2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries/2,000 Greater and Lesser Mysteries.iso/magic/primer/mys01227.txt

Text File | 1994-06-10 | 16.8 KB | 291 lines

                                 WHAT IS MAGICK?

        "Religion is a daughter of Hope and Fear, explaining to Ignorance
        the nature of the Unknowable."
                                                           Ambrose Bierce
                                       ***

        Ask anybody what Magick is and the first answer you will get will
        have  to  do  with  either the  superstitious  mumblings  of  the
        Fanatical   Fundamentalist   or  the   ridiculing   rhetoric   of
        the Senseless  Skeptic.  This Skeptic fellow has got one  up   on
        our Fundamentalist  friend in that he can still control some   of
        the activity in his brain.  There is hope for this one.

        Sir  Aleister Crowley has written such a thorough essay  on  this
        subject  that  I find myself incapable of adding  anything  which
        does not echo his definition.  Read the introduction of his  opus
        "MAGICK  IN  THEORY AND PRACTICE".

        Aleister   Crowley  defines  Magick as: "The  Science   and   Art
        of causing change to occur in conformity with Will".

        Ambrose   Bierce  defines  Magic  as:  "An  art   of   converting
        superstition into coin".

        Notice the difference in the spelling.

        To distinguish illusionary Magic from real Magick, Crowley  chose
        to use the Elizabethan variation of the word, adding the K at the
        end  of the name.  This changes the numerical value of  the  word
        and should be studied.

        One must keep in mind that Magick demands repetitious study.   It
        is  foolish to assume you have understood something   unless  you
        have read it several times and have been able to achieve the same
        results  every  time.  Do your experiments as though you  were  a
        scientist in a laboratory.  KEEP A DIARY!

        Magick is the method by which all things (be it conscious or not)
        exist  and live their lives.  Magick will not transform you  into
        something  which  you  are  incapable  of  being.   Magick  will,
        however, allow you to recognize who and what you are so that your
        full potential may be realized.

        So  much beauty and mystery is found in the surviving  literature
        of   those  who  practiced  the  Craft  that  many  artists   are
        instinctively  drawn  to Magick by verse  and  song.   Ceremonial
        Magick  is  the  physical expression of  the  great  struggle  of
        evolution  put into mystical dance, it is the essence of what  we
        have  been, what we are now, and  the attempt to  assist  Nature,
        Our Great Mother, in what we are to become by self-discovery  and
        by assisting in our further development.

        In  order  to understand how Magick works, a few things  must  be
        said about the mind.  Not only does the brain store memory, it is
        also capable of behaving as a receiver.  It registers memory  and
        then  executes the appropriate response.  Thought  &  information
        are  maintained  within  our  cells.  The DNA  of  which  we  are
        composed   carries  within it not only genetic  information,  but
        specific experiences, thoughts, and  patterns of personality from
        our  parents.  This is often what a person experiences  in  "past
        life" episodes.

        Genetic information is picked up by the brain once Energy  (memo-
        ry),  is  released by the cells of which we are  composed.    The
        brain  does  all this in its efforts to  answer   those  haunting
        questions:  Who am I? Where do I come from?  Where am  I going?

        Each  cell is a separate, living, conscious, life form.  Just  as
        we  are.  The problem is that we are not, as a rule,  consciously
        capable of releasing the data within the cell.

        For  the most part; we are created and shaped according to  other
        people's fancies.  It starts very early in childhood when parents
        (being ignorant of their own wills) impose certain things on  the
        child  that  may not have anything to do with  the  child's  True
        Self.  As a result people live their lives to please those around
        them  instead of recognizing who they truly are.  The  longer  we
        are  forced to do this, the deeper we hide ourselves, the  harder
        it is for us to find who we truly are.

        There  are three manuscripts which intermingled, have become  the
        source of knowledge for the modern-day Magician.

        The  first  is called "The Book of Solomon".  It is  believed  to
        have  been written between 100 and 400 A.D.  It is based  on  the
        myths  found  in  the Old Testament, the Talmud,  and  the  Koran
        revolving  around  Solomon  the King;  the  author  of  Proverbs,
        Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs and Wisdom.

        With  the assistance of Demons subdued by a ring given to him  by
        the  angel  Raphael,  Solomon built a  Temple  dedicated  to  the
        evocation,  prosecution,  classification  and  identification  of
        malignant  spirits.  This manuscript included information  as  to
        what names were used to call them and constrain them, as well  as
        an  elaborate hierarchy based on their power and  abilities.   He
        forced  demon after demon to concede their name, power,  and  the
        name of the angel who could be called to control them.  This work
        has  been looked upon as the greatest contribution to  Ceremonial
        Magick  by  those  who  practice it, as it  is  a  very  complete
        genealogical  tree  drawing  from  Persian,  Greek,  Jewish,  and
        Christian mythology.

