Category Archives: Chaos Magick

Aromagick: A Scentual Guide to The Kalas & The 8 Colours of Magick

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Aromagick: Unveiling the Kalas and the 8 Colors of Magick

Aromagick offers genuine insights into the mysteries of the Tantrik “kalas”, something often referenced by other esoteric authors such as the AMOOKOS mages, Kenneth Grant et al. The fruit of a lot of experimentation and personal insight, this ought to be a welcome addition to the library of any mystoi, magician, or yogin, indeed anyone with an interest in the most direct of our senses and how these may be enlisted in the work of deep magick. The author also offers a second scentual sequence explicating the eight-colour system made famous in chaos magick. It is perhaps no surprise that the UK chaos magick scene grew out of, or developed pari passu with an interest in aromatics, real essential oils and incense. We recommend this for all mind explorers, especially those with a good nose for a mystery. 

 

 

In creating Aromagick,  Diti J. Morgan has crafted a beautiful and inspiring book about the use of botanical essences in magic of many kinds. Her deep knowledge and experience of the properties of plants lays brilliantly combined with her equally deep knowledge and experience of Hindu Tantra, Western Esoterics, Mythology, and Folklore, and contemporary Neo-Paganism and Magic. She provides a rich cornucopia of spells and recipes, poetry, imagery, and lore to guide us through the seasons of the year and the many forms of magic that we can attempt at any time. A great deal of research and creativity has gone into this book, and I found much in it to surprise and delight me. I recommend this substantial and remarkable book for deep and enjoyable study and preservation in one’s reference library. 
Peter J Carroll. Stokastikos. Southwest England, 2023.
 

“Aromagick: A Scentual Guide to the Kalas and the Eight Colors of Magic”,  is a tantalizing book which wraps Egyptian and Hindu myth, ritual, and magic around a core of expert aromatherapy and plant magic to create a complete system of magic powered by interpenetrating cycles of time.  Just as the cycles of moon and sun weave together to form a calendar, so does this book twist together many strands of magic to form an eternal braid.  In part one, we learn about the kalas, and ritual baths for every phase of the moon.  With each phase, we deep-dive into a ritual bath.  Deep and loving attention is played to the spirits of the plants on which the baths rely; each is a master class in plant and perfume magic.  In my opinion, just the bath rituals alone would easily be worth the “ticket price” for this book, but there is so much more!  Nearly every chapter is bursting with poetry, essays, and juicy magical tidbits.  

In part two, we expand our circle, now focusing on the eight witch’s sabbats of the wheel of the year and their relationship to the eight colours of chaos magic.  Here too, Diti’s depth of knowledge and joy in practice shine through.  Each sabbat has a ritual bath, as well as additional material that extends, contextualizes, and tantalizes.  I received the manuscript shortly before the autumn equinox, so that is where I started.  The chapter opens with the powerful gnostic poem “Thunder, Perfect Mind” from the Nag Hammadi manuscripts, continues with an invocation of the Egyptian fertility goddess Ipet, moves on to a short essay about the magical virtues of the colour blue, and its relation to the season, and then provides an essay by noted scholar of Egyptian magic (and Diti’s husband) Mogg Morgan about Ma’at, the Egyptian deification of Divine Balance.  The chapter concludes, as each does, with an amazing dreamy bath recipe – this one centred on blue lotus, chamomile, jasmine, frankincense, and bergamot.  Just listing the ingredients is enough to make me swoon at their intoxicating fragrance!  All of that is just one chapter of this fascinating book!  I can’t wait to continue working with it throughout the year. 
Sara L Mastros author of The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to The 44 Planetary Pentecals of The Magician King

 

Diti is an Aromatherapist, a magician/witch/priestess/dragon
and none of the above. She is an Artisan Perfumer of the Jitterybug kind. When she has time she hangs out at the Apophis Club and studies at the Fox Magic Mystery School. She also makes great apple cakes.

 

Scroll down for the full interview with Diti J Morgan

Can you introduce yourself and say a little about what you do, your aims and objectives with your writing?

I am Diti J Morgan, an aromatherapist with almost 27 years of experience. I learned that when I blend certain essential oils with a meditative and ritualistic mindset, something special and magical happens. Those who walk the magical path will discover that they have this challenge, to share their vision of the mysteries, instead of accepting what is already given. My challenge is to reveal the scentual path of Aromagik.

If you haven’t already, can you say a little more about your family background, ie past and current – ie are you married, have children, work – people like a little bit of personal stuff if you ok to share.

I feel extremely privileged and blessed to be sharing my life with a very special person. We explore together, which is perhaps one of the secrets of a magical life.

Do you call yourself an aromatherapist/witch/magician? –  if so what does this mean to you? And is it important?

I never liked using titles as I feel they are restrictive.

I go by Diti, which is a nickname for Judith or Yehudit in Hebrew. I was given this name (Diti) when I was a baby of three months. In Jewish culture, and more so in Kabbalah, a person’s name has a lot of meaning and influence. Judith was a lovely Jewish widow, who left the city that was under attack by pretending to join the enemy and predicted to Holofernes that he would be victorious. She entered his tent, where she cut off his head while he was in a drunken slumber and took it in a bag to Bethulia. The Jews then overcame the Assyrians who were leaderless. 

The greater the quality of the name, the more positive its influence is believed to be on the person’s life. According to Kabbalah, the letters that form a name connect the physical and spiritual worlds, not only in how the name is written but also in how it is perceived and recited. As a result, a name acts as a “channel” that transmits energy, whether positive or negative and serves as a bridge between a person’s physical and metaphysical worlds. In Hebrew, the name Yehudit contains within it the letters of God
– י ה ו י

A few years ago, when studying and exploring the path of the Kaula-Naths I was very excited to learn some more about the name Diti. In the excellent book, The Myths and Gods of India, the author Alain Danielou writes a short entry about the legend of the Maruts:

A Legend of the Maruts 

“In the Ramayana (1.46), the Maruts spring forth from an unborn son of Diti, the mother of the antigods. 

The mother of the antigods was in great distress. Vishnu had destroyed her two sons, Golden-Eye (Hiranyaksa) and Golden-Fleece (Hiranya-kasipu). In her desire for revenge, Diti, with womanly patience and cleverness, endeavoured to please her husband Vision (Kasyapa) and obtain from him a son who would destroy Indra, himself a son of Kasyapa.

Vision would not cooperate directly, but he advised Diti to perform the son-giving (pumsavana) penance. As the penance approached its completion, Indra felt anxious. He descended upon the earth and began to serve Diti like a disciple. Should she succumb to pride but for one instant this would give him a chance to frustrate her aim. For a long time, Diti was cautious in her austerities, but one day, at sunset, she fell asleep. Indra took advantage of this. Entering the womb of Diti, he tore the fetus into forty-nine fragments with his thunderbolt. These fragments became the Maruts. Indra made them guardians of the chalice of Soma.”

