Magical use of Thought Forms by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and J.H. Brennan
Part Three - Using Thought Forms
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Chapter Fifteen - Building Occult Forms
Chapter 15, "Building Occult Forms" (page 125), marks a practical transition in the book from basic sensory training and astral theory to the actual step-by-step construction of complex, high-level thought forms.
The chapter focuses primarily on two main areas:
The Mechanics of Godforms: It provides specific instructions on how to construct a "Godform"—an intentional, highly charged astral shell patterned after a deity. The authors emphasize selecting a clear visual model, thoroughly researching the deity’s attributes, correspondences, and symbolic lore beforehand, and using focused visualization to "build" the form layer-by-layer in astral matter.
Safety & Astral Hygiene: The chapter lays down crucial safety guidelines for working on the astral plane. It details how to handle ambient energy, how to prevent unwanted "denizens" or opportunistic astral entities from occupying the structure you are building, and the cardinal rule of occult construction: if you don't fully understand what a form or energy is, do not assume it or incorporate it into your work.
It essentially serves as the foundational manual for deliberate astral creation before moving into specialized, advanced applications like building Memory Palaces or working with Homunculi in later chapters.
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Chapter Sixteen - The Memory Palace
Chapter 16, "The Memory Palace" (page 141), takes the foundational skills of astral construction covered in Chapter 15 and scales them up to build a complex, permanent inner structure.
Rather than focusing on building an individual entity or Godform, this chapter guides you through constructing an architectural astral space designed to store, retrieve, and organize vast amounts of occult data.
Historical Roots & Esoteric Adaptation: The authors anchor the practice in the classical method of loci (the classical mnemonic technique used by ancient Greek and Roman orators), but adapt it specifically for magical and ritual applications.
Designing the Architectural Blueprint: It details how to construct the mental "building" from scratch—establishing outer walls, doors, corridors, and specialized rooms. The authors stress the importance of meticulous structural consistency so that the palace remains stable and easily navigable during inner work.
Filing Systems via Symbolism: The chapter covers how to populate the rooms with "hooks" or symbolic containers (statues, chests, altars, wall hangings) where specific information, rituals, planetary correspondences, or esoteric knowledge can be mentally "stored."
Stabilization & Anchoring: It provides techniques for repeatedly visiting and "fixing" the structure in astral matter so it becomes a permanent mental sanctuary that exists independently in your inner landscape, ready to be expanded upon in Chapter 17 ("Using Your Palace").
Chapter 17, "Using Your Palace" (page 151), focuses on the practical application and operational maintenance of the memory palace built in Chapter 16.
While Chapter 16 deals with the construction phase, Chapter 17 covers how to actively inhabit, utilize, and maintain the space for internal work:
Retrieval & Navigation: It provides specific techniques for moving through the palace corridors, accessing the stored "symbols" or "containers," and efficiently retrieving occult knowledge, ritual frameworks, or study material during active meditation.
Active Working Chambers: The chapter details how to use specialized rooms within the structure as private astral laboratories or sanctuaries—spaces where you can safely perform inner rituals, hold internal councils, or experiment with complex visualization exercises away from external distractions.
Maintenance & Expansion: It addresses how to keep the memory palace stable over time, including how to routinely "cleanse" and reinforce its astral walls, prevent structural degradation in the inner landscape, and systematically add new wings or rooms as your knowledge base expands.
Chapter 18, "Homunculi" (page 161), shifts the focus from building stationary structures (like the Memory Palace) to creating living, semi-autonomous entities—traditionally known in esoteric literature as homunculi, servitors, or tulpas.
The chapter provides a rigorous overview of how to intentionally condense astral substance into a functioning artificial entity, along with critical warnings regarding the ethics and risks of the practice:
Definition & Core Purpose: The authors explain what a homunculus is in a modern occult context: an artificially created thought-form endowed with a specific task, purpose, or function—such as guarding a space, carrying out inner plane inquiries, or assisting in specific ritual work.
Step-by-Step Creation: It outlines the process of building the form, which involves fashioning a distinct astral vehicle, instilling it with a precise single-minded purpose (intent), and programmatically endowing it with sensory awareness and "life" using focused will and direct energy projection.
Safety, Boundaries & Lifespans: A major portion of the chapter is dedicated to control and astral hygiene. Ashcroft-Nowicki and Brennan emphasize the strict necessity of giving every created entity a definitive lifespan or a clear "dissolution command." They warn against creating entities with ambiguous functions or leaving them active indefinitely, as semi-autonomous thought-forms can draw ambient energy and become unstable or parasitic if left unchecked.
Ethical Considerations: The text cautions against constructing entities for malicious or manipulative purposes, reinforcing the principle that the maker remains karmically and energetic responsible for any artificial form they bring into being.
