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quinta-feira, 24 de novembro de 2016

Using Each of The Four Elements for Oracle Reading. Uso dos Quatro Elementos em Oráculos

Lakeside camp. A nice place with the four elements around. 
by SnowSara


Using Each of The Four Elements for Oracle Reading. 
Uso dos Quatro Elementos na Leitura Oracular


Texto em português disponível para download. Clique aqui: "Uso dos Quatro Elementos na Leitura Oracular"


Here I will talk some about working with the power of the four elements.

To the ancient Greek and most western traditions, there are four elements and they are the prime force in the nature.
They are Fire, Air, Earth and Water.

I used the word “oracle” instead of “divination” to suggest the idea about an oracle to be the active part and do the work while the reader get the results from it. Here, the reader is an observer and able to interact and get the information the oracle present.
For sure reading capabilities and previous oracle works are very desired, like developing your 3rd eye and intuition. Advanced oracle skills are highly desired like other previous training, like meditation and some knowledge of the nature in a shamanic view.
Also, I will use the words “elements” and “elementals” for the same purpose. For example, the salamanders or just “fire”.

I won’t enter at the aspects of working with the elemental’s Kings level nor at other higher spirits who are related to the elements too. Such practices are most related with the practices to work with spirits, their correspondences and areas of acting.
For sure it’s great to use the elemental oracles together with the spirits working. They add a powerful tool and different ways to develop your perception.

So, to the extents I choose for now, I will cite spirits as a part of the work if you choose to add it. But the focus is going for a direct elementals work.
If you choose to call first spirits to rule the operation, that is interesting too.


To add some study suggestions, in the Tarot, the Ace cards means the pure aspects of each elemental energy. Something interesting to study and their following manifestations among the cards. The lower arcana cards (1 to 10) are just the manifesting power of the elements, but accordingly with their numerological aspects too.
So, this is something more for your study about Numerology and also for Qabalah (Gematry). That is very related to the elementals in the ways they manifest their power in the world.
Agrippa is always a good resource for study too.

But while theory is very good to add information and knowledge, this is not an armchair work to be done at your library room.
Using the elements as oracle is a nature work. Remember this. Even at your temple room, you must be able to connect with nature forces.
If you have not some forests to go, even so you may have some park around, gardens, etc. When you open your eyes, you will discover every tree at the street is looking for you and wishing to be seen. The moment you discover this, you never will be alone again. Nature is all around us.

As nature forces, the Elements are the main part of life and have their own spirits too.
At the elemental levels, we found many living beings, the popular names are gnomes, fairies, undines, sylphs, etc. Each country have traditional names for them.
This work is about them. Yes, the fairies, sylphs, gnomes, undines, salamanders. They are the ones working to show you what they have to say.
There are also what is named Genius Loci, the spirits of each place. Frater Rufus Opus wrote some very good material about working with them at the Ritual Offerings book.
See, each place have its own spirits. See the eastern traditions about the Devas, or discovering a mountain or a river are also living beings.

In the book “Toilers of the Sea” from Victor Hugo, at the beginning, Gilliatt the main character, who was someone strange to the village people, comments some like “if the air and water are transparent, why not to be such transparent living ones there?” With time science have discovered many of them too.  A bit of fantasy plus a lot of reality to discover. Glad too often science have just confirmed what occultists know for ages.

The basic idea for Element’s Oracles is first observe they are “life too”, so it is just something like a talk with them.
In other words, it is part of a relationship with the elements you are working with.

This is the best suggestion I can present you about working with an oracle: talk with it, create a respectful relationship with it. With time, this become mutual and you will discover another level of communication with them.

And think what you do for a relationship or to have a date. Uhm? Something so. Prepare and be respectful.
One first practice is to observe how they are beautiful and powerful. 
The moment you opens up for the beauty in the nature, nature himself will opens up for you.

It’s a shamanic idea, one of the oldest source of all magic in the world. An interesting work about the shamanic sources of grimoires magick is presented by Aaron Leitch at “Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires”.

Many native traditional cultures name the elementals as relatives. Mother earth, brother wind, sister water, etc.
This is to recognize they are part of the wide nature as all of us are part of that.
One more reason to repeat: be respectful. This is a main rule we have learned in traditional magic, sorcery, whatever area. Be angels, daemons, nature spirits, whatever.
They share the same living planet and astral dimensions all of us are living.
And many of them are ready to be your friends someway too.
Got this?
A respectful approach and the true desire to learn and to be opened to receive their energies will do wonders.
This is also related to opening your spiritual eye, the 3rd eye vision. There are many ways for that for sure. This is just one more. To be receptive.
And remember this: To say sincere “thanks” it’s a master key too.


General warnings about working with elementals
 
As cited before, people too often think fairies and others are nice, sweet, anything so fluffy to deal with. Just because fantasy tales.
And what happens?
They put many gnomes and fairies’s images at home, burn incense and invite them as guests. Like a party.
And their houses appears like a mystic store at first days. But wait.
Elementals spirits are bi-dimensional beings. There are just so closer of our tri-dimensional world.
And they are like children without rules too.
Such people invite them at home and forget about. Soon things are broken or disappears.
And most people does not realize what is the real source of the troubles! Elementals playing at their houses.
Just children foolish. Think about as many children running at your house like crazy doing all foolish things without any care.
As any other spirit, elementals may be called for work and then dismissed.
Yes, be explicit to tell them to let the place and go back to their own area.
Even if you are doing this with that nice fairies dolls you found at some mystic store. 

