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Introduction to
Ceremonial Magick
Copyright (c) 1988 by Phil Hansford. This article is is licenced for free non-com m ercial distribution only.
Converted to Adobe Form at by www.sacred-m agick.com
Lesson 1 -- W hy M agick
Lesson 2 -- The Subjectivity of Experience
Lesson 3 -- The Four W orlds
Lesson 4 -- Elem ents and Forces
Lesson 5 -- Chakras and M editation
Lesson 6 -- Thoughtform s and Spirits
Lesson 7 -- Basic Ritual
Lesson 8 -- Healing and Banishing
Lesson 9 -- Astral Projection
Lesson 10 -- Cabala
Lesson 11 -- Psychic Energy
This set of files form s a com plete introduction to cerem onial m agick. This is the latest version of m aterial which
originally appeared as a printed correspondence course from the 'College of Egyptian Mysteries'. I began writing
this m aterial in 1974 and have been releasing revisions of it ever since. It was first placed on m y bulletin board in
electronic form in July 1986, where it has rem ained until recently when I discovered that a com m ercial board had
it online despite specific restrictions against this. Also, the com m ercial board had placed their own copyright on
the m aterial and was attem pting to claim ownership. As a result I have 'pulled' the old files from all authorized
boards and am revising and re-issuing them in the present form . This new release also contains a rather em phatic
copyright notice for this reason. I have never attem pted to m ake m oney off of this course m aterial, nor from
anything I have ever done in the occult. My intention with this m aterial has always been to distribute it freely.
The course starts at the beginner's level and progresses gradually toward m ore advanced concepts which include
m editation, chakras, the Cabala and basic ritual. Even if you have little interest in the subject here, you m ay find
the first 'lesson' which discusses parapsychology to be worthwhile. I should point out that the m aterial is often
revised, and that I will probably be adding additional articles in this series from tim e to tim e.
Phil H ansford, April 1988.
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Lesson 1 -- W hy M agick
The ability to think seem s to set us apart from other creatures. And although we are
concerned with living in the physical world, we are m ental beings. The fact is we are
thinking all the tim e. W e plan, we brood, we get depressed or elated -- all of it is thought.
But the universe is m ental too, and if we could control our thinking we would see
m agnificent results in the everyday world.
M any system s have been developed over the ages to help us control our thoughts. A great
am ount of dogm a too has been kicked around in an attem pt to m ake us into better people.
M agick (the occult kind, spelled with a 'k') is one of the oldest and m ost general of these
system s. M agick is the study and application of psychic forces. It uses m ental training,
concentration, and a system of sym bols to program the m ind. The purpose of m agick is to alter the self and the
environm ent according to the will.
M ost of the m agick we see today com es to us from ancient Egypt and Chaldea. The Chinese, Hindus, and Tibetans
developed their own unique types of m agick. W estern m agick was locked up by the Egyptian priests for thousands
of years and then supressed by the rise of Christianity. It was not until m edieval Europe that m agical knowledge
was rediscovered by the alchem ists and Cabalists. O nly during the past hundred years or so has western culture
been open m inded enough to perm it widespread investigation of the subject. O nly since the start of the twentieth
century has science shown m uch interest in it al all.
Parapsychology and Psychic Phenom ena
Through parapsychology, we are gaining insights into the hidden nature of m an. Parapsychology is a branch of
psychology which studies psychic phenom ena. It rem ains som ething of a frontier, even today. Perhaps one reason
for this is that psychic phenom ena are som ewhat inconsistent. Nevertheless, there is strong evidence from
num erous cases and experim ents in support of psychic phenom ena. Som ehow, under the right conditions, the m ind
can directly affect the environm ent.
W e m ay theorize that the hum an m ind and body broadcasts a kind of psychic energy or force, m uch like a radio
station. Kirlian photography, tem perature effects, cloud cham ber tests, and other experim ents tend to support
this theory. Although the exact nature of this psychic force is subtle and unknown, it is undoubtedly the energy
behind all psychic phenom ena and m agick. H owever, it is not a radio wave, since it behaves som ewhat differently.
The psychic force is too weak to be m easured directly (at least so far as we know). Everyone has som e psychic
ability. There are num erous types of psychic phenom ena. Parapsychology separates them into two groups: ESP and
PK...
Exam ples of ESP
ESP, the abreviation for extra sensory perception, m eans the reception of inform ation through paranorm al m eans
(ie. not regular physical senses of sight, sound, touch, sm ell, or taste). In theory, this is accom plished by receiving
psychic force from outside the body. Here are som e exam ples of ESP:
1. Clairvoyance, or Rem ote Viewing -- the ability to sense or 'see' (non-physically) distant objects, places,
and people. Individuals who see ghosts and spirits are probably clairvoyant.
2. Clairaudience, or rem ote hearing -- the 'hearing' of paranorm al inform ation.
3. Astral Projection (O O BE) or Traveling Clairvoyance -- Full experience at a rem ote location while the
physical body sleeps.
4. Psychom etry -- the reading of inform ation by the touch of physical objects.
5. Telepathic receiver -- the ability to directly receive thought (com m unication) at a distance, with no
physical connection to the sender. There are m any everyday exam ples of this, in which we think
som ething just as another person is about to say it. This is an easy one to test for through experim ent.
Very dram atic cases of telepathy have been recorded; there is often an em otional elem ent in such cases.
6. A 'channel' or m edium , as in a seance, who is in direct com m unication with a 'spirit' or entity.
7. Experience with a O uija board, pendulum , or autom atic writing.
8. Precognition -- to forsee the future. Again, highly em otional events are the ones m ost likely to be 'tuned
in'.
9. Retrocognition -- knowledge of the past, by paranorm al m eans.
The purpose
of magick is to
alter the self
and the
environment
according to
the will.
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Exam ples of PK
PK, the abreviation for psychokinesis, is the active or sending side of psychic phenom ena. The theory here is that
psychic force is sent out from the individual. Exam ples of PK include:
1. Telepathic sender -- the transm itter in the telepathy just discussed.
2. Psychokinesis (or telekinesis) proper -- the ability to m ove objects by m eans of psychic force.
3. Som ewhat along the sam e lines are poltergeist (noisy ghost) phenom ena in which objects m ove of their
own accord or noises are heard. There is always a hum an agent involved -- frequently a teenage girl --
who appears to be the source of psychic energy.
4. Psychic healing -- the ability to heal various illnesses and infirm ities. There are m any docum ented cases
of this. U sually it involves a healer and a subject, although there are recent cases invloving cancer
patients learning to heal them selves.
5. Teleportation, apportation, and levitation.
Som e occultists feel a m agician producing PK effects is sim ply a channel for universal energy. O thers think the
force originates som e way directly within the m agician.
The Subconscious
Postulated by Freud and others, the concept of the subconscious m ind is an im portant one. Basicly, this is the idea
that part of the m ind norm ally operates below or outside of ordinary consciousness and awareness. Dream s and
hypnosis are exam ples of this. Also subconscious are the m any autom atic functions of the physical body such as
respiration and digestion.
W hy Do M agick?
M agick encom passes m any things -- science and art, philosophy and m etaphysics, psychology and com parative
religion. M agick is an adventure at the borderlands of the unknown. It can fit the pieces of the puzzel of life into a
m eaningful whole.
M agick is fun and interesting. Use m agick to help raise consciousness without drugs. G ain new experiences.
Fantacy can com e alive through m agick. Psychic phenom ena can be controlled and be fun and helpful.
M agick is beneficial. It can help you to have excellent health, and bring you good luck. W ith m agick life runs
sm oothly; life is good. Also use m agick for personality im provem ent, to control bad habits and to develop new
m otivations.
M agick is pow erful. Never underestim ate the trem endous power of m agick. Use m agick to alter events and to
achieve your goals. Exert an influence over people and phenom ena. But power for its own sake is self defeating.
The power which m agick can give you should not be your prim ary reason for studying it.
M agick and W itchcraft
A num ber of other occult disciplines are prevalent today besides m agick. There are m any cults and sects which
profess their own views, but there are really few differences between them . O ne popular area in the occult today
is witchcraft. This is far rem oved from the cliche of devil worship. Real witchcraft is a nature religion (pagan).
W itchcraft has m uch in com m on with m agick.
Alchem y also has m uch in com m on with m agick. It's heritage com es from the m iddle ages. Alchem y fathered
chem istry and the physical sciences. But the avowed purpose of alchem y, turning lead into gold, is too lim iting to
be called m agick. Som etim es the goal of alchem y is interpreted in another way, as the transform ation of m an into
a spiritual being.
Then there are the num erous m odern day seers or 'pychics', as they like to be called, who operate within their own
som ewhat unique system s. Although m any of these people are deluded frauds, som e are very powerful occultists
indeed.
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O f course, everything I have said here is a generalization. M agick, witchcraft, alchem y, or any occult field are
com plex subjects. Suffice it to say that m agick includes them all (it is eclectic). For m agick is undoubtedly a
philosophy which has, as the late Aleister Crowley wrote, "The m ethod of science -- the aim of religion."
R eview Q u estions
1) Define m agick.
2) Define ESP and PK. G ive exam ples.
3) W hat is the subconsicous?
Book List
H al N . Banks, An Introduction to Psychic Studies.
Annie Besant, Thought Pow er.
M ichael H . Brown, PK, A Report on the Pow er of Psychokinesis.
Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts.
Alexandira D avid-N eel, M agic and M ystery in Tibet.
Raynor C. Johnson, The Im prisoned Splendour.
Janet Lee M itchell, "Is Anything O ut There?", Fate m agazine, M ay 1988.
O strander and Shroeder, Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain.
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Lesson 2 -- The Subjectivity of Experience
The universe is a projection of ourselves; an im age as unreal as that of our faces in a m irror....W e cannot affirm
any quality in an object as being independent of our sensorium , or as being in itself that w hich it seem s to us. Nor
can w e assum e that w hat w e cognize is m ore than a partial phantom of its cause.' --Aleister Crowley, M agick, p.
110
Your awareness of the physical world and of your place within it is m ostly based upon the physical senses (hearing,
sight, sm ell, touch, taste). These five senses continually send inform ation to the m ind, and it is up to the m ind to
select and interpret them . If you could not do so, your senses would overwhelm you and be m eaningless. Selection
and interpretation of your sensory inputs is essentially an autom atic, m ostly subconscious function of the m ind.
The program or m ap which the subconscious follows as its reference point is called a 'm odel'. The m odel is a
subconscious m ental photograph of how you believe the world looks (ie. worldview, m indset, egregore, or belief
system ). It was built up from an early age by your religious and cultural background through interaction with
fam ily and others. It contains your experiences, attitudes, and habits. And whether you realize it or not, m ost of
your behavior, thoughts, feelings, and habits are based upon and conditioned by that m odel; even personality. The
m odel is one of the m ind's m aster program s. Change in behavior generally requires a change in the m odel. These
lim itations built into our way of thinking cause our perceptions to be subjective. That is why Hindu philosophy
looks upon the world as illusory (m aya); the world itself (object) is not an illusion, however from our viewpoint
through perception (subject) it is.
Thus we are all conditioned by experience. Except that our perceptions, hence our experiences, are first
conditioned and lim ited by the m odel. Our perceptions and experiences tend to conform to what we expect. W e
tend to m isinterpret or ignore things which do not m atch our preconcieved notions about them . This is autom atic.
