As with all things, as we approach the various subtle and sometimes seemingly fantastic arts that allow us to broach concepts and shadowy paths we previously may not have trodden; we find ourselves awed, and of course suitably taken aback by the sheer impressiveness of how it affects us in our daily and spiritual lives. I am talking about our personal experiences when we allow the arcane channeling to still, and instead of being constantly conjured via meditation, mediations, and our various evocations; to now just flow from our aura, and occupy the cracks between time and space while we move through the jungle of humanity.
Various different methods or philosophies have been put forth by one magical community or another over the years as to this perspective we all experience; our inability to stop the innate and inherently subconscious pouring forth of the attainment we find ourselves at after a ardous or seemingly endless conglomerate of magical or spiritual study. It affects everything we move through, speak to, or find ourselves centered in while we conduct the regularity of our day to day lives. You will know what I speak of, these talents we inhereit as we "go forth amongst the Sheep as Wolves" and yet they know it not, and sometimes neither do we, but our talents allow us certain extrasensory abilities of the subtlest natures, not power, but merely insight of a larger scale than your everyday encountered mortal of a younger incarnation, still struggling to find their first or perhaps second path to a place higher than a road previously walked.
Knowing to do, feeling to see, hearing to touch, and a vast mixture of them all, bringing us to a place to move more comfortably and safely in this wonderful multiverse we have founds ourselves in now. "What, in the end, does this change?" One may ask. "What point does this affect overall, for if we're aware of it not, then why does it matter? If we cannot percieve of when it will occur, how can it be measured or scaled, viewed and tested; then placed in its rightful niche in the Great Akashic Record we all enjoy sharing?" The armchair magician will knowingly state. "In truth, does it matter?" The Magi will say, "We know, and thou does not! Get out of your chair and try it for yourself, for you'll see you've been the smartest child in the world, playing in your playpen of knowledge, but now its time to walk on your own." Some things are left better experientially gained and not learned through books of instruction or theory. Its a joy to see the fruits of our labour in the Garden of good and evil, and as humans feel for ourselves what we can discover has changed since that last timeless night of work or study.
An know it not, dear friends, whether this is merely conjecture of a madness incurred during a state of transcendence, or a place of illumination found in the study of our mutually shared human psyche, but its true as with all things, the more we practice, the more we see how it affects us, and everyone else around us after the casting is done. Fear not what shadows you see, or light that bears down upon ye while searching the stars for Truth; for it will harm ye none, should ye reach for it and remember that ye are both heavenly and darkness combined while treading the path we all share together. Stretch forth and know that beyond the two lies the one, and in that is the path of the Golden Road. Walk it my friends, and be at peace.
Fraternally,
V.H. Frater Amoun Ra.'.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Vibration and inner illumination
Greetings, it has been a few months since my last entry, due to life interferring with my writing. I thought I would post my thoughts concerning the Vibration of God Names. I won't however go in to a complex and detailed over-view of which Gods I'm referring to, or when and why you'd deign to speak of and to them, for such matters at the present time don't matter. The technique is what counts, and in daily ritual work can be practised over and over till the sound of your tone fills the starry universe from one end to another. As follows is a step by step guide to the methods of attaining a complete grasp of proper vibration:
1. Understanding that your intent governs the direction of your tone. Without proper intent, your words are merely words, heard by those present, or no one at all. One must direct the path of their focused will, as a conductor guides an orchestra.
2. Let the sound of each syllable flow through you as water flows through a release pipe in a dammed resevoir. As you sound out the name, in your visualiztions you should be seeing the word not come merely from within you, but like a wind of light drawn to push a sailboat across the sea, you channel word from all around you, and entirely from within you as well.
3. Language of orgin. If the name you're using is Enochian, or hebrew or any ancient tongue, visualize upon the utterence of the name its letters, syllable by syllable flowing out of your mouth upon a stream or river of light moving in the direction of your desired intent. Normally when vibrating the God names, we're invoking the diety, not evoking it. However to properly have maximum effect, one must simultaneously invoke and evoke, in order to give the God in question not only the proper respect, but also a place of orgin to arrive should he deign your supplication worthy of his attention.
(side note: Divine theurgy, and Vibration of the God Names, though different in Reason, are similar in Intent. Whenever you call upon the Gods for whatever reason, you're bringing yourself to their attention, whether this is your desire or not. You see, one must remember that the Gods are fickle beings, and we cannot be arrogant enough to assume before we begin that just because the "self-important human magician" calls upon them, for this reason alone they'll give you divine manifestation. Its for this reason your intent is so important. They will feel that as much as the stressing of their names when you're chanting to them. If your intent is to merely have their presence felt so as to aid you in your work, well thats one thing. If you're trying to attain conversation, and so, raise yourself into God-form, and hold a conversation with the divine, thats something else, and a topic for another time. )
4. Memory of light. We are finite beings, but we can channel the energy of the universe. As we are a part of the universe, no less than the stars or the leaves, we can become conduits for that cosmic energy. As you Vibrate any god name, One must feel the majesty of the name, have awe for its respect and power, and be a conduit for the channeling of its words, letters, and energy as you sound it out, pulling from within your memories of the Light.
"From the darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the silence of a primal sleep.......the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not."
One must remember that until the total unification of the Light is brought together with the cosmic energy of the universe, One shall be heard across the universe as they Vibrate the God name. All can do so, but they must remember how. "How" is what I'm explaining right now.
Though infinetely difficult to attain all at once, its possible when the Student tries day after day, until suddenly one day the light descends. It fills the magician with the light, and his/her words echo as they channel it through their body, like a infinitely large amplifier, heard in every galaxy and star in the universe.
5. Focus. Like a dam bursting with the overflowing waters of creation, so must the Magician burst forth with the power of the Name. When the Intent, sound/tone, launguage and light is gathered into yourself, the magician must focus it in all in the correct place for themselves, be it the mouth where the word is spoken, or the heart where Tiphareth lies in the middle pillar. One must choose a place of focus, and then channel the light through that place as you sound out the name. The esoteric becomes suddenly the exoteric, and that which is within is suddenly heard by all. Feel every organism on the planet, every human perk up and for a split second listen without knowing as you vibrate the word. Know in your heart you're being heard by all, and in that knowlege do your words carry true power. Knowledge can be more than simply a descriptive word...it can be a simultaneous force of thought and action.
This is as close as I can come to describing this technique to its full extent for the moment. As much as its a technique of practise, its a technique of constantly higher attainment. The more you work with it, the more possbility can be achieved.
In the light,
VH Frater A.R.'.
1. Understanding that your intent governs the direction of your tone. Without proper intent, your words are merely words, heard by those present, or no one at all. One must direct the path of their focused will, as a conductor guides an orchestra.
2. Let the sound of each syllable flow through you as water flows through a release pipe in a dammed resevoir. As you sound out the name, in your visualiztions you should be seeing the word not come merely from within you, but like a wind of light drawn to push a sailboat across the sea, you channel word from all around you, and entirely from within you as well.
3. Language of orgin. If the name you're using is Enochian, or hebrew or any ancient tongue, visualize upon the utterence of the name its letters, syllable by syllable flowing out of your mouth upon a stream or river of light moving in the direction of your desired intent. Normally when vibrating the God names, we're invoking the diety, not evoking it. However to properly have maximum effect, one must simultaneously invoke and evoke, in order to give the God in question not only the proper respect, but also a place of orgin to arrive should he deign your supplication worthy of his attention.
(side note: Divine theurgy, and Vibration of the God Names, though different in Reason, are similar in Intent. Whenever you call upon the Gods for whatever reason, you're bringing yourself to their attention, whether this is your desire or not. You see, one must remember that the Gods are fickle beings, and we cannot be arrogant enough to assume before we begin that just because the "self-important human magician" calls upon them, for this reason alone they'll give you divine manifestation. Its for this reason your intent is so important. They will feel that as much as the stressing of their names when you're chanting to them. If your intent is to merely have their presence felt so as to aid you in your work, well thats one thing. If you're trying to attain conversation, and so, raise yourself into God-form, and hold a conversation with the divine, thats something else, and a topic for another time. )
4. Memory of light. We are finite beings, but we can channel the energy of the universe. As we are a part of the universe, no less than the stars or the leaves, we can become conduits for that cosmic energy. As you Vibrate any god name, One must feel the majesty of the name, have awe for its respect and power, and be a conduit for the channeling of its words, letters, and energy as you sound it out, pulling from within your memories of the Light.
"From the darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the silence of a primal sleep.......the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not."
One must remember that until the total unification of the Light is brought together with the cosmic energy of the universe, One shall be heard across the universe as they Vibrate the God name. All can do so, but they must remember how. "How" is what I'm explaining right now.
Though infinetely difficult to attain all at once, its possible when the Student tries day after day, until suddenly one day the light descends. It fills the magician with the light, and his/her words echo as they channel it through their body, like a infinitely large amplifier, heard in every galaxy and star in the universe.
5. Focus. Like a dam bursting with the overflowing waters of creation, so must the Magician burst forth with the power of the Name. When the Intent, sound/tone, launguage and light is gathered into yourself, the magician must focus it in all in the correct place for themselves, be it the mouth where the word is spoken, or the heart where Tiphareth lies in the middle pillar. One must choose a place of focus, and then channel the light through that place as you sound out the name. The esoteric becomes suddenly the exoteric, and that which is within is suddenly heard by all. Feel every organism on the planet, every human perk up and for a split second listen without knowing as you vibrate the word. Know in your heart you're being heard by all, and in that knowlege do your words carry true power. Knowledge can be more than simply a descriptive word...it can be a simultaneous force of thought and action.
This is as close as I can come to describing this technique to its full extent for the moment. As much as its a technique of practise, its a technique of constantly higher attainment. The more you work with it, the more possbility can be achieved.
