Stealing the
Fire from
Heaven by Stephen Mace
Stealing the Fire from Heaven A TECHNIQUE FOR CREATING INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS OF
SORCERY
B a s e d o n the writings o f AUSTIN O S M A N SPARE, A L E I S T E R CROWLEY, and the G r e a t M a g e ABRAMELIN, these blended together and a u g m e n t e d by the p e r s o n a l researches o f the author:
STEPHEN AAACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS T h i s b o o k could not n o w exist in its present f o r m without the assistance and advice o f C h u c k F u r n a c e , Helen, Sarajane, Rick, Bert, G l e n n and J e a n n e , and my M o t h e r and F a t h e r — t o all o f w h o m I offer my heartfelt thanks.
S t e a l i n g the F i r e from
Heaven
I S B N #978-0-9720266-0-4 Sixth Edition, E n l a r g e d Copyright © 1 9 8 4 , 2 0 0 3 , 2 0 0 6 by S t e p h e n M a c e All rights reserved N o part o f this b o o k may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the copyright owner, except for brief quotations.
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CONTENTS Acknowledgements
2
Introduction to the Fifth E d i t i o n
5
I.
Sorcery
8
II.
Spirits a n d their D o m a i n
9
III.
Stealing the Fire f r o m H e a v e n
12
IV.
T h e Magical R e c o r d
13
V.
G o i n g the D i s t a n c e
14
VI.
A B a n i s h i n g Ritual
15
VII.
Conjuring
17
VIII.
A. O. S p a r e ' s Technique for E l e m e n t a r y Conjuring
23
IX.
T h e S a v i n g G r a c e o f Failure; the Perils o f S u c c e s s
27
X.
A B r i e f L o o k at A d v a n c e d Conjuring
31
XI.
Automatic Drawing
33
XII.
T h e Alphabet o f Desire
37
XIII.
T h e Varieties o f the Sacred Letters
41
XIV.
Astral Projection
44
XV.
T h e Holy Guardian Angel
50
XVa.
The Subde Body
57
XVI.
A d v a n c e d Conjuring
62
X V I I . T h e D e a t h Posture
64
X V I I I . T a l i s m a n s a n d the Magical L i n k
68
XIX.
Means o f Enhancement
72
XX.
T h e Magic Circle a n d E v o c a t i o n
79
XXa.
E l e m e n t a l s and Power S p o t s
81
XXI.
Problems and S o m e Solutions
84
X X I I . T h e Law X X I I I . T h e h o r n l e s s Ritual
93 102
Introduction t o t h e F i f t h edition O n the o c c a s i o n o f the reissue o f tried and true texts, the author may find h i m s e l f torn in two directions. O n the o n e h a n d , a considerable span o f time is likely to have p a s s e d since the original printing. T h e author m a y think that h e or she k n o w s better now, a n d s o will b e m o t i v a t e d to revise. O n the other hand, the author might realize that only b e c a u s e the original h a d s o m e t h i n g inspired a b o u t it is it w o r t h reissuing at all, and this s p a r k could easily b e snuffed out through m i s g u i d e d a t t e m p t s at " i m p r o v e m e n t . " S o the m o r e humble course would be to treat the original text as an artifact, a n d d o nothing. A n d yet it remains the c a s e that in s o m e ways o n e d o e s k n o w better. A t least o n e knows w h a t o n e left out the first time, and h o w helpful it w o u l d have b e e n i f o n e had k n o w n a b o u t it at that p o i n t in one's o w n p r o g r e s s . A n d s o there is a desire to include it in the n e w edition, if this can b e a c c o m p l i s h e d without destroying the original m o o d . Finally there is the consideration that one's publisher wants the reissue to contain new material s o that p e o p l e w h o already o w n the old edition will want to buy the n e w one a s well. S o I have followed a middle way. I have n o t attempted to rewrite anything. What was printed in the F o u r t h E d i t i o n is reprinted here without revision, thus keeping the perspective o f o n e w h o had just then figured out how to d o magick without tying himself to s o m e b o d y else's s y m b o l i s m , b u t w h o h a d n o idea at that m o m e n t where his n e w insight w o u l d lead him. I w a s full o f p r a g m a t i c innocence a n d b o u n d b y a n e c o n o m i c i m p e r a t i v e t o b e brief, a n d neither the i n n o c e n c e nor t h e brevity are quite w h a t they o n c e were. Besides, that innocence by its very nature left the entire technique o f magick w i d e o p e n , its application restricted only by the o c c u l t equivalents o f Newton's T h u d Law and the laws o f thermodynamics. T o attempt to revise it from m y present "sophisticated" perspective would doit n o
service, and could easily close off access to possibilities that I a m no longer even capable o f recognizing, simply because options that were open to m e then are now, for me, entirely closed. S o nothing c h a n g e s . O n the other hand, there is b e i n g innocent, a n d then there is being oblivious. Which is to say, I w r o t e very litde a b o u t the s u b d e b o d y in the F o u r t h E d i t i o n , and nothing at all a b o u t p o w e r s p o t s . Both are essential to gathering and using power, and b o t h are perfecdy suited for work by o n e w h o is just beginning to create his or her o w n s y s t e m o f sorcery. A n d s o I a d d two chapters, I h o p e in a style not t o o alien to the rest o f the b o o k . I would remark that o f these two lapses, the neglect o f power spots is the m o r e serious, simply b e c a u s e this neglect is pervasive throughout Western magick. Every occult system offers s o m e approach to the pillar o f L i g h t that e n c o m p a s s e s the spine and the energy centers strung a l o n g it, a n d all have at least a skeletal technique for manipulating them—techniques
that a litde psychic engineering
should b e able to flesh o u t as n e e d e d . B u t within Western magick, power spots and the elementals o f locations in the landscape have been wholly neglected. T h i s b a r r e n n e s s is the direct result o f the phtiosophical direction taken by t h o s e religions based o n the B i b l e — J u d a i s m , Christianity, I s l a m — a n d h a s nothing to d o with E u r o p e or the Middle E a s t as r e g i o n s in t h e m s e l v e s . I n the E u r o p e a n d Middle E a s t o f the Classical period there were shrines and sacred groves and springs scattered all over the countryside, as there are t h r o u g h o u t Africa, India and Southeast Asia today. B u t if any o f these are recog nized in their old roles today, it is because churches or m o s q u e s have been built atop them, or else shrines to the patriarchs and saints. This is in accord with the transcendental bias o f these religions, which holds that the only valid power c o m e s d o w n from heaven o n high, rather than being immanent throughout earth and nature, as must be appar ent to any who can look with any s o r t o f o p e n eye. T h u s if a s p o t is still perceived by the laity as h a v i n g power, the clergy insists that this must b e because an angel showed itself there, or s o m e saint worked a miracle, never because the location itself is a source o f it.
T h e origin o f this transcendental bias is in P l a t o n i s m a n d Neoplatonism, which held that the world is only a formless murk that s o m e h o w reflects the Pure F o r m s that radiate d o w n from A b o v e . T h e way to spiritual advancement was thus to turn away from the world lest it ensnare us, disengaging from all material and bodily concerns to rise u p to the Absolute. T h i s delusion permeated H e r m e t i c i s m as well as Christianity, a n d thus the w h o l e o f the R o s i c r u c i a n m o v e m e n t and the m a g i c k s b a s e d u p o n it. E v e n i f the m o d e r n i n n o v a t i o n s o f p s y c h o l o g y have b r o u g h t m a n y o f the traditional spirits d o w n into our o w n u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s , the w e b o f p o w e r that is living nature h a s still b e e n left out entirely, and this is an o m i s s i o n that m u s t n o t g o uncorrected.
1, Sorcery S o r c e r y is the art o f capturing spirits and training t h e m t o w o r k in h a r n e s s , o f sorting o u t the p o w e r s in o u r m i n d s s o w e m i g h t manipulate t h e m and m a k e t h e m cause c h a n g e s b o t h within our m i n d s and b e y o n d them.
11. S p i r i t s a n d t h e i r D o m a i n Spirits are p o w e r s , p o w e r s o f m i n d , a n d their d o m a i n is the u n c o n s c i o u s . F o r the average p e r s o n they thus remain inaccessible, and s o o u r encounters with t h e m can b e v a g u e a n d unconvincing. Spirits can a p p e a r as knacks, as talents, a n d as e m o t i o n s . Spirits can hide in complexes that trigger automatic r e s p o n s e s to the situations w e encounter. Spirits s h o w themselves in d r e a m s and dare u s t o u n d e r s t a n d t h e m . B u t a s o r c e r e r u s e s t e c h n i q u e s that m a k e the u n c o n s c i o u s accessible, a n d s o m a y he (or she) m a y m e e t his spirits face-to-face. I f he h a s the strength, he can ascertain their true f o r m s a n d bind them s o they'll d o his will. I f he d o e s not, there is a very real risk o f o b s e s s i o n . All p o w e r s carry risks. W h e t h e r wheels s p u n b y falling water o r electricity from split a t o m s , the energy has to b e kept in its place o r it can hurt s o m e o n e . We c a n n o t e x p e c t the p o w e r in sorcery to b e any different, b u t you m a y b e a s s u r e d there are m e t h o d s for k e e p i n g spirits under control, and exercises to give y o u the strength t o u s e them. T h e u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d , being the d o m a i n o f spirits, is also their m e d i u m , a n d s o its n a t u r e d e t e r m i n e s their nature. T h e u n c o n s c i o u s i s the i m a g e p o o l b e n e a t h o u r w a k i n g m i n d s ; all o u r c o n s c i o u s thoughts c o m e o u t o f it, all our experiences o f the external w o r l d sink into it. P a s s i n g events, t h o s e o f little power, disintegrate after a time, b u t repetitive experiences and those o f g r e a t power or e m o t i o n build u p psychic structures—spirits—which h a v e lives o f their o w n . H e n c e a w o o d s m a n will find that he carries within his psyche the spirit o f the forest, an adolescent will germinate ( t h r o u g h the e m o t i o n s g e n e r a t e d by his r u s h o f h o r m o n e s ) a spirit o f lust, arid a sexually r e p r e s s e d neurotic will create a d e m o n to k e e p his lust 'in check'. S o w e s e e that w e may create spirits o n our o w n , and when w e all d o it t o g e t h e r a s one, they can b e c o m e as g o d s . T h e neurotic's desire to a p p e a s e (say) his p o s s e s s i v e m o t h e r c r e a t e s his d e m o n , a b e i n g that r o o s t s i n his m i n d alone. B u t the aspirations o f a g r o u p o f people can p r o d u c e a c o m m o n p o w e r that will affect the thought
a n d action o f everyone in it. T h e P h o e n i c i a n s ' desire for safety in a risky world created their awful g o d M o l o c h . T h e J e w s ' desire t o k e e p their tribe united b r o u g h t forth the jealous Yahweh. A n d the human desire to keep T intact beyond the gates o f death generated the r e d e e m i n g spirits v a r i o u s l y k n o w n as O s i r i s , O r p h e u s , M i t h r a s , and Christ. N o w I m u s t stress that in saying this I d o n o t denigrate these g o d s , neither child-eating M o l o c h nor the J e s u s w h o s e B o d y and B l o o d the Christians c o n s u m e . T h e s e g o d s have the p o w e r their w o r s h i p p e r s give t h e m — w h e t h e r t h r o u g h d e v o t i o n , ritual, or the spilling o f b l o o d . I f this energy is given with sincerity and directed with competence, it will cause change. T h i s happens m o s t obviously within the u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d o f the worshipper, but a l s o — s i n c e the u n c o n s c i o u s has its r o o t in the M i n d o f the A b s o l u t e — i n the external world. This is the mechanism behind the power o f prayer. B u t there's a p r o b l e m with u s i n g p r e e x i s t e n t spirits. T h e y invariably c o m e e q u i p p e d with e n o r m o u s a m o u n t s o f m o r a l a n d t h e o l o g i c a l b a g g a g e , bundles o f belief and r i g h t e o u s n e s s that you m u s t carry with you as y o u m a k e your way through the world. I f y o u believe in M o l o c h , y o u k n o w h e c a n b e satisfied with neither prayer n o r incense nor h o n e s t l i v i n g — o n l y your first-born s o n will do. I f y o u believe in Christ, your sacrifice will b e m o r e s u b d e ; you m u s t f o r s a k e your ' h u m a n ' will and s u b m i t yourself to his divine o n e if y o u a r e to b e s a v e d f r o m E t e r n a l D a m n a t i o n . A n d even m a n y s o r c e r e r s have to g i v e u p s o m e f r e e d o m to practice their art. I n the W e s t the m o s t c o m m o n s c h o o l o f m a g i c is that o f the Rosicrucians. Rosicrucian magicians structure their powers o f m i n d a c c o r d i n g to a m a p o f p o w e r called the Tree o f Life, a g e o m e t r i c a r r a n g e m e n t first d r a w n centuries a g o by J e w i s h mystics d e v o t e d to the tradition known a s Qabalah. B e f o r e you c a n work Rosicrucian m a g i c y o u must b r a n d this s c h e m e o n t o your u n c o n s c i o u s mind, defining all your p e r c e p t i o n and p o w e r s o f rnind in its terms. S o whether y o u pray t o b l o o d y M o l o c h o r strive to be a mystic wizard, you're still stuck with the ancient f o r m u l a , a n d if you should find things are truly different, your p r o b l e m m a y b e unsolvable.
The Qabalkts'
Tree of Life
111. S t e a l i n g t h e Fire f r o m Heaven In this essay w e offer a technique that individuals c a n u s e to create systems o f sorcery precisely tailored to their own unconscious realities. By following our instructions, the reader can c a u s e his (or her) subliminal self to design its own symbols to represent the powers he finds within it. H i s result will b e what is, essentially, a p e r s o n a l language o f power, one that has m e a n i n g only for himself, b u t full o f potency b e c a u s e it is his o w n soul's way o f e x p r e s s i n g itself.
From F o r m I (II), 2 — November, December, 1921
IV, The M a g i c a l Record O u r s o r c e r y is t h u s a p s y c h o t e c h n o l o g y — w e
identify
c o m p o n e n t s within o u r p s y c h e s , discover the m e c h a n i s m s behind their m o v e m e n t , and u s e various techniques to manipulate them. B u t t h e b e s t w a y t o a p p r o a c h a n y e f f o r t at t e c h n o l o g y is s c i e n t i f i c a l l y , a n d the e s s e n c e o f science is k e e p i n g accurate r e c o r d s . Y o u need to record what you d o so you'll k n o w what m e t h o d s w o r k for you, what m e t h o d s don't, and w h a t m e t h o d s work after you practice t h e m for a while. Y o u n e e d to r e c o r d what h a p p e n s w h e n y o u d o s u c c e e d so y o u c a n gain insight into the nature o f the p o w e r you've encountered, and h o w y o u m a y further e x a m i n e it. Y o u n e e d to r e c o r d the m a j o r events in your mental and emotional life s o you'll k n o w w h a t p r o b l e m s tend to recur a n d s o may have a d e m o n at their source. Y o u n e e d t o d e s c r i b e your p o w e r s a s y o u find t h e m — t h e i r n a m e s , s y m b o l s , and a p p a r e n t natures. Y o u need a r e c o r d o f the effect your sorcery has o n your life as a whole. A spiral n o t e b o o k will d o .
V. G o i n g t h e D i s t a n c e B y this p o i n t the careful r e a d e r will h a v e c o n c l u d e d that sorcery is n o t an overnight operation, a n d he'll b e right. Actually it's a l i f e t i m e s o r t o f thing. A g o o d a n a l o g y m i g h t b e m u s i c . T o b e c o m e a d e p t at a m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t t a k e s a c o u p l e o f years, a n d after that c o m e ever-rising p l a t e a u s o f mastery. O f c o u r s e masters don't d o anything m u c h except music, and sorcery can b e pretty a l l - e n v e l o p i n g , t o o . B u t s i n c e s o r c e r y t o u c h e s o n every p o s s i b l e a s p e c t o f e x i s t e n c e (including p l a y i n g the flute), it's n o t at all c o n f i n i n g . H o n e s t . S o it takes years. W h e n that's the case, p a c i n g is i m p o r t a n t — you have to k n o w what to d o when, and h o w l o n g to take at it. S o m e things you can d o right away, like the banishing ritual in the next chapter and the conjuring with a sigil and free belief, given in C h a p t e r V I I I . I f these are easy to d o and y o u g e t g o o d results, well, M o z a r t w a s a pretty quick study o n the piano, too, and he went o n to the harder s t u f f right away. B u t if you find you don't really have the c o n c e n t r a t i o n to visualize g l o w i n g rings, or your p a s s i o n s are t o o s t r o n g t o d i s m e m b e r , or y o u d o n ' t h a v e the w i l l p o w e r to f o r g e t a n y t h i n g , then y o u s h o u l d s p e n d a y e a r o r t w o o n t h e m e t h o d s r e c o m m e n d e d in C h a p t e r X X I . I've p u t them back there b e c a u s e they're m o r e mind control than sorcery, though that d o e s n ' t m a k e t h e m any less important. T o m a s t e r t h e m is to train a g o o d horse which you may ride to round u p all the wild beasts in your psyche.
VI. A B a n i s h i n g Ritual S o r c e r y is the art o f capturing spirits a n d training them to work in harness. T h e arena wherein this ensnarement and instruction take place is within the imagination o f the sorcerer, the field whereon c o n s c i o u s intention m e e t s u n c o n s c i o u s tendency. B u t b e f o r e the wizard c a n u s e this field, he n e e d s s o m e way to clear it, b o t h before he b e g i n s any operation and after he finishes it. B e f o r e he b e g i n s he m u s t cut d o w n the stray thoughts, popular songs, and chronic resent m e n t s that m a y intrude u p o n his work. W h e n he's finished he m u s t s e n d his spirits back to their o w n dwellings, for otherwise they might h a n g a r o u n d his c o n s c i o u s n e s s and m e d d l e a b o u t out o f control, eventually bringing a b o u t an o b s e s s i o n . Traditionally sorcerers have cleared their imaginations with b a n i s h i n g rituals, b r i e f c e r e m o n i e s o f e n c i r c l e m e n t d e s i g n e d t o flush o u t o n e ' s a u r a with light a n d g u a r d it f r o m s u b s e q u e n t c o n t a m i nation, at least for a little while. Rosicrucian-type magicians have gener ally adopted the Pentagram ritual for this, b u t t h o u g h it is v e r y e f f e c tive, it is s y m b o l i c a l l y d e p e n d e n t u p o n the Q a b a l i s t i c s y s t e m a n d h e n c e u n s u i t a b l e for a n y o n e w h o w a n t s t o a v o i d h a n g i n g that A l b a t r o s s a r o u n d his neck. In its stead I offer a rite that w a s given to m e by a teacher o f m y o w n , Frater O . T . L . , w h o told m e it w a s the invention o f the E n g l i s h wizard Austin O s m a n Spare ( 1 8 8 6 1956). D u r i n g all my s u b s e q u e n t study o f S p a r e , I ' v e never seen it in print, but it works and I've u s e d it for years w i t h g o o d effect. It also has the advantage o f simplicity. O n c e you k n o w it, you can d o it in a few s e c o n d s right in your imagination, and there isn't a single mystic s y m b o l in it. T o begin, close your eyes and imagine a vertical line o f white light, o n e p a s s i n g from the nadir to the zenith right through the point o f view behind your eyes. N e x t imagine a s p o t o f light about two feet in front o f this point o f view. With this s p o t trace a horizontal circle around y o u r head. T h e n trace an ellipse b y running this s p o t u p to the t o p o f your h e a d , d o w n your b a c k , u n d e r your feet, a n d u p again to the
top o f your head. T h e n trace another ellipse from the t o p o f your head d o w n o n e side, under your feet, and u p the other side to the top o f your head. W h e n you're finished your point o f view should b e in the m i d d l e o f a cage that l o o k s like this:
With your fortifications n o w in place, y o u m a y clean o u t your imagination. T o d o this turn the line you first visualized into a pillar o f fire and c a u s e it to e x p a n d outward through your three rings. A s it d o e s , c a s t i m a g e s o f any persistent thoughts or fantasies into the flames and watch them b u r n until there is nothing left but three glowing white rings. A n d that's all there is to it. A s i d e from serving to flush o u t your m i n d before and after magical operations, banishing is your first defense against o b s e s s i v e thoughts from within and any kind o f psychic attack from the outside. Banishing rituals also have the side benefit o f hardening the wizard's aura, forming a psychic shell that will keep his consciousness together and deflect the piercing intrusions o f the external world. By frequent (four or five t i m e s a day for the rest o f y o u r life) banishing, the w i z a r d will d e v e l o p an aura s o hard that he will b e able to d r o p m a n y o f the defensive habits that might have attached themselves to his p e r s o n a l attitude. B a n i s h i n g is thus an essential tool for the aspiring wizard, a n d it is vital to m a k e it a habit.
VII. C o n j u r i n g We will define conjuring as any a t t e m p t to use ' p s y c h i c ' or 'spiritual' p o w e r to c a u s e a deliberate c h a n g e , either in the wizard's self or in his circumstances. H e n c e prayer t o a D e i t y in w h o m o n e h a s ' F a i t h ' is a variety o f c o n j u r i n g , t h o u g h o n e w e will i g n o r e h e r e , in that only d e v o t i o n is required, a n d n o skill. In sorcery skill is e v e r y t h i n g , faith v e r y little, a n d p e r s e v e r a n c e takes the p l a c e o f devotion. B u t then p e r s e v e r a n c e toward what? T h a t is, why conjure at all? T o help you d o your will, o f c o u r s e , whatever your will might be. S o m e e x a m p l e s : I f y o u h a v e a talent for selling, b u t hate to drive, conjure u p the d e m o n at the r o o t o f your aversion and force it to b e still. A n d while you're at it, you might energize your spirit o f m e m o r y — t h e better to recall your c u s t o m e r s ' n a m e s , their p h o n e n u m b e r s , a n d the virtues o f your stock in trade. I f you're a c o n s u m m a t e politician, b u t a n o t h i n g orator, call u p your spirit o f eloquence, energize it, and use it to charge talismans to w e a r w h e n y o u s p e a k a n d write. A n d p e r h a p s y o u might a l s o invoke p o w e r s o f p e r s p e c d v e s o y o u might see t h r o u g h the eyes o f the factions y o u m u s t reconcile, discovering the p o s i t i o n s they feel they must hold and ways you can persuade them to c o m p r o m i s e on the non-essentials. I f you're an athlete, conjure the spirit that will relax y o u r strained m u s c l e s s o they will stretch instead o f tear. A n d y o u m i g h t also search within yourself for p o w e r s that will give you the agility, awareness o f b o d y function, a n d bursts o f s u d d e n energy y o u n e e d to c o m p e t e effectively. I f you're a sexually r e p r e s s e d neurotic, call u p your m o t h e r instilled (or whatever) d e m o n and slap it in irons, then conjure your shriveled sexuality so it m i g h t b e nurtured, healed, a n d otherwise e n c o u r a g e d to b l o o m . In short, call up the powers that will help your natural genius take flight, and imprison the demons that work to pull it down into their mire
B u t w h e n l o o k e d at in this way, sorcery s e e m s like n o way to m a k e miracles at all, but only (as we h a v e said) a psychotechnology. T h i s is a g o o d way to l o o k at it, b u t even a p s y c h o t e c h n o l o g y c a n offer 'miracles' if you c a n extend the limits o f " p s y c h e " far e n o u g h . In theory our u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s ultimately m e r g e with the M i n d o f G o d , s o i f w e c a n work that deeply, All T h i n g s will b e subject to O u r Wills. B u t then the morality o f this sort o f work is d u b i o u s . O n the m o s t innocent level are p o w e r s like precognition, wherein o n e reads the c o s m i c trends s o that o n e can put one's life (or even one's portfolio) into h a r m o n y with them. O n the m o s t c o r r u p t level are p o w e r s that pin d o w n recalcitrant s e x objects and give heart attacks to rich uncles. T w o p o i n t s n e e d to b e m a d e here: 1.) Sorcery is only a tool; what you d o with it, for g o o d or ill, is your own responsibility. A paring knife is only a tool, too. Y o u can peel p o t a t o e s with it, o r you c a n peel your sister. T h e only difference between sorcery and knives is that you may think it safer to curse your sister with five d o z e n devils than to slice and dice her, in that the c o p s can't catch you for a curse. Perhaps not, but then your karma might, or another magician, or all those devils o n their way h o m e from work after your sister slams her car into a bridge abutment. If you use magic to " g e t " (whether " g e t rich," "get laid," or "get even") instead o f to " s e e " or " t r a d e , " " m e e t " o r " m a k e , " you will put a wall between yourself a n d the rest o f the u n i v e r s e — b e t w e e n the getter and the g o t t e n — a n d s o bar yourself from the s o u r c e o f your power. 2.) It is safer t o conjure to improve your ability to d o your will than it is to conjure to make the world c o n f o r m to y o u r will. W h e n you change yourself, you send no w a v e s o f power out into the world, and s o y o u n e e d not fear a s p l a s h b a c k . B u t w h e n y o u try to m a k e external events r e s p o n d to your bidding, such r e p e r c u s s i o n s are a constant threat. We will examine a few o f t h e s e d a n g e r s when w e get to C h a p t e r I X . O f course however you u s e p o w e r in sorcery, you have to call it up first, which is what conjuring is for. I f you follow conventional magical practice, you will do your conjuring by mimicking the p o w e r
y o u want until it r e s p o n d s f r o m the d e p t h s o f your p s y c h e and s o b e c o m e s available to d o your will. T h e way you can m i m i c a p o w e r is by d r e s s i n g in a c o s t u m e o f s y m b o l i s m , " p u t d n g o n " i m a g e s that call it to mind. T h e n y o u energize your mental state through the techniques o f ritual—dancing a n d chanting, sex and sacrifice, wine and incense a n d strange d r u g s . W h e n your e m o d o n b e c o m e s s t r o n g e n o u g h to o v e r w h e l m all inhibition, the simulation b e c o m e s reality and y o u k n o w y o u r s e l f for the g o d , r e a d y t o w o r k y o u r will o n the w o r l d . O f c o u r s e this m e a n s that the aspiring wizard m u s t k n o w in a d v a n c e what p o w e r s are available to b e m i m i c k e d , and what s o r t o f act is required for each. In conventional m a g i c a l practice this k n o w l e d g e is p r o v i d e d by an occult tradition. T h e wizard s u b s c r i b e s to o n e o f t h e s e at the outset o f his career, b r a n d s its s y m b o l i s m o n t o his m e m o r y , a n d o r g a n i z e s all his p o w e r s in its terms. In the West the principle tradition is that o f the R o s i c r u c i a n s , which g r e w o u t o f the study by freethinking Christians o f the H e b r e w Q a b a l a h . S o r c e r e r s w h o subscribe to it arrange their p o w e r s a c c o r d i n g to the ten " s p h e r e s " o f the Qabalistic " T r e e o f L i f e " a n d the twenty-two " p a t h s " that c o n n e c t them. E a c h s p o t o n the T r e e is h o m e t o a p o w e r and h a s its o w n set o f relevant s y m b o l s : colors, n u m b e r s , plants, drugs, metals, n a m e s o f g o d , i m a g e s o f g o d . A neophyte in a R o s i c r u c i a n o r d e r will b e indoctrinated with this s y m b o l i s m until h e is fluent in it, able t o dress up his rituals s o they are specific to whatever p o w e r s he wishes to invoke. A less intellectualized tradition in s o r c e r y is that o f Haitian V o o d o o . In V o o d o o the various p o w e r s are called " l o a " and they are e v o k e d t h r o u g h dance, w h e r e u p o n they ' r i d e ' the sorcerer in a dramatic p o s s e s s i o n . D u r i n g this time they c a n c o n f e r k n o w l e d g e a n d p o w e r a n d execute m a g i c a l spells. B u t b e f o r e a Haitian m a n receives his initiation a s h o u n g a n (or w o m a n a s m a m b o ) , he m u s t first s p e n d a l o n g p e r i o d a s a servitor—an a p p r e n t i c e in a h o u n g a n ' s temple. In this time he will s e e first h a n d the p o s t u r e s and attitudes his teacher's b o d y a s s u m e s w h e n the different l o a displace his soul. In the d a n c e that follows his own initiation, the n e w houngan will
begin to m i m i c the m o v e m e n t s o f the various loa, until the loa themselves are attracted out o f his u n c o n s c i o u s a n d take over in a g e n u i n e p o s s e s s i o n . L i k e the R o s i c r u c i a n s , the V o o d o o p r i e s t s i m u l a t e s the nature o f the u n c o n s c i o u s p o w e r even as the d r u m s p o u n d his c o n s c i o u s m i n d into oblivion. W h e n the willed mimicry m e e t s the true power, the p o w e r flows into the priest's soul and he has a chance to turn it t o his o w n ends. D e p e n d i n g on culture, each school o f sorcery has its own typical costumes for the powers it defines. A R o s i c r u c i a n m u s t learn that destructive c h a n g e is attributed to the fifth sphere o f the T r e e o f L i f e — G e b u r a h , m e a n i n g severity. Its g o d - n a m e s are M a r s , A r e s , H o r u s , and E l o h i m G i b o r . Its archangel is K a m a e l ; its angel is Z a m a e l ; its spirit is B a r t z a b e l . Its color is red; its herb is nettie; its d r u g is t o b a c c o ; its metal is iron. O n the other hand, the apprenticed houngan k n o w s that the warrior loa is O g o u n . O g o u n is severe; he's a blacksmith; h e drinks rum; h e s m o k e s tobacco. A n d since V o o d o o is West African sorcery under a veneer o f R o m a n C a t h o l i c i s m , he is attributed t o St. G e o r g e . W h e n O g o u n rides a h o u n g a n , the m a n wildly w a v e s his machete as he d a n c e s , a n d uses it to p u s h and strike the m e m b e r s o f his societe. Regardless o f his normal demeanor, w h e n O g o u n rides h i m the h o u n g a n a s s u m e s an attitude o f imperial a r r o g a n c e . S o whether he's E u r o p e a n or Caribbean, the sorcerer w h o relies o n a t r a d i t i o n willingly b i n d s h i m s e l f t o it, right f r o m the v e r y b e g i n n i n g . T h i s is obviously at variance with the p u r p o s e stated in C h a p t e r III, a n d so we m u s t a d o p t a non-traditional a p p r o a c h . T h e o n e w e offer was first formulated by Austin O s m a n S p a r e , the E n g h s h m a n who gave us (allegedly) the non-traditional banishing ritual described in the last chapter. For Spare, the formula o f mimicry was ridiculous. "Is it by symbolizing that w e b e c o m e the s y m b o l i z e d ? " h e a s k e d in T h e Book of Pleasure (1913). "Were I to c r o w n m y s e l f K i n g , s h o u l d I be K i n g ? Rather should I be an object o f disgust or pity." H e felt that there is n o need to use elaborate ritual to emulate ciivinity, for all life is already divine and a creature can realize this in practice i f only it is able to l o o s e itself from the confines o f instinct,
passion, and belief. N o r is there any point in assimilating a traditional symbolism, b o t h because anything traditional is inevitably o u t o f date and also b e c a u s e the m o s t p o t e n t s y m b o l s for any given wizard can b e found within that wizard's own unconscious, his actual connection to the power at the source o f us all. B u t if o n e d o e s n o t a p e the behavior o f the p o w e r s in one's dark p o o l , h o w d o e s o n e g e t t h e m to r e s p o n d ? S p a r e f o u n d the answer to this in the behavior o f the unconscious itself, in its reflexive reaction to r e p r e s s i o n and denial. T o w o r k S p a r e ' s technique, the sorcerer d o e s n o t u s e ritual to call u p the p o w e r he n e e d s to a c c o m p l i s h his desire. I n s t e a d he o b t a i n s his desire by stifling the thought o f it. H e d o e s n o t p e r m i t h i m s e l f to consider it, and if it should sneak into his thought-stream, h e s u p p r e s s e s it as s o o n as h e notices its p r e s e n c e . Spare called this deliberate repression "making the desire organic." W h e n w e dwell o n a d e s i r e in o u r c o n s c i o u s m i n d s , w e i n v o l v e ourselves in rational attempts to satisfy it, a t t e m p t s that bind o u r energy into structured s c h e m e s that defy the fluid e s s e n c e o f power. We w a s t e our energy w e a v i n g d r e a m s — t a p e s t r i e s o f m e t h o d a n d motivation, expectation and fear o f failure—veils that k e e p us f r o m s e e i n g ourselves as n o d e s o f p o w e r linked directiy to Infinity. B u t w h e n we r e p r e s s our desires, they shrink away f r o m c o n s c i o u s n e s s t o turn in o n t h e m s e l v e s — b e c o m i n g discrete entities—and if w e c a n p o u r e n o u g h energy into t h e m (even as w e k e e p the thought o f t h e m o u t o f o u r waking m i n d s ) , they will sink d o w n into the wellsprings o f F a t e , where the energy will b e able to adjust Fate's flow a c c o r d i n g to o u r wills. T o m y k n o w l e d g e , S p a r e w a s u n i q u e in h i s u s e o f
this
m e c h a n i s m o f repression. All the other systems o f sorcery—from V o o d o o and T a n t r a to W i c c a and the R o s i c r u c i a n s — u s e s o m e v a r i a t i o n o f a ritual identification to call u p the power. O f course r e p r e s s i o n is better k n o w n as a pathological f u n c t i o n t h a n a cre ative one. It is considered a primary cause o f neurosis, particularly hysterical n e u r o s i s , a n d e v e n p o l t e r g e i s t p h e n o m e n a h a v e b e e n attributed to it. B u t that's sickness, n o t sorcery, a n d the only p o w e r s
b r o u g h t forth are d e m o n i c — o f n o u s e to anyone. With Spare's m e t h o d the r e p r e s s i o n is only a ruse. T h e wizard is fully c o n s c i o u s o f his p u r p o s e a n d p l a n b e f o r e h e b e g i n s ; for his o p e r a t i o n t o succeed, the whole o f his will, desire, and belief m u s t b e behind it. It is only w h e n he has everything in order a n d begins his w o r k that he m u s t p u r g e his t h o u g h t o f his p u r p o s e .
