A Ritual for the Holy Guardian Angel: The Lamp Upon the Throne

A lot of people look at work with the Holy Guardian Angel as something specifically connected to seeking Knowledge and Conversation. Knowledge and Conversation is a particular sort of relationship one can enter into with the Holy Guardian Angel, but it is not the only interaction which exists. Work with the Holy Guardian Angel can be as simple as an acknowledgement, or reference at the beginning of a ritual to connect with it, or a prayer for its assistance, or presence, or guidance. Or it can be a full on conjuration for the purpose of asking it questions, communing, or asking for assistance. It's useful to make the angel a part of your magic early on whatever approach to connecting with it you're using.

The ritual presented here is one I've been working with for about 9 or 10 years. It utilizes elements of the Golden Dawn tradition, Roman Catholicism, and of course, the Merkavah. In my view the Sar HaAnpin, or the Prince of the Face/Prince of the Presence, and the related SarHaTorah, the Prince of the Torah, serve in roles similar to the HGA, and there are ritual elements which overlap between the Abramelin and the Merkavah work with these angels...although these elements show up in lots of spirit magic, the Abramelin claims to be a separate tradition of Jewish magic outside of the Kabbalah, so Merkavah derived grimoire work could relate to the origins of the Abramelin. This would also fit well with the probable time, location, and author of the Abramelin.

In any case, this ritual can be done individually, or its parts can be divided for a group. It is used to conjure the Holy Guardian Angel by use of a Conjuration of the Metatron. I hope you enjoy it, I'd love to hear about any response folks have to working with it.

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The Lamp Upon the Throne

VH

Participants enter.

The Doorkeeper anoints them with water and oil individually as they enter. In response to being anointed each participant says

"Sprinkle me with hyssop, Oh Lord, and I shall be clean, wash me and 1 shall be whiter than snow."

The participants continue to the center of the temple and are seated around the central altar.

One of the participants takes the sword goes to the east and proceeds through the quarters tracing and vibrating the appropriate god names.

East: AL

South: YH

West: AGLA

North: ADNI

He returns to the center and says:

"By the holy names AL, YH, AGLA, and ADNI, by which the prophets wrought miracles and by which the world is bound together and then is set to trembling and shaking, which form the foundations of the Heavens, I banish this temple."

He proceeds to the East and then through the quarters tracing the rose cross in each, he returns to the center when he is finished and says:

"By the light of the cross I seal this temple against the unholy and the profane."

He returns to the center and returns the sword to the Karcist.

The Karcist kneels before the altar bearing the bread and wine and raises his arms

"My beloved is white and ruddy, pre-eminent above ten thousand.

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are curled, and black as a raven.

His eyes are like doves beside the water-brooks; washed with milk, and fitly set.

His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as banks of sweet herbs; his lips are as lilies,

dropping with flowing myrrh.

His hands are as rods of gold set with beryl; his body is as polished ivory overlaid with

sapphires.

His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold; his aspect is like

Lebanon, excellent as the cedars.

His mouth is most sweet; yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend"

The Karcist rises, and makes crosses over the bread and wine:

"Beloved, bless + and consecrate + this vessel of bread and wine by the power of your right hand and the mercy of your left; and grant, through the merits of St. John, the Gnostic, that all who drink of it may find wisdom and understanding through splendor. As the blessed John drank the poisoned potion without any ill effects, so may all who today drink the blessed wine in honor of the Beloved be delivered from the poison of corruption.

By the name YHVH ELOAH VA-DAAT+, bless this creature of grain and vine, so that it may be a life-giving medicine to all who use it; and grant by your grace that all who taste of it may enjoy bodily and spiritual health in calling on your holy name; in their search for their own highest light."

The Karcist steps away. A participant rises, makes a Yod over the bread and wine.

"The spark of life and motion "

He then intones the names YHVH TZVOT, HANIEL, HANIEL, HAGIEL, KEDEMEL,

charging the bread and wine as he does so

He sits, another participant rises and traces a Heh over the bread and wine.

"The shape of light and joy"

He then intones the names ELHM TZVOT, MICHAEL, RAPHAEL, TIRIEL,

TAPHARTHARATH charging the bread and wine as he does so

He sits, another participant rises and traces a Vav over the bread and wine

"The form of purpose and direction"

He then intones the names SHADDAI EL CHAI, GAVRIEL, GAVRIEL, MALKAH BE TARSHISIM VE-AD RUACHOTH SCHECHALIM, SCHAD BARSCHEMOTH

charging the bread and wine as he does so

He sits, another participant rises and traces a Heh over the bread and wine

"The body of man upon earth"

He then intones the names ADNI HA-ARETZ, SANDAPHALON, MICHAEL, KERUB,

PHORLAKH charging the bread and wine as he does so

He sits, the Karcist returns to the alter, he traces Shin above the bread and wine, he raises it saying

"May this spark the lamp which is the light of the world, by the names, YHVH ELOAH VA-DAAT, RAPHAEL, MICHAEL, NAKHIEL, SORATH"

He replaces the bread and wine, breaks a piece of the bread and eats it, drinks the wine, and passes the bread on. Each participant breaks a piece of the bread and eats it and takes a goblet of wine and drinks it.

