Goetia thought for the day:

The Hexagram of Solomon or
Solomons hexagonal ffigure

Part of my interest and practice has been in the creation of grimoric equipment. I strive to emulate each item to the dictates of the text as close as I am able.

It has been my experience that the ‘Hexagram of Solomon’ or holy seal has mostly been created on pieces of hide or leather. (Weather calf’s hide from the Goetia or kid’s skin from the Heptameron) Most magicians I’ve talked to or read about, have created their seal on these types of material. I did it this way myself at first. However, this is not the type of material the medieval grimories are actually describing.

From the Key of Solomon we have some mention on proper ‘parchment’ used for various magical equipment, and the process of making it. These types of seals are often used for in evocation of spirits to protect the magician and as a badge of authority (to compel the spirits into cooperation and to assume pleasant visible
form).
There are detailed instructions for the creation of this parchment in the KoS as well as a few other select grimoires. Mg. Aaron Leitch goes into plentiful explanation and notation concerning these sections in his ‘Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires’ as I recall. As very few of us have direct experience and opportunity (not to mention a taste) for skinning animals, etc. parchment of this sort can be impractical to create. None the less, virgin parchment of THIS caliber is possible to obtain for a reasonable fee.

First, let’s take a look at the description given in the Lemegeton’s Goetia (as given on Joseph Peterson’s Esoteric Archives):
“This figure is to be made on parchment made of a calfes Skin and worne at the Skirtt of ye white vestment, and covered wth a lennen [linen] cloath to ye which is to be shewed to the spirits when they are appeared that they may be compelled to be obedient and take a humane shape &c."

Wikipedia says this about Calfskin parchment:
“Calfskin is a leather or membrane produced from the hide of a calf. Calfskin is particularly valuable because of its softness, and non fine grain. It is commonly used for high-quality shoes, wallets and similar products, as well as traditional leather bookbindings. Fine calfskin is one of the skins used for vellum and parchment manuscripts.”

You may recall that VELLUM is the parchment required for the book of Spirits as describe in the Trithemius operation of ‘Drawing Spirits into Crystals’ in The MAGUS. I found a great website which seems to create high quality calfskin parchment. If you are interested in creating a seal using this traditional material, you can find them at: http://www.pergamena.net/products/parchment/. On their website they describe calfskin parchment as thus:
“Calfskins are thin but tough and flexible, hence they are the traditional choice for binding and manuscripts. Calfskins sometimes exhibit surface veining and often lack a discernable grain. This latter quality, along with a dense skin fiber weave, is ideal for text or calligraphy, as there is less visual competition from the parchment surface.”

About.com says:

“Parchment is a paper-like material made from sheep or goat skin. Very fine parchment is called Vellum and is made from calf skin. Parchment is not paper, as technically, paper is made from cellulose pulp.
The reverse side of parchment paper has a pitted texture from the hair follicles in the skin, but the drawing surface, on the carefully prepared underside of the skin, is extremely smooth. The flawless surface of parchment allows a very fine line, making it ideal for drawing and calligraphy.”

When studying the process of how parchment is made, even without the added complexities as the Key of Solomon describes, you can see an undergoing alchemical transformation. Although this type of parchment was more common during the times the versions of the grimories were recorded, the value placed on ‘virgin parchment’ is obviously apparent. From the young virgin animal, the skin becomes parchment only after a process of intense treatment and refinement. We can see shedding of the unneeded and “base” material in favor of the purified core or essence. We need not look much deeper to recognize the components of the Salt, Sulfur and Mercury.

TRADTIONAL EVOCATION OF SPIRITS INTO CRYSTALS

I am working on a rather large text (small book on the Art of Drawing Spirits into Crystals) here is the very Rough draft of what my outline will look like:

Herein are my personal accounts, discoveries, and workings with the system of magic according
to:


TRADTIONAL EVOCATION OF SPIRITS INTO CRYSTALS
According to Johannes Trithemius

From Francis Barrett The Magus, Book II, London, 1801, pp. 135 ff. This text appeared as Part IV of Book 2, parts I-III being (I) a treatise on magnetism, (II) The Cabala, or Ceremonial Magic, plagiarized from pseudo-Agrippa's Fourth Book, (III) The Key to Ceremonial Magic, plagiarized from Peter de Abano's Heptameron.

