2,000 Greater & Lesser Mysteries

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------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: This file may be distributed freely to any BBS as long as there are no changes made whatsoever to the contents. All material Copyrighted 1992, Xanadu Camp. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Force And Fire The Official Newsletter of Xanadu Camp Volume One, Number One May 1992 E.V. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. News From The Camp 93! This is the first issue of the newsletter for our Camp, and hence it is only a fetal form of what promises to be a grand and mature production. We are completely open to any forms of submissions, be they articles, essays, poetry, humor, or whatever your schizophrenic mind can imagine. If you would like a subscription to our humble newsletter, or would like to send in a submission of some sort, you can mail it to the address in the back of the issue. At present there is no charge on a subscription, but any donations you can spare would be greatly appreciated. We will be having regular meetings, about once a month, and all interested in attending should feel free to do so. In future issues we will include a schedule, but as we are not yet sure of the exact date for the next meeting we can't really generate one. Anyone interested in the Camp should mail one of the Fraters or Sorors through the address in the back or speak to them personally if you just so happen to stumble upon one of us. We're eager to answer any questions you might have, though we might not always give you the correct answer. Anyway, please let us know what you think of the newsletter and don't be afraid to be mercilessly mean and cruel in your opinion. We're all free and unique individuals and we have the right to say what we want. Frater O.A. An Analysis of Why People Believe What They Do In the majority of cases, whenever a foreign idea is presented to an audience which contradicts in some way their current beliefs, their first reaction is to dismiss it as nonsense and brush it aside. If it continues to surface again and again, they will most likely begin to worry and fear that there might be some truth to this idea, but quickly dismiss it because it doesn't fit in with their conception of reality. Eventually this conflict will develop into something similar to a war, where the majority of the population is fighting in an attempt to suppress this foreign idea and restore the population back to its previous safe and sheltered state of existence. In some instances, the foreign idea and its supporters come out on top, while in others the idea is suppressed and lies dormant for a period. If you were to take a look through the pages of history, you would find evidence of this type of scenario occuring over and over again, and it's all the result of the way we are brought up and conditioned. From the very day that we're born and on throughout the rest of our lives we are told what to believe and how to think. Now, the way in which we are told this makes it seem as if the ideas which we are being presented with constitute some absolute truth or reality. Since our minds and intellects at such an early period of growth are so undeveloped, we are dependant on others to live and to learn about the world. What we hear from our parents and elders we believe to be the truth, for we have no way of criticising at the time. These early ideas germinate in our minds, and as we grow up and our intellect develops they are reinforced because all we are taught is centered around those ideas. Eventually a point is reached where we don't even consider questioning them, and most people live the rest of their lives in this belief system and never open their eyes to other possibilities. Most of the people who read this and who are stuck in the position which was just described will dismiss this whole article as nonsense, raising the fact that there is no evidence to support these theories. True, there is no hard physical evidence, but there is evidence of this situation occuring. For instance, when we all were young, we believed in certain things such as Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. At that time in our lives, they were as real to us as any other idea in our head and we believed they existed. If someone were to come up to us and deny their existence, we would get mad and angry at the person and dismiss them away. But, eventually as we grew more mature and our minds developed we began to realize that they did not really exist after all. The point that I'm trying to make is that the state of the majority of the people today can be compared to a young child who believes in Santa Claus. Right now, most of the people believe that what they were brought up to believe is the absolute truth, when in actuality it is no more real than when they believed the Easter Bunny to be real. As each of us advances and develops, so will the human race, and hence more people will realize that what they have believed in is not the absolute reality which they thought it to be. Frater O.A. Pan Pan, the Greek God of Lust Has put forth his untold Truth Some feel they must Do what is rightfully just The follow Pan!!! Eternal, Superhuman Soul, Of Man!!! Pan, the Greek God of Lust Has built up his Magickal Gust Mountains are blown to dust Above