Defending the Kingdom

I've recently been doing a lot of Work with the sphere of Jupiter in accordance with the Gentlemen for Jupiter. In addition to receiving initiation and instruction from the powers that be, I've been empowered and how have a potent force of Jupiter current running through my life ready to be deployed into any avenue I wish to apply it.

Rufus Opus wrote up his awesome Gate of Jupiter eBook on initiating this very thing in your life (check it out), but has also written Gate of Mars and is working on creating books about entering the Gates of the other spheres. One thing that he has felt compelled to do is inform others on how to properly direct forces like Jupiter when you are made a King of your Kingdom, and how to properly take on the roles and responsibilities of that type of anointing in your life.

It is important and telling that he chose the Gate of Mars as his close follow up work to the Gate of Jupiter. If you are a Gentleman for Jupiter and reading this, heed his advice carefully. If you are not, but do work with planetary magick, heed his advice carefully.

What I am learning and have begun learning the hard way is that when you ask spirits of Jupiter to set a current of prosperity, growth, wealth, expansion, and opportunity in your life, you are anointed as a King in your own Kingdom, and you must establish proper defenses (more than effing pentagram rituals and white sage) and set hedges of protection over you, your kingdom, your assets, and your loved ones.

I won't go into much detail here, because I don't feel comfortable sharing some of these details so openly, but after my Jupiter rite yesterday, I attracted something into my unprotected Kingdom and it affected the girl that I love. My sphere and aura appear to be pretty well protected and strong, but you don't always expect something nefarious to attack or attach to people in your life. What I experienced after the rite that evening, or should I say witnessed, was utterly terrifying and painful. It was in fact the most terrifying thing I've encountered in magick yet. The point ultimately is, however, that had I had proper defenses in place to protect my Kingdom and my loved ones sufficiently (and not just myself), it never would have happened.

Folks, be cautious in magick. Be cautious when asking powerful spirits to bestow powerful blessings on you. Be cautious with how you handle those things and be aware of the types of beings your Work might attract, even if you're dealing with otherwise "benign" spirits and intelligences. You can and sometimes will attract the attention of false, lying, wicked spirits. Demonic shit, even.

Oh, you don't believe in evil spirits, you say? Fuck that. There are evil spirits. They do evil things. They inflict pain and harm and loss. They are not gentle, loving, kind, or considerate, and are there to bring suffering to you. Suffering. Get it? It sucks. When you witness harm being done to someone you love because of them, you want to do something about it. You are frightened, hurt, pissed, and if you're aware of anything, you probably feel some level of responsibility for cleaning up whatever allowed it to happen and establishing the types of boundaries and protection that won't allow it to happen again. And you are responsible for it.

Work with Mars to fight things that have cropped up, and to establish a hedge of protection over you and your loved ones. Review your life and sphere by speaking to the Angels of the spheres and listening to their sound guidance. RO goes into awesome detail about doing things like this collectively in his books. Do those things.

But mostly, just be aware that you are not the only one affected by your magick. I mean, obviously, but it doesn't often occur to me that my magick, if unchecked, not properly fortified or directed, can put someone I love at risk. Be aware of that possibility and take precautions to ensure that doesn't happen.

That is all.

New Age Twaddle

Jason Miller teaches a technique in a chapter on Thought Management (Strategic Sorcery Course), which entails the use of positive thought and visualization, basically. He says, "Sounds like a bunch of new age twaddle, doesn't it? It is. But it works."

Basically, after doing morning meditation, you say to yourself "I see my day coming into focus", then spend some time thinking about the areas of love, health, and finance, as well as general things about your day. So, I envisioned walking into work and seeing some of my co-workers happily greeting me, customers happily greeting me, and a feeling of vitality and energy coming over me.

I'll be damned if I didn't walk into a bunch of shiny, happy people today! Got a nice, chipper phone call from my girlfriend, came in to actually see the same people I visualized, and got this ridiculous greeting full of compliments, positive vibes, and affirmations. I ran into a few customers and some simply spotted me saying "Hey, Chris! What's going on, man?!"

My immediate thought was, "No fucking way."

But apparently this new age twaddle works at times. Nice mental magick trick, I say.

