The Oracle of Chaos

An exercise of the Chalice, to compliment the work of the Staff and the Sword

The candidate may elect to assume the duties of an Oracle of Chaos for a time period of their own choosing. Possible motivations include:

Experimentation and improvement of the skills of magical divination.
Intensive work in personal illumination.
Pathworking toward the invocation of the Pandaemonaeon.
To give guidance and solace to those in need, as your will moves you.

During the Oracle period, the candidate must at all times bear a "Magical Chalice", which for this purpose is the symbolic term of the chosen instrument of divination (i.e., Tarot deck, Nordic runestones, magic mirror, the entrails of a goat). If the divinatory system used requires no special physical tool, (i.e., palmistry, numerology, geomancy) then the candidate shall bear a symbolic magical cup or crystal ball, which shall be displayed while performing divination.

Astrology is considered unacceptable as a divinatory system for the Oracle.

All sexual acts performed during the Oracle period shall be immediately followed by the casting of a divination, preferable for personal illumination.

The candidate shall keep a journal during the Oracle period, in which the results of all divination cast shall be carefully recorded. Any manifestations of predictions shall also be entered, even if manifested after the Oracle period has ended. Also, the candidate shall keep a daily record of all dreams, to be entered immediately upon awakening.

The candidate may choose to observe one of three modes: the Lesser, Greater, or Extreme.

The Lesser Observances:

Carry the Magical Chalice at all times, including sleep.
Perform a Gnostic Thunderbolt ritual upon awakening and before retiring.
Perform one divination for oneself daily.
Perform another divination following any sexual act.

The Greater Observances:

All of the lesser Observances.
Perform an additional divination for another person daily.

The Extreme Observances:

All of the Greater Observances, to include the four Lesser.
Break sleep approximately two-thirds into the regular sleep period (during the "dream-sleep" period) to cast a third divination for oneself for the purpose of personal illumination.

Before beginning the Observances, the candidate shall make or procure a new and special "carrier" (i.e., box, bag, wrapping cloth) for the Magical Chalice, over which the candidate shall swear an oath as to the mode and length of the Oracle Period. Since marking a divinatory tool is generally not advisable or proper, the carrier may be marked with numbers denoting the mode and length of a successful Oracle Period (in the manner of the staff in Chaos Monasticism), or destroyed in case of failure.

Notes:

Any practicing magician not versed in some form of divination is seriously lacking an important part of being a magician. However, do what thou wilt. For those without divinatory training, the I Ching system has been shown to give meaningful results. The candidate should read and comprehend the "Image" and "Judgment" designations for each of the 64 hexagrams before beginning the Oracle Period.

The I Ching is also suitable for use as a secondary system in conjunction with another, especially for illuminated self-divination.