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Theurgic magick on the other hand has seldom a clearly specified goal. Its purpose is purely spiritual, to move the mage, his tradition or the whole world towards Ascension. There is seldom a obvious result. While thaumaturgy creates effects in the lower planes, the goal with theurgic magick is to rise above them. In a way it could be called "religious magick". It differs greatly among the traditions, who all have different views on what Ascension is and what theurgy to perform for its celebration.
I think there should have been more mention in the descriptions of the Traditions of how the theurgy works for each tradition. It is an extremely important form of magick, and many mages may even say it is far more important than thaumaturgy. Magick isn't just how to cast a fireball, it is a vital philosophy for every mage. Theurgy ties the mage more closely to the power of his or her tradition, and its spheres. (The extra power a mage receives in the tradition-specific sphere may be closely tied to the theurgy of the tradition) I have written some of my ideas about the theurgy in different traditions. Feel free to comment.
A special thanks to DShomshak, Malcus Dorroga and Maccabeus for the SoE and Hollow One theurgies they submitted (and an apology for my slowness in adding them to this page).
"The wise one is not learned; The learned one is not wise."Lao-Tse, Tao Te Ching
"I am learning" said Yen Hui.The Brotherhood strives towards enlightenment with Do. This may be done in many ways, ranging from monastic seclusion to the perfection of martial arts. The tradition is both highly individualistic, stressing the value and importance of each human, and collective, stressing the importance of harmony and coperation between everybody. Each human must learn to control his own mind and thus all aspects of himself.
"How?" asked the Master
"I have forgotten the rules of Righteousness and the levels of Virtuousness.", he answered.
"Good, but you can do better", said the Master.
Some days later Yen Hui said: "I am making progress."
"How?" asked the Master.
"I have forgotten the Rituals and Music", was the answer.
"Better, but not perfect", said the Master
Some time later Yen Hui said to the Master: "Now I will sit down and forget everything."
The Master looked up, surprised. "What do you mean, forget everything?" ha quickly asked.
"I forget my body and my senses, and I leave all illusion and knowledge behind me.", Yen Hui answered. "In the middle of Nothing I enter the source of All."
The Masted bowd: "You have transcended the limitations of Time and Knowledge. You have left me far behind you. You have found the Path."Chuang-Tse
Do is the theurgy of the Brotherhood. By meditating, performing katas or just living along the lines of Do, the brothers try to balance their minds. Everything should be under control, yet free. Exactly how this balancing is done varies between sub-traditions and different brothers. Some spend much time meditating, studying their own thoughts and emotions. Others try to embody Do through daily life. Even opening a door can be a part of Do. More martially inclined brothers perform katas, Tai Chi or try to perfect their combat style in other ways. Some brothers try to solve koan-like riddles. And some brothers try to balance themselves through not trying to balance themselves. The important thing about Do is its pervasiveness. Everything can be a part of the Do, if done correctly.
The purpose of Do is to gain completely control of their minds. Learning to control the body or a martial art will give the brother help to learn how to control his mind. When a brother has mastered one aspect of Do, he must begin mastering another aspect. When a brother masters something, he learns about himself. And when a brother learns to control his mind, he learns to control his body and physical world. When a mage have balanced himself completely, his full potential is realised. The control must not be forced, and ideally it would be completely subconscious.
The Brotherhood seems to avoid much outward ceremonies. The
celebrations and rites they perform are a part of Do, but not the
individual Do of a brother but of the whole brotherhood. The whole
brotherhood must try to achieve a similar perfect balance between
its parts. By becoming a living embodiment of Do, a brother may
show others the Way. By becoming an embodiment of Do, the
Brotherhood may show society the Way.
