Over the course of the past 18 months, I have been conducting a series of seven planetary conjurations that have sought communication with the planetary intelligences in order to gain insight into the nature of these celestial beings and seek guidance on my own spiritual path.
This entry involving the conjuration of Nachiel of Sol is the final ritual diary included in this series, following an experience that brought together many of the lessons learned and the new spiritual foundations that I now stand upon. Although it is in some ways a culmination of the work that has been conducted, it is also merely a beginning for everything else that is now able to emerge.
Above all, I continue to have a great deal of respect and gratitude for the experiences that these conjurations have brought. These ritual diaries are published in the hope that they might encourage others to see the value of such workings and not be intimated by what can at first seem to be overly complex practices, but ultimately everything that is needed we already have to hand.
If you haven’t yet read through the other entries in this series, then it is best to start from the beginning as the whole journey has been an evolutionary process that is reflected in the entries over time.
III. Tiriel of Mercury
IV. Malcha of Luna
VI. Graphiel of Mars
I’m pleased to say that, unlike the previous conjuration of Graphiel of Mars, some deeply meaningful experiences were obtained with Nachiel. Although, once again, they highlight that this kind of astromagical theurgy is not a fixed process with entirely predictable results, but rather a dynamic engagement with the cosmos and our role within it as agents of consciousness.
With that, let’s look at the conjuration of Nachiel of Sol in the same manner as the previous workings so that we can get a clear comparison of its process and results.
Ceremonial Circumstances
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth
Psalm 84
for the courts of the Lord:
my heart and my flesh crieth out
for the living God.
The ceremonial location was an abandoned quarry on a nearby mountain ridge an hour from home, the same location that I had originally scouted out for the previous conjuration with Graphiel of Mars. Because of the weather conditions previously (and my misjudging of the pre-dawn light), I pulled back from hiking to the quarry for safety reasons. Thankfully, this time was much more favourable.
Once again, the election was timed to meet the rising dawn. Being in the Spring, there was more pre-dawn light and clear skies which made the hike to the chosen site possible. As before, the walk beforehand was used to enter into the ceremonial mindset through praying the Rosary. Completing a full set of the three traditional Mysteries (Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious) provided, particularly when combined with the physical exertion of the hike, a suitable devotional foundation for what lay ahead.
Heading into this ‘final’ conjuration in the series of seven, I was still apprehensive because of the results of the previous two conjurations in which a) I was told during the conjuration of Hagiel of Venus that ‘you are not what you seem’ and b) that the conjuration of Graphiel of Mars had not succeeded, at least not to my knowledge.
However, my daily devotional practices had been steady and slowly deepening; and I had now added the planetary, elemental and alchemical symbolism to the wooden staff used throughout the conjurations. This was something that I had felt intuitively compelled to do, as discussed in previous entries, but had not previously completed. So with my newly-engraved staff in hand, I ascended the mountain ridge once again. Arriving at the chosen location with a renewed vigour and feeling that I had overcome much of the doubt and self-criticism that the months since the previously failed conjuration had brought.
Setting up in the middle of the large amphitheatre created by the old quarry, I was able to use a rock pile as a makeshift altar and face toward the East where the sun would be rising. Importantly for what was to occur, directly in front and about 50 yards in front of me was a light grove of trees that would block a direct view of the sun at eye-height while still allowing light to shine through.
The conjuration began at 6.55am on Sunday 3rd April 2022. For comparison to previous conjurations, the tools used were as follows:
- an obsidian scrying stone (5”);
- white Bible (NRSV) placed in the middle;
- drawings of the Seal of Sol (gold) and sigil for Nachiel (gold);
- wooden ceremonial staff (with yellow ribbon tied around the symbol of Sol);
- dark-handled iron dagger;
- Frankincense cones lit at the beginning.
I also wore a golden-coloured jacket to further strengthen the correspondences for Sol.
The working was conducted as follows:
- Rosary prayers for 1hr (full set of traditional Mysteries);
- Items laid out on quarry stone, incense lit;
- LBRP variation;
- Psalm 84;
- Prayers and Affirmations from the CMG;
- Invocation of Graphiel from CPI (no result);
- Second round of Invocation from CPI;
- Questions/Scrying (two rounds);
- Closing.
The intended questions were kept the same as previously:
- What is your name? Are you Nachiel?
- What is the Nature of Sol?
- Are you an angel or force of nature?
- How can I best serve your needs?
- What should I be focusing my practice on?
- Who should I be speaking to next?
- Do you have anything to share with the group?
- What is the name of my Guardian Angel?
- What is your sigil and best time to contact you?
Thankfully, on this occasion my efforts were not left unanswered. Although, once again the conjuration went down an unexpected path that opened up new ways of viewing these ceremonies and their purpose.
The Conjuration of Nachiel
Although the circumstances this time were more ideal and I felt well-prepared, once again the conjuration did not immediately draw results. Assisted by the naturally enclosed space of the quarry and its isolation, I was able to leave behind any reservations and open up with a more energised delivery of the petition. Even so, the scrying did not come easily.
