The mantrical spell method basically employs acoustic sigils. The principle of constructing mantrical sigils is quite simple: the sentence of desire is transformed into a mantra devoid of any obvious sense or meaning. This may be done most easily by writing down the sentence of desire in a quasi-phonetic manner, i.e., words as spoken. This may demand some ingenuity, but any magician needs this, and, here again, practice alone makes for refinement. Let us take an example from Liber Null (p. 21):
a) Sentence of desire:
I WANT TO MEET A SUCCUBUS IN DREAM
This sentence, in a quasi-phonetic (acoustic) spelling, becomes:
b) IWAH NAR MEDAR SUKU BUSIN DREEM
c) Now, all double or multiple letters are eliminated, as with the word method:
IWAH N^R MEDffi SUKjf wfifff d) This leaves us with:*
IWAH N'MER D'SUK
e) The sentence from d) is now rearranged, or alienated even more, and you are free to add some vowels so that the end product does not become a tongue twister but can be easily vocalized:
HAWIEMNER KUSAD (completed mantra)
For the use of mantrical sigils, you will need some linguistic agility and an ear for rhythm. The sigil mantras should sound euphonic (meaning "nice") as well as "somehow magical." At the same time, they should be alienated enough so that you won't be able to recognize the original sentence of desire.
Activating/Internalization of Mantrical Sigils
Unlike word or pictorial sigils, sigil mantras are usually not activated/internalized spasmodically ("short and intense"); instead, they are repeated rhythmically and monotonously. An exception to this rule are the "words of power," which are sometimes sigilized, as we shall see later on.
*The letter b is missing in Peter Carroll's example—an obvious typesetting mistake which we have not corrected for the sake of correct quotation. This does not, however, invalidate the example as a whole.
In Eastern cultures mantras are also employed to ¡xiduce magical trances and mystical states of consciousness, etc., because they tend to tranquilize the conscious mind when monotonously repeated over a long period of time. Thus, the psychic censor is softened up and direct access to the unconscious is set free. Naturally, mantras play a very important part in Mantra-Yoga, Tantra (of Hindu and Buddhist origin), Buddhism (including Zen!), and many other Eastern philosophies. These mantras may be more or less free of recognizable sense (for example, "HRAM HRIM HRUM"), or they may carry a meaning (for example, "OM MANIPEME HUM," which, as you may know, approximates "HAIL TO THEE, JEWEL IN THE LOTUS BLOSSOM"). They may express a certain form of worship and heightening of awareness. Islam (especially Sufism) knows its mantras, as does Catholicism, which uses them, for example, in its rosary litanies, and shamans all over the world are known to work with different forms of mantras. . -
While a sound knowledge of mantra theory can be of help when using mantrical sigils, it is not strictly necessary. Sometimes it may even prove to be an^out-right obstacle if you are for some reason (e.g., conditioning, dogma, etc.) incapable of working with any but one special, established system.
Our sentence of desire has been turned into a mantra by manipulating its sound elements, and we cannot recognize its meaning anymore (as is also the case with word and pictorial sigils). You can now activate this acoustic sigil by repeating it over and over again, for hours on end, if possible. The monotony of this procedure will guide you into a kind of
"mantra-stupor" (this will follow naturally and may sometimes occur even after only a few minutes' chanting) ; thus, your directive for the unconscious, which is now concealed in the acoustic sigil, can pass the censor to thrive in the depths of the psyche and go about its work. You may support this procedure by a trance of exhaustion, achieved, for example, by fasting, prolonged lack of sleep or extreme physical exertion. You might even use autohypnosis by playing the mantra on a tape recorder during your sleep (best use endless cassettes), but experience has shown that this is not really requisite except as an auxiliary measure.
After charging the mantra, banish by laughter and immediately distract the conscious mind as described in chapter 3.
Words of Power
Instead of fashioning lengthy sigil mantras, a single "Word of Power" may be formed using the same construction technique as described above. Let us take the example of the aforementioned succubus evocation. The finished mantra in the end was:
HAWIEMNER KUSAD
We might take the first syllable from each word and construct a new word:
HA EM KU = HAEMKU
We could also take the last syllable of each word: WINER SAD = WINERS AD
Other possible combinations in this example are: WINERKU, HANERSAD, KUNERWI, SADEMHA, etc.
You will realize that the possibilities offered by this technique are practically unlimited.
Activating/Internalizing Words of Power
When charging, you may proceed as you would with longer sigil mantras: by chanting it monotonously for a long time.
Or, you may proceed spasmodically as with the word or pictorial method, using the techniques described in chapter 3. Instead of an optical internalization, you perform an acoustic one: at the peak of the tension (regardless of whether you use sex-magical techniques or the various versions of the death posture) you shout aloud the word of power—the louder the better, because this drives away all disturbing thoughts and even interrupts the entire ability to think for the duration of the exclamation. Here again, don't forget to banish the operation by laughter and then distract your attention. The technique of the infamous "death cry" of the Australian aborigines is based on a very similar principle.
The only disadvantage of the mantrical spell method is that it is not particularly silent. Therefore, usually you will have to be alone when using it, unless you are lucky enough to live with people who are in sympathy with your magical "quirks," or are completely deaf. Anyone familiar with mantra systems will be aware of the fact that there are generally three stages of mantra intonation (the so-called "Japa-Mantra"): loud, low, and silent (or mental) intonation. The mental intonation is considered to be the "highest" form of mantra working and is quite complicated. These hints, however, should enable you to experiment with quite a number of different mantra techniques.
Incidentally, it seems more than likely that some of the medieval spells were constructed in the same, or at least in a very similar, manner. Albeit most of the handed-down formulas are little else than mutilated church Latin or Hebrew, and even though most of the other spells have almost certainly been constructed via cabbalistic gematria or have been received as a "revelation" of sorts, there are a number of formulas and "barbarous names of evocation" which cannot be explained as such etymologically. However, this has to remain pure speculation for the time being.
It will largely depend on your own temperament and on your predilections whether you use the word, pictorial or mantrical spell method. Whereas I myself favor the word method and, occasionally, the pictorial method, I must admit that the mantrical spell method has borne the most amazing and speediest results. Perhaps this is precisely so because I personally do not like it very much! Thus, it is certainly advisable to experiment with all three methods. The sigil's energy quality or the way the sigil "feels" is completely different from method to method. After a short time, you will know exactly which method is most promising for any given operation. Being a true magician, you will not tolerate one-sidedness because you know that in the course of your magical career you will be challenged too often and will be confronted with the most varied of problems. It is always beneficial to keep one's arsenal of possibilities and weapons in good shape as well as to stay in practice with "remote" techniques.
The ultimate sigil is surely silence itself, but of this nothing can be said. For "the Tao that can be described is not the Divine Tao."
Continue reading here: E Alphabet of Desire
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