Alchemy for Regeneration & the Ritual Magic for Illumination

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

The Wedding of the Red King and the White Queen - Psychic and Physical Rejuvination in Alchemy and Magic By Mark Stavish, MA, FRC, SI, KT, 32nd

Suggested Reading: • • • • •

Between the Gates – Lucid Dreaming, Astral Projection, and the Body of Light in Western Esotericism by Mark Stavish Unfolding the Rose – Illumination and Western Esotericism by Mark Stavish (MP3 recording with notes) Oral Commentary on The Energetic Body, Middle Pillar & The Secret Fire of Awakening by Mark Stavish (MP3 recording with notes) Kabbalah for Health and Wellness by Mark Stavish Path of Alchemy – Energetic Healing and the World of Natural Magic by Mark Stavish

Opening Oration Poimandre, or Book One of the Hermetica. Holy is God the Father of All, who is before the first beginning; Holy is God, whose purpose is accomplished by his several powers; Holy is God, who wills to be known, and is known by them that are his own. Holy art Thou, who by thy Word created all that is; Holy art Thou, whose brightness nature has not darkened; Holy art Thou, of whom all nature is an image. Holy art Thou, who are stronger than all domination….. Accept pure offerings of speech from a soul and heart uplifted to thee, Thou of whom no words can tell, no tongue can speak, only silence can declare. I pray that I may never fall away from that knowledge of thee which matches with our being, grant Thou my prayer. And put power into me, that so, having obtained this gift, I may enlighten those of my race who are in ignorance, my brothers and thy sons. [emphasis added]. Wherefore I believe and bear witness that I enter into Life and Light… ‘Wise words, although written by my decaying hand, remain imperishable through time; imbued with the medicine of immortality by the All-Master. Be unseen and undiscovered by all those who will come and go, wandering the wastelands of life. Be hidden, until an older heaven births human beings who are worthy of your wisdom.’ Having sounded this prayer over the works of his hands, Hermes was received into the sanctuary of eternity. – The Last Words of Thrice-Great Hermesi

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Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

Attitude Towards Initiatic Teachings Initiatic teachings are not information, but given that others may be lead to similar conclusions and experiences. The essence of the being is changed, and the search is not done for one’s self alone, but for others, as a common bond is established by those on the Path. To understand initiatic teachings we must feel it with the heart and not think about it with the mind. “Esotericism does not require any act of faith. Rather, it requires goodwill and a spirit free of a priori assumptions and prejudices – and yet, this is precisely where the difficulty lies…Rather, we should try to accept and to operate, and to observe with objectivity whatever ensues from the acceptance and from the action within the inner domain of our being. Thus one’s criteria and knowledge will be a result and not a starting point.” (p. 302) The Greek Philosopher and Magus Empedocles informed that his poem was to be taken to heart: “And all the remedies that exist as defense against suffering and old age: These you will learn, because for you alone will I make all these things come true. And you will stop the force of the tireless winds that chase over the earth, and destroy the fields with their gusts and blasts; But then again, if you wish, you will stir up winds as requital. Out of a black rainstorm you will create a timely drought, For men, and out a a summer drought you will create Tree-nurturing floods that will stream through the ether. And you will fetch back from Hades the life-force of a man who has died.” 1. Tranquility of mind – Achieved through meditation. 2. Revelation through dreams – Achieved through psychic awakening. 3. Purification through fire – Achieve through direction of the inner energies. 4. Becoming a Hero, a God, and Immortal – Achieved through Illumination. Nearly identical statements are made in the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy, in the aphorisms of “The Arbetal of Magick”.

Preliminary Meditation Philosophical Overview of the Meditation – There are four levels of practice: Outer, Inner, Initiatic, and Secret (aka, Supreme or Ultimate). These levels reflect our understanding of what we are doing rather than any specific action or method. While methods do have an affinity to a particular level, it is really the awareness of the practitioner that decides at what level a practice is being undertaken.

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Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

Outer or Exoteric – God is Above and nearly unreachable. Inner (Esoteric) or Mystical– God is friend, king, and helper as the Egyptian papyrus state. Esoteric or Initiatic – We are equal to God temporarily, that is, more accurately, to a specific aspect of deity. Ultimate, Supreme, or Superior - Direct knoweldge and knowing; direct experience, “I and my father are one.” How we sin or error, and create ignorance, disease, and death is the same way we create wisdom, health, and life – through the application of our Thought, Word, and Deed. Congruity is what we are after, as congruity is unity of purpose. Thought – Philosophical foundation and the images it creates within us. Word – Prayer, invocations, barbarous words, these all affect the energy body, the psychic channels, and the Air element in our make-up. Deed – Ritual acts, icons, statues, sigils, physical work including offerings, sacrifices, and sponsorship of temples and teachings. Deeds – Ritual acts including but not limited to: Circumabulations,Bowing, kneeling, prostrations, hand movements, gestures, signs, grips, and seals. Words – Prayers, invocations, all form of sound, even skillfull use of language to induce changes in consciousness in the speaker and/or listener. Thoughts – Philosophical view, the foundation of all the wor\k and all actions of speech and body that come after it. This is the view one holds of one's self and others in relation to the cosmos and everthing in it. Levels of Practice, this is an Esoteric Initiatic Practice in that it is done as an individual, and assists in our deepening understanding of the ideas contained. Proper use of these techniques can allow us to have initiatic, or progressive, interior experiences leading us to direct identification with the Godhead. We must see our teacher as a channel of hermetic wisdom, and ourselves and our fellow students as illuminated disciples, to move us out of our everyday, confused, and materialistic consciousness into greater receptivity. This preliminary meditation also helps to eliminate some of the problems that will inevitably arise when working with the energetic body, also known as the astral body, from the Greek word for star. The stars in this instance are symbolic of our inner stars, also known as roses, or psychic centers. Other names include astrosome, etc. Assumption of the Godform and overcoming our limited sense of Being. “The important consequence of this is that on the initiatic path the acquisition of knowledge parallels the acquisition of power, since the active identification with a cause virtually confers a power over the same cause. Modern men believe that this is the same in the case of their science, since through various techniques science brings about well-known material realizations; and yet they are grossly mistaken, since the power afforded by technology is nor more a true power than the explanations of profane sciences are true explanations. The cause, in both cases, is the same; it is the fact of a man who remains 3

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

a man, and who does not change his nature to any significant degree. This is why the possibilities afforded by technology have a ‘democratic’ and even immoral character, like its corresponding knowledge: differences between individuals mean nothing to them. It is a power consisting of automatism, which belongs to everyone and to no one; a power that is not value, nor justice, which can make a person powerful without making him superior at the same time... In the initiatic domain, we repeat, authentic knowledge is justice, sanction of a dignity, natural and inalienable emanation of an integrated life, according to well-defined degrees of such an integration…real beings grasped through immediate spiritual perception… ” (p.31). KNOWLEDGE is attained through IDENTIFICATION, with the Gods and Elements, and in no other way. AND identifying one's Inner Elements with the Outer Elements, This identification is particularly strong in the Classical writings. “The Great Work is, before all things, the creation of man by himself, that is to say, the full and entire conquest of his faculties and his future; it is especially the perfect emancipation of his will assuring… full power over the Universal Magical Agent. This Agent, disguised by the ancient philosophers under the name of the First Matter, determines the form of modifiable substances and we can really arrive by means of it at metallic transmutation, and the Universal Medicine. This is not a hypothesis. It is a scientific fact already established, and rigorously demonstrable.” Tran. Magic, p. 113. “The only true immortal being is the awakened man. Stars and gods disappear; he alone endures and can achieve anything he wants. There is no God above him.” – Gustav Meyerink In the closing section of Unfolding the Rose – Illumination and Western Esotericism, the blue light, or blue sphere, of Agrippa and Paracelus, or “Blue Man” of von Bingen was mentioned as well as a mean of meditating upon it. The transformation of the physical body into a body of fire and light, via the medium of air, is extensively discussed and alluded to in Classical literature, as well as the Jewish and Christian scriptures and esoteric practices. Thus, the transformation of Enoch into Metatron is not reserved for a historical moment in a past wrapped in legend, but is a reality today and in the future. This transformation of the body into a body of fire was stressed by the 16 th century kabbalist, Rabbi Avraham ben Eli'ezer Ha-Levi, who wrote: If a person merits aligning all his limbs [with the archetypal world] and purifying and sanctifying them, and making every joint of his limbs a chair and dwelling place for the joints of the supreme Chariot, he will draw the light from the joints of the supreme Chariot to the lower chariot [energetic body] and the human body will be a holy temple...as the holy forefathers did and the teacher of the prophets [Moses] for his face shone from the light of the face of the King that was connected to his face...and in the future we shall all attain and become sapphiric [like sapphire] ...for the person becomes sapphiric as his organs, internal and external, area chair and dwelling place for the supernal entities,,, and then the influx and lights will descend and he will move in them...and a person is called a holy man of God. - Shamanic Trance and Modern 4