In the light,
VH Frater A.R.'.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Skrying and Visualisation
The words Visualization and Skrying are seen beside each other with regularity in most tomes on or of magick. Rarely is an explanation provided as to how the prospective student goes about performing such specific techniques of mental prowess or gaining strength in their abilities. The usual cause for such lack of explanation is normally because the author of the aforesaid manual is either assuming that when you’re reading their work, you have an adept level of understanding or in the very least a working knowledge of the terms and techniques they’re taking the trouble to illuminate for you.
Though exhaustive and boring to most, an elementary look at such techniques is both informative and helpful to the adept, and the neophyte magician. I wouldn’t go as far as to say either is simple, but nor is it complex. Perspective always is more difficult to take when it is being presented to you, and not discovered by thy own merit. There is a whole level of philosophy I’m overlooking here and really should get into a deeper discussion before explaining further about Skrying and traveling in the astral plane. However the purpose of this essay is not to delve into this topic on a book length level. Over viewing the techniques, purposes, methods and advancements possible when choosing this technique for divination is my goal for now.
Imagination is the word described to children to explain dreams, visions and make-believe. However to an adult, or a student of magick, it is used to describe a word with similar connotations; that is visualization. To visualize is to project an idea in anthropomorphic and symbolic terms to have better clarity when studying anything from Yoga to Ceremonial Magick. Visualization is used by the student to mentally picture, and describes to themselves the complexities surrounding the colors, symbols, languages, and techniques when operating different aspects of meditation. The more one spends their time developing this technique, the more one opens their mind to receiving information from the akashic Record. This is the world of reflection, the astral plane said to contain all the memories and experiences of humanity over the course of history. Why, one might ask, would you work towards this level of attainment? In the words of Socrates from Plato’s The Apology: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Now, there exists in correlation to the above said technique, another word with as many different interpretations as the word “food.” This word has had more bullshit written on it than the words “magic” and “mysteries.” I’m speaking of the word: Skrying. Simply speaking, Skrying translates as being receptive to the influence and images of the universe when discovered in a meditative trance. To Skry is to look at the world with your inner eye, that is, to gaze into the astral world to gain insight of the material world. To do this, the student needs certain levels of adept hood; however in some cases it is not actually necessary.
With the introduction of the concept of Skrying do the concepts of intent, and manifest intentions begin interactions with each other. A student must understand that Skrying is not done for fun, or experimentation. It is used to find clarification when dealing with abstract or diverse concepts that transcend that degree of terrestrial normality. If a student needs to find answers in the universe, but these answers can not be found in books, then perhaps Skrying is the proper technique to be employed at this moment, just as you would use dowsing to find water if other methods weren’t at your disposal. Manifest intentions come into play when your universe is presenting to you interactions with other people or the like in which a deeper insight may or may not help you better understand your place therein. Not to be too “occult” but the topic of Skrying is a complex one.
In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Skrying is used by the student to put their mind into a state of self-hypnosis in order to be receptive and be able to understand different changes in their consciousness. Another way of looking at it, and certainly not the last way, is to consider interaction with these images as a form of Jungian Psychology where the student is encountering arch-type images that represent different aspects of their mind.
Now from this perspective, one might ask what they would encounter if, they successfully did indeed Skry the Astral World. To explain this idea properly I must introduce the concept of Astral Projection. Skrying is made up of two major concepts. The first is the state of consciousness when you have successfully achieved a level of trance that allows a healthy and steady stream of words, ideas, and symbols that reflect whatever you were delving into to begin with. The second is to project your conscious mind outside your body when you have achieved the proper meditative state, i.e. astral projection. Then the student would using certain words, and visualization techniques travel onto or into the plane or dimension outside their own body where they will interact with the chosen entity, plane or perspective they want to understand better. You see, we’re dealing with a matter that’s philosophical, and interpretive, symbolic and transcendent. Thus bringing whoever is attempting the technique to have at their disposal conviction and faith, reason and understanding. As I’ve said previously, Skrying is usually undertaken by an adept who has previously studied similar techniques and found success therein, leading them towards the next level of training. Techniques like the methods of divination, tattvas, tarot, and ceremonial magick.
Properly Skrying is like making a sandwich; the student needs certain active and inactive ingredients to enjoy themselves properly, keeping themselves safe and secure while at the same time free to roam as they will. I would say in this order is what one needs to go about Skrying anything at all:
1. Purpose.
2. A safe temple.
3. The correct symbols and hierarchies pertaining to the purpose.
4. A safe level of adept hood regarding visualization.
5. The right rituals of banishing and invoking.
6. The proper medium.
Though some may disagree with me as to the order I’ve placed above, I would say if you do, then you can Skry my list, and thus feel free to investigate for yourselves whether I’ve chosen correctly or not. For the purpose of this essay however my order will suffice. I have spoken of purpose and visualization touched upon symbols and hierarchies and ignored the temple altogether. For the next few paragraphs I will briefly explain what I meant by these statements.
Your temple is a two-fold idea, for it pertains to the hermetic wisdom that you are both a reflection of the universe as it is a reflection of you. Both within your material universe you must enclose your body so it remains safe from interruption and intrusion, and you must reinforce your body with techniques and training so it serves you best when being employed for diverse purposes. The temple is both a place and perspective. It’s a created reflection of your universe that holds safety for you when working different methods of magic. Within it will be the tools of your craft, and the sanctity of holy ground keeping all negative and unwanted forces at bay so you can freely leave your physical body behind while roaming the vast multi-verse. This is a topic which is a book unto itself, and beyond saying you must have a safe place from which you can safely Skry, you must also have trained your mind to work for you, and not against you.
There are more symbols to be employed in the techniques of Skrying than there are books written over the course of human history. However to keep it simple, and again not delve to deeply for to list them would require more pages than I care to write at the moment, I will list a few which are very pertinent to what we’ve been discussing. All in all, there are symbols you speak, and symbols you visualize to aid you while traveling on the astral plane. The symbols you speak are usually words or incantations used to emphasize or illuminate your visualizations while they’re being employed. I say they’re symbols because for some of them, when you say the word, it’s also accompanied by its symbol. When you speak the language necessary for the technique being employed, for further effectiveness, you visualize the letters of the words to carry a double impacted meaning at the directed object of concentration. In the case of the Hebrew language, the letters of the language are both holy symbols and can be grouped to make words. Thus you can have incredibly stronger words if they’re properly emphasized.
The following table, and its corresponding lettering and numbers are used by the prospective student of Skrying to aid them in their works when traveling on the astral plane or another similar plane. Certain letters can be used to attain clarity when seeking meaning while Skrying. Now with each letter comes an appropriate name of God, which when vibrated along with visualizing the letter can alter whatever you happen to be dealing with at a given time while Skrying and assist you to have a more understandable sight. I will provide a chart of these God names following the chart on Hebrew.
God names are drawn out of a system of high magic commonly referred to as Enochian; this system was originally derived in the year 1583 and onwards from the meditations and illuminations of Dr. John Dee and his friend Sir Edward Kelly. Both men, over the course of many nights brought together a hierarchy and system of ceremonial magic used to obtain conversation and in some aspects travel with and to the abode of the angelic hosts who serve God above and below heaven. Traditionally speaking, a God name refers to exactly that which the title says; a name of God. When used in a meditative context however, the name usually proscribed is one which corresponds to the chosen element, planet, zodiac or angelic host that has been decided best suited for the current work. God names taken from the Enochian system are as follows with their appropriate corresponding element and attribute from the Tree of Life.
Element---/---God Name---/---Hebraic God Name ---/--- Zodiacal Attribution
AIR ----------ORO IBAH AZOPI -------YOD HE VAV HE -------------AQUARIUS
WATER -----EMPEH ARSL GAIOL --------EL --------------------------SCORPIO
EARTH -----EMOR DIAL HCTGA -------- ADONAI -------------------TAURUS
FIRE --------OIP TEAA PEDOCE ----------ELOHIM -------------------LEO
SPIRIT -----ACTIVE: EXARP, BITOM ----- EHEIEH
--------------PASSIVE: HCOMA, NANTA ----AGLA
Found below is a corresponding chart of Hebraic letters and their purposes when being employed while Skrying. Depending upon what is happening in the session the student can decide on whether they need to use one of these symbols or none at all. In some cases probably not, but again varying circumstances will give the student the best reasons to or not to use whatever tools they’ve learned for themselves to make use of at any given time. If the proper protocol is followed, then the best results will be found.
Letter --/-- Name --/-- Number --/-- Planet --/-- Application
ב ----------- Beth ---------- 2 ---------- Mercury ----- For imagination.
ג ----------- Gimel --------- 3--------- - Moon -------- For wandering thoughts.
ד ----------- Daleth--------- 4 ---------- Venus ------- For pleasure.
כ ----------- Kaph ---------20 --------- Jupiter ------- For construction.
פ ------------ Pe -----------80 ---------- Mars -------- For anger, impatience.
ר ------------ Resh --------200 --------- Sun ---------- For vanity.
ת ------------ Tav -------- 400 --------- Saturn ------- For memory.
The protocol I was referring to above is how you behave while on the astral plane, or another plane of a similar nature. There is a very distinctive etiquette when dealing with other beings like yourself that you may or may not encounter while on your various journeys. This behavioral protocol will depend greatly upon the purpose behind your Skrying, however in almost all cases its safe to assume that behaving badly will get you nowhere when meeting a stranger for the first time. It goes farther as well. The student should know the element which corresponds to the plane they’re currently on, as well as all other particulars so the best signs, words and measures are taken to ensure diplomatic etiquette is met. There’s a whole plethora of information concerning which signs, measures and words correspond to the correct element, planet, zodiac and heavenly body. I would recommend the student consult an appropriate chart found in various books such as Aleister Crowley’s 777 and Other Qabbalistic Writings, or Stephen Skinner’s The Complete Magicians Tables, before attempting a Skrying that will need such information so that it is used correctly. I will delve deeper into this topic at another time in another essay.
