The Great Work I

preceding post; Will and Imagination
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=257690


So we have covered the principles of hermeticism; there is a universe pulsating and swirling around us and by understanding the microcosm of the self we can truly comprehend the nature of our universe, the macrocosm. All things are vibrations and we can learn to manipulate our own vibrational nature through will and imagination.
We have read and understand this, and now we have decided to travel along the path of hermetic science. What now?Well we have taken the first step already with a statement of intent, our first magical act was to get involved. Once you are involved with something such as this it includes you and you become necessary to its nature.
Now we must endeavor to take a scrutinizing moral and mental inventory of ourselves. When one begins to follow this path, one is faced with the true self somewhere along the way. Once a certain level of involvement is achieved there is no returning to a state of blissful ignorance. using high magic as escapism is very dangerous and can lead to very real neurosis even madness. Magic is never a cure for maladies of the spirit, and those suffering from severe depression will most likely find an intensity of this through practice. Now this is not to say that one with maladies of spirit can not pursue magic, only that first they must pursue mental health. When i began magic it took me several years of adjustment and self discovery before i began practicing actively. Make sure you have a good equilibrium and are comfortable with who you are. as i have stated before reviewing the events of your life and understanding the impact they have had on your psyche is essential. high magic causes profound transformation in your view of yourself and the world around you and unless you understand where you started from you cannot correctly or safely navigate your own subconscious nor the collective subconscious.
Before i begin to get into the actual mechanics of hermetic science, i want to state a point of view i hold vehemently. Hermeticism IS NOT Thelema. Thelema, in my opinion, is a twisted version of the journey of discovery of the true and higher self. Thelema is the brainchild of Aliester Crowley, whom i do not endorse at all.(if anyone has any questions for me about why i say these things or why i denounce thelema, feel free to mail me, but i do so detest Thelema that i will no longer post about this subject, and will assume all that read these posts understand my position.) that being said let us continue...
The reason i posted the will and imagination thread before this one is 1) so we can understand the tools we need to proceed and 2) because taking a full inventory of the moral and mental standing of the self usually takes will and imagination. when one begins to develop a daily regimen of prayer(I will discuss the nature of prayer in hermeticism later, it is not the theistic begging most associate with prayer), meditation, and exercise usually the thoughts of assessing who we are naturally arise. now we actively begin to take account for ourselves and determine what our motives are. Power of natural world, riches, sex love and rock and roll will not produce effective magic.( although all these things can be a effect of self mastery).

So now we have come to the point of being comfortable and ready to begin the great work.
Let us give definition to "the great work".
Seeking the knowledge of and conversation with the holy guardian angel. An understanding of the nature of divinity according to hermetica is necessary here. The Divine is the spark of life that exists within all of us.It is your highest most ideal self. The Holy Guardian Angel is a manifestation of the Self before it descends through the various planes of consciousness(from the Collective Subconscious where it is closest to the "big bang" of sentience and therefore is unpolluted by mundane existence, down through the various levels of personal consciousness through to the personality we present to the world.)
hermetics posit the concept that through traveling the conscious from our ego backwards to the collective subconscious and beyond, one can attain an enlightened understanding of the nature of being.This is the goal of the great work. The use of Archetypes and symbolism allows for this journey to take place. The nature of the journey is different for each person, so the best one can do to teach another is to make known the symbolic guideposts one will find along the way, and allow each person to experience their personal magic.
The first step we acknowledge is the creation of a sacred space within your home. Establishing the outer temple is an important part of stating your sacred intent to the energies of the universe as well as aligning the consciousness with the will through symbolism.

THE OUTER TEMPLE;

Once you have established your temple area, one would clean it thoroughly.When i established my temple i washed the walls and ceiling with saltwater then put a fresh coat of paint containing holy water i had made myself.It should be able to fit a 2x2 altar(which ideally should be a cupboard to place your magical implements in while you are not practicing)and a straight backed chair, and allow one to walk around the alter and face all the cardinal directions. Establishing the cardinal directions by hanging banners on each wall is a good idea, for it imposes the symbolism on the subconscious.
One should also endeavor to sew their own magical robes. Make sure they are of natural fibers such as silk or cotton as man made fibers may block subtle energy flow.If one was to find the idea of sewing the robes difficult, then re-evaluation of your motives may be necessary for sewing a robe is not likely to be the most difficult task you will face.( I have yet to finish my robes, because i ritualized the creation, and have a mantra i chant over each stitch), so i perform my magic sky clad right now:)
one must also pay great attention to THE INNER TEMPLE, for creating a magical persona means breaking old habits and creating new ones. One should begin the day with exercise and cardio work, then proceed to take a ritual shower. after the show go to your temple(don your robes if you have made them) and this is when we engage in prayer. Prayer is an acknowledgment of all your blessings and an assertion of the desire for the grace necessary to achieve the great work.It is good to "inflame" yourself with prayer here, merely a silent and mundane statement will not suffice to penetrate the consciousness, instead one should make vocal their thanks and petitions. Even writing poetry to the divine self and reading it aloud is good. imagine here you are ablaze with white or blue flames and the passion of your words fuels this fire.
after prayer, one would sit in their straight backed chair in what is termed the "pharonic position"feet flat on the floor, hands on the knees and back straight. engage in rhythmic breathing until one achieves relaxation.

