Rituals from my Headless Ritual Book – Dev's Esoteric Writings Archive

Several people asked me if they could access my version of The Headless Ritual, or Akephalos, online without having to buy the book – online here. So what I thought I would do would be to publish here all three of the rituals from that book without any of the body-based practices that go along with them. For those you will need to buy my book.

It’s a 6-month course and this is how the rituals for each month look:

Month 1

For this calendar month you perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram at least once in each 24 hour period.

Now, here are the ritual instructions in full:

Stand in the center of the room, making sure your knees are slightly bent (do not lock them, as this interrupts natural energy flow).
Face the wall you have designated as East.
For all one-handed movements, use your dominant hand (the one you usually write with).

Part One—Qabalistic Cross

This is actually a form of the Christian “Lord’s Prayer” spoken with Hebrew words.

Touch your forehead and say ATEH [a-teh]
Touch your belly and say MALKUTH [mal-koot]
Touch your right shoulder and say VE GEBURAH [veh-geb-u-rah]
Touch your left shoulder and say VE GEDULAH [veh-ged-ul-ah]
Put hands together in prayer pose at chest and say LE OLAHIM AMEN [leh-o-la-heem ah-um-un]

Part Two—Banishing the four directions

Use the banishing pentagram for earth for each of the four directions below.

Still facing East, stretch out your arm in front of you and trace the pentagram.
Point to centre and say YHVH [yod-heh-vav-heh]
Keeping your arm stretched out, turn 90 degrees to your right and trace the pentagram, as before, facing the South wall.
Point to the centre and say ADONAI [aa-don-ay]
In the same manner, turn to the West, trace the pentagram and say EHIEH [eh-heh-ee-eh]
Continue in the same way to the North, trace the pentagram and say AGLA [ag-el-ah]
Turn in the same manner back to the East.
Extend your arms to the sides, as though on a cross and say the following:
“Before me, Raphael” [ra-phy-el]
“Behind me, Gabriel” [ga-bree-el]
“On my right hand, Michael” [mik-ay-el]
“On my left hand, Auriel” [or-ee-el]
“About me flame the pentagrams, and in the column shines the six-rayed star.”
As you say the last statement, imagine the four pentagrams around you and then envision yourself standing in a column of light, hexagonal in shape.

Part 3—Close with Qabalistic Cross

To complete the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, remain facing East and repeat Part 1 above. The ritual is then complete.

Month 2

This month we move onto the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, again performing it at least once every 24 hours. Here are the pentagrams and gestures that you will need.

Opening—Qabalistic Cross

Exactly as in the Banishing Ritual

Invoking in the East

Facing East, trace the Invoking Active Pentagram of Spirit.
Intone EHIEH (eh-heh-ieh)
Still facing East, perform the Opening of the Veil gesture. To do this, put your arms together and stretch them out in front of you, with palms facing outward (thumbs nearest the floor). Now gently spread your arms, as though you were opening a curtain.
Remaining facing East, now trace the Invoking Pentagram of Air.
Intone YHVH (yod-heh-vav-heh)
Perform the gesture associated with Air. Raise your arms to the side, elbows slightly bent, and with palms facing up, as through taking a weight at roughly head height (see pic above).

Invoking in the South

Turn a quarter-turn clockwise until you are facing the south wall of the room.
Trace the same Invoking Active Pentagram of Spirit.
Once again, intone EHIEH (eh-heh-ieh).
Once again, perform the Opening of the Veil gesture.
Still facing South, trace the Invoking Pentagram of Fire.
Intone ELOHIM (el-oh-eem).
Perform the gesture associated with the element of Fire. Make the shape of an upward-facing triangle with your hands in front of you at head height (see pic above).

Invoking in the West

Turn another quarter-turn until you are facing the wall of the room that has been designated West.
Trace the Invoking Passive Pentagram of Spirit.
Intone the divine name AGLA (ag-el-ah).
Perform the gesture of the Closing of the Veil. To do this, begin with your arms in front of you stretched out as though you had just opened a curtain. With palms now facing inward (thumbs at top), slowly bring your arms together, as though closing a curtain.
Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Water.
Intone AL (al).
Perform the gesture associated with the element of Water. This is similar to the Fire gesture, just the triangle is now with its point facing down (see pic above).

Invoking in the North

Once again, make another quarter-turn and face North.
Trace again the Invoking Passive Pentagram of Spirit.
Intone AGLA (ag-el-ah).
Perform the gesture of the Closing of the Veil again.
Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Earth
Intone ADONAI (ad-on-ai).
Perform the gesture associated with Earth. To do this, step your right foot one pace forward whilst raising your right arm, palm facing front, as though hailing a cab, whilst keeping your left arm straight, by your side and with palm facing behind you (see pic above).

Closing—Qabalistic Cross

Turn clockwise once again until facing East.
Perform the Qabalistic Cross once again.

Month 3

This month you perform the actual Headless Ritual, in your mind, once every 24 hours. It is based around last months ritual and this version is based on Crowley’s version from Liber Samekh, but with some of the changes suggested by Jake Stratton-Kent. Notes and commentary are in italics or brackets.

The Opening

In your imagination, picture yourself standing in the centre of the room facing East. Begin speaking the invocation out loud, seeing the figure in your mind doing this too.

Thee I invoke, the Headless One.

Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens.

Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day.

Thee, that didst create the darkness and the Light.

Thou art RA-HOOR-KHUIT, Myself made Perfect: Whom no man hath seen at any time.

(Ra-Hoor-Khuit is a divine name found in the Liber AL, or Book of the Law.)

