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Adramelech Incense, The ingredients – part II

Finished the first week of January, moon first quarter: the long awaited second batch of Adramelech incense is here. It is so far my most eclectic and also most tedious incense blend in the making. Deep yet aerial, fiery yet also fresh, repulsive yet also strangely attracting – an incense both for the living and the dead.

The incense includes some rare herbs and complex resins such as elemi, opoponax, guggul and galbanum. The spiritual and magical links to the deity Adramelech have been discussed before. This time I will highlight the ingredients that compose this kaleidoscope of fragrant herbs, resins and woods. This is part II. (read part I)

Adramelech Incense, Jan. 2017
Adramelech Incense, January 2017

Keywords: Adramelech (name of qliphotic ruler),  Samael (name of qlipha, meaning “poison of god” or “blindness of god”), Shaarimoth (name of infernal habitation, meaning “gates of death”)

Associations: mercury, cunning, eloquence, wit, seduction, trickery, disobedience to God, intoxication, oneiromancy, necromancy, knowledge about poisons

Flowers in the valley of the shadow of death…

The sweet scent of the lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) tells of spring and the returning of life, yet the plant often adorns graves and is deadly poisonous. As yet another mercurial herb with venific properties it perfectly represents the darker aspects of the planetary influence corresponding with this qlipha. Whether it was this or another “lily of the valley”, we do not know, but legend tells that a flower by such name grew where the tears of Eve fell, when she was banished from Eden. It is also told, the serpent that tempted Eve to taste the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, was either Lilith or Samael in disguise. For disobeying god, man was sentenced to a life of labor and eventually die, only to be granted eternal life after death if… well, you know the story. In the Christian faith the lily features also as a symbol for the second coming of Christ and thus the resurrection of the dead at the day of judgment. From seduction, to sin, to the bitter truth, to the tears that followed and lastly the flower that grew from them; the lily of the valley is an essential part of this incense.

Ophidian emissary…

Shed snakeskin is added herein as an animalic link to the qlipha’s ophidian manifestations. The serpent is also a totem guarding the astral gates to the realm of the dead. I was given shed skins from a red-tailed boa (Boa constrictor) and carpet python (Morelia spilota). The owner of the snakes noted the python is quick and populates trees, whilst the boa resides in the field and is altogether a bit slower. I recommend looking up both species and reading about them. I will share here just one bit I came across and found interesting in this context. The boa features in Mesoamerican myth: it was believed the serpent was sent by the gods (which is expressed in its German name “Abgottschlange”) as an omen of impending doom. It was also believed the boa would hide in the manioc fields and impregnate unwitting women, to spawn a new serpentine breed. This is similar to the esoteric lore about the serpent Samael impregnating Eve, who then gave birth to Qayin. Shed snake skin has a fascinating, transparent, paper-like texture. It crackles when crushed and is surprisingly tear-proof. The color of these skins is a ghostly grayish white to pale golden-red and partly iridescent. When burnt it smells like burnt skin or nails, but this is covered by the aroma of the resinous and herbal ingredients.

Protector at the threshold…

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of those herbs, that covers unpleasant odors, including the stench of decay. More conventional applications include the use of lavender oil in relaxing baths and for a calm sleep. Lavender may ease nervous tensions and help focus the mind. In magic it is also thought to aid in contacting spirits, it is used for cleansing and for helping the dead find rest. The flowers are also added to dream pillows. Personally I have found lavender to be a potent messenger between the realm of the living and the dead, especially in dream, thereby being protective of as well as guiding the dreamer. This would be a proof of its association with the planetary influence of Mercury and deities such as Hermes, and particularly Hermes chthonios. This blend contains French blue as well as intensely fragrant white lavender from our garden.

