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The following ritual was performed on Saturday, September 20th, as the Fall Equinox Ritual for my local OTO body, Leaping Laughter Lodge here in Minneapolis. It is based on a series of rites developed and performed by my magical working group, Comselh Ananael, a few years ago. The main inspiration for the elixir portion of this rite is the planetary elixir ritual found in Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips' Planetary Magick, which is in my opinion one of the only decent books out there covering planetary rites from a modern magical perspective. The rest of the magical forms are similar to those used in our other rituals.
The sign Libra was chosen for the Fall Equinox as it is the sign the Sun enters at that time. The ritual calls upon the angel Zuriel, found at key scale 22 (Libra) in column CLXXVII of Liber 777, the Geomantic Intelligences. The Godname used in the rite is VHYH, the permutation of the Tetragrammaton particular to Libra. The name Maznim (or Moznaim) is the Hebrew for Libra found at key scale 22 in column VI of Liber 777, the Heavens of Assiah. More information on constructing rituals using Liber 777 can be found here. The magical power associated with the sign Libra is "Works of Justice and Equilibrium."
In addition to these names and associations, the ritual includes a version of our operant field opening forms, and some techniques adapted to a Thelemic context from Vajrayana Buddhism such as refuge and dedication. It also includes the use of the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for Libra, the conjuration and dismissal of the angel of Libra to aid in the empowerment of the elixir, and some basic energy work practices applied both individually and collectively by the participants.
The full ritual script follows.
0. The Temple
The ritual space is set up with the altar in the center of the temple. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are also placed on the altar. On the altar is placed a cup of wine or juice for creating the elixir of the zodiacal sign to be invoked. The two officers are Magus and Sophia. Sophia stands to the west of the altar facing east, while Magus stands to the east of the altar facing west.
I. Opening
Sophia inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.
Sophia: Bahlasti! Ompehda!
Sophia performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
Sophia: We take refuge in Nuit, the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky, as we issue the call to the awakened nature of all beings, for every man and every woman is a star. MAKAShANaH.
Magus: We take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as we issue the call to our own awakened natures, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring. ABRAHADABRA.
Unison: We take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha, who wields the wand of double power, the wand of the force of Coph Nia, but whose left hand is empty for he has crushed an universe and naught remains, as we unite our awakened natures with those of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering. AUMGN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.
Magus: All is pure and present and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and are done; but there is that which remains.
Unison: To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence.
All: So mote it be.
Bell chime.
II. The Magical Field
Sophia performs the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram. Then all rise and form circle.
Sophia: Now I begin to pray, thou child,
Holy thy name and undefiled.
Thy reign is come, thy will is done,
Here is the bread, here is the blood,
Bring me through midnight to the Sun.
Save me from evil and from good
That thy one crown of all the ten
Even now and here be mine.
AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: In my breast I carry the mark of the Living God.
Magus: I adore thee, thou light of the world. I adore thee thou Light of the Grail.
Unison: I ask nothing from thee for I am become thee. I and thee are one in the perfection of the Mystery of Life.
All: AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.
Bell chime.
III. The Preliminary Invocation
Magus: And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. Without stopping day or night they were saying,
Unison: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming."
All: HAGIOS HAGIOS HAGIOS IAO.
Magus: Holy art Thou, who art Universe!
Holy art Thou, who art in Nature formed!
Holy art Thou, the Vast and the Mighty!
Source of Darkness, Source of Light.
Lord all mighty and all powerful, Hear our Prayers!
Command thy holy Angels above the fixed stars
To be Assisting and Aiding of thy people,
That we may command all spirits
Of the air, fire, water, earth, heaven and hell,
So that it may tend to the glory of God and Man.
AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Bell chime.
IV. The Conjuration
Magus performs the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Libra. Venus hexagram in green with ARARITA, symbol of Libra in red with godname VHYH.
Magus: Oh Glorius and Mighty ZURIEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of MAZNIM, Behold us, and in the name of the same your God, the Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH, Attend and Appear before us in this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the Sign of Libra do we rightly desire! Enlighten our understanding, encourage our hearts, and manifest unto us now as we partake of your spiritual realm.
Gloria Patri et Matri et Filius et Filia et spiritui sancto interno et spiritui sancto externo ut erat est erit in saeculo saeculorum sex in uno per nomen septem in uno.
