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Satan and Paganism – Should Wicca Go To Hell?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Aaron Leitch, author of several books, including Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, The Angelical Language Volume I and Volume II, and Essential Enochian Grimoire.

So when it rains it pours—even if it’s raining fire and brimstone! Just a few months ago, at the Florida Pagan Gathering, I gave one of the most unique lectures I have ever given. It was called, “Why are Satan, Hell, and Demons in the Grimoires?” It explored the question of why in the world a bunch of magickal texts, written by devout Christians during the medieval and renaissance eras, would so often focus upon satanic subject matter. Rather, that is, than focusing exclusively upon angels and Jesus. But, more than that, it explored the supreme importance of the underworld and chthonic entities to shamanism and occultism throughout history, when and how the West lost contact with the underworld, yet how it remains vital in our work even today.

It perhaps goes without saying that it is rare to attend a Pagan festival where you can sit and listen to a lecture that includes talk of Satan, the Bible, and Christian tradition. But what really made this lecture unique was how very well it was received. It was, hands-down, my most well-attended lecture in some time, and everyone had a blast. We explored subject matter that is usually considered entirely taboo, even for Pagans (maybe especially for Pagans—read on), yet the entire crowd was engaged and eager to learn the obscure history of chthonic occultism—but with the subject approached without a veneer of “Dark N’ Scary” fluff. At the time, I considered this a wonderful sign—and it’s not the first time I’ve whipped out my Bible for a lecture at the Pagan festivals. Pagans are changing, friends—it’s not like it was back in the 90s.

Now, I have not published that lecture, and I have not given it anywhere else (outside of my Temple—and I did that only a few days ago), so I can in no way take credit for what has happened since. Apparently, it was simply time to Satan in the Neopagan communities—and Satan it has! First, we have this bold article written by Pat Mosley, asking whether or not Satan should be invited (back??) into modern Paganism. It has created something of a storm; in part via a bunch of blog responses (either for or against) such as this one, this one, and even this guy over here (though he’s always going on about this very subject). And, perhaps it is needless to say, it has also created a ton of quite emotional comments and responses.

You should certainly go read Mr. Mosley’s article, but I can sum up his argument here: The figure of Satan is not purely a Christian invention, it is merely their version of the Pagan Horned God (drawn largely from imagery associated with Pan, and I’ll add drawn from Hades as well). He also points out that Satanists and Pagans haven’t always been at odds with one another, and in fact once freely associated—that is, until Neopaganism became a growing public movement, and it became necessary to distance ourselves from Satanism and any kind of satanic imagery. In 1974, the (now-defunct) Council of American Witches published their Principles of Wiccan Belief that states: “We do not accept the concept of absolute evil, nor do we worship any entity known as ‘Satan’ or ‘the Devil,’ as defined by Christian tradition.”

He points out (rightly so) that many Pagans took the low-road during the dark days of the “Satanic Panic” (a period in the 1970s and 80s where perfectly grown people believed, en mass, that Satanists had established child abuse rings in day care centers around the entire globe). Satanists are easy targets for accusations of crime, and of course any wannabe occultist who kills someone and gets caught is proclaimed a Satanist. And while the Satanic Panic was in full swing (and, really, even before and afterward), Neopagans have been quick to declare “We aren’t those dirty evil Satanists! That’s them over there! Get em!” It is a part of our history that should rightfully make all Pagans ashamed, because Satanists have never been what Christians or the media pretends they are. We should be pointing that out, instead of pointing fingers.

Yet, as Mosley also rightly points out, it was probably necessary to distance Wicca and Neopaganism from Satanism in the public eye, especially when the feces was flying over “Satanic ritual abuse.” Jobs, homes, and families were being lost or broken over Paganism and witchcraft—even as late as the 1990s. You all have The Craft, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Charmed, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and, most especially, Harry Potter to thank for the fact that you can (in most places) safely wear your Pentagram in public and call yourself a Witch. In previous decades, that simply wasn’t the case. Even I once lost a job because someone saw my Pentagram and decided they didn’t like it—and that was many years after the Satanism thing had been forgotten.

So, here we are in the post-Potter future, and Mr. Mosley wants to know if it’s really necessary to distance ourselves from Satan and Satanism any longer. On one hand, just look at what the Satanists are out there doing for all of us at this very moment. They have this absolutely beautiful statue of Baphomet—and every time the fundamentalist Christians attempt to use “religious freedom” to push their own faith on the public, the Satanists show up with Baphomet (and stacks of Satanist pamphlets) to demand equal consideration. In every case, the Christians quickly change their minds and retreat. (So it’s suddenly not ok to hand out religious pamphlets at schools? I see…) Yeah, those Satanists are my heroes. You don’t see any Wiccans doing that—but I’m not shaking my finger at Wiccans here. Such protests require shock value, so this really is a job for the Satanists—you go guys!

Another important point is one I mentioned above: the Satanists have a bad reputation, but it’s not deserved. (Except for their contamination by Ayn Rand and her sociopathic Objectivism. Perhaps they will eventually mature beyond that.) Contrary to what the media would have you believe, Satanists do not spend their time murdering kitty cats or abusing children. To be perfectly honest, every Satanist I’ve met was actually a pretty nice person—they just happen to be into dark imagery and generally enjoy the look on people’s faces when they declare themselves a “Satanist.” And if you happen to meet a member of LaVey’s Satanic Church (or any of it’s offshoots), then you are likely dealing with a hard-core atheist who doesn’t even believe in a “Satan.” They simply use Satan as a symbol for sex, fun, drugs and the enjoyment of life (again, see Pan)—and as a symbol of their rebellion against fundamentalist Christianity’s skewed values.

However, it is not Mosley’s attempt to generate sympathy for the Devil (see what I did there?) that has generated the emotional response from Neopagans. Instead, it is his comparison of Satan to the Wiccan Horned God, and the values of Satanism and Paganism, and his suggestion that Neopagans should perhaps open their arms to the Satanists and accept them as part of the greater Pagan family. I see two things going on here, which need to be firmly separated. On one hand, there is the idea that Satanists are not that bad, are not (as people) that far removed from Pagans, and we should probably start looking at them as brothers instead of boogeymen. With this I fully agree (If only they could overcome that Rand bullshit!), and to their credit I haven’t yet seen a Pagan say anything bad about the Satanists as people.

