Ophelia Underwater

The spirit realms are generally described as dimensions or planes distinguishable by the different densities and vibratory rates (or frequencies) of the substances they contain, and the various dimensions are said to interpenetrate, existing in the same space. Different people have divided these infinite realms into a number of vibratory "regions".

The Physical Plane
The world around us, our conscious reality. It is composed of comparatively dense, slowly vibrating matter. This is where we are now.

The Astral Planes
Divided into the lower, middle, and higher, each division contains multiple divisions of varying vibratory rates.

The Lower Astral Planes These are described as a darker more primal realms. Some have described them as the place of Dante's inferno while others think of them as purgatory. . They are where the lost children go and where the souls of the lost reside. It is the realm nearest to the Astral Planes. There is no gravity , sense of time or space in the worlds of spirit.

The Middle Astral Planes/The Mental Causal Planes These are the realms of divine inspiration free of earthly desires and conflict. The beings in these dimensions cause many of the artistic and technical breakthroughs on Earth by sending silent messages to its inhabitants. This is the place where many of us journey for guidance and healing.

Here we find ourselves without the physical body. The need for food, clothing, shelter, sleep are no longer. We have true freedom. It is our will that sustains and heals us, and our will that creates the realm in our image. The astral planes are mental energy focused while the Earthly ones are physical. In spirit worlds thoughts create reality, and we frequently create what we are familiar with. These realms are frequently a reflection of the world we live in now. They contain the same vegetation,, animals, and even our own created structures. This place is purer in it's formation. The needs and the strife associated with the physical world have been left behind - one might go as far as to compare it to the Garden of Eden.

While the ultimate destiny of every soul lies in the "higher" or subtler planes in and beyond the celestial frequencies, a typical lifetime on Earth as a non-spiritual or moderately spiritual person pulls our soul down to low frequencies. When we pass on, our Earthified soul are not yet ready to pass onto the higher planes - the astral planes act as a way station for us to understand. They are between the dense Earth with all its' physical needs and demands, and the higher, subtle realms of light and energy. A newly released soul who arrives in these spirit worlds, may be lost and bewildered initially. Our Earthly time makes the transition difficult especially for those of us raised by Western traditions. This realm offers almost unimaginable series of new and strange experiences.

The Higher Astral Planes/Celestial Planes These are the realms called Heaven by Christians, the Summerland by spiritualists. This place is beyond the comprehension of most people, as they are said to be the home of the Christian God, the Buddha, and other great beings.

The Time Stream and the River of Eternity
Inhabitants of the mid-Astral planes are assisted by higher beings in creating landscapes they are familiar with. Eastern mystics believe that the "solid" world of our day-to-day reality is "fabricated" and illusory. The only true reality is in the godhead, cosmic Source.

The time stream is a flowing mercury like river that contains all of time. If entered while journeying, it can sweep you away into far lands in the past or yet to be. It is not to be journeyed into by the novice as finding your way back to your present is a challenge. After all in the time stream all things flow together and exist at once. There is no true "now" - that is a fabrication of the Physical plane.

*WARNINGS*: Lilith is a primal egregore of the dark animal. She is unfettered sexual dominance and power. This invocation should not be attempted by those with little background in ceremonial magic, nor by those who harbour unresolved psychological problems related to sexuality.If blood is to be drawn, or sexual activities ensue, all precautions pertaining to the prevention of diseases borne by blood or sexual fluids should properly be observed. It may be wise to appoint a "guardian" who shall "observe" the rite as it proceeds from a detached viewpoint and intervene if the participants, in their excess, are about to commit dangerous acts. The guardian should cast hir own circle of protection about hirself. The guardian should only intervene if there is a threat of serious bodily harm; otherwise, events must be allowed to transpire as they will. Anyone fearful of the possible psychological effects of this rite would do well not to participate in it in the first place. It is not for the timid.

With these caveats, all discretion pertaining to these matters is left to the participants. The authors assume no responsibility for the irresponsibility of the participants in performance of this rite. You have been warned!

Materials:

- Black, and/or purple candles
- Musk incense
- A silver chalice
- A scourging whip ("cat-o-nine-tails" type)
- Black cape, preferable satin (for Main Operator)
- Red wine
- A (sterile) scalpel or x-acto knife (to draw blood)
- A fairly decent music playback system, and an ominous, sexual musical selection. (Diamanda Galas, "Deliver Me From My Enemies" or This Mortal Coil, "Filigree and Shadow" are excellent choices, but this is left up to the participants.

Preparation:

Lilith is the primal feminine aspect of dark sexuality. For that reason, it is the opinion of the authors that invocation is more likely to succeed if the Main Operator is female. This is not to discount the possibility of success with a male M.O., but he must be able to contact his primal feminine nature strongly enough to succeed at invoking she who is the most fundamental of all feminine demons. The participants may be either male or female or a mixture of both in any proportion.The applications of this rite vary considerably. Since it is a combined Lunar/Saturnine working, it may be approached as a ritual rehearsal of sex and death (very Thanateros-ian, eh?) - much like Carroll's Thanateros Invocation from _Liber Kaos_. As presented here, it is a ritual of liberation and is also used to bring forth a Word Of Power from the egregore for subsequent use by the participants; therefore the Statement of Intent reflects this intention. The Statement should be tailored to properly express the intentions of a particular working.

The Rite:

0. Large black candles are arranged in a circle around the temple space and lit, as is copious quantities of incense. The room should be thick with smoke.