V11L A, O, S p a r e ' s Technique f o r Elementary Conjuring T o conjure successfully, then, the sorcerer w h o uses repression m u s t stifle his desire s o it splits o f f f r o m his e g o , and then energize it s o it can carry o u t his m i s s i o n . A n d it m u s t b e energized; s i m p l e forgetting is n o t enough. A sexually r e p r e s s e d neurotic, for instance, h a s his d e m o n energized every time his m o t h e r a s k s him to take her t o the m o v i e s o n a Friday night. O u r heartfelt desires d e s e r v e a s m u c h , s o w e n e e d a way t o c h a r g e t h e m w i t h t r u e e m o t i o n . F o r this S p a r e r e c o m m e n d e d the u s e o f the " N e i t h e r - N e i t h e r
prin
c i p l e " to p r o d u c e a type o f energy he called "free belief." T h e Neither-Neither principle asserts that there is n o truth a n y w h e r e t h a t is n o t b a l a n c e d b y a n e q u a l l y t r u e o p p o s i t e s o m e w h e r e , a n d t h e r e is o n l y p e r s p e c t i v e a n d c i r c u m s t a n c e t o d e t e r m i n e which s e e m s m o r e true at any given time. T o apply this principle to conjuring, wait until you are absolutely positive something 1
is true, then search for its o p p o s i t e . W h e n y o u find it, o p p o s e it to your 'truth' and let them annihilate o n e another as well as they may. A n y residue y o u s h o u l d o p p o s e to its o p p o s i t e , a n d s o o n until your truth has been dismembered and the passion behind it converted into undirected energy—free belief. B y applying the Neither-Neither w e c a n g u t the meaningless convictions that o b s e s s us every day a n d u s e the power released to c a u s e the c h a n g e s w e desire. O n c e free belief h a s b e e n generated, the sorcerer m u s t f o c u s it into bis desire without allowing the desire itself to c o n t a m i n a t e his thought. T o a c c o m p l i s h this, S p a r e m a d e u s e o f sigils—linear figures the sorcerer d e s i g n s to represent his wishes. Sigils s e r v e as ways for h i m t o focus free belief into his desires without disturbing 1. T h e Neither-Neither works against all limitation, material objects as well as political opinions and emotions o f the heart. I f your 'truth' is, for in stance, the fact that your house exists, simply look ahead through the years, imagining its slow decay until it finally returns to the soil, even if it takes a glacier to grind it into it.
their u n c o n s c i o u s sleep. B y u s i n g free belief to b u r n a sigil into his imagination, the sorcerer p u s h e s the p o w e r through his d e e p psyche into the M i n d o f G o d , w h e r e it c a n s p a w n whatever inspiration or h a p p e n s t a n c e he might require. B u t his sigil m u s t b e special; n o t just any d e s i g n will d o . It m u s t b e psychically meaningful even as it gives n o indication o f the desire it represents, and s o w e m a y n o t u s e traditional s y m b o l i s m . If, for e x a m p l e , a wizard u s e d the astrological s y m b o l o f the sun t o designate his desire for higher w a g e s , it w o u l d b e easy for his m i n d to follow a logical chain leading t o thoughts o f energy and g o l d , the s u b s t a n c e a n d s y m b o l o f wealth. In a flash he'd b e dwelling o n his lack o f it, defeating his effort at repression. S o w e n e e d a way to design sigils that l o o k like n o t h i n g at all. S p a r e offers us a m e t h o d s o s i m p l e it m a y even b e perfect. T h e w i z a r d simply writes his desire d o w n in a c o n c i s e sentence, ekminates the duplicate letters, and then uses t h o s e remaining to m a k e a linear design. If, for e x a m p l e , h e wanted to b r i n g h o m e a fatter paycheck, his sentence could read: " L e t m e earn m o r e from M o r t e n , " M o r t e n being the n a m e o f his employer. H i s sigil c o u l d look like this:
O n c e t h e wizard has d e s i g n e d his sigil, he m u s t c o m m i t it t o m e m o r y . It m u s t be s o firmly in place there that h e c a n call it into his i m a g i n a t i o n whenever he has free belief available t o charge it. A s s o o n as he is s u r e o f h i s sigil's s h a p e , the w i z a r d m u s t b e g i n t o k e e p b o t h it a n d his desire o u t o f his t h o u g h t . H e will s i m p l y n o t p e r m i t h i m s e l f to c o n s i d e r t h e m . In The Book of Plea sure S p a r e w r o t e that w h e n a sigil p o p s i n t o the s o r c e r e r ' s n o r m a l
t h o u g h t - s t r e a m , he must deliberately p u s h it out, forgetting it by an act o f will. T h i s activates it so it "dominates at the u n c o n s c i o u s p e r i o d , its f o r m nourishes, allows it to b e c o m e attached to the s u b c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n d b e c o m e O r g a n i c . " In this way his sigil is planted, ready to b e watered with whatever free belief he c a n p o u r into it. T o p e r f o r m this watering in actual practice, the wizard m u s t e n t e r a s t a t e o f vacuity, g e n e r a t e free belief, a n d f o c u s it i n t o c o n c e n t r a t i n g o n his sigil. Vacuity is a state o f n o thought, a cleared s p a c e m u c h like w h a t a b a n i s h i n g gives. T h o u g h h e d o e s n ' t m e n t i o n b a n i s h i n g in The Book of Pleasure, Spare d o e s suggest that vacuity may b e p r o d u c e d through l o n g walks, tennis, alcohol, yoga mantras and p o s t u r e s , even playing solitaire—anything t o k e e p the magician's c o n s c i o u s m i n d o n hold so it won't foul his sigil. Also, I might a d d that strong passion turned to free belief often results in vacuity, simply b e c a u s e the free belief is s o intense that it doesn't p e r m i t any coherent thoughts to remain in one's m i n d . In s u c h c a s e s it is imperative for the energy to b e f o c u s e d into a sigil, for otherwise it will decay, b e c o m i n g f o o d for the w o r s t sort o f mental beastie. O n c e v a c u i t y h a s b e e n attained, the s o r c e r e r will m u s t e r whatever free belief he can a n d u s e it to visualize his design. I n the c a s e o f our wizard's j o b magic, he might find h i m s e l f able to charge his sigh after his wife asks, " S o w h e n are you g o i n g to paint the house already?" for the fifteenth time. Full o f resentment over her shrewish tone, h e would switch o f f the baseball g a m e a n d h e a d for the g a r a g e , then recognize that his irritation w a s fit p o w e r to c h a n g e t o free belief. S o as his e g o w a s d e a d e n e d by the r a s p o f his scraper, h e would consider his wife's abrasive manner. O n c e his irritation was fully developed, he would counter it by recalling that he had p r o m i s e d to paint the house, that he'd been putting it o f f since last fall, a n d that the w o r k would only g e t sweatier as the s u m m e r g o t hotter. T h e s e contrary perspectives w o u l d largely cancel e a c h other out, but there would be a residue: an annoyance toward the h o u s e for n e e d i n g painting at all. T o this he w o u l d o p p o s e the fact that everything decays, and i f h e wished to arrest the decay he h a d to
p r o v i d e effective protection. B u t this w o u l d leave him with the in evitability o f decay itself, which is the basis for the B u d d h a ' s First N o b l e T r u t h — t h a t All is Sorrow. H e w o u l d destroy this m o o d by l o o k i n g for s p o t s o f p l e a s u r e c l o s e at h a n d , g a z i n g d o w n at a fire-red tulip or u p to the d e e p blue sky, p e r h a p s even g k m p s i n g a tiny seagull s c u d d i n g by o n the high breezes. B y this time o u r w i z a r d ' s a n n o y a n c e will have n o rational basis a n d the energy he h a d generated by resenting his wife will exist only a s a n u n d i f f e r e n t i a t e d p o t e n c y — f r e e belief. H e can f o c u s this i n t o his will for h i g h e r w a g e s b y c l o s i n g his e y e s , v i s u a l izing his sigil, and using his imagination to fill it with power. T h e sigil s h o u l d b u r n bright u n d e r this stimulus, white-hot against the hazy b a c k g r o u n d , until the free belief is g o n e and the original irri tation nearly forgotten. T h e n the design will fade away a n d the wiz ard will turn it out o f m i n d until a new s o u r c e o f free belief p r e sents itself a n d h e calls it u p for recharging. H e will continue to s o a k his free b e l i e f i n t o his sigil until M o r t e n g i v e s h i m m o r e overtime, increased responsibilities, or a chance to learn a higher paying job. O r perhaps the wizard will realize that the w o r k i n g m u s t fail, in w h i c h c a s e he will a b a n d o n the sigil and choose a different tack against his problem.
IX. The Saving Grace o f Failure; t h e Perils o f S u c c e s s T h u s d o w e h a v e the t e c h n i q u e A u s t i n S p a r e g a v e for the b e g i n n i n g s t u d e n t o f wizardry. B e f o r e w e g o o n to sorcery for t h o s e m o r e a d v a n c e d , w e s h o u l d l o o k a littie at what h a p p e n s in the c a s e o f s u c c e s s or failure w h e n o n e conjures, and ways w e c a n avoid certain pitfalls b e f o r e we d r o p into them. Actually, failure is often n o real p r o b l e m . N o t h i n g h a p p e n s , o f c o u r s e , but o n e can usually live with that. U p o n reflection the w i z a r d will o f t e n realize that his d e s i r e w a s a bit b e y o n d h i m anyway, like the desire o f a m a n with n o m o n e y w h o conjures to win the love o f a rich man's beautiful daughter. E v e n i f he c o u l d win her heart, her l o n g - t e r m h a p p i n e s s w o u l d c o m e harder, and they would likely b e miserable before the year w a s out. B u t then he w o u l d k n o w this from the beginning, at least subkminally, a n d s o his belief w o u l d b e at variance with his will a n d his desire. S p a r e tells us that will, desire, a n d belief m u s t b e united for m a g i c to s u c c e e d , a n d f r o m this e x a m p l e , anyway, the m a g i c i a n c a n b e better o f f failing when they are not. It's w h e n w e succeed that our very skins c a n b e in jeopardy. T h e danger in success comes when the wizard has a mistaken notion o f the dynamics o f Fate. Magical actions have reactions just like actions in the physical world, and a spiritual springback can be just as crippling as a snapped cable whipping around to slice o f f your leg. T h e nature o f this play o f action and reaction can b e nicely described in terms o f conventional physics. F o r this essay, anyway, w e will confine ourselves to three broad principles: 1.) resistance in the circuit, 2.) inertia, and 3.) energy discharge. T h e r e may be others as important, but these three give a g o o d picture o f things that can g o w r o n g after a successful conjuration, and h o w s u c h m i s f o r t u n e c a n b e avoided. 1.) R e s i s t a n c e . N o electrical circuit is p e r f e c t . E x c e p t at t e m p e r a t u r e s n e a r a b s o l u t e z e r o , the m o v e m e n t o f e l e c t r o n s g e n e r -
ates heat, p o w e r lost to the air. T h i s sort o f internal resistance also applies to sorcery. A n y time y o u try to influence the o u t s i d e world, even i f you e x p e c t to pay for whatever y o u e x p e c t to get, y o u will l o s e a little something. You'll g e t what y o u want, b u t it won't b e entirely painless. F o r e x a m p l e , a wizard o f m y acquaintance o w n s a retail store. I n order to accelerate his trade, he m a d e a w i n d o w display with a c e r e m o n i a l l y c h a r g e d t a l i s m a n h i d d e n in the m i d s t o f it. T h e traffic through his store increased dramatically, but s o did his level o f theft. H e m a d e a lot m o r e m o n e y than he would have without the talisman, but not as much as he might have. 2.) Inertia. Inertia in sorcery isn't quite the s a m e as inertia in physics, but it's c l o s e e n o u g h to u s e the w o r d , especially since I don't k n o w o f any others that fit. F o r our p u r p o s e s here, inertia means that what magic binds together stays b o u n d until magic loosens it, and its effect is m o s t noticeable in affairs o f the heart. I f you conjure J o h n D o e into an undying love forever, you will find yourself b o u n d by J o h n ' s undying love forever, even if it only takes you a w e e k to realize you detest the bastard. T h e energy that b r o u g h t h i m to y o u will k e e p him o n y o u — u n l e s s , o f c o u r s e , you return to your d e e p p s y c h e t o call u p the energy o f unbinding and direct it against your relationship. T h e trouble with that is that o n c e the unbinding starts it c a n b e hard to s t o p , a n d w e o u r s e l v e s are really only k n o t s and tangles o f Light, easy e n o u g h to unravel. I f y o u curse your union, y o u will curse a part o f yourself, and y o u m a y e n d u p losing your figure, y o u r face, or even your m i n d b e f o r e you are rid o f him. A n equally sticky alternative is t o just conjure for sex. T h e trouble here is that all you'll get is sex. E v e n i f the m a g i c brings you your s o u l m a t e , your one-and-only, M r . / M s . Right, all you'll g e t is sex, a n d y o u ' l l never hear f r o m h i m / h e r
again after that o n e
blissful night. T h e s o l u t i o n here i s not t o s e n d o u t energy to bring another p e r s o n in, b u t to use your p o w e r t o m a k e yourself attractive to o t h e r s in g e n e r a l . In this w a y y o u will n o t be trying t o c o m p e l a n y o n e , b u t t o make y o u r s e l f c o m p e l l i n g , a n d s o y o u will retain
the right t o p i c k a n d c h o o s e , t o follow l o v e w h e r e v e r y o u r will might lead. 3.) E n e r g y discharge. T h e dynamics o f energy d i s c h a r g e are relevant w h e n a sorcerer curses another p e r s o n , and also w h e n a wizard conjures to m a k e h i m s e l f rich. W h e n a s o r c e r e r calls u p p o w e r for a c u r s e , the e n e r g y is intended to split apart all the contradictory c o m p o n e n t s within an enemy's personality. T h e c u r s e is a p a c k e t o f fear, a n g e r , a n d c o n f u s i o n d e s i g n e d to fester in the target's p s y c h e until he sickens or turns m a d . T h e danger c o m e s w h e n the V i c t i m ' is in m o r e o f a balance with his life than the wizard is with his. T h e n the force will find n o evils to feed u p o n , return to the p o o r twit w h o conjured it, and feast o n his. W h e n the victim is essentially innocent a n d the w i z a r d essentially c o r r u p t , the p o w e r f l o w s w h e r e the w o r k is e a s i e s t and the wizard tastes his o w n p o i s o n . T h e b e s t alternative here is simply n o t to c u r s e at all. Y o u can u s e magical p o w e r for self-protection or for d e f e n s e in c a s e o f an attack, but it is never w i s e to initiate hostilities. E v e n the blackest wizard has his p u r p o s e in the flow o f Fate, a n d i f h e violates it F a t e will deal with h i m in its o w n way. U n l e s s s o m e o n e actually attacks you, you will d o best to mind your own business and leave the psychic peacekeeping to G o d . T h e c o n c e p t o f p o w e r d i s c h a r g i n g a l o n g the p a t h o f l e a s t r e s i s t a n c e also applies to sorcery d o n e to p r o d u c e material wealth. T h e resistance h e r e is n o t the internal resistance m e n t i o n e d earlier, b u t instead is a p r o d u c t o f that universal law o f nature: Y o u Can't G e t S o m e t h i n g F o r N o t h i n g . It's n o t waste heat; it's the C o s m i c A c c o u n t s Department, and it works like this: I f you use magic t o suck wealth o u t o f the w o r l d , it will flow f r o m the nearest available s o u r c e — y o u and your l o v e d ones. I f y o u have nothing o f value t o willingly contribute (say a skill or a stockin-trade), then the cash will c o m e out o f whatever is at hand, regardless o f y o u r h o p e s a n d dreams. T h e two classic f o r m s o f ' s u c c e s s ' here are those that result in insurance setdements and l e g a c i e s . T h e l e g a c i e s will involve the d e a t h o f a l o v e d o n e ; the insurance settle-
merits either a death or an injury to one's own person. I was o n c e acquainted with a wizard, an a d e p t at the very least, w h o p e r f o r m e d m a g i c to g e t m o n e y and received large a m o u n t s o n two separate o c c a s i o n s . T h e first time he w a s o n his m o t o r c y c l e and had to brake in traffic o n an oil slick. H i s i n s u r a n c e c o m p a n y was quite g e n e r o u s . O n the s e c o n d o c c a s i o n he picked u p a hernia while lifting a crate o f lettuce a n d g o t to have a nice operation and months o f workman's compensation. H e seemed satisfied with the exchange, though, which I s u p p o s e was his privilege. B u t this is n o t to say w e s h o u l d n o t u s e m a g i c t o m a k e o u r s e l v e s rich. T h e p r o b l e m c o m e s w h e n y o u try to g e t wealth without p r o d u c i n g it, s o w h a t you s h o u l d d o is u s e the s o r c e r y to obtain the k n o w l e d g e and skill you n e e d to earn it for yourself. W h e t h e r y o u conjure u p a knack for c o m p u t e r s o r a farseeing eye o n the s t o c k m a r k e t , y o u will b e u s i n g y o u r p o w e r t o b e t t e r your s e l f rather than b o r r o w wealth from G o d . T h e n w h e n you finally s u c c e e d , your adjustment to your n e w situation will b e your only worry, instead o f a surprise visit by the c o s m i c collection m a n , the spiritual m u s c l e w h o will b u s t into y o u r life a n d b r e a k y o u r e m o tional legs.
X, A Brief Look at Advanced Conjuring With the technique o f sigils energized by free belief, we complete the first level o f our m a g i c , t h o u g h it is a rather elementary o n e . T h e r e ' s a lot m o r e , m u c h o f it (but n o t all) the invention o f our friend Spare. T h o u g h he never p u b l i s h e d all the details, he hints at a w h o l e higher level o f working, a n d w h e n w e c o m b i n e these hints with the writings o f his biographer, Kenneth Grant, we can synthesize a s y s t e m o f g r e a t power. B u t it also entails c o n s i d e r a b l e risk. While the competent operator may take it as far as he dares, the incompetent o n e can blunder right into the n u t h o u s e , jail, or his grave. T h e key w o r d here is blunder, m e a n i n g o n e s h o u l d n o t p u s h o n i n t o the advanced stage until o n e is thoroughly acquainted with the beginners'. A n d even after y o u have s o m e magical experience, y o u m u s t still take care to take your time, b e c a u s e if y o u r u s h y o u might trip over s o m e t h i n g unpleasant. O u r u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s are full o f s n a k e s — fears and rages w e hardly k n o w w e h a v e — a n d until y o u stir t h e m up a n d m a k e t h e m m o v e , y o u will never k n o w their true characters and powers. T h i s p a t h works. T h e r e is p o w e r here, a n d w h e n there is power, the chance o f d e s t r u c t i o n is as g o o d as that o f creation. If, that is, y o u leave it to chance. I f you take the trouble to d o it right, you can weave your way between your black pits and ultimately emerge at the source o f all creation, your every serpent waiting t o d o your bidding. I f y o u are careless, y o u can destroy your soul. O u r a d v a n c e d technique for conjuring r e s e m b l e s traditional magic in that the wizard distinguishes many different types o f available power, dresses each with its o w n symbol and name, and then calls them up w h e n he needs t h e m through the m e a n s o f meditation, c h a n t i n g ( m a n t r a ) , d a n c e , a n d e v e n s e x u a l activity. O u r m e t h o d differs f r o m traditional m a g i c in that the w i z a r d d o e s n o t c o n s c i o u s l y f o r m u l a t e his p u r p o s e d u r i n g t h e o p e r a t i o n , b u t i n s t e a d works to bring the power u p in a raw, inarticulate form and uses it to energize a sigil—all the while d o i n g his b e s t to keep f r o m
thinking a b o u t w h a t h e really wants. A n d unlike the traditional s c h o o l s o f sorcery, w e h e r e m a k e n o a t t e m p t t o s t r u c t u r e
the
p o w e r s ' d o w n t h e r e ' i n t o a n y universal a r r a n g e m e n t . A w i z a r d u s i n g this system will s y m b o l i z e the p o w e r s as he m e e t s them, b o t h in h i m s e l f a n d in the w o r l d a r o u n d h i m , a n d w h e n h e finds pat terns and structures in their arrangement, that will b e a discovery for himself alone, a n inside tip o n h o w his soul c o n n e c t s t o the M i n d of God. Finally, o u r system differs from conventional sorcery in that the actual i m a g e s the wizard u s e s to s y m b o l i z e the p o w e r have n o traditional origin, but are products o f his o w n unconscious mind. H e does not take his symbols from mythology, folklore, or philosophical speculation, but instead turns the task o f design and nomenclature over to his o w n d e e p psyche. Austin S p a r e perfected a technique for e n c o u r a g i n g the u n c o n s c i o u s to e x p r e s s itself in this way, and he called it " a u t o m a t i c drawing."
