Proper Fasting in the Solomonic Tradition

Before I go into how one is to fast in the solomonic tradition. I must say this and this is very important. Before you decide to go on a fast or some kind of diet you must and I stress this MUST contact you physician, doctor or family practitioner and ask them for a proper diet that you can go on during fasting. State that you are planning to do fasting or a diet change and ask then there ideas.
So now in the tradition of the grimoires we always get in most books and all expected you to do a fasting before the magical work. This fasting is very important to get the proper state of mind for the work ahead and aids in cleansing your mind body and soul.
The most important part of the fast is the diet. The wizard does not eat meat, period. So it is important to find other means of protein such as in beans, wheat bread, oatmeal, broccoli, brown rice, potato with the skin etc. You may still drink milk, eggs, cheese, and any other such food. Remember this is a vegetarian not a vegan diet. Make out a menu for each day and make sure you eat plenty of salads no dressing or at least a lite dressing. Eat alot of green veggies especially plenty of ruffage this may coarse give you diarrhea for a day or two. Drink alot of water and stay away from all caffeinated drinks and any drink with sugar it is best just to stay with water. If you are used to drinking caffeinated drinks you may have with draws from the caffeine for a few days. When I started my diet I stop drinking sodas and I had a head aches for several days then it went away when all the caffeine left my body and my body noticed I did not need it any more. Decaf drinks and decaf tea or coffee is fine but drink it with out sugar nor creamer, creamer tends to have alot of sugar and stay away from alcoholic drinks.
Next the magi of the past abstained from sex. This was not because that one may think that it is evil. but it allows the mage to get the proper state of mind away from thinking of the pleasers of the flesh. There is nothing wrong with sex I do want to stress this but most see sex as pleaser not a act of love. This also means stay away from anything that is associated with sex such as adult movies, etc. This also allows one to keep the mind in proper order and to keep it on the work at hand. If you are hungry during the fast I suggest bread such as french bread, or any kind of fruit, add some honey if you need some sweet or peanut butter. Peanut butter and honey, sugar wise honey and peanut butter is a shade of gray that is fine if you do not go crazy in it consumption. This may also sedate the need for sugar.
On the last day of the fast you will abstain all food besides bread and water for about 10 to 12 hours. which will be in pray, confession, psalmody and meditation. If you can make your own bread that is the much better. Anything made in your hands makes it more magical and tells your heart and mind that you are doing something special. Cut into small bites and with some bottles of water so you can have it at hand.
During the fast I suggest some kind of blessing and pray over the food and water before consumption. Know I also suggest some lite exercise. Such as yoga, stretching, walks, etc. Nothing heavier then these. Exercising allows the body to distress, detox the body through sweat, and helps clear the mind. Now I know in our modern world life tends to make it hard for us, so you will need to make sure that you accommodate yourself during the fast. You may watch television, sleep in, go to work, go out with friends as long you do not drink alcohol, do your normal stuff as long it does not interfere with you work.

The Magic Circle part 1

The magic circle is one of  those tools that is essential to finishing the job. This job happens to be the working of magic/k. Like many tools of the magician it was a essential tool for the medieval and renaissance wizards of the past, and still is. The Wizards of the past used them because they had many purposes just not for protection.

I will write down the purposes in a 1, 2 ,3 type format for better understanding.

Purpose:

1. Its focus and its basic use was for protection either from malevolent or benevolent magic or spirits. While most knows it as the means for protection from spirits during conjuration it can also be used to for protection from psychic, magical attacks, such as curses etc.

2. When stepping into the circle you are not you any more you are G-d, magically speaking. That means that when the holy spirit enters the body you are G-d, And they see the holy spirit not you as the person but you as G-d. There is a old saying in Christian healing circles " It is not me it is Jesus who does the healing, exorcism etc" This hold true for when you conjure it is not in your name but in G-ds name.

3.The magic/k circle is a sacred geometrical map of the universe. When you step into the circle you are stepping into the center of the known universe.