More to come in a few hours.

Rhythmic breathing is an important step to inducing a magical state of mind and body. when the breath is regulated the cells in the body begin to mimic this rhythm. it puts the body into a state under will and the rituals performed after become seismically proportional to the vibration of the will. It is of value to breath from the stomach first, expanding the diaphragm, then to open the ribs and finally raise the chest, this method brings a fuller surface area of bronchial tissue exposure to oxygen.One know that they are achieving synchronicity with the breath when counting (inhale 1..2..3..4.. hold 1..2..3..4.. exhale 1..2..3..4.. hold 1..2..3..4..) no longer needs a mental count but happens naturally. Also i have found(as have others) that a slight fluttering is felt across the diaphragm as well as in the palms of your hands and soles of the feet.
When you have been able to achieve this rhythm for a few weeks continue on to begin the operation of rituals that are designed to draw into your self a finer, less coarse energy and banish the negative and mundane energies from your being. There are three rituals that are part of my daily routine.
1) Kabbalistic Cross of Light
2) Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram
3) Middle Pillar Ritual Circulation 1

When first beginning one should be gentle with your self, build up your routine. Just as if you went from no exercise to running 5 miles or lifting 250 pounds you will strain or injure your body, you can strain and injure your psyche by freeing up to much latent energy at once. So start with the Kabbalistic Cross of Light, master it, and then continue your studies.

*ON THE INTONATION OF SACRED NAMES AND WORDS;

Most of us know these basics, but it does not hurt to reiterate them. the vibration of sacred names is a technique that many people take for granted. it is not merely a monotone "singing" of certain sounds. The real technique(yes, the correct technique! i only say correct because i myself have performed correctly and incorrectly these vibrations and have seen the profound difference)
is one that takes some bit of time to master. When preparing to intone a word, one envisions the words in their minds eye. I personally envision the actual Hebrew letters. when you breath in before you intone you should envision this word coming into you from the universe and flowing down to your feet. as it comes into you you should hear the intonation in your mind. when you begin to exhale the word should shoot forcefully up from the soles of your feet and shoot out to the ends of the universe. hear the rumbling power in your voice come not from volume but from the vibration. the pitch should be in the alto range, not to deep or too shrill as to cause a "fake" vibration.once your breath has exhausted breathe back in and feel the vibration return into you as a universal "echo". as you can see a mere tonal physical vibration is not the point, but a profound and divine commandment.

KABBALISTIC CROSS OF LIGHT; i refer to this as KCL in my magical diary.

(to those who quarrel over the spelling of KABALlah, QABALlah, CABALla,time is better spent studying than rehashing other peoples views as your own)

Also this is not the exact same KCL as in the Golden Dawn Tradition.

When you have achieved relaxation vis the rhythmic breathing; stand and face the east. As you breath begin to imagine a brilliant white light forming above your head in the crown chakra region. you should feel the presence of the entire universe there in that light, and feel its divinity pouring down on you from above. reach up with your right hand and draw the light down to your forehead using the sign of benediction(index and middle fingers extended, other fingers tucked into palm and covered by the thumb.)vibrate ATEH( Ah - Tay )(unto thee)

Bring the light down to your breast.
vibrate IAO ( Ee - Ah - Oh )(that i am, or my true self)


Draw the light light down through your body and point to your feet.
vibrate MALKUTH( Mahl - Kooth )(the kingdom)

Draw the light from your breast to your right shoulder.
vibrate VE GEBURAH( Veh - Geb - Oo - Rah)(the power)

Draw the light from your breast to your left shoulder.
vubrate VE GEDULAH( Veh - Ged - Oo - Lah)(the glory)

At this time take a few moments to feel the light flowing from the ends of the universe above you, through your body, and into the earth. feel the cross beam of light stretching infinitely in both directions.

Clasp your hands at your heart
vibrate LE OLAHM AMEN( Leh - Oh - Lahm - Ah - Men)(for all time, amen)

outstanding, detailed info, Arca! thank you! now, if i can actually absorb it all, i'm in good shape =)

i have regognised some of the things you have wrote,for when i was a wiccan,especialy the golden dawn,i still have the tarots,folded in silk,waiting for a new owner,to come along,nice postxxx

Oh Arca, that was very beautifully worded! I look forward to your future post on prayer. I'm willing to bet we hold similar, if not the same, view of it. I generally refer to the theistic begging variation of prayer as the bastardization of the sacred. Anyway..I'll save that for when you post. ;)
Thank you for sharing. xx