Greetings,

I did not to post this in the Arbatel thread since my questions don't deal explicitly with the text, but rather with any methods used to call forth the Olympic spirits . I have been working on evoking these spirits with mixed results. I am always experimenting with new methods as the simplicity of the Arbatel instructions are both a blessing and a curse.

First let me outline my practice which is a mix and match of traditions and schools:

I prefer to work at night, thus I use the last planetary hour of the Spirit in question (usually c. 3am). I use salt to mark the physical circle and mark the cardinal locations with extreme precision (proper orientation is important in my practice). I also mark the topocentric location (azimuth) of the corresponding planet with the Spirit's sigil on the circumference of the circle. This gives me a specific location where to direct the conjuration and focus my will, I don't use a scrying mirror or a triangle.

The practice begins with the MP, LBRP, LBRH, and (if needed) a charging of the astral sphere using the divine names. I perform the Akephalon Invocation ( Bornless Ritual with the original nomina barbara from the Greek Magical Papyri). For about 15 to 20min, I chant a Sanskrit Planetary Mantra to align and tune myself and my working space to the appropriate planetary energy. This is followed by the conjuration to evoke the spirit. I started using the original Latin and English translation of the Arbatel invocation, but have now switched to the first conjuration of the Greater Key. Once the Olympic presence is felt, I make my petitions, give them the license to depart, and then close with the LBRP. That pretty much sums up my practice in a nutshell.

The times I consider successful are when a distinct chill electrifies my spine and I can "see" astral shadows lingering about the circle. The closest I came to a physical manifestation was with Phaleg when the whole room outside my immediate sphere filled with a red-colored fog/light (too dense to be light, too thin to be fog (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )...but silence! Occasionally I hear strange sounds, but nothing intelligible from the spirits themselves.

I'd appreciate any comments or critiques of my practice and please, please, share what you have found useful.

Here are some more direct questions::

1. Have you found any correlation b/w success of the operation and the phase of the moon? (not just with Phul, but with any of the other governors).
2. Lighting! How do you light up your ritual area, and how does the lighting affect the manifestation? ( I have experimented with 1 candle, 4 candles, oil lamp, and no light)
3. Should I abandon the Planetary Mantra in favor of a planetary invocation using the GHR? Can I do both, or does this seem like over-kill, perhaps focusing too much on the planet and not the Spirit itself?
4. Should one evoke the Spirits using their offices rather than their names(i.e. Governor of Sol, etc. ) ? From what I've heard it seems the names to which they respond tend to change.
5. Is a welcoming of the Spirit necessary (such as in the Goetia)? This is not mentioned in the Arbatel, but can perhaps explain why I have been unable to converse with these beings despite their apparent presence.
6. Lastly, what can I do to enter into conversation with the spirits????

Thanks in advance.

This post has been edited by Faustopheles: Feb 15 2007, 12:21 AM