magick

01
Mar
2015

Languages and Magick: Cultural Artefacts and Split Personalities


(The bulk of this post was written three years ago, but got lost in the shuffle. To refamiliarize yourself with my ramblings you can find Part One here and find Part Two here.)
I’ve touched a bit upon languages, alphabets and names in the past, but there is another aspect of language and magick that interests me. It’s less convoluted and more just varying opinions. What power does language have (as in a specific tongue), when, and why?
Religions and magickal traditions have all sorts of different opinions. I have Muslim friends who know no Arabic, except what it required to read and recite the Qur’an, and say their prayers. Not to mention Jewish friends that know only enough Hebrew to say the first part of many prayers “Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu *mumblemumblemumble*” The why and the how differs. Not surprisingly though very few Christians learn any Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic for their religion –and if you want to win arguments with them, learn these languages.
So why does language (not) matter in magick? I’m talking including religions here, because yes there is a big crossover with magick. There are all sorts of different opinions on why you should or shouldn’t use some language. My friends have explained that the words of Mohammad (P) are sacred, so when reciting the Qur’an or the prayers, they should say it as he said it, that the literal words are sacred. A Lukumi friend of mine has learnt Spanish, Yoruba, and some pidgin language of which the name escapes me for her prayers, for what seems to be a cultural respect. On the other side of things is good old Abraham von Worms who said essentially don’t pray in any language other than your mother tongue as you’ll never be as sure what you’re saying, and you could say or imply the wrong things. Even if you learn the language, there can be dozens of subtle nuances you won’t know if it isn’t your mother tongue, or you’ve spoken it regularly for less than a few decades.
Enochian magick pretty much is always initiated in Enochian. When studying with one lama I was told that my sadhanas (rituals) should be performed in Tibetan, but if I can’t manage that then English would work. He never really explained why and it later confused me when I was taught to do the same sadhana without speaking at all; should I be thinking in Tibetan or English? Yet at the same time many Tibetans do rituals in their Sanskrit forms (in fact my lama translates them into or back into Sanskrit sometimes), yet Mongolians often practice these same rituals in Tibetan. There is this clear idea that language matters, but it’s often the language of the other. So Western and Mongolian Buddhists might use Tibetan, but many Tibetans are using Sanskrit.
What does it matter? I think Lon Milo Duquette said it best, it was on a podcast, but I can’t remember which, possibly Thelema Coast to Coast, but when referring to the Enochian Entities he said something to the effect of “They’re like Frenchmen, they want you to take the effort to speak their language, even if you’ll fail horribly, and then they’ll talk to you in English.” In an earlier post Ars Mysteriorum said that higher beings can understand any language, but it is more polite to speak with them in the language they’re most familiar with. We agree it was a simplified analogy but the rough idea seems appropriate.
Many entities are culturally specific, and have been approached in the same language for hundreds or thousands of years, and while they may understand other languages, these are the languages of their history. One lama stresses performing the sadhanas traditionally, not because they are written in stone, don’t work in English, or anything, but out of respect for the tradition they come from, as well as believing there is a greater sympathy by performing the ritual in the same way and same language as many great saints, holy people, and magickians have for hundreds of years, while my other lama translates them into the older tongue of Buddhism, Sanskrit (but does not translate them into Pali, which is an even older tongue for Buddhism).
Is language in magick just an artefact? Is it an issue of respect? Is there magickal power to it? Another take is magickal languages (well languages in general, but this is Blue Flame Magick, not Blue Flame In General) cause split personalities. Aside from being confused by the language, or worried I’ll get something wrong, when I’m speaking in Enochian I /feel/ magickal. When not cringing at mispronunciations I can’t seem to correct just chanting in Tibetan makes me /feel/ more engaged. This is more than just my simple feelings about the matter though.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (You’ll need an access code like a University library to get this I assume) in their November 2010 had a relevant article “Two Languages, Two Personalities? Examining Language Effects on the Expression of Personality in a Bilingual Context.”
It says “Self-reports and behavioral observations confirmed the effects of perceived cultural norms, language priming, and interlocutor ethnicity on various personality dimensions.” People, both notice about themselves and in others, that their personality shifts along “perceived cultural norms” when speaking in another language. People act, in a subtle stereotypical way, similar to the cultural/people that uses that language. In the tests English/French speakers tended to be more verbally aggressive, independent, and withdrawn when speaking in French, common stereotypical traits. Whereas native Chinese, Korean, and Spanish speakers who learnt English tended to be more extroverted, more assertive, and more open to new experiences when talking in English. Traits they associate with the North American English speaker.
Tibetan is the language of the day to day life of the Tibetan people, but Sanskrit and Pali were the languages that the early siddhis and yogis spoke, and by using it they are closer to them…if only in a stereotypical association of the other. English is day to day, but Enochian is supposed the language of the Angels, of course speaking Enochian seems magickal…if only for that reason.
The language rabbit hole goes deeper, because despite whatever objective power might be there, the subjective association of the magickal other adds something to languages in other language, and perhaps that little bit extra is worth pursuing.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
05
Jan
2015

