LBRP

Heru

@Jim Eshelman said

"(The only problem I see with the list you have is that a Caduceus for Raphael links him with Mercury. While an angel named Raphael is the angel of Mercury, he isn't the archangel. Raphael is the name of the archangel of the Sun and Tiphereth. Sounds like maybe a bit of Mr. Gray in your reading?)"

Actually I've never read any of William Gray's books.

I believe the Raphael + Caduceus thing comes from Israel Regardie. His modern day heirs, the Cicero's, use it in all their books and claim that Regardie stressed to them the importance of not confusing the Sephirotic, Planetary, and Elemental hierarchies.
As I understand it Regardies/Cicero's use of Raphael+caduceus is meant to emphasise the Sephirotic aspect. They point out that Rapael is both a healer and teacher of the Hermetic arts as well as a mediator. All these things are associated with the sephira Tiphareth.

This confuses me because I would have thought that the elemental aspect would be more appropriate. That's why I think the symbolism of the Air dagger is more fitting in the context of the pentagram ritual.

On a similar note, I've seen an Archangelic variation that uses the symbolism of the Kerubs. Michael with a Lions head, Auriel with Bulls head etc., etc. I'm not sure how valid this is though. I thought the Kerubs were lower down the hierarchy than the Archangels.

Jim Eshelman

@Her said

"On a similar note, I've seen an Archangelic variation that uses the symbolism of the Kerubs. Michael with a Lions head, Auriel with Bulls head etc., etc. I'm not sure how valid this is though. I thought the Kerubs were lower down the hierarchy than the Archangels."

Yes, the Kerubs are the presiding powers over the Yetziratic realm - top rank of Yetzirah. And they could be used themselves for warding the quarters in various ways. But I think it would confuse things to try to fit the archangelic essences into Kerubic forms

Chris Hanlon

Jim said, "While an angel named Raphael is the angel of Mercury, he isn't the archangel. Raphael is the name of the archangel of the Sun and Tiphereth."

I didn't know that. There are two Raphaels? Is this only in Thelema? The Archangel Raphael has a younger cousin in Yetzirah?
Thanks,
chrys333

Jim Eshelman

@Chris Hanlon said

"Jim said, "While an angel named Raphael is the angel of Mercury, he isn't the archangel. Raphael is the name of the archangel of the Sun and Tiphereth."

I didn't know that. There are two Raphaels? Is this only in Thelema? The Archangel Raphael has a younger cousin in Yetzirah? "

No, not only in Thelema. It's a general issue in Qabalistic magick overall.

I leave as undetermined the question: Is Raphael, Archangel of Air, the same as Raphael, Archangel of Tiphereth. In practice, I treat the question as convenient in the moment.

But we do find the name Raphael - Reysh Peh Alef Lamed - used in at least three separate ways: as the Archangel of Air, the Archangel of the Sun (and, thus, of Tiphereth), and the Angel of Mercury.

We also find the name Mikhael - Meym Yod Kaf Alef Lamed - used in at least three separate ways: As the Archangel of Fire, the Archangel of Mercury (and, thus, of Hod), and the Angel of the Sun.

Malaclypse

Another question about the LBRP, specifically the order of the god names. If Eheieh is the name of Kether, which is the highest and the first, and if magick should be played as safe as possible without any contamination from anything lower before the highest has been formulated, then why does the ritual begin with east and YHVH?

Jim Eshelman

@Malaclypse said

"Another question about the LBRP, specifically the order of the god names. If Eheieh is the name of Kether, which is the highest and the first, and if magick should be played as safe as possible without any contamination from anything lower before the highest has been formulated, then why does the ritual begin with east and YHVH?"

Any Atziluthic Name is as "high" as any other. Think of them as all converging on the North Pole where there is both no geographic longitude and all geographic longitudes. Vibrating a specific sort of determines which way you're going to face in stepping off the North Pole into a particular longitude. That is, it "initializes" the chain or hierarchy of Names descending the planes along a particular line.

The ritual begins in the East because, on all parts of the globe where the Sun or any other body rises, all celestial light literally originates in the east.