This is one more reason we talk to never let an unattended candle.
Get this? The elementals like to walk around. Remember this.
Safety procedures are always needed. Be careful.
Think about this: even if you someday become a master, your workers and disciples still won’t be at same level and you must have an eye on them.

So, if you already learned to invoke the Angels, Kings or any Daemons related to that elemental areas, you always can invoke them to be over and command the operation you are doing and to watch over the elementals beings you are calling to work with.
As told above just for cite, this is possible too and very interesting. 

The idea of calling the pure elementals is also because you will be calling forces who are like children to work. But as any children, they have a long tongue when doing oracles. LOL…


Warning about photos


Photo by objektiiv.ee
In modern times, we have seen many images or such works. I do it sometimes too and some are vey nice.
The most easy to get are photos of fire.
But this is ruled under the same as for any magic working: you must ask permission to register what you are doing.

This is very important to remember. Be respectful!

Never, but never try to register images of any ritual or an elements oracle working without asking explicit permission. So you must be very alert to what kind of reply, some signal about the permission for doing that.
You are working with elementals and spirits, so be sure you will not be hidden trying to do such register. Ok?
Without an explicit permission, be with the traditional film cameras or a digital camera the results may vary just from registering nothing or just confuse images, going to a broken equipment and at some worst cases, you may receive a direct punch from the spirits who may got furious due the lack of discretion.
And a direct punch from such spirits can be anything, like some bad times doing cleanings and banishments going to even something simple, like a small stone jumping against your car’s front glass in the middle of the way. I saw even that. So do not mess with them.


Simple but effective 

To be short, such elementals oracles are simple but need practice while you develop your skills.
As cited before, an elemental oracle is something just like talking with it and to observe to the replies.
But as any spirits working, just to repeat, you must be respectful.
So prepare your oracle with the needed care, do the best you can for each case.
Do the best you can each time.
Temporary needs happens to anyone for sure, just be clear to say and explain this when you open the oracle and show you have a serious compromise to do better as you can.
To be sincere with them will help to make a solid relationship.
And again, a true relationship is what you need to work with the elements oracles.


The Oracles

Repeating once more. You will talk with the elementals and this is working as you open your spiritual vision.
I will comment some about each one, adding more at some due personal preferences.
But we have the same basic working ideas for each element for sure.

And very important: each oracle will present the information a very different point of view.

So think on this: each element have a different time and way in time. The visions you will get are related to that point of view.


A Cauldron Ritual of Fire of mine.


The Fire Oracle

Probably the most popular.
The fire is beautiful and anyone have seen images of witches dancing nude around a fire. A bit of fantasy people have for sure.

The most popular fire oracle I have seen is just to lit a candle and gaze at it.
And too often, I see a lot of newage style comments about guided visualizations and comments about how the flame may move this or that way. The problem is in practice, you won’t be reading many pages of a guided instructions for something that may be simple. No way! In my opinion many of such “instructions” are something near a fantasy mystic delusional delirium.
At maximum, my suggestion is to read that to get some idea, sometime one or other useful phrase may be found as many of such texts are just based or a copy from some source. With some luck, you will find something new to use. 

About using candles for a fire oracle, uhm, Ok, that will work.
May the flame dance or not, do some movements to get your attention.
We have many signals during rituals just coming from the candles. For sure they have a proper use.

But to be sincere, I’m not in love about to use a candle as a fire oracle. It’s so shy… 

See, fire is a strong example of free power. Fire need space to manifest.
Just release the fire and you will see the destruction it may does.
Fire is action.
Do not mess with the fire.

However, for a good fire oracle in my personal opinion is needed a decent size fire.
Please, do not put fire at the entire area.
Just have a decent size fire to last for some 30 minutes or more so the elementals can enjoy the place and do their work.
You may do a bonfire at your backyard or in a safe place in the woods or use a cauldron for it with a cup of alcohol at the cauldron.
If you do not have a witch's iron cauldron, you can use even a cuisine pot, but remember this is just something temporary only.
Be respectful in preparing your work materials, so a cuisine pot can only be used for the time it takes until you to get a better tool, a real iron cauldron or a yard to make a decent campfire.
Remember, use what you can, the best of it. But if you expect for real development you must work to have a proper tool.

Well, that is about having a decent size fire.
Yes, if you want to do a call for the fire elementals, the first is to do a decent size fire.
For sure, does not burn a forest nor your house. Does not be fanatic.
Be sure a very big fire, like a forest or a building burning does not will be good to try to use as an oracle. That is a time when fire get out of control, so do not mess with it!

As a personal choice, I love to do a bonfire at backyard or at some place in nature.
Just think about that as the same you would do while in a camp.
Campfires are great places where friends meet, even got drunk and talk a lot of bullshit.
If you read again the previous phrase, you get one aspect of the fire elementals working: passion. Make people be hot and friendly with others. Campfires are great times for people meeting. Companies would do a lot more if they turn their office meetings into doing campfires with their executives. Not just a barbeque. I say a decent size fire to people be around. But that works also often expose secrets because the fire light and sometimes a lot of alcohol drinking. LOL…
What ancient warriors did while planning or preparing for a fight next day? A campfire. Uhm?

Just to cite a scene at movies, just see Kirk, McCoy and my beloved uncle Spock at the movie “Star Trek V The Final Frontier”. They traveled everywhere into the Galaxy in a starship. But just a campfire did wonders. How far does you have gone when something so near can do wonders?
I add that part just to note they are in a campfire.


