Divination with St. Cyprian – Insights on the Shadow and First Pentacle of the Sun

By Frater SC.F.V.

Date: November 24, 2018
Sun Phase: Set
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous (206 degrees) in 28 degrees Gemini
Mansion of the Moon: Dhira
Planetary Day: Day of Saturn
Planetary Hour: Hours of Mars and the Sun
Activities: Solomonic Ritual Purification by Water; Solomonic Bell Sounding to the Spirits of the Quarters; Offerings to the Most High and Saint Cyprian; Prayers; Rune Divination with St. Cyprian; Temple Closing 

Today, the Moon is in the 7th Mansion of Al-Dhira, a time when it is auspicious to seek and strengthen friendships and give and receive assistance.  About this Mansion, the Picatrix (11th century) says:

“The seventh Mansion is Aldira, and it for the acquisition of all good [things]. When the Moon has come around to this Mansion, fashion a seal of silver, and sculpt the image of a man clothed in robes and with his hands extended to heaven after manner of a man who is praying and supplicating [the gods]; in the breast [of this image] write the name of the lord of this Mansion. Cense it with all things which have sweet odors, and say: You, Siely, cause such and such to happen, and fulfill my petition. Ask [of it] whatever you wish from among all the good things. Carry this seal with you, and you will receive all you ask for. And know that Selehe is the name of the lord of this Mansion.”

Agrippa adds the following in the Three Books of Occult Philosophy (16th century): 

“Aldimiach or Alarzach: arm of Gemini. 17°08’34″ Gemini. Brings money and friendship, profits lovers, disperses flies, destroys teaching authorities. To obtain every good thing. A man well clothed, holding his hands up to heaven as it were praying and supplicating.”

Therefore, it seemed to me that today was a fitting day for divination, both on a question that has been on my mind lately and to ask a question of Saint Cyprian from a friend as a way of building that friendship and assisting a friend in the spirit of Al-Dhira. 

I began by purifying myself with ritual bathing. Then I donned my scapular of Saint Cyprian white Solomonic robe, Stole, and placed my Cyprianic Rosary around my neck. I sounded the Solomonic Bell of Art three times before entering the Circle, as per the Hygromanteia, then sounded the Bell to each of the full Quarters, as per the Key of Solomon, saying “I greet and bless the Spirits of the (direction) with great love and respect in the name of Adonai!” I continued greeting the Spirits of the Above and Below and all other directions. As I did this, I began to see ‘sparks’ of light flickering around the Circle, suggesting the presence of Spirits. I formally opened the Temple in the name of YHVH. 

I then unwrapped my Solomonic Wand from its white covering and began preliminary prayers. I lit four large candles in each of the Four Directions as offerings to the Most High. I then made offerings of a chocolate and banana muffin to Cyprian as well as a purple lavender candle, a stick of incense, and a glass of fresh Spring water. Earlier today, I gave the bread offerings from last week to the local spirits of the land and local animals and the remaining bit of water from Cyprian’s offering from last week to our house plant.

I also felt a sense of warm presence in the room, which was very pleasant. I addressed the Spirits in each direction in term, pausing to ask if any of them would like to introduce themselves, and offering each blessings, respect, and friendship. No Spirit took me up on my offer today–sometimes they do and sometimes they do not–but I invited any Spirits presence in each direction to partake of the Candles lit in each of the Four Directions in a spirit of peace. 

Out of the corner of an eye, I saw a spot of light drift up a wall. Then a black tablecloth spontaneously fell off of a chair over which it had been draped outside the Circle. I invited the Spirit who had moved it to engage in conversation, but it did not wish to, so I did not press the matter.

I then said some additional prayers and sat down and gazed into my Crystal while chanting Saint Cyprian’s name and inviting him to be present and to speak with me. 

I greeted him and continued to gaze into the Crystal as Cyprian sometimes opts to communicate with me through it. Today, however, he gave me a nudge to close my eyes, so I did. 

Immediately, I saw the good Saint wander out of what appeared to be a black mist appearing on my closed eyelids, holding his golden Crozier, and stand “before me.” 