XI. A u t o m a t i c D r a w i n g A u t o m a t i c d r a w i n g is a m e t h o d for b r i n g i n g u n c o n s c i o u s c o n t e n t s u p from the d e p t h s a n d sokdifying t h e m with p a p e r and ink, thus allowing the artist to subject t h e m to the scrutiny o f his r e a s o n and will. S p a r e g a v e his clearest explanation o f this m e t h o d in an essay called "Automatic Drawing," which he wrote with his protege Frederick Carter and included in the first number o f Form Magazine ( L o n d o n , 1916). Spare and Carter summarized the technique like so: A n " a u t o m a t i c " scribble o f twisting and interlacing lines permits the g e r m o f idea in the subconscious mind to express, o r at least s u g g e s t itself t o the c o n s c i o u s n e s s . F r o m this m a s s o f procreative shapes, full o f fallacy, a feeble e m b r y o o f idea m a y be selected and trained by the artist to full g r o w t h and power. By these m e a n s m a y the p r o f o u n d e s t d e p t h s o f m e m o r y b e drawn u p o n , and the springs o f instinct t a p p e d . F o r S p a r e , the " p r o f o u n d e s t d e p t h s o f m e m o r y " have their b o t t o m in the belly o f the A b s o l u t e , thus reaching the r o o t o f all existence, and from the " s p r i n g s o f m s t i n c t " c o m e all the p o w e r s we m i g h t n e e d to d o o u r wills. With a u t o m a t i c d r a w i n g the s o r c e r e r gives his d e e p p s y c h e a chance to d e s c r i b e itself in its o w n terms, and without the interference o f his ego. O n c e the sorcerer rec ognizes its hints, he can consciously draw in the details necessary to put its p o w e r s o n full visual display, specifying their nature a n d function for the p u r p o s e s o f sorcery even as they are s p a r e d the rigidity o f a verbal definition. Automatic drawing is one o f the easiest o f all psychic practices, 1
and relatively s a f e s o l o n g as the operator has n o fear o f his o w n self. " T h e dangers o f this form o f expression c o m e from prejudice and p e r s o n a l b i a s o f s u c h nature as fixed intellectual conviction or p e r s o n a l religion (intolerance). T h e s e p r o d u c e ideas o f threat, 1. Relative to evocation, or even astral projection.
displeasure or fear, a n d b e c o m e obsessions." S o the Christian w h o finds he draws devils will begin to dread himself; the pagan will b e merely a m u s e d — o r
warned,
anyway. B u t then devil-dread and d o g m a are the Neither-Neither's m a i n meat, and s h o u l d mostly have b e e n d e v o u r e d by the t i m e the w i z a r d b e g i n s w o r k i n g o n this level. Before the wizard can begin drawing, he m u s t first free his h a n d f r o m the c o n t r o l o f his c o n s c i o u s critical awareness. H e m u s t start by teaching it to draw by itself, filling p a g e after p a g e with twisting lines a n d s i m p l e s h a p e s (trees, faces, etc.) m a d e f r o m them. " T h e H a n d m u s t b e trained
to work
freely
and
w i t h o u t control, b y practice in m a k i n g simple f o r m s with a c o n t i n u o u s involved line without afterthought,
i.e. its i n t e n t i o n
should just escape conscious n e s s . " T h e wizard's lines s h o u l d d a n c e a l o n g in a scribble, always seeking out new space, never turning
into
self-enclosed
whorls. O n c e his hand c a n work on
From A u t o m a t i c D r a w i n g .
its o w n , the s o r c e r e r is ready to begin. H e should decide which k a r m a or p o w e r he wants to d e p i c t , then design a n alphabetic sigh expressing this wish. T h i s he will
repress in the usual way, making the desire to draw the power organic. H e will then attain a state o f vacuity, concentrate o n the sigil, and let his hand begin to draw. His desire to know the power, split o f f into the sigil, searches out the power and causes it to express itself through his i n d e p e n d e n t h a n d . " D r a w i n g s should b e m a d e by allowing the hand to run freely with the least p o s s i b l e deliberation. In time s h a p e s will b e f o u n d t o evolve, s u g g e s t i n g c o n c e p t i o n s , f o r m s , and ultimately having a personal style." O n c e these shapes are o b v i o u s , the s o r c e r e r can e n h a n c e t h e m t h r o u g h p u r p o s e f u l s k e t c h i n g , but he must al ways b e t r u e to the original s u g g e s t i o n , never letting any d o g m a t i c p r e c o n c e p t i o n s distort his drawings. " T h e M i n d in a state o f oblivion, without desire toward reflection or pursuit o f materialis tic intellectual s u g g e s t i o n s , is in a c o n d i t i o n to p r o d u c e s u c c e s s ful d r a w i n g s o f one's personal ideas, symbolic in meaning and wis d o m . B y this means may sensation be visualized."
From A u t o m a t i c D r a w i n g .
XII. The Alphabet o f Desire A u t o m a t i c drawing w a s o n e o f Spare's m a i n magical tools, but this is only natural since he w a s first and f o r e m o s t an ardst, both by profession and predilection. A person with less artistic talent might not think automatic drawing s o attractive that he would want to take it u p in earnest. A m o r e verbal sorcerer might b e happier i f he specialized in automatic writing, teaching his u n c o n s c i o u s t o s e n d h i m pertinent syllables through his freely typing fingers, e x p r e s s i n g his d e e p p o w e r s through the n a m e s , spells and m a n t r a s resulting. A n d a musical sorcerer might discover p o t e n t rhythms, m e l o d i e s , and phrasings by fooling around o n his instrument while visualizing his sigil. T h e important thing is for the e g o to stay out o f it, giving the unconscious free rein s o it might make its meaning perfectly clear. Automatic drawing, however, has another purpose, one important even for those o f us whose artistic limitations preclude anything m o r e sophisticated than doodling. Simply put, automatic drawing is the best tool w e can use to begin to design our alphabets o f desire. T h e " a l p h a b e t o f d e s i r e " is Spare's n a m e for the collection o f s y m b o l s or " s a c r e d letters" that every sorcerer w h o persists in this m e t h o d must eventually design. E a c h "letter" (actually an ideograph) 1
r e p r e s e n t s a p o w e r or, as S p a r e called it, a " S e x p r i n c i p l e " , a n u n c o n s c i o u s s t r u c t u r e o r a variety o f e n e r g y that the s o r c e r e r recog nizes or wishes to recognize within his deep psyche. T h e letter acts as a way o f designating the nature o f this force e v e n while one's ratio nal m i n d is left in the dark. B y e n c o u r a g i n g his d e e p p s y c h e t o d e s i g n this alphabet, the wizard creates his o w n p e r s o n a l s y s t e m o f s y m b o l s , c o m p a c t i m a g e s he can use to call u p the p o w e r to c h a n g e his c o n s c i o u s n e s s o r charge his sigils. A n d since t h e s e glyphs c o m e direcdy out o f the wizard's o w n u n c o n s c i o u s , they are m u c h m o r e intimately c o n n e c t e d t o it t h a n s y m b o l s in t r a d i t i o n a l s y s t e m s , m a k i n g it easier for h i m to b r i n g the p o w e r s u p t o d o their w o r k . 1. O n e o f Spare's aphorisms was that "All things fornicate all the time."
In the b e g i n n i n g , the w i z a r d will find his letters a l m o s t b y 37
a c c i d e n t . L e t u s say, for instance, that he wishes t o s y m b o l i z e the individual's relationship t o the A b s o l u t e . T o this end he will write his wish in a c o m p a c t sentence, turn it into an alphabetic sigil, c h a r g e it, a n d t h e n b e g i n t o c r e a t e a u t o m a t i c d r a w i n g s while d w e l l i n g o n this s h a p e . A s he m a k e s drawing after drawing he will see vari o u s b e i n g s and scenes within the lines, s o m e p r e g n a n t with a p p r o priate m e a n i n g s , others rather banal. Ultimately, however, he will s e e a figure that typifies the play o f p o w e r h e w i s h e s t o signify, a n d this will b e the b a s i s o f his letter. T h i s figure will likely b e linear, like a c h a r a c t e r in a n a l p h a b e t , a n d he m a y find it any w h e r e within the w e b o f lines that is the f o u n d a t i o n o f his d r a w ing. It m a y b e in a w o m a n ' s h e a d d r e s s , in the m e e t i n g o f t w o f a c e s , o r a s p a r t o f a t a n g l e o f o t h e r w i s e m e a n i n g l e s s lines. T h e thing that it m u s t d o is stand o u t as p e r f e c d y a p r o p o s , a n d s o d o e s the w i z a r d e x t r a c t it f r o m the d r a w i n g a s a w h o l e a n d refine it i n t o a u s a b l e letter. In this, however, there is s o m e danger. T h e u n c o n s c i o u s is very sensitive to s y m b o l s it designs itself, and s o the sorcerer m u s t b e s u r e t h a t any character he u s e s m e a n s the s a m e t h i n g t o his u n c o n s c i o u s that it d o e s to his ego. F o r example, I r e m e m b e r once w h e n I w a s attempting to s y m b o l i z e a particular p o w e r a n d m y a t t e n t i o n w a s g r a b b e d by this a r r a n g e m e n t o f lines:
. It s e e m e d a p p r o p r i a t e , b u t n o t
quite unified, so I redrew it
l i k e this
and s^^"
also like this . T h u s I had a c h o i c e . ^ ^ ^ ) A t first I chose
. Per-
pealed to m y innate
sense
haps
it
ap
o f a g g r e s s i o n . Unfortunately, within a few hours aggression inflated into arrogance, then collapsed into embarrassment. A consultation with t h e / Ching
set m e s t r a i g h t .
w a s fine;
WjT
was pure
hubris. S o y o u will find it helpful to be well practiced with the I Ching, T a r o t , or s o m e similar art, just to b e able to g e t a n i n d e p e n d e n t evaluation o f what your letters really stand for. O f course competence
in divination only c o m e s to those w h o work at it for a few years, but then it should take s o m e o n e just beginning with magic a few years to reach the sacred letter stage anyway. L e t any neophytes, then, b e sure that they devote a portion o f their free belief to gaining skill with oracles. T h e y won't regret it. A n o t h e r p o i n t o f caution: always b e sure to c o m p l e m e n t what ever powers you symbolize with their necessary opposites, this to keep your personal language from growing t o o lopsided. If I discovered my letter for the power o f 'Victory in Conflict' and went ahead to use it in sorcery without first finding letters for 'Equikbriurri and 'Perspective', the p r e p o n d e r a n c e o f Martial energy c o u l d destroy m e . M y s t r o n g interest in it could cause it to seep u p out o f my unconscious and manifest in m y experience. Without the others to balance it, I would b e in danger o f an obsession followed by personal disaster. B y the s a m e token, if a person is psychically biased in s o m e way, say by preferring 'intellect' to 'emotion' or 'intuitiori (or whatever—the words fail), then he should be sure this bias d o e s not distort his a l p h a b e t o f d e s i r e . E v e n if h e hardly ever u s e s t h e m in this i n c a r n a tion, the letters for emotion and intuition should be there, just in case, and also to remind him that he is a specialist and it isn't all a matter o f logic. O f c o u r s e traditional systems address the problem o f bias by msisting that their students assimilate a b r o a d spectrum o f symbols, these balanced in a geometric scheme like the Tree o f Life or the Wheel o f the Heavens. That the technique we offer in Stealing the Fire from Heaven c a n n o t ensure such a balance, I admit is its big weak spot, for the danger o f psychic one-sidedness is very real when you work a lonely magic like this one. T h e only solution I can offer is that you learn a system like Qabalah in an intellectual sense, understand the b a s e s it is trying t o cover, and then b e sure to cover them all yourself (in o n e way o r another) a s you evolve your a l p h a b e t o f desire. Q a b a l a h also serves as a sort o f lingua franca a m o n g occultists, and as the symbolic basis for Tarot, a w o r t h y t o o l for divination, s o even i f y o u d o n ' t intend to b r a n d the T r e e o f Life o n t o your aura, it's still a worthwhile study.
XIII. The Varieties o f t h e S a c r e d Letters All these details o f Spare's alphabet o f desire might b e better d e s c r i b e d i f only I w o u l d give a few vivid e x a m p l e s f r o m m y o w n alphabet, b u t I will not. T h e only sorcerers w h o reveal the secrets o f their sacred letters are foolish o n e s . S p a r e , for instance, only w r o t e that QP w a s his s y m b o l for duality a n d e g o , while the reverse o f it—
— w a s his letter for dissolution a n d death. B u t t h o u g h
he often a d o r n e d his drawings with lines o f s a c r e d letters, he never revealed their sounds or meanings. His alphabet was his own creation, and he m e a n t it only for himself. S o y o u m u s t take the trouble to d e v e l o p your own, b u t that will c o m e easily e n o u g h o n c e y o u are sure y o u are ready to begin. A n d after y o u have a d o z e n letters or so, the logic o f their d e s i g n will help y o u d e t e r m i n e the n e c e s s a r y s h a p e s o f others u n k n o w n . T h e first few are the o n e s that take the m o s t effort at drawing. B u t even i f I won't tell you about my letters, I will tell you what types o f power I've found it necessary to symbolize, just so you can get s o m e idea o f the g r o u n d y o u should cover. T h e s e might not include all the categories you'll eventually fill, or m e either, but they will serve to indicate the s c o p e o f the inquiry you must make. S o I give the varieties of power as I saw them o n August 31,1984. 1.) L o c a t i o n s a n d s t r u c t u r e s that m a k e u p your p s y c h e . T h e s e will i n c l u d e things that p e o p l e call "the e g o , " "the u n c o n s c i o u s , " "the physical b o d y , " " t h e chakras," "the K u n d a l i n i , " a n d s o on. They're all there, and it's u p t o the sorcerer t o figure o u t their relations o n e to another. 2.) Ways or p o w e r s t o take you f r o m o n e location in your u n c o n s c i o u s t o another. T h e s e are vital for astral p r o j e c t i o n , which is the subject o f the n e x t chapter. 3.) Powers to manipulate locations a n d structures that m a k e u p your psyche.
4.) C o n d i t i o n e d r e f l e x e s , a c q u i r e d as a r e s p o n s e to your e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e s e i n c l u d e things like d r i v i n g a car, e a t i n g with a knife a n d fork, a n d l o o k i n g b o t h w a y s when you cross the street. Reflexes are there for a reason and v e r y d a n g e r o u s t o d i s t u r b , u n l e s s , o f c o u r s e , the environment that conditioned the reflex no longer applies. 5.) F o r c e s y o u d i s c o v e r as b e i n g available t o d o y o u r will. T h e s e c o u l d b e anything f r o m sexual attractiveness to a droll wit, f r o m the ability to d r a w s c h e m a t i c s in o n e ' s imagination to the ability to detect insincerity in business transactions. A n y power you can define, you can conjure, a n d s o will it require a sacred letter. 6.) D e m o n s : reflexes that generate uncontrollable m o o d s , fantasies, a n d even actions. D e m o n s are often acquired as a r e s p o n s e to a twisted e n v i r o n m e n t that had to b e e n d u r e d d u r i n g the w e a k n e s s a n d d e p e n d e n c e o f childhood. T h e adult, empowered wizard will realize they are inappropriate to his current situation, and make every effort to bind them s o they will n o longer bother him. 7.) I n d e p e n d e n t b e i n g s y o u meet u p o n the astral, whether representatives o f other p e o p l e ( d e a d or living); plants, animals, elementals; or discarnate intelligences. 8.) C o n n e c t i n g links to other, 'external' entities. 9.) Y o u r H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . N o w it m a y b e that this list s p a w n s as m a n y questions as it answers. H o w , for instance, are w e t o k n o w w h a t locations w e h a v e in our u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s , in that they are u n c o n s c i o u s and all? H o w c a n w e tell our A n g e l s f r o m our d e m o n s ? What is a s t r a l p r o j e c t i o n ? W h a t is a H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l ? We will discuss all b u t o n e o f these questions in the next chapter, entitled "Astral Projection." T h e H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l d e s e r v e s a chapter t o i t s e l f
XIV. Astral Projection A s w e said in Chapter II, the d o m a i n o f the sorcerer's p o w e r s o f m i n d is the u n c o n s c i o u s . It is called the u n c o n s c i o u s b e c a u s e w e are n o t normally aware o f it; it is the a u t o m a d c pilot that walks us through d o o r s , drives us d o w n the street, m a k e s us resent o u r A u n t Mary, or whatever else w e d o automatically whether o u r intellects bother a b o u t it or not. B u t in spite o f this undercover role, it is p o s s i b l e for us to examine our u n c o n s c i o u s minds, at least from an oblique angle. We can e n g a g e in introspection ("What is it about Aunt Mary that gives m e stomach cramps?"), record and d e c o d e our dreams, take drugs, or invest in free association on the psychiatrist's couch. T h e s e m e t h o d s all have their place, but a sorcerer needs s o m e t h i n g m o r e direct. O n e technique, o f c o u r s e , is a u t o m a t i s m . A n o t h e r is astral projection, the deliberate exploration o f a region halfway b e t w e e n d r e a m s a n d fantasy, o n e that w i z a r d s call the astral plane. It is a place where you can meet your p o w e r s face-to-face and then w r e s d e with them until they a g r e e to serve your will. T h e astral plane is the realm where clairvoyance is carried out, and it m a y a l s o be u s e d for travel to distant places, m e e t i n g s with other astral travelers, and as a region w h e r e o n e m a y perceive the inner, 'spiritual' nature o f material objects and external events. T h e s e are all w o r t h y goals, and the sorcerer m a y find he u s e s the astral to c a r r y t h e m out, but his m a i n i n t e r e s t in it will b e as the arena w h e r e i n he meets the c o m p o n e n t s o f his u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d . B y traveling on the astral the sorcerer can i n s p e c t his p s y c h e first hand. H e can m a p its salient features and interview the p o w e r s that inhabit them, getting acquainted s o he can call u p o n their energy to c h a r g e his sigils. A n d if he can g o d e e p e n o u g h , he will enter into what might b e called the collective u n c o n s c i o u s . T h e r e h e c a n meet the a s t r a l f o r m s of any other entity in e x i s t e n c e — f r o m the tree in his f r o n t yard or his A u n t M a r y all the way to A i w a s s , herald o f the new a e o n , w h o gare v o i c e b u t s h o w e d n o f o r m to Aleister Crowley o n A p r i l 8, 9 , and 10 o f 1 9 0 4 . B u t m o r e on that later.
W h i c h is n o t t o say w e ' r e g o i n g t o leave C r o w l e y j u s t now. A n E n g l i s h m a g i c i a n ( 1 8 7 5 - 1 9 4 7 ) o f the R o s i c r u c i a n s c h o o l , C r o w l e y m o r e t h a n any o t h e r is r e s p o n s i b l e for the r e b i r t h o f m a g i c that has taken h o l d in this century. T h o u g h his s y m b o l i s m was traditionally
1
Qabalistic, his a p p r o a c h to b o t h the theory and
technique o f m a g i c was distinguished by an intellectual integrity that is the c l o s e s t thing to a scientific m e t h o d that any religion can h o p e to attain to. It is true that his astral realm w a s a R o s i c r u c i a n one, full o f Qabalistic symbols put in place during his indoctrination by the G o l d e n D a w n , the E n g l i s h order that g a v e him his first train ing. B u t this is a matter o f decoration only. E v e n if his view o f the astral was radically different from what a non-Qabalistic magician might see, the techniques he u s e d to a p p r o a c h a n d m a n a g e it are s o s o u n d that w e w o u l d be negligent i n d e e d i f w e i g n o r e d them. T h e a s p e c t s o f Crowley's a p p r o a c h that w e will stress are: 1.) H i s view o n the relative realities o f n o r m a l and astral awareness. 2.) H i s p r o c e d u r e f o r g e t t i n g f r o m n o r m a l t o a s t r a l awareness. 3.) H i s procedure for verifying the true nature o f the astral beings. 4.) H i s p r o c e d u r e for returning to n o r m a l awareness. 5.) R i s i n g o n the planes. 1.) C r o w l e y b a s e d his a p p r o a c h o n the a s s u m p t i o n that all h u m a n beings p o s s e s s an astral b o d y w h o s e function it is to perceive on the astral plane. "Within the h u m a n b o d y is another b o d y o f approximately the s a m e size and shape; b u t m a d e o f subtler and less illusory material. It is o f c o u r s e not 'real'; b u t then n o m o r e is the other body!...There is n o s u c h thing as truth in the p e r c e p t i b l e universe; every idea when analy2ed is found to contain a contradiction. It is quite u s e l e s s (except as a t e m p o r a r y e x p e d i e n t ) to set u p o n e c l a s s o f i d e a s a g a i n s t a n o t h e r as b e i n g ' m o r e r e a l ' . " S o , as a n expedient for traveling about in bis unconscious, Crowley adopted the astral body (or " B o d y o f Light"), as should everyone w h o is beginning 1. Occult tradition, not Hebrew tradition. T h e t w o are centuries apart.
this practice, for it is essential to have a solid foundation for your work here. T h e b e s t way to lay one is to build u p a b o d y as much like your fleshy one as possible, and then educate it by moving it around in its realm. N o matter if you inscribe Qabalistic pentagrams with your w a n d and sword or a s s u m e the shape o f sacred letters o f your o w n design, you still m u s t have a s h a p e that's 'really' you. It's easiest if it's similar to what you see in your mirror, and ease o f u s e is what m a k e s a s h a p e a 'true' one. 2.) With Crowley's technique for projection, the wizard begins by p e r f o r m i n g the ritual ablutions, the robing, the banishing, and a general invocation. H e lights the incense; he sits h i m s e l f d o w n in a comfortable position and closes his eyes. T h e n he imagines a duplicate o f himself "as enveloping his physical body, or standing near to and in front o f him. L e t him then transfer the seat o f his consciousness to that i m a g i n e d figure; s o that it m a y s e e m t o him that h e is seeing with its eyes, a n d hearing with its ears." O n c e this transfer has been m a d e (and it will likely be the only real difficulty in the p r o c e s s ) , the traveler s h o u l d rise until h e e n c o u n t e r s a l a n d s c a p e , where he may wander about, meet spirits, and generally b e c o m e accustomed to his astral f o r m . H i s experience here will b e m o r e vivid than what his n o r m a l i m a g i n a t i o n would offer, yet less real than a d r e a m , and it will b e this m i n d - s t u f f that h e will deal with w h e n he d o e s his astral work. O n c e the wizard feels at h o m e , he will find he is able to create whatever magical paraphernalia (altars, wands, swords, etc.) he needs to perform any ceremonies on the astral, though these will b e o f m o r e use to a traditional magician than one using our bare-bones procedure. What tools he d o e s create, however, he should be careful to reabsorb when he's through, so a s not to waste his light littering the planes. I might a d d that after o n e b e c o m e s familiar with the astral, the ' j u m p ' o n e m a k e s to begin the trip m a y n o t b e necessary. I p e r s o n ally u s e a s a c r e d letter t o cause m y astral f o r m to s o m e r s a u l t out o f m y seated b o d y a n d stand u p o n the astral plane. A n d w h e n I wish t o resume n o r m a l consciousness, I have another that makes m e re verse the m o t i o n s o I sit again i n m y corpus.
3.) T h e big d a n g e r o n the astral c o m e s w h e n the traveler meets and deals with the other entities he finds there. " P r o b a b l y he will see figures a p p r o a c h i n g him...let h i m s p e a k t o such figures, and insist on b e i n g answered, u s i n g the p r o p e r p e n t a g r a m s a n d signs, as p r e v i o u s l y taught. L e t h i m travel at will, with or w i t h o u t
the
guidance o f such figure or figures....Let him beware o f the thousand s u b d e attacks that he will experience, carefully testing the truth o f all with w h o m he speaks. T h u s a hostile b e i n g m a y a p p e a r clothed with glory; the appropriate p e n t a g r a m will in such a case c a u s e him to shrivel o r decay." O f c o u r s e w e aren't u s i n g p e n t a g r a m s here, s o w e n e e d to replace them with s o m e t h i n g else. W h a t you c h o o s e to replace them with is entirely your affair, but I will suggest that the imposition o f a spirit's sacred letter over the f o r m o f the entity claiming to b e that spirit s e e m s t o b e effective. I f it s p e a k s t r u e , it will g r o w s t r o n ger. I f it is an i m p o s t e r , it will m e l t away. O n c e y o u g e t the spirits you want to s p e a k with talking, y o u can ask them their n a m e s . T h i s is essential, since o n c e you have their n a m e s t o chant while you visualize their sacred letters, you can cause them to c o m e m o r e easily than if you u s e the letters alone. A n o t h e r way t o get a spirit to c o m e is to t r a n s f o r m your o w n shape into that o f the g o d (in Rosicrucian u s e ) o r sacred letter that h a s authority o v e r it. T h i s is n o t to say, however, that you s h o u l d ever let a b e i n g o n the astral enter into your B o d y o f Light. T h e g o d or s a c r e d letter is the ideal f o r m , while w h a t c o m e s in r e s p o n s e is only y o u r o w n psyche's a p p r o x i m a t i o n o f it. T o invite it in is to a s k it t o o b s e s s you. Instead, you should k e e p it a g o o d distance away, maintain a cordial but firm d e m e a n o r , m a k e no bargains, a n d always k e e p the u p p e r h a n d .
2
I f it ever a p p e a r s you might l o s e it,
banish a n d end the projection at o n c e . You should not g o too far on your journey, or stay after you begin to g r o w tired, for if you fall asleep, faint, or otherwise neglect 2. I t is also prudent to immediately bind any spirit with a ritual charge. T h e use o f the "Hear Me: and make all spirits subject unto M e . . . " charge, ex plained o n page 1 M , is extremely effective.
what you're d o i n g , y o u o p e n yourself to o b s e s s i o n . B u t then it's easy enough to c o m e back. Crowley suggests that you might imagine a flaming chariot to take you earthwards, or you can simply will yourself to d e s c e n d . O n e caution: i f y o u ever invent a specific s a c r e d letter that c a u s e s y o u to rise, y o u s h o u l d also define o n e to c o m e d o w n with, for otherwise y o u might find yourself u p your creek without a paddle. 4.) O n c e you're b a c k , y o u n e e d only reunite your b o d i e s and wake up, but this is the m o s t i m p o r t a n t step, and m u s t definitely b e d o n e right. " L e t the student c a u s e his i m a g i n e d b o d y in which he s u p p o s e s h i m s e l f t o h a v e b e e n traveling t o c o i n c i d e w i t h the p h y s i c a l , t i g h t e n i n g h i s m u s c l e s , d r a w i n g in h i s b r e a t h , a n d putting his forefinger to his lips. T h e n let him 'awake' by a definite act o f will, and s o b e r l y a n d a c c u r a t e l y r e c o r d his e x p e r i e n c e s . " T h e p u t t i n g o f the forefinger to the hps s h o w s that what Crowley advises is the a s s u m p t i o n o f the g o d - f o r m o f H a r p o c r a t e s — t h e B a b e in the E g g , the E g g g i r d l e d w i t h the s e r p e n t o f y o u r will. Y o u c a n reinforce this by u s i n g the three-ring banishing ritual w e g a v e in C h a p t e r V I . C r o w l e y s t r e s s e s that the traveler m u s t n o t n e g l e c t this r e u n i f i c a t i o n , even a novice who's sure that he nevergot himself separated to begin with! " I f you fail to [reunify] properly y o u may find yourself in serious trouble. Your B o d y o f Light m a y wander away uncontrolled, and b e attacked and o b s e s s e d . Y o u will b e c o m e aware o f this through the o c c u r r e n c e o f headache, b a d dreams, or even m o r e serious signs s u c h as hysteria, fainting fits, p o s s i b l y m a d n e s s or p a r a l y s i s . E v e n the w o r s t o f t h e s e a t t a c k s will p r o b a b l y w e a r off, but it m a y leave you p e r m a n e n t l y d a m a g e d t o a g r e a t e r o r l e s s extent." 5.) T h e practice o f rising o n the planes is important as a way o f discovering just how the powers in your unconscious are arranged o n e t o another. What it involves is c h o o s i n g a starting p o i n t a n d then rising, passing all the barriers y o u are able to p a s s a n d taking n o t e o f c h a n g i n g conditions w h e n y o u d o p a s s them. In this way you will m e e t aspects o f your u n c o n s c i o u s y o u had n o idea existed, the s t r u c t u r e s that c o n n e c t your m i n d to the Mind at the s o u r c e o f
it all. It is as different from calling u p p r e p l a n n e d s p o t s a n d just g o i n g to t h e m as a walking tour o f M a n h a t t a n is different f r o m just taking the subway a n d p o p p i n g u p at 4 2 n d Street, the World T r a d e Center, and the Battery. T h i s s u m m a r y o f astral travel m u s t remain that, a summary. We've given e n o u g h to w o r k with, b u t there's a lot m o r e , m o s t o f it in Aleister Crowley's Magick in Theory and Practice (Dover, 1976), from which have c o m e all o f the above quotations. It is a wonderful b o o k whether you c h o o s e to u s e his Qabalistic s y s t e m or not, a n d it's a l m o s t worth learning Q a b a l a h to b e able to understand all the refer ences he makes. B u y it.