Celestial Chorus
"And God said to Moses: I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: I AM have sent me unto you."Exodus 3:14
"Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"John 10:34
"There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in the hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."The chorus is mainly interested in theurgy, and tend to disdain thaumaturgy. Their main theurgy is quite like the Christian theurgy (which they have partially created).Ephesians 4:4-16
On Saturdays the Masses are held, wherein the choristers and their acolytes solemnly sings together in prayer to the eternal glory of the One. The priest (generally the highest ranking chorist present) leads the choir, and preaches the Word. He also lights the pure fire on the altar in front of the congregation under prayer. They receive the Eucharist of Fire, wherein each celebrant go forth to the great fire on the altar, cup their hands inside and drink the fire. Miraculously, nobody with the true belief has ever been hurt by the pure fire. This Eucharist will burn out all impurities in the celebrant and fill them with the power of the One.
During week nights, smaller observances are held, where smaller groups of choristers and their acolytes meet to pray and sing together and listen to parts of the holy texts. These meetings are not much unlike prayer meetings in countless other religions.
Each chorist is recommended to perform the four daily adorations to the sun in addition to any other prayers (Aleister Crowley tried to profane them by turning them into prayers to Egyptian gods and publishing them in his Liber Resh vel Helios). These adorations are held at dawn, midday, sunset and midnight. The chorist stands before the sun, holding the sun-symbol and fire, intoning in a loud voice:
At dawn:
"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy rising, even unto thee who art The One in Thy Strength, Who travelest over the heavens on the Eagle of Light at the uprising of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Night!"At Midday:
"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy triumphing, even unto thee who art The One in Thy beauty, who travelst over the heavens on the Dragon of Power at the mid-course of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Morning!"At sunset:
"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy setting, even unto Thee who art the One in Thy Joy. Who travelst over the heavens in the Bark of Compassion at the downgoing of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the realms of Day!"At midnight:
"Hail unto Thee who art The One in Thy hiding, even unto thee who art The One in Thy Silence. Who travelest the heavens on the Chariot of Destiny at the midnight hour of the Sun. Mercy standeth in its splendour at Thy right side, and Severity at Thy left side. Hail unto Thee from the realms of Evening!"
Joy, fair spark of the gods,The cultists spontaneously decide to hold ceremonies when there are enough members around. These ceremonies celebrate the pure Joy of existence, by any imaginable means. Cultists and acolytes erupt into spontaneous choirs singing the praise of beauty. Others drink to life and pleasure. Members try to bring each others to the highest ecstasy by sex, drugs and music. Magick is used to prolong and intensify the experience as much as possible.
Daughter of Elysium,
Drunk with fiery rapture, Goddess,
We approach thy shrine!
Schiller, Ode to Joy
A onlooker will have a hard time realising that it is a theurgic ritual, since it looks as a wild party. Still, while the participants become lost in their pleasure the original goal persists: to celebrate the Ecstasy of Being, and to try to spread it to everybody else. The western cultists are much more extrovert than the eastern groups, and tend to use excess in any form in the theurgy. Many of the cultists in the Orient use subtle, sensual means to celebrate, slowly building the power. They dislike unnecessary excesses, and prefer to focus their power. Sometimes they select a few participants, and turn them into gods. The participants invoke known gods (Indra and Shakti are most popular among Tantrics), or invoke themselves. The others do everything to please and pleasure the gods, very slowly building the power until it is released in a powerful eruption.
Many cultists perform small ceremonies when they feel for it. It
could be anything, ranging from a cool glass of beer and a moments
quit contemplation to a spontaneous outburst of song and music in
the subway to cheer up the sleepers. The important thing is not
what the cultist do, it is that it is fun and done with the Ascension
in mind.
Dreamspeakers
Dreamspeakers revere the spirits of the ancestors, of nature and of
the higher realms. They seek to gain more contact with the spirit
world and bring it closer. How this is done varies between different
cultures and tribes. The most important means are shamanic
methods to enter trance states like intoxication, drumming, dancing
or dreaming. This is done individually to gain insight into the
wisdom of the spirits, who will show the dreamspeaker the true
reality. Long travels in the spirit realms is an important part of the
life of a dreamspeaker.
A typical dreamspeaker ritual may consist of first drawing the symbols of the spirit world in sand around himself, and then to dance, drum and sing until the mage drops of exhaustion. In the following trance the dreamspeaker will be led by his Totem, an ancestor or another guiding spirit out into the spirit world. The spirits will test him to see if he is worthy, and if he passes their tests, they will reveal their secret wisdom.
