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  • The Secret to Power

    Activation of the power of the grimoires to their fullest comes from two things. First you need to understand the context of the grimoires by studying a wide variety of approaches that were contemporary to one another. You need to read the Keys of Solomon, all the parts of the Lemegeton, the 6th and 7th Books of Moses, Liber Juratus, the Grimorium Verum, and most importantly perhaps, the Heptameron. You need to know the world view they are representative of by learning about neo-platonism, cosmic hierarchies, and Hermeticism. You need to know the politics of the time, and the doctrines of the Churches that were being tossed about.

    Learning all that stuff doesn’t take that long, really. I read like a fish breathes water. A couple of months on Joe Peterson’s Esoteric Archive is enough to get your feet wet.

    There’s still another piece to activating the full power of the grimoires, in my opinion and experience, though that must be taken. Think of it as an initiation. You’ve got to be baptized in the Holy Spirit.

    On a list I belong to comprised primarily of pagans who also happen to perform ceremonial magic(k), a recent post was about the Right Path. I explained in my best possible non-judgmental, non-proselytizing way that there are lots of different individual paths, but they all end up at the same place, eventually. I also included that you know you’re on the right path when you get a vision of the universe and your personal place in it.

    That’s exactly what you need to really activate the grimoires. Knowing about the hierarchies is great, but until you not only know where your place in them is, but also know that you are in that place because you’ve been spiritually transformed, you don’t get to really get the full benefits.

    My transformation came from church. I got a spiritual baptism that changed me at the core. I accepted what Christ did on the cross on my behalf. I saw that he made right what had been wrong for so long. I felt the cleansing of my sphere. It was a truly powerful experience that literally changed my life.

    THEN I made contact with my Holy Guardian Angel. The spiritual transformation was given an applicable framework. Specific tasks were given, training programs were enacted, and at each stage progressively my sphere was sanctified, purified, and reconciled more to the place where I could operate from in power.

    It was like being trained to use the equipment in an Air Traffic Control Tower. I learned to read the weather (astrological conditions), the radar (astral viewing/scrying), the codes to give the airplanes (seals, sigils, names), and the most efficient ways to direct landings and take-offs so that the operations were strategically coordinated (the frameworks of the grimoires). I learned disaster recovery techniques (sell the crystal skull and set wards against Tezcatlipoca), and emergency situation protocols (how to use the lead Seal of Solomon from the Goetia). I learned the ins and outs of the job, and then I got to work at the controls myself with the trainer right behind and slightly above me making sure everything went smoothly. We started at a small airport with a few airplanes (the Art of Drawing Spirits into Crystals attributed to Trithemius), and worked my way up to more advanced Work involving a lot more craft (Enochian now, sheesh).

    Every step of the way, the transformation I experienced in church during a praise and worship service has been added to, magnified, and made more meaningful. I no longer attend church regularly. I relate to God through my magic, my meditation, my contemplation, and even in the back-aching inscription of alternate alphabets into wood, stone, and metals. I pray a lot more and talk a lot less. All the knowledge and conversation with my HGA, all the learning from books, all the conjuring of Angels and Demons, it’s meaningless without that initial transformation.

    Do you have to be a Hermetic Christian with Gnostic tendencies to get the most out of the Grimoires? I can’t say you must, because I never got jack shit out of them before I was one. I don’t have anything to compare it to. But I can tell you that based on my experiences, it certainly does help.

  • Enochian Paranoia

    Are the Enochian Angels out to get us? Do they want to bring about another Apocalypse? Are they the evil Watchers, Grigori, pretending to be the good angels that taught Enoch their wisdom in order to lead us into bringing about the next recreation of the Earth?

    Donald Tyson seems to think so.

    For years I have thought that Tyson is a great researcher, but his apocalyptic theories were a bit over the top. I have a few of his books, including his translation of Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Enochian Magic for Beginners, and The Power of the Word. Say what you like about Tyson and his theories, but you cannot condemn the man’s researching capabilities. The notes in Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy are solid gold. And regardless of what he is writing, he always clearly indicates when he is reporting facts and when he is expressing his opinions. He never implies that his conclusions about the Enochian Apocalypse are based on information he has found in his research. It’s always expressed as an opinion.

