if placed before or on the 7^th of August you will receive a 25% discount! (Free P&P on all orders, worldwide!).

------------***-----------

3/ DEFENCES OF THE WITCHES’ CRAFT by John Canard

Have you been cursed?  How would you know beyond your gut feeling and everything in your life seemingly falling apart?  Exploring the traditional witchcraft of our ancestors, root magician John Canard explains how to detect and reflect curses, and work out who is the most likely person cursing you.
He details how curses can be fought using a range of tried and trusted old charms like witch bottles, witch balls, rowan and red thread, magick squares, and medieval charms, and how you can enlist supernatural help from beings like angels and church grims.  He also describes how to make holy water for purifying your home, how to set wards, and protect your home from all negative influences.

Discover how to use the witches' own weapons against them, with poppets, herbs, and stones.  By taking the initiative and not being a victim you can ensure that your life is unaffected by the malefic intent of others, and turn the tables on cursers so that they receive the negativity back that was aimed at you. John Canard gives clear and concise explanations of the practices and the underlying magickal principles, making this work an invaluable manual of protection that will dispel the negativity of cursers and cursing from your life.

This book will soon be available for ordering from http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalog/?page_id=89

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4/ NEW BOOK REVIEWS on the ESOTERIC BOOK REVIEW

Recent reviews include the WITCH SCHOOL first, second and third degree books by Rev. Donald Lewis-Highcorrell; Qabalah of the 50 Gates by Steven Ashe, Priestess of the Forest by Ellen Evert Hopman; and the GODS WITHIN by Jean Williams and Zachary Cox. For details see: http://www.ritualmagick.co.uk/reviews

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5/ QABALAH THROUGH THE WORLDS – Workshop by David Rankine

The Qabalah underlies the magickal systems of the Western Mystery Tradition. Yet many of its most effective practices have been ignored or forgotten in recent centuries. This workshop will focus on exploring techniques which can be applied to creating magickal change, such as the development of Ruach ha-Qadosh, the power of prophecy referred to in the Old Testament.

Details of this advanced and practical workshop by David Rankine on the 4^th of October in London’s ATLANTIS BOOKSHOP can be found at:

http://ritualmagick.co.uk/121/?page_id=72

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6/ REVIEWS OF WICCA MAGICKAL BEGINNINGS

This book by Sorita d’Este and David Rankine which explores the magickal roots of the practices found in modern day Wicca is causing quite a bit of debate amongst readers already. Good or bad, we are always interested in the opinions of our readers, so make sure that if you reviewed this book you let us know, likewise you are welcome to contact us directly! This is what the author Michael Howard wrote about Wicca Magickal Beginnings in THE CAULDRON Magazine:

“WICCA: Magickal Beginnings … . This is a very interesting study of the possible historical origins of the ritual and practices in modern neo-pagan witchcraft or Wicca. The authors begin by examining the word “Wicca”, the various attempts pre-Gerald Gardner to revive witchcraft by occultists such as Aleister Crowley and his American disciple Jack Parsons, and the influence on the modern revival of the seminal works of Jules Michelet, Charles Godfrey Leland, Sir James Frazer, Dr Margaret Murray and Dion Fortune. They then go on to postulate the origins for the Book of Shadows, scourging, the three-degree initiation, the Wiccan Rede, skyclad rituals, the athame, the magickal circle, Drawing Down the Moon, the Charge of the Goddess, the Great Rite, Sabbats, the pentagram, the Mighty Ones, Cakes and Wine, the four quarters, Cernunnos as the Wiccan name for the witch god, chants, the elements and the Theban magickal alphabet, and their possible historical antecedents. From their extensive research they conclude that Wicca is a continuation of the medieval tradition of grimoire magic, supplemented with material from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the OTO either by persons unknown before Gardner’s initiation into the New Forest Coven in 1939 or later by Gardner and his associates. They claim that when the GD and Crowley material is removed from modern Wiccan rituals what is actually left is ‘a bedrock of grimoire materials with fragments of folk practices which would fit in with the idea of the continuation of a genuine tradition…’ This claim is of course, based on the assumption that the New Forest coven, which some die-hard skeptics refuse to believe ever existed, was not a figment of Gardner’s imagination and that he did not just cobble together the rites of Wicca from books. Personally, I would go along with d’Este and Rankine. Highly recommended”