That are epic scenes anyways if you like Sci-Fi.  But if you don't like Star Trek, sorry.

So what the idea with the oracle of fire?

Action.
Fire is flow.
Fire is passion.
Fire burn something to turn it into something else (air). Better to remember, smoke is related to the air. And the final result is the earth (ashes).
The fire will show aspects under the vision of “action”, movement. Events happening related to something.
Consecrate your fireplace as you choose and greeting the energies and spirits you may be or not asked to be present too.
A fire oracle is like a happy hour with friends sometimes.
During a bonfire or at the cauldron, I will be drinking a good wine and sharing with the evoked energies.
Let’s the fire become present and flow as it become hotter and moving. Take your time.
If you want, you can invite the fire elementals to present themselves if they want. See this, invite but allow them to choose if they want to be present.
Sometimes the salamanders will appears dancing in the fire and they are very nice flashing there.
It’s interesting to observe as sometimes they will be really present and dance in the flames.
All that is moving. And that is a party.

As you get the fire to be really live, look to the fire and ask it to open for you the oracle of the flames.
Be explicit. Something like:
“I invoke the oracle of flames. May this flames open the gates so I can see all occult things and understand what I want about N.”
Where “N” is the area, person or topic you want to know.
Then just observe the fire and let your mind to be opened to any ideas you got. Sometimes the flames may do some move that catch your attention. Other times, that will flash like images into your head as you develop your intuition and 3rd eye vision.
Watch and allow that to flow.
And keep relaxed. This is not like scrying with fixed eyes, but more like just to pay attention to any scenes the fire will present you and the related ideas you got in your mind.
As I told, you may be even drinking in a feast with the fire.
The oracle images will flash when present something, with time you will learn to pay attention to some specific scene or idea and get the messages you want.
As the images flash, you will remember the fire is action and passion moving, so the replies are in the point of view of fast business, fast action. Too often very direct.

At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them.


Childlike Happiness
Photo: Mark Hobson


The Water Oracle

Another popular oracle as water can be used in many ways.
You may observe the water in a big bowl, a small calm part of a river or lake or a water spring in the middle of some land area. A timid waterfall in a stream can be fantastic if you found a place in nature where the elementals spirits live.
Small areas are better and the water must be calm, except in the case of the example of a very small and calm waterfall. I say, that really small ones, just few foot height and very calm places.
As the fire, water can also become out of control.
A flood for sure is not good to try an oracle reading. Same for the places where the rivers are breaking the earth fast.
And no, is not a good idea to try this practice while you are doing a rafting in the Colorado River.
To be clear, as I did rafting before, is possible to talk with the river and receive some replies during the action, but it’s not the same as an oracle. The river will be talking while a challenge for your senses, it is more a warrior practice to learn to use.
Water is beautiful, fluid.
Water is a direct connection with your emotions.
The water oracle will show you how things appears under the emotional aspects.
The images you will get are very emotional most of times.
While fire is related with action, passion, water is related with feelings.
The fire show just action. Water will show some ideas of the “why” and “for what” just because that is related with how you feel about.

Choose the place, seat to observe.
When you ask to open the oracle of the water, you are also inviting your own emotional areas to be receptive.
How a stream flow? The water flow to reach again a calm state. This is what of to expect of the oracle. A seeking calm point of view. Even more meditative.
When a river run fast or jump in a big fall, that are done to reach a calm point again. And someday, find the sea. So the replies have a different point of view, just from someone who is watching at some distance and present a wide scenario.
Think about this: you feel your head and your foot at same time Ok? The same way, a river at source also is connected with the point where he meet the sea. Uhm? It’s a wide sense.
So between the “why” and the “for what” points, remember the river may have calms and some fast places, waterfalls, etc. happening.
Think as the water from the ocean may take some few days and weeks from the sea to the clouds and rain again into earth. That will start the cycle again to run into the sea. A giant river like the Amazon means just many weeks from the highest mountain until reach the sea again.

And here is interesting to observe and remember. There are the fast times in the life cycle of the water. From the ocean to clouds and back to the earth again in the top of the mountains.
There are rapids, falls and even some swamps where the water get trapped.
This is very related to emotions as cited before.
So the “calm” replies may also add this aspect.
Emotions can vary from happiness, to calm flow, stagnation areas and even to fear.
So even fear is a “calm” aspect of feelings. The most fear, the most vulnerable.
Fear can make someone become rigid.
How is the water in the poles or in the most high mountains? It got frozen. Ice. But even that ice someday will become fluid again. That water just choose to stay for a while, or better, a long time at such places and receive more of the energy such places have. Just think why so many people fall in love to climb and stay there, the high mountains, or at the poles. Emotions got so calm and can be observed at same time others aspects can be worked. Like observe large horizons.
To learn what fear is can make a warrior to become a hero. To go over the fear and act.
But also, fear help to the warrior does not act like a stupid suicidal.
Such images can be very deep at your most ancient memories and show things in a way you will fear or even fall in love with.

At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them.
The water you used you can just throw it at the earth, like a garden to release the energy.


