The Magickal Record of Louis Martinie': August 1997

Friday 1
Completed working on ceiling in Crystal Serpent Temple in Bloomington. The Temple feels whole again. Lets see what effect this has on the mischievious spirit that has been acting to get Mishlen's and my attention.

Saturday 2
Mid Eastern Music Concert. Very drunk, with friends. Drumming. Mishlen repeated, "The important thing is not who you are but what you are." What are we, as a species, has more power as a question than who are we.

Sunday 3
Tibetan Center with Mr. Norbu. I asked how to develop patience. Mr. Norbu spoke at length, emphasizing dilligence and practice. Bill, a very spiritual man, late 60's, peircing eyes, came over after the session. Mishlen has been concerned about impermanence and her art. That she has a limited time to create. She said to Bill, "In a year we may all be dead." Bill looked at her with his eyes and said, "Cool." A perfect response. I was given a gift for working on the Temple. I saw the Crystal Serpent is so similar to Blanc Dan-i (white snake), my house Temple in New Orleans.

Monday 4
RITUAL: Offrings to the Legbas
WILL: Open door for SummerHawk Festival
LOVE Candies to the young; Wine to the elders
SUCCESS: Effective
COMMENT: Mind immediately took the necessary shape to call the Legbas. - In communication with organizer saw I was scheduled to do the main rite of the fest. I had thought Mishlen, Linda, Fred and I were doing it. This may be related to the Offerings, I would rather do the Rite with the others.

Tuesday 5
Cleared out grotto alter in front of house. Very nice; a God lives there surrounded with geodes and offerings. Relationship with the Temple here growing. It looks as if I will be doing the main rite at SummerHawk. Oh Papa; you set me up this time. I was hoping for a peaceful Festival where I could be lazy. Will or Want.
Wednesday 6
Preparation for SummerHawk late into the night. Ritual and the workshop Session.

Thursday 7 (SUMMERHAWK 1997)
To New York State, BrushWood; SummerHawk Festival, 12 hour drive. Mishlen is going to the festival to make a presentation on Tibetan Buddhism and Ceremonial Magick; very unusual, she is perhaps as much of a hermit as I am, very nice that she is going. This presentation of Ceremonial Magick/Tibetan Buddhism is new ground. An import mew development in the Festival scene.

Friday 8 (SUMMERHAWK 1997)
This will be a small fest. There is a softness about the festival area that was not present at StarWood. StarWood is a city, with the pleasures of a city, SummerHawk is more the commune, with the pleasures found in a commune. Afternoon: I did a session entitled: Sacrifice, Both Animal and Other in the Magickal Community. Sacrifice is to "make sacred." All life is sacred to begin with. If an animal gives its life for you, the proper attitude is gratitude It is an offering, not a sacrifice. The only being you can make sacred is yourself. Therefore, the only proper sacrifice is yourself. The magicians own blood, the magicians own life. This is something I learnt while conducting the session.

Evening:
RITUAL: Linda Falario, Fred Fowler, Mishlen and me. about 25 participants
WILL: Bring down the star currents in their Nightside, Voodoo, Tibetan Buddhist forms into the ritualists and participants. Communication/communion with the Star Beings.
LOVE: Participants lying in a large circle with their heads pointed in to the four of us. Blowups from the SHADOW TAROT around inner circle. Linda did the NightSide calls to the 8 directions. I called Legba, Fred called Ochosi, Mishlen did the Gate Gate chant and sounded the bell, filled the skull bowl with stellar nectar and took it around offering it to the people. Linda worked with the bowl and walked the bowls contents around pouring them upon the people.
SUCCESS: The Stellar Nectar flowed.
COMMENT: Strong thought of Dr. John getting messages from the stars. Looked up and saw vast, soft rays of starlight pouring down upon the earth. I was immense, standing between the earth and the sky. Subtle beings began to form in the space between the stars lights. Linda described the bowl as overflowing with the nectars. The nectars flowed over and out of the bowl and over the area covering the people. Mishlen's period began exactly when the ritual began.

Saturday 9 (SUMMERHAWK 1997) Afternoon
Mishlen spoke on Tibetan Buddhism. Great interest. It turns out that many in the magickal community have ties with and knowledge of the Tibetan religions. The Tibetan current is something that has not been addressed in the Festivals. It can add to the Ceremonial Magick; especially with its emphasis on compassion and a largeness of Self to include all sentient beings..