The mirror gates of death…

The daffodil aka narcissus is a bright spring flower with an intoxicating scent. In Greek myth however it features as a flower of death. Persephone was lured by the pale fragrant flowers and they would be the last thing she reached for, before Hades abducted her to the underworld. The banks of the river Styx are described as being covered with daffodils. The flower is named after the youth Narcissus, who committed suicide, after he saw his own reflection in the water. Narcissus was blessed with otherworldly beauty and adored by girls and boys. At the same time he was cursed, as he only was to live long if he would never recognize himself (“si se non noverit“). Obsessed with his own beauty and aloofness he drove one of his admirers into suicide. The young man’s death was revenged by the gods. Nemesis caused Narcissus to see his own reflection in the water and he fell in love with it. Longing for his own reflection he drowns. Instead of his corpse is found a flowering daffodil. The daffodil is hence also a symbol of seduction, unfulfilled longing and obsession with one’s ego, which is popularly known as narcissism..

Another aspect addressed in the story of Narcissus is the delusive nature of the mirror’s surface. In one version of the legend a leaf falls into the water and distorts the reflection of his image, perceived as so ugly by Narcissus that he commits suicide. The mirror here is more than a deceptive surface, it becomes a gate or a trap through which Narcissus enters death. I have mentioned the connections between this qlipha and reflective surfaces as are found in the poisonous white-silvery metal mercury, which is liquid at room temperature and extremely volatile. Early uses of mercury include the making of divinatory mirror bowls, which were found in elite Mayan tombs. Today it is employed in liquid mirror telescopes. I cannot include real mercury within this incense blend. As a simple visual substitute and eye candy I use silver-colored Frankincense.

The tears that open the heavens and hells…

Galbanum (Ferula galbaniflua) is the semi-liquid resin derived from a species of giant fennel (not to be confused with the common fennel). The resin has a bitter, green scent and is of a sticky, honey-like consistence. It is one of the ingredients used in the incense of the tabernacle (Ex. 30:34) and features in Agrippa’s spirit suffumigation. It was sacred to Ancient Egyptians, used for divination, contacting celestial spirits as well as communing with the dead. It has strong oneiric properties and is great to burn prior to sleep and dream work. I was looking for a resin complimenting the deep green scent and dark mercurial nature of this blend. Galbanum is a perfect match. Only its sticky-fluid consistence can be a little tricky: I heat it prior to use, then pour the hot liquid into the bowl with my blend and then (wearing rubber gloves) start kneading and kneading…

Elemi (Canarium luzonicum) has similar properties as galbanum but comes along more aerial and lofty, with its intense dill-like scent and fresh coniferous undertones. It also has a sticky consistence and, like galbanum, is somewhat difficult to blend with other herbs and resins. I hence store elemi in the freezer, then crush it for as long as it remains brittle and try to blend it as fast as possible with the rest. The elemi then binds with the other ingredients and forms clusters, which I then knead through, over and over. To prevent the sticky mass from gluing unto my hands I use a plant oil or alcohol, which act as a natural solvents.

This process can take hours and is one of the reasons why this blend is a little more arduous to produce then other incense I offer. But the result is worth it, for when burnt, this blend can boost your awareness and elevate your perception in a quite extraordinary way. It is rather strong and intense in its pure form and hence can be blended with other resins and basic ingredients for a more moderate effect.

Opoponax is also known as sweet myrrh and bisabol myrrh. The resin is typically orange-brown to red in color and has an intense aroma, which can actually be a little sickening. Its scent, when burnt, is sweeter, somewhat animalic and less bitter than that of myrrh. Opoponax is traditionally used to cleanse, protect against negative or parasitic influences and to improve intuition. It cleanses and strengthens a wounded aura, helps fine tuning the senses and inspires creative work. Harold Roth notes that it is especially useful against negative thoughts. The resin used in this blend comes from trees in the Commiphora genus. Opoponax is an alternative spelling for opopanax, from Anglo-Norman opopanac, from Latin opopanax, from Hellenistic Greek ὀποπάναξ, from Ancient Greek ὀπός “vegetable juice” + πάναξ “panacea” = all healing. The original source for this resin may though in fact not have been the aforementioned trees but different plants in the Apiaceae family, such as the Hercules-all-heal (Opopanax chironium). The juice obtained from this herb has an acrid bitter taste, but produces a balsamic lavender-like scent when burnt.

