Captured by the Book of the Law

Knowledge + Delight

Hello There. I'm new here. 93 and all that.

Well now, let's see... a while back, I read Liber AL vel Legis.
Needless to say, it 'grabbed' me. It seems to have struck some kind of chord deep within, and it continues to resonate.

In many ways, I find myself at odds with this path. I guess you could say that I come from a background of 'logic and reason' - steeped in the 'established discourse' of science, physics, and philosophy.
However, Thelema, and the surrounding concept of 'magick' ... are a bit of a departure from this world of 'cold intellect'.

Yet this book has 'spoken to me across the aeon' in some way. It has 'drawn me into the fold'. I am enveloped by the mystery and beauty of it.

So, I'm not really sure what comes next. What do you recommend as 'the next step'?
More reading (which is already under way)? Meditation? Dive right into Ritual Magick?

Not quite sure how to proceed with this path.
Thanks in advance!

Danica

follow the lead of your intuition/inner voice...
and perhaps make some notes along the way...

Bereshith

Absolutely.

Also, if possible. Try not to get all worked up about it...

Sorry, that's impossible unless you don't need any work done on your personality. But, as far as it is possible... Um...

Here's a little present from my neck of the woods.

"Mama told me ... when I was young
Sit beside me ... my only son
And listen closely ... to what I say
And if you do this ... it'll help you some sunny day
Ah, yes

Be a simple man

Oh, take your time
Don't live too fast
Troubles will come ... mmmm ... and they will pass
Go find a woman ... oh, baby ... you'll find love
And don't forget, son, there is someone up above

And be a simple kind of man
Oh, be somethin' ... you love and understand
Baby, be a simple ... be a simple man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can

Forget your lust ... for the rich man's gold
All that you need ... oh, Lord, is in your soul
You can do this ... oh, baby ... if you try
All that I want for you my son ... is to be satisfied

And be a simple kind of man
Be somethin' ... you love and understand
Baby, be a simple ... oh, be a simple man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can

Oh, yes, I will

Oh, be a simple man

Oh, don't you worry... you'll find yourself
Follow your heart ... Lord, and nothin' else
And you can do this ... oh, baby ... if you try
All that I want for you my son ... is to be satisfied

One more time!

Be a simple ... kind of man
Oh, be somethin' ... you love and understand
Baby, be a simple ... whew! ... be a simple man
Oh, won't you do this for me son if you can

Baby, be a simple ... oh, be a simple man
Oh, be somethin', child, you love and understand
Baby, be a simple ... be a simple man
Won't you do this ... for me, son ... if you can
Oh, yeah

Oh, mama, I will be a simple man
Don't ya know ... don't ya know
Lord, I'm doin' the best I can

"

It's advice I wish I'd understood and loved earlier.

Anonymous

@Knowledge + Deligh said

"What do you recommend as 'the next step'? "

I will shamelessly recommend Jim Eshelman's book "Mystical & Magical System of A.'.A.'."

There is some structure there for self study and practice. I'm sure if you've gotten to this forum you seen a few interesting things though. Good luck...

Froclown

93
(scarlet)

I would highly recommend starting with doing resh four times a day, and that include those adorations for the book or the law. And also try to perform the traditional lessees banishing of the pentagram at least once a day, if you can do three even better. Once you do this for at least a few months, start the hexagram ritual. Once you get that worked in, meditate on the union of the two, and switch to the star ruby and sapphire versions.

Once you start to get a good feel for the union of elemental and planetary rituals, and the difference between traditional and thelemic versions. Then you might try out the rosy cross ritual and then liber V vel reguli. Medicaid of them both. Them secure your progress with liber samekh as the invocation of the HGA. If you can follow out the ordeals of the abramelin rite, using samekh as the formula of your daily invocation. Remember that samekh is a prop do not rely on it too much, ultimately you have to cross parakeet on your own, at which point, you may want to focus on practical application of the rosy cross, by means of the HGA experience, as progress beyond this 5=6 degree is much more self directed, not so formula based. Though Crowley has some helpful practices for higher grades. The book of lies is written for adepts exempts on the nature of daath and the ashes, and b vel magi teaches the magister how to attain to magus.