The True W ill
The forgoing dem onstrates how it is that there are so m any different versions of 'truth'. O ne's particular view is
alm ost arbitrary. Although num erous religions, philosophies, and occult system s abound, they do not contradict
one and other as m uch as it m ight appear. Rather, they describe the sam e (universal) reality taken from different
perspectives. For there can be no ultim ate truth in the physical world. W e can only base our actions upon
assum ptions and agreem ents. All experience is subjective. I like to think of the universe as som ething
indescribable, perhaps a 4-dim entional 'thing'. As soon as we attem pt to put it into our 3-dim entional knowledge-
base, som ething changes and we only see an aspect of the big picture. Just as a photograph can only show us a flat
representation of a greater thing, so it is with any attem pt to describe spiritual reality in physical term s.
Yet, there is a separate reality within each of us which is often ignored unless we seek it. This inner self is in
m agick called the 'true will'. The true will is the center of consciousness and identity. It is the 'real you'. Everything
else is an interface or link to it from the outer (illusory) world. Since that interface is based upon our m odel, it is
conditoned and m ay som etim es produce false inform ation. 'Do what thou wilt' (Crowley) is an axiom of m agick; for
the true will expresses our exact desires. And what we truly want ('down deep') we tend to autom atically get. This
isn't always in our best interests, since the true will can be conditioned (tricked) by the illusion; and then we
m ight desire and obtain that which is not ultim ately good for us. (Karm a strikes again!) The task of the m agician
therefore is to awaken his awareneess of the true will, to be free of conditioning, and thereby to transcend m aya.
('M y will unconditioned is m agical' -- Spare).
H appiness is Being H appy
There is no great secret to changing behavior or habits. It is largely a m atter of determ ination. It requires that you
ignore the 'pull' of the m odel when you strive for changes within yourself. The m odel is, after all, a collection of
'habits', som e of which m ust be unlearned for perm ananent change to occur. There are two ways to do this: direct,
through will power and awareness alone -- observing and acting out in an unattached or indifferent m anner; and
indirect -- through conditioning such as affirm ation (explained later), self-hypnosis, and m agick. M editation m ay
help too, by relaxing tension and conflict.
Em otions follow physical expression: sm ile and act happy and you will tend to feel and be happy. The sam e is also
true for other em otions. Also, em otions can be purposely used (or program ed) to replace other em otions. U sing
this technique, a m agician is som ewhat like an actor in that he learns how to turn his em otions on and off at will.
Note that this is not 'fakeing it'; the m agician is probably m ore in touch with his true feelings than m ost people.
And for these reasons we say that happiness is being happy.
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System s of M agick
M agick always involves self-hypnosis. H owever, it m ay be m ore than that. For one thing,
there are objective forces involved (or so it would seem ). Deities, spirits, and cosm ic force
can have an independent existence. And the repetitive physical m ovem ent som etim es
involved in ritual can itself generate PK force. O n the other hand, it could be argued that
all of this is subjective to the m agician. O r that the deities and spirits are nothing m ore
than architypes or cosm ic patterns which the m agician energizes with his own vitality.
Perhaps all m agical effects could be produced through hypnosis alone. But the effects are
certainly real.
G reat com plexity is not necessary in m agick. Although basicly m agick is a m edieval system
of sym bolism (in a m odern context), any cosm ological system will work from Cabala to Star
W ars. W e usually use the m edieval one in m agick because it is convenient and traditional,
and because it seem s to fit our thought processes well. Traditional sym bols have greater
em otional effect on the m agician than m odern ones because of his fam iliarity with them .
W hat really m atters is that the m odel of the m agician be understood and program m ed, and
thus that the m odel and the cosm ological system do correspond.
R eview Q u estions
1) Contrast subjective with objective.
2) W hat is a 'm odel'?
3) Explain the task of the m agician.
Book List
Eric Berne, G am es People Play.
Fritjof C apra, The Tao of Physics.
Carlos Castaneda, The Fire From W ithin.
Arthur Koestler, The Roots of Coincidence.
John C. Lilly, The Center of the Cyclone.
------, Program m ing and M etaprogram m ing in the Hum an Biocom puter.
------, Sim ulations of G od -- The Science of Belief.
Alan W atts, The Book (on the taboo against know ing w ho you are).
The task of the
magician
therefore is to
awaken his
awareneess of
the true will, to
be. free of
conditioning,
and thereby to
transcend
maya.
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Lesson 3 -- The Four W orlds
The ancients described m an as m ind, body, and soul. Psychologists of the twentieth century added the
subconscious to that deffinition. This produces a four-fold classification. The universe is also divided into four
corresponding parts ('worlds'), as shown below:
W ORLD
spiritual world
m ental world
astral world
physical world
BODY
spiritual body (soul or kia)
m ental body (conscious m ind)
astral body (subconscious)
physical body
Q U ALIT Y
intuition
rational thought
em otions
physical senses
The astral body (subconscious) is the interm ediary for intuition, m agical and psychic
phenom ena, and is the 'psychic link' to the physical world. J.H. Brennan says that the astral
is the realm of visual im agination. It seem s to be both a 'place' and a 'state of m ind' at the
sam e tim e. M ost occult and m agical phenom ena originate in the invisible, non-sensate, non-
physical realm (ie. without physical senses). Each of the four worlds interacts with the
other worlds. Psychic energy flows from the spiritual to m ental to astral to physical. The
physical world is a projection (m anifestation, reflection, or shadow) of the higher worlds.
O ur center of consciousness is generally within these higher worlds. "W e are", to quote the
rock m usic group the Police, "spirits in the m aterial world".
There are m any sim ilar term s used by other occult groups. For exam ple, 'astral light' is another nam e for astral
world, although it m ay som etim es also refer to the entire non-physical realm , as m ay 'inner planes' or 'the invisible
world'. Planes are essentially the sam e as worlds. Vehicles or sheaths are the sam e as bodies. Som e groups include
an etheric or vital body between physical and astral: it is m ostly 'physical' with a little of the lower 'astral' besides.
And som etim es astral and m ental are each divided into two parts (upper and lower). The 'causal body' is the upper
'm ental'.
M icrocosm and M acrocosm
W e have been describing 'traditonal' occult philosophy here, and certainly an im portant part of the tradition is the
idea (and term s) m icrocosm and m acrocosm . The greater universe, known as the *m acrocosm *, includes everything
that exists. It corresponds with the *m icrocosm *, or tiny universe, ie. m an -- who is thought of as a m iniature
replica of the m acrocosm (whole universe). This basic m agical relationship is dem onstrated in the Bible (G enesis
1.27), where G od is the m acrocosm ; and in the writing of Trism egistus ("As above so below"). Since m an is in the
im age of G od (universe) it follows that G od is in the im age of m an (in other words, m an and the G od/universe
m atch each other). The m agician, as a m icrocosm is thus connected with the m acrocosm . There is an intim ate
relationship of energies between you and everything else. The universe is reflected within us and we are projected
into the universe. This is an im portant theory behind m agick and astrology.
M agick: W hite and Black
'Personal m agick' is that m agick used to affect the self; often involving affirm ation, self-suggestion, and self-
hypnosis. 'Active m agick' is outer directed m agick (as in PK) used to affect som eone or thing, or to bring about an
event. 'Passive m agick' is to be affected (as in ESP) by an outside non-physical cause. Everyone possesses som e
m agical (and psychic) potential. Som e are especially gifted. U sually people are better at one kind of m agick (ie.
active or passive) than they are at the other kind; only rarely does an individual excel at both. Traning and
practice will, of course, im prove ability som ewhat.
Although the forces of m agick are neutral, various system s m ay take on the qualities of good and evil. There is so-
called white m agick or good m agick, black m agick or evil m agick, and gray m agick between them . W hen m any
people refer to white m agick they m ean m agick for unselfish purposes, also healing and m ental influence with
specific perm ission. By black m agick they refer to m agick for self-interest and healing *without* specific
perm ission. Using m agick to forcefully control another's will is, in a sense, black m agick too. There are also som e
people on the occult fringe who claim to be, possibly even think they are, 'Satanists', devil worshipers, or black
m agicians. These people are m ost likely charlatans, hoaxters, dablers, or m erely m isinform ed. They m ay be
attracted by the 'art' of black m agick, or even by the 'glam or' of doing som ething against the 'rules'. But a real
The universe
is reflected
within us and
we are
projected into
the universe.
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black m agician is very dangerous. Because he has dedicated his life to evil. W e usually think of 'white m agick' as
having *unselfish intent*, and (in the extrem e case) of 'black m agick' as being actual Satan worship, hum an or
anim al sacrifice, dangerous unconventional m agical practices, and other bizarre stuff as m akes a nightm are. It is
all a m atter of degree. M ost m ild self-interest m agick (one of the m ost com m on kinds) would be called 'gray'.
Better term s m ay be *constructive m agick* as being beneficial; and *aversive m agick* as m agick intended to work
against the natural order, and to tear down. There is also the *high m agick* of spiritual alchem y (ie. spiritual
growth), also known as 'the G reat W ork'; and conversely there is 'low m agick' which is concerned with m ateriality.
Any m agick act is likely to produce side effects regardless of whether or not the desired result is achieved. Such
side effects are no problem for constructive m agick, since they are benificial as well. However, aversive m agick
can produce aversive side effects which m ay even harm the m agician -- aversive m agick is dangerous!
M agick is a Continuous Process
W hat we have been calling 'm agick' is actually a continuous process. Since your subconscious never rests, your
environm ent is continually being shifted into line with your m odel. This is true whether you study m agick or not.
For m ost people, these effects are usually very subtle, and they are probably not aware of them . H owever, as you
work with the occult, the flow of psychic energy and your awareness of it increases. Your true will is m ore likely to
be strongly expressed. Your luck m ay be affected (either in a positive or a negative way). Rem em ber, our lives
tend to follow what we want down deep. That is why a positive outlook is so very beneficial to us.
The M agical Diary
Som etim es it is helpful to keep a diary of your m agical experim ents and research. Such a diary should include the
date, perhaps even som e astrological data (or anything else you think m ay have a relationship to what you are
doing). This is also a good tim e to begin recording your dream s -- at least the im portant ones -- in a dream diary.
Your dream s can tell you a great deal about yourself, and m ay som etim es reveal prem onitions. Dream s are
personal. Don't fall for the com m ercial 'dream book' gim m ick.
Affirm ations
The m ind is always open to suggestion -- especially the subconscious. M ost of the tim e we censor any suggestions
according to the m odel; but one way to break through the censor is with repetition. An affirm ation does this
exactly. By suggestion, we m ean any statem ent which is capable of affecting your m odel. U sually suggestion is in
the form of a positive statem ent (such as the hypnotist's patter -- " You are becom m ing sleepy"). An affirm ation is
the sam e kind of thing -- a positive suggestion, which you repeat (affirm ) to yourself aloud or silently (for
exam ple, "I rem em ber m y dream s"). If there is som e quality you wish to change or develope within yourself, an
affirm ation is ideal. Repeat it several tim es every day at several different tim es throughout the day, expecially
when you go to bed. Affirm ations are subtle and m ay require a few m onths to work. Use them for changes, not
m iracles.
Sim ple Banishing Technique
Visualization is another im portant m ethod we use to influence the subconscious. A good exam ple of this is the
sim ple banishing technique which follows. Banishing is used in m agick to 'clear the air' of negative 'vibes' and
interference...
Visualize a strong white light flowing out the top of your head, flowing down around you and covering you. At the
sam e tim e im agine you are throwing away any 'problem ' vibes. M aintain the visualization for a half a m inute or
longer. G ood way to help you handle your em otions, and to control worry or anger.
