TEUFELSKUNST Occult Art Blog
TEUFELSKUNST
Occult Art Blog

QQ Incense

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A commission I have been working on for a few weeks and which happened to be completed on the seventh of this month, was the creation of an incense blend for Qayin and his twin-sister/bride Qalmana. The ingredients for these blends are mainly inspired from the workings outlined in Liber Falxifer I and II.

Both blends were completed at the stroke of midnight from August 6 to August 7. At this time Venus was retrograde and at the edge of “plunging” into the underworld. Dark astrology says, “Particularly matters connected with ‘poison’ are accentuated badly”.

I took inspiration from this dark venus aspect and enhanced my Qayin blend with some venific herbs, such as aconite, henbane and mandrake root, which are added in moderate amounts. These address the poisoner aspect and at the same time all have links to necromancy and the underworld. Further ingredients, that count among the more traditional are myrrh, patchouli, blackthorn, sandalwood, wormwood and yew. Cloves are added for fragrance as well as palo santo wood. Tobacco, long pepper and red chili pepper spice up and enhance the blend’s effectiveness. Some rare additions are ebony dust and ironwood shavings, the latter which have been granted to me by a long-time customer. Beside myrrh resin I added also black copal (one of my all time favorites) and opoponax as well as asafoetida. These all possess to links to the dead and necromancy as well as underline the darker aspects of the Qayin. Red carnation flower petals, black and yellow mustard seeds and some more ingredients refine this incense blend, which is suited for special occasions and feast days but also as part of regular offerings.

Scent: earthy, spicy, hot, but at the same time fresh, resembling the smell of a cold grave or crypt, dominant notes of clove, cypress and opoponax

The incense blend for Qalmana in turn, has an overall flowery sweet scent and emphasizes benific aspects of Venus, such as beauty, lovingness and splendor but at the same time also has protective qualities. It contains among others flowers of apple, cherry, elder, lilac and rose. Precious benzoe siam resin, labdanum, vanilla bean etc. combined with spicy ingredients such as coriander and clove yield an exceptional, sweet, floral mystical fragrance. Besides these the blend contains also rosewood as well as whitethorn. The latter is added also to underline the twin/dual aspect of Qalmana towards her spouse, whose incense blend contains blackthorn. A small amount of blue Papaver somniferum seeds reveres the queen of magical plants and adds a dark touch.

Characteristic for both incense blends are woods and resins, as well as fruits, leafs and flowers from thorny trees, such as myrrh, rose, whitethorn and blackthorn respectively, in harmony with the esoteric doctrine pertaining to the path of thorns, upon which Qayin and Qalmana guide their disciples. Protective and baneful, benific and venific elements balance out each other. The blends come along strong and may be mixed in equal amounts with myrrh and frankincense or copal.

Both blends happened to amount to 182 ml each. I am currently not able to sell them on a larger scale. But I consider offering simplified versions better suited for daily usage soon.

On the side, I do not know of any other book dealing as exhaustively with the female counterpart of Qayin as LF II. And it is with some excitement that I see Ixaxaar announce a 3rd and even 4th volume in the series. Looking beyond the controversy surrounding these books they still remain as works of love and devotion to the spirits. They also continue delivering interesting details and pieces in the puzzle to those, who continue searching…

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August 16, 2015

Posted In: Feast Days

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Naamah Incense

Naamah Incense
Composed during the June new moon 2015

One of the commissions I’ve been working on lately and now going into the official Teufelskunst program: the first qliphothic incense blend, an offering to the dark goddess Naamah. Naamah here refers to a demonic entity, sometimes also called the “younger Lilith”. She rules over the lowest sphere on the adverse or reverse tree. Her name is commonly translated as “pleasant one”. Naamah belongs to the sitra ahra, the “other side”. Her sphere is called Nahemoth and of all the adversarial or dark gods she is closest to the created world. Nahemoth is thus sometimes portrayed as a sphere permeated by dead tree-roots entangling with the roots of Malkuth of the tree of life: where the roots of the one tree end the other tree begins. Naamah is therefore associated with the element earth or “black earth”. Her womb is the gate through which the various inclinations of the other side manifest inside the created world. Her beauty is a mask, behind which are hidden darker intentions. She is sometimes also compared to the Whore of Babalon.

Naamah Incense
Naamah incense, 100 ml uv-proof violet glass jar

I was commissioned to compose an incense blend focusing on the “pleasant” aspect. Earthy, warm and musky notes define this blend, which contains various fragrant herbs connected to the darker seasons (autumn and winter) and the element earth as well as other herbs and flowers evocative of Naamah, such as red rose and belladonna. Some of these ingredients are venific in nature (Belladonna, Bittersweet Nightshade), hence this blend is recommended for advanced practitioners.

Besides this I had to find a suitable vessel and packaging. Having been recommended Miron glass before, the uv-proof dark-violet glass would be my first choice for the spirits of the night side. The slender 100 ml wideneck jar also has an elegant shape. Besides this I’m also offering the blend in 50 ml jars. Miron glass is more expensive than normal clear or brown glass. Hence the qliphoth incense blends are a bit more expensive than my standard offers.

