Ceremonial magic is a broad term used to encompass a wide variety of long, elaborate, and complex rituals; it is named as such because the works included are characterized by ceremony and a myriad of necessary accessories to aid the practitioner. It can be seen as an extension of ritual magick, and in most cases synonymous with it. Popularized by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, it draws on such schools of occult thought as Kabbalah, Enochian magic, Thelema, and other grimoires. A ritual is a formalised, predetermined set of symbolic actions generally performed in a particular environment at a regular, recurring interval. ... This refers to the act performed on a special occasion. ... Ritual magic is the performance of a ritual for magical purposes. ... Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, in Egyptian costume, performs a ritual of Isis (not a Rite of the Golden Dawn). ... This article is about traditional Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). ... Enochian Magic is an elaborate system of ceremonial magic devised by John Dee and Edward Kelly. ... Thelema is the English transliteration of the Ancient Greek noun : will, from the verb θέλω: to will, wish, purpose. ... This article is on medieval books of magic; for information on the term grimoire as used in the Source Mage GNU/Linux operating system, see the Source Mage article. ...

Traditional

Ceremonial magic is seen to be that of a traditional method or model of magic that is regimented and strictly organized, in so far as the tradition practiced. Those practicing ceremonial magic stick to the specifications as outlined in the grimoire from which the ritual is being performed, and is in contrast to Chaos magic. The chaos star (called a chaosphere by some practitioners) is the most popular symbol of chaos magic. ...

Interpretations

There are a number of different interpretations of ceremonial magic by practioners, as well as a number of grimoires, essays, texts or book on the subject.

Goetia

In defining ceremonial magic and its operations, Aleister Crowley writes: Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced with the first syllable sounding like the bird) was an English occultist, prolific writer, mystic, hedonist, and sexual revolutionary. ...

Magical phenomena, however, come under a special sub-class, since they are willed, and their cause is the series of "real" phenomena, called the operations of ceremonial Magic. (page 10: An initiated interpretation of ceremonial magic)

These consist of:

1. Sight: The circle, square, triangle, vessels, lamps, robes, implements, etc.
2. Sound: The Invocations.
3. Smell: The perfumes.
4. Taste: The Sacraments.
5. Touch: As under (1).
6. Mind: The combination of all these and reflection on their significance. (page 11)

An invocation (from the Latin verb invocare to call on, invoke) is: A supplication. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ...

The Book of Ceremonial Magic

In The Book of Ceremonial Magic, A. E. Waite begins his interpretaion thus:

The main principles are summed in the conception of a number of assumed mysterious forces in the universe which could be put in operation by man, or at least followed in their secret processes. In the ultimate, however, they could all be rendered secondary, if not passive, to the will of man; for even in astrology, which was the discernment of forces regarded as peculiarly fatal, there was an art of ruling, and sapiens dominabitur astris became an axiom of the science. This conception culminated or centred in the doctrine of unseen, intelligent powers, with whom it was possible for prepared persons to communicate; the methods by which this communication was attempted are the most important processes of Magic, and the books which embody these methods, called Ceremonial Magic, are the most important part of the literature. (page 6: The Importance of Ceremonial Magic)

He then goes on:

In a word, Ceremonial Magic reflects mainly the egregious ambitions and incorporates the mad processes of mediæval sorcery--of the Sabbath above all. The additional elements are debased applications of various Kabalistic methods, seering processes current among country people and fantastic attempts to reduce magical legends to a formal practice.

The Secret Teachings of All Ages

In the Secret Teachings of All Ages, Manly Palmer Hall lends his interpretation as follows: Manly Palmer Hall Manly Palmer Hall (March 18, 1901 - August 29, 1990) was a prolific American author and mystic. ...

Ceremonial magic is the ancient art of invoking and controlling spirits by a scientific application of certain formulæ. A magician, enveloped in sanctified vestments and carrying a wand inscribed with hieroglyphic figures, could by the power vested in certain words and symbols control the invisible inhabitants of the elements and of the astral world. While the elaborate ceremonial magic of antiquity was not necessarily evil, there arose from its perversion several false schools of sorcery, or black magic. (page 101: Ceremonial magic and Sorcery)

Bygone Beliefs

In Bygone Beliefs, Herbert Stanley Redgrove states:

What I regard as the two essentials of magical practices, namely, the use of symbols and the appeal to the supernatural realm, are most obvious in what is called "ceremonial magic". Mediaeval ceremonial magic was subdivided into three chief branches--White Magic, Black Magic, and Necromancy. (taken from chapter 7: Ceremonial Magic in Theory and Practice)

Organizations

Among the many organizations who practice forms of Ceremonial magic aside from the Golden Dawn are the A:.A:. (Argenteum Astrum), the O.T.O. (Ordo Templi Orientis), and the B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum) Argenteum Astrum, also known as Argentinum Astrum, Argentinium Astrum (Latin for silver star), Astron Argon (Greek for shining star), or simply A∴A∴, was a magical order created by Aleister Crowley in 1907 after leaving the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn[1]. The organization also appears in the fictional... Lamen of Ordo Templi Orientis Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) (Order of the Temple of the East, or the Order of Oriental Templars) is an international fraternal and religious organization. ... B.O.T.A. (Builders of the Adytum), which is registered as a non-profit tax-exempt religious organisation, is a worldwide mystery school based in Los Angeles. ...

Influences

There are many people who have influenced ceremonial magic, most of which were associated with the Golden Dawn, or influenced the members of the Golden Dawn.

Francis Barrett

Among the various sources for ceremonial magic, Francis Barrett's The Magus embodies deep knowledge of alchemy, astrology, and the Kabbalah, and has been cited by the Golden Dawn, and is seen by some as a primary source. But according to Aleister Crowley, perhaps the most influential ceremonial magician of the Modern era, much of it was cribbed from Cornelius Agrippa's De occulta philosophia libri tres. Francis Barrett (born probably in London around 1770-1780) was an English occultist. ... The Magus is a purported handbook of occult and magic written by Francis Barrett and published in 1801. ... For other uses, see Alchemy (disambiguation). ... Hand-coloured version of the anonymous Flammarion woodcut. ... Aleister Crowley, born Edward Alexander Crowley, (12 October 1875 – 1 December 1947; the surname is pronounced with the first syllable sounding like the bird) was an English occultist, prolific writer, mystic, hedonist, and sexual revolutionary. ... Modern can simply mean something that is up-to-date, trendy, new, or from the present time. ... Cornelius Agrippa, as portrayed in Libri tres de occulta philosophia Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (born in Köln September 14, 1486 - died in Grenoble February 18, 1535) was a magician and occult writer, astrologer, and alchemist. ...

See also

• Magick
• Hermeticism
• Arthur Edward Waite
• List of magical terms and traditions

This article refers to the magical system of Aleister Crowley and Thelema. ... Hermes Trismegistus depicted as European in a medieval rendering. ... Arthur Edward Waite in the early 1880s Arthur Edward Waite (October 2, 1857 - May 19, 1942) was an occultist and co-creator of the Rider-Waite Tarot deck. ... . ...

References

• Barrett, Francis. The Magus
• Hall, Manly P. The Secret Teachings of All Ages
• Mathers, S.L. MacGregor and Aleister Crowley. The Lesser Key of Solomon
• Waite, A. E. The Book of Ceremonial Magic