XV. The Holy Guardian Angel B u t whether you c h o o s e to learn it or no, Qabalah doesn't have much to d o with the magic we're talking about, which b o t h helps us and hurts us. It helps us because the symbols we design ourselves are inevitably m o r e powerful than those we take second-hand, and it hurts us because we deprive ourselves o f the framework those second-hand symbols are hung on. In fact, w e have to feel out our o w n frameworks and discover just how they're put together, since if that's different from what we believe it to be, we can tear ourselves apart. We'd b e just like a car w h o s e driver doesn't know a clutch from a brake. W h a t w e obviously need in all this is s o m e help, which is hard to g e t w h e n you're working inside your o w n mind. Y o u can't invite an expert a l o n g to s h o w you the sights; the expert has to b e in there already. B u t the expert is there, and you can find h i m / h e r i f you l o o k — w h a t w e wizards call your H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . T h e H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l is an astral being, an independent intelligence from whom the sorcerer can obtain knowledge, inspiration, and r e i n f o r c e m e n t o f p u r p o s e . In m o d e r n occult practice the theory o f the H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l derives largely from The Book of the Sacred Magic of A-bramelin the Mage (Dover, 1975) by S. L . M a c G r e g o r 1
M a t h e r s , first published in 1 8 9 8 . M a t h e r s ' work is a translation o f an 18th century French manuscript that claims to b e a translation o f a H e b r e w original, written by A b r a h a m the s o n o f S i m o n for his s o n L a m e c h in 1458. It is divided i n t o three parts.
T h e first is
Abraham's story o f how he spent his early years searching for occult truth, finally obtaining it after meeting the hermit Abramelin. 1. A s i d e from translating medieval grimoires, Samuel Liddell "MacGregor" Mathers (1854-1918) was one of the founders of the Golden Dawn and the principle architect of its structure o f ritual and symbol. Fluent in the European tradition o f Christian Qabalah, with the collaboration of Wynn Westcott he was able to develop a coherent system o f great power out of a mishmash of ofteninconsistent tradition. He was a major influence on Aleister Crowley, from Crowley's initiation into the Order in 1898 until they fell out when the Order disintegrated two years later.
T h e s e c o n d is A b r a h a m ' s transcription o f A b r a m e h n ' s instructions for working the magic. T h e third contains talismans that the magician c a n safely u s e only after h e h a s o b t a i n e d the k n o w l e d g e a n d c o n versation o f his H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . T h i s k n o w l e d g e is w o n as the prize o f a s i x - m o n t h magical seclusion, during which time an aspiration for his A n g e l should b e the magician's sole concern. O n c e knowledge o f his Angel has been obtained, he gains power over the legions o f g o o d and evil spirits and can use the talismans in the third section with impunity. His Angel can also provide him with any other magical knowledge he may need, whatever the occasion. N o w the s k e p t i c s m a y think h e r e that the i d e a o f a H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l is a b s u r d , a relic o f a superstitious a g e w e are well o u t of. T h e y m a y feel that our m a g i c s o far is an interesting c a s e o f psychic self-manipulation, b u t t o say that there exists a p e r s o n a l A n g e l for everyone?.., it is to b e childish! P e r h a p s so, but as the G o o d L o r d told us, you've g o t t o b e c o m e as children to enter the K i n g d o m o f H e a v e n . A n d anyway, the skeptics m i s s the point. T h e p o i n t is that our u n c o n s c i o u s selves are s u p r e m e l y protean, able to a s s u m e any s y m b o l i c g u i s e w e project u p o n t h e m , and i f a wizard i n s i s t s (say t h r o u g h six m o n t h s o f d e v o t e d a s p i r a t i o n ) that his u n c o n s c i o u s p r o d u c e a personification o f itself, it will ultimately comply. O n c e this personification has been well developed, the wizard will have a way t o c o m m u n i c a t e direcdy with his d e e p psyche, s o m e thing m o s t p e o p l e can't d o even after ten t h o u s a n d dollars worth o f 2
psychoanalysis. With his Angel's internal guidance, he can trace his psyche down to its roots in the collective unconscious, M i n d o f G o d , A b s o l u t e , T a o , A i n S o p h ( Q a b a l i s t s ' t e r m ) , K i a (Spare's term), or whatever else h e wants to call it. I n this sense we c a n say that if w e are the E y e s o f G o d , our Angels are G o d ' s optic nerves. They're the ropes w e can pull upon to lift ourselves h o m e . Austin S p a r e never m e n t i o n e d the H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l in his writing, though he must have heard about it since he was a student 2. We should point out, however, that psychoanalysis is medicine, and sorcery is religion. Medicine is for sick people. Religion is for people who are well enough, but who know there is something more, a n d want it.
o f Crowley's in 1 9 1 0 , and Crowley m a d e it a centerpiece o f his system. N o n e t h e l e s s , a wizard may easily a d a p t Spare's techniques to call his A n g e l to m i n d , a n d this without the l o n g withdrawal from his life o f c o m m e r c e that Abramelin's m e t h o d requires. I would not, however, i n v o k e m y A n g e l with Spare's technique and then a s k her to help m e u s e Abramelin's talismans. A S p a r e A n g e l m a y b e the s a m e b a s i c psychic structure as an A b r a m e l i n A n g e l , but their symbolic orientations w o u l d b e centuries apart. T h e careful reader will have noticed that I refer to m y o w n A n g e l as " s h e . " Practical e x p e r i e n c e s h o w s that H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l s , at least in their initial manifestations, often appear to b e o f the o p p o s i t e s e x o f the s o r c e r e r u n d e r their t u t e l a g e — m a l e s o r c e r e r s h a v i n g female A n g e l s , females having males. T h i s brings to m i n d Carl J u n g ' s c o n c e p t o f the ' f e m a l e ' anima as an archetypal force i n m e n , and the ' m a l e ' a n i m u s in w o m e n , a n d it w o u l d b e worthwhile t o p a u s e here to i n s p e c t his views. A S w i s s psychiatrist w h o reigns as Patron Shrink for w i z a r d s 3
a c r o s s A m e r i c a , Carl J u n g (1875-1961) w a s deeply interested in the 'occult s c i e n c e s ' as an additional set o f w i n d o w s for peering into the u n c o n s c i o u s . B u t he was by n o m e a n s expert in sorcery. H i s work o n alchemy as a p r o c e s s o f individuation and synchronicity as the " a c a u s a l c o n n e c t i n g p r i n c i p l e " b e h i n d d i v i n a t i o n is highly r e s p e c t e d , b u t he had n o knowledge o f the E n g l i s h wizards w h o s e w o r k is the f o u n d a t i o n for the p r e s e n t s t a t e o f the art. S o his c o n c l u s i o n s o n the a n i m a / a n i m u s , reached independently through interviews with patients and research into dreams (and not medieval g r i m o i r e s ) , c a n give us another l o o k at what m a y b e involved w h e n w e try t o c o m m u n i c a t e with our A n g e l s . T h e t w o m o s t i m p o r t a n t features o f the a n i m a / a n i m u s are that it is archetypal and that it is i n d e p e n d e n t . Its being archetypal m e a n s w e all have o n e , just as w e all have livers and spleens. Y o u may n o t be a w a r e you have o n e , b u t y o u d o , and if you're g o i n g to m u c k a r o u n d d o w n there (as s o r c e r e r s m u s t ) , y o u have t o k n o w w h e r e it's at. I t s being independent m e a n s that w e have n o control 3. Sharing this state of sanctity with Wilhelm Reich.
over what it is, any m o r e than w e have control o v e r our heredity or our great aunt's n e u r o s e s . B u t w e c a n e n c o u r a g e it to b e h a v e in a positive way, a n d d i s c o u r a g e its p e r v e r s i o n s — a n i m p o r t a n t p o i n t since its highest a s p e c t s can reach into the divine, and its lowest can bring us to the d e p t h s o f h u m a n malignancy. I n m e n , J u n g s a w the a n i m a a s the s o u r c e o f all that is f e m i n i n e — t h e i r capacity for love, their sensitivity to nature, a n d their ability to relate to their u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s . A man's a n i m a can serve as his c o n n e c t i o n to his d e e p p s y c h e — t h e s o u r c e o f his intu ition, his g u i d e t o a true k n o w l e d g e o f Self. F o r a woman, a healthy animus can inspire her life with a spiritual rigor, filling her soft e m o t i o n a l exterior with an inner c o n f i d e n c e that c a n c o p e with difficulty a n d m a n a g e her creative p o w e r s with intuitive efficiency. F o r both m e n and women, the a n i m a / a n i m u s is our point o f communication with the unconscious. J u n g called it "the mouthpiece o f the u n c o n s c i o u s , " and whether one's u n c o n s c i o u s is healthy or diseased will determine the quality o f the dialogue. F o r it is easy for a p e r s o n ' s d e e p p s y c h e to g r o w u p t w i s t e d — d i s t o r t e d by parental bungling, religious upbringing, cultural stereotyping, or p e r s o n a l in dulgence. In s u c h c a s e s the a n i m a / a n i m u s will n o t s h o w itself direcdy, but will m a k e itself felt through projections. It will project its distortions o n t o the individual's p e r c e p t i o n o f the external world, forcing him to see justifications for its bias within his experience o f reality. Projections are especially insidious since the a n i m a / a n i m u s is such a deeply unconscious structure that m o s t p e o p l e don't even k n o w it exists. It is only through techniques like astral projection and d r e a m analysis that the contrasexual reality within one's Self makes itself apparent F o r a m a n , an unhealthy anima can infest his mind with waspish m o o d s , defeatism, hypochondria, and sexual compulsions. T h e anima will often project itself u p o n a flesh and b l o o d w o m a n , forcing the m a n to recognize the w o m a n as a soul-mate, o n e for w h o m all may b e sacrificed. Without any knowledge o f his anima's wiles, it will b e easy for him to see such an affair as the key to his destiny, e v e n as it rips his life apart.
F o r a w o m a n , an unhealthy animus is m o r e a p t to c o r r u p t her intelligence than her emotions. H e will manifest in unyielding opinions o n the way the world s h o u l d b e , an ideal vision which will allow n o argument, and which w h e n challenged will b e d e f e n d e d with either a dark, cold silence or a l o u d e m o t i o n a l scene. A sick a n i m u s might even tempt a w o m a n to withdraw from the 'imperfect' world, isolating her until she withers from e m o t i o n a l starvation. Like the anima, an unhealthy animus can project itself u p o n individual m e n , w h o m the w o m a n will idolize a n d then d e s p i s e w h e n she realizes they d o n o t m e a s u r e u p to her standard o f perfection. J u n g ' s solution here is for individuals first to realize that their a n i m a / a n i m u s is a force that is n o t under willful control, s e c o n d to recognize h o w it u s e s the m e c h a n i s m o f projection to hide itself, and third t o b e c o m e aware o f its needs and to consciously c o m e to terms with them. T h e m a n m u s t realize that the imaginative world his a n i m a p r o v i d e s h i m has its o w n validity, and he m u s t take it into a c c o u n t as h e plans his path through life. T h e w o m a n m u s t realize that her inner man d o e s n o t offer final truths, only a vivid g r a s p o f a reality that is subject to change without notice. Only then will the masculine firmness o f her animus b e able to help her o n her way t h r o u g h t h e chaos o f the w o r l d , i n s t e a d o f i n v o l v i n g her in a f o r e d o o m e d struggle against it. F o r us sorcerers in quest o f our Angels then, Jung's observations must give u s pause. O u r inner w o m e n / m e n may have self-destructive a s p e c t s t o t h e m , a n d w e m u s t be sure to recognize t h e s e as the flaws they a r e and n o t give t h e m the respect due o u r A n g e l s . H e n c e w h e n a s o r c e r e r m e e t s a b e i n g o f the o p p o s i t e s e x d u r i n g his m e d i t a t i o n s , he m u s t n o t j u m p to the c o n c l u s i o n that this is his A n g e l , even if it assures him that it is! I n s t e a d he should i m p o s e the sacred letter that represents his Angel u p o n this creature's astral figure, just a s he would any other entity h e m e e t s o n the astral plane. T h i s is not, however, to say that these candidates for A n g e l d o m will c o m e easily. Abramelin's technique for bringing them u p t o o k six m o n t h s , a n d even if our s y s t e m is a littie l e s s rigid, it still takes a real effort.
T o u s e our technique to m e e t your A n g e l , first e x p r e s s that aspiration in an alphabetic sigil, charge it with all the free belief you can muster, a n d then d o a u t o m a t i c drawing with it until you find the p r o p e r letter, w h i c h y o u s h o u l d c o n f i r m with a series o f d i v i n a t i o n s s p r e a d o u t over several days. O n c e you have the sigil and letter, y o u should meditate o n them, d o astral w o r k wherein your B o d y o f Light takes the shape o f the sacred letter, and continue to fill the alphabetic sigil with free belief (and a l s o with the energy experienced while in the letter's shape). F o r s o m e days or even weeks you m a y s e e litde, b u t i f you k e e p at it a time will c o m e w h e n a dazzling light a p p e a r s in the s p a c e behind your sigil, and within a few s e s s i o n s b e i n g s o f the o p p o s i t e sex will b e g i n to appear. E a c h o f these m u s t b e tested by s u p e r i m p o s i n g your sacred letter u p o n it. T h o s e less p u r e than it is will turn away or c r u m b l e ; your o w n true Angel will welcome it. A s s o o n as your A n g e l takes on a definite p e r s o n a , you should ask it his or her n a m e . D o not insist o n an i m m e d i a t e reply, but repeat the q u e s t i o n each s e s s i o n b e c a u s e o n c e you k n o w h o w to call it, c o m m u n i c a t i o n b e c o m e s much easier. B u t you should b e aware o f o n e other i m p o r t a n t indicator o f an A n g e l ' s veracity: i n d e p e n d e n t action. F o r instance, w h e n I first c o n f r o n t e d m y A n g e l with her sacred letter, it t u r n e d into a p a s t r y and s h e ate it! It w a s certainly nothing I'd p l a n n e d o n happening. M o r e recendy, I have record o f a time w h e n I w a s feeling a v a g u e spiritual m a l a i s e and went u p to talk it over w i t h m y A n g e l . I tried to ask her about a short story I was writing, but she wasn't interested. "Well isn't it i m p o r t a n t ? " I a s k e d her. S h e s u p p o s e d so, but... "Well w h a t d o you want to talk a b o u t ? " I p r e s s e d . LIGHT! BRILLIANT WHITE LIGHT SPIRALING O U T OF T H E CENTER OF MY FOREHEAD! I wasn't p r e p a r e d for that at all, and n e e d l e s s t o say, the r e s t o f o u r intercourse that e v e n i n g was wordless. T h i s e p i s o d e w a s , in fact, the event that started m e m a p p i n g o u t m y chakras, an essential s t e p in m y magical p r o g r e s s . ( E x p e r t o p i n i o n h o l d s there are ten c h a k r a s — f r o m the b a s e o f the spine to the t o p o f the head. F i n d them, n a m e them, search o u t their power, a n d m a s t e r it!)
S o we see that your Holy Guardian Angel is your best possible guide to your u n c o n s c i o u s . It will p r o v i d e the n a m e s and sacred letters o f any powers you think to ask for, thus giving you the freedom to r o a m as you will and allowing you to put aside automatic drawing, unless it b e your will to continue it. Y o u r A n g e l will b e a fountain o f k n o w l e d g e o n the workings o f your psyche, a b e i n g w h o s e g o o d graces are worthy o f the greatest effort and respect. Without his Angel to guide him, the sorcerer can only blunder d o w n his p a t h in d a r k n e s s .
XVa. The S u b t l e Body T h e subtle b o d y is the b o d y o f spirit that p e r m e a t e s the b o d y o f flesh with awareness, e m o t i o n and will. Y o u m a y activate it m o s t readily through breathing. T h o u g h other fluids—generally b l o o d and s e m e n — p l a y a role in its s o r c e r o u s manipulation, breath is the engine that m o v e s psychic energy through its psychic conduits. T h e essential m o v e m e n t is the inhalation o f p o w e r into a n d u p the s p i n e — t h i s activating the K u n d a l i n i serpent at its b a s e — t h e p o w e r drawn in simultaneously with the breath, followed by the exhalation that lets it flow d o w n a n d out. T o begin to experience this, sit in a chair with your b a c k straight a n d your head erect. B r e a t h e slowly and deeply. D u r i n g the inhalation, imagine the e n e r g y as L i g h t in the b a s e o f your spine, and tighten the perineal m u s c l e s behind the anus in s e q u e n c e as if to induce it t o r i s e — t o s o r t o f m a s s a g e it o n up. T h e n with the exhalation, relax a n d let it flow o n out. T h i s is the fundamental m o t i o n and i n t r o d u c e s y o u to the power, b u t what to d o next is problematic, quite d e p e n d e n t u p o n the personal equation and thus imminently suited to the involvement o f your H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . T h e p r o b l e m is that the subtie b o d i e s w e begin with s e e m a l m o s t rudimentary: a Kundalini serpent that rises with excitement, c h a k r a s at the genitals, solar p l e x u s a n d heart, a n u n o p e n e d T h i r d E y e . T h e s u b d e body's m o r e sophisticated o p e r a t i o n — w h e n
the
flows a r e regular and useful and operate t h r o u g h a well-defined s u b d e a n a t o m y — o n l y c o m e s after you have i m p o s e d a discipline u p o n it. A n d the specific d e t a d s o f the s h a p e that your subtle a n a t o m y finally takes d e p e n d u p o n the features that your c h o s e n discipline emphasizes. B u d d h i s t a n d H i n d u T a n t r a , C h i n e s e T a o i s t y o g a , Qabalistic a n d R o s i c r u c i a n practices all have defined similar, and yet still quite distinct, psychic anatomies. All have energy centers or chakras strung a l o n g a central c o l u m n that e n c o m p a s s e s the spine; all m o v e e n e r g y u p a n d d o w n w i t h attentive b r e a t h i n g ; a n d all p r e s c r i b e regular exercise o f the Light as a necessary training. B u t matters a s basic as the n u m b e r o f chakras c a n vary from five to
over fifteen. S u c h h o n e s t d i s a g r e e m e n t over details s h o u l d serve a s inspiration to d o your o w n research, studying the ancient traditions to g e t ideas for m e t h o d s you'd like to try, then following your Angel's g u i d a n c e as to whether to a d o p t the practice, a d a p t it, or d r o p it in favor o f something else. Your Angel can further assist you by helping you i m p o s e the s o r c e r o u s m o d e l o n t o your subtle anatomy. With your A n g e l ' s authority to n a m e and b i n d psychic entities, you can a d d r e s s your chakras, their characteristic functions a n d also the p o w e r flows between t h e m as if they were spirits, controlling t h e m a c c o r d i n g to the usual s o r c e r o u s m e t h o d o l o g y . T h u s y o u will g a i n the power to manipulate them through v o i c e — o p e n i n g and closing chakras, setting u p circulations o f the Light, assuming and stepping o u t o f g o d - f o r m s , and either applying or accumulating whatever energies you thus obtain—all through the vibration o f the appropriate words o f power. O f c o u r s e in the last chapter I declared that e x p e r t o p i n i o n h o l d s that there are ten worthwhile energy centers in the h u m a n psychic anatomy, and s o it b e h o o v e s m e to explain what I meant. T h e chakras I recognized then and still recognize n o w are, from the b o t t o m u p , a s follows: 1.)
T h e base o f the spine: the s o u r c e o f Kundalini.
2.)
T h e genitals: from whence creative power—either biologi cal o r spiritual—can b e split o f f a n d sent into the world.
3.)
T h e belly: for storing power, however it has been obtained,
4.)
T h e solar p l e x u s : for sending p o w e r direcdy o u t into the
if it is n o t to b e immediately u s e d . world. 5.)
T h e heart: for e m o t i o n a l connections.
6.)
T h e throat: for s p e a k i n g w o r d s o f power.
7.)
T h e third eye: for perceiving the world i n t e r m s o f power.
8.)
T h e hairline: for pulling p o w e r in from the outside, p o w e r t h a t is essentially free b u t w h i c h m u s t i m m e d i a t e l y b e s e n t out again through the solar plexus, w h e t h e r t o charge a talisman, a eucharist o r another p e r s o n .
9.)
T h e b a s e o f the skull: for p r o t e c t i o n — e y e s in the b a c k o f the head.
10.) T h e top o f the head: for access to the power o f the Highest. A s important as the energy centers are the energy flows between t h e m , e n e r g y f l o w i n g in with the i n h a l a t i o n a n d o u t w i t h
the
e x h a l a t i o n . T h e C h i n e s e call the exercise o f this flow "circulation o f the L i g h t " a n d c l a i m that it h e l p s e n s u r e p o w e r , h e a l t h a n d longevity. T h e Taoist schools have a complicated procedure for this that involves several kinds o f energy and a rather elaborate sexual discipline. In m y o w n practice I have simplified this to a great extent. F o r the circulation, I simply try to g e t an amplified flow to all portions o f m y s u b d e anatomy, and store any residue w h e n I a m
finished.
F o r the sexual discipline I follow what Aleister Crowley referred t o as "chastity." I will cover these in this order. Circulation o f the Light is driven by visualization and breathing. O n the inhalation I draw the energy in from the b a s e o f m y spine, pulling it up in the way I described at the b e g i n n i n g o f the chapter. I b r i n g it u p the b a c k o f m y neck and p a s t the b a s e o f m y skull, over the top o f m y head, d o w n in front o f m y face and then u n d e r m y chin t o m e r g e with the flow o n u p to f o r m a spinning e g g o f L i g h t around m y head. A n d this spinning m o t i o n helps m e pull e n e r g y o f a higher, albeit m o r e attenuated s o r t in through the t o p o f m y head. T h e Lights from a b o v e and b e l o w m e r g e within the e g g , w h o s e s p i n n i n g energy tends to f o r m w h o r l s just o u t s i d e m y ears, which I then pull into the p o i n t o f view behind m y eyes. With the exhalation I reverse the direction to let the energy flow o u t through the b a s e o f my spine a n d the top o f m y head. O n e particularly effective way to set u p this flow is to define e a c h o f the c u r r e n t s — t h e flow up the spine, the flow d o w n f r o m the Highest, and the spinning o r b a r o u n d the h e a d — a s a separate spirit, and then n a m e and bind t h e m t o o b e d i e n c e , just as you w o u l d for the individual chakras. T h e n when you engage in the circulation, chant their n a m e s a s a rnantra to set u p the flow a n d g e t into the p r o p e r meditative state. O n c e the circulation is well practiced, you
may find that concentration o n the spinning e g g as m u c h as u p o n the m u s c l e s a r o u n d the b a s e o f the spine is the key to getting the flow started. A l s o , y o u m a y find it needful t o include your a r m s a n d legs in the circulation, branching the energy o f f the m a i n flow u p the s p i n e a n d s e n d i n g it d o w n a n d a r o u n d a n d o n u p o n the i n h a l a t i o n , a n d reversing it to let it run o u t o n the exhalation. T h e s e flows, too, will require separate definitions as spirits. I s h o u l d note that a c c o r d i n g to the m a s t e r o f T a o i s t y o g a M a n t a k C h i a ( w h o s e w o r k s have p r o v i d e d a major inspiration for m y o w n practice), circulations such as this invariably leave a residue o f energy scattered throughout your aura, and it is essential to sweep it into your belly chakra for s t o r a g e o n c e y o u have c o m p l e t e d your exercises. T o d o this simply imagine your belly as the h u b o f a wheel, with the s p o k e s extending through your aura, and let the s p o k e s pull the L i g h t into the h u b as you rotate the wheel, intoning your n a m e for the belly chakra as you d o s o . A c c o r d i n g to Chia, the belly is the only safe place psychic energy m a y b e stored. I f y o u leave p o w e r in any other center, y o u will d a m a g e that center. T o gather power into the heart chakra, for instance, tends to bring o n chest pains a n d bruising. O p e n a n d shut the h e a r t chakra at will; u s e it as a gateway to Universal L o v e , or to send and a b s o r b emotional energy. B u t w h e n y o u have finished working with it, shut it d o w n and gather any residual p o w e r into your belly. T h i s m e t h o d o f gathering power in for storage is also relevant to what I s e e a s an essential sexual discipline, w h a t C r o w l e y called "chastity." T h e idea here is that your sexual fluids are suffused with power a n d y o u m u s t not p r o m i s c u o u s l y discard them, lest that power energize i n d e p e n d e n t entities that w o u l d u s e it t o w o r k their o w n a g e n d a s in defiance o f g o o d order and your o w n will. T h i s is not such a p r o b l e m with intercourse with a partner, where the energy g o e s into t h e e m o t i o n a l interplay between two p e o p l e , b u t with a u t o e r o t i c i s m it is a crucial consideration. H e r e the elixir m u s t b e either d e d i c a t e d t o c h a r g i n g a t a l i s m a n o r else c o n s u m e d as a eucharist. I n t h e latter case it s h o u l d b e held in one's m o u t h until the e n e r g y h a s b e e n w h e e l e d into the belly c h a k r a , a n d t h e n swal-
lowed. T h e difference in one's energy level between o c c a s i o n s w h e n o n e a b s o r b s it in this way a n d t h o s e w h e n one just discards it should b e a m p l e p r o o f o f the efficacy o f these practices.
XVI. Advanced
Conjuring
O n c e a wizard h a s d e t e r m i n e d the letter and n a m e o f a power, he has a way o f bringing that p o w e r in t o s e r v e his will. H e can u s e it for creating m o o d s , controlling o b s e s s i v e t h o u g h t , o b t a i n i n g knowledge, or charging sigils that need that sort o f energy to manifest. T h e m e t h o d o f calling up the energy will vary from wizard to wizard, but the visualization o f the letter combined with the mantric chanting o f its n a m e will certainly b e at the center o f the operation. P e r h a p s d a n c e a n d i n c e n s e , wine and strange d r u g s will play a role; p e r h a p s the wizard will d o the w h o l e o p e r a t i o n in his head while driving 1
h o m e f r o m work. In any case he will enter a state o f vacuity, u s e the letter and n a m e to bring u p the power, then focus it into his sigil s o it b u r n s bright in his imagination. T h e difference between this and the b e g i n n e r s ' level is that here the wizard u s e s the specific power he identifies with the letter rather than the f o r m l e s s p o t e n c y o f free belief, t h o u g h free b e l i e f will always b o o s t t h i n g s a l o n g if it is a v a i l a b l e . B u t with new p o w e r s c o m e n e w cautions. T h e d a n g e r is that as s o o n a s y o u start to u s e your sacred letters to c o n n e c t y o u r s e l f with a power, y o u e x p o s e yourself to the chance o f the power rushing up with only the slightest p r o v o c a t i o n . F o r instance, y o u m a y b e driving a l o n g the turnpike w h e n s o m e o n e cuts y o u off. Y o u are angry; you dissolve your anger with the Neither-Neither; and suddenly you are riding on a c u s h i o n o f undifferentiated tension: free belief. S o y o u u s e the energy t o visualize the sigil o f your current desire and a l s o the s a c r e d letters a s s o c i a t e d with any relevant p o w e r s . B u t then a letter s e e m s to spring to life a n d your w h o l e b o d y liquefies in a r u s h o f c o s m i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g . T h e critical q u e s t i o n n o w b e c o m e s : c a n y o u still drive? F o r the true a d e p t there is n o q u e s t i o n . H i s p a s s e n g e r s won't even notice as h e turns the car over to his 'automatic pilot' and works 1. With practice this can be done in a second or two. It all has to d o with the way you h o l d your eyes, and set your head o n your spine.
to stuff the energy into his sigil. T h e neophyte m a y find it p r u d e n t to pull o f f the r o a d . T h e dilettante is at risk o f flaming death. A n y p r o b l e m s here only rarely have to d o with the a u t o m a t i c pilot itself, but rather c o m e f r o m an e g o that panics and never turns it o n . T h e pilot itself is offered as standard e q u i p m e n t in practically everyone; you u s e it every time you drive while hstening to a baseball g a m e . T h e panic c o m e s when the unvarnished potency o f the p o w e r is realized and s e c o n d thoughts c o m e up. T h e s e c a n b e deadly, for if y o u fight the power, it c a n split y o u into pieces. T h e b e s t o p t i o n is just to tell the p o w e r it has its instructions, and u s e it to visualize your sigil. B u t never let g o o f the steering wheel.
