August September teaser

For those of you who don't suscribe to "Out in Jersey" (there is a convenient link on the right-hand side of this page), here's the illustration I recently shot for the Aug/Sept Out of the Broomcloset column (on shell magic, natch)!

Another Cigarette Card

Another card from the Lenormand deck, number 8,showing the 9 of Diamonds,which features an emblem,that to a reflective mind affords a subject of serious contemplation. In this set of cards, it stands for illness, death, or loss, the severity of which depends on it's proximity to the card representing the subject. This is at odds with the meaning of the 9 of Diamonds, which usually indicates money coming your way.

Daily Magical Calender

Wednesday, June 30, 2010, 20 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waning Moon, 3rd day after Full, Void of Course 6-9 P.M., moving into Pisces, in 26th Mansion Al Mukdim/Almiquedam, good for love and health, liberation. Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Mercury, Night begins with Sun.
Mercury in Cancer (Ruler of the Day), Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo (Ruling Planet), all Direct. All in all, a good day for transformational work, moving forward by discarding worn-out modes of doing things, and laying the groundwork for new endeavours.

Under the influence of Raphael (God had Healed); is considered to be the Watcher of the North, a healer, and a guide to the Underworld. He was also considered to be the Angel that delivered the Pentagram ring to King Solomon. Reveals and instructs, presence brings victory, healing. Other systems use Adoniel (He of the Lord), who is associated with luck and fortune, or Michael.

Daily Magical Calender

Saturday, June 26 2010, 16 Hekatombaion, dedicated to Zeus Phratrios (of the tribal clans), Athena, Eirene/Peace, Full Moon (and an Eclipse), Moon in Capricorn, moves into the 22nd Mansion Sa’d a-da’bih/Caadaldepa, Good for health, liberation.
Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Saturn, Night begins with Mercury.
Mercury in Cancer, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo (Ruling Planet), all Direct.

Book Update

After researching various options,I have decided to self-publish Big Book of Magic, and that the printing will be done by Eau Claire Printers. I'm waiting on their response to a few questions I had (such exciting things as what template they prefer for cover layout) I'd much rather have the cost of printing go to keeping a roof over the head of other American workers than have this done more cheaply overseas, though it will be more expensive as a result (though not by much). When the time comes (sooner than later) I will be starting a subscription list for presale. More than likely, the first run will be 200 numbered copies

Daily Magical Calender

Friday, June 25 2010, 15 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waxing Moon, 6th day after First Quarter, Moon moves into Capricorn, moves into the 21stMansion, Al Bal’dah/ Elbelda, Good for acquiring material possessions. Good for breakups. Planetary Hours of Day commence with Venus, Night begins with Mars.Mercury moves into Cancer, V...enus in Leo (Ruling Planet), Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.Anael,/Haniel, and other variants (Grace of God); not much to say here, except that the name has quite a few variant spellings, associated with December. Associated by some with works of love, but considered by others to work similarly to Samael. Other systems use Anatiel, but the name is just considered a variation. Just to shake things up, an Angel Ananel was considered to have introduced sin into the world; what a difference a letter makes. Haniel, invoked on Friday before dawn gives alchemical instructions, but as Anael is to be invoked the first hour or day on SundaySee More

Today's Magical Calender

Thursday, June 24 2010, 14 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waxing Moon, 5th day after First Quarter, Moon in Sagittarius, in the 20th Mansion, Al Nalaim/Nahaym, Good for compulsion, underhanded dealings. Good for travel.
Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Jupiter, Night begins with the Moon.
Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries (Ruling Planet), Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.

Magical Cigarette Cards

Today’s image comes from a 36 card set issued in four different printings by Carreras in 1928, which were the giveaway in packs of Black Cat Cigarettes. The images were taken from the fortune telling deck of Marie Anne Lenormand, the most famous reader in Revolutionary France. A booklet of instructions was available separately from the Company. The deck itself is still quite popular in France and Germany. Pictured is card 3, The Ship, which signifies riches to be earned in business or obtained by inheritance. Sometimes, if near to the person’s card, it can signify a voyage. This agrees with the interpretation of the playing card pictured on its face, the 10 of Spades, as listed in Dr. Leo Martello’s “It’s written in the Cards”.
I am particularly enamored of the icons on the cards in this series. I wonder if they influenced Phillip Pullman’s conception of the Aleithiometer in the “His Dark Materials” series. More of these will be posted when time allows. Enjoy!

