The Magician's Workbook A Modern Grimoire - Softcover

Steve Savedow

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0877288232 ISBN 13: 9780877288237

Publisher: Samuel Weiser Inc, 1995

Synopsis

For beginning students, this is an efficient working manual that provides a complete program leading to selfinitiation. Includes detailsfor performing four banishing rituals, four planetary invocations, a daily Eucharist ritual, a selfinitiation ritual, plus a series of rituals for constructing and charging talismans, and much more. Index.

About this title

About the Author

Steve Savedow is the author of The Magician's Workbook: A Modern Grimoire and Goetic Evocation: The Magician's Workbook, Volume 2. He has studied magic and the Western Mystery Tradition for many years. Savedow lives in Daytona Beach, Florida, where he is the proprietor of the Serpent's Occult Bookstore, an independent bookstore specializing in magic and pagan titles.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

The Magician's Workbook

A Modern Grimoire

By Steve Savedow

Samuel Weiser, Inc.

Copyright © 1995 Steve Savedow
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-0-87728-823-7

Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1. Invocation and Evocation
Chapter 2. Ritual Construction
Chapter 3. Preparation for the Ritual Magician
Chapter 4. The Middle Pillar and Banishing Rituals
Chapter 5. Meditation
Chapter 6. Personal Energy
Chapter 7. Universal Structure and the Astral Plane
Chapter 8. Astral Projection
Chapter 9. Astral Exercises
Chapter 10. The Qabala
Chapter 11. Weapons of the Art
Chapter 12. A Lunar Invocation
Chapter 13. Preliminaries and Closings
Chapter 14. A Mercurial Invocation
Chapter 15. Amulets and Talismans
Chapter 16. A Venutian Invocation
Chapter 17. The Tarot
Chapter 18. A Solar Invocation
Chapter 19. The Eucharist Ritual
Chapter 20. Initiation
Appendix A. The Hebrew God-Names
Appendix B. The Egyptian God-Forms
Appendix C. The Invocation of the Bornless One
Appendix D. A Short Treatise on Yoga
Bibliography
Index
About the Author

CHAPTER 1

INVOCATION AND EVOCATION

The two supreme acts of ritual magick are the invocation and the evocation.Webster defines "invocation" as "a formula for conjuring," and to "invoke" "tocall forth by incantation." It defines "evocation" as "the summoning of aspirit," and "evoke" "to call forth or up" or to "conjure." From these briefdefinitions, the two acts sound very similar, when in fact, they are extremelydifferent. Indeed, both acts involve an interaction with nonhuman entities,however, the type of entity and the manner of interaction are vastly differentduring each of the separate acts. To really understand the difference betweenthe two, it becomes necessary to grasp the concept of "hierarchy."

Hierarchy is essentially the "chain of command" for sentient beings. In thearmy, the chain of command is a system of titles or ranks designating executivepositions, in order of authority. In the "Magickal Universe," hierarchyinvolves the designation of "God" as the highest authority, and human beingsbeing one of the lower. The full order of hierarchy is God, Demi-Gods,Archangels, angels, humans. Beneath human beings are the "spirits," or demonsand archdemons. Beneath these demons are the most foul and loathsome creatures,and should not be of concern to the student, at this time.

Knowing this system of hierarchy, it should be understood that invocationinvolves interaction with beings above us in the hierarchy, and evocation dealswith the beings below. The difference in the manner of interaction being thatinvocation is a request to the higher beings, and evocation is a demand to thelower beings. Invocations involve serenades, courtesy, love, and evensublimation. Evocations require curses and constraints, disdain, andoccasionally, torture. Lastly, an invocation results in enticing a celestialinfluence into the circle, where an evocation forces the reluctant, repugnantdemon out to the triangle. This should make it clear that these two acts arevery different operations of what is known as "high" magick.

