Previously, we discussed the purpose of magick as the path to Gnosis and the accelerant off of the wheel of karma. We therefore determined one of the aspirant’s first tasks is the establishment of a consistent daily practice. This routine will help the practitioner to sanctify their daily life and keep track of their practices and results.
First, and possibly most important is the implementation of the magical journal. This document will serve as the foundation of the magical universe, tracking each practice you perform, each result achieved, and each major event within that universe. Aleister Crowley published a magical journal detailing a 13-day ritual cycle calling the manuscript John St.John. (Download a copy of John St.John here!) which he viewed as a model journal.
As also previously discussed, esoteric practice is extremely varied, with a plethora of schools of thought and collections of guiding principles. However, some common practices that I encourage the aspirant to adopt are things like: the veneration of a chosen pantheon (or god and subject spirits, as the case may be.) The Hindus referred to this kind of devotional veneration of divinity as Bahakti Yoga. In this path, the practitioner can engage their chosen deities in prayer, entreatment, vigil, and absorption.
The practice of the assumption of god forms can be an extremely simple but effective exercise. In this exercise we thoroughly study an image of our chosen divinity, memorizing its details thoroughly so that, with practice, we can call the image before our mind’s eye. Then, entering a meditative state, we can envision that god form laid over our own body and in so doing, taking on its characteristics and attributes like a mantel.
I strongly recommend the practice of Yoga, one of the foundational practices of esoteric arts, including meditation, and breath exercises. These practices lay a solid foundation of connection to the mind-body complex with which we are all endowed and which is the conduit for the soul’s growth and eventual ascension. They prepare the body for the physical act of mediation which can be taxing and they bring balance to the vital or biological energies, sometimes called Chi, Prahna, or even Ashe.
Learn a magical alphabet, Hebrew, Runes, Sanskrit, etc. Keep in mind that each has its own advantages and associated spiritual tradition, but the use of a sacred character set can deepen the mystical and spiritual experience and help build the synthesis of belief within the practitioner. It can assist in the process of populating their magical universe, filling in more details, and providing more handholds for the mystical mind. The most effective of these alphabets typically emanates from a preexisting theistic or esoteric tradition. For example, Hebrew is intimately tied to Kabbalah, the Futhark has its origin in the ancient Nordic traditions, and Sanskrit comes out of the Hindu traditions. Understanding these symbol sets can be profoundly rewarding, granting the practitioner a deeper understanding of their chosen system.
Once these are mastered, I recommend integrating other, more ritualistic practices such as Resh, the Middle Pillar, and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and Hexagram (LBRP/H). Resh, in particular, is a distinctly Thelemic practice while LBRP/H were both developed by the Golden Dawn and are Kabbalistic in nature.
For my own routine I practice: journaling daily, daily mediation, four times daily Resh, LBRP and LBRH at least once weekly. Additionally, I engage in regular prayer and dedication to my HGA and my preferred pantheon. (To the extent that I have the time and ability, of course.) For my personal deities, I venerate the highest creator as the Bornless One, and I also keep Buddha, and Santa Muerte as patron saints.
Stay tuned for more discussions on the Kabbalah, mediation, and ritual. Looking forward to seeing you then and until then, don’t forget: Knowledge and Practice!
In your service,
Frater Hiliel
Leave a Reply