Monday, November 23, 2009

Abramelin Lunar Ordeal - First Weekend - Attribute of Earth

I have completed the first weekend working for the Abramelin Lunar Ordeal and I was astonished at how powerful and amazing the experience was. I am still processing it, but it was a truly remarkable event, made all the more amazing by the fact that there are another six weekends to go. This weekend was dedicated to the element Earth and the invocation of the Seraphim and Cherubim of Earth, Zahriel and Yophiel, respectively.

First of all, the week was started with the saying of Mass, meditations twice daily, and a special Mass on Friday. I have been maintaining a fairly strict diet, although not entirely vegetarian. Since I began this working I have avoided all red meat dishes and I have cut my consumption of other meat dishes (fish and poultry) down to a minimum. For the weekend working, I have avoided eating any meat at all. I think that this regimen is a good one, and it certainly means that I am not weighted down with food and drink when I am attempting to work magick. Correspondingly, I am not over hungry or weakened by fasting either. I have found that it’s important to maintain a balance, since a complete fast would make one overly weak and unable to accommodate the strenuous efforts of working ritual for two hours with little or no rest. I have also avoided any distractions, such as television, during the weekend as well. So my focus has been quite on target with little to either distract or interrupt the workings.

My lady, Grace Victoria Swann, has been my companion and assistant for these events, and will continue to work the entire ordeal by my side, assisting me in gaining a good objective perspective on the nature of these workings. Her experiences, although different in quality and kind, seem to represent another way of receiving the impressions and communications from these entities. I can’t in good conscience talk about her experiences, but only that she, too, is quite succinctly aware that “something” has been invoked and materialized in the magick circle, and that it has communicated with her. So I know that I am not imagining things or experiencing a delusional fantasy regarding the outcome of each of these workings.

In performing these theurgic invocations, I do not subscribe to the belief that the manifestation of spirits be accompanied with poltergeist phenomena and obvious material manifestations. While I may “see” something, it’s generally altogether different from what another person would perceive. What is important to these workings, and how I determine that they work, is that the participants sense and experience something quite “other” than what is normally running through their heads. I usually sense the presence of the spirit, and in the case of the Super-archangels, it’s enough sensation to almost knock one completely over. This is what I call a “palpable” sense of the presence of the spirit, which includes visual and auditory paranormal experiences. One might see the vision of an angel standing before one, or not. However, my experience with invocation and evocation so far has shown that it will almost always endow one with a powerful set of impressions that continue (in dreams, insights and lucid visions) well beyond the moment of the manifestation of the entity.

What I seek from performing invocations is an immersion into the domain of the spirit, which has the power to affect one on many levels simultaneously. I may see and hear things, but other types of information are being communicated on levels that I am not immediately aware of until later. A invocation may have a finite duration, but its affects continue for some time afterward. Therefore, performing a suite of invocations over a period of just four weekends will cause these different angelic entities to blend together, building a powerful meta-spirit, which is the establishment of the Godhead Element, the goal of the first phase of this ordeal.

Also, it is my belief and practice that when a magick circle is set, the planetary hour is locked in. However time is perceived by one inside or outside the circle is irrelevant. Once the magick circle is set, time within that space is no longer “normal” - which is to say that the sacred space becomes essentially timeless. This not an arbitrary rule that I made up for my amusement. I have experienced so much time dilation or contraction within a magick circle that I believe that the time-space continuum within a magick circle is highly distorted, or at least one’s perception of it. Therefore, instead of having to speed through a working in order to complete it within an hour’s time so it is performed under the auspices of a planet, all I have to do is set the magick circle during that period, and the planetary hour is locked into place until the magick circle is sealed at the end of the working.  

Now that we have established these basic understandings about the nature of invocation in regards to how I work it, we can continue to explore what exactly occurred. These workings incorporate the rite Archetypal Gate Ritual, with corresponding mass and benediction rites. The overall working takes roughly around two and half hours to complete.

