LBRP Evocation and communication with the angels
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@Kingsolomon said
"I have such a strong desire to Evoke
magicians keep telling me wait for a while.. But The urge is too strong, I want to open up the watchtower, and evoke something, "
That's the clear mark of a beginner. (Sorry if that was too blunt for you, but that, too, is a test of readiness.)
I used to say that you could always tell the beginner by their irrepressible interest in at least one of the following: Crossing the abyss, Enochian, evocation, or sex magick. I have come to understand that this is old time thinking, that I'm way behind the times, because, these days, beginners are usually irrepressibly interested in all of the above: Enochian evocation sex magick for crossing the abyss! (And take several strong mind-altering drugs with it to boot!)
Joking!
Seriously, this is a life-long undertaking. It is a spiritual path, for which evocation is simply one tool along the way. I know that I say this as an old guy who probably doesn't seem to understand anymore because 25 years ago he was doing the things you can't wait to do. Nonetheless, you asked for opinions so I'm giving one: Be patient!
It's a well-proven teaching that, if you want a specific magical power, you likely can get it, but your actual growth will hang or stumble at that exact point. In contrast, if the goal is personal development as part of a life-long spiritual quest, these powers arise spontaneously at the right point of ripeness, or are appointed at a specific time.
You're wanting to do something that needs a lot of preliminary practice, acquisition of skills, etc.
Let me give you one example of what I mean: Can you keep your mind from wandering? If you fix it on a given thought, can you keep it there? Are you subject to distraction and being "thrown." Are you gullible? Ifyour answer is No to either of the first two questions, or Yes to either of the second two, then you just aren't ready for this - the spirits will have their way with you! They play off every subtle shift in your thoughts and, unless you know and control your mind better than they do, you're leaving yourself open to some unfortunate experiences.
So, if you wish, take that as your first instruction in evocation - SERIOUSLY! (1) Learn to keep your mind from wandering. (2) Practice until you can fix your mind on a given thought and can you keep it there for long periods of time, e.g., on the same exact thought without interruption for 15 seconds and on the general subject matter for 5 minutes. (3) Examine yourself on gullibility and on what distracts you or knocks you off track. Get some serious life-experience, partricularly in the business world or in any area that involves crisis management so that you have no serious illusions about the difference between your fantasies and what is in front of your face requiring non-hesitant attention in the moment.
"I need some things done in my life in which to evoke some entities that can help me."
Ah, that's the goal. OK, I'm starting to understand.
Don't go that route! For one, with no more training and experience than you have, if you start using this method to produce practical life results, you are much more likely to produce the opposite effect - whatever would screw you up most at the moment.
The first approach in any such goal would be to take practical (non-magical) steps to resolve it.
If you then find that you still need magical assistance, you should use the methods of creative visualization. There is one superb instruction for this that surpasses all others - it is the "7 Steps" course from B.O.T.A. You get it during the first two months that you enroll in their correspondence courses. Sign up, read it, practice it every single day per the instructions. Give it 3-6 months before you come to any final conclusions. If you practice it, this will transform your life! PS - Don't worry if the concept seems basic - this course has the exact teaching that is left out of most advanced magical instruction, leading to failures in the advanced work. If you understand and practice this "7 Steps" technique, you usually won't need any other magick to produce results and, if you do feel you need other magick, you at least will have the key to make that other magick work correctly for you.
"Theres been some screwed up things going on, that, the LBRP does help me, and bannishes all negative forces, I've noticed that, in my life, but everytime I do it, I get the strong urge that tells me to communicate with an entity, it may help you get to the goal of your holy guardian angel. "
Yes, one definitely needs to develop discrimination in where the voice is coming from! The very first entity ever to break through my mind and tell me his name and that he was my Holy Guardian Angel was Abaddon, the demon of the pit!
(True story.) Fortunately I didn't take it completely seriously - the first and most important instruction in Liber O - and also I had a teacher who immediately recognized the name and set me right. All sorts of entities will try to communicate once you light yourself up on the inner planes. You need discrimination. -
@Kingsolomon said
"But how does everyone else do the LBRP, ive done it the normal way in Donald Michael Kraig's Modern Magick.