    Although, he did write an essay called “The Truth About Enochian Magic” (linked above) wherein he details all his theories. Hmmm.

    Anyway, at least he is consistent. In all his books that I’ve read, he has stayed his ground regarding the Enochians. For years, as I said, I shrugged off his warnings as delusional paranoia. I recently chanced upon someone claiming intimate knowledge of Tyson’s personal beliefs. It seems he is at least allegedly a Gnostic Christian. The warnings of the apocalypse are not, in his world-view, a bad thing at all. It would return us to a right relationship with God.

    Now, Tyson’s theology is weird, based on what I’ve seen in his books. I don’t understand how he could have painstakingly worked his way through Agrippa and not have come away with a more cohesive stance on Christian beliefs, past and present. The “right relationship” with God is established through Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Furthermore, Jesus says in his parable about the Good Shepherd:

    I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd. (John 10:16)

    Most Christians say he’s talking about the Gentiles that will convert to Christianity. I personally think he’s talking about Pagans, Neoplatonic Philosophers, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, and anyone else that sees past their religion’s B.S. and gets into a direct relationship with God based on what God has revealed to them. Thelemites say it’s discovering their True Will and following the guidance of their HGA. To me, it’s all the same thing in different wrappers.

    What does that have to do with Enochian Apocalypses? God has a plan for everyone. Part of that plan includes Christians and Jews. They received the parts of God that were appropriate for them for God’s plan… for them. If you’re in another pen, you’ll hear the voice of your good shepherd calling you into a right relationship with God in your own language. If you’re stuck in the material realm and are unable to hear the voice over the cacophony of voices of the radio, television, media, internet, bloggers like myself… then you’re doomed. Doomed to go through your own apocalypse. And I’m sure the Enochian Spirits will happily oblige you.

    If you’re in a right relationship with God, even if He manifests to you as a bunch of Pagan deities or sprites and gnomes or whatever, then you’ll be able to hear the difference between the seductive distractions of the spirits that would take you away from this relationship.Furthermore, God (in whatever form) wouldn’t be tempting you away from himself. He’d be keeping you close. You just have to pay attention to Him (or Her) first and foremost.

    The Enochian Spirits are, in my current opinion, Terrestrial Spirits. They are not Celestial, designed to get you into a right relationship with God. Contrary to the assertion that Tyson begins his essay with, they are not particularly Theurgic spirits. In my visions, and in those of Fr. POS and Sr. Gimel, I see evidence that they are the spirits that manifest the physical realm. The visions we’ve had go back to the beginning of time, the big bang, but they remain within the confines of the earthly realm.

    I haven’t read Ben Rowe’s plethora of writings, but I started to once. From what I remember and what I’ve heard mentioned by others, his work with them extended into the Astral Realm. While this may appear to be at least within the realm of the Moon, which would be in keeping with Tyson’s declaration of their lunar nature, the Astral Realm is not, in my opinion, really beyond the realms of the Earth.

    The Realm of the “Earth” includes all of manifest reality, everything that can be said to be made up of the four elements, Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. This includes the physical planets. The Planet Mars is a rock. Mercury too. Their locations in the sky relative to the Earth and observed for astronomical purposes are signposts, indicating the spiritual forces that are affecting the manifest realm at any given moment. Astrology has been revealed and developed to help us in identifying what is going on (in general) at any given time. This is a hit-and-miss kind of thing, because there are variables that are still debated and misunderstood. We can see the signs, and can read some of their meanings, but we don’t understand what it all means and how it all fits together.

    But to think that the Archangel of Mars lives on the planet Mars and that their spiritual realm is maybe like Heinlein’s fantastical inhabitants of the planet is silliness. Would an asteroid from Mars be more potent as a Martial Talisman? Maybe. But if it’s made of iron, it’s made of iron. The four elements come together to form it into a matrix that is identical (pretty much) to what we find on Earth. So even the planets are Terrestrial, spiritually speaking.