Judith or Diti, you may call me either, but I know for sure that both of my names are my “paths” that convey energy, good or bad, and connect my material and spiritual realms.

Mandrake has published your book – can you say a little about it?

The book Aromagick merges magical thinking and practice with my love for scents, aromatics, and perfumes. In the opening section, you can explore the fragrances and scents of the lunar journey through the Kalas. 

Kala means part, perhaps also a “lunar perfume or flower”. These mysterious but extremely important principles, derived from esoteric Hinduism, were related to the cosmic tides of the moon, those that ebb and flow during a lunar month. 

Following several years of studying the esoteric cycle of the lunar divinities, the Kalas, I gained a fresh perspective and understanding of these enigmatic deities. Each lunar day is said to have its unique magical quality represented by a Kala and a specific fragrance. In Aromagick, you can explore the lunar-Kala cycle’s two distinct sequences, namely the light and dark cycles, and discover the fragrances and perfumes that correspond to each of them.

In the second part of the book, I deal with the Eight Witches Sabbaths of the Ritual Year and how they resonate with the Eight Magics and the corresponding colours and scented essences.

Is the journey in your book for everyone or only for the expert or indeed aimed at the beginner?

Everyone can benefit from Aromagick. It provides a great introduction to essential oils, the moon cycle, the Kala sequences, and the Eight Sabbaths for beginners. For advanced magicians and witches, Aromagick offers new and deeper insights into familiar subjects. Additionally, advanced Tantrics and Naths can discover a fresh perspective on the Kala system.

 

 

Octarine Magick, Baphomet & Winter Solstice

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Twice a year, on the winter and summer solstice, a very unique portal reveals itself. Through this opening, we are given the opportunity to explore both the chill, yet still spirit of tranquillity and the effervescent radiance of brightness. The deep, indigo night sky of the winter solstice is reminiscent of Saturn, Lord of Time. There is something special about its seemingly timeless journey; almost as though time actually has stopped. The winter solstice marks the occasion when the Earth’s axis reaches its highest angle away from the Sun. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is where we observe the least amount of sunlight, leading to a day that’s shorter than any other of the year and a night that’s longer. This day mirrors the symbolic death and rebirth of the Sun— with daylight hours beginning to grow again afterwards. 

Octarine is the so-called Colour of Magic or King Colour, only perceivable by magicians and cats. According to Discworld texts (see Terry Pratchett’s The Colour of Magic), it is a combination of fluorescent greenish yellow and purple, mixing all primary colours, and serves as a representation of imagination.

The Octarine power lies within us, kindling the spark of the magician self in our inner being. When this flame is lit, we become familiar with various god forms, such as Baphomet, which can be summoned to inspire our magical creativity. 

The essence of Baphomet restores the balance of our universe.

I see Baphomet as a symbol of equilibrium between all living things. This consciousness allows us to recognize and embrace the connection between humans, mammals, reptiles, fish, angels and demons, heaven and earth. It also encourages us to accept the innate cycle of life and death, plus the concept of

eternity. Light and dark, left and right; these are all balanced by Baphomet’s equanimity. I found it easier to identify with Baphomet consciousness when I think of it as a model for a unique and original thought, a primal idea of balance. This concept once initiated, will ignite the flames of a passionate heart and open a clear passage for communication with our higher selves. 

Using Baphomet perfume oil on the Winter Solstice or Kapalini’s nights will help us surrender and let go of old attachments that bind us and prevent us from moving forward.

Check out AROMAGICK  for more information about the magical ingredients of Baphomet perfume oil. The Winter Solstice coincides with Nitya-Nitya night this year, ‘She who is timeless, the immortal goddess’. I will put an additional rare fragrance into the mix, to embody the essence of Nitya-Nitya.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hierophant

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Crowley’s Thoth Tarot offers a much richer layer of meanings and symbolism than usual. His underlying messages convey his ideas and beliefs, making the deck an intriguing source for contemplation. Before analyzing the symbolism of this card, we’ll only consider it from a Crowlian perspective — namely, my own. To get a better grasp of the Hierophant, let’s first look at what it signifies. The hierophant is a top religious figure like the Pope, or the chief Rabbi, whose job was to be a conductor, a channel, funnel, or mediator between the gods and the people. In this particular card, focusing only on the hidden symbolism, the hierophant is the representation of the goddess Nuit.

Nuit is the embodiment of infinite space and also the mother of all stars — for it’s known that “Every man and every woman is a star”(Liber AL, chapter 1, verse 3). With this in mind, she is where each star returns. Additionally, she is also the divine law which must be given to those who follow the hierophant. “Let the woman be girt with a sword before me” (Liber AL, chapter 3, verse 11) At the front of the card, before the hierophant, we can see the woman girt with a sword. The Book of Thoth speaks of the ‘Scarlet Woman’ as an emblem of the new era; she stands for a transformation away from her traditional image as a housewife or accessory to her male partner, instead embracing her identity while searching for autonomy and equality.

“The woman is the priestess; in her reposes the mystery. She is the mother, brooding yet tender; the lover, at once passionate and aloof; the wife, revered and cherished. She is the witch woman.” (Freedom is a Two-edged Sword, Jack Parsons) The deeper we look into the hidden symbolism and meaning of this mysterious woman, the clearer it becomes that she can be Nuit herself, guarding the divine law. The law is simple and clear and the hierophant’s job is to pass it to their congregation:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”
“Love is the law, love under will”
Or in our words:
“Love and do what you will.”
“The symbolism of the Wand is peculiar” – Solve et Coagula (Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth). Crowley describes the three interlaced rings of the wand, as a “representative of the three Aeons of Isis, Osiris and Horus”. However, on a closer look, we see the hierophant holding the wand with its three rings aspiring upward, in his right hand (solve). As a Setian/Typhonian, I couldn’t help the thought that the three interlaced rings would be much more comfortable in the right hand of destruction (solve) as a representative of Set, Osiris & Ra.
Set and Osiris are both Ra’s grandsons and make a sacred triad. Both brothers have to sacrifice themselves for the continuation of Ra — of life — Osiris being killed by his brother Set, and Set killing his brother and becoming the ‘outcast’ God. Demonstrating the cycle of life through destruction and creation is continued with the symbolism of the hierophant’s left hand. His left hand (coagula) points downward in the Shamak mudra hand position. I must admit that this never occurred to me before, but once I became aware of it, I could not un-see it.
The Shamak mudra, also called the kidney mudra, is the perfect hand position to deliver the message of Solve et Coagula (destruction and creation). At the start, I had difficulty understanding how the Shamak mudra was linked with Solve et Coagula and its role in occult symbology in particular for the hierophant and his wand.

