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I hope by your next books, specially of alchemy something that I
want to develop in near future.
There have been exciting developments as to my upcoming alchemical writings. They will be announced here in late Spring.
Thanks for your time, and for all.
Q–3 Hello!
Your books and the website have made me more convinced that this is my path. Finally some critical thought and clear advice on the subject of magic! I have read lots of books about it, but have always wondered why, for example, LBRP is almost always given in it's most basic form without explanations of it's workings - the same applying to most other rituals. At the same time most of the authors have almost always made some changes to the ritual, whether it be to confuse the student or to make their Own point. Why change something that should be working? You have made a very good point of thinking for yourself.
To be honest, I had almost lost my faith in finding any valuable information about magic from the various forums and am almost convinced that: a) I will never belong to any lodge or current of the now popular styles of magic (which anyway all come from same source), and b) will be practicing solely on my own as most of the information found on internet forums is just not worth the time. Your work has changed this attitude a little to the positive side. Anyway, I have lost all my faith in 'initiation' and 'lineage' which seem to be hot potatoes in some circles. I have realized that these things come from within, and not from any outside organization, or it's membership. We all have our Own paths and nobody else can pull the veils except ourselves.
At the present time, I don't really have any questions and just wanted to thank you for the work you have made. I think you have opened up a lot of eyes, including mine.
So, thank you!
A–3 I receive a great many emails such as yours, and am delighted to see that there are those out there who “…have eyes to see and ears to hear.” The tribute belongs to you and to all those who are learning the value and virtue of work. None of you will be sorry you chose to follow this most grueling of all disciplines, Magic—Old System Magic, of course. Others too will find—as you have—that the mechanisms of the New Age phenomenon are completely worthless. Their Orders, Lodges, Secret Societies, and silly “Officers” parading around with the “badges” of their ‘high magical offices;’ their long, flowing robes, set off by the serious scowls of ‘authority’ they wear on their faces while living lives of quiet desperation amidst squalor and poverty; their fighting and bickering over who owns which rite and what ritual, all remind me of, “…fools, who lack the sense of cows,” as Crowley wrote in one of his own love poems, “Jean.” Yes, I am taking this out of context: but it still fits. Congratulations on your decision, and my very best to you always in this Work.
Q–4 When the form of an angel, demon or spirit manifests on our physical plane is this form just a symbolic representation of their true nature? What is the nature of an angel, demon or spirit’s existence before and after an evocation?
A–4 As to your first question. In the case of a demon, yes, but only to a point. In my experience, the manifested form of the Fallen Angels is more or less indicative of the nature of the spirit being summoned. That is, of that part of its nature that is in agreement with the purpose for which we are calling upon it. For example. If I call upon one to aid me in obtaining a business contract I am interested in, he will—after the initial terrifying physical phenomena attendant to his manifestation—have a manifested temperament that is somewhat reserved and thoughtful (this does not mean his appearance will be pleasant; at least, not until I charge him to assume “…a more appropriate and pleasing appearance to my purposes….”)
In the case of a divine Angel, the glimpses that one may—and I stress may—be fortunate enough to receive on an intermittent basis during the rite, will always be indicative of their nature, and over that which they rule. For instance, in the case of Michael, his appearance is very classical, the sword he wields being extremely bright and glaring, and his entire appearance surrounded by the deepest red fire that can be imagined.
As to the nature of a demon or spirit before or after the Evocation to Physical Manifestation? I have no idea. Nor do I want to. It is enough to deal with them in the Circle of Art during the Ceremonial act. I leave it at that.
As to Evocation to Physical Appearance of an Angel? In my opinion—and experience—aside from the “glimpses” I spoke of above, these concentrations of divine energy and consciousness cannot be brought into physical manifestation. Their nature—both the energy of their existence and the rarefied consciousness to which it gives rise—prohibits such blatant manifestations. Again, this is only according to my own experience. Others may have differing experiences; but in my 44 years of practicing Magic, I have never encountered such others.
Q–5 Dear Sir,
Thank you so much for your online newsletters. I have been practicing ceremonial magic solitary for 12 years, trying to glean anything I can from numerous texts to further my spiritual development. I have ordered all three of your books and am waiting anxiously to devour their content.
I was reading your article about how to prepare the bloodstone prior to magical evocation. Can this stone be wire wrapped and worn as a pendant instead of being wrapped in linen? If so, how would one go about consecrating the wire or would that be necessary so long as the blood stone is purified? If you consecrated more than one stone, and wire wrapped them as pendants/ key chains etc. and give those to members of your family , children, spouse etc. would they be protected from harmful influence as well? Or is this only extended to the person who consecrated the stone and their personal intent?
A–5 This is a good, multi-faceted question. No, I would not recommend wearing the Bloodstone in any other way than that called for in the grimoire. In other words, wrap it in linen and carry it about with you. From experience, I found that this method works best. Attempting to introduce any expediency into this matter fails, as I found out myself years ago. I do not know for certain, but I feel carrying the Bloodstone with you in linen somehow ‘forces the issue’ in providing the protection. It is as if carrying it about in this way makes it a physical part of you. I also suspect that your Subjective Synthesis understands this, and so works to transmit those forces the Bloodstone projects. When it is worn as a pendant or in some other way, it seems that it is read by the unconscious as an ‘attachment’ to yourself; one that creates a ‘gap’ between it and you, and therefore a ‘break’ in the field it provides in protecting you. For your own sake, wear it as it was intended.
Remember, you are dealing with spiritual and occult forces here. These are not ‘constructs’ as is so often the case with New Age ‘techniques.’ This being the case, yes, your Bloodstones will work effectively for your family members if they are given them to carry. All you must do is consecrate them with the intended purpose, wrap them in virgin linen—pure white, that is—and give them to your family members. They must also be instructed not to show them to others or allow others to handle them, which is quite a feat if you are going to give them to children! Use your best discretion in the latter case. The best to you.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of February 12 - 18, 2007.
Q–1 I have been over the passage a million times and by my interpretation of your instructions for the heptameron sword consecration (from Ceremonial Magic), and looking at Llewellyn's moon sign books, the consecration cannot be done in the year of 2005 or 2006, only in 2007. Have I misinterpreted? Please explain.
A–1 I have received many enquiries such as yours, so let us examine the issue in terms of the Heptameron only. (I say ‘only’ because other grimoires have other requirements for the Sword’s preparation.) Due to the number of enquiries, I am going to discuss the matter in some small detail, because frankly, I don’t know what the problem is. Hence, I will give an example that should clear this matter up once and for all.
Seeing you did not bother to be specific as to the nature of your problem, I assume you are having difficulty with the astrological conditions under which the Sword is to be made. I say this, because all of the other instructions are ‘clearer than clear’ as I read them. So let us begin.
In Ceremonial Magic and the Power of Evocation, of the Sword’s creation it states: “The Sword is to be made during the day and hour ruled by Mars, the Moon being waxing to full phase—that is, during its first or second phase and like the Pentacle, anytime between the second day after the New Moon to the day before the Full Moon. Luna should also be in a Fire sign of the Zodiac.” (page 154, text.)
Now, there are “Four Triplicities” of the Zodiac: Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. That is, four ‘sets’ or groupings into which the twelve signs of the Zodiac are divided. In the case of the Fire Triplicity, the following three signs assigned to this ‘set’ are: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius. Thus, you are seeking a Tuesday, the day ruled by Mars, and an hour ruled by Mars, under which you will consecrate the Sword of Art as required by the Heptameron. Further, you intend to assure that Luna is in a Fire Sign on that particular Tuesday.
According to my 2007 Llewellyn Moon Sign Book, the Moon will be in Aries—and hence a Fire sign—on Tuesday, February 20th, which is the third day of the 1st Quarter (or “phase”) and which therefore fulfills the requirement, “The Sword is to be made during the day and hour ruled by Mars, the Moon being waxing to full phase——that is, during its first or second phase… anytime between the second day after the New Moon to the day before the Full Moon. Luna should also be in a Fire sign of the Zodiac.”
