Your name is heard within pools of sunlight, puddles beckoning one to sink into their warmth. In the scents of sandalwood and expensive oils, whispy smoke from strong incenses. The brass and crash of a trumpets and drums. Soft clinking of bells and elegantly beaded clothing. The heat resting atop a cool, endless body of water. The sweetness and sting in citrus. The incomprehensible, dangerous beauty of the Sun daring you to peek at its radiance. Joyful and embracing, strong and abrasive. Nothing alludes the extravagant beams of the Sun nor the shadows casted by them. The Glorious King of Wisdom, Molder of Minds, the Bright and Shining King Paimon.
It is important for the practice of Autonomancy that a sense of structure and continuity is observed, even if that structure is arbitrary. If the sense of structure is too loose, the practice will feel less meaningful, and an Autonomancer may lose focus and fall out of practice.
In Autonomancy, rituals are generally performed to imbue objects with meaning. The object then becomes a reminder for the Autonomancer of their goals and intentions. These objects are called charms, and are meant to be worn, eaten, or carried around. Examples of charms could be a piece of jewellery, an item of clothing, a set of car keys, a cellphone, a piece of candy, a pebble, medications, a piece of fruit, etc. The Autonomancer carries this item around on their daily routine, and whenever they feel the charm against their skin or in their pocket it reinforces the intention of the ritual in the Autonomancer's mind. For edible charms, the act of eating the charm signifies accepting a truth or absorbing a quality the Autonomancer desires. In either case, charms must be items which intimately become a part of the Autonomancer and their daily routine.
It is wise to keep an eye out for items that might be used as charms. Heavy pendants, tasty candies, fiddle rings, and other items that encourage fidgeting and attention make especially good charms. Items that are heavy, cumbersome, or uncomfortable may create negative associations and should be avoided.
In Autonomancy, the process of ritual itself is carried out using a specific altarboard. A useful altarboard has the diagram for the placement of symbols drawn or painted on it, but rituals can be performed without it. The altarboard also serves several other purposes:
It can be used to catch wax and ash if the Autonomancer is using candles or incense.
It can allow a configuration of symbols to be moved without being dismantled, if neccesary.
If the surface is erasable, graphic symbols can be written directly on to it and erased.
If the altar needs to be taken apart in a hurry, it can be moved, or cleared by titling it into the altarbox.
It helps create sacred space by providing an area for ritual that can't be misinterpreted as a table-top.
As usual, the item should reflect the Autonomancer's personality. A few suggestions that could work as altarboards:
A tea tray with the diagram painted on it.
A wooden board with the diagram burnt into it as woodburning art.
A piece of a broken yoga mat, that can be rolled up out of the way when not in use.
A Trivial Pursuit board from the second-hand store (the layout is similar).
A laminated map of your local public transit system, drawn on with markers.
Keep safety in mind; avoid an altarboard made from flammable materials if you intend to use candles or incense.
The diagram on the altarboard should be some variant of this:
The important features are the central circle, the four symbols at each corner of the central circle, and the four rings at the corners of the board. The four symbols have specific meaning: the upper left should be a character that symbolizes beginnings for you: it could be the letter “A,” the new moon, an egg, or something else that appeals to you. The upper right symbol represents change; here, we used the Greek letter delta (which symbolizes change in mathematics), but you can substitute something with more personal meaning. The lower left symbolizes power; we use the symbol for Jupiter because it represents development, evolution, and mind over matter. Whatever symbol speaks power to you is suitable for your board. The lower right symbol represents goals: it should not be a specific goal, but the idea of purpose, direction, and achievement.
The central circle is split into six sections, surrounding an inner circle.
Make a copy of this diagram in your catalogue, and add notes. This is especially important if you aren't drawing the diagram directly onto your altarboard; you will need to refer to your catalogue to help you with setup.
This altarboard arrangement provides a layout that allows an Autonomancer to create new rituals in a easy-to-follow format.
"She stirs confusion and chaos against those who are disobedient to her, speeding carnage and inciting the devastating flood, clothed in terrifying radiance. It is her game to speed conflict and battle, untiring, strapping on her sandals."
My beloved, my fierce lioness, Queen of the Heavens! Draped with gore you move swiftly across the battlefield, basking in your clever carnage. Bloodied and baring teeth, still, your beauty leaves me stunned, in awe of your elegance. Clothed in your terrifying radiance which covers the land, demanding attention and respect from all between the Heavens and mountains. My everlasting star, shine upon me, from dusk to dawn.
President Buer, the great infernal herbalist and philosopher !! Erato on ca Buyer anon !!
To honor Buer, I keep a journal where I press flowers, leaves, weeds, any plant that comes across my path. I write down how to identify it, it's herbalistic qualities, and some folklore or ways it can be used in my practice. Through this I've gained a newfound appreciation of the fauna around me, they're like a bunch of little friends I get to see wherever I go. There are so many little plants I would have never noticed before this project, goldenweed, rabbitfoot clover, wood sorrell, lamb's ear, deadnettle. When the world has too many big awful things going on that make it feel like there's nothing good left, it's nice to be able to ground myself to the "smaller" things. Talk to the trees even if they don't respond, learn the names of the growth between the cracks in the sidewalk, appreciate the smaller things :)
