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The Evolution of The Scorpion God – Soul Baring Work

Posted in Primal Craft, Publications with tags Atlantean, Atlantian, Atlantis, Belial, Grimoire, Hecate, Lucifer, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Primal Craft, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Soul Testing, Spirituality, The Scorpion God, Theurgy, Witchcraft on April 15, 2025 by Sypheara

The Mother Temple has put out several semi-deluxe releases of late, each one a stunning bit of work in its own right.

It was only around last Samhain that I put up a short post here singing the praises of the recently released Beyond Akasha semi-deluxe edition of The Red King.

Thanks to a gruelling bit of graft by the Mother Temple, we’ve now also been blessed with a Beyond Akasha edition of The Scorpion God.

Having had a good week or two to go through the essays and work directly with the Book itself, I feel in a solid place to offer my own thoughts on what strikes me as a definitive edition of an already ground-breaking work.

The pictures taken in this blog post are taken by my wonderful assistant, as we wanted some pictures of our own copy here.

The Front Seal of The Book

Fit for a King — The Physically Embodied Book of Belial

The physical book itself is nothing short of pure luxury. I’ve been fortunate enough, both financially and proximity-wise, to pick up many Primal Craft publications. In my possession is a set of first editions of the Trident Trilogy, along with many of the Volumes of Sacrifice. These sit alongside several deluxe editions of various works — one of my favourites being the truly extravagant copy of The Crown Prince, bound in golden snake-skin.

That said, somehow this supposedly semi-deluxe book still manages to feel in a different league. Its construction is nothing short of exquisite, and it radiates a dense, energetic signature that can be felt even by the uninitiated. Simply put, the book has a commanding presence in the room.

Whilst I’m partial to the ye olde black book of witchcraft, I have a soft spot for editions that bring a rich colour to the table — both literally and figuratively. The earthy brown tones, set against gold foil, combine with evocative seals to instantly draw the eye. The quality of the paper, ink, sigilisation, and binding is second to none, even compared to past offerings. The ink itself is unbelievably thick and potent, the illustrations acting as gateways to the eye, pulling the reader in.

This is certainly the exact opposite of a ‘dead text’ — the whole thing feels palpably alive, inside and out. It begs to be touched, read, and interacted with.

The Spine of The Book

The Scorpion Familiar of the Work

Before I tackle the extremely important additions to the text itself, I feel I must first briefly relate my own direct working with the book. Each individual copy of this edition, it is said, comes powerfully ensouled with an attached Scorpion Familiar.

The circumstances of my own copy’s arrival seemed to necessitate working with this spirit. It was a compulsion — quite simply, an urge that hadn’t accompanied similar gateways previously woven into past works.

As such, the instructions given for this were carried out to the letter: blood placed within the blank area beneath the number, and to the left of the scorpion’s stinger seal on the back pages. A personal call to Belial to release the Scorpion Familiar was made. This was granted, and the being came forth into my aura. Needless to say, the power released was immense, exceeding expectations. It verified for me the presence of the Scorpion Familiar within the work itself beyond a shadow of a doubt — as I physically saw it come through the opened vortex within the book.

The physical strength brought on by the possessive merging with this Scorpion is something I’ve yet to experience elsewhere in my work. To be clear — it had a tangible effect on my body, flooding it with vitality and supercharging its capacity for regeneration. This wasn’t something I had anticipated, for I had called it forth primarily to unblock certain ways and guard the temple space specifically. Nevertheless, it was a highly welcome side effect.

I won’t dwell too long on the personal side — to keep silent, after all, is an axiom — but I offer this to demonstrate that the book itself can be utilised as an important ritual tool. This is but one of the ways laid out somewhat openly for practitioners to engage with.

The Introductory Page to the New Content

Old and New — Ground-breaking Content

The original Scorpion God text, to me, will always be a timeless classic. When I first perused it, it was a confrontational read in many respects — as at that time in my practice, I was frankly extremely sceptical of the Atlantean connection. By the time I’d reached the end, I was fully convinced. The sheer depth, the palpably lived experience of travelling that path and putting it to paper was, to be frank, compelling. It opened up a huge universe of exploration within my own work, from a gnosis perspective alone — as it provided the core context that filled out the requisite picture of the current as a whole.

Heading into the semi-deluxe edition, I kept that experience firmly in mind. It was a joy to see the original text preserved in full. And it’s joined, in my view, by some extremely important additions — each worthy of individual comment. My original intention was to give a general overview, but to do so would be a disservice to these entries.

The Wisdom of Belial: Forging the Soul in the Realm of Atlantean Gods

The essays open strongly with clarifications on Belial’s true nature, as well as the hidden, occult purpose of the text itself. Of particular importance to me is the further explanation, spelled out in black and white, that the very planet itself is the Flesh of Belial.

This is major. Whilst this was explored more fully in the Volumes of Sacrifice, having that context placed back solidly into The Scorpion God, alongside a deep explanation of the formation of the Four Pillars of Fire — how and why it was channelled, earthed, and brought forth in this way — is absolute gold.

For those who like to dig deep, there’s a good deal of important Primal Craft-specific gematria scattered through this, which is explicitly touched on in the following essay.

Atlantean Devil Queen

This essay is a thorough examination of the nature of Sepheranz and how to safely approach her.

I honestly feel this is an essential addition — clarifying Sepheranz’s role, importance, nature, and history within the current. Whilst this was covered at length in Volumes of Sacrifice, having it so clearly laid out within The Scorpion God offers a perfect counterbalance to the raw, primal face of her that we see in the parent text. We get to witness the many facets that make up this beautiful, terrifying goddess.

But that’s not all — here we also find what I believe to be the most concise and complete account of the history of creation within the written Primal Craft tomes. As such, it feels like an invaluable contribution in its own right, placing the lost history into full context. This alone would make it a standout entry for me.

Personally, I understand how intimidating she can be to work with. For many years, in fear, I avoided working with her until I one day felt compelled to place her blooded seal upon my altar. It felt simple it was no longer appropriate to deny her a place within my growing praxis.

The advice offered here — to first approach her more exoteric (but still ferocious) face as the Daughter of War, Conquest and Flame — and the exposition given on that aspect will, I think, be a great help to many who, like me, harboured an earlier fear of incorporating her into their craft. This is essential for fully working the current.

There’s also a fine exploration of Primal Craft gematria here, particularly detailing the Formula of the Apocalypse at both macro and microcosmic levels. This deserves to be thoroughly read, understood, and applied in praxis.

Faces of a King

I first read Faces of a King many years ago in the original Devoted, and it’s a pleasure to see it returned to the Primal Craft fold. This fascinating essay shows the early stages of Mark’s work with Belial. In contrast with the main text, it offers valuable insight and brings a large humanising element — something that extends to all these clearly deeply personal revelations.

This particular entry does much to dispel misconceptions about Belial’s supposed ‘malicious’ nature — revealing such an angle as absurd, as the Great King facilitates a deeply primal form of justice. The essay is aptly named, as we’re treated to many multifaceted faces of Belial here, figuratively and literally.

There’s also some excellent detail on the Moires (the Fates), which I think will be of great use to the devotee. For those able to read between the lines, it also reveals important aspects of the arte of evocation — and why in our craft, we do not pursue the ‘force and coercion’ method of evoking.

This text had a profound impact on me as a much younger man, and it became the spur for creating my own evocation ritual to contact this great entity directly. I’ve never regretted it.

The Immortal Flesh, detailing work with the Book of the Dead, pg 328

The Amber Chamber

If Faces of a King served as preparation, the next two essays are, in my view, some of if not the rawest and most soul-baring ever put to paper in our current.

The Amber Chamber is a deep dive into the Atlantean God Lommos and his first encounters with the author. It reveals the side effects of what is, frankly, soul-transformative work at the highest level, while also making public, for the first time, the Temple High Priestess of our Arte, detailing her critical role. That alone would mark this essay out as special — but combined with the full Atlantean context, it becomes nothing short of revelatory.

The Temple High Priestess’ harrowing experience with Lommos forms the core of this piece, unfolding rapidly in a manner both raw and confronting. The essay first details the preconditions for the event it describes — the formation of the bloodstone gate and the shattering of the amber stone in consequence. For those seeking to more fully grasp the implications of the Phoenix Rite and its completion, this is essential reading. Compared to the relevant entry in Queen of Hell, it provides invaluable formulae.