November 21 - Invocation of Zahriel, Seraphim of the elemental tetrad of Earth. Approximate start was around 6 pm, during the planetary hour of Sol, which was locked into the working. Zahriel was a highly energized entity, so much so that I sensed it even before the invocation was begun. Performing the invocation only greatly intensified what was already present in the magick circle.

The invocation itself was performed by me a little bit roughly, since I hadn’t performed this ritual in many months. However, it was accomplished correctly and efficiently. The ritual structure has been worked over for several years now and it flows very well, although I am sure that some would say that it’s probably a bit wordy. When the ritual climax was achieved, the resultant manifestation was easily sensible and palpable to both Grace and I. What we felt was a highly energized and zealous entity, full of power and inspiration - so much that it was almost bouncing off of the walls. My whole body was tingling with this energy, like electric sparks passing through it, and this phenomenon went on, although greatly diminished, even to the next morning’s meditation session. What I felt was an intense joyousness, zeal, exaltation - the joy of life. The following are some of the things imparted by Zahriel to me during the meditative period following the invocation.

Joyous existence - the happiness and great innocent pleasure in all of life - even when it seems like a burden to one. I saw a vision of a gaily dressed entity, like the Ghost of Christmas Present in Dickens' story, “A Christmas Carol,” amidst a halo of golden and brilliant lights. I felt all of the goodness that I have ever done for others compressed into a single moment of joyous and ecstatic happiness - an illumination of joyousness! I realized that knowing and being grateful for life was an important foundation to enlightenment, which can’t occur without that sense of gratification. All things happen for a reason, even tragedies, and looking for a single reason “explaining why” is an illusion. Life must be reckoned in its totality, from beginning to end. This angel gives the gift of knowing the essential totality of one’s existence before it has even ended - a truly remarkable gift!

We realize the nature of spirit by projecting our minds deep into our unconsciousness - and that depth of self and the deep inward projection awakens us to what is essentially “spiritual” in our lives. So in this manner we realize that we are connected to everyone else, and that our joy is analogous to the joy of others - since it is so contagious and uniformly found everywhere.

Some other points that were communicated to me: A developed life a great and precious gift, therefore seek to develop oneself to the ultimate degree. All good that is done for others has a powerful multiplying effect. One can never know just how a good deed for another affects them, especially when they carry it for their entire lifetime in one manner or another.

I suspect that we spend too much time thinking about all of the bad deeds done to us by others without ever accounting for the good.

Learn to be grateful for the good that has happened to you - and then treasure it in the eternal ever present “now.” Enlightenment is cold, empty and meaningless without the joy and rapture of the realization of the good spirit active in one’s life. Thus, we all have our own personal Agathodaimon. We should discover and celebrate it while we still are able to do so. Never knowing that part of ourselves is a tragic loss!

November 22 - Invocation of Yophiel, Cherubim of the elemental tetrad of Earth. Approximate start was a little after 8 pm, locking in the planetary hour of Jupiter. Where Zahriel was highly energized, Yophiel was much more subdued but no less powerful - in fact, this angel was perhaps even a bit frightening at first.

The invocation of Yophiel produced an energy and a presence that was profound and very intense. At first the angel appeared to me in a kind of threatening guise, it was silent and ominous. I then produced the sigil of Ratziel, and said that I had summoned Yophiel with the guidance and authority of Ratziel, and that seemed to completely break the spell of silence. The angel spoke to me in a kindly fashion, but with great reservation and intense gravity.  Instead of exuberance and zeal, Yophiel was thoughtful, deep, calm, almost gentle, but I sensed that behind it was a great reservoir of power and might, to be used to assist or punish as required. Needless to say, I was quite awestruck at the reserve and restraint that seemed to govern this angelic entity. However, I found that the information transmitted to me was full of benevolence and kindness, although strict and hard in its unyielding judgment.

