| Where does it come from?
This is one of the most frequent questions I receive about magick. There is no simple answer to this question. Every time a source is discovered, if you pull back a leaf you find another behind it. We could go back to ancient Europe or the Middle East and find sources there, but even they had their own sources. Certainly though, magick has been with us since the earliest prehistoric times and has evolved to the current state of the art.
While the history of magick is interesting, I am far more intrigued by what is going on today. What I’ve discovered is that virtually every magickal system around today is either directly or indirectly traceable to, or has similarities with, the teaching of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
For over a century, the leaders of the Golden Dawn have helped magick and spirituality to evolve. When the Golden Dawn was founded in England at the end of the 19th century, British culture was heavily influenced by the idea of syncretism. If you look in your dictionary, you’ll see it describe syncretism as a blending of different systems. Although this could be any group of systems, it most commonly refers to ones which are philosophical or religious in nature. However, it’s actually more than that. In England it assumed that all spiritual traditions were really only one tradition with differences based on culture. Many people and spiritual groups had the goal of finding that single original source. They did this by fusing things together.
It was from this environment that the members of the Golden Dawn were drawn. They had a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, including Kabalah, Tarot, magick, Druidism, astrology, and alchemy. The members of the “G.D.” merged these into one system. As a result, the system was complex but usable. Time has shown that the system works.
Many people, including myself, think that with magick it is good to go back and learn the roots of your magickal system. Often, as things evolve, extra ideas and practices, which actually take away from a magickal system, are added. Since most magickal systems today are based on what was done by the Golden Dawn, it makes sense to learn what they did and how you can apply it to your own world of magick. Unfortunately, this is far easier said than done! Most of the books on the Golden Dawn are not very practical, not presented well, or just plain daunting due to their size.
Where to Begin Your Study
To make learning the Golden Dawn system easier, Chic and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, senior adepts of the Order, have written a new book called The Essential Golden Dawn. This is an ideal book to begin your study of the Golden Dawn, magick in general, and ceremonial magick in the style of Western Hermeticism in particular. It includes the history of the Golden Dawn, reveals the “laws of magick” (which assure that your rituals will work), and even has a section on ethics.
Of course, it also includes how to do some of the famous and basic rituals of the Golden Dawn. But it has something that no other book, so far, has really revealed. The Essential Golden Dawn explains the symbolism and techniques used in Golden Dawn rituals so you can incorporate them into your own path. You will be able to design and perform your own Golden Dawn-style rituals.
Several years ago, I got into a debate with a man over what was practiced by members of the Golden Dawn. He claimed they couldn’t have done the things I said because it wasn’t in Regardie’s books. I smiled and pointed out that the people who were members of the Order were some of the best minds in the world of magick. They did far more than was in any book. They were taught how to apply the basics as taught in the Golden Dawn and improve upon them. The Essential Golden Dawn continues in the pattern of using the Golden Dawn system to expand upon what people have done in the past and not limit magickal practices to mere repetition of what has been done before.
The Ultimate Magickal Technique?
Because magick is not a dead system stuck in centuries past, it may be that there will never be an ultimate magickal technique; there’s always something newer and better coming along. But at this time, one of the most valuable magickal techniques is the evocation of spirits.
There are currently two theories about the nature of evocation. Some people believe that when you evoke a spirit you are actually manifesting an aspect of your subconscious or an archetype from what Jung called the collective unconscious. Others believe that you are actually calling on and communicating with beings from other dimensions or planes of existence.
The very fact that people have different opinions on what evocation is and how it works indicates to me a lively interest and that magicians are getting results. I have successfully worked evocations for decades. As a result of my studies of several sources combined with my training, personal experience, and the experience of many students, I dedicated a chapter to evocation in Modern Magick. It included enough practical information for a person to safely experiment with evocation. I have also lectured all over the U.S. on the subject. Over the years I have received letters and emails from people who have also had success.
