One class of drugs has proven to be particularly useful in producing
the shifts in consciousness needed for doing magick. Psychedelics work by
radically changing our perceptions, causing states of heightened emotions,
heightened senses, hallucinations, and changes in neuro pathways. The most
commonly consumed psychedelics are: psilocybin, THC, LSD, MDMA, and DMT, all of
which are currently illegal in most countries and (many would argue without
merit) classified as Schedule I in the US—of no clinical value and has high
rates of abuse. As with many other drugs, this classification stems more from lack
of cultural familiarity and as a means for systemic persecution of those who
commonly use them.
This classification has led to a lack of serious medical research into
their properties for over fifty years. It has only been in the past twenty
years that research, closely scrutinized by the government, has seen the light
of day. The majority of these studies have found these substances useful in
fighting depression, ease and comfort for terminally ill patients, facilitating
emotional bonds in family therapy, and ironically, treating addiction. It is
important to note:
No credible study of any of
these substances has found any negative short-term health effects when taken by
adults in recommended doses. No data exists on the effects of chronic,
long-term use. None of these substances have been found to be physically
addictive.
This should not delude anyone into believing these substances do no
harm. They can be abused just like any other coping mechanism, such as over
eating or watching too much TV. By far the largest contributing factor in their
potential to do harm comes from them being illegal. Black market substances
have no quality control. They can vary wildly in potency and purity. It makes
it much easier for them to be adulterated, as no authority exists to punish the
manufacturer without punishing the victim. Depending on your locale, possession
can be punishable by loss of employment, fines, long prison sentences, and in
some places execution. May the spirits protect ye brave psychonauts.
Each of these substances have different properties and different uses
in a magical context. We will also touch on some of the social and physical
uses for them as well, as they can be just as important for an individual
magus. While we endeavor to describe the mental experience of each drug, keep
in mind that it can differ radically from person to person, depends heavily on
dosage, and oftentimes cannot be described in words. We recommend that each
individual research for themselves possible interactions, proper dosage, and
proper consumption, and to always err on the side of caution.
We constantly tell people in Emergent Magick that you should be practicing with a group. Yet there are so few good examples of group ritual out there. So I thought I would share this.
Incantor – The Incantor holds a book,
wears black robes, and will be given a crown
Anointers – Carrying bowls of Abramelin
Oil, and crowns
Elements – Wear color coordinated
clothes if possible (shades of blue for water, shades of red for fire, shades
of yellow & white for air, shades of brown and black for earth.) Wearing
colored bandanas and carrying instruments (drum for earth, strings for water, brass
for fire, wind instrument for air)
Gods – Naked with a blanket or sheet to
hide under
The Mighty Dead – Wearing skull masks
and carrying rattles
Drummers – (Zey and Toast)
Preparation
Hang four
posters with AŌTH ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK SABAŌTH IAŌ on each wall. Hang the poster
with the Orion constellation on the ceiling. Pass out all props and a black
card and markers to the participants.
Background
(Have every participant inscribe their black card with “AŌTH
ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK” as the Incantor explains the background.)
There are several theories on how magick works, from it
being a purely psychological construct, to manipulating natural energies. We
call these models of magick. Most see magick as a combination of these principles.
One of the oldest is the spirit model. It is the belief that
a magician contacts the spirits—be they ghosts, gods, or spirits of animals or
objects—in order to effect things physically and metaphysically. This is the
basis for the oldest religion, animism. Which is still practiced by
hunter-gatherer societies today.
The image of the shaman or magician being headless comes
from prehistory. One of the oldest megalithic structures that pre-dates
civilization, Göbekli Tepe, shows numerous headless figures wearing ceremonial
belts. It is the idea that the magician has their head in the spirit world. Numerous
ancient burials have been discovered with the head separated from the body, and
the imagery cuts across times and cultures. It symbolizes the journey all
shaman take to learn how to communicate with the spirits and to speak for the
tribe.
We are about to perform a version of a ritual called the
Headless Rite. It is one of the oldest magical rituals ever recorded, believed
to be Egyptian in origin, and first written of in a series of documents
referred to as the Greek Magical Papyri that date from 200 BCE to 500 AD. The
purpose of the Headless Rite is to send an invitation to the spirits letting
them know you are open for dialogue. The words AŌTH ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK SABAŌTH
IAŌ have no direct translation. They are a magical cipher. The name of the
Headless One who acts as an intermediary with the spirit world. The cards you
are creating become a talisman to carry with you, a sort of spirit calling
card. Many who have performed this ritual report strange events and dreams
about dogs. The dog being the animal spirit that guards the underworld.
So this is real old school, and originally written for a
single participant. I have done my best to orient this to a group ritual, but
it still has some old school elements—like a single person reciting most of the
lines. But I have written in many roles and activities for the ritual that I
hope make it more interesting.
Let’s blow our heads off!
