Head For the Red

Mage Porn

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:19:01 PDT

A friend of mine posted a pic of his altar setup the other day on FB, and I gotta admit, I got a little wood. Mahogany. You know. Teak.

It's total mage porn.

I mean, it's not just me...

The temple is dimly lit by flickering candlelight. It looks warm, with the lower-spectrum light capturing and magnifying the reds of the roses in the vase at the far side of the altar. You can almost smell the musky odor of old incense that must hang in the air.

In front of the vase lies a ring of disks with images and seals and names of forces of creation, laid out like instruments of pleasure kept within easy reach to bring the full release of his Will into being. In the center, covered demurely in fine silk, is the Table of Practice, and the Scrying Stone.

This elegent skein magnifies your desire, for though covered, you can see the curve of the wooden Table outlined, and see the cold, hard, smooth curves of the Stone... You can feel somethng dark and heated in its depths drawing you in, calling to you to part the veil and penetrate into the Mysteries...

See? Not just me at all.

The Altar is our interface with the Universe at large. It is where we go to participate in the generative aspects of material life, including those spiritual transformations that change the spirit interacting with its material life through our bodies. It's a hot, sexy juncture between the manifest and the unmanifest. It's not just sexy, it is where we go to become sex. When we do magic, we are becoming sex, tapping into fucking-universe-of-creation and planting our seeds that will become our magical children. We impregnate and are impregnated, we come and we become. It's all brilliant and beautiful.

So yeah, when I happen upon someone else's setup, I get a little spiritual wood. A little teak. A little ebony wand action going on in my generative centers, if you know what I mean. It turns me on, and reminds me I've got things I could be doing myself. And now I look over at my own sweet setup, still a little tousled from its recent use, but still hot and ready for more...

And I start to hum.

Having fun with talismans...

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Sun, 05 May 2013 18:43:30 PDT

Someone mentioned I haven't blogged for a while. So here's an excerpt from a day in the life of R.O. ...

0) When I entered into the cave, I received the tablet zaradi, which was inscribed, from between the hands of Hermes, in which I discovered these words:
1) True, without falsehood, certain, most certain.
2) What is above is like what is below, and what is below is like that which is above. To make the miracle of the one thing.
3) And as all things were made from contemplation of one, so all things were born from one adaptation.
4) Its father is the Sun, its mother is the Moon.
5) The wind carried it in its womb, the earth breast fed it.
6) It is the father of all ‘works of wonder' (Telesmi) in the world.
6a) Its power is complete (integra).
7) If cast to (turned towards- versa fuerit) earth,
7a) it will separate earth from fire, the subtile from the gross.
8) With great capacity it ascends from earth to heaven. Again it descends to earth, and takes back the power of the above and the below.
9) Thus you will receive the glory of the distinctiveness of the world. All obscurity will flee from you.
10) This is the whole most strong strength of all strength, for it overcomes all subtle things, and penetrates all solid things.
11a) Thus was the world created.
12) From this comes marvelous adaptions of which this is the proceedure.
13) Therefore I am called Hermes, because I have three parts of the wisdom of the whole world.
14) And complete is what I had to say about the work of the Sun, from the book of Galieni Alfachimi.

Today I woke up thinking about talismans. Emerald tablet talismans. I thought it would be cool to come up with something that was lunar and solar and represented the great work.

So we made silver talismans tonight on a solar day in a lunar hour. We had a lump of silver from a one-ounce coin we had melted before. We melted some into lumps, then heat them and beat them with hammers until they were disc shaped. Then we engraved them with a dremel tool.

We put the image of the sun in the topmost triangle and the image of the moon in the lower one. We placed the elemental signs in the remaining four triangles and a Hebrew Samekh in the center. We consecrated them and placed them on our altar.

I think the symbolism is pretty apparent. It's not a traditional talisman, and it's not particularly astrological. It's simply something that reflects the thing we do. Ascend, descend, generate.

I'm going to wear mine, I think. It's not high art, or lost wax casting. It's primitive, and raw, and it is all mine. I like it because it is totally about what we do, and why we do it. It is simply magical, for its own sake.

Magical Panacea

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 03:00:02 PDT

Friends! Have I got something for you. If you're like me, and I know you are, you are in a world that is not entirely fun, aren't you? That's because life on Earth, in the flesh like this, well... it sucks sometimes. Usually when we're not paying attention to things we were supposed to be tending, but at other times too. It's like there's something inherent in incarnation that requires that sometimes things just aren't friggin' awesome.

But we don't have to stay there for long, thank god. We have the technology, we have exactly and specifically the cure for that which ails you, brothers and sisters.

Try New and Improved Red Stone!

It's a magical wonder, a panacea that brings healing, peace, and wholeness to us... wherever we may be. It extends life, it restores youth, it calms passions and cleanses apathy!

Don't just take my word for it, listen to this:

Got a Sickness?

The world's greatest diseases... escaped!

Sadness?

Driven Away!

Distress?

Driven Away!

Evil and hurtful things?

Also Driven Away!

But wait, that's not all!

Feeling lost in the Dark?

The Red Stone leads to the Light!

Feeling set about on all sides in a desert wilderness?

The Red Stone leads to a Secure Habitation!

Plain old fashioned Poverty got you down?

The Red Stone brings a free and ample fortune!

Not bad, eh? Who wouldn't want one? This was the sales pitch for the Philisopher's Stone* from the Golden Tractate of Hermes Trismegistus. I totally would have gone for it.

And I did. Hook line and sinker, I took the bait and got dragged from my dark and cold wet depths into a bright and scary world where I could barely breathe.

Fortunately, you don't need air up there.

I made a study of the Alchemical phases, and examined what exactly happened in these experiments. I looked at what happens in the Hermetic path to reclaiming divinity, and saw that it could easily be mapped to the alchemical phases.

I got to work testing my theory with the easiest model of the spheres and the process of ascending through the heavens and descending in power I could find. I started with the Primum Materia, that is, me, and I set that shit on fire, let the smoke rise up as an offering of prayers, to be a sweet smell in the heavens as I watched the things inside me burn.

And seven years later... I did it. I completed the Work, I created the Stone, and I ground it into a tincture, and I have used it to heal the world. It's still got sickness, but in the lives of those I touch, I spread healing, reminding people who they are and what they are capable of achieving with a little intent, planning, and right action.

The Philosopher's Stone, what it is, what it does, this is an important thing to understand, in my humble opinion. The making of it is supposed to turn you into a really super wise person, and it does, but it doesn't perfect you. No one claimed that it does. You aren't any more a manifest Buddha than you were before you started the Work (nor any less). You don't automagically become a Secret Chief.

But over the years, you learn what makes you tick. You learned who you are, how your damage creates more damage in your self, and you found ways to work through your shit. You kept dissolving your issues layer by layer until you found out what they really were underneath (I'm lonely) and behind all the false masks (I'm scared) and odd disassociative emotional spans (I miss You). You found the answers, visited the interior of the earth, and went even deeper, deep enough to dream in brilliant colors you have never seen, deep enough to join a million people for a wedding feast, deep enough to reach out and touch the face of the one who made you...

And you see it in everyone else around you too, the same core issues, and you can help. You see the darkness you labored in, you know how to turn on the lights, the everburning lights. You have the words to help the ones who need to hear them, if you choose to speak them.

You learn the value of health and how to foster it in a way that creates opportunities for miraculous wondrous cures. You learn to eat right and exercise because it gives you magical power and authority over your life**. You learn to phrase your healing rites in a way that focus on the desired outcome instead of the steps that you think should lead to the desired outcome. You learn when to Work with Raphael, the Healing of God, and when to Work with Michael, Who Is Like God.

And you learn to get rid of sadness. You learn that the people who let you down are just ... well, they're just like you. You get compassion. Not forgiveness, necessarily, because just like you, they could have learned to treat you better, but at least you understand, and you're released from taking it personally. As well as protected from letting it happen again. You've learned that the things that eliminating situations that make you sad make room for happiness, and that makes the times when you do see the sad stuff ever so much bearable. And even revelatory regarding the nature of sorrow and joy.

And your stress just goes away. I think it's great that the Golden Tractate was concerned about stress, don't you? They knew even then that it was a killer. They knew it comes from not knowing how things are going, that basic, "I'm scared" that hasn't been defined or mitigated. The Work shows you who you are, reveals the things you worry about and why, and it gives you the answers you need to keep that stress from coming back.

And it brings a sense of security. In the Gates rites, I walk people through the rites to build up a Kingdom by performing the planetary magics of initiation and manifestation that I learned about on the way. Work through them, and in a year people are talking about how their lives have changed, their incomes increased, bad relationships dissolved, great relationships found, and prosperity and health the hallmarks across the spectrum of results.

Cash, yo. Money. The stuff you need to get by, and have a little left over for just in case.

These things all come to those who pursue and create the Stone. They are the holy Side Effects of the Great Work. We get to have a lot of money and health and enjoyment, and we can help our friends when they are unhappy. When shit happens to us, we are equipped to appreciate the value and get rid of the useless parts of it more quickly than others. Shit happens to us less because we tend to be more proactive in getting what we want, and we understand the work necessary, and we enjoy doing it because it is fun to build reality, like it's fun to work out and grow muscles and shape your flesh as you will.

The true treasure though, the real reason we do it isn't listed at all in the sales pitch. The real reason we do it is something even better, something beyond words. It's pointed to in the word JOY, it's indicated... but there's something higher found in the frictive sweaty work of manifestation. Something higher and hotter and more amazing, a gnosis that feels like the release of the floodgates that you only feel consciously in rare sphincter-relaxing moments in life.

Sing the rapturous love-song unto me! Burn to me perfumes! Wear to me jewels! Drink to me, for I love you! I love you!

