Prayer involving the HGA
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I'm trying to cultivate more "reverence" into my meditations, incorporating some prayer, and I'm curious what is the best way to pray or otherwise make God-contact.
Is all prayer ultimately (consciously or not) directed to one's HGA, in whatever guise that might be? I understand that Horus would be the preferred Thelemic stand-in, but I personally cannot get too enthused with that imagery at this stage.
Who/what do people pray to? I am grappling with wanting a much more personal conception for myself but it's tough for me to find.
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93,
Liber Resh is the usual starting point, because it embraces four different perspectives on 'God'. It prepares the mind for a broader take on the whole business of just what the HGA might be. But I suggest you invert your question, and ask just what does seem real: the principle of Life, or Unity, the Source of Consciousness, or some related concept? Don't label it as a specific deity, but let It, whatever It is, show you what it contains. Then link that to some idea(s) in Liber L that make sense to you currently,, without trying to swallow the Book whole.
Also, do remember the primary object of worship in Thelema is a dual god - Ra-Hoor-Khuit combined with Hoor-Paar-Kraat. There's enough paradox, contrast, and thought-dislocating content in that joint concept to up-end a lot of our more conventional private theologies. It has to be approached as a mystery, and it sounds like you want something that doesn't fit into a neat box.
And yes, any prayer is considered as being addressed, ultimately, to the HGA. All Gods lead to that Rome (or Cairo, or Boleskine).
93 93/93,
EM
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Escarabajo - do you consider yourself an artist perchance, or a musician, or something like that? Are you actively creative in any specific ways?
If you are, try following your creativity in that field to the source - the source of your inspiration. Focus on the essence of that source as deeply as possible and try to understand it somehow. Maybe that will help you find the answers you seek.
Also, everything Edward just said.
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@Escarabaj said
"I'm trying to cultivate more "reverence" into my meditations, incorporating some prayer, and I'm curious what is the best way to pray or otherwise make God-contact.
Is all prayer ultimately (consciously or not) directed to one's HGA, in whatever guise that might be? I understand that Horus would be the preferred Thelemic stand-in, but I personally cannot get too enthused with that imagery at this stage.
Who/what do people pray to? I am grappling with wanting a much more personal conception for myself but it's tough for me to find."
You're going to feel "reverence" toward whichever god that answers your prayers and gives concrete results. And when I say "concrete", I mean as in real. For me that god has been Horus who also happens to be Lord of the New Aeon. Gods have no interest in small-minded souls, try opening your heart and mind in sincerity and truth, inflaming yourself in prayer...
Good luck.
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@Escarabaj said
"I'm trying to cultivate more "reverence" into my meditations, incorporating some prayer, and I'm curious what is the best way to pray or otherwise make God-contact.
Is all prayer ultimately (consciously or not) directed to one's HGA, in whatever guise that might be? I understand that Horus would be the preferred Thelemic stand-in, but I personally cannot get too enthused with that imagery at this stage.
Who/what do people pray to? I am grappling with wanting a much more personal conception for myself but it's tough for me to find."
I started to post an answer, but I decided it would first be helpful to know if you are the kind of person who has prayed a lot in the past but is now working to deal with other words and names, OR if you're the kind of person who has never attempted much prayer at all, making the whole experience a new thing to you. Do you mind clarifying a bit?
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@he atlas itch said
"You're going to feel "reverence" toward whichever god that answers your prayers and gives concrete results. And when I say "concrete", I mean as in real. For me that god has been Horus who also happens to be Lord of the New Aeon. Gods have no interest in small-minded souls, try opening your heart and mind in sincerity and truth, inflaming yourself in prayer...
Good luck."
I don't know... this sentiment kind of makes me nervous. I'm thinking of something analogous to when a divorced parent tries to bribe their kid with presents...
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@AvshalomBinyamin said
"I'm thinking of something analogous to when a divorced parent tries to bribe their kid with presents..."
Just to be clear, I'm not trying to persuade anyone to worship Horus.
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Lol, and just to be clear, in that analogy, you weren't the divorced parent
Just that I've received lots of prezzies in the past, and am not sure they were all from my HGA...