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

Kabbalah by Jonathan Garb In the Sepher Yetzirah specific locations in the human body are assigned specific Hebrew letters for this purpose. Further on in Book Eleven, the entire secret of Hermetic philosophy and practice is revealed. When examined in the light of this section, it is clear that all esoteric methods, techniques, practices, and meditations are but detailed commentaries on these points. “19. Consider this yourself. Command your soul to go anywhere, and it will be there quicker than your command. Bid it to go to the ocean and again it is there at once, not as if it had gone from place to place but was already there. Order it to fly up to heaven and it will need no wings, nor will anything impede it, neither the fire of the sun, nor the ether, nor the whirlwind, nor the other heavenly bodies, but cutting through them all it will soar up to the last body. And if you wish to break through all this and to contemplate what is beyond (if there is anything beyond the cosmos), it is in your power. 20. See what power you have and what speed! You can do all these things and yet God cannot? Reflect on God in this way as having all within Himself as ideas: the cosmos, Himself, the whole. If you do not make yourself equal to God you cannot understand Him. Like is understood by like. Grow to immeasurable size. Be free from every body, transcend all time. Become eternity and thus you will understand God. Suppose nothing to be impossible for yourself. Consider yourself immortal and able to understand everything: all arts, sciences and the nature of every living creature. Become higher that all heights and lower than all depths. Sense as one within yourself the entire creation: fire, water, the dry and the moist. Conceive yourself to be in all places at the same time: in the earth, the sea, in heaven; that you are not yet born, that you are within the womb, that you are young, old, dead; that you are beyond death. Conceive all things at once: time, places, actions, qualities and quantities; then you can understand God. 21. But if you lock up your soul in your body, abase it and say: ‘I understand nothing; I can do nothing; I am afraid of the sea; I cannot reach heaven; I do not know who I was nor who I shall be.’ What have you to do with God? For you cannot conceive anything beautiful or good while you are attached to the body and are evil. For the greatest evil is to ignore what belongs to God. To be able to know and to will and to hope is the straight and easy way appropriate to each that will lead to the Supreme Good. When you take this road this Good will meet you everywhere and will be experienced everywhere, even where and when you do not expect it; when awake, asleep, in a ship, on the road, by night, by day, when speaking and when silent, for there is nothing which it is not. 22. Now do you say that God is invisible? Be careful. Who is more manifest than He? He has made all things for this reason: that through them you should see Him. This is the goodness (to agathon) of God; this is His excellence: that He is made manifest 5

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

through all. Though you cannot see what is bodiless, Nous is seen in the act of contemplation, God in the act of creation. These things have been made clear to you Hermes thus far. Reflect on all other things in the same way within yourself and you will not be led astray.”ii Agrippa states: The Chaldean Philosophers considering this progress of light, declare a certain wonderful power of our mind; viz, that it may come to pass, that our mind, being firmly fixed on God, may be filled with the divine power; and being so replenished with light, its beams being diffused through all the media, even to this gross, dark, heavy, moral body, it may endow it with abundance of light, and make it like the Stars, and equally shining, and also by the plenty of its beams and lightness lift it on high, as straw lifted up by the flames of fire, and can presently carry the body as a spirit into remote parts...these things are not granted to all, but to those whose imaginative and cognitative power is most strong and hath arrived at the end of speculation; and he is fitted to apprehend and manifest all things, by the splendor of the universal power, or intelligence and spiritual apprehension which is above him...therefore, the power of the imagination is so great, that it can ininuate itself unto whom it pleaseath, being neither hindered nor let by any distance of time or place, and can sometimes draw its heavy body along with it, whither it imagineth or dreameth;...THERE IS NO DOUBT but that the power of the mind is greater, if at any time it shall obtain its proper nature, and being no way oppressed by the allurement of the senses, shall persevere both uncorrupted and like it self; now for example, that the souls abound with so plentiful Light of the Celestial Stars, and hence, a very great abundance of light redoundeth into their bodies; so Moses' face did shine, that the children of Israel could not behold him...thus Socrates was transfigured...so Zoroaster being transfigured his body being taken up, so Eliah and Enoch ascended to heaven in a certain fiery chariot, … So our bodies after the judgment of the world will be so glorified, ….it is reported in Histories, that Alexander the Great being circumvented and in great danger in India, did so burn in mind, that he seemed to the barbarians to cast forth a light...” The Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book Three, Chapter XLIII p.33 “When we gaze at the sun, therefore, even if we don’t know it, our soul assumes the same shape and becomes a luminous, incandescent sphere. It is the law of imaginative magic that is taking effect; we look at the sun and our whole being begins to resemble it. Simply by looking at something, we create an association, an allegiance between ourselves and the object or being we are looking at, our vibrations adjust to its vibratory rate and, quite unconsciously we imitate it.” -Aivanhov

Prayer “What is a merciful heart? It is a heart’s burning for the sake of the entire creation, for 6

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

men, for birds, for animals, for demons and for every created thing; and by the recollection and sight of them the eyes of a merciful man pour forth abundant tears. From the strong and vehement mercy which grips his heart and from this great compassion, his heart is humbled and he cannot bear to hear or see any injury or slight sorrow in creation. For this reason he continually offers up tearful prayer, even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of truth and for those who harm him, that they be protected and receive mercy. And in like manner he even prays for the family of reptiles because of the great compassion that burns in his heart without measure in the likeness of God.” – St. Isaac the Syrian In the words of Saint Isaac the Syrian: 'When the Spirit takes its dwelling-place in a man he does not cease to pray, because the Spirit will constantly pray in him. Then, neither when he sleeps, nor when he is awake, will prayer be cut off from his soul; but when he eats and when he drinks, when he lies down or when he does any work, even when he is immersed in sleep, the perfumes of prayer will breathe in his heart spontaneously' (Mystic Treatises, edited by Wensinck, p. 174). “If you want to pray, pray to your invisible Self: it is the only god who can answer your prayers. The other gods hand you stones instead of bread. When your invisible Self appears to you as an entity, you will recognize it by the fact that it will cast a shadow. I myself did not know earlier on who I was, until I saw my own body as a shadow.” Gustav Meyerink “He who aspires to be a Master must fulfill three conditions. First, he must know the essential truths; not what men have written, created or taught, but those things which are essential in the eyes of Cosmic Intelligence. Secondly, he must have the will to dominate, master and control every aspect of himself. And finally, his knowledge and self-dominance must be used exclusively to manifest the qualities and virtues of disinterested love. Yes, knowledge and will are simply means which must be put at the service of love and kindness.” -Aivanhov

The Red King and the White Queen – The Two Mercuries The Elements and the Three Essentals The Abyss – Spirit, Nitre and Salt (active and passive spirit) Four Elements – Fire and Air from Active; Water and Earth from Passive Three Essentials – Sulphur from Fire and Air; Salt from Water and Earth; Mercury from Air and Water. These Elements and their alchemical Essentials exist within us, and every thing to some greater or lesser degree. They are the nature of our psychic centers and the physical world that is a result of their function. In short, there is no such thing as a physical world, only a continuity of energy and consciousness from the very subtle to the very dense with many degrees of variation between them. Psychic Centers The number of psychic center utilized in various Western esoteric practices varies from three to seven, 7