Thou art IA-BESZ

Thou art IA-APOPHRASZ

Thou has distinguished between the Just and the Unjust.

Thou didst make the Female and the Male.

Thou didst produce the Seeds and the Fruit.

Thou didst form Men to love one another, and to hate one another.

I am [say your name], thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries.

Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.

Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel of NU, the Angel of HAD, the Angel of RA-HOOR-KHU.

(NU, HAD and RA-HOOR-KHU are all divine names from the Book of the Law).

Invoking in the East

In your mind’s eye, take a step forwards toward the East and then walk around the space anticlockwise, passing North, West and South, until you are back on the spot in the East, one pace from the centre. Just as in the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, draw the Invoking Active pentagram for Spirit, intone the divine name and give the sign. Then do the same for the element of Air—pentagram, name, sign. When complete, say out loud the following invocation:

Hear Me: AR, ThIAF, RhEIBET, A-ThELE-BER-SET, A, BELAThA, ABEU, EBEU, PhI-ThETA-SOE, IB, ThIAF

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; such that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry land and in the water; of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Invoking in the South

In your mind’s eye, proceed anticlockwise through North and West until you are facing South, again about one step from the centre of the room. Draw the Invoking Active pentagram for Spirit, intone the divine name and give the sign. Then do the same for the element of Fire. When complete, say out loud the following invocation:

I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God;

Who dwellest in the Void Place of the Mind;

AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRAO, SOTOU, MUDORIO, PhALARThAO, OOO, AEPE

The Headless One.

Invoking in the West

In your mind’s eye, proceed anticlockwise through East and North until you are facing West, again about one step from the centre of the room. Draw the Invoking Passive pentagram for Spirit, intone the divine name and give the sign. Then do the same for the element of Water. When complete, say out loud the invocation:

Hear Me: RU-ABRA-IAF, MRIODOM, BABALON-BAL-BIN-ABAFT, ASAL-ON-AI, APhEN-IAF, I, PhOTETh, ABRASAK, AEOOU, ISChURE

Mighty and Headless One!

Invoking in the North

In your mind’s eye, proceed anticlockwise through South and East until you are facing North, again about one step from the centre of the room. Draw the Invoking Passive pentagram for Spirit, intone the divine name and give the sign. Then do the same for the element of Earth. When complete, say out loud the invocation:

I invoke Thee: MA, BARRAIO, IOEL, KOThA, AThOR-e-BAL-O, ABRAFT

Invoking in the Above

In your mind’s eye, proceed anticlockwise through West and South until you are back in the centre of the room facing East. Bend backwards so that you are facing the ceiling, rather as though in an extended Bow position. Draw the Invoking Active pentagram for Spirit above your head, intone the divine name (EHIEH) and give the sign. Then trace the symbol for Sun and Moon combined. Do this by first tracing a circle, then a crescent attached to the bottom and finally a point in the centre. It looks like this:

After this, imagine your figure making the signs for L.V.X whilst still leaning back with head facing the ceiling. To do this, first have them lift their left arm such that it’s at right angles to the trunk of the body whilst their right arm points straight up (in the shape of a letter L). Then put both arms up at an angle to create a letter V shape. Finally, cross your arms across your chest to create the shape of a letter X. (see diagram below though note that you imagine it being done whilst still bent backwards).

Hear me: AFT, ABAFT, BAS-AUMGN, ISAK, SA-BA-FT

Now, still bent backward, bring your arms wide to the sides, as though prostrating yourself to something above you. Say the following.

This is the Lord of the Gods.

This is the Lord of the Universe.

This is He whom the Winds fear.

This is He, Who having made Voice by His commandment is Lord of all Things—King, Ruler and Helper.

Invoking in the Below & Final Evocation

Have your figure now bend forwards until facing the below in a position reminiscent of the Arch. Have them draw the Invoking Passive pentagram for Spirit toward the floor, intone the divine name (AGLA) and give the sign. Then trace the symbol Sun and Moon combined as before, followed by the same LVX signs, still facing downward. Then intone the following:

Hear Me: IEOU, PUR, IOU, PUR, IAFTh, IAEO, IOOU, ABRASAX, SABRIAM, OO, FF, AD-ON-A-I, EDE, EDU, ANGELOS TON ThEON, ANLALA, LAI, GAIA, AEPE, DIATHARNA THORON

When complete, imagine yourself returning to standing upright in the centre of the room, facing East. Say the final evocation and imagine it coming from your whole body rather than simply your mouth.

I am He, the Headless One, having sight in the feet.

Strong, and the Immortal Fire.

I am He, the Truth.

I am He, who hate that evil should be wrought in the world.

I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth.

I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth.

I am He, whose mouth ever flameth.

I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light.

I am He, The Grace of the Worlds.

The Heart Girt with a Serpent is my name.

Come thou forth and follow me; and make all Spirits subject unto Me; such that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth and under the Earth; on dry land and in the water; of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire; and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

IAF: SABAF

Such are the Words!

With these words the ritual is complete.

Month 4

This month, continue to perform the Headless Ritual in your mind once in every 24 hour period.

Month 5

This month, perform the Headless Ritual in your mind twice every 24 hours, ideally spaced about 12 hours apart.

Month 6

This month, the final month, perform the Headless Ritual three times in the 24 hour period, ideally spaced about 8 hours apart. Should you wake up in the night, make sure you make use of that to do it then. If you wish, you can also perform it physically in your room one of these times. This can help to reinforce the mental way of doing it.

Okay, so that is the six months of ritual work as laid out in my book. Ideally, it should be done along with the intense body and breathwork practices found in the book itself. Find it on Amazon here.