lesser banishing ritual/the middle pillar

[Blackfinger]

chaining your aura to an egregore does seem like quite a commitment.

 

'Chaining' is a bit of a negative word. The energies of the egregore are there to be drawn on when needed by you, as well as vice versa. But being part of a group means respecting those who share the same egregore. On a microcosmic level, this is more important. The GD egregore as a whole is a lot more distant. If you are associated with an individual temple, and do pathworkings etc to get familiar with the group egregore then it becomes a definite boost to your work. And as I mentioned above, you know the fellow temple members and so are happy to give them your energy if required.

 

The GD egregore itself is more distant - I am not overly aware of it. So I wouldn't worry too much about that. And like I say, the egregore is a two way boost. It is a tool, like any other. You could say that by performing bagua regularly you are chaining yourself to the egregore of the trigrams and bagua practitioners worldwide, with all the negative and positive connotations deriving from that.

[idiot_stimpy]

chaining your aura to an egregore does seem like quite a commitment.

 

I don't really like this idea. How would you know if your energy was being used for negative purposes, if its a two way valve?

[Blackfinger]

It's still your energy.

 

As i mentioned above, on the small scale, you trust the people you work with. If not, you shouldn't be in there. Negative influences tend not to last very long within the egregore/group.

 

EDIT - this counts of course if you are an active member of a temple etc. If you practive GD work alone, there is less of an issue. The greater GD egregore is so distant as to be non-existant if you are not a member of a practicing group. So you will not be affected either way by it, in my opinion. Certainly no more or less than any group's 'egregore' (whether it be qi gong, kung fu, wu dang style, your office, your local, neighbourhood, your nationality etc etc etc)

Edited April 2, 2014 by Blackfinger

[idiot_stimpy]

I don't know how I could trust others, when I cannot trust myself.

[Blackfinger]

Self mastery should be the first step before embarking on any magical path....most curriculums emphasise this. Start small.

[idiot_stimpy]

Good advice!

[sunchild]

so basically if i were to follow a path of my own making,

i would have no need to chain myself to a particular egregore and risk a stranger siphoning my power when i may be running low.

 

i plan on taking qigong, currently saving for a trip to see a master.

how is there an egregore for qigong?

performing qigong and visualizaing/impregnating your aura seem like very different things to me.

 

 

Self mastery should be the first step before embarking on any magical path....most curriculums emphasise this. Start small.

what is your definition of self mastery?

 

 

 

sonofthegods, zhongyongdaoist i've been reading your posts of past, teach me please

 

 

**ps regardies 1 year manual does seem interesting from what i gathered from a quick read through

[Blackfinger]

so basically if i were to follow a path of my own making,

i would have no need to chain myself to a particular egregore and risk a stranger siphoning my power when i may be running low.

 

i plan on taking qigong, currently saving for a trip to see a master.

how is there an egregore for qigong?

performing qigong and visualizaing/impregnating your aura seem like very different things to me.

 

 

what is your definition of self mastery?

 

 

 

sonofthegods, zhongyongdaoist i've been reading your posts of past, teach me please

 

 

**ps regardies 1 year manual does seem interesting from what i gathered from a quick read through

 

I think maybe you are confused as to what an egregore is. Will your teacher's school have an 'egregore'? Definitely. See my comments in a post above. I don't think this should stop you from doing qigong though!

 

Self mastery: absolute control of one's thoughts and deeds.

 

Best of luck with your path

[SonOfTheGods]

so basically if i were to follow a path of my own making,

i would have no need to chain myself to a particular egregore and risk a stranger siphoning my power when i may be running low.

 

i plan on taking qigong, currently saving for a trip to see a master.

how is there an egregore for qigong?

performing qigong and visualizaing/impregnating your aura seem like very different things to me.

 

 

what is your definition of self mastery?

 

 

 

sonofthegods, zhongyongdaoist i've been reading your posts of past, teach me please

 

 

**ps regardies 1 year manual does seem interesting from what i gathered from a quick read through

 

well a Qi Gong "egregore" is the lineage and ancestors of said master, school, temple, style

 

everything has a beginning, whether the history is corrupt or truth, is up to the individual to decide

 

 

someone does a LBRP- watch now..

 

I H V H = Yod Heh Vau Heh -- etc

 

is being vibrated through the aeythers

 

What is this purpose ?

 

Now let's check this "egregore's" history

 

Old Testament "biography" shows a demi-urge full of blood lust, genocide, rape, plunder, etc

 

IMO/IME- IHVH is WHAT I WOULD BE BE BANISHING

 

Edited April 3, 2014 by SonOfTheGods

[idiot_stimpy]

The Tetragrammaton

[Zhongyongdaoist]

Old Testament "biography" shows a demi-urge full of blood lust, genocide, rape, plunder, etc

 

The 'authorized' biography of Johweh (pronounced joe-ee) is, as anyone familiar with the Documentary Hypothesis or the even more radical, Hellenistic Composition Hypothesis knows, fiction and thus not a good guide to Divine Nature, especially the Divine Nature of the soul.

 

Real magic does not depend on 'egregores', but on self knowledge. The human soul is not merely coterminous with all space and time, but encompasses all possible space/time continuums as mere parts of itself. According to Platonic/Hermetic teachings the soul can know True Divinity by knowing itself, thus:

 

Then, in this way know God; as having all things in Himself as thoughts, the whole Cosmos itself. If, then, thou dost not make thyself like unto God, thou canst not know Him. For like is knowable to like [alone]. Make, [then,] thyself to grow to the same stature as the Greatness which transcends all measure; leap forth from every body; transcend all Time; become Eternity; and [thus] shalt thou know God. Conceiving nothing is impossible unto thyself, think thyself deathless and able to know all,—all arts, all sciences, the way of every life. Become more lofty than all height, and lower than all depth. Collect into thyself all senses of [all] creatures,—of fire, [and] water, dry and moist. Think that thou art at the same time in every place,—in earth, in sea, in sky; not yet begotten, in the womb, young, old, [and] dead, in after-death conditions. And if thou knowest all these things at once,—times, places, doings, qualities, and quantities; thou canst know God. But if thou lockest up thy soul within thy body, and dost debase it, saying: I nothing know; I nothing can; I fear the sea; I cannot scale the sky; I know not who I was, who I shall be;—what is there [then] between [thy] God and thee? For thou canst know naught of things beautiful and good so long as thou dost love thy body and art bad. The greatest bad there is, is not to know God’s Good; but to be able to know [Good], and will, and hope, is a Straight Way, the Good’s own [Path], both leading there and easy. (CORPUS HERMETICUM XI, Emphasis mine, ZYD)

 

The path of the Magician is to go from this:

 

But if thou lockest up thy soul within thy body, and dost debase it, saying: I nothing know; I nothing can; I fear the sea; I cannot scale the sky; I know not who I was, who I shall be

 

to this:

 

Make, [then,] thyself to grow to the same stature as the Greatness which transcends all measure; leap forth from every body; transcend all Time; become Eternity; and [thus] shalt thou know God. Conceiving nothing is impossible unto thyself, think thyself deathless and able to know all.