The description of the testing on the Path of the Red Snake leads us into conflict against the arising Atlantean power. The implications of the Lore of Atlantean Magick being bypassed become chillingly clear — and Belial necessarily steps forward. Once again, we gain greater insight into this Witch God, specifically regarding a particular taboo, and how his role as protector and guide proves absolutely critical. We learn much here about the nature of Lommos himself and, by extension, the Gods of the Atlantean plane.

There’s a vast amount to unpack — far too much for a few paragraphs. Those able to read between the lines will discover much about the nature of reverse evocation, among other advanced occult practices. As an aside, there’s a small but valuable section detailing the nature of Cerberus, including the use of his seal in copper for the sealing of gates and protection. For those truly paying attention, this essay offers much to improve general working praxis.

The Eldorath

This essay recounts Mark’s meetings with one of the Eldorath, the Daughters of Sepheranz, and the extreme soul-testing he underwent as part of that encounter. Truthfully — after reading it, I wasn’t sure what to write. The previous essay had already struck an emotional chord; this one left me silent. It wasn’t a choice.

The implications are, frankly, extreme. We’re treated to a discourse revealing the multiplicity of the soul’s nature and its existence across time. While we witness glimpses of its resilience, we’re also shown how fragile it truly is when exposed to the sheer power of this entity — who, on the path of soul testing, can exploit that structure as a single point of failure, if deemed necessary, with horrifying consequences. The nature of the Daughters of Sepheranz is covered in revealing detail, offering further insight into the trials of working within the realms of Tiranar.

If there was any lingering doubt, this essay underscores the real risk involved — genuine power is attained only through genuine sacrifice, offered up in love and devotion, one way or another. This is not the work of mental gymnastics but direct work on the Atlantean Inner Planes — with no do-overs.

The section describing Lucifer’s fire struck me deeply. I’ve yet to experience anything remotely as confronting on my own journey (and hopefully, never will), but it spoke to me nonetheless. One ember can be all the blessing one needs.

There’s little more I can say — this is something that simply must be read and experienced. Which, I feel, is what can be said for this excellent tome as a whole.

The Final Seals of the Book

When choosing which artwork to feature here, which are improved over the original first editions massively in richness, I chose the image of The Immortal Flesh to highlight the quality on display. This piece has always called to me – the haunting, Atlantean landscape and the shades have always stood out in my mind amongst many memorable images.

Finally, but not least – when taking pictures of the book, a small oracular work was performed to dictate the final page that would be shown in this article, what the work itself wanted to show. The book once asked, opened on the page of The First Altar of the Witch Gods.

I feel this is a perfect way to end this little / review / analysis / whatever the reader wishes to call it. I feel deeply grateful to be able to have this work in my collection, and may it for many years guide myself, and those who work the current here, bathing us in the Primal Current.

The First Altar of the Witch Gods

In Nomine Belial,
We Walk The Path of the Setting Sun,
~S~

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Another Turn of the Wheel – Inversion of the Light

Posted in Primal Craft, Publications, The Temple of the Ivory Spider with tags Book, book-review, books, Evocation, Goetia, Halloween, Hecate, Lucifer, Lucifuge Rofocale, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Primal Craft, Publishing, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Sabbat, The Red King, Winter Droving, Witchcraft, Writing on October 31, 2024 by Sypheara

We come again to that blessed time of the year – where the Earth is finally responding to the dying light of the Sun.

This period is always a very reflective one for me. Looking back, I can say this year has been an exceptional one – that has pushed me out of my boundaries to places and lands I would never seen myself having visiting. I think its going to be a year that lodges itself firmly in my memory, and won’t let up its hold anytime soon.

It is a time for remembering what we have lost, and somewhat more importantly in many ways, what we must let go.

This Samhain, those of us in the Primal Current were treated to a little, special treat- the Beyond Akasha edition of Mark Alan Smiths work, The Red King, was released. This returns to circulation, and for the first time directly into the currents hands, some extremely important essays to our craft.

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The Red King, Beyond Akasha Edition, by Primal Craft / Mark Alan Smith

A standout in my eyes, is the essay Baptism Of Fire, which details the Magister of the Artes crossing of the Abyss. This version, in an uncensored form, was one that I read out in full to the initiates and dedicants here – which they found rather illuminating. Considering the Rite to begin the Abyss crossing is conducted in our craft upon the night of the Sabbat itself, it felt fitting that it was this tale that I recounted when the sun crossed the western horizon on our Esbat night.

It had been many years since I’d read the original essay, when it was first published in anthology form many, many years ago. It struck me then as an extremely important bit of writing for the Arte Magickal, not just the current itself. The new version is nothing short of revolutionary. Whilst the vast majority of people have experienced the nigredo phase of alchemy in their life at some point this is clearly no substitute for what is found in the dark lake crossing. Having a tangible account of a lived experience I feel it is positively vital to put the great theurgic work into its proper context. The strain on the soul across spiritual, mental and physical planes in this work is lain out raw – to show the realness of what is conducted and its impact upon the individual. Although people are generally familiar with Crowleys account, I feel this one stands above it – coupled with the The Phoenix Rite contained within Mark Alan Smiths The Queen of Hell, this feels the definitive and decisive analysis of the Abyss and its crossing.

After reading it to my small group, I remember the fifteen or more seconds of stunned silence after we finished the text. The room itself felt charged – something important had been shared, and imparted. In this microcosmic performance, another truth became apparent – that the current on a macrocosmic level continues to grow in both depth and breadth, at an accelerated pace, on a truly revelationary scale. No more dead texts – no more dead artificial lines. In 2024, this is insufficient for where we collectively find ourselves.

Things now are proceeding to organically unfold. After finishing the reading it was actually necessary to ground – that is the power than can be contained within the written word when properly ensorcelled with the power of the Gods.

The Seal of Lucifuge Rofocale

I polished off the rest of the essays on my own – the one involving Lucifuge Rofocale being most enlightening, detailing the way in which the devoted mage may create a physical book that links to Rofocales own. This is something that calls to me, and thus I believe I will explore it in the future, in individual practice. It struck me that this essay also contains much guidance on the Arte of Evocation that will be useful for others here at our Temple, even if they have no intention to create and link their own book. Additionally, for those with Eyes to see (and a healthy dose of reading comprehension), this particular essay outlines one of the primary methods of ensouling objects.

Those who are able to source the book and have a primary, devoted interest in the current I can honestly recommend the tome and say that reading it this Samhain has been very special. The focus on passing through the dark, to come out the other end enlightened, is always an important one at this time of year – it gives us context, balance, and hope.

Reflecting back on our own work, I can safely say we are continually growing our praxis here and I feel I am now far along transmitting what constitutes a solid foundation. As such, I am looking forward to delving into my own theurgic work again in the near future having freed up some time and headspace; I look forward very much to further workings with Belial, and uncovering more of the stellar gnosis which is brought through by our temples arachnidian guardian entity. The choice of blinding white for the new Red King edition is certainly a very, very fitting one.

On that note, on this rather busy night, I must again leave you as I did last year with a few beautiful images of one of the drovings that occurs in the North West of England. These images are from the Penrith Winter Droving, which happens around this time on year. Continuing on our theme of death and renewal, its fantastic to see very pagan festivals coming back to the light.

Pictures from Penrith Winter Droving, supplied by Photographer

May the Light of the Gods,
Carry you High,
On the Journey of the Grand Sabbat
~S~

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The Return of the Sun – The Omens of the Bennu Bird

Posted in Greco-Egyptian, Luciferianism, Occultism, Paganism, Primal Craft, The Temple of the Ivory Spider with tags Alchemy, Beltane, Bennu, Egypt, Kemetic, Lucifer, Magick, May, Nigredo, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Philosophers Stone, Phoenix, Religion and Spirituality, Witchcraft on May 17, 2024 by Sypheara

It has been a little while since I posted here, but it seemed highly relevant to do so as the wheel turns again. I have always loved Beltane and May – it is a very Luciferian period, with the light and warmth returning to the world here. Our little island is one of much seasonal variation – and with rather unstable weather patterns, nothing is ever really a given in good old Britannia.

I was taught one time by a great lady witch mentor of mine that it was practice within the coven tradition to follow a custom which saw the celebration of the eight sabbats held slightly later than the usual given dates. These would follow the old Julian calender and was ostensibly to allow for the energies of the season to become fully mature energetically speaking. This year, I was reminded of this by a very dreary, very misty actual May Day which did little to inspire confidence nor my abilities in putting pen to paper (or in this case, keys to keyboard). To say I felt somewhat deflated would be an understatement.

