Invocation of Tahuti
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I don't usually ask for advice, partly because of my inherent conceit, and partly because I despise any student who asks a question that could be answered by relatively little effort on the student's behalf.
But in this matter I seek a more personal opinion, by one who has experience with the Invocation of Tahuti as found in the Equinox. Would frequent Invocation, say two or three times a day, for a period of one to three months, be overdoing it? I find that Thoth's austerity helps to limit my Geminian frivolity. Is this merely a personal equation, or is there a specific danger of malpractice involved in such frequent invocation of Thoth?
I precede the ritual with the LBRP, LBRH, and finish with the GRP (banishing).
Comment? Criticism?
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@Mephis said
"But in this matter I seek a more personal opinion, by one who has experience with the Invocation of Tahuti as found in the Equinox. Would frequent Invocation, say two or three times a day, for a period of one to three months, be overdoing it? I find that Thoth's austerity helps to limit my Geminian frivolity. Is this merely a personal equation, or is there a specific danger of malpractice involved in such frequent invocation of Thoth?
I precede the ritual with the LBRP, LBRH, and finish with the GRP (banishing)."
I think that's way too much - but perhaps because I've only ever done it as a full invocation with total assumption (taking over) of me by Tahuti. It's a big deal that I spend days getting ready for.
If you're doing something far lighter, then my comments may not apply. Still, doing any ritual at all two or three times a day [caveat: I count Resh as four rituals, not one <g>] seems excessive, unless one is on retreat or otherwise doing a special working.
I use specifically an invoking Mercury hexagram ritual with it. You may wish to see my discussion of all of this in 776 1/2, Sample Ritual #2, or (in a similar form) in Black Pearl No. 2.
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I don't have any criticism.
Personally, for any invocation, in a purely formal ceremonial setting, I use the following:
Open with XXV, a general Invocation using Liber V, and then the invocation of the God. I would not banish afterward...I save my XXV's for their appointed times.
I think that one can only overdo any Invocation if they are not psychologically stable. 'A specific danger of malpractice' would specifically manifest itself in imbalance, which could only be known in relation to one's Equilibrium. This also has to do with what one considers "danger": I think that is a question that is best answered by knowing Adjustment and what that means to you. If there is any doubt, or thought of danger, it is probably not a good idea to undertake a working of that nature.
Keep in mind, you are invoking a God. As Crowley says 'an incarnated (materialised) God is as much a person, an individual person, as we are; as such, he appeals to all our senses exactly as if he were "material.'" That being said, what would you consider "danger"?
One could also argue that K&C of one's HGA might be a good prerequisite, but that is not necessarily a hard and fast rule...given the subjective aspects of one's HGA. Intermediate success with Asana and Pranayama is also a good prerequisite. What I'm trying to say is that...maybe it would end up being more mental masturbation than anything else. An invocation of a God, like mentioned above, is an invocation of a God.
I'm sure others would disagree. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
That being said, Crowley would invoke Mercury many times a day, in certain periods of working...I'm sure you're familiar with that. We're talking about Crowley, though. Personally, I wouldn't be doing anything of the sort.
@Mephis said
"I find that Thoth's austerity helps to limit my Geminian frivolity. "
I can't tell if this is a serious statement or not. I know you have a good sense of humor and I find myself cracking up at your sarcasm quite a bit.
Honestly, a good invocation of Harpocrates (or XXV) should be sufficient to 'limit your Geminian frivolity'...that is, if you really have that concern...
Success is thy proof.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"If you're doing something far lighter, then my comments may not apply. Still, doing any ritual at all two or three times a day [caveat: I count Resh as four rituals, not one <g>] seems excessive, unless one is on retreat or otherwise doing a special working."
I do Resh four times a day. XXV two to three times a day. Liber V usually once a day. I'm not on retreat and live a very busy lifestyle. There is also time for Asana as well.
I do not consider this excessive, but I respect Jim's opinion a great deal.
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Thank you all for your replies. Along with my own analysis, I've come to the conclusion I was looking for. The main issue I was having with the ritual wasn't so much a lack of success, but a tendency to force/devaluate the ritual itself. My first experience of this invocation (at least what I'm willing to share about it) was this: after several days of preliminary banishing and sexual abstinence, I did a dry run of the ritual (just reading the text) while in an armchair. The results were rather astounding. I became carried away with this success, and confusing "quantity" with "quality," thought I could replicate results through daily repetition.
I understood beforehand that this is a very pure and powerful ritual, but I'd never acheived such identity with a God before, so naturally I wanted to immediately replicate the results, when in reality I should have spent more time investigating the data.
I noticed something interesting: usually after the performance of a ritual I classify its results in general terms, i.e. bad/fair/good/excellent, etc. This applies mostly to rituals I perform daily, like the LBRP. More involved and complex rituals usually require a paragraph or two of description, so as to record the basic condition, performance, results, and other such aspects of the ritual. When the ritual is properly and successfully performed, I am usually quite glib in my description--proud of my accomplishment, as it were.
Not so with this invocation. I was literally shocked into silence. I found, after I'd recovered my "self," that I was very reluctant to record the performance of the ritual and my impressions. It wasn't laxity or inability, but reluctance pure and simple. I can't bring myself to say anything much more than "I acheived identity with the God." What was it Crowley said about the Enochian system, "Most Magick requires skill--this requires prudence!" Indeed.
"I can't tell if this is a serious statement or not. I know you have a good sense of humor and I find myself cracking up at your sarcasm quite a bit. "
Serious, for once. While I tend to gravitate towards the humor in any situation, I actually spend the majority of my time doing solitary, usually intellectual work. I can switch between business- and pleasure-mode at will. The problem is this: at certain times the modes seem to alternate with a will of their own. Thus, sometimes I assume a frivolous persona in my off-hours to balance the strictly machine-element of my Gemini-prominent personality, and at other times I find myself spouting spontaneous nonsense just for the sake of hearing myself talk. Thoth seems a natural choice to bring these two aspects into harmony, but as recommended I've developed a scheme that allows for more assumption and meditation on the God-form rather than outright, daily invocation. Once a week seems a better frequency for such a powerful ritual. (I tend to practice rituals ad nauseum until I'm satisfied that it is being performed perfectly.)