Words of Power, Power of Words
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I recently read a practice in which (inter alia) one "vibrates" a divine Name. The author warned quite sternly that one should not vibrate the Name more than three times, as it had great power and doing so would be dangerous. On the other hand, In the Middle Pillar practice, Regardie recommends vibrating each Name many times, the more the merrier. (Or the more the holier, perhaps.) Devout Jews, whose divine Names are in question here, will not utter or write a Name once. (This actually is problematic for writers of Hebrew spell-check software.) Gabriella Samuel, in her invaluable Kabbalah Handbook, scolds occultists for thinking it permissible to even say the letters of the Tetragrammaton aloud. Somewhere, Crowley warns that people who use magick for non-spiritual ends will find themselves in trouble because in uttering divine Names they have invoked real powers.
So what's the deal, actually? How powerful is a divine Name inherently? Is there power in the Name itself, or does it only have power if it is uttered with the belief or intent that it have power? Is vibrating a Name good for the soul, or is it like playing with dynamite? Can you OD, and if so, what's the recommended dosage? Or is it all just a bunch of hogwash, and the Names have no power at all outside one's gullible imagination?
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@gmugmble said
"So what's the deal, actually? How powerful is a divine Name inherently?"
That's the key word - inherently.
The answer is that context and capability determine the answer. Some words have inherent power, either from their sound or (especially) from the fact that they are never spoken except in a particular situation. Some have power when used in a particular context or a particular way. Etc.
"Is there power in the Name itself, or does it only have power if it is uttered with the belief or intent that it have power?"
It's not entirely a belief issue (though that can color it), but does have other factors (including how the name is held) that affect it.
For example, I sincerely believe that I have the correct pronunciation (on the linguistic plane) of the Tetragrammaton. If I published it, people could say it all over the place without causing the universe to come to an end. However, when I permit myself only one occassion annually, and one context, in which to pronounce it, the universe does usually come to an end as predicted.
"Can you OD, and if so, what's the recommended dosage?"
You can certainly wear it out. That is, if you make it commonplace then your mind will begin to associate it with the commonplace. Real names of power need to be reserved.
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The ancient God-names can be used to call upon aspects of a divine force. This name represents a particular manifestation of the divine within our Universe.
The Egyptians have stated that to know someone's true name is to have power over them, as with the story of Aset and Amon Ra.
When the sound of the divine name vibrates throughout our body and our consciousness, we bring our energy into resonance with it.
A Mantra dynamically changes our auric field. The word(s) must be proerly intoned for then they will, through monotony, beat themselves into our mental body, which results in an impression being formulated within the energy pattern. The sound vibrations effect the Chakra system. Many Mantras are to be chanted 1000 times.
Of course the author of the book you read may be referencing the Abrahamic concept of eradicating all things Pagan and Polytheistic.