Ritual Night Talk for December 28th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram. The Thoughts on the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram link is here, the link to Goetic Circles and Operant Fields is here, and the donation link is here.

In this video I discuss another basic ceremonial ritual, the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram. It is the macrosomic ritual corresponding to the microcosmic Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, and is used both as a daily ritual practice and as a preliminary to practical operations. I also talk a bit about the "operant field," a method for using these two rituals that I have found to be highly effective for practical work.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for December 21st

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on the Middle Pillar Ritual. The Hacking the Middle Pillar link is here and the donation link is here.

In this video I discuss another basic ceremonial ritual, Israel Regardie's Middle Pillar. I explain how to do this foundational energy work exercise, both as part of daily ritual practice and as a preliminary to practical operations. I also discuss a version of the Middle Pillar using a specific godname in order to invoke a particular energy or quality, and some minor modifications to the ritual that I have found effective in my own personal work.

Enjoy!

Auto-Talismanic Ritual for 2021

We will be performing the Auto-Talismanic Ritual for 2021 tomorrow evening, December 18th. We are now back to doing these rituals in-person at our lodge space in Minneapolis. This adapted script has some changes relevant to the pandemic situation, such as individual cups for attendees and so forth.

0. The Temple

The temple is set up with an altar in the center, on which sits the Table of Art. A pitcher filled with wine or juice is placed in the center of the Table. The banishing dagger, invoking wand, and bell chime are placed on the altar. Magus wears white and Sophia wears black. Throughout the ritual, Sophia and Magus face each other across the altar, moving appropriately throughout the various ceremonial forms.

I. Opening

As each person enters the temple, they are handed a glass filled with salt water. Once all are present, Magus takes up the banishing dagger and performs the Star Ruby.

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.

All: 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.

All: ABRAHADHABRA.

Sophia: 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.

All: AUMGN.

Magus: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

Sophia:: 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. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence.

All: So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for December 14th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram link is here, the Lesser Versus Greater Pentagrams link is here, and the donation link is here.

In this video I discuss one of the most basic ceremonial rituals out there that tends to be the first thing taught to beginners in the both the Thelemic and Golden Dawn magical systems. I still get questions about it on a pretty regular basis, and there are some finer points to it that are hard to get from reading about it online or in books.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for December 7th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on daily magical practice. The Learning Daily Practices link is here and the donation link is here.

In this video I discuss the basics of daily magical practice, especially what to do when you are just starting out and want to get going on ritual work. Over time I have found the various recommendations presented here to work for many students, and if you pick them you will be well on your way to progressing as an effective magician.

Enjoy!

Sagittarius Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of the Sagittarius Elixir Rite from our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

Sagittarius is attributed to the power of “Transmutations." It is also the only sign attributed to a vision, the "Vision of Universal Peacock." This vision is a significant step in alchemical processes. Transmutation is a general power with many applications, since in a sense all magical operations represent attempts to transmute or transform some aspect of yourself, the external world, or both.

Enjoy!

Sagittarius Elixir Rite - Year Five

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Sagittarius Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, November 30th. With this ritual we will be moving back to in-person Ritual Night events, but I will also post a video of the rite on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel so folks across the country can still see it. The channel can be found here.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Sagittarius. The sign Sagittarius is attributed to the power of “Transmutations." It is also the only sign attributed to a vision, the "Vision of Universal Peacock." This vision is a significant step in alchemical processes. Transmutation is a general power with many applications, since in a sense all magical operations represent attempts to transmute or transform some aspect of yourself, the external world, or both. So any intent along those lines would be in harmony with the power of the sign. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for November 23rd

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on earthbound spirits. The donation link is here.

Earthbound spirits cause most hauntings and other phenomena that fall under the general heading of "paranormal phenomena." In this talk I discuss some of the characteristics of these spirits, what they can and can't do, and some ideas for working with and/or communicating with them.

Enjoy!

Scorpio Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of Tuesday's Scorpio Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

Scorpio is attributed to the magical power of Necromancy, which refers to working with the spirits of the dead, including ancestors who have passed on. Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Scorpio should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Scorpio Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Scorpio Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, November 16th. Like the few elixir rites, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but barring any technical difficulties the video will be archived after the ritual so you can view it whenever you have time if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Scorpio. The sign Scorpio is attributed to the power of “Necromancy." Note that this refers to work with the spirits of the dead, including ancestors, rather than magick involving dead things such as body parts and so forth. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for November 9th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on magick and skepticism. The donation link is here.

It's important to be skeptical when you are learning magick. But you also should not fall into the trap of becoming closed-minded like what I was seeing from the "Skeptic movement" in the 1990's. You need to test what you are taught to see if it works, and not just assume something is automatically the right way to do things because that's what you read in a book or saw online. The key is to be skeptical the way physical scientists are skeptical - being willing to experiment and follow the data where it leads.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for November 2nd

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on Scientific Illuminism. The donation link is here. Sorry about the delay getting this posted - with everything I have going on, it took almost a week despite the date stamp.

