Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil (Free of Charge While Supplies Last)

Does life have you down? Are you experiencing unwelcome bouts of anxiety. Do you see yourself as unsuccessful? If so, are you looking to turn that anxious frown upside down and become the success you always dreamed of becoming? Then look no further. Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil is the answer to your prays. Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil is specifically designed to alleviate anxiety and unhappiness while drawing success your way. And as a bonus feature, Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil  includes a mantra (Cupahay Tinrez) that, when recited, will increase the speed at which serenity, happiness and success begin to flow into your life. While you may be put off by the amateurish design of Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil, its potency will amaze you. How much would you pay for such a miraculous item - 5 dollars, 25 dollars, 25,000 dollars? Certainly, no monetary value can be assigned to such a powerful magical tool. Yet, on account of the magnanimous nature of its creator, Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil can be yours FREE of charge. Simply download the above Sigil, print it and hang it in a prominent place in your home or office in order to reap the rewards it will bestow upon you.

Disclaimer: Karmaghna's Talismanic Sigil is inert. Batteries not included.

A Working Sigil

A Public "Thank You" To Saint Expedite.

THANK YOU, SAINT EXPEDITE, FOR QUICKLY PROVIDING ME WITH A NEW JOB AND DELIVERING ME FROM AN INTOLERABLE WORK ENVIRONMENT. MAY THIS POST INCREASE YOUR RENOWN, ELEVATE YOUR STATUS, AND GIVE HOPE TO THOSE WHO NEED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE.

Air Travel, A Tree Spirit and Cake.

I've probably mentioned this at least once or twice over the years, but I hate flying...with a passion! I'll do it of course, if I absolutely have to, but I'd rather drive irrespective of the distance and travel time. So, when I find that I can't avoid air travel I always take along my Archangel Michael Golden Coin and ask Michael for protection during my travels. This time around, however, I got a little unexpected protection from a spirit that manifested in the branches of a tree as I lay gazing out the window hours before my flight.

At first the spirit's "face" seemed pleasant enough, but gradually it began to shift into what I perceived to be a more sinister expression. So, I was a little leery when the "spirit" offered to make sure I was unharmed during my travels. Of course, spirits oftentimes demand compensation for their assistance. This "spirit" did not disappoint! It asked for a "special offering" in exchange for its services. I immediately turned it down as I did not like the sound of "special offering." However, after considering its offer for a minute and realizing that I might be too quick to judge, I decided to enquire as to what it wanted. It wanted me to eat a piece of white cake upon my safe return home. WTF? I mean REALLY...eat a piece of white cake. That certainly took me by surprise. Well, anyway, the agreement was made.

Above is a pic of the "cake" I had to choke down when I got back safely (It's coconut cream pie and not technically a cake, but I got the feeling that it would be acceptable despite not being what the "spirit" had initially intended). I have some suspicions as to why it chose this form of payment. Probably had something to do with requiring me to undermine some body magic I am currently engaged in. In this respect it was a little sinister after all.

What strange form of payment has a spirit requested of you?
 

Four-stepped Spirit Offering.

 

There is a myriad of ways to make spirit offerings. What follows below is merely MY way of making an offering to certain beings that exist outside of the physical realm. It’s not an elaborate procedure, but it works for me. I like to keep things as simple as possible. There is nothing particularly special or powerful about the way I make my offering. I simply outline it here with the hope that it will generate some ideas in the mind of anyone looking to construct their own offering ceremony.

While I have offered incense to the spirits in the past, I currently bestow upon the spirits a portion of the universal energy that I breathe into my body and discharge through my hands. It is my intention that this energy will transform into whatever is most needed or desired by the spirits. This breathing in and release of energy is undertaken four times, with each occurrence being directed at a certain group of spirits.

Offering #1: Hostile spirits.

The first offering of energy is made to those spirits that are hostile towards me. I request that these hostile spirits accept the offering as payment for any misdeed I have done to incur their wrath, irrespective of whether this misdeed was done willfully or in ignorance. I also ask that these spirits join the group of spirits to which I will make my next offering, those spirits that assist and protect me (see Offering #2). I express my hope that they do this so that we may work for the benefit of each other whenever possible.

Offering #2: Spirits that assist and protect.

The second offering of energy is made to those spirits that act kindly towards me, protecting me and assisting me in my life. I offer the energy to these spirits as payment for their assistance and to demonstrate my gratitude.

Offering #3: Neutral spirits.

