Will & Resh : Seeds of the Work?
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The pausing before every meal, to sound elven knocks and speak of Will
Transmutation of a basic necessity into Energy, the Great Work
Establishing through Resh, a splendid cylic sublimityIf we were to take the advice of the Sufis, one might propose that the first, perhaps most important ritual a Magician shall ever perform is the declaration of Will before imbibing sustenance.
Setting into motion the idea that all processes, no matter how small or neccesary shall be pressed into service for that One unnameable goal.From there, the next layer, one may propose is the performance of Resh.
Of consciously selecting four particular moments to dedicate fully to the Great Work
By which we may establish a rhythm for the performance of the Great Work
That which with we toke the fires for the performance of the Great Work
Four beats of the Heart, by which one sets ones Life and ones Breathing
And so on and so forth until the end of all agesWhat say You to This?
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@kasper81 said
"do you guys ever eat out? if yes then how do you manage?"
I eat out and on the go quite frequently.
At the very least, I perform the ritual within my Self
(Almost without choice, as any time I form the intent to eat,
Out of habit it I perform the ritual)
About 93% of the time I will knock
65% I go through the entire ritual (alone or not)
My tendency, when alone is to say it quietly, all most whisper, to my self
(As to not disturb others who are eating)
Most of my Thelemic friends preference, I say is sincere and not overtly loudHm, I am trying to recall the particulars of a variant...
I refrain from posting anything so as to not cause confusion
At the time it was 'popular' for the crowd to use it
So I never memorized it, maintain g, the tradition at that moment -
@Ethar said
"
I don't knock, whether in public or not. Shame on me.
"Before coming to fully accept my Self as a Thelemite, I performed a Silent Prayer before every meal.
Of a character very similar to the declaration of Will.
While, obviously, going through the physical motions of the ritual is best,
Performing it in the Temple of the Heart is of most in-pour-tense! -
"What is thy will" and "To what end" until the question is fully solved is one of the best shit-tests for yourself out there. Saying Will before such a basic activity such as eating brings this idea of Thelema to every aspect of your life.
Sometimes I find myself mindlessly doing... anything at all. And I say: "what is thy will", to my lower self, then, "to what end" in the same formulation as Will, until I am able to create a satisfactory answer for myself. Great trick to help you 'snap out of it'.
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@Lykathea said
""What is thy will" and "To what end" until the question is fully solved is one of the best (****)-tests for yourself out there. Saying Will before such a basic activity such as eating brings this idea of Thelema to every aspect of your life.
Sometimes I find myself mindlessly doing... anything at all. And I say: "what is thy will", to my lower self, then, "to what end" in the same formulation as Will, until I am able to create a satisfactory answer for myself. Great trick to help you 'snap out of it'."
I JUST started doing a daily magickal regimen (like today), which right now simply consists of Resh, saying Will, and relaxing with 4-fold breath for as long as I can find time (which is difficult right now). edit: AND keep a journal
I've phrased saying Will when I'm by myself like this: "It is my will to eat and drink, that I may fortify my body thereby, in order to accomplish the Great Work." I do see the value in phrasing it the whole way with the questions even when by yourself by your example. I probably should add in the whole "Do what thou wilt..." part too.
I used to do some daily magickal activity years ago including LBRP, Middle Pillar, dream work, but never really did Resh or say will. I'm hoping that by focusing on these first and foremost, I will be able to remained focus on my clearer goals of finding my True Will this time around (I think before I just thought it was "cool" and wasn't really focused on any particular goal).
As for Resh, I never noticed before, but in David Shoemaker's "Living Thelema" there's a "unity adoration" that I've never even noticed referenced in other books. It's going to take a while before I really memorize everything, but that just added a bit more.
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@RulesOfAir said
"I've phrased saying Will when I'm by myself like this: "It is my will to eat and drink, that I may fortify my body thereby, in order to accomplish the Great Work." I do see the value in phrasing it the whole way with the questions even when by yourself by your example. I probably should add in the whole "Do what thou wilt..." part too."
Sure. It's actually unimportant what you say or do. The only thing of importance is that you make yourself aware of actions that -- under normal circumstances -- you would do on "autopilot."
"As for Resh, I never noticed before, but in David Shoemaker's "Living Thelema" there's a "unity adoration" that I've never even noticed referenced in other books. It's going to take a while before I really memorize everything, but that just added a bit more."
The important point about Resh is that you identify with the sun and see things from its perspective. There's an analogy to be made with your True Self. Just as the sun is always shining (its apparent motion through the sky being an illusion created by the rotation of the earth) so too is your True Self always shining within you, though obscured by the motion of your mind.
By identifying yourself with That which is beyond the four stations of the sun, you impress upon your mind the notion that there is something beneath your normal way of seeing the world, something that is truly you, beneath all of the crap you mistake for you.
That's the real meaning of the unity adoration.
The other useful thing about Resh is that it forces your attention onto something real (i.e. the sun's current position) instead of the usual imaginary phantoms that your mind is always concerned with: the ritual gets you outside of your head by making you focus on something "out there." That's really good practice because, from the perspective of your mind, your True Self is "outside" of it (even though it's actually just the "real" you).
