Gebofal, Day 26: The LIT Aethyr!

Sunrise: Call to Aethyr of LIT and the associated governors and Zodiacal Kings. Call to King Bynepor.

I just pour forth this compassion of the lotus-rose, to all of the angels and everything about me, and in so doing I become this rotation, this torus, again. I’m approaching spherical consciousness, very close to it, almost there, even though I’m on the fifth Aethyr and four more remain. There’s a little bit of a shimmer on the surface of the sphere, a tiny ripple, going about this torus/sphere. As I do so, the angels acknowledge that if I increase my concentration perfectly, I could probably hit perfectly spherical consciousness from here.

The angels are showing me a tree, and the angels note that a torus could be superimposed around the trunk, under the branches, and above the roots, but also a sphere could be circumscribed about the tree as a whole. If you change the parameters of the torus to make a double-sphere, then the dimensions of a tree can roughly be matched. The angels have me consider the twisting motion of a torus (like if you twisted a rubber hose whose ends were connect, so that the inside turned out and the outside turned in), the constant rotation which relates to the varieties of fortune.

I relate this to Adam Qadmon again, unintentionally. The angels say that this is okay. “Your mind can’t help but do that.” That can be considered like unto this force, they say, of Adam Qadmon, which can be considered like unto the force of the black-hole portal (I repeat, I’m aware of the difference between a black hole and a wormhole–this is the realm of metaphor). This is the force of Ain, which has its own dynamic when it becomes realized.

Things may change up, especially below the Abyss, where it might seem more chaotic. Here, above the abyss, it’s just this gentle rotation. They relate this vision back to the aethyr of ICH, and say this is when a certain character from that computer code gets sucked in to the supernals ahead of what might seem to be its schedule. That’s all part of this multidimensional rotation of spherical consciousness due to the multiplex force of Ain. The outer portion of the entire torus can be considered the realm of ICH itself. Likewise, one could extrapolate to some degree the inside of the abyss, which is to say Fortune seeming to shine on an individual, which for some may cause things to seem to “go well”: the Abyss, or Fortune, works good for themselves.

Getting back to the Aethyr of LIT, I consider how this relates to the tree I just saw. The angels note how that inner ring, where things are “going well”–and here King Bynepor comes to the fore to speak–“This regeneration, this generation of the tree, is like Fortune, or the Lot of Fortune, or the Wheel of Fortune, or the Torus of Fortune, hitting that tree and bringing about the growth, and you see outgrowth of that fortune in the general shape of the torus,” twisting upward in one sense [i.e., upper trunk and branches] but downward in another sense [lower trunk and roots].

I try to maintain concentration, and use this lotus-rose from my heart to do so. “Ah,” the angels say, “let’s take a look at this lotus-rose. So here we have this combination of pain within suffering [the thorns], that black sphere, and we have the portion beyond the abyss, the nice layers of the whitish petals, which are the post-abyssal consciousness (supernals).

“Separate two things,” they say. “The rotation of the sphere is caused by this force of the world of Adam Qadmon, which is ‘World without End,’ which has multiple dynamics when they hit this reality.” But what the angels are saying now is, “Look to…” (here I note my difficulty concentrating), “look to…

“The dynamic of Adam Qadmon is that space, right?” I try to remagnetize my heart, and that helps. The angels show that if you remagnetize to this space, you can consider that to be the general forward linear path toward the portal into this realm of Adam Qadmon. I vibrate the angels’ names, and they say to hold for a moment, and to relax.

“This forward path of the infinite line of Adam Qadmon–this forward path, this constant path, this walking of this path, this traversing of the path: this is one who has become magnetized to the line approaching Adam Qadmon. When one is in spherical consciousness, one remains about–revolving about the world of Adam Qadmon, in that consciousness, but it is not the line which enters it. One is caught up in the revolution of this spherical consciousness about Adam Qadmon, but in order to enter it, in order to realize the Enochian phrase which I’d previously translated, “CASASAM MAOFFAS QAA DE MIAM DE TON DAMPLOZ OLPIRT” (the abiding measureless garment [“created form”] of the continuance of all variety of light (i.e., the rainbow body))–in order to realize this, one has to be magnetized to the infinity. The angels clarify: there’s the bounded infinity of a spherical consciousness, and then there’s the unbounded infinity, which is the rainbow body, the boundless unfolding of that. A set of fixed stars can be considered an infinite direction that one goes, but in order to have compassion for all of those fixed stars, and thereby enter into a more infinite arrangement, one needs to take the path of the infinite line, and not merely the orbit of the (bounded) infinite sphere which orbits about the portal to the world of Adam Qadmon. You can have this infinite compassion, and continue upon it, but you won’t know the revolution about this infinite consciousness.

