Review of Tony Silvia’s “Sanctuary of the Sacred Flame”

After two years of hard work, Father Anthony Silvia + brings to us an amazing primer in Johannite spirituality in his Sanctuary of the Sacred Flame bringing to light the foundational practices of the Apostolic Johannite Church for all to see including the Logos Liturgy and the ceremony of the Agape Feast.

The Apostolic Johannite Church is a world-wide network of communities united by the pursuit of gnosis and the communal celebration of the Divine. In Sanctuary of the Sacred Flame, Father “Tony” explains the significance of the central spiritual practices of the AJC after many years of personal practice, explores traditional devotionals in an applicable and approachable way, all the while maintaining his own sincere sense of humility and humor.

This text, following six years on the heels of Monsignor Jordan Stratford’s+ Living Gnosticism and three years on the heels of Father Donald Donato’s+ dutiful translation of The Levitikon: the Gospels According to the Primitive Church, is a foundational text for anyone looking to begin their own personal practice in the tradition of the disciples of the Divine Beloved and includes practices innovated by members of this community in the modern age.

Sanctuary of the Sacred Flame is sure to be a text I will myself refer to in the future as I undergo the seminary program toward priesthood in the AJC and am proud to  suggest to anyone looking for a change of pace in their spiritual practices. My only complaint is that it is a little light on ‘in depth’ philosophy, but it makes up for it in the depth of experience of all the practitioners whose work contributed to the creation of such an amazing text.

Advice on the Mystical Life

In his essay, Hunger in the Pews, Father Benedict Auer O.S.B. observes how many people in our post-modern religious milieu continue to “file into churches throughout this country hungering for the Word of God or even an inspirational word or two… in the face of almost endless disappointment hoping beyond hope that they may get something to take back home with them to help them through their week.” Despite America being unique among the industrialized world in the emphasized role of religion in daily life, most Americans tend to be representative of  a phenomena of people who, in Auer’s words, “a whole generation of Catholic illiterates.” Sadly, this is not only true of American Catholics – it can equally apply across the board of many major and minor Christian denominations – it is also true of those who, having left their pews, have turned to the mystical path hoping to find some kind of recourse (or counter-point) to the spirituality of their youth.

Since the New Age phenomenon of the 1960’s, many millions of people have turned to mysticism as the answer to their problems with exoteric religious teachings, paying thousands of dollars sometimes for seminars on meditation, creative visualization, empowered prayer, etc. The majority of these people, unfortunately, become quickly when they realize that the mystical life is not a “feel good” pursuit as many gurus or authors (misre-) present it but is, as many have accurately noted, a path beset with many external and internal dangers and trials. The high failure, or drop-out, rate for those who pursue the mystical life comes primarily from the lack of qualified instructors or peers in one’s spiritual community as well as the unfortunate severing of the mystical in post-Enlightenment era academic and philosophical inquiry. Among those who are fortunate enough to find sound resources (mostly in the form of literature, though sometimes mentors) toward understanding the mystical experience, this often solitary path can still lead the student astray if they are unable to find an appropriate peer or group to act as a sounding board resulting in the accumulations of various aggrandizements, delusions, or misperceptions.

Amongst those in esoteric religious groups, the above dangers can be especially potent. Anyone with some experience or involvement in contemporary, alternative religious movements likely have some experience or another with individuals (or themselves) undergoing some kind of spiritual crisis. In her essay, Magusitis: A Hydra in Sheep’s Clothing, Nadine Drisseq examines the pitfalls of transcendence: “Some very common examples of archetypal intoxication are: the Wiccan who thinks he is the martyr of the goddess, or the Thelemite who thinks she is the reincarnation of Aleister Crowley. Whilst transcendental states are useful, enjoyable and provide experience of the Numinons, they too have their baggage.” She further breaks down the stages of “infection” amongst those whose mystical pursuit has gone awry:

“PRIMARY STAGE: The magician is immuno-magickally compromised since all the necessary and underlying basis for infection are present. This stage is a latency period where the magician exhibits behavior of talking big to make himself feel better, gloating at people who are magickally less experienced, and general feelings of personal insecurity. Instances of paranoia are common, and the magician feels isolated if these issues are not brought out and dealt with.

