Overcoming Oppression with the Power of Psalm 9
- Ariel Gatoga
- 4 hours ago
- 19 min read
In the practice of psalm magic, Psalm 9 is traditionally used to overcome evil, weaken enemies' power, reverse curses and hexes, and seek help in court cases. It is also used to confront oppression, which is my goal for today.
Oppression can come from various sources: people, circumstances, or even ourselves. If you feel oppressed in any way, Psalm 9 is a great psalm to turn to for support. Historically, it has also been used to fight political oppression, especially against those oppressed by governments, political leaders, or corrupt officials.
Many believe Psalms 9 and 10 were originally a single psalm, and they are often treated as such. However, in psalm magic, we usually allow each psalm to stand on its own.
It’s easy to see the Lord as an external entity who will rescue us if we are good enough; that if we do the right things and have a good day, help will arrive. This way of thinking isn’t the best way to start a spell. Instead, we should focus on what the Lord truly symbolizes—the one true power, the ultimate source of all existence.
Every time we practice Psalm Magic, it’s vital to take a moment to center ourselves on this single power, the one force that fills the universe. Nothing else exists. When we accept this, we understand why psalm magic is both strong and effective—nothing can oppose this power, because there is only this power.
Our method for psalm magic is simple, clear, and effective. We start by reciting the entire psalm aloud once without stopping. Then we go back and carefully examine each verse, searching for hidden meanings. We call these hidden meanings 'occult meanings,' which are often seen as magical seeds.
These magical seeds need fertile ground to grow, and that fertile ground is our minds. To plant these seeds, we look for them, reflect on their significance, and apply what we learn to the situation we have brought to the psalm. When we nurture these seeds in our minds, they take root, grow, bloom, and eventually produce fruit.
That is exactly what we will do now with Psalm 9.
Psalm 9
(Click on any verse to jump to that section of the post)
I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
I will be glad and rejoice in thee: I will sing praise to thy name, O thou most High.
When mine enemies are turned back, They shall fall and perish at thy presence.
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou satest in the throne judging right.
But the Lord shall endure for ever: He hath prepared his throne for judgment.
The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble.
Sing praises to the Lord, which dwelleth in Zion: Declare among the people his doings.
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth: The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.
For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: The expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: Let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
Put them in fear, O Lord: That the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
1. I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works.
In Psalms, the word heart means our innermost thoughts; those things we think about over and over again automatically. When we learn something until we can do it by heart, we know it so thoroughly that it becomes second nature. Therefore, when the psalmist prays, "I will praise thee, O Lord, with my whole heart," he means to say, let me make praise common to my everyday life.
But what does it really mean to praise this divine force? It means noticing and celebrating what is good. Just as affection needs someone or something to focus on, praise also needs a purpose. Without it, praise loses its meaning.
Pause and ask yourself: What is good? Where do you see goodness in your life? The aim is to get used to noticing the good things around you. This does not mean ignoring what needs to be fixed or healed. Instead, it is about shifting your focus. Many times, we are taught to notice what is wrong, and we miss the good. We want to build the habit of seeing what is good and being thankful for it. That is what it means to “praise the Lord.”
When the text says, "I will show forth thy marvelous works," it means you will actively share your blessings. The marvelous works of the Lord include all that is good. Think about where you see goodness in your life and how you can show it to others.s you make every moment. Is your habit to be compassionate or judgmental? To find common ground, or to create division? To relax, or to tense up? To forgive, or to hold a grudge?
2. I will be glad and rejoice in thee. I will sing praises to thy name.
The Most High is a title given to the Lord to remind us that there is only one supreme being. It emphasizes that there is nothing else apart from this. This is not a matter of "my Lord is better than your Lord" or "our God is more powerful than yours." Rather, it conveys the idea that all gods are one and that this unity is essential.
Singing praises to this force means celebrating its qualities and nature. There are infinite “names” for God, meaning the countless attributes of this divine presence. To sing praises is to create a disturbance in our experience; it's an act of expression.