Because Modern Magick is a broad introduction, I couldn’t go into all aspects of the subject. There is a lot more to evocations and their potential than I was able to share. If you know a bit about magick and would like to know more about evocation without the wide range of other subjects in that book, try my Truth About Evocation of Spirits. It gives you everything you need to discover if evocation is right for you and even give it a try.
Other than my books, there are primarily two types of texts which can further your knowledge on this subject. The first are classic texts such as The Goetia. Unfortunately, the ancient books are usually incomplete or have “blinds” preventing success. If you look at the original manuscripts you’ll see that they often appear to be a student’s notes. A student wouldn’t need to write down what everyone was expected to know or he or she might put things in code so that someone who illicitly obtained the notes wouldn’t be able to use them. The second are books that briefly explain evocation as part of a larger text and are not thorough.
If you are ready to try evocation and want some more extensive guidance, the book I suggest is Summoning Spirits by Konstantinos. I like it for several reasons. It gives the classic rituals, but the body of the book is not filled with arcane or difficult language. This is the book on evocation for the 21st century. I also like the fact that it goes to the next step—it tells you what you can do once you’ve evoked a spirit. This includes such things as obtaining mystical abilities, finding hidden “treasures,” protecting your home, and helping you succeed in various tasks.
Summoning Spirits gives you specific information on fifty entities you can work with. You may never need another book on the subject. But more importantly, it teaches you how to safely and effectively do evocations. Then, you can apply this knowledge to any source book, such as the various Keys attributed to Solomon, for great success.
Beware of IT
Even if you don’t think you have psychic abilities, chances are you have felt IT. IT has been called “bad vibes” and “a great disturbance in the Force.” Sometimes IT is caused by events in our personal lives. Sometimes, events on the national and international scene are the cause.
Within all the insanity of local and international violence, I think it’s important to keep one’s mind on personal peace. But when so many newspapers, magazines, and radio and television broadcasts are focused on violence, the psychic assault on our personal well-being can’t help but be felt. IT is everywhere.
When you are bombarded by IT on a daily basis, you may become depressed or unhappy. You may find it easier to lose your temper or even resort to violence yourself. Even so, IT does have a value. IT can trigger your “fight or flight” response to keep you safe. But most of the time, IT has negative effects on your well-being.
That’s why, for over two decades, I’ve been recommending Practical Guide to Psychic Self-Defense by Denning and Phillips. This was the first book to look at psychic self-defense from a very sane viewpoint. It’s not filled with “You’re under attack!” paranoia. In fact, it points out that real psychic attack is quite rare. It then gives some powerful techniques for dealing with such attacks if they do occur.
More importantly, this book alerts you to the fact that your psyche, your mind, is constantly under attack. People try to manipulate you to buy something or to help them. People try to get you to see or do things their way. And of course, in certain situations, IT bombards you. What can be done to stop this? As Practical Guide to Psychic Self-Defense points out, the best defense is a strong offense. It gives techniques to deflect such attacks on you by keeping your aura strong.
But sometimes, things just get to you. IT can break through your aura and make you feel unhappy, angry, unbalanced, and can actually weaken your immune system, leaving you liable to catch a cold or have other medical problems. Luckily, Denning and Phillips give you something you can do. I liked the idea and used it for years. Here, briefly, is a version you can use to stop IT.
1) Stand and take several calming, deep breaths. When you feel relaxed and calm, slowly turn in a circle until you sense where the strongest amount of IT is coming from.
2) Face the direction of IT. Visualize a protective, bright-blue pentagram emblazoned at your forehead. Bring your hand to the star, surrounding it with a triangle: hold your fingers straight with the thumbs extended and touching and the tips of the first fingers touching.
3) Take a deep breath. As you inhale, feel the energy of the universe come in through your nose, into your lungs, down through your body and into the center of the earth. Pause a moment.
4) As you exhale, step firmly forward with your left foot and thrust your arms out in the direction of IT. At the same time, mentally project the pentagram in that direction and call out (vibrate if you know how) the Divine Name you prefer.
5) This will send IT away (it takes just a moment). To prevent IT from returning, perform a banishing ritual. |
