The Raven's Crucible

Category: Practical Magic

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Defining the Boundaries

    We’ve now made it up to step four in our Solomonic conjuration framework: Constrictio. We’ve performed all our invocations and evocations, and made contact with the spirit. From here on out the ritual will proceed quickly; the main hurdle has already been overcome. The constrictio step is a reiteration of the boundaries you wish to…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Calling the Spirits

    We’re now through all the preparatory phases in our deep dive on Solomonic conjuration. We’ve talked about setting the stage, consecrating our tools and completing the requisite purifications. We’ve talked about spirit names and seals, and the various different ways a spirit may show up when called. We’ve invoked various divinities, patrons, and gatekeepers for…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Making Contact

    So far we’ve talked about the steps that need to be taken before summoning a spirit. This week we’re going to explore a slightly different facet: when to stop. One of the biggest objections to Solomonic conjuration among modern practitioners is its dominating tone. Threatening a spirit with hellfire and damnation unless it appears before…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Choosing a Spirit

    Let’s recap where we are in our Solomonic ritual. We’ve consecrated our tools, our spaces, and ourselves. We’ve drawn out our circle. We’ve invoked various powers (God, angels, intermediary spirits, patrons, directional guardians, etc.) to set the stage. Now we’re ready to actually summon the spirit we are trying to contact. Before we can get…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Calling the Powers

    So far in our Solomonic magic series, we’ve covered the first step of our conjuration ritual framework: Consecratio Dei, the consecrations to God. We’ve talked about preconsecration of tools and materials, personal purification, and creation of ritual space. Now we’re ready to step into the circle and begin the actual ritual of conjuration. The next…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Personal Purity

    We’re now several posts deep into an exploration of consecrations in the Solomonic tradition. We’ve discussed consecrations of tools and of physical space. There’s one final piece of the puzzle to talk about when it comes to consecration: consecration of the magician themselves. And this is one of the most important elements, as the thing…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Drawing the Circle

    Over the last few weeks we’ve explored the idea of consecrations in the Solomonic tradition. That everything brought into the ritual space is exorcised and blessed ahead of time, to give the magician a spiritually clean environment in which to work. There are two final pieces we haven’t talked about yet: the purification of space,…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Blessings and Consecrations

    In the last post we talked about the first step in consecrating Solomonic tools and materials: exorcism of any unwanted influences that might be present to start with. But there is a second stage required for a consecration. We need to bring those influences or psychic impressions we do want into the item as well.…

  • Solomonic Magic in Practice: Exorcism and a Clean Slate

    Last week we talked about some high-level theoretical frameworks of Solomonic magic. This week we’re going to be diving into the details of putting them into practice. Starting with the first step in nearly every Solomonic operation: consecrations. Why are tools and materials in Solomonic traditions consecrated prior to an operation? There are a couple…

  • Solomonic Magic In Practice: A General Framework for Conjuration

    I’d like to start a series of posts that dig deeper into the practical aspects of Solomonic magic. It’s a form of magic that seems to be frequently mischaracterized in some modern circles, as needlessly adversarial or coercive towards spirits. I find that view to be somewhat shallow. Solomonic magic has a tremendous amount to…