Lesson Three

Your final lesson here involves creating a golem. Traditionally, a golem is a creature built by a magician and imbued with a life of its own. Your golem will become a house for Azrael's energy.

The shape of your golem is determined by your conception of Azrael, the Angel of Death. Is he golden and beautiful? Is he spooky but still soothing? Are his eyes the color of amethyst? Before you begin work on your golem, you must have an image of Azrael in your mind. There is no right or wrong way to do this, so long as it feels right to you.

The best way I can explain how to make a golem is by sharing how I crafted mine over Samhain weekend, 1998. I had bought a plastic decorative skeleton about three feet in length. Not dead enough for you? Plastic comes from petroleum, and petroleum comes from dead biomatter.

I wanted a traditional looking Azrael not because that's how he appears to me, but because it was an object I found easy with which to work.

For your golem, you might want to assemble a skeleton of dead branches. Biological supply companies sell actual human skeletons, but you probably do not wish to go this route. Let your creativity go wild.

In my vision, Azrael had to have a scythe. My husband helped me produce a wicked looking scythe from balsa wood, proportionate to the golem. Azrael also needed to be cloaked in black, which I took care of with some black felt. I glued two small amethysts into the eyes and placed a red rose in the hand not holding the scythe. A few adjustments with a clothes hanger and I was finished. I had my golem!

Expect your golem to take on a life of its own. It will change positions and may even look as if it is moving a little. This is your physical manifestation of Azrael, so treat it as you would treat Azrael. Speak to it, meditate with it, show signs of your affection. Azrael will feel this all, and you will be his empath.