SECONDARY STAGE: The magician starts to believe that others are out to get her. She feuds with others, often curses people or groups of people (since cursing makes her feel more powerful and confident). She gloats when others have misfortune as it makes her feel more powerful compared to them (her perceived enemies). She takes the slightest comment the wrong way. She gets upset when she does not win an argument, and this can be combined with the childish mechanisms of sulking (which sometimes gets results through guilt tripping the person she is sulking at). Childish spats of anger and foot stomping are also not uncommon. These behaviors may not be quite so obvious but are translations of these childish idiosyncrasies.

TERTIARY STAGE: The magician really starts to lose it. Tertiary stage is rarely observed by the magickal culture at large because by this time the magician is so enraged / paranoid / sulky / paranoid that she withdraws from from public or community interaction. I have also heard of instances of the magician putting on a lot of weight along with this stage, although this may be a parallel and not a symptom.”

Replace “magician” with “seeker”, “student” or “practitioner”, and it can be illustrated that this problem can arise across most, if not all, spiritual boards. For those of us whose mystical experience comes through the lens of Christianity (in particular Christian Gnosticism), there are fortunately some avenues for those to “check themselves” as they progress along the inward, or mystical, path.

It is highly advisable that one attracted to Christian mysticism have at least some understanding of scriptural study and prayer practice. For Catholics, this is easily obtained through undergoing courses such as the Rite of Christian Initiation in Adults; for others joining a Bible study group may also be of some benefit as well. In addition to this, attending interfaith prayer meetings such as Taizé or even some Quaker meetings might be of some help as well – especially for those who are disaffected by conventional churchmanship. For many self-identified Gnostics, finding and attending a church may be somewhat difficult depending on what part of the country in which one lives; here, participating in online social networking sites such as Facebook may be their only connection to other Gnostics, in particular Gnostic clergy. Finding members of churches such as Ecclesia Gnostica, the Apostolic Johannite Church, Ecclesia Gnostica Mysteriorum or the Alexandrian Gnostic Church should be fairly easy and participation on interest pages can yield some great results where one can meet new people and peers.

If possible, the potential mystic should also engage in a thorough study of classical literature on mysticism. Anthologies such as the Philokalia, the Classics of Western Spirituality through Paulist Press, and the writings of Theresa of Avila, Julian of Norwich, and Meister Eckhart should provide a valuable background. These should be read slowly and ideally with a friend who is either familiar with the material or can read along with you and with whom you can exchange notes and reflections. Auditing religious studies courses, in particular medieval religion or attending monastic retreats is another possibility that should not be overlooked. Throughout the entire process, keeping a journal is also highly advisable as a way of storing and reexamining one’s comprehension of what you are studying. Setting aside regular time for prayer, study and reflection by this point should become a part of daily experience.

After about six months to a year of regular study and practice, one should by this point attempt to find a peer or member of clergy with pastoral experience with whom they can discuss their experiences and discuss their growth either by phone or in person. It’s a common misconception that the mystical life must be a solitary experience. Most Gnostic and esoteric communities are largely led by members who lead secular lives in addition to their participation in religious life and do not offer (at this point) cloistered monastic groups. How this may or may not change in the future is yet to be seen. In absence of being able to find a spiritual guide, finding a good counselor who is open to discussing spirituality is an option that should not be overlooked.

The mystical life, while often a solitary experience, does not need to be a lonely experience. After nearly fifteen years in pursuit of mystical and contemplative life and falling into some of the above pitfalls along the way, I have been fortunate enough to have support along the way by people who have been able to provide me the advice I have given and wish to share it with those who have the discipline to follow through on this very rewarding approach to understanding the divine in its manifold splendor. Keeping balance is (no pun intended) the fulcrum of any healthy spirituality – keeping things in perspective, keeping a fit body and mind, and being constantly devoted to the practice will yield many years of fulfillment. Enlightenment, however, is up to you.

Third Sunday after Epiphany

The Kingdom of Light from the Book of Sophia

“Preach to the whole world: fight yourselves and receive the mysteries of the Light in this afflicted time, and go into the kingdom of the Light. Do not add day to day or cycle to cycle, hoping to come to receive the mysteries when we come to the world in another cycle. Now such people do not know when the number of the Perfect Souls will be complete, and I shall shut the Gates of Light, and from that time no one shall go in, because the mystery of the first mystery has been accomplished, for whose sake the universe has come into being.”