When Thelemites talk about "The Method of Science, the Aim of Religion" what does that mean? In this talk I discuss my take on that particular maxim, which was proposed by Aleister Crowley as the motto of the A.'.A.'., the Thelemic magical order that he founded after the reception of The Book of the Law. Bridging the gap between science and religion is a particular interest of mine, and one which I think may not prove as difficult as it seems at first glance.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for October 26th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on offerings. The donation link is here.

Offerings are a good technique to employ when working with spirits, and can improve your magical results substantially. In this talk I go over the basics of working with offerings, how to use them in your rituals, and some of the misconceptions about them that I have come across.

Enjoy!

Libra Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of Tuesday's Libra Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

Libra is attributed to "Works of Justice and Equilibrium." So those sorts of intents are most appropriate, and as this is a general and highly adaptable power, it can be used for many different purposes, from obtaining justice in the external world to balancing your internal magical energies and/or spiritual perceptions.Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Libra should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Libra Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Libra Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday October 19th. Like the last few elixir rites, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but barring any technical difficulties the video will be archived after the ritual so you can view it whenever you have time if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Libra. The sign Libra is attributed to "Works of Justice and Equilibrium." So those sorts of intents are most appropriate, and as this is a general and highly adaptable power, it can be used for many different purposes, from obtaining justice in the external world to balancing your internal magical energies and/or spiritual perceptions. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

The Babble Hypothesis

You might think being acknowledged as a leader has to do with your intelligence or even your natural charisma. But a new study suggests otherwise. According to the study, quantity far outpaces quality when it comes to communication that convinces others that you are leadership material. Research has dubbed the findings the "babble hypothesis" of leadership, since it suggests that the key to being regarded as a leader is to talk a lot, regardless of whether anything you say is useful or even relevant.

If you want to become a leader, start yammering. It doesn’t even necessarily matter what you say. New research shows that groups without a leader can find one if somebody starts talking a lot. This phenomenon, described by the “babble hypothesis” of leadership, depends neither on group member intelligence nor personality. Leaders emerge based on the quantity of speaking, not quality.

Researcher Neil G. MacLaren, lead author of the study published in The Leadership Quarterly, believes his team’s work may improve how groups are organized and how individuals within them are trained and evaluated. “It turns out that early attempts to assess leadership quality were found to be highly confounded with a simple quantity: the amount of time that group members spoke during a discussion,” shared MacLaren, who is a research fellow at Binghamton University.

While we tend to think of leaders as people who share important ideas, leadership may boil down to whoever “babbles” the most. Understanding the connection between how much people speak and how they become perceived as leaders is key to growing our knowledge of group dynamics.

Reading this I can't help but think of what goes on in a lot of occult discussion groups online. People who post a lot and get into a lot of online arguments tend to develop followings, while those of us who avoid much of that often find our work ignored. To be clear, I'm not saying that the more vocal folks have nothing useful to share, but rather than they tend to attract people regardless of whether or not they really do.

So that at least bears pointing out - don't assume that because somebody has a big following their work must necessarily be good. It might be, but if they are also the sort of person who gets into it with everybody on social media and is always posting, they might only have a following because of that. As is usually the case with magick, always do your own experiments so can you know firsthand what works best.

Ritual Night Talk for October 12th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on intuitive magick. The donation link is here.

I use the term intuitive magick to refer to magick that is done without formal ceremony and for the most part without tools and implements. While from a probability shift standpoint this sort of magick is usually not as effective as a full ceremonial operation, it is very flexible and can be used as you go about your day. "Psychic powers" as generally understood in popular culture fall into this category, since magick is simply a more disciplined and efficient way of working with those abilities.

Enjoy!

Promise?

If Jim Bakker doesn't get a million dollars, his show is going to be cancelled in a week. The televangelist recently made this announcement on his program. Given Bakker's history it's hard to say whether or not he's actually telling the truth, but we can hope. Bakker has been a wild-eyed conspiracy monger (and potato soup monger) for years, and his nonsense isn't helping anyone.

In a somewhat frantic tone on The Jim Bakker Show this week, televangelist Jim Bakker begged his followers for money, saying that if he didn’t pay his bills, his show would soon be taken off the air.

“I’ve been told that the network is gonna cancel our broadcast within another week,” Bakker said. “We’ve got to catch up on the bills, and that’s about a million dollars.”

“We’ve lost millions in finances due to the legal battles we’ve fought, losing our ability to receive donations by credit cards for over a year — has left us in a desperate state,” he continued. “But what the Devil has tried to do is silence our voice.”

