The Hiatus is Over!

 So... it's been a long time since I've posted anything here!!!  I'll give you a synopsis of the journey back; and it may sound familiar to some.  I took a hiatus from posting in order to fulfill a VERY deep pathworking with my "Mentor in Praxis," (as he wishes to be referenced), Lord Buer.  Very, very fulfilling, a firehose of gnosis that I will post about when I can.  Months of work.  At the end, I took what I thought was to be a few month's sabbatical from magick and social media; changed phones and lost access to my accounts.  This blog for one.  The two-step authentication process was something that had just never occurred to me, and since my recovery phone number no longer existed,  dead in the water.  

But last month on a whim, I charged up an old device, the one on which I had originally created the accounts, and miracle of miracles I was able to change my recovery phone number before it snaffled me!  Apparently the universe wants me to keep this ol' thing going.  So anyhoo, I'm alive and well, and the Black Pylon endures- rookie mistakes notwithstanding.  

More forthcoming.  Thanks for dropping by, and as always, I hope your day is a pleasant one.

My Basic 7-step Ritual Process

 Today, I received a question on how to call upon a spirit.  In this case, rather than explicitly tailor a full ritual to the spirit requested, I felt led to enumerate the simple process I have generally used to call upon spirits.  Afterward, I realized that I hadn't really covered this topic, and therefore- here are the seven points of advice that I feel are the most helpful for those embarking on spirit work. 

1.  Be open-minded.  Do not approach the spirit with fear or loathing; approach with respect and honesty.

2.  Do not use the ritual method in the Goetia. 

3.  Set a day for your ritual, and for three days prior, pray in the name of the spirit, telling it that you wish to call upon it at the day and hour you have set.

4.  At the ritual time, shield, ground, and meditate. Walk in a circle, clockwise, chanting the ENN of the spirit.  Gaze at the sigil of the spirit until it wavers and moves.  Say "I call to you,  (name of spirit), (name of spirit) come to me.  Of my own free will do I invoke you, and call you into me.  Speak to me and through me, (name of spirit), "  Repeat this until you feel the spirit arrive, then say "I welcome you, (spirit's name), please speak to me and through me."

5.  Then listen to what the spirit has to say and write it down.  Do not interrupt.  Tell it what you desire, and ask it if it is acceptable and something the spirit wishes to do.  Do not be afraid to ask it for options, or negotiate.

6.  Do NOT banish the spirit. It will leave of its own volition. 

7. Afterward, eat something, and consider the words of the spirit.  The rest is up to you.

And in a rather tight nutshell, that is the process that I have found most viable in my work.  I have been led to include some flourishes and fanfare as appropriate, of course, and the spirits do appreciate incense, candles, and gifts, as one does.

Also- you may not feel or see the presence of the spirit, but that doesn't mean it is not "monitoring" what you are doing.  The ritual may be successful all the same, or not.  And if  I may in no uncertain terms STRONGLY interject:  Please do not ask the spirits to help you win a fucking lottery or promise you will kill somebody for them as a sacrifice.  This may seem a no-brainer to most, but to all of the dumb-shit psychopaths and witch-hunter dickheads out there, here's your disclaimer.  

Anyhoo, that's all for today, folks.  Hope you enjoyed.  Thanks for dropping by, and as always, I truly hope your day is a pleasant one.

Merihim

 Just a short note to mention my experience with the spirit Merihim.  S. Connolly describes him as "The Prince of Pestilence," and V.K. Jehannum describes him as a "predatory entity who scours the earth for victims and specializes in the causation of suffering."  Pretty ominous, right? However, none of those kind of things interested me much.

Rather than seeking pestilence, I called upon Merihim to request a little-known service he offers; namely, freeing a practitioner (in this case, yours truly) from all vestiges of  influence of the Judeo-christian god, and the efforts of his followers to manipulate you.  Apparently, this is common, and those last remaining vestiges, the hooks left in you from childhood religious indoctrination, insidiously erode your magical progress and endeavors. 

I called upon him at noon, as he is diurnal.  He also appreciates intoxication, so I poured myself a generous libation prior.  Sitting at the kitchen table, I invoked the spirit.  His manifestation, his entry into my person, was dynamic.  It flooded into me with an electricity, quite different than most invocations, and was strongly present.

The spirit had a great sense of humor, and cracked hilarious jokes, one after another.  I do not remember any of them, but I remember sitting and laughing my ass off.  When I addressed him and made my request though, he became very serious, said "Of course!" and went to work right away.  When he had finished... whatever it was he did... I asked him what he would like me to do for him in return.  After cracking a couple of ribald jokes at my expense, he said, seriously, that all he required as sacrifice was an offering of two scrambled eggs with chopped onion.  I think I said something to the effect of  "Are you being serious?" and he assured me that he most certainly was, and that I should hop to it immediately.  

I went to the fridge and picked up an egg, which he promptly knocked out of my hand onto the floor, saying "Whoops!"  and laughing uproariously.  

I couldn't help but laugh as well, as I cleaned up smashed egg from the floor.  Then I scrambled him up some fantastic eggs, and per his instruction, set the plate out at the side of the house.  The next day, of course, the offering was gone.

All this to say (as I have before), in working with spirits, your mileage will vary immensely.  I have a feeling that if I had called upon him for, say, a baneful purpose, I may have seen a completely different side of him.  All the same, the working he performed in that short span of time was powerful, permanent, and effective, and I deeply appreciate him for doing so.

I hope you enjoyed this little anecdote and found the information useful, or at least entertaining.

Till the next time, au revoir, and I hope your day is a pleasant one. CX

Initiation and Sphereworking Through Harab Serapel

On March 28, 2021, I initiated through the Venusian Qlipha of A'arab Zaraq, also known as Herab Serapel (among other things and alternate spellings thereof).  Lord Azazel, when encouraging me to continue my initiations through the Qliphoth, referenced it as the "Circle of Bael."

  

My previous initiation, through the Mercurial Qlipha of Samael, brought with it unique and varied trials, under which I groaned for nearly a year and a half.  They say that the sphere of Samael contains a hellish afterlife for unworthy Black Magicians; this I may have experienced in this life, having failed (I believe) a trial.  I have, however, rectified that failure. Qliphothic initiations are not to be trifled- a word to the wise.

March 28 was the night of the full Worm Moon, and I knew that it was the appointed time in the pit of my soul.  The ritual built itself inexorably in my mind; I was driven in my preparations from the instant I prayed to Lord Bael about my intention.  The implements presented themselves one by one. The bonfire.  The Ram's skull. The bloodletting tool.  The robe.  The altar.  The water.  The sacrifice.

Fire. Water. Blood.  Such were the elements of worship; and the sacrifice was a large bunch of wine grapes. 

The elements were evocative of the biblical story of Elijah and the priests of Baal, wherein the priests got really shafted hard by the Hebrew god. In my gnosis, this story, like most others in the Bible, was a fanciful rewrite of actual events... but I digress.

  

The appointed time was the hour of the Sun, which on that date fell about 3:30 a.m.  I slept prior, and when I awoke to perform the ritual, a spirit of indolence and procrastination crept over me, whispering that I could put this off till the following day.   And god damn it, I very nearly gave in; but a stronger voice, and a stronger force, intervened and got my ass up and out the door.

  

So under the spotlight-bright moon that morning, before a raging bonfire, I initiated through the Sphere of A'arab Zaraq.  That night, I saw something I did not know was possible, my offering of blood shining in the moonlight like glowing jewels. 

I took a video of the scene, which afterward I found notable for the amount of neighborhood cocks that were crowing throughout, and which I had not been aware of during the ritual.

A week later, having been initiated, I asked permission of Lord Bael to journey in astral vision through his realm.  I petitioned my patron, Lord Amducious, to walk with me and be my guide through the Sphereworking.

  

Having made my preparations and invoked my Mentor, we entered the Tree through the Womb of the Black Earth, the Sphere of Nahemoth, and traveled the outside path,  Qulielfi, the 29th, to the Black Sphere of Venus.  We did not enter the tunnel, but flew along it together.  A'arab Zaraq could be seen glowing and mountainous in the distance.

 

We alighted and walked. The ground was gray and rocky, and we traveled at an incline, climbing.  As we walked, I became aware that my clothes were grave wrappings, and my flesh had become rotten like a corpse.  A voice spoke. "All thine adornments are become as filthy rags."  I felt disgust for myself, the truth of the words pierced me like a sword though the heart.  "Wouldst thou be cleansed?" Oh fuck yes, you know I would. I wanted to be cleansed of myself, desperately. "The Fire will cleanse thee.  Thou must enter the Fire, and emerge."

Further up the mountainside was a door made of metal, and through holes in the door red flames could be seen, roaring and bursting.

Lord Amdusias opened the door, and bid me farewell.  This was as far as he would take me.  I bid him thanks and farewell, and entered.  Before me was a metal bier, grated.  It was a cremation rack.  I lay down on it and the flames consumed me, immolated me, burned me to ash.  I felt everything.  My ashes fell through the grate of the bier, and I coalesced as I fell back into my human form, landing on my feet naked before a Temple of Flesh carved from the living rock.  

