Modern Magick - New revised edition

War Engine

Grigori said:

I don't think it matters much what version anyone uses, just that you choose one.

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Some people think that well established ritual forms have their own egregore.

Egregore: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egregore

Jellybean said:

Wouldn't this be an appropriate thread? Do you want to say more about what's frustrating you? I've had the book a long while and it's been some years since I worked through it but I'm happy to offer any perspective.

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Well, maybe this is the 'best' place for me to post this. If not, mods please feel free to move it. I've found this depth of these forums to be a little overwhelming as every sub-forum seems to have a thousand interesting topics and so many tie back into each other in some way or another lol...

I don't want to be disrespectful to the author or the information he's provided. I mean, for all intents and purposes, he's currently the best and only thing close to a teacher that I've found. I have and am still currently enjoying much of what I've learned from his book and am confident that it is laying the groundwork for much more.

The problem(s) I'm experiencing have to do with what I'm perceiving as a lack of preparatory information about the LBRP itself and I fear there's more to come along the same lines with the other rituals and content in future lessons. I've been following the lessons thus far to the letter, perhaps erring on the side of patience/caution (I did wait a bit longer than recommended before beginning the LBRP though as I wanted to research the Archangels a bit first and was really pouring myself into the Tarot contemplation piece), have now been doing the LBRP daily for about eleven days and have begun the Sun adorations (learned these years ago from another source and feel very confident and comfortable with them).

The thing is, about a week into these daily LBRPs, I realized that I was just sort of going through the motions, saying the words and doing the actions but not really connecting with any real clarity of intent. Here are some of the questions that popped up as a result of this realization:

1 - Why am I casting the banishing pentagrams at each quarter? I understand that it's an integral part of the ritual but what, specifically, am I banishing?

2 - Am I banishing the same 'stuff/thing(s)' at each quarter?

3 - When I perform the Enterer and vibrate the God names at each quarter, what exactly is this designed to achieve? I understand the aim is to 'charge and seal the pentagrams with the names of God' but what does that mean? Am I calling that particular aspect of Divinity into the circle itself or into me or into the pentagram? What does 'charge and seal' mean exactly? It seems odd to be banishing stuff in one breath and then subsequently vibrating a God name that, to me, feels like more of an act of invocation but without having a clear sense of the purpose of that.

4 - If the quarters and/or pentagrams are now charged and sealed, what are the 'mechanics', if you will, behind the evocation of the Archangels? Are they meant to be called to the circle by me from elsewhere or am I to presume they are already there or somehow in my mind? Sorry, lame questions I know but it's just not clear to me what I'm asking of them or evoking at that point if the quarters are already charged and sealed.

I think item #3 really speaks to the broader, underlying issue here for me. I have tremendous respect for sacred rituals and hold these entities in incredibly high regard (understatement). Even more so than in everyday life, I try very hard to have the words and actions I choose in sacred space to be sincere and meaningful. Clarity of intent is a very important principle to me and I feel like that has been somewhat muddied thus far in terms of these aspects of the LBRP. It feels like I've been disrespectful to the ritual and the entities involved by just sort of faking it without the clarity I crave. I realize I was doing so based on how the lesson was presented but it's just sort of left me feeling kind of off balance about the whole thing. I've continued anyways because discipline has been an issue for me in the past and I really want to stick to this course and (bigger picture) this path if they fit for me but my efforts to clarify these matters have only led to more confusion due to all the conflicting information on the internet. I really think I need to find a real life teacher in my area but brief efforts in that direction so far have yielded nothing substantial.

As well, my online search for answers to some of this stuff led me to an article where the writer proposed that the LBRP and all that go along with and follow from it are a complete waste of time and energy if one does not intend to pursue and receive G.D. initiation to the 4th(?) degree or higher. I found that a little discouraging as my goals are to learn this stuff in order to improve as a person, learn about myself and my will and align myself more closely with the divine but not necessarily to commit to an order. I'm hoping the writer is wrong (PM me for that link if you like).

So yeah, I guess I just wish that Kraig had addressed these matters a little more thoroughly beforehand rather than spending so much time on how to move around in circle and stuff like ritual baths etcetera. It's sort of like the book is very beginner-ish in some ways but then excludes some rather vital stuff almost as if Kraig assumes the reader should already possess some of the more advanced knowledge. Could just be my take and some shortcoming in my comprehension of it so far too.