However, the other night it finally felt as if that shift did in fact finally occur. The electrical energy one can feel at this time of year as the land and air awakens is finally palpably present. This is reflected in the uptick in physical activity and mental acuity of the body, as if all the internal cobwebs are also being blown away.

With excellent weather throughout the day, I took this as my cue to finally get outside of the house and go for a lovely walk down to my usual spot by the ocean, the very same I detailed in the last blog post. This time however I set off to be there for sunset, instead of after dark. This trip was purely for enjoyment – not to fulfil any occult operation to be perfectly blunt. But often, if you keep on the look out for signs, you will often get very clear, unambiguous ones indeed. Sometimes, the gods and spirits come to you.

As such, a curious thing would indeed occur. My life has changed rather quickly in the last five months to say the least – bringing something into my life that I am very much grateful for. This has also necessitated a rethink in my greater plans, and to explore it would mean taking a very long, rather arduous trek across the globe. This had got my mind thinking – as any change will do, even the very good ones. It led to an initially unsettling feeling – one that I think many can relate to when something comes along that suddenly disrupts certain patterns that we have become accustomed to and push us out of a long enjoyed comfort zone.

As I walked back along the beach, with the gentle waves lapping the shores reflecting and refracting the pearlescent light of the sun, I realised that it was not some great level of reassurance I needed. Nor even confirmation – this the Gods had already provided in some ways, through more traditional, interpretative methods. What I really needed was their blessing – simple confirmation that they walked beside me in my decision to simply, act.

As this thought crossed my mind, something very interesting happened. In an almost occult symmetry, in an inversion of what happened at Samhain, a large shape swooped from behind me from the left, heading towards the setting sun. This form turned out to be that of a rather large Grey Heron! Those who have an occult background will already know that the Herron is connected in symbolic ways to the Gods of Light – and thus, to Lucifer.

Grey Heron, photographed by Tim Spouge

According to the beliefs of the Ancient Egyptians, the Bennu was a self-created being who was said to have played a role in the creation of the world. The Bennu was said to be the ba (i.e. the personality component of the soul) of the Solar God Ra. The Bennu bird was said to have flown over the waters of Nun that existed before creation, before landing on a rock and issuing a call that determined the nature of what was To Be. This symbolism of the creative force coming forth from the primordial void, is a very ancient one indeed that resonates with me and I’m sure, many others.

Some of the titles of the Bennu were “He Who Came Into Being by Himself”, as well as the “Lord of Jubilees” – a festival linked with the continued rule of the Pharaoh. This itself was centred around the belief that the Bennu was able to periodically renew itself like the sun was thought to do. The name Bennu itself is related to the Egyptian verb wbn, meaning “to rise in brilliance” or “to shine”.

It is speculated that the Bennu is also connected to the legend of the Phoenix. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote on the topic in the fifth century BC. He detailed that people of Heliopolis described the “phoenix” to him, describing that it was said to live for 500 years before dying, resuscitating, building a funerary egg with myrrh for the paternal corpse, and then carrying it to the temple of the Sun at Heliopolis. Herodotus goes on to give an account of the physical description of this bird likening it to an eagle with red and gold plumage, reminiscent of the sun.

Unfortunately, the real life giant heron of the region that this legend was undoubtedly inspired by, Ardea bennuides, has long gone instinct. Poignantly the cause, as is often the case, is that it was destroyed by human folly; likely overhunted to oblivion. The occult truth, carried by its related messenger however, was certainly not lost on me nor was its blessing.

The Ripley Scroll

The symbolism and what it urges us to do is striking and very important. It is this solar energy which we need to now bring into our lives to powerful effect. Many times I see people getting stuck in the nigredo stage of their personal, as well as occult, alchemy. Without the energies that are sent by the Perfect Red King of Sulphur, it can be all too easy to get lost, and become stuck in this very dangerous dissolutive state. We need to allow such energies in – to allow them to suffuse and change us, to stabilise and create us anew. This can take a lot of bravery when we have become lost and stuck; the only answer is to move away from stagnancy. Many times, the only thing we can do is choose to take the leap of faith, in order to successfully move forward. The Bennu is a messenger that this is more than possible, if we just follow its example – and I would encourage people in the Beltane season to put this energy to good use.

As I finish this small, but I feel important piece, I am ready to set off for the aforementioned rather grand trip. I hope that it will be transformative indeed – in many ways, it already has been. I take heart as well that upon my return, I can rest easy in the fact that the work with Lucifer for now, gives way to the earthing work with Belial. Thus, the final leg to create the initial stellar gates here at the Temple can finally be completed over the coming year – fulfilling a project some nine years in the making. As such, I feel incredibly blessed indeed.

I leave you, dear reader, with an excerpt from a translation of the Ripley Scroll. The Ripley Scroll is an extraordinary document, that is nearly 6 metres long. It is a heavily ciphered text that describes how to make the fabled Philosopher’s Stone. It is named after George Ripley, a medieval canon of Bridlington Priory, Yorkshire, who reputedly wrote a text known as The Compound of Alchymy – the creation of this particular scroll is often attributed to him as well hence its title. For those with the eyes to see, it is a rather interesting text indeed and I offer up one of the passages here for study as the sun continues to rise to its zenith.

‘Here is the last of the Red, and the beginning to put away the dead. The Elixir Vitae.

Take the father that Phoebus so high
That sit so high in majesty
With his beams that shines so bright
In all places wherever that he be
For he is father to all things
Maintainer of life to crop and root
And causeth nature for to spring
With the wife beginneth soothe
For he is salve to every sore
To bring about this prosperous work
Take good heed unto this lore
I say unto learned and unto clerk
And Homogenie is my name
Which God made with his own hand
And Magnesia is my dame
You shall verily understand.
Now I shall here begin
For to teach thee a ready way
Or else little shall thou win
Take good heed what I do say
Divide thou Phoebus in many parts
With his beams that be so bright
And this with nature him convert
The which is mirror of all light
This Phoebus hath full many a name
Which that is full hard to know
And but thou take the very same
The philosophers stone ye shall not know
Therefore I counsel ere ye begin
Know it well what it should be
And that is thick make it thin
For then it shall full well like thee
Now understand what I mean
And take good heed thereto
Our work else shall little be seen
And turn thee to much woe
As I have said this our lore
Many a name I wish he hath
Some behind and some before
As philosophers doth him give

In the sea without lees
Standeth the bird of Hermes
Eating his wings variable
And maketh himself yet full stable
When all his feathers be from him gone
He standeth still here as a stone
Here is now both white and red
And all so the stone to quicken the dead
All and some without fable
Both hard and soft and malleable
Understand now well and right
And thank you God of this sight

The bird of Hermes is my name eating my wings to make me tame.‘

~S~

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This Blessed Samhain – The Eclipse of the Dark Moon Huntress

Posted in The Path of Flames with tags Divination, Hecate, Lucifer, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Oracle, Pagan, Paganism, Penrith, Penrith Winter Droving, Primal Craft, Prophecy, Rebirth, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Samhain, Winter Droving, Witchcraft on November 7, 2023 by Sypheara

It has been a rather distracting time here in the cold, damp and dreary north of the UK. The Wheel has most certainly spun, and Summer has most assuredly died. It has taken a few days to really compose my thoughts to put something together onto paper; for more qualified voices have put it better than I feel I ever could or should.

Before I launch forth therefore – I hope everyone has had a blessed Samhain period. This time of year always feels very special to me – that the Gods and Spirits are close this year, is certainly in no doubt. At times, I have felt them almost overwhelmingly so. I hope much strength was taken from sabbatic congress, and that much love and joy was had in tandem with those we care about the most.

However, this year in particular feels powerful beyond the pale. The name of this post is rather specific – referring to the Dark Moon Huntress edition of Queen of Hell, which made its way out into the world within the past week or so. This work couldn’t be more aptly timed in its release nor in it’s arrival to my door. It arrived on the day of the partial lunar eclipse, the day of the Esbat just before the Sabbat itself. A sign, of the unification of the Dark and the Full Moon – Hecate in her full complete aspect, at the turning of the wheel from the old to new.