As I have now illuminated the various facets of the concept of Skrying, it follows that an overview and instruction of the technique itself should be covered. This is fairly complex, not from the technique itself being difficult, but because of so many aspects of perspective being employed at the same time. Normally a significant amount of training is needed before a student reaches a point when Skrying is employed for the first time, however for the sake of this essay I will safely assume if you’re reading it, you study yoga and have experimented with various visualization techniques. The technique of Skrying is broken into six parts, with five sub-categories and thousands of different applicatory techniques. I will illuminate and illustrate the six, five and one specific technique which has proven incredibly successful for the up and coming master or mistress of the astral plane. The six parts are as follows:
1. Relaxation.
2. Breathing regularity.
3. Mental concentration.
4. Dissolution of attachment.
5. Acceptance of possibility.
6. Maintaining a receptive equilibrium.
Now all six parts are put in the above order to emphasize their individual phases and acute necessity of obedience to follow that particular order. This is not a mismatch type of meditation, for if the student can follow this list in that order then they’re well on their way to exploring the unknown. This is not a list that is perfected over night, but should take the active student with diligence a couple of years to master. They’ll be Skrying in a matter of months, but patience and a continual attempts to bring harmony throughout the list will allow them to go from as session of thirty minutes or more to jumping from the terrestrial to astral in a matter of seconds. No matter the level of plane we Skry ourselves into or onto, there is always a basic hierarchy that corresponds to these planes. From highest to lowest: Heavenly, Zodiacally, Planetary, Elementally. Now as the elements are our basic and most available method to work with here on the terrestrial plane, our medium we choose to use as a concentration tool will naturally be long the same lines.
1. Air = Incense
2. Water = A silver basin filled with water
3. Earth = Crystal ball
4. Fire = Candle flame
5. Spirit = Looking inward.
With spirit the student should take direction from their own sense of reason. Take stock of what you’re trying to achieve, and then follow what feels most appropriate to you. Now the illustration of the breathing and mental techniques I’ll describe as acutely as possible. The Neophyte technique of the fourfold breath is the most appropriate beginning of the study of Pranayama (breath control).
1. Inhale for four seconds
2. Hold for four seconds
3. Exhale for four seconds
4. Pause for four seconds
5. Repeat.
When this method is flowing with a steady rhythm the student can then work on parts three through to five of the major parts of Skrying. Finding mental concentration, dissolving your concept and acceptance of attachment, then accepting possibility and maintain a healthy equilibrium of them all is best studied through an ancient Indian technique of meditation called Tattvas. The tattvas are symbols representing the five elements and allows a student of yoga to explore inwardly their own relationship with the elemental planes of existence.
1. Tejas = Fire = Red triangle
2. Vayu = Air = Blue circle
3. Prithivi = Earth = Yellow square
4. Apas = Water = Silver crescent, with points upwards.
5. Akasha = Spirit = Onyx egg shape
It is important to remember that though in previous paragraphs I’ve spoken of various entities, types of astral investigation, and different aspects of the universe that can be explored on a deeper level using Skrying techniques, the one common pattern among them all is the quest for a broader look at your own universe. The tattvas are an excellent way to learn to Skry, work on the techniques I’ve aforementioned and will allow you to start learning on a practical level the protocol and diplomacy of governing yourself in a strange new world. To Skry the tattvas the best route to go about doing so is to use a method that I have developed called The White Room Meditation. This is a simple, progressive form of meditation that allows a beginner or adept student to flow from the terrestrial plane to the astral plane and enter the elemental plane in a smooth ascendancy. When you pick the element you wish to investigate further, the student will choose the appropriate medium to aid in mental relaxation, i.e. a crystal ball for Prithivi, or a candle flame for Tejas or none at all if you wish. Enter your temple or place of personal safety, which I hope is not your bedroom, because on a side note, if something goes wrong, it’d be unwise to lead an unwanted presence back to your body and show it where you sleep at night, lest you have new and darker dreams than previously experienced. It is always advisable to not do any transcendental meditations in your own abode of sleeping. Use a living room, kitchen or basement if you must, but not your bedroom. When you have found yourself in a comfortable position to meditate in, follow these next steps as closely as possible with attention to every miniscule detail that you can muster. The details are important, and not being in a place where you may get distracted is important also.
I must mention now two extremely important notes that correspond with Skrying anything at all. These points are learning to vibrate both vocally and astrally, and secondly learning to verify that the vision you’re seeing is truly what you’re searching for. I haven’t mentioned these points previously for a couple reasons, mainly it’s an essay unto itself, without getting extremely detailed, and it becomes hard to properly explain either. I’ll briefly sketch however what I mean by both statements. Vibration is what the student does when he speaks the name of God or a corresponding word. It goes farther than merely saying the words though; the student must feel his aura pull together into a cohesive point behind his mouth, and when he says the word, it leaves his body with all the power they can muster traveling along with it. A student does not say a vibrated word. They intone it.
Astral investigation and clarification is simply done merely by adding some complex visualizations and knowing your protocol when dealing with spirits well. As I said, simply saying the student, when encountering entities such as astral spirits, and elemental beings, should take precaution when listening to their words, or following them places on the astral plane without first making positive that they are exactly who they either say they are, or appear to be. As follows there are a few ways to check. Visualize in your hands a pair of scrolls. On one scroll is the Banner of the East, the other the west. Tuck them into your garments, and salute the entity with the grade sign of the element you’re standing in. If the entity does not respond in kind, take out the banner of the west, and unroll it with the image facing the entity. If the being recoils, shies away or tries to get you to put it away, you’re definitely dealing with a mischievous astral being, and should call upon your pentagrams from the LBRP to aid you in driving it away. Otherwise intoning the God name for that element should suffice. Always be clear that the entity you’re currently dealing with on the astral or elemental or any plane for that matter is who they say they are. Grade saluting signs, questions with open answers concerning the nature of the plane, and the banners of the east and west, aid greatly in clarifying a vision.
The White Room Meditation
1. Close you eyes and breathe according to the four fold breath technique.
2. Grow steadily more relaxed with each breath and feel the thoughts of your mind winding down to a place of calm.
3. When you feel centered, relaxed and your breathing is even, at a harmony where you aren’t concentrating on it any longer, look inwards.
4. With your eyes closed visualize yourself sitting in a totally white room that has no doors, windows or furniture. The walls, ceiling, and floor are completely white, and the air around you is at peace with the atmosphere you find yourself sitting in.
5. Directly ahead of you is a white wall. Notice the corners where the joints of the room meet each other, and notice the texture of the rooms’ coloring. Don’t question where the light is coming from, just visualize the room itself.
6. Still looking straight ahead at the rooms’ walls, know to yourself that the walls behind you are also white, and remember them in your mind as if you’ve been studying them all day. Know the room is as you think it is.
7. As you sit in the room, looking around and feeling like it’s the same white room it always is, visualize a white door directly behind you, with a golden knobby door handle.
8. Don’t turn around to look at it, just keep looking forward at the white wall. Know to yourself as you look at the white wall in front of you, that there is a white door behind you with a golden handle.
9. As you gaze forward at the whiteness of the room, remember to yourself the shape of the door and the feel of the golden handle beneath your hand as you grasp it.
10. Remember the texture and coolness of the gold handle. Remember the lines of the white door as if you were just looking at it.
11. Look at the white wall ahead of you, the white ceiling above you, and the white floor beneath you. Feel yourself in this white room.
12. Now as slowly as you feel comfortable turn around and look at the door, repeating step 6 once again, but this time seeing the white door directly ahead with the golden handle instead of a blank white wall.
13. Look at the door. See it utterly. Note its proportions in comparison to the white wall around it, and white ceiling above it. Know this white door and golden handle as you know the white room behind you.
14. Stand up and walk towards the white door. Look down at the golden handle, and notice the whiteness of the door in contrast to the golden gleam of the handle.
15. When you feel comfortable and know the white room as well as you know yourself, reach out, and feeling the golden handle beneath your hand, turn it, and open the white door.
16. Beyond the door is utter darkness. Total and utter absence of light.
17. You see as you look out at the darkness beyond the door, the brightness of the white room behind you in your mind. As if your white room is floating in an abyss of black space.
18. Picture the white room in your mind occupying the space behind where you stand, on the threshold between the white door with the golden handle, and the darkness beyond.
19. As you look out into the darkness, visualize a red triangle appear in the darkness. As you breathe, you notice the red triangle is getting slowly larger, as if it’s hurtling through space towards you and the white room.
20. When you feel the red triangle is larger than the room itself, two dimensional, and hovering outside the door, see it there floating in the black darkness as real as you know the white room is that you’re standing in while looking out at the red triangle.
21. You are calm, and you are relaxed. The white room is the same as always, and the red triangle is floating in the blackness outside your white door as if it’s beckoning you to come closer, and take a more detailed look.
22. You are calm, and you’re relaxed.
23. As if you’ve made the motion thousands of times before, walk out into the darkness towards the red triangle, until you’re standing right in front of it. Looking at the texture of the red triangle, as if it’s a rippling red silk substance, see in your mind the blazing white rectangular doorway open behind you in the blackness as a refuge from where you are. Feel the white room as such.
24. Still admiring the silky red substance directly in front of you, reaching out with both hands, as if you’re parting a curtain in your home, part the red silky triangle in the middle, and walk through the triangle as if you’re entering a tent. In front of you will be inky black darkness once more however you’ll lose sight of the white room’s door behind you as the red silky curtains fall closed as you completely walk through them.
25. You are still calm and relaxed, feeling safe, and secure within this place you now find yourself in. Looking out into the darkness, you know that looming above you, behind you is the large red triangle you saw before. You know that on the other side of it is the white door to the white room.
