I stared at the broken fragments in despair: what could have caused my precious Chalice to shatter? I felt particularly galled since it had accompanied me for at least twenty-five years in one form or another. I had to face the unfortunate fact: if I wanted to continue practising ceremonial magick, I would need a new Water Cup
I immediately decided that in order to do this properly, I would have to cut no corners and consecrate a new Cup in the traditional manner, using the ritual for the consecration of elemental weapons in full form. An unexpected benefit of doing so arose in the form of being able to appreciate this ritual with the benefit of many more years experience. In other words, when an Adeptus Minor first consecrates his tools, it will be not long after he has attained that grade, and hence, presumably, still rather naïve. Whereas I was coming back to it with the benefit of what I had learnt since.
Nowhere was this more obvious than in the realisation that when consecrating the Tools, the new 5=6 is expected to use Enochian magick, the full details of which he is only expected to learn after he has finished consecrating the same Tools!
The actual ceremony is pretty straightforward in structure. There is a general opening: following which there is a three-part invocation for each of the Tools – Wand, Cup, Dagger and Pentacle. The first part is a Qabalistic invocation of the element in general, by appealing to the Hebrew Divine, Angelic and Elemental names most of which are contained in the outer order knowledge lectures.
The second part is Enochian: the Adept is imbuing or linking the Tool with the properties of the specific parts of the Enochian Watchtowers. Firstly: the three secret names of God born upon the Banners of that respective quadrant, as well as the King. The three names (from the Linea Spiritus Sancti) command the spirits of the Tablet in general, whilst the King, whose name spirals around the centre, creates the Invoking Whorl which rouses those spirits to action in the first place. Secondly, the Six Seniors, who represent the planetary energies at work in that Element. Thirdly, the spirits of the individual lesser angles who are each represented by the primary Kerub associated therewith.
When one makes this invocation, one is facing the relevant Enochian Watchtower over the altar on which the Elemental tool is currently resting. Despite the fact that no Enochian calls were being used at this point, I could still sense the presence of the link being made between the Watchtower and the Altar / tool – and the presence of these Enochian beings – simply by calling upon them confidently.
The third part of the invocation is to take the Elemental Tool on its “maiden voyage” as it were, by performing a Supreme Invoking Pentagram Ritual of that particular element whilst using it. This I interpreted as a regular Supreme Invoking Pentagram ritual, but with the addition of an extra Elemental Pentagram to invoke the relevant Lesser Angle of each Watchtower.
After all the tools are consecrated, there is a general closing, with the lesser banishing rituals. As on this occasion I had only consecrated one Tool, I performed an extra Supreme Banishing Ritual Pentagram of that particular Element, before wrapping it in silk – and placing it in a box to make sure it would not suffer the same result as its predecessor.
As for my new Water Cup, the hardest part was carefully drawing out all the sigils that I would need to paint on the thing – and use in the ceremony when making the Qabalistic invocation.
Once I had done that, painting the Cup itself was quite straightforward: I used a small tin of orange enamel paint, purchased from an art supply shop; and a tumbler made of blue glass which I had picked up from a charity shop. Total cost of materials approximately £5, and a couple hours of my time. I also printed out the consecration ceremony, making sure that I had figured out the correct pronunciation of the Enochian names involves, so I would not have to resort to guesswork or stumble over a bunch of eldritch consonants in the critical moment.
In conclusion, I cannot help but think of the various arguments for and against whether it is possible to self-initiate into the Golden Dawn tradition. To my mind, the path of the Adeptus Minor itself starts off as a regular initiation, followed by a series of Self-Initiation Rituals in all but name: i.e. when one consecrates ones own lotus wand, rose cross lamen, magic sword, and elemental tools, one is deliberately taking one’s spiritual destiny into one’s own hands.
Sol Ascendans - The Website of Alex Sumner 
Dear Alex,
I am not fully aware of the exact time at which you started the consecration, nor the time at which it was concluded. Yet, I will say this:
Although, a long used Ceremonial Tool/Elemental Weapon, such as your former cup, is indeed heavily magnetized and especially potent, I believe, your new cup was born out of the most beneficent Waters…
Venus has been dignified by term, since Wednesday (3 Aug) and she will be so until Monday (8 Aug). As you may be well aware, one way to “fortify” a matter ruling the election, is by putting a benefic in an “element” attributed thereto and keeping the malefics out of it.
