Michael Wynn's Occult Reference Library
THE DEGREE,THE DEGREES

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ALEISTER CROWLEY LIBER 777

omplete g.d (buried in the ring and disk paper, in that t and y have been interchanged. in the printed edition of 777, g was given in line 1 as well as line 13, and$ in line 10 (c did not appear on the table. these have been corrected as compositor s errors$ has been placed in line 1 and c in line 10 in accordance with g.d. attributions. for each letter, upper case and lower case forms are shown; the degree of difference between these two forms varies between letters. the two un-numbered columns are extracted in this instance from appendix v to the blue brick edition of magick, in turn deriving from crowley s magical notebooks. numbers seem in most cases to be those of the equivalent greek letter; the english equivalents do not necessarily represent the original phonetic value of the lette

ALEISTER CROWLEY MAGICK IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

master therion was delighted to remark that his compound letter mgn, constructed on theoretical principles with the idea of incorporating the new knowledge of the aeon, had the value of 93 (m= 40, g= 3, n= 50. 93 is the number of the word of the law- thelema- will, and of agape- love, which indicates the nature of will. it is furthermore the number of the word which overcomes death, as members of the degree of m m of the o.t.o. are well aware<degree o.t.o, a word never to be written, published or spoken without the rite> and it is also that of the complete formula of existence as expressed in the 48 true word of the neophyte<
proper; it has many different forms, each god having his special dance. one of the easiest and most effective dances is the ordinary waltzstep combined with the three signs of l.v.x. it is much easier to attain ecstasy in this way than is generally supposed. the essence of the process consists in the struggle of the will against giddiness; but this struggle must be prolonged and severe, and upon the degree of this the quality and intensity of ecstasy attained may depend. with practice, giddiness is altogether conquered; exhaustion then takes its place and the enemy of will. it is through the mutual destruction of these antagonisms in the mental and moral being of the magician that samadhi is begotten. iii good examples of the use of change of position are given in the manuscripts z.1 and

immediately recognizable. 150 there are also planes corresponding to various religions past and present, all of which have their peculiar unity. it is of the utmost importance to the "clairvoyant" or "traveler in the fine body" to be able to find his way to any desired plane, and operate therein as its ruler. the neophyte of a. a. is examined most strictly in this practice before he is passed to the degree of zelator. in "rising on the planes" one must usually pass clear through the astral to the spiritual. some will be unable to do this. the "fine body" which is good enough to subsist on lower planes, a shadow among shadows, will fail to penetrate the higher strata. it requires a great development of this body, and an intense infusion of the highest spiritual constituents of man, before

sition (the thunderbolt. sit; left heel pressing up anus, right foot poised on its toes, the heel covering the phallus; arms stretched out over the knees; head and back straight. 7. various things will happen to you while you are practising these positions; they must be carefully analysed and described. 8. note down the duration of practice; the severity of the pain (if any) which accompanies it, the degree of rigidity attained, and any other pertinent matters. 9. when you have progressed up to the point that a saucer filled to the brim with water and poised upon the head does not spill one drop during a whole hour, and when you can no longer perceive the slightest tremor in any muscle; when, in short, you are perfectly steady and easy, you will be admitted for examination; and, should you

research (a) certain actions induce the flow of the breath through the right nostril (pingala; and, conversely, the flow of the breath through pingala induces certain actions (b) certain other actions induce the flow of the breath through the left nostril (ida, and conversely (c) yet a third class of actions induce the flow of the breath through both nostrils at once (sushumna, and conversely (d) the degree of mental and physical activity is interdependent with the distance from the nostrils at which the breath can be felt by the back of the hand. 4 "first practice- let him concentrate his mind upon the act of breathing, saying mentally "the breath flows in "the breath flows out, and record the results [this practice may resolve itself into mahasatipatthana (vide liber xxv) or induce samad

ALEISTER CROWLEY MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS

e crude schools of christianity, and, on the other, to eradicate the materialism from physical science. she made the necessary connection with edward maitland and anna kingsford, who were trying rather helplessly to put the exoteric formulae of the white school into th hands of students, and with the secret representatives of the rosicrucian brotherhood. it is not for us in this place to estimate the degree of success with which she carried out her embassy; but at least we see today that physical science is at last penetrating to the spiritual basis of material phenomena. the work of henry poincar, einstein, whitehead, and bertrand russell is sufficient evidence of this fact. christianity, too, has fallen into a lower degree of contempt than ever. realizing that it was moribund, it made a

ALEISTER CROWLEY MEDITATION

ssert a secret source of energy which explains the phenomenon of genius<religious genius. other kinds are subject to the same remarks, but the limits of our space forbid discussion of these> we do not believe in any supernatural explanations, but insist that this source may be reached by the following out of definite rules, the degree of success depending upon the capacity of the seeker, and not upon the favour of any divine being. we assert that the critical phenomenon which determines success is an occurrence in the brain characterized essentially by the uniting of subject and object. we propose to discuss this phenomenon, analyse its nature, determine accurately the physical, mental and moral conditions which are

minutes at a time; and at other times the object itself will begin to play all sorts of tricks. suppose you have chosen a white cross. it will move its bar up and down, elongate the bar, turn the bar oblique, get its arms unequal, turn upside down, grow branches, get a crack around it or a figure upon it, change its shape altogether like an amoeba, change its size and distance as a whole, change the degree of its illumination, and at the same time change its colour. it will get splotchy and blotchy, grow patterns, rise, fall, twist and turn; clouds will pass over its face. there is no conceivable change of which it is incapable. not to mention its total disappearance, and replacement by something altogether different! any one to whom this experience does not occur need not imagine that he

ALEISTER CROWLEY THE OLD AND NEW COMMENTARIES TO LIBER AL

y, increases constantly from zero to infinity. but almost the only integral value is found at the angle of 45 degrees where it is unity. it may be said that there is an infinite number of such series, each possessing the same property of infinite divisibility. the ninety tangents of angles differing by one degree between zero and ninety may be multiplied sixty fold by taking the minute instead of the degree as the co-efficient of the progression, and these again sixty fold by introducing the second to divide the minute. so on ad infinitum. all these considerations depend upon the assumption that every number is no more than a statement of relation. the new conception, indicated by the book of the law, is of course in no way contradictory of the orthodox view; but it adds to it in the most

ALEISTER CROWLEY THE SWORD OF SONG

ilosophers than to the fathers of modern philosophy that suffering is the badge of all the tribe of sentient things; that it is no accidental accompaniment, but an essential constituent of the cosmic process. and in the same essay, though he is disposed to deny more than the rudiments of consciousness to the lower forms of life, he is quite clear that pain varies directly (to put it loosely) with the degree of consciousness. cf. also animal automatism, pp. 236-237 (2) sorrow s cause. the cause of sorrow is desire. i take desire here to include such a phenomenon as the tendency of two molecules of hydrogen and chlorine to combine under certain conditions. if death be painful to me, it is presumably so to a molecule; if we represent one operation as pleasant, the converse is presumably painf

ALEISTER CROWLEY EQ I 1

on (the thunderbolt. sit: left heel pressing up anus, right foot poised on its toes, the heel covering the phallus; arms stretched out over the knees: head and back straight. 7. various things will happen to you while you are practising these positions; they must be carefully analysed and described. 8. note down the duration of the pracitce, the severity of the pain (if any) which accompanies it, the degree of rigidity attained, and any other pertinent matters. 9. when you have progressed up to the point that a saucer filled to the brim with water and poised upon the head does not spill one drop during a whole hour, and when you can no longer perceive the slightest tremor in any muscle; when, in short, you are perfectly steady and easy, you will be admitted for examination; and, should you

ALEISTER CROWLEY EQUINOX EQ I 1 2

te days. if the unknown is below standard activity, the amount should be increased until the effect produced is the same as for the test dose of the standard. if the unknown is above strength, the test dose is diminished accordingly. from the dose of the unknown selected as producing the same action as the test dose of the standard, the amount of dilution or concentration necessary is determined. the degree of accuracy with which the test is carried out will depend largely upon the experience of the observer and the care he exercises. another point to be noted in the use of dogs for standardising cannabis is that, although they never appear to lose their susceptibility, the same dogs cannot be used indefinitely for accurate testing. after a time they become so accustomed to the effects of

ALEISTER CROWLEY EQUINOX EQ I 6

assionlessly expository. 137 "art" said he "and do not imagine that art or anything else is other than high magic- is a system of holy hieroglyph. the artist, the initiate, thus frames his mysteries. the rest of the world scoff, or seek to understand, or pretend to understand; some few obtain the truth. the technical ability of the artist is the lucidity of his language; it has nothing to do with the degree of his illumination. bougereau is better technically than manet; he explains more clearly what he sees. but what does he see? he is the priest of a false god. form has no importance except in this sense; we must not be revolted by the extravagance of new symbolic systems. gauguin and matisse may live to be understood. we acquiesce in the eccentricities of raphael" ida gave a little laug

ALICE A BAILEY07 FROM INTELLECT TO INTUITION

om intellect to intuition copyright 1998 lucis trust sarvadarsanasangraha 'it is in two successive phases that the yogi saps by anticipation the basis of further existences and effaces the impressions that determine the present existence. in the first it is conscious; thought, then, is exclusively attentive to its proper object, and all the modifications of the thinking principle are suspended in the degree that they depend on exterior things; the fruits it gains under this form are either visible the cessation of suffering or invisible immediate perception of being which is the object of the meditation..the second period of yoga is that in which it is unconscious..the thinking organ is resolved into its cause..the feeling of personality is lost; the subject who is meditating, the object o

ALICE A BAILEY09 A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS VOLUME I ESOTERIC PSYCHOLOGY I

ic. 3rd and first human race. the sacral centre. physical appearance. generation. 2nd and etheric race .t he heart or vital centre. life forces coordinated. 1st race. the base of spine. the will to be, to exist it is with only the last four evolving races that we shall concern ourselves (the first four dealt with in the above tabulation, for the first three races are too far off for any one under the degree of initiate to grasp their mode of development, their type of consciousness, and their procedure towards their goal. the point i seek to emphasize is the necessity of seeing the picture whole, and not in terms of individual man. it may here be helpful if we note down our tabulation of certain points anent the human kingdom- 198- a treatise on the seven rays- volume i: esoteric psycholog

ALICE A BAILEY12 DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE VOLUME I

ontact and being also a channel through which some member of the hierarchy could work. through the example of these teachers, through their teaching, through their successes and their failures, those whom they gathered to them could be taught, their vibration could be increased, their consciousness expanded and the group could become a magnetised centre of force, of purpose and of spiritual light the degree of this being dependent upon the purity of the note sounded and the selflessness of the lives shown. the mental calibre of the group also had its effect, for the average vibration and polarisation established the note for the group as a whole. an experiment is now being made to shift the focus of the groups inwards and yet, at the same time, to increase their potency by permitting no in

t first major centre is very different to that of preparing them for participation in the work of the centre which we call the hierarchy. the one involves the development of love and of group consciousness; the other involves the unfoldment of the will and the attainment of the stage to which patanjali gives the name of "isolated unity" this is a phrase which is quite meaningless to any one below the degree of the third initiation. in this discussion, i shall not be dealing with preparation for the various initiations and their specific differences. i shall be dealing with the growth of what is called "ashramic intimacy" with the approach of the disciple to the world of souls and to the unfoldment of his consciousness in relation to the hierarchy. i shall be concerned with his growth in se

ALICE A BAILEY18 A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS VOLUME III ESOTERIC ASTROLOGY

great secrets which the masonic rituals typify, for the symbol of the sign, gemini, is the source of the concept of the two pillars, so familiar to masons. it- 39- a treatise on the seven rays- volume iii: esoteric astrology copyright 1998 lucis trust might therefore be stated that, symbolically speaking, 1. leo governs the e\ a\ degree. 2. gemini governs the f\ c\ degree. 3. sagittarius governs the degree of m\ m\ up to the episode of the raising of the master, and that capricorn governs the final part of the ceremony and the h\ r\ a\ it is always confusing to the beginner who has not yet a developed and trained intuition to reconcile the seeming discrepancies and apparent contradictions which appear in the teaching of the ageless wisdom. this same difficulty will be met with in the scie

ALICE A BAILEY20 A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS VOLUME IV ESOTERIC HEALING

h the passing out from the body (meaning the form aspect of the threefold lower man) of the average intelligent aspirant, looking at this law from one of its lowest correspondences; however, under the same law of correspondences, the death of all men, from the lowest type of man up to and inclusive of the aspirant, is basically distinguished by the same identical process; the difference exists in the degree of consciousness evidenced consciousness of process and intention. the result is the same in all cases: the soul stands free. this moment of true freedom can be brief and fleeting as in the case of the undeveloped man, or it can be of long duration, according to the usefulness of the aspirant upon the inner planes; with this i have earlier dealt and have no need to repeat myself here. p

ALICE A BAILEY22 DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE VOLUME II

used under his watchful eye, just as there are many medicines available to the public which are not safe except as directed by a physician. an examination of the text will reveal many factors knowable only to a master which made these meditations safe and the breathing exercises useful while he was watching the effects. for example: he knew not only the ray qualities of all the vehicles but also the degree of response to ray stimulant of any particular vehicle in relation to total, balanced progress. he knew also the conditioning rays of the previous incarnation which may appear as a "hangover" not to be developed but to be transcended- 2- discipleship in the new age- volume ii copyright 1998 lucis trust he knew the astrological characteristics of the soul, a factor as yet unknown to pres

or disciples to record, for which they must make allowance and which they have to offset. they have also to regulate the energy which plays upon the entering disciple so that it is adjusted to his point of development and to his ray and nature. the group of disciples within the ashram who are of equal development with the new disciple, act as a safeguarding group, and this is true, no matter what the degree, where higher incoming energy is concerned. when a disciple is temporarily bewildered, this safeguarding becomes a major necessity, and where glamour is present in a disciple's life, it places a real strain upon his co-disciples. they have to share the charge and shoulder unitedly the protection; it is not the task of the master, but is carried forward under his interested and wise inst

pted disciples of the world, those who have undergone the first initiation (and their name is legion, and the initiates of higher degree, have objectives which their mental unfoldment has made possible; they can be admitted into divine areas of consciousness which are conditioned and brought into being, not by divine ideas but by the divine will (their perception of that will will be according to the degree of the initiatory control. their task is therefore to perceive the plan which is the hierarchical mode of implementing the divine will, plus the purpose which is perceived by the heads of the hierarchy. they have also to undertake to see that that plan becomes a factual expression upon the physical plane and a part of the recognised consciousness of humanity as a whole. this, being a re

ver, you will have to watch with care. as you know, and as i pointed out to you some years ago, you have an undue number of rays along one particular line; your equipment of energies is therefore somewhat unbalanced, and this will require the process of obtaining equilibrium before you can move on to the more potent ashram of k.h. the potency of an ashram is necessarily dependent upon the status, the degree and the experience of the master at its centre or heart. the more advanced the master, the more of the energy of shamballa which will pour into the ashram. the master k.h, being a chohan and one of the senior masters (ranking next to the christ himself, can "walk into the courts of shamballa" at will. masters of my degree can only make contact with shamballa at certain stated periods, a

should consequently (if you are truly to understand the mechanism through which your soul has to function) make a much closer study of the seventh ray. it is also the incoming ray for the next immediate cycle. a knowledge of the ray influences, techniques, mechanics and objectives will be ascertained by disciples in whom these rays are pronouncedly manifesting. it is not possible for anyone under the degree of accepted disciple to find out much. the type must be definitely pronounced and the investigator advanced enough to have reached the stage of a detached observer. this detachment you can frequently attain. temperament and training have developed it in you. the second ray disciple has to learn detachment while at the same time he remains "attached and inclusive" esoterically, and this

in the individual aura of the christ; success is entirely dependent upon the disciple's persistent but non-fanatic (or do i mean frantic, brother of mine) and selfless effort. make this attempt each morning for just five minutes, but not for a longer period. i can in this case give you no instructions; you will eventually find your way alone, as must all disciples. those who are seeking to attain the degree of master have at some definite stage of their training to make this attempt. a line of contact must eventually be built, and those of you who are now disciples in my ashram can begin to make the needed effort. it will bring its own difficulties, such as over-stimulation and the arousing of glamour but if you are watchful and alert you can soon become aware of it. this must suffice for

seek during the coming year to take advantage of my suggestions- 519- discipleship in the new age- volume ii copyright 1998 lucis trust november 1944 my brother: last year my instructions to you were very brief, but they were full of suggestion and potent to bring you release, had you followed them with exactitude. there are certain forms of pride from which every one suffers more or less, though the degree and quality may differ according to ray or type. yours is a determination, or i might call it predilection, to use your mind at times when the simple acquiescence of a loving heart is what you need. l.f.u. has a form of pride also and makes a fetish of his personal liberty, consequently putting himself in bondage to the concept of freedom; he needs to learn that no one is really free, a

ALICE A BAILEY23 THE EXTERNALISATION OF THE HIERARCHY

obliterating the individual national languages in daily use in any country. two things must be realised as the interested student considers this event of externalisation: 1. the senior members of the hierarchy will not at first be the ones who will make the needed approach. under their direction and their close supervision, this approach will be made in the early stages by initiates of and under the degree of the third initiation, and also by those- 373- the externalisation of the hierarchy copyright 1998 lucis trust disciples who will be chosen and designated to implement their efforts and so will work under their direction. it is only in the later stages, and when the time has come for the return into recognised physical expression of the christ, leading to the definite restoration of t

ALICE A BAILEY24 A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS VOLUME V THE RAYS AND THE INITIATIONS

, the christ in incarnation all these dualities have played their part. man has passed from one expansion of consciousness to another. now he comes to the final duality of spirit and matter, prior to their resolution into something to which the terms "isolated unity" and "universal synthesis" give only faint and inadequate clues. to the development of this system of identification the initiate of the degree of master of the wisdom, and also (on a higher turn of the spiral) of the degree of the christ, are focussing all their efforts. up to the fourth initiation, the term "system of expansions" would seem illuminating; after that great initiation, the term "system of identification" would appear more appropriate. when the initiate has passed through the three doors, symbolically speaking, h

m and in the other kingdoms, producing rapidly changing orientation and attitudes. these forces and energies from the zodiac or from one or other of the seven rays have poured into and through our planetary life for countless aeons. each time that they cyclically make their appearance, the forms and substance in the three worlds upon which they impinge and through which they pass are different in the degree of evolutionary response and of sensitive reaction to impact. the response and the reactions of the human family as a whole, or of the individual within that whole, will differ from that of the previous cycle; with these factors the hierarchy has to contend, changing cyclically its technique and altering its modes of work in order to meet the changing need. bear this in mind. this has n

ALICE BAILEY THE LABOURS OF HERCULES

nature of the labor, and he did not. also the amazons worshipped the moon (the form, and mars, the god of war; they too did not understand their true function, for mary is pictured with the moon under her feet, and in her arms the one to be known as the prince of peace. the two ways as always there is a choice for good or evil before the native of a sign, depending on his status of evolution and the degree of sensitivity. virgo is called the goddess of virtue or of vice. but what is the root meaning of "vice "to render ineffective, and that for virgo is to negate the whole purpose of the sign, for it is said that "the christ is to her the purpose of existence" the root of "virtue" is the latin word vir meaning "strength "man, as in "virility. the deep meaning of vice as an ineffectiveness

ANTINOMIANISM

nly mainstream religion hasn't got a clue. so, let me fill you in. the true distinction between the lhp and the rhp is one of intention: the lhp seeks a separation from god or nature for the purpose of self deification and the inherent personal responsibilities that implies. the rhp seeks to merge with god, to join the natural forces, to be with god and to allow the doctines of that god determine the degree and form of self responsibility. the rhp vs. lhp is not good against evil in the classic socialized, religious, cultural sense. it is about the most important choice a conscious being can make during his/her life. the loss of personal individuality and egocentric consciousness to the gentleness, solicitude and peace of god or fighting to maintain the individual will, the sense of self k

ARADIA GOSPEL OF THE WITCHES

l he or she grants the favour demanded. this is quite classic, i.e, graeco-romanor oriental, in all of which sources the magician relies not on favour, aid, or power granted by eithergod or satan, but simply on what he has been able to wrench and wring, as it were, out of infinitenature or the primal source by penance and study. i mention this because a reviewer hasreproached me with exaggerating the degree to which diabolism introduced by the church since1500 is deficient in italy. but in fact, among the higher class of witches, or in their traditions, it ishardly to be found at all. in christian diabolism the witch never dares to threaten satan or god, orany of the trinity or angels, for the whole system is based on the conception of a church and ofobedience.the herb concordia probably t

thing, still sleeps in a dream could not escape the greeks, and they expressed it as dianaembracing endymion. but as night is the time sacred to secrecy, and as the true diana of themysteries was the queen of night, who wore the crescent moon, and mistress of all hidden things,including sweet secret sins and loved iniquities, there was attached to this myth far more thanmeets the eye. and just in the degree to which diana was believed to be queen of the emancipatedwitches and of night, or the nocturnal venus-astarte herself, so far would the love for sleepingendymion be understood as sensual, yet sacred and allegorical. and it is entirely in this sense thatthe witches in italy, who, may claim with some right to be its true inheritors, have preserved andunderstood the myth. page 39 n r r r

BELL CHRISTOPHER PAUL TSIU MARPO THE CAREER OF A TIBETAN PROTECTOR DEITY

al-eyed woman" and a demoness named sasin mamo (sa srin ma mo "earth demoness" finally, lelung zh p dorj makes another appeal to oral representation. he claims that some learned ones stated that the six might demons who emanated from tsiu marpo s body actually arose from the six body parts of the murdered chorwa. whether these specific incongruities can be substantiated is irrelevant; they detail the degree to which variations pervade this narrative as well as similar narratives. such details are not as important as the buddhist elements and plot direction, which are the key features necessary to explain and warrant the birth and evolution of tsiu marpo as the king of the violence demons. tsiu marpo in history tracing the narrative history of tsiu marpo lends itself to analysis far more th

BLAVATSKY H P ANTHROPOGENESIS

, were far more ethereal than physical, as we know the physical. that we perceive and disinter them as tangible forms, is due to the process of materialization or crystallization referred to, which took place subsequently, at the beginning of the fourth round, and reached its maximum after the appearance of man, proceeding parallel with his physical evolution. this alone illustrates the fact that the degree of materiality of the earth changes pari passu with that of its inhabitants. and thus man now finds, as tangible fossils, what were once the (to his present senses) ethereal forms of the lower kingdoms. the above brahmanical figures refer to evolution beginning on globe a, and in the first round. in this volume we speak only of this, the fourth round* this difference and the change of c

uranic allegories, as has been shown. moreover, the doctrine that the first race of mankind was formed out of the chhayas (astral images) of the pitris, is fully corroborated in the zohar "in the tzalam (shadow image) of elohim (the pitris, was made adam (man (cremona, ed. iii, 76a; brody, ed. iii, 159a "qabbalah" isaac myer, p. 420) it has been repeatedly urged as an objection that, however high the degree of metaphysical thought in ancient india, yet the old egyptians had nothing but crass idolatry and zoolatry to boast of; hermes, as alleged, being the work of mystic greeks who lived in egypt. to this, one answer can be given- a direct proof that the egyptians believed in the secret doctrine is, that it was taught to them at initiation. let the objectors open the "eclogae physicae et et

ome clear. during human life the greatest impediment in the way of spiritual development, and especially to the acquirement of yoga powers, is the activity of our physiological senses. sexual action being closely connected, by interaction, with the spinal cord and the grey matter of the brain, it is useless to give any longer explanation. of course, the normal and abnormal state of the brain, and the degree of active work in the medulla oblongata, reacts powerfully on the pineal gland, for, owing to the number of "centres" in that region, which controls by far the greater majority of the physiological actions of the animal economy, and also owing to the close and intimate neighbourhood of the two, there must be exerted a very powerful "inductive" action by the medulla on the pineal gland

g an imaginary line, or great circle, passing through the poles of the ecliptic and the beginning of the fixed magha, which circle was supposed to cut some of the stars in the great bear. the seven stars being called the rishis, the circle so assumed was called the line of the rishis. and being invariably fixed to the beginning of the lunar asterism magha, the precession would be noted by stating the degree. of any moveable lunar mansion cut by that line or circle as an index("historical view of the hindu astronomy" p. 65[[footnote(s* nanda is the first buddhist sovereign, chandragupta, against whom all the brahmins were so arrayed; he of the morya dynasty, and the grandfather of asoka. this is one of those passages that do not exist in the earlier puranic mss. they were added by the vaish

f the animals around us[[vol. 2, page] 703 worlds mentioned in the bible. those who have written on this subject have allowed themselves to be dominated by terrestrial ideas, and fell therefore into error("pluralite des mondes" p. 439) but flammarion himself falls into the very error which he here condemns, for he tacitly takes the conditions of life on earth as the standard by which to determine the degree to which other planets are adapted for habitation by "other humanities" let us, however, leave these profitless and empty speculations, which, though they seem to fill our hearts with a glow of enthusiasm and to enlarge our mental and spiritual grasp, do but in reality cause a factitious stimulation, and blind us more and more to our ignorance not only of the world we inhabit, but even

BLAVATSKY H P COSMOGENESIS

gh or low, have either individuality or personality as separate entities, i.e, they have no individuality in the sense in which a man says "i am myself and no one else" in other words, they are conscious of no such distinct separateness as men and things have on earth. individuality is the characteristic of their respective hierarchies, not of their units; and these characteristics vary only with the degree of the plane to which those hierarchies belong: the nearer to the region of homogeneity and the one divine, the purer and the less accentuated that individuality in the hierarchy. they are finite, in all respects, with the exception of their higher principles- the immortal sparks reflecting the universal divine flame- individualized and separated only on the spheres of illusion by a dif

anthropomorphic god on a mount amidst thunder and lightning; but, as we understand it, a language and a system of science imparted to the early mankind by a more advanced mankind, so much higher as to be divine in the sight of that infant humanity. by a "mankind" in short, from other spheres; an idea which contains nothing supernatural in it, but the acceptance or rejection of which depends upon the degree of conceit and arrogance in the mind of him to whom it is stated. for, if the professors of modern knowledge would only confess that, though they know nothing of the future of the disembodied man- or rather will accept nothing- yet this future may be pregnant with surprises and unexpected revelations to them, once their egos are rid of their gross bodies- then materialistic unbelief wou

njoy our five senses and no more, and do not know how to divorce our all-perceiving ego (the higher self) from the thraldom of these senses- so long will it be impossible for the personal ego to break through the barrier which separates it from a[[footnote(s* cosmic ideation focussed in a principle or upadhi (basis) results as the consciousness of the individual ego. its manifestation varies with the degree of upadhi, e.g, through that known as manas it wells up as mind-consciousness; through the more finely differentiated fabric (sixth state of matter) of the buddhi resting on the experience of manas as its basis- as a stream of spiritual intuition[[vol. 1, page] 330 the secret doctrine. knowledge of things in themselves (or substance. that ego, progressing in an arc of ascending subjecti

BLUE EQUINOX

ng him day and night. these persons must not be of higher rank than the second degree; they must volunteer for this service at the conclusion of that the equinox 242 ceremony; and therefore they give up their own prospect of advancement in the order for one year, that they may serve their fellows. this is then the first lesson in our great principle, the attainment of honour through renunciation. the degree of knights of east and west is but a bridge between the first and second series; but it is important, for in that grade a new pledgeform must be signed, and the new knight vowed to devote his life to the establishment of the law of thelema. the members of the fifth degree are responsible for all that concerns the social welfare of the order. this grade is symbolically that of beauty and

BUCKLAND RAYMOND COMPLETE BOOK OF WITCHCRAFT

e or hacksaw. however, if you feel you want this as part of your complement, by all means include it. a burin is simply an engraving tool with a handle, and can be made by fitting a sharpened nail, or similar, to a wooden handle in the same way as you fitted the athame blade to a wooden handle using the two pieces of wood. some traditions (e.g. alexandrian) use cords of different colors to denote the degree of the wearer. but the more important use of cords is in the working of magick. i will therefore leave details of cords till a later lesson, when i discuss magick and, specifically, cord magick. dress many covens and certainly the vast majority of solitary witches work naked. referred to, in the craft, as skyclad "clad only by the sky. this certainly seems a preferred and recommended pr

the move is a natural one to latti-tude. from the table of houses can be found the ascendants for the local st just calculated. the lat-titude for new york is 40 43'n (north of the equator. looking at the table of houses for new york, you would find: 22 35' scorpio now, at last, you can start to fill in one of those fascinating horoscope blanks. a line may be drawn, through the center, connecting the degree of the ascendant, on one side of the chart, with a point exactly opposite on the other side. this point opposite is called the descendant. also in the table of houses will be found the related medium coeli (m.c) its opposite point is the imum coeli (i.c) the mid-point at right-angles to the connected ascendant and descendant. these lines/points are also marked on the chart. the chart is

n and open vote [i must digress here, a moment, to comment on traditions that operate degree systems. gardnerian is a good example, though by no means the only one. in such traditions there is often (not always, certainly) a professed equality, but one that is only professed. the high priestess, and/or queen, is the beginning and end of everything. others fall into descending order depending upon the degree of advancement attained. all those of the highest (usually "third) degree are classed as "elders" and they are supposed to be the decision-makers, together with the high priestess. this used to work extremely well, and there was much merit in the system. unfortunately this seems no longer to be the case. these days there seem to be few women capable of handling the difficult position of

DAVID ICKE CHILDREN OF THE MATRIX

at we will not reveal the secrets of this, the second token of the aaronic priesthood, with its accompanying name, sign, grip, or penalty. should we do so, we agree to have our breasts cut open and our hearts and vitals torn from our bodies and given to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field" the masonic ritual says "i..most solemnly and sincerely promise and swear..that i will not give the degree of a fellow craft mason to anyone of an inferior degree, nor to any other being in the known world..binding myself under no less penalty than to have my left breast torn open and my heart and vitals taken from thence..to become a prey to the wild beasts of the field, and vulture of the air. joseph smith's "mormon" endowment ceremony was simply rituals from freemasonry's blue lodge degre

DION FORTUNE CEREMONIAL MAGIC UNVEILED

ranch of the scottish section of it, since disbanded, in 1919, and transferred from there to the section of it of which mrs. mcgregor mathers was the head, and which claimed the only orthodoxy. she nearly turned me out for writing the esoteric philosophy of love and marriage, on the grounds that i was betraying the inner teaching of the order, but it was pointed out to her that i had not then got the degree in which that teaching was given, and i was pardoned. she suspended me for some months for writing sane occultism, and finally turned me out because certain symbols had not appeared in my aura a perfectly unanswerable charge. however, i transferred again to yet another section of the order, where, for the first time, i saw justice done to what is, in my opinion, a very great system, and

DION FORTUNE MYSTICAL QABALA

ess. for its best aspects are "rest from strife" and "success after struggle" and where a sword card is associated with a sephirah whose mundane chakra is one of the astrological infortunes, the result is disastrous, and we find the lords of defeat and ruin in this suit. 46. our ability to take the geburah initiation depends upon our ability to handle the martian forces, and this is determined by the degree of self-discipline and stability we have attained in our own natures. mystical qabala page 127 47. geburah is the most dynamic and forceful of all the sephiroth, but it is also the most highly disciplined. indeed, the military discipline, presided over by the god of war, is a synonym for the sternest kind of control that can be imposed upon human beings. the discipline of geburah must e

is seeking will hear him telepathically and may become interested in what he is doing; if his adoration and sacrifices are agreeable to it, its co-operation may be obtained. gradually it may become tamed and domesticated; and finally, it may be persuaded to ensoul from time to time the form that has been built up out of mind-stuff for its vehicle. success in this operation depends, of course, on the degree to which the worshipper can appreciate through sympathy the nature of the being he is bent upon invoking, and he can only do this in proportion as his own temperament partakes of its nature. 12. if this process is successful, then we have the domestication of a portion of the life of nature, and its incarnation in a form built for it by its worshippers. as long as the astral form is kep

ELLIS LOW TWELVE 1907

rn. they have lived the scores of years since in the enjoyment of high health, which otherwise could never have been theirs. the gentleman to whom i allude is judge george n. bliss, but in his case he was a splendid specimen of athletic manhood from the beginning. he is a native of eagleville, tiverton, r. i, where he was born, july 22, 1837. he was graduated from union college, schenectady, with the degree a lively time 149 of a .b, in june, 186o. shortly after he entered the albany law school, and on his graduation, in may, 1861, was. admitted to the bar of the state of new york. in september of the same year he enlisted as a private in company b, first rhode island cavalry. young bliss's ability caused him to be made quartermaster-sergeant soon after, quickly followed by his promotion t

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

able for subjects who were markedly extreme in expressing likes or dislikes to various possible interests, while unaffectable subjects were relatively indifferent to many of these interests. by measurement on a stuart interest inventory, stuart claimed that unaffectable subjects appeared to score higher than affectable on esp perception. however, the term affectability can be applied generally to the degree of suggestibility of a subject. sources: stuart, charles. an analysis to determine a test predictive of extra-chance scoring in card-calling tests. journal of parapsychology vol. 5 (1941. an interest inventory relation to esp scores. journal of parapsychology vol. 10 (1946. affiliated new thought network the affiliated new thought network is a cooperative fellowship of independent new t

ected with prison discipline. venus is the best planet in this house, and saturn is the worst. there are numerous astrological house systems, each of which divides up the sky in a slightly different way. all of the commonly used house systems agree that the first house.seventh house axis should be drawn from the eastern horizon to the western horizon. all but one system.the equal house system.use the degree of the zodiac closest to the zenith as the place to begin the tenth house, with the point 180 degrees away (the nadir) designated as the cusp of the fourth house. hence with the exception of the equal house system, the differences between the most commonly used systems. placidian, koch, campanus.are relatively minor. sources: holden, ralph william. the elements of house division. essex

and bock. bullbeggar is probably a form of bu and bogey allied to boll (northern england, an apparition (see also boh) sources: briggs, katherine. an encyclopedia of fairies: hobgoblins, brownies, bogies, and other supernatural creatures. new york: pantheon books, 1976. boggle-threshold term coined by parapsychologist renee haynes to indicate the level at which the mind boggles or is thwarted by the degree of improbability of a phenomenon. it is similar to other measures of the strangeness level of a phenomenon expressed by others. body, mind& spirit magazine encyclopedia of occultism& parapsychology. 5th ed. 200 boguet, henri (ca. 1550.1619) grand justice of the district of saint claude in burgundy, france, during the seventeenth-century european witchcraft mania. he was the author of a

through the study of feet, similar to the study of hands in palmistry. an official cartopedist was employed by the rulers of ancient persia and india, to be consulted on such important matters as the choice of a bride. measurements and footprints were studied intensively, sometimes over a period of weeks, before interpretations were made. the size of the foot, the shape of the heel and toes, and the degree of arch were all considered, as well as the lines or markings on the foot itself. together they were believed to indicate character, ability, and destiny. cartopedy was also widely used in ancient arabia. cartopedy is still practiced in india and pakistan in conjunction with palmistry. cartopedists are consulted by parents to assess the characteristics of potential brides or husbands fo

orld war ii (1939.45, he was educated by some of the eminent scholars of the land, and as a youth also had what became his famous encounters with austrian war refugee heinrich herrar, recounted in the book and movie, seven years in tibet. due to the postwar pressures created by an expansive communist china, he assumed formal powers at the age of 16. at the age of 24 he finished his education with the degree of lharampa geshe. the dalai lama had little time to enjoy his position. unable to hold the chinese back, on march 17, 1959, he was forced to flee tibet and to establish his government in exile in dharmasala, india. more than 100,000 tibetans fled at the same time. a mirror of the traditional tibetan community, complete with monasteries and headquarters of all of the tibetan buddhist se

e time (4) that the medium is not writing (5) the writing must be actually done with the morsel of slate, or lead pencil (6) the writing is done by an intelligent being, since the answers are exactly pertinent to the questions (7) this being can read, write, and understand the language of human beings, frequently such as is unknown to the medium (8) it strongly resembles a human being, as well in the degree of its intelligence as in the mistakes sometimes made. these beings are, therefore, although invisible, of human nature or species. it is no use whatever to fight against this proposition (9) if these beings speak, they do so in human language. if they are asked who they are, they answer that they are beings who have left this world (10) where these appearances become partly visible, pe

imes i went on pilgrimages. these travels took him throughout india and to tibet, where he lived as a buddhist monk and spent three years with tibetan lama kazi dawa-sandup until the lama died in march 1922. as a result of these researches, evans-wentz published several important texts on tibetan mysticism, including the tibetan book of the dead (1927. in 1931 oxford university conferred upon him the degree of d.s. in comparative religion, a rare honor, because at that time he was one of only six persons, and the first american, to receive that degree. a year later he attended meetings of the self-realization fellowship in san diego, california, under paramahansa yogananda, a famous yogi whom he had met in india. during his travels, evans-wentz had also met sri yitkeshwar giri, a guru of y

tion is very infectious. 4. there is something in the actual building itself which produces in the brain that effect which, in its turn, becomes the cause of hallucination. personally, she did not find any of these hypotheses satisfactory and concludes, i can only say that having made every effort.as my paper will, i hope, have shown.to exercise a reasonable scepticism, i yet do not feel equal to the degree of unbelief in human testimony necessary to avoid accepting, at least provisionally, the conclusion that there are in a certain sense, haunted houses, i.e, that there are houses in which similar quasi-human apparitions have occurred at different times to different inhabitants, under circumstances which exclude the hypothesis of suggestion or expectation. frank podmore believed that the

d, since the operator, by means of voice, gestures, and manipulations of the patient s limbs, keeps alive that set of impressions relating to himself. one neural disposition is thus isolated, so that any idea suggested by the operator is free to work itself out in action, without being submitted to the checks of the sub-activity of other ideas. the alienation is less or more complete according to the degree of hypnotism, but a comparatively slight raising of resistance in the neural links suffices to secure the dominance of ideas suggested by the hypnotizer. hyperesthesia, mentioned so frequently in connection with the hypnotic state, really belongs to the doubtful class, since it has not yet been decided whether or not an actual sharpening or refining of the senses takes place. alternativ

m university press, 1991. kennard, nina h. lafcadio hearn, his life and work. new york: d. appleton and co, 1912. insight encyclopedia of occultism& parapsychology. 5th ed. 792 inspirational speakers trance mediums who deliver impromptu platform addresses on various subjects, often chosen by the audience, the contents of which seem to greatly surpass their normal intellectual power and knowledge. the degree of difference in knowledge and erudition between the medium awake and in a trance continues to be (in the case of new age channeling) one of the primary arguments in favor of the spirit hypothesis. the history of spiritualism is rich in accounts of inspirational mediums. among the most famous mediums in the united states were cora richmond (first known as miss cora scott and later as mr