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

with some having as many as 72 depending on how the centers are conceived and utlized. The energy that flows through these centers is Universal Mercury or Life Force itself. The most common number we see in modern esotericism is seven centers, as these are given a reltionship to the seven nerve ganglia, the seven major endocrine glands, and with it, connected to the seven ancient planets and the seven days of the week (Paracelsus the seven major organs of the body) What is most important here is that the physical body is a microcosm of the larger cosmos – and that means in both its visible and invisible aspects. There is no single way, but many ways to understand this complex and yet direct relationship between Thought, Word, and Deed; Visible and Invisible; Subtle and Gross; and Inner and Outer. The physical body then becomes our subject of study, our tool of realization, and our alchemical laboratory. General Alchemy In physical alchemy the Elixer and the Stone: Elixer is liquid and provides healing and long life, the Stone is solid, described as reddish, reddish-purple in color, sometimes like glass, othertimes like dried blood, and provides Illumination and transformation. The Stone is said to be made out of the two mercuries: white and red. The Red Stone is Solar in nature, the White Stone, Lunar in orientation, and is more akin to the Elixer in its effects. The White Mercury provides the seeds for the Red Mercury from which the Red Stone, or the Stone of the Wise is confected. In alchemy the blood is said to the the human Mercury, or carrier of the life force, and is in itself confected into the Stone in the human heart. Thus, the heart is said to be 'the living stone'. Some schools call the blood the Sulphur, but that does not change the outcome of what we say here. Jean Dubuis gave very specific directions on how to test the transformative powe of one's blood using metalic mercury (Hg) as the medium. Human Alchemy Red White

Solar Lunar

King Queen

Western Blood (+) Lymph (-)

Tibetan Blood (+/Female) Sperm (-/Male)

Hormone Estrogen Teststerone

Lymph Nodes require movement for their fluids to circulate, making them passive in relation to what acts upon them. Thymus and spleen are part of the Lymphatic system, with the speel filtering the blood. The spleen is ruled by Saturn. There is an alchemical process of creating a stone out of human blood. This blood must be properly prepared with the seven planetary tinctures and fixed or unfixed tinctures of antimony. Clearly, one can only use their own blood for this purpose. However, alchemical tinctures are essential to this work, even if mineral work is not undertaken. The ens, and the Ens of Melissa in particular, are sought after for their rejuvinative effects, but the side effects can also be very powerful. 8

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

thyroid – Thymus – Pineal Middle Pillar Practice Absorbing the Elements Spiritual comes from the Latin word spiritus, or air. The spiritual body is said to be a body of air, and various beings, angels and demons, are said to have bodies of air. Understanding the vital role of Air in relation to Fire and Water is the key to manipulation of the psychic centers and their related energies. Air is related to Mercury and the mind. To be clear on this I will quote the Tibetan saying, “Air is the Horse, Mind is the Rider, and is the Saddle.” We ride the breath. We must learn to calm the mind by manipulation of the breath, and direct it into the physical and psychic bodies by way of the mind's power of visualization and the natural powers already present within and around us. This is how it is done. Air or more accurately the Life Force is associated with the Egyptian anhk carried by Isis with which we often see if before the nostrils of gods and men as they are born and re-born. The Golden Dawn uses a variation of the anhk that encloses all the spheres of the Tree of Life, thereby reminding us that the Life Force, like love, is omnipresent if we just learn to recognize it and open up to it. “Fire is the most important Element in magic, and every tradition, and the heart has the most fire. In Egyptian theosophy the heart is the center of intelligence, spiritual perception. We must breath slow, focus our attention on our heart, feel the subtle warmth pervade our being, and know that “I Am!” and see the flame of the heart. Allow the fire to reach out and permeate everything around you. Do this at mid-day when the sun is at its zenith.” - Evola The Methods Nic Lapis est subtus te, supra te, erga te et circa te - The Stone is beneath you, above you, in you, and all around you. AZOTH et ignis tibi sufficient – Nitrogen and Fire will suffice. Omnia ab uno et in unim omnia – All from One, and in One All. Parcelcus cointed the word AZOTH – A-Z, Aleph-Tau, Alpha-Omega. “Think of a thing and you are it; think of a place and you are there.” - Corpus Hermeticum To live, we must focus on life. The heart is the center of consciousness, of life, in man and just as it individualizes and concentrates the energies of life in the body as a whole, it also distributes it to each cell wherein it is focalized again. Alpeh is in the heart (Sepher Yetzirah) and Aleph/Air is everywhere (Air = Nitrogen) Air unites above 9

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

and below, within and without. The Pentagram is the supreme symbol of the adept. The Hexagram is the supreme symbol of harmony, union, the Philosopher's Stone. “This is one of the most important magical signs and properly applied invests man with magical power.” - Franz Hartmann. Simple Version Thyroid – Heart – Solar Plexus Thyroid - Red sphere – Ah Sound, Move to heart,focus on the sac around the heart, move to solar plexus Advanced Version Pineal/Pituitary - Thyroid – Heart – Solar Plexus/Naval Now, what about the Master Gland? Red or Reddish-purple – head and body must be visualized as energy body, as hollow, or you risk energy blockages. The reddish purple light fills the entire body like liquid, a healing liquid, purifying and strengthening it, psychically and physically. You can do this by having the energy flow from each sphere to the enterire body, OR, each sphere fills the area around it, until the entire body is filled and radiating this brilliant red or reddish-purple light. The navel center is critical here, as it is the focal point of the inner transformation in the body. Fill your large aura with this light, life, and love of red light. Breathing the Elements

Breath in Water to cleanse the bloodstream and all liquids in the body – drawing your strength from great lakes, streams, and other bodies of life sustaining water. Breath in Earth to strengthen the bones and muscles in the body – drawing your strength from the mountains. Breath in Fire burning away any obstructions, settling in our belly the centers of warmth in our being – drawing your strength from the deep fires of the earth. Breath in Air healing the lungs and nerves, strengthening the psychic channels – drawing your strength from clear, refreshing air around you or from the distant mountaintops. Breath in Spirit filling your main psychic channels (middle, and two sides) and the cavities of the body, filling you with expansiveness and all encompassing ability – draw your strength from the vast sky or from space itself. 10

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

The energy breathed in is pure essence breathed in from the natural world itself, the energies of the Holy Living Creatures, or of the Elements in their most pristine and primitive form. It is fully conscious and awake, Illuminated. All energy enters through our crown or third eye, goes down the Middle Pillar, fills the side pillars, and fills our body, and out to the edges of our aura. These are the pure energies of life itself, and are filled with wisdom, and light. Elements Water Earth Fire Air Spirit

Paracelsus Green Blue Red Yellow White

Golden Dawn Yellow Green Red Yellow White/Black

Vajrayana White Gold Red Green Blue-black

Shemhamaphoresh and Seals of Alchemy and Longevity 28 – Seleiah 30 – Omael 51 – Hahasiah 54 – Nithael 70 – Jabamiah 72 – Mumiah Spagyric Methods Mellisa Ens Hans Nintzel and the Green Light of Antimony

Generosity and Nothingness If we want to be healthy and blessed with long life we must become like Jupiter, generous, joyful, and wise. Generosity is about overcoming our habituated self-centeredness, our sense of limitation, of fear of the future, of not having or being enough. Generosity is achieved through Thought, Word and Deed. Expanding our understanding of ourselves and others; starting always with ourselves as that is the only person we can truly understand; using kind, helpful and positive speech rather than harsh and negative; and through physical generosity of time, talent, and treasure towards others including our spiritual teachers, fellow students, and those on the Path of Return in general – to assist in building and sustaining traditions so that future generations may benefit as we have from these teachings. In this we imitate the Masters we wish to be like, and in doing so, fulfill the function of 11

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

Assumption of the Godform, not as an image, but as a real, living, breathing act. As Evola states, “It is necessary to establish a rhythm: in other words, to present a concept periodically and rhythmically to one’s consciousness, which then grasps it willingly, and not only as a thought but also as a feeling. The contemplation of one’s being and of the world in the manner that I have described generates a sense of greatness and power. We must retain this sense within us, in order to be intensely penetrated by it….then after some time…A new condition will arise: what was first a mere concept will eventually become the presence of a force, and a state of liberation will be reached, on which the new life may be built. All the exercises of inner development will be paralyzed unless one breaks the shell of limitation that daily life forms around one, and that still remains in the human subconscious even after a change of perspectives.” (p. 14) The footnote adds: “…namely to introduce knowledge into one’s body by means of a certain rhythm…” It is useless to think, unless we feel, and useless to feel, unless we act with that new thought and feeling combined to form a new life for ourselves.

