Before embarking upon the ceremonial side of cursing, let us reconsider the more general aspects of
overlooking, seen solely from the point of view of your pyramid power. As already mentioned, spells
will always work better when the ground is well laid beforehand, and this is particularly true in the
instance of curses. The person who knows he has been laid under a curse, whether he believes in the
practitioner's powers or not, is actually in a far more receptive state of mind than he who remains in
ignorance of the fact. It is for this reason that the conveyed voodoo doll comes in so handy, providing,
of course, the spellbinder is quite sure there is no chance of its being used for any countermagic
against her.
This eventuality can only be said to be completely out of the question when it is definitely known for
a fact that the victim will either be too frightened to reply with countermagic or, as is more often the
case, if he is the type of person who feigns total disbelief in witchcraft, deeming it all medieval
nonsense. The latter is the readiest victim for your doll technique! You will know he can never
condescend to indulge in any countermagic, and give full play to his superstitions. Of course, it is
remotely possible that, due to his run of unbelievably bad luck, loss of wife, estate, and possibly all
his hair, he may decide to review his past attitudes towards medieval superstitions; at that point he
may take the step of consulting either a known witch or coven or, alternately, a sharp lawyer who
specializes in cases of psychological intimidation. Then lazily sticking pins in dolls won't be enough.
You will really have to use your wits; the battle will have just begun.
If you have the taste for actual physical confrontation, then the personally delivered verbal curse is
really the most handy way of accomplishing the "act of information." Try to make sure you get your
victim alone for this, though, of course, in some cases, particularly those of an impromptu nature, this
won't always be possible.
Again, as in any act of fascination or close-quarter projection of your witch power, three types of
contact may be employed - eye, hand, or breath. Owing to the nature of the operation, however, it is
usually the first method which is mainly relied upon, hence the old term, the evil eye. As in love
magic, you must first catch the glance of your victim and then hold it. This may prove harder than you
think, particularly if your victim is aware of your reputation as a witch. You may have to accomplish
it by saying something to the effect of "I never trust a person who won't look me directly in the eye"
or even, as a last resort, "Have you ever noticed how one of my eyes is a different colour from the
other?"
For delivering your curse, make use of the hand-of-power gesture - left arm outstretched, fist
clenched, first two fingers pointed at victim. It definitely has dramatic appeal, especially when
combined with a certain Druidic method of projecting your witch power. This involves standing
solely on the alternate foot (the right) to the pointing hand, closing the alternate eye (also the right),
glaring down the length of your outstretched arm with the open one, and delivering a full jolt of witch
power.
As you do this, pronounce your curse evenly and clearly; some witches prefer to keep it dark and
general in content, specifying nothing more than misfortune and misery. Others relish the graphic
approach, revelling in a description of the torments they are about to unleash. The choice of approach
is yours; however, I would counsel you to suit the approach to the victim. Above all, you don't want to
be laughed at. This process of confrontation of the victim should then immediately be followed up
with your ritual of wrath and chastisement unless, of course, you have sufficiently developed your
powers to inflict a curse immediately without further ado. At this stage, however, this is highly
unlikely. That kind of ability one is either born with or acquires only after years of practice.
In order to make your curse into something more than an empty threat, you are going to have to build
a dark current or vortex. The utmost effort on the part of your pyramid powers will be called for here,
combined with a pattern of constant repetition. Should you belong to a coven, then your task is that
much easier, calling, as it does, on the combined pyramid powers of a group.
You are going to have to contact the abyss within you, and dredge up all those repressed hostilities
and dark hatreds you have banished to the cellars of your mind from childhood onward. This can take
time; to whip your emotions into that state of frenzy which will make the magic work is not a task that
can always be accomplished at one sitting. It can be a work of some days at least, and because of the
caustic energies it deals with and the harm they can quite obviously inflict on the user himself, it is not
to be lightly embarked upon. This without even taking into consideration the possibility of the return
current should the victim be adequately protected. Before embarking upon any operation of wrath and
chastisement, truly calling as it does upon the powers of fire and darkness, make very, very sure in
your own mind that the risk is worth taking. Only a mind in which no qualms or second thoughts are
present can house and effectively manipulate the requisite forces.
One of the simplest ways of setting the dark current in motion by yourself alone is the time-honoured
Black Fast method.
