What does it mean to do planet work
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Hello everyone, I'm new here, I thank you all in advance for the help you'll probably be giving me over the years as I progress in my learning of the arts.
I've been seeing "Saturn Work" in various places and I'd like some help in understanding how to do Saturn Work and planetary work in general. I'm interestes in the work and specifically Saturn work as apparently working with Saturn is important on many levels. At this time I just don't know at all what I'd do.
Any ideas, suggestions and help are appreciated, and I thank you.
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Welcome.
It depends on what you're up to. Why are you particularly interested in planetary work?
I should probably add that if you're on a level where you know little or nothing about this kind of working, then you probably don't need it yet. Sorry about the generic answer, but your question was also generic.
The basics are in Liber O.Love is the law, love under will.
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I don't normally use that phrase or come across it but it sounds familiar enough. If I were to want to kicks some ass, get down and beat the shit out of someone, that would be pretty Martian and I would make sure I wore red, burned red candles all day, burned tobacco for incense and rubbed it all over me, made sigils using Martian squares, invoked the angels and demons of Mars, had a five sided altar, maybe in a five sided temple, used a wand of oak, might even dare myself to bath (without water) in a pile of nettle!
That would be how I'd work Mars before coming to kick your ass.
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Working with a planet is basically attuning yourself, through the proper mystical and magical means, with that aspect of conscience that we call, for example, saturnine.
If well done it unveils and strengths aspects of yourself that are related to the aspect you are working with.
The general advice is to work with elements first than move towards the planets. The work should be done with careful vigilance of oneself to avoid bringing inner unbalance.
If possible, take a look at Liber Librae for some fine ideas on the matter of inner balance.
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Correct me if I am wrong: Are you referencing talk of the Path of Tav (which is associated with Saturn) ?
As direct Work with the planets, I say, is that of the Adepts
A beginners Work is with the Elements -
The Aspirant needing to learn to craft the Elements,
Before attempting to manipulate Planets which each include a subset of the Elemental Hierachy -
@Patrick Ossoski said
"Why are you particularly interested in planetary work?
I should probably add that if you're on a level where you know little or nothing about this kind of working, then you probably don't need it yet.
The basics are in Liber O."Thank you Patrick. Recently I ran software that gave me my natal chart and I also spoke to an Astrologer, who briefly looked at my chart, and saw that Saturn was slightly afflicted. Saturn opposed Midheaven and was Trine with Uranus. (I'll note for everyone here, for no real apparent reason on my part that in my chart Saturn is also in Gemini).
So seeing that Saturn was somewhat afflicted, I decided to look up what that meant, and in my searches found that if a planet is afflicted, you can do work on the planet.
Now you say if I don't know about this kind of working I probably don't need it yet and others who have responded have said that I should start with the elements. If that's the case, some help with learning how to do that would be appreciated as well.
Thank you
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@Takamba said
"I don't normally use that phrase or come across it but it sounds familiar enough. If I were to want to kicks some {}, get down and beat the (*) out of someone, that would be pretty Martian and I would make sure I wore red, burned red candles all day, burned tobacco for incense and rubbed it all over me, made sigils using Martian squares, invoked the angels and demons of Mars, had a five sided altar, maybe in a five sided temple, used a wand of oak, might even dare myself to bath (without water) in a pile of nettle!
That would be how I'd work Mars before coming to kick your {***}."
Takamba, I have to thank you! I know you're not kidding and if you are than someone correct me, but your response really actually made sense. I'd presume I'd channel some mental energy in there too.
Either way, your response kind of answered a lot of my questions.
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@Faus said
"Working with a planet is basically attuning yourself, through the proper mystical and magical means, with that aspect of conscience that we call, for example, saturnine."
Yes and I think that's also what Takamba was alluding too, correct me if I'm wrong, but through 'proper', or maybe more established means. From everyone's responses Liber O seems to be the way to go, and the proper means of helping me learn to attune myself - am I right?
@Faus said
"If well done it unveils and strengths aspects of yourself that are related to the aspect you are working with."
Could you elaborate a bit on the above quote Faust?
@Faus said
"The general advice is to work with elements first than move towards the planets. The work should be done with careful vigilance of oneself to avoid bringing inner unbalance.
If possible, take a look at Liber Librae for some fine ideas on the matter of inner balance."
When working with the elements, should I start with Liber Librae or Liber 0?
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@Uni_Verse said
"Correct me if I am wrong: Are you referencing talk of the Path of Tav (which is associated with Saturn) ?"
Do you mean as in the 32nd path? Well actually I was directly, or I should say I didn't know/remember they were associated, but then yes, I believe I am.
@Uni_Verse said
"As direct Work with the planets, I say, is that of the Adepts
A beginners Work is with the Elements -
The Aspirant needing to learn to craft the Elements,
Before attempting to manipulate Planets which each include a subset of the Elemental Hierachy"OK so working the planets would be in a way or form of manipulating them, am I correct?
OK so from all the responses, Uni_Verse if you could give me an understanding, even of how I should be beginning my treading on the 32nd path, how I would start elemental work and which book, Liber O or Liber Librae.
Everyone, forgive me if I sound like I have no clue what I'm talking about, I'm fairly new and so I don't have all the terms in order...
Thanks everyone!
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@1614 said
"OK so working the planets would be in a way or form of manipulating them, am I correct?"
It generally means a method of aligning yourself with the nature of a particular planet or all the planets. Once you are thus aligned, there are several ways it can go ("manipulating them" is only one); but that's the core idea.
"Everyone, forgive me if I sound like I have no clue what I'm talking about, I'm fairly new and so I don't have all the terms in order..."
Well, that might suggest, then, that this is premature - that you need some seasoning before stepping up into the bigger leagues.