For ordering please write e-mail to info@teufelskunst.com with the wished amount. I will get back to you with the full price including shipping and payment info. I accept payments with PayPal and SEPA bank transfer within the EU.

July 2, 2015

Posted In: Ritual

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Book Reviews, Faust’s ‘Threefold Coercion of Hell’

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I’ve been asked to share my insights concerning Faust’s Threefold Coercion of Hell. This inspired me to write my first book review for the website:

Dr. Johannes Faust’s Threefold Coercion of Hell, also called Cabalae nigrae, Magiae naturalis et innaturalis – first published in Passau 1505, the present version was published by Scheible, Stuttgart 1849 and republished by Verlag Geheimes Wissen in 2008. Renown for its rich illustrations, the book is essentially a black-magical grimoire dedicated to the advanced kabbalist, who is instructed in the arte of coercing, binding and making obedient the various spirits and demons. The book is also known as The Black Raven, perhaps in reference to its title page, which shows a black corvid inside a circle.

The main motif of the book is the “Harrowing of Hell”, the descent of Christ into hell, which is re-enacted by the practitioner. The spirits, such as Aciel, Anael and the tutelary Mephistophiel/ Mephistophiles, are illustrated in full color and their peculiarities pertaining to their different appearances and modes of calling and commanding are described in detail. In addition are given countless sigils for the spirits and circles, typically colored in black and red (a trademark of this book). The spirits are in fact demons, or fallen angels… read more

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At the same time I wish to introduce a new website section for book reviews. I am composing the reviews focussing on the content and cultural context and placing emphasis on the peculiarities of each work. I will also try to provide background info on the author’s, when available. If you have written a review or suggestions for titles to add, please share in the comments or write an e-mail to info@teufelskunst.com and I may link them here.

May 20, 2015

Posted In: Reviews

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Spring/Summer 2015

Art is uncompromising and life is full of compromises.

I am starting this post with a quote by German writer and artist Günter Grass (16 October 1927 – 13 April 2015)

There have not been any updates to this blog but this ought to change.

My work with Teufelskunst continues – I have been working on commissions, preparing new items as well as updating the site and re-arranging the list of plant profiles, to which have now been added thumbnails as well as short descriptions. This should make navigation easier and also more attractive. Besides this have been added lots of new articles and the list of herbs discussed in detail is growing. Opening the round for this year are four solar herbs, namely:

Angelica – The aromatic sun and fire herb has a long tradition of usage as a medicinal “all-heal”. Originally called Kvann, it was well-known in Northern Europe, e.g. the Sami people and Vikings used it as a food source and for flavouring. Hence it is also known as “Norwegian Angelica”. After the introduction of christianity and the spreading of the black death…

Lesser Celandine – The herb’s Celtic name “Grian” means “sun”. It has also been referred to as “spring messenger”. The flowers of Lesser Celandine signal the arrival of spring and days getting longer. In German it is called “Scharbockskraut” or “Skorbutkraut” = Scurvyherb. The early leaves are rich in Vitamin C and have been taken on board by sailors…

Primrose – In Norse mythology Cowslip was sacred to the goddess Freya, the “lady”, and was also referred to as “Freya’s Key”. Within christianity the flower became dedicated to St. Peter and the Virgin Mary and was referred to as “Our Lady’s Keys” and “Keys of Heaven” or simply “Keyflower”, which all relate to the bright yellow pendant flowers…

Rue – In magic and folklore rue is believed to break hexes and protect. E.g it was part of the infamous Four Thieves Vinegar, which protected four thieves from the Black Death. It is also known as Herb-of-Grace. Ritual sowing methods demand the pronouncing of curses whilst scattering the seeds respective a young plant ought to be stolen in order to be potent in magic. In Milton’s Paradise Lost

Rue is often used in tinctures, incense and herbal blends for cleansing. Lesser Celandine and Primrose grow in abundance in our yard. And Angelica I have lately been using in different incense blends. I finished the article about this herb late at night and the aromatic scent of Wild Angelica seeds are the last thing I remember, before sinking into a comatose sleep, which granted me a surreal dream with the Dead and the Poisoner. The dream was so strong and intense that I’m guided to use both, the root of Angelica archangelica as well as the aromatic seeds of Angelica sylvestris in dream and divinatory incense blends.

What is planned for the coming months? I have continued work on new wooden seed boxes. I have also worked on new plant sigils, which are to be revealed later this year. I have further been absorbed into researching the conceptual backgrounds and ingredients for new incense blends, which resulted in three new formulae for the Queen of the Night to be presented soon, as well as one incense blend for the Mother of Man-Dragons.

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Besides these I have been commissioned for a solar/fiery incense inspired by Norse mythology. I composed two blends, focusing on fire and sun symbolism, and taking into account runic attributions for the herbal ingredients. They are called “Múspell” and “Sowilo” incense respectively. The incense blends are currently not for sale, but I can do more of them by request. The same commission also lead me to working again with the mighty yew tree, more about which I may share later.