Every mealtime you should, if possible, confront what you would consider a delicious meal either in
actuality or the imagination, and sternly reject it, in favour of a morsel of food, a glass of water, and
maybe a vitamin pill or two to keep body and soul together. You must keep this up for a limited state
of time, beginning and ending the fast within a properly cast circle, with the circumambulations
performed "widdershins," against the sun, and naming your intention in the form of a curse, that
"[victim's name] so come to grief." Repeat this same curse to yourself every time you refuse food. The
process should last for two weeks - beginning at the full moon, or just after, and ending at the new
moon. As the moon wanes, so the dark tide flows swifter.
This practice can be effectively camouflaged from your non-witch friends by the simple excuse of
dieting. There is more to a so-called hunger strike than meets the eye.
The second simple way of laying a curse on somebody is by the Candle of Bewitchment.
Here again we make use of constant repetition as a magical device. Traditionally, the hour chosen for
this operation is the stroke of midnight, but actually the best time for the attack is when you feel your
victim is fast asleep, and therefore at his most defenceless. In most cases this would be sometime
during the early hours of the morning.
You must begin the first of this series of bewitchments, as with your Black Fast, on or just after the
new moon, that period of the lunar month known in the craft as the dark of the moon.
Every night, at exactly the same time if you can manage it, cast a floor triangle similar to the one in
Chapter 4, using a Martial Incense of Wrath and Chastisement in the thurible; on your altar should be
a phial of your Sabbat oil (see last part of Chapter 7 for this), your lamps of art, and of course your
chalice; the cord, Athame, and workbook should be present as usual. Depending on the nature of the
operation, one of Saturnian binding or Martial destruction, surround your altar triangle with a circle of
cypress twigs, marble graveyard chips and pieces of bone, on the one hand, or your Cernunnos
paraphernalia of holly, fir, ivy, and animal horn on the other. Within the altar triangle itself should be
your candle of bewitchment, black for a ritual of binding and suppression, red for one of strafing and
torment. It should be exorcised beforehand. For both Saturnian and Martial operations, a little
powdered rue herb or myrrh should be mixed with the wine of consecration.
You must now tune your deep mind to the correct wavelength. For Martial operations using a red
candle, you may use the conjuration of Cernunnos described in Chapter 4, beginning "Eko, Eko
Azarak ..." In your mind's eye, see the Rampaging One: Between Cernunnos' horns from his forehead
juts a blazing torch. In his right hand he bears either a flaming sword, a trident, or, alternatively,
supports an immense burning staff of gold entwined with serpents and ivy and surmounted by a great
gleaming pinecone: the Lord of Misrule!
With his coming, give full play to all the rage and torment within you. Feel the fiery blood of anger
coursing through your veins! Allow yourself to be possessed by wrath and fury as you again perform
your circumambulations widdershins, anticlockwise! Then take your scarlet candle in your right hand,
and with your left begin to anoint it with Sabbat oil. Start at the centre of the candle and work first up,
then down, up again and then down again. Keep this up for a full five minutes. It is the most important
part of the spell. With each stroke, you should chant a jingle of your own devising encompassing your
intent. It doesn't matter how simple or absurd it may be, as long as it suitably expresses your feelings
toward the victim, and can be kept up rhythmically as you do your anointing. With all the power of
your imagination, and all the faith and intent you can muster, you must actually try to see your spell
working its mischief, visualizing your victim suffering all the pangs you wish on him. This type of
spell is perhaps best employed for encouraging general misfortune rather than any specific disaster,
relying purely as it does on the use of the fortified imagination for contact between the respective
deep minds. Specific disaster should be left for envoutements using an object link, as described later
in the chapter. On the other hand, should your candle burning be a Saturnian type of operation, that is,
one aimed at the induction of inertia, forgetfulness, or frustration of some sort or other, then you must
invoke the dark power Habondia, in her dark aspect, Nocticula, using a black candle. The conjuration
such as the one to be described below can be used with effect here.
The magical landscape to be visualized should be one of darkness and mystery. One of those
traditionally associated with the dead is as follows:
Night has fallen, winter has set in; the air is chilly. Two monolithic pillars of granite rise from the
gentle hill, and between them winds the path of the dead, pale in the starlight. The two pillars mark
the entrance to the realm of the dead, back of the north wind. Between them stands the representative
of the dark power itself. The figure is neither distinguishable as male or female, an ancient robed in
black, still and silent. The face is hidden beneath the shadow of a cowl drawn over the head. In one
withered hand a staff of blackthorn is grasped; in the other a torch flickers with a resinous, smoky
flame. An owl, the symbolic bird of death, is perched on the being's shoulder. In the far distance, the
baying of dogs or wolves can be heard ringing in the chill night air. Their keeper, Nocticula, Ruler of
the Dead and Warden of the Tower Adamantine, walks abroad!
