Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Getting into the habit of thinking out how you can create the majority of your tools or magical weapons “hands on” will give you a satisfaction and a feeling of accomplishment that shall not exist for that lazy piece of shit dabbler (sometimes titled “crystal wiener”) who buys everything from metaphysical stores. If you give an evil smile at such losers and inform them that they need to create their magical objects for efficient black magic they break away in fear running for the exit horrified they have encountered an evil sorcerer.
Why yes, what could be more delightful than starting this lecture with yet another tongue in the cheek rascal move. A.C. did something called “Parson baiting” but I haven’t tried that one.
I noted some tense looks at the lecture today; and be assured that
I have no intention of turning anyone into a toad today.
(loud laughter)
Teaching hands on means I encourage you right from Probationer to learn and teach. “learn and teach” so you can be the type of Instructor that gives something to the novice to inspire them.
Finding a dagger or sword at a marketplace is not discouraged, of course, but this does not alter the lesson on how Liber A instructs where you actually learn to use the anvil and the fire. You could at least create your own wand but remember that the Liber A wand is made of copper; and the Liber VIII wand is made of wood. The question shall therefore be explored, how many of your magical objects are going to be hands on?
I haven’t gone years going back and forth with the struggle on the advantages of “hands on” with any eternal battle with “artistic skills”. The issue of a hands on Talisman which seems crude working as well or better than the artists who has many tools making it perfectly engineered is nothing new for me.
I do use the protractor when creating my Hexagram Talismans but in the early days of my Path I hand created them thinking that if rituals as A.C. noted were a bit crude doing them hands on made the magick flow as well or better than the artist who proudly displays his skills with art college by showing how perfect it looks. Most certainly, for the Names around the green rim of the circle I absolutely reject stencil for I want my Names to be done by hand. I have had to do over Names on my Circle to make them better but I felt good about how they eventually turned out.
I have given a tour of my private Temple to Probationers which wasn’t always a good idea where they would copy my Names; and even use the same Number engraved and painted on my Cup. So today, I am more careful to not give a graphic image of any number of Talismans that are required simply giving an official description so originality is not stifled. We “veil the shrine” so photos of Temples whether they are the Gnostic Mass Temple or the private Temple are not encouraged. In the aftermath of a loyal aspirant’s work to create his or her Temple when I have seen it for myself only then do I ordinarily show my Temple.
It is annoying when an aspirant hands in a graphic image and does not proceed to bring it to this reality (or does it but doesn’t inform me that they’ve done it, you idiots!!!) but putting up with nerds or “squares” as they used to call them I try to show patience. After all, once they get the point they have the possibility of becoming wise in the way of hands on. You have an Instructor that is a magician; and not a corporate chief executive whose demands can follow the protocol of proper corporate procedure. We must be fluid and resilient in our observation; and remember that art skills are always on different levels. Each individual working toward the skills of creating Talismans must be approached differently. If the magick flows the magick flows. How difficult this simple observation can be for the so called high IQ perfectionist who I have to keep Neophyte for ten years before they learn to survive by ad lib. After all, they have permitted themselves to overthink the issue and teaching them not to rattle on with ruach masturbation mistaken for real insight is sometimes difficult. (Or as bad, read from the books in their lectures without any signal of insight on how they see it from their experience.) So much more so when a computer coder tries to treat you like a corporate CEO not fully comprehending what we are looking for. I’ll make you plod on for ten years as a Zelator, if necessary, until you learn to become a real magician with fulfillment of Oaths and Tasks.
How much of the Talisman can you do with the minium amount of tools where your actual natural skill and talent makes your Talisman flow with magical energy? This lesson can be very difficult and those skilled in wood burning and the hand tools of wood carving eventually create the most perfect looking Talisman. Nevertheless, that aspirant who used a jack knife who couldn’t afford the wood working tools who handed in a Talisman or Wand does alert me to some real potential.
When discussing this with my Instructor years ago he went to the trouble of showing me his Talismans for the Genii from Liber 231 in a private notebook which had to have taken many hours of careful work. Like my Instructor neither of us went to art school and his work by trial and error was excellent. With the protractor you can create perfect Hexagrams or any numbered points of the Star which are perfectly acceptable being a hand tool over a stencil or using carbon paper to trace an sigil. I might consider carbon paper for a Talisman but I prefer the design to be hands on and not from the one you observe in the ancient or modern magical book. An example of this is Frieda Harris’s version in the six of Disks of the 49 petal rose cross which is used in the center of the Topaz of the Magus Talisman which we use for the Enochian Calls. I could use her version where the petals aren’t round around the edges and so forth but do consider that if you go this route where you use carbon paper to copy it on the center of your Calvary Cross you might very well be losing touch with what you could of done with originality. I hand create it where I start with a circle with a dot in the middle and create six round petals around the tiny circle and slowly build it until I have 49 petals. After the 49 petal rose is hand created you could use a normal ruler to add the ends of the cross and the V shaped additions. Well, when I did it I just keep on doing it on sheets of typewriting paper over and over until I could get hands on with the petals even and round. Well, you might at least consider this while you’re waiting for your Golden Topaz stone to arrive where by the time it gets to you you might change your mind on copying Frieda Harris’s version in the Six of Disks. You’ll get there eventually and you added some time with preparation where you can confidently do it hands on. Too much work for you? Well, perhaps more work in your Talisman means more of your magick into its manifestation. The easy way is to blow up the six of disks; and use carbon paper to create a replica of Frieda Harris’s version. Unfortunately, the problem is the way she created the petals you would need it blown up magnified three times to get through the engraving and even then you might have to start over with new wood if you’ve not done wood carving prior to the project.