* This, O Son, is the concealed stone of many colours, which is born and brought forth in one colour; know this and conceal it. By this, the Almighty favouring, the greatest diseases are escaped, and every sorrow, distress, and evil and hurtful thing is made to depart; for it leads from darkness into light, from this desert wilderness to a secure habitation, and from poverty and straits to a free and ample fortune. - The Golden Tractate of Hermes Trismegistus

** want a whole post on that? bet it would be fun to write.

Demonic Agendas

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 03:00:09 PDT

In his Archonology post, Gordon recently presented the following sidebar:

Sidebar: it does, however, fascinate me that contemporary western occultism can display such a sad, trainspotty obsession with the lineage of grimoiric demons and stress over the most precise ways in which we ‘should’ contact ‘them’… but little thought is actually given to what these things do when they’re not appearing in your living room. Beings that apparently command vast ghost armies and give nightmares to kings are just… what? Sitting patiently in the metaphoric drive-thru window just waiting to help you get that 5% payrise? Or are they skinriding the brutal oligarchs bringing destruction and penury upon the world just for the lulz? Are you sure you’re even interesting enough to warrant a demon prince’s attention?

Hee hee! I love Gordon.

He's right, of course, there's not enough understanding of the framework of the spirits of the "demonic" grimoires among the traditionalist and fundamentalist movements in the practical occult. I classify all the grimoires of the Renaissance as being, pretty much, Hermetic in fundamental nature. They are founded on the principles of the Hermetic cosmology.

Hermetics has a rich landscape of spirits. There are the Celestial spirits of the heavens, the Terrestrial spirits of Nature, Elemental spirits, and Infernal spirits from the underworld. We are related to all of them, via our parents, First Father and the Spiritus Mundi. We are kith and kin to them all.

In the grimoires, the spirits that get classified as "demons" most often (i.e. when I think about them) are the spirits of the Lemegeton's Goetia, maybe the Theurgia Goetia, the spirits of the True Grimoire, the spirits of the Testament of Solomon, and some of the spirits you run into in the Clavicles, maybe. Oh, and the demons of the Abramelin rite, which was entirely about conjuring demons for money and happiness and not at all interested in happy illumination or enlightenment. Money. Power. Influence. Happiness. That's what the Abramelin rite is about, and it's demons that get it for you.

Now Jake Stratton-Kent has gone over it in awesomely better detail in Geosophia and True Grimoire, so I'll refer you there for more information about these next bits if you have questions. I'm summarizing and possibly paraphrasing, and probably changing some stuff to make it fit. But the gist of it is that the Demons are Elemental Spirits, for the most part. The four demonic kings are the kings of the elemental Kingdoms, and everyone else is a servant of them.

That's it, folks. Most of the "demons" you hear so much about are Elementals. Bet you didn't know every time you did an Elemental Kingdom rite you were conjuring demons, eh? Well you were! You're a Goetic Magician now, man, it's all over for you. You might as well be calling up the spirits of the dead, you damned necromancers!

So anyway, not a big deal, really. Demons are elemental spirits. That's the Terrestrial realm, mostly. So why the evil reputations? Let's not blame the Christians entirely, though they can carry a great deal of the blame. If you look at elemental spirits in many cultures, it's not long before you see that they are often up to no good. Faeries and sprites, leprechauns and dragons, the interactions between the two rarely end well. They have a reputation for mischief, the painful kind, disease-spreading, and strife-causing.

Now nature spirits are worker bees, just like the planetary governors of the allegedly celestial spheres. They are the Intelligences of the forces that oversee. They create reality, like blue-collar workers. They can be crass, opinionated, and bitter. They can also be the intelligences of disease, overseeing the manifestation of the common cold, or cancer. They are the spirits responsible for creating the things that come from nature that we don't like as much as the things that we do like.

So when they aren't in the circle or triangle, they are off overseeing the things over which they rule. They have legions of helpers because think about how many forces are interacting at once to maintain this universe. Legions and legions. And we can tap their forces if we want, but it's not guaranteed to be any entity who likes you, and you can't expect not to be impacted by what they are also lords over. Like if you conjure a apirit known to be a liar, don't be surprised if you, even though you've bound the spirit to tell the truth, become a liar yourself for a bit after working with him. They rub off on us.

It's no big deal, they aren't "bad." They just manifest things we don't like. You have to be really careful to understand the nature of the spirit you're working with when you do material magic so you can understand how it will manifest your results.

But on the other hand, these spirits are wicked smart when it comes to learning how to manifest things ourselves. They can teach us the nature of things, the correspondences of different elements, and how to combine them in neat ways to create specific results in our magical activities. We can get serious skills in mastering the manifestation game from them, if we ask for learning, teaching, education, information, skill, and talent in the spheres they rule. They can teach us how to "phrase" things when we speak them into existence.

And when they're done with us, they go back to their business, manifesting whatever needs manifesting wherever it's necessary. They aren't planning anything evil (except the one who are supposed to, and still... "evil"), they aren't riding politicos (except the ones who do) or running multi-generational experiments on human genetics (except ... well... it's a secret...).

So no need to worry about those demons and whatever they might be up to when they aren't around.

Everything's just fine.

Working with a Seer: Tech Basics

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 06:48:24 PDT

In terms of technology, while the conjuration is basically the same, it's completely different when you’re working with a seer.

For many years, I've had to conjure the spirits alone, relying on my own spiritual senses to discern the presence of the spirits, to hear their messages, and to see the visions they presented in the crystal. I've talked a lot about what all goes on when I do the rites over the years, and anyone who's read the Modern Angelic Grimoire or the Gates Rites understands the basic process I go through to conjure the spirits, pretty much, in terms of tech.

But to review, it goes like this:

Planning

Identify the spirit(s) I need to work with
Schedule the rite

Preparatio

Sprinkle Holy Water about ze room
Sprinkle me with some Holy Water too
Aspergus Meum - Anoint myself with Abramelin Oil

Conjuration

Consecration of space for my Defense
Blessing of the First Father on the Work and lighting of a candle to symbolize his light
Conjuration/consecration of the scrying medium
Conjuration/consecration of the incense
Conjuration of the Spirit

Communication

Explain the purpose for conjuring the spirit
Ask if it can help with what I want

If Affirmative, continue
If Negative, get info on why it's negative, advice in restructuring/rephrasing, find out how to make it work, or what I should be doing instead

Ask if there's anything else I need to know related to its sphere/purview
Charge to the Spirit

Gratis Ago

Thank the Spirit for coming
As you came in peace, so go forth now as agreed in power to accomplish (restate intent)

That’s the basic technology, the basic process. It changes from time to time, but the core stuff is there.

When working with a Seer, the process is very similar. We work together on the planning, we decide which spirits to conjure, and work out the best hour for both of our schedules to come together. There's a lot of coordination involved, and that is a reflection of the relationship of the conjuror and the seer. That's worth a post on its own though, maybe the next one.

We prepare the temple space together, and then she goes and prepares herself to see the spirits. Harper will be discussing her preparations in more detail in her posts, but while she's off preparing herself, I'm going over the notes for the conjuration, making sure I have all the tools and implements ready for the rite, arranged properly on the altar, and within easy reach when I'm doing the conjuration.

When we are prepared, we anoint one another with consecrated oils, and we perform an excerpt of the Headless rite before starting the rite. She settles into the seer's chair, and I run through the Conjuration step outlined above.

When the spirit(s) are present, I begin to ask the questions we agreed to ask of the spirit, and she tells me what she sees, hears, and experiences. When I'm on my A game, I write down what they say. If it's more of a devotional rite or a rite for specific effects, I'm more likely to skip writing things down. I take more notes when it's a spirit or system we are exploring for the first time than I do for practical magic.

During the rite, I take responsibility for being protective of the seer. There are times when I sense the spirits trying to push into the seer, to take more control. With her history of aspecting deities, Harper is familiar with being a vessel for the spirits, and while that's a huge benefit for many things, there are some spirits we work with that I don't want in her sphere. So I make sure they stay where they belong, in the crystal in the triangle. Harper's capable of doing this herself, but by taking responsibility for her safety during the rite, she is free to focus on the communication of the spirit.

I also am responsible for keeping things focused. When working alone, that's been the hardest part, honestly. When the spirit appears, all bets are off when it's just me and them. When an archangel appears in the room, its wing tips brushing the cheap drywall, its holy scent filling the room, you can't help it, tears flow from your eyes, and you are reduced to uttering exclamations of "Holy, Holy, Holy," and variations thereof. If you're doing a Gates Rite, you get half way through the Orphic Hymn, and the deity of the sphere steps into the room with you, and you're reduced to a puddle of tears, or laughter, or some such.

Not every time, but often enough. And it's beautiful. It's awesome, and it's why I do this, frankly. It feels great when the spirit is in the room with you and you can't help but step into its current and get swept away. The images it shows, the paths it walks you down, it's great.

But... you see everything there under the Communication bullet? That stuff, it doesn't exactly follow the script when the spirits show up and you get all lost in the feels. And that's fine, most of the time, but there's a reason we call on these guys, there’s a plan, a purpose to the rite that needs to be accomplished. By separating out the Seer role and the Conjuror role, we're able to keep things moving towards a single goal, and I think that's been one of the biggest benefits in working together.

When we've finished our scripted questions and answers, or charged the spirit with the task at hand, we release it to go in peace as it came in power, and to accomplish the things requested. And then we do some grounding stuff, however it's needed.

Later we have our own Communication section. We compare notes and experiences, and talk about what we saw. When I ask the questions during the rite, I write up her responses and also any confirming or conflicting imagery I'm seeing in the crystal myself. In later discussion, it helps jog her memory or bring out other aspects of what the spirit was saying that we might not have caught at first.

