One of the reasons why magic does not work is because a person has not
understood what they have to sacrifice for the rite to happen.
In different systems of magic, there is the concept of sacrifice – of
giving something up to achieve a desire or receive something from the gods. Usually this is symbolic; a person killed an
animal, or poured wine into a trench to give something up to achieve a
goal.
Even in initiation, the concept of taking an oath can be considered a
form of sacrifice where the “victim” is the person who is dying so that they
can become something more. They are
narrowing their life and promising not to do something so that they can be more
than human.
However, there might be something more behind these symbols than first
appears, which could lead us to an area of experimental magic.
Most magicians believe that magic can be used to create a change in
their lives or environment. They do
rituals because they want something to be different. In many ways they are creating a new universe
in which certain undesirable components are not there. Effectively they are taking the role of the
mind of god, Thoth, and speaking a new universe into being. Having made their last utterance, and cleared
up the wax, which has stuck to the carpet, they wait for the new universe to
unfold around them.
Magic seems to create four “effects”: the first and least noticeable is
that it does not work at all. The ritual
is said to be a failure and often others are tried. The next is that something happens but it
does not quite manage to achieve its goals.
The third effect is that it works but things do not work as intended and,
while the primary goal is achieved, other unexpected events happen. Lastly, the ritual works and the new universe
replaces the old one.
Recently I have come to believe that the reason that some rituals do not
work is something to do with the strength of the old universe and the desire on
the part of the magician (or outside forces) to maintain it.
 |
| Give your old stuff to the Baron at the Crossroads |
Ask yourself, for this ritual to work, how much change will be
required. Some rituals require cosmetic
changes to the existing universe and should be more likely to be
successful.
It makes little odds to the universe that you get to a certain destination
on time without the aircraft developing turbulence and you having to be anally
probed by US customs and immigration when you arrive. A travel ritual to protect against this will
probably succeed. But a much more
considerable aspect of your life would change if you won a huge sum on the
lottery. You would also be doing “black
magic” to prevent another person’s universe changing as result of your win.
Let’s look at another area of “low magic” to explain the problem. You had a problematic relationship with a
person and you were always fighting. One
day you both worked out this was self-destructive and ended it. You find yourself alone and do a ritual to
find a new partner. Nothing
happens. The answer might be that the
old destructive relationship is still in your life. You can’t ask the gods to create you a new
universe with a new one until you have a space to put a new person inside it.
This idea of “having the space” to roll out the new universe is vital.
What appears to happen is that when the creator gods of magic unfold your new
shiny universe, there have to be holes cut inside the design for all the things
you want to remain. After all, if you
invoke for a new job you do not want your relationship to pack in, or your dog
to suddenly vanish overnight. The
problem is that if something in your life is central and antagonistic to your
ultimate goal remains, then the new universe will end up exactly like the old
one.
While the creation of a new universe is one idea, with its own set of
gods, we have to ask the important question “what happened to the old one?” and
“what needs to be chopped out of my universe to make this work?” It is these things that need to be sacrificed
for us to make sure our magic works.
This god of sacrifice is a variation of one of the many underworld death
gods within religion. They are Satan,
Set, Baron LaCross, Typhon, Pluto, Dis Pater and Saturn. Before any creation ritual they must be
unleashed onto your existing universe, removing those things which stand in the
way of what you want.
The first thing many of you must be thinking is “hang on, allowing the
destruction of my existing universe by letting this lot make merry with it is
insane.” In some ways you are right. But equally does that really mean that you
don’t want something enough to make the sacrifice? Is it possible to say that something is your
True Will if you are not prepared to sacrifice something else to obtain it?
This attempting to hold on to a large chunk of your universe while at
the same time hanging onto your old one is simply not possible. One change should create other dramatic ones
and when you do your invocation, you unconsciously know what each one is.
In fact when you do an invocation you will find yourself putting riders
on what you want, which could ultimately kill off any potential universe
unfolding correctly. “I invoke for a
magical order which is suitable for me, but has to meet within walking distance
of my house, have a pub nearby, have no fees and will recognise my magical genius.”
 |
| St Expeditus |
So how can we find out what impact our magic will have? How can we find out what we have to give up,
to obtain what we want?
If we invoke gods like Thoth, or our spirit guides, or who (or whatever)
to help us create a universe, we have to invoke the death gods to help us
discover what our sacrifices will need to be.
This might be the reason that Dis Pater, the roman Hades, was called the
father of all riches. It was because he
let the old bad things die so new wealth could come into a life.
Before you do any invocation which would lead to the creation of a new
universe, you should invoke one of the death gods to ask their permission and
to request that they tell you what the sacrifice will be. They will probably tell you and once that
sacrifice is made you can invoke for your new life (if you still want to go
ahead with it).
It might be that to get what you want you really have to break up with
your girlfriend, who is holding you back.
You might have to leave your mother’s basement and start taking some
responsibility for your life. You might
really need to leave the country before the police knock down the door, or give
up that person who you are convinced is the love of your life. It will be the underworld death gods which
will arrange that for you so the good work can begin.
It sounds curiously inverted, invoking a death god to ask for a new
life, but this is exactly the principle behind a Voodoo magician invoking , who was connected to the king of the dead Baron LaCross. Expeditus, as his name suggests was called
upon to make things happen today rather than tomorrow. What better way to make something happen
quickly than if all the obstacles to your new universe are sacrificed.
 |
| Magic has a price... you have to give up your old life to get the new |