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is a m icrocosm ?
2) List the four worlds. Explain.
3) W hat is an affirm ation? G ive an exam ple.
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Book List
G eoffry H odson, Theosophy Answ ers Som e Problem s of Life.
M arc Edm und Jones, Key Truths of O ccult Philosophy.
M arion W einstein, Positive M agic.
Nelson & Ann W hite, The W izard's Apprentice.
Beatrice Bruteau, The Psychic G rid.
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Lesson 4 -- Elem ents and Forces
The Ancients divided the world into four basic principles or elem ents -- earth, water, fire,
and air. That viewpoint has m ostly changed with advances of science, but the four elem ents
are still accepted in m agick, for they are m ore closely linked with em otions, the hum an
psyche, and with nature than are m odern explanations of the world. These m agical
elem ents are also of som e im portance in astrology. M any occultists think of the m agical
elem ents as forces, or as qualities of energy; especially within the astral world. Each
elem ent has a sym bol and color. (Com m on sym bols are -- fire: a triangle pointing up; air: a triangle pointing up
and with a horizontal line through the m iddle of it; water: a triangle pointing down; earth: a triangle pointing
down and with a horizontal line through the m iddle of it.) Colors of the elem ents are -- earth: brown and green;
water: blue; fire: red; air: yellow...The Eastern tattvic system uses different sym bols and colors. (The tattvic
sym bols are briefly described later on in this course.) The elem ents are often used in m agick ritual.
M agick sees relationships between things. These relationships are called 'correspondences'. Although m agical
correspondences are not literally equal to one another, you can think of them that way (such as gold equals sun).
Tables of these relationships, called 'Correspondence Tables', are available (an im portant one is Crowley's '777').
Thus one thing or sym bol can be used to suggest another. This is im portant in m agick, for the m agician m ay
surround him self with as m any appropriate correspondences as he can to vividly affect the senses; thus m aking his
m agical contact with the inner planes m ore lucid.
The m agical elem ents have correspondences with the tarot cards as the four suits. The four quarters (directions of
the universe as used in m agick ritual) and the Archangels also correspond with these sam e elem ents --
Elem ent Suit
Q uarter Archangel
======= ====
======= =========
earth
pentacles north
U riel
water
cups
west
G abriel
fire
wands
south
M ichael
air
swords east
Raphael
Astrological signs also correspond with the elem ents. Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn are earth signs. Cancer,
Scorpio, and Pisces are water signs. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs. G em ini, Libra, and Aquarius are air
signs.
Elem entals
The m agical elem ents are said to be peopled by spirits and m ythological entities called elem entals or nature
spirits. These are grouped into four m ain categories --
Gnome (earth) Undine (water) Salamander (fire) Sylph (air)
============= ============== ================= ===========
dwarfs
nymphs
jin (genies)
fairies
elves
tritons
storm angels
brownies
mermaids
hobgoblins mermen
lepricauns sirens
harpies
Elem entals are usually only visible to those with clairvoyant sight and are m ore likely to be seen at night in the
m ountains or country away from cities -- especially if you are tired or sleepy. Although elem entals exist naturally,
it is also possible to create one which will exist for a lim ited tim e -- no elem ental has im m ortality. A created
elem ental is called an 'artificial elem ental'.
To the Ancients, elem entals were the physical explanation of the universe. H owever, som e contem porary
occultists see them only as sym bols for forces and otherwise not 'real' at all. Another word som etim es used for
elem ental is 'fam iliar' (usually in m edieval witchcraft); the term is am biguous, as it m ight m erely be an ordinary
household pet such as a dog or cat.
Magick sees
relationships
between
things.
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Yin Yang
Chinese philosophy and acupuncture talk of yin yang. This is the idea of polarity, or opposite pairs, as shown:
YIN
YANG
===
====
water
fire
contraction
expansion
cold
hot
feminine
masculine
moon
sun
negative
positive
passive
active
ebb
flow
wane
wax
The list could go on. In Chinese literature it is quite long. Som e occultists suggest everything can be sim ilarly
arranged into related opposite pairs.
Sim ple M agick
Here is a sim ple m agical technique you m ay wish to try. It is a variation of affirm ation, which was discussed in an
earlier lesson...To help you to achieve your goal (m agical or otherwise), find a word or short phase which sum s up
what it is that you want to accom plish. W rite the word (or phrase) down 10 tim es each day until you achieve
success.
R eview Q u estions
1) List the four elem ents.
2) W hat is an elem ental?
3) W hat are correspondences?
Book List
W illiam Britten, Art M agic (long out of print, but in som e libraries).
Pete Carrol, Liber N ull.
W ing-Tsit Chan, A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy.
M anly H all, U nseen Forces.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Lesson 5 -- Chakras and M editation
According to East Indian philosophy, m an possesses seven m ajor chakras or psychic centers on his body. Each of
these form s a bridge, link, or energy transform er; changing pure (higher) energy into various form s, and
connecting the four bodies (ie. spiritual, m ental, astral, and physical) together. The chakras are located along the
nadies (a network of psychic nerves or channels) and follow the autonom ic nervous system along the spinal cord.
Chakras correlate with m ajor acupuncture points along the 'governing vessel m eridian' (acupuncture term ). The
seven m ajor chakras are connected together by three m ajor nadies which are parallel and near each other. The
m iddle nadi is called sushum na and it has neutral characteristics. The nadi on the left (ie. nearest your left hand)
is the ida nadi which has yin characteristics. O n the other side of sushum na (nearest your right hand) is the pingala
nadi, having yang qualities.
Chakras are visible to clairvoyant sight as varously colored rotating circles or funnels. In the East they are
described as petaled flowers or lotuses. Sources disagree on the colors.
The first chakra, located at the base of the spine at the perineum is the root
chakra, m uladhara. It prim arily relates to the elem ent of earth and to psychic
sm ell.
The second chakra, known as the sacral center or splenic, svadhisthana, is
located above and behind the genitals. Its dom inant elem ent is water, and it is
related to psychic taste.
Third of the chakras is the solar plexus, m anipura, located at the navel and
corresponding with the em otions and with the elem ent of fire; also with
psychic sight (clairvoyance).
The heart chakra, anahata, is the fourth chakra, located over the heart and
corresponding with the elem ent of air, and also with psychic touch.
The fifth chakra is the throat chakra, vishuddha, located at the base of the
throat (thyroid) and corresponding with psychic hearing (clairaudience).
The rem aining two chakras are very im portant. They relate m ostly to elevated states of consciousness. The frontal
chakra, (or 'third eye') ajna, the sixth chakra, is located between, and slightly above, the eyebrows. Ajna is the
center of psychic powers and can produce m any psychic effects. M editation on ajna is said to cure nervousness.
Finally, the crow n chakra, sahasrara, located atop the head, (pineal gland) is the seventh chakra. It is referred to
as the thousand-petaled lotus and corresponds with astral projection and enlightenm ent.
There are also m any m inor chakras throughout the body. Each chakra has a sound (letter) and a pitch which is
som etim es used to invoke it.
The Tattvas
Som e occultists prefer to describe the m agical elem ents as tattvas according to the Eastern system . Notice that
these sym bols and colors are generally different than the western sym bols and colors for the elem ents.
element
tattva
tattvic symbol
=======
======
==============
earth
prithivi
yellow square
water
apas
silver crescent
fire
tejas
red triangle
air
vayu
blue circle
(spirit)
akasa
black oval
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Yoga
Yoga originated in India. It is a physical or m ental discipline designed to condition and invigorate the m ind and
body. There are m any kinds of yoga, but they m ay be generally divided into three m ain types...
Hatha yoga -- affect the m ind through the body using physical exercises; im prove physical health and endurance.
Raja yoga -- affect the m ind through m ental training; im prove concentration.
M antra yoga -- affect the m ind through chanting and affirm ation; achieve relaxation. M EDITATIO N
This is a m uch touted area of the occult. There are m any m editation techniques, and m any claim s m ade for the
benefits of m editation. Basicly, m editation has two functions -- relaxation, and perhaps, im proved concentration.
There are two m ain types...
1. concentration m editation (focusing),
2. insight m editation (m indfullness).
M ost kinds of m editation are the concentrative type. O ne sim ply focuses his attention upon a single physical object
(such as a candle flam e); upon a sensation (such as that felt while walking or breathing); upon an em otion (such as
reverence or love); upon a m antra spoken aloud or even silently; or upon a visualization (as in chakra m editation,
see below)...Concentration m editation is, sim ply put, a form of self-hypnosis.
A m antra (or m antrum ) is one or m ore words or syllables which are repeated -- often chanted -- aloud...A sim ple
yet powerful m antra is to vibrate the m ystical word 'O M '. This m antra has long been associated in India with the
godhead/unity. U se it to aid in tuning into universal vibrations which prom ote feelings of harm ony, peace, and
well-being. Use it before m agick ritual to 'get into the m ood' and afterward to 'dism iss the forces'. You vibrate a
m antra by saying it slowly aloud in a lower-pitched voice than your norm al speech, and a m ore or less constant
pitch as well. Let the sound fade at the end of the m antra. A powerful one such as 'O M ' will seem to vibrate the air
around you. It should be vocalized for 5-10 seconds and repeated a num ber of tim es with a few seconds rest
between each vocalization. Chanting of m antras m ay cause slight dizziness from hyperventilation.
The other m ain type of m editaiton -- insight m editation -- is the analysis of thoughts and feelings in such a way as
to cause realization of the subjectivity and illusion of experience. This is done in a effort to attain trancendental
awareness. Such statem ents as, 'This body is not m e', fall under this category. Buddhist m editations are usually of
this type.
Chakra M editation
There is a special type of concentrative m editation which we will call 'Chakra m editation'. This is basicly Kundalini
yoga -- the practice of causing psychic energy (kundalini) to flow up sushum na, energizing the various chakras
along the way. The practice, considered dangerous by som e, will produce deffinite physiological sensations and
psychological effects if continued long enough. It should not be attem pted by epileptics or persons with an
unstable m ental or physical condition, or with heart disease. Certain drugs and m edications, such as those used to
treat epilepsy m ay retard progress. Although the technique is very sim ple, it m ay eventually produce powerful
results. Results m ay at first appear hours after the practice during sleep. As each chakra is energized by this
practice, it is said to add occult powers (sidhis), until at last the crown chakra is reached, and with it, full
enlightenm ent is attained. Som etim es kundalini awakens all by itself.
To practice this chakra m editation, you sim ply concentrate on the chakras, beginning with the root chakra, and
m oving progressively up, as you visualize psychic energy from the root chakra traveling up shushum na and vivifying
each higher chakra. As we m entioned the chakras have certain properties associated with them , so that this type
of visualization m ay 'raise consciousness', prom ote astral projection, and other things -- once you have reached
ajna and eventually the crown chakra. You m ight typically m editate in this fashion for 15 m inutes to a half hour a
day. It m ight help to practice som e hatha yoga or other physical exercise in an effort to m ake the spinal cord
'm ore flexible'. Diet m ay also affect the process. The technique is also sim ilar to the Tibetan 'Tum m o' m editation.
