The Work of Invocation - Seeking Audience with the Gods

This an excerpt from the short instruction on invocation in the second month of the Initiate's work book. I have lost the citation for the lovely art at left - if you know of it lemme know, please...

One of the key skills of spiritual ritual is invocation. Invocation is the work of effectively calling the attention of the Gods and Spirits to our rituals and temples, and also of drawing their blessing and power into our personal and community spirits. In the respectful religious approach of our rituals we do not ‘summon’ the Powers, the Kindreds except in rare cases in which we have authority. When we light a good Fire, and arrange the proper symbols, when we make fit offerings and recite fair hymns of praise we know the Gods can hear us, and give blessings.
This mythic perspective is our starting place, the outward form that we bring to our public and personal rites. Like all pagan work there are layers within layers of symbolism and practice within the basic public outline of the work. These layers are what might be referred to as the ‘esoteric’ (for the few) or ‘occult’ (hidden) aspects of the rites. While we hope to encourage all our members to learn the basics of these skills, it is a key part of the work that leads to initiation. In the work of Invocation, for instance, focused vision work, proper use of natural symbols, and consecrated images can add greatly to the clarity and power of our contacts with the Gods.
By using focused spiritual practices we seek to move outward from our normal awareness toward a spiritual world that can be understood as outside of our common minds. Invocation brings the boundary closer and opens the door for that journey. Invocation is also used to bring the divine and spiritual powers into closer attunement with our individual spiritual natures. By bringing the Gods who exist in the greater cosmos near to us, we intend to awaken their reflections in the little cosmos of our Grove and our hearts.
Basics of Invocation
First, of course, you must attend to the common skills of ritual. Be prepared, have your text or outline firmly in hand and mind, approach the work with poise and a focused mind. From there we find several specialized techniques that are useful.
1: Natural CorrespondencesMost rites require the proper sorts of natural things to be used as offerings. In order to choose the proper offerings it is important to spend time in study of the Deity you intend to invoke. By that study you will discover symbols and reflections of the deities that will suggest proper offerings.
By bringing the right symbols and objects into your Grove you can make the place more fitting for a God’s presence. The right wood for the Fire, the right silver for the Well, the right herbs for offerings all make an environment that allows a full manifestation of the power of a Deity. It can be made like a well-shaped lens that, perhaps, allows the Gods to see us more clearly.
2: Visualized ImagesThe deliberate use of imagination to create mental environments and symbols is central to effective spiritual ritual. Just as we prepare a material temple we can create interior spaces and visualized images that are designed for our work, and attuned to individual deities and spirits. These spaces become a Threshold for our mental and spiritual access to the Otherworld itself.
Invocation can be greatly enhanced by the use of clear and detailed visualizations of the deities. Such shapes may not be their ‘true forms’, but it may be that they have no single true form at all. As we approach each of the invocations in this work we will offer suggested elements that could be included in a visualized image. These are only suggestions, and should ideally be only a supplement to your own research. It is your task to devise personal forms and visions of the powers, based on your own understanding aided by this advice.
This work is, in essence, the creation of an Inner Idol, an image of the sort that the ancients made for their temples. Where the ancients made images of oak and gold and silver we can craft in vision, color and light, in every hue and substance, even in flesh and motion and voice. It is simple enough to ‘make’ such an image move and speak, but less simple to use that ability wisely.
3: Material Images
In a polytheist and nature-positive spiritual path like ours there is little room for the idea that the divine disdains to dwell in forms made by mortal hands. History shows us that from the dawn of human material culture we have used our power of shaping to create depictions, dwellings and even bodies for the Gods and Spirits. Images, marker stones, spirit houses, anthropomorphic eidola, and fetishes all have their proper place in traditional pagan worship and spirituality.
Most Druidic Pagans may wish to use small images, idols or tokens of the God that is worked with in any given rite. We will begin by opening awareness to the Earth Mother and the Gatekeeper. You may wish to begin by finding shrine images that speak to you for a regular place on your shrine.