A participant goes to the South and traces Yod and intones the name MICHAEL, he proceeds to the West traces Heh and intones the name GAVRIEL, he crosses to the East traces Vav and intones the name RAPHAEL, and then ends in the North traces a Heh and intones the name URIEL. He returns to his seat.

The Karcist rises, faces the East, all sit in meditation, the Karcist says the invocation:

"I conjure you, angels of dread, fear, and shaking,

who are appointed to hurt those who are not pure

and clean and desire the services of my heavenly

servants — I conjure you in the name of YHVH

ELOAH VA-DAAT, who is mighty over all, and

rules over all, and everything is in His hands, that

you do not hurt us, nor terrify us, nor frighten us;

verily, in the name of the powerful one."

"Eternal, Mighty, Holy El, God only-supreme

You who are the Self-originated, the

Beginningless One Incorruptible,

Spotless, Uncreated, Immaculate, Immortal, Self-

complete, Self-illuminating,

Without father, without mother, unbegotten,

Exalted, Fiery One! Lover of men, Benevolent

One, Bountiful One,

Jealous over me, and very compassionate, Eli, My

God,

Eternal, Jehovah Zebaioth, Very Glorious El, El,

El, El, Jah El!

You are the One whom my soul has loved!

Eternal Protector, Shining like Fire, Whose voice

is like the thunder, Whose look is like the

lightning,

You are the All-seeing One, Who receives the

prayers of all such as honour You,

And turn away the requests of those who

embarrass You with their provocations

Who dissolves the confusions of the world

which arise from the ungodly and the righteous

mixed up in the confusion of the corruptible age,

And renewing the age of the righteous,

Shine O Lord, shine as a light, even as that light

with which you clothed Yourself on the first day of

Creation,

Shine as the Light of the Morning on Your

creatures

And let it be Day upon Earth,

For in these heavenly dwelling places there is no

need of any other light

Than the unspeakable splendour from the light of

Your Countenance,

O answer my prayer, O be well-pleased with it,

O accept my sacrifice which You have prepared

for me to offer,

Accept me favourably, and show me, teach me, all

that You have promised!"

All meditate in the light of the beloved until they feel that they are finished at which point they leave the temple silently.

Conjuring Wisdom Pt. 2: Ritual for Conjuring the Prince of the Torah

Last summer I posted about the Prince of the Torah, and the conceptual ideas regarding his conjuration. That post can be viewed here:

http://blog.ararita418.com/2015/06/conjuring-wisdom-prince-of-torah-part-1.html

The Prince of the Torah is basically the Prince of the divine truth. He is similar to the Sar HaAnpin, or the Prince of the Presence, an angel which is similar to the Holy Guardian Angel. The Prince of the Torah texts seem to take their origin from the diaspora period during which the Talmud was written. This makes sense with the preoccupations of the time and the lack of access to the temple.

Here are the instructions for conjuring the Prince of the Torah as they were recorded by the early Rabbis. This could be useful for modern magicians in exploring ways to call upon their Holy Guardian Angels.

“He who would bind himself to the Prince of the Torah must wash his clothes and his garments and immerse in a strict immersion in case of a nocturnal emission. And he must enter and dwell for twelve days in a room or in an upper chamber. He may not go out and he may not come in and he must not eat or drink. But from evening to evening see that he eats his bread, clean bread of his own hands, and he drinks clear water and he may not taste any kind of vegetable.

And he must insert this midrash of the Prince of the Torah into the prayer three times in every single day; it is after the prayer that he should pray it from its beginning to its end. And afterward he must sit and study it for twelve days, the days of his fasting, from morning until evening, and he must not be silent. And in every hour that he finishes it he must stand on his feet and adjure the servants by their King and he must call for every single prince twelve times. Afterward he must adjure him by the seal – every single one of them.

These are their names. He must say SQDHWZY'Y YHVH the prince; NHBRDYW'LW YHVH the prince; BYR GHWRYRY'L YHVH the prince; and there are some who say (GHWRYDYHW'L YHVH the prince) SRWYL'YL YHVH the prince; (ZBWDY'L YHVH the prince) ZGKWHR'Y UHVH the prince; TWTRUSY'Y YHVH the prince; PLYTRYH YHVH the prince; WHWB'RY YHVH the prince; MRGYWY'L YHVH the prince; RHDBYWRWN YHVH the prince; W'DYRYWDWN YHVH the prince. Thirteen.

He must adjure them for the twelve days in the name of YWPY'L who is the adornment of the height of his King and in the name of SRBY'L who is one of the princes of the chariot; and in the name of SHRRY'L who s a beloved prince; and in the name of HSDY'L who is called to might six hours in each day. And he must go back and adjure them, the latter four princes, with a great seal, and in the name of SWRTQ a holy name and a fearsome crown.