The third offering of energy is made to those spirits that are neutral towards me, those that are neither hostile nor friendly. I ask that these spirits join the group of spirits that assist and protect me (see Offering #2). I also express my hope that they do this so that we may work for the benefit of each other whenever possible.

Offering #4: Deceased relatives.

The fourth offering of energy is made to my deceased relatives. I offer the energy to my ancestors as an expression of my gratitude for all that they did and sacrificed for their families. I also thank them for their role in bringing about my existence and for their part in shaping the positive qualities of my psyche.

 

By George...Magick Works!

 

By nature I’m a passive guy, always have been and probably always will be. I tend to let whatever negativity befalls me set up residence in my life without much resistance. This may be why I was initially attracted to some Eastern forms of thought those many years ago, because you know…”A reed that bends in the wind does not break.”  Sometime after an evocation of great importance failed to materialize (you can read about this failure here) I came to realize just how passive I had become. Without the daily enactment of the evocation rituals or the manifestation of my desire, I found myself floating on a raft in and endless sea where one direction looked as good as the other. It took me quite awhile to realize that floating on an endless sea, well…to put it nicely… sucks. I needed to find a way to navigate the waters and find myself a stretch of land upon which I could set up residence. I ended up returning to magick, a practice I had dabbled in as a teenager.  I thought maybe magick could help me not only brave the ocean but get me somewhere to boot (some comments regarding my return to magick can be found here and here).

Yet, because of my rather passive nature I tend not to utilize magick very often. In fact, I quite often forget that I have this tool available to me. So…when my magick bears fruit it usually comes as a surprise and I have to remind myself that magick works. Although magick works, your desire does not always come about quickly nor does it always come about in a preferred manner. Over the last year I have been doing some reconciliation magick that has just recently borne fruit. Both my honey jar working (read here) and my Karukulla working (read here) were intended to bring about this reconciliation. While honey jar spells are typically slow acting on their own, they are even slower when not worked regularly. Since I only began to consistently work my jar about two months ago, I have no one to blame for the length of time it took for the reconciliation to occur. Needless to say, to help keep the relationship sweat, I’ll be working my jar one day a week from here on out. Though the magick worked, the reconciliation certainly did not come about in a manner that I would have chosen. A breaking point was reached where the relationship was truly and utterly in danger of ending. It took this highly charged emotional event to create a catharsis that allowed for a renewed dedication to one another.

Magick does not always work at a snail’s pace, however. I added a much needed sex magick working into the reconciliation mix two weeks ago (candle magick) and exactly one day short of two weeks after the candle operation the magick worked its mojo. Unimpressed? Well, three years have passed with no intimacy between us, so I consider this a WIN! Though I consider my sex magick operation to have worked rather quickly, magick can also work with lightning speed. On New Year’s Eve morning I performed a combination sigil and mantra money spell for a pay raise in 2013. I had to laugh out loud when I arrived at work that very evening and a co-worker, quite out of the blue, approached me and informed me that he heard I will be receiving a pay raise this coming year. Damn that was fast!

While magick has not brought me to my island yet, it is helping me steer my raft.

 

Meridiana: An Unbinding Spell

Oh, Meridiana, the crime was his. He tasted of your delights and then disowned you. Oh, Meridiana, I strip away the devil's mask unjustly forced upon you, permitting your sultry visage to freely enchant once more.    

A Kurukulla Sigil Working

The above photo is a derivative of Shakira Rock in Rio 08 003 by Andres.Arranz. Permission granted under Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Spain license.

I Do Not Believe In Spirits, Yet It Would Seem They Believe In Me

So, you’re a Muggle and you want to become a wizard wielding powerful magics. In that case, I recommend you start your magical career by performing a simple ritual offering to the spirits at least once a week. What is that you say? You don’t believe in spirits?  It’s quite o.k. that you don’t believe in spirits, because the spirits probably believe in you. How do I know this? I know this because I too do not believe in spirits, but it would seem that they do indeed believe in me. Let me tell you my story (of course all names have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty).

