Venus Talisman for Prosperity

November 16, 2013, 7:43 am

≪ Previous: Rufus Opus Professional Facebook Page!

A pic of the 1st Pentacle of Venus I found on
the Internet. Wow. So power. Much Venus.

I like to make people happy. It's a True Will thing with me. Part of the whole "I made the Stone, so now imma heal the World" schtick.

As you know, I focus on Jupiter talismans a whole lot when it comes to wealth magic. It's part of the whole King and Kingdom thing, Jupiter is a major source of all things beneficial to humans in the flesh, including health, wealth, and peace.

But Jupiter talismans don't help everyone. There are various hypotheses about why a Jupiter talisman may bring wealth to one person, and a house flood to someone else. These range from afflicted Jupiter in the natal chart, which is something I only barely understand, to people having father-figure issues or deeply ingrained fear of capricious vindictive rapacious sky daddies with loaded lightning bolts and a penchant for really good bourbons.

Fortunately for folks with Jupiter issues, we know that magicians can work with different types of forces to get similar results. On the Kircher Tree of Life, the sphere of Venus lies below the Sphere of Jupiter, indicating the harmonic resonance of the two spheres. In my own work with Venus, I saw she expressed a similar kind of grace that also resulted in the good favor and blessinggs that come from the Jupiter force integration, and also the wealth that comes from being well liked by people in power. Also, she's freakin' Venus... womb of all that is pleasurable and luxurious, neh?

So I started poking around, and figured I'd start with the Pentacles of Venus from The Key of Solomon. I made my first prototype, a copper disk with the 1st Pentacle engraved on one side, and the 2nd engraved on the other. According to the manual, the first pentacle grants you the authority to control the spirits of Venus depicted on the other talismans, and the second is "proper for obtaining grace and honor, and for all things which belong unto Venus, and for accomplishing all thy desires herein."

Original Prototype on
Hand-made Copper Disk

In the consecration of this talisman, I got to meet the four spirits of the First Pentacle, Nogahiel, Acheliah, Socodiah and Nangariel. They are a rather dark lot, considering the things they represent. I blessed* the talisman itself so that the entities would work towards noble ends in the lives of those who use the talisman. It made a very noticeable difference right away in the quality of spiritual harmonics in the temple space.

I believe the four spirits of the 1st Pentacle of Venus are the ones who do all the works described in the other pentacles of the Venus. The system seems to be like a physical conjuration and statement of intent all at once. The 1st Pentacle is the conjuration of the spirits, and the rest of the pentacles of Venus are the statements of intent.

The process:

I made my copper disk in the hour of Venus on a Friday (to the annoyance of my neighbors, who don't seem to appreciate metallurgy on the porch of the condo when their soaps are on or something... sorry neighbor!). The talisman itself is roughly oval shaped, an inch and a half tall by an inch and three-quarters wide. It's slightly bowl-shaped, with Pentacle 1 on the convex side, and Pentacle 2 on the concave side. I did the engravings in the hour of Venus as well, if I remember right. I should really write this stuff down. I used my dremel tool with tungsten bits. The copper is harder to engrave than the silver, and much harder than the tin. Getting the technique down for the amount of pressure to use is an interesting experience.

Opposite Side of Prototype

The Second Pentagram includes a versicle in Latin around the outer edge of the pentacle. For the 4th Pentacles of Jupiter, I've been putting that on the back to avoid what happened with this Venus talisman: I ran out of room around the edge. Sigh.

I did what they did with the Magic Circle in the Lemegeton's Goetia, continued the versicle in a spiral moving inward. Then I engraved the circle and pentagram and seals within the room that was left, and really, I wish I'd made a larger disk so I could avoid this issue. A 2" by 2" disk would probably have solved the problem.

As it is, I managed to get the symbols into the seal, and it looks ... well, it looks okay, but it's not a piece of art. Fortunately, ugly talismans work. The power comes from the spirits and the symbols, not the aesthetics, thank god.

Mmmm, and speaking of which... I must say, I love this talisman's power. It is warm and inviting, it is gentle and potent. I can feel it moving through my sphere, making the Venus-related forces I've already worked with and integrated into my sphere tingly and warm, responding in awesome harmonies. I'm looking forward to playing with this one for a while.

If you're interested in making one of your own, the seals can be found at this link, and I recommend conjuring the spirits using a system like the one I describe in the Modern Angelic and Modern Goetic Grimoires during the consecration. If you're making it with paper, I'd use a really dark green ink for everything but the versicle, which should be in red.

Now More Beautiful

If you're interested in purchasing a Venus talisman, I've set up a link on my Talismans page. Also, in addition to the wealth and prosperity aspects, it's a super potent Venus talisman that, well, you know... It makes for the really good sexzor manifestations, and teh lurves! Everyone wants teh lurves!

These are now in
production with much nicer copper disks. $175** if you want a copper talisman created and consecrated by yours truly in the right hours and blessed for your prosperity and happiness in love.

Or freeif you do it yourself.

Just pointing that out for folks who get their undies in a bunch at the idea that I'm charging for this stuff. I charge for my time, experience, and occult skills, but only after telling folks how to do it themselves, for free.

* Jason told me things would be different when I worked with angels and demons after receiving ordination, and he was totally right. Things are different for priests than they are for other people. I'm liking this "Direct the Light of God as you see fit" thing a lot.

** So to come up with that number, I used gematria, which is code for "Math that means what I want it to!" Check it out: $175 / 7 = 25; 25 = 2 + 5 = 7... so, in a way, $175 = 7 * 7 where the second 7 = 2 + 5 = 25. It's totally magickal and legit. And compensates my hourly rate nicely.

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WTF is a "ROpocalypse" anyway?

November 7, 2013, 10:45 am

≫ Next: Responsibility and False Obligation

≪ Previous: Venus Talisman for Prosperity

It's the end of your motherfucking world, bitches. That's what it is.

Boom, Motherfucker.
Boom.

I'm not even joking. Let me show you.

First, you gotta understand what an "apocalypse" really is. Take a look at the definition from Wikipedia:

An apocalypse (Ancient Greek: ἀποκάλυψις apocálypsis, from ἀπό and καλύπτω meaning 'un-covering'), translated literally from Greek, is a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation, although this sense did not enter English until the 14th century. In religious contexts it is usually a disclosure of something hidden.

An apocalypse is, at its core essence, a revelation of a hidden truth. It's a vision of a spiritual reality that can change the world. It changes your perspective on things, and makes what you do more meaningful. It shows you the real value of what you're doing with your personal time.

As I get this steam engine steaming and get things rolling, I'll be publishing a cohesive, ongoing revelation about the human condition based on my experiences in Hermetic Magic, the pursuit of the Great Work, the creation of the Philosopher's Stone, and the subsequent use each precious grain of its miraculous powder in changing the world.

So ... basically, everything I've been writing about for years, and applying directly for the last year or so. It will, hopefully, be as life changing for you as it has been for me. There are certain things about it that make this ... uh, experience we share into something freaking amazing.

It's not really new. It's not even all that profound, really. Apocalypses rarely are. It's stuff you should know, stuff I've even talked about before in these 1200 blog posts. Stuff that makes sense.

But it's stuff that changes the world.

The world I'm making is a lot like this one, but instead of a planet full of idiots that piss you the fuck off with their endless bullshit all the time, it's populated with awesome, beautiful, powerful creator gods who laugh and love and fuck and drink and laugh some more, people who aren't doing shit that sucks, people who find something awesome and share it with you so you can enjoy it to, people who see you take it and make it your own and are all, damn, that's sweet! Instead of people going to jobs that suck all the time, it's got people who are just laughing about how money keeps coming in from amazing sources without even hardly trying. Instead of people miserable in their relationships, it's got people posting romantic images and comments to each other, smiling and humming when they think of one another.

Basically, it's this world we're in right now, only instead of being stuck and putting up with the pain and suffering of meeting ~~responsibilities~~ false obligations, it's filled with fulfilled people pursuing their reason for existence, people creating fun and exciting lives for the joy of it.

