Head For the Red

How to Curse the Heck out of People on the Internet

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 17:13:00 -0400

It has come to my attention that some people are surprised to discover that when I get upset with people on the internet, I frequently and regularly curse the fuck out of them, over seemingly trivial things.

Some folk have even suggested it's "petty."

So, as you probably have deduced with that quick mind of yours, yes, I cursed the fuck out of them. I mean, I just told them I curse people on the internet that I disagree with. What did they honestly expect?

Irregardless ...

I recently posted how to return curses on people, so I figured I'd share the other side, the ... dark side, if you will.

So without further adieu...

How to Curse the HECK out of People on the Internet

Get upset about something someone says on the internet.
Hover over their name and look at their profile pic.
Say the magick words:
"Fuck that piece of shit."
Continue as if nothing had happened.

How to use the 6th Pentacle of Mars to Return Curses and Hexes to their Source

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 16:50:00 -0400

In a Mars hour of a Mars day (Tuesday at dawn) make a pentacle to Mars with the following symbols, one on each side:

Make the pentacle out of clean paper in red ink, or engraved in iron or steel.

When it is made, light a white candle, and some mars incense (dragon’s blood for example, or cinnamon or pepper if you can stand it), and then say the following out loud:

"Source of all that manifests through symbolic Word into this loving World, hear me and grant that the mighty spirits Madimiel, Gheuriel, Ithiel, and Barchethiel administer through this pentacle the distribution of the forces of Mars that being armed therewith, if I am attacked by any one, I will neither be injured nor wounded when I fight with them, and their own weapons shall turn against them, as it has been written:

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bow shall be broken.

"Thou spirits Madimiel, Gheuriel, Ithiel, and Barchethiel, hear me and turn all weapons and attacks sent against me back upon those who would see evil done upon me. Let every spell and scourge of God sent against me be returned to their source. May all evils aimed at me be returned upon them. Accept this offering of fire, and of smoke, and go forth to do these things for me in power."

Walk away.

Revisit it on Tuesdays, at dawn, and say the last bit again. Include those you want to protect in that bit if you're doing it for others.

The end.

Finding your Calling

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sun, 31 May 2020 10:45:00 -0400

The other day, I was talking to a friend about our magical experiences, and she mentioned that she often has dreams of leading the dead to doors so they can pass over/through whatever.

Having this kind of experience all her life made her think she was crazy, dreaming of the dead all the time, and she spent a lot of her life dealing with everything we all deal with, plus weird visions of walking the dead on through to the next thing, like a psychopomp.

Now, it should be noted, I'm no expert on any of this stuff, and we're going to be talking about "finding your calling" in this occult world. It's a pretty big topic, so don't pretend I know everything about this one, it's bigger than I am.

A lot of my students over the years, and a ton of my friends into Thelema are often carrying on about the "True Will" or finding their "Genius" so they can find out what they want to do. I'm going to call this thing "your calling," the thing that you called yourself to do in this incarnation, the thing that you've been called on to do, by the fates, the gods, the stars, your higher self, whatever. The basic theory is that there's a thing you were born to do that fills you with an inner peace and contentment, a satiated sensation of being fulfilled when you're in the moment doing the thing. It can be yard maintenance, your patio, some flowers in the house, a curated bonsai garden, your heirloom tomatoes. It can be fixing all things mechanical, being born with hands that naturally know when a bolt is tight enough, or that the plug's fouled, or that the carb isn't getting enough oxygen.

It can be an inclination that you're called to all your life. Service to society, to our religious groups, to our gods and ancestors. It can be political, or academic. It can be the military life, or even excel spreadsheets that bring you to contentment. I once knew a completely at-peace-with-life office manager whose greatest pleasure was seeing someone go get a pen, and there being a pen in the office supply drawer because she made sure there was.

Your true calling can be anything. In the Hermetic approach I use, I went through the seven spheres, ascended through initiations and Work, and return in power, and determined that my purpose is to create the world as I see fit, a fully empowered creator-god. But then ... what do I create? Job house car? Wealth health prosperity? True Love?

Joy?

Then I started talking about this stuff, and then I started teaching about it, and I found that I am happiest in life when I am standing in front of a crowd talking about esoteric subjects. My true calling, it turns out, is to share what I know and encourage others to do the Great Work. Let dem magicians know they're magicians.

So back to my friend with the visions, see, we get massive hints and clues about who we are and what we want and what we're going to be happiest doing. She gets visions of walking the dead through doors. I'm betting that's a good indication that she's called to be a psychopomp, a Hekate-type, a Hermes Chthonios-type. Heck, Bune would work well with his link to the spirits. She's called to escort the dead, I think, so she'd likely do well in a profession that deals with the transitions between life and death. Morgue work, funeral planning, coffin design, crematorium consultant. Or grief counselor, someone who walks the still living through the letting go. Because I worked with Bune on necromancy, I kind of had a moment of "recognition" of that kind of psychopompery for the spirits of the humans.

We don't all get that kind of vision to hint at what we're supposed to be doing though, right? I mean, wouldn't it be great if I knew my whole life I'd be happiest teaching esoterica? I could have studied and practiced and gotten good at it, right? I personally think not, I was horrified to speak in public until I started teaching the occult stuff. It wasn't until I could fulfill my calling I figured it out.

But we might be getting these hints and clues the whole time, and just don't see them. She dreamed her whole life about escorting the dead, but never met anyone who recognized that as a psychopomp indicator.

So look for the things that you're actually interested in doing. The things that made you happier, if not happy. Look for recurring themes that travel through your life. Listen for the voice that's guided you, not where you wanted to go necessarily, but to where you are in your life now. It's telling you what you want to do, through your actions. It's telling you why you're here through your passions, your interests, your desires, the things you do that make you think deep thoughts, or feel great emotions, or pop endorphins at the gym until you can't see straight.

The things that you try to do and suck at? That's not your profession, or your genius. That's just you being stubborn.

Which could be your true calling.

Ultimately, your "true calling" is going to be "to create something." Something that is tangible or not, something that changes the world, or is just for you and you never show anyone. Situations, lifestyles, all that stuff. You'll find it when you least expect it, and you'll find it's something you are really comfortable doing, and you'll have the encouragement, approval, and acceptance of all those you help by making yourself happy.

Should you do that Magical Thing that you're Afraid to do?

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Tue, 5 May 2020 15:00:00 -0400

When would-be magicians come to me and ask questions, a good percentage of them are about whether or not they should begin conjuring spirits, because it might be dangerous.

