I. This book is very easy to misunderstand; readers are asked to use the most minute critical care in the study of it, even as we have done in its preparation.
2. In this book it is spoken of the Sephiroth and thePaths; of Spirits and Conjurations; of Gods, Spheres, Planes, and many other things which may or may not exist.
It is immaterial whether these exist or not. By doing certain things certain results will follow; students are most earnestly warned against attributing objective reality or philosophic validity to any of them.
3. The advantages to be gained from them are chiefly these:
a. A widening of the horizon of the mind.
b. An improvement of the control of the mind.
4. The student, if he attains any success in the following practices, will find himself confronted by things (ideas or beings) too glorious or too dreadful to be described. It is essential that he remain the master of all that he beholds, hears or conceives; otherwise he will be the slave of illusion, and the prey of madness.
Before entering upon any of these practices, the student should be in good health, and have attained a fair mastery of Asana, Pranayama, and Dharana.
5. There is little danger that any student, however idle or stupid, will fail to get some result; but there is great danger that he will be led astray, obsessed and overwhelmed by his results, even though it be by those which it is necessary that he should attain. Too often, moreover, he mistaketh the firstresting-place for the goal, and taketh off his armour as if he were a victor ere the fight is well begun.
It is desirable that the student should never attach to any result the importance which it at first seems to possess.
6. First, then, let us consider the Book 777 and its use; the preparation of the Place; the use of the Magic Ceremonies; and finally the methods which follow in Chapter V, “Viatorin Regnis Arboris,” and in Chapter VI, “Sagitta trans Lunam."
(In another book will it be treated of the Expansion and Contraction of Consciousness; progress by slaying the Cakkrams; progress by slaying the Pairs of Opposites; the methods of Sabhapaty Swami, &c. &c.)
I. The student must FIRST obtain a thorough knowledge of Book 777, especially of columns i., ii., iii., v, vi. ,vii., ix., xi., xii., xiv., xv., xvi., xvii., xviii., xix, xxxiv, xxxv, xxxviii., xxxix., xl., xli., xlii., xlv., liv., Iv., lix., lx., lxi., lxiii., lxx., lxxv., lxxvii., lxxviii., lxxix., lxxx., lxxxi., lxxxiii, xcvii., xcviii., xcix., c., ci., cxvii., cxviii., cxxxvii., cxxxviii., cxxxix., clxxv., clxxvi., clxxvii, clxxxii.
When these are committed to memory, he will begin to understand the nature of these correspondences.
2. If we take an example the use of the table will become clear.
Let us suppose that you wish to obtain knowledge of some obscure science.
In column xlv., line 12, you Will find “Knowledge of Sciences.”
By now looking up line 12 in the other columns, you will find that the Planet corresponding is Mercury, its number eight, its lineal figures the octagon and octagram, the God who rules that planet Thoth, or in Hebrew symbolism Tetragram- maton Adonai and Elohim Tzabaoth, its Archangel Raphael, its Choir of Angels Beni Elohim, its Intelligence Tiriel, its Spirit Taphtatharath, its colours Orange (for Mercury is the sphere of the Sephira Hod, 8), Yellow, Purple, Grey, and Indigo rayed with Violet ; its Magical Weapon the Wand or Caduceus, its Perfumes Mastic and others, its sacred plants Vervain and others, its jewel the Opal or Agate, its sacred animal the Snake, &c. &c.
3. You would then prepare your Place of Working accordingly. In an orange circle you would draw an eight-pointed star of yellow, at whose points you would place eight lamps, The Sigil of the Spirit (which is to be found in Cornelius Agrippa and other books) you would draw in the four colourswith such other devices as your experience may suggest.
4. And so on. We cannot here enter at length into all the necessary preparations; and the student will find them fully set forth in the proper books, of which the “ Goetia” is perhaps the best example.
These rituals need not be slavishly imitated; on the contrary the student should do nothing the object of which he does not understand; also, if he have any capacity whatever, he will find his own crude rituals more effective than the highly polished ones of other people.
The general purpose of all this preparation is as follows:
5. Since the student is a man surrounded by material objects, if it be his wish to master one particular idea, he must make every material object about him directly suggest that idea. Thus in the ritual quoted, if his glance fall upon the lights, their number suggests Mercury; he smells the perfumes, and again Mercury is brought to his mind. In other words, the whole magical apparatus and ritual is a complex system of mnemonics.
[The importance of these lies principally in the fact that particular sets of images that the student may meet in his wanderings correspond to particular lineal figures, divine names, &c., and are controlled by them. As to the possibility of producing results external to the mind of the seer (objective, in the ordinary common—sense acceptation of the term) we are here silent.]
6. There are three important practices connected with allforms of ceremonial (and the two Methods which later we shall describe). These are:
(I) Assumption of God-forms.
(2) Vibration of Divine Names.
(3) Rituals of “ Banishing ” and “Invoking.”
These, at least, should be completely mastered before thedangerous Methods of Chapters V. and VI. are attempted.
I. The Magical Images of the Gods of Egypt should bemade thoroughly familiar. This can be done by studying them in any public museum, or in such books as may be accessible to the student. They should then be carefully painted by him, both from the model and from memory.
