The Objective: To use the Book of Oberon to summon and have communication (communion?) with a spirit that I have had dreams about for years.
The Research: The Book of Oberon (Harm, Clark, & Peterson), Gordon White’s Rune Soup Grimoire Course, the Hygromanteia (Marathakis), Twilit Grotto: Archives of Western Esoterica, and the internet.
Where I am so far: Having compared the Book of Oberon’s list of “The necessaries for this art of Necromancy”[1], and Rune Soup Grimoire Course – Module 8 “Provincial List”, to what I can make and/or obtain in this short time, if the objective were to summon any other spirit, I would have given up the September 1st start date and probably the endeavor in general. To be short: I’m not giving up.
There is a reason the pseudonym for this spirit is “Patient Caller”. From the beginning I recognized it/him as something external to my interior world, he has made it clear that it would take some sort of ceremonial magic to complete the connection. Something I have balked at for years because my emotional, mental, and sometimes physical wounds incurred from the decades of abuse by God-Fearing Men and Women in Christ’s Holy Name had me wanting jacque shitte to do with anything even having the appearances of Christianity or with placing myself under the aegis of the Christian divinity(s).
Now having made the distinction between the people who hurt me and the religious banners they hid themselves in, I have been pushing back and challenging my fears. The Birto workings proved to me that I am capable of engaging Christianity-flavored ceremonial magic and enabled me to look further.
The entire time, it/he never ceased being “there”. In my dreams and visions, there is always a giant book between us as a table and barrier. It/He is always obscured as if behind the screen of a confessional, or behind a ritual veil. And there is always a sense of “When you’re ready, I’m here.”
Because of that, I moving forward with the hope that if I can reach the “halfway point” across that divide, then Patient Caller will also meet me halfway. Obviously, I’m not going to have even a third of the “necessaries” even if I did take a whole year to prepare. Because I share a house with others, I don’t have the luxury of a dedicated room for the sole use of workings. I have my personal room, and that’s it.
An asthmatic in the house means incense and smoke is just not going to happen. Their ability to breathe trumps my foolishness. Mixed shifts means no loud noises. It’s not a matter of having to choose between Perfect Timing and the Perfect Environment. It’s about taking advantage of the best timing and environment I can get. For the resources and time that I have, however, I have enough to get myself into trouble. We shall see if it is enough to get out of trouble.
The Starting Equipment:
- A rope or cord no less than 15′ (≈4.6m) of length. A smaller cord no less than 3′ (≈1m) of length.
- A fragrant candle, with a votive or container that can be capped when not in use. The candle will not be lit, but will be warmed to release scent.
- A white cotton shawl.
- Knife with black handle, same as used in second attempt of the Birto working. To be honest, I’m not satisfied with it, but any attempts to replace it thus far has been met with an even greater dissatisfaction so it stays until something literally better comes along.
- A hazel rod to be worked into a wand. (Detailed later in this post.)
- Shewstone. (Also detailed later in this post.)
- The Book of Oberon. (Required to be present by the ritual I intend to use.)
- The Seal of Solomon. Even if it means drawing it by hand. Because reasons.
- Cut notecards to mark the spirit’s name for his circle.
- Pen and paper to record notes during the working.
I know it is not “enough”, but this is where I start, as I have faith that between the Book of Oberon, Patient Caller, and my observations, I am going to learn what is required, what is enough, and what is a detriment.
Magic happens when you’re not looking. That phrase neatly summarizes the past seven days since I announced my participation. My active magic is based upon dreams, visions, and (dry) altered states. While my daily tarot divinations have been encouragingly boring, it is in the moments I’m not actively looking for information that I receive it in compact bursts.
My work commute is 45 miles each way, and when I’m lucky it’s only that same number of minutes. (I am not always lucky, and leave accordingly.) During that drive, I have been experiencing epiphanies about what to do for the upcoming workings. They felt like someone was talking to me or telling me a story but I was too distracted by driving to catch the entire thread until the communication had ended. After which I would be able to recall the entire of the transmission, but unable to ask further questions.