Creation

That about sums it up.

Anniversary celebration

The past couple days were just awesome.

April 26th was my 5 year anniversary with my girlfriend. For anyone familiar with my previous few posts, we have been working through something I did that really upset her. After the day of my Annael evocation and the subsequent fighting that happened as a result, things seem to have snapped right back into place, which are awesome results considering how the week was leading up to that point.

Our plan for the 25th was to take a scenic drive along the Brasstown bi-way here in Georgia, taking us through some of the most beautiful outdoor spots shy of Blue Ridge, with the plan of hiking, seeing some waterfalls, and visiting the scenic and historic Helen, Georgia. Of course it would rain and storm like crazy come the day of. Before having left for the trip, I did an offering to the spirits of location and asked them for their aide and a bit of luck on the trip. What a nice surprise to have my day rained on.

Until we were driving and suddenly entered North Carolina and Krista got the random idea that we ought to visit the Great Smokey Mountains and spend the entire following day there starting at sunrise. So, what did we do? We drove from North Carolina to Tennessee and entered Gatlinburg to pick up a few things, and being low on money, we decided to sleep in the car in some parking in the middle of the woods of the Smokies. We got up with the sunrise and spent all day out there.

Right after sunrise, I was meditating on a boulder in the middle of a river. I offered up some energy to the spirits of the area could see them moving about in the stream, in the woods, and all about as I focused on a stone in the middle of the river. There was a spirit of a Native American woman however who was angry that I was there and began to explain to me that she was still hurt and bitter that her land had been taken from her, that her people had been encroached upon, and my being a Caucasian did not help matters at all. I expressed her gratitude for sharing her land for the moment and expressed sorrow for what happened to her people in the past and what our civilization has done to its culture and lands.

I had a chance just to bask in the presence of the Spiritus Mundi in an awesome way. The whole area was so alive and full of energy, it was incredible.

We spent some time walking around Gatlinburg, which was nice, just before a very long drive up the mountain to a hiking spot which took us to the highest accessible point of the mountain in the area, close to 6,000 ft. elevation. All I could see was rolling hills and mountains for miles and miles in every direction, it was breath taking.

The turn out was better than expected. Not only was I enjoying the repair of problems I started in our relationship with the help of Annael and my willingness to own up to my shit, but I also ended up in nature more vast and beautiful than we had even planned. It was overall the best view I've ever really seen and well worth the drive and sleeping in the car. So perhaps my spirit friends had something better in mind, or perhaps it was just happenstance, but often these things can be indistinguishable anyway, so I bid them thanks this morning during my morning offerings.

In other news, I have cemented my Jupiter Work with some followup Work in the spheres of Saturn and Mars, with Sol awaiting this evening at a late solar hour. I presented my plans to Kammael and asked for his help in having the discipline and balls to carry them out and set Graphiel and Barzabel to work on my behalf. As usual, I couldn't hang around in the Mars vibe for long. I don't like long Mars Workings. Too hot, dry, arid, rough, and uncomfortable. But necessary.

In other news...

This whole Gentlemen for Jupiter work has had my mind reeling with possibilities, solutions, and work. Work begets Work begets work.

Last night in the hour of Saturn, I did some Work with Tzaphkiel, as well as Agiel and Zazel. Tzaphkiel appeared to me (in spirit vision) at first as a dark reaper and once the formality was dropped, as a very thin, very white skinned European guy with extremely long black hair. His eyes were piercingly gray/blue and he had a calm, but seething demeanor. We had a simple discussion and I asked him to extend the boundaries of my lot in life. I asked him to place a constraint on areas in my life, lifestyle, habits, and character that hinder my growth and success and extend the boundaries of the parts that have most lent to my growth. He agreed and gave me a piece of Wisdom on how to utilize that extension. "Think of this as a credit or loan increase. If you get an increase, you must be responsible with it. Don't fill it with folly and stupidity, but use it to further yourself. To fill your new boundaries with foolishness is guaranteed trouble for you."

That makes a lot of sense to me. All of this ties right back into my Work with Jupiter. Working with one sphere should be accompanied by other, if not all, spheres to approach it thoroughly. And then, as Jason Miller will rightfully pound into your brain, DO SOMETHING WITH IT! No ass sitting. Even if you're not an armchair magician, you can't sit in the armchair after doing your magick. You really can't sit in your armchair much at all; that's not the path of magick, which is a path of action and integrity.

