POP MAGIC! MAGIC! by Grant Morrison. This reproduction is faithful to the edition published in The Disinformation Boo of ies and is not intended in any "ay to infrin#e on cop yri#ht$ but simply desires ma%imum e%posure to those "ho mi#ht not other"ise come in contact "ith these ideas.
POP MAGIC! MAGIC! is Ma#ic! Ma#ic! for the People. Pop Ma#ic! is &aed &aed Ma#ic! Pop Ma#ic! lifts lifts the ' (eils and sho"s you the tits of the Infinite.
PART ONE THINKING ABOUT IT
All you need to be#in be#in the practice of ma#ic ma#ic is concentration$ ima#ination and the ability to lau#h at yourself and learn from mistaes. )ome people lie to dress up as *#yptians or mons to #et themsel(es in the mood+ others "ear animal animal mass or Barbarella costumes. The use of ritual paraphernalia functions as an aid to the ima#ination only. Anythin# you can ima#ine$ ima#ine$ anythin# you can symboli,e$ symboli,e$ can be made to produce ma#ical chan#es in your en(ironment.
FIRST STEPS ON THE PATH
Ma#ic is easy to do. Do,ens of ruleboos and instruction manuals are are a(ailable in the occult or -mind$ body and spirit- sections of most modern boostores. boostores. Many of the older manuals "ere "ritten durin# times "hen a po"erful and (indicti(e Church apparatus "as attemptin# to suppress all roads to the truth but most of them are #enerally so hea(ily encoded and dis#uised behind arcane symbol systems that its hardly "orth the bother / e%cept for an idea of ho" other people used T0*I1 ima#inati(e po"ers to interpret non/ordinary contacts and communications. Aleister Cro"ley Cro"ley / ma#ics Picasso Picasso / "rote this and I cant ima#ine say it any better than than he did2 -In this boo it is spoen of the sephiroth and the paths$ of spirits and con3urations$ of #ods$ spheres$ and planes and many other thin#s "hich may or may not e%ist. e%ist. It is immaterial "hether "hether they e%ist or not. By doin# certain thin#s$ certain results results follo"+ students are most earnestly earnestly "arned a#ainst attributin# ob3ecti(e reality or philosophical (alidity to any of them.This is the most important rule rule of all "hich is "hy its here at the start. start. As you continue to learn and de(elop your o"n psychocosms and styles of ma#ical practice$ as you encounter stran#er and stran#er deni,ens of the 0ell"orlds and 0yper"orlds$ youll come bac to these "ords of "isdom a#ain and a#ain "ith a fresh understandin# each time.
HOW TO BE A MAGICIAN
)imple. Declare yourself a ma#ician$ beha(e lie lie a ma#ician$ practice ma#ic e(ery day. day. Be honest about your pro#ress$ your successes and failures. failures. Trippin# Trippin# on 455 mushrooms mi#ht loosen your astral sphincter a little but it "ill not #enerally confer upon you any of the benefits of the ma#ic Im discussin# here. Ma#ic is about "hat you brin# BAC6 BAC6 from the )hinin# 1ealms 1ealms of the 7berconscious. The ma#ician di(es into the Immense Immense Other in search of tips and hints and treasures s8he can brin# home to enrich life in the solid "orld. And$ if necessary$ necessary$ 9ae it till you mae it. HOW TO BE A MAGICIAN 2
1ead lots of boos on the sub3ect to #et in the mood. Talin# about ma#ic "ith non/ma#icians is lie talin# to (ir#ins about sha##in#. 1eadin# about ma#ic is lie readin# about se%2 it "ill #et you horny for the real thin# but it "ont # i(e you nearly as much fun. 1eadin# "ill #i(e you a feel for "hats crap and "hat can be usefully adapted to your o"n style. De(elop discrimination. Dont buy into cults$ aliens$ paranoia$ or complacency. earn "hom to trust and "hom to steer clear of. HOW TO BE A MAGICIAN 3
Put do"n the boos$ stop main# e%cuses$ and )TA1T.
MAGICAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Ma#ical consciousness is a particular "ay of seein# and interactin# "ith the real "orld. I e%perience it "as "hat I can only describe as a -head/clic-$ a feelin# of absolute certainty accompanyin# a perceptual shift "hich #i(es real "orld transactions the numinous$ uncanny feelin# of dreams. Ma#ical consciousness is a "ay of e%periencin# and participatin# "ith the local en(ironment in a h ei#htened$ si#nificant manner$ similar to the effects of some dru# trips$ )al(ador Dalis -Paranoiac8critical- method$ near death e%periences$ etc. Many apparently preco#niti(e and telepathic latencies become more acti(e durin# periods of ma#ical consciousness. This is the state in "hich tea lea(es are read$ curses are cast$ #oals are scores$ poems are "ritten. EXPERIMENT:
As a first e%ercise in ma#ical consciousness spend fi(e minutes looin# at e(erythin# around you as if A O9 IT "as tryin# to tell you somethin# (ery important. 0o" did that li#ht bulb come to be here e%actly: ;hy does the murder (ictim in the ne"spaper ha(e the same unusual surname as your father/in/la": ;hy did the phone rin#$ 3ust at that moment and "hat "ere you thinin# "hen it did: ;hats that "ater stain on the "all of the buildin# opposite: 0o" does it mae you feel: 9i(e minutes of focus durin# "hich e(erythin# is si#nificant$ e(erythin# is luminous and hea(y "ith meanin#$ lie the ob3ects seen in dreams. Go. EXPERIMENT:
&e%t$ rela%$ #o for a "al and interpret e(erythin# you see on the "ay as a messa#e from the Infinite to you. ;atch for patterns in the fli#ht of birds. Mae oracular sentences from the letters on car number plates. oo at the "ay buildin#s mo(e a#ainst the syline. Pay attention to noises on the streets$ #raffiti si#ils$ (oices cut into rapid$ almost subliminal commands and pleas. isten bet"een the lines. ;al as far and for as lon# as you feel comfortable in this open state. The more aimless$ the more you "al for pleasure of pure e%perience$ the further into ma#ical consciousness you "ill be immersed. Ma#ical consciousness resembles states of li#ht meditation$ -hypna#o#ic- pre/sleep trance of alpha "a(e brain acti(ity.
APPLIED MAGIC
Is about main# thin#s happen and performin# the necessary e%periments. In these endea(ors "e do not need to no" 0O; ma#ic "ors$ only that it does. ;e pro(e this by doin# the "or$ recordin# the results and sharin# our information "ith other ma#icians. Theoretical ma#ic is all the mad ideas you come up "ith to e%plain "hats happenin# to you. Applied ma#ic is "hat maes them happen. THE MAGICAL RECORD
Al"ays eep a 3ournal of your e%periments. Its easy to for#et thin#s you(e done or to miss interestin# little connections and correspondences. Mae a note of e(erythin#$ from the intent to the fulfillment. Mae a note of dates$ times$ moods$ successes and failures. )tudy
Banishin# is a "ay of preparin# a space for ritual use. There are many elaborate banishin# rituals a(ailable$ ran#in# across the full spectrum of pomposity. Thin of banishin# as the installation of (irus protection soft"are. The banishin# is a ind of (accination a#ainst infection from Beyond. Most banishin#s are intended to surround the ma#ician "ith an impenetrable shield of "ill. This usually taes the form of an acno"led#ement of the elemental po"ers at the four cardinal points of the compass. )ome lie to (isuali,e themsel(es surrounded and protected by columns of li#ht or by four an#els. Any protecti(e ima#e "ill do / spaceships$ superheroes$ "arrior/mons$ "hate(er. I dont bother "ith any of that and usually (isuali,e a bubble radiatin# out"ards from my body into space all around abo(e and belo" me as far as I thin Ill need it. ;hy the need for protection: 1emember that you may be openin# some part of yourself to an influ% of information from -non/ ordinary-$ apparently -Other- sources. If you practice ceremonial ma#ic and attempt to summon #odforms or spirits thin#s "ill undoubtedly happen.
SIGILS
In the Pop Ma#ic! style$ the si#il =si3/ill> is the first and one of the most effecti(e of all the "eapons in the arsenal of any modern ma#ician.