Following the resurrection, Christ gave the following admonition to his followers: “[Go] and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This admonition, known by many as the Great Commission, is one of the primary tenants of Christianity. Among those of us in the spiritual Church, there is some hesitancy to follow this teaching having possibly experienced for ourselves the efforts of those in the external Church to make us conform to the limitations of a literalist interpretation of scripture and has made proselytization is something of a dirty word in our communities – for good reason.

As spiritual Christians, or Gnostics, we are encouraged equally to abide by the teachings of the Jesus as well as the higher laws of the living words of the Christ within. It is our duty to embody the Word of God and to go forth into the world to share with others the good news of the immanence of the Kingdom of God which is here and now, within and without. For us to follow the Great Commission, we are enjoined to be examples of the Sacred Flame and to encourage others in their knowledge of God, by whatever way they know Him.

We are not to presuppose that by our knowledge we are somehow superior to others or that by virtue of our knowledge we are guaranteed a place in Heaven – that knowledge is known only to God alone. Our commission is to do God’s work for God’s sake, not for ours; exemplifying the same humility that Jesus exhibited when incarnate in the world. We will fail and fall along the way, that is understood, but the importance is to continue on as Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 9:23 to, “do all this for the sake of the gospel, that [we] may share in its blessings.”

Parable of the Pearl in the Mud from the Gospel of Philip

“If a pearl is cast down into the mud it loses no value, if it is rubbed with balsam oil, it gains no value. It always is precious in its owner’s eyes. Wherever they are, the children of god are precious in the eyes of the father.”

The parable of the Pearl in the Mud follows a common theme in the various narratives Jesus shared with his disciples. In the outer Church, the most famous of these is in Matthew 7:6, “Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you”; from which we get the well-worn admonition to not cast pearls before swine. Yet, in this parable we are informed that even if thrown in the mud the pearl does not lose its value any more so than it would if it were to be anointed with precious oils.

In the Gospels the Pearl most commonly represents the teachings of Scripture as in Matthew or in the Gospel of Thomas: “Don’t give what is holy to dogs, for they might throw them upon the manure pile. Don’t throw pearls [to] pigs…”; yet in this case the Pearl is the embodied message of the seeker of gnosis which, being internalized, does not lose nor gain any value since it is itself priceless, as affirmed in the narrative in Matthew 13:45-46 and contains within itself the very essence of Kingdom of Heaven.

This parable also fits in nicely with the lesson taken from the Book of the Sophia, who herself descended into the lowest emanations and remained unchanged in essence. Those who have obtained the wisdom of God are simultaneously the bearers of a great and vast store of treasure as well as embodiments of that treasure itself by virtue of their ability to disperse that wisdom. Being undefiled by the knowledge (gnosis) of God, the sharing of wisdom is no longer something about which we need to remain cautious but, instead, it is incumbent upon us to share in our own individual ways that others may likewise be saved.

A Gnostic Divine Office

The other day, I got to thinking about how much of a role the liturgy of the hours played in my spiritual formation. Nearly every day while in college I would attend at least one of the prayer services lead by the monastic community at Saint Martin’s Abbey. After leaving college, I missed the prayer cycle and the liturgy and the communal worship and, as life would have it, ended up adapting the prayer services used in the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer. Naturally, as the heretic that I am, it left much to be desired for me as a Gnostic to be using a prayer service that didn’t have room for my own personal spiritual experience.

On a whim, I made a post asking members of one Gnostic community if there was anything in their tradition resembling the Liturgy of the Hours – sadly there was not, but fortunately for me I was pointed in a good direction to a book that I owned at one time, never really got around to reading and likely sold or gave to someone at some point. Perhaps this was all for the better. Reading through A Gnostic Book of Hours by June Singer has immediately filled a small void that I have been missing and has inspired me to create a more in-depth Gnostic Liturgy of the Hours combining elements from my experiences in Catholic contemplative prayer, Episcopal devotional service and my own Gnostic beliefs.