XVII. The D e a t h P o s t u r e With this a d v a n c e d technique for conjuring, the wizard will find that he is n o longer at the m e r c y o f every curveball F a t e might spin in his direction, that he c a n at least m a n a g e to avoid the m o r e kfe-ruining traps existence might set in his path. I f he takes the trouble to u s e it w h e n he o u g h t to, this m a g i c should give h i m the self-control to m a n a g e u n r e a s o n a b l e fears, the ability in divination and clairvoyance to avoid awful e m p l o y m e n t and hideous marriages, the sensitivity to recognize and steal away from impossible situations, and the p o w e r to call u p e n o u g h inspiration to c h a s e away any but the m o s t fundamental b o r e d o m . A n d in c a s e o f direct attack, he will have the banishing ritual w e g a v e in C h a p t e r V I , which should by now b e capable o f secreting a psychic a r m o r at a moment's notice, and which he will d o well to fortify with a p p r o p r i a t e p o w e r s o u t o f his psychic arsenal. N o matter whether it's his b o s s ' s wife m a k i n g catty c o m m e n t s a b o u t his wife's drapes or the evil wizard M o r t d r e a d hurling blue thunder against his aura, his ethereal shell will s e r v e as a mirror o f indifference to reflect their spite b a c k into their faces. A bright, firm aura, hardened by years o f regular b a n i s h i n g and b l a z i n g under the force o f a wizard's w o r d s o f power, is his b e s t p r o t e c t i o n against o b s e s s i o n , p o s s e s s i o n , and psychic attack. B u t then o n the other h a n d , defense against a hostile w o r l d is useful only u p to a point, simply b e c a u s e the world is n o t hostile, it is ourselves. We c a n n o t just activate our spiritual deflector shields every time w e encounter s o m e o p p o s i t i o n . We have t o uncover the s o u r c e o f resistance, u n d e r s t a n d it f r o m its o w n p o i n t o f view, a n d learn t o deal with it as a force o f nature. O n l y when w e c a n s e e o u r o p p o n e n t s ' justification for w h a t they d o c a n we g r a s p the p a r t they play in the w h o l e and s o learn the best w a y to counter or c o o p e r a t e with their p u r p o s e s . O f c o u r s e there are m a n y ways o f a c h i e v i n g this mystical objectivity. Y o g a , s e n s o r y deprivation, a n d m a g i c a l ritual all reward t h e sincere practitioner with g l i m p s e s o f the b i g picture, as c a n Spare's m e t h o d o f applying the Neither-Neither and, o f c o u r s e ,
the g u i d a n c e o f your H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . B u t S p a r e h a d o n e other technique especially d e s i g n e d to give us an inside l o o k at the levers a n d engines at w o r k in the s u b b a s e m e n t o f Manifestation. H e called it the " d e a t h p o s t u r e . " T h e death p o s t u r e is as m u c h an act as it is a position. T h e wizard postures death. H e gives h i m s e l f a p e r f o r m a n c e , a n d i f h e can g e t into his role, h e can l o s e his s e n s e o f place in the world, a n d s o can d r o p all the beliefs he n e e d e d t o hold h i m s e l f there. "It is the dead b o d y o f all w e believe," Spare tells us in The Book of Pleasure, " a n d shall awake a d e a d corpse.... K n o w the death p o s t u r e and its reality in annihilation o f l a w — t h e a s c e n s i o n f r o m duality." B y f o r c i n g his e g o to m i m i c death, the wizard can 'stand b a c k ' t o see the p o w ers that energize his o w n a n d o t h e r s ' actions and s o learn h o w he can b e s t work to carry o u t his will. I n The Book of Pleasure S p a r e g a v e explicit i n s t r u c t i o n s for a s s u m i n g the death p o s t u r e . T h e wizard b e g i n s by staring into a mirror, g a z i n g into his o w n eyes until the i m a g e blurs and b e c o m e s unfamiliar. H i s eyes will then c l o s e and he s h o u l d visualize a light, an ' X ' which will u n d e r g o "curious evolutions." Regardless o f these, he s h o u l d h o l d o n t o it until h e forgets all effort, at which time he will enter a great immensity, b o u n d by unreachable limits. In it h e will s e e this s h a p e — QP — w h i c h is Spare's sacred letter for the duality that is the e s s e n c e o f c o n s c i o u s n e s s . F l o a t i n g alone in this e m p t y e x p a n s e , the wizard will feel the e m o t i o n that affirms the necessity o f a s s u m i n g the p o s t u r e . (You m i g h t find, however, that your o w n letter for duality works better than Spare's. M i n e has for m e , anyway.) A s s o o n a s the need is clear, the wizard will o p e n his eyes, stand u p o n tiptoe, clasp his hands behind his back, tighten his muscles, and throw back his head as he breaths "deeply and spasmodically." H e should d o this until giddiness threatens, and it is intended to bring a b o u t an exhaustion that will assist in the assumption o f the posture itself. I should point out, however, that one's heart h e r e is taken f r o m q u i e s c e n c e into exertion and then forced (as w e shall see) b a c k i n t o i m m e d i a t e quiescence. T h o u g h n o e x p e r t , I s u s p e c t that
this w o u l d b e a strain for many, s o i f y o u have any doubts over your cardiovascular integrity, you should c o n s u l t a physician before you try this. It is o n e thing to simulate a death agony, quite another t o stimulate o n e . O n c e giddy, the w i z a r d will c o l l a p s e from his erect tension into a p r o n e relaxation, the death p o s t u r e itself. T h e state he acts o u t is that o f death, s o h e quiets his breathing, c l o s e s his eyes, and feels his b o d y stiffen o f itself, "...the b o d y e x p r e s s i n g the e m o t i o n o f yawning, suspiring while conceiving by smiling, that is the idea o f the p o s t u r e . " H e will m a k e his t h o u g h t as still as his b o d y by accepting all contraries, uniting o p p o s i t e s in annihilation. "Perceive and feel without the necessity o f an o p p o s i t e , but by its relative." In o t h e r w o r d s , r e m o v e all p o t e n t i a l for alienation by i n c l u d i n g everything within the c a t e g o r y ' S e l f . T h i s o f c o u r s e takes practice; one's a t t a c h m e n t s a n d aversions are n o t easily h a r m o n i z e d . S p a r e r e c o m m e n d s a daily practice, until the wizard reaches "the center o f desire." Austin S p a r e believed that our sexuality is our deep connection to Kia, his n a m e for the unnamable A b s o l u t e , what is c o m m o n l y called G o d . B y concentrating all o u r awareness within this link, w e can pull ourselves b a c k into K i a and g l i m p s e reality f r o m any o f its myriad p o i n t s o f view, i f only for a litde while. I n his b o o k The Magical Revival (Weiser, 1973), Kenneth Grant quotes Spare as writing that the death posture is a "simulation o f death by the utter negation o f thought, i.e. the prevention o f desire and the functioning o f all c o n s c i o u s n e s s t h r o u g h the sexuality." A n d also: "We are never fully aware o f things e x c e p t by the influx o f sexual will awakening u s . " B u t w e c a n n o t c o n n e c t with this flow s o l o n g as o u r aesthetic senses are c l o g g e d with beliefs smaller than K i a , desires smaller than its desire for Self d o v e . T h e death p o s t u r e is Spare's way o f slaying all partial beliefs, all partial desires, clearing away the superficial s o w e may r e c o g n i z e o u r identity with the immensity that lies watching from within.
Yrom Form 7, / —April, 1916
XV111. T a l i s m a n s a n d t h e Magical Link A p p a r e n t l y S p a r e w a s able to achieve the just-described ideal o f C o s m i c Identity with s o m e m e a s u r e o f success, for m o r e than any other m o d e r n wizard, he is said to have had a knack for genuine, without-a-doubt miracles. A c c o r d i n g to K e n n e t h G r a n t , S p a r e o n c e m a d e rain o n d e m a n d (in E n g l a n d , b u t the sky was clear w h e n he started) and w a s also able t o b o t h read the m i n d s o f others and i m p r e s s his o w n thoughts u p o n them. H e did all this with the aid o f spirits—"elemental a u t o m a t a " and "intrusive familiars"—which he called with the aid o f the sigils a p p r o p r i a t e t o them. H e w a s also willing to o b l i g e acquaintances w h o a s k e d for spells for their o w n p u r p o s e s . H e provided these in the f o r m o f plates, saucers, or b o w l s d e c o r a t e d with sigils, sacred letters, a n d evocative p i c t o g r a p h s . H e charged these b y evoking intrusive familiars and u s i n g sexual m e a n s to i m p r e g n a t e the dishes with their power. A w o o d e n b o w l w a s thus m a d e a t a l i s m a n — a charged object that stores and can thus transport p o w e r — a n d talismans are the m o s t c o m m o n m e a n s o f establishing a magical link. A t a l i s m a n can b e any object a sorcerer c h o o s e s to charge, and its actual a p p e a r a n c e d e p e n d s o n h o w h e intends t o put it to use. I f he's storing p o w e r to give t o a client or for his o w n u s e later o n , t h e n h e will e m b l a z o n it with w h a t e v e r m y s t i c s y m b o l s a r e a p p r o p r i a t e to the power, whether planetary signs or alphabetic sigils and sacred letters. But if his magical intentions m u s t remain a secret, he will use an o b j e c t that a p p e a r s to b e i n n o c e n t o f sorcery. T h i s could be something like a love letter or a job resume, and the magical charge the w i z a r d p u t s o n it will b e there to sway the mind o f the recipient, impelling that p e r s o n to g r a n t whatever request he o r s h e reads o n the face o f it. T h e physical base o f a talisman should always be new—whether a w o o d e n bowl o r a sheet o f gold (QabaUstically attributed to the S u n ) — and it should b e appropriately inscribed in advance o f the ritual. When
it is ready it s h o u l d b e c o n s e c r a t e d , a n d then the wizard s h o u l d call u p the power with which he intends to infest it. W h e n the p o w e r has reached a climactic intensity, he should f o c u s it into the object. H e will d o this b y u s i n g w o r d s o f p o w e r to fill it with astral light, or by anointing it with b l o o d from a sacrifice or with the 'elixir' f o u n d in the ' c u p ' after sexual intercourse. Finally, h e will b e careful to wrap it in black cloth before the final banishing, thus p r e s e r v i n g it from accidental discharge. T h e sorts o f ways o n e might u s e a talisman are d e t e r m i n e d by the s o r t s o f o p e r a t i o n s o n e c a n p e r f o r m . F o r the p u r p o s e s o f e x p l a i n i n g the m a g i c a l link, A l e i s t e r C r o w l e y d e f i n e d t h r e e dif ferent l e v e l s o f w o r k i n g : 1.) o p e r a t i o n s w i t h i n o n e p e r s o n ; 2.) o p e r a t i o n s b e t w e e n two o r m o r e p e r s o n s , b u t o n the s a m e p l a n e ; a n d 3.) o p e r a t i o n s b e t w e e n two p l a n e s — t h a t is, between the sor cerer and the trend o f nature. 1.) W h e n the magician works within himself, the c o n n e c t i o n between his will and its object is mtrinsic, and n o extra link is necessary. O u r every spirit and d e m o n is already under our influence, a n d w e c a n have t h e m d o our will if only w e can r e c o g n i z e them and bring ourselves t o act u p o n them. I f y o u wish to heal your ulcer, learn B A S I C , e n h a n c e your artistic vision, or m a k e y o u r s e l f attractive t o the o p p o s i t e sex, the appropriate p o w e r can b e called u p astrally a n d b o u n d t o the t a s k . E v e n s o , a w i z a r d m a y w i s h to u s e a t a l i s m a n for this s o r t o f magic, either as a w a y o f m r n i n g a p o w e r o n and off, or as a E u c h a r i s t . A t a l i s m a n as a switch is o n e that you wear w h e n you w a n t a power, a n d w r a p up a n d p u t away when you d o n ' t n e e d it. S o a lover m i g h t p u t o n a sensitivity talisman before g o i n g to s e e his lady, o n e h e wouldn't dare wear to his j o b at the collection agency. E u c h a r i s t s are talismans that you eat. Y o u i m b u e an o b j e c t w i t h the s o r t o f power you wish t o b e c o m e , then c o n s u m e it, thus b u i l d i n g t h e p o w e r u p into your aura. T h e H o s t h e r e c o u l d b e s o m e t h i n g like a cracker with a sigd and sacred letter drawn o n in f o o d coloring. Y o u would c h a r g e it a s you w o u l d any t a l i s m a n — w i t h Light, L o v e , o r w a r m , red Life.
T h e b i g caution with E u c h a r i s t s is that you have t o b e sure you want to b e c o m e the sort o f p o w e r y o u are c o n s u m i n g , as it is an o b s e s s i o n pure and simple. T h i s is nanrrally m o r e d a n g e r o u s w h e n sex or b l o o d is u s e d than w h e n o n e is merely filling the H o s t with the mind's Light. S e x m a g i c is d a n g e r o u s precisely b e c a u s e it is s o effective. T h e concentration o f the participants is crucial, for if their minds stray from the p u r p o s e o f the rite, so will the p u r p o s e b e d e f o r m e d , a n d the Elixir will b e p o i s o n to them. T h e y m u s t h a v e a c o m m o n mental i m a g e o f the p o w e r they are invoking, a n d they m u s t not let it waver as they bring the p o w e r u p from within. I f they aren't capable o f this, they should limit themselves to the p o w e r in their imaginations, and save the sex for love. 2.) W h e n the wizard is w o r k i n g to influence another's actions, the need for a link is m o r e apparent, b u t it may b e m e t with a litde effort. C r o w l e y gives the e x a m p l e o f a m a n w h o wishes to win the love o f a w o m a n . S h e is o n the s a m e p l a n e s as he i s — t h o s e o f culture, c o n s c i o u s n e s s (sight, smell, s o u n d ) , l a n g u a g e (speech and writing), and unconsciousness (they b o t h have o n e and they interact). S o the wizard will have m a n y avenues o f a p p r o a c h . H e may court her by p r a i s i n g her excellent qualities. H e may affirm his praise and e x p r e s s his e m o t i o n a l n e e d with dinner invitations, love notes, and by s e n d i n g flowers, p e r f u m e s , or (to flatter her sense o f self-worth) significant gifts. And to affect her u n c o n s c i o u s mind, he might charge any o r all o f h i s gifts during a magical ritual. T h u s they will serve a s talismans as well as m e r e b a u b l e s , p u s h i n g her d e e p p s y c h e over t o his side even a s they force his suit o n her w a k i n g awareness. T h e s a m e considerations could apply to a j o b resume, a doctoral thesis, or a recording contract. T h e y are all things that c o m e in direct c o n t a c t w i t h the p e r s o n or p e r s o n s w h o will d e c i d e your fate. Such objects will b e fit vehicles for your power, a s s u m i n g , o f course, that it is your will t o take such a coercive c o u r s e instead o f o n e m o r e Self-centered. 3.) With operations to affect a completely foreign plane, it is as if w e were trying to twist the f o r m o f Fate, and s o the q u e s t i o n o f the fink b e c o m e s m o r e difficult. A n e x a m p l e o f such a w o r k i n g
w o u l d b e a n a t t e m p t b y a w i z a r d t o m a k e it rain. T h e slightest a c q u a i n t a n c e with m e t e o r o l o g y tells us this is totally o u t s i d e the realm o f individual will; weather s y s t e m s are vast air m a s s e s that d e v e l o p over w h o l e h e m i s p h e r e s , or continents, anyway, and have very little t o d o with the tube-like creatures that scurry a c r o s s the surface. A n d yet the slightest acquaintance with p a n t h e i s m (and a l m o s t all sorcerers are pantheists, this o n e included) tells us that All T h i n g s are O n e at the d e e p e s t l e v e l — a t their s o u r c e in the Mind o f G o d . T h u s , as extensions o f the Creator, a small tropical d e p r e s sion should b e available to us i f w e really n e e d it. T h e trouble here is that the Mind o f G o d is a lot harder to get to than the aura o f a reluctant love-interest, and o n c e the wizard is there he is hardly likely t o c o n s i d e r the n e e d for rain. U n l e s s , o f c o u r s e , it b e his will. In such a c a s e , however, he will likely n o t try t o identify with humidity, f r o n t s , a n d p r e s s u r e s l o w a n d high. I n s t e a d h e will m a n u f a c t u r e an elemental, a b e i n g w h o s e will it is to carry o u t his c o m m a n d s with r e s p e c t to the weather. B u t this t a k e s m o r e t h a n t h e s i m p l e d e s i g n o f a sigil a n d s a c r e d letters f o l l o w e d by s o m e r e p r e s s i o n and chandng. T h e elemental m u s t b e c r e a t e d — t h a t is, s p a w n e d a n d t h e n n u r t u r e d i n t o
independent
e x i s t e n c e . A s s u m i n g that the wizard is able to maintain c o n t r o l over it, it will t h e n be available a s a familiar to s e r v e his desire for rain. We will s p e a k further o f this manufacture toward the e n d o f the n e x t chapter. T o discharge a talisman, thank and release its spirit by pronouncing a f o r m a l dismissal, then b a n i s h it.
XIX, M e a n s o f
Enhancement
It should by n o w b e o b v i o u s that s o m e magical w o r k i n g s take m o r e effort than others, d e p e n d i n g b o t h o n h o w distant what you w i s h is from the reach o f your will, a n d h o w large an effect you wish to cause. A brief shower will b e easier to start than a flood; it will b e m o r e difficult to m a k e rain in N e e d l e s than S p o k a n e . S o you may require additional techniques to b o o s t your power, elaborations o n the b a r e b o n e s o f sigils a n d s a c r e d letters a l r e a d y d e s c r i b e d . We will d i v i d e o u r c o v e r a g e o f t h e s e i n t o four b r o a d c a t e g o r i e s : 1.) ritual; 2.) herbs, oils, and incense; 3.) d r u g s ; and 4.) sex. 1.) Ritual works only if the p e o p l e involved in it k n o w h o w to m a k e it w o r k . M o s t rituals p e r f o r m e d by o r g a n i z e d r e l i g i o n fail b e c a u s e the p e o p l e p e r f o r m i n g them have n o power: n o p o w e r in the priest's speaking, n o p o w e r in the c o n g r e g a t i o n s listening, n o k n o w l e d g e o f the ways p o w e r can b e called u p and f o c u s e d . Ritual m u s t s e e m s p o n t a n e o u s . E v e n i f it's the result o f careful planning to p r o d u c e just the right p s y c h o l o g i c a l effect, it m u s t still s e e m as natural as b r e a t h i n g — a n d never forced or mechanical. T h e r e a s o n for d o i n g rituals is that there are s e q u e n c e s o f mental states that you c a n follow to bring yourself into an identity with the p o w e r you desire. Rituals that try to create s u c h an identity usually follow this order: a.) they define the p o w e r ; b.) they excite the w i z a r d until he overloads his e g o a n d the p o w e r is r e c o g n i z e d ; c.) they identify the wizard with the power; and d.) they focus the p o w e r a c c o r d i n g to the wizard's will. a.) T h e power is generally defined in an oath, stating precisely w h o the w i z a r d is and w h a t h e is trying t o a c c o m p l i s h . b.) T h e excitation is usually the l o n g e s t part o f the rite a n d may be p r o d u c e d with s o n g , dance, chanting barbarous names, taking the astral s h a p e o f the p r o p e r g o d or s a c r e d letter, or whatever. c.) T h e identification is what h a p p e n s i f y o u d o the definition and e x c i t a t i o n properly. T h e t e x t o f the rite simply declares it, and your e x a l t e d m i n d is quite willing to agree b o t h in w o r d a n d spirit.
d.) T h e m e t h o d the wizard u s e s to f o c u s the p o w e r will b e d e t e r m i n e d by his p u r p o s e . I f he wishes k n o w l e d g e related to the power, he will e v o k e its spirits a n d question them. I f he wants to c h a n g e the external world or t o store the p o w e r for later, he will focus it into a talisman. I f he w a n t s to c h a n g e himself, he will u s e it to c o n s e c r a t e a H o s t , then c o n s u m e it. T o s u m u p rituals: they weren't Austin Spare's s t r o n g point, and if y o u think you'd d o well at them, c o n s u l t the writings o f Aleister Crowley, o n e o f the g r e a t ritual m a g i c i a n s o f all time. 2.) H e r b s , oils, and incense are related in that they all have characteristic o d o r s , and s o are useful for c e r e m o n y and astral travel. O n a materialistic level their effect is s i m p l e c o n d i t i o n i n g . I f a w i z a r d b u r n s a particular i n c e n s e only w h e n he is trying to feel holy, then its o d o r will e n c o u r a g e him to feel holy anytime he smells it. O n a m o r e esoteric plane, tradition has it that s o m e o f these agents are mildly p s y c h o t r o p i c , serving to e n h a n c e specific a s p e c t s o f human consciousness. Since these aspects are related to the various p o w e r s available, w i z a r d s t h r o u g h the a g e s h a v e filled v o l u m e s attributing the available essences to the powers they have recognized, s o m e with m o r e logic than others. For attributions in general (from incenses and drugs to planets and metals), Crowley's 777 is unsurpassed— if only for Crowley's o p e n m i n d e d a t t i t u d e — t h o u g h o f c o u r s e he attributes everything to the T r e e o f Life. S i n c e the o n e w h o w o r k s our m e t h o d h e r e g r o w s his o w n tree as h e finds his p o w e r s , such g u i d e s c a n b e useful to him as rough outlines only. You'll d o b e s t if you d o your o w n research. 3.) T h e value o f the v a r i o u s drugs available varies with the d r u g a n d the p e r s o n taking it. T h r e e types o f d r u g are i m p o r t a n t in m y view. Crowley w a s intrigued by two others. M i n e are a.) alcohol, b.) h e m p , a n d c.) psychedelics. Crowley's t w o big o n e s were heroin and cocaine. S p a r e just d r a n k a bit; sex was his thing. a.) A l c o h o l has b e e n a staple at magical rites since the earliest times. It h e l p s by lowering inhibitions so the w i z a r d may encounter his p o w e r s uncritically, giving t h e m free a c c e s s to his e g o w h e n he calls them. It hurts if it m a k e s y o u fall asleep, m a k e s you fall d o w n ,
o r i f you're addicted t o it. It's also b a d if y o u have to p i s s in the middle o f everything—literally—or else break the circle. b.) H e m p is an intensifier. It makes astral visions m o r e intense; it m a k e s s e n s u a l i m p r e s s i o n s m o r e i n t e n s e ; and it m a k e s o n e ' s thought-stream m o r e vivid and m o r e eloquent. It fails w h e n things g o s o fast that y o u l o s e track o f them, or w h e n the v i s i o n s g e t s o vivid that y o u wallow in them, or w h e n the reefer's s o g o o d that you g o u p like a rocket and then crash. Conjuring is often an act o f endurance, and if y o u can't wait to fall out, y o u won't b e there when p o w e r c o m e s knocking. c.) Psychedelics remove the filters from inside your mind, letting everything in, letting your imagination generate—vividly—anything it wants. H e n c e they are g r a n d for looking, potentially terrifying if you actually try to d o anything m o r e c o m p l i c a t e d than putting on a record or g o i n g for a walk. T h e y multiply p e r c e p t i o n , but at a c o s t o f concentration, for your attention span will b e c o m e minute. H e n c e psychedelics are d a n g e r o u s if what y o u see m a k e s y o u w a n t to d o anything at all p s y c h o t i c — t h a t is, i f y o u p r o j e c t your p e r s o n a l b u g g a b o o s o n t o the o u t s i d e world, r e s p o n d to them, and then are s u r r o u n d e d by c o n f u s i o n w h e n p e o p l e start w o n d e r i n g why you're acting s o crazy. T h a t is, unless they k n o w a b o u t acid, in which case they'll likely p o i n t o u t which b u g g a b o o is o b s e s s i n g you, and you can start t o thrash it out. P s y c h e d e l i c s are t h u s the q u i c k e s t m e a n s for
confronting
w h a t e v e r dark d e m o n s might be hiding in your p s y c h e , a n d they have a nasty habit o f fetching up the Dweller on the T h r e s h o l d
1
and d r o p p i n g h i m in your lap. T h e Pranksters weren't just playing word g a m e s w h e n they labeled tripping "the A c i d T e s t . " B u t even i f y o u aren't neurotic, psychedelics are better for passive c o n t e m p l a t i o n than s o r c e r y . Y o u c a n call up p o w e r s , but 1. T h e Dweller o n the Threshold is a personification of all that is despicable within any given wizard's psyche, and he is awesome. He cannot be denied or bound, only defied. His threat is potential, a quick glimpse into your own personal can of worms, and he wins by making you decide to keep it shut. The way you win is by going ahead and opening it, then turning your worms into dragons one by one.
they may n o t b e the o n e s you want, and they may n o t leave w h e n you tell them. Y o u can g o o n t o the astral, b u t it may b e hard to g e t all the way o n , or stay all the way o n , or g e t all the way back when you want to. It's as if the d r u g itself p l o p s d o w n in the middle o f your u n c o n s c i o u s , and if you try to m a k e your spirits d o tricks while it's there, they'll only s t u m b l e o v e r it and m a k e a m e s s . P s y c h e d e l i c s also p r o d u c e a p r o l o n g e d wakefulness which persists long after the fun's over. A n d then you can count o n paying for your psychic intensity for the next day or so, w h e n you will find y o u h a v e v e r y little e n e r g y a n d p e r h a p s a slight l o s s o f s u b t l e c o o r d i n a t i o n . S o it's b e s t to just s l e e p a lot then, and lay around. I f you take a trip o n a Friday night, you should b e b a c k to 9 5 % by M o n d a y m o r n i n g , but only if you s p a c e o u t your trips. I f you trip every w e e k e n d , within a few m o n t h s they'll b e 2 5 % fun, 7 5 % crash, and you'll still b e walking into d o o r p o s t s and s t a b b i n g your lip with your fork four days later. It's n o t g o o d to overdue. C r o w l e y ' s favorite d r u g s w e r e h e r o i n a n d c o c a i n e . H e felt c o c a i n e w a s a n e x c e l l e n t s t i m u l a n t a n d h e r o i n a fine a i d t o c o n c e n t r a t i o n . H e also died addicted, but he w a s 7 2 then, and quite lucid. I will leave the reader to draw his o w n m o r a l s a n d only a s s e r t that everybody's b o d y chemistry is different a n d n o n e m a y say what is m e a n t for o r forbidden to any other. A s the g o d H a d i t p u t s it in UberAL
pel Legir.
I a m the S n a k e that g i v e t h K n o w l e d g e & D e l i g h t a n d b r i g h t glory, and stir the hearts o f m e n with drunkenness. T o worship m e take wine a n d strange d r u g s w h e r e o f I will tell m y p r o p h e t , & b e d r u n k t h e r e o f ! T h e y shall n o t h a r m y e at all. It is a lie, this folly a g a i n s t self. T h e e x p o s u r e o f i n n o c e n c e is a lie. B e s t r o n g , o m a n ! L u s t , enjoy all t h i n g s o f s e n s e a n d r a p t u r e : fear n o t that any G o d shall deny thee for this. 4.) O f all the s o u r c e s o f energy that a r e available t o energize the h u m a n spirit, n o n e is s o o b v i o u s as the o n e w e m a y find in the sexual act. A p e r s o n may live the life o f an utter d r u d g e , s o m i r e d in
the m u n d a n e that it ultimately kills him, a n d yet this single a c t — p e r f o r m e d with joy o f lust or l o v e — c a n lift him out o f the c o m m o n place and touch his soul with power, if only for a moment. T h e sex act w o r k s for t r u e believers a n d n o n - b e l i e v e r s , the s a v e d a n d the d a m n e d , and s o it has b e e n c o n d e m n e d or h e d g e d a b o u t with laws by d o g m a t i c religions o f all stripes. B u t sorcerers a b h o r d o g m a , and they have u s e d sexual energy to b o o s t their p o w e r s o f m i n d ever since the beginning. Since they r e c o g n i z e the d a n g e r s o f this power, they have l o n g c o n c e a l e d it with secrets and s y m b o l s , b u t — as we s a i d — t h e r e is n o r o o m for fanciful s y m b o l i s m in Stealing the Firefrom Heaven. S o we've been laying it all right out, the techniques and dangers together. T h e results I leave you to discover for yourselves. T h e b e s t k n o w n technique o f sex m a g i c is the o n e Crowley taught in secret. It is heterosexual, a n d the idea is that the sex a c t — p e r f o r m e d with m a g i c a l c o m p e t e n c e — w i l l p r o d u c e a " m a g i c a l child." T h i s is an astral being w h o s e p o w e r is d e v o t e d to carrying o u t the p u r p o s e o f the participants. It is e m p o w e r e d by the white heat o f o r g a s m and embodied in the 'elixir' generated by intercourse. T h e participants m u s t give this child a n a m e in advance a n d also agree o n its astral appearance, for it m u s t fill their imaginations t h r o u g h o u t the rite, until c l i m a x s e t s it in their m i n g l e d fluids. A n y l o s s o f concentration u p o n it or i n d e p e n d e n t thinking during c o p u l a t i o n can b e deadly, for then their child will b e a monster. T h e two participants m u s t therefore agree o n the s y m b o l i s m they will u s e , m a k i n g this formula m u c h m o r e relevant to traditional m a g i c , where c o m m o n imagery is easy to c o m e by. T h o u g h Spare never mentioned them in his published work, he did use two methods that rely on sexual energy for their accomplishment D e s c r i p t i o n s o f these c a n b e f o u n d in K e n n e t h Grant's The Magical Revival a n d also in his biography o f S p a r e , Images and Oracles of Aus tin Osman Spare (Weiser, 1975). S p a r e referred to these sexual tech niques as "the formula o f the Earthenware Virgin" and "the Witches' S a b b a t h , " and w e will take t h e m in this order. T h e formula o f the Earthenware Virgin is, like Crowley's m o r e conventional technique, a m e t h o d for s p a w n i n g an independent
entity w h o s e will it is t o c a r r y o u t the w i z a r d ' s i n t e n t i o n s .