When he completes the twelve he will go forth to all the the principles of Torah that he seeks, whether to Bible or to Mishnah or to the vision of the chariot, for he goes forth in a pure condition and away from grief and away from great pain. For the learning is in our hands, the reform of the set down for generations (to come), for the humble to make use of it. And whoever is fit is answered by them.”

Legal Relief from the Highest of Thrones

About a year ago I posted about using Merkavah techniques of angel magic from the early part of the first millennium to solve a misunderstanding with a creditor, something which is relevant for a ton of people today.

Another thing that comes up frequently for people today is dealing with legal issues. So I figured now that the issue that caused me to use this method is well in the past, I would share it.

A few months prior to the creditor post I had run into some ridiculous moving violation nonsense. My attorney pointed out that the charges weren't even the correct charges and most of what the officer said in the instance wasn't correct. I had evidence with me when I was pulled over that the issue was resolved but the officer ignored it. Basically, I fell into a convergence of multiple administrative tangles that swelled up into a series of costly charges and penalties.

At first my attorney was confident that I had been wronged; he discounted my legal fees because of it and assured me how easy it was all going to be. Then a few months passed and we didn't meet again until a few weeks before the court date. At this new meeting he explained that he was handing me off to his partner, who was way less impressive. He needed new copies of some of my documentation, and the two of them started confusing and forgetting the various elements of the incident. They assured me that they knew everyone in the local legal system and would get everything dismissed...unless it was this one judge, but they hoped it wouldn't be her. All in all they felt like they were going to bungle it and I got nervous.

So...the obvious solution, was magic. Angel magic.

The Sefer HaRazim has a few pieces that describe dealing with magistrates and officials. I decided to work with the angels of silence who reside in the second heaven. They are said to exonerate you by commanding the silence of anyone who would speak against you.

HaRazim requires significant purification to approach the angels. You have to avoid all causes of impurity for three weeks. In a previous blog post I recommended this alternative: http://blog.ararita418.com/2015/04/easier-than-not-sinning-aka-reset-button.html

Once you're clean enough for angels to not mistake you for a drop of semen, (the Hekhalot texts suggest that the angels like to refer to humans that way) you have to steal bread that was offered at an altar to an idol.

This is kind of a tough one. We don't live in a world with idols all over the place. If you happen to have a friend with idols he probably won't like you stealing offerings he has made to his gods. If you yourself are Pagan or work with spirits, your gods or spirits may not like you stealing offerings to give to angels. The idea has a sort of antinomian vibe when you consider that it was written in a time where memories of Pagan dominant cultures probably still influenced the work. The angels are subduing something that would otherwise be dominant over you, and so you subvert another possible force of domination. But to do this, you have to violate some boundaries. My solution was to offer a Mass to my Holy Guardian Angel and then take back the remaining host to use for the angels. This way I had bread offered up to some divine force, without having to insult that divine force.

Once you have the bread you say over it the names of the angels in reverse order seven times.

These angels are from the first step of the second heaven, they are angels who “stand in terror, cloaked in wrath, girded with dread, surrounded by trembling, their raiment like an image of fire, their faces like the appearance of lightning, and their mouths never cease to utter mighty words. Nevertheless, their voice is not heard, for their task is to silence, to frighten, and to terrify anyone who opposes the man who calls on them in purity.”

These angels are:

HMRY'L, HDRY'L, RSY'L, HSCY'L, DMYMY'L, ZBDY'L, RNZY'L, CNS'L, KTBR'L

Once you've said the names of the angels say this:

“I ask from you, angels of silence, that in this place, you silence every mouth and every heart of the children of Adam and Eve who arise against me to say anything evil. Let their mouths utter good things about me and let me be exonerated in my lawsuit, do not permit any mouth to speak evil about me.”

Then sprinkle the ashes in a relevant place. I sprinkled them on steps outside the courthouse on my way in.

I went in, was there for about 45 minutes, and then was told I could go because the prosecutor decided not to prosecute my case.

So again, simple run down:

1. Purify yourself
2. Steal some idolatrous bread
3. Burn the bread to ash
4. Say the names of the angels from the first step of the second heaven in reverse order seven times
5. Say the incantation
6. Spread the ash in a relevant place (court house, city center)
7. Be awesome as the angels exonerate you through their power to silence your accusers

Good luck!

Conjuring Wisdom - The Prince of the Torah, part 1

I remarked recently that I was amused by reading the Sar Torah, The Prince of the Torah, an early Hekhalot text which describes God deciding to send an angel who held with him all the wisdom of the Torah to the Jews so that they could learn the Torah. The book is pretty cool, and stories about summoning the Sar HaTorah are important to the Hekhalot tradition. What was amusing was the opening narrative in which the Jewish people are basically like “God you've been a dick, and we want to learn Torah but can't because you've been a dick!” And God responds, “You're right my chosen people! You weren't cool and broke our covenant, and I got super pissed, but sending gentiles in to murder and enslave you was over reacting!” So, God recognizes that they're praying for his Wisdom and that that want to have “an abundance of Torah, a tumult of Talmud” and numerous legal discussions. God has longed to hear his Torah on their tongues. There's lots of consonance with Ts in the English translation...which adds to the humor.