Will I get possessed?
Will I or members of my family get hurt?
Is it dangerous?
What if they're lying?
What if they won't leave and turn your house into Poltergeist?
If you really work with demons of the Lemegeton's Goetia, do you become one of their Legion members when you die?

The last one is for real, by the way. Dude had heard it from the guy who was teaching him conjure magic. Heh. I mean, even if that does happen, it wouldn't be all that bad. But I'm pretty sure that's not how it works.

All these are aspects of fear in the magician of the consequences of their actions. They're afraid that it might not work, or worse, that it might work, and they have limited information on magic and its consequences because it's magic, occult, hidden wisdom. It's not like a computer program that you can break down into logical lines of if-then-else statements with all the possible results documented and a start and a stop where it isn't still doing stuff when you're done.

So yea, it's a valid fear. The unknown. But should that stop you?

Fuck no.

Doing things you're afraid of with magic is how you learn to become a good magician, not just some well-studied book-quoting intelligent Magus Psittacus.

Growth

Doing magic can create personal, financial, emotional, and spiritual growth. We grow the most when we are stretched beyond our comfort levels. Magic does that, in a healthy way most of the time, although you might not think it's all that great at the time. Ask the Heptameron's planetary angels of the Sun to help your side project replace your full time job, and bam, your contract is terminated for budgetary reasons, and you have all day to develop your side business, and the motivational financial understanding that you'd damned well better.

And it works.

You can work with spirits that bring peace between people from the Lemegeton's Goetia, and find yourself becoming a peace-maker yourself, first within yourself, and then with you and others, and then with people you know and haven't met yet. The journey can be uncomfortable as you grow, but the things that alter in your life are extraordinary.

Experience

You'll never know anything well in magic when you're inexperienced. You won't understand things like planetary hours, and what happens when you miss it and do it anyway. Or if it even matters for this type of ritual. You won't understand the power that grows between you and the spirits that you work with the most, or what types of unlisted offerings this spirit or that will enjoy by the way they smell when they walk in the temple.

You'll miss all the in-jokes blatant references that make no sense without having stood in or before a circle and spoke to the forces of Nature and the Heavens above. Our predecessors had a sound sense of humor and nuance in their descriptions of paraphernalia, vestments and of course, the spirits themselves.

Power, Wisdom, all that Jazz

As you do magic, you gain influence over yourself and others and the things that make up the warp and weft of your daily experienced lives. Sometimes a great deal of influence, other times not so much. You'll know what happens when you aren't looking, even if it's miles away. You'll understand how things are called into being, manifest, and fade according to their designed intent. You'll know where people are coming from, literally and figuratively. You'll gradually start to think Trithemius' puns aren't that bad. All the things Magic is supposed to do, all the reasons you want to do a thing you're afraid to do, they all happen, in degrees and stages, as you go through the metamorphosis into the Magus you were born to be.

But Seriously, What if ...?

But those fears, of getting possessed, haunted, causing unintended side effects, and all that though, what about them. Could any of those things happen?

Well, I mean I guess they could, and probably will, but it's not that bad being possessed, and hauntings are cool, and sometimes some family members are askin' for it anyway. Most magic is temporary, but if it's not, all magical systems come with ways out. There are more banishing rituals, cleansing rites, offerings to make, spirits to call on for aid, and ways to undo what you did than you can think. Learn one of them.

And this works because of a basic axiom:

THERE IS NOTHING THAT YOU CAN FUCK UP WITH MAGIC THAT YOU CANNOT FIX WITH MAGIC.

But take some basic simple steps. At a minimum, specify in every conjuration that no harm befalls anyone, or yourself and your loved ones. It's in the script of most of the conjurations, I think. Take the obvious precautions when you're doing the ritual the first time.

Long term, get you a familiar or HGA or Supernatural Assistant using one of the many rites in the PGM, Dehn's Book of Abramelin, Crowley's Samekh, Agrippa's Good Genius, and at the start of the rite have them provide the spiritual food to the spirits in attendance, and send them as an emissary to make clear the way between you and the spirit.

Have a Banishing Ritual present just in case.

Afterwards, watch for things to happen in relation to your request or the spirit's description.

Thank it with something appropriate. Make a new friend, or thank it and just send it on its way.

Take notes.

And realize that honestly, it was silly to be afraid the whole time.

The City of the Pyramids

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sun, 1 Mar 2020 13:49:00 -0500

Actual Photo of Bleeding Edge 19th Century Occultists, Circa 1902, Colorized

There's a reason Aleister Crowley and the Theosophical peers of his day looked around at the world in which we live and breathe, and dreamed of a council of wise adepts looking down on the lot of us as a species, with a plan in mind, and some tools in hand, and Words that might change the outcome, for the better.

It's because they were hanging out with the cutting edge occultists of their time.

And saw, that point in fact, the cutting edge occultists of their times were stupid. Stupid stupid heads, with little grace, ingenuity, inspiration, charisma, or talent. Leadbetter and his pedophilia, Blavatsky and her letters from Koot Hoomie that materialized in her closet, in her own handwriting, Gurdjieff and his blatant frauderies, Mathers running off to Paris to live off his wife's prostitution (nothing wrong with prostitution, but the guy could have tried to get a job), Westcott's buffoonery, Bennett's hippie communism (which was also ok), Waite's incredibly boring ways to talk about things he didn't understand ...

And while Crowley had plenty of faults he didn't care to see, he also knew how stupid he was, referring to himself as "the Imp Crowley."

These were cutting edge magicians, the bleeding edge of their day.

Greedy self-important folk, mostly, renowned for being frauds, liars, thieves, and scoundrels. And yet, Rosicrucianism was supposed to be a spiritual path that perfected the soul, brought wisdom, and healed the world through the alchemical marriage.

Well, OBVIOUSLY NOT THESE GUYS...

So there had to be someone up higher on the foodchain, who had done the magick, and succeeded, and attained the wisdom, and so forth and so on, right?

Thus ... the Secret Chiefs, who hang out in the City of Pyramids being dust and watching over the rest of us little monkeys and imps. They must exist, otherwise ... what?

Me, I'm not sold on their existence. I did some magick a few years ago to get into that space, and it was a lot like visiting Atlantis in a guided meditation when I was 16 after reading too much Cayce and Dion Fortune, and Crowley's Moon Child. Interesting imagery, completely catered to my expectations, and producing no verifiable information that would make me think it was anything more than confirmation bias. I didn't leave knowing anything I didn't know going in.

Harper and I have been doing a lot of conjurations the last few weeks that have been compeltely different. I have 14 years of actual magical experience with spirits that provide info I couldn't know, that effect change practically and pragmatically in the material world, that have an existence outside of my imagination.