26. Continue to Skry as follows:
Using the appropriate names of God: ORO IBAH AZOPI, YOD HE VAV HE, symbols of the element of fire, name of Michael archangel of the south, the Skrying magician will move throughout the element of fire occasionally using the correct Hebrew character accompanied by the vibrated god name to clarify his vision until they have accomplished what they feel is appropriate to themselves. When the moment has come to leave the element, it is of the utmost importance that the student does not open their eyes, and leave the elemental plane abruptly. To leave the elemental plane the student is Skrying the following steps must be done correctly.
27. The time to leave the plane will come when the moment presents itself. The student need not worry when this is, for they will know it when it happens. When it does, visualize the large red triangle in front of you as if it was there already.
28. The student will see the imagery behind themselves, or wherever they happen to be standing at this time, and look at the red triangle in front of them.
29. As explained above in step 24, repeat the process of parting the curtains or the red triangle, and thus stepping out of the plane and into the black gulf between the red triangle and the door to the white room that you can now see in front of you.
30. Know the red silky curtains have closed behind you and walk forward through the white door. Close the white door as you pass over the threshold onto the white floor into the white room beyond, and sit down facing the white wall you were originally looking at to begin with.
31. As you look forward at the white wall, see the white door with the golden handle disappear behind you and be replaced with another white wall identical to the white wall in front of you.
32. Feel the white room around you and know you’re safe there. When you can feel and see the white room around you, visualize yourself sitting in your own body where you left it before entering the white room and open your eyes on the terrestrial plane.
That is the meditation of the white room. If the student reads it more carefully than a once over, they will understand that it’s a form of self-hypnosis which places themselves deeply into a trance which, while not knowing during the moment, brings them up and out of their own body without even realizing it, and crossing into the astral, then the elemental planes. The Skrying is when after entering the plane using the right words and visualizations they travel into and throughout the plane freely, discovering what they went to see to begin with. A deeper look at the various aspects of the universe to better understand our relationship and interaction with it, and come out afterwards more illuminated and better gartered to face the future when previously ignorant in the past.
Throughout this essay my purpose has been to enlighten as best possible the various perspectives, and paths surrounding the beautiful garden we call transcendental meditation. Skrying and visualization, its application and techniques, various symbols that correspond with it, their use and understanding have been as thoroughly covered as one can do so without spending the whole length of the essay on each individual part. This is totally within the realms of perhaps another few essays in the near future. For now, the in and outs of the techniques, types and purposes have been covered so the student reading this work should have a basic familiarity with the aforementioned concepts. I pray that proper study, in depth reading, and continuous practice of self- induced hypnosis via a comfortable method compels the student to prepare for the unfolding of the universe and paths of the future that lay before them. Purpose defines us, and compels us to take a broader perspective of our interactions with the universe. Purpose brings us to the gates of illumination and knowledge and it drives us through them hungering for more than we already have. Purpose sits on our shoulders like a mantle and forces us to take part in what we need to survive. There is nothing on this earth that doesn’t serve a purpose, if only to remind us of our own. Remember that there is much outside the realms of what we don’t know however, and your purpose will lead you there, if your will is to understand that purpose that guides you.
In love and the light,
Frater Malachiel
Though exhaustive and boring to most, an elementary look at such techniques is both informative and helpful to the adept, and the neophyte magician. I wouldn’t go as far as to say either is simple, but nor is it complex. Perspective always is more difficult to take when it is being presented to you, and not discovered by thy own merit. There is a whole level of philosophy I’m overlooking here and really should get into a deeper discussion before explaining further about Skrying and traveling in the astral plane. However the purpose of this essay is not to delve into this topic on a book length level. Over viewing the techniques, purposes, methods and advancements possible when choosing this technique for divination is my goal for now.
Imagination is the word described to children to explain dreams, visions and make-believe. However to an adult, or a student of magick, it is used to describe a word with similar connotations; that is visualization. To visualize is to project an idea in anthropomorphic and symbolic terms to have better clarity when studying anything from Yoga to Ceremonial Magick. Visualization is used by the student to mentally picture, and describes to themselves the complexities surrounding the colors, symbols, languages, and techniques when operating different aspects of meditation. The more one spends their time developing this technique, the more one opens their mind to receiving information from the akashic Record. This is the world of reflection, the astral plane said to contain all the memories and experiences of humanity over the course of history. Why, one might ask, would you work towards this level of attainment? In the words of Socrates from Plato’s The Apology: “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
Now, there exists in correlation to the above said technique, another word with as many different interpretations as the word “food.” This word has had more bullshit written on it than the words “magic” and “mysteries.” I’m speaking of the word: Skrying. Simply speaking, Skrying translates as being receptive to the influence and images of the universe when discovered in a meditative trance. To Skry is to look at the world with your inner eye, that is, to gaze into the astral world to gain insight of the material world. To do this, the student needs certain levels of adept hood; however in some cases it is not actually necessary.
With the introduction of the concept of Skrying do the concepts of intent, and manifest intentions begin interactions with each other. A student must understand that Skrying is not done for fun, or experimentation. It is used to find clarification when dealing with abstract or diverse concepts that transcend that degree of terrestrial normality. If a student needs to find answers in the universe, but these answers can not be found in books, then perhaps Skrying is the proper technique to be employed at this moment, just as you would use dowsing to find water if other methods weren’t at your disposal. Manifest intentions come into play when your universe is presenting to you interactions with other people or the like in which a deeper insight may or may not help you better understand your place therein. Not to be too “occult” but the topic of Skrying is a complex one.
In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, Skrying is used by the student to put their mind into a state of self-hypnosis in order to be receptive and be able to understand different changes in their consciousness. Another way of looking at it, and certainly not the last way, is to consider interaction with these images as a form of Jungian Psychology where the student is encountering arch-type images that represent different aspects of their mind.
Now from this perspective, one might ask what they would encounter if, they successfully did indeed Skry the Astral World. To explain this idea properly I must introduce the concept of Astral Projection. Skrying is made up of two major concepts. The first is the state of consciousness when you have successfully achieved a level of trance that allows a healthy and steady stream of words, ideas, and symbols that reflect whatever you were delving into to begin with. The second is to project your conscious mind outside your body when you have achieved the proper meditative state, i.e. astral projection. Then the student would using certain words, and visualization techniques travel onto or into the plane or dimension outside their own body where they will interact with the chosen entity, plane or perspective they want to understand better. You see, we’re dealing with a matter that’s philosophical, and interpretive, symbolic and transcendent. Thus bringing whoever is attempting the technique to have at their disposal conviction and faith, reason and understanding. As I’ve said previously, Skrying is usually undertaken by an adept who has previously studied similar techniques and found success therein, leading them towards the next level of training. Techniques like the methods of divination, tattvas, tarot, and ceremonial magick.
Properly Skrying is like making a sandwich; the student needs certain active and inactive ingredients to enjoy themselves properly, keeping themselves safe and secure while at the same time free to roam as they will. I would say in this order is what one needs to go about Skrying anything at all:
1. Purpose.
2. A safe temple.
3. The correct symbols and hierarchies pertaining to the purpose.
4. A safe level of adept hood regarding visualization.
5. The right rituals of banishing and invoking.
6. The proper medium.
Though some may disagree with me as to the order I’ve placed above, I would say if you do, then you can Skry my list, and thus feel free to investigate for yourselves whether I’ve chosen correctly or not. For the purpose of this essay however my order will suffice. I have spoken of purpose and visualization touched upon symbols and hierarchies and ignored the temple altogether. For the next few paragraphs I will briefly explain what I meant by these statements.
Your temple is a two-fold idea, for it pertains to the hermetic wisdom that you are both a reflection of the universe as it is a reflection of you. Both within your material universe you must enclose your body so it remains safe from interruption and intrusion, and you must reinforce your body with techniques and training so it serves you best when being employed for diverse purposes. The temple is both a place and perspective. It’s a created reflection of your universe that holds safety for you when working different methods of magic. Within it will be the tools of your craft, and the sanctity of holy ground keeping all negative and unwanted forces at bay so you can freely leave your physical body behind while roaming the vast multi-verse. This is a topic which is a book unto itself, and beyond saying you must have a safe place from which you can safely Skry, you must also have trained your mind to work for you, and not against you.
There are more symbols to be employed in the techniques of Skrying than there are books written over the course of human history. However to keep it simple, and again not delve to deeply for to list them would require more pages than I care to write at the moment, I will list a few which are very pertinent to what we’ve been discussing. All in all, there are symbols you speak, and symbols you visualize to aid you while traveling on the astral plane. The symbols you speak are usually words or incantations used to emphasize or illuminate your visualizations while they’re being employed. I say they’re symbols because for some of them, when you say the word, it’s also accompanied by its symbol. When you speak the language necessary for the technique being employed, for further effectiveness, you visualize the letters of the words to carry a double impacted meaning at the directed object of concentration. In the case of the Hebrew language, the letters of the language are both holy symbols and can be grouped to make words. Thus you can have incredibly stronger words if they’re properly emphasized.
The following table, and its corresponding lettering and numbers are used by the prospective student of Skrying to aid them in their works when traveling on the astral plane or another similar plane. Certain letters can be used to attain clarity when seeking meaning while Skrying. Now with each letter comes an appropriate name of God, which when vibrated along with visualizing the letter can alter whatever you happen to be dealing with at a given time while Skrying and assist you to have a more understandable sight. I will provide a chart of these God names following the chart on Hebrew.