Below follows what I’m working with right now as a sort of, Gnostic Divine Office going largely off the model set forth for the Morning Service, Rite One in the Book of Common Prayer. Naturally, this is still very experimental at present, but I’m hoping it will develop into something more fluid and organic as time and practice allows.

A Gnostic Divine Office

The Invitatory and Psalter

All stand

Officiant          O Lord, open thou our lips.

People             And our mouths will proclaim your praise.

Officiant and People

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as
it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Except in Lent,    Alleluia    may be added.

Then follows the Venite or Jubilate.

Venite                                    Psalm 95:1-7

O come, let us sing unto the Lord; *
let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the corners of the earth, *
and the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it, *
and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is the Lord our God, *
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; *
let the whole earth stand in awe of him.
For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth, *
and with righteousness to judge the world
and the peoples with his truth.

Jubilate                                 Psalm 100

Be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; *
it is he that hath made us and we ourselves;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving
and into his courts with praise; *
be thankful unto him and speak good of his Name.

For the Lord is gracious;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.

Bread of Heaven                The Gospel of Philip

“Before Christ came, there was no bread in the world, just as Paradise, the place were Adam was, had many trees to nourish the animals but no wheat to sustain man. Man used to feed like the animals, but when Christ came, the perfect man, he brought bread from heaven in order that man might be nourished with the food of man. The rulers thought that it was by their own power and will that they were doing what they did, but the Holy Spirit in secret was accomplishing everything through them as it wished. Truth, which existed since the beginning, is sown everywhere. And many see it being sown, but few are they who see it being reaped.”

Then follows

The Psalm or Psalms Appointed

At the end of the Psalms is sung or said

Officiant                Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
People                   As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lessons

One or two lessons, as appointed, are read, the Reader or Officiant first saying

A Reading (Lesson) from _______________.

A citation giving chapter and verse may be added.

After each Lesson the Reader may say

Officiant               The Word of the Lord.
People                   Thanks be to God.

Or the Reader may say        Here endeth the Lesson (Reading).

Silence may be kept after each Reading. One of the following Hymns is sung or said after
each Reading. If three Lessons are used, the Lesson from the Gospel is
read after the second Canticle.

Hymn to the Living Soul                  A Manichaean hymn in Parthian.

You, oh Soul, would we praise, our bright Life!

You would we praise, Jesus Messiah!

Merciful savior, look upon us!

Worthy are you to honor , redeemed Soul of Light!

Salvation to you, and may we also receive salvation!

Worthy are you of the Soul of Light, bright shining limb of Light.

You have salvation, bright Soul of the gods that shines in the darkness.

You sons of Truth, praise the Soul, the valiant god eager for battle.

This fettered Soul has arrived, gathered in unity

Coming forth from heaven and from the depths of the earth,

And from all creation.

Meritorious and blessed is the auditor who gathers the Soul

together, And blissful is the elect who purifies it.

This redeemed Soul has come,

It has come to this Church of Righteousness.

Praise it forever, you elect,

So that it may wondrously purify me

And lead me to life.

Blessed are you, oh Soul, you with the divine form!

Blessed are you, oh Soul, weapon and battlement of the gods,

Blessed are you, radiant Soul,

Splendor and glory of the … Worlds of Light!

Blessed are you, divine radiant Soul,

Weapon and might, soul and body, gift of the Father of Light.

 

A Triple Trisagion                  from the Hymns of Hermes

Holy art Thou, O God, the Universals’ Father.

Holy art Thou, O God, Whose Will perfects itself by means of its own Powers.

Holy art Thou, O God, Who willest to be known and art known by Thine own.

Holy art Thou, Who didst by Word make to consist the things that are.

Holy art Thou, of Whom All-nature hath been made an Image.

Holy art Thou, Whose Form Nature hath never made.

Holy art Thou, more powerful than all power.

Holy art Thou, transcending all preeminence.

Holy art Thou, Thou better than all praise.

Accept my reason’s offerings pure, from soul and heart for aye stretched up to Thee,

O Thou unutterable, unspeakable, Whose Name naught but the  Silence can express!

