Hallowing the Kingdom of Qayin Azhaka

In a Nutshell:

This is the basic method of casting a circle (aka laying a compass) in the system of the Dragon Book.

Where To Find It:

Pages 801-811.

The Point:

The DB lists three functions of this ceremony: The Ceremony Itself:
 * 1) It creates the circle, which purifies, protects and consecrates the area around you.
 * 2) Positions you as a vessel on which to be acted.
 * 3) It extends the Seeker's being, with the Dragon Vessel as the means of change.

Essentially, it involves casting a protective sphere around oneself, making use of the magical words of power of the system (the ten root-names). It's sort of like the LRP of the Dragon Book system, and fulfills largely the same functions, as well as being the introductory rite for any ceremony (as is the LRP). It seems to be based on the structure suggested by Peter Carroll for banishing rituals in Liber MMM, and the colour system may also be an adaptation of one of his methods.

The basic form of the rite is pretty simple, but its application is quite clever, as the use of root-names calls to mind the performance of the rites corresponding to those names throughout the year, meaning it constantly (and ever-increasingly) draws upon the initiatory experience of the system (this is something used in the Golden Dawn system too, where the grade signs of the outer order are used for the same reason in the inner order)- i.e. the longer you stick to the system, the more powerful it gets.

It also shares another similarity with Golden Dawn in that it has different levels of complexity for different situations (just as you have the Lesser and Greater versions of the Pentagram ritual in GD). The intermediate form links the root names to different parts of the body, and the advanced form (to be used only after you have gone through the full cycle of the year) summarises the entire cycle of the year.

Chumbley recommends using the intermediate form to increase awareness of one's progress through the yearly cycle, and that a rosary helps with this (pp804). He also advises using the advanced form as much as possible. The basic form, however, is recommended for daily practice before the shrine, and is good for getting to grips with basic meditative work. He suggests some additional points for the latter, which I'll add at another time (pp807).

How to do it:

Here follows a shortened summary of the basic instructions. Read the DB (pp805) for more detailed instructions.

Basic Form ('Casting the Sphere of Eleven Directions')

0. Face North
 * 1) Imagine the Sphere of Clear and Boundless Light around you. Imagine yourself at it's centre as its radiant core, or the illuminated Vessel. Declare the word "I".
 * 2) Direct your attention from the centre towards each direction in turn. Send out a bolt of lightening and fire with the following colour and vibrate the following root name for each direction:
 * 3) North-East:  Red; HU.
 * 4) East: Orange; SA.
 * 5) South-East: Yellow; BA.
 * 6) South: Green; KU.
 * 7) South-West: Blue; LA.
 * 8) West: Indigo; TAN.
 * 9) North-West: Violet; HUA.
 * 10) North: Black; I.
 * 11) Zenith: White Star with rainbow rays; IA.
 * 12) Nadir: Black Star with peacock rays; KA.
 * 13) Meditate in silence at the centre. Extend the rays out to the ends of the Earth while doing so.
 * 14) Declare: "In the Secret Name of the Seeker's Oath, let all be consumed within the Vessel of Azhdeha. BILO BILO HU! QAYIN AZHA KA!" [Book is not clear on whether or not this is part of the ceremony, but I presume it is]
 * 15) At the end of the ceremony, the rays should be reabsorbed, anticlockwise, back into the central point. Each reabsorption should be followed by a quick clap and stamp of the left foot (possibly also a cry? The text is unclear).

Intermediate Form ('Casting the Sphere of the 161 Names'):
 * 1) Having performed the basic form, assume the godform of the Dragon through the Stellar Transvocation.
 * 2) Instead of inserting the spell as you'd normally do, focus your attention through the ten compass directions.
 * 3) Send out energy to each direction (in turn, presumably). Each time you do so, vibrate the fourteen formulae of the dragon points, ending each one with the relevant root name. See pp807 for a fuller explanation.
 * 4) After this is done, seal it with a formula for each direction as follows (I'm not typing it all out):
 * 5) BILO BILO HU - [ROOT] AZHA KA
 * 6) e.g. Northeast would have 'BILO BILO HU- HU AZHA KA' etc.
 * 7) Having done this, focus on the central point of the sphere of light and seal it with the closing words of the Stellar Transvocation.

Advanced form ('Casting the Sphere of Eleven Gods')
 * 1) This builds on the Intermediate form, so you need to do that (plus the Basic, obviously) first.