Agiel appeared to me as an overweight guy with curly hair, facial hair, and sunglasses. He didn't talk much. Actually, he didn't talk at all. Mostly, he just made gestures while Zazel, who appeared as a shadow in the form of a cloaked man, was doing the talking. Zazel went to work on my sphere, really approaching it kind of like a surgeon of sorts. He found parts that were fine, and parts that had some "frayed wiring", so to speak. There were parts, he explained, that were murky and lacking definition or clarity, and so he directed me to see Michael about this.

Work begets Work begets work.

A few side notes: I've had difficulty figuring out which scents and fragrances to use in evoking Saturn. Agrippa lists a few things, among them the Frankincense tree, so I've been burning Frankincense resin primarily (despite my usual solar connotation with it) to good effect. They explained that for the purposes of extending boundaries, Frankincense is an acceptable scent for its airiness, expansiveness, and pervasiveness, but that in dealing with Saturn for other purposes (death and things pertaining to endings, etc.), I needed to choose something different. Something foul. And they asked for dried horse or bovine blood in conjunction with various roots.

For some reason, there is a fixation with horses in my Work with Saturn. From what I understand, there is some cause for this -- as one of the sons of Saturn in mythology (Neptune, I think?), once transformed himself into the guise of a horse.

Also, what the hell else would an angel of death come riding in on? Nothing but a black mare, I tell you. If I can safely and kindly obtain it, I will. I will not do so if I have to harm a creature. But I'm sure that finding it is a possibility.

Other effects: Usual Saturnian heaviness, even unrest, but in the heavy, slow way. There was a certain gloom to the atmosphere that the Pillar and the Spheres, Universal Center, 9 breaths Purification, and meditation took care of just fine. During the conjure, I noticed that the flame of my oil lantern seemed brighter. But the truth was that it was a trick of contrast; the atmosphere itself was in fact darker than usual, making the light out to be far brighter than usual. Very interesting effect, I must say.

Everything is Illuminated

A stroll through past reading at the beginning of my path of Hermetic Magick has been awesome this evening.

Back 6 years ago, I was in a conundrum. Having just come out of my teenage and very lost years of life threatening drug addiction, muddled pseudo-Wiccan occultism, Satanic dabbling, Christian bashing, self loathing, fear ridden insanity, I was dry and shaken about. I had abandoned anything that even sounded mystical or occult and after a profoundly life changing experience, I had become a Pentecostal. I entered into a stage of spiritual paranoia so great it has taken me years to feel comfortable with myself again.

Most of my practices as a pre-teen and teenager were naive, in ignorance, built upon potentially dangerous motives. I had no structure, no understanding, and was playing around with too many things I simply didn't grasp. I had no structure and I had a hard time understanding that just because one book says "do it this way", and another book says "do it that way", doesn't mean that they are in disagreement or that one is necessarily right and the other is wrong. Often times, they come from different systems or traditions. Sometimes, it's the author's experience. Other times, it's a bunch of fucking bullshit. But I didn't know the difference and didn't know what I was doing. What I did have, though, was a deep running, unquenchable passion for mysterious things. When I saw a pentagram, my heart literally picked up its pace. When I tried (poorly) to practice magick, I was ecstatic to be in that atmosphere. Looking back, though, I probably did cause my own self a lot of problems messing with things I didn't understand.

During my ardent Pentecostal stage, I learned some great things. The value of child like faith, the power of prayer, the importance of lively, experienced spirituality, and the ability to just... Let go during prayer, worship, or any spiritual devotion, really. But I was adamantly opposed to occultism, blaming it as the source of my problems and believing that demonic forces were essentially waiting around at any moment just to catch my leg and drag me away from Christ.

It was rough, man. It was a rough way to live and a rough way to think.

Until one day. Something was missing in my spiritual life, in me, in my very being, I was missing something. I tried my best to fit the mold of a good, active church participant. I tried to feel how they were feeling, dance and sing as they were, and feel complete as they seemed to. Maybe it's an illusion with them, maybe not. But staring up at the sky at night, I see something your average Christian, much less even your average person, simply doesn't.