Allegorically speaking, the art of magick may be divided into two categories,that of high magick and that of low magick. There are instances where variouswriters hypothesize about the origins and meanings of the designations to someworks as being "high" or "low." Some have said that it may have been due to thelocation of the practitioner, meaning that in the "highlands," the mighty courtsorcerer would practice ritual magick, high up in the castles and courts of theroyalty of the land, using weapons of steel and gold. While in the "lowlands,"the impoverished witches practiced their craft in meager surroundings, utilizingwooden tools and roots and herbs that could be easily foraged for in theforests. Were this true, the classification of high and low magick wouldrepresent prejudice and injustice, suggesting that a "witch" would be incapableof practicing high magick. Fortunately, nothing could be further from the truth.

Witchcraft, or "wicca" as it is referred to today, may be described as a paganreligion of nature. Wicca is presently undergoing an upsurge of popularity,thanks to the relatively recent repeal of the infamous witchcraft laws, thatfor centuries proclaimed the practice of paganism as "satanic." Again, nothingcould be further from the truth, which the groundbreaking writings of suchwiccans as Gerald Gardner, Doreen Valiente and Sybil Leek, to mention just afew, have documented. Additionally, a background of wiccan beliefs is anexcellent foundation to build a working knowledge and understanding of ritualmagick upon.

The actual classification of distinguishing high magick from that of low magickshould be based on the following criteria:

1) Low magick is performed in order to produce effects on the material plane,which is considered a "lower" plane. This includes such magick as love spells,money spells, good fortune spells, spells to improve crops, healings, curses,invisibility spells, and any operation that affects life on the physical ormaterial plane.

2) High magick consists of essentially invocations and evocations. Theseoperations have results that affect the higher or mental planes. They shouldcompel the individual to progress emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and mostimportantly, magickally.

As the results of high magick have a much greater potential for experience andmeaning, so can they result in much greater, and even disastrous, perils whenimproperly practiced. Failures in the works of low magick could conceivablycause unpleasant, and even painful repercussions on the material plane. Butfailures in the works of high magick can result in such forms as spiritual andemotional regression, mental deterioration, schizophrenia, psychosis, andinsanity. For this reason, students of ritual magick should undertake a lengthypreparation period which entails intensive study of certain texts that will beoutlined in chapter 3. Additionally, extensive practices of certain exercisesoutlined in chapters 4-9 have been designed to prepare the uninitiated forfuture life as ritual magicians.

CHAPTER 2

RITUAL CONSTRUCTION

Generally speaking, every ritual of high magick is composed of four periods oftime. These are: creation, preparation, the performance and the results. Theperiod of creation begins with either the "creation" of the ritual by thepractitioner personally, or the discovery of a ritual, long lost or newlypublished. This is the point when the magician first realizes that the ritualmust be performed. The "creation," or creative period, ends when the full ritualis laid out in detail on paper, in its entirety, to be studied and memorizedduring the next period.

The preparation period consists of finding a suitable location, gathering allnecessary materials required for the ritual, and memorizing every detail of theritual instructions. Additionally, a date and time must be selected whenastrological influences would be favorable for this particular ritual. Manyrituals require periods of fasting, sexual abstinence, long periods ofmeditation in solitude, devotions, daily banishings, etc.

The preparation period ends with the construction of the ritual area, whichshould be completed not more than twenty-four hours before the beginning of the"performance." The following are the lengthy rituals for the formation andconstruction of the circle, from The Key of Solomon the King

Book II, chapter IX:

