This article is Part Twelve in a series. Part One can be found here, Part Two can be found here, Part Three can be found here, Part Four can be found here, Part Five can be found here, Part Six can be found here, Part Seven can be found here, Part Eight can be found here, Part Nine can be found here, Part Ten can be found here, and Part Eleven can be found here.
The work of the Zodiac is neglected by most magical resources intended for beginners. The reason for this is that in the tradition, students start out studying the elemental work, move on to the planetary work, and only after that explore the system of the Zodiac. But in the context of practical work, the signs are important, because they represent half of the practical magical powers listed in Liber 777.
When going through this series, you can refer back to my Angels of the Zodiac presentation for additional information. The presentation goes into greater detail regarding some aspects of the zodiacal work, as does my Evoking Zodiacal Angels article in Liber Spirituum.
Today I will be moving on to the sign Pisces. In Liber 777, Pisces is attributed to "Bewitchments, Casting Illusions." So what we're talking about here is mind-to-mind type magical operations. The power of casting illusions can be used to alter the perceptions of others, and the power of bewitchment can be used to influence the thinking of others. "Mind control" would perhaps be too strong a term for this power, but "Mind Influence" would probably be an appropriate description.
As you can probably discern, this is another of the zodiacal powers that has many applications with potentially broad implications. Especially in the modern world, perception is incredibly important. And for most things that lie beyond our abilities to control via normal means, the decisions of others are generally paramount. Being able to shift both of these functions to our advantage can lead to great success in all manner of endeavors.
In Qabalah, the signs correspond to the twelve single letters of the Hebrew alphabet. These letters are so named because they correspond to a single specific sounds. The signs are all attributed to the sephira Chockmah, and are associated with paths only in the context of practical magical work. The sephiroth represent states of manifestation, whereas the paths represent the movement of energy between those states.
This series will be covering these paths, as they correspond to practical magical operations. This is by design - some schools teach that you should master a bunch of mystical stuff before you start casting effective spells, and I just don't buy that. You should use magick for basically everything, and you should start doing it right away. Studying the differences between successes and failures will give you essential insights into the nature of your will and the quality of your technique, and besides, doing effective practical magick is awesome.
For the Path of Pisces, the four scales of color are Crimson or Ultraviolet, Buff Flecked Silver-White, Light Translucent Pinkish Brown, and "Stone Colour." I generally think of this as the brownish slate gray color that is common to many rocks. For ceremonial forms, you use the King scale, which is Crimson. Its complement is yellowish green. All four scales should be used to construct the sigil of the angel.
The sigil should be traced onto the Kamea of Jupiter, as Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces. Along with the sigil itself, you can also trace the character of Pisces on the Kamea. The Angel of Pisces is Amnitziel, spelled Aleph-Mem-Nun-Yod-Tzaddi-Yod-Aleph-Lamed. The Jupiter kamea is 4x4, so the highest number in the square is 16. So Mem needs to be reduced from 40 to 4, Nun needs to be reduced from 50 to 5, Tzaddi needs to be reduced from 90 to 9, and Lamed needs to be reduced from 30 to 3. This yields 1, 4 (40), 5 (50), 10, 9 (90), 10, 1, 3 (30). The final figure should look something like this:
From Liber 777, incense appropriate to Pisces is ambergris or menstrual fluid. Real ambergris can be difficult to get a hold of today, but there are close substitutes that can be found online. The associated plants are unicellular organisms, opium, and mangrove. As opium comes from the poppy plant, all sorts of poppies would be appropriate here. Poppy seeds should work, too, and these are widely available as a cooking spice. The associated metal is tin, and the associated precious stone is pearl. Note that for this purpose, the stones need not be gem quality and can be purchased inexpensively.
The plants may be dried and ground into a powder using a mortar and pestle and can be sprinkled onto the paper talisman as an offering to the angel. Likewise, a piece of pearl or tin may be placed on top of the paper talisman for the conjuration. You then use the paper to wrap up the whole thing when the ritual is complete and somehow bind or tape it together.
The god-name for the path of Pisces is the twelfth permutation of Tetragrammaton, HHVY. Some schools teach that as the name of God is ineffable, it should be spelled out by letter (Heh-Heh-Vav-Yod). However, in practice that does not work nearly as well as pronouncing the name as a word. The pronunciation of this permutation would be something like "Heh-Vay."
For ceremonial forms, I use the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for the signs of the Zodiac when working practical magick. Apparently a number of schools teach that you should use the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram instead, but as I see it the practical zodiacal work as an extension of the macrocosm, so I prefer the hexagram. You can invoke an element using either the hexagram of the ruling planet or the pentagram of the ruling element, but in the latter case it seems more likely that what will be invoked is the sign's more microcosmic aspects, such as associated personality traits.
0. The Temple
The best time to perform a Pisces operation is on a Thursday, during an hour of Jupiter that falls during the night. This is because Jupiter rules Pisces, and because the sign Pisces belongs to the Nocturnal sect. Since you are employing ceremonial forms to tune the space you could do it during a day hour of Jupiter as well, but a night hour is most appropriate.
To calculate the hours, divide the time between sunrise and sunset into twelve equal parts to get the hours of the day, and the time between sunset and sunrise into twelve equal parts to get the hours of the night. Days begin at sunrise. The first hour of the day is attributed to the planet ruling the day, and the subsequent hours are assigned according to the Chaldean Order.
Saturn --> Jupiter --> Mars --> Sun --> Venus --> Mercury --> Moon
Following the hour of the Moon, the order starts over again with Saturn. While it seems complicated as first, once you do it a bunch, you'll find that it actually is pretty easy. At this point I can almost do it in my head. There are also a number of software programs that you can download to do the calculation for you, and even some websites that will tell you the hours.
You should also calculate the Chart Victor for the time of your operation if at all possible. Ideally, you want the Chart Victor to be a planet that is dignified in the sign, and you should always avoid a Chart Victor that is debilitated. So the best Chart Victor for a Pisces operation is Jupiter (Rulership) or Venus (Exaltation). The Chart Victor to always avoid is Mercury (both Detriment and Fall).
The other planets are essentially neutral, and will neither impede nor aid your operation, though if you can wait until the Chart Victor is Saturn you will generally get better results. Also, keep in mind that simple electional timing should be employed as well, and a positive final aspect is especially important if you are working with a neutral Chart Victor.
There are a number of different ways to arrange the temple for an operation such as this. What we do is place an altar in the center with the banishing dagger and invoking wand. Also on the altar is a containment structure such as the Sigillum Dei Aemeth or the Trithemian Table of Art. The diagram depicting the character and sigil should be placed within this structure. A small container of some sort for offerings may be placed on the Table of Art, or you can sprinkle the offering directly upon the diagram itself.
The Table of Art shown above is from The Digital Ambler. You can read about the design and how it was put together here. You can click on the image to enlarge.
If you employ scrying in your work, an appropriate device such as a crystal or mirror should also be placed in the containment structure. If you are using incense for such an operation, the traditional method is to place the incense burner between the scryer and the mirror or crystal. Otherwise, it may be placed anywhere in the space. Some scryers like to place a taper candle on either side of the device, and while I can't say that method does anything at all for me, a number of others report good results with it.