So to translate - "I'm fiscally irresponsible, but you all have to bail me out because my irresponsibility is the Devil's fault." Anybody who remembers the 1980s shouldn't be even remotely surprised that Bakker is fiscally irresponsible. But I guess it must have been the Devil's fault back then too - or maybe it was witches. Whoever it was, "anybody but me" seems to be his general answer regarding who's responsible for his personal failings.

Some commenters on social media asked where they could send money to make sure Bakker's show was really cancelled - still no word on that. While there isn't necessarily anything wrong with religious programming, Bakker is a complete kook. He's peddled all sorts of conspiracy nonsense on his show, some of which has been covered here on Augoeides.

The misinformation Bakker spreads about all sorts of things, from magical practice to discredited COVID cures, is profoundly wrong and sometimes dangerous. And that doesn't even include his predictable ramblings about how the world is going to end any day now.

Ritual Night Talk for October 5th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on mythic magick. The operant equation link is here, the parting the Red Sea article is here, and the donation link is here.

Mythic magick is the kind of magick you hear about in mythology and religious stories from long ago. Usually those stories are exaggerated, but sometimes they are inspired by historical events. In this talk I discuss some of these stories and attempt to put them in proper context. I also discuss some ideas for increasing the probability shifts produced by your operations that might move results in at least the direction of mythic-level results.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for September 28th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on astrological magick. The chart victor calculation link is here, the simple electional timing link is here, and the donation link is here.

Historically the Western magical tradition has consisted of ritual magick, alchemy, and astrology. Astrological considerations are important in any sort of magical work, and help to optimize your results. Chart victors and electional timing are two key concepts to integrate into your operations. It's not that you can't cast a successful spell without paying attention to the astrology, but rather that if the "astrological weather" is going your way, your spells will be that much more effective.

Enjoy!

California "Shaman" Charged for Wildfires

If this article is to be believed, it sounds like Florida Man has some competition. A self-proclaimed "shaman" from California is being charged with starting several of the wildfires that have recently been ravaging the state. According to court documents, she was trying to boil bear urine - so she could drink it. She claims she was unable to start a fire and drank the urine anyway, while authorities allege that she did start a fire and it got out of control. You can't make this stuff up, folks.

Alexandra Souverneva, 30, could be sentenced to up to nine years if convicted of starting the Fawn fire, according to officials. The blaze has destroyed roughly 41 homes and 90 small structures while endangering another 2,340, officials said.

Souverneva pleaded not guilty but is now reportedly thought to have ignited several fires across California. The self-proclaimed shaman said she had been hiking to Canada as the blaze approached Shasta County on Wednesday, documents noted.

When she became thirsty and approached a puddle of what she claimed to be bear urine, she told forest officials she attempted to make a fire to purify it. The wood she hoped to use was "too wet for the fire to start," documents said. Souverneva then drank the animal urine and proceeded on her journey, according to the report.

She allegedly became caught in some brush and had to call the local fire department for assistance. The firefighters requested she empty her pockets and fanny pack, to which she presented CO2 canisters, a lighter, and "a green, leafy substance she admitted to smoking that day," California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection officer Matt Alexander said.

One of the things that drives me nuts about New Agers and "shamanism" is that the term has shifted from meaning a particular style of magick to meaning drug use. That's not to say entheogens have no place in magick, even if they aren't my thing. But just getting high is not the same thing. Magick is a specific technology employing consciousness to accomplish particular objectives - and I'm pretty sure there aren't a lot of situations where that objective should have anything to do with drinking bear urine.

Ritual Night Talk for September 21st

Happy Equinox, everyone! Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on magick as art and science. The donation link is here.

I talk a lot about magick from a scientific perspective, or at least as scientific a perspective as possible given the limitations of studying consciousness. But the practice of magick is also an art. The scientific side is about how it works, but the artistic side is about what you do with it. Magick is supposed to make your life better, and if you're doing it right it will. When performing magical operations you can think of yourself as artist creating the world in which your future self will be living. Keeping to this practice should lead to steady improvement and movement towards what you define for yourself as success.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for September 14th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on the nature of spirits. The donation link is here.

In this talk I cover the basic classes of spirits - celestial, chthonic, and earthly - and their attributions - elemental, planetary, and zodiacal. I also discuss how I go about working with them, and offer some points and tips based on my own experiences. There are also a couple of interesting digressions in the talk regarding some of the practical magical research that I've done over the years.

Enjoy!

