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AutonomatriXCorpus Fecundi Index
Intro
My inititation was a very strange creation. I came from a background heavy in Hermetics & orthodox-style magick and this approach wasn,t compatible with the chaos magick I was seeking to learn about. Even though my initiation mocks orthodoxy it shares in it partially. Looking back at my initiation I see why it was altered so much when it came to the actual event both for the surprise element and to take away some orthodox elements. Just for kicks, I,ll include the initiation both as I wrote it and as it happened.
The Initiation As It Was Written
I. Urban Vision Quest in 3-D
The first phase of the initiation consists of a long urban trek & quest. The Initiate starts at the Brisbane County/S.F. County border at sunup and has until sundown to complete the walk. Initiate is allowed to bring along 3 items to complete the initiation with other than clothing. If the initiate chooses that one of these items should be money he is allowed no more than $5. Before the initiators leave the initiate they give him a destination such as 2 cross streets or a small (1 block large) park. The initiators should try choosing a destination which the initiate isn't familiar with.
1. The initiate goes to the destination and searches for some object, sign, or graffiti that the initiators have left for him. The sign/object should be difficult to find, but unmistakable once found. This sign/object gives further instructions on where to go and maybe even when to go there.
For example, the sign might be a coke can w/ tiny holes poked in the side in the shape of a pentagram. The can is placed in the gutter with several other cans, making it nearly anonymous until closely inspected. Inside the can are found 2 stones. Each stone has a street name painted on it and the 2 together give the Initiate his new destination.
The initiators may choose to repeat step 1 as time permits, sending the initiate from location to location. Finally the Initiate proceeds to step 2.
2. The initiate is directed to stand guard at a particular intersection or site. The initiate may not abandon his post until he makes contact w/ "the stranger." The stranger is someone unknown to the initiate who is in league with the initiators. The stranger never hints who s/he is but gives the initiate ample opportunity to identify hir. Before the initiation or during the initiation the initiate will be given instructions on how to make contact with the stranger. For example, the initiators may set up secret phrases: The initiate says "Could you pass the sauerkraut?" and the stranger responds "Hail Eris!" Or, for example, the initiate may be given a dayglo yo-yo to give the stranger. Once the stranger has been correctly identified s/he tells the initiate his final destination or (if it's late enough) takes him there.
3. Obtain effigy of status quo. Throughout the Initiate,s travels he is required to construct or find an effigy or token of the status quo which is the enemy. The effigy is up to the discretion of the Initiate and should be fairly large, vulnerable to sharp objects, and should contain a material link to the target(s). The targets may be internal or external.
II. A Cast of Thousands
At or after sundown the Initiate arrives at the ritual site. The ritual begins immediately upon the arrival of the Initiate. The ritual is performed by 3 initiators: Voodoo Loa Papa Legba, Egyptian Deity Horus, and the Universal Archetype of the Devil. These correspond respectively to the planets Mercury, Mars, and Saturn. [Qabbalistic Note: mercury, mars, and Saturn (8,5,3) correspond w/ the 3 sephiroth on the left hand of the tree of life. These 3 sephiroth relate to SEVERITY. This is why it is appropriate that these 3 test the initiate.]
III. Pre-Rite Fun
Each initiator has a unique preparation to make.
Before the ritual, the Devil prepares no less than 10 questions on occult correspondences, philosophy, Tarot cards, I Ching hexagrams, symbolism, ritual techniques, yoga knowledge, etc. The answers should be designed so that initiate can never seem to answer correctly. The answers should be impossible to guess, infuriatingIy simple, or just plain trick questions. 4 examples of this:
Q: What planet corresponds with the color Blue? My answer: Jupiter Response: Wrong! The correct answer is the "sky" because the sky is blue. Since when is Jupiter blue?? Foolish mortal!
Q: How is it customary to end a rite at Temple Babel?
A: with laughter
R: Wrong again! By leaving the house.
[in the case that the initiate answers ''by leaving the house" the
correct answer would be changed to "with laughter"]
Q: What is the sign of the enterer? A: <doing sign of Horus> R: Wrong! It's like this: <Devil knocks on imaginary door> "Is anyone there?"
Q: The Prince of Swords enters a smoky bar and finds the King of Disks. He asks "Where can one find the Princess of Disks?" What does the King say? A: ?!? uh... "She's the bartender?" R: Wrong again, foolish one! The correct response is "She's at home watching soaps!"
Before the rite Horus procures an axe (the better balanced the better). Horus engraves or paints upon the axe a symbol for the AutonomatriX (the standard symbol or one of hir choosing). Horus consecrates the axe with a Mars ritual of hir own choosing.
Papa Legba provides enough rum and cigars for all present. Legba (and everyone else to a lesser extent) indulges in rum and cigars, which are Legba's sacraments. Those present who don't indulge in rum should help to pour rum upon the floor of the ritual area. Those who don't indulge in cigars should help by setting cigars to burn as incense. Legba's representative draws the vever for Legba on ground in the central place of ritual site. Preferably flour is used to draw the vever. The Initiator invokes Legba through a method of hir own choosing. All participants aid in the invocation through ritual chanting and/or dancing. The Legba invocation is already underway by the time the Initiate arrives.
Before the initiate day, the Initiate provides graveyard dust and brass shavings. The Initiate may provide money for the costs of rum, cigars, axe, and feast.
IV. Urban Initiation Rite in 5-D!
[Initiators are requested to follow the spirit of the Rite rather than the letter. The wording may be re-phrased in whatever way seems right at the moment.]
