Novena of Saint Cyprian 2018 Day 1: Invocation of Archangel Gabriel

by Frater S.C.F.V.

Last night, on Monday, September 17, 2018, I completed the first day of my Novena—a nine-day series of rituals and prayers–culminating, on the 10th Day, in Saint Cyprian’s Feast Day on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.

I began by writing out my petition of intention for the Novena:

I then anointed it with saliva in the Sign of the Cross, and placed within it some locks of my hair to link it to me sympathetically.

I folded and taped the petition to the bottom of the Novena candle and fixed the candle with Saint Cyprian oil, cinnamon, and all-spice and then dressed it downwards, pulling additional oil down towards the petition so that not only the candle itself, but also the glass was anointed with my intention.

Next, I formally lit the Novena candle on the Altar after making offerings of Frankincense, Church wafer, and water to Saint Cyprian and formally inaugurating the Novena as dedicated to him and intending to formally welcome him as my Patron. Thereafter, I prayed over the Novena candle, recited Psalms over it, prayed with Saint Cyprian, performed the Daily Exorcism of the Order of Saint Cyprian in its presence, and used a prayer from the Heptameron to invoke the Archangel Gabriel to empower it to manifest in the direction of the petition.

I felt a sense of holy vastness after invoking Gabriel. His presence felt ancient, mysterious, and overwhelmingly powerful and wise beyond human comprehension. After I asked Gabriel for guidance, I gazed into the scrying Crystal placed before Cyprian’s statue and heard a deep, peaceful, powerful voice speak into my mind from what felt like above me, saying:

“Trust in God and do not despair.”

Then the candle before me began to grow bright and dim in noticeable waves. Comfort, love, and gratitude dawned within as Gabriel’s presence intensified. Hail to you, dear Archangel of Monday and of the Day of the Moon!

Throughout the ritual, I felt a great sense of sacredness, peace, and Divine presence. I had recently been researching different kinds of Crucifixes to use in an upcoming amethyst rosary for dedicated use with Cyprian, but was unable to decide between them. When I was removing the rosary I had asked Cyprian to charge for me in the meanwhile while I waited for my amethyst beads to arrive in the mail, to my surprise, the rosary chain snapped in half!

The message from the Trickster Cyprian seemed to be “just use the Crucifix on this rosary!” This was fine with me as it had already been Solomonically exorcised, blessed with Holy Water, suffumigated, and anointed with Saint Cyprian oil as well as consecrated through use.

Praise God, and thank you for your guidance, dear Saint Cyprian! Please pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen!

Update: After completing my ritual session, I received an email informing me that I had formally been accepted into the Novitiate of the Order of Saint Cyprian of Antioch. Alleluia!