The joy of it...

That's the ROpocalypse.

Hang on.

↧

Responsibility and False Obligation

November 11, 2013, 7:51 am

≫ Next: Nothing but AN EYE...

≪ Previous: WTF is a "ROpocalypse" anyway?

When I defined the ROpocalypse the other day, I had said something about how people don't have to be stuck in the pain of fulfilling their responsibilities, and that statement had Jason asking for clarification.

When I looked at what I'd said, I understood why he was concerned, so I changed "responsibilities" to "false obligations," which is more accurate, but less how it feels when you're dealing with it in real life.

See, there's a pile of bullshit surrounding the idea of "responsibility." I was married and had three kids who called me dad, two of which were my own offspring. My relationship was toxic, and my life was hell. My spouse was abusive, and blamed me for all the problems she faced in life. She convinced me that I owed her a living because we had kids. She played on social standards, on my pride and sense of what makes a human male valuable as "a man." She played me like a violin.

What happened was I fell for an exagerrated sense of responsibility. Yes, I was responsible for my kids. Yes, to a degree, I was responsible for providing for our family. But I was not the sole party responsible for that provision because...

I was not the only adult in the relationship.

I took on more than my share of the responsibility, and I took the abuse and the manipulations and the constant blows to my sense of worth because I felt like it was my responsibility. I didn't pursue my joy because I felt obligated to suffer because I'd had kids with a poisonous woman.

But guess what? I was wrong.

I am responsible for providing two things for my offspring: financial support to cover food, clothing. and shelter, and a role model of male humanity to base their expectations on. Money and a social example. That's what I'm responsible for. And that's it.

My ex is responsible for her choices, and her decisions. It took a lawyer to really explain that to me, and a therapist, and today in conversation, I realized I'm still working through some of this stuff. Humans are responsible for their offspring up to a point, and then they are responsible for themselves. That's what being an adult is all about, being responsible for yourself.

Yes, we can get ourselves in bad situations that we are responsible for. We have to dig ourselves out. But we aren't responsible for other adults who are not helping. It's ok to say, "Hey, I'm doing my part, will you do yours?" and if they refuse, to leave. There is a limit to what you are expected to do in a relationship. It's a partnership, and neither adult partner has to change to suit the other if they don't want to. You can leave at any time.

It's a tricky thig, "responsibility," it's valid at its core as a concept, but if you are trapped by your responsibilities, it is worth taking a serious look at whether or not you are actually trapped by actual responsibilities, or if you've taken on a false sense of obligation where another adult is concerned.

If you are fulfilling your responsibilities in a healthy way, you're going to feel good. If you're feeling shitty, worn down, unappreciated, if you're making excuses to others about the behavior of your spouse, or how they treat you, if you're constantly having to get through the day by reminding yourself that it's temporary and that "this too shall pass," then wake up and take stock. Life feels good when you're healthy. It's not always going to feel good, of course, and you'd have to be an idiot to think that you'll always be happy no matter what. I'm not saying that.

But it feels good when you're doing it right. Most of the time. And I'm sure I'll have a lot more to say about that.

↧

Nothing but AN EYE...

November 13, 2013, 11:49 am

≫ Next: ROpocalypse Now!

≪ Previous: Responsibility and False Obligation

Ok, the presentation I intended to give at Crucible is now available online. It ended up being a couple hours long, and it took several hours to get this final form put together. It's not nearly the same thing presenting a presentation live as it is presenting it alone in an empty office, except for a cat who insists on meowing when you're recording.

Fortunately, I'm done. I'm not sure if I will be doing many more of these online presentations, they are kind of a pain in the ass. Hopefully in the future I'll find a way to do them on G+ to a live audience so it will just automagically go to youtube. That would rock.

RO at Crucible 2013

I wanted to share the information in these presentations because they are paret and parcel of what I think the point of the ROpocalypse is all about. In part 2, especially, I get into some heady mystical stuff that reveals the core of what I believe we are here to do, why we're here, what it's all about, and why it's all about that kind of thing. It speaks to the degree of freedom, happiness, and above all, the joy we can feel while we're here being awesom magi.

At Crucible, Harper and I wrapped up my presenation with a conjuration of Hermes Chthonios. We used trance/induction to createthe altered state, and then conjured H.'.C.'. to reveal his ecstatic mysteries. That isn't included in these presentations, but if you're interested, she and I are recording an MP3 of the induction and conjuration. I'll let you know when it's available.

Part the First:

In which are covered the basics of "Ecstatic Hermetics."

Nothing but AN EYE_Part1

More PowerPoint presentations from Rufus

Part the Second:

In which an analysis of Chapter 70 of The Book of Lies reveals the kind of Mystery one can unwrap using Ecstatic Hermetics.

For this presentation, it will help to have the following available:

Liber 333 The Book of Lies (Falsely So-Called) (PDF)
Liber B Vel Magi sub figura I (Web Page)

Nothing but AN EYE_Part2

More PowerPoint presentations from Rufus

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ROpocalypse Now!

November 14, 2013, 5:48 am

≫ Next: Awakenings

≪ Previous: Nothing but AN EYE...

Yesterday was the first episode of my ROpocalypse broadcast, tentatively called ROpocalypse Now!* First broadcast covers initial aims and goals, and stuff. I'm using Google Hangouts live broadcast, and will be letting people know in the future ahead of time when they will be going on. For the first one, I wanted to be able to record it and delete it if it sucked without too many people seeing it. This was take two, and I decided it's good enough, and not to worry too much about being perfect. This is just the start. I'll be smoothing out some of the rough edges as we go along.

This got posted to my Facebook Page yesterday afternoon. Please sign up there for early announcements, special offers, and so forth. It will make things easier for us all.

* Title subject to change if it gets too annoying, I'm already getting tired of typing it.

↧

Awakenings

November 18, 2013, 5:39 am

≫ Next: Pimp my Friends: Robert Contri Deserves a Camera

≪ Previous: ROpocalypse Now!

"Awakening"
by Nicole Lutz

It's warm under the covers, and it's kind of chilly outside. It's not winter-cold yet, it's still late autumn, and you know you'll only have to deal with the mild discomfort of losing that delicious warmth for a minute or two, and you know there's coffee waiting, all hot and fresh to perk your brain back to full consciousness, and you've even got a warm and fluffy robe hanging within easy reach of the bed, not two steps away... but it's warm where you are, and soft, and outside the bed are all the things you have to do. Rolling over, you find something you didn't expect, something wonderful... an even more comfortable position. Without even burning the energy it takes to make the decision consciously, you find yourself returning to the blissful state of sleep.

What wakes you up at the start of your day? An alarm? A schedule? Responsibilities, goals, ambitions? Is it pleasant, or is it painful?

Personally, I get a mix of different kinds of awakenings throughout the week. Sometimes I have the beautiful stress-free blissed out weekend where I have nothing planned and nothing to do, and other times I wake up at 12:30 a.m. thinking about all the things I have to do, and can't get back to sleep until I've get up and do something, anything that I can actually cross off the list. Sometimes my muscles are sore from working out and I can't get comfortable, or my allergies are kickin', or I've got the flu. Sometimes it's other people driving by honking horns, or neighbors crashing home drunk slamming doors while trying to be drunkenly silent (you know, not silent at all and laughing loudly while shushing themselves; hilarious when you're not trying to sleep, I'm sure). Sometimes I just really have to pee, like immediately.

Spiritual awakenings come in the same variety of ways. Sometimes it's a blissful experience of warmth, love, and joy, a feeling that comes with a sense of acceptance and peace, a feeling of everything coming together and fitting perfectly, a sense of awareness that just makes sense of everything you've seen and experienced, all at once.

But most of the time, not like that.

No, most of the time it comes like every other kind of waking. Blaring noises that jar us from our slumber. Growing discomfort and irritation. Other people being all loud with their spiritual dysfunctions, getting their spiritual excretions all over us. Feelings that something isn't right, and we just can't figure out what it is. A sense of knowing there's something we're supposed to be doing. A feeling like we've forgotten something important. A dis-ease, a discomfort, an ache, a pain, a sense of longing, a fundamental inability to find even one position that's even just a little bit comfortable enough.