Complicated! But not overly so. The angels have set me straight, and I express my gratitude to them. Thus ends the vision.

Noon: Similar procedure; I make two calls to King Bynepor and two to the Aethyr, just because I sense my attention wandering.

I concentrate my heart upon this lotus-rose and I try to remain magnetized to the path toward the world of Adam Qadmon. The angels are showing me the same sphere, with the smallest of ripples upon it, and I can see tiny rainbows about the surface (again, this seems like vast distances across Aethyrs are being bridged now; usually such forthright visions of the sphere do not occur until later in the process).

The angels relate the rainbow and ripples to the energy of being near the orbit of the portal to the realm of Adam Qadmon. This is a metaphorical Roche effect. In principle, the angels say, this rainbow lighting is Chokmah energy to a degree, but that tiny ripple is due to the (metaphorical) gravity of the realm of Adam Qadmon. It’s that the sphere is approaching this metaphorical Roche limit, and I feel my heart being pulled towards that portal, because I have been working to remain magnetized to this path.

I ask the angels what else, in their generosity or mercy they or the Almighty may have. They suggest nudging myself a little bit closer towards this portal, so that I can feel and be truly magnetized to this path towards the realm of Adam Qadmon. The angels say to take the next few days to approach and, on Monday, to actually enter the event horizon of this portal.

The following 18 days, I’m told, will be an attuning to the elements in such a way that one doesn’t become imbalanced as one reaches this realm of Adam Qadmon. Note here, again, the importance of balanced elements appears again, as at key phases in the magical journey: Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, Crossing the Abyss, and now full realization of the realm of Adam Qadmon.

I see myself being slowly pulled closer to this portal. The angels say to think about the absolute minimum distance and to hold there. After 18 days, I will be in that event horizon, and on the 19th day I’ll be crossing into this realm, fully balanced and aware of the powers at play, including states that can arise astrologically and elementally (which is to say, changing the relative distance of geometric points vis a vis Chokmah, using the elements–this is a deep metaphor about the heart). I’m also told that to some degree this can be done with time (Saturn).

I express my gratitude. The angels say that there’s nothing for this particular scrying, and thus ends the vision.

Sunset: Similar procedure. Pain, depression, anxiety, about halfway between the prior scrying session and this one. Took anxiolytic.

The angels point out that I have kept the lotus-rose as a focus to magnetize me to the path to the portal into the world of Adam Qadmon. The angels advise that I stay on this path. “Don’t revert back, don’t deviate in any direction.”

The angels ask me to reflect on the rotation of the near-spherical consciousness which orbits this portal. They say that as long as I retain this spherical consciousness, that the rotation that I’m going won’t matter so much. Although today was a bit trying, they note, it’s an important reminder to continue to stay focused on this path, and on the world of Adam Qadmon. If I’m truly to make this transition, then I really shouldn’t be sidelined by events such as today’s. There will be other days that will be even more difficult, they comment. I take this to heart, and “in heart,” as it were. The angels say that the only way to get around the reality of daily difficulties is to work on the heart, and come from the heart, and to be pulled forward as by the heart.

At this point I realize that I haven’t called the zodiacal kings or the governors; the angels say that this is okay. I see some energy from the rotation of this sphere, coming as a result of proximity to this portal of Adam Qadmon. It’s a whirlwind (looking not unlike the effect of sling rings of Doctor Strange comics). Others are being drawn into this energy. It’s like I can’t help myself, I reply: I continue that motion. “That’s okay,” reply the angels. “That’s the circumference: you are tending to the circumference. Just ensure that your heart is aligned, dead center, to the portal, exactly to the path.”

I decide to vibrate the kings’ and governors’ names now. The angels say that this act was good, and that it heightened their power a bit, and to just always do so to just ensure that every part of the ritual includes calling from this path to the world of Adam Qadmon. Obviously, this is paramount to them now.

Now the angels explain that there’s only so much that they can show me without my getting pulled on this path in even more (i.e., to a later Aethyr before its time). They tell me to have my heart at ease: this is the right path. They bid me continue to stay focused: anything to do with the elements that they have to show me, if given early, will pull me into the event horizon of the portal into the realm of Adam Qadmon. Each part of this process needs to be taken slowly and deliberately. Even though these scrying sessions seem short, there’s a lot of karma being burned off, a lot of realignment, a lot of karma being played out. That allows me to continue directly forward, they advise. The angels tell me not to worry: my karma is being safeguarded right now, and to just not accrue new karma. These steps are causing it to be “burned off” or “played out,” so that I can go dead center into the portal without being imbalanced.