Daily Magical Calender

Wednesday, June 23 2010, 13 Hekatombaion no special dedication, Waxing Moon, 4th day after First Quarter, Moon moves into Sagittarius, in the 20th Lunar Mansion Al Nalaim/Nahaym, Good for compulsion, underhanded dealings. Good for travel.
Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Mercury, Night begins with the Sun.
Mercury in Gemini (Ruling Planet), Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct. A day for pressing just claims, rather than doing whatever you want.

Under the influence of Raphael (God had Healed); is considered to be the Watcher of the North, a healer, and a guide to the Underworld. He was also considered to be the Angel that delivered the Pentagram ring to King Solomon. Reveals and instructs, presence brings victory, healing. Other systems use Adoniel (He of the Lord), who is associated with luck and fortune, or Michael.

Today"s Magical Calender

Tuesday, June 22, 2010, 12 Hekatombaion, dedicated to Kronos, for his support of growing crops, Waxing Moon, 3rd Day after First Quarter, Moon in Scorpio; enters 19th Mansion (21 degrees Scorpio), Al Shaulah/Exaula, good for all defensive and aggressive work. Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Mars, Night begins with Saturn. Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo (Ruler of the Day), Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.


This is a day reserved for any of the nastier sendings, continuing the “attitude” of the Solstice, or may be used for other aggressive work to be launched, especially during the Mars and Saturn hours of the Day and Night. With the Moon squaring Venus, breaking others up is easy to do. Definitely a day you need to have your guard up, and your wits about you.



Under the Angel Camael/Samael(He who Sees God)whose sigil is pictured above; according to some sources, he manifests as a leopard, and was the Angel who wrestled with Jacob. Tends to bring pestilence and destruction, and is indicated on some amulets as the Angel of Death. As Samael, he will also instruct you in the occult arts, if invoked at Midnight, and give knowledge of your own guardian spirit as Camael. The Character, as given in the Grimoire of Armadel is the same as that of Phalec. These associations have been ignored in most of the “New Age” speculations dealing with Angels. Other systems assign this day to Michael

New Cover layout

Here is an updated layout for the front cover (the type will probably be gold, the particular chroma of blue is still up in the air. After an afternoon of research, I think i will be publishing this by my lonesone. Quite a career change!

Today's Magical Calender

Today's Magical Calender:
Monday, June 21, 2010, 11 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waxing Moon, 2rd Day after First Quarter, Ruler of the Day, Moon enters Scorpio; enters 18th Mansion (8 degrees Scorpio), Al Kalb, revenge, conspiracy, safe travel.Sun Enters Cancer, the Summer Solstice. Astrologically, this is an aggressive entry into this quarter, fueling (depending on your viewpoint) demolition, active reconstruction, plans being moved forward and pushed through without regard for others, self-directed and self-centered. Pick any Ayn Rand hero as a template.Planetary Hours of the Day commence with the Moon, Night begins with Venus. Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.Under the Angel Gabriel (God is my Strength); he Angel of the Annunciation; brings things to light. Everyone seems to be in agreement on this correspondence, and he is the Watcher of the South. The Grimoire of Armadel associates him with the Olympic spirit Phul (which makes sense, also being associated with Monday)

possible Book cover

So, here's today's addition to the Big Book of Magic, a draft of the bookcover; busy hands are happy hands, and all that. That Parson's education sure is coming in handy!
The blue will be deeper, the text will be gold stamped. Can you identify any of the graphics?

Web Address Change

Dear Friends:
To streamline everything, my blog on all things magical has a new address, which is:
www.bigbookofmagic-outofthebroomcloset.blogspot.com. Please update your links!

Today's Magical Calender

Sunday, 20 June 2010, 10 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waxing Moon,
first day after the First Quarter, Moon in Libra, in the 16th Mansion, Al Zubana/ Azubene, good for dealing with hindrances and reversals.
Planetary Hours of the Day commence with the Sun, Night begins with Jupiter. Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct. The Sun, ruler of today, is still in Gemini; combined with Mercury also being there (it governs Gemini) this is the perfect day for any spell-work dealing with communicating your needs and desires, and to pursue your business plans during an hour of Jupiter.


Under the Angel Michael (Who is as God); considered to be the first one created, brings defense and favor. Other systems use Raphael. Michael is the Watcher of the East

The Wonderful World of Occult Cigarette Cards

Long before bubble gum cards, cigarette packs came with collectible inserts, covering a wide range of images (the famous Honorius Wagner baseball card was one such). This image is one of 50 in a series entitled "Lucky Charms", produced by W.D. & H.O. Wills, Bristol & London, issued in 1923. This is the Udjat, or "sound" Eye of Horus, created to replace the one he lost during a battle with his brother Set. When written as a hieroglyph, each element is also a fractional notation, adding up to 63/64, the missing 1/64th added verbally by Tehuti/Thoth. It denotes "Strength", especially the power of the Sun during the Summer Solstice. Feel free to print a copy, and carry it in your wallet.

