Transcending lust of result: a tested method

In the field of magic, lust for result and uncontrolled emotion are grave hindrances to success. While we mustn’t deny exceptions to the rule - I once knew a brother capable of manifesting earth shattering results, merely by pouring his heart out before a votive candle - most of my own experience so far has demonstrated an inverse correlation between the amount of emotion poured into ritual and the frequency of positive results. To avoid confusion, this article is especially focused on what is popularly termed 'grey' magic, i.e. the imposition of one's will on the outside world.

Unchecked emotion and longing for desired ends becloud one’s judgment, as evinced by numberless examples we can cite.

The tightrope walker nears the other end of the cliff, and a wave of enthusiasm causes their concentration and footing to falter, resulting in their demise in the chasm below. A man disaffects a potential partner on the first date with awkward improprieties. The Dragon arises from the Nefesh and befouls the Garden of reason. Ad infinitum. Indeed do the higher and lower mirror each other more than first appears.

Wishful thinking is particularly ruinous. The solace it imparts on the mind belies its pernicious nature: the individual, excited and comforted by the fantasy of the goal he/she desires to accomplish, fails in that very endeavour. Flights of fancy sate the mind, and what impetus can spur a mollified mind into concrete action? Spiritual forces do not differentiate between real and imagined gratification. And herein lies the problem. Emotional attachment to outcomes similarly exerts a nullifying influence over any potential result, in no small part due to the doubts and mental rumination that invariably ensue.

Having identified these obstacles, how do we bypass them?

The most straightforward solution is, when performing a ritual, to anchor one’s focus not as much on the goal, but on completing the ritual correctly, maintaining a state of indifference toward the outcome, with the serene and assured conviction that the task shall be accomplished. This non-attachment must be tempered by a strict observance of all ritual actions - do not confuse indifference with carelessness. I am also convinced that, regardless of their actual necessity, the complex trappings of classical magical texts have another purpose, to place the magician in a state of mind where anything becomes possible.

Visualizing a magical objective and stating it aloud is useful, but must be done with little or no emotion or obsession, simply as another component of the rite. Difficult you say? Indeed it is. But one other key to facilitating the process is more accessible than many may realize.

Manifesting tangible results on the physical plane was something that eluded me for several years.  Akin to squeezing blood from a stone even. Despite being trained and mentored by the best, and achieving success in many other branches, I consistently missed the mark in this area. Until the day I realized I could silence the emotional attachment to outcomes, through sustained recitation and vibration of names or invocations over long periods of time, thereby achieving stunning results.  

Prolonged vibration of holy names, syllables, vowels, prayers, &c, is a component of major texts of western magic - paralleling the mantras of eastern Tantra. The long strings of Greek vowels in Hermetic/PGM material; the imposing lists of holy names and YHWH permutations in Jewish magical and Qabbalistic literature[1]; the drawn-out, name-laden orisons and litanies of the Grimoires, &c. 

Not only do they impel the mind to transcend any lust of result, they draw the attention of the force invoked, or perhaps, to echo Iamblichus, they elevate our souls such that they mirror the those very powers, allowing for direct communication or even systasis therewith.

Some of the most striking examples are to be found in Islamic theurgical techniques, which - perhaps not coincidentally - boast a reputation for unsurpassed power which has been validated by many occultists in recent years. The practices of the Sufis involved the recitation of holy names and orisons hundreds or even thousands of times. For instance:

“Whoever engraves this name (Bâ‘ith) on a leaden plate on the first hour of Saturday, then utters it 4100 times, whilst gazing intently upon its written form, and then says ‘O Saturn, I command thee to perform such and such’ shall see it accomplished quickly, through the grace of God, blessed be he!”

(Shamsu-l-Ma’arif, Spanish edition in Jaime Coullaut, ‘Sufismo y ciencias ocultas’ 353, translation mine)

Now, it goes without saying that mantric vibration is but one component of successful magic, but a cardinal one nonetheless, and I wish to place the focus on it in this post. 

How the reader decides to apply these techniques will evidently depend on them, and the traditions they practice. My current rule is that if an operation does not specify a number of utterances for a given formula, I vibrate it a minimum of 100 times. This sustained vibration is also the key to making simpler rites work, particularly the deceptively short spells found in many classical texts.

I can provide countless examples of how this approach has transformed my magical life. The first time I achieved direct communication with a Deity was after vibrating its name continuously for over an hour, after which the veil finally opened so to speak.

My work with Olympic spirits only begat results after I integrated the long vibrations into them. I cannot describe the whole procedure here, but near the core of the rite I vibrate the spirit’s name a number of times related to its planet (e.g. 111 times for Sol / Och, as this is a number associated with its Qame'a), followed by the petition. Results invariably follow within a week.

Goetic spirits, Decanic Gods, and other entities have also manifested spectacular results with this method.

Lest I ramble overmuch, I will end this post here, hoping that it may benefit the readers’ own personal practice.

JPF

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 [1] The Sword of Moses, the Hekalot texts, and the works of Abraham Abulafia to name a few notable examples