This on its own seemed distinctly magical. Coinciding with wider events in the world, it seemed downright prophetic. What strange times we live in, I find myself often thinking these days. It is no surprise to me that, with Hecate’s timing of the unfolding of this work, that the Magister of our Arte and Temple of Four Pillars of Fire decided to choose this time to make public the information surrounding the ‘Three Countries’ Prophecies. Things, have as they say, progressed.

I won’t dwell on the actual content that came out of those specifically here – as Mark relates in his own public post, there is no desire to be dragged into a political mire. It is not my arena to engage with – at this time, but rather I feel instead it is better to give a personal example of how the energy around this most portentous of Sabbats has affected me and our work at the temple to give additional insight.

I hope that this serves others well, in the want to transmit the love the current brings with it.

Darkness Manifesting by Midjourney

It was about the end of August – September when I began to feel the true tonal shift. Everything seemed heavier, and thick – more than what would normally be ascribed to the coming on of the Autumnal Season.

One particular night, I was feeling a bit disconnected. This was despite it being the full moon – an occurrence that usually has me amped up. In this case, I felt restless, like the powers that be wanted to show me something. But not to be clear, the good restless. Something nagged at me, and I couldn’t put my finger on what.

Out of all the things that I feel helps in these moments, one of the better ones for myself to shake a bit of sense into me has always been a good trip to the sea. The ocean, being the wellspring of ancestral memory, is distinctly liminal, and always connects me strongly back to Hecate. It has never failed me as a powerful crossroads. It has always been there, somewhere I can cast out unwanted mental and spiritual detritus and recharge. This, interestingly, despite me having a somewhat moderate case of thalassophobia – a fear of the sea – something tempered over the last half-decade by working with Belial, in his mask of Neptune / Poseidon, as well as with the Great Sea Dragon Leviathan. A certain dunking, by a certain witch, probably also helped immensely.

So to that end, I got into my car and set off. I have a particular place by the coast, which always helps take my mind off things. It overlooks the water, across to a town in the distance, and often the moon rises in a way to place itself almost directly between them. That night, parked up and stuffing myself with ice-cream, I looked out across the eerily still surface. The glare of the town was reflected off the mirrorlike surface, as were the more powerful pin pricks of light that trailed across the night sky, but they were not the stars of the show. The moon indeed was out to greet me in all her full glory, and the sky was clear. The moonglade cut a perfect path between the heavens, across the water, towards me.

It was a wondrous night. Beautiful beyond words, and my description above can only partially do it justice. Everything was so still – with very little wind. It was quite late, and, as I sat there in my car parked up, the quieter it became. Soon, there were no more fellow travellers passing my way. It was just me, the moon, the glow of the dash, and the quietly humming background noise of BBC Radio 3.

Moonglade, Unknown Photographer

Whilst calm and serene, there was something tinged in the air – a certain melancholy, that I could not place. It was not all internal – although certainly part of me mirrored what I was feeling that night. At that moment, I actually reached out and asked me question.

‘What do you want to show me?’

At first, nothing happened. Then, something magical occurred. A shadow passed over the car, and a dark figure fell from above. It fell down near the long grass, its talons gripping something. Two large, black eyes like pools locked with mine for an instant, glowing strongly with the reflection of both car light and night sky. Then, in a instant, the bird took flight again, a small shadow wrapped in its grasp. I sat there, stunned as I watched the Barn Owl whirl and quickly fly out of sight, back inland.

It was at that moment, that a new song started up on the radio. I cannot for the life of me remember the name it, despite searching far and wide. It was called something like the invocation of the old gods, and was ostensibly about the Norse pantheon. Regardless, the obvious symbolism in the timing felt extremely on the nose. The song was a lament, that of a changing world, and of time itself. It was discordant, disjointed thing and not necessarily pleasant to listen to, but had me enrapt throughout its entirity.

I sat there in stunned silence, trying to decipher what was coming through. I laughed nervously because, the more I listened, the more obvious it was in its directness. The answer was simply thus – a feeling to be clear, rather than any spoken word but that can be translated as: ‘You have succeeded in finding that which you already know to be true. Here at the edge of your world, at the turning of the wheel, it is confirmed. You stand at a crossroads of great change. Know that we are close and take heart in that.’

Despite the content, and the feeling of connectedness, there was an eerieness to it that pervaded. Like being near to the scene of an accident, or near a place where lightning has just struck. That almost indescribable liminal feeling that something has physically opened to the other world. Needless to say, once the song was over, the radio went straight off. I drove home content I had received my answer, and spent the rest of the way back in contemplative silence.

Barn Owl, Unknown Photographer

This proved an apt message and feeling, now that I look back at it after Samhain with everything that has gone on. Both as a warning, as well as a blessing, and one that I think everyone who works the Witchcraft can interpret without much difficulty.

That said, just as with the reassurance in the message that was delivered, this season is not all about heaviness! I feel that requires highlighting. Just as Beltane has its darker flipside, so does Samhain have its lighter one, and given the greater backdrop of events it is critically important to bare in mind. It is somewhat ironic that I write the main content of this post on November the 5th. In the UK, this is a day that is celebrated with copious amounts of fireworks. I think it says a lot about our country that the celebration revolves around the execution of Guy Fawkes. Fawkes was a catholic rebel, who was hanged and quartered on 31 January 1606 for attempting to blow up parliament and the King of England. This night strangely given the rather grisly backstory, has a rather jovial atmosphere – and it has always capped the Samhain season for me due to its proximity. This is less strange that it may sound, when we consider that many of the customs of Samhain bled into ‘Bonfire Night’. That there is therefore this felt connection is thus not really all that surprising.

As such, the lighting of the bonfire, the fireworks, the carnival like atmosphere all points to one key element. That of the always present and sacred liminal fire which accompanies the dark. As the wheel turns, both seasonally and on a grander stage, we can take great solace in one surefire thing. That is the fact that Hecate stands tall, torches in hand, guiding the way for her devotees and the world. In this, her presence both balances and rejuvenates us. It orientates us in time, and gives meaning to our lives.

The fires lit at this time of the year, for both the Gods and Dead, were said to have protective and cleansing effects. In many ways, it is the final outpouring of a dying year – the last ecstatic release, as the old dies, and makes way for the new. We must always be mindful that underpinning this symbolism is a very fundamental reality – that of the inevitability of change. This could be seen as a negative, but to the witchcraft soul, this brings with it a powerful promise – that is, the promise of rebirth and renewal.

We must trust that the Gods will see us through the darker times and the setting of the sun, regardless what happens, and will deliver us into the new dawn. It is not a blind faith, but one mirrored in microcosm and macrocosm, following eternal, divine law as lain down by the Goddess of Hell, Heaven and Earth. Just as the bird descends through the western gate to be reborn, so must even the ages of the world.

On that note, I must say I have been very blessed this Samhain. I have had the opportunity to spend it with people important to me, whilst also opening new avenues for exploration. Occult wise, the work begins to coalesce powerfully, and gates open in both the personal, group and at world soul level. I could not ask for better people to have my back. I truly wish that for everyone. Go deep with the work, find your solace and connection there; this is where we find our true freedom.

With that said, I leave the reader with some beautiful imagery. Below are some lovely pictures from the Penrith Winter Droving 2023, an event which happens in the town of Penrith, North West England, every year. Beginning in 2012, it is a beautiful rebirth of old tradition in a new form. I hope it continues for many a year to come.

From the Setting of the Sun,
Comes the Break of the Dawn
Hecate Lucifera
Forever
Will we follow your Torches,
Blazing the Widdershins Way
Dancing the Grand Sabbat
For in Love
And in Devotion
Our Hearts and Souls,
Belong to You
~S~

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The Suns Zenith – The Light In The Dark

Posted in Occultism, Paganism, Primal Craft, The Path of Flames with tags Belial, Devotion, Hecate, Litha, Lucifer, Magick, Midsummer, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Primal Craft, Qayin, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Sepheranz, Summer Solstice, Trident, Witchcraft on June 29, 2023 by Sypheara

A somewhat belated happy summer solstice to devotees and readers of the blog. It has been very productive over here – I have been taking people through working material, and going over what they have produced has been a lot of fun. Coincidentally, it has also at times been rather involved! It is good to know that things are on track – plenty of internal material has been produced which will stand future initiates in good stead. When contrasted with the additional material being released by the mother temple on August 13th (as highlighted in the previous entry), I am confident the corpus will be of sufficient basis for the later work coming down the line. The future for the current is rather exciting, and for once I can say such a thing without a hint of my characteristic sarcasm.