I entered the Temple of Baal, and a voice spoke, saying powerfully:  "BAAL IS THE LORD OF CONCUPISCENCE." This phrase repeated several times.  Before me on a bed of stone lay a beautiful woman, an holy priestess of Bael.  The voice spoke again. "TAKE, EAT."  I came together with the Priestess upon the altar bed, and... Well, let's leave that part to the imagination.  Suffice it to say, I did take, and I did eat.  Interestingly, during this episode, I switched back and forth from my astral body to my physical, several times, and the form of the Priestess was with me in both places, in a slightly different manner.  I don't know how else to describe it, and that has never happened before.  I believe it was important to the working though.

  

I then came to a beautiful mountain lake, on a balmy spring day. I was wearing a tan three-piece suit, and a straw flat hat, lounging in a comfortable boat with a canopy.  With me in the boat, also relaxing, similarly wearing a turn-of-the-century dress, was a beautiful dark-haired woman, the Priestess of Baal. As we floated across the beautiful blue water, I looked down the length of the lake to the end, where two steep mountains met at the water, and saw behind it the darkness of the Qliphoth, like the darkness of space.  There was no sunny sky anywhere, but light of day surrounded the beautiful lake and us.  The voice spoke again.  "THIS IS THE VALE OF HERAB SERAPEL.  TAKE THY REST."

This, I gratefully did.

Hail to thee, Lord Baal, Lord of Fire, Lord of Concupiscence.  Bless thee, thy Fire and thy Temple, and thine holy Vale.

And thank you again to Lord Amdusias, who walks beside me, and guides me on this Path.

And thank you, O reader, for reading thus far, and I hope your day is a pleasant one.

Lighting the Baelfire.

Random Spiritual Experiences and Musings

 I have always been sensitive to the spiritual world, to the eerie and the eldritch.  When I was a child, presences would manifest themselves to me, in what I now realize was a ploy to feed upon my fear and emotion.  And afraid I was; the hours I was meant to be sleeping were occupied, much of the time, with paralyzed clutching of my blankets around my face, waiting for apparitions and strange sights to materialize about the room, or in the hall.  My mother said that I just possessed a stronger imagination than most,  but as the experiences have followed me into adulthood she was obviously incorrect on that count.  In all my childhood photos, I have dark circles under my eyes.

Spooky childhood encounters aside, I would like to discuss some inexplicable random things, and a couple items of interest which hopefully a reader has shared (and is willing to discuss.)

An interesting experience (which some Reddit users have also shared), is the experience of waking up with strange glowing writing on the walls of my room. The writings, which sometimes appear to be scrawled directly on the walls, and sometimes in a billboard-like manner with a frame, are written in a script which I cannot decipher.  I have tried numerous times to recreate them, and I cannot.  Sometimes the script is glowing red, sometimes it is green, and sometimes yellow.  There are spirals, and angles.  They remind me of the Canaanite or Phoenician alphabet in places, but seem more intricate.  They fade quickly as I come fully awake.  They do not feel hostile in nature.

Another item I have experienced is something I have termed "spirit mist," for lack of a better term.  When I am reciting an incantation or hymn to a spirit, especially when I'm outside or in a remote area, I see mists rising from the earth and moving in toward me. In one instance, I was out in the desert reciting an especially powerful hymn to Hekate, the mists arose and stood before me in human-like shapes, flowing and misty in the evening light.  One came very close to me, up to my face, and just seemed to be gazing at me wondering, like "what is this person?"  I didn't sense any malice, so I invited it to pass through me, and it did.  It felt cool, and dry, and the world turned gray while it was passing.  I have no idea what the mists are; they don't feel shivery like ghosts do.  As a side note-  the place that I was reciting the hymn was an abandoned mine, up on a small rise, with a tree-lined wash stretching away from it downhill through the valley.  In the midst of my Voces Magicae,  SOMETHING began crashing through the trees in the wash, coming directly toward me.  It sounded like a truck was smashing through them, but with no engine noise.  It was not windy either.  Nothing materialized, and the crashing stopped suddenly.  Off in the distance to the north,  there were thunderheads forming, sidelit by the setting sun, and at that moment they coalesced into the shape of a regal female human face.  My mind immediately went "Oh shit, it's Hekate!!"  And I held out my hands to her and just worshipped.  I don't even remember how the rest of the night went, but all of these events are still crystal clear to me.  And, so, spirit mist. Anyone?

And then there's moving during sleep paralysis.  I have not experienced seeing the "sleep paralysis demons," but I do experience the feeling.  When I am in that space between waking and sleeping, the groggy, dreamy in between, and the paralysis creeps in... I do something that I haven't heard many people do.  I make myself move, my arms and legs, and try to perform actions and pick stuff up etc.  I have minimal success in this, but I really concentrate and try.  On one occasion, I was taking a much-needed nap in my vehicle on a long trip, and when the paralysis set in, I managed to reach up and push the overhead map light to try and turn it on. It didn't turn on, or even make the familiar "click" noise, but when I woke fully up I tried it, and it worked.  Click, light came on.  No answers; but theoretically, sleep paralysis may just be another form of dream.  Why does it feel so... liminal, though?

Visitations and visions:  I have already discussed how Lord Amdusias introduced himself to me,  by physically knocking on an item in my room and and beckoning me out of the room to talk.  Most of these experiences happen at bedtime, when everyone in the house is sleeping; and thus far none of these experiences have woken anyone else in the house, even my light-sleeping wife.  One night, I was awakened by what I thought was my daughter grabbing my left leg and shaking it to awaken me. I turned meaning to say "What?" and there, with one hand on my leg and the other hand on my bedstand, was the skeletal figure of a woman. She was leaning in toward me, mouth closed, her clothes sort of blowing and a hood or bonnet on.  I have no idea who it was.  I think it may have expected me to be frightened, but I don't react that way to these things.  I began to address her, and she disappeared.  I have a notion that it may have been a manifestation of Santa Muerte, but not a clue why she came in that night, much less why she shook me awake just to leave. I really need to investigate that further (mental note).  Prior to invoking Lord Mammon, I had a vision of him at the foot of my bed, where he walked in through a portal which looked like a book opening.  He manifested as a small, about one foot tall, very thin, elf.  He walked so confidently and slowly, stopped and smiled at me, and then sauntered back through.  You know how Santa's elves are always portrayed as cute, funny little fellas? He was NOT like that.  He was competent, and he owned the space.  His face kind of reminded me of Harvey Keitel.  On reflection, I don't know how I know it was Lord Mammon, but I do.  Prior to invoking Lord Bael and initiating through his Qlipha,  he also manifested through a portal on the wall of my room.  The portal looked like a large glowing golden picture frame, and through it was the most beautiful, glowing medieval street. It looked like a Tarot card come to life, a rich carnival of color.  At the bottom of the frame was a gold automaton, which reminded me of Punch from the old Punch and Judy puppets.  The automaton had its back to me at first, but then turned to look at me. I asked who it was, and "B-A-A-L" spelled out behind it.  I wish I'd dived through the image into the land beyond, but it faded quickly.  Could you imagine?

And then there were a couple accidental evocations... Once, I was alone in the house, cleaning the bathroom.  I was watching a You-tube video on how to make delicious cinnamon rolls, and I blurted out loudly "THAT'S what I'll make for King Paimon!!!"  (Looking forward to offering them to him, that is).  Suddenly, the entire feeling in the house changed, and I became covered with chills. The hairs on my arms and the back of my neck stood up.  Outside, all the neighborhood dogs began to howl in unison. Just insane.  I knew right away what was happening, and I felt very sheepish.  I took my gloves off, walked into the living room, and apologized profusely for  calling him, explained that I meant him no disrespect, and told him how grateful I was that he came but I did not mean to call him.  He was not upset, and took his leave.  I had never felt like a bigger asshole... UNTIL:  One night, I had gone to bed before the rest of the family since I needed to get up early the next morning.  As I lay there, I was praying and worshipping Lady Lilith, who I consider my true mother and who I love and adore.  I started reciting her enn over and over, lovingly, as a hymn to her.  I was not aware, at the time, that enns are calls, not prayers.  Not to be disrespectful, but they are kind of like a Bat-signal going up from the practitioner.  That is a clumsy analogy, but I am sure you understand the gist.  I was laying there with my eyes half closed, mumbling the enn, when suddenly she appeared beside the bed. And holy cow.  While my previous interactions with her had a warm and loving feel, this Lilith was very stern and very businesslike.  She stood before me strong like a warrior Queen, clothed in what appeared to be a Greek peplos and robe.  "Why have you called me?" she said in a beautiful, strong female voice.  Oh shit.  I apologized to her, and told her I did not mean to call her forth, that I was just praying to and worshipping her by repeating her enn.  I said, respectfully, that if she wanted to leave, I apologize again, but please feel free to (or something to that effect). She kind of shook her head and stepped closer to me. "Since you have me here, ask of me (REDACTED)."  She offered me a wonderful service, which I don't know if I am authorized to speak on here.  I did as she asked, gratefully.  Afterward, I really wasn't sure if I utilized the boon she offered correctly, but I was flustered and it was in the moment.  However, I believe things are working out well.