No, the emotional responses have all been on the other issue: whether or not Satan (as a figure) should be adopted into Paganism—even Wicca. If I were to attempt to sum up the negative responses, it would be that “Satan”—as a Christian concept—does not work outside of a dualist cosmology that accepts the existence of “good” and “evil,” along with the concept of an “ultimate source” for that evil somewhere outside the heart of mankind. As the Council of American Witches correctly pointed out, Wiccan cosmology possesses none of these things.

I can understand where the Wiccans are coming from. Mosley focuses upon the Pagan origins of Satan—which are very real—and suggests this means we should accept Satan (back) into the Pagan pantheon. In rebuttal, however, I must point out that the fundamentalist Satan is, intentionally, a corruption of Pagan concepts. Pan represented lust and drunkenness and parties and fun, but Satan was a twisted negative embodiment of those things. He represents rape and violence and addiction and wasted life. Christians looked at all the enjoyable parts of life, projected them into their worse-case-scenario outcomes, and decided they were all gateways to evil.

It is true that both Satanists and Wiccans are rebelling against that kind of idiocy, each in their own ways. I can clearly see where Mosley is making his comparison. However, why should folks who worship nature desire to adopt a twisted Christian figure to represent nature when they already have The Horned One/Pan—who is not only the origin of Satan but comes without all the dualist Christian baggage?

Unless…what if the fundamentalists are wrong about Satan? Yeah, odd concept that—as they are clearly so “on point” about everything else in the spiritual realm. But, what if the mainstream Christian concept of Satan as the polar opposite of God and Source of All Evil is entirely made-up political nonsense? What if…Mosley was talking about another Satan altogether?

That’s right! There’s a third option here. Mr. Mosley could very well be talking about someone else entirely when he says “Satan.” You see, the Ultimate Evil Satan was created by the Church as a tool of political warfare—to frighten butts into pews (and coins into collection plates) as well as to give every good Christian an excuse to do whatever horrible thing they desired—because “the Devil made me do it.” It has absolutely no theological support from any Biblical writing; Christians believe it only because Priests and Pastors have harped on it for centuries.

But then there is the folk Satan. The Satan of the common people, and the one described in the grimoires. He is very much akin to the Horned God of Wicca, the Lord of Nature and Spirits. He is the Man of the Crossroads, summoned for divination and favors. He is the trickster. If you draw upon Biblical imagery for him, he is the angel who accuses you of wrongdoing on behalf of God (that’s right, he works for the Big Guy in the Bible) and offers temptations much as Pan did before him. Christian tradition actually establishes Satan as the “god of this world,” in charge of physical reality (again, working for God) until Christ comes to establish a new celestial kingdom.

Thus, in all of these things I am following the written texts; and it is in these cases I follow the instructions without deviation. There are points in these operations where a greater understanding of the Solomonic tradition helps—such as when a system passes over how to perform ritual purifications before the work begins. Or, as with Enochian, simply possessing a basic understanding of how Renaissance angel magick was done (as opposed to how it was done in later post-Victorian magickal lodges) gives you a better idea how Dee himself might have worked. However, at no point do these “complete” systems require you to borrow entire procedures from other grimoires.

While Satan is undoubtedly a dangerous figure no matter how you slice him, there exist very elaborate traditions wherein he is not specifically evil. In fact, when Christianity came to a new area, Satan generally just absorbed whatever nature spirit(s) the local people were used to invoking in their spells. If you need to work with an elemental, or faery, or dryad, or gnome, or elf, or any other spirit of nature or the air, then Satan was the guy in charge of them. Where you once called Oberon, now you call Satan. In practical terms, they aren’t that different.

Even today, we can look into traditions like the ATRs (Palo, Voodoo, Candomble, etc.) and find very satanic-looking figures who are invoked for all sorts of practical purposes. For a great example, take a look at images of Baron Samedi in the Voodoo tradition. He’s in charge of the dead—the spirits you call to get things done in the real world. Or consider the importance of the spirit “Lucero” in Palo Mayombe. There, he is the gate-keeper; you have to call him before you can even make contact with another spirit or Orisha. He is also the primary go-to spirit for divination.

This is where guys like me and Jake Stratton Kent come into the picture—because we are among a growing number of people who are looking into this other Satan character. The folk Satan who—within the folk Christian tradition (that is, the Christianity of the common people, as opposed to the view of the Church)—is simply the guy in charge of the underworld and the spirits of nature who witches regularly invoke. Wiccans call him the Horned One, the old grimoires call him Satan—but it’s basically the same guy. My lecture about Satan’s role in the grimoires focused heavily upon this very subject.

To sum up my thoughts: I think Mr. Mosley makes a good point that Neopagans need to get over the “we aren’t like them!” mindset where it comes to Satanists. Because, in many ways, we do share similar values and social goals (Again, follow that statue of Baphomet and appreciate how they are fighting for your religious freedom!) I do not agree that Wiccans need to, or even should, adopt Satan into their tradition, because they already have a perfectly good Horned One of their own. Yet, I have personally seen evidence that Pagans are, indeed, more willing than ever to take a new look at Satan (and other Christian-based occult subjects) and reconsider how even they view the figure. It’s not an either-or situation—but it sure looks like it was time to have the discussion!

Our thanks to Aaron for his guest post! Visit Aaron Leitch’s author page for more information, including articles and his books.

Myth is Metaphor

Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card is an amazing book. Every time I dip into it, I am amazed all over again. Because I’m thinking a lot about myth right now, I read some of what Mary writes about myth and tarot.

Read more about the book HERE

She quotes Joseph Campbell: “A myth is a public dream; a dream is a private myth.” Then she goes on:

Myth is metaphor. If you believe the myth is literally true, you’ll miss the deeper truth buried within the story. The many dimensions of a tarot card help reveal that deeper truth.