The rise of kundalini is som etim es experienced as a 'vibration' or buzzing, as light, or as heat.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Health and Diet
Certainly the way you treat your physical body will affect your m ind. In m agick you want an alert m ind. Therefore,
your body m ust be as healthy as you can keep it. Take care of your body. Exercise regularly. eat a good diet (with
vitam in supplem ents), and do not consum e anything which will have a negative effect upon the m ind. Drugs,
sm oking,, and alcohol should be restricted, or elim inated. (The m ind can create any condition which a drug can
create.) A good rule here is m oderation in what and how m uch you consum e. (M ost of this stuff is pretty obvious
isn't it.) You m ay also want to cut down on sugar and processed foods. M any occultists advise dietary changes,
expecially the non-eating of m eat. W e cannot deny the physical, psychological, and spiritual effect which all foods
have. This effect m ay be described as the 'heaviness' factor of foods. Various foods are so ranked in the chart,
lighter to heavier...
1. lettuce and other greens.
2. fruits and m ost vegetables.
3. wheat, rice, and other grains.
4. nuts, beans, and other legum es.
5. cheese, dairy products, including eggs.
6. fish, seafood.
7. chicken, poultry.
8. beef, pork, other red m eats.
Note that m eats, especially red m eats are the 'heaviest' foods. G enerally, foods which are harder to digest, or
which are higher in protein are 'heavier' than those which are not. Anim al products are heavier than plants. Foods
high in carbohydrate (candy, bread, starch) are heavy. H owever, the 'heaviness' of foods is not directly related to
the am ount of caleries.
W hat this m eans is that for various reasons, the heaviness of food in your diet will affect your m agical
experiences. You m ay be able to increase your psychic receptivity ('energy level') by eating lighter foods, or by
eating less. Conversely, em phasizing heavy foods in your diet, or eating larger helpings, m ay help to 'bring you
down to earth' should you 'rent the veil' too m uch. These are generalizations, of course, and it m ay take a num ber
of days of dietary change before you notice m uch effect. I do not advocate radical dietary changes, excessive
fasting, or m alnutrition. Your good health is far m ore im portant in m agick than any tem porary effect you get from
prolonged starvation. A change in diet will som etim es only produce a tem porary effect, until the physical body
adapts to the change. H ealthy natural foods and lifestyle m ake it easier for us to be healthy, but ultim ately, good
health is a m entual quality (attitude).
The Four-Fold Breath
W ith physical exercise too, m oderation is advised. (You should be cautious, or not attem pt it if you have a
respiratory or heart condition. Check with your physician if in doubt, and don't overdo.) O ne of the m ost useful
physical exercises is pranayam a, or controlled breathing (actually a type of hatha yoga exercise). For this and any
other calesthentics or hatha yoga which you m ight choose to do a 'kitchen tim er' is suggested (m any of these aren't
accurate for under three m inutes, but are helpful for longer periods).
The m ain purpose of pranayam a is to relax the body and m ind. There are m any kinds of pranayam a, but a sim ple
one called the 'four-fold breath' will suffice. This consists of four short quick inhallations, then four short quick
exhallations; then repeat, continuing until the allotted tim e is used up. It will take about 1 1/2 seconds for the
four inhallations, and about 1 1/2 seconds for the four exhallations; or about 3 seconds for the com plete in-out
cycle ('rep' for repetition). There should be no strain of any kind during your pranayam a. You will probably notice a
slight dizziness, particularly at first, since the effect of pranayam a is to hyperventilate. Try sitting back in a chair
with your eyes closed when you do your pranayam a. Begin a m inute a day for the first week and gradually increase
up to about five m inutes a day. If you do the pranayam a befor your m agical activity, it will help you to get 'into
the m ood'. It is also an excellent aid to relaxation and tension release. Pranayam a should not be done during heavy
air pollution. O ther exercises you m ight consider are hatha yoga, calesthentics, walking or jogging.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1) W hat is a chakra? List them .
2) Nam e the three m ajor nadies. W hich nadi is hot?
3) W hat is pranayam a?
www.sacred-m agick.com
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B O O K LIST
Arthur Diekm an, The O bserving Self.
W .Y. Evans-W entz, Tibetan Yoga and Secret Doctrines.
Sandra G ibson, Beyond the M ind.
King and Skinner, Techniques of H igh M agic.
Swam i Sivananda, Kundalini Yoga.
John W oodroffe (pseud. for Arthur Avalon), The Serpent Pow er.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Lesson 6 -- Thoughtform s and Spirits
Although there are hundreds of kinds of divination, the principle ones are astrology,
geom ancy, the tarot, the I Ching, and direct psychic m eans (especially clairvoyance). True
divination is m ore than a m echanical system , for it im plies true psychic interpretation
(receiving). Som e form of divination is often used in m agick ritual to com m unicate with the
entity invoked.
Since divination operates through the m ind, it is affected and biased by the m ind. O ur
attitudes and fears m ay alter it. Som etim es results are very detailed, and accurate -- but
not always. O ften the future is plastic and changeable anyway, and the use of m agick m ay
alter the result. Thus divination shows tendencies only, which m ay be helpful, but m ust not
rule us.
Developing Clairvoyance
It is possible to im prove your natural ability with clairvoyance through practice. A good start m ight be to look
around you, then close your eyes and try to picture your surroundings. This is also good exercise for visualization.
And visualization is an essential talent in m agick. O pen your eyes again and check your accuracy. Then close your
eyes and try it again. W hen you use your physical eyes, look at everything like a child seeing it for the first tim e.
Let the vividness of color and form burn into you, until everything takes on a veritable glow. Try to capture that
glow when you close your eyes now and picture your surroundings. It's just a sim ple step to extend what you see
with your eyes closed into what you rem em ber seeing in the next room , or what you im agine seeing in the next
building, the next city, even the other side of the world. Don't expect perfect results, especially at first. Just try
to be even partly right. Another exercise is to picture a clock face, and thereby tell the tim e clairvoyantly.
The Aura
U nder the right conditions, it is possible to clairvoyantly observe a colored light around other people. This is
known as the 'aura'. Som etim es the aura is seen as m ulti-colored em anations around the person, built up of various
differently colored layers and zones. Although m any occult dabblers claim to be able to see the aura easily and
under m any varied conditions, I seriously doubt that they do. There are optical illusions and qualities of sight
which can som etim es trick one into thinking he sees what he does not see. In this area, the quality of sight known
as after im age is especially pertinent. Do this: stare at any solidly colored bright object for a few m om ents. Very
intense red, green, or blue are especially good for this. Now look away at a white surface and you will see a
phantom im age of the object in its com plem entary color (a red object will show green, a blue one orange, etc.). If
the bright object is in front of a light surface, you m ay observe a fringe of com plem entary color around the object
after a few m om ents. This is all very norm al, and is used by som e m agical groups as an aid to visualization
som etim es called 'flashing colors'. Som e silly people will stare at other people in the sam e way. And when they see
the after im age of the person's clothing, they think they are seeing his aura. W hat is m ore, various m eanings have
been attributed to the colors of the aura. A psychic who can see the aura is supposed to be able to determ ine that
persons em otional state. Thus psychic frauds can have a m arvelous tim e with auras. O ne deluded psychic taught a
class I attended in which he perform ed instant psychoanalysis on the basis of the supposed aura. It was obvious
that he was actually observing after im ages from the students clothes!
This brings us to the chart of aura colors on the next page. It is a general guide, based m ostly on Theosophical
m aterial. Various groups m ay attribute different m eanings to the colors. The colors we show on the chart are
em otional in nature; useful if you plan to create an artificial elem ental or do healing. Surrounding yourself with a
particular color will tend to produce the specific psychological effect described in the chart. That quality of color
is useful in m agick ritual.
Whenever we
concentrate
our thoughts,
we draw
psychic
energy
together.
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COLORS OF THE AURA
BLACK malice
dark gray
depression
pale gray
fear
BROWN materialism
muddy gray selfishness
or
dull rust
RED energy
bright red anger and force
dirty red
passion and sensuality
dull red
selfish love
rose
unselfish love
ORANGE pride
orange cloud irritability
bright orange noble indignation
YELLOW intellect
yellow-green low intellect
earthy yellow selfish thought
lemmon
high intellect
bright gold logical thinking
brt. red-yel. spiritual thought
GREEN empathy
gray-green deceit, jealously
greenish-brown jealousy
emerald green unselfish resourcefulness
foliage green sympathy & empathy
brt. apple-grn strong vitality
brt. turquoise deep sympathy & compassion
BLUE devotion
(religious feeling)
gray-blue
fetishism
light blue noble spiritual devotion
dark blue
religious feeling
brt. lilac-blu lofty religious idealism
VIOLET spiritual
psychic & spiritual
faculty
WHITE purity/protection
Thoughtform s and Spirits
W henever we concentrate our thoughts, we draw psychic energy together. This is called a thoughtform . U sually
the energy dissipates as soon as we break the concentration, but it is possible to purposely concentrate energy in
this way, producing very strong thoughtform s. Such thoughtform s are vortexes or centers of psychic energy. They
can exist as entities by them selves, at least for a while. They are basically inanim ate, non-thinking forces. Talking
to one is about as logical as talking to a chair. In this way, thoughtform s are sim ilar to elem entals, ghosts, and
spirits. All of these psychic entities consist of a psychic energy vortex which could be described as a localized field
or as a discontinuity of the physical world.
Psychic entities respond to certain electrostatic and m agnetic fields, and to other energy vortexes. That is why
they respond to m agick ritual. Som eday, we m ay accom plish the sam e thing with electronic m achines. Psychic
entities are som etim es able to affect our thought processes.
Thoughtform s, elem entals, and ghosts are usually not very sm art. If they display any intelligence at all, it is
lim ited. They are the m orons of the spirit world. Their behavior is usually autom atic, repetitive, robot-like (just
like som e people). W e see that artificial elem entals are little m ore than astral robots. Spirits and deities are m ore
intelligent and volitional.
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Directed Attention
Your m ind follows your attention. W herever you direct your attention, there will your thoughts go too. By directing
attention to a specific place or purpose you focus m ental energy upon it.
For exam ple: you're having lunch in a cafeteria crowded with people. It is a large place, and everyone there is
talking at once, so that the room is a constant jum ble of noise. You happen to notice a m an accross the room ; he
rem inds you of som eone. All at once he drops his fork and you hear it hit the table. But would you have noticed
the sound of his fork if you had not been looking? No. O nly by focusing your attention there were you able to pick
out that individual event and associated sound.
It is a dark night. You are walking and the only light you have is from the flashlight you hold in your hand. As you
m ove the flashlight around, the beam of light from it directs your attention first one way then another. Now, the
m ind is som ething like that flashlight in the dark. And by directed attention, you point the m ind to one place or
another. As with that flashlight beam , you see where the m ind is pointed; nothing m ore. The rest is 'noise'. And so
we could define m ental noise as anything not focused upon. In another way, noise could be considered as negative
em otions, attitudes, and thoughts which m ake it m ore difficult to direct the attention.
Your em otions follow your thoughts quite easily. Your em otions are not YO U, but are rather reactions prom pted by
your m odel and ego -- like a perform ance or an act, while the real you watches. In a sim ilar way, directing your
attention toward a specific em otion will cause you to experience that em otion.
Visualization Exercises
Visual im agination and concentration are very im portant in m agick. Here are som e exercises to help in your
developm ent...
A. Close your eyes and visualize a single digit num ber as clearly as you can. Then a two digit num ber, then a 3 digit
one. Hold the visualization in front of your 'inner eye' for about two m inutes. Repeat with a letter or a word.
B. Visualize a brightly colored green circleor spot. Again hold the visualization for two m inutes. Try again with a
different color.
C. Visualize in succession, each one of the tattvic sym bols, in their proper color. H old each sym bol for at least two
m inutes.