Why is it that we fall asleep, in the first place? What is it about incarnation that leaves us so out of it spiritually that we find sleep and awakening to be such a great analogy? Why can some folks drown out that discomfort so easily by turning on the television, catching up on Doctor Who episodes, having a smokey scotch, or getting themselves the latest Coach bags, Hugo Boss jackets, or Minkoff shoes?

Well, that's easy, says Plotinus, in the First Tractate of the Fifth Ennead:

A child wrenched young from home and brought up during many years at a distance will fail in knowledge of its father and of itself: the souls, in the same way, no longer discern either the divinity or their own nature; ignorance of their rank brings self-depreciation; they misplace their respect, honouring everything more than themselves; all their awe and admiration is for the alien, and, clinging to this, they have broken apart, as far as a soul may, and they make light of what they have deserted; their regard for the mundane and their disregard of themselves bring about their utter ignoring of the divine.

We get born in the material world, we think this stuff is what it's all about, and we try really hard to be happy with it. But ... it just doesn't cut it, for most of us. I mean, sure, there are some folks who can drown out that discomfort, most of the time, with stuff.

But even the guy at the bar last week who admired my star sapphire ring, who noticed that it had a symbol of Jupiter engraved in it, with his college-football-Bud Light-pickup-truck-salt-life-sticker-rod and reel lifestyle, even he had a spiritual story to share with me when he caught the scent of my HGA coming through, finding himself explaining that he thought maybe we were actually "angels," or "aliens," some spirit from beyond the world we know and experience who manifest in the body somehow, maybe because we crashed or fell or something, unconsciously parallelling the teachings of Plato, the Neoplatonists, and Dionysius the Areopigate.

We may be strangers in a strange land, and we may try to blend in, but even at our best, most blended-in moments, we still have that awareness, that suspicion, that we're something else, something more, and that we'd know it and do it and be it, if we just woke up.

Plotinus has two methods he recommended for waking up.

A double discipline must be applied if human beings in this pass are to be reclaimed, and brought back to their origins, lifted once more towards the Supreme and One and First.
There is the method, which we amply exhibit elsewhere, declaring the dishonour of the objects which the Soul holds here in honour; the second teaches or recalls to the soul its race and worth; this latter is the leading truth, and, clearly brought out, is the evidence of the other.

I'm not into the first much. I think we can wake up and enjoy the stuff of this world, once we can appreciate that it isn't the truth that brings joy. But I'm all about the second method, teaching and recalling to the soul its race and worth:

You're a manifestation of the image of god; you're a child of god; your dad is the source of the universe, your mom is the material world, so you're both mortal and immortal, a god in the flesh; you are a divine mortal creator god living out your life, with access to amazing potential, you just have to remember, reclaim, renew your connections, and get busy enjoying it.

Cause that's what's waiting for us outside the bed. Out from under the covers. Past the momentary chill, as we wrap ourselves in our fluffy warm robes, dissolving the dregs of sleep in the caffeinated alchemical elixir of blessed coffee. We come to, and take a look around at the things we have to do, the things we have to work with, the things we want to accomplish today, tomorrow, next week, next year, and before we die.

Before I wrap it up, there's one more thing I'd like to point out...

There's always more. As long as you're alive in the flesh, as long as you breathe, as long as you fall asleep and awake each day, there will still be new awakenings. I mean, think about it, what happens to a person when they stop waking up?

I'm not dead yet. I'm still waking up to new layers of existence, new awareness, new realities about who I am, how I relate to the Source, what I can do in the flesh, and what I'm really here to get done before I bail. It never stops, that I can see, nor would I ever want it to. There's something special about the beginnings of things, the potentials, the unmanifest mysteries that we're about to experience and bring into being.

Through our awakenings.

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Pimp my Friends: Robert Contri Deserves a Camera

November 19, 2013, 12:08 pm

≫ Next: Choices

≪ Previous: Awakenings

TL/DR: CLICK THIS LINK and search for "Pie fights".

So a friend of mine who does film work entered a contest to make a film and possible win a camera. We have six days to vote for it, and at first I was going to be all, "Dude, check this out and vote for my friend cause he's my friend," and then I watched the video, and laughed my ass off.

We've all played that game. You know the one. I was crying by the end.

Anyway, go to THIS LINK AND SEARCH FOR "PIE FIGHTS" TO SEE THE VIDEO AND VOTE FOR IT IF YOU LAUGH.

There's no registration required at all. They need a couple hundred unique votes to get ahead of the top competition, and fuck it man, we can TOTALLY do this.

For more shits and giggles, friend Robert Contri on Facebook, and check his posts about filiming this video over the last week. "Pie fighting without a permit" is a thing.

Did I mention he did it in 6 days? THIS is what Hermeticists can manifest when they want shit done.

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Choices

November 20, 2013, 6:49 am

≫ Next: Get into the Divine Groove... But first...

≪ Previous: Pimp my Friends: Robert Contri Deserves a Camera

Frater Ashen recently wrote a very thoughtful and introspective post about his experiences with magic and religion. In the comments, he voiced some harsh observations about people in various occult systems. He was commenting on how people will claim to have great occult power, incredible self will, and amazing abilities to interact with the forces of creation, yet they live at the poverty line, suffer from obesity-related health and untreated mental health issues, and generally live shitty lives.

What I think he's saying, as he often says, is that magic is awesome, but show me that it works, don't just tell me. He wants to see physical results in the material world. And I think that's totally fair. "I can control the powers of the winds!" Great, can you control the power of your fork? The power of your couch? The power of the porn? The power of your shower?

In other words, can you control your self?

That's hard, man. It's the actual point of magical systems, really. "Know thyself" and stuff. The point of Hermetics, the thing I try to teach in the Red Work series of courses, is how to learn who you are, what you're made of, how to control your own powers of creation. And that's all about learning to control your self.

It starts with choices. The key to your power is your choice. That's how you manifest your fate, that's how you control what you will experience: You make your choices based on what you have in front of you. Minute by minute, you are making decisions that alter your experienced reality. Magic provides you with different choices, it helps you manifest different circumstances, opportunities, people, relationships, different kinds of experiences, but all that stuff has to come into being through your choices.

Your.

Choices.

I'm not saying you choose what you want and everything you experience is all your fault. Shit happens that comes from other people's choices too. We share the world with everyone else. We are not the only creator gods on the planet. Magic will not eliminate the influence and experience of everyone else's joyful incarnations, not even the stupid ones.

But we can choose how we react to things, we can make strategic choices that lead to huge world changing events. Choose to go to the gym anyway, when you don't feel like it. Choose to eat 200 calories fewer a day for a couple weeks. Choose to take a six week ab challenge. Wow, four weeks later, you've lost 10 pounds, and you can see your stomach changing shape.

I'm talking about body stuff because, magician, you don't have a more obvious way to prove that your Will changes your reality than your body. It's awesome, it's responsive, it changes so quickly. Do 20 minutes of cardio three times, every other day, and by day three you will see something fucking amazing: in three sessions, you went from gasping and near death to it feeling, actually, pretty good. Three times. 60 freaking minutes.

And that's exactly analogous to magic. You spend thirty minutes preparing, and you can have one of the Seven Planetary Governors created to manifest reality at the beginning of time by our Source talking to you in a cup of water, tonight. Really? Really.

Do you have immediate power and control and live an awesome life automagically? Does anything work that way? No.

I mean ... well, technically, functionally, yes, but it's not that ... I mean. Hmm.

Here, think about this... you are totally capable right now of getting up and changing everything about your life in an instant: Walk out the door, and never come back.

That's a choice you always have. That is the power to change your world at your command all the time.

It's not ever a good idea, in my opinion (and hard-learned experiences), but it's always an option you have, right now.

Remember that, though, and think about how even the less dramatic choices you make right now, in five minutes, this afternoon, tonight, all those choices are having the same effect: every choice you make is changing your world.