Retreats, Rants, and Priorities


When last we left our hero Kalagni was proving eir inability to make reasonable decisions and had entered into a tantric retreat while working.
Anyways, I survived. The retreat was, not surprisingly, rough and tough and emotional. To make matters worse near the end I was told to complete the retreat a week early, meaning adding in about a thousand extra mantras per day.
It was definitely intense, and I can’t wait to do the next one.
Even though I finished a week ahead of schedule (a week before solstice) I’ve been decompressing and processing the experience since then. The retreat itself was a big event, but it’s finished with a fire puja, which is a long elaborate ritual of burning offerings. I spent two hours in the snow and slight drizzle invoking gods into a fire pit, and throwing food, alcohol, flowers, a hell of a lot of melted butter, and more into a fire. It was awesome, I cried…not cause of the ritual, because I had thick viscous black smoke in my eyes for a lot of the ritual.
One thing that came up with people before, during, and after was the fact that people often say to me things like “How do you manage to make time for all these things?” or “I wish I had the extra time to spend on my practice.” Here is the thing that bothers me, so here beginneth the rant, it is very unlikely that you don’t have the time, the thing is you’re not making it a priority. Don’t blame your life, you’re choosing not to do these things in most cases. I didn’t have a casual extra three hours a day to spend in my basement calling up gods and saying mantras, and there are things that would have been more fun, and more practically productive, at least short term, that I could have been doing. The thing is I make my magickal practice a priority.
When I did the Abramelin I had a fulltime working commitment, but still managed to dedicate nearly five hours a day to the ritual. Currently I work, volunteer, and go to temple three times a week (doing stuff unrelated to the retreat, and each temple session is a three hour minimum commitment), and I still managed to set aside two to three hours a day for the retreat. I even went out of country for a few days to spend some important time with friends, and still had time to follow through with my commitments.
How? It’s nothing special, I’m not saying it as a point of pride, it’s simply a matter of priority. Cut down the time you spend on email/twitter/facebook/youtube. Don’t watch tv, drop your hobbies, stop playing games, whatever. You probably work 8-10 hours a day including travel time, sleep another 8, you spend maybe two hours a day between preparing and eating food, one hour doing chores, that’s still 3-5 hours free. And to be honest most people spend less time preparing and eating and doing chores, and most people don’t sleep as much as they should. Your day is filled with all this time, it’s just a matter of prioritizing it. Even when I was at my friend’s place I made the retreat a priority, and as much as I loved spending time with everyone there, I still would excuse myself for a few hours a day and hide in a secluded area to do the ritual.
We’ve become a culture that often treats our entertainment as a right and necessity, and our commitments as choice. It should generally be reversed. Remember when you were a kid and your parents said you could go outside and play, or watch tv, but only after your homework and chores were done? That’s how we should treat our spirituality, especially if we’re trying to do something intense, or make time for a retreat. When you come home from work, don’t hope onto the computer or watch tv, go to your altar and do your prayers and mantras for the day. Don’t settle down to knit or play video games until your commitments are done.
It’s tough, you’ll miss your hobbies (but probably not as much as you think), you’ll have to really ration your social time with friends/family, and you might have to let things slip a bit. (Apologies to my neighbours about the state of my backyard during the retreat) But if you want to take your practice seriously, you have to treat it as seriously as anything else, if not more so. It shouldn’t be this boredom activity of “oh, I have an extra twenty minutes before bed, maybe I’ll meditate and talk to my Patron,” it should be something that you’ve made time for, that’s scheduled into your life, and everything not a necessity comes after.
If you don’t make the time for your gods, why should they make the time for you?

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
26
Sep
2014

Goal Dirt: Grounding Your Magick


Since my last post on dirt ran long I decided to split it into two sections. Previously I talked about grave dirt, this time I’ll talk about goal dirt. I wish it had a better name, but it’s simple and gets the point across.
Goal dirt is dirt from a place related to a specific goal. Need a loan, or money? Get dirt from places like your bank, or your city’s financial district. Healing? Dirt from hospitals and temples. Hexing someone? Get dirt from their property (can also be mixed with dirt from places like dumps, prisons, cemeteries, major highways, and unfortunate places). Want a job, dirt from the building. Your imagination is the limit, as is how you use the dirt when you have it.
Goal dirt is a great way to add a physical anchor to your working, how to link it into a place and concept, to target your working and connect with it. Don’t underestimate the usefulness of linking a spell that is tied to a place into that place through the physical foundation, the earth it rests on.
To collect the dirt you need the same three things mentioned for collect grave dirt: offerings, spoon, and container.
Now offerings can be a bit tricky depending on where you are getting dirt from. While it might be a touch uncommon for someone to light incense or a candle at a grave, or even bring food, no one is going to question it. If I sat down in front of my bank though and lit a cone of incense, I’d get weird looks. On one hand as sorcerous people we should be fine with being weird; on the other hand, we don’t want attention sometimes. In this case things we can make use of smaller food offerings, or water which can be poured out of a bottle, or my favourite stealth offering, cigarettes.

My Jovian offering case.

My Jovian offering case.

