Differences and blinds.
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93!
I thought this might be an interesting topic to start off with. I was reading Dion Fortune's Applied Magic, the essay entitled The Occult field today. and came upon these statements: "he (Crowley) uses 11 instead of 10 as the basis of his batteries of knocks in the magical ceremonies, and 11 is the number of the Qliphoth... a battery of 11, therefore, is an invocation of the Qliphoth." Also: "Crowley gives the North as the holy point towards which the operator turns to invoke, instead of the East... the North is called "place of greatest symbolic darkness." I was wondering what light or opinions people might be shed on this. I have my own, just curious to see what might come up!
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MQL -
I regard Dion Fortune as being a magician of quite low attainment... except for her "good stuff", then she's invaluable.
Actually, I'm interested if anyone has an answer to the part about 11 knocks (I always just assumed it was from ABRAHADABRA being the word of the Aeon).
as for Invoking in the North. Does she say what ritual this is from?Amor es la ley, amor bajo voluntad.
Frater D.A. -
@MQL said
"I was reading Dion Fortune's Applied Magic, the essay entitled The Occult field today. and came upon these statements: "he (Crowley) uses 11 instead of 10 as the basis of his batteries of knocks in the magical ceremonies, and 11 is the number of the Qliphoth... "
This was clearly Fortune's position - and it comes directly from a paper from the 4=7 Grade of the original Golden Dawn, reinforced by the Tarot card lecture in the 27th Path portion of the 4=7 ceremony. (11 as "when you overshoot the 10," or "the next step lower than Malkuth," etc.)
She was, of course, entitled to repeat this opinion as she saw fit.
One might even stand behind it if the 11 ideas were the numbers 1 through 11. However, the 11-fold reality of Crowley's system consists of the 11 numbers 0 through 10.
"a battery of 11, therefore, is an invocation of the Qliphoth." "
That would be true, of course, if the original premise were true.
It wasn't what AC intended, though. Another important part of his model - especially relevant to knocks (see Cap. X of MT&P) - arose from the G.D. grade enumerations, which (other than 0=0) were always two numbers adding to 11. (This nomenclature is preserved in the A.'.A.'..) Various knocks, symbolic of different parts of the Tree, were arranged in varying proportions of 11. For example, the knock 3-5-3, or "5 within 6," is a symbol especially of the 5=6 Grade.
If one is to take this as Qlippothic, btw, one would seem required to apply the same assessment to the Aurum Solis model - since they end all of their practical workings with the 3-5-3 knock as well!
"Also: "Crowley gives the North as the holy point towards which the operator turns to invoke, instaed of the East... the North is called "place of greatest symbolic darkness.""
Where did he do this?
Ah, I just realized... From anyplace in Great Britain south of Loch Ness, Boleskine was in the north. I wonder if this is actually the result of Fortune being on hand when her friend and mentor Crowley was performing some particular work for which he turned to the Kiblah of his religion.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Various knocks, symbolic of different parts of the Tree, were arranged in varying proportions of 11. For example, the knock 3-5-3, or "5 within 6," is a symbol especially of the 5=6 Grade."
Thanks for explanation. I've wondered what the significance of the knock is everytime I do 'Will'
"Also: "Crowley gives the North as the holy point towards which the operator turns to invoke, instaed of the East... the North is called "place of greatest symbolic darkness.""
@Jim Eshelman said
"Where did he do this?
Ah, I just realized... From anyplace in Great Britain south of Loch Ness, Boleskine was in the north. I wonder if this is actually the result of Fortune being on hand when her friend and mentor Crowley was performing some particular work for which he turned to the Kiblah of his religion."Still not convinced Jim....if the East is symbolic of the entry of Solar energy into the world then why wouldn't he point in that direction? And why would Boleskine be an acceptable substitute?
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Frater C.I.
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@Frater C.I. said
"Still not convinced Jim....if the East is symbolic of the entry of Solar energy into the world then why wouldn't he point in that direction? And why would Boleskine be an acceptable substitute?"
No need to be convinced - I was just answering a questin
There is a passage in Liber Legis (actually, a combination of inferences from several passages) which Crowley interpreted to mean that Boleskine was located at the geographical point on earth (Loch Ness) from which the New Aeon spiritual energies would emanate. In the 1990s this would have been called a "psychic hot spot" on the earth. Loch Ness has long been regarded as one of the most intensely concentrated magical spots on the planet. The idea that it might have been the particular characteristic of being that magical hot-spot from which spiritual energies of the New Aeon burst forth for the planet is at least a reasonable possibility, given other principles. Compare the Islamic practice of directing all prayers to Mecca, no matter where in the world one is located - and, similarly Boleskine was the home of the prophet of Thelema. Only Cairo (the place of the actual delivery of Liber Legis for have so strong a theoretical relationship in Thelema to the Prophet to whom the gods delivered their new spiritual message and scripture.
ALl of that is aside from the question of whether this reasonable theoretical possibility is an actuality, and that question can only be determined in practice.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"The idea that it might have been the particular characteristic of being that magical hot-spot from which spiritual energies of the New Aeon burst forth for the planet is at least a reasonable possibility, given other principles. Compare the Islamic practice of directing all prayers to Mecca, no matter where in the world one is located"
This is a good point and it's always the way I pictured it. The Muslim, in fact, faces the "black stone" in the kaaba located in the heart of the Masjid al Haram Mosque in Mecca. By the same token, Thelemites facing Loch Ness are facing the "abstruction" of the Stele of Revealing that (supposedly) once occupied Boleskine House.
I believe this practice goes back to dynastic Egypt, specifically the astonomical temples, which contained an icon of a god that was supposedly charged by the light of a particular star. This energy than radiated out from the idol itself.
Parenthetically, the astronomical temple of Horus at Edfu is the only one in Egypt which still contains its icon.
Dan