    The Astral Realm seems to reside between the Lunar realm and the Earthly realm on  the cosmological scale. It’s sort of the borderlands between the Celestial realms and the realm of matter. Magicians have gotten lost exploring this realm at the guidance of odd spirits before. I’m not saying Rowe was mislead or anything, but I don’t think astral visions should ever be taken without some large nuggets of sodium chloride.

    I don’t know Rowe’s history, or whether he ever went through attaining Knowledge and Conversation with his Holy Guardian Angel. I don’t know if he ever had a spiritual experience with which to compare and test the results he received with the Enochian Entities. Regardless, I have both.

    These spirits I’ve worked with so far haven’t popped up large quantities of Gold. In case you were wondering. (Yes, it’s still on my list. I want at least ONE gold brick.)

    That said, of the spirits I’ve worked with so far, these seem to be the best suited for manifesting quantities of material objects. They seem to be directly on the bleeding edge of manifestation here in the physical realm. The Goetic entities I’ve worked with are removed from the actual processes of manifestation, but they can manipulate these processes through whatever authority they’ve been granted. The Angelic (Celestial) spirits I’ve worked with have been even further removed from manifestation, and by the time the orders trickle down through the ranks, it seems like they’ve either lost their punch, or were never really understood to mean what I thought I meant when I was talking to the Archangels.

    The healing technique I got from working with EHNB has yielded some promising results. I’m looking to expand on that type of technique, or find others, while working with the other spirits of the four Elemental Tables. I’d like to be able to build a brick of gold, one elemental block at a time. I’ve started experimenting, but so far everything I’ve made from scratch just falls apart when I try to make it manifest.

    For the record, I do not think the Enochian Angels are any more dangerous or out to deceive mankind than any other spirit. I think they understand what would distract us from seeking our Source, however it has revealed itself to us, better than some other spirits. I am thankful that I waited until now in my magical career to begin working with these entities. Having already experienced the Seven Governors of the Seven Heavens, and having already attained (at least began attaining, it’s nowhere near complete) Knowledge and Conversation with my HGA, I have other experiences with spirits that mean me well with which I can compare my Enochian experiences.

  • How to DO Something With Your Life

    How to DO Something With Your Life
    (In Four Easy Steps)
    By Fr. R.O.

    Step 1:

    Think of SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 2:

    Figure out what the steps are between where you are today and where you would need to be to do the SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 3:

    Follow the steps. If you find you didn’t plan well, adapt the plan. Start over at Step 2 with the new information.

    Step 4:

    When you’re ready to DO SOMETHING… DO IT.

    Notes:

    Repeat as needed.

    Thus endeth the lesson.
  • How to DO Something With Your Life

    How to DO Something With Your Life
    (In Four Easy Steps)
    By Fr. R.O.

    Step 1:

    Think of SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 2:

    Figure out what the steps are between where you are today and where you would need to be to do the SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 3:

    Follow the steps. If you find you didn’t plan well, adapt the plan. Start over at Step 2 with the new information.

    Step 4:

    When you’re ready to DO SOMETHING… DO IT.

    Notes:

    Repeat as needed.

    Thus endeth the lesson.
  • How to DO Something With Your Life

    How to DO Something With Your Life
    (In Four Easy Steps)
    By Fr. R.O.

    Step 1:

    Think of SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 2:

    Figure out what the steps are between where you are today and where you would need to be to do the SOMETHING you want to do.

    Step 3:

    Follow the steps. If you find you didn’t plan well, adapt the plan. Start over at Step 2 with the new information.

    Step 4:

    When you’re ready to DO SOMETHING… DO IT.

    Notes:

    Repeat as needed.

    Thus endeth the lesson.
  • Barbatos in 2009

    Well, ladies and gents, I’ve got some plans warming.

    The Invisible College is a thing I’ve spoken of before. I’m going to start using a blog I set up before to track how I use magic to influence my world. I’d like to invite anyone interested in writing posts for the blog to contact me, and I’ll add you to the list of authorized writers. I ask that only those who are comfortable talking about how they practically use magic to control their world contact me.

    The rest of this post is an example of what I would expect to see at the Invisible College Blog, only better written, more creative, and less rambling. I do tend to ramble.