Virgo Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of Tuesday's Virgo Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

Virgo is attributed to the powers of "Invisibility, Parthenogenesis, Initiation." Magical invisibility is more about avoiding being noticed than transparency, parthenogenesis can be used to create artificial spirits such as the servitors made by chaos magicians, and initiation is a general power that can be employed to set in motion just about anything in your magical or mundane life. Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Virgo should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Virgo Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Virgo Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, September 7th. Like the last few elixir rites, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but barring any technical difficulties the video will be archived after the ritual so you can view it whenever you have time if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The banishing dagger and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Virgo. The sign Virgo is attributed to the powers of "Invisibility, Parthenogenesis, Initiation." Magical invisibility is more about avoiding being noticed than transparency, parthenogenesis can be used to create artificial spirits such as the servitors made by chaos magicians, and initiation is a general power that can be employed to set in motion just about anything in your magical or mundane life. So those sorts of intents are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for August 31st

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on ritual structure. The ritual template link is here and the donation link is here.

Ritual structure is one of those "secrets" of magick, in the sense that not a lot of authors cover it in much detail if at all. Plenty of books on the Thelemic and Golden Dawn systems of magick include instructions on forms like pentagram and hexagram rituals. But in a lot of cases readers are left to figure out on their own how to arrange them into larger functional workings. In this video I talk through how I do ritual structure, and what I have found seems to work best over the years. There also are a couple of asides based on questions from the live chat.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for August 24th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on instance theory. The donation link is here.

YouTube has now changed the way it does previews, just when I had gotten used to how it previously worked. So I look a little goofy in the image there, but the talk went fine.

Instance theory is an idea in magick that at first seems theoretical and maybe even a little boring, but its implications are far-reaching. It resolves the issue of multiple magicians calling the same spirit at the same time without resorting to psychological-only constructs. It also explains how multiple talismans can be used to create very powerful magical effects.

Update: I figured out how to change the preview image so I look at least a little less goofy. So that's a good thing.

Enjoy!

Become a Living Murderer?

A week and a half or so back, the BBC released a report claiming to link a murder case and a terrorism case to a "Satanic occult forum." I've posted several articles here on Augoeides about how genuine "occult crime" is very rare and usually a case of overreach by investigators, and in fact the two cases named are significant in the sense that they have some actual occult connections. The laughable law enforcement training video referenced in this article is a classic example of what police were being told to look for back in the day.

However, the BBC report then dives into the classic moral panic trope suggesting that many, many people (besides the handful they identify) are being brainwashed by these forums and so forth. It's a very small step from that to "we need to censor you online because you're posting occult stuff on your blog and that's dangerous." The previous Cameron administration in fact did attempt to censor "esoteric content" from web users in the UK before the policy was struck down by the courts, so the notion is not even a little farfetched.

The BBC has uncovered new evidence about the teenage killer of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman, the two sisters murdered last summer in a Wembley park in London.

Danyal Hussein was a member of a web forum, run by an American self-styled black magician, whose instructions about demonic pacts mirror steps taken by the killer.

The American has encouraged murder in some of his writings, including for a violent Satanic group that’s been cited as an influence on seven young men convicted of neo-Nazi terror offences in the UK over the past two years.

The forum referred to in the report is run by E. A. Koetting of "Become a Living God" fame. Personally, I'm not a fan of Koetting. Much of the stuff he talks about, including "sacrifices" and the like, seems more intended to shock than enlighten. Some of the material he covers is accurate, but it's neither groundbreaking nor exceptional. Basically, as I see it, the free material here on Augeides is better than the material he charges for if you really want to learn to be an effective magical practitioner. It should be noted that that the "pact" included in the image above totally didn't work.

At the same time, the report conflates several factors in a manner reminiscent of a moral panic, and regardless of how you or I might feel about Koetting's work, it's important to keep the two issues separate. There's no question that Danyal Hussein is a bad guy. He stabbed two strangers to death. There's also no question that he was interested in the occult and particularly BALG. This is a noteworthy point because real occult crimes are very rare and his might actually be at least partially motived by his occult beliefs. But instead of that perspective, the report goes on about how "too many teens" are being "radicalized" by online Satanism.

Enochian Magick Chat

This video is a chat on Enochian magick that I recorded awhile back for the Practicing Magic Faceboook group. The original plan was to stream it live, but we had some technical difficulties and had to record it.

In the chat I discuss some of the basics of Enochian magick, what I like about practicing it, and how I got started - a long time ago at this point! I also talk about my approach to Enochian and how it compares to the approaches of other practitioners.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for August 17th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on realization and stabilization. The donation link is here.

Glimpses of spiritual realization can be both overwhelming and impressive, but if you want to really bring magick into your life and make it work for you on a day-to-day basis, you need to stabilize those realizations and live your life accordingly. That starts with consistent daily practice, but it also includes engaging with the world in order to do your will and to set events in harmony with your will in motion.

Enjoy!