Give ear to me who pray that I may ne’er of Gnosis fail — Gnosis which is our common being’s nature — and fill me with Thy Power, and with this Grace of Thine, that I may give the Light to those in ignorance of the Race, my Brethren and Thy Sons!

For this cause I believe, and I bear witness. I go to Life and Light. Blessed art Thou, O Father. Thy Man would holy be as Thou art holy, e’en as Thou gavest him Thy full authority to be.

Excerpta ex Theodoto

What makes us free is the gnosis of who we were, of what we have become; of where we were, of wherein we have been cast; of whereto we speed, of wherefrom we are redeemed; of what birth truly is, and of what rebirth truly is.

The Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer

The People stand or kneel

Officiant      The Lord be with you.
People        And also with you.
Officiant      Let us pray.

Officiant and People

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our tresspasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Thanksgiving

We give thanks to You! Every soul and heart is lifted up to You, undisturbed name, honored with the name ‘God’ and praised with the name ‘Father’, for to everyone and everything (comes) the parental kindness and affection and love, and any teaching there may be that is sweet and plain, giving us mind, speech, and knowledge: mind, so that we may understand You, speech, so that we may expound You, knowledge, so that we may know You. We rejoice, having been illuminated by Your knowledge. We rejoice because You have shown us Yourself. We rejoice because while we were in (the) body, You have made us divine through Your knowledge.

The thanksgiving of one who attains to You is one thing: that we know You. We have known You, intellectual light. Life of life, we have known You. Womb of every creature, we have known You. Womb pregnant with the nature of the Father, we have known You. Eternal permanence of the begetting Father, thus have we worshiped Your goodness. There is one petition that we ask: we would be preserved in knowledge. And there is one protection that we desire: that we not stumble in this kind of life.

Then may be said

Officiant                 Let us bless the Lord.
The People            Thanks be to God.

As a note, at present I’m simply using the readings as assigned according to the Revised Common Lectionary for the readings from the Hebrew Scriptures and the synoptic Gospels. In place of the epistle (typically the second reading), I’ve been using the suggested readings from Singer’s A Gnostic Book of Hours to round things out according to her model of following the Liturgy of the Hours cycle.

An Ethiopian "Magic Scroll"

An Apology for Baphomet and SOLVE et COAGULA

Two weekends ago I was blessed, once again to attend the annual Esoteric Book Conference. As I’ve mentioned to a few of my friends offhandedly, the Esoteric Book Conference is possibly the closest thing to a “high, holy day” that I make a point of participating in surrounded by many friends and well-informed ritualists, artists and occultists from around the world. Probably the best description of the event in the weeks following, written by my dear friend and co-religionist, P. Sufenas Virius Lupus, also approaches one of the interesting turn of events this year regarding gender, identity and theology in occultism, specifically surrounding a performance piece by Australian occultist and performer, Orryelle Defenestrate-Bascule entitled SOLVE et COAGULA:

“The Ancient Greek bard Orpheus can never return to the Underworld after seeking his lost love there. Immortalised yet unable to appreciate His eternal body, he was torn limb from limb by the Maenads, wildwomen in the retinue of Dionysos. The disembodied head floated off down the river of Acheron, singing ever…

A head, alone on the currents, adrift on the elements, found by the Knights Templar and become their oracle…

A head, having learnt presence, disembodied yet with heightened senses, aware now of the power of the physical form in which it is forever encased, wise and carnal, desires to make a new body…”

The performance itself, in my opinion, was one of the better pieces I’ve seen by Oryelle in recent years and did a good job of pulling together many disparate streams of Western esotericism and religion into a new and innovative form. Oryelle, who describes hirself as “a Baphometic avatar somewhat obsessed with physical reification and Malkuthian manifestation”, continues in this particular performance exploring the interplay between the dichotomies of body and spirit, male and female, light and darkness.

Maenads in the Melbourne preview production of SOLVE et COAGULA. Photo by Shami Kiely

Unfortunately, it appears that some of the imagery was lost upon some and initiated further discussion surrounding the gender disparity in the Esoteric Book Conference itself which has historically had an uneven balance of male and female presenters as well as some of the emerging dialogue of gender politics in esotericism and paganism as a whole. I think, as well, that there’s also some presumptions that need to be addressed regarding the differences in context between those who are occultists and the wider pagan community.