There was no sense of any arrival and I found it difficult to find a position in which the obsidian disc could be effectively used. Standing was too distant and angled poorly, sitting was too uncomfortable (even with an attempt to embrace the pain of kneeling on rocky ground as penitence). I felt my concentration wane and those whispers of frustration start to grow. Would this be another occasion without results? What would that mean? Had I lost my way and failed to find a way back to the path?
With the second round of the conjuration petition, however, the answer became more literal than I was ever expecting and with such powerful simplicity that it truly felt like seeing the world anew for the first time.
Previously, the arrival of the planetary intelligence was held within the obsidian disc itself – per the request of the conjuration – yet this time, with perfect congruity to the affirmation to “transmit your true and real presence In Splendid Appearance plainly unto the Light of our Eyes” it happened…
The Sun rose high enough behind the grove of trees to shine through. Its true and real presence appearing plainly and yet with such brilliance into my half-closed eyes (shielded enough to safely gaze upon it) that it broke through an entire lifetime taking for granted the celestial gift that the Sun provides for our entire solar system. Nachiel had arrived.
The conjuration of Nachiel had begun in truly spectacular fashion, made all the more profound by how literal the appearance was. The communication was not taking place through reflections on an obsidian mirror, but through the medium of Light itself as sunlight shot through the trees. Long rays played in my vision, split by the trees and refracted by my half-closed eyes. The experience provided not only a new visual field within which the scrying would take place, leaving behind the darkness of the obsidian disc on the stone below, but one marked by literal brilliance and the awe-inspiring realisation of how interconnected we are with Nature and dependent on that force which we revolve around. Communing directly with the stellar centre of our cosmically small, but consciously all-encompassing, planetary system that flies through the infinite tapestry of time and space.
Within this flowing sunshine the communication with Nachiel could take place, filled with answers to my questions received alongside gleaming visual imagery; including a solar face looking on at times and chariots travelling along the rays of light themselves. Although the experience of Light on this occasion was nearly overwhelming, I was able to ask the series of questions twice through and record the answers received:
What is your name? Nachiel / Nachiel
Are you Nachiel? Yes / Yes
What is the Nature of Sol? Light / Bornless Light
Are you an angel or force of Nature? Angel of Nature / As natural as your Soul
How can I best serve your needs? Life / Be with us, always
What should I be focusing my practice on? Living Light / Love and Light
Who should I be speaking to next? Yourself / [Name of GA]
Do you have anything to share with the group? [Messages received]
What is the name of my Guardian Angel? [Name of GA received] / [Confirmed]
Do you have a sigil and best time to contact you? [Sigil and Time received] / [Confirmed]
Finally, with a resounding push of energy, marked by the physical heat of the Sun, accompanied by visual chariots riding the rays of light in ever-quicker waves, the monumental phrase: I AM THAT I AM.
Primary words, indeed. This time with a presence that seemed to combine all the different kinds of internal voices together: my own internal thoughts and expectations; the still voice of my guide; and the intuitive phrases of the intelligences. All of them joined together to coalesce around that phrase and draw back to the inherent unity that links all aspects of the chain of existence.
With that, the presence of Nachiel retreated and my eyes cleared of the light rays that had previously been flooding in as they shifted in the sky. The conjuration had come to an end and, even though I completed the usual dismissal and closing, it was closed by that which had arrived to greet me.
Seeing the World Anew
Being subsumed into an experience of communion with the Sun brought about a paradigm shift in the way that I perceived the world, even if only for a short period of time. For about 20min following the conjuration, my perception of the world shifted and became attuned to the majesty of Creation in all its glory. This was not an experience of derealisation, of losing my sense of self, but rather it was an experience of the sanctification of the real; of seeing the world anew and appreciating the sacredness of everything within it and the role of that celestial being in presiding over our localised portion of reality.
It was not an ecstatic moment, but rather the lifting of a veil. The loosening of my own controlling definitions of the world, influenced as they are by the manner in which we receive information throughout the course of our lives. Although the veil slowly descended once again and I became focused once more on the obligations and distractions of the material world, the memory of that moment is retained and can be used to help return. A brilliant reminder that sometimes you have to look out and not just within to find what we seek.
The conjuration of Nachiel of Sol in such ‘Splendid Appearance’ brought a realisation of profound simplicity: the real is sacred and the sacred is real. The life-giving and animating forces of the universe that build and create; that everything emerges from; that all of time is contained within as it stretches into eternity… these are all real and present to us through the miracle of consciousness. We can not only experience them, but harness our own similar creative ability. We exist on the cusp between that which forms and that which is formed. Custodians of co-creation and agents of the Divine Mind.
There is a calling within that draws us into realising the cosmic chain of existence and our role within it. Those that are able to successfully hear this call can then act through reason, imagination and creative vision to make the sacred real for others; to draw them deeper into the divine song and celestial dance that the motions of our own lives are part of.