We also determine what parts of the rite felt really cool, and what parts felt like it was stuff we were making up. That's something that we are really careful about, because we don't want to end up reaffirming our thoughts going into the rite instead of actually getting objective, predictive facts.

When we write up the results, we note which parts felt self-sourced, and then watch the results. In my experience with Harper, she is more often concerned that the things she is saying are coming from herself than she needs to be. The results have consistently (and often miraculously) indicated that she was in fact saying the things that were going on behind the scenes that were revealed to be the actual truths. So if it was coming from her and not the spirits, she is at least psychic.

I would much rather work with an honest skeptic than someone operating under the false assumption that everything we think we hear from the spirits is divine revelation. After all, it's not just our selves that project things onto the spirits, the spirits themselves can be tricksy. The magic we do is Hermetic Magic, and the first thing Hermes did was steal some cattle. All this stuff we do, as awesome as the results are, we need to be consistently checking results against expectation and intent. And never lose sight of the fact that we are practicing the magic of a trickster deity. :)

While the tech has similarities and differences that are pretty easy to discuss, there are aspects to working with a seer that I've only touched on here that need their own posts. The relationship between the conjuror and the seer, the protective role of the conjuror, the receptive role of the seer,

On Working with a Seer

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 04:24:20 PDT

For the last few months, I've had the good fortune to Work with a Seer in my conjurations of the spirits. It has been a very different kind of experience, and I've enjoyed it immensely. I feel all John Dee going into the temple.

The seer I am working with is Harper Feist, author of the Adyton of Pythia blog, and my partner in crime. We have found that we work as well together as magical partners in the temple as we do practically in the rest of the home, which has been great. We were talking one afternoon, and thought it would be fun to do a series of blog posts about what it's like to Work together as a seer and a conjuror. One of the most frequent questions students of the Red Work series of courses ask about is seeing the spirits in the crystal, and in talking to Harper about this, I saw where I leave a lot out when I discuss the subject that she can put into words really well.

As we go along, I'll be talking about the preparations and conjurations we go through from my perspective, and she'll be going through the same from her perspective, and between the two of us, you'll have a glimpse into what it's like to Work together with the spirits. We'll be talking about our experiences and background leading up to working together, and how that changes when we combine our forces in the temple. She'll be talking more about the techniques she has developed and identified as being necessary in her role as Seer, and I'll be focusing more on the role of the conjuror when the spirits appear. We'll be discussing our experiences with gods, angels, archangels, and some of the more terrestrial spirits we've conjured over the last few months.

We haven't talked about a schedule for these things, but look for the label Seership on the posts to keep them all together.

Talk Gnosis, Tomorrow Night!

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 08:13:23 PDT

I've been invited to speak on Talk Gnosis tomorrow night. We'll be talking about the heavens, the entities therein, and the practical attainment of Gnosis that the adherents of various beliefs go through from different traditions.

Looks like it may end up growing into a multi-part series on the Great Work, too. I can't wait to see where it ends up.

When:

9:00 PM EDT, Saturday, March 30, 2013

Where:

The program will air live on the GnosticNYC Google+ and YouTube channels, tune in wherever you'd like.

Hangin' with Hermes

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:06:15 PDT

Last night we did a rite to Hermes in his hour on his day, and we didn't really ask for much of anything, besides deeper understanding and integration of the forces of his sphere in our lives. The seer saw a single image, nothing moving or pulsing, just a steady image that was full of power. There were no apparitions of angels or gods, there were no words of teaching, warning, admonition or praise.

There was simply the presence of the Intelligence and Deity of the Sphere of Mercury, radiating out into the room, into our spheres.

Today I am Mercurially recharged, focused on accomplishing tasks I've let fall to the back burner due to lack of time, energy, or interest. And boy, did I need it after that last retrograde. Words, logic, rhetoric, they flow again where before was a dry stream. It feels wonderful.

We don't always have to ask for things or events or effects or results from our invisible friends to receive exactly the things we need the most. Sometimes just hanging out with the gods is enough.

The rite is simple, the declaration of sacred space, the establishment of the light of the First Father, the consecration of the scrying medium, the conjuration of the planetary Intelligence, and the recitation of the planetary Orphic Hymn, and then simple rest and observation.

I can't recommend it enough.

Responsibility and Fault

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 18:54:49 PDT

Jason and I have talked offline about some of the concerns he has with me telling people that they are gods, and are in control of the manifestation of their realities. I didn't really appreciate some of his concerns until yesterday.

I had posted a "Don't Rape, Don't let Others Rape" post on FB for St. Paddy's day, and a friend posted about how teachings like The Secret end up convincing people that everything that happens to them is their own fault. "You got raped? Oh, that was because part of you consented, that is, you wanted to be raped. You were asking for it, and so therefore, your rape is your fault."

I nearly shat myself. All of a sudden, I understood part of what Jason's concern was when he said people do not literally create their own existence all the time, that they are not gods. We magnify everyfucking thing when we blame ourselves.

So let's get something straight about the core of Hermetic Doctrine:

We are all gods with the power to create and maintain our worlds.
We all have the power to influence (if not fully control) every aspect of our existence through applied hermetic magic.
Through little fault of our own, we have forgotten this fact. In our amnesiac state, we view the world as an ongoing series of stimuli to which we react. In reality, it should be more like 50/50, where we are creating our world and leaving it room to throw us some curve balls so we can keep enjoying the game.
Hermetic Magic is how we remember:

Who we are
Why we're here
How to be gods

SHIT HAPPENS. And it's not your fault. Most of your life you responded and reacted. You still do. I still do. Do Hermetic magic like I do, and you'll create maybe 10% of the time and react the other 90% of the time. But if you create 10% of the time, the other 90% will be mostly positive. Mostly. But shit still happens that is not your fault. You're a creator god among 7 billion creator gods. The only thing that makes you even a little bit special is that you're interested in creating your world. You're still reacting to other people's stuff most of the time that is beyond your current sphere of control.

OK? You understand that, right? There's no blame in this creator-god stuff. There's only opportunity. Whatever happened, why-ever it happened, who cares, it doesn't really matter, honestly. What you've got to do today is a simple matter of who you are, what you want, and the resources you've got at your fingertips. That's it.

When you're happy, if you're interested, you can go back over the shit that makes you sad. You will have plenty of time, and the experience and perspective to understand it in the context of a joyful existence, after you get one. All the bad shit makes sense when you're happy. Get happy, and then worry about stuff. It'll be there to think about later if it's a big deal, and when you're slightly tipsy and just had a brilliant orgasm, your bad relationship choices in your 20s (and 30s) don't really seem to be that big of a deal.

Because they aren't. Shit happens. That's not your fault.

How you react to the shit, that's up to you, largely. What you do with what you have to work with. That is your kingdom. Manage that, take responsibility for that, and you'll soon see the things you control growing, and the things you don't just fading away. Seek first the kingdom. Seek first.

And again: It's not your fault that you fucked up when you didn't know any better. Try again and see how you do this time. If it's not perfect, try again. There's no blame in this shit. There's no fault. There's only FATE, and that is always what you do. Which is your choice, from what we can tell.

Jason just had an awesome idea...

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:28:47 PDT

Wow, Jason just had an awesome idea on FB. Someone asked how to get a fast $400, and Jason's suggestion was to offer to tutor four people in something they know well for $100 each.

Not bad. Friggin' brilliant, even. Check your skills and talents, determine what they're worth to someone looking for a specialist in what you're really good at, and sell it! Awesome!

I'm going to do it, and if you choose to, please feel free to advertise what you want to sell in the comments here along with some contact info for anyone interested in your services.

I would like to make a fast $1,200.

So, for $300, I'm offering to do one complete manifestation rite for any one thing you desire, for the first four people who can pass and agree to the guidelines:

If, after hearing your request, I think you are an idiot, we will be done and I will go on to the next one.
If your desire is reasonable, you agree that we will do a divination on the outcome of any magic performed on your behalf.
If, after divination, it looks like you won't get what you want, we pick something else that you actually can have, or figure out what we can do to get you to a point where you can have what you wanted.
You agree to take advantage of the material opportunities to manifest your desires when they arise.

If you are interested, and you have $300, please send me an email with the subject: Jason's Brilliant Idea.

Primas Res

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 07:33:45 PDT

You should know, my dearest brother, that the best and most noble gift that God has given to humanity in this world is knowledge. By knowledge we become acquainted with ancient things, and the causes of everything in the world, and what more immediate causes are causes of other things, and how one thing corresponds to another. By this we can know everything that is and why it is, and why one thing is raised above another in due order, and in what place exists the root and beginning of all the things of this world: that thing by which all things are dissolved, and through which everything new and old is made known.

For this truly is the first, and it lacks nothing, nor does it need anything else except itself; it is the cause of all other things, and does not receive its qualities from another. It is not a material body, nor is it compounded of material bodies, nor is it mixed with anything other than itself, but rather is all things in itself. Therefore it may not be called anything except the One.

Properly speaking, it is the sole truth and unique unity, and from it, anything united receives its unity. It is also the primal truth, and does not receive its truth from another; rather, everything receives truth from it.

The Picatrix, Book 1, Chapter 1

THAT THING.

That is the thing. That thing. That's what I'm after in my Work. I've sniffed it out through the ancient mysteries, and I've sniffed it out through the aethers. I've conjured spirits of the Celestial Heavens, and I've conjured dark entities who roam the darkest underworld, and they pointed me to the Way of the Primas Res, the Way of the First Things.

Call anything you can imagine, from cosmologies to deities to spirits to friends to your very own self "It." It starts in darkness, as a light. The light grows and the darkness recedes, and its shape can be known. It reaches its potential, and the light fades, and the darkness grows, and it returns to the nothing it came from.

