So it's finally here, the night that witch and warlock alike look forward to all year long! Tonight is Samhain Night! I want to take this moment to wish you all a Happy Samhain, Halloween, All Hallows Eve, Day of the Dead, or whatever version of the hallowed night you observe!
On that note my ritual for the evening has already ended, even though I am sure many of you have yet to even get started. I guess my problem with late night Samhain rituals is that I also like to celebrate the dead through actual celebrating, not just somber rememberances in the ritual chamber. And as with any good celebration alcohol is most definately involved...now if you plan to invoke Dionysus or another wine or merriment god/dess drunkeness (depending on intent) is often appropriate. Hell, depending on the circumstance it may even be insulting if you do not! But with that said I don't know many circles who see wine and merriment deities as appropriate attendees to Samhain rituals.
When I first started my Samhain planning in late August I thought that the direction I would take would be through the Black Supper of Cain. The supper is a monumental sacrament in my own version (and I suspect others) of Luciferian practice. It evokes the spirit of Cain. Not necessarily Cain himself...depending on ones personal beliefs Cain may be seen as a spirit too high in the demonic hierarchy to evoke, and I am certainly one of them. Cain is the Witch Father, and the first of Witchblood and such an evocation is usually reserved for lower level demonic spirits. I see Cain as an elder on the Crooked Path, and thus a higher level of respect is due. So in this case evoking the SPIRIT...that is the mind, spirit, and attributes, of Cain is more appropriate than attempting to evoke Cain himself. But the essence of the Black Supper is nontheless of a profound nature and only to be undertaken on the most high of days or occasions. This doesn't mean that they need to be necessarily POSITIVE per se (although they usually are) but merely of extreme importance. It consists of red meat cooked to medium, medium rare, or even rare. The idea here is to have red blood still present in the meat prepared symbolic of the blood of Abel, who is Cain's sacrifice to the path of Lucifer and in fact his own initiatory act before beginning his journey through the desert under the guidance of Lucifer/Samael to meet his mother, Lilith, at her cave in the wilderness. The beverage served is usually wine, beer, or whiskey depending on personal or group preference. This is seen as the elixer of life as it is called, with the intent of heightening the emotions and the passions of the working at hand. The point here is not to acheive drunkeness (although it is not prohibited under the correct circumstances as you will see) but to indulge in the pleasures of flesh and liberation. Besides the red meat and whatever elixer is chosen other foods may be served, and if it is being observed as an actual meal it is not only an option but a necessesity.
Aside from the logistics of the Black Supper the actual intent can take one of two forms, and as stated above it must be of the utmost importance. The first of the two forms is that of self-advancement. It usually takes the form of a death/rebirth ritual, wedding, funeral, birthing rite (the equivalent of a Wiccaning or christening in other traditions), or other such rite of passage. The second is less serious in nature but no less importance, which is that of an atmosphere of revelry and indulge. Simply put...one SWEET ASS FUCKING PARTY with spiritual and religious aspects included. Indulgence in physical pleasures is indeed a hallmark of Luciferian practices and is thus an event worthy of the Black Supper of Cain. However, I feel it necessary to suggest that if you choose the later form of the supper you should take care to only observe it on major holidays such as Walpurgisnacht or Samhain (or any other sabbat or full moon). If you use it at anytime as an easy excuse for a good party then it tends to lose it's significance quite quickly!
Having said all of this it is not the way that this Samhain turned out for me. Samhain was actually quite strange for me up until the ritual, and even then I assume that most would probably consider it quite strange during it as well...then again who asked them? The Black Supper did not happen...in fact the ritual was rather spur of the moment. After forming the space it really just formulated itself from there and all plans were thrown out the window. The spirits of the dead were of course present, including those that I consider "members of my tribe" not necessarily relatives or even personal friends (although some were). Members of you tribe include those historical figures, noted people on your own spiritual path or one similar to it who have passed on, celebrities, authors etc. whom you may not have known personally but have nevertheless had a profound affect on your life or who you are as a person. Anton LaVey, the victims of the Salem Witch Trials/Burning Times, and Matthew Shepard were among the notables present with me this evening. This ritual also saw the demise of Raven Brimstone (my former aspect) and the birth of Ambrogio Notte (my present aspect). Granted I have been signing my last few blogs as Ambrogio it is this night that signifies his offical coming into being, as was always intended. The last few signatures we merely in the spirit not unlike an expecting mother who may sign a christmas card with her name, her husband's name, and that of her unborn child. Know that with this post it is the man in the flesh wishing you the darkest (and best) Samhain of your life! And while I'm at it here is one of my favorite Samhain songs...
