A few general questions on ritual practice.
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The sign of silence, as in The Golden Dawn (Regardie) is described in quote as thus:
"It may be performed with any finger of either hand, but it is more protective when the left forefinger is used, the Water of Chesed, for the fingers of the right hand represent more violent action, and those of the left more watery action." (pg. 372) -
Funny, if they associate the left hand sign with Chesed, and use it as a rationale for choosing the left hand version, I would instinctively think of the pillar of severity, and the concept of containment, and thus the right-hand, as a better fit.
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"Funny, if they associate the left hand sign with Chesed, and use it as a rationale for choosing the left hand version, I would instinctively think of the pillar of severity, and the concept of containment, and thus the right-hand, as a better fit."
There's a compatible but deeper, older tradition - and one matching the yogic doctrine of nadis. It is that the left hand is lunar or watery or "passive," and the right hand is solar or fiery or "masculine."
This parallels the Chesed-Geburah polarities. It also parallels cultural prejudices against left-handedness.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"Funny, if they associate the left hand sign with Chesed, and use it as a rationale for choosing the left hand version, I would instinctively think of the pillar of severity, and the concept of containment, and thus the right-hand, as a better fit."There's a compatible but deeper, older tradition - and one matching the yogic doctrine of nadis. It is that the left hand is lunar or watery or "passive," and the right hand is solar or fiery or "masculine."
This parallels the Chesed-Geburah polarities. It also parallels cultural prejudices against left-handedness."
See, there is some of my concern. As I mentioned, I am ambi...I write with my left, kick with my left, and all the "fold your arms" and "clasp your hands" tests end up with left most naturally on top. But I throw with my right, play guitar right-handed, swordplay equally well with both, can kick just as precisely with my right, and when I am lighting a charcoal for incense or something, the natural way is hold it in the left, hold fire in the right, and doing it vice-versa seems unnatural.
The thing is, I am recovering from years of being all screwed up spiritually, which included a whole bunch of LHP stuff...Setianism especially, and heavily influenced by Michale Aquino, Stephen Flowers, Don Webb, people like that. While I will not make some absolute, moralistic claim, especially about the LHP in general, which is robust in its vamachara branch, the western manifestation is corrupted, or at least corruptive to me. I know, I know, "to the pure all things are pure"...but I was not, nor am I yet, pure, and my time internalizing such negative currents has damaged me. A lot. This is one of the reasons I am holding off on applying to the A.'.A.'.. While I wish to, I feel like I am really unbalanced and...well, corrupted. I want to purify myself before approaching the order which I have spent my life looking up to. For me, the A.'.A.'. has represented so much, ever since I was eleven...I want to be worthy of it before even approaching the gate.
So while I am technically left-handed, I feel a lot of mixed feelings using my left for magick. The fact that so much of the initiated knowledge seems to back up this dichotomy of left and right just adds to my trepidation. For me, the left-hand is symbolic of the years I have just spent, since my Abra-Melin attempt went horribly awry in 2001, getting darker and darker and more and more nasty and hateful.
I still haven't resolved the issue to my satisfaction, and have a lot of mixed feelings about it.
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thepuck,
FWIW, I am mixed dominant in much the same way as you -- I write, cook, brush my teeth, and otherwise use my right hand for fine motor skills. I play sports and naturally reach, lift, etc. with my left.
The first time I tried the LBRP I intitutively started using my right hand and have stuck with that since.
I am hardly experienced, much less talented, with regards to magick. But the results have truly exceeded any expectation that I had...and I have a feeling that it is the tip of the iceberg.
Based on this, my humble advice would be to dive right in and see what hand takes over.
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@Uriel said
"thepuck,
FWIW, I am mixed dominant in much the same way as you -- I write, cook, brush my teeth, and otherwise use my right hand for fine motor skills. I play sports and naturally reach, lift, etc. with my left.
The first time I tried the LBRP I intitutively started using my right hand and have stuck with that since.
I am hardly experienced, much less talented, with regards to magick. But the results have truly exceeded any expectation that I had...and I have a feeling that it is the tip of the iceberg.
Based on this, my humble advice would be to dive right in and see what hand takes over."
Thing is, I am not new, and have used both hands for years, my right from when I was a kid till about 2002 and left from then to recently. My reasons for this were a switch from Thelemic and general ceremonial-based work to Left Hand Path antinomian work. My reasons for being worried about it are different and I can't exactly "dive right in and find out what works for me" 20 years after I did my first LBRP, now can I?
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93
"So while I am technically left-handed, I feel a lot of mixed feelings using my left for magick."
"For me, the left-hand is symbolic of the years I have just spent, since my Abra-Melin attempt went horribly awry in 2001, getting darker and darker and more and more nasty and hateful. "
It sounds like you already know which hand is best for you at this time in your spiritual development. Trust that instinct.
93 93/93
A.
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Jim, thanks for your feedback again. I've been toying with the idea a bit and Fire on the right correlating with Geburah seems more intuitive for me.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"Funny, if they associate the left hand sign with Chesed, and use it as a rationale for choosing the left hand version, I would instinctively think of the pillar of severity, and the concept of containment, and thus the right-hand, as a better fit."There's a compatible but deeper, older tradition - and one matching the yogic doctrine of nadis. It is that the left hand is lunar or watery or "passive," and the right hand is solar or fiery or "masculine."
This parallels the Chesed-Geburah polarities. It also parallels cultural prejudices against left-handedness."
The relation of the left hand to Chesed is communicated in Golden Dawn teachings in the fifth knowledge lecture. In the description of the microcosm the right hand is attributed to Geburah, the left to Chesed. In these relations also you find each finger is related to the Four elements and Spirit as thus:
Thumb...spirit
3rd finger...fire
index finger...water
little finger...air
and
second finger...earthThat is why the index finger of the left hand is attributed in Golden Dawn teachings as water of Chesed.
Bearing all of this in mind, one can use the fingers on whichever hand seems appropriate.