ABCs
We will start with a quick ancient Egyptian banishing. Then
the drummers will start a slow beat. Everyone will be anointed with Abramelin
Oil. Abramelin Oil is another very old school magical tool, a scented anointing
oil used since Ancient Egypt. Everyone will also be given a crown to make them
one of the rulers of the heavens and earth. Those in the outer circle will
start dancing clockwise, chanting ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK SABAŌTH IAŌ. The inner
circle will be the Mighty Dead (representing our ancestors), the Elements
(representing the rulers of all spirits of objects and place), and the gods
(the spirits of the outer world). The Incantor will recite the incantation, and
summon the spirits. They will start dancing counter-clockwise when called. Once
the spirits are called, participants will start entering the circle and
approach any one of the spirits. The spirit will lift their crown off,
symbolizing taking off their head. Headless participants will then start
dancing counterclockwise until we have a big mosh pit. The ritual ends as the
drummers climax and everyone cheers.
Banishing/Invocation
The spirits should mentally invoke any representation of the
type of being they are portraying. Everyone else shouts the words SET-WA SET-WA
SEM YEOW (away, away all travelling spirits in Coptic Egyptian), then cups
their hands to their mouths and blows air, visualizing that breath as a force
blowing away all negativity.
Anointing
The gods and the anointers approach the Incantor. The
anointers are carrying the Abramelin Oil and the crowns. The Goddess anoints
the Incantor’s forehead. The God places a crown on the Incator’s head. They
both say, “I make thee a ruler of the Earth, the spirits, and the
heavens.” The gods then go under
blankets until they are called. The elements stand in place until they are
called. The Mighty Dead sit on the floor until they are called.
The Incantor turns to one of the anointers, anoints them
with oil, gives them a crown, and says, “By the power of the Gods I make thee a
ruler of the Earth, the spirits, and the heavens.” The one he anoints repeats
the process with the second. Then both anointers bless each participant (but
not the spirits) in the same way until all have been anointed and crowned. The
anointers then join the outer circle.
The Calling of the
Headless One
The drum beat picks up to a medium tempo. The participants
start to dance and chant ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK SABAŌTH IAŌ.
The Incantor speaks:
“Subject to me all daimons, so that every daimon, whether
heavenly or aerial or earthly or subterranean or terrestrial or aquatic, might
be obedient to me and every enchantment and scourge which is from God.
I summon you, Headless One, who created earth and heaven,
who created night and day, you who created the Light and the Darkness; you are
Osonnophris whom none has ever seen; you are Iabas; you are Iapos; you have
distinguished the just from the unjust; you have made female and male; you have
revealed seed and fruits; you have made men love each other and hate each
other.
I am Threskiornis your prophet to whom you have transmitted
your mysteries celebrated by Avinsthr’l; you have revealed the moist and the
dry and all nourishment; hear me.
I am the messenger of Pharoah Osoronnophris; this is your
true name which has been transmitted to the prophets of Avinsthr’l.
Hear me,
I call the spirits of the four elements. (The elements start
dancing counter-clockwise. They at times shout and wave their arms at
participants in the outer circle and play their instruments.)
ARBATHIAŌ REIBET ATHELEBERSĒTH ARA BLATHA ALBEU EBENPHCHI
CHITASGOĒ IBAŌTH IAŌ;
I call upon you, awesome and invisible god with an empty
spirit, AROGOGOROBRAŌ SOCHOU MODORIŌ PHALARCHAŌ OOO.
Holy Headless One, deliver me from the daimon that restrains
me,
ROUBRIAŌ MARI ŌDAM BAABNABAŌTH ASS ADŌNAI APHNIAŌ ITHŌLETH
ABRASAX AĒŌŌY;
Mighty Headless One, deliver me from the daimon which
restrains me. MABARRAIŌ IOĒL KOTHA ATHORĒBALŌ ABRAŌTH,
Deliver me,
I call the Mighty Dead! (The Mighty Dead start dancing
counter-clockwise. They at times lunge and wave their arms at participants in the
outer circle and play their rattles.)
AŌTH ABRAŌTH BASYM ISAK SABAŌTH IAŌ.
He is the Lord of the Gods; he is the Lord of the Inhabited
World; he is the one whom the winds fear; he is the one who made all things by
command of his voice.
Lord, King, Master, Helper, save the soul,
I call the Gods Themselves! (The Gods start dancing
counter-clockwise. They can interact with the outer dancers as they are
compelled.)
We become the Headless Daimon with sight in his feet; We
become the mighty one who possesses the immortal fire; We are the truth who
hates the fact that unjust deeds are done in the world; We are the one who
makes the lightning flash and the thunder roll; We are the one whose sweat
falls upon the earth as rain so that it can inseminate it; We are the one whose
mouth burns completely; We are the one who begets and destroys; We become the
Favor of the Aion; our name is a Heart Encircled by a Serpent; Come Forth and
Follow.
The Incantor approaches one of the gods and they remove his
crown. The Incantor then starts beckoning the participants to enter the circle.
The participant can approach any spirit and that spirit will remove their
crown. After their crown is removed the participant continues chanting but
dances counter-clockwise.
After all crowns are removed the drummers crescendo. When
the drumming stops, everyone shouts to Orion.