 

As one grows in ones apprehension of True Divinity, one can embody it in any name system one may wish and even create new ones to serve ones needs, for such names are merely tools which the magician uses. Those who fear any egregore will never know true magic, in so far as egregores are useful, they serve the magician, the magician does not serve them.

 

 

Edit: Changed link for Hermetica quote from URL to 'Corpus Hermeticum XI'

Edited April 3, 2014 by Zhongyongdaoist

[Blackfinger]

I didn't think anyone still subscribed to the true concept of YHVH as being the description set out by SotG above.... YHVH is not the petty minor god referenced in the old testament. Rather it is the Tao, the infinite, the ineffable.

 

I think ZYD has said it perfectly above. If I could 'like' a post twice, I would

[SonOfTheGods]

Uttering "divine names" in Golden Dawn style magick whether for banishing middle pillar, invocation, evocation, telesmatic imagery, etc are hebrew names associated with scripture

 

Check out the names in a Triangle of Art.

King Solomon plays a HUGE role in western magick.

 

These "frequencies and vibrations" are used to seal your aura.

 

As far as pronouncing it "johweh" there's no letter "J" in hebrew.

 

So I disagree and that's my experience and opinion.

 

I'm talking straight up go to the store and buy a western magick book- Golden Dawn, Israel Regardie stuff- which is what most people who start on ceremonial do.

 

Magick - which is an "act" or "working" of "Self" has been caught up in religious overtones, to help "strengthen it".

 

You do not NEED any dieties, of course.

 

But again, your "average person" is going to to common sources, libraries, etc- and they will find religion mixed with magick.

 

The Tree of Life, Qabala, even tarot decks- are full of the tetragrammaton symbolism.

 

I H V H

 

Chaos magick/Chaotes flee from western magick due to the religious interference.

_________

 

''divine names''

 

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2OlU7aaMgM/UnlNZgaiLZI/AAAAAAAAAcE/GxCciTR-aFs/s400/circle+of+solo.gif

 

http://kheph777.tripod.com/art_alephbeth.html

 

_________

Edited April 3, 2014 by SonOfTheGods

[SonOfTheGods]

