Talisman Consecration Ritual
Ad Amuletum Consecrandum Ritus

Apollonius Sophistes

© 2009

Preliminaries
Operation
Pronunciation Guidelines
Notes
References

Preliminaries

i. Introduction:: This is an adaptation of the general framework for a Hellenic Magic Ritual and my Greater Tool Consecration consecration of a talisman. Please see these for additional information.
ij. The Altar:: The altar should be covered with a clean linen cloth. Other equipment and supplies (see below) are placed on the altar.
iij. Altar Fire:: The altar may have a built-in hearth; otherwise the fire may be provided by candles or oil lamps (filled with olive oil). If other substances (e.g., incense, offerings) are to burned on the fire, then a brazier may be more appropriate. [fire]
iv. Salt or Aromatic Herbs:: I usually use consecrated salt.
v. Lustral Water in Ritual Vessel:: Fill a portable lustral bowl (khernibeíon) with pure (preferably spring) water for purification. (Ordinary tap water can be purified by the addition of a little previously consecrated water, salt or natron.) The lustral water should be discarded (as impure) after the working. [water]
vi. Laurel twig (optional):: For sprinkling Lustral Water.
vij. Incense:: Incense may be burned on the altar fire or in a censer. If possible, use fragrances especially agreeable to the Gods or Daimons you intend to invoke. Otherwise, good incenses are storax, myrrh, sage, bay, myrtle and cinnamon; they may be mixed with wine and honey. Some sources recommend against frankincense for talisman consecrations. [incense]
viij. Libations and Other Offerings:: Magical workings usually call for libations of (unmixed) wine, honey, milk, water or oil, and food offerings such as fruits, vegetables, bread, cakes and broth (most often in units of seven). Solid food offerings may be burned on the altar fire or brazier; otherwise they are put in an offering dish for later dedication. Liquid offerings may be poured on the ground, the altar fire (for flammable liquids), or into an offering dish. Mixed wine is usually offered to Olympian Gods, but Chthonic Gods are offered unmixed wine, milk, honey, rain water and/or olive oil. [I usually pour the libation into an omphalic patera (ritual dish).] [offerings]
ix. Magic Wand or other directive instrument (optional): Instead of a wand, the magician may use a Divine Sprig (e.g., of laurel or olive, as appropriate to the working).
x. Talisman:: Talisman to be completed & consecrated.
xi. Supplies to complete talismanic image:: Tools and materials to complete the talismanic image at the elected time. Examples are paints, inks, engraving tools, as needed.

Operation

i. Personal Preparation: Cleanliness is crucial; bathing in running water is best. You and your assistants (Grk. sunergoi, Lat. adiutores) should dress in clean garments, typically an ungirded white linen robe or toga (Grk. himation); avoid wool and leather, which are ritually impure. Your hair should be unbound except for a white woolen band or a wreath (especially of a plant dear to the God, such as laurel or olive). Participants may be barefoot and anointed. For especially important consecrations, it is best to have abstained from sex for seven days, and to have not eaten meat, uncooked food, or wine.
ij. Talisman:: The talisman has been prepared up to its final completion and has been placed on the altar.
iij. Circumambulation:: Normally you enter the sanctuary from the right and approach the altar from the east. Carry the Khernibeion (bowl of lustral water) to the right around the altar three times, which delimits the sacred from the profane. (If you have assistants, they follow you to the sanctuary, but proceed directly to the altar, so that you encircle them and the altar.) [circumambulation]; While circumambulating you may recite an invocation such as this [pronunciation]:

I circle round creating sacred space,
   invoking from the Heavens holy grace.
I call the Gods to guard this solemn rite,
   and ward this hallowed ground with walls of light.
Let sky above and earth below unite,
   a bond established by Olympic might.
Let fear and discord leave without a trace,
   and peace prevail within this holy place.
Let word be deed by this decree.
   As it is said, so must it be!