As for the sequence of the names in the ritual, that's (somewhat regretably to me) one of the few Qabalistic basics that I'm under firm promise not to disclose openly. By a personal promise to the person from whom I learned it, I can't even disclose it to the First Order of Temple of Thelema. I can't even disclose it to a member of the A.'.A.'. per se. The only circumstance under which I can disclose it is to a Second Order T.'.O.'.T.'. member. (I didn't create the terms, I accepted them.) I am at liberty to say that the Names in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram have nothing at all to do with direction and everything whatsoever to do with sequence (as you seem to have discerned or intuited). The information isn't published anywhere per se, but, with a lot of work, can be extracted from a few core sentences in a relatively rare 13th Century Kabbalistic work, and the key is wholly persuasive.

Malaclypse

Thanks for the answer, Jim! Now of course I will probably spend whatever time it takes me to solve that mystery.

Jim Eshelman

@Malaclypse said

"Thanks for the answer, Jim! Now of course I will probably spend whatever time it takes me to solve that mystery. "

I wouldn't want or expect anything different

Malaclypse

But this exact thing touches the core of why I love magick: the never ending mystery, though thanks for yet another little clue, I suppose.
It was btw sooo irresistible to say "yes, yes, I understand you can't disclose it to the A.'.A.'., but you can still tell me, right?" but it seems like bad taste to write that without the frame of a "was almost going to".

jmiller

This thread just won't die.

Going back to the very beginning of the thread and the issue of the sephira...

I just read v.I, n.1 of In the Continuum. Soror Meral, in her letter on the LBRP, reprints Crowley's "Notes on the Ritual of the Pentagram". I imagine she would've been one of those among whom this "Note" orginally circulated. In introducing it, she suggests that the Note is not actually on the LBRP, but is an instruction for a variation on or alternative to the LBRP, which she refers to as a "Thelemic Ritual of the Pentagram" (see her quote below). In this variation, you place yourself at the intersection of Samekh and Pe.

So perhaps there is no need to try to explain how, for example, both Hod and Earth could correspond to the North. Is there anything on the provenance or intent of the Note that I'm missing or misunderstanding?

@Soror Meral said

"
I am going to add some "Notes on the Ritual of the Pentagram" by Crowley, which I believe have not been published elsewhere but which had circulated in O.T.O. Lodges. I might also add that this version of the Lesser Banishing Ritual is different from that used in the Golden Dawn and by various authors. ... These "Notes" by A.C. would be useful in certain types of magical work as they ask that you imagine you are standing on the Tree whereas in the usual type of work you need to imagine that you are the Tree itself."

Jim Eshelman

@jmiller said

"So perhaps there is no need to try to explain how, for example, both Hod and Earth could correspond to the North. Is there anything on the provenance or intent of the Note that I'm missing or misunderstanding?"

Her last (quoted) sentence simply refers to the fact that there are other rituals where one finds oneself at exactly the same juncture - the intersection of Samekh and Peh on the Tree.

BTW, it isn't "Hod and Earth... to the North." It's Hod to the South - hence Mikhael.

jmiller

@Jim Eshelman said

"
Her last (quoted) sentence simply refers to the fact that there are other rituals where one finds oneself at exactly the same juncture - the intersection of Samekh and Peh on the Tree."

But what about the earlier sentence when she refers to "this version" and says it's different than that used by the Golden Dawn?

@Jim Eshelman said

"
BTW, it isn't "Hod and Earth... to the North." It's Hod to the South - hence Mikhael."

From the "Notes":
You are facing Tiphareth (the Sun), thus on your right hand is Netzach (Venus), on your left hand Hod (Mercury), and behind you Yesod (the Moon).

That should put Hod to the north, unless Tiphareth is in the west.

Jim Eshelman

@jmiller said

"But what about the earlier sentence when she refers to "this version" and says it's different than that used by the Golden Dawn?"

I think this is just word choice. I've always understood that passage (and Soror Meral o nthe subject in general) to mean, "Now, the way Crowley tells us to do this is different from the way the Golden Dawn taught it."

"
@Jim Eshelman said
"BTW, it isn't "Hod and Earth... to the North." It's Hod to the South - hence Mikhael."

From the "Notes":
You are facing Tiphareth (the Sun), thus on your right hand is Netzach (Venus), on your left hand Hod (Mercury), and behind you Yesod (the Moon)."

I'm sure that's a typo in the original notes.

photogasm

After doing the Qabalistic Cross, the ritual (as instructed) states to turn to the East. What direction are you facing during the Cross? I always assumed East. Is this correct / most effective? Are the instructions to face East just redundant?

