Helen Kirkby, Author at Evolve + Ascend

“[The cause of magical phenomena] is the series of ‘real’ phenomena, called the operations of ceremonial Magic. These consist of: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and mind.” ~The Lesser Key of Solomon: Goetia by S.L. Mathers and A. Crowley It’s nearly the beginning of autumn—the best time of the year for pumpkin spice and performing... / READ MORE /

August 4, 2017

Practical Magic(k)

magick, rites, ritual, spells

The Elements of Ritual

Featured art by Paola Vilas A ritual by definition is “a religious or solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order,” but in the occult community this is distinguished from a rite, which is a specific ritual that has been passed down from tradition. This distinction emphasizes a routine... / READ MORE /

July 18, 2017

Occult, Practical Magic(k)

cube of space, paul foster case, tarot

The Cube of Space

The Cube of Space is a concept first introduced by the American occultist Paul Foster Case (1884-1954). Case wrote numerous lessons for the Builders of the Adytum (BOTA), a school of the Western mystery tradition with roots in both the Masonic Blue Lodge system and the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Like the Hermetic... / READ MORE /

July 7, 2017

Practical Magic(k)

alchemy, ceremonial magic, occult

The Three Alchemical Principles

The Three Alchemical Principles are Sulphur, Mercury and Salt. These three primes work together through the Law of the Triangle, which states that two components combine in order to produce the third. Paracelsus identified Sulfur, Mercury and Salt (also known as the Tria Prima) as the three bodies in which Aristotle’s four classic elements existed.... / READ MORE /

July 5, 2017

Occult

alchemy, elements, hermeticism, occult

A Brief History of Alchemy

What Is Alchemy? When we think of alchemy, the first thing that comes to mind is probably a group of ridiculously dressed individuals gathered inside a dim laboratory. Although Western alchemy was prominent during the 12th century, alchemy was definitely not limited to Medieval Europe. In fact, what we have come to know as Western... / READ MORE /

June 26, 2017

Occult

alphabets, magic, occult

Six Magical Alphabets To Know and Use

There are several reasons why magical alphabets come in handy in your work. Besides making your own, it can be surprisingly powerful to use some of the more famous scripts existent in occult history throughout the ages. These alphabets appear in pop culture time and time again; some of which you may recognize from movies.... / READ MORE /

June 18, 2017

Practical Magic(k)

chaos magick, magic, magick, occult, practical magick

How to Use Colors in Magick

Featured art by Sol Sanchez (photo of LorenaMaraschi) Here’s how colors work in magick. We’ve all heard the popular wisdom of certain colors meaning certain things. This is especially true if you’ve dabbled in “candle magick” or read any kind of book on Wicca and Practical Color Magick. For example, (source: elementsofmagick.com) green is for prosperity,... / READ MORE /

June 2, 2017

Practical Magic(k)

esoteric, hermeticism, Qabalah, religions, tree of life

A Primer on the Hermetic Qabalah Pt. II – The Tree of Life

The Ten Spheres Recapping from A Primer on the Hermetic Qabalah Pt. I, the Ten Spheres, or Emanations, are what the Jewish mystics used to represent the highest and most abstract ideas of deity. Together, these Ten Spheres (Sephiroth in plural, and Sephira in singular) make up the Tree of Life. These are: KThR –... / READ MORE /

May 24, 2017

Practical Magic(k)

Cabala, esoteric, hermetic, hermeticism, kabbalah, magick, occult, Qabalah

A Primer on the Hermetic Qabalah, Pt. I

What is the Kabbalah / Cabala / Qabalah? All of these spellings derive from the Jewish Kabbalah, which is an esoteric method that aims to explain the relationship between deity and humanity. Deity is defined as the unchanging, eternal, and mysterious aspects of reality as opposed to the finite and mortal. Jewish mystics used... / READ MORE /