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Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999], at sacred-texts.com


 
 
                   The Wishing Well -or - Releasing The Butterfly of Chaos 
 
                                      Frater Choronzon
 
 
 
           The general function of a Wishing Well is understood from an early
 
           age by most people. The user projects some required outcome of
 
           events, or "wish" into the well, perhaps accompanied by a symbolic
 
           financial donation, and waits for events to take their course.
 
           Similar properties are attributed in popular tradition to acts of
 
           cutting a birthday cake and breaking a wish-bone while devouting
 
           certain species of poultry.
 
 
 
           In every sense, the act of making a wish using any of the above
 
           ritual props is a magical operation though experience suggest that
 
           Wells tend to be more effective than both chicken bones and all but
 
           the most esoterically decorated cakes in achieving the intended
 
           result.
 
 
 
           As of late, many Wishing Wells have been withdrawn from public
 
           access; and, moreover, recent opinion polls have indicated high
 
           levels of dissatisfaction with the scarcity of wish-fulfillment
 
           opportunities, particularly among vegetarians. This paper attempts
 
           some analysis of the dynamics involved in successful wish-making,
 
           and offers a ritual procedure which readers may find useful pending
 
           the launch of another "Wishing Well Withdrawal" from the public eye.
 
 
                                                                             1423
 
            
 
           Anyone who has studied non-linear dynamics (or Chaos Mathematics) as
 
           applied to the interaction of complex systems (for instance life-in-
 
           general) will be aware of the extreme sensivity of such systems to
 
           initial conditions. This is illustrated by the so called Butterfly
 
           Effect; a model of the process by which a butterfly flapping its
 
           wings on the Carribean Islands can set in train a series of
 
           atmospheric interactions which may culminate, after some elapsed
 
           time, in the occurence of a hurricane in London.
 
 
 
           The hypothesis in this context is that the ritual act of making a
 
           wish sets up initial conditions for a Chao/dynamic process which
 
           culminates, after some elapse time, in the occurrence of whatever
 
           event was the original objective of the wish; hence the subtitle
 
           "Releasing the Butterfly of Chaos". Atmospheric effects are often
 
           synchronous with successful magickal operations as was observed, for
 
           example, by those who were present for (or within earshot of) the
 
           4,000 watt "Enochian Verse Recital" in South London, 17.30 Hrs,
 
           Monday, 28 May, 1990; but where magic is concerned the atmospherics
 
           are felt to be little more than by-products of casual sequence which
 
           is primarily electromagnetic in character.
 
 
 
           The actual process by which a successful wish is transformed into
 
           its outcome is, of course, magic; at least in the sense that modern
 
           TV receiver might be acknowledged as such by Agrippa or Abra-Melin
 
           the Mage - Was there ever a more effective acrostic "for divers
 
           visions" than an infrared remote control?
 
 
                                                                             1424
 
           A detailed explanation of how the magical process appears to work
 
           would fill a book (reasonable offers from reputable publishers
 
           accepted); suffice it to say that no rewrite of either the Laws of
 
           Physics or the Axioms of Mathematics is required, and to mention
 
           that the Astrological elements of the hypothesis will form the
 
           substance of a paper to be presented to a forth coming meeting of
 
           the "Talking Stick".
 
 
 
           For the purpose of this exercise, the process may be appropriately
 
           visualized by consideration of nothing more complicated than a
 
           humble smoke-ring. In mathematical terms this is a Torus (a ring-
 
           doughnut shaped structure) which has a clearly defined, coherent and
 
           self-contained existence for an extended period within a
 
           fundamentally chaotic matrix; ie. it can hung around for several
 
           seconds retaining its structure in the turbulent air of a
 
           smoke-filled room. Such ordered structures fall quite naturally out
 
           of the Chaos Mathematics which models the behavior of gases and
 
           liquids (Fluid Dynamics for the technically inclined). Examples of
 
           such ordered structures in a chaotic environment abound, and not
 
           only on this planet. The Great Red Spot on Jupiter, for instance,
 
           has been in existence at least since Galileo observed it in 1610,
 
           though the chaotic nature of that planets atmosphere was not
 
           appreciated until the flypast of the Voyager spacecraft of 1979.
 