The si#il techni?ue "as reconceptuali,ed and moderni,ed by Austin Osman )pare in the early @5th century and populari,ed by Chaos Ma#icians and Thee Temple o( Psychic
The si#il taes a ma#ical desire or intent / lets say -IT I) M< D*)I1* TO B* A G1*AT ACTO1=you can$ of course$ put any desire you "ant in there> and folds it do"n$ creatin# a hi#hly/char#ed symbol. The desire is then for#otten. Only the symbol remains and can then be char#ed to full potency "hen the ma#ician chooses. 9or#ettin# the desire in its (erbal form can be difficult if you(e started too ambitiously. There is no point char#in# a si#il to "in the lottery if you dont buy a ticet. )tart "ith stuff thats not too emotionally in(ol(in#. I usually si#ili,e to meet people Im interested in$ or for particular ?ualities Ill need in a #i(en situation. I(e also used si#ils for healin#$ for locatin# lost ob3ects and for mass #lobal chan#e. I(e been usin# them for @5 years and they A;A<) "or. 9or me the period bet"een launchin# the si#il and its manifestation as a real "orld e(ent is usually days$ "ees$ or months dependin# on the (ariables in(ol(ed. I repeat2 si#ils A;A<) "or. )o. Be#in your desires transformation into pure throbbin# symbol in the follo"in# fashion2 9irst remo(e the (o"els and the repeatin# letters to lea(e a strin# of consonants / T)M
Most homemade si#ils loo a little spooy or alien / lie 79O "ritin# or "itchy "all/scratchin#s. There are no rules as to ho" your si#il should loo as lon# as it ;O16) for you. 1*)7T) O&< are important at this sta#e. If somethin# doesnt "or$ try somethin# else. The point is not to B*I*E* in ma#ic$ the point is to DO it and see ho" it "ors. This is not reli#ion and blind faith plays no part. Char#in# and launchin# your si#il is the fun part =its often ad(isable to mae up a bunch of si#ils and char#e them up later "hen you(e for#otten "hat they ori#inally represented>. &o"$ most of us find it difficult at first to maintain the precise Fen/lie concentration necessary to "or lar#e/scale ma#ic. This concentration can be learned "ith time and effort but in the meantime$ si#ils mae it easy to sidestep years of trainin# and achie(e instant success. To char#e our si#il you must concentrate on its shape$ and hold that form in your mind as you e(acuate all other thou#hts. Almost impossible$ you mi#ht say$ but the human body has (arious mechanisms for inducin# brief -no/mind- states. 9astin#$ spinnin#$ intense e%haustion$ fear$ se%$ the fli#ht or fi#ht response+ all "ill do the tric. I ha(e char#ed si#ils "hile bun#ee 3umpin#$ lyin# dyin# in a hospital bed$ e%periencin# a total solar eclipse and dancin# to Techno. All of these methods pro(ed to be hi#hly effecti(e but for the ea#er be#inner nothin# beats the ;A&6 T*C0&I7*.
)ome non/ma#icians$ I(e noticed con(ulse "ith ner(ous lau#hter "hene(er I mention the "orld -masturbation- =and no "onder+ ne%t to "ettin# the bed or shittin# in your o"n cats bo% for a lau#h$ its the one thin# no/one lies to admit to>. Be that as it may$ ma#ical masturbation is actually more fun and e?ually$ more serious$ than the secular hand shandy$ and all it re?uires is this2 at the moment of or#asm$ you must see the ima#e of your chosen si#il bla,in# before the eyes in your mind and pro3ect it out"ards into the ethereal mediaspheres and lo#o(erses "here desires s"arm and condense into flesh. The si#il can be "ritten on paper$ on your hand or your chest$ on the forehead of a lo(er or "here(er you thin it "ill be most effecti(e. At the "hite/hot instant of or#asm$ consciousness blins. Into this blin$ this abyssal crac in perception$ a si#il can be launched. Masturbation is only O&* of countless methods you can use to brin# your mental chatter to a standstill for the split/second it taes to char#e and launch a si#il. I su##est masturbation because Im ind/hearted$ because its con(enient and because its fun for most of u s. 0o"e(er...one does not chan#e the uni(erse simply by masturbatin# =tell T0AT to the millions of sperm fi#htin# for their life and the future of the species in a balled up 6leene%>. If that "ere true$ e(ery (a#ue fantasy "e had in our he ads at the moment of or#asm "ould come true "ithin months. Intent is "hat maes the difference here. 9or#et the "anin# for 3ust one moment if you can and remember that the si#il is the important part of the ma#ic bein# performed here. The moment of or#asm "ill clear your mind$ thats all. There are numerous other "ays to clear your mind and you can use any of them. Dancin# or spinnin# to e%haustion is (ery effecti(e. Meditation is effecti(e but it taes years to learn properly. 