Wand and Table

In my previous post I mentioned that I am going to practice the system of evocation given in Rufus Opus' book "A Modern Angelic Grimoire", which is based on Trithemius' book/essay "The Art of Drawing Spirits Into Crystals".  I mentioned that I had been working on making two of the main tools for the system: the Wand and the Table of Practice.  Since then I have finished both of the tools!

The Table of Practice, pictured here, was for me a very amateur effort at woodcarving.  I think in the near future, I will go back and rework it a bit.  For example, I'd like to stain the wood, re-color the lines and characters, etc.  For now, though, it is just fine for my needs.  In my previous post I stated that I did a bad job on this, but looking at it objectively, it's alright...especially considering that I had never done woodcarving before.

The wand took a bit longer to make, due to the necessary handling of the inscription and the gold coloring.  I used liquid gold leaf to color it in.  After all was said and done, I added several coats of gloss lacquer.  But overall, it is my favorite between the two tools.  The only tool left that I didn't already have and have not already made is the lamen, but it will be made on a working-by-working basis at first.

Now for the reason I'm making these tools and working with this system...

What's It For?

Having immersed myself back into practical magic, and having focused on that to the exclusion of magic for spiritual advancement, I began to miss the Theurgic part of magical practice.  Don't get me wrong: my goal in magic is to help improve my life.  I'm not into secret chiefs, nor astral battles and all these struggles for the collective unconscious of mankind...no.  However, I can't help but wonder if the practical work I do already would be even better if I sought the heights of spirit as well.  I have an urge to explore that part further now that I have a new focus and direction...almost as if my Angel itself is calling me.  Hehe In Soviet Russia, HGA calls you!

In Rufus Opus' system, I see a very solid method of doing the Great Work.  He teaches to summon the angels of the Planetary Spheres, asking them to grant initiation and integration of the planet's power into one's own personal sphere.  If the Great Work is unification with God (which encompasses all things), then what better way than to call upon the very forces that form the building blocks of reality and align oneself with them?

Although I have yet to experience the system, so far I'm convinced that it beats the hell out of initiation into some group by a flawed human being.  I'd rather gain initiation from the Powers themselves.

With that said, I already know how I am going to work through this.  To begin with, I am going to go through each of the Planetary Spheres, gaining initiation and integration of them into my sphere, in a specific order.  I am going to start with the Moon, then move through Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, ending with Saturn.  After making that trip "up" the Ladder of Lights, I might go back "down" through Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, the Moon, ending with Saturn again.

I might not do the trip back "down", but either way I will then begin my efforts toward attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of my Holy Guardian Angel (K&C/HGA).  Having obtained Solar initiation, I will regularly conjure my Genius and ask it to facilitate the K&C.  Apart from that, once a week I will perform the Invocation of the Headless One.

And apart from that last bit, I'm going to do it all with the system found in "A Modern Angelic Grimoire"!

I may also include the four elements in the initiation/integration sequence...I'm not sure yet.  As I'm not enrolled in the Black Work course (can't afford it), I have guesswork and the advice of the spirits to rely on.  But, I'm also going to check out Agrippa and Trithemius in the meantime.

In an upcoming post, I'll bring things back to a practical level by detailing a job interview success spell I did recently...and the lesson in strategy I learned because of it!