The earthy, sweet, balsamic aroma and strengthening properties of guggul (Commiphora mukul) compliment opoponax and other resins used in this incense. Guggul has a soft consistence and is of a dark brown to near black color but is translucent against a light source, then taking on hues of light-brown to deep blood-red or sometimes green. In Hebrew, ancient Greek and Latin sources it is also referred to as bdellium. It has been cultivated and used in Indian Ayurvedic medicine for nearly 3000 years. It is a personal favorite, as it has the best of myrrh and opoponax, both in scent as well as pertaining to its spiritual effects. It is also noted to have impact on the blood flow and circulatory system and is applied to wounds for disinfection. In India it is burnt as an incense for cleansing and banishing bad spirits from a home. It is also burnt prior to sleep, to calm the mind and relax the body. Unfortunately the Indian tree species is threatened due to over-harvesting. Alternative sources are African and Arabian Commiphora trees, which yield a less balsamic but equally potent resin.

Arboreal messengers between the realms…

There are various trees thought to guard the entrance to the underworld or the mythical gates of death, but there is one tree in particular attributed with the special power of not only connecting all the dead but being able to revive them from their graves. This guarding tree of the dead is the yew (Taxus baccata). And whilst the wood or any part of this tree is considered to be blessed with bearing the power of bringing life to the dead, it is a fact, that its dark-green, poisonous, needle-shaped leaves bring the reverse, namely death to the living. The smallest amount can kill a man. Yet shamans would use it to travel to the realm of the spirits (the dead) and return with wisdom and knowledge about curing the sick. Or the lost wanderer would fall asleep under the tree, sometimes never to return. It is fascinating how this dark, slow growing tree would bear such potent quickening powers. It is yet another example for a plant being ruled by both Mercury and Saturn.

Sandalwood (Santalum album) too bears associations with the dead, as it is burnt to please their souls. In Hinduism the dead are cremated on the wood as its scent is thought to appease their souls and help them leave. White Sandalwood is called so because of its white heartwood. It is also referred to as the “Great Receiver”, since the oil extracted from the wood absorbs the aromatic compounds of other oils and because of this is used in traditional attars. The fragrant oil is attributed purifying, relaxing, mind calming, cooling effects and is also thought to induce sensuousness and lust. Interestingly S. album is semi-parasitic, in that it derives nutrients by parasitizing the roots of other trees, however without causing the hosts greater damage. Originally spread across India it is now cultivated in other Asian countries and Australia. The Indian sandalwood is threatened due to over-exploitation and altered land use, its trade and export is regulated strictly by the Indian government. The trade of Australian sandalwood is cautioned as well. Similar scented woods exist, but are considered of lower quality. Commercially available white sandalwood is often adulterated or artificially scented. Real Indian sandalwood is rare and expensive and its trade is banned in some countries. In Germany few sellers carry it. This blend contains natural, fragrant Indian sandalwood, which is not perfumed.

Red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus) is not related to the aforementioned white sandalwood. It is valued for its red color and used as a natural food dye and also as a paint pigment. It has a neutral, mildly woody scent and is used as a base material for incense sticks and cones. It is attributed cleansing properties. In traditional herbal medicine it is used among others as an antipyretic, tonic and aphrodisiac. Some employ the wood also because of its color in love and martial spellwork. It should be noted that the tree is slow growing, producing a hard red wood, which is sought after by furniture makers. Red sandalwood is listed as an endangered species because of over-exploitation for its timber in South India. Its export and trade require a CITES certificate, yet red sandalwood chips for incense making are widely available. The red sandalwood contained in this incense has an intense vermilion color.

Due to the threatened status of both red and white sandalwood I consider substituting both ingredients with hazel and rowan wood in the future.