If you want to learn principles and approaches to composing magick ritual, and the various hierarchies of the planets and other principles, you might want to get my book 776 1/2. It's the best book I know on those particular subjects. <!-- w --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.thelema.org/publications">www.thelema.org/publications</a><!-- w -->
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@1614 said
"Now you say if I don't know about this kind of working I probably don't need it yet and others who have responded have said that I should start with the elements. If that's the case, some help with learning how to do that would be appreciated as well. "
How much experience do you have with the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram? (Also, again Liber O is the main reference.)
"From everyone's responses Liber O seems to be the way to go, and the proper means of helping me learn to attune myself - am I right?"
Mostly. Yes.
"When working with the elements, should I start with Liber Librae or Liber 0?"
Liber O. Librae isn't about techniques/rituals, though you should by all means read that too.
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@1614 said
"Do you mean as in the 32nd path? Well actually I was directly, or I should say I didn't know/remember they were associated, but then yes, I believe I am. "
Yes, the 32nd Path, the Path of Tav.
@1614 said
"OK so working the planets would be in a way or form of manipulating them, am I correct?"
More a manipulation of the energies and their influence than the Planet itself.
Though, as stated earlier it is advanced Work relative to your current position.@1614 said
"OK so from all the responses, Uni_Verse if you could give me an understanding, even of how I should be beginning my treading on the 32nd path, how I would start elemental work and which book, Liber O or Liber Librae. "
My personal suggestion, going by your statement you are a complete beginner:
Start reading the Student curriculum of the A.'.A.'., while beginning a simple practice of some breathing or concentration exercises and the practice detailed in Liber Resh.You may have to do some Work finding the Path before you can walk it.
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Patrick, I have the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram memorized in word and movements, but that's pretty much it. I kind of don't really know why I'm doing it but I try to do it once a day. It does feel good to do.
All and all I want to say thank you to everyone who responded because you've given me some great help and direction. I'm moving forward and will obviously return in the future for more assistance and enlightenment.
Thank you everyone.
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@1614 said
"Patrick, I have the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram memorized in word and movements, but that's pretty much it. I kind of don't really know why I'm doing it but I try to do it once a day. It does feel good to do."
Before trying anything specifically elemental you should perform the LRP daily for six months or so. Get used to the Banishing ritual and then include the Invoking. It may seem tiresome, but this ritual really is the foundation.
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@1614 said
"Patrick, I have the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram memorized in word and movements, but that's pretty much it. I kind of don't really know why I'm doing it but I try to do it once a day. It does feel good to do.
"There is no reason to stop.
Doing an exercise or two before hand shall assist in the performance.I highly recommend Resh.
Also, I second Patrick in saying you should perform the LBRP for at least six months before moving onto any Elemental Work -
Well I want to thank everyone again. I gotta tell ya this is no easy path...trying to understand everything, why to do anything, when to and so much more gets confusing but I know a time will get when I 'get my head around it'.
Well rather than start a new thread I suppose it would be better to ask one last question here, concerning the LBP - either the banishing or invoking - can someone tell me why I'm doing this?
As in why or when should or would one do the banishing or invoking ritual? Could it just be used as like a morning and evening prayer/meditation? Should either one of them be done before other work?
If I have more questions I'll start a new thread. Thanks again everyone.
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@1614 said
"Well rather than start a new thread I suppose it would be better to ask one last question here, concerning the LBP - either the banishing or invoking - can someone tell me why I'm doing this?"
Things I can think of on the spot: it brings Light down and grounds you; it establishes the Cross, the pentagrams etc in your aura; it teaches you how to vibrate Divine Names and align your consciousness to these principles; it being a basic yet complete and powerful ritual, prepares you to undertake other workings in the future; it purifies and cleanses your aura, and empowers you gradually as a whole.
"As in why or when should or would one do the banishing or invoking ritual? Could it just be used as like a morning and evening prayer/meditation? Should either one of them be done before other work?"
Morning and evening is a good approach. And yes, you will probably want to use the LBRP before other stuff almost always.
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@Patrick Ossoski said
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Morning and evening is a good approach. And yes, you will probably want to use the LBRP before other stuff almost always."Thank you Patrick, and so I presume the other stuff would be things like other rituals or meditation. Correct me if I'm wrong.
Thank you everyone!
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@1614 said
"Well rather than start a new thread I suppose it would be better to ask one last question here, concerning the LBP - either the banishing or invoking - can someone tell me why I'm doing this?"
That's a damn good question, and at this early phase of your study of Thelema (I'm assuming you're also interested in Thelema and not strictly ritual magick, though I could be mistaken), you would do very well to start developing a sharp, inquisitive, skeptical nature.
Why should you do some of these practices that people will recommend to you? What is it that they do? More important, how do people know that these practices actually do accomplish what they supposedly do?
These aren't idle questions. The worst thing you can do is to do something because you think you're "supposed" to do it or because "everyone says to do it." That's the easiest way to slip into a pattern of just blindly engaging in practices based on nothing more than the say-so of people who (for all you know) don't know any better than you do. Beware especially of answers that sound nice but that also don't really convey any information. "This ritual draws down the divine light" sounds awfully impressive, but what in the world does it mean?
My answer to the question you asked is that you're doing the LBRP to impress certain ideas on your mind, and that studying these ideas (as well as keeping them in the back of your head) is conducive to attainment. You can read more about the ritual in my essay on the subject: thelema-and-skepticism.blogspot.com/2012/07/on-lesser-banishing-ritual-of-pentagram.html
But really, the best answer is one you gave yourself: you enjoy how it feels to perform the ritual. That's a perfectly valid reason to perform it every day. Even if it does nothing -- or close to nothing -- in terms of attainment, you would be perfectly within your rights to say, "I like how it feels to do this ritual, so I'm gonna do it!"