** MAGICK 10 -- CABALA **  Western magick is based upon the Cabala, a Jewish mysticaltraditon first written down in 12th and 13th century southernFrance and Spain.  It was oral before that; and it contains the"lost" knowledge of the ancients, possibly going back to Egypt andbefore.  The most important Cabalistic books are SEPHIR YETZIRAH(The Book of Creation), and the ZOHAR (Book of Splendor).  ThroughCabalistic philosophy we are able to classify and "pigeon-hole"all of existence.  The four worlds are recognized in the Cabala, but they are givenHebrew names.  Thus -- Assiah, physical; Yetzirah, astral; Briah,mental; and Atziluth, spiritual; as shown in the chart.WORLD        NAME        MEANING             ATTRIBUTE=====        ====        =======             =========spiritual    Atziluth    Archetypal World    pure deitymental       Briah       Creative World      archangelsastral       Yetzirah    Formative World     angelsphysical     Assiah      Material World      action  The divine name of God is TETRAGRAMMATON (or name of fourletters) made from the Hebrew letters YOD HE VAU HE (EnglishYHVH). Of the four letters, YOD corresponds with Atziluth and theelement of fire; the first HE corresponds with Briah and water.These first two letters make up a yang-yin pair (respectively).The other two letters also form a yang-yin pair (respectively),with the VAU corresponding with Yetzirah and air; while the secondHE corresponds with Assiah and the element of earth.  The Cabalistic parts of the soul use new names for the threehighest vehicles of consciousness. NESHAMAH (Divine Soul) is theSpiritual body; RUAH (Moral Soul) is the Mental body; and NEFESH(Animal Soul) is the Astral body.  An important attribute of the Cabala is the SEFIROTIC TREE (or"Tree of Life", Otz Chieem).  The Sefirotic Tree is a diagram ofthe universe made up of the ten SEFIROTH (primal numbers or ordersof creation) drawn as circles upon the Tree in a decending patternfrom the highest aspect of God at the top to the most physicalaspect of our world at the bottom. As can be seen in theaccompanying diagram, the sefiroth are connected together withnumbered lines, called paths.                 / (1)\              /     |    \           /        |       \     (3) /----------|---------\ (2)      |             |            |      |             |            |      |             |            |     (5)\-----------|---------/ (4)      |    \        |      /     |      |       \     |    /       |      |          \ (6)/          |      |          /  |  \         |      |       /     |    \       |      |    /        |      \     |     (8)/-----------|--------\ (7)          \         |        /            \       |      /               \    |    /                  \(9)/                    |                    |                  (10)         This is my attempt to draw a Sefirotic Tree using ASCIIcharacters. Several paths are omitted (15, 17, 29, 31).  Pleaserefer to a printed diagram (in most any book on Cabala) for abetter illustration.  Above the Tree is the infinite void -- the unknowable,unmanifest God as Divine Light -- the three veils of negativeexistence: Ain, Ain Sof, and Ain Sof Aur.  The Divine Light (AinSof Aur) is made manifest by the first sefira where it istransformed into positive existence.  Emanations of energy(magical current) flow from the first sefira (Source) along thepaths into other sefiroth which transform and emanate to lower andlower sefiroth. In Adam Kadman (primal or ideal man) the sefirothfit upon the physical body; note the similarity to the chakras.The process of creation is one of emanation from the spiritual atthe top of the Tree to the physical world (Sink) at the bottom.All current which is Sourced into the Tree must also be Sinked(earthed).  That is, magical energy set in motion by ritual shoudbe used up in the physical world whether or not the ritual was asuccess.  Sefiroth 1, 2, and 3 on the Tree form the Supernal Trianglewhich is beyond normal human experience in the world of Atziluth.The first sefira, KETHER, is the supreme *crown* of God; itsignifies pure Being, and is the Source.  Kether is androgynous.Immediately arising from Kether are two further emanations. Thesecond sefira is HOKMAH, the *wisdom* of God and the masculineforce of the universe.  Third is BINAH, the *understanding* orintelligence of God; this is the supernal mother.  Between the Supernals and the other seven sefiroth is the Abyss-- a great gulf which forever separates ideal from actual. Withinthe Abyss an 11th sefira, DAATH, the *knowledge* of God issometimes placed.  The second triangle, comprised of the 4th, 5th, and 6th sefirothin the world of Briah, is sometimes called the Mental Triangle.Sefira 4, HESED, the *love* or mercy of God, is male and positive.The 5th sefira, GEVURAH, the power or *strength* of Godcomplements Hesed as justice. Sixth is TIFARETH, as the compassionor *beauty* of God; the heart of the universe.  The third or Astral Triangle contains sefiroth 7, 8, and 9 inYetzirah. Sefira 7, NETSAH, is the lasting endurance or *victory*of God. Complementing Netsah is 8, HOD, the majesty or *splendor*of God. The 9th sefira, YESOD, the *foundation* of the world, islinked with the moon, hence the tides and the libido. Yesod isexperienced as dream consciousness, and is very important inmagick and astral projection.  Finally, at the physical world of Assiah is the 10th sefira,MALKUTH, the *kindgom* of God, and the basis of all materialcreation. We experience Malkuth as sense consciousness.  The Sefirotic Tree has three vertical columns or *pillars*.  Asyou face the tree, the pillar on the right, headed by Hokmah andending with Netsah, is called the Pillar of Mercy and haslight/masculine (yang) qualities. The pillar on the left, headedby Binah and ending with Hod, is the Pillar of Severity withdark/feminine (yin) qualities. The Middle Pillar between themequilibriates the two opposites, and is the *Shekhinah*, orfeminine counterpart of God.  The *klippoth*, or evil demons,generally in Assiah, represent unbalanced forces or excesses.  All the attributes of the universe fit like pieces of a puzzleupon the Sefirotic Tree.  Each numbered part is a numeric key tothe various correspondence tables, such as Crowley's '777'.  Thesefirotic tree has its parts variously colored and each sefira hasa color; in fact the paths which run between the sefiroth havetheir own colors too.  There are four major color scales for thesefirotic tree and each color scale corresponds with one of thefour worlds. That means we are dealing with not just one sefirotictree, but actually with a separate tree for each of the fourworlds; although it is easier to think of it as the same tree witha different color scale. The Queen (Briah) and King (Atziluth)scales are the most important. There is also the Empress scale(Assiah), and the Emperor scale (Yetzirah).  The Queen and King scales for the sefiroth are shown below.(Note that when 4 colors are listed toghether, the sefira isdivided into quarters and the first color is assigned to the upperquarter, the 2nd color to the right quarter, the 3rd color to theleft quarter, and the last color to the lower quarter.)KEY     QUEEN SCALE                     KING SCALE===     ===========                     ==========1       pure white brilliance           brilliance2       gray                            pure soft blue3       black                           crimson4       blue                            deep violet5       scarlet red                     orange6       yellow (gold)                   clear pink rose7       emerald green                   amber8       orange                          violet purple9       violet                          indigo10      citrine, olive, russet, black   yellow  The 22 paths connect the sefiroth together. These pathscorrespond with the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, as basedupon the SEFIR YETZIRAH. Due to the nature of the Hebrew alphabet(some letters can take two forms) SEFIR YETZIRAH divides each oftwo of the letters into two (dual) parts. For this reason, it isnecessary to divide each of the two related paths into two (dual)parts. These are numbered 31, 31b (bisected); 32, 32b.  Yet whenthese paths are drawn on the sefirotic tree they are usually shownundivided (and numbered simply 31, and 32).  The following tableshows the colors and location of the paths in relation to thesefiroth. You will want to add the path numbers to theillustration of the sefirotic tree, or draw a new tree.  Somewriters may refer to "32 paths", by calling the sefiroth "paths"1-10.KEY  JOINS SEFIROTH  QUEEN SCALE          KING SCALE===  ==============  ===========          ==========11   1 - 2           sky blue             brt. pale yellow12   1 - 3           purple               yellow13   1 - 6           silver               blue14   2 - 3           sky blue             emerald green15   2 - 6           red                  scarlet16   2 - 4           deep indigo          red orange17   3 - 6           pale mauve           orange18   3 - 5           maroon               amber19   4 - 5           deep purple          greenish yellow20   4 - 6           slate gray           yellowish green21   4 - 7           blue                 violet22   5 - 6           blue                 emerald green23   5 - 8           sea green            deep blue24   6 - 7           dull brown           green blue25   6 - 9           yellow               blue26   6 - 8           black                indigo27   7 - 8           red                  scarlet28   7 - 9           sky blue             violet29   7 - 10          buff, silver-white   crimson (ultraviolet)30   8 - 9           gold yellow          orange31   8 - 10          vermilion            glowing orange-scarlet32   9 - 10          black                indigo31b                  deep purple          white merging into gray32b                  amber                citrine, olive, russet,                                          black  The queen and king scales are complementary. Also complementaryare the paths and the sefiroth. Traditional use of the queen scalesefiroth will find the king scale as paths and vice versa. The useof complementary scales is based upon the idea of balance. A treecomposed of sefiroth in the queen scale and paths in the kingscale is all you need for most magick. Although correspondencesare what work for you, there is said to be an ancient traditionsurrounding the conventional color scales and it may be helpful tolock into the energy associated with them.  From the magical point of view, the Tree of Life is a map ofconsciousness which is useful for understanding and attainingvarious states of consciousness. In cabalistic magick we areconcerned with the linking of higher energy to lower levels on thetree. That very thing takes place naturally as well, in nature andin life. A subject in itself is cabalistic meditation (pathwork,or the way of return), in which we attempt to climb up the tree(ladder of lights) to attain union with divinity.REVIEW QUESTIONS1) What is the sefirotic tree?2) How is the queen scale used in magick?3) What is a path? How many are there?BOOK LISTJ. Abelson, Jewish MysticismEdward Albertson, Understanding the KabbalahBernard J. Babmerger, Fallen AngelsRichard Cavendish, The Black Arts______, editorial comments to "Cabala", Man Myth and MagicAleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth______, 777 RevisedDenning and Phillips, The Magical Philosophy______, Magical States of Consciousness (on pathworking)A.D. Duncan, The Christ, Psychotherapy and MagicDion Fortune, The Mystical QabalahAdolphe Frank, The Kabbalah: The Religious Philosophy of the  HebrewsPerle Epstein, Kabbalah, the Way of the Jewish MysticWilliam Gray, The Talking TreeStephan A. Hoeller, The Royal RoadIsidor Kalish, Sepher Yezirah: A Book on CreationAlta J. LaDage, Occult PsychologyBernhard Pick, The Cabala: Its Influence on Judaism and  ChristianityCharles Ponce, Kabbalah: An Introduction and Illumination for the  World TodayHenry B. Pullen-Burry, QabalismIsrael Regardie, A Garden of Pomegranets______, The Golden Dawn______, The Middle PillarLeo Schaya, The Universal Meaning of the KabbalahGershom Scholem, Kabbalah______, Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism______, On the Kabbalah and Its Symbolism______, Zohar: The Book of SplendorArthur Edward Waite, The Holy KabbalahR.J. Zwi Werblowsky, "Cabala", Man, Myth and MagicWilliam Wynn Wescott, An Introduction to the Study of the Kabalah______, Sepher Yetzirah========Phil Hansford, 4/88 Mysteria (818) 353-8891 (modem)P.O. Box 83 Tujunga, CA 91042

 

http://www.armory.com/~mortoj/magick/magick/mag10.html

[SonOfTheGods]

Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet

Aaron Leitch

In order to understand the Western Hermetic tradition, it will be necessary to understand the use of Biblical Hebrew as a mystical language. This does not mean it is necessary to speak or read fluent Hebrew. However, you will be working extensively with the letters of the alphabet (or Aleph-Beth), and certain words and phrases in Hebrew will become as familiar to you as any word in your native tongue.

