This was my second most popular piece on my old site. Though it had barely more than half the views of Sex With Angels, which I think says a lot about the internet…
This is just an introduction to summoning circles in grimoiric magick, and an interpretation of them, rather than just “here draw this, it works.”
This article was originally written for a “flavour” article in a friend’s Dictionary of Demons book. The format of the book changed and my articles got cut, though some the information was still incorporated into the book. I’ve slightly edited it from the original format to be a bit more personal and experiential rather than just cold theory.
The Circle is probably one of the most important, and misunderstood tools in the arsenal of a magickian who works with Demons. Anyone who has flipped through a text on summoning Angels or Demons has come across a Summoning Circle, but probably with no more explanation than the method of drawing it, and that the circle is important to use.
Over the course of time the design of the circle has changed, and the importance of it has shifted. In modern magick, more than ever, the circle is being deemed unimportant, or simplistic. The Summoning Circle is being replaced by Psychic Shields, or ritual belts, or a simple visualized bubble. This shows, among other things, a tendency to interpret the Summoning Circle as merely a form of protection when dealing with Demons, when in fact it is far more than just that in some interpretations.
(Continued)
Hello Kalagni. Sorry if this is bringing up old dust, but Im curious about the concept of tulpas you mentioned in an aaaaaage old post.
http://www.blueflamemagick.com/index.php/2014/09/14/
I am having difficulty finding resources on the correct usage of this word, and I’m not sure I fully understand the contents of your post.
I think I get the general idea that a tulpa is an imagined form that you create that diety then posesses, is that correct?
I notice that you mention the practice is common in Vajrayana Buddhism,is that the only situation where the word tulpa has the correct context? If so, is it possible to explain how adoption of it is different from other eclectic practices? Don’t worry if it’s impossible to explain a possibly complicated cultural context. I understand. 🙂
The main problem is the word is rarely used and a bit obscure. Like my intro to restarting this blog used metempsychosis which is just weird and obscure word that means reincarnation. Because tulpa isn’t used much as a word it’s hard to find good sources on it. Most times you see anything about tulpa it traces right back to Alexandra David-Neel (as mentioned in my article), which is sadly a good way to judge. Chances are if they say tulpa, it’s not going to be right heh.
Your understanding is more or less correct, it’s complicated (and I wouldn’t claim to grok it all) but yeah easiest way to understand it is as the formed energy body that the god inhabits. I’ve never seen tulpa used correctly outside of discussions of Vajrayana Buddhism, and sadly even within Vajrayana Buddhism it gets used wrong by layfolks, because it’s obscure, not talked about, so all they see if that David-Neel form.
I would say it could be adopted in a general sense, in fact some of my grimoiric work I use essentially the same process of creating a form for the spirits to inhabit. Though I wouldn’t call it a tulpa or a damshig sempa, because those words are very cultural specific, and contain nuances you won’t translate properly.
Another great piece on tulpas though is written by my friend Ben. https://savageminds.org/2016/02/13/paranormalizing-the-popular-through-the-tibetan-tulpa-or-what-the-next-dalai-lama-the-x-files-and-affect-theory-might-have-in-common/ In fact I met him because he referenced my tulpa article within his. I think it’s a great resource and starting point to looking into it deeper.
Much appreciated!
But actually I’m curious becuase you did say you practice Vajrayana Buddhism yourself, but damshig sempa isn’t strictly speaking the ritual you use, is it not a practice much understood?
Ah, I think we’re having a bit of confusion with the terms/concept. The tulpa is essentially the same (if not the same) as the damshig sempa. So it’s not so much a ritual, but a part of ritual. Just like offerings would be part of our rituals. In that case damshig sempa are used in every ritual. The texts might not call it that, but any time you visual a deity, and have something like a stream of lights flow out from them, and return into them, that’s the creation and embodiment of the damshig sempa.
The issue with things not being much understood is just that tulpa is a less common term. And I wouldn’t use the term damshig sempa/tulpa if I were doing similar with beings from other traditions.
Did that clarify things, or did I still kind of misunderstand what you were intending to say?