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While Augoeides has only been around since 2006, I've had an esoteric web site of some sort online since the late 1990's. Many of the items were simply links to rituals I liked and so forth, but a few were original articles on various magical subjects. I've gotten a few questions via e-mail recently regarding the use of Aleister Crowley's Liber 777 for the construction of rituals such as the various planetary rites I have posted on this blog. My old site was the home of the following article, and I'm reposting it here because the only way to link to it prior to now was to dig into the Internet Archives. Building rituals using Liber 777 is not nearly as complex as it seems at first when you pick up the book and flip through the tables. It is my hope that this article will lay out the process in more explicit detail and dispel some of that confusion.
Aleister Crowley’s Liber 777 provides a system of correspondences for the construction of magical rituals. It is based on the Tree of Life as found in Hermetic Qabalah, a synthetic system that originated in the Renaissance period and which combines the Jewish mysticism of the period with Christian and alchemical ideas and symbolism. Crowley’s correspondences probably began as a list assembled by Alan Bennett for use with the Golden Dawn system of magick, but Crowley expanded the tables so that they include more associations and are in harmony with the philosophy and principles of Thelema.
The gateway to the Abyss is a "false sphere" called Daath, meaning "knowledge," which is essentially a projection of the three supernals into the formative world below the Abyss. It represents the danger of treating knowledge as an end in and of itself, eschewing the experience of gnosis that imparts true enlightenment. Crowley attributes Daath to the planet Uranus, but I attribute it to the planet Pluto. I also attribute the asteroid belt and planetoids to the Abyss itself.
Since the spheres represent states of being or "places," for the most part a magical ritual performed to invoke the essence of a sphere will lead to a mystical vision in harmony with the nature of the sphere invoked. The nature of these visions can be found on the table of magical powers that follows the section on the paths.
While the spheres represent states of being, the paths represent channels along which energy can flow from one state to another. For example, for energy to flow from Yesod to Malkuth, it must cross the path of Tau, which is symbolized by The Universe in the Tarot and attributed to Saturn and earth. The various magical powers of western mysticism are related to this movement of energy, and thus the paths represent powers and effects of various natures.
Taken individually, the color scales also correspond to YHVH of the Tetragrammaton and to the elements:
The color scales also correspond to the four worlds of Qabalistic mysticism, and here is where we can derive some clues as to their usage. The four worlds are:
In the example, Crowley uses the Queen scale color corresponding to the sphere of Mercury, Hod, for the circle itself. The circle is a place or state, and as such should be made in the color of one of the spheres. For planets, this is the most straightforward. The Queen scale is used because the circle itself represents the passive or receptive principle. Thus, a ritual for attaining political ascendancy (Jupiter) would use a blue circle (Chesed – sphere 4), a ritual for obtaining vengeance (Mars) would use a red circle (Geburah – sphere 5) and so forth. For elemental rituals, the circle should be made in citrine, olive, russet, and black (Malkuth – sphere 10). For Zodiacal rituals, you could either use gray (Chockmah – sphere 2) or the color associated with the planet that rules the sign. The more traditional arrangement of planetary rulership is the most widely agreed upon for this sort of work, since attributing the outer planets to the spheres is a matter of some conjecture among ritualists.
Whereas the circle represents the passive or receptive principle, the lineal figure traced within it represents the active or expansive principle and as such is usually drawn in the color corresponding to the King scale. In Thelemic terminology, the circle is Nuit, the lineal figure is Hadit, and their union in the ritual proper is Ra Hoor Khuit. Incidentally, this is also why it is especially appropriate to begin a ritual action with the Sign of the Enterer (Horus) and end it with the Sign of Silence (Harpocrates), as with the pentagrams in the Star Ruby ritual.
In making the sigil of the spirit, all four colors are used because they correspond to the YHVH formula, which is the template for creation of any sort. All spirits in the magical universe exist in all four worlds, though humans are more closely connected to the material world than are most disembodied entities. The spirit still needs a path into the material world if it is to manifest at all. Here is the table of colors from Liber 777.
Much operant magick – that is, magick directed at producing change in the external, physical world – is best done using evocation. This is because when working operant magick you often do not want the effect centered on yourself, but rather on some other person, place, or thing. You also usually use evocation to create most servitors or telesma – independent constructed spirits that can act autonomously and follow programming of one sort or another. Any magical effect you create using invocation runs off your own body’s magical field, and as such you can only do so much at any one time when you are creating effects with invocation. A powerful magician can generally manage to keep some number of effects going simultaneously, but each of them will to some degree weaken the others. This can be worked around by using what I call anchors – physical objects associated with a particular magical vibration that can power a magical effect from the universe itself. Talismans are one example of a magical device of this sort, and generally you get better results if anchors are charged using evocation.
Also, when using evocation, the magical energy is called into an external space instead of through your own body. While this is not usually a problem, some kinds of energy (such as that of Mars or Saturn) can be harmful if great care is not taken when invoking them. A spell to obtain vengeance (Mars), for example, is best cast by evoking the energy into a space in which you have placed something linked to the target of the spell. This bypasses the Wiccan “threefold law of return,” which is really nothing moral at all but instead sloppy casting. Many Wiccan groups don’t teach evocations, and if you target an effect on someone else that is centered on you, it is likely that you will experience something similar to whatever you intended for your target. Whether you should use magick in this way is a matter of personal ethics, not fear of retaliation. Most Thelemites like myself avoid using this kind of magick if any other options are available. It is a matter of Thelemic ethics that every person has the right to do their will unless they interfere with the will of another individual, and obviously targeting someone against their will with a spell of any kind (even if you are trying to help them!) is a violation of this principle.
If you are performing an invocation, setting up the circle and making the sigil of the spirit is all the temple preparation you need. You hold the sigil of the spirit or wear it somewhere on your person and begin the ritual work. For evocation, your preparation is a bit more elaborate. You will need a triangle, which should be black. This symbolism is related to sphere 3, Binah, which is attributed to the planet Saturn. Saturn in this context symbolizes boundaries and limitations, which is appropriate for containing a summoned entity. You also need a material basis if you wish to see any kind of manifestation. Crowley recommended placing an incense burner in the triangle and lighting incense appropriate to the attribution of the spirit (also found in 777, by key scale), so that the smoke could be used in this way. You can also place a person in the triangle and evoke a spirit into them, which is sometimes done for group workings. In this case, the person is the material basis for the spirit. I have also personally used crystals, candles, and talismans. The triangle is placed outside the circle, which is a very important point. If the triangle is inside the circle, the spirit will not be contained and you are essentially performing an invocation. Another structure that I have used for this purpose is the Holy Table described in John Dee’s Enochian work, which functions very differently, but that is the subject of another article.