2. The student, seated in the “God” position or in the characteristic attitude of the God desired, should then imagine His image as coinciding with his own body, or as enveloping it. This must be practised until mastery of the image is attained, and an identity with it and with the God experienced.
It is a matter for very great regret that no simple and certain test of success in this practice exists.
3. The Vibration of God-names. As a further means of identifying the human consciousness with that pure portion of it which man calls by the name of some God, let him act thus:
4. (a) Stand with arms outstretched. (See Illustration.)
(b) Breathe in deeply through the nostrils, imaginingthe name of the God desired entering with the breath.
(c) Let that name descend slowly from the lungs to the heart, the solar plexus, the navel, the generative organs, and so to the feet.
(d) The moment that it appears to touch the feet, quickly advance the left foot about twelve inches, throw forward the body, and let the hands (drawn back to the side of the eyes) shoot out, so that you are standing in the typical position of the God Horus, (the Sign of Blind Force), and at the same time imagine the Name as rushing up and through the body, while you breathe it out through the nostrils with the air which has been till then retained in the lungs. All this must be done with all the force of which you are capable.
(e) Then withdraw the left foot, and place the rightforefinger upon the lips, so that you are in the characteristic position of the God Harpocrates, (The Silent Watcher).
5. It is a sign that the student is performing this correctly when a single “Vibration ” entirely exhausts his physical strength. It should cause him to grow hot all over, or to perspire violently, and it should so weaken him that he will find it difficult to remain standing.
6. It is a sign of success, though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name of the God vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should appear to him as if that Great Voice proceeded, from the Universe, and not from himself.
In both the above practices all consciousness of anything but the God-form and name should be absolutely blotted out; and the longer it takes for normal perception to return, the better.
I. The rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram must be committed to memory. They are as follows:
The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram
1. Touching the forehead, say Ateh (Unto Thee -
2. Touching the breast, say Malkuth (The Kingdom –
3. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-Geburah (and the Power –
4. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-Gedulah (and the Glory -
5. Clasping the hands upon the breast, say le-Olahm, Amen (to the Ages, Amen -
6. Turning to the East, make a pentagram (that of Earth) with the proper weapon (usually the Wand). Say (i.e., vibrate) IHVH. (Ye-ho-wau -
8. Turning to the West, the same, but say AHIH. (Eheieh -
9. Turning to the North, the same, but say AGLA. (Atah Gibor LeOlam Adonai -
10. Extending the arms in the form of a Cross, say:
11. Before me Raphael;
12. Behind me Gabriel;
13. On my right hand Michael;
14. On my left hand Auriel;
15. For about me flames the Pentagram,
16. And in the Column stands the six-rayed Star.
17. Touching the forehead, say Ateh.
18. Touching the breast, say Malkuth.
19. Touching the right shoulder, say ve-Geburah.
20. Touching the left shoulder, say ve-Gedulah.
21. Clasping the hands upon the breast, say le-Olahm, Amen.
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The pentagrams are traced in the air with the sword or other weapon, the name spoken aloud, and the signs used, as illustrated.
I. Let the student be at rest in one of his prescribed positions, having bathed and robed with the proper decorum. Let the Place of Working be free from all disturbance, and let the preliminary purifications, banishings and invocations be duly accomplished, and, lastly, let the incense be kindled.
2. Let him imagine his own figure (preferably robed in the proper magical garments (Neophyte Robe) and armed with the proper magical weapons (a Sword)) as enveloping his physical body, or standing near to and in front of him.
3. Let him then transfer the seat of his consciousness to that imagined figure; so that it may seem to him that he is seeing with its eyes, and hearing with its ears.
This will usually be the great difficulty of the operation.
4. Let him then cause that imagined figure to rise in the air to a great height above the earth.
5. Let him then stop and look about him. (It is sometimes difficult to open the eyes.)
6. Probably he will see figures approaching him, or become conscious of a landscape.
Let him speak to such figures, and insist upon being answered, using the proper pentagrams and signs, as previously taught.
7. Let him travel about at will, either with or without guidance from such figure or figures.
8. Let him further employ such special invocations as will cause to appear the particular places he may wish to visit.
9. Let him beware of the thousand subtle attacks and deceptions that he will experience, carefully testing the truth of all with whom he speaks.
Thus a hostile being may appear clothed with glory; the appropriate pentagram will in such a case cause him to shrivel or decay.
10. Practice will make the student infinitely wary in these matters.
11. It is usually quite easy to return to the body, but should any difficulty arise, practice (again) will make the imagination fertile. For example, one may create in thought a chariot of fire with white horses, and command the charioteer to drive earthwards.
It might be dangerous to go too far, or stay too long; for fatigue must be avoided.
The danger spoken of is that of fainting, or of obsession, or of loss of memory or other mental faculty.
12. Finally, let the student cause his imagined body in which he supposes himself to have been travelling to coincide with the physical, tightening his muscles, drawing in his breath, and putting his forefinger to his lips. Then let him “ awake” by a well-defined act of will, and soberly and accurately record his experiences.
It may be added that this apparently complicated experiment is perfectly easy to perform. It is best to learn by “travelling ” with a person already experienced in the matter. Two or three experiments will suffice to render the student confident and even expert. See also “The Seer”.