God names are drawn out of a system of high magic commonly referred to as Enochian; this system was originally derived in the year 1583 and onwards from the meditations and illuminations of Dr. John Dee and his friend Sir Edward Kelly. Both men, over the course of many nights brought together a hierarchy and system of ceremonial magic used to obtain conversation and in some aspects travel with and to the abode of the angelic hosts who serve God above and below heaven. Traditionally speaking, a God name refers to exactly that which the title says; a name of God. When used in a meditative context however, the name usually proscribed is one which corresponds to the chosen element, planet, zodiac or angelic host that has been decided best suited for the current work. God names taken from the Enochian system are as follows with their appropriate corresponding element and attribute from the Tree of Life.
Element---/---God Name---/---Hebraic God Name ---/--- Zodiacal Attribution
AIR ----------ORO IBAH AZOPI -------YOD HE VAV HE -------------AQUARIUS
WATER -----EMPEH ARSL GAIOL --------EL --------------------------SCORPIO
EARTH -----EMOR DIAL HCTGA -------- ADONAI -------------------TAURUS
FIRE --------OIP TEAA PEDOCE ----------ELOHIM -------------------LEO
SPIRIT -----ACTIVE: EXARP, BITOM ----- EHEIEH
--------------PASSIVE: HCOMA, NANTA ----AGLA
Found below is a corresponding chart of Hebraic letters and their purposes when being employed while Skrying. Depending upon what is happening in the session the student can decide on whether they need to use one of these symbols or none at all. In some cases probably not, but again varying circumstances will give the student the best reasons to or not to use whatever tools they’ve learned for themselves to make use of at any given time. If the proper protocol is followed, then the best results will be found.
Letter --/-- Name --/-- Number --/-- Planet --/-- Application
ב ----------- Beth ---------- 2 ---------- Mercury ----- For imagination.
ג ----------- Gimel --------- 3--------- - Moon -------- For wandering thoughts.
ד ----------- Daleth--------- 4 ---------- Venus ------- For pleasure.
כ ----------- Kaph ---------20 --------- Jupiter ------- For construction.
פ ------------ Pe -----------80 ---------- Mars -------- For anger, impatience.
ר ------------ Resh --------200 --------- Sun ---------- For vanity.
ת ------------ Tav -------- 400 --------- Saturn ------- For memory.
The protocol I was referring to above is how you behave while on the astral plane, or another plane of a similar nature. There is a very distinctive etiquette when dealing with other beings like yourself that you may or may not encounter while on your various journeys. This behavioral protocol will depend greatly upon the purpose behind your Skrying, however in almost all cases its safe to assume that behaving badly will get you nowhere when meeting a stranger for the first time. It goes farther as well. The student should know the element which corresponds to the plane they’re currently on, as well as all other particulars so the best signs, words and measures are taken to ensure diplomatic etiquette is met. There’s a whole plethora of information concerning which signs, measures and words correspond to the correct element, planet, zodiac and heavenly body. I would recommend the student consult an appropriate chart found in various books such as Aleister Crowley’s 777 and Other Qabbalistic Writings, or Stephen Skinner’s The Complete Magicians Tables, before attempting a Skrying that will need such information so that it is used correctly. I will delve deeper into this topic at another time in another essay.
As I have now illuminated the various facets of the concept of Skrying, it follows that an overview and instruction of the technique itself should be covered. This is fairly complex, not from the technique itself being difficult, but because of so many aspects of perspective being employed at the same time. Normally a significant amount of training is needed before a student reaches a point when Skrying is employed for the first time, however for the sake of this essay I will safely assume if you’re reading it, you study yoga and have experimented with various visualization techniques. The technique of Skrying is broken into six parts, with five sub-categories and thousands of different applicatory techniques. I will illuminate and illustrate the six, five and one specific technique which has proven incredibly successful for the up and coming master or mistress of the astral plane. The six parts are as follows:
1. Relaxation.
2. Breathing regularity.
3. Mental concentration.
4. Dissolution of attachment.
5. Acceptance of possibility.
6. Maintaining a receptive equilibrium.
Now all six parts are put in the above order to emphasize their individual phases and acute necessity of obedience to follow that particular order. This is not a mismatch type of meditation, for if the student can follow this list in that order then they’re well on their way to exploring the unknown. This is not a list that is perfected over night, but should take the active student with diligence a couple of years to master. They’ll be Skrying in a matter of months, but patience and a continual attempts to bring harmony throughout the list will allow them to go from as session of thirty minutes or more to jumping from the terrestrial to astral in a matter of seconds. No matter the level of plane we Skry ourselves into or onto, there is always a basic hierarchy that corresponds to these planes. From highest to lowest: Heavenly, Zodiacally, Planetary, Elementally. Now as the elements are our basic and most available method to work with here on the terrestrial plane, our medium we choose to use as a concentration tool will naturally be long the same lines.
1. Air = Incense
2. Water = A silver basin filled with water
3. Earth = Crystal ball
4. Fire = Candle flame
5. Spirit = Looking inward.
With spirit the student should take direction from their own sense of reason. Take stock of what you’re trying to achieve, and then follow what feels most appropriate to you. Now the illustration of the breathing and mental techniques I’ll describe as acutely as possible. The Neophyte technique of the fourfold breath is the most appropriate beginning of the study of Pranayama (breath control).
1. Inhale for four seconds
2. Hold for four seconds
3. Exhale for four seconds
4. Pause for four seconds
5. Repeat.
When this method is flowing with a steady rhythm the student can then work on parts three through to five of the major parts of Skrying. Finding mental concentration, dissolving your concept and acceptance of attachment, then accepting possibility and maintain a healthy equilibrium of them all is best studied through an ancient Indian technique of meditation called Tattvas. The tattvas are symbols representing the five elements and allows a student of yoga to explore inwardly their own relationship with the elemental planes of existence.
1. Tejas = Fire = Red triangle
2. Vayu = Air = Blue circle
3. Prithivi = Earth = Yellow square
4. Apas = Water = Silver crescent, with points upwards.
5. Akasha = Spirit = Onyx egg shape
It is important to remember that though in previous paragraphs I’ve spoken of various entities, types of astral investigation, and different aspects of the universe that can be explored on a deeper level using Skrying techniques, the one common pattern among them all is the quest for a broader look at your own universe. The tattvas are an excellent way to learn to Skry, work on the techniques I’ve aforementioned and will allow you to start learning on a practical level the protocol and diplomacy of governing yourself in a strange new world. To Skry the tattvas the best route to go about doing so is to use a method that I have developed called The White Room Meditation. This is a simple, progressive form of meditation that allows a beginner or adept student to flow from the terrestrial plane to the astral plane and enter the elemental plane in a smooth ascendancy. When you pick the element you wish to investigate further, the student will choose the appropriate medium to aid in mental relaxation, i.e. a crystal ball for Prithivi, or a candle flame for Tejas or none at all if you wish. Enter your temple or place of personal safety, which I hope is not your bedroom, because on a side note, if something goes wrong, it’d be unwise to lead an unwanted presence back to your body and show it where you sleep at night, lest you have new and darker dreams than previously experienced. It is always advisable to not do any transcendental meditations in your own abode of sleeping. Use a living room, kitchen or basement if you must, but not your bedroom. When you have found yourself in a comfortable position to meditate in, follow these next steps as closely as possible with attention to every miniscule detail that you can muster. The details are important, and not being in a place where you may get distracted is important also.
I must mention now two extremely important notes that correspond with Skrying anything at all. These points are learning to vibrate both vocally and astrally, and secondly learning to verify that the vision you’re seeing is truly what you’re searching for. I haven’t mentioned these points previously for a couple reasons, mainly it’s an essay unto itself, without getting extremely detailed, and it becomes hard to properly explain either. I’ll briefly sketch however what I mean by both statements. Vibration is what the student does when he speaks the name of God or a corresponding word. It goes farther than merely saying the words though; the student must feel his aura pull together into a cohesive point behind his mouth, and when he says the word, it leaves his body with all the power they can muster traveling along with it. A student does not say a vibrated word. They intone it.
Astral investigation and clarification is simply done merely by adding some complex visualizations and knowing your protocol when dealing with spirits well. As I said, simply saying the student, when encountering entities such as astral spirits, and elemental beings, should take precaution when listening to their words, or following them places on the astral plane without first making positive that they are exactly who they either say they are, or appear to be. As follows there are a few ways to check. Visualize in your hands a pair of scrolls. On one scroll is the Banner of the East, the other the west. Tuck them into your garments, and salute the entity with the grade sign of the element you’re standing in. If the entity does not respond in kind, take out the banner of the west, and unroll it with the image facing the entity. If the being recoils, shies away or tries to get you to put it away, you’re definitely dealing with a mischievous astral being, and should call upon your pentagrams from the LBRP to aid you in driving it away. Otherwise intoning the God name for that element should suffice. Always be clear that the entity you’re currently dealing with on the astral or elemental or any plane for that matter is who they say they are. Grade saluting signs, questions with open answers concerning the nature of the plane, and the banners of the east and west, aid greatly in clarifying a vision.
The White Room Meditation
1. Close you eyes and breathe according to the four fold breath technique.
2. Grow steadily more relaxed with each breath and feel the thoughts of your mind winding down to a place of calm.
3. When you feel centered, relaxed and your breathing is even, at a harmony where you aren’t concentrating on it any longer, look inwards.
4. With your eyes closed visualize yourself sitting in a totally white room that has no doors, windows or furniture. The walls, ceiling, and floor are completely white, and the air around you is at peace with the atmosphere you find yourself sitting in.
5. Directly ahead of you is a white wall. Notice the corners where the joints of the room meet each other, and notice the texture of the rooms’ coloring. Don’t question where the light is coming from, just visualize the room itself.
6. Still looking straight ahead at the rooms’ walls, know to yourself that the walls behind you are also white, and remember them in your mind as if you’ve been studying them all day. Know the room is as you think it is.
7. As you sit in the room, looking around and feeling like it’s the same white room it always is, visualize a white door directly behind you, with a golden knobby door handle.