Now, what you must further concern yourself with is the planet Mercury, as it is assigned to the eighth Sephirah of the Tree of Life, and hence rules all Magic and magical practices. If you check the Mercury retrogrades for this year in the same Llewellyn Moon Sign Book, you will find that the first of these retrograde periods will occur from February 13th through March 7th. Thus, you could not use the February 20th suggested date I gave above.
However, you have nothing to worry about whatsoever. Why do I say this? Because if you read the Moon Sign Book correctly, you will find that the following dates will give you the same astrological requirements needed to consecrate your Sword. That is, the following dates are for a Tuesday, Moon waxing to full, in first or second phase, and in a Fire sign:
Tuesday, March 20th (2nd day of 1st Quarter), Luna in Aries.
The next is Tuesday, March 27th, 2nd day of 2nd Quarter, Moon in Leo
and the one following that is Tuesday, April 24th, 1st day, 2nd Quarter, Luna in Leo.
There are more to be sure: you must simply learn your basic astrology, and the method of reading the Moon Sign Book. I trust this little exercise will be of use to you and those others who had difficulty understanding this matter. It is—after all—quite clear and direct, as I have shown here.
Q–2 Dear sir:
My question is, English is not my mother tongue, and in your book,
ceremonial magic, there is a lot of prayers and texts in English, so in order to recite them loudly, what is best to do?, Do it in English? Translate them by myself from English to my mother tongue? or search for them in other books in my own mother tongue?
A–2 The hard and cold fact of the matter is that you will have to learn English in order to properly understand and use the conjurations and prayers set down in most Western magical grimoires, the Heptameron included. You must do this in the same way that we of the English tongue must learn no end of Classical Latin when operating from other Western magical texts that employ Latin. Additionally, we must also have much more than an ‘acquaintance’ with Hebrew, as it is used in many grimoires.
Further, it is insufficient to simply ‘say’ the conjurations and prayers: your Subjective Synthesis must understand, your intellectual nature comprehend, your emotional nature enflame, and your psychic nature resonate, to the intrinsic meanings and content of the verbal components of the rite. Otherwise, you will fail. And to attain to these states, you must understand the language(s) quite well.
As I have stated so many times, Magic is not the shortest distance between two points: it is the longest. It is not the path of least resistance: it is the path of greatest resistance. But through the magical path you will both attain that which you seek and become that which you already are—eventually. There is simply no other way.
Q–3 Dear Dr. Lisiewski,
After reading the ENTIRE Kybalion, would it be safe for the novice to
begin applying what he or she learned from the Kybalion? Or does someone
have to be very knowledgeable in magic and the occult (e.g. have read many
books on the occult) to be able to apply the Kybalion safely after reading
the Kybalion?
PS: I know that 90% of the books written on "magic" these days are
complete watered down New Age crap, and I would not just read any old book on magic. I would first make sure that a book on magic is on authentic
old style magic (like your books) b4 buying them. So, if I were to read
MANY books b4 applying what I learned (or will learn) from the Kybalion,
I would be careful of what I read.
A–3 The thing that strikes me most about your post, is your use of the ‘acronym,’ “b4” instead of writing out that short little word you actually are trying to communicate, “before.” It tells me that you are one who is more interested in the quick fix and instant gratification, than you are in working! I am not trying to deflect your question, but point out to you something that can become an assiduous problem, and which will stop you dead in your tracks from achieving that which you want. How can such a ‘little thing’ stop you? After all, it is only a current ‘trend’ of the youth of today, meant to be ‘cute’ and ‘cool.’ Laziness and ignorance are neither cute nor cool—ever. Such usages are only symptomatic marks of a laziness that pervades all of our American ‘culture,’ and which are only the barest tip of the iceberg. Do yourself a favor: be diligent in what you do, seek to work hard at all costs, and don’t follow the herd in their daily life-ways. You are better than that. Or can be.
As to your question. You cannot launch into The Kybalion: A Study of the Hermetic Philosophy of Ancient Egypt and Greece by Three Initiates or into any other book in either Magic or Mysticism, until you have worked to build and polish your subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis. For without this well formed, well-ordered unconscious state, there is nothing that can direct the magical energy you tap into, into the result you desire. Set yourself to a program of growth. Forget that New Age word “development, and simply begin. You can do it. Others have. I have provided more than enough—without charge—in this column, and in my Magical Thought for the Week column on this website over the past year, to enable you to do just that. You can get to that point you so desire, if you learn to do three things: work, WORK, and WORK.
Q–4 Dr. Lisiewski,
First off I would like give you a sincere thank you for your very helpful
books. I know you hear this all the time but your books really helped me
clear up a lot of issues that I have had with my research. Issues that have
had me stuck in the armchair so to speak for the couple of years. After
reading your books, I now have a much more clear path before me. You have renewed my original excitement that started the wheels moving two years ago, but with more intensity than ever.
My question to you is this:
When using the Kabbalistic Cycles Program, I am a little confused with the
Daylight savings option. My example below will so you what I mean.
Oct. 20, 2006
Chattanooga, TN
06.51 -18.00
DST 1
This information results in a sunrise calculation of 7:51 which cannot be.
On the other hand, giving the same information again while choosing "0" in
the DST field I get sunrise calculation of 6:51 which seem to be correct. If
DST ends Oct. 29th then shouldn't I be using "1" in the DST field?
I really don't mean to give you any grief on what would seem like an easy
calculation, but I need to be sure and clear on most things I research. Hence my sore rear from the armchair.
P.S.
I would love to use my mechanical design knowledge with my above research someday, maybe helping others to see more clearly through these often muddy waters. It would be truly inspiring if I could give back in the way that you have given to me. Thank you.
A–4 I do not know where you obtained your sunrise and sunset data from, but notice the following information provided me for Chattanooga, Hamilton County, Tennessee (longitude W85.3, latitude N35.0) directly from the United States Naval Observatory (USNO) website, and which I have copied and pasted below:
Friday
20 October 2006 Eastern Daylight Time
SUN
Begin civil twilight - 7:26 a.m.
Sunrise 7:51 a.m.
Sun transit 1:26 p.m.
Sunset 7:00 p.m.
End civil twilight 7:26 p.m.
Using this data, I ran your sunrise and sunset times for the day in question, and received the correct times for your location. I also had my webmaster recheck the calculator just in case, and run a series of tests in the program’s original version, Fortran 77 (the program was written in Fortran and then converted to PHP with an interpreter placed on the server so people would not have to contend with compilation problems. Since you are a Mechanical Engineer, I’m sure you know what I mean here.) We also checked the subroutines called up in this part of the program, but could find no error. When we ran the calculations given with the data you cited above, both he and I received the same results: and they were correct.
I don’t know what happened in your case, since the data we entered came directly from the USNO website as I stated. And as you can see from that data copied above, your sunrise and sunrise time was exactly 7:51 AM and 7:00 PM, respectively, and those times were in Eastern Standard Time, which was in effect on October 20th.
It boils down to this: enter a “1” if you want the table to be calculated in “Daylight Savings Time.” Otherwise, enter a “0” (zero) if you desire it in Eastern Standard Time. This may not be much of an answer, but owing to the situation and our triple checking the Kabbalistic Cycles Calculator, I don’t know what else to say.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of February 5 - 11, 2007.
Note to my readers: Due to the length of questions Q1, Q3 and Q4, my replies are within the text of each, in italics.
Q–1 Hi, I would first like to say that you are truly leading the forefront of
a marvelous revolution back to the Old system of magic, the way true magic
was intended. I would truly enjoy meeting you in person some day soon.
I have two questions for you, I'll ask the somewhat short one first.
When charting the planets for the hours of the day you check an almanac
for the time of sunrise and sunset, which is clearly astronomy. But when I was creating the Magical sword as described in your book ceremonial magic, I followed the instructions for the day and time as given to create the sword on Tuesday in the hour of mars, but when you say "Luna should also be in a fire sign" I presumed that I could check the same almanac for the moon sign of that day. But after I created the sword I started to realize the mistake I might have made, so I checked an astrology almanac for the moon sign of that same day, and the moon was in a totally different sign. I'm slightly confused as to which one I should go by, astronomy or astrology?