Once you have the temple set up in the appropriate manner, you begin with the rituals of the pentagram and hexagram. The “standard” rituals for this are the Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram, which originated with the Golden Dawn system of magick and were first published by Crowley in The Equinox. Crowley also wrote the Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, which were first published in The Book of Lies. The Star Ruby was later revised from the original form, though the Star Sapphire remained essentially unchanged throughout Crowley’s life. The Star Ruby is Crowley’s pentagram ritual and the Star Sapphire is his hexagram ritual. For the purposes of this article I will be using the Golden Dawn rituals as examples, though Crowley’s rituals are very effective. Each ritual has two forms – banishing and invoking. The banishing form is used to dismiss spiritual forces, while the invoking form is used to call upon them. The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram also separates the magician from the qlippothic (or demonic) parts of the universe – in the Thelemic worldview, forces that impede the purification of will. It is this second function that makes the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram specifically suited for daily practice leading to the pursuit of the Great Work.
For the most part, just about every magical ritual also begins with the banishing form of the pentagram ritual. It purifies the will and dismisses thoughts and influences that are not in harmony with the desired end. It is followed by the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, which may be performed in either the banishing or invoking form depending on the nature of the ritual. Following the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram with the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram clears a space completely of all spiritual and magical influences, both microcosmic and macrocosmic. This is most appropriate for rituals conducted for the purpose of communication with a specific entity, in which you want the channels of communication to be as open and unimpeded as possible. Following the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram with the invoking form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram creates what I call an operant field – a space in which the microcosm and macrocosm are conjoined in such a way that magick can affect the exterior world. For any kind of operant ritual, the invoking form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram should be used.
The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is usually followed by either the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram or the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram, generally in the invoking form. The banishing form could be used to expel or diminish a particular influence, though, such as in the case of a ritual designed to banish the energy of Saturn to speed something up. The banishing form is also used at the end of the ritual if the effects of that ritual are not intended to persist. The Greater Ritual of the Pentagram is used for rituals involving the elements. The Greater Ritual of the Hexagram is used for rituals involving planets or zodiac signs. The color used for the pentagrams or hexagrams should be taken from the key scale, and you should use the scale of color that corresponds to the Qabalistic world in which you are working. Usually you use the King scale, which propagates down the tree of life from the archetypal world. You trace the pentagrams or hexagrams in this color, and trace the symbol of the influence you are working with in the center of the lineal figure in a flashing (complementary) color.
These rituals are then followed by a general invocation or conjuration followed by a more specific one tailored to the spirit or force summoned. An example of a general conjuration would be the First Conjuration of the Goetia, or the First and Second Angelic Keys from the Enochian system. Usually, the specific conjuration will work best if the magician who will be performing it writes it specifically for the ritual in question.
UPDATE: Donald Michael Kraig has commented on this article over on his blog, and notes that there's a lot more to performing a ritual than putting the pieces together as outlined here. He is of course correct. This article was written to address a particular problem, that of magicians who have trouble understanding how to assemble all the pieces for a rite from Crowley's Liber 777. For those of you looking for more information on what some of those additional points of performance might be, I direct you to a number of other articles here on Augoeides that address this very subject.
The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. This is a transcript of a presentation given by a friend and I at Twin Cities Pagan Pride in 2010. It goes over many of the finer points of performing this basic ritual.
The Operant Field. This article gives more detail on the way in which I use the Lesser Pentagram and Hexagram rituals. My method differs from that taught by the various Golden Dawn orders, who I am told use the LBRP-LBRH combination followed by the Opening by Watchtower as shown here, whereas I use the LBRP-LIRH combination plus a preliminary invocation to do the same thing.
Wrapping Up the Hexagram Controversy. My Operant Field Model is not without its critics, including Don Kraig himself. To be fair to Don, his book is the most widely read treatment of the Lesser rituals and for that reason it is the most logical source to reference as a counterpoint to my own perspective. This article addresses some of the criticisms of the method and provides some further explanation as to why I find it as effective as I do.
Planetary Magick. This is a transcript of a presentation I gave at Paganicon in 2011. It provides an overview of how to perform rituals such as the Mercury invocation Crowley describes in the example from Liber O.
Finally, I invite you to peruse the various Rituals posted on this site. They include full scripts along with stage directions and so forth for invoking all seven of the ancient planets (Moon through Saturn). They provide examples of fully assembled rites that can be employed for both magical and mystical purposes.
Aleister Crowley’s Liber 777 provides a system of correspondences for the construction of magical rituals. It is based on the Tree of Life as found in Hermetic Qabalah, a synthetic system that originated in the Renaissance period and which combines the Jewish mysticism of the period with Christian and alchemical ideas and symbolism. Crowley’s correspondences probably began as a list assembled by Alan Bennett for use with the Golden Dawn system of magick, but Crowley expanded the tables so that they include more associations and are in harmony with the philosophy and principles of Thelema.
I. The Tree of Life – The Sephiroth
To understand the use of Liber 777 it is necessary to understand the Tree of Life and its structure. Hermetic Qabalah proposes that undifferentiated spirit transitions into concrete matter in 10 distinct steps. These phases of existence are called Sephiroth, or Spheres. Note that the word "Sephiroth" does not literally mean "Spheres." This is a common mistake English speakers sometimes make. The word actually means something more like "vessels" or "emanations." At the same time, it is also meaningful to speak of Malkuth as "The Sphere of the Elements," Yesod as "The Sphere of the Moon," and so forth. The Sephiroth are named as follows:- Kether, meaning "Crown." Attributed to the primum mobile, that is, the undifferentiated space-time continuum itself. This is the closest sphere to pure, undifferentiated divine energy, and since its number is unity, at this level no division can exist. At the level of Kether, all things simple are, and they are all the same thing. On the human body, Kether is attributed to the Sahasrara or crown chackra. Crowley also attributes this sphere to the planet Pluto, but I attribute it to the planet Neptune.
