Summoning the Solomonic Archangels I

Herewith, some entries from the magical journal for these workings:

The First...

7th March 2019

Using the Rudd Nine Celestial Keys, I called forth Sachiel in the day and hour of ♃.

Also used this in combination with the Deeply Theta entrainment track (10 mins). This was used in the scrying spaces in-between callings.

After the original conjuration/invocation there was a sudden inner image of amethyst tinged clouds; looking up I saw a triangular window open up and a ray of light shone downwards through the clouds. An angelic figure appeared sometimes in the mode of the Temperance angel in RWS pack and then holding a sword. I thought this was just the RWS image intruding but it became fleshy and moved in a strong breeze. His eyes were closed. The impression was quite strong. Then I saw in the stone shapes moving like someone riding a horse at full gallop, then a gazelle running fast. These were phantom-like and indistinct.

After the 1st recitation post conjuration, the imagery faded as did the feeling of opening up and I had to make a continual effort to reach ‘heaven-ward’. 

After the second recitation I returned to the amethyst clouds and realised why those soapy New Age images are styled the way they are.

The light shone onto the stone and once more the figure returned holding a light which he offered to me and I reached out and accepted it. Next the light was in my heart centre.

After this an hour had elapsed and decided to call it a day; so welcomed the angels in an approximate ad-libbed formula and then asked all to return to their own places, thanks them and asked them to complete any further knowledge, wisdom etc. over the next two days (as above).

Closed with Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be.

And the Second...

22nd March 2019

Invocation of the 7th Key, Anael, angel of ♀︎ in the day and hour of the same.

Following the invocation, I had the impression of a Winged Egyptian Scarab and there was a connection with the phases of the planet ♀︎. I am unaware of any such connection so will do some research on this.

I also saw a golden sandal topped with a rose on an angel’s foot; for the 1st repetition.  

The 2nd repetition the scarab appeared again and this time opened his wing casings and beat his wings as if to fly off.

The Deeply Theta is quite conducive to the working because it has an ethereal sound and nature. There is a depth and sense of the imaginal as its own reality. It’s difficult to say exactly but it is a series of experienced images that feels more than the usual mental stream. There is a connection of some sort.

Scarabs were a very popular form of amulet from the Middle Kingdom onwards. Associated with the rising sun and the god Khephri. He was regenerative in his associations, which may be why he could be associated with ♀︎ too. He is also associated later on with the ‘Heart’. He was a popular choice to be laid over the heart in mummy wrappings and was used advocate on the deceased’s behalf in the Hall of Judgement. The spells from the Book of the Dead were spoken to the amulet who was then wrapped up with the mummy for burial. His association with the underworld may be because he traverses two worlds, upper and lower.

So, this may be a form of the angel Anael, or one of his angels, who rises up and is reborn, who can traverse two worlds and maybe transmit spells to the otherworld - a messenger!

There Must Be An Angel...

My route into angel magic was via grimoire magic. In particular through the Runesoup premium member's course on grimoiric magic. Grimoires appear to be experiencing a revival at the moment going by the number of blogs on the experiences of magicians using this form of magic.

Part of the 'plugging it into the wall' tech involves regular planetary prayers to the angels of the day. Gordon White suggested those from the Hygromanteia; but I opted in the end for those given in The Goetia of Dr Rudd which ritually enact the 7 day creation myth from Genesis.

The angels associated with the days are as follows:

1st day Sunday - Michael
2nd day Monday - Gabriel
3rd day Tuesday - Samael
4th day Wednesday - Raphael
5th day Thursday - Sachiel
6th day Friday Friday - Anael
7th day Saturday - Cassiel/Caphriel

As I also use these daily angelic conjurations for my sigil magic which is planetary based, and following on from something I saw in the RS forums decided to go full-on angel magic for a while.

The obvious choice was to stick with the Dr Thomas Rudd angelic magicians group whose working manuscripts have been published a couple of times, the one I use is by Stephen Skinner & David Rankine as part of the Golden Hoard series of Keys to Ceremonial magic.

The angelic launch sequence couldn't be simpler. There is no circle, wand, ring, etc. What we have are a series of prayers and conjurations, one primary and one to recite as follow up. However do not be deceived! It's important to remember that these manuals were used by working magicians who would already have a basic launch tech so it would not necessarily be included in the instructions.  An indication of this are the angelic seals, of which there are two given for each angel from two different manuscripts, so presumably only one is used (either, or). No instructions are given as to how these seals form part of the working so one's own experience has to dictate. From the grimoire tradition spirit seals are generally placed in the triangle of art where the spirit is to appear. If scrying then the crystal is placed on top of the seal. So this is the method I use for this work.

There is a prayer to be said before any angelic conjuration. This gives the basic cosmology, which is the Cabalistic Tree of Life.  We have nine angelic keys and one for the angelic choir. This latter one is associated with Malkuth. Thus we also have the seven planets taking us up to Binah (Saturn), the last two are without planetary association (pre-Herschel) which takes us up to the angel 'Methraton' for Kether.

Dr Thomas Rudd and his group were also experimenting with Dr John Dee's system of angelic magic, now referred to as 'Enochian'. I think they based these planetary angel workings on Dee's method of calling.