rivers of red-ruby rust Frater Mansabath 555 Oracle's of the Stone The Magickians Eyes now Sparkle With the Light of the Oracle It is Truly a Sign A Sign of Time Standing Still Sword in Hand Silent Alone One With Light, Love, Law, Liberty and Life, Death; Rebirth Resurrection Truth to Light Sword in Hand Spiritual Gnosis For Sure it's a Sign With the Light of the Oracle The Magickians Eyes now Sparkle Frater Mansabath 555 Celebration of the Gods The wine of Bacchus flows forth from the spout, Of which all love and laughter come 'bout. The dew of the heavens descends upon Man, That ravenous god comes forth, O Pan! Thou God of Lust and Nature's way, Come forth and show thyself today! As Apollo's lyre spews forth a tune, And move's our souls into a swoon. The maidens appear; the feast is set; Our cravings are raw; our appetite wet. Songs carry us to far away places, Where smiles are seen on all of the faces. The dance begins and our spirits sail forth, Towards higher things, and now, henceforth, We shan't be us; but really be They, The gods and forces of Nature's way. Higher and higher in ecstasy, To catch a glimpse of Reality, Ever onwards to that primal source, That grinding, swirling, chaotic force. Frater O.A. Greetings At Dawn Come rise and greet the beckoning dawn, All ye nymphs, satyrs and fauns! Come and greet the bearer of light, Bringing the day and dispelling the night! Rise! Come forth! Ye men of honor! Thou knights and kings of eminent valor! Greet the king that's above even thee, He that brings forth all energy! Rise! Fair maidens! And behold the Sun! That fiery and forceful and brilliant one! The bringer of light and bestower of grace, And all fair blessings upon our race! Ra! Helios! Whatever thy name! Thou art, to me, but one and the same! That fiery force that moves ever on, Bestowing life to all looked upon! So come, ye people, and embrace this day! As the Sun God, our King, sheds forth his ray, Inspiring us all with his ancient wisdom, Bringing new life to our wonderful kingdom! I say come! All ye! In ecstatic joy! Lift up your hearts to the new born boy! That cometh forth as a splendid sun! Revealing his light to everyone! Frater O.A. What Is Reality? Reality is defined in the dictionary as the following: "1: the quality or state of being real 2a(1): a real event, entity, or state of affairs (2): the totality of real things and events b: something that is neither derivative nor dependant but exists necessarily." Can reality actually be summed up in such a short definition? Is there any truth or validity to the claim made by the compilers of the dictionary? Let's find out for ourselves. First of all it is defined as "the quality or state of being real." How is this state determined or measured? Is there any objective way of testing the "reality" of something? What is meant by "real" in the first place? Looking the term up we find this: "1: of or relating to fixed, permanent, or immovable things... 2a: not artificial, fraudulent, illusory, or apparent..." So if we assume that some things are real, then there must be a sufficient amount of things which are "not real" or illusory in nature. But how are the two distinguished? How is one to tell if the tree one sees in his or her backyard is "real" or "illusory?" Most of us would say that the decision is based on determinations by one's senses. One can "see" the image of the tree, "feel" the bark and the sturdiness of the trunk, "hear" the rustling of the leaves in the wind, "smell" the fragrances from the wood, and even "taste" it if one chooses to do so. They are all sensory impressions - but the key word here is "impressions." What we sense are actually signals picked up from the environment by our sensory organs, which in turn send these signals to the brain to be interpereted. The brain recieves signals from what is known as objective reality (through means of our sensory organs), and interperets them to form what is known as subjective reality. Most of us mistake this subjective reality with objective reality and confuse the picture. With subjective reality, the brain interprets the signals it recieves in a way which conforms with the current personality of the observer. The brain filters some things out which do not conform with a person's current settings, and even in some cases makes it seem as if something is there which is really not. The whole of one's belief system is the major determining factor in these interpretations. One will "see" what one wants to "see." For example, say that one is sitting alone at one's desk at night, and a "foreign element" enters the scene. For the sake of argument, this "foreign element" will be in the form of what appears to be a conscious and living entity. To a man of a scientific nature, he might interpret this element to be some form of "alien" or something similar to a "UFO." A devout Christian or Priest might interpret this element as a "divine messenger from God." An occultist might consider this element to be an "angel, demon, or spirit." Someone who believes in polytheism might interperet this element to be a certain "god" or "goddess" of his or her pantheon. It is all subjective and relative. Almost all of what we sense has been altered or interpereted in one way or another by the brain. I don't think it would be stretching the idea one bit to say that the brain is the biggest deceiver