Awakening Lucifer

Citation preview

Awakening Lucifer Asenath Mason & Bill Duvendack

Draco Press

1

Draco Press

© 2020 Asenath Mason & Bill Duvendack. All rights reserved. “Awakening Lucifer” Second Edition First edition was published by BECOME A LIVING GOD becomealivinggod.com

Cover, Layout & Art: Asenath Mason

The materials contained here may not be reproduced or published in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the authors and/or publisher.

Invocation To Lucifer

Brightest star of the morning, I call to thee! Creator of light, progenitor of freedom, bringer of flame, I summon thee! Unholy master of flame, eternal giver of hellfire, and defier of blind submission, I open to you! Defiler of the sacred, deliverer of the profane, dark master of unhallowed gnosis, may your light envelope me in your Dragon Fire! Empower me, enflame me, elevate me to your throne! Through darkest night you shine the brightest. From the depths of the Void you beckon me, and I answer, heart, body, and soul. Electrify me with your hellfire and charge me with your legions. Bring your kingdom to this chamber, unleash your hell upon this earth, and guide me to new heights of power!

2

ANIMA LUCIFER

THERE are a lot of different perspectives on Lucifer, and the amount of information that has been published about him is growing exponentially at the moment. In a lot of ways, this is the returning of the light as we find ourselves transitioning from one aeon to another on many levels, and in other ways, this is all new territory due to the fact that up until the last few decades, very little has been revealed to mass consumption. Consider the fact that the name did not get a lot of recognition or attention until the midnineteenth century during the French Occult Revival. Lucifer had been worked with for a long time before that, but the proven extent of this is very limited. While the concept of the devil had, of course, been popular and popularly used in the blackest of nights for centuries, Lucifer specifically was much scarcer. Granted, if you factor Lucifer into part of the adversary archetype, it does give a lot more material to work with when pursuing Luciferian gnosis, but for the purists, there has not been a lot to work with until recently. It was during that time that Madame Blavatsky began printing her Theosophical magazine called “Lucifer,” where several prominent occultists of the time first got their exposure. While the magazine has not lasted until modern times, it is simply noteworthy because it was the first visible stirring. Of course, during this time, occultism of many kinds was getting exposure, and was growing as a subject of interest. Since then, there has been a lot of material that has been flowing out, as if a light switch was turned on in a dark room. It is since that time that the light of Lucifer has been flowing into this world, and in the last few decades it has gotten brighter with each passing publication. Yet it is still early enough in the bathing of this breaking light, which means collectively we are symbolically opening ourselves up to absorb the heat and light that is currently flooding the world. As we open ourselves to the writings on Lucifer, we find our own inner landscape is illuminated for our study. Gnosis is a major key concept being worked with regarding Lucifer right now. A lot of people are writing about their experiences with Luciferian consciousness, and this is increasing our relationship with the Bringer of Light. Groups working with Luciferian consciousness are springing up all over the globe, and of course, as we know from science, the more people that work with Lucifer the stronger Lucifer becomes. Like the ouroboros, the reemergence of Lucifer into mass consciousness shows that the light is perpetual, and it is cyclical that when it is absent, it will become present again, perpetual in its revelations. It is the rhythm of night and day, light and dark, reflected between the microcosm and the macrocosm. To understand where we go from here, it is wise to remind ourselves that when we are exploring our inner natures and learning Luciferian gnosis, we should have a structure in place as a sort of container through which we

3

access objectivity upon reflection of what we have learned. In this book, you will find a structure for your own personal work that is both rigid enough to assist in clear results, yet flexible enough that it is adaptable to your personal path. In effect, this book and the workings herein create a lens that we can alter as we see fit to better receive Lucifer’s light filled gnosis. Eleven masks of Lucifer are presented to assist you in taking your work to the next level. As you accomplish this, you open yourself to be able to receive more light, and thus can share more light with others. However, be aware that this will share and promote more Luciferian gnosis, and that a wider range of experiences are contributed to the greater whole of those that work with the Son of the Morning. Collectively, we contribute to the whole, and individually, we bring more light to ourselves. The material contained in here is inspired by and derived from the works of the Temple of Ascending Flame, but it has been expanded and revised to be accessible to those that may not be familiar with the working structure of the temple. For those of you that are familiar with the temple, you will see a lot of temple themes enhanced, and for those of you that are not familiar with the temple, you will find a glimpse into the temple. However, it is not necessary to be familiar with these workings as they are open to all and easy to execute. If you are familiar with the Temple of Ascending Flame, especially the Rites of Lucifer anthology, consider this a part two to it, however, I reiterate, these are also stand-alone rituals, so whatever perspective you are coming from, enjoy! And remember, the light of Lucifer is the birthright of everyone, but it is only the wise that are bathing in it now. SPRING EQUINOX 2017

4

METHODS OF WORK

THIS book has been written as a follow-up to Rites of Lucifer, with the purpose of exploring Luciferian gnosis in a greater depth. Following the exploration of Lucifer’s masks, titles and attributes, we will work here with deities, spirits and mythological figures related to the Luciferian ethos and symbolism, focusing on manifestations of the archetype in various cultural contexts, getting to the roots of selected legends and folklore, and exploring similarities and differences between Luciferian characters around the world. The purpose of the book is to present the Luciferian archetype and its role in the development of human consciousness across the ages and in various cultures and societies, focusing on those aspects that are relevant to the Draconian current and can be used in the self-initiatory process on the Path of the Dragon. Methods of work presented here are similar to those included in Rites of Lucifer, but they are organized into a coherent ritual system, which you can use as a starting point in your explorations of the Luciferian archetype. Generally, each chapter contains the following structure: ❖ Introduction to the mythology of the chosen god or spirit, explaining why he can be considered a Luciferian archetype. ❖ Meditation with the sigil of the spirit/god that will help you attune yourself to his current. Most of the sigils were designed exclusively for the purpose of this book. All of them include the Draconian/Left Hand Path symbolism, specific for the Draconian Tradition. ❖ Pathworking/guided meditation that will take you deeper into the current of each god-form, allowing you to visit their realms, awaken their powers within you, and use their energy for the purpose of self-initiation. ❖ Invocation in which you will learn how to assume the god-forms and absorb their powers and qualities. Each chapter also explains possible results and consequences of performing these rituals, which will help you decide whether or not this is something you want to experience, giving you a clear picture of what you can expect through this work. Before you start the workings, prepare your ritual space: place the sigil of the chosen god-form on the altar, prepare candles (black, red, and gold are recommended), a ritual blade, and all other ritual tools you use in your daily work. You may also have a picture of Lucifer on the altar—statue, painting, or any other depiction, modern or from old books of magic. Feel free to decorate your altar as it seems right for you, e.g. with sigils and images of your personal patron deities, incense, wine, etc.

5

The sigils provided in respective chapters of this book are used as the focal point of the rituals. They can be painted on a solid material, such as wood, glass or stone, or they can be simply drawn on paper. The recommended colors are black, red, and gold—feel free to experiment with their various combinations. The sigils can be used only once and burned at the end of the rituals, or you can keep them in your personal temple as permanent gateways to the currents of the god-forms presented in this book. The gateways to the Other Side and those within your inner mind are opened with blood, your vital substance. It is therefore necessary to anoint the sigils with blood, and it is recommended to repeat the blood offering in each ritual, but if you really do not like doing it so often, you can simply do it in the first working only—to activate the sigil. You only need a few drops of blood for this, and the blood has to be your own. The workings can also be performed without the blood element at all, but many practitioners find blood magic highly effective and enhancing the results of the work in many powerful ways. Before each working you should also focus on raising your inner Serpent Force. For this purpose, you can use a simple Kundalini meditation or any other exercise or technique that you use daily and has been effective in your personal work thus far, e.g. focus on the flow of energy up your spine while chanting the mantra “VOVIN.” Once you raise your inner energy, feel how the atmosphere in your ritual space thickens and visualize red and golden flames of Lucifer’s current rising around you. Take as much time as you need for this preliminary meditation, but do not make it too long or let it distract you from the actual ritual. It is usually enough to dedicate a few minutes to this practice. If you are new to this work and not familiar with magical trances or energy raising techniques, please refer to Draconian Ritual Book, where you will find examples of such practices. After you finish the workings write down what you have experienced—this knowledge and information may come useful in further stages of your path. Also, pay attention to how the effects of the rituals manifest in your daily life and note these observations as well. Another option is to empower the workings by combining them with dream work. For this you can use your favorite lucid dreaming techniques or simply focus on the sigils before going to sleep. Keep your dream diary, and if you have any dreams related with your rituals, always remember to write them down.

6

THE TRIDENT

The trident as a symbol is used in the ritual system of the Temple of Ascending Flame as the key to Lucifer’s current. Therefore, you will find references to it in the rituals of this book as well. For instance, in rites of invocation you will be asked to draw the symbol in the air with your ritual blade and envision it as the key to Lucifer’s energies. You should then stand in front of your altar, facing west (direction associated with the Draconian current), and draw it with your hand, wand, or ritual blade, requesting the current to flow through the western gate. It is also possible to draw the

7

current in the east, which is a direction associated with Lucifer in the grimoire tradition. The trident itself is an ancient symbol of power and authority, associated with such deities as Poseidon or Shiva, both connected with the Luciferian archetype. Within the Draconian Tradition it represents the Pillar of Ascent and the Initiate on the Path of Ascending Flame. It is both the key to the current and the symbol of human consciousness. In magical work it can be used to open gateways to the Draconian current, as an emblem of Lucifer, talisman, weapon, or you can assume the trident position (with your back straight and your hands up) in practices of cleansing, shielding, and centering. In rites of Draconian magic, Lucifer himself often appears with the trident in his hand or in the posture resembling the shape of the trident, and it is also the symbol with which he marks Initiates on his path of flames.

8

PROMETHEUS

“Every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus.” — Aeschylus, Prometheus Bound PROMETHEUS is one of the best known Luciferian archetypes. The bringer of fire, the benefactor of mankind, the trickster, the adversary to the divine order—all this contributes to the image of the first initiator of man and the myth of a powerful primordial being transgressing the law of the gods for the purpose of growth and evolution. These motifs are found in the whole Luciferian Tradition, embodied by various mythological figures and archetypes of which Prometheus bears a special significance, as he personifies the cosmological ambivalence within the universe by bridging the old and the new, darkness and light, the conscious and the unconscious, good and evil, etc. Also, his gift of fire has a much deeper meaning than it seems on the surface, referring not only to the element of fire as such but also to the human desire of transcendence, the longing for freedom and independence, or in other words, the Luciferian desire of man to be equal to the gods. The myth itself rests on several motifs that you may be familiar with, but if you are not, here is a short overview. Most of what we know about Prometheus is derived from a number of ancient texts, among which the most famous are Hesiod’s Works and Days and Theogony. Other sources for the Prometheus myth are Homeric Hymns and the works of Pindar and Pythagoras. According to the legend, Prometheus was one of the Titans and belonged to the second order of divine beings. His father was Iapetus and his mother was Clymene (or Asia), one of the Oceanids, and his brothers were Atlas, Menoetius, and Epimetheus. The Titans were primordial beings that preceded the Olympian deities, the children of Gaia, Mother Earth, and Uranus, Father Sky. They were depicted as giants of incredible strength, endowed with the power and the qualities of the first gods and goddesses that were born from primordial Chaos. In ancient literature we learn about them from Hesiod, who describes the war between these old beings and the Olympian gods, the so-called “Titanomachy,” which ends with the overthrowing of the Titans and the reign of Zeus. This cosmic struggle belongs to a series of similar myths across the world depicting a conflict between the older and the younger generation of gods, corresponding to such myths as the Babylonian epic Enuma Elish, in which the primal dragon-goddess Tiamat fights against Marduk. In these myths, the elder gods are either slain or cast out of the new world order, which also happens with the Titans. According to Hesiod, they are defeated, overthrown, and locked up in Tartarus, where they are to remain for eternity. The primordial force is tamed or eliminated, and a new order is established, where man is created as a weak creature of clay and a servant to the gods of the new pantheon. This leaves a very limited role for human beings—they are to

9

work, worship the gods, and make offerings of the fruits of their labor. But then a new character is introduced into the whole scenario—an adversary or trickster that will oppose the rigid structures of the new world order and reverse the role of the gods and the human race. Here we meet Prometheus. He already appears in the legend of the Titanomachy, where, however, he does not side with the other Titans, but with the Olympian gods, fighting next to Zeus against his brothers. For this reason he is not sent to the chthonic depths of Tartarus but becomes a part of the new cosmic order, thus connecting the old with the new—the primal power of the Titans and the vitality of the younger generation of gods. It is Prometheus (with the help of his brother Epimetheus) that creates man out of clay and saves the human race from destruction by teaching man the secrets of civilization. He also tricks Zeus and deprives the gods of the sacrifice that was originally demanded from mankind. This myth is known as “the trick at Mecone” and describes how Prometheus split a large bull in two parts and asked the chief of the gods to choose one of them. The first part was meat hidden under the skin and the other consisted of bones wrapped in “glistening fat.” Zeus fell for the trick and chose the other part, leaving the meat and the best part of the sacrificial animal for humanity. When he realized his mistake, he decided to punish the Titan by hiding fire from mankind, thus depriving man of the power of creation and evolution. Here, for the first time, we see Prometheus as a trickster and challenger to the power and omnipotence of the chief of the gods. The second time he opposes Zeus is through the famous theft of fire. Seeing that humanity is weak and fragile, Prometheus steals the fire back from Olympus and brings it down to the earth. After that, he instructs mankind in arts and crafts, wealth and luxury, the knowledge of medicine and the art of divination, the secrets of mathematic and the discovery of metals. In other words, he endows man with the greatest advancements in the history of civilization, thus becoming the greatest benefactor of the human race. For the theft of fire and the betrayal of Zeus, however, he becomes punished and humanity is put through a harsh ordeal. Zeus orders Hephaestus to create Pandora, the first woman, who appears on the earth carrying a jar containing all diseases and misfortunes, which are then released onto mankind, depriving humanity of hope and bringing forth death and suffering to the world. And, finally, Prometheus himself is punished for his actions by being chained to a rock in the Caucasus, where his liver is eaten daily by an eagle, only to be regenerated by night. The agony never ends because Prometheus is immortal and cannot die, suffering all the pain every day for all eternity. However, the legend has it that after thirty thousand years he will eventually be unchained by Hercules and thus released from his torment. This myth presents Prometheus as a symbol and archetype of a savior and benefactor of mankind, the figure inspiring generations of writers, poets, artists, musicians, and so on. His story has been portrayed in numerous works of art, books, sculpture, and in modern times also in movies, influencing countless forms of artistic and literary expression, depicting the figure of a tragic hero who suffers a horrible fate because of his love for humanity. But the whole story can be seen from many different angles, and from the perspective of the Left Hand Path, the role of Prometheus in evolution of mankind is much more ambivalent than it may seem on the surface. Prometheus can be seen as a trickster figure, and this way you can also experience his gnosis through practical work with this ancient archetype. In this sense, he is not the hero sacrificing himself for the love of humanity, but a cunning trick-player and shape-shifter, who transgresses boundaries driven by will to power and sides with those who have better chances of winning for the mere sake of survival. His energy and manifestations within ritual work are very reminiscent of those of Loki, the fiery shape-shifting trickster god of the Norse lore. There are several significant motifs in Loki’s

10

mythology that connect him with Prometheus. One of them is his role of the initiator of mankind and the bringer of fire, which is an agent of transformation and inspiration as well as destruction. In this respect, his symbolism corresponds to the rune Kenaz, which represents fire. Kenaz is “the torch,” the light of creativity, illumination, and inner power. It is connected with the Fire Snake/Kundalini—the inner fire, passion, sexuality, and inspiration—and this is also what the Promethean fire stands for. Another motif highly reminiscent of the legend of Prometheus is the story about Loki’s punishment—for his crimes against the gods Loki is eventually tied down to a rock and bound by a chain made of the entrails of one of his sons. A venomous serpent sits above him, dripping poison onto him. His wife, Sigyn, sits at his side with a bowl to catch the venom, but when it becomes full, she has to leave him to pour the venom out. When this happens, the drops of venom fall onto Loki, causing him to writhe in agony. These convulsions are believed to be the cause of earthquakes, which connects him with another “earth-shaker,” i.e. Poseidon, who also embodies certain aspects of the Lucifer archetype. In this state Loki is thought to remain bound until Ragnarok when he will break free and release his monstrous offspring onto the world to destroy it in his apocalyptic fire. Promethean fire as an apocalyptic force is another motif that connects the Greek Titan with Loki, although this interpretation is not always obvious on the surface. Both Loki and Prometheus are the bringers of fire, and this “fire” stands for illumination and transformation, like the torch of Lucifer, the Light Bearer. From the perspective of Luciferian Gnosis, the fire that Prometheus and Loki bring forth into the world represents knowledge originating from chaos, wisdom that leads to awakening, evolution and transformation of consciousness. It is the Fire Snake that brings forth illumination and liberation, but it is also the fire of the apocalypse that will consume the world during Ragnarok—the agent of change in all its meanings, both positive and negative. In this sense, both trickster gods also embody the concept of the adversary. Loki is the father of three powerful forces of destruction—the serpent Jormungandr, the Fenris wolf, and the death goddess Hel. It is believed that during Ragnarok his daughter Hel will gather the army of the undead and fight the gods in the final battle. Fenris will kill Odin, and Jormungandr will be slain by Thor, who will die as well, killed by the serpent’s venom. His role of the destroyer of order and bringer of chaos is also expressed through the myth of Baldr, in which he causes the death of this bright and beautiful god, thus contradicting all that Baldr stands for—purity, light, love, peace, and justice. As the adversary, he acts as a model for one of the countless, and often contradictory, principles and meanings of which life consists. This is not to be understood in a negative way, though, as Loki is a trickster god—an important and necessary agent of change. He is selfish and treacherous, and he inverts the world order to make way for chaos and misrule, but this is all for a purpose. He reminds us that things are not always as they seem and that unexpected events can have world changing consequences—and the same motif is found in the story of Prometheus. If we look at his myth from a different angle, instead of a tragic hero, we can see a powerful primordial being, striving for power and using his wit and cunning for the sake of survival. The name “Prometheus” means “forethought,” which suggests that he possesses the power to see into the future. This is a useful skill that he can use to his advantage. And thus, he does not side with the other Titans during the Titanomachy because he already knows that the winning side will be the Olympian gods. The same skill helps him deceive Zeus and steal the divine fire from Olympus. He knows that he will succeed because he can see the future. However, this also means that he is all the time aware that the theft of fire will have both beneficial and fatal consequences, both for himself and for humanity, yet it does not stop him from going against the gods. As the trickster, he knows

11

that the world cannot exist without a force that will challenge its order, shake its foundations, and trigger change and evolution. There is a price to pay for transgression, but he also knows that he will eventually be free again, and that makes his sacrifice worth it. His fire brings forth both creation and destruction into the world. It is the force that molds and binds, but also burns and consumes everything that stands in its way, like the fire of the apocalypse. Myths and legends of Prometheus do not always reflect this primordial and ambivalent nature of this powerful archetype. We learn from them about his love for humanity, willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good, strength, compassion, desire to help those in need, etc., but in fact, there is nothing human about Prometheus. His energy is neutral, chaotic and unpredictable. He is beyond all legends and portrayals that were shaped by the human desire of a model figure, savior and initiator looking after us, his beloved creations. This is not Prometheus. He is a primordial being preceding all human conceptions. He walks primal and free, setting the world on fire so that it may burn and become reborn from the ashes. He does not act according to any cosmic laws or on behalf of any gods or higher beings. For him, this is all an experiment—setting things in motion so that they can develop by themselves. He provides man with the divine potential, but it is solely up to us how we use it, be it for growth and evolution or for war and self-destruction. Promethean fire makes all this possible as it holds the potential of all destruction and all creation. In rites of magic we meet Prometheus as a fierce, primordial being, rarely resembling his depictions from the ancient myths. He comes with flaming hair and shining eyes. In one hand he holds a sickle or sword, and he has a torch in the other, like Lucifer—the Light Bearer. Sometimes he is a muscular man or warrior wearing ancient armor. Other times he is a slender figure with a bluish skin reflecting his connection to the primordial ocean. His primordial origin is another feature that connects him with Loki. Prometheus is one of the Titans, but he sides with the Olympian gods, eventually betraying them as well. A similar motif is found in Loki’s mythology. Loki is the son of a giant, but he likes to stay close to the Æsir, and he is thought to be a blood-brother to Odin. In some interpretations he is even portrayed as one of Odin’s masks or manifestations and it is therefore not entirely clear whether he is one of the gods or one of the giants. This problem with his classification puts him in the position of a mediator between the worlds, like Prometheus, who belongs neither to the Titans nor to the Olympian gods. Moreover, it is supposed that Loki’s name might be related to the Danish word denoting a gate: “luge,” or “lukke.” Therefore, he is a gate through which the forces of chaos enter the world of gods and humans. It is also significant that he is the father to the ruler of the underworld, the death goddess Hel, which makes him a principle that belongs to all worlds and to none at the same time. Unlike Prometheus, however, he is rarely seen as an initiator of mankind. Instead, he is viewed as a nihilistic force, destroyer of all that is good and beautiful, the father of monsters, and the adversary. There is no historical evidence of any worship of Loki, which means that although he was accepted as a force necessary to cosmic balance in the universe, he was not worshipped like the other gods. This view predates the Christian associations of Loki with “evil,” or “the devil,” and simply portrays him as one of the principles that constitute the multitude of the meanings of life. But is not Prometheus the same primordial and ambivalent force? Actually, we could say that Loki and Prometheus can be seen as two separate masks of the same archetype—the trickster god, who is at the same time the adversary to the gods and their divine laws and the initiator of mankind as he acts as the agent of change. The trickster, however, is an outsider, acting neither in the realm of gods nor in the world of man, but beyond them all. He relies on his wit and cunning, using his own potential

12

rather than any cosmic or divine powers. He does not have allegiance to the gods, other primordial beings, or anyone else, and he questions the idea of worship or submission to the gods. Instead, he teaches us that gods are not to be worshipped, but ignored, tricked, or overcome, which represents the drive to power and freedom—the key concepts in the archetype of the adversary. As the trickster and the adversary, he seeks no divine aid or approval, but he walks alone and lives in a profane manner, without reference to any sacred models. This quality is more evident in the myth of Loki rather than Prometheus, but if we go deeper and explore this primordial archetype in a practical way, we can learn much more than what it appears on the surface. Both Loki and Prometheus can be seen as personifications of a restless, vital force, continually struggling to overcome itself and its environment, triggering growth and evolution through the mastery of arcane knowledge and abilities. As the tricksters, they stand for cunning, intelligence and variability. As the adversaries to the divine order, they represent freedom, power and non-attachment to any models or values. As the initiators of man, they bring forth the fire of change and transformation. These are all the qualities of Lucifer. While working with Prometheus in a practical way, we encounter three main forms of consciousness. The first is the consciousness of a warrior. It takes the form of messages and visions inspiring us to various fights and battles in our life, defeating certain obstacles, moving forward, and elevating ourselves on the path. This is accompanied by the feeling of power and fearlessness, the impulse to conquer our fears and personal barriers, and the courage to face various issues in our day-to-day life. In this sense, Prometheus is seen as a warrior himself as well as a master of war. His energy is masculine, aggressive and dynamic, and he teaches us how to use the weapons of will to confront and defeat personal issues and conflicts. The second form of consciousness is that of a trickster. This takes the form of visions, dreams and insights inspiring us to various acts of transgression, indulging in things forbidden, crossing taboos, transgressing boundaries, and reversing values. These visions are often grotesque, absurd and surrealistic, and seem to make no sense on the surface, but their meaning becomes possible to understand after putting behind the reason-based thinking. They are also personal and intimate, manifesting especially through dreams, and accompanied by a lot of creative energy released by transgressing our personal inhibitions. Finally, there is also a third form of consciousness that can be observed through this work and that is the consciousness of a teacher/initiator. This is related to the myth of bringing the divine fire down from heaven as a form of transmitting knowledge and wisdom. In a practical way, this consciousness can manifest as an inspiration for us to pass our knowledge to others in the form of magical rituals, writings, or other forms of teaching, be it spiritual or “mundane.” The gnosis of Prometheus, however, is spiritual in its essence. According to the myth, after stealing fire from Olympus, he instructed mankind not only in crafts, but also introduced man to the occult arts, thus awakening the psychic evolutionary potential in humanity. In Prometheus Bound Aeschylus writes that human beings were “witless” until he endowed them with reason. They had eyes, but “saw to no avail.” They had ears, but “they did not understand, but, just as shapes in dreams, throughout their length of days, without purpose they wrought all things in confusion.” His gift, therefore, was not only the knowledge of civilization, but also self-awareness and awakened consciousness. These concepts in esoteric traditions are usually identified with Kundalini, the Serpent Force, which burns like the Promethean fire in every cell of the human body, ascending in a stream of flaming force to bring forth illumination and freedom, transforming man into a god-like being. This interpretation is confirmed by another meaning of the name “Prometheus,” according to which it is connected with the word Pramantha, in Sanskrit denoting a tool used to create fire. This analogy is