Once upon a time there lived a wealthy ogre who purchased a great deal of land within the town of Sod. Being industrious, this ogre set about petitioning the town’s council to grant him permission to build an ogre fortress on his newly acquired property. Despite opposition by the town folk, the ogre secured all of the permissions necessary to build his fortress and began to mark off the territory for construction. Now it just so happened that there lived adjacent to the ogre’s property a peasant by the name of Mift. Peasant Mift knew that if the ogre built his fortress next to his land that not only would he have to endure an increase in ogre traffic but that his property would lose some of its value (who wants to live next to an ogre fortress?). Concerned over the matter, Peasant Mift pondered as to what he should do. Now Peasant Mift had been making weekly offerings to the local spirits for some time prior to all of this. He was not entirely comfortable doing this since he did not believe in spirits, but he nevertheless gave weekly offerings to the spirits of the land because some roaming sorcerers had told him that miraculous things would begin to occur if he did so. Thinking about his plight, Peasant Mift decided to inform the local spirits about the ogre’s intentions and asked them to intervene. It was their land too after all.  Later, after some months passed and he became busied with his normal routine, Peasant Mift forgot all about his conversation with the spirits. Then one day, quite unexpectedly, Peasant Mift’s wife came to him and informed him that the ogre was no longer interested in building his fortress and that he would be putting the land up for sale. Upon hearing the news, Peasant Mift immediately recalled what he had asked of the spirits and began to laugh. He laughed because he did not believe in spirits, yet the spirits obviously believed in him.

Peas In A Pod Honey Jar Spell (aka, A Magical Clusterfuck Spell For Ailing Families)

In a blog post over at Strategic Sorcery Jason Miller describes a house cleansing working he undertook and articulates that the whole operation, for those coming from either a Christian or Buddhist background, would appear to be a clusterfuck (original post here). While I respect Jason and his work, you should know that you will never get a similitude of a clusterfuck here.  Here, you will get the real thing! While I have no qualms performing clusterfuck magick, I do my damndest to avoid allowing my magick to slip into being a chicken-goat-fuck.* Now, for those of you who know not the dreaded “chicken-goat-fuck,” this cursed event has been defined as:

A chicken goat fuck is a situation so hopelessly chaotic that you can only sit back and laugh (or weep, depending on your sensibilities). It's identical to a clusterfuck except in terms of scale; a chicken goat fuck is what you've got when a clusterfuck goes bad.(CGF source)

So, I take pride in my magical clusterfucks. While indeed clusterfucks, they are (I hope) clusterfucks with style and efficacy.

For those of you who are into clusterfuck magick or who feel that they can learn something from clusterfuck magick, I will present a recently created magickal clusterfuck spell below. Before doing so, however, I must first set the stage for my operation by talking briefly about families. Sometimes, family members do not get along. Sometimes, they do not get along even when love is shared between them. Sometimes, the bad days can outnumber the good and chip away at the love that remains. I know this because that family is my family. For whatever reason, my family has entered into the “dark night of the soul.” In fact, we have been there for some time. While there is recognition of this fact among all members of my family, we have been unsuccessful in remedying the situation. So, being the magician that I hope one day to be, I thought our situation calls for some magical sweetening. To sweeten our relationships with one another I chose to create a spell based upon an adaptation of a Hoodoo honey jar spell. While honey jar spells are traditionally utilized to bring forth a lover, my adaptation is designed to foster the enhancement of loving-kindness between members of my family. So, without delay here is how I perform a Peas In A Pod Honey Jar Spell (aka, A Magical Clusterfuck Spell For Ailing Families).

Essential Material:

Glass jar with lid

Enough honey to fill jar

uncooked peas (one for each family member…yourself included)

toothpicks

Green thread

Green permanent marker or paint

Permanent markers or paints the color of which corresponds to the astrological color of each family member.

A sweet/ flowery smelling tealight candle

Non-essential/optional material:

These items can be anything you choose that will enhance your working and give the spell some added oomph.

Spell Preparation:

Pea Preparation:

Take one uncooked pea for each family member and pierce it with a toothpick and set somewhere to dry.

Once the peas are dry, remove the toothpicks and place a pea under each family member’s mattress so that it is underneath each as they sleep (don’t forget yourself). By doing this the peas will become “associated” with each family member. I would suggest locating the peas near the corners of the beds as the dried peas sometimes crush if directly slept on. After a week’s time retrieve the peas and string them together with green thread.

Jar Preparation:

On the lid of a glass jar paint/draw the seal of Venus in green.

Paint or draw a green ring around the jar near the center.

After the green paint dries, paint/draw a symbol/sigil to represent each family member (in a color that corresponds to the astrological color of each) along the green line. Let dry.

Putting It Together:

Once the peas and jar are ready, fill the jar with honey and submerge the “necklace” of peas into the honey. Add anything else that will give strength to the working and seal the jar with its lid.

