Editing Ceremonial magic (section)

==Techniques==
{{one source|section|date=December 2021}}
According to Crowley, there is a single definition of the purpose for ritual magic: to achieve Union with God through "the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 1}} Since this process is so arduous, it is also acceptable to use magic to develop the self (i.e. one's [[body of light]]) or to create ideal circumstances for the Work (e.g. having access to a place in which to do ritual undisturbed). There are many kinds of magic, but the categories of ritual that are recommended by Crowley include:
* '''[[Banishing]]'''—the elimination of unwanted forces. "The Magician must therefore take the utmost care in the matter of purification, firstly, of himself, secondly, of his instruments, thirdly, of the place of working."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}}
* '''[[Invocation]]''', where the magician identifies with the Deity invoked. There are three methods:
*# ''[[Buddhist devotion|Devotion]]'' —where "identity with the God is attained by love and by surrender, by giving up or suppressing all irrelevant (and illusionary) parts of yourself."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}}
*# ''Calling forth''—where "identity is attained by paying special attention to the desired part of yourself: positive, as the first method is negative."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}} (e.g. [[assumption of godforms]])
*# ''[[Drama]]''—where "identity is attained by sympathy. It is very difficult for the ordinary man to lose himself completely in the subject of a play or of a novel; but for those who can do so, this method is unquestionably the best."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}} (e.g. many [[initiation]]s and the [[Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass|Gnostic Mass]])
* '''[[Evocation]]'''—which is bringing a spiritual being ''before'', not ''into'', the magician (e.g. [[goetia]])
* '''[[Eucharist]]ic [[ritual]]'''—which "consists in taking common things, transmuting them into things divine, and consuming them."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}}
* '''[[Consecration]]'''—"the active dedication of a thing to a single purpose."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p={{page needed|date=December 2021}}}}
* '''[[Divination]]'''—such as the use of the [[Thoth Tarot]] or other tools used to gather information.

===Vibration of god-names===
In magical rituals, a vocal technique called ''vibration'' is commonly used.{{sfnp|Scarborough|2003}} This was a basic aspect of magical training for Crowley, who described it in "Liber O."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc="Liber O"}} According to that text, vibration involves a physical set of steps, starting in a standing position, breathing in through the nose while imagining the name of the god entering with the breath, imagining that breath travelling through the entire body, stepping forward with the left foot while throwing the body forward with arms outstretched, visualizing the name rushing out when spoken, ending in an upright stance, with the right forefinger placed upon the lips. According to Crowley in "Liber O", success in this technique is signaled by physical exhaustion and "though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name of the God vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should appear to him as if that Great Voice proceeded from the Universe, and not from himself."{{sfnp|Crowley|1909|p=18}}

===Banishing===
{{main|Banishing}}

The purpose of [[banishing]] rituals is to eliminate forces that might interfere with a magical operation, and they are often performed at the beginning of an important event or ceremony (although they can be performed for their own sake as well). The area of effect can be a magic circle or a room. The general theory of magic proposes that there are various forces which are represented by the [[classical element]]s (air, earth, fire, and water), the planets, the signs of the [[Zodiac]], and adjacent spaces in the astral world.{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} There are many banishing rituals, but most are some variation on two of the most common—"The Star Ruby" and the [[Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram]].

Crowley describes banishing in his ''Magick, Book 4'' (ch.13):

{{blockquote|[...] in the banishing ritual of the pentagram we not only command the demons to depart, but invoke the Archangels and their hosts to act as guardians of the Circle during our pre-occupation with the ceremony proper. In more elaborate ceremonies it is usual to banish everything by name. Each element, each planet, and each sign, perhaps even the Sephiroth themselves; all are removed, including the very one which we wished to invoke, for that forces as existing in Nature is always impure. But this process, being long and wearisome, is not altogether advisable in actual working. It is usually sufficient to perform a general banishing, and to rely upon the aid of the guardians invoked. [...] "The Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" is the best to use.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 13}}}}

He further states:

