MAGICK 7 -- BASIC RITUAL

 ** MAGICK 7 -- BASIC RITUAL **

        It may be said that ritual is the very heart of

magick.  For it is through ritual that we acheive our magical

results. Ritual is a magical procedure or ceremony we perform

in order to change the environment. Usually we think of

ritual as bearing on active magick, although certainly, it

can also affect passive magick. Most often the change

achieved is subjective and in the physical world. Outsiders

may put them down to coincidence, but the effects are very

real. Magical goals for a ritual should not be taken lightly.

        The successful practice of magick depends upon strong

belief. The simplest ritual of them all must be belief

itself. If you can believe in your desired results strongly

enough, that act is a magical ritual which will achieve your

results. Even a very complex ritual is no more effective than

strong belief. There are aids to concentration which may

help. Thus in *creative visualization*, imagination and

controlled breathing are brought into play.

CREATIVE VISUALIZATION

        When you want to magically achieve something, first

picture it clearly in your mind. The more deffinite and

specific your idea of what it is the better. Picture yourself

having it or doing it. Visualize it as vividly and as

intensely as you can and hold it in your thoughts for a few

moments. Concentrate on it intensely (it may help to hold

your breath). Feel the energy of desire welling up inside

you. Then suddenly feel the image or desire released from

your mind. Feel the energy filtering through the image and

intensifying it, as if the image is a 'stencil'. Imagine the

energy exploding out from you into the macrocosm in all

directions at once, and feel the universe 'tilt' as it reacts

to the force. (At the same time it may help to release your

breath suddenly). Feel the energy draining from you. Finally,

*believe* that your purpose *has* been accomplished; that it

HAS HAPPENED, perhaps saying something such as "so mote it

be", or "it is done". 

THE BASIC PARTS OF A RITUAL

        Often rituals are more formal than the above, but any

full magick ritual must always reduce to these stages --

1) imaging; 2) building; 3) firing.  Sometimes a ritual must

be repeated every day for a while to achieve difficult

results or to overcome weak belief.

THE MAGICK CIRCLE

        Often an important part of formal ritual is the

magick circle. Medieval magicians considered the circle

essential, and placed great emphasis upon its exactness.

Elaborate designs were invented with many layers of complex

symbols and words. It was very important that the circle

be completely intact with no breaks in it. The magician

and any other participants stand in the circle during ritual.

Today, circles are made on the floor with chalk or paint,

rock salt, or a rope. Whatever its form, the circle is

still an important part of magical protection for the

magician. This is especially important for aversive entities

and purposes. The circle also helps in focusing the energy of

the ritual toward its purpose, that is, it keeps it contained

until the magician is ready to release it. Of course, the

magick circle is basicly only a symbol, but it may eventually

be possible to supplement the circle with electronic

equipment for a similar purpose. We are researching the

practicality of electrostaticly charged Faraday shields. 

ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTALS

        An artificial elemental is useful for certain

tasks: 1) invisible watcher and observer, telling you what

it sees; 2) psychic guard; 3) it can be used in healing; 4)

it is helpful in other ways. Ophiel calls the artificial

elemental a 'familiar'. Producing your own artificial

elemental is fairly easy.  YOU MUST ASSUME THAT THE ACT HAS

PRODUCED RESULTS, EVEN IF YOU DO NOT IMMEDIATELY OBSERVE

THEM. It is entirely possible to produce one of these little

beasties and not know it (not being clairvoyant enough to

observe it directly). Therefore, and this is a general

principle of any magick, never ignore forces you have set

into motion. Even though you may not see the elemental, you

may nevertheless 'feel' it. 

        WARNING -- Do not use artificial elementals for any

kind of aversive magick at this point; they can be nasty

little critters to get rid of. Should you have to eliminate

one of them which you created in error, you must re-absorb

it back into yourself through your will; or in some cases

you can 'exorcise' it.

HOW TO CREATE AN ARTIFICIAL ELEMENTAL

        You can create your own artificial elemental for

various purposes. An artificial elemental is basically a

thoughtform which has been strengthened with emotion. Refer

to the aura color chart in the previous lesson and decide

what color to make the elemental, based upon your intended

purpose. Apple green is a good choice for general purposes.

Then decide on a shape or outline. Do you want your elemental

to resemble some sort of animal? A simple circle or cloud is

a good place to start. With this in mind you can use ritual

to create your elemental. Creative visualization is good for

this. Visualize it glowing before you. A darkened room is

helpful for this.

        Communicate with your elemental with telepathy, by

talking to it, or with creative visualization. Your

artificial elemental is closely linked to you and your

subconscious attitudes.  It will generally not do things you

think it cannot do. As in any magick, results relate to

effort and belief. Another way of looking at an artificial

elemental is as an aspect of your personality (sub

personality) which has been detached from you.