My initial thought on it being amusing was who prays for that? Who prays to have legal discussions? It just sounds funny. But it's really actually quite reasonable, and beautiful. While I won't say a hundred percent that the authors of the Talmud looked at it the way that I do, I'm sure there were some who must have. The Torah is the law, as described in the first 5 books of the Bible. The law however is not simply the instruction for how people follow moral and ceremonial laws of the Jewish people, the law is a symbol of reflection of the law which underwrites the cosmos.

This is the basic concept behind the Kabbalah. The books which comprise the Torah begin with the book which describes the creation, the movement of man into the final phase of creation, the first laws causing man to participate in creation, the destruction and new beginning for mankind, the establishment of the symbolic and metaphysical nations, and ultimately the covenant and the establishment of the twelve tribes. The Genesis describes the mystical order for the foundation of mankind within the world and sets up the back story for the reception of the rest of the law. The law is received as the apex of a series of stories that sets up a very mystical symbolism for the development of the world, man, and the relationship between the world, man, and God – the very relationship which is the foundation of religion, magic, and mysticism.

The law delivered in this context is a symbol, a symbol for that relationship, for the shape of the body of God, for the flow of creation through the universe, and for the image of God which is the core of man's being. This is the basis of the Kabbalah. Moses DeLeon in the Zohar describes the mystical interpretation of the Torah. The law is explained as a series of symbols and ceremonies of mystical importance which correspond to movements within the body of God, and make changes in the mystic, and the world, by its observance.

In modern magical systems we sometimes find the same thinking. The Kybalion is essentially a series of “natural laws” based on early New Thought variations of Hermetic principles. These laws have the intention of not simply describing how we should act, or in this particular case how we improve ourselves or engage in developing occult power, they have the intention of describing the nature of the universe, our souls, and the connection there between.

For a much broader group of magicians we could look at The Book of the Law with this same structure. The Book of the Law on the surface provides “the Law of Thelema” or the instruction for the Thelemite to live by the instructions “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law” and “love is the law love under will.” The rest of the text can be viewed as giving further commentary on those ideas. If we take it as surface “moral commentary” or a description of how we should act and live, or even ascribe to some sections a “ceremonial” component, assuming it describes rituals in which we should engage, there are still plenty of passages that are just weird as balls if we don't attempt to explore possible deeper elements.

Going a level deeper we can look at much of the Book of the Law as a description of alchemy, both inner and outer, and therefore of initiation and magic. Taken another way it may provide a means of understanding elements of theology, not simply the allegorical theological elements which describe initiation but also potentially a perspective from which to interpret larger elements of theology. Taken further we can explore the law as a commentary on the workings of the universe, our place in those workings, and how the two relate.

See the trend forming?

So when we talk about the desire to call upon the Prince of the Torah and receive his wisdom, which God and the angels generally refer to as if it is a secret and precious treasure hidden away in a treasure vault, we're desiring essentially to peal back the veil and understand the inner and divine workings and nature of life the universe and everything, to borrow a phrase. The whole goal of mysticism, the whole work of spiritual development, that is what the Sar Torah describes as the gift given in the summoning of the Prince of the Torah. Even for the dullard with no wisdom, the Prince of the Torah elevates him to the equal of the greatest sages.

Pretty neat. You could call on the Prince and become a Master with no other experience, no other work. Sounds like a plan. In fact, we could probably solve a bunch of the worlds problems by Magus-ing everyone up with this simple conjuration right?

Probably not. We probably wouldn't want to. The work is part of the importance, part of what gets us where we're going, what makes us what we are. The work is also part of how we transform the world around ourselves, and understand that world as well. Part of understanding that is recognizing that the journey is the thing, and also, that not everyone is made for the same work, and some people maybe don't need that.

The myths of the Prince of the Torah also talk about him coming angrily and full of wrath in clouds of fire bent on destroying the world. He comes peacefully when called correctly by a sage with divine permission. Otherwise he destroys those who call him. This kind of reminds me of people who take the Oath of the Abyss before they're ready and go crazy. Divine fire can burn away all those things which keep us from understanding who we are, what the world is, and where we're going in it, but it can also burn away everything that anchors us and gives us stability and control. It's a question of balance and preparedness.

So, when we're ready, the Prince of the Torah can be an ally in our development. Whether we're looking to find the nature of the mystical teachings hidden in the Torah, or the Book of the Law, or simply the Truth itself we have an angel for whom that is its purpose. We can prepare ourselves and call upon it like we would call upon the Prince of the Presence, or our Holy Guardian Angel, and gain insight, maybe not instant mastery, but insight is worth a lot in this line of work.

You might want more than my insight into the meaning and nature of this operation and info on the actual operation itself. I'm going to save that for another post, so follow the blog and check back soon.