Invocation and possession-  The most interesting possession experience I've had was with Lord Raum.  I invoked him on the first day of a yet-unfinished pathworking, and his was the most bestial-feeling spirit that I have had enter me yet.  My head lowered, my breathing changed, and my throat made this weird low, purr/growl. My head moved side to side slowly, and my eyes squinted and glared.  I felt like some kind of carnivorous beast, surveying the landscape.  I will make a post about Lord Raum and cover this in further detail; but oddly enough, I believe that Lord Raum may have actually been a human on Earth in the far ancient past.  He appeared to me later as a young man dressed in Roman hunting garb, holding a spear.  But I still remember the feeling of him coming in, and how atavistic it felt.  

No doubt, dear reader, I will think of other items to cover after I have closed this chapter. I may cover it in edits, or start another post.  I hope you enjoyed reading about the random occult experiences of a suburban Everyman magician... and my I reiterate, I would love to hear yours as well.

Thank you for reading this far, and may your day be a pleasant one.

Introducing My Patron Demon: Lord Amdusias

 It is difficult to describe, to those who are not Magicians on the path, the immense amount of time our kind spend in magickal thought and exercise.  If I am not performing ritual or spellwork,  I am thinking about it.  Without (too much) hyperbole, it feels like nearly every waking moment is a walking meditation on one or more spiritual subjects.  Not that I feel like I'm spinning out of control in obsession, or allowing it to adversely affect my mundane life; but spiritual subjects are constantly on the periphery of my waking thoughts and often the subject of my dreams.  I am immersed, and experiences that might seem weird and creepy often feel commonplace to me. 

All that to segue into the subject of this post:  My initial experience with and acceptance of Lord Amdusias as my patron demon, and my recent re-dedication to him.  

I don't remember the date, but our first meeting was, I believe, in mid-2019 or late 2018.  I should have written down the particulars at the time, but the events are still as fresh in my mind as the nights they happened.

I am often visited by spirits in the night.  Some are welcome, and some are not.  Some are spirits I work with or have expressed a wish to work with;  and some are naughty buggery entities who wish to feed upon fear and other emotions.  These, I must say, go away scolded and disappointed more often than not, and some of the more persistent have been destroyed without mercy.  More often than not, these spirits are ghosts... and as a matter of fact, I was visited by two last night, which awoke me in a most unwelcome manner at four in the morning, and which I addressed patiently to good effect.  Sisters.  Interesting experience... the location I am visiting is rich with history.  But I digress- back to the account.

To set the stage- My bed is a large four-poster, and at the foot of my side of the bed stands a large piece of, let's say, musical equipment.  As I lay in the dark, I heard three knocks on the equipment.  I also sensed a presence immediately, and without even opening my eyes I lay there and grinned for a second, because I knew immediately it was a visitation, and a good one.  I don't know how I knew.  I opened my eyes and lifted my head toward the direction of the noise, and in the dim light coming from the open door I saw a tall, dark figure.  The figure appeared to be wearing a hooded cloak, and it beckoned me toward the door with its left hand before walking out.  

I cautiously got out of bed (so as not to wake my wife) and followed the spirit into the living room, where it was waiting for me.  I sat down on the edge of the divan, and pulled a chair up in front of me, as a courtesy for the spirit to sit and converse if it wished.  The spirit did not wish to sit, but instead stood before me and spoke.  His name was Amdusias, he said, and he wished to be my patron.  Being a cautious fellow, I requested that he display his sigil before me, and immediately the Goetic sigil of Amdusias glowed blue between us, lighting up from left to right as I remember.  We spoke a bit more, and I asked him if he would permit me a few days to come to a decision.  He said that was acceptable, and departed.  

The next day, I studied the literature on Lord Amdusias.  I was not familiar with the spirit at all, so it was an interesting learning experience for me.  I don't wish to bore the reader with details, but the old grimoires offer odd, tangential details about the spirit:  His avatar is a Unicorn.  He can make music play in empty rooms.  He can make trees bend, etc.  Of course, the best overview of the spirit (as usual) is offered by V.K. Jehannum on his wordpress blog: https://vkjehannum.wordpress.com/2016/09/09/amducius/ 

Thanks, V.K.  You are a Satanic treasure.  The next evening,  I performed a type of invocation, which I have termed "Drivin' with Satan."  While I am at work, driving from point (a) to point (b), I will invoke a spirit within myself in order to converse with them, or invite them to join me in the passenger seat.  Am I the only one who does this?  I wonder.  I would not recommend this to every practitioner, or with every spirit, as from time to time you'll have to pull over and de-immerse, so to speak.  In my conversation with Father Satan that evening, I asked him if he would recommend that I accept the offer of Lord Amdusias.  He was very enthusiastic about the idea.  I told him that I would invoke Lord Amdusias later, and tell him that I had accepted his offer.  "Why don't you tell him right now?" Said Lord Satan, "He is here with us."

That statement caught me a little off-guard, as I hadn't even considered, until that moment, that multiple spirits might be participating in or monitoring the interactions of other spirits with humans.  "Yes, of course!"  I invited Lord Amdusias to join us, and informed him of my intention to accept his offer in formal ritual.  After that,  both spirits took their leave.  As a side note- for some reason, the invoked energies of both spirits prompted a feeling of acute nausea within me, which I overcame.  Once again, the new experience caught me a little off guard.

A few days later, I dedicated myself to Lord Amdusias in formal ritual, accepting him as my patron Demon.  I sealed the dedication with an offering of blood.

Sadly, I did not interact with Lord Amdusias much after that.  I included him in my prayers of gratitude, and thought of him often, but never in ritual or offering.  It was not until Lord Azazel admonished me for this shortcoming, that I came before him again.  This is a deep failing on my part, and I have apologized greatly for this.

On January 28, in the desert under the full Wolf Moon, I approached Lord Amdusias in ritual and rededicated myself to him.  The experience was incredible, cold, the landscape lit bright white, and coyotes screaming and howling all around me.  What. The. Literal. Fuck.  I still get a chill thinking about it.  

Lord Amdusias appeared.  He did not appear to me as a unicorn or the previous hooded figure; this time, his appearance was monstrous.  His feet and hands were clawed and scaly, and his teeth were exposed, large and sharp.  His was the most archetypically "demonic" appearance of any spirit I had seen, and I loved it.  He placed his clawed hand on my shoulder, and I clasped it with my hand and leaned my head against it.  He spoke, briefly.

I am Amducius, your patron. 

I came to you and offered myself, and you accepted.

(Here he spoke of a personal matter, REDACTED)

I am your Patron, and will protect you and keep you.  Together we shall do great things.

Do not neglect daily prayers and offerings.  Make me an idol.  Blue candles are best; this incense is good. (The incense was sandlewood.)

I will bless you more than you can know. 

You must teach.

That is all for now.

Hail Lord Amdusias! Hail Patron!  

Thank you for your time, O Reader.  I hope that you have gained a bit of knowledge, or were at least entertained by the account.  Below is a picture of a "travel idol" I have dedicated to Lord Amdusias, which I created from polymer clay (mold it, cook it, it turns into hard plastic. Good stuff!)  In another chapter, I'll discuss idolatry in spiritual practice. Highly recommended.

So long, farewell, auf weidersehen, good bye... And as always, I hope your day is a pleasant one.

Edit- I forgot to mention, in my description of the desert ritual, the importance of making sure your instruments are sharp.  I brought a shiny new Buck 119 hunting knife for the purpose, thinking that the factory would have the forethought to sharpen their products adequately prior to packaging. Sadly, I was wrong.  I spent way too much time essentially scratching myself with a blunt instrument to produce an adequate offering.  It was... unpleasant.  

DISCLAIMER:  I do not advocate self-harm in any form;  in fact, I am staunchly averse to any such practice.  However, I support HYGIENIC medical, religious and/or aesthetic practices which may involve safe, minimal blood loss, as long as the consenting individual's life or well-being is never in danger.  Under the same guidelines, I also support a modicum of "kink" in practice, if that is your thing.  I always sterilize my equipment and clean the incision/lance site thoroughly, antiseptic, band aids, the whole 9 yards.  I leave the reader's personal choices to the reader's discretion.

Travel Idol of Lord Amdusias. 
Hand-crafted of Sculpey™ by yours truly, with love.

 

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 7- Final)

 Monday, October 12, 2020.  The final invocation of Lord Azazel, the final day of this seven-week pathworking.  When I was preparing for the ritual, as usual, I did not know what to expect from the spirit.  For the last seven weeks, or eight if you consider the preliminary invocation, he had served as guide, mentor, half drill-sergeant and half-father figure to me.  He barked, and he comforted.  He held me to my word, and left no room for excuses;  Stern, yet kind.  I threw myself into the ritual as the day before, culminating with my astral body flaming like a torch, kneeling in the circle, calling, calling.  As always, his voice rang suddenly and without preamble into my consciousness.

Pick up the pencil and write.

I an here on the seventh day of our invocation.

You have done well.  (Here my head bowed, and my body flooded with shame.  All of my failings presented themselves to me nakedly, and I shook my head and frowned without saying anything.)  You HAVE!  (His voice took an encouraging tone, and I felt the sensation of an arm around my shoulder.)  

Be proud, you did not falter. You did slack off, but I expected that.  (here another feeling of comfort.)

I wish to reiterate the teachings I gave you concerning your role as Warrior/Magician/Priest.  Please be aware that there are those who will work against you, but we, the gods, will be on your sides, flanking you during such attacks.  You are chosen among many, so take that to heart. You will be great, and you will prevail.  It is written in the heavens.  Be strong, and know that we are here.