This is the basic Saturnian image. Embroider on it with your own fantasies by all means. The more
personal and sinister they are to you yourself, the more effective your magic will become. The one
thing to remember is that they should evoke in you all those childhood fears of the dark, the deserted
churchyard by night, the opening tomb, and the Thing in the cellar' All the horrors and bugbears that
you can conjure up from your worst childhood fantasy should be pressed into service here, must be
dredged up and put to use in initiating the dark vortex!
The floor triangle should be drawn in the usual manner, save for your altar decorations. A Saturn
Incense of Wrath and Chastisement should burn in your thurible.
Repeat your conjuration to the four quarters, tracing a circle cross such as you used in your
necromancy ritual at the four quarters with your Athame, the symbol of death!
Here is the incantation:
Agency of Ineffable Name and Vast Strength!
Ancient, Dark One; Thou cold, barren, mournful and pernicious!
Thou whose word is as stone and whose life is abiding.
Thou Ancient and Alone Impenetrable One!
Thou who keepest promises,
who art weak and weary;
whose cares are greater than any other,
knowing neither pleasure nor joy;
Thou Old and Cunning, supreme in artifice!
Bringer of ruin and despair,
be present here and lend thy aid!
Consecrate the black candle with Sabbat oil in exactly the same way you did the red one, reciting your
charm of intent as you do.
When you have completed the anointing, whether it is a red or black candle, place it within the altar
triangle, and trace a glowing blue circle cross in the air above it with your Athame. Light it with the
words "So mote it be!" Then settle down to a vigil of concentrated hate or rage. Keep this up until the
candle burns itself out. (Because of the strain involved in doing this, it is best to employ fairly slender,
short tapers.)
If your deep mind has been sufficiently attuned during the operation, your victim should begin to feel
signs of depression or anxiety within about a day or so. Witchcraft of this sort doesn't always take
effect immediately. It sometimes appears to need about twenty-four hours to percolate through the
lower levels of the deep minds concerned and begin to manifest itself in waking consciousness. The
secret of success here, however, remains as always in whipping up your passions to the required
intensity, and at the same time alerting your deep mind by the correct degree of concentration and
repetition.
While we're on the subject of Saturn-type operations, it is a good time to consider the whole subject of
ligature in greater detail. Ligature, as we have already seen, simply means magical binding, usually
performed by means of a symbolic cord or chain. As such, it pertains to the sphere of Saturn. In
ancient times the Dark One's newest subjects were often laid to rest in the earth, bound hand and foot.
Before considering ligature proper, however, we should note in passing a process of a similar nature,
using the same name but differing considerably in its aim.
On an earlier page, I referred to a certain use of the witches' cord wherein it is used by the practitioner
to bind himself. This is done on two occasions. First, many witches believe that by restricting the use
of limbs and blocking up the avenues of the senses, the inherent witch power can be let free to wander
abroad, either in an invisible form as a disembodied and clairvoyant astral body, or a semiembodied,
half-materialized fetch.
The witches' cord itself is often used for this purpose of immobilization. For the sensory deprivation
itself, a mask is worn, covering the entire head but leaving the mouth free to breathe. This is
sometimes referred to as a witches' cradle or witches' bridle (not to be confused with the old Scottish
instrument of torture of the same name). Second, the mask and the cord are both also used in
ceremonial coven initiations, and here they symbolize the blindness and bondage imposed by the
mundane world upon the candidate.
In neither of these cases is the cord ligature a process of dark intent. Rather the opposite in fact.
Not so ligature proper.
Should you as a witch wish to bind someone to prevent his carrying out some action or other, one of
the best methods of accomplishing your aim is by using one of the variants of the spell known to
many practitioners as The Tanglefoot Charm.
Obtain an object link from your victim, either a strand of hair which you must plait into a cord with
some red twine, or an article of clothing in which you can tie knots comfortably. On a night when the
moon is waning, preferably a Saturday midnight just before the new moon, cast your triangle with a
Saturnian fumigation, having bitter wine in the chalice, and stone twigs and bones upon your altar. In
the altar triangle should be your specially prepared cord. Invoke the dark power, using the circle
crosses and the counterclockwise circumambulation, and when you feel that chilly, numbing presence
is at hand, only then begin your spell.
Take the cord in your left hand (always the left hand for operations of darkness), and tie nine
deliberate knots in it, starting with one at either end and working inwards. As you do so, chant this
incantation, employing your witchly imagination to strongly visualize the result of your spell upon the
victim. See him unable to speak or perform whatever the action is you wish to prevent.