The Work of InvocationSo we find in these methods a formula for the practice of invocation. We begin with the conception of the deity, drawn from our understanding of the lore. From that conception we create or choose both a poetic hymn of praise and calling, and a visualized Threshold Eidolon of the deity. The rite is prepared with the proper offerings and natural things, used to create an atmosphere attractive to the spirit. If you have found the proper image or idol you might complete the calling down by grounding the presence of the spirit in the image.
In the ritual performance itself you will begin, perhaps, by offering a bit of the proper incense or oil or herb onto your Fire. Deepen your trance and compose an Inner Eidolon of the Deity. See it as though it were a perfect statue or image in your Inner Grove, though you need not rise into the Inner to do so. You can envision the image in the light of the Gate, as it were, above and within your material nemeton. As you complete the invocation you can see the Inner Eidolon wake to life. This is the first moment of audience with the Power. You behold the God and the God beholds you.
The receiving and drinking of the Blessing offers the opportunity for a special moment of union with the Deity. There are many ways to envision the power and presence of the Deity entering the Blessing. You might see the Blessing as a color, perhaps chosen by the omen. That color might flow from the Inner Image into your Vessel and from there into your body, suffusing your form. You might see the Image
reflected in the waters of the Vessel, then taken within physically, to be present in the body itself.
This is the second, and greater, moment of ‘audience’ with the deity. In a solitary ritual, perhaps focused on meeting and knowing a specific God, you should then take as much time as you wish to in contemplation of the presence. If you find yourself leading group High Day rituals it becomes your task to help this communion happen for the whole group. When you recite a final blessing in such a case the folk will truly be blessed.

Off to Wellspring

I'm nearly out the door to the Wellspring Gathering, Stone Creed Grove's annual Druid-fest at Brushwood. I know things have been slow here and, now it's summer, I don't know how much faster they'll get. I'll try to do that celtic book review before end of month, and maybe an exceprt from the article on invocation...

Here's the art for the Wellspring Bardic Chair, our song, poetry and story competition at this year's event. Have a lovely wekend...

Consecrating A Talisman

I continue to make progress in the ongoing effort (now over 30,000 words for the first 3 moons) to create a systematic approach to Druidic occult training. The first three Moons are, of course concerned with very basics. As I did when I re-outlined the Dedicant material a couple of years ago, I am attempting to begin at the beginning, writing for students who don't have years of familiarity with Pagan, Wiccan or occult ideas. The good news is that nearly everything we think of as 'occult' has solid basis in ancient Pagan ideas. The bad news is that expressing them without recourse top 20th century occult jargon doesn't speed up the process any.

Here's a spell for blessing an object and charging it with the power of (especially spiritual) protection. Later in the system I'll introduce my Wand and Cauldron practical magical formula (see sacred Fire Holy Well), but at the stage where I introduce this practice neither tool has been made or consecrated yet. I needed a simpler form that a new student could simply do. Have a look...

• The Shielding – A Spell to Bless a Talisman of Protection.
Preparation: The Hallows are set as usual, with simple offerings for the Kindreds. In addition to your Hallows, make a circle upon the ground and around it mark the three sigils of the work, thus:

Upon each of the sigils place a small bowl or glass of water, and in the center of the circle draw the Feasting Hall of Lugh, thus:
On this symbol you will prepare a small vessel for fire, in which you will kindle charcoal at the right moment, or scoop a few coals from your main fire into the vessel.
In addition you will need to obtain Three Spell Ingredients:
• Three Rowan twigs or berries
• An iron nail
• A hematite or bloodstone

Outline of the Spell:
1: Hallow the Grove.
2: When you cleanse the Grove with Fire and Water, also cleanse the object to be blessed, passing it through the water and fire, saying:

By the Might of the Waters
Be you cleansed of every impurity, whole and holy for the work.
By the Light of the Fire
Be you blessed in Land and Sea and Sky, fit for the work of the wise.