Shamak mudra

Coagulation means the action or process of a liquid, especially blood, changing to a solid or semi-solid state (OED). The main function of the kidneys is to cleanse the blood of toxins and transform the waste into urine. The hierophant’s right hand in the Shamak mudra, suggests that before we can coagulate, we must be cleansed and purified of all toxins. Only then can we coagulate into our new and transformed selves.
“The Throne of the Hierophant is surrounded by elephants, which are of the nature of Taurus; and he is actually seated upon a bull.” (Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth). At first sight, the card seems to resonate with the symbolism of the zodiac sign Taurus, which is an earth sign. The element of earth is represented in this card as the Bull/Kerub and symbolizes the earth element at its most balanced and strong. If we look at the symbolism of the bull from the Setian perspective, it takes us back to the prehistoric ‘cattle cult’, which is probably one of the world’s oldest. Egyptian male deities often have a bull representation. Set is most notably known for the ‘Bull of Ombos’. This bull cult likely evolved out of the Cattle cult, which was centred around the Heavenly Cow/Hathor, who symbolizes the feminine aspect of this tradition.
The bull is associated with male fertility and strength, as seen in energy, stamina, and endurance. Worshipped in antiquity, it is also linked to the zodiac sign Taurus, which is associated with spring in the agricultural calendar as a symbol of renewal, prosperity, and abundance. However, this powerful creature can be equally connected to hard-headedness, ferocity and brutality — all the qualities of a deity — where it would accept a sacrificial offering as an act of reverence. It is easy to believe that religious reverence for the bull’s cult has been forgotten in modern times, yet our practices today have still taken on a new form – the dairy and meat industry.

Cave paintings from the Tassili n’Ajjer mountains (photo courtesy of wiki commons wikimedia.org)

Just to remind you, a hierophant is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy. As such, a hierophant interprets sacred mysteries and arcane principles. In this card, the hierophant symbolizes the link to the secret of the rhythm of time and the ancient practice of the worship of the bull.
The secrets of the Timelords are encoded in the divine law which is guarded by Nuit/Nwt and delivered by the hierophant.
– From Aromagick by Diti J Morgan, 2023

Purple Magick – Mayday/Beltane

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These sea snail shells were excavated from Roman sites near Tyre in Lebanon. The creatures inside were crushed and boiled in a salt solution to produce the famous ‘Tyrian Purple’. It took 10,000 snails to produce just 1.4 grams of dye, making it very valuable and it became the preserve of Emperors, hence its alternative name, ‘imperial purple’. (Pitt Rivers Museum, Various collections)

Mayday/Beltane falls midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The rite of spring has probably been celebrated since time immemorial. In the Western world, in Europe in particular, May 1st will be celebrated by dancing around the Maypole which symbolizes phallic energy. The Maypole is decorated with flowers that represent the buds of fertility and sexual energy. 

Beltane is a significant festival in Gaelic culture, alongside Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh. It was traditionally celebrated throughout Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival featured special bonfires that were believed to have protective powers. People and their livestock would walk around or between these bonfires and sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires were extinguished and then re-lit from the Bealtaine bonfire. 

So what has the colour purple got to do with Beltane and Mayday?

I’ve always loved the colour purple. It’s a unique colour that combines the stability of blue and the passion of red. It’s inspiring to me because it encourages me to reveal my innermost thoughts and feelings. When I think of purple, I’m reminded of how it stimulates my imagination and encourages my creativity. It’s a colour that promotes spiritual growth and intuition, which is something that’s important to me. At the same time, purple also promotes understanding and acceptance. It reminds me that there are so many great unknowns in the world that are waiting to be explored. But even as I explore those unknowns, purple keeps me grounded and reminds me to stay focused on what’s truly important in life.

“4. The deep violet is episcopal. It combines 2 and 3, a bishop being the manifested through the principle of blood or animal life.” (Column XV, King’s Ladder, The Qabalah of Aleister Crowley)

In other words, the colour purple is the bishop of colours, it combines the red of blood and the blue of the sky. Red symbolises blood, fire, love, passion, warmth, lust and sexuality. Blue represents the sky, freedom, intuition, imagination, inspiration, depth, sensitivity and the infinite horizon of the open spaces. And most of all, abundance and balance. When blending the two, purple is created, which allows us to explore and experiment with a range of complicated emotions at once and gives us the freedom to be inspired by sexuality, passion, lust and imagination.

“The colour violet, generally speaking, signifies a vibration which is at the same time spiritual and erotic; i.e. it is the most intense of the vibrations alike on the planes of Nephesch and Neschamah…” (Column XV, The Zodical Attributions: The Qabalah of Aleister Crowley) 

The wickedest man in the world, the Beast 666, Count von Zonaref and Alastair McGregor were some of the aliases Crowley used to go by, but every now and then he used the title “The Purple Priest”. The colour purple is used to designate a specific position in the church, such as Bishop or senior Bishop, and by using the title The Purple Priest, Crowley is hinting at his specific position in his church (of Thelema). 

Crowley uses the colour purple as an erotic-spiritual motif to convey the esoteric message in the rituals and worship of Thelema. 

For example, in Liber Al – The Book of the Law, paragraph 61, we can see how Crowley uses the colour purple in his writings:

“But to love me is better than all things: if under the night stars in the desert thou presently burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all, but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a single robe and covered with a rich headdress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!”

By using metaphors such as pale or purple, the author might be hinting at the physiology of the lingam. “Pale” suggests a flaccid lingam, and “veiled” could be the stage just before the lingam is fully erect, also it might suggest an uncircumcised lingam. “Purple” suggests its “voluptuous” erection. There are several veins and arteries that carry blood to and from the spongy erectile tissue in the penis. Veins may look larger than usual during and immediately following an erection. The appearance of prominent veins indicates healthy blood flow and gives the lingam a “purple hue. 

Next, the colour purple is used to describe “she” who is “all pleasure and purple,” and here the purple is used as a metaphor for the yoni —  the purple pleasure…  

By using those metaphors, the purple priest emphasises the intensity and depth of the spiritual and erotic vibration in religious-like practices of carnal pleasures. The second half of the sentence – “and drunkenness of the innermost sense,” hints at the ecstatic heights of the orgasm that awaits in the palace (Liber Al 1:51). The Palace is another metaphor for the yoni – see Mogg Morgan’s Aleister Crowley & Thelemic Magick page 39.