If the student questions why we should bother with Hebrew as a "sacred language", it is my hope to fully answer the question in this lesson. As we shall see, the Hebrew alphabet was the first true alphabet among humankind. Each letter encompasses hieroglyphic, phonetic, and numerical values.

Hebrew also enjoyed the honored status of "dead language" for thousands of years- including the time during which the Western Hermetic traditions were born. This, combined with the fact that the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, made the Semitic language the choice par excellence for Medieval and Renaissance mysticism. (Both Judaic and Christian.) Once established as a sacred language, the letters earned even further correspondences and interpretations- many of which we will cover below. By the time of the Middle Ages, Hebrew was understood to be the true language of the Angels. (Western occultism would not challenge this assumption until John Dee received his Angelic Language in 1583.)

A Jewish Legend: The Alphabet

When God was about to create the world by His word, the twenty two letters of the alphabet descended from the terrible and august crown of God whereon they were engraved with a pen of flaming fire. They stood round about God, and one after the other spake and entreated, “Create the world through me!”

After the claims of all the letters had been disposed of, Beth stepped before the Holy One, blessed be He, and pleaded before Him: “O Lord of the world! May it be Thy will to create Thy world through me, seeing that all the dwellers of the world give praise daily unto Thee through me, as it is said, '

B

lessed be the Lord forever. Amen, and Amen.'” The Holy One, blessed be He, at once granted the petition of Beth. He said, “

B

lessed be he that cometh in the name of the Lord.” And He created His world through Beth, as it is said, “

B

erashith (In the Beginning) God created the Heaven and the Earth.”

The only letter that had refrained from urging its claims was the modest Aleph, and God rewarded it later for its humility by giving it the first place in the Decalogue.

[

Legends of the Bible

by Louis Ginzberg]

The History of the Hebrew Aleph-Beth

The oldest forms of written communication on our planet are called Cuneiform (Kew-nay-ih-form) and Hieroglyphics (Hi-row-glif-iks). Cuneiform is a wedge-shaped lettering from Mesopotamia that was impressed into wet clay tablets and then baked after the manner of bricks. It was an incredibly cumbersome, yet durable method of recording information. Hieroglyphics, as you likely know, are small pictograms from Egypt that were painted on sheets of papyrus paper with simple paints. This was a very convenient but non-durable method of recording information.

Yet, each of these languages held one thing in common- they were both primarily what we call "hieroglyphic." This means that each character of these written languages were intended to convey an entire word (or more!), rather than representing a phonetic sound.

When we refer to an "alphabet" we are specifically indicating a series of characters with phonetic values, which must be compiled to form words. Not so with Egyptian and Mesopotamian writing. For them, each word had to have its own picture. Most primitively (especially with Egyptian), each character was literally a simple pictogram of the object it represented. More complex ideas could then be formed by compiling several pictograms. Over time, these pictograms became more and more stylized (simplified)- until we see languages like Cuneiform that look more like letters than hieroglyphs. Yet, as more and more words were created, even the stylized character sets became huge and cumbersome. Something better had to come along.

It was at this point that actual alphabets came into fashion. Somewhere in Palestine in about 1500 BCE some folks began to assign phonetic values to their hieroglyphs. It was really a simple matter. The little pictograms already represented whole words. Therefore, each one could just as easily stand for the sound of the first letter of its word. For instance, the Semitic name for an ox was "Aleph"- and so the hieroglyph for Aleph became the character for the sound of "A." The Semitic name for a tent or dwelling was "Beth"- and so the hieroglyph for Beth became the character for the sound of "B." This process continued until a series of 22 pictograms had been chosen to represent 22 essential sounds in the spoken language.

The earliest examples of this new alphabetic writing come from the area of Palestine known as Phoenicia- or Canaan in Biblical literature. The alphabet is sometimes called by the term "Paleo-Hebrew" (that is "ancient" Hebrew) and sometimes by the term "Ugaritic" after the name of the Canaanite city where the earliest such writings were found.

Ugaritic script is something of a combination of the hieroglyphs of Egypt and the Cuneiform of Sumeria and Babylonia. As indicated previously, each letter in the alphabet still represents an entire word all by itself, and thus retains its hieroglyphic value. Yet the appearance of the letters lends itself better to Cuneiform-style impression on clay tablets- and this is exactly how they were found in Ugarit. (This pan-Egypto-Mesopotamian influence is found throughout ancient Palestinian culture.) Finally, each letter also represents a single phonetic sound, therefore allowing (for the first time in history) any number of words to be "compiled" from the available sounds in the alphabet.

During this period of Middle Eastern history, there was very little distinction between the people of Canaan and Israel. While Biblical tradition proclaims them- and their Gods Yahweh and Baal- as bitter rivals, the historical evidence indicates the two cultures were actually very similar. Of course, there were some essential differences based upon geography. The Canaanites were primarily a seafaring people who lived on the coast, while the Israelites were mainly pastoral and lived in Palestine's interior regions. However, the common people of both nations intermixed quite freely, sharing between them language, religion and culture.

In this way the Ugaritic alphabet made its way from Canaan to Israel- where it became the proper ancestor of Hebrew- "Paleo-Hebrew." The Hebrew language we know today was originally a dialect of Canaanite. Of course, the Israelites made the alphabet their own over time. In about 400 BCE, scribes writing in Aramaic (a Mesopotamian language adopted by the Israelites during the Captivity in Babylon) abandoned the clay tablet method in favor of the more Egyptian practice of painting the letters on papyrus and parchment. When the Hebrew language was painted in this way, it created the "brush-stroke" style with which we are most familiar today- called "Aramaic" or "Square-Script" Hebrew. It is also commonly referred to as "Biblical Hebrew"- so called because this was the alphabet used to scribe the Old Testament and other ancient Biblical texts.

Unlike later versions of the Hebrew tongue, Biblical Hebrew possessed no vowels. (Later versions adopted "vowel points" instead of adding new letters. These were small markings written alongside the Hebrew letters to indicate which vowel sounds should be spoken when the text was read aloud.) Because vowels are lacking in ancient texts, we are left with little to no clue as to how Biblical Hebrew may have really sounded.

