I could hear his chuckling as I tried to draw his sigil. It’s one of those I always seem to jack up a little bit, but he’s usually pretty accommodating. Truth is, I typically call on Asmodeus, but Asmoday is what is listed for week 32.
Asmoday: “It was a good try. I enjoy watching the process and feeling your frustration. Yet, you don’t do it in pencil first, even though it would be a prettier sigil. Why?”
Me: “I feel that doing it in pencil would be a less authentic experience, generally speaking. This isn’t something that will go into a book or grimoire for lasting effect. This will be blooded and burnt at the end of this work through.” (He nodded and smiled and he knew that I was aware he could rib me about it longer.)
A: “Continue.” (I started calling his enn and energizing the sigil)
A: “And why aren’t you asking me to come?”
M: “Because the first two portions are more about your energies and feeling how those change the guided experience.”
A: “Did they?”
M: “You returned after departing moments before I started the calling.”
A: “You thoughts are on how I could make you stronger, physically, and how this may help with overcoming your limitations. Yes, this could happen. But it won’t. I have something else in mind.”
He left at this point and I did wonder if it was worthwhile to continue with the Meditation and Free Write sections, if what he had in mind is different than what comes up in my going through those two sections. I can still feel his gaze/awareness. I’ll simply do the exercises as-is and they will go where they will go.
Meditation:
The meditation is about Truth and Honesty or Strength and Wisdom. I could probably do a lot of meditation on both. When gazing at his sigil and when drawing it, there were a few things that certainly stood out, despite my frustration.
The first is that all of the circles could be done as loops. Okay, not the most illuminating observation, but some of them deliberately are. Does it really mean anything? That will always be debatable and dependent upon the observer’s opinion. I say this because despite their popularity, there really isn’t a source that is verifiable outside of Europe. Speculation, sure, but few books out there haven’t borrowed from the others in antiquity and there are more scholarly works out there about the absence of evidence and the mistakes in various “authoritative” versions. That is really getting off topic though.
To me, the sigil is similar to a ship or bullet moving in the direction it’s pointing. The hooks curl away from the direction of movement, but if one were to grab the whole, they would likely feel one or more of them. The tail in the back doesn’t seem quite long enough to me, to really be used as a weapon, so I assume it’s to help guide and stabilize, like a cat’s tail.
I was actually held over at work today for a while, which significantly added to my travel time. I wanted to note that Asmoday simply waved a hand and I wasn’t to worry about it.
A:”Why are you concerned that I will not be pleased that you asked Hecate to help with that problem?”
M: “I simply didn’t think to ask to make sure you didn’t have plans to work through it with either of the Strength and Wisdom or Truth and Honesty areas.” (He was amused by this)
A: “I told you I had other things in mind, didn’t I?”
He left (but I can still feel his attention).
A: “You’ve seen some of my handy work?”
M: “That could be a lot of things. Lots of moving parts before I head off for the Big Island.” (He didn’t like this)
M: “I had recently asked an entity for similar things to what I’ve seen and they took credit for the parts I’m aware of.” (He reminded me of the lack of animosity earlier)
A: “Now you understand.”
M: “And I can absolutely thank you for that. I was surprised. Really surprised, but you already knew that.”
A: “I did. And what did you learn from that?”
(I felt it could’ve gone either way, but was weighted towards a favorable outcome to me)
A: “Yes, it was. You played your part of staying neutral to friendly-esque and he acquiesced to you demeanor. The room was slanted in his favor.”
M: “It was. 3-2 or 3-1 depending.”
A: “And a half. You did a good job. We are done.”
M: “Err…what? I don’t see how I did enough.”
A: “You were tested several times over. First when you went to her desk – twice – in a day to drop by with your friend and see how she was doing. Very public. And you knew it. “
A: “Next, you were tested in your team’s (division’s) meeting to see if you just HAD to be right, instead of demurring and knowing you’d likely change it later, an important change, but a minor to non-existent issue when presented without the crowd the following day (today).”
A: “Finally, you wrapped up everything for the next week (and change) so you can walk away and enjoy yourself. (I did). Well done. You have work to do once you hit the Big Island. That must sound familiar.” (He chuckled and walked off)
He’s right. It was 4 years ago that I first met Pele. Almost 5. And I have work to do in her literal home.
It’s time to become a Hierophant. Almost Josephine McCarthy style.
Hail Asmoday! And thank you.
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