City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism - Christopher Penczak 2001

Magick Words
The Language of the Streets

AS A WALK THROUGH THE WOODS brings out the voices of unseen energies-the voices of fairies, elves, and elementals found in the natural landscape-a voyage through city streets can bring out the city’s own voices of power. Some, you may have noticed, appear on your sidewalking jaunts. Others need an intention and a different perspective to gain notice. These voices speak the language of the street, giving tools from the energy beings of the city, the consciousness of the city vortex, the buildings and streets, along with the nature spirits and elementals composing these forms. The language of the streets is another powerful tool, a resource for your magical bag of tricks. These words and symbols encompass a great deal of power in a single, seemingly small magical act, because they are in harmony with the city.

Magick Words

Abracadabra, presto change-o, and the rabbit is no longer in the hat. Everyone has heard something similar from a stage magician. Say the magick words and reality changes, although this happens through illusion and sleight of hand. But the tradition of magick words really originates with the more esoteric magicians.

Words, like pictures, are symbols of power. They stand for something else. They represent a force of the universe, a being, or a concept. Many of the sacred languages, like Hebrew, Sanskrit, Greek, and Gaelic, have inherent power. Other sacred languages remain hidden, either by the contemporary practitioners, or in distant and tribal cultures, or they are obscured by time, like the ancient language of the Egyptians. The words and letters of these sacred languages, both spoken and written, carry great weight. Many cultures, including mainstream Christianity, believe the universe was created with a word. The word is God. Hindu traditions believe the word itself is AUM, more often seen as OM, the resonant sound of the universe. That single word, they believe, is the power of creation. Chanting it brings you in harmony with creation.

Even words we do not understand, or that do not fall into one of our known languages, have power. The tone and phonetic sound of the letters all have a resonance to them. The pitch and volume have an effect. Vibration is energy. Sound is power. Mystics have often spoken in tongues, using random sounds when in trance states. The words have meaning to our unconscious. This language, Glossalalia, is the primal language of creation. Since it speaks to the unconscious self directly, we all hear what we want and need to hear. When one hears a “prophecy” from a mystic speaking in tongues, they often hear their own personal message. The message can be a great thing, telling you what you need to know, but if you try to impose your own personal message on others, things become difficult. Everybody has his or her own message to discover.

Shamans, on their initiatory journey, often learn a new language from the spirit world. They either keep the words and pictures to themselves, making it a private, secret language, or share them with others, creating new magical traditions. I think magical alphabets, like the runes and Ogham, from the Norse and Celts respectively, were gifts from the Gods to the shamans of their people, much like the more modern Enochian language of the angels. By passing the magick on to the people, the Gods gave them a direct connection. Through the language, the powers of the Gods can be petitioned to help the people. The powers of the city work in the same way.

The power words revealed by the city do not often come in an obvious way. Many are voiced without speaking a word. No grand visions of extra-dimensional entities are needed. The physical city speaks to you in its own language. The written word is everywhere. Look for its messages. Look at the signs and graffiti in the city, on its streets and its shops and buildings. Everything is labeled. The magick is hidden between the lines. Look to see what letters pop out at you in the dazzling electric signs. Put those letters together and make something new. The word is already there, just waiting for you to see it. The city speaks with a secret power. What does it say to your inner voice?

For instance, in a sign saying

Annie’s Books And Gifts

you may pick up on the letters A, B, A, and G, since they are capitalized. “ABAG” becomes your magick word. To me, this would signify receiving knowledge and wisdom, hence the book-shop association. But each of us interprets things differently. This interpretation is just the first thing I thought of when I saw the new word and where it appeared. You may put the letters backward-GABA-or rearrange them, coming up with a new word for you. Go with your first instincts and impressions, for they are the most important. Another sign saying

Grand Opening at McBurgers

reduces to “GOMB” in my mind. The round sound of the word brings a sense of satisfaction. You have what you need. I would use this type of word for prosperity magick. Again, the mood of satisfaction corresponds to our desire for fast-food satisfaction and eating on the run. Magick words do not always correspond in that way, however. Take the sign

Restaurant

Eat At Joe’s.

I see “REAJ,” but the image I evoke from that word is protection and strength, and that has nothing to do with restaurants. Go with your first impression. Some may be magick words signifying energy in the city, special code words to make things happen. Others may be names of entities in the city. They may be speaking through the signs to get your attention, spelling out an actual word. Or perhaps a few whole words will stick out as key to the message. You can do a spell and ask for a sign that it is working. On your sidewalking journey to gain a sign, the first place you stop at is “The First National Trust Bank,” but “Trust” is the word that sticks out for you. There is your sign.

EXERCISE 17 -GAINING MAGICK WORDS

Do Exercise 9, the sidewalking experience, but start with the intention of finding a magick word (see page 79).

Once you think you have the magick word or words that are correct for you, write them down, along with any intuitive information you feel regarding their meaning and use. Some get a lot of information, others get only the word. Use whatever comes. Return home.

Once home, get comfortable and prepare for meditation. Do Exercise i to enter a meditative state (see page 17) and Exercises 3 or 4, chakras and protection shield (see pages 25 and 27), if you desire.

Chant the magick word or words in a slow meditative voice. Experiment with the pitch and tempo. Allow yourself to feel the effect of the words and tones on you. Be aware and observe.

Chant only as long as you desire and feel comfortable. When done, write down your further impressions. They should give you personal clues as to how to use your magick words.

Once you find a word or phrase that resonates with you, if you do not have any intuitive information about it, do a journey or some more sidewalking to connect with this power and see what it wants and how you can work together. If you are uncertain about the nature of a word, invoke your protective shield and speak it before going to bed. Ask to receive and remember dreams and messages revealing its powers, or perhaps you will just awake knowing its true meaning.

By speaking or chanting such a word as “REAJ,” with the association of protection, you are strengthening your protective shield. You can speak it quickly, like an affirmation of an energy or trait you need immediately. Chant it to raise energy for your spell in a ritual. Write it out and burn the paper during the ritual. There are a number of methods for working with magick words.