Ritual Night Talk for April 23rd

Here is the video of the latest Ritual Night Talk, on elemental magick. The Greek Esoteric Doctrine of the Elements link is here, the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram link is here, and the donation link is here.

The basic symbol sets of Western magick are three - the elements, planets, and signs of the zodiac. Each of these sets represents a complete system in and of itself. Elemental magick is sometimes considered "beginner" magick, in that it is the first symbol set magicians generally work with when following the teachings of magical orders. But elemental magick is also powerful in its own right, and should not be overlooked or dismissed. Since it is a complete system, you can do anything with the elements that you could do with a planet or a sign.

Enjoy!

#WizardLife

I know that usually I post serious magick articles on Mondays, but this story was too good to pass up. When you're out on the town and feel like trespassing at a hotel that you previously have been banned from, make sure to pack your wizard wand. You know, because reasons. I should also add that even though this is a local story, I have never heard of this person and don't know who they are.

A Twin Cities man faces assault and trespassing charges after threatening a hotel employee with a “wizard wand,” court documents show. Skylar Eros Dupree Thomas, 29, of Woodbury is charged with fifth-degree assault and trespassing, both misdemeanors, according to a criminal complaint.

Just after midnight Friday, Bloomington police responded to a Hyatt Place hotel on a report of a person with a weapon. The suspect, identified as Thomas, told police he had a “wand.” “From previous calls, [the officer] knew that the defendant was referencing a stick that had been fashioned into what looked like a wizard’s wand,” the complaint states.

Investigators said the wand was about 16 inches long and “had a hard, pointed metal part at the end and it has a knife-like appearance.” The employee who was threatened told police he immediately recognized Thomas when he walked into the hotel, because Thomas had previously received a trespass notice. The employee asked Thomas to leave, “but [Thomas] argued with him and called him racial slurs.”

Eventually, Thomas left the building, with the employee following. When they made it outside, Thomas pulled out the “wand” and approached the employee. The employee pulled out a handgun, for which he had a conceal and carry permit, the complaint states. Thomas eventually fled the scene. He is due in court next month.

Due to the difficulty of casting instantaneous magical effects, bringing a wand to a gunfight is never smart. Sure, you might be able to get off a curse or two, but that usually won't prevent you from getting shot. Your opponent will just regret it later - you know, as long as you survive.

Threatening people with magick is also entirely other than smart, whether you have a wand or not. Any time I get threats from another magician it immediately tells me that they're completely full of it, because if they could really do what they were threatening they would just cast and be done with it. That's what I do.

I've seen some complaints lately to the effect that social media has been diluting magick to the point where there's whole a lot of dumb, useless, and potentially dangerous advice out there - and while I don't think practicing magick is nearly as dangerous as some folks claim, any advice that tells you to counter a gun with a wand clearly falls into the "dangerous" category.

At this point I have no idea what Thomas was trying to do, or why he thought his wand would be effective in this situation. If I do find out, though, you all will be the first to know.

Aries Elixir Rite for 2022

Here is the video of the Aries Elixir Rite. The donation link is here.

The sign Aries is attributed to the Emperor card in the Tarot, and to the power of consecrating things in Liber 777. This is a general power that can used to consecrate anything to any particular magical force, so it has a wide range of applications. In addition, intents corresponding to any quality attributed to Aries by astrologers will also work, whether they are related to consecration or not.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Aries Elixir Rite - Year Six

Today's post is a full script for the Aries Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, April 12th, at the Tuesday ritual workshop starting around 8 PM CDT. I will also be posting a video of the ritual on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel, which 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 Aries. Items to be consecrated may be placed on the altar by any of the attendees, as Aries is attributed to the Power of Consecrating Things. Other intents attributed to the astrological qualities of Aries are also appropriate for this operation above and beyond consecration. 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.

Office of the Readings for 2022

Happy Thelemic New Year, everyone! It's that time again, for the Office of the Readings.

For the last two years we have been limited to doing the Office of the Readings online. This year, I am pleased to announce that they will once again be presented in-person at Leaping Laughter Lodge, the Minneapolis local body of Ordo Templi Orientis. Getting back to business as usual for in-person events has been a long time coming, but it is a very welcome state of affairs.

This post will remain the top article here for the duration of the Thelemic High Holy Days, from March 20th to April 10th. The Rite of the Office of the Readings is performed for all of the readings beginning on March 20th.

Because of events at Paganicon this weekend, we will be reading the Prologue of the Unborn preceding the regular two readings for tonight, March 20th, and those readings will follow the Invocation of Horus. Our standard practice has been to read the Prologue on its own on the evening of March 19th, but that was not possible this year due to our activity at the convention. Otherwise, this is the version that we did for a number of years prior to changing some of the readings up more recently.

