Haus der Luege : Noli Evocare Quod Reprimere Non Potes

Ave,

So, I'm in a strange position as far as my development in the Alpha et Omega go. I've completed the Outer Order work, having balanced and brought into awareness the forces of the Four Elements, the 12 Signs, and the Planets Saturn, Luna, Mercury, and Venus within my life and personality. It has been brutal and beautiful. There is of course regular maintenance necessary...don't think for a minute you can balance a force within your self once, and then forget it. Regular maintenance is required, but the nudges are gentle and light in comparison to the first time.

There was a point when I would dread moving forward into the next Grade, knowing all the upheaval in my life that would come with it. As I've progressed, the changes have been more gentle; turns out that when you're paying attention, you notice that there are  many opportunities to learn the primary lesson an element/force may teach you. The longer it takes for you to figure it out, the grosser and more dense and intense the teaching comes. Perhaps that is just how my own tutelary force works, but I suspect it's the same for many Magicians. We invoke a force and ask for wisdom and understanding about it's nature, and it tells us first in whispers and then in shouts. If we are wise and attentive, we learn from the whispers. The sensitivity to subtle currents within the self mark a major difference between the Neophyte and the Philosophus; as a Neophyte (even one who'd been a practitioner for years at that point) my awareness was more gross. I perceived things in their thickest forms, and missed many of the subtle vapors and emanations that moved about them. Awareness of the subtle emanations make for effective divination, and powerful Magic--and the awareness of these emanations isn't taught with words and paper, but with work, study, and silent contemplation. You can't teach someone into raised states of consciousness, only show them how it's done. They have to make the leap. I think this is why two individuals, with the same curriculum, can vary so much in the results of their work. Magic is like reading the Bible; if you stick to the dead letter, that's exactly what you get. The important lessons each give are written on your soul as you work them, in Gnosis. The dead letter and ritual practice are there to inspire that state of understanding, so that the true lessons can be communicated in the Silence within.

 My understanding of time and consciousness were less; I believed that there was such a thing as a Past and a Future. I acted accordingly. Now, I do the things of great import to me in the eternal moment, and find myself without regret. We have to Be what we will to be; placing accomplishment or understanding in the nebulous "Future" puts them always out of reach.


 Standing about 4 years in, and looking back toward who I was when I began with the Golden Dawn, I find that I'm profoundly changed. Not in that I'm a different person, but that I am more myself...if that makes sense. I've had experiences and understandings that have changed my understanding of reality, and altered my static point of view. I'm both more present and active in my life--I'm Awake, more often than not--and also a half-step detached. Not in a negative, self-delusional or not-dealing fashion, but in the awareness of who I am at core, of what I am. My personality is not who I Am, nor is my body, nor is my job....the mutable parts of my self don't hold as much sway. They run shit, make no mistake, but awareness of and contact with that part that is Not mutable is enough to change Everything. Instead of reacting to Things that Occur, I watch myself reacting, from that Holy half-step above, and choose. I'm not explicitly bound by my "personality", by my likes and dislikes. I can choose other things. I often don't, mind you--oftentimes I react to things and find myself amused at myself, in bizarre fashion, despite also experiencing the emotion connected with the action. I'm not bound by my emotions and prejudices as explicitly as I was when I began. Where my emotional reactions may have been  a prison before, now they're a well-trodden rode; certainly easier to take because of their familiarity, but not my only option. I can take other roads at will. That's a good thing. I still find myself moved by the same things, but now there is that half-step.....and there has got to be a better way to put that, but I can't seem to pull the words out.