In his Hymn to Pan we can see the “purple motif” again:

“…Dip the purple of passionate prayer

In the crimson shrine, the scarlet snare,

The soul that startles in eyes of blue

To watch thy wantonness weeping through…”

There is something very special at this time of the year, the ancient earth dragon, Kundalini, is now fully awakened. The air is fragrant with the sweet heady aromas of many colourful blossoms. Insects, animals and humans alike walk or crawl out of their burrows, rub their eyes, stretch their limbs and start dancing a sensual mating dance. It’s the season to celebrate desire, lust, fertility, or in other words, nature’s tantric celebration. 

This is the season of Pan, the “All-devourer, all-begetter”. There is something very salacious about dancing around a Maypole. And by leaping over the Beltane fires, we awaken the most ancient magick of all, the passion for the union of body and spirit — “a vibration which is at the same time spiritual and erotic”.

This is the perfect time to wear the K-23 perfume oil which will connect you to the spirit of Pan and his passionate lust for earth and life. Then, go outside and do the Jitterbug. 

The term jitterbug is used to refer to different swing dances, such as the jive and the lindy hop. It comes from slang used in the early twentieth century to describe alcoholics. The term became associated with swing dancers because, like the jitters of alcoholics, they were seen to be out of control.

K-23 perfume oil

As discussed earlier in the book, the properties of water allow us spiritual cleansing, where immersion in a ritual bath is always desirable and recommended before magical activity. To connect with the purple magic frequency and awaken the energies of the Kundalini serpent I recommend my special purple bath ritual which is specifically designed to raise our sexual and magnetic powers and to synchronise ourselves with potential or existing partners. Partners can share their bath in the spirit of a purple magick ritual for play, however, here at the Morgan Witches’ headquarters, we prefer to have our ritual baths separately (usually one after the other) and by doing so, each of us has the time to relax and meditate. It takes 15 minutes for our body to reach a general relaxation that allows the blend of oils to work its magick on our consciousness.

Prepare your bathroom as you would any other ritual space, you can have a ‘purple altar’ if you have the room for it, but remember that the altar is the bath, and the water is the vessel which conducts the transformation of the offering which in this case is in the oils and you. 

When using the Purple Magick Perfume Oil you can add about 10-15 drops to a tablespoon of sea salt, Himalaya salt or Epsom salts and add it to the bath water. Each of the essential oils suggested here can be used on its own or in combination with one of the other essential oils which are recommended in this chapter. However, mixing and blending essential oils is a form of art and technique that need to be learned and mastered. You can use the recipe at the end of the chapter as a guideline for making your own bath blends.

Make sure that the water is hot enough for you to relax in them for 15 minutes.

Get in the water and lie comfortably, close your eyes, take a few deep breaths and listen to the mantra or music of your choice.

I find that the Kirtan Kriya (Sa Ta Na Ma) mantra is most suitable to listen to in the purple bath ritual. 

You can find it here.

If you want to experience the purple magick in its full power I recommend the Great Purple Hoo-Ha meditation while in the bath. The Kirtan Kriya mantra will amplify the experience. 

The Great Purple Hoo-Ha Meditation

This meditation is based on a technique described in Phillip H. Farber’s book The Great Purple Hoo-Ha. Philip H. Farber is a writer, hypnotist, NLP trainer, ritualist, and consciousness explorer. He is best known for his book on ritual magick, Future Ritual: Magick for the 21st Century and as the creator of Meta-Magick, a system of practice combining elements of magick, NLP, hypnosis, and more.

Sit in a comfortable position with your spine upright (if you are in the bath, just make yourself comfortable and relax in the water).

Close your eyes.

Imagine a circle around you, with a diameter just slightly greater than your outstretched arms, with you at the exact centre.

Inhale, filling your lungs completely, from bottom to top. 

As you inhale, allow your attention to expand and fill the circle around you with purple. 

Exhale, and as you do so place your attention to a tiny spot within the centre of your chest.

Continue to practice like this, filling the circle with every inhalation, contracting down to a single point in the middle of your chest.

When your circle is full of purple, inhale and expand your attention to fill the entire room with purple. 

Then, when you exhale, contract it down to a single point in the centre of your chest. 

Once the room is full of purple, on the next inhalation expand your attention to fill the largest area you can conceive: the city, the county, the state, the world or even the solar system and the whole universe, with the colour purple. As large as you can manage. 

And again, when you exhale, contract your attention down to a single point in the middle of your chest. 

When you are ready, open your eyes and return to your regular breathing.

Thank yourself, the water and the oils, climb out of the bath, dry yourself and get dressed (or not) and carry on with your Purple Magick celebrations.

Purple Magick Perfume Oil

Image created with the collaboration of the Craiyon AI and Photoshop.

The first essential oil that comes to mind concerning Purple Magick, as Scott Cunningham put it “downtrodden Patchouli”.

Even now, most people still associate its sweet musky and earthy aroma with the ‘Hippy’ culture of the 60s & 70s. 

So what has Patchouli got to do with Purple Magick?

Patchouli Pogostemon cablin

Patchouli is a bushy herb about a metre high with a sturdy, hairy stem and large, fragrant, furry leaves and white-purple flowers.  It is native to Southeast Asia. Once harvested, the patchouli leaves are left to ferment in the shade and then dried for three days. The fermentation process apparently improves the quality of the oil, which is extracted using steam distillation.

In the 19th century, cashmere shawls and bed linen were imported from India to Europe. To keep the delicate fabrics free of moths, they were packed with patchouli leaves, which were used throughout the East as an insect repellent. These Patchouli-scented shawls and linen became a must-have item for well-to-do and fashionable women of the time. It didn’t take long for the Patchouli fragrance to be associated with wealth and indulgence.

The earthy sweet aroma of the plant soon became a trend with many European manufacturers of fabrics and furniture which started to infuse their goods with the scent of Patchouli. It is almost unavoidable to thus visualise and smell the luxurious, heady, musky, scented bedrooms of 19th-century ladies. The richness of the scent has been associated as an aphrodisiac for centuries, the earthy-musky notes make us feel secure, relaxed and open up to our own sexuality. The smell of the bed linen and the furniture infused with Patchouli oil was evocative and sensuous, and the link between Patchouli and sensuality has never been forgotten from our collective memories of those 19th-century bedrooms.

So next time you watch a period drama or read a novel about this period, and you want to intensify your experience of the novel/drama, make sure you have a bottle of Patchouli at hand so you can smell it during the bedrooms scenes or whenever a cashmere shawl appears.