Rituals

The Invocation of Horus

The Rite of the Office of the Readings

Readings

March 20 - Saturn/Earth, The Universe

Liber VII, Prologue of the Unborn.

Liber LXV, Cap I.

Liber VII, Cap II.

March 21 - Fire/Spirit, The Aeon

Liber LXV, Cap IV.

From The Four Zoas by William Blake.

March 22 - Sol, The Sun

Liber VII, Cap IV.

From A Mithraic Ritual Translated by GRS Mead.

March 23 - Pisces, The Moon

Liber VII, Cap VI.

From Dark Night of the Soul, Book II, Cap 8 by San Juan de la Cruz.

March 24 - Aries, The Emperor

Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus.

From the Tao Te Ching by Lao Tzu, Cap 37 and 39.

March 25 - Mars, The Tower

Liber VII, Cap I.

From Liber CDXVIII, The 16th Æthyr.

March 26 - Capricornus, The Devil

Liber A'ash.

From Liber CXI, Cap 174-175.

March 27 - Sagittarius, Art

Liber DCCCXIII, Cap VII.

From The Vision of the Universal Mercury by G.H. Frater S.R.M.D.

March 28 - Scorpio, Death

From Liber Arcanorum.

From Liber CXI, Cap 192-194.

March 29 - Water, The Hanged Man

Liber LXV, Cap III.

I. N. R. I. by Frater Achad.

March 30 - Libra, Adjustment

Liber Libræ.

Selections from “The Spiritual Guide” by San Miguel de Molinos.

March 31 - Jupiter, Fortune

Liber VII, Cap III.

From Liber CDXVIII, The 20th Æthyr.

April 1 - Virgo, The Hermit

Liber VII, Cap V.

The Emerald Tablet of Hermes by Hermes Trismegistus.

April 2 - Leo, Lust

Liber Stellae Rubeæ.

From The Daughter of Fortitude Received by Sir Edward Kelley.

April 3 - Cancer, The Chariot

Liber Cheth vel Vallum Abiegni.

Maha Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra (The Heart Sutra, Buddhist text. Translation by the Kuan Um School of Zen).

April 4 - Gemini, The Lovers

Liber LXV, Cap II.

From Liber DCCCXXXVII, The Law of Liberty.

April 5 - Taurus, The Hierophant

Liber LXV, Cap V.

From On Christ and Antichrist by Hippolytus, Cap 2.

April 6 - Aquarius, The Star

Liber DCCCXIII, Cap VI.

From The Thunder, Perfect Mind (Gnostic text).

April 7 - Venus, The Empress

Liber VII, Cap VII.

From Liber CDXVIII, The 7th Æthyr.

April 8 - Luna, The Priestess

Liber AL, Cap I.

April 9 - Mercury, The Magus

Liber AL, Cap II.

April 10 - Air, The Fool

Liber AL, Cap III.

If you would like to perform this series and have questions, feel free to e-mail me here. All Office of the Readings posts may be viewed here. Our Office of the Readings series is based on this ritual series by the Companions of Monsalvat.

Pisces Elixir Rite for 2022

Here is the video of Tuesday's Pisces Elixir Rite. The donation link is here.

The sign Pisces is attributed to the Moon card in the Tarot, and to the powers of bewitchment and casting illusions in Liber 777. This includes spells like "glamors" that influence the perceptions of others, and also counteracting and protection from such operations. Pisces also rules the qualities that you will find related to the sign in any book on astrology. Those sorts of intentions should work fine with this ritual as well.

Enjoy!

Via Solis Pisces Elixir Rite - Year Five

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Pisces Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, March 15th at the Tuesday ritual workshop starting around 8 PM CDT. I will also be posting a video of the ritual on the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel, which 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 Pisces. The sign Pisces is attributed to the powers of "Bewitchment" and "Casting Illusions." So this is the power that you would call upon to cast classic magical operations such as "glamours" and the like. Spells that act directly on your own mind or those of others would also qualify. And, since magical powers are descriptive, not prescriptive, this can be scaled up to include all sorts of contemporary issues in our society. 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.

Bell chime.

Ritual Night Talk for March 8th

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

A large amount of online discussion and debate surrounds the question of how best to perceive and interact with spirits. Spirits communicate by psychic means, but the psychic senses that accomplish this are usually internally "mapped" onto various combinations of physical senses. This mapping is highly individual, meaning that some people might perceive a spirit visually, others auditorily, and still others by kinesthetic means. The key to effective spirit perception is to understand how your personal psychic senses work, and from there develop techniques that fit your own combination of senses.

Enjoy!