There are forces at play. There's something great and mystical lying beneath the surface of it all, yet constantly in our faces just begging to be noticed and interacted with. There's a presence to the Universe, to the world at large. There's something special about lighting a candle, burning some incense, closing your eyes, and "making a wish". I know it. If you're reading this, you probably know it too. Most people don't. Many would like to think they do, but don't. This is not a self-help exercise, some mental masturbation, some self-therapy session. There is so much meaning to these things; there is so much power just waiting to be tapped, and is influencing your life and you whether or not you recognize it.

I remember the feeling like no other. My want for completion was unbelievable and unquenchable. I realized, amid all these attempts to be like other Christians, I was a mystic and a magician in my heart. How could I possibly reconcile where I was and what I had come to believe with what I knew about myself and what I knew I must do?

When I was younger, I tried to make this work when I started reading what was once christianwicca.org, and which is now encapsulated in a book "Christian Wicca: The Trinitarian Tradition". It was a start, but mostly bullshit, and not very sound. Eventually, the "Christian" title went away out of my dislike and hatred for what I had come to understand as Christianity. But, I found that I was very uncomfortable with worshiping as Wiccans worship. Recognizing, talking to, making an offering to, giving a passing nod of respect to other deities, gods, goddesses, etc. I can do. But I wanted no part of the religion of Wicca, I wanted no part of worshiping multiple deities. I always just believed in One Source, however inadequate my understanding was, and that only that One Source should get my intimate, personal worship. All lesser gods would get lesser attention, and I feel that way to this day.

So it hit me. What subject had I not studied and was ill equipped for as a teenager? Qabalah. I picked up The Chicken Qabalah of Rabbi Lamed Ben Clifford by Lon Milo DuQuette. I still cherish that book for its humor, simplicity, and ability to captivate in such simple terms. I knew that Qabalah was applicable in a Judeo-Christian context and felt at ease with the study. What I didn't know at the time was that it was Hermetic Qabalah with serious Thelemic implications.

I joined a Yahoo! Group, "The Great Work", and saw conversations happening on there that were way over my head. Questions, questions, and more questions is all I had. And that was my approach -- I just wanted some direction, to learn, and find what it was I was really, honestly looking for. A few of the members of that forum eventually directed me to Rufus Opus, who they said was a Christian who could probably teach me a thing or two (thousand) and that I could do no better than to ask him my questions.

And so I did.

After bringing him my concerns and explaining my predicament, he settled my nerves and related with me about his experiences and helped me reconcile my, uh, self. Before long, he was chucking shit at me that I was totally unfamiliar with. Angel conjure? What is this stuff? Lamens, Table of Practice, planetary days and hours, appropriate incense, astrological auspices, correspondence charts, spheres? What the fuck is a sphere? The fuck do you mean "Initiation into the Spheres?" And now, what? Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel? I ate it all up.

I hammered him with questions every day. And if he wouldn't get back to me, I'd hammer him with overly sensitive Scorpionic e-mails 'til I could get some answers. But I worked at this stuff. I worked at it hard. I worked at it blindly, sometimes. But if there's something I did -- I put a load of work into it. He hated arm chair magicians more than just about anything and I was not going to be one of those.

Working through the spheres and working to attain K&C of HGA kicked up some dust in my life as was promised me. I was certainly learning things and even getting identifiable results. Sometimes, I wasn't handling the results properly, or once they began manifesting changes, I resisted some of those changes. And when you do this, trouble happens. To work to attain K&C is signing up to face your complexes, your inner struggles, the very essence of the prima materia of your sphere that gets burned away. Did you know that getting burned is painful? Who woulda' thought.

I got hit with my addictions, I got hit with financial burden, I got hit with problems in my romance department, and in my family, and in my very sanity. But there was always a resounding "KEEP WORKING! Do NOT give up on it now." I fell by the way side a couple times in the midst of this solve et coagula process and as a result, fell into my lower aspects. Before long, I was living out on my own for the first time having to really feel the effects of my choices. It was no longer a game of charades. It was me vs. big old world and it was time to change some things.