European Peacock (Inachis Io)
European Peacock (Inachis Io)

Last but not least, one small but mighty addition, that rounds up our excursion through the garden of Adramelech-Samael, is the dust obtained from dead peacock butterflies. These adorable creatures would frequent my altars for the dead during the cold season of the year, feeding on the offerings given to the dead and their saints. Some say the butterfly or moth is a messenger of the dead, that can guide or lead astray the living. Whatever it is, I leave it up to you to find out…

For ordering write to info@teufelskunst.com

January 15, 2017

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Announcing: Samhain Celebration in Gotha

Teufelskunst contributes to the Samhain Celebration on November 4th, in Gotha (Germany). Teufelskunst provides the central part of the visual concept in the form of the “Samhain harvest” seal, which is featured on various merchandise articles. Teufelskunst also provides the incense of the night. A sample of the blend comes with each of the 100 merchandise kits. Included in this special offering is also a journal, the “Samhain Herald” featuring my essay about Samhain and the Wild Hunt, paying special attention to the European and Germanic traditions associated with the darkest time of the year.

samhain-incense
Samhain Incense 2016

Support: Soth Arts

Soth Arts created unique qliphotic rosaries for the night, eight of which are adorned with our blacksmith’s  Teufelskunst bronze amulet. The rosaries are made of ebony and black wooden beads. Besides this will also be available seven rosaries with sawn-out twin-serpents as well as one rosary with a black Calvary cross pendant:

Soth Arts rosaries  Soth Arts rosaries

Date: November 4th
Location: The Londoner – English Pub, Gotha
Entrance: 6 pm
Begin: 8 pm

Tickets:
VVK: 15€, AK: 18€

November 2, 2016

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Harvest Blessing October 2016

Harvest Blessing Oct. 2016

For the past weeks (and with interruption due to sickness), I have been working meticulously on the set-up for ritually blessing this year’s harvest. Of course it is not possible to pile up all the herbs and seeds gathered over the year. So instead I created a new, dynamic working sigil, which can be adopted and rearranged for different needs. In my own ritual the sigil is constructed from different plant parts and seeds, each corresponding with one of the four elements and esoteric symbolism. I.e. the sickles are made out of fennel stalks and vervain herb. For the stang in the center was used a thorn-apple stalk with pods and thornapple leaf and seed for the triangle symbolizing the spirit housed within the green. Of course you could use other herbs, real sickles, or simply trace the lines in the soil.

My offerings given to the spirits included self-gathered pine tree resin, Samhain protection incense, four beeswax candles, water and rum. The operation can be performed in silent contemplation or you call upon specific crossroad spirits and deities of your tradition. When done, all parts of the sigil can be gathered and employed to different sorcerous ends. Important is, if the ritual is dedicated to a certain spirit or deity you should stick with it.

Now I mentioned this was a dynamic sigil. As you can see in the above picture, the ritual aimed at blessing objects (in this case my seed boxes), which are placed inside the blades of the four sickles. A different ritual setting would consist of placing links to the four elements inside the sickles, e.g. offerings corresponding to each or your main altar tools. The point is, that you can construct and arrange the set-up in different ways suiting your needs. Now here are a few suggestions how to go about it:

Recently someone pointed out that the placement of the four elements inside my sigil was “wrong”. He was reasoning from the viewpoint of Western Mystery Tradition / Tarot. Well, as you can see there are different versions that all can be worked with. It is entirely up to you if you want to employ a tradition-specific succession and which you chose. Important is, if you do, that you contemplate and know why you chose one option over another.

Btw. I am looking forward to use the earth-bound altar again. It was altogether a very powerful experience employing sorcerous herbs and soil in this way.

PS: Please remember, I will process any new orders by the 2nd week of November. Until then I am preparing for my stall and exhibition at the Samhain Celebration on November 4th in Gotha (Germany).