Evening
RITUAL: (from the Festivals Program) First Night of the Prophet and His Bride Initiation of a Thelemic Nation of Loa. The Thelemic God-Forms (Prophet) and the Loa (Bride) will be invited to commingle and inhabit all participants at the ritual. Those whose Will it is to participate, will be infused with the dual Thelemic/Voodoo current upon entering the central ritual space through a funnel of Initiators (Initiators will be wearing a red arm cloth). Once in the central ritual space, the participants experience and act the initiation as the Prophet/Bride (Thelema/Voodoo) and the participants Will ordains. Bokor Louis Martinie' is conducting this Ritual.
WILL: Initiation of a Thelemic Nation of Loa.
LOVE: Creation of Active and Receptive Temples. The fire and ritual action took place in the Active Temple (Grouple). The Receptive Temple was composed of about 200 Luminaries that were placed to mirror the physical shape of the Active Temple. It was a place where the ritualists could go after the active segment of the rite to Eat/Feast Upon the current generated.

A group of Initiators stood at the entrance of the Active Temple. I drew a veve at the entrance to the Temple. Participants came forward and stood within the veve. As they stood, the Temple Flags from the New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple were passed over the participants bodies and verses from Liber L were recited. At the same time as the above was taking place, I held their head and pressed a bit of earth from Congo Square and BrushWood onto the back of their neck while calling Papa Legba. Did gate/ghate. Called the Flambeau of the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot. With the babies and children who came through, I pressed the Ghate,Ghate mantra. After this I moved the participant into the circle around the fire.

Once all of those whose Will it was to participate were in the circle and moving clockwise around the fire, I lead the Initiators in a counterclockwise movement around the fire/participants.

When the immediate power raised by the Initiation had peaked, I directed the Initiators into the Shadow Temple to feast on what was raised.
SUCCESS: A birth; now to watch for the forms the manifestations will take. A FEAST(in the Shadow Temple)OF THE FIRST NIGHT (Initiation of a Thelemic Nation of Loa) OF THE PROPHET (Thelema) and his Bride (VooDoo).
COMMENT: - I want to emphasize that this is "a" Thelemic Nation of loa. The word "the "is to often used in a tedious fashion in describing Workings such as this. - I was acting as a Bokor, not a Priest. Therefore this Working was in large measure an experiment. - Walking to the ritual site via a pre ritual feast, a 6(?) year old girl ran up to me and threw her arms around me saying, "I found you, I found you." I had never seen her before. She took me over to a woman who turned out to be her grandmother. The grandmother said that the child's mother was living in New Orleans. The name of the child was Silence. She and then another child sat on my lap. Ibiji, Marassa. The ritual had begun. - When I made it over to the area of the ritual and the fire one of the fire keepers came up excitedly and said they found a snake in the wood they were about to burn. It was a baby (like the human child before). I remember the snake as being orange and black on top with a bright red stomach. From the attitude of the firekeepers, finding a snake in the wood to be burnt was not at all a common occurrence. I took the snake to a high hill overlooking the ritual area and released it. I reminded the snake I was saving its life and that it was to speak to Ayida Wedo and to Damballah Wedo to help with the ritual. Perfect fit with what I said about sacrifice at the session earlier on Friday. Interesting that before the StarWood rite I carried a frog to safety and charged it with a task. - The veve I drew was to Legba (old). His cane was on one arm of the crossroads (to the right when facing the veve) and the Hebrew letter "lamed" was written, not printed, on the left arm of the crossroads. Lamed as a red snake. So...Black Snake, White Snake, Red Snake?. - One man who lost (the use of) his feet at the Initiation. Very snake like. - RL & C experienced one leg expanding and one leg contracting. - Sitting Guede posture taken by one man. Firm in the posture, preventing movement. One leg crossed one leg down. - C. who took the position of Babalon and carried the flag of Erzulie, was drained by the ritual. She went to lie down and heard a clicking in her ears. An Islamic mosaic appeared replete with the names of God., Then ants began crawling over the mosaic. Roaches also came...The Insect loa. N. took the position of the Baron/Guedes. This was a strong current during the rite. Perhaps "the dead man" Ankh-f-n-Khonsu. - The twin ShadowTemple seemed to me to be higher up than the Active Temple. This was also brought up by another ritualist. -Definite ships prow mermaid figure in the fire. The figure was formed by a large piece of wood burning. Middle Passage through fire rather than water? Quiet drummer pointed the figure out to me...he was also the last person in the Shadow Temple as I gathered the flags at dawn.

