Ceremonial Magic

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Hello.

I have an interest lately in Ceremonial Magic, but as yet do not know too much about it. I practice Shamanistic like beliefs, and have been for quite some time, but have practiced Wicca in the past.

What I do can at times be ritualistic, and at other times not as much, on the Wicca side of things, when I do something like offer a devotion I go to great lengths and ritual for lack of a better term to offer such devotion.

For example my last devotion consisted of myself going out last Autumn to some crab apple trees I had found around while walking, I walked with a small gift bag in hand, and upon finding the areas of the trees, I then picked the least damaged apples I could find that had fallen to the ground. I continued walking to see if there were any other wild things to use in a fall ritual devotion. I came across a few purple roadside wild flowers, I picked two of the flowers exactly and brought my gatherings home. I set a China Tea plate upon my altar, cut the apples into slices, salted them as they were good enough for eating, and placed a purple wild flower on both the left and right sides of the dish. The devotion was left from early morning to late afternoon as a devotion (universal, no particular deity) and then all but 3 apple slices I myself ingested, and the rest were scattered out in the backyard for the squirrels.

I am particular that is to say about certain ways I do them. For this reason I have acquired an interest in ceremonial like magic, but am not very too much aware of what it is or entails. I was wondering if anyone here has any knowledge or information about it that they would not mind sharing?

Blessings.

[SpiritTalker]

To me ceremonial magic isn't the same as personal rituals. Something is a personal ritual because we follow a balancing routine that makes sense to us, but may not to someone else. We are free to make it up as we go, but it will somehow conform to our personal symbolism & symmetry. These rituals express our personal relationship with natural forces.

Ceremonial magic follows set protocols and ritualized formula for predictable results. It uses known signs, gestures, & symbols that have unambiguous & shared common meaning. The circle of art & triangle of manifestation are features. There's a high amount of working planetary influences and elemental correspondences to summon & control the forces that manifest. It may work with known spirits and there are lists of them. Astrology, numerology and alchemy are related. Rituals are designed to cause specific changes to occur within the psyche of the Practitioner, and by extension, in their surroundings.

I only have an over view and have not studied ritualism. I get the point that everything is placed to set up a sequence of relationships, associations & experience for the Practitioner. The temple is designed to guide these experiences. Each step and tool directs the attention and focus to a specific outcome. The Sumerians and Egyptians had this system down pat.

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Thank you for the explanation. That has helped me understand exactly now the differing paths here I follow.

I practice Shamanistic ritual, combined with Chaos magic, that is what closely relates. And I practice as well a form of working with spirit.

Thank you again, that really helped clarify a few things for me.

[SpiritTalker]

Cool.

[Doktor Avalanche]

If you have an interest in Ceremonial Magic, I highly recommend Donald Michael Kraig's book Modern Magick. It is a simple explanation of Qabalistic, Ceremonial practice and shows the application using the rituals from the Defunct Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

[EveningWithAstaroth]

If you have an interest in Ceremonial Magic, I highly recommend Donald Michael Kraig's book Modern Magick. It is a simple explanation of Qabalistic, Ceremonial practice and shows the application using the rituals from the Defunct Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Thank you for the book recommendation.

However, as not feasible as that is at the moment. Books are not my top priority for spending. I will be keeping the name of the book in mind.

Currently for the most part I have been looking for online sources of information-websites- on ceremonial magic.

Researching when I have the time.