In many societies shamans have had a practical role besides their
mystical role, as healers and protectors of the traditions. They do
not only have obligations to the spirits, but also to their tribe. An
important part of their theurgy have been to intercede between the
spiritual and material world. But as the old ways are swept aside
by the technomancers, the Dreamspeakers have lost an important
part of their world. The connection between the spirit world and
the mundane world is broken, and must be restored. Many
dreamspeakers have lost their balance completely due to this
imbalance.
Euthanatos
"Be without fear as the great metamorphosis begins.The most common theurgic rite is the Good Death. How this is done wary quite a bit between individual Euthanatei. Some prefer to strike quickly and painlessly, without any warning. Others prefer to do it slowly, while they are explaining what is happening and praying for the victim. And some Euthanatei prepare their victim months in advance, and slowly build up towards the moment of the Good Death. They can spend much time just to create the exactly right setting and feeling, often giving much thought to the exact way the victim dies and how it will feel.Fantastic and terrifying visions are illusory, laugh at them and reject them, they cannot touch you now, go beyond.
You will come to the secret of your being, which may seem as a dazzling brilliance, or as an awesome darkness, or as both these things and more.
It is your choice to become one with this source if you so will it. It is your choice to remain separate if you will this instead. Do what thou Wilt.
If you would remain separate, then you must seek a new life. In seeking rebirth, seek the emanations of love, vitality and intelligence; go where there is strength and freedom."
From Liber Null & Psychonaut by Peter J. Carrol.
Another important part of the theurgy is to help others to live their lives to the fullest. This may also be done in many ways, with great individual differences. Some "adopt" people, follow them and try to discreetly help them in the right direction. Certain Euthanatei have followed a family in generations. Others just walk around, helping anybody they feel deserves it. Still others engage in humanitarian projects (or rather, in what they feel is humanitarian. This may not be what anybody else agrees with.)
In general, the Euthanatos dislike fixed rituals and ceremonies,
preferring to use their common sense and intuition. They are
almost always concerned with individual people and practical
things in their theurgy, unlike the other traditions. The Euthanatos
feel that their work is leading mankind forward directly.
Order of Hermes
"L... the sign of the mourning of Isis."Order of Hermes has developed a elaborate theurgy over they years. Different sub-traditions have very different variants, but in general the goal of the theurgy is wisdom and knowledge. The complex rituals are meant to balance the forces of the universe, to reaffirm the mages dedication to the Great Work and to gain insight in the secrets of magick.
forms the letter "L" with his arms
"V...the sign of Typhon and Apopis."
Raises the arms over his head in an "V"
"X...the sign of Osiris risen."
Crosses his arms on the chest, right over left. Forms an "X"
"L...V...X...LUX."
Forms the symbols in order, stands with the arms outstretched to the sides.
"Virgo, Isis, mighty Mother. Scorpio, Apopis Destroyer. Sol, Osiris, Slain and Risen..."
"Isis, Apopis, Osiris...IAO"
Gradually rises the arms upwards to the "V" position while raising his head and intoning the Name.
"Let the Divine Light descend!"
From the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram
The ceremonies which are held wary in importance, ranging from small ceremonies on ordinary weekdays to the complex and powerful equinox meetings. The more important the date is, or the conjunctions present, the more complex ceremony. These rites are meant to attune the mages and their order to the forces of the planets and fixed stars. In many of these rites the mages will try to link the terrestrial forces with the spiritual forces, thus bringing the world closer to the higher planes.
The ceremonies can be elaborate rituals involving dozens of participants, complex incantations and powerful magick. They can also be peaceful group meditations on the subject of the ceremony. Note that this may be very powerful too, in a more subtle way. When a group of mages think about something in about the same way the same time, reality may begin to change. Many hermetic groups collaborate in their rituals, performing the same rituals at the same time to tie the order closer together and gain more power.