Outside of the above work, it was good to get back to doing some of my own, more personal stuff. Around the solstice, I finally got the time to venture down back into the woods, and the forest temple space that was consecrated last year. With having been so focused on teaching others, I felt I had somewhat neglected my own personal connection to the Gods of the current. This is something I wanted to address.

The walk down to the outside space can always be a little ‘interesting’ – at that time of night, in the isolation, curious deer etc will happily follow you through the undergrowth to see what you are up to. This night however, was a bit different – the woods themselves didn’t feel particularly welcoming – almost on the edge of anger. It wasn’t directed at me – but the atmosphere felt thicker. It felt almost like it possessed an aggressive vibrancy – potent, nature energy that edged onto an almost predatory feel. This put me a little on edge – something I’m not used to experiencing when going to do workings out there. Nevertheless, I persisted; there was work to get done.

However, I needn’t have worried so much. When I arrived at the location, it was positively brimming with power, feeling like it was almost begging to be worked with. The working itself was rather short, and sweet. First, fresh spring water was poured over the small cairn built into a tree hollow out of sight from most casual visitors. This would help acknowledge the genius locii and gods of the space before anything active was worked.

Bats in flight, Ann Froschauer

With the offerings given, the circle was then opened ceremonially and properly ensorcelled. Belial was then called to the circles edge. Something that always strikes me on reflection, is just how quickly Belial comes to the call in the natural environment. This can be rather on the nose, when he specifically choses to not be very subtle about things. The temperature noticeably changed immediately after giving the call, and the whole working space becoming slightly cooler. Bats swirled around and overhead the circle, clicking audibly. Such responses are always welcome when doing evocations, as they are forms of physical manifestation which proves without doubt the operation has been a success. In many cases, it also heralds a very physical appearance by the god or spirit in question. The energy intensified, becoming thick and heavy – this however was a very welcoming energy, feeling like I had indeed returned home in many ways. It felt like being wrapped in a cloak of purest velvet night, an incredibly comforting feeling given what I had worked through to get there that night.

From here, devotional was carried out – the use of song is something I have grown to appreciate within the last few months especially. It is a good way of building relationship with the gods and spirits, and helps exercise both spiritual, mental and physical faculties which are important to ritual work and thus the theurgic evolution. Working with dedicants and initiates has also taught me how many people struggle with this aspect of our practice – almost as if they’ve been encouraged to lose their own voice by others around them, directly or indirectly. This is from an occult perspective as well as a psychological one, is revealed as something simple when analysed at any deep level – a theft of power. Being able to project our voice, should be a very natural thing – after all it is a tool given to us in order for us to work with the gods and spirits – to enjoy and celebrate our incarnate existence. It wasn’t until I started working with others closely did I realise where I was on my own journey. I didn’t even think that this could have also applied to me before I started reconnecting with the arte magickal. On reflection, it very much did. It is something I had to painfully pull out of myself. Discovering this, I felt rather naïve – a failure of introspection up to this point perhaps – but also proud of how far I’ve come and that I can help others in this fashion.

I sat there enjoying the power that flowed into and around the circle. It seemed to rotate calmly around the circles edge, like a mini, but placid, vortex. This was in contrast with some of the more fearsome evocations I have performed. For those who have not yet had the pleasure to experience such a type of evocation of one of the witch gods – the feeling can be only be described as total love and acceptance. A feeling that you are tuned back into the very real world – the one which one was born into – seeing it again with fresh eyes. I feel massively privileged every time I am able to experience this with them.

It made me think back to the element and concept of transgression within our craft. By going into the wilds, to practice connection with the primal gods, we turn away from the actual illusion we are placed under on a daily basis. We walk through a very literal veil to reconnect with what lives outside of us. By doing something we are told is somehow wrong, we are able to break through systematic layers of control and obtain freedom even in a time when such a thing is in scant supply.

As I work more with others, and see the struggle they go through to break free of social programming, I finally begin to actually see the level of control placed upon people. At an individual as well as collective level. This doesn’t always come from the usual sources – in recent correspondences with another devotee, I laid bare how sometimes such attempts for control (at an overt, or subvert level) can come from those who should have a better understanding. This runs the gamut of wider society to those who should know us best. Those unlikely places of pressure could come from those supposedly enlightened communities we may find ourselves participating in. It can even go as far as those who are even supposedly close family, lovers or friends. Often it is unconscious – the people in question dealing with their own issues but projecting outward the consequences of such onto us.

When faced with such, the only real way to deal with it is to double down. The more years I work within the Primal Current, the less, and less I feel the need for any external validation – as said in many recent blog posts, the work turn inwards to things that can be realised both in my own practice and improving the lives of those around me through the magickal work.

I don’t know quite where this post was going when I started writing it and hope this won’t turn into a ramble. I just had a small compulsion to share some insight gained and reiterated in recent workings. I’m not even sure I have been able to properly convey what is felt into the proper words. But if anything can be taken away from this post, I hope it to simply be – don’t let others take your power from you. Furthermore, that this can come from the unlikeliest of places, and is not always willfully intentioned. This is I feel an aptly timed topic, with the power of summer all around us (at least those of us who live on my somewhat dreary and rainy island which to its credit, is doing its best of late to brighten the mood).

Important note for the above is I don’t mean this from the juvenile ‘no gods, no masters’ perspective of the more dubious of the modern LHP practices. I mean something deeper – to not allow yourself to be cut off from the spiritual well which is innately open to all living creatures. To allow such should be unconscionable to those of us who understand our origins as being that of Hecate, Queen of Hell, Heaven and Earth. This seems a very important thing to reiterate in a time of various types of sociological breakdown across many levels within society.

Things can seem pretty bleak out there right now. Without going further and getting political (which would detract from the actual message of reconnection), it should be obvious to everyone that where we are is not a particularly good place (we can save the disagreements on why to another more suitable time and place). But even so, one can see the light in the darkness if one just takes the time to look – amongst the oak trees, the running water, the power of the wild that vigorously responds to the height of the sun. This is where we should find our solace, and strength to carry on.

I hope this post reaches you all finding you well, and thriving on your work with the Trident gods and spirits. For those who may feel a little disconnected – this is direct to you – remember the gods are eternal and timeless. Take off the pressure from yourself, and instead take the time to breathe. Go light a candle, say a small prayer, or do that walk and take time to enjoy things again as best you can. They will always be there, in the sound of the wind, in the glint of the sunlight, in the subtle glow of the moon, and in the rumbling of the water.

Three Faced Goddess by HeartySpades

⛥

‘For you, Hecate,
We walk those forgotten crossroads,
Hearing you calling us home,
May you show us the way,
In Love and In Honour

For you, Lucifer
We carry the Torches of Love and Compassion,
May you show us the means by which,
To assist and guide others,
In Love and In Honour

For you, Belial,
We sing these praises in the darkest of nights,
May you show us the way to endless joy,
To reclaim our birthright,
In Love and In Honour,

For you Sepheranz,
We keep hope alive in these times of painful transition
May you help us survive,
To thrive and choose true,
In Love and In Honour

,
For you Qayin,
We keep the hidden ways alive,
In veneration of He who blazed the trail,
Setting the example to follow,
In Love and In Honour

In the Name of The Trident,
Let the Way to the New World

Be Opened,
In Revelation’

🔱

~S~

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Success through Putrefaction – Third Initiate, Black Degree

Posted in The Path of Flames, The Temple of the Ivory Spider with tags Alchemy, Belial, Hecate, Initiation, Ivory, Ivory Spider, Lucifer, Magick, Nigredo, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Temple, Temple of the Ivory Spider, Witchcraft on November 27, 2022 by Sypheara

It is with the utmost pleasure that I make an announcement in regards to the Temple work here.

Those who follow the blog may remember that, this time last year, one of our initiation candidates passed their ordeal and was initiated fully into the Black Degree.

Well it is again a great joy to confirm that another candidate has been successful at passing their ordeal, and acquiring the black degree as part of our ongoing work.

This particular candidate I have worked with on and off for over seven years now, and always pondered whether our work would eventually dovetail within the same house, as it were. I would never have believed that this would be the year they would undergo the Trial of Putrefaction – going on to succeed above and beyond my expectations. This period of work follows a time of very intense, close workings with the Trident – work that was carried out over the preceding last three months.