1. Banish by LBRP, GPR, Vortex or other procedure as desired.
2. The Main Operator, naked beneath the black robe, takes position in the middle of the circle. She holds the scourge in her right hand. Other participants sit in a circle around the M.O. The music begins.
3. The Statement of Intent is declared by the M.O. and echoed by all participants: "It is our Will to invoke the egregore of Lilith, so that by her spirit we experience the power of Sex and Death and obtain her Word Of Power!"
4. The following passage (see notes) is recited by the M.O. to invoke the persona of Lilith into hir body and mind: "I am the daughter of Fortitude and ravished every hour from my youth. For behold, I am Understanding, and science dwelleth in me; and the heavens oppress me. They covet and desire me with infinite appetite; for none that are earthly have embraced me, for I am shadowed with the Circle of the Stars, and covered with the morning clouds. My feet are swifter than the winds, and my hands are sweeter than the morning dew. My garments are from the beginning, and my dwelling place is in myself. The Lion knoweth not where I walk, neither do the beasts of the field understand me. I am deflowered, yet a virgin; I sanctify and am not sanctified. Happy is he that embraceth me: for in the night season I am sweet, and in the day full of pleasure. My company is a harmony of many symbols, and my lips sweeter than health itself. I am a harlot for such as ravish me, and a virgin with such as know me not. Purge your streets, O ye sons of men, and wash your houses clean; make yourselves holy, and put on righteousness. Cast out your old strumpets, and burn their clothes and then I will bring forth children unto you and they shall be the Sons of Comfort in the Age that is to come."
5. The participants then begin chanting the mantra of Lilith. As they chant, the Main Operator must sink into a deep gnostic trance and invoke the spirit of Lilith into hir body."Flesh she will eat, blood she will drink!" (repeat)
6. As the chant continues, one participant (the Secondary Operator) recites the following: "Dark is she, but brilliant! Black are her wings, black on black! Her lips are red as rose, kissing all of the Universe! She is Lilith,who leadeth forth the hordes of the abyss, and leadeth man to ruin! She is the irresistible fulfiller of all lust, seer of desire. First of all women was she - Lilith, not Eve was the first! Her hand brings forth the revolution of the Will and true freedom of the mind! She is KI-SI-KIL-LIL-LA-KE, Queen of the Magic Circle! Look on her in lust and despair!
7. The participants begin to chant "Lilith! Lilith! Lilith!" repeatedly as the the M.O. invokes the Lilithian egregore. One by one they pass around the scalpel and cut their left thumb and anoint their foreheads with blood. They then pass around the chalice (which is filled with red wine) and touch it to their foreheads one by one. After all have done so, it is taken to the M.O. who drains it in a single draught. This is the climax of the invocation.
8. If the invocation is successful, all participants should feel the emotions of simultaneous fear, lust and the urge to submit. Forced over-breathing or another variation of Death Posture should be used to deepen each participant's level of gnosis until they come close to fainting. As they are overcome by these emotions, they should fall to the ground and prostrate themselves before Lilith.
9. What proceeds next is not specified, but left up to the will of the egregore. She may choose to scourge the participants, or mock them or entice them or seduce them. She may force them to commit various unspeakable acts of lust upon her or each other. All participants must submit to her will, whatever it may be - it would be dangerous in the extreme to do otherwise; do not risk the wrath of Lilith!
10. Eventually the energy of the group will begin to wane. At this point, the S.O. (prompted by the guardian, if nessesary) will rise and face the M.O. and recite the following in a commanding voice:

"Black Moon, Lilith, sister darkest,
Whose hands form the hellish mire,
At my weakest, at my strongest,
Molding me as clay from fire.
Black Moon, Lilith, Mare of Night,
You cast your litter to the ground
Speak the Name and take to flight
Utter now the secret sound!"

11. The M.O. from within the depths of the Lilith-trance, will call out a name, as the legendary Lilith did call out the unutterable name of God to rise up from Eden into the heavens. It is not known in advance what this word will be, but it will most certainly be a Word of Power to be used subsequently by the participants in further magickal work.
12. If all has been done properly, the spirit of Lilith will flee the M.O. at the calling of the Name, and s/he will likely fall to the ground, spent. The guardian or S.O. should then draw an upright pentagram over the M.O., a full facial lustration of cold water is administered to hir, and s/he is called forth by her ordinary name until s/he responds.
13. The temple is banished and closed.

Notes:

The invocation is the text of a message delivered by an unidentified spirit entity to Sir Edward Kelly in 1592 during a scrying ritual. Kelly, along with Dr. John Dee (Queen Elizibeth's Royal Astrologer), originated the Enochian system of magic. The vision of this entity so frightened Kelly that he abandoned the working of magic from that day forward. Though Kelly never identified the entity, in our opinion it represented the Lilith egregore. The calling forth of Lilith is adapted from "The Hymn to Hecate" by Frater U:.D:.

What do you dream amidst the deep dark waters
of moonlit streams, dressed in your silvery gown
While 'round your locks of silken hair
the violet water lilies drown

Your love was bitter like the murmuring reed
that whispers of your gentle madness
The love, embraced and twinned by death,
born by sweet sorrow, unsoothed sadness

What secrets did you seek within wild roses
What mysteries are hidden all among
those twilight wreaths
And did the willow sing your mourning song?

The blossoms all grew pale and withered
the beauty of your heart fled from the sun
What do you dream amidst the deep dark waters?
Tell me!
My soul and yours are one...

(c) FaeryFlora/Flora Schanda