I express my gratitude to the angels, and ask if there’s anything else. “You can always take on the spherical consciousness” gained from my previous scrying sessions, they note, without actually invoking these higher Aethyrs, so if I wish to be more balanced, I may do that. “Just don’t try to leap ahead anymore” during the visions of the actual Aethyr scryings. They will actively block that.

With that, they close the vision, and I give my heartfelt thanks to the angels.

Progressing in Magick

So this is a question I’ve given some thought to: how quickly should one progress in magick? How far, how fast? What should you get into?

Having tried several things in magick, I can recommend the following:

1. Meditation (at the beginning and throughout your journey, perhaps to be foregone towards the end). Vipassana & Raja (one or the other), once or twice a day. I also recommend using simple pranayama techniques to relax one’s mind and emotional state, and then mentally confronting emotional triggers (i.e., “Why do I get angry about this? Is this really me, or am I just attached to [XYZ]? Does my emotional intensity match the situation?”) at least once a week for at least a year. Don’t be afraid to go deep. This will start clearing your mind of identifications that do not match who you are, and the best part is, you’re doing the clearing, so you are in control. It’s also good to talk through your insights with good friends.

Allllsoooo…therapy, especially as you get to the weirder stuff: find a therapist who doesn’t judge the woo.

Congratulations, your mind is now on a path towards healing.

2. Groundedness practice. (added) I recommend also doing some groundedness meditation (such as imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth and drawing in from the infinite amount of energy available that which you need). To complement this, spend time walking outside, gardening, etc., to stay in touch with the real world.

Congratulations, you’re able to live in reality.

3. Hatha yoga. The mind and body are intimately connected. In general, you will want to be in excellent physical shape, so if you can, Hatha yoga regularly, do cardio at least twice a week, and add in strength training (always talk to your doctor about exercise). Give yourself a couple of months to get in good (or better) physical shape. Obviously this depends on whether you are disabled, but think about how you can get in touch with your body.

Congratulations, you’re working on integrating your body and mind.

4. Sigils (as needed). After about a month of meditation, teach yourself to make a sigil (the Austin Osman Spare method is easy to learn, but others exist). They are easy, they are cheap, they will work with beginner’s luck. Start with something simple at the “5% probability” level and charge it the easy way (look at it during the “big O“).

Congratulations, you’re empowering yourself.

5. Learn (and DO) banishing (regularly, but eventually to be largely eschewed). A few weeks after your sigil, note the degree to which it was successful (you can do more, but for serious things). Then learn the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). After you have started a daily meditation practice, for at least a month, start learning the LBRP. It’s not that complicated. Use flash cards to memorize directions, angel names, and the like.

Then do it for the first time. Don’t be surprised if you experience some clairaudience: I definitely did my first time and I had a huge WTF moment! Once you have it memorized and can perform it fluidly, it should not take more than five minutes. Start off doing that on a weekend, then add it to your “stack” and do it once a day (ideally before a meditation), then twice a day (morning and night). If you’re not in your own place, do it silently. If space is an issue, you can do it imaginally. Later, learn the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram (LBRH).

Congratulations, you’re starting to determine your circumstances.

6. Study the elements and astrology. The classical elements are fundamental to the LBRP, and now is the time to understand what they are about. It’s good to learn about them in conjunction with astrology, because there is some overlap. For that, The Astrology Podcast is excellent. Take their significations of the signs (parts 1 & 2), the planets, the houses (parts 1 & 2), then the ones on sect, essential dignities, and then look into the aspects. This will help you understand the LBRH. It will also help you understand the astrological forces, whether they are “good” for a working and invoked, or whether they are bad and should be banished. This will take some time, definitely no less than three months, probably no less than six.

Congratulations, now you understand how circumstances can arise.

7. Raising & balancing consciousness. (added) At this point, I also would recommend slowly adding in the Middle Pillar Ritual at this point. Once a week, then twice, then daily. The idea is to start raising your awareness. It’s very important to balance this with the groundedness meditation I previously mentioned.

Congratulations, you’re developing perspective on circumstances.

8. Start thinking about your True Will. Your understanding of astrology will come in handy now. Jason Louv offers a course on this, which is excellent.

Congratulations, now you know how you want to change circumstances.

9. Holy Guardian Angel ordeal. By now you should at least have a couple of years into your studies. I really can’t recommend this enough, but I probably wouldn’t recommend this for someone who hasn’t yet had their Saturn return. Knowledge and Conversation of your Holy Guardian Angel is the first great feat of the Western magickian, according to Crowley. I recommend the Abramelin operation (I was told by my HGA to forego the demon-binding portion of the operation, as was James Eshelman). It is an ordeal, and should only be undertaken when you can. Modify it as you can for your circumstances: the original presumed so much wealth but a sincere effort to have the key aspects of the ritual (isolation, prayer, etc.) is vital. Congratulations, now you have an ally in reaching towards your true nature.

