College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

TO GO as doth a GOD.

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Granted, but isn't that what Sor. Meral is stating when she says that "If all planets are in close aspect to each other... We can expect a near genius," that the greatest capacity for this genius is where the aspects lie? 'True genius' aside, of course.

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Thank you AvshalomBinyamin, JPF, and underabloodredsky for your responses, all very helpful.

To clarify, a person with close aspects is or has the potential to be a genius in the area that the house they are in represents?

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What is meant by aspects which a planet makes?

In vol.1,n.4 of I.T.C. a letter by Soror Meral is instructing a student in how to read your horoscope and she says "If all planets are in close aspect to each other; that is, if the aspects are not wider than 2 or 3 degrees for the planets, and about 5 degrees for the lights, then we can expect a near genius, or one who is capable of accomplishing much, provided the planets do not say the reverse due to overwhelmingly bad aspects or poor placements in Signs."

Can someone break this down for me?

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@JPF said

"True, but there are certain common mistakes a teacher can help one avoid, like doing the LBRP with the wrong quarters for over a year. "

Or unwittingly performing the rituals as published in the popular literature, blinds and all.

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By comparison, this may be of interest:

@Frater Aleph Ben Ali said

"

Liber Gimel vel Lunae

(For 9 days after the New Moon)
Hail unto thee who art Selene in thy waxing, even unto thee who art Selene in thy Brightness, who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios caresses the splendor of her brow, and Hermes ever guideth through her realm.
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

(For 5 days either side of the Full Moon)
Hail unto thee who art Artemis in thy brilliance, even unto thee who art Artemis in thy Fullness, who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios blazes on the splendor of her brow, and Hermes ever guideth through her realm.
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

(For 9 days before the Dark Moon)
Hail unto thee who art Hecate in thy waning, even unto thee who art Hecate in thy Darkness, who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios concealeth the splendor of her brow, and Hermes ever guideth through her realm.
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

(The Orison)
Ceaseless change that is stability!
I adore the Light on thy Breast
Supreme and excellent Goddess
Who makest the Godes and the blessed
To tremble before thee: -
I, I adore thee!

Appear within the navel of Nu!
Lighten the ways of the Ka!
Open the ways of the Khu!
The ways of the Khabs run through
To stir me and still me!
AOM! (The Vedic Gayatri Mantra can be inserted here) Let it thrill me!
The light is mine;
Thy beams embrace me:
I have wrought the secret gates
Into the groves of Selene,
Of Artemis and Hecate.
I am thine Athenian, O Chaos,
The prophet (insert your own name or motto)

By Babalon my breast I beat;
By Therion I weave my spell.
Show thy star splendor, O Nuit!
Bid me within thine house to dwell,
O winged snake of light, Hadit!
Abide with me Ra Hoor Khuit!"

As published in The Solstice, 2009 and Black Pearl v.1 n.3. I hope the author doesn't mind me posting this here, it says in the article to "feel free to pass it on to friends and other practitioners."

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93,

Excuse me. Just trying to help.

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93 Puck,

Who you're specifically adressing this question to is playing coy, as is his teaching style. In an early degree of a certain Order an adoration which you speak of is taught. Maybe it was already mentioned in this thread, what do I know?.

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@Liber Tzaddi: said

"33. I reveal unto you a great mystery. Ye stand between the abyss of height and the abyss of depth.

34. In either awaits you a Companion; and that Companion is Yourself.

35. Ye can have no other Companion.

36. Many have arisen, being wise. They have said "Seek out the glittering Image in the place ever golden, and unite yourselves with It."

37. Many have arisen, being foolish. They have said, "Stoop down unto the darkly splendid world, and be wedded to that Blind Creature of the Slime."

38. I who am beyond Wisdom and Folly, arise and say unto you: achieve both weddings! Unite yourselves with both!

39. Beware, beware, I say, lest ye seek after the one and lose the other!

40. My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their feet below the hells.

41. But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last attach more firmly to the higher.

42. Thus shall equilibrium become perfect."

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@Alias55A said

"a person who... uses intoxicants to iduce altered states of mind are "psychonauts" but its not an easy path"

I would hardly call this a path. I would, however, call this a teenager.

