The Black Arts

updated by: High Priest Zevios Metathronos & Pythia

To have true power, one must be adept at both white and black magick. Books on white magick are plentiful, while serious writing on black magick is rare, and this is why the Temple addresses it directly. Mastering both takes time, patience, and a lot of hard work.

What the Black Arts Are

In its proper meaning, the term "Black Arts" refers to Spiritual Alchemy and not to black magick. Spiritual Alchemy is the transformation of the soul: the elements within the human being are purified and empowered until the soul becomes as the Gods. The Temple names this Great Work Theosis, the Magnum Opus. Apollo is a Master of Spiritual Alchemy, and the Hermetic writings, which the Greeks of Egypt attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, their name for Thoth, hold its foundations.

The black in the name is old. Plutarch records that Egypt, which has the blackest of soils, was called Chēmia, the same name as the black of the eye.¹ Kemet, "the Black Land", was the Egyptians' own name for their country, and the Greek chēmeia, from which alchemy takes its name, has long been read as "the Egyptian art". Historians of science note that the word may come instead from the Greek cheō, "to pour" or "to fuse"; the question is still open.² The alchemists' Great Work itself began in blackness. Its first stage was the blackening, melanōsis in the Greek texts and nigredo in the Latin, when the matter is broken down before it can be rebuilt.² In the Temple's reading, this is the first work on the soul: whatever in it is weak or false is broken down, so that the soul can be rebuilt in strength.

In common speech, "the Black Arts" names the whole range of magick that mainstream society fears or condemns, black magick among it. The two meanings meet in practice, because the soul that has worked on itself is the soul that has power, in white magick and in black.

No Magick Is Forbidden

In Zevism there is no magick that is inherently forbidden. What matters is the practitioner's skill, intention, and judgment, and every working is weighed on the Scales of Ma'at. A working done in justice against one who has done real harm is weighed very differently from one done in envy or in blind hate. The Life Ethics, Death & Slaying Ethics set out how the Gods weigh each case, and Envy, Greed, Hate, Anger, Lust, Gluttony explains the difference between proper hatred, which justice sometimes needs, and the blind kind.

This was the way of the Ancients. Greeks and Romans who had been robbed or wronged wrote their case on lead and gave it to the Gods. At the sanctuary of Demeter at Knidos, the wronged, most of them women, asked Demeter and Kore to punish those who had harmed them; at Bath, people asked Sulis Minerva to afflict thieves until they returned what they had taken.³ The Goddess Nemesis was worshipped for the same justice. It was Christianity that declared every such working, and even the theurgy of the philosophers, to be the work of demons.⁴

Power Comes From the Mind and the Aura

Many people wonder why their spell workings have failed. It is because their mind and aura are weak. We can go to Zeus and his Daemons when we are in need, but the goal of Zevism is to become powerful ourselves, and in the end to become as the Gods. Zeus and his Daemons guide us and give us the knowledge we need to increase our powers.

Zeus does not waste his time on those who do nothing with themselves. True Zevism is not Disneyland. If you want serious power, you will have to work hard at it. This can take years, and it is well worth the effort. The Gods give guidance and knowledge, and in Their time the higher works; building the soul that can receive them is our own work, and no one else can do it for us.

The Daily Work

There is time we can all find with a bit of organization. Do what you can do. Breathing exercises take around ten minutes and are very effective in increasing one's powers. They can be done first thing in the morning, or even in the bathroom with the door locked if one lives with other people. Even five minutes of visualization exercises a day will bring many benefits. Meditation is being in the here and now, with the mind emptied of all thoughts; it can be done anywhere and at any time by focusing on the present and on what you are doing. Regular power meditation and void meditation build the strength that every working depends on.

What a Trained Mind Can Do

Much can be done with a well-trained mind. Knowledge of anatomy gives one the ability either to heal or to inflict harm: nerves can be made to cause pain when a trained mind focuses on them in one who is rightly hated. This is one example of many. The mind and soul hold faculties that lie dormant in most human beings, and these can be opened and empowered by focusing on them and by using the abilities they give once awakened. Thoughts can be placed in another person's head in the same way (see Zevist Telepathic Communication). Concentration and repetition are necessary here.

Timing and Repetition

For those who do not yet have enough power, a spell or ritual can often be repeated on consecutive nights, following the cycle of the Moon. Spells for growth and increase are performed during a waxing Moon, and spells for destruction during a waning Moon (see Timing your Magick with the Moon). In many cases spells need to be repeated. When a working has succeeded you should know it, and there is usually no more need to repeat it, though some workings need to be reinforced every now and then (see Most Workings are not just a 'One Shot Deal').

Workings of retribution and black magick are best done while the target is asleep. During sleep, the target's psychic defenses are down and the subconscious, suggestible mind is wide open.

Working Outdoors

For those who like to do their workings outdoors, the earth holds vast reserves of energy for those who know how to manipulate it. The pendulum can prove invaluable here, though consistently accurate answers take much practice and patience (see Pendulum Practice). Begin with a map of an area that is secluded and suitable for ritual work. With a pencil in one hand and the pendulum in the other, ask a series of yes or no questions to pinpoint a spot. Taken outdoors to a place where natural lines of earth energy run, the pendulum will begin to move rapidly in circles.

Stones can be used to strengthen a circle of power. The circle of power is for building and concentrating your energies before directing them at the desired goal. Stones containing quartz increase the power of the energies in the circle and act as transmitters. Circles are also used for protection and as barriers.

Cleansing After Black Magick

After any black magick working, always clean your aura and your chakras with a bright light, like that of the Sun. When we use and draw upon negative or destructive energy, a residue can remain clinging to the aura. If it is left there, it can cause problems, as energy attracts energy of the same wavelength. This is especially true for those who, through lack of knowledge, invoke such energy into themselves instead of evoking it, and then use it for destruction, which creates a tie (on evocation and invocation, see Advanced Magick). Taking the time to clean your aura rids the soul of anything negative that could cause you problems. Take your time with this. When you can see your aura and your chakras brightened, ask your pendulum whether you are completely cleansed. If not, ask what needs more work, going through your chakras one by one with yes or no questions that the pendulum is able to answer.

Leaving the Working Alone

When finished with any ritual, do not think about the ritual or about your desired goal. Leave the working alone to do its work, as dwelling on it, worrying, or rehearsing it can bring in the wrong energies and interfere. When we worry or dwell on the outcome, we can alter the very results we worked to bring about. This is where void meditation is essential: regular practice gives the ability to turn off unwanted thoughts and influences.

Daily Care of the Soul

Everyone should cleanse his or her aura and chakras daily. This is as essential as regular bathing. Few people know about their own souls or how to care for them and keep them healthy, because spiritual knowledge was systematically removed; the Temple names this destruction of knowledge Epistemot. The cleansing can be done on waking and does not take long. It helps keep illness, psychic attacks, and other negative energies from getting a hold, and it enhances your charisma when dealing with others.