9ear and shoc are (ery #ood for char#in# si#ils$ so you could probably "atch a scary mo(ie and launch your si#il at the bit "here the heros head comes bouncin# do"n the aluminum stepladder into his #irlfriends lap. A run around the bloc clutchin# a si#il mi#ht be enou#h to char#e it$ so "hy not e%periment: Try launchin# your si#il "hile performin# a Bun#ee 3ump from a brid#e$ perhaps$ or sit naed in your local #ra(eyard at ni#ht. Or dance until you fall o(er. The important thin# is to find your o"n best method for stoppin# that inner chat 3ust lon# enou#h to launch a fiercely (isuali,ed$ flamin# ultra(iolet si#il into the #ap. )tates of e%haustion follo"in# any intense arousal or depri(ation are ideal. And if you e%periment and still ha(e trouble "ith si#ils$ try some of the other be#inner e%ercises for a "hile. I(e met a couple of people "ho(e told me they cant mae si#ils "or so maybe there are a fe" of you out there "ho #enuinely ha(e problems in this particular area. Tou#h luc but it doesnt mean theres no ma#ic for you to play "ith. I couldnt "hee,e -t"inle t"inle little star...- out of a clarinet but I can play the #uitar "ell enou#h to ha(e "ritten hundreds of fabulous son#s. If Id stuc "ith the clarinet and #ot no"here "ould that mean there is no such thin# as music: Or "orld it indicate simply that I ha(e an aptitude for playin# the #uitar "hich I cant seem to replicate usin# a clarinet: If I "ant to mae M7)IC I use the instrument Im most comfortable and accomplished "ith. The same is true for ma#ical practice. Dont #et upti#ht about it. This is not about defendin# a belief system$ this is about producin# results. 7)* O&< ;0AT ;O16). SIGILS: DISPOSAL
)ome people eep their si#ils$ some dispose of them in an element appropriate to the ma#icians intent =I ha(e burned$ buried$ flushed a"ay and scattered si#ils to the "inds$ dependin# on ho " I felt about them. o(e/si#ils "ent to "ater$ flushed do"n the toilet or thro"n into ri(ers or boiled in
ettles. ;ar/si#ils "ere burned$ etc... )ome of my si#ils are still around because I decided they "ere slo"/burners and "orth eepin#. )ome are e(en still in print. Do "hat feels ri#ht and produces results> )oiled paper and tissues can easily be disposed of in your mums purse or the pocet of dads raincoat. VIRAL SIGILS
The (iral si#il also no"n as the B1A&D or OGO is not of recent de(elopment =see -Christianity$- -the &a,is- and any fla# of any nation> but has become an inescapable #lobal phenomenon in recent years. Its easy to see the &a,i mo(ement as the last #asp of Imperial A#e thinin#+ the (isionary sa(a#es still thou#ht "orld domination meant trampin# o(er the -enemy- and sei,in# his real estate. If only theyd had the foresi#ht to see that #lobal domination has nothing to do with turf and everything to do with media they "ould ha(e anticipated corporate stealth/(iolence methods and combined them "ith their undoubted desi#n sense+ the re3ected artists "ho en#ineered the Third 1eich mi#ht ha(e created the 5th centurys first #lobal superbrand and spared the li(es of many potential consumers. The McDonalds Golden Arches$ the &ie s"oosh and the Eir#in auto#raph are all corporate viral sigils. Corporate si#ils are super/breeders. They attac unbranded ima#inati(e space. They in(ade 1ed )?uare$ they infest the crany streets of Tibet$ they etch themsel(es into hairstyles. They breed across clothin#$ turnin# people into ad(ertisin# hoardin#s. They are a (ery po"erful de(elopment in the history of si#il ma#ic$ "hich dates bac to the first bison dra"n on the first ca(e "all. The lo#o or brand$ lie any si#il$ is a condensation$ a compressed$ symbolic summonin# up of the "orld of desire "hich the corporation intends to represent. The lo#o is the only (isible si#n of the corporate intelli#ence seethin# behind it. ;alt Disney died lon# a#o but his si#il$ that familiar$ cartoonish si#nature$ persists$ carryin# its o"n (ast "ei#ht of meanin#s$ associations$ nostal#ia and si#nificance. People are born and #ro" up to become Disney e%ecuti(es$ mouthin# 3ar#on and the credo of a li(in# corporate entity. ;alt Disney the man is lon# dead and fro,en =or so fol myth "ould ha(e it> but Disney$ the immense in(isible corporate e#re#ore persists. Corporate entities are "orth studyin# and can teach the obser(ant ma#ician much about "hat "e really mean "hen "e use the "ord -ma#ic-. They and other #hosts lie them rule the "orld of the early @st century. EXPERIMENT:
