Finally, after all these months, I got around to consecrating my black-hilted dagger to act as a proper Saturnine weapon for Solomonic and grimoiric work.

The black-hilted dagger is described in the Key of Solomon to “strike terror and fear into the spirits” (book II, chapter 8) as well as to draw out the circles of art for the magician and his work (book II, chapter 9).  The consecration instructions for the dagger are as follows:

But as for the knife with the black hilt for making the circle, wherewith to strike terror and fear into the spirits…[place it thrice in the fire until it becometh red-hot] in the day and hour of Saturn, and dipped in the blood of a black cat and in the juice of hemlock, the characters and names shown [as above] being written thereon, from the point towards the hilt. Which being completed, thou shalt wrap it in a black silk cloth.

I had the poison hemlock ready, in the form of seeds to be pulverized and mixed into water.  The blood of the black cat, however, was another matter, and despite trying to get in contact with a friend with a black cat and who was trained to draw blood from animals, things never could come to fruition.  Eventually, I got to thinking about substitutes for blood, and another friend helped me out in making one.  The black cat is necessary because it represents a creature that can walk through worlds and is also a representative of the forces of Saturn; as such, the essence of a black cat is needed.

Another of my friends helped me out by getting me some fur of a black cat, which definitely helps but doesn’t alone qualify as a blood substitute.  The substitute was completed by mixing the following:

• black cat fur
• mullein leaf
• asafoetida powder
• crushed poison hemlock seeds
• volcanic ash
• obsidian dust
• bloodstone dust
• quartz dust
• lead shavings
• myrrh oil
• absinthe

Over three days, from Saturday through Monday, I went to my Table of Manifestation, called on the angel of Saturn Tzaphqiel, prayed over it with the Orphic Hymn to Saturn, and charged it using my Saturn talisman to lend it a strong Saturnine quality.   I can’t overemphasize that this shit was noxious.  I threw out the tupperware used to store it just in case and used a cloth mask and gloves when handling it, not to mention keeping it in a Triangle of Art when not being actively handled or consecrated.

On a succeding Saturday during a waxing moon, in an hour of Saturn, I cleansed and consecrated the dagger according to the instructions above, with a few ceremonial additions (calling upon Tzaphqiel for assistance, using the Orphic Hymn to Saturn while heating the blade, etc.).  I anointed the dagger afterwards in myrrh oil to cover it, both to prevent tarnishing of the blade and to give it one last kick for power.  Simple enough, all told, though the smell was atrocious, even through a thick silk scarf suffocating me.  Now I have a Saturn weapon to correspond with the Mars weapon from the same book!  I am excite, especially now that I can get that noxious mixture out of my room forever.  The knife turned out an interesting mottled color, due to the heat and quenching applied to the blade; this does physically weaken the blade, but holding the knife in my hand, it feels deadly and serious.