I greeted him once more and he greeted me back in his warm and knowing voice. I asked him if he could offer any insights on how to best go about integrating darker aspects of our Shadow that emerge in the course of meditation and spiritual work.

His answer came immediately and was very interesting:

“As we begin to move beyond the identification with the familiar and to open up some inner space where there was once only total immersion in unconscious patterns, it is normal for shadows to arise.  These shadow fragments of unintegrated Selfhood are naturally drawn into the light of awareness and Divine presence. Here, they can at last be seen instead of looked from. 

As these previously fragmented and splintered off shadow aspects of ourselves and programs begin to well up within us, they carry a fascinating power. If we are not careful, we risk being possessed or taken over by them. A splintered off aspect of us that lusts for power, for instance, may itself seize control over us, inspire us to focus on it and identify with it, and then further dissociate into it carrying us off completely on a course of action it stipulates. Do not confuse this with integration; it is not. It is simply another form of disintegration and dissociation. It inspires a dream-like state of acting out its drive or program, totally automatically and unconsciously. In time, we awaken from such a state and wonder what happened while we were carried off in its waking dream. Be wary to fall into this trap.”

I asked Saint Cyprian how we avoid falling into so tempting a trap and he said:

“Consciously remain dispassionately aware of the shadow aspects as they arise. Notice them. Note them. Acknowledge them. Greet them. But then let them be. Remain detached and equanimitous towards them. As we slowly make the unconscious conscious and meet it fully without allowing ourselves to be taken over by it or to identify with it, it will become integrated on its own. Instead of having power over us, it will give us back the power that splintered off into it as a fragment. This is authentic integration.“

I asked Cyprian if he could offer some more specific insight into some specific Shadow content I was experiencing. He said simply:

“Cast three Runes. The first will be of the Past, the second the Present, and the third the likely Future.”

I obliged and cast the three Runes on his Altar. They came out as the following:

Divination with Saint Cyprian. 
From left to right: Uruz, Thurisaz, and Wunjo.

The Past Rune was Uruz, the Rune of Strength, the giant Aurochs. The meaning was that I had once found strength, virility, and a sense of manhood through a splintered off sense of lust for both power and sexual conquest. Uruz encompasses the raw, wild power of freedom, precisely the state I felt when I allowed myself to be “possessed” by this powerful Shadow drive.  However, I did not always wield this power with responsibility and sometimes, the result was misery for myself and others.

As a result, I seem to have pushed down this aspect of myself, disidentifying with it because of the danger and mischief it risked inviting into my life. Recently, it arose back into my consciousness with a vengeance as a deep yearning with a dark amoral tone, only this time, it was, as Saint Cyprian said, seen rather than looked from. The challenge was to acknowledge and allow it to be without being swept away by it as I had been in my youth.

The present Rune was Thurisaz, the Rune of Chaos, Evil, and Temptation, the Thorn, the Giants fought by Thor with his hammer Mjölnir. This is a warn about resisting temptations, especially ones that offer rewards through dishonesty and trickery. Fittingly enough, it represents the raw forces of the human psyche from anger to lust, which can give us power or alternately overpower us. The meaning is clear: as this Shadow aspect arises, it beckons me into the unbridled pleasure-seeking that once led me astray; it promises reward, but threatens to unleash the chaos of Pandora’s Box into the stable clearing of beauty and order I had constructed in my life. The advice of the Rune is in harmony with Cyprian’s advice: notice, acknowledge, but be not led away. Possession by old patterns only provides the illusion of integration; not true integration itself.

The final Rune, the Rune of the Future, was very encouragingly, Wunjo, the Rune of Joy. Interestingly enough, Wunjo looks just like Thurisaz, except that the point of the Thorn has shifted up to resemble a Flag. If I can integrate this Shadow rather than being possessed by and swept away by it, the promise is joy, happiness, light, and a satisfaction deeper than mere impulse gratification, with roots far deeper than superficial urge-fulfillment. Wunjo contains the sense of things going well due to harmonizing ourselves with Life, much like the Sephirah of Tipharet on the Tree of Life. The message is to strive for harmony, balance, and the kind of honesty and truth that set us free from the convenient lies that can bind us. 