Spell Activation:

On Friday during a Venus hour, light a sweet/flowery smelling tealight candle on top of the jar and take some time to visualize your desired goal (i.e., you and your family members acting in a loving and kind manner toward one another).  At the end of the Venus hour, blow out the candle and preserve the jar in a safe place. Repeat the spell activation whenever needed.

*I wish to thank Robert Hager, author of Doing Magick, for introducing me to this interesting term.

Archangel Michael's Golden Coin

Last week I finally made a much overdue trip to visit my parents. It takes about twenty-four hours to reach my parents door by car. So, being that I have not seen them in ten years (I know, I know, bad me), I wanted to spend as much time as possible visiting rather than driving and chose to fly rather than drive. Did I ever mention that I HATE flying? I know that statistics suggest that I would be much more likely to die in a car accident on my way to my parent’s house than in a plane, but my mind tells me that I have at least a chance at surviving a car crash whereas a drop from 36,000 ft. would most assuredly secure my demise. So, being the budding sorcerer that I am, I decided to make a talisman/amulet* that would offer some protection while on my travels. Making such an object is rather straightforward for anyone who operates within a specific magical system, as such systems typically provide a blueprint for constructing magickal tools. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), I have never found a system of magick that appeals to me. This is largely due to the fact that my personal beliefs (or lack thereof) prohibit me from adopting any of the systems I have encountered thus far. Rather than adhering to any one particular magickal system, I prefer to build my magickal modus operandi  based upon the structure of magickal technique rather than any specific system of magick and then tweak it to suit my particular world view. I guess you could probably liken my method of practicing magick to the processes of certain Chaos Magicians. For me, this is the only way I can practice magick. It allows me to bypass the inherent belief structure of any particular system of magick. Of course, my way of practicing magick will probably be viewed as ineffectual by those who maintain that magickal efficacy stems from the correct performance of the magickal blueprint provided by a magickal system. For me, however, magical efficacy is more a result of personal ability than it is of inherent power within prescribed words and rituals. While my view permits me to do magick, it comes at a cost. I have no magickal blueprint to follow, only vague sketches and outlines. Basically, I have to build each magical undertaking from the ground up. And so it was the case when I wanted to create a protective object (Archangel Michael’s Golden Coin) to take with me on my journey to the land of my birth.

The first decision I had to make concerned the material from which my object would be constructed. I chose to shape my object out of corn starch clay (see post on this tool here) since I could fashion this material into any shape and size desired AND it would get through airport security undetected. Since Archangel Michael has a reputation for providing protection, I chose to paint the “coin” gold (the planetary color associated with Archangel Michael) and draw the sigil/character of Archangel Michael in red (the elemental color associated with Archangel Michael) on one side of the “coin.” On the other side of the “coin” I drew a sigil that had imbedded within it the intention of physical safety and well-being. To seal the deal, the object was coated with an acrylic sealer. The object was then consecrated during the hour of the Sun (the planetary hour associated with Archangel Michael) where I, holding the “coin” over  the smoke produced by a cone of Dragon’s Blood incense that had been anointed with banishing oil (to banish physical harm), asked Archangel Michael and my HGA to infuse the “coin” with protective power.

I have no idea whether Archangel Michael’s Golden Coin performed its intended function or whether I merely survived the plane trip because I was statistically likely to survive. Either way, I am alive and posting to my blog. I am grateful either way.

*I am not sure what to call this object, since it was constructed in such a fashion that it resembles both an amulet (banish physical harm) and a talisman (bring forth protective powers).

Magically Cleaning And Protecting Your Home

Methods for magically cleaning and protecting ones home vary widely between magical traditions and oftentimes among the practitioners comprising those traditions as well. Some of the methods are complex and involve intricate rituals and diverse accoutrements, while others are simple and involve few trappings. The procedure for magically cleansing and securing a dwelling delineated below is a very simple method of clearing negative energy from ones home and securing it so that negativity is prevented from entering into ones place of residence.  The method itself is an adaptation of certain other clearing/protecting practices that best suit my particular needs. If you find it useful … great … if not, there are a plethora of other methods to choose from.

What you will need…

Clearing/Banishing material:

1) Small black candle (I like tealite candles).

2) Small portion of sage incense.

3) Small dish/cup containing banishing oil (make your own oil, it’s easy).

4) Plate to hold the black candle, sage incense and dish of banishing oil.

