This article is Part Eleven of a series. Part One can be found here, Part Two can be found here, Part Three can be found here, Part Four can be found here, Part Five can be found here, Part Six can be found here, Part Seven can be found here, Part Eight can be found here, Part Nine can be found here, and Part Ten can be found here.
Working with sephira Tiphareth is the eleventh step on the path of initiation into the mysteries of Western Esotericism. On the Kircher Tree of Life, the sixth sephira is attributed to the Sun, and the corresponding vision is "The Vision of the Harmony of Things, the Mysteries of the Crucifixion, and the Beautific Vision." The word Tiphareth means Beauty, which alludes to the aesthetic properties of solar consciousness. It also alludes to the union of the solar and lunar realms according to the principles of symmetry and order.
The sephira have both microcosmic (psychological) and macrocosmic (physical) components, and as with practical magick, aligning those components is the key to experiencing effective illumination and visionary work. Hence, I use the operant field in these rites just like I do for practical workings. This allows you to integrate magical principles and forces into your life more quickly and effectively.
"Effective" is harder to define with rites of illumination than it is with practical magick. Practical magick is relatively simple to assess - you perform an operation with a specific objective, and then record whether it succeeds or fails. Effective visionary work should obtain information from the exterior world that you could not possible know by any other means, and effective illumination work should transform you in a positive way, increasing your degree of realization and in some real sense making you a "better person."
This process can be highly subjective, and failed initiatory operations often go unrecognized. I am of the opinion that a lot of the nonsense out there from certain allegedly "advanced" magical practitioners can be traced back to these sorts of initiatory failures, and this is a problem that has been acknowledged for a long time in the tradition. To avoid this, you always need to be skeptical about any apparent attainment.
Always test spirits. Always keep track of any changes you observe following illuminating and visionary experiences, and do your best to see if the changes you are seeing from your work are going in a positive direction. Stories of magicians "going insane" from failed operations are highly exaggerated - most often, nothing happens, and the danger lies in being convinced that something did happen and then acting from that perspective.
Ideally, the prerequite to working with Tiphareth is to attain the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. This refers to stabilization of contact with the angel, not simply establishing some sort of contact. Since this prerequisite generally takes six or more months of daily work to establish, you will most likely be doing the HGA work for some time before these rituals become relevant. You can do them without the full K&C, but they will generally be less effective.
As I've mentioned previously, my system is not a classical Gnostic escape from matter, but rather a skillful means by which the material and spiritual worlds can be turned to your advantage. So in the course of getting the work down I expect you to be doing practical magick in addition to all the necessary mundane actions required for success right away. It is most coherent at this point to stick with elemental operations if you can. My elemental work operations can be found here.
Now if that makes you feel "stuck" because you really, really think you need to do a planetary operation to get something that will put your Kingdom in order, keep in mind that in magick every complete system is a reflection of every other. So the elements reflect the planets, the planets reflect the signs, and so forth. You can use elemental operations to mimic the powers associated with planetary operations as follows:
Try it out, and I think you will see what I'm talking about. The four elemental kings are powerful spirits, and they can accomplish a lot. But remember - magick is no substitute for mundane actions! I emphasize, because so many people miss that point, on the Internet and elsewhere. That probably is one reason that unlike me, most of the magical teachers and schools out there don't teach practical magick right away.
Magick does make all of your mundane actions go better and more smoothly, and when you use it you'll find success much more quickly. But it's all based on probability. For example, a magical ritual usually won't bring you a job if you never send out a resume. The key is to understand that you take mundane actions to make the outcome you want as likely as possible, and you use magick to make sure the remaining odds fall in your favor.
These two sides of practical operations should always work together. When you rely and magick and take only minimal mundane actions, you are making success a lot harder than it needs to be. Remember, we're not trying to escape the physical, we're trying to transform it into a proper vehicle for the manifestation of our individual wills.
Keep in mind that this is the last set of operations where I will be expecting you to stick to elemental operations. Once you have concluded the rituals of Tiphareth successfully, it opens up the whole set of planetary and zodiacal operations in addition to the system of the elements. Again, those rituals can be done before you are initiated into Tiphareth, but they work much better once your consciousness is stabilized at this level.
You may also wish to seek initiation into a magical order or tradition at this point, if it be your will. I'm not familiar with all the systems out there, and some of them may not be entire compatible with this schema, or be led by teachers who disagree with my approach. In the A.'.A.'. and Golden Dawn schemas, The Dominus Limnus or Portal grade is considered the proper preliminary initiation to the Adeptus Minor grade, which corresponds to Tiphareth.
Little more can be said regarding what your experience of Tiphareth will be. If you have K&C, your angel should be able to answer any questions that you might have better than I can. Rather than general rules of thumb, answers from your angel will be precisely tailored to produce the best possible results for you. It may or may not be nearly as meaningful to anyone else, simply by virtue of the source.
I describe Tiphareth consciousness in my own work as "transpersonal realization." It is the stable sense of your own awareness as not ending at the boundaries of your skin, but rather extending outward to all that you perceive and experience from moment to moment. I don't know if that makes a lot of sense to you, or just sounds like jargon. Gnosis is very difficult to describe in words and the jump from lunar to solar consciousness is a big one. What I will say is that you'll know it when you experience it.
