LESSON 25
Agreements with the Rulers
In this lesson, you will learn how to deepen your relationship with the Rulers in order to start channeling their virtues into magical acts. The best way to practice this is through the writing of contracts.
Given the context of mysticism and magic in which the IHC system is inserted, the term "contract" may be a little alarming at first, and haunted by Faustian associations. However, this practice is not nearly as dramatic as that. A contract is, after all, just a formal agreement. You will benefit from such a formality, as it will help you commit to the work of channeling the powers of the Rulers. Furthermore, the contracts discussed here are temporary agreements, binding for as long as they may be beneficial to you and your goals.
The basic content of a contract with a Ruler is this: you will agree to enact that Ruler's virtues in your daily life, doing your best to incorporate those virtues into your personality for the duration of the contract. The Ruler's part of the agreement is that it will focus a part of its directive power--a ray of its full light--to facilitate your desired outcome. It is a simple quid pro quo on the surface. In time, you will learn what the practice of these agreements is really operating.
The power to influence intelligences and events in the natural world, possessed by each of the Rulers, is not usually directed at the specific, limited events of the daily lives of mortal beings. The Rulers normally rule over Fate, a much broader kind of influence over the material world. Think about their normal ruling as being held over historical events, the weather and other natural cycles, and other far-reaching changes that affect whole collectivities instead of a few individuals.
However, each individual can borrow the monumental powers of the Rulers and direct them to very specific objectives. If an individual makes themselves transparent to the spiritual light of a Ruler, the mortal soul can act as a lens, focusing that light into a more precise ray. Rulers will not do that by themselves: the fine details of our daily life are as invisible to them as the events in the life of a microbe are to us. It is up to each of us to remove the impediments posed by the energies of the Tormentors and to channel the virtues of the Rulers through the wholeness of our mortal selves. That channeling is precisely what drives magic forward.
Before you decide to write up an agreeement with a Ruler, though, there are a few things you will want to consider. There are a few conditions that, though not strictly necessary for the operation, will increase your ability to channel the ruling power through your being. Whenever possible, observe the following before making an agreement with a Ruler:
Try to reserve the use of agreements to the acheivement of results that are actually necessary and strongly desired. Avoid writing up contracts for frivolous reasons, as this will by and by dillute the importance and solemnity of the operation. If a formal agreement with a Ruler feels like it is not a big deal, then it will eventually not be a deal at all. In most cases, a performance of the Rite of Realization will be more indicated, since very frequently all you need to use magic for is removing impediments to your plans that do not depend on your choices directly.
Be prepared to stick to the agreement you will yourself come up with. Carefully consider the difficulties and challenges ahead of you, and whether inviting the direct influence of a Ruler into your life will be adequate for the circumstances of your mundane affairs. Do not jump into one of these agreements just for the expected benefits: the responsibility you assume is just as important a part of the operation, so be sure you will be able to go through with it.
Limit the number of contracts you make at any given time. The committment to one of these agreements can be straining at times, and trying to fulfill multiple obligations at once brings the risk of rendering you unable to fulfill any one of them. Therefore, start with only one contract at a time, and leave simultaneous agreements for a future time, when you have more experience.
The first step to making a contract with a Ruler is writing it down. Simply write down, on an actual piece of paper, what you need help with and what you will do as your part of the bargain. The Ruler's part of the agreement always has to do with that Ruler's virtues. This is where the magical operation depends on a matter of localization: ask the Second Ruler for help with your physical health, ask the Sixth Ruler for help with finding a new job, and so on. At this point, you have studied the characteristics of the Rulers enough to be able to decide to which Ruler you should appeal according to each issue. Your part of the agreement has to do with enacting that Ruler's virtues in daily life. Again, you likely have enough information at this point to be able to come up with many ways to manifest the Ruler's power in your bahavior, always through good thoughts, good words and good deeds.
Once you have the contract written down, perform the rites of Opening and Protection. Then place the written contract on your altar and promise to fulfill your obligations as you have written them down. Sign the contract and fold or roll it, carefully storing it in a container you have previously arranged for that purpose. After that, perform the Rite of Realization asking for success in keeping your end of the agreement. Finally, perform the Rite of Closing.
Once you perform this whole operation, you must use every mental resource to fulfill your contract in every way you can imagine, all of the time. Meanwhile, you will also keep complete faith in the fact that your fulfilling of the contract is the thing that will bring about your desired result.