This, as always, was required to assess whether they were both suitable and ready to take this large step. These rites needed to be performed by the seeker, as well as verified by me as Magister to ensure that everything aligned properly and that it was right to continue.

This comes after a year of hard work, trusting in the Gods to ensure that the temple plan unfolds as it should – directed by our growing, collective will. The candidate made the leap with committed heart and devoted soul – bringing the alchemical change required. This was no small task – the initiation rite is designed to test, push and break the candidate where it can.

I was in no real worry that this candidate would fail however – the signs bringing them firmly onto the Primal Current were not subtle ones – waking visions of Belial physically showing the Trident being just one obvious manifestation of their will and intent. This was confirmed with a series of divination and evocational works – some completed individually, some with me being present within the rites to facilitate as well as simply enjoy the ritual.

Fire Covenant by Rovina Cai

Physical manifestations, such as fire turning vivid green without any tainting of the fire with the likes of copper, as well as powerful animal possessions sealed the deal in regards to the initiation going ahead. Such invitation by the gods made it clear to me as to the direction it would go and it became undeniable in how it unfolded – these instances were all startling in their potency, if not surprising considering the depth and power involved in both their nature and surrounding circumstances.

With all of this this now reified with the initiation itself, I now turn my attention to completing the write ups of three, major theurgic rites conducted over the Samhain period. It is my intention to rest on my laurels a bit – just a bit – to allow for the task of getting resultant gnosis pulled out and put onto paper. Without this, there can be no expansion to push further myself whilst also giving attention to the initiates who will now need direction and assistance to make the most of their path. Going into the new year, I hope to turbocharge things a little bit.

I will end this post here, but it is with joy i’ve been able to type the above and make this known to the wider primal craft community.

Many Blessings,
In the Name of the Trident,
Carried on Lucifers Flames,
~S~

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Portals of Flame – Earthing the Current of the Stellar Temple Gate of Lucifer

Posted in Luciferianism, Occultism, Paganism, Stellar Gnosis, The Path of Flames, The Temple of the Ivory Spider with tags Belial, Gateway, Gateways, Hecate, Lucifer, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Portal, Portals, Possession, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Stellar, Temple, Temples, Vassago, Witchcraft on October 7, 2022 by Sypheara

Here we are, going into Samhain, and I am still playing catch-up! The midsummer solstice, and the impacts of the work coming out of that time, knocked me for six. In a very good way – so much has changed, altered, opened for myself and temple since then that every time I’ve sat down to write this entry, something else would occur which necessitated deep work and reflection to tackle and integrate it. Whether this was work for the current, for myself, or the initiation candidates, something would come up meaning the blog posts came bottom priority. Many of these events have been very profound – the kind of experience where writing about them seems almost exhibitionist. As such, I’ve chosen to focus on purely the more ‘formal’ rite which was carried out earlier this year for this belated blog post.

For context – the above was not entirely unexpected. Opening each stellar gate, has been an increasingly complex process up to this point. The opening of the first gate, with the Temple Familiar gifted by Belial through the Seal of the Ascending Winged Skull, took a matter of months – albeit the physical effects took years to both integrate and fully recover from. Hecate’s Stellar Gate similarly came through relatively quickly, to balance the initially unexpected black stellar energies released via the Ivory Spider.

Lucifer’s was more of a slow burn – requiring the evocation and integration of all three great elemental dragons – something that could be done fully only in the places where they most strongly reside. This required roughly two years of work and planning. As such, when contrasted with the Lilithian build up, I knew that opening this particular gate would be very demanding.

In total, no less than three wood cuts, and one full wood engraving block would be used in opening this gate at the temple here. The gate stele itself was cut into an engraving woodblock, made of birch. On one side, the temple specific channelled variant of the Seal of the City of Pyramids was inked, on the reverse, the specific key to unlock that seal fully given through the work with Lilith. The remaining four sides of the wood blocks were filled with Theban script – three sides, the formula of the synchronomicon, the final word being one of draconic origin released in the final work.

Each wood cut was adorned on one side with its related draconic seal, and on the flipside, its related draconic key.

Fomalhaut, the Royal Star of the South, by Davide De Martin

The ritual to open the gate was a strenuous one. Donning the ritual mask of Lucifer, firstly, each dragon gate was opened within the circle itself. This was possible thanks to the power already granted in previous possessions – without which none of this would have been possible.

Each opening necessitated each front seal being covered in blood, following a formal unlocking at blade point and subsequent blooding of the rear key sigil. As each was completed, the power of the corresponding dragon flooded into the circle. The feeling that accompanied these steps was not initially one of ecstatic empowerment – instead this initial, preparatory stage felt more like wading through a liquid. A liquid that simply grew in viscosity as more power was drawn into the working space as each woodcut was worked through individually, each power point and line receiving the necessary attention the act required.

The final quarter to be opened would be different. Here, stood the clear mirror of the arte used at the temple for a variety of rites. In front of it, the stele of Lucifer’s gate was placed, flanked by candles, leaving space to carry out the needed ritual operations. To the left, a blooded sigil of Surgat lay, and on the right, the physical skeleton key empowered by Lilith in the previous working. Both Witch Gods were called to lend their power to the rite.

When the time felt right, the front of the stele, as well as surrounding words of power were blooded. Lilith’s key was then utilized on the gate seal, to open it in widdershins fashion. With this prepared, the gate was turned and the key seal of the stele blooded. Finally, it was necessary to repeat the last two steps on the mirror itself. With each symbolic act, the locks placed on the soul were also released, and with words of power, the mirror gate came alive.

Formal request of Lucifer, through the opened mirror gate, to release the power of his stellar gate thus prepared, began a series of possessions. Like sunlight filtered through a lens, the power surged through the mirror and into the body. Strangely, it was not Lucifer who came first – but Vassago, coming clean out of the mirror. His silvered body glowed with such intensity, as his appearance took me entirely off guard – it was not the horned god I had initially expected! His chosen form so mercurial it seemed to flood out the clear surface, which in turn, now rippled like the surface of water.

Now behind him came Lucifer, appearing in horned, reptilian form – his energy in comparison was darker, more red and black, and in swirling kaleidoscopic currents the possession intensified. It was in this act that the necessary alchemy was completed, and the resulting completed stele marked.

The traditional goetic appearance of the daemon Vassago. Very different from the mercurial visions this spirit often gives me!! Artist unknown.

I lay there for awhile, just recovering from the energy release. In many ways I was still in shock, as the process was very different to what I had initially expected – this was a great learning exercise. Even with all the gnosis processed as to how to perform a rite, only by actually doing it is full understanding gained – something which cannot be guessed going in without the potential for being humbled by the experience.

With the above done, this marks the end of a cycle of intense workings. I don’t expect these to get any easier, but I must now for a little time, turn my attention to my initiation candidates. I have been blessed with two candidates of strong potency and devotion – and both are at a stage where initiations could be reasonably performed into the Black Degree.

As the year dies, my mind goes towards the blogs future. As more and more work intensifies, as alluded to in the opening, my view on many things has changed. Next year will mark the ten year anniversary of me starting this blog – what was meant to be only a small little working curio diary, has grown far beyond what I had initially planned. We are a full ninety posts in at this point, and many of the goals I initially set have either been met, or I have simply grown beyond. As my more work becomes Temple based, more intimate and deep, I do anticipate that there may be many necessary changes yet to come.

I will update people as I go, regarding any plans. I hope everyone a fantastic run up to Samhain, and thank you for reading.

May the Lord of Light,
Show you the Way,
Back to the Stellar Paths,
Long forgotten by the Race of Man,

In Lucifer’s Name,

~S~

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Small Update: Imbolc Blues, Lucifers Eye

Posted in Folk Belief, Luciferianism, Occultism, Paganism, Stellar Gnosis, The Path of Flames, Traditional Witchcraft with tags Crystal, Hecate, Imbolc, Lucifer, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Petalite, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Sphere, Transvocation, Witchcraft on January 28, 2022 by Sypheara

Just a small update from myself, as we come into the new year proper. It has been a bit quiet here lately – some family things have needed attention, and I have also been taking some time to myself to simply enjoy life; mainly focusing around having gratitude for what (and who) I already have and how far I’ve come. This has not come easy for me, as someone whose mind is always focused on aiming for the next goal. But being present in the now is something I have learned to embrace within the last few years. To stand aware, at the Crossroads, centred, empowered and without distraction is a power in itself.