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 2

of stauff in the territory of berne, declared that when pursued by the agents of justice, he escaped by taking the form of a mouse; and persons were found to testify that they had seen him perform this transmutation. the latter part of the work of the two inquisitors gives minute directions for the mode in which the prisoners are to be treated, the means to be used to force them to a confession, the degree of evidence required for conviction of those who would not confess, and the whole process of the trials. these show sufficiently that the unfortunate wretch who was once brought before the inquisitors of the holy see on the suspicion of sorcery, however slight might be the grounds of the charge, had very small chance of escaping out of their claws. the malleus contains no distinct allus

lly materialized; as a rule they were invisible below the bust, although the ectoplasmic drapery sometimes trailed nearly to the floor. layne writes, at a recent seance one of the forms, while conversing with the person at my side, advanced to within about 18 inches of my face. dr. moore then, after telling us what he was about to do, struck the head of the form lightly with his open hand to show the degree of materialization. the movement and the sound were plainly perceived. he then passed his arm through the form at the solar plexus (psychic research, july 1930. besides the materialization of spirit entities, many other objects came forth in the seance room. such phenomena, which blend into that of apports, often served to confuse researchers and distract them from the central issues of

sponsibilities of the individual. thus it was not necessary for an illuminated individual to renounce the world, and there are stories in hindu scriptures of kings and princes who did not forsake their mundane tasks after transcendental experience. it is clear from consideration of the practices of many religions that meditation may be active or passive, depending upon the techniques employed and the degree of purification of the meditator. fixed concentration upon one mental image, sound, or center in the body is a passive mechanical technique that may bring relaxation, a sense of well-being, and other benefits, but is not in itself spiritual or transcendental in the traditional sense of those terms. the popular so-called transcendental meditation technique of maharishi mahesh yogi appear

nd resumed his astrological practice. he is remembered as a prominent british exponent of a new system of division of the astrological house in the horoscope originated by italian mathematician, placidus de tito. in the midst of several systems of house division, placidus began by measuring the time needed for a point on the ascendent (horizon) to reach the midheaven (directly above the observer. the degree thus obtained is divided by three. the placidean system, introduced in the late seventeenth century, was shunned by many british astrologers. it found its major exponent in partridge. by the end of the century, partridge had emerged as the most prominent astrologer in england, a role he inherited from the late william lilly (1602.1681. he also continued lilly s attacks on fellow astrolo

ous groups built around the mental and spiritual effects of the experience of qi. the most successful, a buddhist movement named falun gong, now has followers in the millions and has become very popular in many countries with chinese expatriate communities. in 1998, the chinese government began an effort to suppress the movement in china. sources: he, hong-zhen, et al. a stress meter asessment of the degree of relaxation in qigong vs. non-qigong meditation. frontier perspectives 8, no.1 (spring 1999: 37.42. lee, richard e. scientific investigations in chinese qigong. san clemente, calif: china healthways institute, 1999. peisheng, wang, and chen guanhua. relax and calming qigong. hong kong: peace book co, 1986. qigong qigong is an ancient chinese practice believed to invigorate the body an

primarily two-fold: chance and natural parallelism of kindred minds. stage demonstrations of thought-transference are known to be explained by a secret code. sometimes, however, more subtle sensitivity may be present. the stage performer mrs. zancig, for instance, was found by james hewat mckenzie in experiments at the british college of psychic science to possess a marked gift of clairvoyance to the degree of reading passages in closed books. sources: braddon, russell. the piddingtons. london: werner laurie, 1950. gurney, edmund, f. w. h. myers, and frank podmore. phantasms of the living. 2 vols. london: trubner, 1886. reprint, gainesville, fla: scholars facsimiles, 1970. abridged edition, new hyde park, n.y: university books, 1962. myers, f. w. h. human personality and its survival of bo

rged in the land. also moving into tibet from india was a form of hindu tantra, with its emphasis upon the subtle energies of the body and ritualized sex. strong superstitions, belief in ghosts, demons, and magic coexisted with deep mystical thought. the apostle of buddhism in tibet was named padmasambhava and entered the country in the 1740s. as buddhism developed, it divided into various sects, the degree of acceptance of the local religion being an important differentiating factor. the four main groups are popularly distinguished by the color of the hats their followers wear. the older red caps or ningmapas, for example, follow the adi-yoga or path of the great perfection, founded by the guru padmasambhava, while the yellow cap sect or gelugpas follow a middle way buddhism; the kargyutp

EXTRAORDINARY ENCOUNTERS AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EXTRATERRESTRIALS AND OTHERWORLDY BEINGS

ials, and a message for mankind. new york: dutton books. bucky buck nelson, a sixty-five-year-old bachelor who lived on a remote farm in the ozark mountains of missouri, met bucky of venus on march 5, 1955. but his first sighting of spaceships took place when three of them hovered over his farm on july 3, 1954, and one shot a beam of light at him, healing his lumbago and restoring his eyesight to the degree that he no longer needed glasses. the following year on february 1, a saucer returned. this time a voice, speaking in clear english, came through a loudspeaker to ask if nelson were friendly. the voice went on to explain that the saucer s crew was from venus. nelson glimpsed three human-looking, muscular men inside the craft. around midnight on march 5, the three men, with their dog, 38

FOCUS OF LIFE

n life but to the extent of your will in life, that much is your consciousness in death. death is the manufacture of life. a dream is a sore likeness of life. death is a sore dream of life. its period depending on the perfection or otherwise of the individual but closely follows in duration the previous life-till re-incarnation. death being a living nightmare of life, has painful possibilities-in the degree of unified consciousness. a ghostly world of 'perhaps' where all the vague potentialities of desire, are incarnating. there is no women as such. again i say, death is the great chance and there grasp where thou hast before failed in body. if fate is life, then death is the hazard to alter fate! a world where will creates the afterthought in its own image. for most, death will hold mainl

FREEMASON BLUEBOOK

ty of dermott in 1772, that "royal arch masons must not, at a procession, nor in any other place except in the royal arch lodge, be distinguished by any garment or badge different from what belongs to them as officers or members of the grand, or their own private lodge" dalcho, in his ahiman rezon of 1807, says "in all masonick processions, no freemasons shall wear the insignia of any order above the degree of a master mason: but, in his edition of 1822, he assigns a place in.lodge processions to "masons of such of the higher degrees as are recognized by the grand lodge, in the form of their respective orders" and changes the sentence above quoted to the following "in all masonic processions, no freemason shall wear the insignia of any order which is not recognized by the grand lodge" most

enter or leave onc without permission of the master, conveyed through the marshal or junior deacon. funeral service adopted 1942 provision for military honors masonic funeral service maine masonic text book file//c /grand lodge/bluebook/bluebook1.htm (59 of 76 [11/22/1999 11:51:56 am] adopted 1955 evening memorial service adopted 1959 to be used by lodges chapter ix. funeral service. no one below the degree of master mason can be buried with, or participate in masonic funeral ceremonies. none but master masons who are members of a lodge or registered by the grand lodge, are entitled to masonic burial, but a lodge may, if it sees fit, bury with masonic honors an unaffiliated mason. it is the duty of the lodge of which a brother is a member, or of the nearest lodge, to" perform the usual mas

FREEMASONRY AND CATHOLICISM BY MAX HEINDEL 2

lings, and told us how the flesh was warring against the spirit within himself, and how he did the wrong things which he would not do, and omitted good deed which he aspired so ardently to perform. nor will the struggle ever cease for the mystic mason until he has learned to build the temple made without hands, which is not completed until he has come to the eighteenth (1 plus 8) degree, which is the degree of the rose croix. this is the ultimate of the thirty-third degree, for three times three are nine, and one plus eight are nine. nine being the highest degree in the lesser mysteries, he who has passed this degree of the genuine mystic order is then, and then only, the widow's son of nine, or nain, ready to be raised by the strong grip of the paw of the lion of judah, to the kingdom of

FREEMASONRY AND CATHOLICISM BY MAX HEINDEL

the inspired air coalesce with the iron the blood. a process of combustion takes place, which is similar to the rusting or oxidation we observed in the iron exposed to the air. the ether contained in the dense fiber of wood, after the latter has undergone combustion in a stove, passes outwards through the iron in the form of semi-invisible heat-waves vibrating at different velocities according to the degree of heat in the furnace. so the spiritual vibration generated by the combustion of oxygen and iron in our physical bodies, passes outwards and colors our invisible vehicles according to their vibratory pitch. low vibrations are seen as red, the higher are yellow, and the highest blue. experience has taught us that combustible material may be placed in a furnace and all conditions necessa

FULLER J F C SECRET WISDOM OF THE QABALAH

circle round it. but the light of the first palace, though it may seem dark by comparison with the point itself, is yet of an immense splendour which gives off another ring or palace forming a sort of envelope around the first one. so that, emanating from the supreme point, all the degrees of creation are but envelopes, the one for the other. the envelope of the superior degree forms the brain of the degree next to it. 4 here is presented to us a system of worlds within worlds. first there is the world, or expanse, of no-thingness; then the awir, or ether; next the aur, or light; then ten sephirotic rings of light, one grosser than the other, until the last is composed of air, fire, water, earth, and spirit, or od, heh, vau, heh, and shin, in which the form is visible because of the existe

netized by x's magic; then he will accept the general symbol b (a3= a4) as reality; but not having experienced what x means by a3= a4, when he, magnetized as he is, imposes this symbol on z, he will not only adulterate it with his own leading unbalanced characteristic, which we will suppose is forcefulness (represented by c, but will do so in a lower degree, that is with lower magnetic power than the degree in which he received it. the general symbol will then become b x c (a3= a4) over 2. thus the spiritual devolution will continue, and as it rolls downwards it will accumulate more and more unbalanced forces, until it is lost in the nonsense of such a monstrous hydra-headed symbol as 100a x 500b x 1100c x 300d x 900e x 700f (a3= a4) over 3600. and as from the very beginning a3- a4 is an a

GAMBLE ELIZA BURT THE GOD IDEA OF THE ANCIENTS OR SEX IN RELIGION

ther who had brought forth the fecundative energies, female and male. not only throughout the northern hemisphere was it everywhere held in profound veneration, but among the modern egyptians it is still worshipped as symbolical of the great first cause. the lotus was the emblem venerated in the solemn celebration of the mysteries of eleusis in greece and the phiditia in carthage. in referring to the degree of homage paid to the lotus by the ancients, higgins says "and we shall find in the sequel that it still continues to receive the respect, if not the adoration, of a great part of the christian world, unconscious, perhaps, of the original reason of their conduct" it is a significant fact that in nearly all the sacred paintings of the christians in the galleries throughout europe, especi

ip was beginning to decay, reveals the fact that the god-idea comprehended a profound knowledge of nature and her laws; that while this people did not pretend to account for the existence of matter, they recognized a force operating through it whose laws were unchanged and unchanging. with these facts relative to the intelligence of an older race before us, the question naturally arises: what was the degree of civilization attained at a time when the deity worshipped was an abstract principle involving the actual creative processes throughout nature? and, notwithstanding our prejudices, we are constrained to acknowledge that these earlier conceptions are scarcely compatible with the barbarism which we have been taught to regard as the condition of all the peoples which existed prior to the

rdered them, which act was attended by a "dreadful pestilence" it is the opinion of certain writers that these women were of a different religious faith from their captors, and that so intense and bitter was the feeling upon the comparative importance of the sex functions in pro-creation, that their husbands, unable to change their views, put an end to their existence. nothing, perhaps, proclaims the degree of civilization attained by the ancient etrurians more plainly than the exquisite perfection which is observed in the specimens of art found in their tumuli. within the tombs of etruscans buried long prior to the foundation of rome, or the birth of the fine arts in greece, have been found unmistakable evidence of the advanced condition of this people. the exquisite coloring and grouping

ays of cushite splendor and supremacy; that, like all other nations which have come in contact with the aryan and semitic races, the tendency has been toward monarchial government; nevertheless, with its practically free institutions, representing as they do, in a measure, the political system of the grandest and oldest civilizations of which we have any knowledge, it furnishes an illustration of the degree of progress possible under gentile organization, at the same time that it points to the source whence has proceeded the fierce democratic spirit observed among succeeding nations, notably the greeks. modern writers agree in ascribing to the touaricks, a people inhabiting the desert of sahara, a considerable degree of civilization. we are informed that in the sahara, which, by the way, i

das and temples, and in the sacred edifices of the greeks and barbarians fires were preserved for the same reason" the festival of lamps, which was once universal throughout egypt, still prevails in china. on the evening of the fifteenth day of the first month in the year, every person is compelled to place before his door a lantern or light, such lights differing in size and expense according to the degree of wealth or poverty of those to whom they belong. light was the symbol of muth (perceptive wisdom. among the persians, the egyptians, the mexicans, the jews, the etruscans, the greeks, and the romans, fire was venerated as the essence of the deity; and, at the present time, in thibet, in china, in japan, and in portions of africa, it still forms an important part of worship. the hebrew

tuary 'consecrated' and 'sodomites' are in the hebrew essentially the same. it is amongst the hindoos of to-day as it was in the greece and italy of classic times; and we find that 'holy woman' is a title given to those who devote their bodies to be used for hire, which goes to the service of the temple" the extent to which ages of corruption have vitiated the purer instincts of human nature, and the degree to which centuries of sensuality and superstition have degraded the nature of man, may be noticed at the present time in the admissions which are frequently made by male writers regarding the change which during the history of the race has taken place in the god-idea. none of the attributes of women, not even that holy instinct--maternal love, can by many of them be contemplated apart f

GILBERT AE WAITE A MAGICIAN OF MANY PARTS

improvemen t of mankind and the encouragementof philan thropy wereand are its ostensible objects..it preaches a natural morality, and has so little interest in mysticismthat it daily misinterprets and practically despises itsownmystical symbols (pp.403-4).healso described the titles given to the 18th degree of the ancient and acceptedriteas 'splendid inanities of occult nomenclature' and compared the degree unfavourablywiththe true rosicrucian fraternity. but in the course of a very few years his attitude had changed. in1890he returned to the subject of freemasonry267in an article forthebritishmail.'thetrue object of the masonic fraternity, he declared,differs from the aimswhichhave been ascribed to it precisely inthatway inwhicha universalinstitutionwould be expected to differ from the pu

signed' by the proper officers, it willcomeforward to you by registered post. i hopethatthis actiononourpart will afford you a small partofthepleasure, which we have received in performing it.'thediploma was finally issued on7november, duly signed andsealed-theseal showingthedateoftheuniversity's foundation 'ad 1930'.whatwaite wasnottold at the time, andwhathe never learned subsequently, was that the degree was quite worthless; atlantic universityofvirginia beach, virginia, had existed for some eighteenmonthswhenitwentintovoluntary bankruptcy in december 1931,.its202 students hurriedly transferring tootherinstitutions-totheirownadvantage, for the university wasnotformally approved bythestate boardofeducation as a standard college and wasnotaccredited to award any typeofdegree. after 1931 i

GILBERT THE GOLDEN DAWN TWILIGHT OF THE MAGICIANS

ined the southern branch of the scottish section of it, since disbanded, in1919and transferred fromthere to the sectionofit of which mrs mcgregor mathers was the head, and which claimed the only orthodoxy. she nearly turned me out for writingtheesotericphilosophyofl(fveandmarriage,on the grounds that i was betraying the inner teachingof the order, butitwaspointed outto her that i had not then got the degree in which the teaching wasgiven,and i was pardoned. she suspended me for some months for writingsaneoccultism,andfinallyturned me out because certainsymbolshad not appeared in myaura-aperfectly unanswerable charge. however, i transferred again to yet another section of the order, where, for the first time, i saw justice done to what it is, in my opinion,a verygreat system,and continued m

GILBERT R A CHAOS OUT OF ORDER THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SWEDENBORGIAN RITE

11 july 1857, and found his true vocation, for on march 9th, 1856, he was ordained a minister of the new church, by the rev. b. f barrett( obituary, p. 59. his relations with the church were, however, destined to be equivocal. there were irregularities surrounding his ordination and a committee set up by its governing body recommended that the motion to receive mr. beswick into the convention in the degree of his ordination ought not to prevail 13[13. this did not prevent his acting as a lay preachcr and fund-raiser for the new york church building. at the subsequent laying of the corner-stone, on 1 july 1858, beswick gave an address on the symbolism of the ceremony, in which his enthusiasm for illustrating moral principles by way of symbols is readily apparent. from new york he moved to

GILBERT R A THE MASONIC CAREER OF A

the book 'i learned with very sincere satisfaction that you had formed a good opinion of the book. there is no opinion that i could hold in such high estimation as you have every means of knowing and have done such admirable work yourself in the same direction'45[45. but 'papus' had offered a more tangible reward than mere praise 'please accept my best thanks for your kind offer to obtain for me the degree of doctor from the ecole hermetique. i shall value the distinction highly'46[46. the degree was quite worthless but waite did use it on one occasion much later when he wished to use a pseudonym-'doctor of hermetic science- to hide his connection with an anthology of the writings of andrew jackson davis, an early american spiritualist47[47. the first copy of the book on saint-martin sent

GLOBAL FREEMASONRY

tioned, named intelligence and power, erected in front of the gate of the entrance to eternity. 72 the egyptian terminology of the lodges in their book, the hiram key, two british masonic authors, christopher knight and robert lomas, drew attention to the ancient egyptian roots of masonry. one interesting point they reveal is that the words used in the ceremony in which a mason is made to rise to the degree of master mason are: ma'at-neb-men-aa, ma'at-ba-aa'.73 knight and lomas explain that these words are used most of the time without any thought to their meaning, but they are ancient egyptian words and mean "great is the established master of freemasonry, great is the spirit of freemasonry."74 the authors state that the word "ma'at" means the skill of wall building, and that the nearest

tives. the members of the society sought to initiate a political program, first in italy, and then in france, to destroy the influence of the church, establish a new government and secularize all social institutions. the connection between masonry and the carbonari is evident. masons automatically became members of carbonari societies; in fact, from the moment they entered the society they gained the degree of master (on the other hand, it was necessary for other carbonari members to undergo a long process of advancement before achieving this degree) two cardinals by the names of consalvi and pacca issued an edict on august 15, 1814 accusing the masons and the carbonari of being organized for socio-political interference and the fomentation of hostility toward religion. this accusation pro

GNOSTIC CATECHISM

the book 'i learned with very sincere satisfaction that you had formed a good opinion of the book. there is no opinion that i could hold in such high estimation as you have every means of knowing and have done such admirable work yourself in the same direction'45[45. but 'papus' had offered a more tangible reward than mere praise 'please accept my best thanks for your kind offer to obtain for me the degree of doctor from the ecole hermetique. i shall value the distinction highly'46[46. the degree was quite worthless but waite did use it on one occasion much later when he wished to use a pseudonym-'doctor of hermetic science- to hide his connection with an anthology of the writings of andrew jackson davis, an early american spiritualist47[47. the first copy of the book on saint-martin sent

GNOSTIC HANDBOOK

are seven spheres of the planets surrounding by the eighth that of the fixed stars. the gnostic handbook page 51 the religious significance of this cosmic architecture lies in the idea that everything which intervenes between here and the beyond serves to separate from god, not merely by spatial distance but by active demonic force. thus the vastness and multiplicity of the cosmic system express the degree to which man is removed from god. the archons collectively rule over the world and each individually in his sphere is a warder of the cosmic prison. their tyrannical world-rule is called hiemarmene, universal fate.[this universal fate] aims at the enslavement of man. as guardian of his sphere each archon bars the passage to the souls than seek to ascent after death, in order to prevent

GNOSTIC STUDIES THE GNOSTIC HANDBOOK II GNOSTIC THEURGY

shells. most frequently there are seven spheres of the planets surrounding by the eighth that of the fixed stars. the religious significance of this cosmic architecture lies in the idea that everything which intervenes between here and the beyond serves to separate from god, not merely by spatial distance but by active demonic force. thus the vastness and multiplicity of the cosmic system express the degree to which man is removed from god..the archons collectively rule over the world and each individually in his sphere is a warder of the cosmic prison. their tyrannical world-rule is called hiemarmene, universal fate.[this universal fate] aims at the enslavement of man. as guardian of his sphere each archon bars the passage to the souls that seek to ascend after death, in order to prevent

tise, the energies of the mind and astral-etheric organism can be transformed. the seven chakras are located within the astral and etheric bodies (with links to the various related levels of con- sciousness) and are seen as a sequence of energy receptors an distributors, the term chakra literally means wheel of energy. the size of the chakra tends to be from two to six inches varying according to the degree of spiritual development. each of these centres is related to a state of consciousness and a colour. the states of consciousness can also be discovered by a esoteric reading of the seven days of creation in genesis the four attributes of the churches the four attributes of each church help us to appreciate the unique nature of each of the energy centres. these centres are central to the

GOLDEN CHAIN AND THE LONELY ROAD

tus sabbati 'the way of the flaming torch' and 'the way of the lightning-bolt' are known as 'the dragon's horns. it is considered a worthy aspiration for a wayfarer to realise the union of the twain: the non-dual path of the double-way. because of this dual emphasis, it is considered that only those with the capacity for receiving teachings and who bear the marks of 'unique transmission- whatever the degree of manifestation- should be invited into the formal sodality. a witch born to the path may still spend many years struggling to make manifest that which lies within and yet by vertu of the traditional rites an uncommon fate may be swiftly seized; unto such individuals the process of tuition is in truth a path of remembrance: a reclamation of ancient birthright. mystery rites: the lineag

GRAHAM HANCOCK FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS

called sacred year (the tzolkin of 260 days, which was divided into 13 months of 20 days each) the calendar called for a correction of four days to be made every 61 venus years. in addition, during every fifth cycle, a correction of eight days was made at the end of the 57th revolution. once these steps were taken, the tzolkin and the synodical revolution of venus were intermeshed so tightly that the degree of error to which the equation was subject was staggeringly small one day in 6000 years.21 and what made this all the more remarkable was that a further series of precisely calculated adjustments kept the venus cycle and the tzolkin not only in harmony with each other but in exact relationship with the solar year. again this was achieved in a manner which ensured that the calendar was c

ontinues to serve as an allegory for cosmic processes) stubbornly keeps on resurfacing, all over the world, even where the context has been jumbled or lost. indeed, in santillana and von dechend s argument, it doesn t really matter if the context is lost. the particular merit of mythical terminology, they say, is that it can be used as a vehicle for handing down solid knowledge independently from the degree of insight of the people who do the actual telling of stories, fables, etc. 29 what matters, in 25 in maori traditions the samson character is known as whakatu. see sir george grey, polynesian mythology, london, 1956 (1st ed. 1858, p. 97ff. 26 cited in hamlet s mill, pp. 104-8. 27 ibid, p. 111. 28 ibid, 233. 29 ibid, 312. graham hancock fingerprints of the gods 247 other words, is that

levels, took place only a few thousand years before the beginning of the historical period. it is therefore not surprising that all our early civilizations should have retained vivid memories of the vast cataclysms that had terrified their forefathers. much harder to explain is the peculiar but distinctive way the myths of cataclysm seem to bear the intelligent imprint of a guiding hand.1 indeed the degree of convergence between such ancient stories is frequently remarkable enough to raise the suspicion that they must all have been written by the same author. could that author have had anything to do with the wondrous deity, or superhuman, spoken of in so many of the myths we have reviewed, who appears immediately after the world has been shattered by a horrifying geological catastrophe a

GRERALD SCHUELER AN ADVANCED GUIDE TO ENOCHIAN MAGICK

your magical ability (temperance/ art in sagittarius) and initiated consciousness (hierophant in taurus. when your magical judgement (the fiery aeon) tells you that you are ready, you can then safely enter zax. if your karma (justice in libra) permits it, you will be successful (spirit of the empress. niakod is a mental sword that should accompany you when you enter or cross the 10th aethyr, zax. the degree of protection afforded by niakod is in direct pro-portion to your understanding of this formula. the sigh of niakod from the watchtower of fire the letters drun, gon, un, veh, med, gal, are written: 194 the formula of ztztzt 0 my god, but the love in me bursts over the bonds of space and time; my love is spilt among them that love not love. my wine is poured out for them that never tast

esses and human frailties will come before you. if you did or said anything in the past which you currently find embarrassing (and who hasn't) these will spring for th f rom your subconscious now wi th a te rr ible vengeance. obviously your experiences in this encounter will be your own. how you face up to ldcipsp is your own private concern. if you fail, you can always try again at a later time. the degree of guilt or self-doubt within you will determine the measure of your success because these are the elements that strengthen ldcipsp. 203 zaa, an adventure with yourself maya or illusion is an element which enters into all finite things, for everything that exists has only a relative, not an absolute, reality, since the appearance which the hidden noumenon assumes for any observer depend

empts to impose our will on certain parts of the cosmos. aleister crowley, the commentaries of al the thirteen following rituals that end this manual synthesize all of the major elements of enochian magick. all of the talismans, weapons and formulas of enochian magick presented in this manual are used in these rituals. successful execr'ion will bestow a broad range of magical power and knowledge. the degree of magical power obtained wi l l be proportional to the degree of success. each of these rituals are designed to be conducted by a s ing l e ma g i c i an. ea ch c ombine s me di t at i ons, visualizations, actions, and speeches so that all of your various components (i.e, body, speech and mind) will be engaged together in a dynamic simulation of actual spirit vision experiences in the

H SPENCER LEWIS ROSICRUCIAN MANUAL AMORC 1990

guardian can do, and must do, is to make himself or herself feel that every fair test has been applied, when there is any doubt, and, if still doubtful, leave the matter to the master of the lodge, who will make the final test and decide. the guardian and master cannot be too exact in the questions asked, and the answers returned. in other words, the member should prove his or her initiation into the degree where admission is now sought, regardless of the possession of the password or membership card or even demit. all such tests should be given in private, where the member cannot be coached by any other person. likewise, the guardian should be sure, in testing or asking a member for the password at the temple door, that no one else hears such password given. the password should always be

membership card to the secretary of a lodge, indicating that the dues have been paid to one's parent lodge, one may visit any lodge without paying dues to such lodge. arrears in dues to any parent lodge, will prohibit a member from visiting a lodge. grand lodge sanctum members may visit or attend general sessions or feast ceremonies of a regular temple. they may attend an initiation or "class" of the degree they have attained in the grand lodge (or any lower degree, but may not repeat such visit more than twice in succession without becoming members of such lodge and subject to its regulations, except under special circumstances as determined by the officers of the lodge. transfers members may be transferred from one lodge to another only when the member intends or expects to be a member o

pter, or pronaos to help meet its operational expenses. chapters and lodges have their distinctive activities. pronaos rituals are in a simpler form than lodge and chapter rituals, making it possible for smaller groups of members to work together in this type of activity. there are lodges in many cities throughout the worldwide jurisdiction. they maintain temples for a ritualistic body to conduct the degree initiations, and as these initiations are held from time to time, members in any part of the worldwide jurisdiction who can visit one of the lodges have the opportunity of receiving the full, elaborate initiations of the order. general instructions for all members the real benefits of grand lodge membership in amorc.as sanctum members and as affiliates in an affiliated body.are many. th

r molecule. all out advantage, as in the case with metals and nonmetals, leads to the formation of ionic molecules or salts. thus we see that the type of union that exists between atoms covers the range from ionic, on the one hand, to non-polar covalent on the other. the type of molecule formed when atoms combine is dependent only upon the ability of atoms to attract electrons to themselves, i.e. the degree of difference between the strength of their auras. atoms of a given type and polarity (electronegativity) do not always find themselves in the presence of atoms of a different polarity. in other words, atoms often find themselves in the presence of their own kind. under appropriate conditions of temperature and pressure the auras of like atoms may interact in such a way as to lead to th

HELENA BLAVATSKY THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY

, it lives a kind of vicarious life and reasons and speaks either through the medium's brain or those of other persons present. but this would lead us too far, and upon other people's grounds, whereon i have no desire to trespass. let us keep to the subject of reincarnation. q. what of the latter? how long does the incarnating ego remain in the devachanic state? a. this, we are taught, depends on the degree of spirituality and the merit or demerit of the last incarnation. the average time is from ten to fifteen centuries, as i already told you. q. but why could not this ego manifest and communicate with mortals as spiritualists will have it? what is there to prevent a mother from communicating with the children she left on earth, a husband with his wife, and so on? it is a most consoling b

answer that, as it has existed eternally throughout the endless cycles upon cycles of the past, so it will ever exist throughout the infinitude of the future, because theosophy is synonymous with everlasting truth. q. pardon me; i meant to ask you rather about the prospects of the theosophical society. page 139 the key to theosophy- hp blavatsky.txt a. its future will depend almost entirely upon the degree of selflessness, earnestness, devotion, and last, but not least, on the amount of knowledge and wisdom possessed by those members, on whom it will fall to carry on the work, and to direct the society after the death of the founders. q. i quite see the importance of their being selfless and devoted, but i do not quite grasp how their knowledge can be as vital a factor in the question as

produced by "spirits" i.e, the immortal principles of disembodied persons. theosophists hold that when the phenomena are genuine-which is a fact of rarer occurrence than is generally believed-they are produced by the larvae, the eidolons, or kamalokic "ghosts" of the dead personalities (see kamaloka and kamarupa) as kamaloka is on the earth-plane and differs from its degree of materiality only in the degree of its plane of consciousness, for which reason it is concealed from our normal sight, the occasional apparition of such shells is as natural as that of electric balls and other atmospheric phenomena. electricity as a fluid, or atomic matter (for occultists hold with maxwell that it is atomic, is ever, though invisibly, present in the air and manifests under various shapes, but only whe

HP LOVECRAFT A DARK LORE

tudy and experiment consumed all his time, and he mentioned a laboratory which he had established in one of his rooms. that he said nothing of antiquarian rambles in the glamorous old city with its luring skyline of ancient domes and steeples and its tangles of roads and alleys whose mystic convolutions and sudden vistas alternately beckon and surprise, was taken by his parents as a good index of the degree to which his new interests had engrossed his mind. in june, 1924, a brief note told of his departure for paris, to which he had before made one or two flying trips for material in the biblioth que nationale. for three months thereafter he sent only postal cards, giving an address in the rue st. jacques and referring to a special search among rare manuscripts in the library of an unnamed

will be opened up gulfs of time and space and knowledge beyond anything within the conception of human science or philosophy "do you know that einstein is wrong, and that certain objects and forces can move with a velocity greater than that of light? with proper aid i expect to go backward and forward in time, and actually see and feel the earth of remote past and future epochs. you can t imagine the degree to which those beings have carried science. there is nothing they can t do with the mind and body of living organisms. i expect to visit other planets, and even other stars and galaxies. the first trip will be to yuggoth, the nearest world fully peopled by the beings. it is a strange dark orb at the very rim of our solar system- unknown to earthly astronomers as yet. but i must have wri

INITIATION INTO HERMETICS

nd will be produced in the future is reflected in it. therefore, in the astral plane there is to be seen an emanation of the eternal, having neither a beginning nor an end, as it is timeless and spaceless. the adept who sees his way about this plane may find everything here, no matter if the point in question be in the past, the present or the future. how far this perception will reach depends on the degree of his perfection. occultists and spiritualists and most of religions name the astral pane the world beyond. however, the adept knows very well that there is no such thing as hence and beyond and feels no fear of death, which concept is quite strange to him. if, by the disintegrating work of the elements or a sudden breakup, the astral matrix which is connecting matter between the gross

the corresponding density-degree, according to their spiritual maturity, which is designated by various religions as heaven or hell, the adepts seeing only symbols therein. the nobler, purer and the more perfect an entity happens to be, all the purer and finer will be the density-degree of the inhabited astral plane. little by little, the astral body is dissolving, until it has become suitable to the degree of vibrations of the respective step of the astral level, or identical with it. as you see, this identification depends on the maturity and the spiritual perfection the entity concerned achieved on this earth. besides, the astral plane is inhabited by many other beings of which i am mentioning only some species here. there are to so-called elementaries, entities with one or only very fe

rity, the train of thoughts is different in each individual. the more advanced, the more cultured man is, the faster thoughts will develop in mind. likewise as the astral plane is inhabited, so too is the mental plane. besides the ideal forms, there are principally the deceased ones whose astral bodies have been dissolved by the elements in the course of their ripening, and allotted, according to the degree of perfection, to regions corresponding to their mental sphere. besides the mental sphere is the sphere of the so-called elementals, beings created consciously or unconsciously by man as a result of repeated and intense thinking. an elemental being is not yet so condensed to form or to assume any astral shape for itself. its influence is therefore limited to the mental sphere. the diffe

e already paid serious attention to this problem, and we also will have to approach this task. we shall deal here only with such kinds of truth about which we must be thoroughly informed. truth depends on the insight of each individual. and as we cannot all have the same insight or perception, it is impossible to generalize the problem of truth. therefore from is standpoint and in conformity with the degree of his maturity, each one will have his own truth, providing he sees it quite honestly. only he who knows and masters the absolute laws of the microcosm and the macrocosm is entitled to speak of an absolute truth. certain aspects of the absolute truth will be surely acknowledged by everyone. nobody, indeed, will doubt that there is life, volition, memory and intellect, and will refrain

e causal principle (the akasa) on all planes of the material, astral, and mental worlds. therefore wisdom does not depend on mind and memory but on the maturity, purity and perfection of the individual personality. wisdom could also be considered as a developmental stage of the ego. therefore, insights are not passed on thought the mind, but and this particularly through intuition or inspiration. the degree of wisdom is therefore determined by the state of development of the individual. this will not mean, of course, that we ought to neglect knowledge; on the contrary, knowledge and wisdom must go hand in hand. the adept will therefore endeavor to get on in knowledge as well as in wisdom, for neither of the two must lag behind in development. if knowledge and wisdom keep the same pace in d

number of breaths gradually to one more in the morning and at night. do not hurry or exaggerate, for everything needs time. in any case, you should not proceed to the imagination of another different desire before the first chosen one has been completely accomplished. in a pupil endowed with talents of a high order, success will manifest itself, at the earliest, after seven days, all depending on the degree of imagination and aptitude. some one else will need weeks, even moths for the realization of his desires because the kind of desires will also play an important role. it is therefore desirable not to form egotistic wishes to begin with, but to confine them to the above-mentioned ones such as tranquility, health, peace and success. do not extend breathing exercises to more than one-half

IRISH WITCHCRAFT AND DEMONOLOGY

ters iv and vi. if we have erred in inserting these, we have at least erred in the respectable company of sir walter scott, c. k. sharpe, and other writers of note. we have included them, partly because they afford interesting reading, and are culled from sources with which p. 6 the average reader is unacquainted, but principally because they reflect as in a mirror the temper of the age, and show the degree to which every class of society was permeated with the belief in the grosser forms of the supernatural, and the blind readiness with which it accepted what would at the present day be tossed aside as unworthy of even a cursory examination. this is forcibly brought out in the instance of a lawsuit being undertaken at the instigation of a ghost--a quaint item of legal lore. the judge who

ISIS UNVEILED

he fish and tortoise; and the cenozoic, which is embraced by the incarnations in the animal and semi-human forms of the boor and man-lion; and we come to the fifth and crowning geological period, designated as the "era of mind, or age of man" whoae symbol in the hindfl mythology is the dwarf the first attempt of nature at the creation of man. in this list we should follow the main idea, not judge the degree of knowledge of the ancient philosophers by the literal acc^taoce of the popular form in which it is presented to us in the grand epic poem of mah^ladrata and its chapter the even the four ages of the hinda chronology contain a far more philo- sophical idea than appears on the surface. it defines them according to both the psychological, or mental, and the physical states of man during

JASMUHEEN THE FOOD OF GODS

george goodheart and given wider application by dr john diamond, behavioral kinesiology is the well established science of muscle testing the body where a positive stimulus provokes a strong muscle response while a negative stimulus provokes a weak response. using diamond s system, hawkins developed a calibrated scale of consciousness, in which the log of whole numbers from 1 to 1,000 determines the degree of power of all possible levels of human awareness. in this model 200 represents emotions of positive stimulus where muscle response remains strong and below 200 is where muscle response weakens as emotions anger, fear, guilt or shame, begin to influence the body. 200 is the energy of truth and integrity, 310 is the calibration for hope and optimism, 400 is the energy of reason and wisd

JESSUP MK THE CASE FOR THE UFO

the awarding of the doctorate degree. sometimes these doctoral candidates are deferentially called doctor by their associates, though it cannot be used officially by them. this would seem to be the case of jessup, who was often addressed as dr. jessup, but who never used the title in correspondence, nor on the covers or title pages of his four books. very likely jessup was never actually awarded the degree. apparently, his thesis consisted of a report on his research program which (again according to the book jacket) resulted in several thousand discoveries of physical double-stars which are now catalogued in the memoirs of the royal astronomical society of london. the short biography also lists other important research activities by jessup. it indicates that he was assigned by the united

