Learning about ritual magic

[walkingundine]

So, I don't often do formal ritual. When I do, I tend to use one specific format I learned when I was working with a group at my college. I think it's fairly standard. You cast a circle, call quarters, do any other invocations, then there's the body of your ritual which builds energy up, then there's the conclusion of your ritual which directs energy, then devocations, then open circle.

There's no way that's the only way to do it, surely. I'm just looking to shake things up a little... Anyone have a different ritual structure? Anything I should read before mucking about with the way I do things? Hell, any practical advice at all would be welcome.  

[TeaDidikai]

Depends on what you are working with.

My practice doesn't use circles and we NEVER Invoke. Always envoke.

See- there isn't really a "generic" ritual structure in my practice. Only things done for specific situations. sweatdrop  

[walkingundine]

TeaDidikai

Depends on what you are working with.

My practice doesn't use circles and we NEVER Invoke. Always envoke.

See- there isn't really a "generic" ritual structure in my practice. Only things done for specific situations. sweatdrop

Okay, here's where I show my true colors as a recovering fluffy.

Am I using the word 'invoke' incorrectly? I meant to say, I was taught that when you request the presence of a particular spiritual entity in your ritual, that's invocation.

So what really is the difference between evocation and invocation? Apparently I've been misusing the word for ten years. redface

I just used an 'oops' emoticon, but I'm not sure it's blushing enough. Blush more damn it!  

[TeaDidikai]

Typo demon.

Evoke- to bring forth. Invoke, to draw into the self. At least- that is the mystical understanding I have come across in the neopagan community.

As my Baba set down prohibitions against otherlings being present within the body, my tradition doesn't lend itself to invocation.

I'll leave that to the Mombies and Wiccans. cool  

[walkingundine]

idea

Light dawns on Marblehead, as it were.

Thanks.

That said, as you've defined it, I've invoked only once or twice. I've evoked six ways to Sunday. I don't like to invoke much- it seems like overkill most of the time.  

[TeaDidikai]

walkingundine

idea

Light dawns on Marblehead, as it were.

Thanks.

That said, as you've defined it, I've invoked only once or twice. I've evoked six ways to Sunday. I don't like to invoke much- it seems like overkill most of the time.

Depends on the path in question and the situation.  

[Kal Eldritch]

That kind of template seems to be used a lot and is relatively standard among the neo-pagan scene. I don't particularly invoke on a regular basis, but that's only because I've heard that you can actually take the personality of the godhead youre invoking if you're doing it for too long or if the godhead is particularly powerful. Generally, I don't really even do ritual unless I evoke (because I practice ceremonial evokation), but I'll do something along the line of ground - shield - ward - energy work on a more regular basis. Really, I'll only do ritual when I'm trying something new or doing some sort of mysticism, but even then, I really only do something along the lines of what you do anyways.  

[Deoridhe]

As a note, that structure comes from Ceremonial Magick, which has a solid Christian and gnostic root. I'd recommend looking into the basics of CR even if just to get a feel for it.

Unfortunately, none of the magic I do involves ritual - just the worship I do does - so I can't help much with magic of the sort you're looking for.  

[VisasMarr]

Deoridhe

As a note, that structure comes from Ceremonial Magick, which has a solid Christian and gnostic root. I'd recommend looking into the basics of CR even if just to get a feel for it.

Unfortunately, none of the magic I do involves ritual - just the worship I do does - so I can't help much with magic of the sort you're looking for.

*nod-nod*

Totally, if you like or choose to do Ritual Magic, going straight to the source seems like a good idea. You could investigate other types of ritual magic, but I honestly don't know where you should look. I use magic very informally. So, I really can't help you here. The times I have used ritual magic... well it just seemed like a bunch of useless hohum... I use ritual for celebration and worship... mostly. Though I can't say I've done any of that for quite some time.

Good Luck on your search.  

[AingealOreiad]

walkingundine

There's no way that's the only way to do it, surely. I'm just looking to shake things up a little... Anyone have a different ritual structure? Anything I should read before mucking about with the way I do things? Hell, any practical advice at all would be welcome.

