College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

I have never liked the word "God" because of its muddled etymological origins. However, based on its conventional associations in natural language, my working definition of "God" is currently: The experience of the universe. Though, in the logical metalanguage of Thelema my working definition is currently: The experience of Nuit, i.e. Heru-Ra-Ha.

I often wonder when, for instance, in "Emblems and Mode of Use" an example is used, "smear the Elixir on a gold coin, or ring", wouldn't it leave an undesirable film over a piece of gold jewelry? Would cleaning it off after the operation remove the effect?

@Anael Lucis said

"
Hoor-Paar-Kraat wears a Double Crown – a headdress sporting a cobra and 2 vultures - marking him as the Crowned "

It doesn't look like 2 vultures to me; they look like two snakes, and though a cobra and two vultures makes more sense I just don't see it. They even look like they have their little snake tongues sticking out.

If they are actuality two vultures instead, what are those twisty horn looking things? If they are snakes, I can't tell if the horn looking things are their tails crossing over, or if each snake loops back on itself and has its tail pointing forward (which seems to be a really unnatural position for any serpent to be in).

I am not sure that it is supposed to be green or a cone; in the original it doesn't look like a cone and it looks to be the same color as his collar, and somewhere between the color on Hadit's wings and Nuit's face, though it is difficult to tell from the state of the stele. Also, I had never heard of those incense hat thingies, so I had to look them up, and I agree --- as far as I can tell they do not look to be the same; though I suppose it could be a variant.

During the adoration from the stele paraphrase, after doing Resh, I am trying to see myself in Ankh-f-n-khonsu's place on the stele in relation to the other characters when it comes to "I am thy Theban, O Mentu..." etc. But one thing is giving me trouble in visualising the scene: What is on his head? Is it a tiny hat? That is what it looks most like to me, but then how could such a tiny hat stay on a bald guys head? It would fall right off! Is it some sort of undercut top knot? Whatever it is, is there some sort of other instance of one for me to see? When people make reproductions they often render it as a triangle/cone, but it doesn't look like that in images of the original that I have seen.

I just found out that there is a difference between solar noon/midnight and local noon/midnight. At which one are noon and midnight Resh supposed to be done: solar or local timing?

Thanks, that is what I suspected.

Since I have not done Pranayama in a while I am going to start purifying the nerves whenever I do Resh, but around noon and sunset I do strenuous exercise every day. In the past I have found light exercise before Pranayama to be beneficial. However, my concern is that strenuous exercise (such as running, weight training, or martial arts) directly beforehand, through muscular and cardiovascular fatigue, may impede my efforts and progress at Pranayama.

Does anyone here have experience doing Pranayama before or after strenuous exercise that they could share? Did you find it more or less beneficial to do it one way or the other?

As an update: I was able to get a response from onestarinsight.org, I passed my examination, and will be scheduling my Probationer reception soon. They weren't my first choice, but at the time I did not know that they also came from Jane Wolfe's lineage; once I e-mailed them I heard back within the week.

(edited for clarity)

@Uni_Verse said

"A "second best option" with doing it all by hand, of course, being the best option.
It certainly, in my opinion, keeps to the "spirit" of the idea, requiring that you design in and in turn study the relationship of the various elements."

That is what I was thinking, an alternative that keeps the "spirit" of the idea. I am an accomplished artist who has the skills and knowledge to readily make all of these things which I mentioned by hand; but (for instance) I do not have the equipment necessary to smelt metals, and live on a relatively tight budget.

This seems like the best place to post this, being that the applications of this technology (in the sphere of the subject matter of this forum) seem to limit it to the creation of magickal items.

I was considering the applications ever broadening list of materials offered by companies such as Shapeways (gold, silver, bronze, brass, platinum, steel, etc.) when the thought came to me that with my modicum of 3D design skills, and a free 3D design program such as Blender (complete with tutorials), I could have any magickal item which I need, but otherwise lack the tools or materials needed to create, printed! The applications that immediately come to mind are the silver cup and the golden triple flame of the wand described in Liber A, the censer and crown described in Liber Aba, seals for spirits, and any sort of custom magickal jewelry.

Although, while it seems important to create as much of your own tools for magick by hand, this seems to be a valuable alternative when that is not a possibility. Please share your comments and ideas, I am anxious to see what y'all think about this.

@Jim Eshelman said

"The big deal is that 888 is 3 x 296, 1,480 is 5 x 296, and their sum 2,368 is therefore, of course, 8 x 296. Totally ignoring what 296 might be at the moment, the main big deal here is that the numbers 888 : 1,480 : 2,368 are in the same precise ratio as 3 : 5 : 8."

So, Jim, what might 296 be?

Are the degrees of the zodiac given for the court cards in The Book of Thoth exclusive to the context of the tropical zodiac? If they are, I am having trouble wrapping my mind around adjusting the degrees Crowley gave in TBoT to the sidereal zodiac. If I am not mistaken April 10th would put me as the Queen of Wands by my tropical sun sign, but my sidereal sun sign would put me as Knight of Cups. In the past I have just used Prince of Cups for myself being a young man with a watery sun sign.

I prefer the book, as is usually the case, it is better. If there were a physical location for me to stand at and get rejected and tried that would be different, I could handle that eventuality. However, in this case, I may never get a response; but I will wait a year since that is the only response I got. Also, I have an alternative I can resort to that offers the same thing, where as there was no such thing in Fight Club.

There are plenty of dragon references in The Bible and in Gnostic writings, so of course they will appear in Crowley's writings.

From AL I,24 The New Comment "The N of Nu is therefore the Dragon -- "Infinite Space" -- and V is "the Infinite Stars" thereof." and "The Dragon in current symbolism refers to the North or Hollow of Heaven; thus to the Womb of Space, which is the container and breeder of all that exists.".

In AL III,55 The New Comment he says "the true Going-Principle is the Lion-Serpent, or Dragon" in reference to spermatozoon.

There are also a few dragons in Liber 418.

This lineage particularly appeals to me, possibly because I first came across the A.'.A.'. through the ordoaa site. I just don't want to waste my time waiting on a response that may never come. Nor do I want to settle for the outercol.org path, but they do seem to be more likely to respond so I am considering it. Call me old fashioned but I think a letter should be responded to more promptly than a year's time.

You only sent one email? Well I feel like an ass. Thank you for your response. I am still amazed that a cat can type.

How often did you send a letter?

Should I take the lack of responses as meaning that no one here has ever heard back from this particular Cancellarius? I am trying again and again, but it is getting me nowhere. How often am I expected to send a letter before it borders on harassment? I don't want to add too much to the load of letters, but I am very serious about starting the student phase. This method of sending letters over and over again and hoping one of them gets you accepted seems to be crackpot. I have been longing for this for over two years, and now once my life is in a place where I can actually begin the wait is agony.

I have been trying to get a response from the Cancellarius at ordoaa.org for about 4 months now with no success. Has anyone else heard back from <!-- e --><a href="mailto:can@ordoaa.org">can@ordoaa.org</a><!-- e -->? And if so, what sort of information did you include in the letter? I live in Yelm Washington so C.O.T. and T.O.T. are out of the question.