One of the most popular areas of mystical or esoteric studies is the subject of Chakras. A quick search and you will find a plethora of books, blog posts, websites, etc. all offering slightly different approaches mostly based on “Eastern” points of views. There are “Western” ways of activating the chakras, or energy centers, and this post will cover one way of doing so. Continue reading Western Chakras: Ascension of the Inner Holy Planets
Category: Alchemy
Sound and Color for Healing
“First, That none of them should profess any other thing than to heal the sick, and that gratis”.- Fama Fraternitatis
Healing has always been a part of the Western Mystery Tradition. Most working groups of the tradition today have some method of healing as part of their school’s curriculum. It is part of who we are as a tradition, to give aid to those who suffer dis-ease in service rendered to others. The Therapeutae in ancient Alexandria and the Asclepions of Ancient Greece are great historical examples to study in regards to this mission. We will explore one variation of this healing method in a way that is accessible to all. Continue reading Sound and Color for Healing
Relaxation Using The 12 Bodily Areas
One of the most important precursors to any type of personal spiritual work is that of Relaxation. We are spiritual beings having a physical experience and we have our lives in the physical world and thus the physical body is the vehicle that we interact with in this world. If we are to ascend spiritually, to feel oneness, unity, at peace, it is vitally important that we ensure that our physical body is taken care of, in good working order and is able to work as a proper instrument for the higher spiritual energies we open ourselves up to on our return home. It will also help you to concentrate and meditate more successfully if your body is in a relaxed state. Continue reading Relaxation Using The 12 Bodily Areas
Awareness of the Cosmic Being
There are several ways of categorizing the different worlds used in the Western Mystery Tradition. Many of them overlap or complement one another. One of the purposes of using a “Worlds Model” is for the individual to be able to give some type of categorization of what they are experiencing and witnessing when they are performing their esoteric work. Over millennia esoteric practitioners have used different terms to describe and categorize similar experiences. Several examples of these are the 4 Worlds of the Kabbalists, the 7 Planes and the World Tree. While they come from different traditions and philosophies, the one constant is these worlds are based on experiential knowledge. The Model used here has origins in the teachings of Martinism and the Hermetic Qabalah. Continue reading Awareness of the Cosmic Being
Purification and Spring Cleaning
Spring Cleaning! We all seem to do it at roughly the same time each year. Most of us aren’t even aware that we do this annually. We seem to intuitively know that we are about halfway through Winter and preparing for Spring. We may pass by some blossoms and see the first stirrings of new life and growth. We see North America watch the groundhog come out of its burrow to predict the weather for the rest of the season. The Neopagan community celebrates Imbolc with the goddess Brigid and the Christians celebrate Candlemas. There are a host of other celebrations and rituals from different traditions and religions. But what do they all have in common? Continue reading Purification and Spring Cleaning
The 4 Lettered name and the Elements
In the previous post, the Natural Order of the Elements, it was seen that there are reverberations regarding correspondences throughout a magical system of placing the elements in their natural order. It must be stressed that one set of correspondences should be consistent throughout a system. Magical systems throughout time have observed the natural world and what was within the magicians themselves. That being said, one of the first issues that comes to the forefront is the attributions of the 4 lettered name of Omneity, the Tetragrammaton, to the elements. Continue reading The 4 Lettered name and the Elements
Elemental Subtle Body Activation
Most systems of magical training usually begin with some type of subtle body work. It forms one of the foundations of magical work and training to prepare one to be an instrument for the Divine. In Western Esotericism this subtle body work is usually a simple version of the Middle Pillar Exercise or one of several variations of activating the Chakras. The different versions of the Middle Pillar Exercise can be found in sources related to the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. An often neglected version, and one highly recommended to look at, is the Greater Middle Pillar Ritual found in John Michael Greer’s Circles of Power. Many systems employing the Middle Pillar follow a pattern of simple to complex, usually by visualizing different colors and adding different names and images to each sphere, depending on the “grade” within the system. Several different chakra activation exercises can also be found in some of the schools descended from Paul Foster Case following a pattern of the 7 Hebrew Double Letters and the planets of astrology. Some schools in the Western Mystery Tradition use the Eastern method of awakening the chakras as well. Each has an immense value on their own and in relation to the rest of the given magical system they are a part of. There are several other possibilities to work with in relation to the subtle body based on the Sepher Yetzirah and the Hermetic Qabalah. The Subtle Body: An Encyclopedia of Your Energetic Anatomy is an invaluable resource to explore different systems that are used throughout the world.
Continue reading Elemental Subtle Body Activation
Harmony, Correspondences, and The Natural Order of the Elements
The principle of correspondences is one of the mainstays of any magical system. In the West this is one of the first points of magical philosophy to be learned in one’s magical training along with 6 other principles that have been summarized quite well in the Kybalion, a Neo Hermetic text. The Kybalion has had a great influence on the modern Western Mystery Tradition as it is practiced today. Most systems, in one way or another, teach about the 7 principles outlined in the Kybalion. The principle of correspondences summarized, states that things in the physical world are a reflection of the things in the spiritual worlds Continue reading Harmony, Correspondences, and The Natural Order of the Elements