Now I don’t smoke (though most of the dead people on my altar of the Beloved Dead do), but a cigarette is a great burnt offering. No one pays attention to someone standing by a building with a lit cigarette (you can mime smoking it if you want to look more normal and just blow out instead of inhaling, because the cigarette isn’t for you). Depending on what it is for I might use regular cigarettes, or I might use clove cigarettes (which I understand aren’t really available in Yankeeland) because cloves are a great offering to Jupiter. Also I’ve lit a cone of incense, and sat down beside it holding an unlit cigarette near it, so it looked like the smoke was from my cigarette while I went through my communication with the spirit of the place.
You do pretty much the same thing as you would at a grave. You have the option of either trying to see if there is a spirit of the place you can talk to, as you did with the grave owner, or just work with the energy of the place. I prefer to find a spirit if I can, if not I just work with the flows of energy. Try to find a place, if possible, that is both out of the way, but also connected to the place. So maybe a side path to the building, or out by the sign rather than the door, but still where there is some dirt. Reach out to the spirit, or just gather in the energy. This works well while fake smoking if you take that route.
Again tell the spirit why you want the dirt, what it is for, even if it’s just the energy I find it helpful to clarify the intent out loud. Continuing the stealth sorcery here is where a cellphone comes in handy, cigarette or bottle of water in one hand, cell against your ear, you look completely normal, meanwhile you’re chatting up the spirit/energy of the place. Getting the dirt is a bit trickier. I’m sure you can figure out a way if people are around. One time after tying my shoe I “weeded” a dandelion near my foot growing out of the crack in the sidewalk, looked normal, tossed it in my pocket as I turned around, and then later just took the dirt from the roots. Other times if I just don’t care I reach down with my spoon, just take a scoop and walk off. It all depends on where you’re taking it, your comfort level, and things like that.
If you’re collecting dirt from someone’s place to use against them you might have to collect it quickly, and without asking the spirit of the place. It’s not as powerful, but you do what you can, and a spirit of place might feel protective of the person that lives there. (Usually the energy won’t have the same qualm, which is why meta-modeling is a good thing.)
Use the dirt however you want, mixed with other components, stuffed into poppets and boxes, combined with ink and paint for sigils, whatever.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
05
Sep
2014

Grave Dirt: Bring Up Your Dead


I was asked on the Book of the Face how I collect dirt, and one on hand it’s really easy, do it however you want, on the other hand, if it’s not something you do I guess it’s helpful to know how others do it, so I thought I’d explain that.
There are (in the system I work with) three basic types of dirt: Grave dirt, Nest dirt, and Goal dirt. (I guess, last one was never named. Also there is Graveyard dirt, which is somewhat like Nest dirt, though elements of the other two now that I’m thinking about it)
The one most occult folks focus on is grave dirt. Whether it is a family member, a famous person, a spirit ally, or random grave, there are lots of uses for the dirt, which I won’t get into here, let’s stick with method. (Also, I reached my word limit talking about Grave dirt, I guess that’s the only one we’ll look at now, but hey, at least Goal dirt is already written, so you’re guaranteed a post on that)

My kit: Incense, lighter, spoon, containers with labels, and cigarettes, all stored in a zipper sandwich bag

My kit: Incense, lighter, spoon, containers with labels, and cigarettes

To collect grave dirt you need three simple things: offerings, a container, and a spoon. Being how I am I actually have a ritual spoon for this…and by that I mean one that I’ve only ever used for dirt collection and I keep in my backpack at all times. In fact, all three things in my bag at all time. (They didn’t used to be, but some spirits I’m dealing with have me doing a lot with dirt right now…)
The offering is a bit subjective. If you know the person it could be something appropriate to them. When collecting dirt from my Grandma’s grave I took her vodka and a cigarette, cause that’s what she liked. For my other Grandma I’d take flowers, specifically chicory, dandelions, or anything else that grows on the side of the road. For a soldier you could take toy weapons, poppies, whatever. A lot of people offer coins, and mention the Greek tradition of leaving coins for the ferryman. Personally, I think that is fairly silly. Sure, it worked in Greek culture, and pagans who still follow it would appreciate it, but my Grandma would look at me like I was a goof if I thought two quarters would be a good offering. (But being my Grandma she’d take it and thank me I’m sure) I get the reason, I just think it’s too esoteric for most people. If you don’t know the person, or don’t know what they’d like the big five offerings you can give become water, food, incense, candles, and energy.
Approach the grave, centre and still yourself for a moment, just let the world drop behind you a bit, and then set out the offering on or beside the grave. Depending on your skill/inclinations you can either just talk out loud to the spirit, or actually do a bit more work to call them up. On a simplified level I usually put my left hand on the ground and project a tendril into the earth until I find the urn or casket or a sense of presence, then feeding a bit of energy down that line I draw them up, gently asking that the join me, or at least communicate with me. (The latter is because some really like to be rooted in their remains and would rather talk from below than on the surface, I don’t know why, I didn’t expect it until I encountered it)
Give them the offering. If you know how you can either multiple it, or shape it. The advantages to water, incense, and to a lesser extent candles is they’re fairly good at taking the “imprint” of offering visualizations. So if you create a visualization of an offering water/incense/candles are a good way to ground that offering in our reality and keep it stable. Energy is of course even more malleable, you can offer it however you want, I use a variation of a Shinto method. I clap three times, loudly, but not too hard, but enough to make a clear sound. With the first clap I see the sound clearing away discordant energies, the second more fully calls the spirit into the place, the last is a welcome announcement ‘ah you’re here.’ Then I rub my palms together and hold out my hand as if I was holding a ball in my hands. Aside from the meanings of the clapping, by clapping and rubbing your hands you bring blood, and thus energy, to the surface of your hands, which you can then naturally let pool in the bowl of your hands, or you can will it out.
Now that they have been called, and given the offering you can actually talk with them more directly. This is totally up to you; do you just think it, or speak it, do you chit chat or get straight to business? While thinking works, I find the vocalization carries more energy to them, so the messages are more clear, and oddly so are their responses, and at least in a cemetery talking to a grave isn’t unusual. Explain to them that you’re going to take a portion of their land/grave (my grandmother calls her grave her “property”), and if you have a specific request/intent you can explain that, or you can just explain it’s for connecting with them. Wait to see if they agree, depending on your level of communication they might say it, or you might get a sense of yes/no, if you can’t even get that ask for a small sign “If it’s yes touch my right hand, if it is not touch my left.” If it’s a yes, just take a spoon of the dirt, and you’re good. Usually I touch the dirt first and say something like “This is the spot I’m taking if you would bless it for me” to just draw their resonance into it a little more. If it’s a no, either give up, and thank them, or see if you can convince them, maybe they want another offering, maybe they want you to visit more often (yes Grandma…) or something, sometimes it’s a firm no, other times there might be some negotiation.
Put it in your contain, seal it, and label it. (Okay, I label them, because I don’t use all the dirt at once in many cases and don’t want them getting mixed up, and I occasionally grab samples from more than one place in a day, and again don’t want to confuse them.)