While good arguments can be made that occultists and esotericists should be included within the greater pagan community and vice-versa – and indeed there’s a lot of cross-over – the two cultures as they exist today operate under a vastly different set of assumptions and use dramatically different symbol sets and values. Paganism, in particular Neo-Paganism, is almost always religious in nature and represents a theological perspective that may or may not include (or approve of) magic in the personal practices of its adherents. Magicians, occultists and esotericists, while many are religious and use religious or mytho-poetic themes, generally pursue their work from an operative understanding which rarely, if ever, has anything to do with devotional practices. In short, magicians are more concerned with the technology of the sacred and paganism, as a religious umbrella, is more concerned with the relationship of the practitioner and their understanding of the sacred.

Specifically to the performance piece, a discussion was had regarding Lupus’ well-founded disappointment in the “theological monism” of the piece. In his perspective, he’s totally in the right, but in the context of this performance (and indeed most ritual magic) theology isn’t the point – rather the illustrative principals of different cultures and milieus in the vast melting-pot of Western esoteric thought and modern magic.

Eliphas Levi's Baphomet

At any rate, a small difference in understanding but the major (and it is sizable by any point), was the culmination of the first performance with the Baphometic sculpture reuniting, being made symbolically whole by the attachment of a large phallus which the performer intimates, in his ritual piece, is also emblematic of the lost phallus of Osiris. For those unfamiliar with the image of Baphomet, the most common image illustrative of this imagined “deity” comes from the writings of French occultist, Eliphas Levi:

“The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyne of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The beast’s head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

Despite the various schools of magical thought, most esotericists and occultists would have seen little problem in the coming together of symbols since these symbols inundate the foundations of much of our modern magical practice and are, for the most part, accepted as such. However, I think that the concern by some members in the audience as being representative of gender disparity in magic, while interesting from a feminist and post-modern perspective, are largely unfounded in the contextual understanding of the image. To wit, the phallus attached at the end was one of the many human-shaped figures and was expressly meant to be female in form which occurs often as an expiation of one occult, and common sexio-magical formula that the male must receive his power from the female if he is to become truly empowered or initiated among many other possible options. From a Thelemic perspective, British occultist Aleister Crowley has much to write on the image of the Phallus in modern occultism in The Book of Lies:

“Mighty and erect is this Will of mine, this Pyramid
of fire whose summit is lost in Heaven. Upon it
have I burned the corpse of my desires.
Mighty and erect is this Phallus of my Will. The
seed thereof is That which I have borne within me
from Eternity; and it is lost within the Body of
Our Lady of the Stars.
I am not I; I am but an hollow tube to bring down
Fire from Heaven.
Mighty and marvellous is this Weakness, this
Heaven which draweth me into Her Womb, this
Dome which hideth, which absorbeth, Me.
This is The Night wherein I am lost, the Love
through which I am no longer I.”

Additionally, the image of the phallus in this context, has been regarded by Crowley as identifiable with the image of the “dying god” of which Dionysus, Osiris and Christ are the most common examples. Further, following the phallic image of the caduceus which is most explicitly described in the Levi image, Crowley writes in Confessions:

“”The caduceus contains a complete symbol of the Gnosis; the winged sun or phallus represents the joy of life on all planes from the lowest to the highest.”

These images, while fraught with some problems in the context of modern queer and feminist theory, is a well-established idea that I personally (as a cisgender, queer, bio-male) don’t find much objection to especially since, from the biological principal of these formulae, is precisely what needs to happen for the creation of the magical child. If there are other formulae, they either haven’t been written about extensively or don’t have the wide-appeal that would make sense to the general occult audience to be worth mentioning.

Theologically, the performance comes relatively short, but in the end it was never meant to be a theological dialogue and cannot be judged within a framework apart from that toward which it appeals. To judge it from a Pagan, Christian, Satanic or any other religious perspective would do an injustice to the performance, art and science of the ritual as well as to the general understanding that the Esoteric Book Conference is not a pagan event such as PantheaCon, rather a gathering of occultists and academics concerned with the development, preservation and promulgation of the ideas and theories of Esotericism.