I use one of the angel seals that uses material that I'm familiar with from Adam McLean's 'Magical Calendar' book. These have the familiar hermetic seals for each angel that are used in several grimoires of that period.

Basically, this is a scrying working, to summon the angel or one of his minions to appear in a crystal or stone. I place my scrying stone on the seal, either burn frankincense or anoint myself with its essential oil. My preliminary work is a recitation of the 'Our Father' and 'Hail Mary' and calling on St Cyprian of Antioch to oversee the working. Then as follows:

• The general prayer is recited to set up the angelic hierarchy.  
• The first long conjuration of the angel is recited.
• First 10 minute scrying session (I use entrainment .mp3 soundtrack).
• 1st recitation of the shorter conjuration.
• Second 10 minute scrying session.
• 2nd recitation of the shorter conjuration.
• Third scrying session.

The whole of the above takes about one hour. 

The long conjuration alone takes about 20 minutes. I find it more effective to chant this in a sing-song voice rather than just to recite it. The punctuation is all commas and no full stops. capitalised letters are used mid-sentence but add to the punctuation for breathing. All this gives a rhythm to it which is just as well because it is very repetitive. By the end of 20 minutes I'm experiencing a light trance, which is just what is needed for the scrying. The entrainment track also helps deepen the ASC.

I generally experience various sequences of visual images that appear in quick succession, but usually one becomes settled. I'm not a great scryer and my active imaginations are 'piss-poor' to be blunt. However there is a certain quality to scrying images which marks them out from the usual mental chatter.

My experiences tend to be visual rather than aural though I have had voices speak before. 

So far I have used this to call for four angelic visions, and would recommend this work for those who want to try scrying because it is so simple to perform from the comfort of your armchair.

Unlike grimoiric workings there is no particular request to make for these workings. The conjurations tend to just ask for wisdom and 'sapience' for the magician. My experience is that the results come in the form of altered perceptions (angelic perceptions?). The symbolism given tends to lead to a desire to research and make connections to create a narrative that then gives the lines or threads that weave together to form the angel. At least this is how I'm perceiving my own experiences so far. 

I'll post up some extracts from my magical journal and also the researched elements that interweave to form the narrative 'body' of the angel in my own understanding.

So what's all this for?

Essentially a deepening relationship, as GW likes to put it "getting their attention". As stated above I use angelic forms for sigil magic and could also use it for prayer work generally. So it isn't that I'm asking to win the lottery when the angel appears rather to establish a place in the spirit ecology network, I'm sort of handing out my business card and asking for theirs too.

Tarot Reading - March question

Having joined the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI), following my tarot reader's course with Suzanne Corbie,  I'm all up for getting plenty of practice in.

Each month the TABI forum posts up a monthly question for peeps to give readings. This is the one for March...

I'm looking at a complete change of career, I have a couple options, can the cards guide me as to which path would be best for me

The pack is the Rider Waite Smith pack, probably the best known one for newbies. Pamela Colman Smith teamed up with Golden Dawn's Arthur Edward Waite to produce perhaps the most copied tarot design in the world. The Marseilles pack may be older and Sola Busca may be the 'bad boy' of Tarot but RWS has provided the most inspiration.

The spread is one I've taken from a playing card fortune telling book I picked up in a 2nd hand book shop some years ago. This one is attributed to 'Sepharial' otherwise known as Dr Walter Gorn Old, yes, that is his real name (now we know why he used Sepharial), a 19th century astrologer and one time editor of Old Moore's Almanac.

The spread takes the form of an astrological chart, houses 1-12 with five extra cards laid out in cross formation in the centre. The card in the centre (V Swords in this spread), is the significator. The general idea is to read the appropriate house(s) for the answer to the question.

The significator is the 'cut and run' card, which is flanked, to the left, by IX Wands and Ace Swords on the other side. Reading across from past to present it looks like the querent has had some serious battles on his/her hands and has decided enough is enough. The Ace card is a new beginning and is indicative of the new decision. The fact that the question is about a radical change of direction is supported by this card. the IX Cups is the pleasure card and points to the need of the querent for work to be rewarding and not just for money. The Hierophant card may indicate that some of the problems may be to do with relationships with those in authority. If this is so then one option may be to work for him/herself.

Looking to the houses we have XIII Death and III Cups in the 1st House, the house of self, well-being, health and mental health.  I think this signifies that the querent is going through a period of radical transition, literally the ending of abundance. A rupture of relations, finding him/herself alone coming to the realisation that things are irreparably going to have to change.

The 2nd House is about finances, here we have IV Pentacles and XIX The Sun. The card of consolidation of wealth with opportunity for growth. From the question it is not clear what the options the querent is looking at but if it involves retraining or reinvesting into a new company or project then these cards are giving the green light for this.  The 10th House is about career and long term goals and here we have III The Empress, a card ruled by Venus. Venus rules fertility, sex, beauty, hospitality, music and the arts. If one of the options refers to anything along those lines then the 10th House is well aspected for a career  in the service sector dedicated to wellbeing, beauty and entertainment. This card is accompanied by IV Swords, depicting rest from a period of strife. Given the strife indicated in the other parts of this chart there is a healing process that is necessary for the querent and this may mean that a career in therapy or complementary healing may be of benefit for both the querent and her/his clients too.

There are other aspects but they do not relate directly to this question so will leave this reading here.