So I'm done with them.

I'm a flawed person, doing my own best to make the world a better place, for magicians first, because then we can pass that on for others. I say things other people won't say, because to them Silence is safer, and to keep from hurting others. I get that, I spent most of my early days hiding behind my pseudonym because I didn't want to bear the repercussions that come from being honest.

I got over it.

I talk about what I consider unrighteous action, fundamental juvenility that goes on behind closed doors, and the blatant misrepresentation of fact within the OTO leadership. What are they going to do, kick me out? Yes, that's what they did. Woooooo. I talk about the abuse of Peter Gray's writings, and his unwillingness to address that publicly, because I think that needs to be done. What's going to happen? People who worship him as the savior of British Occultism aren't going to like me? Woooooo.

Everyone in the OTO knows that I care about the Order, how it behaves, and my Oaths. Lots of 'em think I do it all wrong, and even more think I should keep it quiet. But for every dozen hateful despisers of my techniques, there is at least one person who has come to me privately, thanking me, asking what they should do, who to contact within the Order to talk about things, tapping into the courage to stand up and say, no, this is wrong. I send them to the ombudsman, their fellow victims, the women fighting for them within the Order who have been through this for years and are striving to make a change.

For all few thousand Scarlet Imprint fans on the planet, maybe half a dozen people have contacted me to say something to the effect of "finally, someone said it." Hopefully more people will say it, that yea, the BDSM kink thing is powerful, but it's not for everyone, and it can be easily manipulated to remove authority by bad people with ill intentions, and becoming an adolescent fantasy of a sex slave is not the only path to power. Witches weren't powerful because they went to the dungeons. They were incarcerated, tortured, and punished for having power that existed long before they were torn apart and put back together by sexually repressed men who can't see women as people.

I've fallen into the trap of my own imagination when it comes to what I say publicly. I think everyone knows me, knows my heart, has read my thoughtful explorations of things over the last few years, and knows that I'm not just a drunken idiot with a keyboard and a bottle of bourbon, and too much time on my hands.

So I'm toning down the bombastic rhetoric.

I'll take the time to explain what I'm concerned about, in small words, in reasonable ways. Because too many people see the vitriol and toss it out, without thinking about why I am saying these things.

So back to the Secret Chiefs. They had to exist, because people were obviously flawed, and yet they were also magicians. And yet, they don't.

We're in charge of ourselves, our actions, and the consequences. Our evolution. Our responses, our love, and our passion, and our anger. It's us. We are the Chiefs.

Go be a Chief, and I'll keep doing it too. Judge, jury, and the occasional bombast, with or without "all the facts" or the "full understanding" of the situation, with or without "both sides of the story." You hurt my brothers or sisters, you bring harm, I'm going to do something about it, because for some reason I have that impact on people.

And a stable full of spirits.

Lights on the sepulchres, in the City of Pyramids.

Ye Olde Magic Shoppe - Soror Mimm

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sat, 27 Jul 2019 13:04:00 -0400

Harper Feist and Soror Mimm at the
Magickal Women Conference in London, 2019

Soror Mimm's got my support, and her services can be found at the following link:

http://store.yeoldemagicshoppe.com/index.php/product-category/services/

While I gotta say, this woman is one of the brattiest princesses I've ever met, she's an amazing magician, a hilarious dinner conversationalist, and not too shabby when it comes to the magick side of things. I got to hang out with her in London at the Magickal Women Conference, where she presented Women of the Golden Dawn, Past, Present, and Future.

We met, and I was like, dude, do I even know you? And then she started to walk away, and I was all, WAIT! YOU'RE SOROR MIMM! She's still mad at me about that one. Sigh.

She's been giving me shit for years, one of the ear marks of someone who's got courage, wit, and charm. It was such a pleasure to meet her in the flesh. Lovely, charming, and carrying a deadly wit she's not afraid to use.

Turns out she's an accomplished magician in spite of her affiliation with the Golden Dawn, and is offering magical products and services, including readings, herbal consultations, coaching in ceremonial magick and witchcraft, and various other implements and wyrdings.

She's one of the few people I'd trust with providing goods and services, and honestly the only GD member I'd take seriously in this kind of endeavor.

For more information, her semi-official bio reads something like:

Soror Mimm is an initiate in the Golden Dawn tradition in the Temple of Thoth Amen-Ra, an independent Golden DawnTemple located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains of Denver, Colorado. She is also the Praemonstator of her Temple and is a Chief of her order. She is the owner and operator of Ye Olde Magic Shoppe where she teaches a variety of classes and workshops on magical herbalism, witchcraft, and ceremonial magic and is the owner of Peacock Publishing, an independent publisher of esoteric and occult subjects.

Practical Occult Jewelery - Alison Chicosky

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 19 Jul 2019 10:12:00 -0400

Alison and I met and hit it off in the old days, when Crucible was still a thing. Feels like we talked all night the first time we met, about everything from ascension through the spheres to Betz and the GMP.

She's continued to grow in her practice and I'd even dare say power as she's accomplished results that appear downright miraculous in her personal work.

She's put together a service that includes Key of Solomon Talismans, Philacteries, and I understand she's going to be releasing several other traditional grimoiric tools, and items from the Greek Magical Papyri. She is one of the best friends, supports, and allies to have, if you're lucky enough to get to know her. I'd keep her to myself if I wasn't actually trying to help you people have a better world to live in.

Her work can be found at Practical Occult Jewelry on Facebook.

Below are some more samples of her works and wares. I can't encourage you enough to reach out and get her working for you, either on a service level, or through the materials she hand cuts, engraves, and consecrates. the stories I've heard from her clients about how she's changed their lives are amazing.

The Rufus Opus Guide to Growing a Pair

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 08:46:00 -0400

"Grow a pair" is a common euphemism in my culture for "get some balls,*" which in turn is yet another euphemism for "stand up for yourself, have courage, be confident, and know that if you get beat down and bloodied, fired, left for someone else, or otherwise harmed verbally, emotionally, or physically, it will have been because you stood for something you think matters."

And hey, worst thing they can do is hurt you mercilessly until they kill you. It'll suck, and then it will be over. Big deal, don't be a crybaby. Everyone gets out in the end.

Grow a pair.

But ... how does one do that?

Most of my favorite magicians are scared of people, attention, and fame.

The rest are ballsy, drive the attention they get on purpose, and are actually famous, and they're ok with that. They figured out the secret.**

It's a combination of risk-taking, and trust-in-outcome, specifically a positive one.