Thought - Space and Akasha the Foundation of Everything Many new students also exhibit the tendency to attempt to work with all of the Elements, but to ignore the Void from which they arise. Unfortunately, this imbalance from the start strengthens rather than weakens the hold our psychological demons have on us, and it is no surprise that many end up worse off after a few months or year of work than when they started. However, there is a simple solution to this problem, and it is, as the alchemists say, “Child’s play”. Within the framework of Elemental attributions, we see that Earth corresponds to our bones; Water to our circulatory system, Air to respiration, as well as skin, and Fire to digestion and body heat. Wherein then does Spirit find itself? If we look at the Sanskrit word it means space, and is not only outer space, or that which is above the earthly elements, but it is also the cosmic womb from which the individualized elements arise or are created, depending on your point of view. Thus, any spaces within our body are attributed to akasha, and yet it is also said to be everywhere. There is no place where it is not. However, this space is also not without awareness as if often suggested in definitions given in contemporary esoteric definitions, and is in fact our primordial or original awareness, it is where all gnosis or intuitive knowing is derived from. This is mind. For when we speak of anything spiritual, what we are really speaking of is mind, pure awareness, direct and unobstructed by duality or limitation. This is all to often forgotten, or more likely cluttered, by a host of vague and abstract notions that have been wrapped around the idea of spirituality over the last century. It is important that we start and finish our meditations by concentrating, or more accurately, simply resting in the nature of this original space or mind. When doing so, it becomes dynamically clear how our own mind constantly generated thoughts, images, idea, emotions and other such things to distract us from simply resting in this pure and uncontrived state for more than a few seconds at most. It is these same thoughts and ideas that are bubbling up to the surface as we enter into meditation that are the causes of our magical impotence, emotional struggles, and that wonderful phrase coined by Dr. Joseph Lisiewski, The Slingshot Effect. You see, these bubbling distractions of our mind are in fact the creations of our ego, or sense of self, jetting out avoid the inevitable rest we must take in order to 12

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

simply be who we are, and experience life directly, and unfiltered. They are in magical terms, our own Elemental creations wrong amok, like the broom in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. However, the more we work at it, the easier it becomes, and eventually we find that we can do it. Along the way we discover a great deal about ourselves, about the Elements too, and how they relate to the world outside of us (Outer Elements), our physical body (Inner Elements), and even how they arise and return to the Primordial Void, or Abyss, in the form of subtle energetic patterns (Secret Elements), neither disrupted by our self absorbed thinking of either pity or greatness, or by the density of the material world. It is from this point, this state of relaxed awareness, that we understand the nature of the Elements, the Elementals, the interconnection of thoughts, ideas, and action, as well as the essential unity of the Outer, Inner, and Secret Elements - directly through the power of our mind. When meditating on the nature of this state, to assist in our realization of it, and to then just relax and allow it to manifest naturally, there are several aspects we can start with. First this is a unity, from which all things – thoughts, feelings, forms – arise and return. Second, it is vast and empty of anything that we could call exclusive, or limiting. All potential exists within it. Thirdly, it is infinitely joyful, blissful, and as such, loving, and unifying. There are other aspects as well, but these are enough to get us started. In this way we become as vast as space, or the Cosmos itself, and realize why the ancients place the mind in the heart, and not the head, as well as generosity and courage. For we too become courage, generous, and awake, and realize that the mind truly is our source of all limitation as well as Illumination. To achieve more we must become more, to become more we must identify with that which is limitless rather than limitation, and the only thing which is limitless is Spirit, or the Cosmic Womb of Space itself. This also means that we begin to act more like the Cosmic Man, or Being, rather than a limited clinging, grasping, and selfish being of clay and earth. The more we identify with the Unmanifest, the more we can manifest; the more we give, the more we receive. The more we enter into the work with generosity and gratitude, manifested though actions and not simply words, the more we experience divine grace and its attendant charismatic powers, or what are called siddhis, in the Orient, the Lesser and Greater Accomplishments. In Kabbalah for Health and Wellness there are several meditations that address the Elements while placing Spirit, or Mind, at the center, in the heart, its true abode. It is important to work with the Elements in this fashion so that we do not become stuck on one idea of what Spirit, (or Akasha) is, and its importance in our process of unfoldment. Strangely, in this process, we are asked, as it is said in the Corpus Hermeticum, to identify with everything, for everything is God, Atum, or Mind. Also, we find, that another method is to identify with nothing, or rather Nothingness, Emptiness, the Abyss, the often ignored primordial source of the Tree of Life itself.

Word – Prayer, Power of the Spoken Word nomina arcane – secret names voces misticae – mystic sounds

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A center of power transmits its power in waves that are perceived as sounds. Signatura rerum (character of things), names of light, or letters of light Word is not just a sound, but also a form, and this can be demonstrated with sand on a copper plate. All invocations are started facing East, in a standing position, and when possible, facing a magic mirror. Concentrate for a long time in silence, focusing that you may be enlightened with the light from above and that it manifest in visible form or a spiritual message. “Each human being has the task of seeking for the secret name which was entrusted to him atbirth and which he needs to make him worthy. To pass the test of death victoriously is to make the name permanent like that of Osiris…the name is an essential component of survival…. In the kingdom of the dead, everyone must remember their name…To the gods, he states explicitly that his name is a god who dwells in his body. To the Eternal Stars whom he meets in the sky, he declares, ‘I know your names.’”iii

Deed - The Subtle Body As The Real Self “Descend into silence (note: of the heart) and, having realized it, try to experience your own body and especially your imaginative faculties as functions of the self, detached from the deep reality of being, through not free, but rather as completely dominated. This act of the spirit should reach such perfection that when it is actualized, it should not even slightly affect the state of ‘silence’; thus this act should not cause the spirit to regress to a more normal and more material level of consciousness. In this first phase you need to proceed gradually, investing first your body, as physical’; then your mind, as thought; then the imagination, which is the highest and least-known faculty of creating images, so extremely important in magical practice. …live in the imagination, grasp the image, dissolve it, and emerge from the silence.” Fix the air in your lungs, and feel it permeate your blood and body as if you had “a body made of luminous mobility”. For the soul to be immortal it must be joined with the mind, and in this joining, becomes the ‘enduring and unfailing soul’ of Agrippa. The soul then leans on and is integrated into the supernatural rather than the physical. This occurs via initiation. “Everything of the individual consciousness that has been integrated into the ‘enduring and unfailing soul’ will escape death and create a sort of substratum of continuity, which, incidentally, as Agrippa suggests, is also the active principal in every operation of magic.” (p. 150) “On the plane if magic [italic original] you will know a world in which nature is not nature, nor the spirit “spirit”; in which there are no longer things, men, speculations about “gods” – but rather powers – and life is a heroic affair of every moment, made of symbols, illuminations, commands, rituals, and sacrificial actions [bold added].” (p. 159)

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Silence is the guard of the door of the senses and hermetically seals our work. Our equilibrium must be established, we must affirm our state of imperturbability. “The unrighteous will not succeed affecting my equilibrium.” Our gold is exalted, freed, and fixed. Create a state o f perfect neutrality, of positive indifference, through complete equilibrium of yourself. Take the hard path and grow stronger. The fluidic body is extracted from the physical body. “The fluidic body of the first stage is distilled water, also called ‘matter in the white state’ or ‘washed’ matter. ….It is immaterial, bright, calm, suspended, and still sensation which is extracted through the immersion of consciousness in what which…corresponds to the nervous system. But now you must strive for a deeper magical linking with the physical body, pushing consciousness downward until it becomes amalgamated with the bloodstream [italic original] – this is how you will obtain the fluidic mercury as ‘matter in the red state’. In Solar magic we invoke the flame within our heart and then hold ourselves there. Magic is never the result of effort, as effort implied obstacle; ‘Magic always operates in a simple and direct way, as an instantaneous force or as an irresistible and subtle fragrant force.’ (p. 165) (p. 172) Swami Vivekananda, “The prostitute and the prisoner are Christ, who sacrificed himself so that you can be good people. Such is the law of equilibrium. All robbers and assassins, all the unjust and the most depraved, wicked, malevolent beings are my Christs. I profess a religion of Christ-gods and Christ-demons.”