Likewise by examining a myth or story for a querent, you can:

See where in the story the querent is right now.

Predict what the next step or stage might be.

Suggest, if the querent seems stuck, something from the myth that could unblock the querent to move (or find another story with similar elements that offers other options).

Explore the querent’s relationship and how these people impact the querent’s life.

Give meaning and purpose to the experience (since most myths culminate in transformation and renewal).

Roberto Calasso, who has retold many of the world myths, says in The Marriage of Cadmus and Harmony that when we take risks we enter the mythical realm, for “myth is the enchantment we generate in ourselves at such moments.” Thus in a reading, as you define and redefine your metaphors, you enchant yourself; you attract a new personal myth or new twists on old ones. To create change, you don’t have to change life directly, only what you tell yourself about it. This allows you to imagine yourself in new ways and revision your possibilities. By drawing your awareness to things previously unnoticed, it generates the magic Jung called “synchronicity” – an acausal principle in which everything that happens at a single moment in time is related in a meaningful way.

“Grimoire Hopping:” Is It Valuable—or Possible—to Dedicate to a Single Text?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Aaron Leitch, author of several books, including Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, The Angelical Language Volume I and Volume II, and Essential Enochian Grimoire.

Those who take an interest in Solomonic and grimoire occultism face a rather unique dilemma. Anyone who undertakes a specific path/tradition—such as the Golden Dawn, Thelema, and even Wicca—generally has their work cut out for them. Literally. Someone before them has taken the time to design an entire course of work and study for the new student to follow. You will read this text and that one, you will perform these rituals and meditations, and you will pass this test before moving on to the next stage—there really isn’t any room for confusion on that point.

This, however, is not the case for the student hoping to learn the ways of Solomon or Enoch. You, courageous seeker (if this applies to you), are merely pointed toward an entire genre of (extremely obscure) occult literature and told, “There lie the true secrets of magick. Good luck.” So, realizing you’re pretty much on your own, you take the most logical first step: look for a copy of the Key of Solomon in order to get an idea of what the system looks like and requires. But wait! Do you mean the “greater” or “lesser” Key of Solomon? Or did you mean the Hygromanteia (aka the Magical Treatise of Solomon)? Maybe you’d like the Key of Solomon the King published by Mathers, or do you prefer the Veritable Key of Solomon published by Skinner and Rankine? I could go on, but you can see for yourself right here. And, mind you(!), these are only a few of the manuscripts attributed specifically to Solomon—so this doesn’t include the host of grimoires attributed to other authors. All of them purport to teach you how to summon the spirits and work the spells, and they are all certainly similar to one another, yet they are also very different.

But we’re not done confusing you yet! You see, we old-timers are going to give you a solid gem of advice before you even get started: Follow the damned instructions! Don’t skimp or take shortcuts, don’t alter things to the way you think they should be; trust that the author of the grimoire knew what he (or she) was doing and follow the instructions as given. Then, you’ll delve into your chosen grimoire(s) and discover the punchline: the instructions aren’t complete! At least, they aren’t in the greatest number of occult texts. Most of them were written as working notes for practicing magicians, and it was assumed a lot was already understood by the student before even picking up the book.

There are relatively few grimoires that contain such utterly complete systems you would never have to reference or draw something from another grimoire to fill in procedural gaps. A great example is found in the Goetia, one of the more popular texts from the “Lesser” Key of Solomon. There, we are told we need a number of tools and talismans for the magick; we are shown what the talismans should look like, and given some basic magickal timing for when to make them, and that’s it. No consecration procedures are suggested, though we can be certain they were intended—not only for the tools and talismans, but for the magician himself. The author simply assumed we would already know this information, and therefore did not waste ink writing it out. The modern student quickly notices that the “Greater” Key of Solomon contains lengthy chapters on ritual preparation of the self and the tools, and assumes this information can be used to flesh out the Goetia’s instructions.

Now, here is where the student will encounter some real controversy. There are a few Solomonic practitioners out there who will insist “grimoire hopping”—that is, either switching between grimoires, or drawing material from one text to “fill out” another—is a bad idea. Instead, one should pick a text and dedicate to it. They will say there are differences between the instructions in different grimoires, and therefore we shouldn’t assume their procedures can be easily shared between them. Not to mention a great number of grimoires, themselves, claim to contain the real secrets of magick while other grimoires are vain foolish attempts at the same—so apparently even they didn’t want you to mix their systems together.

Except, they totally mixed the systems together themselves—a lot. They regularly borrowed conjurations, prayers, talismans, words of power, ritual tools, magick circles, and more from one another. In fact, they did so much appropriating it is often difficult to determine which book copied from another, or when they might both have been drawing from some as-yet-unknown older source. And they didn’t keep the things they borrowed pristine, either. They made aggressive changes—lengthening or shortening conjurations, changing names of God, altering spirit hierarchies, changing the required tools and furnishings, adding bits in, taking bits out, etc., etc.

So, I’ll understand if you find yourself confused and exasperated. You shouldn’t mix systems or deviate from the instructions, except you actually have to. Yet, trust me, there is no change, addition or subtraction you can make to your chosen system that will not result in someone, somewhere, telling you that you’ve done it wrong. I can’t entirely blame those of you who have decided the Solomonic mages can go to gehenna with their convoluted tradition. However, before you begin to wish the Roman Church had succeeded in burning all the blasted grimoires, let’s see if we can’t untangle this knot to some extent.

The Solomonic Tradition Outside the Grimoires

First, you have to understand that the Solomonic tradition—in and of itself—is a thing. I mean in the same way that Wicca is a thing, or the Golden Dawn is a thing, or Christianity is a thing: It is a singular and recognizable tradition that happens to have a large number of different manifestations. In Christianity you have several different sects (Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, and Gnostic being the main divisions). They all have their differences, but any of them can intermix to varying degrees, and/or at least recognize each other as different manifestations of the same larger tradition. For example, a Protestant who likes a Catholic icon of Mother Mary might hang one in her home without much issue, but she would have more explaining to do if she hung up an image of the Buddha or Krishna.