I have a wand already. It has worked for me before and was the focus for some “adventures”, but I did not want to dedicate it to any particular branch of magic. So the list entry for “Wand” was marked with “none”.
While driving, I have a flashback to a time eight years ago, when a then close friend and I were up to (responsible) gathering shenanigans in the local hills and mountains. A hazel tree had been cut down on public land due to its uneven growth being a hazard. The local stewards were allowing folks to come collect what they wanted of the fallen tree as the less that remained for them to mulch meant the less they would have to pay for the disposal.
My friend wanted to collect as much as he could load up in his vehicle for staves, rods, and wands. I had gone to assist him and take a few for sending to my woo-minded friends. I had no intention of keeping any for myself. While the trunk of the tree was twisted and bowed, there were no small number of very long, nearly straight lengths. My friend suggested that if I was going to explore this “pagan thing” any further, I should keep a length of hazel rod for myself.
I have never forgotten my answer to him. “I wouldn’t know what to do with it even if it hit me.” I then pulled the next branch out of the debris pile for trimming. Of course, I pull a branch that was still connected to a bigger branch that was at the bottom of the pile. Moving this caused the entire pile to shift and tilt, throwing lighter branches and twigs every which way. Surrounded by flying trimmings and branches, all I could do was cover my face and duck.
I was struck upside the head with a long straight length of hazel that I grabbed before it could complete my humiliation by falling on my feet.
After my friend regained his composure from laughing so hard that he had to sit down, he made the soft and quiet suggestion that I should keep that rod in particular for myself. I did so, eventually placing it in a drawer and almost forgetting about it. Each time I did a purge of unnecessary things, I would look at the rod, hold it, remember how it “introduced itself”, chuckle then put it back in the drawer for safekeeping. I had confidence that I would find a use for it “some day”. I have come up with many ideas, but none of them were ever put into motion. The hazel rod remains in the same condition as it came to me.
After laughing at the flashback, road conditions required my full attention forward again. While “distracted”, another “transmission” happened.
I saw myself holding the unmodified hazel rod in my right hand, upright, and with a severe look on my face even though my eyes were closed. There was a voice across a table from me, and that voice was instructing me what to do with the rod. The timing of the scene wasn’t eight years in the past, or two weeks ago, but sometime in the near future. Sometime in the next three weeks.
I was left with the unshakeable conviction that this is what I had been saving that hazel rod for. Part of the instruction/conversation to be had is the refining of that rod.
When I performed the Birto working, I had a small dragon statue to serve as his “horse”. During the first working, Birto seemed to project from the statue as if it was a lens. During the second working, he did not emanate from the statue itself, but the statue served as something I could mentally focus on until he made himself known via other means. I wanted to carry this over to this new ritual.
The ritual that Birto pointed me to calls for “… this spirit N. to come speedily, and to appear visibly here in a circle for him made and prepared with his name written therein, and that in a fair human shape and form, even like a child of three years of age, without the molestation of the air or hurting of any creature bearing life, annoying of beasts, or fearing of me or any of my fellows…” (The Book of Oberon. “A conjuration most necessary to the angels of each day to the obtaining of any spirit thou callest” Pages 236-239)
While I already have the cord and trimmed cards for N’s Patient Caller’s circle, I still didn’t feel comfortable. Something felt missing. I needed a physical focus for myself, and that focus needed to be something that I could give over to Patient Caller for his exclusive use if needed.
I do have a small collection of baubles, crystals, and stones (Less than 20 even!), but they all had other uses already and could not be sacrificed for exclusivity. The idea would not leave me. In my meditations, I would visualize myself seated at the table preparing to perform the ritual. During those meditations, I would ask the embodiment of the Book of Oberon what substitutions could I make to fit my present circumstances.
It was in those meditations that the idea of a dedicated large white cotton shawl in lieu of full white clothing came about. (Clothes shopping when you are not a size naught is not always as straightforward as retailers would have you believe, online or not.) An interior conversation about how to share fragrance in a manner that could be quickly ceased should the asthmatic in the house have a negative reaction is what led to the choice of a scented candle in a lidded container.