This breather has been pretty useful in terms of recharging – and I expect February / March to pick up in terms of Occult practice as well as finally beginning physical work on the space here.

Cover of Middle-Earth Quest: A Spy In Isengard, Angus Mcbride, 1988

It hasn’t been all quiet though. I have used the recent full moon to correctly pull through the final seal required to complete the set of six required to open the Stellar Pillar Gate of Lucifer. This marks the culmination of the Dragon works I began with Leviathan back at the end of 2019, and puts me firmly on track to explore opening that come Beltane at the latest. This would only leave Belials to complete, before the Planetary Work, and then the preparation for Abyss Crossing can be finally tackled. For this, I estimate a further three to five years will be required.

One of the tools necessary to carrying out the opening of Lucifer’s Pillar Gate is a crystal sphere. This is required to focus, amplify and direct the energies brought through in possession. It is the glue for all of the Dragon Gates in this working. The Eye of Lucifer is the counter-part to the Eye of Hecate within the circle as well. I’ve wanted to get a sphere for Lucifer for sometime – at least a year – and finally I went searching for one. I was aiming to find one similar in diameter to the obsidian sphere I already have for Hecate, and one that I could scry that would be suitable for the job. Only a crystal with natural alignment would do – reconstituted quartz would not do – and ideally for this, one that was also not lab produced. Even with all these boxes ticked, that still didn’t necessarily mean it would have the ‘feel’ and thus be suitable for the job.

Finding a crystal that fulfilled these requirements took some doing – and it certainly did not come cheaply. But I finally managed to find a perfect sphere for this work – one suitable for Lucifer. The sphere I found is one made out of White Petalite, a lithium ore, and was a very lucky find. Upon its arrival here, it was consecrated in the Eastern Quarter with the energy of the Perfect Red King of Sulphur. This involved the use of a full ritual circle, with the energies raised within it to as high level as I am personally capable. The consecration was done using transvocation – with Lucifer first invoked into the body, then evoked into the sphere itself. This ensured that the eye was opened fully, without any room for an incomplete job.

The Eye of Lucifer, before empowerment, self taken

The resultant Eye of Lucifer is in actuality slightly larger than the Obsidian Sphere I have for Hecate. This is likely due to measurement errors on behalf of sellers, as both are approximately 160mm, the newer trending towards 165/170mm. Already naturally quite powerful in terms of solar energy, the amount of power that can be drawn through after consecration feels extreme. It also must be kept in mind this is even before the empowerment has had time to fully settle… it not even being one lunar cycle since the above work was conducted. Just looking upon it I feel like my power is amplified, with images swirling into my minds eye through the powerfully opened vortex. This increases even further by simply placing ones hands upon it and staring deeply into it.

I look forward to experimenting with not just Lucifer’s Eye, but also using in conjunction with Hecate’s, whilst projecting outwards (or peering inwards..). This should make for very, very powerful results. With the left hand on Hecates Eye, the right hand on Lucifers, this will be something to really experiment with to go Beyond.

The Eye of Lucifer in the Mirror, before empowerment, self taken

There are still a few none trivial details to pull through next – and that is how to formulate the given seals, the given key, and other necessary ingredients to effectively open the gate. This is what I’ll be working on within the next six weeks. This may require additional wood to burn to physically create the dragon seals, as well as a potential special oil formulation. This oil may be needed to dress and thus anoint the physical representation of the Key of Lilith – that which was given after completion of the Earth Dragon rite – and seems to play some form of role here.

More channelling work will be required to digest all of this. I am going to leave this small entry here, and I wish everyone a very happy if slightly premature Imbolc.

And as such, better get working on those Brigids Cross skills (something I was never particularly great at!!!).

Adder, by pronature

‘Thig an nathair as an toll
Là donn Brìde,
Ged robh trì troighean dhen t-sneachd
Air leac an làir.

The serpent will come from the hole
On the brown Day of Bríde,
Though there should be three feet of snow
On the flat surface of the ground.’

Ave Lucifer,

~S~

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Success through Putrefaction – Second Initiate, Black Degree

Posted in Stellar Gnosis, The Path of Flames, The Temple of the Ivory Spider with tags Alchemy, Belial, Hecate, Initiation, Lucifer, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Primal Craft, Putrefaction, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Sepheranz, Temple of the Ivory Spider, Witchcraft on November 10, 2021 by Sypheara

It is with great pleasure that I make this very small, but nevertheless, important post.

A promising, long term candidate has undergone the Trial of Putrefaction for the status of Black Degree Initiate here at the Temple. This person has worked with me since around 2013 in various capacities – intensifying over the last five. I have long wanted to offer them initiation – but they were up to now, not ready to accept it. That time finally came on the night of the 4th of November.

It was not without trepidation that I opened up the initial proceedings that evening; not because I doubted my talented and dedicated candidate, but because each initiation is precious. Having already initiated one person, I know intimately the process that must be undergone – but each initiation is its own thing, a unique special moment in time for both Magister and Candidate. Success can never be guaranteed – nor can the Trial be fully predicted. Ritual is not theatre – when done properly in possession with the Gods of the Trident.

I should not have worried however. The candidate passed the Trial splendidly, with a sound leap of faith – and following on from this, the oaths were taken in full love with committed heart. The empowerments then went well – the witchbody of the successful candidate vibrating strong and powerfully after the work was brought to a finish.

For myself, the work was quite strenuous – more so than even the previous candidate. After coming back to full awareness, I was exhausted – and it took around three full days to recover. This consisted of copious amounts of sleep. Such fatigue is unavoidable -it is the payment given by the Magister in work with the Gods. It is what is gifted on the candidates behalf for all their hard work. It is a sacrifice that I enjoy making. But that does not mean it is done without significant effort on my part.

The fruits however, are great. This particular initiation marked the full formulation of the preliminary and post-ritual steps that help round out the black degree process as a whole. Building on the first initiation, which dragged this format out into the light, a refinement was conducted on its structure. Now in the study here, the first physical black degree book sits, three months of work between me and the new initiate. The text compiled, reviewed, completed and hardbound. Within its pages are declarations, blooded and sigilised, post rite.

Philosophia Reformata (Johann Daniel Mylius)

I feel that these are the bones of the Temple being built, on the back of two years of difficult, at times heart rending work. Alot has changed since that first initiation in 2019. This is just the beginning – there are more good things to come. I have on the downlow been preparing a website specifically for the Temple, to explain its purpose and mission, its methodology, and to show our existence to the world. This still requires heavy work – not just in creating the content, but in creating specific artwork that embodies the temple itself, containing its spirit. It will see the light of day, when it is ready.

Let me clarify immediately on the above. I do not seek the creation of an ‘online order’ for easy remote joining – the site will exist primarily as a ‘we are here’; for the benefit of other devotees and working primal craft covens that might want to reach out, but be unaware of our existence. It is my intention to build up a working stellar coven – and initiate those special select candidates who grab my attention. These will be composed of candidates who intend to work on a regular basis as part of the physical coven, or those who are simply guided by Hecate for stellar initiation in real, physical travel for required empowerment here.

It is to be noted here that initiates do not necessarily have a coven position/seat. This is something I am still working on formulating – alongside the general personal theurgic work. It has to make practical, as well as Occult, sense. But the Temple work grows – line by line, ritual by ritual. Having these things in place in a concrete, more finalised way is still a way off – it will also require a lot of organic rather than forced growth. But it is finally gaining momentum. Further discussion with the successful initiate will determine how this proceeds in the short term as their input will be crucial.

As far as future candidates go, I already have further potentials – people who have shown years long dedication to the work of the current. Whose dedication and devotion are beyond question. One is someone I have known going back a decade, who has spent the last few years working in the current in-between mundane responsibilities. This person has already been offered initiation – personal circumstances willing, and considering world affairs, local sensibilities, and working commitments. To say more would be a breach of privacy – as always, I leave it up to individual candidates and initiates as to whether they bring themselves ‘into the light’ or continue working in privacy.

It is not my intention to chase numbers. I have no interest in quantity over quality. That said, there will be more. Once I have reached certain thresholds of personal development and practice, further degrees will be opened up to existing initiates and more energy put into specifically growing the working coven and relevant stellar rites.

I will leave it there. Except to say, that I am very proud of my initiates for the love, devotion, and hard work they have shown both to the Gods and Temple. I look forward to working with the new initiate to build on this success, where it coincides with their own personal development and growth within the Current.

