Sidereal astrologers, who deal with the movement of the planets across the real constellations in the sky, have a twist: there are thirteen signs in that zodiac. The extra is Ophiuchus, the serpent carrier. Rather than being a recent invention, the “problem” of Ophiuchus goes back a few centuries. An interesting article from a astrologer’s point of view: here and a more astronomical view here.

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If you don’t subscribe to the “electronics are bad during rituals” philosophy, you may have had some suitable background music on during a ritual; you may have even used suitably atmospheric electric lights (LED “candle” lighting is very appropriate for this). But non-distracting music is needed for a ritual: in my mind, it needs to be a drone without too much variation, sans vocals and with a mood suitable to the ritual. In these iPodian days, it’s easy to set it to repeat until the ritual is complete.

Here’s my first suggestion: Lustmord, Where the Black Stars Hang. Just because it’s a ritual I don’t think something that sounds like horror movie music would really work (but if that floats your boat: do it!) and this Lustmord CD is a dark yet not gloomy wash of sound from deep space. The first song is even called Sol Om On (Solomon? Music for Grimoires?). Perfect for the purpose.

If you’re not familiar with Lustmord it might sound like a German black metal group, but really he (it’s one guy) is a master of the dark ambient genre.

How To Make The Magic Carpet Proper For Interrogating The Intelligences, So As To Obtain An Answer Regarding Whatsoever Matter One May Wish To Learn

Make: a Carpet of white and new wool, and when the Moon shall be at her full, in the Sign of Capricorn and in the hour of the Sun, thou shalt go into the country away from any habitation of man, in a place free from all impurity, and shalt spread out thy Carpet so that one of its points shall be towards the east, and another towards the west, and having made a Circle without it and enclosing it, thou shalt remain within upon the point towards the east, and holding thy wand in the air for every operation, thou shalt call upon MICHAEL, towards the north upon RAPHAEL, towards the west upon GABRIEL, and towards the south upon MURIEL. After this thou shalt return unto the point of the East and devoutly invoke the Great Name AGLA, and take this point of the Carpet in thy left hand; turning then towards the North thou shalt do the same, and so continuing to the other Read more