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
28
Jan
2014

Super Secret Lost Column CLXXXIV of Liber 777: Tie Knots

Like any good (?) ceremonial magickian my magickal correspondences are so heavily engrained that I can’t sneeze without linking it to a planet. (Okay, that was a joke, but now I’m thinking about bodily expulsion processes and planets…) For the first time in 14 years my hair is no longer blue so I have expanded my collection of dress shirts and ties to include colours other than blue, and that quickly ballooned to me getting a dress shirt and tie in the colours of every planet. This allows me to mix and match to either represent planetary days and sub-planets, or to dress in appropriate colours as a form of invocation. Yes, it’s a touch silly and cheesy, but have you seen most ceremonial magick paraphernalia? It’s not exactly the most serious and elegant much of the time.

Dammit Al, boxers go on your hips, and leopard rugs stay on the ground.

Rocking Mars of Jupiter (Not me)

Just saying one of the above looks a bit more silly and cheesy than the other…

It started innocently, when I realized if I had planetary ties and shirts I could use that to embody different combinations. On a day like today (in my system) of Venus of Mars I’d wear a green shirt and a red tie. (Sub-planets gets a bigger representation because they’re more subtle and I want to draw them out more) Or if I was going to an important meeting about my mortgage I could wear a black shirt and blue tie, for Saturn of Jupiter. Though when talking to a friend about this, it became even deeper, and more silly – linking tie knots to planetary forces. They suggested it as a joke, and without much thought I already had several associations in a matter of seconds and I thought I’d share the list with you, and my reasoning.

Saturn: Kransy Hourglass or Oriental knot
Jupiter: Full Windsor or Balthus knot
Mars: Merovingian
Sun: Trinity knot
Venus: Pinwheel/Trulove knot
Mercury: Van Wijk or Four-in-hand
Moon: Floating spiral

(Sidenote: None of these pictures are me. Originally I wanted to tie each knot in the right colour and take a pic but in general I suck at selfies, and I’m currently sick, so even though I’m wearing a Merovingian knot (yes, while home sick…) I don’t feel like taking pictures of myself. So all of these pictures just come from google and pintrest, if I use your picture and you want it taken down just let me know.)

HourglassI linked the Kransy Hourglass with Saturn for the cheesy, but obvious link of the hourglass, and Saturn being the planet of time, old age, and death. Also, linking the Triangle with Saturn this knot is essentially two stacked triangles.

 

 

Oriental knotThe Oriental knot seems like a good match for Saturn because it is essentially the simplest tie knot you can make. It is the most basic of tie structures possible. Saturn is the planet of structure, and when you look at the emanation of shapes and numbers Saturn is tied with three, the smallest number of sides possible on a geometric shape, the triangle. So the simplest structure really applies.

Balthus knotThe Full Windsor and Balthus knots both struck me as very Jovial knots, they’re very big and broad knots. Jupiter is about expansion and increase, so it makes sense the biggest knots are linked with Jupiter. They’re also classic “authority” knots, they’re simple but elegant and demand attention.

MerovingianThe Merovingian was the hardest knot to place, but I decided to go with Mars. The shape reminds me of a military epaulet. There is something in the shape that is reminiscent of a shield with a sword in front. Also, because of how it is tied you are required to wear a vest with this knot, so it’s as if it needs a chest plate. I could also see it being Jovial, it is very regal, and even Saturnian.

Trinity

The Trinity knot is fairly solar to me. It forms a hexagonal knot, the shape of the sun. Also the sun is the center of the planetary triplicity of Saturn, Sun, and Moon. Also on a more joking side, the knot is visually similar to the recycling symbol, and the sun is about renewal.

 

 

TruloveThe Pinwheel, or Trulove knot is tied to Venus. It looks like a heart for Abyss’s sake, point one. Also, as Freeman pointed out on twitter, it looks like it’s having sex with your clavicle.

Van WijkThe spirals of the Van Wijk make me think of the flow and movement of Mercury. Not to mention the spirals around the tie body are reminiscent of the snake around both the Asclepius and Caduceus.