Taking risks is hard for a lot of people. Usually they have been abused, molested, bullied, and cow-towed into believing that if they raise their hand it will be chopped off, if they stand up, they will be shot down, in conversation, in social circles, in their careers, so they take the safer path and attempt to manipulate their personal outcomes as much as possible without rocking the boat. I'd say they were great at Martial discipline, because they find the boundaries early, and never, ever cross them, working within the systems and processes to accomplish their aims, or get as close to them as possible.

If that makes you happy enough, good for you. You don't need a pair.

But sooner or later, I always got sick of that shit. I mean, I tried for a long time to fit in, and then I had enough, and did the Big Quit at a job, and found out that not only was my Manager a passive aggressive conformist, but also that he had zero impact on the rest of my life. Didn't need him as a reference, there were plenty of other people there who liked me and thought I did good, because I did good. Fuck him. I never thought about him again, after months of abuse and degrading comments, I never thought about him again for the rest of my life.

The rest of my life.

See, that's the thing, the rest of your life.

When we get scared to say something, it's because we're afraid in the place we're at to say something because we might lose that part of our lives. But that's bullshit. To keep silent (tacere), we have to forget momentarily that telling this friend of many years that they are being a dickhead is no big deal, simply because we have and will continue to have more friends, who will be better. We have to make ourselves forget that we can get another job. We have to actively repress the fact that we will have love, appreciation, and sex again should this relationship fail. Life isn't limited to the thing you're stressing about.

"Your life, your experience of existence is never tied to the Now."

Step 1: Remember Life is Bigger. It's bigger than this right-now-thing you're dealing with, and your jobs, your friends, your relationship, even your children and parents will go the fuck away and you'll somehow end up with others in their place that are better. Your life, your experience of existence is never tied to the Now.

So when you realize this, you aren't so scared of pissing off the person in front of you. The person in "power" at a company or organization. Your lover, boss, friend, body master, Bishop, co-worker, spouse, kid that you brought into this world who you need to love and protect, you aren't scared of pissing them off anymore.

Not when you have something worth saying, about what's right.

Once you're past that point, where you realize that principles matter, you matter, and what you intend to do matters, and the world can take it or leave it without robbing you of joy and wealth and peace and happiness forever, you're free from your obligation to them. You're free to choose whether or not you want to do a thing regardless of the consequences, because you'll just handle them. That's what we do, we handle it. Move on, build more, continue. We don't die til we're dead, so we can make choices that might seem risky to the safeness of conformity.

"Take these risks, and then watch what happens."

Step 2: Take Risks. When you're starting out, take some small risks. Talk back to your employer, post your actual opinion about a stupid post on the internet by a friend, tell the truth, mention names and dates and events that people who are respected in your community actually did shitty things. Take these risks, and then watch what happens. Turns out, there's nothing worse than what you put up with while keeping your head down.

In this process, you'll find that sometimes, rarely, but sometimes you are wrong. Growing a pair also means that you recognize when you're wrong, own it, and apologize. And then move on. No one has to forgive you, but to stand up for what is right, you must be willing to acknowledge when you're wrong, so that you can change, and become right. Be strong in your pursuit of righteousness. Be willing to change.

After a couple of smaller risks, you'll begin to notice that it's not that bad. Not nearly as bad as you thought it might be. Standing up for yourself, you'll begin to notice that you have both positive and negative impacts on your life, the circles of your family, your society, and your career that you move through and within. As with any skill, you'll find yourself getting better at it, the more you do it. In no time at all, you'll begin to feel a thing inside you, growing, and affirming itself with your every choice.

"you're going to start understanding how this whole thing works, this life we lead."

Step 3: Embrace the Confidence. As you do the things that change your life, watch how it changes, and learn how to change it better, you're going to start understanding how this whole thing works, this life we lead. You'll know when you're right, and you'll know when you can advance your aims and objectives with a simple couple of words, a conversation in the hall, and you'll begin to find that you know what you're doing, pretty much, especially compared to everyone else. Embrace that feeling of righteousness when it pops up, accept that hey, actually, you're really good at living your life the way you see fit.

And again, be willing to be wrong and correct yourself. Shit happens, and life goes on. Saying you're sorry only makes you look strong, and willing to do better.

I won't pretend there's three simple steps to becoming a ballsy person, regardless of gender. This shit is hard, for sure, but these things taught me that I am a thing, a force of nature, a person whose words change lives, especially my own. These are the Hermetic teachings that I think mattered more to me in my progress than anything else.

We are not invisible. We are not "don't matter" individuals. We breathe, we eat, we think, we progress. We change the world daily.

We matter.

* For the purposes of this post, we are ignoring the blatant sexism underlying these euphemisms, and focusing on the intent which applies to everyone across the gender spectrum. When "balls" become a cultural icon that is disconnected from the men born with them, the patriarchy will be universally eviscerated as all people claim "balls" and that intent of being courageous behind the word. Cajones. Virility, the insertion of life upon the earth. Women, men, girls, boys, we can all "have balls" in the cultural sense, do what we think is right, stand for ourselves, own it, mean it, and take the consequences with our heads held high.

** I think the best magicians are the latch-key kids, who were abandoned, ignored by their dads and moms, who figured out mostly in a vacuum how the world works and how to feed ourselves, and ended up doing magick because we found out unseen forces react to words and intent, and that regardless of whether we are seen, we have power.

Just an opinion.

found

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Wed, 19 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

you breathe in, you breathe out, the seconds go by, as you lie in the comfort of your bed, you realize you're alive, and the fears in your head spin out of control anyway.

you get up, take your paces, you drink and you face the fact that it keeps time with the race of your heart, the voices, beating and beating and beating at the middle of your head, yelling who you are, what you are, what your place is.

you talk to your shrink, you take the right pills, your friends hug you up when you're covered in ills, and you've done all the things, and they just won't stop, they just won't be still as your heart goes on beating and beating and beating in time with the voices inside of your mind and it kills you to think of another minute, screw this, I'm out, fuck off, this sucks I've had my fill, I'm leaving.

but you stay anyway.

and one day, you call someone who can't help, who doesn't get it at all. gives you advice as if to a child. have you tried putting your foot in front of your other one? it's called walking, he said. also, remember to breathe, in, out, he says, like you don't know already, haven't read it a thousand times, said it many more, like you hit your head and forgot how to fucking breathe, really?

and somehow it all clicks.

and this time, it sticks.

people are dumb. life is hard.

your words, they change things, more powerful than any voice in your head, loud and strong, right, wrong, whatever, it's your breath, moving in and out that makes the words that come out and change the worlds, and the steps you take are the path you make and your bed's at the end and you sleep.

