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Recent events prompted me to put together this ritual designed to impart the soul of an individual with the power and impetus to accomplish their will following the death of their physical body. Thelema has a very open attitude toward death that is expressed in the Gnostic Mass, that the experience of the world beyond death corresponds to the individual will rather than any universal process or experience. Some souls may choose to reincarnate, others may choose to be reabsorbed into the infinite, while others may choose to remain at peace, in contemplation, or with their chosen and preferred. About the only dogmatic concept of the afterlife in Thelema is "The Book of the Law"'s complete rejection of a "hell realm" or any sort of "dread hereafter."
Nonetheless, when an individual dies their will may not be purified or developed sufficiently for them to sort out how to proceed once their body no longer functions. This is especially true of someone who is not a spiritual practitioner. The process of death is confusing enough that without some significant practice it may seem less like an opportunity for the expression of will and more like a fearful ordeal. This ritual is designed to strengthen the will of the deceased so that they can not only pass through the confusion of death but traverse the spiritual realms in accordance with their True Will.
This ritual is a work in progress. It could probably be improved by adding in some sort of part for an audience to play so that it could serve a social as well as a magical function. So far, it is designed as a ritual for a single magician casting on behalf of the deceased. I'm also still thinking over the closing - I don't think that the banishing should be repeated so it currently ends with the dedication. I might want to add one more step in there to "seal off" the rite without banishing the energy. Credit is due to Aleister Crowley for the Star Ruby, Star Sapphire, and the selections from the Gnostic Mass, and to Sam Webster, who wrote the Dedication and whose work inspired the Refuge and Awakening sections.
The temple setup is very simple. An altar should be placed in front of the magician, upon which is placed a photograph of the deceased. Other implements and tools may be present as the magician deems appropriate. The ritual should be performed on the first Saturday following the death of the individual for whom the ritual is being performed. The plural forms (we, us, etc.) used in the ritual refer to the magician and the deceased.
* The magician begins by joining hands at heart level and stating the Death collect from the Gnostic Mass.
Term of all that liveth, whose name is inscrutable, be favorable unto us in thine hour. So mote it be.
* The magician performs the banishing Star Ruby.
* Refuge is taken in Nuit, Hadit, and Heru-Ra-Ha.
We take refuge in Nuit, the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky, as we issue the call to the awakened nature of all beings, for every man and every woman is a star - AUMGN.
We take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as we issue the call to our own awakened natures, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring - AUMGN.
We take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha, who wields the wand of double power, the wand of the force of Coph Nia, but whose left hand is empty for he has crushed an universe and naught remains, as we unite our own awakened natures with those of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering - AUMGN.
* Will is then awakened.
For pure will, unassuaged of purpose and delivered from the lust of result, is in every way perfect. All is pure and present and has always been so, for existence is pure joy, all the sorrows are but as shadows, they pass and are done, but there is that which remains. To this realization we commit ourselves - pure and total presence. So mote it be.
* The magician performs the invoking Star Sapphire.
* The Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for Saturn is performed. The godname used should correspond to the spiritual tradition followed by the deceased - Babalon for a Thelemite, YHVH Elohim for a Judeo-Christian, and so forth. Corresponding names from many traditions can be found in "Liber 777" and it is not usually difficult to determine the proper godform governing death and the afterlife in most religious traditions.
* The magician then performs this slightly modified form of the End collect from the Gnostic Mass upon the photograph.
Unto (the deceased's name) from whose eyes the veil of life hath fallen, may (he/she) be granted the accomplishment of (his/her) will, whether (he/she) wills absorption in the infinite, or to be with (his/her) chosen and preferred, or to be in contemplation, or to be at peace, or to attempt the labor and heroism of incarnation on this planet or another, or in any star, or aught else, may (he/she) be granted the accomplishment of (his/her) will, yea, the accomplishment of (his/her) will - AUMGN AUMGN AUGMN. So mote it be.