It passes through a non-existent veil, a membrane between the unmanifest and the manifest as it comes into being, it passes through again as it returns. There is a friction, a frission that is sexual and orgasmic as it passes through, penetrating deep into the womb of the Earth, the Mother of us all. It is sexual, orgasmic. Those are adjectives, metaphors. I'll make them similes so it's clear: It comes into being in a process that is like sex, in that it is a pleasurable, highly energized, wonderful insertion of the eternal into the temporal; It is made manifest in a moment of planting, of sowing that is like an orgasm, bursting outward all at once in radiance, leaving the awareness completely calm and centered and focused.

And like the sex act, after the orgasm, the participants can fall gently into sleep, deep enough to dream of the thing they have created, and what it means, and implies, and represents. We experience the situations, the results, the manifestations of that thing as It comes into being.

This experience of It is its consumption. Little by little it returns to the unmanifest, filtered through our senses, digested back through that membrane, moving from materia to memory, traveling down through our underworld rivers of forgetfulness and pools of remembrance. Father Time, Kronos, consumes his children, and the things that we have brought through his gate into manifestation return through his gate to the realms from which they sprang.

Our lives are manifestations of It, of that thing, that primum materia, primum mobil, the universal substrate that is the framework of everything and the universal solvent that flows through and around the substrate. And then through us It also manifests more of Itself. We are Light in Extension, extending more light yet again.

Think of Agrippa's Three Orders of the Elements, the pure essences, the first combinations thereof, and the near-infinite levels of possible mixtures you can imagine. The mother and father individually, the married unit, their offspring. The King and Queen, the Hermaphrodite, AZOTH. We purify the lens so the light within can be focused into the world at our fingertips.

Three realms, represented in your mind and thoughts and plans and ideas, and in your awareness of the moment and interaction between that inner world and all the senses of the flesh through which you perceive and interface with the events of your life, and in the material things and people outside your fingertips that you have brought into being. Through the three realms a ray of light streams and takes form in your mind, the world around you, and the mediative sensate realm that processes the flow of stuff through time through your skin. That light is manifest in all the things you create, sustain, nurture, and consume moment by moment, returning it all to the source, enriched with the joy of existence.

All of this stuff we do with magic, that's why we do it, and how we do it. That's what we do.

RHIP

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:55:39 PDT

Every time we turn up the heat on our lives magically, every time we try to go deeper and squeeze a little more of that true nectar of the gods out of the creation of the world around us, more crap bubbles to the surface to be skimmed off, or consumed and transformed in hotter fires, or lower heats over longer times. There are brutal sessions of self-awareness that reveal the parts of us that have to be maintained, endured, weighed, measured, consumed in fire, and replaced with something entirely new. There are internal transformations that have to take place, and extended rigorous magical exercises that build up spiritual muscles. There's a spiritual fitness that has to be achieved and maintained if you want to keep going deeper.

Verily, there is a lot of shit to go through to get any kind of attainment when it comes to magic.

And why do we do it?

Why do we go through it over and over again? I mean, once a magician can create the most desired and fundamental goals of the people of our culture, riches, hot sex, fine wines, expensive cigars, delicious gourmet meals, options to live in whatever climate they desire, why do we keep going deeper instead of enjoying the rewards?

The reason we don't stop is because the process of getting these skills, scenarios, things and abilities, that process of ascending to the heavens and returning in power to create the world... it is wonderful. It is an experience of exquisite pure distilled awesomeness. It is chilled liquid orgasm of the Intelligence, the Spirit, and the Body of the magician that hits in perfect harmony across the planes of existence and the realms of the manifest and the unmanifest allatonce.

And after experiencing that, the money, comfort, material luxury that we can manifest just doesn't mean as much as they used to. They're still nice, don't get me wrong. But when you have experienced something better, the absence of that "better" is noticeable, and makes you long more for the thing that was better.

It's like when you're alone doing magic and analyzing and recording the results, vs. when you're with your lover discussing the ritual you've just completed together, writing up notes in your spiritual journals, and running divinations to get clearer details on the results of the Work together. Yes, you can do it alone, but it's not as good. It's still good, but ...

It's not as good.

When you've had better, you want more of it. And the more you get, the more you can get. It's like exercise that way, the more you lift, the more you can lift.

Doing practical manifestation magic, getting what you want, it's all a big trick. It takes advantage of your desire to have a thing, to live a lifestyle, to own a car and a boat and have a hot lover, and it teaches you how to do so, and at the same time teaches you that those things, though really cool and pleasing, are nothing compared to what they can be with magic. The things you want become magical things that make sense in the life of a magician doing magic that works. The lifestyle you want becomes a magical lifestyle, where you use the charts and tables of the grimoires to make your daily teas as well as your astrologically timed talismans. The fast cars and boats teach you that it was the love of controlled movement through time and space that you were after the whole time. The hot lover reveals the steaming intercourse between the manifest and unmanifest united as One in which we are, all of us participating in every moment.

Your life, your kingdom, it just sort of realigns itself to contribute towards the Great Work, all the time, and you look for ways to squeeze more of that feeling, that action, that union and harmony out of your existence. You play with it in your intellect, in your emotions, in your flesh. You breathe it in, and let the friction of the winds become a smoldering coal that ignites a fire in your soul. You push that creative force through yourself on all the levels at once, and you change the world.

The more we do this, the more we can do it. A pure desire for the experience of the creation (and destruction) of the world, your world, and the things in it will keep you focused on the reasons we are here, and why what we do matters.

This pure desire is a Holy Hedonism.

So this is why we do it, we ecstatic Hermetics. We love creating and experiencing things. We are mad scientists curious and entertained by their own inventions. We are children at play with our Genius, for the joy of the playing together instead of the the joy of The Game* played.

So the real reason we keep going deeper is because the deeper we go, the more of this we can experience and enjoy. It keeps getting better, like a beautiful romance. The more we do, the more we can do. We learn to help ourselves, and when we have more than we can need, we have time to look up and notice there are others who don't have enough, and we can pass that on, and keep getting more for our own enjoyment.

Hm... how else to put it? That's it, but too ... passive, I think.

Rank hath its privileges.

It feels good to do magic. It feels good to be able to do magic. I've conjured spirits and broken curses and removed people from situations for clients, and it feels great to be able to do those things. I'm on a project now focused on some mutual personal Work that is great, and we can only do it because of all the Work we've done before. I love what we're learning, I love what we're doing, but more than that I love the doing of it.

We get to do things other people can't do, too. We can take for granted that the magic we do for our resources will work, and so we can focus on collecting and assembling the resources as we see fit. We're artists with infinite supplies, we just have to put in our orders. We've learned how to manifest things** and how those things fit together to make new things. We can help other people. We have established, well-used good healthy relationships with the forces of the celestial, terrestrial, and chthonic realms. We get to conjure spirits that can only be commanded by those with the power and skill to handle them.

It feels really good to be able to rest in the knowledge that your magic is, for the most part, really goddamned scary effective. To be able to take that for granted, not to disrespect it or denigrate it, or to forget its value, but not to have to actively worry and doubt the effectiveness of your rites because you've seen them work so many times before.

This is where it starts

It starts with sweat.

A quick review:

You learn that you're a light that is an extension of a single light that extended itself inward and slowed down and then extended itself inside its own extensions, apparently for the sole purpose of creating and experiencing custom individualized microcosms of the world it created and experienced.
You learn that Magic offers you advanced Creation Training.
You learn a technique, preferably something simple and effective, like Hermetics, where you just conjure spirits and start working on creating your world right away.
You grow in strength, wisdom, and experience, and you do more.
You enjoy the work of your hands, and the hands of your work.
Repeat steps 3-5, but deeper, or higher.
Profit.

But while it's simple, it's not easy. It's a lot like what you do when you get physically fit. You learn to consume healthy fuel, you improve your efficiency at processing these nutrients through training and exercise. You increase your strength to use your increasingly efficient consumption and expression of the forces of creation. And you feel super good when you're doing the exercises.

It doesn't happen over night. I've been seriously at this Great Work think for about 8 years. It's only been the last year that things have gotten really good. That was my own damned fault, and hopefully you aren't as stupid as I am. If I'd been on my game, I could probably have wrapped this development cycle up in 3-5 years, easily. It still wouldn't have been over night. And I'd still be just scratching the surface of the next adventure, just like I am now.

It isn't going to be all fun all the time. I opened this post with that black stuff coming to the surface to be consumed. Seems like there's always some black stuff to be consumed when you're going for more and better out of life. The only times I'm not dealing with some bullshit is that blessed period where I've just finished dealing with some bullshit, and I get to see how I did. You deal with bullshit, and it purifies a part of you, and you're able to materialize the force that had been twisted into the bullshit issues without it being bullshit. It becomes a tool you can use to improve your life instead of a stumbling block that's ruining just everything.

But it can be a real bitch to go through. When you're done crying, get up, and go do some more magic. It feels ... good. And it gets better.

RHIP.

* Yeah, you just lost it.

** Take the idea to Saturn, conjure the Archangel, get it to add the Saturnine bits required for manifestation, thank him and move along to Jupiter, repeat down the Tree to the Moon where you leave it with Her to turn over to the Elemental Kings. You don't have to micromanage.

Getting Real Traction in the Work by Getting Your Desires

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 06:33:16 PDT

Ok, so yesterday's post focused more on the things I disagree with Frater Acher about than the things I agree with him about. That's totally not fair, because I do think he's awesome in his own way, and I want to make sure everyone knows I respect him and his path. It's just not for me... and I disagree that magicians should not focus on miracles and the manifestations thereof.

I think what he's doing is trying to get people to focus on expectation management. Too much focus on the materialization of the spirits can make you lose your perspective and mistake a vision obtained for a successful rite, and overly focusing on the physical stuff you get as the outcome can blind you to the real benefits of magic and this hermetic stuff we do.

