College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

@Macsen Melinydd said

"93

Well hey! Didn't lose it! Always nice to hear a success story"

LOL. I guess that much is a success. Thank you! 93's! - Matt

@frater aSP said

"Just a short example - in my genetic makeup I'm prone to addiction, depression, and mild OCD. Turns out that this is the perfect cocktail for me to obssessively engage with the spiritual life and learn how to care about details, which in turn led me to obssessively examine the depression until I found the root causes (both individual and ancestral), and then finally reroute and unbind those energetic ties into healthy pathways.
Within the process of genetic expression there lies such a huge ocean of possibilities in the unfolding of one's world, that there is no reason other than a masochistic one to look at a genetic predisposition as a weakness."

Thank you for posting this. I too suffer from the maladies of depression and anxiety and have recovered from a life-threatening addiction. But I too have the bonus of redirecting all that obsessive energy towards Ritual, practice and study, intense exercise (running) which I would have never dreamed of being capable of in my previous life, AND at the current time directly most of my attention to getting to the root of my depression and anxiety. I would love to get off of the SRRI's I've been on for the past 20 years and with the help of my current therapist I'm beginning to become hopeful. It seems like the psyche drugs are becoming less and less effective.

93, 93/93 - Matt

@Jim Eshelman said

"
@bermatticus said
"Regarding this line: May be chosen at will before incarnation, and even then within limits. After incarnation, you are bound by your genetic limitations. You can do much, as in Initiate; but you are limited by your inherited combination of chromosomes.

What are your thoughts on the verse but as well as Motta's take on it? Can someone with experience chime it? "

Normally I would spend my time tip-toeing around not being inelegantly insulting of Motta, but I needn't do that here. I'm not totally sure of what you are really asking but, if I take your question completely at face value - "What do you think about these three sentences Motta wrote?" - I have to say they're pretty straightforward and on target.

He says there are choices made before incarnation, and then, once incarnated, we have the body we have (to which I would add: a body that emerged at a specific time and place, and thus constitutes a specific horoscope). These two things he said are pretty basic.

And, to the extent the last sentence might, in our lifetime, become untrue, it certainly wasn't true when he wrote it.

One area - based on knowledge not available for another 15-20 years after Motta died - is that RNA does modulate the manifestation of particular chromosomal patterns, and this gives a seeming contradiction to what he said. But it's not really a contradiction, if you take him simply and literally.

The traditional answer to "What, you don't like the body you have?" is that you should either (1) accept it anyway, (2) develop it better, within the range of its possibilities, or (3) build a better one next incarnation."

You got what was I asking. Your traditional answer was what I was after. I like options 1,2, and 3 but definitely the "(2)" option best and I plan to explore that option as I continue my work. Its the range of possibilities and I look forward to exploring. Thanks for the insight, Jim !

I've seen lot change to my mind and body as well through ritual, visualization, meditation as well as physical exercise. I guess my question for you guys is more along the lines of: After K&C of HGA, how much more control would an adept have over his physical body and his ego and/or personality that she/he was born with ? Wouldn't one have the tools at her disposal to rid oneself of a personality defect?

Also yes, I like that verse you included (36?). Perhaps I should save some of these questions until I've completed reading the entire Liber

Hi everyone,

I am reading Liber LXV (currently the one with Motta's commentary, whom I still have an purely objective opinion of) and I came across Verse 3 in Chapter 2:

3. O Thou that sittest upon the Earth! (so spake a certain Veiled One to me) thou art not greater than thy mother! Thou speck of dust infinitesimal! Thou art the Lord of Glory, and the unclean dog.

(Crowley's comment) - "A “Veiled One” (Isis) explains that no individual consciousness can be more than the sphere of which it is born and which constitutes its environment. It is equally supreme and vile, these qualities being illusions produced by artificial relations, which may be chosen at will.