All: ARARITA.
Bell chime.
V. Charging Elixir
Magus raises the elixir cup in both hands.
Magus: O Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH! To thee we raise this talisman of our magickal will! We ask thee, Oh Exalted One, to receive this body of our rite into the light of thy presence. As we proceed in making this Elixir of Libra, charging it with the creative energies of MAZNIM, we shall achieve a true alchemical ferment, mighty in Yetzirah and vitalized by thy blessing. In partaking of this Mystery, let there be unto us vitality of soul, increase of sight and true gnosis of the wonders of thy Sphere!
Cup is replaced on altar. All link hands and make one clockwise circumambulation, visualizing a wall of green light whirling rapidly in the same direction about the circle. When finished, hands are unlinked and wall of light is allowed to fade.
Magus: Creature of Wine who art established in the Sphere of Libra: by the vital force of our breath we enliven thee to perfect this work of Holy Magick in the realm of MAZNIM.
Magus breathes once upon the wine and passes cup clockwise. All in the circle repeat this action. The cup is then returned to Magus, who replaces it on the altar. All then link hands and circumambulate the altar 7 times clockwise with attention on cup. Unlink hands when done.
Magus now raises power, visualizing a continuous spiral of green light ascending from the ground below the feet, whirling clockwise around the body, and ascending until it disappears above the head. Holding the visualization, Magus vibrates the divine name once: VHYH. Each participant in turn, clockwise around the circle, repeats this action. When finished, all link hands and vibrate once more together: VHYH.
Hands are unlinked. Magus leading, all now extend hands toward elixir cup. Visualize beams of green light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full” Magus traces in a horizontal plane the sigil of Libra while vibrating once more: VHYH.
All link hands and make one complete circumambulation of the circle. Hands are unlinked. Magus then raises the elixir cup with both hands.
Magus: Behold the Elixir of Libra! For all and for each it is prepared! Let each and all receive its magick virtue! Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of my soul!
Magus drinks of the elixir, and then passes the cup clockwise. All repeat this action, making the same declaration:
“Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of my soul!”
After making its way around the circle, the cup is then returned to Magus, who drains it if necessary and replaces it on the altar. All then link hands and make one complete circumambulation of the circle. Hands are unlinked when complete.
Bell chime.
VI. Closing
Magus: O thou ZURIEL, praise and honor be unto thee for the Splendor of thine office and the majesty of thy being, and the blessings of thy God, the Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH. Because thou hast diligently answered unto our demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at our call, we do here license thee to depart unto thy proper place; without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. Depart, then, I say, and be thou ever ready to come at our call, being duly exorcised and conjured by these sacred rites of magick. We charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly, and the peace of the Almighty, Eternal, True, and Living God be ever continued between us. AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: May the benefit of this act and all acts be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere, pervading space and time.
Magus: May the benefits of practice, ours and others’, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence.
Unison: AUMGN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia performs the Qabalistic Cross.
Sophia: I now declare this temple duly closed.
Bell Chime. The rite is at an end.
The sign Libra was chosen for the Fall Equinox as it is the sign the Sun enters at that time. The ritual calls upon the angel Zuriel, found at key scale 22 (Libra) in column CLXXVII of Liber 777, the Geomantic Intelligences. The Godname used in the rite is VHYH, the permutation of the Tetragrammaton particular to Libra. The name Maznim (or Moznaim) is the Hebrew for Libra found at key scale 22 in column VI of Liber 777, the Heavens of Assiah. More information on constructing rituals using Liber 777 can be found here. The magical power associated with the sign Libra is "Works of Justice and Equilibrium."
In addition to these names and associations, the ritual includes a version of our operant field opening forms, and some techniques adapted to a Thelemic context from Vajrayana Buddhism such as refuge and dedication. It also includes the use of the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for Libra, the conjuration and dismissal of the angel of Libra to aid in the empowerment of the elixir, and some basic energy work practices applied both individually and collectively by the participants.
The full ritual script follows.
0. The Temple
The ritual space is set up with the altar in the center of the temple. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are also placed on the altar. On the altar is placed a cup of wine or juice for creating the elixir of the zodiacal sign to be invoked. The two officers are Magus and Sophia. Sophia stands to the west of the altar facing east, while Magus stands to the east of the altar facing west.