[N] I conjure thee,
by night your eyes are blinded!
By clay your ears are stopped!
By earth your mouth is sealed!
By rock your limbs are bound!
Having tied the last knot, chant "So mote it be!" Take the knotted cord, and bury it in the ground
somewhere, softly chanting these words as you do:
Twist and tangle [N]
never to rise up again.
Your eyes are dimmed,
your limbs are bound.
Thus I lay you down to rest
still and silent in the ground!
You carry out a little symbolic funeral in fact.
Incidentally, should you wish to unbind this spell, you must perform a ritual which does everything in
reverse. Invoke the powers of the air to release the victim. Dig up the cord on a Wednesday while the
moon is waxing. Cast a circle, using a Mercurial incense, and invoke Herne with your square of
Mercury. Begin by untying the centre knot and working outwards, in the reverse sequence you tied
them in, chanting a jingle with each knot, such as,
By the winds your limbs are freed,
by the breath your mouth is opened,
by the word your ears are opened,
by the light your eyes are brightened.
[N] I conjure thee,
awake, arise; so mote it be!
While doing all this, you must wield your powers of imagination to see the magical bonds falling from
the erstwhile victim.
Ligature is a comparatively mild method of chastisement (unless, of course, it is applied as it was on
occasions in the past, to one of the victim's natural processes such as the ability to produce children or
urinate). The more vicious and well-known method is of course envoutement, the immolation of a
wax or clay image or puppet, as it is known in the craft.
This is usually accomplished with the aid of steel or iron, in the form of your Athame blade, or by
dagydes, steel pins. As with the magic of defence, the magic of attack often makes use of steel or iron
in its practices. This metal, symbolizing as it does fire and destruction, accords well with the nature of
the Horned One in his aspect as a spirit of the wild hunt. The Athame is strictly your main magical
implement of aggression. However, many witches, when they band together to form a coven, use a
sword for group-work. The symbolism is exactly the same. A sword is merely more dramatic in its
effect, especially when used during initiation rites. But magically speaking, the simpler witches' knife
is just as effective.
To consecrate a sword, you proceed in exactly the same way as your Athame, buying and exorcising
the sword previously without bargaining over the price. Astrologically speaking, iron is the metal
ruled by Mars, and it is the raw energy of this stern principle that we canalize in our invocations of
Cernunnos in his aspect of Horned God of Warfare and destruction. I shall return to the subject of
envoutement later under the heading of "Grand Bewitchment." Meanwhile, whenever you wish to
contact "Mars" within you, whether it be for purposes of sending the Horned One, grand bewitchment,
or storm raising, a good device to make use of initially is the talismanic square of Mars, a process
similar to those of Mercury and Saturn, which you have already encountered.
The Square Of Mars
11 24 7 20 3
4 12 25 8 16
17 5 13 21 9
10 18 1 14 22
23 6 19 2 15
(The numbers in each line, vertical or horizontal, add up to 65.)
On a Tuesday night, when the moon is waning, take your exorcised talisman square and divide it up
into twenty-five compartments, five down, five across, with pen and ink of art. In your thurible, burn a
Martial Incense of Wrath and Chastisement. (See the last section of this chapter.) Now devise a jingle,
phrase, or word for yourself which you feel suitably represents the power of war and destruction in
your mind. Again, it can be a list of the names of war gods from a variety of pantheons such as
"Thunor, Balor, Ares, Mars!" or a name of the Horned One himself such as "Barabbas, Barabbas!" or
the old witch curse "Rentum tormentum!" ("Rend and torment them !") or a word which you feel
conjures up the full burning, terrifying presence of destruction such as "Hiroshima ! Hiroshima!
Hiroshima !"
Each number must now be written in, infused with the fiery intensity of a repetition of your charm,
using your witchly imagination to whip up a series of suitably terrifying and aggressive thoughts in
your mind. Again, as always in operative witchcraft, it is only your personal imagination that can
really trigger off the powers of your deep mind. It is at this point that you must feel frenzied enough to
gnash your teeth, as I mentioned earlier. This was no idle comment. When you have completed the
number 25, seal the square with the triple cross and "So mote it be!" You should be fairly exhausted
by now after expending so much violent emotion. If you aren't, then maybe you weren't using enough
effort, and the talisman will not be nearly as effective. You will really have to push yourself. Such
passion is not in a person's normal run of emotions.