Whether you're taking up practical magick right away or pursuing the initiatory path right away, my basic recommendations are pretty much the same. First, take up a daily magical practice, which I discuss here and here. Meditation is important as well, especially for any form of mystical work.
In at least one of those older articles I talk about keeping meditation and ceremonial work separate. That's a precaution that I no longer think is necessary. Instead, you can do a single practice session that includes both. Go through your entire ceremonial practice sequence, sit and meditate for about twenty minutes, and then seal your practice with a concluding Qabalistic Cross. It works just fine that way. The whole thing will take you maybe half an hour a day, not even as long as watching a regular television program.
And let me caution you about extending your practice - and particularly your meditation - much beyond that. Pushing yourself to meditate for hours a day will probably not make your progress much faster, and I find that students who try to do this against my advice inevitably burn out and quit practicing. Persistence and determination should be your watchwords here. Spending half an hour on this, every day, will prove much more beneficial than spending three or four hours on one day and then being too tired to do anything else for the rest of the week.
Keep a magical journal, especially at the beginning of your studies. Note your state of mind along with the date and time you start your practice each day, and note anything unusual that comes up while you are doing the work. You can also write down anything noteworthy that happened during the day. It doesn't have to be especially detailed, but you want to have enough information to track your progress along with the astrological landscape and an overview of what is happening in your life from day to day.
And I realize this may sound like a lot - but it really isn't. Add fifteen minutes of journaling to your half-hour practice, and it really only takes about as much time as watching a regular television episode. In fact, you don't want your magical work to consume your life. That can create all sorts of problems, from lack of attention to your material situation and physical health to complete burnout. Even if you love doing the work, try to discipline yourself to under an hour a day, total. You can avoid a whole lot of headaches that way.
The initiatory path of illumination for each sephira involves two basic operations - a "Rite of Approach" and an "Elixir Rite." The Rite of Approach opens a portal into the realm of the sephira, and then employs the same methods I lay out in my simple pathworking ritual to explore what lies beyond the portal and interact with the Archangel of Tiphareth, Raphael. The primary function of this to develop a working relationship with the Archangel and other spirits of the Tiphareth domain. When interacting with the Archangel, feel free to ask for initiation corresponding to the sephira.
You should recognize the core of the Elixir Rite right away, as it is similar to what we do during the Aries Elixir Rite. The Elixir Rite is a eucharistic ritual that involves the charging of wine (or juice, if you can't drink alcohol) with the power of the sephira and then consuming it. This may or may not include a specific statement of intent. The function of the eucharist is to spiritually charge a material substance and then consume it, in order to take into your physical body the essence of magick itself.
The opening for the initiatory rites of Tiphareth is the same as for my previous rites. You don't necessarily need to create the sigil of the Archangel, but if you do you can go ahead and trace it on the solar kamea. The reason is that for the Rite of Approach, we will be seeking out the Archangel in his own realm, and for the Elixir Rite he is being called upon to assist in the creation of the Elixir, not to fully manifest within the Table of Art. Note that as with the Elemental Kings, I say "he" in my text but angels can take any form they want, male or female.
0. The Temple
There are a number of different ways to arrange the temple for an operation such as this. What we do is place an altar in the center with the banishing dagger and invoking wand. Also on the altar is a containment structure such as the Sigillum Dei Aemeth or the Trithemian Table of Art. The diagram depicting the character and sigil should be placed within this structure. A small container of some sort for offerings may also be placed on the Table of Art. For the Elixir Rite, the cup goes within the Table of Art and no other container for offerings is required (since some of the Elixir is given as the offering).
The Table of Art shown above is from The Digital Ambler. You can read about the design and how it was put together here. You can click on the image to enlarge.
If you employ scrying in your work, an appropriate device such as a crystal or mirror should also be placed in the containment structure. If you are using incense for such an operation, the traditional method is to place the incense burner between the scryer and the mirror or crystal. Otherwise, it may be placed anywhere in the space. Some scryers like to place a taper candle on either side of the device, and while I can't say that method does anything at all for me, a number of others report good results with it.
Tiphareth operations are best performed on a Sunday during the hour of the Sun, or when the Sun or Mars are Chart Victors. Avoid any time during which the Chart Victor is Saturn or Venus. Also, you can improve your results by employing simple electional timing.
1. Opening
Light incense, if used (Olibanum). Open the magical field using the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, or the Field Ritual. The usual field for practical work is the operant field, with banishing pentagrams and invoking hexagrams.
2. Preliminary Invocation
Raise energy using the Middle Pillar, Elevenfold Seal (the "First Gesture" from Liber V vel Reguli), or some other appropriate ritual method as you may know how to do.
Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon, raising both arms and holding them straight with an angle between them of 60 degrees, and proclaim, very strongly:
Then make the Sign of Silence, by standing straight with one arm at your side and placing your thumb or forefinger to your lips.