There are many small, daily rituals most members perform. Many mages perform a banishing ritual in the morning and in the evening, or even more often. The Lesser Banishing ritual of the Pentagram is most commonly used, sometimes combined with the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram. The Middle Pillar Ritual is used to gain more power, and connect more deeply with the universe. The four adorations (see the Celestial Chorus) are sometimes used.
Initiations are very important. They do not only signify the recognition and ability of the initiate, but also his progression towards Ascension. Each initiation embodies a new secret level of existence the initiate is confronted with. As one hermetic said, "Initiation never ends" and "Every day is an Initiation". Much of the theurgy of Order of Hermes revolve about the initiations (and quite a bit of politics).
The exact initiation rites varies quite a bit. Among the mainstream of the order, the ritual is filled with heavy symbolism and sometimes hard tests. The candidate must overcome all obstacles to progress towards new heights. A typical initiation at a low level may work as follows in a Rosicrucian-derived group:
The candidate, wearing a black robe over a white robe (signifying the truth hidden beneath the veil of ignorance) is bound with a cord three times and hoodwinked. He is led into the temple, wherein there are several officers of the ritual, signifying the different forces of the universe. The presiding officer, the Hegemon ceremonially opens the temple ("After sealing the material barriers, let us now evoke the forces of the elements. Are the forces of Fire evoked duly in the South, frater Daudachos?", "Yes, they are duly evoked honoured Hegemon.", "Are the forces of Water evoked duly in the West, frater Stolistes?" and so on...).
After the opening the temple, he states the purpose of the ritual ("This temple have been duly opened to witness the initiation of XXX..."), and asks the candidate why he want to become initiated to the next grade, if he thinks he is knowledgeable enough, if he thinks he is powerful enough, if he thinks he is wise enough, if he thinks he is worthy.
Having got acceptable responses he asks several other philosophical questions ("Why are there four elements?", "What force is stronger than all other forces together?", "What is the secret meaning of the Hexagram?" "What is the first duty of a Zelator?"). Hearing the unacceptable answers, he proclaims "Thou art yet a child of the Darkness. Thou cannot pass through the gates of the East until thou hast been purified!". The candidate is led around the temple to the officers at different stations, and is purified and instructed in the secrets of the grade. After passing one or more circuits the binding cord is removed, as he have gained his power and knowledge. A complex prayer explaining deep secrets about the universe is read by the Hegemon and other officers, and the candidate repeats after them.
Suddenly the hoodwink of the candidate is removed, and he looks at the secret symbol of the grade on the altar. Suddenly the hidden logic of the new grade dawns on him, and his black robe is removed to signify his enlightenment. The Hegemon repeats the questions, which the candidate now answers correctly. The whiterobed candidate now swears a solemn oath to never reveal these secrets to the unworthy, to use them wisely and to continue the Great Work. The Hegemon greets the initiate with a speech. Finally the temple is closed, and the mages depart (often to celebrate the initiation).
The Cabalists theurgy is quite religious. They spend much of their time studying the Torah and other holy texts, praying and performing devotional rituals celebrating the divine wisdom of the Lord. They have influenced many of the ceremonies of the other groups, and often participate.
The Enochians perform complex ceremonies to strengthen their temples to build up the power they think will be needed to bring about the Great Plan of the Highest. Much time is spent conversing with the Angels, who will give instructions, power and most important, insight into the Great Plan.
Alchemists idea of theurgy is quite different. They spend much
time in devising complex and time-consuming experiments, where
they perform utterly subtle manipulations of matter. These
manipulations, they believe, will also change the experimenter and
show how nature will evolve. The more complex, the more
expensive and the more time-consuming the experiment is, the
more power. Some alchemists have kept fires burning for centuries,
distilling ordinary fire into something extremely pure. Others have
split plants and animals into their essential salts, purified these and
allowed them to react, trying to distil the essence of the original
life-form. Each experiment will in some sense also influence the
alchemist, evolving him to higher levels. Their Great Work consists
of creating the Red Stone, the Philosophers Stone (not necessarily a
physical substance, but most alchemists believe it will be both
physical, mental and spiritual).