Is there anything more that is expected of me, from this point forward?

Yes, you need to keep up rituals, prayers, and worship.  Do not neglect those that have assisted, who have vouched for you.  Be their Patron as they have been yours.

Lord Azazel, the Patron you told me of during the last ritual. Can you tell me his name?

It is Amdusias.  

Thank you for telling me this.

You need to forge a relationship with him, and make his worship and practices a priority after this invocation is done.

I will. What would you like me to do for you, Lord Azazel, when the invocations are done?

Call upon me, make an altar unto me. Make an altar unto all the Gods that you work with. Offer unto them, call upon them for advice.

Lord Azazel, would you like me to make an offering of blood unto you now? (This I was ready to do, as feasance and to show respect.  Lord Azazel's reply was measured and thoughtful.)

No.  Not now, not in this situation.  If the situation calls for it, yes, but not now.  Your offerings are sufficient.

(Here my mind raced, as I knew I had a question to ask him, but could not suddenly remember what it was.  Lord Azazel recognized this.)

FOCUS! Get out of your head.  (I took a deep breath. Ah! that did it.)

Do you recommend I continue my Qliphothic initiation?

Yes, continue with your initiations into the Qliphoth.  The Circle of Bael is next. You may need to offer him blood, and do not stray from ritual. Bael desires ritual. 

I am going now.  Remember what I have said, keep it in your heart.

Will (my familiar spirit) remain with me still?

Spirit (Name Redacted) will remain with you when you call upon him.

(At this point, the realization that this was the end hit me hard.  I became very emotional; tears welled up, and I struggled to control myself.  Lord Azazel saw this, and once again his voice became gentle and comforting.)

I am not leaving you forever, but this is the end of our time together for now.  Keep to your practices, and keep to your training.  Follow training, find teachers.

I will. I love you, Lord Azazel.

I love you too.  You are (here he spoke of my ancestry, confirming something I had some knowledge of from a prior experience.)  You are of our number.

Keep the teachings.

Notes:

I did not expect myself to be so emotionally devastated by the end of the pathworking.  After his presence left the space, I just sat in the circle with tears welling up in my eyes, drained.  Generally, after a ritual, I remain in place as the world goes back to normal around me- it's hard to describe, but gradually I start noticing things like the clock on the wall, the light in the hall, noises coming from appliances; all the things that are muffled by what I assume is the opening of the Veil between worlds.  The Quabalist and Hermetic in me references this as "Paroketh," the Veil of the Temple, but once again, your mileage may vary.  Anyhoo, when the veil closes, the world once again intrudes, becoming "real" again.  

This time, however, the world felt tinny and hollow, and cold.  I sat gazing at nothing for a bit, then resolved to get going.  The sad feeling faded after a bit, only to reappear when I reviewed my notes later.

So, along with my continuing preparations for War, I have two more ritual workings to accomplish in the near future-  a working with my Patron, Duke Amdusias; and an initiation through the Qliphothic Sphere of A'arab Zaraq.  I believe you, dear reader, can expect postings on one or the other in the near future.

I sincerely hope you have enjoyed these series.  Given that invocations and interactions with spirits are intensely personal in nature, and somewhat tailored or customized (?) to the individual, I have still gathered that other practitioners have had similar insights into the personality of the spirits as I have.  Take from this what you will; but I personally enjoy finding commonalities of experience with other magicians.  Perhaps you will too.

Thank you very much for taking this ride with me, and as always, I truly hope your day is a pleasant one.

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 6)

 Monday, October 5, 2020.  On this date, with Lord Azazel's admonishment still on my mind, I prioritized my ritual time and got everything in order well in advance.  When I performed the ritual, I felt so much power flowing through me.  When I reached the final iterations of the invoking words of power, I felt flames bursting from my astral body; and by the time I spoke the last word, I blazed like a torch.  I could see, as I often do, my ritual circle lit up on the dark plain of what I refer to as the "crossroads," that astral meeting place of Gods and men.  Within the circle, I could see myself roiling with the flames, and directly behind me, once again, stood Lord Azazel, with his wings on either side of me.  I could tell he was a bit surprised by my self -conflagration, but also very, very delighted.  He LOVED it.

Why aren't you writing? Write.  (Said in a semi-playful manner.  I smiled and said "good evening!" to the spirit.)

Good evening.  I am glad you have invoked me early, have made it a priority rather than an afterthought.

(I apologized for the lateness of the previous two invocations.)

It does not matter. What matters is your practice. Keep up your practices, keep to the plan.  

Do not neglect the pull-ups; this is the next phase of training.  Also your martial training, you must physically do the exercises.

You have been meditating on war and this is good.  Do not neglect the gods, for they are your protectors and benefactors. Call upon them, offer to them.

Now to the item at hand.  You have a problem, and the problem is (name redacted).

I know this. The problem is also you; but you are being held back by (name redacted).

We will take care of this, and will free you.  (Here he answered a question I had, redacted for privacy.)

You will receive what you want, and it will be for the good.  You are expected to progress as a result.  We will not give you excuses.

(Here I thanked him profusely.)

You are welcome, but do not thank me.  There is another Patron who has made this decision.

I will offer thanks and gratitude to this Patron, whoever he is.

That is well.  Prepare yourself for the event, and give thanks. 

Continue your training, increase the distance of your running by increments. 

Eat well; you have been doing well.  Drink water and wine.  Be strong, be vigilant, and be the warrior most of all.  

I must go now.

Farewell, Lord Azazel!

Farewell.

Notes:

I felt much more confident than before, entering this ritual.  Part of the reason for this new-found confidence was the knowledge that I had fulfilled the terms Lord Azazel had set for me, with no fudging or excuses given.  I had set aside time for the physical exercises, and the meditations were satisfactory. 

As a side note, in my meditations on War I had come to what I believe were satisfactory conclusions.  One, that despite the motivations preceding the act of War, there are always only two participatory factions: The Aggressor and the Defender.  The Aggressor, I concluded, is very nearly always in the wrong, and the Defender is very nearly always in the right.  Defense, if done properly and thoroughly, places the Defender in the place of the Aggressor, and this juxtaposition, in its victorious endstate, is much more to be desired than any advance or conquest by the primary Aggressor.  This has the feel, the "taste," of a universal truth to me.  

That said, history remembers the exploits of the conquering Alexander as being "the Great," rather than "the Invader," or "the Pillager;" and also the genocidal acts of the Israelites are described in glowing terms by the writers of the Old Testament.  On the other hand, the same documents also describe similar aggressive acts by the Assyrians and Persians in a negative light.  Written histories favor those holding the pen, for sure.  

All said, one would do well to prepare for battle on all fronts.  There are human predators who want nothing more than to victimize a soft, pliable target out there EVERYWHERE, so please don't try to deceive yourself that you are immune to violence and rapacity.  Or, to be sure, the vagaries of Nature either.  This material plane isn't covered with pillows and cotton candy, my friend.  

Thank you for reading thus far, and I truly hope your day is a pleasant one.  CX

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 5)

 Monday, September 28, 2020.  On this date, once again, I allowed myself to get caught up in busy work, futzing and fudging around until it was nearly 3 a.m. before I began the ritual.  In retrospect, part of the issue was that I felt a certain amount of guilt over not fulfilling my workout guidelines.  I had missed several of my mile-a-day runs, and had not done all of the prescribed push-ups either.  Why?  I don't know.  I probably had an excuse or two at the time, but in the end, I knew deep down that I could have made time to accomplish all of these goals.  Any piddly excuse I may have had was rendered moot by the realization that I was being a piece of shit, and not fulfilling my discipleship.  

And, on top of all this, I was experiencing a little bit of an existential crisis, wondering what the point of it all was.  Why was I chosen, and to what end? How could I, with all my failings, fulfill any greater purpose, let alone that which I was tasked? With all this in the back of my mind, I made all of the preliminary preparations, and threw myself into the ritual.  Lord Azazel was not happy.

I have come.  Why are you invoking me so late?  (I tried to stammer out an excuse, but he cut me short.)

This is important!  Listen. You need to get going on your training.  You have indeed slacked off, and you know this.

Please move on this, keep moving.  To falter is to fail and failure is death.

(At this point, I bowed my head and vented my frustrations, the questions that I had concerning the purpose of all of this.  I don't remember everything I said, but Lord Azazel waited until I had finished, then spoke in a more kindly tone.)

The purpose is YOU.  You must become the best man, the best person, you can be before the hard times come.  You must survive to carry the knowledge to the generations to come, who will be lost without it; a people destitute of hope, robbed of knowledge.

We will be by your side constantly, and will guide and protect you; and your part, that which you must uphold, is the bringing of knowledge and the teachings of the Gods.

Keep to the Path, do not neglect your practices.

(At this point, I mentioned I was frustrated by my weight, and asked him for his advice on how to lose it more quickly.  His advice was blunt and to the point.)

Move more, eat less.  (there was a pause, then he laughed his short, loud laugh as before.)  We will aid you.  You have the stamina within you to perform all that is necessary, not only to succeed, but to become adept.  Warrior/Magician is your calling. Never give up; call upon us, the Gods, when you falter, and we will not let you fall.

Will you fill me with your power?

