Grimoire

[RiverSnake]

I have noticed that there is an enormous emphasis on the studying and usage of Grimoires in the WesternTradition. As some one still on the shallow end of the pool when it comes to the wester tradition could you guys explain what a Grimoire is and it's role in ones work?

[Zhongyongdaoist]

Grimoire is the old French for grammar. Thus a "magical grimoire" is a book of magical grammar, or rules for doing magic. The grimoires are accounts of magical practices, but they were incomplete and require either lots of study to make up for their omissions, or instruction from someone who is already advanced.

[BaguaKicksAss]

They are basically books which have a list of various spirits in them, with short descriptions as well as the seals used to call said spirits. Some of them also have some old spells in the as well.

 

Yes definitely good to either have a decent amount of previous magical experience, or be within a tradition which works with the grimoires. Or if for some reason one works with the grimoires regardless, choose the friendliest spirit from the most well known grimoire.

 

In my opinion (which isn't shared by many lol) is that it isn't usually the spirits you are calling who will give you the problems that folks run into, it is the random other spirits who sneak in alongside who you are calling, or who come instead pretending to be who you call, or who come over afterwards thanks to that GIANT gaping portal you just left sitting there...

[Apech]

Keeping your own Grimoire is in itself a magical exercise - a way of recording, defining and sealing your work.

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

well shoot.... okay... work in progress...

Cthulu, Patron Deity of the plague. Exists on an invisible moon with a perfectly synchronized orbit and rotation around a perpetually blood-mooned Mars.


Mind, an omniversal unit embedded in and of all nouns. beyond descriptive verb short of mind numbing redundant amnesia.


Wisp, living water floating from frozen skies and a conglomerate hive body-mind.


Salamodo, Lord of the Salamander Guardian Spirits of Magma.


Gate; Your All Encompassing Infinitesimal Omniversal Unit Ward: YAEIOUW, a disembodied A.I. with only the ability to serve its user(s).


Undine, Patron Deity and Spirit of the Water; oft known as lady of the lake, and mistaken for mermaids.


Cedarfern, Limited Omniversal Plurality local to Earth, Terra Firma[e], Gaia[e], and other Life Abundant Worlds. The All-Mother of Lifeforms.
Other incarnations include, but are not limited to Dryad, Carnifern, and independent Floral Worlds.




Ifrit, God of Fire Twinsoul of Loki and all Fire Gods (And the Toaster in the Sink of the Big Mountain Dome), Patron Deity of Fire and Chaos. Burn, baby burn!


Gnome, Incarnate Spirit People of the Earth, Stones, Soil, Metals, and Gems.


Dwarf, Incarnate Spirit People of Metallurgy, Smelting, Smithing, and Loyal Stalwart Servants of Gnome.


Shade: "Let Darkness Become You, And I Will Be As Though Light."



Patron Deity of Lightning and Electromagnetics, an amalgamation of consciousni; Spark, Watt, Volt, Joule, and Amp. The All-Fathers of Life Forms.


Luna, Patron Deity of Gravity and Static Light, the All-Mother of Life-Ways.


Aska, Dove of pure self contained and self perpetuating light, and Patron Deity of Moving Light.



Sylphinid, Patron Deity of Air and Sylphid kind


The Great Unknown, The Great Mystery, The Great Creator Spirit. an unknown, unknowably, indescribably enigmatic associative of Spirit and Patron Deity of Souls.


Odin, Patron Deity of Magnetism, Order, and Pure Invisible Light, the All-Father of Life-Ways.


Martel, Marion, and May, the Trinity Sisters of and Patron Deities Manna/Mana, Chi/qi, Kindualini/Ki, and Focus/Prana.


Origin, Offspring of the Source and Patron Deity of the Void and Creation.

Soul, Patron Deity of Mind.





Maxwell, Champion of the First Tier of Elements, and Guardian to the I Deities and their secrets.

Djinn, cheeky master of the physical elements of the second tier and brother of the II and III Deities.

Gaia, Goddess of the Third Tier of Elements.

