Ritual Magic

Ritual or ceremonial magic refers to the so-called classical magic. Its main focus is the ritual. The English word derives from the Latin ritualis which means relating to the rite, i.e. it describes any kind of correct performance or, to leverage another loanword, orthopraxy.

In more pragmatic terms we can summarise the following: A ritual embodies a compilation of solemn actions (ceremonies) in often standardised form (e.g. ritual movement and invocatory texts), which was constructed by equal consideration and balance of logic (sequence of action), psychology & physiology (impact on the operator) as well as inner dynamics (impact on the addressed spirits).

A ritual always intends to initiate with intent; whether such actions aim at such diverse purposes as spirit communion, appeasement, rebalancing, banishing or coercion. It’s the essence of any magical ritual that it cannot be performed without razor-sharp purpose on the operator’s side.

A ritual that is considered an evocation normally addresses the spirit realm as a sphere imagined outside the human body and mind; i.e. it directs spiritual forces in the operator’s environment. An invocation on the other hand leverages the body and mind of the operator as an active vessel for working with spiritual forces within it. Most commonly known amongst the latter form is the invocation of a god-form, i.e. the deliberate merging of the operator’s spirit with the presence of a spiritual, demonic or divine being with whom they intend to commune to share presence, power or knowledge.

Unfortunately, these two terms (Invocation and Evocation) again and again offer cause for confusion, since they have been used in such differing and sometimes contradicting ways by many authors. The main reasons for this are mainly twofold: On the one hand both terms are of religious-phenomenological origin; thus their Latin word stems mean one thing to the academic and another to the magical operator. On the other hand, even from an operator’s perspective they can be arbitrary and rather theoretical concepts. This relates to the fact that their essential differentiation - the individual and its environment, outside and inside, centre and periphery - can become obsolete once we work with more advanced forms of magic.

The Constituent Elements Of A Magical Ritual Are:

• Switching one’s perception to the magical world

• Consciously leveraging the magically effective word

• Conscious performance of gestures and movements

The symbolism used in a ritual can be wide-ranging (e.g. the magic circle as a clear demarcation to the profane world), and is best distinguished between physically visible symbols and ‘imagined’ ones, or symbols perceived by the magician’s inner senses.

All rituals in Western Magic are carefully choreographed. Most of them are subject to a gradual build-up, which usually culminates in a climax and is then – in reverse order – stepped down again to reach a ‘zero-point’, allowing for safe conclusion and return to one’s everyday reality and environment.

As it relates to the curriculum of our Study Course, the practical exploration and mastery of magical ritual is most essential to our craft. After laying strong personal foundations in the first two modules, we begin teaching ritual foundations from the third module, which aligns to the degree of Zelator and the Sephira of Malkuth, or the guild degree of an Apprentice. From here onwards into the Study Course, magical rituals constitute the backbone of our training and the essence of our craft.