All the time.

Taking conscious control over this stuff is hard, of course. It takes practice. Magic teaches us stuff about ourselves and our power, it brings wisdom and understanding, insight and awareness. It offers a wider selection of choices. It teaches us to be the "deciders" of our lives, to make decisions from higher perspectives that make more sweeping changes across the Heavens and the Aethyrs, upon the Earth and under the Earth, on dry land and in the water, of whirling air and of rushing fire, so that every spell and scourge of god are obedient unto us, which is awesome! Of course!

But it still is only ours to use as we choose.

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Get into the Divine Groove... But first...

November 23, 2013, 8:07 am

≫ Next: Uncomplicating Things

≪ Previous: Choices

In today's post, I'd like to talk about how to accomplish the goal of attainment in hermetics as I understand it, but also (and perhaps more importantly) what has to happen first.

Ideal City by Piero Della Francesca

The goal of Hermetics is to bring you to full consciousness of your innate divine nature and how that divine spirit manifests through your material body to create and experience the world. The system, as I understand it, is not that complicated. I use the Trivium model of classical education, loosely, as my model for teaching all this stuff, when you're ready to start learning.

The Trivium were the three phases of education given to free citizens. They were the following:

Grammar: The introduction of the pieces and parts of the systems you are studying. When you learn to read and write a language, the first thing you must learn is the letters, the smallest unit that is used to make the larger units. You learn how they come together to make the sounds used when speaking the words of the language. You learn basic vocabularies, and the rules of spelling these words. You learn the basics of conjugation on these small vocabularies, and you learn the basic rules of how sentences are formed.
Logic: Once you've learned the basics and have a decent vocabulary, you begin to learn the logic behind the rules. You begin to learn nuance by studying the things others have written, more complicated dissertations and studies. You learn greater vocabularies, and you study not only the basic techniques of communication, but the methods of expressing meaning and information in style.
Rhetoric: When you have mastered the grammar and logic phases, you are ready to enter the rhetoric stage, where you take what you've learned and apply it. You are no longer reading the arguments of others, you are using the skills you've learned to craft your own arguments, to write your own poems, to sway audiences with your persuasive writing skills, to demonstrate the fallacies of competing ideas and the strengths of your own. You are no longer only using the language for basic communication, you are a master, using it to change the world around you.

Now, in every phase, you are learning to create and express ideas. What you learn as you progress is nuance, skill, complexity, and grace. A child in the grammar phase can express that they are hungry. An adolescent in the logic phase can express several types of food they are interested in consuming, and make compelling arguments for eating what they want. A master in the rhetoric stage can speak of the succulent aromas, textures, and flavors of foods, while weaving the ambiance of good friends celebrating life together over a bountiful meal in a way that leaves his audience drooling, and eager to be a member of the party that eats at the master's table, perhaps even being lucky enough to buy the master his meal.

That's the goal of the Red Work courses. The Black Work provides the grammar phase of instruction, the White and Green provide the Logic phase, and the experiences you gain in these come together to create the Master Hermeticist.

This is great for folks who are ready to start learning, who have time to go to god school, time to sit and do introspective contemplation, to understand who they are in relation to the temporal and eternal realms, and become divine gods in the flesh creating their world for their enjoyment as they see fit...

But fuck, man, sometimes life's more like ...

Learning all the stuff, integrating the forces, experimenting, developing skills, that stuff is the ideal goal, but when your shit's on fire, you don't go to class. You put out the freaking fire.

And if you can't put out the fire, you call a fireman.

Or a friendly neighborhood Hermeticist. I really like the Caduceus image, because it's used by medics. Triage, emergency work, putting out the fire, stopping the bleeding, fixing the leak before you start mopping, pick whatever analogy you like. If your life is going to hell, you aren't going to be able to take the time to learn anything. Once you've got things on track though, you'll be able to absorb that stuff like a sponge.

This is why I offer the products and services, as well as the Magus Factory stuff. I REALLY want everyone to be magicians, because that's ideal. But before you can learn that, you need to be able to focus. Not enough money is the biggest problem most folks have, and the easiest one I know of to fix with magic. Get a wealth talisman. Jupiter's the best for rapid expansion, if you know for sure Jupiter isn't afflicted in your natal. If Jupiter is afflicted in your natal, there's a Venus talisman that works similarly to the Jupiter talisman. If you're not sure if Jupiter's afflicted in your natal chart, check online for free, or have me (or an actual astrologer) do it for you. No matter what your situation is, though, there are rites or talismans that can be used to bring opportunities into your life.

Speaking of Venus talismans, the next biggest stressor people have in their lives keeping them from focusing on becoming magicians is der luuuuurve lives... relationships can be a major pain. Being in one is killing you, not being in one is killing you, breaking up is killing you, getting together is scaring the fuck out of you... Relationship issues are as stressful as money issues, honestly. Again, there are rites that can be performed, and talismans made to bring you peace of mind over your relationship situation. For the Love Magic stuff, I don't have a page up yet, but I'll be working on that soon. For now, email me and I'll talk to you about your situation and let you know what I can do.

And then there's the general anxiety default, where you might have enough money, and you might be fine regarding relationships, but you just can't seem to relax and you don't know what to do about it. For those situations, a general diagnosis can take a deep look at everything that's going on in your life to figure out where that sense of displacement and dis-ease might be coming from, as well as recommending the path to fix the issue.

And if you just can't seem to get anywhere, and you're stuck, and you want someone who has been doing this stuff for a wile and has used it effectively in their own life and the lives of their clients and friends to step in and fix everything, there's the RO Personal Treatment.

And folks, remember, I learned all this stuff for free, going through www.esotericarchives.com, and the sacred texts of the corpus Hermeticum. And you don't have to go through me, if something else is more your style. Jason Miller is offering his services full time now too, and I have root worker friends, astrologers both modern and renaissance, geomancers and demonolators who I'd recommend you to if that's your thing instead of Hermetics. Ask me, and I'll hook you up. Email address link is above.

Whatever it takes, whatever path works for you, brothers and sisters, fix your lives, have a good time, get on with the enjoyment. Not sayin' it's all going to be easy, but it's certaily going to be more enjoyable overall.

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Uncomplicating Things

December 1, 2013, 8:04 am

≫ Next: Exquisite Experiences

≪ Previous: Get into the Divine Groove... But first...

I was poking around Amazon, and wound up on a Neil Gaiman book page, and scrolling down I found his Biography. It's three sentences long, you can look up the other two sentences. The first one is the one that matters:

"I make things up and write them down."

That, ladies and gentlemen, is all. That's magic, the Philosopher's Stone, the Secret of the Universe. That's the nut and the nut shell. The entirety of everything, summed up and uncomplicated. This is what we do, each and every one of us, and all the work and practice and exercises and initiations and empowerments are all completely and totally about revealing this fact, and then making you really good at it.

Skip ahead, it saves time.

Make things up.

Write them down.

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Exquisite Experiences

December 7, 2013, 3:03 pm

≫ Next: Key of Solomon Talismans

≪ Previous: Uncomplicating Things

I'm a big fan of exquisite experiences, but nothing is better than hanging out with magicians talking about magic. Frater Bryan Ashen and his scryer Strider and Harper and I were able to meet and enjoy each others' company this afternoon, and it was brilliant! We talked about magic and our experiences conjuring and seeing for a couple of hours, and it seemed like minutes. There is a vibe between folks that have done this stuff. Truly awesome.

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Key of Solomon Talismans

December 16, 2013, 8:40 am

≫ Next: Memory Boost for Finals Time!

≪ Previous: Exquisite Experiences

Lately I've been playing with the Key of Solomon Pentacles, and the spirits on the seals. I must say they are really fun, and really effective. I use the pentacle that is sort of like the key to the other pentacles on one side, and the pentacle with the desired effect on the other, for the ones where that is necessary.

The following other talismans are currently available, though I haven't gotten around to updating my web site with all of these yet. Purchasing information is at the bottom of the blog post for now.