D. Look through a tarrot card deck and pick out several of your favorite cards. Then, after briefly studying a card,
visualize it vividly in detail. Hold the visualization for at least two m inutes. Do this for each card you selected.
E. Repeat the above visualization exercises with your eyes open.
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is the aura?
2) W hat is a thoughtform ?
3) H ow can you develope clairvoyance?
Book List
Annie Bessant and Charles Leadbeater, Thought Form s.
W .E. Butler, How to Develop Clairvoyance.
J.H . Brennan, A stral D oorw ays.
Piero Ferrucci, W hat W e M ay Be.
Kilner, The Hum an Aura.
Swam i Panchadasi, The Hum an Aura.
A.E. Powell, The Etheric Double.
H arold Sherm an, How to M ake ESP W ork for You.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Lesson 7 -- Basic Ritual
'The first part of every cerem ony is the banishing; the second the invoking.'--Crowley, M agick, p. 104
It m ay be said that ritual is the very heart of m agick. For it is through ritual that we achieve
our m agical results. Ritual is a m agical procedure or cerem ony we perform in order to
change the environm ent. U sually we think of ritual as bearing on active m agick, although
certainly, it can also affect passive m agick. M ost often the change achieved is subjective (it
m ay be subtle) and in the physical world. O utsiders m ay put them down to coincidence, but
the effects are very real. M agical goals for a ritual should not be taken lightly.
The successful practice of m agick depends upon strong belief. The sim plest ritual of them
all m ust be belief itself. If you can believe in your desired results strongly enough, that act
is a m agical ritual which will achieve your results. Even a very com plex ritual is no m ore
effective than strong belief. There are aids to concentration which m ay help. Thus in
*creative visualization*, im agination and controlled breathing are brought into play.
Creative Visualization
W hen you want to m agically achieve som ething, first picture it clearly in your m ind. The
m ore deffinite and specific your idea of what it is the better. Picture yourself having it or doing it. Visualize it as
vividly and as intensely as you can and hold it in your thoughts for a few m om ents. Concentrate on it intensely (it
m ay help to hold your breath). Feel the energy of desire welling up inside you. Then suddenly feel the im age or
desire released from your m ind. Feel the energy filtering through the im age and intensifying it, as if the im age is a
'stencil'. Im agine the energy exploding out from you into the m acrocosm in all directions at once, and feel the
universe 'tilt' as it reacts to the force. (At the sam e tim e it m ay help to release your breath suddenly). Feel the
energy draining from you. Finally, believe that your purpose *has* been accom plished; that it has happened,
perhaps saying som ething such as "so m ote it be", or "it is done".
The Basic Parts of a Ritual
O ften rituals are m ore form al than the above, but any full m agick ritual m ust always reduce to these stages -- 1)
im aging; 2) building; 3) firing. Som etim es a ritual m ust be repeated every day for a while to achieve difficult
results or to overcom e weak belief.
The M agick Circle
O ften an im portant part of form al ritual is the m agick circle. M edieval m agicians considered the circle essential,
and placed great em phasis upon its exactness. Elaborate designs were invented with m any layers of com plex
sym bols and words. It was very im portant that the circle be com pletely intact with no breaks in it. The m agician
and any other participants stand in the circle during ritual. The ritual began with a banishing of evil forces (using
the lesser ritual of the pentagram for exam ple) to keep them outside the circle. Today, circles are m ade on the
floor with chalk or paint, rock salt, or a rope. W hatever its form , the circle is still an im portant part of m agical
protection for the m agician. This is especially im portant for aversive entities and purposes. The circle also helps in
focusing the energy of the ritual toward its purpose, that is, it keeps it contained until the m agician is ready to
release it. O f course, the m agick circle is basicly only a sym bol, but it m ay eventually be possible to supplem ent
the circle with electronic equipm ent for a sim ilar purpose. W e are researching the practicality of electrostaticly
charged Faraday shields.
Artificial Elem entals
An artificial elem ental is useful for certain tasks: 1) invisible watcher and observer, telling you what it sees; 2)
psychic guard; 3) it can be used in healing; 4) it is helpful in other ways. O phiel calls the artificial elem ental a
'fam iliar'. Producing your own artificial elem ental is fairly easy. You must assume that the act has produced
results, even if you do not immediately observe them. It is entirely possible to produce one of these little
beasties and not know it (not being clairvoyant enough to observe it directly). Therefore, and this is a general
principle of any m agick, never ignore forces you have set into m otion. Even though you m ay not see the elem ental,
you m ay nevertheless 'feel' it.
The circle also
helps in
focusing the
energy of the
ritual toward
its purpose,
that is, it
keeps it
contained until
the magician
is ready to
release it.
www.sacred-m agick.com
- 20 -
W arning: Do not use artificial elem entals for any kind of aversive m agick at this point; they can be nasty little
critters to get rid of. Should you have to elim inate one of them which you created in error, you m ust re-absorb it
back into yourself through your will; or in som e cases you can 'exorcise' it.
How to Create an Artificial Elem ental
You can create your own artificial elem ental for various purposes. An artificial elem ental is basically a
thoughtform which has been strengthened with em otion. Refer to the aura color chart in the previous lesson and
decide what color to m ake the elem ental, based upon your intended purpose. Apple green is a good choice for
general purposes. Then decide on a shape or outline. Do you want your elem ental to resem ble som e sort of
anim al? A sim ple circle or cloud is a good place to start. W ith this in m ind you can use ritual to create your
elem ental. Creative visualization is good for this. Visualize it glowing before you. A darkened room is helpful for
this.
Com m unicate with your elem ental with telepathy, by talking to it, or with creative visualization. Your artificial
elem ental is closely linked to you and your subconscious attitudes. It will generally not do things you think it
cannot do. As in any m agick, results relate to effort and belief. Another way of looking at an artificial elem ental is
as an aspect of your personality (sub personality) which has been detached from you.
Invocation
Form al ritual usually involves the invocation (ritually calling up) of a god or goddess, spirit, or other entity. In this
sense, m agick is som ewhat sim ilar to pagan religion and witchcraft. H owever, we consider m agick ritual a
technique, not a religion. W orship need not be involved. Som etim es the invocation of an entity creates an
artificial elem ental.
Crowley says there are three different kinds of invocation --
1. Devotion to the entity (as in the Bhakti yoga of the H are Krishna sect; the Faustian devil pact).
2. Cerem onial invocation -- usual m ethod of the m iddle ages.
3. Dram a -- usually needs m ore than one person (as in a m ass).
Because of the m icrocosm -m acrocosm identity, when you invoke the gods, you are invoking aspects of yourself.
Jung has referred to the gods as prim itive archetypes. This m akes it sound like spiritual entities are illusions. But
in fact the m icrocosm -m acrocosm identity does not discredit the gods and goddesses. It instead helps to illustrate
our relationship to the cosm os.
Cautions
1. Balance is im portant in m agick. Vary the entities invoked in order to keep your personality in balance.
2. O ften as not a ritual m ay produce side-effects, usually som ething sim ilar to, though not exactly the desired
goal. If the true goal is delayed (as som etim es happens) we m ay see the side effects first. And if for som e reason
the goal is not achieved at all ('m issing the target') the side effects m ay be pronounced. Exam ples: 1) You use
m agick ritual to hurry shipm ent of an anticipated package in the m ail. Side effect -- the next day an unexpected
package (the wrong one) arrives instead. 2) You use m agick ritual to cause a certain person to phone you. Side
effect -- for several days all sorts of people phone you...The sides effects will not affect you (or anyone else)
adversely unless that is what you inwardly want.
3. W e m ay say with certainty that "som ething always happens" when we perform a m agick ritual. But like
everything else, m agick follows the 'law of results'. This m eans that results require effort of som e kind. And if you
don't work hard enough at it you don't get results. Difficult goals have greater resistance (m agical inertia) to
overcom e. If the ritual doesn't produce the desired results there is a good chance that the reason for the failure is
within oursleves. Be certain there is no contradiction between your m odel and your m agical goals. Som etim es self
doubt and m ental contradictions (wanting and not wanting at the sam e tim e) m ay interfere. The first step in
m agick is to re-program your m odel. And, of course you can help your m agical results by working on the physical
level toward your goals. Don't expect them to fall into your lap by them selves.
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4) A peculiar quality of m agick is tim e displacem ent. Results of a ritual are not usually instantaneous. There is
often a delay of 12 hours or m ore. Difficult tasks or weakly perform ed ritual are m ore likely to be delayed. In m ost
cases a slight delay is alright, and it gives us tim e to get used to the com m ing changes. And som etim es the effects
of a ritual appear to extend to before the ritual was perform ed!
5) Because of the way m agick works, a ritual m ay create an em phasis in what is sought, and a de-em phasis in
everything else. Balance is therefore im portant here. O nce the m agical result is achieved it m ay be 'bound' to you
and difficult to get rid of should you later decide to do so. Exam ple: You use a m agick ritual to help you find and
buy a new house. Years later when you decide to sell it, you are unable to do so. Consider your m agical goals
wisely so you dont get stuck with som ething you don't really want. Note that theory says you can always unbind
through ritual what was bound to you...theory says.
6) Som etim es the environm ent appears to react against the m agick after the results are achieved. This is
particularly noticeable in using m agick to affect the weather (and the m ain reason why you should not use m agick
to affect the weather). For exam ple...Your perform ance of a ritual to produce a sunny day produces a sunny day.
The next day is sunny, alright, but the rest of the m onth is cold and overcast. H ere the weather seem s to react to
the m agick in the opposite way to re-establish its natural balance. It is som ething like pushing a pendulum to one
side and releasing it -- the pendulum swings to the other side. To quote Em m erson -- "For everything you gain you
lose som ething...". I don't know that this is always true in m agick, but it does illustrate the point. And another
reason not to use m agick to affect the weather is that it m ight foul it up in other parts of the country (world??).
7) Finally, m agick ritual (or any m agick or occultism ) is very dangerous for the m entally unstable. If you should
som ehow 'get out too far', eat 'heavy foods' as previously discussed (lesson on chakras) and use your religious
background or old belief system for support. But rem em ber too, that wierd experiences are not necessarily bad
experiences.
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is creative visualization?
2) List the basic parts of a ritual.
3) W hat is invocation?
Research Topics (for independent study)
1) Exam ine the differences between western m agick and oriental m agick.
2) H ow do m edieval grim oires follow the basic ritual pattern?
3) Research and design your own form al ritual.
Book List
P.E.I. Bonewitz, Real M agic.
David Conway, M agic: an O ccult Prim er (or Ritual M agic).
Aleister Crowley, M agick in Theory and Practice.
Denning and Phillips, Creative Visualization.
O phiel, Creative Visualization.
A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.
________, The M ental Body.
Joseph W eed, W isdom of the Ancient M asters.
Julian W ilde, G rim oire of Chaos M agick.
www.sacred-m agick.com
- 22 -
Lesson 8 -- H ealing and Banishing
Psychic or spiritual healing is a hum an potential we all possess. Som e people are especially
good at this. It is probably easier to heal som eone else by occult m eans than yourself. In
addition to healing in the presence of the person, there is 'absent healing' in which the
healing occurs at a distance. Note that there are som e who m aintain that influence on
another person without his specific knowledge and perm ission (yes, even in healing and
helping) is black m agick. (After all, everybody is living according to his own true will, so
that healing or helping som eone without perm ission is affecting his will). This m eans it is
im portant to tell the person what you are planning to do and to ask his perm ission. The
theory of psychic healing is that sickness is characterized (although not necessarily caused)
by a deficiency and im balance of vital energy. Psychic healing transfers energy from the
healer to the sick to repair and rebalance his energies. If an inept healer overdoes the
process, or if he doesn't take the precaution to 'disconnect' him self afterwards, he m ay find
him self becom ing sick due to energy drain and a linkage to his subject. Sim ilarly, the healer
should always be in a good state of health or he could unintentionally transfer his illness to
the subject.