Thin hard about "hy the Coca/Cola spirit is stron#er than the Dr. Pepper spirit ="hat #reat comple% of ideas$ lon#in#s and deficiencies has the Coe lo#o succeeded in condensin# into t"o "ords$ t"o colors$ tain# Or"ells H concept of &e"spea to its lo#ical conclusion:>. ;atch the habits of the "orlds #reat corporate predators lie 9O$ MIC1O)O9T$ or AO TIM* ;A1&*1. Trac their mo(ements o(er time$ obser(e their feedin# habits and methods of predation$ monitor their repeated beha(iors and note ho" they react to chan#e and no(elty. earn ho" to imitate them$ steal their successful strate#ies and use them as your o"n. 9orm your o"n limited company or corporation+ its fairly easy to do "ith some paper"or and a small amount of money. Create your o"n brand$ your o"n lo#o and see ho" ?uicly you can mae it spread and interact "ith other corporate entities. Build your o"n #od and set it loose. HYPERSIGILS
The -hypersi#il- or -supersi#il- de(elops the si#il concept beyond the static ima#e and
incorporates elements such as characteri,ation$ drama$ and plot. The hypersi#il is a si#il e%tended throu#h the fourth dimension. My o"n comic boo series The In(isibles "as a si%/year lon# si#il in the form of an occult ad(enture story "hich consumed and recreated my life durin# the period of its composition and e%ecution. The hypersi#il is an immensely po"erful and sometimes dan#erous method for actually alterin# reality in accordance "ith intent. 1esults can be remarable and shocin#. EXPERIMENT:
After becomin# familiar "ith the traditional si#il method$ see if you can create your o"n hypersi#il. The hypersi#il can tae the form of a poem$ a story$ a son#$ a dance or any other e%tended artistic acti(ity you "ish to try. This is a ne"ly de(eloped technolo#y so the parameters remain to be e%plored. It is important to become utterly absorbed in the hypersi#il as it unfolds this re?uires a hi#h de#ree of absorption and concentration ="hich can lead to obsession but so "hat: lie most "ors of art. The hypersi#il is a dynamic miniature model of the ma#icians uni(erse$ a holo#ram$ microcosm or -(oodoo doll- "hich can be manipulated in real time to produce chan#es in the macrocosmic en(ironment of -real- life. JJJJ PART 2 HOW TO CHAT UP GODS
Accept this for the moment+ there are Bi# Ideas in the "orld. They "ere Bi# before "e "ere born and theyll still be bi# lon# after "ere molderin#. A&G*1 is one of those Bi# Ideas and OE* is another one. Then theres 9*A1 and G7IT. )o...to summon a #od$ one has only to concentrate on that #od to the e%clusion of all other thou#ht. ets 3ust say you "ish to summon the Bi# Idea COMM7&ICATIO& in the form of the #od 0ermes$ so that he "ill #rant you a sil(er/ton#ue. 0ermes is the Gree personification of ?uic "it$ art$ and spellin# and the ?ualities he represents "ere embodied by Classical artists in the symbol of an eternally s"ift and naed youth$ fled#ed "ith tiny "in#s and dressed only in streamers of air. 0ermes is a condensation into pictorial form / a si#il$ in fact / of an easily reco#ni,able default state of human consciousness. ;hen our "ords and minds are nimble$ "hen "e con3ure lau#hter from others$ "hen "e mae poetry$ "e are in the real presence of 0ermes. ;e are$ in fact$ possessed by the #od. I am not su##estin# that there is a real or e(en a #hostly$ Platonic Mt Olympus "here 0olly"ood deities sit around a ma#ic pool "atchin# the affairs of mortals and pausin# only to leap do"n "hene(er one of -belie(es- in them hard enou#h. There may "ell be for all I no" but it seems a complicated "ay to e%plain somethin# ?uite simple. The truth is that there doesnt 0AE* to be a Mt Olympus for you to encounter 0ermes or somethin# 3ust lie him usin# a different name. $ "e can all be -beside oursel(es- "ith passion =Aphrodite> or #rief =0ades>. in life "e encounter these Bi# Ideas e(ery day but "e no lon#er use the "ord -#od- to describe them. The ma#ician consciously e(oes these states and renames them #ods in order to separate them from his or her )elf$ in order to study them and learn.