It
differs in that it is a u t o e r o t i c , a n d h e n c e d o e s n o t r e q u i r e any shared symbolism. T h e E a r t h e n w a r e Virgin itself is a clay vessel fabricated s o that its interior d i m e n s i o n s precisely a c c o m m o d a t e the v o l u m e o f 2
the sorcerer's erect p e n i s , with just e n o u g h s p a c e at the b o t t o m for a piece o f p a p e r bearing the sigil o f his desire. Placed at the b o t t o m o f the Virgin, the sorcerer charges this sigil during the act o f orgasm. A t this d m e h e v i s u a l i z e s his d e s i r e , h o l d i n g the i m a g e in his i m a g i n a t i o n for as l o n g as h e is able. O n c e the m e n t a l i m a g e b e g i n s to fade, he seals the urn a n d buries it. H e p e r f o r m s the rite s o this burial is at midnight, "the m o o n b e i n g quartered." W h e n the m o o n passes full, the wizard digs up this clay w o m b , replenishes the s p e r m , a n d — " w h i l e r e p e a t i n g s u i t a b l e i n c a n t a t i o n s " — p o u r s it o u t as a libation o n the g r o u n d . T h e n he reburies the urn. S p a r e c a u t i o n s that t h o u g h this t e c h n i q u e n e v e r fails, it is d a n g e r o u s , and s o he leaves m u c h to b e g u e s s e d . H e hints at the formula's essential effect w h e n he writes that it is the s o u r c e o f the legend o f the genii trapped in the b r a s s bottle. F r o m this o n e m a y s u p p o s e that the urn acts as a clay w o m b in which the wizard b r e e d s a familiar spirit. S u c h help c a n b e as risky as it is effective, however, for i f the wizard is in any way unable to control himself, he will have an even harder time m a n a g i n g a semi-independent p o w e r such as this. H e m u s t always keep the initiative over it, never allow it any s c o p e for independent action, and always maintain a strict separation between its f o r m a n d his own. H e m u s t never invite it into himself. Spare's W i t c h e s ' S a b b a t h , o n the other h a n d , is d e s i g n e d n o t t o create spirits, b u t m o r e as a sexual affirmation o f the NeitherNeither principle. It is the production o f free belief by sexual means. A g r o u p w o r k i n g set up to gut the participants' aesthetic sensibili ties, the resulting free belief is focused into a sigil designating their collective w i s h . C o n v e n t i o n a l i d e a s o f e r o t i c a t t r a c t i o n are 2. It may be that a female sorcerer could design a hollow ceramic imple ment which would induce orgasm and collect vaginal secretions, but I will leave the research here to those who are anatomically equipped to carry it out.
dismembered through the participation o f sexually skilled, grotesquely ugly old w o m e n , w h o a s s u m e a d o m i n a n t role in the rite. G r a n t q u o t e s S p a r e as writing that their ugliness is essential to transmute "the sorcerer's personal aesthetic culture, which is thereby destroyed. Perversion is u s e d to o v e r c o m e moral prejudice a n d conformity." T h i s d e s t r u c t i o n o f the p a r t i c i p a n t s ' a e s t h e t i c s e n s e , t o g e t h e r with the h y p n o t i c effect o f the ritual, c o m p l e t e l y s u b d u e s their c o n s c i o u s m i n d s , allowing an uninhibited flow o f free belief to energize the sigil. A s the g o d d e s s N u i t a n n o u n c e d in Liber Legir. Since I a m Infinite S p a c e , a n d the Infinite Stars thereof, d o ye a l s o thus. B i n d n o t h i n g ! L e t there b e n o d i f f e r e n c e m a d e a m o n g y o u b e t w e e n any o n e thing & any o t h e r thing; for thereby there c o m e t h hurt. B u t w h o s o availeth in this, let him b e the chief o f all!
XX. The M a g i c Circle a n d Evocation T h e reader with s o m e p r e v i o u s magical experience m a y by this p o i n t b e w o n d e r i n g whatever b e c a m e o f the m a g i c circle. M o s t o t h e r s y s t e m s o f sorcery place great e m p h a s i s o n working within a p r o p e r l y c o n s e c r a t e d circle a s a p r o t e c t i o n while c o n j u r i n g , a n d h e r e Stealing the Fire h a s n ' t e v e n m e n t i o n e d it. Well, perhaps not as such, but we have—this in the sixth chapter, w h e n we told all a b o u t h o w y o u have to b a n i s h and h o w you have to d o it b e f o r e and after any magical working. T h e fact is that a p r o p e r l y p e r f o r m e d b a n i s h i n g c r e a t e s an astral circle, o n e that will serve y o u well in any but the m o s t powerful operations. I f you are w o r k i n g o n the astral o r u s i n g any o f the
non-traditional
t e c h n i q u e s w e ' v e given s o far, a physical circle is unnecessary. Physical circles are required, however, in two specific sorts o f w o r k i n g : b l o o d sacrifice a n d the e v o c a t i o n o f a spirit to v i s i b l e a p p e a r a n c e . With b l o o d sacrifice the vital energy o f the victim is liable to attract entities from without. W h e n you evoke a spirit to visible a p p e a r a n c e , you fill it with s o m u c h p o w e r that if by chance it should t o u c h you, your personal identity m a y b e overwhelmed or (at the least) your n e r v o u s system blasted. B u t then this precaution is m o r e relevant t o traditional magic, since such evocation can b e necessary to c h a r g e a talisman. E v e n s o , S p a r e is k n o w n t o have d o n e this sort o f w o r k at least once, this at the request o f two dabblers w h o wanted to see an elemental. A c c o r d i n g to K e n n e t h G r a n t , S p a r e told them that such p o w e r s were deeply buried s u b c o n s c i o u s " a u t o m a t a , " better left where they are and only manipulated through sigils and sacred letters. B u t they insisted, so S p a r e acquiesced. H e b e g a n the work by drawing a sigil o n a blank card and putting it a g a i n s t his forehead while he r e p e a t e d a mantra. Within minutes a g r e e n i s h mist b e g a n t o enter the r o o m , gathering itself in o n e s p o t a n d thickening until it w a s d e n s e e n o u g h to see (as Grant described it) " t w o pinpoints o f fire, glowing like eyes, blinking in an
idiot face." A t this point the two spectators panicked and insisted S p a r e banish it, which he did by reversing the spell. A c c o r d i n g to G r a n t , o n e o f these dilettantes died within weeks, and the other h a d to b e c o m m i t t e d to an asylum. S p a r e felt that the elemental that had c o m e was a c u t o f f a s p e c t o f the p s y c h e o f o n e o f the victims. It h a d seen its chance t o c o m e forth and g r a b control, and had easily taken the unfortunate amateurs by the neck. S p a r e , o f c o u r s e , w a s unaffected, for his wizard's aura w a s all he needed. T h r o u g h steady banishing and years o f magical work, yours can b e as strong. A s you sow, s o shall you reap!
XXa. E l e m e n t a l s a n d Power S p o t s T h e basic a s s u m p t i o n for the s o r c e r o u s a p p r o a c h to m a g i c k is that any a s p e c t o f your life or the world a r o u n d y o u that you c a n define as distinct o r separate will a l s o have an ethereal a s p e c t that you can define as a distinct or separate spirit. A n d o n c e y o u define a spirit you can enter a relationship with it—conjuring it, n a m i n g it, and binding it with a ritual C h a r g e s o it o b e y s your will. T h i s applies to specific features o f the external world as well as to a s p e c t s o f o u r u n c o n s c i o u s m i n d s or i n d e p e n d e n t spirits or d e m o n s o n the astral plane. E a c h location, structure, or ecological or geological p h e n o m e n o n will have a spirit o f its o w n — k n o w n as an elemental o r a genius loci-—which the sorcerer m a y c a u s e to assist him a s its nature allows. O f c o u r s e for the a v e r a g e s p o t o n the surface o f the earth, this will be in n o special way at all. T h e location will b e psychically d o r m a n t , with n o k n o w l e d g e a n d n o power, o n e s p o t running into the next without any particular psychic distinction, s o there will b e n o point in dealing with it magickally. O n the other hand, there are significant locations scattered all around us that display their p o w e r to a n y o n e w h o is l o o k i n g for it. Rivers and ridgelines, hillocks and w o o d l a n d glens, lakes a n d m e a d o w s and inland s e a s — all these can have a potential for p r o v i d i n g k n o w l e d g e and p o w e r that may b e u s e d t o p r o m o t e our p u r p o s e s . O f c o u r s e r e c o g n i z i n g a s p o t as w o r t h w h i l e is o n e thing, m e e t i n g and naming and binding its elemental quite another. For a beginner to meet the spirit o f a place requires that he or she undertake a full-scale astral projection, which is n o t all that difficult i f the s p o t is s o m e w h a t i s o l a t e d , e s p e c i a l l y at night. B u t with p r a c t i c e , a n d e s p e c i a l l y after you h a v e b e c o m e a c q u a i n t e d w i t h y o u r H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l , a n a s t r a l s t a t e o f mind may b e acquired through a simple meditation t o enter i n t o r a p p o r t with the location's m o o d — especially i f y o u a d d a whiff o f cannabis to m a k e the p o w e r flows m o r e clear. O n c e y o u enter this state o f m i n d , ask your A n g e l the n a m e o f the spirit o f the place and any details y o u need to i n v o k e
it, then u s e that n a m e as a chant or mantra to call it to appearance in your imagination. W h e n the spirit stands b e f o r e y o u in your mind's eye, d o all y o u can to perceive its e s s e n c e , then gather it together to bind with a ritual C h a r g e . T h e control y o u gain over the elemental will surely b e m o r e limited than what y o u c o u l d e x p e c t f r o m a spirit residing in your own unconscious, but at least it will b e sufficient to enable you to work with its power without risk o f obsession. O n c e the spirit o f a p l a c e has b e e n properly b o u n d , y o u may rely o n it for s u p p o r t within the realm o f its c o m p e t e n c e . F r o m an o c e a n y o u m i g h t obtain the p o w e r to attain your true level, which is to say, to a c c o m p l i s h your destiny. F r o m a river y o u m i g h t take implacable motion (especially if it's in flood), or the ability to perceive in at least a watery fashion o v e r the extent o f its watershed. A n e s c a r p m e n t might p r o v i d e you with the a c c e s s it o p e n s to the p o w e r at the center o f the earth. A n office tower might supply y o u with insight into the corporations that are its tenants, assist you in getting a j o b or an a c c o u n t with o n e o f them, and help y o u deal with the challenges y o u m e e t while in service t o it. O r you might use the spirit o f a p l a c e to p r o m o t e a mutually beneficial p u r p o s e . F o r in stance, to c a u s e your favorite musical g r o u p t o play with greater skill a n d verve, y o u might call u p o n the genius loci o f the arena they are playing in, and o f the earth its foundations are sunk into. T h i s will give y o u a n inspiring musical experience a n d also help the arena to pay o f f its b o n d i n g . A n y p l a c e potent e n o u g h t o have a p r e s e n c e worth m e e t i n g may well i n c l u d e a power s p o t , a place n o m o r e than a few meters square where p o w e r can be a b s o r b e d directiy from the spiritual fabric o f the planet. Often these will b e c o n s p i c u o u s f r o m their incongruity, as w i t h a spring o u t o f a high rock or a rock f o r m a t i o n in the m i d d l e o f a marsh. O t h e r s will c o m p e l attention f r o m their charisma, for instance a rocky seat set in the t o p o f a cliff, or f r o m their s i m p l e beauty. B u t even the s u b d e o n e s are easy e n o u g h t o find i f y o u ask the elemental o f the overall locale. Y o u can treat the energy e m a n a t i n g from that s p o t as a spirit, asking your A n g e l t o call it forth a n d tell you its n a m e s o y o u might b i n d it and u s e it a s
y o u can. D e p e n d i n g o n w h a t s o r t o f s p o t it is, y o u m i g h t b e able to pull energy o u t o f it for later u s e , or p e r h a p s it will serve as an entryway into the bowels o f the earth into which you m a y place talismans s o they will better a c c o m p l i s h your p u r p o s e s . O n the other hand, I should note that spots vary in their qualities from the entirely beneficial ( w h o s e p o w e r can b e taken into your aura and s t o r e d direcdy) to the pernicious (which s h o u l d b e avoided entirely). E v e n i f the o b v i o u s differences in charisma don't give clear warning, your A n g e l will readily p r o v i d e it, i f only you think t o ask.
XXI, P r o b l e m s a n d S o m e S o l u t i o n s With the W i t c h e s ' S a b b a t h w e have the last o f the magical techniques in Stealing the Fire from Heaven. T h e competent technician should b e able to either a d o p t them as is or else a d a p t t h e m to his (or her) circumstances, and then use t h e m to carry o u t his (or her) will. B u t what d o w e m e a n by c o m p e t e n t ? We m e a n s o m e o n e w h o has an awareness o f the p a s s i o n s within h i m (and which m a y tend t o d o m i n a t e during m o m e n t s o f stress), control over his o w n thoughts, and the ability to hold to a n o a t h — t o s e t f o r t h o n a c o u r s e o f a c t i o n a n d c a r r y it t h r o u g h t o a conclusion. H e (or she) also needs p r u d e n c e . T o know self, control mind, and develop will there are exercises. T o enforce p r u d e n c e , there is the Law. K n o w i n g self is, o f c o u r s e , the h a r d e s t o f these, but between astral p r o j e c t i o n , d r e a m work, meditation, honesty, a n d p s y c h o therapy (for especially hard (and rich) cases), y o u s h o u l d be able t o discover the s o u r c e o f whatever s o r e s p o t s exist on your soul. T h e n it's just a case o f digging o u t the rot over a p e r i o d o f years, u s i n g whatever p r o c e d u r e s work for you, whether based o n c o m m o n sense or the m e t h o d s o f magic. Suffice it to say that s o r e s p o t s are usually reflexes b u r n e d in from childhood. W h e t h e r fear, rage, guilt, or self-pity, w e all s e e m to have at least o n e (I've b e e n w o r k i n g o n rage for y e a r s ) , a n d they can't b e ignored. C a r l o s C a s t a n e d a calls t h e m i n d u l g e n c e s , a n d w h e t h e r J u a n M a t u s e x i s t s o r n o t , his teachings in Journey to Ixtlan a n d Tales of Tower are classic accounts o n h o w to deal with indulgence. I r e c o m m e n d them highly. A n o t h e r worthwhile a p p r o a c h here is w o r k u p o n your own d r e a m s , o n e I a m just beginning to take u p and so will not try to explain. S u f f i c e it to say that A n n Faraday's The Bream Game (Harper & Row, P e r e n n i a l Library, 1976) is an a c c e s s i b l e and n o n - d o g m a t i c text, useful f o r sorcerers a n d laymen alike. Controlling thought is easier than managing indulgence, simply b e c a u s e an i n d u l g e n c e h e l p s u s c o p e in its o w n sick way, and so
w h e n w e give it u p w e l o s e a crutch. (Anger is s u c h fun!) B u t w h e n w e c a n control our t h o u g h t s w e gain a power, a n d this without any l o s s o f neurotic enjoyment. S o there's n o inhibition to conquer, only inertia. T h i s inertia c a n b e considerable, but the exercises are powerful if d o n e correcdy. T h e o n e s we offer are the ones Aleister C r o w l e y derived f r o m the H i n d u art o f y o g a , and the following distillation is b a s e d o n Part O n e o f his Book Four (Weiser, 1 9 8 0 ) , which I also r e c o m m e n d . Y o g a m e a n s union, a n d as it is practiced in India, it m e a n s u n i o n with G o d . T h e r e are lots o f different y o g a s . S o m e give union with G o d through knowledge, s o m e through love and devotion, s o m e t h r o u g h work. T h e o n e sorcerers are interested in—raja y o g a — gives union with G o d through mental disciphne. T h e idea is that if y o u can l o o k d e e p e n o u g h into your Self, y o u will find G o d at the bottom, but there are s o many distractions in-between that you u s u ally can't see H i m . T h e disciplines o f raja y o g a are designed to elimi nate the distractions. T h e worlds o f c o m m e r c e and h u m a n society are d i s t r a c t i o n s , s o the yogi lives like a m o n k . T h e yogi's b o d y is a distraction, s o he i m p o s e s postures o n it until it doesn't hurt any m o r e . T h e y o g i ' s b r e a t h i n g d i s t u r b s his c o n c e n t r a t i o n , s o h e i m p o s e s a routine o n it. T h e yogi's m i n d wanders, s o he exercises it in staying still until it stays still. A n d s o o n until h e finally d o e s find the G o d at the b o t t o m and attains S a m a h d i . Bliss. B u t w e w i z a r d s don't d o it that way. W h y ? B e c a u s e it's boring, m o s d y , and any m o r o n can think o f better w a y s to s p e n d his life than to sit absolutely still for six h o u r s every day, and play priest for the other eighteen. E v e n so, the m e t h o d s that the y o g i s have developed work well e n o u g h , and we c a n u s e them to train o u r m i n d s for o u r wizard w o r k , even i f w e don't try to fiad G o d with them. B u t though w e d o n ' t d o them quite s o much as the yogis d o , w e still must actually d o them, and this w h e t h e r w e really w a n t t o or not. A h a l f h o u r a day ( 1 5 minutes m o r n i n g a n d evening) is g o o d to start with, working u p to a daily h o u r or so. T h i s time s h o u l d b e put in every day (except w h e n actually ill), and y o u s h o u l d continue the exercises for at least t w o years. T h i s w o r k
is the foundation o f your pyramid. I f you neglect it, your whole structure may fall even as the E y e o f G o d is within your reach. T h e eight limbs (separate disciplines) o f raja y o g a are: 1.) Y a m a , 2.) N i y a m a , 3.) A s a n a , 4.) P r a n a y a m a , 5.) Pratyahara, 6.) D h a r a n a , 7.) D h y a n a , a n d 8.) S a m a h d i . T h e first two are preparation, the next four are techniques, and the last two are results. 1.) Y a m a m e a n s control. It includes anything you m a y n e e d to rearrange in your life s o y o u c a n meditate properly, from turning off the radio to finding a less cynical girlfriend. It may include giving up cigarettes s o you can breathe m o r e fully or giving u p certain f o o d s s o your digestion will give you s o m e p e a c e . In traditional H i n d u p r a c t i c e Y a m a i n c l u d e s t h i n g s like n o n - a c c e p t a n c e o f gifts a n d celibacy, b u t that's j u s t a c r o c k for s i m p l e m i n d s a n d h a s n o t h i n g to d o with us sorcerers. What Y a m a g e t s d o w n to is that the work c o m e s first, a n d if for s o m e r e a s o n it doesn't, you have failed Y a m a . 2.) T h e " N i " in N i y a m a is a contrary, s o i f Y a m a is focusing yourself o n t o your work, N i y a m a is the p u s h outward that you n e e d to c o n q u e r the difficulty o f y o g a itself and also the barriers the world a n d your mind erect against your p u r p o s e . A n d there will b e barriers. T h o u g h the initial e x p e r i e n c e at m e d i t a t i o n will b e e u p h o r i c , it will s o o n settle i n t o a real d r a g . T h e only way t o s u c ceed a g a i n s t it is to c o n t i n u e until y o u d o win t h r o u g h a n d the initial e u p h o r i a returns r e d o u b l e d . N i y a m a is p e r s e v e r a n c e , a c c e p t a n c e , strength, a n d u n d e r s t a n d i n g — a l l the q u a l i t i e s that e n able o n e t o s h r u g off m i n o r pain a n d s o get on in the world with a m i n i m u m o f fuss. 3.) A s a n a is the first real practice o f y o g a , and it is a training for the b o d y s o it will sit still and n o t bother y o u while y o u d o your m e d i t a t i o n a n d astral work. You d o A s a n a by sitting in o n e p o s i t i o n a n d not allowing yourself to m o v e for the duration o f your meditation. O n c e you m a s t e r a posture, you will h a v e a way to sit that will l e t you d r o p your awareness o f your b o d y at will. T h i s ability i s vital if you're t o m a k e any p r o g r e s s in wizardry at all. T o b e g i n Asana, c h o o s e a p o s t u r e . T h e actual p o s i t i o n y o u take d o e s n o t matter, s o l o n g as your b a c k is straight and your head
erect, for you m u s t b e sure y o u c a n keep steady at it and also that y o u w o n ' t fall a s l e e p . T h e H i n d u s have i n v e n t e d t h o u s a n d s o f p o s t u r e s for A s a n a , but you can waste your life studying them, s o m o s t s o r c e r e r s d o n ' t . T h e l o t u s p o s i t i o n is g r e a t i f y o u h a v e s t r e t c h a b l e t e n d o n s ; otherwise y o u c a n just sit in a chair. A s s u m i n g you have d e c i d e d o n your p o s t u r e (including the m o s t pleasant way to a r r a n g e your hands, ankles, and feet), you are n o w ready to begin. T o d o this, sit in it for h o w e v e r l o n g you have d e c i d e d to sit in it, and d o n o t m o v e . D o n o t dig d o w n in to scratch your groin. D o not flick the itch on your neck with your litde finger. D o n o t shift your legs to e a s e a cramp, or t o s s your shoulder t o r e a r r a n g e a t e n d o n . T h e only m o v e m e n t s y o u s h o u l d allow your s e l f are t h o s e n e c e s s a r y for e x t r e m e breathing and small shifts o f the hand to write in your magical record and perhaps operate a stop watch. Only by keeping your b o d y absolutely still can you beat your nervous system into s u b m i s s i o n — a t least for this one posture—thus allowing you t o begin your serious efforts t o control your m i n d . T h e p r o g r e s s o f the average student o f A s a n a m o v e s t h r o u g h t h r e e s t a g e s , w h i c h w e will s i m p l y call the b e g i n n i n g , m i d d l e , and end. T h e b e g i n n i n g o f A s a n a is quite p l e a s a n t . Y o u will notice immediately h o w sitting still m a k e s you aware o f the o p e r a t i o n s o f your m i n d — h o w your b o d y normally keeps y o u from realizing that your thoughts have much in c o m m o n with a cage full o f m o n k e y s — and you will b e anxious to begin training them. Y o u r initial efforts at A s a n a will a l s o have a c a l m i n g effect, and it will b e clear that o n e m u s t actually b e a b l e t o sit still b e f o r e o n e c a n p e r f o r m
any
mental exercises. T h i s e u p h o r i c stage may last for a few days, but not many. T h e m i d d l e p a r t o f A s a n a is a realm w h e r e pain rules. T h e practice b e c o m e s tedious. Y o u begin to notice that you are n o t really keeping to your c h o s e n p o s i t i o n — t h a t you are allowing y o u r head to sag, your thighs t o shift, your feet to c h a n g e position. S o y o u will correct yourself, a n d you will s u c c e e d in y o u r corrections, b u t you will a l s o b e c o m e m o r e sensitive t o the pain. Y o u will itch, b u t i f you
break discipline t o scratch, y o u will instantiy begin to itch in three other places. Y o u r m u s c l e s will cramp. Y o u will b e c o m e s o tight that it will take ten minutes after it is time to g e t u p b e f o r e you are actually able to d o it, and this even t h o u g h y o u have only b e e n sitting in a chair. B u t y o u m u s t n o t a t t e m p t to evade this pain, as that will only p r o l o n g it. Y o u m u s t simply d o the exercises y o u have assigned yourself and persevere—until y o u c o m e to the e n d . A n d there is a definite end. T h e r e will c o m e a time w h e n the pain will vanish and y o u will b e able to say you are successful. Y o u will neither itch n o r c r a m p . Y o u will b e a b l e t o r i s e f r o m y o u r m e d i t a t i o n without worrying whether your l i m b s will s u p p o r t you. Y o u r b o d y will simply n o longer bother you, and any time y o u sit in that p o s t u r e , y o u will rise from it refreshed. Y o u will n o w have a p o s i t i o n in w h i c h to p e r f o r m your meditation and your astral work. 4.) P r a n a y a m a is control o f the breath, a n d it is intended to force one's breathing into a steady rhythm, a habit that d o e s n o t disturb concentration. A l s o , if the breathing is purposefully deep, the meditator enjoys the benefits o f hyperventilation, t h o u g h he shouldn't d o it t o such an extreme that he p a s s e s out. A s for the specific c o u n t , for beginners the four-fold breath is r e c o m m e n d e d : four c o u n t s in, four c o u n t s hold, four c o u n t s out, four c o u n t s empty. Later o n y o u might like to breath in a ratio o f 1:4:2, in:hold:out. R e m e m b e r , the l o n g e r you can hold your breath, the longer you will have to d o your mental work without the distraction o f breathing. Y o u m a y tend to sweat a lot d u r i n g P r a n a y a m a , and y o u m a y find your b o d y tends to g o rigid, which will help you d o your A s a n a . N e i t h e r i s anything to worry a b o u t , b u t d o try n o t t o fall over. A s a n a a n d Pranayama are thus the t w o mechanical limbs o f raja yoga. W h e n you can p e r f o r m them properly, you'll b e ready to a t t e m p t t h e n e x t t w o l i m b s , the m e n t a l e x e r c i s e s o f P r a t y a h a r a a n d D h a r a n a . It s h o u l d b e s t r e s s e d , h o w e v e r , that regularity in practice is the essential thing, whether you feel like meditating o r n o t . I f you have d e c i d e d o n t w o half-hours o f A s a n a e a c h day, then you m u s t s p e n d them sitting still, o r trying to, n o m a t t e r what. I f you
say you'll d o a h a l f - h o u r , thirty fidgety m i n u t e s are b e t t e r t h a n 2 5 rock-solid ones, and n o t even travel or the funeral o f a near relation should interfere. 5.) Pratyahara is meditation itself, introspection into why you think the way you d o , r e s p o n d to things the way you d o , why your train o f thought keeps to one track instead o f another. Y o u can meditate o n people, situations, dreams, objects—restricting your thought to your subject until there is nothing left in the entire universe, and then expanding your perspective until you see the subject's relationship with everything else in the universe, and how they d e p e n d on one another for their existence. It is a way to find your place in the C o s m i c All, thus gaining perspective o n how best to meet the Whole o f It. 6.) D h a r a n a . B u t to m a k e m u c h headway in Pratyahara, y o u m u s t have e n o u g h concentration to follow a thought d o w n to w h a t e v e r g o d o r d e m o n m i g h t Me at its r o o t s . T o o b t a i n this concentration, w e have D h a r a n a , which is concentration p u r e and simple and also really hard work. It is o f value n o t just with meditation, but helps one's p o w e r s o f concentration a n d also aids astral work, for it gives o n e the ability to maintain one's presence o f mind during a t r i p — t o k e e p the astral l a n d s c a p e in f o c u s and generally finish what's been started, close what's been opened, and leave nothing that n e e d s d o i n g u n d o n e . T h e practice o f D h a r a n a is the visualization o f a single mental image. T o begin, sit y o u r s e l f in your A s a n a a n d p e r f o r m P r a n a y a m a in such a way that your breath neither distracts you nor unduly excites you. T h e n visualize a simple geometric s h a p e a n d do nor allow it to waver! It could b e a red square, a g r e e n c r o s s , a blue b e l l — b u t once you have d e c i d e d on its color, s h a p e , size, a n d the t y p e o f b a c k g r o u n d , hold it t o that and p e r m i t neither c h a n g e s nor additions. D o n o t allow the green cross's a r m s to shrink, o r the red square to yellow into orange. D o n o t allow white flowers to b l o o m on the blue bell, o r let its gray b a c k g r o u n d m o l d e r into g r e e n . H o l d y o u r i m a g e steady in your m i n d , d o not allow anything else in, and d o n o t allow the i m a g e to change in any way. I n the b e g i n n i n g , i f you're really well disciplined, you m i g h t b e able to k e e p this up for about nine-tenths o f a second. T h e n the
i m a g e will change in s o m e way or another, y o u will force it back, and then you will b e distracted by s o m e alien thought and leave the i m a g e entirely, until y o u catch y o u r s e l f and d r a g it back. T h e m o s t o b v i o u s s o u r c e o f distraction is sensations from your body, but then these will vanish o n c e y o u have perfected your p o s t u r e . N e x t will c o m e s o u n d s from the o u t s i d e world, b u t with a s s i d u o u s u s e o f the hyperventilation principle, they s o r t o f take their place in an o v e r s p r e a d i n g carpet o f n o i s e , and m a y thus b e ignored. After that c o m e thoughts g e n e r a t e d from m e m o r i e s o f the recent p a s t — w h a t R e a g a n said o n the tube, what y o u did in the g a r d e n today, what d o w n t o w n l o o k e d like the last time y o u d r o v e t h r o u g h . I t is a m a z i n g h o w i n t r i c a t e t h e s e r e c o l l e c t i o n s c a n b e c o m e , making it clear that our minds a b s o r b far m o r e information than we realize while we're absorbing it. T h e sneakiest f o r m o f distraction is plain old daydreaming. Y o u will b e P r a n a y a m i n g away in y o u r A s a n a a n d y o u will d e c i d e t o c o n c e n t r a t e o n an o r a n g e star. Y o u will g e t it; its p o i n t s will shift a bit a n d its c o l o r will tarn greenish, but y o u will generally have it. Y o u will h a v e it s o well that y o u will b e able to keep it with only part o f y o u r m i n d while another part starts to think o f s o m e t h i n g m o r e interesting, like where y o u went last w e e k e n d with the lady w h o s e p a n t s y o u ' r e trying t o g e t i n t o . T h a t will t a k e y o u to t h o u g h t s o f w h a t it will b e like w h e n y o u finally d o , o r y o u r n e x t s t e p in t r y i n g , a n d b e f o r e y o u k n o w it y o u r o r a n g e star will b e forgotten. T h e only way to fight this is to hold yourself stricdy accountable for what y o u are doing. Aleister Crowley tells u s that the wizard s h o u l d d o h i s Dharana with a p a d , pencil, and s t o p w a t c h s o he m i g h t k n o w precisely h o w steady his m i n d is b e c o m i n g . " O n e o f the essential difficulties in practice is that it takes a g r e a t deal o f skill a n d e x p e r i e n c e to b e c o m e really alert to what is happening. Y o u can g o o n daydreaming for quite l o n g p e r i o d s before realizing that your t h o u g h t s have w a n d e r e d a t all." C r o w l e y a l s o stressed that o n e s h o u l d b e careful t o a v o i d s t r a i n i n g o n e ' s mind. " I n m y early days I w a s often satisfied with a
rniriute or two at a time; three or four s u c h p e r i o d s twice or three d m e s a day." I f it starts to hurt, g o back to P r a t y a h a r a — m a y b e try t o figure o u t why t h o s e kids were m e a n to y o u in the s e c o n d g r a d e . A higher s o u r c e o f distraction than m e r e daydreaming is w h e n your effort at concentration interferes with the object. Y o u m a y b e distracted by thinking o f h o w well you're d o i n g , or h o w m u c h easier it w o u l d b e t o d o it in n o r t h e r n Maine. T h i s s o r t o f break is n o t s o b a d , a slight variation in the o n e - p o i n t e d n e s s you desire. Crowley mentions two other sources o f distraction—auditory hallucinations (a variety o f psychic atmospherics) and also the desired result o f the practice, D h y a n a a n d S a m a h d i . 7. & 8.) D h y a n a and S a m a h d i are the results o f p e r f o r m i n g the previous six disciplines with such dedication that you don't leave yourself time for anything else. It is n o t m y s u g g e s t i o n that y o u should d o this, only that y o u u s e the practices to learn your mind's habit o f thought a n d bring it under control o f your will. H e n c e y o u m a y never experience D h y a n a or S a m a d h i through yogic prac tices. Suffice it t o say that D h y a n a is catching sight o f G o d , and S a m a h d i is u n i o n with It. T o e n d this chapter w e have o n e m o r e discipline o f Crowley's. It is a technique for developing will, a method even m o r e mechanical than that o f y o g a . Crowley called it Uberlll
velJugorum and you c a n
find it o n p a g e 4 2 7 o f Magick in Theory and Practice. It c o n s i s t s o f the student taking oaths forbidding the p e r f o r m a n c e o f arbitrary a c t i o n s — f o r instance touching his face with his left h a n d for a week, saying the w o r d " o f " for the s p a c e o f a m o n t h ,
thinking
a b o u t spring during J a n u a r y and February, or whatever. S i n c e it is virtually certain that he will violate his oath during the p e r i o d it is in f o r c e ( d o z e n s o f times, even), he m u s t also swear to a p u n i s h m e n t that will oblige h i m t o m e n d his ways. T h e choice o f p u n i s h m e n t is arbitrary, but since it m u s t b e easy to repeat often (as often as three times in a minute if he has sworn n o t t o say " a n d , " " u h , " o r " I " ) , t h a t p r e t t y m u c h n a r r o w s it d o w n t o p h y s i c a l p a i n . C r o w l e y r e c o m m e n d e d the use o f a straight razor o n the forearm, but that's 1
overkill. A pin concealed in a h e m can b e g o o d t o stick your l e g
with, or if you'd rather n o t b r e a k your skin, p u t a thick r u b b e r b a n d around your wrist and give yourself a g o o d snap whenever you d o the f o r b i d d e n thing. It is i m p o r t a n t that w e stress that the acts y o u forbid y o u r s e l f m u s t b e arbitrary. I f they h a d any m o r a l o r e m o t i o n a l value, for instance i f you f o r b a d e yourself between-meal snacks o r thinking a b o u t your e x - h u s b a n d , you w o u l d b e c o r r u p t i n g your will with your desire and also risking the mental sickness that c a n c o m e w h e n dark nasties are r e p r e s s e d . It is better to strengthen your will first o n denials that are entirely i n n o c u o u s . T h e n w h e n it is fit, y o u m a y use it to evoke your dark nasties s o they appear in all their malignant g l o o m , d e t e r m i n e their n a m e s and letters, a n d then b i n d t h e m to your p u r p o s e .
