by Magi IntroductionIn this article, I have set out to give a brief introduction to ceremonial or ritual magick‚ or high magick to give it its proper name. First of all a couple of points by way of introduction. Why spell magick with a k? This was started by Aleister Crowley to differentiate between what Ill call fairground magic (the pulling rabbits out of a hat sort of stuff) and magick in the context of spiritual development / as a religion / as a part of paganism. There is, however, a school of thought that argues that the spelling magic should be used in order to reclaim the word. The boundaries between science and magick are more blurred than you may at first think. Magick can said to be an act of faith and, in the same way, much scientific belief is also an act of faith. For example, few people know how modern medicine works: we just pop a pill and hope it will get rid of our headache or whatever else ails us. Belief, whether in something scientifically or magically based, is a powerful agent and one employed in what the magician does. High magick does not pretend to deal with such things as love-charms and potions, nor will the magician design amulets to harm or bind another. If you want powers to do things like healing the sick, making yourself invisible, kindling a flame without using matches, levitation, love spells, and so on, then the best excuse for trying to acquire them is that you will learn a lot in the process. The result which the magician desires to accomplish is a spiritual reconstruction of his own conscious universe and incidentally that of all mankind. The technique of magick is one by which the soul flies, straight as an arrow, to serenity, to a profound and impenetrable repose. If there is any danger in the pursuit of magick, then it will only be because the operator lacks a precise knowledge of what it is that he is doing. It is upon an intelligent understanding of the meaning of the occult symbols and the realties that they are intended to convey, that the success of the rites largely depend. But intellectual familiarity with these principles is of little use if there is no spiritual experience. On the other hand, magickal investigation of the universe, and its consequent spiritual realisation in consciousness, assumes a greater dignity and wider implication when supported by a theoretical understanding. A History of High Magick in 90 SecondsThe phrase Great Work is often used in connection with high magick. The word magick itself comes from the Greek word meaning great. So Great Work simply means Magick Work. There are common themes to magickal thinking that are found in different times and cultures. In the 1890s, Sir James Frazier, who wrote the Golden Bough, made an exhaustive study of magick around the world. He realised something that is commonly accepted by those who practice magick today: that magick relies on the sympathetic effects of similar shapes, colours and properties, and on the feeling that things which were once in contact continue to act upon each other. The earliest form of pure tradition we have is that of Egyptian magick. Much of this has initially come through the work of the Victorian scholar, William Budge. He was primarily concerned with historical investigation, reconstructing the ancient religion. Another early tradition derives from the Greek mystery schools. There is much written on this area and, as with Egyptian magick, not all of it outlines a working magickal system. The most coherent works of magick date from the Middle Ages. The works of Cornelius Agrippa, Paracelsus, Abramelin and John Dee, each give a credible magickal system. But when reading texts like the Lesser Key of Solomon which call for bat blood, discrimination becomes important ‚ as does a sense of humour!  Arguably, the two most important sources for high magick are the Corpus Hermeticum and the Qabalah, which approach the same end from entirely different directions and cultural traditions. The hermetic texts were written in Greek-speaking Egypt in the second century and are concerned with the true place if humanity in the universe and how humanity might obtain power over it. The most important is the Pimander which suggests that divine powers are latent in humans, who can recover them by learning their true natures. The Qabalah came out of Hebrew rabbinical culture and took its enduring form in the 13th century. It depends on the notion that the universe is structured around ten names or emanations of the One God, which corresponds with the Hebrew alphabet and forms together the single divine name which is also the repository of the informing power of the cosmos. By contemplating and understanding this structure, in effect by ascending it, one can come to know and understand divinity. The aim of both of these is to develop or release the latent spiritual and mental abilities of humanity by using a framework of traditional ritual magick.