 
                                                                             1425
 
           A perfect smoke-ring requires very little expenditure of energy to
 
           be brought into existence, though that energy, in the form of a
 
           controlled pulse of gas projected from its creator lips has to be
 
           quite precise - ie. smoke-rings don`t always work, particular if
 
           someone is watching, and the best ones of all usually happen quite
 
           by accident! Significantly, the only way an observer can know if a
 
           smoke-ring is there because it has smoke in it. If an identical
 
           pulse of gas is projected from a non-smoker, the Toroidal ring
 
           structure will be established in the just the same way within the
 
           atmosphere, but its presence is almost impossible to detect, even
 
           with the most sophisticated of scientific instruments.
 
 
 
           The atmosphere is not the only chao/dynamic envelope surrounding our
 
           planet; there also exists the magnetosphere, which we perceive at
 
           ground level as the earths magnetic field. At present it exerts a
 
           force which causes a compass needle to point approximately towards
 
           the North Pole.
 
 
 
           The magnetosphere extends out into so-called empty space well beyond
 
           the atmosphere of the planet, and is anything but static in
 
           character. Complete polarity reversals can occur. A record of these
 
           is preserved in the sequence of North and South oriented volcanic
 
           rocks which have been mapped in the ocean floor extending outwards
 
           from mid-oceanic ridges, such as that which runs the lenght of the
 
           Atlantic. The magnetosphere exhibits its own "weather" patterns
 
           which, like the atmospheric weather, are driven primilarily by
 
           radiation from the Sun/Solar Winds. Magnetic and electric storms
 
           which affect TV and radio reception are a phenomena of
 
           magnetospheric weather, and interaction between the magnetosphere
 
           and the atmosphere can result in phenomena such as the Aurora
 
 
                                                                             1426
 
           Borealis or Northern Lights. Other manifestations include ball-
 
           lightning and St. Elmo`s fire.
 
 
 
           The ritual procedure put forward here postulates a process whereby a
 
           sudden pulse of electro-chemical energy, through an operators
 
           nervous system, establishes a magnetic structure which is the
 
           mathematical equivalent of a smoke-ring. It is suggested that this
 
           can occur on the onset of orgasm or accompanying a powerful
 
           martial-arts styled shout or KIAI, by a process akin to that of the
 
           Faraday Induction described in any half-decent textbook. The
 
           "magical" part of the process involves injecting a
 
           flash-visualisation of the eventual desired outcome of the magneto-
 
           smoke-ring as it is being established. The rest of the process of
 
           wish fulfillment is left to the wondrous dynamics of Chaos. It may
 
           be helpful for the operator to face towards the geographical
 
           (magnetic) North Pole.
 
 
 
           If performed as a solo working, this ritual may usefully be preceded
 
           by a banishing and visualisation exercise. The ritual text is
 
           written in the Enochian language of the angelic calls which were
 
           devised or discovered by Dr. John Dee in the 16th Century. In the
 
           sense that Enochian can be seen as a system of control (or cyber-)
 
           language for "life, the universe, and everything" it has many of the
 
           characteristics of a computer programming language. Among such
 
           properties would be those of recursive self-reference (ie. the
 
           ability to modify itself), and some of the phraseology of the
 
           preamble to the ritual is designed to apply ideas developed by
 
           Douglas Hoffstadter in his book Godel, Escher, Bach to the Enochian
 
           language. Specifically, the text of the ritual should increase its
 
           own potency with repetition.
 
 
                                                                             1427
 
           After the Enochian preamble, the participant(s) should make a
 
           vocalized statement of a "wish" or willed endpoint for the working,
 
           at the same time strongly visualizing the desired outcome. This
 
           "wish" may be of a benefic or malefic intent, but beware! the
 
           Enochian preamble carries a force of personal honor, in wishes of a
 
           dishonorable character they are likely to backfire.
 
