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Following on from "Witch King Aesthetics" is the suggested initiation sequence. The progressive format is borrowed and adapted from Peter Carroll's Magical Grades and Pacts described in Liber Kaos as well as ideas found in Chaos Monasticism.
Whereas Carroll presents a schema for pursuing proficiency in magic and sorcery more generally, my adaptation uses the framework to pursue and achieve a specific physical ideal.
The archetypal Witch King, is physically emblematic of a primal masculine aesthetic, the physical characteristics he manifests are suggestive of power, beauty and athleticism.
Strictly speaking this is a longterm work of Illumination (deliberate self-modification by magic) in which the various techniques of divination, enchantment, evocation and invocation are harnessed and directed towards achieving a specific physical ideal. With this in mind I've reorganised the focus of each grade to be more consistent with the overall illuminatory nature of this working.
Whilst this framework can be adopted for any physical objective, the information provided here is skewed towards the work of The Witch King. You are expected to refine that ideal for yourself through divination and introspection before embarking on the work proper.
The four progressive levels are:
NEOPHYTE
INITIATE
ADEPT
WITCH KING
You should note Carroll's final grade of The Magus, is replaced here with the title of Witch King. The final grade assumes all physical and magickal objectives have been achieved and confers upon you the ability to teach and inspire others, should you chose to do so.
Each stage should be worked for an absolute minimum of three months and has both physical and magickal goals that need to be achieved before progressing. Within the present context your physical results should provide direct evidence of your magical work. In the event you achieve, or exceed, the relevant physical standards you should still commit to fulfilling the training and magickal work at each initiatory stage. Conversely, if you are unable to meet the requirements you should stay at that level until they are. Results matter!
A general guideline for the Neophyte Level only is provided below.
THE NEOPHYTE PRELIMINARIES
To begin the work of the Neophyte you should first select for yourself a magickal name suggestive of your overall aspirations. Additionally you should either obtain or create an item symbolic of your quest over which should be sworn all necessary oaths and obligations. You should also familiarise yourself with a basic energy/self-strengthening practice such as the Gnostic Pentagram Ritual, The Lesser Energy Orbit, The Middle Pillar etc. Choose one only.
Prior to beginning you should conduct divinatory work (see below) and thorough introspection to gain clarity on your vision. Record everything in a magickal journal used exclusively for this work.
Physically, you should immediately begin gaining familiarity with the essential movement patterns and relative strength/conditioning standards listed below. Note that these Neophyte standards should all be met before proceeding to the work of the Initiate.
NEOPHYTE PHYSICAL STANDARDS
FRONT SQUAT = 1.1 x Bodyweight x 5 reps
STANDING OVERHEAD PRESS = 0.6 x Bodyweight x 5 reps
CHIN UPS = Bodyweight x 5 reps
400m SPRINT = 90 seconds
3 Min BURPEE TEST = 30 reps minimum
DIVINATION
The primary aim of divinatory work during the Neophyte level is to gain clarity around your true objectives i.e a very clear vision of what you are trying to achieve. Additionally you should work to uncover your fears, doubts and limiting beliefs so they can be dealt with directly.
To do this you will need to undertake a combination of personal research, introspection and divination. Allow yourself a minimum of one week to do this but no more than two.
The method of divination suggested relies less on external sortilege - tarot, runes etc - but on asking the Deep Mind to supply an image you can pursue. One basic method for doing this is to construct for yourself an astral temple that is consistent with the iconography of a Primal Witch-Cult (see example here). You should do all of this consciously and deliberately before entering under trance including all relevant symbolism and a sigilised key for entry. At the same time you should make a list of all the aesthetic qualities the Witch King suggests to you. Feel free to search out traditional and modern sources and let your intuition guide you.
All of this should be balanced against your own personal introspection. You should, as Grant Morrison suggests, study yourself like a hunter studies prey. Identify the gap between your vision and your current reality and make these the objectives of your later enchantments.
ENCHANTMENT
Peter Carroll provides a succinct definition of 'Enchantment' as 'making things happen by magic'. In this sense enchantment is essentially what most people think of when they hear the word magic or sorcery. During the work of the Neophyte you should endeavour to experiment with various forms of basic spellwork as well as gaining some degree of proficiency in sigil magic. See here my discussion here:
Magickally speaking, enchantment is the primary concern at the level of the neophyte. Experimenting and discovering what types of sigil methods and spells work best for you personally you always be the main goal. This includes experimenting with ritual structures and well as less formal modes of spell casting. A ritual structure modified from Austin Spare's Sabbatic Sorcery for single, partnered and group usage is provided to anyone undertaking the Witch King coaching along with other spell work.
With regards to the specific focus of this work your enchantments should be largely be directed towards achieving desired physical changes or bringing about opportunities that will advance your goals.
EVOCATION
During the work of the Neophyte you should look to work with one spirit germane to your physical goals. This may be an entity drawn from traditional sources, one discovered or one created by yourself. Equally, you may look to work with a spirit or God in a petitionary sense only or work towards the attainment of a personal familiar.
In any event you should look to create or acquire a physical representation of the being you are working with. Within Chaos Magic this is typically called a 'Groundsleeve' although the idea of a 'Spirit House' is common to nearly all cultures.
INVOCATION
Whereas evocation is a calling up or calling upon, invocation is the calling in of a desired quality. As Carroll suggests, invocation is "the deliberate attunement of conscious and the unconscious with some archetypal or significant nexus of thought".
The goal of the neophyte should be the ritual invocation of either their personal manifestation of The Witch King or one of the Witch Gods most suggestive of their personal aspirations. Gods such as Dian Y Glas, Dionysus (particularly in Chthonian Mode), Lucifer, Pan and Freyr (see Witchdom of the True by Stephen Flowers) are particularly appropriate.
Invocation can be used for a wide variety of purposes. A God can be invoked for divinatory purposes, to cast enchantments or evoke other spirits amongst many other things. However, one of the main purposes of invocation at the neophyte level is to actually begin to experience the physicality of The Witch King.
Invocatory type work is largely utilised towards the culmination of the neophyte level which is then used as to empower the next initiatory stage of The Initiate.
INITIATION
For present purposes, initiation into the work of The Witch King marks the breaking away of an old way of being to become something greater. At the level of the Neophyte this is both a direct statement of devotion and an empowerment towards achieving your objectives.
A personalised self-initiation into the Neophyte level of The Witch King is provided to those coached in this work (see here). Ideally this is performed at either the New or Full Moon following a seven day modified fast in which all intoxicants, stimulants and processed foods of any kind are removed from the diet. During those seven days you should meditate daily upon your desires being actualised.
You should prepare an altar along with the magical name and object you have chosen to represent this work. Following an opening of the Temple space you ritually state your aspirations and your commitment to pursuing the work until its completion. You then bind your will to that of The Witch King before closing the temple.
The following day you should begin immediately upon the work proper. As soon as your goals are achieved progress to the Work of The Initiate.
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