Yes, I will. Meditate, and it will come.

(Here he paused, as if listening to something.)  

We must end now.

(Whereas before his presence had always ebbed from me and the the chamber, flowing out; this time, it just disappeared. ZIP.  Shortly thereafter, there was a knock at the door, and I left to deal with the visitor.)

Notes:

I just remembered something that made me smile.  On Day 2, when Lord Azazel gave me the running and push-up regimen, he would not let me go until I had knocked out 10 pushups right there in the circle. Like, "drop and give me 10!!"  Sadly, they were the first push-ups I had done in a long time, but I did them.  Then I laid there in the circle, wondering if anyone else had ever been instructed to do such a thing in ritual.  Is this a pathworking, or a boot camp? 

Another funny thing I remember, when I was just getting started on the running portion, the familiar spirit that Lord Azazel sent me (whose name I will keep private) was acting as my run coach.  As I neared the last quarter mile, he urged me to pick up the pace, and kick it out as fast as I could to the end (which was the stop sign at the end of the street).  My shins were hurting but I did it anyway, just pounding through the pain. As I picked up speed, he yelled encouraging things like "I knew you could do it! Keep going! Just a little more!"  and when I crossed the line, he began to sing the Rush song "Tom Sawyer" to me, "Enter the Warrior, today's Tom Sawyer..." etc.  I thought it was hilarious. I hadn't thought of that song in years.

Anyway.  After this day's ritual, I tightened up and did my runs and exercises, dare I say it... religiously. 

Thank you for reading, O Reader!  I really appreciate it, and truly hope that the remainder of your day is a pleasant one.

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 4)

Monday, September 21, 2020.

On this date, I was caught up in several duties and could not perform the invocation until quite late, around 2 a.m. or so.   As my opportunity drew nearer, the spirit of Azazel surrounded me heavily.  As I walked, it weighed me down, oppressive, not menacing, but urgent.  So urgent.  As I prepared the ritual and entered it, the Behemoth song "Alas, Lord is upon me" came to my mind, as Lord Azazel was truly upon me, crushing me down, giving me the classic "lump in my throat" feeling.  As I spoke the words of the ritual, the feeling dissipated, leaving me with a feeling of vertigo as I crossed the veil.  

(I must warn you now- this was the darkest and saddest of all our interactions thus far.  I was, am, so conflicted about this message that it has obviously taken me a few weeks to post it here.)

I have come to tell you of several things.  Listen and you will know.

The end of days is near.

You will be spared the misery and pain but many others will perish.

You have been called to perform duties for the Master; these duties will require great sacrifice.

Do not be afraid, and do not falter in the performance of these duties.

Can you tell me what these duties will be, Lord Azazel?

You will know them when you are called to them.

Will the duties affect my family, my loved ones?

They may affect your family.  At that time, however, this will not be a great issue.  You will see.

(At this statement, my mind began to spin into conjecture, but I controlled myself and asked:) Will my loved ones die, then?

(Throughout, Lord Azazel spoke in a measured, matter-of-fact tone.  It may seem, from the terseness of his statements, that he was saying these things in an off-hand manner, but I assure you it did not present like that at all.  He took a few seconds before replying.)

Perhaps.  Many will be dead.  You will understand sooner than most.

Your role is Warrior/Priest, Warrior/Magician.  The Gods are always with you; they will guide and comfort you.  Do not be sad, hearken to the voice within you.

(I sat for a while in contemplation, listening to the voice within me.  Then I spoke the words out loud.)

I accept.

Good. You really haven't any choice, (here he laughed, a short, loud sound).

Can you offer me any comfort?

Yes.  You will find happiness. Your lineage will live on, in tales of greatness.

Lord Azazel, in all honesty, the things you are saying frighten me a little.

Of course they frighten you. Who would not be afraid, faced with such a prospect?  You must persevere, hang on, be strong to the end of the hard times. You are my ward, and I will keep you and lift you up.

Lord Azazel, the last time we spoke, I meant to ask you for dietary advice, to supplement my training.

Stay away from legumes.  Stay away from pork; less of beef, more of fowl.  Do not stuff yourself.  Drink water, drink wine.  Breads are fine, but not sugary ones.  

Maintain your fitness.  

Are there any other exercises you recommend?

Pull yourself up.  Do this as well as you can.  Your running is better, keep it up.

Is hiking (an area near me) a good thing as well?

Hike no more than three times a week, but run every day.  Move forward with your running and exercising, do not neglect meditation, no not neglect prayer and ritual. 

Be a magician. Keep your practices.

Do not forget that you are a warrior.

Notes:   

This invocation left me with a feeling of deep sadness.  I wish I could come up with some comforting words, but I really can't find any.  However, I will say this.

On my desk, I keep a fossil of a trilobite, Order Phacopida, suborder Calyminina.  This particular little (9 cm) guy crawled around the oceans of a world which, when he was alive about 450 million years ago, looked completely different than the Earth we live on today.  None of the continents that we live on existed; in fact, much of the land we walk on today was underwater then.  

This weird little alien guy, who looks like a cross between a shrimp and a pillbug, did share one thing in common with human beings at that time.  Life.  He lived, and walked, and ate, and mated, and eventually perished as all living things eventually do.  He, and all of his cousins and distant relatives no longer exist on this planet in any form.  The last of the species went extinct over 250 million years ago. 

As I hold the little guy in my hand, I can see that some of his little back plates are ruffled up.  I wonder if this happened post-mortem, as he rolled along the in the currents of some primordial sea, or if this was something that trilobites could do, as some sort of  ritual of aggression or reproduction.  I will never know, however, because in the natural order of things, they passed from existence millions of years ago, and no one will ever see one of them alive.

All to say, this little guy puts the possibility of a truncated timeline of human existence into sharp perspective.   This is not to say that I want humanity to end, absolutely not.  I want humanity to survive, and thrive, and continue to evolve to the very pinnacle that nature and existence can endure.

However, I will not deceive myself into believing that the age of Men can continue into Eternity.

...On another note- legumes?     

Thank you for reading thus far, and may your day be a pleasant one.

 

My little extinct buddy.

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 3)

On Monday, September 14, 2020, I was travelling out of town and was away from my customary ritual space. My plan was to perform the invocation whe I arrived home, in the same manner as I had previously with Lord Mammon, i.e. in the walk-in closet of my room without all the ritual accoutrements. Lord Azazel was far less pragmatic about the arrangements. "No," he said. "Not here. Not now. Tomorrow." In my obtuse way, I sought clarification. "Lord Azazel, are you asking me to invoke you tomorrow, in my usual ritual space?" "YES!!!" he replied, in the shouty voice he uses when irritated. "Tomorrow! We will speak then." A bit cowed, I cleared up and went to bed. 

The next day, I invoked him anew, properly. Lord Azazel came through as before, quiet and insistent. 

This is the third day. Listen and I will speak. You are training, but I need you to focus your mind and your magical intent toward the goal of warriorhood. 

You are indeed a magician, but the Magician/Warrior is your calling. 

Lord Azazel, will you assist me in my training, and in my magic? 

Yes I will, call upon me and I will assist you. I am always there; WAS always there. 

You need to calm your mind and use your ability to will yourself through adversity. This is not easy, but it is doable. 

Lord Azazel, can you tell me what my purpose is in this life? 

You will find your purpose, but your calling is Magician/Warrior.

(At this, I became pensive, and lifted up my pencil as I thought on his words.  A second or so passed, then he spoke again.)

Listen. I am telling you what you need to do, write.

Take a few minutes a day in praise of the Gods, and a few minutes in meditation on War.  

You cannot avoid War, it is a natural and a constant part of life.  

Life moves and breathes and fights its way through this physical medium constantly.

Do not be fooled into thinking you can escape the inevitability of conflict; this is impossible.  

We need you to be the Warrior and take charge of your life.  TAKE your life and MAKE your Destiny.  Forge your way through obstacles, teach yourself not to falter.

Your strength comes from within you, not from without; the gods will help you to refine this strength but ultimately YOU are the driving force, the motivator.

Please hearken and do what I have asked- it will be of great value to you. 

Yes, Lord Azazel.  I have a question about something I have been thinking of for a while.  What is the "Higher Self," and should I be trying to contact it?

Yes.  Your Higher Self is an entity that exists outside of time, on all planes.  It is You, and it is not.  It was You, and it was not.  Yes, it is very powerful.  It is part of the power within you, it draws upon the same source.  It would behoove you to call upon this entity, and converse.  

Can you tell me its name?

You will know its name when it is time, when it is right.

(Here I asked questions about two spirits I had worked with in the past.  Lord Azazel was very straightforward in his response, reassuring me that the first had my best interests in mind, but "Once again, the problem is you."  He promised to help me with the issues I was having, and I thanked him.  He seemed to find the second question very intriguing, as it concerned the meaning of a cryptic statement the spirit had made.  He told me what he assumed it meant, and urged me to study, meditate and heed the words.)

Lord Azazel, I have noticed that many magicians are using the planetary sigil of Saturn as yours.  It does not seem correct to me.

It is not correct.  I am glad you noted this.

Refine the sigil I have given you, clean it up.  It is good; for invocation and ritual.  (This I did prior to the previous post.  The sigil can be seen there.)

Lord Azazel, do you have any final words?