3: Open the Gate.
4: Make the Offerings to the Three Kindreds, saying:

Now to my Sacred Fire I call the Threefold Kindreds, spirits all
All my allies among the Dead
Mighty and Beloved Ones, stand strong with me in my work,
And receive this offering. (make the offering)
All my allies among the Sidhe,
Red blood, green sap or Spirit Folk, join me on my work’s journey,
And receive this offering. (make the offering)
All my allies among the Gods
Wisest and Mightiest Ones, I pray that your power burn and flow in me
So, receive this offering. (make the offering)
Hold up the object to be hallowed and display it to the four airts. Say:
Hear me, my kin, my allies, my elders, I pray, and make your wisdom open to me, your love flow with mine, your power strong in me, that I may do the work of the Wise. Be beside me, Mighty, Noble and Shining Ones, and give your blessing to this (object), that it may be a shield of protection for me in my magic and my life, for I am (your name and lineage), your true worshipper!
In the Mother’s Love be welcome.
In the Joys of Life be welcome.
In this Sacred Grove be welcome.
And accept my sacrifices!

3: Take an omen to be certain the work is proper.
4: If the omen is favorable, then take up the three spell items and open yourself to the return flow of power from the Kindreds, as you say:

I call now to the Holy Ones to give to me as I have given to you,
As a gift calls for a gift.
Let your power be with me in this work
And let this be a work of Blessing.
That will flow and shine in this talisman.
I open my heart to the flow of your blessing, I, your child and worshipper.
Let the spell be worked true!

5: Take the three spell ingredients and place each one in one of the three bowls of water, so that each bowl has one token. As you place each one, intone one of the conjuring words, thus:

Faire (ward) “FAHRyuh”; Cosaint (Defend) “COsahnt”; Conoi (preserve) COHNee

6: Light the charcoal or incense in the censer or bring out the coals from the main Fire. As you kindle or prep this fire, you place three good pinches of consecration incense on the coals, again repeating the three conjuring words.
7: Hold the object to be consecrated in the smoke of the incense, and anoint it with water from the three bowls, intoning the conjuring words one more time. Take the object in both hands, concealing it if possible, and hold your hands in the smoke, as you recite the charm, thus:

I make this shield to turn aside all ill,
from east or south or west, or from the north,
Above or from below, by word and will,
by Fire and Shadow bring the Warding forth!
By Spear and Cloak, by sun and water bright,
let strength and light and shadow join as one.
By Sun and Moon and by the Fire’s might,

make now my shield, my warding, be it done.

Open your hands and display the object in the light and smoke of the Fire, and recite to it the charge. If you feel moved the charge can always be from the heart, simply speaking to the talisman about its task and meaning. You may also speak words such as:

I call to you, O being of (substance or form) and bid you to be welcome at this Fire of the Wise. By this blessing I bless you, make you sacred, set you to serve at the Fire of the Gods. Be you fit by this blessing for your work, to protect my body and my being from danger and ill, whether by land or sea or sky, whether by day or night, in summer or winter. Let no sprite or spirit, goblin or troll, and no ill-wish of mortal or spirit harm me, and let all beings open my way with favor. Let the Waters be deep in you and the Fire be bright, that you may serve in the work of the Wise.
Biodh Se Amhlaidh!

8: Hold the talisman high in both hands in both hands and know that it has received the blessing, as you say:

By Land, Sky and Sea, by Gods, Dead and Sidhe
Let this by my shielding, and so let it be!

9: Recenter, find you peace, and end the rite in the usual way, thanking all beings and closing the Gate.

The Coolest Thing I've Seen This Week

Me Waaaant!

Thanks to the HPLHS for pointing this out. The Mrs thought it was a Zoidberg mask...

Also, here, for more of this sort.

Three Sorcerous Books

Since the focus of this blog is Druidic occultism, we will occasionally (even frequently) be looking at the ‘occult’ portion of that equation. For those waiting for something Celtic, I have another review on the way directly. These short reviews cover three small books that I have read lately in an effort to examine modern streams of magical, Pagan and witchcraft practice. Lately I’ve been getting small press items from the UK, where a nice ferment of occult ingredients seems to be cooking. All three are from small occult presses, all three nicely produced small volumes, two paper, and one handbound in boards. All three either are themselves, or relate to the tradition of grimoires and magic books. The first is itself a translated grimoire, the second concerns folkloric “Witchcraft” and it’s Pagan connections, and the third takes us on an excursion into much stranger spheres, based on one of the most rumored and buzzed-about neo-grimoires of the end of the last century. We’ll begin with the most scholastic and work our way along.