(Michael Howard, Cauldron Magazine, #129, August 2008)

If you are interested in finding out what Pagan Dawn Magazine and other reviewers thought of Wicca Magickal Beginnings, for more information on this book, or if you would like to order a signed copy now, go to: http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/catalog/?page_id=61

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7/ WICCA IN THE NEWS

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h3dTVsWRFU2tnqfw7_D3C8W4ALywD9234IU80

“Woman runs sword into foot during Wiccan ceremony” reads the headline of this short news report of a woman who accidentally stabbed herself in the foot with her sword during a good luck ritual in a cemetery, and somehow escaped with just a warning from the police!

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8/ THE COMPLETE MAGICIAN’S TABLES – SPECIAL OFFER save 33%!

This book which is being described as the definitive tables of correspondences produced to date, replacing the outdated book 777 by Aleister Crowley in leaps and bounds, is available at a 33% discount for the entire month of August to UK buyers who click on this link.

RRP £30.00, OFFER PRICE £20.00 with FREE Postage & Packaging (UK). Shoppers from outside the UK can still order this book, but due to a significant increase in postage charges (this is a heavy, hardback book), prices vary. Check out this link for details.

http://goldenhoard.co.uk/2/?page_id=45

The Complete Magician’s Tables These more than 888 magical tables are the most complete set of tabular correspondences covering magic, astrology, divination, Tarot, I Ching, Kabbalah, gematria, angels, demons, pagan pantheons, religious and mystical correspondences ever printed. They are more than four times larger and more wide ranging than Crowley’s Liber 777.

The source of the data in these tables ranges from unpublished manuscript mediaeval grimoires and Kabbalistic works, Peter de Abano, Abbott Trithemius, Albertus Magnus, Henry Cornelius Agrippa, Dr John Dee, Dr Thomas Rudd, Tycho Brahe, MacGregor Mathers, (and the editors of Mathers’ work, Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie), to the most modern theories of prime numbers and atomic weights. The sources include many key grimoires such the Sworn Book, Liber Juratus, the Lemegeton (Goetia, Theurgia-Goetia, Almadel, Pauline Art), Abramelin, and in the 20th century the grimoire of Franz Bardon.

All this material has been grouped and presented in a consistent and logical way covering the whole Western Mystery Tradition and some relevant parts of the Eastern tradition.

To order a copy of The Complete Magician’s Tables now at the special price of just £20.00 go to:

http://goldenhoard.co.uk/2/?page_id=45

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We are passionately working to make magick manifest.
Expanding the esoteric horizons.
Towards becoming Magick.

http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

In working with the Goetia, it is a usual practice for the Magician to draw the spirit's sigil on the black mirror (usually with a wax pencil or China marker) or, when working without the mirror, on paper or parchment and then place it in the center of the Triangle of Art. This sigil serves both to assist the Magician in the hypnosis/skrying process and also as the material basis for the spirit appearance. Also, once the sigil is ritually charged by the spirit, subsequent evocations tend to be easier.

Once charged, the sigil should be kept in a safe place (a vessel of some sort) and no one else should look upon it. The Magician is protected because of the ceremony itself; but anyone else might not be as protected. All of which brings me to the brass vessel and the spirit pot.

I recently read an interesting blog on the use of the Spirit Pot, which, in this case, was a home for just one spirit. Not the brass vessel in which all the sigils are stored. This spirit in question was Bune. The author seems to have been influenced by Hoodoo and root work. There are many similarities between the Goetia and folk Magick; even many of the spirit's sigils bear remarkable resemblance to each other: witness the seal of the spirit Marbas compared to the sigil of the Loa Ibo below:

The goal is to make a nice home for the spirit. Offerings to the spirit are given. These can consist of anything that is agreeable to the spirit: food, grass, incense, etc. The offerings need not be placed in the pot itself; at least not all. The general vicinity seems to work as well. I was inspired by this author to create my own spirit pot, and I will update when I am finished (are we ever really finished?)