For myself, I intend to take a good period of time to finish off records, as well as deal with administrative matters and personal occult development. A rest is also in order! I hope to return to make another posting probably in the latter half of December.

Through Black,
Through White,
Through Red,
Through the Power of the Trident,
We Become.
~S~

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Daybreak: Return to the Light and the Foundation of the Stellar Temple

Posted in Stellar Gnosis, The Path of Flames with tags Contemporary Paganism, Dragon, Dragons, Evocation, Goddess, Hecate, Lucifer, Luciferianism, Magick, Occult, Occultism, Pagan, Paganism, Primal Craft, Religion and Spirituality, Ritual, Sigils, Spider, Stellar, Surgat, Trident, Wicca, Witchcraft on March 14, 2021 by Sypheara

So it has been all quiet on the blog front. In order to get through a very long winter, it has been necessary to turn inward to focus on mundane life and concerns. Whilst the occult work hasn’t stopped, it has also taken a turn to be far more introspective and personal than can necessarily be shared in public. That said, I thought a small post was in order.

I think that these circumstances probably reflects a lot of our collective experience at the moment. But here at least, there is finally signs of things picking up. The return of the light and warm weather here has been quite abrupt, and I feel that this year will open up to be a great one for the current and the work of the temple here. With the publication of the upcoming Qayin work by MAS, I can see many new faces being drawn into working with our gods. Exciting times, given the last year we have all had to suffer through.

Due to this, I thought it would be good to put down my (very) long term intentions for the work here, that runs parallel to my own theurgic work. It is to be noted that these plans are just that very long term and up in the air, but are important I think to get out there. Especially as I have had some people asking me personally to clarify.

A tarn in Norway, Photographer Unknown

I plan to do the next ritual in the dragon workings between May and August; the initial anchor stones for the outside working were collected this weekend, and will be blessed tonight, in preparation for their marking and empowerment at the next full moon in preparation for their use in this evocation. Surgat will be worked with heavily to understand this formulae that is similar to the stellar anchors used in previous evocational work, but different in intention. To create a bridge for the dragon to ride down, is the most vital element to the entire working. This is something I’m deeply looking forward to – the most powerful work is always done in the wild, in connection with the elemental forces. The inner temple work, whilst very powerful, is unsuited to such works of grand evocation necessary for the next stages of soul evolution. I have a plan as to what and where – it is going to involve a bit of wild camping, at elevation, so it is going to need a proper plan and preparation to pull it off somewhat safely. I may document the trip as I go, as it is likely going to take a few days to get to the wilderness location where I’ll be carrying the rite out.

In other news I have gotten back into transcribing all the writing from the physical volumes into electronic format – into a more cohesive edited work. All of this task is mostly thankless and goes unnoticed, as it’s nature but it’s crucial as anyone who documents their own work knows. It is currently not my plan to ever publish this publicly – things could change, with a variety of internal, external factors coming into account (and protocol to be followed as is honourable) – but instead the current intention is to focus on creating a master copy temple book, as part of founding a real, physical working group here. This work can then be given to the initiates, in a format suitable to their level of development.

A lot has been worked on in this regard since I last tackled transcribing and editing (the work referred here to simply as The Book of the Ivory Spider), not least the Lucifer aspect which turned out to be far longer, and more involved, than I had anticipated. More direction has come through, but until I bust through this particular gate that has had me working years longer than expected, the full extent of the remaining Belial and Ivory Spider work is difficult to see. I doubt that before full outer and inner plane construction is finished, I’ll be able see the complete picture to put everything into perspective. This lull however does make for a perfect time to get caught up in anticipation of more gnosis that needs to be brought through, decoded, and recorded.

To give people an insight, below is a picture of the journals covering the last few years of work. There is a lot of material – most of it being quite specific to myself – but that still leaves a lot to be extracted, rewritten, detailed and placed into context which is not always obvious immediately after performing a rite and documenting the results.

A stack of Temple Books, self taken

It is not just text either. Within these works are the various sigillic diagrams, spirit seals, and other such details via which to create the necessary gates opened in blood. Many of these ways for now need to be solidly guarded until they can be possibly passed on. Below is one of the diagrammatic seals / sigils reflecting the poison that runs through the blood, upon accepting the blessing and curse of the guardian of the stellar webway upon ones own soul, body and mind. This is only the outer seal or mark of a very real occult transformation which happens within the blood, that puts a significant strain upon the body initially. If pushed through, it allows for great works of healing conducted through direct blood work – especially at removing, destroying, and cleansing works or after effects of a malefic or abusive nature.

The Seal of the Healing Venoms, self created and taken

To return to the topic of the group work to detail that further, if anything of the last few years has taught me, it is the value of physical covens. The one that I work with for an arguably related but separate current, has taught me the great value of shared history, gnosis, and of an implicitly trustworthy magickal fraternity. Devoid of drama, it has focused strongly on the rites and power and has reaped the fruits of such. This experience has also conversely taught me of the many shortfalls that come through online teaching and learning. Simply put, what I want to achieve with the Stellar Temple that is slowly forming, is not possible outside of a cohesive magical group working intimately and closely in the real physical world. This is where I want to focus my efforts, and thus produce a strong line of stellar initiates within a lived and deep tradition. This is how I see my own work developing, and the best of way of safeguarding and cherishing what was passed down to me from the Mother Temple, as well as other treasured lines of initiation.

2020 taught me the seriousness of such a charge and simply cemented my conviction to build this and disseminate it in the way that achieved the best results for individuals and the world soul. One can say my mind was focused. As to the exact form this will take, it is up to much debate, but both organization and makeup of the working group here is still be decided. Initial formulation of three working degrees, based around alchemical principles, will be the primary means of testing and preparation for initiate work. The actual passing on of any prince of fire empowerments will be reserved for those who excel and pass in physical dedication passed those three degrees. Whilst superficially similar to traditional wicca, and no doubt inspired by my work within that related current, the content of the rites are specifically Primal Current in both method and design. The first of these initiations at Black Degree have already been performed. There is however, a lot of remaining work to develop the personal cultus of the Temple and ensure it is both consistent and correctly understood to be properly revealed and transmitted. I’m looking forward to doing this work immensely.

Scene of Rising Energies from Amenta, self created and taken

Some may contrast this approach with that taken by the Mother Temple itself for disseminating work. There is reason why the works of the mother temple were made public, that have been discussed at length by its gatekeeper. Sometimes the time is right to make something more widely known, important to make something public. For the stellar work done here, that time is certainly not yet – and it may be simply that it is never for wide dissemination.

The blog is probably not going to have lots of updates this year – unless it is to update on the Dragon Rite and or the construction of the inner temple. I have seemingly lost my appetite right now for public discourse and the tide turns inwards to give birth to something new and deep. It would be easy to do updates on common affairs topics – like the current Hecatian communities general attitude, the attitude of witchcraft community to its teachers and its all take, no give solipsistic practice and approach. But I have so far decided to simply stay off these topics here and focus on the work. I think that is what is most beneficial for the long run, as the rest is really just monkey noise getting in the way of progress on the theurgic path. Somethings should be self evident, and not need an essay.

I may in the near future finally get a review up for Jack Grayles Hekateon, as well as Liber Khthonia by Jeff Cullen at some point. We will see. The first is quite belated – the quick summation are both are worth reading, and enough is easily syncretised with the Primal Current to make them worth it for the Trident devotees as secondary sources. The last one in particular in its reclamation of the devotional aspect I feel is very important and very good to be seeing in new material as emphasis.

I hope this insight has given people something to look forward to re the writeup and a bit of reassurance that good work is still ongoing here.

Illuminated by the Black Sun,
We Carry Her Torches,
Now and Forever,
~S~

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The Luciferian Revolution

Archive for Lucifer

The Evolution of The Scorpion God – Soul Baring Work

Another Turn of the Wheel – Inversion of the Light

The Return of the Sun – The Omens of the Bennu Bird

This Blessed Samhain – The Eclipse of the Dark Moon Huntress

The Suns Zenith – The Light In The Dark

Success through Putrefaction – Third Initiate, Black Degree

Portals of Flame – Earthing the Current of the Stellar Temple Gate of Lucifer

Small Update: Imbolc Blues, Lucifers Eye

Success through Putrefaction – Second Initiate, Black Degree

Daybreak: Return to the Light and the Foundation of the Stellar Temple

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