I'm at a point where I have to wait, and hope, for the invitation to the Inner, to the Portal and beyond. This is a tricky place to find myself; I am certainly loyal to my Order, and hope that I have shown so. No one, however, is given absolute assurance of an invitation to the Inner. There is no guarantee. I may have shown myself worthy of that sort of inclusion, or may need to accomplish more. There may be administrative hurdles, there may be new disciplines I need to master. I may not be able to say that I've received such an invitation if it arrives, depending upon our Inner Order's culture and vows.  There are even political concerns, especially in this age of constant profanation. My Order has done a lot of work, and been blessed with guarded transmissions, in order to form a Second and Third Order that aren't profaned, with a carefully nurtured egregore. How much more careful must they be with an individual with a decent-sized presence in the on-line and magical community? I imagine they must be extremely careful, and I don't fault them one bit. I'm in no rush; I would rather I not receive the transmissions personally at all than see the Tradition itself fatally compromised. There's enough already out there to occupy a lifetime; there is enough in Agrippa alone to take one to the heights. Everything you need to know is already published--the private Inner Orders have every right to keep their material private. No one is being left out of spiritual evolution itself because of the secrecy involved with Inner Orders, and it's a selfish thing to splay the living secrets of others about.

****See GH Fra LES's post here on secrecy. I think some very important points are made; if you are an organisation that feels deeply that secrecy is paramount, would you feel confident in giving current Golden Dawn Orders material you want to remain secret? To be frank, I would not.***

Whether I receive this invitation or not, I have to say....I've made out pretty good. I've learned things that folk a few generations ago would have risked their lives to learn, and I've gotten Far more from the Golden Dawn than it has gotten from me. I've got a pretty clear path as far as my continued spiritual evolution goes, and have already taken an active role in deciding the direction of my training as a Magician. So, there won't be any bitterness for me, whether I get that invitation or not. I'm just going to keep working.....that being, said, If I Do get the invitation, everyone in our Inner Order is getting home-baked cookies. Just throwing that out there.

In LVX,

AIT

Ave,


Fra Jack Faust has a new blog space, which is definitely worth checking out here. Also, check our Fra. Gordon's blog here. I think these fellows are great examples of where modern Magic is going, or should be going. Lots of deep thinking, lot's of practical work. I especially enjoy that Jack has studied Neoplatonism and Astrology--dude is setting a good example for the young'uns. If you don't know anything about the Neoplatonic/Hermetic world view, you have no business calling yourself a Magician. Sorcerer, maybe ...but definitely not Magician. And Heavens knows, not Wizard. You may not accept it, but you need to know of it, because that is where the roots of our Magic in the West lie. "Tech" is not enough.

On that note, if you are interested in learning this stuff the right way, check out Frater RO's new course. He's been up and down the Spheres (and has documented a good chunk of it), and that's the only kind of person qualified to teach. It's a great opportunity to learn from a dude who you know isn't talking out "the side of his neck", as my folk like to say.

Another great course to take, which I am currently taking and which feels like a graduate course in Hermetic Magic, is Christopher Warnock's course on Astrological Magic here. I'm currently taking the course, and can tell you from experience that it is challenging and worth every penny. I'll be sure to let ya'll know when I have graduated, and ascended in Glory to the august rank of Astrologicus Magos.

Because that just sounds cool....and this course is so challenging and thorough, so full of Practical work, that when finished it'll be more than a title, it'll be an accurate description!

In LVX,

AIT

In the modern Magical world view, it is common (from what I have observed) to view the Elements as a force operating below or separate from the Higher; we speak of Elementals existing on their own plane and as part of our own, but rarely consider that the Elemental Virtues penetrate the Heavenly Planes as well, being part of God itself on All levels.  There is a tendency to view the Planetary and Astrological forces as "higher", and the Elements as the visceral, manifesting force. I think this sort of thinking is rooted in over-simplification, not just of the Traditional world view but also the Qabalistic view that is more studied in the Western Tradition these days. The inter-penetration of existence by the Elements, whose virtue is expressed differently depending upon the Soul in which it manifests, is made clear in the Traditional texts. Henry Cornelius Agrippa teaches:

"It is the unanimous consent of all Platonists, that as in the original, and the exemplary world, all things are in all; so also the elements are not only in these inferior bodies, but also in the heavens, in stars, in devils, in angels, and lastly in God, the maker, and original example of all things." Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Netensheim, 1531, as translated by James Freake and edited by Donald Tyson, 1993 Chapter VIII pp26.