13

derived from a Vedic myth describing the theft of fire from the gods, highly reminiscent of the Greek legend. Prometheus steals the divine fire by hiding it in the “narthex,” which is a giant fennel-stalk, but we can also look at it from a different perspective—the narthex, or the hollow tube, in which Prometheus gathers the divine fire, corresponds to the spinal column, or the Shushumna nadi in the subtle body of man, the main channel for the Kundalini flow. Thus, like the Titan, who brought down fire from heaven, the practitioner working with the Serpent Force brings down the divine fire to manifest in Maya—the world of shadows and illusions. Promethean fire, which burns within all of creation, is therefore a metaphor for the Fire Snake, the evolutionary force unfolding from the inside and triggering all growth and progress of mankind. This is what is meant by Aeschylus when he says that every art possessed by man comes from Prometheus. Practical work with the energy and consciousness of Prometheus brings forth many insights about working with this inner fire, the individual potential of all growth and all evolution. His initiatory lessons are about the inner strength, self-confidence, and courage to face anything that comes our way, but also about connecting “heaven” and “earth” by ascending to the heights to bring down the divine fire from the stars and then passing down our knowledge and experience acquired during this work to others. These visions and insights are accompanied by intense Kundalini sensations, and it often feels as if the practitioner’s body was being consumed and transformed by fire descending from above, releasing consciousness from the bonds of the flesh and opening way to the divine. These sensations can be experienced as a pressure within the head, especially in the third eye area, a feeling of the skin burning or itching, increased heartbeat, etc. In other words, it feels as if the whole body was being destroyed and reconstructed— in a very physical, tangible way. Sometimes this union of “heaven” and “earth” is accompanied by a release of sexual energy and experienced through intense sexual visions, showing that the Promethean fire is also the fire of passion, which itself is a potent force that can drive us either to creation or to destruction. It is both the light of illumination and the powerful force of transformation. Prometheus teaches us how to change and transform ourselves and our environment by using this fire to destroy what weakens us and as a force of self-empowerment. If we want to take these lessons and learn from them, we have to open ourselves to his intelligence, creativity and resourcefulness, and let him guide us through the process. This involves all his aspects—the teacher and initiator, but also the trickster and the adversary. The Bringer of Fire walks alone, driven by will to power, alternately creating and destroying the world. In this sense, he is the “shaker of the earth,” the catalyst for change, and the unpredictable variable—signifying both the unexpected opportunity and the sudden accident. This work will most likely trigger a change in our universe, so we should pay attention to all that happens in our life. These changes may cause both obstacles and opportunities, but the nature of the Promethean fire is chaotic and it rarely brings exactly what we want. Instead, Prometheus will prompt us to use his fire to overcome the obstacles, his intelligence to recognize the opportunities, and his passion to seize the best of what they offer to us. We have to work for this, though, as the gift of fire is only the beginning—the rest is up to us—and we have to use his energy to take action and shape our universe when we see his force manifesting in our life. Visions and messages delivered by the Bringer of Fire may be ruthless, disturbing and painful, but such is also the nature of change—sometimes it is welcome in our life, other times it brings painful lessons from which we have to learn, adapt to the new situations, and survive the process empowered and forged in the fire of transformation.

AWAKENING THE BRINGER OF FIRE 14

The sigil used in this working reflects the mythology of Prometheus and his initiatory lessons. The bones represent the sacrifice for the gods from the Greek myth, and their arrangement in the form of a pentagram is representative of man as the central point of the initiatory process. Its open shape also resembles the popular sigil of Lucifer. The flame is the fire of divine knowledge and power that Prometheus brought to the earth to initiate gnosis and evolution of man. The sharp blades refer to his fierce, warrior nature that was revealed during the war of the gods and the Titans. The whole sigil constitutes a gateway to his current combined with the current of Lucifer. This purpose of this working is to invoke Prometheus and “bring down the fire from heaven,” which means that we will work here in a focused way with the inner fire/Kundalini. Take the sigil of Prometheus in your hand or place it in front of you and sit in a comfortable position. Anoint the sigil with your blood and focus all your attention on it. Imagine that it is a gateway to his current and feel his energy flowing through the gate. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life substance and visualize it glowing and pulsating with the fiery energy of Prometheus, primal and ancient, like the Titan himself. See the fire rising from the sigil, flashing around and illuminating the room. Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil and see how the fire receives it and responds. Feel the presence of Prometheus behind the gate, awaiting the invitation to enter your consciousness, and focus on how this energy vibrates and manifests around you, eventually merging with your mind.

15

The Sigil of Prometheus At the same time chant the following calling: Prometheus-Lucifer-Phosphoros, Come forth from the Abyss of the Night! Bring down the fire from heaven, And ignite the divine flame within me! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! When you feel that the atmosphere around you is charged with the current of the Fire Bringer, close your eyes and visualize a flame above your head, brilliant and intense, alive and vibrating. Imagine a small fiery serpent

16

moving down from the flame above you, penetrating your head, and descending through your body, along the spine, into the center of the earth. Feel the earth shaking and trembling beneath you. Then envision the fiery serpent moving in the reverse direction, upward your spine, and into your head, filling your body with living fire. Imagine that your head is empty, hollow, prepared to receive the consciousness of the invoked force. And then move the flame from above your head and feel how it sinks into your body, permeating your entire being. Envision that it moves out on all sides, forming a sphere of fiercely burning fire around you. Breathe deeply, and synchronize the movement of fire with your breath so that it feels like it is a part of you and you are a part of it—together you are whole. Then focus on your third eye and visualize Prometheus with flaming hair and shining eyes forming from the fire that surrounds you. Let his energy merge with yours, your consciousness become one with his, and envision yourself as a primordial being—living vessel and incarnation of the Fire Bringer. From now on, let the experience flow naturally and ask if he has any messages for you. Write down all visions, thoughts and insights that may come through this meditation or use automatic writing or drawing techniques to record them while staying in the meditative trance.

IGNITING THE INNER FIRE Begin by setting up your temple as per your preference, which includes your preferred style of opening the temple. Raising your inner Dragon Fire would be wise to do as well before you start the working. To help the connection, make sure the sigil of Prometheus is on your altar. Any sort of incense that corresponds to fire would be good to use, and examples are dragon’s blood, amber, and cinnamon. If you are feeling especially creative, feel free to burn fennel on a charcoal tab or burn fennel oil in an oil diffuser. Also make sure to have some source of fire on your altar, whether it is a candle or something else. Once you are ready, begin chanting “Prokýptoun Promithéas!” This is Greek and it translates to “Prometheus, arise!” Continue chanting until you feel the energy in the temple has sufficiently changed and charged. Feel the heat in the room rise, and feel a breeze as if from a mountain top wash over you. Gaze into the fire on your altar and begin the visualization. See yourself in a dark cave, holding the most precious thing you have ever held, and in this case it is a torch with precious fire on the tip. While it is separate from you, it is also an extension of your own inner fire, so experience it flowing through you, from your root chakra out through your hands and focused on the torch. It is in this way the torch becomes your wand, and the fire represents the Ascending Flame that can rise from us all. Shift your attention to the surrounding cave. You see that behind you is an opening that overlooks a mountain range. In the valley of the mountain range, you can see many memories from your life displayed as images. On the outskirts of the valley, you see images that are memories with little to no emotional impact but the more toward the center of the image, the more intense, personal and emotionally charged memories. In the visual, the thickest forest in the valley are the most emotionally intense memories that have had the greatest impact on the course of your life. Take your time to reflect on these important events. When you feel your emotions sufficiently stirred, you will also notice the flame on the torch grows. At this point, move on to the next part of the pathworking. When you have your emotions sufficiently stirred up from deep within, shift your focus back to the torch, and concentrate on your emotions acting as fuels to make the torch burn brighter. When it is as bright as you can make it, see the lit torch carry you into the air as if it is a kite, carried higher by the power of the flame. From this vantage point, you are able to look

17

down upon all memories, positive and negative, and see them for what they are: past circumstances. When this realization occurs, you notice a sense of detachment, and at first this causes the flame of the torch to dim ever so slightly. Through focus of will, you easily make the flame grow back to its previous strength, carrying you higher into the sky. From this vantage point you can see all of your reality, and the emotional charges that were present have faded into the recesses of your mind. Feel the wind on your skin and feel your consciousness shift to the mental plane. Feel your consciousness shift higher still, to the plane of the spirit, gods, and goddesses. When you have elevated your consciousness as much as you can, feel all the power you can handle and contain at the front of your mind, and feel unlimited power yours for the taking. When you have reached the pinnacle, feel rise up from deep within you a primal scream. As this begins to well up from within, see the forested valley surrounded by the mountain range very clearly, and feel the scream act as a controlled gust of wind, propelling you down as if you are a bird of prey striking from high up in the sky. Feel the rapid descent, as if you have been shot out of a cannon down to the memories below. However, as you see the trees rushing up to meet you, feel yourself descend through them and into the earth below. This descent takes you into a dark space, but it is only temporary and the next vision that comes to your eyes is a bird’s eye view of your temple. See yourself sitting in meditation from a vantage point above your physical form. See your reaction to this experience, and when you feel the time is right, return your consciousness to your body. Open your eyes and perceive your temple. Let out the primal scream that began in the vision, but as you let it loose, feel it purge you of all impurities and hindrances. Feel this scream as very therapeutic and healing. Feel yourself bathed in golden light stolen from on high, and feel yourself charged and ready to proceed to the next step on your path. After the scream has been issued, record the intense memories you experienced from this journey on one piece of paper, and on a separate paper record how you feel now that they have been purged. Burn the purged emotions from those memories as a tribute to Prometheus, a way of saying thank you for the communion. When this is done, close your temple as per your usual way, and make sure you have time afterward to process what you’ve just experienced.

INVOCATION OF PROMETHEUS This working invokes Prometheus as Lucifer—the Lord of the Inner Fire. Begin the ritual as you did before—focus for a moment on the sigil of Prometheus and at the same time chant the mantra of calling: Prometheus-Lucifer-Phosphoros As you chant, feel his fiery energies flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, and then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Prometheus, Lord of the Inner Fire, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Prometheus, rising star in the sky, defier of fear and champion of humanity, I invoke you into this sacred temple in the name of the primordial fire in my soul!

18

Prometheus, champion of evolution, champion of humanity, and champion of the first fire, I call to you this eve to ignite my inner flame! By the wings of Lucifer may you rise to the highest heights to bring the ultimate forbidden fire down to me! Rise, rise, rise, and fly to forbidden places to bring hidden wisdom, power, and knowledge to us, the blazers of a new aeon! Rise! Come forth and fill this temple with your presence! With the vision of Lucifer, bring divine fire down and fill my soul! Ave Lucifer, Ave Prometheus! Lucifer Prometheus, the breaker of the secrets of the gods, the liberating one, the giver of divine fire and light to all, manifest in me and move through me to ignite my soul and fill my mind with what I desire! Enflame me with your gnosis and ignite my primal fire to rise to heights greater than the gods of old! Hail the flame bearer, hail the flame keeper, hail the righteous rebel, hail the eternal fire! Focus on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Prometheus as Lucifer—the Bringer of Fire, creator and initiator of man. Envision his flaming essence surrounding you and rising within you, and see his figure forming in front of you, responding to your calling. He has flaming hair and shining eyes. In one hand, he is holding a sickle and a torch in the other. He approaches and looks straight into your eyes. Paralyzed by his piercing gaze, you cannot move as he raises the sickle and thrusts it into your body. Then he sets it on fire with his torch. Feel how this heat is flowing through each cell of your body, transforming and forging it anew. Your blood flows out and soaks into the ground beneath you, and your body dissolves in the fire until there is nothing left and you are free, unbound and liberated from the confines of the flesh. At this moment feel how a new body is being formed—your flesh and blood replaced by the flesh and blood of the Titans, your bones by the bones of primordial gods, and your spirit empowered and forged in the divine fire. Take as much time as you need for this meditation. Then, rise and look around. Feel the fire and force flowing through your new body. You are no longer a creature of clay, but a primordial being— reborn and powerful. In your hands you are holding the sickle and the torch —the emblems of the Bringer of Fire. And you are now the Bringer of Fire—a living incarnation of Prometheus-Lucifer. From this point, let the meditation flow freely and open your mind to whatever may come. When the vision is over, return to your temple, thank Prometheus for his presence, and close the working with the words: And so it is done!

19

MELEK TAUS

I was, am now, and shall have no end. I exercise dominion over all creatures and over the affairs of all who are under the protection of my image. I am ever present to help all who trust in me and call upon me in time of need. There is no place in the universe that knows not my presence. —Kitêba Cilwe MELEK Taus is a more complex being than many realize and that few can comprehend. He is worked with extensively on the Left Hand Path and is perceived as a form of Lucifer, which is true on the surface, and what lurks beneath the surface is much more seductive yet still cloaked in shadows. Allow me to unveil the Peacock Angel to provide greater insight into his true glory. While many may be familiar with the background of Melek Taus, let us take a closer look into his roots and where he originated. Melek Taus is one of the main seven heavenly beings that you could call the equivalent of archangels and are seen as emanations from God. This fact alone tells us quite a few important things. The first it tells us is that the Yazidi faith in which he is found, is monotheistic in its pantheon. Secondly, the concept of seven archangels as emanations from God is something that is found in Christianity as well. Originally there were seven archangels, but in modern occultism it has been primarily focused on four. This is discussed in Books of Enoch and The Celestial Hierarchy by Dionysius the Areopagite and is still technically canon within the church, but I digress. Suffice to say, these parallels did not develop in a vacuum, and there is a lot to consider as to how things got this way. First, the Yazidi faith only dates to the 12th century CE, and of course, the church dates to the time of the Christ. Therefore, we can deduce the beliefs of the church factored in to the beliefs of the Yazidis, even if you factor in 400 years as a margin of error for the 12th century estimate. Due to geography, we can surmise that Islam was already there and had successfully blended with indigenous beliefs of the area in a similar way that occurred in the Saudi Arabian Peninsula a few centuries earlier. Ergo, the interjection of archangels in the Yazidi faith occurred after a blending of Islam and indigenous beliefs. I clarify this here because it reminds us that although we are detailing out his background, there are still many unanswered questions about him, and the answers can only be found in the research of the indigenous beliefs pre-Christianity of Iraq, and quite frankly, I am not that interested in it, nor is it applicable here. There is another influence to note here and that is the influence of Hinduism. Why is this important, you may ask? Most likely, this is where the correspondence of the peacock originates. A peacock feather, or a peacock fan of feathers, is something that is found all throughout Hinduism in general, and the origins of Hinduism stretch back as far as the 15th century BCE, so we are confident that Hinduism brought this symbolism

20

along with them via trade. However, an important fact to note here is that peacock feathers do not explicitly correspond to Shiva, but rather to Garuda, who carried Vishnu. They also correspond to Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of prosperity, and their symbolism has to do with royalty and the respect accommodated, prosperity and good fortune. Many times the link to Hinduism is ignored, and I simply offer it here as food for thought regarding Melek Taus as peacocks are a large part of his character. Thus we see that some subtle correspondences of Melek Taus have to do with good fortune, prosperity, and regality; or, in other words, sovereignty, which is a correspondence with Lucifer and a strong one at that! Thus we now see that the Yazidi faith is a blending of Islam, Christianity, the indigenous beliefs of the area (which would be descended from ancient Persian and Zoroastrian roots, I might add), and Hinduism. By being familiar with all of those faiths, we can now get a clearer picture of not only Melek Taus, but the entire belief system of the Yazidis overall. On an interesting side note, it is believed that early Christians also used peacock feathers in their symbolism. Now, on to Melek Taus himself. He is said to be chief of the seven archangels mentioned above, and we can see the correlation between he and his six brethren, and the seven planets of the ancients. The numbers seven and derivatives of it can be found all through the Yazidi faith, and this is very interesting because of the weight of the role that the number seven plays in occultism overall. He is one of the seven mysteries to the Yazidis, which are otherwise known as archangels, and he has a very specific role to perform. He is said to be the bestower of blessings, but also misfortune to humans in general, and this hints at his dual nature. You can see a parallel between Melek Taus and the character of Iblis from Islam. In brief, Iblis is the archdevil, opposed to Allah. He is said to be guilty of pride, and was cast out because he refused to submit to Adam. This same theme is found in the Yazidi faith, in that the same backstory is part of the Melek Taus myth with one striking but important difference. Whereas Islam paints Iblis in a negative light for not blinding obeying the word of Allah, the Yazidis glorify Melek Taus for his independence and strong will. Their perception of this interaction is worth discussing for a moment as well, as it reveals quite a bit about Yazidis in general. From the Yazidi perspective, Allah ordering Melek Taus to submit to Adam was a test for him. The point of the test was for Melek Taus to recognize his own power and divinity. In other words, by recognizing he was equal to Adam, and therefore unto God, he achieved selfactualization, recognizing his own power and divinity, which of course is an early accomplishment on the Left Hand Path. Hence, we see that a large part of the creation myth of Melek Taus is rooted in Left Hand Path principles. There is also a feast day that is associated with him for the serious devotee, and that is the first Wednesday of April every year. It is also clear that this is one of the roots of the nickname “DevilWorshippers” that has been associated with the Yazidis. By taking the perspective they did of Melek Taus’ refusal to submit to Adam, they aligned themselves with the adversary from an Islamic perspective from a certain point of view. However, they also liberated themselves from the slave bondage commonly associated with the Abrahamic belief system. The concept of devil worshippers is more in depth than only this as I am sure many of you already know, but this is a piece of the puzzle that is very important because it tells us that sometimes the role of the adversary is filled by those who recognize their own potential and desire sovereignty. Melek Taus is believed to be a benevolent angel that has redeemed himself and created the world from the cosmic egg, and has now become a demiurge. He is not perceived as a fallen angel at all, so any correlations should be dismissed. The basic story that is common knowledge says that he wept for seven thousand years after his exodus, and these tears filled seven jars. There is a lot of symbolism in this part of the story alone. You can see the Abrahamic roots of the jars in that they correspond to the jars commonly

21

discussed in Qabalistic writings. It is when those jars shatter that the Qliphoth come into being. If you think about this for a moment, you could almost make the correlation between the tears of Melek Taus and the light that comes down from source discussed in Qabalistic commentary. This is a very strong shared connection with Lucifer, but it also gives us another way to work with Lucifer, particularly his light aspect. Thus part of the story of Melek Taus is a Qabalistic tale in much the same way you can find encoded Qabalistic writings in the Abrahamic Bible. You can also draw corollaries to the seven moving lights in the sky to the ancients, also known as the seven ancient planets: Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. This solidifies his light bearing aspect. From the Yazidi point of view, Melek Taus was given the choice between good and evil when he had the choice to submit to Adam or not, and they believe he chose good. Therefore, everyone has within them potential for good or evil, and it is the choice of an individual to make. Hence, it becomes obvious that they believe evil can be found in the minds of humanity. Another detail that is generally overlooked in his study is that of the role of the Kitêba Cilwe, or “Book of Illumination.” This is said to contain the words of Melek Taus himself, so to work with him, it would be wise to work with this book. While it is a standalone book, there is another that is an excellent companion to it, but that is beyond the scope of this essay. Simply know for now that one of the two main holy books of the Yazidi faith is said to contain the words of Melek Taus. Tangentially, it is also commonly believed the original prophet and founder of the Yazidi faith, Sheikh Adi Ibn Musafir, was also an incarnation of Melek Taus. This helps drive the point home of the prominence of Melek Taus but also gives us more insight into his character. The Kitêba Cilwe contains information mostly focused on the nature of God, so in that way it parallels the grimoire of a magician or a book of shadows of a witch. In this case, it could be considered a tome of a God. Working with Melek Taus is like working with the light of the sun at noon in the middle of the Sahara. It is stark. It helps as much as it hurts, and to a large extent, it is necessary for life. It also serves as a reminder that we have that same potential within us, and the Peacock Angel can guide us into the light in a very transformative way.

AWAKENING THE PEACOCK ANGEL The sigil used in this working represents the Draconian symbolism of Melek Taus and the stellar aspects of his cult. The seven feathers with reptilian eyes represent both the peacock and the serpent—two animals symbolic of his current, and the flames stands for his Luciferian, solar nature. The triangles/pyramids represent the double aspect of his gnosis: that of light and darkness, the above and the below—two worlds united by the descent of gnosis. The descending serpent is the bringer of knowledge and enlightenment from the higher planes to the earth. The upper eye is on fire, showing that the Luciferian flame is the vehicle of ascent. The lower triangle stands for human consciousness, the vessel enflamed by the gnosis of the Serpent/Peacock. The purpose of this working is to adjust the mind to the current of the Peacock Angel and prepare yourself for further work with this ancient archetype.

22

The Sigil of Melek Taus Sit down in a comfortable position and put the sigil of Melek Taus in front of you. Anoint it with your blood and focus all your attention on it. Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil and see how it becomes charged and activated with your life substance. Visualize it glowing and pulsating with the rainbow colors of the peacock. See how they flash around and illuminate the room. At the same time start chanting the following words: Melek Taus-Lucifer-Shaitan Come forth from the shadows! I call you by fire and blood, By darkness and light, And in the name of the Dragon! Ya! Zat-i-Shaitan!

23

Focus on how this energy vibrates and manifests around you, eventually merging with your mind. Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between your temple and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes and visualize the sigil within your inner sight. At first, it is only an image but then it morphs into the shape of the Peacock Angel himself. He may come to you in his human form, but he can also appear as a peacock or black serpent with a peacock’s tail. Another form in which he often manifests is that of a being with the body of a man above the waist while below he is a vortex of fire. Let him speak to you through your inner mind or show you the visions of his current. He may speak in tongue of serpents or communicate his messages in the form of images. At first, they may take the shape of abstract visions, such as peacock’s feathers, serpent’s eyes, fire, darkness, etc., but then they will be translated by your subconscious mind into messages and personal insights. Open yourself to these transmissions and let the experience unfold in a natural way. When you feel ready to finish the meditation, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working.