Registering Spirits, Considerations for Post-Modern Grimoires

With the upcoming Esoteric Book Conference, I find my thoughts preoccupied with thinking about books and, by extension, the intense amount of effort that magicians have spent over the centuries in the creation and preservation of occult texts. All things considered, few things things epitomize the popular image of the magician more than a robed man*, standing in a magic circle, holding a large book in one hand and his wand in the other while shadowy images of angels and demons surround the periphery of the oratory as he seeks to contact or command representatives of the celestial and infernal worlds.

Faust in his Study

While few examples of such texts remain from the medieval age, we have enough evidence to suggest that they have existed and the practice of creating such texts is a continuing art among contemporary magicians in one form or another and, honestly, what modern-day magician doesn’t like the idea of having a beautifully bound, hand-written and illuminated book of conjurations, or Liber Spirituum? In The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, written by pesudo-Agrippa, an entire chapter is dedicated to outlining how one may make such a text:

There is extant amongst those Magicians (who do most use the ministery of evil spirits) a certain Rite of invocating spirits by a Book to be consecrated before to that purpose; which is properly called, A book of Spirits (Liber Spirituum); whereof we shall now speak a few words. For this Book is to be consecrated, a book of evil spirits, ceremoniously to be composed, in their name and order: whereunto they binde with a certain holy Oath, the ready and present obedience of the spirits therein written.

Now this book is to be made of most pure and clean paper, that hath never been used before; which many do call Virgin-paper. And this book must be inscribed after this maner: that is to say, Let there be placed on the left side the image of the spirit, and on the right side his character, with the Oath above it, containing the name of the spirit, and his dignity and place, with his office and power. Yet very many do compose this book otherwise, omitting the characters or image: but it is more efficacious not to neglect any thing which conduceth to it.

Moreover, there is to be observed the circumstances of places, times, hours, according to the Stars which these spirits are under, and are seen to agree unto, their site, rite, and order being applied.

Which book being so written, and well bound, is to be adorned, garnished, and kept secure, with Registers and Seals, lest it should happen after the consecration to open in some place not intented [sic], and indanger [endanger] the operator. Furthermore, this book ought to be kept as reverently as may be: for irreverence of minde causeth it to lose its vertue, with pollution and profanation.

Now this sacred book being this composed according to the maner already delivered, we are then to proceed to the consecration thereof after a twofold way: one whereof is, That all and singular the spirits who are written in the book, be called to the Circle, according to the Rites and Order which we have before taught; and the book that is to be consecrated, let there be placed without the Circle in a triangle. And in the first place, let there be read in the presence of the spirits all the Oathes which are written in that book; and then the book to be consecrated being placed without the Circle in a triangle there drawn, let all the spirits be compelled to impose their hands where their images and characters are drawn, and to confirm and consecrate the same with a special and common Oath. Which being done, let the book be taken and shut, and preserved as we have before spoken, and let the spirits be licensed to depart, according to due rite and order.

While we can safely assume that few books were made in such an elaborate way, we have no evidence to suggest to the contrary. Reasonably, I would wager that most of these books would have been less assuming in appearance and, depending on where and when they were written, would not have been subjected to such formal treatment. Again, I could be wrong.

Having recently read and re-read Michael Cecchetelli’s Crossed Keys, I found myself thinking about the idea of the Liber Spirituum and early grimoires not so much as a “grammary of magic” but as something much more intimate to the magician and commoner of that age, the personal psalter. These little books in many ways describe to me exactly what pseudo-Agrippa would have been writing about and would have been just as important to the magician in that both contain selections of prayers, calendrical tables and illuminations (images and seals of angels and devils). Typically only the wealthiest of persons would have had access to such beautiful examples as Saint Alban’s Psalter or the Belles Heures of Jean de France, but since evidence also suggests that the medieval magician was also most likely to have been a member of clergy or at least a part of the minor orders of the Catholic Church, it’s possible that these people would have had access to the materials in their construction.

