3.4 Ritual Magick

      A proper Occult effort requires the individual to become familiar with a wide variety of archetypal forms on an experiential basis. The best way to satisfy this requirement is through invocation and evocation rituals. Invocation is the process by which the individual identifies himself closely enough with a particular archetypal form such that his conscious ego becomes temporarily cognate with that of the archetypal form. Evocation is the process by which the individual concentrates on perceiving the identity of an archetypal form and observing it in much the same manner as an ornithologist would study the red headed woodpecker.

      Suppose an individual wished to invoke or evoke Thoth, the Egyptian God of Knowledge. A strenuous effort exerted over a period of probably at least several months would be required. Not only must all of the various correspondences in nature which are attributable to this God be studied, meditated upon, and worked with artistically by the development of talismans, the ritual itself must be constructed. There are extant rituals for the invocation and evocation of Thoth, but these are only a starting point from which an individual can begin to develop a ritual particularly suited to his own personality.

      In order to provide an example of an Occult ritual, a few excerpts from the ritual for the evocation unto visible appearance of the great Spirit Taphthartharath given in Crowley's "Equinox", Vol. 1, No. 3 will be given. Taphthartharath is the spirit of the planet Mercury. The total content of the ritual comprises 35 pages of very technical mythological and Qabalistic symbolism. Here then are the excerpts:

      Excerpt 1: "In the name of God let there be light. Unto the void a restriction."

      Excerpt 2: "The Magical figures of Mercury are to be drawn in yellow-orange chalk upon the ground as shown. At the quarter where the Spirit is to appear is drawn a triangle within a circle. At its points are to be placed three vessels burning on charcoal the incense of Mercury. About the circle are disposed lamps burning olive oil impregnated with snake-fat." This excerpt is an instruction and is not part of the words to be spoken in the performance of the ritual.

      Excerpt 3: "Majesty of the Godhead, Wisdom-crowned Thoth, Lord of the Gates of the Universe: Thee! Thee! Thee I invoke! Thou, who holdest in Thy hand the Magick wand of Double Power: Thee, Thee I invoke! Thou who bearest in Thy left hand the Rose and Cross of Light and Life: Thee, Thee I invoke! Thou whose head is of green, whose Nemyss is of night sky - blue; whose skin is of flaming orange, as though it burned in a furnace: Thee, thee I invoke!"

      "Behold, I am Yesterday, Today, and the brother of the Morrow! For I am born again and again. Mine is the unseen force which created the Gods, and giveth life unto the dwellers in the watch-towers of the Universe..."

      Excerpt 4: "Come forth, come forth, come forth! Taphthartharath! In the name of IAHDONHI: I invoke Thee: Appear! Appear! Taphthartharath!"

      Excerpt 5: (From the Great Invocation of Amoun which is a part of the Evocation ritual for Taphthartharath). "Hail unto Thee, Lord of Mercy! Hail, I say, unto Thee, the Father of the Gods! O Thou, whose golden plumes stream up the sky in floods of light divine!"

      Prior to the execution of this ritual numerous talismans are prepared. The symbols which must appear on these talismans are taken from such references as "The Key of Solomon the King" translated and edited from manuscripts in the British Museum by S. Liddell MacGregor Mathers.

      As was mentioned previously, and as Crowley constantly emphasizes in "Magick In Theory and Practice", it is necessary for each individual to construct his own rituals, and any existing rituals should only be used as examples from which ideas can be extracted.