LAITMAN M BASIC CONCEPTS IN KABBALAH

one s development creates either a deeper, or a more superficial, recognition of evil, and a more powerful or less powerful desire to be rid of it. the source of all evil is our egoism because it is opposite to the nature of the creator, who wishes to bestow only good upon us. since all that we perceive as pleasant comes personally from him, proximity to the creator is perceived as pleasure, and the degree of remoteness from him is proportionally perceived as suffering. because the creator hates egoism, humans, too, abhor it, depending on the extent of their development. attitudes towards egoism are wide-ranging, from acceptance of egoism as normal in a spiritually undeveloped person who uses it without restriction (down to stealing and murdering openly, to a more developed person s feeli

ltimate pleasure. for this reason, the creator created souls, the will to receive pleasure. and since he wished to completely satiate them with delight, he created a massive will to enjoy, well matched for his will to bestow pleasure. thus, the soul is the will to enjoy. in accordance with this desire, the soul receives pleasure from the creator. the amount of received pleasure can be measured by the degree of desire to receive it. all that exists is either related to the creator or to his creation. prior to the creation of the will to enjoy, or the souls, only the creator s will to bestow delight existed. hence, in line with his desire, the will to bestow delight created an equal amount of the will to enjoy; however, it was opposite in property. consequently, the will to enjoy is the only

re the ability to receive pleasure for the sake of both othf r o m t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e z o h a r 69 ers and the creator. when the soul enters the body, the desire is born for altruism, an aspiration for the creator. the force of this aspiration will depend on the magnitude of desire. all that the soul attains in the second state remains in its possession forever, regardless of the degree of decay or age of the body. conversely, outside of it, the soul instantly receives a corresponding spiritual level and returns to its root. naturally, the soul s eternity in no way depends on the knowledge that was acquired during life, which disappeared with the demise of the body. its eternity lies only in the acquisition of the creator s traits. it is known that during the 6,000 yea

LAITMAN M FROM CHAOS TO HARMONY

t altruistic force. it is unchanging and constantly pressures us to balance with it. the only thing that does change and grow, according to the embedded program, is the ego within us. the ego s increasing contrast from nature s force intensifies the imbalance, which we experience as pressure, discomfort, suffering, and other negative phenomena and crises. the intensity of this pressure depends on the degree of our imbalance. this is why, in the past, suffering and discomfort were less, since egoism was smaller. today, we find that it is increasing daily. chapter four: breaching the balance 75 it follows that we alone determine the intensity of the suffering or happiness that we experience, depending on the level of our imbalance with nature. in other words, the fact that we are non-integra

e of other nations or countries. the nationalistic idea of the nation that the wisdom of kabbalah talks about is as far from traditional nationalism as the east is from the west. we must not regard ourselves as superior to others. quite the contrary, the chosen people means that this people was chosen to serve all the nations. its duty is to help them achieve equilibrium with nature, and to reach the degree of the greatest spiritual prosperity. we must regard ourselves as a means towards that end and nothing else; and we will only be able to perform it by achieving unity among ourselves. our return to israel under threat was part of nature s plan, and thus gave us the opportunity to discover for ourselves our inner need to unite, and to create a nation that leads humanity to wholeness. it

forces, even though they are hidden from us. in fact, all of the phenomena we observe in human society, in human relations, among peoples or among countries, are the effects of nature s forces, which manipulate human society as a shepherd leads a herd. 180 from chaos to harmony if we want to change our situation, we must understand these forces and affect the place from which they affect us. and the degree from which they affect us is above the human level, hence it is called nature s upper level or the upper world. kabbalists describe this modus operandi in the following words (bereshit raba, 10, 6: there is not a blade of grass below that does not have an angel (force) above it that strikes it and tells it: grow. in other words, nothing changes in our world without a force that operates

LAITMAN M KABBALAH ATTAINING THE WORLDS BEYOND

question regarding the meaning of our lives stands out particularly clearly. at times it seems that life is more difficult than death itself; therefore, it is no surprise that ethics of the fathers states "against your will do you live" nature created us, and we are forced to exist with the qualities that were imposed upon us. it is as if we were only semi-intelligent beings: intelligent only to the degree that we are aware that our actions are determined by our inherent characteristics and qualities, and that we cannot go against- 15- them. if we are at the mercy of nature, then there is no predicting where this wild, unreasonable nature can lead us. our natures are responsible for constantly causing conflicts between individuals and entire nations, who, like wild animals, are engaged in

en we appeal to him, does he appear not to respond, preferring instead to affect us in a way that is hidden from us, concealed behind nature and our environment? if he desired to correct us, that is, to correct his own "error" in creation, he could have done so long ago, either perceiving the creator- 21- directly or indirectly. if he revealed himself to us, we would all see and appreciate him to the degree allowed by our senses and the intelligence with which he created us. surely then we would know what to do and how to act in this world, which was supposedly created for us. furthermore, paradoxically, as soon as we strive to reach the creator, to perceive him, to come closer to him, we feel our yearning for the creator vanish, disappear. but if the creator directs all of our sensations

sk for compassion. inside the internal sensations of the kabbalist exists a part of the higher level, of the future state (ahap. one who- 122- attaining the worlds beyond perceives a higher spiritual level as an unattractive vacuum, rather than a state full of light, does not receive from the higher level. even though the higher level is full of light, the lower level perceives the higher only to the degree that the lower qualities permit one to do so. since the present qualities are not sufficient to receive the higher light, the individual does not perceive it. the concealment of the creator causes each of us to put forth a tremendous effort to attain the level of existence customarily accepted by our society. we blindly move forward, guided by the quiet internal whispers of our egoism

n the highest step, whereas the lowest step comes down to our world. human beings are situated below the lowest spiritual step, since our initial egoistic level is not connected with the first spiritual state, which is completely altruistic. we can perceive an upper spiritual level when our qualities and those of the spiritual state coincide. then, our degree of perception will be proportional to the degree of congruence between our qualities and those of the spiritual. we can perceive the upper level because all the spiritual steps are arranged sequentially from lowest to highest. moreover, the subsequent states overlap with one another; the lower half of the higher state is situated within the upper half of the lower state (ahap of upper falls into ge of lower. thus, the lowest part of o

results from the fact that we expect to receive maximum benefit from any social contact that we engage in. for instance, the seller would prefer to receive money without parting with the object of sale. on the other hand, the buyer would like to receive the goods for free. an employer dreams of free laborers, while the laborers want to get paid without working. our desires can be measured only by the degree of suffering resulting from the absence of the desired. the greater the suffering from a lack of the desired, the greater the desire for that object. it is said "the creator desires to dwell in lowly creations" our goal in life, as well as the purpose of creation, is to create in ourselves the right conditions for the divine to dwell within us. idol worship (avoda zara) is the adherence

to rid ourselves of this quality, we would once again become part of the creator. we must believe that the creator is concealed only because we cannot perceive him, and that this concealment was designed only for our benefit. thus, until we are ready to face the truth, we must believe that the truth is very different from the way we perceive it. the truth can only be grasped gradually and only to the degree that we have been able to attain perfection. hence, any spiritual work is possible only as long as the pleasure of the spiritual realm is concealed from us. only then will we be able to say that our loathing towards the spiritual was purposely sent by the creator, and that, in fact, nothing is more perfect than the spiritual. if, contrary to feelings of gloom, depression and emptiness

nce toward the creator until we can finally cleave to him in all desires and qualities. but when we are still at the beginning of the path, we neither sense nor understand the creator. after making a number of unsuccessful attempts to advance towards him, it suddenly appears to us that while we want to draw close to the creator, he disregards us. in response, instead of increasing our yearning to the degree required to attach ourselves to the creator, we begin in our hearts to blame him for ignoring us. we become angry and completely forget that the creator wants us, to exactly the same extent, and for this reason gave us such yearnings toward him. as long as we lack complete faith in the oneness of the creator, we will inevitably repeat our mistakes time after time, until the creator make

e characteristic thoughts and desires are called by various names of our world. therefore, under the categories of "sinners" and "the righteous" are described the states of one individual. concealment refers not only to the concealment of the creator, but also to the concealment of a person from oneself. we do not really know ourselves or our true characteristics. these are revealed to us only to the degree to which we are able to correct them (in this matter, a person is comparable to a container of garbage: the more one searches within oneself, the greater is the stench perceived. revelation and concealment- 167- for this reason, the creator shows those who are only at the beginning of the path, the sinners, that their egoism is not so formidable that it cannot be overcome. this is so th

mined by contemptible personalities who constantly change their principles, thus proving that they lack substance and that their norms are groundless and false. revelation and concealment- 175- 15 gradual spiritual correction faith above reason allows us to perceive our greatest enemy (the one who stands in our way of attaining goodness) precisely by reason. we can sense and perceive evil only to the degree that we believe in spiritual pleasure above reason. objectively, there is nothing else but the creator, but this realization occurs on the highest level of kabbalistic perception. until that time, however, we perceive ourselves in this world as well. in the process of gaining perception, we come to understand what is (1) the creator (2) the first creation (3) creations (4) the pleasure

pleteness. the individual is happy even with a small connection that exists with spirituality. one is happy to have deserved to receive the desire and abilities to do even the slightest in the spiritual realm before the creator. 9. to advance also in the left line. however, thirty minutes per day are sufficient in order to reflect on how much one prefers the love of the creator over self-love. to the degree that the person recognizes any lacks, to this measure one is required to pray to the creator about these feelings, that he should draw one closer on the true path that specifically combines the two lines- 180- attaining the worlds beyond in the work itself, we must concentrate our thoughts and desires in a specific order: 1. to learn the ways of the creator and the secrets of kabbalah

LAITMAN M KABBALAH SCIENCE AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

from the word bar (outside. thus, the term creature or created being refers to something or someone outside the creator s will. once a creature is formed, it undergoes a sequence of interconnected states resulting from cause and effect. these states are referred to as upper worlds. the upper light and the will to receive descend through the upper worlds to the lowest degree, called our world. at the degree of our world, we are totally controlled by the will to receive and we are completely detached from the sensation of the upper light, the creator. once the will to receive descends to our world, it becomes independent from the creator s domination because only by so detaching can the purpose of creation--to make the will to receive identical to the creator--be realized. in kabbalah, this

tzilut, the will to receive is split in two: an inner part soul--and an outer part environment (surroundings, in which the soul operates. this stage still does not pertain to our world. as a result of later events, the soul and its environment will experience a process of shattering, and consequently decline sevpa r t i: k a b b a l a h m e e t s q ua n t u m p h y s i c s 36 eral degrees down to the degree of this world. only now begins the formulation of the matter that makes up our world. from this stage onwards, from the broken will to receive, begins the historic evolution of the material world we are familiar with. once the universe has been created, the still (inanimate, vegetative, and the animate degrees are made, and following them, the speaking (human) degree is formed (figure 5

ples, this group of kabbalists lost its perception of the upper reality; they fell from their degree of spiritual consciousness and were able only to perceive their physical reality. this was actually a gradual process. some lost their spiritual perception with the ruin of the first temple, and the rest lost it with the ruin of the second temple. rabbi akiva was the last great kabbalist to attain the degree of the spiritual law, love thy friend as thyself. the intensification of egoism induced unfounded hatred, and only religion remained for people, instead of the wisdom of kabbalah. t h e n a t u r e o f m a t t e r 41 yet, despite the decline, a select few remained kabbalists, and they passed the wisdom on from generation to generation until a time when all of humanity would need it. tod

of it, a part that justifies it. in that state, a person is called a tzadik, and this is the tzadik s nature. 125 degrees comprise the justification of the creator s actions. total agreement with the creator s actions is achieved at the last degree. every person must reach this final degree. this process of life and death, which repeatedly recycles us to this world, is what enables us to rise to the degree of utter righteousness, that of one who completely justifies the creator. h u m a n s u f f e r i n g dr satinover: i think the topic that people find most difficult to accept is human suffering. on the one hand, suffering motivates people to search for spirituality. on the other hand, it is very hard to accept suffering. how does kabbalah relate to this question? rav laitman: this is i

people, learning what he said and what he did. to know all that, a kabbalistic researcher must turn back in time to reach the same state that abraham did, meaning a specific degree, and tell us about that reality by being fully present in it. a kabbalist can gather impressions from that time and convey them to us. baal hasulam describes it in the following manner: but, because those that reached the degree where abraham stood, or anyone, they see and know what abraham saw and knew. for this reason they know what abraham would say, and likewise in all the sayings of our sages when they interpreted the verses of the torah. all that was because they too attained the degree, and each degree in spirituality is a reality. everyone sees the reality, as all those who come to the city of london in

ink we can control the matter of our world, but when we rise to a higher level, we immediately realize that matter is but a consequence. matter is operated upon by the upper forces, the upper worlds. because we are not yet in those worlds, we are unable to control it. pa r t i i: t h e e s s e n c e o f t h e w i s d o m o f k a b b a l a h 90 if we want to change anything at all, we must rise to the degree above our own, where preparations were made before they were implanted in us. only at that level will we acquire a certain level of understanding and ability to change anything at all. life repeatedly proves that we do not control anything, and more often than not, we are in our golden years before we realize that life has simply flown by. notwithstanding technological progress, humanit

ly to the highest level in reality the creator s level. while in this world and ascending towards the creator, we hold both ends of reality, as we are in our world physically, and in our souls at the level of the creator. this is the purpose of our existence, predetermined by the creator who leads all of us toward it. at the end of all our physical incarnations in this world, our souls will reach the degree of the creator. this process is similar to any other gradual process in reality. from the creator s point of view, the beginning of the process and its end are at the same point. but while there is no concept of time for the creator, for us the process extends over millennia, a long enough period for us to acquire the necessary insights and qualities to evolve. these will help us gradua

is connected to the same element in all the other worlds by a root and branch connection. based on that principle, kabbalists developed a language that relies on the parallelism between the upper worlds and our own world. in it, processes unfolding in the spiritual world are described using names of branches taken from our world. kabbalists use four different languages to explain how we can reach the degree of the creator and how we can draw to ourselves the correcting force that will invert our nature from egopa r t i i: t h e e s s e n c e o f t h e w i s d o m o f k a b b a l a h 100 ism to altruism. these languages are the language of the bible, the language of laws, the language of legends, and the language of kabbalah. in his essay, the wisdom of kabbalah and its essence, baal hasula

n only detect the rays by their reflection off the dust in the air. in other words, if the creature does not feel a certain thing, it cannot say that it exists on the outside. in such a state, we say that all that exists is the thought of creation to do good to that which has been created. the creature, which is at ein sof, discovers the ein sof according to its relative correction or corruption. the degree of intensity in which it feels the light in each of the spiritual levels, from ein sof to the creature, depends only on the individual creature. for this reason, we say that all the worlds are within each creature, and only after we perceive certain parts of the thought of creation do we become aware of the existence of this thought. we cannot talk about the creator, attainment, or fulf

creature changes according to the changes in the creature. this enables one to picture the creator according to one s own attributes. in fact, in so doing one builds the creator within; there is no other way to sense the creator. projecting one s attributes upon the abstract light illuminates the level above one s present level, which is the level that one pictures as the creator. thus, we refer the degree slightly higher than ours, which we will attain next, as the creator. once we have equalized with the attribute of bestowal on that degree, we take the place of the creator. now that person is in the place where the creator was before (in our eyes. thus, as we evolve, we always picture the next degree through our corrupted attributes. we build the image of the creator, which we aspire t

LAITMAN M THE KABBALAH EXPERIENCE

people will actually participate in this process. t h e s t at e o f h u m a n i t y q: relative to the spiritual world, what is humanity s position? a: man s place in the upper world depends solely on the power of the screen that he attained. this, in turn, is determined only by the distance from the state where all of man s desires are in this world, with the aim for me, and by the nearness to the degree of the creator, meaning the intent for him. t h e t h o u g h t o f c r e a t i o n 17 q: to the best of my understanding, there is always only one man on earth, who is in the upper world, higher than all other kabbalists. who is that man today? a: it is said: israel is not widowed, and also, there is not a generation when there are no such men as abraham, isaac and jacob. there are hid

ld of atzilut. our world was created much like those worlds. everything that exists in any of the four worlds descends from the world of atzilut. by the same path, the soul rises from our world to atzilut. we attain the world of atzilut by replacing our attributes, which are called our world, with attributes called the world of atzilut. this is our goal in this world, and everyone must follow it. the degree, the attributes, the place to which we all must rise, is called our root. the present degree is the place where we are at the given moment, the place where our i is, which is called a branch. each root has its own branch. t h e s e n s at i o n o f t h e r e c e i v e r q: why did the creator make his creation feel deficient upon receiving? a: he did so in order to awaken in us the need

s at i o n o f t h e r e c e i v e r q: why did the creator make his creation feel deficient upon receiving? a: he did so in order to awaken in us the need to change our intent to receive into intent to give. only to those whom the creator wants near him does he send the sensation that they receive from him. t h e k a b b a l a h e x p e r i e n c e 24 in order to feel it, one must first rise to the degree of the revelation of the creator, to feel him as the giver. man can ask for that revelation because it is for the purpose of correction, not for pleasure. the host offers his guest food and drink. all the guest actually wants is the food, but along with his desire (vessel) and the future pleasure (the light, there is yet another sensation v the presence of the host, the giver. because o

ll help, since there is no vessel to receive it. t wo l aw s o f c r e at i o n q: who is the creator? a: the wisdom of kabbalah, which studies the collective law of creation, uses words such as god, creator, and emanator, as technical names for forces, lights and degrees. the names, creator and emanator, are similar in definition. for example: each upper degree is called creator when relating to the degree below it, because the upper degree creates, controls, and develops the lower degree. creator is also a collective name for everything that exists, besides the souls, which are called creatures. the creator is a collective, special force that monitors the whole system of creation. that force is one and unique. in kabbalah there is but one primary law v the law of creation, which is to de

m, lishma, is found in the words themselves: all the efforts, the aims v only for the creator. he is the one who receives the results of my efforts. there is another term: not in order to be rewarded, which is at an even higher degree, when there seems to be no connection between me and the reward, when all the joy comes not to me, but to the creator. i am in the present, below the barrier, below the degree of lishma. that is why i cannot understand the sentence to work for someone else, without any benefit for myself. after all, regardless of what i think of the reward, i always work for myself. w h y s t u dy? q: why should i study? a: while we are working lo lishma, we cannot perceive that our actual purpose can be the opposite of our apparent intentions. that is where the question, why

e highly spoken of, to maintain what i had been taught to do, and thus put my mind at ease. of course now, when i realize how selfish i was, i get depressed. nevertheless, it is a necessary phase. t h e t h o u g h t o f c r e a t i o n 41 q: how do i begin to hate the situation of lo lishma so i can perform the restriction? a: you mean, how can you advance from a spiritual degree of lo lishma to the degree lishma? to do so, you must come to such a high degree of lo lishma, that it will be clear to you that lo lishma is a false situation, and you will despise that lie. when you really do begin to hate that situation, and hate that lie of lo lishma because you have now discovered the truth, you can compare the two and clearly see where the deceit lies. if you begin to feel the light of lish

sensation of the absence of the creator is torment itself, though we are unaware of it. there is, in fact, nothing but a light and a vessel, which is the desire for light. if i were to turn to him and beg, don t leave me. stay close to me, stay in my soul, in the simplest of words, it is the most effective means to success. i am now referring to the beginning of the way. after that, we arrive at the degree of lo lishma (not for her name) and lishma (for her name, meaning for me and for him. at that point, i become grateful for the pain! but that will happen later on. i don t want people to wake up only under the impact of pain and disaster. i want people to awaken through studying and reading books. but they do not bother opening a book until they receive a warning. a person who experienc

orld are called the 613 mitzvot, the laws of the torah. q: so if they do not change anything here, why do we still have to keep them? a: if we observe them in the flesh, we do it unconsciously, and by that we somehow equalize with the 613 upper laws, and for that reason we get a certain amount of light from above. that spiritual light does not develop us, but guards us, which is why it belongs to the degree of the still, which does not change. a kabbalist who attains the upper world also attains the inner meaning of the 613 laws of the upper world. who gave us those laws? moses. where did he get them? not from our world, but from the attainment of the upper world. there has always been tension between those who observe the laws solely at the level of this world, and those who want to obser

e only supplementary means of expression. man s real attainment is possible only through a system called the wisdom of kabbalah. t h e s i x t h s e n s e q: is there such a term as a sixth sense in kabbalah? a: only through the system of kabbalah can one develop the sixth sense. it is because all other methods are based on limitations. a person must lower self to the level of a plant and even to the degree of still (inanimate. every other system is based on suppressing the desire to receive: we try to eat as little as possible, breath as little as possible, and think only one thought; close ourselves, isolate ourselves, and live in secluded places. the wisdom of kabbalah, however, is completely opposite: it develops the will to receive, intensifies it as much as possible, and makes it eve

this life or the next. the method of kabbalah prepares a person to enter the upper world with knowledge and powers, without harming self or others. one enters the spiritual world only by the extent of one s correction. consequently, there cannot be a situation where a person enters prematurely and inflicts damage. the measure of correction is the measure of the penetration to the upper world, and the degree of cooperation with providence. w h at t o s t u dy a n d h ow q: what exactly do you learn in kabbalah? is it only about the aim, or is it a real academic study? a: kabbalah is a very real and accurate system, by which a person begins to gradually feel the creator in mind and heart, to a greater extent than we feel our current environment. the creator is sensed a lot more t h e s t u d

LAITMAN M THE PATH OF KABBALAH

how he works on our sensory organs. only through these sensations can we guess anything about the creator. hence, the study of kabbalah must be correctly directed; thoughts must be focused on studying the inner attributes that we are still unable to see in ourselves. all the worlds, partzufim, sefirot, names, everything the kabbalah speaks of, exists in us and will be revealed in us, depending on the degree of our correction. we will find our inner moses and aaron, king david and the angels, the evil, the righteous, and the degrees of attainment called jerusalem, the temple and more. every word in the torah speaks of our own forces and our levels of ability to sense the creator. that is the only topic of discussion of the torah. that is also the only thing we speak of in our daily lives, b

eature, limited by nature and divided by four degrees of desire: still, vegetative, animate, and speaking (man. man is the only degree that can use nature with a special, self-created aim. it is called the point in the heart. the first phase is the fetus, the root coarseness: when one nullifies oneself completely, melts, so to speak, in the creator. after that, the creature must gradually rise to the degree of the creator and overcome the differences that exist between the creator and the creature. using this aim, we seemingly build the creator within us, but all along we feel the self, because the self is really the creator. by attaining the creator and equalizing in form with him, we attain our own unique self. the creator wants a creation that can retain its independence even when it fe

creature retains its independence by using the desires that it wants to return to the creator. that is where they are equal. the creature s purpose is to attain complete wholeness while retaining its nature. the creator couldn t have created an incomplete creature. he had to create a creature equal to him. and the way to do it was by creating a creature and giving it the possibility of attaining the degree of the creator by itself. t h e pa t h o f k a b b a l a h 14 that is the meaning of perfection. when that is attained, there is a clear sensation that there is nothing other than the creator and the creature. the creature discovers that it doesn t exist without the creator, but the creator cannot be called a creator if there isn t a creature, just as a woman cannot be called a mother i

only rely on my feelings without any concrete basis. when one attains spirituality, it is a different feeling altogether. we discover that our inner feelings arise from the actions of the creator. we learn that man and the creator are one and the same thing. there is no contradiction between them; they want the same thing, and there isn t even a cause and consequence. this is called the unity of the degree. yet we must act as we actually feel. on the one hand, we read inspiring essays that say, he is one and his name is one, but we still have to act according to our current levels of spirituality. there is nothing missing in spirituality. for example, when an experience is over, it still remains, although it is no longer present in my current feeling. this is called there is no absence in

lationships between spiritual properties, although this understanding cannot be compared with the actual sensation when spirituality is attained. when the zohar says, go and ask rabbi shimon and rabbi abba, it means that you should ascend to their degree and ask why they present things the way they do. when the zohar writes that a certain person met rabbi shimon, it means that that person rose to the degree pa r t o n e: t h e b e g i n n i n g 21 of rabbi shimon, and can therefore see and understand what rabbi shimon can. this is how a degree gets its name, and when we ascend to it, we are called by that name. if we attain only a part of that degree, we are regarded as a son to it. that is why we are considered the sons of adam, because we are all parts of the degree called adam, and our

do not need the law. we rise above it and keep it of our own conscious will. since our souls consist of five parts, we must acquire five separate screens in ascending degrees of power, according to the coarseness of the egoism. we cross the barrier when we acquire a screen of root coarseness and attain the spiritual degree of the world of assiya. a screen for first degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of yetzira. a screen for second degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of beria. a screen for third degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of atzilut. and finally, a screen for fourth degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of adam kadmon. above adam kadmon, the soul ascends to the world of ein sof. there are five partzufim in

understand it clearly is based on a single spiritual attribute: because there are no boundaries in the spiritual world, the difference between spiritual objects is measured in attributes. if two objects are identical in every property, they unite and become one. thus, the spiritual world is a world of attributes and desires. the separation or unity of two spiritual objects/desires is measured by the degree to which they are identical. the spiritual sphere is not a physical one, but one of desires, the highest being that of the creator, and the lowest, its total opposite. there are five principal spiritual degrees between these opposing desires, called worlds. we can traverse them according to the changes in our attributes and desires. when our desires become identical with those of a cert

e number of people permitted to write. there are only three kabbalists who attained the final degree and were permitted to describe the system. they are rabbi shimon bar-yochay, author of the zohar, the ari, author of the tree of life, and rabbi yehuda ashlag, author of the sulam commentary on the zohar and the study of the ten sefirot. these books were all written after their authors ascended to the degree of the creator in every property and capability. when one acquires the attributes of the creator, one becomes free. such a person is not limited in any way, but is above everything. kabbalah rarely mentions one s ascent in the degrees, though it is the most important thing for us. the books speak primarily of one s descent from the worlds above. the descent is described in detail in the

y the kabbalists who climb the spiritual degrees have real freedom. furthermore, the more they correct themselves, the greater is their capability to lead the world. we learn about the descent of the light from the creator down to our world in the study of the ten sefirot, in the zohar, and in the writings of the ari. the other part of kabbalah, which talks about our ascent from our world back to the degree of the creator, is described quite vaguely in the books. this work is called the work of god, a work by which we equalize our form (properties) with those of the creator. pa r t o n e: t h e b e g i n n i n g 51 q: is kabbalah the only way to feel the creator, and if so, how can that be proven? a: yes, it is. start studying and you will see that there is nothing as logical or scientific

evolves through the (spiritual) degrees of still, vegetative, animate, and speaking. 1. still: the desire for physical pleasures, such as food and sex. 2. vegetative: the desire for money and wealth. 3. animate: the desire for respect and power. pa r t o n e: t h e b e g i n n i n g 53 4. speaking: the desire for science, self-awareness, and learning about the surrounding world. 5. the spiritual: the degree where the desire for spirituality appears. in fact, this is no longer a degree, but a meta-degree, as the object of desire is outside this world. q: how is progress in spirituality expressed? a: spiritual progress consists of being in two opposite situations: right and left intermittently. it is as though we walk on two legs, stepping on our right leg and then on our left. each step pro

LEADBEATER C W THE HIDDEN LIFE IN FREEMASONRY 2E

ys in the co-masonic mystic charge, glike massive doorways, leading nowhither h. 76. there is no reason why we in the present day should not do as much with our ritual as did the ancient egyptians. any defects that may stand in the way are to be found not in the outer world, but in the failure on the part of the brn. to realize the seriousness of the work which they have undertaken, or to rise to the degree of unselfishness that is requisite to ensure regular attendance for the sake of humanity. in egypt no one troubled the bro. secretary with letters of excuse; the brn. considered their membership the most valuable privilege and blessing of their lives, and were always in the lodge at the proper time, unless too ill to move. let us hope that freemasonry will have a future worthy of its pa

round that, like the columns of an old temple, such as that shown in our illustration (plate v. 312. the apron 313. every mason at a lodge meeting must wear the distinctive badge which is called an apron, and it is only when doing so that he is, in masonic parlance, gproperly clothed h. he may wear additional decorations, such as collars or jewels, indicating the special office which he holds, or the degree which he has taken, but unless he wears at least the apron he cannot be admitted to the lodge- the only exception being in the case of a candidate for initiation, who, not being yet a bro, has no right to wear that distinguishing badge. there are certain higher degrees in which the apron is not worn, but its place is taken by other insignia. that is only because the need for it is past

nication with certain orders of earth-spirits whose attention is attracted by them, whose eager service is at once at the disposal of those who are duly qualified to summon them, though they will take no notice of a call from one who has not been properly introduced to them by initiation into the e.a. degree. their main use in the ceremony is to create an atmosphere- the atmosphere appropriate to the degree which is being worked; and in that special work they become extraordinarily proficient, answering instantly to the call of the k c s with military promptness and precision, so that even when the lodge is being raised or lowered by the short method they are able to produce the required changes as quickly as the commands can be issued. 430. this generation of the proper atmosphere is one

the lord christ himself, and with the reservoir of power which he has set apart for the celebration of the sacraments, so are the initiates of the various degrees in freemasonry linked according to their rank with the h.o.a.t.f, and with the reservoir of power set apart for the work of the craft. every freemason has a certain touch with him; but the first great link directly with him is given in the degree of i.m (for it is practically a separate degree, although it is not called so, and closer links still are conferred in the higher degrees of the ancient and accepted scottish rite; so that the earnest mason becomes a veritable outpost of his consciousness, a channel of his power and a minister of his will. such brn. act as his representatives in their lodges and chapters, and have the r

gateway at the entrance of a path along which we may proceed as quickly or as slowly as we will. 457. in considering this ceremony of initiation to the stage of the e.a. it will be useful to regard it from three aspects or points of view (1) as an impressive ceremony of admission (2) as a preparation for and an indication of the life which the man must lead and the work which he must do while in the degree to which it admits him (3) as putting in a powerful and effective symbolical form the teaching which it is one of the purposes of this degree to impress upon him. when we examine the ceremony in detail i think we shall find that every incident in it falls under one or other of these three heads. 458. thinking of the ritual from the point of view of a ceremony of admission into the order

and arms are both raised as all sing, gmay the vow be kept h. when these words are uttered every bro. should wish with all his force that the candidate may have the strength to keep the vow which he has just taken. 527. the r.w.m. now creates, receives, and constitutes the candidate an e.a.f, with k c s with the g c upon the f c s c placed upon his s c s and h c in turn. though the r.w.m. confers the degree, he is of course acting on behalf of the h.o.a.t.f, and is a channel for his power. obviously also the three touches of the f c s c convey different aspects of that power, corresponding to the three aspects of the blessed trinity, the first conveying strength to the brain, the second love to the heart, and the third executive ability to the right arm. the general effect of this downpour

tood. obviously, if the people were perfect in the modern sense of the term, they would not need to be taught at all. these words are not used in their ordinary sense; they are technical terms used in connection with the mysteries, and well known by all educated people of that period as being so used. what st. paul said was: gwe teach the gnosis, the secret wisdom, only to those who have attained the degree of perfection, h or, as a mason would put it, the degree of the m.m, because those three stages correspond in a general way to the three degrees in masonry. nowadays, the christian church seems to stop at the first stage. purification- and to regard it as its greatest work to make people saints. that is indeed a very high and noble thing, but in the older days of christianity, to make a

the 1 c e c is to be supported by the s c in the same way the r c b c is treated in a similar manner because the i.g. will touch it with the s c on admitting the candidate to the lodge. as before, the r c k c is uncovered and the l c h c s c p- s c d, because these are the points in contact with the highly-magnetized floor or altar-cushion, during the taking of the o. and the actual conferring of the degree. 580. the inner preparation 581. the inner preparation in this degree is in part the same as that in the first, for the c. hopes to obtain the privilege of being passed to the second degree by the help of g c, the assistance of the s c, and the virtue of a p c g c and p c w c the square here mentioned is the quadri-lateral of the personality. two things must happen with reference to tha

make the road smooth for them- you know where. for it is not the place itself that is paved with them, as people say so often. you cannot pave the bottomless pit, but you may the road to it. 588. so the first necessity for our candidate of the second degree is to control his mind, if he has anything worth calling a mind to control; and if he has not, to develop it. and this is the whole trend of the degree and of its ceremonies; to that end he must study; to that end he must strive to open various centres in his higher bodies. he is told that it is his duty to make a daily advance in masonic knowledge. 589. it will be remembered that the s.d. is the especial representative of the mental body, so naturally it is he who takes charge of the candidate, and bears the principal part in the work

h refer to actions upon the physical plane. the third instructs the man to rise to a higher level and to consider not merely outward action but the inner condition of which all outer manifestation should be an expression. 624. the o. 625. this brings us to the o. of the candidate, which however contains singularly little that can be thought of as applicable to the special study and development of the degree. he pledges himself to act as a true and faithful c c n, to acknowledge s c, obey s c s, and maintain the principles inculcated in the first degree. 626. the r.w.m. then proceeds to create, receive and constitute precisely as in the first degree; but anyone who possesses the inner vision will notice a more decided widening of the link between the ego and the personality, so that it is o

LEADBEATER CW GLIMPSES OF MASONIC HISTORY

ten in the hidden life in freemasonry it is not only a wonderful and intricate system of occult symbols enshrining the secrets of the invisible worlds; it has also a sacramental aspect which is of the utmost beauty and value not only to its initiates but to the world at large. the performance of the ritual of each degree is intended to call down spiritual power, first to assist the bro. upon whom the degree is conferred to awaken within himself that aspect of consciousness which corresponds to the symbolism of the degree, as far as it can be awakened; secondly to aid in the evolution of the members present; and thirdly and most important of all, to pour out a flood of spiritual power intended to uplift, strengthen and encourage all members of the craft. 38. some years ago i undertook an in

rs fitted for that rite or grade were sometimes introduced into it, either by some bro. on the physical plane who possessed one of the lines of succession mentioned above, which was then adapted by the h.o.a.t.f. for the work, or by a direct and non-physical interference from behind. 41. furthermore, the inner effect of a given degree, even in a rite that may be fully valid, may vary greatly with the degree of advancement and general attitude of the bro. upon whom it is conferred; so that in one case, let us say, the 33 would confer stupendous spiritual power, and in another, less worthy, the powers given would be much smaller, because of the candidate s incapacity to respond fully to them. in such cases a fuller degree of power will manifest itself as greater advancement is made in the de

the ritual. 109. the degrees of the mysteries 110. the mysteries of egypt were, as ever, divided into two main sections, the lesser and the greater. the lesser mysteries are typified to some extent by what we now know as the first degree of craft masonry, while the greater mysteries were analogous to what we now call the second and third degrees. beyond these there was a ceremony corresponding to the degree of i.m, in which the succession of powers was guarded and transmitted from age to age; and still further in reserve there were the yet greater spiritual powers that are indicated, and even given to some extent, in the higher degrees of the ancient and accepted scottish rite. behind the whole system of masonic initiation was (and is) the white lodge itself, conferring the five great init

the astral world, and able to wield its powers freely in waking consciousness. 133. the mysteries of serapis 134. the second degree of the egyptian mysteries corresponded somewhat closely with our degree of f.c; these were termed the greater mysteries or in later days the mysteries of serapis. apuleius gives us practically nothing in the way of description beyond the bare fact that he had passed the degree. the instruction in the greater mysteries was carried further and deeper as regards science and philosophy; a more advanced course of intellectual training was set before the students, which one might well call a research into the more hidden paths of nature and science. at the same time the study of the life after death was extended to include the heaven-world, the m c into which all m

which a priest waters from a vessel which he holds in his hand. an inscription sets forth that this is the form of him whom we may not name, osiris of the mysteries, who sprang from the returning waters(*cheetham, the mysteries, pagan and christian, p. 53- this symbolism referring among other things to the quickening of the inner life in response to the power poured down from on high. the s n of the degree is often found in egyptian paintings, and is exactly the same as is in use among craftsmen to-day. as in the first degree, an average of seven years was also spent in the mysteries of serapis, at the end of which candidates who had passed a far more searching examination, and had satisfied the hierophants that they were ready for further teaching, were eligible for the third degree. 138

s in the first degree, an average of seven years was also spent in the mysteries of serapis, at the end of which candidates who had passed a far more searching examination, and had satisfied the hierophants that they were ready for further teaching, were eligible for the third degree. 138. the mysteries of osiris 139. the third degree was called in egypt the mysteries of osiris; it corresponds to the degree of m.m. in our modern craft system. apuleius describes osiris as: the more powerful god of the great gods, the highest of the greater, the greatest of the highest, and the ruler of the greatest(*apul. met. bk. xi, 30) in the egyptian ritual, which was much more complete and impressive than the traditional history preserved in modern masonry, the candidate had to pass through a symbolica

plendid training to those who undertook it. each officer in a lodge has his own special work to do, his own aspect of the deity to manifest, his own sacramental power to transmit to the lodge of which he is a part; the course of training through successive offices was and is therefore of inestimable value in acquiring an all-round development of character. at the apex of the ancient craft system, the degree of i.m. existed, which gave a far fuller power than had been conferred even in the mysteries of osiris, and enabled the master to become a hierophant of the mysteries in his turn, able to instruct and advance his brn. in the secret wisdom of egypt. in ordinary cases this splendid position was gained only late in life, and by the time the master had ruled his lodge he had had a most valu

e plan, the prototype of our black masonry existed, the teaching and progress comprised in our degrees from the nineteenth to the thirtieth. this section of the mysteries was especially concerned with the working out of karma in its different aspects, studied as a law of retribution, from one point of view dark and terrible. this is the inner kernel of truth lying behind the vengeance-elements in the degree of knight k.h. the darker aspects of karma are largely connected with man s ignorance of the nature of god and confusion with regard to the many forms in which he reveals himself, and thus the s s of the 30 contain the heart of its philosophy. that degree would not be fully and validly conferred unless these s s were duly communicated, since they express its inner meaning and purpose. 1

ierarchy; he should become a radiant centre of perennial energy, which is intended to give him strength to overcome evil and to make him a real power on the side of good. the prevailing colour of the influence is an electric blue (that of the first ray, quite different from the blue of the symbolic or blue lodges) edged with gold, including and yet not drowning the rose of the 18. associated with the degree there are also great blue angels of the first ray who lend their strength to the knight, somewhat as the crimson angels assist the excellent and perfect brn. of the rose-croix. a higher level of the same energy is transmitted in what to-day we should call the chair of the sovereign commander, who has the ability to pass on the sacramental grace of the degree to others. 178. white masonr

ty of knowledge and the fullness of the divine glory in the hidden light. the 33 links the sovereign grand inspector-general with the spiritual king of the world himself- that mighty adept who stands at the head of the great white lodge, and in whose strong hands lie the destinies of earth and awakens the powers of the triple spirit as far as these can as yet be awakened. the actual conferring of the degree was and is a very splendid experience when seen with the inner sight; for the hierophant of the mysteries (who in these modern days is the h.o.a.t.f, stands above or beside the initiator in that extension of his consciousness which is called the angel of the presence. if the recipient of the degree happens to be already an initiate the star (called in egypt the star of horus) which mark