8. Don’t turn around to look at it, just keep looking forward at the white wall. Know to yourself as you look at the white wall in front of you, that there is a white door behind you with a golden handle.
9. As you gaze forward at the whiteness of the room, remember to yourself the shape of the door and the feel of the golden handle beneath your hand as you grasp it.
10. Remember the texture and coolness of the gold handle. Remember the lines of the white door as if you were just looking at it.
11. Look at the white wall ahead of you, the white ceiling above you, and the white floor beneath you. Feel yourself in this white room.
12. Now as slowly as you feel comfortable turn around and look at the door, repeating step 6 once again, but this time seeing the white door directly ahead with the golden handle instead of a blank white wall.
13. Look at the door. See it utterly. Note its proportions in comparison to the white wall around it, and white ceiling above it. Know this white door and golden handle as you know the white room behind you.
14. Stand up and walk towards the white door. Look down at the golden handle, and notice the whiteness of the door in contrast to the golden gleam of the handle.
15. When you feel comfortable and know the white room as well as you know yourself, reach out, and feeling the golden handle beneath your hand, turn it, and open the white door.
16. Beyond the door is utter darkness. Total and utter absence of light.
17. You see as you look out at the darkness beyond the door, the brightness of the white room behind you in your mind. As if your white room is floating in an abyss of black space.
18. Picture the white room in your mind occupying the space behind where you stand, on the threshold between the white door with the golden handle, and the darkness beyond.
19. As you look out into the darkness, visualize a red triangle appear in the darkness. As you breathe, you notice the red triangle is getting slowly larger, as if it’s hurtling through space towards you and the white room.
20. When you feel the red triangle is larger than the room itself, two dimensional, and hovering outside the door, see it there floating in the black darkness as real as you know the white room is that you’re standing in while looking out at the red triangle.
21. You are calm, and you are relaxed. The white room is the same as always, and the red triangle is floating in the blackness outside your white door as if it’s beckoning you to come closer, and take a more detailed look.
22. You are calm, and you’re relaxed.
23. As if you’ve made the motion thousands of times before, walk out into the darkness towards the red triangle, until you’re standing right in front of it. Looking at the texture of the red triangle, as if it’s a rippling red silk substance, see in your mind the blazing white rectangular doorway open behind you in the blackness as a refuge from where you are. Feel the white room as such.
24. Still admiring the silky red substance directly in front of you, reaching out with both hands, as if you’re parting a curtain in your home, part the red silky triangle in the middle, and walk through the triangle as if you’re entering a tent. In front of you will be inky black darkness once more however you’ll lose sight of the white room’s door behind you as the red silky curtains fall closed as you completely walk through them.
25. You are still calm and relaxed, feeling safe, and secure within this place you now find yourself in. Looking out into the darkness, you know that looming above you, behind you is the large red triangle you saw before. You know that on the other side of it is the white door to the white room.
26. Continue to Skry as follows:
Using the appropriate names of God: ORO IBAH AZOPI, YOD HE VAV HE, symbols of the element of fire, name of Michael archangel of the south, the Skrying magician will move throughout the element of fire occasionally using the correct Hebrew character accompanied by the vibrated god name to clarify his vision until they have accomplished what they feel is appropriate to themselves. When the moment has come to leave the element, it is of the utmost importance that the student does not open their eyes, and leave the elemental plane abruptly. To leave the elemental plane the student is Skrying the following steps must be done correctly.
27. The time to leave the plane will come when the moment presents itself. The student need not worry when this is, for they will know it when it happens. When it does, visualize the large red triangle in front of you as if it was there already.
28. The student will see the imagery behind themselves, or wherever they happen to be standing at this time, and look at the red triangle in front of them.
29. As explained above in step 24, repeat the process of parting the curtains or the red triangle, and thus stepping out of the plane and into the black gulf between the red triangle and the door to the white room that you can now see in front of you.
30. Know the red silky curtains have closed behind you and walk forward through the white door. Close the white door as you pass over the threshold onto the white floor into the white room beyond, and sit down facing the white wall you were originally looking at to begin with.
31. As you look forward at the white wall, see the white door with the golden handle disappear behind you and be replaced with another white wall identical to the white wall in front of you.
32. Feel the white room around you and know you’re safe there. When you can feel and see the white room around you, visualize yourself sitting in your own body where you left it before entering the white room and open your eyes on the terrestrial plane.
That is the meditation of the white room. If the student reads it more carefully than a once over, they will understand that it’s a form of self-hypnosis which places themselves deeply into a trance which, while not knowing during the moment, brings them up and out of their own body without even realizing it, and crossing into the astral, then the elemental planes. The Skrying is when after entering the plane using the right words and visualizations they travel into and throughout the plane freely, discovering what they went to see to begin with. A deeper look at the various aspects of the universe to better understand our relationship and interaction with it, and come out afterwards more illuminated and better gartered to face the future when previously ignorant in the past.
Throughout this essay my purpose has been to enlighten as best possible the various perspectives, and paths surrounding the beautiful garden we call transcendental meditation. Skrying and visualization, its application and techniques, various symbols that correspond with it, their use and understanding have been as thoroughly covered as one can do so without spending the whole length of the essay on each individual part. This is totally within the realms of perhaps another few essays in the near future. For now, the in and outs of the techniques, types and purposes have been covered so the student reading this work should have a basic familiarity with the aforementioned concepts. I pray that proper study, in depth reading, and continuous practice of self- induced hypnosis via a comfortable method compels the student to prepare for the unfolding of the universe and paths of the future that lay before them. Purpose defines us, and compels us to take a broader perspective of our interactions with the universe. Purpose brings us to the gates of illumination and knowledge and it drives us through them hungering for more than we already have. Purpose sits on our shoulders like a mantle and forces us to take part in what we need to survive. There is nothing on this earth that doesn’t serve a purpose, if only to remind us of our own. Remember that there is much outside the realms of what we don’t know however, and your purpose will lead you there, if your will is to understand that purpose that guides you.
In love and the light,
Frater Malachiel
Friday, November 27, 2009
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Evocation
Ever tried to tie a piece of wood to something heavy and then chuck it into the water, hoping that your method of binding would be sufficient to demonstrate your control over the natural forces of this universe, and thus, prove that anything is possible? Such as make that which floats also sink?
The mentality presented in the above example is an idea that is linked to the method of conjuring and binding a Demon to your will, to serve you or suffer your judgement and thus do your bidding, instead of you theirs.
This type of ritual, like what I've mentioned in my first blog entry is one for an initiated student of strict morals, and sound thinking, not a ego-filled bubble head looking to prove something to the universe. If you're of the latter and not the former, do me a favor, and not give me a hug when you see me. Especially after you go ahead anyways and ignore me.
The mentality presented in the above example is an idea that is linked to the method of conjuring and binding a Demon to your will, to serve you or suffer your judgement and thus do your bidding, instead of you theirs.
This type of ritual, like what I've mentioned in my first blog entry is one for an initiated student of strict morals, and sound thinking, not a ego-filled bubble head looking to prove something to the universe. If you're of the latter and not the former, do me a favor, and not give me a hug when you see me. Especially after you go ahead anyways and ignore me.
On to the ideas themselves though. Evocation is precisely described as a ritual to bind and employ the services of an entity of a non-physical nature by the command and power of the Lord of the Universe. The reason behind such a procedure is to exercise your right as a Magician to employ the malevolent forces of the universe under your command to serve you and thus righteously behave to the betterment of others instead of their instinctive wickedness. However from a psychological perspective, its a form of Yogic Mental Therapy, which puts you in a position to overcome previous weaknesses and rule your own mind, not be ruled by your impulses, which ultimately lead you to anguish and suffering.
Its always your call how you want to "look" at magic, especially magic that deals with entities such as Angels, Demons, spirits, faeries and so on. Are they metaphors to describe our mental universe or real creatures that exist on Planes or Aethyr's of the Universe separate from the one we're living in, influencing our world, as we in turn, influence theirs. "For that which is above, is also below..."
(side note: A philosophical question that's been drifting around in my head for sometime now is along the lines that, if we as practical magicians have the power to, through the will of the Lord of the Universe and our own Higher Selves bind, control, and manipulate the entities of a lesser nature on another plane from ours, whats stopping Entities of a more powerful nature than Us, reaching out from their planes, and quite simply harnessing us to do their bidding, in a manner (assuming they're cleverer than we are) that we don't know? This of course is a ridiculous theory if you assume we as Humans are literally the single most intelligent beings in the universe and such a question is preposterous because God gave "Souls" unto humans alone. )
Anyways,
Evocation is a method that employs a technique of magic that requires a Magician to call the Entity in question to be brought forth "through" the magician, unlike with Invocation where you call the Entity "to" you. The differences being, if its not already apparent, that with Evocation the forces you call upon take on a identification with you, and your own universe. Another way of looking at it is that to command a Entity, it must understand that you're stronger that it, and therefore should be listened to, and heeded, instead of ignored. One never demands, beckons or commands a Angel to "serve." One merely asks, or requests.
The strength of character and force of personal bearing takes account on both cases, but on the hand of Evocation your bearing decides whether the entity arrives humble and willing to serve, or angry and volatile. As with an Angel, your bearing allows the Angel to decide if you're worthy. So, in light of this, humility and reason will go a long way with a Angel of the Lord, whereas conviction, daring, and Total union with your Higher Divine Will shall serve you better with a Demon. One simply doesn't just expect a Demon to do their bidding simply cause you mutter some Latin, shake a sword at triangle and "pop!" you have a servant for life....if you think that...good luck to you.