10. Enochian. Having done all of this work, you might decide to take up Enochian. It’s complicated. It’s a lot of work. But it’s worth it, soooo worth it. I’ve written before that I consider it the key to plugging in to the great Western and Eastern accomplishments (such as a Chokmah initiation and the rainbow body–a Tibetan Buddhism arising–respectively). Congratulations, you are now on the path to reaching your true nature.

You may be surprised that I have left off this list other things such as talismans (I do them, but these are not necessary), alien contact, past-life regression, and so many others. I just don’t think that they are necessary, and may even side-track from paths to some core insights. I’m willing to change my mind on this, and I’ll let you know if I do.

Enjoy!

Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel: Techniques and Rationale

Update: Due to circumstances of the time, I closed the HGA study mentioned in the text and the data are now lost.

“Who am I? Why am I here?”

Beyond a political in-joke about the bottom of the third-highest-popular-vote presidential ticket of any third-party in U.S. politics, this question is one that cuts to the core of an individual’s search for meaning. The intensity of this question usually starts getting asked around adolescence and there are large sub-fields in psychology devoted to it. However, it should not be taken lightly, nor thought of as an “adolescent” (i.e., immature) question, because it cuts to the core of how we spend our limited lifespan, doesn’t it?

So as one starts their journey into adulthood, one of the first things to do is to get started on where one is at the moment, then, if one has the luxury, move on to other questions as they become pertinent. Usually this means stabilizing the circumstances (basic needs) and becoming self-sustaining (either working or on the path to working via education). Along with this requires growth, but–all too easily–it is here that what I would deem major mistakes begin to be made.

The mistakes that can be made are simple: starting work or education at something that one doesn’t like or has other misgivings about: selling dangerous products, not making the world better as a result of one’s work, or simply not feeling one’s job or field in one’s heart. This is not always easy: some professions or fields are difficult to discover, or haven’t been invented yet (there were no YouTube stars who make all their money off of videos when I had my high school career counseling!). Another possibility is that one wants to do with their life may have very little to do with one’s career. The best that one can do is approximate what they want to do and learn what it is they really want to do via trial and error. Of course, this presumes a completely “balanced” and “head on their shoulders” personality!

The magical traditions of the West (and those of the East as well, but these are not the focus of this post) focus on the possible steps of development and usually lay them out in a sequential order. This is slightly problematic, because people often have some degree of initiation later stages, but overall the system works well. One learns how to integrate the tools that they need in order to progress, and these are metaphorically labeled as elements: earth (both physical and the metaphorical structure of security and routine), water (physical and the metaphorical emotions that a person carries, which can leak out or be put to positive use), air (physical as well as the tendency of the mind to blow from place to place like the wind), and fire (the dangerous passion that can nonetheless be used to accomplish will). Those familiar with the Golden Dawn can see these elements in the lowest Kabbalistic sephira, Malkuth.

Once these are established and recognized, it becomes important to see how important it is to balance these; doing so can provide the foundation (Yesod) for further work, as one discovers the tendency of the mind to discover splendor (Hod) of possibilities of form, and finally to victory, Netzach, of using one’s energy to pick a general possibility to work towards…but which one?

This is where the middlemost sephira, Tiphareth (Beauty), comes in. Anyone who has had to leave a career path that they discovered wasn’t for them (or leave the idea that a “career path” is the focus of what they should be doing) can understand at least one of the following thoughts (I’ll add the associated sephiroth and the Kabbalistic ruler for reference): I need to stay at this job I dislike just to scrounge together rent (Malkuth/elements). I’m kind of stable but I don’t know how to get my life ready for change (Yesod/Moon). I don’t know all of life’s possibilities or how they even work or fit together (Hod/Mercury). I don’t know how to pick a possibility, and how to make it work for me (Netzach/Venus). Ideally, you would know exactly what you would want to focus on and, like Jimi Hendrix at the age of five after seeing a cartoon character playing a guitar, you would know exactly what you were supposed to do.