The more you lift yourself out of the thoughts that usually rule and define you, the easier it will be to perceive and follow your True Self in the moment.
All of the practices -- every last one of them, including all of the complicated ceremonial stuff -- are nothing more than ways of reminding yourself of this.
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Thanks Los,
This makes Resh pretty clear for me (to a point), although it'll take some time for me to really absorb it all. I've finally memorized the unity adoration. I have completely forgotten to "say will" before meals. Any practical tips on how not to forget? I know it's an excuse, but I just completed a move to a new apartment yesterday, and my mind has been pretty focused on all that, and the wife and I have barely given ourselves time to rest (nevermind the fact that our 2 year old NEVER gives us time to rest haha).
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93,
"Any practical tips on how not to forget? "
For will, the only real way is to just continuously practice it until it becomes a natural act. You shouldn't just be saying will, the words you're saying should have meaning. Being able to dedicated your food and drink to the great work is basically you affirming, that everything you do for your survival and all the energy yo acquire is to be put towards this accomplishment of the great work. I wouldn't even say "So that I may accomplish the great work", I would specificlly state what it is you wish to accomplish-what your spiritual goal is. Of course if there is a preliminary goal for this spiritual goal state that instead. Having a connection with the statements will embed it more in your mind. I found that breakfast was the hardest time to remember saying will (I am very dosy in the morning). On my iphone I used to put a title on my alarm which said "Resh" and "will" so I didn;t forget.
As for Resh I used to set 4 sets of alarms on my phone; Dawn (or when I get up), Solar noon, Sunset and Midnight. But now once I know the solar noon and sunset times for the day, I find that the actions come naturally. I just know when it's time to do Resh. Of course if you've had a few afternoon drinks you may slip out of it, but when I see the sunset my mind is immediately focused upon Resh. Again continued practice makes these things natural, which is what you want with any set of actions- the feeling they are natural.
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@mark0987 said
"93,
"Any practical tips on how not to forget? "
For will, the only real way is to just continuously practice it until it becomes a natural act. You shouldn't just be saying will, the words you're saying should have meaning. Being able to dedicated your food and drink to the great work is basically you affirming, that everything you do for your survival and all the energy yo acquire is to be put towards this accomplishment of the great work. I wouldn't even say "So that I may accomplish the great work", I would specificlly state what it is you wish to accomplish-what your spiritual goal is. Of course if there is a preliminary goal for this spiritual goal state that instead. Having a connection with the statements will embed it more in your mind. I found that breakfast was the hardest time to remember saying will (I am very dosy in the morning). On my iphone I used to put a title on my alarm which said "Resh" and "will" so I didn;t forget.
As for Resh I used to set 4 sets of alarms on my phone; Dawn (or when I get up), Solar noon, Sunset and Midnight. But now once I know the solar noon and sunset times for the day, I find that the actions come naturally. I just know when it's time to do Resh. Of course if you've had a few afternoon drinks you may slip out of it, but when I see the sunset my mind is immediately focused upon Resh. Again continued practice makes these things natural, which is what you want with any set of actions- the feeling they are natural."
I've done that for Resh too. There's a web app that I found on this forum that sends you a text message or email based on the actual position of the Sun relative to your current position on Earth (I believe it's on KeepSilence.com or .org, I forget right now). I'm actually thinking of incorporating that into an Android application that would do basically the same thing (probably a direct tie-in to the app, but allow for purely android alarms or web based alarms instead of email or text messages).
I just need a way to remind myself to say will before meals. I missed it again for lunch, but just ended up saying it after I finished. Better than not at all I suppose.
In terms of your suggestion to replace "to accomplish the great work" with a specfic spiritual goal, I agree in theory, but in practice, I suffer from a severe case of "I don't know what my goals are." This permeates all aspects on my being, not just spiritually, though I suppose that is something I need to work on. For right now, my only immediate spiritual goal is to make Resh, saying Will, doing a daily 4-fold breath, and journaling all that a natural daily practice, and observing the effects on each on my understanding of myself. I suppose that will do for now! Problem solved!
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93,
"my understanding of myself"
3-5-3
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
It is my will to eat and drink,
To fortify my body therby;
So that I may know myself,
in order to accomplish the Great work.Love is the Law, love under will.
1
To know thyself, to gain an understanding of your will is the first step to the great work. The more connection and meaning the words have to you the better. If you eat your meals at the same time just set alarms for a month, that should be long enough for it to get into your head.
Certainly doing it after is better than not at all, you'll get to the stage when saying will is a natural part of your routine, just like Resh.
93, 93/93.
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If saying Will before eating becomes too ingrained and thus an automated behavior... that might somewhat defeat the purpose of doing it. That's an interesting thought, I find.
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@Deus Ex Machina said
"If saying Will before eating becomes too ingrained and thus an automated behavior... that might somewhat defeat the purpose of doing it. That's an interesting thought, I find."
And not just "Saying Will": any action or ritual that is done out of habit, rather than with full awareness as to how it's helping you in your goal to attainment, is actually not helping. It's just a new habit you've picked up.