I am of the opinion that since Saturn will move into Pisces in the coming year, and since he will not leave soon after 😉, the Higher Forces (i.e.: Deities, Archangels, Inner Plane Adepti, Spirits, etc.) gave you a head start by bestowing this Sacred Cup on you, lest the waters become prisons (Carcer) in which your rituals would not thrive…
And finally, I wish to say that I am rather surprised by the ceremonial magicians, for whom it is as if they disregard astrology in their Work. I seldom see an adept looking up, before any attempt at magic. Of the adepts in the GD tradition, I know you have been doing so even for a Hexagram ritual (Sol), and John Michael Greer for many of his operations; I thank you for that! Nick Farrell and Aaron Leitch, both of whom I truly admire, seem to not care that much about the astral conditions, or at least from what I have gathered.
*Would you be so kind as to write one blog post or two addressing this problem and the reasons behind it based on years of experience, also inviting the GD adepts to speak about the place of astrology in their own ‘modern’ GD (and other) work?
(I have two more ideas for your blog posts, if you are interested, I would love to share them with you.)
As a side note, if the consecration took place in the Hour of Venus or of the Moon, if she was dignified then, that is, being in the first decan of Libra (which is especially fortunate because of the reception between Moon and Venus, a remedy to a subject of considerable debate in the Tradition over who is the True ruler of water😉), during the night, it is even more desirable.
Reason: Venus at her best, being the benefic of the Sect + Appropriate planetary hours for preparation of water in the Solomonic Tradition; Let us also remember Etheric and Magnetic Currents are built more readily in the night (‘Coagula’ of the Alchemists)…
Someone on the Astral has got your back! I would thank them… 💙
Thank you for your comment. I will pursue your suggestions for blog posts anon. As regards timing, I was actually going by the GD system of estimating what Tattva was in course at the appropriate time. I believe Astrology is relevant to working with zodiacal and planetary forces, which is why I tend to do a lot of horary and electional astrology when I have a mind to do that sort of ritual.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Wonderful! having achieved this only by considering the tattva in course?! Now you have got me yearning for arrival of Passover so I could start the Abramelin Operation! As Dion would have said “You have descended into the elemental kingdom from above, bringing with you your manhood; thus you were an initiator to the elementals…”
I am of the opinion that you received the initiation into the 4=7 grade particularly well which makes analysis of the chart of the initiation ceremony, the condition of Venus in your nativity and progressed Venus intriguing.
I respect your Path and have picked up valuable knowledge from your experience myself. But I think the use of astrology is not solely limited to making of talismans as Nick Farrell suggests nor to Evocation as is utilised by Aaron Leitch. What comes below, apart from personal experience, serves as a basis for my belief:
Netzach is Venus, the Green Nature Ray, elemental force, the initiation of the emotions. (Ch. 8)
Netzach (Venus) represents the higher aspects of the elemental forces, the Green Ray (Ch. 11)
Netzach is concerned with the Nature forces and elemental contacts (Ch. 20)
– The Mystical Qabalah by Dion Fortune (2000)
“Astrology is connected with this Ray [Third Ray], because, so far as an outsider may understand, the science of it is to know exactly when is the best time to do anything, to set any given forces in motion, and to know also when the present time is not a fitting one to do a certain thing, and in that way save ourselves a great deal of trouble and make ourselves more useful.”
– The Masters and the Path by C. W. Leadbeater, Ch. 12: The Chohans of the Rays
EVERY natural virtue doth work things far more wonderful when it is … informed by a choice observation of the celestials opportune to this (viz. when the celestial power is most strong to that effect which we desire, and also helped by many celestials) by subjecting inferiors to the celestials … Also in EVERY work there are to be observed the situation, motion, and aspect of the stars and planets, in signs and degrees …
– Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Chapter 29: “Of the Observation of Celestials, Necessary in Every Work”)
In LVX,