- Chockmah, meaning "Wisdom." Attributed to the sphere of the zodiac, and thus the combined attributions of all twelve zodiac signs. At Chockmah, the concept of duality comes into being. At this level all statements are true only to the extent that their contraries are also true. It is at this level of consciousness that the Magus utters the logos, or word, that transforms the universe, which is the culmination of the Great Work. On the human body, Chockmah is attributed to the Ajna chackra, the "third eye," found in the center of the forehead. This sphere represents archetypal celestial (yang/expansive/active/electric) energy. Crowley also attributes this sphere to the planet Neptune, but I attribute it to the planet Uranus.
- Binah, meaning "Understanding." Attributed to the planet Saturn. At the level of Binah, time begins to exist. Also, the synthesis of two opposites to create a third principle is now possible at this level. Binah is the level of consciousness at which the “trance of sorrow” discussed extensively in Buddhist systems is perceived. In Thelema, since all things above the abyss are true only to the extent that their opposites are also true, Binah also includes the Vision of Joy. On the human body, Binah represents the Vishudda, or throat chackra. This sphere represents archetypal chthonic (yin / compressive / passive / magnetic) energy.
The gateway to the Abyss is a "false sphere" called Daath, meaning "knowledge," which is essentially a projection of the three supernals into the formative world below the Abyss. It represents the danger of treating knowledge as an end in and of itself, eschewing the experience of gnosis that imparts true enlightenment. Crowley attributes Daath to the planet Uranus, but I attribute it to the planet Pluto. I also attribute the asteroid belt and planetoids to the Abyss itself.
- Chesed or Gedulah, meaning "Mercy." Attributed to the planet Jupiter. At the level of Chesed, what began as ideal potential has now begun the process of formation. Here three-dimensional space and matter both exist. Chesed also represents Love in the higher sense, as in "Love is law, love under will." On the human body, Chesed represents the left shoulder, and also the Anahata, or heart chackra.
- Geburah, meaning "Power" or "Strength." Attributed to the planet Mars. At the level of Geburah, motion exists, and thus it is now possible for matter to exist in both time and space. Motion also implies the existence of energy. Geburah represents Will, in the sense of "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law." On the human body, Geburah represents the right shoulder, and also the Anahata, or heart chackra, along with Chesed.
- Tiphareth, meaning "Beauty." Attributed to the Sun. At the level of Tiphareth, matter acquires consciousness. Tiphareth represents the ego, or conscious mind, and will on a personal and egocentric level. On the human body it represents the Anahata, or heart chackra, along with Chesed and Geburah. This sphere is also related to spirit, which binds the four elements together.
- Netzach, meaning "Victory." Attributed to the planet Venus. It is attributed to passionate emotions, such as love on a personal and egocentric level, and also intuition and inspiration. On the human body, it represents the left hip and the Manipura, or solar plexus chackra. This sphere is also related to the element of fire.
- Hod, meaning "Splendor." Attributed to the planet Mercury. Hod represents knowledge, the intellect, and anything related to information or communication. On the human body it attributed to the right hip and also the Svadhisthana chackra, or umbilicus. Crowley attributes Hod to the element of water, but I usually attribute it to the element of air.
- Yesod, meaning "Foundation." Attributed to the Moon. Yesod is the foundation of the body of light, and represents the unconscious mind, and also the emotional self. On the human body, it is attributed to the Muladhara, or root chackra. Crowley attributes Yesod to the element of air, but I usually attribute it to the element of water.
- Malkuth, meaning "Kingdom." Attributed to the four elements. Malkuth represents the physical world in its entirety, and thus the four ancient elements. It is also attributed to the planet Earth. All solid, material things exist in Malkuth. On the human body, it is attributed to the Muladhara, or root chackra, along with Yesod. It is also especially related to the element of earth, which contains the other three elements within itself.
II. The Tree of Life – The Paths
Connecting the Spheres on the Tree of Life are 22 paths, each attributed to a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. They are numbered from 11 to 32, like the Spheres are numbered from 1 to 10 and the Infinite, beyond the Tree, is numbered as 0. This set of numbers from 0 to 32 is called the Key Scale, and it forms the basis of working with the tables that make up Liber 777.- Aleph, meaning "Ox." This path is attributed to Atu 0, The Fool, in the Tarot and to the element of air. In gematria, its value is 1.
- Beth, meaning "House." This path is attributed to Atu I, The Magus, in the Tarot and to the planet Mercury. In gematria, its value is 2.
- Gimel, meaning "Camel." This path is attributed to Atu II, The Priestess,in the Tarot and to the Moon. In gematria, its value is 3.
- Daleth, meaning "Door." This path is attributed to Atu III, The Empress, in the Tarot and to the planet Venus. In gematria, its value is 4.
- Heh, meaning "Window." This path is attributed to either Atu IV, The Emperor, or Atu XVII, The Star, in the Tarot, and to either the sign Aries or the sign Aquarius in the zodiac. In gematria, its value is 5.
- Vav, meaning "Nail." This path is attributed to Atu V, The Hierophant, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Taurus. In gematria, its value is 6.
- Zain, meaning "Sword." This path is attributed to Atu VI, The Lovers, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Gemini. In gematria, its value is 7.
- Cheth, meaning "Fence." This path is attributed to Atu VII, The Chariot, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Cancer. In gematria, its value is 8.
- Teth, meaning "Serpent." This path is attributed to Atu XI, Lust or Strength, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Leo. In gematria, its value is 9.
- Yod, meaning "Hand." This path is attributed to Atu IX, The Hermit, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Virgo. In gematria, its value is 10.
- Kaph, meaning "Palm." This path is attributed to Atu X, Fortune, in the Tarot and to the planet Jupiter. In gematria, its value is 20.
- Lamed, meaning "Ox-goad." This path is attributed to Atu VIII, Adjustment or Justice, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Libra. In gematria, its value is 30.
- Mem, meaning "Water." This path is attributed to Atu XII, The Hanged Man, in the Tarot and to the element of water. In gematria, its value is 40.
- Nun, meaning "Fish." This path is attributed to Atu XIII, Death, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Scorpio. In gematria, its value is 50.
- Samekh, meaning "Prop." This path is attributed to Atu XIV, Art or Temperance, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Sagittarius. In gematria, its value is 60.
- Ayin, meaning "Eye." This path is attributed to Atu XV, The Devil, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Capricorn. In gematria, its value is 70.
- Pe, meaning "Mouth." This path is attributed to Atu XVI, The Tower, in the Tarot and to the planet Mars. In gematria, its value is 80.
- Tzaddi, meaning "Fish-hook." This path is attributed to either Atu XVII, The Star, or Atu IV, The Emperor, in the Tarot, and to either the sign Aquarius or the sign Aries in the zodiac. In gematria, its value is 90.