The magician then touches the photograph and visualizes energy flowing to the soul of the deceased, strengthening the will and providing a vector of motion in harmony with its individual nature.
* The ritual is closed with the Dedication of Merit.
May the benefit of this act and all acts be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere pervading space and time - so mote it be. May the benefits of practice, ours and others, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence - AH.
So far, the ritual has been performed once and felt quite effective, keeping in mind that any sort of empirical validation is rather difficult to obtain when casting spells for those who have passed on.
The night after their return and the triumphal feast, Enkidu awakens in terror. He has dreamed that the gods have held a conference. Because Enkidu and Gilgamesh have slain Humbaba (who guarded the Cedar Forest for the god Enlil) and disrespected Ishtar, they must be punished. Because Gilgamesh is two parts god and one part man, while Enkidu is half-man and half-beast, they decide that it is Enkidu who must die.
Soon after his dream, Enkidu is overcome by a grievous illness. As he grows weaker, Enkidu curses the trapper and the harlot who brought him to Uruk. In giving him the knowledge of civilization, they have also given him the knowledge of mortality: instead of the clean death of a wild animal, he now faces a shameful death on a sickbed. But then Shamash, God of the Sun, calls to him from the sky and reminds him that, even though his life was short, it was happy. He has known the pleasures of the countryside and city both, but most importantly:
Now Gilgamesh is your beloved brother-friend!
He will have you lie on a grand couch,
will have you lie on a couch of honor.
He will seat you in the seat of ease, the seat at his left,
so that the princes of the world kiss your feet. Thus reassured, Enkidu withdraws his curses and replaces them with blessings. After twelve days of suffering, the once-wild man departs this earth for the place where the dead dwell, a grim land where they "drink dirt and eat stone" in eternal darkness. Gilgamesh is inconsolable: for a week he keeps vigil beside Enkidu's corpse, trying desperately to awaken him. Finally a maggot falls from Enkidu's nose as Gilgamesh shakes him. Realizing at last that the situation is beyond hope, the heartbroken Gilgamesh allows his friend to be buried and commands his whole kingdom to mourn.
As the days pass, Gilgamesh's sorrow only grows greater. No longer does he wash himself, comb his hair or shave: instead of his royal robes, he dresses himself in the skins of wild animals. His mourning is combined with a deep, existential terror. In seeing his friend die, he has been confronted with his own mortality: he knows now that all his treasures and all his achievements must ultimately turn to dust. Turning away from his castle and his kingdom, he takes to wandering in the wilderness, crying bitterly.
"Exercise 1-3: Grief"
"We all experience loss. Grieving over a lost child, a beloved pet, or an irredeemably broken relationship is not necessarily a sign of self-indulgence or weakness. Rather, it is a lamentation. There may be lessons to be learned from this experience, but right now there is only pain. Give yourself permission to feel that pain and express that pain. If it brings tears, cry: if it brings anger, rage. Let the pain speak until you have gained what the Greeks called catharsis - the purging of pent-up emotions and release of tension."
We place a great emphasis on keeping a stiff upper lip, on holding oneself together and being strong in the face of adversity. Expressions of pain and suffering are unseemly. Boys don't cry, and neither do women who wish to be taken seriously. Those who don't "get over it" and go on with their lives - those who are still mourning after some set period of time or who are too open about their suffering - are shunned: at best their efforts to share their pain are met with uncomfortable silences and efforts to change the subject.
In many other cultures lamentation for loss is not only acceptable but expected. In Haiti it is believed that the dead will not rest unless they receive their due of mourning: those who do not cry and show their grief at funerals run the risk of being haunted. Keening, haunting wails of pain and loss performed by hired mourners, was customary at traditional Irish funerals. Orthodox Jews who have lost a parent, child, sibling or spouse perform keriah, the ceremonial rending of the garment, to give vent to anguish by means of a controlled, religiously sanctioned act of destruction. Gilgamesh's mourning is extreme even by Sumerian standards, but so too is his loss. His actions are not presented as a sign of his weakness but as a sign of his love and a fitting response to the death of his beloved companion.