THE DESERT OF SHAITAN This meditation includes a visual journey to the realm of Melek Taus revealed here as Shaitan—the serpent-peacock king of the desert. It is recommended to perform this working at a liminal time, such as sunset or sunrise, when the day turns into night or the night turns into day. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind. Then visualize yourself sitting in a meditative posture in the desert at night. The desert is dark, silent and calm. You look at the stars above you and you see seven stars shining brightly above you and forming the shape of a serpent. Call the lord of the desert in a hissing voice, chanting the words of calling: “Ya! Zat-i-Shaitan!” As you sit there and chant, the atmosphere around you begins to change. You can feel a presence somewhere near, and you also notice that the serpent in the sky above you is moving and writhing across the dark firmament. At the same time, you can see shadows of serpents around you, moving and swaying to the rhythm of the chant as if conjured and entranced by your voice. You can hear their movement on the sand and their hissing voices beckoning you to follow and move with them. Entranced by the atmosphere of the place, you stand up and let them guide you through the desert. With each step, however, the whole scenery changes again. The stars disappear, the night fades away, and finally, you see the blood red sun rising from beneath the desert sands, merging with the darkness of the night. For a moment it blinds you, and you cannot see anything. After a while, your sight gets adjusted and you notice a black monolith in front of you, carved in black stone, absorbing the stellar vibrations of the seven Towers of Shaitan that stand around it in a circle, still cloaked in the shadows of the night. The whole construction constitutes a powerful reservoir of the stellar current of the Peacock Angel, and as you enter this power zone you can feel its energy vibrating in you. Serpents, scorpions, and other creatures of the desert are moving in a hypnotic trance around the monolith, which is now bathed in the rays of the dawning sun, and you join the dance as well. At the same time the seven stars that formed the serpent in the sky descend to the earth and are now on top of the ziggurats. While moving and swaying with the creatures of the desert, you can feel the force flowing through your body, which is ecstatic and liberating. And when it rises to your third eye, your head explodes and your consciousness expands, embracing the whole desert and swallowing the entire universe. Then, in the blackness of the Void, you can see the Peacock Angel, his

24

feathers spread around you in a multitude of colors, his eyes looking at you from all directions, and you can hear his words in a thousand of voices. Open your mind to whatever may come now. When you feel ready to end the meditation, return to your temple, thank the lord of the desert for his presence, and close the working with a few personal words.

INVOCATION OF MELEK TAUS This working invokes Melek Taus as Lucifer—the Serpent and the Angel of Fire and Light. Begin this ritual by focusing for a moment on the sigil of Melek Taus. At the same time begin to chant the mantra: Melek-Taus-Lucifer-Shaitan As you chant, feel his energies flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Melek Taus, the Peacock Angel, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Ya! Zat-i-Shaitan! I, (magical name) invoke the Peacock and the Black Serpent, The First of the Seven Great Gods, Creator of the world and all living beings on the earth, He who was, is now, and shall continue unto eternity! I call forth the highest and the brightest of the angels, Spirit of Immortal Fire, Lord of Darkness in the womb of infinity! Come with serpents and scorpions, From shadow and light, I summon your timeless essence unto me! Arise from the desert sands, With the dawning sun and the falling twilight, Descend from the stars through the Seven Towers of Shaitan, And bring your gnosis upon the earth and into this temple! Enter my body and enflame my soul with your sacred fire! Melek-Taus-Lucifer-Shaitan I welcome you into my temple! Envision flames in the shape of serpents moving and dancing around you, their shadows reflected on the walls of the room. Feel the presence of the Peacock Angel. See his figure forming in front of you, responding to your calling. Then focus on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Melek Taus as Lucifer—the Angel/Serpent, bringer of illumination, initiator of man. Open yourself to whatever may come, and let him speak to you through your inner mind. Under the influence of this consciousness, you may experience a feeling of being transformed into a peacock or black serpent. Another characteristic manifestation of this current is expansion and split of consciousness. At first, this may feel chaotic, confusing and hard to handle. It is like you were suddenly exposed to multiple visions at the same time—seeing many people, places, things, etc., but being unable to fully focus and experience the multiplicity of these separate forms of consciousness. To handle such an experience your mind needs to be developed and trained but the consciousness of Melek Taus is a good starting point in this process. This experience is also connected with the idea

25

of multiple layers of reality that need to be peeled off to get to the very essence of the path—the secret that is concealed within an outer structure that we perceive as the universe. Whatever happens, open yourself to the experience and embrace it. Use automatic drawing or writing techniques to record the gnosis, if you want. When you feel ready to finish the ritual, close it with the words: And so it is done!

26

ATTAR

I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the most High. —Isaiah 14:13-14 ORIGINALLY this chapter was going to focus on Helel, but upon further research, it became clear that it should focus on Attar, which got me thinking about how many other people do or do not follow this rabbit hole to its conclusion. Before I get ahead of myself, though, let me create context, because without it, we are nothing more than armchair hobbyists. Nothing happens in a vacuum, and many more things are related than most people realize. Isaiah 14:12 is the verse that is most commonly quoted as being associated with the infamous term Helel, and I am confident it has been micromanaged to an extreme degree, so I see no reason to offer a recap here. I am simply going to follow the bread crumbs and see where they take us. The term “helel” is a Hebrew term, and the closest parallel to it is found in Latin and it is the term “Lucifer.” The two words lead us to the same conclusion, though, which is that both simply mean “light bearer.” Most people that research this do not go any deeper than this, but this is only the tip of the iceberg to be revealed. The story of the Bible is the story of the Hebrew people, so I see no reason to reiterate or regurgitate what has been written a million times before. However, I will focus on the other side of the equation to reveal the environment in which all of this was occurring. The passage in Isaiah is a hymn of a warning to the Babylonian king of the time, even though it is not known who that technically was. There is much speculation over the identity of the particular king, so once again, to discuss it further would be fruitless. But, let us look at what we do know, rather than speculate. The book of Isaiah was written approximately the end of the 7th century BCE, and logic would dictate that it was written while wondering through the lands of said king. At this time, the empire of the land was the Assyrian empire, and its king was King Sennacherib, who is known for his military prowess and founding the city of Nineveh. Hence when it was written, the empire the Hebrews found themselves in, was militaristic and thriving. While the names of the deities were different, they were really just outer shells of the same deities that had already been there for approximately 2500 years. As a matter of fact, toward the end of the believed time of the writing of the book of Isaiah, Assyria was strong enough and Egypt was weak enough that Assyria conquered Egypt. Therefore, we get insight into what the Hebrew people were conveying when they wrote the hymn in Isaiah. Always keep in mind that the passage in Isaiah is just a threat to the king of Babylon, nothing more, nothing less. It does seem likely

27

that there is a deep Qabalistic code contained as well, but to go that direction would consume an essay itself. Let us break this down. Basically, the hymn in the passage in Isaiah is an overt threat to the King of Babylon. In essence, it is saying he should be careful and not become like the archetype of a being that attempts to take control of the throne and then get cast out for it. Of course, from the Hebrew perspective, it would be a sin of pride, but remember that one country’s freedom fighters are another country’s terrorists. Veiled between the lines in the hymn yields our first clue to the rending of the veil. Why would the Hebrew people write a hymn like that? Historical hindsight teaches us that this concept is a reoccurring archetype that has been found across the globe and in many different cultures and pantheons, so we can carefully deduce the Hebrew people did not create it, so why did they mention it? The answer to this can be found in the pantheon of the empire the Hebrews found themselves in at the time. Logic dictates this is a strong possibility, and the most likely one at that. In the Canaanite mythology, there is a story and being that matches this archetype, and that is the god Attar, which is who we will focus on in this essay. Attar is a very ancient and mysterious deity, but seems to be the root of the context of the passage in Isaiah. So basically, to recap, the Hebrew people are saying “Hey king, don’t be like Attar!” Attar is a complex deity, and one of the more ancient ones in the Middle East. As a matter of fact, there is a hidden correspondence of interest that is worth briefly exploring. Attar was a deity that existed in the area before the rise of Islam, which is key to remember because it tells us Attar was incorporated into later belief systems that developed in the area. It is also important to remember that before Islam was developed there was little to no Abrahamic influence in the region. While the Middle East is known as being the seat of the Abrahamic belief system, we should come back to the point of context. The Abrahamic system was a nomadic one up until the coming of the Christ and the eventual roots that were laid down in Greece, later Rome, and eventually through Europe. The Semitic people were highly nomadic during the development of their faith, and thus while pieces of it can be found proliferated across the entire Middle East, there is no one strong concentration, which leads to the conclusion that it did not take deep root there until the advent of Islam. Thus, even then, it would have been more of a blending of indigenous beliefs and Islam specifically. This is of particular note to those that work with the gnosis of the Necronomicon. Legend has it, that tome is a surviving grimoire of the indigenous belief systems of that area of the planet before the influence of Judaism and Christianity. Hence we can infer that Attar was part of the same pantheon and people that the Necronomicon came from, if the legend holds true. To my knowledge, this has not been explored in depth as much as it could be, but that is a conversation and a project for another time. We can now turn our attention to the astrological side of the equation, and, here again, this has been covered more than it probably needs to be, but it is important to mention here for the sake of completeness. The term Helel refers to the planet Venus, and is thus another term for Ishtar and/or Inanna. Hence, Helel would be a feminine alternate name for Venus. Another interesting side note is that also around that time, another name for Venus was “the bearded one,” as it was supposed to have had a trail of some sort of dust visible in the sky behind it. Obviously that has changed over the centuries but it does pose an interesting perspective to consider, especially in light of a name that is commonly associated with Kether on the tree of life: “the bearded one.” Thus Helel is Venus in the morning, but also Attar, one of the eldest of gods in one of the eldest regions of the planet. What we can take away from all of this information is that it is entirely possible and plausible that the word Helel, so often associated with Lucifer, is really a title of Attar, rather than an autonomous being. In much the same

28

way the word “Lucifer” is a title and not a particular autonomous being. Unveiling Attar is an advanced esoteric secret of the Left Hand Path, and working with Attar through the title of Helel is actually a very proper way to go about approaching such an ancient and esteemed deity. For those who may not be familiar with Attar, he is a god of war, and is known as “He who is bold in battle.” Attar is descended from Ishtar in an archetypal way, with only the gender being different. Attar was also known as a storm god, especially the role a storm plays when it comes to bringing water to the area to provide nourishment. As a water god, Attar also corresponds to fertility, the antelope, and the sharp point of a spear. Thus, incorporating any or all of those into your workings would be wise to do to achieve a strong connection.

AWAKENING THE SON OF THE DAWN The sigil used in this working represents the Luciferian current of the Son of the Dawn. The reptilian eye in the center of the sigil is symbolic of the Eye of Lucifer that stands for self-awareness and self-deified consciousness. It is inscribed within the diamond shape, which is a feminine symbol showing that we are dealing here with a force of creation. The black sun in the image represents the light within—the inner flame which is the vehicle of all evolution on the Path of the Dragon. And finally, the sword piercing the sun is symbolic both of Helel/Attar as a warrior god and of the axis of the world (axis mundi), the pillar of ascent. The manner of the ritual is similar as in the previous workings of this kind. Begin this meditation by anointing the sigil with your blood and gazing at it while chanting the following words of calling: Helel-Attar, brightest star in the sky, Pierce the veil of the night, Open my third eye and destroy all illusions, And let me ascend with you through the axis of the world! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! As you chant, imagine that the sigil is a gateway to the current of the god. Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between the physical world and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes, and visualize the sigil within your inner sight. At first, imagine it only as an image and then let it morph into the shape of the Son of the Dawn himself. He may appear as an ancient warrior with a sword in his hand or holding fire, someone who pierces the darkness of the night to let the light shine through. His energy is fierce and dynamic, solar and primal. He may inspire you to seek growth and ascent, both in the spiritual sense and in your daily life, to move forward, to become something better than you are now. He may also help you clear the way for new projects and initiatives if you find yourself stuck in stagnation and unable to move on in your life. When you feel his presence, let him speak to you through your inner mind and open yourself to whatever he has to communicate. When the meditation is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working with a few personal words.

29

The Sigil of Helel-Attar

COMMUNION OF LIGHT Prepare your ritual space in line with your spiritual paradigm. Make sure you have the sigil of Helel-Attar on your altar. Dragon’s blood incense would be good to use, but if that is not an option, feel free to substitute with anything that has a “gum” base, such as gum mastic, gum Arabic, etc. If this is not an option, musk can be used just as effectively. Frankincense could also be used if desired. Feel free to use the applicable oils instead of incense if you so choose. Adorn your altar with whatever images of Lucifer or Attar that you may desire, but also feel free to add images of Ishtar and/or Inanna as well. Make sure you have something to build a fire in on your altar as well,

30

whether it is a small cauldron you can build a fire in or an incense censer. During the ritual, you will build a small fire, so make sure you have all the supplies necessary before you begin. When the candles are lit and the altar is prepared, begin chanting “fiat nox, fiat lux.” Repeat this and feel the energy in the room condense and intensify. Continue this until you feel the energy sufficiently raised, and when you do so, continue to the next step. Imagine yourself in an onion spired sacred building. Smell the dry air of the desert and feel the slight heat on your skin. The room is very ornate and decorated with gold and lavish trappings. Incense smoke wafts through the air, and the room is well lit with candles in various places throughout the structure. People and objects related to pleasure and the gratification of desire are abundant and there for the taking. You can see the sky lightening out of the arched windows, and you can tell it is slightly before dawn. Take a few moments to absorb the growing light and heat from without. As you watch dawn begin to break, you hear a loud, low trumpet coming from behind, from the center of the entire structure. In the hallway you see the brightest of beings enter with the light, and after the glare subsides, you begin to make out details that are not completely in line with your first impression, for you see standing before you Lucifer in all his Draconian glory. You take a moment to absorb Lucifer’s presence, and you then see Lucifer step to the side. Another being steps into the room, and there is the blinding light again, but again, the light slowly subsides, and you see standing before you, Helel, the brightest star of the morning. Take a moment to collect impulses and impressions. Helel and Lucifer flank the doorway, and as the sun breaks the horizon, into the room strides the sun god Attar. His brilliance outshines everything in the room and is strong enough to burn out the incense and candles, and clears the air of smoke, making everything seem crisper and clearer, sharper and more defined. You see his piercing fiery eyes fixate on you, and eventually they lock with yours. When this contact is established, feel yourself merge with his consciousness, and he conveys to you a message. Take your time to enter into a conversation with Attar, and learn the gnosis of the desert sun, first light of dawn. After you feel the conversation is completed, feel your mind return to its natural state, and you begin to make your way back to your temple. When you feel like you have returned, open your eyes and record your experiences in your journal. Close your temple and return to your waking day-to-day life.

INVOCATION OF HELEL-ATTAR This working invokes Helel/Attar as Lucifer in his aspect of the Son of the Dawn and the Lord of the Morning Star, referring to the sun conquering darkness and bringing forth illumination, both in the literal and mystical sense. Again, begin the ritual as you did before—focus for a moment on the sigil of the god while chanting the following mantra of calling: Helel-Lucifer, Son of the Dawn, Let me conquer the darkness of ignorance and step victorious into the light! As you chant, feel his ancient energies flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Helel ben Shahar, Son of the Dawn,

31

To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! I, (magical name), invoke the Lord of Sunrise, He who opens the way to the sun and defeats the darkness of the night, Who invites us to become as gods, Shining Star of the Morning, Brother to Sunset, Liberator and Light Bringer! Come forth from the Void and shine your light unto me, I summon your divine essence to disperse the shadows of obscurity! Lead me from the darkness of ignorance to the light of wisdom and understanding, and guide me from confusion to clarity! Pierce the veil of the night with your sharp sword, And let me see the true light—the divine radiance within! Ignite the fire in my heart and awaken the desire of ascent, So that I may rise up to the stars and claim the throne of eternity! You are the fire of my flesh, the light of my mind, the flame of my will! Mighty warrior, resourceful and cunning, Lead me from the depths to the heights, And awaken within me your light of gnosis: The light of the Black Sun! Star of the east, brilliant and beautiful, shine bright in the sky as I call you this night! Focus on the presence of the Son of the Dawn. Feel how your third eye opens and receives the vision of Helel as Lucifer—the Lord of the Morning Star, the Bringer of Illumination. See his figure forming in front of you, responding to your calling. Envision his light rising within you, his consciousness overriding your senses, and his powers becoming your powers. This energy is furious, violent, aggressive, and full of anger. At the same time, it inspires the sense of pride, self-worth and authority—the attributes of Lucifer. This is also the consciousness of a powerful warrior. It will make you feel like you can face and defeat all your enemies, achieve anything you want, and destroy all that stands in your way. There are no barriers that can stop you and nothing can stand against your power. Open yourself to this consciousness and embrace it. Let the Son of the Dawn speak to you through your inner mind, write down all that is revealed, and pay attention to how this energy manifests in your daily life. When you feel ready to finish the working, close the ritual with the words: And so it is done!

32

SHEMYAZA

And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. — Genesis 6:1-2 SHEMYAZA is quite an interesting character from mythology. In some ways, a very ambiguous one, but in other ways very clear. Shemyaza originates from Books of Enoch, and is known as the leader of the Grigori, commonly known as “The Watchers.” The name Shemyaza roughly translates to “{insert name} has seen,” or “He {insert name} sees the name.” This is a fascinating point to consider because in the Abrahamic belief system, “the name” usually corresponds to the four-fold name of their god, usually spelled YHVH and pronounced a variety of ways. There is great Qabalistic wisdom and insight in that name and formula, and I leave that for another time and place. I mention this here because there are two ways to look at the meaning of Shemyaza’s name. The first is “Shemyaza has seen,” but the second translation could be interpreted as “Shemyaza sees the name.” This could be a reference to Shemyaza knowing the secret name of God so frequently spoken about in western occultism. This is a continuation of an ancient Egyptian story where Isis learns the secret name of Ra, which gives her great power over him. Therefore, we can deduce that one of the subtle correspondences of Shemyaza is being privy to an esoteric secret of God that many will never know. This is a fascinating point to consider because it tells us when we work with Shemyaza, we are working with a being that has access to wisdom usually hidden from the casual seeker. You could almost venture a guess to say that the way to know the secret name of God is through enchantments and root work. Or, conversely, lust is the way to know God. The Watchers, also known as the Grigori, were a group of angels that are fallen angels that were consumed with lust for mortal women. This requires a slight digression for clarification, though. Let us turn our attention to the nebulous and scandalous “Watchers,” or also known as the fathers of the Nephilim. Some sources state that Shemyaza was a Seraphim before the fall, and it is even theorized that Shemyaza’s name at that time was Ouza. The Seraphim are the category of angels that are known as the burning ones and that they are extremely highly ranked in the overall grand scheme of angels from Abrahamic religions. Also of note is that most of the references to Seraphim cite serpents, so when we put the two together we find the Seraphim are burning serpents, or, more accurately, Kundalini, or, specifically, ShaktiKundalini from Hinduism. Anyway, I digress. In the field of the occult and the paranoid, the subject of the Nephilim is hotly discussed and debated. According the esoteric Christianity mythology,

33

the Nephilim are a race of creatures, or more accurately, monsters, that are the offspring of the union between the daughters of men and a race of fallen angels, which we have now identified as the Watchers, and Shemyaza was their leader. To clarify, Shemyaza led a group of fallen angels known as the Watchers, two hundred strong, who were focused on and consumed by a lust for human women. They then mated with the women, and these sexual unions produced offspring that were monsters and became the Nephilim. Abrahamic myth tells us these creatures were the monsters that were wiped out during the flood of Noah. Obviously, though, this was not the case, but such is the case when it comes to mythology. Many people believe the idea that the Nephilim are behind most evils in the world, but let us apply Occam’s razor to the situation. If they are responsible for said crimes, we can conservatively intuit that they are responsible for crimes of lust and all things related. Thus, there is an interesting parallel between them and the cenobites from the writings of Clive Barker. But, I digress. A large part of the story of Shemyaza has to do with trust, interestingly enough. As an early part of the story in Books of Enoch, Shemyaza swore an oath with others to fornicate with the women of man as it were. Hence, when you work with Shemyaza, you are working with the foundational element of trust at its essence. This is the trust that has been explored psychologically for many years, but I will recap for application here. In short, the easiest parallel is to the subject of BDSM and the role of the master and the submissive. I will not get into the finer points here but rather I simply offer it up for illustration of a point. In those sort of roles, there is a certain level of trust that is necessary in order for that type of relationship to occur, and this gives us insight into the nature of Shemyaza. There are more pieces to Shemyaza than just these themes, though, so let us turn our attention to these finer points. The first one is that the Watchers were not just focused on fornication, but they also taught the creative arts to humanity. In this way they are very parallel to the archetype of Prometheus bringing fire to humanity. These were not all peaceful creative arts, though, as another piece of the puzzle comes to light in the form of Azazel. Azazel is one of the Watchers, and he taught humanity a very intense creative art, the art of war. We will be taking a closer look at Azazel later in the book, but he is worth mentioning here because of his connection with Shemyaza through the common ground of the Watchers. The second piece to look at are the specifics of what Shemyaza taught. Each Watcher angel taught something different to humanity, and in the case of Shemyaza there are two subjects to address. It is said that Shemyaza taught “enchantments” and “root cuttings.” While these are very direct subjects, let us look at them from more of an occult perspective. Enchantments could also be seen as aphrodisiacs, and at the time of the writing of Books of Enoch, these would predominantly be oils, salves and all things related to sensuality. This can also be expanded to include not-so physical enchantments, and thus we can surmise this also included the enchantment form of magick. Root cuttings are another matter entirely, but I think we know where this will lead us. To begin with, this correspondence does specify roots, so the closest parallel would be the backwoods American tradition of American root work, but of course there are many different root work traditions across the globe, and liberally you could say Shemyaza taught them all to humanity. This could also be expanded to include herbs, and hence a better correspondence for Shemyaza would be an herbalist. Many herbs and roots are used as aphrodisiacs, and hence we can see the underlying theme that Shemyaza teaches humanity is how to seduce and manipulate emotions, specifically emotions having to do with love and the human heart. Shemyaza is an interesting correspondence to Lucifer because there is a focus on the more sensual and lustful side of Lucifer. As you can see, this is more of a practical side of Lucifer in that it focuses on roots, herbs, oils, and all things related to aphrodisiacs. This is a very sexual side of Lucifer in that

34

it was through lust that the mating with the daughters of men occurred. Another side of the equation is that this also ties into a much darker aspect of Lucifer, which is the creator of monsters. After all, it was the fornication with the daughters of men that created half breed monsters. This is a very advanced metaphysical magical technique that has to do with creating whatever one wants through the power of visualization, dedication, discipline, and orgasms. The sexual nature of Shemyaza, coupled with the root work, herbs, and oils, gives us insight into a side of Lucifer that many may be familiar with but seems nebulous at first glance. Therefore, if we want to explore that side of Lucifer, the easiest way to achieve this is through working with Shemyaza, but beware, you may just end up creating monsters, so the clearer your intent is, the more under your control the products of working with Shemyaza will be.

AWAKENING THE SERPENT ANGEL The sigil used in this working represents the concepts of awakening and transgression, which are the key terms in the gnosis of Shemyaza. It shows a flaming serpent, symbolic of the fiery nature of Shemyaza, who originally belonged to the Seraphim, “the burning ones.” Apart from being creatures of fire, the Seraphim were also described as winged serpents or dragons. The eye in the sigil represents human consciousness awakened through the descent of the angels while its kteis-shaped form, penetrated by the serpent, is symbolic of the sexual character of this initiatory process. The upright triangle in the center of the sigil typifies fire, both as the vehicle of ascent and as passion that is the driving force on the path. The whole sigil shows that the emphasis in the gnosis of Shemyaza is on the ascent of force, evolution and elevation of man. In terms of Luciferian gnosis, it is symbolic of the Ascending Flame, awakened through mysteries of sexual magic and the raising of the Serpent Force within. Prepare the sigil, sit in a comfortable position, and put it in front of you or hold it in your hand. Anoint it with your blood and focus all your attention on the image. Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life substance, and visualize it glowing and pulsating with the fiery energy of the Serpent Angel. At the same time start chanting the following calling: Shemyaza-Lucifer, Leader of the Fallen, Bringer of Gnosis, Open for me the gates of heaven and hell, Guide me on the way of passion and ecstasy, And let me rise in the pillar of fire, Through the path of Ascending Flame! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Feel this fiery energy enter your lungs as you breathe in, empowering your aura as you breathe out, and transforming you into a “burning one.” This may feel sexual, enhancing your senses and inspiring erotic visions—let it happen. Sex is a natural gateway to the current of Shemyaza. Focus on how this energy vibrates and manifests around you in waves of fire, eventually merging with your mind.