But someone show me again there way of doing LBRP [...]
Please answer my questions everyone.
The offical way to do the LBRP, which works?"(In everything that follow, if you haven't an implement, use your index finger.)
THE QABALISTIC CROSS
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Touching your forehead with your right forefinger, in-tone: ATTAH
(As you vibrate this word, see a blazing sphere of white brilliance a few inches above your head. This is the Kether center.) -
Touching your breast, intone: AIWASS
(As you lower your hand, see a shaft of white light descend from the Kether center to your heart.) -
Touching your genitals, intone: MALKUTH
(See the shaft of light descend from the heart to your feet.) -
Touching your right shoulder, intone: VE-GEVURAH
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Touching your left shoulder, intone: VE-GEDULAH
(As your hand moves from your right shoulder to the left, visualize a shaft of white light following the motion of the hand, forming the horizontal shaft of a Cross of Light.) -
Clasp your hands upon your breast, keeping the fingers open so that the fingers and thumb make five crosses; and hold your magical implement * by the hilt between the palms, point upward; then intone: LE-OLAHM
(Direct your attention to the center point of the Cross of Light, near your heart. From this point, feel yourself ex-panding to vast proportions.) -
INTONE: AMEN
THE PENTAGRAMS & DIVINE NAMES
[For the part that follows, only the Earth Pentagram is used. However, it isn't drawn in Earth-related colors and isn't intended to invoke or banish the Element Earth. Instead, it is being used as a generic pentagram , not specialized in any particular way.]
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Facing east, trace a banishing pentagram in the air before you, with the point of your magical implement, in electric blue flame. Point your implement toward the center of the pentagram. Intone: YOD HEH VAV HEH
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Turn south, holding your arm extended so as to trace a line from the center of the first pentagram to the point which will be the center of a pentagram in the south. Mentally see a line of electric blue fire traced by your implement. Facing south, trace another pentagram, point your implement toward its center, and intone: ADONAI
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Turn to the west, holding the implement extended as before, repeating the visualization of the line of blue flame. At the west, trace the pentagram, etc. Intone: EHEIEH
11 Move to the north and repeat with a fourth pentagram. Intone the sentence: ATTAH GIBBOR LE-OLAHM ADONAI
- Return to the east, tracing the line as before until it reaches the central point of the first pentagram and thus completes the circle.
INVOKING THE ARCHANGELS
Face east. Extend your arms at full length on either side, so that your body and arms form a cross, holding your implement point upward in your right hand. Intone the following:
Before me, RAPHÆL.
Behind me, GABRIEL.
On my right hand, MIKHÆL.
On my left hand, URIEL.
For about me flames the Pentagram,
And in the Column shines the six-rayed star.Visualize these four archangels as huge, robed, winged figures, adorned with the colors and emblems of their functions.
THE QABALISTIC CROSS
Repeat the formula of the Qabalistic Cross.
This completes the Lesser Pentagram Ritual.
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@Jim Eshelman said
" there never has been a significant uprising of interest in us expressed from England. So don't hold your breath and turn blue."
I won't. I'm sort of resigned to the fact that I've got to work on my own or not at all.
Although there's a very big pagan community in England the serious magical community is quite small. What I have been able to find is either Kaos/Kenneth Grant based or Christian leaning Golden Dawn. Jesus or Cthulhu isn't much of a choice.
In a moment of madness/desperation I actually contacted The Society of the Inner Light. I came back to my senses when they sent me a questionnaire that practically required me to write an essay on my drug use history, sex life, and morals. WTF?@Jim Eshelman said
"Keep working with all that. I think the focus should be on a combination of seeing things visualised with your eyes closed, and meditative practices that, starting with a quieted physical and psychological state, focus on drawing and then maintaining simple shapes."
OK, thanks for the advice Jim. I will devote this month to your suggestions and see how I get on.
I tried to invoke the four archangels with my eyes closed during the LBRP this evening, something I've never tried before, but found it even more difficult than with my eyes open! More frustration.
With my eyes open I have a spatial reference. I might not be able to see the angels, but I know where they are standing. But for some reason I find Raphael the most difficult and Gabriel the easiest. Crazy!