4. It can be used to open gateways to the otherworld. Some  magic/k circles are actually gates for opening places within the astral plain.

5. When the blessing and exorcism are all done you just created a sacred space. The Temple of G-d at the center of the universe.

6. It is also and this one is very important but not the most important. It allows the wizard to reach a state of bliss or spiritual union with G-d, by having a mandala effect on the wizard.

7. They can also be used to enhance ones own work. For example if you want to do some healing magic you can add power words that are associated to healing within the inner part of the circle.

9 Days of Purification what is it and why, part 2

You need to understand that this time is also not just for pray, confession and meditation. It is also a shamanic journey. During this time you make the candles if you are able to, any tools that need to be made, travel through the outdoors to gather needed items or in our at least to the store or a online expidited business. Prays and blessing for said tools and items are done. I also suggest long walks outside if possible parks or a nice drive. Connect with nature. It does not matter if the spirit is molevalent or bolevolent. They are creatures of nature. So make a connection and set some time for a good walk. Also try to learn about the Spirit or the work. If you are going to Summon lets say Michael the Archangel then you need to learn all you can about Michael. This also goes for any low magic work. Learn about the ritual and the work and what is going to need to be done. Remember this allows the wizard to let his mind know that you are going to be doing something special. You also have to understand that this is not magick like you have ever done it is a religious ceremony not your normal work of magick, you are making a connection with G-d. You are about to journey to center of the universe and make contact with G-d and then you are magically speaking G-d. So always go into the mind set during your 9 days this is a religious rite and that you are doing something special.

9 Days of Purification what is it and why, part 1

The 9 day purification in the Grimoiric/Solomonic tradition is the next step after gathering and prepping for the Operation. The 9 days of purification is a extremely important to the wizard to start with before the actual ceremony can start. This goes for all operation including operations of Low Magic.
Several reason for the purification of the Wizard first he/she will need to become more cleansed spiritually and physically. Which each one compliments each other. One forgoes meat for the time and sticks to a Vegetarian diet, this fasting also includes no cake, ice cream, sweets and no caffeinated drinks, etc. In the grimoires also encourages forgoing Sex. This is because it is not bad it is because one needs to concentrate on the work at hand and not for desires of the flesh even if it is making love to you wife or insignificant other.
You have to understand that this goes back to the time when it was common for the priest of the temple to emuarse and cleanse themselves spiritually and physically before entering the temple of G-d. This set the stage for several thing to happened. First this allows the wizard to get his mind in order that he/she is going to do something important. Second this allows the wizard to start his path to reach bliss and to open his heart to the holy spirit. Third and the most important this allows him to just set his mind on the magick, I always end the time with the lords pray, then meditation.
So what to do during the 9 days of purification. You must first decide what prays, associated psalms if any, biblical reading, reading of proverbs may be good Idea, psalmody. Also prays such as deliverances, and the solomonic confession from the Key of Solomon the king. John Dees 7 psalms that he always read before his experiments, are all good, ( I suggest the Pray and confession from Key of Solomon the King each evening before you go to bed )  You may also fit the prays to fit the work at hand. Prays of love and poems of love for experiments in love etc.. Next come up with time when you are going to do the prays and mediations. In biblical literature it is usually 9am, 12 noon, and 3pm. But because of our cookie modern time you may do it twice per day. Once in the morning and once at night before bed. Do this at the altar with some myrrh or frankincense incense and one white candle or 3 white to signify the trinity which should be the same candle for the whole nine days.( Always snuff candles and snuff them when your out of the room or leaving ).

How to Calculate the Magical Hours Part 3

This last part which is the actual calculations is what is needed to do the magical ceremony or operation. I have given correspondence, a tad bit of history and very basic knowledge of the calculations and the reasoning behind it. This system as set down is from Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, in his book/s, 3 books of occult Philosophy.
Each hour of the day is govern by a wondering Nomad which the Greeks called planets, or wondering star.  Each of these Wondering stars or planets has certain energy that the magician will be able to tap into or use to aid or influence the magician. Or be able to aid in such work as Summoning spirits that has associations to planetary energy.
So before the operation the wizard will need to do the following calculation to determined the magical/planetary time. To start with Each hour is to take the total time from Sunrise to Sunset and is divide by 12 which is to account for the 12 houses in astrology. So you will get some "hours" that are 45 minutes or even 75 minutes some are more or less. This is in due for summer and winter months.
This can also be used for Night magical hours to.