So, it is clear in the traditional world view that, as all things are in all, so the Elements are in all things. The manifestation of the Elements appear to differ depending upon the Soul and nature of the thing in which it manifests; as Agrippa says:

"Now in these inferior bodies, the elements are accompanied with much gross matter; but in the heavens the elements are with their natures, and virtues, viz, after a celestial, and more excellent manner, than in sublunary things. For the firmness of the celestial Earth is there without the grossness of Water; and the agility of the Air without running over it's bounds; the heat of Fire without burning, only shining, and giving life to all things by it's hear." Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Netensheim, 1531, as translated by James Freake and edited by Donald Tyson, 1993 Chapter VIII pp26.

The Elements in their Celestial natures are of a purity that is natural to celestial things, and in the sublunar planes manifest in more gross--but appropriate--fashion. Understanding the Elements the way they were understood traditionally by our forebears is essential if we are to understand how the various Virtues are manifest throughout the World, both Inner and Outer. The various forces aren't entirely separate and inter-penetrate each other; the Planets have their Elemental aspects as do the Signs, and being aware of this inter-penetration translates to Magic on a number of levels. If the forces all inter-penetrate on the various planes, it makes sense that things on our plane have been inter-penetrated by Celestial forces. Because of this inter-penetration we have access to natural things that have affinity to the differing Celestial forces, and these things can be used to attract those forces though the method of Astrological Magic, which combines Celestial Forces through knowledge of Astrology with physical things that have a natural Affinity for the Celestial Forces, using Sacred Ceremony as was written by Agrippa. 

"

In his book "On obtaining Life from the Heavens", Marcilio Ficino of Florence teaches the Hermetic understanding of the World Soul, and the nature of soul in general. He makes reference both to the soul as a plastic entity that conjoins the Intelligence and the Body and to the Soul as a spiritual force that joins all things together, including the Heavens and the Earth. This understanding is particularly enlightening for the modern Magician and student of the Western Mystery Traditions in that it becomes clear that a proper understanding of the Alchemical Texts--known to be incredibly difficult to understand, but full of our culture's Hidden Wisdom--requires understanding of the Traditional world view. I personally struggled for years to penetrate the alchemical emblems and texts, and the hard-won success I attained (what there has been of it) was enabled by changes in my own world view that brought it closer to the world view of our Western forebears.  In the aforementioned text, Mr.Ficino states:

"If there were only these two things in the universe -on one side the Intellect, on the other the Body- but no Soul, then neither would the Intellect be attracted to the Body (for Intellect is absolutely motionless, without affect, which is the principle of motion, and very far away from the Body), nor would the Body be drawn to the Intellect (for Body is in itself powerless, unsuited for motion, and far removed from the Intellect). 
But if a Soul which conforms to both were placed between them, an attraction will easily occur to each one on either side. In the first place, Soul is led most easily of all, since she is the Primum Mobile and movable of herself, of her own accord. Moreover, since, as I have said, she is the mean of things, in her own fashion she contains all things and is proportionally [Intellect: Soul: : Soul: Body] near to both.
Therefore she is equally connected with everything, even with those things which are at a distance from one other, because they are not at a distance from her . For besides the fact that on the one side she conforms to the divine and on the other side to the transient, and even turns to each by desire, at the same time she is wholly and simultaneously everywhere." "On obtaining Life from the Heavens", Marcilio Ficino of Florence, Chapter I
Mr.Marcilio is at once describing the Soul of the World, and it's mirror in the Microcosm, the Soul of Man; an understanding of the Soul as described by the good Mr.Marcilio makes the leap to understanding that the Alchemical Mercury is the Soul (as traditionally described) much simpler.Examine the following segment from Philalethes' Three Treatises, "Metamorphisis of the Metals", and replace the word "Mercury" with "Soul":
"It is a fact that the Mercury which is generated in the bowels of the earth, is the common substance of all metals -- since this Mercury will enter into combination with every kind of metal -- which could not be the case if it were not naturally akin to them all. Mercury is a water that will mix with nothing that is not of the same nature. By Art, the handmaid of Nature, Mercury can be so successively concocted with all metals, that one and the same under the same colour and flux, may subalternately shew and express the true temperature and properties of them all. Moreover, all metals are capable of being resolved into running Mercury -- and surely this could not be if it were not their common substance. Again, the Mercury of lead may become that of iron, the Mercury of iron that of copper; while the Mercury of tin may even be transmuted into that of silver and gold -- a fact which triumphantly demonstrates the substantial affinity of all the metals. From antimony, too, a good Mercury is obtained, which some of our Artists are able to change into metallic mercury. It is also a well-established fact that the Mercury gained from any metallic or mineral body possesses the properties of assimilating common Mercury to its own nature; thus common Mercury may become that of all metals in turn. Do not these arguments clearly shew that there is one Mercury, and that in the various metals it is only differentiated according to their different degrees of digestion or purity?"Philalethes, "Metamorphosis of Metals".
 Much of the struggling non-initiates experience when studying the ancient alchemical texts and emblems is the result of differing language. Without having the Traditional world view as the basis of understanding, even texts written in English become obfuscated. It isn't enough to have Qabalistic understanding, or even to be adept at symbol-analysis in the way Adam Mclean is; understanding Alchemy requires understanding the World in the same way that the ancient writers did. Hermetic magic of any sort should be rooted in this understanding, and Astrological Magic as a Hermetic discipline requires this same Traditional (pre-"enlightenment" era) world-view. 