I haven't really decided yet on which particular spirit I'll be working with. My main concern right now is to find a suitable container. Something that I can leave on one of my home altars. If perchance you are inspired to work with a spirit pot, keep me informed. And if you choose Bune as well, tell him I said hello. We're old friends. …

I am reminded of some of my earlier Goetic evocations, when I knew maybe one tenth of what I know now. I didn't own a black mirror, nor did I know much about the technique anyway. So I worked in a pretty straightforward manner. My Triangle of Art flat on the floor, with LOTS of incense in the room. Abramelin usually. Though I knew someone who gave me some Dittany of Crete. She made it herself, and I know it was well formulated. Back then it wasn't as easy to buy as it is today.

Maybe I had the conviction of the ignorant. When you don't expect failure, oftentimes you don't fail. I began my working with the Bornless Invocation, straight out of the book. I also had written my own invocations (partly) because, frankly, I didn't understand the words in the book, and if I didn't understand them, how could I possibly rely on them? I was a teenager, after all.

And off I went, summoning a spirit from the Goetia. Well protected  in my paper Circle (I thought). A little nervous (possibly scared). And eager to get on with it.

And then it happened. Absolutely and without a doubt it happened. The room changed. It was a CLEAR change in the way the room felt. The incense began to accumulate in a thick cloud in the Triangle. I cannot be certain if it was my "minds eye" or my physical eyes, but there he was. Vassago! I have only seen one artist's rendition of what he is supposed to look like, and that was very recently. To my eyes, he looked more alien than demon. There wasn't any of the snarling, drooling, "Back, spawn of Hell!" theatrics I expected to experience. It was actually a quiet, spiritual feeling. Not at ALL like the movies.

Did I evoke Vassago on the astral? Did I physically evoke him? If he was in the room, could I have taken a photograph, like Aaron Donahue supposedly did? I don't know. I don't even really care. Did I see him? YES! That's all I care about. I called. He came. I saw. And I learned a lot about myself that day.

What else have I seen besides Goetic Demons? Will I tell you I've seen Gnomes, playfully skipping in the forest? Not yet.

Then when I was a little older, I created a more simpler working circle on the floor using coloured electrical tape. This circle, though not as elaborate, was also beautiful, and I used it for many years. I've also created a few more, here and there, more specifically one based on the Sloane 2731.

But now we are creating a new, updated circle. We purchased a 12x15 square of heavy canvas. And we are using artist quality paints. I have to give most of the credit to Naufragio, because she printed the script lettering using the computer and then used these letters as a template. Thus ensuring that each letter is perfectly formed and identical to each other, and also perfectly spaced.  And she drew the Phoenician free hand. Beautiful!

The circle is nearly complete. It is a 9 foot circle, with an 8 foot inner circle. Within these 2 circles are written, in English and also in Phoenician, various holy names. The names we chose are relevant to us; if someone feels that using the words "Hitler" and "Nero" will give them power and a protected feeling, then those words would also be appropriate. The actual circle is the Magician's aura, not the paint on the floor.

Our methods of working The Goetia are combinations of several sources. I am trained in traditional Golden Dawn, and the way that I learned to arrange the 72 Angels is to anchor them at 0 degrees Leo (Sidereal system). Students might notice that Poke Runyon begins his Angels of the Shemhamephorash at 0 degrees Aries, each being linked directly to the Goetic Spirits. A spiritually well balanced system. There are other methods as well. I feel that Magicians owe a debt of gratitude to Poke Runyon and Lon Milo DuQuette for the inroads they have made.

The circle, as I mentioned, is nearly complete. What's great about our new circle is that we can also use it for much more than Goetic evocations. The quarters are clearly marked out, in the appropriate colours, and also include elemental symbolism. This circle will serve as a basis for all of our workings.

Defining the Key of Solomon - by David Rankine

I've been pricing wood with Naufragio. Instead of using my posterboard Solomonic triangle yet another year, I've decided to craft a more sturdy one. So I went to the lumber store, and the choices were slightly overwhelming. The main thing, other than not going broke, is that I absolutely do not want it to warp in a years time. I can't imagine pouring all of my efforts into it, only to have it look like a BOWL sitting on the floor.

