Chaos Magic

Fra. Ophis, CHS

 Ways to talk about Chaos Magic

● As an innovative current in magical thought

● As a movement
● As a collection of techniques
... We'll touch on all of these as we go
 Chaos! What a word. What does it mean?
1. The common definition: a state of disorder,
lawlessness; the mess we're left with when
systems break down.
2. The mathematical definition: the behavior of
non-linear systems, which may be
unpredictable in detail, but still have some high-
level order (attractors).
3. The fertile void underlying and preexisting the
Kosmic order, as in “primal chaos.”
Which one is Chaos Magic named after?
If you said #3, you are right. Give yourself a kiss on the
Apocalypse. But it's flavored with the other two.
We get our formal ideas about ΧΑΟΣ from the Greeks. Those
crazy Orphics started it all:
ΧΑΟΣ was the first of the Protogenoi to emerge at the
creation of the universe. She was followed in quick
succession by Gaia (Earth), Tartaros (the Underworld) and
Eros (Love the life-bringer).
ΧΑΟΣ was the lower atmosphere which surrounded the earth
- invisible air and gloomy mist. Her name khaos literally
means the gap, the space between heaven and earth.
Later authors defined ΧΑΟΣ as the chaotic mix of elements
that existed in the primeval universe, confusing it with the
primeval Mud of the Orphic cosmogonies, but this was not the
original meaning. [Source: http://www.theoi.com/Protogenos/Khaos.html]
In 1597, German alchemist, Theosophist, and
Hermeticist Heinrich Khunrath published a
booklet, Vom hylealischen Chaos, which argued
for Chaos as the Prima Materia of Alchemy.
Belgian alchemist Jan Baptist van Helmont
agreed with him, and noting the atmospheric root
of Chaos, and conceiving of that as a model for
how we “feel” Chaos, coined the term “gas” for the
first time.
That works nicely with the root of Spirit as breath:
Gk. πνευμα, Hb. Ruach, Skt. prana, etc.
You all know that subtle whatsit that connects your
consciousness to the All, yes? Then why no word
for it?
 Tradition and Innovation
● The people who pioneered the Chaos Current were
not dabblers. They had all done extensive work
before:
● Austin Osman Spare (1886 – 1956) had been in the
A∴A∴ after extensive self-study
● Ray Sherwin (1952 - ) Author of Results Magic, co-
founder of IOT
● Peter J. Carroll (1953 - ) Author of Psychonaut, Liber
Null, etc., co-founder of IOT
● Ralph Tegtmeier [Frater U∴D∴] (1952 - ) IOT,
Fraternitas Saturni, author of Practical Sigil Magic, etc.
 A. O. Spare 1
Portrait of the Artist, 1907:
 A. O. Spare 2
● Spare had no intention of founding a movement in
either magic or art. Like William Blake, his work can be
appreciated, but hardly imitated.
● Spare pioneered the sigilization technique that was
explored by future Chaos magicians.
● One of his signature practices was the Death Posture,
one type of what would later be known as “inhibitive
gnosis.”
● Infamous for binding spirits into some of his paintings.
 Notable Organizations
One of the major things Chaos Mages were rebelling
against was the stultifying atmosphere of traditional
magical Orders. The cure for this was obvious: they set
up magical Orders:
● Templum Niger Solis [TNS] (Australia and abroad).
● The Pact of the Initiates of Thanateros [IOT] (England,
Europe, and abroad).
● Thee Temple ov Psychick Youth [TOPY] (International)
as much artists' collective as magical Order.
They all have the same history up to a point: “In the early
1990s a rift occurred...” TNS still existed in some form as
late as 2009. TOPY spawned AIN, and some IOT
members formed RIOT.
 Second-Wave Chaos
The fragmentation of the Orders of Chaos didn't end the
movement. Two things supervened: the opening of the
global Internet to individual subscribers and the occult
publishing boom.
● Second-wave Chaos focused on innovation. People
just coming up and learning to use the “traditional”
methods were derided as “people who only know how
to jerk off on a sigil” (Yes, it was that male-centered).
● Although there were several print journals started, the
movement became largely web-based, with Phil Hine's
site and chaosmatrix.org emerging as outstanding
resources.
 Chaos Now?
● By about 2005, Chaos had lost center stage. The cool
kids had gone back to traditional magic, either in the
Lodges or as independent Sorcerors. It was also cool
and au-courant to claim to be doing post-Chaos or
anything-but-Chaos magic while doing, well, Chaos
Magic.
● There were still people making it work. Gordon White