The Big Nut Strut

Over the weekend I was reading the Enchiridion of Pope Leo. I dig Catholicism enough that one of my friends, when he first came to the OTO, suspected me of being a secret Jesuit spy...and the people who had known me for years as an OTO member agreed that it was kind of a reasonable assumption. I still found the Enchiridion to be frustrating and off putting. Only a few portions were obviously useful, some others felt like they could be...if...they weren't so bogged down in Catholic guilt. Some parts drew me in, made me think of ways they could be used.

This got me thinking, about magical confessions, and how to make them better.

A great deal of ritual magic is based on worldviews rooted in religions which value ritual purity. Our modern cultures don't value that as much, in fact, our contemporary sensibility is often critical of religion. Magicians engaged in more traditional forms of magic embrace a world in which spirits are real and magic has a real impact on the world around us,. Still, traditional magicians often embrace a more free view of the world than that which embraces strict elements of ritual purity. Sometimes we criticize it as a repressive Christian view, but we find similar purity laws in most traditional religions, and we find purifications in the ancient magical texts with limited Christian influence.

I find a lot of traditional religious magic pretty inspiring. I also find that having a complete worldview, top to bottom, and making your magic an application thereof is necessary to having a truly powerful magical system, both in terms of transforming the world and developing yourself. I do not however find it useful to shit on myself for things that I don't think are a sin. So, that part of some of the magical systems I like doesn't fit my worldview. I've even had a spirit challenge me on that point before.

Still, I think some sort of moment of aligning oneself through confession can be really powerful.

In another post (Better than Not Sinning) I recommending an alternative method. A different one has occurred to me though. Negative confession is workable, and is definitely better than groveling about being a sinner. Why not positive assertion?

Modern systems like Thelema, and like the Traditionalist School look at the power in the positive view of people. In Thelema the active strength involved in doing one's Will and forcing forward as a star against the difficulties and distractions of the world is a source of power. This idea isn't really explored a lot by Thelemites, but it's pretty important in terms of understanding power and magic in a Thelemic worldview. In the traditionalist school tapping into the Primordial Tradition and the nature of the Hero are based upon the power of ones character. Strengthening virtue strengthens an individual not just personally but also by reputation and place in the community. This terrestrial element of power echoes in the spiritual. Virtue carries with it an occult force and authority which fuels and inspires the magician's ability to impact the world.

In the ancient world we see similar views. Virtue comes from virtus or manliness and implies force. The force implied is conjunct with the nature of certain virtues in the Greek and Roman world, those which imply the power and ability to impact the world. In a mundane sense these are the authority which one asserts in the family and in the public or political sphere. In a spiritual sphere these virtues are the strength of the animus or soul and reflect the power an individual is able to exert in a greater sense.

NeoPlatonism expands this in that virtue not only elevates the capabilities of the NeoPlatonist philosophically and intellectually, but also drives their ability to act in the public sphere and serve the common good. As their virtues elevate them to higher levels of virtue and increase their ability to create good for the community they increase their connection to higher levels of being and draw closer to the One and the Good. This becomes the foundation for theurgical practice and and compliments the development of the theurgist.

So we have a good basis for the idea of strength and spiritual fortitude being linked to character and action in both modern and traditional currents of magical work. Accomplishment also can be a useful element in establishing the power of the magician when dealing with spirits.

In the Merkavah the magician demonstrates his authority by announcing that he's part of the club. He shows the angels that he knows the signs, their names, the songs of the heavens. He is basically demonstrating to them that he knows what he needs to know, and that he's achieved the heights, quite literally, that give him the right to command him.

The Mithras Liturgy in the PGM essentially works on the same principle. The magician engages in practices to elevate himself and expose himself to spirits and then uses incantations, sounds, and signs which show them that he belongs there, is one of them, and should not be troubled or should be served.

The Sword of Moses, and later grimoiric works align the magician to the character of heroic biblical or magical figures in order to demonstrate that they have the character or personal histories of those figures and therefore deserve the same visitation of divine grace and therefore the same right to command spirits.

Witchcraft traditions grant power by birth and by ritual, talismans gained through completing certain rituals are further marks of a witch's power and ability to command spirits and powers of nature. Sorcery lineages grant power by passing it from one sorcerer to another through initiation, admission to a house, and investiture of spirits. This comes with signs, talismans, tools, and special ritual elements that show that the sorcerer is part of the tradition and has gained those powers and that authority over the spirits.

Countless other magical systems and traditions are based on the authority that a magician has by right of accomplishment or admission, or the gathering of tools and powers. A key part of magic is the magician showing that he has those rights and authorities. A way to do this is perhaps by taking a moment, aligning yourself to your sources of power and authority, and making them known to the spirits and occult forces with which you are about to work.

The first time I used this method was before a katabasis in which I needed to seek out Hades to ask his permission to engage in certain activities in the underworld. When asking the gods with whom I had more direct working relationships how to proceed I was inspired with a particular series of ritual actions, which by in large matched up to historical methods. An added piece though was beginning with the announcement of various initiations and ritual acts I had undergone which showed that I had a right to enter and ask for audience. The ritual worked very well and the ensuing series of necromantic rituals were successful. Still, until now, it was not a method which occurred to me routinely. It would cross my mind occasionally, but usually I'd settle on some purification or a negative confession. I think there are definitely times where that's still the way to go.