Having chosen a place for preparing and constructing the Circle, and all thingsnecessary being prepared for the perfection of the Operations, take thou theSickle or Scimitar of Art and stick it into the centre of the place where theCircle is to be made; then take a cord of nine feet in length, fasten one endthereof unto the Sickle and with the other end trace out the circumference ofthe Circle, which may be marked either with the Sword or the Knife with theBlack Hilt. Then within the Circle mark out four regions, namely, towards theEast, West, South and North, wherein place symbols; and beyond the limits ofthis Circle describe with the Consecrated Knife or Sword another Circle, butleaving an open place therein towards the North whereby thou mayest enter anddepart beyond the Circle of Art. Beyond this again thou shalt describe anotherCircle at a foot distance with the aforesaid Instrument, yet ever leavingtherein an open space for entrance and egress corresponding to the open spacealready left in the other. Beyond this again make another Circle at another footdistance, and beyond these two Circles, which are beyond the Circle of Art yetupon the same Centre, thou shalt describe Pentagrams with the Symbols and Namesof the Creator therein so that they may surround the Circle already described.Without these Circles shalt thou circumscribe a Square, and beyond that anotherSquare, so that the Angles of the former may touch the centres of the sides ofthe latter, and that the Angles may stretch towards the four quarters of theUniverse, East, West, North and South; and at the four Angles of each square,and touching them, thou shalt describe lesser Circles wherein let there beplaced standing censers with lighted charcoal and sweet odours.

These things being done, let the Magus of Art assemble his Disciples, exhort,confirm, and cheer them; lead them into the Circle of Art and station themtherein towards the Four Quarters of the Universe, exhort them to fear nothing,and to abide in their assigned places. Furthermore, let each of the Companionshave a Sword besides the Sword of the Art, which he must hold naked in his hand.Then let the Magus quit the Circle, and Kindle the Censers, and place thereonexorcised Incense, as is said in the Chapters of Fumigation; and let him havethe Censer in his hand and kindle it, and then place it in the part prepared.Let him now enter within the Circle and carefully close the openings left in thesame, and let him again warn his Disciples, and take the Trumpet of Art preparedas is said in the Chapter concerning the same, and let him incense the Circletowards the Four Quarters of the Universe.

After this let the Magus commence his Incantations, having placed the Sickle,Sword, or other Implement of Art upright in the ground at his feet. Havingsounded the trumpet as before taught let him invoke the Spirits, and if need beconjure them, as is said in the First Book, and having attained his desiredeffect, let him license them to depart.

Here followeth the Form of the Circle (see figure 2) wherein whosoever enterethhe shall be at safety as within a fortified Castle, and nothing shall be able toharm him.

Book I, chapter III:

Take thou the Knife, the Sickle, or the Sword of Magical Art consecrated afterthe manner and order which we shall deliver unto thee in the Second Book. Withthis Knife or with the Sickle of Art thou shalt describe, beyond the innerCircle which thou shalt have already formed, a Second Circle, encompassing theother at the distance of one foot therefrom and having the same centre. Withinthis space of a foot in breadth between the first and second circumferentialline thou shalt trace towards the Four Quarters of the Earth the Sacred andVenerable Symbols of the holy Letter Tau and between the first and secondCircle, which thou shalt thyself have drawn with the Instrument of MagickalArt, thou shalt make four hexagonal pentacles, and between them thou shaltwrite four terrible and tremendous Names of God, viz.:

Between the East and the South the Supreme Name IHVH, Tetragrammaton;

Between the South and the West the Essential Tetragrammatic Name AHIH, Eheih;

Between the West and the North the Name of Power ALIVN, Elion;

And between the North and the East the Great Name ALH, Eloah;

Which Names are of supreme importance in the list of the Sephiroth, and theirSovereign Equivalents.

Furthermore, thou shalt circumscribe about these Circles two Squares, the Anglesof which shall be turned towards the Four Quarters of the Earth; and the spacebetween the Lines of the Outer and Inner Square shall be half-a-foot. Theextreme Angles of the Outer Square shall be made the Centres of four Circles,the measure or diameter of which shall be one foot. All of these are to be drawnwith the Knife or consecrated Instrument of Art. And within these Four Circlesthou must write these four Names of God the Most Holy One, in this order:

At the East, AL, El:

At the West, IH, Yah;

At the South, AGLA, Agla;

And at the North ADNI, Adonai.

Between the two Squares the Name Tetragrammaton is to be written in the same wayas is shown in the plate [see figure 3 on page 9.]

While constructing the Circle, the Master should recite the following Psalms:Psalm II; Psalm LIV; Psalm CXII; Psalm LXVII; Psalm XLVII; Psalm LXVIII.