Wrap the square in an exorcised cloth and keep it in a safe place. You will be making full use of it for
any Martial "tuning-in."
overlooking, seen solely from the point of view of your pyramid power. As already mentioned, spells
will always work better when the ground is well laid beforehand, and this is particularly true in the
instance of curses. The person who knows he has been laid under a curse, whether he believes in the
practitioner's powers or not, is actually in a far more receptive state of mind than he who remains in
ignorance of the fact. It is for this reason that the conveyed voodoo doll comes in so handy, providing,
of course, the spellbinder is quite sure there is no chance of its being used for any countermagic
against her.
This eventuality can only be said to be completely out of the question when it is definitely known for
a fact that the victim will either be too frightened to reply with countermagic or, as is more often the
case, if he is the type of person who feigns total disbelief in witchcraft, deeming it all medieval
nonsense. The latter is the readiest victim for your doll technique! You will know he can never
condescend to indulge in any countermagic, and give full play to his superstitions. Of course, it is
remotely possible that, due to his run of unbelievably bad luck, loss of wife, estate, and possibly all
his hair, he may decide to review his past attitudes towards medieval superstitions; at that point he
may take the step of consulting either a known witch or coven or, alternately, a sharp lawyer who
specializes in cases of psychological intimidation. Then lazily sticking pins in dolls won't be enough.
You will really have to use your wits; the battle will have just begun.
If you have the taste for actual physical confrontation, then the personally delivered verbal curse is
really the most handy way of accomplishing the "act of information." Try to make sure you get your
victim alone for this, though, of course, in some cases, particularly those of an impromptu nature, this
won't always be possible.
Again, as in any act of fascination or close-quarter projection of your witch power, three types of
contact may be employed - eye, hand, or breath. Owing to the nature of the operation, however, it is
usually the first method which is mainly relied upon, hence the old term, the evil eye. As in love
magic, you must first catch the glance of your victim and then hold it. This may prove harder than you
think, particularly if your victim is aware of your reputation as a witch. You may have to accomplish
it by saying something to the effect of "I never trust a person who won't look me directly in the eye"
or even, as a last resort, "Have you ever noticed how one of my eyes is a different colour from the
other?"
For delivering your curse, make use of the hand-of-power gesture - left arm outstretched, fist
clenched, first two fingers pointed at victim. It definitely has dramatic appeal, especially when
combined with a certain Druidic method of projecting your witch power. This involves standing
solely on the alternate foot (the right) to the pointing hand, closing the alternate eye (also the right),
glaring down the length of your outstretched arm with the open one, and delivering a full jolt of witch
power.
As you do this, pronounce your curse evenly and clearly; some witches prefer to keep it dark and
general in content, specifying nothing more than misfortune and misery. Others relish the graphic
approach, revelling in a description of the torments they are about to unleash. The choice of approach
is yours; however, I would counsel you to suit the approach to the victim. Above all, you don't want to
be laughed at. This process of confrontation of the victim should then immediately be followed up
with your ritual of wrath and chastisement unless, of course, you have sufficiently developed your
powers to inflict a curse immediately without further ado. At this stage, however, this is highly
unlikely. That kind of ability one is either born with or acquires only after years of practice.
In order to make your curse into something more than an empty threat, you are going to have to build
a dark current or vortex. The utmost effort on the part of your pyramid powers will be called for here,
combined with a pattern of constant repetition. Should you belong to a coven, then your task is that
much easier, calling, as it does, on the combined pyramid powers of a group.
You are going to have to contact the abyss within you, and dredge up all those repressed hostilities
and dark hatreds you have banished to the cellars of your mind from childhood onward. This can take
time; to whip your emotions into that state of frenzy which will make the magic work is not a task that
can always be accomplished at one sitting. It can be a work of some days at least, and because of the
caustic energies it deals with and the harm they can quite obviously inflict on the user himself, it is not
to be lightly embarked upon. This without even taking into consideration the possibility of the return
current should the victim be adequately protected. Before embarking upon any operation of wrath and
chastisement, truly calling as it does upon the powers of fire and darkness, make very, very sure in
your own mind that the risk is worth taking. Only a mind in which no qualms or second thoughts are
present can house and effectively manipulate the requisite forces.
One of the simplest ways of setting the dark current in motion by yourself alone is the time-honoured
Black Fast method.
