Tonight’s meditations opened up the second phase of my meditative acts: devotional ritual and prayer to the distinctly post-modern god/dess Baphomet. If linear time were a thing, we would say that the god Baphomet began as an accusation whispered against the Templars — possibly a French bastardization of “Mohammed”. The goat-headed androgyne we recognize today was first attested by Eliphas Levi. (See Wikipedia for the short version; enjoy your conspiracy-greased rabbit hole of choice thereafter.) Levi was, in fact, my first encounter with Baphomet — Doctrine and Ritual of Trancendental Magic was one of the first magical books I ever bought — but, like much of the world, my relationship with the god owes more to Peter Carroll’s “Mass of Chaos B”, as presented in Liber Null & Psychonaut.
I built the altar slowly over the course of the day, but I inevitably found myself fussing with it throughout the evening’s meditations, trying to attune it so as to best please the god.
As I had planned from the outset, I opened my week devoted to Baphomet by returning to Carroll’s “Mass…” The effects were, in some ways, less spectacular than the last times I performed the rite. At the same time, I think my magickal voltmeter might be calibrated somewhat differently since then, and I now have an established relationship with the god, making a dramatic reveal on zir part somewhat unnecessary. The rite completed, I lit my candle and sat to listen.
Four things stood out.
Firstly, Baphomet’s presence in the room was far more immanent than that of Dionysos. Not that the god was closer, per se, but perhaps that zie had less distance to travel?
Secondly, I was informed that tomorrow night’s meditation is to be a return (again) to DDRH’s Baphomet Ritual.
Thirdly, I as I was meditating I became acutely aware of the attention of the other magical masks hanging in my altar room. I’m really really not sure what to do with that. Hopefully clarity will come with time?
Finally, sitting still for that lone is getting much easier very quickly. So, something of a victory there.