Ritual work for October 24, 2010

Date: October 24, 2010
Time: 11:30-12:27 p.m.
Sun Phase: Zenith
Moon Phase: Waning Gibbous, 97% Full
Activities: Rite of Purification by Water (RPW), Adoration of the Lord of the Universe,  THME Meditation, Fivefold Elemental Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, Middle Pillar, Rite of Elemental Equilibration, Adoration of the Lord of the Universe, Qabalistic Cross, Blessing and Parting 

Today’s rituals proceeded much the same as yesterday’s.  However, there were some changes.  I added the Battery of Four Knocks from the Neophyte Ritual and sounded my Tibetan Singing Bowl four times at the beginning and ending of the ceremony.I performed the Ciceros’ THME meditation at the beginning of the rituals before the FELIRP, which now includes the invocation of Spirit and the formulation of the Spirit Wheel to equilibrate the elemental energies.  It is seen and felt as shining within the internal Hexagram in the column at the center of the body.

During the Middle Pillar, I attempted something new, namely, vibrating the Divine Names twice in a single breath to shift consciousness into a one-pointed concentration.  There was some success with this technique, which produced a strong sense of the energy of LVX.

At the closing of the rituals , I saw THME salute me with the Projection Sign, which I answered with the Sign of Silence.  I then saluted her with the Projection Sign and she answered me in like fashion, with the Sign of Silence.  I blessed myself with each of the symbols of the elements and closed the temple.

An interesting thing I have noticed in the last two days is that the sprig of Cedar that I found after doing an Invocation of the Earth Element on the grounds of a Quartz Crystal Mine has a strong sense of energy to it.  When I put it to my forehead, I can almost feel it humming with power.   I had found it after invoking the earth element, sitting in the grass amongst rows of evergreens, and meditating on the element.  I then asked the Gnomes to guide me to something I could use on my path.  I followed my intuition and was led to this particular sprig, for which I thanked the Elementals and which I then took home with me.  It now sits on my altar in the Northern section.

Frater S.C.F.V.

 

August 17, 2010 – Ritual Work

Date: August 17, 2010
Time: 6-7 p.m.
Sun Phase: Setting
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous, 65% Full
Activities: Qabalistic Cross, Fourfold Elemental Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram (FELIRP), Middle Pillar, Adoration of the Lord of the Universe, Rite of Elemental Equilibration, Qabalistic Cross

I have begun this blog as an online record of my magical practices and workings.  Today’s rituals were performed in full regalia and with a semi-complete Golden Dawn temple.

I wore my grade sash, and had on the altar the cross and triangle as well as symbols of the elements: a red candle in the South, a cup of water in the West, a rose in the East, and a pinecone (Greek symbol of earth and initiation used in the rites of Eleusis and carried by Initiates (mystes); this particular one was found on the grounds of a Benedictine monastery) and stone in the North.

The rituals were performed with the Hierophant’s Wand, with its potent symbolism of the Qabalistic Middle Pillar and the connection of Kether to Malkuth which plays a key role in the symbolism of the Qabalistic Cross and other rituals.  The whole set of rituals was imbued with a great sense of power and closeness to the Elements.  I felt clear and purified as well as balanced, reverent, peaceful, and energetic at the closing of the Temple.

Today, I added to the visualizations during the Invocation of the Archangels in the FELIRP some additional elements: with the Invocation of Raphael, great gusts of wind and tornadoes were visualized as blowing in through my body and through the temple from the East.  With the invocation of Michael, great blasts of flame, as if blown from the throat of a dragon, were felt as blazing in through my body and through the Temple from the South.  With the invocation of Gabriel, a waterfall was seen as flooding a great rush of water through the temple and around myself and the Altar.  Finally, with the invocation of Auriel, great boulders were seen as rolling out of the North and bouncing through the temple, along with  a cascade of beautiful leaves, as flowers bloomed all along the floor behind the boulders and leaves.  I vividly felt the infusion of elemental energies through my being and equilibrated these with the Rite of Elemental Equilibration and Qabalistic Cross.

I also added to the visualizations of the spheres of the Middle Pillar the Queen Scale colours from the Minutum Mundum diagram, to great effect.

Overall, these were, I felt, successful rituals.  The difference from months ago to today, from before my formal grade initiation to the present, was very pronounced.  All thanks for that are due to the One Who “formulateth in Silence and Whom Naught but Silence can Express.”

One last worthy thing of note was that I performed an informal Invocation of my Holy Guardian Angel and stood in receptive silence to see if a message would come therefrom.  There was nothing but silence for a long period of time.  Then, a male voice said simply “Adam.”  Whether it was simply my imagination, another astral figure, or the actual HGA, I cannot say.  I will suspend judgment for the moment.

In LVX,
Frater S. C. F. V.

Frater Sapientia Compassione Fortitudineque Vivo