        The  second  is  a series of  elusive  writings  received  during
        several  crystal  gazing sessions by  two  Elizabethan  magicians
        named  John  Dee and Edward Kelley, from 1582 to  1587.   Dr  Dee
        anticipated that one could better communicate with the angels  of
        God  if  they  could speak in their tongue.  He  thus  hired  the
        assistance  of Edward Kelley, a medium, to communicate  with  the
        angels  who  would eventually divulge their  language:  Enochian.
        This  strange speech was believed to be the language  which  Adam
        used to communicate to the angels before the Great Fall.

        With  the  help  of several angels Dee and Kelley  were  able  to
        compose   four  elemental  tablets  containing  a  hierarchy   of
        specialized angels which could be summoned to the service of  the
        magician.

        The names written on these tablets were thought to be so powerful
        that  they were given to Kelley in reverse, for it  was  believed
        that the angels could be accidentally invoked by concentrating on
        the  strange characters which composed their names.   Even  today
        experienced  magicians  heed to this warning,  and  dabblers  are
        discouraged from the use of Enochian Magick for their own safety.

        The  third  book is "The Sacred Magic of  Abra-Melin  the  Mage".
        This  manuscript was found at the "Bibliotheque de L'Arsenal"  in
        Paris  and was interpreted from its Hebrew form to French  around
        the  17th or 18th century.  Later,  MacGregor-Mathers  translated
        the French copy into English.

        The original work was written by Abraham the Jew and presented to
        his son Lamech in 1458.  It is very likely that Abra-Melin was to
        Abraham   what   Aiwass  was  to Crowley;  a   discarnate   being
        who communicated specific principles to its human counterpart.

        Perhaps  the most significant contribution made by this book,  is
        that  while  it  is  emphasized that  one  become  familiar  with
        Qabalistic  principles, the author strongly recommends  that  the
        student use and consecrate their on language by using it in these
        rites.   It  is  universal in its message in  that  any  student;
        whether   Jewish,  Christian,  or  Pagan  command  and   exercise
        authority  over  the demons mentioned in the book  by  using  the
        Names of Power associated with their faith.

        The manuscript was divided into three books.  The first one being
        personal advice from Abraham to his son and an account of how  he
        came  to  this Knowledge.  The second book is  perhaps  the  most
        important  from  a  Seeker's  point of  view;  being  a  complete
        treatise  on the methods by which to access Magical Powers.   The
        third  deals  with  the implementation  and  management  of  this
        capacity.

        Like the Book of Solomon and the Enochian Works of Dee and Kelly,
        the Book of Abra-Melin the Mage is outdated in that it subscribes
        to the doctrine that one must isolate themselves from society  in
        order to accomplish The Great Work.  Despite of this apparent old
        aeon dogma, the importance of this book cannot be underestimated;
        for it was through the practices laid out in this manuscript that
        Aleister Crowley accomplished Knowledge and Conversation with his
        Holy Guardian Angel.

        There  appears  to be a tradition of burning one's works  at  the
        time  of one's death.  Both Solomon and Dee are rumored  to  have
        burnt  their  memoirs.  If this is in fact true, then  one  would
        think  that what we possess of these great men and women is  very
        little  in comparison with what must have perished by fire.   For
        one  reason or another;  on April 10 1586, Dee burnt all  of  his
        works.  However,  concurrent to the chronicles  left  behind;  on
        April  30th,  while strolling through a garden in the  castle  of
        Trebona,   Dee found the books he had deliberately burnt  on  the
        10th.

        Among  other  things, Magick is ancient  psychoanalysis.   It  is
        often  used as a means to free the Real Self from the self  which
        has  been  created by others.  The Magician takes  a  hidden  and
        sometimes  hideous part of consciousness (as in Goetic work,  the
        evocation of Demons) and externalizes it to better deal with  it.
        Through  Magick  we make the necessary adjustments to  achieve  a
        healthier and better balanced individual.

        Magick  is the way by which one can come to consciousness of  the
        activity  and  Infinite Wisdom within us all.  And  by  doing  so
        Magick  will have helped us to see ourselves as we truly  are  so
        that we may  plot our course accordingly.