It was from this base that Rosicrucian and Qabbalistic forms of magick developed. There are many texts particular to this strand of magick which ultimately led to the great Western magickal systems of the late 18th and early 20th centuries. The greatest example of which must be the Golden Dawn Order of Hermetic Magick. This system gave us some of the most famous and infamous magicians: Aleister Crowley, Dion Fortune, William Butler and Israel Regardie to name but a few. Around 1909, the Golden Dawn split into four successor bodies: The Isis-Urania Temple (which confined itself to a Christian mysticism, mediated through ritual, and disavowed the practice of magick), the A:. A:. (formed by Aleister Crowley and concentrating on pagan imagery) and the Alpha et Omega and the Stella Matutina (a blend of the first two) There are a few magickal schools today inherent from this movement, such as Servants of the Light, and reformed Golden Dawn groups. There has also been a growth of natural magick in the 20th Century which stems from Gerald Gardiner’s work in bringing Wicca craft into the open and reinterpreting it through the medium of Golden Dawn techniques. The Magician To be a magician is not to be part of a religion. The work of the magician has many similarities to that of paganism in general, but it also has some fundamental differences. Traditionally, the division between pagan and magician has been termed as the difference between natural and high magick. The magician works with the latter, but is in no way excluded from using natural magick to achieve an end. High magick is a system comprising a practical, psychic and theoretical path and it is essential for the magician to walk all three paths at the same time.
The magickal system is a philosophy and practice applied by the magician to the whole of life. Its aim is the spiritual development of the magician, and to this end is highly personal. In these terms the work of the magician may appear to be very selfish. The magician does not worship deity, nor is the magician’s primary role to serve. The magician is, instead, engaged in pursuit of the Great Work. That is, the magician seeks to accelerate his/her own spiritual development to the point at which he/she unites with the divine, entering into the spiritual ecstasy known in Sanskrit as Samadhi. The magician seeks through ritual to know him/herself and transform him/herself in accordance with the divine purpose he/she was created for. That is to say, the magician seeks to know their true will, the purpose for which they came into manifestation. Then to ensure they live in such a way as to realise this will. The will in these terms is not personal choice, but that divinely inspired purpose. In magick, no attempt is made to acquire powers for their own sake. Any power acquired must be subordinated to the Will, and kept in its own place and proper perspective. At the beginning of his journey/training, the Magician is obliged to understand that his one aspiration is his Higher Self and that any powers which are obtained must be used for that purpose. Any lesser work must have a definite spiritual motive. Magick itself, has as one of its objectives a communion both here and hereafter, a union to be achieved by the exercise of other more spiritual faculties and powers in rites and ceremonies. Service is not as a major path to this achievement, rather it is the fruit of the tree by which the journey can be seen. The operation of magick can be defined as causing a change in consciousness in accordance to will. Everyone’s a StarAccording to the traditional philosophy of the magician, every person is a unique, autonomous centre of individual consciousness, energy and will. Or as Crowley puts it, everyone's a star ‚ shining and existing by its own inner light, it pursues its way in the universe. In the vastness of the universe there are rarely conflicts between celestial bodies, unless one happens to stray from its course. So in the realm of humanity, there would be no chaos, little conflict and no mutual disturbance if each individual were content to be grounded in the reality of their own higher consciousness, aware of their ideal nature and true purpose in life. The Magician’s ToolsThe purpose and function of magick is a spiritual science. It is a technical system of training which has a divine objective, rather than a material or terrestrial one. Likewise, the equipment used in ritual magick is not the sole means which the magician utilises, nor the only instrument used to achieve his ends. But why is that the magician does use such props as an Athame (dagger), cup, bell, incense and so on? Simply put, it is the means by which he is able to understand himself and commune with the invisible but no less real parts of nature. Magick has already been defined as science having for its objective the training and strengthening of Will and Imagination. More than anything else, it is thought and will which really count in magick and the magickal hypothesis is that it is using tools that the enhancements of creative abilities is obtained. The important point is that tools, robes, incense and so on are symbols representing either an inherent occult force as man or an essence or principle obtaining as an intelligent moving force in the universe. The prime intention is to arouse a harmonious thought or impetus in the imagination which exalts the magician’s being in the direction arranged by the character of the ceremony and by the individual nature of the symbols. An entire article could be devoted to the purposes of incense and magickal tools. So, for the purposes of this article I will concentrate on those that are placed on the altar during magickal ceremonies, the elemental tools: the wand, sword or dagger (Athame), cup and pentacle which represent the letters of Tetragrammatron and the four elements from which the cosmos has been built. Fire is attributed to the wand which is placed in the south, the cup is water (the west), air is allocated to the Athame (the east) and the pentacle symbolises earth and is placed in the north. There is no weapon representing the fifth element, spirit, for it is invisible. There is a whole series of correspondences which come into play. For example, each god is characterised by some particular tool