(Motta's Comment) - May be chosen at will before incarnation, and even then within limits. After incarnation, you are bound by your genetic limitations. You can do much, as in Initiate; but you are limited by your inherited combination of chromosomes.
This is one of the many reasons-all of them selfish, We assure-why the Adepts are continuously trying to improve mankind. The healthier, subtler, more complex combinations are available, the greater the chances of expansion. Samadhi experienced by the brain of a 75 IQ is not the same as that of a brain of 300 IQ. Even if it happens to be the same kind of samadhi. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. But you can make a beautiful purse out of pig leather, if you are skillful, and the pig healthy enough before death. In short, you must work with the material at your disposal, you must accept the fact that this material is basically an animal, and you must never make the mistake of denying or mortifying or restricting the beast in you. It must be trained, not broken!

Regarding this line: May be chosen at will before incarnation, and even then within limits. After incarnation, you are bound by your genetic limitations. You can do much, as in Initiate; but you are limited by your inherited combination of chromosomes.

What are your thoughts on the verse but as well as Motta's take on it? Can someone with experience chime it?

The way it looks to me is he is saying no matter how far one progresses upward spiritually you will still be limited at best, with how much control you have over changing or improving your physical vessel. Was this the case for the other major enlightened masters throughout past Aeons?

Hi guys,

After two years away (some of the time was just being a lurker) I thought I might try to participate. I see a lot of good discussion on this board and I feel like I should come out of my bubble and ask questions - as I have some.

I have continued a daily practice of the standard probationer-style rituals as well as Asanas and Pranyama and I continued my study of the Kabbalah, Tree of Life, Paths, attributions and as much else as I possibly can.

I am currently an "Aspirant" of the A.'. A.'. and am working to the best of my ability mostly alone. I am using Jim's "The Mystical and Magical System of the A .'. A .'.", Gems from the Equinox, all of the probationer's required reading and a small library of other books.

Also, I don't like my old name anymore so I changed it to ubermatticus

93, 93/93

@kasper81 said

"what? that your wife is playing mind-games with you? Very likely hahaha"

I doubt she was consciously playing games. Whatever the case is/was we are good now. We spent Sunday afternoon banishing the entire home both in our own specific ways and now everyone is happy - especially me. I'm back to my daily practices.

@Jim Eshelman said

"
@Indagator said
"I recently started working with the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram which is the fist time I've ever attempted invoking elemental forces. After a few days of her being in a bad mood, my wife now strongly suspects there is some evil force in our house because of something I've done."

Do you banish afterwards?"

Last Saturday I did not banish until later that evening. That was the first time trying it without banishing in the AM. I have to admit that for that day I indeed felt more of everything not necessarily in a more negative or positive way. I also felt confident with my banishings later that night. I had a heated chat with my wife last night and until I know for sure (even though I think I'm doing everything right) that my workings intended only for my psyche aren't spilling over into anyone's else's lives I'm holding of on the invokings.

@P is for Pomegranate said

"Tried a simple divination on the matter? Like I-Ching or Tarot? Might give you your answer, and in the case of it being bad juju it may tell what to focus on in order to see the problem solved."

I haven't yet. I just learned of the alleged haunt when my wife called a bit ago. I plan on doing a reading on the matter when I get home.

I have been practicing simple banishing rituals in the spare bedroom of my family's home for the past 6 months or so. I recently started working with the Supreme Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram which is the fist time I've ever attempted invoking elemental forces. After a few days of her being in a bad mood, my wife now strongly suspects there is some evil force in our house because of something I've done.

How likely is this? My wife swears up and down that she and my daughter are intuitive to this kind of thing and would know more that I would, even though I strongly suspect she has a bad case of cabin fever in addition to other non-related issues.

I'm slightly irritated as I don't want to stop my daily activities but feel I may have to unless I can somehow convince them that all is well with our home. Should I do some sort of house hold cleansing-banishing to appease both my wife and daughter in addition to any possible negative nasties?

@Los said

"...