The four in hand seems Mercurial to me because it’s a quick and simple knot, literally can be tied in under ten seconds, and that speed and efficiency is Mercurial.

Floating SpiralLastly the floating spiral I associated with the Moon. The floating, slightly angled, and apparently unsupported knot just has a sort of dreamy quality to it.

Do folks have other suggestions? I know there a lot of knots I haven’t placed (yet?) I just categorized the ones I use the most.

Like I said, it’s fairly silly, on the other hand most magickal correspondences have an element of silliness when you look at the
m. Also, like in a lot of magick, you get out what you put into it. Just mixing colours and tying knots probably won’t get you anywhere, but when consciously thinking about what you’re doing that adds to the effectiveness, not to mention the long history of knot-based magick, I’m just taking it in a more dapper direction.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
16
Nov
2013

DO WHAT YOU WISH


Bastian had shown the lion the inscription on the reverse side of the Gem. “What do you suppose it means?” he asked. “ ‘DO WHAT YOU WISH.’ That must mean I can do anything I feel like. Don’t you think so?”
All at once Grograman’s face looked alarmingly grave, and his eyes glowed.
“No,” he said in his deep, rumbling voice. “It means that you must do what you really and truly want. And nothing is more difficult.”
“What I really and truly want? What do you mean by that?”
“It’s your own deepest secret and you yourself don’t know it.”
“How can I find out?”
“By going the way of your wishes, from one to another, from first to last. It will take you to what you really and truly want.”
“That doesn’t sound so hard,” said Bastian.
“It is the most dangerous of all journeys.”
“Why?” Bastian asked. “I’m not afraid.”
“That isn’t it,” Grograman rumbled. “It requires the greatest honesty and vigilance, because there’s no other journey on which it’s so easy to lose yourself forever.”

For those unfamiliar with the quotation it is from Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story, and is the beginning of the second half of the book. (The second half of the book being otherwise known as the good part of the book that the movies didn’t even touch and that is why they suck so much.) Also for those who haven’t heard my rant, I think The Neverending Story is essential reading for a magickian and is secretly (or not so secretly) a magickal treatise in the form of fantasy novel, and if you wonder why, just read the above quote again.
This section has become my frequently referred to part of the book, I’m constantly reading it to friends, family, and clients when things get rough, or they’re unsure about things. There is a reason the headline of my blog (which is only visible on some feed reader profiles) is “Going the way of your wishes.”
To quickly add another layer to this before moving on “DO WHAT YOU WISH” might seem vaguely familiar. It’s an English translation from the original German of the book which was “Tu, was du willst” which is more accurately translated as “Do what you will” in fact it’s exactly as it appears in German version of Liber AL vel Legis.
While I love this scene, let me cut out the filling and just reduce Grograman’s statement to a single piece of advice for magicians.
DO WHAT YOU WISH
“You must do what you really and truly want. [Go] the way of your wishes, from one to another, from first to last. It will take you to what you really and truly want. It requires the greatest honesty and vigilance, because there’s no other journey on which it’s so easy to lose yourself forever.”
How can a magickian read this and not feel like it is a calling of the Great Work? We must follow our Path, but we must first find it, deeper still we must create it. How? By doing the Work, through all your successes and all your failures you are getting closer to your Path. Only if you have the honesty and vigilance to truly evaluate your self, your life, and your Work. It is so easy to lose yourself, to convince yourself you’re doing magick, you’re doing the Great Work. It can be so easy to hide from the “real world” into one of magickal thinking, every success because magick, every failure a test or karma or more often just forgotten and overlooked. If you’re honest though, if you’re vigilant in observing and understanding things as they are, then you can see as you go the way of your wishes, from first to last, which ones are right and which are wrong. Our Will, our Path is our deepest secret even we don’t know, it must be found, uncovered, and forged. This is what Grograman is telling us.
Take aim at goals in your quest, and Work toward them, if you arrive and realize it is unsatisfying, then it isn’t your Path, just turn to take aim at another goal. From goal to goal, from wish to wish, the point of the Great Work is to Work, and you will learn the true Way of things as you learn which of the ways are false.
So go the way of your wishes, do the Work, and do what you wish.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
06
Mar
2013