From F o r m I, 1 —April,
1916
1. It's also an example of Crowley's sense of humor and may have been intended as a blind, an absurdity m e a n t to scare away those aspirants n o t gifted with c o m m o n sense.
XXII. The Law L a w is humanity's great bulwark against chaos. Whether tribal, c o m m o n , statutory or religious, law moderates conduct and preserves order, d a m p i n g d o w n the m a y h e m and k e e p i n g p e o p l e o f f each other's toes. D e p e n d i n g o n h o w well the law is suited to the p e o p l e it regulates, it is successful in this effort. W h e n a culture is secure, its laws are a m e r e e m b r o i d e r y o n a solid social fabric. W h e n a culture is in the throes o f c h a n g e , its laws b e c o m e by turn faulty, futile, fatuous, and tyrannical. Eventually each m a n and w o m a n — from lowest to highest—in s o m e s e n s e b e c o m e s a criminal, until authority collapses and a n e w order has a chance to arise. T h e r e was a time not t o o long a g o when law wasn't s o dubious as it is now. L a w w a s the way t o maintain the status q u o — t h e state in which property and class were the mark o f rank, and rank w a s s o m e thing to be perpetuated within a family through the generations. T h e laws that ordered this establishment were invariably h a n d e d d o w n by w i s e o l d m e n : M o s e s , M o h a m m e d , a n d A l b e r t u s M a g n u s ; Hammarabi, Caesar, and N a p o l e o n Bonaparte; the Founding Fathers. I n one-way or another they all established or maintained a social order. P e o p l e k n e w their place, knew w h e n they were o u t o f place, a n d k n e w that everyone else w o u l d k n o w it t o o . A n d s o it was for 5 0 0 0 years. B u t no longer. Economically, the technological revolution has blasted itself into space and achieved a stable orbit. Politically, the old empires are j u s t s t a m p s in a l b u m s and coins in d e s k drawers, a n d e v e n the s u p e r p o w e r s s e e m unable to k e e p their s p h e r e s o f influence intact. In religion, all is on the brink. I f you are a Christian, w e are entering the L a s t D a y s . I f you are a M a r x i s t , the m a s s e s worldwide are rising u p to throw o f f their chains. I f you are a Hindu, it's the end o f the K a l i Y u g a . I f you're an o r t h o d o x Jew, you m a y b e e x p e c t i n g the M e s s i a h s o o n , a n d i f an a s t r o l o g e r , the A q u a r i a n A g e is j u s t a r o u n d the c o r n e r . A n d i f y o u ' r e a w i z a r d , y o u m a y b e thinking it's the advent o f the a e o n o f H o r u s . I know I a m .
S o however you l o o k at it, it's o b v i o u s that the o l d rules don't w o r k that well anymore. N o r d o they have m u c h relevance to h o w w e m a y m o s t p r u d e n t l y live o u r lives as s o r c e r e r s . T h e t i m e o f patriarchy, o f wise old m e n telling us what to d o , is over. T h i n g s just happen too fast now for them to keep up, and if w e want prudent w i s d o m , we'll have to find it for ourselves. T o this e n d w e offer Aleister Crowley's apocalyptic vision, which isn't really apocalyptic at all, in that it only a n n o u n c e s a c h a n g e o f p h a s e , n o t an e n d o f all things. T h e n e w p h a s e requires a new law, which is what Crowley offers, and as significant a sorcerer as he w a s , it b e h o o v e s us at least t o c o n s i d e r it. 1
T h e advent o f the a e o n o f H o r u s w a s first a n n o u n c e d in April o f 1904. T h e a n n o u n c e m e n t w a s m a d e by A i w a s s , a discarnate, non-material
intelligence that m a n i f e s t e d t h r o u g h v o i c e to
Crowley, w h o w a s visiting C a i r o with his p r e g n a n t wife, R o s e . T h i s announcement
was not triggered by anything Crowley did. 2
Rather, R o s e insisted that H o r u s had a m e s s a g e for him, told him h e m u s t i n v o k e H i m to receive it, and gave him enough symbolic 3
information to convince him that s o m e higher power was working t h r o u g h her. S o he carried o u t her ritual i n s t r u c t i o n s a n d as a result r e c e i v e d the dictation o f Liber AL
vel Legis, the B o o k o f
the Law. Liber Legis consists o f three chapters, o n e each for the three g o d s w h o rule this new aeon: N u i t , infinite s p a c e ; Hadit, the point o f view; and H e r u - R a - H a , c o n s c i o u s n e s s , the o r g a s m resulting from the union o f N u i t and Hadit. H e r u is a paired deity, with active and passive a s p e c t s . T h e active o n e — w i l l or intention—is called R a H o o r - K h u i t , w h o for the E g y p t i a n s w a s a personification o f the
1. Displacing that of Osiris—patriarchy—which had held sway for the preceding 2 0 0 0 years. Before it came the aeon o f I s i s — t r i b a l i s m — w h i c h began sometime back in our primate prehistory. 2. T h e hawk-headed Egyptian god. 3. O f which he knew her to know nothing.
sun in its greatest heat. T h e p a s s i v e o n e — p e r c e p t i o n — i s
Hoor-
paar-kraat, the B a b e in the E g g , w h o m the R o m a n s called Harpocrates, the g o d o f Silence. Naturally R a - H o o r takes the lead in dictating H e r u ' s chapter, t h o u g h references to H o o r - p a a r - k r a a t can b e f o u n d t h r o u g h o u t the b o o k . B u t it is n o t o u r p u r p o s e here to delve into the d e e p inner symbolism o f Liber Legis. All we will d o is offer its m o r e fundamental p r e c e p t s and s h o w h o w they serve as fit g u i d e s for the sorcerer as he m a k e s his fall through Infinite S p a c e . 1.)
" E v e r y m a n and every w o m a n is a star."
T h e m o d e l for h u m a n relations in the n e w a e o n is that o f stars in a galaxy. E a c h has its o w n c o u r s e and p r o p e r m o t i o n ; there are n o b o s s stars or starry institutions—no g o v e r n m e n t s o f the stars, by the stars, and for the s t a r s — t o tell the individual o r b s h o w to m o v e . W h a t w e h u m a n stars m u s t d o is gain the skill to perceive our h u m a n environments with the s a m e d i s p a s s i o n a t e precision that stars use to r e s p o n d t o their n e i g h b o r s ' gravity, and then apply it t o g u i d e our p r o g r e s s through our h u m a n space.
2.)
" D o what t h o u wilt shall b e the w h o l e o f the L a w . "
T h e law then for each o f us is t o find o u r p r o p e r m o t i o n s a n d follow them. B y adhering t o our respective orbits, what Crowley called our T r u e Wills, we will b e in synch with the m o v e m e n t o f Infinity, and all t h i n g s — e v e n the wind and the trees—will work to assist us. 3.)
" T h e word o f Sin is Restriction.... " T h o u hast n o right b u t to d o thy will. D o that and n o o t h e r shall say nay. For pure will, u n a s s u a g e d o f p u r p o s e , d e l i v e r e d f r o m t h e l u s t o f result, is e v e r y way p e r f e c t . T h e Perfect and the Perfect are o n e Perfect and n o t two; nay, are none!"
We have n o right but t o b e ourselves, and that to the b e s t o f our ability. We have n o right to dither away our p o w e r in alcohol, T V sports, or dead-end j o b s . We have n o right to waste o u r s o u l s and the e c o n o m y in a m i n d l e s s pursuit o f wealth for its o w n sake (as o p p o s e d to wealth as a reward o f a p r o d u c t i v e life). We have n o right to e x p e c t anyone else to c o n f o r m to o u r idea o f what they should or s h o u l d not d o with their lives. B u t o n c e w e find o u r wills and follow them, w e need fear n o interference. I f w e are o p p o s e d by circumstances, w e have the sure k n o w l e d g e that the m o m e n t u m o f the universe is with us, and w e need only persevere to win through. I f w e are o p p o s e d by i n d i v i d u a l s , p e o p l e well a w a r e o f their m e d d l i n g w a y s , then Liber Legis sanctions whatever m e a n s might b e n e c e s s a r y to r e m o v e their interference. A s R a - H o o r p u t it in his Chapter Three:
4.)
" F e a r n o t at all; fear neither m e n n o r Fates, nor g o d s , nor anything. M o n e y fear n o t , n o r l a u g h t e r o f the folk folly, nor any other power in heaven or u p o n the earth or under the earth. N u is your refuge as Hadit your light; a n d I a m the strength, force, v i g o u r , o f your a r m s . "
W h e n we face direct opposition and are sure o f our g r o u n d and our right to b e o n it, w e may let the power o f R a - H o o r - K h u i t blast out against it and disregard the discomfort o f those it strikes. B u t it m u s t b e a direct o p p o s i t i o n . If it is your will t o m a k e m o u s e t r a p s , and s o m e o n e else m a k e s a better one, to d o your will you must transcend y o u r s e l f a n d your c o m p e t i t o r s t o reach new heights o f m o u s e t r a p design. B u t you m a y not conspire to restrain trade or sabotage your competitors' factories. This would be Restriction, the word o f Sin. In the s a m e way, if y o u want a w o m a n (or a man), you may not harass or conjure her into submission. So you must be infinitely sensitive to what your true c o u r s e involves, for you have no right but to d o your will. B u t first y o u m u s t find o u t what it is. T h e first thing to consider is that this m u s t be a n individual effort. T h e r e is n o o n e w h o c a n k n o w y o u better than you d o , and
even if s o m e o n e (say, your m o t h e r ) s e e m s n o w t o have a better insight into your character
4
than y o u d o , that will c h a n g e as s o o n a s
y o u b e g i n to u s e the techniques w e give here in Stealing the Fire from Heaven. T h e s e c o n d thing is that you can know yourself precisely only after y o u have o b t a i n e d the K n o w l e d g e a n d C o n v e r s a t i o n o f your H o l y G u a r d i a n A n g e l . Y o u r A n g e l is the link f r o m your mind to the Mind o f G o d , and only when you are in c o m m u n i o n with her (or him) will y o u k n o w precisely w h a t y o u m u s t d o to maintain your b a l a n c e with the C o s m i c All (or whatever else y o u m a y wish t o call it). T h e third point is that unless you have s o m e inkling beforehand as to what your T r u e Will m i g h t b e , y o u will never c o m e c l o s e t o m e e t i n g your A n g e l , let alone striking u p a conversation. S o it is necessary to approximate at first, to find the wide trough that narrows into the g r o o v e that b e c o m e s s o d e e p you couldn't g e t o u t o f it i f y o u w a n t e d to, t h o u g h y o u w o n ' t w a n t t o b e c a u s e " p u r e will, u n a s s u a g e d o f p u r p o s e , delivered f r o m the lust o f result, is every w a y perfect." A n d h o w d o y o u start d o w n this trough? B y b e i n g yourself, m o s d y , and by d i s c a r d i n g all t h o s e a s p e c t s o f your life that are pleasant e n o u g h , but which aren't you, really. Y o u m u s t d r o p y o u r cynicism, your fear, your sloth. Y o u m u s t s h r u g o f f the mockery o f ignorant peers. Y o u must disregard the material rewards y o u s u p p o s e he at the end o f the v a r i o u s alternate p a t h s y o u may c h o o s e f r o m . T h e y may or may n o t b e there, y o u s e e , a n d e v e n if they are, w h a t profit is it to a m a n t o g a i n the w h o l e world, i f h e loses his s o u l ? O n c e you h a v e t o s s e d out what isn't your will, then, h o w d o y o u find o u t w h a t is? B y d o i n g w h a t challenges y o u , by
finding
w o r k that is fun for you a n d then doing it. B y cultivating enthusiasm— which, incidentally, is a w o r d w h o s e G r e e k root m e a n s to be inspired 4. Actually, she will probably have a better insight into your character flaws (demons) than the essential you, and as you begin to correct these flaws and c o m e into your power, she may well remark that she doesn't know you anymore. This development is to be encouraged.
or p o s s e s s e d by a g o d . A c c o r d i n g to Liber Legis, w e are g o d s , and w h e n w e d o our wills w e b e h a v e as such, and earn the right to claim divine prerogatives. A s H a d i t tells us: 5.)
" R e m e m b e r all ye that existence is p u r e joy; that all
the
s o r r o w s are b u t as s h a d o w s ; they p a s s & are d o n e ; b u t there is that which remains." A n d also, f r o m the first chapter, that o f the g o d d e s s N u i t : 6.)
" L o v e is the law, love under will."
We m u s t e m b r a c e everything w e encounter as w e d o our wills, m a k i n g n o difference between any o n e thing a n d any o t h e r thing, and if these encounters bring us h u m a n love, w e may a c c e p t it with o u t hesitation.
5
B u t w e may n o t allow the integrity o f our wills to
b e p o i s o n e d by sentiment. T o give u p what y o u are to gratify an other is n o t only to r o b yourself o f spirit, but to b u r d e n that other with responsibility for your emotional support. Conversely, t o shrink 6
f r o m a s p e c t s o f the b o d y o f N u i t that you m e e t in your p a t h — w h e t h e r f r o m h a t e , p r u d e r y , fear, or d i s g u s t — i s a g r o s s w e a k n e s s . W h a t e v e r you m e e t you m u s t b e p r e p a r e d to e m b r a c e , if that b e your will. I f it is n o t your will you m u s t leave it alone, n o matter h o w superficially attractive it m a y b e . I f y o u cannot d o this, i f your sight is c l o u d e d by lust for o n e thing and aversion toward another, you will b e pulled o f f your p a t h by your p a s s i o n . T o flow freely through N u i t you m u s t b e able to tolerate whatever bits o f her manifestation y o u m i g h t meet, and since all manifestation is p a r t o f her exquisite body, y o u must b e c o m e entirely d i s p a s s i o n a t e . 5. This d o e s not preclude fidelity to one person. Vast numbers o f star systems in o u r galaxy a r e multiple, two or m o r e stars rotating a r o u n d their c o m m o n centers o f gravity as they fall together around the galactic hub. There's no reason the same can't apply to human couples (or triads orquadrinaries), even through multiple incarnations. 6. That is, anything at all—people, animals, situations, anything.
T h e trouble is, there are m a n y in this world w h o take their p a s s i o n s and prejudices very seriously, s o seriously that they feel privileged to d e t e r m i n e what's right for other p e o p l e and then force them to c o n f o r m to their conclusions. F r o m parents w h o want their children to m a r r y into society to politicians w h o prefer all their citizens to b e hard-working heterosexuals w h o follow the MarxistLeninist line, w e w h o seek our true paths have m a n y w h o w o u l d restrict u s . A n d while it's practically i m p o s s i b l e t o i g n o r e their b l u n d e r i n g evil, it's harder still to o p p o s e it. I f you d o u b t this, try selling the New York Times in M o s c o w , or lighting u p a joint as you wait for a traffic c o p to let you cross the street. T h e forces o f restric tion are fighting to maintain their v e r s i o n o f order, and their efforts are s u p p o r t e d by the strength o f millions o f wills. It is true that much o f this strength is exerted out o f habit and not conviction, but however fitfully it m a y b e applied, it is still far t o o p o t e n t for us to c o n f r o n t direcdy. E v e n so, these forces are p o w e r s o f patriarchy and as such g o against the current o f the n e w a e o n , against the whole m o t i o n o f c o s m i c power, which will b r e a k them in pieces and s w e e p t h e m away. S o what Uberljgis
offers is anarchy. Like all anarchy, it p r e s u m e s
that h u m a n nature is ultimately benevolent, t h o u g h it admits that in its present state it is thoroughly corrupt. In order to cleanse it, sorcery offers disciplines like t h o s e we've given in Stealing the Fire from Heaven. T h e i r a p p l i c a t i o n will take time, t h o u g h , s o w e d o n ' t p r o p o s e any o f the traditional anarchist o p t i o n s — t h r o w i n g b o m b s and such like. Instead we s u g g e s t that each p e r s o n begin t o search for his o w n T r u e Will a n d then, as h e b e g i n s t o find it, d o h i s b e s t t o d o it w i t h o u t r e g a r d for civil law o r s o c i a l c o n v e n t i o n . T o m a k e an active opposition would b e needlessly dangerous; neither N u i t n o r H a d i t n o r R a - H o o r - K h u i t have any g o o d w o r d s t o say for m a r tyrdom. A n o t h e r r e a s o n n o t t o violently o p p o s e the o l d order is that there a r e risks in victory as well as defeat. T h e o l d f o r m s p r o t e c t us even as they restrict and threaten. Take, as an example, our m o d e r n e c o n o m i c e s t a b l i s h m e n t . F o r the m o s t p a r t it d i s c o u r a g e s the
a c q u i s i t i o n o f p o w e r by individuals, simply b e c a u s e its m e c h a n i s m s require vdlling c o g s and not wizards, slaves rather than hunters after power. S o w e m a y b e t e m p t e d to overthrow this establishment in h o p e s o f constructing s o m e t h i n g m o r e in tune with the n e w time. T h i s is a fine m o t i v a t i o n , b u t the r e s u l t s o f s u c c e s s w o u l d b e i n t o l e r a b l e . N o t only d o e s our existing e c o n o m y feed, clothe, and shelter the h u n d r e d s o f millions o f p e o p l e w h o w o u l d b e d e a d without it, b u t w e d e p e n d u p o n it to fend o f f foreign tyrants w h o s e a l l e g i a n c e t o the i d o l T H E S T A T E h o l d s all individual liberty in c o n t e m p t . N o r , in the final a n a l y s i s , d o a e o n s c h a n g e in s u c h c a t a s t r o p h i c w a y s . F r o m the s e c o n d c h a p t e r o f the b o o k , that o f Hadit:
7.)
" Y e a ! D e e m n o t o f c h a n g e : ye shall b e as ye a r e , & n o t other. T h e r e f o r e the k i n g s o f the e a r t h shall b e K i n g s forever: the slaves shall serve. T h e r e is n o n e that shall b e cast d o w n o r lifted up: all is ever as it w a s . Yet there are m a s k e d o n e s m y servants: it m a y b e that y o n d e r b e g g a r is a K i n g . A K i n g m a y c h o o s e his g a r m e n t as he will: there is n o certain test: but a b e g g a r c a n n o t hide his poverty."
S o the captains o f industry have n o worries on Hadit's account. T h e c h a n g e in a e o n s has n o t given u s a n intrinsically better breed o f h u m a n . It h a s m e r e l y c h a n g e d the r u l e s by w h i c h
humans
m a y better themselves. W h e n a slave refuses t o s e r v e , that's w h e n h e starts t o b e c o m e a K i n g . B u t K i n g s have t o win their thrones, a n d t h a t c a n take years. W h a t the n e w law d o e s is r e m o v e divine s u p p o r t f r o m patriarchal r e s t r a i n t s a n d t r a n s f e r that s u p p o r t to the i n d i v i d u a l ' s s e a r c h for his o w n identity. H i s only barrier n o w is h i s own conception o f w h a t he is, and the habits o f life that maintain it. S o it is clear that our prescription for social change is a personal o n e , m a k i n g the aeon's p r e s e n c e extremely subjective, existing as reality only for those w h o have accepted it. T h e others remain slaves, b o u n d by whatever r e m n a n t s o f patriarchy still hold t h e m i n thrall.
T h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for b e g i n n i n g the n e w t i m e lies with e a c h o f us a l o n e . What w e offer, then, is a natural selection. Magick, in Crowley's definition, is the s c i e n c e a n d art o f c a u s i n g c h a n g e to o c c u r in c o n f o r m i t y with will. H e n c e everyone is a magician; it's just that s o m e have m o r e skill at it than others. T h i s skill c a n b e learned, and Stealing the Fire from Heaven is o n e o f many texts available that offer instruction. T h e number o f people w h o wish to gain such expertise has multiplied in recent years, an o b v i o u s sign o f the advent o f the n e w a e o n . We c a n e x p e c t this n u m b e r to continue to g r o w and as it d o e s these c o m p e t e n t causers o f c h a n g e , or at least the effects they p r o d u c e , s h o u l d b e c o m e quite noticeable. Eventually they should b e able to evolve whatever institutions the new time requires—institu tions I will not b e so presumptuous as to attempt to describe. L e t u s just say that if w e have the skill, there will c o m e a time w h e n t h o s e w h o follow their o w n balanced paths will b e a majority on the planet. W h e n that h a p p e n s — n o matter what shape h u m a n culture has a s s u m e d — t h e p o w e r at the r o o t o f u s all s h o u l d b e gratified, g l a d that it went to all that bother to begin with.
XX111. The B o r n l e s s Ritual T h r o u g h o u t this essay the m a g i c we have offered has b e e n extremely individual, with only laws o f a e o n a n d p s y c h e to guide each wizard's p e r s o n a l a p p r o a c h . S o it m a y s e e m strange for m e to write o f such a well-worn ritual as the B o r n l e s s — a l l the m o r e s o since it is at least 2 0 0 0 years o l d and w a s dearly b e l o v e d by Mathers, Crowley, and all their R o s i c r u c i a n ilk. I d o s o b e c a u s e it works. T h e Bornless Ritual works both because its structure is beautifully attuned t o p r o d u c i n g the n e e d e d psychic effect a n d a l s o b e c a u s e it is as o l d as it is. Its a g e gives it a certain venerabihty a n d also a s s u r e s us that w e need n o t take the R o s i c r u c i a n s ' treatment o f it as d o g m a . Y o u can be sure that the ancient Alexandrian w h o w r o t e it, or c o p i e d it from an even earlier text, knew nothing o f Christian R o s e n k r e u t z — o r even Q a b a l a h , in that it hadn't been invented yet. S o just as the G o l d e n D a w n - t y p e p e o p l e a d a p t e d the B o r n l e s s Ritual t o their p u r p o s e s , w e c a n m a k e it m e s h with ours, since it gives us the o n e thing that the p e r s o n w h o treads this path needs: a way to k e e p his spirits o b e d i e n t a n d in their place. T h o u g h the origins o f the B o r n l e s s Ritual stretch b a c k to Hellenistic E g y p t , the text was not known a m o n g E u r o p e a n occultists until 1 8 5 2 , w h e n C h a r l e s Wycliff G o o d w i n p u b l i s h e d a translation o f it in his Fragment of a Graeco-Egyptian Work upon Magic.