I. Opening
Sophia inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.
Sophia: Bahlasti! Ompehda!
Sophia performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
Sophia: We take refuge in Nuit, the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky, as we issue the call to the awakened nature of all beings, for every man and every woman is a star. MAKAShANaH.
Magus: We take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as we issue the call to our own awakened natures, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring. ABRAHADABRA.
Unison: We take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha, who wields the wand of double power, the wand of the force of Coph Nia, but whose left hand is empty for he has crushed an universe and naught remains, as we unite our awakened natures with those of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering. AUMGN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.
Magus: All is pure and present and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and are done; but there is that which remains.
Unison: To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence.
All: So mote it be.
Bell chime.
II. The Magical Field
Sophia performs the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram. Then all rise and form circle.
Sophia: Now I begin to pray, thou child,
Holy thy name and undefiled.
Thy reign is come, thy will is done,
Here is the bread, here is the blood,
Bring me through midnight to the Sun.
Save me from evil and from good
That thy one crown of all the ten
Even now and here be mine.
AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: In my breast I carry the mark of the Living God.
Magus: I adore thee, thou light of the world. I adore thee thou Light of the Grail.
Unison: I ask nothing from thee for I am become thee. I and thee are one in the perfection of the Mystery of Life.
All: AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.
Bell chime.
III. The Preliminary Invocation
Magus: And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. Without stopping day or night they were saying,
Unison: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming."
All: HAGIOS HAGIOS HAGIOS IAO.
Magus: Holy art Thou, who art Universe!
Holy art Thou, who art in Nature formed!
Holy art Thou, the Vast and the Mighty!
Source of Darkness, Source of Light.
Lord all mighty and all powerful, Hear our Prayers!
Command thy holy Angels above the fixed stars
To be Assisting and Aiding of thy people,
That we may command all spirits
Of the air, fire, water, earth, heaven and hell,
So that it may tend to the glory of God and Man.
AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Bell chime.
IV. The Conjuration
Magus performs the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Libra. Venus hexagram in green with ARARITA, symbol of Libra in red with godname VHYH.
Magus: Oh Glorius and Mighty ZURIEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of MAZNIM, Behold us, and in the name of the same your God, the Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH, Attend and Appear before us in this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the Sign of Libra do we rightly desire! Enlighten our understanding, encourage our hearts, and manifest unto us now as we partake of your spiritual realm.
Gloria Patri et Matri et Filius et Filia et spiritui sancto interno et spiritui sancto externo ut erat est erit in saeculo saeculorum sex in uno per nomen septem in uno.
All: ARARITA.
Bell chime.
V. Charging Elixir
Magus raises the elixir cup in both hands.
Magus: O Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH! To thee we raise this talisman of our magickal will! We ask thee, Oh Exalted One, to receive this body of our rite into the light of thy presence. As we proceed in making this Elixir of Libra, charging it with the creative energies of MAZNIM, we shall achieve a true alchemical ferment, mighty in Yetzirah and vitalized by thy blessing. In partaking of this Mystery, let there be unto us vitality of soul, increase of sight and true gnosis of the wonders of thy Sphere!
Cup is replaced on altar. All link hands and make one clockwise circumambulation, visualizing a wall of green light whirling rapidly in the same direction about the circle. When finished, hands are unlinked and wall of light is allowed to fade.
Magus: Creature of Wine who art established in the Sphere of Libra: by the vital force of our breath we enliven thee to perfect this work of Holy Magick in the realm of MAZNIM.
Magus breathes once upon the wine and passes cup clockwise. All in the circle repeat this action. The cup is then returned to Magus, who replaces it on the altar. All then link hands and circumambulate the altar 7 times clockwise with attention on cup. Unlink hands when done.
Magus now raises power, visualizing a continuous spiral of green light ascending from the ground below the feet, whirling clockwise around the body, and ascending until it disappears above the head. Holding the visualization, Magus vibrates the divine name once: VHYH. Each participant in turn, clockwise around the circle, repeats this action. When finished, all link hands and vibrate once more together: VHYH.
Hands are unlinked. Magus leading, all now extend hands toward elixir cup. Visualize beams of green light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full” Magus traces in a horizontal plane the sigil of Libra while vibrating once more: VHYH.