-Drumming till dawn. I received the red suspenders of a third shift drummer.

Sunday 10 (SUMMERHAWK 1997)
Spoke to ritualists and COMMENTS above contains what I remember myself and of the conversations. Gnostic Mass...came after the ceremony had begun and sat on he ground. The area of the Mass was charged with a Holiness I have only experienced in a well used Temple. I sat and bathed in the Ache the Mass generated.

Drive back to Bloomington.

Monday 11
Mishlen was talking about how time expands in a Festival. How to carry that expansion out of the Festival and into Life in general. At a Festival you have; a core emphasis on spirituality, meetings with many friends and new people, new setting (usually out of doors, there is a tremendous amount of external activity ( not much time to sit and think)..... When I go to a Festival a couple of things happen; I give up any attempt to project an ideal self (there is no privacy to hide anything), I become more firmly rooted in the moment (with the amount of external happenings its hard to make plans).... This is important. Why are Festivals so important to me and to the many people who use all of their vacation time to attend a Festival?
Tuesday 12
Bibliomancy using copy of hand written Liber L. Page 17 "prophets true" from the line, "All words are sacred and all prophets true." The ritual at SummerHawk was to the Prophet and his Bride.

Wednesday 13
At Stupa weeding with Mishlen. Is it possible to cause change in an independently arising phenomena (a phenomena that does not depend on cause and effect for its existence)?

Thursday 14
Much thought on the nature of Dependent and Independent arising and magick. The Tibetans hold that events, objects, persons, etc are dependent in their arising They depend on an external cause in order to act/come into being. They are chained by cause and effect. While an independently arising thing is self generated and is its own cause. Crowley spoke of magick as "causing change." One can only cause change in a dependently arising phenomena Magic only works in the context of dependent arising, cause and effect.

Friday 15
A. became suicidal . I am convinced that to pass to the next life in a depressed, angry, violent, self destructive state of mind creates obstacles to a favorable rebirth.

Saturday 16
In CoffeeShop and a very old Lama shuffled through. The last time I saw him (two years?) he told me his memory was going. We said Hi and Mishlen said we were "trying to figure out what to do with out lives?" He laughed and said, "Time is hard to kill." Not bad for someone who looked to be half lost.

Sunday 17
To Cincinnati for visits. Spoke with Mombo Miriam. Filming for detective movie on next Sunday.

Monday 18
There is a lot of filming in New Orleans. Perhaps there is a way to combine the filming with the more esoteric work. A gesture, a talisman could be consecrated and charged to perform a specific function when viewed via eye, or eye and camera. The movie to be shot Sunday sounds as if it is being created to generate an excited type of mind in the viewer. Perhaps a gesture or talisman could be formulated to make a small aural incision, as if by a mosquito, in the viewers aura and a bit of this "excitement" used for a specific purpose. The purpose would best be ongoing in that the movie would probably be around for years; first in screen then in video format.

The discharge generated by an excited or agitated mind is an excellent raw fuel. It has little in the nature of subtly, but much force.

Tuesday 19
To New Orleans. Ha! I entered "To New Orleans" yesterday in my MR as if I knew what was going to happen today. How presumptous....The Tibetans have a saying, "What comes first, tomorrow or the next life?" The future is always a question, and there is a special power in that. Don't presume. Now, for the actual entry.

Bottom room flooded due to extreme rain. Hail the size of golf balls reported in area I would have been crossing. I worked to help control the water in the Bottom Room. Did NOT go to New Orleans.

Wednesday 20
Up early to leave and car would not start. This is the first time ever I can remember the car not starting. To garage. They found a loose wire right after I had transcribed the CONGO SQUARE MSS material from tape recorder. It was as if that had to be complete before I could leave. Left on third try. To New Orleans.