35

The Sigil of Shemyaza Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between the physical world and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes, and visualize the sigil within your inner mind, visualizing that it morphs into the shape of the Serpent Angel. He usually appears as a fiery being, black serpent, or warrior in armor and with a sword. He comes with blackness and shadow, often merged with flames and bright fire. These manifestations resemble the Lord of Shadow and Flame mask of Lucifer that was discussed in the anthology Rites of Lucifer. He is winged, and these wings are often seen as made of shadow or fire, but sometimes they look like bat’s or dragon’s wings. Sometimes his face is not visible and hidden in the shadows. Whatever shape he assumes for you, welcome him in your temple. Let him speak to you through your inner mind and introduce you into mysteries of

36

his gnosis. Let the experience unfold in a natural way, and when it is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working with a few personal words.

ASCENDING ON THE WINGS OF THE SERAPH This working refers to the concept of ascent from the world of matter to higher planes through sexual gnosis that is a part of Shemyaza’s initiatory mysteries. The purpose is similar to the work of Prometheus, but instead of bringing the fire down from heaven, we will use the earthly fires of passion and pleasures of the flesh to rise/ascend to “heaven” by transforming sexual energy into higher aspects of gnosis. For this purpose, we will use an autoerotic trance combined with an invocation of Shemyaza. Sit or lie down in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind, and visualize yourself sitting in a meditative posture on a high mountain at night. You are alone and the night is warm and calm. It is completely dark—no moon or stars, but occasionally you can see a shooting star crossing the black sky above you. When you build this image in your mind, start arousing yourself, and at the same time keep chanting the following mantra: Shemyaza-Lucifer, Bringer of Gnosis, Lift me on your wings to the heart of eternity! As you chant, visualize Shemyaza responding to your call and emerging from the darkness of the night. Envision him as a fiery serpent-angel. His essence is pure darkness and so is his body, but his aura is on fire. You can also see his fiery eyes burning in the dark. As he manifests before you, his fire spreads around you in a circle. See and feel how it enters your body in the shape of a fiery serpent, enflaming your chakras and flowing in a stream of flaming force. Breathe deeply and enjoy the pleasure of communion with his energy. You may also envision this communion as a sexual act if you wish, e.g. visualizing that he penetrates you in the form of a fiery serpent or that you become him and visualizing sexual intercourse with Ishtar or Lilith —his mythical lovers. Feel free to imagine what feels natural or experiment with your personal barriers if you choose—after all, this is a path of transgression. As the fire flows through your body, it opens up all of your powers, activating your psychic senses. At the point of orgasm hold your breath and direct the energy to your third eye. Do not let this energy disperse and dissipate around you, but keep it within your body, using it to activate your psychic senses and empower your aura. Envision yourself transforming into the invoked god-form—the fiery serpent-angel. See the wings growing from your back and visualize yourself rising above the body, through the crown chakra, beyond the gates of the flesh. From this point, open yourself to whatever may come and let the visions flow freely. Then return to your temple, thank Shemyaza for his presence and close the working.

INVOCATION OF SHEMYAZA This working invokes Shemyaza as Lucifer in his aspect of the primary initiator on the path of transcendence and the Lord of Ascending Flame, referring to the fiery/serpent nature of both archetypes. Again, begin the ritual as you did before—focus for a moment on the sigil of Shemyaza while chanting the following mantra of calling:

37

Shemyaza-Lucifer, Bringer of Gnosis, Guide me on the path of Ascending Flame! As you chant, feel his fiery energies flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Shemyaza, the Burning One, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! I, (magical name), invoke the Serpent Angel, Lord of Fire and Darkness, He who holds the secret of the ineffable name of God, Who descended to the earth to seek passion and pleasures of the flesh, Lover of Ishtar and Lilith, Leader of the fallen! Come forth from your kingdom of darkness and light, Arise with force and fire, And teach me how to elevate myself on the path of Ascending Flame! I call you by your ancient names: Semihazah, Shemyazaz, Shemyaza, Shemhazai, Amezyarak, Azza! Destroyer of ignorance, Initiator of mankind, Guide me on the path of lust and power, And show me how to awaken the divine fire within! Arouse hunger for knowledge and desire of transcendence, And let me rise on your flaming wings, From the bonds of the mortal flesh to the heart of eternity! Shemyaza-Lucifer Angel-Serpent-Dragon, Through blood and fire, I welcome you in my temple this night! Focus on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Shemyaza as Lucifer—the fiery Serpent Angel, Bringer of Gnosis. Envision his essence surrounding you and rising within you—again, it may feel fiery and sexual, flowing through your body in a burning stream of force. Let it happen, and open yourself to whatever may come. See his figure forming in front of you, responding to your calling, and let the experience flow freely. The current of Shemyaza is usually experienced as an amalgam of chthonic and celestial energies, and he often appears as an androgynous being, morphing into a male or female figure in order to pass down the gnosis from the higher planes as a lover, through various forms of sexual imagery. Some practitioners, especially female, may experience this communion as being sexually penetrated by a serpent, but the energy enters the body not only through sexual organs but also through the third eye, the crown chakra, and the base of the spine. This triggers sensations such as calmness and the feeling of confidence and power, but also willpower, freedom, rebellion, or simply being filled with fire, which is experienced in an erotic way or as a strong and dynamic force inspiring you to face and transgress your personal inhibitions. The most important aspect of this work, however, is the impulse to progress, ascent, and evolution—the key terms in the mythology of Shemyaza—as well as old wisdom and gnosis coming back to the world, ancient ways being revealed and renewed, and forgotten knowledge coming up to the surface once again. In this sense, Shemyaza can be seen not as an initiator, but rather a messenger, opening access to this lost gnosis, but not

38

passing it down himself. In rites of invocation, his consciousness transforms the practitioner into an oracle or medium for insights of past and future, old knowledge, or messages from other planes and dimensions. His role is to open inner gateways for the flow of gnosis, which itself does not lead straight to divinity, but it takes human consciousness onto the next evolutionary step as it is always up to us whether we decide to use this flow of gnosis to our advantage. Finally, you may also experience the consciousness of Shemyaza as being transformed into a creature of fire or darkness and moving through the night on the wings of shadow. Whatever form this experience takes for you, open yourself to it and embrace it. When you feel ready to finish the ritual, close the working with the traditional words: And so it is done!

39

SAMAEL

And the serpent said unto the woman, ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. — Genesis 3:5 SAMAEL is a well-known figure on the Left Hand Path, but is often times misunderstood. The reason for this is that he is known as an archangel, yet at the same time his duties are a little darker than his brethren, and he is the original angel of death, making him one of the archangels to serve in the heavens. However, his name translates to the “venom of God,” or the “poison of God,” and it is these latter attributes that most people know regarding his role on the Left Hand Path. However, alternative translations of his name are the “bitter beverage of God,” the "perfume of God,” or even the “medicine of God.” These different concepts all come about from the fact that when it comes to translating names from Hebrew into English, there are variances that can be seen, which opens up the realm of possibilities when it comes to understanding and working with Hebrew beings. This is a concept that is not exclusively Hebrew, though, as it can be applied to many different languages when translating into English. Another language this applies to is Sanskrit, and this concept is worth keeping in mind because it serves as a reminder to always do our research and interpretation that is unique to our individual spirituality. These seemingly conflicting attributes make him sometimes hard to understand or work with, but he is not as complex as one may think, rather he shows us that we as individual beings can have many different roles as we move through being. A secret to understanding him and knowing him better lies in his placement on the tree, for he resides at the point that corresponds to Mercury, also known as Hod on the other side of the tree. This is the Sephira that corresponds to the planet Mercury because the intent and purpose of this point has to do extensively with the mind, particularly the concrete logical mind. This is the emanation that is all about logic, reason, rationale, critical thinking and all concepts related to the higher mind, as it were. But even in this instance, there is a lot more that can be said, and is worth being aware of in order to work with him successfully. While the Zohar states he corresponds to Mars, Mercury works just as well as a correspondence because one of his charges has to do with the spiritual development of humanity, and to do this, he approaches this task from a pure perspective. Purity is a subject that is not often discussed in contemporary occultism, but it requires a brief discussion here due to its relevance regarding Samael. It is something that is also commonly misunderstood due to the dominant Abrahamic belief system on the planet at the moment. Often times, people mistake purity for chastity, but as we know, they are different words, and therefore represent different concepts. Purity from an occult perspective has

40

to do with being able to rid your form in all of its aspects from impurities. Alchemically, this would be extracting the dross and inequities in order to have a purer and higher vibrational item whether that item is a person or a physical thing. Hence, when purity is discussed in occultism, it is mainly focused on your ability to purify yourself. Part of purifying yourself is removing all distractions from your mind before doing your work. Singularity of focus is what is being talked about here, but purity is much more than that. While focus provides the mental component, there are also the emotional and physical components to consider. Emotionally purifying yourself in a spiritual context can be challenging for many people as it means removing doubts you may have about whatever deity you're working with or whatever subject you are developing. For example, if you want to work with Samael, then during ritual don't let your mind wander from him. If you have insecurities and trepidations about him, then quite simply, don't execute the ritual! It really is that simple. Mentally purifying yourself means reigning in any distracting thoughts and completely and unequivocally focusing on emotional control and spiritual connection. Hence, when we put this in context of Samael, it tells us that when Samael is focused on something, there is no space for any other thoughts or behavior, and thus Samael is one hundred percent focused on executing applicable duties. Generally, pure beings are seen as extreme, but really it is not that simple. It is not that they are extreme but rather they are there to do a job, and they will stop when the job is done. Hence, it is best to work with beings on a mission and to do your best to make sure you are not on the business end of their mission. One does not have to deny themselves physical plane pleasures in order to be pure, but it is always nice to physically detox in some way before engaging in magical work, especially if the work has to do with Samael. This is one of the reasons that throughout occultism history it has been said to purify yourself within certain criteria before executing a ritual. While some in modern times may find this outdated, it is actually quite powerful to engage in this practice for the mental and spiritual reasons as much as the physical ones. Many people emphasize the Mercurial correspondence as is mentioned above, but there is another facet to this that is just as important to note and to be aware of if you want to achieve deeper depths of gnosis, and that facet is that of the psychopomp. All deities that correspond to Mercury are located here via the law of correspondences, and this list includes such colorful characters as Mercury, Hermes, Odin, Thoth, Nabu, and Anubis. A psychopomp deity is one that can travel anywhere, from the highest heavens to the lowest hells, and come back unscathed. Many stories have been told throughout occultism that have to do with a deity traveling to the underworld and coming back the same as they left but then there are those deities whose stories have to do with them traveling to the underworld or higher realms and coming back changed. Much can be learned from all of these stories, but regarding Samael, it is worth noting that if he is an archangel and a demon as some call him, then he definitely falls into the role of psychopomp. A further element of his Mercurial correspondence has to do with another name associated with him, which is the “demon in charge of blindness.” The ability to see, and thus to perceive, are traits of Mercury, as an old title associated with him is the “prince of thieves.” In this case, Samael can help us see, but can conversely make us blind. This is in line with his correspondences of being the poison of God and/or the medicine of God. The same being that kills can also heal, and this is definitely true in the case of Samael. Let us take a closer look at one of the correspondences of Samael that often times gets overlooked, and that is as the poison of God. Yes, I realize that statement may seem like an oxymoron because it has been discussed over and over again, at least by mean, but it bears a closer look. He poisons a

41

system, specifically a system created by humanity with the poison of God. This means that what he brings to humanity is a toxin that the world needs at the time to grow. But, have you really thought about that? What is the worst poison you can give humanity? The answer is simple: death. Therefore, in this way, it is Samael that brought death into the world. If you put this into context of Abrahamic beliefs, this means that it was he that inspired Cain to kill Abel. However, that is a story for another time. Suffice to say, you could theoretically trace this back to the Garden of Eden, which, as a quick aside, was before Malkuth fell from Da’ath, and that would make Samael the actual true serpent in the garden. Well, at least in the Abrahamic system. To the Draconian disciple, though, he would be a channel or a vessel for the spirit of the serpent energy that is the core of the Draconian path. By default, this would also mean that Samael is the patron of all Cain traditions, but I digress. Analyzing this further, we come to the realization that Samael is both the poison of God and the archangel of death, thus showing that he can go and be wherever he pleases. He is a Hebraic equivalent to Mercury or Anubis in that he is not confined to one particular vibration but rather he can shift his to adapt to whatever environment he finds himself. This is one of the subtle lessons to take away from working with him. Too many people focus on simply the poison of God aspect, or his demonic aspect, but to only focus on these would be a disservice to him. Like most of us, he can be an angel or a demon, and a lot of that depends on the environment around us and the appropriate response to it. By working with Samael, we train ourselves to be better alchemists in that we become better at transmutation and adaptation. Each one of us has a dark side and a light side, and knowing when to exercise each is a life lesson that can further empower us as we walk the path of self-actualization, self-empowerment, and personal empowerment. When we realize that many things can be changed, and after we have developed discerning skills to know this, we can then step further into our personal power, becoming more of an archangel in our own way. He serves as a reminder to us that we can change things through the vitriolum formula from alchemy. Essentially, V.I.T.R.I.O.L.U.M. is an abbreviation of the Latin phrase “Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem Veram Medicinam,” which translates to “Visit the interior of the earth, and by rectifying you will find the hidden stone which is the true medicine.” This is a very eloquent way of saying that by going within, we can find the medicine we need, and will no longer be misled by external messages. In essence, this is the main focus of Draconian gnosis, in that we receive wisdom and guidance from within to better develop ourselves and step into our own personal power. By taking situations and bringing them in line with our will, we guide our ascent in a faster and more focused way. This is one of the most effective things Samael can teach us, yet more emphasis is placed on his demonic side than the wisdom that comes with the application of his poison. In chemistry, once a foreign agent is introduced into a controlled environment, all it takes is enough of the substance to achieve critical mass and then the entire environment changes in a way that it cannot go back to a previous state. Thus we find Samael an agent of change above all else, and one that can assist us in moving through situations as well as changing situations by sharing our poison with the environment we find ourselves in. Let us move our attention to the union of Lilith and Samael, though, as this relationship is very important to our individual work and the work of the temple. It has been said that the joining together of these two will bring about the end of the world and that is something to seriously consider, is it not? If Samael is the agent of change, then Lilith is the fire, force and vigor with which it is carried out. She is the essential energy, also known as quintessence that propels us forward quickly and efficiently as we travel up the path of the Ascending Flame. She is the divine female that is receptive to

42

all, yet fully in control of her own destiny and desires. While he is the agent of change, she is the energy that he carries, and thus she could be considered the poison that flows through his veins. It is important to note, though, that in this context, “poison” is not a dirty word but rather it is referring to a foreign element introduced into an already existing system that creates change through immunity. Thus he carries her, and she vitalizes him, and it is through this sacred union that effective, thorough, and willful change can be had for the good of all. However, there is also the female and male union side of the equation to consider as well. It is not necessary to go into detail about this because it has been well documented in many different places, but it is worth recognizing because it further illustrates how the two work together and how things can change for the better by working with both of them. However, it is also worth pointing out that if you are working with one, you are also working with the other, but you are in control of which of them you emphasize. While both of them are present no matter what, we choose which facets we work with to achieve changes on our spiritual path.

AWAKENING THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS This working refers to Samael as the consort/partner of Lilith. According to some Qabalistic sources, he and Lilith were created together as a hermaphrodite entity. This entity, described as a monstrous serpent or dragon, was referred to as “the Beast” or “the Other God.” This creature was the Serpent in the Garden of Eden and the first initiator of mankind. While Adam and Eve reflected “that which is above,” Samael and Lilith represented something older and more primordial, in the same way as the Void that they came from is older than the manifest world. The same sources say that God separated Samael and Lilith, but they constantly long for each other and have found a way to mate through an “intermediary” called Tanin’iver, the Blind Dragon. This union of Samael, Lilith, and Tanin’iver is thought to constitute the primordial being that preceded creation of the world and can destroy it at any moment. From the initiatory point of view, it can refer to the deified consciousness of the adept on the path of Samael/Lilith, or in our interpretation, Lucifer and Lilith, as Samael and Lucifer are approached as two masks of the same archetype. The merging of Samael/Lucifer and Lilith through sexual act opens way to the primordial Serpent/Dragon consciousness that is aimed at on the ophidian path of self-initiation. The sigil used in this ritual represents Samael’s chalice of poison that dissolves the consciousness of the Initiate and adjusts the senses to the energies of the Other Side. The chalice is the vessel for the poison and the alchemical retort in which the process of transmutation takes place, which is symbolic of initiation on the path of flames. The poison is black, but once it goes through particular stages of initiation, it is refined and becomes pure and bright. The wings in the sigil show that we are dealing here with the angel of death, who comes with the sword and drops poison into the mouth of the Initiate to separate the soul from the body. Finally, the eye represents the awakened consciousness of the Initiate and the Eye of Lucifer/the Eye of the Dragon, while the horns stand for the demonic nature of Samael as the Prince of Darkness.

43

The Sigil of Samael Begin this practice by anointing the sigil with your blood. Then sit in a comfortable position and put it in front of you or hold it in your hand. Focus all your attention on the image and at the same time chant the following calling: Samael-Lucifer, Serpent in the Garden of Eden, Open for me the path of transgression, And transform me through your poison! Annihilate illusion and ignorance, And lead me to freedom and illumination! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas!

44

As you chant, visualize the sigil glow with the golden-red flames of Samael/Lucifer. This energy is dark, solar, and masculine, but it also embraces the feminine current of Lilith, as the chalice in the sigil also refers to the mysteries of the goddess and the Womb of Sitra Ahra. Envision the sigil as a gate to the Other Side and feel the presence of both Samael and Lilith awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. This energy may feel sensual and erotic, triggering a lot of emotions—fluctuating from passion and euphoria to the deepest longing and sorrow. Let it happen—these are all natural manifestations of this current. You may also feel a need to empower communion with these energies by combining it with an auto-erotic trance— feel free to do it, and present your sexual fluids as an offering if you wish. Envision yourself merging with Lilith or with Samael—transcend your sense of duality and become one and then the other, and finally, both together, transforming into “the Other God.” Use your sexual energy and the Serpent Force (Kundalini), to unite these two archetypes into one force—primordial and unbound, transcending all barriers and all limitations. However, do not force anything and let the experience unfold in a natural way. When it is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working.

THE VENOM OF GOD The purpose of this working is to invoke Samael as the “Venom of God,” referring to his role of the lord of doubt and insanity, teacher of intellect beyond the normal understanding of this term, and bringer of Luciferian illumination. On the Tree of Qliphoth, Samael as Adrammelech rules the third lowest realm, the dark counterpart of the Sephira Hod, which stands for the principle of intellect. As the dark side of “intellect,” the chalice of Samael contains “poison” which destroys all that is rational and perceived as solid. Patterns of thinking, beliefs, choices, morality and the whole perception of the world, are questioned and dissected through the ordeal of insanity and disbelief. Transgression becomes a tool by which the Initiate poisons one’s senses and expands consciousness, eventually expanding also the knowledge about oneself. For this ritual you will need a “sacrament”—this can be wine, absinth, water, or another drink of your choice. Pour it into the chalice and place it on the altar. Then stand or sit in a comfortable position and take the sigil of Samael into your hands or place it in front of you, and gaze at it while chanting the following words: Samael-Lucifer, Venom of God, Lead me on your sacred path of transgression! Chant the words of calling as a mantra until you feel that the atmosphere in the temple begins to change and Samael responds to your calling. Feel free to personalize the chant if you wish or say something spontaneous, but do not forget that the words of calling must reflect the intent of the working. Then focus on your third eye and envision the Prince of Darkness manifesting in your temple—see him as a shadow figure holding the chalice filled with his poison. You can envision him as a dark angel with black wings or as a lion serpent. More often, however, he comes as the Dark Initiator, like Lucifer, appearing as a black hooded figure. Drink the sacrament, visualizing that you drink the poison from Samael’s chalice, and let your consciousness merge with his—his senses become your senses and his power become your power. This experience can be accompanied by visions of transforming into the Prince of Darkness himself. Another method is to visualize yourself being presented an empty chalice by Samael and then filling it with your own blood which contains all that is poisonous and harmful in your life—all negative energy, illnesses, and emotions, such as fear, stress, sorrow, etc. You can actually do it physically by dripping some

45

blood into the chalice with the sacrament. Then envision that this “poison” is drank by Samael or poured into the womb of Lilith to be transformed into a positive and empowering force before you drink it. Whatever method you choose, visualize Samael’s poison as a purifying force. Think of your daily life and your environment and see them dissolving in this poison, transforming and morphing into other scenarios. While doing this, see yourself changing as well, assuming different masks, personalities, character traits, and so on. Poison your mundane senses and see the reality around you not as solid, but as fluid and malleable. Expand your consciousness and step outside what you perceive as boundaries of your existence—your identity, roles you play in your life, your place in the environment with which you interact, etc. Convince yourself that there are no boundaries and no limitations—all of them are only in your mind and can be changed at will. Step outside of all that you are and become something else. Let Samael guide you through this process and open yourself to any messages that he may have for you. When the working is finished, write down all visions, thoughts and insights received through this meditation, or use automatic writing or drawing techniques to record them while staying in the meditative trance. Also, pay attention to how these energies may manifest in your daily life on the following days.

INVOCATION OF SAMAEL In this ritual, we will invoke Samael as Lucifer in his aspect of the bringer of change and initiator on the path of flames. Begin the ritual in the usual manner—focus for a moment on the sigil of Samael, while chanting the following mantra of calling: Samael, bringer of change, Change me as I walk in Lucifer’s flames! As you chant, feel his fiery energy flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, and then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Samael, the Prince of Darkness, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Archangel Samael, I call thee to my temple this unholy night! Bringer of poison, death, and wrath, I welcome you into my temple to bring change. Seducer of the pure, commander of legions, and virile angel, I invoke you into my soul. Bless me with your potence and empower my seed to bring dark fruit into being. Yaldabaoth! Saklas! Malkira! Belkira! Bechira! Ariael! Stir, awaken, descend from your heaven and rise from your hell to heed my call! I (magical name) invoke you into my temple, into my being, to remove the blindness imposed by the world. Poison my system to make me immune to the illusions of Yahweh and give me command of your millions of angels. Strengthen my amulet with your power and guide my ascent unto the unholy throne!

46

Magician prince of the devils, lion faced god with twelve wings, I summon thee into my spirit to empower and enlighten me in the ways of reality. May your guidance and changes carry me further on the path of Lucifer’s flames! Focus on the vision of Samael as Lucifer—the Serpent in the Garden of Eden, partner of Lilith, and initiator of the path. Visualize that you merge with him and feel his essence rising within you. This, again, can be experienced as a poisonous force which burns like fire, flowing through your body and cleansing your aura. At the same time you may feel strong emotions coming up to the surface to be cleansed and refined. It may even feel sexual as lust is a powerful force in the gnosis of Samael, and it may also trigger an intense desire of transgression. Both transgression and transformation are key concepts in the rites of Samael. Thoughts and visions that may come to you through this work are images of what you normally consider as forbidden, unattainable, inappropriate, impossible, etc. By visualizing yourself in these scenarios you can embrace them and transform them into tools of power and sources of energy. These visions can be accompanied by intense Kundalini sensations in the lower chakras, and this energy can also help you remove and clean certain blockages in your power centers, especially those connected with sexuality. Willpower and selfconfidence are another issues that can be resolved through this work. Finally, the consciousness of Samael may also affect your mundane life and you may observe unexpected events happening during this work and after, such as broken relationships, changes in your work place, or you will simply feel a strong need to change something in your life. Most often, however, the transforming effect of Samael’s consciousness is internal and you can experience a feeling of total freedom under the influence of his energies. This is usually accompanied either by visions of shedding the form and moving through spaces and dimensions or by doing various acts of transgression. This also releases a lot of energy that can be felt as pure fire— the force of lust, but also the Fire of the Dragon which is the vehicle on the path. Embrace the experience and open yourself to the consciousness of the bringer of change. When you feel ready to close the working, do it with the traditional words of closing and thank Samael for his presence and assistance: And so it is done!