HOW MANY HERMES?
The form the Bi# Idea taes depends upon your tradition or desire. The beautiful electric youth of the Grees is a "ell/no"n ima#e in ;estern cultures$ ha(in# been appropriated by e(erythin# from Golden A#e 9A)0 comics to the lo#o of the I&T*19O1A chain of florists. Other cultures personify speed$ "it$ and illusion sli#htly differently but the basic comple% of ideas remains the same "orld/"ide2 (elocity$ "ords$ "ritin#$ ma#ic$ tricery$ cle(erness$ and all the ?ualities "e "ould associate "ith 0ermes$ but in India this Bi# Idea is embodied not as a tin/hatted s"ift runner but as a plump youth "ith an elephant head and a broen tus "ith "hich he "rites the on#oin# story of the uni(erse. This is Ganesh$ the scribe of the 0indu pantheon. In *#ypt$ the same Bi# Idea is called Thoth$ "ho created the symbols on the Tarot dec. In the Icelandic tradition$ Odin or ;otan is the ord of i#htnin# and communications. ie ED7s "e stare at e(ery day$ ;otan is one/eyed and on his shoulders sit the ra(ens Thou#ht and Memory "ho brin# him instantaneous data from around the "orld. 0e can be (ery handy in this form$ if you need to discipline an unruly PC. 0ermes$ Mercury$ Odin$ Ganesh$ Thoth$ all these names represent (ariant embodiments on themes of Communication and speed. 1eductionists may come to an understandin# of ma#ic by considerin# -Mount Olympus- as a metaphor for the collecti(e 0uman head. EXPERIMENT:
Pic a traditional #od or demon from a boo on ma#ic or mytholo#y and learn all you can about your chosen sub3ect. I su##est you start "ith a beni#n deity unless youre stupid or hard and "ant to #et into some nasty dirty psychic business$ in "hich case pic a demon from one of the medie(al #rimoires and hope youre stron# enou#h to handle the intense ne#ati(e feelin#s -demons- embody. 0o"e(er$ Id su##est startin# first "ith 0ermes$ the #od of Ma#ic$ in his #uise as Ganesh. Ganesh is no"n as a smasher of obstacles and part of his comple% is that he opens the "ay into the ma#ical "orld$ so its al"ays #ood to #et his ac?uaintance first if youre serious about follo"in# a ma#ical path. Call fer(ently upon 0ermes. u%uriate in his attributes. Drin coffee or 1ed Bull in his name or tae a line of speed$ dependin# on your le(els of dru# abuse. 9ill your head "ith speedy ima#es of 3et planes$ 3et cars$ and bullet trains. Play -1ay of i#ht- by Madonna and call do"n 0ermes. )urround yourself "ith 9A)0 comics and call do "n 0ermes. Tell him ho" e(ery "onderful he is in your o"n "ords$ and then call him into yourself$ buildin# a brid#e bet"een your o"n e(er/#ro"in# feelin#s of brilliance and the descendin# ener#ies of the Bi# Idea. The arri(al of the #od "ill be unmistaable2 you should e%perience a sense of p resence or e(en mild possession =remember "hat this M*A&)+ "e are -p ossessed- by Eenus "hen OE* destroys our reason. ;e are all possessed by Mars "hen A&G*1 blinds us. earn to reco#ni,e the specific feelin#s "hich the "ord -possession- describes. This "ill allo" you to study your chosen Bi# Idea and its effects on the human ner(ous system at close ?uarters "ithout becomin# too fri#htened or emotionally o(er"helmed.>
Maintain the sense of contact$ ?uestion and response for as lon# as youre able and see "hat you can learn. 1emember$ 0ermes is a tricster also and has a lo(e of lan#ua#e and #ames$ so be prepared for cle(er "ordplay and riddles "hen you contact this Bi# Idea. )ometimes the rapid torrent of puns and 3oes can seem lie a ni#htmare of fractal iterations but if youre #oin# to play "ith 0ermes$ be ready to thin fast and impress "ith your "it. If$ on the other hand$ theres only a faint hint of unearthly presence or none at all$ dont "orry. Try a#ain "ith Ganesh$ Odin or a #od you feel more in tune "ith. 6eep doin# the e%periment until you succeed in #eneratin# the re?uired state of mind. Its not difficult+ if you can mae yourself An#ry or )ad or 0appy 3ust by thinin# about somethin# =and most of us can>$ then you are already capable of summonin# #ods and Bi# Ideas. DEMONS ARE...