AMBROGIO NOTTE
Monday, October 31, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Suggestions for Samhain preparations and ritual
If any of you are like me you have a nasty habit of putting things off at the last minute. And if on October 29 you are still looking for suggestions for your Samhain gathering, you definitively suffer from the same condition. Having said that I do have many suggestions that I would like to share with you. The first is COFFIN DUST. What is coffin dust? It's a lovely Samhain incense (or anytime incense) used to evoke the energies of death, rebirth, and transformation. What could be better to have billowing from you censer on Samhain? The recipe I created myself, and here it is:
2 parts black arts powder/incense (if using powder be sure none of the ingredients are toxic!!)
2 parts ground clove
2 parts ground cinnamon
1 part ground sage
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and then stir will a toothpick or even then end of a used incense stick if necessary, until well blended. When properly blended the resulting coffin dust should resembled dirt...what better look for a death incense? The resulting scent is surprisingly please for an incense of it's kind.
Besides it's use at Samhain, this is a great incense for all dark workings. Those practitioners of the black arts, Luciferianism, Dark Wicca, or gothic/nocturnal traditions will find this to be an excellent purification incense to cleanse the ritual chamber, altar, or temple.
In my own personal practice I often use this during the Dark God/Goddess Chant, which is precisely the "Witches Chant" by Inkkubbus Sukkubbus with the god/dess forms names changed. If you are unfamiliar with the Witches Chant you can find it here:
The names for the Dark God Chant are Iakchos, Anubis, Thanatos, Hades, Setesh, Anrga Mainyu, Nanna
(br>
The names for the Dark Goddess Chant are Lilith, Ereshkigal, Persephone, Hecate, Cerridwyn, Kali, Inanna
These names fit in quite easily with the rhythm of the Witches Chant, although emphasis on the sylables may need to be adjusted to fit the names that are used. They can be used for invocations, meditations, or simply as a devotional in your daily practice. My own personal suggestion is that even if you are not a dark-sided practitioner of the mystic arts that you at least use these names (or the names of other dark gods) during the period from Mabon (autmnal equinox) to Ostara (Vernal Equinox) in honor the the dark ones who rule during this time period.
The Samhain season, which I personally define as anytime after Mabon through November first is a time when for better or worse the gods of darkness, the dead, and in fact demons are at their peak. Many will run screaming when they hear the word demon, either for fear of the "evil" the bring or the idea that they have no place in witchcraft and only reside in fantasy or in the deulsions of bible thumpers. But keep in mind that many modern day demons where at one time pagan gods...not to mention the fact that like it or not they have been given a much more pleasing face as demons to the darker amongst us. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but in this case the Xians actually did us a favor. I'm not suggesting that you buy into the ridiculous doom and gloom given to these beings by the church, only that you relish the gloriously hideous faces that they gave them. It is also helpful to keep in mind that most of the attributes given to demons are that of magick, knowledge/divination, lust, weaponry, strength etc. Who in their right mind has a problem with any of this other than the knee-benders? So with all this in mind why not dedicate your Samhain proceedings and space to your favorite dark gods/demons? Of course they will be present at the ritual itself, but why not dedicate any actions you take during this season to them? To do so will allow these entities to get to know you and your nature, it will also cause them to view you in a better light. After all, especially in the case of demons, they do not look upon you with immediate benevolency. This is something that must be earned! It's not that they immediately look upon you with malice, but rather with utter indifference. The rewards of turning this tide in your favor can be quite astonishing and benefical to you.
In terms of sacrifice, this is a great way to place yourself in league with the dark ones, and the demonic spirits. But what do you sacrifice? This largely depends on to whom the sacrifice is made. Many different spirits have many different preferences. Demons are especially fond of blood and sexual fluid. They are also fond of incense which brings us back to the coffin dust...if blood and sexual fluid are not in your personal taste the coffin dust is a great subsitute, although I personally prefer blood. Now, before you think this nothing more than the ravings of a madman consider this...first of all, the blood in question shall be YOUR OWN, not that of an innocent animal or some poor young child you slaughter upon your altar! Let me be perfectly clear here so that there is not one of those silly misunderstandings that should have never taken place to begin with: THE BLOOD SHALL BE YOUR OWN, AND IT SHALL BE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL WILL! NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS! GOT IT? Sorry, I'm not yelling at you (which all caps often suggests) I am only making myself perfectly clear. You know how crazy some people can get the second you mention something as innocent as spilling human blood upon an altar! It is also aignificant to consider the amount of blood that will be used. This is approximately 5-6 drops, enough to be considerable and yet not overly gruesome. If you're a bleeder nothing more than a sterile lancet will be necessary. If not, then a parring knife or razor blade should suffice. It is important to keep in mind that you not cut anywhere that a major artery or vein is located. I find the heel of the palm to be a good location for this.
If you prefer sexual fluid to blood then there are a few different options for this sacrifice. You can acheive this through sexual intercourse obviously, as well as oral intercouse. The trick here is at the moment of climax you visualize the entity(ies) to whom you will the sacrifice to be made. The other option is to recite the name(s) of the entity either silently if you must be discreet, or verbally with intense passion if you have a sympathetic partner. The other option is this: You may acheive the sacrifice of sexual fluid through the visualization of sexually arousing images during masturbation so long as you are also able to keep in mind the intent of the working. This sort of metaphsyical multi-tasking can be difficult for some at first, but practice makes perfect. The worst that can happen is an an ecstatic orgasm...an how "aweful" that would be, right?Just remember that if you get lost in your passion and are unable to focus then that is all you have acheived...an ecstatic orgasm.
In previous Samhain rituals I have honoring the victims of the Salem Witch Trials. While it is granted that most of the victims were nothing more than devote Puritan they (as well as other victims of the Burning Times) ultimately paved the way for repeal of anti-witchcraft laws in the 19th and 20th centuries. Whether we agree with their personal real life convictions or not it was ultimately benefical to us as witches and warlocks so it only seems polite and appropriate.
The bottom line is this...your Samhain ritual should focus on the dark gods, demons, deceased loved ones or individuals you have admired, as well as honoring the spirit of the earth in it's death throes. Anything that you personally associate with these things is perfectly acceptable. Personal aesthetic is very important and indeed paramount to the observation of ANY Samhain ritual. Be creative, and allow your personal energies and inclinations to guide you and you will have a memorable holiday!
SAMHAIN BLESSINGS!
AMBROGIO NOTTE
2 parts black arts powder/incense (if using powder be sure none of the ingredients are toxic!!)
2 parts ground clove
2 parts ground cinnamon
1 part ground sage
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and then stir will a toothpick or even then end of a used incense stick if necessary, until well blended. When properly blended the resulting coffin dust should resembled dirt...what better look for a death incense? The resulting scent is surprisingly please for an incense of it's kind.
Besides it's use at Samhain, this is a great incense for all dark workings. Those practitioners of the black arts, Luciferianism, Dark Wicca, or gothic/nocturnal traditions will find this to be an excellent purification incense to cleanse the ritual chamber, altar, or temple.
In my own personal practice I often use this during the Dark God/Goddess Chant, which is precisely the "Witches Chant" by Inkkubbus Sukkubbus with the god/dess forms names changed. If you are unfamiliar with the Witches Chant you can find it here:
The names for the Dark God Chant are Iakchos, Anubis, Thanatos, Hades, Setesh, Anrga Mainyu, Nanna
(br>
The names for the Dark Goddess Chant are Lilith, Ereshkigal, Persephone, Hecate, Cerridwyn, Kali, Inanna
These names fit in quite easily with the rhythm of the Witches Chant, although emphasis on the sylables may need to be adjusted to fit the names that are used. They can be used for invocations, meditations, or simply as a devotional in your daily practice. My own personal suggestion is that even if you are not a dark-sided practitioner of the mystic arts that you at least use these names (or the names of other dark gods) during the period from Mabon (autmnal equinox) to Ostara (Vernal Equinox) in honor the the dark ones who rule during this time period.