At least the pentagrams are easier with my eyes closed.
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@Her said
"I tried to invoke the four archangels with my eyes closed during the LBRP this evening, something I've never tried before, but found it even more difficult than with my eyes open! More frustration.
With my eyes open I have a spatial reference."When I was first learning the Pentagram Ritual, I took several weeks and began each practice session sitting facing each quarter in turn, and visualizing the archangels facing them, one at a time. Sit facing east, take as long as I need to visualize Raphael. Turn south, ditto with Mikhael, etc. Once I had them that way, then "popping them in" when I did the ritual was much easier.
"I might not be able to see the angels, but I know where they are standing."
That's good. You can also try something simpler at first, such as seeing them only as columns of brilliant light or flame in the corresponding colors, and not get anything anthropomorphic about them.
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Heru, 93,
"I tried to invoke the four archangels with my eyes closed during the LBRP this evening, something I've never tried before, but found it even more difficult than with my eyes open! More frustration. Rolling Eyes
With my eyes open I have a spatial reference. I might not be able to see the angels, but I know where they are standing. But for some reason I find Raphael the most difficult and Gabriel the easiest. Crazy!"Years ago, I was also finding Gabriel easy to see (it's still so) and Raphael tougher. But my real problem was Mikhael - couldn't see anything, nor feel it. I thought I'd try to break through the presumed barrier by chanting Mikhael's name and attempting to visualise him while sitting facing into the South.
After about five minutes of chanting while feeling nothing, I decided abruptly to quit what I thought was a futile effort. Instantly, the glass lamp on my altar cracked, and very loudly so. I yelled "Jesus!" in shock, though I don't think that would qualify me for the Society of the Inner Light.
The Mikhael contact was there all the time, of course, but I wasn't consciously attuned to it. When I cut the circuit, the energy, like electricity, naturally grounded itself through the appropriate (Fire) object on the altar
I finally realised that I was refusing to acknowledge the qualitative difference with Mikhael. But the main thing I learned that night was not to take conscious impressions at face value in magick. If certain procedures are followed properly, certain things happen in consequence, whatever the outer mind, with its various anxieties and prejudices, thinks is happening.
93 93/93,
Edward
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@Jim Eshelman said
"[For the part that follows, only the Earth Pentagram is used. However, it isn't drawn in Earth-related colors and isn't intended to invoke or banish the Element Earth. Instead, it is being used as a generic pentagram , not specialized in any particular way.]"
I've seen it written the reason why we use the Earth pentagram is because of the grounding nature of the ritual and with us living on Earth/Malkuth, it keeps out feet grounded while we do the ritual instead of invoking any unnecessary forces into the ritual. I think it was somewhere in Jerry Cornelius's writings that I saw this, so don't quote me on it, but it makes sense to me.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"When I was first learning the Pentagram Ritual, I took several weeks and began each practice session sitting facing each quarter in turn, and visualizing the archangels facing them, one at a time."
Thank you for sharing this Jim. I'm sure it will be very helpful. It seems so simple and obvious, but solutions are always that way.
@Jim Eshelman said
"You can also try something simpler at first, such as seeing them only as columns of brilliant light or flame in the corresponding colors, and not get anything anthropomorphic about them."
I am pretty sure this will be useful to me too. I came across this technique in a Donald Tyson book quite a few years ago but never really thought about it until now. When I first saw it I thought it was too simplistic. But that was the point of view of an arm chair magician.
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@Edward Mason said
"I finally realised that I was refusing to acknowledge the qualitative difference with Mikhael. But the main thing I learned that night was not to take conscious impressions at face value in magick. If certain procedures are followed properly, certain things happen in consequence, whatever the outer mind, with its various anxieties and prejudices, thinks is happening."
When I practice the LBRP the quarters I have the greatest response from are Water and Fire. Personally I find this quite odd. If I had to describe myself I would say I was a rational and down to earth Capricorn. Then why don't I connect with Air and Earth so well in the LBRP ? Is the mechanism of the ritual highlighting my character flaws / deficiencies? I certainly think so. When I really began to connect to the feeling of the archangels I found it very puzzling why Gabriel should be so strong when my natural inclination is toward Raphael/Air.