Pentacles of Venus:

2nd Pentacle of Venus: Graceful Desires - Shown to the right, it is the one I am selling for wealth and prosperity for folks with Jupiter issues in their natal charts. Description from the KoS: These pentacles are also proper for obtaining grace and honor, and for all things which belong unto Venus, and for accomplishing all thy desires herein.

4th Pentacle of Venus: Come to Me - Not shown, but really beautiful. This one I won't make for just anyone, so far I've only made it for a root worker who convinced me she won't abuse it TOO much, without good cause... like making a decent profit. Description from the KoS: It is of great power, since it compels the spirits of Venus to obey, and to force on the instant any person thou wishest to come unto thee.

Pentacles of Mercury:

To empower the Pentacles of Mercury, I use the 3rd Pentacle, and then engrave the following on the other side:

2nd Pentacle of Mercury: The Miracle Maker - I'm still experimenting with this one, but so far I like it lots. Description from the KoS: The spirits herein written serve to bring to effect and to grant things which are contrary unto the order of Nature; and which are not contained under any other head. They easily give answer, but they can with difficulty be seen.

4th Pentacle of Mercury: Key to the Universe - This pentacle is simply amazing. I don't think there is anything I could possibly want to know that this pentacle won't bring into fruition. My current experiments with it have left me hungry for more, and I can't wait to see what happens next. Those Allatori are pretty amazing. Description from the KoS: The fourth pentacle of Mercury.-- This is further proper to acquire the understanding and knowledge of all things created, and to seek out and penetrate into hidden things; and to command those spirits which are called Allatori to perform embassies. They obey very readily.

5th Pentacle of Mercury: Opener of Ways - This pentacle has served to clear out several of the issues blocking my clients and their success upon the earth, under the earth, on dry land and you get it. One person was struggling with an obstinate ex-spouse, and this cleared up the troubles they were having, another was unable to break through to a new career, and these guys stepped in on her behalf, bringing an awesome series of synchroniities into being to turn her career around. Description from the KoS: This commandeth the spirits of Mercury, and serveth to open doors in whatever way they may be closed, and nothing it may encounter can resist it.

Pentacles of the Sun

I'm only offering two of the Pentacacles of the Sun, one for wealth, and the other for the ability to see spirits. These ought to be engraved in gold, but that's pretty expensive stuff. If you want them engraved in gold, know it's going to take about a half an ounce to make a disk big enough for these symbols, plus the cost of me actually engraving it, consecrating it, and shipping it. You're looking at about $1200 at today's prices. It would be incredibly poweful, but still...

Fortunately, we can use silver, because silver receives the properties of all the spheres, which keeps the talismans affordable and effective.

For the Solar talismans, I engrave the 2nd pentacle on one side, to empower the talisman and to humble the spirits of the Sun, which are proud, and then engrave the following seals on the other side, depending on what you are looking for:

3rd Talisman of the Sun: King Maker - This talisman is about getting the honor and glory and recognition of your awesome skills, talent, and potential. These are all effects I normally associate with Jupiter, but these guys are of a different octave, that is, they focus on the expression of that favor and abundant grace obtained Jupiter. They are like Jupiter Blessings on Crack. Ka-pow! I'm diggin' them a lot. Description from KoS: This serveth in addition ... to acquire kingdom and empire, to inflict loss, and to acquire renown and glory, especially through the name of God, Tetragrammaton, which therein is twelve times contained.

4th Talisman of the Sun: Into the Light! - This talisman is designed to help you see spirits, to get the visible manifestation so many people are after. I haven't played with this one yet, but it's one I figured I'd make available because it looks like it would be fun to make, and my clients are always looking for help in the ability to see spirits. Description from KoS: This serveth to enable thee to see the spirits when they appear invisible unto those who invoke them; because, when thou hast uncovered it, they will immediately appear visible.

4th Pentacle of Mars
(pics taken at weird angle,
the talisman is actually square)

Mars Talismans

I'm offering the following two Mars talismans from the KoS:

The 2nd Pentacle of Mars: Disease Destroyer - This talisman turns the forces of Mars against diseases that are afflicting you. You simply hold it against the part of the body that is afflicted, and call on the spirits of Mars (names will be provided with the talisman) and ask for their aid in your victory over the disease. Description from KoS: This pentacle serveth with great success against all kinds of diseases, if it be applied unto the afflicted part.

The 4th Pentacle of Mars: Victorious Warrior - If you find yourself in battle or under threat of battle, this talisman is designed to bring you victory. The intent is to bring you victory in any form of combat, armed, unarmed, literal or metaphorical. This is the kind of thing that aids the bearer regardless of their intent, whether drug runner or DEA agent, soldier or insurrectionist alike. Note: Ask about the Deployed Military Discount. Description from KoS: It is of great virtue and power in war, wherefore without doubt it will give thee victory.

Custom Talismans from the Key of Solomon

There are other talismans I'll make for some people, under some conditions from the Key of Solomon on a case by case basis. For example, if you are a fellow purveyor of magical services, and you have need of some of the stronger, or darker forces it provides (and you're sure you can handle having this shit in your temple space), let me know and I'll create the talismans you need in the appropriate hours of the appropriate days.

Purchasing:

Use the Buy Now option below to select the talisman you'd like to order:

Key of Solomon Operations on Your Behalf

If you're looking for a short-term influx of the forces represented by the talismans, I have a full set that I can use on your behalf. The results will not be as impressive, or as effective as if you buy the actual physical talismans, of course, but it's a useful solution for people going through conflicts, dealing with love issues, or who need a boost in being able to see spirits. It doesn't work with all the talismans, of course. You need to actually apply the Disease Destroyer talisman to the afflicted part of the body, for example, and the King Maker talisman... well, it definitely needs to be operating physically in your sphere to reap the full benefits. The things I think will work without purchasing the talisman itself can be purchased below, but bear in mind for the full effect in the long term, you'll need the talisman.

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Memory Boost for Finals Time!

December 16, 2013, 12:37 pm

≫ Next: Take an Inventory

≪ Previous: Key of Solomon Talismans

Hey there, college students, it's that most wonderful time of the year: FINALS! The chance to show off how smart you are, how much you've learned, and how awesome you'll be when it's time to apply your education in the real world! Are you friggin' PSYCHED!?!?

The sounds of your rejoicing are nigh unto overwhelming!

Heh, I'm laughing, but not entirely in an asshole kind of way. I'm sure you'll do fine.

But for a little ... ahem ... help from our invisible friends, it's Mercury time! I'll be performing a memory-blessing rite in the Mercury hour to aid in your studies. It won't bring knowledge you haven't learned because you were tripping balls instead of going to class, ya slackers, but it should help you remember what you've been studying when you're sitting there in class.

If you'd like to be a part of the RO-performance of this blessing, you can purchase the rite below.

If you're up to doing it yourself, mix up a martini, light yourself a silver candle, burn some frankincense, and conjure up Raphael, Tiriel, Taphthartharath, Hermes and Mnemosyne and ask them for a little help with your memory. The seals and lamens are below, you can use the conjuration technique from the Modern Angelic Grimoire, and recite the Orphic Hymns to Hermes and Mnemosyne as your statement of intent.

The Orphic Hymn to Hermes goes like this:

Hermes, draw near, and to my pray'r incline, angel of Jove [Zeus], and Maia's son divine; Studious of contests, ruler of mankind, with heart almighty, and a prudent mind. Celestial messenger, of various skill, whose pow'rful arts could watchful Argus kill: With winged feet, 'tis thine thro' air to course, O friend of man, and prophet of discourse: Great life-supporter, to rejoice is thine, in arts gymnastic, and in fraud divine: With pow'r endu'd all language to explain, of care the loos'ner, and the source of gain. Whose hand contains of blameless peace the rod, Corucian, blessed, profitable God; Of various speech, whose aid in works we find, and in necessities to mortals kind: Dire weapon of the tongue, which men revere, be present, Hermes, and thy suppliant hear; Assist my works, conclude my life with peace, give graceful speech, and me memory's increase.