From left to right: Uruz, Thurisaz, and Wunjo.

I thanked Saint Cyprian kindly for these wise insights and asked if I could ask him a question on behalf of my friend Chijioke, namely, if he could share anything about the nature and uses of First Pentacle of the Sun from the Key of Solomon. 

Again, the inner prompting to close my eyes came, and I again saw Saint Cyprian standing before me. Immediately, he began to speak saying:

“The First Pentacle of the Sun draws forth the Solar virtues. It is best consecrated when the Sun is in the sky and left on the Altar in view of the Sun. It bestows confidence, even a radiant glow upon the one who holds it, which attracts and fascinates. It can lighten the spirit and bestow joy and even glory. Beware, however, for this Pentacle can bring out arrogance and pride in those who have tendencies towards such qualities. It depicts the face of mighty Metatron; know that whenever you gaze upon the face of Metatron, he also gazes upon you. Be mindful that you use not his countenance for evil; instead, live in a worthy way that you might be found worthy when gazed upon.”

Once again, I thanked Saint Cyprian for this wise instruction and asked him if he had any final insights he would like to offer. He said quite simply:

“Yes. Forgive my servant N, with whom you recently quarreled. He meant well. You, like him, have your own faults. Hold no grievances against him. Forgive and walk your own way, putting your disagreement behind you, and allow him to do the same.”

I said I would and thanked him for this advice. His ghostly form smiled,  nodded, and then vanished into the black mist from whence he had emerged. 

I stood back up and used my Solomonic Bell to give the License to Depart to Spirits in the Four Directions and in the Above and Below, blessing them as they left, before formally closing the Temple.

Crafting a Cyprianic Rosary

By Frater S. C. F. V.

Today is a very special Day of the Sun, which also happens to be the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church, a day on which we pray for and commemorate all of the Martyrs who died for their faith throughout history, including Saint Cyprian, Saint Justina, and Saint Theocistus.

On this auspicious day, I finished a new hand-made devotional rosary to Saint Cyprian of Antioch for use in prayer and work with him as well as to be worn around my neck or wrist during Solomonic grimoire work.

This very unorthodox and untraditional rosary / circlet features:

• Purple beads symbolizing Saint Cyprian, Bishophood, regalness, and the Sephirah of Yesod and the Moon, magic, and divination.
• Three small transparent crystal balls to symbolize the Trinity, Triangle of Manifestation, Supernal Triad and Scrying Crystal.
• Silver Cinquefoil roses suggesting the Divine Love of Mary, Venus, and the Fivefold Elemental Pentagram of which there are a total of 12 to allude to the 12 Apostles, 12 Tribes of Israel, and 12 Zodiac Signs as well as the gematric values of “loved” (חבב), “One” (חד), and “want / desire” (אוה).

• A red, white, and golden image of Cyprian that was custom-coloured and printed on a pure silver medallion.
• Six-pointed silver spacers symbolizing the Solomonic Hexagram, of which there are a total of 16 or 1+6=7 to allude to the 7 Planets and due to 16 being the gematric values of אודה (ode/praise), and אזוב (ezob – hyssop),

and

• A gold Crucifix that hung around my Saint Cyprian statue’s neck on his Altar for weeks, including during his recent Novena, and was charged during recent Archangelic Invocation work.

The entire rosary will be exorcised, Solomonically consecrated, sprinkled, suffumigated, anointed with Holy Oil and blessed, then charged on Cyprian’s Altar with Offerings. Finally, it will be consecrated by Mass following the method described in my cryptoconsecratio article.

From Theory to Practice: Some Intended Uses of the Cyprianic Rosary

My intended uses of this rosary are to me as diverse and integrative as my own magical history of initiation through different traditions and communities. Interestingly, the design of this rosary was not derived from the Christian tradition at all.  On the contrary, it is an homage to the Naqshbandi Sufi Order, from whom I learned both the practice of dhikr, or remembrance of the Divine, and how to make prayer beads in the Sufi style.  My Sufi brothers and sisters taught me how to make tasbih (Muslim-style prayer bead circlets) in three sections of 33 beads totaling 99 and representing the 99 Names of Allah and that is the design I maintained here.