In the case of Solomonic mysticism, the different manifestations take the form of the grimoires, with their differing yet largely similar procedures and instructions. Yet, for all of their differences, they are all based on the same essential occult philosophies and techniques. They are all recognizable as “Solomonic”—even when a text is not directly attributed to that king. Different adepts had their personal ways of going about things, but they were all operating within the same greater tradition, guided by the same basic principles.

This is vastly important, because it means there is a “Solomonic tradition” that over-arches the grimoires themselves. Too often, we tend to view the magick as coming entirely from the books—either in a literary sense (Solomonic magick comes from Solomonic grimoires), or in a magickal sense (the spirits and power of Solomonic magick is bound entirely to the written grimoires). However, I think the truth is that the chicken came before the egg here: that is, the magick and the spirits came first, and the grimoires are merely an expression and encapsulation of the tradition. This explains why the authors of the grimoires were so willing to borrow material from each other—even when their procedures differed. And, it reveals something astounding for you: It is possible to work Solomonic magick without the grimoires at all!

No, I don’t mean you can become a Solomonic wizard without ever studying the Key of Solomon and other old occult texts. What I mean is that you do not have to choose one of the few grimoires that offer a complete system and stick with it for life, nor is it necessary for you to crib together a personal system from several different grimoires. What I do mean is that it is possible to learn and understand the essential principles the magick is based upon, and construct your own conjurations, rituals, talismans, and procedures. As long as the principles you are applying are those of the Solomonic tradition, and not those of (say) Wicca or the Golden Dawn, then your magick is as Solomonic as anyone who has performed the full procedure in the Goetia or Heptameron several times.

My personal magickal work often involves no grimoires at all. For most purposes, when calling upon the aid of my house patrons and familiars, I make use of invocations, Psalms, talismans, and offerings—all done in a completely Solomonic fashion, but not drawing any of the procedure from a specific grimoire. In fact, some of the grimoires themselves attempt to teach us to operate in just this manner. Take the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy as an example: it includes lengthy instructions for how to create talismans, compose conjurations and invocations, observe magickal timing, and much more; but at no point does it provide step-by-step instructions for pre-written rituals. Instead, it teaches you the basic principals behind how the magick works and expects you to put them to practical use on your own. Then, after a few decades, you can write down the stuff that worked best for you, and you will have created a grimoire; and that is how the Solomonic tradition exists before and beyond the written material.

Solomonic Magick Within the Grimoires

Now, I should stress that I certainly consult the grimoires for many things: Such as my dedication to the Book of Abramelin (one of those rare complete systems you can work the rest of your life). My go-to ritual for big issues was adopted from a short treatise on “Mixed Cabala” (i.e. Psalm magick). When I need to consecrate a new ritual tool I will generally follow the instructions provided by the Key of Solomon. And, of course, the angels of the Enochian system sternly insist (at least for me) that the tools and furnishings used to call them must be made exactly as recorded in Dee’s magickal journals.

Thus, in all of these things I am following the written texts; and it is in these cases I follow the instructions without deviation. There are points in these operations where a greater understanding of the Solomonic tradition helps—such as when a system passes over how to perform ritual purifications before the work begins. Or, as with Enochian, simply possessing a basic understanding of how Renaissance angel magick was done (as opposed to how it was done in later post-Victorian magickal lodges) gives you a better idea how Dee himself might have worked. However, at no point do these “complete” systems require you to borrow entire procedures from other grimoires.

These are the cases where it is most important to avoid altering the system. I’ve said this before: If you want to perform the operation outlined in the Key of Solomon, then perform that operation! Don’t mix and match systems and draw from other sources and make changes as you go along, and then go out and proclaim you’ve put the Key to a proper test. You haven’t accomplished that until you have truly performed the operation as outlined in the book. Then, once you’ve made contact with the spirits, they will instruct you on changes you can make and better ways to accomplish your goals. That’s how real magick works.

However, the fact remains, in many cases you are going to run into cryptic and incomplete instructions. Quite often, a text will simply tell you to “prepare for X days” before a ritual, and leave the preparation up to you. If you understand how such preparations are performed in general, you’ll have little problem moving forward in your task. On the other hand, another grimoire may have a preliminary procedure that seems appropriate, and it is not always improper to make use of it. A great example is found in the Enochian system, again: according to Dee’s journals, the angels told him to prepare himself for nine days before attempting a certain ritual, but did not provide specific instructions. Meanwhile, we find the Key of Solomon happens to include a nine-day purification process—with which Dee was likely himself familiar—and there is nothing about that process that would contradict your Enochian work. So, there is no harm in using it.

Grimoire Hopping

To be fair, those who speak against “grimoire hopping” are not likely (or at least not often) talking about that kind of scenario. They are probably reacting to one (or both) of two things: 1) Piecing together entire magickal operations from disparate grimoires (or entirely separate occult traditions like the Golden Dawn or Thelema) and/or 2) jumping from one grimoire system to another as if they were garments to be changed at will.

The first one is a bit tricky, and loaded with controversy. Some practitioners insist that drawing anything from outside the grimoires (such as Pentagram and Hexagram rituals) is detrimental to the essential nature of the magick. The worldview of the Solomonic conjurer is different than the later Mason-influenced lodge magician. However, I would point out there is quite an elaborate “Solomonic lodge tradition” that is every bit as valid and powerful as Renaissance angel magick. I would never suggest to those mystics that their chosen systems are somehow inherently wrong. It’s not Renaissance angel magick, but it’s still entirely valid.

Consider, too, my insistence that the spirits will tell you what to change as they desire—and who knows what they’ll ask you to adopt? For example, I performed Abramelin the year before I joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. If you are familiar with Abramelin, you know it is required to burn a lamp of olive oil in your oratory during workings. However, the day I was initiated into the Zelator Grade of the HOGD, as I stood before a seven-branched candlestick, my Guardian Angel whispered in my ear: I want one of those! (She indicated the white candles, not the candlestick.) So, from that day forward I have used a white candle on my Abramelin altar instead of the oil lamp the book requires—and I got the inspiration from my Golden Dawn initiation. Notice, however, that I did not rush off to make a “Golden Dawn Abramelin” ritual entirely mixing the two systems—I simply adopted something my angel requested, because (again) that’s how magick works.