Leo Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of Tuesday's Leo Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

Leo is attributed to "The power of training wild beasts." As I interpret it, this power is related to working with conditioning of whatever sort, yours or that of others, in accordance with your will. Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Leo should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Leo Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Leo Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday August 10th. Like the last few elixir rites, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but barring any technical difficulties the video will be archived after the ritual so you can view it whenever you have time if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Leo. The sign Leo is attributed to "The power of training wild beasts." As I interpret it, this power is related to working with conditioning of whatever sort, yours or that of others, in accordance with your will. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for August 3rd

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on magical words and vibration. The donation link is here.

We use a lot of words in our ceremonial rituals, and many of those words are supposed to be vibrated. This leads to questions about how this is done and why. In this talk I discuss some of the basics of magical words and how they work, their connection with conjuring and working with spirits, and with some tips and pointers for vibrating those words effectively as part of your regular magical practice.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for July 27th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on visualization and scrying. The link to the brain machine article is here and the donation link is here.

A lot of beginning magicians have questions about visualization, and some of those questions are rooted in misunderstandings. For example, students sometimes assume that magical visualizations have to be as clear, detailed, and intense as images in movies or on television, and usually only the very best visualizers ever get close to that. Likewise, some teachers emphasize visual scrying to the exclusion of any other spirit perception and/or communication method. In fact, interaction with spirits is accomplished by means of our psychic senses, which in many people map onto senses other than vision.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for July 20th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on energy work. The donation link is here.

Energy work is an important component of magical practice, especially in the Thelemic system. There is a big difference between intoning a word and tracing a figure in the air and infusing those words and figures with chi/prana. It makes your probability shifts better, your consciousness shifts better, and your daily work more effective. In this talk I cover some of the basics of energy work and some ideas on how to integrate it with ceremonial methods.

Enjoy!

Eating Their Own

I suppose in hindsight something like this was inevitable. The QAnon conspiracy theory derives much of its support from conservative Evangelical Christians, which I'm convinced is where the whole "Satanism" angle comes from. It's a holdover from the "Satanic Panic" of the 1980s (which, as you might recall from the other day, comes from porn) that at some point was basically shoehorned into the earlier Pizzagate trafficking narrative. And as I've mentioned, the minute somebody proposes that massive groups of Satanists are doing anything, you can know that it's false because there are no massive groups of Satanists anywhere. I don't think there are even tiny groups of Satanists that do the things QAnoners accuse them of.

But for once, today's post isn't about that. It's about QAnon turning on the same Evangelical Christian leaders that have given the movement some validity in Christian circles. This has happened with pretty much every "blood libel" conspiracy throughout history, and that adenchrome nonsense definitely places QAnon among those. Conspiracies that rely on flat-out demonization are dangerous things that are hard to handle, even when you are on their good side. The idea that political opponents are unspeakably evil instead of just being political opponents is not just unrealistic. It engenders a level of paranoia that can easily be turned against anyone, including onetime political allies.

Earlier this week, Right Wing Watch noted how MAGA pastor Jackson Lahmeyer, who is running a primary campaign to unseat Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, has openly embraced QAnon conspiracy theorists as part of his campaign, only to become a target of their conspiracy theories. QAnon activists accused the pastor of pedophilia and child sex trafficking in July after he posted a photo of his young daughter wearing red shoes.

Similar allegations are now being leveled against several high-profile evangelical leaders. Late last month, self-proclaimed “prophet” and QAnon conspiracy theorist Johnny Enlow posted a “prophetic alert” on his Facebook page in which he warned that “many of our most famous pastors and Christian leaders are about to be exposed as sexual deviants, pedophiles and worse.” We had no idea what that meant at the time, but now it appears to be related to allegations being put forth by a woman going by the name Madyson Marquette, who claims to have been a former adult film actress who was sexually abused and trafficked by several well-known evangelical leaders, including Kenneth Copeland, T.D. Jakes, Rick Warren, and even the late Billy Graham.

Ritual Night Talk for July 13th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on the dangers of magick. The donation link is here.

From the standpoint of relative risk, magick is not very dangerous. We do many things in the course of our regular lives that are more dangerous, like driving cars, that we don't generally worry about all that much. Still, there are various considerations that can reduce the risks that do exist in magick, and the first step towards implementing them is understanding what the real risks are. Once you know that, you can implement strategies that should help you improve the results of your practice.

Enjoy!

This is Where it Comes From!

I've posted and posted here on Augoeides about fundamentalist Christian ideas about what "witches" and "Satanists" do, and how it has hardly any bearing on how real witches, magicians, and even Satanists practice. I've argued that making magick less mysterious and increasing magical literacy among the general population would help people see the ridiculousness of those ideas. The supposed "black magic" of fundamentalist imagination is mostly fiction, and doesn't even consist of workable or effective magical methods.

Fundamentalists have been insisting for decades that this fake magic is out there and very real. It was one of the big motivators behind the "Satanic Panic" that sent hundreds of innocent people to prison in the 1980s and early 1990s. At the dawn of the Internet, primers on that same fake magic were circulated first on UseNet news groups and later on Christian websites. Even today, it has managed to fold itself into the QAnon network of conspiracies. The latest crop of Satanists is described the same way as the last one - evil people doing evil things for no other reason than to be evil.