3. Tuning the Space
Perform the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for the Sun (Sephirothic). Beginning in the east, go to each quarter in turn and perform the following actions.
Once you have returned to face the east, read or recite the Leo chapter from Liber 963:
The space should now be tuned for the conjuration.
4A. The Rite of Approach
Begin with the conjuration of the Archangel. Note that Michael and Raphael switch places depending on whether are working with paths or sephiroth. Raphael is attributed to Tiphareth and the path of Mercury, and Michael is attributed to Hod and the path of the Sun.
At this point, vibrate the name RAPHAEL repeatedly until the Archangel and the spirits of Tiphareth are perceived within the Table of Art. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops.
Then sit down on a chair or cushion and read the Simple Pathworking Induction out loud. If you are able, it is helpful to record the induction so that you can listen to it and follow along with the corresponding visualizations. Or, if you are working with a group, each person can take a turn reading during a series of rites.
At this point, allow 10-15 minutes for meditation in the spirit vision, or longer if it be your will. Use a timer, to remove the temptation to keep looking at your clock, watch, or phone. When you are finished, the induction is concluded as follows.
Once you are back, stand and return to your place at the altar. Skip to Point 5 to close the rite.
4B. The Elixir Rite
Begin with the conjuration of the Archangel:
At this point, vibrate the name RAPHAEL repeatedly until the presence of the Archangel and spirits of Tiphareth are perceived within the Table of Art. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops. Then say:
Note that the plural used here is NOT a typo or carry-over from the other elixir ritual. Even if you are working on your own, Raphael will also be partaking of the elixir in the form of an offering at the end of the rite. So there will always be at least two of you present.
Make one clockwise circumambulation, visualizing a wall of yellow light whirling rapidly in the same direction about the circle. When finished, the wall of light is allowed to fade. Hold the cup at heart level and say:
Once this is complete, join or clasp hands and make six full circumambulations of the circle, corresponding to Tiphareth.
Then raise power, visualizing a continuous spiral of yellow light ascending from the ground at feet, whirling clockwise around body and ascending until it disappears above head. Hold this visualization, and vibrate the divine name once: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
The join or clasp hands and vibrate once more: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
Extend hands toward elixir cup. Visualize beams of yellow light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full” end the visualization, folding hands on breast left over right. Finally, trace the symbol of the Sun in a horizontal plane over the cup while vibrating once more: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
Make one more complete circumambulation of the circle. Battery: 1 (that is, knock on the altar table). Raise the cup and say:
Drink and then visualize or speak any practical intent. The cup should not be entirely drained. When finished, Battery: 1. Indicate the cup, which should still contain some of the elixir. Say:
The offering should be allowed to evaporate following the rite. However, this is not necessary. If it has not fully evaporated after several days, you can pour it out at any convenient outdoor location.
5. The License to Depart
7. Closing
The ritual should be closed with the Qabalistic Cross.
A couple of points: You will probably need to perform these rituals multiple times before you can consider yourself "initiated" into Yesod. Generally speaking, this is something that the Archangel can bestow, but he won't necessarily do it the first time you ask. Or, maybe he will. It depends on his estimation of your state of awareness or realization. He may also give you specific instructions to follow in order to make yourself ready for the initiation. And they can always be performed afterwards, at any time, as rites of illumination.
Especially in the case of the Rite of Approach, be sure to write up a detailed journal entry including all that you experience. A voice recorder in the temple can be helpful for astral work of whatever kind so that you can describe what is going on as it happens. You may find trouble getting into the right mindspace to experience much the first time you do this and that's okay. Just use this trick: say to yourself "If I really was projecting into the astral, I would be seeing..."
You can test spirits you encounter by vibrating divine names at them. EHEIEH is a good general one, that dispels most false visions. You can also use the godname called upon in the ritual, YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH. If you meet a spirit claiming to be Raphael vibrate his name at it. If it really is Raphael, the vision should intensify rather than weaken. Finally, obtain from the spirit a word of power, a number, or both.
After the ritual, go back and look those up in a resource like Sephir Sephiroth or Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia to see if the number or the gematria of the word is appropriate to the element of Fire. If it is, you most likely found your way to the right place. On the other hand, if you can find no connection, it is advisable to perform the rite again at some point in the future, maybe after doing an Elixir Rite or two.
Working with sephira Tiphareth is the eleventh step on the path of initiation into the mysteries of Western Esotericism. On the Kircher Tree of Life, the sixth sephira is attributed to the Sun, and the corresponding vision is "The Vision of the Harmony of Things, the Mysteries of the Crucifixion, and the Beautific Vision." The word Tiphareth means Beauty, which alludes to the aesthetic properties of solar consciousness. It also alludes to the union of the solar and lunar realms according to the principles of symmetry and order.
The sephira have both microcosmic (psychological) and macrocosmic (physical) components, and as with practical magick, aligning those components is the key to experiencing effective illumination and visionary work. Hence, I use the operant field in these rites just like I do for practical workings. This allows you to integrate magical principles and forces into your life more quickly and effectively.