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@kuniggety said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"[For the part that follows, only the Earth Pentagram is used. However, it isn't drawn in Earth-related colors and isn't intended to invoke or banish the Element Earth. Instead, it is being used as a generic pentagram , not specialized in any particular way.]"I've seen it written the reason why we use the Earth pentagram is because of the grounding nature of the ritual and with us living on Earth/Malkuth, it keeps out feet grounded while we do the ritual instead of invoking any unnecessary forces into the ritual."
Yes, that explanation (or something similar) has been given. I think it is a sound explanation for why the Earth form of Pentagram is a suitable generic.
But the intention is very different when you are trying to invoke or banish energies specifically of the Element Earth vs. when you are doing a generic (non-specific) invoking or banishing. One of the ways to queue this to the psyche is to be sure not to use Earth colors, but to use the generic "astral witchfire" pale electric blue. You also need to understand the difference, to have the right intention in your mind.
I remember a student years ago who started working with the Pentagram ritual and, over the next six months, had all the practical affairs of his life disintegrate. He lost the ability to actually handle practical affairs. One day he said, "Hey, I just realized I've been banishing Earth for the last six months. No wonder!" I was taken quite off guard and told him, "Oh no, you aren't actually banishing Earth, are you? Your just doing the general Lesser Banishing Ritual that uses the Earth-shaped pentagram, but not with the idea of banishing Earth per se, right?" Turns out that, no, he quite specifically thougjht he was banishing Earth, and he got a real lesson from it.
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Heru, 93
"If I had to describe myself I would say I was a rational and down to earth Capricorn. Then why don't I connect with Air and Earth so well in the LBRP ? Is the mechanism of the ritual highlighting my character flaws / deficiencies? I certainly think so. When I really began to connect to the feeling of the archangels I found it very puzzling why Gabriel should be so strong when my natural inclination is toward Raphael/Air."
An off-the-top guess: I'm very much an Air person, which means, if we use something like the Jungian concept of the four functions, that Fire would be something I had more in subconsciousness. So, it was (and is) a potent element/energy for me.
Mayeb the element that is least real or complete or present for us on a conscious level is what comes through when we start to suspend the conscious, critical faculties, as in an LBRP? After all, the LBRP is a ritual of equilibration.
93 93/93,
Edward
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@Jim Eshelman said
"BTW, and I hate making too many predictions of things too far ahead, but in the last year there have been some very solid nibbles that would have us jumping the pod - but not into your area directly. There is a very good liklihood that Aspirants to Light will be opening a lodge in Scandinavia over the next year, and I've been assured that there is a very large block of hard-working people in one Eastern European area very interested in Temple of Thelema. If these leads develop, it would be over the next few years and, once there is a toe-hold on the continent, it makes it easier to make other things happen. But at the moment this is in the little-more-than-daydream stage, and there never has been a significant uprising of interest in us expressed from England. So don't hold your breath and turn blue
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
Which part of Eastern Europe? Let's we say that I a little know situation in some parts, in my to be more precise. Too much gossips and dirty works here. One other Order is just in process of Establishing the Logde in the south of Europe. Not so easy business. I am administrator of our local hermetic forum, and I can see various social games between people who try "eliminate" other people and take some leading possitions in this Order . Also, two times one Thelemic Order from USA tried to establish Temples here. Both times unsucesfully. Too much great promisses, too much pompeous announcing here, several Temples but without at least one ritual performed. Be very carefull with people from some parts of Eastern Europe. We aren't so good people sometimes
Of course, there are a lot of great people also. But history of occult orders is not so great here. There are good examples and there are bad ones. In this sense just be carefull, if it is not unpolite to give such kind of advices to you. If it is I apologise.Love is the law, love under will
B.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"But the intention is very different when you are trying to invoke or banish energies specifically of the Element Earth vs. when you are doing a generic (non-specific) invoking or banishing. One of the ways to queue this to the psyche is to be sure not to use Earth colors, but to use the generic "astral witchfire" pale electric blue. You also need to understand the difference, to have the right intention in your mind.