Now the above being said, Evocation is used to control a Demon, and have an Angel understand you better. There's a whole plethora of information on the why and hows of these matters, but I'll bore you to tears (if I haven't already) on explaining this. The formula of procedure is as important as drawing the circle. Lets just say that with Evocation that your little Chemistry experiment had better be done in the proper order, otherwise three different things may take place. One, nothing will happen, and you'll just stare at your Seal for all eternity wondering why people even humour studying this crap. Two, something will happen, but it will be the wrong something, and you've just volunteered to take a demon into bed with you. (enjoyed the barbed prick:) Three, the demon will show up, but nothing you'll do will control it, or worse yet, the wrong demon has shown up, will pretend to serve you, and make your like Hell for the fun of it.
All the more reason to make sure you've spent enough time studying the book being used enough so you don't make any mistakes.
Magical Intent, ladies and gentlemen, is as important during Evocation as the tools that you're using for thy will to be done. Make sure that your reasons for doing such work are valid reasons, and its not just a lab experiment for kicks and giggles. Your intent governs your nature, and your success in the operation of the work. Do not bind a demon simply for the sake of doing so.
Magical Equipment is important enough that you treat with delicate care. Your circle should be clearly drawn, words and symbols correct, and the ones you wear equally so. This in not magic with room for error. Try to be alchemically accurate with the materials as possible, but in the case of "Virgin calf skin" and " blackened soot from a farrier's cabin on the north Island of Skye in Scotland" well, use white paper and black ink. As long as you know its real, they'll think its real. Hence the word Evocation, not Invocation.
Practically speaking, the ceremony has five major parts:
1. The Opening Ceremony
2. The Invocation of the Angelic Hierarchy
3. The Conjuration of the Demonic Hierarchy
4. The Binding of the particular Demon*
5. The Closing Ceremony
6. The Banishing Ceremony
*(plus Curses and Exorcisms)
Its always your call how you want to "look" at magic, especially magic that deals with entities such as Angels, Demons, spirits, faeries and so on. Are they metaphors to describe our mental universe or real creatures that exist on Planes or Aethyr's of the Universe separate from the one we're living in, influencing our world, as we in turn, influence theirs. "For that which is above, is also below..."
(side note: A philosophical question that's been drifting around in my head for sometime now is along the lines that, if we as practical magicians have the power to, through the will of the Lord of the Universe and our own Higher Selves bind, control, and manipulate the entities of a lesser nature on another plane from ours, whats stopping Entities of a more powerful nature than Us, reaching out from their planes, and quite simply harnessing us to do their bidding, in a manner (assuming they're cleverer than we are) that we don't know? This of course is a ridiculous theory if you assume we as Humans are literally the single most intelligent beings in the universe and such a question is preposterous because God gave "Souls" unto humans alone. )
Anyways,
Evocation is a method that employs a technique of magic that requires a Magician to call the Entity in question to be brought forth "through" the magician, unlike with Invocation where you call the Entity "to" you. The differences being, if its not already apparent, that with Evocation the forces you call upon take on a identification with you, and your own universe. Another way of looking at it is that to command a Entity, it must understand that you're stronger that it, and therefore should be listened to, and heeded, instead of ignored. One never demands, beckons or commands a Angel to "serve." One merely asks, or requests.
The strength of character and force of personal bearing takes account on both cases, but on the hand of Evocation your bearing decides whether the entity arrives humble and willing to serve, or angry and volatile. As with an Angel, your bearing allows the Angel to decide if you're worthy. So, in light of this, humility and reason will go a long way with a Angel of the Lord, whereas conviction, daring, and Total union with your Higher Divine Will shall serve you better with a Demon. One simply doesn't just expect a Demon to do their bidding simply cause you mutter some Latin, shake a sword at triangle and "pop!" you have a servant for life....if you think that...good luck to you.
Now the above being said, Evocation is used to control a Demon, and have an Angel understand you better. There's a whole plethora of information on the why and hows of these matters, but I'll bore you to tears (if I haven't already) on explaining this. The formula of procedure is as important as drawing the circle. Lets just say that with Evocation that your little Chemistry experiment had better be done in the proper order, otherwise three different things may take place. One, nothing will happen, and you'll just stare at your Seal for all eternity wondering why people even humour studying this crap. Two, something will happen, but it will be the wrong something, and you've just volunteered to take a demon into bed with you. (enjoyed the barbed prick:) Three, the demon will show up, but nothing you'll do will control it, or worse yet, the wrong demon has shown up, will pretend to serve you, and make your like Hell for the fun of it.
All the more reason to make sure you've spent enough time studying the book being used enough so you don't make any mistakes.
Magical Intent, ladies and gentlemen, is as important during Evocation as the tools that you're using for thy will to be done. Make sure that your reasons for doing such work are valid reasons, and its not just a lab experiment for kicks and giggles. Your intent governs your nature, and your success in the operation of the work. Do not bind a demon simply for the sake of doing so.
Magical Equipment is important enough that you treat with delicate care. Your circle should be clearly drawn, words and symbols correct, and the ones you wear equally so. This in not magic with room for error. Try to be alchemically accurate with the materials as possible, but in the case of "Virgin calf skin" and " blackened soot from a farrier's cabin on the north Island of Skye in Scotland" well, use white paper and black ink. As long as you know its real, they'll think its real. Hence the word Evocation, not Invocation.
Practically speaking, the ceremony has five major parts:
1. The Opening Ceremony
2. The Invocation of the Angelic Hierarchy
3. The Conjuration of the Demonic Hierarchy
4. The Binding of the particular Demon*
5. The Closing Ceremony
6. The Banishing Ceremony
*(plus Curses and Exorcisms)
Each of these parts has its own sub-parts and sub-sections, but I'm not going to write a book on here as to the info contained within each of these ideas. Look for forthcoming publications under my name that properly address such topics other than my blog. if you really wish me to detail them, ask me, and perhaps I will.
Most important over all of what I've written though is that you treat this ceremony with the same caution as driving a car at top speed into oncoming traffic. If you're going to do so, be damn good at driving, know the road ahead of you, and pray you can predict what the other cars might do when you get closer to them. A mistake could cost you.
I'll post more on this topic at another time.
Regards,
Frater I.'.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Between Time and Space
Welcome to the discussions and formulations of a Magician of the Magic of King Solomon and his heirs. This blog will be a place of philosophy, theory and practical magic. I'll be posting reviews of various magical grimoires I've personally worked, my journal entries, and personal discoveries therein. I hope the work that I post will be beneficiary to all serious students of the Occult, and enlighten those who, when they may, accept not Grace :)
The Magic of King Solomon traditionally is governed by the stories that Solomon of Israel, during his reign of power, called upon Elohim in Heaven to bequeath to him the necessary powers to drive all the malicious and malevolent spirits from his Kingdom so his subjects could live peacefully. The Lord gave to Solomon the Greater Key, a set of magical incantations that would allow him to draw upon is own personal angelic power, and command spirits of a lesser nature than is human, to do his bidding. Solomon used these incantations to round up all the lesser and malevolent spirits within his kingdom, and he bound them in a large Brass Vessel, which he adorned with various incantations that would prevent these spirits from ever escaping, and locked the Vessel in a crypt beneath his Palace. (anyone remember Arabian Nights?) For years he reigned prosperous and well. Upon his death, his various children, all greedy for their illustrious father's throne, and his unmistakable power, broke into his crypt and stole the manuscripts which documented the knowledge to command the spirits and reign without equal. They also found the Brass vessel. Ignorant, and unknowing, the sons of Solomon, opened the Vessel to the light of day. Screaming in anger the spirits, one by one escaped from the vessel before the sons could close the lid and keep them trapped. These spirits would later become known as the 72 spirits of the Goetia.
This "bedtime story" of King Solomons magical career has been beaten about the Occult communities for neigh on almost three centuries. Its been prodded, poked, and dismissed by some of the more prominent scholars of the Occult sciences, and also held in revered awe by other well known practising magicians. Aleister Crowley and Allan Bennett in particular, early in Crowley's Career when they were spending their evenings away from the Golden Dawn Temple in London, at their shared flat, cheerfully calling up the various spirits from the Greater Key of Solomon the King, held this view in a familiar regard. Whether they believed the story is irrelevant, and like so many stories about the orgins of such magic, their orgins have been lost to time. What was a story that became a tale, and grew to a Myth then became fabled as Legend is where we as Occult scholars of this very age look for "hidden mysteries" locked within the pages of the past.
This idea I've presented above is but one of many that regards where the flow of Solomonic Magic originates from. More close to home however, on the modern timeline and scale of recorded magic, after the dissolution of the Holy Inquisition, and also before, many "Men of Learning" studied the arcane and mysterious nature of our universe. Mathematicians, doctors, chemists, and many other learned scholars searching for different answers for phenomena outside the "grace of god's will" though Christian, experimented with the Occult sciences as a way of better understanding their own universes. Thankfully, to our benefit, most of their work was written down, and saved from the flames of the Churches' disapproval as heresy. Henry Cornelius Agrippa, who wrote the "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" is an example of such a man. Exiled from his own country of Birth, and hunted by the Inquisition to be burned at the stake for Heresy, in his lifetime he wrote many works pertaining to the study of Occultism. However like then, as now, the Occult was a quest for answers that could not be given in School, or by just any learned scholar. It was a quest to discover more diverse answers from the accepted ideas of those times. "God is the will and reason behind all that occurs." Men and Women searching for personal illumination, under the constant threat of persecution and death, looked for such answers where they could. Similar from today's standards as to whats acceptable publicly as a topic of conversation, over what is not. Not that we cannot, but the majority of the population cannot, or will not accept other answers than those just spoon fed to them from the Priests of the Modern Age. Their first thought even now when you mention the word "Occult" is: Devil Worship. To avoid such obviously circular arguments with the unenlightened we must agree that The Fourth Power of the Sphinx was just as Holy then, as it is now.
Solomonic Magic from today's perspective is a complex set of rituals deigned to put the prospective student in direct contact with the manifestation of his shadow self in a objective physical form. In the words of my close colleague Frater YshY.'. ,
" Its kinda like sorting your dirty laundry."