All link hands and make one complete circumambulation of the circle. Hands are unlinked. Magus then raises the elixir cup with both hands.
Magus: Behold the Elixir of Libra! For all and for each it is prepared! Let each and all receive its magick virtue! Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of my soul!
Magus drinks of the elixir, and then passes the cup clockwise. All repeat this action, making the same declaration:
“Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of my soul!”
After making its way around the circle, the cup is then returned to Magus, who drains it if necessary and replaces it on the altar. All then link hands and make one complete circumambulation of the circle. Hands are unlinked when complete.
Bell chime.
VI. Closing
Magus: O thou ZURIEL, praise and honor be unto thee for the Splendor of thine office and the majesty of thy being, and the blessings of thy God, the Righteous and Harmonizing VHYH. Because thou hast diligently answered unto our demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at our call, we do here license thee to depart unto thy proper place; without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. Depart, then, I say, and be thou ever ready to come at our call, being duly exorcised and conjured by these sacred rites of magick. We charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly, and the peace of the Almighty, Eternal, True, and Living God be ever continued between us. AMEN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia: May the benefit of this act and all acts be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere, pervading space and time.
Magus: May the benefits of practice, ours and others’, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence.
Unison: AUMGN.
All: So mote it be.
Sophia performs the Qabalistic Cross.
Sophia: I now declare this temple duly closed.
Bell Chime. The rite is at an end.
12 comments:
I can't get enough in reading your posts detailing rituals :D I have little time for this but I try to read at least one every so often. I have a few questions. They might seem stupid, but I can't wrap my head around some small details of these kinds of rituals. Short answers will do in order for me to make an ideea :)
1. The liquid for the elixir can be something other than whine? I saw your Venus elixir post and you used absinthe. Can I use... juice, or plain water (rain or spring water)
2. The intent is stated into the liquid prior to the ritual and is charged during the ritual, or can it be made during the ritual just before charging it?
3. Can this elixir be made using a perfume bottle? For instance creating a Venus parfume elixir to atract partners, Mercury for better communication and so I'm. Or does that make it kind of a talisman?
4. Does the intent of this ritual have to be forgotten once the ritual is done, in order for it to work? - like with other spells - this question also includes talismans :)
5. Is it OK to perform such a ritual at a time when a certain planet is aspected hard by another? Or is it sufficient that the planet in question is in a certain sign that does not debilitate it?
1. The elixir can be any liquid. Usually I use wine or juice, but you could also use water if you were so inclined. Really, Holy Water is just water infused with a particular type of magical charge.
2. Usually I like to write the charge ahead of time for precision, but then state it during the ritual as I am about to charge the elixir.
3. Sure, I would expect a perfume to work fine.
4. The whole "forgetting" thing is bullshit. It's not important. You don't want to obsess about the results of your ritual, but beyond that whether or not you remember what you did in my experience has no relation to whether or not the ritual works.
5. That's a tricky one. Generally you want to avoid various astrological conditions that can impede the ritual, but if you're going to go that route the whole chart has to be taken into account. A negative aspect is generally something you would want to avoid, but if the rest of chart is very positive for your working it still could be the most reasonable time to do it.
I would say, then, that you can usually get decent results by avoiding debilities without much regard for aspects, but it does to some extent depend on the aspect. One point to keep in mind is that for electional work, once an aspect has culminated it is considered "past" for the purposes of timing. So if you can wait a few minutes for a hard aspect to culminate and start after that, the aspect shouldn't give you any trouble.
Thank you very much for taking your time to answer!
Blessings!
why do some ppl who practice magick say that magick won't do something, just sets the opportunity for that specific something to happen? isn't that lack of faith? i mean when i do a ritual for something I KNOW it will happen, regardless if the ritual succeeds or not in the end. i guess the success has to do with the amount of resistance encountered by the spell on its way to manifestation, but i think one should be damn certain their spell work will end up successful. or else why should one cast spells in the first place?
I've read your article about getting a hottubb and that was clearly a perfect opportunity manifested, but I've had money manifested under my doormat after a money spell. I went to pour a line of salt in front of the threshold and when I removed the mat I found a folded envelope with 2bills inside. It was the equivalent of about $15. Maybe someone had placed it there, but nonetheless it was a manifestation - money for nothing as the song goes :)
Another spell I did was a banishing of my dental problems, and believe me, my mouth is like a WW1 no man's land. My teeth stopped hurting since then and it's been some 5months now. No infections either.