During one of those meditations, she asked me which was more important for the physical focus: Form or function. She noted that in the limited time I had available, I could either purchase something that looked right for the job, made a neat display piece that I could show off to others, but may not have the right properties to work as I needed it to because it had been fashioned for a different purpose, or I could get something that Just Worked™, but would likely look like shit and add to the long list of reasons why my detractors declare loudly that I’m making things up.
I’ll take function, please. I can always dress up the item if I want to impress people. Which I don’t. I was reminded of a local rock and gem shop that I try to avoid because of the damages it can make on my budget. It was a random dice roll of an endeavor, but this is the last weekend for driving significant distances to obtain items in person.
The damage to my budget was well within what I was prepared to pay. So much so, that I wound up with two shewstones that met my requirements. Both are rough pieces (looked like shit), but both had one side that was polished flat and clear (met the function). One is a large thumbnail sized piece of amber and the other is a small piece of rutilated quartz that fits comfortably in the hand when the clear flat side is turned towards me.
Neither is required by the ritual. It just may be that my Patient Caller rejects both. I won’t know until I find out.
Speaking of the ritual, here is what I have assembled thus far:
- Preparation: Acquisition and consecration of tools as necessary prior to actual working. (See also: Activating Solomon’s Seal for personal use during the eclipse.)
- Circle: [Need: Preparation of the space(s) where the circles will be laid down using rope/cord.] Regardless of the use of a shewstone in the spirit’s circle, his name (already revealed to me by Birto) must be written within it.
- Consecration: [Need: Consecration of the Operation and the Circle(s).] Consecration of the Tools: “[T]o consecrate all instruments” or “Another prayer”. (See the Book of Oberon, page 83[2].)
- Invocation: Recite Psalm 54. Recite the appropriate prayer to the Intelligence of the Day (Planetary Day Prayer).
- Evocation: “A conjuration most necessary to the angels of each day to the obtaining of any spirit thou callest” (See Book of Oberon, pages 236-239[3].)
- Binding: (Included in above ritual.)
- License to Depart: Based on Birto ritual. (See Book of Oberon, page 400[4].) Take up the knife and hold it pointing out as I turn a full circle and recite Psalm 54 once more. “Cut” the circle boundary with the knife and proceed with life.
Here follows referenced quotes from the Book of Oberon. It is suggested that you get something to drink and take care of personal business before you read because here lies very many words.
[1]“The necessaries for this art of Necromancy”
First have faith in God, acknowledge him to be almighty, call for his help, lean upon his sufferance, do work of charity, use abstinence, confess thy sins, repent truly, and transport thyself to a better kind or shape, and fulfill enerirnell, and keep observations.
Then provide an honest consecrated priest, three honest associates, books, vellum, standish, circle, palm crosses, sticks, a knife with a white haft, a black goat’s horn, a sword, a scepter, two rings, one of copper, another of silver gilt, in the one must be written Tetragrammaton, in the other words to please the spirit, a rod of correction, the lamina, the principal’s crown, a crown of virgin parchment for every of the associates, ink to write orderly prepared, Solomon’s pentacle, Solomon’s seals, seven planets, and their characters, oils, powders, blood, chalk, pens, suffumigations, a copper needle, vestment, albs, stole, fannell, glove, garments white, candles, coals, censer, holy water bucket, sprinkle, water, salt, tewisons, defensatives viz. or protections, silk to cover the lamina, sede maiestatis dei [“the seat of the majesty of god“, and a cover for the same, a cover for every one of the seven planets, spices or odors for the same, a table, a tablecloth, a chair for the master, stoles for the associates, two white candlesticks, four evangelists, ashes made of a palm stick hallowed on Palm Sunday, the plat of copper having thereon pictures the spirits, suffumigations for the angels, suffumigations to please the spirit, suffumigations to urge the spirit a body, ordures for the excommunication, etc.
(The Book of Oberon, pages 290-291. Red text as same in book.)
[2]“[T]o consecrate all instruments”
O mighty and merciful God, which in the finger of thy deity, hast healed all kind of plagues and hast restored the diseased to their former health, grant now, I do beseech thee, that these instruments may be touched, blessed, sanctified, and hallowed by thy deity; that the draught drawn with the same in dignity of thy name may serve effectually to my operation by him that liveth for evermore. Amen.