Our ability to feel and understand all the negative based emotions, instincts and lesser ideas governed by our senses and desires usually without the proper form of strict control can rule us into doing and performing all sorts of acts and deeds that lead to unhappiness, sloth behaviour, depression, anger, stress and a variety of other experiences none too welcome by anyone who cares about their own well being. A well balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle usually can keep most people out of mischief, and allow them to have a fairly stress free life. These are ideas we're all familiar with. When however, our regular routine isn't working and for a suspended period of time we cannot shake the depression, or stress or other negative vibes, there are a variety of ways to move beyond them. Some people prefer the company of friends, a break in routine like a vacation, or perhaps a new love interest to shake the accepted standard. Whatever you choose, I hope for your sake its lasting.
However, for some people these problems go deeper than what is felt by the average Joe. Nothing seems to work, the change in attitude doesn't help, sleep, food, love, sex, nothing seems to perk you into a better frame of thinking. Nothing seems to let you let off the steam, and live a stress free lifestyle. You envy your friends who can have fun, while you're always sad.
Enter the Dominion of your Shadow Self. As we all have a Higher Divine Self, a voice of Conscience (at least I hope we all do:) we also have the Voice of temptation, misery, and destruction. There is a whole philosophy of work written on the why's and how's behind these ideas which I'll get into on another post, but for now lets say the following.
Behind all the misery, shame, death and destruction there are forces at work to upkeep the balance with all the life-saving, miracles, births and breakthrough's which bring our universes to a proper equilibrium. Its possible, through a long and diverse series of ceremonial rituals to conjure and manifest these forces to a cohesive and intelligent spirit who, using more ritual and incantations, you can command to do your bidding.
In the manner of a Lesser Spirit, you can, if you successfully maintain your mastery over the spirit's will, by proving your dominion of power and mind, control the spirit to doing whatever that particular spirit is capable of controlling. Such as removing your instinct to rise to anger at the drop of a hat, or your personal assumptions about the opinions of others which lead to shame, and despair. They can improve your powers of mind and craft, and illuminate your world in a way previously thought unattainable. In so many words, you gain control over the desires and emotions that prevent you from fullfilling your true potential. There are many books of magic written to allow the student to do just that. This control, though strictly regulated, and held in the highest degree of protocol as to use and function, is only maintained as long as your Will is strong enough to maintain it.
However, as a word of warning, I must add that this type of magic is not for the uninitiated. Only a student of progressed study and in direct contact with his Higher Divine Self, should attempt such magic. A thorough study of all systems of yoga, and western hermeticism should be undertaken first before one tries to wrestle the control of their instincts and desires away from the grasp of the Shadow Self. For if you're a person who throws caution to the wind, and believes you're already holy enough in your own conviction and do not need any training, you risk a terrible curse upon yourself. For in the failure of success to overcome the Will and Might of the Spirit, you shall become possesed by the will of the Entity. Thinking you've succeeded in your task, your dark illusion will lead you to ruin, and the spirit will live through you, bringing your world ever deeper into anguish. Be warned, and take this warning not lightly.
Frater I.'.
The Magic of King Solomon traditionally is governed by the stories that Solomon of Israel, during his reign of power, called upon Elohim in Heaven to bequeath to him the necessary powers to drive all the malicious and malevolent spirits from his Kingdom so his subjects could live peacefully. The Lord gave to Solomon the Greater Key, a set of magical incantations that would allow him to draw upon is own personal angelic power, and command spirits of a lesser nature than is human, to do his bidding. Solomon used these incantations to round up all the lesser and malevolent spirits within his kingdom, and he bound them in a large Brass Vessel, which he adorned with various incantations that would prevent these spirits from ever escaping, and locked the Vessel in a crypt beneath his Palace. (anyone remember Arabian Nights?) For years he reigned prosperous and well. Upon his death, his various children, all greedy for their illustrious father's throne, and his unmistakable power, broke into his crypt and stole the manuscripts which documented the knowledge to command the spirits and reign without equal. They also found the Brass vessel. Ignorant, and unknowing, the sons of Solomon, opened the Vessel to the light of day. Screaming in anger the spirits, one by one escaped from the vessel before the sons could close the lid and keep them trapped. These spirits would later become known as the 72 spirits of the Goetia.
This "bedtime story" of King Solomons magical career has been beaten about the Occult communities for neigh on almost three centuries. Its been prodded, poked, and dismissed by some of the more prominent scholars of the Occult sciences, and also held in revered awe by other well known practising magicians. Aleister Crowley and Allan Bennett in particular, early in Crowley's Career when they were spending their evenings away from the Golden Dawn Temple in London, at their shared flat, cheerfully calling up the various spirits from the Greater Key of Solomon the King, held this view in a familiar regard. Whether they believed the story is irrelevant, and like so many stories about the orgins of such magic, their orgins have been lost to time. What was a story that became a tale, and grew to a Myth then became fabled as Legend is where we as Occult scholars of this very age look for "hidden mysteries" locked within the pages of the past.
This idea I've presented above is but one of many that regards where the flow of Solomonic Magic originates from. More close to home however, on the modern timeline and scale of recorded magic, after the dissolution of the Holy Inquisition, and also before, many "Men of Learning" studied the arcane and mysterious nature of our universe. Mathematicians, doctors, chemists, and many other learned scholars searching for different answers for phenomena outside the "grace of god's will" though Christian, experimented with the Occult sciences as a way of better understanding their own universes. Thankfully, to our benefit, most of their work was written down, and saved from the flames of the Churches' disapproval as heresy. Henry Cornelius Agrippa, who wrote the "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" is an example of such a man. Exiled from his own country of Birth, and hunted by the Inquisition to be burned at the stake for Heresy, in his lifetime he wrote many works pertaining to the study of Occultism. However like then, as now, the Occult was a quest for answers that could not be given in School, or by just any learned scholar. It was a quest to discover more diverse answers from the accepted ideas of those times. "God is the will and reason behind all that occurs." Men and Women searching for personal illumination, under the constant threat of persecution and death, looked for such answers where they could. Similar from today's standards as to whats acceptable publicly as a topic of conversation, over what is not. Not that we cannot, but the majority of the population cannot, or will not accept other answers than those just spoon fed to them from the Priests of the Modern Age. Their first thought even now when you mention the word "Occult" is: Devil Worship. To avoid such obviously circular arguments with the unenlightened we must agree that The Fourth Power of the Sphinx was just as Holy then, as it is now.
Solomonic Magic from today's perspective is a complex set of rituals deigned to put the prospective student in direct contact with the manifestation of his shadow self in a objective physical form. In the words of my close colleague Frater YshY.'. ,
" Its kinda like sorting your dirty laundry."
Our ability to feel and understand all the negative based emotions, instincts and lesser ideas governed by our senses and desires usually without the proper form of strict control can rule us into doing and performing all sorts of acts and deeds that lead to unhappiness, sloth behaviour, depression, anger, stress and a variety of other experiences none too welcome by anyone who cares about their own well being. A well balanced diet, regular exercise, and healthy lifestyle usually can keep most people out of mischief, and allow them to have a fairly stress free life. These are ideas we're all familiar with. When however, our regular routine isn't working and for a suspended period of time we cannot shake the depression, or stress or other negative vibes, there are a variety of ways to move beyond them. Some people prefer the company of friends, a break in routine like a vacation, or perhaps a new love interest to shake the accepted standard. Whatever you choose, I hope for your sake its lasting.
However, for some people these problems go deeper than what is felt by the average Joe. Nothing seems to work, the change in attitude doesn't help, sleep, food, love, sex, nothing seems to perk you into a better frame of thinking. Nothing seems to let you let off the steam, and live a stress free lifestyle. You envy your friends who can have fun, while you're always sad.
Enter the Dominion of your Shadow Self. As we all have a Higher Divine Self, a voice of Conscience (at least I hope we all do:) we also have the Voice of temptation, misery, and destruction. There is a whole philosophy of work written on the why's and how's behind these ideas which I'll get into on another post, but for now lets say the following.
Behind all the misery, shame, death and destruction there are forces at work to upkeep the balance with all the life-saving, miracles, births and breakthrough's which bring our universes to a proper equilibrium. Its possible, through a long and diverse series of ceremonial rituals to conjure and manifest these forces to a cohesive and intelligent spirit who, using more ritual and incantations, you can command to do your bidding.
In the manner of a Lesser Spirit, you can, if you successfully maintain your mastery over the spirit's will, by proving your dominion of power and mind, control the spirit to doing whatever that particular spirit is capable of controlling. Such as removing your instinct to rise to anger at the drop of a hat, or your personal assumptions about the opinions of others which lead to shame, and despair. They can improve your powers of mind and craft, and illuminate your world in a way previously thought unattainable. In so many words, you gain control over the desires and emotions that prevent you from fullfilling your true potential. There are many books of magic written to allow the student to do just that. This control, though strictly regulated, and held in the highest degree of protocol as to use and function, is only maintained as long as your Will is strong enough to maintain it.
However, as a word of warning, I must add that this type of magic is not for the uninitiated. Only a student of progressed study and in direct contact with his Higher Divine Self, should attempt such magic. A thorough study of all systems of yoga, and western hermeticism should be undertaken first before one tries to wrestle the control of their instincts and desires away from the grasp of the Shadow Self. For if you're a person who throws caution to the wind, and believes you're already holy enough in your own conviction and do not need any training, you risk a terrible curse upon yourself. For in the failure of success to overcome the Will and Might of the Spirit, you shall become possesed by the will of the Entity. Thinking you've succeeded in your task, your dark illusion will lead you to ruin, and the spirit will live through you, bringing your world ever deeper into anguish. Be warned, and take this warning not lightly.
Frater I.'.
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