LEWIS JAMES SATANISM TODAY AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION FOLKLORE AND POPULAR CULTURE

ied and made fit for heaven. catholic purgatory is the most well known of these realms, but the same basic idea is incorporated in other ways into other traditions. yet another solution is to postulate a series of multiple heavens and hells, or levels of heaven and the torments of hell (dover pictorial archive) 110 hellhole hell, in which good people and sinners are rewarded or punished according the degree of their noble deeds or sins. one of the most well known examples of the latter is dante s inferno. dante presents a picture of a complex, nine-layered hell. virtuous but unbaptized souls reside at the top, suffering only the emotion of hopelessness. at the very bottom of hell, undergoing the worst punishment, are those who committed the very worst sin, which in dante s ethical schemata

he second order, with three advanced levels for humans; and the third order, the order of the secret chiefs. each of these levels had its own rituals. to attain each degree, the candidate had to prove he had acquired competence in magical works, such as invocation, evocation, crystal-reading, making symbolic talismans, and astrology. fraulein sprengel conferred all of the founders of the ogd with the degree of adeptus exemptus, the highest degree that human beings could attain. the most famous member of the ogd was aleister crowley, whose magical thought has come to dominate modern magical practice. reared in hinduism 113 an exclusive plymouth brethren home, crowley had been introduced to magic in a book by occult historian a. e.waite.his cabalistic studies led him in 1898 to the hermetic

uneral arrangements could be completed, he revived, to the amazement of his tribesmen. considerably more amazing were the revelations he had received during his deathlike trance. tenskwatawa had been permitted to view heaven, a rich, fertile country, abounding in game, fish, pleasant hunting grounds and fine corn fields. but he had also witnessed sinful shawnee spirits being tortured according to the degree of their wickedness, with drunkards (one of tenskwatawa s principal vices) being forced to swallow molten lead. overwhelmed by the power of his vision, tenskwatawa abandoned his old ways. more revelations followed in succeeding months, revelations that eventually added up to a coherent new vision of religion and society. although the new revelation departed from tradition on many points

he lowest level toward the highest. in the ts [temple of set] the majority of members are expected to be second degree or adept ii degree, rather than to attempt to achieve higher degrees. the ts is more interested in individuals developing themselves and finding their own level than in creating a group identity dependent on everyone following exactly the same path (harvey 1995, 286. alongside of the degree system, there are different orders which harvey describes as special interest groups within the temple of set: the ts is compared to a university with the orders as its various academic departments. all initiates are provided with a brief summary of each order s special interests. i have received information on eleven orders, which have interests in the five sense, the arts, technology

n be seen. the first layer under the earth, gehenna, is connected to the surface of the globe through a bridge that all souls cross. this first layer is depicted as a terrifying beast, and is also called the fire of hell. the damned are distributed through the layers hierarchically: the deeper the layer, the greater the punishment. the fire, common to all layers, differed in quality, depending on the degree of punishment to be inflicted in each layer. the pain inflicted through fire is worsened by the continuous regeneration of the damned, who thus burn eternally. in general, the worst sin in islam was considered to be an unbeliever in god and his prophet muhammad. other sins were related to moral social rules. in the hindu tradition, one also finds an idea of the underworld. it is sometim

LIBER ALEPH

tain magus of the egyptians, whom the jews call moses) he follower of tahuti was an egyptian whose name is lost; but the jews called him mosheh, or moses, and their fabulists made him the leader of their legendary exodus. yet they preserved his word, and it is ihvh, which thou must understand also as that secret word which thou hast seen and heard in thunders and lightnings in thine initiation to the degree thou wottest of. but this word is itself a plan of the fabrick of the universe, and upon it hath been elaborated the holy qabalah, whereby we have knowledge of the nature of all things soever upon every plane of by-coming, and of their forces and tendencies and operations, with the keys to their portals. nor did he leave any part of his work unfinished, unless it be that accomplished th

o the middle of the way, the attainment of the knowledge and conversation of the holy guardian angel, were these men appointed to mine aid, jerome politt of kendal, cecil jones of basingstoke, allan bennett of the border, and oscar eckenstein of the mountain, with no woman. but after that attainment hath word come to me only through women, ouarda the seer, and virakam, and in mine initiation into the degree of magus, the cat `ilariwn thy mother, helen the play actress the serpent, with myriamme the drunkard, and rita the harlot to bear dagger and poison; then these others alice the singing woman for an owl; then catherine the dog of anubis, and ahitha the camel that renewed the work of virakam, with ollun the dragon and. but here i do restrict myself in speech, for the end is wrapped about

rother might severally attain experience of every trance, unto the perfection of all illumination; yet by this there ought not to arise confusion, one usurping the appointed office of another. for the abbot, although he be not enlightened wholly, is yet abbot; and the place of the cook, were he saint, arhan, and paramahamsa in one person, is in his kitchen. confound not thou in any wise therefore the degree of attainment of any man with his right function in our holy order; for although by initiation cometh the light, and the right, and the might to accomplish all works soever, yet these are inoperative save as they are able to use a machine which is of the same order of things as the effect required. as the best swordsman hath need of a sword, so hath every magician of a body and mind cap

LIBER E

in the ibis the head is tilted very slightly too far back; in the thunderbolt the right foot might be a little higher and the right knee lower with advantage. svb figvra ix 5 7. various things will happen to you while you are practising these positions; they must be carefully analysed and described. 8. note down the duration of the pracitce, the severity of the pain (if any) which accompanies it, the degree of rigidity attained, and any other pertinent matters. 9. when you have progressed up to the point that a saucer filled to the brim with water and poised upon the head does not spill one drop during a whole hour, and when you can no longer perceive the slightest tremor in any muscle; when, in short, you are perfectly steady and easy, you will be admitted for examination; and, should you

LIBER LXVII THE SWORD OF SONG

ilosophers than to the fathers of modern philosophy that suffering is the badge of all the tribe of sentient things; that it is no accidental accompaniment, but an essential constituent of the cosmic process. and in the same essay, though he is disposed to deny more than the rudiments of consciousness to the lower forms of life, he is quite clear that pain varies directly (to put it loosely) with the degree of consciousness. cf. also .animal automatism. pp. 236-237 (2) sorrow.s cause..the cause of sorrow is desire. i take desire here to include such a phenomenon as the tendency of two molecules of hydrogen and chlorine to combine under certain conditions. if death be painful to me, it is presumably so to a molecule; if we represent one operation as pleasant, the converse is presumably pain

LIBER RV VEL SPIRITUS

d of research (a) certain actions induce the flow of the breath through the right nostril (pingal; and, conversely, the flow of the breath through pingala induces certain actions (b) certain other actions induce the flow of the breath through the left nostril (id, and conversely (c) yet a third class of actions induce the flow of the breath through both nostril at once (su.umn, and conversely (d) the degree of mental and physical activity is interdependent with the distance from the nostrils at which the breath can be felt by the back of the hand. 4. first practice. let him concentrate his mind upon the act of breathing, saying mentally .the breath flows in .the breath flows out. and record the results (this practice may resolve itself into mah.satipatth.na (vide liber xxv)1 or induce sam

MACNULTY W KIRK KABBALAH AND FREEMASONRY

paragraphs, if it occurs at all, is the responsibility of the individual mason as he studies and contemplates the symbols of freemasonry. the first degree the tracing board masonic tracing boards are pictures which illustrate the symbolic structure of the order. figure 8 shows the tracing board of the first degree,37 and it is used in the lectures as a device to present the symbolic structure of the degree. to me, this picture presents the basic principles of western metaphysics as they were understood in the renaissance. three fundamental ideas seem to characterize that metaphysics: first, the deity was considered to be without limit. this resulted in a view of all existence as a single, tightly integrated unity centered on the deity. a particularly clear statement of this view comes fro

reativity and design and appropriate for the creative level of the spirit where it indicates that labor in this degree is concerned with understanding and cooperating with the divine plan. the third degree tracing board in fact, there is a good deal more to the third degree than the master mason's tools indicate. figure 17 shows the tracing board of that degree; and as you can see, the subject of the degree is death. many masons think of the death in the third degree as representing the death of the physical body and the subsequent reward in the afterlife. i mean to make no criticism of that idea; but for me, that interpretation of the third degree is not entirely complete. the third degree, itself, is a ritual reenactment of a legendary assassination, an event which is said figure 16 .the

MANLY P HALL THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES

and assumed the forms of various creatures. the mystics of eleusis also laid stress upon the evil of suicide, explaining that there was a profound mystery concerning this crime of which they could not speak, but warning their disciples that a great sorrow comes to all who take their own lives. this, in substance, constitutes the esoteric doctrine given to the initiates of the lesser mysteries. as the degree dealt largely with the miseries of those who failed to make the best use of their philosophic opportunities, the chambers of initiation were subterranean and the horrors of hades were vividly depicted in a complicated ritualistic drama. after passing successfully through the tortuous passageways, with their trials and dangers, the candidate received the honorary title of mystes. this me

degrees and never permitted them personal contact with himself until they had reached the higher grades. according to his biographers, his degrees were three in number. the first, that of 'mathematicus' assuring his pupils proficiency in mathematics and geometry, which was then, as it would be now if masonry were properly inculcated, the basis upon which all other knowledge was erected. secondly, the degree of 'theoreticus' which dealt with superficial applications of the exact sciences, and, lastly, the degree of 'electus' which entitled the candidate to pass forward into the light of the fullest illumination which he was capable of absorbing. the pupils of the pythagorean school were divided into 'exoterici' or pupils in the outer grades, and 'esoterici' after they had passed the third d

tion. the characters so long considered as historical men and women are really the personification of certain processes which take place in the human body when man begins the task of consciously liberating himself from the bondage of ignorance and death. the garments and ornamentations supposedly worn by the gods are also keys, for in the mysteries clothing was considered as synonymous with form. the degree of spirituality or materiality of the organisms was signified by the quality, beauty, and value of the garments worn. man's physical body was looked upon as the robe of his spiritual nature; consequently, the more developed were his supersubstantial powers the more glorious his apparel. of course, clothing was originally worn for ornamentation rather than protection, and such practice s

next p. 117 fundamentals of qabbalistic cosmogony the qabbalists conceive of the supreme deity as an incomprehensible principle to be discovered only through the process of eliminating, in order, all its cognizable attributes. that which remains--when every knowable thing has been removed--is ain soph, the eternal state of being. although indefinable, the absolute permeates all space. abstract to the degree of inconceivability, ain soph is the unconditioned state of all things. substances, essences, and intelligences are manifested out of the inscrutability of ain soph, but the absolute itself is without substance, essence, or intelligence. ain soph may be likened to a great field of rich earth out of which rises a myriad of plants, each different in color, formation, and fragrance, yet ea

and the self-assurance of one who believed himself inspired with a great truth, and destined to effect a great advance in the science and practice of medicine. by nature he was a keen and open-minded observer of whatever came under his observation, though probably also not a very critical analyst of the observed phenomena. he was evidently an unusually self-reliant and independent thinker, though the degree of originality in his thought may be a matter of legitimate differences of opinion. certainly once having, from whatever combination of influences, made up his mind to reject the sacredness of the authority of aristotle, galen and avicenna, and having found what to his mind was a satisfactory substitute for the ancient dogmas in his own modification of the neo- platonic philosophy, he d

rve of the scythe blade say "man's head, head of raven" the three lines to the right are interpreted thus "this figure is called laton, for it looks black in a vessel, and is the beginning of corruption" the text below the ladder states "this is the ladder of primitive matter which when placed in a vessel turns black, the gradually changes to white by the scale [ladder] of digestion, according to the degree of heat" here a ladder is used to signify the natural steps up which matter must ascend before it can attain to a truly spiritual state. click to enlarge leaf 17. the verse at the top of the page reads "not only must this material be fixed, but it must be allowed to enter into everything so that this material may be well completed and have infinite virtue. then by making it thick, it be

MASTERING WITCHCRAFT

se smoke, sometimes illuminated from within by a very faint bluish phosphorescence. whether the apparition is built up on a magnetic and physical or purely psychic basis or a mixture of both depends solely on whether you as a witch function best as a seer or a materializing medium, which are the two ends of the magical spectrum whereon witches function. depending on your various constitutions and the degree of your magical development, you and your companions may differ in what you see before you in the triangle. one may see a dim form, while another may see a clearly defined figure, and yet another see nothing at all but merely feel the presence of someone who wasn't there before. but whatever you do or do not see, you must present your question at this point, with the knowledge that if t

MEANING OF MASONRY

nd second, into spiritual life; and as we extend congratulations when a child is born into the world, so also we receive with acclamation the candidate for masonry who, symbolically, is seeking for spiritual re-birth; and herein we emulate what is written of the joy that exists among the angels of heaven over every sinner who repents and turns towards the light. the first degree is also eminently the degree of preparation, of self-discipline and purification. it corresponds with that symbolical cleansing accorded in the sacrament of baptism, which, in the churches, is, so to speak, the first degree in the religious life; and which is administered, appropriately, at the font, near the entrance of the church, even as the act itself takes place at the entrance of the spiritual career. for to

adversity and persecution serve a beneficent purpose. these are his" wages: and he learns to accept them" without scruple and without diffidence, knowing that he is justly entitled to them, and from the confidence he has in the integrity" of that employer who has sent him into this far-off world to prepare the materials for building the temple of the heavenly city. and so, as the sign peculiar to the degree suggests, he endeavours to examine and lay bare his heart, to cast away all impurity from it, and he stands, like joshua, praying that the light of day may be extended to him until he has accomplished the overthrow of his own inward enemies and of every obstacle to his complete development. the aspirant who attains proficiency in the work of self-perfecting to which the f.c. grade allud

he material brain-mind being thoroughly permeated and enlightened by the spiritual principle; it denotes these two in a state of balance and harmonious interaction, the junior warden personifying the balance-point or meeting-place of man's natural reason and his spiritual intuition. accordingly it is he who, as representing this enlightened mental condition, asserts in the second degree (which is the degree of personal development where that condition is theoretically achieved) that he has been enabled in that degree to discover a sacred symbol placed in the centre of the building and alluding to the g.g.o.t.u. what is meant is, of course, that the man who has in reality (and not merely ceremonially) advanced to the second degree of self development has now discerned that god is not outsid

closely unify himself with this divine principle. this, however, is a process requiring time, effort and self-struggle. the unification is not achieved suddenly. there are found to be obstacles" enemies" in the way, obstructing it, due to the aspirant's own imperfections and limitations. these must first be gradually overcome, and it is the eradication of these which is alluded to in the sign of the degree, indicating that he desires to cleanse his heart and cast away all evil from it, to purify meaning himself for closer alliance with that pure light. it is only by this" sun-light" this newly found illumination, that he has become able to see into the depths of his own nature; and this is the" sun" which, like joshua, he prays may" stand still" and its light be retained by him until he h

on the lips or through the action of unfit persons to possess the secrets. for the secret power of the mysteries is within the signs. any person attaining to natural and supernatural states by the process of development, if his heart be untuned and his mind withdrawn from the divine to the human within him, that power b ecomes a power of evil instead of a power of good. an unfaithful initiate, in the degree of the mysteries he has attained, is capable, by virtue of his antecedent preparations and processes, of diverting the power to unholy, demoniacal, astral and dangerous uses..the use of the signs, the vocal sounds, physical acts and mental intentions, was absolutely prohibited except under rigorously tested conditions. for instance, the utterance of a symbolical sound, or a physical act

s of the soul begin to unfold themselves, and the apprehension of abstract truth (formerly described as mathematics. this work is altogether beyond both the mental horizon and the capacity of the average modern mason, though in the mysteries of antiquity the mathesis (or mental discipline) was an outstanding feature and produced the intellectual giants of greek philosophy. hence it is that to-day the degree is found dull, unpicturesque and unattractive, since psychic experience and intellectual principles cannot be made spectacular and dramatic. the ritual runs that our ancient brethren of this degree met in the porchway of king solomon's temple. this is a way of saying that natural philosophy is the porchway to the attainment of divine wisdom; that the study of man leads to knowledge of g

hands and a pure heart" the meaning is identical with what is implied in the ascent of the inwardly" winding staircase" of the second degree. preliminary purification of the mind is essential to its rising to purer realms of being and loftier conscious states than it has been accustomed to. if" the secrets of nature and the principles of intellectual truth" are to become revealed to its view, as the degree intends and promises, the mentality must not be fettered by mundane interests or subject to disturbance by carnal passions. if it is to" contemplate its own intellectual faculties and trace them from their development" until they are found to" lead to the throne of god himself" and to be rooted in deity, it must discard all its former thought-habits, prejudices and preconceptions, and b

particular, is an important record by an initiate of the ancient mysteries of the psychological experiences referred to in the fellow-craft degree. the subject is too lengthy for further exposition here beyond again indicating that it is in the illumined mental condition attained in this degree that the discovery is made of the divine principle at the centre of our organism; and that the sign of the degree is equivalent to a prayer that the sunlight of that exalted state may" stand still" and persist in us until we have effected the overthrow of all our" enemies" and eradicated all obstacles to our union with that principle. the reference to our ancient brethren receiving their wages at the porchway of the temple of wisdom is an allusion to an experience common to every one in the fellow

ly enjoyed in virtue of his merely temporal nature. in a word, he has become regenerated. he has achieved the miracle of" squaring the circle--a metaphorical expression for regeneration, as shall be explained presently. although but an expansion and completion of the third degree, of which at one time it formed part, there were good reasons for detaching the royal arch portion from what now forms the degree of master mason. the two parts in combination made an inconveniently long rite, whilst a change in the symbolic appointments and officers of the temple of initiation was necessary, as the ceremony proceeded, to give appropriate spectacular representation to the further points calling for expression. despite this re-arrangement the royal arch is the natural conclusion and fulfilment of t

MICHAEL FORD WITCHMOON

r vigor, light and astral initiation one would seek the luciferian sabbat. any sexual relations in the luciferian sabbat would be a union with another in a desired aspect of self development. one who seeks to transform into a beast, wolf, bat or daemonic form to seek sexual congress with the astral dead, ghosts or demons of the mind or beyond would seek the infernal sabbat. the infernal sabbat is the degree of solitary initiation via dream. the luciferian sabbat is a higher initiation of the isolated self; very much like azazel, who is revealed as lucifer. it was an early latin writing scribed in 1460 on arras witches presents a possible dreaming image of the infernal sabbat at the sabbats of the vaudois, the presiding devil took aside the neophyte and carried her off to one side of the gr

MICHAEL TSARION ATLANTIS ALIEN VISITATION AND GENETIC MANIPULATION

ngs experiments with high voltage power systems. his notes, translated intoenglish, do not appear until 1978. 1889 castration of children at the pennsylvania training school for feebleminded children. 1890 plans to destroy the one room school and its capacity to produce thinkers and independent peoplebegins in the u.s. 1900 by 1900, all phd's in the united states were trained in prussia (germany. the degree is a ger-man invention. these german educated men would become presidents of american universities, headsof research facilities (both corporate and government. 1900 ama began to achieve goal of replacing existing medical system with allopathy 1900 royal institute of international affairs policy makers for colonial u.s. government. 1900 cancer causes 4% of deaths in the united states. 19

MOODY RAYMOND A LIFE AFTER LIFE

ng from a near-death encounter. the problem was a very mild deficit consisting of the partial paralysis of a small group of muscles on one side of the body. though i have often asked whether there were any residual deficits, this is the only example i have found of neurological damage following a near-death encounter. psychological explanations psychology has not yet attained anything approaching the degree of rigor and precision which some other sciences have reached in the modern age. psychologists are still divided into contesting schools of thought with conflicting viewpoints, investigative approaches, and fundamental understandings about the existence and nature of the mind. psychological explanations of near-death experiences, therefore, will vary widely according to the school of th

MORALS AND DOGMA

even barefoot and upon flinty ground; to remember him in your supplications to the deity; to clasp him to your heart, and protect him against malice and evil-speaking; to uphold him when about to stumble and fall; and to give him prudent, honest, and friendly counsel, are duties plainly written upon the pages of god's great code of law, and first among the ordinances of masonry. the first sign of the degree is expressive of the diffidence and humility with which we inquire into the nature and attributes of the deity; the second, of the profound awe and reverence with which we contemplate his glories; and the third, of the sorrow with which we reflect upon our insufficient observance of our duties, and our imperfect compliance with his statutes. the distinguishing property of man is to sear

_wisdom_ and _understanding, being the _active_ and the _passive, the _positive_ and the _negative, which we do not yet endeavor to explain to you. they are the columns jachin and boaz, that stand at the entrance to the masonic temple. in another aspect of this degree, the chief of the architects[[hebrew, rab banaim] symbolizes the constitutional executive head and chief of a free government; and the degree teaches us that no free government can long endure, when the people cease to select for their magistrates the best and the wisest of their statesmen; when, passing these by, they permit factions or sordid interests to select for them the small, the low, the ignoble, and the obscure, and into such hands commit the country's destinies. there is, after all, a "divine right" to govern; and

lse and pernicious doctrines, moral, political, and religious, than of vicious inclinations. much of the masonic secret manifests itself, without revealing it, to him who even partially comprehends all the decrees in proportion as he receives them; and particularly to those who advance to the highest degrees of the ancient and accepted scottish rite. that rite raises a corner of the veil, even in the degree of apprentice; for it there declares that masonry is a _worship. masonry labors to improve the social order by enlightening men's minds, warming their hearts with the love of the good, inspiring them with the great principle of human fraternity, and requiring of its disciples that their language and actions shall conform to that principle, that they shall enlighten each other, control t

elevation of mankind. that kind of inspiration, like god's omnipresence, is not limited to the few writers claimed by jews, christians, or moslems, but is co-extensive with the race. it is the consequence of a faithful use of our faculties. each man is its subject, god is its source, and truth its only test. it differs in degrees, as the intellectual endowments, the moral wealth of the soul, and the degree of cultivation of those endowments and faculties differ. it is limited to no sect, age, or nation. it is wide as the world and common as god. it was not given to a few men, in the infancy of mankind, to monopolize inspiration, and bar god out of the soul. we are not born in the dotage and decay of the world. the stars are beautiful as in their prime; the most ancient heavens are fresh a

distinguished from evil: and it is that light, the true knowledge of deity, the eternal good, for which masons in all ages have sought. still masonry marches steadily onward toward that light that shines in the great distance, the light of that day when evil, overcome and vanquished, shall fade away and disappear forever, and life and light be the one law of the universe, and its eternal harmony. the degree of rose teaches three things--the unity, immutability and goodness of god; the immortality of the soul; the ultimate defeat and extinction of evil and wrong and sorrow, by a redeemer or messiah, yet to come, if he has not already appeared. it replaces the three pillars of the old temple, with three that have already been explained to you--faith [in god, mankind, and man's self, hope [in

, that it may product fruit. all labor, like us, for the extirpation of vice, the purification of man, the development of the arts and sciences, and the relief of humanity. none admit an adept to their lofty philosophical knowledge, and mysterious sciences, until he has been purified at the altar of the symbolic degrees. of what importance are differences of opinion as to the age and genealogy of the degree, or variance in the practice, ceremonial and liturgy, or the shade of color of the banner under which each tribe of israel marched, if all revere the holy arch of the symbolic degrees, first and unalterable source of free masonry; if all revere our conservative principles, and are with us in the great purposes of our organization? if, anywhere, brethren of a particular religious belief

degree is closed against him who believes in one god and the soul's immortality, on account of the other tenets of his faith, that degree is masonry no longer. no mason has the right to interpret the symbols of this degree for another, or to refuse him its mysteries, if he will not take them with the explanation and commentary superadded. listen, my brother, to _our_ explanation of the symbols of the degree, and then give them such further interpretation as you think fit. the _cross_ has been a sacred symbol from the earliest antiquity. it is found upon all the enduring monuments of the world, in egypt, in assyria, in hindostan, in persia, and on the buddhist towers of ireland. buddha was said to have died upon it. the druids cut an oak into its shape and held it sacred, and built their te

everywhere and always in proportion; the light being the reason of being of the shadow. it is by trials only, by the agonies of sorrow and the sharp discipline of adversities, that men and nations attain initiation. the agonies of the garden of gethsemane and those of the cross on calvary preceded the resurrection and were the means of redemption. it is with prosperity that god afflicts humanity. the degree of rose is devoted to and symbolizes the final triumph of truth over falsehood, of liberty over slavery, of light over darkness, of life over death, and of good over evil. the great truth it inculcates is, that notwithstanding the existence of evil, god is infinitely wise, just, and good: that though the affairs of the world proceed by no rule of right and wrong known to us the narrowne

his great work. the eagle is to us the symbol of liberty, the compasses of equality, the pelican of humanity, and our order of fraternity. laboring for these, with faith, hope, and charity as our armor, we will wait with patience for the final triumph of good and the complete manifestation of the word of god. no one mason has the right to measure for another, within the walls of a masonic temple, the degree of veneration which he shall feel for any reformer, or the founder of any religion. we teach a belief in no particular creed, as we teach unbelief in none. whatever higher attributes the founder of the christian faith may, in our belief, have had or not have had, none can deny that he taught and practised a pure and elevated morality, even at the risk and to the ultimate loss of his lif

ught that the two most excellent things were, to speak the truth, and to render benefits to one another. particularly he inculcated silence, temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice. he taught the immortality of the soul, the omnipotence of god, and the necessity of personal holiness to qualify a man for admission into the society of the gods. thus we owe the particular mode of instruction in the degree of fellow-craft to pythagoras; and that degree is but an imperfect reproduction of his lectures. from him, too, we have many of our explanations of the symbols. he arranged his assemblies due east and west, because he held that motion began in the east and proceeded to the west. our lodges are said to be due east and west, because the master represents the rising sun, and of course must

ONYX TABLET OF SET

affirm to all concerned that i was a master of the temple. isn't it imperative, even vital, that we remember this "green light" theory, and apply it anew? in looking again at ipsissimus lewis' paper, i believe i've found support for my argument "what if recognized third degrees cannot or have not met those criteria set above? well, we hope for the best in the form of their being able to grow into the degree, a thing they will have to do in any event and regardless of the scale used for assessment if that momentous move of recognition is performed" one item of the iii priesthood issue that i find myself sometimes mildly- other times moderately- questioning is that of the event itself. i question that the priesthood is not part of the "normal" course of events. perhaps i'm hung up on semanti

, i now find a greater depth to both "sides" of such a priestly discussion. this perceived depth allows me a more complex appreciation of the statement "i am within and beyond you, the highest of life"*i am within: because i conceive the "non-natural" consciousness of the human animal to be multi-dimensional, i also think that perception of consciousness is similar. this realization is not unlike the degree system or the progression of aeons themselves. as the initiate projects his consciousness inward, and stability of that level of perception is achieved, a "reverse polarity" can be experienced in which the inward direction "flips" to create yet another activated state of being. thus one not only sees a deeper level of consciousness, but apprehends that reality in the objective universe

follow. exactly how this structuring is done is one of the great mysteries of setian initiation. as has been pointed out by others, there is no 'sure fire' method for doing this, but it does seem that working explicitly toward the goal of third degree initiation seems to inhibit, or at least does not encourage, such internal structuring. one reason for this is that when one begins working toward the degree title of priesthood, which is only an external representation of an internal state of being, one ceases to work sincerely. always and in all things initiatory, work must be done with sincerity toward one's self. an initiate who works toward the priesthood without sincerity toward themselves, works only for the perceived expectations of others. such an initiate invariably begins changing

PIKE CUMMINGS THE SPURIOUS RITES OF MEMPHIS AND MISRAIM

ostensible sign of their former degrees, or, in signing their names, ostentatiously affix the high number of degrees they had acquired: the decision of the council of the order, published in the, official bulletin of november, b i a c, pages e b i et seq, is thus disregarded; for, by the terms of that decision, the titles of the brethren of that rite having, been vised and regularized, either to the degree ofmaster or to that of rose croix,no one among these brethren can claim to possess any other degree than that indicated in this visa; and for them as for all, the provisions of articles b d a and b d h of the statutes-general are obligatory. it is our duty, very dear brethren, to put an end to these different abuses; we point them out to al masons, and particularly to the vigilant atten

RABBI AMIRAM MARKEL MARKEL THE KNOWLEDGE OF G D VOL 1

ontemplative thought (machshava iyunit. this type of thought is dependant on the power of da at, which is the power of attention and concentration to connect to a subject matter. it is for this reason that it says that toddlers do not have thought, because they have a weak attention span. as explained earlier, da at (attention) is the vessel for comprehensive and analytical thought. therefore, to the degree of da at that one possesses, will be his capacity for the analytical thought of binah (nonetheless, the depth of the thought can only be according to the depth of the subject being comprehended, as mentioned earlier) the dividing and combining of the letters we must now understand the powers to divide and combine the letters of thought, on the third level which is "thought of thought. t

and suffering will be commensurate to the pleasure he feels when he is with his beloved. this can be understood from the relationship between david and yehonatan, as the verse states "they kissed and cried. their grief over their separation was in direct proportion to their pleasure in being together. from this we see that love and fear of g-d come in equal proportion to each other. according to the degree of love of g-d will be the degree of fear of separating from him. fear of punishment, on the other hand, is not actual love of g-d at all, but rather a love of self. the reason he does not sin is because he fears divine retribution and it is therefore not related to love of g-d at all. on the contrary, if a person views his relationship to g-d with such a perspective, he may come to the

RABBI AMIRAM MARKEL MARKEL THE KNOWLEDGE OF G D VOL 2

and suffering will be commensurate to the pleasure he feels when he is with his beloved. this can be understood from the relationship between david and yehonatan, as the verse states "they kissed and cried. their grief over their separation was in direct proportion to their pleasure in being together. from this we see that love and fear of g-d come in equal proportion to each other. according to the degree of love of g-d will be the degree of fear of separating from him. fear of punishment, on the other hand, is not actual love of g-d at all, but rather a love of self. the reason he does not sin is because he fears divine retribution and it is therefore not related to love of g-d at all. on the contrary, if a person views his relationship to g-d with such a perspective, he may come to the

RABBI MOSHE WISNEFSKY APPLES FROM THE ORCHARD THE ARIZAL ON THE PARASHAH

ory. that is, he can be reincarnated in an inanimate object, a plant, an animal, or in a person. almost no one can avoid being reincarnated, since a soul cannot experience the suffering [required to cleanse him of the effects of his sin] unless he has become rematerialized in a soul-body [combination. only then, having been reincarnated, can he suffer and feel the pain and thus achieve atonement. the degree and extent of the reincarnation.i.e, into which gkingdom h he is reincarnated.is a function of the seriousness of his sins. this is why there are even some tzadikim and torah scholars that undergo reincarnation, as we have said, on account of some sin that they stumbled over during their lifetimes c. we have explained elsewhere that all the worlds were created from the ruins of the seve

REGARDIE ISRAEL THE COMPLETE GOLDEN DAWN

omplete order into which he or she initiates someone else. unless the totality of the symbols is within the sphere of sensation of the initiator, little will be activated within the candidate and the ritual will be shallow the theatrics. as jung wrote in a foreword to a book of michael fordham's "the treatment of the transference reveals in a pitiless light what the healing agent really is: it is the degree to which the analyst himself can cope with his own psychic problems" just as the analyst can no more guide an analysand through territory he or she never struggled with or confronted within him or herself, so too the initiator's effectiveness rests upon how well he or she has built the "temple not made with hands" within his or her own psyche. in the late 1960s, the seeds of my destiny

o-occult and pseudo-theosophical literature will also have heard the word initiation just too often to feel wholly at ease. lesser initiations and greater initiations have been written of at some length. but the entire subject was surrounded with that vague air of 22 the golden dawn mystery, that halo of sanctity and ambiguity whose only excuse can be ignorance on the part of the writers thereof. the degree of phantasy and attenuated sentimentality which has obtained expression from these sources, plus the real lack of knowledge as to the objects of these degrees and mysteries, act as a constant source of irritation. particularly, when we remember that they were issued to satisfy people spiritually hungry, and yearning with an indescribable hunger for but a few crumbs of the divine wisdom

RITUALS OF THE SOCIETAS ROSICRUCIANIS IN ANGLIA

f mind and reason, and taught him how to liberate the beneficent andsalutary in the various kingdoms of science from gross and material matter, bless this postulant,give him broad comprehension and exceeding wisdom. grant his instructions be received by thelight necessary to impart thy holy hidden secrets, and to thee be all the glory. amen.the theoricus, now rising, will listen to the purpose of the degree.suffragan:theoricus, you have now arrived at the third grade, or physical branch of the system ofrosicrucianism called practicus. you are now to delve in the mines of alchemy and hermeticism sofar as we may be enabled, under our brief forms and symbolic services to impart the same to you.we can, at best, but place in your hands the wrap upon which you must weave the threads, which wewil

RITUEL ET DOGME DE LA HAUTE MAGIE BY ELIPHAS LEVI PART II

e the rapid increase of population, after terrestrial renovations, establishes in a few centuries a new society in all the imaginable moral and political correspondences of its destiny. we might add, in fine, that his alone is absolute light. the man of our time is immutable in himself; he changes no more than nature, in which he is rooted. the social conditions which surround him alone determine the degree of his perfection, of which the bounds are virtue, holiness of man and his happiness in the law. g after such elucidations, will anyone ask the utility of the occult sciences? will they treat with the disdain of mysticism and illuminism these living mathematics, 146 the ritual of transcendental magic these proportions of ideas and forms, this revelation permanent in the universal reason

RUBY TABLET OF SET

lready paid serious attention to this problem, and we also will have to approach this task. we shall deal here only with such kinds of truth we must be informed about thoroughly. truth depends on the insight of each individual. and as we cannot, all of us, have the same insight or perception, it is impossible to generalize the problem of truth. therefore from his standpoint and in conformity with the degree of his maturity, each one will have his own truth, providing he sees it quite honestly. only he who knows and masters. the absolute laws of the microcosm and the macrocosm is entitled to speak of an absolute truth. certain aspects of the absolute truth will be surely acknowledged by everyone. nobody, indeed, will doubt that there is life, volition, memory, and intellect, and will refrai

nciple (the akasha, on all planes of the grossly material, astral, and mental world. therefore wisdom does not depend on mind and memory, but on the maturity, purity, and perfection of the individual personality. wisdom could also be considered as a developmental stage of the "ego" therefore insights are not passed on through the mind, but- and this particularly- through intuition or inspiration. the degree of wisdom is therefore determined by the state of development of the individual. this will not mean, of course, that we ought to neglect knowledge; on the contrary, knowledge and wisdom must go hand in hand. the adept will therefore endeavor to get on in knowledge as well as in wisdom, for none of the two must lag behind in development. if knowledge and wisdom keep the same pace in deve

ver possible. groups with this belief became ascetic. they ignored sex, food (except the minimum, and any form of pleasure. they felt that physical contact would contaminate them, and make it more difficult to transcend to the highest reality after death. they claimed that the body was of this "dark" world, and therefore should be disdained. they represented the majority of gnostic groups, though the degree of asceticism varied greatly from one group to another. the other group, the antiarchists, determined which "acts" were specifically forbidden by the old testament (the book of the dark god, and pursued them with tenacity. by doing this they hoped to undermine to authority of the dark lord, and free themselves and others from the slavery of his laws. they claimed that christ sanctified

no stress there would be no real gain and no actual glory. regardless, the groundwork was laid and the golden dawn was open to lay down further guidelines for the yet-to-come aons and ages. in order to bring about that initiation and perfection, the golden dawn instituted a degree/grade system designed to allow the initiate to have exposure to and gain mastery of each stage. as a second function, the degree/grade system also allowed the officials of the golden dawn exposure to the aspiring initiate. sound familiar? it should: it has been practiced by the o.t.o, the church of satan, and now the temple of set. while one of the best systems around, it nonetheless had its drawbacks- again, id-monsters can crop up in places one least expects them and lead to the occasional treachery. yet it rem

andom misadventures or the schemes of an unknown adversary. all were authored by me, the more to illustrate the paralysis of the god-churches. in truth they are engines of self-annihilation in design as in doctrine. this i will never permit my order to emulate. those who honor the name of satan have existed throughout the dim aeons of human history, as is well known to you. yet, until you assumed the degree of magus, mine was the nameless church. now, for nine years, my name has been heralded, and those who were blind in the light have learned that it is possible to see in darkness. my age has begun, and i am come forth to uphold my bond with mankind. yet i shall not illuminate all, nor even many- but a few. i seek the elect, who in turn seek me. man the god shall arise only from the ashes