1. Opening
Light incense, if used. Open the magical field using the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, or the Field Ritual. The usual field for practical work is the operant field, with banishing pentagrams and invoking hexagrams.
Not that the standard Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is NOT the "Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn." Apparently at least one of the Golden Dawn groups teaches that you can do "Lesser Hexagrams" for the different planets by tracing them from different points. In the operant system this doesn't make any sense, and I'm not sure that it did in the original Golden Dawn system either.
Lesser does not mean "worse" and Greater does not mean "better" - and as I've mentioned before, I dislike that nomenclature because of those connotations. Lesser means "general" because you use the Lesser rituals to set up your fields, and Greater means "specific" because those rituals call upon specific aspects associated with the magical visions and powers. Therefore, a "Lesser Hexagram" of a particular power is inherently contradictory, at least as I understand it.
2. Preliminary Invocation
Raise energy using the Middle Pillar, Elevenfold Seal (the "First Gesture" from Liber V vel Reguli), or some other appropriate ritual method as you may know how to do. Another option that I recently learned of is to use the Priest's portion of The Anthem from the Gnostic Mass as an empowering statement, which I expect would be particularly effective for anyone who performs the Gnostic Mass on a regular basis.
Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon, raising both arms and holding them straight with an angle between them of 60 degrees, and proclaim, very strongly:
Then make the Sign of Silence, by standing straight with one arm at your side and placing your thumb or forefinger to your lips.
3. Tuning the Space
Perform the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Pisces. The invoking hexagram of Pisces is traced by starting at the upper right point and tracing the downward triangle clockwise from that point, and then moving on to the lower left point and tracing the upward triangle clockwise from that point. Beginning in the east, go to each quarter in turn and perform the following actions.
Once the four figures are traced, return to face the east completing the circle.
Then, recite the following unification statement adapted from Liber 963.
The space should now be tuned for the conjuration.
4. The Conjuration
At this point, vibrate the name AMNITZIEL repeatedly until the presence of the angel and spirits of Pisces are perceived within the Table of Art. Various methods may be used to accomplish this, from simply waiting until a presence makes itself known to scrying for an image in a crystal or dark mirror. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops.
5. The Charge
My instructions for the charge are simple and straightforward, just as you can find in my published books. Make use of an Injunction, which is what you want the angel and associated spirits to do, and a Limitation, which is what you do not want them to do. The Limitation helps you avoid "Monkey's Paw" situations in which your Injunction may manifest, but in an undesirable way.
As I mentioned above, Liber 777 catalogs the powers attributed to the sign Pisces as "Bewitchments, Casting Illusions." For best results, your charge should fall within those areas. Otherwise, you may be asking for something outside Pisces' sphere of influence, and that could cause the ritual to fail.
At this point you may also make offerings to the angel by placing them in the small container. After the angel has had a chance to partake of the offerings, be sure to dispose of them. Alcohol such as wine may be allowed to evaporate on its own, and natural substances may be scattered outdoors. Do not attempt to reuse an offering - generally speaking, spirits do not take kindly to that.
Your other option is to place the offerings directly upon the sigil itself, if this is practical, as it is with ground-up plant material or spices. If you decide to go this route, you will be wrapping the offering up in the paper sigil and need give it no further thought. Obviously, though, this becomes less practical with liquid offerings, such as alcohol.
Also, You should get some sort of assent from the angel before you proceed to the License to Depart, or an explanation of his objection. When the charge lies outside the angel's sphere of influence, often he will be willing to direct you to another spirit that would be more suitable to conjure in order to better accomplish your intent.
6. The License to Depart
7. Closing
The ritual may be closed with either a final banishing pentagram ritual or with the Qabalistic Cross performed on its own. These should match the rituals used in the opening, so for example if you opened with a Star Ruby you should repeat it or perform the corresponding version of the Qabalistic Cross.
Generally speaking, if you want to release your intent out into the world to accomplish some task external to yourself, you should close with a banishing pentagram ritual. This is similar to the chaos magick idea of releasing a sigil once it has been created and empowered.
On the other hand, if you also want the effect of the ritual to linger within your sphere of awareness, whether or not the intent is also external, you should close with the Qabalistic Cross. This stabilizes the operation, but does not detach it from your sphere of awareness.
Note that this does not mean if at some point following the ritual you do a microcosmic banishing like an LBRP as, say, part of your daily practice the ritual will be dispelled. The effect of the ritual should stabilize within 15-20 minutes, after which you can do any microcosmic banishing you please as part of your regular daily practices or as part of another ritual.
The work of the Zodiac is neglected by most magical resources intended for beginners. The reason for this is that in the tradition, students start out studying the elemental work, move on to the planetary work, and only after that explore the system of the Zodiac. But in the context of practical work, the signs are important, because they represent half of the practical magical powers listed in Liber 777.
When going through this series, you can refer back to my Angels of the Zodiac presentation for additional information. The presentation goes into greater detail regarding some aspects of the zodiacal work, as does my Evoking Zodiacal Angels article in Liber Spirituum.
Today I will be moving on to the sign Pisces. In Liber 777, Pisces is attributed to "Bewitchments, Casting Illusions." So what we're talking about here is mind-to-mind type magical operations. The power of casting illusions can be used to alter the perceptions of others, and the power of bewitchment can be used to influence the thinking of others. "Mind control" would perhaps be too strong a term for this power, but "Mind Influence" would probably be an appropriate description.
As you can probably discern, this is another of the zodiacal powers that has many applications with potentially broad implications. Especially in the modern world, perception is incredibly important. And for most things that lie beyond our abilities to control via normal means, the decisions of others are generally paramount. Being able to shift both of these functions to our advantage can lead to great success in all manner of endeavors.
In Qabalah, the signs correspond to the twelve single letters of the Hebrew alphabet. These letters are so named because they correspond to a single specific sounds. The signs are all attributed to the sephira Chockmah, and are associated with paths only in the context of practical magical work. The sephiroth represent states of manifestation, whereas the paths represent the movement of energy between those states.
This series will be covering these paths, as they correspond to practical magical operations. This is by design - some schools teach that you should master a bunch of mystical stuff before you start casting effective spells, and I just don't buy that. You should use magick for basically everything, and you should start doing it right away. Studying the differences between successes and failures will give you essential insights into the nature of your will and the quality of your technique, and besides, doing effective practical magick is awesome.
For the Path of Pisces, the four scales of color are Crimson or Ultraviolet, Buff Flecked Silver-White, Light Translucent Pinkish Brown, and "Stone Colour." I generally think of this as the brownish slate gray color that is common to many rocks. For ceremonial forms, you use the King scale, which is Crimson. Its complement is yellowish green. All four scales should be used to construct the sigil of the angel.