Of course, the same applies even if the adopted material comes from another grimoire. Imagine, for example, you have made contact with a spirit in the Goetia—using the conjurations given in that text—only to have the spirit tell you he hates that conjuration and would rather you use something else. You could write one, or you could ask him if this conjuration over here in the Heptameron would be more to his liking. If he says, “That’s fine,” then you can feel more than free to go ahead and use it. The key here, yet again(!), is that the spirit in question is directing this—it’s not something you are coming up with on your own due to “reasons.”

The second kind of grimoire hopping is a little more cut-and-dry (in my opinion), though students seem to get a bit confused over the issue. Is it acceptable to move from one grimoire system to another on a regular basis—especially to contact the same entities? Also, do the different grimoires all contact the same entities, or does each system contact unique spirits even if they share the same names?

Let me address the second question first: Yes, they are all the same spirits from one grimoire to another. The spelling of their names might change slightly, or the method of contacting them, or even where they fit into the spirit hierarchy outlined in the grimoire. However, Michael is Michael no matter how you call him, Asmodeus (or Ashmodai, or Asmoday, or etc) is still Asmodeus. Calling on them via different methods can result in meeting different aspects of the entity (or what Santeria refers to as different “paths” of the spirit), but they remain different aspects of a single greater being. What you see in the grimoires are merely different methods of establishing contact with those spirits, and your job as a seeker is to simply decide which method calls to you most. If you call the Archangel Michael via the Heptameron, you’re going to meet the same essential guy you’ve been calling via the Armadel. He may come in different robes, colors, and attitude, but he’s still your Michael and he’ll recognize you when he arrives.

And so we have our answer to the first question as well: should you move from one grimoire to another? Well, maybe a bit at first while you are still exploring. However, in the long term you need to find the system that calls to you, and that works best for you, and stick with it. I find that most practitioners who bounce from one grimoire to another to contact the same spirits are generally those who treat the grimoires like order menus. Rather than settling on one or two spirits that work best with them, and developing life-long relationships, they just scan the grimoires for whatever spirit seems to have the functions they desire, and start conjuring. I have stated many times in the past this is a bad idea—it diffuses your efforts and your magickal power. You never build a working relationship with a spirit or spirits you know you can trust, but are forever locked into making one cold first-contact after another in the hopes that maybe this spirit will come through for you.

So, here is the bottom line as I see it: Drawing appropriate material from more than one grimoire is acceptable, sometimes necessary, and completely backed up by the Solomonic literature itself. However, if you’re going to put a grimoire to the test, then put it to the test completely before even considering making any changes or additions. At the same time, it is entirely possible to work the Solomonic tradition without ever dedicating to a specific grimoire at all. You only need to truly understand the occult philosophy behind the magick, and how the old masters wrote their own grimoires to begin with. Above all, don’t treat the grimoires like the yellow pages, assuming you can just “call up” any of the listed spirits who might be able to achieve your desire. Work with different spirits and their different systems until you find the one(s) that speak most to you, then stick with them and build a powerful relationship.

So which kind of practitioner are you? Do you dedicate entirely to a single grimoire? Do you employ general Solomonic magick divorced from any single text? Do you “grimoire hop?” Are you a Solomonic lodge-magician? Or do you just pull up to the spiritual drive-through lane and place your order?

Our thanks to Aaron for his guest post! Visit Aaron Leitch’s author page for more information, including articles and his books.

The Lovers

It seems fitting that around Valentine’s Day we look at the Lovers card. This one is from the Steampunk Tarot. I remember when we were working on this and I kept pushing Aly to add more passion. Then I stopped pushing…because steampunk is usually situated in the Victorian era and consequently, emotions were contained and now always expressed very dramatically.

Image from The Steampunk Tarot. You can find out more HERE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Steampunk Tarot Manuel:

6, The Lovers

“I could not have made a better choice.”

Core meaning: Making a decision that makes your heart glad.

Love is an interesting phenomenon, and this is an interesting card. In our everyday lives and in most readings about relationships, if the Lovers comes up, we cannot help but get a little giddy and excited about the possibilities. This card conjures up romantic hopes and dreams of, as Sally Owens said in Practical Magic, “a love that even time will lie down and be still for.” There is something about the power of love that lets us believe that anything is possible, if only we were with the right person.

Why do we feel that way? Because when the right two things (or people) are mixed together, the newly created whole is worth more (or is better) than the sum of its parts. Put the right two people together and they both become their very best selves. In this image, a man, representing fire and air (the active elements) and a woman, representing water and earth (the passive elements) join hands. Their union creates something more astonishing and more powerful than they would ever be as individuals.

The experience of romantic love, while a very real force in our lives, is also symbolic of a deeper truth. It reminds us that whenever the two right things come together, something transformative and magical happens. These two things can be you plus any other thing you choose—a relationship, a career, a passion, anything—that is the perfect match for your heart. Really, this is the crux of this card: the importance of making the right choice. Make the right decision and the experience is full of the same potent power of love.

When the Lovers come a’calling, pay attention to your heart. You have the opportunity to make a choice, to commit to something that could change your life. This partnership has the potential for real magic. You’ve heard the saying, “my heart just isn’t in it”? If you are considering something (or someone!) and your heart doesn’t leap at the thought, you might want to move on to the next thought.

Reading tip: If the 2 or 10 of Cups or the 4 of Wands is present with this card, it is a good signal that romance or romantic love is playing a role in situation.

Deciphering the Nature of Purifying Ritual Space

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Michael Furie, author of Supermarket Magic, Spellcasting for Beginners, and the new Spellcasting: Beyond the Basics.