The sheer perniciousness of this particular urban myth has always made me wonder where it came from. Some of the ideas, like "blood libel" sacrifices, are very old accusations commonly made to persecute marginalized groups. But some of the others seem bizarre even from an occult standpoint. "Being evil" isn't something that gives you magical power. It might make you more willing to engage in unethical applications of the power you have, but that's it. Really, it gives you no more advantage than a garden variety psychopath, so the idea that it serves some magical purpose is laughable.

But I'm burying the lede a bit here. What I wanted to bring to your attention is that I think I found the origin of at least some of these silly ideas about witches and Satanists. They come from porn. I suppose it makes sense - most porn these days that has plot or structure is a parody of some sort. If that's the origin, it's entirely reasonable to consider "fundie Satanism" a parody of real magick. That fits nicely, and explains why when you look into these alleged practices it's clear that most of them would never work.

Ritual Night Talk for July 6th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on Initiation. The donation link is here.

In this talk I discuss some of the ritual technology behind initiation, some of the advantages of going through intiatory processes, and how those processes can facilitate effective group magical workings. I also cover some of the differences between toxic gatekeeping, maintaining the integrity of traditions, and vetting initiatory candidates by means such as sponsorship.

Enjoy!

Cancer Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of Tuesday's Cancer Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

The sign Cancer is attributed to "The power of casting enchantments." As I interpret it, this is related to the ability to magnetize or draw things into your life in accordance with your will. So those sorts of intents are most appropriate.Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Cancer should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Cancer Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Cancer Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday June 29th. Like the last few elixir rites, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter YouTube Channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but barring any technical difficulties the video will be archived after the ritual so you can view it later if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Cancer. The sign Cancer is attributed to "The power of casting enchantments." As I interpret it, this is related to the ability to magnetize or draw things into your life in accordance with your will. So those sorts of intents are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Mass of Nuit and Babalon for 2021

Here is the video for Tuesday's Mass of Nuit and Babalon. This is a ritual that we have been performing for many years following the Summer Solstice, as it celebrates the Sun moving into the sign Cancer. Cancer, in turn, alludes to the Chariot card in the Tarot and to Liber Cheth, which alludes the the mysteries of Babalon. The donation link is here.

Enjoy!

Mass of Nuit and Babalon for 2021 (Streaming)

Tomorrow evening at 8 PM CDT we will be streaming the Mass of Nuit and Babalon to celebrate the Summer Solstice. This is the full script for the ritual, which we have been celebrating for a number of years now with some pretty impressive results. This year we will be streaming on the Leaping Laughter YouTube Channel here. It will also be archived so you can view it later if you miss it live.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with the Holy Table and Sigillum Dei Aemeth in the center. The banishing dagger, invoking wand, and bell chime are arranged on the Table. The chalice containing the Eucharist is placed in the center of the Sigillum. Holy images of Our Lady Nuit and Our Lady Babalon, including the Star of Babalon, may be prominently displayed. The Lust card from the Crowley/Harris Thoth Tarot can be used as a meditation focus, if desired.

I. Opening (Adapted from "The Diamond Sapphire Gem of Radiant Light")

Magus or Sophia performs the Star Ruby.

Sophia: We take refuge in Nuit.

All: May we with all sentient beings embody the Great Work, and aspire to the unsurpassable intention, consecrating our lives unto the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky.

Magus: We take refuge in Hadit.

All: May we with all sentient beings embrace the riches of the Law of Thelema, and come to know and fulfill our True Will, making our Wisdom wide and deep as the sea.

Unison: We take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha.

All: May we with all sentient beings attain the Supreme Realization, and lead the Life which abideth in Light, that we may truly lead the multitude to freedom from all hindrances, that the Empire of Light, and the Reign of Harmony of the Crowned and Conquering Child, may be manifest here on earth.

Magus: The Word of the Law is Thelema. Every man and every woman is a star. Make of yourself a Light. Let all be a Lamp unto oneself, spreading Light in the Darkness even as the rays of the Sun shine brilliantly and indiscriminately on all.

All: In Light, may all sentient beings, boundless as the sky,
  come to know and fulfill their True Will.
  In Life, may they have happiness and the causes of happiness.
  In Liberty, may they be liberated from suffering and the causes of suffering.
  In Love, may they never be separated
  from the happiness which is free from sorrow.
  With the Law which informs these all, may they rest in equanimity,
  free from attachment and aversion.

Ritual Night Talk for June 18th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on Astrology and Exotericism. The Chart Victor Calculation link is here, the Simple Electional Timing link is here, and the donation link is here.