The sigil should be traced onto the Kamea of Jupiter, as Jupiter is the ruler of Pisces. Along with the sigil itself, you can also trace the character of Pisces on the Kamea. The Angel of Pisces is Amnitziel, spelled Aleph-Mem-Nun-Yod-Tzaddi-Yod-Aleph-Lamed. The Jupiter kamea is 4x4, so the highest number in the square is 16. So Mem needs to be reduced from 40 to 4, Nun needs to be reduced from 50 to 5, Tzaddi needs to be reduced from 90 to 9, and Lamed needs to be reduced from 30 to 3. This yields 1, 4 (40), 5 (50), 10, 9 (90), 10, 1, 3 (30). The final figure should look something like this:
From Liber 777, incense appropriate to Pisces is ambergris or menstrual fluid. Real ambergris can be difficult to get a hold of today, but there are close substitutes that can be found online. The associated plants are unicellular organisms, opium, and mangrove. As opium comes from the poppy plant, all sorts of poppies would be appropriate here. Poppy seeds should work, too, and these are widely available as a cooking spice. The associated metal is tin, and the associated precious stone is pearl. Note that for this purpose, the stones need not be gem quality and can be purchased inexpensively.
The plants may be dried and ground into a powder using a mortar and pestle and can be sprinkled onto the paper talisman as an offering to the angel. Likewise, a piece of pearl or tin may be placed on top of the paper talisman for the conjuration. You then use the paper to wrap up the whole thing when the ritual is complete and somehow bind or tape it together.
The god-name for the path of Pisces is the twelfth permutation of Tetragrammaton, HHVY. Some schools teach that as the name of God is ineffable, it should be spelled out by letter (Heh-Heh-Vav-Yod). However, in practice that does not work nearly as well as pronouncing the name as a word. The pronunciation of this permutation would be something like "Heh-Vay."
For ceremonial forms, I use the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for the signs of the Zodiac when working practical magick. Apparently a number of schools teach that you should use the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram instead, but as I see it the practical zodiacal work as an extension of the macrocosm, so I prefer the hexagram. You can invoke an element using either the hexagram of the ruling planet or the pentagram of the ruling element, but in the latter case it seems more likely that what will be invoked is the sign's more microcosmic aspects, such as associated personality traits.
0. The Temple
The best time to perform a Pisces operation is on a Thursday, during an hour of Jupiter that falls during the night. This is because Jupiter rules Pisces, and because the sign Pisces belongs to the Nocturnal sect. Since you are employing ceremonial forms to tune the space you could do it during a day hour of Jupiter as well, but a night hour is most appropriate.
To calculate the hours, divide the time between sunrise and sunset into twelve equal parts to get the hours of the day, and the time between sunset and sunrise into twelve equal parts to get the hours of the night. Days begin at sunrise. The first hour of the day is attributed to the planet ruling the day, and the subsequent hours are assigned according to the Chaldean Order.
Saturn --> Jupiter --> Mars --> Sun --> Venus --> Mercury --> Moon
Following the hour of the Moon, the order starts over again with Saturn. While it seems complicated as first, once you do it a bunch, you'll find that it actually is pretty easy. At this point I can almost do it in my head. There are also a number of software programs that you can download to do the calculation for you, and even some websites that will tell you the hours.
You should also calculate the Chart Victor for the time of your operation if at all possible. Ideally, you want the Chart Victor to be a planet that is dignified in the sign, and you should always avoid a Chart Victor that is debilitated. So the best Chart Victor for a Pisces operation is Jupiter (Rulership) or Venus (Exaltation). The Chart Victor to always avoid is Mercury (both Detriment and Fall).
The other planets are essentially neutral, and will neither impede nor aid your operation, though if you can wait until the Chart Victor is Saturn you will generally get better results. Also, keep in mind that simple electional timing should be employed as well, and a positive final aspect is especially important if you are working with a neutral Chart Victor.
There are a number of different ways to arrange the temple for an operation such as this. What we do is place an altar in the center with the banishing dagger and invoking wand. Also on the altar is a containment structure such as the Sigillum Dei Aemeth or the Trithemian Table of Art. The diagram depicting the character and sigil should be placed within this structure. A small container of some sort for offerings may be placed on the Table of Art, or you can sprinkle the offering directly upon the diagram itself.
The Table of Art shown above is from The Digital Ambler. You can read about the design and how it was put together here. You can click on the image to enlarge.
If you employ scrying in your work, an appropriate device such as a crystal or mirror should also be placed in the containment structure. If you are using incense for such an operation, the traditional method is to place the incense burner between the scryer and the mirror or crystal. Otherwise, it may be placed anywhere in the space. Some scryers like to place a taper candle on either side of the device, and while I can't say that method does anything at all for me, a number of others report good results with it.
1. Opening
Light incense, if used. Open the magical field using the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, or the Field Ritual. The usual field for practical work is the operant field, with banishing pentagrams and invoking hexagrams.
Not that the standard Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is NOT the "Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn." Apparently at least one of the Golden Dawn groups teaches that you can do "Lesser Hexagrams" for the different planets by tracing them from different points. In the operant system this doesn't make any sense, and I'm not sure that it did in the original Golden Dawn system either.
Lesser does not mean "worse" and Greater does not mean "better" - and as I've mentioned before, I dislike that nomenclature because of those connotations. Lesser means "general" because you use the Lesser rituals to set up your fields, and Greater means "specific" because those rituals call upon specific aspects associated with the magical visions and powers. Therefore, a "Lesser Hexagram" of a particular power is inherently contradictory, at least as I understand it.
2. Preliminary Invocation
Raise energy using the Middle Pillar, Elevenfold Seal (the "First Gesture" from Liber V vel Reguli), or some other appropriate ritual method as you may know how to do. Another option that I recently learned of is to use the Priest's portion of The Anthem from the Gnostic Mass as an empowering statement, which I expect would be particularly effective for anyone who performs the Gnostic Mass on a regular basis.
Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon, raising both arms and holding them straight with an angle between them of 60 degrees, and proclaim, very strongly:
Thee I invoke, who art Universe!
Thee I invoke, who art in Nature formed!
Thee I invoke, the vast and the mighty!
Source of Darkness, Source of Light.
Then make the Sign of Silence, by standing straight with one arm at your side and placing your thumb or forefinger to your lips.
3. Tuning the Space
Perform the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Pisces. The invoking hexagram of Pisces is traced by starting at the upper right point and tracing the downward triangle clockwise from that point, and then moving on to the lower left point and tracing the upward triangle clockwise from that point. Beginning in the east, go to each quarter in turn and perform the following actions.
- 1. Trace the Hexagram of Pisces in Crimson while vibrating ARARITA (ah-rah-ree-tah).
- Trace the symbol of Pisces in the center of the hexagram in yellowish green while vibrating HHVY (Heh-Vay).
Once the four figures are traced, return to face the east completing the circle.
Then, recite the following unification statement adapted from Liber 963.
1. O Thou crimson gladness of the midnight, Thou flamingo North of brooding light! Yea, as I rise up before Thee, my joy is but as a raindrop smitten through by an arrow of the Western Sun.
2. O my God, Thou Mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the hissing of mad waters, and the trumpeting of the thunder, and all Thy tongues of dancing flame; so that I may be swept up in the breath of Thy nostrils, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.
3. O Thou Dragon-regent of the blue seas of air, as a chain of emeralds round the neck of Space; I swear to Thee by the hexagram of Night and Day, to be unto Thee as the twin fish of Time, which being set apart never divulge the secret of their unity.
4. O Thou Sovran Diadem of crowned Wisdom, whose work knoweth the path of the sylphs of the air, and the black burrowings of the gnomes of the earth. I know Thee! O Thou Master of the ways of life, in the palm of whose hand all the arts lie bounden as a smoke-cloud betwixt the lips of the mountain.
5. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the stillness of the frozen lakes: Thou hast made their faces more dazzling than a silver mirror, so that they may flash forth the Glory of Thy Name.
6. O Thou mighty God, make me as a silver fish darting through the vast depths of the dim-peopled waters; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may swim through the vastness of Thine abyss, and sink beneath the waveless depths of Thy Glory: O Thou God, my God!
7. O Thou midnight Vision of Whiteness, whose lips are as pouting rosebuds deflowered by the deciduous moon; tend me as a drop of dew in Thy breast, so that the dragon of Thy gluttonous hate may devour me with its mouth of adamant.
8. O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the formulator of law; nor the Cheat of the maze of illusion: O Thou who art not the foundation-stone of existence; nor the eagle that broodeth upon the egg of space! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Swathe me in the unity of Thy might, and teach me wisdom from the lips of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.
9. Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou who broodest on the dark depths of the deep; Thou lap of the wave-glittering sea; Thou bright vesture of the crested floods: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou native splendour of the Waters; O Thou fathomless Abyss of surging joy! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till the mad swords of my music smite the hills, and rend the amethyst limbs of Night from the white embrace of Day, at the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.
10. O my God, conquer me with love and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all the striving of my spirit is as a child's kiss that struggles through a cloud of tangled hair.
11. O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all my praise is as the song of a bird that is ensnared in the network of the winds, and cast adown the drowning depths of night. Yet in the faltering notes of my music do I mark the melody of universal truth.
12. O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou snow-browed storm that art whirled up in clouds of flame? O Thou red sword of the thunder! Thou great blue river of ever-flowing Brightness, over whose breasts creep the star-bannered vessels of night! O how can I plunge within Thine inscrutable depths, and yet with open eye be lost in the pearly foam of Thine Oblivion?
13. O Thou Unity of all things: as the sun that rolleth through the twelve mansions of the skies, so art Thou, O God my God. I cannot slay Thee, for Thou art everywhere; lo! though I lick up the Boundless Light, the Boundless, and the Not, there still shall I find Thee, Thou Unity of Unities, Thou Oneness, O Thou perfect Nothingness of Bliss!
The space should now be tuned for the conjuration.
4. The Conjuration
O thou mighty angel AMNITZIEL, ruler of DAGIM, by the name of the True and Living God HHVY, I call upon you and ask that you along with the spirits of your domain manifest themselves unto me, for I am a true worshiper of the highest. Let them come forth in a friendly and peaceful manner that I may partake of the wisdom and the pure essence of Pisces, and that they may attend to my behest. AMEN.
At this point, vibrate the name AMNITZIEL repeatedly until the presence of the angel and spirits of Pisces are perceived within the Table of Art. Various methods may be used to accomplish this, from simply waiting until a presence makes itself known to scrying for an image in a crystal or dark mirror. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops.
5. The Charge
My instructions for the charge are simple and straightforward, just as you can find in my published books. Make use of an Injunction, which is what you want the angel and associated spirits to do, and a Limitation, which is what you do not want them to do. The Limitation helps you avoid "Monkey's Paw" situations in which your Injunction may manifest, but in an undesirable way.
As I mentioned above, Liber 777 catalogs the powers attributed to the sign Pisces as "Bewitchments, Casting Illusions." For best results, your charge should fall within those areas. Otherwise, you may be asking for something outside Pisces' sphere of influence, and that could cause the ritual to fail.
At this point you may also make offerings to the angel by placing them in the small container. After the angel has had a chance to partake of the offerings, be sure to dispose of them. Alcohol such as wine may be allowed to evaporate on its own, and natural substances may be scattered outdoors. Do not attempt to reuse an offering - generally speaking, spirits do not take kindly to that.
Your other option is to place the offerings directly upon the sigil itself, if this is practical, as it is with ground-up plant material or spices. If you decide to go this route, you will be wrapping the offering up in the paper sigil and need give it no further thought. Obviously, though, this becomes less practical with liquid offerings, such as alcohol.
Also, You should get some sort of assent from the angel before you proceed to the License to Depart, or an explanation of his objection. When the charge lies outside the angel's sphere of influence, often he will be willing to direct you to another spirit that would be more suitable to conjure in order to better accomplish your intent.
6. The License to Depart
Mighty AMNITZIEL and the spirits of Thy domain, because thou hast-diligently answered unto my demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at my call, I do hereby license thee to depart unto thy proper place, without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. I charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly with the blessings of the great god HHVY, and that peace be ever continued between us. So mote it be!
7. Closing
The ritual may be closed with either a final banishing pentagram ritual or with the Qabalistic Cross performed on its own. These should match the rituals used in the opening, so for example if you opened with a Star Ruby you should repeat it or perform the corresponding version of the Qabalistic Cross.
Generally speaking, if you want to release your intent out into the world to accomplish some task external to yourself, you should close with a banishing pentagram ritual. This is similar to the chaos magick idea of releasing a sigil once it has been created and empowered.
On the other hand, if you also want the effect of the ritual to linger within your sphere of awareness, whether or not the intent is also external, you should close with the Qabalistic Cross. This stabilizes the operation, but does not detach it from your sphere of awareness.
Note that this does not mean if at some point following the ritual you do a microcosmic banishing like an LBRP as, say, part of your daily practice the ritual will be dispelled. The effect of the ritual should stabilize within 15-20 minutes, after which you can do any microcosmic banishing you please as part of your regular daily practices or as part of another ritual.
Hi Scott! I'm thinking about conducting a series of 'experiments' about 'Dream sending', meaning the ability to send a certain dream to a person (Say.. Me handing them a yellow flower). Have you ever had any success or experience with that sort of powers? On the other hand, I was doubting wether I should focus more on a Pisces operation or perhaps a Moon operation. What's your opinion on which would be more appropiate regarding dreams and the ability to 'send' them?
ReplyDeleteI'll probably be starting with me just sending an action, then an action and perhaps a color, then spoken word, and then dreams that perhaps dont involve me. The idea is to work with a person that can remember dreams perfectly and has a somewhat 'active dreamer' mindset. I wont be telling them what I will be sending, of course. Just that I will be sending something, and they should let me know if they ever dream about me, for instance.
Thanks!
I have never experimented much with this myself, but I would be very interested in hearing your results if you go ahead with this and wind up wanting to share.
ReplyDeleteFrom the standpoint of the aspect to use, I would agree that it should be Pisces or the Moon, but it is hard to say which would be more effective. Pisces is casting illusions, which is basically what dreams are, and the Moon rules divination by dreams. I think I would maybe say Moon if I had to pick one, since it is explicitly associated with dreaming. But I also would not be surprised if Pisces turned out to work better.
One suggestion I would make is to limit actions, colors, words, and so forth to a particular set. That way, you know for sure what the odds are of guessing due to chance, and you can compare that to the results you actually get. So say that you're using colors - stick to the seven basic colors of the spectrum so that you know the odds of guessing right by chance are one in seven.
I'll be letting you know how it all goes down ;) Thanks for the help!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds great. I look forward to hearing your results!