47

LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE

The great Lucifuge Rofocale, the infernal Prime Minister who possesses the power that Lucifer gave him over all worldly riches and treasures. —The Grand Grimoire TRADITIONAL occultism has very little to say about Lucifuge Rofocale, but in recent decades more work has been done with this enigmatic character. He, if it is in fact a “he,” is only mentioned in one source: The Grand Grimoire, also known as the Red Dragon. Without digressing too much, The Grand Grimoire dates back to only approximately the 15th or 16th century, which makes it a fairly recent text, contextually speaking, and puts it in the Renaissance category of grimoires and the western esoteric occult tradition in general. Hence at the time it was written, it was the late Medieval Ages moving into the Renaissance, which was of course a period of creation for many grimoires and was a period of extreme growth and enlightenment, ushering in the age of natural sciences. This would also make this grimoire a contemporary of the work of Dee and Kelly, among other key Renaissance magicians. Traditional magick was being phased out of society and education at this time as room was being made in colleges and universities for the new fields of natural sciences, but ironically enough, this was also a period of occult expansion which included the Enochian work of Dee and Kelly, as well as the Red Dragon and other interesting grimoires that have now become part of the grimoire tradition. Historically speaking, this was a time of great structure in society, too, which is reflected in the structure of a lot of the occult work at the time with its formality and prim and proper approaches to working with spirits. These formalities are found in the Red Dragon and even bleeds over into the roles and responsibilities associated with Lucifuge. Before we discuss that though, let us take a closer look at the name. While Lucifuge Rofocale as an entity appears in the Red Dragon, the name is quite older and is defined quite well in some ways, but in others is not clear at all. The first name, “Lucifuge” comes from the Latin root “Lucifugus,” which translates to “light” and “to flee.” Thus, when we put the two pieces together, we arrive at the following possible translations: “to flee the light,” or “one who flees the light.” However, the second name, “Rofocale” is another story because there has been a lot of speculation throughout the centuries, but no clear explanation or definition has been agreed upon. Generally, it is accepted that “Rofocale” is that it is an anagram of a demon that works under Rofocale, which is “Focalor,” and another common perspective is that it relates to the inverse of Lucifer. Thus, if you think about the full name based on what is commonly accepted, you get “One who flees the light” and “the opposite of Lucifer.” It kind of seems redundant, does it not? It is just as accurate to say that the name Rofocale is an antiquated word that has been lost to the sands of time.

48

The commonly accepted idea of Lucifuge Rofocale is that of someone that flees the light or that takes the light within him. This could also be seen as someone that diminishes light. As you can tell from all of these correspondences, this is the antithesis of Lucifer in a lot of ways, but instead of being viewed as an adversary, Lucifuge is seen as a counterpart, and to understand this, we should take a closer look at the roots of the name. In Latin, Lucifer was a name for the planet Venus, but specifically Venus as the rising star in the morning. Because of this, often times Lucifuge is seen as Venus in the role of the evening star, and thus completes a duality. Whereas Lucifer is the bringer of light, Lucifuge is the deliverer of darkness. Or, conversely, the stealer of light. Thus, Lucifuge is the darker counterpart to Lucifer, and while this is true, it is also true that the two complement each other to make a whole deity. What does any of this have to do with the title of this essay? According to the Red Dragon, Lucifuge Rofocale is the “Infernal Prime Minister,” by Lucifer, and he has power over all of the worldly riches and treasures. Even though he was appointed by Lucifer, there are still individual free will beings that answer to him and are under him, and thus as we know from our society, there are politics that are part of the equation. As much as Lucifuge corresponds to a being devoid of light, or a bringer of darkness, he also corresponds to riches, treasure, wealth, and person to person manipulation that is part of the political scene. Therefore, we can work with him in any or all of those areas, and in reality, those are his fortes. This tells us he is as skilled with the tongue as he is in wealth acquisition. When we take a closer look, this tells us Lucifuge is an administrator! While this may seem trite, it is in line with the Red Dragon in that it is Lucifuge that coordinates the minions of demons under the orders of Lucifer. Metaphysically, this tells us that light (Lucifer) needs a facilitator, and it is this role that Lucifuge executes. Lucifuge is the being that decides how best to focus energy, so you could say he is a prism or kaleidoscope. He guides the light to where it needs to go, and assists with the proper hue. In essence, it tells us the way to unlock riches and wealth is through the proper manipulation of light/energy. Paradoxically, though, this same position is held by one that flees the light, or absorbs the light, which tells us that before light can be mitigated out in the appropriate fashion, it must be absorbed and allocated. From a practical perspective, what this means is that by working with Lucifuge, you are both in a position to absorb light in the name of transmuting it to where it would best be used, and to work with the side of Lucifer that is the dwindling of the light. Another perspective that can be applied here is the descent of Inanna. Lucifuge would be that part of the story that is the actual descent. In this way, Lucifuge can be seen as a psychopomp regarding the shadow self and can assist with the focusing of our own inner light in appropriate ways and directions. Lucifuge can also open the doors to working with demons as they answer to him. This can range from Lucifuge introducing us to demons we may not know about to speaking to other demons on our behalf. When working with Lucifuge, we decide to work with the cerebral side of Lucifer, but also the more intellectual approach to working with demons. This does not mean that the actual work we do with them has to be cerebral, though, but rather that we gain insight into the best approach to work with a demon of our choosing. Lucifuge is the focal point of light, and therefore can assist us in facilitating light throughout our lives.

AWAKENING THE LORD OF THE NIGHT 49

This working refers to the role of Lucifuge as the Lord of the Night, which is connected with the Tree of Qliphoth, where Lucifuge is the ruling archdemon of Satariel—the dark counterpart of Binah. The sigil used in this ritual also refers to the symbolism of Satariel, which is here combined with Draconian imagery and emblems of Saturn, the ruling planet of the realm. The central part of the sigil stands for the third eye, typifying self-awareness and awakened consciousness. It is open, showing that the center of awareness in this realm moves to the higher eye, the Dark Star chakra, which is represented by Lucifuge as the dark brother of Lucifer. The Dark Star chakra, also known as Sunya or Sunyata, exists outside the body of man and is both the gateway to the Void and the Void itself, which is represented in the sigil by the eye inscribed within the unicursal hexagram. At the same time it is the higher form of the third eye, referred to as the “Eye of Lucifer” or the “Eye of the Dragon,” which opens in the realm of Satariel. Finally, the flames in the sigil are symbolic of both Lucifuge and Lucifer as the initiatory forces on the path of the Nightside. Sit in a comfortable position and put the sigil of Lucifuge in front of you. Anoint it with your blood and focus all your attention on the image. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life substance and visualize it glowing with a subtle fiery aura, the sigil itself remaining black. Envision it as a gateway to the Other Side and feel the presence of the Lord of the Night awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. At the same time chant the following words of calling: Lucifuge-Lucifer, Lord of the Night, Guide me on the path of light and darkness, Teach me the wisdom of the Evening Star, Open the Eye of the Dragon, And let me gaze into the Void! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Visualize how this energy envelops around you like a swirling vortex of darkness, eventually merging with your mind. Focus on your third eye and feel how it opens, piercing barriers between the physical world and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes, and visualize the sigil within your inner mind, visualizing that it morphs into the shape of the Lord of the Night. Lucifuge usually appears as a being made of both darkness and light. Sometimes he is a dark lord sitting on a throne. Other times he is a bright, beautiful angelic being. Most often, however, he manifests as a black silhouette surrounded by bright light shining from behind. His body is either invisible or chameleon-like, reflecting the surroundings, and thus either bright and neutral or dark and devoid of color. It is made of black essence which absorbs all light but when he chooses to reveal his true essence, he manifests as a fiery being—the Evening Star and the twin brother of Lucifer. In most of his manifestations, however, he resembles a classic devil—with hooves and horns, sometimes winged, but he is also seen with three horns, which is a manifestation characteristic of the lord of Satariel. These horns are either on fire or completely black. Sometimes he has no eyes on his face, but they are on the palms of his hands. The only eye that is seen is the third eye on his forehead, pointing out that the physical sight is not needed to “see.” Open yourself to his energy and let him speak to you through your inner mind. He often comes with messages about the inner sight, clairvoyance, remote viewing, seeing with the Eye of the Dragon, etc. They are often accompanied by visions of the unicursal hexagram as symbolic of the higher eye or higher awareness. Do not force anything, though. Let the experience

50

unfold in a natural way, and when it is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working with a few personal words.

The Sigil of Lucifuge Rofocale

THE PATH OF THE MORNING AND THE EVENING STAR This ritual includes two guided meditations, one focused on Lucifer as the Morning Star, the other on Lucifuge as the Evening Star. Both should be performed on the same day. It is recommended to perform the first one in the morning and the second in the evening, but if it is not possible, feel free to choose a time that suits you best.

51

Part 1 Sit in a comfortable position and relax. You can use your favorite relaxation technique or simply breathe deeply and slowly to clear your mind and leave the mundane reality behind you. At the same time visualize that you are sitting on the shore of a sea, in a meditative posture, facing east. You can actually do the same physically, i.e. perform this meditation facing the rising sun at dawn. If possible, perform this working outdoors. Ideally, you should start the meditation shortly before the sun rises in the morning and continue as the first rays of light fall on your face. Envision the atmosphere around you—the sound of the sea, the waves, the wind, etc., and see the red sun rising in the east, emerging from the horizon. At the same time chant the following calling: Lucifer, Star of the Morning, embrace me with your light! Fiat Lux! Fiat Lux! Fiat Lux! While chanting, visualize Lucifer, the Morning Star, responding to your calling. The sea waves part and leave a passage through which you can enter the Gate of Sunrise. As you walk, the sun rises and turns from red to gold. This light surrounds you with a golden aura, filling you with power. Finally, it crystallizes into the shape of Lucifer, the Lord of the Morning Star, Phosphoros, the Light Bearer. He may appear as a golden solar being, sometimes described as an angel, other times resembling an alien being from ancient accounts. His light is golden, crystal clear and fluid. It manifests from within rather than comes from outside, focusing mostly in the higher chakras, especially the heart, and filling the whole body with liquid energy—the light of Lux. Let his energy merge with yours, his senses become your senses, and his power become your power. Focus on what it is like to be the Light Bearer—a being of pure light and brightness—and open yourself to whatever may come. Absorb this energy and observe how it affects you throughout the whole day until you perform the second part of the working. Thank Lucifer for his presence and close the first part of the ritual.

Part 2 This working is similar, but this time you will absorb the energy of Lucifuge, the Evening Star, He Who Flees Light. Again, sit in a comfortable position, take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind, and start visualizing the same scenery as before. Envision that you are sitting on the shore of a sea in a meditative posture. This time, however, you are facing west, the place of the sun descending to the underworld. You can also perform this meditation outdoors, facing the setting sun. Ideally, you should start the meditation shortly before the sun sets in the evening and continue as the night falls. Again, envision the atmosphere around you—the sound of the sea, the waves, the wind, etc., and see the golden sun slowly descending toward the horizon, the whole scene filled both with its last rays of light and with shadows that seem to grow with each minute. At the same time chant the following calling: Lucifuge, Star of the Evening, embrace me with your darkness! Fiat Nox! Fiat Nox! Fiat Nox! While chanting, visualize Lucifuge, the Evening Star, responding to your calling. Again, the sea waves part and leave a passage through which you can enter the Gate of Sunset. As you walk, the sun turns from gold to red, and finally, disappears behind the horizon. Shadows envelop around you, forming a dense black aura that seems to absorb all light that is still left. Finally, they crystallize into the shape of Lucifuge, the Lord of the Night. Let

52

his energy merge with yours, his senses become your senses, and his power become your power. Focus on what it is like to be the Lord of the Night, a being of pure darkness, and embrace this energy. Lucifuge in this working may appear as a ghastly black figure or shadow hovering over the dying sun. The merging of your consciousness with his can be experienced in a calm, empowering way, but it can also be harsh and disturbing—for example, he may thrust his bone limbs into your body, sucking all light out of it and prompting you to seek your own light and manifest it from within—the light of Nox. Open yourself to whatever may come. When you feel ready to finish the meditation, thank Lucifuge for his presence and close the working. Pay attention to your dreams and observe how they are affected by the consciousness of the Lord of the Evening Star.

INVOCATION OF LUCIFUGE ROFOCALE In this working we will invoke Lucifuge as Lucifer in his aspect of the Lord of the Night and the Qliphothic demon-god. Again, begin the ritual by meditating on the sigil of Lucifuge, shift your focus to your third eye, and for a moment chant the following calling as a mantra: Lucifuge-Lucifer, Lord of the Night, Guide me on the path of darkness and light! As you chant, feel his fiery energies flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I, (your magical name), open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Lucifuge, Lord of the Night, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! From my unholy temple I call to thee, bringer of night and darkness! Manifest the Void in this chamber and make manifest Nox Lux! Lucifuge, hidden twin, I summon thee in darkness to guide my eyes to see hidden splendors. Nocturnal beauties and horrors are revealed to me, and mark my soul through your eyes. Nox Lux! Niger Lux! Bringer of midnight gnosis, I call to thee beneath arcane stars! Lucifuge, initiator of the hidden and master of the arcane, I invoke you to show me the wisdom of the night. May your spirit guide my mind, and may my temple be your home! Lucifuge, Vovin! Lucifuge, Vovin! Lucifuge Vovin! Coat me with your black wings and fill me with the Void so I may see what others cannot. Empower my sight with the black eyes of entropy and allow me to see the Black Sun unbridled! Recharge my soul with the black light of the midnight sun and show me the fruits on the tree of death!

53

Focus again on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Lucifuge as Lucifer—He Who Flees Light, the Lord of the Night. Envision his black energy surrounding you, absorbing all light in the temple, and penetrating your aura to become as one with you. It is recommended to perform this working, or at least the meditation, in complete darkness. Call to the Lord of the Night and open yourself to whatever may come. See his figure forming from the darkness, responding to your calling, and merging with your consciousness. This consciousness is an amalgam of light and darkness, and it is experienced as a transition from darkness to light—from ignorance to clear seeing, or from the physical sight to the psychic sense. He may also prompt you to push your consciousness out of the physical body, showing that the body as a vessel is not enough to contain the force that is released through this work and it is only an obstacle or limitation in experiencing the universe. Visions that come with this experience are about being transformed into an entity of pure darkness—Lucifuge himself—absorbing all light and transforming it into living darkness. Let him speak to you through your inner mind and write down all that is revealed, if you wish. Close the working with the traditional words: And so it is done!

Lugh

May the blessing of light be on you, light without and light within. —An old proverb LUGH is the Celtic god of the sun. His name is alternatively spelled “Lug,” and he is also known by the epithets Lámhfhada (“long arm” or “long hand,” which refers to his skill with a spear or sling), Ildánach (“skilled in many arts”), Samhildánach (“equally skilled in many arts”), Lonnbeimnech (“fierce striker”), and Macnia (“boy hero”). His symbol is the spear, which was a legendary weapon that made him invincible in battle, but he is also associated with many other skills—he is a warrior, builder, harper, poet,

54

metalworker, sorcerer, and healer. He was widely known and venerated throughout the ancient Celtic world and worshipped as a patron god to craftspeople, magicians and warriors. His name is believed to be derived from the Proto-Indo-European root “leuk,” meaning “to shine” or “flashing light.” This association with the sun and the solar imagery is one of the things that allow us to draw a parallel between him and Lucifer. In some interpretations, both names are thought to be derived from the word lux and translated as “the shining one.” The name “Lugh” itself is of Irish origin while in other areas he was known under such variations of the name as Lugus (Gallic) and Lleu (Welsh). As the sungod, he is also identified with such mythological figures as the Greco-Roman Apollo, and as a patron god of crafts he is equated with Mercury. Sometimes he is thought to be not only the god of the sun but also of thunderstorms, and in this sense his name is translated as “the lightning flash.” In Celtic mythology he is both a deity and a hero or a king. His father is Cian of the Tuatha Dé Dannan, and his mother is Ethniu, daughter of Balor, the king of the Fomorians. His origin is therefore primordial, like Lucifer’s or that of other similar archetypes (Prometheus, Loki, etc.), as the Fomorians are primordial, monstrous beings, residing in the sea depths or in the underworld. They are giants, like the Norse Jotunn, often described in the folklore as creatures hostile to mankind. Like Loki or Prometheus, he is therefore another figure that connects the primordial chaos with the world of man and the divine order of the gods. Also, like these two mythological characters he has a trickster nature and is connected with the symbolism of fire. In this chapter, however, we will no longer deal with the trickster archetype. Instead, we will focus on the solar aspects of Lugh’s current, the principle of creativity and illumination, and we will explore his role of the master of life and death—the mysteries of birth and resurrection. Lugh is both the dying and reborn god, corresponding to the symbolism of the sun “dying” and descending to the underworld to be reborn at dawn to emerge in the victorious triumph of life over death and light over darkness. His festival day was Lughnasadh on August 1, celebrating the beginning of the harvest season. The origins of the festival were connected both with Lugh and with his foster-mother Tailte, who was regarded as the Great Mother who gave her people the gift of agriculture and taught them how to sow and reap the crops. After that, she died of exhaustion. Lugh mourned her death, and to honor her he established a festival of thanksgiving for the bounty of the harvest. Thus, he “poured his spirit into the grain.” But this is also interpreted in another way—Lughnasadh can be viewed as a festival of sacrifice in which the sun-god offers his life essence to be reaped through the harvest so that the crops would last until the wintertime and feed mankind. In other words, he dies and descends to the underworld, where he remains until he is reborn on the winter solstice (Yule), emerging as the triumphant sun conquering darkness and death. He is therefore both the lord of light and the god of darkness, like Lucifer, who himself has a bright and dark side —the sun of the Dayside and the Black Sun of the Nightside. As the sun-god, he represents the solar current—illumination, creativity, passion, life, etc. In this sense, he is the father of poetry and arts, patron deity of magicians, god of life and abundance. As the sun in the underworld, he is the lord of the dead and he rules the mysteries of death and rebirth, holding the mastery over all transformational processes. These powers and attributes are also the reason for his associations with such gods as Wotan or Odin, who, like Lugh, are gods of arts and poetry, as well as deities of war and lords of the dead. We will explore this ambivalence of Lugh in the workings of this chapter. The current of this solar deity is usually filled with a lot of Luciferian light. In rites of magic this manifests in several ways, taking the form of challenges in our day-to-day life and providing energy and inspiration to deal with them and prevail in our struggles. The god himself resembles in his appearance both Lucifer and Samael—his manifestations are both ophidian

55

and leonine, sometimes morphing into a lion-serpent. This energy is fiery, masculine and dynamic. Some practitioners refer to it as aggressive and violent while others experience these energies in a strong sexual way. The key concepts in working with this solar current include sexuality, movement, pride, boldness, and unrestrained desire. The dynamic and violent nature of Lugh’s current manifests as an urge to overcome certain obstacles and inhibitions, both on our magical path and in our daily life. This is usually personal and there are many unexpected challenges coming up to the surface which we have to deal with by using the solar current of the sun/warrior god. These challenges are inspiring and empowering, but at the same time difficult and requiring a lot of willpower. This is especially experienced while working with Lugh as the god of life and death through the decent to the personal underworld, which often takes the form of visions focused on burning things away and/or molding them into something else as well as daily situations that require the use of Lugh’s fire and light. The sexual aspect of Lugh is reminiscent of Samael or Shemyaza, and in this form the god manifests e.g. as a man with the lower part of the body in the serpent shape, with a forked tongue and dragon’s wings. Communion with him is experienced as drinking the nectar dripping from his snake tongue, like the poison of Samael, which is intoxicating and filling the practitioner with passion, warmth and creativity. Also, both Samael and Lugh come in the company of snakes. The difference, however, is that Lugh is brighter and radiates golden energy while Samael is usually experienced as dark and surrounded by blackness, and his poison is bitter rather than sweet. Obviously, there are more differences, as both gods are complex figures, but we are comparing them here only in the context of the Draconian archetype.

AWAKENING THE SHINING ONE The sigil used in this working represents the spear of Lugh, which is his traditional weapon and symbol. It also refers to Lugh as the sun-god, typifying Lux, the solar force of his current, which is associated with Lucifer as a spirit of illumination and inspiration. The eye in the sigil stands for the center of awareness while the snakes coiling around the spear are symbolic of the primordial origin of the god. Prepare the sigil and sit in a comfortable position. Imagine that it is a gateway to the solar current of the god and feel his fiery energy flowing through the gate. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life force, and visualize it shining with the golden light of Lugh, flashing around and illuminating the whole room. At the same time chant the following calling: Lugh-Lucifer, Bringer of Illumination, Ignite the fire of the Sun Within! Embrace me with your golden radiance, Inspire my passion and awaken the force of creation within me! Make me a vessel for your timeless, vibrant energy! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil and see how it is received and how the sun-god responds to your calling. Feel the presence of Lugh in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness, and focus on how this energy vibrates and manifests around you, eventually merging with your mind. Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between the physical world and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes and visualize the sigil within your inner sight, shining with a beautiful golden radiance. At first,

56

imagine it only as an image, and then let it morph into the shape of the Shining One himself. He usually comes in a youthful form—he is fair and handsome, but he has a forked tongue, which shows his primordial nature, connecting him with other Draconian-Luciferian archetypes. Sometimes, he has the warrior’s armor and holds a sword or spear. Other times, he is naked and often ithyphallic. His weapon is the symbol of his power and authority, and sometimes he presents it to the practitioner, thus passing his power. Sometimes, however, this passing of the force and power is experienced in a sexual way and his “spear” is a metaphor rather than the actual weapon. Working with Lugh through sexual energy often seems natural, and if you feel an urge to commune with him through an auto-erotic trance, feel free to do so. Open yourself to whatever messages he may have for you and let him speak to you through your inner mind or show you the visions of his current. Do not force anything, and let the experience unfold in a natural way. When it is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working.