The sweet and heady scent of the Patchouli blends perfectly with the exotic fragrance of  Ylang-Ylang. On its own, I find Ylang-Ylang a bit overpowering and far too sweet, but the earthiness of Patchouli seems to anchor the sweetness of the Cananaga odorata and turn it into a somewhat lighter and mysterious exotic fragrance. 

Ylang-Ylang Cananaga odorata

Ylang-Ylang is a tall tropical tree with large, tender, sweet fragrant yellow flowers. It is native to Southeast Asia. Its essential oil is extracted by water or steam distillation from freshly picked flowers. There are 5 grades of distilled essential oil, with Ylang-Ylang extra as the top grade.

The sweet, exotic-balsamic scent of Ylang-Ylang will balance and calm an overactive mind or any over-emotional state or feelings. In Indonesia, its fragrant flowers have long been associated with aphrodisiacs. To promote a relaxed and sensual atmosphere, fresh Ylang-Ylang flowers are harvested and spread on the newly wedded couple’s bed. 

Both Ylang-Ylang and Vetiver are under the planetary influence of Venus, the goddess of love, beauty and sensuality. Together they combine two of her most precious elements, the stability of the earth represented by Vetiver and the fluidity of water represented by Ylang-Ylang. On the emotional, physiological and magical level, these two oils blended together act as the psychic lubricant of body and mind. Once the harmony between these two Venusian oils has been established we can introduce Jasmine, the “King of flowers” to the formula (Cunningham: 1997). Jasmine is known for its qualities as a sexual tonic and aphrodisiac. The intensely rich, warm and sensual, sweet floral scent, has a direct effect on our emotions and can produce a feeling of optimism, confidence and euphoria. Its association with the moon will add a silvery reflection to a sensuous magical rite, where there is a union of lovers. Its elemental characteristics of both fire and water will intensify the sacred sexual union with a magical oomph of flowing passion.

To balance out the richness of the sweet and heady aroma of the blend I added a few drops of Bergamot. The fresh and fruity, citrusy scent of the oil, is just sharp enough to break the nearly overwhelming sweetness of the heady blend. 

Bergamot Citrus bergamia

This small tree, about 4.5 metres high with smooth oval leaves, and small round fruit,  ripens from green to yellow, similar to orange in appearance but smaller. Native to tropical Asia. Extensively cultivated in southern Italy, Sicily and the Ivory Coast. Essential oil extraction is by cold expression of the fruit’s rind.

Safety data: Certain furocoumarins, notably bergapten, have been found to be phototoxic on human skin; that is, they cause sensitisation and skin pigmentation when exposed to direct sunlight. 

The scent of Bergamot resembles that of orange but with more floral and zesty underlying characteristics that add a spicy edge to it. Bergamot possesses magical qualities that can alleviate nervous tension and physical stress, acting like a wand by lifting, shifting, releasing, and dispersing these feelings. Bringing peace and happiness and creating a space allows both body and mind to rest and relax. The lightness and uplifting touch that Bergamot adds to the blend, accentuates each of the other fragrances and mixes them together into a bewitching sensual perfume which will work both ways on its wearer and their partner.

Purple Magick bath recipe: 

In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of sea salt, Himalaya salt or Epsom salt,

1 drop of Patchouli

1 drop Ylang Ylang

2 drops of Jasmine

3 drops of Bergamot

For your safety, I recommend using the following recipe for a night-time bath due to the sensual nature of purple magick and the potential risks associated with Bergamot essential oil. 

It’s important to note that the Purple Magic Perfume Oil is safe to use as it contains bergapten-free essential oil.

***

Purple Magick – Mayday/Beltane is an extract from my soon-to-be-published book Aromagick – A Scentual Journey Through The Ritual Year.

For any inquiries about the Aromagick perfume oils series, please contact Mandrake at https://mandrake.uk.net/contact/

Have a fabulous Purple Magick season

Diti J Morgan

 

 

 

 

Invocation of The 7th Head of the Dragon

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The Seven Heads of the Dragon are the foundational system of philosophy and practice of Apophis Club Initiates. Each head symbolises and embodies a layer of the primordial power of the Serpent.

The 7th head invocation was inspired by the book Apophis by Michael Kelly and the work curriculum of The Apophis club which was and still is a big influence on my way of thinking and being. 

Xepher!

APOPHIS By Michael Kelly

A practical handbook of Draconian Left-Hand Path Initiation. The Primordial Serpent lurks in the deepest, darkest roots of human consciousness. Each of its seven heads embodies a power which may be awakened within the psyche. ‘Apophis’ outlines the transformative process whereby the human Initiate becomes something much more than human. It provides the weapons necessary to win the war of consciousness against conformity. It openly teaches the means of immortalising the Self.

Invocation of the Typhon (2018)

The head of the Typhon or the ‘7th head’ represents the future self, the guardian angel, or the demon, your personal demon if you like.  

The head of Typhon was something I thought nobody would ever go through with, that is to say, I never imagine that anyone I know, let alone me, will ever go through with the invocation of all of the 7 heads. 

A few days before I set for the invocation I prepared my space by cleaning and sorting out everything I might need for the ritual. Music always helped me to focus when I need to plan a ceremony or an invocation, something about the rhythms of the tune I chose that afternoon is that before invoking one of the heads it is recommended to do the ritual of ‘opening the eye’ and then invoke myfutureself… 

Just to make it clear, by the time I felt ready to approach Typhon in a ritualistic way and invoke the 7th head, a few years have passed by, and the intense days of study and practice of the Apophis Club curriculum, were long behind me, and I was no more an active member of the club.

 Once you ‘open the eye’ and invoked your futureself it is the time to call upon one of the heads. There is no point leaving the eye open with no one to guide you through it – and by having your futureself about, the sense of security and reassurance to cross the abyss and reach out to the final head. I was a little nervous I must admit.

Am I really going to invoke the 7th head? 

It’s a myth, isn’t it? 

Deep breath, and here I am, getting ready to call upon Seth, the lord of darkness, the principle of ​Isolated intelligence, god of the Unknown future. 

Before midnight I started with banishing and soon realised I needed to repeat it a couple of times. Before I noticed I got carried away, and end up doing three different kinds of banishing — just to be on the safe side…  

You can take the girl out of the chaos, but you can’t take the chaos out of the girl… 

I went out to the garden altar and lit a candle and burned some incense and made a small offering of beer and bread. I put a little ​cake of light on the incense burner and looked up to the sky for the Ursa Major constellation. As soon as I saw Him, I stood in the Apophis and Typhon posture and chanted IAO for a little while. Satisfied, I went back inside and started singing and dancing, Open Up by P.I.L. Leftfield’s remix is always a favourite in raising the energies.  