I understand that some manifestations might be like some kind of tests to make us prove worthy of the result - probably... But i still think that believing that magick will only manifest opportunity for the intent to manifest instead of the manifestation of the intent itself is... not wrong, but withholding.
You can take your time answering that. This is more urgent for me.
I'm thinking of starting my GRH tomorrow night with Mercury. I'm willing to make a healing elixir for some family member who is in desperate need. I'll be using a s weedish been tonic for the liquid, as it's already famous for dealing with multiple health issues.
I'm thinking of calling only archangel Raphael to send his healing energies into the elixir, like you called Anael in your Venus elixir.
Is it ok to start practising the GRH with such work? I don't have any doubt about doing it, the time feels and is right for it (Mercury in Aquarius, conjunct Venus and trine with the Moon), but I I think I'll be a bit slow on performing all the steps of the ritual itself.
And second, can I use the Orphic hymn for Mercury as a general conjuration followed by c onjurations in my own words for Mercury and Raphael, after the GRH is done?
Thank you!
sweedish herbal tonic*
I imagine people say things like that because they do not quite understand the dynamic at play. Magick (1) makes anything - just about anything - more likely to happen, but (2) has to contend with real-world probabilities. So you do your ritual work to increase the odds as much as you can with a spell, but then you take the necessary mundane steps to bring the probability within range of what your spell can influence. But magick certainly can cause things to happen without any mundane steps, so long as the natural probability you are trying to influence is already within your spell's range.
As far as your ritual, I would go ahead and use the GRH, and I expect the Orphic hymn should work well. I know a number of magicians who have had good success with them.
Thank you so much! I'll get back with the ritual soon :)
I just did it, so here it is while it's still fresh in my mind.
The first thing I did today was translating your c onjurations from the Venus elixir ritual and changing the names to Raphael, Elohim Tzabaoth and Kokab. I then set the order of the ritual, adapting it for only one person. I wrote the charge for healing energy. All that made me very enthusiastic and high spirited. The feeling stayed with me the whole day, including now.
For lack of conditions I started the ritual in the hour of Jupiter and finished it in the hour of Mars, which I think it's not a bad thing, with the extra expansive and thrusting energies :) Furthermore, Mercury is currently square Mars and from what I've regarding this aspect, it's not such a bad one for my intent. Quite the opposite I might say. Neutral at worst.
I used some white sage as an incense for invocation and burned some cinnamon powder when I began the Orphic hymn to Mercury. I used holy water from the church, made on the day of the Baptism. In the orthodox rite the holy water made that day is called the great holly water and can be used throughout the year. So I figured it was the best choice by far.I also used a yellow tapes candle with the symbol of Mercury carved on along with the altar candle.
I began the work with the LBRP and LIRH for Mercury. All that enthusiasm mounted and I goofed the first 2lesser hexagram but I retraced them and went on. I felt nothing bad happening. I know you're gonna tell me that the standard LIRH would just do, but my Gemini sign has a mind of its own LOL.
I then said the Orphic hymn to Mercury and did the FTP for Mercury - yellow hexagram, violet symbol. I began feeling the air light around me. I then called upon Raphael and followed the steps from your Venus elixir ritual. I definitely felt some force acting in and around me. I kinda felt a bit like floating in the air when I was charging it with yellow light from my finger tips and also i felt like something was tilting me towards it. When I finished projecting the light I found myself imitating Michael Jackson's posture when he was tilting forward on his toes, but not to that extreme :)
The elixir was set in a small glass and was placed upon the square of Mercury. I left the elixir over night on a table with the square under it.
All that being said, I think it was a success and it will do its job.
Thank you for posting so much useful material for all to understand and for answering all questions! You have my deepest gratitude!
Blessed be!
Againg please excuse the typos. Phone autospelling :)
Almost forgot. Before the Orphic hymn I said a little self made prayer to the Most High.
Can you please tell me what I could do with the candle I used in the ritual? Should I use it in another Mercury ritual, or just burn it on a Wednesday as an offering to Mercury? Or are there any other choices?
Thank you!
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