To calculate you may need to go to a almanac, or look on the internet like http://aa.usno.navy.mil/data/docs/RS_OneDay.php or http://www.stargazing.net/mas/usno1.htm just give a couple. You get the Idea. You may also see if you local newspaper or even astronomical book in your local library. Then you figure out the hour and minute difference between the two times, and convert that to minutes.  Then convert the hours of sunlight into minutes, by multiplying the hours by 60 and adding the remaining minutes, then divide by 12. Round accordingly. The sunrise time is the start of the first hour. To find the second hour, and each hour after that, add the planetary hour length to the previous hour time. Repeat this process until you reach sunset. Then to calculate for the night you repeat this process from previous correspondence of of the hours or day and time of part two of these article. Then look at the night portion of the charts below, and calculating from sunset of the current day to sunrise of the next day. While I would like for you to think and learn like they did back then you will be able to cheat and use the following software. http://chronosxp.sourceforge.net/en/
Thats It, hay magic can be some work and the medieval and renaissance magic saw there work as science so it should be treated as such. But thar is for another time.

How to Calculate the Magical Hours Part 2

Now if some one is going to work of low magic, not conjurations. I decided to add what each planetary time with its associated Activities  to as in the time to do certain magic to bring lets say money. Which will be the day and hour of Jupiter.

Sun Hours: General success and recognition; spiritual illumination; decisiveness, vitality; activities requiring courage or a mood of self-certainty – making big decisions, scheduling meetings for reaching decisions, giving speeches, launching new projects; seeking favors from father, husband, boss, authorities.
Venus Hours: Love; friendship; artistic and social success; enjoyable, sociable and aesthetic activities such as parties, social gatherings, recitals / exhibitions, weddings, visits, dating and seeking romance; planting ornamentals; buying gifts, clothing, luxuries; beauty treatments; seeking favors from women.
Mercury Hours: Success in studies / communications; children; making a good impression; routine activities and activities needing clear communications; teaching / learning; important business letters / phone calls; meetings to develop or communicate ideas; buying / selling; routine shopping, errands, travel; job applications / interviews; seeking favors from neighbors, co-workers.
Moon Hours: Health; home (buying home, moving); journeys / vacationing (time of leaving home or takeoff); activities remote in time or space – meditation, making reservations, finding lost objects or people; planting food crops; hiring employees; seeking favors from mother, wife, employees.
Saturn Hours: Discipline and patience; giving up bad habits; overcoming obstacles; success with difficult tasks or difficult people; projects of long duration – breaking ground, laying foundations; planting perennials; treating chronic illness; making repairs; seeking favors from older people (not relatives) or difficult people.
Jupiter Hours: Wisdom, optimism; money (borrowing / lending/ investing / earning / winning); activities necessitating enthusiasm; buying lottery tickets; seeking advice / consultation; settling disputes; seeking favors from grandparents, aunts and uncles, advisers (doctors, lawyers, accountants, astrologers).
Mars Hours: Courage, adventure; enforcing your will; success with drastic action (lawsuits, conflicts, going to war, surgery); sports, exercises; risk-taking; making complaints; firing employees; seeking favors of husband or boyfriend.

To some traditions this list may change a bit from one mage to another but this at the core is a good start off.

