Re: Net Shoggoths?
PARKER RYAN (parker@mhd1.moorhead.msus.edu)
Tue, 11 Oct 1994 10:03:48 -0500 (CDT)
This is a short essay on a rite I developed. It seems quite effective. Indeed it was MUCH more effective than I anticipated. It rapidly showed itself to be a powerful but potentially dangerous magickal working. Unfortunately it is written entirely in a male context. I did not wish to speculate on how to adapt this rite for use by female mages. I'm sure that they are very capable of doing this themselves and would almost certainly do a better job.
According to HPL Shoggoths were (originally) mindless creatures created as servants/slaves by the Great Old Ones. They could assume whatever form their master wished in order to perform their task. Shoggoths are unruly servants becoming more intelligent and rebellious the longer the are employed. Eventually they may attempt to destroy their masters. HPL also wrote that Shoggoths are sometimes seen in visions from hallucinogenic plants.
Magickal traditions from around the world contain formula for creating magickal creatures as slaves/servants. These creatures can be created in what ever shape is needed or desired by the magician. These magickal creatures are called "Tulpas" or "thought-forms" by the Tibetans. In Mystery and Magic in Tibet Alexandra David-Neal tells how she created such a Tupla as an experiment. The Tupla became more and more independent and troublesome as time went on. Eventually Ms. David-Neal had to discontinue the experiment because of the Tulpa's growing power. Mr. G.H. Estabrooks in his book Hypnotism writes of his attempts to create a self-hypnotic pet polar bear.
The technique of autosuggestion is difficult, but it can be mastered. Once the subject has obtained this mastery he will find that not only can he produce, say, hallucinations in the trance itself but can actually suggest posthypnotic hallucinations to himself. It does sound weird but it can be done. . . . Auto suggestion gives us an excellent device with which to study many strange things. The writer had a 'pet' polar bear which he was able to call up merely be counting to five. This animal would parade around the hospital ward in most convincing fashion, over and under the beds, kiss the nurses and bit the doctors. It was very curious to note how obedient he was to 'mental' commands, even jumping off a three story window on demand. But auto suggestion has a certain menace which this phantom bear illustrated. He became so familiar that he refused to go away. He would turn up in the most unexpected places and without being sent for. The writer was playing bridge one evening and almost through his hosts into hysterics by suddenly remarking, 'There's that damn bear again. I wish someone would shoot the beast.' He also had a nasty habit of turning up in dark corners at night, all very well when one realized he was just made of ghoststuff but rather hard on ones' nerves for all that. So he was banished and told never to return. It was fully a month before the writer felt quit sure that his ghostly form would not be grinning at him over the foot of his bed during a thunderstorm.The magickal and shamanic writings of the world also record the way in which magickally created entities can become independent and troublesome. Sometimes even dangerously rebellious. Tibetan Buddhists and shamans from around the globe say that these "thought forms" or magickal creatures can be seen when in the gnostic state caused by entheogenic plants. Thus we can see that these Tulpas (sometimes called egregores in western traditions) are closely related to HPL's Shoggoths. Both Shoggoths and Tulpas are created entities. Both are servants or slaves and can assume any form needed by their masters. They both can become rebellious. Shoggoths as well as Tulpas are sometimes seen after ingesting entheogenic plants. Thus I think that there is a fairly firm link between HPL's Shoggoths and the thought-form entities of Magick and Shamanism.
In this section we'll look at some practical considerations related to creating a Shoggoth (thought-form entity). There were many techniques for creating thought-forms throughout the history of magick and shamanism. We must consider which of this multitude of techniques is most appropriate for magickally creating a Lovecraftian Shoggoth.
The word Shoggoth is, according to Kenneth Grant, related to the Chaldean word "shaggathai". Shaggathai translates as "fornication" and provides a significant clue as to what methodology should be employed. "Beth Shaggathai" which means "House of Fornication" may be related to or even a progenitor of HPL's "Pit of Shoggoths". The idea of a link between "Shaggathai" (fornication) and Shoggoth is not as strange as it might first seem. The use of sexual energy in creating thought-form entities is a particularly old and powerful technique.
This technique is particularly suited for creating violently powerful and unpredictable entities such a Shoggoths. Indeed poltergeist phenomena are almost without fail associated with to pubescent children. The upheaval and dynamic release of sexual energy at puberty can, especially in the emotionally disturbed or repressed, result in a "poltergeist". Thus it might seem that techniques using sexual energy are, perhaps, the most suited for creating a Shoggoth. The classical technique involves direct manipulation the sexual fluids to create the thought-form entity. HPL's description of a formless Shoggoth as a viscous mass of protoplasm seems reminiscent of this technique. Some of the formula for creating a Homunculus are particularly potent forms of this methodology. A medieval prescription for making a homunculus was to place manure in a vessel to which the magician would add his sperm three times accompanied with the appropriate word formula and visualizations. This process would begin the entity's existence. Next the magician would place drops of his own blood in the vessel each day for forty days. At the end of these forty days the Homunculus would be mature and allowed to exit the vessel. This technique is particularly powerful and dangerous because of the use of blood. The magician must always use only his own blood. This is because the blood of others can be very difficult to control. However, this technique is still dangerous and difficult to control even when using one's own blood. The escaping energy from the blood can be directly manipulated to incarnate the entity. Indeed HPL in "The Dunwich Horror" says that certain entities "cannot take body without human blood." The use of ones own blood is a dangerous technique that should not be attempted by novices. The above formula for creating a Homunculus will be adapted below as a method for generating a Shoggoth.