I can't really think of a reason one would want to train oneself to have these kinds of dreams, other than personal amusement. It's certainly not necessary for an intelligent practice of Thelema. Interestingly, I wrote a blog post on the subject of one of Crowley's writings on the astral plane, in which I note both the extent to which Crowley insists again and again that it doesn't matter if the astral plane is real and also the extent to which he presents astral work as symbolic terms through which to discuss the work of discovering one's True Will. In other words, I argue that Crowley's piece is actually about Thelema and techniques for discovering the True Will, merely couched in the symbolic language of "astral work."

You can read my essay here: thelema-and-skepticism.blogspot.com/2012/08/gems-from-forums-v-astral-plane.html"

That's a very interesting read. So perhaps some of my misunderstanding of the worthiness of astral projection comes from the Golden Dawn outline. I see they seemed to think it had some importance. I assume the accounts of Crowley's experiments with it happened around the time of his Golden Dawn affiliation, no?

Last night I tried astral projection for the first time since I was a teenager some 20 years ago. I followed a simple "trance method" recipe from a pdf I found by Donald Degracia.

Preparation Rituals: aura cleansing bath, simple relaxing ritual, LBRP, BRH, 10ish minute attempt to get in a meditative state. (It was difficult staying completely focused during the rituals as well as my breath counting as I was excited and anxious to try astral projection again.)

After giving up on my meditation I laid out the bunk-mattress from the closet in a north-south orientation, turned on the sound machine to drown out household distractions and laid down on my back with my head pointed magnetic north. I prepared myself to be satisfied with nothing much coming of this session as my mind wasn't completely calm, there were some slight distractions and I was just abit anxious. I resigned to the fact that if nothing else, I will begin my first "practice" of Degracia's method. What followed wasn't what I expected.

I closed my eyes, placed my right forearm over my eyes as I do so often when I sleep and began focusing on the blackness and the static in that blackness behind my eyes. In less than a minute that flat plain of blackness went from flat to 3-dimesional. It suddenly appeared that I was staring into a space I felt I could almost reach out into. Not long after that, shapes and forms began to manifest and the blackness started to turn to light. I could feel something happening to my physical body and my heart began to race. This is as far as I got!

The excitement of just the beginning of what seemed to be a projection was too much to keep me in a calm enough state to proceed. I got up, blew out the candles and put up all my tools. I walked away not much unlike a child chickening out from the high dive.

I was completely taken by surprise at the ease and quickness of getting into this state. The few times I tried this before, I never got anywhere close to this. I had trouble even trying to use simple visualizing techniques designed to bring about a projection. I have been practicing the Middle Pillar Ritual with the LBRP daily for only six months now. In that time period I've also added the BRH, Rose Cross, and most recently the SIRP to my occasional if not daily practices. I assume the energy work in the MPR along with these visualizations in all the other rituals have changed something in my psyche making operations such as astral/etheric projection more accessible. What do you guys think? I know this is basic stuff and I do realize I didn't actually project last night but what I did experience was worth noting and sharing and I can't wait to try it again.

From the sound of it I suppose this is expected. Glad to hear it.

@Iamus said

"Yes, I've had similar experiences with the ritual, though usually while formulating Kether just above my head, but sometimes less intensely afterward. It usually starts near the crown of my head and travels down my body. It also happens when at the beginning of the Qabalistic Cross I visualize a sphere of white light above my head and then draw it down. In the few instances of contact with my Holy Guardian Angel a similar feeling came up, accompanied by the sensation that the Angel had come down from above. This sensation is often enough to cause me to actually shiver and make my hair stand on end. In all three cases we have light descending from above, so that's what I've come to associate the sensation with. The more I do the ritual, though, the less intense the sensation becomes. I've though about this as my body adapting to the light. Once I'd gotten the hang of the MP (after the first dozen performances or so) it would put me into a rather heavy trance, but that effect has largely tailed off as well, which I also thinks indicates adaptation to the light."

Ya'know, I can't always really tell you when I begin to notice it but sometimes it happens for sure at the beginning of a LBRP when bringing down the light and touching my head (in that exact spot) during the Qabalistic Cross.

