Directions for Pentagram/Hexagram rituals
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What do fellow magicians think about using the directions in Liber Resh, (Sunset, Sunrise, Due South, True North,) for pentagram and hexagram rituals?
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@ThelemicMage said
"What do fellow magicians think about using the directions in Liber Resh, (Sunset, Sunrise, Due South, True North,) for pentagram and hexagram rituals?"
Mismatch. Different directions for different purposes. Hexagrams should be due east, west, north, south.
Now, if you were specifically doing an invoking hexagram ritual of the Sun, I could see your theory a bit - trying to capture current framework of the Sun on a given day. That's intriguing. But only for the Sun. The usual way of doing it, though, is to use the four compass directions and then make a fifth hexagram in the exact location of the Sun at the moment of the invocation.
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Does this mean that the usual way of Hexagrams are the magnetic directions or true directions?
Also, does this mean that the Pentagram rituals follow the exact same way as how you described the hexagram rituals? Not using liber resh directions, but using the magnetic or true directions?
Thanks.
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@ThelemicMage said
"Does this mean that the usual way of Hexagrams are the magnetic directions or true directions? "
True, meaning, geographic.
The key point is that the center of the eastern horizon marks the center point of the field from which all light LITERALLY first appears. This is geographic. It's rotational. I have no reason to believe it's magnetic.
"Also, does this mean that the Pentagram rituals follow the exact same way as how you described the hexagram rituals? Not using liber resh directions, but using the magnetic or true directions?"
Correct. Especially the pentagram ritual.
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Much appreciation for your help, Frater.
Just one more question if you wouldn't mind:
Since the Sun rises in the exact geographical East due to rotation, does this reflect also upon the direction of West? Meaning, since the West is exactly where the light-source goes away, do we use Sunset for West/Auramoth/etc..?
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@ThelemicMage said
"Since the Sun rises in the exact geographical East due to rotation"
No, it doesn't - except twice a year. That's not what I said.
Light emerges across the entire range of the eastern horizon. Due east is the center of that range. It's also the point in space toward which your exact spot on earth is rotating (the direction you're moving at the moment).
"does this reflect also upon the direction of West? Meaning, since the West is exactly where the light-source goes away, do we use Sunset for West/Auramoth/etc..?"
As above: It's the whole western horizon, with due west being the center point of the range (and the point in space that you are speeding away from at the moment).
But you're confusing different things, I think, in the above direction. The direction of the "quarter" to which elements etc. are attributed, or the cross-axes of most rituals, is different from the directions where the Sun is located on any specific day as it crosses the horizon - that's a separate matter.
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Just a quick note about "magnetic directions". Magnetic declination (the degree of variance between magnetic North and true--i.e., geographical--North) varies (quite a lot) by location, as well as slowly over time. Things like iron ore deposits will also effect local Magnetic declination.
I wouldn't want to use those directions for most ritual, but it could be interesting in working with the element of earth or maybe in a preliminary ritual before geomancy...