13 april 2010

Misunderstood aspects of systems

A change in the occult community is the move away from the postmodern approach that Kaos Magickians were celebrating, use whatever if it works.

Cultural appropriation and even the appropriation of elements of a Tradition have become frowned upon more and more. My guess is that this is because people are actually becoming members of various traditions. This then shatters illusions
We hear stories of how inappropriate it is to Mix orishas with the LBRP and how one should avoid confusing Erzulie Freda and Kali and Isis.


When people culturally appropriate from Haitian Vodou or Santeria there is immediately a big reaction. However when a thelemite butchers the star ruby and claims that it is a Thelemic banishing ritual or better yet a thelemic LBRP, well... That’s when I get pissed off slightly.

Frater R.O. has an excellent post (http://headforred.blogspot.com/2010/04/if-youre-happy-with-lbrp.html) on the LBRP that I agree with 99%.

Why would anyone do a tradition specific ritual when they are not working in the paradigm?

Coming from a source that works with materials from the original Golden dawn and RR et AC and other orders and traditions predating (SRIA Memphis Mizraim, Gold Und Rozenkreutz Martinis and diverse apostolic) I can say that there is a point in the way the rituals are structured, in a very similar way as Frater R.O. argues I fully agree that doing the ritual outside of the initiatory structure is moronic, UNLESS you spend the time deconstructing the ritual(s) to try and understand what it does and then do them. Something that many of the so called GD adepts themselves have not taken the time to do. When studying the basic outlines of the rituals, diagrams and initiation rituals of for example the Golden Dawn system from a learned perspective for example using deconstruction or other theoretic approaches it becomes obvious that they are built around the idea of bringing the practitioner through to a lunar consciousness ( me <-> divine) where the practitioner works with the Albedo phase, if you will, or the "becoming a reflection of the divine" and then working through their way up through this until the Rubedo phase is reached and there is an identification with the solar consciousness. The Gold und Rozenkreutz the G.D. and its old and new derivatives are thus more akin to a Theurgic Mystery School where the forces used are aspects of the universe and the Rituals are used as an aid to reach a solar consciousness and Initiation into the spheres.

One of the reasons people bitch about the G.D. and other initiation – based or temple based traditions so much is because they have in many cases stopped being Genuine Theurgic Mystery Schools.
Mysteries are not revealed in books and even the initiations are merely initiations into the mysteries.

I bet you that if I got hold of a manual of some form of Tantric initiation series and then tried to perform them, they would not work very well because there is no oral tradition/link to the divine. There is nobody who can expound on the mysteries. If nobody ever tells you to analyse the LBRP, to think what the fuck you are doing when you are saying Unto thee be the kingdom the power and the glory, if you never even consider what your relationship is with the that higher force…then what exactly are you doing? You are no better then the guy next door who has started jerking off unto Kaosmagick rituals and truly believes he is practicing the O.T.O. 9* secret.
Or if I would start to call myself a Houngan Asogwe because I have served the lwa for 5 years and feel entitled to it.

A coherent worldview and an understanding of your relationship to the divine is essential for any work of a mystical, Theurgic or thaumaturgy nature. When done properly working with neophyte formula based Pentagram rituals for the zodiac and elements and then 5=6 (Adepts) formula based Hexagram rituals for the planets one becomes initiated into those levels of consciousness, whether one is working with their angelic aspects, enochian correspondences or the Egyptian Godforms M. Mathers assigned to each and every force.

Remember however that the same thing will happen as when you work through ANY system of initiation into higher spheres, be it using Planetary initiations from an old planetary Grimoire, Frater R.O,'s way of doing things or working through the planets in internal alchemy.


But, of course the purpose of Theurgic Mystery Schools (say the GD) is to bring about a realisation of the lesser and greater mysteries and then prepare you to for the One Mystery using the mythological and paradigmatic tools and symbol sets that you have been working through. In some paths/systems the instruction comes physically, as in laboratory alchemy, in others it is purely a mystical experience (Ignatius Loyola spiritual exercises, usually also leading to stigmata), in others it’s from spiritual guides say Michael. The classic Theurgic mystery schools usually combined these, and because they taught a coherent mystery paradigm that meant that initiate X and Y along with intermediary novice B and teacher P all understood that If the Angel Hanael says all life is Love and the dove is merely her symbol but is not the type of her as the Holy spirit is truly The Dove of Wisdom, they all agreed, and then when the initiate was shown a diagram showing the sun in the centre of all created forces after the initiate has been working in a circle invoking and evoking all forces they would realise that Oh shit I am the sun.
But I digress.
It is strange how people react when you try to work with Lwa or orisha outside of those traditions yet everyone peddles the LBRP as if it was a universal ritual workable by whoever whenever. Things only work if it is within an appropriate WORLDVIEW.
And you do not need the LBRP.
Instead of an L.B.R.P. just draw a circle.
Simple
Effective
Part of 85% of all paradigms available out there. What bro Miller calls "Tech"


The Tech in LBRP is simply the circle and the four angelic guards.
The rest is tradition specific and worldview specific that comes alive by being initiated and/or working through the zodiac elements and planets with the structure above mentioned to bring about the Albedo phase we all love so much.

3 kommentarer:

  1. Very interesting comments to which I agree almost completely. What I found the most interesting is your correspondence of the Alchemical stages / colours with the Inner Alchemical transformation of consciousness / body. Here I agree 100%, but have to add that it is but 50% complete.

    In Licht, Leben und Liebe,
    S:.R:.

    SvaraRadera
  2. Frater,

    I know it is 50% "incomplete" however I cannot speak fully openly on the blog.

    I have the key that unlocks the mystery, it doesn't mean I can openly talk about it, the yoke of my oaths keeps me from that. Thus I hint and comment.

    But don't worry bro, I'm quite sorted :)

    LVX

    SvaraRadera
  3. Care Fra. Argent,

    Good. Let's keep it so :-)

    In Licht, Leben und Liebe,
    S:.R:.

    SvaraRadera