For instance, take the word SPhR (Samekh, Peh, Resh)- the base of the word Sephirah. We can not know if this was pronounced "Sephar", "Sepher", "Siphur", or any number of other phonetic possibilities. This is complicated by the fact that all three of these examples indicates a different Hebrew word! (Sephar = Count, Sepher = Book, Siphur = Speak.) For this reason, the study and use of Biblical Hebrew is an inexact science at best.

Of course, this was not a problem in ancient times, because the student would have learned the language orally from his elders and teachers. It is likely because of this that no one at the time thought about a need for vowels. They appeared obvious to the native Hebrew speaker, and were inferred in writing by context. It is much like our own understanding of the words "read" (I must read that book) and "read" (I have already read that book). We understand the difference because our parents and teachers have taught us by vocal example.

However, we don't have such a luxury where it comes to Biblical Hebrew. The continuity of teaching the language from one generation to the next was shattered in 600 BCE by the Captivity in Babylon. As previously mentioned, this was the period when the Jewish people adopted the common Mesopotamian language of Aramaic- which is known to have both Hebrew and Arabic influences. The scribes created the "Square Script" method of writing Hebrew during this period, but the true pronunciations of the words were rapidly lost forever. Hebrew became the Holy Script of the Tanakh (the Old Testament), but was otherwise a dead language- no longer spoken by common people.

Because Hebrew was used to write the Tanakh, and was assumed to be the language spoken by every Biblical patriarch and prophet, it became strictly reserved for religious and mystical purposes. It was assumed to be the language with which Angels could communicate with humans, and its creation was credited to no one less than Adam himself:

A Jewish Legend: The Ideal Man

The name of the animals were not the only inheritance handed down by Adam to the generations after him, for mankind owes all crafts to him, especially the art of writing, and he was the inventor of all the seventy languages.

[

Legends of the Bible

by Louis Ginzberg]

Therefore, the Square Hebrew Script became the alphabet of choice for Hebrew mystics and occultists- such as the Baalim Shem (Masters of the Name) and Merkavah Mystics. Hebrew characters are most predominant on Jewish talismans starting in the period of the Captivity, and in Jewish Qabalistic texts of the Medieval and Renaissance eras.

During this same period, the Hebrew script drew the attention of Christian mystics. Previously, the Christian traditions had utilized more late-Egyptian and Greek characters, as their mysteries were based mainly upon the New Testament and its Apocrypha (written largely in Greek, Coptic, and other languages). However, the Jewish traditions surrounding the Old Testament always held a fascination for Christian mystics. Therefore, especially during the Medieval period, the Hermetists and other Christian occultists were quick to adopt Hebrew as a Magickal Alphabet.

It would be another several hundred years before Hebrew returned to the world as a common spoken language. This began in 1881 CE, when Eliezar Ben Yehuda (1858-1922) began promoting the use of Hebrew in schools as well as for everyday use. To accomplish this, it was necessary to drastically update the language- adding thousands of new words and spelling conventions. He founded two Hebrew-language periodicals, and (in 1890 CE) co-founded the Hebrew Language Committee. In 1910 CE, he began work on a 17 volume reference called The Complete Dictionary of Ancient and Modern Hebrew, which was finished by his wife and son in 1959.

The history of the Hebrew character set is nothing short of awe inspiring. It is more than merely ancient- it is downright primordial. It is the first of all alphabets- the original model upon which the Greek and later Latin alphabets were based. Its vital role in the development of Western civilization and religion can not be denied- and this is why it remains a powerful magickal language today.

Letters and Numbers

So far, we have discussed the development of the Hebrew letters as they were used to record words. However, there is even more to the alphabet that makes it so useful as a magickal language.

Like all ancient languages, Hebrew does not possess a separate set of characters to represent numbers. Instead, numerical values were assigned to each letter according to their established order in the alphabet:

At some point, five "extra" letters were added to the list to indicate higher numbers from 500 to 900. These are called "finals", and are actually modified versions of five existing letters. (Kaph, Mem, Nun, Peh and Tzaddi.) The "finals" are used only when these letters fall at the end of a word. I have not included them here because it is unlikely they were used in Biblical Hebrew. Some modern mages choose to use them, while others ignore them. (I personally tend to ignore them.)

Because each letter of the Hebrew alphabet can also stand for a number, it becomes possible to total the letters of any word to receive a numerical sum. For instance, consider the Hebrew word for "Lord": Adonai

The four letters of Adonai- Aleph, Daleth, Nun and Yod- add together for a total of 65. Normally, we would analyze the number 65 Qabalstically- in a manner similar to numerology. When this is done with Hebrew, it is called Gematria- a practice within the Qabalistic tradition. However, the Qabalah arose much later than Biblical Hebrew. Therefore, I will wait until later lessons to explain those methods.

The Gematria used by the scribes of Paleo-Hebrew and early Biblical Hebrew was simpler and straightforward. Rather than analyzing "65" as a mystical number in its own right, the Hebrew mystic was more interested in finding other Hebrew words that share the value of 65 with Adonai. Those words, it is believed, share some kind of mystical relationship with the name Adonai, and throw light upon its inner spiritual meanings.

To continue the example, I have found two further words in Hebrew with a value of 65. One is Hekel (Heh, Yod, Kaph, Lamed), which translates as Temple or Palace. Another is Has (Heh, Samekh), translating as Silence. (There is some indication that Has indicates a command to be silent.)

The Hebrew mystic would meditate long upon these three words: Lord, Temple, and Silence. He would ask how these things are related, and what they tell him about each other. He might assume that this means Silence is always required in the Temple of the Lord. If he thinks deeper, he might realize that Silence IS the Lord's Temple. ("He who works in Silence, and naught but Silence can express!") There are other possible interpretations as well- each of them relevant to the mystic who discovers them.

This might seem like a leap in logic (or faith) to us, but it wouldn't have seemed very strange to an ancient scribe. Biblical Hebrew, like all primitive languages, possesses extremely loose word definitions. Our modern languages must be precise and intricate, or else our sophisticated technology would be impossible. This was not the case in early historical times, and it left the writer with a large amount of creative license in how he used his words. For instance, the Hebrew word Yetzirah does not merely translate as “Formation.” In fact, it might indicate any number of related concepts: Formation, Creation, Construction, etc.

At the same time, there was no such thing as standardization for spelling or writing at the time. This gave the writer even more creative license, and led to large overlaps in words that were spelled or sounded phonetically similar. The concept of “punning”- today considered a kind of humor- was taken very seriously by ancient bards, scribes and priests. It seems to be mankind's first realization that words and texts might have multiple interpretations.

We might say, then, that “punning” was the very birth of Gematria- words related to other words in mysterious ways. Number-based Gematria would have been a natural progression from there. Especially when we consider how mystical the ancient priest-scribe considered mathematics in general.

The student should practice with this technique while learning Hebrew and the Qabalah. I suggest obtaining a copy of Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia. It contains most of the Hebrew words you will encounter in Western magick, along with their numerical sums. Further, it provides two separate sections of words grouped together according to their numbers.