Protecting material:

1) Small white candle (tealight or other).

2) Small portion of dragon’s blood incense.

3) Small dish/cup containing protection oil (again, no need to buy – just create your own).

4) Plate to hold the white candle, dragon’s blood incense and dish of protection oil (I reuse the plate used for the banishing material).

Procedure:

The procedure starts with a banishing of negativity from the home. Initiate the banishing in a room at the highest level of living space and work your way down to the basement/cellar (if you have one). At your beginning point light the black candle and sage incense and say, “By fire and air I purify this room of all negative energy and malevolent entities” (or something equivalent). Then dip your finger into the banishing oil and “anoint” some inconspicuous spot in the room (I say “inconspicuous” because the oil tends to leave an unsightly oil smudge. I prefer to “anoint” the top of the door frame, which prevents the oil smudges from being seen).* Proceed in like fashion throughout your entire house/apartment. When finished, find some central location and say, “By fire and air I purify this entire house/apartment so that every space, dark corner and crevice is free of negativity.” Afterwards, you can remove the banishing material from your plate.

After your banishing is complete and you have removed your banishing material from the plate, load your plate with your protecting material and return to the point at which you began your banishing. Light your white candle and dragon’s blood incense and say, “Having banished all negativity from this room, I now establish a wall of protection so that no negative energy or malevolent entity may enter here” (or something equivalent). ). Then dip your finger into the protection oil and “anoint” some inconspicuous spot in the room.* Proceed in like fashion throughout your entire house/apartment. When finished, find some central location and say, “Having banished all negativity from this house/apartment, I now establish a wall of protection around my home so that no negative energy or malevolent entity may enter.”  -  Il est fini.

*If you prefer not to “anoint” a spot in the room, simply dress each candle with their corresponding oils prior beginning the procedure and dispense with the anointing portion of the procedure entirely.

Death To The Demon Retalitonis

I have been thinking about Retalitonis on and off since I first blogged about him awhile back (read about it here). While it is true that Retalitonis’ influence has been practically nil since that entry, I have come to feel that my relationship with Retalitonis would not be completely eradicated until I did a proper banishing ritual. So, about two hours ago I undertook just such a banishing. First I created an image of Retalitonis. Then I printed his picture and drew his seal alongside his likeness.

After placing the image a short distance in front of me, I performed the Kabbalistic Cross and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. I then lit a white candle and called upon Kalvin (see here and here) to come and oversee the ritual. I asked him/her to both guide and protect me. I then called Retalitonis out from me and ordered him into his likeness in front of me. After binding Retalitonis to his image, I again performed the KC and LBRP and gave a license to depart (overkill I know). I then took Retalitonis’ image and ritually slayed him by piercing his image and seal with a ritual dagger. The image was then placed inside a glass jar and burned outside (I don’t know if it was the ink or the type of paper, but this paper was extremely difficult to burn).

Tomorrow the ritual will be complete after I toss the glass jar containing Retalitonis’ ashes into a nearby river.

Making A Meal Of My Magic

The ingestion of sacred or holy substances has a long history in religious, magical and mystical traditions. Having been influenced by Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics, I have been trying to come up with a way of utilizing a “sacred meal” in my daily life. The ritual below is what I have come up with. I present it here simply as an example of how I have devised a way of incorporating magic into my everyday existence. If it gives another some ideas of their own, so much the better.


Ritual of Increase

Preparation:

Bake some unleavened bread

and cut into wedges.

Take one of the wedges and break/cut into roughly ½ to 1 inch portions and place the pieces into an airtight container/wrapper. These broken portions will serve as the sacred meal (“Sacred Amplifier”) for the next few days. Place the remaining wedges in the freezer for future use. Remove a single wedge from the freezer as needed.

Ritual Proper:

Upon awaking from sleep or shortly thereafter take the Sacred Amplifier (a piece of the unleavened bread) from its container and face east. Hold the Sacred Amplifier in the open palm of your left hand. Your right hand should be open with palm supporting the left hand. Either stand or kneel while looking at the Sacred Amplifier and say:

From my hands you have been created…Earth from Earth.

You are bread, sustainer of body through the ages.

From my will you have been created anew…Spirit and Earth.

You are the Sacred Amplifier, promoter of magical increase through the ages.

With your ingestion my ability to transform myself and my environment according to my will becomes amplified.

Consume the Sacred Amplifier to complete the ritual.

