Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law:
I guess beating the ground to startle the snakes doesn't work when the snakes are adepts... you just end up looking like an a-hole. And in case anyone is wondering, writing the Cancellarius every day for months doesn't work either.
There must be something else...
We're way off topic though... another thread...
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law:
@Jim Eshelman said
"But this is the whole idea of the method in the first place: That each aspirant has someone to work with them directly. Much of the system is only delivered person-to-person. "
Why do you taunt us? The A.'.A.'. will not respond to me, nor to many others on this forum. We are to have nothing but printed word and emoticons...
Love is the law, love under will.
@Modes said
"
17/17/17 is not what the books on yoga prescribe. nor Liber E. "
Not specifically, but this is just a 2 second extension of Liber E, part IV, line 3. However, I catch your point.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
@Jim Eshelman said
"I know it's really tempting to measure success in these practices on whether you feel anything. However, that's not always a good gauge. We feel sensations from these things to the extent that we have resistance to them. The resistance is usually because we are too "small" (in our capacity, etc.) for the amount of energy coming through. To be a little crude (but trying to find something of universal experience), it's like having an unusually large defecation that's straining one's normal elasticity."
The above analysis explains a lot. (As well as opening the door for some really disgusting jokes... 
) However, I half expected you to recommend INCREASING practice in some capacity during dryness, in order to retain the sensation of moving forward. After all, by the above logic, if you are dry, you're ready to do more, correct? Not that everyone always has the manic wherewithall to pull that off, but just theoretically speaking... could you avoid most of the dryness by just amping up your practice in difficulty, repetition, or duration?
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Every once in a while I am tempted to ask whether or not some results are normal, as though it matters. Sometimes the temptation is too great:
For the past month or so whenever I practice Pranayama, an overwhelming sensation of peace and serenity washes over me during inhalation, in as few as two cycles. The words "peace" and "serenity," because of their meanings, do not seem powerful enough here. It is like being hit over the head with a large brick of peace and serenity. It's kind of neat, but I'm a little reticent because it feels a lot like I'm getting high.
So, for those who are experienced with these things, is this a stumbling block destined to distract, or a nice little bonus of the practice?
Just FYI background, I'm doing 17/17/17. I sweat a little (but I live in the desert), no rigidity, no other obvious effects.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Pranayama Question:
I have allergies that keep me moderately congested most of the time at this time of year. I regularly use Afrin prior to practice, but given the amount of practice I need to do, the limit to this easy solution is near. However, I am usually clear in one nostril or the other, and the congestion seems to switch sides throughout the day.
Is it dangerous or counterproductive to perform pranayama on one side only, provided that you perform an equal amount on the other side some time afterwards. ( later the same day, or the next day, perhaps.)
Thanks to all.
Love is the law, love under will.
@Techpries said
"I actually have changed jobs since I posted this, but I was a maintenance worker for a restaurant. Getting an office job has eliminated most of these issues."
Oops! Got to read those dates on the top of the post.
Belated congrats on the new job.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
@Jim Eshelman said
"For pranayama - yes."
Excellent!
@Jim Eshelman said
"The standard formal test in pranayama is based on its phenomenology, not one's technique. "
I meant the little self test: 15/30 for one hour continuous before moving on to holding the breath. (Although just curious, are there ultimately any phenomena not mentioned in the Liber E / Ru that are required to pass?)
Thanks again.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I was having a conversation with a friend recently who observed the tendency for people in the occult community, and particularly those who are or consider themselves "advanced." (Yep, I'm leaving the door wide open, I know.) to display a stoic and humorless attitude. I was wondering if this reflection is at all accurate in the thelemic community.
Though there are individual examples to the contrary, as far as the general trend goes, does one tend to lose one's sense of humor through advancement?
For that matter, how does the "sense of humor" correspond to the kabbalistic understanding of the personality. Does the higher self, or the HGA, have a sense of humor? Must we eventually lose it? On the contrary, is losing one's sense of humor a sign that something has gone awry?
I know these are rather open ended questions. Hopefully, that makes them interesting for discussion.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
@Techpries said
"Hey,
question,
I work a very physically demanding job, with some mental stress. How do you guys destress when it's time for ritual and meditation? When I get home I find it very difficult to have any interest in reading or meditating, but I make myself do it, but have less result than possible I know. Is there a way I can just release it all?
Thanks,
Kenneth"
The only good bridge I've found between "work" and "Work" is time and solitude. About an hour, by myself, engaged in an activity that has nothing to do with anything else. Something simple.
At least for me, stimulants don't work, alcohol definately doesn't work, and relaxation rituals of any kind "feel" like you are jumping right into "Work," and there is a pressure associated with this, and a tendency to carry over feelings and attitudes from the rest of the day.
Perhaps the more skilled among us can banish these associations easily... I suppose it also depends a lot on the job. What's the job, if you don't mind me asking?
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The reason I asked the above is because I am nearly ready to test myself in this area, but it makes a dramatic difference in the performance of the pranayama whether the head gradually moves in the various cycles. Before I test, I would like to know if this is a legal move or not.
Thanks for putting up with these questions,
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Emphasis is put on having a position in which the head, neck, and spine are aligned for pranayama. This is also emphasized in "Raja Yoga," as recommended for Probationer. However, in Liber RV, we see AC bowing his head at the end of the exhale cycle. It is mentioned in the context of expiration, but because nothing seems to be quick about this practice, one might interpret that the head moves gradually up and down during the inhale and exhale cycles respectively.