Wind
Photo: BenKrohn - Finland

The Air Oracle

This as the earth, can be a very rare oracle to work.
The Air will work at first on your mind. The ideas level.
What your mind is doing just now?
Stop for a moment and observe what’s really happening inside your head now.
How many different thoughts you can observe at once?
The mind area too often is very busy with a lot of events and ideas and remembering all that is happening at once.
At same time you are doing something, remembering others, plus a lot of images from current and even past events.
Just now your mind is working with this text, but also everything related with the room you are, feelings, body sensations, any sounds sources AND due this, presenting information from your memory related to all that.
Add to this, all subconscious level workings.
Your mind is like a crazy machine doing thousands of works at same time.
Every image, sound, body sensation is being compared to everything your memory have registered searching for some pattern or related topic.
You just look to something before and that brings into your current thoughts an older event?
But that also happens to something you saw times ago. Your mind took that and keep comparing, searching it at the memory files.
Is very common someone to “remember” an event due something that happened times before. In practice, your mind had been working all this time trying to do a match.
Have you think why that happened? Simple, just because the most simple thing you see, listen or think, even a smell, is compared to everything in you memory. That means, millions of events happening and you was not aware. And that can take a long time.
Got worried because all that? No worries, its just what a brain do. And this is a reason we suggest to learn some practice like meditation. To improve your brain and also your soul.

So how to get some oracle in the air?
The air is invisible!
Well, meditation practices works first to make you became just an observer. It’s not just to calm your mind, but to keep aware of that and let your soul fly free. Just to say so.
The replies the air oracle present can appears to be disconnected of other aspects, just appears something blowing in the wind.
The air elements at first are invisible. Or not. Just remember the sky appear to be blue because the sun light. 
You can feel the air due the light or because the wind.
So as the other elements, strong air movements are not safe for trying a reading. Like a hurricane.
But the wind is fresh. Like a calm river or lake.

But when there’s no wind, how to get it?

The oracle of the air is something to be worked usually at open areas.
And better near the nature.
So if you are among oppressive buildings in the city, or a closed room there are few opportunity to the elemental forces be acting without restriction.
They will be there anyway, but that also means you must be really able to get that.
So open areas, even a calm street in town area will be better.
This oracle is a bit different to open.
You may be seat in a nice place in the woods, meditating, or in the beach, or seated in you house’s garden.
This is a best condition. A calm mind and a receptive state.
But due the initiations I had, I observed it will work also anywhere, I say even walking in the street and on need of some information. But see, this is due practical training and even so, not all times a so good work condition and hard to get what is just your mind or a proper reply from the air.

As any oracle, the best is to take a time to do the reading you need.
Have a proper place and time.
As before, use your voice and command to the oracle of the air be opened for you.
The images you will get are direct into your mind level. Like ideas coming from somewhere.
Remember as commented, our brain can even be a crazy machine. You need to learn to calm your mind and be able to separate what is coming outside from your own work.
But as the fire and the water have different ways to present to you, as light or the wet emotional images, the same way the air have some aspects to observe.
The first, is moving. The wind.
A good idea is to have near something to observe, like trees, plants or even the smoke from a source. Their movements may have a meaning during the oracle of the air.
Here you will not be talking with the trees not the fire. Just using part of that to observe what the air is doing.
And for sure, the best of all, is feeling the wind around you.
When you have the pleasure of the wind, you will note how the wind is touching you, gentle or not, trying to move your head to look to some point and get an image from that place.
When you have wind, this happens, he can be like a lover hand touching you and suggesting ideas and some will again, just be flashing into your head.
Sometimes you may even note the wind touching you, but everything around is quiet. No one leaf in the trees are moving. This happened using smoke in a bonfire. I was very closer feeling the wind, but the smoke was straight as if nothing was happening.
Another was a personal reading during a Sabbath, using the wind for this, the person just in front of me had her hair and clothes moving but I felt nothing touching me. The wind was showing what was behind her thoughts and she was forced to confirm everything I told.
Yes, the elements oracles can be used for live readings when you get it.
There are more working with the air oracles.
There are the wind. But if not, you may feel changes in temperature, heat or cold that do not match the place in anyway.
Sometimes on sunny days the hot air moving up makes visible shadows on the ground, like cement, rock or sand, as if they were waves. Note this, too.
Also may happens oppressive conditions, like to be hard to breath.
I cited to dislike using candles for oracles, but once I asked the air oracle and a candle suddenly seemed to have been crushed, the flame almost erased as I asked for confirmation of the mental image I had, then suddenly the candle shone with the air as a confirm. This was a try working with this oracle inside my temple room. Another reason I talk about drastic changes in temperature. But such things happens at open places. Another was in a mountain, a very cold place and the air became hot in a way I had related messages. .
Such changes are physical to show the air is there, but such have to be related to some images or intuition you have at same time.
To say soo, such changes are just like air elementals spirits foolish. They are invisible, but they like to say they are near too.

Be sure to give thanks to the air elements. They are listening everywhere.
At the end, give thanks for their presence and dismiss them. 


