I mentioned recently that I got Jason Miller’s excellent “Advanced Planetary Magic”, which, again, you should totally get, since it’s worth far more than the cost. It’s a collection of 49 short prayers or invocations to be used during different combinations of the planetary hours and days for different ends (so there’s a Moon/Saturn call to be done in an hour of the Moon on the day of Saturn, a Saturn/Moon call to be done in an hour of Saturn on the day of the Moon, etc.). As part of his goal to get this magic out in the world and practiced by the masses, Mr. Miller started up a project called The Crying of Calls 49, where people participate by calling out one of the calls each for 49 consecutive days in the proper hour for a given week. So, the first week is for the Moon calls, the second week for the Mercury calls, and so forth. I’m posting my results in the Facebook group for the project, but I also thought I’d share my results and experiences with you all as well. I won’t share what the Calls are or what they’re for, since you should go buy the ebook and find out for yourself, but the astute among you will figure it out.
This past week, Monday 7/22 through Sunday 7/28, we did the calls to Venus (whose official adjective is “venereal”, but I prefer “cytherean” instead, because…well, ew). Below are my experiences and thoughts:
7/22: Venus/Moon
Performed the call in my cubicle in the first hour of Venus. Visualized the sigil of Venus copper on purple, intoning A-H seven times, then made the Call eight times quietly, then inhaled the sigil. I feel fucking awesome, actually; this really feels sensual, way mroe than the Moon/Venus call, like I’m stripping after a night of partying with the smell of someone else’s cologne on me. The sigil appeared more organic than it usually does, and the purple light around it almost looked velvety; it inhaled down like smooth, heady wine. I almost feel indecently good in the office.
7/23: Venus/Mars
Did the Venus/Mars call in the very last hour possible, the hour right before dawn on Wednesday. Performed it after my normal morning prayers and a full Sevenths-calling ritual; lit a candle with some rose and pine incense, called on Aphrodite with the Orphic Hymn while visualizing her glyph green on red, then intoned O-H seven times while visualizing her sigil copper on red. Made the Call seven times, then inhaled the sigil and closed out.
This wasn’t too bad a call, but it also felt a little subdued, considering the phrasing and intent of it. It certainly felt direct and potent, but it was almost restrained and polite; perhaps that’s the point, by using congenial charm to conquer. The sigil was equally subtle; the copper blended right in with the red light of Mars, and when I inhaled it it seemed to “attach” to me like a light exoskeleton-based weapon. Maybe it’s due to my already being aligned well with these forces, but it felt comfortable yet empowering all the same. (I wonder what that says about me.)
7/24: Venus/Mercury
Made the Venus/Mercury call in the second hour of Venus, right before the third hour of Mercury at night. Standard operating procedure: short Sevenths-calling, candle, rose and cinnamon incense, called on Aphrodite with the Orphic Hymn while picturing her glyph green on orange, intoned E-H seven times while visualizing her sigil copper on orange, made the Call seven times, inhaled the sigil, and closed out.
I think “calming” is a good word to use for this, but it misses something. “Composing” might be better; it feels similar to the Luna/Mercury call from before. The Venus vibes are very smooth and sensual, and when focused through the buzz of Mercury gives it a very solid, almost structurally nice feel, as if the mental and conducive channels of Mercury are being used by the life force and fluid of Venus to strengthen and make it more “organic”. I’d think this would be certainly good before any counseling or empathic work for this. The sigil seemed fluid yet fiery tonight; easy to inhale, almost like breathing in tentacles of light, and sweet in a way.
7/25: Venus/Jupiter
Performed the Venus/Jupiter call in the second hour of Venus today. Standard operating procedure: short Sevenths-calling, Orphic Hymn with candle and rose/cedar incense, intoned Y-H seven times while visualizing the sigil of Venus copper on blue, made the Call seven times, inhaled the sigil, and closed out (and made a number of other offerings to household, familiar, and divine spirits afterward).
This was a very pleasant, smooth, luxurious feeling; after all, the two benefics combined lead to an awesome time. The overall feeling was cool and smooth, that smoothness coming from Venus and the coolness from airy Jupiter. The sigil had an embossed filigree-like look to it, wrapping around me gently instead of properly inhaling; I swear I heard soft music and a sort of gilded floral pattern in that blue background of the sigil while making the call. Very artsy, very focused on fine beauty and good taste. And yet, things seem a little more reassured, a little more “solid” around me; that’s probably the Jovial influence. Good before a museum outing or some classy show, I suppose.
7/26: Venus/Venus
Made a full adoration of Venus today at dawn after my morning ritual procedure, including meditation and Sevenths-calling. Lit rose incense and a candle, then went full out from there: read the Orphic Hymn seven times, intoned H 49 times, called upon the presence and blessing of Aphrodite and all her spirits (using the short incantation from the Picatrix), then made the Call seven times while picturing her sigil copper on emerald. Inhaled, thanked her, and closed out.
Instead of just picturing the Venus glyph, the whole goddess appeared to me today, emerald beads in her hair like seaweed braids and ocean blue eyes and all. I may be fairly Mercurial in nature, but Venus is the strongest planet and effectively my celestial “Mother”; this felt like a really deep recharge of divine essence for me. Totally washed over, like getting out of a calm ocean, and I feel smoothed out and cooled off, with a very deep sense of feels, like bleeding-heart compassion and love. While she was there, I asked Aphrodite to bless my relationship and my works of art/Art, and she gladly gave it, though suggested I work with her more even though she’s already always around me. This ritual is definitely among the strongest for me so far. Inhaling the sigil at the end was like icing on the cake; it completely merged with me with nearly no effort, and almost burned in my mind it was so bright and vivid. Beautiful in every way.
7/27: Venus/Saturn
Did the Venus/Saturn call today, in the second hour of Venus with the standard operating procedure with rose and myrrh incense.
The keyword for tonight is “toxic”. Seeing the glyph of Venus green on black reminded me instantly of radioactivity or poison signs, and during the Orphic Hymn there was some kind of repeated screeching outside sounding like a horror movie violin track (that lasted only for as long as the Hymn did, interestingly enough). The sigil of Venus copper on black seemed corrosive, too, turning a sickly patina’d green at the edges. The feeling from this was almost scathing, like a woman’s cold, cold stare bearing right into my heart, and it’d be easily frightening if I weren’t the one doing the Call. I had no specific enemies in mind, so I directed it to all who would stand before me, turning all their loved ones, friends, family, colleagues, coworkers, allies, associates, etc. against them. Again, there’s that grim satisfaction from that underlying Saturn current as it was from the Luna/Saturn and Mercury/Saturn calls, but the smoothness and coolness of Venus turned into an icy, slick feeling. Very interesting.
7/28: Venus/Sun
Did the Venus/Sun call tonight in the third hour of Venus. Standard operating procedure, with rose and frankincense incense.
I didn’t get anything as mind-breakingly beautiful as Jason got, but then, I’m tired from a hangover from a party the day before. Still, the call seemed different from the others, and sounded almost…I don’t want to say “broken”, but it didn’t have the same ring or flow to it that the others have had (at least so far). Still, it was pleasant, though the forces of Venus and the Sun don’t seem to mesh very well together; it’s like the heat and stillness of the Sun overpower or conflict with the smoothness and coolness of Venus. Inhaling the sigil (copper on gold) didn’t work tonight; instead, the sigil sorta “dropped”, and I stood upon it instead, and immediately saw the sigil of Venus replicated in every atom of every molecule infinitely around me; now that was cool. They do say that the Universe was founded on the principle of Love, after all. It’s reassuring and joyful in its own quietly awesome way.