"Effective" is harder to define with rites of illumination than it is with practical magick. Practical magick is relatively simple to assess - you perform an operation with a specific objective, and then record whether it succeeds or fails. Effective visionary work should obtain information from the exterior world that you could not possible know by any other means, and effective illumination work should transform you in a positive way, increasing your degree of realization and in some real sense making you a "better person."
This process can be highly subjective, and failed initiatory operations often go unrecognized. I am of the opinion that a lot of the nonsense out there from certain allegedly "advanced" magical practitioners can be traced back to these sorts of initiatory failures, and this is a problem that has been acknowledged for a long time in the tradition. To avoid this, you always need to be skeptical about any apparent attainment.
Always test spirits. Always keep track of any changes you observe following illuminating and visionary experiences, and do your best to see if the changes you are seeing from your work are going in a positive direction. Stories of magicians "going insane" from failed operations are highly exaggerated - most often, nothing happens, and the danger lies in being convinced that something did happen and then acting from that perspective.
Ideally, the prerequite to working with Tiphareth is to attain the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. This refers to stabilization of contact with the angel, not simply establishing some sort of contact. Since this prerequisite generally takes six or more months of daily work to establish, you will most likely be doing the HGA work for some time before these rituals become relevant. You can do them without the full K&C, but they will generally be less effective.
As I've mentioned previously, my system is not a classical Gnostic escape from matter, but rather a skillful means by which the material and spiritual worlds can be turned to your advantage. So in the course of getting the work down I expect you to be doing practical magick in addition to all the necessary mundane actions required for success right away. It is most coherent at this point to stick with elemental operations if you can. My elemental work operations can be found here.
Now if that makes you feel "stuck" because you really, really think you need to do a planetary operation to get something that will put your Kingdom in order, keep in mind that in magick every complete system is a reflection of every other. So the elements reflect the planets, the planets reflect the signs, and so forth. You can use elemental operations to mimic the powers associated with planetary operations as follows:
Earth - Money, finances, employment (Jupiter, Sun).
Water - Love and relationships (Venus).
Air - Healing and divination (Mercury, Moon).
Fire - Cursing and protection (Saturn, Mars).
Try it out, and I think you will see what I'm talking about. The four elemental kings are powerful spirits, and they can accomplish a lot. But remember - magick is no substitute for mundane actions! I emphasize, because so many people miss that point, on the Internet and elsewhere. That probably is one reason that unlike me, most of the magical teachers and schools out there don't teach practical magick right away.
Magick does make all of your mundane actions go better and more smoothly, and when you use it you'll find success much more quickly. But it's all based on probability. For example, a magical ritual usually won't bring you a job if you never send out a resume. The key is to understand that you take mundane actions to make the outcome you want as likely as possible, and you use magick to make sure the remaining odds fall in your favor.
These two sides of practical operations should always work together. When you rely and magick and take only minimal mundane actions, you are making success a lot harder than it needs to be. Remember, we're not trying to escape the physical, we're trying to transform it into a proper vehicle for the manifestation of our individual wills.
Keep in mind that this is the last set of operations where I will be expecting you to stick to elemental operations. Once you have concluded the rituals of Tiphareth successfully, it opens up the whole set of planetary and zodiacal operations in addition to the system of the elements. Again, those rituals can be done before you are initiated into Tiphareth, but they work much better once your consciousness is stabilized at this level.
You may also wish to seek initiation into a magical order or tradition at this point, if it be your will. I'm not familiar with all the systems out there, and some of them may not be entire compatible with this schema, or be led by teachers who disagree with my approach. In the A.'.A.'. and Golden Dawn schemas, The Dominus Limnus or Portal grade is considered the proper preliminary initiation to the Adeptus Minor grade, which corresponds to Tiphareth.
Little more can be said regarding what your experience of Tiphareth will be. If you have K&C, your angel should be able to answer any questions that you might have better than I can. Rather than general rules of thumb, answers from your angel will be precisely tailored to produce the best possible results for you. It may or may not be nearly as meaningful to anyone else, simply by virtue of the source.
I describe Tiphareth consciousness in my own work as "transpersonal realization." It is the stable sense of your own awareness as not ending at the boundaries of your skin, but rather extending outward to all that you perceive and experience from moment to moment. I don't know if that makes a lot of sense to you, or just sounds like jargon. Gnosis is very difficult to describe in words and the jump from lunar to solar consciousness is a big one. What I will say is that you'll know it when you experience it.
Whether you're taking up practical magick right away or pursuing the initiatory path right away, my basic recommendations are pretty much the same. First, take up a daily magical practice, which I discuss here and here. Meditation is important as well, especially for any form of mystical work.
In at least one of those older articles I talk about keeping meditation and ceremonial work separate. That's a precaution that I no longer think is necessary. Instead, you can do a single practice session that includes both. Go through your entire ceremonial practice sequence, sit and meditate for about twenty minutes, and then seal your practice with a concluding Qabalistic Cross. It works just fine that way. The whole thing will take you maybe half an hour a day, not even as long as watching a regular television program.