That said, there's also time to lay the cards on the table and and point out that you can do what you're doing because you've got the goods. So next time you're inclined to use some grimoiric magic, and the author wants you to crap on yourself for being human, instead, take a pause, and make an announcement extolling your virtue so as to remind the powers that be, that you have a seat at the table.

Manage your Creditors with Some Magic

I recently had a disagreement with a lender regarding a debt that I had paid. If I had not been able to resolve it it was going to cost me about $1700. A few people told me that I should just be prepared to be out money, as having been in similar circumstances they found the same bank to be unwilling to correct their errors. I resolved to be confident and self assured that I would succeed in forcing them to fix things. I also determined that some angelic intercession was probably a good idea, as my first attempt to fix it without magic had resulted in a promise of a solution but with nothing having come of it. Instead of pulling out all the gear, and doing a large Solomonic working, I grabbed a 4^th Century Jewish magic book said some angel names, spoke an incantation, and viola, shit got fixed.

So, for anyone who might be having issues with a debt, here is something to try:

According to the Sefer Ha-Razim, the angels of the second encampment of the first Heaven, called Shamayim, are angels of anger and wrath. They will provide death and torment and torture...so...apparently, one calls them to resolve any number of issues they might have with those set against them.

They are ruled by TYGRH

Their names are thus:

KSTR MRSWM BRKYB KMSW

STYB KRYTEL DYR GB

QRB NBWR KBYR TYLH

BRYTWR TRTM NTPYEL PRYEL

TRWHWN SLHBYN SLB MSTWB

GRHT HGR YTMYEL HGL

LGH MNYTYEL TNYMEL YKRYT

BRYT RKYLEL HSTK PPTS

STYRWP WDYEL SBYR MLKYEL

RWS DSWW HMK TRGH

ZMBWT HSNYPLPT SWW SPWR

RQ QNWMYEL NHYEL GDYEL

DQ YMWMYEL PRWG DHGYEL

DGRYEL GRYEL RWNWR DWNRNY

DLKT TBL TLYEL LYEL

MWTR LPYEL PYTPR LPWM

WR TMR DLYL STWRYN

ZWTY YSTWRTY DWBYT BRGMY

DMWMYEL DYGR BYBEL PRWTYEL

QWMYEL DGWGR DLGYEL PDWTYEL

I called upon the name of TYGRH and then each of his angels and followed it with the incantation:

HHGRYT who dwell in the east, SRWKYT who dwell in the north, WLPH who dwell in the west, KRDY who dwell in the south, I call upon TYGRH.

In the name of TYGRH and of the Lord of Hosts to whom you answer I call upon you angels of the first heaven that you will plug his mouth and make his planning in vain and he will not think of me nor speak of me and when I pass in front of him he will not see me.

The original instructions involve a more violent incantation, but this is still distilled from the original. The original also would have you collect seven jars of spring water on the seventh day of the month in the seventh hour of the day, from seven separate springs, and leave them sit in starlight for seven months.

I didn't find any of that to be necessary. But then, maybe my task was easy for the angels so they didn't need the pomp. Hopefully your task will be easy for them too.

So, try calling on some angels and to help you with clearing your debt and let me know how it goes.

Easier Than Not Sinning AKA The Reset Button

Recently I have been focusing my practical work around methods based in the Merkavah and Hekhalot materials. Some of this has been new rituals with a Merkavah flavor, some of it has been based on practices described in magical texts from that tradition.

An element of the tradition is that it has a very heavy focus on ritual purity with a view that mankind by his nature is "friggin gross" in the eyes of the angels. Lots of traditions of spirit work have rules about how to prepare but the sages of the Merkavah had a serious fixation thereon. Stories of angels being offended by the natural putrescence that they view l'eau des homme to be abound. My favorite example is one in which the angel shows up, he insults on of the great sages of the period, who has done more than a month of fasting and praying to prepare. He then tells the sage to undergo another forty days of ritual cleansing...not to prepare him to call the angel he wants...but to prepare him to receive instructions on how to purify himself so he can call the angel.

These angels take this shit seriously.

For most rituals I find a little naked time (read as stripping off the mundane), splashing on some holy water, saying some prayers, and tossing on my clerical robe to be sufficient.

Sometimes if it's more major I'll throw in a reverse confession. Or I'll mimic the confession burning from the Abramelin or use some materia I've put together based on that.

But, with the Merkavah angels, some of them are pretty specifically fixated on sin. More so than the others.

I did some work with the angels of the second heaven recently. The outcome was important to me. So I wanted to make sure to do it right.

Unfortunately in the text I was using, the angels of the second heaven are described mostly on the basis of condemning impurity. Sometimes...I like to have fun...and can be...a little...impure, but only a little, and only sometimes (read as most of the time).

I tried working with them with a regular ritual and they were not too responsive.

So I needed a new plan. A plan to get pure fast. Clearly there is not an instant spiritual detox at the record store. Calling my fellow clergy for absolution would be confusing and awkward. Who else did I know who could facilitate my expiation?