I can't even count the number of beginners I've come across who do the LBRP every day because they think "Well, I'm supposed to do it." They have no idea why they're doing it, apart from some vague mumbo-jumbo about keeping their "auras clean." Basically, they were just told to do it, so they do, religiously.
That's not the path to attainment.
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@RulesOfAir said
"Any practical tips on how not to forget?"
Repetition will eventually do the trick. Just stick with it. I mean, if you're really desperate, I guess you could tie a string around your finger, but then you'll need something to remind you what the string is for...
By the way, you might find it enjoyable to perform the unity adoration in the Egyptian ("A ka dua....") before giving it in the English.
"I know it's an excuse, but I just completed a move to a new apartment yesterday, and my mind has been pretty focused on all that, and the wife and I have barely given ourselves time to rest (nevermind the fact that our 2 year old NEVER gives us time to rest haha)."
In all honesty, moving, raising a two-year-old, and maintaining a positive relationship should be providing more than enough "ordeals" -- all on its own -- to keep you challenged and prompt your personal growth. I think it's a mistake to think of initiation as something separate from the everyday challenges of your life.
Frankly -- and I'm not saying this necessarily applies to you, RulesOfAir: this is just a general point -- I think a lot of people are attracted to this magick stuff because it can be an escape from those everyday ordeals. People get it in their heads that regular ol' life is boring, and wouldn't it be so badass if I were a wizard and worked magick spells and chanted Egyptian at the sun....etc. But really, such people have it backwards: their "magical work" is just an energetic running away from the real task of coming to grips with who they are, in everyday life, and seeing through the illusion of their own self image, which is what the Work really is.
The secret to succeeding at magick is to understand it in the sense Crowley meant: all willed change is magick, including every last "mundane" thing you do. Attainment is nothing more than living your everyday life with the mindfulness necessary to manifest your True Will.
If doing a few simple rituals helps you keep that awareness, then great, but you have to be on guard against fetishizing the practices themselves or thinking that the practices "do" anything besides serving as helpful little reminders. Post-it notes on the path....
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@Deus Ex Machina said
"If saying Will before eating becomes too ingrained and thus an automated behavior... that might somewhat defeat the purpose of doing it. That's an interesting thought, I find."
Duly noted. What I feel I'm trying to achieve here is basically two fold.
First, it's in the book that I've chosen to follow (David Shoemaker's Living Thelema). It sounds like a silly reason on it's own, but I want to follow a basic structure of "attainment". I've recently started bodybuilding, and following a well documented regimen has been wonderful in that aspect. I see no reason not to follow a specific structure that I can later add to or modify to suit my needs/understanding.
Second, I'm trying to follow the idea along the lines of "pray with your words, and soon you'll be praying with your heart." I don't want it to become simply a habit, but in essence it needs to be something of a habit, just like basic grooming. I mean, I don't always stop and ask myself why I am shaving or brushing my teeth. I want to stay focused on finding my true will, and this seems like a very basic practice that will keep me subconciously reminded of that goal. I want to stay mindful.
Los, I basically agree with your points. I'm not neccessarily trying to keep things separate, though to be quite honest, it is a bit separate, at least as in as separate as my other personal goals are from the current commitments I have made. I sometimes feel like "magick" is somewhat of an escape, I won't lie. My work life is not particularly interesting, but it provides my family with what we need to survive. My family life is challenging at times, yet fun, but at the moment, very attention demanding. The little time I take away from this is a slight bit of escape, a time to reflect and feel, to imagine, to comprehend the great mysteries in my head and in the universe. I do hear what you're saying though. It's not separate, really.
EDIT: Seriously, I just simply cannot remember to say will. I forgot at every moment today. In the past 3 days since I've started, I've only said will maybe 2 times. Eh. I'm not beating myself up over it or anything. I think it's time I break out the big guns and set a phone reminder of some sort. Just put an icon on my phone. I feel oh so clever.
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I wanted to throw in that you should not allow it to become habit...
"Will" should not be repeated , rote, from memory.
When doing it you should be consciously aware and focused on the meaning.
As being consciously aware, directed by intent at every moment is one of the most important goals in Magick (at least, that is what my experience has taught me). -
I've given up doing Resh. I feel no connection to it, it's too awkward to do in public (not that I am afriad of public perception, it's just that having to go out of my way to do things at certain times throughout the day is too much for me at the moment), and I'm just not "into it." It feels like a chore to me, and that really detracts from a nice experience for myself. Call me lazy I suppose. This isn't in anyway a criticism of the ritual itself.
I'm comparing this to physical exercise. It's important to exercise somewhat regularly if you want your body to do the things you want it to do. For a long time I wanted to lose weight, and I've tried all sorts of machines, running, swimming, etc. but nothing ever lasted longer than a few weeks. That is, until I started doing a bodybuilding routine with barbells. Now I hit the gym 2-3 times a week at least, have lost almost 15 pounds, and have been doing consistently for over 3 months.
Are Resh and Will truly seeds of the work? Do you all feel them a neccessary foundation upon which to perform your magickal work?