I think that's it for now. I'll just add that my life's been turned upside down since beginning the LBRP and I seem to have become an emotional basket case like someone in early substance abuse recovery as a result. That and I'm getting a little creeped out at stuff in my temple room seeming to move around and make noises all on their own when I'm doing the rituals but are still and silent the rest of the time o,O

Sorry for the long ramble. I hope it all makes sense. Plz do advise if there's a better (sub)forum for me to post this to. Thanks for reading.

Best blessings to you all.

MM

Grigori said:

Feel free to rant away here MM, it's as good a place as any

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Ooooh, missed this bit previously. Whoohoo! Rant I shall (or did lol) =)

A quick answer on the fly to each of your 4 questions.

1. Each quarter corresponds to the one of the four elements. The whole circle is an outward projection of your own psyche ordered into these four catagories. (East-Air-Intellect. West-Water-Feelings. Etc.) The banishing pentagrams are, in a certain sense, a Clear/Reset Button to these four parts of yourself.

2. See above. Each quarter corresponds to a different aspect of yourself.

3. In the ritual you are attempting to work on aspects of your own persona. But is it reasonable to allow your persona to call the shots here? That would be like asking a compulsive over-eater to arrange their own diet plan. You need to call on something higher/deeper to get the job done.

4. You've cleared/reset the four different elemental aspects of your self. They are squeaky clean and lemony fresh. Now it's time to re-tune them back into their pure elemental state. This is where the archangels come in. They are the metaphorical radio frequency you want to tune each of the quarters back in to.
Before this happened you were drifting off station.

Reset & re-tune. Rinse and repeat as required.

Thank you so much Aeon! That really helps a lot and leaves me feeling much more excited about my next LBRP. I'm sure that part of the reason things have been going so wonky on me this past week is because I've been stirring up energies with the ritual but not really directing them properly. Even just this additional bit of info gives me a sense of clarity that I believe will help correct that.

Makes me wonder if it's "just me" who was unable to pick this up from the book or what but, either way, let the learning continue! Thanks again!

MercifulMight said:

I'm sure that part of the reason things have been going so wonky on me this past week is because I've been stirring up energies with the ritual but not really directing them properly.

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You're probably closer to the truth than you might imagine. A lot of people (but not everyone) experience odd phenomena when they first begin to practice the LBRP. But as you progress with the ritual things tend to stabilise and return to normal. In the mean time you have to "acclimatise" to the heightened energy levels the ritual produces. It might feel a bit freaky at times, but it's nothing to worry about.

If you want a mundane comparison it's a little bit like someone who suddenly takes up a physical exercise regimen. And then they wake up the next morning, aching all over, and can barely move.

The occult explanation (which you can take or leave) is that you are lighting on the astral plane. This is attracting all sorts of astral critters, like moths to a flame. You're the new thing, and they all want a look. Just ignore 'em.
It was for this reason that Israel Regardie substituted the Rose Cross ritual for the LBRP in his, One Year Manual.

I would also suggest not over-thinking or over-analysing it.

"It feels like I've been disrespectful to the ritual and the entities involved by just sort of faking it without the clarity I crave."

The entities are part of you. They are not external, objective beings hanging about waiting for you to invoke them.

Don't worry about faking it. Just do you best with sincere intention and take your time studying up on the bits you don't understand. You don't have to understand every nuance to effectively do the ritual.

When I started it, I was just reading words off a piece of paper. I did that until I memorised it. Then, because I'm a slow learner, I gradually studied the various names, elemental and angelic associations, the various other pentagram rituals etc. I even quit doing it at one point because it felt so meaningless. But then I started again and one day, it just all made sense. It was like the switch was flicked from dusty academic understanding to spiritual ecstasy. It took years though.

So I say again, don't over think it. Just do it and be in the moment. Study it a little bit at a time. Your understanding will grow and things will fall into place. There is a spiritual and emotional component that can't be explained - it has to be experienced and it will be different for everybody.