ReplyDeleteHi Scott
ReplyDeleteI use the formule descens of mystic rose of poke runyon instead the midle pillar,It is much more powerful¡¡¡¡ and the questions And if I want to for example at the same time invoke for example Mrte in Aries, or Jupiter in Cancer?Could the signs of Mars and Aries be inscribed in the major hexagram at the same time?On the other hand when it comes to calling the hierarchy, should use the angel of Mars and Aries? How would that descense of Forces?
I see extremely important the Table of tritemium eg as focal point of attraction and connection with any force.
I have thought of working with a tarot card and a sigil - as frater barrabas suggests - but using this system and invoking forces of the elements Scott
You would need two Greater Hexagrams for that. For Mars in Aries, you would do Aries first, then Mars. You cannot combine the two into one Greater Hexagram - or at least, I have yet to come up with a good way to do it.
ReplyDeleteYou can do one conjuration, though. For Mars in Aries, you would want to call the angel of Mars just like you normally would do. So it would look like this:
Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Aries
Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Mars
Conjuration of the Angel of Mars by the Mars godname. Either the path or sephira godname will work, depending on what you want to do.
So you tune your space to Aries, and then tune your Aries space to the Mars aspect. The same goes for Jupiter in Cancer.
You can use a Tarot card as a focus if you want, corresponding to the card that represents the planet in the sign. You wouldn't need to worry about working with the elements (aside from the elemental attributions of the LRP/LRH, which are always present) to get a planet in a sign. It's kind of redundant, since the sign is related to an element already.
Hi Scott ¡¡¡
ReplyDeleteBut it is a very powerful type of force¡¡¡ Could invoke the force of mars in scorpio and so on ,Anyway we combine planets and signs and hierarchies are different
And if we make a kind of pilon? As frater barrabas suggested umm it would be crazy ?
As far as the tarot I was referring to the technique of projecting the qualified powers ...But using the operant field Tarot is an amazing tool
By the way the 16 figures of the court are related to the 16 hidden trails of the tree of life, that would be another subject to treat
If you wanted to invoke all three, you would want to make sure that the elements match. So for Mars in Aries, the only element you would want to add would be Fire. The others won't add much. Likewise, if you want Mars in Scorpio, the element should be Water. And so forth. The forms for that (first case) would be:
ReplyDeleteGreater Invoking Hexagram for Aries
Greater Invoking Hexagram for Mars
Greater Invoking Pentagram for Fire
Your conjurations would then follow. You always work from the top down with the forms, and you should do the same with your conjurations. So if you wanted to summon the Angel of Aries, the Angel of Mars, and the Angel of Fire all together, you would call them in that order.
Frater Barrabbas and I have been friends for just shy of twenty years, so I'm very familiar with his work. He and I both live here in the Twin Cities, and we attend the same OTO lodge (to be fair, there only is one). I even worked with him (as in, worked at a job) for about a year, back in 2000.
What Javier is saying about calling upon the angel of a sign and of a planet together is like the equivalent of Frater RO's ritual for charging the 4th pentacle of Jupiter, which is required to be made while Jupiter is in Cancer. He called both Sachiel and Muriel in order to empower it.
ReplyDeleteSo thanks Javier for bringing that up and thanks Scott for making the ritual layout clear! :D
Hi Scott¡¡
ReplyDeleteEach time I like to use the appropriate tarot card next to a syllable in the triangle, be it zodiac energy, planet or element.
I have thought of using the potential of the 40 qualified powers(In the style of Frater Barrabas), but using the elementary hierarchy, for example, even planetary, the technique of the operant field allows to open fascinating paths!
Here Scott the question, would, this scheme serve to call goetic spirits? Personally I think for it in zodiacal terms could put the seal goetic in the center of the triangle, these would be controlled by the angels of schemphaforash and the governor of the decanate, but if these Spirits inhabit in Yesod ... What is your point of view about this Scott?
of course I will try the technique that you have given Scott greetings Dacia ¡¡¡
ReplyDeleteSo a caveat there - I have worked a whole lot with the Enochian system, the Agrippa system, and the angels of the planets, elements, and signs. But I have very little experience with Goetic spirits. I think I've taken part in two rituals total from the Lemegeton and neither of them fully worked.
ReplyDeleteGiven that, I have no idea if my perspective on the Goetia is even relevant to your question. Still, your supposition makes logical sense, that if the Goetic spirit you're working with is attributed to a particular decanate you should be able to tune the space to that sign and get better results.
@Scott - about charging the 4th pentacle of Jupiter using the Jupiter in Cancer method mentioned above. As I understood from Frater RO's article he merely called Muriel to provide the zodiacal energies of Cancer, suited for charging the pentacle, not for practicle endeavors. In that case, do you think it's necessary to recite the invocation of Cancer (Liber 963) before I call upon him?
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts on the ritual are these:
1. LBRP-LIRH
2. Initial invocation + MP
3. GIRH of Cancer + GIRH of the path of Jupiter
4. Conjuration of Muriel with the instruction to tune the space for the charging of the 4th pentacle upon arrival
5. Orphic hymn of Jupiter + conjuration of Sachiel
6. Asking Sachiel to charge the talisman
7. License(s) to depart for Sachiel and Muriel
8. LBRP
It is not necessary to recite the Liber 963 piece at all, I just like it as a unification statement that goes with the Greater Hexagram. I picked the idea up from RO, but I don't use it the same way. Same goes for the Orphic Hymn.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I would change is do GIRH Cancer, Conjure Muriel, GIRH Jupiter Path, Conjure Sachiel. You need to tune the space to what you're trying to do before you conjure. But for Muriel, you want a Cancer tuning, and then for Jupiter, you want a "Jupiter of Cancer" tuning.
If you do it my way with the Liber 963 piece and the Orphic Hymn, you would get this:
3. GIRH Cancer + Liber 963
4. Conjuration of Muriel with instruction etc.
5. GIRH Path of Jupiter + Orphic Hymn.
6. Conjuration of Sachiel and Charge
The point is that the poetry goes with the corresponding GIRH with my method, not with the conjuration. RO, on the other hand, uses it more like a Charge.
That's perfectly logical. I was pressed by time that night, so I want along with what I wrote above. Considering the fact I had to work around several instructions on how the talisman should be made and charged, I'll be happy if it works at 10-20% of its power. Next time I'll pull a stunt like this I'll definitely do it according to your instructions. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Scott ¡¡¡
ReplyDeleteIf for example my house 2 astrological (rules the economy, properties, possessions) Would not it be logical to invoke the forces of Geminis and Mercury to expand and improve my economy?
It may be far more effective to create rituals based on this to obtain more powerful and stable results in Malchut.
Another example if I have a very hard transition from Saturn to my native mercury (regent of the house of the economy) it is clear that they will automatically give them knowingly or unconsciously blocks related to these concepts, in this case to counter negative transit How could we approach the zodiacal or planetary rite? This would apply to any astrological area
So let me see if I understand your question - you are saying that Gemini is in your second house (meaning your ascendant would be Taurus), and you want to call on Mercury or Gemini to help with your economic situation?
ReplyDeleteThere are some situations where that might work, but in Renaissance astrology it would depend on the condition of your Mercury. Gemini is "the house of Mercury." If your natal Mercury is debilitated (in detriment or fall) this idea probably won't work. On the other hand, if Mercury is in its rulership or exaltation it very well could.