of mankind. So basically we have destroyed any hope of determining reality by means of our senses. How is one to glimpse or observe what is really out there? How can we percieve objective reality? Can we actually percieve objective reality at all? Since the senses and the brain seem to get in the way of any clear perception, it seems unlikely that objective reality can be "experienced" while one is bound within the confines of a physical body. Many say that in certain states of consciousness, where the body and mind are transcended, a direct glimpse of this objective reality can be achieved. Others say that through the use of drugs of various sorts these doorways are opened up and one gets to peek through the door for a bit. Who knows what the truth is; perhaps there is no such thing? I honestly don't know, but whenever I'm asked what I believe in I always respond with "I believe in everything, yet nothing." It's as clear as I can sum up my point of view. Frater O.A. The Herbal Corner If women get to go to a gynecologist how come we men can't go to a guynecologist? There is almost no information on herbs or folk remedies for men's health around in bookstores or in the libraries. I will be writing this column using many herbal sources at my disposal and family recipes that have been passed down in my home. If you try yourself to seek out remedies and such you will find it almost impossible to find the adequate knowledge you need to help take care of the male body in any Western literature. Though one important thing to remember is that to avoid having to treat any disease or sickness is to avoid the sickness in the first place, and the best way of doing that is by maintaining a well nourished, exercised body. If you do this you will most likely avoid the need of any type of herbal or artificial treatment for sickness. I can easily understand men who doubt the power and strength of plants to heal them. I feel the skepticism is a good thing, nothing should be taken at face value, you should look into it yourself and see what you discover. I encourage you to contact me through this newsletter and we can share thoughts and ideas on what you feel works or does not work for you. Maybe together we can discover something new about these plants we use to heal ourselves. Funny thing is for my first discussion of a helpful herb, I'm not going to talk about an herb but an insect, the bee. I've found the most effective remedy for preventing male problems are the substances made by the bee. The honey bee in my opinion is the greatest herbalist in the world as he makes the five most potent health enhances in the world naturally. He produces five of the most precious substances found on earth: honey, royal jelly, pollen, propolis and beeswax. A study was done a few years ago by a leading Russian biologist named Dr. Paavo Airola, in which he did a survey of 200 of the oldest people on earth and asked them what type of foods they ate and so on. 75% of these people responded back to him. All of them responded that one of the principle foods they ate was honey. Also a large number of them were found to have bees or were bee keepers. Further survey of these people found that these people, regularly would sell their honey and eat the residue at the bottom of the hives. What they were eating upon research was pollen rich, natural unfiltered and unprocessed honey rich in a hugh number of amino acids, vitamins and many other substance essential to human body to maintain health. There were five other factors that were isolated in these people. They lived at high altitudes, were people of authority, they were very active, had a set routines and ate a wide number of unprocessed foods. The special properties of this honey is assigned the fact that pollen is a direct maker of life. It is the male seed of the plant kingdom. It is gathered by bees from flowers, mixed with the bee's own internal systems and flown back to the hive to be used as food. This pollen in the honey contains all the known nutrients to support life, all water-soluble vitamins, a rich supply of minerals, trace elements, proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and enzymes. Both honey and pollen have undergone extensive research in both Russia and Sweden. Both countries have found that pollen to increase immunological mechanisms and stimulate and rejuvenate glandular activity thereby improving general health. Note: a small word of caution regarding the eating of pollen. Pollen comes from many flowers . Be sure to sample a small amount of raw pollen from each batch you get. Once in awhile a person will find he or she has an allergic reaction to certain ones. You will only require small amounts of pollen to get the full benefits, pollen is highly concentrated. I recommend that honey and pollen should be eaten as a nutrient not a replacement for sweets. I you have a craving for sweets it is most likely your body telling you your deficient in a certain vitamin or nutrient. Following is a herbal formula incorporating bee pollen, it can be used to treat male adrenal gland nourishment: Irish Moss 4 Parts Wild Oat 2 Parts Bladderrack 4 Parts Cayenne 1/2 Part Licorice Rt 2 Parts Bee Pollen 3 Parts Sarsaparilla 2 Parts Ginger Root 2 Parts Siberian Ginseng 2 Parts Ho Shou Wu 2 Parts Mix and powder these ingredients and put into size #00 capsules. Take 