, smarter, or a more powerful magician than those he or she leads. he or she expects that others will do more with the teaching then he or she has. every plato waits for his aristotle. a working of communication then is based on need. a great deal has been written by people who were there (i was learning latin in junior high at the time, ascribing the need to howard stanton levey's design to sell the degree system of the church of satan. i can not comment on this, from my vantage point this decision looks resonate with his philosophy. it would likewise be a true sign of that philosophy to clear out when you realize you've been had. i see the fulfillment of levey's teachings in the exodus of many church of satan priests under michael aquino. in this act of rebellion, the temple has maintain

nd one of our questions, this same question will be converted into symbolism deep within our minds, and when we follow the question within, the symbolism will expand and bring before the mind's eye (inner eye/third eye) a vast complex of abstract, magical, intuitive states of being with qualities, associations, and relationships which while they are experienced. they can never be truly explained. the degree of understanding will be determined by the heart. not by the intellect, therefore one must learn to allow the symbolic to enter the consciousness and unite the inner being with it, unhampered by the mundane intellect. when this understanding has occurred, then and only then can the intellect identify with it, even though it will ever be at odds to explain it. on the other hand however

- 5 author: ronald k. barrett v date (not recorded) html revision: september 23, 1998 ce subject: xem reading list: as black magicians, we pride ourselves in being able to meet and cope with the forces of change. we realize the need of hauling in our anchors, of being flexible and unfixed, of refusing to become locked into the death-grips of stasis. all these things we recognize in principle, but the degree of which the principle of change has become truth for us is determined by our willingness to work it when inevitable change presents itself. the temple of set began on an axis of change, whether we measure from 1904 ce, i as, or x as. every time the full implications of the changes were realized and/or discovered to be somewhat more than what was anticipated, a few magicians were lost a

y perceptual" then is there any sort of permanent fixture or tangible material 'thing' that is reality and that can be available for reference for anyone who has eyes to see?ee here i go with an ambiguous answer. yes and no. in my own words and to my own understanding, limited by my current level as it may be, what i believe to be reality or that which i feel constitutes reality is dependent upon the degree of perception [sense of set] of the individual elect. if you're wondering if i answered anything, please continue to wonder. the degree of/to which we actually see reality is directly proportional to the intensity of our perceptions. or, in another way, the more developed that an individual elect's realm of perception is, then the more complete picture or the fuller one gets to perceive

she also creates the function12 of the god. in regard to the creation of or the becoming the neter, what we have to do is to recognize the nature of the neter, so to speak. knowing that which we are becoming/creating. i speculate that this sort of knowledge comes with or is the result of mastering one's self. the fourth degree realm. i feel that a magister/magistra templi has mastered the self to the degree that they know their direction to the point where they more readily are able to continue their process of xeper ir xem from the standpoint of knowing their function. in other words [since the foregoing was jumbled, i feel that the master has elevated him or herself to the level of actually identifying at least the basis of their function. in the iii realm, we are trying to bring this so

SALMANRUSHDIE THESATANICVERSES

downdown they hurtled, and the winter cold frosting their eyelashes and threatening to freeze their hearts was on the point of waking them from their delirious daydream, they were about to become aware of the miracle of the singing, the rain of limbs and babies of which they were a part, and the terror of the destiny rushing at them from below, when they hit, were drenched and instantly iced by, the degree-zero boiling of the clouds. they were in what appeared to be a long, vertical tunnel. chamcha, prim, rigid, and still upside-down, saw gibreel farishta in his purple bush-shirt come swimming towards him across that cloud-walled funnel, and would have shouted "keep away, get away from me" except that something prevented him, the beginning of a little fluttery screamy thing in his intesti

emembered- now that he had reassumed the role of archangel, the full range of archangelic memory and wisdom was apparently being restored to him, little by little- a number of angels (the names semjaza and azazel came first to mind) had been flung out of heaven because they had been _lusting after the daughters of men, who in due course gave birth to an evil race of giants. he began to understand the degree of the danger from which he had been saved when he departed from the vicinity of alleluia cone. o most false of creatures! o princess of the powers of the air- when the prophet, on whose name be peace, had first received the wahi, the revelation, had he not feared for his sanity- and who had offered him the reassuring certainty he needed- why, khadija, his wife. she it was who convinced

SAPPHIRE TABLE OF SET MAIN

ritable blueprint for crowley's own life has been presented [this is not the case in moonchild, incidentally, where the term "black brother" is used to lampoon crowley's old golden dawn opponents] anyone familiar with crowley's writings as a magister templi (8=[3] onward can attest to the tremendous presence of his individual will. the inescapable conclusion is that there is no right-hand path to the degree of magister templi. there is only the left- hand path, and it is fraught with danger- not a one-time test, but a continuous peril that exists from the moment the individual completely realizes him-self as a magister. look at it this way: the magister templi is one who can perceive and comprehend the entire material universe. in order to do this, there must be no part of him which is an

he is truly entitled to that degree, possesses the abilities necessary to thwart those dangers. those who presume to that degree without understanding them or the severe mental pressures they can cause, do in fact suffer the fate that crowley prescribes: they either die or lose their sanity. crowley had many disciples who can be cited as cases in point. he himself possessed the strength to embody the degree, as well as to exercise the tremendous powers and prerogatives of that exalted station. the difficulties that he suffered in later life were the result of other factors [specifically the curse of the degree of magus, and crowley's decision to assume the dangerous perspective of an ipsissimus. these i will discuss later] if crowley understood the true requirements of a magister templi so

tmosphere of inconsistency and imperfection that permeated the aeon of harwer. intellectually crowley was brilliant, but invariably his common sense and his sense of perspective would fail him in almost every "category" of his magical system. he would see trees with unprecedented clarity; he would be blind to forests. such was the unfortunate atmosphere of the aeon of harwer. in order to approach the degree of magister templi as it is now constituted within the aeon of set, let me describe the "forest. first of all, onlookers will note that the first five grades of the golden dawn system have given way to the single i t s, and the three adeptus grades [minor/ major/ exemptus] have given way to the single ii t s. also the priesthood of set iii has been added- a credential entirely alien to

SAPPHIRE TABLET OF SET

ritable blueprint for crowley's own life has been presented [this is not the case in moonchild, incidentally, where the term "black brother" is used to lampoon crowley's old golden dawn opponents] anyone familiar with crowley's writings as a magister templi (8=[3] onward can attest to the tremendous presence of his individual will. the inescapable conclusion is that there is no right-hand path to the degree of magister templi. there is only the left- hand path, and it is fraught with danger- not a one-time test, but a continuous peril that exists from the moment the individual completely realizes him-self as a magister. look at it this way: the magister templi is one who can perceive and comprehend the entire material universe. in order to do this, there must be no part of him which is an

he is truly entitled to that degree, possesses the abilities necessary to thwart those dangers. those who presume to that degree without understanding them or the severe mental pressures they can cause, do in fact suffer the fate that crowley prescribes: they either die or lose their sanity. crowley had many disciples who can be cited as cases in point. he himself possessed the strength to embody the degree, as well as to exercise the tremendous powers and prerogatives of that exalted station. the difficulties that he suffered in later life were the result of other factors [specifically the curse of the degree of magus, and crowley's decision to assume the dangerous perspective of an ipsissimus. these i will discuss later] if crowley understood the true requirements of a magister templi so

tmosphere of inconsistency and imperfection that permeated the aeon of harwer. intellectually crowley was brilliant, but invariably his common sense and his sense of perspective would fail him in almost every "category" of his magical system. he would see trees with unprecedented clarity; he would be blind to forests. such was the unfortunate atmosphere of the aeon of harwer. in order to approach the degree of magister templi as it is now constituted within the aeon of set, let me describe the "forest. first of all, onlookers will note that the first five grades of the golden dawn system have given way to the single i t s, and the three adeptus grades [minor/ major/ exemptus] have given way to the single ii t s. also the priesthood of set iii has been added- a credential entirely alien to

SATANIC RITUALS

that those who are "right" can flourish. it was to be expected that the first messes noirs would institute reversals of existing liturgy, thus reinforcing the original blasphemy of heretical thought. modern satanism realizes man's need for an "other side" and has realistically accepted that polarity-at least within the confines of a ritual chamber. thus a satanic chamber can serve -depending upon the degree of embellishment and the extent of the acts within-as a meditation chamber for the entertainment of unspoken thoughts, or a veritable palace of perversity. ceremonies such as the german wahsinn der logisch actually weld the concepts of satanism and the manifestations of insanity into a total assumption of the role of needed social adversary. this phenomenon has been eloquently defined b

blasphemy. actually it is usually entered into for a personal need to purge oneself, via overcompensation, of inhibiting guilts imposed by christian dogma. thus it is a ritual. if a black mass is performed by curiosity seekers or "for fun" it becomes a party. what constitutes the difference between a satanic ceremony and a play presented by a theatre group? often very little: mainly it hinges on the degree of acceptance on the part of the audience. it is of little consequence whether an outside audience does or does not accept the substance of a satanic ceremony: the strange and grotesque always has a large and enthusiastic audience. murders sell more newspapers than garden-club meetings. however, it is important to consider the needs of the participants: those who need satanic ceremony m

performed by the societe des luciferiens in late nineteenth and early twentieth century france. obviously taken from prior messes noir, it also derives from the texts of die holy bible, the missale romanum, the work of charles baudelaire and charles marie- george huysmans, and the records of georges legue. it is the most consistently satanic version this author has encountered. while it maintains the degree of blasphemy necessary to make it effective psychodrama, it does not dwell on inversion purely for the sake of blasphemy, but elevates the concepts of satanism to a noble and rational degree. this ritual is a psychodrama in the truest sense. its prime purpose is to reduce or negate stigma acquired through past indoctrination. it is also a vehicle for retaliation against unjust acts perp

SCHLAGER NEIL WORLD RELIGIONS REFERENCE LIBRARY

ns of jewish law but should not place great emphasis on doing so. some jewish laws made sense in purely practical terms, such as those dealing with hygiene and health in an agricultural community. despite the agreement of the council paul later had an argument with peter, an event sometimes referred to as the incident of antioch. paul believed that peter placed too much emphasis on jewish law, to the degree that peter refused to share a meal with gentile christians. perhaps because of this disagreement, paul set out on his second missionary journey, revisiting some of the towns that he had visited on his first journey. his travels took him through asia minor and into macedonia, where he established the first christian church in philippi. in this city he was imprisoned for theft because he

n government took away his passport, a move that often preceded imprisonment. without his passport, tutu could leave the country only with the government s permission. in 1982 he was denied permission to travel to the united states to accept an honorary degree from columbia university in new york. in response the president of the university personally traveled to south africa to present tutu with the degree. in 1984 tutu was awarded the nobel peace prize, which helped to further publicize his efforts. in the words of the commission that selected him, as quoted on the nobelprize.org web site, the prize was given not only as a gesture of support to him and to the south african council of churches of which he is leader, but also to all individuals and groups in south africa who, with their co

create the changes they sought. bettmann/corbis. 196 world religions: primary sources the philosophy of atheism other term the essence of theism may have found expression, has become more indefinite and obscure in the course of time and progress. in other words, the god idea is growing more impersonal and nebulous in proportion as the human mind is learning to understand natural phenomena and in the degree that science progressively correlates human and social events. god, today, no longer represents the same forces as in the beginning of his existence; neither does he direct human destiny with the same iron hand as of yore. rather does the god idea express a sort of spiritualistic stimulus to satisfy the fads and fancies of every shade of human weakness. in the course of human developmen

STEINER RUDOLF CHRISTIANITY AS MYSTICAL FACT

conviction that around them may be others who, though their spiritual eyes are yet unopened, may be able to understand through the very power of what they have to convey. for they have a faith in humanity and wish to open the eyes of others. they can only offer the fruits that their own spirit has gathered. as to whether the visions of the spiritual eye are understood by others, that depends upon the degree of their understanding. the mysteries and mysteriosophy 5 in the beginning there is resistance on the human side to seeing with the spiritual eye. human beings have as yet nothing in their own nature that enables them to do so: the human being is at the outset a product of sense-experiences, and the mind is as yet nothing more than the interpreter and judge of the senses. the senses wou

s not coincide with the personality; its home is with infinity. from the pythagorean point of view, it could only be foolishness to suppose that the power of the soul is exhausted in its personal expression. for the pythagoreans as for heraclitus, the point was the awakening within the personality of the eternal. knowledge to them meant an encounter with the eternal. they valued people exactly to the degree that they brought the eternal to manifestation. life in a pythagorean community consisted of fostering in people that the mysteries and pre-socratic philosophy 39 sense of an encounter with the eternal, and their education was designed to bring the members to such an experience. their education was thus a philosophical initiation; the pythagoreans could well say that in their mode of li

derstand our relationship to nature scientifically, but not how to live it. no, we do not actually live our scientific theories. see how many there are who are delighted when harnack, for example, says in his the essence of christianity: how doubtful would mankind s situation be if the deeper peace for which it longs, and the clarity, conviction and power for which it strives, were dependent upon the degree of its enlightenment and education! they may admit the truth of natural science with their heads, but with their hearts they long for quite different sources of satisfaction. for those with eyes to see, it is quite clear that even those who take their stand on the grounds of natural science cannot translate this knowledge into the reality of life. not even the great scientists can do so

TECHNICIANS GUIDE TO THE LEFT HAND PATH

nd of which we develop in our formative stages. it doesn t mean abandoning culture or society, it means stepping aside from them, evaluating them and then invoking them as property to be used. typically, individuals accept their born culture and society with little or no question of it. it is ingrained from birth, antinomianism demands that all constructions be evaluated on their own merits as to the degree it is useful for the development of the individual. expansion is a movement away from a point. the first point you will move away from is the cognitive platform that has impacted you by the order/beliefs/icons and affinities of society, culture and genetics. this is the first step, subsequent understandings will be built upon what you begin to create from this "clean slate" of internal

hat akin to the sleeping state of the fourth way schools of knowledge. however, it is not as rigid, and is a more realistic model of this fourth way concept. the birthed self can do, but it is on a level equivalent to the individual's personal inner vision and their ability to see. the birthed self is a conscious being capable of doing, it is simply limited by its non-extension, it is confined to the degree of extension it is capable of without further conscious attempts to do more. the birthed self is also where we all begin. this is its vital function, it is where we all depart from, it is the baseline from which all extension and vision emanate. it is a grand mechanism for it allows us the potential to depart. it is part of a spectrum of possibilitites that when recognized, leads to the

y mainstream religion hasn't got a clue. so, let me fill you in. the true distinction between the lhp and the rhp is one of intention: the lhp seeks a separation from god or nature for the purpose of self deification and the inherent personal responsibilities *that* implies. the rhp seeks to merge with god, to join the natural forces, to be with god and to allow the doctines of that god determine the degree and form of self responsibility and ethical behaviour. the rhp vs. lhp is not good against evil in the classic socialized, religious, cultural sense. it is about the most important choice a conscious being can make during his/her life. the loss of personal individuality and egocentric consciousness to the gentleness, solicitude and peace of god or fighting to maintain the individual wil

urce, you can have a number of 1:1 relations with the source if they are synchronized into its "time period" through proper tuning and phasing. harmonic elements however, can have a number of combinations by way of tuning and phasing that are related to the original source, but also so to other harmonic elements. that is, although these complements are not directly tuned into the resonant wave to the degree that they become a unison with it, they do share qualities that are inherent to the state of the object in question. the importance of the harmonic elements is the fact that individuals who fall into the proper timing of the ideas have available to them a direction. this direction- if followed and investigated- leads towards the primal source and genesis of their affinity. the aeonic re

direction- if followed and investigated- leads towards the primal source and genesis of their affinity. the aeonic resonance offers the freedom to choose the direction of the individual spiritual destiny. the synchronicity to resonate involves two aspects; a unison or direct resonant relationship, and a harmonic relationship. qualitative differences between these two aspects are contained within the degree of consciousness that one has regarding the idea form of the resonance. on an individual level, these differences are further defined through the desire and will to act according to those impulses generated by the ideas. direct relationships to an originating source are possible, but only through willed action and recognition- on both the intuitive and intellectual levels of comprehensi

cultural, social, psychological dissent is in itself an exercise of the will paving the way for further cultivation of that faculty. resistance and understanding go hand in hand. the better one understands an object, the less resistance the object projects to the psyche. resistance is obliterated when one defines the object of resistance to the point that it is understood for what it truly is (to the degree our perceptions allow the possibility for. when this moment of understanding occurs, the resistance transforms into further possibility, as its essential understanding is articulated and extended forth from its new source (you. resistance does not teach the will anything. the will cannot be taught, what is being taught and trained to act in specific ways are those aspects of consciousne

TEXE MARRS CODEX MAGICA SECRET SIGNS MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS AND HIDDEN CODES OF THE ILLUMINATI

gn of fellow craft (2) mason. now since this degree is of lower status, this begs the question of why such famous, publicly acclaimed men as evangelists billy graham and pat robertson, as well as occult leader annie besant, russian president boris yeltsin, and international financier sir james rothschild are all displaying the fellow craft sign. the answer is a fascinating one. mackey writes that the degree and thus its primary sign denotes a "fellow workman" a commoner. in other words, it represents the masses of common people. it represents, adds mackey, the "stage of manhood" and the maturation of humanity by progression of man's "reasoning faculties and..intellectual powers."5 in essence, the fellow craft degree represents man progressively brought to a high status of possessing the su

ar against true christians, and to exalt their man-king as the events prophesied in bible prophecy roll forward. naturally, tresner would probably deny this meaning, so i leave it to you, dear reader, to discern. however, the masonic author of the authoritative richardson's monitor of freemasonry, no doubt lets the cat out of the bag, so to speak, by detailing how, during this ritual ceremony for the degree of knight of the east and west, the sacred word is given to the assembled members of the lodge. that sacred word is a shocker: it is abaddon. yes, abaddon is the sacred word for the masonic knights of east and west. and the holy bible reveals exactly who abaddon is in revelation 9:11: page 158 from richardson s monitor of freemasonry, detailing the ritual ceremony of the knights of the

leon degrelle, that fought on the russian front against the communists. its advocates claim the x design of the old confederate flag (the "stars and bars) is adapted from the ancient and historic saint andrew's cross. this is far from certain. the confederacy was secretly supported by jesuits, masons, and jews (rothschild interests) all of whom were aware of its true, occultic origins. moreover, the degree of the scottish rite of freemasonry emphasizes the x- shaped cross of saint andrew. cross my heart and hope to die" 235 236 codex magica illuminism in space: nasa patches are loaded with pagan, occultic, and masonic meanings, including the x of osiris, the egyptian sun god. an x is formed as america's top four politicians met at the white house to decide the fate of the federal budget

s. as always, the left hand on heart indicates the sinister occultic path. the thumb extended upward leaving the hand squared in the "l" position signals fidelity, sincerity and being "on the square" the thumb upward symbolizes the child-soul, the heart in subjection to higher powers. the sign of hand on heart is practiced and taught in the rituals for many degrees of freemasonry. for example: in the degree of sublime knights elected, the candidate is instructed in the sign. his right hand is extended across the chest to the heart and the thumb is pointed upward (richardson's monitor of freemasonry, p. 147) in the degree of companion select, the sign is given with the right hand (richardson's monitor of freemasonry, p. 86) in the degree of select master, the initiate is told "the most popu

chardson's monitor of freemasonry, p. 147) in the degree of companion select, the sign is given with the right hand (richardson's monitor of freemasonry, p. 86) in the degree of select master, the initiate is told "the most popular signs in masonry are made in this manner: place the palm of the right hand on the heart, and pronounce the word secresy (richardson's monitor of freemasonry, p. 80) in the degree of the knight of the pelican and eagle sovereign prince rose croix of heredom, the lecturer directs the assembled members to "pass to the black room, 18 collars being reversed" following this instruction, the sign of "right hand on left breast is given (18th degree secret initiation ceremony) in the degree of mark master, the members form and march around the lodge, singing a song. the

gular chain, the legend taught by freemasonry that jewish freemasons were carried as captives from jerusalem to babylon by nebuchadnezzar, being bound by triangular chains. the babylonian king is said to have been gravely insulting the jews by doing this because, to the jews, the triangle, or delta symbol, was a symbol of their deity.2 king solomon and the triple triangle in the 6 of freemasonry, the degree of intimate secretary, the concept of a triple triangle is introduced, said to be emblematic of the three masons who were present at the opening of the first lodge of intimate secretaries. it is further claimed that king solomon was one of those three present. it is significant that in the first book of kings in the holy bible, king solomon rebelled against god and his commandments and

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL 3

ll differ from dreams given to a psychotherapist, because in the latter instance the emphasis is on the person s inner life and his or her attempts to change his or her behavior. it has been noted that patients who go to freudian psychotherapists eventually begin to incorporate freudian symbols into their dreams while patients who see jungian analysts do the same with jungian symbols. opinions on the degree to which external events influence dreams vary widely. some dream researchers contend that all dreams are the result of presleep experiences, while freudian psychoanalysts emphasize the internal determinants of dream content (i.e, one s unconscious drives and defenses. others argue that the presleep experiences of one s daily activities may be used by the unconscious, but they are not o

e often an idea associated with the drawing would come across rather than the actual sketch. in the sinclair experiments of 290 drawings, 65 were judged successes, 155 partial successes, and 70 were failures. professor william mcdougall (1871 1938, a fellow of the royal society, a brilliant british-american pioneer of parapsychology, said of the sinclairs experiments with their mental radio, that the degree of success and the conditions of the experiment were such that they could not be rejected and should be accepted as evidence of some mode of communication not presently explicable in accepted scientific terms. while acknowledging the existence of telepathy, many parapsychologists became interested in proving that far from simply being a mental radio, telepathy must be some form of elect

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL

once godly christian soldiers had acquired their earthly treasure and power by worshipping satan and committing the most foul acts of desecration and blasphemy. the order of knights that had once served as the bulwark of christianity during the crusades to protect the holy land was ordered disbanded by papal decree, and its members tortured and burned at the stake. history has not yet determined the degree of their true guilt as heretics, but it is unlikely the knights templar deserved such an ignoble end. while there was never any clear evidence to prove that the knights templar committed the acts of human sacrifice of which they were accused, the members of the leopard cult of africa were responsible for many such ritual murders on their jungle altars and left hundreds of mutilated huma

handwriting would, therefore, have to show the balance missing in neurotic or psychotic handwriting. a balanced handwriting would be the outward manifestation of a balanced mind. leftward movement of the handwriting indicates a writer who has a tendency to live in the past and to be of a passive disposition. rightward movement usually reveals a writer who is future-minded and somewhat aggressive. the degree to which individuals have balanced their tendencies and personality traits is an invaluable clue to a prospective employer, and many companies and businesses have begun employing a graphologist on their staff. graphologists maintain that an employer can get an indication as to how an individual will react under stress and determine whether or not a person in their employ would act in a

THE MARTINIST OPERATIVE GENERAL RITUAL

their ways and who walk according to thy will. o almighty god, may thus my actions be regulated, as well as my steps, so that i may preserve faithfully thy ordinances and thy commandments. may they both lead me victoriously during this terrestrial life unto the original plane which i have left of my own fault. by ieshouah, our lord, amen. prayer to be said while vesting the bandolier or collar of the degree: grant me, o lord of hosts of heaven, the power always to preserve in honour 16 and faithfulness this precious adornment of my reconciliation, and may this shoulder cloth, symbol of avenging combats, remain a symbol of thy victories by my acts. by ieshouah, our lord, amen. prayer to be said while unrolling the operational cloth: deign, o eternal lord, wise and strong, to descend unto th

THE MIDDLE PILLAR

igion for a different purpose. nor will the practices be of passing value. on the contrary, the set of adorations the student will learn from ths book are to be integrated for all time into the daily pattern of living. next in importance is the acluevement of a heightened sense of self-awareness. all other exercises and complex procedures actually begin from tlus heightening of self-awareness. to the degree that the horizon of one's self becomes expanded, to that extent does the self become enlarged. the development of proper breathng habits will serve many purposes, including eradication of considerable neuromuscular tension, with a consequent increase of energy and vitality. the air by which we are surrounded, and in which we live and move and have our being, is the essence of life itsel

rety as the one ideal method of inducing the right state of mind appropriate to free association and the cathartic confession. should its present form be considered unsuitable, i reiterate that it has possibilities which render it worthy of being remodeled in the light of present-day psychological knowledge to suit modem contingencies. there are several little physical helps which greatly enhance the degree and amount of power which can be made available. correct breathing, especially, is one of them. there could hardly be a better adjunct than breathing in a rhythmical manner. the latter in itself, quite apart from the middle pillar, is supremely efficacious in producing quiet and calm. the entire system is stilled and strengthened as the lungs slowly take up a rhythm, and keep to it inde

THE PATH OF KABBALAH

anything about the creator. in fact, it is not about the creator, but about how he appears to us, how he wants to be felt. hence, the study of kabbalah must be correctly aimed; the thought must be focused on studying the inner attributes that we still cannot see in us. all the world, partzufim, sefirot, names, everything the kabbalah speaks of exists in us and will be revealed in us, depending on the degree of our correction. we will find our inner moses and aaron, king david and the angels, the evil, the righteous and the 7 of 273 degrees of attainment called jerusalem, the temple and more. every word in the torah speaks of our own forces and the levels of our sensation of the creator. that is the only thing that the torah discusses. that is also the only thing we speak of in our daily li

e, limited by nature, divided by four degrees of desire: still, vegetative, animate and speaking (man. man is the only degree that can use nature with a special aim that he creates by himself. it is called the point in the heart. the first phase is the fetus, root coarseness: when one nullifies oneself completely, melts, so to speak, in the creator. after that, the creature must gradually rise to the degree of the emanator and overcome that difference that exists between them by himself. using the aim, we seemingly build the creator within us, but all along we feel our self, because our self is really the creator. by attaining the creator and equalizing in form with him, we attain our own self. the creator wants to create creation in such a way that when it feels the creator, it will still

its independence by using the desires that it wants to return to the creator. that is where they are equal. the purpose is for the creature to 9 of 273 attain complete wholeness, while retaining its nature. the creator couldn t have created an incomplete creature, he had to create a creature that is equal to him. and the way to do it is by creating a creature and give it the possibility to attain the degree of the creator by itself. that is the meaning of perfection. when that is attained, there is a clear sensation that there is nothing other than the creator and the creature. the creature discovers that he doesn t exist without the creator, but the creator cannot be called a creator if there isn t a creature, just like a woman cannot be called a mother if she doesn t have a child. it is

s actions should correlate with one s state. when one attains spirituality, it is a different feeling altogether. we discover that our inner feelings are a consequence of the actions of the creator, but in fact, man and the creator are one and the same thing, there is no contradiction between them, they want the same thing, and there isn t even a cause and consequence. this is called the unity of the degree. yet we have to act as we actually feel. on the one hand, we read those beautiful essays that say, he is one and his name is one, but we still have to act according to our current degree in our spiritual life. it is impossible to behave in the group by the rules of the end of correction, because we cannot live by these rules. therefore, the framework must suit our exact state. we mustn

stand the connections and relationships between the spiritual objects, although it cannot be compared with the actual sensation once you get there. when the zohar says, go and ask rabbi shimon and rabbi abba it means that you should ascend to their degree and ask why they present things the way they do. when the zohar writes that a certain person met rabbi shimon it means that that person rose to the degree of rabbi shimon and because of that can see and understand what rabbi shimon can. this is how a degree gets its name, and when a person climbs to it, he is called by that name. if he attains only a part of that degree he is regarded as a son to it. that is why we are considered the sons of adam, because we are all parts of the degree called adam, and our task is to attain that part indi

e in and therefore do not need the law; we rise above it and keep it of our own conscious decision. since our soul consists of five parts, we must acquire five separate screens in power, according to the coarseness of the egoism: we cross the barrier when we acquire a screen of root coarseness, and attain the spiritual degree of the world of assiya. a screen for 1st degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of yetzira. a screen for 2nd degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of beria. a screen for 3rd degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of atzilut. and finally, a screen for 4th degree coarseness raises us to the degree of the world of adam kadmon. above adam kadmon the soul ascends to the world of ein sof. there are five partzufim in every wor

ount of people permitted to write. there are only three kabbalists who attained the very last degree and were permitted to describe the system. they are rabbi shimon bar-yochay, author of the zohar, the ari, author of the tree of life, and rabbi yehuda ashlag, author of the sulam commentary on the zohar and the study of the ten sefirot. these books were all written after their authors ascended to the degree of the creator in every property and capability. if a person acquires the attributes of the creator, he becomes free. such a person is not limited in any way, he is above everything. kabbalah hardly ever mentions one s ascent in the degrees, though it is the most important thing for us. the books speak primarily of the descent of the worlds from above. it is described in detail in the z

goism and only the kabbalists who climb the spiritual degrees have real freedom. furthermore, the more they correct themselves, the greater is their capability to lead the world. we learn about the descent of the light from the creator down to our world in the study of the ten sefirot, in the zohar and in the writings of the ari. the other part, which talks about our ascent from our world back to the degree of the creator is described quite vaguely in the books. this work is called the work of god a work by which we equalize our form (properties) with those of the creator. q: is kabbalah the only way to feel the creator, and if so, how can that be proven? a: yes, it is. but you want me to show you the creator and then decide which way to go. you are asking me, how do i know about this way?

ment? a: a person s spirituality evolves the (spiritual) degrees of still, vegetative, animate and speaking. 1. still: the desire for physical pleasures, such as food and sex. 2. vegetative: the desire for money and wealth. 3. animate: the desire for respect and power. 4. speaking: the desire for science, self-awareness and to learn about the surrounding world. 37 of 273 5. the spiritual: that is the degree where the desire for spirituality appears. in fact, this is no longer a degree, but a super degree, because the object of the desire is outside this world. q: how is the progress in spirituality expressed? a: spiritual progress consists of being in two opposite situations: right and left intermittently. it is as though a person walks on his legs, stepping on his right leg and then on hi

essed? a: spiritual progress consists of being in two opposite situations: right and left intermittently. it is as though a person walks on his legs, stepping on his right leg and then on his left. each step provides him with further knowledge and faith (in hebrew, the word raglaim means legs, but it also comes from the same root as the word spy, meaning one who provides information. q: what does the degree of one s spiritual attainment depend on? a: the degree of one s spiritual attainment depends on one thing only: one s willingness to endure in order to achieve one s goal. there are no shortcuts. q: how can i change my current spiritual degree, and what happens with my soul afterwards? a: regardless of the name you give it creation, soul, man the preliminary state is always uncorrected

THE SECRET RITUALS OF THE OTO

nstituted for the amusement of grown-up children (pause) s (loudly) candidate, do you persist in your will to be consecrated a magician? c: i do. s: do you likewise pledge yourself, under penalty of your obligation, that you will conceal what i shall now import to you with the same strict caution as our other secrets? c: i do. s: then i will entrust you with the pass grip and pass word leading to the degree to which you seek admission. the pass grip is given by joining hands as you have been taught, and twisting the wrist sharply to the right. the pass word is thelema, which means will in the greek language. look frankly and fearlessly into my eyes, and say with me: the word of the law is thelema. you will now retire from the camp to a prepared place, there to undergo the necessary prepara

t of gear. s: send the candidate on his travels with the sun (w. and e. conduct him, deosil, seven circles of seven years (the orator reads the prayers of the elementals, from levi) s: i now proceed to instruct you in the secrets of this degree. advance to me as at your lustration (done) you will now take a second step as before, but with the other foot; it is in this position that the secrets of the degree are communicated. they consist of a sign, a grip, and a word. the sign is twofold. the first part is called the sign of life or of manifestation. it is given by clenching the fingers of both hands, the right hand to be held with the upper arm forming a square with the shoulder, and the lower arm vertical; the left hand is placed at the base of the torso. this is the characteristic posit

n language, these are? c: scire, velle, audere, tacere. s: their initials are identical with those of what sentence? c: sub umbra alarum tetragrammaton, or tahuti, the master of magic. s: have you completed your travels with the sun? c: i have fulfilled seventy years. s: the sun is setting. do you pledge your might as a magician that you will steadily persevere through the ceremony of devotion to the degree of a master magician? c: i do. s: this. didst. thou. well (pause) do you likewise pledge yourself, under the penalty of your obligation, that you will conceal what i shall now impart to you with the same strict caution as our other secrets? c: i do. s: then i will entrust you with the pass grip and pass word, leading to the degree to which you seek admission. the pass grip is given by j

e companion master very perfect architect and sublime scottish architect of heredom and these: knight of the sacred arch grand axe or grand ark and sublime knight of choice. the secrets of these degrees are now open to you for study. i also confer upon you the s. of this degree, given by &c. it is the p.s. and refers &c. bro. herald, i command you to proclaim that our brethren are duly exalted to the degree of a l. of p. herald: in the name of the g.m.b. and by order of the viskgg, i proclaim our brethren a, b& c perfect magicians (fanfare. 2 and 3 returns. her. goes to them) it is now useful to inform you that these degrees are never worked. but their secrets form intermediate steps between our third and fourth degrees, and it is therefore necessary to confer them formally upon you. the l

o (raises sponge, saying to viii) father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless my will, which is thine, be done (viii presents it to 2nd o, who drinks. 2nd o then takes it, and presents it to cands. who assume the grand position, and drink to dregs. they are led to west by herald) orator (reads liber clvi. equinox vi, p. 23) viii: i have received authority to confer upon you the degree of a c.p.i. on receiving a simple obligation to keep inviolate its secrets. are you willing to take it? file//c /documents%20and%20settings/michael..0secret%20rituals%20of%20the%20o.t.o/p2c6.html (5 of 9 [12/28/2001 2:04:24 pm] the secret rituals of the o.t.o. cands: we are. viii: then you will extinguish your tapers, remove your aprons, sashes and jewels, raise your arms, extended at a

TRUE HISTORY OF WITCHCRAFT

nly those of crowley, the text is in the decorative hand of gerald gardner! the complete text reads as follows: do what thou wilt shall be the law. we baphomet x degree ordo templi orientis sovereign grand master general of all english speaking countries of the earth do hereby authorise our beloved son scire (dr.g,b,gardner) prince of jerusalem to constitute a camp of the ordo templi orientis, in the degree minerval. love is the law, love under will. a true history of witchcraft get any book for free on: www.abika.com 17 o witness my hand and seal baphomet x leaving aside the misquotation from the book of the law, which got by me for some months and probably got by crowley when it was presented to him for signature, the document is probably authentic. it hung for some time in gardner's mus

TYSON DONALD NEW MILLENNIUM MAGIC

wn unique vocabulary. however, it is important that the magus, in the first flush of running to obey the instructions of a newly awakened inner voice, does not completely throw away traditional meth- ods. traditional magic has survived because it is grounded in spiritual reality. even when a practice seems meaningless, there is usually a magical rationale at its base. one measure of attainment is the degree to which the magus can make sense out of traditional or folk practices that on the surface seem utterly meaningless. the purpose of this book is twofold: to assist in the awakening of a transcen- dent view of the universe and thereby liberate the reader from the prison of the materialistic zeitgeist of modern society; and to rationalize as much as possible the traditional elements of ma

ontrol. spirits are always evoked outside the magic circle. the circles of evocation given in the grimoires are needlessly complex. the only additional element neces- sary for evocation is the triangle. this is to be drawn on the floor or ground two feet away from the standard nine-foot circle. it is to be equilateral, three feet on each side, and should point away from the circle. its apex marks the degree of the compass that is the abode of the spirit. for example, a spirit of fire would be evoked into a triangle that pointed south. as with the circle, it is necessary to retrace the triangle at the beginning of each evocation. it should be projected from the wand vertically on the air at heart level, its point up, directly above the physical triangle that is drawn on the floor. during th

be. the lesser gods of myth and legend are limited emanations of the single true deity. for this reason they are treated with respect, but never with ado- ration or worship. the magus must not commit the sacrilege of praying to a lesser god. the gods are tools to be used with the authority of the light. since the light is the primary emanation, and all lesser emanations are distinguished only by the degree to which they obscure its radiance, all things are subservient to it. mankind need kneel to no being with a name and a form, regardless of how terrible it appears. such awesome shapes melt like wax when struck by the light. their essences are dreams of the all, as their forms are dreams of humanity. god-forms are never the creations of an individual; they are always the work of the grou

TYSON DONALD SOUL FLIGHT

loss to explain what power natural crystals may have to induce an altered state of consciousness that facilitates soul flight. it is sometimes suggested that staring at the shiny surface of a crystal may induce a self-hypnotic condition. this is undoubtedly correct, but does not account for the widespread use of rock crystals and similar clear gem stones, as opposed to other shiny objects, or for the degree to which crystals are prized for this purpose. crystals are a strongly lunar substance, being like water in appearance and cool to the touch. the light shining through crystals resembles the silvery color of moonlight. almost all of the enochian communications recorded by john dee between the years 1582 and 1587 were scried by edward kelley in several small globes of natural rock crysta