Every mealtime you should, if possible, confront what you would consider a delicious meal either in
actuality or the imagination, and sternly reject it, in favour of a morsel of food, a glass of water, and
maybe a vitamin pill or two to keep body and soul together. You must keep this up for a limited state
of time, beginning and ending the fast within a properly cast circle, with the circumambulations
performed "widdershins," against the sun, and naming your intention in the form of a curse, that
"[victim's name] so come to grief." Repeat this same curse to yourself every time you refuse food. The
process should last for two weeks - beginning at the full moon, or just after, and ending at the new
moon. As the moon wanes, so the dark tide flows swifter.
This practice can be effectively camouflaged from your non-witch friends by the simple excuse of
dieting. There is more to a so-called hunger strike than meets the eye.
The second simple way of laying a curse on somebody is by the Candle of Bewitchment.
Here again we make use of constant repetition as a magical device. Traditionally, the hour chosen for
this operation is the stroke of midnight, but actually the best time for the attack is when you feel your
victim is fast asleep, and therefore at his most defenceless. In most cases this would be sometime
during the early hours of the morning.
You must begin the first of this series of bewitchments, as with your Black Fast, on or just after the
new moon, that period of the lunar month known in the craft as the dark of the moon.
Every night, at exactly the same time if you can manage it, cast a floor triangle similar to the one in
Chapter 4, using a Martial Incense of Wrath and Chastisement in the thurible; on your altar should be
a phial of your Sabbat oil (see last part of Chapter 7 for this), your lamps of art, and of course your
chalice; the cord, Athame, and workbook should be present as usual. Depending on the nature of the
operation, one of Saturnian binding or Martial destruction, surround your altar triangle with a circle of
cypress twigs, marble graveyard chips and pieces of bone, on the one hand, or your Cernunnos
paraphernalia of holly, fir, ivy, and animal horn on the other. Within the altar triangle itself should be
your candle of bewitchment, black for a ritual of binding and suppression, red for one of strafing and
torment. It should be exorcised beforehand. For both Saturnian and Martial operations, a little
powdered rue herb or myrrh should be mixed with the wine of consecration.
You must now tune your deep mind to the correct wavelength. For Martial operations using a red
candle, you may use the conjuration of Cernunnos described in Chapter 4, beginning "Eko, Eko
Azarak ..." In your mind's eye, see the Rampaging One: Between Cernunnos' horns from his forehead
juts a blazing torch. In his right hand he bears either a flaming sword, a trident, or, alternatively,
supports an immense burning staff of gold entwined with serpents and ivy and surmounted by a great
gleaming pinecone: the Lord of Misrule!
With his coming, give full play to all the rage and torment within you. Feel the fiery blood of anger
coursing through your veins! Allow yourself to be possessed by wrath and fury as you again perform
your circumambulations widdershins, anticlockwise! Then take your scarlet candle in your right hand,
and with your left begin to anoint it with Sabbat oil. Start at the centre of the candle and work first up,
then down, up again and then down again. Keep this up for a full five minutes. It is the most important
part of the spell. With each stroke, you should chant a jingle of your own devising encompassing your
intent. It doesn't matter how simple or absurd it may be, as long as it suitably expresses your feelings
toward the victim, and can be kept up rhythmically as you do your anointing. With all the power of
your imagination, and all the faith and intent you can muster, you must actually try to see your spell
working its mischief, visualizing your victim suffering all the pangs you wish on him. This type of
spell is perhaps best employed for encouraging general misfortune rather than any specific disaster,
relying purely as it does on the use of the fortified imagination for contact between the respective
deep minds. Specific disaster should be left for envoutements using an object link, as described later
in the chapter. On the other hand, should your candle burning be a Saturnian type of operation, that is,
one aimed at the induction of inertia, forgetfulness, or frustration of some sort or other, then you must
invoke the dark power Habondia, in her dark aspect, Nocticula, using a black candle. The conjuration
such as the one to be described below can be used with effect here.
The magical landscape to be visualized should be one of darkness and mystery. One of those
traditionally associated with the dead is as follows:
Night has fallen, winter has set in; the air is chilly. Two monolithic pillars of granite rise from the
gentle hill, and between them winds the path of the dead, pale in the starlight. The two pillars mark
the entrance to the realm of the dead, back of the north wind. Between them stands the representative
of the dark power itself. The figure is neither distinguishable as male or female, an ancient robed in
black, still and silent. The face is hidden beneath the shadow of a cowl drawn over the head. In one
withered hand a staff of blackthorn is grasped; in the other a torch flickers with a resinous, smoky
flame. An owl, the symbolic bird of death, is perched on the being's shoulder. In the far distance, the
baying of dogs or wolves can be heard ringing in the chill night air. Their keeper, Nocticula, Ruler of
the Dead and Warden of the Tower Adamantine, walks abroad!