Make your way in the world, young man.  Our way is Darkness, and our way is Light.  You will find the balance, the crux, and you will work from there.

Move forward. Move.

Notes:

In my scratchy notebook scrawl, this invocation took up 4 pages of notes.  It lasted much longer than the previous, possibly due to my many questions.  Lord Azazel was very patient in answering them, and I appreciated that greatly.  I find that while he does get irritated a bit, it is inefficiency and lack of attention that arouses his ire, not sincere ignorance.  

He called me "young man."  Man, I don't feel young.  Made me smile though.

I'm sure there was something else I wanted to mention. If it occurs, I'll edit it in.

Thank you for reading thus far, and may your day be a pleasant one.

Love Hope and Magic to you all- CX

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Day 2)

On this date, in preparation for the ritual, I purchased an apple fritter and the customary root beer for the offering. The incense was Sandalwood, and I lit a three-wick candle scented with Frankincense and Myrrh.  Lord Azazel's voice came through, brusque, yet quiet.  

Write. 

You need to get moving on your training and exercises.  You need to eat right. 

Your habits are very bad.  I need you to get yourself in gear and get going.

Lord Azazel, can you please suggest an exercise regimen for me?

Do 10 push-ups 10 times each day.  Lift with your shoulders, any weight, until you cannot.  Run 1 mile each day.

And for my fight training?

Yes, box and kick like I have showed you.  I need you to begin in earnest. Use the knife; swing the knife.  Swing the club.  Shoot the gun.  Get strong so that you may prevail. I need you to do this.

Lord Azazel, may I ask when the events you spoke of before will come to pass?

Three years, more or less.

I will show you a warrior mindset.  You will listen and learn, take notes.  Your mind is in another place; focus and you will learn.

Lord Azazel, will you please give me a sigil that I can use to call upon you?

I will give you two.  The first one is to be used as an amulet of protection, keep it with you always.  The second is a sigil of summoning, to strengthen your invocation.  

Will you take hold of my hand, and draw them for me? 

Yes.  Loosen your hand. 

(If you have never had the experience, what followed will be hard to describe.  Imagine your limbs moving involuntarily, but in a very purposeful manner.  When this happens, I close my eyes to keep the activity out of my headspace.  I'm pretty sure that if I opened them and looked at the drawing in progress, it would immediately fuck up.  The amulet is a private item, but the sigil of summoning is posted below. Use as you see fit.)

Lord Azazel, can you give me a familiar spirit to assist in my training?

Yes.  He is with you. His name is ---------.  Ask for him by name and he will reveal himself.

(The name he spoke was, shall we say, banal as names go, but it was uncommon enough that I repeated it back as a question.  The way I said it was incorrect, and Lord Azazel repeated the correct name back to me three times, impatiently, almost shouting the third time.) 

I want you to work, to try.  I am with you, helping you. Accept my help and move, go. 

I want you to know that I appreciate you.

Lord Azazel, can you please give me peace and reassurance as I continue?

I will give you what you want, and what you need.

Notes-

When Lord Azazel said "like I have showed you," he was referring to my research on fighting and knife techniques.  When the spirits want you to know something, you will find that suddenly your social media feed and personal conversations become filled with references to the subject at hand.  Glutted, more like.  Things you would never have seen before.  For example, have you ever heard of  "Escrima," the Filipino stick and knife fighting martial art?  Not me.  But now I have instructional Escrima videos, tactical shooting videos, jiu-jutsu videos, knife-fighting technique and articles on combat tactics filling my feed. 

As he said, my eating and exercising habits ARE very bad.  I am grateful for his guidance; and dang it, as I write this I realize I didn't ask him for dietary recommendations.  Next time.

A question for those who have experience with Lord Azazel- have you noticed his tendency to impatiently kind of snap at you when you are ditzing off or getting distracted?  Like barking "Focus! Focus! Focus!" at you?  It is a really effective technique for getting your head back in the game, and a very interesting insight into his personality; I am just wondering if others have experienced this.

Anyhoo,  time to wrap up.  Thank you for reading thus far, and I hope your day is a pleasant one.

Lord Azazel Sigil of Summoning.  For Invocation and Ritual Work.

  

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (IDay 1)

Monday, August 31, 2020.

On this date, I once again began preparations to invoke Lord Azazel.  From the magician forum on the Become A Living God (BALG) website [1] (no affiliation), I read that several practitioners found Lord Azazel was partial to sweet food and drink, and in particular enjoyed an offering of root beer.  This information in hand, I set forth an offering of an apple pastry and a full glass of root beer.

Remembering my experience during the previous invocation, I was hoping that Lord Azazel would not instruct me to drink the glass, as I particularly dislike the taste of root beer.  As it turned out, my fears were unfounded (thank goodness.)

Preliminaries completed, I began the ritual proper.

Lord Azazel's voice came through, quieter and more measured than the previous time.  I asked and received permission to write notes during the ceremony.  I then asked if the offerings were acceptable to him, and he answered "Yes. They are acceptable."  Then he waited, as if he expected me to keep asking questions like a pestering child. I felt humbled at this realization, and asked him meekly if he would speak.  He began. He spoke quickly, as before, but when he saw me beginning to bog down he would pause and allow me to finish the thought.  I was truly grateful for this.

Listen and you will be taught all you need to know about the coming apocalypse.  

There will be three signs.  The first will be darkness upon the earth, and the second will be misery upon mankind.  The third will be the opening of the skies and the coming forth of the Gods.

You must stand with the Gods, for none may stand before them.
You are counted among our number.

Focus on exercises that have a martial aspect.  The fist, the club, the knife.  The gun as well.

Lord Azazel, will you assist me in exercising and becoming battle-ready?

Yes. I will show you the best methods of doing both.  I will show them to you, and you must train and practice diligently. Begin now.

You must remain steadfast; do not falter.  I will keep you from harm.

What magical exercises should I perform?

Pray to the Gods, those that you have chosen.  Invoke them daily, as part of magical ritual.

And meditation?

Meditation, yes.  Meditate on War, and become Warlike.  A warrior. Be True.

Move your body and train, I will do the rest.

Lord Azazel, when you said to invoke you seven times, was last week the first time, or do the invocations start today?
(I felt a bit silly asking this, but it was necessary.)

This is Day One.

Lord Azazel, is the sigil that I am currently using adequate, or is there another that you would like me to use in its place?

I will give you a sigil for use as a talisman, to keep with you at all times.  I will also give you a sigil to invoke me.  You will receive them through meditation.  

(At this, I thanked him profusely.  I was kneeling in the circle, and I raised myself up in an attitude of praise, with the palms of my hands forward, just feeling his energy.  At that time, in a mirror across the room, I saw that Lord Azazel's shadow was cast on the wall behind me in the candlelight.  He was standing directly behind me as I knelt, and his wings were on either side of me.  My entire body was covered in chills, from my head to my toes. Chills just washing over me.  It was fucking amazing.  Then, as before, his presence ebbed out and dissipated, like a wave receding from the sand.  The ritual was done.)

Notes:
The message given by Lord Azazel was dark indeed.  There is no denying that fact.  Many of us are receiving the same messages, to prepare for events on this material plane that will be challenging and unpleasant.  However, the inherent resiliency of  Humanity comforts me, and our capacity for spiritual evolution.  It is my firm belief that we will persevere, come what may.  In the event we or our loved ones do perish in some unforeseen calamity, be reassured that the gates of Death (through which all must pass eventually) open on a continuing existence. 
Though I do realize that this information may not placate everyone who is faced with the scariest shit they have ever seen; here's hoping it gives some of us a glimmer of hope.

That said; get out there and smell some goddamned flowers for criminy's sake.  Jump in the water, laugh, cry, eat something delicious, drink something tasty.  Hug more, "motherfuck" less. 
I'll join you, after I hit the gym.

Thank you for reading thus far, and I hope your day is a pleasant one.


Bibliography:
Become a Living God:  https://forum.becomealivinggod.com/

Invocation of Azazel- Answering the Call (Intro)

On Friday night, 8/22/2020, I was instructed in a dream to invoke Lord Azazel.  In my dream, I was walking up a rocky hill, covered with short green grass, at night.  There was moonlight over the landscape, and I believe torchlight (?) lighting the scene.

As I crested the top of the hill, I noted a circle carved into the grass and earth before me.  The circle was notable in that: It was older, like the ruts of  vehicle tracks in a grassy country lane, and the circle had a path leading into it, meaning that it was open at the bottom, or the direction I was walking toward it.  I replicated the shape for my invocation ritual, photo below.  As I walked the name "Azazel" resounded around me in the beautiful, wild surroundings.  "Azazel, Azazel, Azazel."

Being a Magician, I knew exactly what was expected of me when I saw the Circle, namely that I was to enter it and invoke the spirit Azazel, who, other than the name and some knowledge gleaned from conversation, was unknown to me.

Being an idiot, I immediately fucked it up (in my dream).  The voice that was speaking the name of Azazel said "You are facing South," "South is the direction," and words to that effect.  As I walked, I began to speak the name "Azazel," and felt him enter my being; and thus I entered the circle via the pathway.  But my mind took over, and I thought something like "But north is the infernal direction, that's why he is telling me where south is," and I walked to the southern end of the circle and turned around to face north.  That is when I felt a sense of fatherly disappointment, like an askance look and a slight shake of the head, and I was confused.