Beyond the Fourth Tier of Elements lies the Homes of the Gods.

 

[RiverSnake]

Thanks for the input guys.

 

So its like a magus's own little journal in which he makes notes on what works he does and different Beings he interacts with. Seems like there are some definite strengths and weaknesses of using them.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[RiverSnake]

Does anybody know about any modern Grimoires or are they all just from old dead dudes?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[Guest pix58]

Do yourself a favour and leave well alone you really have no idea what you can be inviting in.

[RiverSnake]

Do yourself a favour and leave well alone you really have no idea what you can be inviting in.

Could you please elaborate?

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited April 6, 2013 by OldGreen

[Guest pix58]

Many spirits/entities often pose as something they are not and can do you real harm both emotionally and physically, it is not something to dabble with unless you KNOW what you are doing and even then it is fraught with dangers...

Get to know your inner self through meditation, own your dark side so you are in control. Through that may come what you seek IF and WHEN you are ready.

[RiverSnake]

Many spirits/entities often pose as something they are not and can do you real harm both emotionally and physically, it is not something to dabble with unless you KNOW what you are doing and even then it is fraught with dangers...

Get to know your inner self through meditation, own your dark side so you are in control. Through that may come what you seek IF and WHEN you are ready.

Thanks for the insights. Don't currently have any desire to practice that kind of stuff. More just exploring the various facets of the Western Tradition.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[Guest pix58]

Pheww.... good, research by reading all philosophies is just part of a spiritual search. You will find the right doors will open for you when you are ready (trust me on that one).

Good luck in your search and listen to your own inner instincts as they will not lead you wrong, take only what feels right for you at the time...it's rather like a huge jig-saw puzzle and maybe the pieces will come together in time....if they do it opens up a whole new ball game!!

The more you get to know the more you realise how much you don't know..

Peace/namaste to you too.

[Seth Ananda]

Do yourself a favour and leave well alone you really have no idea what you can be inviting in.

 

Hrumph... The only way to learn is to do it.

 

If you are not a practising Hermetisist or Occultist, please go post about your fears in the general forum.

 

Evocation is one of the grande sciences and I would almost go as far as saying that if you don't practice Evocation, you barely practice Magick.

[Seth Ananda]

I may as well say my peace on the subject.

 

A Grimiore is a book of spirits, and the specific rituals are Keys to contact a spirit from within it. That is all they are needed for. once contact has been made, with a spirit that is open to working with you, you can {almost} throw the book away, as the spirit itself will dictate the ways and means to contact it in the future.

 

The Grimiore has served its purpose. Ideally though the Magician will make friends ~ or working relationships ~ with a variety of spirits with different skill sets.

 

I side with authors such as Jake Stratton-kent and Aaron Lietch who see Grimiors as the wests form of Shamanism.

 

Traditionally a Shaman would have to gain spirit allies to help him in his job. He would usually inherit one or several from his teacher, which would be passed along to him by learning their songs, and sometimes by being given an item that the spirit lives in.

Next he would have to find some of his own. He needed spirits from all three worlds ~ upper, middle and underworld ~ and if he wanted to heal people he needed healing spirits, if he wanted to be able to break curses he needed powerful friends from upper and lower worlds, and if he wanted to do something else, he would have to find one to do that...

 

the Grimiores are books of spirits that serve different functions. Healing, information, destruction... And at least from following JSK research, the Grimiore Magician in history ~ A Goen in Greece for instance ~ served the same role in his or her community as a Shaman in a tribe.

They helped the dead pass over, did divinations, healings, protections, curses and so on.

 

There is currently quite a revival of the Grimiore traditions and Conjur Magick in the west, and it is exciting to observe and be a part of it. Especially with the cross pollination of the ATRs and the Western traditions...

Edited April 7, 2013 by Seth Ananda

[Friend]

Edited April 14, 2013 by Friend

[RiverSnake]

Found this article online. Seems like Grimoires are just one way of contacting spirits. Guess you can always choose to do the legwork for yourself and go play in the void, though that is probably the harder but more creative path to take. Interesting stuff.