I looked at 3/4 inch plywood, which was finished on one side. But the stack of them were ALL slightly warped. This is becoming very discouraging. But I'll continue to search. UPDATE: I am using 3/4 inch finished plywood.

I think I will make a more Thelema inspired one, using a different set of words around the triangle. Just as is the case with the Magick Circle, the names in the triangle are entirely the prerogative of the individual Magician. The names shown in the classic manuscripts of the Goetia (Tetragrammaton, etc.) need not be used.

I'll probably photograph it and upload a pic or two. Either way, when it's finished I'll let you know.

Update: I decided to conform to a more traditional design after all. The words around the Triangle have a powerful effect on me anyway, so I didn't see the need in changing them. But the reverse side of the wooden Triangle will have a different design.

Update: 16 August 2008 e.v. The Triangle of Art is completely finished. And just in time. What a project! It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL experience crafting the Triangle and Magick Circle. The Temple is PULSING with power! I have also written a consecration ritual for both the Circle & Triangle.

Thank you to Naufragio for all of her hard work & dedication. It wouldn't have happened without you.

 

 

                     Completed Triangle of Art.

When there is

incongruity between feeling and event,

puzzlement and discernible moodiness 

in the moment’s texture 

like rubber on sand.

When there is intangibility,

a slippery point of reference,

a sign of silk in a bed of soil.

Or when words are sketchy,

and affected areas are

rendered out of reach,

windows are sealed off.

The mind keeps turning left

A re-orbiting of the eight ball,

or else, a sudden stroke of cognitive slippage, 

mischief by Goetic  demons,

a crisis that cuts allegiance to logic,

or the immediacy of life, death,

grave illness, the cold Kali stare of sudden change...

Or else the opposite--fantastic luck--

love, the light of angels, lust, 

the thrill of possibilities and improbabilities,

siddhi powers seducing and surprising you,

Prince Hamlet’s hamlet,

like when hanging--(indeed clutching)--on fate’s bubble

sinking in one’s stomach,

when stuck in a head-vice

or left oscillating in ambiguity

with a strange suspension of time,

split conditions and mixed messages,

or when straddling extremes 

ampering volts of high emotion

scattering dossiers of delusion

without closure or conclusion,

tripping off flags of foreboding

like inching clouds and scattered drops 

upon a picnic sky of summer sun... 

And yet the Net of Indra beckons.

You feel strange gravities to enter,

to catch and be caught by it,

to make mirrors of molecules,

crafting outcomes in serendipity

with the untold forms

that rise up like a warm willing gust...

These are the right conditions for a reading.

                                          (1994)

For psych/services/books/readings:

Go to Art's Website: http://www.moonlightcounseling.com/

For intelligent conversation in consciousness, Join tarotpsych at: 

http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/tarotpsych/

© ART ROSENGARTEN, PH.D., All Rights Reserved.                    

O homem que me oferece diz que é interessante para garantir meu futuro, para eu fazer uma pós-graduação, etc. Eu falo que não preciso disso. Ele repete os mesmos argumentos. Eu penso se resolvo falar pra ele que não ligo pro futuro, 72 meses é muito distante, mas resolvo me fingir de normal (afinal, ele estava apenas fazendo o trabalho dele!). Falo que sou sustentada pelos meus pais, não trabalho e não vejo interesse em algo assim. Ele insiste, mas eu desligo.

72. Número interessante. Seria meu banco um espírito da Goetia?

72 meses são 6 anos. Não faço a mínima idéia de onde estarei ou o que estarei fazendo. São detalhes irrelevantes, uma vez que desejo mudanças radicais para o ano que vem. Só uma pessoa totalmente neurótica para planejar seus próximos 6 anos. É de dar medo, parece coisa do segredo. Há o que temer, é uma conspiração.

So its nearly Easter weekend, which coincides with the Spring Equinox
this year, which is rather nice for those of you who want a bit longer
to celebrate and recover from the celebrations!