Face east and declare (use English, Greek, or Latin, as desired):

Begone, whatever is unholy!
Ἑκάς, ὤ ἑκάς, ἔστε βέβηλοι.
Hekàs, ô hekàs, éste bébêloi! (Grk.)
Procul, o procul, este profani! (Lat.)

iv. Banishing (optional): The Olympic Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram may be performed at this point. (I often omit it, since I work in a consecrated temple.)
v. Altar Fire: Light the altar, lamp, or candle. Light the censer. (Sometimes the altar fire is lit before the ritual begins.)
vi. Consecrate the Water:: Take a burning brand from the sacred altar fire and thrust it into the lustral water (Grk. khérnips, Lat. aqua lustralis); this consecrates the water, making it húdôr theíon (Grk., holy water) or aqua igne sacra inflammata (Lat., water inflamed by sacred fire). You may say something like the following during this consecration:

Cool Water from the Earth below,
Bright Fire from the Air above,
Opposed, give birth to all we know,
United now in perfect Love.
By Harmony thus unified,
May all our Arts be purified.
vij. Purification (Khérnibes):: For purification (Grk. khérnibes, Lat. lustratio) dip your hands in the lustral water; your assistants purify themselves the same way. Everyone's hands are dried on a white linen cloth. Sprinkle lustral water over the altar, the offerings, the sacred area around the altar, and all the participants. While doing so, you may say:

Be purified!
Χερνίπτομαι.
Kherníptomai! (Grk.)
Lustror! (Lat.)

For this purification you may use your right hand, an aspergillum (Grk. perirrantêrion), a sprig (especially of laurel or olive), or the firebrand. [lustration]
viij. Beginning (Katárkhesthai):: (a) If others are present, call for silence:

Sacred silence!
Εὐφημείτε.
Euphêmeíte! (Grk.: Speak no evil! Quiet!)
Favete linguis! (Lat.: Hold your tongues!)

(b) Offerings:

Burn incense to attract the Gods or Daimons.

Make other offerings. These may be flowers, cakes, candles, etc. as appropriate to the Deities or Daimons. Groups of seven are typical, unless other numbers are more appropriate. Place the offerings on the altar. For Olympian Gods and Daimons, burn some of the cakes, bread, etc. (and later eat the rest); for Chthonic Deities, burn the offerings completely.

Pour libations during the following invocation. Whenever you pour libations, you should say any of the following ad libitum:

Drink-offering! Libation!
Σπονδή.
Spondê! (Grk., spon-DAY)
Libatio! (Lat., lee-BAH-tih-o)

ix. Invocation (Klêsis):

While continuing these offerings, recite the prayer of invocation. You may also stretch out to the God your hands holding any wand or other instrument you may be using.

a) Invocatio (Grk. Epíklêsis):

The purpose of the Invocatio (invocation proper) is to get the God's attention. Call the divinity: The following may be repeated ad lib. with offerings to attract the Divinity:

Hear me!
Κλῦθι μου.
Klûthi mou! (Grk.)
Exaudi me! (Lat.)
Come to me!
Ἐλθέ μοι.
Elthé moi! (Grk.)
Adveni me! (Lat.)

Hither, Blessed One!
Δεῦρο, Μάκαρ.
Deûro Mákar! (Grk.)
Huc, Beate/a! (Lat.: masc./fem.)

To all of these may be added the God's name (in the vocative case). Continue with a recitation of the God's or Daimon's names, epithets, and functions. See Regulus for a sample invocatio for Regulus. Say such as the following, ad lib.:

I offer Thee this spice, O (name),
(names and epithets)
Attend my prayer and come Thou here to me,
(names and epithets)

Hail, my Lady/Lord, (and) hear Thy epithets:
(names and epithets)

Finish with:

Or by whatever name is Thy delight,
Approach and come Thou to this sacred rite.

b) Narratio (Grk. Aphêgêsis):

In the Narratio you establish your qualifications in seeking the presence of the Deity, often by displaying esoteric knowledge. Typically this takes three forms: First is the invocation of the God by secret names (so called "barbarian names"). Second is the recitation of previous situations in which the God has helped you or others in similar situations, for which you may mention relevant myths. Third is the recitation of instances in which you have fulfilled your vows and obligations to the God. Here are some examples:

I know Thee and I know Thy secret names:
(secret names)
I've said Thy symbols, signs, and secret key,
which Thou, O Master/Mistress, hath divulged to me,
(your magical name), born of (mother's name).
If ever I've fulfilled the vows I've made,
Then hear me now and grant to me Thine aid.