Otherwise, you have to look at the aspects to your Mercury to determine its condition. If you have a negative aspect between Saturn and Mercury like you're talking about here and your Mercury is not in rulership or exaltation, I wouldn't expect this method to work very well.
So it's complicated and it depends on your entire natal chart.
If you have a particular planet that is causing problems, you could do some kind of ritual to neutralize its influence. But while that method is appropriate if you have one big troublemaker in your chart, most charts are more complex than that. I would probably try something like creating a talisman for the intelligence or angel of Saturn and charge it with neutralizing that particular aspect.
I was thinking along the lines of a Saturn ritual to neutralize the negative effect as well.
ReplyDeleteYou can double that by doing another ritual with Sol which is currently in Gemini in order to increase the positive financial situation in that area of your life.
Another thing that comes to mind is to perform a Taurus ritual and ask Asmodel to send the positive financial Taurean energies directly into your personal sphere or into a talisman. You can also use Jupiter from tomorrow onwards, since it will stop being Rx. Jupiter is currently in Libra which might be your 6th house (I guess), meaning your job. Thus you favour getting more benefits from your job which reflects back on your income. It's a high chance that your natal Mercury is in a trine with the current Jupiter and you could use the Big Guy to increase the positive vibes on your natal Mercury.
Sun is related to acquiring wealth, so that would be fine. Sun in Gemini is neither debilitated nor dignified, but that's the only way in which the sign would matter for a planetary operation. Jupiter would also work. Jupiter is currently in Libra, so no debility there.
ReplyDeleteAside from avoiding debilities, though, houses and signs don't matter much for planetary work, since it's on a different level than the zodiacal stuff. If you try to do much mixing of the planes there, you'll wind up with something so complex that you won't be able to track it, let alone work with it. Much of the glomming together of attributions for signs and houses come from modern astrology, too, which is not quite the same as the Renaissance version that I use with Chart Victors and so forth.
Also not that when you deviate from the listed powers for a sign, you can't always guarantee the results. Taurus is "the secret of physical strength." That's pretty different from anything related to money or finances. You certainly could conjure up Asmodel and have a conversation about it, but the angel might recommend a better spirit to get it done.
I understand that Taurus has that power in 777, which seems right considering the physical traits of a bull. I came up with Asmodel due to the astrological associations to Taurus and some of it's characteristics, ie fixed Earth and gaining money. I don't know if this traits were also associated to Taurus in ancient times, but I guess they might have been, in the form of gaining money from steady work.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to ask you Scott about possible predispositions one could have when working with zodiacal angels. In Javier's case he's got the Asc in Taurus, meaning those energies are more present in his personal field and act more powerful that that of a sign with no planet and energy in it, in the natal chart. I think in his case this is a sign of Asmodel being and acting closer to him than say, Cambriel, in the event he's got nothing in Aquarius. Do you think working with the angels of the signs in which we have natal planets would be easier and more successful than working with the other angels of the signs? I'm only asking for your first thought on the subject, and I'm aware that much experimenting needs to be done in order to prove or disprove it.
My intuition also tells me that it also depends on the planet in a certain sign, because it's the planet that channels that energy to us. So I guess it would be some difference between working with say Cambriel with Venus present there, and working with Cambriel with Mars present there in the birth chart.
Oh and regarding the mixing of the planes, i only refer to doing one stand alone ritual with each planetary/zodiacal spirit in part, in order to tackle the problem from many angles. I suspect you know how hard Saturn transits can get, so I think every possibility should be thought of :)
ReplyDeleteI understand, but my point is that if what you are looking for is Earth, maybe you should just work with Earth rather than trying to get at it "sideways" by trying to work with Taurus. That's why I think you would want to have a conversation with the angel before going that route. Maybe it's fine, but the angel is the real expert.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience the planets in my natal chart don't have much effect on how my planetary operations work at all. I'm good at Jupiter operations to get work, and my Jupiter is in Virgo - which is its detriment. I'm good at healing spells too, but my Mercury is in Gemini which is its rulership. Technically I should be fantastic at healing and really bad at job spells according to my natal chart, but I'm good at both - about equally good. Neither came any harder than the other, either.
So it seems to me that going into a lot of detail there is overthinking it and making the work unnecessarily complex. It's a lot more important to pay attention to the astrological forces that are present while you are performing your rituals.
Oh, one other thing. Remember that when you are working with the zodiacal angels you are trading speed for power. A zodiacal operation could lead to great success, but years down the road. If you need money now, it's probably not the best choice.
ReplyDeleteYou're right and I'm over thinking it. But in fax I was referring to working with the zodiacal angels whose signs are with or without a planet present in them in the birth chart. It's more about the personal connection with those forces and the possible ability to influence them more into having better results.
ReplyDeleteFor example: I have no planet in Virgo, but I have my MC there and I found out Hamaliel to be very friendly and willing to help me, resulting in successful outcomes every time - I used him for healing intestinal and nervous problems.
Anyway, I have my Asc and my Pluto in Scorpio. Barachiel was also friendly and willing to help but the results were not so good. The intent targeted the person energetically, not physically, specifically to remove the negative traits of Scorpio as they manifest in the person's chart. I guess Pluto's presence and influence in my chart could have prevented my ability to work with Barachiel and influence the energies of Scorpio in that ritual with great precision.
I have nothing in Leo for instance, and I wounded how that would affect any ritual with Verachiel. I'm just speculating and playing with ideas here, not that Mercury entered my sign :)
Okay, I guess I misunderstood you then. You mentioned Saturn and Jupiter, so I thought you were talking about planetary operations and/or some sort of mixed planetary/zodiacal thing. The zodiacal angels are directly associated with the signs, so that's a whole other thing. I'm not surprised to hear that you've gotten good results there.
ReplyDeleteIn modern astrology, Pluto rules Scorpio (the traditional ruler is Mars). Rulership means competence, so if anything I would think Pluto in Scorpio would be helpful for working with Barachiel. But as I said, natal planetary positions don't have much effect on planetary operations, and for zodiacal ones I would think the effect would be even weaker - different planes and all that.
Yeah, my sentiments exactly regarding the Scorpio operation, but I thought that Pluto's intense energies in my chart were interfering somehow from inside my microcosmos into the ritual... Don't mind me, I'm just exercising my thoughts and imagination :)
ReplyDeleteThe reason I mentioned Asmodel as an option for Javier's problem is based on my assumption that his Asc in Taurus could improve the connection to the angel and the results of the ritual.
@Javier for fast money try Bune.
Did you check the Chart Victor and the simple electional timing for your Scorpio operation? Those are more likely to be factors than anything your natal chart. If you have the time of your operation you should still be able to look them up.
ReplyDeleteMake sure that your Chart Victor was not Venus (Detriment). Nothing is in Fall in Scorpio, so that helps. But if your Chart Victor wasn't Mars, the electional timing becomes more important.
Make sure that you didn't perform your operation on a void-of-course Moon, and that the Moon's final aspect was conjunct, trine, or sextile. The planet making the aspect doesn't matter so much, but the aspect itself does.
I would make sure all of those are good before trying to tease anything out of your natal chart. It also is possible that the ritual just failed. Remember, even if circumstances are such that your odds of success are 90%, one time in ten your ritual will fail anyway.