But after each phase of occult death, I came to life anew with more than I had before. After enough trial and error, I had been through initiation into the 7 heavens, acquired K&C of HGA, and started grasping magick, spirituality, religious experience, and the cosmos in a way I once only talked about or philosophized. Finally, I had coagulated into what I had been working so hard to attain.

Reading some of the first blog posts I ever read of RO's before his blog was as extensive as it is now really took me through a blast in the past. I remember reading about his Hermetic solutions to various problems and being bewildered by the genius of it. Reading it nowadays is like reading something I could very well have written myself and is in line with where I'm at. And now, of course, he's ahead of me proportionately, which is a good thing.

The difference is that now, instead of feeling like a lost and naive puppy at his feet begging for attention and wanting training, I am something of a little, younger brother. We've been around to see each other pass through phases and changes. He's listen to me bitch and piss and moan as well as tell of my learning and my success. He's witnessed me go from someone who was nervous, paranoid, and insecure to someone who has much more confidence, stability, and understanding.

The funny thing about this is how illuminated everything has become. What was once mind boggling is now virtual table talk; what was once beyond my grasp is now the subject of my weekly or daily practice. The best part about all of this, though, is that I think that the feeling of awe will never go away. No matter how much you think you know, you don't know shit. You're one simple, shit eating human and having an ego about all of this is kind of a joke, because all of our accomplishments are just stepping stones, tiny stepping stones on a vast and endless path -- the path of Return. The path of Remembering who you ARE. The path of waking up to yourself, to be cliche.

I doubt if anyone will have read this far, but this reflection is not for you. This reflection is a thanks to Gabriel, Kammael, Raphael, Tzadkiel, Haniel, Tzaphkiel, Michael, the First Father, the LOGOS (Christ), my HGA (who will remain unnamed), and my caring teacher, Rufus Opus. Also thanks to my friends along the way: Jeremiah Spradlin, Johnathan Tribble for his camaraderie, John Johnson for helping reignite the black coal that is my soul, and my girlfriend Krista for putting up with my insane bullshit as I continually pass through this life/death/resurrection process of internal alchemy.

Thank you all, you have made me who I am today.

(insert book here)

One day.

On being an asshole.

Recently, I've been dealing with the consequence of a bad decision I made that really hurt my girlfriend's feelings. And, really, it would hurt mine too, and as good as I can be at making excuses and rationalizing, there are times when you just simply fucked up.

And when you fuck up with a Libra on the cusp of Scorpio, not only do you get the shivering cold (or burning hot) intensity of scorpionic rage, but the direct, forceful, and outward expression of Libra. A scorpio's emotions are often contained and can usually only be sensed by those sensitive to that, or seen in the eyes, but not so with the Libra. No, you're going to hear it. And sometimes, you're going to deserve it.

Which brings me to some Work I did yesterday (Friday) in the hour of Venus. I took the opportunity to re-consecrate an herbal talisman I created a while back during a terrible misunderstanding to great effect, and also to bring the situation under the eye and care of Annael and other Venus spirits. I explained the situation to them, and I held myself accountable to them. I asked for Wisdom and for the ability to love better, to love more completely, and to love more wholly, to basically try to be deserving of being loved. I asked for help in resolving the current issues, for healing in our relationship, and for healing in her. I asked for the ability to move on.

My hope was, obviously, that things could just be okay. But it's not always so simple. Instead of a smooth and graceful effect, I had to really confront what I've done and also how to move on. Her emotions and nerves are still awry, and with good reason, and I was in the position to have to confront that. Something was said in the evening last night that spurned a bit of a fight and she doesn't know where it came from or why.

But I do.

In my perspective, I think ole' Annael winked in my direction and said, "You asked for it, ya big asshole."

Sometimes, you don't just get smooth things over, sweep them under the rug, and say "Gee, isn't magick just great?"

I mean, usually, sure. But sometimes, you're a big asshole and you don't just get to have what you want that easily. Especially when it involves your own steaming pile of shit and what you must do to clean said shit up. Being a magician doesn't mean you get to dodge all your emotional struggle away. When you make mistakes, you pay consequences. Hopefully, you learn from them. And if you don't, you will. One day. Bringing a situation like this to the care and attention of a spirit who works on a Higher level when you are guilty of something is, in my experience, signing up to deal with, learn from, and grow out of the harm you've done.

