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
Explorations and Evolution of the Western Mystery Tradition: Hermeticsim, Qabalah, Mysticism, Witchcraft and Magic