 

http://www.myoccultcircle.com/blog/book-review-josephine-mccarthy-magical-knowledge-i-foundatio.html

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited April 7, 2013 by OldGreen

[Birch]

Great link Old Green. I like Josephine McCarthy. She seems 'sensible' in her appreciation of magical work. I was under the impression that a grimoire was a personal work. In that light it makes sense (to me anyway) that the 'Spirit' contents of one person's grimoire may not be suitable for someone else and may be counter-indicated for yet another. Much like some meditations may be suitable for some but not everyone and to go further, IMO/IME why the 'content' narrative of spirituality ought to be a personal affair and not generalized to everyone (as in religion).

 

 

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

Found this article online. Seems like Grimoires are just one way of contacting spirits. Guess you can always choose to do the legwork for yourself and go play in the void, though that is probably the harder but more creative path to take. Interesting stuff.

 

http://www.myoccultcircle.com/blog/book-review-josephine-mccarthy-magical-knowledge-i-foundatio.html

 

My 2 cents, Peace

 

 

I learn something new about old experiences every day!

 

 

Did i really do that? Contact spirits in the void?

 

 

I think i've entered an "amnesia" contract... must be pretty big, cuz i'd want to remember contacting let alone contracting spirits!

 

 

But what you say suggests a lot... That my time spent in the void produced something creative in and of me... then to list 20 spiritual patrons of the elements...

 

 

And now to learn that what i had done was closely related to maintaining a Grimoire?

 

 

 

I dont believe in Coincidences And since i was fully intending to basically write up a mini "bio" for each patron of their respective element... i guess that makes me a Mage?

 

 

 

 

It all started out innocently enough as a pursuit of truth.... that's still all "it" is. but i cant help but take a step back at the moment and go "wow, really? i did that? me? wow!".

 

However i am also of the understanding that it isnt that "I" am "doing" this, but rather that this is happening through "me".

Edited April 7, 2013 by Northern Avid Judo Ant

[RiverSnake]

My 1 Cent opinion is that a normal mage has his will and it can be as said dangerous as thinking at something is giving something awareness and call it. You know that there is such thing that you think of somebody he calls you with his phone after that. So if a human can pereive unconcious what a enitiy might perceive?

 

 

I think this is an important point. Properly directed will and intent is intrinsic. My observation has been that the more powerful we become as practitioners, the more refined are focus and awareness needs to be so that we understand what we are "connecting" with. It's important to be able to consciously seal our doors when necessary and open them when necessary....no drunken antics for the magus, could get quite messy I am sure .

 

At-least that is my amateur opinion.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited April 7, 2013 by OldGreen

[RiverSnake]

I was under the impression that a grimoire was a personal work. In that light it makes sense (to me anyway) that the 'Spirit' contents of one person's grimoire may not be suitable for someone else and may be counter-indicated for yet another. Much like some meditations may be suitable for some but not everyone and to go further, IMO/IME why the 'content' narrative of spirituality ought to be a personal affair and not generalized to everyone (as in religion).

 

Indeed, my understanding is that spirits have there own preferences of people they are willing to work with. Heard of some people say that some Beings will just tell you to go screw yourself, different vibrations I suppose, some don't match up.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited April 7, 2013 by OldGreen

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

im pretty sure violent and low vibration spirits are corporeal tricksters and not pure spirits...

[Apech]

There's a saying 'don't open a door you cannot close' .... learn banishment rituals.

 

Keeping a Grimoire yourself is an essential part of the work.

[RiverSnake]

Edited April 7, 2013 by OldGreen

[Vanir Thunder Dojo Tan]

geeze, not bad for winging it!



I categorized the 5 element system into 4 tiers of 20 elements... the heaviest elements, the lowest frequency, were poison, magma, body, tool/technology, and ice.

The correlated patrons were C'thulu, [the] Salamander king- whom i have tennatively nicknamed Salamodo, Mind, [the] General Applicable Thought Equation CPU: G.A.T.E., and Wisp...