- Qoph, meaning "Back of Head." This path is attributed to Atu XVIII, The Moon, in the Tarot and to the zodiac sign Pisces. In gematria, its value is 100.
- Resh, meaning "Head." This path is attributed to Atu XIX, The Sun, in the Tarot and to the Sun. In gematria, its value is 200.
- Shin, meaning "Tooth." This path is attributed to Atu XX, Aeon or The Last Judgment, in the Tarot and to the elements of fire and spirit. In gematria, its value is 300.
- Tau, meaning "Cross." This path is attributed to Atu XXI, The Universe or The World, and to the planet Saturn and the element of earth. In gematria, its value is 400.
While the spheres represent states of being, the paths represent channels along which energy can flow from one state to another. For example, for energy to flow from Yesod to Malkuth, it must cross the path of Tau, which is symbolized by The Universe in the Tarot and attributed to Saturn and earth. The various magical powers of western mysticism are related to this movement of energy, and thus the paths represent powers and effects of various natures.
III. Magical Powers and Ritual Intent
The key scale can be used to catalog various mystical visions and magical effects that may be achieved by invoking the energies of each path and sphere. Once the intent of a ritual is known, this table is essentially the starting point for ritual construction. By matching the intent of the ritual to a power or vision on this table, a key scale value can be obtained that will determine what magical components are in harmony with the desired outcome. For example, if the power or vision that is the intent of the ritual is key scale 21, consulting the other tables in Liber 777 will yield colors, lineal figures, incense, magical weapons, and so forth that also correspond to key scale 21. Using as many of these aspects as possible will enhance the effectiveness of the ritual.Mystical Visions
- The Supreme Attainment, Vision of No Difference.
- Union with God.
- The Vision of God face to face, the Vision of Antinomies.
- The Vision of Sorrow, and of Wonder.
- The Vision of Love.
- The Vision of Power.
- The Vision of the Harmony of Things, the Mysteries of the Crucifixion, and the Beautific Vision.
- The Vision of Beauty Triumphant.
- The Vision of Splendor, as found in Ezekiel.
- The Vision of the Machinery of the Universe.
- The Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel or of Adonai.
Magical Powers and Operations
- Divination.
- Miracles of Healing, the Gift of Tongues, Knowledge of Sciences.
- The White Tincture, Clairvoyance, Divination by Dreams.
- Love-philtres.
- The Power of Consecrating Things.
- The Secret of Physical Strength.
- The Power of being in two or more places at the same time, and of Prophecy.
- The Power of Casting Enchantments.
- The Power of Training Wild Beasts.
- Invisibility, Parthenogenesis, Initiation.
- Power of Acquiring Political and other Ascendancy.
- Works of Justice and Equilibrium.
- The Great Work, Talismans, Crystal-gazing.
- Necromancy.
- Transmutations, and the Vision of the Universal Peacock.
- The Witches’ Sabbath so-called, the Evil Eye.
- Works of Wrath and Vengeance.
- Astrology.
- Bewitchments, Casting Illusions.
- The Red Tincture, the Power of Acquiring Wealth.
- Evocation, Pyromancy.
- B. Invisibility, Transformations, Vision of the Genius.
- Works of Malediction and Death, Travels on the Astral Plane.
- B. Alchemy, Geomancy, the Making of Pantacles.
IV. Ritual Construction – Crowley’s Example
Crowley gives only one example in his writings concerning the construction of rituals using 777, which is found in the first section of Liber O vel Manus et Sagittae, first published in The Equinox. It concerns the construction of a ritual designed to obtain knowledge of an obscure science, which is key scale 12. Key scale twelve is Beth, attributed to Atu I, The Magus, in the Tarot and to the planet Mercury. Here is the example, quoted in its entirety:Crowley is relatively clear on how this example works except for his use and choice of colors, which are given but not completely explained. In Crowley’s system, which was adapted from the Golden Dawn, there are four scales of color: King, Queen, Prince, and Princess. The symbolism of these color schemes is also based on Qabalistic correspondences included in Liber 777. Crowley attributes the court cards of the Tarot as follows, which relates back to the four color scales:
- The student must first obtain a thorough knowledge of "Book 777", especially of the columns printed elsewhere in this Book. When these are committed to memory, he will begin to understand the nature of these correspondences. (See Illustrations in "The Temple of Solomon the King" in Equinox No. 2. Cross references are given.)
- If we take an example, the use of the tables will become clear. Let us suppose that you wish to obtain knowledge of some obscure science. In column XLV to the Reference to the First Edition, line 12, you will find "Knowledge of Sciences." By now looking up line 12 in the other columns, you will find that the Planet corresponding is Mercury, its number eight, its lineal figures the octagon and octagram. The God who rules that planet Thoth, or in Hebrew symbolism Tetragrammaton Adonai and Elohim Tzabaoth, its Archangel Raphael, its choir of Angels Beni Elohim, its Intelligence Tiriel, its Spirit Taphtatharath, its colours Orange (for Mercury is the Sphere of the Sephira Hod, 8) Yellow, Purple, Grey and Indigo rayed with Violet; its Magical Weapon the Wand or Caduceus, its Perfumes Mastic and others, its sacred plants Vervain and others, its jewel the Opal or Agate; its sacred animal the Snake, etc., etc.
- You would then prepare your Place of Working accordingly. In an orange circle you would draw an eight-pointed star of yellow, at whose points you would place eight lamps. The Sigil of the Spirit (which is to be found in Cornelius Agrippa and other books) you would draw in the four colours with such other devices as your experience may suggest.
- And so on. We cannot here enter at length into all the necessary preparations; and the student will find them fully set forth in the proper books, of which the "Goetia" is perhaps the best example.