Thursday 21
RITUAL: Voodoo Spiritual Temple and House
WILL: Thanks to the loa for protecting house;
Celebration of return with the Buddhas
LOVE: Blanc Dan-i and all the loa at the Temple. The Buddhas Mary, and Marassa Ellegua at home.
SUCCESS: Well done.
COMMENT: The alter on which Mary sits appears to have moved about a foot away from the wall. I'm pleased she decided to move away from the wall and not into it.

Friday 22
Unpack and settle in. The joy of rest. "Rest" comes from "to stand back." To me this means to move away, to gain perspective. to observe and value.

Saturday 23
It is odd, I feel less like I have come home. There is sadness in me that the old buildings and coffeehouses do not cure. It is so early, perhaps my body arrived here before my spirit. Home to me means the best place I can do my work.

Sunday 24
RITUAL: New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple; with film crew for detective movie being filmed in New Orleans (in part?)
WILL: Provide a convenient food source for the Thelemic Loa.
LOVE: Drummed along with Luis for the scenes containing the rooster. Priestess Miriam prayed over the rooster and then carried it around while calling Papa Legba. I had the earth I used in the SummerHawk ritual on my forehead and on the head of the drum. I did the short Litany of the Loa and called Crowley's name among the Loa. Also Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, and the Buddhas. Drummed till high emotional pitch. Then shook the charged earth from my head and from the drum into the ritual site. The current rained upon the rite. Charged the scene to open the auras of viewers so the Thelemic Loa can feed and gain strength.
SUCCESS: Aha! It occurred to me after the rite that the rooster is associated with Crowley as Baphomet. I'm the one who caught and cared for the rooster before the filming. Strong.
COMMENT: Stayed to watch a stunt man dive off a railing into a pile of boxes. Sounded like a paper bag popping when he hit. He stood up to applause.

Monday 25
First day back teaching. "A brand new year" as Legba told me with a kind smile and a shake of his head.

Tuesday 26
Need more rest than usual. Rest is a wonderful thing. I notice that I can only rest in the moment. The softness of the chair and the cool breeze. Perhaps what I stand back from is my mind.

Wednesday 27
Spoke to Richard...just returned from Haiti. Some good photos for MoonWeb...Strong presence of the Barons. Spoke with Amzi. I told him about my sense of repetition and the possibility of this lulling me to sleep. Amzi (a painter), said when you master a technique you can only repeat it, and the experience is never as good as the first moment of mastery.

Thursday 28
RITUAL: New Orleans Voodoo Spiritual Temple
Will: Honoring of the Orisha and the Loa.
LOVE: Cycle of Orisha rhythms in Temple. Playing to the loa in the Courtyard.
SUCCESS: Honor Given
COMMENT: Very hot. A great offering of sweat. Anna was down from the U. of Mississippi to document the drumming. Blister on my thumb, we were really playing.

Friday 29
Spoke with Mishlen about Luis' study showing the Bamboula rhythm to be the (the?) basis of the Orisha Rhythms. Mishlen said that there are laws that underlie all phenomena What we call the Bamboula rhythm in New Orleans may be known by many name in many cultures. The Bamboula with its "on/off/on" cycle may constitute one of these rhythmic laws. Also, Lois is French for Law and Rigaud draws attention to Loa and Law (as in Laws of Nature.)

Saturday 30
Listening to Blues on the radio, I heard that Princess Diana passed. She seemed to have had so much of what the is valued in Malkuth. What a great teaching in impermanence. I thank and honor her for this gift.

Sunday 31
Southern Decadence Celebration in the Quarter. Drummed with Krewe of Nuteria. Very hot but then many wore very little in costume. Naked woman painted blue with fairy wings and rollerskates is my favorite. The effect was brought to perfection by her by frequent prat falls due to intoxication. Spoke to Luis...He has great insight on the cycle of rhythms for the Orisha. I asked him about the direction of the rhythms, and he said that they spiral inward TO the drummer or practitioner. This reminds me of the Khabs Working. Aha! Luis said he wants to teach me the rhythm for the warrior, iron rooster that clears the way for Obatala. Said this out of the blue. Link to Working last Sunday with rooster. Rooster as a path in the Thelemic Loa. -Singh has returned from Canada. He will be returning at some point to study Psychology. I believe that this is an excellent way in which to serve the loa and the community.

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