I am planning to use this rosary / mala / tasbih circlet, for it is at once a bit of each of these in both intended use and design, in a number of ways. First, I will use it in the Muslim style, cycling through one Divine Name per bead in dhikr (remembrance) practice; I intend to use it in such ways with both the 99 Names of Allah and also with Jewish Divine Names from the Qabalah and grimoires. Whether with Jewish or Islamic names, I proceed through the three traditional dhikr stages from verbal recitations to heart and tongue recitation in harmony to the nondual absorption stage of La ilaha ill’Allah, in which there is no reality except God.

Second, I will use it for Christian style rosary practices with one bead per prayer as in the Catholic system and in the OSC Cyprianic chaplet system, even though it does not strictly resemble the standard Cyprianic chaplet.  In this use, it serves as an anchor for bhaktic devotion within the Christian mystical modality.

Third, I will use it in mantra work as taught by my Guru as a quasi-mala using the mantra I received in shaktipat diksha (energetic transmission / initiation) from my Teacher.

In this triad of devotional usages, the circlet will symbolically unite my Christian, Muslim, and bhakti yogic roots and serves as a practical nexus for all three.

Fourth, I will wear it talismanically, both apotropaically / protectively and as as a way of bringing myself into greater sympathetic harmony with Saint Cyprian in my work with him as well as with the Archangels with whom I have used the Crucifix on this rosary in the past.

Fifth, I have some ideas for how this rosary could be used as a kind of tabletop divination circlet in the style of Dr. Al Cummins’ “Circling Ways in Geomancy.”

Sixth, I will use it in candle magic and Christian “rosary magic” in the style of authors like Agostino Taumaturgo, Jean-Louis de Biasi, and Bishop Tau Michael Bertiaux.

Seventh and finally for now, when not ritually or votively employing it, I will place it around the neck of Saint Cyprian on his Altar as a rough analogy to the votive gesture of placing Hindu beaded garlands around statues in Vedic puja ceremonies as practiced by my Guru.

Hail to you Holy Saint Cyprian of Antioch, Mage, Martyr, and Mystic! ☦ Theurge, Thaumaturge, and Theophoros! ☦ Sage, Sorcerer, and Saint! ☦ Together with Saint Justina and Saint Theocistus, pray for us now and at the hour of our death, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen! ☦

Flames that Warm and Destroy: Reflections on “Required” versus “Wise” in Work with the Grimoires

By Frater S.C.F.V.

I read a quote today by Gordon Winterfield, author of Demons of Magick who claimed that none of the tools of grimoiric magic that many of us have devoted so much time, love, and energy to creating are “required” to work with goetic spirits. If you’ve read any of my articles researching the meticulous traditions surrounding the making of some of these tools and sharing my approaches to crafting them, you could probably imagine my facial expression upon reading this statement… 😉

However, since I attempt to be a charitable listener, I will willingly concede to Gordon that yes, technically, none of the classical equipment is “required” to complete a successful evocation, with ‘successful’ meaning that “the spirit showed up when called.”

Here’s the thing, though; this “success” can come at the price of danger, risk, and chaotic and unpredictable results from evocations done without the proper precautions and tools.

If those results end up giving us the opposite of what we did the magic to achieve in the first place, that can hardly be called “successful” in any practical sense. And if we, our possessions, or people we care about come to harm as a result of the Operation, that could arguably be considered an egregious failure. As a rather striking example, I know of a magician who didn’t use any of the tools and did a ritual with a particular spirit from the Lemegeton’s Goetia in which he asked the spirit to relieve his worries about his home. He got what he asked for; the spirit relieved his worries — by burning his house down!