TYSON DONALD THE MAGICAL WORKBOOK

o a daily routine of practice and done consistently over a period of months, the benefits they confer are automatic and universal. they strengthen the will, focus concentration, enhance creative visualization, and awaken the perception of esoteric forces and spiritual creatures. anyone who follows the routine of practice set forth in the appendix will experience profound changes of mind and body. the degree of benefit will vary depending on the latent gifts within each individual, but just as no one can lift weights for months without enlarging their biceps, it is impossible to work these exercises of practical magic without expanding and strengthening the occult faculties. you will become more aware of the processes of your own mind, and increasingly conscious of your dreams. you will sen

TYSON DONALD THE POWER OF THE WORD

esh that wears the form of the warrior christ. the angels of wrath cannot call themselves into being. what they could, and did, do is teach mankind how to summon them through the guardian gates of the four watchtowers that sustain the universe. once coronzon and his angels gain access through the watchtowers, their mere presence in our world will render it unfit for human habitation by increasing the degree of chaos and disrupting the balance of the natural laws that presently provide stability and order. coronzon will transform our universe into a suitable dwelling place for himself and his ministers, in the process destroying the human race. if we are to believe st. john the divine, his sovereignty over our blasted universe will be of brief duration, but this will yield scant consolation

WAITE ASPECTS OF MASONIC SYMBOLISM

dramatic scene, wherein he represents the master-builder of masonry. there is, thirdly, a masonic quest, connected with the notion of a secret word communicated as an essential part of the master-degree in building. this is perhaps the most important and strangest of the three elements; but the quest after the word is not finished in the third degree. the first degree let us look for a moment at the degree of entered apprentice, and how things stand with the candidate when he first comes within the precincts of the lodge. he comes as one who is "worthy and well recommended" as if he contained within himself certain elements or materials which are adaptable to a specific purpose. he is described by his conductor as a person who is "properly prepared" the fitness implied by the recommendati

and the yoke which is placed about him is unquestionably in correspondence with the umbilical cord. you will remember the point at which he is released therefrom- in our english ritual, i mean. i do not wish to press this view, because it belongs of right, in the main, to another region of symbolism, and the procedure in the later degrees confuses an issue which might be called clear otherwise in the degree of entered apprentice. it is preferable to say that a new light- being that of masonry- illuminates the world of the lodge in the midst of which the candidate is placed; he is penetrated by a fresh experience; and he sees things as they have never been presented to him before. when he retires subsequently for a period, this is like his restoration to light; in the literal sense he resum

a return to building symbolism, but this time in the form of a legend. it is no longer an erection of the candidate's own house- house of the body, house of the mind, and house of the moral law. we are taken to the temple of solomon and are told how the master-builder suffered martyrdom rather than betray the mysteries which had been placed in his keeping. manifestly, the lesson which is drawn in the degree is a veil of something much deeper, and about which there is no real intimation. it is assuredly an instruction for the candidates that they must keep the secrets of the masonic order secretly, but such a covenant has reference only to the official and external side. the bare recitation of the legend would have been sufficient to enforce this; but observe that the candidate assumes the

e only to the official and external side. the bare recitation of the legend would have been sufficient to enforce this; but observe that the candidate assumes the part of the master-builder and suffers within or in him- as a testimony of personal faith and honor in respect to his engagements. but thereafter he rises, and it is this which gives a peculiar characteristic to the descriptive title of the degree. it is one of raising and of reunion with companions- almost as if he had been released from earthly life and had entered into the true land of the living. the keynote is therefore not one of dying but one of resurrection; and yet it is not said in the legend that the master rose. the point seems to me one of considerable importance, and yet i know not of a single place in our literatur

WEOR SAMAEL AUN ESOTERIC COURSE OF KABBLAH

r by sinful thoughts. sex is the sanctum regnum of the temple. before entering the sanctum sanctorum, purify your mind from any kind of impure thought. esoteric ordeals/trials the initiatic ordeals [or trials] are enveloped in the arcanum eight. each initiation, each degree, has its ordeals. these initiatic ordeals become tougher each time, in accordance with the initiatic degree. the number 8 is the degree of job. this sign, this number, signifies trials and pains. these initiatic ordeals are performed in the superior worlds and in the physical world. eighth card of the tarot a woman with a sword in her hand, facing the scale [or balance] of cosmic justice appears in the arcanum eight of the tarot. indeed, only she [the priestess] can deliver the sword to the magician. thus, an initiate (

curiosity. they want to be wise immediately. paul of tarsus stated "we speak wisdom among them that are perfect (corinthians i, 26. therefore, only those who achieve the third step are perfect. only among them can divine wisdom be spoken of. in the ancient egypt of the pharaohs, among the occult masons, the three steps of the path were: 1. apprentice 2. companion 3. master candidates remained in the degree of apprenticeship for seven years, and sometimes longer. only when the hierophants were completely sure of the purity and sanctity of those candidates were they then able to pass them to the second stage. la gnosis primitiva ense a tres etapas por las cuales tiene que pasar todo aquel que trabaja en la fragua encendida de vulcano, stas son: purificaci n, iluminaci n y perfecci n. result

s etapas del sendero; dentro de la masoner a oculta, estas son: aprendices, compa eros y maestros. los candidatos permanec an en el grado de aprendices, siete a os y a n m s, s lo cuando ya los hierofantes estaban completamente seguros de la purificaci n y santidad del candidato, pod a entonces ste pasar a la segunda etapa. 141 the first faculty that the candidate develops is the one related with the degree of listener, the faculty of clairaudience (occult hearing. indeed, illumination begins only after seven years of apprenticeship. however, students believe that spiritual faculties are going to be immediately developed and when they realize that this subject matter is serious, they flee. this is the sad reality; this is why in life it is very rare to find someone who is prepared for adep

rubim; touching each other with their wings and were in the attitude of the man and the woman during the sexual act. inside the ark were found the fourishing rod of aaron, the cup of gomor containing the manna and the two tablets of the law. the number 4 as a result of the addition of the 22 (2+2=4. the internal lodge the first duty of any gnostic is to be sure that the lodge is protected. during the degree of apprentice, the attention is focused on the astral plane. the inner lodge must be protected; the astral body must be clean from any type of animal passions and desires. in the second degree the mental lodge must be protected. thus, worldly thoughts must be cast out of the temple. it is necessary to protect the inner lodge very well so that doctrines, people, demons, etc. do not penet

WICCA MAGICK OCCULT THREE GREEN BOOKS DRUIDISM

e to exist because they are ignored. aldous huxley there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. benjamin disraeli then there is the man who drowned crossing a stream with an average depth of six inches. w.i.e. gates natives who beat drums to drive off evil spirits are objects of scorn to smart americans who blow horns to break up traffic jams. mary ellen kelly none attains to the degree of truth until a thousand honest people have testified that he is a heretic. junaid of baghdad, sufi truth suffers from too much analysis. ancient fremen saying, dune wisdom a narrow place is large to the narrow-minded. turkemestan the supposition of the wise man is better than the certainty of the ignorant. moorish the best preacher is the heart; the best teacher is time; the best book

WILLIAM WESCOTT NUMBERS THEIR OCCULT POWER AND MYSTIC VIRTUES

brahmins used the numbers 60 and 3600 in computing time. the chaldeans also did so. the brahmins have also an antediluvian period of 600 years. the tartars and chinese also used a period of 60 years in their computations of time. under the number, six, too, we must not omit to mention the symbol of the double triangle, hexapla, or hexalpha, the shield of david, it is used at present as a sign in the degree of the royal arch in england. it must not be confused with the pentalpha, which is the true solomon s seal. in christian churches, we find the hexalpha used to express the union of the divine and human natures, deemed to exist in jesus, the christ of the new testament. the blending of the two triangles has also numbers--th eir occu lt power an d mys tic vir tu es by w. wyn n wes tcott b

WOLFSON ELLIOT ALEF MEM TAU KABBALISTIC MUSINGS ON TIME TRUTH AND DEATH

locentric frame of reference, will be linked ontically to the fecundity of the membrum virile. there are surely kabbalistic texts that support this interpretative stance: time as pulsating forward and resurging backward or yashar and or hozer, extending light and returning light, in cordoverian terminology is troped in phallic symbolism, whereas space as the curbed receptacle, emptiness gauged by the degree of its vacuity, is gendered as feminine, the capacity to receive that gives structure through imposing limit on the power to overflow. insofar as time is the divine impulse, which is marked by the dialectic of contracting and extending, it stands to reason that it will exhibit both male and female characteristics, and that these will correspond respectively to light and darkness, day an

ZALEWSKI SECRET INNER ORDER RITUALS OF THE GOLDEN DAWN OCR

der is the "etheric link" for without it there can be no order. the link itself is in three stages. the first is its development in the outer order. in the 00=00, the neophyte is first introduced to the link, which results in a type of power surge in the aura which expands the aura and heightens its density. it is seen by those who are clairvoyant as a shimmering green or blue light (depending on the degree of contact. in the four subsequent elemental grades that follow, the link established in the 00=00 is then opened up to receive an impetus of energy tailored to, and in empathy with, the corporeal elements. at this point the aura must be continually charged through ritual practise and meditation exercise, so that the power-flow through the link does not close or seal off, which it will

ALEISTER CROWLEY MAGICK IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

its performance by a single person. but it has the sanction of the highest antiquity, and is probably the most useful for the foundation of a religion. it is the method of catholic christianity, and consists in the dramatization of the legend of the god. the bacchae of euripides is a magnificent example of such a ritual; so also, through in a less degree, is the mass. we may also mention many of the degrees in freemasonry, particularly the third. the 5 degree= 6square ritual published in no. iii of the equinox is another example. in the case of bacchus, one commemorates firstly his birth of a mortal mother who has yielded her treasure-house to the father of all, of the jealousy and rage excited by this incarnation, and of the heavenly protection afforded to the infant. next should be comm

e author of the book had concealed in his own name not one only but two numbers, those of supreme importance in the book> this was all strange to the scribe; yet years later he discovered the "lost word" of one of his own orders: it was 93 also<[weh note: this refers to the word of the iiird degree of o.t.o, readers who may wish to acquire it may apply for initiation and work their way up through the degrees. ordo templi orientis, jaf box 7666, new york, ny 10116, usa> the word of his most holy order proved equally to count up 260 to 93<hebrew word for "to will" is also of the value of 93: and its special technical meanings throw yet further light on the meaning of gr:theta-epsilonlambda

ALEISTER CROWLEY THE OLD AND NEW COMMENTARIES TO LIBER AL

the book of the law is trying to emphasize the doctrine that each number is unique and absolute. its relations with other numbers are therefore in the nature of illusion. they are the forms of presentation under which we perceive their semblances; and it is to the last degree important to realize that these semblances only indicate the nature of the realities behind them in the same way in which the degrees on a thermoetric scale indicate heat. it is quite unphilosophical to say that 50 degrees centigrade is hotter than 40 degrees. degrees of temperature are simply conventions invented by ourselves to describe physical states of a totally different order; and, while the heat of a body may be regarded as an inherent property of its own, our measure of that heat in no way concerns it. we us

e pen has been swift enough, once it was taken in hand. may it be that hadit hath indeed made it secure (a am sitll- autumn, 1911- entirely dissatisfied. the new comment i am less annoyed with myself than when i wrote the "old comment, but not wholly content. how is one to write a comment? for whom? one has more than the difficulties of the lexicographer. each new postulant presents new problems; the degrees and kinds of their ignorance are no less numerous than they. i am always finding myself, sailing along joyously for several months in the belief that my teaching is helping somebody, suddenly awakened to the fact that i have made noway whatever, owing to the object of my solicitude having omitted to learn that julius caesar conquered gaul, or something of the sort, which i had assumed

ALICE A BAILEY22 DISCIPLESHIP IN THE NEW AGE VOLUME II

l, into assisting. the arcane school is not one of my activities or enterprises, and has never been. in view of the condition of esoteric schools (so called) in the world, when a.a.b. organised the arcane school she deliberately refused to let me have anything to do with it, and i fully concurred in her decision. the extent of my connection with the school lies in the fact that i outlined for her the degrees of the school, and once or twice in my instructions used in the disciples degree i appealed to the students for cooperation in some matter. forget not that these instructions were not school instructions, but were the early form of my books and went out unchanged to the general public. also, it has only been within the last five years that any correspondence course for the school has b

ALICE A BAILEY24 A TREATISE ON THE SEVEN RAYS VOLUME V THE RAYS AND THE INITIATIONS

of enchantment. it is the sound of liberation, the great note of resurrection and of the raising of humanity to the secret place of the most high when all other words and sounds have failed. it is not a triple sound as is the a.u.m, but a dual sound, significant of the relation of spirit and soul, and of life and consciousness. this lost word, symbolic of the loss in the three worlds (typified by the degrees of the blue lodges in masonry) must be recovered and is in process of discovery today. the mystics have sought after it; the masons have preserved the tradition of its existence; the disciples and initiates of the world must demonstrate its possession. 3. the sound is the sole expression of the ineffable name, the secret appellation of the one in whom we live and move and have our bein

underlying solar synthesis which was the fundamental platform i gave out in a treatise on cosmic fire. beyond that implication, the information is of no use to you. it enables you, however, to begin to develop the esoteric sense of synthesis. these three grades of appreciation or of comprehension of the initiatory process are hinted at in the masonic work. the ceremonial aspect can be related to the degrees of entered apprentice and of fellow craft, plus certain little-practiced degrees, as for instance that of mark mason degree and one or two others; these are expansions of the implied teaching. the initiations, covered by the term symbolic representation, find their first hint in the sublime third degree, that of master mason, in the holy royal arch and in one or two succeeding degrees;

BASIL VALENTINE TWELVE KEYS

able to bring anything to maturity. the substance is dissolved in a bath, and its parts reunited by putrefaction. in ashes it blossoms. in the form of sand all its excessive moisture is dried up. maturity and fixity are obtained by living fire. the work does not actually take place in the bath of st. mary, in horse v dung, in ashes, or in sand, but the grades and regimen of the fire proceed after the degrees which are represented by these the stone is prepared in an empty furnace, with a threefold line of circumvallation, in a tightly closed chamber. it is twelve keys of basil valentine 66 of 95 subjected to continued coction, till all moisture and clouds are driven off, and the king attains to indestructible fixedness, and is no longer liable to any danger or injury, because he has become

BLAVATSKY H P ANTHROPOGENESIS

tala (the antipodes. moreover, as wilford* shows, the puranas place it "on[[footnote(s[[footnote continued from previous page] to those who are situated in places of no latitude (niraksha) both these have their place in the horizon. hence there is (on that land) no elevation of the poles, the two pole-stars being situated in their horizon; but their degrees of colatitude (lumbaka) are 90; at meru the degrees of latitude (aksha) are of the same number (43 and 44* wilford makes many mistakes. he identifies, for instance, sveta-dwipa (the white island, the "island in the northern part of toyambhudi" with england, and then tries to identify it with atala (a nether region) and atlantis. now the former is the abode of vishnu, exoterically, and atala is a hell. he also places it in the euxine or

BLAVATSKY H P COSMOGENESIS

ul) can have an independent (conscious) existence before the spark which issued from the pure essence of the universal sixth principle- or the over-soul- has (a) passed through every elemental form of the phenomenal world of that manvantara, and (b) acquired individuality, first by natural impulse, and then by self-induced and self-devised efforts (checked by its karma, thus ascending through all the degrees of intelligence, from the lowest to the highest manas, from mineral and plant, up to the holiest archangel (dhyani-buddha. the pivotal doctrine of the esoteric philosophy admits no privileges or special gifts in man, save those won by his own ego through personal effort and merit throughout a long series of metempsychoses and reincarnations. this is why the hindus say that the universe

group comprises three degrees of elementals, or nascent centres of forces- from the first stage of differentiation of (from) mulaprakriti (or rather pradhana, primordial homogeneous matter) to its third degree- i.e, from full unconsciousness to semi-perception; the second or higher group embraces the kingdoms from vegetable to man; the mineral kingdom thus forming the central or turning point in the degrees of the "monadic essence" considered as an evoluting energy. three stages (sub-physical) on the elemental side; the mineral kingdom; three stages on the objective physical* side- these are the (first or preliminary) seven links of the evolutionary chain "preliminary" because they are preparatory, and though belonging in fact to the natural, they yet would be more correctly described as

ikewise by st. paul, are double- one set being commissioned to rule the superior worlds the spiritual and the sidereal, and the other to guide and watch over the worlds of matter" such is also the opinion of jamblichus, who makes an evident distinction between the archangels and the "archontes (see "de mysteriis" sec. ii, ch. 3) the above may be applied, of course, to the distinction made between the degrees or orders of spiritual beings, and it is in this sense that the roman catholic church tries to interpret and teach the difference; for while the archangels are in her teaching divine and holy, their doubles are denounced by her as devils* but the word "ferouer" is not to be understood in this sense, for it means simply the reverse or the opposite side of some attribute or quality. thus

BLUE EQUINOX

wn life. for, in true things, all are but images of one another; man is but a map of the universe, and society is but the same on a large scale. learn then that our holy order has but three true grades; as it is written in the book of the law: the hermit, the lover, and the man of earth. it is but for convenience that these grades have been separated into three triads. the third triad consists of the degrees from minerval to prince of jerusalem. the minerval degree is a prologue to the first; the degrees subsequent to the third but pendants to it. in this, the man of earth series, there are then but three degrees; and these three are one. the man of earth takes no share in the government of the order; for he is not yet called upon to give his life to it in service; and with us government i

BUCKLAND RAYMOND COMPLETE BOOK OF WITCHCRAFT

tablet giving astrological forecasts in cuneiform writing, derived from observations of the moon. from "man, myth& magic" york, would have the s.t. 10 hours 35 mins 54 sees (4:45 pm at g.m.t. the acceleration on interval would be 10 times 4 (hours after noon) seconds. the s.t. for the moment of birth would then be: the next step would then be to convert this gmt-st to new york-st by conversion of the degrees and minutes of longitude into minutes and seconds of time. this can be done by simply multiplying by four and adding if the location is east of greenwich, or subtracting if west of greenwich. in the above example, new york is 74 west of greenwich. multiply by four and subtract from the st: from longitude the move is a natural one to latti-tude. from the table of houses can be found the

CASE PAUL F THE BOOK OF TOKENS

d 360 is the value of the letter-name shin, sh i n "flame, because of the attribution of the element of fire to the letter shin. note also that the circle is the geometrical symbol of outgoing and return. 2 the key-word in this paragraph is "fang, which is one meaning of the letter-name shin. 3 this paragraph contains a repetition of the reference to the number of the letter-name, 360, as that of the degrees of a circle. 4 this paragraph is based upon the shape of the letter, which resembles three tongues of flame rising from a fire. 5 the key-word in this paragraph is" formation, which is yetzer, i tz r, having for its number 300, the value of the character shin. similarly "atonement" is kafar, k p r" to cover, to condone, to placate, to cancel, which also adds to 300 [183] the book of to

DAVID ICKE AND THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE

e of the the super elite- the black magicians 215 planet's most important earth energy centres. you will find the numbers 13 and 33 in the symbols and logos of many institutions and companies named in this book. francis bacon's esoteric "code" number was 33 and it is used as code in the shakespeare plays to indicate that bacon was the real author (see the works of manly p. hall. the 33 represents the degrees in the scottish rite of freemasonry. on the great seal of the united states and its depiction on the dollar note, you find 13 steps on the pyramid, the 13 degrees of the illuminati. the pyramid has 33 stones. on the great seal the bald eagle (the phoenix until 1841) has 13 feathers on each wing, 13 arrows in the right talon and an olive branch with 13 leaves in the left. in his beak he

DION FORTUNE MYSTICAL QABALA

and he checks his vision by these. if he is working up the thirty-second path of saturn, whose colours are all in the scmbre hues of indigo, dark blue and black, he knows that something is amiss if a scarlet-robed figure presents itself. either that figure is illusive, or he himself has wandered off the path. 18. to project the astral body along the paths it is necessary for many reasons to hold the degrees of initiation to which they correspond; chief among which is that, unless one has received the grade, one will be unknown to guardians of the paths, and they will be inimical rather than helpful, and do all in their power to turn the wanderer back. secondly, if one should succeed in forcing one's way past the guardian, one still has no means of counterchecking the vision or knowing whe

ELLIS LOW TWELVE 1907

ou mr. ellis, master of trenton lodge, no. 5" i replied in the affirmative "then i have to say that i am a mason in distress and have come to you for help" at that i invited him to enter. seating myself in front of him, i subjected him to a rigid examination, with the result that i found him one of the brightest masons i ever met. he could have presided over any lodge and conferred any and all of the degrees without the slightest hitch. satisfied on this point, i asked him to tell his story "it is a long one" he replied with a smile "but i think i can promise you it is interesting "i am sure of that" i said,settling back on a sofa, and placing a large chair at his disposal "don't omit any particulars" after ten years 87 nearly two-score years have passed since i listened to one of the most

ada. unsuccessful in that business, he removed to rochester, n. y, and wrought at his trade of stonemason. he was a ne'er-do-well, addicted to tippling, spent most of his time in saloons, and was a man whose word few would accept. two years later he changed his home to batavia, genesee county, in the same state. it is doubtful whether morgan was ever made a free mason, though he may have received the degrees in canada. he succeeded, however, in convincing a number of the brethren that he had passed through the "blue lodge" and was allowed to enter the one at batavia. he made oath that he had been regularly entered, passed and raised, and he was made a royal arch mason at leroy, n. y, on the last day of may, 1823. a movement was set on foot to establish a royal arch chapter at batavia, and

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

r several years as treasurer of war in the low countries. at age 17 robert entered st. john s college, oxford. five years later he took his bachelor of arts degree. soon afterward he decided to take up medical science and left england to study on the continent, visiting france, spain, italy, and germany, supporting himself as a teacher. upon returning home his alma mater, oxford, conferred on him the degrees of bachelor of medicine and doctor of medicine; five years later, in 1609, he became a fellow of the college of physicians. having prepared himself thoroughly for the medical profession, fludd went to london and took a house in fenchurch street. he soon gained an extensive practice, his success attributable not merely to his genuine skill but also to his having an attractive and even m

his office as chief of the society by his son. after the institution had been in existence for some time it was transferred to cairo, and assemblies were held twice a week, when all the members appeared clothed in white. they were gradually advanced through the seven degrees of the tarik over which a dia-al-doat (missionary of missionaries) presided. a later chief, hakem-biemir- illah, increased the degrees to nine, and in 1004 erected a stately home for the society, which he elaborately furnished with mathematical instruments. because the institution did not meet the approval of the authorities, it was destroyed in 1123 by the then grand vizier, but meetings continued elsewhere. the officers of the society were sheik, dai-el-keber (deputy, dai (master, refik (fellow, fedavie (agent, lass

; ecstasy; the essence, nature, and origin of souls; magicians and sorcerers and the manner of their communication; evil spirits; and imposters. the first book deals with specters, apparitions, and spirits; the second with the physics of le loyer s time, the illusions to which the senses are prone, wonders, and the elixirs and metamorphosis of sorceries and of philters; the third book establishes the degrees, grades, and honors of spirits, gives a resume of the history of philinnion and of polycrites, and recounts diverse adventures with specters and demons; the fourth book gives many examples of spectral appearances, of the speech of persons possessed of demons, of the countries and dwelling-places of these specters and demons, and of marvelous portents; the fifth treats the science of th

, montague. the gothic quest. 1938. reprint, london: fortune press, 1950. lewis, ralph m (1904.1987) ralph m. lewis, for 48 years the imperator of the ancient and mystical order of the rosae crucis (amorc, was born in february 14, 1904, in new york city, the son of h. spencer lewis, the founder of the order. he formally joined the order in 1921 during his teen years and quickly progressed through the degrees. in 1924 he was appointed supreme secretary and in the 1930s emerged as a public lecturer for the order. he was credited with spreading the membership through north america and europe. in 1939 h. spencer lewis died and ralph became the new imperator and took administrative control of the order. he also became a teacher in his own right and beginning in 1944 wrote a number of books, inc

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 2

dly, crowley at that point perceived that the ritual sex in which he had engaged was the key to understanding rosicrucian, masonic, and magic symbolism. crowley was invited to join the oto and became the outer head of the order for england. he was also invited to rewrite much of the ritual material. the order was organized in a masonic manner, with a system of ten degrees, progress upward through the degrees admitting the member to more of the inner teachings. in the first six degrees of the oto students were taught a general occult system that prepared them for the introduction of the sexual magic presented in the seventh, eighth, and ninth degrees. the tenth degree was purely administrative. crowley later introduced an eleventh degree based upon his homoerotic predilections. ordo stellae

FRANCIS A YATES GIORDANO BRUNO AND THE HERMETIC TRADITION

ma mundi, corpus mundi in which the images have a definite place. thus ficino's commentary on the plotinus passage becomes, by devious ways, a justification for the use of talismans, and of the magic of the asclepius, on neoplatonic grounds on the grounds that the ancient sages and the modern users of talismans are not invoking devils but have a deep understanding of the nature of the all, and of the degrees by which the reflections of the divine ideas descend into the world here below. as d. p. walker has pointed out,2 at the end of the de vita coelitus comparanda ficino returns to the commentary on the plotinus passage with which he had begun the book, and now he states that plotinus in that passage was merely imitating, or repeating, what hermes trismegistus had said in his asclepius. t

FREEMASON BLUEBOOK

f giving the names of the members present, is, in some places, no longer observed; but the secretary who fails to record them neglects his duty] visitors present [give their names and the name of the lodge from which each hails) lodge opened on the master's degree. the records of the last stated meeting, and of all subsequent special meetings, were read and confirmed. the petition of john doe for the degrees of masonry, with the usual deposit, was received and referred to the committee of inquiry. the committee of inquiry reported upon the petition of richard roe; their report was accepted, the ballot spread, and richard roe was elected to receive the degrees within the gift of the lodge. the committee of inquiry reported upon the petition of john roe; their report was accepted, the ballot

is he or was he a mason? l 10. places in which you have lived during past ten years, with approximate time in each place 11. if not a professional man give names and addresses of your employers or business associates for the past ten years l l 12. have you ever been respondent in a criminal case in court? if so give particulars l 13. where were you educated? l 14. have you ever before applied for the degrees to anyl odge of masons? l 15. if so, where? when? 16. is your financial position such that in becoming a mason, you will be able to pay promptly the annual dues and assessments, if any, of the masonic lodge of which you may become a member? l l 17. is this application made of your own free will, or was it solicited? i to the officers and brethren of..lodge of ancient free and accepted

inquiry relative to the character, standing and eligibility of the above applicant, and do cheerfully recommend him as suitably qualified, worthy of the honor he solicits, and within the jurisdiction of this lodge__committee of inquiry great care should be taken that the candidate fully understands the statements in the petition, and to ascertain definitely whether he has ever before applied for the degrees to any lodge, under any jurisdiction. if practicable, the candidate should examine the constitution of the grand lodge and the bylaws of the lodge before he presents his petition. when the petition is presented, if it appears on its face that the lodge has no jurisdiction of the candidate, it should not be received, but be returned to him; if the lodge appears to have jurisdiction, the

FREEMASONS SATANISM AND SYMBOLISM

s earned, such wisdom as permits him to look on such a brilliant influx of spiritual light. without damaging his vision" what this gobble-dee-gook means is that a man has to be prepared to worship satan, because such worship goes against all of god's instinctive knowledge about himself which he has placed in every man. of course, this is exactly what freemasonry does. as a man is invited to go up the degrees, he is told more and more things, until finally, about the 28th degree, he realizes he is worshipping lucifer, the good god. he has been mightily prepared for this revelation, so he can "look on such a brilliant influx of spiritual light without damaging his vision" 6 "all the buddhist crosses in ireland had serpents carved upon them. wreaths of snakes are on the columns of the ancient

GILBERT AE WAITE A MAGICIAN OF MANY PARTS

'underanewstar in serpentarius-e-and the wholeworkiswrittenin a mock-antiquated style, deliberately and misleadingly verbose. it is yet possible, by a conscious and considerable effort of will, to penetrate to the meaning of the book as it is set out in'thepastoral':wherefore two brothers, hereby and herein, having been advanced, by a glorious and singular dispensation, a certain distance through the degrees of a true experience,have, with deep affection and humility, assumed an office of admonishment, firstly, one to another, and afterwards, by reason of the great, increasing urgency,tosuch of the great concourseofthe elect as inthispresent have beenbornoutof due timewiththeears to hear. and henceitis that there is undertaken in the manner hereafter following such a declaration of the lig

ecrecy"]clause5:therollsofthetwoorders which arenowin possessionoffinem respice shall be used in common.clause6 [this clause evidently related to the exclusion of certain members frombothorders.]clause,12:thepasswordofeach equinox shall be arranged between the chiefs of thetwosections and shall be one password.clause15:nomember shall be permitted toworkwithbothsections simultaneously in so far as the degrees recognized up to the separation are concerned.clause17: subject to the independence and autonomy of each section there shall be no reserveofdoctrine, instruction or meansofceremonialworkingbetween the chiefsofthetwosections.clause18: there shall be no secrecy between thetwosections in respectofthose grades of theorderknownand recognized up to the timeofthe separationofthe sectionsbutgr

GILBERT THE GOLDEN DAWN TWILIGHT OF THE MAGICIANS

awn as a living entity:because a magicalorderdiffers from a society for experiment and research in that it is an actual being, an organic life holding within itself the highest lifeofits members now and in past times, to weaken its degrees is to loosen the structure, to dislimn, to disembody, to dematerialize an actual being; and to sever the link between one degree and another, above all between the degrees that- are in the heart, in thetiphereth,in the 5= 6, is to cut this being in two, and to confine the magical lifeofitsvisible adepti to the lower substances of this being.todo this last thingisto create an evil symbol, to make the most evilofall symbols, to awake the energy of an evil sorcery. on the other hand, to create within this order, within this actual being formal 'groups, cent

in thetiphereth,in the 5= 6, is to cut this being in two, and to confine the magical lifeofitsvisible adepti to the lower substances of this being.todo this last thingisto create an evil symbol, to make the most evilofall symbols, to awake the energy of an evil sorcery. on the other hand, to create within this order, within this actual being formal 'groups, centresofastral activity, which are not the degrees of this order, the organs of this being, is to create centres oflife, which are centresofdeath, to this greater life; astral diseases sapping up, as it were, its vitalfluids,'thisimpassioned plea fell upondeafears and, as we have seen, yeats resigned as imperator. later he took the magical side against waite and his company in1903and became a memberofthe stella matutina, remaining acti

nomineg.r.[i.e,christian rosenkreuz]mon[te]ab[iegnojdec[embris]xii die4 1889thedegreeof's=4ad[eptus] ex [emptus] inthesecondorderis hereby conferred in full entitlement to the following brothers:i)nonomnismoriar(sapere aude 5=6) who is my sole correspondent among you2)todeoducecomiteferro(s'r.m.d.5==6) 3)tovincit omnia veritas (magna est veritas 5=6) you are entitled to have full supervision over the degrees0.1.2267326742675267&6=5sd.a.7=4 ordinis ros. rub. et aur. crucis and gold. damm, 5=698 thegoldendawn7.dearbrothern.o.m.iam very sorry to have to inform youofthe deathofour learned friend s.d.a.7=4whose loss is very hard for me.thedeath occurred on20july in a place near to b. we are afraid that the young mani.u.f.,the secretary who has often written letters to you for s.d.a. in recent y

GILBERT R A CHAOS OUT OF ORDER THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SWEDENBORGIAN RITE

ed into the swedenborgian degrees. a lodge, called menei temple no. 1, was organized and began work, feb, 1859, in the old kane lodge room, broadway, new york city. from thence it was removed to the egyptian room, odd fellows hall. and worked from may, 1861 1862. a few meetings were subsequently held in the montauk lodge room, brooklyn, long island. some of the leading masons of new york have had the degrees conferred on them by communication: indeed, but few of the members have seen the degrees worked in full. applications for admission have come from every quarter of the american continent, and there can be no doubt that the swedenborgian rite is destined, in a few years, to spread itself over the continent of america, north, south, east, and west. if its leaders do nothing to restrain i

ne. can you ensure it? will you undertake it if i send you a copy of the work for review? but, as we have seen, such reviews as did appear were not exactly what he had hoped for. the rite, however, was another matter. he was sure that it would prosper: i saw albert pike, the great masonic mogul of the 33, last week at the masonic publishers rooms. he speaks highly of the work, and begs to receive the degrees of the swedenborg rite. i have promised to give him them in may next. our nabobs all speak highly of the rite, so far as they know it. beswick may have met pike (if the whole episode was not pure fantasy) but nothing came of the meeting and there is no trace of any correspondence between pike and beswick, nor of any swedenborgian rite rituals, in the archives of the supreme council of

ng came of the meeting and there is no trace of any correspondence between pike and beswick, nor of any swedenborgian rite rituals, in the archives of the supreme council of the ancient& accepted rite (sj) at washington. the other nabobs were presumably those named in an undated memorandum sent to a canadian mason, george c. longley our present grand secretary of blue masonry, of n.y. state, took the degrees by dispensation. so did robert macoy, dan sickels and john sheville, all 33 men, and within a few weeks of each other. these high masons care but little for the whole ceremony, so i initiated them by putting the three degrees of our order into the form of a lecture, and giving them the signs, words, grips, etc. at successive stages of the ceremony24[24. as with the pike episode this is

dum to longley, quote in voorhis, op. cit, p225 27[27] the kneph, vol. 3, no. 1, january 1883, p. 3. voorhis, op. cit, gives the date as 1st may 1872 active, in any meaningful sense of the word, in the swedenborgian rite is another matter28[28. with its twelve petitioners the canadian grand lodge and temple was twice the size of the grand lodge of new york but no record survives of any working of the degrees of the rite by the solitary lodge, sphynx lodge and temple no. 1, that was founded at maitland. even so the grand lodge seems to have survived, on paper, for at least ten years: on 25th june 1883 c. m. moriou wrote to mcleod moore asking that the canadian body recognise the regularity of the newly established grand lodge and temple of roumania29[29. this they presumably did and the swe

canadian body recognise the regularity of the newly established grand lodge and temple of roumania29[29. this they presumably did and the swedenborgian rite continued to exist in canada, if not to act, for a further seven years until 1890 when mcleod moore died. from 1891 onwards no reference to it appears on the official balustres of the rite. if the canadian members had expected beswick to work the degrees when he moved to canada they were doomed to disappointment. he retained the rank of past grand master of the grand lodge and temple of the swedenborgian rite of the u.s.a. he is so described in 1883 in a report of the sovereign sanctuary for canada of the antient and primitive rite, of which he was then grand master of ceremonies 30[30] but he held no office in the canadian body and pl

it remained on generally good terms with its american parent. the swedenborg rite in the united kingdom a letter from yarker announcing the introduction of the swedenborgian rite to england appeared in the freemason for 29 july 1876 (p. 349. in it yarker states that he has just received a warrant for a lodge and temple of the swedenborgian rite, styled emmanuel lodge and temple, no. 3, to confer the degrees of enlightened, sublime, and perfect phremason upon lawful master masons. the lodge and temple consist at present of only four members, but if any of your readers would like to enter the rite they can do so by sending their names and the fee of 1 to bro. s. p. leather, burnley, lancashire, the j.w. of said body. we pay the supreme grand lodge and temple of the dominion of canada 5 5s

GILBERT R A THE MASONIC CAREER OF A

from memory, books being used for the purpose and the ceremony was simply muddled through. the obligation degree was administered to me with very curious variations on the part of the grand master so as to enable me to receive anything else which 1 wanted, but it is quite impossible to make any clear inference from the wording of the pledge. at the time i took it i understood it to refer only to the degrees of what they are pleased to term white masonry, but it was explained to me afterwards that it was binding also as regards all the forty-seven degrees and i think for memphis and mizraim as well as anything in the way of adoptive orders and perhaps the royal order of scotland. worse was to follow 'after the meeting i was introduced to my brethren and, a good deal to my dismay, colonel s

s but unless some such connection based on a reasonable modus vivendi should suit my purpose, 1 will frighten the grand council with the rumour of secret associations behind my rite and they shall be glad to leave it alone'76[76. his plans for the c.b.c.s. in england were destined to come to nothing, however, for, although he translated the rituals into english77[77] and was received in 1907 into the degrees of profes and grand profes- by correspondence, he did not make a second visit to geneva78[78. he made no attempt to work the two grades that had been conferred upon him and the only dissemination of the rite in england was, according to g. e. w. bridge, by 'waite personally and through his literary references to the rite'79[79. bridge felt, however, that 'this advance has developed its

GNOSTIC CATECHISM

from memory, books being used for the purpose and the ceremony was simply muddled through. the obligation degree was administered to me with very curious variations on the part of the grand master so as to enable me to receive anything else which 1 wanted, but it is quite impossible to make any clear inference from the wording of the pledge. at the time i took it i understood it to refer only to the degrees of what they are pleased to term white masonry, but it was explained to me afterwards that it was binding also as regards all the forty-seven degrees and i think for memphis and mizraim as well as anything in the way of adoptive orders and perhaps the royal order of scotland. worse was to follow 'after the meeting i was introduced to my brethren and, a good deal to my dismay, colonel s

s but unless some such connection based on a reasonable modus vivendi should suit my purpose, 1 will frighten the grand council with the rumour of secret associations behind my rite and they shall be glad to leave it alone'76[76. his plans for the c.b.c.s. in england were destined to come to nothing, however, for, although he translated the rituals into english77[77] and was received in 1907 into the degrees of profes and grand profes- by correspondence, he did not make a second visit to geneva78[78. he made no attempt to work the two grades that had been conferred upon him and the only dissemination of the rite in england was, according to g. e. w. bridge, by 'waite personally and through his literary references to the rite'79[79. bridge felt, however, that 'this advance has developed its