My Pendulum Lied!

©All rights reserved *Silihari* at Flickr

Recently, I posted about my inaugural pendulum working. The initial post can be found here. Having some free time the other day, I spent the morning searching (again!) my bedroom closet for the missing book. I am sad to say that the book I am looking for, contrary to what the pendulum told me, was not to be found in the closet. I was really hoping that the missing book would turn up in that closet. Not only would I have found the book, but I would have gained a little faith in the efficacy of pendulum dowsing. The experiment was not a complete waste of time, however. I did find something worthwhile to read and a sigil whose intent has long been forgotten (a method for working with forgotten sigils can be viewed here). While I do plan on activating this sigil, no record of the sigil’s intent could be located. As a result, I will not be able to verify whether the intent of the sigil does or does not manifest.

Some off-the-cuff reasons for the failure:

1. Pendulum dowsing does not work.

2. My make-shift nut pendulum sucks.

3. My inexperience in pendulum dowsing was the culprit.

4. The book is really in the closet but my Harry Potter Invisibility Cloak is lying on top of it.

* If you are an experienced dowser and have some suggestions, I would love to hear from you.

A Dowsing Experiment

A number of years ago a book seemed to have vanished from my residence. I looked everywhere for the damn thing without any success in locating it. What especially perturbed me about this was the fact that the book, although in my possession for nearly thirty five years, had remained unread by me. It had remained packed away in one of my book boxes until a relative had come to stay at my home for a brief time. Being that this relative had some interest in the subject of the book, I removed the book from storage and let this person read from it during their stay in my home. Shortly after their departure, I decided that I would like to read the book as well. To my dismay, the book could not be located. I searched everywhere – behind and under beds and bookshelves, in closets, in and under dresser drawers, etc. After some time, I just assumed that the relative to whom I had lent the book had lifted it from the premises. But I never knew for sure and this not knowing has been nagging at me for some time. Whether or not the book was taken from me (intentionally or unintentionally) is not an issue for me. Not knowing what became of this book is what is troubling.

Recently, I became, through a rather circuitous route, introduced to pendulum dowsing. Having spent a couple of hours learning the absolute basics, I felt confident that I could at least elicit a “yes” or “no” reply from a pendulum. All I needed was something to ask the pendulum. As an absolute beginner I needed something simple. I also needed something that I did not have a conscious bias towards - but what? Then a thought came to me. Maybe I could locate that lost book of mine. Thus, I made a pendulum and proceeded to ask the following questions:

Question: Is book (X) located in the house in which I live?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Has book (X) been removed from the house in which I live? (I like to double check)

Answer: No.

Question: Is book (X) located on the second floor of the house in which I live?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is book (X) located in the room were my dresser drawers are kept?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is book (X) located in the room on the second floor that contains a couch? (a double check)

Answer: No.

Question: Is book (X) located in the closet in the room where my dresser drawers are located?

Answer: Yes.

Question: Is book (X) under the bed where I sleep? (another double check)
Answer: No.

Needless to say, I will tear my closet apart at the earliest opportunity in order to determine if it is indeed there. Now, I have searched this closet several times already with no luck in finding that book. It will be a real shocker if I eventually find it hiding in there!

Working With Forgotten Sigils

©All rights reserved Katielouise at Flickr

I FORGOT....

This last winter I found several sigils in a coat pocket that I created the previous winter. I had totally forgotten about them. Not only did I forget that they existed, I forgot the intentions behind their creations. At first, I was rather disappointed that I had not worked the sigils. I mean, I had let an entire year go by without taking steps to manifest my intentions. However, I soon realized that the “losing” of the sigils for a year might actually help me to work with them. Since I had no idea what they symbolized, it would not be difficult for me to activate them without bringing their intentions to conscious thought. In addition, having absolutely no conscious awareness of their intents, I would, once they were fired, be less likely to obsess about their results. (The intentions to these sigils were with the sigils, but separate from them. Thus, I can, when I actually get around to activating them, reflect upon the success or failure of my intentions to manifest. I have not looked at the intentions since I initially sigilized them, however. I wonder if any have already become manifest).

Having come to see the benefits of possessing sigils whose intents are completely forgotten, I have recently taken up the task of devising a method for working with forgotten sigils. Working with forgotten sigils is certainly not a new idea and I am sure that others have come up with methods for working with them that are more artful than what I have come up with here. Nevertheless, I set my ideas down here to record my initial thoughts concerning the matter and to provide some ideas for those who have interest in working with sigils.


