Apo pantos kakodaimonos - question
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Lately I have been pondering the second opening line from the Star Ruby “Apo pantos kakodaimonos!” I read Jim’s analysis of the Star Ruby, noting this line was taken from the Greek Orthodox Church. The English translation is “Away (from here) every evil spirit”. In this sense the command has an exorcising/banishing mandate.
However I read another explanation from someone who suggested the meaning of this line should be, while not the literal Greek, “Get behind me all evil spirits!” The original phrase comes from Jesus telling Peter "Get thee behind me Satan". Without getting into Christian theology, my question is this:
Is there not a profound principle involved in commanding evil spirits to stop obstructing and get behind the adept and serve the fulfillment of his True Will? Namely the memories of past ordeals and negative events can and should be harnessed to drive one’s True Will forward - simply because we do not wish to repeat the past?
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The Star Ruby is a fun ritual to play around with, like I did in the beginning.
Perhaps try leaving it out or substituting different English words and see what happens. -
One and the same.
A good translation of the phrase would be 'Away and behind every evil spirit', which is effectively synonymous with 'Get thee behind me, Satan' (!)
This confirms for me how this is primarily an Adept's ritual. Before K&C of HGA, one wouldn't have much clout in commanding Infernal entities to stand back and do your bidding (cf. final stage of the Book of Abramelin).
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kako in kakodaimonos means - in disorder, that which is not in harmony (and I think it literally means ugly..?). I connect it to the concept of dukh in yoga, as opposed to sukh - meaning: in it's proper place, alligned with the rest of the universe, etc
and here's what Dictionary.com says about the prefix apo-:
*a prefix occurring originally in loanwords from Greek, where it was joined to verbs, deverbal forms, and other parts of speech. Among its functions in Greek, apo- has the spatial sense “away, off, apart” ( apogee; apocope; apostasy; apostrophe ); it occurs with deverbals that denote a response or defense ( apodosis; apology ) and is found on verbs having perfective force relative to a corresponding simple verb ( apoplexy; aposiopesis ). In modern scientific coinages in English and other languages, apo- marks things that are detached, separate, or derivative ( apocarpous; apoenzyme ). *so a simple translation would be: depart, all you evil spirits!
you have to be in a position to say such words, which means - 'be somewhere' where you can look upon the disordered and recognize them as such and command them (to depart, as in this ritual, or something else) -- so it's clear that those words can be effectively uttered only from the center - the Sun.
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Thanks for comments. I was thinking precisely of the Abramelin operation when asking this question. The comment about commanding from the position of the Sun seems to be saying a similar thing. Interestingly I have recently been carrying out solar operations.
I have no idea whether Crowley designed the Star Ruby for the 5=6 grade, but the sense of "get behind me", as opposed to "away from here", resonates with my current understanding of past ordeals. It took me several years to understand the information contained in them. I don't pretend to know what the 5=6 grade entails, but can see a semblance of what I'm suggesting operating on a microcosmic level in the daimonic quality of someone who is really motivated or driven in a particular area. Artists and geniuses learn somehow to channel or harness their own demons, which imbues their activity with an extraordinary quality. If those forces turn against the person, they obstruct and destroy him. But if understood properly and harnessed, they become dynamos in the service of the person's True Will. Just to be clear, I am not referring to using the Goetia to invoke spirits to one's bidding per se, but rather thinking of various events that happen to us and how we make sense of them - especially when we come to realize that nothing happens by chance. Both positive and negative experiences can motivate a person and both can be harnessed toward the fullfillment of a single purpose.
It reminds me of these lines from Goethe:
Faust:
*Well now, who are you then?
*
Mephistopheles:
Part of that Power which would
The Evil ever do, and ever does the Good. -
Star Ruby is a geburan ritual, it corresponds to 6=5 work more than that of 5=6
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@danica said
"Star Ruby is a geburan ritual, it corresponds to 6=5 work more than that of 5=6"
Thanks. Can you provide a source for that?