Verbena
"All ye assembled at my shrine,Central to Verbena theurgy is the link to Life. Almost all Verbena theurgy seeks to strengthen the link between the mage, coven or mankind with the Great Life Force. This force is sometimes represented as Baphomet, The Sabbath goat with a thousand young, filled with life. Other groups prefer to use the Trinal Goddess in her different forms (The Maid, The Mother and The Crone). These beings may be anthropomorphic personifications of Life (and Death) or celestines.
Mother Darksome and Divine;
Mine the Scourge and mine the Kiss
Here I charge you with this sign.
All ye assembled in my sight
Bow before my spirit bright.
Aphrodite, Arionhod,
Lover of the Horned God,
Mighty Queen of Witchery and night,
Morgan, Etoine, Nisene,
Diana, Brigid, Melusine;
So am I named by old of men,
Artemis and Cerridwen,
Hell's Dark Mistress, Heavens Queen.
...
No more shall ye know slavery,
Who give true worship unto me.
Ye who tread my round on Sabbath night,
Come ye naked to the rite
In token that ye be truly free.
I teach ye the mystery of rebirth;
Work ye my mysteries in mirth.
Heart joined to heart and lip to lip,
Five are the points of fellowship
That bring ye ecstasy on earth,
For I am the circle of rebirth."
From a Goddess invocation
At the Sabbaths the coven meet to reaffirm their duty and to strengthen the link to Life. Exactly how this is done varies a bit with sub-tradition. In many covens the rite is begun by the participants dancing around the World Tree, chanting and raising the cone of power. This is done faster and faster. Sometimes the Priestess and/or Priest allow themselves to be possessed with the Goddess and God. During the rite, sacrifices are made to strengthen the link, energy is channelled into the world tree and oaths are made. In some covens the participants engage in ritual sex to release even more energy, and balance the sacrifices.
The mages may perform other rites on other days, to strengthen
themselves. These may be almost anything: sacrificing some fruit or
meat to nature, tending to a sick lifeform or running wildly scyclad
through the forest, feeling the life around themselves, freeing
themselves from the chains of civilisation, mind and self-control.
The most important thing is the link between the mage and the
living world, and to avoid getting trapped in the lifeless
technomancer reality.
Virtual Adepts
"A mind would require many modifications to operate effectively after being rescued from the limitations of a mortal body. Natural human mentality is tuned for a life span's progression from impressionable plasticity to self-assured rigidity, and is thus an unpromising material for immortality. It would have to be reprogrammed for continual adaptability to be long viable."Unlike the other traditions, the Virtual Adepts seems to be quite prosaic on the surface. Their goal seems completely materialistic in the beginning. But they have also their theurgy, albeit much different from the other traditions. It is quite practical, as should be expected from technomancers. The Virtual Adept idea of Ascension, the Singularity, is transhumanistic. They want to merge with the information and become far more than humans. They will turn cyberspace into something more real than static reality, where mankind can upload itself into the eternal Network and transcend every limitation. This is mostly celebrated through intense, imaginative discussions where ideas and plans flow, discussing how to achieve different sub-goals and what to do in the microsecond before the Singularity."As a computer program, your mind can travel over information channels, for instance encoded as a laser message beamed between planets."
From Hans Moravec, "Mind Children"
"At the instant of the Omega Point, life will have gained control of all matter and forces not only in a single universe, but in all universes whose existence is logically possible; life will have spread into all spatial regions in all universes which could logically exist, and will have stored an infinite amount of information, including all bits of knowledge which is logically possible to know.""The totality of life at the Omega Point is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient!"
From John D. Barrow, Frank J. Tipler, "The Anthropic Cosmological Principle".
The Singularity is celebrated by the adepts through the creation of ever more complex and elegant systems. What the systems do is often unimportant, the important thing is the fact that they are "hackish". The virtual chantry realm is a monument to the Singularity. Inside the adepts do their best to create ever more beautiful creations to bring about It. What the adepts create do not have to be software, it could be anything as long it emulates a part of the Singularity and shows the way towards It.
Back to Tradition PageAnders Sandberg / nv91-asa@nada.kth.se