METHOD

Materials needed: stack of 3x5 index cards, package of post-it notes (any size, but no bigger than 3x5), small box that will accommodate the index cards, envelope(s), an utensil for drawing sigils.

Step 1. Create a sigil and transfer it to a post-it note (some sigils will obviously not lend themselves to be treated in this manner) and adhere the post-it note with the sigil to one side of a 3x5 index card.

Step 2. Write the sigil’s intention on another post- it note and adhere it to the side of the index card opposite the sigil.

Step 3. Place the index card in a small box with the intention facing down and the sigil facing up.

Step 4. Repeat steps 1-3 until the box contains several sigils (this need not be done at one sitting but can be accomplished over time.)

Step 5. When you decide to activate a sigil (you should allow some time to pass since the creation of the first sigil to aid in the forgetting process), take all or a few of the index cards (depending on the number of cards in the box) out of the box and carefully mix them up. Be sure that the sigil remains facing up or towards you and that you do not inadvertently remove a sigil or intention post-it from their card.

Step 6. Look at the first sigil. If you think you recognize the intent, return it to the box. DO NOT CHECK THE REVERSE SIDE TO VERIFY. This will only reinforce a connection between intent and sigil and make it harder to forget. If you do not recognize the intent, set it aside and place the remaining cards back in the box.

Step 7. Remove the sigil from the 3x5 index card you set aside and activate it any way you so chose. When finished, dispose of the sigil by burning, etc.

Step 8. Remove the post-it note with the intent from the same 3x5 index card WITHOUT LOOKING AT IT and place it in an envelope. Determine the date that is four weeks from the time that you put the intention in the envelope and write this on the envelope. When this date arrives, take the intention out of the envelope and record it in your magical diary (or however you record your workings). This will keep you free from obsessive thoughts for at least four weeks.

Note: You can reuse the envelope by crossing out dates and adding new ones and index cards once the sigil and intent have been removed.

A Successful Sigil

During the first week of July I posted a sigil and asked my readers to assist me in its activation (you can read the original post here). In that post I stated that I would, after the month had ended, reveal the intention of the sigil and relay whether the sigilized intention was or was not made manifest. So, here is what it was all about.


THE SIGIL AND THE INTENTION

The sigil was created by writing out my intention, discarding all the repeating letters and then using the remaining letters to form the symbol that appears within the original post. Unfortunately, I am now unable to find the sheet of paper that contained my intention but it ran something like - “I will that at least five new individuals begin to follow my blog before the end of July, 2010.”

I chose the words "at least five" to indicate that five followers would be the minimum accepted. I chose the words "new individuals begin to follow my blog" to preclude the four readers I had at the time from being counted among the five. I chose the words "before the end of July, 2010," to limit the experiment to the month of July and prevent its activation by future readers (e.g., being activated in July of 2011, 2012, etc.).

RESULTS

The sigil experiment was a success. At the time I activated the sigil and asked others to do so as well, there were four followers of my blog. Within three weeks time The Magical Lotus had three new followers. All I needed was two more. On July 30th something rather strange happened. My Blogger account reported that two more followers had been added, but only one visibly appeared on the Google Friend Connect application on the blog itself. In other words, my account said that I had X number of followers whereas my blog showed X-1 followers. If this discrepancy is to be explained by someone anonymously following the blog ( I don’t know if this is possible), then the number of new followers during the month of July would have been at least five on the 30th. Irrespective of this dilemma, another individual began to follow my blog on the 31st. With this additional follower the Magical Lotus clearly and without a doubt received at least five new followers within the month of July (I say at least five because I have no way of knowing if anyone started to follow my blog during the designated time by way of methods other than Google Friend Connect and NetworkedBlogs. For instance, anyone who is following my blog by direct link cannot be accounted for. This did not occur to me at the time I fired the sigil, however. Funny though...in retrospect I got exactly what I asked for).

SOME THINGS THAT MIGHT HAVE HINDERED THE EXPERIMENT

Even though I consider my sigil work to have been a success, several factors had the potential to thwart my intent. An important component of sigil magic is the idea that one should, after firing a sigil, avoid bringing the sigil and its intention into conscious awareness. The idea is to let the sigil sink deep into the subconscious where it can be effective. Because I was still working on the blog itself at this time, I inadvertently came upon the sigil several times, thus breaking the rule of “sigil avoidance.” Also, my doubts regarding the effectiveness of sigil magic certainly had the potential to hinder the experiment (that this doubt persists is strange given that I have had some success with prior sigils). My general feeling on the subject is that sigils are more likely to be effective with Self-Magic than with bringing about external events. In addition, I chose to have the sigil activated by means of a method I myself devised. The method of activation itself had the potential to be ineffectual. In spite of all this, the sigil worked like a charm!