Chapter 19, "Curses and Familiars" (page 175), explores two distinct but closely related aspects of applied occultism: the mechanics of unintended or malicious thought forms (curses) and the traditional practice of creating or adopting magical companions (familiars).
The chapter focuses on three primary themes:
The Energetic Mechanics of Curses: Rather than presenting "black magic" recipes, the authors analyze curses from an energetic perspective. They explain how intense emotional outbursts—such as severe rage, jealousy, or malice—can unintentionally coalesce into self-sustaining, hostile thought forms that attach to a target's aura or haunt a physical space.
Mass Thought Forms & Advertising: The authors broaden the concept of a "curse" or emotional charge by examining how commercial media and collective human attention operate. They detail how corporate advertising campaigns and public trends feed off shared desire and mental energy, creating massive, transient collective thought forms that influence public consciousness.
Familiars (Physical & Astral): The chapter examines the historical tradition of animal familiars—traditionally nourished through physical or emotional bonding—and contrasts them with deliberate astral familiars.
It provides guidance on how a practitioner can construct a dedicated companion entity or forge a harmonious astral bridge with a living physical animal to assist in psychic protection, energy sensing, and inner-plane exploration.
Chapter 20, "Homunculi (II)" (page 185), takes the theoretical principles and safety protocols established in Chapter 18 and elevates them into deep operational practice.
Where the previous chapter covers standard thought-form servitors, Chapter 20 focuses on the higher-level mechanics of mind-power, advanced animated constructs, and historical alchemical traditions:
The Architecture of Mind vs. Brain: The chapter opens with a foundational distinction between the physical brain and the mind. The authors emphasize that the brain is merely a biological instrument, whereas the mind—powered by intent and emotional energy—is the actual engine capable of structuring astral matter and bringing complex thought forms into animated existence.
The Alchemical Homunculus: It details the traditional alchemical concept of creating a fully animated, semi-physical or densely condensed astral entity. The authors break down how practitioners historically—and in modern practice—attempted to bridge the gap between pure astral substance and physical manifestation, creating constructs capable of sustained interaction over hours or days.
High-Level Programming & Intent: The text explores how to feed an entity with higher-order "vibrational" thoughts. It provides instructions for programming intricate operational parameters into the entity so it can perform complex tasks autonomously—such as dynamic energetic shielding, remote astral reconnaissance, or acting as an interactive intermediary between the practitioner and specific elemental forces.
The Mechanics of Containment: Chapter 20 goes into detail regarding physical and symbolic "vessels" (such as dedicated talismanic containers, mirrors, or consecrated objects) used to house a homunculus when it is not actively deployed, ensuring its energy remains isolated, stable, and under full control of the magician.
In Magical Use of Thought Forms by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and J.H. Brennan, Chapter 21, "Dismissing a Thought Form," focuses on the critical—and often overlooked—process of deconstructing, banishing, or safely reabsorbing an astral construct once its intended purpose has been fulfilled.
The core premise of the chapter is that creation is only half of the equation; leaving a thought form, elemental, or tulpa unattended or unbounded after its work is done presents serious spiritual and mental risks.
Key concepts covered in the chapter include:
1. The Danger of "Autonomous" Entities
When a thought form is sustained through continuous intent, visualization, and emotional/mental energy, it begins to acquire a degree of momentum or semi-autonomy. If it is not formally dismissed, it can:
Drain the creator's vital or psychic energy unconsciously.
Distort into an unwanted or disruptive presence (often taking on independent habits or personality shifts, as famously illustrated by Alexandra David-Neel’s creation of her monk-tulpa in Tibet).
Rogue or unanchored thought forms can drift and become parasitic or disruptive in the practitioner’s environment.
2. Practical Methods of Dissolution
The chapter provides practical steps on how to dismantle the visual and energetic framework used to construct the entity. Rather than simply "wishing it away," the authors emphasize deliberate reversals:
Reabsorption: Consciously drawing the projected mental/astral energy back into one's own energetic matrix or microcosm, neutralizing the form.
Element Breakdown: Visualizing the component parts of the construct unspooling back into raw elemental energy (Earth, Air, Fire, Water, or Ether) and returning that energy to the universe.
Formal Banishing: Utilizing ritual structures—such as targeted banishing rituals, symbolic destructions, or ceremonial commands—to sever the cord of connection between the practitioner and the form.
3. Responsibility and Mental Discipline
Ashcroft-Nowicki and Brennan stress that dismissing a thought form requires as much focus, willpower, and clarity as its original creation. A primary rule of safe practical occultism detailed here is that a practitioner must never create a thought form without first knowing exactly how they intend to dismantle it.
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