Crucifix of ADAM

In the realm of magic, names hold power. Mine was bestowed upon me by Leonardo himself - Smith. It's a moniker that has stuck, not just for its simplicity, but for the essence it captures of my practice.

As a magical smith, my craft is one of listening and creation. The spirits, the energies, the very fabric of magic itself - they whisper their needs, and I learn to fulfil them. Sometimes, this means honing tangible skills: the patient moulding of clay, the fierce heat of metalwork. Other times, it's diving deep into mythology, uncovering ancient stories that unlock new workings or reveal the perfect ritual gesture.

But magic isn't always about concrete actions or lore. There are moments when it demands a leap of faith, where the act of jumping - that moment of suspended disbelief and trust - becomes the magical working itself.

This blog is an exploration of my journey as a magical smith. It's about the art of listening, the challenge of creation, and the ever-evolving nature of magical practice. Join me as we forge new pathways in the mystical realms, one whisper, one craft, one leap at a time.

I'd like to take you on a practical journey next, detailing the creation of a powerful magical tool that I’m naming the Crucifix of Adam. I wasn’t really sure what I was doing when I first crafted it, but as with most initiations that come from crafting a tool, you just have to trust the process.

Olive Wood from Bethlehem

I actually bought some Ash wood blanks first (more obviously solar I thought) but ended up using them for a different project. Exu kills a bird yesterday with an arrow shot today… So why olive wood? It’s a good question. Olive wood holds a special place in magical traditions, often associated with peace, wisdom, and victory. For me though it was Agrippa's work that lists out the Orphic correspondences to the number 12 that inspired me. The significance here is the 12 signs of the zodiac and in a comprehensive list he puts Olive wood against Aries. (see Chapter XIV Book Two, Of the Number eleven, and the number twelve; with a double Scale of the Number twelve Cabalisticall, and Orphicall)

I had made a prayer station last year for some work with Heramael (King of the Gnomes) which was actually for Dis Pater himself when it materialised. I wasn’t sure why I was doing that at the time until visit from an old magician put me on the straight and narrow. But it wasn’t a Christian cross.

“The cross is older than Christianity!” shouts my mentor, true the shape was an equal armed cross. The cross of the sun, the cross road. Much later I then found the following in the Picatrix.

As we have no way to perceive the proper forms of the planetary spirits, the ancient masters of this art chose the cross as a universal figure for them. (See Book 3 Chapter 5 On Figures) As the book says this, ‘universal majesty’ is one of the ‘secrets of the art’ and Greer and Warnock point out that Gnostic texts describe Jesus triumphing over the archons, ‘often with a connection to the stauros (cross)’. A powerful tool indeed.

The Crafting Process:

I bought two olive wood blanks from eBay. Then using a mitre and a small saw, when the moment was right, created enough of a gap to lock the two arms equally. I then painted the cross red. As I started to fashion the piece, it became clearer the symbolism it was playing. It’s connection to the March spring equinox. The ‘new sun’ and the birth of a great power. A bringing of the light from the east.

Creating a cavity in the centre of the cross, a combination of a consecrated Dremel and some recently acquired tools from the Father-in-Law, I then filled with sage root that had been nourished with holy water for several days prior, harvested with the PGM charm and cut with a curved bronze knife (by my good lady dressed in white a barefoot)

As per Agrippa’s correspondences, I used a sardonyx stone, secured with leather wrapping.

Diving Deeper: The Ostanes Connection and Celestial Alignments

In the decan system described by Ostanes, the ancient Persian magician, the first decan of Aries is named Aidoneus, a reference to Hades. In ancient Greek mythology, Aidoneus was a mythical king of the Molossians in Epirus. He was portrayed as the husband of Persephone and the father of Kore. The story of Aidoneus involves the famous heroes Theseus and Pirithous, and it intertwines with the myth of Hades' kidnapping of Persephone. This decan holds a weighty significance as well as emphasising the importance of seeing the underworld in the sky.

In the Egyptian system the first decan of Aries is ruled by the sun due to the Egyptian astrological rules of sect. The Chaldean system says that it’s ruled by Mars. In the Grimorium Verum, this corresponds perfectly with Lucifer, both as the 'light-bringer' and as the chthonic sun in the night sky (Mars).