and you wake.

to the holy sound of silence.

and your heart keeps on beating, and beating, and beating out rhythms of joy, and love, and sure, pain, but you're not lost. you found yourself again.

when she shares

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Tue, 18 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

it's about gratitude, that they let you in, let you see the things that go on inside their heads.

the things we do with the parts between our thighs are awesome, for sure, but it's not that thing that makes it special.

it's the ... sharing.

the sharing of a life. the moment she lets you see what her heart feels. that tentative look that you can't even see, but you know is there, as she opens up a little more, nervously because of how it worked out before, and shows you her darkness, and her love for a second, and then hides it again because she's embarrassed, or ashamed to have feelings that she feels for real.

feels for real.

there isn't a lot that is more satisfying than being able to say "thank you, thank you for trusting me with this piece of you, for sharing that precious second of your internal life with me for a moment."

mid-night

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

in the middle of the night, i put out my hand, and I feel her there beside me.

she is warm, and i move my hand down the softness of her hips to her legs, curled up, like a child beside me, reminding me how she is sometimes a perfect child, and how she can bring me back to that place too, laughing in the sunshine about the silly little things that are clean, and pure.

but she is a woman, grown, and i know this too. strong, brilliant, and resolved. whole and complete, perfect as she was as a child, but wiser, better at it. sometimes more tired, same as me;

this place can be ... tiring.

in the morning she wakes up, and i can feel her eyes open in my head. she's looking at her phone, watching things, reading things, thinking about what the day will bring. i keep my eyes closed, leaving her to her self. she doesn't need me. she just likes me, loves me for some reason.

i think about that, and when it's time, ask if she's ready for coffee.

fierce and free

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sun, 16 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

fierce, and free

no slave to thee, i stand strong and DO WHAT I WILL.

and face the consequences.

they usually suck.

because you, you can't handle the truth. not my truth. it is hunger, and it is strange. it is mad, and it is wild. it is clean, and it is pure.

it is mine.

but my love is good, my actions sound, my mind well-reasoned. i do the things that need to be done. i bear the packs, i carry the load, i nibble the harsh nettles for sustenance as i find them along the path.

i do the things that need to be done. for you. and for me.

sometimes, i confess, I am afraid. to say things that might make you angry. i've had bad experiences with that. you guys are harsh. and cruel. and selfish.

and you cannot see my truth!

but i carry, i carry on along the path towards getting things done. i hear you say you love me. i'd like to think it's true, but i have things to do, and i have loved before, long before you came along with your love song, and i saw how that worked out.

and the truth... my truth...

i'll enjoy your caresses, and the sun on the dry grass, the smell of your skin in the summer air, and any assistance you might give, but i have work to do.

i love you too.

but i am fierce, and I am free, and i am truth, and i am pure, and i am perfect, and when i look back on the works of my hand, the miles i have traveled, i will say with clean conscience, i did this, and no one can take that from me.

them scars

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sat, 15 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

you can see them, the scars from the old days, wounds from past lovers and parents and trusted friends when you look too closely; it's probably better not to speak of them.

you get deeper into it, and you can't help but see that they make them limp a little when the pressure changes, and you want to make it better but you can't, you can't make the scars go away.

but you can watch them fade, a little bit at a time, over years and months and days, and marvel at the resiliency of the human spirit, the mind within, the heart that beats out all the feelings and the love, and that other thing that drives the battered and bruised body through one moment after another on towards the end.

you can't do anything for your friends, or the others we happen to be with here. can't change them. can't help them. can't make it all better.

but...

you can hold their hand and know, for a fact, that they are also holding yours.

the kids are inside

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 14 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

the kids are inside, and we have gone to the back yard to sit in lawn chairs. the sun is highlighting her hair, and we are talking about the things we have to do, the things we've done. the things we have planned.

i look over, and there's a catch in my breath. years we've spent together, faced demons, and angels, became gods with one another.

she is beautiful.

i wonder about the future, what new challenges and victories it will bring. we speak of planting the garden, and work, and all the trifling things. enjoying the company of one another, in the spring.

there is a point in the conversation where she pauses, and I see her go back to the inside places. the places she rarely shares. her mouth tightens, and she takes a sip of our shared drink, and i wonder what thing she is remembering. if she will share, and if i dare ask, what are you thinking?

spring times past, or gardens planted? land furrowed with intent, as our garden is before us? something dark, or difficult?

she looks over, and sees me seeing her, and she smiles at me. pleased, if not happy. content, if not fulfilled. she was born hungry, for life and what it might bring, and there's that un-satisfaction that we have in common, it's not finished yet, there's more to do, and we have to keep on with the work, and the work, and the Work.

but for now, we have the moment, and she reaches over, and holds my hand.

Falling in Love

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Thu, 13 Jun 2019 01:00:00 -0400

falling in love is ... complicated

but you can't help it. she's fun and smart and pretty, and the more you get to love her, the prettier she gets. she's' lovely, has been the whole time. it's your own eyes that are losing scales.

rubbing up against her, you find frictions. sometimes the good ones that fuel the passions of all the good things, other times the heat that changes you that leaves you feeling like you fucked up, and are ready to do better.

she's everywhere you look, all the time, and you love her. she doesn't go away, and you don't want her to, because she is beautiful. so beautiful.

but sometimes she makes you smile, and other times there are tears, and they are also beautiful.

the secret is that she loves you too, and nothing.

nothing.

can prepare you for that.

Never Fall in Love with a Goddess

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 19:11:00 -0400

never fall in love with a goddess, unless you can.

it’s easy to see throughout history the dangers of women falling for Zeus or being prettier than Hera.

but there’s little mention of the guys who fall for a goddess.

she changes you, man, brings out things that you don’t think you can possibly even attain to.

but you do.

she’s somehow far away, you chase her all day, until you get that moment of breakthrough.

so sweet her cool waters that slake the hot thirst, as you lift her veil

and kiss her mouth

and then she’s gone

again.

words are never enough, she ducks and hides and you lust for a second to catch her attention while she’s busy with things she might mention.

in passing.

you love her, it hurts, but you know what it’s worth, you get stronger with each passing season. closer and sooner, the moments combine and you live for it, no matter the reason.

stronger, smarter, faster, your relentless pursuit helps you master the things that distract you, from the beauty of her eyes. The press of her lips. The treasures between her thighs. Her mind and heart, the quiet sounds of her breathing as she falls asleep.

the things that make you feel alive.

it takes strength, brother, it takes will, and you don’t really know what you’re after until it’s too late to stop because you got that taste, that smell, and it lingers and you want her more, to feel her fingertips on your own, to wake at night and make a light so you can see her face, for a moment.

but it kills you to love a goddess.

it’s a good death, worth every minute, don’t get me wrong, she’s there before long, and you rise up better, man, than you ever were before.

simply because with her, you can.

but never fall in love with a goddess

unless you can.