Big Rock
Photo: Ruben - Vlc, Catalonia - Spain


The Earth Oracle

The earth is the most brute and the most unknown oracle.
It's the oracle of the big rocks. 
It will put you on the ground. How things in the planet was created and where they go?
This oracle often works on large period’s points of view. Not just immediate needs, but the teachings about your path in life, getting wisdom, understand how things work in a wide time lapse.
While the other elements can have short life cycles, the earth may often means hundred thousand years or even millions of years for just something happens.
This is the oracle of the big rocks.
But few times to be practiced with the small ones.
For sure crystals, or just some mirrors done with a piece of stone are great. But that are used most as divination tool.
With a great luck, one may find a not so big one, uhm, 2-3 foot size to become an oracle. But such one are rare and must be very special, taken direct from the ground and be untouched before. Still, will be like a baby rock. 
For a real oracle purpose, the best are the big ones at distant nature places and as possible, untouched or with rare contact with people so they keep their pure aspects.
Rocks need a long rest time when are disturbed. The good sculptors know they should let the stone rest in nature for a long time when they are moved or worked.
Do not mess with the old ones.
To find the ancient nobles, one must go into the mountains, deserts, cliffs or rocky coastlines.
Such ones are often the working place for initiation rites on ancient paths.
There are places with some sacred rocks who receive offerings due their power. People does not go there to do an offering for a spirit, but for the rock, or even a mountain.
As any other living being, some rocks have more power than others do.
Some ancient traditional groups had some simple practices, like to be closer a specific big rock for a long time. Like for mystic warrior challenges, standing under the sun, without water as long as possible. Or just to be under that big rock without any protection for rain, wind or cold. They are there to listen the rock and receive their ancient wisdom.
The rock is part of that and the seeker is going to get connected with its energy.
To be so closer such big elements is to face the planet most oldest beings.

Sometimes we have some big problem in life like bad memories and regrets. The type we talk about with other people sometimes. A hurt or sadness that needs to be forgotten and this can be very difficult.
If one goes to talk about that at the hair stylist, that's just gossip and receive more gossip in return. Not so much different with most people. They will reply just telling you about their problems and nothing got solved, but just the opposite, that feed the problem with more bad energy.
However, to talk to one of that older big ones rocks, for a last time is a final cut. They will hear what you have to say but contrary to people, they will return only the pure energy of nature, of growth. This same practice also work with big older trees. They are elder ones.
Telling your sorrows to these great natural beings is a way to end a cycle and leave behind something that bothers you greatly.
This is an aspect of the earth oracle. They listen too.
Get this? Any oracle in practice is a two way communication. They listen and reply.
The earth oracle is most suitable for a spiritual seeker. A warrior.
As the other oracles, it may be approached with great respect.
The rock may dislike you and fall over your head. Or make you have a bad step following, and you will jump in a cliff.
To found one, you need to walk in the woods, a coastline, a riverside or at the desert, wherever until meet a proper place. As told before, at distant places.
The work you have to be there is part of your prepare to ask for the oracle.
Seat or stand in front of the rock and stay quiet all the needed time to observe until the rock pay attention to you.
Remember, they have a long life, far away from your common idea about life, before any known modern civilization. Yes, there was many others before. So they don’t pay too much attention to fast events. That can need a long time until you have a message, a vision on the rock surface or even feeling to be moved to see another reality level.
May be you have the opportunity to found a smaller one, as cited before, 2-3 foot size, or even bigger, to adopt and let it rest undisturbed at your backyard for months and years so the stone relax and become an antenna for the inner planet energy.  That’s will be priceless.

When you finish, thanks for their presence and dismiss them.

Cooling off at Lynn Headwaters in North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Photo: Ann Badjura

Some final notes

If you have the opportunity of proper nature places for such workings, sometimes you will observe more than one element to be very near.
For example, you may find a big rock just closer a river. This way, you can invoke the energy of the water to expand your inner vision, and then ask the rock to open the oracle for you. This way you may flow better into the visions of the rock.
Doing the opposite, first asking to the rock to support you and then invoking the oracle of the water will help you to have a ground and not be caught into some emotional aspects that sometimes happens.
Same when you have a place to work with a bonfire, be near the water of the rocks.
Or just the wind you will find moving more near big rock areas or near a river.

Always at finish give thanks and dismiss the energies you invoked.

Always remember for physical safety.
If you are aside a cliff, you may be sure you are grounded before working with the wind.
If you choose the water, also be sure you are fixed at place as even some strange or even stupid accidents may happens if you enter at the water. For example, is not good idea to enter in a lake during the oracle even if the elementals invite you.
Never let an unattended candle. If you finish the work, most of times is Ok to finish the fire.
In the case of a bonfire, you must be sure it is finished and is safe to leave the area. Be careful! Do not start a forest fire!

Do not let any human garbage at the place. That will be very disrespectful to the spirits you called before.

To improve your skills, walk at the nature always as you can.
You will discover nature grow anywhere even in a city.
Learn to be quiet and just observe this way learning about the energy at each place.
With time, you will expand your senses.

.'.

P+ 
16/11/2016

sexta-feira, 29 de julho de 2016

Goetia Triangle of Art And The Time To Do The Work

Goetia Triangle of Art - Finished



Goetia Triangle of Art And The Time To Do The Work



For a long time I wanted to do a new Triangle of Art for my work and I decided to make the new triangle using the names in Hebrew.

So to start I had to deal with something that happens sometimes during magickal practice: to get the needed material.


Getting materials for magickal practice

To work on magick, witchcraft, whatever, you may need some material one and another time. This includes candles, incense, herbs, and tools.
And for ceremonial magick this often means the need to work a lot more.
It's not something easy or cheap because of the work and training needed.
Need long years of studying, practicing, learning how to make many things and dealing with a lot of special materials and tools.
And most of the time, no shortcuts, sorry. Except for some materials, like gold and some other materials, we can use the correspondence tables and sometimes, the needed tool can be done even on virgin paper. But please, never take this so easy.
You have to be sincere in your intent. If you really need to use something simple to make your tools, be sure to do the best you can. And be sure to explain to the spirits you will be working about why you needed to work that way. Decent true spirits will understand your reasons and when asked, will point you in the direction of improving your working tools.