When discussing the subject of spiritual or magical purification with other members of the Pagan community, I’ve noticed that two main points of view usually dominate the conversations: those that faithfully complete the now-standard steps of cleansing/purification prior to every ritual and those that deem it as entirely unnecessary. For those that do not feel a need for the cleansing, the most frequent statement I have heard is something to the effect of, “Since we view the earth as sacred, it seems silly to ‘purify’ the area.” Usually the “pro-purification” side contends that if a ritual area is not properly prepared, then disruptive or harmful energies could be attracted by whatever magical work is being conducted there, so it is best to take the standard precautions rather than deal with problems. In my own training, I was taught that both points of view have merit and that reconciling these two apparently opposing perspectives can be easily accomplished by focusing on the concept of alignment.

When learning magic, we are usually taught the importance of using proper ingredients (herbs, stones, colors, tools, etc.) that correspond to the goals of our ritual in order to build the type of energy we need. This correspondence is a form of alignment. If all the energies within the ritual space are properly aligned to the same purpose, the rite itself is much more effective. In most cases, purifying or cleansing a person or area has little or nothing to do with anything impure or evil, but rather has the effect of neutralizing any energies present that are not in harmony with the magical or spiritual intent. This is the deeper meaning of circle casting; it’s not that the land is full of negative energy; it is just that whatever random energy is present may not be in harmony with the goal and could therefore be a hindrance to success. To “create sacred space” is to build a harmonious environment for magic and ritual. That is not to say that casting a magic circle is the only means of creating the proper energetic effect; most magical or spiritual traditions have some form of preparatory steps that accomplish this, but not all recognize the effect produced as being that of “purification.”

It really comes down to semantics; different methods, approaches, and workings, each with their own terms or labels but all are providing essentially the same function. The function of course is to facilitate the proper energetic space for ritual. It matters not what type of preparatory work one does; some leave offerings at the boundary to appease potentially troublesome forces, some call spiritual guardians to the site, some use wards to deflect incompatible energies and some go through the full steps of casting a circle. I’m certain there are hundreds of variations but the goal (whether consciously acknowledged or not) is always to bring the energy of place into harmony with the intended purpose of the ritual—an essential and very magical act.

Our thanks to Michael for his guest post! For more from Michael Furie, read his article, “Altar Design: Drafting the Plans for Manifestation.”

Tarot Journaling and the Star

At the beginning of a new year, people often make a resolution to keep a journal. Keeping a journal has many benefits and can be done any number of ways. One way is to journal about tarot cards. In Tarot 101, Kim Huggens provides lots of great journaling questions for each card. You could work through the book in order or randomly draw a card and look up the questions she has created.

The beginning of the year often brings peace, calm, and hope, the very energy of the Star card. Here are Kim’s questions. Pull out your favorite version of the Star, grab your best pen or favorite markers and settle in with this gentle card.

Questions for Journaling about The Star

Am I hopeful? Do I hold high hopes or do I become pessimistic?

How do I heal? Do I bear old wounds and grudges easily or do I let go quickly?

Do I view myself as successful and lucky? Where does this success and luck lie?

What experiences of luck have I had?

What was the last wish I made? Did it come true?

What forms can healing come in?

5 Secrets of Self-Healing

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Amy B. Scher, author of the new How to Heal Yourself When No One Else Can.

Do you know self-healing is the most powerful kind of healing? Self-healing sends signals to our body that we have power over our own bodies and lives. Our bodies are designed to heal themselves and when we connect with that primal ability, all kinds of awesome things can happen. My life (and health!) completely changed when I started depending less on doctors and practitioners and more on me.

Here are my 5 secrets of self-healing.

Find What Resonates with You

When I was first learning about healing, I read countless books and eventually did several professional training programs to conquer the subject of energy therapy.It becomes very easy to get caught up in what others say about different techniques and modalities. But really, that doesn’t matter. Working with techniques that you are drawn to will have the biggest positive impact on you. When you feel a pull toward something, that’s a little something called your intuition trying to lead you right to where you need to go. Hearing what’s been the best for someone else might give you ideas to explore, but if you get too attached to the path of another, it can detract from your own healing.

Your healing path will be a unique one, so don’t feel obligated to read every book and learn every modality; just jump in and try what resonates with you. It’s okay to leave all the rest behind. By focusing your energy toward something that feels good to you, you will find also what also works best for you.
Don’t Overdo It

Although healing miracles abound, healing is not always a super fast process. Just because you know a new technique doesn’t mean you should use it all day long (even though I totally know the temptation). There really is “too much” of a good thing.With energy work, there is often a “processing” that happens as that energy moves out of our field, and until that happens, we might not feel the full shift or improvement. Putting your body under the stress of doing more and more can be counter-effective.

I can’t say enough for giving your body time and space to allow the healing process to happen. Otherwise, you will only create stress on your body—and that’s not the result you are aiming for, right?
Use Your Intuition

I learned this early on, and it’s priceless. When learning techniques, there will always be explicit instructions. That’s because that’s the only way these things can be taught. However, using your own intuition to alter and revise techniques can make them even more beneficial for you.You may be called to perform a technique in a slightly different way. That’s likely because your mind or body knows that it might work for you better that way. The types of deviations I used in my own healing include things like using my right hand instead of my left hand, holding a pose or technique longer or shorter than stipulated, skipping a certain part of an exercise, and more. All of these things are okay and you should give yourself permission to do them. You might just end up creating something new that way!