- These rituals need not be slavishly imitated; on the contrary, the student should do nothing the object of which he does not understand; also, if he have any capacity whatever, he will find his own crude rituals more effective than the highly polished ones of other people. The general purpose of all this preparation is as follows:
- Since the student is a man surrounded by material objects, if it be his wish to master one particular idea, he must make every material object about him directly suggest that idea. Thus, in the ritual quoted, if his glance fall upon the lights, their number suggests Mercury; he smells the perfumes, and again Mercury is brought to his mind. In other words the whole magical apparatus and ritual is a complex system of mnemonics. (The importance of these lies principally in the fact that particular sets of images that the student may meet in his wanderings correspond to particular lineal figures, divine names, etc. and are controlled by them. As to the possibility of producing results external to the mind of the seer (objective in the ordinary common sense acceptation of the term) we are here silent.)
| Kings or Knights | Chockmah (2) |
| Queens | Binah (3) |
| Princes | Tiphareth (6) |
| Princesses | Malkuth (10) |
Taken individually, the color scales also correspond to YHVH of the Tetragrammaton and to the elements:
| King | Yod | Fire |
| Queen | Heh | Water |
| Prince | Vav | Air |
| Princess | Heh Final | Earth |
The color scales also correspond to the four worlds of Qabalistic mysticism, and here is where we can derive some clues as to their usage. The four worlds are:
| Atziluth | King or Knight | Archetypal World | Kether (1) and Chockmah (2) |
| Briah | Queen | Creative World | Binah (3) |
| Yetzirah | Prince or Emperor | Formative World | Chesed (4) through Yesod (9) |
| Assiah | Princess or Empress | Material World | Malkuth (10) |
In the example, Crowley uses the Queen scale color corresponding to the sphere of Mercury, Hod, for the circle itself. The circle is a place or state, and as such should be made in the color of one of the spheres. For planets, this is the most straightforward. The Queen scale is used because the circle itself represents the passive or receptive principle. Thus, a ritual for attaining political ascendancy (Jupiter) would use a blue circle (Chesed – sphere 4), a ritual for obtaining vengeance (Mars) would use a red circle (Geburah – sphere 5) and so forth. For elemental rituals, the circle should be made in citrine, olive, russet, and black (Malkuth – sphere 10). For Zodiacal rituals, you could either use gray (Chockmah – sphere 2) or the color associated with the planet that rules the sign. The more traditional arrangement of planetary rulership is the most widely agreed upon for this sort of work, since attributing the outer planets to the spheres is a matter of some conjecture among ritualists.
Whereas the circle represents the passive or receptive principle, the lineal figure traced within it represents the active or expansive principle and as such is usually drawn in the color corresponding to the King scale. In Thelemic terminology, the circle is Nuit, the lineal figure is Hadit, and their union in the ritual proper is Ra Hoor Khuit. Incidentally, this is also why it is especially appropriate to begin a ritual action with the Sign of the Enterer (Horus) and end it with the Sign of Silence (Harpocrates), as with the pentagrams in the Star Ruby ritual.
In making the sigil of the spirit, all four colors are used because they correspond to the YHVH formula, which is the template for creation of any sort. All spirits in the magical universe exist in all four worlds, though humans are more closely connected to the material world than are most disembodied entities. The spirit still needs a path into the material world if it is to manifest at all. Here is the table of colors from Liber 777.
| Key | King or Knight (Yod) | Queen (Heh) | Emperor or Prince (Vav) | Empress or Princess (Heh Final) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brilliance | White brilliance | White brilliance | White, flecked gold |
| 2 | Pure soft blue | Grey | Blue pearl grey, like mother-of-pearl | White, flecked red, blue, and yellow |
| 3 | Crimson | Black | Dark brown | Grey, flecked pink |
| 4 | Deep violet | Blue | Deep purple | Deep azure, flecked yellow |
| 5 | Orange | Scarlet red | Bright scarlet | Red, flecked black |
| 6 | Clear pink rose | Yellow (Gold) | Rich salmon | Gold Amber |
| 7 | Amber | Emerald | Bright yellow green | Olive, flecked gold |
| 8 | Violet purple | Orange | Red russet | Yellowish brown, flecked white |
| 9 | Indigo | Violet | Very dark purple | Citrine, flecked azure |
| 10 | Yellow | Citrine, olive, russet, black | As Queen, flecked with gold | Black rayed with yellow |
| 11 | Pale bright yellow | Sky blue | Blue emerald green | Emerald, flecked gold |
| 12 | Yellow | Purple | Grey | Indigo, rayed violet |
| 13 | Blue | Silver | Cold pale blue | Silver, rayed sky blue |
| 14 | Emerald Green | Sky blue | Early spring green | Bright rose or cerise, rayed pale green |
| 15 | Violet | Sky blue | Bluish mauve | White, tinged purple |
| 16 | Red orange | Deep indigo | Deep warm olive | Rich brown |
| 17 | Orange | Pale mauve | New yellow leather | Reddish grey inclined to mauve |
| 18 | Amber | Maroon | Rich bright russet | Dark greenish brown |
| 19 | Yellow, greenish | Deep purple | Grey | Reddish amber |
| 20 | Green, yellowish | Slate gray | Green grey | Plum color |
| 21 | Violet | Blue | Rich purple | Bright blue, rayed yellow |
| 22 | Emerald Green | Blue | Deep blue green | Pale green |
| 23 | Deep blue | Sea green | Deep olive green | White, flecked purple, like mother-of-pearl |
| 24 | Green blue | Dull brown | Very dark brown | Livid indigo brown, like black beetle |
| 25 | Blue | Yellow | Green | Dark vivid blue |
| 26 | Indigo | Black | Blue black | Cold dark gray, approaching black |
| 27 | Scarlet | Red | Venetian Red | Bright red, rayed azure or emerald |
| 28 | Scarlet | Red | Brilliant flame | Glowing red |
| 29 | Crimson (UV) | Buff, flecked silver-white | Light translucent pinkish brown | Stone color |
| 30 | Orange | Gold yellow | Rich amber | Amber, rayed red |
| 31 | Glowing orange | Vermillion | Scarlet, flecked gold | Vermillion, flecked crimson and emerald |
| 32 | Indigo | Black | Blue black | Black, rayed blue |
| 32b | Citrine, olive, russet, black | Amber | Dark brown | Black, flecked yellow |
| 31b | White merging into gray | Deep purple, nearly black | 7 prismatic colors, violet outside | White, red, yellow, blue, black (the latter outside) |
V. Ritual Performance
Once you have set up the temple and made the sigil of the spirit, you are ready to begin the ritual. The two principle ritual forms are invocation and evocation. An invocation refers to calling the spirit into yourself, such as would likely be the case with Crowley’s sample ritual. The most efficient way to gain understanding of an obscure science is to call Mercury into yourself in order to unite with a force that already possesses that understanding. For enhancing your own abilities in any way, this is usually the most efficient course of action, and in fact Crowley considered evocation to be more like a starting point from which the student would eventually move on to invocation. However, evocation has some specific advantages for certain situations.Much operant magick – that is, magick directed at producing change in the external, physical world – is best done using evocation. This is because when working operant magick you often do not want the effect centered on yourself, but rather on some other person, place, or thing. You also usually use evocation to create most servitors or telesma – independent constructed spirits that can act autonomously and follow programming of one sort or another. Any magical effect you create using invocation runs off your own body’s magical field, and as such you can only do so much at any one time when you are creating effects with invocation. A powerful magician can generally manage to keep some number of effects going simultaneously, but each of them will to some degree weaken the others. This can be worked around by using what I call anchors – physical objects associated with a particular magical vibration that can power a magical effect from the universe itself. Talismans are one example of a magical device of this sort, and generally you get better results if anchors are charged using evocation.