And here is a gold tip: Master Asterion presented a very nice way to make Gold Lamens, and it is very suitable for many tools


But if you got some spirit who even tries to make you fuck your life because "they want" something that will cost even your health, my suggestion is to dismiss and even banish the spirit. Such ones are like vampires and most probably just want to be fed without any valid return.

Glad we have with time, centuries of work, some new methods, and new materials, as magicians around the world have practiced, made experiments, researched to discover it, and gotten solid results. For example, we know there is no need for sacrifices of blood most of the time. I learned this in the 90s using fruits as sacrifice and later extended it. And still, due to the ATR line I was, I had thousands of animal sacrifices in my hands I'm sure 99,99% were not needed. And many ATR lines today do not use blood, except for special cases.
About using magickal herbs to this use Aaron Leitch writes very well at "Blood Substitute – ‘Solomonic Herbal Holy Water’".

Another aspect of the tools of the Art is some of that is very desirable you have to do it by your own hands.
Studying the grimoires, and most other magick areas, you will find all-time instructions about doing yourself the knives, swords, sticks, and woodwork, seeding and growing your herbs, making your ritual clothes, painting your seals, and even how to prepare special inks, making oils, etc.

Ok, if you have the resources, for sure is very important when you have a reliable source of magick jewelry tools for example. I would love to have some of that. We have some talented magicians working to make fantastic tools and jewelry and they are observing all the planetary and material aspects and even consecrate it for you.  For sure not cheap. But if you can, this saves a lot of time and you will have a piece of art. It's OK.

So do what you can the best way you can.

Remember, the Great Work is the result of your work. You are the one who needs to work.
If you worked to be able to pay someone for something special, OK.
But never, I repeat, never do that with a mind of "doing it for cheap".
If you do not value the effort, be sure the results will be related.

What you do is part of the Work. So it must have a meaning to you.


So to get the materials to make tools


To me, this means sometimes researching walking a lot, and working a lot to find what I need.
I will comment later, on some reasons why this may happen sometimes.

In this specific case for a new triangle, it took some years.

I want to also comment on some materials I had difficulty getting.
In some ways such things came together with "additional results" (or curious or funny or as teachings) in some areas of my life, like knowing interesting people or having results far from what I was expecting or "by coincidence", that time was happening a topic to learn a lot from others magicians dealing at some work in the same area that time.  Remember the old tale: "When you are ready the teaching comes".


Even living in a big city area, some materials can be very hard to find. Many people have the same problems because some ingredients do not exist in your region or country.
I just remember how many times people asked where to find black candles, something very common in my country. But at the same time, all those oils people in the USA find easy, we have not. Same for herbs, roots, and many other materials.


Also just for some reason, you won’t find anybody who wants to sell that. I say people and companies who have what you need and they just refuse to sell due to the most stupid reasons. What? That happens!


I went to many places and it was interesting how just nobody wanted to sell a piece of wood cut in the way I wanted. To say better, nobody wanted to sell even a complete board no matter the price and I stated I was not worried about the price!

Strange?
Yes, very strange.

Some weeks ago, I found this piece of wood, and this is one part of my life story for sure.
I just went again into a hardware store near my house, they also sell wood, but not the kind I needed. For some reason, that day the store owner commented about a neighbor, just in front of their store. An old man who makes furniture. Hey! He has no signs in front of the house, nothing. But I already had heard about him some two years before, people from my city talk very much about his work, but I never found out where he was!
And that was an interesting meeting. The guy had an entire board unused for a long time as he made a wrong buy a long time before, and someways he had nothing to use.
So he was very gentle, despite all the work, and took nearly one entire hour preparing and cutting the wood. He didn't know the maths for the triangle, and I was shown a practical method. He loved it. So he made his work and the price he asked after all was so ridiculous to make me shy. And we had a nice time talking about travel and nature places and some other topics. A blessing to me.
And about some events having more results, the hardware store had a garden bench like I was after too for many time! Now I have a garden bench too! Yeeeeaaaaahhh!

Goetia Triangle of Art - Wood cut
So I get it!

Going after materials, when I needed brute bee wax to make seals it took months too. And I live in a region with a lot of honey farms, producer groups, etc. Nobody had wax at that time! Walking, searching, calling by phone. Ok, all that added energy to the seals I did, and the additional result was a very interesting topic in a forum sharing common experiences.


For my circle to the Goetia work, I had to walk for some three months just to get the cotton fabric I needed. I worked developing specific software to manage the production area of clothes companies for almost two decades, so I guess I had a good idea of where to buy fabric and knew all major stores and no place had white/brute cotton to sell.
And to add another "extra" result, this time I worked differently. The saleswoman was gentle, nice, sweet, and intelligent and I had some minutes of sweet talk. 


Goetia Triangle of Art and the Circle - Checking room space
Checking the new triangle size to fit space in my room.
This is a 7-foot size circle so I can use the triangle in all directions.



All this lets me comment about four points about the effort to get the material and ingredients you need.
For sure do not think getting proper material is always easy. Some have specific characteristics, not the kind you will find easily at any store.

