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I was drawn to these practices because I was growing dissatisfied with the limits of Wicca as it was prescribed by its ancestry and modern founders such as the eccentric Gerald Gardener and the more so questionable Alex Sanders (of whose path I was formally trained by the way.)

Though I have become quite adept at the operations and rituals of classic and modern Wicca, as well as other forms of witchcraft, I needed something that was specifically geared to breaching the gap between paganism and Kabbalah.   I found this in modern Wicca's own DNA, so to speak.

The Calling of the Watchtowers, and the casting of the circle...in fact the elemental and sympathetic magic all had to have origins elsewhere. In study of what we believe to be the Druid and original Celtic shamanism, the four "elements" were not used as they are today. In fact the Druids were more focused on general land features as sacred as opposed to the four Wind/River/Watchtower/Quarter concept.  As a student I learned that the origins come from the Golden Dawn, and even its predecessors such as the Rosicrucians, Egyptian Heka mysticism, Kabbalah, Arabic magick, John Dee's questionable "Enochian Magic" and Astrology.

One major problem many Wiccans have with Ceremonial High Magick is that it initially comes across as overly detailed, too focused on the Hebrew God archetypes and angels, and way too regimented/strict in form.

This is true! However, I argue that a wise mystic realizes that the Hebrew God archetype and the collective Source of the Gods and Goddesses is in fact the same energy! This is a growing concept amongst us practitioners.

For me, the angelic and demonic forces of this system of Ceremonial Magick are in fact higher level vibrational forms of the same elemental energies and spirits of the Celtic or European shaman.  Afterall, this is where Gardener learned...not from the old woman and her supposed coven as he claimed.

I have found that in the strangest way, the aesthetics and teachings of Wicca can be carefully (and with understanding of both systems) be used in conjunction with the older Ceremonial Magick.  In fact, it seems as though Ceremonial Magick is designed for any belief system...it is more or less a hyper-focused technological perspective of the natural forces used in Paganism.  Yes, I said it..."technological".

But, you may ask, if this is so...what exactly do you, Khalell Zen Paraldan, use from this system?

The Answer:

I utilize the following concepts of Ceremonial Magick and have spent much time in the last few years understanding and mastering these arts:

The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP)
A ritual used to remove unwanted internal influences and elemental residue that could interfere with the magician's activities of the day. This also is begun and ended with a ritual to invoke divine force to empower the self (The Kabbalistic Cross).

The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram (SIRP)
A ritual used to summon and master the internal elemental influences and divine energies.

The Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (BRH)
A ritual used to remove unwanted external elemental influences and astrological/planetary residue that could interfere with the magician's activities of the day.

The Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram (SIRH)
A ritual used to invoke and master external elemental forces and astrological/planetary energy.

The Rose Cross
A ritual used to make the astral self invisible to unwanted forces. It is also a good way to follow-up the LBRP in order to cleans one's astral influence from drawing negative energies. It is based upon the Kabbalistic practice of the Yetziratic Sealing Rite.

The Middle Pillar (MP)
A ritual used to charge the chakras of the body as well as activate the aura by inscribing the energies of the Tree of Life's "Pillar of Mildness" (Central Pillar and Sephiroth) into the centers of the body. It also is used to heal, charge talismans, banish energies, and empower the self. The Middle Pillar is often used after the initial banishings to begin filling light into the vacuum created by the LBRP and BRH, and like them, requires the vibration of Divine names of Hebrew origin.

The Tree of Life
This is technically a more advanced version of the MP that uses the full visualization of the Tree of Life in the aura of the body. The name of the Angelic orders are called in addition to or instead of the Divine names vibrated in the MP ritual.

The Circulation of the Body of Light (CBL)
A ritual used to charge and expand the aura of influence in different directions in order to cycle the Divine energies summoned/invoking for magical operations. Usually the variations are around the body vertically, from front to back, and in a winding motion to spiral pranic energy from your lower self to your higher self.

