I took a brief recess from intense magical workings these past few months, with moderate workings, research, and meditations keeping me in the flow. Luckily, with obvious signs boosting me back toward another round of evocations, magical journeys, and discoveries, I have reignited my passion for specific spiritual exploits and intense grimoric undertakings.

A few months ago, I butted heads with a few respected magicians who I have come to call respected acquaintances more so than simply colleagues. The issue arose when I became disheartened after I read so many magicians downplaying the effects and purpose of the so called “physical manifestation” phenomena which occurs during classical evocation of spirits. At first, many of the arguments were based on semantics where the word “physical” should have obviously been replaced with “visual” as I have yet to read where any magician is convinced that the spirit actually takes on “physical/tangible” form. It may refer also to the actual PHYSICAL effects the spirit or conjuration ceremony has on the physical environment: poltergeist activity, banging on walls, flashes of light, winds in a sealed room, etc.  However the phrase most likely is meant to dictate that the spirit looks solid as if indeed, a physical being was standing before you in the room.   

My arguments for the support of and importance of this type of conjuration have already been expressed in a previous posting. My reasons for brining it up again are not to reiterate old arguments but to express a realization I had during contemplation and meditation of my previous experiences and also determination to continue performing these types of rituals.  I really feel that spiritual evocation in this particular fashion is at the Height of magical aptitude for a truly gifted adept. One I’m determined to perfect to the best of my ability. It is not simply another method in the wide array of magical undertakings.  It is not the completed end to means either, but certainly one of the most powerful feats afforded to the western Magus. Allow me to expound on this further:

  When done properly, a ceremonial magician engages their highest potential of personal power and will to effectively pull a non-corporeal entity into/onto the physical word and actively engaging it in visual and auditory conversation. Granted, there seems to be a measure of mental and spiritual exaltation involved for the operator to be able to fully behold the spirit, ( meeting it part way) but the effect is second to none, scans complete and utter possession which is not a personal pursuit of mine.

Arguments about the grimorical importance of classical magicians calling spirits to full blown visual appearance were thrown about as if the textual proof was the final say on the matter. Fortunately (or not) that discussion is solely for magical scholars and researchers who have not experienced the event first hand.  I dare say that every successful magician who has achieved this outcome. ( I know of three that I believe have achieved it) will argue that there is no comparison between evocation to “physical  manifestation” and “other forms of spiritual contact” . The event takes quite a great deal of energy and preparation to perform successfully and furthermore, ability to actually bring it about. 

The above realization was made more concrete after years of failure, half-successful attempts and disillusioned acceptances of other modified forms of spirit contact. Luckily never settling for "good enough", i pressed on. Magic in and of itself is multifaceted, stretching across countless measures and methods, cultural and religious filters for achieving a multitude of ends. However, the degree to which those actions produced effects in the physical world, and to witch degree you can observe and objectively experience these workings are debatable.  Evocation, of what I deem a traditional way hits on multiple aspects of Adepthood despite the intense phenomena which occur as result of a successful operation.

   The very time it takes to learn the ritual by heart, create and collect all the necessary and typically rare items, plan out and perform the entire ritual correctly, and work through the rigorous purification process before performing the actual evocation, is a testament to the ability, discipline, willpower, determination, and tenacity of not only the magician, but to to the validity of the ritual. Very few  magical workings can attest to achieving so many dynamic spiritual paradigms . Indeed, few magicians have the desire, or means to even carry out such a task.  It is typically the magicians who never try are the same  magicians who scoff heaviest at such “purest ideals".

Another reason why I place SO much emphasis on this type of practice is that it a veritable MAGICAL TEST unlike any another. It might be comparative to a full fledged ring fight after years of training, conditioning and working your ass off. You only know if you GOT WHAT IT TAKES, when your finally in the ring (or circle as it were) For the Olympic athlete who dedicates their life to being the best at what they do, the chance to prove themselves at the games is an opportunity of a life time.  There are not many TESTS a magician can put themselves to. How do you REALLY gauge proficiency and level of achievement? If you’re a comfy New Ager, you’ll stick with the folks that assure you that “whatever you do will be fine and that of COURSE your magic/spell worked! Just maybe not how you thought.”

All too often, magicians get swept away in the fluffy, “everyone’s right” and “of course you are powerful” flimflam of the modern, overweight-sloppy, pagan movement which is an embarrassment to the magical community as I view it.

This is not to come off as insulting or even “superior” to others. Far from it, these standards are what I hold myself to. If you find yourself insulted, you may what to ask “why”?

 Look, anyone who claims personal power of any degree and leads and unhealthy and unsuccessful lifestyle does NOT have any powerful effect over the real world ( let alone…themselves).  Quite the opposite in fact, most likely they are being consumed by their own disillusioned fantasies and personal justifications. As within so without guys, the circumstances don’t lie.  These types of people have NO REAL MAGICAL POWERS TO SPEAK of.  –Period- I have little regard for the se types of people, and pay no heed when they try to “inform” me of their particular magical quality. I take these hard truths under account myself and see OBVIOUS areas where I need improvement. If I don’t look hard enough at myself, I find myself coming up with self-justifications and excuses….a poor road to magic and development.

SO back to evocation:  Here is my gauge for my magical development since it is extremely difficult in the textual sense. Difficult not only to produce the intended result of “physical manifestation/appearance” but to keep a level head during the entire rite, to stand sometimes over an hour after having fasting and preparing, all the while taking notes and trying to record exactly what the spirit is telling me, word for word without falsely interpreting it. I do this all while trying to maintain a very exalted state of mind/being.

The magic is not just “In the results” guys! It’s just part of the whole process. Since my purpose for magic is not just to get that extra money, extra, influence, power, protection or what have you, its in the very action in and of itself. The “how”. I may be an energy or experience junkie, but this is what fuels me in ceremonial magic; the whole big KABOOM, beginning to end, the intense experience and follow up. If given the choice, I would NOT elect to skip the dramatics and just get to “what I want”. To me that would be missing the whole point.. I realize others don’t feel this way and that is fine. I don’t mean to push my methods on others, just express the passion behind my own. Occult knowledge is not solely gained from the spirit, but from the performance of the evocation itself.

SO needless to say, I am relatively unconcerned with most modern and abridged forms of magical workings and pay them and the magicians who practice them little mind.Granted, a point I agree with is that the physical items and strict ceremonies will not be as necessary as experience and understanding increase. However, I feel this is a justification many people jump to way to early without first really achieving the results I mentioned before.

ON ANOTHER NOTE>…….

Recently a new influx of magical workings and possibilities has been on the table and I’ve been passionately pursuing old passions and abilities. Despite my primary passion for Ceremonial magic in spiritual evocation, I’m once again exploring the astral worlds by heading there myself…..and taking others with me.

When I was fifteen years of age, I learned how to hypnotize people after reading an article about it and trying it out on a close friend. Soon afterword I was hypnotizing my immediate family and close friends. One method which has been quite successful has been assisting others to astral project while under a deep state of hypnosis. So successful was the method that my father who at the time was the biggest skeptic and attributed the phenomena to heightened imagination, came awake shocked after feeling the literal and very real effects of lifting out of his body.

Some experiments are set in place to conduct purposeful projection to locations of the physical nature and then not so physical nature. The purpose: For beginners, it will be a shared knowledge of experience and experimentation…then, who knows. Already, a close friend and magical colleague has experienced a tremendous voyage while having an out of body experience...