57

The Sigil of Lugh

THE PATH OF THE SETTING SUN Sit or lie down in a comfortable position, as you usually do for meditation. Take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind, and visualize yourself sitting in a meditative posture on top of a mountain, facing the setting sun. The sun is still quite high, though, and you can feel the pleasant warmth on your face. It is golden and beautiful, and the whole scenery is filled with radiance and warmth. As you build this image in your mind, chant the mantra: “Lugh-Lucifer-Shining One.” You can actually do it during the visualization, although it is not absolutely necessary. As you chant, visualize that the sun slowly begins to descend. You can feel the golden light enveloping around you and merging with your aura, filling

58

you with a sense of power and activating your chakras—from the base of the spine to the top of your head. Visualize yourself as a living vessel for the golden radiance of the sun, the vibrant essence of Lugh. It fills you with warmth, confidence and inner strength. Finally, envision that the sun disappears behind the horizon. At this moment stand up and follow the sun to the underworld. Visualize in front of you a large cave with stairs leading down, to the heart of darkness. As you walk down, you go deeper and deeper into your own darkness, your personal underworld. You are not alone there—you can hear sounds and voices and you can sense a presence of something hostile lurking in the dark. Finally the darkness around you crystalizes into shapes— demons, monsters, people, animals, and so on—they represent your weaknesses, obstacles in your life and on your path, doubts, fears, etc. Each of them is a negative emotion, thought, feeling that you have to confront, otherwise they will devour you, trapping you forever in the underworld. As you face them, use the golden radiance of Lugh to defeat them and transform the negative into positive. You may need to sacrifice certain things in your life in order for this to happen—this is the way of Lugh—the way of self-sacrifice, death and resurrection. The golden radiance of Lugh is the force of creation, but it is also the weapon of a warrior. Think of it while confronting your personal “demons.” This is a personal process, so take as much time as is needed for you to clear your path through the land of death and illuminate the darkness with your inner light. Step by step the path will take you closer toward the surface, and eventually you will reach the cave again, ready to reemerge to the world above. Feel how strong and empowered you are by your journey to the underworld, knowing that your inner “sun” will burn brightly whenever you have to face other obstacles or difficulties on your path. Visualize yourself as Lugh—the golden sun-god, invincible warrior emerging triumphant from each encounter with darkness and death. Keep this feeling, and when the vision is over, return to your temple, thank Lugh for his presence and close the working.

INVOCATION OF LUGH In this ritual Lugh is invoked as Lucifer—the Shining One—the force of creation, nourishment, abundance, and resurrection. The purpose of this working is to invoke Lugh as a force of illumination, inspiration and creative passion. He is a patron god of art and poetry, builder, musician, and sorcerer. Think of these features while identifying with this archetype and try to use them as a tool of self-expression—in other words, use the energy channeled through this work to create something. It does not have to be anything concrete—just be creative and let yourself flow with this current. Begin the ritual as you did before—raise your inner energy and connect with the other participants. Then focus for a moment on the sigil of Lugh while chanting the following mantra of calling: Lugh-Lucifer, Shining One, Purify and transform me through the mysteries of death and resurrection! As you chant, feel his solar, golden energy flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Lugh, the Shining One, To come to my temple and manifest!

59

In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Born a trinity, Lugh the long arm, Lugh the Sun, I call to you this evening! Master of martial arts of all kinds, I summon you to this temple now! Game master of Lucifer, I invoke you into my form to radiate Draconian gnosis and light through me to shine into the darkness of chaos! Healer with light, I call to thee, burning heart of Lucifer, to purify my form and spirit. Shine down from the highest heavens and empower me with the power of the atom, the molecule, and the monad! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Ruach, Lugh, Lucifer! Master of the golden light, visible spirit of Lucifer, I invoke you with the heat and power of 10,000 suns! May you blaze bright through my mind, body, and spirit! May your power become my own, and burn away all imperfections! Emblazen with your power and enlighten my mind to hold more light! Chant the words of calling until you feel that the atmosphere in the temple begins to change and Lugh responds to your calling. Feel free to personalize the invocation if you wish. See the sigil shining in front of you, growing and connecting your temple with the golden solar current of Lugh. See it morph into a golden sun with a huge eye, eventually transforming into a portal through which you can enter the realm of the Shining One. Then focus on your third eye and envision Lugh, the bringer of illumination and inspiration, manifesting in your temple. Feel his golden radiance around you, entering your body and filling your aura with the vibrant force of his solar current. Envision his golden essence surrounding you and rising within you and open yourself to whatever may come. See his figure forming in front of you, responding to your calling and let the experience flow freely. Let him speak to you through your inner mind and write down all that is revealed. He may come in a human form, as a man with a golden skin, surrounded by a golden aura. Sometimes he has a crown on his head. He may be holding a spear or trident. He also has a forked tongue and shining reptilian eyes, reflecting his primordial, Draconian origin. Let your consciousness merge with his—let his senses become your senses and his power become your power. Envision yourself as a vessel for the Luciferian light, which is illuminating, creative, and inspiring. You can use automatic drawing or writing in this working, simply opening yourself to his influence, or you can let his energy guide you through a chosen creative work—if you make music, art, write, or you feel at home with another form of creative self-expression. Pay attention to how this energy manifests in your life on the following day or days, and let it inspire you to be passionate and creative in your daily activities. Close the working with the traditional words: And so it is done!

60

61

SHIVA

Fire is His head, the sun and moon His eyes, space His ears, the Vedas His speech, the wind His breath, the universe His heart. From His feet the Earth has originated. Verily, He is the inner self of all beings. —The Upanishads SHIVA is one of the oldest gods ever recorded, and liberal interpretations place the oldest depictions of Shiva occurring 10,000 years BCE in cave paintings. Coming from the Hindu tradition, Shiva is known as the destroyer, but there is a lot more to him than that. Even that title is misleading as the destruction it is referencing is not quite what you expect. Also interesting to note is that on the surface there seems to be no connection to Lucifer, but we will discuss how the two are related and how one can enhance the experience of the other. Shiva is one of the three supreme gods in Hinduism, along with Brahma and Vishnu, and is often times called the destroyer. However, Shiva also corresponds to pure consciousness found everywhere, which also makes him the soul of the cosmos. Hence the expansion of consciousness is a Shaivic characteristic, and as we know, one of Lucifer’s major correspondences is the expansion of consciousness, and thus with a slightly deeper glance we make the Luciferian connection almost immediately. Another Luciferian ideal that is found in Shiva is that of the destroyer aspect of his character. This is based on a very simple premise, which is that the expansion of consciousness is a nihilistic pursuit in that as consciousness is expanded, crystallized ideas are destroyed in order for new ones to come into being, and ultimately, manifestation. Thus, to pursue consciousness expansion is to pursue destruction, and this can easily be seen as a nihilistic road to take. However, it is the intent behind the pursuit that separates this out from true nihilism. The intent behind expanding consciousness in this context has to do with increasing personal and spiritual growth and development, eventually leading to the godhead, but for the other kind of nihilist, pursuing something to the point of destruction has a much different connotation. This is the root of his title of destroyer. Much like Kali, he destroys in order to create. Often times Shiva and Kali are depicted together, and it is usually with Kali standing over the body of Shiva. I will not give a full analysis of the symbolism present in that image, but there is an esoteric point that is relevant to the conversation. Kali destroys in order to create, and Shiva is consciousness, so when you see this image, among other things, it is reminding us of the conquest of action over consciousness. Practically, this image is reminding us that you can expand your consciousness all you want, but that will get you nowhere without putting those ideas into action into manifested results in line with your will and vision. In a lot of ways, these two are seen as twin flames of sorts, in that you cannot have one without the

62

other. You cannot have consciousness expansion without a follow up consequence of action. Well, of course, you can, but what will that get you, really? Shiva is the father of Ganesh with Parvati, his wife. As a matter of fact, it is because of Shiva that Ganesh HAS his elephant head, but that is a story for another time. Ganesh is the wisdom aspect of the godhead and the remover of obstacles. Shiva is also the father of Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war, and we can see how this is a reflection of his father’s destroyer aspect, but is a different manifestation of it. Often times, Shiva is blended with the god of intense storms, Rudra, which is often times seen as his father in some traditions. This is simply worth noting because it reminds us that when a deity is around for an extreme period of time, they often times get blended with others, and thus become composite deities. This is most certainly true of Shiva, as there are several other deities that are often times either A) worked with in addition to Shiva, or B) blended with Shiva in some traditions, so when you decide to work with Shiva, it is wise to do your research as to which tradition to incorporate. Another piece of the Hindu puzzle to keep in mind to understand the complexities of Shiva is to know that he is a member of a triad that comprises the totality of the godhead in Hinduism. The trinity at the top of Hinduism consists of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and each one represents a different facet of consciousness. This is interesting because this approach to taking apart the godhead in order to better understand it is also found in the Jewish Qabalah due to the fact that is the basis for the study of the Qabalah. The secret to understanding the interplay between Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva is in contemplating one of the secret interpretations of the word “god,” but it is an interpretation outside of the western tradition. The word GOD is the clue: G (generator) O (organizer) D (destroyer), and the applicable deities are G (generator-Brahma), O (organizer-Vishnu), D (destroyerShiva). Brahma is the generating aspect of the godhead, Vishnu is the organizing aspect of the godhead, and Shiva is the destroyer aspect of the godhead, and the eternal interplay is the constant cycle of change that is this manifested reality. This formula is not as elaborate as the Qabalah, but it can still effectively be used to understand the eternal mystery. There is also a lot of symbols that correspond to Shiva and that are found on artistic representations across the globe, and they justify their own essay, but there are some key ones that apply to our focus and work here. The first piece of symbolism is the serpent that is usually seen circled around the base of his neck. As you can deduce, the snake represents the coiled Kundalini, and its position on Shiva’s body tells us that he has mastered it to the degree that it sits at his beck and call. The second piece of symbolism that merits particular attention is his famous trident. Known as the “Trishul,” it represents many trinity ideas and can range from representing Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, all the way to man, woman and divinity. Or, another interpretation of it is that it represents the three major nadis used in our work: the Ida, Pingala, and Shushumna. We know that this piece of symbolism is another common Luciferian correspondence, and the Luciferian symbolism can be used hand in hand with Shaivic symbolism. Thus, when you work with Shiva as a side of Lucifer, you are working with the consciousness gnosis that Lucifer brings us. Since Shiva is the expansion of consciousness, and thus also correlates to the expansion of consciousness that working with Lucifer brings. Shiva can assist us in expanding our consciousness in line with Lucifer’s through the clarification of personal gnosis received when working with both or either of them. Helping us think outside of the box is one of the things that Shiva can assist us with as well as facilitating our psychological and spiritual growth through improving our mental approach to our personal paradigm. Shiva/Lucifer can help us understand concepts that may seem daunting at first glance, but the price that comes with this is the destruction of previously held beliefs that have

63

been outgrown. When we give this a cursory glance, it looks like continual consciousness expansion is a good thing, but let us take a closer look. The easiest way to see the situation is to think of the parallel to a balloon. As your consciousness expands, the balloon gets filled, and we know what happens if it gets overfilled; it bursts. One of the other pearls of wisdom that goes with this is a stark warning that comes with working with Shiva. If you are not careful, you may find that you work with Shiva enough that it can liberate your consciousness from your body.

AWAKENING THE LORD OF THE TRIDENT The sigil used in this ritual represents the attributes of Shiva as Lucifer. The tridents are symbolic of the three aspects of the god—creator/generator, organizer, and destroyer. The snakes with one head represent the conjoined aspects of the Serpent Force, rising from the Eye of Lucifer as the foremost vehicle for realization of the Self. The flames stand for the transforming nature of this force while the skull shows that we are dealing here with the lord of both life and death. Begin this working in the usual manner. Prepare the sigil, sit in a comfortable position, and focus all your attention on the image. Anoint it with your blood, if you wish. At the same time chant the following calling: Infinite source of perpetual gnosis, I welcome you into my mind and my soul. Eternal dancer of the chthonic winds I call unto thee to carry me through the Void and into that which is not known. Seducer of madmen and prophets, harken my words as I call to you this eve! Enflame this temple with your sri, and become the Nataraja of change! Awaken my dormant senses and expand my eternal consciousness so that I may retain and use all the mysteries of the dark light. Empower me with your Draconian flame, and stir me to greater heights of spiritual ascent. Arouse my spirit and educate my mind! Destroyer of worlds, I call to you this eve to come to my temple and manifest in my mind! Destroy the illusions of the false light, and emblazon my eyes with the true brilliance of the flame of Lucifer! Omm… (hold as long as possible) As you chant, send the intent of the ritual through the sigil. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life force, visualize it glowing and pulsating with the energy of the Lord of the Trident. Then focus on the meaning of the symbol. Shiva’s trident represents the threefold nature of the universe. The three points stand for creation, maintenance, and destruction. They can also be symbolic of the past, present, and future. As a weapon, the trident destroys them all in experience of pure existence, bliss, infinity, etc. But on the microcosmic level the trident also stands for the flow of the Serpent Force within the human body, representing the three main nadis which meet in the third eye, the Eye of Lucifer/Shiva, the center of awakened consciousness. Following this symbolism, imagine your inner energy flow in the form of the trident. See the three flames arising from your spine and uniting into one when they reach the third eye. Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between the physical world and the Other Side, liberating you from the confines of the flesh and the physical senses, bringing forth illumination and liberation. Invite Shiva to merge with your consciousness and let him speak

64

to you through your inner mind. You can visualize him as a man with dark or blue skin, warrior, or lord with the trident. Sometimes his skin is covered in ash, or you can see him dancing at the cremation grounds, in a circle of skulls. He also comes as a cobra, black or golden, and even when he morphs into a human form his eyes are still reptilian, emerald, and shining. Other times he appears as a primordial giant being with the body made of the night sky, naked, and holding the flaming trident in his hand. There are also visions in which he is seen as an old man with gray disheveled hair and eyes like bolts of lightning. Finally, you can visualize him as a three-eyed being with the eyes either on the palms of his hands or on his forehead, pointing at the threefold consciousness that is explored through his rites. The trident in this work manifests a symbol of the Initiate on the path. You can see it as the axis connecting all worlds and thus placing you in the center of the universe. You can also have visions of transforming into the trident shape under the influence of Shiva-Lucifer consciousness and then becoming a vortex of energy—pure force in movement and expansion. Another possibility is to assume the trident position and visualize Shiva touching your chakras, from the lowest to the highest, activating them and making the Fire Snake flow through the body, thus transforming you into a flaming trident. When the fire/force reaches the head, feel how it bursts open, expanding and becoming connected with the whole universe—making you one with nothing and all at the same time. This feeling is often described as being created and destroyed at the same moment, and at the same time being the center—the creator, the destroyer, and the organizer. This is a very atavistic experience, primal, and unconditioned by any human perceptions.

65

The Sigil of Shiva Whatever form the awakening of this consciousness takes, embrace it and let the experience unfold in a natural way. When it is over, thank Shiva for his presence, return to your mundane consciousness, and close the working.

ON THE WINGS OF THE DRAGON One of the common correspondences and images of Shiva is that he resides at the top of a mountain, and this pathworking will begin there. Begin by setting up your temple as per your preference, but make sure the sigil for Shiva is on the altar. Any color candles will do, but especially black, white, gray, and red. Feel free to use incense during this working, but if you

66

do, dragon’s blood, sandalwood, or nag champa is preferred. If you are going to use music, make sure it is music that does not have any lyrics. If you can place pictures of mountains on your altar, then do so. Light the candles and incense, and proceed. Do not use oils as a substitute for incense. Close your eyes, and begin chanting “Shivo-ham.” This is a traditional Shiva mantra from Sanskrit, and translates to “I am Shiva.” Chant this 108 times, and if you have a mala, feel free to count along. To know whether or not you have a true mala, it should have 108 beads. If what you have does not have this, do the best you can with what you have. After 108 repetitions you should be in an open and receptive meditative state, and when this occurs, a vision in your mind’s eye will unfold. If, after 108 repetitions, you are not in a receptive state, then feel free to do another mala’s worth of the same chant, but only in variations of 108. Hence, you can do 108, 216, etc. In your mind’s eye, you find yourself standing at the base of a tall, whitecapped mountain. It is the highest peak in the range, and you do see a way up. Like a goat, you begin to tread a narrow path up the side of the mountain. You find that many fears you have cross your path in the form of various animals from the Draconian Tradition. Your creativity should fill in the gaps. As you make your way up the mountain, you face many scenes that are replays of critical events in your life. Each scene plays out in front of your eyes, but each time you face them with strength and victory. Eventually your memory brings you to the current moment and you find you are substantially farther up the mountain, at the halfway point. At this point you grow weary, and seek a place to rest. Out of your periphery you spy the entrance to a cave, and you seek a brief shelter to rest. In this cave, you encounter an elderly sage man, who imparts to you a pearl of Draconian gnosis. This is one of the eternal mysteries in that it cannot be conveyed through words, so it is unique to you and your path. Remember this, and feel your mind relax and rejuvenate. After a few moments, feel your consciousness shift back to the rocky mountain path you have been treading. You continue to move up the path with a renewed zeal, making great progress. This time, the images from your past that you face are ones that were life defining moments that are happy and full of joy. This inspires you to climb faster and farther, and eventually you find yourself at the mountain’s peak. There is seated a light blue skinned being. At times it looks feminine, and at times it looks masculine. You intuitively know this is the god of consciousness, Shiva. You see the eyes are closed, but the vertical third eye in the middle of the forehead is open and staring at you. In the iris, you see it is the Eye of the Dragon, and you feel the consciousness that is looking at you is the consciousness of the Dragon. Your mind opens, and you receive Draconian pieces of Left Hand Path gnosis. Remember these as they arrive, and when the transmission has been completed, feel your mind separate from the Dragon. Now you can see Shiva seated before you in full lotus position, his third eye open, physical eyes closed, but with a sly smile on the face; the smile of nirvana. Something catches the upper part of the periphery of your vision, and you glance up to see a stark, red dragon in the sky descending from above. It is clear it is coming toward you, and Shiva stays motionless. As it descends, you know that you can ride it, and when it lands, you lock eyes with it, and you become it. When this melding is complete, you feel yourself soar into the air, looking down on the valley at the base of the mountain range below, seeing nothing but memories interwoven with the trees. You feel a sense of detachment, yet at the same time you feel a great intensity rise from within, and that is your own inner Dragon Fire. During a momentary loss of control, you let out a primal scream, and the fire from your breath destroys the forest below, cleansing you of those memories, leaving only piles of ash where once there were emotional connections. Your mind is at peace as you feel a certain sense of energetic cleanliness and detachment wash over you, and you feel more in control of your life than you ever have before. When this

67

sense of purity is at its height, turn your attention to a goal in your life that you want to accomplish and focus on it as a means to peace. When this peaceful state of mind has been replaced by a desire for action, shift your attention back to your temple space, extinguish the candles, and record the visions and experiences in your journal.

INVOCATION OF SHIVA AND SHAKTI This working is slightly different than the other invocations of this book. This time the purpose of the ritual is to invoke not Shiva alone, but in connection with Shakti. In the ritual system of the Temple of Ascending Flame Shiva is connected with Lucifer while Shakti is represented by Lilith. Therefore, we will invoke here Lucifer and Lilith as Shiva and Shakti— consciousness and energy. In the Shiva-Shakti paradigm, Shiva represents consciousness and the masculine principle while Shakti is the feminine principle, the activating power, movement and energy. Together, they form a manifestation of the all-in-one divine consciousness, and only when they unite can action and creation arise. Separately they are unable to be the cause of anything, as energy without consciousness is aimless and disordered, and consciousness without energy is dormant and incapable of creating anything. Symbolically, this union can be represented as a sexual union of Shiva and Shakti—and in our work, Lucifer and Lilith—and depicted as the cosmic dance of Shakti on the lying body of Shiva. The meaning of this is deeper, however. Shiva-Lucifer resides in the crown chakra (Sahasrara), and Shakti-Lilith in the root chakra (Muladhara). Their union is reflected by the flow of the Serpent Force. When the lower (Shakti) unites with the upper (Shiva), knowledge, knower, and the object of knowledge become one. This is a state of absolute freedom and total understanding of all that we are and all that the universe is. Eventually, consciousness in a natural way returns to the center (the heart chakra Anahata), making the Initiate forever connected to the divine or realize the divinity within—if we look at it from the Left Hand Path perspective. Begin this working by meditating for a moment on the sigil of Shiva, at the same time chanting the following mantra of calling: SA TA NA MA This is a mantra often used in Kundalini yoga, expressing the five primal sounds of the universe. “S” is the beginning, infinity, and totality of all. “T” is life, existence and creativity. “N” is death, change, and transformation of consciousness. “M” is rebirth, regeneration, and resurrection. The fifth sound is “A.” As you chant, feel the presence of Shiva-Lucifer and Shakti-Lilith building up in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Shiva, Creator, Organizer, and Destroyer, And Shakti, Primal Force of the Universe, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Shiva-Lucifer, bringer of illumination, Open the eye within and let me see through illusions of the world! Shakti-Lilith, goddess of the inner flame, Arise from the lair of Leviathan and ascend to Throne of Lucifer! Give me clarity, power and freedom!

68

Liberate me from shackles that prevent my progress on the path, And let me rise with you to the heart of infinity! Free me from fear and hesitation, And guide me through the mysteries of life and death! Purify me with your eternal fire, And transform me into a living god! May the lower unite with the higher, The worlds above with the worlds below, And may the world dissolve in your primal ecstasy! Shiva-Lucifer, annihilate illusions and give me clarity and understanding! Shakti-Lilith, arise and free me from what binds me on my way! Focus now on the ascent of the Serpent Force from the root chakra to the third eye and then to the crown of the head. You can visualize it as a sexual union of Shakti and Shiva—Lilith and Lucifer—using the image of Shakti on top of the body of Shiva. You can even combine this meditation with an auto-erotic trance practice—this is up to you. Direct the energy to your crown chakra—feel the total freedom and illumination that is triggered by the ascent of the force. Then direct it to your heart chakra and focus on your inner center, the inner flame—divinity within. Open yourself to any messages, visions, or insights that may come with this experience. Let Lucifer-Shiva and Lilith-Shakti guide you through the meditation and welcome them with an open heart. This working may trigger a lot of thoughts about creation and destruction. Visions experienced here often involve sexual act and absorption of the force released through the working in the form of sexual energy. Some practitioners, especially female, may become Lilith-Shakti themselves and dance on the corpse of Lucifer-Shiva, thus absorbing his essence until he is no more and then become “pregnant” with it and give birth to a new manifestation. This new manifestation can be a vision of yourself or an intent to be made manifest, or in other words—the experience of realizing your own godhood and power. You can also experience visions of being burned and rising from the ashes, dancing in the ecstasy of liberation, being dissolved in a black vortex of force, and other images and insights showing that to embrace the consciousness of Shiva-Shakti, you have to transcend the human nature and all its limitations. Whatever happens, embrace the experience, and when you are ready to finish the ritual, close it with the traditional words: And so it is done!

69

AZAZEL

May you be the firebrand of the furnace of the earth! Go, Azazel, into the untrodden parts of the earth. For your heritage is over those who are with you. — The Apocalypse of Abraham THE story of Azazel is one that is shrouded in shadows and possibilities, so when looking at how he has become what he is, there are a lot of perspectives and points to consider. Beginning with Rabbinical Judaism, the term “Azazel” simply means “the complete removal,” and thus inferred is the complete removal of something. However, in other Judaic traditions and even some Christian ones, the name Azazel is that of a fallen angel. The farthest back he has been traced is to approximately two to three centuries BCE, and is therefore not that old of an entity, when put into context of other deities, but is still one of the older characters in the western tradition. The earliest recorded information about him are the Dead Sea Scrolls, Books of Enoch, and the Old Testament Book of Leviticus. In a lot of ways, these three sources also line up with the above mentioned traditions, but that is neither here nor there; it is simply interesting to note in passing. These three fountainheads provide the following characteristics and correspondences of this being we call Azazel. In the Book of Leviticus, the name is used to mean “the complete removal,” or “cast out,” which would be in line with Rabbinical Judaism. Books of Enoch give more insight into his character, as it is here we learn that he is one of the fallen angels known as the Watchers, and that taught humanity the arts of war and the women about make-up and all manners of enhancements that would be used in seduction. He was also the teacher of witchcraft to humanity, as well as a teacher of the techniques of corruption. It was because of Azazel that people learned corruption, and in doing so, became corrupted. Hence it was Azazel and “his band of merry men,” as someone I know calls them, that brought corruption to we as a species. This also puts Azazel in the same group as Shemyaza discussed earlier, so a lot of the information that was shared there also applies here. Since Azazel taught war and all things related, he is often corresponded to Mars and all things related. However, important and also related is the fact that he is the god of witchcraft, and this is particularly interesting because it has often been said, especially in Aradia, that it is Lucifer that is the god of the witches. Interestingly enough, this opens a door to a modern interpretation to consider, and that is a working group (or an individual’s practice) that would have Azazel and Hecate as the two patron deities of a traditional witchcraft setting and paradigm in the western tradition. Anyway, I digress. Finally, a third piece of the puzzle lies in the apocryphal book Apocalypse of Abraham, in which Azazel is called an unclean bird, so we have further information to incorporate into our mosaic.