Of course with Easter there is all the chocolate bunnies and eggs to
consider into the equation too, face it, if you like chocolate then
any excuse will do, regardless of the religion attached to it. Many
people will of course be telling that unsubstantiated tale of how the
Goddess Eostra walked the fields one morning and how she found a
near-to-death lapwing, unable to heal it as it was, she instead
transformed the bird into a hare. Hence we have egg bearing bunnies
at Easter. Whilst David and I were researching our book "The Isles of
the Many Gods" we found evidence of the goddess Eostra (or Eostre,
both are correct) as being the Saxon goddess of the dawn. Her name is
thought to mean "East" or "Shining" and she may have been derived from
the Germanic goddess Ostara. Bede recorded that the first month of
Spring "Eostre-monath" was named after her, and of course this
survives today as the origins of the Christian festival of Easter. If
there is anyone out there with supporting evidence for the Eostra-Egg
legend, please come and tell us about it on the Avalonia Forums.

Which reminds me. Those of you who haven't yet visited the shiny new
Avalonia Community Discussions Forums, make sure to do so soon as
there is plenty of exciting activity going on with current discussions
including "Familiars", "Magickal Make-up", "To Dare and its
consequences", "The Grigori" "Blasting Rods & Curses" and "Norse
Witches" – with lots more. So something for everyone really. Come
have a look see at: http://www.avaloniabooks.co.uk/forum

However, I thought I would return to the subject of eggs, as they are
likely to be on many peoples minds as they break into those luscious
but fragile sweet shells this weekend. Though it has nothing to do
with the Spring Equinox I thought that some of you might be interested
to know about the little known goddess Cuda who has close associations
with Gloucestershire, which is where her name was found on a sculpture
in Cirencester, the old capital of the Dobunni tribe. Cuda is shown
bearing an object on her lap, which might be an egg, thus suggesting
fertility – she is also accompanied by three Genii Cucullati.
Likewise another sculpture which was found in Daglingworth nearby
shows another grouping of figures which may also represent Cuda – her
name is thought to originate from the word "cudd" meaning "prosperity"
or "well-being". Ok, so Cuda hasn't got anything to do with Spring
Equinox, but I thought it was a nice story to throw in because of the
egg connection and also because it might be nice for people reading
this who find themselves in Gloucestershire to sometimes remember
their local deities! ~Hail Cuda! ~

So lets return to the matter of food for a moment. Apart from
chocolate eggs the other popular foodgroup this coming weekend will be
hot cross buns. Whilst I seriously doubt that these yummy cakes have
any "ancient pagan roots" those with magickal leanings and who happen
to like them, should eat them with the idea that an equal armed cross
is also a very ancient symbol of the Sun in mind. Maybe if everyone
did that we could encourage a warmer summer this year in the UK where
it is desperately needed after last years persistant rain and
flooding? As an aside, if weather magick is something that interest
you, you may find the discussion and poll on Weather Magick in the
"Wicca and Witchcraft" section of the Avalonia forums interesting –
http://avaloniabooks.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=2002
For those of you looking for interesting things to do in the coming
months, make sure to check out the various events listed below –
including an exciting new conference in Brighton at which David and
myself will be speaking in April.

I hope that this newsletter finds you well.

Many spring blessings,

Sorita d'Este
www.avalonia.co.uk
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk

CONTENTS
1. All Fools Gathering (DERBY)
2. Brighton Conference
3. Witchfest England
4. Howlings (New Book from Scarlet Imprint)
5. Forthcoming from Avalonia Books

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1. All Fools Gathering

Saturday 29th March 2008
9am - 6pm
http://www.paganfedeastmids.co.uk/paganfed/fools/

Speakers include Rae Beth, Anna Franklin, Pete Jennings, Glennie
Kindred and many more.

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2. Brighton Conference : BELENUS FESTIVAL
Saturday April 12th Central Brighton
This is a one day festival in the heart of Brighton, walking distance
from the train station (so no excuses). David and I will be speaking,
as will a number of other interesting speakers, including Peter Grey
(author of Red Goddess) as well as Katie and Gareth Gerard.