Below I include a chart comparing and contrasting similarities and differences between most conventional psalter texts alongside with descriptions from pseudo-Agrippa on the components of the Liber Spirituum:

Comparative Anatomy of the Grimoire to Psalter
Psalter	Grimoire or Liber Spirituum (pseudo-Agrippa, et. Al.)
Calendar of church feasts	“Moreover, there is to be observed the circumstances of places, times, hours, according to the Stars which these spirits are under, and are seen to agree unto, their site, rite, and order being applied.”
Excerpts from the Synoptic Gospels
Little Office of the Virgin Mary	(No cognate in most grimoires, although version of Ars Notoria attributed to Mary)
Fifteen Psalms of Degrees	“Then let him enter the place fasting, and washed, and let him begin to pray towards the east this whole Psalm: Beati inmaculati in via, &c. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, &c. (Psal. 119 [Vulgate: 118])” (Psalm 119 mentioned in GKoS et. Al – also, used extensively in angel magic of the 72-letter Name)
Seven Penitential Psalms	(Not overtly mentioned in text, but contextually can be assumed due to presence in other grimoires, e.g. Greater Key of Solomon, Lemegeton, True Grimoire, etc.)
Litany of the Saints	Conjurations
Office of the Dead	(no cognate)
Hours of the Cross	(see “Calendar”)
Other prayers	“Holy prayers and imprecations, as well unto God, as to the holy Angels and Heroes.”
	*Plates and Medals

As we can see, there are many similarities in the construction of both texts. Of course, I have taken some personal liberty in drawing parallels between certain parts, but for the time being I feel that this should provide a basic (though imperfect) look at the construction of the two.

Today the skill needed to make such a text is more readily available than ever before and while taking a great deal of time and effort, the materials are not prohibitively expensive depending on how involved you want to make the process. Learning how to make one can also be a good exercise in fine arts – learning calligraphy, the methods of illumination, even book-binding for those who want to have complete control over every aspect of the process. Any decent art-store should have the materials needed for converting a good, blank journal into an heirloom for generations to come and, with advances in paper preservation, most modern texts would last a lot longer than ever before.

———————————-

*This is not to assume that there haven’t been female magicians, in fact there have been and independent scholar Brandy Williams has recently written an entire book on the subject.

Catching Up and Doing Stuff

This past week I’ve been inspired to come back to writing after a brief hiatus from doing anything other than taking care of personal needs. It’s been nice to get back to doing something I enjoy doing as well as share my knowledge, experiences and rants since – well – I can only talk to my tarantula so much before she decides to hide in her coconut shell and roll her eyes at my bitching and bursts of manic inspiration.

In the time that I’ve been away, it seems like a lot of interesting things have come up all over the esoteric blogosphere that I’ll need to spend some time reading over and contribute my two cents at some point. Additionally, I’m finding some great writings by other magicians and occultists whose work I’m deeply impressed by which further encourages me in my pursuit.

Here’s a brief rundown of some of the blogs and entries by which I’ve been particularly impressed:

• Sarah Lawless, the “Witch of Forest Grove”, does is again and provides some great insight into the process of creating spirit bottles and fetiches in her article How to Make an Ancestor Spirit Bottle
• Conjureman Ali brings up some interesting insights on the possibility of Holy Guardian Angel(s) and initiates related discussion on  Rufus Opus’ Head for the Red regarding HGA’s and Cosmological Principals, and M.C. makes the important distinction between many of these principals Holy Guardian Angels, Helpful Spirits, S.A.’s and The Genius in The Lion Den.
• Conversation arises about the question of Wicca as a Christian heresy by Star Foster over on Patheos’ Pagan Portal. My dear friend Erynn Rowan Laurie makes some great contributions to the discussion, and well as Kenaz Filion contributes some great ideas to which Sannion responds by noting examples of  pre-Christian evangelism.  I end up joking in my head about Wicca as Christianity in Drag because I’m wrong like that.
• For those in the Pacific Northwest, the annual Esoteric Book Conference is less little over a week away and I’ll be volunteering there, as always. At the conference my close friend, sister and true Magia Femina, Brandy Williams will be unveiling her new book The Woman Magician – a long-overdue exploration of women and magic for women magicians.

As for me, I’m in the process of editing an article for Sky’s Embrace, the newsletter of Horizon Lodge Ordo Templi Orientis, deceptively titled “Simplified Goetia” and making some plans toward giving a comprehensive series of classes on practical goetic magic in the near future in Seattle.