 Earlier in the day I drew the sigil of the 7th head and mixed Dragon’s Blood powder into some red wine, I never tried it before, but what can be more symbolic than drinking actual dragon’s blood, especially when part of the invocation reads:  

‘Here I stand, initiate of the Dragon Mysteries…  And I am as you are, a void dweller.  The blood of the Dragon pulses through my veins;  My bones and flesh are of your substance’   

So I call upon my futureself, charge the dragon blood wine and drank it. 

It is stronger than I thought, the tingling sensation rushing through my veins. It’s time to invoke the Typhon.

I stare at the sigil and start chanting the words of the invocation. 

Everything becomes quiet for a few seconds, minutes, dead quiet. I’m not sure for how long I stood there until I felt something behind me.  It didn’t spook me, which is surprising.  

Seth is present in the room, I felt Him immediately, strong, stable and daring. Everything I say, he’s daring me to question and think it over. I find myself saying laud what needs to be done, speaking in such a confident way, using some hands and arms mudras like I was casting a spell. This led to a very bizarre conversation, between me, myfutureself and the Typhon. I started by saying all I needed to say to the Mighty Seth, and for one second, a thought crossed my mind — what are you doing woman? 

It was like staring into a mirror, into the void. I was staring into the eye, and I knew that now is the best time to say things as they are, that there is no god, apart from that I am a god/ess. We are partners in this journey, I do my bit, and you do yours. 

 I was trying to think about how I’m going to end this conversation when He just says; ‘Drink, Partner!’ and I’m thinking to myself, yes, ‘Partner’ sounds so much better than ‘My Lord’ or ‘Prince of Darkness’!  

 This might sound weird to you, but I’ve let you into my head now, and that’s the way things are in there.  

 Everything around me is slowing and quietening down, like I’m watching it all in slow motion, at times the sound of silence is quite alarming, my heart racing and then Typhon says, ‘I need some beer, so drink!’ 

​I knew I just did something incredible, but not sure what it was. We had some beer by the altar, then He said go, go and feel what it is like… 

 My blood is tingling and the music sends me far, far away. I lie on the sofa, I’m flying high with the music. The room is pretty dark but new thoughts and ideas keep bubbling up in my mind. I write them in my journal, like little messages, some private, some to share later.

I wait for the playlist to finish, before getting up and consigning the 7th head back to whence it came from. The circle is closed with as many banishings as I could remember and do. It is 4 am, and the sun is just coming up. I wind my whistle to the four corners, welcoming the new dawn. 

It is done!

***

That was a year ago, and what a year it was!

Soon after the invocation, I decided to leave my old job and at the same time, I got an offer for a much better one ( a dream job in a way at the time ). Before starting the new job I took a little holiday and went to Stonehenge for the Summer solstice, and what an amazing experience that was! A beautiful golden dawn, a good omen I would say. I found love, a soulmate and a magical partner and all in the same person! 

I went on the most fantastic holiday to Cairo, where we were very lucky to have the Red Pyramid at Dahshur to ourselves. We were the only people inside, so we took our chances and did a little ritual (our version of the open-the-mouth ritual) in the King’s chamber, at the heart of the pyramid!

We have been experimenting with crazy dream work, which gave us some very interesting results. And oh yes, there’s a book nearly finished,  in which you will find much more of my magical adventures in hyperspace reality…

So, it Is Done!

Xepher!

The Hierophant – Love and do what you will

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Chapter 3, verse xi: “Let the woman be girt with a sword before me”.

The symbolism of Crowley’s Thoth tarot is much more profound than the usual tarot meanings and symbolism. Crowley had a wonderful underlined subtext and messages communicating his ideas and beliefs through the Thoth tarot deck. I find his ‘secret’ symbolism and messages fascinating. 

Before we start to explore the symbolism of this card, remember we are only approaching it from the Crowlian point of view and a very specific one – which is mine. 

Let us understand first who is the Hierophant and what it represents.

The Hierophant is a person, especially a priest, who interprets sacred mysteries or esoteric principles. 

According to Wikipedia, a hierophant (Ancient Greek: ἱεροφάντης) is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy.  As such, a hierophant interprets sacred mysteries and arcane principles. In Attica, Hierophant was the title of the chief priest at the Eleusinian Mysteries. It was an office inherited within the Philaidae or Eumolpidae families. The office of Hierophant, High Priestess and Dadouchousa Priestess were all inherited within the Philaidae or Eumolpidae families, and the Hierophant and the High Priestess were of equal rank. It was the task of the High Priestess to impersonate the roles of the goddesses Demeter and Persephone in the enactment during the Mysteries.

The Hierophant is associated with the element of earth.

From the above, we can understand that the hierophant is a top religious figure like the Pope, or the chief Rabbi if you like, whose job was to be a conductor, a channel, funnel or mediator between the gods and the people. In this particular card, focusing only on the hidden symbolism, the hierophant is the representation of the goddess Nuit.

Nuit represents the element of infinite space. The mother of all stars – after all – “Every man and every woman is a star” (chapter 1, verse 3). Nuit is also the place each star is return to when his or her light diminishes. She is also the divine law. The law that the hierophant needs to transmit to her followers. 

 “Let the woman be girt with a sword before me” 

At the front of the card, before the hierophant, we can see the woman girt with a sword. 

According to The Book of Thoth, “she represents the Scarlet Woman in the hierarchy of the new Aeon” or in other words, representative of the ‘new woman’, ie, no more just a housewife or a pretty decor on the arm of her husband or boyfriend, but armed and militant, seeking her truth and equal rights. 

We can see how all of this manifests in the feminist movement of the 70s and the Me Too movement of our days. 

The woman girt with a sword , “The woman is the priestess; in her reposes the mystery. She is the mother, brooding yet tender; the lover, at once passionate and aloof; the wife, revered and cherished. She is the witch woman.” (Freedom is a two-edged Sword, Jack Parsons)

The deeper you look into the hidden symbolism and meaning of this mysterious woman, the clear it gets, that she can be Nuit herself, guarding the divine law.  

The law is simple and clear and it’s the hierophant’s job to pass it to his congregation:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law”

“Love is the law, love under will”

Or in our words 

Love and do what you will

***

“The symbolism of the Wand is peculiar” – Solve et Coagula

Crowley describes the three interlaced rings of the wand, as a “representative of the three Aeons of Isis, Osiris and Horus”. However, on a closer look, we see that the hierophant holding the wand with its three rings aspiring upward, in his right hand (solve).  

As a Setian/Typhonian, I couldn’t help the thought that the three interlaced rings, would be much more comfortable in the right hand of destruction (solve) as a representative of Set, Osiris & Ra. 