Also, when using evocation, the magical energy is called into an external space instead of through your own body. While this is not usually a problem, some kinds of energy (such as that of Mars or Saturn) can be harmful if great care is not taken when invoking them. A spell to obtain vengeance (Mars), for example, is best cast by evoking the energy into a space in which you have placed something linked to the target of the spell. This bypasses the Wiccan “threefold law of return,” which is really nothing moral at all but instead sloppy casting. Many Wiccan groups don’t teach evocations, and if you target an effect on someone else that is centered on you, it is likely that you will experience something similar to whatever you intended for your target. Whether you should use magick in this way is a matter of personal ethics, not fear of retaliation. Most Thelemites like myself avoid using this kind of magick if any other options are available. It is a matter of Thelemic ethics that every person has the right to do their will unless they interfere with the will of another individual, and obviously targeting someone against their will with a spell of any kind (even if you are trying to help them!) is a violation of this principle.
If you are performing an invocation, setting up the circle and making the sigil of the spirit is all the temple preparation you need. You hold the sigil of the spirit or wear it somewhere on your person and begin the ritual work. For evocation, your preparation is a bit more elaborate. You will need a triangle, which should be black. This symbolism is related to sphere 3, Binah, which is attributed to the planet Saturn. Saturn in this context symbolizes boundaries and limitations, which is appropriate for containing a summoned entity. You also need a material basis if you wish to see any kind of manifestation. Crowley recommended placing an incense burner in the triangle and lighting incense appropriate to the attribution of the spirit (also found in 777, by key scale), so that the smoke could be used in this way. You can also place a person in the triangle and evoke a spirit into them, which is sometimes done for group workings. In this case, the person is the material basis for the spirit. I have also personally used crystals, candles, and talismans. The triangle is placed outside the circle, which is a very important point. If the triangle is inside the circle, the spirit will not be contained and you are essentially performing an invocation. Another structure that I have used for this purpose is the Holy Table described in John Dee’s Enochian work, which functions very differently, but that is the subject of another article.
Once you have the temple set up in the appropriate manner, you begin with the rituals of the pentagram and hexagram. The “standard” rituals for this are the Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram, which originated with the Golden Dawn system of magick and were first published by Crowley in The Equinox. Crowley also wrote the Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, which were first published in The Book of Lies. The Star Ruby was later revised from the original form, though the Star Sapphire remained essentially unchanged throughout Crowley’s life. The Star Ruby is Crowley’s pentagram ritual and the Star Sapphire is his hexagram ritual. For the purposes of this article I will be using the Golden Dawn rituals as examples, though Crowley’s rituals are very effective. Each ritual has two forms – banishing and invoking. The banishing form is used to dismiss spiritual forces, while the invoking form is used to call upon them. The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram also separates the magician from the qlippothic (or demonic) parts of the universe – in the Thelemic worldview, forces that impede the purification of will. It is this second function that makes the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram specifically suited for daily practice leading to the pursuit of the Great Work.
For the most part, just about every magical ritual also begins with the banishing form of the pentagram ritual. It purifies the will and dismisses thoughts and influences that are not in harmony with the desired end. It is followed by the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, which may be performed in either the banishing or invoking form depending on the nature of the ritual. Following the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram with the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram clears a space completely of all spiritual and magical influences, both microcosmic and macrocosmic. This is most appropriate for rituals conducted for the purpose of communication with a specific entity, in which you want the channels of communication to be as open and unimpeded as possible. Following the banishing form of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram with the invoking form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram creates what I call an operant field – a space in which the microcosm and macrocosm are conjoined in such a way that magick can affect the exterior world. For any kind of operant ritual, the invoking form of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram should be used.
The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is usually followed by either the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram or the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram, generally in the invoking form. The banishing form could be used to expel or diminish a particular influence, though, such as in the case of a ritual designed to banish the energy of Saturn to speed something up. The banishing form is also used at the end of the ritual if the effects of that ritual are not intended to persist. The Greater Ritual of the Pentagram is used for rituals involving the elements. The Greater Ritual of the Hexagram is used for rituals involving planets or zodiac signs. The color used for the pentagrams or hexagrams should be taken from the key scale, and you should use the scale of color that corresponds to the Qabalistic world in which you are working. Usually you use the King scale, which propagates down the tree of life from the archetypal world. You trace the pentagrams or hexagrams in this color, and trace the symbol of the influence you are working with in the center of the lineal figure in a flashing (complementary) color.
These rituals are then followed by a general invocation or conjuration followed by a more specific one tailored to the spirit or force summoned. An example of a general conjuration would be the First Conjuration of the Goetia, or the First and Second Angelic Keys from the Enochian system. Usually, the specific conjuration will work best if the magician who will be performing it writes it specifically for the ritual in question.
UPDATE: Donald Michael Kraig has commented on this article over on his blog, and notes that there's a lot more to performing a ritual than putting the pieces together as outlined here. He is of course correct. This article was written to address a particular problem, that of magicians who have trouble understanding how to assemble all the pieces for a rite from Crowley's Liber 777. For those of you looking for more information on what some of those additional points of performance might be, I direct you to a number of other articles here on Augoeides that address this very subject.
The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. This is a transcript of a presentation given by a friend and I at Twin Cities Pagan Pride in 2010. It goes over many of the finer points of performing this basic ritual.
The Operant Field. This article gives more detail on the way in which I use the Lesser Pentagram and Hexagram rituals. My method differs from that taught by the various Golden Dawn orders, who I am told use the LBRP-LBRH combination followed by the Opening by Watchtower as shown here, whereas I use the LBRP-LIRH combination plus a preliminary invocation to do the same thing.
Wrapping Up the Hexagram Controversy. My Operant Field Model is not without its critics, including Don Kraig himself. To be fair to Don, his book is the most widely read treatment of the Lesser rituals and for that reason it is the most logical source to reference as a counterpoint to my own perspective. This article addresses some of the criticisms of the method and provides some further explanation as to why I find it as effective as I do.