And the Orphic Hymn to Mnemosyne goes like this:

The consort I invoke of Jove [Zeus] divine, source of the holy, sweetly-speaking Nine; Free from th' oblivion of the fallen mind, by whom the soul with intellect is join'd: Reason's increase, and thought to thee belong, all-powerful, pleasant, vigilant, and strong: 'Tis thine, to waken from lethargic rest all thoughts deposited within the breast; And nought neglecting, vigorous to excite the mental eye from dark oblivion's night. Come, blessed power, thy mystic's mem'ry wake to holy rites, and Lethe's fetters break.

To have me perform the rite for you (I've got the setup already, uh, set up), use the button below (US $49.95):

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Take an Inventory

December 26, 2013, 6:00 am

≫ Next: Sex in a Stall

≪ Previous: Memory Boost for Finals Time!

Hey there, you post-Christmas stoned folks! Hope your holidays were great and you're turning your attention to the coming year. For those of us who like to plan things out, this coming week is a great time to figure out where you are in life, where you want to be, and what it's going to take to get you there. It's a time to get your poop in a group, get rid of the shit you don't need, and make room for the shit you do need.

But first, you need to have an idea of what you've got already. Take some time this week to take an inventory of your life. List the resources you have at hand to make things happen the way you want. Take a look at your budget, your income, expenses, responsibilities and luxuries. Take a look at your bank records and see what you've spent your money on for the last three months.

Don't stop there!

How's your health? Can you touch your toes and your nose without falling over backwards? (Christmas morning, I could ot, but there was alcohol involved.) Look in your fridge and cabinets. What kind of foods do you eat? Lots of processed stuff, or natural living things? How are your walking shoes? Worn out and in need of repair? Completely unused and in need of dusting?

How about your personal Work? Do you know who you are? Why you're here? What you want to do with your life? Have you taken a look at yourself?

Try putting together a timeline of your life. List the things you've done, the roles you've had. Start as early or late as you'd like, in the last year, or going back to your child hood. Whatever. It's your list, your life, your choice. But take a look at the things you've done, make a list of your skills, your experiences. Score the things you've done on a joyfulness scale. What things have you done that made you the most happy in your life? What things suck the worst?

List your stressors. Everything that makes you feel like shit.

List your sources of Joy. Everything that makes you smile.

List your goals, your dreams, your desires.

Spend a couple days on it, think about it, come back to it tomorrow and see what you think. You'll be in a position to start looking at your plans for the new year in more detail. You'll be able to identify things to create, and things to destroy. You'll be ready to jump in and get started.

And we'll talk about what that means next.

Joy to you and yours!

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Sex in a Stall

December 27, 2013, 4:28 am

≫ Next: Identification of the Theme

≪ Previous: Take an Inventory

This thing we do, or things, in between our first and final breaths is the one true essence of the sacred upon the Earth. There is none more holy than the one who acts to create their world, and no thing of greater beauty than that which arises from the work of their hands. Aspirations achieved and imaginations manifest for the enlightenment and enjoyment of the world.

And all within it.

We do this daily, we create our experiences and share the fruits of our labor with those we love, and those we hate. We create, we choose, we act as we see fit, in each passing moment, in each passing day. The things that happen next are a mixture of our actions and our applied wills, expressed within the limits of our fate, for lack of a better word. The mingling of the things we can control and the things we cannot.

There is perhaps a ratio that can be held in mind, for planning purposes, or maybe as a reminder of the limited scope of our sphere of influence. Perhaps it is 80:20, where 80% of our experiences can be directly controlled by our imagination, planning, execution, and monitoring of our actions upon the Earth. Perhaps there are 20% of our experiences, or experiential influences that are completely beyond our personal control.

These are not real numbers, and should not be considered hard or fast truths. It is merely a way to look at our experiences, here in this world. A way of approaching the engineering of our lives that recognizes that we have a lot of authority over how things turn out, but there are things we don't know, things we haven't considered, and things we cannot change that affect us in our plans.

We create in our world, and it is beautiful. But we also exist in a world that is being created by others, all the time. Most of them aren't doing much consciously, on purpose, but they still behave in ways that accomplish purposes. The purposes of others who have gotten a few folks to lend them their creativity. Think of a corporation that trades dollars for the temporary use of its employees' powers of creation, and employees who, having no purpose of their own worth pursuing and manifesting, are greatful to get something useful for their time and efforts, for doing something with their time that they wouldn't be doing otherwise.

7 billion creators, creating. Not creating 7 billion worlds, because we sell our time and attention to the highest bidder, and there aren't that many purposeful people on the Earth. A few thousand, maybe, whose purpose and Will is being executed at any given time.

But those purposes don't all impact us personally, all the time. If we are stuck working for others, we have more time to create than the time we sell them. We have evenings, or weekends, and we can tap that time and use it for our own purposes, guide our efforts into activities that create more time for personal creation as more of our plans materialize, if we wish.

And no one has to create, of course. There are the watchers of the television. There are the consumers of goods. The entertained. They are content to watch, to passively experience, to sell their services to a machine whose purposes they have no interest in comprehending, and that too is just fine. Nobody has to do anything they don't want to do, if it's too hard, too boring, or just unappealing to them. There is no shame, no blame, unless they are unhappy.

And that's punishment enough.

Me, I like to create, to build my next experiences. It's fun. I like the frission, the passion, the building up of the moment, the anticipation of the orgasmic release that brings the pleasure of the experience coming into being. I like the process of creating things to be enjoyed.

Sure, there are things I can't control. The space is cramped, and the seat is cold, and there are way too many crudely drawn dicks on the wall. People outside might hear me and think badly of me, and the wafting smells of other people's excreta will undoubtedly assail my senses.

But my experience in the stall is my own, I can do what I want with whoever I can talk into coming with me, and afterwards we can laugh and sigh and get back on the train, carrying that joy with us into what comes next.

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Identification of the Theme

December 29, 2013, 6:11 am

≫ Next: Take it easy, man...

≪ Previous: Sex in a Stall

When you take an inventory of your skills and experiences, you may discover an emergent theme that points you to something about yourself. I can look back over my life going back as far as I can recall and see the man I am today getting shaped and formed.

I liked to be on stage in high school, but always in a supporting role. I wasn't the lead, they had too many lines. I was there to make the lead look good. I was the assistant manager at my fast food job, and later when I was the kitchen manager at a bar and grill, the role was still subordinate to the general manager. In my first and second marriages, I was the sole provider, but let my wives decide what they wanted to spend the money on. When I parent my kids, I tell them how to have a good time, explaining the ways that "bad behavior" isn't fun, and letting them figure out what they'd like to do instead. In my private practice, I like to tell people how to empower themselves, and let them figure out what they want to do as a result. In the Great Work, I like to create the Stone, and then project it into the world to heal the sick, bring wealth to the poor, and to set the captives free.

I'm a facilitator. I get my pleasure from the provision of the things people need to be happy. I had to learn some hard lessons about that, mainly centered around not making my happiness be dependent on other people's happiness. I had to learn that my happiness comes from the process of helping, rather than what other people do with what I provide. Because people will do what they want with what you give them, and you don't get to tell people what to do or how to be happy. I had to learn to provide the things that helped me, and let others use them how they want, or not at all, without expectation. That was hard, and like I said, it took a few times before I learned my limits and how to focus on the things that I'm good at doing.

So when you've taken a look at your skills and talents and experiences, see if you can find an emergent theme. What roles were you really good at? What roles did you enjoy the most in your life? What was it about those roles that made you so happy? Figure that out, and you'll learn something about yourself and what makes you tick. Pay close attention to your successes in life, the things you do really well.

Those are the clues that will help you understand who you are, and what you do. Armed with that knowledge, you'll find yourself creating things with ease and aplomb, and the challenges you face will be the kind that are fun to solve instead of frustrating and annoying.

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Take it easy, man...

January 2, 2014, 6:56 am

≫ Next: Make a plan, and then... CHEAT!

≪ Previous: Identification of the Theme

So it's the new year, 2014, and I've been writing some posts about getting your shit together and figuring out who you are and what you want this year, mostly because I figured it would be on your mind anyway, and this is the kind of thing I like to do, really.