Moreover, if we attempt to exercise control and technical precision around using specific techniques to produce specific results, omitting the tools the spirits themselves often call for can be extremely counterproductive, inexact, and generate self-defeating results. Just as a good scientist would not omit controls for potentially confounding variables when running an experiment, so, the grimoire authors suggest, should we also be wary to omit the controls provided by the tools of the Art when performing our own Operations.

Here’s the thing that many of us “traditionalists” have been trying to point out to modern magicians with strong biases against using the classical tools of the Art: just because something is not “required” to complete an activity does not mean that it is wise to omit it. For example, technically, a car can be driven without brakes; therefore, brakes are not required to drive a car. However, it is extremely unwise and dangerous to drive a car without brakes. The same argument holds just as strongly for the evocationary technologies that we find in the grimoires such as the Circle, triangle, daggers, sword, incense and censor, candles, etc. Yes, an evocation can be completed without them, but with much greater risk involved.

Furthermore, if we do evocationary work without the proper tools and precautions, then what tends to happen is that either the spirits do not turn up at all or they do arrive, but we find ourselves without any means of means of protecting ourselves or resisting whatever they have in mind for us when they do. To cite just a few examples of adverse results I have either seen firsthand or heard about from friends with years of experience with the Lemegeton’s Goetia, people who have done evocations without the grimoiric precautions have sometimes gotten physically or mentally ill, been physically attacked (e.g. slapped, thrown to the floor, scratched, or bruised), had damage done to their family members or possessions, or been outright possessed or subtly manipulated into particular forms of obsession.  These spirits are powerful beings with many other spirits under their authority; they are no joke and should not be taken lightly.

This is all the more the case since some goetic entities are notorious for being deceptive, manipulative, unpredictable, and destructive when given the opportunity, reason, or motivation to act accordingly. As a result, great precautions are far wiser than not having any at all. I see the spirits in much the same way that I see fire. Fire can be very helpful or very destructive; its effects depend on the precautions we take when we work with it. Rightly used, fire can warm our house; used wrongly, it can burn that same house to the ground. Therefore, just as it is wise to take precautions with fire, so it is wise to take precautions when working with certain kinds of spirits.

Cover Image: Key of Solomon Sword by the talented Omega Artworks.

Prayers, Psalms, Qur’an Recitation, Scrying, and Centering Prayer with Saint Cyprian

By Frater S.C.F.V.

Date: November 4, 2018
Sun Phase: Set, Showers Nearby
Moon Phase: Waning Crescent, 326 degrees, in 8 degrees Libra
Mansion of the Moon: Al-Ghafr
Planetary Day: Day of the Sun
Planetary Hour: Hours of Saturn and Jupiter
Activities: Ritual Purification by ‘Wudu; Preliminary Prayers; Solomonic Bell Sounding to the Spirits of the Quarters; Offerings to God and Saint Cyprian; Exorcism of Sunday from Cyprian Orisons; 

Today, the Waning Moon is in Al-Ghafr, about which the Picatrix has the following to say:

“The fifteenth Mansion is Algafra, and it is for the acquisition of friendship and all good things that may be desired. When the Moon has passed into this Mansion, fashion from ink [and parchment] the figure of a seated man, holding scrolls in his hand as if they had been collected together . Cense it with frankincense and nutmeg and say: You, Achalich, do such and such for me, and make things comply with my wishes. You may ask him for the joining together of friends and lovers, and anything which pertains to them, and this image should then be carried with you. And know that Achalich is the name of the lord of this Mansion.”

I opted to use this time to build my “friendship” with Saint Cyprian and with Al-Batin (The Hidden), one of the 99 Names of God in the Islamic mystical tradition.

I began by purifying myself ritually using the Islamic ‘Wudu or ritual washing formula. Then I put on my white Solomonic robe, Stole, and consecrated Crucifix. I sounded the Solomonic Bell of Art three times before entering the Circle, as per the Hygromanteia, then sounded the Bell to each of the full Quarters, as per the Key of Solomon, saying “I greet and bless the Spirits of the (direction) with great love and respect in the name of Adonai!” I continued greeting the Spirits of the Above and Below and all other directions. As I did this, I began to see ‘sparks’ of light flickering around the Circle, suggesting the presence of Spirits.