 
 
           The pre-climatic mantrum "Zarzas Zarzas Nasatanata Zarzas" is held
 
           to be untranslatable. It is, by tradition, a formula which opens the
 
           Gates of Hell or the Abyss; in this context it is used to invoke the
 
           dynamic process of Chaos by which the wish can be fulfilled. Some
 
           occult authorities, Crowley among them, assert that the Zarzas
 
           formula is dangerous and advise against using it. Modern Chaos
 
           magicians do not share that view and, besides having employed it for
 
           years with no particular ills impacting the user, is consistently
 
           been found to enhance the effectiveness of most categories of
 
           magical working.
 
 
 
           The final climatic KIAI may be shout such as that projected by a
 
           martial arts practioner in the process of shattering a concrete
 
           block (or someone`s sternum), or else an exaggerated cry of orgasmic
 
           ecstasy. Prospective participants with orgiastic inclinations may
 
           care to experiment with variant techniques to effect the final KIAI
 
           exclamation which sets the magical "butterfly effect" process in
 
           motion. For example, the Enochian couplet following the statement of
 
           the wish might be committed to memory by operator of either gender,
 
           and repeated while other participants stimulate that operator to a
 
           frenzied pitch of ecstasy, culminating in the final KIAI. Such
 
           variants are for the more experimentaly inclined, but it is the sort
 
           of experiments which magicians of an unhibited frame of mind (or
 
 
                                                                             1428
 
           body) may find it enjoyable to carry out as an end in itself. Any
 
           feedback on results would be welcome!
 
 
                                                                             1429
 
           Ritual text / Enochian Invocation:
 
 
 
           COMSELH    I           P          MALPURG      DSI
 
           The circle with        eight      fiery darts  which is
 
 
 
           DRILPA     EMETGIS     DE         CHAOS
 
           the great  seal        of         chaos
 
 
 
           AS         IOADAF      DE         TOL          GLO
 
           was        in the      of         all          things.
 
                      beginning
 
           T          I           TA         HUBAR        BLIOR
 
           It         is          as         a continual  of comfort
 
                                             burning lamp
 
           NONCA      GMICALZOMA  CRIP       I            CORAXO
 
           to you     of power &  but        is as        thunders of judgement
 
                      understanding                       & wrath
 
           CIAOFI     DE          PAR        AG           IAIADIX
 
           to the     of          them       of no        honor
 
           terror
 
           SOLPHETH   BIEN:
 
           hearken    to my voice:
 
 
 
           VOMSARG                IADNAMAD                GOHULIM:
 
           unto every one of you  of undefiled knowledge  it is said:
 
 
 
           "OI        EMETGIS     LONSHI     OVOF         SA
 
           "This      seal        of power   may be       in
 
                                             magnfied
 
           MIAN       I           SAPAH      DE           OI
 
 
                                                                             1430
 
           continuancewith        the mighty of           this
 
                                  sounds
 
           LU         IA          HE         BAHAL"
 
           song       of          honor      cried with a loud voice"
 
 
 
           VLCININ    DS          I          ZA           ZAZ
 
           Happy      is          s/he       who          has framed
 
 
 
           ANGELGARD  MANIN       PRGE
 
           thoughts   in the mind with the fire
 
 
 
           ANANAEL                PI
 
           of this secret wisdom, s/he
 
 
 
           I          VGEG        T          CAPMIALI     FISIS
 
           is         become      also       successively to execute
 
                      strong
 
           BUTMONA    ATH         OD         AMMA         EMNA:
 
           By mouth   the works   and        curses       herein:
 
 
 
           >> MAKE YOUR WISH HERE <<
 
 
 
           SA         CHAOS       ANGELGARD               HARG
 
           Into       chaos       the thoughts            are planted
 
 
 
           OD         IONAS                               AZIAGIAR.
 
           and        they will become                    like unto the harvest
 
 
 
           ZARZAS ZARZAS NASATANATA ZARZAS
 
           !!! KIAI !!!
 
 
                                                                             1431
 


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