A Collection of Magical Secrets, etc., & A Treatise of Mixed Qabalah, etc.
Edited by Stephen Skinner & David Rankine. Avalonia, 2009

isbn 978-1-905297-20-7
“Translated from Wellcome MS4669 by Paul Harry Baron from the original French manuscript dated 1796” So says the cover of this book, and so it is – a direct translation of a working magician’s book of the late 18th century. The contents were bound together with a version of the Clavicule of Solomon and another Keys of Solomon, which have been published separately. As opposed to the fairly detailed theoretical and ritual systems of the keys, this book seems to be the operative notebook of a practicing conjuror. The most common name for a cunning-man’s personal book of spells and lore was a ‘Book of Secrets’, and that’s what we have here.

The text begins with a simple spell-book of the sort that might be used by a cunning-person. There are a variety of spells (or ‘experiments’ as the book calls them) for healing, love, finding lost objects, most of them very simple and folkloric. Mixed with these are various conjurations of spirits and angels, including several workings to gain a familiar spirit (one of which I just may have to adapt). Most of the charms are worked under the Christian archangels and standard divine names, though some seem to call on traditional ‘demons’ as well. In general there isn’t a trace of memory of Pagan deities beyond their presence as the seven planets.

The second section is four chapters of work called “A Treatise of Mixed Cabalah”. I found this section interesting in that it shows the existence at an early date of the kind of westernized Cabalah that is familiar to students of Mathers and Crowley. The first part summarizes material that will be familiar to students of hermetic Cabalah – the ten spheres, their correspondences and authorities. It then sets out a seven-day theurgic working to gain inspiration, knowledge and the teaching of the angels. The second part gives a method consecrating planetary talismans, similar in type to the methods given in the Keys of Solomon. The third part gives the talismans themselves, and an interesting method of dream incubation. The fourth part gives an oracle, of the sort popular in the late 18th century, the most famous of which was Napoleon’s Book of Fate. A list of numbers from 1 to 112 are each provided with an answer, such as: “Since though believest in God, trust him, for he will make thine enemies fall and he will fulfill thy requests to thy great satisfaction.” Or “Let it go. For thou dost not know the commandments of God and although God may be slow, he is however satisfied at the end.” A method is then given to determine which answer is taken to any given question, though it amounts to little more than simple bibliomancy. I must admit the model has me thinking about how it could be used to produce oracular books of use to Pagans.

This is an interesting and well-presented example of early modern English magic. Those actually working in a Cabalistic or angelic system could apply the experiments directly. Many do seem to me to be adaptable to a more Iron Age perspective.

Traditional Witchcraft; A Cornish Book of Ways

Gemma Gary, Troy Books, 2008 isbn 978-0-9561043-0-4
This is one of a number of books I’ve read that claims to represent a tradition of Pagan Witchcraft older and ‘more authentic’ than that of Gardner and his Wiccan inheritors. In this case the system of witchcraft presented draws on Cornish countryside spirit lore, folkloric spellcraft and remnants of the cunning-folk traditions to construct a modern form. An interesting thing about this system is that it attempts to provide a Pagan context inside which a folkloric magical tradition could operate.

The author describes a devotion to a nature-power, androgynous, summer-winter sort of goat or stag spirit, the Bucca (which means, roughly, “goat” in Celtic languages.). Along with this cross-roads deity the system focuses on the spirits of the Dead in the land and in the Otherworld, which are identified with the ‘pisgies’ of Cornish lore. The book provides outlines and some spoken text for rites of worship that have a nicely Pagan feel to them, including an emphasis on the witch’s hearth as a key magical center. The central rite of ‘worship’ is essentially a sacrificial feast in which bread and mead are shared with the spirits. Throughout this material there’s a kind of imagined countryside devil-worship – as long as we remember that the Devil is really the Bucca. Aesthetically it treads a line between homespun and gothic.