&o more$ no less than the "ay you feel inside after you(e been dumped by a belo(ed or e%posed by ones peers as a frea or any of the other ne#ati(e (alue defaults "e ha(e access to as human bein#s. 0ell is O&< the Crin#e *ternal and the Place of Our )elfs 7ndoin#. ;hen &iet,che proclaimed -God is dead!- he for#ot to add that )atan is also dead and "e are 9ree from all that anti?ue tat. EXPERIMENT:
7se the techni?ues you(e learned to summon classical #ods and demons and apply them to bein#s you 6&O; for sure cant be real$ lie Kac 6irbys comic boo #ods$ 0P o(ecrafts Cthulhu Mythos monsters$ Poemon characters$ or Cli(e Barers Cenobites. . Thin of these ne" ?ualities or #ods as applications and upload them "hen you need to use them. The more you run the application the more con(incin# and intrinsic to )elf it seems to become. This is "hy actors sometime find it difficult to -come do"n- from roles and "hy ma#icians often feel possessed by #ods or demons. Applications are bein# run.
;ith much practice you "ill become proficient at accessin# these states yourself. Do not$ ho"e(er$ assume that these states are O&< internal psycholo#ical processes. The Bi# Ideas ha(e been here lon# before you and "ill be here lon# after you are #one. They can be re#arded as immensely po"erful autonomous ?ualities and should be respected as such. )ummonin# too much A&G*1 into your life can mae you a bore and a bully$ summonin# too much COMM7&ICATIO& at the e%pense of other ?ualities can mae you a con(ersation/ho##in# pedant and so on. There is al"ays dan#er "hen one -#od- is "orshipped in fa(or of all others. If you summon Ace Eentura you may find yourself becomin# not funny and creati(e but annoyin#. If you summon Cli(e Barers fictional Cenobites 3ust to see "hether or not Im puntin# absolute nonsense$ be prepared to deal "ith po"erful issues of domination$ torture$ submission and pain for these (alue states define the operational parameters of Cenobites. HEALING
My preferred method for healin# is the )piritualist -layin# on of hands- techni?ue "hich in(ol(es a simple homemade prayer to the con#re#ation of dead -healers- or -(eterinarians- "ho inhabit the -other side- and are said to be "illin# to help us in times of need. This prayer is accompanied by intense concentration and (isuali,ation of the healin# process. I(e al"ays found it "ors (ery "ell and can be most effecti(e in con3unction "ith si#ils. EXPERIMENT:
Eisit your local )piritualist Church$ if you ha(e one$ and as to see a demonstration of this po"erful healin# method.
DUDE, WHERE'S MY EGO?
The -e#o- / in the ne#ati(e sense / is that ossified sense of a stable$ unchan#in# -self- "hich people use as a defense a#ainst the 9ear of Chan#e and Death. Its )*9 as a suit of armor+ protecti(e and comfortin# at times )*9 doesnt allo" much room to maneu(er$ mae effecti(e contact or adapt to ne" situations. Other"ise$ the *#o$ "ith a bi# -*- can be a useful tool lie e(erythin# else lyin# around here. *#o creates the heroic dri(e to"ards the Transcendence "hich COM)7M*) A&D 1*)OE*) that dri(e into a hi#her conte%t. It must be remembered that you cant #o beyond your e#o until you(e de(eloped one to #o beyond. The e#o$ as Indi(idual )elf$ is scaffoldin# for "hat "e can call superself or the memeple% =to use )usan Blacmores term for "hat "e call -personality- / see the Meme Machine for more on Dr. Blacmores re(olutionary theory>. )caffoldin# is a necessary part of any construction pro3ect but for the last couple of hundred years "e(e been encoura#ed to mistae the scaffoldin# for the buildin#. The indi(idual so(erei#n self once seemed such a de(elopmental pri,e that its no" (ery difficult to let #o of it "ithout incurrin# amusin# e%istential e%tinction traumas$ but lie all other sta#es of #ro"th it I) 3ust a sta#e and must be surpassed. Demotin# the concept of the -indi(idual- by deliberately en#ineerin# multiple$ conferrin# -e#os-$ personae$ memeple%es or sel(es is intended$ at least by me$ as a method of breain# up the e%istential$ calcified$ indi(idual -)elf- into more fluid Multiple Personality constellations$ by e%posin# -the personality- as 3ust one beha(ioral option from a menu of many.
