Uses for the GRH
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Yes, you do the ritual with four specifically elemental pentagrams instead of four generic ones. It's all in Liber O. The skeleton anyway.
Work with the four elements, one at a time. After some time (months?), start the planets (hexagrams). It might be best. (But if you started some kind of planetary programme, by all means finish it.)
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I think the main point is to equilibrate yourself, as much as possible, to the elements before stepping up to the planetary work.
An idea: Many forum members are participating in a one-year cycle of daily meditations in the "Meditations of the Day" part of this forum. These cycle through a particular regimen of the Thelemic holy books. The first five months of meditations work systematically through the elements. I have suggested that one way to undertake these meditations is to use the pentagram ritual to attune yourself to the particular element (for example, from April 11 through May 10, Earth) as preparation for each day's meditation.
This is a very fast approach. It can't fully replace the three to five years it would normally take (on a relatively fast track) to more deeply balance yourself with respect to the elements, but it would be a great start.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It can't fully replace the three to five years it would normally take (on a relatively fast track) to more deeply balance yourself with respect to the elements, but it would be a great start."
Since you mentioned it... Do you mean this specifically through ceremonial magick, or by mindfully equilibrating these aspects in oneself (by analysis, living etc), or both? (Or something else.)
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@Patrick Ossoski said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It can't fully replace the three to five years it would normally take (on a relatively fast track) to more deeply balance yourself with respect to the elements, but it would be a great start."Since you mentioned it... Do you mean this specifically through ceremonial magick, or by mindfully equilibrating these aspects in oneself (by analysis, living etc), or both? (Or something else.)"
Yes, I meant specifically through ceremonial magick.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"I think the main point is to equilibrate yourself, as much as possible, to the elements before stepping up to the planetary work.
An idea: Many forum members are participating in a one-year cycle of daily meditations in the "Meditations of the Day" part of this forum. These cycle through a particular regimen of the Thelemic holy books. The first five months of meditations work systematically through the elements. I have suggested that one way to undertake these meditations is to use the pentagram ritual to attune yourself to the particular element (for example, from April 11 through May 10, Earth) as preparation for each day's meditation.
This is a very fast approach. It can't fully replace the three to five years it would normally take (on a relatively fast track) to more deeply balance yourself with respect to the elements, but it would be a great start."
93!
Thank you, Jim. Is there a text somewhere that explains how to do these elemental pentagram rituals? Do you Banish the element after the exercise? Is the purpose of working on the Elements before moving to Planetary workings to help you not flip out from the planetary energy or to make you able to work with the Planets period? As far as I can tell, I managed to invoke the 2 planets I tried with the GRH pretty well as some very intense perspective, physical, visual, emotional, postural, and demeanor changes occured as well as many synchronicities occruing that seemed very in alignment with the Plantary energy just worked with... I guess im saying that it seems that even though I haven't mastered the Elements yet I still seem able to Invoke the planets...
Thanks for your help and input guys!
93s! -
You can work with the planets before "mastering" the elements.
But the elements are worked on first because the "scale of evolution" so to speak goes from the four elements to the seven planets, and it's a quite useful (maybe even exactly accurate and "true" â I don't know) scale.Like I said, yes, you always banish afterwards, element or planet or whatever.
Just a quick answer before I hit bed. Maybe Mr. Eshelman can respond to your points more thoroughly.
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@93magick said
"Thank you, Jim. Is there a text somewhere that explains how to do these elemental pentagram rituals?"
OK, this requires that I say something. I mean this in kindness and in candor: If you have to ask this question, you just aren't ready to be doing a Hexagram Ritual. Your question is welcome AND it shows far too little experience and range for a high frequency ritual that, in the Golden Dawn, was reserved for Second Order members only.
"Do you Banish the element after the exercise?"
Yes. One attunes consciousness to Earth before entering into a meditation concerning Earth, then detunes to return to normal life.
"Is the purpose of working on the Elements before moving to Planetary workings to help you not flip out from the planetary energy or to make you able to work with the Planets period?"
I wouldn't be so specific. Basically, it's about stages of the Work. Think of the elements as planet Earth. You equilibrate yourself on Earth, then move off Earth to the planets of our solar system, then move beyond to the stars. It's a reasonable layering that applies in many ways and, it seems to me, works on concentric sheathes of the aura. (Consider that the elements are attributed to the four lowest chakras; the planets to all seven chakras. This gives another point of view.)