Skeptics hate astrology because it is one of the few practices from the Western Esoteric Tradition that has gone mainstream in our culture. James Randi organized efforts to get astrology columns removed from newspapers back in the day on the grounds that it was a sort of "gateway to the irrational," even when marked "for entertainment only." As any astrologer will tell you, reading a short horoscope based only on your Sun sign (like what you see in newspapers) is not very useful even if every tenet of astrology was verified by empirical science, so really, those horoscopes pretty much are only for entertainment purposes.

Because astrology is generally accepted by the culture, even people who think it's complete bunk know what it is and don't find it sinister or threatening. If somebody tried to start up a conspiracy theory about astrologers sacrificing children it would be laughed out of the room. But replace "astrologers" with "Satanists" and enough people will take it seriously to ruin lives. So it seems to me this is evidence that exotericism - the idea of de-mystifying magick for the general culture - is the way to go if (A) we want more people to be interested in magick and (B) we want to insulate ourselves against wild accusations.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for June 8th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on Cult Versus Culture. The donation link is here.

The main difference between cults and culture in new religious movements is that cults are generally understood to be toxic organizations that exploit their members. These organizations thrive best in an "esoteric" world in which magical and mystical technology are kept secret from anyone deemed "unworthy" - that is, anyone the leader is looking to exploit.

In an "exoteric" world this would be different - a culture that includes magick as part of day-to-day life would mean that anyone who wanted to practice, to whatever degree it might be their will to practice, can do it. One way to implement a culture like that is to present an inspiring vision of the world we want to see, through the arts of whatever sort and demonstrating how we successfully integrate magick into our lives.

Enjoy!

Gemini Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of last night's Gemini Elixir Rite hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel. The donation link is here.

The sign Gemini is attributed to "The power of being in two or more places at the same time, and of Prophecy." As I interpret it, the former is related to astral work and the latter is related to precognition, the ability to see into the future. In a mystical sense, it also corresponds to prophetic consciousness. Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Gemini should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Gemini Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Gemini Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday June 1st. Like the previous elixir rite, it will be streamed on the Leaping Laughter OTO YouTube channel. The channel can be found here. I will be starting around 8 PM CDT, but I barring any technical difficulties I will post the video here and on Facebook after the ritual so you can view it whenever you have time.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Gemini. The sign Gemini is attributed to "The power of being in two or more places at the same time, and of Prophecy." As I interpret it, the former is related to astral work and the latter is related to precognition in all its forms, the ability to see into the future. In a mystical sense, it also corresponds to prophetic consciousness in general. Therefore, these sorts of intents are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: 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 done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Ritual Night Talk for May 25th

Here is the video of Tuesday's Ritual Night Talk, on Exotericism For Living Part 2. The donation link is here.

Practical magick is about solving problems. If we lived in a world where people employed exoteric magick as a matter of course, we would see practical spells added to any situation where the outcome depended in part on luck and chance. Nothing needs to be kept secret or out of peoples' hands in order to make that approach effective. The "sorting problem" idea also means that you don't necessarily keep your magick to yourself in order to maintain an advantage over people who don't use it - which is one reason I've heard suggested as to why magicians should maintain secrecy about their work.

Enjoy!

Ritual Night Talk for May 18th

Here is the video of yesterday's Ritual Night Talk, on Exotericism For Living. The Learning Daily Practices link is here and the donation link is here.

I am convinced that a world in which a significant percentage of people use magick just like they use any other technology as they go about their day-to-day lives is not only possible, but desirable. This goes beyond basic literacy about what magick can do and what it can't do, and into practical applications. Daily practice, as outlined in the linked article, is reasonably simple to learn and integrate into your life - though that doesn't mean it's always easy to stick with.

Enjoy!

Learning Daily Practices

This article is an expansion of a comment I wrote to a reader regarding some unexpected issues coming up while working on learning daily practices. I think much of what I'll be talking about here can be found elsewhere on the blog, but I wanted to put it all in one place.

The daily practice regimen that I usually recommend to students is:

1. Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram

2. Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram

3. Middle Pillar Ritual

4. Meditation

5. Qabalistic Cross

For Thelemites like me, the following is analogous:

1. Star Ruby

2. Star Sapphire

3. Elevenfold Seal (from Liber Regului)

4. Meditation

5. Qabalistic Cross (Star Ruby version)

In my personal work I usually employ a mix of those two sequences, opening with the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram followed by the modified Comselh Ananael version of the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram and then the Elevenfold Seal.

The function of each step is as follows:

1. A banishing lesser (or, more properly, general) ritual of the pentagram is a microcosmic ritual that "cleans up," aligns, and purifies your sphere of consciousness. Rituals of this sort do not affect anything beyond the bounds of your personal aura (or body of light or whatever other term you prefer) and act primarily upon you personally. Some people erroneously use these rituals to clear or banish ritual spaces, which doesn't actually work well. Yes, there is a connection between microcosm and macrocosm so you might be able to get a small or limited effect, but it's like blowing air at a heavy object in order to move it and not even remotely efficient.