The basic m ethods of psychic healing are: 1) creative visualization, 2) prayer, 3) ritual.
Creative visualization is one of the easiest techniques. M ild illness m ay yield to only one or two treatm ents; serious
ills will require m any treatm ents over tim e. Psychic healing should always be com bined with m edical care and
treatm ent. It does not replace doctors, m edicine, or hospitals, since different levels (worlds) are involved. In
creative visualization, we visualize the person being well. It m ay be helpful to utilize the appropriate color from
the aura chart (such as bright apple-green, rose pink, or white) sent as a beam to the person or as a cloud
surrounding him . This technique can be extended to include a sim ple kind of yoga in which we feel energy sent as
we exhale explosively; the energy sent either via the breath or from one of the chakras such as the solar plexus.
Som etim es in absent healing it is helpful to arrange a tim e for treatm ent in advance, asking your subject to be in a
receptive state of m ind and to sit back and close his eyes.
The Banishing Ritual
O ne of the m ost basic and useful cerem onial rituals of m agick is called the banishing ritual, or lesser banishing
ritual of the pentagram . A pentagram (or pentacle) is a five-pointed star with the point up. The banishing ritual is
helpful in psychic protection and healing since it form s a protective barrier against m alevolent forces. The psychic
barrier it creates can be m ade to perm it entry of desired (constructive) forces and the exclusion of negative ones.
Thus, the banishing ritual is an essential first step in alm ost any form al full m agick cerem ony. The ritual requires
that you use a m agical im plem ent or "weapon", such as a cerem onial knife, wand, or sim ply point your index
finger, to "draw" the pentagram in the air at each of the cardinal points (four directions). Also, you will be
chanting ('vibrating') som e H ebrew nam es of G od.
Holding your m agical weapon and facing east, extend your arm out straight in front of you. In this ritual you will
use the full sweep of your arm to draw the pentagram in the air. Follow the description below by beginning at the
lower left and sweeping your m agical weapon up toward the right, etc. as shown. Do not bend your arm at the
wrist or elbow. W hile you do this, visualize the lines and eventually the star as vibrant white, floating in the space
before you. You are projecting energy to do this, and the result will be a gleam ing 5-pointed star floating in the
east; visualize this as vividly as you can. Now you will energize it further by piercing the center of it with your
m agical weapon and vibrating (speaking slowly in a slightly lower than norm al pitch, rem em ber) "Yod-He-Vau-He".
Description
Approxim ate points on a round clock face --
1. Begin at 7:30 position.
2. Point to 12 oclock position.
3. Point to 4:30 position.
4. Point to 10:30 position.
5. Point to 2:30 position.
6. Return to 7:30 position.
One of the
most basic
and useful
ceremonial
rituals of
magick is
called the
banishing
ritual, or lesser
banishing
ritual of the
pentagram.
www.sacred-m agick.com
- 23 -
Then turn slowly to the next cardinal point in sequence, and as you do so, with your arm still extended in front of
you, visualize a white line connecting around to the cardinal point. Trace a sim ilar pentagram with the appropriate
words and following the sam e procedure:
South -- Adonai Tzaboath
W est -- Eh-Ei-He
North -- Agla.
Now com plete the white line drawn back to the center of the eastern pentagram . Note that the cardinal points
m ust be followed in a clockwise order, and the pentagram m ust be drawn in the m anner illustrated; to do
otherwise would change the function of the ritual. The result of all this should be a large bright white pentagram
visualized hanging in m id-air at each of the four directions, all tied together by a bright white line. You could now,
for exam ple, visualize the pentagram s m oving out to the circum ference of your hom e, thereby protecting all
within.
There is also a som ewhat sim plified version of this ritual in which the pentagram is traced only once overhead and
then is energized with one of the four nam es, such as "Eh-Ei-H e". O ftentim es the sim plified version is sufficient,
but naturally the effect of the full version is m ore com plete.
O ne of the prim ary uses of this ritual is to ward off psychic attack -- that is, when another is (consciously or
unconsciously) attem pting to harm you, cause sickness, accidents, bad dream s, em otional upset, or to force you to
do som ething against your will. Fortunately this doesn't happen very often. The world of the m agician is fairly safe
for the pure of heart. Psychic attack usually depends upon vulnerabilities. If you are not vulnerable you are safe.
Thus unificaition with the true will is the greatest protection possible. And the use of the banishing ritual is never
hurtful. You can even use it to hold off negative aspects of yourself.
O ther form s of protection som etim es helpful (depending upon one's m odel) are recitation of the 'Lord's Prayer', the
23rd, and 91st Psalm s.
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is a pentagram ?
2) W hat is psychic healing? List the basic m ethods.
3) W hat is the banishing ritual? W hy is it used?
Book List
Dion Fortune, Psychic Self-Defense.
________, Sane O ccultism .
Adeliade G ardner, Vital M agnetic H ealing.
M ax H eindel, The Vital Body.
Ernest Holm s, The Science of M ind.
M ouni Sadhu, Theurgy.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Lesson 9 -- Astral Projection
Astral projection (O O BE, out of the body experience) is a popular area of occult literature;
for traveling to see other worlds and places while the physical body sleeps or is entranced is
an exciting notion. Astral projection is not dangerous. It is as safe as sleeping. M ost dream s
are probably unconscious astral projections, anyway. Although there has been quite a bit
written on the subject, astral projection is difficult for m any people. The m ain difficulty is
the tendency to forget dream consciousness upon awakening. Accordingly, the successful
practice of astral projection requires work.
M odern psychology discounts the idea of actual O O BE (that the spirit tem porarily vacates
the physical body). However, the idea is very ancient. The Tibetans have an entire system
of yoga (dream yoga) based upon astral projection. And here we have an im portant
assum ption: you are involved in an O O BE (at least to a degree) whenever you dream . W hat
sets it apart from a full O O BE is your hazy consciousness during the experience and poor
recall afterwards. M any people forget m ost of their dream s com pletely. Learning astral
projection requires a kind of inner m ental clarity and alertness.
Dream s are a door to the subconscious which can be used for psychological and spiritual insight, and som etim es for
precognition. Dream content is influenced by external sounds and sensations. For exam ple, a loud external noise
(such as a train) will likely appear in your dream (if it doesn't wake you up!). Dream s are also influenced by events
of the previous day, by your m oods, and by suggestion. Everyone norm ally dream s 4 or 5 tim es a night (about every
2 hours). The longest dream s occur in the m orning. Everyone dream s. You are m ore likely to rem em ber the details
of your dream when you first wake up. By keeping a dream diary you will im prove dream recall. Have writing
equipm ent or a tape recorder at your bedside for this purpose; also a light which isn't too bright. Suggest to
yourself several tim es before you go to sleep, "I will awaken with the knowledge of a dream ." Then when you do
awaken, m ove quietly (som etim es just turning over drives the idea away). Rem em ber first, then write the dream
down, and then add as m any details as possible. The next day check for objective facts and expand if you can (by
rem em bering 'what happened before that'). O nce you start rem em bering your dream s in this way, it will becom e
easier to do so. (If you are unsuccessful at this, and really want to rem em ber your dream s, you could arrange for
som eone to sit by your bedside all night long with a dim light on. Then when he sees your eyes m oving back and
forth -- rapid eye m ovem ents, a sign you are dream ing -- he can wake you and ask for a dream report.)
Form s of Astral Projection
Astral projection m ay be subdivided into three basic types: m ental projection, astral projection (proper) and
etheric projection. And your O O BE m ay shift between them . M ental projection is really sim ple clairvoyance
('rem ote viewing'), and 'traveling in your m ind'. Im agination plays a key role. The experience of m ental projection
is not particularly vivid, and you will m ore likely be an observer than a participant. Nevertheless, m ental
projection is an im portant 'way in' to astral projection proper.
During m ental projection and astral projection you are able to travel through solid objects, but are not able to act
directly upon them or to m ove them (if they are in the physical world). This is not true during etheric projection.
W hether it is sim ply subconscious expectation, or whether it is a true etheric projection which in theory m eans
that part of your physical body has been relocated with your projection (the etheric or vital part) m ay be difficult
to determ ine. Etheric projections generally travel at or very near the physical world. There are even cases
reported (very, very rare ones) in which the entire physical body is transferred to another location (teleportation),
or cases in which the physical body exists and acts in two separate places at once (bilocation)!
But our prim ary interest is astral projection proper, and m ental projection to a lesser extent. Astral and m ental
projection are not confined to the physical world. Travel in the m ental and astral realm s is feasible, and often
preferred. Nor are astral and m ental projection restricted to the realm of the earth (you could even go to the
m oon and planets).
States of Consciousness
The electrical activity of the brain has been observed and classified with EEG (electroencephalograph) equipm ent;
signals picked up from the scalp by electrodes, then filtered and am plified, drive a graph recorder. Brain activity
has been found to produce specific ranges for certain basic states of consciousness, as indicated in 'hz' (hertz, or
cycles/vibrations per second):
Astral
projection may
be subdivided
into three
basic types:
mental
projection,
astral
projection
(proper) and
etheric
projection.
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• delta -- 0.2 to 3.5 hz (deep sleep, trance state),
• theta -- 3.5 to 7.5 hz (day dream ing, m em ory),
• alpha -- 7.5 to 13 hz (tranquility, heightened awareness, m editation),
• beta -- 13 to 28 hz (tension, 'norm al' consciousness).
As you can see, som e form of physical relaxation is im plied in the alpha, theta, and delta consciousness. These
states are in fact reached through deep breathing, hypnosis, and other relaxation techniques. O O BE occurs during
these states, and delta is probably the m ost im portant for it. The problem is really, as we have said, one of
m aintaining m ental awareness and alertness while experienceing these altered states. Experim ental subjects
hooked to an EEG do not show a discrete change from drowsy to sleep; it is very gradual.
At the threshold between sleep and waking consciousness is a drowsy condition known as the hypnogogic state.
O O BE seem s to occur during this state, or a variant of it. By careful control of the hypnogogic state (not going
beyond it) it is possible to enter O O BE directly.
Basic Techniques
M ost m ethods of astral projection are m ethods of conditioning. Som e form of trance or altered consciousness is
always involved. No one ever projects consciously while fully awake (som e m ay think that they do). Although there
are m any techniques used to produce an astral projection, they boil down to ten of them . They all sort of overlap.
1) Diet -- Certain dietary practices m ay aid in O O BE, especially at first. These include fasting, vegitarianism , and
in general the eating of 'light' foods as discussed in a a previous lesson. Carrots and raw eggs are thought to be
especially beneficial, but all nuts are to be avoided. O ver-eating should be avoided. And no food should be eaten
just before an O O BE attem pt. If you intend to practice during sleep, for exam ple, allow 2 to 4 hours of no food or
drink (except water) before bedtim e. In general, we see here the sam e kind of dietary restrictions advocated for
kundalini yoga.
2) Progressive m uscular relaxation -- This is one of the basic m ethods used in hypnosis and self-hypnosis. Physical
relaxation can assist one in attaining the requisite trance state. These techniques involve beginning at the toes
and tensing, then relaxing the m uscles, progressively up the entire body.