GNOSTIC HANDBOOK

of the being, harmoniously and conformably ranked, in integral expansion, in the double sense of''amplitude" and" exaltation. in fact, this double expansion of the the gnostic handbook page 16 being may be regarded as taking place horizontally on the one hand, that is, at a certain given level or degree of existence, and vertically on the other, that is, in the hierarchical superimposition of all the degrees. thus, the horizontal direction represents" amplitude" or integral extension of the individuality taken as basis for realization, an extension which consists in the indefinite development of a given group of possibilities subject to certain special conditions of manifestation; and it should be clearly understood that. in the case of the human being, this extension is in no very confine

H SPENCER LEWIS ROSICRUCIAN MANUAL AMORC 1990

his cycle[ l] what the manual contains this manual contains many helps for the members as outlined herewith: 1st. a manual of the order generally, its purposes, formation, arrangement of lodges, description of officers, their duties, etc, and the various regulations of membership. this is of unusual value to every member and officer. 2nd. the plates and diagrams used in connection with certain of the degrees. these diagrams serve two purposes. members will be able to refer to them in connection with the monographs which they receive for private study. explanations of the diagrams are given in the weekly monographs at the proper time. therefore, a complete explanation cannot be given in this manual in advance of the particular monograph to which each refers. 3rd. diagrams and illustrations

en in the weekly monographs at the proper time. therefore, a complete explanation cannot be given in this manual in advance of the particular monograph to which each refers. 3rd. diagrams and illustrations of many of the symbols used in our order and in the ancient teachings of the rosicrucian and other mystics. 4th. a glossary of the principal terms and words used in the teachings throughout all the degrees. it is not a complete dictionary of all the terms used, for this would require a very large volume and would be unnecessary. for example, such words as "alchemy" are not included, for the definition given in any standard dictionary is identical with the sense in which we use them. only where terms have special meanings have we included them in the glossary (see pages 151 and 152) 5th

or student. however, the answers he received to his questions.and which were not available through any other source of knowledge. aroused his admiration for the rosicrucian teachings, and he crossed the threshold of the order by a special dispensation while still a youth. the rosicrucian teachings touched a responsive chord and satisfied a previously misunderstood yearning. he progressed through the degrees of the order in the san francisco lodge, and began as [135] well a conscientious and systematic study of the principal philosophic thought of the centuries. in 1924, the american supreme council of the a.m.o.r.c. elected him supreme secretary of the rosicrucian order of north america, to fill a vacancy created by retirement. this position afforded him an outlet for the unique combinati

he requirements of one who is ready. how to prepare how, then, shall the student prepare most efficiently and with the utmost economy of time? this, too, is an age-old question, asked in 144] the mystery schools of egypt, as it is asked in the arcane schools of our order today. there is but one answer: by taking the preliminary and graded steps in the earthly schools of the masters and attaining the degrees of readiness through directed preparation. hence the establishment of the arcane schools in all lands; hence the great work allotted to them by the masters. where are the great masters and how are they contacted? here we find more difficulty in answering, not because our knowledge is meager, but because language is inadequate to express the sublime facts. there are some conditions of c

s;(b) give and suggest certain experiments and tests which will consciously and unconsciously develop certain psychic centers in the member that will quicken his psychic powers and abilities for more complete mastership and control of natural forces. many members look upon the monographs and lessons as if they were intended to cover only the first of the above purposes. to them the lessons in all the degrees are like unto discourses in philosophy or metaphysics, often seeming to be simple and inconsequential. it is difficult, indeed, to make them appreciate the fact that unless the various exercises and tests are performed each week, or even each day, for a few minutes, there will be very little psychic development accompanying the comprehension of the monographs, and, of course, no real p

HAMIL THE ROSICRUCIAN SEER

c order which, in england, is administrativelylinked to the craft and is regarded as the completion of the master mason's degree.them.e.z. is one of the three presiding officers of a royal arch chapter.thewhole paragraph is a play on a quotation from the royal arch ritual which irwin would easily have recognized. 3 hockley was indeedexalted.he had never been formallyinitiated into or taken any of the degrees of the sria! 4 secretary of the grand stewards lodge, past master of the british lodgeno.8,member of alnwicklodge no.i167,royalarch mason.5167 liverpool road, n. 19 march 1872 dear bro. irwin, thanks for your kind note, which crossed mine to you. when i got to croydon i found i had left out"hamlet"-inmy hurry in london to catch my train. i had posted the letter before i had obt[aine]d

HELENA BLAVATSKY THE KEY TO THEOSOPHY

nirvana or moksha, the great "fourfold" path. they were originally known as ishis. but now the name has become the epithet of a race, and our orientalists, depriving the hindu brahmins of their birthright, have made ryans of all europeans. since, in esotericism, the four paths or stages can only be entered through great spiritual development and "growth in holiness" they are called the aryamarga. the degrees of arhatship, called respectively srotapatti, sakridagamin, anagamin, and arhat, or the four classes of aryas, correspond to the four paths and truths. aspect the form (rupa) under which any principle in septenary man or nature manifests is called an aspect of that principle in theosophy. astral body the ethereal counterpart or double of any physical body-doppelg nger. astrology the sc

the lower principles, after the death of the body, on earth. dhammapada (sans) a work containing various aphorisms from the buddhist scriptures. dhyana (sans) one of the six paramitas of perfection. a state of abstraction which carries the ascetic practicing it far above the region of sensuous perception, and out of the world of matter. lit, contemplation. the six stages of dhyani differ only in the degrees of abstraction of the personal ego from sensuous life. dhyani-chohans (sans) lit "the lords of light" the highest gods, answering to the roman catholic archangels. the divine intelligences charged with the supervision of kosmos. double the same as the astral body or "doppelg nger" ecstasis (gr) a psycho-spiritual state; a physical trance which induces clairvoyance, and a beatific state

ISIS UNVEILED

using to curse alcibiades [foi desecration of the mysteries] when the people required her to do it /or, she said, thai she waa a jmesleaa of prayers and not of curses "deep researches would show" says renan "that nearly every- thing in christianity. is mere ba^age brought from the pagan mys- teries. the primitive christian worship was nothing but a mystery. the whole interior pouce of the chureh, the degrees of initiation, the com- mand of silence, and a crowd of phrases in uie ecclesiastical language, have no other origin. the revolution which overthrew paganism seems at first glance. an absolute rupture with the past. but tjte popular faiih sax)td its most familiar symbols from shipwreck. christianity intro- duced at first so little change into the habits of private and social life, that

JASMUHEEN THE FOOD OF GODS

istening to the divine voice within then 2) confirming its guidance or your query through muscle testing with kinesiology and c) asking for further confirmation from the universal field; these are three wonderful ways to provide a very clear system of guidance and a safety mechanism for human beings who are ready, willing, able and who are preprogrammed to display freedom from human limitation to the degrees that we have discussed in this book. when people go through the testing program in chapter 16 to ascertain their preagreements, and if they receive a clear yes, then they will find that the universe will provide them with all the support that they need to fulfill this. there are many different ways to move into this agenda and setting the intention that we fill our preagreed agendas wi

JENNINGS HARGRAVE ROSICRUCIANS RITES MYSTERIES

um. ex officina planteniana apud franciscum raphelengium 1593. the ark of noah-the medium of escape from the deluge, and the mythic means of the perpetuation of the human family (afterwards race. the post-diluvian signs of the zodiac are here correctly designated as in number" twelve" let the judicious reader remark that twelve times thirty are three-hundrecl-and-sixty, which is not the number of the degrees of this symbolical plan. there are twelve divisions in this ark. the centre space is that through which the dove or raven, escaped-out into the open in search of its new home, or into the restored world when the waters went down or disappeared. each of the twelve spaces in the accompanying plan contains twentyfive degrees which make an aggregate of three hundred degrees. the mythical f

nying plan contains twentyfive degrees which make an aggregate of three hundred degrees. the mythical figure contained in the ark is presumably that of noah. it is also evidently the symbolical figure of the saviour, and typically only that of noah; for the hands are crossed, and the feet and hands bear the marks of the incision the nails of the crucifixion (or passion. twenty-five, the number of the degrees in each space or sign of this noachic ark, arca, or chest (gigantic, are the number of the knights of the garter; with the reserved twentysixth, or kingly or sovereign seat. in this respect the ark may be regarded as the grand mythic idea of the round table; as that was the production of the central mythic idea of the sangreal or sangrail. refer to engraving at p. 351, and the rosicruc

LAITMAN M FROM CHAOS TO HARMONY

rent force within each matter and object is generally referred to as the will to exist. this force designs the shape of the substance and defines its qualities and comportment. there are infinite forms and combinations of the will to exist, which is at the basis of all the substance in the world. a higher degree of substance reflects a greater desire to exist, and the differing desires in each of the degrees of substance the still, vegetative, animate, and the speaking (human) shape the various processes unfolding within it. the desire to exist follows two principles: 1) keeping its present shape, meaning continuing to exist; and 2) adding to itself anything it senses is necessary for its existence. the desire to add something to itself is what distinguishes between the various degrees of

m of our ego is harmful to us, since it is opposite from nature s own quality. the independent search for balance gradually leads us to recognize the merits of altruism, the quality of loving and giving. as we have seen, each element in nature operates to benefit the system it is in. however, this balanced existence is instinctive, at the material level. the difference between man and the rest of the degrees in nature is that man is a thinking being, and the power of thought is the most powerful force in reality. the power of thought transcends all the inanimate forces, such as gravity, the electrostatic force, the magnetic force, and the forces of radiation. it is also above the force that prompts growth and evolution at the vegetative level, and above the force that prompts animals to be

y and psychologically contented, but this contentment is bound to be short-lived. our egos incessantly grow and separate us 148 from chaos to harmony from the animals; it will not let us settle for the animate state for long. on the other hand, we might say that while animals feel the good and does good as a state, the speaking degree experiences it as a continuous process. the difference between the degrees is similar to the difference between one who feels contented detaching one s thoughts entirely and caring only for bodily pleasures, and one who uses one s mind and thinks about life from its start to its end. a person who thinks about life is in touch with an entirely different level of nature. one who reaches the sensation of the good and does good at the level of the corrected speak

LAITMAN M KABBALAH REVEALED

balah revealed which are uniquely human. the latter group is the one that s brought us to where we are today. but today there is a new desire xthe fifth degree in the evolution of the will to receive. as we ve said in the previous chapter, the book of zohar writes that at the end of the 20th century a new desire will appear. this new desire is not just another desire; it is the culmination of all the degrees of desires preceding it. it is not only the most powerful desire, but it contains unique features that differentiate it from all other desires. when kabbalists talk about the heart, they aren t referring to the physical heart, but to desires of the first four degrees. but the fifth level of desire is essentially different. it wants satisfaction only from spirituality, not from anything

beria, yetzira, and assiya. in the physical world, they create minerals, plants, animals, people, and people with points in their hearts. the physical world was created when the soul of adam ha rishon shattered. in that state, all the desires began to appear one by one from light to heavy, from still to spiritual, creating our world phase by phase. today, at the beginning of the 21st century, all the degrees have already been completed except for the desire for spirituality, which is surfacing now. when we correct it, we will unite with the creator because our desire for spirituality is actually the desire for unity with the creator. this will be the climax of the evolutionary process of the world and of humanity. by increasing our desire to return to our spiritual root, we build a spiritu

LAITMAN M KABBALAH SCIENCE AND THE MEANING OF LIFE

in our golden years before we realize that life has simply flown by. notwithstanding technological progress, humanity is completely bewildered concerning its further progress. we are in a terrible state because we are as far as can be from balance, and until we acquire knowledge and strength to change anything at a higher degree than matter, we will not have a moment s rest. only when we rise to the degrees and forces that operate our world will we reach the much-wanted balance. o p e n i n g o u r e y e s all of reality is a single, unchanging thought of bestowal and giving. kabbalists refer to this thought by the name, the thought of creation. they say that its essence is the creator s will to be good to his creations. if we do not relate similarly to that encompassing thought of realit

e sour fruit. but since we know the good end of the process to begin with, we can justify the whole process. thus, only those who know the end of the process can justify it; if we, too, could see our future state, we would understand the creator s actions and justify them. pa r t i i: t h e e s s e n c e o f t h e w i s d o m o f k a b b a l a h 94 o n t h e l a d d e r o f d e g r e e s climbing the degrees of the upper worlds is a generic term for all the new discernments collected along the spiritual way, the perpetual internal improvement, and the new qualities that one assumes at every moment. as previously mentioned, the creature consists of a will to receive pleasure. this will is divided into five elementary parts, called five degrees of aviut (thickness. they are graded from aviut

d atzilut shines upon one s present state as surrounding light, a force that corrects human nature from egoism to altruism. the surrounding light elevates the soul through all the worlds t h e s t ru c t u r e o f r e a l i t y 99 until it returns to its root. thus, the world ein sof is the ultimate goal, our world is the starting point, and the improvement of human attributes is called ascent in the degrees of the worlds. kabbalah is for those who ask about the purpose of their lives, those who are not satisfied with mundane pleasures such as sex, wealth, honor, or knowledge. when the whole of humanity awakens to ask about the purpose of life, the wisdom of kabbalah will emerge. kabbalists pointed to the year 1995 as the beginning of this time, hence the necessity to disseminate it. f o u

. thus the creature returns the actions of the creator, equalizes with him, and hence elevates to the thought of creation. t h e wo r l d s a r e w i t h i n the upper worlds and their degrees exist only with respect to us, not in and of themselves. the worlds exist in potential, waiting for us to correct and discover their spiritual shape. in that state, we will immediately be presented with all the degrees between us and ein sof, beginning with the next adjacent degree. a charge in a magnetic field senses the field s influence on it, and hence knows that the field exists. had the charge not been inside the field, it would not have felt the effect of the magnetic field; in fact, it would not even know that the field exists. pa r t i i i: p e r c e p t i o n o f r e a l i t y 144 similarly

neration to generation, and each generation adds another link to its former. thus the wisdom evolves and at the same time becomes adapted for broader expansion among the masses--baal hasulam the wisdom of kabbalah and its essence as the appearance of animals in this world and conducts of sustenance are a wondrous wisdom, so the appearance of the godly abundance in the world, both the existence of the degrees and their modes of operation, join to make a wondrous wisdom, far more wondrous than the science of physics. this is because the science of physics is merely knowledge of the conducts in a certain species, found in a particular world and unique to its carrier, and no other teaching is included in it. k a b b a l i s t s w r i t e a b o u t k a b b a l a h 209 this is not so in the wisd

LAITMAN M THE KABBALAH EXPERIENCE

t h e k a b b a l a h e x p e r i e n c e 34 then, we can be filled with the upper light and feel ourselves whole and eternal. but the correction under the influence of the surrounding light is done gradually, and in portions. to the extent that we absorb the attributes of the light, we correct ourselves, our left line, and become able to receive the light. those portions of correction are called the degrees or rungs of the ladder, the spiritual ladder, which raise a person from the sensation of our world, the sensation of ourselves, to the sensation of the next, the sensation of the creator. the middle line is the best possible combination between man s receiving nature and the forces of the upper light. it coordinates between them in such a way that a person will self-correct to resemble

rrection? a: lo lishma means that a person begins to work with the objective of receiving a reward, while still developing the point in the heart. to the extent that one is able to changing one s attributes to resemble those of the creator, one understands the meaning of the spiritual degree lishma, from its first appearance to the very highest and complete attainment. that percentage constitutes the degrees of spiritual advancement. q: is there a barrier between lo lishma and lishma? a: lo lishma is a spiritual state that precedes the barrier (the entrance to the spiritual world. lishma is the spiritual state one achieves after the crossing of the barrier. between those two states there is a period when we restrict our intentions and try not to fulfill them. instead, we want to advance to

e is a name. such a name cannot be changed. for example, there are twenty-two names, or attributes, involved in the creation of the world. these are marked accordingly as hebrew letters. their combinations render a spiritual sensation of an object which can be described by the physical terms of this world. the description of the spiritual world is the description of man s soul, the description of the degrees of its nearness to the creator and its feelings of closeness. the more the soul feels the creator, the nearer it is to him. kabbalah divides the collective soul into parts and gives each part a unique name relating to its traits and describing its operations. although it is the language of emotions, it is an accurate one. kabbalah is the engineering of the soul. but how can we use such

bout yearning for the creator. we have to experience all the emotions. after all, we are t h e s t u d y o f k a b b a l a h 101 built from combinations of all the feelings and attributes that exist in the world. in kabbalah you experiment on yourself. the learning material in kabbalah is divided in two: 1. a study of the creation of the worlds, the partzufim and the sefirot, the concatenation of the degrees of the concealment of the creator. that part is crucial to the understanding of the system of creation and its activity. it is studied in the following order: preface to the wisdom of the kabbalah, the study of the ten sefirot, selected sections of the zohar (idra raba, idra zuta, safra de tzni uta) and the tree of life. this material must be studied systematically, regardless of your

that part is crucial to the understanding of the system of creation and its activity. it is studied in the following order: preface to the wisdom of the kabbalah, the study of the ten sefirot, selected sections of the zohar (idra raba, idra zuta, safra de tzni uta) and the tree of life. this material must be studied systematically, regardless of your inner state. 2. the ascent of the soul through the degrees of the spiritual worlds from below upward. man must read and reread freely the parts that are of most interest. these are studied through the articles and the letters. they were not written in the same language as the study of the ten sefirot, but in the language of emotion, ethics, analysis of actions and so on. it is not really the wisdom of kabbalah, but how it is used for the ascen

the creation within the creator. this occurs before the creation has developed enough for an independent existence outside the creator. in other words, as creations, we do not feel ourselves equal, independent or free to choose our actions. we begin our existence as creations after the breaking of the first man, and only through the process of the evolution from down upward. we have to go through the degrees of our development according to the evolution of the soul. we must do it as it evolved from up downward, except that the return is in the opposite direction: from down upward v meaning toward the creator. wa s t h e e x i t f r o m e g y p t p r e m at u r e? q: the books of kabbalah maintain that the exit from egypt was made prematurely, and that there are farfetched historical conseq

ds throughout its history. every generation s renewed souls descend into the bodies, moving them toward material progress, but they lead the man in us toward spiritual advancement. when the soul reaches the full development of the egoistic nature that is needed for its progress, there appears in it the aspiration for spiritual development. a person begins to study kabbalah, gradually goes through the degrees, from zero (the state of a spiritual embryo) onward and upward to the end of correction. in each degree that person gets greater desires, corrects them and by that attains the light that belongs to that degree by using corrected desire. the various degrees have different names to the negative and the positive situations that a person goes through in each degree. only by going from situ

phenomenon exists in creation, in this world or in the spiritual world, the kabbalah recognizes it and recognizes it as something that exists. if not, it does not exist. books of kabbalah do not describe everything that exists in reality, but then we don t have to know everything! it is enough for us to know only that which is needed for correction and advancement toward the spiritual world. all the degrees along the way are revealed in the process of progressing toward the goal. an outcome that was not predicted in the present, and that cannot be predicted by the present reality, is called a miracle. it is something that is not supposed to happen according to the current laws. an example is the miracle of the exodus from egypt. we strive to attain spirituality without even knowing what w

an answer. that is why an answer can only dress in the sensation that is in the desire. thus, there can be an answer only if there is a question, a desire, that precedes it. t h e k a b b a l a h e x p e r i e n c e 324 that is why each person feels the question within as a vessel and the answer as a light. it is impossible to transmit the answer to another person, but only to help one go through the degrees of creation of the need within, the question, and the answer within. that is why kabbalah is called the wisdom of the hidden v only one who is ready to feel knows what it s about. for that person who is not yet ready, it remains hidden. t h e r o l e o f t h e r av q: i feel my own nothingness compared to the exaltedness of the rav. but that is how i should feel toward the creator; whe

begin to see the structure of the upper forces and their composition, we develop a completely different relationship with the outer world, and live in completely different dimensions of time and space. then, our hard times or happy times are expressions of our spiritual situations, a consequence of the spiritual degree we are in, and not of a piece of paper in a calendar. in the spiritual world, the degrees are called years, but they are not connected with our calendar. that is why, apart from the changing of the dates in our calendars, nothing happened on that date. p r o p h e c i e s t h at d i d n o t c o m e t ru e q: contrary to all predictions, nothing happened in 1984, or at the end of the millennium. are there similar events that await us in the near future? a: in 1984, as in 200

LAITMAN M THE PATH OF KABBALAH

e perspective of the creator, whereas we study it from the perspective of the screen, which helps the light expand. pa r t o n e: t h e b e g i n n i n g 25 rav laitman studied kabbalah with many teachers, but could find no answers until he was shown the books of the ari and baal hasulam. the upper degree is the creator, our own future state. the lower degree is the creature in his current state. the degrees are like an accordion, opening up to us as we progress. what is time? is it a changing, living concept? and if so, does it exist outside or inside us? does each degree keep its own time? the concept of time is a consequence of the work of the shells. we continue to feel time just as long as we refuse to agree with the creator about everything that happens to us. but time disappears aft

ing of five partzufim and each partzuf of five sefirot. in total, the number of degrees that stand between our (necessary) future state and our present state is 125. these degrees are not carved in stone, but are inside us. they are degrees of internal spiritual development. when we change something inside us, we ascend by one degree. when we change another, we climb another degree and so on. all the degrees are levels of equivalence with the creator. the world of ein sof is in complete equivalence of form with the creator, while our world is in complete oppositeness. the degrees between our world and the world of ein sof are measurements of equivalence of man with the creator, phases of closeness to the creator. the goal that the creator set for us is that while being in this world, we wi

appears gradually in the intermediate state, but not through the revelation of additional good, but quite the contrary, through the revelation of greater evil than before, its rejection, and the discovery of the good that actually stands behind it. that system is applied because the revelation of the ultimate good is possible only through the discovery of the lowness and harm of evil. q: what are the degrees of one s spiritual development? a: a person s spirituality evolves through the (spiritual) degrees of still, vegetative, animate, and speaking. 1. still: the desire for physical pleasures, such as food and sex. 2. vegetative: the desire for money and wealth. 3. animate: the desire for respect and power. pa r t o n e: t h e b e g i n n i n g 53 4. speaking: the desire for science, self

siya, the first spiritual world above the barrier. if the soul can overcome its egoism when the light of wisdom shines in it, it rises to the world of yetzira. the greater the ability of the soul to resist its egoism, the higher it ascends in the spiritual degrees, until finally the soul comes to the world of ein sof. a soul is a spiritual entity that reveals its essence only past the barrier and the degrees above it. the desires one works with in the spiritual world are bare, open; they are not clothed in the costumes of our world. a kabbalist stops studying our world once in the spiritual world, and regards it as nothing more than a natural consequence, a branch of a spiritual root. of more interest are studies of the reason, the root, and the beginning of every desire, not its consequen

or all the souls, but each soul has its own mission in this world. each soul also has a different speed with which it makes its way to the creator. every thought, every desire and every movement that we make in this world, regardless of who we are, comes with only one purpose: to bring us closer to spirituality. however, in most cases, this progress happens naturally, on the unconscious level, in the degrees of still, vegetative, and animate, in man. everything is planned in advance, according to the purpose of creation. our freedom of choice consists only of agreeing with whatever happens to us, with our understanding of where it all leads and the desire to become an active part in the events of our lives. all the thoughts and desires of the world of ein sof pass through each and every on

s only considered bad because of our corrupted souls. that is why our only option is to ascend spiritually and correct our vessels so that the evil we see and hear of will be perceived as good in our eyes. our only concern should be that in the process of the correction of the vessels and the spiritual degree, we will see how good he is to us and to the entire world. someone who is still climbing the degrees of the first spiritual world the world of assiya (called all evil) still feels events as bad. one who feels that the creator s actions are bad is regarded as evil because he or she condemns the creator (in hebrew, the words evil rasha and condemn marshia come from the same root. later on, when entering the world of yetzira (called half bad and half good, that person alternately feels w

e s o f s p i r i t ua l e v o l u t i o n 99 the right line (bestowal, masculine part) and at other times they should follow the left line (reception, feminine part. all the names in the torah are names of spiritual attainments on the spiritual ladder. but in order to attain a certain name, you must play both the masculine and the feminine parts, meaning the right and left lines. for example, in the degrees of pharaoh, moses, israel, and a gentile, there is both a feminine and a masculine part. but each name can only be attained once and in a certain degree. man and woman are a union of zeir anpin and malchut of the world of atzilut. its essence and degree create different names and a higher spiritual degree. the male and female states are set in each of the 125 degrees. if that is the ca

thus, the completion of the entire creation is attained, and the gap between the highest and the lowest points of creation is breached. in that state, everything returns to the creator, to his attributes, to the source and to a state of infinite altruistic bliss. it is only at that spiritual t h e pa t h o f k a b b a l a h 124 degree that the soul is liberated from the necessity of going through the degrees of this world again. but as long as there are corrections to perform, we must return here over and over again. only when we complete our correction through the study of the wisdom of kabbalah is this cycle finished. why do people interpret and relate so differently to the text of the torah? after all, the kabbalists themselves described the spiritual world for us and gave us this book

feel our birth and existence in the corporeal world. however, if we remove our additional egoism, we will immediately return to the place from which we descended into this world, meaning at our soul s original degree in the spiritual world. now we relate to the world as does everyone else. what we must do is to use our egoism to rise in spirituality. this way, we ascend by 620 degrees higher than the degrees from which we began. when we rise from our world and reach the end of correction, we rise to the world of ein sof and feel 620 times more complete then our preliminary state. our animate bodies die because we take away their egoistic satisfaction. the meaning of death is that the spiritual force that gives us the desire to live and absorb the force of life is taken away. m i s c e l l

hat it will become virtually impossible. moses independently developed the ability to feel outside himself. it was that ability that led him to attain the highest spiritual degree, and it is that ability that enabled him to speak face to face with the creator. the purpose of creation is to be able to sense the creator, and the way to do it is formulated in the verse, love thy neighbor as thyself. the degrees of our evolution, meaning our ability to feel and draw near him, are called degrees of spiritual growth. every individual, and the whole of mankind, treads the gradual path leading to the purpose the creator preordained. the creator pushes us along that path by inflicting pain on us, so as to force us to question the origin of the anguish. by examining the origin of the pain, we should

LEADBEATER C W THE HIDDEN LIFE IN FREEMASONRY 2E

is also used in the consecration of a chapter of the holy royal arch, under the supreme grand chapter of england, and in the ceremonial of many of the higher degrees. thus its introduction into co-masonic lodges is in no way an innovation, but is in full accordance with masonic usage. 335. the number of swings given to each of the non-official brn. indicates his particular rank in the order, for the degrees of the ancient and accepted scottish rite are taken into account in co-masonry. each thus receives the influence he needs, that he may be strengthened for the work which his rank qualifies him to do. each bro, as he is censed, bows out of respect, and as a token that he dedicates all the force that he has to t.g.a.o.t.u. 336. lighting the candles 337. the s.d. is the lucifer, who bears

e church. 441. in the science of the sacraments i have explained something of the inner meaning of the apostolic succession, the method designed by the christ for handing down the spiritual powers of the catholic church. it will be seen that we have a similar succession in masonry, extending back to the priests of the mysteries of ancient egypt, and beyond. 442. there is a further analogy between the degrees of freemasonry and the orders of the church, for just as the clergy of the church are linked in various degrees of connection with the head of the church, the lord christ himself, and with the reservoir of power which he has set apart for the celebration of the sacraments, so are the initiates of the various degrees in freemasonry linked according to their rank with the h.o.a.t.f, and

the presence of a number of brn. is essential to the validity of the rites, except when degrees are conferred by communication by one who has due authority. it is said that gthree rule a lodge, five hold a lodge, and seven or more make it perfect h. 445. in making this comparison between masonic degrees and church orders, i am not for a moment asserting that the powers conferred upon the many in the degrees of freemasonry are in any sense equal to those bestowed upon a few carefully selected and prepared candidates in the major orders of the church; i wish only to draw attention to a series of curious correspondences between the two systems, too numerous and remarkable to be due to mere coincidence. masonry does give powers commensurate with those appertaining to the church, but only in i

comes laden with worldly possessions, which in themselves carry the seeds of death, unconsciously representing in his person the worker in metals who made the twin columns and is about to be entombed. therefore the soul presents him to the spirit as one properly prepared to carry out the part of his great predecessor(*the m.m. fs. book, by j. s. m. ward, pp. 28, 29) 668. the seven s c 669. in all the degrees the candidate advances towards the east, the place of light, but in each degree more than in the previous one. in the first he takes three s c s- though even then they steadily increase in length- 9, 12, 15; in the second not only are there five instead of three, but they tend definitely upwards and form a staircase. in the third there are seven, and furthermore, the first three are sy

rd prematurely; he must learn to subordinate his will to that of t.g.o.o.t.u, to work at the task prescribed for him, and to play the part assigned to him in the great plan of which he is but an infinitesimal though necessary fraction. 745. however full the world 746. there is room for an earnest man; 747. god hath need of me, or i should not be; 748. i am here to aid the plan. 749. we may see in the degrees of craft masonry a prophecy or adumbration of the true initiations that lie far ahead on the path of the neophyte, taking the e.a. degree as imaging the entry upon the probationary path, the f.c. as representing that entering upon the stream which is the first of the great initiations, and the m.m. as typifying the fourth step, the initiation of the arhat. 750. the characteristic of th

ps far higher love in the buddhi which corresponds to it. the f.c. tries to strengthen his intellect to comprehend the hidden mysteries of masonry; the knight k.h. unfolds within him that grander intellectual quality which gives him always perfect balance and a sense of absolute justice, so that he understands the working of karma. the m.m. combines within himself and carries farther qualities of the degrees below him; the due-guard of his degree shows that he is intended to be shedding blessing and help around him wherever he goes; and of course this is true to a far greater extent and at a far higher level of the sovereign grand inspector general of the 33, for he should have love, wisdom and power equally manifesting in him, so that in him the true essence of governance may be set forth

LEADBEATER CW GLIMPSES OF MASONIC HISTORY

al school. the mystical school. the occult school. the knowledge of the occultist. the occult records. the sacramental power. the form and the life. orthodoxy and heresy. chapter ii the egyptian mysteries the message of the world teacher. the gods of egypt. isis and osiris. animal deities. the practice of embalming. other deities. the brothers of horus. consecration. the purpose of the mysteries. the degrees of the mysteries. the mysteries of isis. the preliminary trials. the mystery language. the duality of each degree. the inner mysteries of isis. the mysteries of serapis. the inner degree of serapis the mysteries of osiris. the legend of osiris. the meaning of the story. the inner mysteries of osiris. the office of master. the higher black masonry in the mysteries. white masonry in the

been associated with the most sacred mysteries of religious worship. 17. the mystical school 18. a third school of masonic thought, which we may call the mystical, approaches the mysteries of the craft from another standpoint altogether, seeing in them a plan of man s spiritual awakening and inner development. thinkers of this school, on the record of their own spiritual experiences, declare that the degrees of the order are symbolical of certain states of consciousness which must be awakened in the individual initiate if he aspires to win the treasures of the spirit. they give testimony of another and far higher nature upon the validity of our masonic rites- a testimony that belongs to religion rather than to science. the goal of the mystic is conscious union with god, and to a mason of t

ng us, is that of the rites of memphis and mizraim, which are relics in their occult power, although not in their form, of perhaps the very oldest mysteries existing upon earth. these too have their part to play in the future, as in the past, and they have therefore been preserved and transmitted to us in the present day. 43. the form and the life 44. in all cases we must realize that the form of the degrees of masonry and their life are two very different things, although of course in a perfect system, as in that of the ancient mysteries at the height of their glory, they would correspond perfectly. masonry is yet in a transitional stage, and is but emerging from the ignorance of the dark ages. the rites of memphis and mizraim are an example of this discrepancy. these colossal systems of

n a transitional stage, and is but emerging from the ignorance of the dark ages. the rites of memphis and mizraim are an example of this discrepancy. these colossal systems of 96 and 90 respectively are a mass of arti-ficially-manufactured ceremonies, of but little value to a masonic student except as a record of high-grade masonic invention in france at the end of the eighteenth century. most of the degrees have little occult power, and have simply been inserted into the rites by brn. who could have known nothing of their real purpose; but behind the rites and quite independent of the form side of the tradition a line of succession has been handed down from a past even more ancient than that of the scottish rite itself. even in the scottish rite many of the intermediate degrees are of but

follows the old egyptian method of arranging them, while continental masonry follows the chaldaean plan and seats them in an isosceles triangle. 48. the powers of the succession of i.m.s in these two systems are in essence the same, but since in the continental lodges the ceremony of installation is reduced to the merest vestige, only the minimum of power necessary for the actual transmission of the degrees is conferred, and very much less is done for the r.w.m. than under the english plan. but this is a question of imperfection of form rather than of absence of power. the spiritual powers behind masonry work through the different forms according to the value of the form and the will of the h.o.a.t.f. behind, who is the only judge of the much-argued difference between genuine and spurious

f statuettes and votive figures found in crete or in the outposts of minoan civilization, which are represented in such indubitably masonic attitudes (some of which now belong to the higher degrees) that even the most sceptical student must acknowledge that no chance can explain this similarity (see plates vii and viii following p. 50) it would not be in accordance with masonic secrecy to mention the degrees to which the different attitudes belong, but all masons will readily recognize them. ridiculous as these statuettes are, if they were the only evidence found in crete they would be sufficient to indicate the existence of mysteries of a masonic character in that ancient civilization. but where that evidence is supported by the various proofs discussed above no doubt can remain that four

ivileges; and they once more undertook a wholesale migration under the leadership of him whom we now call moses, and after further wanderings settled in palestine, where they were known as the jews, still strongly maintaining that they were a chosen people(*see man: whence, how and whither, ch. xiv and xvi, passim) 269. during their sojourn in egypt certain of them had been initiated into some of the degrees of the egyptian mysteries. moses, as was said much later, was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians(*acts, vii, 22) and he seems to have been the real founder of the jewish mysteries, much as tradition suggests, introducing into them the succession of i.m.s which he had received from the egyptian priests. our investigations have not confirmed the events related in the early chapte

. they arose before day to pay their devotions to the sun, and recited verses from homer, hesiod, or some other poet. several hours were spent in study, after which there was an interval before dinner, which was occupied in walking and in gymnastic exercises. the meals consisted principally of bread and honey. 402. although we do not find any direct connection between the school of pythagoras and the degrees of modern masonry, yet the influence of pythagoras upon our mysteries was profound, as masons have always recognized. the tradition of the pythagoreans passed into the neo-platonic schools; and from thence much of the inner teaching came into christian hands, and formed the basis of many of those schools of mystic instruction which enshrined in mediaeval times certain of the secrets no

e. 427. in addition to the mysteries of mithra, there was an atlantean tradition of the mysteries- that to which we have already referred as the chaldaean line of succession. in the days of its splendour the chaldaean rituals put the initiate into relation with the great star-angels who were adored in that mighty faith; and a relic of this tradition is still found in the hidden side of certain of the degrees of the rites of memphis and of mizraim. the chaldaean method of seating the principal officers of a lodge is still preserved in continental masonry, and has passed also into certain of the higher degrees. 428. the roman collegia 429. we may now return to the main line of masonic descent, that of the three craft degrees. we have already seen how the jewish mysteries handed down the esse

e scottish rites. one line of descent crossed from scotland to france, where it was blended in the eighteenth century with the egyptian tradition to form the rite of heredom or of perfection under the council of the emperors of the east and west, as will be further explained in chapter xi. another line was handed down in scotland and england, becoming blended with jewish tradition, and emerged in the degrees of hrdm-rsycs in what we now call the royal order of scotland. the curious rhymed ritual of the royal order bears internal evidences of age, and although its christianity has been ruthlessly edited in protestant interests there are yet traces of the old mystical ideas of the celtic church. 501. operative masonry in the middle ages 502. the temporary custodians 503. in a complete study

MACNULTY W KIRK KABBALAH AND FREEMASONRY

as that i will present are mine; they do not represent the views of any grand lodge or of any private lodge. further, in the next pages i will be writing of some very exalted states of consciousness and equating them with masonic ranks. i want to state explicitly that the united grand lodge of england does not claim to produce these states of consciousness in its candidates. masonic lodges confer the degrees of freemasonry and with those degrees goes a titular rank and the introduction to a group of symbols. the interpretation and application of those symbols is the responsibility of the individual mason. any growth or maturation of the sort of which i shall write in the following paragraphs, if it occurs at all, is the responsibility of the individual mason as he studies and contemplates

represent the world of the spirit, and i have shown them in the upper face of this tree, the part of the tree that is contiguous with beriah. the square represents yezirah; and i have placed it at tiferet, the central sefirah and the essence of that world. these six symbols will be shown on all the tree diagrams that we will use and will form the background for the more detailed consideration of the degrees. the ladder refer again to the first degree tracing board (figure 8. thus far we have not spoken of its central feature, the ladder.47 remember that one of the ideas which was fundamental to renaissance thought was the concept of a macrocosm, considered to be the universe as a whole and a corresponding microcosm, considered to be the human individual. the idea is that the universe and

MANLY P HALL THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES

ommittee of arch-sorcerers elevated to power by the priesthood. these sorcerers then began the systematic destruction of all keys to the ancient wisdom, so that none might have access to the knowledge necessary to reach adeptship without first becoming one of their order. they mutilated the rituals of the mysteries while professing to preserve them, so that even though the neophyte passed through the degrees he could not secure the knowledge to which he was entitled. idolatry was introduced by encouraging the worship of the images which in the beginning the wise had erected solely as symbols for study and meditation. false interpretations were given to the emblems and figures of the mysteries, and elaborate theologies were created to confuse the minds of their devotees. the masses, deprive

birch-bark records, bearing delicate incised lines to represent pictorially the ground plan of the number of degrees to which the owner is entitled. such records or charts are sacred and are never exposed to the public view" the two rectangular diagrams represent two degrees of the mide lodge and the straight line through the center the spiritual path, or "straight and narrow way" running through the degrees. the lines running tangent to the central path signify temptations, and the faces at the termini of the lines are manidos, or powerful spirits. writing of the midewiwin, schoolcraft, the great authority on the american indian, says "in the society of the midewiwin the object is to teach the higher doctrines of spiritual existence, its nature and mode of existence, and the influence it

