Introduction to the Draconian Path (Part 11)
The Magic Altar and its Tools
Here we begin with the practical part of this guide, and as a suggestion, take your time to analyze everything, take your time to do each practice, this is not a race, each person needs their time to do things correctly. I decided to start with the assembly of the altar because I consider that it is a great challenge for those who are just beginning since this implies the first act of will. If we manage to start well from the beginning the rest will continue harmoniously. My suggestion is that you don’t take the next step without completing this one. The Draconian Path is highly practical and demands a lot of time and effort on the part of the practitioner, here there is no theoretical magician, or you can be a practical magician or you are nothing. By this I do not mean that the theory does not serve, on the contrary, reading and debating about the theoretical aspects allows us to form ourselves intellectually and compare our experiences with what others expose, but here it is about doing, doing, and continuing to do.
I would also like to clarify the difference between having a personal altar for work with the Current than having a Temple dedicated to the Current. The first is a personal space dedicated to the work that we will be doing, it is ours and it should be out of the eyes of the profane, the latter has to do with the fact that we are going to carry out our practices there, leaving behind everyday reality and those who they are not part, they do not have to go snooping about our things. The altar can be permanent or can be dismantled, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to have a private room to dedicate it only to magical work, not to mention that many people live with other people, family, couples, etc. And it is not always possible to speak openly about what one is doing, so what we can do is save things when we are no longer using them and only build the altar when we are about to do some practice. The altar can be built on any side of the house, this includes our room where asleep, we can also build it outdoors if we want. The only place where I don’t recommend building an altar or practicing is in the bathroom, it may sound logical to many, but you would be surprised to know the number of people who do it, for obvious reasons, the bathroom is a «dirty» place, although we have it clean at hygiene level, energetically it is a place of low vibrations, and I consider that it is not the ideal place for any magical practice.
The difference between a personal altar and a temple is that putting together a temple dedicated to the current is an extensive ritual process, which comes with the years, whose magic formulations are revealed by the same current, it also means being a living portal, that is to say, that it is a place not only physical but astral in which the energies of the Other Side flow permanently and without interruptions. It is an advanced practice and that is outside the scope of this guide, however, I considered that it was necessary to make this small clarification, at least so that they possess the knowledge and know the difference between one thing and the other.
There is no right or wrong way to build the altar, this is personal and everyone has to find their style. Some will take the option of making a more minimalist altar, with the necessary elements and nothing more than what is necessary, others will look for an altar with more decoration. Beyond the basic elements that we will need, then we will be able to add other things as we go along the path and as we need/want.
Here I am going to talk about the four magic tools that every magician uses, regardless of the path that is followed, and I will give some example of how to charge and consecrate them, it is just an example, the idea is that you be creative and can write your ritual to do the consecration of the same, they do not have to follow the ritual to the letter since I have only created it to illustrate the way of doing a consecration ritual. Let’s start by defining the tools and their possible properties and uses:
-The Pentacle: at the beginning, it doesn’t have to be loaded with many symbologies, a simply inverted pentacle made of wood is enough. It represents the earth element, the physical world, it is also considered a protection shield, it is usually in the middle of the altar.
-The Chalice: it can be metal or glass, it may or may not have magic inscriptions, but at the beginning and until we define which ones will be the same, just being smooth is enough. It represents the element of water, and when it is filled with wine it will represent the vital essence of the gods that we are calling, very useful in invocation rituals. Its symbolism is rich and extensive, for many, it is the womb, and its essence is feminine.
-The Wand: The wand is one of the most complex tools to assemble, because it is usually loaded with many elements, such as runes and symbols of power, represents the magician’s will and is associated with fire. Many simply do not place any symbol on it as an act of true will. It is honestly of little use in the work we do within our ritual space, but it will be useful for outdoor rituals. It is often thought that it amplifies the magician’s will and personal power and is a tool that serves to order and command. It is usually armed with special tree branches, but this will always be up to each person.
-The Dagger: it is usually black-handled and double-edged, it represents the air element and is used in most rituals. At first, I recommend that you do not engrave any type of symbol on the handle, this will come with time and you will already know which symbols are better.
There are other tools that you should always have on hand, a censer to burn magic herbs, they are very useful and widely used. A black mirror, it is going to be a window to the astral world and allows you to carry out both divination work and come into contact with the forces of the Other Side. Candles, in draconian rituals we usually use black and red, and of course, other colors depending on the type of work we are doing. Ropes are also used in colors and are widely used to cast spells and shape the magician’s will. Statues and sigils, other elements that are usually very present in personal altars, the statues represent the patron gods of the magician, sometimes they are mere representations but in other cases, they can serve as temporary vessels to house the energies of some specific entity. In the case of sigils, they are widely used in most rituals and serve as a focal point for contact with this or that entity. All these elements that I mention here, are basic things, as I said before, this can vary and even increase.
Once we gather all our magical tools, it will be time to give them the proper consecration, with this we are establishing that these will stop being simple utensils of worldly life to become magical elements. Keep in mind that they can only be used for magic and nothing else, they do not lend, they are not left to be seen of others and they must always be protected.
The following ritual, while simple, will give you a good idea of how to consecrate and clean your magic tools, as I said, be creative, find your own words, the idea is that it makes sense to you, do it with passion. If possible, perform the ritual when the moon is full, it is when it has more power and will give something special to your ceremony. Get a bowl and fill it with fresh water, another with salt, and a red candle, some coals to burn some incense, and powdered incense. Put all your tools on the floor, mix the salt with the water, and say the following words:
«In Nomine Draconis, through the earth and the water, I purify and clean these magical tools, so that they may serve me in my magical work. I clean its physical form, I clean its astral form ».
Pour some saltwater on each of your tools, while visualizing how they are charged with energy. Light the red candle, run each of your tools through the candle flame (without burning anything) and say the following words:
«In Nomine Draconis, through the fire, I purify and clean these magical tools, so that they may serve me in my magical work. I clean its physical form, I clean its astral form ».
Once again, visualize how the tools are charged with energy. When you’re ready, light the coals and pour the incense over them, run each of your tools through the smoke, and say the following words:
«In Nomine Draconis, through these fumes, I purify and clean these magical tools, so that they may serve me in my magical work. I clean its physical form, I clean its astral form ».
See how your tools are charged with energy. End the ceremony by leaving the red candle burning until it is completely consumed. You can close the ceremony with some words that reaffirm your intention for this ritual:
«May these tools be loaded with the Power of the Dragon, Primal Source of All Creation. May my will manifest through all worlds and all dimensions. In Nomine Draconis, Ho Ophis Ho Archaios Ho Drakon Ho Megas ».
After this, your magic tools will be ready to be used correctly, from time to time you can repeat this process by way of cleaning it is something recommended since over time they are charged with energy and sometimes it is necessary to renew it. Both the magician and the ritual space and its tools must be clean for better development.
I hope you liked it, in the next post, we will enter with the Kundalini meditation, power and purification exercises, and the Dragon Ceremony.
Daemon Barzai