  • First, many times this is just part of your work. Since the starting point, often the spirits are already near and may do your work just to add power to your intent. In some religious areas like the ATR lines I knew, this was even a kind of test to you.
  • Second, there are materials really hard to find. So keep calm. There are ingredients, like herbs and oils you won’t find in your region or country. So the alternative is to study the correspondences, find alternatives, or even make your own recipe.
  • Third, may be possible is just not time to work on that. For some reason, nothing works. This happens even at working practices. For example, I had prepared seals, oils, etc. for entire rituals, and due to some reason, I had some other activity to pay attention and all that material went forgotten in a cabinet for years.
  • Fourth, and this is important to think, maybe just is not the right time and despite what you do, it won’t succeed that way. About this think about your guardians.


So is always good to remember: do a reading to get information about what is happening and why.


For sure you must have a very decent degree at least one oracle. For example, the Tarot. This is one of the very basic steps you need before trying such works.

Another you must know and be strong on it is cleaning and banishing.
Guess how many times I tried to contact someone to get material and the result was a really bad eye or just contacting some very bad place full of that bad energies...
And for sure, never attempt such operations on magick without all the previous needed experience. This is not a matter of gift of birth. This helps a bit, but you need the practice.



I often comment as being a practitioner I used to work with what I could, the best way I could.
And there are things I can’t have, even being desirable, but I put my efforts into getting better materials and tools.
This is my life and what I do, so I put all my daily effort into that. Each one may know what level to do.


I have working with the Goetia for some years, and started the most humble way with big paper-made triangles, in a house where I had just a really small place to work. Just open your arms and you have an idea.

When I moved to a bigger house, I was able to use a bigger circle and started to draw the triangle in a two-foot-sized black stone with consecrated chalk. And it has worked too.


As with almost anything I have done in these years, each time I add a new tool, make corrections and improvements in the ritual texts and invocations or just improve the place, I observe in many ways, that the rituals become stronger and more impressive. So keep walking!


Yes, the spirits are there watching what you do, and they are working too somehow.
This is part of something very important: to be always respectful of the spirits.
In the same way, the true spirits will see you are doing your part, and this adds to the respect they have for you.

You can not buy respect. Remember this if you buy ready tools or try to get shortcuts, as I commented before.
Do it with the most sincere desire and true effort.
You can only get respect as a result of sincere work.

You may see this work even as part of an offering you are doing to work with them.


Just to compare, think for a moment, if you have a date, a romantic dinner with your loved one, what do you do? Have a bath, wear nice clothes and prepare the food and place for a good time! Well, if you are not doing this, may be interesting to think how is your love life… You have to do your part! LOL…



The Triangle and Names


About the position of the names in the triangle.

The most know schema is like the following from the Lemegeton edited by Joseph H. Peterson, a great reference source:



Magical circle and triangle, from Sloane 3648.

Magical circle and triangle, from Sloane 3648.
Source: Lemegeton - Clavicula Salomonis - J.Peterson - Esotericarchives


Just to point out something you will find in most ancient texts: the names are outside the triangle, as comments.
I can only think the original authors put the names there to remember the magician what position means. OR NOT.
But this become standard and almost everyone has used triangles with the names inscribed/painted on the borders.
I chose to keep that too just because is one more thing I like to see inscribed as a remember of the reasons why the names are there and what they mean.

But this affects the triangle size and the inside circle.



About the sizes:

The size of the grimoires is 3 feet (near 90cm).

I observed many modern magicians do a triangle this size, with a larger border with the names inside. I kept this idea but observed this reduced the circle size. Some are lesser others are bigger.

At the grimoires, you will see the circle usually uses all space available inside the triangle.

Look again at the previous example and you will observe the circle use almost the entire available area inside the triangle.


But when I finally got the wood piece I wanted for years, I was so happy I forgot this. And also because for years I have seen all triangle types, at all sizes.


So my personal note for future work: my idea is to get a triangle a bit larger, to do an entire working area of three feet, plus a margin to the names.


So I went into the painting work and the margins really disliked me.

This is something I took some time to think about after my first painting. I really disliked it. I really felt first uncomfortable for some reason so I put the triangle in my room and looked for it for some days. I watched it over my desk for an entire week.

Then I realized for obvious reasons the circle was too small for the triangle size and the border too large.

So I painted it all again and reduced the border to 8cm (nearly 3,15 inches), but still a size to use large characters for the names, and I painted the circle again for a bigger size.

Just to explain, or repeat something I comment often: I'm not good at arts and crafts, and I do have no steady hands in such works, so I have to respect my personal limits.
So I kept a large border because I won’t be able to paint decent characters in a lesser space.


Now some steps I had

After initially painting and doing it again, I made paper stencils with the Hebrew names.
I had to redraw the names using Inkscape software and print them at the needed size.

Goetia Triangle of Art - Painting



The stencils helped a lot, as my hands are not so good at painting.

Because of the black background, I have to paint first white and then use red paint.

But the paper I used as mold got wet with the paint and it glued that over the board!
So, here is another note: remove the stencil just after paint, do not wait to dry!

Goetia Triangle of Art - Painting
The paint was absorbed by the paper and that glued... what a mess!

Goetia Triangle of Art - Painting problem
Trying to clean up all the glued paper.

So, the obvious result was: that I had to paint it all again!

OK, keep working!


If I have a spirit as a guest to my ritual, is easy to think I want to offer a better space. When you are making your tools, this is something important, maybe you can’t be perfect, but work to do the best you can.


About the names


Thanks to the work of many scholars and other practitioners, I searched and revised the material from many sources. There is a list of sources at the end of this article for more information and complete research texts from other authors.

