Basic Ritual Structure in Western Magick
So by now, you’ve thought about it…I can tell you are more curious about magick. Here is an article I have written about the basics of practicing Western Ritual Magick. These conclusions are based on my experiences with actually doing these things, as well as research I have done…about 15 years worth.
In our modern magick of the west, what we have is essentially, an amalgam of what has been recorded, set down in word or translatable symbol, of times and cultures past. It is a blend…heavy on western civilizations’ traditions obviously, but with other cultures now thrown into the mix. There is no one way or right way…whatever works is whatever works, magick is all is the same…..eastern vs western, reconstructionist, neo…whatever..those arguments are lame and ineffectual (I want results…do you?) But it is mainly Western Modern Magick I will speak of today.
In this magick, there are building blocks. Four “elements”, plus the addition of what is called “spirit”, which could be said as the activator, the force behind energy, a god-energy, or the ability we possess (given to us from our creator) to do magick..(it may be likened to ”the force”, in the movie Star Wars). The elements are fire, earth, air, and water. As the physical realm we live in could be said to have these physical elements, so it is said that these elements exist on another plane, in which they are slightly different. They are finer, lighter, more subtle, they are blueprints…guidelines…we can manipulate things easier, perhaps, in this other “plane”.
This plane of existence is thought of as astral, or ethereal….whatever term you want to use…perhaps we go there, or through there, upon entering our dream state. But the in human mind dream state, the ego sleeps, and the “Id” is left untrained, uncontrollable, it is the childlike aspect of our brains, that Carl Jung speaks of. It takes run of the roost…the super-conscience is slowed down, repressed, or angered, by the childlike control of the Id.
So dream-time is perhaps, theoretically, a place where you could use your will in accordance to get what you want, causing change to occur in whatever situation, in whatever way you wished, and then see it physically manifest in this plane we are in. Perhaps we could train to do this, but dream-time is still chaos for modern man at this time, and I don’t see that as an easily changeable thing.
That brings me to chaos… an important term. I create order out of chaos as a magician. I create a circle around myself, energetically, to divide the chaos and order. Because what I’m doing is creating order out of chaos. The physical realm (or conscience state) is, like the astral or ethereal “realms”, a sea of chaotic energies, an ever changing energetic ocean, where order or structure must be created, to achieve some sort of manifestation, or solidification, in this physical world.
I use the word realm, as a way to describe the mind state we need to get to, to start causing changes around us. In the beginning, by “drawing” or “cutting” a boundary around ourselves, or by simply thinking it to be there, and then knowing it is there, we are creating the place where we can control everything, our own castle in a way. (I will get to the ‘towers in another article…too much for one day). So now, we are in the mind state where we can control everything, and then with efforts, actually see it manifest outside the circle (in the physical realm, or conscience state). That is why the circle is so important, in my experience, because trying to do magick without a circle is like trying to drink a glass of wine under the water.
So in our circle, then we must have some sort of source for energy that we can manipulate, because we cant use our own. Maybe that is why I call upon the element of “water”. I’m calling something to myself, that I may change, alter, manipulate, to make into what I want. But why water? Because I use the term water to describe what I am calling to myself…if I need a source of energy that is refreshing, healing, revitalizing, then I use the word water to describe this. In the astral realm, or, our little castle-like circle, I can do whatever I want with “water”. It responds to me, and only to me. I program it to do something, the energy remembers, I open my castle gates, and let it out on its merry way in the physical realm, to do as I have programmed it to do.
So technically, you don’t have to use “fire, earth, air, water and spirit”, but I find these 5 terms (now, by constant repetitive use by us humans, and having derived its own special power from our repetitive use of it) to be of special effectiveness. Yes I have called 4 winds, 4 watchers, 5 colors, three norns, dragons, gods, etc.. I have called limitless “things” and “energies” into my circle, and you will perhaps do that too. But with these basic, and by now familiar, 5 aspects of magick (hence, the 5 pointed star) I recommend starting out with these, and of course, using the circle too.
The circle should be drawn clockwise, or deosil (pronounced jessil) for rituals that need to attract or grow things. Traditionally, you start your circle in the quarter of the east, but it is up to you to decide what feels best. For rituals or spells that need to repel or reduce, or banish, cast it counterclockwise, if you are brave enough, called widdershins. When you are all done with your magical ritual or endeavor, you need to release or send out what you have called forth.
When you call something, you will have to be in control, you will have to tell “it” to leave when your all done, otherwise, things do hang around. Energies have to have a full purpose…they need to know what it is there supposed to do, and they rely upon your completeness in programming to know how to do it (one exception…don’t ask or tell a god to leave, they’re not the ones that will do your little task for you anyways…they are not servants, and they don’t do our bidding). Then lastly, open, pull up, or pull in, your circle. Don’t ever banish it.
By the way, for those of you that want to actually do this, It helps to form your own sort of magical “correspondence” chart. If you are calling things to your circle, then you must know how to be successful at this. You want a response..you want to attract a certain thing, or maybe repel….certain things. Symbols…its about that. Lining things up…how can I explain this….well, here’s mine. Just take a look, and let the chart explain itself.
Earth is North, midnight, winter, black, feminine (yin), cold and dry, stable, constrictive/productive, growth or decay, predictable, reliable, hardworking, trustworthy, stubborn, concentrated, Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Saturn, Venus, Friday, Saturday. It is herbs, soil, flowers, stones, gems, food, money, the pentacle, the suit of coins, the pages.
Air is East, dawn, spring, yellow, masculine (yang), hot and moist, invisible, non-conforming, intelligence, poetry, inspiration, objectiveness, thoughts, unpredictable/balanced, clarity, Gemini, Libra, Aquarius, Mercury, Uranus, Wednesday. It is breath, a feather, a fan, the athame, the suit of swords, the kings.
Fire is South, noon, summer, red, masculine (yang), hot and dry, creative/destructive, purification, power unadulterated, action, the will, determination, war, conflict. Aries, Leo, Sagittarius, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. It is a candle, the wand, the flame, matches, dry branches and papers, the suit of wands, the knights.
Water is West, dusk, autumn, blue, feminine (yin), cold and wet, conforming or uncontrollable, overwhelming, irrational/emotional, refreshing, nurturing, reviving, healing. There is either too much, or not enough (excessiveness/depletion). Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces, Moon, Pluto (?), Neptune, Monday. It is the chalice, wine, water, the suit of cups, the queens.
The more things you can line up, the more success you will have at attracting the right energies to your circle, controlling and programming them, and then seeing the results manifest. For if life is a constant sea of energy, then we must have some sort of way to control it.
July 02 2008 04:30 pm | Jinns Writings
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