Set and Osiris are both Ra’s grandsons and make a sacred triad. Both brothers have to sacrifice themselves for the continuation of Ra — of life — Osiris by getting killed by his brother Set, and Set killing his brother and becoming the ‘outcast’ God. (Aromagick)

The demonstration cycle of life through destruction and creation is continued with the symbolism of the hierophant’s left hand.

His left hand (coagula) is pointing downward in the Shamak mudra hand position. I must admit that this never occurred to me before, but once I become aware of it, I could not un-see it. 

The Shamak mudra also calls the kidney mudra, is the perfect hand position to deliver the message of Solve et Coagula (destruction and creation). In the beginning, I couldn’t see the connection between the kidney mudra to the word coagula and what it represents in the occult symbolism, especially here, to the hierophant and his wand. 

Coagulation means The action or process of a liquid, especially blood, changing to a solid or semi-solid state.
“a supplement that inhibits blood coagulation”

The main function of the kidneys is to cleanse the blood of toxins and transform the waste into urine.

The hierophant’s right hand in the Shamak mudra, suggests that before we can coagulate, we must be cleansed and purified of all toxins. Only then can we coagulate into our new and transformed selves. 

“The Throne of the Hierophant is surrounded by elephants, which are of the nature of Taurus; and he is actually seated upon a bull.”

At first look, the card seems to resonate with the symbolism of the zodiac sign Taurus, which is an earth sign. The element of earth is represented in this card as the Bull Kerub and symbolises the earth element at its most balanced and strongest. If we look at the symbolism of the bull from the Setian perspective, it takes us back to the cattle cult which is probably the oldest cult in the world. 

Cave painting from the Tassili n’Ajjer mountains

All Egyptian male deities have bull avatars. The Bull of Ombos is the avatar of Set. The Bull Cult probably sprang out of the Cattle cult linking deities like the Heavenly Cow/Hathor which represents the female aspect of the cult. 

The bull symbolises male fertility and potency and is connected with energy, stamina, endurance, protection, and aggression. As a symbol of strength, the bull was worshipped throughout the ancient world. From the astrological point of view, the zodiac sign of Taurus is linked to Spring in the agriculture calendar. Symbolising the season of rebirth, wealth and abundance. The bull also stands as a symbol of stubbornness, ferocity, tyranny and brutality, all the characteristics of a powerful God/s, and will make an honourable sacrifice for the almighty.

We might think, that we have moved on from the religious practices and worship of the bull’s cult, but today, the cattle cult assumed a different structure — the dairy and meat industry, that most of us are pretty much worshipping still.

Just to remind you, a hierophant is a person who brings religious congregants into the presence of that which is deemed holy.  As such, a hierophant interprets sacred mysteries and arcane principles.

In this card, the hierophant symbolises the link to the secret of the rhythm of time and the ancient practice of the worship of the bull. 

The secrets of the time lords are encoded in the divine law which is guarded by Nuit/NWT and delivered by the hierophant.

Timelord (?)

On magic and miracles and of Beit Shami tradition of Lighting Hanukkah candles

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Recently I learned of Beit Shamai Hanukkah tradition of starting with all eight candles on the first night and going down to one candle on the eighth. The more common Hanukkah tradition follows Beit Hillel – on the first night you light one candle and add another each day so by the eighth day you have all the candles burning in your Hanukkiah (Hanukkah’s special candle holder).

Once I understood the reason for this minhag (custom), it seemed to me the appropriate way for us Chaos Jewitches to celebrate Hanukkah 

To remind you, Hanukkah or the festival of lights is a holiday that is celebrated for eight days, in memory of the victory of the Hasmoneans in the rebellion against the Greeks, the rededication of the Temple, and the miracle of the oil jug. The holiday is marked by the saying of praise as well as the lighting of Hanukkah candles, on the eight days from the 24th Kislev to the 2nd of Tevet.

The Miracle of Hanukkah is an Aggadah (story) depicted in the Babylonian Talmud as one of the reasons for Hanukkah. In the story, the miracle occurred after the liberation of the Temple in Jerusalem during the Maccabean Revolt, and it describes the finding of a jug of pure oil that was just enough to light the lamp for one day, but that then lasted for eight days. 

There are two ways to understand the miracle: 

  1. You can focus on how the miracle power grew day by day, and by night it came to its full potential.
  2. Or, you can argue the opposite: that the magic was at its peak on the first day and by the eighth day its potential was already established in the hearts of all, but no longer visible.

Beit Hillel follows the first argument above, and as far as I know, it is the more common and popular tradition followed by most Jews around the world, celebrating the miracle getting bigger and stronger each day.

Beit Shamai focuses on the potential of the divine miracle and how the magic was much greater on the first day than on the last day. If we replace the word miracle with the word magic, suddenly it seems obvious why Beit Shammai chose to focus on the potential of the power of magic on its first day

This phenomenon, according to Chaos Magic, is described in one word — Gnosis, which is one of a kind and an extremely powerful experience. But as most of us know, the feeling and the memory of it, fade in the days that follow.  Beit Shammai’s Hanukkah tradition also focuses on the gnosis’s full potential or the miracle of the light that shone bright and strong on the first night.

I assume that most of you if you have read this far, do not follow Beit Hillel or Beit Shamai, but rather swim in the fertile waters of Chaos Magic or Chaos Craft Consciousness, and miracles, wonders, magic and sorcery are part of your path. Therefore, this Hanukkah, we would be celebrating by focusing on the divine magical potential for the entire eight days of the holiday. That means, eight candles every day for eight days!

When we focus on the divine potential of magic and its possible power, we are connecting and resonating with energy and information vibrating throughout the cosmological grid of the torus doughnut.

Chaos Monk – An interview with Steve Dee

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Click here to buy Chaos Monk

I am a big fan of Steve’s writing. At first, it was his posts on the Blog of Baphomet that drew my attention to his writing. His very unique and personal take on chaos magick resonates with everything I wanted to learn and explore for myself at the time. Steve and I corresponded for a while, I can’t recall for how long, but I can say that his teaching, guidance and mentoring had a profound impact on my life. 

Chaos Monk is an invitation to spiritual intensity. In the face of life’s brevity, it seeks to offer a challenge to consider what truly matters and how we might find skilful means for exploring such a question.

From my own personal experiences of working with Steve, I can say that his ‘monastic ways’ always help and guided me in the most intense and crucial times of my life.

Sometimes the deepest and highest forms of gnosis are in simplicity, faithfulness and accountability and stillness.