Or he may as well recite them before tracing the Circle.

The which being finished, and the fumigations being performed, as is describedin the chapter on Fumigations in the Second Book, the Master should assemble hisDisciples, encourage them, reassure them, fortify them, and conduct them intothe parts of the Circle of Art, where he must place them at the Four Quarters ofthe Earth, encourage them, and exhort them to fear nothing, and to keep in theplaces assigned to them. Also, the Disciple who is placed toward the East shouldhave a pen, ink, paper, silk and white cotton, all clean and suitable for thework. Furthermore, each of the Companions should have a new Sword drawn in hishand (in addition to consecrated Magical Sword of Art), and he should keep hishand resting upon the hilt thereof, and he should on no pretext quit the placeassigned to him, nor move therefrom.

After this the Master should quit the Circle, light the fuel in the earthenpots, and place upon them the Censers, in the Four Quarters of the Earth; and heshould have in his hand the consecrated taper of wax, and he should light it andplace it in a hidden and secret place prepared for it. Let him after this reenterand close the Circle.

The Master should afresh exhort his Disciples, and explain to them all they haveto do and to observe; the which commands they should promise and vow to execute.Let the Master then repeat this Prayer:

What follows this is two prayers and one conjuration before the completion ofthe ritual. This is only one of many difficult tasks one needs to fulfill,before practicing ritual detailed in The Key of Solomon. All prerequisitesoutlined in this ancient grimoire should be completed before attempting anyoperation of Solomon's Art; otherwise the results will reflect the inadequacies,and may well end in disaster. For this reason, it would probably be impracticalfor most people to practice from this grimoire. In general, however, one shouldnot be deterred from performing a ritual because of the difficulty of thepreparation period. Objects needed may be difficult to locate or construct, andmemorizing an in-depth ritual may take weeks or even months; but the effortexerted during this preparation only adds to the energy of the ritual. Theenergy generated begins with the initial creation, and continues building evenafter the performance is completed. One's sheer determination is an intricatekey to the success of a ritual. The next chapter of this book deals extensivelywith preparation, as this is actually the most important part of ritualconstruction.

The performance of the ritual begins at the specific date and time determinedwell in advance according to favorable astrological influences. The first actshould begin with a ritual bathing or cleansing, outside of the designatedritual area. Traditionally, using natural water (ocean or spring water,preferably) treated with a small amount of hyssop, and the particular herbal oilsuitable to the nature of the ritual. This act of bathing represents thepurification of the magician, and at some point while bathing, these wordsshould be spoken:

Asperges me, EHIEH, hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

After the ritual bathing and before donning the robe, the magician should usethe right forefinger to make the mark of the "Rose Cross" over the heart withAbramelin oil while speaking these words of consecration:

Accendat in nobis ADONAI ignem sui amoris et flammam aeternae caritatis.

This represents the second act of the ritual.

The robe should be donned before entering the ritual area, and all magicalweapons/tools should have been prepared well in advance, and left waiting on thealtar within the circle area. Every magickal tool or weapon, including thealtar and the robe, must be first purified by sprinkling each with hyssop-treatednatural water while speaking the words of purification, and thenconsecrated by rubbing it with Abramelin oil, while speaking the words ofconsecration. This procedure should be completed no more than twelve hoursprior to any magickal operation.

The third act of the performance should be to perform the banishing ritual,several of which are outlined in chapter 4. These three acts should be performedbefore the "main" performance, that of the specific ritual itself.

The main ritual and all preliminaries and closings are performances, and shouldbe theatrical and powerfully performed. Be sure your location allows thisnecessity. It would not do at all to whisper your incantations, so as not todisturb the neighbors.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from The Magician's Workbook by Steve Savedow. Copyright © 1995 Steve Savedow. Excerpted by permission of Samuel Weiser, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Edition details

• Publisher: Samuel Weiser Inc
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0877288232
• ISBN 13: 9780877288237
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288