Llewellyn Publications's Blog, page 58

Profiling the Chupacabra

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Nick Redfern, author of the new Chupacabra Road Trip.

Is the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico home to deadly, blood-sucking vampires? As in, real vampires? Those are the controversial questions I have pondered on deeply for more than a decade. Since 2004, I have regularly traveled to Puerto Rico in search of its legendary, resident monster. It goes by the name of the chupacabra. In doing so, I have come to the startling realization that whatever the chupacabra is, it’s no myth. It’s all too real.

It was back in 1995 that the phenomenon of the chupacabra exploded all across Puerto Rico and plunged its people into states of fear and dread. It’s hardly surprising, since the chupacabra is described as a vicious, fanged, clawed—and maybe even winged—monster that is rumored to suck the blood out of farm animals, such as goats and chickens. As for the infamous name the creature has acquired, it’s a very appropriate Spanish term that translates into English as “goat-sucker.”

Sorting out the fact from the fiction, and the rumor from the legend, has proven to be a challenge. But, I’m someone who is always up for a challenge, and the prospect of uncovering a nightmarish beast in the depths of Puerto Rico’s El Yunque rainforest is something that I have never shied away from. In fact, the exact opposite.

I have spoken with veterinarians, police-officers, farmers, and member of the public who are all convinced the chupacabra lives. And violently kills, too. I’ve heard stories that the beast has extraterrestrial origins: a lethal alien. Might the monster be the result of secret, genetic experiments undertaken by the military? Some are absolutely sure that’s what is afoot. Or, could it be a supernatural creature? More than a few say, “Yes!”

But, there are other, equally dangerous, things on Puerto Rico. During the course of my creature-seeking, I have crossed paths with gun-toting drug gangs and potentially rabid bats. Such are the hazards that go hand in hand with monsters! As for where things are today, well, my decade-plus of investigations prompted me to write my new book, Chupacabra Road Trip. It tells the weird, near-surreal, and adventurous story of what happens when one man makes it his business to track down the truth of one our world’s most famous monsters…

Our thanks to Nick for his guest post! For more from Nick Redfern, read his article, “Three Theories to Explain the Chupacabra.”

Health & Wellness Catalog

Exploring the Raven’s Prophecy

Learn more here: CLICK

Maggie Stiefvater is a storyteller, a musician, and an artist. She is a Magician, creating worlds that we can all explore. I first came into contact through her early young adult stories published through Flux (the Young Adult imprint of Llewellyn), Lament and Ballad. I fell in love with her work when I read the Shiver series. And she won my heart forever with her Raven Boys series (and I am absolutely dying until March, when the next book in the series, The Raven King, comes out).

What does this wonderfully diverse and prolific creator have to do with tarot? In the way of so many magical creations, she started playing, combining interests, and pretty soon she was creating a tarot deck. She saw each card as “an opportunity to illustrate a succinct metaphor, to create a visual shortcut for the meaning of the card. [She] also found that the imagery of Welsh mythology [note: she was working on the Raven Boys series] paired beautifully with traditional tarot visual.”

Stiefvater believes that art and story are integral to tarot readings. A reading, she says, is a story. A reading is also about intention. The simple act of asking a question. The simple act of drawing a single card. The simple, or perhaps not so simple, act of applying the meaning to your question. With practice, with openness, with courage, accessing the wisdom of the cards, the wisdom of your own heart, becomes a way of being.

Her images are deceptively simple and powerfully evocative. The Seven of Swords is a great example of her vision of tarot. Here is the card:

And here is what Stiefvater says about the card:

“Although the swords are a logical suit, concerned with absolutes, they are not particularly fussed with ethics. Ethics, after all, are indeed absolutes, but they are an absolute of emotions. The absolutes of swords often push aside principles to see the bottom line instead. They ask what will serve you best. Sometimes, it means doing things that you aren’t proud of. Sometimes, living this way ends up with other people turning the tables and treating you this way, too.