which expresses its essential nature: when using the wand, the magician takes on the authority and wisdom of Tahuti before the council of the gods. The wand is the will, representing the wisdom and spiritual presence of the creative self and it should be used upright. The cup or chalice is receptive and a symbol of the intuition and understanding which is ever open waiting for the supernal dew which, according to the Book of Splendour, descends from the highest regions of the pure soul. In ceremonial magick, the cup is rarely used, and then only in the highest invocations, to hold the libations. The blade of the Athame is of cold steel, and hard and sharp like the all pervading air, ever in a state of flux and motion. By this symbol is understood the mind which, without training, is volatile and in a state of constant motion, without stability or easy concentration. Since it is a cutting instrument its prime function in ceremonial magick is banishing. Finally, the pentacle is a token of the body. It is the real expression of a complete thought and act of will. The Magician and the Divine As has been stated, high magick has, as one of its objectives, a communion with the divine. This union is achieved by using spiritual abilities and powers in rites and ceremonies. By the divine, the magician recognises an eternal spiritually dynamic principle and its refracted manifestation in beings whose consciousness, individually and together, are of so lofty and sublime a degree of spirituality as actually to merit the term Gods.
The viewpoint employed in magick is that there is one Omnipresent Life pervading the whole cosmos. It permeates every corner and portion of space, sustaining the individual life of every being existing in any of the infinite worlds. Unknown in itself, since being omnipresent and boundless in every direction it can never be comprehended by the human mind. From it comes forth all the gods, all human souls and every conceivable thing that is. When the word God is used, it comes as a pre-packaged concept. Quite often the Western European sees it as a personal being of great age, that has a physical existence sitting on a throne somewhere up there! But to make God a human being is to limit it. It is not possible for a finite human form to have the attributes of God, eternal, all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere. If the magician is to conceive of such a being it is formless, existing not within manifestation, but beyond it also. For it is the formless creator of all things. That is it is the absolute, from which all is made manifest. It creates not out of nothing, but of itself. Although this could be argued to be the same thing, as it is no thing in itself. It is not a being, but absolute being. In the process of creation it enters into manifestation, but is not conscious of this process. It does not actively and thoughtfully create, rather it brings forth manifestation as a tree brings forth leaves, it is a spontaneous expression of its very nature. Theosophy defines deity as: IT is the mysterious power of evolution and involution, the omnipresent, omnipotent, and even omniscient creative potentiality. Deity is the eternal, incessantly evolving, not creating, builder of the universe, that universe itself unfolding out of its own essence, not being made.
The Key to TheosophyThe evolution and development of the cosmos, spiritual and physical, were first recorded by philosophies in geometrical changes of form. Every esoteric cosmogony used a circle, a point, a triangle, a cube and so on. The latter were incorporated into a simple geometric form, called the Tree of Life in the Qabalah. To each cosmic development, a number was applied and existing as the specific meaning of the number or the particular phase of evolution was the activity of a god or hierarchy of gods. Thus in the Qabalah we have ten primary emanations. The tradition of magick classifies them in descending scales of purity and spirituality, from the gods to archangels, intelligences and spirits. In magickal works we require a point of reference and working relationship with the divine. This can be done through contact with the impassive absolute, but a more effective path can be found in the projected aspects. The One entering into manifestation undergoes a reflection, which creates duality ‚ this concept can be better realised through study of the Qabalah and lack of space prevents me from explaining t in detail here. Suffice to say that duality gives it a point of reference with which to begin the process of evolution. This reflection is not simply the absolute becoming two absolutes. Rather through the emanation of the first ray it becomes the polar duality of manifestation. Underlying all manifestation is the division of the divine into active and passive, positive and negative. The Taoists call it Yin and Yang. Western pagans understand and describe this duality as the God and the Goddess, the Lord and Lady. In this form, they are the summation of all the gods and goddesses known to humanity. They are the active living beings partaking of the essence of the absolute, the One. They, like the families of gods (pantheons) contain the spark, the atom of the divine, to a large degree. They act with, and for the One, yet they are also answerable to it. With it and all manifestation they grow, learn, and evolve. The magician does not worship the gods. To do so affords them gratitude, but it results in your service to them. That is, you enter into a relationship of master and servant, worshipper and worshipped. To worship a thing is to acknowledge its dominion over you and thus to surrender your life to it. That is not the role of the magician. Far richer relationships with gods and goddesses are more familial or personal ones, such as: parent-child, friends, siblings and so on. SummoningThis skill falls into two major divisions: Invocation: The calling of a god, spirit or being into the sacred space, and into your own self, that is to bring it to the conscious mind, and relate to it in a personal way. Evocation: The calling of a god, spirit or being into a very controlled space, external to the operator, and having no connection to the magician, save for those things which are directly requested of the spirit by the magician.