The author makes an effort to associate this ‘Traditional Witchcraft’ or ‘cunning craft’ with the practices of famous Cornish cunning folks and reputed witches. She drops the names of undoubtedly historical modern figures, and freely uses the term cunning folk interchangeably with ‘witches’. This is where the scholasticism of the book breaks down, in my opinion, and becomes the very same sort of Neopagan romanticism we all know and love. What we’re seeing here seems, to me, very unlikely to be an actual remnant of folk paganism from the 18th and 19th centuries, but rather a nicely done reconstruction. The author (or her group – she’s part of a circle working the system, it seems) has done a good job of cobbling bits of folklore into workable rites – a skill I admire.

More than half the book is taken up with its grimoire, which is plainly based on the same sort of cunning-person’s Book of Secrets that we see in the above review. The author is interested in herbs and oils, and gives extensive recipes for incenses and various anointing oils. There is an effort made to devise a system of categories for magical intention (or ‘energies’) and support them with corresponding substances – so we find Toad Smoke and Hare Smoke recipes along with Serpent and Crow. There is a system of making talismans in the form of ‘sachets’, small, square-sewn packets, and the usual variety of practical spells for love, healing, protection, turning away ill and cursing. The spells are influenced by the same literary tradition that produces the Book of Secrets – countryside lore mixed with elements of scholastic magical traditions. They retain the seven planets symbol system, and give planetary number-squares and sigils for each, derived from scholastic magic. However where an 18th century system would have called on angels and demons of late Judeo-Christian provenance, this grimoire offers spirit communication with the ‘piskies’ – the crowd of the Dead – instead.

The book concludes with chapters on group worship rites. Full Moon and New Moon rites are described (though not scripted). The seasonal ritual days are the four Celtic feasts along with the solstices, the equinoxes having no customs given. These days are given their Cornish folk names but are quite recognizable as the modern Pagan holy days.

All in all a good effort, with a lot of workable material for a solitary Pagan magic user. I remain bemused at the effort to turn the ‘cunning-man’ into the ‘witch’, but I understand the impulse. Incidentally also a pretty and romantic treatment for this book – I love it when magical authors illustrate their own ideas.

Voudon Gnosis

David Beth, Scarlet Imprint, 2008
Hang on to your wangas, now we’re going somewhere different. Where the first two books are themselves grimoires, instructions for personal magical practice, this small book is instead a comment on a much larger modern grimoire. The Voudon Gnostic Workbook, by Michael Bertiaux, is a book with a lot of buzz among Thelemites and chaos magicians. It’s a huge book that takes the reader on a labyrinthine journey, starting with being a Big Lucky Hoodoo and ending up somewhere-weird of Atlantis. In fact Atlantis plays a big part in its mythology, along with Zothyrius, Lemuria and Lovecraft’s Yuggoth. It may have been the Lovecraftian element in Bertiaux’s work that attracted Kenneth Grant, who profiled him in Cults of the Shadow.

One of the most notable characteristics of the VGW is its impenetrability to casual study. This small book, Voudon Gnosis, is by one of the only other occultists to write on the system, a student of Bertiaux. It attempts to offer an eighty-page introduction to some of the book’s key ideas and practices. It rather succeeds, but the author admits at the outset that the VGW material is “...abstract and very complex”, and so it really only succeeds so well.

I bought this book on the recommendation of a review of it by Freya Aswynn, who suggested that is was relevant to any magician interested in working with the spirits. I don’t disagree. Within the delightful gobbledeguk of the occultism is a serious approach not only to working with the spirits, but to empowering the individual and enabling wild explorations of little-known spiritual spaces.

The VGW system is based somewhat on Haitian Voudon, and some of the terminology is retained. The Prise des Yeux – divine vision or second sight, the points chauds – hot points, which are conceptually related to the chakras and marmas of eastern systems and the use of spirit bottles and fetishes all have roots in traditional Voudon. From that basis the system appears to intend to create a system of mysticism that allows the student to transcend common reality and construct their own magical universe in which to dwell. That’s the gnostic part of Voudon Gnosis. Along the way the system intends to produce magical ‘powers’ of the usual sort.