“This is exactly what the Seven of Swords promises. It is a card of cunning and deception. The kindest reading promises that this is a card of strategy—not out and out lying, just being cautious with the truth in order to get what you want. The worst reading admits that the word strategy is just a pretty term for “manipulation.” The person in this card often finds themselves in intentional solitude: too many partners will see through the web of half-truths. The Seven of Swords isn’t always talking about you, however. You could also be the victim of someone’s manipulation or lies, or perhaps living with the suspicion that you’re being played. Sometimes this card calls for a bit of gamesmanship, urging you to embrace your cunning.

“Personally, I nearly always think it’s better to uncross my fingers and tell the truth. It can be tempting to play the game, but in the end, blades hidden in the murk—even your own—are more likely to cut you than ones clearly presented in the light of day.”

The Raven’s Prophecy

 

Learn more here: CLICK

Maggie Stiefvater is a storyteller, a musician, and an artist. She is a Magician, creating worlds that we can all explore. I first came into contact through her early young adult stories published through Flux (the Young Adult imprint of Llewellyn), Lament and Ballad. I fell in love with her work when I read the Shiver series. And she won my heart forever with her Raven Boys series (and I am absolutely dying until March, when the next book in the series, The Raven King, comes out).

What does this wonderfully diverse and prolific creator have to do with tarot? In the way of so many magical creations, she started playing, combining interests, and pretty soon she was creating a tarot deck. She saw each card as “an opportunity to illustrate a succinct metaphor, to create a visual shortcut for the meaning of the card. [She] also found that the imagery of Welsh mythology [note: she was working on the Raven Boys series] paired beautifully with traditional tarot visual.”

Stiefvater believes that art and story are integral to tarot readings. A reading, she says, is a story. A reading is also about intention. The simple act of asking a question. The simple act of drawing a single card. The simple, or perhaps not so simple, act of applying the meaning to your question. With practice, with openness, with courage, accessing the wisdom of the cards, the wisdom of your own heart, becomes a way of being.

Her images are deceptively simple and powerfully evocative. The Seven of Swords is a great example of her vision of tarot. Here is the card:

And here is what Stiefvater says about the card:

“Although the swords are a logical suit, concerned with absolutes, they are not particularly fussed with ethics. Ethics, after all, are indeed absolutes, but they are an absolute of emotions. The absolutes of swords often push aside principles to see the bottom line instead. They ask what will serve you best. Sometimes, it means doing things that you aren’t proud of. Sometimes, living this way ends up with other people turning the tables and treating you this way, too.

“This is exactly what the Seven of Swords promises. It is a card of cunning and deception. The kindest reading promises that this is a card of strategy—not out and out lying, just being cautious with the truth in order to get what you want. The worst reading admits that the word strategy is just a pretty term for “manipulation.” The person in this card often finds themselves in intentional solitude: too many partners will see through the web of half-truths. The Seven of Swords isn’t always talking about you, however. You could also be the victim of someone’s manipulation or lies, or perhaps living with the suspicion that you’re being played. Sometimes this card calls for a bit of gamesmanship, urging you to embrace your cunning.

“Personally, I nearly always think it’s better to uncross my fingers and tell the truth. It can be tempting to play the game, but in the end, blades hidden in the murk—even your own—are more likely to cut you than ones clearly presented in the light of day.”

Ritual Use of Blood, Yesterday and Today

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.

The subject of the use of blood in magickal rituals arises every so often in modern occult discussions. And, as you might expect, it tends to be a rather polarizing force. Some are willing to use blood—either their own or that of an animal—in their sacred rituals, while others consider it animal cruelty and are vehemently against the practice. Sadly, these discussions usually get off on the wrong foot from the very beginning, thanks to a very distorted view of ritual sacrifice held by Western culture. Most often, I see the assertion that ritual sacrifice is a method of “powering your magick via the death of a living creature.” And, even more unfortunate, it is sometimes said the magick is powered specifically by the terror and pain suffered by the creature.

