College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

@Jim Eshelman said

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@Michaeljwjr said
"So basically this book is the A.'.A.'. version of Israel Regardies's The Golden Dawn? I seriously hope it's not nearly as expensive when it's released. I've always found it confusing that in order to spiritually develop, you have to be financially successful first."

At a time when it was pretty impossible to get a quality hardcover on magick for under $50, we kept the price of M&MAA to $37.00. When it is re-releasd, we hope to keep it at no more than $50."

That's a more than reasonable price. I understand the need to cover publishing costs and some profit to cover expenses and whatnot, but I've always found that anyone that has tried to make a profit out of mystical and magickal teaching, normally ends up perverting their message.

So basically this book is the A.'.A.'. version of Israel Regardies's The Golden Dawn? I seriously hope it's not nearly as expensive when it's released. I've always found it confusing that in order to spiritually develop, you have to be financially successful first.

@Edward Mason said

"The rule most often repeated here is, if you need to ask, you're not ready to do it. The HGA itself would prompt the process in some unmistakable way."

Well as true as that can mostly be, with the fact that so much knowledge is available in so many books, sometimes it can be more harmful to be tampering with forces you don't fully understand yet. This doesn't stop some people however I would rather be more responsible and wait for the proper education.

Ahh well that answers a question I've had, and as of yet haven't actually asked. When is it appropriate to perform the HGA ritual?

I guess this is where having a teacher comes in handy. It just feels that everything I read has prerequisites, and those prerequisites have other prerequisites and so on and so forth(and normally those books are by the same author your already reading). I'm confident enough now to work through both books without further books, the last book I purchased and am awaiting delivery on, is the Book of Abramelin. After that I should be satisfied with what I have until such time as I actually do need to make further purchases.

This is probably what I'll do. Go through the entire GD Book, and then when I fully understand in the GD Book i'll find the corresponding lesson in ABA and just go back and forth.

Although after reading through only the introduction of the GD Book, I'll have to get a second job to get all the books recommended in it, and a second home to store them.

Ok, I am going to read through The Golden Dawn and work through it, mostly because it seems in a more student friendly version than Book 4, however I wanted opinion on pro's and con's vs. each of the books for student learning, and development.

@DavidH said

"I am asking for the best way to explain the thelemic view to someone who DOES think this way.

David"

To take in a sunset, or a mountain view, or a child playing, all things taken in through the eyes; When a Christian sees these things, they say "Glory to God", and when a Thelemite sees these things, we (essentially) say "Glory to Nuit". It's to experience from our personal viewpoint for the glory of God. I(thelemite) don't pursue material/physical pleasure, just very much appreciate it when it happens.

I interpret those passages as not being attached to material, but participating in the material aspect of life in a more refined manner. There is a difference between approaching a meal as an animal, a human, and a "more than" human.

Without violating the comment, think of this:

What is the difference between the way a dog approaches a glass of fine wine, a normal person approaches it, and someone who knows how to drink a fine wine approaches it?

If you've ever been taught how to drink wine, you'll have a better understanding of my interpretation, if not then here is an opportunity for self discovery.

Do you remember in the Matrix when Morpheus tells neo that if you die in the matrix, you die in real life because your mind "makes it real"? Also when you watch certain commercials, or movies, and are moved to emotional expression knowing that the media is fictitious however you still feel the emotions? The mind makes them real.

This happens with disease in the body. A domino effect. When you start to feel a symptom in your body, you start to manifest the subsequent aspects of a dis-ease until your body is sick again, and you get that "satisfaction" of being fully sick. If when you start feeling the dis-ease you think to yourself "the mind makes it real, the mind can make it unreal" and then focus on getting better, even imagine that you are getting better, you can stop falling out of balance, and rebalance yourself.

There is also a breathing exercise that involves breathing in, focusing the dis-ease area(sore muscle, nauseous stomach, ache or pain) and then imagine it leaving your body as you breathe out. This technique is very effective for fixing cramps in women I've taught it to. Just imagine you're getting better, remember that satisfaction you normally feel at the end of a dis-ease, except feel it now, and you won't unbalance.

@kuniggety said

"What questions do you have? I know Regardie spells it out pretty well in detail how it's to be done in several of his books."

thanks for the reminder. I do have "The Golden Dawn" by Israel Regardie (The 6th Edition, Revised and Enlarged) and just opened it up for the first time, hadn't gotten a chance to open it as of yet because I have so many other books to go through (at my local occult store they let me know when they get certain books / authors in and so I go down and get them as they get them in).

As I look in the book and see how wonderful the description is, my question is regarding the "clasping of hands" for Le Olam. My question has been thus:

[:2tuqthpi] Is it more like a praying hands held together, fingers extended together pointing up? [/2tuqthpi]
[:2tuqthpi] Fingers interlocked facing up? [/2tuqthpi]
[:2tuqthpi] Hands cupped together as if you were about to receive water[/2tuqthpi]

For the LBRP, I'm very confident in the way I do it, however I just wanted to make sure I wasn't practicing the incorrect way. As my old battalion commander used to say (I'm a former U.S. Marine) you train how you fight. If you aren't disciplined in your everyday life, then you won't be disciplined in battle. Same can be applied to Magick. If you aren't disciplined in what you do, then you won't be disciplined in your Magick.

Is there a site, or list of the "proper" way of doing the Qabalistic Cross, and LBRP?

I've seen plenty of videos on YouTube, and Google Video, however I'd rather be shown the right way, as opposed to the wrong way. (I understand personal interpretation, but if there is a correct way of doing something, I'd rather make an interpretation of that, as opposed to doing an interpretation of an interpretation).

Thank you in advance for any help or assistance,
Michael

@Jim Eshelman said

"http://ordoaa.org/liber8.htm
Assigned to the Adeptus Minor of A.'.A.'.."

As always, thank you Jim.

My biggest problem, as I don't have a teacher to guide me(yet), is finding the "what to do now" and "where to go next" aspects of training and learning. As far as I know the Abramelin book has the ritual for contacting and working with the HGA. I know I read somewhere that there was a shorter version of it, however finding that version has been difficult, as well as I'm hoping with the book I will see the prerequisites for completing the ritual.

Thank you very much.

I wish to purchase a copy of The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage
www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_ss_gw/701-4150017-8458742?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+sacred+magic+of+abramelin+the+mage&Go.x=0&Go.y=0&Go=Go
and want to know which book to get? I'm currently reading this version
www.esotericarchives.com/abramelin/abramelin.htm
however would like to have a hard copy in case I am not able to use my computer, and since I like how books are mobile.

Thanks David for that example. Does other people have other examples of magic journal entries? This concept is new to me.

Wanted to add this to the V links. After Rey posted about V and thelema I saw this and made the connection.

If you can get far with only the Liber ABA, then more power to you. I have had to read plenty of other books in order to understand plenty of what I've read, and I haven't even gotten through the entire Liber ABA yet.

@gmugmble said

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@Draco Magnus said
"BTW, anyone notice that V from "V for Vendetta" has the exact same motto as A.C. did?"

Crowley didn't invent the phrase, though its origin is apparently unknown. There is even (and I should know better by now than to be surprised by such things, but I am surprised anyway) an article on the phrase in Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi_veri_universum_vivus_vici"

Thank you for the link. It is helpful.