I need to check my records, but I remember doing the ritual in a Mars hour for sure. It was not a Tuesday, more likely a Monday (could have gone wrong because the Moon would have had 7 points from the start) or Wednesday. If I remember correctly, I had calculated the CV and it was favourable for a Mars operation, thus a Scorpio one. The Moon was on course for sure, but I don't remember its aspect at that time.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, I check the election time as much as I can before what I consider to be important rituals. I even look up the lunar mansion and its traits over on Lunarium. This was the ritual I've mentioned on the group, in which I saw a dark silhouette in my offering bowl of water. But as i know for a long time, and also having read your statements on this blog, seeing the spirit doesn't result in a successful outcome of the ritual.
It just came to me as I'm writing this down. You're totally right when saying that zodiacal works take more time to manifest. My Virgo operations had an 8week time frame, which is still too short. They were successful, but I think the Scorpio ritual needed waaay more time than this due to something relating to the way their energy was constructed even before they came into physical being. Long story, and not on topic here, but now I'm almost certain I needed to set a longer time frame.
Scott, I was reading your article on the zodiacal angels, and I came across several sigils of these angels in the magical calendar (free at http://www.esotericarchives.com/mc/index.html)
ReplyDeleteI would like you to comment on these sigils and the difference of them to the kamea too, that is, if there is any difference between these angels,
And on the fish angel is listed as barchiel, although barchiel is of scorpion and from what I read in agrippa was a possible mistake of the translator, so I wonder which of these angels would then be assigned to fish?
I am reading your method for amnitziel which I intend to do this Thursday, I really like astrology and wanted to work with these angels a little too,
So I would very much like to hear your opinion and comment on these sigils please
The fish angel is amnitziel and not barachiel, I know that,
ReplyDeleteWhat I ask is in relation to these other sigils of the link,
I would like you to comment on this please,
I hope you understood the question.
I addressed this awhile back. You can use either the Kamea sigils or the traditional ones from the magical calendar. Both should work fine. That's a general rule, by the way. If you find a traditional sigil, you can always use that in place of a Kamea sigil.
ReplyDeleteStill, if there's a question about which sigil goes with which angel, the advantage of using Kamea sigils is that you know for sure that you're dealing with the right angel name and attribution. Rather than a system based on collected lore, the Kamea system is open and transparent.
ReplyDeleteI did, thank you once again Scott !!!
I would like to use the two sigils on the same stamp for example, or try with the two separately and see which one would work better, so should I use barchiel as anoj of fish using "collective" stealth?
I want to try both types of sigils so I ask .., :)
If you want to experiment, go ahead and give it a try. That's another of my general rules. A lot of the time, the best way to find something out is just to do it.
ReplyDeleteAs far combining the sigils - you certainly can do that, and I think there's a decent chance that it would be more effective than using either alone. Usually when you're working with spirits, you can get better results by including more elements in your ritual matching their attributions.
ReplyDeleteScott, the angel assigned to fish in this grimoire is Barchiel,
In which case should I use the secrecy of barchiel for fish along with amnitziel?
Would Barchiel share the same amnitizing functions?
Please, what's your opinion on this scott?
So the deal is this:
ReplyDeleteAmnitziel = Pisces = Mutable Water.
Barachiel = Scorpio = Fixed Water.
I expect if you are looking to do a ritual related to fish, either of them could probably do it - fish being related to elemental water and so forth.
However, I'll also say that I haven't used Barachiel in that capacity so I don't know for sure which would work better. It might depend on exactly what you want your ritual to do, and without that information it's hard for me to speculate.
You could certainly use both together to cover your bases, so to speak. If you want the whole watery spectrum, you could also call on Muriel = Cancer = Cardinal Water.
In which case it would be to influence one's mind, which would be attributed to amnitziel
ReplyDeleteBarachie being fixed would have another skill right?
But if the barachiel secrecy is for fish in the other grimoire, does not that mean that barachiel would also have the same function as amnitiziel?
Concluding the ritual is to change someone's mind
What do you think, Scott?
I am not clear on what fish have to do with changing peoples' minds as you're explaining it here. If you mean Pisces - the sign - and not creatures that swim in the water, I would stick with Amnitziel.
ReplyDeleteWith the attributions I use, Barachiel - Scorpio - is attributed to necromancy. I wouldn't try to conjure Barachiel to influence someone's mind for that reason. But not all the grimoires agree, and I'm not familiar with all of them so it would take a lot of research to try and track down where errors might or might not have occurred and so forth.
So personally, I would just go with Amnitziel, as shown here.
There are many differences between attributions according to which sources provide them. Barachiel is also known as Barchiel, perhaps from the transliteration of the name from Hebrew - BRChAL. Also known as Barbiel in other sources.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why old grimoires attributed Barachiel to Pisces (maybe this is a question suited for the scholars over on the Solomonic group), but alot of them also attribute various demons to other zodiac signs than other grimoires do. I've also seen this with the Shem angels who rule those demons. I've stopped searching for the "right" attributions and I go with 777.
Hi!
ReplyDeleteIn your text you say that the angel to fish amnitziel is also to change people's perception and influence minds would be the power that I wanted to use,
I did the ritual with amnitziel asking to influence the mind of a person,
The great doubt was that in this grimorio barchiel is attributed to the angel of the sign of fish and barbiel the scorpion.
I stayed with amnitziel and I could feel his presence in the ritual,
Thanks for all the help and patience.
I use a translator so I'm sorry for the confusing text
BRChIAL, sorry
ReplyDeleteDon't know if this is the right place to ask, but do you know any reliable source for the planetary rulers of the Zodiac decans? So far I've found Wikipedia to offer the best attributions https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thoth_tarot_deck#Names_of_court_cards
ReplyDeleteSo many other so called tarot websites offer completely different ones, like they place Venus as the ruler of the 2nd degree of Gemini, when I clearly know it's Mars, and so on. And I'm having trouble finding any of Crowley's attributions for this - 777 only gives the names, gods, angels and demons, and the descriptions.
Thank you!
The planetary rulers for the decans according to Renaissance astrology can be found in my Chart Victor article here:
ReplyDeletehttp://ananael.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-chart-victor-calculation.html
Search in the document for "Decan" and it should scroll down to the table. The "Decan Lord" is the planetary ruler of the decan. Those attributions are from Arabic sources that were used in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, as translated by Benjamin Dykes.
Noted! Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSo the key words attributed to the Minor Arcana cards of the Toth deck fit those exact rulers?
ReplyDeleteOh, I have no idea about that. I would have to go through and compare the two lists, and I never have done that. What I have in the Chart Victor article is what I use when doing astrological workings, but I don't know if 777 would have used the same source or something different.
ReplyDeleteI see. I was hoping you knew, but I'll do the research myself. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I'm going to have to turn to you yet again. I'm thinking of creating the sigils for the 360 angels of the degrees using the Rose Cross. But I've found that many cases of the same name in the same degree of different signs, or in different degrees of different signs. Moreover, the JHP Esoteric Archives list is different than the one i've shared here.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, since no bookworm has yet to answer me why is that, I take it those are different angels that happen to have the same name. So making the sigils using the Rose Cross would result in the same sigils for different angels, which could result in great confusion. That's why I'm considering of creating these sigils using the planetary kamea of the planet ruling the sign. Better still, the kamea of the decan lord. I think that each degree in turn is ruled by a planet, so I guess using the kamea of the planet ruling the specific degree for each angel in turn would be best. Although i have yet to come across a certified list of the planetary ruler for each degree.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Most of the work that I have done suggests that angels with the same name are the same angel. But your results could vary there.
