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In last week’s article I shared my perspective on when it’s best to start experimenting with magic. This week I thought I would share an example of an ongoing experiment I’m doing with an existing magical working that I’ve modified extensively. The working in question is the Sphere of Art. I first learned about this working through Robert Stewarts books entitled The Sphere of Art. Before we get into the ongoing work, let me provide a bit of history around what I’ve done with this working.
In October of 2017 I decided to do the Sphere of Art working. The first task I undertook involved memorizing the chants for the sphere of art so I could call in the relevant spirits and energies for setting up the basic Sphere of Art. This memorization took approximately 6 months to accomplish. The benefit of it is that conditioned my mind and body to receive and connect with the spirits and energies embodied by the sphere. The original chants were for the four directions of East, South, West, and North with appropriate correspondences derived for each direction, but after I memorized those chants I made my first modification.
My first modification was to create chants that represented the underworld, the stellar cosmos, and the final point, a point of fixed manifestation that binds all the forces together. These chants were not arbitrarily added to the Sphere of Art, but rather were included because of careful research I did with both the source texts and supplementary texts that indicated that these chants and the corresponding connections with spirits and energies would fit into the Sphere of Art work. So I came up with and memorized the chants and found that indeed there is a fit with the existing material.
Once I memorized all the chants I was ready for the next phase of work which involved gathering together alchemical materials and prepping them to be worked with in the Sphere of Art. In this case I opted to work with homeopathic materials, which I ordered and then stored in 10 glass vials. I also collect spring water and Vodka to be used in 10 additional glass vials. This was all part of the original working, but I also modified the working by creating sacred art for the planetary/elemental energies being worked with, as well as the archangels being worked with.
In October 2018 I started doing the Sphere of Art work, which involved not only the recitation of the chants but also working with the alchemical substances, specifically charging first the dry and then the wet materials for a specific cycle of time. I did this work over the course of two months. A the end of those two months the charging was done.
At this point I modified the working again. Over the course of the next 10 months, I mediated and worked with the alchemical substances, archangels and corresponding planetary/elemental energies for each alchemical substance. For example, in the first month, I worked with dry and wet substances of Carbon, as well as with the underworld energy of Earth and the archangel Sandalaphon. This work involved creating the sphere of art each day, and then taking the substances of the month and meditating with them in order to mediate their energies into the ritual space. I also put up the sacred art in appropriate locations around the ritual space. The purpose of this work was to create a permanent rarified ritual space where the energies and spirits are continually mediated by the space itself, and by the sphere of art work.
In October of 2019 I concluded that work, but continued on with working with the Sphere of Art, specifically in relationship to cultivating a deep and abiding relationship with the elemental energy of creativity. From October 2019 to October 2020 I worked with this element via the Sphere of Art and found that this, along with the previous years’ work set me up with enough creative ideas and work to last the rest of my life. I currently have at least 50 projects to work on, in terms of books alone, with more ideas waiting in the wings.
During this time I also focused on utilizing the Sphere of Art to enhance practical magical workings, specifically around wealth generation, with the goal being to get me back to full time self-employment. I have found that the SOA does amplify workings done within it because you are setting up a very specific space and time with what you want in that space/time and nothing else, until you do the magical work and release it into the universe.
Current work: I am still doing the Sphere of Art everyday, though I did take a month hiatus in late August/early September due to life events. In the last half year or so I’ve also begun learning a lot more qi gong, specifically nei gong work that involves cultivating the internal qi of the body and marrying it to the external forces one chooses to work with. I do find that the Sphere of Art is uniquely suited to this work because it provides the external environment and mediation of forces that can be worked with, but I’m also finding its necessary to first build up one’s internal stores, which is what the main focus of my current work is. I do anticipate as I get more practice I’ll be able to fruitfully join the practices together to enhance my connection with the relevant energies and spirits, while also working with the internal energies I’m cultivating.
All of this work has been carefully done in stages, with any modifications only being done after ensuring necessary precautions have been taken. Overall the work has been beneficial and life changing. I anticipate that this will continue to be life long work that continually changes and develops because of the continued mediation and refinements of the connections being worked with. I share this case study as an example of long term experimentation and what thought/practice must go into such work.