I have addressed the subject of ritual sacrifice in many places—see Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires chapter four (Llewellyn), my introduction to Ritual Offerings (Nephillim Press), and a few other places on blogs and forums. I will briefly summarize here what I had to say on the subject elsewhere:

First and foremost, there are no cultures in history (at least that I have been able to find) who engaged in ritual sacrifice because their magick was fueled by fear, pain, or even death. At least, no more than your intent is to “kill another life-form” every time you sit down to eat—even though that is exactly what you are doing. You see, those ancient cultures were feeding their spirits, and they lived at a time when there were no supermarkets to buy meat in nice clean packages and pretend they weren’t killing anything. No, they had to raise their own livestock, and look them directly in the eye every time they slaughtered one to make dinner. Preparing a meal for your ancestors, patrons, or familiar spirits was no different—except there was a lot more ritual involved in the preparation and slaughter of the animal (along with a metric ton of rules and warnings about how to offer the blood safely).

This doesn’t mean you can’t have moral objections with engaging in sacrifice yourself. Let’s say you are an ethical vegetarian or vegan—meaning you disagree entirely with the enslavement of animals for any reason. (A stance I can’t sincerely refute.) Then it would be downright silly for you to feed them to your spirits. As for myself, I couldn’t even bring myself to have blood drawn humanely from my own black cat in order to consecrate the Solomonic Black-hilted Knife! And that was before I knew better than to use blood of any kind for any reason.

Speaking of which—I in fact do not use blood in my magick. Ever. Not mine, not an animal’s. Even when I offer meat, I cook it well done with no pink in the middle. My spirits don’t get blood because I don’t come from a religion that still performs ritual sacrifice. I’ve had no training in how to offer blood safely, I have no experienced priest to stand by my side and make sure I do things right, I have no community support whatsoever for the practice. And, without all of that, it’s a very dangerous practice. (What you offer to a spirit will affect how the spirit acts, and blood engages the most base and bestial aspects of a spirit’s nature—potentially turning your friendly familiar into a ravenous beast.)

And, frankly, for nearly anything you could ever need, blood is overkill. Give them a cooked meal, some candles, drink (water and booze) and some incense, and—trust me—you will have friends in the spirit world who will work for you!

Meanwhile, there are still religions and practices that use blood and have all of the community support in place; such as Santeria, Palo Mayombe, Voodoo, etc. It is unfortunate to see modern Western occultists attack practitioners of religions (or even Western systems like the Solomonic grimoires) that include sacrifice. There is no problem with being against the practice (see below), but we shouldn’t judge others based on a faulty understanding. That is to say, you can’t declare someone is sacrificing an animal to cause “pain and terror” when all they are really doing is preparing a meal. And, unless you are vegan yourself, you can’t condemn the use of animals for food (or clothing, or parchment, etc.)—either for people or for spirits.

However, this post isn’t just a defense of ritual sacrifice in old religions. There is also good news out there for those of you who choose not to engage in the practice: believe it or not, the decision to not use blood is a growing trend, even in traditions like Santeria!

You see, even in those old hard-core shamanic systems, blood is considered overkill for most things. If your entire tribe or village was in immediate danger, then perhaps the sacrifice of a four-footed animal would be appropriate. However, most of the day-to-day things you might need or desire—even big ones—simply don’t require blood. (As I said above, a cooked meal with some nice amenities does the job.) Thus, there is not very much pressure to even use blood in these systems most of the time. (In Santeria they are mostly relegated to important religious festivals or when a new Orisha or spirit is born.)

Even in cases where a particular spell requires blood, it is possible to make substitutions, such as the Solomonic Herbal Holy Water I describe here and here. Properly made, such waters are as powerful (or even moreso) than blood.

So blood isn’t as important in those systems as you likely think. Now add to that our modern Western sensibilities, and our (hopefully growing) realization that we are doing horribly nightmarish things to our food animals, and you find more and more people are just rejecting the use of blood entirely—and I’m talking about within lines of Santeria, Palo Mayombe, etc. These systems are already developing vegetarian lineages.

And it’s not being entirely forced upon the spirits by humans, either. The spirits actually seem to recognize the growing trend, and are not very upset by it. (Surely they are aware of how our food industry treats animals, and they likely want little to do with it. Something similar happened with sexual practices in Santeria after the AIDS epidemic hit.) Contrary to popular belief, Gods and spirits can grow and change with the times just like anyone else.