Subtle Body We must reverse our impressions of the material and begin to see it as passive, and our mental state as active. The physical body is an emanation of the subtle body, yet we act as if it were the other way around. The physical connection maintains as we project, and attempts to influence our actions, feelings, thoughts. We must have a full and powerful polarization to create a body that is not affected by the physical. We must fall asleep with a sincere and optimistic belief in our practice. Body is a seat or means of experiencing consciousness in a specific realm or domain. They are not bodies, persae, but other ways of living than is commonly understood or experienced. “The first operation consists in shifting to a direct relationship with that of which the world of thoughts, representations, and emotions constitutes a simple, attenuated, particular reflection. For this purpose it is necessary to proceed to the ‘extraction of the Mercury’. This process is first of all the realization of the ‘subtle’ or ‘fluidic’ state that acts as a mediator between the two worlds: that of sensible exteriority and that of solar immanence. Through this state it is possible to establish contact with the deep forces that are chained within the human organism, and eventually the blood system, ….which have this double correspondence: 1) animal kingdom, plant kingdom, and mineral kingdom; 2) dreaming state, sleeping state, state of apparent death.” (p. 201-202) 15

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“Always remind yourself that you are not a material thing.” We must transfer our sensory capabilities to the psychic body. Theurgist means, “Maker of divine works” and “Maker of gods”.

Form and the Mind - Magic in Images By fixing an emotion on an image, we can dominate it, and control it. It is essential to stop a thought or a feeling as soon as it emerges.”Become agile, elusive, ready to detach and extract yourself.” Everything depends on a rapid amalgamation of the disrupting thought or image. The entire mind is focused on this image. This is victory. “In theurgical invocations, all the various images that express the attributes refereeing to entities or deities must be actualized in the fluid sense of one’s entire being. The mind will shift from one to the next, performing a series of transformations that serve to produce the necessary exaltation, so that sympathy and communication may be established.” (p. 269) Thoughts and feelings are tangible objects that can be handled, moved, combined, and endowed with form. The magus can produce an image and create a feeling in another person, a place, or can evoke it within himself and saturate it with his fluid, then place it in another’s heart and they experience it as well.

Ritual Magic Section Commentary on The Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Four Cycles of the Day Relaxation – Meditation – Breathing Prayer Symbol of DevotionThe Letter Shin – Inflame Thyself With Prayer! Rose+Cross Ritual Introduction to the Middle Pillar Practice the Presence of God and All is God

Commentary on The Art of True Healing and The Middle Pillar Art of True Healing preceeded The Middle Pillar and used slightly different colors scheme and emphasised the Elements rather than the spheres of the Tree of Life. The Middle Pillar gives us what has become the standard 'Bible' on the technique of the Middle Pillar, despite the fact that Regardie felt that his work had become outdated by the 1960s.

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He changed a considerable amount of material in it from The Art of True Healing, adding in The Circulation of Light, and other practical and philosophical notions taken from The Secret of the Golden Flower, translated by Richard Wilhelm, with commentary by C.G. Jung. This also meant that a considerable amount of Freudian and Jungian psychology was added to his interpretation of the technique, its applications, and results. This is critical as it has defined our understanding not only of the Middle Pillar Exercise, but also much of magic for that last 75 years. In this work Regardie is very specific about the preliminaries needed before undertaking the practice of the Middle Pillar, and that is familiarity and daily application of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. The purpose of this ritual is to give the student a method whereby they may invoke energies, as well as banish energies from their 'Sphere of Sensation', or aura. Now, it must be understood that the aura is an extension of the mind-body energy complex, and therefore, these energies are primarily, or principally invoked and banished from the mind of the operator. This is then extended into the body of the operator, and if successful, into the physical environment around the operator and where they are Working. Experienced operators can even create an objectifiable environment for others that are near them. Each of the directions represents an Element, and is guided by an Archangel, or illuminated intelligence. These energies are found in the physical natural world, in the psychic domain of the earth or etheric beings known as Elementals, in the physical body of the magician, as well as the psychic field as foundational energies, and in the Crown of Nature (Kether) as the seed conciousnesses, energies, and beings associated with the Four Holy Living Creatures. Thus, understanding these Elements is critical to success in ALL areas of practical occultism regardless of what 'plane' or 'level' one is attempting to work on. Regardie is very clear also that psychological disturbances are a very real possibility in magical operations, particularly those like the Middle Pillar that involve the manipulation of energies. Regardie is also very clear that when performing a ritual, the operator is to have a firm idea as what they are doing, the symbols, mean, and the outcomes to be achieved. Some of you have heard this reiterated by Dr. Lisiewski as formulating a 'Subjective Synthesis”.

Commentary on The Tree of Life – A Study in Magic • • • •

A clear overview of magic particularly the similarities and differences between medeival and modern magic. A solid introduction to the Abramelin Operation, sufficient that a dedicated student could undertake the operation from what is given. A solid overview of Solomonic magic, sufficient to provide background for further study leading up to the various operations. In short,a good overview of magical history, theory, philosophy, and practice – as The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram is introduced here as well. 17

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Commentary on Ceremonial Magic • The core of this part of our teaching. • The origins of The Bornless Ritual as an exorcism converted into an invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel. • The Bornless Ritual was then formulated into Opening by Watchtower, with several variations. • The degree of 'subjective synthesis' that has gone into this process is worthy of extensive study. • Note that at the end, Regardie gives considerable leaway to the student in the performance of the ritual.

The Middle Pillar “I will make the victor a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go out no more: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name.” Revelations 3:12 Several variations of the Middle Pillar Exercise exist, however their fundamentals remain the same. Whether or not one uses the Elements as suggested by Regardie in The Art of True Healing or the Sepherothic/planetary correspondences as he later suggests (and is most commonly used) in his book “The Middle Pillar” is irrelevant. The methods used by the Arum Solis will also be considered as an alternative exercise. The theoretical basis of the Middle Pillar is that through imagination, breath, and concentration, the psychic energy of creation, here principally Yetzirah, can be directed allowing for a purification of the Vital Energy that holds the Secret Fire in check. As our psychic centers are cleansed of emotional, moral, and materialistic residue, they better reflect the cosmic energy that works through them. Through its pre-described pattern of circulating the energy, the Middle Pillar assists in smoothing out the edges of our aura, as well as increasing the flow of energy in general directions, so that the psychic pathways, both large and small, can be purified and strengthened through an increase of Vital Energy. The pathways described for the Middle Pillar are circular in nature. They are for the most part large, clear, and bright, with a reflective quality too them. Regardie says that the psychic spheres should be imagined like large, clear, brilliant diamonds if no other color is known. Although, in the end, the entire sphere, or extended aura, of the practitioner should be imagined as a brilliant diamond radiating heat and light. The beauty of the Middle Pillar is that it, like many esoteric practices, is really a layered exercise. Containing an almost infinite amount of flexibility and growth potential. As the practitioner develops in skill and manipulation of the imagery, the amount of new possibilities increases. One of central movements of the Middle Pillar is the “Fountain of Light”.Here, the practitioner imagines a brilliant force of energy forcing its way up through the soles of their feet and out the top of their head, spraying along the edges of their aura, making it strong and clear of any roughness, and gathering again at their feet. This cyclic imagery is repeated several times. This key part of the exercise, is the central part that prepares the central pathways for the eventual release of the Secret Fire. 18