There are other suggested practices like liner III and liber O which can be very useful to develop the skills to really benefit from rituals. Also the 8 limbs of yoga should be put into practice from dag one, along with the pentagram.

Though it up to personal interest, I suggest attending gnostic mass as often as possible, and study it, it is really a wonderful ritual that does not offend the sense and reason of the materialist, as to express in drama and poetry the sublime majesty of the natural world demanding no forced acceptance of superstitious dogma or divine authority, while still expressing and stimulating spiritual feelings about the world of experience and science, is perfectly supportive of the rationalist agenda. To use symbols that appeal to the irrational and superstitious mind to promote the rational science paradigm is brilliant.

Mike

93!

K&D, I also heartily recommend "The Mystical & Magical System of A.'.A.'." It's a fantastic book that really gives one a good perspective on the Path.

Liber Resh is also a great idea, but I have to disagree with Froclown's suggestion of rituals - stick to the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram a few times a day (don't overdo it!) and maybe the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram. His suggestions imply that you just do those rituals in that order and you can immediately attain to the highest pinnacles of enlightenment... it doesn't work that way. There's a lot of ground in between.

Jim Eshelman has warned about how strong of a ritual Liber V is.

One last suggestion... try to avoid labeling early experiences if you can help it. Do read Liber O and take to heart Crowley's suggestion that you not take anything as it seems at first glance. Especially don't apply labels from specific systems (such as A.'.A.'.) to yourself unless you are initiated into that system.

The Great Work is a lifelong endeavor, not a sprint to the finish.

By the way, Froclown's reference to "Parakeet" is his iPad auto-correcting the word "Paroketh," the veil below Tiphareth (the Sphere of the Sun) on the Tree of Life. (I assume Medicaid is "meditate.")

93, 93/93.

Froclown

Well, I was only giving a brief outline of major rituals and sign posts.

Really it was work to get her to yesod, looking up towards the practices of adepts in tiphereth.

The rituals are really templates for the real work anyway. The pentagram for example is a dramatic expression of the 5 elements, but the real work is not so much playing with these images in the ritual, but of putting what you learn into practice to actually balance out your earth bodily drives, your water emotional drives, air intellectual drives, and fire your need to express your ideals, all of which are expressions of the unifying spirit.

The same is true of the planetary attributes, but these balance to the sun, ie tiphereth and this is attained by the adept, and via the hexagram ritual. The true complement of the adept grade however is the unification of the spirit with the sun, the 5 elements with the 6 planets. And this is the roseycross ritual. There is no concern that practice of this ritual will produce any strong results, until the planets and elements are balance, so i suggested its study after familiarity with the hexagram.

You are ready for the HGA when you find your balance in tiphereth, realize the lunar persona as a shifting of shadows across the surface of the inner self, but still realize those shadows are the play of light from another source and this lunar self is only the receiving vessel, of a higher light. The rite then is to focus on that light, fill yourself with it, dive away all shadows, ie strip yourself of all persona and self image, all conditioned ideas. And call that light to manifest itself to you, as the form of your own ideals self. The. You establish a relation to that ideal, that helps guide your actions and behavior to become that image in practice as In ideals. The aim of the rose and cross ritual is to unify the persona and the ideal HGA. That is to unite sun and moon, tiphereth and yesod. And move your perspective self image to the solar.

Knowledge + Delight

Thanks for all the feedback!
Definitely a lot to digest - I'll begin the recommend reading.

I had actually already begun the Liber Resh adorations a few weeks ago. It seemed like a good starting point, glad to have that suspicion re-enforced.
Oddly enough, I've actually been 'unofficially' performing a form of solar adoration with some verses from 'the egyptian book of the dead', on and off, for about 20 years now.
Imagine my surprise when I discover those very same verses are repeated in Liber Resh. Now to just make it 'ritual'.

Thanks again guys... I'll be lurking around here for a while yet