“Another prayer”
O God, hear us in thy righteousness and vouchsafe of thy holiness of thy Godhead to consecrate, bless, and sanctify all these kind of instruments, that there remain no occasion of evil nor unholiness in them, but that they may be profitable, wholesome, and healthful to us and our work, for the merits of Christ Jesus + Amen.
(The Book of Oberon, page 83.)
[3]“A conjuration most necessary to the angels of each day to the obtaining of any spirit thou callest”
I conjure, adjure, and confirm upon you, O angels of God, mighty and good, in the name of + Adonay + Adonay, Adonay, Eye, Eye, Eye, V (?). God was, God is, and God shall be, and in the name of God, Cados, Cados, Cados, high sitting upon Cherubim, and by the great name of the strong God, high and mighty above all heavens, Eye, Saraye, the shaper of worlds, the Creator of heaven, earth, sea, and hell, and all in them that hath any being, O holy angels, I conjure and invocate you by him whose name is Jehovahh, that made the first day and sealed it with his own name Phaa, and by him which appeared in the Mount Sinai to Moses the great prophet and leader of his people Israel, whose name is Achim, Ia, and that with great glory, who made the waters, seas, floods, springs, wells, and fountains the second day, and sealed them with his own name I. that they should not pass their straits and bounds. I conjure and confirm upon you Angels mighty and holy, and that by the names of that high God, that made the third day from the water to appear dry land and called it the land, and sealed it with his own name I that it should bring forth trees and herbs of itself. I conjure you mighty angels, holy and of great power, in the name of the dreadful and blessed Ia, Adonay Eloim, Saday, Asarie, and in the name of Adonay God of Israel, that created great lights to divide the day from the night the fourth day and sealed it with his own name Phaa, that it should be unto times and tides, nights and days. I conjure you, O holy angels, by the mighty Escherie, the confirmer of worlds and by the name Adonay, that on the fifth day created fishes and all other creeping things in the waters, birds flying upon the face of the earth, and sealed it with his own name, Phaa. I conjure you, angels of great power in the name, On, Hey, Heya, Saday, and in the name Saday, that created all four-footed beasts and men in the sixth day and gave to Adam power upon them and upon all the works of his hands. I conjure you, O noble angels, strong and mighty, and by the name Acim, Ima, Sagla and Ia, the Lord of Lords, which in the seventh day rested and gave it a law to the children of Israel to be observed as a holy and sanctified day. I conjure and exorcise you, O angels of great power, by the seven notable, coruscant, and splendishing stars, the Sun, the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, and by the great name of God, Tetragrammaton, the mighty name Agla, the wonderful name Adonay, the strong name, El, and the name On, names of singular majesty, O angels, by all these and all others most reverent and high names of God both effable and ineffable, known and unknown, which I, by reason of mine imbecility and weakness, dare not to attempt as once to be so hardy to name nor excogitate, by these iterum atque iterum, again and again and so many times again as there be stars in the sky, sands on the shores, fishes in the sea, and grasses upon the face of the earth, I conjure and adjure, urge and constrain, confirm and compel, bid and command you and every of you, one and all, jointly and severally, to give and yield unto me, as now in this perilous work your strengths and aid, and that you command by and under the license of your God whose messengers to serve you, you [sic] are, that as certainly as thou, O Michael, art appointed to ☉ to protect and govern the people of God, and that by invincible strength, as true as thou, O Raphael, was attributed ad Tobie, ☿ ut parentum Sanaret, ex periculis liberat filium, et ei uxorem suam adduxerit [“to Tobiah, ☿ that he cure his parent, free his son from danger, and lead his wife to him”], as assuredly as thou O Gabriel, wast appointed the most joyful ambassador to the most pure, holy, and chaste Virgin Mary, virgo ante partum in partu et post partum [“a virgin before giving birth and after giving birth”], and greeting her with this undoubted salutation, Ave gratia plena Dominus tecum [“Hail Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with you”], and as Daniel received consolation from his God by thee, and Zacharie pater Iohanes Baptiste [“the father of John the Baptist”] for his incredulity and undoubtedly, O