How to Calculate the Magical Hours Part 1

First what is Planetary Hours, Also known as the Magical Hours, astrological hours. Now what some others has said that the veil or what we know as the astral plane is weaker when these atrributes are present at the indecated times. Basicly when we want to summon a angel associated, lets say, the planet saturn then when we do the planetary hours for saturn the viel will be at waekest at said time. I happened to agree this is sounds and makes logical since. The planetary hours are based on an astrological system created by the chaldeans using the original Planetary system. Which is Moon, Venus, Mars Mercury, Sun, Jupiter, Saturn but not in that Order. The Chaldean order indicates the relative orbital velocity of the planets. From a heliocentric perspective this sequence also indicates the relative distance of the planets from the center of their orbits, i.e., the distance of the planets from the Sun (with the Sun switching places with the Earth in the sequence) and the distance of the Moon from the Earth. From a traditional geocentric perspective the Chaldean order also shows the arrangement of the planetary spheres. These are in turn are used to work out the timing for the working of just about any magical work that requires planetary energy or association.
So if you wanted to summon said spirit for example for protection you look up his association to the planets and then do the calculation ( I will show in a little Bit) and then you will do the summoning on the day and hour according to his association to said planet.

Monday - Moon
Tuesday - Mars
Wednesday - Mercury
Thursday - Jupiter
Friday - Venus
Saturday - Saturn
Sunday - Sun
 

Planetary Hours of the Day
Hour	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
2	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
3	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
4	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
5	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus
6	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury
7	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon
8	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
9	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter
10	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars
11	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn	Sun
12	Saturn	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus

Planetary Hours of the Night

Hours

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

2

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

3

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

4

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

5

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

6

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

7

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

8

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

9

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

10

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

11

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Mercury

Jupiter

12

Mercury

Jupiter

Venus

Saturn

Sun

Moon

Mars

Correspondence the Good the Bad and the Ugly

When you decide to work the rituals and the magic/k in this system you will need to do your home work first. Like many of scientist you will need to go through calculations, gathering of tools and instraments, and calculations of work to be done. This is done through Correspondence. But I will tell you something that is important at the end about correspondence.
I will show by example instead of just in what needs to be done before a rite is to be done. So let say you are in need to leave for several days and you feel that you may need some added protection to you home. So you decide to conjure a spirit that you want to protect your home for a time when you are gone for the few days. You decide it to be a spirit that is able to protect. You now look up charts for metal, color, planetary hour, elemental, incence (perfumes that is associated to the said spirit). Then work on substitutions as needed. Then you go to the the grimoire that you are working through such as the key of Solomon the King. Then look up sigils, and glyph associate to the said spirit and needed tools for the operation. Then after gathering the needed stuff and using the correspondence to create needed tools such as a Lamen. Then you will need to calculate the planeary hour. ( will show that in the next article) There is alot more to it but that is it.
So what is Correspondence in the first place? It is items, languages to herbs, roots, planets, stones etc that are associate to each other in a way that are in turn associated to what is needed. Like summoning the protection spirit that is needed to protect your home. You will need to gather needed tools and other associated items to the said spirit or magical work that will in turn make the magical act work. Which is to help in the whole picture.
The thing about correspondence is that it is a good start for a beginning mage to work with. It helps the person who is working with the magic to understand the forces that is being used. As time goes on you will have a better understanding of said forces of energy and you will notice that you will have no need to use correspondnce to needing very little of it use. A true adept will have no need to very little use for it because they will have a understand to how to control and understand these forces of nature.

What is Solomonic Magick Part 2

                                     