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I didn't have in mind a specific reference. it is an obvious correspodence.
see any summary for the 6=5 Grade -
@danica said
"I didn't have in mind a specific reference. it is an obvious correspodence.
see any summary for the 6=5 Grade"Danica, I can easily see the arguement that the use of the pentagram per se - in this ritual or another - has symbolic connections to Geburah. Easy call.
I don't, however, see the point it looks like you're making here. Could you itemize a point or two?
If all you mean by "it's a Geburah ritual" is that the pentagram is an expression of the power of the number 5 and related ideas, I agree.
On a different angle, I regard it especially as a 5=6 themed ritual because of the structure and process of the ceremony.
I'm sure I could argue that it is themed to some other part of the Tree based on other arguements - or, actually, other ways of viewing it (meaning other things). I have easy arguments for it being of Malkuth and Binah, for example.
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A little to the side, but of a different question.
Can this verbal spell be used to clear an area of negative/evil spirits? (I had to asked)
Of someone not of 5=6? Also like the Enochian hekas hekas este bebeloi?And I feel some difference in the use of (evil spirits depart from here), as apposed to having them (stand) behind you.
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@Alias55A said
"Can this verbal spell be used to clear an area of negative/evil spirits? (I had to asked)"
Sure.
"Of someone not of 5=6? Also like the Enochian hekas hekas este bebeloi?
It's not really limited to 5=6. It's more like that's the formula of the ritual (starting from Tiphereth, extending yourself first downward then upward, etc.). -
Thanks Jim
A more precise question relating, when Apo pantos kakodaimons is used, would it make the negativity/spirits flee? Or force them to back you up? If used as apart of a general banishing of a working space...
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The purpose is to disperse them - to make them go away.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"
I don't, however, see the point it looks like you're making here. Could you itemize a point or two?If all you mean by "it's a Geburah ritual" is that the pentagram is an expression of the power of the number 5 and related ideas, I agree."
not any specific point besides the obvious connection.
you're right, the structure of the ritual itself is not Geburah-related per se!
but it does look & feel much more martial than LBRP to me. perhaps because it starts with the curse - and it's called Star Ruby -
@Alias55A said
"Thanks Jim
A more precise question relating, when Apo pantos kakodaimons is used, would it make the negativity/spirits flee? Or force them to back you up? If used as apart of a general banishing of a working space..."
It's my opinion that the first "APO PANTOS..." is more of a warning to leave before you forcefully banish them. You then proceed to elevate your state of consciousness through the use of the NOX signs, which figuratively take you across the abyss. There are a number of aspects of this ritual that express 2=0 as well, such as "IO PAN," wherein you move from a state of duality (IO) to unity (PAN = the All), which is important. Once you elevate your consciousness through the rest of the ritual, you are in a position of authority, in a spiritual sense, wherein your final "APO PANTOS..." will actually command spirits/whatever to leave.
I agree with Jim on all points: you do not have to be 5=6 to perform the ritual effectively, though the symbolism of this grade is included in the ritual. If you look at an actual star ruby, they are a red (5 - geburah) stone that reflects light in the form of a six pointed star, making a nice symbol for the 5=6 formula. The Geburah symbolism does not require you to be at that level of initiation. Rather, take a look at the symbolism of Geburah and how it relates to the Star Ruby. Unlike the LBRP, the Star Ruby is very martial and forceful in its mechanism.
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I always had the feeling during practice that the initial "Apos Pantos" was dispersing unbalanced energies and entities, whereas the final one is a command (now that the practitioner is more elevated) to have all forces be "at one's back".
Additionally, I must agree that the Star Ruby sure feels like Geburah, regardless of whether or not I could mentally place a banishing ritual in one single Sephiroth or not.
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I've used this formula as suggested by Crowley in 8 Lectures to great affect. I suggest it to people as a way to bring their own negative thoughts back in line, a sort of NLP approach.