Historical Ritual Archive
The License to Depart is the formal conclusion of the Goetic operation. It is not an optional courtesy added after the important work. The conjuration opens a relationship for a limited purpose; the license terminates it. Without dismissal, the practitioner may continue interpreting dreams, noises and ordinary events as extensions of the rite long after the petition has ended.
Historical versions thank the spirit, command it to return to its proper place and authorize it to depart without harm. The formula combines courtesy with authority. The spirit is not begged to leave, nor is it insulted after service has been rendered.
This principle applies whether the contacted spirit is traditionally described as swift and responsive, such as Seere, or dignified and truthful, such as Orobas. A cooperative manifestation still requires closure.
Purpose of the Rite
The closing sequence accomplishes six things:
- confirms that the petition is complete or withdrawn;
- ends all permission to manifest;
- dismisses the named spirit and any accompanying influences;
- covers or deactivates the seal;
- closes the triangle and circle;
- returns the room and the practitioner to ordinary time.
The sequence should be prepared before the opening invocation. Closure is most reliable when it does not depend on improvisation after an emotionally intense experience.
When to Give the License
Give the license when:
- the requested answer has been received;
- the completion condition has occurred;
- the agreed period has expired;
- the spirit refuses the petition;
- the chamber becomes unsafe or confusing;
- the operator chooses to stop.
The operator does not need the spirit's permission to end the rite.
Materials for Closure
- a cloth or envelope for the seal;
- a safe candle extinguisher;
- clean water;
- a prepared closing statement;
- a notebook;
- ordinary room lighting and ventilation.
Keep these within reach before beginning the evocation.
The Rite: Full Ceremonial Sequence
Step 1: Announce the End of Questions
After the final answer, say:
No further question will be asked in this operation. What has been spoken will be recorded; what remains unanswered is not compelled beyond the limit already set.
Close the notebook briefly. This prevents the session from drifting into endless conversation.
Step 2: Confirm the Petition's Status
State one of the following:
The petition has been heard and is now complete.
Or:
The petition has been refused and is now withdrawn.
Or:
The petition remains unanswered and is now closed without claim.
The status should be unambiguous.
Step 3: Fulfil or Restate the Offering
If an offering was presented, state that it concludes the exchange:
The offering given is the whole of what was promised. No additional payment, devotion or allegiance is owed.
If the offering is a later charitable or practical act, state exactly when it will be completed.
Step 4: Thank the Spirit Without Flattery
Address the spirit:
[Name], your presence and answer have been witnessed. I acknowledge the work completed within the office for which you were called.
Do not praise cruelty, omnipotence or ownership. Courtesy remains bounded by the catalogue and the petition.
Step 5: Deliver the License to Depart
Stand facing the manifestation point and speak slowly:
[Name], because the appointed work is ended, you are now given license to depart. Go in peace to the place proper to your nature. Harm no person or creature, disturb no dwelling, carry no claim beyond the offering given and leave no servant, shadow or unnamed presence behind. Depart from this chamber, from this seal, from every dream and path opened by this operation. Return only if lawfully called in a new and separate rite.
Pause. Do not immediately repeat the formula.
Step 6: Observe Withdrawal
Remain silent for several minutes. Possible signs include reduction of pressure, normalization of flame, fading imagery or a simple sense that attention has released.
Whether or not such signs appear, continue. The closure does not depend on receiving confirmation.
Step 7: Cover the Seal
Place the cloth or envelope over the seal.
The name is covered, the path is closed and the image returns to silence.
Do not uncover it again that night.
Step 8: Close the Triangle
Extinguish the manifestation light and incense.
The place of appearance is closed. No voice, image, presence or path remains appointed here.
Cover or dismantle the triangle.
Step 9: Release the Quarters
Move counterclockwise around the boundary. At each quarter, say:
The watch of this quarter is released with thanks. Let the room return to ordinary peace.
Avoid mixing multiple closing systems unless they were used in the opening.
Step 10: Open the Circle
Trace the circle counterclockwise.
The boundary is opened because the work is complete. It does not collapse into confusion; it returns in order to ordinary space.
Extinguish the final ritual candle.
Step 11: Restore Ordinary Light
Turn on the room's ordinary lighting. Open a window or door for ventilation. Move one ritual object from its ceremonial position. These physical actions confirm that the chamber is no longer active.
Step 12: Wash and Ground
Wash the hands and face with clean water. Drink water and eat something simple. Do not use intoxication as a method of grounding.
Step 13: Record the Operation
Write the end time, exact closing formula used and any signs of withdrawal. Separate observation from interpretation.
Record:
- what was asked;
- what was answered;
- what was refused or left unclear;
- what offering remains to be completed;
- whether the seal and triangle were closed;
- whether unusual dreams or events will be observed for a defined period.