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It is stated in one source, that it takes a minimum of three years for even the most advanced yoga practitioner to release the Kundalini through special exercises. A ‘release’which we have stated, is not a release per say, but the removal of obstacles to its natural expression. This is a critical point, since it is often said that to experience kundalini will often take twenty years of practice of esoteric exercises, or even Hatha Yoga, the same amount of time it took Nicholas Flamel to confect The Philosopher’s Stone. During a recent workshop, Jean Dubuis stated that it may be possible to complete the extremely dangerous Flamel Method in three years. It may be that for the alchemist, the interior creation of the Philosopher’s Stone is nothing short of the kundalini experience, and the exterior creation of the Stone is the ability to direct this Cosmic creative energy at will. Egyptian initiates were also called scarabs because they pushed along the egg of their regeneration. “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance; but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.” Matthew 3:11 The letter Shin is often used in meditation as a symbol of Divine light, life, love, or presence. It is imagined above the head, just touching the crown, then inside the head proper (as it is associated with intelligence and the energy of the nervous system in the Sepher Yetzirah), descending into the heart, and finally, expanding from there to engulf the meditator in a sea of fire. Because it consists of three flaming Yods, or tongues, it is sometimes associated with the flaming tongues of Pentecost, and a variety of Trinitarian concepts. The term Holy Spirit (Ruach Elohim) is derived from the Zend Avesta, and the phrase, Spenta Mainyu, or “Holy (Creative) Spirit”. The creative power is implied and not stated in the original, an appears to be lost in subsequent translations into modern languages via Jewish and Christian traditions. This Spenta Maiynu is a purifying and regenerating energy and intelligence with a cosmic host of six or seven intelligence’s at its command. “It [Spenta Mainyu] is the self-realizing quality or activity of Ahura Mazda (the Good Mind); it is the self-generating energy that leads to the creation and evolution of the universe. Spenta Mainyu is dynamic and creation is an ongoing process. For Zoroaster, holiness meant also abundance, growth, and health. Spenta Mainyu represents the principle of augmentation and development in the universe.” (F. Mehr, p.29) The Cosmic Triangle of Fire “The successful adept must be endowed with a knowledge of the material of the Great Work; also with faith, silence, purity of heart, and prayerfulness. After passing through the gate surmounted with the hieroglyph of philosophic mercury he traverses the seven angles of the citadel, representing the chief operations of the Great Work -calcination, dissolution, purification, introduction into the sealed Vase of Hermes, transference of the Vase to the Athanor [furnace], coagulation, putrefaction, ceration, multiplication and projection. And even upon reaching the Petra Philosophalis, he finds it is held in 19

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custody by a formidable dragon.” - Amphitheatrum sapientiae aeternae, Heinrich Khunrath The Secret Fire is directly linked to the sexual, (i.e. principle and most basic creative forces) in humanity. Here, the relationship between ‘bliss’ ‘ecstasy’ and the erotic impulse can be clearly seen and experienced. The development of a host of ‘sexual yogas’ and ‘sex magic(k)’ practices bear this out to some degree. However, it is the sexual desire in humanity that acts as its basic drive and evolutionary force. It is also suggests that the ability and need for mystical experiences is biologically rooted. Only be ignoring the most basic of pleasures, sex, can we ignore the drive to ecstatic union on some level. The ‘little death’or petite morte, is a forerunner of the ‘big death’ as we let go and experience divine oblivion. Sexual power, linked to our innate drive for mystical experiences, is also linked to human evolution, and some kind of predetermined point or state to which we are being directed. This is a significant point, in that almost all of modern Western societies psychological illnesses are focused around sexual repression and obsession. If the Secret Fire flows freely, or with greater strength than before, without the proper purification of the Vital Energy of the physical body, it is possible that it will result in what appears to be extreme physical, but more likely psychological illness in the form of schizophrenia and psychosis; instead of psychic gifts, genius, and either transpersonal states, or simply altered states of consciousness. Wilhelm Reich, the father of Orgon Therapy states that the basis for all mental-emotional disturbances are anchored in the physical body, and that these anchors can be released through breathing techniques, somewhat similar to pranayamana. Since the body is the “Salt” of alchemy, and partially composed of accessible unconscious elements through its “Watery Element” all of our emotional and physical experiences become indelibly marked, associated, or stored in our physical body. If these blocks, or energy concentrations of emotional and physical trauma (composed of Vital Energy) are not removed before the Secret Fire begins to flow more intensely, the so-called negative side effects of ‘Kundalini phenomena’ will appear. “Listen, then while I make known the Grand Arcanum of this wonder-working Stone, which at the same time is not a stone, which exists in every man, and may be found in its own place at all times…. It is called a stone, not because it is like a stone, but only because by virtue of its fixed nature, it resists the action of fire as successfully as any stone….If we say that its nature is spiritual, it would be no more than the truth; if we describe it as corporeal, the expression would be equally correct; for it is subtle, penetrative, glorified, spiritual gold. It is the noblest of all created things…it is a spirit or quintessence.” - A Short Guide to the Celestial Ruby, Philethes. Exercises Another set of attributes is to simply take the Middle Pillar and apply either its Elemental 20

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correspondences as given by Regardie The Art of True Healing, or the more well known planetary correspondences as he gives in his book The Middle Pillar. Along the same lines, it is not uncommon to apply the ascending set of Hindu tattwas, or Elemental signs in an ascending manner at each of the cross-bars and spheres on the central column of the Tree of Life. While none of the above sets of designating centers of psychic force is perfect, each works in its own particular area, and as such, it might be better to simply accept the symbols given for each exercise without trying to create ‘a grand synthesis’that will sound good, but be cumbersome or useless for practical purposes. Looking at the ascent of energy from a more Western viewpoint, it is possible to view the psychic centers not as singular and specific organs, but in many instances as clusters of organs working in concert. Students of Eastern esoteric practices will recognize that the New Age system of seven chakras neatly arranged with an ascending chromatic scale is not easily found in yoga or tantra. Instead, what is found, is just as much contradiction and confusion as in modern synthetic Western esoteric systems. Whether one uses a system of five, six, or seven psychic centers depends on which system is being practiced. The addition or subtraction of a particular center matters only in relations to the details of that particular practice and its aims. Thus, when viewing the psychic cneters as objective realities, we enter into a realm fraught with danger. Instead, we need to look at the centers in terms of function and relationship to each other. If in an exercise we notice that a centers activities are not limited to the feet, chest, sexual organs, or head, then we have entered into a deeper understanding of that locus of energy. If we find that other organs are being stimulated as well, then we will find that we have begun moving from a strictly symbolic and mental relationship to the psychic centers to a personal and experiential one. This transition to personal experience is what development is all about, and not simply neat and comfortable packages of occult lore and information as is given in endless tables of correspondences.

