I know similar questions have been asked before, but my question is quite specific, so I figure I’d post it. At my home, there is no place or means for an altar or a temple, etc. The only thing I might be able to work with is a candle. Anyway, on to my question. Will the magick work if I create the altar in my mind and not on the physical plane?
Ok, an example, I’ve been reading the Works of Darkness (still new to Koetting’s books and this is my first one), and when I came across the ritual for Demonic Introduction, I did all the steps but in my head. I left myself feel the energy, the atmosphere when the demons arrived, the crowded space, my own feelings about them, etc. Just not in the real, physical place but in my headspace. I literally felt an emptiness and a coolness around me when they departed. And while around me, I felt some with human forms and others not so much, while on the side, I had this impression of a guy - good looking mind you - with a cigarette in his mouth, looking at me sort of mockingly. Not sure what to make of that though.
So, I guess my question is - can this work when it’s all in my mind rather than with a real physical athame, altar, candles and all the paraphernalia, or it was really all just in my head and I should just rather go and do something else because my path to magick is doomed and all those entities entering my invisible space were just my imagination? Would be a pity though because I’d really want to learn more about that guy just sitting there and observing…
I grew up in a devout christian family the only place I had was my head to work in other than blood magic and certain things that had to be done in reality like poppets, blood spells, etc. My altar was in my “universal void”. It connected me to everything and found it inside myself with forced astral projection as a kid(9ish years old). The deeper you go into your own mind the closer you come your own version of what I’m talking about. Learn a grounding technique that fits you, get breathing in better control (Lucifer reminded me of that recently) and meditate like your life depends on it lol jk…just have fun. Oh and BANISH BANISH BANISH learn a technique that fits your situation. I just had a situation cause I didn’t.
i suck at visulisation… at best i can hold an image in my mind of an instant… most of my work i do either in darkness or jsut with a candle… i do have a carved box that is my altar space but i like to mix it up and not become reliant on any particular thing… the power is within us not the tools
My suggestion is look into some Hermetics practices because many of those list very detailed techniques for working magick with very minimal physical set ups and you can change them to fit your chosen form of practice. Franz Bardon is good starting place in general though he does mention some physical materials but you can work around those. Jason Augustus Newcomb has in his books methods of setting up purely mental and astral temples that are quite effective but Bardon is all you would really need for an overview of the base backing. Everything else merely expands the base techniques in specific uses and you can figure most of it out on your own very easily.
A lot of my work is done with little physical tools especially when I’m out and about and even when I do use physical tools im projecting an astral mental temple over the physical reality instead of having a physical location so I can take it anywhere. It is often harder than magick with fully physical setups because of the mental discipline it takes to maintain but that also makes it more rewarding and powerful as that mental strength can be applied to enhance a lot of works.
Getting away from all the accoutrements, down to the basics really freed me to work in the real world. After that I learnt that this world is Satan’s Temple and I’m kept busy in the temple doing my work.
Thank you all for the kind and encouraging replies. I have to admit that for my very first post here, I half-expected some lashing and hard words because I was doing it all wrong and ceremonial magick, well, needs ceremony. I’m glad to see that there are people who - due to necessity, if nothing else - have chosen this path as well. At least I don’t have to feel so alone.
Also, a special thanks to @anon47923162 for mentioning authors that I can start working with next. I’ve heard of Franz Bardon in relation to Hermetics, but that’s probably the extent of my knowledge about him or Hermetics. In the meantime, I’ve learned that he’s written 4 books, so I’ll be picking them up and start reading from book 1. I love reading (one of my favorite past times), so that’s not an issue at all. Any time I get a chance to learn more, I’m deeply grateful.
And then I start reading Bardon’s The Practice of Magical Evocation, and I get to this part:
The possibility also exists that a magic circle can be drawn merely with one’s imagination. In accordance with the power and the effect of the imagination, the magic circle expresses itself either on the mental or astral plane and indirectly also on the physical plane.
Having another powerful confirmation that I’m on the right path given my current means…just … wow.
There is also this commentary that clears up some of the more confusing parts and explains how to go without the fluid condensers mentioned in IIH for training your senses.