Some
forty years later the rite was partially reprinted by E . A . Wallis B u d g e in his Egyptian Magic, a n d in this f o r m it attracted the attention o f the m e m b e r s o f the G o l d e n D a w n . Aleister Crowley adapted it for u s e x
as a preliminary invocation for his Lesser Key of Solomon: Goetza,
and
in s o d o i n g t r a n s f o r m e d a rather s t o d g y p i e c e o f scholarship into a spell that reeks o f power. A s C r o w l e y w e n t on in his m a g i c a l career h e f o u n d this 'Trelirninary Invocation of the Goetz'd' to be o f great practical effect, especially for the p u r p o s e o f invoking one's H o l y G u a r d i a n Angel. A s h e a c q u i r e d m o r e e x p e r i e n c e with it, C r o w l e y further a d a p t e d 1. Which he had paid MacGregor Mathers t o translate for him.
the ritual by giving its long strings o f untranslatable "barbarous n a m e s o f evocation" Qabalistic attributions, and he also wrote a lme-by-line c o m m e n t on the various states o f mind that should take hold as one m o v e s through its half-dozen phases. H e published all this under the tide LiberSamekh, which is A p p e n d i x I V o f Magick in Theory and Practice. B y this p o i n t s o m e o f you m a y b e asking, " W h o n e e d s i t ? " After all, any wizard w h o u s e s S p a r e ' s m e t h o d will b e able to m a k e contact with his Angel through the use o f sigils, automatic drawing, and sacred letters, s o why b o t h e r with the B o r n l e s s ? T w o r e a s o n s : 1.) it p r o v i d e s a m o r e intense union with one's A n g e l than m a y otherwise b e possible, and 2.) it serves as a tool for calling u p one's psychic powers for inspection and subjecting t h e m to the discipline o f one's will. It is this s e c o n d p u r p o s e that is m o s t relevant to Spare's technique.
While a Qabalistic magician b e g i n s his work with his
spiritual chain-of-command all in g o o d o r d e r — g o d s ruling archan gels, archangels over angels, and s o o n d o w n to intelligences a n d s p i r i t s — a n d n e e d s only to introduce h i m s e l f and take his p r o p e r p l a c e in it, the o n e w h o w o r k s this m a g i c m u s t o r g a n i z e his per s o n a l c h a o s single-handedly, and n e e d s every tool he c a n get. S o I give the Bornless Ritual as it appears in Liber Samekh. T h e rite itself is indented; my c o m m e n t is not. T h e text begins with the oath:
T h e e I invoke, the B o r n l e s s O n e . T h e e , that didst create the E a r t h and the H e a v e n s . T h e e , that didst create the N i g h t and the Day. T h e e , that didst create the d a r k n e s s a n d the Light. T h o u art A S A R U N - N E F E R ( " M y s e l f m a d e Perfect"): W h o m n o m a n hath seen at any time. T h o u art I A - B E S Z ( " T h e Truth in Matter"). T h o u art I A - A P O P H R A S Z ( " T h e T r u t h in M o t i o n " ) . T h o u hast distinguished between the J u s t and the Unjust. T h o u didst m a k e the F e m a l e and the M a l e . T h o u didst p r o d u c e the S e e d s and the Fruit. T h o u didst f o r m M e n t o l o v e o n e another, a n d to hate one another.
I a m A N K H - F - N - K H O N S U thy P r o p h e t , u n t o W h o m T h o u didst c o m m i t T h y Mysteries, the C e r e m o n i e s of K H E M . T h o u didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life. H e a r T h o u M e , f o r I a m the A n g e l o f P T A H - A P O P H A S Z - R A : this is thy true n a m e , handed d o w n to the P r o p h e t s o f K H E M . T h e oath in a ritual defines the power to b e invoked, identifies the sorcerer, and asserts his right to invoke it. B y applying the epithet " T h e 2
B o r n l e s s O n e " to his A n g e l , Crowley identifies it with the High e s t — w h e t h e r you call this G o d , A i n S o p h , K i a , or T a o . With the n e x t three lines the A d e p t declares that his A n g e l created the U n i verse to s e r v e its Self-Realization, and in the fifth he defines it as himself-made-perfect. B u t since this is only a tide for the A n g e l , Crowley a d v i s e s that as s o o n as the A d e p t learns his Angel's true name, he should substitute it here in the place o f A S A R U N - N E F E R . T h e s a m e dunking applies to the words A N K H - F - N - K H O N S U and K H E M . In the original G o o d w i n translation " M o s e s " is given a s the n a m e o f t h e m a g i c i a n a n d " I s r a e l " as the s o u r c e o f the m y s t e r i e s . Crowley substitutes A N K H - F - N - K H O N S U as a n a m e for h i m s e l f and K H E M as the ancient n a m e o f E g y p t , reflecting the E g y p t i a n b a c k g r o u n d o f UberLjgis.
I personally use o n e o f m y
o w n m a g i c a l n a m e s i n s t e a d o f " M o s e s " a n d " K i a " in p l a c e o f " I s r a e l " , thus reflecting my bias toward S p a r e . F T A H - A P O - P H R A S Z - R A is an elaboration o f A S A R U N N E F E R and m a y b e treated accordingly by the A d e p t w h o possesses a well-stocked arsenal o f sacred letters. T h e n e x t f o u r sections e a c h b e g i n with a n initial injunction followed by a list o f b a r b a r o u s names. T h e s e are meant to e n f l a m e the magician's mind with power, and after each set c o m e s a " C h a r g e " 2. Crowley did not subscribe to my anima/animus attribution, and for him the Angel is male. S o contrasexuality is just my own experience, and you should research it yourself t o find your o w n truth.
to that power, the wizard's o w n c o m m a n d to it. F o r the r e c o r d I shall give it all as Crowley d o e s , though without his interpretation o f the n a m e s . A s y o u s k i m o v e r it, try to k e e p in m i n d that t h e s e four sections are the ones m o s t o p e n to personal adaptation. Crowley attributes t h e m t o the F o u r E l e m e n t s — A i r , Fire, Water, a n d E a r t h r e s p e c t i v e l y — a n d i n t e r p r e t s t h e b a r b a r o u s n a m e s accordingly. F o r myself, I d i s c a r d e d the b a r b a r o u s n a m e s entirely a n d s u b s t i t u t e d the n a m e s o f m y sacred letters—these s o r t e d into four cat egories. B u t m o r e o n that later. Crowley begins with Air:
Hear M e : — AR, ThIAF,
3
R h E I B E T , A - T h E L E - B E R - S E T , A,
B E L A T h A , A B E U , E B E U , P h l - T h E T A - S U E , IB, ThIAF H e a r M e : a n d m a k e all S p i r i t s s u b j e c t u n t o M e : s o that every Spirit o f the F i r m a m e n t a n d o f the E t h e r : u p o n the E a r t h and u n d e r the E a r t h : o n dry L a n d a n d in the Water: o f Whirling A i r a n d o f r u s h i n g Fire: a n d e v e r y Spell and S c o u r g e o f G o d m a y b e obedient u n t o M e . A n d then g o e s to Fire: I i n v o k e T h e e , the T e r r i b l e a n d I n v i s i b l e G o d : W h o dwellest in the Void Place o f the Spirit:— AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRO, SOTOU, MUDORIO, PhALARThAO, O O O , AEPE. T h e Bornless One. H e a r M e : a n d m a k e all S p i r i t s subject unto M e : s o that e v e r y S p i r i t o f the F i r m a m e n t and o f the Ether: u p o n the E a r t h and u n d e r the E a r t h : o n dry L a n d a n d in the W a t e r : o f Whirling A i r a n d o f r u s h i n g Fire: and every Spell and S c o u r g e o f G o d m a y be o b e d i e n t u n t o Me. 3. Crowley tells us "the letter F is used to represent the Hebrew Vau and the Greek Digamma; its sound lies between the English long O and long O O . . . . "
T h e n Water: Hear M e : — RU-ABRA-IAF, M R I O D O M , BABALON-BALB I N - A B A F T , A S A L - O N A I , A P h E N - I A F , I, PhOTETh, ABRASAX, AEOOU, ISChURE. Mighty and B o r n l e s s O n e ! H e a r M e : a n d m a k e all S p i r i t s s u b j e c t u n t o M e : s o that every S p i r i t o f the F i r m a m e n t a n d o f the E t h e r : u p o n t h e E a r t h a n d u n d e r t h e E a r t h : o n d r y L a n d a n d in the Water: o f W h i r l i n g A i r a n d o f r u s h i n g F i r e : a n d every Spell and S c o u r g e o f G o d m a y b e obedient unto M e . A n d finally E a r t h : I invoke T h e e : MA, BARRAIO, IOEL, KOThA, AThOR-e-BAL-O, ABRAFT. H e a r M e : a n d m a k e all Spirits s u b j e c t u n t o M e : s o t h a t every S p i r i t o f the F i r m a m e n t a n d o f the E t h e r : u p o n the E a r t h a n d under the E a r t h : o n dry L a n d a n d in
the
Water: o f Whirling A i r a n d o f r u s h i n g F i r e : a n d e v e r y Spell and S c o u r g e o f G o d m a y b e o b e d i e n t u n t o M e . A s s h o u l d b e o b v i o u s to anyone w h o c a n count, the m o s t c o n s p i c u o u s feature in all this is the C h a r g e : " H e a r M e : and m a k e all Spirits s u b j e c t u n t o M e : s o that... every Spell and S c o u r g e o f G o d may be o b e d i e n t unto M e . " A n d though it may b e t e d i o u s t o r e a d four times over, it d o e s c o n t a i n power, especially w h e n you're o n the a s t r a l ( w h e r e this ritual m u s t b e p e r f o r m e d ) a n d i m p o s i n g it u p o n w h a t e v e r spirits the b a r b a r o u s n a m e s h a v e b r o u g h t forth. I f y o u can h o l d your will t o the Charge, vibrating each w o r d with full concentration and intent, then the spirits there will b e b o u n d b y it, m a d e subject t o your w i s h e s within the limits o f your will. It m i g h t be helpful i f I offered s o m e o f w h a t Crowley w r o t e
o n h o w to b r i n g these spirits into a p o s i t i o n w h e r e the C h a r g e can affect t h e m directly. Crowley a d v i s e s that the A d e p t assign his will a phallic shape and then thrust it out beyond his astral circle, sWning with "the L i g h t p r o p e r to the E l e m e n t i n v o k e d . " A s he utters each w o r d , the s o u n d s h o u l d run a l o n g the shaft s o it swells into the aether and acquires a d d e d "authority." " M o r e o v e r , let the A d e p t fling forth bis w h o l e c o n s c i o u s n e s s thither. T h e n at the final Word, let him bring rushing back his will within himself, steadily streaming, and let him offer h i m s e l f to its point, as A r t e m i s to P A N , that this p e r f e c d y p u r e concentration o f the E l e m e n t p u r g e him thoroughly, and p o s s e s s h i m with its p a s s i o n . " T h u s at o n e with the E l e m e n t , the A d e p t p r o n o u n c e s the C h a r g e , claiming d o m i n i o n over it and all the f r e e d o m a n d responsibility that g o e s with it. B u t then w e aren't working in terms o f the four E l e m e n t s here, o r at least I don't. Personally I find Fire, Water, Air, and E a r t h t o b e as arbitrary as the Tree o f Life, and they have litde t o d o with m y alphabet o f desire. E v e n s o , I f o u n d the d i v i s i o n i n t o f o u r helpful. B u t i n s t e a d o f the four E l e m e n t s , I sorted m y sacred letters into four general c a t e g o r i e s : 1.) s t r u c t u r e s in my u n c o n s c i o u s , 2.) p a s s i v e p o w e r s , 3.) active p o w e r s , a n d 4.) a s p e c t s o f the external world. A t each o f the four s e c t i o n s in the rite I called u p o n e o f these g r o u p s — vibrating the n a m e s and visualizing the letters—and o n c e I felt the power's p r e s e n c e I u s e d another letter to gather them in for the 4
C h a r g e . T h u s I b o u n d my diverse a s p e c t s — p o s i t i v e p o w e r s and d e m o n s a l i k e — u n d e r the single c o m m a n d o f m y will, p u t t i n g myself in hand so I might b e worthy to invoke the blessed singularity o f m y Angel. T h e invocation o f the A n g e l itself o c c u p i e s the remainder o f the rite. It b e g i n s with another list o f names. Hear M e : — AFT, ABAFT, BAS-AUGMN, ISAK, SA-BA-FT. 4. Though I didn't do it quite the way Crowley did.
Crowley tells u s that the magician should recite these n a m e s in
a manner o f adoration, not c o m m a n d . H e extends his will upward, but with the last word he does not draw it back. Instead he imagines that "the H e a d o f his Will, where his c o n s c i o u s n e s s is fixed, o p e n s its fissure (the B r a h m a r a n d r a Cakkra, at the junction o f the cranial sutures) and e x u d e s a d r o p o f clear crystalline dew, and that this pearl is his S o u l , a virgin offering to his A n g e l , p r e s s e d forth f r o m his being by the intensity o f his Aspiration." F o r the p o s s e s s o r o f an a l p h a b e t o f d e s i r e , the p r o b l e m here is c o m p o s i n g a s e q u e n c e to r e p l a c e the b a r b a r o u s n a m e s . P e r h a p s he w o u l d d o b e s t i f h e s i m p l y a s k e d his A n g e l (in an interview initiated t h r o u g h a m e a n s like the o n e w e offer in C h a p ter X V ) t o d e s c r i b e (in t e r m s o f s a c r e d letters) H e r ( H i s ) c o n c e p t i o n o f the c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n A n g e l a n d M a n . T h e n
the
s o r c e r e r c a n w o r k the n a m e s o f the letters i n t o a m a n t r i c c h a n t which h e c a n p l a c e in this s e c t i o n to r e p e a t as h e strives u p w a r d , his astral f o r m in the s h a p e o f his A n g e l ' s s a c r e d letter.
He
should keep striving until he begins to feel his Angel's p r e s e n c e . H e should then solidify this p e r c e p t i o n by reciting the next section o f the rite: T h i s is the L o r d o f the G o d s : T h i s is the L o r d o f the Universe: T h i s is H e
5
w h o m the W i n d s fear.
T h i s is He, W h o having m a d e Voice by his c o m m a n d m e n t is L o r d o f all T h i n g s ; K i n g , Ruler, a n d Helper. H e a r M e , a n d m a k e all Spirits s u b j e c t u n t o M e : s o that e v e r y Spirit o f the F i r m a m e n t a n d o f the E t h e r : u p o n the E a r t h and u n d e r the E a r t h : o n dry L a n d and in the Water: o f Whirling A i r a n d o f rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge o f G o d may be obedient unto Me.
5. Again, Crowley did not subscribe t o the contrasexual theory. And some times it seems to me that at the deepest levels the Angel may be sexless. T o determine the facts, dig down to the bottom o f your own and see.
T h e " G o d s " are the spirits that c o m p o s e the A d e p t ' s p s y c h e .
T h e " U n i v e r s e " is every 'external' p h e n o m e n o n that might i m p o s e itself u p o n his circumstances. T h e " W i n d s " are his r a n d o m thoughts, the current T that k e e p s him locked u p in his separate existence. T h e " V o i c e " is the medium o f words o f power—the sacred letters— which the A n g e l u s e s to manipulate the various m e c h a n i s m s o f manifestation, and which the A d e p t m a y u s e to w o r k his will o n his psyche and, t h r o u g h it, the world. T h e C h a r g e is p r o n o u n c e d in a t o n e o f s u p p l i c a t i o n , n o t c o m m a n d , a n d the A d e p t ' s v o i c e should b e a h u m a n o n e , n o t a magical vibration. I f the rite has been properly performed, the A d e p t should now b e in the presence o f his Angel (especially if he's already m a d e H e r acquaintance through the means o f sigils and sacred letters and s o already knows H e r name), and the energy o f this presence should b e immense. T o heighten the intensity, Crowley suggests that the A d e p t should resist his Angel's approaches down to his last ounce o f strength, closing himself within his inmost sanctum o f personality s o his Angel must blast it apart to reach him, rolling over his e g o with all its power. A s he finds himself thus overwhelmed, he should begin to pronounce the last set o f barbarous names, which Crowley gives thusly:
Hear M e : — I E O U , PUR, IOU, I A F T h , I A E O , I O O U , A B R A S A X , SABRIAM, OO, FF, A D - O N - A - I , D E , E D U , A N G E L O S T O N T h E O N , A N L A L A , L A I , GA1A, AEPE, DIATHARNA THORON. Crowley interprets these to b e a celebration o f the unity o f M a n with A n g e l , and if you u s e sacred letters, they should m e a n m u c h the s a m e thing. Again, you should repeat them as a mantra that leaves n o r o o m for anything b u t the H o l y Intercourse. When u n i o n is c o m p l e t e , the A d e p t will have the perspective o f his A n g e l , and hence will b e a b l e t o speak from its point o f view. T h e rite continues: I a m H e ! the B o r n l e s s Spirit! h a v i n g sight in the feet:
S t r o n g , a n d the I m m o r t a l Fire! I a m H e ! the Truth! I a m H e ! W h o hate that evil s h o u l d b e w r o u g h t in the world! I a m H e , that lighteneth and thundereth! I a m H e , f r o m w h o m is the s h o w e r o f Life o n E a r t h ! I a m H e , w h o s e m o u t h ever flameth! I a m H e , the Begetter and Manifester u n t o the Light! I a m H e , the G r a c e o f the Worlds! " T h e H e a r t G i r t with a S e r p e n t " is my n a m e . T h e A d e p t affirms his intrinsic immortality, his freedom, and his power. H e affirms that as m a s t e r o f his p s y c h e he is m a s t e r o f his perception, a n d s o may see truth. H e affirms that it is his duty to redeem the world, through whatever powers his will might allow. H e affirms his unity with the s o u r c e o f all creation, and hence all crea tivity and beauty. F r o m this p o s i t i o n he is able to p r o n o u n c e t o all his spirits the c l o s i n g Charge: C o m e t h o u forth, a n d f o l l o w M e : a n d m a k e all S p i r i t s subject u n t o M e : s o that every Spirit o f the F i r m a m e n t a n d o f the E t h e r : u p o n the E a r t h a n d u n d e r the E a r t h : o n d r y L a n d and in the Water: o f W h i r l i n g A i r a n d o f r u s h i n g Fire: and every Spell and Scourge o f G o d may b e o b e d i e n t unto M e ! IAF : SABAF S u c h a r e the Words!
T h u s w e h a v e the text o f the B o r n l e s s Ritual, and an a c c o u n t o f the effects this text should produce in the rnind o f the A d e p t as he makes his way through it. B u t ritual texts d o not stand by t h e m s e l v e s ; if t h e y did, a n y o n e who c o u l d read aloud w o u l d b e o m n i p o t e n t . H e who recites t h e text m u s t b e u s i n g it not as a final end, b u t as a prop t o induce the mental states that bring a b o u t the actual magic. S o the s p e a k e r o f the spell m u s t b e c o m p e t e n t . H e m u s t
b e , a s Crowley entitles him, a n A d e p t . A n y b e g i n n i n g sorcerer m a y d e s i g n a sigil a n d — a f t e r a year or three o f y o g a and s u c h — s t a r t d o i n g astral travel a n d evolving his alphabet o f desire. B u t it is only after he b e c o m e s c o m p e t e n t in all these that he should a t t e m p t a ritual like the B o r n l e s s . W h e n the A d e p t feels he is ready, he s h o u l d begin an intense study o f the ritual, reading Crowley's treatment o f it in Magick and even digging for Goodwin's version, if he b e o f a scholarly persuasion. O n c e he is acquainted with w h a t other p e o p l e have d o n e with it, he s h o u l d a d a p t the ritual to his o w n situation, m a k i n g all its parts relevant t o his inner reality, even as he is careful to maintain its general effect. H e should memorize this personalized text, branding e a c h p h r a s e a n d w o r d o f p o w e r o n t o his r e c o l l e c t i o n , for the ritual m u s t b e d o n e o n the astral plane, a place where hard c o p y can't follow. With the text firm in his m i n d and his astral feet well-shod, the A d e p t is ready to c o m m e n c e . Immediately b e f o r e b e g m n i n g he should wash, d o n any vestments or o r n a m e n t s (robes, rings, crowns, etc.) that have p o w e r for him, anoint himself with oil and ignite the 6
incense. I f he is experienced in their u s e , he m a y want to fortify his m o o d with wine and strange drugs. T h e n he should banish, enter the astral, and begin the invocation. W h e n he has finished by speaking " S u c h are the W o r d s , " h e will license any spirits present to depart, banish, return to his waiting body, a n d banish again. T h e n he should write everything that h a p p e n e d into his record. 6. T h e Great Mage Abramelin gives formulas for the oil and incense, and the two scents together produce an odor so compelling that it constitutes an excellent argument for the authenticity of his book. For the oil, combine four parts oil o f cinnamon, two parts oil o f myrrh, one part oil of galangal, and three and one half parts olive oil. For the incense, grind together four parts frankin cense, two parts storax, and one part sawdust from lign aloes, rose, cedar, or some other odiferous wood. Heat this mix on a hot metal plate (over a candle or charcoal), in this way boiling off the oils without fouling your temple with the fumes produced when resins are carbonized (for instance, if you put the incense direcdy onto a charcoal).
O f c o u r s e our A d e p t might n o t b e entirely successful on his 111
first attempt, and even i f he is, his p o w e r s will n e e d a l o n g - t e r m instruction. A n d a s he i m p o s e s this discipline, h e may d i s c o v e r that he has d e m o n s within him that he w a s unaware of. T h e n h e will n e e d to a s k his A n g e l for their n a m e s and letters s o they might b e b o u n d , and also for the n a m e s a n d letters o f p o w e r s that might help him counteract their influence. In short, o n e m u s t d o a series o f rites. Crowley r e c o m m e n d e d 5 6 0 repetitions stretching over ten m o o n s time. I g o t g o o d results with a b o u t o n e tenth that effort, in a b o u t half the time. B u t then I knew m y A n g e l ' s n a m e w h e n I started, a t r e m e n d o u s advantage. B u t I still h a d p r o b l e m s w h i p p i n g all m y spirits into line, even after I h a d their n a m e s and letters. T h e y were just t o o unruly, t o o well-entrenched, t o o powerful. T h i s lack o f discipline w a s m o s t o b v i o u s when I tried to i m p o s e the C h a r g e o n them. T h e " H e a r M e : and m a k e all Spirits subject u n t o M e . . . " slipped easily through m y lips, b u t I c o u l d n ' t k e e p m y m i n d o n it, s o my will c o u l d n ' t b e doing very m u c h binding. T h e p o w e r s were just t o o distracting. S o b e i n g u n d e r forty a n d in g o o d p h y s i c a l s h a p e , I d e c i d e d t o risk p r e c e d i n g m y B o r n l e s s e s with D e a t h P o s t u r e s . T h i s w o r k e d wonderfully well, stripping m y d e m o n s o f their i m p o r t a n c e a n d forcing t h e m t o he still under the Charge. O n the other h a n d , I found that u s i n g it put a nasty irregularity into m y heartbeat. N o matter w h e n I d i d the Posture, w h e n I lay d o w n to sleep that night m y heart w o u l d start kicking like a n e r v o u s colt. Everything w o u l d b e quiet, I'd hardly notice m y pulse, a n d then wumpity... wumpity... W H A M - W H A M - W H A M wumpitywumpitywumpity. . . . W H A M - W H A M - W H A M and s o o n until I hyperventilated a bit a n d things c a l m e d down. S o I quit d o i n g D e a t h P o s t u r e s after the ninth o n e , and within a w e e k m y heart w a s b a c k to normal. B u t e v e n a m e r e nine D e a t h Postures were e n o u g h to give the Charge a c h a n c e to take effect, and the d e m o n s that h a d held still because o f the Posture stayed still even w i t h o u t it. I did three or four m o r e B o r n l e s s e s , then d r o p p e d it b e c a u s e it w a s b e c o m i n g old hat. It's okay t o d r o p a practice b e c a u s e you've d o n e it and n o w it's
boring. It's when it's hard, or scary, or b o r i n g b e c a u s e you can't d o it that you have to force y o u r s e l f to p r e s s o n . It's either p r e s s o n or g o back, and if y o u g o b a c k t o o far you c a n b e caught in the m o s t tedious trap o f all.
AH the drawings in Stealing the Fire from Heaven are by A u s d n O s m a n S p a r e . T h o s e w i t h o u t a t t r i b u t i o n a r e f r o m h i s A Book of Satyrs,
first published b y J o h n L a n e in 1909 a n d reprinted by 93
Publishing in 1 9 7 9 .
A b o u t t h e Author S t e p h e n M a c e w a s introduced to the study o f sorcery in 1 9 7 0 , w h e n a T a r o t reading predicted an i m m i n e n t disaster in his life. T h r e e days later the State Police raided his apartment, confiscated his s t o c k a n d trade, b o u n d h i m with handcuffs, and locked him in their t o m b / w o m b for six w e e k s . I n the 3 5 years s i n c e h e h a s dedicated h i m s e l f to the discovery o f the fundamental d y n a m i c s o f the art, the better to empower individuals to defy the oppression o f the State A p p a r a t u s . T o this e n d he has written several b o o k s in cluding Stealing the Fire from Heaven, Sorcery as Virtual Mechanics, ing Power a n d Shaping Formless Fire.
Tak
notes
notes
Stealing the Fire from Heaven A T E C H N I Q U E F O R CREATING INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS OF SORCERY T h i s essay offers a technique that individuals can use to create their own systems of sorcery, systems precisely tailored to fit their own unconscious m i n d s . By following its i n s t r u c t i o n s , the reader c a n c a u s e his or her subliminal self to design its own symbols to represent the powers that lie within it. T h e result will be what is essentially a personal l a n g u a g e of power, one that has meaning only for his or her self, but full of potency b e c a u s e it is his or her own soul's way of expressing itself. " T h i s b o o k just won't g o away. T h i s essential p i e c e is b a c k by p o p u l a r d e m a n d and if you didn't buy it last time, buy it this time. A great read and an essential requirement for every student of M a g i c k . " - Christopher S. Hyatt, Ph.D., author of Undoing Yourself, Secrets of Western Tantra, Urban Voodoo and Rebels & Devils. " S t e p h e n M a c e b e g i n s with the i d e a s of Crowley and S p a r e and takes t h e m several s t e p s further in a way few others have. H i s writing i s , by t u r n s , e n g a g i n g , erudite and very down-to-earth. Stealing the Fire from Heaven is a must-have for any modern occult practitioner." - Phil H i n e , author of Condensed Chaos a n d Prime Chaos. "Stealing the Fire from Heaven a r t i c u l a t e s the e s s e n c e of M a g i c k a n d S o r c e r y in a sober, meaningful way. Stephen M a c e has carefully drawn forth the c o n n e c t i o n s between Austin S p a r e and Aleister Crowley and defined the meaningful aspects of creating a personal path of sorcery." - Michael W. Ford, author of Book of the Witch Moon and Yatuk Dinoih. "Despite the number of ' m a g i c a l construction kits' that are available to the modern sorcerer, M a c e ' s is a definite keeper. By blending sound theory with an organic and personal system, Stealing the Fire from Heaven offers pieces that are worthwhile for both the neophyte and advanced practitioner." - George Holochwost, Sectionhead of the Illuminates of Thanateros America.
Dagon Productions & Heathen World Industries ISBN
17fl-D-T7S02tit-Q-M
EX LIBRIS
This book was scanned and edited as a labour of love by ,- Lithargoel A member of TheOccult.bz
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