70

Another interesting detail is that Azazel was one of three beings that stood against Enoch becoming Metatron, the other two being variations of Shemyaza. This is interesting because the other two fallen angels that stood by Azazel against Enoch becoming Metatron were believed variations of the same entity, which means we can safely assume at one time those two variations of Shemyaza were individual beings, but over time they have become blended into one. This is irrelevant to our work now, but the important take away message is that in this way, Azazel was an adversary to Enoch, and now we begin to see another parallel to Lucifer, that of the adversary. In addition to being the bringer of warfare and seduction, Azazel is also the god of witchcraft and the adversary of Enoch. There is another facet that only gets discussed in conspiracy theorist circles, but it does bear mentioning here because of the popularity it has enjoyed over the last few years, and that is the facet of Azazel that has to do with being one of the leaders of Watchers. In short, there is a lot of information available that makes the claim that Azazel, and all Watchers, are the Nephilim, in that they were the beings that gave us mortality by tinkering with our DNA, and that basically, all of them are responsible for why we are not immortal, perfected, divine beings. Further theories state that the Nephilim, which would include Azazel, are really ETs. I make no claim nor defense as to the authenticity of any of these claims, but rather offer them here for the sake of completeness for understanding this complex being. If you are interested in this, there should be a plethora of source material out there, and it would be wise to start with the work of Zecharia Sitchin and continue to where the information takes you. Regardless of your personal thoughts about this, it is fascinating to consider that a being such as Azazel has such a cosmic significance and especially one that seems to be growing in the last few decades. This definitely tells us he is highly active in the world today, and that only seems to be growing. Let us turn our attention to the connection with Lucifer. By now it should be clear that there are many shared correspondences between the two ranging from the role of the adversary to the one that taught war and seduction to the human race. The most interesting connection as I stated above is the one of witchcraft. Usually witchcraft is something that is associated with Lucifer through Christian concepts, yet this is something that is not talked about a lot in modern times. Liberally you could say that this makes the witchcraft taught by Azazel the forerunner to ceremonial magick of many types. Another subtle correspondence is that of the roles and position within the ranks of the Watchers. This is an important detail because it tells us Lucifer is one of a number of like-minded beings, which means that there are others like him that are out there. We know that Lucifer is unique, but this tells us he is legion, and that he is many. By working with this form of Lucifer, we choose to work with the more martial side of him, focusing on conflict of many kinds, ranging from the conflict brought on with the instruments of war he shared with humanity, to the conflict brought on through seduction and deception. However, we also choose to work with his magical side through witchcraft and/or magick in general. For those looking for this side of Lucifer, they need look no further. For those who choose to focus on the fallen aspect of Lucifer, this is the one for them due to the adversarial nature against the lead angel Metatron. This diversity makes Azazel one of the most potent and interesting sides of Lucifer and makes him one of the most sought-after beings worked with in the western tradition in these times.

AWAKENING THE LORD OF TRANSGRESSION 71

The sigil used in this working represents Azazel as the adversary and the Lord of Transgression. The goat skull stands for his associations with the “scapegoat” and typifies his role of the father of all impurity, iniquity, and sin. The eye in the center of the sigil is the Eye of Lucifer, the center of awareness and awakened consciousness. It is surrounded by three flames, which represents the meeting point between worlds and dimensions, the mystical crossroads through which the fallen angels brought the knowledge and wisdom of the gods to the earth and through which man can ascend to divinity. Fire is also symbolic of passion and sexuality, and in this case it stands for the sexual character of initiation on the path of Azazel. Finally, the sickles remind us that Azazel’s gnosis is not only about sex and passion but also war and battle, and his gift to humanity was the art of both creation and destruction. This purpose of this working is to invoke Azazel as the fallen angel and the Father of Sin, as he is presented in the Books of Enoch. In this sense he resembles Shemyaza, and they are mentioned interchangeably as the leaders of the fallen angels, although they are usually portrayed as companions rather than identified with each other. In this working we will not use the archetype of either of the angels but that of the chief of “the fallen,” the bringer of gnosis and initiator of mankind. For this working you will need the sigil of Azazel and a chalice filled with something that will serve as a sacrament—preferably wine. In the source literature, the “sin” of the angels is associated not only with fornication but also with such “forbidden” pleasures as intoxication, music, dancing, feasting, and so on. You can personalize this working by making it as pleasurable as you wish or you can simply perform it as described. Sit in a comfortable position and put the sigil in front of you or hold it in your hand. Anoint it with your blood and focus all your attention on the image. See how it becomes charged and activated with your life force, and visualize it burning fiercely with black and red flames of the adversary. At the same time chant the following calling: Azazel-Lucifer, Father of Sin, Ignite within me your eternal fire, And burn all weakness and hesitation in my heart! Guide me on the path of sin and transgression, And teach me the ways of the ancients! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Chant the words until you feel that the atmosphere in the temple begins to change and Azazel responds to your calling. Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil and feel the presence of the god behind the gate, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. Then focus on your third eye and envision the Lord of Transgression manifesting in your temple, taking shape from darkness and fire. He may come as a half-man half-jinn with the human upper part of the body and the lower part in the shape of a fiery vortex. He can be a half-man half-serpent with flaming eyes and black wings. You can also see him in his goat form with hairy body and goat horns and legs, resembling a satyr from ancient depictions. Whatever form he takes, let this image build in your mind and make it as vivid as possible.

72

The Sigil of Azazel Drink the sacrament, let your consciousness merge with his, and open yourself to any messages he may have for you. Azazel is an excellent guide in transgressing barriers and inhibitions, and you can use his energy to work with your personal issues. This energy may feel sexual, but while in the case of Shemyaza it is a passionate and sensual experience, Azazel comes with fierce, masculine force, manifesting in a violent and aggressive way, like consuming fire. His gnosis passed down to mankind is that of alchemy and transformation, but also that of war and bloodshed. In this working you may experience both, combined with sexual initiatory force of the Father of Sin, and you have to be willing to take it all. When the meditation is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working with a few personal words.

73

SCAPEGOAT RITE This is extracted from the King James Version of the Bible, and is an extrapolation from an occult perspective. It is intended to be a template to follow for your own personal development and use. Adjust as you feel appropriate, this is simply a baseline to use, and if you use it as it is written, then that works, too. This is taken from Leviticus 16:1-34, and is known as the “Day of Atonement.” When you feel inspired, begin the ritual. To set the mood, light frankincense & myrrh or dragon’s blood incense, and make sure the smoke gets as thick as it can safely get in your temple. Also make sure that the sigil of Azazel is on your altar. Cleanse yourself before the ritual, and dress in appropriate ritual garb, incorporating a sash and turban if possible, but these are optional. Have two offerings at the ready, but what these are, are up to you. The text calls for a bull, a ram, and two goats, but you can look at this as literally or symbolically as is appropriate to you and your path. If you look at this symbolically, an approach could be that the bull corresponds to the astrological sign of Taurus, so any correspondences to Taurus could be used in the ritual. This same line of thinking can be applied to the ram, because Aries is the sign of the ram, as well as the sign of Capricorn, which is the sign of the goat. These offerings should be small enough that you can burn them in a small fire on your altar, by the way, so herbs and the like are encouraged, but feel free to adjust as appropriate. Take the offering of the bull, and remember that according to the text, it represents your sins and stands for atonement, but from our perspective, things are not always as they appear, so let us take a closer look. There truly is no sin as we know, unless you consider going against your personal code a sin. Therefore, when we read between the lines, we see that the offering of the bull is simply the part of the ritual where we purify ourselves. Thus, while you are burning the offering of the bull, feel yourself cleansed and purified with the brightest of unholy fires. Flick some of the ashes onto Azazel’s sigil. Following that is the offering of the two goats, and according to the text, one goat is for the lord, and one for Azazel, depending on your preferred translation. From our perspective, one way to look at this is that one goat is to be sacrificed to our Lord, but remember that Qabalistically, the word for “Lord” in Hebrew is “Adonai,” whose value is 65, and represents our ascended self, so therefore this sacrifice is to our perfected selves. The second goat is a sacrifice to Azazel, but it is not to be burnt, but rather offered to Azazel, so you may want to have a small container on the altar where you can leave the offering for seven days. For each of these offerings feel free to comprise a hymn or chant of your choosing focused on each role. For example, you may want to chant “VOVIN” when sacrificing the first to your perfected self, and “Azazel” for the second, but of course these are merely suggestions, so feel free to adjust accordingly. For each chant, continue with it until you feel the energy in your temple charged sufficiently. For the first offering to your perfected self, flick some of the ashes onto the sigil of Azazel seven flicks. However, for the second offering, sprinkle some of the offering on the sigil seven times. When this is done, assume a balanced, comfortable position, and open yourself to the gnosis of Azazel. Negotiate with him as you choose, then close the ritual and ritual space per your preference. After the seven days, take the offering and project all your inequities into the offering and sprinkle it outside so that it can integrate into the outside world. Remember that this is seven days after the ritual, so whatever you spoke with Azazel about should have occurred by now, whether it was gnosis or something else, so make sure you offer gratitude for what you have

74

received. Then, release the offering to the wind, return to your home and bathe. As you can tell from the ritual, this is an extraction from the passage, and that you can make this a lot more intricate than what I have listed here. This is simply the essence of the rite, but feel free to go through the verses on your own and concoct your own version. This is simply condensed for ease of use.

INVOCATION OF AZAZEL In this ritual Azazel is invoked as Lucifer in his aspect of the adversary and the spirit of rebellion. The purpose of this working is to experience the consciousness of the initiator of the path of isolation—the Way of the Serpent or the Left Hand Path. As the adversary, Azazel personifies all transgression, wickedness, and rebellion as opposed to the laws of God. Therefore, his “kingdom” is believed to be in the wilderness or the desert— the place of ruin and desolation. He walks alone, powerful and independent, destroying everything that stands in his way, and this is also what he teaches to his followers. Begin the ritual in the usual manner—focus for a moment on the sigil of Azazel, at the same time chanting the following mantra of calling: Azazel-Lucifer, spirit of rebellion, Guide me on the path of the adversary! As you chant, feel his fiery energy flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Azazel, the Scapegoat and the Adversary, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! I, (magical name) invoke the spirit of rebellion, Fire that purifies and consumes all, Lord of the majesty of the earth, Initiator of the Left Hand Path! Azazel-Lucifer, come forth from the shadows I call you by fire and blood, darkness and light, pain and pleasure! Come to me, powerful and independent, And awaken within me your eternal fire that shall burn all obstacles on my path! Cloak me in the skin of the serpent, The wolf, and the goat, And lead me to the heart of your desert, to find death and rebirth in desolation and wilderness. Baptize me in the blood of the Serpent, And let me rise from the dead, immortal and awakened! Free me from bonds that enslave me, And make me strong in my will! Lord of the crooked path, teach me the mysteries of witchcraft! Master Alchemist, transform me in the hearth of primal fire! Father of Sin, reveal to me the secret of freedom through transgression! Come to me, Azazel-Lucifer, For I stand at the crossroads of the worlds, Ready to embrace the wisdom of the ancients!

75

Focus now on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Azazel as Lucifer—the adversary and initiator of the Left Hand Path. See his figure forming from the shadows, responding to your calling, and merging with your consciousness, and open yourself to whatever may come. Visualize him as a half-man, half-serpent, with wings and flaming eyes, holding a human skull in his hands. The skull is on fire, representing the erotothanatotic nature of Azazel’s path based on sexuality and mysteries of death and bloodshed. He comes surrounded by fire, darkness, and smoke, and you may wish to use strong incense, such as musk or dragon’s blood, to empower this work. Azazel’s consciousness makes you bold, self-confident, and independent, lusting for knowledge and power, and ready to cross any barrier and tear down any veil that would separate you from attaining your goals. He can endow you with courage to reach for whatever you want, regardless of consequences, and he will prompt you to acts of transgression, overthrowing taboos, and exploring things forbidden. There is nothing you would see as a barrier or limitation under the influence of this consciousness, and it is recommended to be careful while venturing on this path because it can get you into a lot of trouble in your daily life if you stop seeing the boundary between what is permitted and what is forbidden. Azazel will give you enough courage to do whatever you please, but you will have to face the consequences of your actions alone. Whatever way this experience goes, embrace it and open yourself to visions and insights that may come to you in this meditation. When you feel ready to close the working, do it with the traditional words: And so it is done!

76

PAN

Beloved Pan, and all ye other gods who haunt this place, Give me beauty in the inward soul, And may the outward and inward be at one. —Socrates AHHH, classical Pan! One of the oldest pieces of the Luciferian puzzle. While so much has been discussed about this ancient deity, there is still so much that has yet to be discovered. He is known to be a part of the GrecoRoman pantheon, but he is much more ancient than that and ambiguous in his roots. This ancient, misty genesis has led to one of his most popular epitaphs, the “All Father,” long before the term became associated with Odin in another part of the world. He is a half-human male, half-Satyr, a fantastical beast that walks upright like a human, but has hooves on his feet and furry legs. His knees bend backward, and has horns like a goat, with elven-esque ears to boot. He is known to carry a set of vertical woodwind pipes with him, and their notes were the same as the seven planets of the ancients. Thus he is a blend between a goat and a human male. Pan is the god of the wild in all ways, as well as shepherds, flocks, rustic music, fields, groves, glens, fertility, spring and theatrical criticism. In more modern times his character has undergone more scrutiny, which has substantially added to this list, though, and a lot of them make sense because they are based on sound, logical reasoning and extrapolation of his character. Currently, Pan corresponds to all of the above and then some, including chaos, sexuality and a downright source of evil. The chaos and the sexuality make sense because they are extrapolations and philosophical ideas based on traditional correspondences, but the source of evil requires a shift in our discussion. As the church of the Abrahamic faiths rose to power, they demonized deities that belonged to indigenous and pre-existing empires, but in addition to this, they became grafted together into composition deities, such as Typhon onto Set, and this was also the case with Pan. By 1000 CE Pan had been made into the stereotypical devil that the unaware masses know today and had been blended with Satan and the role of the adversary in general. Unwittingly, the church had created their devil, but I digress. This is where the ultimate source of evil I mentioned earlier originates. The correspondence of Pan to the stereotypical devil is a modern convention but, then again, it is true to its roots in that you can see the natural progression and principles behind this correspondence. In a lot of ways, it is a modern day resuscitation of an ancient concept. Nothing I can write here will be revelatory when it comes to the story of Pan for he is currently one of the most popular deities, and therefore a lot of people have written extensively about him, and thus I see no reason to

77

retread a lot of that ground, thus we will shift gears to the here, now, and applicable to our work: Pan as Lucifer. Pan is one of the more interesting facets of Lucifer to work with for many reasons. In a lot of ways, he is the more fun and chaotic side of Luciferian energy. He is fertility, sex, raw, unbridled power. He is chaos personified, yet at the same time he is as gentle as necessary to indulge in the desires of young people. He is music, laughter, joy, and all things related to the gratification of lust. Yet he is also a siren of sorts, inspiring people to pandemics and pandemonium. Based on the cyclical manifestation of these behaviors, you could almost make the logical deduction that Pan is a lunar deity and that to work with him in esoteric ways it would be wise to learn at least the basic cycle of the moon to coordinate your workings. This detail is a stark reminder of how to work with Lucifer and spirits in general, in that the power of the moon can be of great use to us as we execute our rituals. Therefore, to work with Pan in a Luciferian context is to open the gates of primordial chaos and invite this into our lives. However, this can be easily navigated if one remembers to be fun loving and child-like when exploring our individual spiritual paradigms. While Lucifer is the adversary, Pan is an adversary too, but in a much different way. His adversarial nature is more based on the Abrahamic faith than it is anything else, due to the fact that he was demonized by them. Pre-Abrahamic beliefs exalted him as nature and all things mentioned above, whereas the Abrahamic beliefs turned him into the enemy due to his open, creative, and inspiring nature. After we absorb this information, let us turn our attention to one of his barely mentioned correspondences, which is the accessory of the Pan flutes. Legend has it that these are a set of seven pipes bound together, most likely by leather, in descending order and size. He plays them similarly to how someone would play a flute, but the notes correspond to the planets that were known as the seven classical lights in the sky to the ancients. Thus, you could also intuit that if the planets correspond to the pipes, it is Pan that plays the celestial symphony that creates everything. Hence, on a liberal level, it is Pan that causes the planets to dance, and thus more credence is given to Pan as the all father. Pan is our muse, and inspires us to new heights in much the same way that Lucifer does. While Lucifer teaches us sovereignty, Pan teaches us chaos, freedom, madness, and creativity. Both assist us in achieving our ultimate goal of autonomy, though, but each approach is radically different. If we find ourselves becoming too serious all of the time with Lucifer, we can work with Pan to lighten the mood. If things become too intense with Lucifer, Pan may be the necessary remedy. If things have become too crystallized or structured by working with Lucifer, you can bring the chaos of change into your life that is necessary and conducive to growth. It is only through chaos that a seed breaks the ground. It is only through chaos that life begins, and it is only through chaos that we get a more intimate relationship with Lucifer. Pan is the wild card, Pan is the force of nature, and he is the master of the unexpected. When you choose to work with him, you are offering your stability up in exchange for forbidden gnosis, yet at the same time, the speeding up of your spiritual growth in ways out of your control, so choose wisely, but remember that if you do not make the choice, one will be made for you. After all, he is the all father.

AWAKENING THE HORNED ONE The sigil used in this working combines the attributes of Pan as a horned god and Luciferian archetype. The horns stand for the wild and raw energy that is characteristic of his current while the irregular shape corresponds to his hairy body, which is a symbol of his virility and fertility of the earth. The eye in the triangle represents the Eye of Lucifer, the center of awakened

78

awareness. The triangle points down, showing that we are dealing here with the force of the earth, chthonic energy and power. This is confirmed by the kteis-shaped opening at the bottom of the sigil, which refers both to sexuality as one of the primal powers of Pan and to his bisexual nature. The whole sigil is a gateway to the current of Pan as Lucifer—the Horned God and the Lord of the Woods, and the purpose of this working is to awaken this current within the practitioner’s consciousness by meditating on the symbolism of the Horned One. Prepare the sigil and place it between two candles representing the horns of Pan-Lucifer. As usual, anoint it with your blood and focus all your attention on the image. At the same time chant the following calling: Pan-Lucifer, Horned One, Arise from the woods and come forth from the wilderness! Ignite my will, passion, and desire, And show me what is hidden in the depths of my soul! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Send the intent of the ritual through the sigil. Watch and feel how it becomes charged and activated with your life force, and visualize it glowing and pulsating with wild fire. See how the vibrant red and orange colors flicker, dance, and illuminate your temple, casting shadows around you, which morph and assume the shape of horned creatures. Feel the presence of the Horned One in your ritual space, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. Feel your third eye open and pierce barriers between the physical world and the Other Side. And finally, close your eyes and visualize the sigil within your inner sight. At first, it is only an image, but then it morphs into the Horned One himself. He usually comes with goat’s horns and legs, long ears, and a hair-covered body, but he may also appear in a human form, dressed in the skin of a goat. Focus this meditation on his symbolism and its meaning. His horns represent virility and power. In ancient times, horns were an attribute of warriors and in some cultures, they were placed on helmets. They were also a common attribute of gods and emblem of divinity. The most significant meaning of the horns, however, is that of a phallic, masculine energy and strength. They represent the vital force and the primal, bestial instincts within man, especially if they are in a spiral shape, which corresponds to the concept of Kundalini, the vital force of creation and evolution. On the other hand, horns are also symbolic of the feminine—abundance, fertility and maternity, which particularly refers to the horns of a cow or she-goat. Goats were among the first domesticated animals and they were often used in ceremonies and celebrations ensuring the fertility of nature. This dual symbolism of the horns implies the bisexual character of the Horned One— phallic and penetrating from the outside and empty and receptive on the inside. In this sense, the horn is a lingam, the symbol of sexuality, the union of male and female, the fertile force of nature. The animal shape and character of the Horned One denotes the wild, untamed instincts, while his human parts show that the bestial aspect is an integral part of the human nature. This image of the half-human half-bestial creature is a symbol of man and the universe. The upper part corresponds to the upper world—the realm of the spirit and high aspirations (the highest chakra, Sahasrara, the spiritual plane) while the lower part of the Horned One’s body corresponds to the lower world, the domain of instincts and urges, the most basic needs and impulses (the lowest chakra, Muladhara, the earthly plane). Finally, his horns are the emblem of transformation of the earthly energy and instincts for the sake of spiritual progress.

79

The Sigil of Pan Meditate on this symbolism and let your consciousness merge with that of the Horned One. When you feel ready to finish the meditation, return to your mundane consciousness, thank Pan for his presence and close the working with a few personal words.

TO DANCE WITH PAN Begin by setting up your temple as per your preference, which includes your preferred style of opening the temple. Raising your inner Dragon Fire would be wise to do as well before you start the working. To help the connection, make sure the sigil of Pan is on your altar. Any sort of incense

80

that corresponds to earth would be good to use, and examples are patchouli, musk, cedar, or sage. If you use candles, use brown, black or dark green ones. Feel free to add as many natural elements to your altar as you choose, and feel free to incorporate any statues or images of Pan as well. If you choose to use music, choose music that is Mediterranean in flavor, or flutes, but if you can, use music that is actually called Pan Pipes or Pan Flute music. Also have a chalice with a sacrament in it on the altar. It does not matter what the sacrament is as long as it affects your consciousness in some way. When you are sufficiently comfortable with your altar and sacred space, begin chanting “Io, Pan!” However, while chanting, move and dance around the chamber as you see fit and comfortable with. This is meant to begin to shift your consciousness into an ecstatic state. Continue chanting and dancing while listening to music until you are energized yet physically tired. When you feel it is time, assume a seated comfortable position in front of your altar and feel your heart pounding in your chest. Cease chanting, and visualize that you are standing in front of a cave. You can smell the faint scent of sulfur in the air lingering from its opening, beckoning you to enter, which you do in confidence, magically equipped as appropriate. You intuitively know this is an entrance to the underworld. You begin a gradual descent into the cave. While the ground is slightly slick, it is easily navigable. Your eyes quickly adjust to the dark, and you find you are more able to see than you initially thought. After a few minutes of walking and descending, you come to a small natural chamber. There are black candles built into small alcoves in the wall, and the lighting increases to a reasonable amount. You can now see that this ground has been tread a lot over the years, and you see everything from foot prints to sandals and more modern shoes as well. In a small hollowed out corner of the cave you see a large, life size statue of Pan. It is very detailed, yet at the same time it feels very raw and primal. Upon closer inspection, you see that it has been meticulously carved out of the surrounding clay of the cave. Take a moment to study the statue as it is. As you do this, you notice that there is enough moisture in the cave to add your own sculpting onto the statue, and after you have studied the statue feel free to add your own features to it. As you begin to sculpt and mold the statue, you find yourself falling into a trance, and a shape-shifting of sorts occurs. You begin to lose yourself in your work and subconsciously fall into the rhythm of hands on clay. Putting your mark on the statue becomes therapeutic, cathartic, and enlightening, as you begin to feel gnosis flowing from Pan into your mind. Each manipulation of the clay heightens sensations associated with all things related to Pan, and the rhythm of manipulating the clay, body flowing in tune with the strokes, and the climate itself creates an atmosphere of raw passion being brought in line with your will and vision. Take a few moments to visualize what features you add to the statue, and if possible, feel free to write notes on this or even draw your vision of the statue as it comes to you. Passionately you throw yourself into your art for the final hurrah, and you notice the sound of drums that have been playing in the background, lost to your conscious mind while you were focusing on the statue. As you come to the final few strokes, you hear the drums build to a crescendo, and as you put the final touches on the statue, the drums immediately cease, and quickly, almost violently, you are thrown back into your normal waking consciousness, once again in a silent, dimly lit cave, with a strangely vibrant, almost glowing, statue of Pan in front of you. There seems to be a sly smile on Pan’s face, which prompts you to take a few moments to focus on the statue. The gnosis from earlier continues, but with more emphasis on practical applications rather than theoretical understanding. After this communion has run its course, you stand and begin to exit the cave. After a few moments, you find yourself back where you started at the mouth of the cave. Extinguish the candles, close the temple as per your choice, and record your impressions in your journal.