Interview with the Magickian


(I thought I had posted this, but apparently not)
Recently I was introduced to another occultist by a mutual friend. Friends often know people that I “really must meet” and friends who understand me actually tend to have a good idea on who I’d find a purpose in engaging. When I first started talking to this person (who I’ll call Jordan for no reason other than it is a name from the book beside me) he immediately took control of the social dynamic and began the questioning. I was fine with this, by letting him think he had control of our conversation I could observe him easier without seemingly like I was doing so, ironically I realize also a pattern from the book beside me.
At first Jordan’s line of questioning was fairly typical for such an encounter. He asked about the systems I studied, for how long, were they solitary or group, was I self-taught or did I have a teacher? Very superficial getting a feel for my path, then the conversation went 90 degrees from the direction I expected, I was expecting questions about lineage or practice or results, but suddenly he asked what I was doing in my life. Answer: Going to school for a few degrees. He asked what the degrees were for, so I told him about the job field they prepare me for, he asked why I wanted that field, why I started late on that goal (I was 24 starting University), and questions related to my education and career choices, past and future. I thought I was understanding the general trend of the questioning when he switched it up again, and began asking about hobbies, what I did for fun, and oddly enough he seemed more interested in my talk of playing the theremin and the piano, hiking the Bluffs, and painting, than he did about my brief mentions of Buddhism and ceremonial magick.
I found this entire conversation fairly odd, far more directed than expected, more of an interview in some ways. Suddenly an understanding and appreciation for Jordan spread through me. He was doing what I would like to do in a similar situation, but I find such methods make people feel uncomfortable, thankfully he either didn’t care or realized I don’t respond normally to most social interactions. He was interviewing me frankly, and he wanted to know one thing: was I a good magickian? Too many people on the surface they think a good magickian should have extensive knowledge of systems, have lists of transcendent experiences where the world was revealed to them, have spirits as though on speed-dial ready to help, and many stories of events that just shouldn’t be. Now a magickian can have all of these things, don’t get me wrong, but a magickian in many ways needs none of these things. Jordan wasn’t looking for such stories of magick and mystery, he was looking for the signs of a true magickian.
Success and happiness.
I’d phrase it as progress/functionality and contentment, but his language was success and happiness when I called him on the mode of his interview, so I’ll stick with that. This is what I appreciated, he wasn’t evaluating me as a magickian based upon how much Hebrew I knew, how many Goetic and Enochian entities I dealt with, how many times reality “fell apart” around me. No, he was evaluating based upon my life, my past, my present, my future, and my situation within all of them. He wanted to see where I had come from, where I wanted to be, and if I was on my way. This is what magick is for, at least on this level, not trying to deny a spiritual/religious aspect as possible or important in some cases.
Magick is a tool for being who you are, and becoming who you are to be. Magick is a tool to find your path, to put you on your path, and to keep you there. To Jordan my being on this path was more important than the technical knowledge, practical results here and now. Needless to say we got along well because we began to talk on magick as a practical system meant to get results and our issues with people who use magick more of an excuse than a tool. (And I guess I should be glad that I “passed” his test heh) It was very refreshing to get to talk with an occultist who saw things in this way, as so many magickians (if I decide not to be a judgemental ass) seem to focus on the wrong things. It might be splitting hairs, but this is part of the distinction between magick and faith religions, it’s not about belief or visions, it’s about getting your shit together, and getting shit done.
Don’t get me wrong, there is definitely room and reason for the mystical experiences rather than magickal results, but for the point of this post I’m just harping on the over-emphasis some have on experience to the detriment of results.
After all, Crowley’s definition of magick wasn’t about dreams of the Goddess, seeing spirits, and collecting tomes, it was about causing change.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
17
Feb
2013

Skrying the Tree – Atonement – Unknown – Shetsin


kalstreeIt might not seem it by the way I’ve been discussing it, but remember these skrying experiments were over a long period of time, the final session was two years, two months, and two days after my first one. This is the second last one, and was roughly two years after the first. There had been several months since my experience with Konshal and my life didn’t feel like it was being influenced or in need of another force. I was on a self-imposed timeline though, in a few months I was planning on starting the Abramelin ritual, and I wanted to finish my skrying experiment before undertaking that working, so I pushed ahead, and this will also become relevant later.
I set up my temple, but I admit it’s harder than usual to do; this Sphere lacks as many correspondences that can really be grasped. I set out fifteen small candles, put some copal incense on the burner. I drew the circle with the new form Konshal had revealed to me, set up my mirror, and set out. I drifted in the darkness for a long time, never felt like I was going anywhere, never felt like I had arrived, I tried to form a door, but it would waver and vanish. I descended to speak with Konshal, who was standing on the cliff edge looking up. Ey explained ey only watch over the chasm, ey lead people to it, and help people as they return from it, but cannot help someone cross. So I descended to the Earth Sphere and found Sh’miral, and talked. Sh’miral, if you remember, is the opener of ways, the gatekeeper, the first and the last, the highest and the lowest. So I figured if Konshal couldn’t help from the edge ey stood on, perhaps Sh’miral could open the way.
“In time all these paths would be open for you to walk again, there is no need to run ahead.” I explained that I wanted this experiment done before I started the Abramelin, that I felt it wouldn’t be good to put this on hold and leave it “open” while doing the working. Sh’miral understood to a degree “Very well, the way will be made clear for you, not as you are used to, not as you’d like, but open nonetheless. Jump from the Tree and land in darkness. The ways will be open for you to continue this quest, but no more, you may get your answers and leave. Where you walk you are not ready for, beyond the Tree, beyond the Spheres of Form it is…different. Be wary.” I thanked him, went back to Ereen with Konshal, and went into the darkness.
I drifted for a time, unsure how it would be different, how I would know I had arrived. Suddenly I realized the dark had vanished, and I was floating in…I want to say grey, but it wasn’t grey, it was a lack of colour, a lack of light and dark. Not in a transcendent way, but an absent way, I have no way to describe it other than that. I tried to call a door, but again it wouldn’t form, on my third try I felt someone behind me. I turned, or thought I did, since everything was identical I couldn’t tell if I moved or not. “Is anyone out there?” And I knew there was, they didn’t respond, but I felt a positive response, a knowing of the answer. “Are you the spirit I seek? The ruler of this realm?” Again I just knew, though I got no response. I asked the names, and each time rather than being told, I knew, no communication, only knowledge. I thanked them, and descended and returned to my body to test the names.
The Angel’s Name was Shetsin which has the same value as covered in mist, and twilight, it also means hidden. Both of those related to my experience, but more importantly it also had the same value as “formless and void” via Bereshith. Which relates to the second Sphere.
The Sphere Shetsin rules is Kurrian, and what fascinated me is there is no corresponding entry for the value of that name in any of my Gematria books at the time, and it’s a prime number, so cannot be reduced for another interpretation that way. While not a pattern I expected to hold out, it is appropriate for the higher spheres.
The beings of this realm are called the Shellin which has the same value as “there is” and “there are” which as a simple expression of to be, or being, is appropriate in this Sphere.
Lastly the God Name that rules and shapes this Sphere is Kurasis. The “asis” part of the Name always comes across windy and hissy in my head, like a snake person who is out of breath. (Sorry I don’t know how else to explain it, this stuff is bizarre at times, deal) It has the same value as the three Mother letters, so Aleph, Mem, Shin, representing Air, Water, and Fire, the first division of the elements. It also has the same value as “the name” itself, literally the words the name, not the name referring to YHWH. It is also “image of God” which is exactly what the Sphere is in some interpretations. The Sphere above it is God, pure and undivided, but below is the Image, the first separation.
Quite some time later, after having completed the Abramelin I returned to Kurrian, and was able to perceive the realm, and Shetsin, but since that “ability” wasn’t granted to me until having completed the Abramelin working I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to share what I saw or learned. The same goes with the sigils. I never created the ones based on the Name, as I felt I didn’t need it, and it wouldn’t work right anyways (too abstract), and the sigil I was given again seems too personal, or to go the total magickal douchbag route they aren’t for those who “aren’t ready” or developed, or however you want to think about it. I can share the names though, if you can reach and commune that’s great, if not perhaps later on the ways will be open for you, keep Working.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
11
Feb
2013