And let me caution you about extending your practice - and particularly your meditation - much beyond that. Pushing yourself to meditate for hours a day will probably not make your progress much faster, and I find that students who try to do this against my advice inevitably burn out and quit practicing. Persistence and determination should be your watchwords here. Spending half an hour on this, every day, will prove much more beneficial than spending three or four hours on one day and then being too tired to do anything else for the rest of the week.
Keep a magical journal, especially at the beginning of your studies. Note your state of mind along with the date and time you start your practice each day, and note anything unusual that comes up while you are doing the work. You can also write down anything noteworthy that happened during the day. It doesn't have to be especially detailed, but you want to have enough information to track your progress along with the astrological landscape and an overview of what is happening in your life from day to day.
And I realize this may sound like a lot - but it really isn't. Add fifteen minutes of journaling to your half-hour practice, and it really only takes about as much time as watching a regular television episode. In fact, you don't want your magical work to consume your life. That can create all sorts of problems, from lack of attention to your material situation and physical health to complete burnout. Even if you love doing the work, try to discipline yourself to under an hour a day, total. You can avoid a whole lot of headaches that way.
The initiatory path of illumination for each sephira involves two basic operations - a "Rite of Approach" and an "Elixir Rite." The Rite of Approach opens a portal into the realm of the sephira, and then employs the same methods I lay out in my simple pathworking ritual to explore what lies beyond the portal and interact with the Archangel of Tiphareth, Raphael. The primary function of this to develop a working relationship with the Archangel and other spirits of the Tiphareth domain. When interacting with the Archangel, feel free to ask for initiation corresponding to the sephira.
You should recognize the core of the Elixir Rite right away, as it is similar to what we do during the Aries Elixir Rite. The Elixir Rite is a eucharistic ritual that involves the charging of wine (or juice, if you can't drink alcohol) with the power of the sephira and then consuming it. This may or may not include a specific statement of intent. The function of the eucharist is to spiritually charge a material substance and then consume it, in order to take into your physical body the essence of magick itself.
The opening for the initiatory rites of Tiphareth is the same as for my previous rites. You don't necessarily need to create the sigil of the Archangel, but if you do you can go ahead and trace it on the solar kamea. The reason is that for the Rite of Approach, we will be seeking out the Archangel in his own realm, and for the Elixir Rite he is being called upon to assist in the creation of the Elixir, not to fully manifest within the Table of Art. Note that as with the Elemental Kings, I say "he" in my text but angels can take any form they want, male or female.
0. The Temple
There are a number of different ways to arrange the temple for an operation such as this. What we do is place an altar in the center with the banishing dagger and invoking wand. Also on the altar is a containment structure such as the Sigillum Dei Aemeth or the Trithemian Table of Art. The diagram depicting the character and sigil should be placed within this structure. A small container of some sort for offerings may also be placed on the Table of Art. For the Elixir Rite, the cup goes within the Table of Art and no other container for offerings is required (since some of the Elixir is given as the offering).
The Table of Art shown above is from The Digital Ambler. You can read about the design and how it was put together here. You can click on the image to enlarge.
If you employ scrying in your work, an appropriate device such as a crystal or mirror should also be placed in the containment structure. If you are using incense for such an operation, the traditional method is to place the incense burner between the scryer and the mirror or crystal. Otherwise, it may be placed anywhere in the space. Some scryers like to place a taper candle on either side of the device, and while I can't say that method does anything at all for me, a number of others report good results with it.
Tiphareth operations are best performed on a Sunday during the hour of the Sun, or when the Sun or Mars are Chart Victors. Avoid any time during which the Chart Victor is Saturn or Venus. Also, you can improve your results by employing simple electional timing.
1. Opening
Light incense, if used (Olibanum). Open the magical field using the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, Star Ruby and Star Sapphire, or the Field Ritual. The usual field for practical work is the operant field, with banishing pentagrams and invoking hexagrams.
2. Preliminary Invocation
Raise energy using the Middle Pillar, Elevenfold Seal (the "First Gesture" from Liber V vel Reguli), or some other appropriate ritual method as you may know how to do.
Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon, raising both arms and holding them straight with an angle between them of 60 degrees, and proclaim, very strongly:
Thee I invoke, who art Universe!
Thee I invoke, who art in Nature formed!
Thee I invoke, the vast and the mighty!
Source of Darkness, Source of Light.
Then make the Sign of Silence, by standing straight with one arm at your side and placing your thumb or forefinger to your lips.
3. Tuning the Space
Perform the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram for the Sun (Sephirothic). Beginning in the east, go to each quarter in turn and perform the following actions.
- 1. Trace the Hexagram of the Sun in Yellow while vibrating ARARITA (ah-rah-ree-tah). The Hexagram of the Sun consists of the other six hexagrams, traced from top (Saturn) to bottom (Moon).
- Trace the symbol of the Sun in the center of the hexagram in purple while vibrating YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH (yahweh el-oh-ah ve-da-ath).
Once you have returned to face the east, read or recite the Leo chapter from Liber 963:
1. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the Lion Rampant of the dawn: Thou hast crushed with Thy paw the crouching lioness of Night, so that she may roar forth the Glory of Thy Name.
2. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the lap of the fertile valleys: Thou hast adorned their strong limbs with a robe of poppied corn, so that they may laugh forth the Glory of Thy Name.
3. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the gilded rout of dancing-girls: Thou hast garlanded their naked middles with fragrant flowers, so that they may pace forth the Glory of Thy Name.
4. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the riotous joy of the storm: Thou hast shaken the gold-dust from the tresses of the hills, so that they may chaunt forth the Glory of Thy Name.
5. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the stars and meteors of Night: Thou hast caparisoned her grey coursers with moons of pearl, so that they may shake forth the Glory of Thy Name.
6. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the precious stones of the black earth: Thou hast lightened her with a myriad eyes of magic, so that she may wink forth the Glory of Thy Name.
7. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the sparkling dew of the wild glades: Thou hast decked them out as for a great feast of rejoicing, so that they may gleam forth the Glory of Thy Name.
8. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the stillness of the frozen lakes: Thou hast made their faces more dazzling than a silver mirror, so that they may flash forth the Glory of Thy Name.
9. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the smoke-veil'd fire of the mountains: Thou hast inflamed them as lions that scent a fallow deer, so that they may rage forth the Glory of Thy Name.
10. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the countenance of my darling: Thou hast unclothed her of white lilies and crimson roses, so that she may blush forth the Glory of Thy Name.
11. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the weeping of the flying clouds: Thou hast swelled therewith the blue breasts of the milky rivers, so that they may roll forth the Glory of Thy Name.
12. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the amber combers of the storm: Thou hast laid Thy lash upon the sphinxes of the waters, so that they may boom forth the Glory of Thy Name.
13. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the lotus-flower within my heart: Thou hast emblazoned my trumpet with the lion-standard, so that I may blare forth the Glory of Thy Name.
Amen, and Amen of Amen, and Amen of Amen of Amen, and Amen of Amen of Amen of Amen.
The space should now be tuned for the conjuration.
4A. The Rite of Approach
Begin with the conjuration of the Archangel. Note that Michael and Raphael switch places depending on whether are working with paths or sephiroth. Raphael is attributed to Tiphareth and the path of Mercury, and Michael is attributed to Hod and the path of the Sun.
Oh Glorious and Mighty RAPHAEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of SHEMESH, Behold me, and in the name of the same your God YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH, Attend and Appear before me within this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the sephira of Tiphareth do I rightly desire! Enlighten my understanding, encourage my heart, and manifest unto me now as I enter into and explore your spiritual realm.
At this point, vibrate the name RAPHAEL repeatedly until the Archangel and the spirits of Tiphareth are perceived within the Table of Art. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops.
Then sit down on a chair or cushion and read the Simple Pathworking Induction out loud. If you are able, it is helpful to record the induction so that you can listen to it and follow along with the corresponding visualizations. Or, if you are working with a group, each person can take a turn reading during a series of rites.
Sit or lie comfortably. Close your eyes and pay attention to your breath. Feel it flowing in and out of your body at its own natural rhythm. Relax your abdomen and allow it to expand as you breathe in, and contract as you breathe out. Feel the breath flowing, allowing it to sink into your abdomen and deepen at its own pace.
Visualize your body from the outside. Around it you see a glowing field of colored light arranged in four distinct layers. Bring your attention to the innermost layer, a field of light tinted with the rich green of earth. This layer extends only an inch or so beyond the boundary of your skin. As you bring your attention to this layer, relax from the toes on up. Then take a deep breath and say to yourself, “my body is at peace.” As deep relaxation flows throughout your body, see the field of green light becoming still and receptive.
Shift your attention to the next layer, a field of light tinted with the blue of water that covers earth. This layer begins where the green layer ends and extends a few more inches beyond your body. As you focus on this layer, pay attention to your emotions and feelings. Simply observe and let them pass, allowing your attention to detach from them. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “my emotions are at peace.” As your emotions become calm and serene, see the field of blue light becoming still and reflective.
Shift your attention to the next layer, a field of light tinted with the yellow of air that covers water. This layer begins where the blue layer ends and extends yet a few more inches beyond your body. As you focus on this layer, pay attention to your thoughts. Simply observe and let them pass, allowing your attention to detach from them. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “my thoughts are at peace.” As your thoughts become calm and clear, see the field of yellow light becoming still and integrated.
Shift your attention to the next layer, a field of light tinted with the red of fire that burns at the heart of the sun. This layer begins where the yellow layer ends and extends yet a few more inches beyond your body. As you focus on this layer, pay attention to the sparks of will that give rise to your individual sense of being. Simply observe and let them pass, allowing your attention to detach from them. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “my will is at peace.” As your will becomes focused, see he field of red light becoming still and distinct.
Visualize your body and the aura that surrounds it. Allow any remaining tension, stress, or worry to drain away into the earth, and as you do, see the field of ethereal light that surrounds you becoming more vibrant and harmonious. Realize that you are now observing your body, emotions, thoughts, and will from outside, and that you are more than just these facets of your personality. Take a deep breath and say to yourself, “I am.” Then pay attention to your attention.