While it may sound strange, in the Psalms, singing refers to the production of vibration. This vibration of praise represents creating a mental disturbance—a means to disrupt what isn’t functioning properly. If this disruption relates to oppression, we can challenge it by “singing” or vibrating in our minds and through our auras, by praising the qualities of the infinite.
3. When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
When we begin to express praise for the qualities of the one true force in the universe, we unlock the ability to push back against the oppression in our lives. This act of praise thus turns the very oppression against itself, leading to its own destruction. In essence, oppression ultimately undermines itself.
4. For thou hast maintained my right and my cause, Thou saddest in the throne, judging right.
This Psalm places the infinite in a position of authority, depicted as a judge in a legal setting. We desire the infinite's judgment on everything—on all matters—because the infinite perceives only truth.
The infinite's judgment is based solely on righteousness and recognizes only what it has created. The infinite did not create oppression; it does not will for oppression to exist. Therefore, when we sing praises to the infinite, we unlock the key to experiencing the truth of the righteous judgment that comes from this source.
This act causes everything that does not align with the righteous judgment of the infinite to fade away (be “destroyed”). It is akin to turning on a light in a dark room: the darkness is dispelled by the light, not because the light aims to destroy it, but simply because it exposes the nothingness that darkness truly is. This is the reason darkness cannot exist in the presence of light.
5. Thou hast rebuked the heathen. Thou hast destroyed the wicked. Thou hast put out their name forever and ever.
It may seem as if the infinite is truly angry at the oppressors and punishing their bad behavior. However, this perception arises because the consequences of that bad behavior and oppression are ultimately returning to the person who initiated them.
Life operates like a game of boomerangs: what we throw out into the world comes back to us. When we shine a light on righteousness and declare that only it shall prevail, everything that contradicts that righteousness must return to where it originated. It must return to its source.
Ultimately, this source is nothingness—there is no true source of evil or oppression.
When we discover the wisdom of this psalm to bring healing to oppression, we realize that, from the perspective of “Zion,” meaning a higher level of consciousness, oppression never truly existed. Oppression must thus be “destroyed” in the same way darkness is “destroyed” in the presence of light.
6. O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end. And thou hast destroyed cities. Their memorial is perished with them.
This is incredibly important because the infinite not only restores balance but also erases the memories of past oppression. When the infinite works in our lives, we often forget that we were ever mistreated.
They should become fuzzy and distant memories. This is what we want. After you let this happen, you have to make sure that you live in the now and stop bringing up old things that used to hurt you. You have to remember that we are no longer abused; we have healed and shouldn't bring up those wrongs.
Instead, we must embrace the infinite’s ability to erase those memories and engage in praising the infinite. Our goal is to be a constant source of disruption against oppression. We want to be a habitual challenge to anything that is not aligned with the truth.
7. But the Lord shall endure forever. He hath prepared his throne for judgment.
The phrase "The Lord endures forever" is a reminder that the Lord exists only in the present moment. The Lord does not exist in the future or the past, as those concepts do not exist in “Zion” or in our higher state of consciousness. The past and the future are constructs of the ego mind.
The primary function of the ego mind is to keep us preoccupied with thoughts of the past and future, preventing us from using our power in the present moment. The Lord is here, now. Forever means now.
“He has prepared His throne for judgment,” simply reiterates that the infinite sees only the truth. When you turn to the infinite, you can only do so in the present moment, allowing it to heal any situation you encounter.
Your responsibility is to remain in the present moment and avoid falling back into old habits of dwelling on the past or worrying about the future. This helps you avoid recreating problems that have already been solved.
8. And he shall judge the world in righteousness. He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.
The essence of this psalm is to connect with the righteousness of a higher power. Righteousness, in this context, refers to right-mindedness, healthy thinking, sanity, and peace of mind. When we establish this connection to healthy thinking, it permeates every aspect of our awareness.
Any thoughts or feelings that do not align with this state of being are eliminated (yet again, the darkness-disappearing-in-the-light analogy applies). The primary purpose of this psalm, as with any psalm, is to resonate with the infinite, AKA “the Lord,” allowing for divine judgment to prevail.