This is some of what the angel communicated to me that night. The main point to his teaching was the importance of spiritual discipline, consistency and devotion to the Deity.  Devotion consists of the expressed and constant demonstration of the love of the Deity - giving offerings and purely worshiping it. This also includes forgiving the errors and follies of others, as well as giving alms to the poor and supporting one’s spiritual community. One should give either service or money to those who are bereft as a demonstration of spiritual solidarity with the human race. (Those who practice magick are too insular and generally disconnected from the rest of humanity, and this gap needs to be bridged.) We don’t need to live like monks or nuns, but we need to be consistent and disciplined in how we spiritual live. This must be observed as a precondition to true enlightenment. One should also teach and lead where he or she may, or to be an able follower, supporter - and above all else, to listen to others. Important spiritual messages often have the strangest and most unexpected sources. A chance encounter with a drunken derelict might actually impart greater (but hidden) wisdom than spending years meditating and pretending to be spiritual.

Perhaps the most profound thing that Yophiel imparted to me was the lesson of how to seek spiritual knowledge. He said to me, “Beware of those who espouse only the Light, for their hypocrisy will unleash their dark side, harming others and themselves!” He also said, “Beware also, those who indulge in the Darkness, for their corruption is complete!” Then he revealed to me an interesting idea - the way to the truth is found neither in the Light or the Darkness. It is found in the balance between the two. Spiritual wisdom is found in the synthesis, where light is the thesis, and darkness, the antithesis. After mulling over these and other important pronouncements, the invocation ended.

So that’s some of what I encountered as I invoked these two powerful Super-Archangels. I have much to ponder and think about, and that’s just the wisdom imparted by these two angels. I also need to prepare for the next coming weekend, when the ordeal will continue with the invocation of two more angels. I wonder how intense all of these workings will be, if I can endure them and digest all that is happening within them.

Frater Barrabbas

2 comments:

  1. Since I'm by your side during these workings, it is only proper that I pipe in to share my perspective. (This is Grace...by the way.)

    First & foremost I would like to state that the first weekend, Frater Barrabbas was involved heaviest in the invocations with regards to action & speaking aloud. For the most part, he and I were on different sides of the room -- he by the altars & me, beside the fireplace with journal and pen in hand.

    Throughout the working on the first night (Zahriel) it was as if my hand had been seized. I wrote pages...merely acting as a channel for whatever came through. I don't have recollection of being given any messages (mentally) -- just of an energy that was exhuberant & happy to be in communication. My body was just a tool for that communication coming forward. The urge to write came about after a period of meditation, when I was told "This is like nothing you've experienced before. Do not be afraid." After that, I was just writing...and writing...and writing.

    At the end of the working, Frater Barrabbas joined me by the fireplace. He began sharing messages he was given. To compare/contrast - I had to bury my nose in the journal and read word for word.

    The words "Expression of joyous nature through lifting of despair within myself and others..." were within the first few paragraphs composed.

    Later in the writing was a visual impression of a mouse having an adventure. Resourcefulness, gratitude, flexibility, innovation, curiosity and dust flying from underneath the feet of the mouse as it ran were prevalent images described.

    In contrast, the night of the invocation of Yophiel my pen was not seized for composition. Meditation was hard -- heavy. Words given were few and far between. Only 11 short sentences are in the journal pages -- 2 - 3 words in length each.

    The energy of Yophiel was stern, swift and strong - taking me offguard. I shook at being given some news that I didn't want to hear -- a limitation that I had put on myself, as well as someone close to me. I did not understand the cruelty with which I was spoken to. (Cruelty being my word to describe the sudden kick in the stomach I'd felt.) But I was "reasoned with" to the point where I became at peace with the message received within a period of 48 hours. Admittedly, I was thrown off track energetically all Monday -- trying to process things.

    That shared, I've requested that subsequent workings be completed Fridays & Saturdays -- instead of Saturdays & Sundays.

    It's an honor and pleasure to be involved in this process. Thank you!

    With blessings & love,
    Grace

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  2. Wow, what an incredible experience. Merely reading about this ordeal has been very moving. I can't wait to read about the upcoming angelic invocations.

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