Journal Colours of the spirit

[Nembra]

1. Introduction

I think it is time for me to share some of my personal work. In this journal I will attempt a somewhat structured presentation of a system I'm using for dealing with some spiritual forces. Parts of it come from my dreams, most of the abstract form is logical extrapolation and deliberate construction. Perhaps you'll find this a useful tool in organising your own work or an inspiration for a similar endeavor of your own. If you're new to the occult then I can only advise this approach if you're into exploring somewhat complex theory; on the positive side the practice can be very flexible in terms of required time and resources, and is comparatively safe. The whole structure is yet to reach the breadth it promises, so expertise in the fields I'm less knowledgable about is also very much welcome. In this post I only introduce some general, abstract information. I'll try to keep the entries concise and include as much visual aids and examples of practical application as possible - with my quality of prose it would be unkind to expect that anyone will digest an essay's worth of my theoretical ramblings.

All that follows only applies to what I call worldly or elemental beings, that is: all the spirits most of conventional magical business can be done with - the ones driven by their own personalities and ethics that can be useful or dangerous but that don't have any inherent benevolence or malice towards me. This generally doesn't include what I call angels and demons (though I might mention them when tangentially relevant), but, I find, almost all occult traditions that use angels and/or demons are calling that things I'd rather put in the "worldly" category.

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The system itself is a method of organising spiritual forces, entities and realms by the broad ethical (or maybe aesthetic) principles driving them. I might go over its origin in detail at some point, but generally speaking it arose in response to various forms of polar, dualistic classification (masculine and feminine, left and right hand paths, apollinian and dyonisian, yin and yang and so on) as a way to introduce a more multi-dimensional approach. Clearly not everything is just black or white and I can think of no more empty and unimaginative follow-up to this idea than the "shades of gray" clichee.

I have no pretentions to having built some totalising "theory of everything". Rather, it's a tool that can be customised to suit your beliefs, preferences and intuitions. One of its main applications is as a scaffolding for a sort of symbolic etiquette I impose on the courtiers and visitors of my inner world to communicate with them and keep their influence in check. It connects the main directions or inspirations of spiritual potential to symbols that can be used in occult practice. The variant I'm using most of the time and will be exploring in subsequent entries recognises six of those "prime inspirations" paired across three axes as well as a number of combinations and interactions between them. I've chosen this specific arrangement (aside from some numerical symbolism) mainly because three dimensions are relatively unproblematic to intuit and because it allows to easily use colours as a powerful, deeply structured set of symbols. That gives the whole system the shape of a cube, at least in a way. I find that the complexity is in a sweet spot between the extremes of simplistic and unintuitive, at least for most purposes.

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That's all I have for today. I'll try to post the next entry within few days, especially if there's interest in the topic. For now I'm leaving you with this graphic I've made. It's just a doodle illustrating some aspects of the system, detailed diagrams and sigils will follow whenever relevant.

 

[Nembra]

2. General information

The whole system in made up of twenty-seven spiritual domains arranged in four orders, the most "complete" visual representation for it is a three-dimensional lattice with twenty-seven nodes, arranged into a 3 by 3 by 3 cube, as on the image below. The three dimensions directly correspond to the three perpendicular axes of potential I mentioned in the introduction.

As you can see, aside from being difficult to illustrate in a way that's not ugly, this perspective is very awkward to navigate, so don't worry about it for now. To keep the spatial thinking from frying our brains, let's start with just the six cardinal directions corresponding to first-order domains arranged in a hexagon. I'll add more details to this diagram and use other ones as we progress.

Here's a brief summary of each of them. The glyphs you see below have certain useful properties, but their shape doesn't follow directly from the system, so I guess use them if you like them. I highly encourage creating your own symbolic language, generally speaking. The associated colours, however, are a quite significant part of the structure.
Keep in mind that those are broad categories (I sometimes like to think of them as different factions within a court), neither do those descriptions exhaust their domains nor are they without certain internal tensions and external overlaps. Again, more details will follow whenever relevant.
I include some recommendations off the top of my mind, they are meant to support the Work (especially if the factors outside of your control are unfavorable) and are not necessary for success. They also can't completely replace internal alignment. I very much purposefully don't use any consistent names for those things, so the nomenclature I'm deciding on here is mostly for clarity of presentation.

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The Sky
It is freedom, detachment and subtlety. It lies is abandoning the unnecessary, choosing the path of least resistance and appreciating the evanescence of things. Its elemental association is with all that happens in the atmosphere, so air, rainwater, light, ice, and electricity. It soothes, conceals and cleanses, but it can't ground or protect you, or banish anything that's deeply entrenched.
To attract it work under the open sky and/or in high places; use things move with the wind or just behave unpredictably. Strongest during spring and waning gibbous moon.

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The Ocean
It is discovery, complexity and terror of the unknown. It lies in pursuing knowledge, questioning assumptions and confronting the ineffable. Its elemental domain is water first of all, but its also related to deep forests and caverns and the complexity of life. It can guide, inspire and give clarity but it won't help against exhaustion, doubt and alienation.
To attract it involve water in some way, uncover something that was hidden or create something complex and structured. Strongest during waning crescent moon and between midnight and sunrise.

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The Tree
It is nature, interconnectedness and all things cyclical. It lies in accepting unity with the world, playing a part in a grander story and understanding what lies beyond our control. Its element is life and all that nurtures it - water, air, light and soil. It can heal spiritual wounds, connect to others and help with divination, but it works slowly and is useless for decisive action.
To attract it work close to nature, involve other living beings, work with other people, repeat actions. Strongest in summer and in the morning.

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The Mountain
It is struggle, practicality and labour. It lies in protecting what's valuable, overcoming obstacles and pursuing power. Its element is earth with all its metals and precious stones, with some connection to fire. It empowers, grounds and protects, but it can close some paths and won't let you act subtly.
To attract it work in enclosed spaces where you feel safe and stable, use something of significant value, leave a permanent mark on something. Strongest in the autumn and during waxing crescent moon.

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The Aurora
It is instinct, raw emotion and all that's innately familiar. It lies in intense sensation, appreciation for simplicity and celebration of joy and pleasure. Its elements are fire, light and flesh. It grounds, restores energy and banishes spiritual pests, but won't help you gain knowledge, reflect and solve big problems.
To attract it work in a familiar place, use fire or things that you have emotional connection with. Strongest in the afternoon and during waxing gibbous moon.

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The Blade
It is suffering, free will and all things that only happen once. It lies in acknowledging your mistakes, accepting responsibility for your choices and penance. Its elements are lightning, metal and to a degree fire. Can break bad habits, purge what harms you, but it's not delicate and can leave scars.
To attract it work somewhere where nothing grows, alone, use metal rather than wood. Strongest between sunset and midnight and in winter.

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The main practical point this system brings to the table is that there is no singular or state of consciousness (the "gnosis" of chaotes) necessary for performing rituals, and the exact flavor you can access (or colour, to stick with the metaphor) depends on many factors, both internal and external. The art lies in recognising what can you use each of them for and when or how can you access them. That is probably what the next entry will be about, since this one is I feel long enough.