If you haven’t got your copy of Ritual Offerings yet, I strongly urge you to get one and check out Jason Miller’s essay on Tibetan Buddhism. Therein, he discusses the arrival of Buddhism (which does not tolerate harm to animals for any reason) in Tibet, and how the native Tibetan spirits had to be introduced to bloodless offerings. At first the spirits rebelled, but after a time they discovered the blood wasn’t necessary and settled down into the new offering practices. Apparently, this same process is going on in modern occultism as well—except this time the spirits already seem to know what is happening and are willing to go along. I don’t think this means the African Traditional Religions are ever going to abandon ritual sacrifice completely. However, it does mean individuals will have an option to avoid blood entirely, where that option didn’t previously exist.

Ultimately, the decision to make use of blood in your magick is up to you and your spirits. I will offer you the advice to avoid it entirely unless you join one of those religions that has been practicing it for thousands of years. Yet, even if you are staunchly against the practice, you can at least better understand it when you do encounter it. It’s not about death and pain. It’s about life.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the grill…

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

Tarot: Art or Science?

My friend Fordrena Griffith recently asked my opinion: Is tarot reading an art or a science? If science why are not all equal? If an art, what distinguishes gifted readers from others?

I think tarot is both an art and a science, in the same way that art or cooking mingles both art and science. And in the same way that all art and all cooking are not equal, tarot readings will also not be equal. So much depends on the reader’s skill, confidence, understanding, and creativity. I’ve had readings where it felt like the reader was simply repeating book definitions for each card in each position without alteration. In a way, they had much of the science, if by science we mean a solid understanding of traditional interpretations. But the readings feel lifeless.

I’ve had readings by people who laid out the cards and either hardly looked at them or picked out one or two symbols and did the reading. Sometimes it is clear that they have no real understanding the deck’s structure or how to incorporate the suits or numbers into the reading. These readings often have a lot of emotional intensity but lack grounding or even an orderly presentation, making them feel ephemeral. I may leave those readings feeling good but have nothing concrete to hold onto.

I think a great tarot reading incorporates both aspects, just as a tarot deck does. The deck has structure which not only makes it easier to understand but elements of the structure can be used to create a framework for the reading, grounding it in the querent’s reality. The images on the deck provide a bridge for our intuition and bring a sense of life, magic, and creativity to the reading.

Over-reliance on either one, science or art, to me creates an imbalanced experience.

Energy Healing for Women

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Keith Sherwood and Sabine Wittmann, authors of the new Energy Healing for Women.

Since 2001 there has been a fundamental shift in the subtle field of energy and consciousness. As a result more and more women (and men) recognize that they have unlimited power to heal themselves, their family relationships, and the planet—not only on the physical level, but also on the levels of body, soul, and spirit. It was because we were deeply influenced by these changes that Sabine and I began work on Energy Healing for Women.

In Energy Healing for Women, you will use the techniques of chakra healing, karmic release, raja yoga, massage, mudras, dance, meditation, and affirmations to liberate your body, soul, and spirit once and for all from karmic patterns and physical ailments that have prevented them from experiencing the entire spectrum of radiant good health, vitality, and intimate relationships.

In each chapter of Energy Healing for Women we delve into an important energetic issue that has limited your power, creativity and/or radiance. We analyze it on both the physical level and subtle levels of energy and consciousness. Then we provide you with a series of simple exercises designed to heal the issue as quickly as possible.

What makes Energy Healing for Women” different from other books is that you will learn to heal wounds, traumas, and karmic patterns at their root, in your subtle energy system. By taking control of your own healing and getting to the root of your issues you will experience first hand that everything you need for a joyful, satisfying life is already within you.

Our thanks to Keith & Sabine for their guest post! For more from Keith Sherwood and Sabine Wittmann, read their article “Two Energy Exercises to Empower Yourself.”

New Decks and Conflicting Information

Not long ago, my friend Joanne Matthew asked me how I would advise people to choose a first deck and what we should do with conflicting information in books, what we should be aware of so as not to get discouraged.

Many new readers are overwhelmed by the many options of tarot decks available. Most are advised to select a deck with art that appeals to them. That is fine advice, but I think people who are new to tarot could do with a little more guidance than that.