I have also been asked about the third series of my magistelli poppets as well as the next row of sigil cards. All I can say is at this point, please be patient! Pertaining to art, the next will be a small print run of the Regina Amandrakina idol, which was published in the latest and now sold out Pillars journal. And speaking of it, Anathema publishing offered me to sell two remaining copies of the journal through my site. So I’m thinking about arranging a special offer. Again more about this later.

For now I just wish you all a blessed Beltane/Walpurgis night!

W.

April 30, 2015

Posted In: Herbs & Seeds, News & Site Updates, Incense

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Pillars 1.III – ‘The Ebon Kteis’

My essay “Regina Amandrakina – Exploration of the Image and Strange Idol” has been published in Anathema’s “Pillars” Journal Vol 1.III, “The Ebon Kteis“.

‘The Ebon Kteis’ is a journey back into Darkness; somber in tone than its older siblings and aiming to be more of a visual feast to inspire Minds & spark the Sacred Flame Within.

The Ebon Kteis‘ is the last in the series. A new volume with a different outfit is planned. There are again 230 copies available, half of which have already been sold.

Pillars 1.III – The Ebon Kteis is out January 2015

January 28, 2015

Posted In: Publications

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Sun Incenses Special

During the dark and cold season the body and mind may require additional stimuli that bring positivity and warmth into the home and life. Especially for lofty Gemini creatures such as myself, this can be essential. Mental strength, vigilance, coping with ego matters, removing bad vibes, recreation and vitality are some keywords coming to mind in this context. And to stay with the example, Gemini tend to have a need for being the center of attention, which can easily become a nuisance. Whereas the opposite would be a lack of self-confidence and a deficit in joy of living. Neither is desirable and dealing with such ego problems is part of the spiritual work associated with the ‘sun’. Besides, looking at typical sun herbs, you will find many of them are indeed fragrant and aromatic – so perfect for use in incense and aroma therapy. Now there are plenty of herbs that fall into this category and some of them have in fact several planetary attributions. The past weeks I’ve been researching this topic again, took notes, combined and re-combined ingredients. Throughout this I literally followed my nose (but also my eyes) and the result are three incense formulae that each put emphasis on a different solar aspect, scent and color:

IMG_9645 copyBlend I is the first I created and comes as an ‘all purpose’ incense, containing epitomes of solar herbs. Now the old formula has been modified, adding optionally either Amber or Labdanum to the composition, which further contains Bay leaf, sweet Blood Orange peel, aromatic Calamus root, spicy Cassia bark, Clove, fragrant Cedar wood, Frankincense Aden as well as Safflower and Sunflower petals. This is a warm and glorious blend, unfolding a smooth, balmy, spicy-sweet aroma when burnt. Embodying zest for life, this incense awakens the vital spirits. Burn for positivity, power, strength, lust for life, vitality, wealth and overall wellbeing.

IMG_9681 copyBlend II is aerial, refreshing and somewhat tarter. It contains the precious Gum Mastic resin, which is combined with high quality Frankincense, Elemi and green Lime peel as well as Hops, Rue and Walnut leaf – giving this blend an overall lemony fresh and pleasantly bitter-sweet aroma. Cinnamon adds sweet warmth. Spicy Angelica banishes negativity and sickness. Female & male Mistletoe from various trees are there for luck and invincibility. Use this blend for cleansing and removing bad vibes, for balancing and calming down, healing, protection, rejuvenation and revitalisation, for mental strength, vigilance and sharpening the senses, also for receiving and formulating visions.

IMG_9700 copyBlend III is a special offer, containing a unique type of heterogeneous black copal, which is varying in color from black to blood-red to golden-yellow and unfolds a mind-blowing, pine-like scent that is beyond comparison. Spicy-tangy, wintry fresh and uplifting, yet also warming, combining dark and light aspects. This blend embodies the signs of life shining through a blanket of snow covering the earth, its scent being rather heavenly. Further ingredients are White Copal, Yauhtli, Rosemary, Marigold, Juniper, Clove, Cinnamon, Carnation, Chamomile and Bay leaf. Elevating and unifying dark & light aspects, use this blend for purification, as a ceremonial incense, for meditation and spiritual work dealing with ego matters, transformation, heightened state of consciousness, and also for love, prosperity and protection.

As part of a special offer these incense blends are available in 50 ml Miron violet glass jars with black screw caps (offer good as long as supplies last). Besides this blend I + II are also available in standard 50 ml glass bottles with cork stoppers. If you’d rather like small samples you can also get a 14 ml test bottle of each. View below the details for pricing & packaging. For ordering please write e-mail to info@teufelskunst.com or, if you prefer, visit the Teufelskunst online shops at Storenvy and Etsy (yes, I’m back there!).

Shipping

  • Worldwide: 5,60 € up to 500 g or 9,15 € up to 1 kg (ships with registered mail)
  • Germany: 4,99 € with DHL or 4,50 € with Hermes (insured up to 500 €)
The above incense blends are meant for burning on coals inside a fireproof censer. An alternative option is to use a warmer,  where the herbs and resins are heated over a tea light.

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December 13, 2014

Posted In: Herbs & Seeds, Ritual

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