The Invocation of
Lilith -- A Rite of Dark Sexuality
by Jospeh Max.555 and Lilith Darkchilde.777
see final version at http://users.rcn.com/lilith777/max/rites/lilith.html
Background:
Lilith is the mythological first wife of Adam. She, like Adam, was created by God "from the dust of the earth. . . in the image of God He created them, male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:27) being the first reference to human life in the Bible. It would seem that Eve came later, fashioned from a rib taken from Adam while he slept : "... this is to be called Woman, for this was taken from Man". (Gen. 2:24) This strange anomoly can only be explained by assuming that there was a female human before Eve. Since only Eve is subsequently present in the Garden of Eden, her predesessor must have departed before Eve's arrival on the scene. One can only assume that Lilith's near total absence from the Judeo/Christian Bible is a matter of prejudice on the part of the male patriarchal authors.
Sematic legend describes Lilith as having refused to submit to Adam's authority (and a peference for being "on top"), and in a fit of pique, she uttered the ineffible name of God and flew up into the air, only to only to be cast down by God into the desert wastes where she took up residence. (The only mention of Lilith in the standard Christian Bible is in Ezekiel, where a passing reference is made about her living in the desert.) Lilith is described as either a winged serpent or a screech owl (or a anthropomorphic combination thereof) who torments men at night who sleep alone -- the original succubus.
Various other legends describe her as:
- Having returned to Eden in the guise of the Serpent, who tempted Eve with the Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge.
- Having once been the consort of Lucifer in Hell, but she proved to be
- too much even for the Prince of Darkness to handle, who eventually banished her back to the desert.
- As the first vampire, who came to Cain after he was banished by God for the murder of Abel and together they begat the curse of vampirism on the world.
- As the breeder of "Lilum", or the earth-bound demons -- thousands(!) every day, according to legend.
The Invocation of Lilith:
*WARNINGS*:
Lilith is a primal egregore of the dark anima. She is
unfettered sexual dominance and power. This invocation should not
be attempted by those with little background in ceremonial magic,
nor by those who harbor unresolved psychological problems related
to sexuality.
If blood is to be drawn, or sexual activities ensue, all precautions pretaining to the prevention of diseases borne by blood or sexual fluids should properly be observed.
It may be wise to appoint a "guardian" who shall "observe" the rite as it proceeds from a detached viewpoint and intervene if the participants, in their excess, are about to commit dangerous acts. The guardian should cast hir own circle of protection about hirself. The guardian should only intervene if there is a threat of serious bodily harm; otherwise, events must be allowed to transpire as they will. Anyone fearful of the possible psychological effects of this rite would do well not to participate in it in the first place. It is not for the timid.
With these caveats, all discretion pretaining to these matters is left to the participants. The authors assume no responsibility for the irresponsibility of the participants in performance of this rite.
You have been warned!
Materials:
Preperation:
Lilith is the primal feminine aspect of dark sexuality. For that reason, it is the opinion of the authors that invocation is more likely to succeed if the Main Operator is female. This is not to discount the possibilty of success with a male M.O., but he must be able to contact his primal feminine nature strongly enough to succeed at invoking she who is the most fundimental of all feminine daemons. The participants may be either male or female or a mixture of both in any proportion.
The applications of this rite vary considerably. Since it is a combined Lunar/Saturnine working, it may be approached as a ritual rehearsal of sex and death (very Thanateros-ian, eh?) - much like Carroll's Thanateros Invocation from _Liber Kaos_. As presented here, it is a ritual of liberation and is also used to bring forth a Word Of Power from the egregore for subsequent use by the participants; therefore the Statement of Intent reflects this intention. The Statement should be tailored to properly express the intentions of a particular working.
The Rite:
Large black candles are arranged in a circle around the temple space and lit, as is copious quantities of incense. The room should be thick with smoke.
Banish by LBRP, GPR, Vortex or other procedure as desired.
The Main Operator, naked beneath the black robe, takes position in the middle of the circle. She holds the scourge in her right hand. Other participants sit in a circle around the M.O. The music begins.
The Statement of Intent is declared by the M.O. and echoed by all participants:
"It is our Will to invoke the egregore of Lilith, so that by her spirit
we experience the power of Sex and Death and obtain her Word Of Power!"