Now, begin to focus on your purpose in this temple. We are alone in the temple. The powers await just beyond our sensing. We will now bring these powers to life in our hall. Nothing awaits us or concerns us but the Great Work, which we shall now continue as we explore the realm of Raphael, the Archangel of Tiphareth.
Visualize an idealized form of yourself taking shape out of the light in front of your inner vision. See your astral double standing, facing you. Take some time to get the best image possible fixed in your mind. Once you have this Body of Light complete, look around the temple space from the viewpoint of your double and notice first that you are surrounded by a blank gray fog.
As the fog clears, you begin to make out the astral form of this temple around you. To the east you notice a portal take shape out of the mist. This could be a doorway, a large magick mirror, a window, or some other kind of opening large enough for you to enter. You pass through this portal, and find yourself in the realm of Rathael. Take note of all you experience here as you explore the landscape of Tiphareth.
At this point, allow 10-15 minutes for meditation in the spirit vision, or longer if it be your will. Use a timer, to remove the temptation to keep looking at your clock, watch, or phone. When you are finished, the induction is concluded as follows.
It is now time to leave the realm of Tiphareth. Take a few moments to finish your exploration here, and then turn back the way you came.
When you arrive at the portal, pass back through into the astral region of the temple. Stand in front of your physical body, turn around, and allow the Body of Light to merge back into your physical body. Retain all that has happened in vivid presence, while you quietly remain for awhile, with eyes still closed.
As you slowly merge back into the physical, be aware of your breath flowing, gently in and out of your body. Feel your eyes still gently closed and relaxed. Feel the movement of your abdomen as it moves away from your body as you inhale and back towards your body as you exhale. Finally, be aware of your body and the space that your body occupies.
Slowly bring your hands up to your face, cover your eyes with your hands and then gently open your eyes. Remove your hands slowly from your face, slowly look up and come back to the present space in circle.
Once you are back, stand and return to your place at the altar. Skip to Point 5 to close the rite.
4B. The Elixir Rite
Begin with the conjuration of the Archangel:
Oh Glorious and Mighty RAPHAEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of SHEMESH, Behold me, and in the name of the same your God YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH, Attend and Appear before me within this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the sephira of Tiphareth do I rightly desire! Enlighten my understanding, encourage my heart, and manifest unto me now as I partake of your spiritual realm.
At this point, vibrate the name RAPHAEL repeatedly until the presence of the Archangel and spirits of Tiphareth are perceived within the Table of Art. If this is being performed as a group ritual, with everyone chanting the name together, it is helpful for the officiant or scryer to have a bell chime that can be rung once he or she perceives a presence in whatever manner. At the bell chime, the chant stops. Then say:
O almighty YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH. To thee we present this talisman of our magickal will! I ask thee, Oh Exalted One, to receive the body of this rite into the light of thy presence. As we proceed in making this Elixir of Tiphareth, charging it with the creative energies of SHEMESH, we shall achieve a true alchemical ferment, mighty in Yetzirah and vitalized by thy blessing. In partaking of this Mystery, let there be unto us vitality of soul, increase of sight, true gnosis, and complete manifestation of the wonders of thy Sphere!
Note that the plural used here is NOT a typo or carry-over from the other elixir ritual. Even if you are working on your own, Raphael will also be partaking of the elixir in the form of an offering at the end of the rite. So there will always be at least two of you present.
Make one clockwise circumambulation, visualizing a wall of yellow light whirling rapidly in the same direction about the circle. When finished, the wall of light is allowed to fade. Hold the cup at heart level and say:
Creature of Wine who art established in the Sphere of Tiphareth: by the vital force of my breath I enliven thee to perfect this work of Holy Magick in the realm of YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH.
Once this is complete, join or clasp hands and make six full circumambulations of the circle, corresponding to Tiphareth.
Then raise power, visualizing a continuous spiral of yellow light ascending from the ground at feet, whirling clockwise around body and ascending until it disappears above head. Hold this visualization, and vibrate the divine name once: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
The join or clasp hands and vibrate once more: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
Extend hands toward elixir cup. Visualize beams of yellow light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full” end the visualization, folding hands on breast left over right. Finally, trace the symbol of the Sun in a horizontal plane over the cup while vibrating once more: YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH
Make one more complete circumambulation of the circle. Battery: 1 (that is, knock on the altar table). Raise the cup and say:
Behold the Elixir of Tiphareth! For all and for each it is prepared! Let each and all receive its magick virtue!
Drink and then visualize or speak any practical intent. The cup should not be entirely drained. When finished, Battery: 1. Indicate the cup, which should still contain some of the elixir. Say:
Glorious and Mighty Raphael, we make this offering unto you, that it may nourish and fortify you as you attend to your appointed tasks. Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of our souls! So mote it be!
The offering should be allowed to evaporate following the rite. However, this is not necessary. If it has not fully evaporated after several days, you can pour it out at any convenient outdoor location.
5. The License to Depart
Archangel RAPHAEL and the spirits of Thy domain, because thou hast-diligently answered unto my demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at my call, I do hereby license thee to depart unto thy proper place, without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. I charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly with the blessings of the great god YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH, and that peace be ever continued between us. So mote it be!