Because if you don't, you lose what you get.

I remember thinking to myself mid-fight, "C'mon, Annael. What is this shit? I just Worked with you, like what, 10 hours ago? Cut me a break."

But it was not Annael, nor my magick, that failed. It was ME.

So, in honor of both my girlfriend and in honor of the Angel I asked for help: You got me. I'm a big asshole, I know. I don't want to be. I want to do better than this. I must do better than this. I will do better than this. Thank you for gracing me with love I don't always deserve to have.

-Fr. SeA

And, for the turnout..

It was superb.

To begin the rite, as per the custom of Gentlemen For Jupiter, I threw on my finest garb and chose an excellent musical selection (in this case, some Frank Sinatra). Once seated, I called upon Tzadkiel using the Modern Angelic Grimoire (Fr. RO) and felt almost instantly that very graceful, at-ease presence one could only describe as Jovian. I explained to Tzadkiel the nature of the Working and entered into a receptive state to receive any attuning, initiation, Wisdom, or instruction he might offer.

At this point, I sang the Orphic Hymn to Jupiter to the tune of "When I was 17", which was unusual and beautiful. As the connection thickened and I felt that mellow, yet energetic vibe, I asked Tzadkiel to send me Iophial and Hismael in the name of El. Using an oration similar to what Rufus Opus describes in his Gate of Jupiter eBook, I lifted my herbal talisman and new amethyst necklace up to them for consecration and empowerment. The smoke of the incense swirled intimately around them as I continued to pray and petition, holding the bag and the stone to the rising smoke.

I entered into spirit vision (eyes closed in meditation) where I encountered several spirits of similar form who told me to straighten out, hold my hands to my sides, place my feet straight upon the floor and receive a blessing. In spirit vision, I could see several hands of blueish, radiant light enveloping me and I could see and sense a field of blue energy enveloping my body and expanding my aura. At this point, the Emperor card of the Tarot came to mind and within that moment, I was standing before him in his throne.

"Stop bullshitting around," he said sternly, "You are meant for better things than what you are wasting your time on now. You are made to be Mighty. Mighty of God, and Mighty as a practitioner of the Art of Magick. We can help you, but you must be willing to take the opportunities we give you. You can't be fearful and resistant to change, your laziness will not be accepted. It is beneath your caliber, it is beneath your calling, and it is beneath the aims of this mystery cult you've been allowed to participate in. You will be known as many things in this life, and you must live up to those roles and treat them well. You will be a husband, a father, a man of action and direction, a Master of his craft. You must treat the people in your life with care and love, you cannot let life pass you by without this, you will not get another chance with them. You know what you are meant for and what you are made of, now go out and DO IT. We will help you acquire everything you need to accomplish your goals and your tasks, but you must not waste what we give you."

Clear enough, yes?

This was followed by a period of meditation on Jupiter seals as well as the sigils fellow members of GFJ constructed to represent our goals as a group. I could see the energy moving in the symbols in such a lively way. Once this was done, I bid Tzakdiel farewell and stepped outside with some fine coffee, a fine cigar, and some fine music.

I continued to speak out the Hymn and meditate upon the seals of Jupiter. For a time, I was simply basking in the bliss that is the very essence of Jovian magick. After which, I poured some out as a libation to the spirits of Jupiter and thanked them for their aide.

I am quite hopeful for the manifestation and integration of these forces in my life and am keeping a watchful eye out for opportunity, because I'm working with a lot of dead ends right now, dead ends that need to be changed.

-Fr. SeA

This evening...

Tapping more Jupiter. Will be burning hand made and consecrated Jupiter incense, calling in Tzadkiel, Jophiel, Hismael, and Jove to bless the work. I will be lifting up an herbal talisman for empowerment and fumigation, and aligning my Will to the Gentlemen for Jupiter current using our newly created seals for empowerment.

This shit is taking off.

Magick Saturn Graves

My HGA revealed a curious way to work with Saturn. It calls upon earlier revelations about the nature and place of Saturn in the cosmos and in our lives. We all have things to get rid of, lay down, and put to rest. This is one way.