October 21, 2016

Posted In: Herbs & Seeds, Art, Ritual

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Incense Blends of the Dead

Incense blends for working with the dead

Veneration Incense of the Dead

This is a basic incense blend that you can use in daily or weekly offerings on the altar dedicated to the ancestral, beloved and the mighty dead. It consists of equal amounts of myrrh, wormwood and white sandalwood. This blend can easily be adjusted for different purposes, e.g. for “talking” to or “appeasing” the souls of the deceased. Fitting herbs for modifying this blend can be ordered along with it. (see below)

Contains: fresh myrrh resin, white sandalwood, self-harvested wormwood

Oneiromantic incense of the Dead

This blend is designed specifically for contacting the dead in dream and receiving advice about the future. It contains the same ingredients as the veneration incense of the dead and is enhanced with soporific and oneirogenic ingredients, e.g. sandarac resin, mugwort, jasmine and brugmansia flowers, privet flowers and white rose buds. The blend should be burned an hour prior to sleep, in a calm surrounding. It is meant to help the practitioner find a calm state of mind and enter a deep and restful sleep, which is the premise for experiencing sustained and long dream sequences. The same blend can be used for ritually recalling these dreams. It is helpful to use a photograph and other personal links to the dead, whose presence is sought in dream. These links can be placed for example beside the bed or under the pillow.

Safety advice: Please do not leave burning coals unobserved! Don’t burn incense if you feel too tired to pay attention. Instead simply smell on the jar before sleep and burn the incense, when you are well rested and want to revisit the dream experience.

Contains: brugmansia and jasmine flores, fresh myrrh resin, privet flowers*, sandarac resin, self-harvested mugwort and wormwood, silver frankincense, white sandalwood, white rose buds

Order these blends via e-mail 


Herbs with different properties pertaining to the dead

aconite (death curses, resurrection), aloeswood (protection, sleep, overcoming sadness), benzoin resin (enchantments, sleep), blackthorn (coercing), brugmansia flowers (astral work, divination, coercing), copal resin (appeasing), cornel cherry wood (resurrection), cypress needles and bark (protection), dittany of crete (manifestation), elder flowers (gate opening), galbanum resin (dreams, protection), foxglove (death curses, resurrection), guggul resin (dreams, protection), laurel leaves (sleep, communication), lavender (appeasing, sleep), mugwort (astral work), henbane (manifestation, communication, cursing), mandrake (dark dead), mullein (manifestation, protection), myrrh resin (mourning, protection), opoponax resin (protection, astral work), poplar (gate opening), rose petals (dreams, protection), sandarac resin (sleep), tobacco (feeding, communion, banishing), valerian root (sleep, protection), vervain herb (appeasing, dreams), white sandalwood (appeasing), willow (gate opening), yew needles (gate opening, death curses, resurrection)

This list is far from complete, but gives an idea to which end certain resins and herbal agents can be employed in connection with the dead. The blends presented above are meant as starters for exploring the vast and increasingly complex field of “necromancy”.

July 26, 2016

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Adramelech Qliphothic Incense

Adramelech Incense

This is the third in a series of ritual incense blends designed for working with the qliphoth (or kliffot). It is dedicated to Adramelech, the ruler of the eighth qlipha on the tree of death. The corresponding qlipha is named Samael, Hebrew סמאל, meaning “poison of god”. The qlipha and its ruler are associated with Sha’arei Maveth (or Shaarimoth), the “gates of death”, one of seven infernal habitations.Adramelech

Adramelech is described as a “powerful king”. He is one of the eleven heads that govern the qliphotic pantheon. Similar to other demonized deities, Adramelech was once worshiped as a sun god. His worship later merged with that of Moloch.

In Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal, Adramelech is depicted as a mule with peacock feathers, evoking associations with Melek Taus, the “peacock angel” of Yazidi religion. Melek Taus is worshiped for his independence, since he refused to bow to Adam, the first created human. The story resembles that of Shaitan in the Quran. In Islam this refusal to bow to god’s creation is interpreted as a display of sinful pride. Melek Taus however, reasoned that he was made of god’s own light and could not bow to Adam, who was made of dust. Therefore god rewarded Melek Taus and made him his deputy on earth and leader of the other angels. The peacock’s appearance is sublime and likewise Melek Taus proved knowledge of the sublime in his choice. Besides this the Yazidis view the peacock as a symbol of immortality.