I repeat: I'm not a scholar, just a practitioner, but be sure I have to read the books, take notes, research the material and external sources, etc. In my case often I go further as I can even to some originals just to see how it was centuries ago before chose the way to do it as there are many different ideas sometimes.
Only then I will have an idea about what and how to work.



This is the Greek names, the Hebrew ones, and their text:

Tetragrammaton - IHVH

Tetragrammaton - IHVH

Thou God of Almighty power, be ever present with us to guard and protect us, and let Thy Holy Spirit and presence be now and always with us;



Primeumaton - Elohim
Primeumaton - Elohim
Thou Who art the First and Last, let all spirits be subject unto us, and let the Spirit be bound in this Triangle that disturbs this place;



Anephezaton (or Anaphaxeton) - Tzabaoth
Anephezaton (or Anaphaxeton) - Tzabaoth
Thou great God of all the Heavenly Host;



Michael
Michael
By Thy Holy Angel Michael, until I shall discharge him.






These are also the words to talk about when you consecrate the triangle. It's something with really little material.
For more information about consecrating Solomonic ritual tools, I strongly suggest Aaron Leitch's book Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires for reference. If you have not this book yet, be sure it has become a real classic and a "must-have" for grimoires practice and will save you a lot of time.


Now observe the name’s position in the triangle:

The Greek names, like Latin, are read left to right, so the words are clockwise direction. Same for Michael.

So, with Greek names, we have: 
  • Tetragrammaton at right side;
  • Anephezaton (or Anaphaxeton) on the left side;
  • Primeumaton at base;
  • Michael is written starting at the left side.

But Hebrew is read right to left. So the names are counter-clockwise. Same for Michael.
So for Hebrew names, we have:
  • Tetragrammaton IHVH at right side;
  • Primeumaton Elohim at left side;
  • Anephezaton (or Anaphaxeton) Tzabaoth at base;
  • Michael is written starting at the right side.


This is the way I changed the position of the names in the triangle.

Many authors have similar opinions, but for sure, some may vary a bit about what name use.


Nick Farrel had chosen Adonai instead of IHVH due to pronunciation too, but here is something I had my own opinion on as I have used IHVH in Hebrew since the 80s at many works, so became a habit.


And so, all efforts had a result:
Goetia Triangle of Art - Ready to use
The ready triangle over the garden bench I got.

And this is the result after some years.

With some trembling lines in my hands, I painted the entire triangle four to five times again, had to remake all the characters, and did some experiments too.
Total time: 49 days from getting the wood and starting on the same day working until I found it was ready to consecrate and use it. Plus all previous time researching it and collecting information. Just to compare, the circle needed some six to eight months of total time.
I found funny newbies who start from zero level and try something for a few days and weeks and do not understand why they have no results!



But I still had some funny parts during the first ritual using the new triangle.
Yes, I commented before each work sometimes has additional results. This time was a funny part.

For the first ritual with this new triangle, I chose to do a formal invocation for a spirit I have worked with, King Paimon, explaining at the start I was doing a complete rite to consecrate the new triangle.
And he knows a lot about everything. So my intent was to make this event also a kind of offering to his knowledge and asking to learn more too etc.
Well, as he has been called before, he is already exorcized, just to remember, once you get more contact (to say so) you can call the spirit near direct. But as a King, he likes that formal part too, so I continued. I observed Presidents also like that formal procedures.
So I consecrated again my tools, the triangle, and did prayers thanksgiving for the material I got and the work being ready, and did the invocation.
Well, he was near since my first prayer presenting himself as usual with sounds and a strong presence feeling.
But all the time I was feeling something behind me, but I just didn't look behind.
And guess what?
I pointed to the triangle and asked to him appear and stay "inside the triangle".
And he told in my mind something like:
-Uhm, OK, but which of the two triangles do you want me to choose?
Only then did I look behind me and realize the old triangle I had used drawn in the black stone still was there on the other side of the room leaning on the wall. And it was consecrated and ready to use!
And the nearest candle had burned near to the base, ready to burn the circle!

Know that moment you get the spirit told you: "Hey stupid, you forgot to release the old triangle!".... LOL...
Well, the Kings have humor too!

So. now let's continue the work.

Goetia Triangle of Art and the Circle



Humble Version of the Triangle for Sale: 

I made a more simple available in printed format at Scarf (fabric) and Wall Art versions, but fully working ones, just consecrate it.
There are two versions:
Goetia Triangle of Art - Version for sale


Some sources and references:

Joseph Peterson: Lemegeton.htm
Joseph Peterson: Goetia.htm#triangle
Gilbert The Occultist: Triangle-of-art-translated and understood
Nick Farrel: Triangle-of-the-art
The Digital Ambler: https://digitalambler.wordpress.com/materia/img_0060/
Enoch Bowen: Reconstructing-solomons-triangle
Studio Arcanis forum: http://www.studioarcanis.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=706
Aaron Leitch:  Secrets of Magickal Grimoires. 
Golden Dawn Glossary: http://wolf.mind.net/library/ancient/qabala/kabgloss.htm


Aditional bibliography:
Ms Sloane 2731 – Clavicula Solomonis – British Library Manuscript collection
Ms Sloane 3648 – Clavicle of Solomon – British Library Manuscript collection
The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton) – Joseph Peterson at Esotericarchives.com
The Lesser Key of Solomon (Goetia) – S.L. “MacGregor” Mathers and Aleister Crowley.
Three Books Of Occult Philosophy - Henry Cornelius Agrippa.