Thanks guys!

@Duo Columpnas said

"Welcome, Indagator! 93's.
There certainly is quite the spectrum of personality and expertise here, as any true Thelemic community should display! In the few years I've been here, it's been wildly helpful in grounding my perspective and giving me avenues to explore I wouldn't have thought of on my own. I wish the same for you, as ye will!

You seem a nice fellow, so I look forward to your posts "

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I started practicing the MPR daily about 5 weeks ago. It is part of my daily routine that always ends in a simple mindfulness meditation. Starting about 2 weeks ago I now get a tingling sort of sensation in my middle forehead usually after finishing the MPR but now everytime I meditate I feel this sensation. I even start to feel it if I simply think about meditating. It sometimes feels like someone is holding a finger firmly planted there between and just above my eyes.

Does anyone else have similar experiences? Anyone have any idea what may be causing it? Muscle tension perhaps?

This thread is what lead me to this group. I was in and out of Alcoholics Anonymous for 10+ years but now have over 5 years of real positive quality of life sobriety since my last drink or drug. I must admit that actually working the 12 steps is what began me on a path of spiritual awakening. After haphazardly trying a few different common religions including the one I was raised with all with little or no results, I actually found some sort of connection with some form of God hanging out with a bunch of sober drunks and addicts. I didn't really choose AA. I was driven to AA by way of being beat into physical, mental and spiritual submission by my addictive demons.

AA not only saved my life, it gave me a chance to turn it into something magical and now everyday, good or bad, is nothing short of being wonderful and magnificent especially compared to before. That said, being born a non-conformist I have expanded on the 11th step and it has taken me places I deem inappropriate for discussion inside the meetings of AA.

About 4 years ago I starting reading books like "The Secret", (which I now personally find as a new hokey way to deliver an old magickal tool to the masses), The Abraham-Hicks Law of Attraction books/CDs, and a few other books on Intent, visualization and the Law of Attraction. I believe I have actually been successful in applying these techniques to my life as I have seen the types of positive changes in my career and my relationships that I had never experienced before. These positive results have led me even deeper into occult studies and practices and I have now found myself at the doorway to Thelema. So, now I find myself in an awkward position with my sponsor and have been contemplating how to let him in on my new found spiritual path. My perceived issues at stake are a) him being a practicing Methodist Christian and being unfamiliar or suspicious of anything occult and b) my ability to present these concepts to him in a coherent and meaningful way being relatively new to these ideas myself. This conversation with him is inevitably a matter of time and based on my past experiences with him I bet he will surprise me, and once again the fears are of my own making. We'll see.

Anyway, I love what has been said so far in this thread and I am so glad I am not the only one in recovery with these types of dilemmas. I will keep you guys posted - Indagator

Hello Everyone,

After intentionally looking for places to meet other Thelemites and/or practicing Magicians for a few weeks, today I stumbled upon this site doing a google search for a somewhat related subject. I'm happy to say my search was definitely fruitful AND I found what looks like a goldmine of intelligent, knowledgeable, experienced and friendly patrons. I am relatively new to Thelema but have experienced spiritual growth through other paths. After practicing daily meditation for the past 3 years in addition to other searching, reading, studying and soul searching, I've found myself here. I've just begun studying Qabalah, Tarot, Grimoire, Enochian and Ceremonial/Ritual Magick and I found myself completely fascinated and consumed with it all. I come from a judeo-christian background as I am from the "bible belt" of the US. It is still an ongoing process undoing the fear charged deep rooted belief system instilled into my psyche from the formative years but most of that has been neutralized. This may explain my new found love and obsession as ANYTHING occult had been forbidden and eternally damning in my previous life which I am mostly free of these days. Even after practicing only the LBRP for two months, and more recently the Middle Pillar Ritual I find myself with an insatiable appetite for Magick and Ritual and clearly see this as my new path. I need help, guidance and advice and look forward to meeting you guys!

Indagator