Also, what is the proper way to 'vibrate' the divine names? Judging by the description, no vocal sound is produced at all. Is the term vibration more referring to psychic / astral resonance? Or do you actually intone the names (since pronunciations are given)? If you intone, when? While you're drawing the pentagrams, or after (during the breathing)?

I get the impression that my LBRP could be more effective, and I am curious what others' experiences have been in this regard. I am by no means a master of this ritual.

Thank you for reading this post.

Jim Eshelman

@photogasm said

"After doing the Qabalistic Cross, the ritual (as instructed) states to turn to the East. What direction are you facing during the Cross? I always assumed East. Is this correct / most effective? Are the instructions to face East just redundant?"

What script are you citing? (Yes, you were facing East for the Qab Cross.)

"Also, what is the proper way to 'vibrate' the divine names? Judging by the description, no vocal sound is produced at all."

Most definitely there is sound. This is a complicated thing that I could probably write half an hour on, but the main detail is to find that point in your voice where a deep, resonant sound is produced that seems to strike the natural vibratory tone of your body. (Easy to recognize when you feel it, hard to describe in a brief response.) Give each syllable equal weight.

"Is the term vibration more referring to psychic / astral resonance?"

No, it's physical.

"Or do you actually intone the names (since pronunciations are given)? If you intone, when? While you're drawing the pentagrams, or after (during the breathing)?"

Yes, you intone. No, not while drawing them. You draw the figure, then bring your implement to its center and then vibrate the name.

"I get the impression that my LBRP could be more effective, and I am curious what others' experiences have been in this regard. I am by no means a master of this ritual."

Sounds like you could benefit from someone teaching you in person.

photogasm

I absolutely could benefit from personal training.

Thank you very much for your answers and your patience. This helps immensely.

EDIT:

I've been learning from MTP.

photogasm

I guess, also, that Liber O (page 615, Big Blue Book) confused me.

I'm having trouble figuring the order in which everything should be done.

Jim Eshelman

@photogasm said

"I guess, also, that Liber O (page 615, Big Blue Book) confused me.

I'm having trouble figuring the order in which everything should be done."

What does "everything" inlude? Do you just mean the steps within the Pentagram ritual, or do you mean the various different practices?

photogasm

The order of the steps within the ritual.

Qabalistic Cross.
Draw pentagram
Intone (vibrate) Divine Name
Is it here we do the process described in Liber O (Breathing in the name, Sign of the Enterer, Sign of Harpocrates, et al)? Is that process of vibration even applicable in this ritual, or is it used elsewhere primarily? This is what's hanging me up. Where this step goes in the order, indeed if it's even a step!
Invoke Archangels
Qabalistic Cross

YHVH

Let me cite here the vibration "rules" from Liber O:

"3. The Vibration of God-names. As a further means of identifying the human consciousness with that
pure portion of it which man calls by the name of some God, let him act thus:

("a") Stand with arms outstretched. ("See" illustration.)
("b") Breathe in deeply through the nostrils, imagining the name of the God desired entering with the
breath.
("c") Let that name descend slowly from the lungs to the heart, the solar plexus, the navel, the
generative organs, and so to the feet. {17}
("d") The moment that it appears to touch the feet, quickly advance the left foot about 12 inches,
throw forward the body, and let the hands (drawn back to the side of the eyes) shoot out, so that you
are standing in the typical position of the God Horus,["See" Illustration in Vol. I. No. 1, "Blind
Force."] and at the same time imagine the Name as rushing up and through the body, while you
**breathe it out through the nostrils **with the air which has been till then retained in the lungs. All this
must be done with all the force of which you are capable.
Then withdraw the left foot, and place the right forefinger upon the lips, so that you are in the
characteristic position of the God Harpocrates
It is a sign that the student is performing this correctly when a single "Vibration" entirely exhausts
his physical strength. It should cause him to grow hot all over, or to perspire violently, and it should
so weaken him that he will find it difficult to remain standing.
It is a sign of success, though only by the student himself is it perceived, when he hears the name
of the God vehemently roared forth, as if by the concourse of ten thousand thunders; and it should
appear to him as if that Great Voice proceeded from the Universe, and not from himself.
In both the above practices all consciousness of anything but the God-form and name should be
absolutely blotted out; and the longer it takes for normal perception to return, the better."

This woundn't produce sound, only nose-noise.
Is this method only for the Assumption of Godforms or something?