Today's Magical Calender

Saturday, 19 June 2010, 9 Hekatombaion, no special dedication, Waxing Moon, First Quarter, Moon in Libra, in the 15th Mansion (Al Ghafar/Algafra); a good day for treasure hunting and sleuthing, causing friction between people, dealing a blow. Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Saturn, Night begins with Mercury. Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn (Planetary Ruler of the Day) in Virgo, all Direct. The time to deliver a really effective attack would be right after sundown, if you were inclined to do such a thing


Under the Angel Cassiel and variants (Speed of God); Angel of tears and solitude. Enforces the negative and baneful aspects of Saturn, similar in effect to Camael. Other systems use Uriel (Fire of God), who appears in none of the Canonical works, but is quite active in other texts (wielding a flaming sword at the borders of Eden, watching over Hades), and is sometimes associated with September.

He is considered the Watcher of the West, which is a strange place to put a being so associated with Fire (rather than the appropriate Water). He instructs in the Sciences, when invoked Saturday, the 11th hour of the night (which is under Jupiter).

Choosing Your Words

So many things are as dependent on what we say as on what we do. In magic as in all things, this is quite true, and can affect the outcome of any ritual act. In magic derived from Judeo-Christian materials, the power of words to create and control is illustrated in the early chapters of Genesis, and are taken as textual authority for such activities. The same power is granted to words in Egyptian practice, as well as Greek material which survive only from Egypt. Contained in these are several verbal constructions which can be important to utilize in your own rituals, be they oral or written.

I am: By beginning a spell or prayer with these, you are making a formal announcement that you do, in fact, exist, and are calling attention to this fact. From there, you can go in several different directions; I am your faithful servant, humbly asking you, or any other salutation you might like. This might be good enough in some cases, but to really attract attention, the magician should really take this opportunity to present their resume, their bona fides. In Greek spells, this often takes the form of “I may just seem to be lowly human me, but in fact, I am something else as well, or claim these attributes as my own, and as such, deserve a bit more attention when I am talking to you, please”.

Lineage: This manner of giving name, rank and serial number assists the harried Deity in dispensing their benefits upon the correct party. Before the advent of DNA testing, and last names, the surest way of getting it right was giving your own name, and that of your Mother (who else would know?).

I am not/ it wasn’t me: This construction you may be familiar with from Chapter of the Book of Coming Forth by Day (i.e Egyptian Book of the Dead), where the deceased, before Osirus, Thoth, and a devouring demon and his heart before him on a scale, declares that his heart is pure, as he is not (or has not done) the following things. In Classical usage, such an opening is often used when you are attempting to direct a deity’s attention to someone else by pointing out “Look, influence this person for me, as I am a good guy, but they’ve been up to no good”. This snitching usually takes the form of pointing out some sacrilege the other party has performed. Think of it as the Eddie Haskel defensive move, and should be employed in spells concerning court cases, making someone notice you, and generally getting over.

I want it now!: Sometimes, you’re perfectly happy to let things take their course in their own good time, and sometimes you need quick results or you will perish from; longing, no one posting bail, calling, or lack of ready funds. In these instances, the proper ending to your work is right now, right now, quickly, quickly.

And so, off you go, right now, quickly.

Today's Magical Calender

Friday, 18 June 2010, 8 Hekatombion, dedicated to Poseidon, Waxing Moon 6th day after New, Moon in Virgo, in the 14th Mansion (Al Simak); Good for promoting love, health. Bad for land travel, good for other modes. Planetary Hours of Day commence with Venus, Night begins with Mars. Mercury in Gemini, Venus (Planetary Ruler of the Day) in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries, Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.


Under the Angel Anael/Haniel, and other variants (Grace of God); not much to say here, except that the name has quite a few variant spellings, associated with December. Associated by some with works of love, but considered by others to work similarly to Samael. Other systems use Anatiel, but the name is just considered a variation. Just to shake things up, an Angel Ananel was considered to have introduced sin into the world; what a difference a letter makes. Haniel, invoked on Friday before dawn gives alchemical instructions, but as Anael is to be invoked the first hour or day on Sunday

Today's Magical Calender

If/when I end up with too much time on my hands, this might appear as a daily feltboard of icons, rather than a verbal almanac, as seen in Pre-K and Senior centers.

This entry itself is a trial run, testing out the utility of the various pages in the BBOM to see how easy it would be to use the contents for advance planning, or to synthesise the materials contained into new and useful products (yes that's right, I hope to be as big as DOW someday, though not as, you know...). All you need to add is an Ephemeris to your bookshelf, and you can do this too.