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@FiliusBestia said

"then comes to the question of just what one considers honor, no?"

No.

@Dictionary.com said

"honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions: a man of honor."

@Liber A'ash:19 said

"There is no act or passion that shall not be a hymn in mine honour."

Doesn't seem up for dispute to me.

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@darrene2002 said

"Alan Bennet was NOT a tibetan buddhist...he was a thai buddhist"

Bhikku Ananda Metteyya studied and received ordination in Myanmar. Both Thai and Burmese Buddhism are Theravada but there are differences.

@darrene2002 said

"Anyway the main text of buddhism is the dammapada which is a short text that everyone really should read. Its pretty sad that most buddhist schools do not use that text even though it is the most authentic buddhist text."

Only in the Pali Canon, and therefore to Theravada Buddhism. Mahayana and Vajrayana are considerably different paths from the original Theravada, and each have their own rich literary traditions.

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@FiliusBestia said

" most Thelemites today have little concept of honor, let alone the honor of a realized warrior. "

This doesn't stand for any Thelemite I know. Not my experience at all.

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"how is it that alot of people get good results and not have correct posture? I know some people that realy know there s**t and they just do what is comfortable to them, i just think they have much better concentration then i do"

In the vipassana meditation retreats I've done (www.dhamma.org/) almost always, around the sixth or seventh day, the retreat master usually starts slipping away from the upright position, and has actually went so far into the experience that observance of the posture becomes secondary. He of she is so deep that it doesn't matter anymore. Mind you, I think this factor depends on what kind of meditation one is performing (this might not hold for pranayama or any other form that explicitly raises the Kundalini). But at the get go, getting into the correct posture can really bring your practice to new heights.

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Occult shops tend to be mad pricey when it comes to implements, they may look fancy but unless you're well off I suggest avoiding them for this sort of thing (they're great for hard to find herbs and incense tho). You tend to find blades that feel right in the randomest places, so its hard to say where to look. However, don't be put off ritual just because you don't have the implement the text recommends, use your index finger. If we all waited till we had all the exact requirements, no one would ever get started on the Work.

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In meditation correct posture and straightness of the spine is very important. Yes, after generations of sitting in chairs instead of cross-legged on the floor like our eastern brethren, our bodies are not geared to be comfortable in this position. Yes, when attempting to straighten the spine it can be very frustrating and there is certainly a justification that occurs in beginning of "well I felt I was getting much deeper in my meditation when i was just seated comfortably, even though I was slightly slouched over. I'm not even focusing on my breath anymore now that I'm trying to straighten my spine so is this effort really beneficial to my meditation?" and so on. However, when you do train your body to sit with back completely straight, a certain change occurs within. You can physically feel things line up from your hips to your head, the path between muladhara and sarashara being aligned and the energy somewhat unshackled and free. There is an 'aha' moment that occurs where you can physically feel why a straight spine is necessary. As you said 'to take correct posture is itself zazen' and I would agree because it is enough to throw you in a trance state.

Here's a tip: stand up against a wall to judge how straight your back is. What you will notice is that there is a gap between your lower back and the wall. If you suck your stomach in and up that gap will disappear and your spine will become perfectly straight. Now do this while seated in lotus posture. What you will find is the precarious and somewhat shaky foundation upon which you sit becomes strong and unmovable, and you find yourself sitting much taller than before.

I'm not claiming that this is easy.

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"So while I am technically left-handed, I feel a lot of mixed feelings using my left for magick."

"For me, the left-hand is symbolic of the years I have just spent, since my Abra-Melin attempt went horribly awry in 2001, getting darker and darker and more and more nasty and hateful. "

It sounds like you already know which hand is best for you at this time in your spiritual development. Trust that instinct.

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"if one lives with roomates/parents/family/people not wanting to hear rituals etc what is the best way to practice magick? "

Silently. Best to have a space where you can vibrate the names etc. loudly, but if your situation makes this difficult it doesn't mean you can't practice ritual. With the right technique you can achieve the desired inner vibration with so much as a whisper.

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"so how does one do the rituals when one is not for example a philsophus and thus hasnt crafted a wand? "

Use your index finger.

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Your local hardware store. The better ones will cut it for you in the shape you want.

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