Is anyone here used or using Theban alphabet in their craft?

[Vandheer]

The alphabet looks really archaic to me, I can see it giving my rites an oomph. Perhaps there is even an egregore that has been made because people use it. Did any of you folk experience such?

 

[Lazarus]

I use Runic script, Hebrew, and a script of my own making. Theban never really appealed to me, but I know several Wiccans who use it.

I would say there is absolutely an egregore behind it.

 

[stratamaster78]

Yes I will use Theban for Chaos/Sigil Magick so that my conscious mind gets out of the way and doesn’t read what I’m visually scanning into my subconscious.

 

[Vandheer]

Carroll would approve! Thanks guys, these two answers are enough for me.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Now that this idea is raised, I might start recording an offline journal written in Celestial script. Perhaps that would realign my brain.

 

[TheHummingbirdWizard]

Nope and never had any reason or desire to... even when I was circling up with Wiccans. Why? Well despite Lewelyn saying so, it isn't the witches alphabet or the the Wiccan alphabet... it's labeled Theban. Never was I instructed on the metaphysical properties of it or it's impact in spells or what have you. As far as I know it never had any operative merit but was adopted in the 70s maybe 60s, as a means should witches ever have to write each other in secret for fear of persecution.

There's just one problem with that: they published it in every damn 101 book on the craft such that it is useless now as a secret cipher.

To give an example, so many people think Masons still use pig pin script... but it's out there so we don't use it anymore. It has been relegated to being a dinner-table novelty.

 

[stratamaster78]

Nope and never had any reason or desire to... even when I was circling up with Wiccans. Why? Well despite Lewelyn saying so, it isn't the witches alphabet or the the Wiccan alphabet... it's labeled Theban. Never was I instructed on the metaphysical properties of it or it's impact in spells or what have you. As far as I know it never had any operative merit but was adopted in the 70s maybe 60s, as a means should witches ever have to write each other in secret for fear of persecution.

There's just one problem with that: they published it in every damn 101 book on the craft such that it is useless now as a secret cipher.

To give an example, so many people think Masons still use pig pin script... but it's out there so we don't use it anymore. It has been relegated to being a dinner-table novelty.

Yes and No....

It's useless as a Cipher if someone finds your writings and knows what Theban even is....

It would still have use as a Cipher say for someone who is practicing and has to keep it secret from those around them who are oblivious to 'Occult' Cipher scripts.

 

[TheHummingbirdWizard]

Yes and No....

It's useless as a Cipher if someone finds your writings and knows what Theban even is....

It would still have use as a Cipher say for someone who is practicing and has to keep it secret from those around them who are oblivious to 'Occult' Cipher scripts.

I mean I suppose if you are trying to keep your stuff secret from Grandma or maybe even your parents. Maybe you could even pull one over on your school teacher. I certainly had a cipher I would use when passing goats to a girl in class though it was of our own design.

I will admit that I don't keep tabs on the neo pagan community so I don't know how many of the newer books cover Theban or otherwise how many witches just coming into the craft are aware of the alphabet.

My point was that every which in neopagan in the 90s knew what Steven was and so writing something in the Ben was not going to keep it secret from the rest of the Neopagan community. I understand the irony of that point too is I talked about keeping secret from those who would repress or oppress that community. However when you put your cipher in every major public publication (also notice how the word publication has the word public in it so that's a little redundant) you are taking it on faith that your pressers won't read your books that you have made available to them. Now I suppose if they actually had read the books they wouldn't be so quick as to fall for the rhetoric of the satanic panic and anyone who has watched videos from the era knows they weren't reading books..

I grant your point though, it depends on who you're trying to keep the information from. If I were talking about a closed practice however and I didn't want anybody outside of that tradition to know what I was talking about I wouldn't use even I would create a cipher for that tradition.

 

[Lazarus]

In today’s technological world, when it comes to keeping secrets there is almost nothing that is uncrackable. All the made up symbols in the world can’t hide grammatical structure and patterns of words. One would also have to create a new language and syntax. And even then it’s just harder to decode, not impossible. Point being, if someone wants to figure it out, given enough time and intelligence they probably will.

I think the real benefit of using a script is that it forces one to use both hemispheres of the brain at the same time. That’s an invaluable skill for one’s magical practice.

Edit: c2VlLCBJIHRvbGQgeW91IGl0IGNvdWxkIGJlIGZpZ3VyZWQgb3V0IQ

 

[Pyrokar]

Good stuff, good stuff.
Perhaps we can look more generally at
scripts and cyphers.
i use some and though i was not up to date with this theban alphabet
the words wicca and substitution cypher made me go "ah, it's one of those"
apart from keeping normie eyes away it is also well noted
that the cyphering is a sort of sigil element where the essence of what is "said"
may not directly reflect in the writing which is useful to bypass the conscious

but im just repeating what others said-
keep em coming im curious what else might come up

 

[Vandheer]

c2VlLCBJIHRvbGQgeW91IGl0IGNvdWxkIGJlIGZpZ3VyZWQgb3V0IQ

Whats this?

As for why I asked initially, I just thought it looked fancy so it could boost my perception about my own rituals being authentic. After Stratamaster pointed out that mind could get out of the way when scripting like this, I am willing to try the alphabet. I am also reminded to read Liber Null again, for sure.

 

[Pyrokar]

You don't need it to be so specific to achieve the mind-slip effect
in my example i simply took Latin so when i formulate what i need
maybe run it through a sigilization if it's too long, the end result
still provides that sort of "gottem" on the mind

cyphers however are interesting as hell, im tempted to upload
the one book that covered the subject very neatly for me though it's not
directly occult related.

let's see...there was the alphabet of desire as well right?
im pretty sure i've seen at least two more types of magick-y alphabets
not for any particular reason other than my dislike for Wicca so i'd push you to more hardcore reputable cyphers XD

 

[Vandheer]

let's see...there was the alphabet of desire as well right?

I remember something like that too, never tried it tho

 

[Lazarus]

Whats this?

Me being cute to prove my point. If someone wants to know bad enough they’ll figure it out.

 

[Xenophon]

I understand that it early on appeared c. 1520 in the writings of John Trithemius. It is credited to Honorius of Thebes in "The Sworn Book of Honorius," though that has been attributed to Agrippa as well.

You guys are right though: it's useless as a cipher. One does not even need a key to crack it. If I were a cunning inquisitor, it'd take me less an afternoon to puzzle it out. Starting with the assumption that a book were writ in Latin, try swapping out this or that symbol for the more common vowels in shorter words. The mystery unravels fairly quickly after you've gotten the first few.

As for the magickal uses, that is a closed book to my self.