1 to 2 capsules, twice a day or take a 1/2 teaspoon of the powder 2 times a day. Next lets discuss Royal Jelly, this jelly is a food produced by bees to feed the queen bee. It enables her to live 20 times longer than the other bees even though she produces over 2,000 eggs a day which is a weight greater than her own weight. Royal Jelly is high in mineral content and is a large source of all B vitamins. It is also 13% protein, which include 18 amino acids including all 8 major amino acids. Like most vitamin rich foods, Royal Jelly falls into the area of a rejuvenator and tonic. It is non toxic and has no side effects from its use. This Jelly also makes an excellent supplement for vegetarians and other people who are cutting down their intake of meats and dairy foods. In next months issue I will discuss other bee products and other herbal remedies mainly directed for men. Don't worry women readers I'll be doing a series for you soon! Till next month 93! and best of health! Frater Tam Homer's Hymn to the Earth: Mother of All Oh universal mother, who dost keep From everlasting thy foundations deep, Eldest of things, Great Earth, I sing of thee! All shapes that have their dwelling in the sea, All things that fly, or on the ground divine Live, move and there are nourished - these are thine; These from thy wealth thou dost sustain; from thee Fair babes are born, and fruits on every tree Hang ripe and large revered Divinity! The life of mortal beneath thy sway Is held; thy power thou gives and takes away! Happy are they who thy mild favors nourished; All things unstinted round them grow and flourish. For them, endures the life sustaining field Its load of harvest, and their cattle yield Large increase, and their house with wealth is filled. Such honor dwell in cities bare and free, The homes of women prosperously; Their sons exults in youths new budding gladness, And their fresh daughters free from care and sadness, With bloom interwoven dance and happy song, On the soft flowers on the meadow-grass among, Leap round them sporting such delights by thee Are given, rich Power, revered Divinity. Mother of gods, thou Wife of starry Heaven, Farewell! be thou propitious, and be given A happy life for this brief melody, Nor thou nor other songs shall unremembered be. Translated by Percy Bysshe Shelley Homer's Hymn to the Sun Offspring of Jove, Calliope, once more To the bright Sun, thy hymn of music pour; Whom to the child of star-clad Heaven and Earth Euryhaessa, large eyed nymph, brought forth; Euryhaessa, the famed sister fair Of great Hyperion, to him did bear A race of loveliest children; the young Morn, Whose arms are like twin roses newly born, The fair haired Moon, and thee immortal Sun, Who born by heavenly steeds his race doth run Unconquerably, illuming the abode Of mortal Men and the eternal Gods. Fearly look forth his awe-inspiring eyes, Beneath his golden helmet, whence arise And are shot forth afar, clear beams of light; His countenance, with radiant glory bright, Beneath his graceful locks far shines around, And the light vest with which his limbs are bound, Of woof aetherael delicately twined, Glows in the stream of the uplifting wind, His rapid steeds soon bear him to the West; Where their steep flight his hands divine arrest, And the fleet car with yolk of gold, which he Sends from bright Heaven beneath the shadowy sea. Translated by Percy Bysshe Shelley Astral Projection Astral Projection is defined as "the ability to leave the body at will." It is a phenomenon that everyone experiences at some point in their lives. It might not be "intentional," but it will happen. It may feel as though you are falling out of bed or you may wake up and find yourself floating near the ceiling or you may wake up out of a dream and find that you are in the strangest world that you have ever heard about. This is the Astral world and we have nothing to fear from it. There are many techniques for achieving this state of consciousness, too many to go into detail here, but the most common is the "dream control" method. Lucid, or aware, dreaming is a state in which you are consciously dreaming or you know that you are dreaming and can control the dream. The next step is Astral Projection. When in a Lucid state, will yourself to leap out of the body. It is very easy to do in this state and the simplest lucid dream to achieve the O.B.E., as it is sometimes called, is the flying dream. Once out of the body there are infinite things to do. You can travel anywhere by sheer willpower. You can go back in time, go to different worlds and even different planes of existence or consciousness. Do not fear that you will get lost and never be able to return to the body! This is an impossibility. The "soul," or that part which is out, is linked to the body by what some refer to as the "silver cord." It is the place where consciousness is attached to the physical plane. Everything is greatly enhanced on the Astral plane. Images may be distorted or the colors may be brilliant. Things of this nature are what you would expect from any non-physical world. The perception of the Astral is not limited by the physical capabilities of the human body. This may be shocking to you on the first experience but don't let it get to you. I once had an O.B.E. that amazed me! I didn't think that colors like that existed. I woke up out of body and