I happened to be doing some work with Raphael earlier that evening and realized he could straighten me out.

As I'm sure you're aware Raphael is the archangel of the Sun. So let's look at how that plays into this.

1. The Sun provides direction and spiritual gravitas. The idea of impurity in a ritual sense or of sin is that of losing direction and wandering towards less beneficial ends. Invoking the Sun reflects the assertion of direction on your being.

2. The Sun is splendor and beauty, so Raphael makes you seem all shiny and clean.

3. Raphael provides healing. Healing spiritually relates to balancing imbalances, removing impurities, and making the incomplete complete. All of this fits with correcting the impacts of missing your mark.

4. The sun is the planetary force most similar to the Philosophers Stone, which has the power to correct and elevate. Kabbalistically Tifaret is the bridge which transmits the light into the material world and aspiration into the spiritual world.

5. And most importantly the Sun is the part of you that makes you awesome. The Sun within your being is the you that is YOU. It is the part of you for whom the concept of sin or impurity can't exist. It is the road to the Throne, which the Merkavah is all about, it's the light that leads you home back to the knowledge that you weren't impure, you were divine the whole time.

So, Raphael is the perfect aid to call upon for your spiritual purity needs. He rules over your reset button. So when you feel like the sludge is weighing you down and clogging your valves hit reset, when you're worried that you're not fit for the work you're doing (even though you are) hit reset, when you need a little elevation, or balance, or direction, hit reset. The Sun is your magical reset button, and it's always at your disposal.

Rings and Things

Each time I have read from the Greater Hekhalot the passages regarding Anaphiel are striking to me. He is not the highest angel in heaven, and he is given as distinct from the Prince of the Presence. He is one of several angels at the final gate leading into the Chamber of the Throne. There are several angels associated with this gate, as with the preceding six, but none are given the attention given to Anaphiel. Despite his recognition within the Hekhalot literature he has not continued to receive such distinction in later angelology and magic.

For those unfamiliar with him in Chapter 22 of the Greater Hekhalot it says:

“Anaphiel the Lord, a prince honored and beloved and fearful and terrifying and dear and splendid and strong and mighty and powerful and just and gallant, a prince whose name is mentioned on high before the throne of His glory three times each day from the day when the world was created and until now, for praise. Why? Because the ring of the seal of heaven and earth is given over to his hand. And whenever they see him all those on high kneel and fall down and prostrate themselves before him, a thing which is not done in the height [before any other prince]. If you say, 'They do not fall down before the Prince of the Presence‘ [This is true] for those who stand before the throne of His glory, who do not prostrate themselves before the Prince of the Presence, but before Anaphiel the Prince [even] so with the permission and according to the will of ‘ntrws rbyhg. Some say pwmyl smh brz‘, the Lord God of Israel.”

So he is given as the Prince who bears the ring with the seal of Heaven and Earth. He receives further distinctions elsewhere in the literature. In the Sefer Hekhalot he is the angel who brings Enoch into the Heavens on the journey which results in Enoch becoming the Metatron. As Enoch is not yet the Prince of the Presence, the Lesser YHVH, at this point Anaphiel is called Anaphiel YHVH indicating his likeness to the divine in his opportunity to function as the Prince of the Presence administering to Enoch.

Two elements of this story relate to how the first passage may become meaningful for us.

First Anaphiel functions as a Prince of the Presence and bears the fourfold name. Alternatively, when Metatron is not given as the Prince of the Presence the role most typically falls upon Michael, whose name is “He who is like God”. This similarity does not equate Anaphiel and Michael, as many angelic names are given in association with divine names throughout the course of the Hekhalot and Merkavah literature. The similar role does however put them within a group of angels of similar function in which they hold the highest positions in Heaven and appear before the most holy mortals as the manifest presence of the divine.

Additionally, Anaphiel performs this role in relation to Enoch rising to the Heavens. Enoch rising to the Heavens occurred prior to the Flood, as Enoch was brought to testify against mankind. According to the Sefer Hekhalot the Shekhinah was present on Earth as the divine presence, the wisdom which allowed for communication between pious men and the heavens. The Shekhinah in this context is not given the same anthropomorphizing as it is in later Kabbalistic works which treat her as God's bride, in this case the Shekhinah is treated much more like the Ruakh HaKodesh, as a divine energy, an expression of the divine presence manifest as the force of wisdom. When the angels expressed concern over the idolatry of mankind they convinced God to remove the Shekhinah from the Earth. It was at this same time that Enoch was removed. While Anaphiel is not named as one of the angels who removes the Shekhinah, it is a whole heavenly host who do so, Anaphiel is definitely named as an angel involved in the movements between Heaven and Earth at the time.

During this same literary period we find one of the earliest examples of a grimoire, or perhaps a proto-grimoire, and the earliest piece of literature in the tradition of Solomonic magic: The Testament of Solomon. The Testament of Solomon describes Solomon receiving a ring and divine grace by which he could command demons. This divine grace is of the same nature as the Shekhinah or the Ruakh HaKodesh. The ring is in part a symbol of its presence.