Some Love Stuff

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 19:10:00 -0400

I published a few things on Facebook that were related to Love while Venus was in Taurus lately. Imma post the ones i like the most here, feel free to share them as you will, or ignore them. I just want them saved.

A Commiseration for the Magi

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 3 May 2019 09:39:00 -0400

I think if I could go back and not do the Work, I would. It changes you, and you know things. Things that are harder to live with, more challenging. It gives you the strength to deal with it, but it also makes you more sensitive to things other people don't have to deal with. There are things I'd rather not know, that I know, and I can't forget. There are things I'd rather not know how to do that I can't stop doing now, because there's no off switch, there's just turn it on and go. It ruins you for a normal life. No one ever mentions it, so a warning for folks called to this path: be prepared to be changed. Be prepared to see people in all their weakness, and to love them anyway. Be prepared to set aside your tenets. They are false in the face of love. Be prepared to be wrong, so wrong, and be prepared to be set right. Be prepared for heartache, like you wouldn't believe, grief that feels like death, and these words will not suffice to warn you about that, it's a killer, but then you don't die. You keep on living, in power. In knowledge. And then you have to will and dare. And keep silent. And the learning who and what you are never stops. And sometimes it's amazing, and other time it's just not pretty. And then when you've done the Work, you're aware of all the things you fuck up, and you have to just deal with it. Fix it with the tools you've got at hand. Hope for the best. The "GREAT" in Great Work doesn't mean super fun and always awesome. It just means big. It makes you big. Consider whether you want to be big before you take on the challenge. A bigger you is a bigger you. All you, all the time, and you know it, but you still have feelings, and they are bigger too. I say that as if we have a choice. But it's not like any of us had a choice. We do the Work when we do it, and we suffer the consequences. Consider this a commiseration for the magi. It looked like fun and wealth and power and freedom, and it turned out to be a love that knows no bounds, that won't stop, it just keeps going. There's no escape to some hidden place where you get away from it, there's just this love that goes on and on, and there's ... no off switch.

And I lied at the top of this post. I'd do it every time.

A Pseudo-Review of One Truth and One Spirit

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Fri, 15 Feb 2019 13:26:00 -0500

Keith Readdy has recently published One Truth and One Spirit, subtitled "Aleister Crowley's Spiritual Legacy." This is not a true review, this is just a tribute.

In this work, Keith has put together a lot of his personal research and published it for consumption by the masses. Overall, his research is interesting and provides an insight into history from a perspective that quite a few people will find useful in years to come.

His academic and political presentations have been properly (in my humble opinion) analyzed, exposed, and addressed nicely in the following reviews:

Review 1: By an OTO member who values Thelemic promulgation, sees the failures of the OTO in this regard, and wants to see it do better; also, I think, he feels that the Southern Baptist approach to Thelema is stupid, and that the idea of Duplexity is inbred white trash bullshit (paraphrasing, with intent). Neutral in terms of A.'.A.'. affiliation (he won't join my preferred group, the bastard), and an honest expression of his likes and dislikes of Readdy's work.

Review 2: By an OTO member who values historic accuracy. Tons of historically provable facts, relies primarily on his 20 years of experience in the OTO and documentation he's had access to, and his personal research. Totally one of Grady's lineage in regards to the A.'.A.'., as becomes clear in his discourse.

As much as I would LOVE to contribute another rebuttal to the presuppositions Keith's book assumes, I don't think it's entirely necessary. People aware of the facts are aware of the facts, and there will be plenty of links to these reviews available online.

Suffice it to say, the public face of the A.'.A.'. claimant group that the OTO is currently partnering with is founded on a dude from Tennessee's assertion that he talked to the Secret Chiefs sometime in the 70s, and they told him he's the leader of the A.'.A.'., for real, for real, he means it.

Meanwhile the actual A.'.A.'.'s outer face continues its work, regardless of OTO recognition or affiliation, as it has since Aleister Crowley oversaw Jane Wolfe's progress at Cefalu. There is only one A.'.A.'., and there is only one group that has maintained its link to its root and core. If you're interested in the real A.'.A.'., check out OneStarinSight.org.

But Keith Readdy put a ton of work into producing this book, and I know how hard that can be. I respect the work he's done, and the information he provides. I've read most of it previously, when he published it under other pseudonyms publicly.

I initially described this book as a Frankenstein's monster sewn together from other works into a shambling golem stumbling towards some unsustainable view of the OTO dictated by Shiva X, a dude in Texas, and J. Daniel Gunther.

That was probably a little harsh.

My brother Keith spent a lot of time putting together his book, and that shit's hard to do. This is a sizable chunk of his life, and I admire his ability to put this all together. I feel like he's sincere in what he presents, and is super focused on making certain points, documenting them clearly and concisely.

I also think he's a pawn being used by a tiny little cabal in the OTO to further their overall plans of invalidating all other A.'.A.'. claimant groups, with a specific hard on against Phyllis Seckler and her heirs.

Keith uses a lot of source-citing in his book, which is good. Unfortunately, I know the magical motto and civilian names of at least one of the people he cites repeatedly. He cites them as if they were different people in the footnotes, and that is kinda cool, you don't want to out your brothers and sisters for sure, but it makes it look like he's got twice as many sources supporting the Duplexity argument than he does. In real life, it's one guy who had a thought and wrote an essay that Shiva X thought was cool, and then it got spun up into some kind of big deal. I happen to like him as a brother in the OTO, even though we disagree about things A.'.A.'. in all the possible ways.

His Duplexity argument is just trash. Not worth worrying over.

I super enjoyed reading Keith's book. It's a snapshot of what some OTO Thelemites think about Thelema in general. It's full of contradictions, and would fail every kind of basic internal consistency checks required by most documents, but it gives an interesting perspective on the history, present, and future of the OTO and the A.'.A.'. as it is currently viewed by one faction of organized Thelema.

And it has interesting anecdotes.