There really isn't anything 'preparatory' you need. You don't need to know about the archangels or the elements before you start. Just start. Yes, some things in your environment may go a bit wacky to begin with while you balance the energies within your being, but just write them in your magickal diary and don't give them too much importance. They are just things that happen. Observe and record them and move on.

Jellybean said:

The entities are part of you. They are not external, objective beings hanging about waiting for you to invoke them.

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But often it is much easier to deal with them as if were external beings, especially in the beginning. A truth suitable for an Adept may act like a confusing road block for a Neophyte.

Through the attainment of K&C the Adept has opened their consciousness to the level of Briah. The same level as the Archangels of the LBRP. To the Adept the knowledge that the archangels are parts of himself is a living reality. But below that level of attainment, except for brief break-through experiences, the primary level of consciousness is Yetzirah. The main characteristics of which are divison and separation. Consequently any contact made with Briatic intelligences, like Archangels, will be filtered through Yetzirah and perceived as external. When a beginner suddenly finds that theory and practice don't quite match, it can lead to a lot of confusion.

A good example of this concept is Crowley's initial contact with Aiwass in 1904. If Aiwass was Crowley's own HGA, why did he perceive the whole experience in such an objective and external way? Why didn't he instantly recognise Aiwass for who he was? The simple answer is that he wasn't ready in 1904. Only when his sense of self was greatly expanded did the penny drop.

Great stuff and much appreciated guys. I have much I'd like to add and more to ask but very little free time to compose a post over the coming days. Just wanted to let ya know I'd read the replies and they've helped a lot.

MM

Well, I'm soldiering onward with daily LBRPs and adorations 4x/day and, like I said, have some more questions that may prove helpful to me as well as other readers. I guess I'm not so good at taking the advice posted above suggesting I not over-think things. Even in my quietest, meditative moments, stuff up there is still motoring along at a pretty good clip. I'm a little torn as I'd like to elaborate on this and more without going WAY overboard into the realm of TMI (too much info). I don't want to be some kind of forum drama king or irresponsibly spew a bunch of my unresolved nonsense all over a public forum full of strangers. To be honest, I'm not even sure what I'm looking for by posting this. I guess I just feel like I need some guidance or feedback on these matters and can think of no better place to seek these than here. I'll do my best to be clear and just keep it as general as I can while still trying to say something meaningful...

I imagine it will come as no shock to anyone here for me to share that I sometimes struggle with what might typically be called questions of faith in these matters. Certainly I'm not the first. I don't think I'd be out of line in suggesting that these uncertainties are typical of all followers of all faiths and that only the blind and mindless followers are completely immune. Perhaps not though...

Add to this the fact that, like most humans I know, I'm a little neurotic and have good(strong) days and bad(weaker), good phases and bad, and the resulting question for me becomes one of whether or not this path is suited to me or, probably more importantly, I to it. My thoughts and feelings are not all neatly aligned with the divine every waking (or sleeping) moment or I'd likely be much further along the unseen paths than I am. For the most part, I think that's all well and good and as to be expected. Thing is, people I've spoken with, and Kraig himself for that matter, suggest that ritual is much like the computer programming axiom, "Garbage In = Garbage Out"

Now, I'm assuming that this view is widely accepted (?) and is primarily based on questions of intent and will. If I go into ritual full of rage and contempt but am able to calm myself and focus on benevolent, positive outcomes as it were, then I expect the results would be mostly similar. Whereas, if I were to go into ritual feeling just fine and dandy about the Universe as a whole but directing my energies towards the willful destruction of another person, or malicious influence of undeserving others, that might not bode so well for my chances of improving my character or aligning with divinity.

But is this the case? Or, if perhaps my mental and emotional faculties are not firing on all cylinders some days, should I avoid ritual those days so as not to risk taking garbage in (so to speak) and reaping the same?

I realize I'm taking a great deal for granted here and don't doubt for a moment that numerous, more experienced and educated members will disagree with much of what I'm basing these observations and statements upon. I'm okay with that and more than open to hearing from contradictory viewpoints. I'll leave the above at that and check back for replies another day. Again, as a new member who didn't lurk long before diving into posting, I welcome any feedback related to improper content or posting location. If anything I post steps on anyone's toes or breaks from forum protocol, I'm happy to hear about it in order to make corrections.

Thanks

MM