The Testament says:

“And it came about through my prayer that grace was given to me from the Lord Sabaoth by Michael his archangel. [He brought me] a little ring, having a seal consisting of an engraved stone, and said to me: "Take, O Solomon, king, son of David, the gift which the Lord God has sent thee, the highest Sabaoth. With it thou shalt lock up all demons of the earth, male and female; and with their help thou shalt build up Jerusalem. [But] thou [must] wear this seal of God. And this engraving of the seal of the ring sent thee is a Pentalpha." ”

So again, Michael, who functions as a Prince of the Presence delivers a ring. Anaphiel, who also bears the name of the Lord, and functions as a Prince of the Presence, also bears a ring bearing the heavenly seal. His ring is one by which all angels are brought to kneel. It would stand to reason that the ring bearing the seal of Heaven and Earth would be the ring given to Solomon. The nature of a ring given by a king is typically to bear the seal of the king and show the investiture of his authority in the one who has the ring, this is the seal described on the ring of Anaphiel. Solomon's ring commands the obedience of all spirits, just as would that of Anaphiel.

Anaphiel's description and function in the Hekhalot material give additional information which can inform our understanding of the magic ring.

The Greater Hekhalot says:

“And why was his name called Anaphiel? Because of the ramification anaph of the crowns [which were] placed upon his head, for he overcast and covered all of the chambers of the seventh heaven as did the Maker of Creation. Just as, concerning the Maker of Creation it is written [Hab. 3.3]: ―His glory covered the heavens,‖ so also [does the glory] Anaphiel the Prince as a servant who is called by his master‘s name.”

Anaphiel's name means “branch” referring to the branches of the crown. He is compared to the Creator whose glory covers the heavens. 2 Enoch in describing the Garden of Eden gives beautiful imagery which relates to this idea. It says:

“And in the midst of the trees that of life, in that place whereon the Lord rests, when he goes up into paradise; and this tree is of ineffable goodness and fragrance, and adorned more than every existing thing; and on all sides it is in form gold-looking and vermilion and fire-like and covers all, and it has produce from all fruits.” (2 Enoch 8:3)

Here it describes the Tree of Life amid the Garden of Eden as the resting place of God, in Sefer Hekhalot this is the place from which the Shekhinah is taken. In the description here the Tree is like a fiery all encompassing canopy which stretches over all of paradise, it is the adornment of the divine glory and divine harmony throughout the Garden.

The crown of branches described by Anaphiel's name is the same. Sefer Hekhalot in Chapter 18 is worded very similarly to the passage of the Greater Hekhalot. It further notes the other angels removing their crowns of glory when they lay prostrate before Anaphiel. Anaphiel is also sometimes noted as ministering to the Lord by placing and removing his crown of glory for him. His name and function is very much tied to the crown, him being the Branches in whom are the name of the Lord. He is the act of investiture of divine Glory.

This is consistent in his treatment. He brings Enoch to heaven that Enoch may be so invested in divine glory that he is consumed by fire and becomes the Metatron, the Lesser YHVH. He carries the ring of the seal of Heaven and Earth, which is the ring given to Solomon so that he might possess the Ruakh HaKodesh and its wisdom. His name reflects the crown of the divine and its overshadowing glory, which is the very nature of the Tree of Life and the presence of the Shekhinah on Earth. He is the only angel before whom the other angels prostrate themselves in praise.

One final quotation from the Greater Hekhalot will clarify the meaning of his nature:

“And why is he more lovely and beloved than all the [other] door-keepers of the palaces? Because he openeth the doors of the entrance of the seventh palace and closeth them before the throne of glory which is set high and standeth opposite the entrance of the seventh palace.”

He is the angel who gives access to the Chamber of the Throne and even brings the mystic into the Throne presenting him to the Merkavah and preventing the angels from destroying him. He facilitates what the Creator ultimately wants, for the mystic to achieve success and be brought into union with the Throne.

All of this explains the magic ring. We can get whatever ring we want, and wear it on whatever finger we want and dance around in circles and pretend to be magical, but doing all of that is really rather silly. The true magic ring is a sign of the presence of divine grace within the one who bears the ring. It is a sacrament, an outer sign of an inner state. The magician who possesses the true ring is in communion with the Prince of the Presence, the Angel in whom is the name of God, or, in our modern magical vernacular, the Holy Guardian Angel. The ring likewise bears the great name and sign of God, as does the soul of the magician who has the right to wield the ring. The process by which the magician receives the ring is the beginning of the process of moving through the Chambers to stand in the presence of the Throne, the process by which the magician gains Mastery and becomes like the Metatron, the Lesser YHVH.

When you have properly received the ring, and then in future works you put on the ring, consider this angel's nature. By putting on the ring you wear the fiery crown of branches that harmonizes creation within the divine glory. By putting on the ring you are united with the Shekhinah, the Ruakh HaKodesh, the divine presence on earth. You have the divine authority literally at your finger tips, because, you, like Enoch, are beloved of the Creator, and you're on the road to his Throne.