I've tried this and it actually makes the inhale much easier to control for me if I start with head bowed and gradually rise to vertical. Is this correct practice? (The alternative would be to become vertical, then inhale, only bowing during the last moment of the exhale.)
Many thanks.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
gerry456's post about the forces of physics has brought up a broader point:
How should one go about making sephiritic correspondences to modern objects?
Some things are simple enough: Car = Chariot. As we've just seen from the physics discussion, though, this kind of thing can get really hairy in a hurry.
I would propose that functionality relative to humanity should be the deciding factor. So, while a CD is obviously a whirling disk and one would suppose this to be "earthy," its actual function is to store information, and therefore it goes in Chesed. etc.
However, I'm pretty new to this. Do others typically go to gematria as the first resource (using modern hebrew), or perhaps simple intuition?
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Just to add some options here:
The flame could originate from the heart chakra.
The flame could originate from the shoulder that was just touched.
The flame could some how be drawn in from the outside, like the divine names.
The flame could just snap into existence from nowhere. (seems odd, but okay.)
The flame could come from the crown down the arm.
Also, my practice could be hindered because I am drawing the figures pretty large. (Start at lower hip, come up to crown, down to other hip, across to 1 foot beyond shoulder, etc.) Perhaps this is easier if one draws smaller ones?
P.S. Yes, there is an LBRP post already, but it's content has gone far away from this kind of question. However, if an administrator would rather see this post assimilated, please do.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
(By the way, I write this out everytime instead of the typical 93 just as a personal reminder, nothing more.)
@Jim Eshelman said
"You can't fake it. You can take a leap into it ("open-eyed blind faith," so to speak) as a practice in "as-if" thinking or even totally abandoning doubt."
You mean by consciously asking yourself "what would it mean to me if these angels were as real as that truck..." kind of exercise?
By totally abandoning doubt... I guess that implies that the doubt is fully conscious? My doubt seems to be a tireless sentinel on the "lower"
edge of my consciousness. If I lull it to sleep, my practices are greatly improved, but it is always there working underneath me. Perhaps I need to first draw a line around it, so to speak, and define where it differs from the rest of me?
@Jim Eshelman said
"Ultimately, the only way I know to acquire it is through prolonged experience; and the actual acquisition of this unshakable certainty comes from the Knowledge & Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. "
Still a ways from the HGA. Surely, the acquisition of spirit vision will do me in before then, at 1=10 or so? How could I walk around with the ability to see non-physical things and not have the utmost certainty? Or, perhaps I've misunderstood a finer point here.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I typically follow the MP by a technique very close to what is being mentioned here. The light flows up from back of legs to crown, then down the front, then I add up right side and down left, then spiraling up (clockwise) from feet, wrapping the body up like a blanket until reaching the crown, exploding out in a cascade of shimmering light like a slow-motion fountain, and falling back to my feet to repeat the cycle. This is all just extra and on the outside (aura/ egg?) of my body, not the core. It takes a while to get all this done, but it feels pretty good to move energy around.
Two more questions about the overall MP:
I was taught at the end of the ritual to imagine the light becoming invisible (not dissappearing... it is still there) and doing the sign of silence afterwards to veil the chakras and prevent you from walking around "glowing," in which case presumably people are unconsciously drawn to you in a potentially ego-feeding way. Typical or poppycock?
Second, some folks additionally vibrate the appropriate archangel names, presumably invoking them in some way in order to archetypicallize (??) the energy of that chakra. Helpful or no?
Many thanks,
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Well, looks like I certianly killed that post.
Seriously, no one wants to venture any advice on the practical acquisition of this special kind of spritual certainty? The effects of stubborn disbelief? Nothing?
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I am lacking some key ingredient in the performance of my daily rituals.
Specifically, the aspect of flaming pentagrams mentioned in Liber O. I have been performing either the SR or LBRP daily for quite some time, (years) along with other daily practices in the same vein. Results are great overall, and always improving... except for the life of me I cannot in any way "draw" a flame in the air! (I can imagine a flame, but I think AC is talking about something different.)
As I'm sure the personal instructions for these rituals go far beyond what is written, there must be some portion of this flame creation that I am simply lacking. What is supposed to be going on in my mind at the time of drawing the geometric figures? I am writing to beg some one to reveal this key instruction.
Thanks... hopefully.
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Thanks for the nice link, h2h.
@h2h said
"Regardie cautions that one should prepare for the Middle Pillar by first doing several weeks of LBRP to balance and purify one's aura."
I do the Star Ruby instead... perhaps I should switch.
I have read that Regardie in some cases attempted to awaken these chakras in others by kind of embracing them or being close to them from behind and performing the ritual himself?? Anyone familiar with the "shot-gun" MP? In what case would this be handy?
Love is the law, love under will.
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I want to open up discussion regarding this little jewel. I'm wondering how many people practice the Middle Pillar exercise on a regular basis, and at what stage it is typically recommended, if at all.
Also, if one goes in the opposite direction with the light along the core, is there danger of prematurely raising Kundalini? (I am careful NEVER to do this... just asking.)
Also, I've always wondered why Malkuth is done with "ADONAI Ha-Aretz" rather than "ADONAI Mel-ech", as would follow the rest of the pattern.
Thoughts?
Love is the law, love under will.