ReplyDeletePersonally I like using the kameas for sigils rather than the rose cross method because as I see it, the sigils you generate using them are less arbitrary.
The Decan Lords and Egyptian Bounds that I include in my Chart Victor article are pretty authoritative. Those are from Ben Dykes, who translated them from the works of Ibn Ezra.
I will go with the kameas of the decan lords then. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHello there Scott,
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love the Orphic Hymns for the planet workings but I’m really not a fan of Crowley’s poetry, which always feel like a mouthful and don’t evoke much feeling in me. Would you by any chance have a suggestion for using some other text for tuning the space for zodiacal operations ?
You could use the Orphic hymn corresponding to the planet ruling the sign. That should work fine. So Sun for Leo, Moon for Cancer, Mercury for Virgo and Gemini, Venus for Libra and Taurus, Mars for Scorpio and Aries, Jupiter for Pisces and Sagittarius, and Saturn for Capricorn and Aquarius.
ReplyDeleteI did the ritual but was interupted by while reciting Liber 963 statments!
ReplyDeleteSo after it i did it again.I felt the Angel s presence and gave charge.
Can interuptions have a effect on ritual?
And can Pisces be used on a Job interwev to create a impression?
Like to influence then so they hopefully give me a Job.
Interruptions can have an effect on rituals, but not always. I would think that if you were interrupted during the Liber 963 reading but started over, you should be okay.
ReplyDeleteThe Liber 963 section is part of tuning your ritual space in preparation for the conjuration. At that point you haven't actually started conjuring the spirit yet. An interruption during the conjuration or charge would be more likely to affect the outcome of your ritual.
And yes, Pisces can be used to create an impression in the context of something like a job interview, to make people you are interacting with view you positively. That can definitely help with getting a job.
"For the Path of Pisces, the four scales of color are Crimson or Ultraviolet, Buff Flecked Silver-White, Light Translucent Pinkish Brown, and "Stone Colour." I generally think of this as the brownish slate gray color that is common to many rocks. For ceremonial forms, you use the King scale, which is Crimson. Its complement is yellowish green. All four scales should be used to construct the sigil of the angel."
ReplyDeleteCan we have an example of how a sigil with all four scale colours together would look like? Any images of practitioners who have shared such sigils? Do you use all 4 colours on your sigils? I'm surprised Crowley's 777 uses brown and crimson (ultra violet) for a Pisces sigil when blue sounds like the only colour it should have like black for Saturn. Purple would be closer though to ultraviolet since it's ruled by Jupiter. I have a bluish-purple marker and I don't have the other colours he mentions.
'And yes, Pisces can be used to create an impression in the context of something like a job interview, to make people you are interacting with view you positively. That can definitely help with getting a job.'
Noted! Will put that on my magickally initiated job hunt along with Cancer to keep bringing me jobs opportunities 3-times as fast as normal.
"You could use the Orphic hymn corresponding to the planet ruling the sign."
That sounds a little off to me since some signs are incredibly different than their ruling planters, Taurus and Venus for example and Jove and Pisces in this context. With Sun-Leo or Moon-Cancer though, it's perfect.
I will see about posting an example at some point. Basically you divide the sigil line into four parts and make each part one of the four colors.
ReplyDeleteI was experimenting a bunch with the Orphic Hymns when I wrote this article, but it's not a method I use much any more. I like the sections from Liber 963 that I use in the elixir rites a whole lot better.
Hi Scott,
ReplyDeleteWould Pisces be good for Lucid Dreaming?
The logic I'm using about this is that these forces can affect what people see (I assume both in the imagination/Astral and the physical) as well as what the think. Lucid Dreaming requires the individual to program their mind to be "awake" while in dreams.
What are your thoughts on this? Thanks.
Pisces would be one viable approach. Personally, I probably would try Moon first because it rules things like divination by dreams. That feels closer to lucid dreaming than casting illusions does.
ReplyDeleteHowever, the powers are descriptive and Pisces is mutable water, so it could be appropriate as well. It's possible that it might wind up working better for you, so some experimentation is probably in order.
I just saw by accident in 777 Table V Column CXL the divine name for Pisces is listed as HHYV instead of HHVY. I've used the latter so far and had no problem getting the angel to come forth, but I think I'll start using the former from now on. It struck me odd back when I first came across these names in a certain "scholastic paper" where the author, and I'm quoting from memory, said the Water and Air H's are inversed between Virgo and Pisces' divine names.
ReplyDeleteI have used both versions of the name and am familiar with the same paper. Either way, it seems like the angel will show up and there doesn't seem to be a big difference in ritual effectiveness. I kept it this way here to conform to Liber 777 with a note regarding the potential switch.
ReplyDeleteScaraoashi and Scott. I see that neither of you have any difficulty conjuring the archangels of planets and signs since you have been doing this for years. However, I am listening to David Rankine's new interview on Glitch Bottle where he shares how some years back he did a 3 day process of fasting, purification and prayer and did a conjuration of Michael who did not appear but rather sent a minion who told him that Michael will not come as long as he's lazy. I don't understand thais at all. This has led Rankine to conclude that archangels are extremely difficult to contact and most who claim to speak to them are perhaps fooling themselves.
ReplyDeleteMy experience with my one and only pathworking (not conjuration) to the Sun is that this is true. I met a being who claimed to be 'Michael' but I could clearly see that he was not despite my daily practice. You too don't do that fasting old catholic stuff and yet archangels come to you.
I've asked John Michael Greer and it seems he would agree with you two over Rankine because if you are traveling via spirit vision in the path of the Sun then you should not have any problem finding Michael hiding somewhere.
Why is that? I've also not met a single Golden Dawn practitioner who had this problem. I think this is because of how Golden Dawn magicians have a daily practice which aligns them with the divine daily with practices such as LBRP, MP and pathworking and whatnot which has the same effects as that of the totalitarian grimoire method of preparation described above.
I would also like to read this article btw. Please share.
ReplyDeleteFirst off, I really do not have a lot I can say about the experiences of others when they do not match my own. As I've said often, we don't have a scientifically validated model of how magick works and that makes it difficult to evaluate individual experiences objectively.
ReplyDeleteFasting and the like has never done anything for me. It can shift consciousness - that is, make me kind of tired and woozy - but it also depletes my available chi and so forth. So kind of a double-edged sword there. I find sticking with the daily practices and energy cultivation work like Qigong is much more effective.
Not doing daily practices reduces your magical power considerably. If I stop doing mine, within about two weeks my ability to work effective magick declines dramatically. I start them up again and I'm back where I was in another week or so, but I can only speculate on how difficult it would be to do magick in that state I find myself at without those practices. So I think you probably are correct there.
I will note that doing practices day in and day out is a lot less lazy to my way of thinking than doing nothing most of the time and then fasting for a couple days when you want something from the spirits. So maybe that's what the "minion" Rankine saw meant. Hard to say, though.
I believe it is this article we are talking about.
ReplyDeletehttps://hermeticgoldendawn.org/shem/