I then unwrapped my Solomonic Wand from its white covering and began preliminary prayers from the Cyprian Orisons. I then lit a large candle as an offering to God, then made offerings of Host cuttings to Cyprian as well as a purple lavender candle and a glass of fresh Spring water. Earlier today, I did a libation of red wine from Cyprian’s wine offering from last week and gave the wafer offerings from last week to the local spirits of the land and local animals.

I then proceeded to recite Psalms 25 and 26, which were very moving. Then I performed the Exorcism of Sunday from the Cyprian Orisons, using my Solomonic Wand to trace the Crosses over myself and to the directions. This produced a strong feeling of purification, lightening, and feeling centered in presence and power.

Thereafter, I began to recite a series of Surahs (Chapters of the Qur’an) in Arabic. These included Al-Fatiha (The Opening), Al-Adiyat (the Coursers), al-Ikhlas (the Unity), an-Nasr (the Help), al-Quraysh (the Tribe of Quraysh), al-Qautar (the Abundance of Good), and finally, the longer al-Jinn (the Jinn). The recitations were clear and resonant today and produced a remarkable sense of stillness in the room, as well as a feeling of Divine presence and awe.

Thereafter, I greeted Cyprian and thanked him for his presence and aid. I asked him if the offerings were acceptable to him. The crucifix hanging around his neck immediately began to sway on its own as Cyprian often makes it do to communicate “yes” in my work with him. I then knelt down before his Altar, blessing him and thanking him for his friendship and Patronage. I then invited him to offer any message he felt I might need to hear or wisdom that he thought could be helpful to me by any means he wished (e.g. crystallomancy, pyromancy, closed-eye scrying, etc.). I began by staring into the candle flame offered unto him as a gift of friendship and devotion and it began to glow brighter. I then felt an intuitive nudge to gaze into the Crystal, which I proceeded to do.

At once, within the Crystal, I saw a black-robed figure with a skull’s head, much similar to the classical Grim Reaper figure from Scandinavian and Lithuanian lore. I got an intuitive nudge to close my eyes and immediately saw the robed figure of Cyprian walking toward me. He blessed me with the Sign of the Cross and then spoke these cryptic words into my mind:

“Death comes with difficulty for those who cling to life. 
For those who cling not to life, where can death take hold?
Live gently, with hands ungrasping, then the passage will be just as gentle.”

I asked Cyprian how we are to loosen our hold on life and he said:

“Let the drop fall into ocean and see the ocean in the drop.”

By this, I understood that he meant to surrender clinging to our individuality to the great Ocean of Being or Emptiness and to see the Whole as reflected in the seeming Part, a message of Nonduality similar to the teachings of Zen and Advaita Vedanta.

I asked Cyprian if he had any recommendations regarding my upcoming preparation of a new Black Mirror of Art. For the past two weeks, I have already been charging, exorcising, and consecrating the basis for the mirror and the paint I will use on his Altar. In response, Cyprian said:

“Wash it with Mugwort. Bless it with Holy Water. Consecrate it by appropriate Invocations. Link it with appropriate herbs and spices of the 7 Planets. Suffumigate it with consecrated incense. This will suffice.”

I asked him which spices and herbs he meant. He said:

“This will be clarified later.”

I wasn’t sure if he meant by him directly or in my research for the upcoming Black Mirror article, but I trusted him.

I then thanked Cyprian for his guidance and invited him to join me to practice Father Thomas Keating’s Centering Prayer.

I then performed the Centering Prayer while seated on my zafu and zabuton. The mind had to be gently directed back to the Sacred Word again and again, but towards the end, it calmed, and became more expansive, lightened, and open as I rested in Divine Presence.

When the Prayer was done, I closed the Circle and Temple after again sounding the Bell of Art to the four Quarters, the Above, and the Below, in a reverse order, counter-clockwise. I thanked Cyprian for his presence and continued guidance and invited him to help me to strengthen our relationship as he thought best. I then released any Spirits who may have been trapped by this Ceremony and formally closed the ritual space.