This divine judgment centers on your happiness. The will of God is for you to be happy, safe, and at peace. This truth applies to everyone. We are invited to awaken from the illusions of oppression and darkness, allowing us to move beyond them and stop perpetuating these negative cycles.
9. The Lord also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.
The Psalmist offers guidance on what to do when you feel unsafe, oppressed, or troubled. Find your refuge—the place where you feel secure. You will feel safe when you call upon this source of strength, as its will is for your well-being and happiness. No matter what is happening, you will find help when you turn your thoughts to the Infinite: the one power in the universe, the source of your being.
10. And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.
When you discover this secret, you will always know where to go and what to do. You will no longer try to fix things on your own or rely solely on yourself for safety, as your methods are limited. The surface mind and ego only understand what they already know.
In contrast, the Infinite knows everything and offers infinite possibilities that you aren’t capable of comprehending at this moment. Therefore, when you seek safety in the Infinite, that safety can manifest in ways you could never have imagined.
It is said, “They that know thy name will put their trust in thee.” Once you know the name and nature of the Infinite, where else would you turn? Why would you consider anything other than the source of all that is? The belief that there is something separate from the source is what makes us feel unsafe in this world. We live in a reality that views itself as separate from its source.
The world is a projection of fear stemming from the belief in our separation from the source. Once you know the name of God (meaning you understand the qualities of the Infinite), you realize that you are always safe. However, you cannot create that safety from your own past experiences.
To find true safety, you must step outside the fear-based thought system. That is what we do when we seek refuge in the Infinite, for “thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.” Of course not. When you seek the Infinite, you are seeking truth, reality, sanity, and healthiness—everything that is real. When you turn to what is real, the falsehoods are illuminated and fade away in its presence.
11. Sing praises to the Lord, who dwelleth in Zion. Declare among the people his doings.
In the Psalms, “people” symbolize your own thoughts. When you go to Zion, you go within to find the meeting place of you and the Infinite. It’s where the tabernacle and the temple are located. To reach Zion, you must climb. This climbing signifies your effort to rise in mind and consciousness to the best of your ability. When you think the highest thoughts you are capable of, you connect with Infinite Intelligence.
If you don't climb Zion, it resembles saying, “I want to hold onto my false beliefs. I just want to indulge in my false beliefs and ask you to fix things for me.” That is not climbing Zion. You must ascend that hill to reach the tabernacle. This means noticing the thoughts you entertain and stopping the indulgence in destructive, unhealthy thinking. When you elevate your consciousness to the best of your ability, the Infinite will take care of the rest for you. You don’t have to be perfect at it. A little willingness on your part is all it takes.
"Sing praises to the Lord who dwells in Zion." Elevate your vibrations by recognizing and celebrating the qualities of the Infinite. Praising something means enthusiastically acknowledging its goodness. What qualities of the Infinite can you identify? How good do you find them? Do you feel enthusiastic about them?
For example, one of the qualities of the Infinite is Life. Take a moment to think about Life. Notice your heart beating—how amazing is that? Your heartbeat is a precious gift from the Infinite. Can you focus on this in a way that inspires enthusiasm in you? "I am alive!" What a wonderful thought! This perspective allows you to "praise the Lord" in a magical, rather than a religious sense. It’s very practical and has nothing to do with appeasing an external deity.
Furthermore, it says to "declare among the people His doings." Remember, “people” represent thoughts. Remind your doubting thoughts of your purpose. Don’t let those doubts pull you back into ego-driven thoughts. Re-educate your mind and practice discipline with your thoughts. Praising is the quickest way to retrain your deep mind. When you praise, you are declaring yourself to your deep mind.
12. When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them. He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.
The idea that the Infinite will seek vengeance by destroying or punishing your enemies because it remembers the cries of the humble is a dramatic, ancient concept, and it is indeed powerful. While this notion can be captivating, it's important to understand its implications. From the perspective of darkness, the arrival of light can be frightening. It may seem as if there is a great battle, where light is overcoming darkness.