WHAT I LEARNED

1) Sigils often work in spite of the many potential obstacles to its success.
2) Even the most basic of magical experiments can weave a nebulous web of events that are hard to interpret if notes are not taken along the way. So... TAKE NOTES NEXT TIME, KARMAGHNA!

Let's Do Some Blog Magic (Attention: this entry has uncharged encrypted content)

I have been rather intrigued by the notion of Internet magic so I thought I would give it a try. The experiment below is rather infantile compared to some of the stuff floating around in cyberspace, but a beginner must begin, well, at the beginning. Do not worry, the sigil below is extremely innocuous. I am simply asking to receive something of minor significance within the month of July, 2010. I have encrypted a date within the sigil below to prevent its activation at a later date by future readers (if there are any).

I ask your help in firing this sigil off. You can fire it with any method you prefer, but I would like you to consider trying a method I have devised and labeled "The Volumitus Method." The term Volumitus was formed by the combination of the Latin terms volucris (bird) and fremitus (humming). It is a crude attempt to mimic the English hummingbird. Why? Because when I was practicing the technique, the image of a hummingbird came to mind.

The Technique of The Volumitus Method:

Place your index fingers in your ears to plug them up. Breathe in deeply and begin to hum as you look at the sigil. The hum should be of a deep tone produced near the back of the throat, similar to the sound of Buddhist monks chanting the "m" sound at the end of "OM." Your humming should be a continuous sound. As you gaze at the sigil, just concentrate on the sound of the hum as it vibrates within your head. Keep producing this continuous hum for as long as you comfortably can. When you run out of breath and your hum stops, the sigil is fired. Turn your browser away from my blog and do whatever you like. Oh yeah, unplug your ears now.

I could explain the theory behind this technique, but my doing so might prevent some of you who do not buy into it from participating. Just do it! The technique does what it is intended to do.

After July has ended I will divulge my sigilized intention and comment on the effectiveness of this working.

Magic at Work

I am a very heady person and have been so for as long as I have been on this material plane. I tend to live in a world of thoughts/ideas as opposed to a world of feelings or physicality. Such is the plight of a Gemini, I guess. It is no surprise then that my chosen life’s work was within academia. During my many years of study within those hallowed halls of learning, I came to acquire a vast knowledge about traditions belonging to “the other.” On account of my intellectual curiosity and love for these traditions, I eventually fostered a sympathetic understanding that lead me to feel as though I was somewhat of an insider (i.e., a practitioner or "doer of"). I mean, heck, I knew more about most of those traditions than the millions who belonged to their ranks. Yet, despite my feeling of belonging to these traditions, my relationship with them was strictly cerebral. I learned and thought about them.

Recently, the line between the “thinker of” and the “doer of” was made very explicit to me at work thanks to my practice of a form of mental magic that I shall call “mental compartmentalization” (a form of mental magic outlined in Franz Bardon’s Initiation into Hermetics, though labeled differently.) This form of mental gymnastics involves the flushing out of one’s mind any thought unrelated to the work at hand. I soon discovered that I could not (perhaps “would not” would be better) follow this practice to the letter if I did not want to be an asshat to the many coworkers who enjoy my company and wish to pass the unbearable time at work with such important topics of discourse as “who is banging who?” and “how drunk did you get last night?”, not to mention the fact that for several hours every night I engage in no work at all being that my share of responsibilities has been completed. Kind of hard to keep your mind on the job when you’re not doing anything work related (I fill this time by reading books. I sure hope my boss does not read this blog!). The practice would have to be modified. I would apply “mental compartmentalization” when I am working (rather than at work) and not engaged in trivial discourse with my work mates.

What I discovered very quickly with this form of mental magic was that my mind was slipping into thoughts about magic. These thoughts would have to be expunged from my mind. But wait… I gasped. How would I make any progress in magic if I stopped thinking about it for the amount of time I am at work? This was simply unacceptable. But then it hit me! I could either think about magic or do magic by removing magic from my mind. I chose to do magic.