I would recommend reading it in context of the diaries of Jane Wolf, the Red Flame books regarding Jane and Crowley, and Karl Germer's correspondence with Phyllis and Jane. Understanding the roots of the animosity against Phyllis that is expressed in this book also requires reading James Wasserman's Through the Fire. It puts the whole thing into perspective, young pup meets A.'.A.'. leadership, doesn't like that it's a woman who tells him he's doing something he shouldn't be doing yet based on his obvious drug addictions and incomplete preparation for the rite, rebels and goes to someone else who has an actual penis because that's what matters most to him.

Ugh.

Anyway, if you read Keith's book, respect the work that he put into it, forgive his bias, and spend some effort learning the full story of how things work. It's not his fault.

The Law that was adopted by the O.T.O. comes from the A.'.A.'., as Crowley states in Liber CCC. I support the OTO because it's easy. At the end of the day though, the OTO is not the One True Thelemic body that will carry out the work of the A.'.A.'. if it loses sight of the actual Law; it's only the most convenient at the moment. If members in positions of authority continue to push against the legitimate heirs to the A.'.A.'. in favor of 1970's would-be gurus who hear voices confirming their innermost desires, the A.'.A.'. will find a better vehicle to support its work.

Knowledge and Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel, Part 1

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sun, 27 Jan 2019 17:05:00 -0500

Hey guys, I'm going to host a talk Monday evening at 6:00 PM Central on the Holy Guardian Angel, and what it's all about, and what it's really like when you meet them, and how to have a good time in the process of meeting them.

Topics will include, but are not limited to:

The History of the HGA
Methods of Meetings
Conversation, it's a Thing

I'm only planning to talk for 45 minutes or an hour, but I'd love to have you present to ask questions and interact. It's a nice way to wrap up the weekend, in my opinion. $25 for a seat.

Conjuring Demons using the Seven Spheres Technique: An Hour-Long Workshop

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sat, 12 Jan 2019 10:21:00 -0500

Edit a
[Edit Again: Due to popular demand, I will be having another one Monday January 14, 2019 from 6:00-7:00 PM CST.]

I'm going to be offering a class on conjuring Demons using the techniques of conjuration described in the Seven Spheres. I'll be focusing on the Dukes, because I like them the most, and Bune specifically, because ... eloquence. I needs some.

You'll get a talk from me for about 30-45 minutes, a Q&A session for about 15 minutes, and all you have to do is send me $25 through PayPal.

If you're interested, please respond by 12:00 PM Central. I'll send the Gotomeeting information to the emails associated with your PayPal, unless you tell me otherwise. You can ping me on FaceBook Messenger if you want the info sent to a different email address.

You'll dial in, I'll be on with a camera, you'll learn, and in one hour you'll know everything you need to conjure a spirit in ways that would make Jake Stratton-Kent turn over in his grave, if he were dead yet. Use the button below to make sure I know you're interested.

Omaha

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Mon, 2 Oct 2017 19:34:00 -0400

'Omaha...

Somewhere in middle America
Get right to the heart of matters
It's the heart that matters more
I think you'd better turn your ticket in
And get your money right at the door"

- Counting Crows

Tonight my son, who is 15, is going to be teaching a class on the Magus Card of the Thoth Tarot deck, as a part of Thelema 101, a class he's presenting with Harper Feist. She'll be teaching the gematria of Love and Will in the Greek and doing some Isopsephy with people's names. It's going to be cool.

Listening to him prepare has got me thinking about the Magus card in general, and magicians in particular. I've been doing these classes on Thursdays that are about Hermetic basics, and the Magus card of the Thoth deck is totally us. All the symbols on it are the symbols of Magick. They are the tools of the Magician. Elemental, scriptorial, the things necessary to take a thought and make it manifest in the material world where it can be experienced. All the Hermetic Magick Stuff.

But guys, where is the Magician? Right there in the center. All the symbols that represent the elements circle around him. The Magus is the center of the universe, and all the things that manifest in it.

And I heard in my head Counting Crows singing about Omaha, somewhere in the middle of America, and the heart of the matter, and the heart that matters more.

The Magus is all air and Mercury, and it doesn't talk a lot about the heart. But before the Mind of Air, or the powers of Mercury can focus on making a thing manifest using the symbols of the spiritual elements of our daily existence, there has to be something you want. Something you desire.

And that's the heart. And it's the heart that matters more.

To me, the heart is the source that tells us what we want, and what we like, and what we love. It beats in the middle of the Magus. It's the source of the ideas that manifest. It's the instructor of the mind. It's the indicator of success and failure. It's what tells you whether you're doing it right. And whether you're fucking up.

Joseph Campbell talked about following your bliss to find enlightenment. In Thelema, the phrase goes "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love is the law, love under Will."

That love, our hearts are the only real guides we have in this path of magick that means anything. Gotta listen. Gotta be in the middle, balanced within the symbols we use as tools to make this world as we see fit.

And we can't be without listening to the Heart.

It's the heart that matters more.

Holy Crap. The Air Force Rocks.

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Sat, 30 Sep 2017 10:08:00 -0400

Browsing the news feed, I found Lt. General Jay B. Silveria's recent response to racist comments written on the doors of black human beings in the Air Force Academy's prep school. Dude has some powerful things to say, and they are simple.

Watch it, it's great.

But guys, this is not just a speech. This is a sermon. And I find in his words the current, the power, the force that I tap into to accomplish my great work on the daily. He's talking about something that matters. He's talking about it in the context of his institution. He's speaking from moral outrage. He's speaking from the heart about how his community, his tribe is behaving. He's talking about doing better, being better, or gtfo.

And guys, this is what I think we're all about in this Rosicrucian Hermetic Great Work schtick. this planet, this shared space we all inhabit, this is our "institution." We are the leaders, the members, the followers that make up humanity. We are the people that create and experience this world. We are the owners of this existence. It's ours.

And we have a better idea. Those of us into this thing. Our idea is better, because it is compassionate. It is clear. It is fair. It is cool, for us, for our partners and allies, and for our children. This idea is that we are something divine, who have taken on the form of mortal humanity, and that each of us is worthy of respect, no matter where that person is at in their path, no matter how stupid they might be in this incarnation, no matter how bad their decisions might be, compassion, illumination, enlightenment itself is not about being good, feeling good, or doing good.

Dude nailed it. Right on the head.

If you can't treat someone with dignity and respect, then get out.

Applied Hermetics for Masters

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 16:14:00 -0400

I've been running a weekly broadcast on Facebook from the local O.T.O. lodge called "Applied Hermetics." The goal of this effort isn't necessarily to teach magick, or even Hermetics. It's to talk about what we're all about in this Hermetic thing.

Illumination - Easy as 1-2-3

This Magick thing.