The formulas of invocation ("Come to me!" etc.) may be used here also. See Regulus for a sample narratio for Regulus.
Invite the God's presence by repeating formulas like these ad libitum while you continue offerings:

Ἐλθέ μοι (Elthé moi) — Come to me!
Δεῦρο, Μάκαρ (Deûro, Mákar) — Hither, O Blessed One!
Χαῖρε, Θεός/Θεά (Khaîre, Theós/Theá) — Hail, God/Goddess!
Χαῖρε, Κύριε/Πότνια (Khaîre, Kúrie/Pótnia) — Hail, Lord/Lady!
Ἵληθι (Hílethi!) — Be Thou gracious! (often said with a libation)

When you feel the presence of the God or Daimôn, continue.

c) Preces (Grk. Déêsis):

In the Preces is the prayer proper, in which the petition is placed before the God or Daimôn. It might begin with such as this:

Accomplish now this deed, and as I pray
give heed to me, and to these words I say:
I call on Thee, Great Lord/Lady, and beg of Thee
to charge this talisman with potency
to grant the gifts that You can give to me.

State the intended effect of the talisman. The petition may be followed, ad lib., by:

Now! Now! Quickly! Quickly!
νῦν νῦν ἤδη ἤδη.
Nûn! Nûn! Êdê! Êdê! (Grk.)
Nunc! Nunc! Iam! Iam! (Lat.)

x. Complete the talisman

At the astrologically elected time, begin completing the image. Think about the meanings of the colors, forms, and the image.
Engrave or write the purpose of the talisman and your name on the image. Use appropriate ink or paint. Meditate on the purpose of the talisman.
Draw the Characters on the back of the talisman using appropriate ink or paint.

Draw or engrave the Table, if any, on the back of the talisman. (I fill in the table with Greek alphabetic numerals.)
Draw or engrave the Seal and Intelligence, if any, on the back of the talisman.

xi. Kathierôsis

The purpose of the Kathiérôsis is to purify the object for its magical purpose by immersing it in consecrated substances representing the elements.

1. Say, "I do these rites to purify this talisman."[7]

2. By Fire

Pass the tool through or over the flames of the altar, lamp, or candle, and say:

The fiery blazes burn out all the dross.
In Zeus's name: be thou cleansed by Fire!

3. By Air

Hold it in the incense smoke and say:[8]

Olympian breezes blow away all taint.
In Hera's name: be thou cleansed by Air!

4. By Water.

You may use the Lustral Water or an oil or salve of myrrh, cinnamon, rose, or lilies.[9] If immersion of the object is not appropriate, then use a laurel sprig to sprinkle the water or oil on it. Say:

The Ocean's waters wash out every stain.
In Poseidon's name: be thou cleansed by water!

5. By Earth.

You may sprinkle the talisman with Consecrated Salt or aromatic herbs,[12], or you may place the object under a previously empowered pentacle,[13] or under a dish containing the Water or Earth substances.[14] Say:

The fertile soil of Earth renews all things.
In Demeter's name: be thou cleansed by Earth!

6. Consecration spell. [15]

Meditate on the talisman, its construction, its imagery (known or unknown), and the purpose for which you intend it; then say:

Now thou art cleansed by every element
To serve my needs and answer my intent.
I consecrate thee by the names divine
Of all the Gods, and by this sacred sign.

7. ΥΓΙΕΙΑ (Ὑγίεια, Hugíeia) Pentagram.