<Novice comes before Initiators. Legba is in center w/ Devil & Horus on either side.>
Devil: Welcome to your Universe!
Horus: Now go home!
Legba: It is because of your searching that you found the AX. It is by your will that we now all stand before you. None of this would have existed unless you had not created it. As you create the Universe it must be YOU who starts this ritual.
<Initiate banishes using Star Ruby. Following this the 3 initiators stand around the initiate. The initiate turns to face each initiator in turn.>
Devil: You seek initiation into the AX, yet you chose to start your own initiation w/ some boring CANNED structured icky ritual. What gives? <Initiate answers as he sees fit> Devil: <Grim Chuckle> Likely story. Let me test what you've learned in 4 months of sponsorship. <Devil interrogates initiate with the prepared questions> Devil: I can see you,re much too serious. These serious thoughts of yours are the walls of your prison. Destroy the walls that your mind may roam free! All repeat: Destroy the walls that your mind may roam free! Devil: Let this graveyard dust let the winds hear our cry that you be free of grave thoughts. <Devil sprinkles graveyard dust to each direction & then on head of initiate. The Devil intones "IO Sabbao!" to each direction.>
Horus: What effigy have you brought us to be destroyed?
<Initiate answers as he sees fit>
Horus: Just as you have created this enemy now you must destroy
t!
<Horus gives his specially prepared axe to the candidate. Horus
attaches the effigy to a backdrop (such as a large piece of wood)
and positions the backdrop an appropriate distance from the initiate.
The initiate now must throw the ax at the effigy until it is destroyed
& in pieces. Afterwards, Horus picks up the pieces of the
effigy.> Horus: You have made, preserved, and finally destroyed
your enemy. Remember in times of war to fight in the name of FUN
and no other. Keep the Ax as a token of that FUN. <Horus casts
all pieces of the destroyed effigy to the quarters upon the iniliate.)
Horus: There is no Lord but FUN
All repeat: There is no Lord but FUN
Legba: Your way be made open! I, the guardian of the crossroads, now see you through.
<Legba draws the sign of a cross within a circle in the air towards each quarter While drawing this sign Legba vibrates the name of a Gods of initiation / crossroads: S. Ganesha, E. Anubis, N. Hecate, W. Papa Legba!>
Legba: As you have cast the world into a static uninspiring mold it must be you who now destroys this mold! Let all patterns and rituals of labor and thought be DESTROYED! May ingenuity, ingenuity, endurance, flexibility, and curiosity rule your way! Let this dust be cast to the wind that you might accomplish your Will in locksmithing and Magick! <Legba sprinkles brass shavings to the quarters & upon initiate.>
Legba: Congratulations! You're re-elected!
<Legba takes off top hat & as he says the word "re-elected" he
places it on the initiate.>
All repeat: Congratulations! You're re-elected!
Celebration all around with applause & laughter, followed by a feast & extreme entertainment.
=VEVER FOR LEGBA =
= Sign of CROSS in a CIRCLE =
(If chaos isn't symmetrical why should my circles be?)
I. Urban Vision Quest in 3-D
This is the only part of the initiation that I regret was modified. I think it would have been interesting to work with these ideas. I realize that they are very time & resource consuming and understand why this got skipped.
As it worked out I did the walk with no outside interference and it still worked out to be a valuable experience. The downside is that San Francisco isn,t an incredibly large city and I was able to walk from one corner to the other well before sunset. I never really got lost, which could have been fun. During the walk I bought my ax from a tiny pawnshop named "No Money No Honey" at 18th and Mission. I practiced throwing it in Golden Gate Park and finally concluded the walk at China Beach. Hours into the walk a name came to me, "Augoras."
II. A Cast of Thousands
These 3 main roles actually were kept intact for the initiation. Interestingly, I heard years later that the black/purple color scheme I assigned to Papa Legba (Ellegua, Exu, Legba) actually is appropriate for Ogun. Legba,s colors are black/red.
III. Pre-Rite Fun
I scratched my own sigil into the ax. Horus (played by Darakan.1312) painted a simple sigil that looked like a modified letter A on the ax and charged it quickly with his own chaos bolt charging technique. I provided the initiators with that ax and some brass metal shavings (I had plenty around from cutting keys).
IV. Urban Initiation Rite in 5-D!
It all started in a nasty way. After one of our regular Babel workings (this one was at Ocean Beach) several ax members tried to handcuff me. I went, but only with a fight. They blindfolded me and took me on a half an hour drive to one member,s house. [I still wonder "What is it with the blindfolded / hands bound style of initiation?" This seems so old school. Next initiation I,m involved with will have no binding.]
The rite started and went generally as planned. Oh, those 3 Godforms sure were mocking. Horus struck me the greatest blow by making fun of the whole concept of my initiation. Instead of throwing the ax at an effigy until it was "in pieces" he made fun of the whole idea. Incredulously he asked "Does that sound like fun to you?"
The initiation was only beginning after the script written above. The best part started I invoked Eris. I was led to a different room of the house. A hilarious videotape was playing showing strange scenes for an instant at a time. Everyone involved in the initiation entered the room one at a time and did bizarre stunts for me: annointing my forehead with the sigil of Eris, doing a surreal dance, or offering me a bong. It reminds me of the Monty Python Flying Circus "Confuse a Cat" sketch.
A writeup can,t do justice to the energy summoned, but the initiation was a success and I got my own Eris at no additional cost.
"Burglarize houses, but instead of stealing leave poetic terrorist objects. Kidnap someone and make them happy." Hakim Bey
AutonomatriX