First, be aware that there is a difference between oracle decks and tarot decks. Tarot decks have 78 cards, with 22 Major Arcana cards and four suits with 14 cards each. There are some variations with additional cards, renamed suits, or different ranks for the court cards. Oracle decks have any number cards and may or may not have any structure at all. So the thing you want to do is make sure you are considering tarot decks rather than oracle decks, if you want to actually study tarot.

Second, be aware that there (in my opinion) four schools or types of tarot decks.

The most popular in the US is the Rider Waite Smith tarot and its clones. If you want a deck that will provide you with a common language with which to talk to other readers, this is a good place to start. Another benefit is that all the Minor cards have illustrations on them that help with interpretation. If a deck isn’t advertised as a RWS clone or “in the RWS tradition,” you can tell if it is by comparing some of the cards to the RWS images. If there are enough similarities that you can see the connection between the two decks, you probably have a solid RWS style deck.

The next two are the Thoth and the Marseilles. These are popular in Europe but not so popular in the US. One reason is that some people are put off by the Thoth because it was created by Aleister Crowley (with art by Lady Frieda Harris). A plus of this deck is that it has key words on the Minor cards, although the art is largely of pips (the suit designators artfully arranged on the card). The Marseilles Tarot also has only pips on the Minor Arcana. Most modern American readers find these harder to learn, as the pictures on RWS style decks aid in remembering the card interpretations.

The final category is one I think of as “all other non-traditional” tarot decks. These are ones that follow the structure of a tarot deck but are not bound by any of the three traditional schools. These can more challenging simply because you usually only have the companion book (and your own ideas) as a guide…and if the deck has no companion book, then you have the adventure of discovering the meanings on your own. This is not a bad thing. Tarot is always evolving. It is just worth noting the different types so you can make the choice that is right for you.

Which bring us to the second part of Joanne’s question: what to do with conflicting information in books.

Tarot is not a single truth with any absolutes. Books will have conflicting information because there are so many approaches to the tarot. My advice is to first answer some questions on your own, such as how and why you think it “works,” how it should be used, what kind of advice or information will you seek from it, what will you do with that advice, where do the meanings come from? Ask yourself things like that and find an author who shares some of your main principles. Then read critically. Try new things and determine what works for you. Do not accept things as set in stone.

For a good general overview on tarot, the different types, and the different approaches, is Anthony Louis’ Tarot Beyond the Basics. Even though it may appeal more to non-beginners, I think it is a good place to start because Louis gives a broad range of possibilities so that you can see all the different ways things can work. Then you can decide which work best within your belief system. Because remember, tarot is a tool but the way that it is used depends on you!

What’s A God?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Patrick Dunn, author of Cartomancy with the Lenormand and the Tarot; Magic, Power, Language, Symbol; and the new Practical Art of Divine Magic.

“Do you believe in God?”

You wouldn’t think that’d be a hard question to answer, but it always stumps me. Even leaving aside the meaning of the word “believe” there (Have faith in? Assert the existence of?), what does it mean to say “God?”

I usually say, “Yes, but probably not in the way you mean.”

Part of the problem is that we mix up a lot of different concepts in that little word, and when we do, we create logical inconsistencies that are nearly impossible to reconcile. And part of my personal problem is that, as a magician, I think of gods a bit differently.

A god, for me, is a person who embodies as part of its identity a cosmic force. To be divine is to embody a cosmic force, so you could just say that a god is a divine person. Helios, for example, embodies the divine forces we see in the physical world as the sun, and all of its metaphorical extensions: light, heat, life, and so on. Sam, down the street, doesn’t embody anything much in regards to cosmic forces, although she might be quite a pleasant person otherwise.

But that definition doesn’t get to the crux of the problem, completely. Some gods are more cosmic than others. What about gods like Aeon, who embody such abstract forces that they couldn’t even said to be “persons” at all?

The Neoplatonists had a hierarchy of gods. Some gods were Cosmic Gods, perfect and unchanging and ideal. Praying to them did nothing to them. They didn’t change their mind, move to change the world, or anything like that. Praying to them was done for your own sake, not theirs. Same with libations, offerings, and so on. But each of those Cosmic Gods had manifestations in the world that weren’t quite so cosmic, sometimes called daemones (not to be confused with the evil spirits in some monotheistic religions). These daemones could affect the world, because they were closer to it, more human.