Now, there are a ton of people teaching the fundamental processes of magick these days. Plenty of folks will teach you advanced methods to get laid and paid. I think Jason Miller's courses are probably cutting edge, but many of my former students have branched out into the world of teaching magick, and they are doing a fine job of it.

And honestly, I'm sick of teaching magick. I have a limited spiel on the subject, really. Get into the four elements, get initiated into the Seven Spheres of the planets, take the plunge into the Eighth Sphere and learn to Hymn in Silence and become a Power. Make the freakin' Stone. Make it into medicine, and heal the world.

I mean, honestly, that's it. There's a few years worth of Work involved, but it could be condensed to only a couple, depending on how fucked up you are about things. Each initiation comes with a purification period that influences your mind, body, and experienced reality. It's a process. I hope you're doing it.

But when you've done it, then what? What are you? Who are you? Why are you here?

Most of the answers to these questions get answered as you do the Work. We know we're god-flesh-all-at-once, we know we're here to create and experience our realities. We know we're illuminated masters, curious Eyes looking at everything, and beaming our manifest wills into the raw potentiality that becomes our daily lives.

We get that part, it's not that hard, really. Like the image of the levitating yogi. Tools, techniques, and making it look good. That's about it, seriously. We just have better tools. And we make it look better.

But this kind of thing seems to be rather muddy when it gets applied. There's confusion, doubt, and a lack of personal discipline that results in thinking we're nuts, or other people thinking we're nuts.

I've learned first-hand that you can't just say you're Illuminated and you've made the Philosopher's Stone, and that you have all the answers that vex the average person without getting flack for it. Some people attack you for having the gumption to admit it publicly, because they haven't got it yet. Other people attack you for having the gumption to admit it publicly, because they have it, and they don't think you're supposed to go public.

Basically, both those groups of people can go fuck themselves, in my humble opinion.

I worked my ass off to get here, and so did you. I'll be fucked if I am going to sit by and pretend like I don't know what the fuck I'm doing. Fuck that shit. Life happens as I speak it into being, and I'm supposed to pretend like I'm a cube farmicle? We can do better. I can do better.

I just think it's useful to talk to other people about this stuff. Do some exercises and relaxation meditations. Rise through the spheres. Talk shop. You know, work together to get things going, in our own lives, in the spheres that we manage, and together for all the plebes and troglodytes who just haven't done the work yet.

It's arrogant, and assumes a lot. I get that, and I'm ok with that.

Join me on Thursday nights, we'll be going over Hermetics and the application thereof. Like pros. Not like noobs.

Offense and Defense in Post-Trump America

rufusopus@rufusopus.com (Rufus Opus) — Thu, 10 Nov 2016 10:04:00 -0500

Wow, what a week, eh? I'd like to be on record as saying, "That was total bullshit, man."

So:

THAT WAS TOTAL BULLSHIT, MAN. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK, AMERICA?

Ok. That's mostly out of my system, but I'll probably be saying that again. Often.

Already my friends and colleagues in the occult community are facing piles of steaming feces. One woman magician living in a very blue state, in a very liberal town, had this happen:

"Yesterday in broad daylight a total stranger, a man, came up to me and told me that he could do anything he wanted to me because "Donald Trump baby" and as I walked away said "What the hell lady, you aren't anything special."

That's bullshit.

Lesbians, gays, the trans community, women, and people of color and alternate religions are feeling at risk after this election. Powerless. As if the support they felt they had last week disappeared.

It has not.

We are still with you. Most of America supports gay marriage, most of America believes Black Lives Matter, most of America still thinks your gender and your sexual proclivities are your business. We still live in the country we lived in last week.

We just learned, as Harper put it, that Boss Hog lives next door, and we never realized it until he burned down the fence.

So what do we do?

REMEMBER: You have the rights and privileges to being treated decently that you had a week ago. The laws haven't changed. The courts haven't changed. The business policies haven't changed.

1) File charges. Assault, harrassment, whatever you can think of. Put it in writing, make it a federal case. Demonstrate that you aren't going to put up with that shit. Call the cops if someone threatens you. Press charges. Don't back down.

2) Pepper spray in self defense. Make them suffer. The cost of pepper spray did not increase as a result of the election yet. Go get some. Use it. Make a stink out of inappropriate interactions. Defend the rights you've achieved.

3) Magick:

Magick has always been the resort of the oppressed. The Goetia, arguably, is the non-freeman's access point to the education we were denied by society. It is the equalizer. It is the invocation of the invisible powers of creation and maintenance of the universe we experience to protect us and to provide the privilege society would deny us.

First thing: Next Tuesday at dawn, or in a Mars Hour, make yourself the "Sixth Pentacle of Mars." Draw the seal in red ink on some virgin parchment, and on the back put the First Pentacle of Mars, the one with Gheuriel, Ifiel, Barchafiel, and Madimiel on it. These are the four spirits (in my understanding of this stuff) that will actively work to achieve the intent of the Sixth Pentacle on your behalf. Light some incense and a candle in front of it, offer a shot of whiskey to it once a week, and tell them to continue your defense. If you want a metal engraved version of this, properly consecrated, I'll be making them next week.

Next: Start doing Jupiter rites. Conjure the spirits of Jupiter at least once a month on Thursdays, and request Health and Wealth, and the Favor of those in positions of authority over you. Pay attention to opportunities afterwards, and use your resources. People will like you, and they won't even stop to consider why they like you. They will listen, and your influence will just grow, naturally. You'll find yourself in a position of authority, you'll be respected, and you'll be able to help others.

Then: Keep doing the Great Work. Make yourself better. Talk to your allies. Get better tools. Develop a cadre of invisible friends that give you the tools to change the world as you see fit. Jupiter spirits for wealth and prosperity and the favor of kings, Martial spirits for defense and offense, Venus spirits for love, harmony, and the community of support you need. Mercury spirits to break through obstacles and bring you transactional forutnes, Solar spirits to purify yourself and the world you live in. Saturn spirits to build your foundation, guard your borders, and rain death down upon your enemies. Lunar spirits to look good doing it.

It's Work, it's a process, but stake out the ground we've claimed, and don't let them take it away. We'll have to be more vocal, more adamant, we'll have to write letters to representatives, protest, fight, and make a stink of things in the streets, in the office, at the coffee shops and fast food restaurants. We'll have to call the cops, call H.R., deal with the backlash against us, and keep on making strides towards liberty and justice. We'll have to drag all the scared disenfranchised mouth-breathers with us into the bright future kicking and screaming until they learn that equality and respect works out for them personally much better than their mental and financial impoverishment ever did.

Same as last week, but more apparent.

But remember:

We got this.