The
Magic and Philosophy of
TRITHEMIUS OF SPANHEIM;
containing his book of
SECRET THINGS,
and
DOCTRINE OF SPIRITS
with many curious and rare secrets (hitherto not generally known;)

THE ART OF DRAWING SPIRITS INTO CRYSTALS, &c.
With many other Experiments in the Occult Sciences, never yet published in the English Language. Translated from a valuable Latin manuscript,

By Francis Barrett,
Student of Chemistry, natural and and occult philosophy, the Cabala, &c.

All found and edited by Joseph Peterson on http://www.esotericarchives.com/tritheim/trchryst.htm








Outline:
1   Introduction

2.   The experiments of traditional work. The methods behind the madness

3.   The equipment:

  a. The crystal, ebony pedestal, and gold disk.

  b. The Table of art, candles and candlesticks.

  c.  The ebony wand, magic ring, and lamen.

  d. The book of spirits

  e. The tripod and perfumes.

  f. The circle and setup.

4. Putting it to practice. Steps for evocation.

5. Conclusions and personal experiences.




In this work I hope to take any interested magicians wishing to duplicate the experiments offered in the MAGUS through each stage of the work with my own discoveries.

IGNIS MAXIMA!

HAPPY SUMMER SOLSTICE EVERYONE!

   Happy Summer Solstice indeed....on a Tuesday...the day of Mars....the first time of the sun at the hour of Mars. Can we say "Fire Power"? 

    I think so. I thought as much and decided it was a perfect day and time to use the compounding 'fire' energies to consecrate my new fire wand. My magic room is already set up for fire Almadel workings with the red decor, so alternating it somewhat to accommodate the Golden Dawn type workings of the consecration ceremonies based on the Opening By Watchtower took little time.

I long since memorized the ritual and it unfolded lovely in the wee hours of this spectacular Summer morning. In addition I utilized Levi's prayer to the salamanders and my own constructed calls...

My custom made Fire Wand. The shaft is carved from aromatic cedar with an inner core of fire powder then painted bright red. A bronze dragon plated in 24kt gold curls around the wand. The wand is studded with rubies, garnets and fire opals.

 

Summer Solictice Southern Fire ALMADEL

   I do not keep my blog updated as much as I ...could, I suppose. I keep in contact with other magicians over Facebook on a more regular basis, but for those who are interested in my magical workings, there are four major workings in undertaking which do not count daily and weekly practices.
These four are:
1. Tradtional, grimoric, Goetic evocation to 'physical manifestation'/apperence.
2. Weekley (Sunday) Almadel evocations.
3. Trithemius Angelic planatery evocations.
4.  Elemental evocations
There is some info I may be posting which will be back dated as I have been writing and adding to it as I've been practicing.
 This posting however is about the red Summer Almadel. I completed the Spring Air/White operation and performed an operation almost every Sunday of the season. I attempted and succeeded to contact all five of the Angels which are listed in The Lemegeton. The experiences were by far some of the most amazing I've experienced pursuing OSM, or traditional grimoric magicke ( spelling Goetia) by the book. So I've decided to continue in this work and intend to create and work with all four of the Almadel tablets and cross quarter angels of the elements/seasons. I've learned so much working with this system and believe that contact with these angels are imperative before attempting to successfully conjure and control the demons of the Goetia.
The Lemegeton seems to be set up for success when working it 'back to front', and may have actually been written that way originally. If originally from a Jewish tradition it would have been written thus.


   Although not described in the text itself, I believe each Almadel was intended to be inscribed with the triangle and inner words 'pointing' toward the names (and thus the proper direction/Chora/altitude) which the Almadel is designed. I designed the Eastern Almadel this way and received the before results so I'm taking this as a sign I'm on the right track. Also, I have followed the two Hebrew versions of the Almadel and corresponding names rather than the pictured one.

    Making the Southern Almadel was not quite as difficult or time consuming as the first (Eastern) one . I learned a lot after making the first one. It still took me from the hour of the sun (5:33 AM) till about 11:00 am though which was long enough. The process is tedious, time consuming, and potentially very messy with difficult clean up.

   I woke at 5:00 AM, washed, said part of the Solomonic bathing ritual, and went down to the magical room to retrieve everything I use to make the wax and clay items. Before the allotted time, I knelt in front of my altar with all the items , prayed over them and sprinkled everything with holy water.
   This coming Sunday will be my first in contacting these particular angels. I actually received advise from the Eastern angels on what to ask for and how to speak with them which was surprising.

 I have the other previous accounts recorded but I have not posted any them yet. I debate the idea with how much (magickal) information to share on an online blog. Regardless,I hope you've enjoyed the photos of my work. All the best in the Great work!