The Samhain season, which I personally define as anytime after Mabon through November first is a time when for better or worse the gods of darkness, the dead, and in fact demons are at their peak. Many will run screaming when they hear the word demon, either for fear of the "evil" the bring or the idea that they have no place in witchcraft and only reside in fantasy or in the deulsions of bible thumpers. But keep in mind that many modern day demons where at one time pagan gods...not to mention the fact that like it or not they have been given a much more pleasing face as demons to the darker amongst us. It may be a hard pill to swallow, but in this case the Xians actually did us a favor. I'm not suggesting that you buy into the ridiculous doom and gloom given to these beings by the church, only that you relish the gloriously hideous faces that they gave them. It is also helpful to keep in mind that most of the attributes given to demons are that of magick, knowledge/divination, lust, weaponry, strength etc. Who in their right mind has a problem with any of this other than the knee-benders? So with all this in mind why not dedicate your Samhain proceedings and space to your favorite dark gods/demons? Of course they will be present at the ritual itself, but why not dedicate any actions you take during this season to them? To do so will allow these entities to get to know you and your nature, it will also cause them to view you in a better light. After all, especially in the case of demons, they do not look upon you with immediate benevolency. This is something that must be earned! It's not that they immediately look upon you with malice, but rather with utter indifference. The rewards of turning this tide in your favor can be quite astonishing and benefical to you.
In terms of sacrifice, this is a great way to place yourself in league with the dark ones, and the demonic spirits. But what do you sacrifice? This largely depends on to whom the sacrifice is made. Many different spirits have many different preferences. Demons are especially fond of blood and sexual fluid. They are also fond of incense which brings us back to the coffin dust...if blood and sexual fluid are not in your personal taste the coffin dust is a great subsitute, although I personally prefer blood. Now, before you think this nothing more than the ravings of a madman consider this...first of all, the blood in question shall be YOUR OWN, not that of an innocent animal or some poor young child you slaughter upon your altar! Let me be perfectly clear here so that there is not one of those silly misunderstandings that should have never taken place to begin with: THE BLOOD SHALL BE YOUR OWN, AND IT SHALL BE OF YOUR OWN PERSONAL WILL! NOTHING MORE AND NOTHING LESS! GOT IT? Sorry, I'm not yelling at you (which all caps often suggests) I am only making myself perfectly clear. You know how crazy some people can get the second you mention something as innocent as spilling human blood upon an altar! It is also aignificant to consider the amount of blood that will be used. This is approximately 5-6 drops, enough to be considerable and yet not overly gruesome. If you're a bleeder nothing more than a sterile lancet will be necessary. If not, then a parring knife or razor blade should suffice. It is important to keep in mind that you not cut anywhere that a major artery or vein is located. I find the heel of the palm to be a good location for this.
If you prefer sexual fluid to blood then there are a few different options for this sacrifice. You can acheive this through sexual intercourse obviously, as well as oral intercouse. The trick here is at the moment of climax you visualize the entity(ies) to whom you will the sacrifice to be made. The other option is to recite the name(s) of the entity either silently if you must be discreet, or verbally with intense passion if you have a sympathetic partner. The other option is this: You may acheive the sacrifice of sexual fluid through the visualization of sexually arousing images during masturbation so long as you are also able to keep in mind the intent of the working. This sort of metaphsyical multi-tasking can be difficult for some at first, but practice makes perfect. The worst that can happen is an an ecstatic orgasm...an how "aweful" that would be, right?Just remember that if you get lost in your passion and are unable to focus then that is all you have acheived...an ecstatic orgasm.