For more info its best to go and have a look at their website for full
info and ticket details:
http://www.pfse.org.uk/ASPPFSE/PFSEConference.aspx

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3. Witchfest England
10 May 2008
After missing out on Witchfest England and International in London
last year due to being pregnant with our lovely baby boy, both David
and myself are looking forward to being back and presenting lectures
at Witchfest England this year again. Other speakers include Kate
West, Rufus and Melissa Harrington, Teresa Moorey – and Inkubus
Sukkubus will be performing in the evening, something I know many will
be excited about.
For full information see their website: http://www.witchfest.net

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4. HOWLINGS (New Book from Scarlet Imprint)
I haven't yet been able to read this beautifully produced new tome
from the people at Scarlet Imprint, but it arrived this week looking
so beautiful and promising so much that I thought I would give it a
mention so that those of you who have an interest in the Grimoire
Tradition may have a chance to obtaining one of this new limited
edition. Contributors include David Rankine, Donald Tyson, Peter
Grey, Stafford Stone, Aleq Grai, David Beth, Thea Faye and many other
practitioners of the Art Magickal on topics including the Picatrix,
The Goetia, Liber 231 …
See for yourself by visiting:
http://www.scarletimprint.com/howlings.htm

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5. Forthcoming from Avalonia Books
After some months of silence whilst we focused ourselves on being
first time parents, we are pleased to announce that there will be
number of new releases from Avalonia Books in the coming months. The
first of these will be our long promised volume on the history of the
practices and beliefs commonly found in the Wiccan Tradition today.
"WICCA Magickal Beginnings" is due out on May 1st this year from
Avalonia Books. Details of how you will be able to pre-order this
book will be emailed to subscribers of this newsletter in April, so
keep an eye out for it if its something that interests you.

In July this year we will also be releasing a number of other
interesting titles, including the follow-up to our very popular
"Practical Planetary Magick" which will focus on working with the four
elements and will bear the not surprising title of "Practical
Elemental Magick~ Working the magick of the four elements and their
spiritual creatures in the Western Mystery Tradition". Additionally,
"Horns of Power" should also make its debut around then, being a
collection of essays on the Horned Gods of classical and modern
Paganism and Witchcraft, again a unique and exciting project which has
been keeping me rather busy! In addition to this we will be joined by
two new authors whose work we are very proud to be publishing as it is
completely original. More about that soon…

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Spring Equinox Newsletter : Avalonia 2008
http://www.avalonia.co.uk

Chapter VII
The Pentacle and Pentagram

The Pentacle and Pentagram are two of the most misunderstood and mistakenly confusing. I grew up, and I know there are others also, being told that the pentagram (at the time, a star inside a circle) was the sign of the Devil. I later found out that it wasn't and also found out that the pentacle was a star. I looked in my dictionary both pentacle and pentagram and it said they were both five pointed stars, I knew that had to be wrong becuase the pentacle was a five pointed star but the pentagram was a five pointed star in a circle. I then later found out that the pentagram (star in circle) was a powerful magickal symbol and it's numerous meaning along with its satanic version which is the inverted pentagram (pentagram turned upside down). I also learned that what I thought the pentacle and pentagram was wasn't the proper description of them.

In Wicca the pentacle is a pentagram (five pointed star) inside a circle and the pentagram is a five pointed star. This really can confuse someone after growing up and knowing that the pentacle is a star and pentagram is a star in a circle. The only thing I can figure is that the two symbols were confused by the media or the traditions that use these symbols like this have it all wrong. If you ask me I think that the pentacle should just be a star and the pentagram a star in circle.

According to Donald Michael Kraig's book Modern Magick, he describes the pentacle is any object that has a pentegram on it and the pentagram is a five pointed star not the other way around. Many magickian believe this contrary to the belief of non magickians. I think that the shape and meaning of the pentacle and pentagram is different for magickians than it is for non magickians. I really don't know how the theory of the pentacle and pentagram got mixed up or what but is seems to be believed so strongly among both traditions (non magickians and magickians) that it has become a perminent belief for non magickians and magickians alike. I'm not saying that one is right and the other is wrong but I do favor the non magickians view on the shapes more than the magickians view. I do indeed know that the pentagram (star in circle) is not a satanic symbol by its self. The pentagram, if inverted, is satanic it represents Satan as deity instead of God but it also has many other representations and meanings.