INVOCATION

        Formal ritual usually involves the invocation

(ritually calling up) of a god or goddess, spirit, or other

entity. In this sense, magick is somewhat similar to pagan

religion and witchcraft. However, we consider magick ritual

a technique, not a religion. Worship need not be involved.

Sometimes the invocation of an entity creates an artificial

elemental.

        Crowley says there are three different kinds of

invocation --

        1) Devotion to the entity (as in the Bhakti yoga of

the Hare Krishna sect; the Faustian devil pact).

        2) Ceremonial invocation -- usual method of the

middle ages.

        3) Drama -- usually needs more than one person (as in

a mass).

>>CAUTIONS<<

        1. Often as not a ritual may produce side-effects,

usually something similar to, though not exactly the desired

goal. If the true goal is delayed (as sometimes happens) we

may see the side effects first. And if for some reason the

goal is not achieved at all ('missing the target') the side

effects may be pronounced. Examples: 1) You use magick ritual

to hurry shipment of an anticipated package in the mail. Side

effect -- the next day an unexpected package (the

wrong one) arrives instead. 2) You use magick ritual to cause

a certain person to phone you. Side effect -- for several

days all sorts of people phone you...The sides effects will

not affect you (or anyone else) adversely unless that is

what you inwardly want.

        2. We may say with certainty that "something always

happens" when we perform a magick ritual. But like everything

else, magick follows the 'law of results'. This means that

results require effort of some kind. And if you don't work

hard enough at it you don't get results. Difficult goals have

greater resistance (magical inertia) to overcome. If the

ritual doesn't produce the desired results there is a good

chance that the reason for the failure is within oursleves.

Be certain there is no contradiction between your model

and your magical goals. Sometimes self doubt and mental

contradictions (wanting and not wanting at the same time) may

interfere. The first step in magick is to re-program your

model. And, of course you can help your magical results by

working on the physical level toward your goals. Don't expect

them to fall into your lap by themselves.

        3) A peculiar quality of magick is time displacement.

Results of a ritual are not usually instantaneous. There is

often a delay of 12 hours or more. Difficult tasks or weakly

performed ritual are more likely to be delayed. In most cases

a slight delay is alright, and it gives us time to get used

to the comming changes. And sometimes the effects of a ritual

appear to extend to before the ritual was performed!

        4) Because of the way magick works, a ritual may

create an emphasis in what is sought, and a de-emphasis in

everything else. Balance is therefore important here. Once

the magical result is achieved it may be 'bound' to you and

difficult to get rid of should you later decide to do so.

Example: You use a magick ritual to help you find and buy a

new house. Years later when you decide to sell it, you are

unable to do so. Consider your magical goals wisely so you

dont get stuck with something you don't really want. Note

that theory says you can always unbind through ritual what

was bound to you...theory says.

        5) Sometimes the environment appears to react against

the magick after the results are achieved. This is

particularly noticeable in using magick to affect the weather

(and the main reason why you should NOT use magick to affect

the weather). For example...Your performance of a ritual to

produce a sunny day produces a sunny day. The next day is

sunny, alright, but the rest of the month is cold and

overcast. Here the weather seems to react to the magick in

the opposite way to re-establish its natural balance. It is

something like pushing a pendulum to one side and releasing

it -- the pendulum swings to the other side. To quote

Emmerson -- "For everything you gain you lose something...".

I don't know that this is always true in magick, but it does

illustrate the point. And another reason not to use magick to

affect the weather is that it might foul it up in other parts

of the country (world??).

        6) Finally, magick ritual (or any magick or

occultism) is very dangerous for the mentally unstable. If

you should somehow 'get out too far', eat 'heavy foods' as

previously discussed (lesson on chakras) and use your

religious background or old belief system for support. But

remember too, that wierd experiences are not necessarily bad

experiences.

REVIEW QUESTIONS

1) What is creative visualization?

2) List the basic parts of a ritual.

3) What is invocation?

RESEARCH TOPICS (for independent study)

1) Examine the differences between western magick and oriental

   magick.

2) How do medieval grimoirs follow the basic ritual pattern?

BOOK LIST

P.E.I. Bonewitz, Real Magic.

David Conway, Magic: an Occult Primer (or Ritual Magic).

Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice.

Denning and Phillips, Creative Visualization.

Ophiel, Creative Visualization.

A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.

________, The Mental Body.

Joseph Weed, Wisdom of the Ancient Masters.

Julian Wilde, Grimoire of Chaos Magick.

========

Phil Hansford, 12/86

THE OUTPOST ROS

(818) 353-8891 (modem)

P.O. Box 83

Tujunga, CA 91042