The Blog of Baphomet

Objects can be the anchors for our stories. Museums and gallery spaces are full of such objects which, depending on the skill of their curators, are intended to help enrich us by discovering new narratives about the world. By engaging with objects and their stories, from the past and present, we are able to set our own ideas and practices within a broader context.

Given the fact that visiting physical museums is off the cards for the moment, I was musing on how I could continue my practice of teaching and learning with objects, and hit upon a new way of blending my professional work with my occult practice. Simply put; I thought it would be fun to get in touch with some of my magical friends and ask them to share some of their favourite things on film. I’ve had many enthusiastic responses to my initial request, with one of the unexpected benefits of this process being that contemporary practitioners are sharing not only the story of their magical thing, but also deeper aspects of their practice. Think of this as a real-time archive of esoteric practice, a window into the attitude and approach of a variety of spiritual, entheogenic and esoteric folk.

My first guest, on ‘My Magical Thing’ is Dave Lee. Well known as a chaos magician it was fascinating to see Dave’s magical thing demonstrating the fact that he, in common with many practitioners of post-modern sorcery, had a solid grounding as a young occultist in the ‘classic’ (i.e. late 19th to early 20th century) practices and imagery of the Western occult tradition.

Magician and author Jake Stratton-Kent shows us a personal object of power, setting the tone for some of the films to come. With Jake we are not getting the grand tour of elaborate ceremonial occult bling, but instead an insight into what we might call ‘everyday magical things’. Objects that point to a key process in esoteric practice; the re-enchantment of the world, where there is no longer a simplistic divide between the sacred and the secular.

Next up, Tommie Kelly shows us a magical thing he created, a hypersigil which, initially, he thought had been a complete failure. Another essential teaching in magic this one; things that initially look like ‘failure’ may actually, when considered at as part of a bigger picture, be exactly what the magician wanted, or more likely, needed.

My dear friend Monika is a magical mermaid, who has translated a number of my writings into Polish. We know each other through our ceremonial practice. She presents a great teaching here, embedded in a powerful and moving artwork.

Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone, two of the leading figures in the Wiccan community, have also contributed. Their magical things demonstrate the diversity of contemporary magical practices. They share with us a great story of receiving, and of giving in return, magical objects across cultures.

More stories from Alkistis Dimech, Amy Hall, Liz Williams, David Rankin and many more will be released over the next few weeks. As they say in the trade, please like, share and subscribe to my channel!

In more online news; since autumn of last year I’ve been developing resources to support exploring magical practices. Two courses are now available on the Deep-Magic.teachable.com site with more to be released soon.

Imagination and Wellbeing is a free course, designed to be accessible even if you’re not a card-carrying occultist. The course presents a collection of simple practices that require few, if any, props and which are suitable for use indoors. They include easy ways to use imagination and the body to find our centre, address stress, anxiety and depression, and to actively cultivate our capacity for curiosity, resilience and happiness.

Also available now is my course in Core Magical Skills which presents practical ways to engage with, or renew, your esoteric practice across the areas of meditation, bodywork, centering and banishing rituals, and spirit work. This course does what it says on the tin and, especially for those new to magic, aims to provide a solid grounding in the essential elements of practical magical work.

Do please sign up to my mailing list if you want news of future courses and special pricing offers, as they are made available.

I hope you’ll find these new resources useful, engaging, inspirational and fun.

Wishing you all well in this challenging time, and much success in your Great Work.

Stay Well, Stay High!

Julian

P.S. Treadwell’s Bookshop is also now providing some amazing online services and content. For more details please visit their website.

As many of us are now showing our solidarity by being on retreat I’d like to make a suggestion for some shared magical work to address the coronavirus pandemic.

This working was initially suggested by a member of the Illuminates of Thanateros and I’d like to thank that Brother for starting the process.

Many people will be already be doing magical work in many different ways and what I’m suggesting here allows for that diversity. We needs lots of approaches to address this crisis, in multiplicity there is strength.

To help link our magical work together this is the suggested sigil which has been named ‘Hearty’ for all the obvious reasons:

The sigil can be used as a focal point for various types of magical action including:

Sending vibes of solidarity, care, admiration and positive power to all those in the caring professions, teachers, medical staff and the many others who are at the front line in this pandemic.

Conjuring for breakthroughs in medicine, treatment, the discovery of a vaccine and other technologies and approaches to reduce suffering and support healing.

Sending spells to directly affect the virus to reduce its rate of transmission and severity.

Doing some classic shamanistic or trance work to enter the imaginal world and battle the virus.

Calling into manifestation those timelines in which our species respond to this challenge in ways that support better ways of living together on the planet and with all our relations (both human and non-human).

There are many other ways you could choose to work with the sigil. Your practice could be as simple as creating your own image of Hearty or bringing it up on screen and making prayers of gratitude and asking whatever spirits you work with for their help.

You could try some Tonglen practice using Hearty as the gateway image, breathing in the suffering of those affected by the virus and breathing out the alleviation of suffering through the symbol. (Only recommended for experienced practitioners who are in a good mental state.)

You could also use Hearty as a visual focus while speaking aloud to yourself or a friend (including over audio/video channels) and together create a ‘future nostalgia’. “Do you remember how it was that COVID-19, for all the sadness it brought, finally helped us come together as one people to address climate change and wealth inequality? Do you remember how we found a really effective and simple antidote to the virus and how wonderful the celebrations were when we emerged from our retreats? etc”.

An additional resource that you might want to include in this work is this soundtrack generated from the genome of the virus.

Here’s an example of a practice with Hearty, developed by a magical friend who is working in an intensive care unit, nursing people with the coronavirus:

Breathing with Good Heart

A breathing exercise/ritual. Can be used alone as a meditation or prayer using the sigil, or as part of a larger piece of ritual work. At a time when we face a respiratory disease, this focuses on breath as a tool to share collective prayer and ritual. Use the sigil, either printed or drawn in front of you, or in your mind. Imagine the sigil as a compass and use four cardinal points for each breath. You could draw the sigil on the floor and stand in it as your magical circle, turning to each direction as you perform the ritual.

Come to a still, centred state of awareness.

Place one hand to my chest, the other outstretched

“For my kin, for my kind, I will offer 5 breaths.”

In the East, breathe in deeply and say

“Inspiration – the breath of life that is Air

A consciousness higher, let us meet there.”

Bring attention to the element of Air.

In the South, breathe deeply and say:

“A breath for the flames that bring action and light

For passion for love, rise after the night.”

Bring attention to the element of Fire.

In the West, breathe deeply and say:

“A breath for the Water that cleanses and flows

For the tears, for the dreams, for the depths unknown.”

Bring attention to the element of Water.

In the North, breathe deeply and say:

“Inhale now and root deeply into the Earth

For the here, for the now, for the death and rebirth.”

Bring attention to the element of Earth.

Facing upwards.

“A breath for the Spirit that binds us as one

For unity, for truth, now the circle is spun.”

Take a final moment to allow your intention to pass into all those people, situations and objects that will help us in this time.

***

Obviously whatever magical work you do this needs to be combined with physical care for ourselves and others in our community.

We’re already seeing many heartening examples of community solidarity. A friend in Barcelona tells me that at 8pm each evening people come onto their balconies to clap and cheer in support of their medical staff. Let us, as Witches, Magicians, Shamans, Druids, Thelemites and others, create a global circle of power at this time of crisis and transformation. Let us be of good heart and breathe life into this magic!

Blessings on our Great Work and Happy Equinox!

Julian Vayne