In previous Samhain rituals I have honoring the victims of the Salem Witch Trials. While it is granted that most of the victims were nothing more than devote Puritan they (as well as other victims of the Burning Times) ultimately paved the way for repeal of anti-witchcraft laws in the 19th and 20th centuries. Whether we agree with their personal real life convictions or not it was ultimately benefical to us as witches and warlocks so it only seems polite and appropriate.
The bottom line is this...your Samhain ritual should focus on the dark gods, demons, deceased loved ones or individuals you have admired, as well as honoring the spirit of the earth in it's death throes. Anything that you personally associate with these things is perfectly acceptable. Personal aesthetic is very important and indeed paramount to the observation of ANY Samhain ritual. Be creative, and allow your personal energies and inclinations to guide you and you will have a memorable holiday!
SAMHAIN BLESSINGS!
AMBROGIO NOTTE
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Post-mortem reflections on The Circle of Shadows; Birth of the Halo of Serpents
When the Circle of Shadows was concieved in early October of last year neither I has high priest, nor any of the other members had any idea where it would go. And now with nearly six months passing since it's last meeting, and in the spirit of Samhain I am now ready to offically declare our diminutive coven dead. Not unlike a corpse decays encased in it's coffin under the cold damp earth the Circle of Shadows has become nothing more than skeletal remains of what it once was. Members came and went, and then after the Walpurgisnacht ritual it honestly ceased to exist. Personal tensions grew between current members and honestly between present as well as past members that I personal remained friends with, but others did not. Which in turn caused more tensions between those of us who were in current participation.
As I look back on the six months that The Circle of Shadows was active, I can say complete confidence that there is nothing about the experience that I regret. I was certainly memorable, and I will carry the things I learned from it for a very long time to come. But in hindsight I can see in many ways that the Circle of Shadows was destined to be short lived. The diversity of it's members suggest that now. Many were much more light-sided than I am. And most, with the exception of myself and two others were strictly Wiccan/Neo-pagan. Whereas I had a more Luciferian twist to my practice, and the others didn't really define themselves but they certainly had a darker nature. This alone can cause conflict not only with the construction and the logistics of a ritual, but also with the compatibility of the energies created by the participants.
This also led to personality differences, and left unresolved or without care taken to avoid conflict they will almost cetainly lead to tension in the coven dynamic. On the whole, the Circle of Shadows was definitely a postive experience for me and I can only hope that the same can be said for everyone else who participated.
On that note, there have obviously been many changes to the blog. I will now tend to focus on the more Luciferian and traditional elements of my own practice and experiences, as well as random thoughts and ideas as they come to me. I have also retitled the blog as "The Halo of Serpents". I think it's time to change things up a little bit, and I'm going to do my best to make that happen. I also plan to make a sincere effort to post and update things on a more regular basis as they have been sorely lacking over the last year or better.
HAPPY SAMHAIN TO YOU ALL!
Ambrogio Notte
As I look back on the six months that The Circle of Shadows was active, I can say complete confidence that there is nothing about the experience that I regret. I was certainly memorable, and I will carry the things I learned from it for a very long time to come. But in hindsight I can see in many ways that the Circle of Shadows was destined to be short lived. The diversity of it's members suggest that now. Many were much more light-sided than I am. And most, with the exception of myself and two others were strictly Wiccan/Neo-pagan. Whereas I had a more Luciferian twist to my practice, and the others didn't really define themselves but they certainly had a darker nature. This alone can cause conflict not only with the construction and the logistics of a ritual, but also with the compatibility of the energies created by the participants.
This also led to personality differences, and left unresolved or without care taken to avoid conflict they will almost cetainly lead to tension in the coven dynamic. On the whole, the Circle of Shadows was definitely a postive experience for me and I can only hope that the same can be said for everyone else who participated.
On that note, there have obviously been many changes to the blog. I will now tend to focus on the more Luciferian and traditional elements of my own practice and experiences, as well as random thoughts and ideas as they come to me. I have also retitled the blog as "The Halo of Serpents". I think it's time to change things up a little bit, and I'm going to do my best to make that happen. I also plan to make a sincere effort to post and update things on a more regular basis as they have been sorely lacking over the last year or better.
HAPPY SAMHAIN TO YOU ALL!
Ambrogio Notte
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)