I remember a student years ago who started working with the Pentagram ritual and, over the next six months, had all the practical affairs of his life disintegrate. He lost the ability to actually handle practical affairs. One day he said, "Hey, I just realized I've been banishing Earth for the last six months. No wonder!" I was taken quite off guard and told him, "Oh no, you aren't actually banishing Earth, are you? Your just doing the general Lesser Banishing Ritual that uses the Earth-shaped pentagram, but not with the idea of banishing Earth per se, right?" Turns out that, no, he quite specifically thougjht he was banishing Earth, and he got a real lesson from it."
While I personally know the difference, I just wanted to note how you're such an eloquent writer. I trip over myself trying to describe things.
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@HPK said
"Which part of Eastern Europe?"
From your post, I'm sure you understand why I'm not giving details right now. It's too soon, and I had suspected some of the problems you mentioned.
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@kuniggety said
"While I personally know the difference, I just wanted to note how you're such an eloquent writer. I trip over myself trying to describe things."
Thanks <!-- s:L) --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/smile-l.gif" alt=":L)" title="Smile-L" /><!-- s:L) -->
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Hi,
not to distract the thread from present course, but, Jim, do you know anywhere else I would be able to find those 7steps you were talking about?I do not fit into the entrance requirements for B.O.T.A.
Thank you,
Kenneth -
@Techpries said
"not to distract the thread from present course, but, Jim, do you know anywhere else I would be able to find those 7steps you were talking about?
I do not fit into the entrance requirements for B.O.T.A."
Though there are illegal copies floating around that can be found, I can't ethically recommend those and haven't kept track of where they might be.
What entrance requirements don't you meet (if I might ask)? I can only think of age as one - since you're on the forum, you've indicated you're at 13 - are you perhaps under 18?
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I am 19, on their website they list their age requirement as 21.
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@Techpries said
"I am 19, on their website they list their age requirement as 21."
They're not going to ask for your birth certificate. If I were you, I'd simply send them a check and await delivery
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"I remember a student years ago who started working with the Pentagram ritual and, over the next six months, had all the practical affairs of his life disintegrate. He lost the ability to actually handle practical affairs. One day he said, "Hey, I just realized I've been banishing Earth for the last six months. No wonder!" I was taken quite off guard and told him, "Oh no, you aren't actually banishing Earth, are you? Your just doing the general Lesser Banishing Ritual that uses the Earth-shaped pentagram, but not with the idea of banishing Earth per se, right?" Turns out that, no, he quite specifically thougjht he was banishing Earth, and he got a real lesson from it."
I've been doing the LBRP for about almost 2 months now, and a few weeks ago, I said the same thing, THATS why I change my pentagram ritual, to banish each element according to the direction and the archangel.
If i visualize my archangels before i do the LBRP, there might be more result.
I need some personal instruction, I wish I could meet some fellow thelemites that would take the time to show me, sometimes my oasis in oto doesnt want to show me things, out in california and oregon they are willing to show me all I want to know. over east, where I live, they act like some .. well you know.what do you guys think about these comments
the standard LBRP is not banishing earth, it's a general banishing.neat..
Kingsolomon -
Jim, your posts here have been pure gold for me. Pun intended.
Another question along these lines for you, and anyone else, if you don't mind:
I've been practicing the Zelator Meditation of the Golden Dawn for about four months now. I'm noticing more and more often the visualization 'seeds' leading me down unexpected pathways. However, I seem to strafe a fine line between conscious visualization/meditation and subconscious sleep. Dipping in and out of the waters, so to speak. Is there a way to prevent this or is this the effect I should be looking for? If it is, is there a way for me to better remain conscious, and thus remember what I see when I exit the meditation?
Any help, advice you have along these lines would be great. As expressed recently in another thread, I too am having difficulty finding a satisfactory initiatory body near me. I've been diligent in my spiritual disciplines for years now, and the words of advice on the LBRP given earlier unlocked a doorway I've been patiently waiting on for years. I'm hoping for more fruit, difficult as it is to transmit through the written word.
Many, many, many thanks.
Humbly,
Jeff