The Golden Dawn's First Order equilibrates the 4 elements and works in a 4-sided room. The Second Order equilibrates the 7 planets, and works in a 7-sided room. Etc.
"As far as I can tell, I managed to invoke the 2 planets I tried with the GRH pretty well as some very intense perspective, physical, visual, emotional, postural, and demeanor changes occured as well as many synchronicities occruing that seemed very in alignment with the Plantary energy just worked with... I guess im saying that it seems that even though I haven't mastered the Elements yet I still seem able to Invoke the planets..."
One can take a large dose of a very powerful laxative and will unquestionably have some very intense perspective, physical, visual, emotional, postural, and demeanor changes. This doesn't mean one necessarily wants to start one's colon cleanse this way.
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93!
Jim, firstly, thank you very, very much for thorough reply Truly it is much appreciated!@Jim Eshelman said
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@93magick said
"Thank you, Jim. Is there a text somewhere that explains how to do these elemental pentagram rituals?"OK, this requires that I say something. I mean this in kindness and in candor: If you have to ask this question, you just aren't ready to be doing a Hexagram Ritual. Your question is welcome AND it shows far too little experience and range for a high frequency ritual that, in the Golden Dawn, was reserved for Second Order members only."
Point taken and will be considered. I am familiar with Liber O etc. and have the Elemental pentagrams memorized, I just wasn't sure if one does a specific Elemental ritual like how one does the LRP? Do you just basically do the LRP with a specific Elemental pentagram in each direction?
"Do you Banish the element after the exercise?
Yes. One attunes consciousness to Earth before entering into a meditation concerning Earth, then detunes to return to normal life."Thank you.
"Is the purpose of working on the Elements before moving to Planetary workings to help you not flip out from the planetary energy or to make you able to work with the Planets period?
I wouldn't be so specific. Basically, it's about stages of the Work. Think of the elements as planet Earth. You equilibrate yourself on Earth, then move off Earth to the planets of our solar system, then move beyond to the stars. It's a reasonable layering that applies in many ways and, it seems to me, works on concentric sheathes of the aura. (Consider that the elements are attributed to the four lowest chakras; the planets to all seven chakras. This gives another point of view.)The Golden Dawn's First Order equilibrates the 4 elements and works in a 4-sided room. The Second Order equilibrates the 7 planets, and works in a 7-sided room. Etc.
"That made it very clear- thank you!
"As far as I can tell, I managed to invoke the 2 planets I tried with the GRH pretty well as some very intense perspective, physical, visual, emotional, postural, and demeanor changes occured as well as many synchronicities occruing that seemed very in alignment with the Plantary energy just worked with... I guess im saying that it seems that even though I haven't mastered the Elements yet I still seem able to Invoke the planets...
One can take a large dose of a very powerful laxative and will unquestionably have some very intense perspective, physical, visual, emotional, postural, and demeanor changes. This doesn't mean one necessarily wants to start one's colon cleanse this way."Very enlightening on the matter and caused me to laugh hysterically, too!
Thank you very much for taking the time, Jim!
93s -
@93magick said
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@93magick said
"Thank you, Jim. Is there a text somewhere that explains how to do these elemental pentagram rituals?"OK, this requires that I say something. I mean this in kindness and in candor: If you have to ask this question, you just aren't ready to be doing a Hexagram Ritual. Your question is welcome AND it shows far too little experience and range for a high frequency ritual that, in the Golden Dawn, was reserved for Second Order members only."
Point taken and will be considered. I am familiar with Liber O etc. and have the Elemental pentagrams memorized, I just wasn't sure if one does a specific Elemental ritual like how one does the LRP? Do you just basically do the LRP with a specific Elemental pentagram in each direction?"
Yes, you can do that it's the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram of a particular element. I go over that in some detail in the back chapters of 776 1/2.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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Yes, you can do that it's the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram of a particular element. I go over that in some detail in the back chapters of 776 1/2."Thank you, Jim!! Yes, 776 1/2 is definitely the next book of yours that I'll need to purchase. I love Pearls of Wisdom!
Thanks for your help!
93s