Draw the pentagram with your finger, wand, athame etc. horizontally over the object. (If you use your hand, then close your fist and point the thumb and first finger.[16]) Start with the line from the left arm to the right arm of the pentagram. As you draw it, toward the end of each stroke sound one of the letters Υ, Γ, Ι, ΕΙ, Α:

huuuuu, gggggg, eeeeee, aaaaay, aaaaaah

The central “I” should be intoned at a higher pitch than the other letters. (Hugieia is the Pythagorean name for the Pentagram and means soundness and well being. The letters represent the elements Water (Ὕδωρ, Hudôr), Earth (Γαῖα, Gaía), Spirit (Ἰδέα, Idéa), Fire (Εἵλη, Heílê) and Air (Ἀήρ, Aêr). See The Pythagorean Pentacle for more information.)

xi. Empsukhôsis

(The purpose of the Empsukhosis is to "animate" or "ensoul" the tool.[18])

1. Prayer [36]: While continuing to offer libations and burn incense, say:
I've called on You, Great Gods, and through You on
the Elements, that You may give both might
divine and strength supreme to this my tool,
and make it powerful and potent now!
I pray to You, O mighty Gods, to make
this consecration perfect and complete!
2. Empsukhôsis 1: The Breath: “Now listen to these ancient words:; Ἥφαιστον δ’ ἐκέλευσε περικλυτὸν ὅτι τάχιστα
γαῖαν ὕδει φύρειν, εν δ’ ἀνθρώπου θέμεν αὐδὴν
καὶ σθένος;    Hêphaiston d’ekeleuse perikluton hotti takhista
   gaian hudei phurein, en d’anthrôpou themen audên
   kai sthenos

   ‘He bade Hephaistos, well-renowned, to wet the earth
   with water speedily, to add both human voice
   and strength’ — Hesiod, W&D 60-2

And so I ask the God of Craft to please
inspire this inert stuff with life and strength!”
3. Empsukhôsis 2: The Gates[37]: Hold the object up and say:

Immortal Gods! Attend my prayers and grant
that I may fill with spirit this, my tool.
Athánatoi! Deûro Mákaroi! — Immortals! Hither, Blessed Ones!
The Gates of Earth are opened!
The Gates of Sea are opened!
The Gates of Sky are opened!
The Gates of Sun and Moon
and all the Stars are opened!

My spirit has been heard by all the Gods,
So give now spirit to this mystery,
which I have made, O Gods whom I have named,
O gracious Gods on whom I've called.
Give breath to this, the mystery I've made!
4. Empsukhôsis 3: The Heptagram[38]: “I now inspire the breath of life in thee
By singing loud the Holy Heptagram:
Α — ΕΕ — ΗΗΗ — ΙΙΙΙ — ΟΟΟΟΟ — ΥΥΥΥΥΥ — ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ.”
(ah — ehh — aaay — eeee — awwwww — üüüüüü — oooooooh)
The letters are sung in the Dorian mode (that is, d, e, f, g, A, B, C).Say:
“Just as the Gods have breathed life into me,
So I have turned the wheels of life in thee!”
5. Empowerment of Wand: Take up your wand or other directive instrument and say:

In ancient times, O God of Craft, You gave
Your wands to mortals — even Agamemnon then

“stood with the wand in his hand, that Hephaistos cunningly had crafted.” (Iliad II.101 [39])
ἔστη σκῆπτρον ἔχων, τὸ μὲν Ἥφαιστος κάμε τεύχων.
éstê skêptron ékhôn, to men Hêphaistos káme teúkhôn.

Empower now this wand to serve my need
and charge this tool to execute my will!
6. Charge: Point the wand at the object to be consecrated and command:
I charge thee by the powers of the Gods,
by Sun and Moon and Stars,
by Fire, Water, Earth, and Air,
to serve the Gods through me.
I consecrate thee by the names:
[use appropriate Divine Names]
By every holy name!
Fiat! (or Esto! or It is done!)

These spells may be repeated seven times for greater efficaciousness.[40]

xij. Celebration:

Celebrate further the beneficence of the God or Daimôn with music, song, poetry, and other offerings.

xiij. Release (Apólusis):

Pour a final libation and say:

I thank Thee, Lord/Lady, for consecrating this,
my tool; I thank Thee for Thy gracious help.
I'm grateful for Thy gifts and ask no more.