Samael also appears as an independent figure: for once he is described as an accuser, seducer and destroyer and a “chief of evil”. At the same time he occurs as an arch-angel, residing in the seventh heaven, as the chief angel of the fifth heaven and features as the “angel of death” in Jewish lore. In the old testament he appears as the serpent in the garden of Eden, and as a demonic entity and spouse of Lilith.

As the serpent in the garden, Samael seduces Eve to eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Similar to Prometheus, who steals the fire from the heavens and, against the will of Zeus, brings it to mankind, Samael delivers the gift of gnosis to the first humans, even though god had forbidden them to partake of it. Henceforth they are expelled from the garden, and the serpent along with them. Samael becomes the consort of Lilith and they breed demonic children.

Eve, impregnated with the seed of the serpent, begets Cain, the son of Samael. Cain slays Abel, and is exiled to wander the land of Nod. But he is protected by a mark, which his father Samael placed on him. This mark is a warning that, whoever attempts to harm Cain, will be punished sevenfold.

The above aspects are of relevance, since the different manifestations of Samael here sort of merge with the qliphotic king Adramelech. All aspects surrounding the qlipha in question are taken into account, before advancing and concentrating the essential links within a single incense blend.

adraincense

Now let us look at the planetary influence: Adramelech’s qlipha is placed under the influence of Mercury. The corresponding element by the same name is a white-silvery metal, liquid at room temperature and poisonous. Early uses of mercury include the making of divinatory mirror bowls, which were found in elite Mayan tombs. Today it is employed in liquid mirror telescopes. Mercury is also called quicksilver. In alchemy it represents the “spirit” and is attributed with various transcendental properties, due to its volatile nature.

The god Mercury (Greek Hermes), is the messenger travelling between the realm of the gods and the world of humans. In his underworld manifestation, Hermes chthonios, he acts as a psycho-pomp, guiding the souls of the dead through the netherworld.

Of interest in connection with Adramelech and his qlipha are transcendental, transforming and empowering properties that reach beyond the realm of the living and this world. What lies beyond the reflective mirror’s surface? Which herbs help with clear sight and telling the lie from the truth? Which herbs aid in seductions and can confuse or blind an opponent? Which plants and resins assist in opening the “gates of death” and contacting and mobilizing the souls of the deceased? The incense for the work with this qlipha and its ruler is hence complex in nature. The sublime king Adramelech becomes a dark soul-guide, residing beyond the gates of death and initiating the wanderer into the perilous poison path, confusing or leading him/her through his kingdom in the sitra ahra.

Keywords: sublimeness, eloquence and seduction, trickery, exposure of lies and telling truth from lie, knowledge of poisons, communication and problem solving skills, oneiromancy, magical metamorphosis/shape-shifting, necromancy

Green FlyersContains: black seed, caraway, climbing nightshade, common arum, fennel seed, galbanum, guggul resin, lavender, lily of the valley, male fern, mandrake root, narcissus flowers, opoponax resin, poison hemlock, powdered peacock butterflies, red and white sandalwood, shed snake skin, yew needles

Scent: green, spicy, with floral notes

Details: The first eight 100 ml jars are numbered and accompanied by a peacock eye-feather as well as one hand-stained, emerald green Teufelskunst flyer. The remaining incense comes without extras and is not numbered.

SOLD OUT

April 14, 2016

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Lilith Incense

Completed on this new moon, 11/11 – 1,2 l of Lilith incense, blessed in a black moon triangle of manifestation underneath the talon feet of the skull-masked corpse queen.