The following passage (see notes) is recited by the M.O. to invoke the persona of Lilith into hir body and mind:
"I am the daughter of Fortitude and ravished every hour from my youth. For behold, I am Understanding, and science dwelleth in me; and the heavens oppress me. They covet and desire me with infinite appetite; for none that are earthly have embraced me, for I am shadowed with the Circle of the Stars, and covered with the morning clouds. My feet are swifter than the winds, and my hands are sweeter than the morning dew. My garments are from the beginning, and my dwelling place is in myself. The Lion knoweth not where I walk, neither do the beasts of the field understand me. I am deflowered, yet a virgin; I sanctify and am not sanctified. Happy is he that embraceth me: for in the night season I am sweet, and in the day full of pleasure. My company is a harmony of many symbols, and my lips sweeter than health itself. I am a harlot for such as ravish me, and a virgin with such as know me not. Purge your streets, O ye sons of men, and wash your houses clean; make yourselves holy, and put on righteousness. Cast out your old strumpets, and burn their clothes and then I will bring forth children unto you and they shall be the Sons of Comfort in the Age that is to come."
The participants then begin chanting the mantra of Lilith. As they chant, the Main Operator must sink into a deep gnostic trance and invoke the spirit of Lilith into hir body.
"Flesh she will eat, blood she will drink!" (repeat)
As the chant continues, one participant (the Secondary Operator) recites the following:
"Dark is she, but brilliant! Black are her wings, black on black! Her lips are red as rose, kissing all of the Universe! She is Lilith, who leadeth forth the hordes of the abyss, and leadeth man to ruin! She is the irresistable fulfiller of all lust, seer of desire. First of all women was she - Lilith, not Eve was the first! Her hand brings forth the revolution of the Will and true freedom of the mind! She is KI-SI-KIL-LIL-LA-KE, Queen of the Magic Circle! Look on her in lust and despair!
The participants begin to chant "Lilith! Lilith! Lilith!" repeatedly as the the M.O. invokes the Lilithian egregore. One by one they pass around the scalpel and cut their left thumb and annoint their foreheads with blood. They then pass around the chalice (which is filled with red wine) and touch it to their foreheads one by one. After all have done so, it is taken to the M.O. who drains it in a single draught. This is the climax of the invocation.
If the invocation is successful, all participants should feel the emotions of simultaneous fear, lust and the urge to submit. Forced over-breathing or another variation of Death Posture should be used to deepen each participant's level of gnosis until they come close to fainting. As they are overcome by these emotions, they should fall to the ground and prostrate themselves before Lilith.
What proceeds next is not specified, but left up to the will of the egregore. She may choose to scourge the participants, or mock them or entice them or seduce them. She may force them to commit various unspeakable acts of lust upon her or each other. All participants must submit to her will, whatever it may be - it would be dangerous in the extreme to do otherwise; do not risk the wrath of Lilith!
Eventually the energy of the group will begin to wane. At this point, the S.O. (prompted by the guardian, if neccesary) will rise and face the M.O. and recite the following in a commanding voice:
"Black Moon, Lilith, sister darkest,
Whose hands form the hellish mire,
At my weakest, at my strongest,
Molding me as clay from fire.
Black Moon, Lilith, Mare of Night,
You cast your litter to the ground
Speak the Name and take to flight
Utter now the secret sound!"
The M.O. from within the depths of the Lilith-trance, will call out a name, as the legendary Lilith did call out the unutterable name of God to rise up from Eden into the heavens. It is not known in advance what this word will be, but it will most certainly be a Word of Power to be used subsequently by the participants in further magickal work.
If all has been done properly, the spirit of Lilith will flee the M.O. at the calling of the Name, and s/he will likely fall to the ground, spent. The guardian or S.O. should then draw an upright pentagram over the M.O., a full facial lustration of cold water is administered to hir, and s/he is called forth by her ordinary name until s/he responds.
The temple is banished and closed.
Notes:
The invocation is the text of a message delivered by an unidentified spirit entity to Sir Edward Kelly in 1592 during a scrying ritual. Kelly, along with Dr. John Dee (Queen Elizibeth's Royal Astrologer), originated the Enochian system of magic. The vision of this entity so frightened Kelly that he abandoned the working of magic from that day forward. Though Kelly never identified the entity, in our opinion it represented the Lilith egregore.
The calling forth of Lilith is adapted from "The Hymn to Hecate" by Frater U:.D:.
References: