“…The whole secret may be summarized in these four words: Enflame thyself in praying”.

-Aleister Crowley, Magick in Theory and Practice, Chapter XV

The serpent and the dragon are often synonymous with each other in mythology. These two creatures symbolize life, creation, regeneration, death, destruction, fertility, wisdom and healing to name but a few. Serpent and dragon myths can be found in every corner of the ancient world. The word Serpent derives from the Latin “Serpens” which means snake or, an animal that crawls. In our clan we use the energy of the serpent for expressing our will power in a technique we call the Voice of the Dragon (or Serpent). To understand this technique a little better we must first discuss the power of the spoken word as used by the ancients.

When we speak of the Voces Magicae in the clan we are referring to ancient languages, symbols and writings that are used as words of power in a ritual format. The Voces Magicae can be traced back to ancient texts regarding the power of the spoken word. In ancient Egypt when words were spoken or written, they were believed to have special powers contained within them. Many people see hieroglyphs for example and believe them to be pictures conveying information. What most do not realize is that the words and symbols of the Egyptians contained within them realities that lent to their power. Many words of power spoken in the Egyptian tongue do not have the same magical affect when spoken in another language, English for example does not contain the same sequence of letters when put together and vocalized.

Another source referencing the voces magicae appears in tomes from ancient Greece. In the 4th Century BCE, we find the Greek book “Ephesia Gramata”, a magical text the references the Voces Magicae as words of power. The text describes these branches as follows:

If we look at the voce magicae used in Theourgia as a way of identifying with divinity, we can see how it lends to the souls transformational abilities. Through use of Theourgia one may be touched by divinity and thus becomes cleansed. By expanding on the basic ideas of the voces magicae, one can begin to see how the witch can use these words of power in order to accomplish many goals. This may be considered a form of Geoteia depending upon the spell or ritual itself, however it does not always fit into such a neat little box as such a simple description may seem to apply.

The focus needed for ritual invocation is hard to achieve when reading from a piece of parchment. These words are to be spoken with much passion and conviction to be done properly. When performed correctly the voice magicae is said to call forth spirits who are usually protective in nature. I have been witness to a few practitioners of the arts that have successfully used the voce magicae during ritual while reading from a paper or book; however these were experienced witches and magicians who have mastered the Voice of the Dragon.

The voces magicae is one way that our clan members make use of the “Voice of the Dragon”. This is the Voce Magicae used by an initiate to speak words of power to cause great change such as summoning or banishing a spiritual force. The words spoken are often in Latin, Greek or Egyptian. The use of other languages such as French, Italian or English do not carry the same vibration as those I have mentioned, however, they can still pack a punch if the practitioner is proficient with the technique.

When learning to use the power in ones voice many hours are spent chanting and vibrating. The words of power found in the magical texts regarding the Voce Magicae are considered untranslatable by scholars. Most of these words appear to be created by using a long series of vowels strung together as the base. The technique that many magicians practice today in order to learn proper vibration used for invocation looks like this; A-A-A-A-A-A-A- E-E-E-E-E-E-E- I-I-I-I-I-I-I-O-O-O-O-O-O-O -U-U-U-U-U-U-U. Thus simulating some of the sounds found in these ancient texts.

Invocations are often vibrated loudly so that all present feel the energy rushing through them like a wave of power. Invocation (as opposed to the evocation) is used to call a power from within to be present in a ritual.

Excerpt from “Feasting from the Black Cauldron” Pendraig Publishing 2018

-Amaranthus