The thanks offerings may accompany or be followed by a release such as this:[release]

Depart, O Master/Mistress, to Thy Realm,
To Thine own Palace, to Thy Throne.
Restore the Order of this World.
Be gracious and protect me, Lord/Lady.
We thank Thee for Thy presence. Go in Joy!
Farewell!

The formulas

Depart, my Lord/Lady! Hence! Farewell!
Ἄπαγε, ὤ Κύριε/Κυρία. Ἕκας. Χαῖρε.
Ápage, O Kúrie/Kuría! Hekás! Khaíre! (Grk.)
Apage, O Domine/Domina! Procul! Vale! (Lat.)

may be repeated until the God is perceived to have departed. It is appropriate to "blow a kiss" to the departing Deity: kiss your palm and then stretch out your arm.

If you have assistants, declare the formal end of the working by saying:

The Rites are done.
Τελεταί εἰσι τέλειαι.
Teletaí eisi téleiai. (Grk., The rites are complete.)
Ilicet. (Lat., You may go; it is done.)

xiv. Closing:

You and your assistants step backward out of the sacred circle (which opens it), turn around to the right, and leave without looking back. If your assistants are unfamiliar with the practice, you may say something like:

Step backward through the sacred circle, turn
toward your right and do not look behind.
Depart and keep your silence till we're gone.

The working will be most efficacious if you and your assistants have no converse with one another or with other people before retiring for the night (or at least no sooner than removing your ritual robes). [closing]

xv. Reinforcement:

You may repeat the libation, censing, and prayer three times per day, at appropriate hours, for 14 days. (I usually do it only once per day, due to practical limitations.)

Pronunciation Guidelines

This rite includes various words and phrases from ancient magical practice. In most cases these are given in Greek, Latin and English. Each Magos must decide, based on his experience as well as on the knowledge of his assistants, what balance to use between English, which is immediately comprehensible, and ancient words imbued with power through ancient magical practice. One reasonable compromise is to say the word or phrase twice, in English and in one of the ancient tongues. Following are guidelines for reasonably authentic ancient pronunciation.

Ancient Greek

Contemporary scholarship has established the following pronunciation for Ancient Greek, as transcribed here in the Roman alphabet (see also A Brief Guide to Ancient Greek Pronunciation A Brief Guide

Latin

Notes

[altar]: See, e.g., PGM III.295-9, 304-5, IV.2190, XIII.1010-12.
[cloth]: See for example PGM IV.171-2 and MAW p. 116.
[sanctuary]: MAE p. 77, MIAS p. 228.
[fire]: E.g. PGM IV.910, 919. On the red-taboo see PGM I.278, II.57, IV.1391-2, VII.595, xiv.120-1; red is an inauspicious color in Egyptian magic [PGM p. 336, MAE p. 81].
[water]: For the use of natron (a natural compound of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate), see e.g. PGM IV.2970, xiv.119-20. On salt and water see MIAS pp. 226-7, 229.
[incense]: MAW p. 179, e.g. PGM IV.215, 1309-16, 2678-84.
[offerings]: E.g. PGM I.289, IV.1393-4, 2191, V.230-4, XII.21-3, xiv.65-8.
[circumambulation]: See, for example, PGM IV.2970-2. See also MIAS p.95 and AM p. 152 = Lucian Philopseud. 12. The circumambulation may be three times for the Three Worlds (Sky, Sea, Underworld), seven times for the Seven Planetary Spheres, or nine times for the Nine Rings of Ocean [CGDS s.v. circumambulation].
[direction]: See, for examples, PGM III.310, 325, 692, IV.261, 1096, 3195, VII.600, XII.213-15, XIII.8, 641-6, 824-42, 855-70.
[lustration]: See LSJ, s.v. kherniptomai; Aeneid II.279, MIAS pp. 20n7, 228.
7: Wallis, 105, 116.
8: Cf. PGM VII.628, XII.201.
9: PGM IV.475, V.213, VII.628.
12: PGM VII.429. See also Wallis, 105, 107 for use of earth for purification.
13: PGM IV.2145.
14: Cf. PGM III.410.
15: Cf. PGM IV.475, 2145. See Wallis (96) on purification by sympathetic substances.
16: A gesture of protection (Pinch, 83).
18: Bonner, 15-7
36: PGM XII.270.
37: Cf. PGM XII.270 (325-334).
38: Cf. PGM II.201, XIII.1 (206-7). See also Bonner (12, 186) and Godwin (Chs. 1, 2).
39: The verses of Homer have magical potency; see, for examples, PGM IV.467, 469, 471, 474, 475, 2145.
40: Wallis, 169.
[release]: Based on PGM IV.3120-4, V.41-52, xiv.86-7; see also PGM I.94-5, 185, 342-7, II.176-83, IV.1061-5, VII.334. Voces magicae for release include ανανακ ωρβεουσιρ αεηιουω [PGM IV.920] and χωω or κω, which is the Coptic word for "depart" [PGM IV.1066 & note]
[closing]: E.g. PGM I.38-9, IV.43-5, 2491-2, VII.440-2, MAW p. 115.