THE ABYSS
Aleister Cro"ley embodied the destruction of *#oic )elf structures as Choron,on$ the De(il . Choron,on$ "e are told$ is the all/de(ourin# #uardian of -the Abyss- =the Abyss bein# a suitably
dramatic and e(ocati(e term for an e%periential -#ap- in human consciousness.> The term can be applied to that state of mind durin# "hich Indi(idual *#oic )elf/consciousness be#ins to cannibali,e itself rather than confront the usually fri#htenin# fact that Personality is not -1eal- in the e%istential sense and is simply a beha(ioral strate#y. Most of us ha(e had some small e%perience of the #i#antic boundary comple% Me#a/ Choron,onno,norohC/a#eM+ the Choron,onic *ncounter is present in the relentless$ dull self/ interro#ation of amphetamine comedo"ns or fe(ers$ near/death e%periences. Thin of the chatterin# mind$ annihilatin# itself in unstoppable self/e%amination and you "ill hear the (oice of Choron,on. Choron,on then$ is *%isential )elf at the last #ap$ munchin# out its o"n brains$ seein# nourishment and findin# only the riddle of the Bottom That is Bottomless. Choron,on is "hen there is nothin# left but to die to nothin#ness. Beyond Choron,on$ concepts of personality and identity cannot sur(i(e. Beyond Choron,on "e are no lon#er our )elf. The -personality- on the brin of the Abyss "ill do anythin#$ say anythin# and find any e%cuse to a(oid tain# his disinte#ratin# step into -non/bein#-. Most of us in the increasin#ly popular ;estern Consumerist traditions tend to "ait until "e die before e(en considerin# Choron,on. )ince "e can only assume that *#oic )elfsense is de(oured "hole in "hate(er bla,e of #uilt and fury or self/denial or peace perfect peace our last flood of endorphins allo" in the 4 minutes before brain death$ the moment of death seems to me to be a particularly (ulnerable one in "hich to also ha(e to face *%istential terror for the first time. Better to #o there early and scout out the scenery. To die before dyin# is one of the #reat Ordeals of the ma#ical path. The Abyss$ then$ is that limit to )elf consciousness "here meanin# surrenders and re(erses into its o"n absolute opposite and is there consumed in -Choron,onic Acid$- a hypersol(ent so po"erful it dissol(ed the )elfitself. 0ere you "ill encounter the immense )*98&OT )*9 boundary "all on the ed#e of *#oic Consciousness and be obliterated a#ainst it. The Abyss is a hiatus in a"areness$ "here notions of identity$ race$ bein# and territory are consumed in an a#oni,in# fury of contradiction. Ma#icians "ho ha(e successfully -crossed- the Abyss are considered no lon#er human$ in the sense that sur(i(al of this ordeal necessitates the breain# do"n of )*9 into multiple personality comple%es. EXPERIMENT:
The so/called -Oath of the Abyss-$ is a corrosi(e encounter "ith Choron,onic forces inside the personality. It is not somethin# to be undertaen li#htly and Id su##est many years of ma#ical practice before attemptin# anythin# as stupid and as #lamorous as destroyin# your carefully/ established )*9. The re"ards of a successful crossin# of the Abyss are many but a failed attempt can lea(e the ma#ician broen inside$ consumed by doubt$ fear$ and insecurity and ?uite useless to his or her community...
REVOLT INTO MAGIC
Becomin# a ma#ician is in itself a re(olutionary act "ith far/reachin# conse?uences. Before you set out to destroy -the )ystem-$ ho"e(er$ first remember that "e made it and in our o"n interests. ;e sustain it constantly$ either in a#reement$ "ith our support$ or in opposition "ith our dissent. The opponents of the )ystem are as much a function of the )ystem as its defenders. The )ystem is a #host assembled in the minds of human bein#s operatin# "ithin -the )ystem.- It is a (irtual parent "e made to loo after us. ;e made it (ery bi# and difficult to see in its entirety and
"e ser(e it and nourish it e(ery day. Are there e(er any years "hen no doctors or policemen are born: ;hy do artists rarely "ant to become policemen: 9or e(ery McDonalds you blo" up$ -they- "ill build t"o. Instead of slappin# a "ad of )emte% bet"een the 0appy Meals and the plastic tray$ "or your "ay up throu#h the rans$ tae o(er the board of Directors and turn the company into an international lau#hin# stoc.
/ Grant Morrison