Create a Saturnian grave. I figured, either I could designate a spot outdoors and carve or paint up a stone complete with Saturn symbols and seals of Cassiel and other spirits. Or, perhaps I could build a small wooden coffin, and paint or wood burn those symbols and design the coffin, fill it with Saturnian substances, and consecrate it under Cassiel's direction and blessing. Or both.

The point is, why not make a special magickal "shrine", if you will, of the things you wish to end. Perhaps a trait in yourself, perhaps something that's holding you back in important ways that could use a little magickal coercion, addictions, relationships, perhaps something far graver than these things would all be suitable, or even old pieces of magick or things that depict crossed conditions you want to end. You could take something symbolic of what you wish to put to rest -- if it's a trait in yourself, perhaps a written statement or a portrait of that trait, if an addiction -- the substance itself or something that reflects the idea of it, if a relationship -- photos and other links of the people involved, the list goes on.

Once you have this, you can spend some time in prayer and meditation with your spirits and "charge" the item with the intent to destroy or put to rest, then discuss it with the spirits. Let them know what you are parting with, explain to them why it is important to you. And be prepared to listen if they give you direction about action you must take in your own life. After you have been thorough, you can place it to rest -- in the coffin, in the gravesite, and cover it up.

You could leave offerings or pour libations to Cassiel and other spirits who helped you with this, much like one would leave flowers or other items at a grave. Pour out a little whiskey or red wine over the grave, leave a flower, stone, or plant that reflects the qualities of Saturn. Any time you wish to part with something, go out preferably on a Saturday in a Saturn hour, conjure up or call out to the spirits, and lay it to rest in the same fashion. In this way, you can have a permanent magickal trash dump.

Of course, you must take action in your life. Magick can navigate and open doors, you must walk through them and face what lies ahead. Follow up magickal Work may be necessary for certain things as well, depending upon the situation. As with any successful Work, approaching a matter from many sides is best.

I plan to use this. Soon.

New beginnings

So, I've decided to basically take a fresh start and approach my spiritual and magickal progress in a different way. Hopefully the next year practicing Jason Miller's approach will broaden my perspective, enrich my practice, and have a decent yield with practical results.

First ordeal, as he explains both in his course and in his books, is meditation. Meditation is something I would like to say I've struggled with for a while, but he addresses those who say they struggle with having false expectations about meditation and more specifically a lack of tenacity about the practice of meditation, both of which I am guilty. In all of my study and practice, I've had the tendency to want to skip past the practice and work part, and get straight to the juicy stuff. But he explains that if he could only keep one of those practices, he would keep meditation.

I suppose it is, in the end, the most valuable. That is, to establish and maintain the clarity of mind necessary of separating your whimsical desires from your True Will. Simply knowing what your True Will is can give you more direction than most have in their lives, so what he says about it must be true. Now I'm forcing myself to do this the way it's supposed to be done -- from the ground up, skipping nothing, and being tenacious about it.

I've also reassessed my philosophy and approach to magick in that I have found that the Qabalah is, with only a rare exception in some instances, not even useful to me. The main thing I've pulled out of the Qabalah was an approach to cosmology which is better and more clearly stated in Hermetic and Neo-Platonic approaches. Some of that has been fit and applied to a certain interpretation to the Tree of Life, but in truth, a drawing of Ptolemy's Universe is, IMO, much more feasible and sensible, and the more I look into it, seems to fit exactly what it is my HGA revealed to me about the nature of astrology and astrological magick. So with that in mind, I have no need of Qabalah, really. I don't use Gematria, Notariqon, none of it. I don't think the Tree of Life or the divisions of it are even best at trying to explain what we are made of, and what the universe is made of.

And for practical purposes, I think a simpler approach to this will be better. The 3 levels concept employed by Jason is pretty operable and easy enough to understand. Successful sorcery therefore is about operating on the Highest -- with prayer and petitions to the Deity, work with "energy" and certain spirits on the astral, work in the physical with roots, herbs, candles, etc., followed by and preceded by work "in the field". So, I am excited about taking a more strategic approach to practical magick and look forward to how much further I can integrate my practice and spirituality into my every moment.