The classical understanding of the word virtue differs in important ways from the modern meaning of the word. Proper understanding of the word as it is meant by the classical authors, in particular Henry Cornelius Agrippa, is extremely important if we are to lift the deeper meaning from the classical texts.

Occult Virtue is extremely important in the classical view, and seems to have occupied for our forebears some of the same territory that modern concepts like "energy" and "vibration"  do in the current popular magica lingua. It is so important, in fact, that it is the first thing addressed in Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy. He gives the Key to Astrological Magic on the very first page of the first Chapter of the first Book, saying:

"Hence it is that they seek after the virtues of the elementary world, through the help of physic, and natural philosophy in the various mixtions of natural things, then of the celestial world in the rays, and influences thereof, according to the rules of astrologers, and the doctrines of mathematicians, joining the celestial vertues  to the former: moreover, they, ratify and confirm all these with the powers of the divers  intelligencies, through the sacred ceremonies of religion." Agrippa von Nettesheim, Heinrich Cornelius. "Three Books of Occult Philosophy" 1531, as translated by James Freak and edited and annotated by Donald Tyson, 2005  pp 3.

If the modern practitioner isn't careful, he/she can easily miss the importance of what was said in the above paragraph; the archaic style of the language makes casual reading dangerous. Understanding that virtue refers to the spiritual quality/energy of a given force, or to a particular spiritual force,  it becomes clear that we've been given the basic formula for the practice of celestial magic. Agrippa, in plainspeak, is saying that the Magician seeks out the virtue of the celestial world through the "rays" according to the rules of Astrology, and joins those rays to "mixtions of natural things" through sacred ceremony. That the celestial powers are discovered through observing the Heavens and joined to physical things through holy action and intent. It's also important to note that virtue is also found in the "mixtion of natural things"; Agrippa is saying that naturally occurring things contain virtue, referring to natural philosophy as the key to extracting that virtue of the elementary world, which in this case I understand to refer to our own physical world. To materia, the roots, herbs and minerals used in the various magical practices of the Western Tradition, such as Hoodoo and Druidry. It also can be understood from this statement that the celestial virtues are joined to natural things whose virtue has been discovered with natural philosophy. It isn't a huge leap to determine that the Magician uses materia of similar virtue, that is harmonious with the celestial virtue, in order to obtain it's use.

Ave,

So...I'm an avid longboarder (of the concrete-surfing variety.) I picked it up a while ago. I spent many of my formative years in Hawaii, and I sorely miss it. I long for it. Hawaii is more than a place...anyone who's spent some real time with her knows what I mean. Living on the mainland has it's joys, but there is something in Hawaii that is no where else. I can't take up surfing. The ocean has made it clear that it wants to eat me, and I can't fully trust her in the fashion that makes for great surfers. I'm a Taurus, and my nature is earthy and dense--ever seen a bull swim? He might, but not for long...