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Appendix A – Oath of the Neophyte Oath of the Neophyte I am truly willing to take a solemn obligation in the presence of this assembly to uphold the sacred Mysteries and the current of the Light. I understand that there is nothing contrary to my civil, moral or religious duties in this obligation. Although the magical virtues can indeed awaken into momentary life in the wicked and foolish hearts, they cannot reign in any heart that has not the natural virtues to be their throne. I, [Frater/Soror XYZ], in the Presence of the Lord of the Universe, who works in silence and whom naught but silence can express, and in this Hall of the Neophytes of the current of Golden Dawn, do, of my own free will, hereby and hereon, most solemnly promise by on this holy symbol of the Light, to dedicate my life to the pursuit of the mysteries of the mysteries of the Golden Dawn tradition of magic, and to the completion of the Great Work. I solemnly promise to persevere with courage and determination in the labors of the Divine Science, even as I shall persevere with courage and determination through this ceremony which is their image. I pledge from this day forward to strive with enthusiasm and devotion, in the study of the Hermetic Arts, seeing that such teachings are not given to those who wish only a cursory knowledge thereof. I undertake to maintain a kindly and benevolent relation with all true seekers of the Light. I will respect all religions, seeing that all faiths contain a ray of the ineffable Light which I seek. I pledge that I will not suffer myself to be placed in such a state of passivity, that any person, power, or being may cause me to lose control of my words, thoughts, or actions. I vow that I will not debase my mystical knowledge in the labor of Evil magic at any time tried or under any temptation. I solemnly promise not to flaunt or parade any knowledge I mayy acquire to those who are not seekers of the Light, lest our sacred Knowledge be profaned through my error, vanity, or neglect. I swear upon this holy symbol to observe all these things without evasion, equivocation, or mental reservation. Furthermore, if I break this my magical obligation, I submit myself by my own consent, to a punitive stream of power, set in motion by the Divine Guardians of this current, who live in the Light of their perfect justice, and before whom my souls now stands. They journey upon the winds, they strike where no one strikes, they slay where no one slays. And as I bow my neck under the sword of the Hiereus, so do I commit myself unto their hands for vengeance or reward. So help me my mighty and secret Soul, and the Creator of my Soul who works in silence and whom naught but silence can express.

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Appendix B - The Vow of the Adeptus Exemptus In his description of the work and obligation of an Adeptus Exemptus, Aleister Crowley writes the following:iv “8.The Grade of Adeptus Exemptus confers authority to govern the two lower Orders of R.C. and G.D.v The Adept must prepare and publish a thesis setting forth His knowledge of the Universe, and his proposals for its welfare and progress. He will thus be known as a leader of a school of thought. (Eliphas Levi’s Clef de grand mysteres, the works of Swedenborg, von Eckarthausen, Robert Fludd, Paracelsus, Newton, Bolyai, Loyola, etc., are examples of such success.) He will have attained all but the supreme summits of meditation, and should be already prepared to perceive that the only possible course for him is to devote himself utterly to helping his fellow creatures [italics added].”vi “I gave moreover the signs of the grades from 0= 0 to 7= 4.vii Then did I take upon myself the Great Obligation as follows: 1. I, O.M. &c., a member of the Body of God, hereby bind myself on behalf of the whole Universe, even as we are now physically bound unto the cross of suffering: 2. that I will lead a pure life, as a devoted servant of the Order: 3. that I will understand all things: 4. that I will love all things: 5. that I will perform all things and endure all things: 6. that I will continue in the Knowledge and Conversation of My Holy Guardian Angel: 7. that I will work without attachment: 8. that I will work in truth: 9. that I will rely only upon myself: 10. that I will interpret every phenomenon as a particular dealing of God with my soul. And if I fail herein, may my pyramid be profaned, and the Eye be closed upon me! All this did I swear and seal with a stroke upon the Bell.” (John St. John, The Paris Working, by Aleister Crowely) The Oath of the Adeptus Exemptus is similar in tone and purpose to the Bodhisattva Vow. The grade of Adeptus Exemptus relates to the sphere of Chesed on the Tree of Life, and each of the ten points listed is a sphere for the Tree as perceived from the perspective of Chesed. As was mentioned earlier, each sphere has its own qualities, energetic nature, and set of correspondences with the material and psychic worlds. Each in its own way can also be experienced as its own little world. The nature of these ‘worlds’ relates directly to the qualities of consciousness that are required to, and developed as a result of, awakening that sphere within our psyche.

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Appendix C – The Emerald Tablet of Hermes The Emerald Tablet Of Hermes True, without error, certain and most true; That which is above is that which is below, and that which is below, is that which is above, for performing the miracle of the One Thing; and as all things were from one, by the mediation of the one, so all things arose from this one by adaptation; the father of it is the Sun, the Mother of it is the Moon; the wind carries it in its belly; the nurse thereof is the Earth. This is the father of all perfection, of consummation of the whole world. The power of it is integral, if it be turned into earth. Thou shalt separate the earth from the fire, the subtle from the gross, gently with much wisdom; it ascends from earth to heaven, and again descends to earth; and received strength of the superiors and of the inferiors - so though has the glory of the whole world; therefore let all obscurity flee before thee. This is the strong fortitude of all fortitudes, overcoming every subtle and penetrating every solid thing. So the world was created. Hence were all wonderful adaptations of which this is the manner. Therefore am I called ‘Thrice Great Hermes,’ have Three Parts of the philosophy of the whole world. That which I have written is consummated concerning the operation of the Sun.

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Appendix D – Notes from Introduction to Magic – Rituals and Practical Techniques for the Magus by Julius Evola and the UR Group “It is necessary to establish a rhythm: in other words, to present a concept periodically and rhythmically to one’s consciousness, which then grasps it willingly, and not only as a thought but also as a feeling. The contemplation of one’s being and of the world in the manner that I have described generates a sense of greatness and power. We must retain this sense within us, in order to be intensely penetrated by it….then after some time…A new condition will arise: what was first a mere concept will eventually become the presence of a force, and a state of liberation will be reached, on which the new life may be built. All the exercises of inner development will be paralyzed unless one breaks the shell of limitation that daily life forms around one, and that still remains in the human subconscious even after a change of perspectives.” (p. 14) The footnote adds: “…namely to introduce knowledge into one’s body by means of a certain rhythm…” “The life of all being, without exception, is rules by the primordial Force deep inside them. The nature of this force is craving: an appetite that is never satisfied, an endless restlessness, an irresistible need, and a blind, wild yearning. The essence of this primordial cosmic nature is: becoming; chaotic and disorderly transformation; an incoercible flux; generation-destruction; attraction-repulsion; terror-desire; formation-dissolution. All of these elements are combined in a fiery mixture that knows no rest. The Wise spoke of it as a wonder and as terror. They called it: Universal and Living Fire, mater, Green Dragon, Quintessence, First Substance, Great Magical Agent. The principle of the universal work is also the principle of their Great Work...and the Magistery with which man realizes himself a... are one and the same. This Matter of ours is ...a living and powerful reality, the spirit and the vitality of the Earth and Life.” (p. 15) “...It is a blind yearning; in it, idea and reality are instantaneously and “magically” one and the same, just as in that reflection of it, that “path” leading to it, which is the power of imagination in man.” (p. 18) Everything is at the mercy of this force, thus he who masters the force, masters everything, including himself. “The ‘Matter of the Great Work’ is here, inside your craving, in your deepest will, closer to you than you are to yourself. Arouse it, excite it. Resist it. Then you will experience in yourself its wild power, in proportion to how far you can go in your daring.” To Know, is to Be. To be awake is everything. Gather the sensation that runs through your body and say, “Now I am Awake!”. Use this often, let it permeate your body, and as it does, sorrow will flee of thee. (p.35) To overcome death, we must overcome, sleep, dreams, and dullness. The beginning of the Way 25

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

is our own body, and the Way can begin at any time. “The possibility of achieving a complete theurgical and magical realization is based on the operator’s direct and empirical knowledge of the spiritual powers that constitute the intimate essence of reality; this knowledge is attained by performing a ritual that helps to awaken one’s faculties, whether unknown or neglected. He who, after choosing a path to follow, steels himself and is certain that his will shall endure when facing the many obstacles on the way, and when no moment of weakness shall deter him from his appointed path, he is fit to begin the ritual.” (p.21) Fire is the most important Element in magic, and every tradition, and the heart has the most fire. In Egyptian theosophy the heart is the center of intelligence, spiritual perception. We must breath slow, focus our attention on our heart, feel the subtle warmth pervade our being, and know that “I Am!” and see the flame of the heart. Allow the fire to reach out and permeate everything around you. Do this at mid-day when the sun is at its zenith. We must make certain ideas organic within us if we are to proceed in magic. Ideas must descend into us, and become a real living force.