Grief is recognition that one's life has been irrevocably changed. A part of your identity has been torn away: wife becomes widow, son becomes orphan, spouse becomes divorcee. The challenge is to create a new way of life while incorporating the old. For the grieving Gilgamesh, it is important that his friend be remembered. He orders that a monument of gold and lapis lazuli - the most precious materials known to Sumerian culture - be erected in Enkidu's honor: he also commands his subjects and all of creation to join him in his mourning.
Often grief is accompanied by a profound sense of guilt. When we lose a loved one to a disabling chronic illness, we may feel a sense of relief at their passing: their troubles are over, and so are ours. No matter how sad we feel, we may think that we are not sad enough: our happiness and healing become weapons we can use to flagellate ourselves for not loving our deceased enough. We may treat our loss as a sign of failure: if only we had done things differently, it wouldn't have come to this. The mighty Gilgamesh is not used to failure, and yet his strength and cunning cannot save Enkidu.
Elizabeth K"ubler-Ross has defined various stages of grieving. First we see Gilgamesh going through denial as he sits with Enkidu's corpse and refuses to accept his friend's death. Then, as he realizes that Enkidu is gone, he enters the anger stage. His pain manifests itself in his refusal to attend to his duties as king and ruler. Much as "cutters" use self-mutilation to express their anger, Gilgamesh's unshorn beard, dirty face and filthy animal-skin clothing are outward signs of his internal suffering. From here comes bargaining: frightened by the presence of death, Gilgamesh resolves to conquer it by gaining immortality for himself.
From the Kenaz Filan Blog
http://kenazfilan.blogspot.com
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What Values do you hold in your heart; not your mind? If you want to get ahead spiritually and energetically then you need to re-assess your values. We all break them to conform and keep the peace many times during our lives. It's very important now that we all pay attention to what we 'cant' see. What a lot of people don't understand or have really taken from the whole Mayan calendar 2012 awareness; is the greatest opportunities for growth and release. As the end of the 3rd dimension is closing or shall we say is still overlapping to the 4th, it's giving us a blessing to align with our highest selves to overcome 3rddimensional realties; the wheel of karma you might say. Aligning now with the 'Soul's values' allows colossal shifts to occur. As we come out of our minds (3D reality) and move into our hearts (4D reality) we operate at a completely different level of consciousness. We must surrender individually and planetary as a race to this reality; allowing the ego to still run things will cause you discomfort on all levels of your being. The big one to watch out for is feeling lost and confused, and I'll tell you for those that have kept it all together mentally for years and are denying the change will find it extremely difficult, as they have only ever lived in the mind; living in the heart is very different. It's already happening to someone you know right now. Help when you can, and ALWAYS pass on information to your fellow human being. What Values do you hold in your heart, not your mind? Your mind values are programs either through ecology, genetics or physical interactions. Values of the heart are soul based universal in nature and eternal. You figure out which ones you should follow. Don't lie to yourself anymore! The post What Are Your Values? appeared first on Universal Healing.
Source: animals-and-shamanism.blogspot.com
I've heard that some people who have trouble conceiving have given "crystal therapy" a shot to help. One of the most common complaints that a new age healer will address is fertility issues. Couples who are trying to conceive have often tried anything that they think may help. Since many problems with the human reproductive system revolve around stress-based ailments, I see no harm in giving crystal-based rituals a try for relaxation and for paving the way so that conventional medicine practices can do their jobs even better!
The first step in crystal therapy to aid fertility is to select the stone that is right for the job. Some stones are said to be especially powerful for women and female complaints, such as Jade, moonstones of all colors (but especially white and raibow hues), quartz in pinks and purples such as rose quartz. Many people choose shapes that are evocative of reproductive symbols, such as an egg or perhaps carvings of Venus of Willendorf or other feminine symbols. However, this is up to you -- use what makes you feel comfortable. Stones for male fertility should be selected from gemstones which have a reputation for masculine energy enhancement: pyrite stones, gold, and tiger's eye are all great choices. Again, shape is a nice touch; if you come across "lingam" type stones, or anything vaguely phallic, go ahead and give it a try. I feel that the composition of the stone is a lot more important than a pretty shape. But again, you may be the type who gets really into the esthetics. If so, do what you like!