The act of invocation is generally used with gods and goddesses, planetary and elemental representatives. This act identifies that which is called with the caller, the highest form of this is known as assuming god form. The astral body of the magician becomes that of the deity being invoked. For all intents and purposes, the magician and deity are a symbiotic whole. The magician is in charge, but only if the magician maintains a clear will and intention. I do not propose to go into the detailed techniques of summoning here, but mention it as it forms an important part of the magician’s work. The ElementsThe elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water are fundamental to all magickal operations. They are sued to open the Circle and to bring energy into focus. But their use can go far beyond this. This notion of the elements first arises in early Greek philosophy. Here it was believed that everything was created from varying mixtures of these elements. So an object can be described in terms of the four elements. Yet it would be more correct to treat them as states of matter: solid, liquid, gas and energy. In the circle it is usual to set the quarters, attributing them with elemental characters. In so doing we give the elements an anthropomorphic character. They are seen to be active energetic forces that effect us and can be controlled by us. Yet as the elements are external to us they are also intrinsically part of us. They have a close relationship to our inner being. Through active ritual work we can explore these aspects of our inner being. That is the purpose of ritual magick. Such an exploration can be a challenging one. Spirit is often called the fifth element, the quintessence. Perhaps it is the first emanation of all the elements, united as one. In this sense it becomes the fountainhead of all manifestation/ Vibration of Gods names and Words of PowerThe use of sound is a key part of ceremonial magick. One theory claims that the vibration set up by a mantra has a purifying effect on the whole constitution of a person; that by its vibrating action the coarser elements in the body are gradually expelled, a refining process taking place which affects not only the physical body, but also the Body of Light and the entire mental structure within the scope of its actions. A simple example of the power of sound and vibration can be seen in the opera singer who yaps a glass and then matches the note with their voice. After a moment, when the voice is vibrating in unison with the galls, the singer suddenly changes the note to a higher one and wine galls shatters as it tries to match the vibration. And so the vibration of God-names is an important essential in the practice of magick since the knowledge (and by knowledge I also mean understanding) of the name is to possess a degree of control over it. But it is essential that the name is properly vibrated for it take effect. To do this, inhale very deeply, slowly and forcefully. At the moment when the air strikes against the nostrils, it should be imagined that the name of the god (or word of power) is being inhaled with the air. Picture the name in great letters of fire and flame, and as the air slowly fills the lungs, the name should be imagined to permeate and vibrate throughout the whole of the body. Then the god name is vibrated as the air is exhaled. That is to say, one must discover the method or humming of pronouncing the words which will assist in producing a vibration. It may be found through experiment that a moderately deep pitch, slightly higher than the ordinary speaking voice is most suited to produce the required vibration, no-one part being accented at the expense of another. The test of the vibration is that it should detonate in the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. It is difficult to explain this without demonstrating how it should be done. But it will be clear when this is done correctly as a tingling sense will be felt in every cell and nerve of the body. The Qabbalistic CrossThe QC is a magickal exercise which uses sonic keys, together with the correct visualisations to unlock and balance the different aspects of the self. To work the QC, stand east, with your Athame in your right hand. If you do not have an Athame, use the middle and index finger of your right hand. Touching