I think that's what Acher is focusing on in his advice, the outcome. And he values the internal outcome the most, the changes to the inner man within the magician, because that's what brings the peace, the stoic contentedness that he believes is an enlightened state. He is totally right, too, it is the internal changes to you that matter most. The person you become as you do magic, the harmonization of your spheres, the learning who and what you are that make you capable of doing whatever it is that you're here to do... That's the real reason we do the magic to manifest the world, because the process changes us into who we are, it teaches us the things we have forgotten while incarnated. It makes us fully human, i.e. divine and in the flesh at the same time, in harmony. That's beautiful. And that is more important than the flashy magics, in the long run.

But here's the thing... I also think people should be happy. I believe happiness is a spiritual tool, an indicator that points directly back to their True Will, their Providence, their Fate, their Destiny, their Raison d'être. I don't think there's a better or more pleasant way to discover and apply your Will than to go after the manifestation of what you want. Nothing will make you happier than achieving harmony between the things you do and the things you want to do. When your life manifests your desires, your Will becomes obvious. You learn Who you are, and Why you are as you pursue the things you want. You develop the ability to discern what you "really" want when you manifest things that you thought you wanted and they don't make you happy. You learn the spiritual lessons that reveal what it is that really makes you happy underneath the physical situations, relationships, or material things.

The material manifestations... those are just physical representations of Ideas to magicians like me, Hermeticists who are at home in the cosmology of neoplatonism. They are the clumsiest forms of the Idea, and are furthest from their core source.

But we are also in physical bodies, and the physical interaction of "us" with the physical manifestation of the desired thing reveals a physical harmonic that is a manifestation of the interaction between my eternal spirit sourced in the Primum Mobile that manifests as light in extension for the joy of existence and the Idea that is manifested in the desired thing. Manifesting what you want physically is awesome.

It's also a major part of why we're here, all of us. The creation and manifestation of our worlds. There's a reason it makes us really thrilled and gives us supernatural perspective, elevated understanding, a rush of endorphins, and the divine madness of being a god. It is beautiful, on purpose, as a signpost that you are doing it right.

So the problem a lot of people with spiritual inclinations have with this kind of ecstatic approach to finding spiritual attainment through the fulfillment of desires is that, quite simply, it is dangerous. I advocate focusing on pleasure because it can teach you about yourself. If you really apply your mind and your reason and your intellect and your constructive interest to the understanding of what makes you happy, if you go after your Genius and work with it to learn from your pleasures, you will succeed in awesome ways.

But if you let your desires master you, if you fall into the trap of just feeling the good feelings without applying yourself to understanding what the experience represents to you across the spectrum of the "worlds," physical, mental, spiritual, and how that impacts eternity, you're wasting your time. I tell people to go after what they want with the assumption firmly in place that you will do so under the umbrella, with the intent of "knowing thyself."

But I also have little doubt that you'll really be able to do any of the magic I recommend and end up on the wrong side of the left hand path. Yes, it's dangerous, but if you're regularly working with angels, spirits, and your HGA, you've got little to fear. They, and your own inner spirit that strives to be all that it intends to become, will ensure that even if you slip up a bit, you end up in the right place sooner or later.

So get started with the simple stuff. Conjure the spirits with the intent to get some money, or a new car, or a better relationship, or a career path. Look at your life, the things that you have, and the things that you do, and take a close look at how these things make you feel. Note the things about your life that bring you pleasure. Note the things that need to change in order to bring you pleasure.

Then determine the right spirits to conjure up who will bring you the desired results. Then conjure them. Then ask them to change your world. Then evaluate your results. Then determine if you're happy, and if so, why. If not, why not. Then decide what you want to do next, alter the existing outcome, or start something new. Then do more magic to get what you want, and see how you like it when you get it.

Repeat this, ad infinatum. Seek the Kingdom of God. Find it. Rule it. Let this process transform you from ignorance to understanding, from puny human to immortal god, from ignorance to transcendence (and back again). As you get the things you want, you'll be happy. As you see that you are powerful, you will become content. As you learn that the things aren't the fun, you will learn the mystery of why we're here, and the power of fun, and the experience of joy.

And you'll develop traction, spiritual muscles. You'll live a magical life that is filled with wonder, insight, and wisdom. You won't turn into an arrogant self-absorbed prick all the time, you'll know with each passed mile marker along the way that you are accomplishing your mission by keeping in motion, never stopping until you've been completely undone and put back together. You'll keep moving forward, onward and upward, you'll just keep swimming... I'm running out of trite cliches here, but give me a minute, they'll be back...

Traction. That's the key. You keep moving... like a shark.

The Power of Useful Bullshit

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:20:35 PDT

NLP is total bullshit. Its methods are bullshit methods, its science is bullshit science, and its anecdotes are bullshit. Just bullshit bullshit, pure and simple, bullshit.

Take a look at the core principles. Let me google that for you, because while there is a ton of overlap, everyone "teaching" NLP has something different to say about it, because it's basically ... bullshit. Not to overuse the word or anything, but there it is again. Take a look at three or four of the results, and scroll down to the principles parts. Read through a sample of it, and get a real good feel for what they're saying. Then do the following fucking fascinating experiment:

Write down what you can remember about the core principles of NLP. Most of the links have a bulleted list, and you'll remember a couple of them, and have a general sense of what you think the principles are; this is what NLP has come to mean to you based on your reading. Hurry along now, don't write a fucking essay, just summarize the top three things you remember. We've got a mission here, don't get bogged down on step one.
Read this article by Witchdoctor Joe.
Re-read what you've personally written down, each principle individually, and answer the next question about each:
Is it Kangaroo Magic? Is there anything in the principles that you've recalled that is absolutely true, something that can be applied across the board?
Now go back and re-read the principles of NLP, keeping in mind that question: Is it Kangaroo Magic?

I did this, and guess what? It's all bullshit. I couldn't believe it. None of the principles are really true at all, I can think of way too many personal experiences that prove that shit doesn't work that way in the real world. Each is also really appealing. It would be really fucking great if there were a simple set of rules that worked all the time that could be used to your advantage the way NLP tells you there are. Especially these principles, each one telling you that the universe is secretly working for your own personal happiness in every situation, if you only can figure out the secret code to take advantage of it... You too can unlock the fullness of existence in terms of sex, money, and immunity to the will and whim of any other human, because they're really little more than objects designed to fulfill your personal happiness, right? Everyone and everything exists to make you happy, if you just got it, got the secret, got... IT.

Do You Get It?*

And whatever the thing they tell you is "IT" is not IT at all. It's obviously not true. You can remember times that shit they say doesn't work. People are not always in a state of hypnosis. What one person can do, not everyone else can do. Confidence won't make you thin or attractive, it will just make you the ugly fat douchebag that nobody likes.

Bullshit.

But ... useful bullshit, eh?

Frater Acher recently wrote a book review that was more of a persuasive argument. He strongly recommended this book because it tones down your expectations from magic. It teaches you to settle for non-wonderful results, to not pursue the miracles of living magic. He recommends it to noobs and grimoire magicians especially, because he thinks noobs and grimoire magicians are too focused on the flash and power of immediate results. He thinks you get a more valuable return on your investment if you focus on the inner transformation of the magician.

He's continuing a recent theme. I noticed it when he started the reviews of Emil Stejnar's "Hermetic" magic works. His basic premise is that grimoire magi who focus on desires and results are fuckin' it up and robbing themselves of the true power of the Hermetic system. I'm paraphrasing.

As you can tell, I disagree. We discussed it a bit on FaceBook. I am all about ecstatic pursuit of the exciting and awesome manifestations of god, being gods, working with gods, creating and enjoying our worlds like gods, and earning the wisdom and knowledge of the gods through hands-on experience.

But both approaches, the one that glorifies awesome miraculous results-oriented magic vs. the kind that looks a lot like sitting and reading and thinking about magic more than doing it... both approaches are bullshit. I think his approach is more obviously bullshit than mine, because he himself has had the awesome amazing firework-type results that made him appreciate the long term inner changes within himself. And my approach is bullshit because the whole time you're going after the instant gratification, you're putting yourself through the exact same transformative fires that Acher's approach brings about, only with extra beautiful exciting dramatic beauty. And I like that. Other people ... they like quiet lives.

And that's ok.

In both of our pursuits of the Work, we use our beliefs that are, admittedly, bullshit. We take advantage of the usefulness of pretending like we are right for the moment, and it works for us. The universe really does reward ecstatics. It really does reward ascetics. It really does bring wisdom to philosophers. It rewards us with the same kinds of inner attitudes and insights and appreciations of life. It's useful bullshit. And it has the power to change everything.

But it's still bullshit, because it is not the actual way, the truth, or the life that either of us have. It's just a tool, a set of practices and beliefs and insights that happened to work for us. And we like them better because we came up with them ourselves. The same way you will, by reading our bullshit and using that to grow your own way.

I went through some experiences over the last few months that have changed me a lot. I found out some stuff that was really simple, and it's really good, and it makes everything feel wonderful. I'm going to start talking more about how to do this, how to experience it, and how to make your life as fun as mine has been.

It takes a bit of work, it takes some inner transformations, it takes some discipline, and setting aside your selfish safety to risk being honest with yourself about what you really want. It takes doing magic for instant results. It takes going to the highest heavens and returning in power to create and rule your world as a God-Emperor, a Sorceror-King. It takes going to the cracks of the Earth and finding the black secrets of the Universal Solvent. It takes casting your awareness into the Sun to see how everything is connected and working together in a cosmic orgasm of creation and experience and destruction all at the same time.

And it's a ton of fun, even the sore and achy muscles part.

But as useful as it is, please remember, it's bullshit.

Bullshit that can change your life.

