Evoking Vassago Through Witchcraft, Rather different method Options

Hi everyone.

Just before I begin, I would like to point out that I'm not a ceremonial magician, and do not have much experience in the area of high magic as a whole. The subject intrigues me, but I see it as being somewha advanced for the stage I'm at now. At the moment I'm a practicing Wiccan, I'm serious about the religion but I'm also serious about the witchcraft part of it too, and I consider myself to be somewhat experienced in witchcraft, though I there is still quite a lot I need to study and practice. Now, I self dedicated myself into Wicca just over a year ago, and had been studying a bit about it a lot longer before that. I did a lot of meditation, and I attempted developing my psychic abilities (something I still do today), and did a lot of Kundalini meditation (awakening my chakras).

Anyway, around that time, I also looked into summoning spirits. I was a lot younger then and I guess I was curious about this subject, so I decided to give it a try. I knew zilch about the actual mechanics CM, but I did know a few Goetic spirits, including Vassago. So I decided to summon Vassago in order to learn something trivial (about a friend). Now, in generic witchcraft, spirits are summoned by raising energy, charging the said spirit's sigil, then "painting" it into the air. This is then psychically "sensed out", in other words we try to get a feel of what the spirit's essence is like (similar to sensing a person's essence when casting a spell from a distance). When the essence is known, the witch meditates and lets their mind open, sensing the astral plane for a similar "essence". When this essence is found, a psychic link is made, and a telepathic request is asked. Then there spirit comes, and naturally its manifestations vary.

Anyway, I went through this ritual to the point of finding the "essence" of Vassago. I requested that he come, over and over again, and got an affirmative answer (telepathically, the meditation on my crown chakra seems to have advanced my telepathic skills, albeit I'm not adept at full telepathy) from him. So then Vassago came. At first, it was very much the same as when I evoked the Goddess and God in my religious Esbat rites, because I felt a presence and the air became charged with a thick, static-like feeling of energy. But I could feel that the presence was not of my deities. Anyway, Vassago was there, and then a very odd thing happened. I turned my eyes upon the seal (which I'd drawn in paper before two candles) and saw it glow whitish, like the etheric body, and then several orange orbs of light lifted up into the air and danced in a circle in the air before my very eyes. At the same time, I felt an intense, physical pressure fall upon my body, as if an invisible force were, well, not crushing me, but sort of holding me or surrounding me. It was then I became REALLY aware of the spirit's presence, and our telepathic communication was clear.

So we had a somewhat brief dialogue (I was a little shaken), and Vassago told me the piece of information I wished to learn (I later checked this out with my friend, and it turned out to be correct). I then thanked him and admitted I knew nothing of the proper etiquette of thanking a spirit, so I was told just to "send empowering energy" his way if I got the chance. I thanked Vassago again and bade him farewell, and the intense feeling lifted off my body (the lights only appeared briefly, btw).

So that's my first "evocation", though not done in a high magic fashion. My main reason for posting this was to find out the opinions of magicians, much more experienced than I am. Was this actually Vassago, or just a spirit mimicking him? I've read in Summoning Spirits (I'm not studying CM seriously yet, but I was intrigued enough to read it) that there are astral beings which can mimick spirits in appearance and feeling, and can take information from the Akashic Records. Could it have been one such as this?

Whether this was Vassago or not, I found this experience to be enlightening (if somewhat frightening, too). I do plan on studying ceremonial magic further, but at the moment I'm underage and living at home, so I don't have the time nor the money to make or purchase the rather ornate tools described in most books. At the moment, Wiccan religious practice and witchcraft both seem to suit me fine. Maybe once I've got my own place I'll delve further into CM.

In many ways summoning them through CM is similar, it just has more trappings and a few more formal safeguards than what you're describing.

It's funny that you mention Vassago. In Paul Huson's book Mastering Witchcraft, he gives instructions for calling Vassago for divination purposes that have almost nothing to do with traditional goetia or CM. I've never tried his method, so I'm not sure if it works or not, but it basically consists of putting the triangle on your altar in the middle of the circle (he uses just a plain triangle w/no names, reminds me of one of those hazard triangles trucks use when they break down), placing the seal of Vassago in the triangle, then placing your scrying device on top of the seal.

So yeah, there's definitely more than one way to call a spirit. If CM doesn't work for you, try an alternate method. So long as you don't constantly call the Goetics for trivialities they usually come when called and are pretty friendly.

Really? That's interesting. I must grab myself a copy of that book actually since you can get it free online...

I was always under the impression that ceremonial magic was a much more, how should I say, "magnificent" form of magic, as the rituals in Konstantino's book look quite interesting. I haven't even tried ceremonial magic yet, but there are other things such as Enochian and the creation of egregores that I'd like to delve into.