Actually, That's Ra-Hoor-Khuit

Here's a weird vaguely Thelema-adjacent news article from Texas. A woman was struck by a snake that fell from the sky. She called out to Jesus for help as the snake attacked her, and then a hawk came at her, grabbing the snake and flying off with it.

Peggy Jones was mowing her lawn in Silsbee, about 100 miles northeast of Houston, on Tuesday when out of nowhere, a snake plummeted from the sky before landing on her arm and wrapping itself around her limb, she told Houston-based NBC affiliate KPRC-TV. As the snake tightened around her arm, a hawk suddenly swooped down from above and started attacking Jones as it tried to pry the serpent away from her.

“The snake was squeezing so hard, and I was waving my arms in the air. And then, this hawk was swooping down clawing at my arm over and over,” Jones, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment from NBC News, told KPRC. “I just kept saying, ‘Help me, Jesus. Help me, Jesus',” she said. She said the hawk came at her at least four times before it finally managed to get hold of the snake and fly away.

In Thelema, the serpent is Apep or Apophis, the god of darkness and disorder. The falcon is both Ra and Horus, who are merged together as Ra-Hoor-Khuit or Ra-Horakhty, the solar god who was the sworn enemy of Apophis and did battle with him on a nightly basis.

So this bizarre event essentially re-enacts this mythic battle between light and darkness. Jones was attacked by Apophis, but the serpent was defeated by the falcon, Ra-Hoor-Khuit. It also strikes me as relevant that when she called on Jesus, it was Ra-Hoor-Khuit who answered. After all, folks, we're living in the New Aeon now.

Not Even Christian Anymore

In hindsight, I suppose the trajectory Evangelical Christianity has been on for many years now was always going to come to this. That doesn't make it any less sad, though, and also pretty scary for everyone involved.

Political movements tend to highjack religious movements, twisting them to serve their own political ends. And right-wing politicians in America love Evangelical Christian. It is no exaggeration to suggest that Evangelicals are probably the single largesty block of voters that support right-wing causes.

But in recent years, the influence of right-wing politics on Evangelical Christianity has become so pronounced that Christianity itself has become problematic to the movement. Not only do Evangelicals support Donald Trump, one of the least pious presidents to ever serve in office, but some even dismiss the actual teachings of Jesus as "liberal talking points."

Russell Moore resigned from the Southern Baptist Convention in 2021, after years of being at odds with other evangelical leaders. Specifically, Moore openly criticized Donald Trump, whom many evangelical Christians embraced. Moore also criticized the Southern Baptist Convention’s response to a sexual abuse crisis and increasing tolerance for white nationalism in the community.

Now he thinks his religion is in crisis. Moore told NPR in an interview released Tuesday that multiple pastors had told him they would quote the Sermon on the Mount, specifically the part that says to “turn the other cheek,” when preaching. Someone would come up after the service and ask, “Where did you get those liberal talking points?”

“What was alarming to me is that in most of these scenarios, when the pastor would say, ‘I’m literally quoting Jesus Christ,’ the response would not be, ‘I apologize.’ The response would be, ‘Yes, but that doesn’t work anymore. That’s weak,’” Moore said. “When we get to the point where the teachings of Jesus himself are seen as subversive to us, then we’re in a crisis.”

Via Solis Leo Elixir Rite - Year Seven

Today's Magick Monday post is a full script for the Leo Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday August 1st, at the Ritual Workshop. We will be starting around 8 PM.

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.

Via Solis Cancer Elixir Rite - Year Seven

Today's post is a full script for the Cancer Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday July 4th, at Leaping Laughter Lodge in Minneapolis, MN. Doors will open at 7:30 with the ritual to start around 8 PM.

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 2023

This Saturday, June 17th, we will be performing the Mass of Nuit and Babalon at Leaping Laughter Lodge in Minneapolis. This is the full script for the ritual, which we have been celebrating for a number of years now with some pretty impressive results. Doors will open at 7:30 PM with the ritual to start around 8 PM. This is a public ritual, so if you live in the Twin Cities area and would like to attend you are welcome to do so.

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 pitcher containing the Eucharist is placed in the center of the Sigillum. All present should have their own cups or glasses. 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.

No Rapture for You!

Things have been a little quiet here on Augoeides with respect to current events. But this week's news merits a mention - televangelist Pat Robertson has died. Robertson is one of the handful of individuals with their own tags on the blog, and he has held his since 2017. Older Robertson posts are also tagged with his name, but that was done after the tag was created. Few people have been the source of as much nonsense as Robertson, who believed things like you could be attacked by thrift store demons and that all denominations of Christianity besides his own were of the devil and therefore hopelessly evil.

Pat Robertson, the prominent televangelist who founded the Christian Broadcasting Network, made the Christian right a powerful political force and unsuccessfully ran for president in 1988, died on Thursday, the network said in a news release.

“Pat Robertson, longtime TV host, religious broadcaster, educator, humanitarian, and one-time presidential candidate died at his home in Virginia Beach early Thursday morning. He was 93,” the release said. Regent University in Virginia also released a statement saying it was mourning the loss of Robertson.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of our beloved founder,” Regent University Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs William L. Hathaway said. “Dr. Robertson was a globally-renowned leader, broadcaster, philanthropist, educator, author, accomplished businessman, and – most importantly – a faithful servant of God who dedicated his life to glorifying the Lord and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Robertson's "faithful service" included blaming feminists and liberals for 9/11, attacking Dungeons and Dragons as demonic, and using miraculous powers to perform miracles - what he called "prayer" and many of us call "magick." Most of those attempts failed, but it's less about competence than hypocrisy on Pat's part. Calling on deities and angels to make things happen is a big part of ceremonial magick, but it's good when he's doing it and evil when it's us.

Robertson's death also means that he won't be Raptured, hence the title of this article. To be Raptured, you have to be alive when the End Times start. The whole Rapture idea is silly anyway. The epistle where the responsible quote comes from is badly translated as "we will rise up to meet Him in the air." Literalists contend that this means that believers will float up into the sky. But in Greek, "air" and "spirit" are the same word, similar to what we see in Hebrew. Doesn't it make more sense to say that when Jesus returns, believers will rise up to meet him in the spirit

I mean, because the idea is so goofy it wouldn't be true anyway, regardless of how the text reads. But that it's based on a bad translation makes it all the more wrong. The Revelation of Saint John most likely refers to events that happened around and after the time it was written. 666 is probably a reference to Nero, and in fact the whole narrative can be read as a prophecy regarding the Roman Empire's conversion to Christianity. The "End Times" narrative we have today originated with William Miller in the early 1800's, and everybody who has used versions of his method to caculate a date has gotten it wrong.

Whatever the "real" End Times narrative - if it ever even comes to pass - turns out to be, the one thing that's clear is that Pat missed it. So no Rapture for him. I also hope fervently that he wasn't rewarded in the afterlife for his work on Earth, since that work has hurt so many people. He was instrumental in the rise of theocratic fascism that punishes anyone different from the mainstream, the overturning of abortion rights, and preferential treatment for Christians in all areas of the public sphere. He deserves no reward for doing any of that.

Gemini Elixir Rite - Year Seven

Tomorrow, Tuesday May 30th, we will be performing the Gemini Elixir Rite at the ritual workshop starting around 8 PM CDT. The full script is below if you would like to review it before the event.

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.

Taurus Elixir Rite - Year Seven

Tomorrow, Tuesday May 2nd, we will be performing the Taurus Elixir Rite at the ritual workshop starting around 8 PM CDT. The full script is below if you would like to review it before the event.

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.