After Reading the last article I felt I needed to expand from the priviest article. To understand Solomonic Magick you have to understand that most of these text with some exceptions were writing or copied by holy men and you have to understand the people behind it and practice this form of magick, which were Christians, Jews, Muslims and scholars. Many were scientist, magicians, sorcerers, wizards and most were actually pious men or priest. The men were deeply pious and religious. The reasoning behind it spreading  all through out Europe is that it is in it pure form is religious/spiritual magick, that fit into the christian mind set. The rituals were actually religious like rites and at its core is worship of G-d.
The Rituals no matter if the wizard conjures a spirit, create a talisman, or do some low magic is a long religious like ritual were psalms and prays are read out load with confessions to G-d and calling of his angels.  The rituals are always deeply spiritual in nature.
During the ritual there is a long proses that leads the magician to Bless. Some other writers call it one with G-d, Love of G-d, but over all you must reach Bless to allow the holy Spirit to enter. This also allows the magician to see the spirit if you are conjuring a spirit. But over all you must reach the right state of mind. To reach the right state of mind, the wizard goes through the ceremony that has a 9 day purification, which the magician has no sex, no meat and a vegetarian diet. , 2 to 3 times per day is set aside for pray and confession, psalmoldy, blessing, purification, and prays. Then a ritual cleansing bath. Then the rite itself which is in it own way a religious ritual. This should lead the wizard to a mental state of mind that is in a state of bless which is what the wizard must reach to do the magick right.
Any one who says that this system has nothing to do with spirituality and not religious magick then they may need to go through the system for themselves because it is a very spiritual system that honors and shows love for G-d. They may not understand the system and may need to go and reeducate themselves on this very beautiful system of magick.

What is Solomonic Magick Part 1

        

The tradition called Solomonic Magick is what I have been practicing for years now. It is what I fell in love with after leaving the Golden Dawn Magical system. So what is this system to which the renaissance magi used. First It is mostly what the Grimoires were based on. There is a exception to the rule but over all 90 % of all grimoires of that time period are Solomonic. Will First we have to understand that the key griomoire to which the whole tradition comes from is The Key of Solomon. This work is said to have come from King Solomon from the bible and he upon death past it on to his son Lamech after his death. The magic that is used allows the conjuration of Demons, Angels, and several other types of spirits. This according to legend, G-d gave him this knowledge so that Solomon can build the temple of Solomon and to rule Israel with wisdom through the aid of the spirits. A close  examination will show alot of Hebrew and some Arabic influences. But this is mostly christian and is the core to all christian thurgical work. Solomonic magick is a sytem that is more pure in spitituality then even the Golden Dawn. The system was created for a Pious and spiritual minded mage who wants a system that meets there own spirituality, which was christianity. Chrsitian mages of the time was so influence by the keys that works attributed to solomon spread around europe. The Keys was incorporated into many chrsitian magical systems.
The system itself takes it roots from shamanistic systems and non hebriac systems from before the judiac faith. You can see this in some of the seal and sigils were some are close to Loas of voodoo and some other spirits, and the creation of tools by taking a small journey. The Jewish and Arabic mystics and magicans started to write there ideas and systems down, from there magical research from pagan and shamanistic roots, such as the picatrix a book on astrology and amuletic and talismantic magic. As time progress books on kaballah and magick came to europe through Spain and Constantinople through Arab and Jewish scholars. Christians mystic and wizards took to these books and started to decipher and studied them and scholars and magicians started to fully incorporated it into there systems. This system is what the grimoires were based upon amd what the Solomonic system of magic is based upon.

What is Magick and what is isn't

I personally have a problem with the Word Magick, Magic, or what ever you decide to spell it. It has had controversy with its meaning within the magic world. So many athors have made up there own meaning that it has gotten misunderstood in a proper understanding of the word and the pratice of this precise occult Science. I have read Crowleys, the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will. To me that is not enough. Dion Fortune had Magick is the art of causing changes in consciousness in conformity with the Will. That is pretty good but not enough. Phil Hine wrote A magical act may be defined as causing reality to conform to will, which is not bad and pretty good, but still not enough. Then Courage is the criterion of belief. To back one horse and fancy another means willing one thing and believing another. Magic (faith) is simply a means of unifying Desire and Belief. The subconscious mind is employed to create your belief and unite it to a real desire, which of course is by Austin Osman Spare. I can go on and on but I finally came to the conclusion that there all right and all wrong. It finally came to me in a epiphany that It is you that needs to defne it for yourself. What I believe magick is may not be what you may think it is. Since Im a Christian Thuergist a Chaos Magician will have a different view. So I beleive that all magicains need to, when they start there magical life they need to define it for themselves. It may even change through out the years from one belief to another. But define it and live by it.