3) Yoga and breath -- Yoga, m antra, and breathing exercises sim ilarly aim at physical relaxation. The practice of
kundalini yoga is particularly relevant, since it is concerned with altered consciousness. In fact the arousal of
kundalini requires a sim ilar state of consciousness to O O BE.
4) Visualization -- This involves a type of extended clairvoyance or picturing of rem ote surroundings. If you can
experience the feeling of being there, so m uch the better. Although this technique is essentially m ental
projection, it is possible to deepen m ental projection into astral projection through (you guessed it!) visualization.
Crowley taught a sim ilar technique: a) visualize a closed door on a blank wall, b) im agine a m editation sym bol on
the door, c) visualize the door opening and yourself entering through it. And J.H. Brennan describes sim ilar
techniques wherein the door is shaped and colored like a tattva, or alternately, a chosen tarrot card is visualized
and the student visualizes entering into it.
5) G uided im agery -- In m any respects sim ilar to visualization. Except in this case, there is a guide (or perhaps a
voice on tape) directing you by m eans of descriptions. As with visualization, m ental rather than astral projection is
m ost likely.
6) Body of Light -- The old G olden Dawn technique. Im agine a duplicate (m irror im age) of yourself in front of you.
Then transfer your consciousness and sensation to the duplicate ('body of light').
7) Strong willing -- Sort of like creative visualization experienced in the present. That is you express your strong
desire to project through your willpower while you visualize yourself doing it.
8) The M onroe techniques -- These are a series of steps developed by Robert M onroe: a) relax the body, b) enter
the hypnogogic state, c) deepen the state, d) develope the senstation of 'vibration', e) separate from the body.
The M onroe Institute has developed som e cassete tapes which are claim ed to help in this.
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- 26 -
9) Dream control -- This is one of the m ost im portant techniques. It involves becom ing aware that you are
dream ing. There are several ways to do this. O liver Fox says to look for descrepancies in the dream to realize you
are dream ing. O ne occult student I know of visualized a white horse which he could ride wherever he wished to go.
After a tim e, when the horse appeared in his dream s it was his cue that he was actually dream ing/projecting. Don
Juan tells Castaneda to look at his hands while he is dream ing. And even the tarot and Cabala m ay be used as
dream signals. Another m ethod is to tell yourself each night as you go to sleep, "I can fly"; then when you do, you
will know you are dream ing. O nce you know you are dream ing you can control your dream /O O BE and go anywhere
you want. Repetitive activities will also likely influence your dream s. For exam ple, if you are on an autom obile
trip and spend m ost of the day driving, you will probably dream about driving. You can condition yourself to be
aware you are dream ing by doing a repetitive activity m any tim es (walking across the room or a particular m agick
ritual, for exam ple). Then when you dream about it, you will know you are dream ing.
10) Dream expansion-- A variation on dream control. A dream m ay be *extended* by im agining it continuing from
where it was when you awaken. Then it is just a sim ple step to 'astral project' by directing you 'dream '.
Although all these techniques m ay appear straightforward, they all require effort. Astral projection is generally
learned.
The astral world is the "ghostland" into which one passes after death. It is som etim es possible to visit with the
dead, or you m ight be called upon to reassure and assist those who have just passed over (died) or those who are
consciously projecting for the first tim e. M any spirits, elem entals and ghosts exist in the astral world. The
m agician should feel com fortable there. Tibetan belief is that through proficiency in O O BE, you no longer need
reincarnate after death. The astral world is extrem ely changeable and subject to your thoughts. Your will can
control your m ovem ents in the astral world, and if you seem to be going som ewhere non-volitionally ('astral
current') it is probably your true will causing it anyway. You m ight also experience heightened m agical ability
while in the astral realm .
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is the relationship between astral projection and dream s.
2) W hat is m ental projection?
3) List the ten basic m ethods of astral projection.
Book List
H .P. Battersby, M an O utside H im self.
Susan J. Blackm ore, Beyond the Body.
J.H . Brennan, A stral D oorw ays.
Robert Crookall, The Techniques of Astral Projection.
Denning and Phillips, The Llew ellyn Practical G uide to Astral Projection.
O liver Fox, Astral Projection.
Gavin & Yvonne Frost, Astral Travel.
Celia G reen, O ut-of-the-body Experiences.
Richard A. G reene, The Handbook of Astral Projection.
H erbert G reenhouse, The Astral Journey.
Jack London, Star Rover (historical occult novel).
Janet M itchell, O ut of Body Experiences.
Robert M onroe, Journeys O ut of the Body.
Robert E. M oser, M ental and Astral Projection.
M uldoon and Carrington, The Projection of the Astral Body.
O phiel, The Art and Practice of Astral Projection.
A.E. Powell, The Astral Body.
D. Scott Rogo, Leaving the Body.
J.M . Shay, O ut of the Body Consciousness.
Susy Sm ith, The Enigm a of O ut-of-the-body Travel.
Brad Steiger, The M ind Travelers.
Yram , Practical Astral Projection.
www.sacred-m agick.com
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Lesson 10 – Cabala
W estern m agick is based upon the Cabala, a Jewish m ystical traditon first written down in
12th and 13th century southern France and Spain. It was oral before that; and it contains
the "lost" knowledge of the ancients, possibly going back to Egypt and before. The m ost
im portant Cabalistic books are SEPHIR YETZIRAH (The Book of Creation), and the ZO HAR
(Book of Splendor). Through Cabalistic philosophy we are able to classify and "pigeon-hole"
all of existence.
The four worlds are recognized in the Cabala, but they are given Hebrew nam es. Thus --
Assiah, physical; Yetzirah, astral; Briah, m ental; and Atziluth, spiritual; as shown in the
chart.
WORLD
NAME
MEANING
ATTRIBUTE
=====
====
=======
=========
spiritual Atziluth Archetypal World pure deity
mental
Briah
Creative World archangels
astral
Yetzirah Formative World angels
physical Assiah Material World action
The divine nam e of G od is TETRAG RAM M ATO N (or nam e of four letters) m ade from the Hebrew letters YO D HE VAU
H E (English YH VH ). O f the four letters, YO D corresponds with Atziluth and the elem ent of fire; the first H E
corresponds with Briah and water. These first two letters m ake up a yang-yin pair (respectively). The other two
letters also form a yang-yin pair (respectively), with the VAU corresponding with Yetzirah and air; while the
second H E corresponds with Assiah and the elem ent of earth.
The Cabalistic parts of the soul use new nam es for the three highest vehicles of consciousness. NESHAM AH (Divine
Soul) is the Spiritual body; RUAH (M oral Soul) is the M ental body; and NEFESH (Anim al Soul) is the Astral body.
An im portant attribute of the Cabala is the SEFIRO TIC TREE (or "Tree of Life", O tz Chieem ). The Sefirotic Tree is a
diagram of the universe m ade up of the ten SEFIRO TH (prim al num bers or orders of creation) drawn as circles upon
the Tree in a decending pattern from the highest aspect of G od at the top to the m ost physical aspect of our world
at the bottom . As can be seen in the accom panying diagram , the sefiroth are connected together with num bered
lines, called paths.
/ (1)\
/ | \
/
|
\
(3) /----------|---------\ (2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(5)\-----------|---------/ (4)
| \
| / |
|
\ | /
|
|
\ (6)/
|
|
/ | \
|
|
/ | \
|
| /
| \ |
(8)/-----------|--------\ (7)
\
|
/
\
| /
\ | /
\(9)/
|
|
(10)
Above the
Tree is the
infinite void --
the
unknowable,
unmanifest
God as Divine
Light...
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- 28 -
This is m y attem pt to draw a Sefirotic Tree using ASCII characters. Several paths are om itted (15, 17, 29, 31).
Please refer to a printed diagram (in m ost any book on Cabala) for a better illustration.
Above the Tree is the infinite void -- the unknowable, unm anifest G od as Divine Light -- the three veils of negative
existence: Ain, Ain Sof, and Ain Sof Aur. The Divine Light (Ain Sof Aur) is m ade m anifest by the first sefira where it
is transform ed into positive existence. Em anations of energy (m agical current) flow from the first sefira (Source)
along the paths into other sefiroth which transform and em anate to lower and lower sefiroth. In Adam Kadm an
(prim al or ideal m an) the sefiroth fit upon the physical body; note the sim ilarity to the chakras. The process of
creation is one of em anation from the spiritual at the top of the Tree to the physical world (Sink) at the bottom .
All current which is Sourced into the Tree m ust also be Sinked (earthed). That is, m agical energy set in m otion by
ritual shoud be used up in the physical world whether or not the ritual was a success.
Sefiroth 1, 2, and 3 on the Tree form the Supernal Triangle which is beyond norm al hum an experience in the world
of Atziluth. The first sefira, KETH ER, is the suprem e crow n of G od; it signifies pure Being, and is the Source.
Kether is androgynous. Im m ediately arising from Kether are two further em anations. The second sefira is HO KM AH,
the w isdom of G od and the m asculine force of the universe. Third is BIN AH , the understanding or intelligence of
G od; this is the supernal m other.
Between the Supernals and the other seven sefiroth is the Abyss -- a great gulf which forever separates ideal from
actual. W ithin the Abyss an 11th sefira, DAATH , the know ledge of G od is som etim es placed.
The second triangle, com prised of the 4th, 5th, and 6th sefiroth in the world of Briah, is som etim es called the
M ental Triangle. Sefira 4, H ESED, the love or m ercy of G od, is m ale and positive. The 5th sefira, G EVU RAH , the
power or strength of G od com plem ents H esed as justice. Sixth is TIFARETH , as the com passion or beauty of G od;
the heart of the universe.
The third or Astral Triangle contains sefiroth 7, 8, and 9 in Yetzirah. Sefira 7, NETSAH , is the lasting endurance or
victory of G od. Com plem enting N etsah is 8, H O D, the m ajesty or splendor of G od. The 9th sefira, YESO D, the
foundation of the world, is linked with the m oon, hence the tides and the libido. Yesod is experienced as dream
consciousness, and is very im portant in m agick and astral projection.
Finally, at the physical world of Assiah is the 10th sefira, M ALKU TH , the kindgom of G od, and the basis of all
m aterial creation. W e experience M alkuth as sense consciousness.
The Sefirotic Tree has three vertical colum ns or pillars. As you face the tree, the pillar on the right, headed by
H okm ah and ending with Netsah, is called the Pillar of M ercy and has light/m asculine (yang) qualities. The pillar
on the left, headed by Binah and ending with H od, is the Pillar of Severity with dark/fem inine (yin) qualities. The
M iddle Pillar between them equilibriates the two opposites, and is the Shekhinah, or fem inine counterpart of G od.
The klippoth, or evil dem ons, generally in Assiah, represent unbalanced forces or excesses.
All the attributes of the universe fit like pieces of a puzzle upon the Sefirotic Tree. Each num bered part is a
num eric key to the various correspondence tables, such as Crowley's '777'. The sefirotic tree has its parts variously
colored and each sefira has a color; in fact the paths which run between the sefiroth have their own colors too.
There are four m ajor color scales for the sefirotic tree and each color scale corresponds with one of the four
worlds. That m eans we are dealing with not just one sefirotic tree, but actually with a separate tree for each of
the four worlds; although it is easier to think of it as the sam e tree with a different color scale. The Q ueen (Briah)
and King (Atziluth) scales are the m ost im portant. There is also the Em press scale (Assiah), and the Em peror scale
(Yetzirah).