Step 14: Set the Observation Limit
Choose a period, usually three to seven days, during which relevant events may be recorded. After that period, close the record unless the original completion condition clearly occurred.
Say:
The observation period ends on [date]. Beyond it, ordinary events will not be assigned to this rite without direct and verifiable reason.
This prevents indefinite symbolic expansion.
Closing After a Disturbing Manifestation
If the presence is hostile, skip courtesy and state:
The operation is terminated. No task, offering or permission remains. Depart immediately and completely under the boundary already declared.
Cover the seal, extinguish the manifestation point and close the room. Do not argue.
Closing After No Manifestation
A silent operation still requires dismissal:
To the spirit named and to every influence that may have approached without sign: the operation is ended. No permission remains to appear, remain or follow.
This prevents the practitioner from leaving the call psychologically open.
Dreams After the Rite
Dreams may continue the symbolism of the operation, but they do not automatically reopen it. Record them without speaking the spirit's name or uncovering the seal. A dream that demands immediate repetition, escalating offerings or secrecy should be treated as a warning, not a command.
Failure to Close
Signs of incomplete closure include compulsive rereading of the petition, fear of moving ritual objects, repeated calls outside the chamber, insomnia and the belief that every coincidence belongs to the spirit.
Respond by physically clearing the room, covering all seals, suspending ritual work and returning to ordinary routines. Do not perform another evocation merely to ask whether the first has ended.
Completion and Aftermath
Complete any lawful offering that was explicitly promised. Archive the notes and store the seal inactive. The rite should now become a historical record rather than a continuing atmosphere.
The best closure is not dramatic. It restores choice. The operator can think of other matters, sleep, return to work and allow the petition to succeed, fail or remain unanswered without reopening the chamber.
The License as a Ritual Contract Boundary
The license confirms that the temporary relationship created by conjuration has ended. It therefore mirrors the opening declaration. If the opening named one spirit, one petition and one place of manifestation, the closing should revoke each of those permissions directly.
A vague farewell leaves interpretive space. A complete license names the spirit, states that the work is over, ends permission to remain and releases the manifestation point. Courtesy does not weaken these boundaries.
Where several people participated, every participant should remain until the dismissal is complete. No one should leave the chamber carrying an uncovered seal or unfinished offering.
Closing Multiple Spirit Operations
Calling several spirits in one operation is not recommended for ordinary practice. Where a historical rite genuinely includes more than one named power, each should be dismissed individually in reverse order of appearance before a final general closure.
The formula should name each spirit. A general phrase such as “all spirits depart” may be added at the end but should not replace individual dismissal when identities were separately invoked.
If one presence appears while another was called, dismiss the unexpected presence immediately and close the entire rite. Do not continue by treating the intrusion as a useful substitute.
Completing Deferred Offerings
An offering promised after the rite should be modest, lawful and dated. Write it in the record before leaving the chamber. When completed, add the completion date without reopening the seal.
If circumstances make the exact offering impossible, provide the nearest ethical equivalent and record the substitution. Do not allow a deferred offering to become an indefinite source of fear. The agreement is bounded by the words originally spoken, not by later anxiety.
Cleaning the Chamber
After the notes are complete, remove candle remains, dispose of incense ash safely and return furniture to its ordinary position. Wash reusable vessels. The physical cleaning is not beneath the ritual; it completes the return to ordinary space.
The seal should be stored covered. The petition may be archived, safely destroyed or retained until its completion date, depending on the stated method. It should not remain exposed on an altar indefinitely.
Reviewing the Operation After Seven Days
At the end of the observation period, read the original petition and the factual notes once. Mark the operation as completed, refused, unanswered or still awaiting the specific completion condition. Do not add new requests.
If the result remains unclear, close the archive entry as inconclusive. Uncertainty is a legitimate outcome. Reopening the rite merely to remove uncertainty often creates more confusion than the original silence.
Final Verification Before Leaving the Chamber
Before leaving, verify the closure in the same order every time. The seal is covered, the manifestation point is dark, the incense is extinguished, the written petition is no longer exposed and the ordinary room light is on. Check that no candle, charcoal or heated vessel remains unattended.
Stand at the doorway and look back once without speaking the spirit's name. State:
This room is ordinary space. The rite is ended and no further response is invited.
Then leave the chamber for several minutes. Returning immediately to search for new signs weakens the purpose of dismissal. The first ordinary action after departure should be simple and unrelated to occult work.
Sources and Further Reading
- The Lesser Key of Solomon, Book I: Ars Goetia, License to Depart.
- S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley, The Goetia (1904).
- Joseph H. Peterson, ed., The Lesser Key of Solomon.