* Oh, and just so you know, I am firmly in the "there is something to get, and I totally get it, but the it that I get is that there is no it to get, and you get to make up your own it as you go" circle, which tends to look a lot like very confused in the center of the graphic.

Kobayashi Maru

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Sun, 10 Feb 2013 08:41:04 PST

Saavik: Admiral, may I ask you a question?
Kirk: What's on your mind, Lieutenant?
Saavik: The Kobayashi Maru, sir.
Kirk: Are you asking me if we're playing out that scenario now?
Saavik: On the test, sir... will you tell me what you did? I would really like to know.
McCoy: Lieutenant, you are looking at the only Starfleet cadet who ever beat the no-win scenario.
Saavik: How?
Kirk: I reprogrammed the simulation so it was possible to rescue the ship.
Saavik: What?
David Marcus: He cheated.
Kirk: I changed the conditions of the test; got a commendation for original thinking. I don't like to lose.
Saavik: Then you never faced that situation... faced death.
Kirk: I don't believe in the no-win scenario.

We do what we want to with what we've got to work with, and sometimes all that makes a difference is your attitude. Your character. To a large degree, we have the ability to redefine who that character is. Larger than we often believe, at any rate. We can be heroes, or we can be losers. We can be doctors, lawyers, bums, or magicians, and there's no blame. No suffering besides that which you cause, and that which you experience. If you can think of a story that logically and rationally leads from your current state of being to another, you can act it out and experience the results.

Even if it takes cheating.

Skip, witches! Hop, toads! Take your pleasure! --
for the play of the Universe is the pleasure of
[Your Name Here]

Raging Success Machine

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:05:00 PST

There is only one thing you need to learn to get whatever you may want in life, and it's a really simple thing to get. It's free, even. It's the key to the universe in a way that magical symbols and occult practices will never be, because without this Key, you'll never learn magic at all.

I'm not talking about a piece of information here, either. It's a process that you need to have to be a successful magician. Over time it becomes an ability, a skill that you can develop and hone into a skeleton key that will open every lock, tear down the walls between you and your desires, make straight the way and short the path.

I figured it out the way I figure all this shit out: I took a look at myself. My lover was telling me I was awesome, and while I'm the first to tell OTHER people how awesome I am, I'm mostly kidding. On the inside I had to wonder wtf she was talking about, because I don't really think of myself as being all that special.

It's not my good looks. Although I am rather handsome, I'm not much better looking than the average geek who takes care of themselves. It's not my intelligence, because even though I'm smarter than the average bear, most of my friends are smarter than I am. I thought it was my adaptability for a while, because no matter what situation I find myself in, I find a way to excel. I rise to the top. I figure out the process, and go through the steps, and then the next thing you know, I'm at the top of my field, hobnobbing with the elite.

In conversation with my lover last night and this morning, I realized what it is for real though. It's a skill, an ability. It's a skill my mother developed in me, and raised me to believe in. It's a thing I've used naturally and consciously to get ahead, to achieve great things in the occult realms, to win awesome friends and influence beautiful people, to make six figures a year and to be the kind of man who attracts the most amazing women.

It's something that other people don't have. The Bud Light Brigade, the food stamp using, potato chip eating, coca cola drinking, gas station working, Wal Mart shopping hu-manatees don't strive for anything better because they don't have this Key to the Universe.

Wait, that's not true. They do have it, but no one ever told them, no one ever encouraged them to develop the skill. No one pointed out to them that they were doing it, or showed them they could apply it to every aspect of their lives to make things better for themselves, their kids, their spouses, their parents, their friends, their co-workers, everyone on the planet.

I'm talking about the ability to learn.

Everyone has the ability to learn. We learn things all the time. The stoner at Burger King making Whoppers had to learn the process. He watched videos about the broiler/toaster machine, learned the order of bun-meat-cheese-pickle on half the bun, mayo, lettuce, onion, tomato on the other, the pinch of bun and tomato to keep it from falling apart as he deftly flips the top on the bottom, wraps it in a fluid motion and tosses it into the window for pickup. Dude can make a Whopper in less than 15 seconds during the rush. And he had to learn to do that for half a dozen sandwiches, the fry station, and the single station. And how to do the prep work necessary for him to be able to make a Whopper in less than 15 seconds. And how to break down the broiler and clean it at close, and how to reassemble it at open. And the rhythm of the lunch and dinner rushes, to know how many burgers to put through so he doesn't run out.

He had to learn a lot to do that job. The process he went through is the same process on a small scale that an Engineer goes through to learn to design and build microprocessor based ROM circuit boards for kiosk machines or nuclear armature circuitry. It's the same stuff you go through to get a professional certification in project management, or the same stuff you go through in a university to get a PhD. It's the same stuff you go through to learn a new magical technique.

You gather information, you see how it fits together in predictable ways, and how to apply that knowledge get specific results. That's learning. We do it all the time. All of us.

But there's more to it than that to become a raging success machine. There's an attitude that separates the hu-manatees from the entrepreneurs who rage their way to the top. I believe I can learn. I believe there is nothing anyone else can do that I can't do too. I might not be able to do it better, but I don't have to. I believe there is a process, a series of steps that I can perform that will lead me to a place I want to be, and that if I perform them to the best of my abilities, I will end up where I want to be.

I said my mom taught me to do this. She was 36 when she had me. I was a high risk pregnancy in the '70s. I was not planned, if you haven't figured it out. I was a surprise. My mom had done moved on from the baby-raising days, and diapers and shit were not her preferred past time in her late thirties. She wanted her career back, and her time was precious. She didn't have time to teach me all the shit that you have to teach little kids, so she fucking cheated like a boss. She taught me I could figure stuff out on my own by watching, by asking questions, by trying, and seeing how shit worked out for myself. She encouraged that because she didn't want to have to teach me all that shit herself.

And I am so thankful.

Most of my really awesome successful friends are the types who have had, for one reason or another, to figure shit out on their own. By circumstance or design, they ended up learning that they could learn anything and put it into practice for themselves.

Assess yourself: has there been anything in your life that you'd like to do, and you think, "I don't even know where to start," and then you stopped there?

Here's some stuff that you should use instead of giving up on things you really want:

Google.com
Yale Open and Free Education
MIT Open and Free Education
JSTOR

And ... Magic. Magic helps you put the information together, to learn, to absorb the processes, to put it together into a useful set of reality-manipulation tools. Do the magic of the spheres while you're studying, while you're learning. It gives you the edge to lead a charmed life. Blessed. Holy. Awe-inspiring.

Wet Cat's Paws

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 08:22:54 PST

Art thou afeard
To be the same in thine own act and valour
As thou art in desire? Wouldst thou have that
Which thou esteem'st the ornament of life,
And live a coward in thine own esteem,
Letting 'I dare not' wait upon 'I would,'
Like the poor cat i' the adage?
- Macbeth, Act 1, Scene 7

Like the cat, fain fish wad ye eat,
but ye are laith to weet your feet
-Scotch Proverb

Are you afraid to be the person you want to be? Are you afraid to go after what you really desire? Are you a cat wanting fish, but you don't want to get your feet wet?

I have been, often in my life. Obesity, bad relationships, terrible jobs... I put up with all kinds of shit that I didn't like instead of trying to get something I wanted because it seemed too hard, too painful, or too uncomfortable to endure for the time it would take. There are things even now that I want, but do not try to achieve because I am not willing to go through the perceived discomfort involved in getting my desire.

But here's a thing I've noticed... Time passes whether or not you are doing what it takes to get what you want. It might take months to get to a target weight and physique, or it might take a year to go through divorce proceedings, or it might take years to get a degree, or months to get a certification, or 10 years to get the experience in a career field that makes you happy.

But that time is going to pass regardless. At the end of that time, you will be somewhere, experiencing something. What you do between now and then will determine what you're dealing with when the time comes.

In August, will you have lost weight and be enjoying your awesome body, having become an inspiration to some and the envy of others? Next February, will you be celebrating being out of a miserable relationship on Valentines' Day? In 2015, will you be getting your Associates degree?

Or ... not?

There's no promise that the cat will get the fish, but they will definitely have wet paws. There's no guarantee that things will work out in your favor, even if you do the work that should lead to your desired success. There's a risk that you will suffer, and still not have what you want. There is definitely a chance that we shall fail in our attainment, but if we fail? We fail! And what of it?

We could be in a worse place, or we might be further away from our goals, or a million other possibilities. These are chances, real chances we take when we risk going after what we want. But there's an absolute guarantee that you will still be obese, in a miserable relationship, or in a dead end job if you do nothing to change your life.

And you know what? Fuck that.

Practical Magics Revisited

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 08:30:45 PST

Ok, so setting aside the man-godness for a bit, let's focus on the good old fashioned practical magic that I have known and loved for so long.

The Secret to Making Some Relationships Better

I recently mused aloud on FB that I was running out of things to do magic about. I was talking specifically about the kind of major dramas that generally distract us from the things we'd rather be doing. For example, my divorce from my ex just got fast tracked, and will be finalized in a couple weeks rather than another six months. I had just done some magic towards that end last Saturday, and by Tuesday I was sitting across from my ex putting it all down on paper. Ex and I agreed on all the important bits, right down to the dollar amount of child support.

Earlier today I got assigned a task at my bank job that will take a couple years to complete. That's an unofficial contract extension, with the potential to turn into a permanent position. I'm also looking at my ROpocalypse implementation over the next 10 months. I have conferences and teaching gigs set up every month between now and November, I think. I have time now for the first time in months to focus on getting all caught up on my client Work, my open writing projects, and to lay the foundation for the next phase of writing projects.