This is the basic Saturnian image. Embroider on it with your own fantasies by all means. The more
personal and sinister they are to you yourself, the more effective your magic will become. The one
thing to remember is that they should evoke in you all those childhood fears of the dark, the deserted
churchyard by night, the opening tomb, and the Thing in the cellar' All the horrors and bugbears that
you can conjure up from your worst childhood fantasy should be pressed into service here, must be
dredged up and put to use in initiating the dark vortex!
The floor triangle should be drawn in the usual manner, save for your altar decorations. A Saturn
Incense of Wrath and Chastisement should burn in your thurible.
Repeat your conjuration to the four quarters, tracing a circle cross such as you used in your
necromancy ritual at the four quarters with your Athame, the symbol of death!
Here is the incantation:
Agency of Ineffable Name and Vast Strength!
Ancient, Dark One; Thou cold, barren, mournful and pernicious!
Thou whose word is as stone and whose life is abiding.
Thou Ancient and Alone Impenetrable One!
Thou who keepest promises,
who art weak and weary;
whose cares are greater than any other,
knowing neither pleasure nor joy;
Thou Old and Cunning, supreme in artifice!
Bringer of ruin and despair,
be present here and lend thy aid!
Consecrate the black candle with Sabbat oil in exactly the same way you did the red one, reciting your
charm of intent as you do.
When you have completed the anointing, whether it is a red or black candle, place it within the altar
triangle, and trace a glowing blue circle cross in the air above it with your Athame. Light it with the
words "So mote it be!" Then settle down to a vigil of concentrated hate or rage. Keep this up until the
candle burns itself out. (Because of the strain involved in doing this, it is best to employ fairly slender,
short tapers.)
If your deep mind has been sufficiently attuned during the operation, your victim should begin to feel
signs of depression or anxiety within about a day or so. Witchcraft of this sort doesn't always take
effect immediately. It sometimes appears to need about twenty-four hours to percolate through the
lower levels of the deep minds concerned and begin to manifest itself in waking consciousness. The
secret of success here, however, remains as always in whipping up your passions to the required
intensity, and at the same time alerting your deep mind by the correct degree of concentration and
repetition.
While we're on the subject of Saturn-type operations, it is a good time to consider the whole subject of
ligature in greater detail. Ligature, as we have already seen, simply means magical binding, usually
performed by means of a symbolic cord or chain. As such, it pertains to the sphere of Saturn. In
ancient times the Dark One's newest subjects were often laid to rest in the earth, bound hand and foot.
Before considering ligature proper, however, we should note in passing a process of a similar nature,
using the same name but differing considerably in its aim.
On an earlier page, I referred to a certain use of the witches' cord wherein it is used by the practitioner
to bind himself. This is done on two occasions. First, many witches believe that by restricting the use
of limbs and blocking up the avenues of the senses, the inherent witch power can be let free to wander
abroad, either in an invisible form as a disembodied and clairvoyant astral body, or a semiembodied,
half-materialized fetch.
The witches' cord itself is often used for this purpose of immobilization. For the sensory deprivation
itself, a mask is worn, covering the entire head but leaving the mouth free to breathe. This is
sometimes referred to as a witches' cradle or witches' bridle (not to be confused with the old Scottish
instrument of torture of the same name). Second, the mask and the cord are both also used in
ceremonial coven initiations, and here they symbolize the blindness and bondage imposed by the
mundane world upon the candidate.
In neither of these cases is the cord ligature a process of dark intent. Rather the opposite in fact.
Not so ligature proper.
Should you as a witch wish to bind someone to prevent his carrying out some action or other, one of
the best methods of accomplishing your aim is by using one of the variants of the spell known to
many practitioners as The Tanglefoot Charm.
Obtain an object link from your victim, either a strand of hair which you must plait into a cord with
some red twine, or an article of clothing in which you can tie knots comfortably. On a night when the
moon is waning, preferably a Saturday midnight just before the new moon, cast your triangle with a
Saturnian fumigation, having bitter wine in the chalice, and stone twigs and bones upon your altar. In
the altar triangle should be your specially prepared cord. Invoke the dark power, using the circle
crosses and the counterclockwise circumambulation, and when you feel that chilly, numbing presence
is at hand, only then begin your spell.
Take the cord in your left hand (always the left hand for operations of darkness), and tie nine
deliberate knots in it, starting with one at either end and working inwards. As you do so, chant this
incantation, employing your witchly imagination to strongly visualize the result of your spell upon the
victim. See him unable to speak or perform whatever the action is you wish to prevent.