A–1 There is something clearly wrong here. I say this, because there is no difference between Astronomy and Astrology, as far as planetary placements and moon sign allocations are concerned. If an astronomical almanac gives the placement of the moon for a given day in, say, the sign of Leo, the astrological source should have exactly the same designation. But to simplify your dilemma, I recommend you use the Llewellyn Moon Sign book which is published yearly. It not only contains the moon phase and sign placement data for every day of the year, but gives the times of retrogrades for the planets, and all in an easy to use format. It is true that unless you are familiar with the proper use of astronomical almanacs, it is easy to make an error in reading it. Perhaps that was your problem. To eliminate this problem then, please avail yourself of the recommended guide for these matters.
My last question is a bit more in-depth.
I've hear over and over again that "You will pay for what you get. The only question is 'How much will you pay?'" and "Something for nothing does not exist in this business." (Evocation to physical manifestation) I do not dispute this, cause and effect is very real, but I'm a little uneasy about the sinister side to what you don't know can hurt you. I know you’re not particularly fond of him but, Franz Bardon describes that if you strike a pact with a demon, or negative being you will (among other things) be forced to enter into the demon’s sphere of existence upon your physical death, and be forced to carry out hellish tasks all the while losing your divine polarity and soul. My question is, what exactly is the difference between a pact and a charge?
I sincerely thank you for your time.
First of all, you have every right to be “uneasy” about such matters. It shows good judgment, and no small amount of well deserved caution on your part. Secondly, get the idea of a ‘pact’ out of your head. This is the blackest of Black Magic, and has nothing whatsoever to do with the “Magic of Light” as I call it, and of which I write—and this includes Evocation to Physical Manifestation, despite my critics’ condemnation. When—during the act of Evocation to Physical Manifestation—you attain Divine Bliss, the voice that will deliver the charge to the demon will not be ‘your’ voice: it will be the Voice of God, speaking through you. The demon has no choice but to obey, and to do so without trickery or guile. Further, you—the tangible, physical, bodily form you display during that act—is seen by the Fallen one as being as much a part of God as is the Voice it hears. Hence, it can do no damage to you. But by all means remember, to effect such a high level of consciousness, you must truly attain to Divine Bliss. It must not be some frenzied, artificial state that so many talk about today, and which they say they induce by merely uttering the Bornless Ritual. That is nonsense. When you have done your work; when you have worked through the processes of spiritual and physical preparation that underlie the Ceremonial act; when you have worked to consciously unfold and know the Spiritual Nature that exists at the center of your being, then will this Divine Bliss manifest as a consequence of the act: it will not come to the fore as an artificial construct designed to ‘get you in the mood.’ Thus, there can be no “hellish tasks” for you to worry about. There will be nothing but the Light that comes through the Rite—and a part of that Light will always remain with you: that is, after the Ceremonial performance is concluded.
Yes, there are ‘pacts.’ But they are for the utterly depraved: those who are already so cut off from the Light of God within them, that they entertain such a measure. Will they succeed in getting what they want through such a “Black Pact?” Most assuredly. Will they enjoy it? Never. Their lives become an exercise in agony of the most unimaginable kind, watching the clock, counting each passing second, waiting for the ‘Hour of Retribution’—the time when the demon will come to collect them. And it will. I strongly recommend you obtain a VHS or even CD of the 1950’s production, Dr. Faustus, as portrayed by Richard Burton. It is available again through Amazon. Com. In its entirety, what it presents is not far from the mark.
Q–2 Hello,
I'm still not too clear on how to chart the planets for an evocation to physical manifestation. In your book Ceremonial Magic, you say that you are to assign the first planet of the day to the hour after sunrise. Now does this mean for example if the sun rises today at 6:29 according to an almanac (for my time zone), do I actually assign the first planet at 6:29? And does this also apply to the sunset as well?
Thank you very much for your time.
A–2 Please obtain a copy of my book, Kabbalistic Cycles and the Mastery of Life. My first book, Ceremonial Magic and the Power of Evocation, is not a ‘beginners book’ by any stretch of the imagination. It assumes no small amount of (at least a) theoretical understanding of many points of Magic, not the lest of which is the Agrippa System of Hours of the Day and Night (this latter study is dealt with thoroughly in my other book sited above.) Hence, I think you are confusing matters greatly, although you are quite sincere in your efforts.
To answer your question briefly, the first hour of the day—which begins at sunrise–takes the planetary attribution of the planet that rules that day. For example: on a Wednesday, ruled by the planet, Mercury, the first Hour of the Day is likewise assigned to Mercury. The second hour would be assigned to the Moon, the third to Saturn, the fourth to Jupiter, and so on. All of this is covered to great depth in Kabbalistic Cycles. And no, it does not apply to sunset also, since that would be the twelfth Hour of the Day. In fact, in this example, the twelfth Hour of the Day of Wednesday would be Mars. You will understand what I mean if you follow through with my suggestion.
Q–3 Dear Dr Lisiewski,
I have been attracted to magic from a very early age but I have met with various difficulties throughout the years. Some of these difficulties can
be attributed to the inherent difficulty of the field and some others to the lack of error-free material that the new age movement gave us in abundance. Here, I want to ask for advice in another topic though. We learn early in magic the importance of purification before we attempt anything, even divination. On this I have always been faithful but my personal problem was, and I realized it after hard experience, the level of purification required in my personal case. You see I grew up in rural Greece where spiritual hypocrisy is unparalleled. For although the Christian orthodox tradition has a strong and fanatical hold over people, under that there is a sparkling practice of pragmatic magic to cause good or evil. All southern east Europe and Turkey is like that but especially Greece has a bad name. Most magic is directed from spiteful motives and there is a particular interest in binding and killing. We are talking about a very low type of sorcery here, nothing
philosophical about it, but very effective nevertheless. Perhaps the country's bloodstained history has made Greeks so competitive and envious, although I tend to believe it is their temperament too. Since you are familiar with the extent of magic in ancient Greece I can assure you that the same still goes on, only that the practices have been enriched by other influences during the Byzantium and Ottoman empire eras, and that with the utmost secrecy behind the mask of Christianic values.
A–3 What you relate here is not singularly typical of Greece, or even of southeastern Europe: it is rampant everywhere, even today, and has been throughout all of history and throughout all time. Nevertheless, it is only if you admit these influences into your consciousness—and so eventually into your subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis—that they can (certainly) effect your Magic, you, and your daily life stream. Take notice of the hypocrisy, yes. Identify it as belonging to this group or that, certainly. Observe the effects (you feel) it has on others around you, of course. But in no wise allow your noticing, identifying, and observing, to become particular to you and your developing subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis. That is, stop them short at the door of your consciousness after having become conscious of their existence. Purification is an important matter as you speculate, yes. And we will deal with it here more completely in a few moments.