The Formulation of the God Forms (God Form Poses)
The Orders of the Golden Dawn designed and prescribed positions of the body to resemble and infuse the higher self with God and Goddess energies. These are similar to the God and Goddess Signs of Wicca. The three most commonly used God Forms are the Enterer (Sign of Horus), the Sign of Silence (Harpocrates), and the Sign of Osiris Risen. Many of the rituals above utilize some or all three in addition to other forms.

The Opening and Closing of the Watchtowers (Watchtower Ritual)
A ritual used to call the quarters, summon the elemental forces, prepare the sacred space, and through Enochian language and visualizations empower the magician with Divine power and knowledge in order to perform advanced magical rituals and consecrations.   It is this that many suspect Gardener adapted his Quarter Circle magick. As with any of these rituals there are many variations, sometimes even by the same authors such as Israel Regardie and Donald Michael Kraig.

The Rending of the Veil
This is an advanced version of the Watch Tower Ritual that is specifically used for work regarding the Holy Guardian Angel operations and Enochian Mysticism as well as unlocking the higher energies of the Watchtowers themselves.

The Enlivening of the Temple
This is actually one of the few Ceremonial Magick rituals that I have adapted on my own through my training and experimentation (There is a great deal of adaptation in Ceremonial Magick...a side effect of the mental training and Divine inspiration one experiences).  It is a "shell" ritual that is divided into specific sections, each set aside for a specific ritual and used to tie them together within a Neo-Pagan structure. It utilizes the LBRP, BRH, MP, CBL, and either the classic Wiccan circle casting OR the Watchtower Ritual (I normally do both).  It is designed as a means to establish the "Astral Temple" as well as consecrate a room as a sacred ritual chamber. One of the few adapted practices of my "Art", since I prefer to work magick in the contexts of its own tradition and founders. Mix and match has its downsides....main one being that the inexperienced student will not fully understand the process and its purpose.

The Emerald Throne
A ritual used to prepare the magician for Divine inspiration and Enochian Mysticism.

The Consecration Rituals of Talismans
The charging, empowering, and enlivening of talismans and amulets is the most common application of beginners in Ceremonial Magick. They can be effective, but honestly some of the best talismans I have used and charged have been done by Low Magick (witchcraft). However, one of the most important talismans I ever created changed my life forever. Just goes to show, some forms of magick require a great deal of time and devotion before you reap its benefits.

The Consecration Rituals of the Holy Weapons
The ritual tools of the Witch and the Wiccan are actually based upon the adaptations of the Holy Weapons of the Magician.  The Athame, the Air Dagger (for those of you who do the Air-dagger/Fire-wand Wicca), the Cup/chalice, the Pentacle, and various wands and other tools are just a few examples. The only real area of conflict that is problematic is that I am so anal-retentive I have two sets of tools (except the Athame) one for Ceremonial Magick, and the other for traditional Witchcraft/Wicca.  Despite my training in Ceremonial work, for my Wiccan operations I use the reversed elemental correspondence of Air-wands/Fire-daggers.  The only real plausible reason for this is that air and fire are both male energies and are consequently related both in magick and in physics (in Hebrew mysticism, Earth and Water are the same element).  So I have slowly learned to be comfortable with this habit, even though some would argue it would be easier to use the same correspondence and share tools among the systems I practice.   Enigma, I suggest, is necessary to understand that not all things in this World (or the Others) can be understood.  A good example is the order of elements changes in the circle of the BRH from that in the LBRP (because of the astrological/planetary models). Consequently, John Dee suggests in Enochian that The Fire element is in the East Watchtower of Angels and Air radiates from the Southern Watchtower. See the confusion?

The Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (KCHGA)
This is more a result than an actual ritual, because many different scholars and mystics in history have given their own interpretation of how this is achieved.   "The Operation of Abra-Melin the Mage" required several months to perform, whereas Aleister Crowley said a colleague know a  method that could be done astrally through vibrations of the Hebrew pronunciation of ADNI HARTZ (Ah-doh-nai Hah-Ah-Rehtz) which is the god form of the material world (The Sephiroth Malkuth).