References

Good general introductions are MAW and AM. Then study PGM; good examples are I.262-347, II.1-64, IV.154-285, 475-829 ("Mithras Liturgy"), 850-929, 930-1114, V.96-102, XIII.1-343, xiv.117-49. Flowers [HM] has adapted for modern use many of the spells in PGM. Although these papyri are from Egypt, they reflect Greek magic more than Egyptian; in any case magical practice was cosmopolitan in late antiquity [PGM pp. lvi-ii, MAE p. 163].

[AM]: Luck, George. Arcana Mundi: Magic and the Occult in the Greek and Roman Worlds, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1985.
[Bonner, Campbell (1950)]: Studies in Magical Amulets, Chiefly Graeco- Egyptian. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1950.
[CGDS]: Chevalier, Jean, & Gheerbrant, Alain. A Dictionary of Symbols, tr. by John Buchanan-Brown, Penguin, 1996.
[Godwin, Joscelyn (1991)]: The Mystery of the Seven Vowels, in Theory and Practice. Grand Rapids: Phanes Press, 1991.
[Graf, Fritz (1991)]: Prayer in Magic and Religious Ritual. In Magica Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion, ed. by Christopher A. Faraone & Dirk Obbink. New York & Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991.
[GTM]: Mauss, Marcel. A General Theory of Magic, tr. by Robert Brain, Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1972.
[HM]: Flowers, Stephen Edred (ed. & intro.). Hermetic Magic: The Postmodern Magical Papyrus of Abaris, Weiser, 1995.
[Hull, John M. (1974)]: Hellenistic Magic and the Synoptic Tradition, Studies in Biblical Theology, 2nd ser., #28. Naperville: Alec R. Allenson, 1974.
[LSJ]: Liddell, H. G., Scott, R., & Jones, H. S. A Greek-English Lexicon, 9th ed. with suppl., Oxford University Press, 1968.
[MAE]: Pinch, Geraldine. Magic in Ancient Egypt, University of Texas Press, 1994.
[MAW]: Graf, Fritz. Magic in the Ancient World, Harvard University Press, 1997.
[MH]: Faraone, Christopher A., & Obbink, Dirk. Magika Hiera: Ancient Greek Magic and Religion, Oxford University Press, 1991.
[MIAS]: Parker, Robert. Miasma: Pollution and Purification in Early Greek Religion, Oxford University Press, 1983.
[PGM]: Betz, Hans Dieter (ed.). The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation Including the Demotic Spells, 2nd ed., University of Chicago Press, 1992.
[Pinch, Geraldine (1994)]: Magic in Ancient Egypt. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1994.
[RMAP]: Versnel, H. S. "Religious Mentality in Ancient Prayer," in H. S. Versenel (ed.), Faith, Hope and Worship: Aspects of Religious Mentality in the Ancient World, E. J. Brill, 1981.
[Wallis, Wilson D. (1939)]: Religion in Primitive Society. New York: F. S. Crofts & Co., 1939.

Return to Biblioteca Arcana page

Send comments about this page
Last updated: 2017-11-12.

Talisman Consecration Ritual Ad Amuletum Consecrandum Ritus