you holy, mighty, and excellent angels, I beseech and pray you, yea, and I in the name of your God whose spirits you are, I do charge and command you that you and every one of you licence and permit all superior spirits and devils, to compel, urge, and command this spirit N. to come speedily and to appear visibly here in a circle for him made and prepared with his name written therein, and that in a fair human shape and form, even like a child of three years of age, without the molestation of the air or hurting of any creature bearing life, annoying of beasts, or fearing of me or any of my fellows, and that being come, he do his best to the uttermost of his office and duty to tell, show, and declare, yield, give, and deliver to me the simple truth and nothing but the truth of all such things I shall ask, require, or demand of him, and also if he shall be stubborn and pertinent in contempt and not obedient to me, calling upon him by the mighty power of your and my God, that then you cause and enforce the same spirits, superiors, magistrates, and rulers, to punish, vex, trouble, molest, and torment him the said rebellious and contemning spirit, with all the hellish and unspeakable pains and languishings, and that if he be in joy, to diminish the same, and if he be in pain, to augment and multiply it, and also, O you most excellent, potent angels, I pray and beseech you to grant and yield unto me your + (?) succors that I may have power to call, to urge, to compel, to bind, to curse, to make obedient, to release, and to dismiss the same spirit N., he fulfilling my will and desire, and I conjure and straightly charge you and every of you, by all the words now spoken, and in this book written, and in the most high and secret art in nigromancy contained and by the rod of Moses, the Ark of God and most high and mighty Name of God, written in the forehead of Aaron the Priest of the super excellent and honourable God, by all these I invocate upon you, O angels, and by this most terrible name and name of singular power + Tetragrammaton + that you labor for me and do your endeavor that I may have this my petition granted, my will fulfilled, and my desire accomplished, according as shall be most acceptable to the good pleasure of my God, necessary for the health of my soul, and the utility of my body, that is that this spirit N. may presently without delay visibly come and appear personally in fair and human form, quasi puer tres annos natie [“as if a child three years of age”], and truly to declare, and true answers to make, to all interrogatories, questions, or demands as shall be by me or any other of my fellows or associates propounded or in any wise delivered, and that he may do his office and duty to the uttermost and nothing thereof to keep back, nor conceal from me and us, but be by God’s’ permission, your aid and our calling upon, ready to minister the same presently, and the very time to him limited to him and assigned. This grant Good Lord God who livest and reignest in glory sempiterne without beginning and without ending, now and forever, for thy dear son’s sake Jesus Christ, the everlasting and true word, the Immaculate Lamb, the saviour of mankind, and the most just judge, to whom together with the Holy Spirit sanctifier of all the elects, be praise and glory. Amen, Amen.
O Angeli supradicti, estote adiutores mee petitionis et [in] adiutorium mihi in meis rebus et petitionius. O vos Angeli omnes, adiuro contestor, per sedem Adonay, per Agios Otheos, Iskyros, Athanatos, Paracletos, Alpha, et Omega, et per hac tria nomina secreta + Agla + On + Tetragrammaton + quod hodie deb[e]atis, adimplere quod cupio. O angels spoken of before, be my helpers in these petitions, and help me in my affairs and petitions. O all you angels, I adjure and appeal to you, by the seat of Adonay, by Agios Otheos, Iskyros, Athanatos, Paraclete, Alpha and Omega, and by these three secret names + Agla + On + Tetragrammaton + that this day you might fulfill what I desire.
(The Book of Oberon, page 236-239. Red text and emphasis in original text.)
[4]O [N.], by all the words that I have spoken, and by the same virtue that thou didst come hither at this presence unto me, I command and charge thee to depart in peace, and rest with thy God, and be ready to come unto me another time when I shall call thee by the virtue of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be all honour, power, and glory for ever and ever. Amen.”
(Based on the Book of Oberon, page 400. Red text in original text.)
Here ends all the quotations. And if I have to <span style=”color: red;”></span> anything else, I’m gonna see red.