{{blockquote|Those who regard this ritual as a mere devise to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy to possess it. Properly understood, it is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p=690}}
}}

===Purification===
{{main|Ritual purification}}
Purification is similar in theme to banishing, but is a more rigorous process of preparing the self and her temple for serious spiritual work. Crowley mentions that ancient magicians would purify themselves through arduous programs, such as through special diets, fasting, sexual abstinence, keeping the body meticulously tidy, and undergoing a complicated series of [[prayer]]s.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 13}} He goes on to say that purification no longer requires such activity, since the magician can purify the self via willed intention. Specifically, the magician labors to purify the mind and body of all influences which may interfere with the Great Work:

{{blockquote|The point is to seize every occasion of bringing every available force to bear upon the objective of the assault. It does not matter what the force is (by any standard of judgment) so long as it plays its proper part in securing the success of the general purpose [...] We must constantly examine ourselves, and assure ourselves that every action is really subservient to the One Purpose{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 13}}}}

Crowley recommended symbolically ritual practices, such as bathing and robing before a main ceremony: "The bath signifies the removal of all things extraneous or antagonistic to the one thought. The putting on of the robe is the positive side of the same operation. It is the assumption of the frame of mind suitable to that one thought."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 13}}

===Consecration===
{{main|Consecration}}

Consecration is an equally important magical operation. It is essentially the dedication, usually of a ritual instrument or space, to a specific purpose. In ''Magick, Book 4'' (ch.13), Crowley writes:

{{blockquote|The ritual here in question should summarize the situation, and devote the particular arrangement to its purpose by invoking the appropriate forces. Let it be well remembered that each object is bound by the Oaths of its original consecration as such. Thus, if a pantacle<!-- Do not change this to pentacle. --> has been made sacred to Venus, it cannot be used in an operation of Mars.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 13}}}}

===Invocation===
{{main|Invocation}}
[[File:Circle of Solomon and Triangle of Solomon from The Lesser Key of Solomon.png|thumb|An example of the magic circle and triangle of King Solomon]]
Invocation is the bringing in or identifying with a particular deity or spirit. Crowley wrote of two keys to success in this arena: to "inflame thyself in praying"{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 15}} and to "invoke often". For Crowley, the single most important invocation, or any act of magic for that matter, was the invocation of one's [[Holy Guardian Angel]], or "secret self", which allows the adept to know his or her [[true will]].

Crowley describes the experience of invocation:

{{blockquote|1=The mind must be exalted until it loses consciousness of self. The Magician must be carried forward blindly by a force which, though in him and of him, is by no means that which he in his normal state of consciousness calls I. Just as the poet, the lover, the artist, is carried out of himself in a creative frenzy, so must it be for the Magician.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 15}}}}

Crowley (''Magick, Book 4'') discusses three main categories of invocation, although "in the great essentials these three methods are one. In each case the magician identifies himself with the Deity invoked."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p=147}}
*''Devotion''—where "identity with the God is attained by love and by surrender, by giving up or suppressing all irrelevant (and illusionary) parts of yourself."
*''Calling forth''—where "identity is attained by paying special attention to the desired part of yourself."
*''Drama''—where "identity is attained by sympathy. It is very difficult for the ordinary man to lose himself completely in the subject of a play or of a novel; but for those who can do so, this method is unquestionably the best."

Another invocatory technique that the magician can employ is called the [[assumption of godforms]] — where with "concentrated imagination of oneself in the symbolic shape of any God, one should be able to identify oneself with the idea which [the god] represents."{{sfnp|Crowley|1979|loc=ch. 26}} A general method involves positioning the body in a position that is typical for a given god, imagining that the image of the god is coinciding with or enveloping the body, accompanied by the practice of "vibration" of the appropriate god-name(s).