your forehead visualise a brilliant ray descending from your higher elf, and vibrate the words ATEH Draw your Athame or fingers down your body to your genitals, visualise the ray of brilliance descending into your body, making a bright line don the centre of your being. Resting your fingers or Athame on your genitals, become aware of your whole physical being and visualise it becoming unite with the brilliance of your higher self. Vibrate the word MALKUTH Place your Athame on your right shoulder, while maintaining your earlier visualisation, visualise your will and energy, concentrated as a ray or orb of red energy, permeating your being. Vibrate the phrase VE-GEBURAH. Draw your Athame across your body to your left shoulder. Visualise a path of brilliant light left in its path. At your left shoulder visualise your compassion, as a ray or orb of blue energy, permeating your being. Vibrate the phrase VE-GEDULAH. Place your Athame at your heart centre Visualise all four aspects or yourself coming together, higher self, body, will and compassion. Feel that you are transforming your whole being, becoming your magickal self, and vibrate the phrase LE-OLAM Pointing your Athame upright, vibrate the word AMEN and feel that the action is complete. The words used are Hebrew and link to the Qabalah. But there is not the slightest implication of Hebrew theology or philosophy. They mean: ATEH ‚ Thou art
MALKUTH ‚ the Kingdom
VE-GEBURAH ‚ and the Glory
VE-GEDULAH ‚ and the Power
LE-OLAM ‚ forever
The gestures themselves are a variance of the ordinary Christian Cross, making use of the last few phrases of theLord’s Prayer. That it is utilised in magickal work is due to the fact that it constitutes an ideal method of balancing the personality and raising the mind to the contemplation of higher things. It is used as preamble to magickal workings. The LBRP was devised by the Golden Dawn. The function of the ritual, though capable of extension in several other directions, is pre-eminently one of banishment and used by the magician as a precursor to all magickal work. The ritual sets the watchtowers of the elements. Beyond this it makes the operator a channel of grace between heaven and earth. As such, it should always be performed fully, that is using the body and forms of gesture. Since no magick is real until it makes contact with this level of manifestation. No less so this ritual of spiritual power. Perform the Qabbalistic Cross Face east. Stretch out the right hand holding an Athame. Trace a banishing earth pentagram and feel it go out to the end of the universe (see below). Vibrate the words YHVH (pronounced Yod-heh-vav-heh) Still holding out the hand and Athame, turn to the south. Trace another pentagram and vibrate ADNI (Ah-doh-nai) Turn west and trace pentagram. Vibrate AHIH (Eh-he-yeh) Turn north. Trace pentagram and vibrate AGLA (Ah-ge-lah) Stand arms outstretched and say BEFORE ME RAPHAEL
BEHIND ME GABRIEL
TO MY RIGHT HAND MICHAEL
TO MY LEFT HAND AURIEL
BEFORE ME FLAMES THE PENTAGRAM
THROUGH THE COLUMN SHINES THE SIX RAYED STAR Visualise each as you say it. Raphael, Gabriel, Michael and Auriel and the Archangels of the Qabalah who rule East and Air, West and Water, South and Fire, North and Earth The upright pentagram represents the descent of spirit (Shin) into the four elements. That is to say the relationship of spirit to the elements. Shin descends into the Tetragrammaton to form YHVH (Jehoshua from Jehovah). Thus the pentagram is the sacrificial redemption that allows humanity access to the heavenly realms and beyond. The inverted pentagram represents the Fall of humanity, the descent from heaven into manifestation. Which is not an entirely evil state, but a challenging one! ConclusionIn this article I have only been able to touch on some the elements of ritual, ceremonial or high magick and what it means to be a magician. Even after a lifetime of work, the magician may have only succeed in scratching the surface. If you think this path is for you then I would strongly advice you to seek formal training rather than try and go it alone using books. But whatever you do, remember magick has three essential parts: a practical, psychic and theoretical path. It is essential for the magician to walk all three paths at the same time. In this way, magick becomes a way of life | 