Other titles by Steve Dee:

A Gnostic’s Progress: Magic and the Path of Awakening

The Heretic’s Journey: Spiritual Freethinking for Difficult Times

Chaos Craft: The Wheel of the Year in Eight Colours 

 

Chaos Monk

Can you introduce yourself and say a little about what you do, and your aims and objectives with Chaos Monk in your writing?

Yes, I’m Steve Dee. I live in Devon in the UK where I work as a Psychotherapist within the National Health Service. I like surfing, walking and leading a fairly quiet life. My writing is generally the over-spill of my own exploration, research and magical practice. I tend to make sense of things by trying to write about them and hopefully what I write can be helpful to others.

If you haven’t already, can you say a little more about your family background, ie past and current – ie are you married, children, work – people like a little bit of personal stuff if you ok to share?

Sure, I come from Cardiff in South Wales but also spent a chunk of my childhood growing up in Australia. I studied theology when I was in my late teens-early 20s and came close to becoming a monk and an Anglican Priest but this all changed when I bumped into the Gnostics and Carl Jung.

I identify as being Queer. I have a long-term partner and we have two young adult sons together. I am quite introverted by nature and friends often describe me as being either a contemplative or a hermit.

When my Christian faith expanded in my mid-20 I decided to train as a social worker (rather than the priesthood) and eventually trained as a psychotherapist specialising in family work and working with people who self-harm.

Do you call yourself a magician/chaos magician, witch, or monk –  if so what does this mean to you? And is it important?

I would probably describe myself as a magical practitioner or Gnostic explorer as these are vague and talk about the doing of stuff. Other words like Witch or Yogi also apply but I use them less as people tend to have more preconceived ideas about what they mean.

You are primarily interested in what I think is called Chaos magic?- can you explain what that is and what it is that attracted you to that way?

For me, Chaos Magic focuses more on what you do rather than having to believe in a specific worldview or metaphysical scaffolding. These things can be helpful but they can also be limiting.

Personally, I am more interested in what happens when we use Gnostic technologies for opening up the body, the heart and the mind. This has a lot of similarities with how I see the early Yogis trying to use the whole of their lives as a laboratory for exploration.

You’ve written 3 previous books – can you say a little about them

Chaos Craft (2014) was co-written with my good friend Julian Vayne as a result of us running a magical group for a number of years that sought to explore a form of Witchcraft heavily inspired by Chaos Magic. The book maps the 8 colours of magic from Pete Carroll’s Liber Kaos onto the Pagan wheel of the year and then describes some of the bold magical adventures and ideas that resulted from this work.

A Gnostic’s Progress (2016) Seeks to explore how the cosmologies and practices of the early Gnostics can be of value to contemporary magicians. It’s full of fun experiments and strange ideas for triggering experiences of awakening from sleeping states of consciousness.

The Heretic’s Journey (2018) explores what it might mean to be a Spiritual Freethinker in response to attempts in society to create dogmas and orthodoxies. It looks especially at Queer theory, Surrealism and the Ma’at current as a form of Post-Crowley Thelema.

 Is the journey in your books for everyone or is it only for the expert or indeed aimed at the beginner?

People often describe my writing as being clear but some of the ideas that I reference are quite complex. So I hope that a newcomer would find something helpful and inspiring, but I write because I find it interesting and personally illuminating rather than having a specific audience in mind.

That’s a lot of questions – can you try and summarise, in a nutshell, the enduring message of the book – Chaos Monk

I don’t think I can do better than quoting myself in the book’s introduction :

“This book is an invitation to spiritual intensity. In the face of life’s brevity, it seeks to offer a challenge to consider what truly matters and how we might find skilful means for exploring such a question. As the pace and pressures of daily living seek to crowd out our ability to find space and silence, I believe that those traditions and techniques associated with monasticism provide vital keys for regaining our balance. While some may view such paths as ones of restriction or severity, as we travel together I hope to demonstrate the profound value of what simplicity, faithfulness and accountability might bring us when viewed through dynamic and responsive lens of Chaos magical practice.”

Anything else you want to add?

Your greatest magical act is to fully manifest to the world the uniqueness of who you are. That’s what the world needs. Know Thyself! Create Thyself! Become the One you know you are.

Do you have a webpage or blog?

Yes! https://theblogofbaphomet.com/

 

Fire & Water, Oshun & Babalon

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“Babalon, let me tell you about Babalon, I was just looking at my diary from a while back, fire and water, that’s her, like Oshun, Orisha of the rivers and sweet waters. Here’s how she found me. I’ve been invited to take part in a ceremony of a different tribe, they share the same path of the Serpent and the Panther, but the practice is different. My tribe like to dive into the pool of the void, through its darkest tunnels and halls until it turns into light.

The other tribe practice the way in great light and celebration, even at the darkest moments somehow they find a way to celebrate with a beautiful practice. I thought that it is the perfect space to evoke Babalon. I needed to get some answers from her, so I put on my red dress and made a little tobacco offering to the fire. Then I waited for her to give me a sign; when it comes it is like the rhythm of the ayahuasca dream state of mind:

The serpent is awake,

Is coiling in my tummy and heart,

It is moving and winding, its scales are bright red,

It is getting ready to move up toward my neck,

I’m terrified it is going to swallow me,

It changes into a serpent-like flower,

Changing its colour from red to yellow,

More and more serpent-like flowers are popping around me.

I can hear the Oshun song from the distance,

I am singing it,

I can hear Babalon whispering in my ears,

To understand me, go with Oshun.

I get it…

At first, the Scarlet Lady and Oshun look like they have nothing in common. Oshun is the Yellow Lady of the rivers … but to embody the will and the passion to create magic and change, you need to move in a wavelike motion, to be fluid like water.

Babalon rides the flames of the ever-burning fire. If you look closely at the flames, you can see that they have a strange fluidity. Fire, like water, always has to move, expand and never standstill. So both ladies share the same qualities. Oshun is the watery aspect of Babalon, and Babalon is the fiery aspect of Oshun. You cannot create magic from still water that lacks fluidity.

You cannot create magic from still and tamed fire, which will soon burn out and die.

In the morning after the ceremony closed, I stood by the fire talking to the shaman, when something caught my eye. At the side of the fire was a statue of Shiva holding the Trishula 1 trident, and next to it two further Trishula, made from iron. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I’d dreamt of that very Trishula the month before!

 

When I asked the shaman what he uses them for, he said what I have always known: at the ceremony the Trishula helps destroy the three worlds that we find so hard to let go of. After the ceremony, we arrived at the here and now, with joy, beauty and bliss in our hearts. Who said that dreams can’t come true??

Om Namaha Shivaya

Viva Oshun

Hail Babalon.”

  • From NakedTantra by Miryamdevi & Minanath