I'm also in the midst of some intense Great Work stuff. I'm learning to implement the 8th Sphere lessons in neat ways that include breathing techniques, visualizations, and ... uh, empowerments. I'm working with the Universal Solvent, the Solution to all things that bother us, and also this embodiment of the connective Light that shines on all things. I'm learning to put a really cool ecstatic feeling into practical use, and it feels like coming home. All good things that I can't talk about because I'm still learning, and don't have enough data points or practical tech to share.

So basically, I don't have a lot left to deal with. Jason brought up in the comments on my FB post that I have service to others Work to do, and while I don't talk about it, there are a lot of folks reading this right now who are intimately aware of the personal work I do on the behalf of the world. And there are a lot of you who don't know how much I've done for you, and that's fine. I don't talk about it because I do it for non public reasons.

He also mentioned ongoing financial needs. There is always a need for money for something. I'm good though. The magics I've done have set me up nicely, not just in terms of having plenty, but also in the skills and means to make more when necessary.

The comments on the post from everyone were cool. You can tell a lot about people by where their attention turns when money is not an issue. One person suggested a harem of a hundred exotic women. I already am with the most amazing exotic woman ever. She's worth a hundred harems. Another suggested crossing the abyss, which I had done the first year after K&CHGA.

The name of this graphic is "Volcanic Bridges Across the Abyss"
I took the Solar Road to Binah, M'Self

The questions that were most interesting to me were about time. Those came from people interested in doing it themselves, or who've been doing it, and that rocks.

How long did it take? I don't know. 40-ish years of life, 20-plus years of occult study, 7-8 years of occult practice, and most recently,starting from scratch in August 2012. So, 5 months with a good framework in place.

That's what I think we should focus on. The basic occult framework necessary.

Money is the first thing that people think they need. Troubles? Throw money at it! Jupiter rites for the win! And they get money but still have problems.

Love is a close second. This shit wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for that asshole/bitch/if I weren't alone! Venus rites for the sexorz! And they get laid and still have problems.

Basically, we ask for the wrong things. We don't know what we need to fix the problems. We try to solve things additively rather than holistically. We try to fix problems we don't understand.

So the first thing we need is a better understanding. There are rites that bring wisdom and insight that are great for single issues, rites of the Sun and rites of Saturn. But your actual issues aren't confined to a single sphere. Our lives are the manifestations of the seven spheres working together. Problems in your life are indicative of a general miasma more often than a single planet out of balance.

So your basic occult practice should be focused on balancing and healing all your issues in each of the spheres. Gradually, not all at once. I weighed 220 when my ex and I split up. I packed on that weight one bite at a time for 12 years. I've lost 30 pounds of that in 5 months, which looks good, and feels even better.

But it's not phenomenal. I still have another 20 pounds to go to get to my target weight. I found a way to shed almost a pound a day, if I eat certain foods and work out a specific amount, so I should be there by early March. It took me a while to get to this weight, and to figure out how my body responds to foods and exercises. Now it's melting like butter in a pan.

Your problems rarely come into being overnight. Why would we expect them to go away over night?

I recommend seven spheres over five weeks. As you perform the conjurations of the spirits, their forces will stir up the things in your sphere that need work. Their presence will also heal you and empower you. It is the great work.

As you do this work, you will find that you are getting smarter. You will see the sources of your issues more clearly. You will find ways to eliminate sources of suffering, freeing up space in your life and your attention to create opportunities for pleasurable experiences instead. You will learn to work with the forces of the planets in your own sphere to create awesome lives.

This is the true power of magic to make your life better, to eliminate suffering, and to create opportunities for Joy.

In the Planetary Gates rites, I provide a simple set of rites to implement this process. I'm putting together a more streamlined process for a boot camp of sorts. Five weeks, seven spheres. More on that soon.

But this kind of work is healthy. Like exercise, it can be uncomfortable at first, but it gets better quickly, and you get healthier. The more you do, the more you can do.

And as you cycle through the spheres on a regular basis, you continue the process of refining yourself, cleaning yourself up, purifying yourself. You're like a lens that focuses the light and projects it through (in both directions). Dirty lenses don't focus as well, and the Work cleans that up nicely. The clearer you get, the better you can project your own inner light into the world, and the more you can enjoy the experience of the results of that projection as you walk it out in real time and space.

This then is the best secret to successful practical magic to get you the financial and emotional stability you seek: do magic to be a better you. Not to be someone else's idea of perfect, fuck that shit. Just do the magic that makes you an awesome you.

That magic is the Great Work.

On Arguing On the Deity of Man

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 03:13:35 PST

I started research last night so I can present an actual coherent conversation about the deity of man. Jason's comments on the guru trip post, and private discussion, and Facebook, and beamed into my head through the aethyrs have demonstrated that I have failed to make a clear and concise (or coherent) argument that clearly defines terms, postulates, theorem, or even a useful thesis statement. I've also been challenged to a formal debate on the subject in the Forum by a classically trained rhetoricist, my long time brother in the Work, Logan.

So I started researching. I went back to my familiar resources, the divine pymander of the corpus hermeticum, and also the bible. Both have clear references to the divinity of man. Pymander explains we are gods who are in mortal flesh, of two natures, united for love.

I liked that opening. It is my functional core model when it comes to magic, the Pymander. The dual nature of man is clearly stated. Later it talks about the path of ascension to become a power, what it looks like, and how it is performed. Demonstrating that process as the great work is pretty simple.

Then I looked up what it says in the bible about the deity of man. John chapter 10, if you want to play along at home. I'm blogging on my phone from my bathtub this morning. I might paste quotes and links later, might not.

Jesus is telling people that he is in the father and the father is in him. A basic occult statement, something we all get, kether is in malkuth and malkuth is in kether. As above, so below.

The crowd was not just in disagreement, they were upset. Offended even. Pissed. They started stoning him. He says, wait what? You ate the food, you liked being healed, why are you now pissed?

Because you are a blasphemer! they said.

Wait wait wait, said Jesus. Look to the Scriptures! Doesn't it say 'haven't I told you, ye are gods?' That's scripture, the same scripture you are claiming makes me a blasphemer. (He's quoting psalms at them.) If the scriptures said men were gods when they received the word of god, how much more so would that make me a god when you experienced the miracles you have seen? If you don't believe my words, judge me by my acts!

And the crowd grew peaceful, thinking on his wisdom, and returned to learning from him.

Lol! Not really. They kept trying to kill him so he was all, fuck this, and went home.

This isn't an easy topic to discuss. There are thoughts and ideas about it that are intractable. I don't think I can change anyone's mind, nor prove anything conclusively to a skeptic. I can demonstrate results and experience to those who will receive it, but I don't expect to prove anything through the evidence of the senses either, or even by the success of others performing the same rites I performed. Some thoughts are too much.

I haven't decided whether to take a lesson from Jesus or not. Probably won't. I'm the little brother who has to prove he can do it too.

But I went back and looked up Alan Chapman. Jason keeps mentioning him as someone who claims enlightenment and then makes an ass out of himself.

Funny thing is, reading his writings about attaining enlightenment, I totally know exactly what he's going through. He used the wrong words to express his results, imo. He's pathetic because he gets butthurt when the world doesn't want to hear it.

It's easier to learn from Chapman's mistakes than Jesus, for sure. Arguing about where I'm at in terms of state and stage has proven ineffective and counter productive.

And really that isn't even the point. It's not about me. It's about you. And joy. And happiness.

So I will rise to the occasion in the Forum, in hopes that the rhetoric will result in a cohesive argument. It might even be fun.

But going forward here, I'm going to try to just focus on letting results be proof. No promises that I will succeed, but I shall try.

To Witchdoctor Joe

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:44:58 PST

Which doctor? Witchdoctor Joe.

A warm congratulations to Joseph Merlin Nichter on getting his degree in Religion this week! Joe, you continue to inspire. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the next steps of your Master Plan unfold! You're always achieving and striving and attaining and growing, and you pass all that on to your brothers, sisters, children, and students.

You're awesome.

The Guru Trip

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:24:59 PST

Around the borders of the Tartarean abode flows a river, the waters of which completely erase memories. Lethe, this river is called, and here the wounds and ills of lifetimes are washed from the battered and bruised souls who seek its embrace.

I would give the secret of the Philosopher's Stone* for a culture-sized dose that I could administer to the entire Western occult audience. That's you, I'm talking about. I want to steal your memories, erase them, take them away entirely, unlearn ye wee bastards of anything and everything you've ever heard about enlightenment and being a guru, whether it's of Western or Eastern origin, focused on the Great Work, or Meditation, or Rajayoga, or Tantra, or whatever the motherfuck.

Because it's all bullshit. Total and complete bullshit.

Jason wrote a neat piece on States and Stages the other day, and as he says in his response to the Formspring question about my mental stability, we talk on the phone about shit fairly frequently. We had already had the State and Stage conversation, a couple times.

What bothers people about hearing "we are gods" or "I have accomplished the Great Work"?

You read through it, and it's all about the idea that someone is at an enlightened state, happy all the time, and life doesn't suck for them ever anymore.

It's that. That bothers people.

Because that can't be. That just can't be true. We know because we see it every day, right?

And 10,000 years of written history backs it up. The super advanced mystics of every culture on the planet have written what it's all about, and how to tell if someone's really got it, that is, GOT IT! And they talk about humility and knowing how much more there is to know, and never claiming any achievement, and never bragging about it.

I will tell you the truth, having crossed the alleged abyss**, having created the Stone***, having attained K&CHGA****, I can tell you the absolute truth, the TRVTH even:

Nobody is a guru! There are no enlightened masters. There is no Philosopher's Stone*****. Everything you ever learned about Hierophants is bullshit. Nobody knows shit. Nobody ever has. Plato, Aristotle, Hermes Thrice Great, Jesus Christ, Siddartha, they didn't know shit. They would be happy to tell you so in person, I swear to everything that pretends to be God!