    Barbatos in 2009

    I was looking through the Goetia descriptions today, and found this description of Barbatos:

    Makes you Dr. Doolittle, opens treasures sealed by magicians, divination, reconciles friends and those in power

    I know, where did I ever find such an awesome and detailed description of the spirit? From my spreadshet. One of the columns I have for the Goets is a quick-reference guide to their abilities.

    No, you can’t have it.

    Reconciles Friends and Those in Power

    Hey, that sounds like the kind of help a leader of the US might need after taking over from a bumbling Texan with more financial backers than brains who single-handedly pissed off most of the countries of the world over the last eight years. That’s also the kind of help I’d like to see get to work in Iraq’s Parliament, the Palestine-Israel situation, and Russia-Georgia.

    So, rather than experiment on my own country’s leadership, I’m going to start in the backwater nations. A quick Google news search tells me that there are ample opportunities for Reconciliations between those in Power in many parts of the world. How wonderful for me!

    I’m going to start with Somalia. The following dudes are having issues:

    President Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed & Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein

    Granted, I don’t have a large amount of info on the background of their problems, but I don’t want to have to know. I want to gauge the effectiveness of Barbatos in bringing reconciliation between two political leaders. These dudes are the first target. I’ll find some others later to get a wider sampling. If it looks like Barbatos is good at bringing reconciliation without any major catastrophes as a result, then I’ll help Obama out in his efforts with Iran, Russia, and France. I’ll also target the GOP and the Democrats, see if we can get a little peace in congress so we can make some progress.

    Hmmm. Maybe I’ll look for a spirit that makes Wall Street people SMART for a change. 😀

  • Angels and Angels

    There are Angels and then there are Angels. Pretty much all of the spirits I deal with are “angels” in the strictest sense of the word. The strictest sense of the word itself is “Messenger.” Angeloi, in the original Greek, was used to indicate a messenger. As theology mutated and transformed across the centuries, the word “Angel” became specific to the messengers from God who were doing only what we humans would consider good. At least, those of us humans that benefited from thier actions. I doubt the Angels that visited Lot in Sodom or Gamora would be considered particularly beneficial to the Sodomites or Gamorians. The Egyptians probably weren’t too fond of the Angel of the Lord after their firstborn were slaughtered either.

    Nevertheless, when I started getting into conjure magic, I went after Angels first, rather than demons, because they had a better reputation in my mind. Even if they weren’t particularly nice all the time, at least, I felt, I could remain confident that anything they brought about in my sphere would be for the good in the long run. The same, of course, couldn’t be said for demons, right?

    A few years later, I’m faced with the truth that the spirits I call Angels aren’t that different than the spirits I call demons. Or elementals. Or Sirits. In fact, they can all be called angels or daimons, it means about the same thing.

    So when I started with the Enochian Angels, I didn’t go into it believing that just because they have the word Angel in there that they necessarily were celestial beings that traverse the seven heavens. Nor do I think they are particularly interested in making my life great. Judging by what they had Dee and Kelley doing for a while, and what they tend to tell people (“You’re great, I have a mission for you… SPREAD THE WORD!”) in general, I am careful with them. They wouldn’t be the first “angel” that tried to do harm to someone.

    I’m finding that the angels of Enoch ermind me a lot of the spirits of the Goetia. Both are angelic, but they are both also concerned with things of this world. Things of this world. I’ve been waiting for a sign, even asking for one directly, that the Angels of Enoch are more than spirits of the realm of the Earth. A neat system that provides a direct channel into the realms of the elemental spirits.

    I don’t know right now though. They haven’t “done” anything yet. I’ve had neat dreams and visions, interesting insights about healing, and things like that, but there hasn’t been anything dramatic that would convince they are worth more than the mental stimulation I get from working with them.

    The other night, I brough Bune along with me. While Adoeoet was there, I asked Bune if it was a Goetic Spirit. He said it was not. I asked Adoeoet what he thought of Bune. He didn’t really see him. They were obviously of different “species” of spirit. Bune wasn’t uncomfortable in Adoeoet’s presence, and Adoeoet didn’t even notice Bune there.