Now back in my case, there were various magical attacks in my family, some of them even before I was born. Not all of them were successful in the short term but slowly and surely they affected the family's life end resulting in a premature death of my mother (áùñïò as the ancient Greeks named it). Dreams, strange signs, odd coincidences, oil drops from cemetery lamps and other items found left in the house were common occurrences all these years. I tried especially after the death to find people knowledgeable in this to help me break the vicious circle but although all admitted and saw the magical powers at play none was really eager to help, or in other cases always something happened and I could not get in touch with the right people. It seems to me that part of the parcel of those curses is that not only that you suffer but actually meet active supernatural opposition in finding a solution to it. Whenever I gave up and considered it a deadened situation the opposition got much milder. Then I started relying on myself experimenting with evocation only to make things worse. And eventually I went back to Christianity for some relief attending masses, praying in an orthodox frame of faith and in general putting myself at the mercy of Christ and saints. That gave me some courage and light but it did not offer an end to the vicious circle in practical terms. It is like the prison was still there but the beating stopped and I was given a glass of water. Now after this necessary introduction I would like to ask you these:
Be careful here. You do not know what were genuine “curses,” what could have been attributed to the ill actions of those (apparently) suffering from such negative experiences, or what other factors might—and I stress the word, “might”— have either been contributory to, or responsible for, the level of suffering that you cite. All too often we confuse and attribute the effects of our own irresponsible actions to ‘magical attacks’ or “curses.” In the case where a genuine malevolence is operating, our own fearful reactions—and lack of appropriate actions—magnify the actual negativity and give it a strength greater than it actually possesses. This creates a vicious cycle in which a type of self-fulfilling prophecy not only serves to provide the actual energy to sustain the real negativity operating, but makes such negativity appear to be greater than it actually is. I am not saying you are “100% wrong.” Rather, I am being cautious in accepting your evaluation, as I have rarely found such evaluations to be as ‘right’ as the individual swore they were. And this includes my own such ‘evaluations’ of my own experiences. There is a Western Magical Prayer which states,
“Oh Lord, help us, lest we fall into the Pit called ‘Because,” and there perish with the dogs of reason.”
This is all well and good. But reason and logic must never—and I repeat never—be disregarded or cast aside in magical matters. Logic and reason must be our springboard into the secret realm of Magic. But after that, we must then rely upon other thought patterns to find our way. Thus, there is a dire need for balance to be struck here: a need we must never forget.
I have decided that I want to go back to evocation but in a responsible and more careful way. I believe that some of my problems in effective evocation in the past were not due to imperfect technique but actual interference from evil spiritual forces that had already targeted me as a result of the magical attacks in my family and me. In other words, there was a particular spiritual infection that preceded the commencement of my magical endeavors. I think that I am in a better spiritual state now but that does not mean that they do not keep an eye on me for my next mistake. What can I do to hinder effectively their surveillance and proceed with my goals without them knowing them in advance? Is the bloodstone enough or are there other ways too that can help given the level of psychic and spiritual infection of my case.
Let us assume that all I have written in this discourse you reject outright. A mistake indeed. But nevertheless, for argument’s sake, let us assume your mind is made up. What then? Go to the Magical Thought of the Week column for the Week of December 11 – 17, 2006. There you will find a technique given in the paper, A Simple Magical Aspersion for Protection and the Attraction of Opportunity. If you use this performance daily, it will not only strengthen and shield your Sphere of Operation and your field of consciousness, it will build up a powerful field of protection against which only the most powerful evil influences can attempt to go against. In the end they will not be successful, but there are those who will try to penetrate it. In addition, carry the Bloodstone with you at all times, as I instructed in the article you (apparently) used in order to arm yourself with the stone. I also recommend the following:
STOP CONTEMPLATING THE (SUPPOSED) “EVIL SPIRITUAL FORCES” as you term them. If indeed they are present, then YOU ARE FEEDING THEM POWER! Instead, CONTEMPLATE the state of utter unity that exists at this very moment between you and that part of God Head within you. Therein lies more power; more beauty; more Life, than you can imagine at this moment. And it is real, as Its effects will demonstrate to you in your daily life.
Which spirits are the best for helping somebody who has been attacked by a
magical attack to actually discover who exactly is the attacker, where the curse items are located and eventually break the spell. I have heard
various modern opinions that it really does not matter whether you find the spell items (a doll or something else depending on technique they used), but I feel that strangely enough the physical base of the curse Needs to be found if somebody wants to be released from it and I know from accounts that traditional sorcerers did just that even if the spell items had been thrown in a lake or sea. Helped by their familiar spirits they revived these items and then commanded the demons to stop harassing the victim.
You are playing games here, and concerning yourself with the negative instead of the Life-giving positive. What you are suggesting between your ‘innocent’ lines of inquiry, is that you spiral down into their depths to discover who these (supposed) attackers are, so that you can “…eventually break the spell.” What you are really saying is that you intend to ‘counterattack’ in order to end these “attacks.” Do nothing of the sort. Do as I have instructed here, and you will not only end their “attacks,” you will end your obsession with their existence and the evil you are convinced they have directed against you. I am not wrong here.
I apologize for the length of my question but could not ask you on these
without adequate information. I do not see you as a savior but I have
been through very hard times for years and really if you want to guide
me or help me in some way, that is more than welcome. It is more than
tragic to meet with spiritual mutilation by powers invisible and much more
powerful than you when you are a child when you should live as a child not
as a hunted animal. Thanks.
There is only One Savior, and He is within you: nowhere else. So you are most certainly correct in your assessment of my being nothing of the sort.
As to your being through hard times? I assure you, you are not alone in this. You are not the first, nor will you be the last who suffers from traveling the Magical Path. Conversely, don’t foolishly heap accolades upon yourself for having suffered, or for assigning the cause of your suffering to your traveling this Path. You will eventually discover that ALL suffering is not due to the Path itself; but rather, to one’s ignorance of the Spiritual Laws of the Universe, their magical counterparts that are used in ritual and ceremonial work, and to one’s misconceptions and misunderstanding of his own Interior Nature. I trust my answers will be of use to you.
Q–4 Hi, I have some questions that I really need answering because in the
space of a couple of months I have experienced everything that you write
about here but before you write it and just as I begin wondering I read it on your site. Now I am getting the results I want but also some slingshot effects, I just have one main question, how is it possible for me to get full big results and sometimes quick without the actual visible manifestation, I am doing everything correct as far as I know but there is a manifestation but it isn't physical, not visible, but after a couple of days I see forms moving about me especially late at night, why is this happening and why am I not getting a full manifestation or physical phenomenon?
A–4 You cannot get “full, big results and sometimes quick…” without the actual physical manifestation. Why? Because you need to attain the Divine Bliss which brings the manifestation about, and which then leads to Control and finally to Command. Evocation to Physical Manifestation is not some mechanical technique as you are (apparently) treating it; for when you say, “I am doing everything correct as far as I know…” you are reducing the process of Evocation to Physical Manifestation—that is, the manner of accomplishing it—to a mechanical action (or technique.) That is, you are performing the Rite as if it were a series of mechanical actions or operations directed toward the result you want. That it is not. And yes, you will get some—or “partial”—results as I have discussed in my writings, and yes, the Slingshot Effect will also most certainly occur. This is just part of the process: a part that results from not having attained Divine Bliss. As to the “forms” you are seeing: they could be many things, but I highly doubt they are spirit or demonic beings, as you indirectly intimate. In effect, I cannot comment on them.
How do I better it or myself to actually manifest the demon so I can see it? Please return an answer as I am really getting worried that I am just deluding myself or producing the results myself somehow.
Once again, I will say what I have said a thousand times before: Magic is not a “quick fix,” nor is it an exercise in “instant gratification.” It is a laborious, difficult, unbelievably rigorous process of personal growth and Spiritual Unfoldment that takes time and work, work, and more WORK before it will yield full results and with as minimal of a Slingshot Effect as possible. You are on the right track to be sure. But you must adjust your thought by eliminating the “quick fix” part of your thinking, and approaching Evocation to Physical Manifestation—or any branch of Magic for that matter—as if it were operated by some mechanical technique. You cannot simply ‘add A to B and get C.” In short, keep WORKING!
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of January 29 - February 4, 2007.
Note to Readers: Due to a sudden death in Dr. Lisiewski's family, there will be no postings to this column this week. Postings will resume as normal next week. Thank you.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of January 22 - 28, 2007.
Q–1 Dear Dr. Lisiewski,
First, let me say how I enjoyed your books Ceremonial Magic & Kabbalistic Handbook for the Practicing Magician. I have found them easy to read and very informative.
I am very new to the study of this art, but I am finding it enjoyable and fascinating. The only wrinkle I am experiencing is the capacity to learn from books. This is not to say that I am stupid. I just find I learn a topic a lot easier from being shown how to do something as opposed to reading about it. I have found that what may take many days to understand by reading, usually can be cut down to a couple of hours if shown. As you can appreciate, this can be a headache when reading a guide on how to use video recorder machines! I especially find it hard to learn when I am reading books written in the earlier half on the 19th century. Trying to understand Dion Fortune or Israel Regardie gives me a headache, and I coming close to giving up the study and maybe moving on to Yoga.
