As requested, a masterpost of the entries for the August 2018 DoMagick: Summoning challenge in a proper “Start to Finish” order:
To spare you the long version if this post is your first catch up with me since the June Do Magick challenge, lemme summarize the month of July: Everything sucks and I want to die.
However, since I have had it literally pounded into my head that I am not allowed to just go whenever I feel like it, I might as well keep up with obligations and promises. Like jumping into this month’s challenge including the daily log.
“Summon a spirit or a set of spirits for 30 days to transform an aspect of your life.”
For this challenge, I summoned the same spirit that started me off on so many shenanigans: [Patient Caller]. The pseudonym is in brackets to make it clear that this is not the name that I call him in private. It is the same pseudonym I used for the September ’17 challenge, so long term readers (and new archive divers) can keep track of just how deep I have dug this hole.
- Day 1 – Welp. Here We Go Again. I monologue a bit about why I’m taking the challenge, why I’m calling on [Patient Caller] for the challenge, and just how serious something that was meant to be fun is for me. After that preamble I jump into the game and something jumps on my back. Things pickup right where they left off.
- Day 2 – That Rings A Bell The “device” in question is a monstrance. At the time, I was not comfortable speaking plainly about it because I was involved in a class on Saint Cyprian. Many of the items I obliquely refer to in later posts are items that I purchased initially for that class and found they had other use with this challenge. (And yes, he called me ‘extra’.)
- Day 3 – Slumber A dream before my morning obligations distracted me from the very real dangers I was in, not only from myself but from misplaced trust. Fortunately, the only damage was to my ego.
- Day 4 – Signor Looking back I see clearly how the spirit was fulfilling the purpose of the summons. At the time, I was ready to attempt to force him into manifesting physically for the singular pleasure of strangling him. His refusal to answer the questions I was distracting myself with and his habit of stabbing my ego would continue for the rest of the month.
- Day 5 – Sniff Both the spirit and I reminisce about the scented candle that was used for last year’s summoning. He drops enough hints to make a hole in the floor about resuming a personal scent for him now. I push back on the demand because of cost. Being at the right place at the right time allows me to meet both of our demands.
- Day 6 – Satiety While I’m sure hardcore ceremonial magicians would be howling at the stars at the thought of using such a cheap-ass bottle of questionable content, as long as [Patient Caller] was happy with the scent, it was the perfect purchase. We discuss meditation practices and goals in between him obviously savoring the cedarwood scent.
- Day 7 – Needfire Just because one thing goes right doesn’t mean that all is well. I am harshly reminded of how little in control I am of myself. Now as I look back, I question if he was really that smug, or was showing concern and my inability to parse those emotions painted him as villainous.
- Day 8 – Motivation The spirit answered the purpose of his summoning despite my attempts to distract the both of us. He clearly enjoys being the more adult between us.
- Day 9 – So About That Ring He finally talks to me about the promised ring. In answering one question, he inspires several others. I am reminded of how much the spirit will have ingress into my daily life should I obtain the ring.
- Day 10 – Prayer I switched from the ultrasonic diffuser to the ceramic oil warmer. The spirit was pleased with the change in tech. I receive a short instruction on the nature of prayer that I wish I had been given decades ago. Now I know what to do.
- Day 11 – Cleave I start the day having left something in the past. The spirit instructs me how to approach the future. Words without speech leads to actions that further distance me from what was.
- Day 12 – Tap I am instructed on the nature of prayer and faith. When my mind refuses to be still, the spirit “assists” me with finding that stillness. I am reminded just how very much not in control of the situation I am.
- Day 13 – Light The spirit ignites a vision within a vision and I am reminded of longings left unfulfilled. I am also reminded of help that is within reach but why I do not reach for it remains unspoken.
- Day 14 – Gift The spirit speaks on the nature of ritual items, gifts, and reciprocity. An example in spirit leaves a physical mark. I learn the hard way why candle wicks are supposed to be trimmed to 1/4 inch before lighting.
- Day 15 – Drift Extreme drowsiness leads the spirit to dismiss me just as I win the struggle to reach him. My lethargy is such that even after formally ending the ritual, I am unable to do anything but lay down where I am, with my head at the feet of the altar.
- Day 16 – Lecture The spirit expounds upon the difference between unmelted wax and unburnt wax, prayer, what it means to be silent, and how the methods of self-care I have used before are not caring at all.
- Day 17 – Query What I thought was pointed question turned into a red
robeherring. The answer, while brusque, reveals layers of understanding when applied to other points of investigation. - Day 18 – Pick I ask the spirit for help with wording the prayers he had prescribed me. He refuses, and instead expounds on why he prescribed the prayers that he did. The matter of the guitar is finally discussed.
- Day 19 – Receipts The guitar was purchased after the previous day’s summoning. The chaplets were not made as promised. My rage would have burned everything down but for the spirit’s cool and few words. I have only myself to blame.
- Day 20 – Cushion I faced the (lack of) boundaries that had been set, and did my best to atone for my unjustified viciousness the day prior. I did not realize to what extent the spirit had entangled himself with me until he requests a certain method of disposal should I fail to survive.
- Day 21 – Repose No lectures. No crying. No struggling. Just some quiet time with mutual comfort.
- Day 22 – Hands The spirit allows me to inspect his hands and the rings upon them. He explains that though it will be a signet ring that binds us further, the symbols on my personal ring will be uniquely personal.
- Day 23 – Check-in Too sleepy to remember what happened last time I summoned while exhausted, wake enough to not let it happen again. I do just enough to say that I had done it. Snark happens anyway.
- Day 24 – Continue Events from years ago continue to tie themselves into present relevance.
- Day 25 – Recap The spirit refers to the end of the series of summonings by a particular phrase and reminds me to stop holding myself accountable to other people’s goals.
- Day 26 – Solar The spirit notes what is important about my achievements and why. He then gives me a cosmology lesson that a material scientist would be spitting mad about.
- Day 27 – Sandbox Of all the times for the spirit to remain in the boundaries that I expected, it would be this day. I am reminded that I have more help available but I still need to call on that help myself.
- Day 28 – Comfort The month is winding down. By now it is clear that I will survive the month and that the self-work and self-care is having a positive effect on me. Doesn’t stop him from getting a word in edgewise anyway.
- Day 29 – Rite What happened was more physical than a vision, even though my physical body went nowhere. Something I am not comfortable speaking about in public was repeated but I am not afraid of the consequences this time. The spirit reminded me that grace requires bestowing and reception.
- Day 30 – Salt The spirit touches on alchemy with his instruction on what to do with the “salt” that remains after the oil and water is cooked off in the oil burner. I did not realize that this was the thirtieth day and so did not understand why the spirit’s ending words felt so final and solid until later. The post ends with a personal inventory of myself and my progress.
August 31 was a day spent with only the bare minimum of required workings that I had already committed to. The thirty day challenge was over, but the new month had yet to begun.
As the spirit noted, I “ended at the beginning”. September 1, 2017 was the first time I had summoned [Patient Caller] ever and so without counting the epagomenal day, I had ended on the cusp of the anniversary of his initial summoning.
Was the challenge “successful”? Well… I’m alive. I’ll count that as a win.
Go all now in peace.