However, that is not the reality of the situation. It may seem like your oppressors get punished when balance is restored. But the core idea is that Divine Love does not punish its own creation. To the human eye, it may seem otherwise when systems of oppression crumble, and accountability finally arrives. It appears as though the Infinite is exacting retribution upon those who have caused harm; however, the Divine does not condemn its children—even those who have strayed the furthest.
Remember that those who oppress are never truly happy. Because the Divine will is for their joy, the restoration of balance can feel like an attack to the oppressor. In truth, it is an act of profound love, realigning the soul with its natural state of harmony.
13. Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I suffer of them that hate me. Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.
In the Psalms, mercy means the resolution of our problem, the answers to our prayer, or the fulfillment of our goals—whatever issue we have brought to this Psalm, seeking help. Mercy signifies that our troubles are resolved and that they are taken care of.
The Psalmist cries, "Have mercy upon me, O Lord. Consider my trouble, which I suffer from those who hate me." This is a clear prayer that explains the situation: what I am going through and why I need help. Whether your oppression is from a person, a situation, or even your own troubling thoughts, whatever is causing your distress, you are presenting it honestly and directly here.
"Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death." The "gates of death" symbolize the severity of the problem; it feels as though, without a resolution, the situation is unbearable. Though it may not be a matter of life and death in reality, the Psalms capture the depth of our emotions like the libretto of a grand opera. Engaging with them helps connect us emotionally to our issues, making us feel understood. When we express that we are "dying," we may not be literally near death, but the emotional weight of our troubles can feel that severe.
14. That I may shew forth all thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in thy salvation.
We are asking, "Take me from the gates of one place to the gates of another: from the gates of death to the gates of the Daughter of Zion." The Daughter of Zion is a poetic name for Jerusalem, a city that belongs to the Infinite. We want to be at the gates of the Daughter of Zion, where all our needs are met. We experience happiness, and things are going well.
When we approach the gates of death, it reflects a desire to take control of things ourselves. In this state, we feel separate from the Infinite and engage in ego-driven actions. However, we cannot exist in both states simultaneously.
You are either in the gates of death, which represent the ego, or in the gates of the Daughter of Zion, which represent the spirit. You cannot go east and west at the same time. It's important to be clear about this: "I do not want to be at the gates of death. I want to be in the gates of the Daughter of Zion. Infinite, I want to be in your city, in your town, not in the town of darkness, but in the town of light."
15. The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net they hid, their own foot is taken.
Evil ultimately destroys itself, regardless of how slowly the mill of the gods appears to be grinding. But we turn to the Psalms because we desire immediate resolution. We don’t want to wait for things to unfold over time; we want to experience timelessness.
We wish to be in the gates of the Daughter of Zion, which symbolizes the present moment, and we want our issues resolved now—this is our rightful claim.
The infinite is not doing us a favor; it is pleased when we assert our birthright—our entitlement to have our concerns addressed in the here and now. The infinite desires this for us. However, we must make the first move, as we have the power to use our minds as we choose.
We have the freedom to direct our thoughts however we wish. If we fail to discipline our minds and simply accept the status quo, adhering to false beliefs, we will experience the consequences. The good news is that when we find ourselves in an undesirable situation, it serves as a reminder that we are at the gates of death, and we want to return to the source and allow everything to be taken care of for us. The challenge is that once we have resolved a problem, we must learn to remain in that state.
Many people misunderstand this concept. They might think, “Oh, I see—it’s my fault that I'm having this problem because of my thoughts.” No, it’s not your fault that you find yourself in this situation. It’s not your fault that you were raised not to understand how your mind operates. It’s not your fault that you have been taught, through generations of habitual learning, how to miscreate with your mind. However, once you know better, you can do better. That is what you are learning to do now, and you will be ahead of the curve because you are discovering how to use your mind in ways that most people have never learned.
16. The Lord is known by the judgment which he executeth. The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah.
The Lord is known by the judgments He executes. Isn't that profound? We understand God through His actions. The judgments He carries out reveal His character. When you seek this power—this force—and approach it with your issues, and those issues get resolved, it proves to you that you have reached the source. Your success confirms your connection to the infinite. The fruits of a tree indicate what kind of tree it is. Similarly, the judgments of the infinite show us that it exists. We recognize it by its effects.