of the Rune Soup blog refined the sigilization
technique so much it almost isn't “magic” any more
(and magicked himself up a career out of nothing).
● Peter Carroll came out of retirement, writing several
new books.
● A few new practitioners like Andrieh Vitimus put
energy into the current.
 Chaos Magic Theory
● “...a concentrated...form of Magick lay at the core of all
our various paths and that in stripping it all down to
essentials they could then rebuild...” [TNS]
● Gnosis yes, “belief” and “faith” no. Sherwin: “I create
and destroy beliefs according to their usefulness.”
Carroll: “...we treat Belief as a Tool of Magic, rather
than as an end in itself.”
Awareness that models of how magic works are just that.
More or less equal acceptance of the spirit, energy,
information, and psychological models under the
instruction "Always use the model most adequate to your
aims." [Frater U∴D∴]
● Direct magical action in altered states (“gnosis”)
 Chaos Magic Practices 1
Out of the various techniques explored by Chaos
practitioners, two stand out:
● Sigilization
In traditional magic, a sigil is a signature of a spirit and
can be used as a shortcut to invocation or evocation
once it is known. A talisman is a created object with a set
of corresponding names and pictures, often including
sigils, consecrated to a task. In the Chaos current, this
has been radically simplified: a sigil drawn for an intent is
“launched” in a state of gnosis and then banished and
forgotten to avoid having the ego screw around with it.
Time permitting, we'll draw a sigil on the whiteboard later.
 Chaos Magic Practices 2
● Entity Creation
Entities (aka servitors, but not thoughtforms, egregores,
tulpas, etc.) can be magically created for specific tasks.
This is called “advanced magic.” What most people mean
by “advanced magic” is it requires the basic skills of
magic, which most people don't have. It does require
care, as you may get exactly what you asked for.
Instructions can be found in Philip Hine's Condensed
Chaos (short form) or the book Creating Magical Entities
by D. M. Cunningham, T. Wagener, and T. Ellwood.
Do NOT ignore the caution about giving them an external
power source; they'll use you up and then die.
 Chaos Magic Practices 3
Notice that funny word “gnosis.” In Chaos Magic, it
doesn't mean what it means in, say, Gnosticism.
Chaotes wanted a word for “the state of void mind that
comes with a good trance induction,” and they didn't want
the connotations of “samadhi.”
There are three main ways of attaining this:
● inhibitory methods such as meditation or Spare's
Death Posture
● Excitatory methods such as dancing, twirling, straining
● Orgasm
How is that different from ceremonial magic and
witchcraft?
 Chaos Magic Practices 4
● Entity Creation Example: POTENS 1
Servitor POTENS
// Amplify healing powers
// To be evoked into a shaman stone that will stay in my
medicine bag.
// POTENS will be powered by the stone, which is a
constant radiator.
SYMBOL: A stylized caduceus which I will draw
separately.
FORM: A pair of serpents in cool colors, blue and green,
twined around a pair of forceps or free-roaming as
needed.
 Chaos Magic Practices 5
● Entity Creation Example: POTENS 2
POWERS:
To locate and grasp whatever disease I am called to
remove. As I evoke POTENS into the patient, it will go
directly to the seat of the problem, identify it to me, and
take control of it. It will wait for me to do the actual
extraction and disposal.
To amplify whatever modes of healing energy I am using.
To draw my attention to persons in need of the kind of
healing I can provide.
 Chaos Magic Practices 6
● Entity Creation Example: POTENS 3
EVOCATION:
Oh, POTENS, young and vigorous scion of an ancient
wellspring of power, son of Ningishzida out of Mercurius,
Self creating Self endlessly. Fertile froth of the world-
mind, you accomplish the transformations of the Single
First Matter. You embody perfection of form and function.
You superconduct the Immanent Power, from below to
above, from above to below. You come forth when I call,
as an extension of Me as I grow to be the Healer. I
conduct your power where Love would have it go. I am
the power, I perfectly reflect the Glory, and I claim the
Kingdom without End, Amen.
 References
Carroll, Peter J.: Liber Null and Psychonaut
Hine, Phil: Condensed Chaos
Cunningham, D. M., Wagener, T., and Ellwood, T.:
Creating Magical Entities
http://www.philhine.org.uk/
http://www.chaosmatrix.org/
http://www.specularium.org/wizardry (PJC)