The higher tiers of elements are represented by lower density-higher vibrational spirits.

Mind is the patron of Body
Soul is the patron of Mind
Spirit is the patron of Soul

And a great unnamable conglomerate spirit is the patron of spirit-fragments...


The only spirits i am soundly comfortable discussing in detail...


Cthulu scares me on his invisible moon behind Mars...

[Seth Ananda]

Here is my understanding of how to approach Grimoire work safely.

 

First, if you just wanted to jump right in to Grimoire work, then work with books like Ars Paulina, Almadel of Solomon {the lemegetons fourth book} or with the Angelic or Good spirits chapter from the Grimoire you may be interested in. {if it has one}

Ars Paulina has a section specific to meeting the Angel of the degree of your own Natal ascendant Having a connection to this angel will be most useful later on when dealing with other spirits.

 

If you wish to be more cautious in your approach, consider that many {not all} schools did not begin evocation until you had done either or both the following: gained Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel ~KCHGA~ Or had made a genuine solid contact with the One {say in neo platonism} or Atum {in Hermetics} which is the same thing.

The experiences gained through achieving either of these make you sensitive to and aware of your own Being. This will be crucial later when you begin the work with the heavier spirits.

A muggle doing this stuff can have no understanding of when he is being Influenced by the Beings he is working with, and the only clear method I know of to know this is to be able to feel ones 'Being' very clearly, which will make it instantly obvious if something is trying to exert control over you.

 

If you have a more Pagan slant or just want added back up, Find a Solar deity or a wrathful Deity or both, that you feel innately attracted to, and start making friends. Make them a shrine and Keep it. Leave offerings, meditate, pray and Invoke. If the God/Goddess responds favourably you are on your way to making friends. It shouldn't need to be said, but always be totally honest with the Gods. Developing this relationship will bring many many wonderful experiences and blessings, and adds another wall of defence against problematic spirits.

 

If you have a solid connection to the One, have achieved KCHGA, made friends with some Angels, and built a solid relationship with Some Gods, and learnt some Banishing process's, you should have no fear approaching the heavier stuff.

 

 

That said, some people don't want to do all that and are attracted to the Heavy spirit work right off the bat.

 

I have seen this go.. ..badly.. but I have also seen it go well. Depends on how it is done.

 

The Heavy spirits are not all totally 'evil' but they are chaotic. A churning mass of passions, desires, fury, power and so on. Many there are totally self-centred, or nearly so.

 

Once again one needs to make friends. The Successful demonolaters I know that went straight into this path refused to see the Demons as enemy's, and you know what, {like people i guess} the Demons often respond well to that. Spending time reading through the lists, seeing which being you are attracted to working with is a start.

Taking a note from the ATR conjur traditions and making an offering to the spirit each day for a week before the conjuration tends to shift its mood towards you as well. {and removes what Lisiewski refers to as the slingshot effect} {Thanks Aaron Leitch}

Some forgo using the circle as it is aggressive and not very open. I would recommend forgoing it myself for this path but each to their own. Its a pretty ballsy move but the spirits appreciate the trust and respect.

 

It will be pretty clear fairly quickly into the Invocation if the spirit gells with you or not. If not, just cease the evocation, thank it and make offerings to it again. If you have made your weeks worth of offerings It will probably let you go no problem.

 

If it is going well, treat it with respect and reverence. Ask for ways to deepen contact with it, if you feel you would like to build that relationship.

 

 

 

My final note, I never follow the Grimoires in their instructions to order the spirits around, to threaten or try to inflict pain. I tried it with Belial, and while I had good results at first, I paid later. And it never felt natural to me, in fact it felt quite unethical.

 

And funnily enough, 'evil' beings come off as far less 'evil' when given some respect. {still dangerous and unpredictable though}

 

 

 

My final final note, is spirits are real. If you treat them as psychological manifestations of your own mind, they will resent you and things will go badly for you. Also you will continually underestimate them and their capacities...