Here on planet Earth, some of us hold the Spring Equinox in very high regard. Pagans, magicians, and Christians celebrate victory of life over death. This year, I was able to celebrate twice.
First, with the help of my friends in the Ordo Templi Orientis, I chose to enjoy the season in style. We rented out a space from the Masons and performed the Invocation of Horus (son of the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris) the weekend after the Spring Equinox. I am very pleased to have been a part of its production.
Since that operation, I've been picking up on subtle differences in my sphere of perception. I've noticed people are revealing their truths to me a lot more, and of course, as a result I am revealing more to them. I'm seeing many parallels between groups that usually maintain their distance from each other. I'm meeting new magickal people every day, and I marvel at the beauty of new stars with every face I meet. I love spring.
Others had fun arranging Spellbound, a magickal journey of invocation and healing. I wouldn't call the event entirely pagan, but I heard about it from Edge of the Circle Books' proprietor, Robert, who seemed extremely enthusiastic about it. What convinced me to check it out was hearing about it from Isis, one of the lead ritualists for the event. I've worked with her before on projects and really trust her taste in aesthetics. So I showed up at the Mercury, a private club in Seattle's Capitol Hill area, saw familiar and new faces and sensed right away the power of a community of magicians growing. For what seemed like the first time, I recognized other people's magickal power revealed in an astonishing way.
I would describe the Spellbound operation itself as chaotic magick, but with the clear intention of community building and of healing. Participants were invited to write an invocation or wish on paper and allowed to charge these wish-talismans at the four altars stationed along the four outside walls of the club.
The arrangement of four altars for each of the four elements was a stark contrast to the arrangement of our altar for the Horus ritual from the previous week. Horus had a different color painted on each side of his cubic altar to symbolize the union of the four elements. Horus corresponds with the number five, and Geburah on the tree of life, hence his divine-king, martial activity. One of the differences between a chaotic working like Spellbound and a ceremonial event like Horus is that no one tells you what to do with the elements in a chaos working and you might miss out on them altogether. But who cares? At least there's no dogma, right? Freedom of expression promotes community. Though some would argue that six-inch pumps do not make a witch.
Many showed up wearing shiny PVC or leather. I chose traditional wool slacks and a silk shirt, since I've always appreciated the magickal properties of natural fibers. The event seemed somewhat of a fashion show. There was a Burning Man moment or two, as I noticed many sexy exhibitionists and oddly placed cameramen wandering around with spacey looks and huge cameras. I got over it after the second drink. Oh, did I forget to mention there was an open bar? Don't get me wrong, alcohol's such a two edged-sword, you know? I'm really a chaos magician at heart, but I don't like to miss a thing.
I put my invocation into the cauldron and visited with friends for what seemed like ages. This is where the all-important concentration without effort comes into play. Secretly, I allowed myself to forget that I was doing a ritual at all. I'm sure the effects of alcohol contributed. Finally, sometime around midnight, we joined hands in a circle and connected with the person next to us. Isis led us on an incredible journey of experiencing ourselves open to each other, and then Miss Lena led us in a very simple and open technique for raising energy as a group.
The specifics were left up to us, but the plan was straightforward. We chanted a Beatles lyric translated into Latin ("Come together, right now" or something like that) while one ritualist burned our pages in the cauldron. Actually, it worked rather well, and even those who chose not to participate noted that energy was raised. What for? Only those who charged a talisman know that, and I'm not revealing mine here. Though I don't know whose idea the ritual was, I really enjoyed it. I get the impression that several people collaborated to make this event happen. Thanks! I look forward to more.