Once you have your stones, select a nice resting place for them somewhere in your home. If you have an altar for meditation or some place where you place important things, add the stones. I've heard that some people create "nests" for their implements in fertility rituals, which I think sounds like a lovely idea. Customize and personalize your stone with your own specific energy signature, as I've described in a previous article.
Then, consecrate your fertility nest as well, dedicating the area to love, healing, and fertile energies. Then place the stones inside, and visit each day to meditate -- you and your partner should both choose times, seperately or together, to visit and contemplate, to direct abundant and fertile energy toward the subject at hand. Remember that the space you choose to place your nest should be peaceful and calm; it should make you feel safe and reaffirm your dedication to the act of conception.
I just wanted to post this to see if anyone has had a similar experience or if they have any suggestions as to why this is happening.
I've been reading tarot cards for a little over a year now and in the beginning I would do readings for myself for anything and everything. I would of course take all the 'practical' steps for whatever the situation was but I would also do tarot readings to give myself an extra perspective on things.
In the last few months however, I've found that I don't want to use my cards to suggest the outcome of things- I would rather just let things play out and find out the outcome when it happens. For example, I have a court case coming up (some of you may have read my post some time ago about my noisy neighbors) and while before I would have welcomed a reading to inform me about anything and everything related to this, now I'm just happy to wait and see what happens.
I wonder if this is the 'honeymoon' period between my tarot cards and I wearing off or if it's maybe my intuition telling me when tarot will and won't be helpful. Has anyone else experienced something similar?
Statistics: Posted by Obsidian - Fri Feb 20, 2015 6:15 am
Witches and charismatic Christians are leading religious growth in Australia with many women turning to witchcraft or paganism as a reaction against the patriarchal nature of traditional Christianity.
Dr Philip Hughes of the Christian Research Association said the numbers of people participating in nature religions - mostly witchcraft and paganism - rose by 140 per cent between 1996 and 2001. Agnostics were on the rise too, he said.
For many, nature religions were seen as environmentally friendly.
But Dr Hughes said their numbers remained small, with fewer than 25,000 adherents in Australia.
"They are never going to be really numerous as it is largely a protest movement."
Leading witch Caroline Tully says witchcraft is a religion for the weak and oppressed, especially women.
"Actually, I'm surprised the guys haven't taken advantage because there are so many single women," she said.
"There aren't many men, and a lot of them aren't particularly appealing."
Dr Hughes said growth among Pentecostals (such as Sydney's Hillsong Church) had been remarkable, along with ethnically based religions. For example, the Coptic Orthodox Church grew by 83 per cent between 1991 and 2001.
"Immigrants head to the churches in large numbers, even if they did not attend in their homelands," Dr Hughes said. However, he said he discounted fears in some church circles of mass conversions to Islam.
"The number of converts is very small, probably in the realm of less than a thousand or two. Only 2.5 per cent of all Muslims in Australia were born of Australian-born parents and some of these would be grandchildren of immigrants."
About 25,000 Australians identified themselves as Buddhist at the last census. Dr Hughes said young people liked its simplicity and ethics.
He said changes in immigration meant religion was now more diverse. Between 1996 and 2001, Buddhist numbers grew by 79 per cent, Hindus by 42 per cent and Muslims 40 per cent.
But all these groups together were still less than 5 per cent of the population.
Books You Might Enjoy:
Eliphas Levi - The Conjuration Of The Four Elements
John Ankerberg - Satanism And Witchcraft The Occult And The West Part Ii
Aj Drew - Wicca Spellcraft For Men
Origin: spells-and-chants.blogspot.com