My question to you is are you aware of any people in Australia that you
can recommend as decent instructors. I am very aware of your attitudes
to lodges. So I am aware that this is a big ask. Any help you can give
will be most appreciated.
A–1 You are much too hard on yourself. It takes time and effort to learn to read earlier writings (including the grimoires) owing to their (in my opinion) more prosaic and fluid style. A good, more recent example is the Introduction to Mathers’, The Kabbalah Unveiled. If you take it upon yourself to read such carefully and slowly with a good dictionary by your side, I think your command of this more powerful and complete form of writing style and syntax—as opposed to the ‘teckie’ clap-trap found in any field of study today—will improve dramatically.
The very idea of ‘jumping ship’ to Yoga because of this perceived difficulty of yours is very ill-advised. Why? Because not only do earlier yogic documents employ a similar syntactical arrangement and writing style found in Western magical and mystical writings of the 19th and early 20th century, but they also possess a stilted Eastern-to-Western language composition that makes them even harder to understand! Additionally, if you are thinking about any of the ‘contemporary’ yoga texts so readily found in any bookstore, forget it: they are nothing but grossly watered down, inaccurate New Age pabulum of the various forms of Yoga. And I don’t think you want that. In my opinion, you are a hard Worker who still has a few smatterings of the New Age quick-fix, instant gratification syndrome left in him. You are best to face this head on, and defeat it through further Work. You are definitely on the right path by Working to comprehend Western Magic, and I most strongly encourage you to stick to it!
As to any Teachers in Australia, no, I know of none. And to be frank with you, the feeling I get from your letter is that you really don’t need any. You need to keep discovering yourself a little more each day through your Work. Nothing more.
Q–2 I have just read your book kabbalistic cycles and I have a question on the application of the system.
Just say I like to wager on the horses. Does the success of your system
depend on;
a) placing a bet during a favorable hour?
b) when the bet occurred to me and only bet if it occurred to me during a
favorable hour?
I am confused because I have been betting wagering on horses for years and
cannot remember the exact time or date that the general idea came to me to
play on the horses.
Is success of this system based on when you actually do the physical action
(such as physically placing a bet) or does it depend on when the idea came
into your mind? If it is the latter, then what do you do if you don’t remember when it occurred to you or if it was a very abstract thought which presented itself over a long period of time spanning many cycles or if you thought about it in the past, then it suddenly occurred to you again?
A–2 Actually, you have to contend with both elements you cited in your question. The fact is, the hour in which a particular idea comes to you does two things: it gives you insight into the nature of impulse of the idea, e.g., it occurs to you to do something during, say, a Jupiter hour, Jupiter day, and thus shows the expansiveness of Jupiter, in addition to imprinting the Jupiteranean force on that idea: one of good luck. But at this stage, all you have is a favorable impulse which tends toward a fortunate outcome. To manifest this good outcome, you would then have to carry out the action behind that idea during a fortunate hour, perhaps during that same Jupiter day, Jupiter hour, or during some other fortuitous time. In this way, the ‘stamp’ of favorability carries through from idea to the action, and success follows.
You ask, “…what do you do if you don’t remember when it occurred to you or if it was a very abstract thought which presented itself over a long period of time spanning many cycles or if you thought about it in the past, then it suddenly occurred to you again?” In the first instance, you simply have to train yourself to become more ‘conscious of your consciousness’ and its activities. In other words, you must become more consciously aware of your moment-to-moment thought processes. Sound impossible? I assure you, it’s not. But it does take Work, and that is what few people want these days. There is simply no other way here.
In the second instance of a particular thought being “very abstract” and “presenting itself over a long period of time…” I take it to mean you just can’t remember when it initially occurred and continued to reoccur. In that case, you must make an agreement with yourself to scrap it. That is to say: “Well, that’s that. I can’t remember when it first occurred, or the times over which it reoccurred, and so the heck with it!” You have to remove it from consciousness without playing a secret game with yourself; a game in which you covertly say to yourself, “I’m really lying to myself and I know it. But that idea is just too good to pass up. I can’t throw it away! But I’ll pretend to get rid of it so I can bring it up again during a favorable hour, and then get all the goodies I want.” No. You must eliminate it from the set of your ‘conscious expectation,’ completely. Then, if—and I mean, if—it occurs again, note that hour as the hour of its inception. In most cases, this technique Works. Try it. I doubt you will be disappointed.
Q–3 Dr. Lisiewski,
In my recent studies, I've encountered something that I found interesting, and so I thought I would share the discovery with you, as you've shared so much insight with me and countless others. My interest lies in the simple discovery that the word Heptameron is an anagram for the word Promethean. I'm quite certain you are familiar with Prometheus and the symbolism therein implied, so I'll not waste your time with a vain attempting at explaining this further. For me, this rising of Prometheus has been a grand personal discovery.
That is all; I'll not take up any more of your time. I am simply offering food for thought. Thanks again for your responses to my questions over the past few months. Your insights have been most valuable indeed. I hope you and your family are doing well.
A–3 It is always the way with such things. Associations are realized, ideas are generated, and insights are gained. But what few realize is that all of these functional features are caused by the subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis informing the conscious mind of its placing these associations, ideas, and insights properly into its own structure. Indeed, what you have gained here is an awareness of just what is important to your Subjective Synthesis, and how it relates to your overall perceptions both in and of magic, and of your life in general. More will follow, because like many others who are crossing the line of laziness and sloth into the dynamic of Work, you have taken it upon yourself to explore your Inner nature, and will never regret having done so. My compliments to you and others like you. Keep going! Let nothing stand in your way—especially your own doubt. That is a device of the lower self; that part of you that would hurl you back into the New Age, will all of its distortions and lies. You know this to be true from your own experience. Therefore, let that negative side of you—your shadow—rant on, while you continue to—Work.
Q–4 Did the Tyrad Company change their address? I tried writing them a couple of times using the address you have listed under "Recommended Occult and Magical Suppliers" and had my letter sent back both times.
A–4 I have received an inordinate number of such emails, all stating the same as you have. I have no idea if the Tyrad company is still in operation, but would be surprised to find they no longer are. I have dealt with them since the mid-1960’s and always found their products to be of the best quality and their prices fair. In short, they are an honorable enterprise. I suggest you consult a recent issue of Llewellyn New Times magazine, since Tyrad frequently ran advertisements in the classified ads section. If there has been an address change, you will find it there. If so, I would appreciate your informing me of it so I can pass it along to all of our readers.
The other company I recommend is Azure Green (http://www.azuregreen.com/) They are very easy to deal with, are quite cordial, and most importantly, genuinely helpful. In fact, they arguably have the largest and most complete line of occult and magical materials available anywhere. I trust this is of help to you and our other readers.
* The question below is answered in context due to the number of issues it raises, or/and the complexity it entails. My reply is in italics.
Q–5 Greetings,
After reading your books, then your website, I completed a process of rethinking and reorganizing my life. I had to spend several months reviewing my journals and previous Work to see where I had "gone wrong"
in my spiritual unfolding and my life. I had years of being lost in the maze of new age insanity and finally have freed myself from it completely.
It is clear to me that you are indeed serious about the Work, and have taken yourself in hand. The discoveries you made above take great courage and determination. Not all are capable of such ruthless—and utterly necessary—self honesty.
Rather than bore you with the details of my personal experience thus far I will simply tell you the result: I am seriously perusing your recommended curriculum as presented on your website. This was not a choice I took lightly nor is this a process that I take lightly as I spent 6 months in deep constant consideration. That being said there are several questions I would like to ask you. Please note that when I ask these questions I am not looking for someone to tell me what to do. I simply value your opinion and would like to hear your thoughts on the matter and, frankly, I find your approach, as I understand it, to be the purest and most direct method that resonates deeply with me and I could use a little guidance beyond what I have already been given from above.