For most of us, this sense is not so easy. There are techniques to answer this question, and of these, those proposed by a teacher of mine, Jason Louv, are excellent (and during a pandemic, when everything is being questioned, is as good a time as any to ask if one is doing the right thing with one’s life). Another technique is to seek heavenly guidance, that offered by the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel (K&C HGA, for short). This highly personal entity is unique to each individual (and is not to be confused with the Natal Guardian Angel/good daimon), and is the beginning of initiation into Tiphareth, wherein resides the True Will, that which the individual feels compelled to do with their life. Aleister Crowley considered K&C HGA the essential work of a magician, and for good reason, as it was to lead the individual–among other things–to understand and carry out their True Will.

There are multiple techniques for obtaining this (and I have an ongoing study trying to suss out how people obtain K&C HGA–contact me if you ware interested); some, I am sure, have come to it completely spontaneously, others after massive trauma. I’m not one to recommend seeking out trauma, but if one finds oneself in the midst of it (such as, say, a global pandemic), I believe that this can actually be a catalyst for an otherwise longer process.

When I requested a topic for my blog, I was asked specifically how to go about obtaining the K&C, including modifications to existing rituals necessary for the modern age. For this, there are no easy answers, but I would start with the essays in the Holy Guardian Angel anthology by Nephilim Press, especially Scott Stenwick’s, which provides techniques to get you started straight away. Stenwick also provides additional information on HGA initiation on his website.

After this preliminary, there are two famous classic techniques for K&C HGA: Abramelin and Liber Samekh. The former has several requirements, including Abramelin oil and incense, but also a separate room, restrictions on sex, as well as thrice daily prayers. Being written from an esoteric Jewish tradition, there is also the matter of aligning to the Jewish calendar, specifically Passover. My recommendations on this for the modern practitioner, whether Jewish or not (and I am not) are as follows: try to balance the elements externally (Abramelin oil, interestingly, balances both yin and yang ingredients) via the Abramelin oil and incense (if it’s in your budget) or via the gratis LBRP and/or LIRP; focus on self-isolation (did I mention we’re in a pandemic?) to maintain this elemental balance (i.e., others’ drama doesn’t throw your delicate elemental balance off); and devotional prayers (three times a day at a minimum) and the self-abnegation quality of the technique. Going to a closet or if need be even a bathroom for a short time to make a sincere prayer is sufficient (Scarlet Magdalene reports going to her car over her lunch hour, a technique I copied). Wash your hands (did I mention we’re in a pandemic?) and continually reflect on the outward cleansing and isolation from human affairs as a means to more clearly attune yourself to the purity of the Divine and the messenger thereof. As I have hinted, this pandemic is actually something of an ideal time to begin K&C HGA work!

As far as Liber Samekh (adapted by Crowley from an exorcism ritual known as “The Bornless Ritual” from the Greek Magical Papyri), so in another manner, this also isolates you from spirits–and eventually the delusions surrounding yourself that have accumulated. I would also recommend no less than three times a day for this technique as well.

Both the Abramelin ritual and the Liber Samekh ritual can be done silently (the latter requiring more memorization and visualization of one’s astral body completing the techniques–but it can be done). It is possible, for people with a great deal of cleverness and insight into the technical aspects of magic, to create their own ritual for the K&C HGA (the key features of this from a technical perspective seem to be elemental balance, crowding out things that throw off that balance, and a powerful technique to petition–or take upon oneself–the celestial). Regardless, from a practical perspective, the essential is to pick a technique and make sure that the people in your life expect to see less of you for many months. This is a unique task that few in the West undertake, and taking it on deserves respect, a great deal of reflection, and no small amount of testing of the spiritual breakthroughs you may think you achieve along the way (false insights are the worst!).

Update: I have recently extended this into a thread on Twitter, but here is an appellation: a sincere nightly (or more often) prayer that God will please send your Holy Guardian Angel to you in full Knowledge & Conversation, in addition to right living. For more, see Leitch.

What are the advantages of K&C HGA, as opposed to just learning your True Will via an audit technique (or other means)? The biggest advantage is that your HGA is also an interface with all other entities (including people) and can help you navigate an otherwise confusing landscape. The HGA is your biggest ally and works to evolve you after K&C is reached (to the extent that you actually engage with this invaluable resource). Regardless of what you encounter, your HGA will do its best to lead you down an optimal path and has heavenly authority to protect and guide you along it. The only downside to this is that the HGA is not human, and so keep your rationality, practicality, and common sense handy! Furthermore, the HGA can accompany you only so far on the path–crossing “the Abyss” has its own, ah, “pitfalls” that the HGA must temporarily step aside for the aspirant to face.

Is K&C HGA necessary? To end on the positive note requested by the other suggestion for a blog entry: it is a gorgeous first step toward calling forth one’s own divinity, one that I never regret having taken. Yet others have not needed this step in order to reach very high states of spiritual development. So, if it seems right for you, then explore it.

I wish you good luck either way.