A.O. Spare's "Never-Fail" Method - The Earthenware Virgin

[Son of Mr. Gordo]

I was reading Stephen Mace's book, "Stealing the Fire From Heaven". In in he mentions a method of Spare's that is called the Earthenware Virgin. Spare himself stated that it never failed:

Mace describes a technique he asserts that Spare used called "The Earthenware Virgin." This is a clay vessel with an opening that fits snugly around the sorcerer's erect penis and into which he masturbates. At the bottom of the vessel is a sigil.

When the moon passes full, the wizard digs up this clay womb, replenishes the sperm and -'while repeating suitable incantations'- pours it out as a libation on the ground. Then he reburies the urn

Spare cautions that though this technique never fails, it is dangerous, and so he leaves much to be guessed

...one may suppose that the urn acts as a clay womb in which the wizard breeds a familiar spirit. Such help can be as risky as it is effective, however, for if the wizard is in any way unable to control himself, he will have an even harder time managing a semi-independent power such as this. He must always keep the initiative over it, never allow it any scope for independent action, and always maintain a strict separation between its form and his own. He must never invite it into himself

Does anyone have any additional information on the details of this method?

Has anyone tried this particular method?

[m1thr0s]

Has anyone tried this particular method?well...I haven't but then I also have not jumped off any cliffs in the attempt to prove that will is all it takes to master flight...

Personally...I find this aspect of Spare's work pathetically immature to the point of being comical. Anyone who goes so far as to claim that such a practice *never fails* is either a moron or a scammer...There is no aspect of magickal endeavor that *never fails* no matter how many gallons of sexual fluids you pump into it...

just my opinion of course...I like Spare's stuff a lot but I am not so quick to buy into his methods as others seem to be...I know the game all too well for that and while it may be useful to some extent to exaggerate the stage (as it were)...the reality is that Spare was experimenting on many levels at once and these all have to be taken into account together for his system - as a whole - to bear any real fruit in my view.

Doesn't mean people shouldn't try it if it rings right for them...but to me it simply smacks of a very rudimentary level of alchemy - useful mainly in breaking down the walls of post-victorian sexual inhibitions...and it certainly can fail...anything can fail...or it wouldn't actually be worth very much to begin with.

m1thr0s

[Dragon]

I have not heard of this particular technique, but I tend to agree with m1 on a few points here. Magickal maturity levels; this is low level, or at least outdated, sorcery in my book.

Personally if I am going to perform a sexually based tantric operation, I want a real woman on the other end. Why not just cut to the chase in terms of symbolic embodiment of the feminine, and go for an actual body.

Spare is a curious bird though, and edgy in his explorations, he was off into his lower realms looking for a breakthrough point. I don't know if he ever found it, but his eyes sure are buggy.

The bottom line is how effective it is. And even if it is somewhat effective, is it worth the investment in energy for the potential or realized return?

Frankly in my mind -

how could one do it, and then keep a straight face in the mirror ever again?

~D~

[m1thr0s]

I suppose the whole *servitor* business doesn't make any sense to me to begin with.

The human condition is divided enough already...why exacerbate things further?

It just comes off like a meddling busy-work that avoids, rather than confronts, any of the more important (and accomplishable) objectives in life.

Some seem to feel that the fact that it can be done is sufficient to justify the doing. I rather assume it can be done if you put your heart and mind into it...the same as with anything else. That doesn't qualify the doing as prudent or productive or even vaguely advisable...

m1

[Talkingfox]

not to mention being deucedly uncomfortable if the Magician in question just happens to be female. :rolleyes:

[Ci Celli Ddu]

...but to me it simply smacks of a very rudimentary level of alchemy - useful mainly in breaking down the walls of post-victorian sexual inhibitions...

Definately, and of course he's quite typical of his era regarding the use of sex in magick to address these inhibitions. It's a lot of baggage we just don't have these days. In fact when I read the rite's description, my first reaction -rather than feel queezy about cuming into a pot- was "What, you have to bury the fucking thing? Jeez"

[m1thr0s]

I'm still trying to puzzle out Spare's comment that *it never failed*...unfortunately this is a very ambiguous sort of comment to begin with. Some will argue that certain oracles or divination tools *never fail* but for the interpretive skill of the diviner for instance. It could be argued that magick (of any kind) *never fails* in much the same sort of way. Spare may have only meant that it never failed him personally but this would be impossible for anyone else to measure really. It just seems to be one of those grandiose statements we hear of magick from time to time that sounds terribly impressive but actually means nothing at all...

I have a certain pen I use that has never failed to write even when it should have been out of ink. Who knows, maybe it's a "magick pen" but I suspect it's really just a well made pen that behaves about like any well made pen should behave. Compared to all the crummy pens I have also used in my life, it comes off as almost god-like...but alas...correlation does not equal causation...

m1

[Transcix]

I find this to be a typical example of how magick in general is straying away from Truth.. as it is funny to compare this to the spiritual dudes in India who constantly go around naked with erections, while absorbed completely in higher transcendent affairs, as a testament to the overcoming of desire and desire-bound things...

Anyways, maybe Spare said it never fails because, hey, what dude wants to talk about erectile dysfunction?

[Mobius_Null]

One has to remember the words supposely spoken by AOS were in fact written in a book by K. Grant ..... "and anyone familiar with Grant's writing style should know that Grant was more often than not, totally incorrect in alot of the information he presented his readers; so I personally take this (story) with a grain of salt". Seasoned magicians can, and do, see the holes in the basic theories of the Earthenware Vessel presentation with a raised eyebrow; "thank god!" :laugh:

[m1thr0s]

One has to remember the words supposedly spoken by AOS were in fact written in a book by K. Grantyeah...that would be important.
i doubt grant would be able to report the weather without putting some weirdass distortional spin on things.
all fine if you know what you're buying at the time...not so much if not.

m1