From POSSESSION: Possession as a technique by which the sorcerer deliberately allows his mind and body to be taken over by the personality of a pre determined spirit, entity or demon can be viewed as the ultimate act of invocation. It is also an advanced act of sorcery that requires a strong healthy operator who has mastered the necessary magickal skills to enable possession to be possible. Due to the nature of possession workings it is advisable that they are performed as a group working with experienced exorcists in attendance, as the exorcist will be responsible for banishing the spirit/entity that has temporarily possessed the operator. Possession workings should not be attempted by an inexperienced person who has not yet attempted to master the type of sorcery techniques outlined so far. This has been stated for the benefit of the reader. Possession workings can leave the operator feeling detached, confused and disorientated; it can also be an emotional experience. Unless correctly incorporated into the personality/psyche of the sorcerer, the power or knowledge raised by the possession can cause permanent damage. It is for this reason that the aforementioned advice has been given.
In vodoun cultures such as the one prevalent in Haiti, possession is a process by which the sorcerer displaces his personality (ti bon ange), to allow the spirit (loa), to inhabit the vodounist's mind and body. The spirit is then able to communicate directly with the other participants of the working. The spirit can also be asked to perform acts of magick whilst it inhabits the vodounist. In vodoun possession workings the ritual drummers play an important part. The rhythm of the drumming determines the extent to which the dancer will become possessed as well as the type of spirit that will possess the dancer. It is the off beat of the drum rhythm that is the important factor.
In vodounist possession ceremonies, the priest/ess employs a form of trance inducing dance to enable the spirit to possess them. The type of frenzied dance outlined earlier is suitable to enable possession to be achieved. As a trance state is entered, the dancer temporarily destroys his personality as it is lost in the frenzied state achieved by the drumming and dance. The spirit summoned can then enter the sorcerer replacing his personality with its own. In vodoun ceremonies of this nature the dancer will often sacrifice a chicken during the dance as an offering to the spirit enticing it to possess the dancer. The dancer is often trained from birth and dedicated to a specific loa, then becoming the vehicle by which the loa can communicate with its worshippers. Vodoun is a religion and should be studied with this in mind.
Before attempting a possession it is advisable that the sorcerer studies the entity/spirit. Learning its attributes, what it has been traditionally used for, the techniques (in terms of the culture or peoples that work with it) that have been used to summon it and the nature of sorcery the spirit/entity can be asked to perform. To emphasise this point, it is unwise to let yourself become possessed by Pazuzu (Sumerian/Akkadian demon of the southwest winds) to perform a sorcery healing working. When these points have been considered, the sorcerer should decide before undertaking the possession what is required from the spirit once it has possessed the operator. When the spirit has manifested, another sorcerer present then directs the spirit to perform the desired act of sorcery. Specific questions can also be asked to learn more about its nature first hand.
Dance it not the only technique that can be used to enable a sufficiently strong trance state to be achieved to enable possession to occur. Before the possession working begins, the operator summons the spirit/entity in the kind of format used in traditional invocatory workings. At this stage the sorcerer visualises the spirit/entity whilst he continues to summon it. The summoning in itself should be performed with all the power of calling the sorcerer commands. If preferred the sorcerer can use a barbaric tongue to call the spirit. Once the sorcerer feels that the spirit, or demon if you prefer, is beginning to respond to the calling and the command to possess the sorcerer's mind/body has been given, the sorcerer may collapse to the ground. At this stage the other participants begin to also call the spirit using whatever techniques each individual feels is appropriate. Drums can also be played at this point to aid in the calling.
When the other participants have begun to call the spirit, the operator (the sorcerer who is going to be possessed) begins to shake his body violently to start the process by which his personality is dislodged. From this point on the operator should no longer be fully aware of what is happening to him. The operator may begin to speak in a strange tongue as he shakes upon the ground. This is a sign that the spirit is beginning to take control of the sorcerer's personality. When this occurs the other participants should begin to increase the power of the calling. The sorcerer being possessed may also make strange noises and decrease or increase the pitch of his voice.
Only the other participants will be able to discern when the spirit has fully possessed the sorcerer. It will usually be the task of the sorcerer chosen to direct the spirit, to ask the spirit its name to ascertain whether or not the chosen spirit is amongst them. After the required tasks are performed by the spirit, it is exorcised from the sorcerer to enable him to regain his personality. Do not be surprised if the spirit refuses to comply with your demands.
An alternative method that does not require the sorcerer to perform the summoning before hand will now be explained. As with the previous possession workings that have been outlined, this is once again a group working.....