Planetary Magick. This is a transcript of a presentation I gave at Paganicon in 2011. It provides an overview of how to perform rituals such as the Mercury invocation Crowley describes in the example from Liber O.
Finally, I invite you to peruse the various Rituals posted on this site. They include full scripts along with stage directions and so forth for invoking all seven of the ancient planets (Moon through Saturn). They provide examples of fully assembled rites that can be employed for both magical and mystical purposes.
17 comments:
I think I had an Eureka moment a few hours ago, about the allocations of the outer planets in the TOL. I'm still impacted by it, so I'm not able to explain it thoroughly, because I haven't figured out all the arguments. Guess I'll have to come up with them on the way.
Here it is, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto go in Binah, along with Saturn. Think about it, Saturn (in various forms) was/is the highest god of many religions. But that was in a time where human consciousness was only developed to the point in which it could comprehend no further than the "eye for an eye" concept, cause and effect. In those times God punished (Saturn), but God also surprises (Uranus), inspired (Neptune) and transformed/ended life (Pluto), even if humans attributed all of these to Binah. Saturn gives structure, form and time frame and Pluto delivers the death blow that ends that time frame.
Saturn is the last of the personal planets and the first of the transpersonal. God is both personal and transpersonal, but humans couldn't conceive its transpersonal aspect. This is still shown in the physical realm by the impossibility of the outer planets being seen with the naked eye. But human counsciousness has changed in order for us to be able to rise above the personal realm.
As time passed, humanity changed and consciousness evolved. The stable culture of the ancient world suddenly collapsed with the fall of Rome, just as the stable structure of Saturn is shaked by the revolutionary energy of Uranus. Many centuries passed in which western societies went through chaotic times, until the reinassance, when culture flourished again and new, more sublime ideas arose - Neptune. And from thereon humanity has made huge leaps in development, even with the increasing wars and destruction (Pluto), probably because humanity needs to learn some important lessons in order to move into another era.
I don't know if I will make myself understood, but it's worth trying.
As for using the outer planets in magick, I'm thinking of the hexagram of Saturn, the Godname Elohim (YHVH Elohim as many use it, although i would use it for Daath), but with a different archangel. As Zafkiel is for Saturn, Azrael would be for Pluto. I have found that Jeremiel would be just right for Neptune and I'm still considering a right one for Uranus.The intelligences and spirits would be more of a challenge to figure out though :)
I would very much like to know your opinion on this.
The bottom line is that the outer planets do not fit well when you include Pluto, period. But as astronomers have pointed out, there really is no reason to consider Pluto a planet when you are not considering the other trans-Plutonian bodies as planets as well. Pluto is really only significant because when it was discovered, the other Kuipper belt dwarf planets had not been discovered yet.
I personally think my model (which was Crowley's before the discovery of Pluto, BTW) makes more sense. Uranus is Chockmah and Neptune is Kether. So you would use the Saturn hexagram (because it stands in for the supernals) but for Uranus you would use Jah as the godname and for Neptune you would use Eheieh. You trace in the color of the corresponding sphere - gray/gray for Chockmah and white brilliance/darkness for Kether. To my way of thinking, jamming the outers all into Binah just leads to confusion of the aspects, and that generally isn't helpful. Part of the point in using magical attributions in the first place is to distinguish between forces. Any model that makes that hard to do is not going to work as well.
As far as the spirit/intelligence goes, there's really no way to "figure them out." There's no pattern in the others, and probably they were relayed by a the spirits to a practitioner who catalogued them, just like the Enochian angel names were received. So if you want to know, my suggestion would be to call up an appropriate entity and ask for names. Then, check the gematria to see if the names correspond to the aspects that the outer planets represent.
Now all that being said, if this new arrangement seems inspiring to you, I recommend that you try it out and see what your results are. If they are more impressive than those produced by the traditional model, that could mean there's something to it that the traditional model doesn't address. Experimental results are a lot more important than how logical an arrangement seems, or how traditional it happens to be.
As a matter of fact I did a bit of experimenting, although it was not of the practical nature, but more on the mystical side.
Last friday was my birthday, so I wanted to work a certain ritual to encompass all the planetary gods, angels, and also Kether and Chokmah. I wanted to do this to give praise and thanks, including offerings. I didn't know how to do it and all I could think about was to trace each specific hexagram. But that would've taken too long. Then it came to me to use the GIRP of Spirit alone, followed by the GIRH of Saturn in white brilliance and the wheel of Spirit in vantablack, while vibrating Eheieh. The following conjuration contained each of the planetary god's trait, as well as mentioning Chokmah and Kether, and finally the angels at large. It went something like this "oh you great gods that time the powers under the firmament of fixed gods -Chokmah- and are reflections of the one god without begining, both goddess and god -Kether- -followed by each of the traits- and all you angels that serve the many planes of creation..."
Instead of the MP, I performed the Flashing Sword and Serpent after the Field Model. I was a bit tipsy during the way and felt tired as a result when I began the ritual and I almost couldn't complete the flashing sword. But after the greater rituals and the conjuration I felt refreshed altogether, with intense mental clarity and a deep sense of peace and joy.
I'm not saaying that the standard model is wrong and I find your model very practical and logical. But something keeps telling me that it is more than this and perhaps gave me a hint in that dirrection. For now I "worked out" the outer planets in Binah and using the hexagram of Saturn for them, but I'm different colors, and also a hexagram of Saturn for Kether and Chokmah in their specific colors, but with the wheel of Spirit traced instead of a planetary symbol.
I'm not good at comunicating with entities, or with divination for that matter, but I'll continue to work on this system as a side project, and try to improve these skills. I'll share any information once I'll have it.
Hey, at least you'll have a good laugh if it turns out I'm wrong :)
* that rule the powers under the firmament of fixed stars
As a point, any model that works well for you is not wrong in some absolute sense. For the most part there is nothing particularly special about the attributions in 777, only that many magicians work with them. The advantage of using them is in sharing a common language with other practitioners, not that they are objectively "right."
As I've written here many times, I'm convinced that the key to attributions is not that you organize your mind according to some particular system, but rather that you organize your mind regardless of what system you use. I've known good magicians who have used all sorts of different Qabalistic models that are internally consistent, but which assign totally different associations to the sephiroth and paths.
