The
Moon swung into its waxing phase on Wednesday, and which was my cue to begin preparations
for a Lunar rite to be performed when it’s full. The aim is to receive
initiation into the sphere of the Moon. I’ve tried this before and
failed, which I attribute mainly to lack of preparation and follow-up.
I’ve been in a protracted period of magical idleness since then, and now
I’m trying to climb back into the saddle. Once again the plan is to
call on Gabriel in his role as Archangel of the Moon and ask for a lunar
initiation.
The goal here is somewhat open-ended, but as I understand it this initiation should:
- enhance psychic perception and intuition
- facilitate astral travel
- improve my ability to see past deception and delusions
- bring about significant dreams and visions relating to the Lunar mysteries
-
induce circumstances that will force me to confront personal issues in
areas of my life that fall under the Moon’s rulership (sleep, dreams,
sex, intoxication, illusions, and secrets)
In
hopes of avoiding a repeat of my previous failure, I’m going to include
a lot of preparation and follow-up. I want to get this ritual right and
make the results stick. The basic plan I’m following will track the
Moon through one full cycle:
In
the waxing period I will be preparing myself for the rite by gathering
the necessary materials and attuning myself to the Lunar vibrations
through prayer and meditation.
After
the ritual, while the Moon wanes, I should hopefully have boatloads of
Lunar energy pouring into my sphere. To direct and channel this force as
it manifests in my life, I’ll perform the appropriate call from Jason
Miller’s Advanced Planetary Magic at the Hour of the Moon every day. To receive further lessons and continue the ongoing process of initiation, I will call on the Intelligence and Spirit of the Moon repeatedly during this period. The last piece of the puzzle is regular attempts to achieve astral projection, hopefully aided by the spirits.
Preparation
I’ve
made myself a rosary of 81 semi-precious amethyst beads (amethyst is
supposed to be good for clairvoyance and has lunar/water associations),
and I intend to perform at least one full rotation of it daily while
reciting the following prayer:
O Almighty and Eternal God,
In the name of Christ your son I pray
Send your servant Gabriel to me
O Gabriel, Archangel of the Moon
Holy keeper of the Lunar sphere
In Christ’s name, hear thou and answer me
Bless me that I may see true and clear
Part the veil that hides your realm from me
And shine forth your light upon my path
I’ve also
written a devotional poem to the Moon herself, which I will be reciting
every day during her Hour. After each recitation, I’ll take some time
to meditate and reflect on the mystic meaning of the Moon as I
understand it.
The poem goes like this:
Light and shadow play across your face
As you dance your endless round about the world
Eternity in blinks, hinting winkingly at Grace
Showing glimpses forth of God through misty curls
In your glow all things grow beautiful and strange
The Mysteries sing softly on the breeze
What once seemed certain starts to breathe and change
And in my veins I hear the murmur of the seas
All living creatures feel your tidal pull
As the spheres of Heaven swell you full
Of luminous elixir, silver-bright
The healing poison of the shining night
O pristine priestess, drape me in your light!
Awake my inner sight, set free my dreaming mind
That I may dance where others stumble blind
Unwind the shroud that clouds the mystic eye
And raise my soul beyond the sky
To cry aloud my praise for you on high!
I’ll also be taking some time to breathe in Lunar energy and circulate it within my etheric body in order to get a better feel for it and further attune myself.
The
last aspect of my preparation involves gathering the necessary
materials. This includes preparing a lamen and Table of Practice as
well as putting together a talisman/mojo bag for enhanced psychic
perception and dreams. I’ll ask Gabriel to empower this construct during the rite and bind the Moon's blessings into it.
Reports
So far it's been going well, I've managed to fit all the prayers and poems in as intended, although not always within the hour of the Moon. To offset any potential effects of poor timing, I begin my recitations by tracing Jason Miller's Lunar seal in the air and vibrating the appropriate Greek vowel (the seals are designed to make best aspects of the planetary powers available at any time, regardless of astrological conditions). I picture the seal hanging in the air, then swirling into a vortex which opens a portal directly to the Lunar plane, and I speak the poem into this gate. As the month progresses and the Moon becomes more visible in the sky, I may start skipping this step and chanting directly to her.
I haven't noticed any major effects yet (not that I was expecting to), although I have noticed that when I work with my subtle body I have an easier time feeling the energies moving within me.
One other note: in addition to the specific prayers listed above, I have been offering general prayers and supplications to God, Christ, and the Spirit as it seems appropriate. This has not been a habit of mine for the majority of my adult life, and I have to say I'm a bit startled by how good it feels. There's an immediate, positive response from my body and mind, and I get the sense that something is really listening--much more than I generally do when I call on lesser spirits, at least at this stage of my development.
The first time I was about to start on
the Gabriel rosary, it occurred to me that if I was going to be calling on
God and his Angels in the name of Christ, it might be a good idea to
start by seeking Christ’s blessing on the whole endeavor. So I offered
up a short, spontaneous prayer to Him, calling on him as Savior,
Liberator, and Redeemer. Within a few moments of beginning to speak, my whole body felt warm and
light and alive. It was like my soul was smiling. I’ve had a tough time
relating to Christ in the past, what with the whole “his most powerful
and vocal followers being complete and utter shitheads for centuries”
thing, but it’s becoming clear to me that the Son of Man himself
transcends all that. There’s a reason the Angels respond to His name. Jesus is good juju, plain and simple.
That's all I have to report so far. I'm still figuring out what ingredients I'm going to put in the bag, I'll post a list once I figure it out. Any suggestions are welcome. I know it's going to include a dandelion root that I dug up the other night and am now drying in my room. It felt pleasantly witchy to dig in the dirt under the cover of darkness.