I don’t think there is a single technique I use with myself or my clients that’s exactly how it was taught to me, and I really believe my personal twists make it that much more effective.
Don’t Try to Fix Everyone

Once we figure out we actually do have the power to heal ourselves, we often feel the pressure to want to fix everyone. You might even feel a heavy sense of responsibility to help your loved ones. Sharing what you know with others is awesome, but taking on a whole new job is not a good idea. This is very stressful to your body, especially if you’re not well yourself. If you are still struggling with emotional or physical imbalances, you might resonate too much with other people’s imbalances, which can exacerbate your own. I’ve heard this phenomenon over and over again from practitioners who are suffering from chronic illness: energetically, they match right up with their clients and start picking up on their symptoms.Energy follows a flow, and you need someone to come in with strong stable energy to really raise the vibration. If two people are of a low vibration, it’s not the optimal healing environment for either of you.
Ask for Help When You’re Stuck

There is a good reason to ask for help when you’re stuck, and it’s not because self-healing doesn’t work. It’s simply because a professional has seen hundreds of clients and you’ve only had experience with … well, you. Practitioners who do this all day long have seen patterns and different issues emerge, which gives us an advantage—we can often quickly see what you can’t. Not only that, but this is the best way to learn. I learned so much through my own instructor. I was able to see how she unraveled issues, what she did when we got stuck, and hear lots of stories that resonated with me, which gave me new ideas for my own healing.

Now that you know these five secrets, put them into practice. Start seeing what you feel called to, learn it (but put your twist on it), and focus on allowing your mind-body to do the rest. Happy healing!

Our thanks to Amy for her guest post! For more from Amy B. Scher, read her article, “How to Use Affirmations That Work.”

The Importance of Giving Back to the Totems (And Other Spirits, Too!)

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Lupa, author of New Paths to Animal Totems, Plant and Fungus Totems, and the new Nature Spirituality from the Ground Up.

One of the common themes I see in books on animal totemism and similar practices is an emphasis on what we can get out of working with these beings. The language used can at times be pretty anthropocentric: “Harness the power of the totems to change your life!” sums it up well enough. Now, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to improve your health, wealth, and wisdom with the help of totemic allies. After all, that’s one of the strengths of spirituality—if it makes you a better person, you’re using it right.

What few of these books discuss is how to give back to the totems. The best relationships of any sort are reciprocal, balanced in give and take. It’s not out of grudging obligation, either: everyone involved wants what’s best for everyone else. And in this case, I advocate for cultivating the kind of totemic relationship in which you want to do kind things for your totems.

How do you do that? I’d like to share a few suggestions.

Cultivate a sense of gratitude: When we go into any sort of a relationship with an attitude of “Me, me, me!” it’s harder for us to look beyond our own needs. We take what we’re given for granted, and then if it goes away we feel slighted. Take a moment each day to think about all the beings who have given of themselves to help you, whether that’s feeding you, or teaching you, or helping you heal.
See nature, both physical and spiritual, as an interconnected system: Through gratitude, you’ll begin to see how we are all part of greater ecosystems, human and otherwise. When we are aware of something, we learn to be more careful of it. And when we care for something, we want to know more about it. So it becomes a positive feedback loop in which gratitude and curiosity lift each other ever upward.
Learn about the animal behind the totem and what challenges it faces: In learning about systems as a whole, we also learn about their parts. Study the animals that your totems watch over. Find out what threatens them, whether it’s disease, over-hunting, pollution, or other dangers. Habitat loss is the number one cause of species endangerment and extinction, and unfortunately our demand for land for agriculture, industry, and even suburbs all contribute to the destruction of wild land, so it’s also important to look at what affects each species’ home.
Take action to give back: The single best offering you can give a totem is to care for its physical counterparts. That can be everything from reducing the amount of resources you consume and the pollutants you produce (like carbon in the air and plastic in, well, everything), to donating money and/or time to local organizations that help the environment. Even picking up trash in your neighborhood is a worthwhile effort.

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Our thanks to Lupa for her guest post! For more from Lupa, read her article, “Nature Spirituality From the Ground Up: Exploring the Totemic Ecosystem.”

Creating Characters with Tarot

We don’t always use the cards for readings. Sometimes we want to use them in creative ways or to spark our own creativity in other projects. Whether you are writing a story or are looking for a fun way to work with your cards, story telling and tarot have always gone hand in hand. Writers use the cards in all aspects for story creation, from character generation to plot structure to scene development. Corrine Kenner’s Tarot for Writers has lots of great applications. Here is one that would be fun to do on a snow day or perhaps at a party or meet up.

Creating Characters from Tarot for Writers

Try using the cards to answer any of the following questions. You can pull as many cards as you like to determine the answers.

Is your character a man or a woman?

How old is your character?

What does your character look like?

What does your character do for a living?

How does your character spend his or her free time?

Does your character have a spouse, children, or a pet?

What are your character’s hopes and dreams?

What does your character fear most?

6 or 18 Months: How Long, O Abramelin, How Long?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Aaron Leitch, author of several books, including Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, The Angelical Language Volume I and Volume II, and Essential Enochian Grimoire.

Way back in 1898, the famous magician S.L. Mathers published an English translation of an obscure little 16th century grimoire called the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage. This text contained what may very well be the most unique magickal Rite in the entire Western occult corpus. It wasn’t, like other grimoires, focused upon gaining riches, or lovers, or respect from your boss. It didn’t dwell upon finding buried treasure, becoming bullet-proof, or gaining other magickal superpowers. Oh, all of those things are found in the book, to be sure, but they are all presented as a footnote to the main ritual: the bonding with one’s Holy Guardian Angel (or HGA), the Voice of God in your life, the Divine Representative and Redeemer of your soul. It was not a simple ritual one could perform in a night off from work and call it done; no, the process of Abramelin was a six-month dedication that few had the gumption to attempt.

It would be an understatement to suggest the grimoire fascinated occultists, both at the time it was published and to this very day. Because of the length of time involved, and the lofty spiritual goal of the Rite, it was quickly enthroned as the Western Ritual par excellence. This was the final goal of the adept wizard, the highest and most difficult ordeal he could pass through, after which he would have access to True Power indeed! (Keep in mind, however, that this contradicts the book itself, which presents the Rite as the very first step one should take upon the magickal path, and even assures you that once you have completed the Rite you will still be a neophyte with a long way to go before (with the help of your Guardian Angel) you might someday attain adepthood.)