        As  soon as one recognizes the Deity within; they will find  that
        they've  been  in control the whole time but have  not  responded
        well due to their lack of Understanding.  It is like driving with
        a blindfold.

        The strength of your Will is measured by your ability to  respond
        (rather than react) to your environment.  When you embrace  Life,
        and when you can willingly experience it as it is, then you  will
        have embraced with Our Lady of The Stars.

                                      ***

                                 THE GREAT WORK

        "Without  faith, Science leads to doubt; without  Science,  faith
        leads to superstition.  Uniting them brings certainty, but in  so
        doing they must never be confused with each other.  The object of
        faith  is  hypothesis,  and  this  becomes  certitude  when   the
        hypothesis is necessitated by evidence or by the demonstration of
        science.   The  acknowledgment of this link-up between  the   two
        basic  elements of man's life results in tranquility of mind  and
        peace of heart."

                                                             Eliphas Levi
                                       ***

        The  Great Work consists in the sublime Unity of Man and  Spirit.
        In the Mysteries, Man is symbolized by the Pentagram.  The Spirit
        of  God  is  symbolized by the Hexagram.  The Union  of  Man  and
        Spirit  could  be  symbolized by the 11  pointed  star  (5+6=11).
        Eleven  is therefore the number of Magick.  This  indicates  that
        the aim of Magick is Union with God.  In the Order of The  Silver
        Star  the  grade which symbolizes this Union is called  5=6,  Man
        embodies God;  the marriage has been accomplished.

        There is a Word that symbolizes this Union:  ABRAHADABRA.  It has
        11  letters,  it contains 5 vowels, all A's  (the  pentalpha,  or
        pentagram,  5  points).   It  also  contains  6  consonants  (the
        hexagram,  6  points).   By the Holy Art of  Gematria  this  Word
        enumerates  to  418.  Careful study of this  number  will  reveal
        several Mysteries.

        The  Great Work means different things to different people,   but
        on  one level it is the method by which we become one  with  God.
        The methods  by which we attain to these heights are to be  found
        in the Middle Pillar on the Tree of Life.

                             MALKUTH = Know Thyself

                         YESOD = Discover your True Will

        TIPHARETH = Knowledge & Conversation with the Holy Guardian Angel

                             KETHER = Union with God

        The  Great Work is the path of return towards God.  The  task  is
        not  an easy one.  Self-discipline is the key in  the  beginning.
        Once you can quiet the mind and concentrate your thoughts on  any
        given subject or object the Work becomes almost second nature.

        The next step then becomes disciplining the body.  Here you  must
        learn  to find specific positions in which your body can be  both
        comfortable  and  rigid.  This is referred to as "ASANA".   As  a
        rule,  humans (with the exception of a few athletes) do not  know
        how to breathe properly.  The full potential of the lungs is  not
        realized.   This  is  important in the  Work  because  oxygen  is
        carried from the lungs into the blood stream and is then  carried
        to  the  brain to vitalize brain activity. In  essence,  one  who
        knows  how  to  breathe properly has a healthy  mind.   Too  much
        oxygen  is as unfavorable as not enough.  The practice of  breath
        control is called "PRANAYAMA".

        As previously stated, the brain needs a specific amount of oxygen
        in  order to operate properly.  The Hindu Alchemist discovered  a
        connection  between the amount of energy residing in  the  spinal
        column called: "Kundalini" and breathing patterns.

        The  Kundalini  is understood as a current of  raw  energy  which
        dwells  at  the  base of the spine and is  capable  of  springing
        straight up the spinal column to the third eye region.  When this
        occurs  great  magically related phenomenon is  assumed  to  take
        place.  Sex is said to stimulate this coiled serpent.  The  other
        method is controlled breathing.

        Breathing  through  the  left  nostril is  said  to  stimulate  a
        negative  magnetic current called: "IDA".  The properties of  Ida
        are characteristic to Luna; some believe it to be more  congenial
        to Venus.

        Breathing  through  the right nostril is understood to  arouse  a
        positive  magnetic  current called: "PINGALA".  The  elements  of
        Pingala are parallel to Sol, although some would argue that it is
        more closely related to Mars.

        When one alternates breathing  through each nostril, these subtle
        energies  ignite  the  coiled snake and entice it to  rise  up  a
        hollow tube that runs the length of the spine called: "SUSHUMNA".

        Therefore,  the  purpose of PRANAYAMA, or breath control;  is  to
        awaken  the latent energies inhabiting our bodies.  For  more  on
        PRANAYAMA see PRACTICAL EXERCISES.


                                     --END--