Lilith Incense

This is the second incense blend dedicated to the qliphoth. It contains flowers, herbs and resins connected to the death moon and honors Lilith as the black queen of the night side. Lilith is a demonic deity, often associated with seductions and sexual perversions. Of the seductress it is said

“Her house sinks down to Death, And her course leads to the shades. All who go to her cannot return And find again the paths of life.” (Proverbs 2:18-19)

In the qliphotic working system Lilith rules the qliphah Gamaliel, which is referred to as “the obscene ones” within the qliphotic context, even though it rather translates as the “reward of god”. Gamaliel is seen opposite the sephirah yesod on the tree of life, which is associated with the planetary influence of the moon – the unconscious in which the other spheres are present yet dormant, like a lake filled with emotions and fluctuating reflections, situated in between the higher planes and the physical plane of manifestation. Therefore Gamaliel is connected to an inversion of these lunar flows, the dark of the moon, lunar eclipses and may be envisioned as a lake filled with black water or “soul matter”.

The absence of the sun’s reflected light facilitates recreation and healing, calm, meditation, genuine inspiration and independent creativity. It is also a period, during which the influence of the mundane and ordered world is weakened. A time of silence and looking inward or it may mark the beginning of a journey on a less traveled road… Ventures undertaken during the dark of the new moon are out of sight and safe from the light of the world. Hence it is also a time beneficial for criminals and unlawful acts.

In the darkness of a new moon strange and fantastic flowers may blossom, and in the redness of the eclipsed harvest moon the flow of life’s currents might be reverted, facilitating the occurrence of manifestations or incarnations from the other side.

Of Lilith is also said she is a mother of demons and rules over 480 legions of shadows. Among these ‘shadows’ are the souls of the children that have died as infants, in childbirth or due to abortion. In this context Lilith is envisioned as a demon who “snatches away the souls” of these children and she is portrayed with bird talons or referred to as “screech owl”. Hence protecting amulets against Lilith were hung above cradles for protecting the infant from the grip of Her talons.

Among the herbs sacred to this demonic deity are Mugwort and Wormwood (both potentially abortive). Both herbs are also often employed in astral workings, as part of incense for divination (e.g. in dream, necromancy etc.) and philters. Besides these, the blend contains flowers of Jasmine, Lilac, Lily, Lotus and Rose. Jasmine is a classic for any “lunar” blend. Sweet Lilac covers the stench of death. Lily is not only evocative in name but also perhaps the most iconic funeral flower and there’s just tons of religious lore connected to this flower. (To me the sweet morbid smell of white regal lilies is simply most evocative of Lilith.) Lotus is the flower representing female divinity and bears links to the realm of death, rebirth and resurrection. Lastly Rose, both white and red are the traditional flowers used in Her veneration, as they both represent mystery and sacredness.

Further ingredients are myrrh, dammar, a small amount of camphor and colored frankincense in red, black and silver – for red is the color of the blood, the red moon and gamaliel, silver evokes the astral and black is for the goddess veiled in darkness. Calamus root and musk seed address the seductress and dominatrix. Orris root as an aromatic binding agent most often employed in dream work may not be missing. White sandalwood adds a warm balmy scent and is a sacred wood traditionally employed in veneration and pleasing the souls of the dead.

And then there is willow bark, added not only because its typically associated with ‘female problems’ and facilitating the blood flow. This bark is harvested from an old hollow willow tree, for it was in the trunk of such tree that the creature named ki-sikil-lil-la-ke (translated as Lilith) had made its nest and the tree, named huluppu, is generally identified as a willow tree. In another account Lilith is also described forming the branches and further demons forming other parts of such tree.

Use this incense for general veneration of the dark goddess Lilith, in combination with the black mirror and scrying bowls and for other types of astral workings that aim at manifestations.

Scent: camphorous, floral sweet, slightly morbid

100 ml, limited to 11 jars

Note: There are 11 filled jars charged with the vibrations of this most auspicious date coinciding with the dark of the moon. They are available for purchase here and will also be listed in my Etsy online store.

Edit: all jars sold over night. More of this incense will be available after the next new moon, Friday, 11 December.

For ordering and all other inquiries write e-mail to info@teufelskunst.com

November 13, 2015

Posted In: Ritual

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QQ Incense

IMG_5348 copy-s

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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