    But what kind of spirit cares about how clean things are, but can’t see another spirit? Soror Gimel’s visions of them being “busy” during storms and othersmake me thiink they’re like the spirits within the elements, right, but they just seem to lack something. There’s a hollowness to them that I can’t quite pin down.

    Well, I haven’t worked with many, that’s for sure. So far it’s an interesting journey, but it’s way too early to do more than wonder. Conlusions reached now are sure to be meaningless.

  • Angels and Angels

    There are Angels and then there are Angels. Pretty much all of the spirits I deal with are “angels” in the strictest sense of the word. The strictest sense of the word itself is “Messenger.” Angeloi, in the original Greek, was used to indicate a messenger. As theology mutated and transformed across the centuries, the word “Angel” became specific to the messengers from God who were doing only what we humans would consider good. At least, those of us humans that benefited from thier actions. I doubt the Angels that visited Lot in Sodom or Gamora would be considered particularly beneficial to the Sodomites or Gamorians. The Egyptians probably weren’t too fond of the Angel of the Lord after their firstborn were slaughtered either.

    Nevertheless, when I started getting into conjure magic, I went after Angels first, rather than demons, because they had a better reputation in my mind. Even if they weren’t particularly nice all the time, at least, I felt, I could remain confident that anything they brought about in my sphere would be for the good in the long run. The same, of course, couldn’t be said for demons, right?

    A few years later, I’m faced with the truth that the spirits I call Angels aren’t that different than the spirits I call demons. Or elementals. Or Sirits. In fact, they can all be called angels or daimons, it means about the same thing.

    So when I started with the Enochian Angels, I didn’t go into it believing that just because they have the word Angel in there that they necessarily were celestial beings that traverse the seven heavens. Nor do I think they are particularly interested in making my life great. Judging by what they had Dee and Kelley doing for a while, and what they tend to tell people (“You’re great, I have a mission for you… SPREAD THE WORD!”) in general, I am careful with them. They wouldn’t be the first “angel” that tried to do harm to someone.

    I’m finding that the angels of Enoch ermind me a lot of the spirits of the Goetia. Both are angelic, but they are both also concerned with things of this world. Things of this world. I’ve been waiting for a sign, even asking for one directly, that the Angels of Enoch are more than spirits of the realm of the Earth. A neat system that provides a direct channel into the realms of the elemental spirits.

    I don’t know right now though. They haven’t “done” anything yet. I’ve had neat dreams and visions, interesting insights about healing, and things like that, but there hasn’t been anything dramatic that would convince they are worth more than the mental stimulation I get from working with them.

    The other night, I brough Bune along with me. While Adoeoet was there, I asked Bune if it was a Goetic Spirit. He said it was not. I asked Adoeoet what he thought of Bune. He didn’t really see him. They were obviously of different “species” of spirit. Bune wasn’t uncomfortable in Adoeoet’s presence, and Adoeoet didn’t even notice Bune there.

    But what kind of spirit cares about how clean things are, but can’t see another spirit? Soror Gimel’s visions of them being “busy” during storms and othersmake me thiink they’re like the spirits within the elements, right, but they just seem to lack something. There’s a hollowness to them that I can’t quite pin down.

    Well, I haven’t worked with many, that’s for sure. So far it’s an interesting journey, but it’s way too early to do more than wonder. Conlusions reached now are sure to be meaningless.

  • Enochian: ADOEOET

    Fun stuff. I just finished conjuring ADOEOET, the Senior attributed to Jupiter from the Tablet of Fire.

    I conjured him by reading the First Call, the Second Call, the Sixth Call, and then called him by name. I felt a bit of his presence, but I continued anyway. I conjured using the name BITOM, in the names of God Oip, Tiaa, and Pdoce, and in the Name of the King Edlprna. By the time I finished and checked my quartz, the bottom, furthest-away side of the ball was “glowing” white. I couldn’t see any distinct details, but the parts that were normally milky and somewhat transparent were instead white. I asked a few questions (it smells like Cinamon, or Dragon’s Blood incense), and closed my eyes to hear the answers. It tried to take me on an astral voyage of the realm of Fire. I asked if it could go up through the Spheres beyond the realms of the elements. It said it could not. I was disappointed a bit.