Excellent! All I can give you is my opinion based upon my own 44 years of study and practice in Magic and Mysticism. Since ‘one size does not fit all,’ YOU must be the first and final judge in all of these matters. Your very statement to this effect indicates the level of your growth, and is something you should be justifiably proud of. Having said that, please consider my following replies carefully:
- I have been doing the adorations for a little more than one month, daily, and have them fully memorized. One of the results from this practice that I have noticed is an immediate sense of being 'energized' or my body being washed, starting from the head and finishing only once the sensation has reached my feet, by a wave of energy. This result ranges in intensity from extreme, where I am altered so much that I feel dizzy for a few moments after, to simply a pleasant, focused, revitalization. Unfortunately these descriptions are lacking but at the time this is the best I have managed to do in describing them. My question is will this result increase in intensity so that every time I am doing the adoration I feel the intense sensation of dizziness every time?
The dizziness will pass, but the sense of being energized will increase in a subtle but profound way. That is, you will (eventually) become used to the energized sensation. When this happens, your consciousness will then be able to focus more clearly, with new and powerful insights occurring to you frequently, as a matter of course. Following this, you will experience an activation of the various functions of your psychic nature. These are the ‘standard’ progressions of this exercise, and are completely normal.
Will this result 'even out' over time as my energies are equalized to this new frequency? What causes this? Are there other results or pitfalls that I should be aware of (without giving me too much information to color my own experience rather than obtain a true result)?
What you described is not a “pitfall,” but a true “result.” Since you have already discovered this result for yourself, I can tell you that yes, this condition will “even out” as I stated above.
As to the dizziness itself. It is caused by an enormous influx of spiritual energy: it happens when your spiritual nature is unfolding as it should. Again, you are to be complimented for having achieved this effect. I cannot—will not—give you other ‘symptoms’ that will occur. These must be left to you to discover for yourself. For if I even hinted at what you could expect further on down the line, your lower nature could use it to synthesize false results and lead you astray. Such is the nature of its use of the self-fulfilling prophecy technique to its advantage, and to your disadvantage.
- While doing the adorations, which I have found to be profound in
meaning (much of which is beyond me, for now), I have had many in-depth and profound insights. One such insight has led me to realize that in order for my body to be "a Temple of the Holy Ghost" that I need to start treating it accordingly.
You are most certainly correct here. And this includes the absolute avoidance of drugs and alcohol of any kind (except, of course, if you are under a physician’s care, and are instructed to take this or that medication for whatever aliment you have.) Otherwise, you know what I mean. All too often Magic is taken to be an excuse for the ingestion of illegal drugs meant to ‘open your spiritual nature’ or ‘expand your mind,’ or ‘induce altered states of consciousness’ in you. That is all New Age garbage of the worst sort. There is more than enough power in Magic and Mysticism to naturally alter your state. Keep your body pure on the inside and clean on the outside. Alcohol too is a toxin you need not. Let others “drink socially” as they say to justify their own particular brand of weakness. The Magician or Mystic has no need of this hidden gateway to Hell.
One of the inspirations I had was to bless my food before consumption. While I am more than capable of constructing a prayer or blessing of my own I was wondering if perhaps you know of something that might be in the same spirit as the adorations themselves (as I find the adorations to be particularly beautiful when said aloud). Perhaps something from a Bible? In these matters do you believe it best to construct prayers on your own directed from that internal voice of inspiration alone or is using a pre-constructed passage from the bible acceptable in your experience?
The adorations are as they are and were intended to give you the Keys for entering into a state of spiritual devotion. As to prayers for anything else in this regard, rely upon no one but your own spiritual nature. Contemplate—do not meditate here. That is, fix your mind upon the purpose to be reckoned with, e.g., the Prayer for the Blessing of food, and with that in mind, enter into an active-passive awareness of those words that are the most fitting. Let them surface from your own forming Subjective Synthesis. It may very well be that your subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis will provide you with a biblical verse or some other devotional phrase you suddenly ‘just happen to remember.’ This is fine. Otherwise, construct your own according to the guidelines I have suggested here.
- Looking over the recommended reading list you have provided with
the study component of the recommended curriculum I began to form the following question: Should a student study certain material in line with the practice component?
Most definitely. There must be a coordinated approach that will fulfill the intellectual component of one’s curriculum, while the practice component allows for application of the (eventually) comprehended intellectual material. This application will produce the Experiential Knowledge I have written of so many times before. In turn, this Experiential Knowledge will then (gradually) be Apprehended by you, making it a part of your living being. So yes, this is essential.
I know that you have already stated that the Way of the Pilgrim can aid with Step III of the Twelve steps but are there other books that would best benefit the student if studied during a time of specific practice? ANY additional information in this regard would be greatly appreciated.
I tried to give an example as you state above. But without knowing more about you, I cannot make specific recommendations. When it comes to my private students, yes, I have very specific recommendations for them: and all are making extraordinarily rapid progress, safely and sanely. And as far as I know, none of them have any complaints.
It all boils down to this one specific problem: ideally, there must be an Oral Tradition of Instruction at some point. Otherwise, difficulties such as the one you have projected here are sure to arise. Your best bet is to listen to “…that still small voice within…” and do the best you can. This is a very personal matter to be sure, but in my opinion, the specificity of a coordinated study-practice curriculum requires a Teacher at some point. Or in lieu of this, a ‘template’ of instructions that the individual practitioner can adapt to his own case, as greater contact is made with his developing Subjective Synthesis. If successful, such a template could then lead the individual to the only Teacher there really is: that part of God Head that lies within him. I am working on writing just such books or templates of instruction now. I am doing my best to make them all I envision them to be, so they will truly help the sincere, working aspirant. Perhaps they will help such as yourself.
While I have many more thoughts and questions I would like to ask I will wait to compose them in another correspondence at a latter date in order to keep this one from being too dense. Thank you for your time, energy, and thoughts.
I trust what I have written here will be of some considerable use to you and others. But whatever you do, keep Working! For therein lies the Royal Road to success in all of life’s activities.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of January 15 - 21, 2007.
Note to Our Readers: Due to a network failure, we are unable to post Dr. Lisiewski’s column this week. Please rest assured the problem is being corrected, and his column will resume here as usual on January 22.
Thank you for your understanding. — Webmaster
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of January 8 - 14, 2007.
Note to My Readers: While I certainly thank all of you for sending in questions, I ask that you please keep them as brief and direct as possible. Many queries received give extraneous information about the individual and have nothing to do with the matter at hand. Others are so voluminous, that it would take many screens of computer space to post them, not even considering the answers. I am trying my best to be fair to all, but when I receive such mailings as described here, I must eliminate them in order to answer as many readers as possible. There are only so many hours in a week.
I have seen a considerable number of emails regarding the preparation of the Sword according to the Heptameron, astrological considerations behind this instrument of Art, etc. These will be answered in the next few weeks. Since I answer questions as they are received and well over one hundred are received each week, there has been an inordinate delay in answering what I consider to be these more interesting questions. Thank you.
Q–1 Even after reviewing the material over and over again (particularly Axiom 3 in Ceremonial Magic) there is still something very elusive about the subjective synthesis concept. In a nutshell, from what I've come to
understand about this concept, is that the individual (who is a subjective
being, with a subjective psyche) takes in the information related to magic
and synthesizes it into their own psyche and subconscious. It in turn
becomes a part of them. Isn't that just another way of saying "to properly
understand" or to "internalize information." It also seems to me as if you
are implying that when the individual has built a proper subjective
synthesis something is activated within that individual and their subconscious can then in turn create the reality that the individual
desires. Am I at least headed in the right direction with these
interpretations?
A–1 You are most certainly correct in your interpretation and understanding of what the subconscious state of Subjective Synthesis is. It shows you have taken the matter seriously, have struggled by turning inward to ‘make it a living part of your own being, and have succeeded. Based upon my own experience—and that of my personal students—I think the reason you feel “…there is still something very elusive about (it)…” is due to two factors: first, the concept itself is new to your normal thought processes, and second, the acceptance of the concept itself is not yet fully integrated into your own Subjective Synthesis. Worry not. Full integration is assured you. You have done a magnificent job here, and are to be complimented for your —work!