The wicked are ensnared by their own actions. Anything not aligned with the infinite, any part of this illusion that burdens you, will eventually be dismantled by its own undoing. The more you take a hands-off approach and refrain from intervening, the quicker it resolves itself. Whatever is oppressing you will inevitably become trapped in its own web.
If you maintain a hands-off approach, detaching from the problem and focusing on the infinite instead, you allow it to resolve itself more swiftly, as you're not prolonging the issue. So, let it self-destruct. Whatever the problem is—regardless of whether it involves another person—it will find resolution.
“Higgaion” and “Selah” are both instructions about music. “Selah” usually means pause; it’s a way of saying, Slow down a bit, and consider that. Think about what has been said.
But what about “higgaion”? There is less agreement on this word, but most translations understand it as referring to some sort of musical interlude–time for the harpist to keep strumming while you ponder.
Picture a bard sharing a tale or reciting poetry, pausing now and then to let the melody fill the room and the words echo in the mind. That’s the spirit of "Higgaion": a pause that’s not just silence, but music carrying the message a little further before we return to the story.
17. The wicked shall be turned into hell and all the nations that forget God.
When hell is mentioned in the Psalms, it refers to Sheol, which represents native nothingness. It is simply nothing. The wicked will return to this native nothingness from which they came. It is not the people or souls that go to hell because souls aren’t “nothing.” Souls are created by the infinite. All souls are thus equally holy.
A person's wicked behavior, along with all the factors that influence it, will ultimately return to the nothingness from which it came. Regardless of whether your issue involves someone else, it is not the intention of the Infinite for you to have that problem. The Infinite does not will that you have problems. This is why, whatever the problem, it will eventually vanish. It will disintegrate and fade away.
18. For the needy shall not always be forgotten and the expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.
Your needs are always acknowledged. No matter what you're experiencing, your concerns won't be overlooked, and those in need will not suffer indefinitely. Whatever challenges you're facing, even if you haven't turned to prayer or reflection, they will eventually resolve in one way or another. However, we are realizing that we don’t have to wait for time to work things out.
We can go directly to the source. Now, in this present moment where all power resides, it's already taken care of. We have harnessed our minds effectively. We have declared, “Enough! I’m not trying to handle this on my own anymore. I will turn to the source.” And the source responds, “Now that you’ve used your free will to seek my help, let me take care of it for you.” Together, we are thus co-creators in this process.
19. Arise, O Lord, let not man prevail. Let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
When we say “arise, O Lord,” it’s not because the Lord is sleeping. It may seem that way, but the reason is that a response only occurs when we invoke the Infinite. If there were a response before our invocation, it would undermine our free will, making us mere automatons. We are not robots; that’s not how it works. The Infinite has granted us free will.
However, there is a line in the Bible that states, "Before you call, I shall answer." This implies that an answer to any problem is always available. Once you call out for help, that answer will become clear to you. All solutions are already prepared for us. It is the nature of existence that when a problem arises, a solution is also created.
Ultimately, problems do not exist in the mind of the Infinite. From the Infinite's perspective, there are no problems. Yet, when we encounter challenges in our world, the solutions to those challenges are automatically generated. This is simply how things work within the nature of existence; it is known as “mercy” in the Psalms.
20. Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.
To instill fear means to eliminate oppression. This oppression takes various forms and is rooted in our minds as overarching thought patterns. In the Psalms, nations symbolize these broader thought forms and belief systems.
When it is said that "the nations may know themselves to be but men," it indicates that these oppressions are merely illusions—constructs of the ego. Trust in the power of the Infinite to take care of it. You do your part, and the Infinite will never fail to do it’s part.
How to Proceed With Your Spell Using Psalm 9
To make your spell effective, I suggest that you revisit this psalm once daily until you feel a sense of peace and certainty about your situation. You'll know that your seeds have been planted. Your spell has been cast.. At that point, you must shift your focus entirely to something else and put it out of your mind as much as possible to let the magic do its work.
Thank you for spending time with me today. Until next time, blessed be.
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