Their protestations get drowned out, especially after they die. Living people get to say whatever the hell they want to about the teachings of the Masters when they're dead, when there's the temple/church/sanctuary fund to fill! And you believe it. Because it would be really awesome if someone were really perfect, wouldn't it!? If someone actually got it and made it out, enlightened, and fucking happy!? That would be awesome!

Just sayin'. Don't hate me. It's just time to cut the shit.

In real life, the Stone will not make you live an extra 312 years. Most recipes for the Stone will fucking kill you, like they did Regardie. He's a smart fella who is recent enough to check the facts and have a decent understanding.

Most of the Golden Dawn folks who founded the traditions we are so fond of today died of cancer. Because of the Abramelin rites on their bookshelves? Maaaaaayyyyybbbbbbeeeeeeee... Or maybe because they all smoked like fucking chimneys. The world may never know.

Actually, we do know. We know better. Because we have access to facts. Blavatsky was insane. Gurdjieff? Nuts. Rudolph Steiner? Batshit. Aleister Crowley? Ok, dude had his fucking moments, eh? I mean honestly. He rocked. Brilliant. Fucking honest as shit. Saw eternity. Put it into words. Made fun of you for not getting it. I love Aleister.

The rest of 'em, whether it's Hermes, Peter, Paul, Mahmoud or St. John of Patmos, or Hizzonah 007 John Dee himself.. They can all suck my metaphoric dick******! Especially that also-brilliant French bastard Levi. Call those the paths of the Tarot*******!? Shah, right!

In real life, no one is happy all the time. There are spiritual masters that walk the Earth with us who are super advanced, who radiate a force of god-ness that they have developed by eliminating the things that block them from being that in their daily lives. You stand in their presence, and you feel something cool.

They have bad days too, and they don't talk about how advanced they are because they know how far they have to go.

Rest comfy in that warm and fuzzy reality, boys and girls! Enlightened masters have lives that suck sometimes! Awesome!

Right?

Fuck all that. Here's some uncomfortable truth:

I have the power and experience to create a life that never sucks. And I will not do it.

Neither will my sweet lover, the brilliant and accomplished Harper. Or the incredible Jason Miller, though he can. Neither will Harold Roth, or Jack Flash. Or Deborah Castellano. Or her main man Jow, or her non-main-man Gordon. Andy won't do it, and neither will 4ndy, or Polyphanes, though he's cool as shit. The people I love the most won't do it, no matter how much they think they want to, because deep down, way deep down...

None of us are really ready to give it up. The passion, the drama, the awesomeness of existence with unknown consequence. Nobody wants to live a perfect life. Fucking boring as shit, that. We play for fun.

[Author's note: That above part is wrong somehow. Suffering is an indicator that you need to fix something. Suffering is not fun.We don't do it on purpose, even if we can appreciate its role in our lives. In my opinion, that would be a sickness that needs healing. Having an aesthetic appreciation for a thing is not the same as desiring its manifestation in your life. This part needs more thought. Proactive creation of a not-shitty life is, after all, sort of the whole fucking goal, so we can enjoy life.]

Sadness creates a more tender heart, not a tougher heart. Ask any romantic. We learn joy from sadness, and joy... that's what it's all about. We appreciate a job that lets us be ourselves after we've had jobs that did not. We appreciate lovers who love us for who we are instead of who they wish we were. We appreciate pain because it becomes the salt that makes the cookies sweeter. It makes our subjective standards about existence meaningful. It makes life fun.

I would take from you everything you know about the Guru Trip, if I could. Because it's bullshit. It gives us false expectations, all of us, whether we see ourselves as gurus or students. States and stages, it's all bullshit.When Mr. Grim comes calling, we're all honored, and ready for what comes next, deep down. And that... that's beautiful.

And, for the record, you're a living god, enjoying the shit you wade through. If you're not happy, change that shit... if you want to. It's totally your life, and you can hit the reset button any time, at the beginning or the end. The "chain of manifestation," that's just a gimmick, a method, a map, a tool that works. Use it or don't.

But have fun, no matter whether it seems like something a guru should enjoy or not. Because the guru trip... it's just a trip that gurus take, and non-gurus take.

If they want to.

Totally not necessary for life, and the enjoyment thereof********.

* It's not that big of a secret. There are a fuckton of free recipes for it at Adam Mclean's Alchemy Web Site. Get gold from ore. Make vermilion paint out of mercury sulfate (cinnabar). Extract the sulfur, mercury, and salt from a plant with grain alcohol, mix 'em together and have yourself a tincture. ffs.

** It's a myth, it's just thinking you know anything, skip that and you're fine. ffs.

*** And ground it into powder and made a tincture that I drink before doing heavy magical lifting that makes me a huge fucking magical Beast when I consume it. ffs.

**** K&C doesn't make you an enlightened master, it's the beginning of a relationship with the only MASTER you will EVAR NEED. You just don't get the punchline til the joke is over. ffs.

***** There totally IS a Stone. I'm just making a point. Metaphorically. ffs.

****** Not Jesus though, because of the beard. Facial hair: total turnoff. ffs.

******* Honestly, not bad, not bad. I got nothing better, fer sure.

******** For fuck's sake. (FFS)

4th Pentacle of Jupiter

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 08:48:55 PST

A long time ago, I wrote a post about the 4th Pentacle of Jupiter from the Key of Solomon.

The fourth pentacle of Jupiter.-- It serveth to acquire riches and honor, and to possess much wealth. Its angel is Bariel. It should be engraved upon silver in the day and hour of Jupiter when he is in the sign Cancer.

Observant commenter Bill asked me yesterday if I'd be creating this talisman this year, as Jupiter enters Cancer at the end of June.

Yes! Yes I will. And I encourage you to do so as well, brothers and sisters. It's fairly straightforward. You inscribe the seal in silver on a Jupiter day (Thursday) in a Jupiter hour (use Lunarium to calculate that for you, don't forget to EDIT your location) while Jupiter is in Cancer.

There are no other stipulations to creating this talisman. You have 55 Thursdays between June 25th of 2013 and July 14 of 2014 when he leaves Cancer. You have four Jupiter hours per day. That's 220 opportunities to take some silver and inscribe it with the pentacle.

Here's the pentacle:

I will put together a pamphlet on how to make and consecrate this yourself. It will be mostly copy-pasted from the Talisman Maintenance and Operations Manual, so if you already have that, you can most likely use it to make the talisman from this post. The pamphlet will be inexpensive, and will be available some time this week.

Remember, it's Silver, engraved during the Jupiter Hour of the Jupiter Day between June 25th 2013 and July 14th 2014. Plenty of chances to make this yourself.

If you want me to make one for you, I will start taking pre-orders now. The ones I make will be roughly half an ounce of silver, as I will be melting down one-ounce silver coins and pouring them into disks, which I will then proceed to beat into something inscribable. This is not an exact science, so there's no telling what they'll be shaped like or how much they will weigh when I'm finished. The design is pretty detailed, so I will be making them as large as possible. They will be melted, formed, and engraved in the appropriate planetary hours, and then each will be consecrated through the auspices of Bariel, and blessed with every bit of Jupiter current I have accessed, tapped, integrated, and channeled.

Pre-Ordered, these will be $195 each. After June 25th, I'll increase the price to $250. I'll be making extra, and after July 10th, 2014, the price will skyrocket.

I don't know how many I will be able to actually make in a month, so I am going to limit the initial pre-order total sales to 36 talismans. I can make three in one day, based on my previous experiences with making silver planetary talismans, but until the first month rolls around and I see how many I can ACTUALLY make in a month, I'll limit the number to make sure I can deliver.

Remember though, you can make these yourself! I strongly encourage everyone to do so! You've got over 5 months to prepare! It's simple, it's easy.

To pre-order, use this PayPal link:

What makes RO a happy mofo?

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 18:55:50 PST

Ok, so there have been rumors that I have done gone batshit crazy. Well, questions about it have been whispered on the intertubules, and I can understand why. It might appear, from the outside, that I have flipped my lid, or let my "P.R. go to my head," as boring old timers who write too many words might put it.

Why? Because I've been happy (ecstatic, blissful, overusing the word awesome) and talking about how this universe, this place we live in, is the direct manifestation of our Wills with the sole intent being the joyful experience of our creation. That state of bliss came after I did some serious focused planetary magic, devotedly, passionately, Seven Spheres in Seven Days.

And look at this: Today I see one of my favorite fellow magicians post his schedule of practice here. Tonight he posts this quote from the archangel.

It's not just me. It's spreading.

Quote of the day...

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 11:15:05 PST

"In Christian mythology, Male delivers you!"

- Scott Rassbach

Strategic Sorcery!

rufusopus@rufusopus.com — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 10:46:20 PST

Hey-O! It's Pimp my Friends Monday! This won't be a regular thing, it just happens to be Monday, and I happen to have friends, and they're doing cool shit, and you should be aware and take advantage!

Next on Pimp my Friends Monday, we turn to Jason Miller's Strategic Sorcery Cycle 12. He's putting together something special for Imbolc in this cycle, which is cool, but he's also partnering with Occult of Personality to provide 3 months free membership and access to a ton of occult materials as part of this cycle's lessons. He explains the details in the link above.

I've taken and thoroughly enjoyed the Strategic Sorcery course. I can't tell you how many of my favorite and most skillful students have taken both my courses and Jason's. They're my favorite students because they actually do the magic that we talk about. They put it directly into practice. They conjure, they sommune, they direct, they initiate, they integrate, and they shape their worlds according to their wills. There's something special about the Strategic Sorcery course that really brings it home that magic is what magicians do.

So this is yet ANOTHER thing I can't recommend enough. Take advantage of the course offer while you can, the next cycle of courses starts February 1st!