This convergence of solar, martial, and chthonic energies at the Spring equinox creates a powerful moment for magical workings, particularly those dealing with new beginnings, transformation, and illumination. We are at the crossroad of the year and we’re reminded of the dying and resurrecting king god. The sun that rises on the spring equinox is a new reborn king whose power is felt in the king of the winds. He is the god who has died on the cardinal cross and been reborn. The Eastern sun rises to the name Oriens, his messenger Baal, so why do I call him Adam?

ADAM: A Cosmic Compass

The name 'Adam' holds deeper significance in our magical system. In the Greek world, it can be spelled using the cardinal points in order of importance, the sun rising east to west, and the wind that blows north to south:

A - Anatolia (East)

D - Dysis (West)

A - Arktos (North)

M - Mesembria (South)

This spelling maps out a flow of power corresponding to the four kings of the winds, with Oriens at the forefront. The flow moves from East (active) to West (passive), then North (active) to South (passive), mirroring cosmic energetic currents.

In this system, Lucifer, Oriens, and Adam are understood as aspects of the same spiritual force, all embodying illumination, birth and cosmic wisdom.

An important consideration in this practice is the use of solar adoration in the format of something like Liber Resh used in the HOTGD method. I personally have adapted this in partnership with my spirit patrons. The cross I perform on myself as part of the ritual is performed not like the Catholic method of ‘spectacles-testacles’ but emphasising the importance of the cardinal east. I touch the left shoulder to the right then head to the solar plexus. East to West like the sun, North to south like the wind.

There’s also evidence for this type of hierarchy in Plutarch's descriptions in Isis and Osiris. This idea of the power that drives the winds, literal and mythological, is what I was trying to harness. The authority of King Oriens. That’s why the word in the Elucidation of Necromancy caught my attention:

Say their names when you wish to command the winds, and any kind of demons and spirits.

The Semiphoras of Adam: Words of Power

Those words are from the "Seven Semiphoras of Adam" from the Elucidation of Necromancy. In esoteric traditions, Adam is often regarded as the first magician, the original wielder of cosmic knowledge and power. Similarly, Eve is seen as the first witch, initiated into hidden wisdom by the serpent before she, in turn, initiated Adam (see Lucifer Princips; Scarlet Imprint 2005). This primordial magical lineage adds significant weight to any workings associated with their names.

The Semiphoras are words of creation attributed to Adam (Kadmon), akin to speaking the universe's primordial language. He’s also the ‘firstborn’ like the Orphic Phanes, another analogue for the martial planetary energy of creation, lifeforce and birth.

The First-Born and the Rebirth of Light

It's crucial to note that Lucifer, Adam, and their Orphic equivalent Phanes, all share a significant attribute: they are first-borns in their respective traditions. This concept of the 'first-born' carries profound symbolic weight, especially when we consider this ritual's timing at the Spring equinox.

The Spring equinox marks the birth of the new sun for the year, a cosmic event that resonates deeply with these first-born figures. Lucifer, as the light-bringer, heralds the dawn. Adam, the first man, represents the dawn of humanity. Phanes, in Orphic tradition, is the first-born of the cosmic egg, bringing light and order to the universe. By aligning the ritual with this moment of celestial rebirth, we're tapping into a powerful current of renewal and primordial energy. I am not just crafting a magical tool; I am participating in a cosmic cycle of death and rebirth, of darkness giving way to light.

This approach should be seen as a form of deliberate astro-theology. Not merely observing the movements of celestial bodies but actively engaging with the spiritual and mythological significance attributed to these cosmic events. Our magical practice becomes a way of harmonising earthly actions with celestial rhythms, of aligning human consciousness with cosmic consciousness.

In this light, the cross becomes more than a magical implement. It transforms into a microcosm of the universe itself, embodying the cycle of rebirth, the primordial creative force, and the eternal return of light. By working with these concepts, we're participating in a tradition that stretches back to the earliest human attempts to understand and interact with the cosmos.

This astro-theological approach reminds us that magic isn't separate from the world around us. It's deeply interconnected with natural cycles, celestial movements, and the eternal dance of light and darkness. As practitioners, our role is to recognise these connections and work in harmony with them, becoming conscious participants in the grand cosmic drama.

Remember, magic is a journey of continuous learning and exploration. May your path be illuminated by the wisdom of the ancients and the discoveries yet to come.