That is where the dream morphed into me speaking to an unknown person who I was helping pot plants in a greenhouse/enclosed porch setting, and the name Azazel was prominent there as well.  I don't know why I was sent to this place, but I love to pot plants.  It calms me, and pulls me out of my overactive thinking mind and into a focused, purpose-driven mindspace. In retrospect, this transition makes sense. And... that's where the dream faded.

Throughout the next day, and also throughout the next, I researched Lord Azazel as thoroughly as I could possibly do, as I am currently travelling for work and my options are, as it turns out, limited to internet searches over intermittent wi-fi.

In my searches, I found one overwhelming theme that bothered me, a lot.  Namely, the use of Agrippa's seal of  Saturn [1] as the sigil of Lord Azazel.  Why is this so prevalent?  And why is it so accepted?  It feels so wrong to me.

In my gnosis, the energy presented is Lunar.  His spirit is Martial; left-pillar dominant. There is a severity to him, and a restless activity.  A tendency toward movement, progression, action, and focus.  Not the solemn, black cloud of Saturnine inevitability.  Perhaps my judgement is off; in that case, I apologize for my error.  In any case, due to that internal guidance, I was drawn to the sigil  presented by the staff of Satan and Suns (no affiliation) on their encyclopedia page for Azazel. [2] Once again, your mileage may vary; in fact, they too present his planet as Saturn.  Hmmm.  I'll stick to my guns for now.

In any case, I made my decision to invoke Lord Azazel, using that sigil, on Monday night.

This is the ritual I prepared.  Please see the bibliography for more reference.

The circle laid out in candles, with red candle to the south. An offering of wine in a goblet.  The Sigil, displayed on the southern wall, large.   Face south, looking down the path across the circle, looking at the Sigil. Begin with meditation on the name and sigil of Azazel until you feel the flow of his current.  Enter the circle via the path.

Evoco Domine Azazel!

(11X) Eya On Ca Azazel Aken

(Vibrate) ARCHON TOTOU SE'IRIM - AZA'ZYEL - ABA HA NEPHILIM - ZA-ZA-E'IL - RADRAB HA-SAHARIM - VAL-NA-HATH-ORTH - AZAZEL - MALS-PE

(7X) Mezeryn ven onzaul Azazel onzaul teay vydeyn Azazel onzaul

Great Lord Azazel, I, (name) stand before you in answer to your call.
As a Man, I sit in your presence a student before a great Master, and willingly accept your teachings.
As a Magician, I seek your blessings and the deepest dark wisdom that you may bestow.
I accept your Words and will fulfill your Requests.
I invoke thee of mine own free will, into my body, into my mind, that thou mayst speak to me whatsoever thou wilt.

(4X) Aezan Tala Zador Katan Asal.

Lord Azazel spoke to me, his voice brisk, businesslike, authoritative.  No nonsense.
He told me to prepare for war, to gird myself for battle.  This war is to be fought both on the physical plane AND the spiritual.  That although I was a chosen one, in that I was chosen by him, I was not "The Chosen One," so strike that thought. (This almost made me chuckle a bit, but I caught myself) He then showed me a vision of an army of Black Magicians, a swelling, growing magical and physical force in whose ranks I am counted.  He once again stressed the paramount importance of making myself battle-ready, both physically and spiritually/magically.

He became impatient as my mind began to tangent off, envisioning the words he was saying.  "FOCUS!  Train your mind, and train your body."  I asked a question of him, about issues with a certain person in my life, and he snapped back "They are not the problem. YOU are!"  Which made me feel very muted and introspective for a second.  We spoke on other things that I will not cover here.

I asked him if it was permissible to drink some of the wine offered to him in order to take his essence into myself, and he said "Drink ALL of it. Wine is the nectar of War!" and further instructed me to drain the whole thing in one draught.  At this, I felt trepidation, because it was a big goddamn goblet and there was a lot of wine in it. But I did it, although it took about five swallows, and one last trickle that was left in the bottom. Wowza.

In closing, Lord Azazel said that our conversations were not over by any means.  He instructed me to invoke him in the same manner, on the same day, seven times.  I agreed that I would, and both stated and radiated love and gratitude toward him.  He departed thereafter like a wave receding from a shoreline.

Notes-
The circle that I cast was composed of tea lights, which I kept lit through the invocation ceremony. Before we began conversing, though, I felt it would be safer to extinguish the tealights as they presented a burn hazard, both to me and the floor surface at that point. Lord Azazel was in agreement, and waited as I laboriously pinched them out.  They looked awesome though, and I think he appreciated it anyway.

This will, of course, be the first post in a series.  I really haven't figured blogger out to the point I can categorize and put serial posts in one locations yet...  Hopefully it can be done, but in the interim there may be posts staggered in.  Please bear with me if this is the case.

Thank you for dropping by! And as always, I hope that your day is a pleasant one, and your night as well.

I didn't add any filters or modify this photo in any way. I don't know why it looks like this.

Bibliography-
Satan and Suns - https://demonsanddemonolatry.com/watcher-angel-and-prince-of-the-fallen-darkness-lord-azazel/
VK Jehannum - https://vkjehannum.wordpress.com/2019/04/13/magickal-chants-to-azazel/
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, Of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Pt. 2 http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agripp2b.htm

Convocation

IO! HO:

Hear thou me!

I am a son of Qayin and a daughter of Lilith.

The Witchblood floweth in my veins.

I stand before you with blood on my hands, a curse upon my lips, and joy in my heart.

The sign of the Adversary is marked upon my brow, and the Flame of Darkness burns within my soul.

Magician, Sorcerer, Conjuror, Spellbinder, Witch, Warlock- these things I am, and more.

Hearken unto me, o Spirits which I name, for now is the hour of darkness and the Work is at hand.

Wellcome Museum Collection CC 4.0

The Efficacy of Satanic Prayer

Welcome back, dear reader.  Today we are going to take a shallow dive into deep and controversial waters, and discuss the power and effectiveness of  prayer as a magical practice.

Before we do, I would like to clarify several things.  I have labeled myself a "Satanist," and indeed I categorize myself a theistic Satanist; but I do not ally myself with ANY group with "Satanist" or "Satanism" or "Theistic Satanism" as either a title or ethos.  This includes groups such as the Satanic Church, the Church of Satan, Joy of Satan (especially), or any of the atheistic groups such as the Satanic Temple.  My magical beliefs, theories and practices are based on research and gnosis gained by personal interactions with deities themselves; who have proved themselves to be objectively real.

That said, I would be completely amiss, and in fact a giant dickhead, if  I pretended not to have benefited from some of these organizations and their publications.  In point of fact, the first liturgical magic ritual I ever performed, at age 18, was from LaVey's "Satanic Bible."  Thank you very much, comprehensive college library.

Back on point:  In a previous post, I cautioned against interactions with religious persons whose earnest prayers take the shape of a curse against the person or situation they are ostensibly praying "for."   These prayers, in effect, become magical spells of varying degrees of potency, and pose a probable threat to the unwary practitioner.

In the same manner, prayer can very effectively be used by the magician.  Merriam-Webster defines prayer as "an address, (such as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought." [1]  In terms of a petition, pleading to a spirit for assistance has been done since time immemorial.  But, as I remarked to a colleague once, you must choose your gods wisely, and be darn sure they know who you are; i.e. have developed a relationship with them that isn't just all take and no give. 

The recommended formula for this kind of prayer is Dedication - Invocation - Petition - Acceptance - Gratitude.  Of course, without gratitude, all spiritual interactions are meaningless, and the Formula loses all potency.

The need for respectfulness toward the entity and being conscientious and reliable toward them cannot be overstated, let me be clear.  That said, I have on occasion made, shall we say, "emergency pleas" for various acute situations, but of course I make certain to follow them up with whatever actions were necessary. And of course, Gratitude.

The most powerful form of address (referencing the definition), in my opinion, is praise and gratitude.  These prayers, offered up as a heartfelt sacrifice to the deity, rise like sweet incense to their ears, like a beautiful offering upon your altar.  Spoken aloud so the universe can attend, the practitioner invokes and glorifies their name upon the planes, every word glowing in the aether, and every syllable edifying and strengthening the powerful bond of the deity and the devotee, merging and melding spirit and soul in the Flame of the numinous.  Seekest thou Power? Herein is Power.

Another, much, much more intense (and intensive) methodology of devotion can be found in Aleister Crowley's Liber Astarte vel Berylli sub figura CLXXV.  [2] I believe it is, at the very least, worthy of a read through; though as said before, your mileage may vary.

In the video I have attached, entitled "Father's Day Prayer to Lord Satan," the wonderful Teala Petrova (with whom I am not affiliated)  makes a powerful, heartfelt, beautiful prayer of gratitude to Father Satan.  [3] The actual prayer begins at the 11 minute mark; prior to this, she explains what she is about to do and why, then meditates.  You can see the power washing over and through her, you can feel it.  My eyes tear up when I watch this.  There may be plenty of "magical" charlatans out there trying to sell you shit, but Teala is the real deal.

In summary- never underestimate the power and efficacy of magical prayer.  I hope you make it a priority.  Thank you for reading thus far, and I hope the remainder of your day is as amazing as this video.