As a Hellenic, I don't do any of that. When I do a full " ritual" (not often unfortunately), it involved hand-washing with clean water, walking around the altar 3 times, lighting the Hestia candle with a full hymn and giving my prayers/offerings/etc. Then I walk away.

More often, I simply walk up to my shrine, light my Hestia candle, usually with something simple like "For you who are the first and last." Then I light incense or pour a libation either "For all the Theoi named and unnamed" or for a specific god stating a few of his/her epithets that are directly related to my life.

This is pretty much the standard structure of Hellenic ritual. There are Hellenics that do more elaborate rituals, and some involve magic and/or mystisism so may have other prectices, but you'd have to ask them about that.  

[walkingundine]

VisasMarr

Deoridhe

As a note, that structure comes from Ceremonial Magick, which has a solid Christian and gnostic root. I'd recommend looking into the basics of CR even if just to get a feel for it.

Unfortunately, none of the magic I do involves ritual - just the worship I do does - so I can't help much with magic of the sort you're looking for.

*nod-nod*

Totally, if you like or choose to do Ritual Magic, going straight to the source seems like a good idea. You could investigate other types of ritual magic, but I honestly don't know where you should look. I use magic very informally. So, I really can't help you here. The times I have used ritual magic... well it just seemed like a bunch of useless hohum... I use ritual for celebration and worship... mostly. Though I can't say I've done any of that for quite some time.

Good Luck on your search.

Thanks.
Um, what's CR? sweatdrop  

[Kal Eldritch]

walkingundine

VisasMarr

Deoridhe

As a note, that structure comes from Ceremonial Magick, which has a solid Christian and gnostic root. I'd recommend looking into the basics of CR even if just to get a feel for it.

Unfortunately, none of the magic I do involves ritual - just the worship I do does - so I can't help much with magic of the sort you're looking for.

*nod-nod*

Totally, if you like or choose to do Ritual Magic, going straight to the source seems like a good idea. You could investigate other types of ritual magic, but I honestly don't know where you should look. I use magic very informally. So, I really can't help you here. The times I have used ritual magic... well it just seemed like a bunch of useless hohum... I use ritual for celebration and worship... mostly. Though I can't say I've done any of that for quite some time.

Good Luck on your search.

Thanks.
Um, what's CR? sweatdrop

Ceremonial Ritual I believe.

Lemegeton. Concidered to be the quintessential grimoiric ceremonial magic book (especially the Goetia). The site's a great place to find many of the medieval grimoires.
Hermetic's Library. See Trithemius, Cornelius Agrippa, A.E Waite (especially the Book of Ceremonial Magic), and John Dee. For jewish mysticism, also see Sepher Yetzirah (under Kabbalah). I didn't see the Zohar there though confused  

[Henry Dorsett Case]

Sovereign of Darkness

I didn't see the Zohar there though confused

I can see a few reasons for that. First off, the Zohar is not a work on magic or Judaic occult - it's a (likely pseudepigraphic) mystical commentary on the Torah. It's no more a work on ceremonial magic than Pseudo-Dionysus' treatise The Celestial Hierarchy involved the evocation/invocation of the angels it described.

Second, some Kabbalists reject the Zohar, as it cannot be definitively dated past its "discovery" in the thirteenth century (and in fact, apparently shows traces of having been composed in the 13th century), though it gained widespread acceptance in many circles. Unless you're Rav Berg, in which case the Zohar was composed over 2,000 years ago and had nearly disappeared from the world until you single-handedly brought it back to light. I do have to admit I'm appreciative of the fact that what appears to be the whole thing is available online, though, Berg's twitchiness aside. But yeah, it's a controversial and not necessarily essential text (rather like the Slavonic Enoch in Christianity).

Third...have you ever seen the Zohar? It's freaking huge. The English translation is 23 sturdy volumes.  

[walkingundine]

Okay, I'll put the texts you all have recommended on my list... I'm a little reluctant to pursue Sefer Yetzirah because I was raised Jewish, and since my departure from that faith, I just haven't been comfortable using bits of it.  

[TeaDidikai]

walkingundine

Okay, I'll put the texts you all have recommended on my list... I'm a little reluctant to pursue Sefer Yetzirah because I was raised Jewish, and since my departure from that faith, I just haven't been comfortable using bits of it.

Why not?