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Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

Appendix E - Deepening Our Approach to the Middle Pillar by Mark Stavish 2013 I was recently asked by some students who had worked extensively with the Middle Pillar as outlined in Kabbalah for Health and Wellness, and its three levels of practice as described therein, on how to deepen one's personal understanding of the exercise. Of course, it is clear from what is written in Kabbalah for Health and Wellness, that the Middle Pillar exercise as given by Israel Regardie in his short work, The Art of True Healing, is the best and most complete way to work with the Elemental energies as they relate to the psychic centers, for those working a modern kabbalistic path. That is, it is the best method for those seeking something very clear, clean, and effective without having to include an overabundance of theory. However, for those blessed of burdened by an overactive need for understanding how things can and do often link together, here is a very effective and time proven method for deepening your practice of the Middle Pillar, as part of connecting to all of your esoteric practices, and not simply your socalled Kabbalistic ones. When we work with the energies of Kether, or Crown, we are invoking the energies of Nature, or Cosmos, or the universe as it is, or Actuality. That is, life as it actually is, free from our personal neurotic mental habits and tendencies projected onto it. For this reason, it is the basis, source, or fountainhead for all that is regardless of our perceptions or understandings. Here, things simply are – that is why it is Being, or I Am – the Point, or Seed of Origination. When we invoke the forces of Daath, or Knowledge, this is the domain of our personal meditational deity, or devotional ideal. Here, we begin to understand the cosmic forces within ourselves, others, and the cosmos, but in a very personal manner. Here is where the power of our prayers originates from, and the power of sacred speech and the magical voice that calls out in longing for the divine lover to appear and unite with us. Within our psychic being, this sphere has tremendous effect over our psychic health, energy flow, and anatomy. Our psychic and physical transformation begins here, that is why we imagine our meditational deity of choice in this location. When we contemplate the energies of Tiphareth, this is the House of the Lord, the teacher who aids us on our Path. It is the devotion, loyalty, and love that we have for our outer teachers, recognition of their sacrifices for us and others, for without them we would not be able to advance on the Path of Return; and the Inner Master, our self as it is, unvarnished by our neurotic tendencies and habits. This is who we are. Here, also is recognition of our relationship to others, to all the beings of the various dimensions and worlds. Without this recognition and understanding, no magical powers can manifest themselves, this is why it is a place of sacrifice, for we learn to put others before ourselves, and sacrifice our need to be important, our pride. This is how our love transforms from personal love, to genuine impersonal love, wherein we treat everyone equally with compassion, and with insight and understanding of their capacities. This is not foolishness, but hard earned wisdom. Here we imagine our teacher, but also all our teachers, the lineage tree of the Community of Saints, the Household of the Faithful, embodied in the one or handful who have inspired and instructed us. 27

Study Guide for Psychic & Physical Regeneration in Alchemy and Magic

When we experience the energies of Yesod, we experience the underlying essential bliss and transformative nature of the cosmos and ourselves. The sexual arousal that often accompanies working with Yesod is vital in that it reminds us of the very basic desire of all beings to experience happiness, of which sexual release is the most basic and innate desire and expression. Here, we directly engage our neurotic and confused ideas about our self, others, and the cosmos. Our personal reality as it were, our ideas about life that may or may not reflect the essential purity, activity, and totality of Kether. The sense of separateness is strong, and overcoming it is what allows us to become the Adept we dream of becoming. Here, all weakness, error, failure, and suffering is the result of our own making, and it is hear, by experiencing joy and happiness, for ourselves and others, that we have the fuel to power us on our way up the Tree of Life. This is also the domain of the Guardian of the Threshold, or Guardians of our own mind and life. Through their activation, and conscious engagement as both projections of our past and refusal to change, we can turn this trainload of karma racing through our mind into a force for engaging life, and healthy protection, rather than neurotic defensiveness. This is guarded by the Flaming Sword that burns away our neurotic habits, and therefore, the destructive and aggressive assaults of others as well. Here we imagine The Angel with the Flaming Sword. In Malkooth we experience the world as it is, even if we do not understand it that way. Here, all of the beings of the worlds are present in a magical kaleidoscope display of interacting relationships. Here, we see the pure powers of Kether everywhere at all times – if only we get out of our own way long enough to recognize it – to see holiness in daily life. Here angels, demons, ghosts, and hosts of invisible beings surround us, and each person we meet is an archetype incarnate. Yet, we have trained ourselves not to see, and the purpose of esoteric practice is to train us to see and experience things as they are - to remove our obscurations, our neurotic mental habits that bind us – and to learn how to be “I am” in the midst of things. Thus, if you like, imagine in Kether this essential ideal of the reality as it is and yearn to experience it directly. In Daath, imagine your meditational deity, the god or goddess of your devotion (this is the force of awakening, of illumination) and ask that your prayers be empowered and fulfilled. In Tipareth, imagine your teacher, surrounded by your other teachers, as well as your fellow students, and reaffirm your devotion and heart felt gratitude towards them and all they have done for you to help you awaken to your Inner Master. Let this spread and imagine everyone you have encountered across the day, and all the beings of the various dimensions and worlds from the highest heavens, to the lowest hells. Let your heartfelt waves of love, and rays of light, reach out to them and bless them all – including all those who you have had a bad relationship with. Here is were and how it is to be repaired. In Yesod, rest in the joy of bliss and happiness that the cosmos is, and let it remove all fears and concerns. Recognize the eternally changing nature of things, and yet, the eternally blissfulness and happiness that is always present within us regardless of external circumstances. In Malkooth, awaken to the magical display of the Elements, the planets, the zodiacal signs, and all the various symbols and archetypes as they are vividly alive and present within, before, and around you. Then, as you circulate the energies, recognize that this is all a fabrication to help us on our way, and simply rest in meditation experiencing things as they are. Here then, is a simple way to deepen and integrate your understanding of the Middle Pillar, and how it can be central to our illumination.

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iThe Hermetica – The Lost Wisdom of the Pharaohs by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy. Tarcher/Putnam, New York. 1997. P. 6. ii Ibid. P. 57-58. iii Magic and Mystery in Ancient Egypt by Christian Jacq. Souvenier Press, London. 1998. P. 62-63. iv in the Golden Dawn, students who passed to the Adeptus Exemptus grade undertook a re-examination of the Adeptus Minor (5=6) material in order to obtain a deeper understanding and practical knowledge of it and in turn, lead to a further study of the Neophyte Degree (0=0). Additionally, as one progressed through the additional higher degrees, a similar revisiting of the lower, or Elemental Degrees, would take place. The entire process of the higher grades of the Golden Dawn is but a reflection of where the student has come from. This is seen in the Zelator Adeptus Minor grade which re-studies the 0=0 up until Adeptus Adeptus Minor, which studies the 4=7, the 6=5 studies the Portal, and so on. The 8=3 studies the 6=5 and the 9=2 stuides the 7=4. For more information see: Secret Inner Order Rituals of the Golden Dawn by Pat Zalewski, New Falcon Publications, Tempe, Arizona, and The Magicians of the Golden Dawn by Ellic Howe, Samuel Weiser, Inc. , York beach, Maine. Appendix II. According to Pat Zalewski Appendix II is inaccurately titled, and reflects the work of the Theoricus Adeptus Minor.

v This material reflects a bias of the Golden Dawn and its offshoot traditions regarding this degree. vi Commentaries on the Holy Books and other Papers by Aleister Crowley, et al. Equinox, Vol. Four, Samuel Weiser, Inc., York Beach, Maine. 1996. P. 14. vii These degree Signs are from the Golden Dawn tradition and can be found in Crowley’s Magick, (Samuel Weiser, Inc.) pages 616-617. Other schools, such as Martinism, or variations of Rosicrucianism, do not use these Signs.