College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

Got it. - I recognized it, but couldn't think where it was in print. This prayer was used heavily by some Golden Dawn adepts and appeared in various rituals, probably also shows in some Bennett or Crowley original stuff reproduced in The Equinox (in "Temple of Solomon the King").

Regardie wasn't Christian per se, but was able to tap into any material that moved him. I love that chapter for its abundance of useable, adaptable stuff.

It's a worthy exercise to use this stuff in order to let it sink in that all such invocations are ultimately poetry - to be taken seriously but not literally.

@Quaestor Lucis said

"1) At what distance should I visualize the archangels? And how tall? (I have been working without a physical circle; width of my room is about 7 feet)."

How big is your designated space - your circle, so to speak? Put them at the perimeter of that.

"2) Should the visualization be entirely spontaneous? Or, should I first develop images on paper: color of robe, posture, weapon, face?"

It's flexible - you should be, too.

"Think of the structure of the Tree (its s'fiyroth): You start with a field of the elements. After that, planets come."

And then comes the Zodiac (Chokmah), yes? 😀
As I understand it, these four types of magick is something like four different points of view, considering the reality as consisting of five, seven, twelve , and ten parts. And each following point of view considering the more subtle aspects of reality. I'm right?

"The powers are in the paths. The states are in the s'fiyroth.

I try not to give (what could pass for) dogmatic examples - something that would work as a formula or rule set - because a great deal of the power of creating and executing magick ritual is in having to struggle your way through, wrestling with this sort of decision. But you can examine the same rituals in 776 1/2 and look for patterns on how I made some decisions.

Thus, #3, Health & Prosperity of the Order, is a Biynah ritual, not a Tav ritual. One reason is the level of the energies needed - this task can only be truly ensured if it emanates from Supernal sources. But also, consider the goal: continuing health and prosperity of the Order is seen as a way of being, a state, rather than an acute "point-effect."

#5, for protection, was s'fiyrothic because I specifically wanted the choir of angels - a true swarm of guardians and agents - as the guardian pool. Had I made this a ritual of Peh instead of G'boorah, I could have relied on the Angel of Mars, but that is a bit limited and doesn't hit the right parts of my own psyche (the deep levels of subconsciousness populated by swarms upon swarms of individual factors or elements0.

#9 is s'fiyrothic so far as creating the context of the subconscious gateways, but Path-driven in terms of the specific "ray" or factor of the psyche being engaged. Consider that it is working in the pool (state of context) of Y'sod, and engaging a specific fish swimming in that pool - the potency of a particular planet. (But some lines are wandered back and forth across in that one. But maybe this gives you an example of idea anyway.)"

Thank you for such a detailed answer!

I think it's pretty obvious. Suggestion: Just experience it. You're engaging your intellect too much and trying to be in control. This entire ritual rests on you surrendering control.

The various steps (through that part in particular) are intended to run consciousness down a particular path, to set it up for an effect.

Wow!
Thank you for the detailed answer! It became much clearer)