The Q ueen and King scales for the sefiroth are shown below. (Note that when 4 colors are listed toghether, the
sefira is divided into quarters and the first color is assigned to the upper quarter, the 2nd color to the right
quarter, the 3rd color to the left quarter, and the last color to the lower quarter.)
KEY QUEEN SCALE
KING SCALE
=== ===========
==========
1
pure white brilliance
brilliance
2
gray
pure soft blue
3
black
crimson
4
blue
deep violet
5
scarlet red
orange
6
yellow (gold)
clear pink rose
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- 29 -
7
emerald green
amber
8
orange
violet purple
9
violet
indigo
10 citrine, olive, russet,
yellow
and black
The 22 paths connect the sefiroth together. These paths correspond with the 22 letters of the H ebrew alphabet, as
based upon the SEFIR YETZIRAH. Due to the nature of the Hebrew alphabet (som e letters can take two form s)
SEFIR YETZIRAH divides each of two of the letters into two (dual) parts. For this reason, it is necessary to divide
each of the two related paths into two (dual) parts. These are num bered 31, 31b (bisected); 32, 32b. Yet when
these paths are drawn on the sefirotic tree they are usually shown undivided (and num bered sim ply 31, and 32).
The following table shows the colors and location of the paths in relation to the sefiroth. You will want to add the
path num bers to the illustration of the sefirotic tree, or draw a new tree. Som e writers m ay refer to "32 paths", by
calling the sefiroth "paths" 1-10.
KEY JOINS SEFIROTH QUEEN SCALE
KING SCALE
=== ============== ===========
==========
11 1 - 2
sky blue
brt. pale yellow
12 1 - 3
purple
yellow
13 1 - 6
silver
blue
14 2 - 3
sky blue
emerald green
15 2 - 6
red
scarlet
16 2 - 4
deep indigo
red orange
17 3 - 6
pale mauve
orange
18 3 - 5
maroon
amber
19 4 - 5
deep purple
greenish yellow
20 4 - 6
slate gray
yellowish green
21 4 - 7
blue
violet
22 5 - 6
blue
emerald green
23 5 - 8
sea green
deep blue
24 6 - 7
dull brown
green blue
25 6 - 9
yellow
blue
26 6 - 8
black
indigo
27 7 - 8
red
scarlet
28 7 - 9
sky blue
violet
29 7 - 10
buff, flecked
crimson (ultra-
silver-white
violet)
30 8 - 9
gold yellow
orange
31 8 - 10
vermilion
glowing orange-
scarlet
32 9 - 10
black
indigo
31b
deep purple,
white merging
nearly black
into gray
32b
amber
citrine, olive,
russet, black
The queen and king scales are com plem entary. Also com plem entary are the paths and the sefiroth. Traditional use
of the queen scale sefiroth will find the king scale as paths and vice versa. The use of com plem entary scales is
based upon the idea of balance. A tree com posed of sefiroth in the queen scale and paths in the king scale is all
you need for m ost m agick. Although correspondences are what work for you, there is said to be an ancient
tradition surrounding the conventional color scales and it m ay be helpful to lock into the energy associated with
them .
From the m agical point of view, the Tree of Life is a m ap of consciousness which is useful for understanding and
attaining various states of consciousness. In cabalistic m agick we are concerned with the linking of higher energy
to lower levels on the tree. That very thing takes place naturally as well, in nature and in life. A subject in itself is
cabalistic m editation (pathwork, or the way of return), in which we attem pt to clim b up the tree (ladder of lights)
to attain union with divinity.
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- 30 -
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat is the sefirotic tree?
2) How is the queen scale used in m agick?
3) W hat is a path? H ow m any are there?
Book List
J. Abelson, Jew ish M ysticism
Edward Albertson, Understanding the Kabbalah
Bernard J. Babm erger, Fallen Angels
Richard Cavendish, The Black Arts
______, editorial com m ents to "Cabala", M an, M yth and M agic
Aleister Crowley, The Book of Thoth
______, 777 Revised
Denning and Phillips, The M agical Philosophy
______, M agical States of Consciousness (on pathworking)
A.D. Duncan, The Christ, Psychotherapy and M agic
Dion Fortune, The M ystical Q abalah
Adolphe Frank, The Kabbalah: The Religious Philosophy of the H ebrew s
Perle Epstein, Kabbalah, the W ay of the Jew ish M ystic
W illiam Gray, The Talking Tree
Stephan A. Hoeller, The Royal Road
Isidor Kalish, Sepher Yezirah: A Book on Creation
Alta J. LaDage, O ccult Psychology
Bernhard Pick, The Cabala: Its Influence on Judaism and Christianity
Charles Ponce, Kabbalah: An Introduction and Illum ination for the W orld Today
H enry B. Pullen-Burry, Q abalism
Israel Regardie, A G arden of Pom egranets
______, The G olden Daw n
______, The M iddle Pillar
Leo Schaya, The Universal M eaning of the Kabbalah
Gershom Scholem , Kabbalah
______, M ajor Trends in Jew ish M ysticism
______, O n the Kabbalah and Its Sym bolism
______, Zohar: The Book of Splendor
Arthur Edward W aite, The Holy Kabbalah
R.J. Zwi W erblowsky, "Cabala", M an, M yth and M agic
W illiam W ynn W escott, An Introduction to the Study of the Kabalah
______, Sepher Yetzirah
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Lesson 11 -- Psychic Energy
W e have seen in the theories of m agick, that there is a definite relationship between the
'inner' and 'outer' worlds. W e saw this in the theory of the m icrocosm and the m acrocosm ; in
the four worlds; in the theory of correspondences; and also in the Cabala and Tree of Life.
This relationship between inner and outer is very im portant. And it m eans quite sim ply that
success (or lack of it) in one world (inner or outer) influences success (or lack of it) in the
other. Therefore developing of m agical ability is m ore than m editation and m agical
practice, for it im plies m astery of the four worlds. The developed m agician is not only
m aster of the inner worlds; he is also m aster of him self.
This is not to im ply that successful m agicians are all m illionaires (or whatever standard
people m easure success by), but it should m ean that they are basically pleasant people, at
least; no serious hangups. The developed m agician is described as a 'king' in the Book of the
Law. This m eans sim ply that he has full control over all aspects of his physical and inner
life. H e should be who he wants to be, doing what he wants to do.
Planetary Correspondences
The num bers in the tables and diagram of the preceeding lesson on Cabala are the 'key' num bers which we find in
various correspondence tables (such as Crowley's '777'). O ne im portant set of correspondences for the planets, is
shown below...
KEY PLANET
METAL
ATTRIBUTE
=== ======
=====
=========
3 Saturn
lead
home
4 Jupiter tin
luck, wealth
5 Mars
iron
anger, war-like
6 Sun
gold
vitality
7 Venus
copper
love
8 Mercury mercury knowledge
9 Moon
silver
emotions, travel
Notice that we have included the m etal which is associated with the planet, as well as com m on attributes of each
planet. The theory of Cabalistic m agick is to select the appropriate planet for the desired result. The attribute
colum n will assist in that selection. O nce a particular planet is determ ined, an entity is selected from the
correspondence tables by m atching the key num ber. A set of correspondence tables m ay be available on this board
as a separate file (777.ARC). Additionally, a list of selected deities from several popular pantheons and with a
brief description about them m ay be available on this board as G O DS.LST.
Although Hebrew M ysticism is the original source of Cabalistic ideas, it is m ostly unconcerned with the m agical
im plications of those ideas. How can a religious philosophy which is m onotheistic lend credibility to a polytheistic
approach? Various deities are understood as aspects or qualities of the Suprem e G od. This is not a contradiction,
m erely a restatem ent of the m icrocosm -m acrocosm idea once again. The Sefirotic Tree, in its representation of
the universe is the M acrocosm . W hile it could be said that any single sefiroth has its own separate qualities, it
rem ains, nonetheless, a part of the whole tree, and a part of the m acrocosm . As a result, virtually any pantheon or
belief system is com patible with the Cabala.
W illpow er and M agick
W estern m agick has traditionally placed a great deal of em phasis upon the use of willpower as a m eans of
developm ent and self-m astery. But this m ay not be the best m ethod in the long run. Isaac Bonewitz describes how
the subconscious will som etim es rebel against willpower with 'spectacular results'. It is far better to run one's life
dem ocratically.
H awaiian Kahuna m agick describes the 'three selves', ie. the lower self (or subconscious), the m iddle self (or
norm al consciousness), and the high self (spirit or H oly G uardian Angel). Enlightenm ent in the H awaiian system
consists of unification of the three selves. They becom e 'buddies'. Enlightenm ent does not com e from great
change. It com es from great acceptance. Continual effort at becom ing better takes you nowhere. For becom ing it
How can a
religious
philosophy
which is
monotheistic
lend credibility
to a
polytheistic
approach?
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- 32 -
is not being it. The unification is achieved by first developing com m unication with the subconscious and later with
the high self also. Sim ple exercises with a pendulum , autom atic writing, raised finger responses, self hypnosis,
recording and analysis of dream s etc. facilitate com m unication with the subconscious. At first com m unication with
the high self m ust be via the subconscious, but later it is possible to go direct to it.
Psychic Energy
M any occult groups follow an energy m odel for m agick and the physical body. This m odel (or theory) equates
psychic energy with kundalini/prana/sexual or life force energy. The ideal of kundalini yoga is thus to raise the
kundalini to the higher chakras (especially ajna and sahasrara) thereby enhancing psychic/m agick powers. The
release of psychic energy is also relevant to m ental control, good health and longevity, and the attainm ent of
'cosm ic consciousness'. M editation and yoga is used to liberate psychic energy so that it can be used for m agical
purposes. But there are other ways to liberate psychic energy. M any of these techniques will act as a m ental
catharsis in the sense of invigorating the psyche and resulting in im proved intellectual and physical perform ance.
1) Psychotherapy of certain types which releases pent up psychological energy.
2) O vercom ing m ind gam es, hangups, and inhibitions. This is the basis of all listed practices, as hangups waste
psychic energy. Certain psychotropic drugs m ay have this affect. Also the 'kicks' from 'risks' like skydiving.
3) Vigorous dance and physical exercise -- to the point of 'second wind'.
4) 'Desirelessness' and various religious practices.
5) The way of return, and various other m ystical practices.
6) Atavistic resurgence. This last item deserves som e extra m ention. It was one of Austin Spare's m ethods. It m eans
to contact the prim itive em otions deep within the psyche. In a sense it is regressive. However, there is power
there, if you are able to control it.
W e have seen how m agical theory is based upon the assum ption that psychic phenom ena is real. If this is so, then
m agick is also real. And we have also seen how m agick is the art and science of causing change in accordance with
the will by non-physical m eans. M agical philosophy is the working system of term s, theories, and sym bols upon
which m agick is based. But m agick goes further than that, for as an ancient system of psychology, m agick m ay be
used as is a m eans of self im provem ent and spiritual growth. For m agick and m ysticism are parallel paths, each
ultim ately leading to transcendence.
R eview Q u estions
1) W hat do we m ean by the relationship between the inner and outer worlds?
2) W hat is wrong with willpower?
3) Explain the energy m odel of m agick.
Book List
P.E.I. Bonewitz, H aw aiian M agic (tape).
Pete Carrol, Liber N ull.
------, Psychonaut.
John H eriot, Teaching Yourself W hite M agic.
Allan P. Lewis, Clearing Your Lifepath.
M ax Freedom Long, The Secret Science Behind M iracles.
------, The Secret Science At W ork.
Stephen M ace, Stealing the Fire from Heaven.