    The thing looked like a fire-fairy. Like a cartoon image of a fire-sprite. Like a cousin of Tinkerbell with red hair and only three inches high with butterfly wings, a Monarch butterfly’s wings. I was like, “This is a Senior!?” It insisted it was, and that it really was looking like that on purpose. It tried to take me on another tour of the elemental realm of fire. Again I refused.

    I should explain. I was tired. The power from the rite was big, but I was still sleepy. I kept closing my eyes and listening for the spirit’s “voice”, and when I did it tried to take me off on a visionary quest with my eyes closed. I know I’d end up falling asleep, and I didn’t want to just drift off to sleep during the rite.

    And besides, a fairy? Come on. That’s so… not what I expect from an Angel ranked “Senior” and described as a pillar of the tower of the Golden Tablet thing. The Seniors are like the 24 Elders before the throne in Revelations. They offer the prayers of the Saints to God as incense, if I remember right.

    So I vibrated its name at it. It didn’t change into a bearded old guy with a censor. I called on the spirit by all he names of the hierarchy again. Still it was a fairy. By this time, it was a very obvious fairy in the crystal. There was nothing I could do about it.

    So I talked to it, asked again about whether it could go beyond the realm of Fire into the celestial spheres. It indicated that it could not. I asked if any of the Enochian angels could, and it indicated they could not. I didn’t understand this, but it could just be because I’m working with the angels of the Elemental Table. I may find something different when I get to the Aethyrs and the Parts of Earth. Again though, the Seniors are supposed to be in Heaven with God, so it doesn’t make much sense, unless they’re like the gnostic spirits under Ialdabaoth.

    I did the conjuration yet again, just to make sure it was who it was supposed to be, and finally it was no longer a sprite, per se. I saw that it was like a sprite, but not as cartooney or Disney-fied. It was in two parts, one part that looked like a set of wings through the crystal, and one part that looked like a body with a head and red hair through the crystal. After the third conjuration using Bitom, Oip Teaa Pdoce and Edlprna, at last I felt like I was “seeing” it in a form that made more sense for the Jupiterian aspect of Fire.

    I asked what its essence was, and it said Joyful. I asked if it wasn also Health of Fire, in some way, and it said yes, but secondarily. It was Fun, it explained, fun that was clean. What it meant by “clean” was that it was a flame that completely consumed its fuel. It didn’t leave any ash or smoke, and it didn’t burn up more than it was alloted. I got the feeling it was like the entertainment part of a budgeted lifestyle that wouldn’t dip into the grocery or rent funds just to go see one more movie this month.

    Eventually I let it go, and closed out the rite. When I turned around from my altar, my face felt hot, and my eyes were very dry, as if I had been sitting near a bonfire or campfire for a while. My skin felt almost sunburnt and radiated heat. I thought at the time it was because I went through three full conjurations of the spirit’s hierarchy. Packed a bit of a punch.

  • New job, less blog time…

    Well, thanks to Bune, Och, and any other spirits that have worked on it, I’ve been enjoying a great new job. It’s only been three days, but they’ve been grueling. Getting used to waking up and going to a job again, every day, has been quite an adjustment. I’ve gone from shower-optional to business-formal. I have to buy some ties. I got a haircut. I even brushed my teeth (my breath TOTALLY stank).

    So I haven’t had much energy for blogging. I’ve been coming home, spending time with the kids, and then passing out when they go to bed. Last night I woke up at 11 and was up until around 2:00 a.m. catching up with online friends and working on my Enochian Table.

    I’ve made some progress towards finishing the Table for Enochian Work. I’m wood-burning the design into the top. I fucked up a bit, here and there, but following in Soror Gimel’s(1) Piscean ways, I’m considering it a “prototype.”

    If it looks too bad when complete, I will likely stain the whole thing ebony, and then use gold leaf for the letters. I think that would be totally beautiful when finished.

    The picture above is of the table earlier last night. The photo below shows where it’s at now.

    Now, for the feet… Well, I’ll make another post about that tomorrow. I’m tired.

    (1) The author of the My Gal blog; also known as the Grand Gardener of Gribbit Grove