In EMK, “Magick is the art of altering consciousness.” While the statement seems succinct enough; it requires additional explanation and agreeance on the terms within the definition itself.
The most elusive word is consciousness. Not surprisingly, since modern science and philosophy has yet to come to a consensus on what consciousness is, how it is created, what possesses it, and if it even objectively exists. We make no claim to ultimate truth, but consciousness in the context of EMK has certain characteristics.
In EMK, everything a magus can perceive contains consciousness. Including the magi themselves. However, all things contain differing levels of consciousness. Levels of consciousness varies among different instances of the same object, from animal to animal in the same species, and from person to person. Consciousness also exists in non-corporeal entities and ideas.
Not surprisingly, this brings Emergent Magick in line with the first human belief system—animism. In animism all things–rocks, rivers, animals, etc.–contain their own spirit. In most respects, spirit is synonymous with consciousness.
Frater Threskiornis, Emergent Magick
By the archaeological evidence, magick before civilization was practiced by tribal men and women, who learned to talk with spirits, both alien spirits and spirits of the dead. The term shaman originally referred to the wise men of certain Siberian hunter-gatherer tribes, but it has been adopted to mean any wise person from a tribal culture who uses altered states of consciousness to travel to other realms and contact spirits.
They were the lynchpin of tribal society, responsible for maintaining the tribe’s social bonds. Since they could communicate with the ancestors, they served as their representative, passing on traditions and keeping the tribe’s history.
They also maintained the bonds by leading group ritual. The shaman talked to the plant spirits and learned the properties of plants and the processes of turning them into a sacrament. The sacrament almost always consisted of a mixture of alcohol and psychedelics. The shaman used the sacrament in their own spirit quests, and distributed them to the entire tribe in times of celebration. Using ritual that contained dancing and drumming, the tribe would build a communal consciousness.
The shaman also provided healing and divination for the tribe through contact with the spirits.
Frater Threskiornis, Emergent Magick
Emergent Magick (EMK) views the practice of magick as an evolving art form starting from the very beginnings of the Homo genus. Archaeological evidence shows that even Neanderthals honored their dead. The tombs of our ancestors show that to some degree, we as a species have always known something exists beyond what we can normally perceive.
In this view, magick progresses from era to era in different forms. However, even though the practice has evolved, it does not make older forms of magick less valid. While EMK provides the most useful philosophy of magick for modern magi in our current culture, there remains much to learn from older forms of magick. They continue to reveal their secrets through advances in archaeology and history. They also benefit from being practiced in a culture that universally believed in magick and having the best minds of their eras tasked to the magical arts. While EMK takes a progressive, postmodern approach to magick, it also seeks to learn from and in some ways emulate the shamanic magicians that practiced magick for tens of thousands of years of human pre-history.
Frater Threskiornis, Emergent Magick
The Emergent Magick book is on the downhill slide. The first draft is close to complete. Which is why I have been putting up some more quotes. Please don’t hesitate to ask questions if you are interested in this new magical philosophy.
“I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation.” ― George Bernard Shaw.
The citadel of Emergent Magick is
built from stone mined through the disciplines of yoga.
3) PSYCHEDELIA
Once you lick the eye of god you can
never forget the taste.
4) PHILOSOPHY
Magick done without drugs, isn’t.
5) AEONICS
EMK is the slow magick; the long
invocation.
6) GRADES
The Order of Emergent Magi does not
employ a grade system. Certain members may take the title of Primary
Narrator (PR).
~ Frater Zentra El
One of the core differences between its predecessor, Chaos Magick, and Emergent Magick lies in how they approach belief. Classic Chaos Magick uses belief as a tool. In that philosophy, beliefs can be added and discarded as desired. While some chaos magicians hold core beliefs throughout their magical practice, most change their paradigm frequently, oftentimes on a whim. Chaos Magick advocates switching beliefs in order to find the right tool for the job. While this can work if all a magician is interested in is operative magick, it becomes a detriment to spiritual growth. A belief can better be seen as a muscle. Use it frequently and it becomes stronger and more useful. Use it seldom and it fails to perform when needed.
Frater Threskiornis, Emergent Magick
Enacting a ritual requires the development of meaning. In magick, meaning develops through the use of symbols. Humans seem to do this par excellence, though we are far from the only species on the planet that uses symbols, and our lack of understanding when it comes to the consciousness of plants and other animals may prove them to be just as capable. Hear the mournful strains of a wolf’s howl, and you will know that it conveys something more than any animal behaviorist can guess.
Frater Threskionis, Emergent Magick
All rituals have purpose. This can be deliberately vague, just like any other art form. You can perform ritual simply for enjoyment. You can perform ritual to achieve some tangible result, though you will often find those results to be subtle, and produce effects more in line with what you truly need than what you think you want. In the same respect, rituals performed for sheer pleasure often produce effects well beyond the scope of the original purpose. Such as raising your own awareness to the reality of love, and strengthening the bonds of love between the participants. While Joseph Campbell called ritual “the enactment of a myth,” this does not limit them to some kind passion play based on a mythological story. In the best rituals a magus creates their own myth.