7. Closing
The ritual should be closed with the Qabalistic Cross.
A couple of points: You will probably need to perform these rituals multiple times before you can consider yourself "initiated" into Yesod. Generally speaking, this is something that the Archangel can bestow, but he won't necessarily do it the first time you ask. Or, maybe he will. It depends on his estimation of your state of awareness or realization. He may also give you specific instructions to follow in order to make yourself ready for the initiation. And they can always be performed afterwards, at any time, as rites of illumination.
Especially in the case of the Rite of Approach, be sure to write up a detailed journal entry including all that you experience. A voice recorder in the temple can be helpful for astral work of whatever kind so that you can describe what is going on as it happens. You may find trouble getting into the right mindspace to experience much the first time you do this and that's okay. Just use this trick: say to yourself "If I really was projecting into the astral, I would be seeing..."
You can test spirits you encounter by vibrating divine names at them. EHEIEH is a good general one, that dispels most false visions. You can also use the godname called upon in the ritual, YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH. If you meet a spirit claiming to be Raphael vibrate his name at it. If it really is Raphael, the vision should intensify rather than weaken. Finally, obtain from the spirit a word of power, a number, or both.
After the ritual, go back and look those up in a resource like Sephir Sephiroth or Godwin's Cabalistic Encyclopedia to see if the number or the gematria of the word is appropriate to the element of Fire. If it is, you most likely found your way to the right place. On the other hand, if you can find no connection, it is advisable to perform the rite again at some point in the future, maybe after doing an Elixir Rite or two.
Will you also be covering the part about the crossing of the Abyss? Not that I'm particularly interested in it, but it seems to be a big fetish in the occult world :)
ReplyDeleteThe plan is to talk about it as best I can, though I will be relying on accounts other than my own experience. I have some ideas about it that I think are logically sound, but since magick is experiential that only takes you so far.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I mean Crowley has covered his experience in great detail from what I know. I'd be interested in learning about more about the technique involved.
ReplyDeleteRight, Crowley will be one of my main sources. But for example, the experience is also comparable to the higher enlightened states in Buddhism and so forth, so I'll be looking at some comparative material from other traditions as well.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to that :D
ReplyDeleteHi Scott
ReplyDeleteyo do this and another ritual of the sun with de unicursal hexagram What do you think about this? for me is more direct...
In my experience, the unicursal is easier to do but less powerful. Make of that what you will. The unicursal hexagram is more properly an elemental figure than a planetary one. You have Active Spirit at the top, Passive Spirit at the bottom, and the four classical elements attributed to the other points. You can map it onto the planetary hexagram and get an effect, but the full solar hexagram just works better when you look at probability testing and the like.
ReplyDeleteHi Scott
ReplyDeleteI will use the 2, see the effects,I believe that the angels sometimes for material matters are very distant, probably for the initiations are completely indicated, I think that for mundane matters we have to go down to the spirit on the astral or etheric level practically, sometimes I think that the angels simply channel or allow The passage of the Force of Atziluh and simply control the descent of the Force and simply control the descent of the Force, but are not directly involved,Probably delegate in other spirits
Hi Scott, thank you for this blog I find it helpful.
ReplyDeleteFor someone who wanted to do devotional work to the Christian Trinity, would you say it's best to tune the space to Kether or Tiphareth? - Would tuning the space make a difference at all?
I would probably say Tiphareth, because it is the central sephira that connects all the others together. Kether is more like an "all is one" perspective of complete unity.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good question, though. An argument could be made that "trinity-as-one" would be Kether and "trinity-as-three" would be Tiphareth. But the deal with Kether is that it's absolute unity, so from that perspective there would be no difference between the trinity and you.
From my perspective of being a Christian I see the trinity as the so called Negative Veils. But following the good book, Jesus (more likely Christ through Jesus) said that one can get to the Father only though him. Or something like that. So I agree with Scott and say you should start with Tiphareth because it's for the resurrection theme attached to it.
ReplyDeleteMr Scott,
ReplyDeleteIs it logical to perform the last section from Watchtower ritual,precisley the
" III.Opening The Veli "section when Liber Samekh is finished?
I guess it is ,since after Liber Samekh the Sphere of Sensation is cleared and balanced to Tipharet,and it s ready for being stepped into Portal.
I guess also when doing Liber Samekh i can imagine wall of yellow light when reciting Air section and after finishing reciting ,the wall of yellow light lifts up and dissapears above my head.
BTW i read the Enochian Watchtower Ritual
from yours "Mastering The Great Table" and this is where i get the Idea.
Samekh includes the rending of the veil sign for active spirit, so I would think you could add that section without it causing any issues with the ritual. I probably wouldn't do it myself because even though it's basically harmonious, it's an extra step that I wouldn't expect to add much to the effect. If you particularly like it, though, go for it.
ReplyDeleteI normally visualize colors for the elements, and that is a nice addition. It might even be the original intent - Crowley writes something to the effect that you should include pentagrams, signs, and so forth for the elements, and the "so forth" seems to me like it could easily include the elemental colors.