Thus, the Book of Abramelin has been quite over-hyped, with people making much more of it than they should. You really won’t come away from the Rite with magickal superpowers, or even a firm grasp of how to work with the spirits. (These are all things the Angel will teach you, slowly and surely, over the following years.) Yet, somehow, the book has been simultaneously underestimated—what with most folks assuming (quite incorrectly) that the Rite, despite its length, is simply an evocation ritual for your Guardian Angel. (It is, in fact, a ritual of permanently bonding with said Angel—a prospect much bigger and more dangerous than merely summoning it for a chat and then sending it away again.)

So, in the end, what we have in the Book of Abramelin is an infamous grimoire that most occultists place upon a pedestal, are entirely too frightened to actually try, and generally don’t understand what it’s about to begin with. It became more of a legend than a reality—something to write about with awe, but not something you’d ever dare put into practice. Or, as many have done, you might cherry-pick portions of the text that you like (hey look, word-square talismans I don’t understand! Let’s use them!) while ignoring that months-long angel ritual that just takes too much effort!

Anything to do with passion causes spiritual heat. Fun, love, parties, games and competition, sex, anger, arguments, hate, strife, worry, etc, etc.—from either the positive or negative end of the spectrum—all cause spiritual heat. (Or what we here in the modern West refer to as passion.) And that heat/passion can be very disruptive when you are trying to focus upon a specific spiritual force or entity.

Then, in the late 20th century, a few of us decided to actually do that Abramelin thing and see if it worked. And, guess what? It worked—really well. I’m pretty sure, back then, each of us were doing it entirely on our own. (I know I was.) But then the World Wide Web happened and we found one another and began to talk. Then others found us talking about it and realized the Abramelin Rite is not as impossible as it had seemed. Then Georg Dehn entered the scene.

Georg had laid his hands upon an older manuscript of The Book of Abramelin than Mathers had found. This one was in German rather than French, and it was quite apparent the French version was adapted from this (or another) German original. There were many important differences between the two texts—though this blog isn’t about comparing them in detail. Instead, this is about one important difference—probably the largest difference between the two books: the length of time for the Rite of Abramelin in the German original was 18 months, not a mere six!

Now that people have realized Abramelin is a workable grimoire, instead of some far-removed literary device, the two “versions” of Abramelin have caused some concern. It’s not that the technical instructions are that different between the two, but the difference in the length of time is striking. Instead of working through three short phases of two months each, we discovered that you were intended to work through three long periods of six months each. The French wizard who had adapted the Rite had severely shortened it—and that seems like the kind of thing you absolutely shouldn’t do with something as important as this. Therefore, I’ve been seeing this question posed again and again over the past few years: is it possible to attain the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel in a mere six months? Should one even try?

The answer is not a cut-and-dry yes or no. To understand that, there are some important things you have to understand about the Rite. First, Abramelin isn’t a months-long ritual to begin with—it is merely seven days long, which fall at the very end of the process. The months of ritual you perform before those seven days are all aimed at one simple goal: purification. It is a long period of preparation for the Abramelin Rite proper, and as such it isn’t much different than the same purifications outlined in other grimoires. (The main difference being that Abramelin’s purification lasts months, while most grimoires only require days or weeks.)

The second thing you need to understand about Abramelin is that it is far from over when you complete those final seven days. This isn’t a summon-and-go-home ritual! Once you’ve achieved the bond with your HGA, you will then spend the rest of your life working with your Guardian Angel, as it slowly and painstakingly guides and teaches you along your destined path. I’ll return to this point in just a moment.

So, the real Rite of Abramelin is centered upon those final seven days, and that leaves us free to question exactly how long that preliminary period of ritual cleansing needs to be. The French author seemed to believe it wasn’t necessary to spend a year-and-a-half in seclusion and prayer, and shortened it to six months instead. But was he right to do that? Is it detrimental to the ultimate goal—the Knowledge and Conversation of the HGA^#151;to take such a short-cut? Or, if it is ok to shorten the length of purification, how far can we take it? How about just three months? Three weeks? Three days? Three hours? How much is not enough?

I always tell people the same thing: It doesn’t matter which time-length you choose, because in the end you’re going to do the same amount of work.

Remember, the process of Abramelin does not cease when the ritual is done. You will be expected to continue work with your HGA on a regular basis for the rest of your life, during which time the Angel will guide and teach you, slowly progressing you from a head-strong neophyte into a calculating adept. All of the high-ended promises you read about in the Book of Abramelin (which, to its own disservice, it pretends happen instantaneously on the very day you first contact your HGA) actually come about over a lengthy period of time. Not days or weeks, or even months—but years worth of work.

Think of it this way: for you to achieve a full bonding with your HGA, it is going to take X months and/or years. No one knows how long that X will be for you, except for your HGA itself. But, for the sake of this explanation, let’s say it’s going to take you 5 years to accomplish. (It could be less, it could be much more.) So, no matter what, you are going to do five years worth of work to achieve your goal. You can undertake 6 months of purification before performing the 7-day Rite, and it will still take you another 4 1/2 years of regular work with the HGA before you attain. But let’s assume you took the 18 month route—it is STILL going to take you a further 3 1/2 years of regular work with your HGA to attain the goal.

By the way, in the Santerian ritual called Ocha (a Rite very similar to Abramelin), they put you through the bonding ceremony first, then you spend a year in purification, and then your training as a priest of the faith truly begins.

So the length of time you spend in the purification process is relatively arbitrary. (I say “relatively” because I don’t mean it was picked at random, but only that it’s arbitrary from a technical perspective.) Whether it’s 18, 6, or even 0 months, you are *going* to go through the X months/years of work and training with your Angel regardless.

Of course, I do not mean this to suggest you can or should shorten the Abarmelin ritual to something less than 6 months. In fact, I think putting in a mere six months of devotion is already pushing things. Yes, I did achieve it myself (and keep in mind no one knew about the German original at that time), but I also think I had to make up for that in the years that followed. My best advice for aspirants is to go with the 18 month version (but still pulling some useful additions from the French version—like the use of certain Psalms), simply because it gives you a better head-start on those months and years of work you’ve got coming anyway.

Stay devoted, seekers!

Our thanks to Aaron for his guest post! Visit Aaron Leitch’s author page for more information, including articles and his books.