I have meditated upon and attempted aspects of both, and will let you the visitor postulate rather or not I have had any success. I'm not sharing all my secrets.

Enochian Magic of Dr. John Dee
This is a system on which a great deal of the Orders of the Golden Dawn based their ritual exercises and concepts, in addition to their Masonic, Rosicrucian, Egyptian, and Gnostic studies.  Recorded (or Created) by Dr. John Dee in England in the 1580's through the mystical seances/dialogues performed by the young occultist Edward Kelley, this system was supposed sent to Dee through his medium in order to prepare the world for a great Angelic (?) event or series of events that may or may not have any validity at all.  Dee was quite obsessed with ritual magick and angelic occultism (Theurgy), and may in fact had been familiar with the Theurgic writings as those mentioned above (Abra-Melin Operation codex) by his predecessors as well as competitive with his contemporary occult scholars. It was known he worked for the Royal House and the system possibly was originally a code system developed for the English Empire.  This among Edward Kelley's own "misgivings" about it are still questioned to this day.
Regardless of the controversy (one recent author even suggested that the Enochian chants (Keys or Calls) were an incomplete way to begin the Apocalypse and open Heaven's doors permanently---I can see why he suggests this from my own study, though I do not agree per se.) the system of John Dee does have some merit because the vibrations, mystical (though seemingly non-sensical) language of letters based on his symbols and Great Table, and Seals do have powerful results.  As with any mage, I have my own beliefs regarding who these "Enochian Angels" were, and why this incomplete and enigmatic system of magic was given to Dr. Dee for future generations to study and build upon.

Goetia
This is a category of magical meditations and evocations used to bind lesser spirits (Demons in the context of the literature such as the manual by the same name, known also as the Lesser Key of Solomon) to numerous tasks such as providing servants (familiars), teaching arts (or unlocking the knowledge that you already possess), and finding various things such as treasure and the truth about certain things.  Many versions of the this craft included an initial prayer and invocation of one's Guardian Angel to protect and control the spirits. The most common form of this practice uses ritual and a sigil or pattern to evoke.

Astral Gateway
A ritual I have adapted to be used with Pathworking and astral travel to experience the energies and hidden knowledge of the Tree of Life and the aspects of the Divine Source.  I have based it upon classic Pathworking as well as the fundamental concepts of Merkabah (or Merkavah) Mysticism, which was the Hebrew art of Herkaloht (The Ascesion prayers).

Adorations of the Sun
A series of rituals developed by Crowley and his contemporaries that are performed at the transitional phases of the day. They are designed as prayers and exaltations of Egyptian Gods and Archetypes to empower the self as well as unite with the solar forces. Each of the four verses uses a different pose to honor the God of its focus.
Morning-Ra
Noon-Hathor
Evening-Tum
Midnight-Kephra

The Banishment of Nepesh to the Qlippoth of the Void
A ritual I have adapted based upon the I.O.B. (Identify, Objectify, and Banish) Ritual of Donald Michael Kraig (author of "Modern Magick") which is an exercise to remove unwanted weaknesses and habits or destructive perceptions of the self.  I utilize the concept of the Qlippoth (Shells) which is the legendary hidden predecessor of the Tree of Life as it was created by the Divine Source. It is here in Hebrew mysticism that the fallen angels and darker aspects of the self and society are conceived. It is also the kingdom of Lilith and the Twins of God.  The Nepesh (Nephesh) is one of the aspects of the self/soul in Kabbalah that holds our animal drives and fears which often lead to mistakes, self-doubt/self-absorption, and Thanatose or self-destruction.

The Sacred Magick of the Sphinx
A strange ritual used to invoke the hidden power of the four Cherubs that sit at the throne of God and their Egyptian counterparts in order to empower the self and commune with the HGA.