Just as the Sun feeds us all with its light and brings everything together into its cosmic rhythm, so must we feed others with our own being and act as sources of nourishment for their own paths of spiritual destiny. One voice among many, working together to bring about the sanctification of all that is Real.
On the Name of One’s Good Angel
The manner in which we can best do this is to become unified with the source of divine guidance that links each individual to higher forms of being, related in this instance to the provision of a name for my Guardian Angel. Those who have been reading through this series of ritual diaries will note that previously I had received a different response to this question, one that was personable and led to an ongoing sense of close unity with this force in my life: “I have no name, because I am with you.”
So what to make of this, when now I was provided with a specific name? One that felt powerful and generate excitement within me; that led me to exclaim it loudly and hear it echo in the stone amphitheatre of the surrounding quarry. Is it possible to hold both of these ideas together at once? The first instance was seemingly given directly from this being, while the second was provided to me by Nachiel in response to being asked during the conjuration.
As discussed previously, the difference between the two is known through the presence, tone, cadence and tenses used by them. They have different internal weight and gravity. They are experienced in clearly different ways, even though emerging within the same intuitive space and visionary part of our consciousness.
There are a few different ways that I could approach this experience:
- I could allow it to supersede the previously received response;
- I could come to the conclusion that one, or the other, was incorrect or misattributed;
- or I could find a way that both could be correct simultaneously.
Interestingly, the third option is the approach I feel compelled to take. One that could provide a deeper engagement with the concepts of Hermetic and Neoplatonic cosmology that these experiences currently exist within.
To put it simply, and without stating it directly, the name provided has a clear connection to one of the seven planetary spheres. This ties it back to the idea in some texts that one’s Good Angel would be related to the presiding planets and/or zodiacal signs and, indeed, can even be identified through an examination of one’s astrological natal chart.
Unfortunately, a quick look at this didn’t provide the kind of mythological-level verification that could have provided a story for the ages… at least not according to one method that I had seen in the works of Pelagius of Majorca (likely a pseudonym of Trithemius, as argued by Frater Acher in his book Black Abbott: White Magic).
Even though this avenue didn’t provide an immediate verification, I am energised by the ongoing meaningfulness of these experiences and how fruitful they have been. In many ways, this is more important than having them align with a particular text or framework as it opens up deeply resonant and novel areas for further contemplation. I will certainly keep exploring the relationship between planetary spheres and one’s Good Angel, as there’s a cosmological study to be done that will no doubt prove illuminating and likely provide new avenues for future theurgic efforts.
Closing Thoughts
There is a dialogue that takes place between the practitioner and the traditions we are inspired by. At some point along the way, the experiences that result from your own practises will necessarily lead into new areas that aren’t covered by or don’t match the texts you are working from. When it comes to the European grimoire tradition, there is a range of frameworks regarding the ‘Good Angel’ that overlap in many areas but differ in others. Some require extremely challenging levels of devotional commitment over many months or years, others merely ask you to find a quiet place in the woods or other isolated surroundings and start talking; some rely on dreams, others on visible apparitions. The truth of the matter is that these texts aren’t just talking about one experience, but are part of a whole spectrum that exists within the visionary sphere.
Many of the texts even directly state that, at a certain point, you will be told what to do next. You will be guided to what you seek, in a manner particular to your own circumstances and spiritual needs. The hard part is being able to properly discern the voice of one’s Good Angel; to clearly hear that still voice within at the creative core of our being, separating it from the cacophony of other influences and conflicting motivations that we are surrounded by and create a sense of identity in the material world.
The seeming incongruity of communications received from two different sources – both meaningful in their own ways – is a matter that can be overcome by continuing with future work in this area. Having created the circumstances for such communication to take place, with multiple kinds of spiritual beings, I have no intention of stopping now and letting such inspirational gifts wither away. I can only continue to improve my own situation and move into closer contact with the virtues of the celestial and divine realms, in the hope that by doing so the gifts of insight and communion that have been gratefully received thus far will continue to be encountered.
I have no doubt that further guidance will be given which will provide more clarity, should I be up to the task. As long as the work is done with humility and true intentions, the relationship with the spiritual realms and the myriad of beings within them will grow into new areas. This series of planetary conjurations has highlighted the importance of the imaginable realm and the manner in which it acts as a bridge between the Macrocosm and the Microcosm. Showing that there is a central component of our consciousness that not only yearns for assimilation with higher planes of existence, but gives them an avenue through which they can take form.
I have been led by the planetary intelligences through a series of meetings and realisations that have shone a light onto the path that I must walk, while also providing a clear (if fleeting) view of the guide that walks alongside me. Ascending through the planetary spheres is the initiatory mode of Hermeticism par excellence (something that I hadn’t fully appreciated before) and so I can now view the Work in a more unified manner.
Although there is a sense of culmination in completing the ‘full set’ of seven conjurations and the progressive nature of their results, this is a misnomer as it is really just the beginning. A brief glimpse of what is to come and a journey which must now continue along an ever-more refined and devoted path.