Q–2 Dear Dr. Lisiewski:
I have read and learned much from your book, Ceremonial Magic and the Power of Evocation. As a result, I purchased a copy of The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage edited by S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers. I agree with your position as argued in your book that what are described as demons and/or devils are actual sentient beings that are fallen angels.
I have since researched some Jewish sources concerning demonology and have come across an interesting passage. The passage in question is from Prof. Gershom Scholem in Kabbalah. Prof. Scholem writes, “…amulets and protective charms can be found side by side with the invocation of demons,
incantations…As early as the geonic period the title ba’al shem or ‘master
of the name’ signified a master of Practical Kabbalah who was an expert at
issuing amulets for various purposes, invoking angels or devils…there are
also good-natured devils who are prepared to help and do favors to men.
This is supposed to be particularly true of those demons ruled by Ashmedai
(Asmodeus) who accept the Torah and are considered ‘Jewish Demons.’”
From your study and practical experience, do you agree with Professor
Gershom’s representation of Asmodeus as a “good-natured devil”? Do you
believe that there are devil’s that are actually friendly towards humans? I
appreciate the information that your book has provided me. I plan on
reading more of your books in the near future.
A–2 Yes, I am familiar with Professor Scholem’s writings. In particular, his edited work, the Zohar: the Book of Splendor: Basic Readings from the Kabbalah, and Alchemy and Kabbalah have been of great help to me throughout the years.
As to your specific question. It is a very difficult one due to the application of religious dogma and doctrines to the subject of spiritual beings in general. In some traditions, there are infernal beings that are supposed to be friendlier to man than are others as you cite; and certainly, in all cases there are ways for controlling and dealing with them. However, I can only speak from my own experience—and from what a few others who have done extensive work in this area have confided to me. And that is, that the very term and definition of “demon” indicates their fallen nature, and as such, they are not to be trusted in the slightest. Remember, these are beings whose nature is so chaotic and continually shifting between extremes which we cannot even imagine: they cannot be other than they are. In this way, they are most certainly damned.
This being the case, yes, there may have—or even be—times when they appear to be ‘friendly’ to man. Such experiences may have left a marked impression on the one doing the Evoking or Invoking, thereby inducing him to ‘conclude’ that certain of the Fallen are indeed “good natured.” Or could such behavior be a ruse perpertrated by the demon to obtain just such a conclusion, and have that view then disseminated in the world of men? This too is something to consider. You must also remember that if they are “good natured,” why do we take such elaborate protective measures during our interaction with them? Surely the Circle and the Sword of Art, the Blasting Rod, and the Knife with the Black Handle to name only a few, are not simply “props” of Magic, as the practice of our Art and Science according to the New Age with its tawdry teachings would have you believe.
As for myself, I am the excessively cautious type, and so treat all of the Fallen as potential enemies teetering on the verge of actively becoming treacherous and destructive. I do not trust any of them beyond the level of direct control I exert over them during the rite.
Q–3 Dr. Lisiewski,
Although the Necronomicon is obviously not rooted in any historical
grimoire, do you feel its rituals can be worked effectively due its
Sumerian/Mesopotamian origins, so long as the axioms are observed and a
solid subjective synthesis is built?
A–3 No, the book of which you speak is purely a fictional creation of the Horror writer, H. P. Lovecraft. Yes, he stated it was written by the “mad Arab” Abdul Alhazred in the 8th century, but there is no evidence whatsoever that supports its existence prior to Lovecraft’s time (1891 – 1937). However, there is something else to consider here.
There is a theory—or more properly, an untested hypothesis as far as I am concerned—that arose not too many years ago. This view states that if any book—even a ‘false’ one—is believed in strongly enough and operated from, it will produce results. The question is: what type of results will the Practitioner receive? But such an approach as the integration of a belief in a false book into the Subconscious Synthesis may indeed produce ‘results.’
Does this mean that Magic is ‘belief–based?’ Of course Magic is belief-based—to a point. But the practice of genuine Magic goes much deeper than any belief, as the Practitioner reading this knows from experience.
Considering these uncertainties, it is my ‘belief’ that if one works from any ‘false’ text, he will receive results that are akin to the partial results New Age ‘magic’ is so noted for, in addition to suffering enormously from the Slingshot Effect. It is an academic argument to be sure—that is, until someone has the courage—or enough bad (?) sense—to test it out.
Note—The rather curious letter to follow requires a response in context, addressing each point as it arises. My replies are italicized.
Q–4 How do you solve the problem of ennui regarding magical practices? I
haven't been able to think of a solitary thing wanted personally, and recently had the worst back lash in history from aiding a person to obtain a higher work position...
A person’s wants and desires—so very frequently confused—are of course, a matter that is completely up to them. This being the case, I can be of no assistance to you in this matter. As to your backlash. Well, helping people does have its rewards and drawbacks: it goes with the human territory. I am reminded of an old saying: “No good deed goes unpunished.” Apparently, you felt the “Good Samaritan Effect” as I call it. How unfortunate.
And let me go on record to state that there is only so much ecstasy a practitioner can take.. It becomes too painful.
Do not be so quick to extend your own limitations to all Practitioners. If you can take only so much ecstasy, that is an indication of the level of your own Spiritual Unfoldment and your lack of its controlled application through the psychospiritual part of your nature. Others—myself included—have and can endure such states—and apply them properly, profitable, and effectively to the task at hand. You would do well to reconsider your position here.
One other thing, obtaining the conversation of the HGA.. Why all the fuss when it is a natural thing and occurs naturally in a persons lifetime without all the bother of a full blown magical operation...and...........Tantric Magic...
You do have a penchant for generalization, don’t you? First of all, Attaining to the Knowledge and Conversation of one’s Holy Guardian Angel (Attaining to the K&C of the HGA) is not—and I repeat, NOT a “…natural thing that occurs naturally in a person’s lifetime…” If it did, we would live in an world peopled by illuminated beings whose social structure reflected a God-like state, instead of the insanity that weaves the social fabric of the times. Attaining to the K&C of the HGA is a synthetic process, in that it must be carried out as an extended “Working” while adhering to a system of performances and rites that have been laid down centuries ago. Apparently, you see things differently. So be it. As Frater Albertus use to say in our alchemical classes at the Paracelsus Research Society (PRS), “In your way of thinking, yes. It is as you say.” I trust you are enjoying the lofty spiritual heights from which you wrote this post.
it is not possible to hold a spiritual thought when performing it.
Apparently for you, it is not. Do not be so arrogant as to project your own limitations on others! Rather, Work on improving your condition instead of accepting it as a constant that appears in the nature of all Practitioners of Magic and Mysticism!
The focus of consciousness shifts to the lower levels, and stays there..
Again, apparently for you, this is true. But take heart! If you descend from your ‘spiritual height’ and get to work, you may find that you not only can sustain the spiritual ecstasy and thought, but revel and grow in them. They will become a beacon for you in all those dark places in which you are currently walking.
I can't see any advantage to it at all. I have found it more gainful to train the will and imagination and simply ask for what it is you want ...This technique is very rewarding.. any comments?
Then there is nothing more I can do for you: your mind is made up, and so you will remain the self-righteous, pseudo-intellectual that you are.
Oh. Since you have found the development of your will and “imagination” to be more gainful, I have a question for you: why do you bother writing to someone like myself, who apparently is not as spiritually advanced and psychically developed as are you?
Rid yourself of your sloth and self-righteous! Admit what you are and what you are not; who you are and who you are not, and WORK! For if you knew the joy, the blessing, and terror of Work, you would not delude yourself as you have in this letter, nor make the fool of yourself that you did.
Throughout all of your pompousness, there is a spiritual being longing to awaken. Work—and let it manifest in you and in your life. Not only your own personal world, but the world at large will be a better place for you having done so.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of December 25, 2006 - January 1, 2007.
A Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to All! With the busy holiday season upon us, I ask that our readers use what ever available time they can manage to review previous postings in this column, and especially those in the archives. You just might be surprised at what you find in a second reading of this material! Normal postings will resume here on Tuesday, January 2, 2007
Again, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all!
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of December 18 - December 14, 2006.
Q–1 Dear Dr. Lisiewski,
Thank you so much for answering my previous questions. Your answers have really been helpful. I have yet another question.
My imaging faculty seems to be very difficult to develop. I have, for several weeks now, been using your suggested method of multiplying a three digit number by another three digit number in my mind. I am able to come up with the correct product on a regular basis, but the numbers don't seem to
appear vivid enough in my mind to where I can honestly make an attempt to change the colors of the numbers. I have to mentally repeat the numbers I am working with over and over again so that I don't forget them.
I feel as if my memory and multiplication skills are the only things being developed. I wonder if my imaging faculty is being developed as well. Should I continue with this method until I can "see" the numbers more clearly in my mind? Could this possibly take months or even years to develop? Are there any other effective methods that you know of to develop
the imaging faculty? Thank you very much for your time and patience.
A–1 The fact that you can successfully multiply three numbers by three numbers shows you are most certainly seeing the numbers and imaging the mathematical process correctly. I assure you, what you have succeeded in doing is (generally) no easy task. The problem is not one of imaging, but of concentrating on the images themselves. I too had the same problem long ago, only to find that if I focused on the numbers first and then on the multiplication process, all fell into line quite easily and quickly.
And don’t be so down about strengthening your memory and sharpening your basic mathematical skills. Taken together, these faculties are extremely important in all magical and mystical work, because they are also exercises in self-discipline. That is, they order the mind and put it more completely under your conscious control. Keep at it, and you will succeed.
Q–2 Dr. Lisiewski,
I understand the rationale behind following grimoiric instructions scrupulously to achieve full results. However, how can I choose to
approach evocation without remaining within the rigid confines of the
ancient grimoires? Evocation is a practice and not a religion, correct?
Therefore, it is not the exclusive property of the early Roman Catholic
grimoires.
My question is, how can I approach the practice outside of the bonds of this
paradigm? I would like to create my own system of evocation. I have tried to take up the position of the devoted disciple to some god or goddess, but to no avail. I am far to analytical to settle for the watered-down New Age picture of divinity. I appreciate you taking the time to read this.
A–2 You miss the point. Like it or not, the grimoires are a Catholic creation: their structure, prayers, and conjurations are certainly proof of that! Therefore, you can no more separate their being an exclusive practice of the Catholic church anymore than you can separate the Sacrament of Holy Communion from being an exclusive practice of the Sacrifice of the Mass. And as we all know, in the latter case, the entire structure of the Mass is built upon and culminates in the act of Communion itself. The same with the grimoires: they are as much the exclusive function and property of the Roman Catholic Church—in terms of their creation and composition—as Communion is of the Mass, as I have pointed out.
So to my mind, an attempt to practice the grimoires outside of the Catholic model is utterly futile—as so many who tout the New Age ‘logic’ of their gun-slinging practice so clearly shows.
Create your own system of Evocation? Why? You have enough to master as it is, without the Bardonic idea of Evocation-System synthesis entering into your already full world of magical practice.
No, as far as I see it, if I were you, I would examine my ulterior motives, i.e., my likes and dislikes regarding the Catholic ancestry of the grimoires, and what it is that makes you want to create something as your own “System of Evocation.” I assure you, once you adopt the Catholic model and succeed—and I mean, fully succeed—in Evocation to Physical Manifestation, you will wonder why such a Franz Bardon-like idea ever popped into your head. Such an experience as a fully successful Evocation to Physical Manifestation is, after all, something you will never—and I mean, NEVER—forget!
Q–3 You stated that the magician should make their own altar however you
didn't seem to give a definite answer as to whether the magician could buy
an altar. Because you have mentioned before that it is acceptable to buy a
sword of art could it also be acceptable to buy an altar as well? Can I
buy rather than make all of my magical implements?
A–3 Although both the Altar and the Sword are magical weapons (or “Impedimenta” of the Art) they serve vastly different purposes. The Sword divides, separates, and thus threatens to induce further chaos into those whose natures are already unstable and chaotic: those beings known as the Fallen Angels. It can be made by another if one’s skills are not up to it. Nevertheless it must be consecrated by the Operator as a declaration of his intent to use it to separate, divide, and thus introduce further chaos into those beings who are already in a continual state of chaos.
The Altar, on the other hand, is that place whereupon a sacrifice is made and upon which a desire rests. It is symbolic of the Cross of Redemption upon which Christ made His Sacrifice; His desire being the redemption of all mankind. In the case of the magical Altar, the sacrifice made upon it is that of the self of the Operator being offered up; the desire, that which he is seeking to obtain through his ‘self’-sacrifice. As such, the construction of the Altar by the Operator is absolutely essential if it is to represent the ‘best’ that the self (the magician) has to offer up at the time of its making.
Read the grimoires. In fact, save for the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, nothing is mentioned of the Altar at all. Why? Because this piece of equipment was ‘standard issue’ for such rites, its symbology and purpose being just as understood then, as we of today understand that it takes gasoline to make an automobile run. Make the Altar yourself. Make it the best you can: spare nothing in its design and construction. For upon it rests not only your sacrifice, but your desire.
As to buying all the impedimenta of Art? Don’t be foolish. This is not New Age Magic where anything goes. That is, where anything that fulfills the idea of the quick fix and instant gratification is supposed to save the day. It won’t. Learn to think and work in these matters. In the case of Magic, the shortest distance between you and your desire is not a straight line or the path of least resistance. It is, instead, only by the most circuitous of routes, and the path of greatest effort that you will succeed. This is why Magic works. You will learn the how if you learn to—work!
Q–4 I am preparing to do my first evocation to physical manifestation this
winter outside. It's pretty secluded and generally quiet around here.
My concern and question is, will I be the only one to hear and see the Spirits or do I run the risk of my neighbors hearing moans and groans?
Also, if you’re not too busy, my second and final question: Is it possible to do a physical evocation of the "good" angels (Michael, Gabriel, etc.) are there any good books for this?
P. S. Thanks for writing your books, you have been the largest single
influence on my thinking on how to approach this path that I am beginning
to embark on.
A–4 Noises and groans are just that: noises and groans, and can be heard by anyone who has the ability to hear. I reject in toto that contemporary nonsense that claims all of these sights and sounds that one experiences during a ritual or ceremonial action occur solely in the mind of the Operator: not mine, I assure you. And neither will be those generated by your magical efforts if you practice Old System Magic the way the Fathers of the Grimoires intended. So get use to it: any disturbances that effect the senses—both physical and para-physical—can and will most definitely be detected by others outside of the Rite proper.
As to your second question. Under no circumstances is it possible—in my opinion, based upon my experience—to “evoke” an archangel to physical manifestation. The divine nature of these beings is so exalted and above that of man’s, that our senses could neither comprehend nor tolerate—let alone endure—their manifestation. Indirect physical phenomena caused by their presence is most certainly possible, however. But a visible appearance? Not as far as I know. As to evoking other “good” angels as you term them. Yes, this is most certainly possible: the appearance of one’s Holy Guardian Angel (HGA) at the culmination of the Abramelin Operation is one such example.
As to books dealing with the evocation to physical manifestation of “good” angels? There are a few, but it seems to me that you are trying to convince yourself of something here; something that is not founded in the purest of motive. Hence I decline to list them.
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Dr. Lisiewski's responses to readers' questions
for the week of December 11 - December 17, 2006.
Q–1 Greetings!
I want to thank you for sharing your excellent work, because it has helped me enormously. You are a breath of fresh air in an increasingly stale community of regurgitated knowledge.
Through internal dialogue I was given to understand that part of my job
is to process structured information - such as the Tree of Life - to the
denizens of what is called the subconscious mind; what I called
inter-dim