I bought this micro-press item because I decided I’d start actually getting some of this good stuff before it only was available as a rare book. It’s a very nice hardback edition with embossed cover, but quite slim. I thank Scarlet Imprint for not making the price ridiculous, even with overseas shipping. Is this book worthwhile for students of a northern occultism? It could be, but it will be of far more use to experienced practitioners with multi-cultural sensibilities. The material on fetishes (ummm, that is, empowered images…), on body-based mysticism and on work with the Dead could all be instructive, though the complex mythologies of the system make even this simplified introduction pretty opaque.

A Bealtinne Charm

This is one of a set of very simple charms that can serve as a basic invocation for a solitary High Day. It could be inserted in a ‘Simple Rite of Offering’ as the key offering section, perhaps serving all the way through the Prayer of Sacrifice, but it could also be used with little or no other ritual context. Just build a good small fire, or gather candles and a censer, and have a well-bowl of some sort. These charms could even be adapted for use by a family at their High Day dinner table.

The Charm
Bright Fire kindled, Blazing!
Seed Springing; Love Flowing
Luck Bringing; Wight Knowing;
I keep the Feast of Bealtaine!
Mound Mother, Mead Woman, you I call
Green and Gold Goddess
Womb of All Kindreds, Lover of Heroes
Take now my offering, here at my Fire
Son of the Mother, you I call
Wonder Child; Sweet Enchanter
Harper and Singer and Heir of the Chieftain
Take now my offering here at my Fire
Beautiful Kindreds, this is your honoring
Clooties I tie in salute to your power
To bless the blossom on the branch
I tie this clout for the Kings in the Hall
I tie this clout for the Queens in the Hall
I tie this clout for all the beings of this Land
Be with me Nature Spirits, Noble People
And grant your blessing to my year.
So, all you Powers, I give you welcome at my Fire. Let your light be reflected in my spirit, let your ale flow in my veins. I raise this glass to you, and drink to your divine power. Let me know the health, wealth and wisdom of the Gods and Spirits on this holy feast of Bealtaine! So be it!

It is best to find a flowering tree on which to tie the three clouties. The clouties can be as slight as three threads, though strips of cloth are better. These should be in three colors as you prefer. The offerings to the Deities can be oil or incense as usual.

What I'll Do On My Summer Vacation

At least the parts I publicize... Here are the descriptions for the set of workshops I'll be giving this summer at Wellspring and Starwood, and maybe elsewhere.

Toward A Pagan Mysticism
In this talk we will consider what we mean by ‘mysticism’, as it relates to terms like ‘religion’ and ‘magic’ and how mysticism might play a part in a nature-centered polytheistic spirituality. We will examine a number of models of mystical experience as used in western and Indian spiritual systems, and discuss how each of them might be applied in a nature centered, polytheistic system. Classical magical and mystical methods such as the Holy Guardian Angel, the Beatific Vision and the Ladder of Lights may have a great deal to teach Pagans. We will also give some ideas for incorporating ‘mystical’ techniques into personal practice, and give some preparatory concepts for the Nineteen Working.

The Nineteen Working - A Celtic Pagan Sadhana
“Sadhana” – Sanskrit; a specific practice intended to produce a spiritual result.
The Nineteen Working is a pattern of meditation and visualization based on specific elements of Celtic, especially Irish, lore. It is meant to be performed by individuals, but makes an effective group practice as well. It is based on a reconstructed Celtic Pagan cosmology, which begins with primal Fire and Water and works its way through to the manifest Middle World in the Nine Elements. At the center of the practice are the Three Cauldrons of the inner self, the vessels of the Power of Inspiration in mortals. The intention of the working is to expand personal awareness out of the common self and into the greater awareness of divine nature. By becoming aware of the divine in the world, we become aware of the divine in ourselves, and of its unity with the Great Dance of Being.
The Nineteen Working can be developed over some weeks of exercises, to get the greatest result. Ian will teach the practice as a whole in this workshop. Come with a comfortable seat, prepared for meditation, as we seek to expand our minds and feed our spirits with this Pagan spiritual practice. The material in this workshop is available in Ian’s new booklet “Toward A Pagan Mysticism”.