Losar, House Cleaning, and Kicking Out Crud


During secular New Years I was incapacitated due to a minor case of the plague, so I never got around to my New Years House Cleaning. While I may do a major House Cleaning throughout the year, whenever I feel that stuffs needs to be cleared out, I always do one at New Years, so I know it’s done. I didn’t, and it took me a while to recover, and by the time I did it had slipped my mind. When I started having uncharacteristically bad dreams near the end of January a friend asked about my Wards, and I realized that I had missed this year. I decided to wait until Losar (Tibetan New Years, today) to perform the rituals, it’s customary in Losar to house clean, do some banishing rituals, and celebrate. While I have issues about adopting Tibetan customs (over Vajrayana ones) I figured it would be an appropriate time to work.
Now I’ve spoken about the type of house clearing rituals I perform before and this one follows much the same pattern. Though the details change it is always the same four steps: Warning/Dismissal, Shakeup the Energy, Igne Interficiatur, and Blessings.
Now before I began I cleaned the house; not the complete house for various reasons, but the dining room, the kitchen, and my room were properly cleaned, and everything else tidied up. I reupholstered the chairs in my dining room, and cleaned off the table for the first time in ages. I was amazed at how much it improved the energetic flow of the room. All of this is more relevant for another post, but in general, clean up, and improve before you majorly clear a place.
Warning/Dismissal: I don’t banish right away. Spirits wander by, spirits get trapped, not everything unwanted is malicious, so to start off they get a warning, a push, and a way out. I start in the farthest darkest corner of my basement. I’ve meditated and assumed a Wrathful aspect, a terrifying astral form, right now it’s more about strength and intimidation. In Vajrayana (and Mahayana) figures have a Wrathful and a Peaceful aspect. I call to everything in the house that it is time to go, I’m giving them plenty of warning, but it’s time to leave my house. If they’re friend/family/Family/ally they can retreat to my altars, but if not it is time for them to GTFO. I then dropped several drops of Quadrivium’s Banishing Oil in my furnace’s humidifier. I find airducts and furnaces are somewhat like veins and hearts, so by placing some of the Banishing Oil (which smells wonderful to me) into the furnace as the water is spread through the house it is “breathing” out the oil and the effect. Then from that dark far corner I start burning my incense of sulphur, tobacco, and dragon’s blood. In my Wrathful aspect with a strong Voice I continue to proclaim a warning and to announce the upcoming eviction of the spirits. I walk from room to room, all the doors in the house are open, all the lights are on, and I spread this smoke and command through the house. I end up at the front door where I leave the rest of the incense to burn, and I return to the far dark corner.
Shakeup the Energy: I refocus myself and take on a Peaceful aspect, one that is more placid and friendly, but still filled with strength, if a different type. Using my singing bowl, in what I’m sure is a very untraditional manner, I begin making it sing. There is something about the hum of the bowl that I can connect to, it’s like the hum is an extension of my energy and responds to me in much the same way. I fill the room with the sonic energy and then I rattle it, I shake it, I make the bowl chatter, and the energy in the room flakes a bit, it comes loose. What is trapped in the dark stagnant areas is shaken free and pulled away from the hidden places. What is really loose I cast forward, using the sound as a force to move it ahead of me, until it’s been cast out the front door, and if anything can’t be pushed out it will be dealt with in the next step. Again, it’s room to room, every place, all the closets, no place is spared.
Igne Interficiatur: I have the bottle of Banishing Oil in my pocket, and I’m wearing my domta, a Tibetan ritual hat which among other things increases my energetic perception. Back in that dark far corner I resume the Wrathful aspect, and begin. Rainbow fire streams from the hands in this form, burning whatever it touches, or clawing forward the few most stubborn parts that can’t be burnt so easily. In every room, more than once in large rooms, or rooms with a noticeable division point, once the area has been burnt I cry out “Phat,” a complex and powerful syllable in Tibetan, with it appears a flash of fire which gets most of what remains, and I leave a glowing crystal Phat in the place where I cried it. I continue from room to room, leaving a collection of crystal Phats dangling in the air, reflecting rainbow light from clear light. When I’ve completed the entire house I sit down in the Heart of the Home, it is literally the centre of my house on the ground level, right beside a Grandfather clock (so it even has a heart beat) and with a slow and shallow Phat I connect myself to each of these centres. I call forth a Clear Wisdom Fire, a purifying energy, and I radiate it out from each of these points, scouring every room at once of whatever has left, stubborn or hidden. I put some Banishing oil on my finger, and go to the back door, I draw in oil and flame sigils of protection on the door frame, and do the same at the front door casting the charcoal and incense out into the snow.
Blessing: Taking the Peaceful aspect again I have a mix of incense that includes copal, red sanders, Green Tara incense, Abramelin incense, and mastic (and others, but that’s the bulk of it). From that dark far corner I start my rounds again, this time filling the air with pleasant evocative incense smoke (enough to suffocate a small child). In the Peaceful form I radiate out Clear Light and blue-crystal light, while I’m also calling to my spirits, coaxing them back out of the altars to walk my house freely, to take the smoke and energy and transform them into beneficial forms.