===Evocation===
{{main|Evocation}}

There is a distinct difference between invocation and evocation, as Crowley explains:

{{blockquote|To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". This is the essential difference between the two branches of Magick. In invocation, the macrocosm floods the consciousness. In evocation, the magician, having become the macrocosm, creates a microcosm. You ''in''voke a God into the Circle. You ''e''voke a Spirit into the Triangle.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|p=147}}
}}

Generally, evocation is used for two main purposes: to gather information and to obtain the services or obedience of a spirit or demon. Crowley believed that the most effective form of evocation was found in the grimoire on [[Goetia]] (see below), which instructs the magician in how to safely summon forth and command 72 infernal spirits. However, it is equally possible to evoke angelic beings, gods, and other intelligences related to planets, elements, and the Zodiac.

Unlike with invocation, which involves a calling in, evocation involves a calling forth, most commonly into what is called the "triangle of art."

===Eucharist===
The word ''[[eucharist]]'' originally comes from the Greek word for thanksgiving. However, within magic, it takes on a special meaning—the transmutation of ordinary things (usually food and drink) into divine sacraments, which are then consumed. The object is to infuse the food and drink with certain properties, usually embodied by various deities, so that the adept takes in those properties upon consumption. Crowley describes the process of the regular practice of eucharistic ritual:

{{blockquote|The magician becomes filled with God, fed upon God, intoxicated with God. Little by little his body will become purified by the internal lustration of God; day by day his mortal frame, shedding its earthly elements, will become in very truth the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit, the human by the divine; ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest in flesh will be his name.{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 20}}
}}

There are several eucharistic rituals within the magical canon. Two of the most well known are the ''Mass of the Phoenix'' and the ''[[Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass|Gnostic Mass]]''. The first is a ritual designed for the individual, which involves sacrificing a "[[Cake of Light]]" (a type of bread that serves as the host) to [[Ra]] (i.e. the Sun) and infusing a second Cake with the adept's own blood (either real or symbolic, in a gesture reflecting the myth of the [[Pelican]] cutting its own breast to feed its young) and then consuming it with the words, "There is no grace: there is no guilt: This is the Law: Do what thou wilt!" The other ritual, The Gnostic Mass, is a very popular public ritual (although it can be practiced privately) that involves a team of participants, including a Priest and Priestess. This ritual is an enactment of the mystical journey that culminates with the Mystic Marriage and the consumption of a Cake of Light and a goblet of wine (a process termed "communication"). Afterwards, each Communicant declares, "There is no part of me that is not of the gods!"

===Divination===
{{main|Divination}}
[[File:John William Waterhouse - The Crystal Ball.JPG|thumb|''[[The Crystal Ball (painting)|The Crystal Ball]]'', by [[John William Waterhouse]] (1902), depicts a [[crystal ball]], a skull, a [[wand]], and a book of ceremonial magic.]]
The art of [[divination]] is generally employed for the purpose of obtaining information that can guide the adept in his [[Great Work (Hermeticism)|Great Work]]. The underlying theory states that there exists intelligences (either outside of or inside the mind of the diviner) that can offer accurate information within certain limits using a language of symbols. Normally, divination within magic is not the same as [[fortune telling]], which is more interested in predicting future events. Rather, divination tends to be more about discovering information about the nature and condition of things that can help the magician gain insight and to make better decisions.

There are literally hundreds of different divinatory techniques in the world. However, Western [[occult]] practice mostly includes the use of [[astrology]] (calculating the influence of heavenly bodies), [[bibliomancy]] (reading random passages from a book, such as [[Liber Legis]] or the [[I Ching]]), [[Thoth Tarot]] (a deck of 78 cards, each with symbolic meaning, usually laid out in a meaningful pattern), and [[geomancy]] (a method of making random marks on paper or in earth that results in a combination of sixteen patterns).

It is an accepted truism within magic that divination is imperfect. As Crowley writes, "In estimating the ultimate value of a divinatory judgment, one must allow for more than the numerous sources of error inherent in the process itself. The judgment can do no more than the facts presented to it warrant. It is naturally impossible in most cases to make sure that some important factor has not been omitted [...] One must not assume that the oracle is omniscient."{{sfnp|Crowley|1997|loc=ch. 18}}
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