MATHERS MACGREGOR THE GREATER KEY OF SOLOMON VOL 2

command three through the medium of three. there are the spirits of above, those of below, and those of the center; then if thou investest the sacred ladder, if thou descendest instead of ascending, thou wilt discover the counter-hierarchy of the shells, or of the dead spirits. know thou only that the principalities of heaven, the virtues, and the powers, are not persons, but dignities. they are the degrees of the sacred ladder upon which the spirits ascend and descend. michael, gabriel, raphael, and the others, are not names but titles. the first of the numbers is the unity. the first of the divine conceptions called the sephiroth is kether or the crown. the first category of the spirits is that of chaioth ha-qadesh or the intelligences of the divine tetragram, whose letters are symboliz

MATHERS MACGREGOR THE LESSER KEY OF SOLOMON LEMEGETON VOL 3

they know the sign that ascends. the other angels which are attributed to every degree of every sign of the zodiac are as followeth: fire earth air water fire earth air water fire earth air water aiel tual giel cael ol violl jael sosol swaia -seh casuiasah ausim pasel lemegeton: clavicula salomonis 16 these be the angels of the signs& their seals followeth, being 12, every sign one. the angels of the degrees of the zodiac 1 bial letiel latiel sachiel mochiel coliel ibaich toliel taliel chahel chamel lachiel 2 gosiel niyael najael motiel satiel lonael eagiel joniel jamael tomael tosael nohiel 3 hacl sachiel sachael stiel aiel nosael lahael cosiel casiel jaajah jaajah sanael 4 ganiot gueliel gualiel sachiel mochiel sangiel uaviel laugael laugael casmel camiel gnasiel 5 zaciot ponoel pamel mo

MORALS AND DOGMA

been prepared by authority of the supreme council of the thirty-third degree, for the southern jurisdiction of the united states, by the grand commander, and is now published by its direction. it contains the lectures of the ancient and accepted scottish rite in that jurisdiction, and is specially intended to be read and studied by the brethren of that obedience, in connection with the rituals of the degrees. it is hoped and expected that each will furnish himself with a copy, and make himself familiar with it; for which purpose, as the cost of the work consists entirely in the printing and binding, it will be furnished at a price as moderate as possible. no _individual_ will receive pecuniary profit from it, except the agents for its sale. it has been copyrighted, to prevent its republica

hers, the same shall in turn be measured unto you" such is the lesson taught the provost and judge [illustration [illustration] viii. intendant of the building. in this degree you have been taught the important lesson, that none are entitled to advance in the ancient and accepted scottish rite, who have not by study and application made themselves familiar with masonic learning and jurisprudence. the degrees of this rite are not for those who are content with the mere work and ceremonies, and do not seek to explore the mines of wisdom that lie buried beneath the surface. you still advance toward the light, toward that star, blazing in the distance, which is an emblem of the divine truth, given by god to the first men, and preserved amid all the vicissitudes of ages in the traditions and te

upon whose summit light and truth sit enthroned. step by step men must advance toward perfection; and each masonic degree is meant to be one of those steps. each is a development of a particular duty; and in the present you are taught charity and benevolence; to be to your brethren an example of virtue; to correct your own faults; and to endeavor to correct those of your brethren. here, as in all the degrees, you meet with the emblems and the names of deity, the true knowledge of whose character and attributes it has ever been a chief object of masonry to perpetuate. to appreciate his infinite greatness and goodness, to rely implicitly on his providence, to revere and venerate him as the supreme architect, creator, and legislator of the universe, is the first of masonic duties. the battery

of which are perhaps lost, constituted, under other names, what we now call _masonry, or _free_ or _frank-masonry. that knowledge was, in one sense _the lost word, which was made known to the grand elect, perfect, and sublime masons. it would be folly to pretend that the _forms_ of masonry were the same in those ages as they are now. the present name of the order, and its titles, and the names of the degrees now in use, were not then known. even blue masonry cannot trace back its _authentic_ history _with its present degrees, further than the year 1700 _if so far. but, by whatever _name_ it was known in this or the other country, masonry existed as it now exists, the same in spirit and at heart, not only when solomon builded the temple, but centuries before--before even the first colonies

d, nor shut your eyes that you may not see the crimes of the great; and you shall dwell on high, and your place of defence be like munitions of rocks" forget not these precepts of the old law; and especially do not forget, as you advance, that every mason, however humble, is your brother, and the laboring man your peer! remember always that all masonry is work, and that the trowel is an emblem of the degrees in this council. labor, when rightly understood, is both noble and ennobling, and intended to develop man's moral and spiritual nature, and not to be deemed a disgrace or a misfortune. everything around us is, in its bearings and influences, moral. the serene and bright morning, when we recover our conscious existence from the embraces of sleep; when, from that image of death god calls

exercise the profession of medicine charitably and without fee, to advance the cause of virtue, enlarge the sciences, and induce men to live as in the primitive times of the world. when this degree had its origin, it is not important to inquire; nor with what different rites it has been practised in different countries and at various times. it is of very high antiquity. its ceremonies differ with the degrees of latitude and longitude, and it receives variant interpretations. if we were to examine all the different ceremonials, their emblems, and their formulas, we should see that all that belongs to the primitive and essential elements of the order, is respected in every sanctuary. all alike practise virtue, that it may product fruit. all labor, like us, for the extirpation of vice, the pu

sk of masonry. the rituals even of the respectable degrees, copied and mutilated by ignorant men, became nonsensical and trivial; and the words so corrupted that it has hitherto been found impossible to recover many of them at all. candidates were made to degrade themselves, and to submit to insults not tolerable to a man of spirit and honor. hence it was that, practically, the largest portion of the degrees claimed by the ancient and accepted scottish rite, and before it by the rite of perfection, fell into disuse, were merely communicated, and their rituals became jejune and insignificant. these rites resembled those old palaces and baronial castles, the different parts of which, built at different periods remote from one another, upon plans and according to tastes that greatly varied, f

bsequiousness to man are base: for there is a noble pride which is the most real and solid basis of virtue. man should humble himself before the infinite god; but not before his erring and imperfect brother. as master of a lodge, you will therefore be exceedingly careful that no candidate, in any degree, be required to submit to any degradation whatever; as has been too much the custom in some of the degrees: and take it as a certain and inflexible rule, to which there is _no_ exception, that real masonry requires of no man anything to which a knight and gentleman cannot honorably, and without feeling outraged or humiliated submit. the supreme council for the southern jurisdiction of the united states at length undertook the indispensable and long-delayed task of revising and reforming the

that real masonry requires of no man anything to which a knight and gentleman cannot honorably, and without feeling outraged or humiliated submit. the supreme council for the southern jurisdiction of the united states at length undertook the indispensable and long-delayed task of revising and reforming the work and rituals of the thirty degrees under its jurisdiction. retaining the essentials of the degrees and all the means by which the members recognize one another, it has sought out and developed the leading idea of each degree, rejected the puerilities and absurdities with which many of them were disfigured, and made of them a connected system of moral, religious, and philosophical instruction. sectarian of no creed, it has yet thought it not improper to use the old allegories, based

in number, whose revenues should be devoted to the relief of the unfortunate, and not to empty show; no longer a heterogeneous aggregate of degrees, shocking by its anachronisms and contradictions, powerless to disseminate light, information, and moral and philosophical ideas. as master, you will teach those who are under you, and to whom you will owe your office, that the decorations of many of the degrees are to be dispensed with, whenever the expense would interfere with the duties of charity, relief, and benevolence; and to be indulged in only by wealthy bodies that will thereby do no wrong to those entitled to their assistance. the essentials of all the degrees may be procured at slight expense; and it is at the option of every brother to procure or not to procure, as he pleases, the

MOTTA MARCELO THE COMMENTARIES OF AL

ove was meant for him only. 40. but the work of the comment? that is easy; and hadit burning in thy heart shall make swift and secure thy pen. i am less annoyed with myself than when i wrote the "old comment (published in equinox i, 7, but not wholly content. how is one to write a comment? for whom? one has more than the difficulties of the lexicographer. each new postulant presents new problems; the degrees and kinds of their ignorance are no less numerous than they. i am always finding myself, sailing along joyously for several months in the belief that my teaching is helping somebody, suddenly awakened to the fact that i have made no way whatever, owing to the object of my solicitude having omitted to learn that julius caesar conquered gaul, or something of the sort, which i had assumed

ONYX TABLET OF SET

- if you have no recognitions on the horizon- around spring equinox. i hope that you will each talk over these ideas with at least one other member of the priesthood. the ii is the place of life. it is where we each spend most of our waking hours, and should not be viewed as a mere rung to "something better. it needs to be expanded and deepened. we always seek to slightly raise the bar to each of the degrees- making them more distinct and vibrant. the ii is where we are going to start. the criteria of the ii we generally look for three things in the ii: 1. an understanding of basic setian philosophy. the adept-to-be should be able to not only discuss basic ideas and words in the crystal tablet, but also give evidence of lifechange rationally built upon those ideas. now that change can be a

f. if such alignments are undertaken honestly and methodically, there must be no stigma attached to them whatever. disrepute and dishonor lie rather in clinging to the trappings of an exalted state of being when one's soul is no longer governed by the principles characteristic of that state. initiatory degree relationships the essential dignity of degrees iii*-vi* is the priesthood of set itself. the degrees iv- vi* are properly viewed as specialized functions within the priesthood, not as more privileged or exclusive classes. continuing this theme, the essential characteristic of degrees iv*-vi* is that of master of the temple. magus v* and ipsissimus vi* merely designate specialized functions within the magistry. all therefore returns to the priesthood of set in its entirety. from its in

PIKE CUMMINGS THE SPURIOUS RITES OF MEMPHIS AND MISRAIM

no respect materially differs from the old printed rituals of the scottish rite, of which, as well as the rite moderne, any one can buy as many as he pleases in paris. of course, the successors of those who invented the rites of mizraim and memphis have the right to work them.but all masons ought to be informed that they are mere shams, used only for the purpose of making money, by those who vend the degrees; communicating no useful information; as worthless as the tinsel and spangles of the circus; and most of the degrees being absolutely nothing but idle words and signs.and, whenever there is a legal council in the northern jurisdiction, it ought to see to it that none of its members set at naught b f c heredom albert pike& william l. cummings their obligations by becoming dignitaries in

s part might induce masons to accept it without distrust, and to put faith in those precious documents written in the chaldee language,which, he informed them,were to be found in the sacred ark of the rite of memphis.marconis was, in reality, possessed of considerably more erudition than the manufacturers of the rite ofmizraim; and in constructing his own system, ingeniously varied and transposed the degrees of the former, altering the titles, passwords, signs, etc; thus in a manner disguising their real origin. many of his degrees,however,were never completed, and remain to this day degrees merely in name, having no ritual, or at best,mere skeletons, to be, filled up at the pleasure of any speculator who chooses to purchase them.the extravagant character of the rite need hardly be alluded

ral degrees, which are passed through and conferred according to the forms indicated by the rituals, and of which the highest is the d dd of the ancient and accepted scottish rite. x(art. i of the constitution) volume j, c a a b b f h the spurious rites of memphis and misraim the names specially belonging to these degrees, and the insignia appropriated to them, and which tradition, the rituals of the degrees, or the statutes-general of the order have sanctioned, are the only ones recognized by the grand orient, and the only ones allowed; all other titles or decorations are interdicted by articles e c, e d, e e and c g c of the statutes-general. the use of masonic decorations, indicating degrees above the d dd degree, is, then, not only a violation of the law, but the negation of the princi

lodges, it is granted as if he had been initiated in a lodge of the french rite. french rite, scottish rite, rite of memphis, rite of mizraim, what do these words signify? in the dogmatic point of view, in the scientific point of view, nothing, absolutely nothing.they represent differences altogether insignificant, in the words, in the signs of the symbolism, and the special fashions of counting the degrees of the masonic hierarchy beyond the first three, which are everywhere the same, and everywhere fundamental. e e e e e e e e e we do not ask that anything which any one has shall be taken from him. let those who have acquired the right of classing themselves at any degree whatever of the masonic scale, retain their privilege. let us in everything respect acquired facts, where they infri

e e e e e e e e we do not ask that anything which any one has shall be taken from him. let those who have acquired the right of classing themselves at any degree whatever of the masonic scale, retain their privilege. let us in everything respect acquired facts, where they infringe neither order, which is the good of all, nor liberty, which is the good of each. but that toleration which we ask for the degrees, we also demand for the rites. there were in france three recognized rites; there was a fourth, from the day when the grand orient permitted the volume j, c a a b b g b the spurious rites of memphis and misraim rite of memphis to work under its obedience.very well! we claim for each of these. four rites the same toleration, and we believe that the grand orient owes equal protection to

f the count de grasse-tilly, who had received the d d x in america. about the same time, germain hacquet carried to france from san domingo, w[est] i[ndies, the rite of heredom in twenty-five degrees and established a grand consistory to govern it, entirely independent of the grand orient of france. but had nothing to do with the formation of the supreme council. de grasse-tilly, in b i a e, gave the degrees of the ancient and accepted scottish rite to the principal members of the grand orient of france; and after the fall of the empire a supreme council in the bosom of the grand orient was organized, which still exists. though now inactive. legitimate scottish rite masonry in france is now under control of the supreme council d d x, which is independent of the grand orient. it has been cl

omplish this, that marconis divest himself of all authority he held up to that time and to deliver the entire rite and its creations into the control of the grand orient.this he did,whereupon the symbolic lodges of the rite in france were recognized and authorized to continue work in the three symbolic degrees; but the higher grades from the eth to the j hth, inclusive, were shelved. at that time the degrees of masonry from the eth to the d drd, inclusive,were under the direction of the ancient and accepted scottish rite, through its chamber in the grand orient of france, and authority to work them could only be obtained from that body.the degrees beyond the d drd in the rite of memphis have never been brought legitimately from the darkness into which they were cast by the grand orient, wh

is own ranks. calvin c. burt, j g x,who had been deputy grand master of the rite since b i g f, issued a call may e, b i g h, for a convention of the rite of memphis, at chicago, illinois, which met june b h, b i g h. the resolutions adopted by this convention read, in part: and whereas,we have been notified by the aforesaid grand master (h. j. seymour, that the grand orient of france has reduced the degrees to d d. k and whereas, we are informed that our worthy and illustrious brother and deputy grand master, calvin c. burt, j g x, has not accepted the change, and does not believe that such powers exist in the rite, and that the adoption of such a reduction will be attended with bad results k. resolved that we will not acknowledge or subscribe any such reduction of degrees. k21 a new gove

n sanctuary, and chartered a body of the rite of misraim in the united states, with w. b. lord of utica, new york as grand master.mott claimed that all rights to the rite of misraim in the united states belonged to him by virtue of his office as grand master of the rite of memphis.2. this led to much controversy with both lord and mott strongly asserting their authority. wilson went on conferring the degrees of the rite of memphis, and, in addition, the three craft degrees and, as a consequence, was expelled by the grand lodge of new york in b j a e for illegally conferring these degrees under claimed authority from the clandestine grand lodge of ohio which had been organized as a rival to the legitimate grand lodge of that state.2. about b j a a he merged his branch of the rite of memphis

achusetts amended its constitution (section c f) to read as follows: any mason in this jurisdiction who shall confer, communicate, or sell, or assist in conferring, communicating or selling, or solicit anyone to receive or apply for, any so-called masonic degree or degree limited to freemasons, not hereinbefore recognized or admitted, may be expelled from all the rights and privileges of masonry. the degrees excepted are those conferred in the bodies named in the preceding paragraph. section f a h of the constitution of the grand lodge of new york says: as the true and legitimate source of masonic authority and the supreme and sovereign masonic body in this grand jurisdiction, this grand lodge recognizes as masonic only those organizations or bodies which it shall declare so to be or with

RITUEL ET DOGME DE LA HAUTE MAGIE BY ELIPHAS LEVI PART I

there are, however, many degrees of perfection in organs. the body is the coarse and, as it were, the perishable cortex of the soul. the soul can perceive of itself, and independently of the mediation of physical organs, by means of its sensibility and its diaphane the things, both spiritual and corporeal, which are existent in the universe. spiritual and corporeal are simply terms which express the degrees of tenuity or density in substance. what is called the imagination within us is only the soul's inherent faculty of assimilating the images and reflections contained in the living light, being the great magnetic agent. such images and reflections are revelations when science intervenes to reveal us their body or light. the man of genius differs from the dreamer and the fool in this onl

with some eventuality which will be decisive for the rest of my life: every indication in the present leads me to endorse this forecast. hence i conclude that, for myself and for this year, experience confirms fully the precision of cardan's astrological calculus, which connects furthermore with the climacteric years of ancient astrologers. this term signifies arranged in scales or calculated on the degrees of a scale. johannes trithemius in his book on secondary causes has computed the recurrence of fortunate or calamitous years for all empires of the world. in the twenty-first chapter of our ritual we shall give an exact analysis of this work, together with a continuation of the labour of trithemius to our own days and the application of his magical scale to contemporary events, so as t

ROBERT KIRK WALKER BETWEEN WORLDS

, which tends to imply, quite falsely, that they are merely constructions of the imagination. in collective tradition there is no doubt whatsoever as to the reality of the entities, and in kirk's text their reality is repeatedly affirmed and described in detail, particularly in the context of their physical nature, which he compares in several places to the physical nature of humanity, describing the degrees of difference and the effects that such differences have on fairy and human behavior. in most ancient cultures, and indeed in many ethnic magical and religious practices today, many of the levels or types of entity described in the following passage from iamblichus appear, though the names, of course, vary from culture to culture, and the definition must always be by function. function

RUBY TABLET OF SET

footnotes 1. commentary by m.a. aquino vi: the above correspondence of the setian degrees to ouspensky's man-1/7 reflects a specialized concept of the setian degrees developed during the high priesthood of ronald k. barrett v, when it was proposed that the entire system be reoriented towards an increasing appreciation of the concept of xem, barretts v word. since then the original significance of the degrees has been restored, and each degree encompasses a great many factors besides the study of any v word. priest cole's discussion of the iv -vi in particular, while intriguing, is simply not an accurate reflection of those degrees- 9/xx symbolism the first session of the year-xxiv order of shuti workshop discussed symbolism. while the study of symbolism itself is not a primary concern of t

le of contents i. introduction ii. the gnosis as a philosophical hermetism 1. philo, the man and his thought 2. the evidence from hippolytus 3. the old gnostics iii. some basic gnostic methods 1. cosmology 2. anthropology 3. soteriology iv. results of research in gnostic science 1. the myth of pistis sophia 2. the mystery of the first mystery 3. the gnosis of jesus the mystery of the ineffable 4. the degrees of the mysteries 5. the mysteries of mithras 6. the mystic diagrams 7 'inaoca xpiatoa 8. the truth 9. god v. the gnosis as a hermetic science can lead to new-thinking vi. conclusion i. introduction gnosis sounds very much more formidable and technical in english or german than it does in greek. avwaic is "knowledge. gnosis is the original greek term which means knowledge, and it is emp

ster continues "hearken, therefore, now further, o my disciples, while i tell you the whole gnosis of the mystery of the ineffable" it is the gnosis of pitilessness and compassion; of destruction and everlasting increase; of beasts and creeping things, and metals, seas, and earth, clouds and rain, and so on working downwards from man into nature and upwards through all the supernatural realms. 4. the degrees of the mysteries the saviour answers that every one who receives a mystery of light, any one of them, shall after death find rest in the light-world appropriate so his mystery, but no one who has not become a christ will know the gnosis of the whole pleroma, for "in all openness i am the gnosis of the whole pleroma" so he who receives the first mystery of the first mystery shall be kin

ysteries as known and understood by the higher initiates. but i do know this, no setian who understands even in a primitive way the meaning of set and self will ever fall prey to the addiction of ecstasy, provided he continues to utilize the gift of set, his intelligent life force encountered in ritual as the black flame. 3. initiatory states: to the setian, these may at first glance appear to be the degrees. these however, i believe are but the outward recognition in an objective sense of what is developing on the inner. the initiations happen before the recognitions. each degree also is a cumulative symbol of numerous initiations which result in self moving significantly in response to the subjective reality experienced as set and the mysteries. that the higher degrees are recognition by

tion of "student" in which the aspirant was to gain a varied knowledge from a number of recommended volumes [compare his with our reading list for the temple of set] the probationer (0=[0] occupied the bottom of magus crowley's first division "the order of the golden dawn" this, along with the neophyte (1=[10, the zelator (2=[9, the practicus (3=[8, and the philosophus (4=[7, is described in both the degrees of initiation in the ruby tablet of set and in magick in theory and practice. it can be seen that the temple has condensed the (0=[0] through (4=[7] into a single first degree, and one that operates on a far more sophisticated level than the first a.a. division. yet it is worth mention that this first division prepared the aspiring initiate for the grade of adept, just as our own first

to his supremacy.(6) it makes for an interesting train of thought when wondering how magic would be now if (a) an equivalent of the third degree had been instituted and (b) the magus of that aon been less mindlessly destructive. however, that is purely academic at this point and has no place here. for a description of the (5=[6 (6=[5, and (7=[4, refer again to magick in theory and practice or to "the degrees of initiation" the likenesses are there. in the third division "the order of the silver star" the golden dawn designations were kept (8=[3] magister templi (9=[2] magus, and (10=[1] ipsissimus. the magus crowley's own instructions to the aspirants to the (8=[3] were to annihilate the personality which, he said "limits and oppresses his true self" no advice could be more suicidal. the (

d short journey here, and we have lived not only to tell the tale but to enjoy and continue our fight. the golden dawn, the o.t.o, and the church of satan are but three organizations which opened the way for us and many more groups and individuals have contributed. you will find the pentagram of the greatest of these worn about your neck. footnotes 1. the magicians of the golden dawn, howe, e. 2. the degrees of initiation, m. aquino vi the ruby tablet of set 3. the magicians of the golden dawn, howe, e. 4. the eye in the triangle, regardie, i. 5. magick in theory and practice, crowley, a (9=[2] 6. letter to m. aquino vi from bill heidrick of the california o.t.o, march 8, 1981 ce. aeonic topics true will working this ritual was designed to provide initiates with a tool with which to seek g

, for mankind now hastens toward an annihilation which none but the elect may hope to avoid. and alone i cannot preserve my elect, but i would teach them and strengthen their will against the coming peril, that they and their blood may endure. to do this i must give further of my own essence to my elect, and, should they fail, the majesty of set shall fade and be ended. the term "elect" refers to the degrees ii and higher in the temple of set. in addition to avowing themselves setians, such initiates have been examined by the priesthood and found adept in the arts and sciences encompassed by the temple. the temple of set does not judge or evaluate initiates by criteria outside of its specialized areas of expertise. hence it is more an intellectual discipline or school of thought than a com

. no magisters or priests who don't do a damned thing. each new member will be expected to produce appropriate evidence during his initial year of membership that he is practicing satanism forthrightly and unashamedly. otherwise he will not be permitted to renew his membership, fee or no fee. the same holds true for each satanist of each degree for each year. and the standards will get tougher as the degrees get higher" those words and acts opened such paths and possibilities that, by the year xiv, a new magus was able to say this "the components of this complex are distinct in their functions and are intricately interwoven. the components are the t.s, the temple of set, the order of set, the initiatory degrees, the council of nine, the high priesthood, majestic man or king/pharaoh, and xe

wide range of vision along with the link which exists among the nine, enabling that body to function as the guardians. those who respond in and through maat to that which will affect the future of the temple of set "the order of set consists of all iii initiates" the iii initiate is in a rather good position in a number of ways, particularly grade-wise. there are distinct differences between all the degrees, but i think the iii is one of the most important in that it is between the i /ii and the iv /v, and vi being another thing altogether due to the "own very self" significance. this being in the middle of the grades has a very great advantage: it's easier to recall what the i and ii are like, and it's also possible, through the force of will, to comprehend iv and v thought, though it's

SAPPHIRE TABLE OF SET MAIN

of mind of crowley in his ipsissimus years, as well as the apparently astonishing decisions of anton lavey in the year subsequent to his own vi. a close examination will reveal precisely what is articulated in the book of coming forth by night- that self reference to the bounds in which the semblance must exist had been broken. this explains the seemingly crazy and inconsistent policy concerning the degrees on grounds other than simple profiteering or maliciousness. the logical systems of the church of satan and the mental processes of its initiates had simply ceased to be an object by anton. for him their images in the pu had become all, and thus these images could be changed at a whim. the danger and the fallacy, as the book of coming forth by night points out, is that the form of anton

SAPPHIRE TABLET OF SET

of mind of crowley in his ipsissimus years, as well as the apparently astonishing decisions of anton lavey in the year subsequent to his own vi. a close examination will reveal precisely what is articulated in the book of coming forth by night- that self reference to the bounds in which the semblance must exist had been broken. this explains the seemingly crazy and inconsistent policy concerning the degrees on grounds other than simple profiteering or maliciousness. the logical systems of the church of satan and the mental processes of its initiates had simply ceased to be an object by anton. for him their images in the pu had become all, and thus these images could be changed at a whim. the danger and the fallacy, as the book of coming forth by night points out, is that the form of anton

SPENSER THE CULT OF THE ALL SEEING EYE 1960

coins, currency and the small seal provides us with conclusive proof of the existence of a directing influence behind the adoption of these occult signs at the time of the founding of our nation -31- the heraldry of american heroism never used the solomonic seal before 1942. the constellation in the crest appeared on the four decorations of the legion of merit, created by congress july 20, 1942. the degrees of chief commander, commander, officer and legionnaire are awarded to the personnel of the armed forces of friendly foreign nations, and of the u. s. and the philippines. this decoration was the first specific award in u.s. history to foreigners, and the first to have different degrees, as in the secret orders. the commander award has the motto, annuit coeptis, along with the emblem. t

TEXE MARRS CODEX MAGICA SECRET SIGNS MYSTERIOUS SYMBOLS AND HIDDEN CODES OF THE ILLUMINATI

tant referral back to it, much of the knowledge i have acquired could not be properly understood. masonic expert lynn f. perkins alludes to the gigantic amount of extracurricular research and work needed to uncover the greatest secrets of the masonic fraternity. he writes: the true wisdom is concealed and hidden, not only from those who do not join the masonic order but also from those who "take" the degrees; and it will remain hoodwinked! pity the poor, foolish man who becomes a freemason! in the very first degree ritual, that of entered apprentice, a blindfold is put over his eyes, and a cable-tow is hung around his neck. symbolically, the dumb candidate is "hoodwinked" little does he know that his superiors intentionally set out to deceive the candidate and they contrive their deceit th

THE GALE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THE UNUSUAL UNEXPLAINED VOL 1

n francisco. aquino had been the editor of the church of satan newsletter, and when it appeared to him that lavey was merely selling priesthoods, he lodged a firm protest with the black pope. in aquino s view, priesthoods in satanic orders should be conferred solely on the basis of magical achievement. unimpressed with aquino s argument, lavey dismissed the matter by explaining that he considered the degrees he issued as merely symbolic of the member s status in the outside world. in protest, aquino resigned his priesthood in the church of satan and with lilith sinclair, head of the new york lilith grotto, formed the temple of set. aquino, a former lieutenant in army intelligence, specializing in psychological warfare, had joined the church of satan together with his first wife in 1968. an

THE PATH OF KABBALAH

e of the lights, meaning from the perspective of the creator, whereas we study it from the perspective of the screen, which helps the light expand. rabbi laitman says he studied kabbalah with many teachers, but could find no answers until he was shown the books of the ari and baal hasulam. the upper degree is the creator, my own future state. the lower degree is the creature in his current state. the degrees are like an accordion, they open up to us as we progress. what is time? is it a changing, living concept? and if so, how does it exist outside or inside us? does each degree keep its own time? the concept of time is a consequence of the work of the shells. a person continues to feel time just as long as he refuses to agree with the creator about everything that happens to him. but time

each partzuf of five sefirot. thus, the total number of degrees that stand between our (necessary) future state and our present state is 125. these degrees are not made of marble or stone, they are inside us. they are degrees of internal spiritual development. when a person changes something inside himself, he ascends by one degree. when he changes another, he climbs another degree and so on. all the degrees are levels of equivalence with the creator. the world of ein sof is a complete equivalence of form with the creator. our world is the complete opposite of the creator. the degrees between our world and the world of ein sof are measurements of equivalence of man with the creator, phases of closeness to the creator. 26 of 273 the goal that the creator set for us is that while being in th

ears gradually in the intermediate state, but not through the revelation of additional good, but quite the contrary, through the revelation of greater evil than before, its rejection and the discovery of the good that actually stands behind it. that system is applied because the revelation of the ultimate good is possible only through the discovery of the lowness and harm of the evil. q: what are the degrees of one s spiritual development? a: a person s spirituality evolves the (spiritual) degrees of still, vegetative, animate and speaking. 1. still: the desire for physical pleasures, such as food and sex. 2. vegetative: the desire for money and wealth. 3. animate: the desire for respect and power. 4. speaking: the desire for science, self-awareness and to learn about the surrounding world

siya, the first spiritual world above the barrier. if the soul can overcome its egoism when the light of wisdom shines in it, it rises to the world of yetzira. the greater the ability of the soul to resist its egoism, the higher it ascends in the spiritual degrees, until finally the soul comes to the world of ein sof. a soul is a spiritual entity that reveals its essence only past the barrier and the degrees above it. the desires one works with in the spiritual world are bare, open; they are not clothed in dresses of our world. a kabbalist stops studying our world once in the spiritual 51 of 273 world, and regards it as nothing more than a natural consequence, a branch of a spiritual root. he is more interested in studying the reason, the root and the beginning of every desire, not the con

but each soul has its own mission in this world. each soul also has a different speed in which it makes its way to the creator. every thought, every desire and every movement that we make in this world, regardless of who that person is, is given for one and only purpose: to rise and come closer to spirituality. however, in most cases, this progress happens naturally, on the unconscious level, in the degrees of still, vegetative and animate in man. everything is planned in advance according to the purpose of creation. one s freedom of choice consists only of agreeing with whatever happens to him anyway, and with his understanding of where it all leads to and the desire to become an active part in the events of his life. all the thoughts and desires of the world of ein sof pass through each

ion is to ascend spiritually, and correct our vessels to such an extent that the evil that we see and hear of will be perceived as good in our eyes. that is the only thing we must concern ourselves with, that in the process of the correction of the vessels and the spiritual degree where the bounty comes from, we will see how good he is to us and to the entire world. a person who is still climbing the degrees of the first spiritual world the world of assiya (called all evil- still feels what happens as bad. for that reason he is regarded as evil. later on, when he enters the world of yetzira (called half bad and half good, he feels what happens as good and bad intermittently. it is as though he is in between them, not knowing precisely which mark to give them. the world of beria is called a

changeably, meaning they should sometimes follow the right line (bestowal, masculine part) and other times they should follow the left line (reception, feminine part. all the names in the torah are names of spiritual attainments in the spiritual ladder. but in order to attain a certain name, you must play both the masculine and the feminine parts, meaning the right and left lines. for example: in the degrees of pharaoh, moses, israel, and a gentile, there is both a feminine and a masculine part. but each name can only be attained once and in a certain degree. man and woman are a union of between zeir anpin and malchut of the world of atzilut. its essence and degree create different names and a higher spiritual degree. the male and female states are set in each of the 125 degrees. if that i

in our world. thus, the completeness of the entire creation is attained, and the gap between the highest and the lowest point of creation is breached. in that state, everything returns to the creator, to his attributes, to the source and to a state of infinite altruistic bliss. it is only at that spiritual degree that one (or better phrased the soul) is liberated from the necessity to go through the degrees of this world and keep returning here. but as long as there are corrections to perform, we must return here over and over again until we complete our correction through the study of the wisdom of kabbalah. why do people interpret and relate so differently to the text of the torah? after all, the kabbalists themselves described the spiritual world for us and gave us this book. they call

if you take one s additional egoism from him, he will immediately find himself in the place he had descended from into this world, meaning in his original degree in the spiritual world. now one is in a state where he feels the world around him as everyone around him does. what he should now do is ignore his egoism and use it to rise in spirituality. this way he ascends by 620 degrees higher than the degrees he started from. when one rises from our world and reaches the end of correction he rises to the world of ein sof and feels 620 times more complete then his current state. our animate body dies because we take away its egoistic satisfaction. the meaning of death is that the spiritual force that gives one the desire to live and absorb the force of life is taken from him. miscellaneous q

it will become virtually impossible. moses developed the ability to feel outside himself by himself. it is that ability that led him to attain the highest spiritual degree, and it is that ability that enabled him to speak face to face with the creator. the purpose of creation is to attain the sensation of the creator, and the way to do it is formulated in the verse love thy neighbour as thyself. the degrees of our evolution, meaning the ability to feel and draw near him are called degrees of spiritual growth. every person as an individual and the whole of mankind are on a gradual path that leads to the purpose that the creator had preordained. the creator pushes us in that path by inflicting pain on us, so as to force us to question the origin of the anguish. the examination of the origin

THE SECRET RITUALS OF THE OTO

understood in england, and therefore in no way conflicts with, or infringes the just privileges of, the united grand lodge of england. english master masons in good standing, by arrangement, on affiliation, are admitted at reduced charges. members of the ix become part-proprietors of the estates and goods of the order. for further information see the publications of the o.t.o, and the synopsis of the degrees of the o.t.o. the manifesto goes on to outline the constitution of the o.t.o; the rules of membership are file//c /documents%20and%20settings/michael..0secret%20rituals%20of%20the%20o.t.o/p1c1.html (2 of 4 [12/28/2001 2:01:15 pm] the secret rituals of the o.t.o. comparatively onerous. it is made clear, for example, that the high-flown statements in the third paragraph of the manifesto

tence was not revealed until the publication of the manuel des chevaliers du temple (1811) by fabre palaprat, who claimed to be grand master of the order. the order of the temple saw itself as the true church of christ, preserving through the centuries a true egyptian gnostic christian tradition. it claimed that the son of god. was brought up in the schools of alexandria. he was able to reach all the degrees of egyptian initiation. jesus conferred evangelical initiation on his apostles and disciples. how this mystic christianity had supposedly passed on to the templars was recounted in the order s legend: file//c /documents%20and%20settings/michael..0secret%20rituals%20of%20the%20o.t.o/p1c2.html (4 of 5 [12/28/2001 2:01:22 pm] the secret rituals of the o.t.o. up to the year 1118 the myster

secret rituals of the o.t.o. h. j. herald (pricking their navels with sword) begone (s.p.m. retires with them and explains. this whole ceremony is then repeated. the candidates must explain aloud why they refuse to kneel.45 (the officers, not moving, sheath their swords. herald precedes them to the altar, where they stand) z: i have received authority to communicate to you and to confer upon you the degrees of l. of p. on receiving a simple obligation to keep inviolate its secrets. are you willing to take it? cans: we are (1. can. take swords by blade hilt down. 2. can. takes v.s.l.46 3. can. takes t) z: repeat your names at length and say after me: we a, b and c upon these sacred and sublime symbols most solemnly and sincerely swear never improperly to reveal any of the secrets of the de

rite. knight of the sword. knight of jerusalem. finally i confer upon you the following degrees of the o.r. of mizraim. knight of the sublime choice. prussian knight. knight of the temple. knight of the eagle. knight of the black eagle. prince of jerusalem. the secrets of all these degrees are now open for you to study. bro. herald. i command you to proclaim that our brethren are duly exalted to the degrees of c.p.i. file//c /documents%20and%20settings/michael..0secret%20rituals%20of%20the%20o.t.o/p2c6.html (6 of 9 [12/28/2001 2:04:24 pm] the secret rituals of the o.t.o. herald: by order of the v.i.s.k.s.g.i.g, i proclaim our brethren. p.i.s. fanfare viii: let our brethren advance in due form (done) brethren, the p.i. will understand what has been done. the letters on the circle, which al

THE HOLY BIBLE KING JAMES VERSION

lord, the god of david thy father, i have heard thy prayer, i have seen thy tears: behold, i will add unto thy days fifteen years. 38:6 and i will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of assyria: and i will defend this city. 38:7 and this [shall be] a sign unto thee from the lord, that the lord will do this thing that he hath spoken; 38:8 behold, i will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which is gone down in the sun dial of ahaz, ten degrees backward. so the sun returned ten degrees, by which degrees it was gone down. 38:9 the writing of hezekiah king of judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: 38:10 i said in the cutting off of my days, i shall go to the gates of the grave: i am deprived of the residue of my years. 38:11 i said, i shall not s

ZALEWSKI GOLDEN DAWN ENOCHIAN MAGIC OCR

ars, i have 142 143 144 145 146 147 never come up with any system that in my view is satisfactory. however, i would like to quote from a letter of florence farr, dated 17th august 1901. though she was concerning herself primarily with the four elemental tablets and the tablet of union as a whole, the information she derives is interesting "the 19 letters (of the enochian alphabet) have to do with the degrees of the zodiac and the order of the linea spiritus sancti is a negotiation. those at the most important words (viz: oroibah etc) 10 lunations=9 solar months=40 weeks of parental life=10 squares of small crosses results in a tablet of40 lunar forces. the 30 squares of lesser angles does a month. 9 of great crosses=3636 forces relates slightly to the solar days" while the general golden d

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