Hands on is much better where you make the petals bigger where engraving them or painting them takes very little time at all. Just remember that if your wood is not soft and your wood carving tool isn’t sharp you’re really going to be in for it. You’ll be pulling your hair out of your skull in frustration rather than moving swiftly and smoothly toward the completion of your Talisman. My suggestion might take longer in its preparation but you will have a unique and passable version of the Topaz of the Magus where you’ll be ready and excited to do that first Call after you consecrate the Talisman with Abramelin Oil.
Engraving in wood isn’t difficult if you use a softer wood and the Talisman is a little bigger where you do not need a watch repairer’s eye glass to magnify it for detail where the V Tool creates with ease those straight lines and curves. Of course, engraving into a silver cup in accordance with Liber A is more difficult where you’ll need to sharpen your tool more often; and you have one shot at it or you’ve ruined a silver cup. At least practice on an old brass cup to get it right the first time on your expensive silver cup.
With wood you can compensate for normal errors by using another piece of wood or carving away your error. With regards to the Topaz of the Magus project I tried to prepare myself. Noted that with the 49 petal rose cross I hands on created it over and over and over on sheets of typewriter paper until I was satisfied that I could pencil it on the center of my Calvary Cross deciding whether the wood would yield to my V tool. Soft wood, again, is a sensible choice if you are using hand wood working tools. I have never owned the electric wood working tools or wood burning tools although I have watched demonstrations of them on video with no little fascination on how much easier it makes the engrave.
With regards to the magical circle every Probationer has read my famous essay on the subject and those who are serious never buy one ready made. I have seen those sold publicly where the Names around the Green Rim are done by some idiot who doesn’t realize that the Names are going to be different for every star; and they are taking you to the bank. I have even seen a few clever merchants who created Circles with the Tau in the Queen Scale which more of the naive do not check Book 4; and allow themselves to be scammed.
You have options with regards to carving your Calvary Cross and of the choices of soft wood you have Balsa which makes a good raft, basswood which you can make a guitar from scratch, butternut wood for fancy dance furniture, and this leaves the two best for strength and durability white pine or cedar wood. I personally would recommend white pine to start with; or if you have developed some skills with carving cedar wood is the hardest of the softest woods which is aromatic and resistance to decay. If you try to use Oak or any hard wood you will spoil the project by splinter errors or tears in the wood which will ruin your work. Any wood can be used but if you find yourself with a hard wood you are better off skipping the engrave completely and simply painting the entire 49 petal Cross. I have never used electric wood carving tools so hard wood might be possible with them. I recommend a good set of hand woodworking tools and soft wood.
Several years ago, I brought a new Probationer in the forest area of my estate and let the Probationer observe me going from fallen branch to completed magical wand. First I cut an eight inch fallen branch. (It was a black walnut branch which is similar in density to butternut wood being both soft woods for carving.) I then peeled the bark, I then took my jack knife and cut away the small knots where I choose a branch that had minium knots. I then used my electric sander to first use a rough piece of sandpaper until it was sanded from top to bottom. I then took a fine piece of sandpaper and sand it again from top to bottom. I then used my carving tools to create a phallic tip; and on the other end I used the woodworking indent tool to create a one half inch cavity. I then poured a little superglue into the crevice and planted a crystal from my collection at the end. The next day I painted the entire wand red; and let that dry. When it was dry I used a gold paint pen to create the word Θελημα on its side and let that dry. I then waited for that to dry and spray painted it all over with clear paint. I then consecrated it with Abramelin Oil and that Probationer has since created any number of wands from my original instruction. A wand created from scratch will be magically yours in no time at all.
I want you to be the type of Instructor that can “learn and teach” as much “hands on” as possible so the magick is manifested strongly into the Plane of Disks as you develop yourself toward the Supernal.
To accomplish this aspiration where the very real initiations exist we must emphasize how “hands on” in the preliminaries are going to assist yourself by what you learn so you teach others that sense of self reliance and self esteem that shall be consistent with reality.
Love is the law, love under will