This solution is elegant if you believe in a hierarchy of existence, where some things are more spiritual than others. Or, if you don’t believe in it, if you accept it as a useful model, as I do, without committing to it as absolute truth. But it does have some implications.

Let’s say we have a Cosmic deity, a perfect god, Apollo, who represents all the cosmic laws of harmony. Now you have his daemon, embodying those laws as they apply to music. I pray to that daemon, which also might be and probably is called Apollo, for help playing a song. He inspires me with some of that divine essence, reflected from the unchanging monad, and I play the song.

In that moment, though, now I am acting to create harmony, to uphold the laws of harmony. I’m becoming, just for a second, a daemon. In other words, while I’m not a god, in that moment I become divine. Humans are godlike, at least in potential, when we act in accordance with and inspired by these divine forces.

Magicians have techniques for bringing that divine essence more fully into their worlds, and that’s where the practice of theurgy comes in.Now, humans aren’t gods in the absolute sense, and it’s dangerous to think so. In fact, it’s hubris, that ancient Greek sin of overweening pride. But we are divine in some sense, in our immortal part, which can embody—maybe not, as the gods do, as an identity but as a persona—a fundamental idea of reality.

Our thanks to Patrick for his guest post! For more from Patrick Dunn, read his article “Theurgic Meditation.”

Abramelin vs. the Grimoires: Will the Sacred Magic Replace All Other Systems?

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.

“All the books which treat of characters, extravagant figures, circles, convocations, conjurations, invocations, and other like matters, even although any one may see some effect thereby, should be rejected, being works full of diabolical inventions; and ye should know that the demon maketh use of an infinitude of methods to entrap and deceive mankind. This I have myself proved, because when I have operated with the veritable wisdom, all the other enchantments which I had learned have ceased, and I could no longer operate with them…” [Book the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Book II, Chapter 4: "That the greater number of magical books are false and vain."]

The above quote from the Book of Abramelin has led some students to question how the Operation relates to other systems of magick, especially the Solomonic grimoires. There can be little doubt that Abraham the Jew is repudiating those very grimoires in his above diatribe—what with all of their characters and circles and conjurations. Of course, as I pointed out in my last blog, it is not unusual for a grimoire to declare itself pristine while decrying all other (largely similar) texts as false and diabolical. However, what makes Abraham’s above statement unique is that he claims the True and Sacred Magic will cause all of those other systems to stop working for you. Is that true?

In most cases where Abraham has added his own commentary to the Abramelin Operation, I have found it necessary to take his opinion with a grain of salt. The realities of working with your Holy Guardian Angel are not often as black and white (or dualistic) as he would have it. The same is true in this case: the relationship between Abramelin and your other magickal work is a bit more complex than the simple dismissal proffered in the above quote.

Before I performed Abramelin, I had spent many years learning magick on my own. I had gone through Don Kraig’s lessons (there were only eleven of them at the time) and devoured every bit of Golden Dawn material I could get my hands on, not to mention my experience in Neopaganism/Wicca. I had, by that point, constructed my own personal system of occultism that worked very well for me. Then I undertook Abramelin and, sure enough, that personal system ceased to have any relevance for me. It now sits enshrined in my old books of shadow, gathering dust on a shelf.

However, it was after Abramelin, and under the tutelage of my Holy Guardian Angel, that I was led to study other systems. More than anything else, I was led to Gnosticism, Shamanism, and some parts of Buddhism—all of which I was told represent (in parts) the True Religion of humankind. It was also during this period that I came to finally understand the grimoires and put them to use—again with the help of my HGA. In the end, I believe Abraham was going too far by making such a blanket statement. Maybe everything else stopped working for him, but I was actively led to other systems and areas of study.