You must first decide the function that the Shoggoth will serve. Once you have determined what the task of the Shoggoth will be you must create a sigil that represents this purpose.
Prepare a container with the Sign of the Elders on the outside of the lid and the talisman of Yhe on the inside surface of the lid. Place the sigil on the bottom surface of the container.
You must choose a form for the Shoggoth to assume that is both consistent with its task and with the nature of Shoggoths in general. (H. R. Giger's works are a good source for Shoggothic images.)
Place the container on an altar dedicated to Shub-Niggurath. (Shub-Niggurath is chosen because of the Black Goat's association with fertility and thus creating new life.) The working space should also be set up with the colors (black and brown), symbols (goat, tree, inverse pentagram, etc.), and sounds (a recording of a goat baying and drumming work very well), etc., associated with Shub-Niggurath.
The magician begins the Rite thus:
Facing the altar he takes up his dagger and inscribes his circle (normally a magick circle is not used in Cthulhu oriented magick. However, in rite we must endeavor to keep any unwanted influences from removing energy from the Shoggoth or swaying the direction of the rite) He then returns the dagger to its place on the altar. He faces the physical representation of Shub-Niggurath and declares:
Shub-Niggurath is the Lord of the Woods. From the Wells of Night to the Gulfs of Space, and from the Gulfs of Space to the Wells of Night, ever the praises of Great Cthulhu, of Tsathogguau, and of Him Who is not to be Named. Ever their praises and abundance to the Black Goat of the Woods. Iä! Shub-Niggurath! The Black Goat with a Thousand Young!
Shub-Niggurath, Great Lord of the Woods, giver of Life, bestow your productivity to this rite. Confer your fertility. The portents of your fecundity are rejoiced. Ever praises to Shub-Niggurath the Black Goat of the Woods. Iä! Shub-Niggurath.
The Magician now removes his (black) robes and opens the container and begins to stimulate himself as he faces the sigil of the Shoggoth. He should carefully visualize the form chosen for the Shoggoth in the container. As the energy builds he should envision the energy going into the Shoggoth vivifying it. Deliberate over-breathing can be used to strengthen the ASC and energy of the rite. As the point of orgasm approaches the magician calls forth:
(Name chosen for the Shoggoth)! Come forth!As he climaxes he should allow his mind to be overwhelmed by the sensations, eliminating completely (as possible) conscious thought. In this blank state of mind the Sigil (which the magician should be looking at) is the UNconscious focus and directs the energy. The magician allows his sexual fluids to land on the Sigil energizing it and incarnating the Shoggoth.
After this the container is shut and the magician says:
Thanks and praises to Shub-Niggurath The Black Goat.
Iä! Shub-Niggurath.
He then makes the Sign of Koth followed by the Elder Sign. He then closes this portion of the rite in his customary fashion.
The above process should be repeated three times on three days (the may or may not be consecutive). The next stage of the rite is "feeding" the Shoggoth. Again, a magick-circle is advisable. The magician should enter whatever form of excitatory gnosis he feels suitable. Next, the magician opens the container with his left hand and makes the Elder Sign with his right hand. He then takes up his dagger and draws a small amount of blood. As the blood drops on the Sigil he calls forth:
(Shoggoth's name)!, I command you to feed and grow powerful so that you may serve my will!
I command you to feed and grow powerful so that you may serve my will!
I command you to feed and grow powerful so that you may serve my will!
(Name)! Drink my blood and take body!
As he does this he VERY INTENSELY visualizes the form of the Shoggoth. If he wishes he can envision the Shoggoth growing slightly. "Imagining" the Shoggoths form clearly is VERY important to the success of this rite. Each time this is repeated the image of the Shoggoth should become more and more clear and independent. As the days pass the Shoggoth should seem to appear as soon as the container is opened before the magician even tries to visualize it. This process is repeated every day for 37 more days. The entire rite takes forty days to complete. On the last day, after "feeding" it, the magician commands the Shoggoth thus:
(Name)!, I command you to leave your receptacle. Enter the world and perform your task as I will. Go forth and (state the task assigned to the Shoggoth). SO I COMMAND!He then makes the Voorish Sign and destroys the talisman of Yhe and the Sign of the Elders on the lid of the container. If the function of the Shoggoth is fairly permanent (i.e., a Guardian of a location or object) the Shoggoth may need periodic "recharging." This can be done with either sexual energy or any other method of imparting magickal energy the mage deems fit.
The Shoggoth should be VERY powerful as thought-form entities go. It should also be (or rapidly become) fairly independent and capable of autonomous action. With continued existence and use the Shoggoth will seem to develop its own "personality" and can become troublesome. If the Shoggoth becomes rebellious it may be necessary for the magician to destroy the Shoggoth. A standard but thorough banishing and the destruction of the Sigil should suffice.
Any comments or suggestions welcomed.
This rite should not be attempted by novices!
Please post or e-mail me with any results if you attempt this rite.
Best Regards
Have any more information on this material, or any other comment?
Please inform me: clore@columbia-center.org.
Copyright © 1997-2006 Dan Clore.
The Official Dan Clore Homepage
The Dan Clore Necronomicon Page