Way back in the first post we touched a bit on the subject of shadowmancy as one of the many aspect of necromancy as a whole. We spoke about the Helios Rite in PGM and the steps required to gain access to one’s shadow and make a servitor. This past Summer Solstice, I decided to perform the rite as best I could to test this operation. I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe a shadow person will show up like PGM mentions after the rite is properly performed? I know I did a lot of mistakes but that’s how we learn. That’s how I have learned why certain practices are performed and why others of not or even if they are relevant anymore. There’s a method to my madness.
I read and reread the relevant PGM chapters and verses. It was pretty straight forward. Go to a place that’s deserted so no one will bother you. Face towards the rising sun. Bring with you an offering and carry everything in a new fiberweave basket. It makes no mention of what to wear or dress as. I am assuming anything white and made of cotton or linen is best. With a red cord, tie two feathers to either side of your head. A falcon on one side and an ibis feather on the other. I used a red scarf and hawk feather I found when I was in AZ and a red ibis feather given as a gift.
I looked like an idiot. The offering I made was oatmeal with black berries and black sesame seeds. Some ingredients were missing. I don’t know what thrion is, snd I had no time or money to go get beets. I did this totally on a whim. A spur of the moment. Why? I don’t know why but I felt compelled to. It was like, “if you want to do this, you have to do this now or wait until next year.” It says nothing in the PGM about what season or part of the year to do this particular operation just so you know.
I took with me a beach blanket, statue of Horus, my keys, my phone, the printed out PGM rite, the offering in a gourd, sage, a lighter, wood box, and sea shell to the park across the street from my apartment. Secluded but hardly deserted. I live in the city. The city. NYC. I would have to go upstate to reach the deserted level. Everyone knows that’s crazy with a newborn next to you. My husband agreed to watch Vincent for an hour or so while I was out doing this experiment.
So I left for the park, first giving a kiss to my baby then my husband. Once at the park, I set up shop. According to PGM it was to be done at the sixth hour of the day. I realized the night before it didn’t mean 6am like I had thought it meant. I was thinking like a modern person. First light or sunrise would be the first hour of the day. So noon or 1pm would be more accurate. On a petrified tree stump I placed my Horus statue. I rolled out the beach blanket making sure I was under the sun.
I gave sage to the area. I sat to mediate and clear my head. Then I followed the instructions on PGM. I read the Helios preliminary prayer. Half way through I realized, “oh shit! Half the prayer is missing! Not translated? Lost to history? How am I going to finish this?” I winged it by using names for Helios from Picatrix trying to remember as best I could. Still didn’t help when it came to herbs, animals, trees, stones, etc. for each hour of the sun. The iphone was of no use. It had overheated and turned off. Did I mention this was supposed to be one of the hottest summers on record?
In my mind at that point this operation was a failure. People were around. Not a lot but still enough. The prayer is incomplete. The barbarous names I was saying out loud probably sounded terrible and mispronounced. If I was a deity, I’d wouldn’t answer me. I pushed through. I finished the prayer and then completed the second half making the offering.
Then I waited and meditated.
I waited some more.
It was hot.
Really hot.
I was sweating.
I think I’m going to pass out.
I forgot to bring water.
Oh crap! I didn’t have breakfast.
I waited some more.
I prayed again and called out.
My stomach growled.
People were becoming nosy. One person with a cell phone came up to see what I was doing pretending to be speaking to someone. That’s when I closed up shop. There was a brief moment where the area surrounding me was covered like a blanket of butterflies of all colors and birds coming out of nowhere. But I didn’t know if it was a sign from Helios that he heard me or it was just nature doing its thing. So I left feeling stupid and ready to chalk it up as a failure and devise a new strategy to tackle this problem.