Where this subject is concerned, students also bring many misconceptions about both Abramelin and the Solomonic grimoires to the table. Where the grimoires are infamous for the complex procedures one must follow to establish contact with the angels and spirits, Abramelin is thought to be greatly simplified. For instance, the Book of Abramelin instructs one to make a series of magickal word-square talismans, which can be flashed at the spirits at any time to (wordlessly) command them to perform a specific task. In fact, it even goes so far as to say the talismans aren’t necessary at all, and you can give the spirits instructions via a few cleverly coded words during conversations with other people:

“You are then to understand that once he who operateth hath the power, it is not necessary (in all cases) to use written symbols, but it may suffice to name aloud the name of the spirit, and the form in which you wish him to appear visibly; because once they have taken oath, this sufficeth. These symbols, then, be made for you to avail yourself of them when you be in the company of other persons; also you must have them upon you, so that in touching or handling them simply, they may represent your wish. Immediately then he unto whom the symbol appertaineth will serve you punctually; but if you should desire something special which is in no way connected with or named in the symbol, it will be necessary to signify the same at least by showing your desire by two or three words. And here it is well to observe, that if you use prudence, you can often reason with those persons who be with you in such a manner that the spirits, having however been beforehand invoked by you, will understand what they are to do.” [Book the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, Book II, Chapter 20: "How the Operations should be performed."]

Based on these statements, many assume the Abramelin method of working with spirits is simple in comparison to the Solomonic texts. There seem to be no conjurations or ritualized procedure—just show the spirit the talisman and say a word or two.

However, this is not a complete picture of Abramelin, leading students to assume it is much simpler than it really is. Many seem to miss a key phrase in the above quote, where the spirits must have been “…beforehand invoked by you.” And in case you think this is simply a reference to your original invocation of these spirits during the Operation itself, let’s just read from the next paragraph in the book:

“But when it is a grave and important matter, you should retire into a secret place apart… There give them their commission regarding that which you wish them to perform, the which they will either execute then or in the days following.”

So there you have it. When working with the Abramelin spirits, you have to find a private location in which to perform a formal evocation ritual to call the spirits and tell them what you desire. Only then can you take their talisman out into the world and flash it at them when you want them to act. They don’t simply hang around you 24/7 in the off chance you might pull out their talisman and wave it in the air.

In fact, the Book of Abramelin has much more in common with the Solomonic texts than is first apparent. In both cases, you are given elaborate methods of establishing first contact with the spirits. After that contact is made, doing further work with the same spirits becomes much easier (that is, the elaborate ritual becomes unnecessary). What you see in, for example, the Key of Solomon is not the procedure you use every time you want to talk to those spirits.

They are also similar in that they focus almost entirely on that first-contact procedure, but say either precious little (as in Abramelin) or nothing at all (as with most Solomonic texts) about how to work with the spirits afterward. In both cases, it is rightly assumed the angels or spirits will be teaching you those details. Thus, ritual work with the spirits is not absent in Abramelin, it’s just that Abraham assumes your HGA will teach you how to do it, and thus does not provide the ritual itself.

He does give us a lot of procedure to follow, though. (If you haven’t got a copy of The Holy Guardian Angel by Nephilim Press, I strongly recommend you do—especially for my essay “After Abramelin…”) There is a ritual to follow if you want new spirits/talismans from your Angel, and one to follow if you want them from the lesser spirits. The instructions are generalized, but your Angel will fill in any gaps.

As for my use of the Solomonic grimoires—my Guardian Angel plays a direct role in that as well. She has taught me much that makes the grimoires usable. Plus, whenever I perform any Solomonic work, I begin by opening up my Abramelin Altar and invoking my HGA first and foremost. She is my intermediary spirit, who not only gives me permission to perform any magickal operation, but also facilitates it and makes it possible. Oh, and Abraham aside, She has never had a problem with my using sigils and characters.

And yes, the spirits listed in Abramelin are the same as the same spirits listed in other grimoires. And, no, the process of contacting and working with them is not essentially different than other grimoires. The difference is that other grimories give you step-by-step instructions whereas the Book of Abramelin leaves the details up to the HGA to teach you, either directly or by leading you to already-existing sources of knowledge.

In my experience, my Guardian Angel has never treated my work with Her as if it existed within some kind of Abramelin vacuum. She has led me to many founts of non-Abramelin wisdom. After all, it is the True and Sacred Wisdom that She is teaching, and that exists scattered throughout mankind’s spiritual pursuits. As with most grimoires, the Book of Abramelin is only concerned with getting you through the doorway to begin a much larger journey.

Have a nice trip, Aspirant!

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