What does it mean to do planet work

Jim Eshelman

"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. <a class="postlink" href="http://www.thelema.org/publications">www.thelema.org/publications</a>

Anonymous

@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.

Uni_Verse

@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.

1614

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.

Anonymous

@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.

Uni_Verse

@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

1614

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.

Anonymous

@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.

1614

@Patrick Ossoski said

"
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!

Anonymous

Yes, that's what I meant.

Los

@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!"

1614

Well thank you Los, and I will read your essay - and to answer your question yes I am following a Thelemic Spark!