In Elipas Levi"s book Dogma et Rituel de la Haute Magie, he says that the pentagram can be used for angelic or demonic evocations/invocations simply by moving the pentagram so that one point or two are at the top. Other things will have to be done in the ritual but by doing this signifies the nature of the entity that going to be summoned. He uses the word pentagram (in the chapter about it) then after its consecrated he uses the word pentacle so I'm guesing that the pentagram is a pentacle not yet concecrated. His book shows a picture of the pentagram/pentacle as a star with the five consonants of Tetragammaton (te - tra - gram - ma - ton) around the edges of the pentagram/pentacle in a circular form make it appear that a star is inside a circle which would mean that it was a pentagram (star in circle). It could have also been a pentacle that had a star in circle because he started referring to the pentagram as a pentacle after it was consecrated. The pentagram is the star of the microcosm and the hexegram is the star of the macrocosm, by him saying this I'm starting to think that the pentagram is just a star. The pentagram or pentacle, whether it be a star or star in circle is indeed a magickal and potent tool and sign of magick.

The pentacle (star) is a powerful symbol of magick both white and black for it means both the light and the dark by a simple turning of the pentacle. The pentacle is indeed a potent magickal symbol if not more than all the others. One point up it represent Jesus Christ and God, now it stands for the divine and holiness. With one point down and two points up it represents the Goat of Mendes or the Sabbatic Goat and more commonly it represents Satan as a goat at the witch's sabbath. Its more the head of the sabbatic goat that is represented on the inverted pentacle rather than the whole body. The top two points represent horns, the bottom two points represent ears and the bottom point represents the goats beard. I don't know what the beard of a goat means but it has always appeared evil to me. As I said earlier the goat is the opposite of a lamb, the lamb or agnus dei represents God and the goat represents Satan or the fallen Lucifer. Creatures with cloven feet usually are considered to be evil and the same goes for horns. Did you notice I wrote "creatures" instead of "animals," thats because most animals with cloven feet weren't actually considered malevolent but the pagan creatures or monsters like the centaur, satyr and other mythological creatures were considered evil rather than good by Christians. Other cultures around the world probably believe this also, the cloven foot is a symbol of evil and impurity.

In the Goetia which was suppose to be written by King Solomon was translated by S.L. MacGregor Mathers. Inside of the Goetia, several protective and conjuration aiding symbols are given. One of is the Pentagram of Solomon which depicts a star in circle, this indicates that King Solomon who lived over a thousand years ago knew what a pentagram (star in circle) is and probably a pentacle (star) is also. Either a magickian that reigned (this is the most likely time he practiced magick according to research) during the 900's knew this or Mathers or Crowley changed it from pentacle to pentagram, this is highly unlikely . The Pentagram of Solomon which has the seal of the spirit desired to be summoned on the other side, it (Pentagram of Solomon) is used to protect the exorcist or magickian from harm and commands to the spirit to obey you.

The Pentagram (star) was used as a symbol in Rome for the goddess Venus (equivalent is the Greek Aphrodite) and the planet Venus. The pentagram is universally or widely a goddess symbol. The pentagram or pentacle (either way a five pointed star) has been associated with numerous goddesses such as Venus, Aphrodite, Ishtar and Astarte (though there may never have been a direct parallel to Astarte there is a connection). All of these goddesses and more not mentioned are goddesses associated with love or love goddesses. To most people this doesn't make alot of sense but it will be explained. The goddess is a mother figure and the mother is loving and caring. The pentagram has associated with goddesses or the mother which is (the mother is) a gateway to Heaven because women can give life which is an attribute of the Gods. Mary Magdalene was the wife and mother to Jesus Christ's child, she (Mary) bore with her the divine bloodline a direct connection or gateway, if you will, to God. The pentagram was also associated with Mary magdalene or the Holy Mother. The rose or cinquefoil and pentagram are similar and both a symbol of the goddess. Mary Magdalene was also associated with the rose and the pentagram is an excellent parity in retrospect because