81

INVOCATION OF PAN In this working we will invoke Pan as Lucifer in his aspect of the Lord of the Woods—the principle of lust and passion, energy in its raw form, chaos and frenzy. This aspect corresponds to the mask of Lucifer that is known as the God of Witchcraft and explored more thoroughly in Rites of Lucifer. The Lord of the Woods stands for all that is untamed, wild, and unbridled. In ancient times he presided over wild celebrations with music, singing, and ecstatic dancing, leading the participants into the woods with his wild cries and night fires. He was related to Priapus, the god of fertility and sexual powers, Silenus, the lord of the forest, and Faunus, patron of shepherds and woodlands. In medieval folklore, he led witches to the Sabbat and participated in licentious orgies and rites of blasphemy. In the modern times, he inspires black masses and prompts his Initiates to seek freedom through transgression. He is both bright and dark in his essence: AllBegetter (Pangenitor), and All-Devourer (Pamphagos). His attributes—the horns, the hairy body, and the erected phallus—represent fertility, untamed sexual energy, urge, and sexual impulses, savageness and lewdness that is found in the universe and is a part of the human nature as well. He wanders through the land, jumps over rocks, lurks in the woods, and takes what he wants and when he wants it. His lifestyle is the expression of freedom without any rules or boundaries, expressing unbridled indulgence in all joys that life has to offer. His woods are the realm of the irrational, magic, and instincts—intuition, life, and vitality. Begin the ritual by focusing for a while on the sigil of Pan and chanting the following mantra of calling: Pan-Lucifer, Lord of the Woods, Fill my heart with passion and my loins with fire! As you chant, feel his raw, dynamic energy flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Pan, Lord of the Woods, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Lord of lust, goat-footed Pan! Lord of the dance! God of the woods! Come forth to me! Come from forest glades with dancing nymphs! Descend from peaks of mountains and shrouded hills! Lead me into your wild kingdom, where I will join your celebration with savage beasts, maenads, fauns, and satyrs! Guide me with the sound of your syrinx, the sweet and low melody of delight, through bright meadows and dark woods! Io Pan! Silent One! Awaken from your noontide sleep and breathe life into nature awaiting you in solemn silence! Fill my dreams with your ecstatic and passionate visions! Delight my heart with laughter that echoes deep in the woods, the voice

82

that whispers sweet secrets into the ears of your followers, the scream of ecstasy in your wild rites! Io Pan! Lord of the Hunt! Fill me with the thrill of chase! Take me to high hills and the heart of the woods, where I will join the nymphs in their untamed and orgiastic passage! Show me how to return to the source of my being! Let me drink your wine of frenzy! Enflame me in your divine fury! And let me taste your communion of insanity and rapture! Io Pan! All Devourer! All Begetter! Play your song of life! Give me the power to destroy and create, the essence of life and death! Let me die in your arms and arise as a newborn child of chaos! Enter my heart and intoxicate me with your bestial lust and joyful innocence! Horned God of the Woods! Reveal to me the mystery of lust and liberty, life and love, death and rebirth! Io Pan! Forgotten One! Take me to the depths of my soul, into the heart of darkness! Guide me on the lost path of the ancients! Show me your nocturnal kingdom, where wild beasts await your command! Lead me into the night and let me gaze into the infinite! Io Pan! Focus on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Pan as Lucifer—the Lord of Wild Nature, the principle of lust and life, sexuality, energy in movement. Envision his essence surrounding you and rising within you, and open yourself to whatever may come. See his figure forming in front of you and responding to your calling. You can visualize him as a horned being with the hairy body and flaming eyes, or you can simply let the vision unfold freely. His consciousness manifests as unbridled movement and force. This may take the form of an influx of creative energy that will prompt you to various forms of self-expression, providing inspiration in all possible ways. You can also feel this energy as a sexual force, increasing your libido and inspiring your sex drive. This inspiration can be focused on the area of magic as well, and you can feel an urge to perform and create rituals, especially in connection to nature, i.e. go out and work outdoors, meditate in places of power and crossing points of the Dragon Lines, perform rites at night at desolate locations, etc. In other words, this is a powerful vital force that will provide energy and inspiration in many areas of life and magic. When you feel ready to finish the working, close it with the traditional words: And so it is done!

83

JANUS

Everything in the world has two sides: good and bad, past and future, day and night. We must embrace both to be complete. —An old proverb THE role of Janus as a Luciferian archetype is not as obvious as some of the other gods and spirits that have been presented earlier in this book. This connection becomes clear only if we look at Lucifer as the Lord of Ascending Flame and the Lord of the Throne of Thaumiel. These masks can be explored while working with the Tree of Qliphoth, and more information about them is presented in books such as Rites of Lucifer, Qliphothic Meditations, and Qliphothic Invocations & Evocations. If you are familiar with these manifestations of the god, you may find it easier to connect with this aspect of the Lucifer archetype in a practical way, but it is not absolutely necessary, and everything will be explained here as well. Janus as a god is derived from ancient Roman religion and mythology. He was one of the earliest gods of Rome, depicted as a two-faced god, with one body and two faces looking at opposite directions. These directions usually represented the past and the future, as Janus was the lord of beginnings and endings, time and transitions, gates and doorways. It is believed that his sacred month was January, the month marking the beginning of a new year and the ending of the old one, and he was also believed to rule over the first day of each month. He was the gatekeeper, depicted with a key (or two keys) and a staff, the watcher over entrances and exits, the ruler of the internal and the external world, and the mediator between all opposites—left and right, above and below, before and after, etc. He ruled the birth of gods and the universe, presided over marriages and other beginnings, initiated the planting time and the beginning of the harvest. In other words, he represented change and transition from one condition to the other, himself being neither and standing in the center as the mediator of all. As a twofaced god, he was called Janus Geminus or Janus Bifrons, but he also had a form in which he was depicted with four faces and called Janus Quadrifrons. How does it apply to Lucifer? The vision of Lucifer as a two-faced god is revealed during the work with the Lord of Thaumiel, the final realm on the Tree of Qliphoth. Thaumiel is the dark counterpart to Kether, the Crown, and its name is translated as “The Twin God.” The ruling forces of this realm are Satan and Moloch, revealed to the Initiate on the path of the Qliphoth as two aspects or “faces” of the Lord of Thaumiel: the Adversary (Satan) and the King (Moloch). In this interpretation, one “face” looks to the past and the path this far—the path of the manifest world—while the other looks to the future, the path into the Void. This form of Lucifer can be seen as symbolic of changes and transitions, gateways and journeys through worlds and dimensions, and initiatory rites of passage of which the initiation of Thaumiel is the final and the first at the same time as it does not end the

84

path, but opens the way to a new beginning. The Twin God in this sense teaches us that the path is the goal in itself, containing limitless possibilities of growth and countless worlds to create and destroy, discover and explore. Another meaning of the two faces of Janus is that they represent the divine twins, of which one is male and the other female, thus forming the divine androgyne, in which the masculine and feminine energies and qualities are in perfect balance. In Roman mythology those twins were Apollo, the sun god, and Diana (Jana), the goddess of the moon. At this point we should observe that in rites of witchcraft, Diana, the goddess of the lunar mysteries was sometimes paired with Lucifer as her consort and the force providing the solar balance to the universe (e.g. in Aradia, or the Gospel of the Witches). But the meaning of the male and female element in the Luciferian archetype is much more complex. We have already worked with Lilith as Lucifer’s consort and female counterpart, and this work will be taken to the next level in this chapter as we will look at them as the Lord and Lady of Ascending Flame, referring to the mysteries of Thaumiel and the Twin God. In this interpretation, the Ascending Flame is understood as a desire of transcendence that exists within every human being as a potential of evolution and is ignited by Lilith at the beginning of the path. It is the Lady of Ascending Flame that seduces the Initiate, luring us from light into the darkness of the Nightside and enflaming passion, lust, and hunger for knowledge and power that drive us in our work, thus preventing us from becoming stagnant on the path. Lucifer as the Lord of Ascending Flame presides over this process, empowering and elevating the Initiate through his fiery Pillar of Ascent, providing the initiatory model of a powerful and independent archetype, and thus inspiring us to transcend our barriers and limitations and to seek godhood within through successive rites of passage on the path—therefore he is also the lord of change and transition, corresponding to Janus in his primary role. However, while working with the Lord of Thaumiel, the two-faced god reveals a completely new manifestation—that of the three-headed dark initiator. In this form his third face, the central one, comes to being through the union of conjoined energies of the masculine and the feminine currents of Lilith and Lucifer. Like Janus and Jana, who represent the male and the female aspects of the divine androgyne, Lilith and Lucifer symbolize the psychic energies within the Initiate that are purified, transformed and empowered through the ordeals of the path. In the realm of Thaumiel they become joined through the “mystical marriage” (hieros gamos), giving rise to the third face, which is that of the Hooded Lord—it is invisible and represents the crowning of the path, the androgynous level of consciousness where the Initiate has transformed oneself into a god in completion of the process of self-deification. This true face of the Lord of Thaumiel looks not at the past or the future, but at the present, representing the mastery of the triple time and the triple universe (here we arrive at the symbolism of the trident), thus being the Lord of Eternity, the beginning and the end—not subjected to time, but the prime mover of all things, himself remaining immobile, the center that is everywhere. This mystical center is the Eye of the Dragon, representing the sense of eternity. Its gaze has the power to reduce everything to nothingness and destroy all manifestation, purify, and transform. This is also the true face of Janus, who teaches us to live out of time and yet in it, transforming everything and transgressing all limitations.

AWAKENING THE KEEPER OF THE GATES The sigil used in the workings stands for Janus as Lucifer, embracing the Draconian symbolism of the Lord of Eternity. The crossed keys represent the

85

role of Janus as the Keeper of the Gates on the path while the trident shape of the keys typifies the connection to Lucifer. The staff is symbolic of the pillar of ascent on the path of Janus-Lucifer. His dual nature is represented in the sigil by two snakes facing opposite directions, corresponding to the two heads of Janus and the two aspects of Lucifer as the Lord of Thaumiel. The Eye of the Dragon, typifying the center of awakened consciousness, is crowned, which stands for the highest level of consciousness in which the Initiate becomes an awakened master of oneself and one’s own destiny. Finally, the crown is in the form of the triple flame, which corresponds to the trident symbolism and the threefold mystery of Thaumiel. The purpose of this working is to invoke Janus as the lord of gateways, transitions and rites of passage. He closes certain doors and opens another, but always shows that the path is not linear, but cyclic, showing you connections between your past actions, your present life, and things to come. For this working you only need the sigil of the god provided in this chapter. When it is prepared, stand or sit in a comfortable position and place it in front of you. Anoint it with your blood and gaze into it while chanting the following calling: Janus-Lucifer, Keeper of the Gates, Show me the past and show me the future! Fill me with your wisdom of things to come, And teach me how close the doors and how to open them, How to transcend my barriers and rise to the Throne of Eternity! I call you by the blood of the Dragon And in the name of the Dragon! Ho Drakon Ho Megas! Chant the words until you feel that the atmosphere in the temple begins to change and Janus responds to your calling. See the sigil shining in front of you, illuminating the darkness of the room with beautiful golden light flickering in the air. Inhale this golden energy, and at the same time visualize that the room around you fades away and you are alone in the blackness of the Void. Then visualize that you are surrounded by many doors, gates and portals. They may take you to your past or show you the future—what you were, what you are, and what you may become. Ask Janus-Lucifer to guide you through these doorways, showing you what you need to see and what you should be aware of. The god usually comes in this work as a being with two heads, usually a man with a golden skin, holding two keys in the shape of tridents. He can help you if you are embarking on a new journey in life or starting a new project or if you are about to face certain changes and transitions in your life. He may also help you deal with the past, e.g. break with bad or harmful habits, get rid of the baggage that is dragging you down, relationships that are holding you back, or negative thoughts and self-doubt that prevent you from reaching your goals. He is also a god of prophecy and you may call him for divination and prophetic dreams. His consciousness often transforms you into a two-headed being yourself, which is experienced as seeing two sides of everything and at the same time going beyond this form of perception and transcending dualities. Whatever happens, let him speak to you through your inner mind and open yourself for his messages, visions, and other insights that may come to you through this work.

86

The Sigil of Janus Meditate on the concept of duality within the universe that is composed of polarities (day and night, dark and light, male and female, etc.), and think about dualities in your life—what they are and how they affect your perception of the surrounding world. Ask the two-faced god to reveal what you need to know. When the meditation is over, return to your mundane consciousness and close the working with a few personal words. Pay attention to all insights and thoughts that may come in this meditation and manifestations of this gnosis in your daily life on the following day or days.

THE DIVINE ANDROGYNE 87

The idea of two becoming one or giving rise to a third element is a recurring motif in rites of Janus. Here we will approach it as a merging of Janus and Jana, which in our work is the merging of Lucifer and Lilith. The purpose of this working is to experience the union of these two forms of consciousness merged into one, forming a powerful archetype of an omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent being, transcending all dualities and rising to godhood. Take a few deep breaths to relax and clear your mind, and visualize yourself standing before a large door in the middle of black space. There is nothing around you, only the blackness of the Void. The door has the sigil of Janus inscribed on it—two trident keys with serpents entwined around them and the eye crowned with the triple flame of the Draconian current. The sigil is glowing with golden light. Build this image in your mind, at the same time chanting the following mantra: Janus and Jana—Lucifer and Lilith—let me ascend to the Throne of Eternity! You can chant the calling mentally or aloud—do what feels more natural. As you chant, visualize that the door opens before you, and in the golden light you can see the figures of the Lord and Lady of Ascending Flame manifesting as two shapes merging into one. You can visualize them in their human form or as serpents or dragons—do not force anything, though, and let the vision crystalize in a natural way. Then step into this light and let your consciousness merge with the consciousness of the divine androgyne. You can envision this current as made of opposing but complementing each other elements—male and female, creation and destruction, cold and warm, darkness and light, etc., together forming a whole. As they blend together and merge with your consciousness, a third element comes to being—that of balance and tranquility. You can envision this third face of Janus/Jana (Lucifer/Lilith) as a hooded figure which is only a shell awaiting to be filled with your consciousness. Project yourself into this vessel and visualize yourself in the triple form—as three merged into one—providing balance to all polarities and dualities in the universe and within yourself. You are now the center of the Void and the axis of the universe—the pillar of ascent in itself. This is a feeling of being omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent—the feeling of existing beyond all: time, space, and everything that is a part of the manifest world. This union of opposites can manifest both through visions and personal insights. You may see two flames merging into one, completely different than the other two. You may also see the god himself showing up in two forms or with two heads or faces—one male and the other female. Sometimes he has one eye existing on both heads simultaneously. This often leads to observations about dualities in your life, seeing them as a choice that you impose on yourself, thus putting limitations to your individual freedom. However, you may also have other Luciferian insights, either about freedom or the desire to transcend certain personal barriers, and often these are both. Equally strong is the urge to transcend the perception of the world as made of dualities—male and female, lunar and solar, dark and bright, day and night, healthy and sick, ugly and beautiful, etc. This is usually a liberating feeling, accompanied by the idea of complete acceptance of all they are, which is an important step in achieving inner wholeness—when two things unite, they are forever changed, and what arises from this union is something completely new. Explore this feeling for as long as you wish, and when the vision is over, return to your temple, thank Janus/Lucifer and Jana/Lilith for their presence, and close the working.

INVOCATION OF JANUS 88

In this working we will invoke Janus as Lucifer in his aspect of the Lord of Eternity—he who holds the keys to the gates of the Void and rules over the rites of passage on the path of the Nightside. These workings with JanusLucifer, the Lord of Eternity, conclude the whole book, marking the end of one stage in your work and the beginning of new possibilities, new projects, and new directions to pursue. Think about it, and think how your personal path has been affected by the work with the gods and spirits explored in the workings of this book. Meditate on the gates that were closed and those that are now opening before you, presenting you with new opportunities. Ask the Lord of Eternity to guide you through changes and transitions that have been initiated in your life and on your spiritual path. Begin the ritual in the usual manner—focus for a while on the sigil of Janus and chant the following mantra of calling: Janus-Lucifer, Lord of Eternity, Guide me through the gates of the Nightside to the heart of the Void! As you chant, feel his energy flowing through the sigil and his presence in the temple, awaiting invitation to enter your consciousness. When you feel ready, begin the invocation. With the ritual blade draw the symbol of the trident in the air. Envision it burning with red and golden flames of Lucifer, then say: With the Flaming Trident I open the Gates to the Void And I invoke Janus, the Lord of Eternity, To come to my temple and manifest! In the name of the Dragon, Ho Drakon Ho Megas! All hail to the great god Janus, master of the gate! Through your gate we enter the kingdom of Lucifer. By your unholy grace do we leave time behind, and through your sight we see beyond the veil. I bare myself to you this eve so that you carry me beyond the known, into the fiery kingdom of Lucifer, and into the manse of the Void. I summon you to this temple tonight, and I throw myself upon the crossroads of the gate. By your light may I find my way into the macabre kingdom of the Nightside. Through our union may I be illuminated and wise. May you fill my mind with your vision, and may my body be your temple for this work. Through our soul stirring ritual may I find illumination and clarity. Guide me on my path of ascent, and throw open the forbidden gates! May you guide my path, and through you I find my way in the darkest night. Janus, I call you, Janus, I call you, Janus, I call you! Rend the veil! Reveal the hidden, and make clear my way! Janus, keeper of the key, I invoke thee, I invoke thee! Repeat the last line as many times as necessary, becoming more confident each time. Then focus on your third eye. Feel how it opens and receives the vision of Janus as Lucifer—the two-headed god, whose third head/face comes into being through this invocation—and this third aspect is symbolic of you as the Initiate on the path of the Dragon. Envision his essence surrounding you and rising within you, and open yourself to whatever visions or insights may come to you in this meditation. This working may reveal a lot of energy coming from Lucifer as the Lord of Thaumiel, manifesting as golden light or fire, and powering up your “ascending flame.” You may also have visions of keys of all kinds, not only “keys” in the normal understanding of this word, but also certain things,

89

people, actions, etc., becoming “keys” to pathways and doors in your life, or even ideas, beliefs, and certain spiritual concepts. The motif of opening and closing doors and pathways is another common experience in this work. These are usually personal things with not many revelations about the current itself, but rather focusing on your individual issues and personal goals and desires. These visions are about sacrificing things in your life for the sake of a new beginning or releasing yourself from bonds and attachments. The motif of liberation is very strong here, and it takes the form of either freeing yourself from a certain environment or letting go of people, spirits, or gods, and moving forward—in life, on your magical path, or in pursuit of your goals and aspirations. It is very likely that you will experience such transitions in your daily life, and it will happen either during the work with the Lord of Eternity or shortly after. When you feel ready to end the meditation, return to your normal consciousness, and close the working with the traditional words: And so it is done!

90

AUTHORS ASENATH Mason is a writer and artist. Author of books and essays on esoteric, religious and mythological subjects, with a particular focus on the Left Hand Path philosophy, Luciferian Spirituality and Draconian Tradition. Active practitioner of Occult Arts. Founder and coordinator of the Temple of Ascending Flame. Author of The Book of Mephisto: A Modern Grimoire of the Faustian Tradition (2006), Necronomicon Gnosis: A Practical Introduction (2007), Sol Tenebrarum: The Occult Study of Melancholy (2011), The Grimoire of Tiamat (2013), Liber Thagirion (2014), Draconian Ritual Book (2016), Qliphothic Meditations (2016), Qliphothic Invocations & Evocations (2017), Rituals of Pleasure (2018), co-author of Chants of Belial (2016, in collaboration with Edgar Kerval), Dream Gates & Astral Paths (2019, also with Edgar Kerval), and Awakening Lucifer (2017, with Bill Duvendack), and co-author and editor of a number of anthologies and occult magazines. She is also a varied artist, working with digital media, and themes of her artwork include various gothic, fantasy and esoteric concepts. Contact: facebook.com/asenathmason.official Art: asenathmason.darkfolio.com Services: becomealivinggod.com/asenathmason

BILL Duvendack is a lifelong practitioner and student of the western mysteries, as well as being an internationally known astrologer; specifically, an esoteric astrologer, medium, presenter, psychic, teacher, clairvoyant, and author. With 13 years of teaching experience, Bill brings practical applications of metaphysical teachings. He is an ordained priest and bishop in Thelema who can provide ceremonies of any faith and type in accord with one’s beliefs. He is initiated in the Golden Dawn tradition, the Deboran tradition of witchcraft, and is ordained through the EGNU. Additionally, he is the high priest of the Temple of Ascending Flame. When it comes to astrology, he is a lifetime member and President of the Astrological Association of St Louis, where he lectures frequently. He has also written articles for many local papers, and has a monthly blog and free electronic newsletter on his website. He writes monthly horoscopes for the metaphysical resource center Pathways where he teaches classes on astrology and the western esoteric tradition, meets with clients, and gives divination readings. His monthly Sun sign horoscopes are also available on his website. Regarding the Western Esoteric Mystery Tradition, he has been working with that system for 31 years and has much experience with its teachings. He is an internationally published author of six books written about different aspects of the western tradition: “Vocal Magick” and “Spirit Relations” were published through Immanion Press, “In the Shadow of the Watchtower, Enochian Grimoire Volume 1,” and “Dark Fruit, Enochian Grimoire Volume 2” were released through Sirius Limited Esoterica, as was “Sat En Anpu,” a book of Anubis. “The Metaphysics of Magick” and “Astrology in Theory & Practice” were self-published, and “Awakening Lucifer,” co-written with Asenath Mason, was published through Become a Living God. He also has over a dozen essays published in various anthologies from a variety of publishers, and many of his magical writings have been translated into six

91

different languages. Many new essays are on the horizon, as are new book projects as well. Website & Contact: www.418ascendant.com

92

TEMPLE OF ASCENDING FLAME TEMPLE of Ascending Flame is a platform for individuals around the world who want to share certain aspects of their work within the Draconian Gnosis with other adepts of the path and for those who simply need guidance into Draconian initiatory magic. It is both for newcomers who make their first steps on the Path of the Dragon and for experienced individuals who wish to progress on the Left Hand Path. We are not a “magical order.” We do not charge fees for membership and our work is not based on any hierarchies. There are no restrictions on participation in our open projects, and in our inner work we welcome all who are capable of receiving and channeling the gnosis of the Dragon. More information: ascendingflame.com Contact: [email protected] and spirits and make them allies on your path, and providing practical tips on how to design, organize and develop your individual work. www.becomealivinggod.com/asenathmason

93

Table of Contents Title Page Anima Lucifer Methods of Work The Trident Prometheus Melek Taus Attar Shemyaza Samael Lucifuge Rofocale Shiva Azazel Pan Janus Authors Temple of Ascending Flame

94

Table of Contents Title Page Anima Lucifer Methods of Work The Trident Prometheus Melek Taus Attar Shemyaza Samael Lucifuge Rofocale Shiva Azazel Pan Janus Authors Temple of Ascending Flame

1 3 5 7 9 20 27 33 40 48 62 70 77 84 91 93

95