opened my Astral eyes. Instead of the plane white walls you would expect, I was seeing every color of the rainbow, and some that weren't, on the wall before me. It was like seeing the color of the wall broken down into it's component colors which were swirling in a rainbow of beauty!... Astral Projection is a means of exploring yourself and should be mastered by all. It is my belief that it holds the keys to many of lifes little questions! Frater A.P. Look Within A man may see a glimpse of himself, If he'd only pry into that old bookshelf, Scattered with dust and filthy debris, Which is an integral part of his personality, That has lain untouched throughout the ages, Except by those who were known as sages, And is ready and waiting for the very few Who'd step out of the old and into the new. Frater O.A. POSTCARDS TO PROBATIONERS by Aleister Crowley from Equinox Vol. I No. 2 THEOREMS I. The world progresses by virtue of the appearance of Christs (geniuses). II. Christs (geniuses) are men with super-consciousness of the highest order. III. Super-consciousness of the highest order is obtainable by known methods. Therefore, by employing the quintessance of known methods we cause the world to progress. ESSENTIALS OF METHOD I. Theology is immaterial; for both Buddha and St. Ignatius were Christs. II. Morality is immaterial; for both Socrates and Mohammed were Christs. III. Super-consciousness is a natural phenomenon; its conditions are therefore to be sought rather in the acts than in the words of those who attained it. The essential acts are retirement and concentration - as taught by Yoga and Ceremonial Magic. MISTAKES OF MYSTICS I. Since truth is supra-rational, it is incommunicable in the language of reason. II. Hence all mystics have written nonsense, and what sense they have written is so far untrue. III. Yet as a still lake yields a truer reflection of the sun than a torrent, he whose mind is best balanced will, if he become a mystic, become the best mystic. THE METHOD OF EQUILIBRIUM I. THE PASSIONS, Etc. I. Since the ultimate truth of teleology is unknown, all codes of morality are arbitrary. II. Therefore the student has no concern with ethics as such. III. He is consequently free 'to do his duty in that state of life to which it has pleased God to call him.' II. THE REASON I. Since truth is supra-rational, any rational statement is false. II. Let the student then contradict every proposition that presents itself to him. III. Rational ideas being thus expelled from the mind, there is room for the apprehension of spiritual truth. It should be remarked that this does not destroy the validity of reasonings on their own plane. III. THE SPIRITUAL SENSORIUM I. Man being a finite being, he is incapable of apprehending the infinite. Nor does his communion with the infinite being (true or false) alter this fact. II. Let then the student contradict every vision and refuse to enjoy it; first, because there is certainly another vision possible of precisely contradictory nature; secondly, because though he is God, he is also a man upon an insignificant planet. Being thus equilibriated laterally and vertically, it may be that, either by affirmation or denial of all these things together, he may attain the supreme trance. IV. THE RESULT I. Trance is defined as the ek-stasis of one particular tract of the brain, caused by meditating on the idea corresponding to it. II. Let the student therefore beware lest in that idea be any trace of imperfection. It should be pure, balanced, calm, complete, fitted in every way to dominate the mind, as it will. Even as in the choice of a king to be crowned. III. So will the decrees of this king be just and wise as he was just and wise before he was made king. The life and work of the mystic will reflect (though dimly) the supreme guiding force of the mystic, the highest trance to which he has attained. YOGA AND MAGIC I. Yoga is the art of uniting the mind to a single idea. It has four methods: Gnana-Yoga Union by Knowledge Raja-Yoga Union by Will Bhakta-Yoga Union by Love Hatha-Yoga Union by Courage add Mantra-Yoga Union through Speech Karma-Yoga Union through Work These are united by the supreme method of Silence. II. Ceremonial Magic is the art of uniting the mind to a single idea. It has four Methods: The Holy Qabalah Union by Knowledge The Sacred Magic Union by Will The Acts of Worship Union by Love The Ordeals Union by Courage add The Invocations Union through Speech The Acts of Service Union through Work These are united by the supreme method of Silence. III. If this idea be any but the Supreme and Perfect idea, and the student lose control, the result is insanity, obsession, fanaticism, or paralysis and death (add addiction to gossip and incurable idleness), according to the nature of the failure. Let then the student understand all these things and combine them in his Art, uniting them by the supreme method of Science. Force And Fire is the official newsletter of Xanadu Camp and is published on a monthly basis. If you have any comments, ideas, suggestions, or submissions, please send them to the address to the right. Please keep in mind that the views expressed herein are those of the contributing authors, and not necessarily those of the Camp. Editor, Frater Omnis Amare Submissions Frater O.A. Xanadu Camp P.O. Box 155 Trevose, Pa 19053 Love is the law, love under will.