Ritual Night Talk for May 11th

Here is the video of yesterday's Ritual Night Talk, Part Three of the Exotercism discussion. The Magical Instruction link is here, the We Must Say What We Mean link is here, and the donation link is here.

The idea of "Exotericism" is a powerful one. If we lived in a world where people had basic literacy about the magical arts, and understood that the various fictional and popular culture ideas about magick are entirely ridiculous and have nothing to do with real magical practice, I am convinced we would living in a far better world.

The ridiculousness that I'm talking about includes everything from movies about "devil worship" to misconceptions about foundational practices such as meditation. It also includes the secrecy that has hamstrung advances in magical technology for centuries, and the annoying elitism and gatekeeping that discourage people from learning what magick is all about for themselves.

Enjoy!

We Must Say What We Mean

Nick Farrell recently posted this article in which he unpacks some of the ways in which magicians all-too-often obfuscate the truth and sometimes outright lie. While this list, along with an earlier one that was specific to Golden Dawn, is presented in a tongue-in-cheek manner, many of the entries are also far too recognizable from my experiences in the larger occult community. I will say that both posts are amusing - go check them out and see how many of Nick's obfuscating statements you recognize. My guess is that it will be more than a few if you've spent time among fellow occultists.

I have stated repeatedly that one of my goals in writing about my work and my practice is to develop magick as a technology and improve it along similar lines to what we see in the physical sciences. I also have pointed out that secrecy and gatekeeping and the like has set us back centuries. While it is true that there are more issues involved in measuring a state of consciousness than in measuring how long it, say, takes an object dropped from a high tower to hit the ground, it also is true that modern science began to develop in the 1700's, and it wasn't until Aleister Crowley's Equinox in the early 1900s that "secret order teachings" were offered to the public in a comprehensive manner.

That the physical sciences had a head start of almost 200 years, meaning it's no surprise that magick today is about where the physical sciences were in the early-to-mid 1800's. Given the availability of information and speed of communication in the modern world, I think it is possible to catch up, at least to a degree. But when people misrepresent magick and what magick entails, when they misrepresent their results, and when they put out misleading information about their own practices to make themselves look better on social media or whatever, those people are doing a lot of harm to the cause of subjecting magick to meaningful scientific investigation.

The problem today is not too little information, but too much. Online, true and false information commonly mingle together, and to a degree this is unavoidable. But we do ourselves no favors as magicians by contributing to misinformation, or by refusing to accurately answer questions - at least according to our own experiences. We don't have anything like a generally accepted theory of magick at the moment, and more accurate data that can be subjected to peer review can only get us closer to how all this stuff really works. There will likely be false starts and proposed models that turn out to be at odds with the data, but testing to determine those is exactly how the scientific method is supposed to work.

And we all want better magick, don't we? Better probability shifts. More effective expansion and elevation of consciousness. A faster path to enlightenment, as it's commonly understood. I remain convinced that testing and compiling data can get us there - but only if the data we are working with is as accurate as it can possibly be.

Taurus Elixir Rite for 2021

Here is the video of last night's Taurus Elixir Rite, now hosted on our Leaping Laughter YouTube channel instead of on Facebook. YouTube streaming worked fine, with the only technical foible that I look weird in the screenshot because I wasn't ready for it and couldn't figure out how to change it. But that's a pretty minor problem all things considered, and I'll do it right next time.

The sign Taurus is attributed to "The Secret of Physical Strength" in Liber 777. So appropriate intents would be related to health, healing, wellness, fitness, and so forth. Also, keep in mind that those powers are descriptive rather than proscriptive, so intents related to any quality you might find listed in an astrology book under Taurus should likewise work fine.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Taurus Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Tonight, Tuesday May 4th, I will be presenting Year Five of the Taurus Elixir Rite. I'll be trying something a little different this evening - streaming live from YouTube instead of Facebook. I'm hoping that by using a YouTube channel instead of Facebook Live we will see more stability in our video presentations. This isn't usually an issue, but we saw some catastrophic failures during the Office of the Readings that we all hope to avoid in the future.

Here is the link to the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel, which is currently empty but will be hosting tonight's live preentation at 8 PM. I will also post any relevant announcements and updates on the Leaping Laughter Facebook page here. YouTube Live should work just like the streaming we have been doing on Facebook Live, except on our YouTube channel rather than our Facebook page.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Taurus. The sign Taurus is attributed to "The Secret of Physical Strength," and therefore intents related to strength, healing, vitality, and so forth are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

Officiant: 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.

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: 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.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: 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.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.