At the same time, the student may also find a Hebrew Lexicon very useful- and these can be purchased online or in any bookstore. They don't contain the numerical values of the words, but they will provide all of the Hebrew not included in Godwin's work.

The Letters in the Sepher Yetzirah (Book of Formation)

The Sepher Yetzirah (Book of Formation) seems to have appeared in the early Common Era, somewhere between the first and third centuries. Its subject is the formation of the universe through the powers of the 22 letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. In this view, each letter is considered a spiritual force in its own right. By re-arranging and combining them in various patterns, God accomplishes the creation of the entire cosmos of space, time, and spirit.

From the Sepher Yetzirah:

1:2 Twenty-two are the Letters, the Foundation of all things; there are Three Mothers, Seven Double and Twelve Simple letters.

2:2 He hath formed, weighed, and composed with these twenty-two letters every created thing, and the form of everything which shall hereafter be.

The major innovation to the Hebrew alphabet granted by the Sepher Yetzirah is the categorization of the letters into three mystical groups. These are primarily astrological- so that 3 of the letters are assigned the principal Elemental forces (Fire, Water, and Air), 7 are assigned the classical Planets, and the remaining 12 letters are given the signs of the Zodiac. These are called the Mother, Double, and Simple letters respectively.

The 3 Mother Letters in

Sepher Yetzirah

:

2:1 The twenty-two sounds and letters are the Foundation of all things. Three mothers, seven doubles and twelve simples. The Three Mothers are Aleph, Mem and Shin, they are Air, Water and Fire. Water is silent, Fire is sibilant, and Air derived from the Spirit is as the tongue of a balance standing between these contraries which are in equilibrium, reconciling and mediating between them.

3:2 The Three Mothers, Aleph, Mem and Shin, are a great Mystery, very admirable and most recondite, and sealed as with six rings; and from them proceed Air, Fire, and Water, which divide into active and passive forces. The Three Mothers, Aleph, Mem and Shin, are the Foundation, from them spring three Fathers, and from these have proceeded all things that are in the world.

3:3 The Three Mothers in the world are Aleph, Mem and Shin: the heavens were produced from Fire; the earth from the Water; and the Air from the Spirit is as a reconciler between the Fire and the Water.

The three Mother Letters are the primary forces in the universe- representing the Heavenly Fire, the Waters of the Abyss, and the Air (or Spirit) of God that moved upon the face of the Waters. (See Genesis 1.) The Water and the Fire are the polar opposites of the cosmos, and the Air is the reconciling force between them. They are the Thesis, Antithesis, and Synthesis that compose all things in created reality. As such, it is from the 3 Mothers that the other forces of the universe are born.

The 7 Double Letters in

Sepher Yetzirah

:

4:1 The Seven double letters, Beth, Gimel, Daleth, Kaph, Peh, Resh, and Tau have each two sounds associated with them. They are referred to Life, Peace, Wisdom, Riches, Grace, Fertility and Power. The two sounds of each letter are the hard and the soft--the aspirated and the softened. They are called Double, because each letter presents a contrast or permutation; thus Life and Death; Peace and War; Wisdom and Folly; Riches and Poverty; Grace and Indignation; Fertility and Solitude; Power and Servitude.

4:3 These Seven Double Letters He designed, produced, and combined, and formed with them the Planets of this World, the Days of the Week, and the Gates of the soul (the orifices of perception) in Man. From these Seven He bath produced the Seven Heavens, the Seven Earths, the Seven Sabbaths: for this cause He has loved and blessed the number Seven more than all things under Heaven (His Throne).

The seven Double Letters are so-called because they each represent two distinct sounds in Hebrew pronunciation. These are called "hard" and "soft" sounds- though I know of no established rules for when one sound should be used instead of another. It seems to depend on the word and which dialect of Hebrew one wishes to speak. Here are the seven letters and their dual sounds:

This group, as described in the Book of Formation, is associated with every instance of the sacred number 7 in Biblical tradition. Seven Days of Creation, seven Heavens, seven Hells, etc.

Most importantly for our purposes, they represent the powers of the Seven classical Planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sol, Venus, Mercury, and Luna. Just as each Planetary force possesses an Exalted and a Detrimental aspect, so too do the seven Double Letters represent dual aspects of life here on Earth. Every positive naturally brings forth its negative- so that Life naturally brings about Death, Wisdom defines Folly, Riches cause Poverty, etc. One is intended to meditate upon each Double Letter- contemplaing how the opposites assigned to it are two sides of a single coin.

The 12 Simple Letters in

Sepher Yetzirah

:

5:1 The Twelve Simple Letters are Héh, Vau, Zain, Cheth, Teth, Yod, Lamed, Nun, Samech, Ayin, Tzaddi and Qoph; they are the foundations of these twelve properties: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Speech, Taste, Sexual Love, Work, Movement, Anger, Mirth, Imagination, and Sleep.

5:2 These Twelve Simple Letters He designed, and combined, and formed with them the Twelve celestial constellations of the Zodiac, whose signs are Teth, Shin, Tau, Samech, Aleph, Beth, Mem, Oin, Qoph, Gimel, Daleth, and Daleth. The Twelve are also the Months of the Year: Nisan, Yiar, Sivan, Tamuz, Ab, Elul, Tishri, Hesvan, Kislev, Tebet, Sabat and Adar. The Twelve are also the Twelve organs of living creatures: the two hands, the two feet, the two kidneys, the spleen, the liver, the gall, private parts, stomach and intestines.

The final 12 letters of the Hebrew alphabet relate to all instances of the sacred number 12 in Biblical tradition. Remember there were twelve Tribes of Israel- probably themselves based upon the constellations of the Zodiac.

It is obvious that astrology is the bases of the above division of 22 Hebrew letters. When an astrologer casts a horoscope, he is attempting to "read" the stars to learn what to expect here in manifest reality. Because God is the "Prime Mover" behind the motions of the stars and planets, He becomes something of an author writing the story of the World in an alphabet of stars. By combining these "celestial letters" in different patterns (as shown in the horoscope), God gives birth to infinite created things- just as combining alphabetic letters in different patterns gives birth to infinite words and ideas.

Qabalistic tradition holds that Adam understood this Celestial Alphabet, but lost much of it when he fell from Paradise. The Hebrew Alphabet was then created by Adam as an earthly reflection of that perfect Celestial Alphabet. Hence the 3, 7 and 12 astrological division of the letters.

The Hebrew Letters and the Tree of Life

In the Western Hermetic traditions, we are most concerned with these astrological correspondences for the Hebrew letters. The Elements, Planets, and Zodiacal Signs are the forces we regularly invoke in our mysticism and magick. Because they are all associated with Hebrew Letters, it allows us to draw the Hebrew language into our practice of talismanic magick. (This subject will be covered in greater detail in more advanced lessons.)