Now it does seem to be true that despite this paradigm, there are some relationships that work slightly better than others for no clear reason. But the key there is "slightly." Just because I happen to work with the 777 set doesn't make them some sort of absolute, and I do make a few small changes to them because those changes make more sense to me.
Neptune = Kether and Uranus = Chockmah is one of those. Another is that I relate Yesod to Water rather than the traditional Air (which never made any sense to me). There are also a couple more here and there, based on my experience of magical operations involving particular sephiroth and paths.
I understand what you're saying. As a matter of fact I also feel like Water should be asociated to Yesod, rather than Hod and I was amazed the GD could come up with such an association. I guess it's because the elemental grades were set from Malkuth upward, following the reverse YHVH. I've also read Frater Barrabas' articles with detailing the super-archangels for his ordeals, and your comment on one of them in which you were adressing the issue of passing from Air to Water.
I also use 777 as guidelines which i tend to stick with, but I'm not afraid of substituting stuff like incense and oils if I don't manage to procure the items written there, for a specific working.
I will gladly accept your advice on how to access more information regarding my intent, if you're willing to help, and if it's not interfering with your activities that is. Calling up a spirit seems a bit far fetched for me right now. I don't have a scrying mirror, or a crystal ball, and frankly, I've never done it before. And I think that if I'll try to do it, i won't know how to... listen, or something :)
Thank you for spending time to respond.
I'm surprised I didn't ask this before :) I see you also attribute the sephirot to the chakras. It's not the first time I've seen these attributions, but it's the first time this idea lit in my mind. Does this mean that working with the appropriate sephira helps in fixing the corresponding chakra? If the particular chakra has some issues that is.
What I mean is can the angel of Binah for example be used to work with the throat chakra and fix both the physical, psychological and spiritual flaws one might have because that chakra is unbalanced? I'm this example an unbalanced throat chakra can cause tiroid problems, dental problems, inability to speak properly and inability to hear spirits.
Also, different people attribute different planets to the chakras, such as Saturn to the first chakra, Mars to the second, the Sun to the third, Venus for the fourth, Mercury fifth, the Moon sixth and Jupiter for the seventh. I'm guessing this is one possible planetary attribution, whereas you attributed the sephirot.
The answer to that is sort of. Qabalistic subtle anatomy and the chakra system are different, but correspondences can be made between them. To some extent these are of the "filing system" variety - that is, they share a nature that is similar in an abstract sense, but one cannot necessarily be treated as the other.
I am generally of the opinion that the Asian associations for planets and the like probably shouldn't be mixed with the Western associations just because they don't match and thus are hard to integrate. I don't think one is necessarily better than the other, you understand, just that it is important to work with one or the other and not mix conflicting associations together.
So probably what I would do is identify the part of the body associated with the sephiroth according to the Adam Kadmon arrangement and address issues that in way, instead of trying to go from Adam Kadmon --> Chakra --> body part. I would expect that a single layer of symbolism would give you better results.
That seems right. I only asked this because I remembered several people relating having different sensations in certain chakras after performing the MP for a while. I'm no stranger to those sensations so I figured they could be connected in a certain way. But keeping the two systems apart looks like the propper way. Thank you!
Some of the subtle anatomy points, of course, are in the same places in both systems. So the MP is going to activate the crown, throat, heart, abdomen, and root because the points are in the same place. There probably is an underlying set of subtle body components that both the chakra system and the Adam Kadmon system are trying to model. My point is more that using a model on top of a model is more likely to be inaccurate than just going one level deep.
I think Poke Runyon talks about establishing the correspondence between the chakras and the sephira after spending some time with an eastern master.
Anyway, I understand what you're saying. Thanks.
I've also noticed 777 has the correspondences for the body parts in Column XXI - The Perfected Man, where the spheres and most of the paths are attributed with a body part.
I was wondering if working with a certain sphere or path with the specific goal of healing that body part is viable. Like say, Path 13 - the left eye, Path 30 - the right eye etc. I mean have you done any experimenting in that field, or do you know someone who has? If so, could you share the results? Fyi I'm casting on some afflictions I don't know the names of, and no doctor was able to diagnose for whatever reason. So this greatly reduces the impact of general healing spells.
Thank you!
That is true - those correspondences do exist. I have not personally experimented with that, though. One of the reasons that you conjure angels in the first place to help perform these spells is that angels are often smart enough to figure out what is going on.
So, for example, if you use a Mercury evocation to conjure Raphael, just give a charge with the end result that you want - for the target to be free from pain or illness or debility or whatever. You don't need to name the illness for the spell to work. You can just specify freedom from whatever symptoms are being experienced by your target.
Another idea I had as I was writing up the zodiacal post for yesterday was to see if the transmutation power (Sagittarius) might work better than the healing power (Mercury) for chronic conditions. I'll need to find good days and times with Jupiter chart victors to do it, but I think that might be worth working on.
I have some chronic health issues and so do a number of friends of mine. Mercury rituals seem to make those better - but only temporarily. After a while, the symptoms come back. So to really deal with those sorts of problems, I ideally would want something more permanent.
The issue with trying to associate paths and parts of the body is that the magical powers for the paths are all different. So even if path 30, the Sun, corresponds to the right eye, the associated magical power is "The Power of Acquiring Wealth." Multiple hexagram rituals, one on top of the other, almost always completely fail to produce a result.
I think the reason for that is because you tune the space to one kind of force with the first hexagram, and then the second one tries to tune THAT to an entirely different force. But after the first hexagram, there isn't much of the entirely different force left over. Or something like that - I'm mostly speculating there.
I understand what you're saying and I'm interested in the results of your Sagittarius rituals concerning health, if you're willing to share them. Come to think of it, the first time I read 777 and found the power for Sagittarius, I had a feeling it could be used for healing also, although i forgot about it along the way. Probably I associated the sign with the centaur figure, and Chiron came to my mind, but that's a whole other thing.
The reason I asked you the above is that I've had success using the angel of Virgo to heal issues related to body parts corresponding to the sign - nervous system and intestines. And I thought this could also apply when using the 777 correspondences. So even though (as in the example) Path 30 has a specific power, I thought that casting in a way that the angel would send that energy to a person's right eye, it would heal the affection...
In any case, I think I'll be also experimenting with Sagittarius on health issues and share the results. But first I'm going to give the Heptarchical Prince of Wednesday a try.
That sounds good, the experimentation part. It might very well be that this works great - I just have not tried it myself. Usually when you try something and you succeed, that means there's something worth looking into there. I'll be very interested in hearing your results.
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