But it occurs to me that we do this every year, and that it's sort of rote and rhythmical. There's nothing wrong with that, humans have done things cyclically for fuckin' ever. Going through the New Year Resolution pattern is as much a ritual for us as anything else, and that's great.

But chances are, you know the drill. If you don't, there are plenty of folks writing inspirational stuff, presenting new life hacks, setting schedules for getting things done. That's important stuff to do, too. I have a "Make Plans" blog post coming up soon, too, I bet. Because that's sort of where I was going with the inventory and theme posts, and it's worth repeating this stuff as reminders.

But before I get on with that, I thought I'd take a minute to point out that there's no rush to get all this stuff done. It's January 2nd. If you've already mapped out your New Year New You, and you're already hitting the gym and eating less and signing up for that certification program at the community college, or researching other career fields that combine your interests and your experiences in line with the theme you found in your life, great! Good on 'ya!

But if you haven't yet... That's also cool. The thing about being god is you can do whatever you want, whenever you want to. I don't know about you, but most of the times I've made a big production out of changing everything about my life, I made it a couple weeks and quit. The times I've just sort of decided I wanted to be different, without a lot of fanfare, the changes have stuck with me. Maybe short-term projects need a lot of fanfare to get things going, and maybe the longer term changes to your lifestyle don't, because they are deeper and more meaningful, and don't need all that bluster and steam to get things going.

I don't know, honestly.

But I don't want any of my readers to get all fired up about making a big change in their lives, and then two weeks later feel like shit when they miss an improbable goal they exuberantly identified as a key milestone in their planning process. Feeling like shit is bad, mmkay?

Take some time, look at your inventory of skills, think about the theme of your life, and figure out who you are, and what makes you really happy in your life. Then look for ways to do that more ... but spend time thinking it through. It's better to start implementing meaningful change things in your life in February in a way that works than to start some over-thought huge-ass project exactly on January 1, 2014 that has fails by January 12, 2014.

You're an image of god, you can do what you want whenever you want to. Take your time to figure out what you really want before you go jumping in on everything big. You didn't get where you're at overnight, and chances are, you won't change everything overnight either. Jumping on bandwagons is no more effective in real life than it is at MLM or Ponzi schemes.

Don't change your life just because it's the New Year. Change your life because you want it to be better.

Whatever that means.

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Make a plan, and then... CHEAT!

January 5, 2014, 9:58 am

≫ Next: Happy Valentine's Day?

≪ Previous: Take it easy, man...

"Get from Goal setting to Doing"
-Jason Miller

Ok, so I've got to admit I'm bored writing the "analyze your life and then make a plan and then implement the plan" posts. I think it's helpful, it's a really useful system for folks who like to make plans and shit, like myself, and it's a wonderful organizational tool to help you figure out what comes next.

Jason Miller wrote an awesome post on it this year, a follow up to a video he posted last year, and it's really awesome and covers just about everything I'd like to say anyway. So, go read it, because it's exactly the kind of balanced motivational thing that puts you in the right frame of mind for getting your ass in gear and making your life better, and it provides a perfect segue to what I REALLY want to talk about instead...

You know how he says the next thing is to do what you've planned? So true. Riffing off that, I'm going to get back to some really basic basics for magicians, and get a little philosophical and a little deep in the analysis of what it is we do as magicians, and why we do it, and how we can do it better.

There are a lot of people into magic(k) for self improvement, and while there's a lot to be said about how the magic(k)al framework provides a good framework through which you can attain knowledge and understanding of the practical application of the mystical fact that you are, in fact, a living and breathing incarnated deity, I'd like to focus on a different motivational reason to learn to use magic, to gain initiations, wisdom, understanding, and attainment:

To be able to cheat like bastards. To stack the deck in our favor. To have an ace in the hole, to have friends in high places pulling strings to our benefit, to bea ble to get stuff we want more easily than anyone else.

Hermes Plays Scrabble

Yes, you should be making a plan, and yes, you should be activating that plan as soon as humanly possible. Yes! YES YES YES!

But magician, fuckin' cheat. Use the power you have at your disposal, take authority over shit, make offerings, use talismans, conjure spirits, make offerings to gods, join a cult dedicated to the mysteries of manifesting wealth and power and blessing for your personal enjoyment, do the things we know how to do that make things happen the way we want for our benefit. Identify your key milestones in your plan, your main goals, and conjure the fuck out of it.

And let's be completely frank... Most people want money, and after they have as much of that as they need, they want someone to spend it with. Preferably someone they can also fuck. Don't feel bad if your primary goals involve money and being alone.

Tangent: You know, the mystical goals of magic(k) can also be said to be directly related to wealth and loneliness too. The main goal of reuniting with the divine Source of all is because we're unhappy with the material world, because we're broke and lonely. Or even worse, wealthy and in one or more otherwise healthy relationships, and still feeling unsatisfied and alone. The point of the personal transformation that takes place as a result of accomplishing the Great Work can be argued to be the attainment of the wisdom, awareness, understanding, and power that makes it possible to truly enjoy your life.

Money and sex might not provide the end state, it's true, but it does afford you the opportunity to truly understand their role in the creation and experience of joy. Joy can't be bought, or ever received from another person, it's got to come from you. That's a for real true fact that can't be dodged, denied, or avoided, you *will* learn that sooner or later, I guarantee.

But even after learning it, I gotta say... money and sex are still my favorite means of expressing my personal joy. It's fun. Neither are the point, both are modes and methods of expressing something beyond either, and there are plenty of other ways to get to the joy, for sure.

They're just my faves.

Back to the main point: CHEAT.

I decided to change the direction my life was going a couple weeks ago. I had been living off my occult business, which was technically doing pretty well, but I wasn't really happy. I was making what I needed, my growth was on track, about what I expected, and I could see that in a year I'd be where I wanted to be... but I could also get there faster, and have more fun in the process, if I did things differently. So I decided what I wanted to do instead, and did some magic, and tomorrow I start a new job doing what I did before, making more money.

I used my skills and talents, the power I've attained, I worked with the spirits I have established relatioships with, and I changed my life. I cheated, as it were, I stacked the deck, I worked with the forces that manifest reality to create an opportunity that was to my benefit.

I don't REALLY think it's cheating, by the way. I think it's just using the resources we have available. We can't do anything we aren't allowed to do in magic. We can't even consistently make everything happen exactly how we want. There are limits, there are unforeseeable consequences, there are unexpected results, and there are ways to use all that to your advantage when you get the knack.

But you can't REALLY cheat. It only looks like cheating to people who make plans and do things, and only have their own efforts working for them in life.

You know more, you have better access to the kinds of things that will help you win. Make talismans, conjure spirits, get money, find a relationship, do what it takes, follow through on your magic, of course, but use it!

Ahem, and if you're not comfortable with your own abilities, hire that shit done by others. I sell Business Booster rites to people that double and quadruple their revenues. I sell talismans that blow open the floodgates of opportunity for people to get wealthy. The Key of Solomon Talismans can help you attain more profitable knowledge and understanding and expand your skill sets, they can create opportunities for great wealth, get you the favor of people in high places, and bring you into relationships with the partner of your dreams.

But you don't need to buy that stuff, you can learn to do it yourself. I have courses, Jason Miller has courses, you can take these and learn the secrets yourself, go through the Work and become the Magus who creates as they speak.

Or do both, buy talismans and magical services you can't do, and use the resulting release of stress and pressure to take the time to take the courses. Because you can.

Resources:

Jason Miller's courses in Strategic Sorcery are a great and comprehensive approach to understanding and applying the principles of practical, effective magic. To join, write to him at inominandum@gmail.cominominandum@gmail.com and ask for a Strategic Sorcery Course information packet.

The Red Work Series of Courses - This is my set of courses that take you through the process of the Great Work I've used. It's based entirely on traditional Hermetics (the kind from the Corpus Hermeticum, not the stuff attributed to it after 1799 AD), the Greek Magial Papyri, and the Three Books of Occult Philosophy. I found in the belief system of Hermetics some truly amazing and empowering things, and I've been able to successfully pass on the information and techniques that have transformed my life.