The Sepher Yetzirah tells us that the 22 Hebrew letters are attributed to the 22 Paths of the Tree of Life. We have already discussed this subject to some extent in the "Introduction to the Tree of Life" lessons. The energies that flow between the ten Sephiroth move along twenty-two pathways that represent- like the 22 Letters- the cyclic forces of the manifest universe. Modern systems tend to attribute the 22 Major Arcana cards of the Tarot to these paths, and thus by extension to the Hebrew letters as well. Taking all of this together- the Path, Letter, Astrology, and Tarot- gives us a rather complete system of philosophical symbolism. It encompasses several interrelated occult practices, and is the heart of modern Western Hermeticism.

I also mentioned in the "Introduction to the Tree of Life" that different mystical systems assign the Letters to the Tree's pathways in different patterns. It is tempting to try and rank one as "better" than another. However, as the Sepher Yetzirah stresses, the Letters are actually intended to be mixed and combined in different patterns for different purposes. Because the pathways are active and dynamic (as opposed to the passive and receptive Sephiroth), one should find a different arrangement each time one views the Tree. (Similar to the shuffling of the Tarot deck before the cards are laid out for interpretation.) Therefore, each unique system of 22 Paths is correct in illustrating the point it intends to illustrate.

The version you will likely encounter the most comes to us from the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. They borrowed it from the work of Eliphas Levi- whose published writings were a big influence on the early Adepts of the Order. Levi had suggested that the Hebrew Alphabet should run in perfect order from Aleph at the first Path (extending from Kether) to Tau at the very last (touching Malkuth). Following is an illustration of this arrangement:

Notice that the first Path (associated with Aleph) is numbered 11. This is because the first ten Paths- as outlined by the Sepher Yetzirah- are the ten Sephiroth. Therefore, the first Path is actually numbered 11, and the last Path (associated with Tau) is 32. If this is confusing, you can always just subtract ten from the path number.

This illustrates a natural flow of energy downward through the Tree of Life. Especially when we bring the Tarot Trumps into the interpretation, we can see an evolutionary process (spiritual and physical) from the first and most spiritual Path (the Fool Card) to the final and most material Path (the Universe Card).

On the other hand, the Sepher Yetzirah itself outlines a very different version of the 22 Paths. Not surprisingly, this version is based entirely on the 3, 7, 12 division of the Letters we have already discussed. Curiously, the Paths on the Tree already possess a similar division. There happen to be exactly three horizontal Paths, seven vertical Paths, and twelve diagonal Paths!

Therefore, the Book of Formation assigns the 3 Mother Letters to the horizontal paths- Shin to the highest Path (the Fire above), Mem to the lowest (the Water below), and Aleph between them (the reconciling Air). The 7 Double Letters are arranged across the seven vertical Paths, forming the Three Pillars we have discussed in previous lessons. Finally, the 12 Simple Letters make up the diagonal Pathways, taking energy across from one Pillar to another. Below is an illustration of this arrangement:

This concludes the Introduction to the Hebrew Alphabet. In order to understand the more advanced lessons on Gematria, Talismanic Imaging, and practical magick, it will be necessary to commit the Hebrew Alphabet and its correspondences to memory. For convenience, I have included below a comprehensive list of the Hebrew Letters and their various correspondences- name and translation, number, astrological force, and Tarot. This can be printed out for study and practical reference:

Return to Aaron's Homepage

[SonOfTheGods]

Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Title page of the 1880 New York edition.

The seal from the Sixth Book of Moses, "The Sixth Mystery: The Seal of the Power-Angels seu Potestatum ex Thoro VI. Bi- bliis arcaiiorum, over the Angels and Spirits of all the Elements", from the 1880 New York edition

Figure from Vol.II, "Formulas of the Magical Kabala of the Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses", "The Spirit Appears in a Pillar of Fire By Night". From the 1880 New York edition.

Figure from Vol.II, p. 26 Biblia Arcana Magica Alexander: Tradition of The Sixth Book of Moses, "Figure 81. Breastplate of Moses". From the 1880 New York edition.

"Circle Written On Parchment In The Blood Of White Young Doves," (Fig. 24, Vol II, p. 40). From "Citation of the Seven Great Princes in The Tradition Of The Sixth And Seventh Books Of Moses", in the 1880 New York edition

Figure from Vol.II, p. 88 Biblia Arcana Magica Alexander: Tradition of The Seventh Book of Moses, "Diagram Illustrating the Symbols Employed by the Israelites in Their Laws of Magic". From the 1880 New York edition

The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses is an 18th- or 19th-century magical text allegedly written by Moses, and passed down as hidden (or lost) books of the Five Books of Moses or Pentateuch. A grimoire, a text of magical incantations and seals, it purports to instruct the reader in the spells used to create the miracles portrayed in the Judaeo-Christian Bible. The work was printed with annexes or reputed Talmudic magic names, words and incantation, many taken from Christian biblical passages. It shows diagrams of "Seals": magical drawings accompanied by incantations intended to perform various tasks, from controlling weather or people to contacting the dead or Christian religious figures

[SonOfTheGods]

The Tetragrammatan: YHVH/Yod-Heh-Vau-Heh

The Kabbalah focuses on the nature of Deity and the relationship between Deity, the world, and humanity. It is considered ancient transmitted doctrine, but also emphasizes personal experience. While Kabbalistic Judaism never ceases belief in strict monotheism--the ultimate Oneness of Deity--that monotheism is integrated with the belief that the One Deity has a number of different persons, attributes, or emanations.

In addition to perceiving Deity to be a complementary duality of feminine and masculine, Kabbalah also perceives Deity to be a family of Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter. Both Father and Son are aspects of the Lord; and both Mother and Daughter are aspects of the Shekhinah.

Among the names of the Hebrew God in the Bible is Yahweh--YHVH in Hebrew. These four letters are referred to as the Tetragrammatan. Each letter came to represent in Kabbalistic theology a distinct familial aspect of Deity: Y (Yod) representing Deity as Father; H (Heh) representing Deity as Mother; V (Vau) representing Deity as Son; and the second H (Heh) representing Deity as Daughter. This Tetrad is not unlike the Canaanite-Hebrew Tetrad of El-Asherah-Baal-Astarte.

Father Yod and Mother Heh are considered inseparable in permanent embrace, and filled with great unceasing mutual love for each other. According to the Zohar:

"The Father and the Mother, since they are found in union all the time and are never hidden or separated from each other, are called 'Companions.'... And they find satisfaction in permanent union."

Son Vau and Daughter Heh are considered both siblings and consorts. They have both a passionate and contentious relationship with each other. Both are given numerous names and attributes. Son Vau is considered to be Sky, and Daughter Heh is considered to be Earth. Son Vau is also commonly called the King. Daughter Heh is also called Night, Moon, Sea, and the Matronit.