  

Re-dedication to the Path

So, here's a few thoughts.

The life of a magical practitioner is not an easy one.  Right?  Although we do have insight into, shall we say, things that are hidden from most of the populace, the knowledge and practice of this stuff  brings its own special brand of stress.  And on top of that, maintaining our mundane lives is continually becoming more and more, just, complex as fuck.  And unlike the Hollywood perception of the magical arts, we can't just twinkle our fingers and bibbity-bobbity all of that shit away... at least, not all the time.

Things can get pretty overwhelming.  There is always the tendency for our simple creature selves to begin to neglect our practices, and incrementally edge away from things we know we need to be doing in order to progress.

Not only that, but there is also a tendency to begin to edge away, gradually, from our spiritual mentors, protectors, and patrons.  This is unfortunate, but sometimes human nature prevails and due to various external forces we start to let things slide.

All things considered, we would be well served by moments of reflection;  by stepping back and reviewing our actions and activities.  Have I been offering respect and dedication to the gods?  Have I been maintaining my meditations and rituals, refining my spirituality?  Or am I, in a sense, straying from the Path? 

These are questions that I believe the Magician should be asking daily.  Each time you pinpoint a failing, make that an opportunity to re-dedicate yourself to this journey of spiritual evolution that we have chosen.  Shake off whatever has distracted you from your practice, and push on.  Remember, to all these ends come a great Reward.

Thank you for reading thus far, and may your day be a pleasant one.

Vision Journey Through the Sphere of Nahemoth (Qliphoth)

In December 2018, I initiated through the Qliphothic sphere of Nahemoth, the Womb of the Dark Tree, the Gate to the Realms.  Approximately three (?) days after, I prayed to Lady Nahema to be permitted to journey through her beautiful Sphere, and gain as much knowledge as possible from the experience.  That night, via ritual, I passed beyond this material plane and was transported through the Pillars of Nahemoth.
No alcohol or any substances were consumed prior.

MY GUIDE
Having passed through the Pillars, I entered a land, not dark, not light, but pale.  I stood as it were in a waiting area, an area of departure.  A guide presented himself to me, in this manner:  First, the yellow eye of a bird, filling my field of view; then slowly drawing back to reveal a black-feathered, black-beaked head.  The eye moved intensely, raking me over, side to side, up, down.  It DRILLED through me, seeing everything.  When it was satisfied, the bird coalesced into a man/woman, wearing beautiful robes and an intricately filigreed crown.  I cannot describe the face of the person.  The person was sitting on a camel, which was adorned with what I described in my notes as "gold trappings, bejeweled with rubies, topaz, emeralds..."  I described the color of the camel as either "all black or all white;" and as I recall it could have been either, at any time.  I realize my description of this may confuse the reader, but truly I cannot describe it any other way.  I radiated an offering of love to the beast, and he accepted it and allowed me to respectfully touch him and stroke him.  My guide said his name to me, three times, and each time the name was different; but each time it began with "P."  "Parimis" or a similar sound was one of the names, I think.  I realized after that my guide was none other than the great spirit King Paimon, or at least an avatar of his.  I was incredibly grateful to him, and I expressed this to him.  His recognition of this was a small smile and a nod, as I remember.

WOLVES OF THE BLACK PLAIN
We left the Pillars and set off across the Black Plain.  The Black Plain was like unto a grasslands, like a prairie or a steppe, and as we walked, three creatures came before us, and maintained their distance.  They looked like wolves, but they were not.  They were ominous, but I was not afraid of them.  "What do they want?" I asked my Guide.  "They wish to feed on you," he said.  "Should I let them?" I asked.  "Most do not let them do this," he replied.  I decided that I would allow them to feed on me, and cut my fingertips so the blood dripped out.  I held my hands out for them and they walked over to me in a very shy manner, and gently lapped the blood from my fingers, much like a dog licking gravy.  Then the three creatures came close and very happily rubbed their bodies against me, like three big loving dogs;  they encircled me, enveloped me, and became part of me.  In my notes, I wrote, "They are my Vargs and I am of them."  I cannot attest to the accuracy of this statement, but they are most definitely still powerfully with me, and I love them.

THE STAR
We continued along the path through the Black Plain, and came to what appeared to be a bridge.  To the side of the bridge came two people; these people were corpses, but they walked.  I recognized them right away.  My Guide asked me a question, which I cannot print here.  When I answered he said, "Then you must walk this narrow path, and go to the Flaming Star ahead."  The corpses dissolved, and I mounted the bridge and stepped out onto the very narrow path to the Star.  I walked to the blinding dome of the Star, and placed my hands on it.  The Star rushed into me, and filled me, and drew me into its core.  Within the core of the Star, my astral armor was changed and strengthened.  Whereas before it was black metal, it turned into reddish-amber material, somewhat translucent(?).  It reminds me sort of how the bodies of red ants look under magnification.  And it is covered in curved spikes now.  My sword was shiny metal; but it was transformed into what looks like black glass, or obsidian, much like the material that composes the throne of King Adramelech.  Other weapons were similarly strengthened.

THE HOUSE OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS
We then traveled beyond the Star, and came to the House of Earthly Delights.  Within the House resided the virgin daughters of Na'amah, beautiful, ravenous; Vampires of the highest order.  They came to me and seduced me, with the pleasures and pain of the Flesh.  I offered  them my sexual fluids and they drained them from me.  I offered them my blood, and from their beautiful mouths came tongues of silver, which they sank into my veins and drank.  They drank until I no longer existed, till I disintegrated, but my body returned in another form and behold, I too possessed a tongue of silver.  This tongue I sank into each of them and drank, giving them glory, thanks and Love for this precious gift of Vampirism.

THE CAULDRON
We then passed beyond the House, continuing on our path, until we reached a place desolate, dark and barren.  Much like a rocky crag overlooking the sea; but here there was no wind, but deep silence and a darkness that encroached like the blackness of Space.  Here I beheld a Cauldron.
The Cauldron was huge, towering over me; dark, composed of a blackened metal.  Something about it beckoned unto me, and also repelled me (in the sense of  pushing me back, rather than disgust).  "Shall I pass within?"  I asked, looking up at my Guide.  "No, you must not," he replied emphatically.  "What is it for?" I asked, and he replied "You are asking the wrong question. It is enough to know that it is."  We both looked at the Cauldron for a short while, then my Guide instructed me to place my hands upon it.  I placed my hands on the cold, cold metal surface, and was filled with the sense that it was extremely old, ages upon ages old.  I was also struck with a feeling, an inarticulate gnosis about this powerful thing, which I tried to articulate in my notes by writing "It was something else, entirely."  I do not understand it, to this day.

THE CITY OF THE NEPHILIM
We passed beyond the Cauldron, and came to a low cliff wall.  In the wall was a gate, which opened, letting light into the darkness of the place we were in.  From the light emerged hooded figures.  One of the figures, tall, noble, approached and addressed us.  He introduced himself as being "of the Grigori."  Before us lay the City of the Nephilim, the name of which is C-------s.  I offered him respect, and gave deference to him, and he recognized me as one of his own and embraced me.  He then led us into the City, and a large crowd of people came to me, and surrounded me, embracing me as family and giving me gifts.  From them I received a weapon, named "A------," in the form of a crossbow.  I also received from them a beautiful Chalice, among other things.  I remained speaking with the one who was "of the Grigori" for a long time.  In one of our conversations, I remember asking if it was possible to gain physical immortality, and he looked at me for a wry moment before gesturing toward the crowd of people and stating, very dryly, "WE are all dead."  And yet they remain.  As I wrote in my notes, "That answer was satisfactory."

THE BLACK SEA
We took our leave of the City, and passed beyond the gates.  Beyond the gates was a shoreline, the shoreline of a Great Black Sea.  A great Black Sea with no waves or motion, still as a pool in a cave.  The pale sky stretched down to the far horizon, and at the liminis, the stars and blackness of Space.  I knew then that my journey was at an end.  I do not remember what I said to my Guide, but I remember gratitude and great Love.  I then re-entered my physical body, and was shaking and overcome. I rushed from the darkness of my room and wrote down everything that I could remember, as quickly as possible, but the memories were already fading and blurring.  I wish I could recapture every detail, and it pains me deeply that I cannot.

I realize that this narrative may seem a bit disjointed and poesy to the reader, but that was how my recollections came back to me.  Like the voice of someone singing their memories of a dream.
Anyway, this is the gist of it, my recollection of walking the Qliphothic Sphere of Nahemoth.  Some of you may have similar experiences, and I would love to hear them, but I have a very strong feeling that not everyone "gets the same ride," so to speak.  If you have any insight into the Cauldron, especially, as I find it intriguing.

Hail to thee, Lady Na'amah, Nahema, Na Ama Hema!!! You are beautiful, lifted on High, thou Great and Glorious Goddess!!! May your Throne be Exalted.  Thank you for permitting me entrance to your realm,  for providing me passage, for thy Gifts.  Great gratitude and Love to your beautiful Daughters, for their attentions and their gifts.  And thank you to my esteemed Guide, the King Paymon, Paimonius Rex, who Named me, and who guides me with wisdom and Grace.  Thanks and Gratitude Abounding!!!

Fin.

Thank you for reading thus far, and I hope your day is a pleasant one.