I use my longboard to commute, but also to reconnect me with the spirit of Hawaii. Everytime I ride, even a short ride, it feels like home. I was reading a biography of the good Duke Kahanamoku, Father of Surfing and therefore all Boarding sports and I got to thinking....Why not reach out to his Spirit? Why not honor him, for giving us this, that we love so much? I'm a Magician, everything seems to come back to Magic one way or the other.

Duke is an inspiration, his life was exemplary and he lived Aloha. You could have far worse as a Patron, and in the spirit of Aloha he would certainly bless your journeys on your Board. Of course, should you call him and ask for his blessing, you'll need to take your Boarding and treat it as an honored exercise. The Board itself should be annointed and maintained well, the boarding done with Joy. While out boarding, you need to treat people with Aloha. If you don't know what that is, look it up. You'll need to have Aloha in your spirit when you Board in order to properly commune with Duke Kahanamoku. Now, this has absolutely nothing to do with Hawaiian shamanism, or any traditional Hawaiian magic. Just so  we're clear. This is a modern longboarder reaching out to the father of the modern boarding Tradition.



So, in honor of Duke, here's a formulae for calling him:

You will need the following:

One Koa Wood Bowl 
Red Dirt from Hawaii
Sand from Waimea Beach
Water from the Ocean on the North Shore
Sandalwood incense

Paint the inside of the Koa Wood bowl a deep indigo/blue. Be sure to seal it so that it is waterproof.

Conduct this ritual right before sunrise. When you are ready to commune with Duke Kahanamoku, first light the incense, and face the East. Add the red dirt and Sand to the bottom of the bowl, and then fill it up at least Half-way with the sea water. Vibrate the following Hawaiian Prayer, called E Ala E:


E ala E
Ka la i Kahikina
I ka moana
Ka moana hohonu
Pi'i ka lewa
Ka lewa nu'u
I Kahikina
Aia ka la.


E ala E!

(in English, it means:

Awaken/Arise
The Sun in the East
From the Ocean
The Ocean Deep
Climbing to the Heaven
The Heaven Highest
In the East
There is the Sun
Awaken!)


Call to Duke, and scry within the bowl, where you will see him rising from the Sea like the Sun. Greet him with Aloha. Convey to him your joy in boarding, and express your deep appreciation for the work he did in his life. Ask for his blessing, and thank him with a Mahalo.

Daub your head, hands, feet, and heart with the Water in the bowl, blessed by the good Duke. Anoint your board as well. Go out and Board and live Aloha, riding that day in his honor.

Before you begin a day of boarding, anoint yourself with the water and say the above prayer, facing the East, with Aloha in your heart, in honor of the good Duke Kahanamoku. You will have great result, much happiness and kindness in your life.

This is me saying thank you to Hawaii and to Duke Kahanamoku for all they've done to enrich my life. Aloha, and Mahalo!

In LVX,

AIT




The ocean deep
Climbing (to) the heaven
The heaven highest
In the east
There is the sun
Awaken!

Ave,

I've decided to go ahead and post my small pamphlet on healing "The Book of the Blossoming Flower".  I wrote it because I felt we were lacking in an organized system for energetic healing. ( I have read and used Isreal Regardie's Art of True Healing...I think it's a nice start, but found it lacking. It comes down to "Raise energy, and then communicate you're healthy energy state through alchemical contagion/proximity". That just seems lazy to me; we can do better than that. Instead of bitching about it, I figured I'd try my hand and contribute.) We have herbalism, but that is more a body of knowledge than a multi-layered system, and I wanted to include the ceremonial methods I've learned as a Magician of the Golden Dawn.

It's short, but incorporates parts of my personal practice that I think may be of use to others.  It's written for folks familiar with the Golden Dawn ritual battery; if you do read it and have any questions, feel free to email me or post them in the comments. This is entirely my own work (inspired by IMHOTEP, to whom I express deep gratitude!) and is not an official Order paper or anything of that sort. So, here's a reasonably complete Western style of energetic healing. Enjoy, Fraters and Sorors! Let me know what you think; I will grow and revise as my own practice develops, and am always open to ideas.

In LVX,

AIT