[N] I conjure thee,
by night your eyes are blinded!
By clay your ears are stopped!
By earth your mouth is sealed!
By rock your limbs are bound!
Having tied the last knot, chant "So mote it be!" Take the knotted cord, and bury it in the ground
somewhere, softly chanting these words as you do:
Twist and tangle [N]
never to rise up again.
Your eyes are dimmed,
your limbs are bound.
Thus I lay you down to rest
still and silent in the ground!
You carry out a little symbolic funeral in fact.
Incidentally, should you wish to unbind this spell, you must perform a ritual which does everything in
reverse. Invoke the powers of the air to release the victim. Dig up the cord on a Wednesday while the
moon is waxing. Cast a circle, using a Mercurial incense, and invoke Herne with your square of
Mercury. Begin by untying the centre knot and working outwards, in the reverse sequence you tied
them in, chanting a jingle with each knot, such as,
By the winds your limbs are freed,
by the breath your mouth is opened,
by the word your ears are opened,
by the light your eyes are brightened.
[N] I conjure thee,
awake, arise; so mote it be!
While doing all this, you must wield your powers of imagination to see the magical bonds falling from
the erstwhile victim.
Ligature is a comparatively mild method of chastisement (unless, of course, it is applied as it was on
occasions in the past, to one of the victim's natural processes such as the ability to produce children or
urinate). The more vicious and well-known method is of course envoutement, the immolation of a
wax or clay image or puppet, as it is known in the craft.
This is usually accomplished with the aid of steel or iron, in the form of your Athame blade, or by
dagydes, steel pins. As with the magic of defence, the magic of attack often makes use of steel or iron
in its practices. This metal, symbolizing as it does fire and destruction, accords well with the nature of
the Horned One in his aspect as a spirit of the wild hunt. The Athame is strictly your main magical
implement of aggression. However, many witches, when they band together to form a coven, use a
sword for group-work. The symbolism is exactly the same. A sword is merely more dramatic in its
effect, especially when used during initiation rites. But magically speaking, the simpler witches' knife
is just as effective.
To consecrate a sword, you proceed in exactly the same way as your Athame, buying and exorcising
the sword previously without bargaining over the price. Astrologically speaking, iron is the metal
ruled by Mars, and it is the raw energy of this stern principle that we canalize in our invocations of
Cernunnos in his aspect of Horned God of Warfare and destruction. I shall return to the subject of
envoutement later under the heading of "Grand Bewitchment." Meanwhile, whenever you wish to
contact "Mars" within you, whether it be for purposes of sending the Horned One, grand bewitchment,
or storm raising, a good device to make use of initially is the talismanic square of Mars, a process
similar to those of Mercury and Saturn, which you have already encountered.
The Square Of Mars
11 24 7 20 3
4 12 25 8 16
17 5 13 21 9
10 18 1 14 22
23 6 19 2 15
(The numbers in each line, vertical or horizontal, add up to 65.)
On a Tuesday night, when the moon is waning, take your exorcised talisman square and divide it up
into twenty-five compartments, five down, five across, with pen and ink of art. In your thurible, burn a
Martial Incense of Wrath and Chastisement. (See the last section of this chapter.) Now devise a jingle,
phrase, or word for yourself which you feel suitably represents the power of war and destruction in
your mind. Again, it can be a list of the names of war gods from a variety of pantheons such as
"Thunor, Balor, Ares, Mars!" or a name of the Horned One himself such as "Barabbas, Barabbas!" or
the old witch curse "Rentum tormentum!" ("Rend and torment them !") or a word which you feel
conjures up the full burning, terrifying presence of destruction such as "Hiroshima ! Hiroshima!
Hiroshima !"
Each number must now be written in, infused with the fiery intensity of a repetition of your charm,
using your witchly imagination to whip up a series of suitably terrifying and aggressive thoughts in
your mind. Again, as always in operative witchcraft, it is only your personal imagination that can
really trigger off the powers of your deep mind. It is at this point that you must feel frenzied enough to
gnash your teeth, as I mentioned earlier. This was no idle comment. When you have completed the
number 25, seal the square with the triple cross and "So mote it be!" You should be fairly exhausted
by now after expending so much violent emotion. If you aren't, then maybe you weren't using enough
effort, and the talisman will not be nearly as effective. You will really have to push yourself. Such
passion is not in a person's normal run of emotions.
Wrap the square in an exorcised cloth and keep it in a safe place. You will be making full use of it for
any Martial "tuning-in."
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