Talismans and Magical Services - I need to update my web site. I've stopped offering the personal services and hermetic diagnoses, because they were just not as much fun to do as I thought they would be. But I'm still selling the Key of Solomon Talismans, because they fucking rock out loud, and I also offer services based on the talismans. For a full description of the talismans, see THIS POST.

I'll put this on a web site eventually, but for now, you can only buy these here on my blog:

Purchasing:

Use the Buy Now option below to select the talisman you'd like to order:

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Happy Valentine's Day?

January 17, 2014, 12:45 pm

≫ Next: Latest Addition to the RO Treasury of Occult Aesthetics: "Anatomy Occultus"

≪ Previous: Make a plan, and then... CHEAT!

Hey folks, a lot of people are interested in the Venus Talismans, and someone asked me in email if they would arrive by Valentine's Day. The answer is yes, of course, as long as you order them far enough in advance, I can ship them overnight as long as you're willing to pay the shipping... but that doesn't mean you get your lover by then.

These things, like all magic, take time to work, and there are variables involved.* Most of the magic I do takes about two weeks to manifest. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later, but on average a couple weeks. Some people have said that's really good, but based on recent experiences, I think there are ways to make it even more immediate, with, ahem, practice.

More on that in posts to come.

Anyway, if you're looking for love by Valentine's Day, sooner is a better time than later to get your talisman and start directing the, uh, ahem... 'spirits' to manifest your desires.

I'm enjoying making these a whole lot. Being a Taurus, I have a special relationship with my Lady and her spirits. Fridays have become the busiest talisman making day of the week lately, and I'm able to pump out about three per Venus hour now, with all the practice I've gotten lately. I get all pumped up on Venus energy in the process, and then hit the post office to mail the talismans out.

The results are ... tangible. Although I am in a relationship that fulfills me in every way, it's still nice to be hit on when I stop at the liquor store to pick up beer and bourbon on the way home from the post office on Friday afternoons. That kind of thing never happened to me before. I'm more the nerdy shy guy in real life than anything else, but there's something different when you're pumping the Venus forces into the world at large. It sort of changes you, makes you more aware of body language, poise, tones of voice. It's like a "knowing and being known" feeling overtakes the normal reticence. Very cool.

Anyway, I still haven't bothered with setting up the web page, so you get the same purchasing options below that you had in the last post about this stuff. Past that are the usage instructions, in text form, that I'm sending out with the talismans.

Purchasing:

Use the Buy Now option below to select the talisman you'd like to order:

Using the Talismans

I've developed a couple methods of working with the 4th Pentacle of Venus (Come to Me!) talismans, mostly because these are selling more than any others, of freaking course.

Method 1 is pretty simple, Method 2 is a little more Hermetic-Magic-ey.

Method 1:

Take a picture of the person you want to come to you, and place it on a table. Place the talisman over the image, with the 4th pentacle side (with the square design on it) facing up. Light seven green candles in a circle around the talisman and photo, and speak the names of the spirits (Achelia, Nogaliel, Nangariel, and Jocodia), and say “By your names and the seals of these Pentacles, I call you. Receive this offering of fire, and bring to me [Name of person], draw (her/him) to me, bring them to me in love and desire, let them have no rest until they contact me, bring them to me now.” Picture the person you want the whole time you’re saying this. Let the candles burn all the way out, if possible (I use tea-lite sized candles for this kind of thing because they burn out in a relatively short period of time). This method can take a couple of weeks to get the result. If you don’t have the result in a couple of weeks, do it again.

Method 2:

Set up an altar with the picture of the person you want to come to you, the pentacle, one tall white candle, one shorter green candle, a glass of sweet, heavy, rich wine of your most romantic preference, a scrying device, and a table of practice (see the Modern Angelic Grimoire on my site for an example). Get some sweet smelling incense, and have it and a lighter prepared on the altar.

Take a long hot shower or bath and get yourself completely clean. As you are cleaning yourself, recite the following prayer in Latin or English:

Adonai! Asperges me hyssopo et mundabor! (LORD! You will sprinkle me with hyssop and I will be cleansed!)

Dress in some plain white or plain black clothes. A robe would be ideal, but whatever you have is fine. Dress nicely and simply.

Anoint your head with some Abramelin oil, and say:

AOTH ABRAOTH BASYM ISAK TSABAOTH IAO

Hear me and make every spirit obedient unto me

So that every spirit of the firmament and of the aethyrs,

Upon the Earth and under the Earth,

Of dry land and in the water,

Of whirling air and rushing fire

And every spell and scourge of God may be obedient unto me!

AOTH ABRAOTH BASYM ISAK TSABAOTH IAO

Trace a circle clockwise around your room using a wand or dagger, beginning in the East. As you do, say, “I consecrate this ground for my defense.”

Light the white candle, and say, “First Father, Source and essence of all that I am, I call upon you to enlighten these works.”

Touch your scrying device (crystal ball, glass of water, etc.) with the wand/dagger and say, “Thou inanimate creature, be thou blessed and consecrated, that no evil spirit may appear within you, or if they do, that they be constrained to speak intelligibly and clearly.”

Take the pentacle in your left hand and say, “Achelia, Nogaliel, Nangariel, and Jocodia, thou spirits of Venus, I conjure thee to appear before me. Receive this offering and be now present in this crystal. By your names and by the seals upon this pentacle do I conjure thee. Come now from wherever you may be, and hear my words:

“I charge you to bring to me [person’s name], pictured here. Bring them to me, draw them to me, make them mine until such time as I have fulfilled my desires with them.

“Receive this offering of Fire (light the green candle) and of wine (drink the wine, leaving a little in the bottom of the glass), and use the fortifying sustenance to bring [name of person] to me, immediately immediately immediately!”

Address the photo of the person:

“[Person’s name], I call you to me. Come to me and be mine. Hoc est enim os de ossibus et caro de carne mea, erunt dua in carne mea!”

Address the gathered spirits:

“Thou spirits who have attended, I thank you for your presence and your attention. I charge you now, receive these offerings in gladness and attend to my desires.

“As you have come in peace, go forth now in power to accomplish my Will.”

Wait a minute or two, and then put out the tall white candle. Let the green one burn out completely, if you can do so safely. If you can’t let it burn out all at once without starting a fire, burn it whenever you can keep an eye on it until it is gone.

After the rite, have something to eat, like an apple with bread and cheese. Something tasty and smooth that will bring you back to Earth.

* Note some people are reporting instant results, but some people are lucky assholes. :D

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Latest Addition to the RO Treasury of Occult Aesthetics: "Anatomy Occultus"

January 21, 2014, 11:13 am

≫ Next: Any time you want to...

≪ Previous: Happy Valentine's Day?

Today I was ever so pleased to receive a long-awaited piece from a fellow Mage and artist by the name of Chuk Vinson. He put together a print called "Anatomy Occultus: A Study of the Tree of Life" as both a magical study of the ToL and Adam Kadmon, but also as a means to raise funds for his local lodge (Dove and Serpent, Atlanta).

I thought it was incredibly cool when I saw it online, and leaped at the chance to get my own. It arrived today, all framed and awesome. I knew it would rock out loud, but I wasn't prepared for it to be this cool:

And here's one of me with it for scale:

(Yeah, and it's that shirt.)

So you really can't see the all the layers he's captured in the pics here, you've got to go check out his tumblr to see it in amazing detail.

To purchase your own copy, hurry over and pick them up via Square Market:

https://squareup.com/market/chukart/anatomy-occultus-v-archival-print

He's got limited editions of signed numbered copies (I got number 000, cause RHIP) available, so jump on the chance.

Also, remember the proceeds are going to Dove and Serpent Oasis. He's not even doing this level of awesome for profit. When I asked him about profit (cause you know, I'm still RO), he said he's "Just trying to make people have thoughts about other things than standard modern life and all that."

I'm down with that.

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