My Losar altar, cause I'm proud of it, and you read a lot to get here, so have a picture.

My Losar altar, cause I’m proud of it, and you read a lot to get here, so have a picture.

Because it is also Losar, once I completed this, I put the incense on my Losar altar, lit all the candles, filled the offering bowls, lit the incense, and began my rituals and my feast.
The house feels calm, still, quiet and beautiful. Like that still silence in a power out, when you realize that you’re surrounded by a dozen background noises (fridge, lights, fans, computers) and suddenly they’re gone. That’s what it feels like now. Still, silent, and beautiful. Clean and fresh for the New Year.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick
08
Feb
2013

Wrestling and Drifting: Fighting and Flowing with Magick


wot“The One Power comes from the True Source, the driving force of creation, the force the Creator made to turn the Wheel of Time. Saidin, the male half of the True Source, and saidar, the female half, work against each other, and at the same time together to provide that force…The True Source cannot be used up, any more than the river can be used up by the wheel of the mill.” – Moiraine Damodred
 
If you’ve ever read The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, this quote will be familiar to you. If you haven’t read the series, go do so now, I’ll wait…it’s only 14+ novels, it’s awesome. It’s a fantasy novel with a lot of magic (but it’s not magic, they never call it that) but one of the interesting aspects of the magic is there are two ways of using it. (Okay, technically there is a third, but it’s never clearly explained and is exceedingly rare) The True Source is essentially the energy of the universe, but humans can’t access it as it is, instead it is split between the male and female halves –saidin and saidar– and as you’d assume only men can access saidin and only women saidar. These forces work together, and against each other, and that harmony and dissonance causes the Wheel of Time to turn, it lets reality unfold.
(I will get to my occult applications, stick with me) But there is more to it than just one is male and one is female, but the powers themselves are accessed differently, and in some cases used differently. The male side of the power is fought, when a man accesses he’s fighting for his life, he feels as if he is being burnt by ice and torn apart by raging avalanches of fire. If he loses focus in the wrong way and slips his mind and body will be consumed in the battle and he will die. The female side of the power is embraced and surrendered to. It is a river that cannot be conquered, instead you must submit to the river. Both of these actions give the wielder control, men battle with this energy and force it to obey them, whereas women submit to it and by giving up themselves to it they gain control.
While I think Robert Jordan was an amazing author, he wasn’t an occult author. None the less these two powers strike a chord with me. No, not some simplistic notion of male/female which I will reject vehemently, or even that one person is limited to one method, but the ideas of these two methods of power really seem to hit on something with me.
Sometimes when I perform magick I feel as if I’m grabbing the thrumming strings of reality and telling Cosmos to “Fuck off and do what I say already!” It feels like I’m wrestling with the very nature of being forcing myself upon the worlds to make what I wish manifest. Other times I feel that my magick is about submitting to Cosmos and while in this harmonious state of existing the worlds shift to what I want, not by force, but by giving myself up into the flow of Cosmos.
I’ve wondered sometimes if this difference represents the “nature” of what I’m trying to do, that perhaps I have to fight when it’s something not really part of my Path. Then when everything is submission and flow perhaps that’s when I’m really just realigning my Self and my world with my Path. I feel that might be too simplistic of a distinction. If often feels that my Ceremonial Work is more of the wrestling and my Buddhist work is more of the submission, but again that’s too simplistic. After all a lot of my Goetic working has a pseudo-Tao feel to it for me, and some of my Buddhist work has a real struggle to it. It can even oscilate between the same rituals, sometimes it’s fight other times it is flow.
I have no answer for which is which and why it is this way. All I can say is that it is imperative that a good magickian be able to adapt, if you feel it’s something to wrestle be prepared to fight the Cosmos, and if you feel it’s something to accept be ready to submit yourself to All in order to achieve.

Posted by kalagni in blueflamemagick