Son Vau and Daughter Heh are thought to have wedded and embraced nightly in Solomon's Temple. Cherubim (Angels of Love) were born from Their embrace. With the destruction of the Temple, Son Vau is believed to have withdrawn into Heaven, while Daughter Heh is believed to have accompanied the Hebrews into exile.

Kabbalists believe that humans can impact the Divine Couple. When Israel sins against Yahweh, it is believed to cause a quarrel and separation between Son Vau and Daughter Heh. Separation weakens Son Vau, who cannot act without Daughter Heh. They are hoped to be reunited on the Day of Atonement.

Similarly, an unloving or adulterous human relationship is believed to cause the Divine Couple to quarrel. Conversely, a loving relationship between human spouses is believed to help reconcile Divine Son Vau and Daughter Heh. Pious Jews pray, do good deeds, and have sacred union with their spouses to help bring about the reunification of Son Vau and Daughter Heh, which will restore peace and order in the world.

[Primary Source: R. Patai, The Hebrew Goddess (1990). See also C. Matthews, Sophia, Goddess of Wisdom (1991); T. Schipflinger, Sophia-Maria (1998); G. Scholem, On the Mystical Shape of the Godhead (1991); G. Scholem, Kabbalah (1974); G. Scholem, On the Kabbalah and its Symbolism (1965).]

http://www.wheeloftheyear.com/reference/kTetra.htm

[SonOfTheGods]

So, basically- if you are doing Daoism, just do Dao

 

not western magick and disguising it into something else, that's where the confusion arises

 

I could make a peanut and jelly sandwich and call it the Tao lol

 

The 'authorized' biography of Johweh (pronounced joe-ee) is, as anyone familiar with the Documentary Hypothesis or the even more radical, Hellenistic Composition Hypothesis knows, fiction and thus not a good guide to Divine Nature, especially the Divine Nature of the soul.

Real magic does not depend on 'egregores', but on self knowledge. The human soul is not merely coterminous with all space and time, but encompasses all possible space/time continuums as mere parts of itself. According to Platonic/Hermetic teachings the soul can know True Divinity by knowing itself, thus:

The path of the Magician is to go from this:

But if thou lockest up thy soul within thy body, and dost debase it, saying: I nothing know; I nothing can; I fear the sea; I cannot scale the sky; I know not who I was, who I shall be

to this:

Make, [then,] thyself to grow to the same stature as the Greatness which transcends all measure; leap forth from every body; transcend all Time; become Eternity; and [thus] shalt thou know God. Conceiving nothing is impossible unto thyself, think thyself deathless and able to know all.

As one grows in ones apprehension of True Divinity, one can embody it in any name system one may wish and even create new ones to serve ones needs, for such names are merely tools which the magician uses. Those who fear any egregore will never know true magic, in so far as egregores are useful, they serve the magician, the magician does not serve them.

 

 

Edit: Changed link for Hermetica quote from URL to 'Corpus Hermeticum XI'

 

 

I didn't think anyone still subscribed to the true concept of YHVH as being the description set out by SotG above.... YHVH is not the petty minor god referenced in the old testament. Rather it is the Tao, the infinite, the ineffable.

I think ZYD has said it perfectly above. If I could 'like' a post twice, I would

Edited April 3, 2014 by SonOfTheGods

[Nungali]

At the risk of the above landsliding on my head .....

 

One can choose whatever names one wants (after a base is formed and the ritual is understood) or interpret IHVH to mean what ever one wants.

 

When I did LBR and 'vibrated' YHVH 'out there the idea behind it certainly wasnt the worship-jealous old space vampire from the Bible ... it was an 'abstract elemental formula' that I saw as behind the manifestation of the physical world (same with the other names).

 

AND I swapped direction around (regardless of any concept of 'Kabbalisitc direction' - which I think is rubbish by the way; there are only two; celestial, and natural, due to environment - Kabbalistic direction comes from the 4 winds, a reflection of local environment).

 

There is a lot of rubbish in practice IMO ... I have seen people here 'invoking water' in the west with the whole Pacific ocean behind them and the most ancient earth and largest island continent in the world in front of them.

 

I know some may think that is all immaterial, and these things have their own energy that will over ride mine and poor Nungali is messed up as he spent all that time invoking an evil space vampire ....

 

whatever

Edited April 3, 2014 by Nungali

[Nungali]

So, basically- if you are doing Daoism, just do Dao

 

Although I do agree with this.

 

At first. Some people seem to have graduated from one to another ... after much study and practice, their insights are valuable I find. I wouldn't recommend someone starting off with a mixed bag though.

[SonOfTheGods]

Although I do agree with this.

 

At first. Some people seem to have graduated from one to another ... after much study and practice, their insights are valuable I find. I wouldn't recommend someone starting off with a mixed bag though.

That's the thing.

 

The OP wants to eventually move to Daoism, but in interim, wants to work some magick like Golden dawn.

 

Common western style ceremonial magick uses the Old testament diety.

 

if that was NOT the case, it would not be so Obvious

 

But hey, whatever works for people, do your thing

 

I'm just putting this out there

 

take it from there lol

 

I'm pretty much done with this thread

 

Magick is something I won't argue about

 

And I hate typing in Full Lotus

Edited April 3, 2014 by SonOfTheGods

[Nungali]

That's the thing.

 

The OP wants to eventually move to Daoism, but in interim, wants to work some magick like Golden dawn.

 

Common western style ceremonial magick uses the Old testament diety.

 

if that was NOT the case, it would not be so Obvious

 

But hey, whatever works for people, do your thing

 

I'm just putting this out there

 

take it from there lol

 

I'm pretty much done with this thread

 

Magick is something I won't argue about

 

And I hate typing in Full Lotus

 

 

I dont intend to argue about it either .

 

I think there are two sides to it though (this old testament deity thing) .... it depends on what your programming is/was.

 

... and I dont particularly like typing when the mist has just lifted and the sun is coming out .... byeee

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

I've been typing all day in sitting/kneeling asana.

 

My shoulders hurt.

 

I don't do Daoism.

 

I don't do any ism.

 

But far less do I know anything at all about western ritual magick.

 

Unless it comes from a past life.

 

Which it does, a bit.

 

I follow the Great Universal Cosmic Way.

 

You suit yerself.

 

The only ritual work I do.. well nearly everything is ritual of a sort.. is a curious homespun affair using everyday objects symbolically.

 

I make it up and it costs me nothing.

 

Except for a fortune in candles and incense.

...

Edited April 3, 2014 by Captain Mar-Vell

[Captain Mar-Vell]

...

I know some may think that is all immaterial, and these things have their own energy that will over ride mine and poor Nungali is messed up as he spent all that time invoking an evil space vampire ....

 

Ha ha ha!

 

Now that is funny.

 

Hats off to Nungali!

 

You old rogue!

...

[Nungali]