Thursday, June 17, 2010, 7 Hekatombion, dedicated to Apollo Atropaios (Averter of Evil), Waxing Moon 5th day after New Moon, Moon moves into Virgo, today is the last day of the Moon being in the 13th Mansion, Al Sarfah/Arcafal, excellent for friendship and charitable acts. Planetary Hours of the Day commence with Jupiter, Night begins with the Moon. Mercury in Gemini, Venus in Leo, Mars in Virgo, Jupiter in Aries (Planetary Ruler of the Day), Saturn in Virgo, all Direct.



The Sigil of the Archangel of today, Sachiel (Covering of God). This may be carried as a charm for all works of love and peace, when inscribed today on a clean piece of paper with bright blue ink, or scratched on a piece of Tin. It may be censed with any lighter Solar incense (Frankincense, Copal, Galbanum).

For those of you who don't read OIJ

For those of you who don't read OIJ, here's the most recent column. Enjoy!



Welcome back, Summer, when all but the most unfortunate will have the opportunity to roam around NJ’s landscape, especially the wilder areas that have not yet been paved over. Yes, Out of Staters, we still have them, we just have concealed them behind a screen of road ramps and Shopping Malls. You just have to schedule a trip, travel some distance to explore those areas.

Why discuss vacation plans, you might be wondering? Well, some forms of magic require interaction with powers, spirits, however you may define them (or perhaps you just don’t believe in such things; fine, they still believe in you). Some of these are quite at home in your home; in fact, they are quite reticent to manifest unless provided with our dwellings and well tended gardens. Others prefer the outskirts of town, while a few withdraw to where we are not. Here are some field notes on one such, Pan.

Yes, you might think you have a pretty good fix on his nature, the little goat hooves and horns, the reed pipes, chasing after Nymphs like Harpo Marx after blonde chorines. While true, this image also acts as a smoke screen for his true potentialities.

Whether related to the god Hermes or not, Pan’s natural element is wooded slopes, caves, clearings or tree- lined fields filled with livestock, and so along with Hermes is empowered at points of contact and transition. While embodying the unfettered libido, it is more a glorying in one’s vitality and capacities, rather than unconscious unfocused lust. For the more straight-laced and buttoned up, his presence can cause disorientation or aberrant behavior in that individual, and panic (a reaction of which he is originator). In this regard, he is similar to Dionysus (with whom he sometimes travels).


In the summer, he’s best worked with after sunrise, or before sunset; if it’s too muggy at noon for you, so is it for him (what with the fur chaps and all). His sympathies work best in spells which involve pursuing a goal, stamina, or lending a persuasive force to an endeavor. I wouldn’t call on him for significant sums of money, but he can lend a hand in finding, say, the odd fifty dollar bill stuck in a hedge. For those of whom he is fond, he is also a fierce protector, needing no more than his presence and voice to scare off those who would intend you harm.

His offerings tend to be on the simple side; a nice rustic bread, milk with honey, simple cheeses, or a set of his reed pipes, along with the occasional (or not so occasional) erotic image or figure. And you probably thought all those weather worn dirty magazines were left in the woods for some other purpose. An incense may be compounded from Pine resin, Cinnamon, and a touch of Musk oil.

While technically a Greek deity, I assure you that he either hitched a ride here, or was always out and around before Europeans settled here, who then came across him quite unexpectedly after clearing some land. This could be an explanation for some of our Jersey Devil sightings.

His interests are wide ranging, a particular affinity is well established to the Gay Communities, particularly when one needs the strength to speak one’s mind. If he was a good enough mentor to instruct Apollo how to give prophecy, he can certainly be called upon to assist you in reading the beads of an annoying straight person, which should make this a more exciting Pride month.

Well;

Busy hands are the not so idle Devil's plaything. Since I have (finally, before senility set in) put together L Calle's Big Book of Magic, which dozens, if not several people have expressed an interest in, it seemed time to revive this blog, link it to Facebook, and allow those who Facebook will not to join in on the fun. As in all my writing, this will be in an attempt to, once again, put metaphorical dynamite in the hands of small children, to see what the results might be. Please direct as many people to these sites as possible. If I have to track down an old Linotype machine, refurbish it, and turn out a print version of BBOM by myself, I will. However, this would seriously hinder my ability to accept invitations for cocktails.

Versions of my column in Out in Jersey will again be showing up here, as well as BBOM news, the idle excerpt or two from the book, and other experiments. Of course, if one of those multitude of resumes brings a response, all bets are off.

And yes, this was typed while eating Cheeto's, one at a time.
Later,
L.