Friday, May 1, 2009

The LBRP and Training

Tryphon asked via email if I had any tips on the LBRP as there seems to be some trouble memorizing and confusing the names mid-ritual. I apologize as I am not familiar with Greek names but I am going to assume, Tryphon, that you are male.

Some would tell you to force it through brute memorization. That would work but what do you really learn from that? The goal is to reach a point from which you can do an LBRP instantly. Brute memorization doesn't help much there.

Many magicians have been known to write the divine names on small cards and taping them to the walls. There is nothing wrong with learning the ritual like that. Not only do you have a reminder of the name but it is anchored to a physical place in your memory. However, to make this work, you have to do the LBRP a lot. Which is what I recommend anyway. Do the ritual often. This is not a practice ritual.  This is foundational. 

Oddly, I went through the same phase you are going through. In my case, I would call Eheieh in the south, move to the west realize what I had done and started over. I did that off and on for months. It may help you to look up the meaning of the names, if you have not already.

YHVH is a formula of creation, relating to the four elements Fire, Water, Air and Earth and in that order. Adonai means Lord. Eheieh means "I am that which I am." It is more commonly translated as "I am". AGLA means "Thou Art Great Forever Oh Lord" 

By moving "I am" to the fire quadrant, I was identifying the fire qualities of the microcosm as myself. I tend to covet my fiery side even as I seek to calm it. I denied my emotions (water) as being a part of me. It is easy to see how moving Eheieh to the south was a reflection of that. Perhaps, your issues with the LBRP have some meaning you can ferret out as well. Even, if you can't find that meaning, try taping the note cards on the wall anyway. It has worked for a lot of folks.

I hope this helps.

Tryphon's second question centered on my claim to be a trained ceremonial magician. He asked where I received training and if there is someplace he could could go to recieve the same. 

I was and am being trained by a Golden Dawn Style lodge in Fresno, California, USA. For the vast majority of readers, this is meaningless as few have both the means and desire to travel for such training. Secondly, for me to claim GD Style training is a bit of a misdirection. It is true enough that any egregore guides its members and thus trains them to a certain extent. However, the real training comes from one's mentor, should one one be as fortunate as I. Secondarily, it comes from other adepts and priests/priestesses along the way. Thirdly, it comes from the people you work with or near. 

The item missing from that list is the training that results from your own work.  That can fall pretty flat on someone new. How can my work have a result if I need training to learn how to do the work? The answer may be a rite of obligation.  Twenty some years ago, I performed a rite of obligation from Donald Michael Kraig's book, Modern Magick. This rite is based on the Golden Dawn's, Adeptus Minor ritual. I firmly believe that I found Golden Dawn teachings because I took this oath and did my best (albeit poorly) to live up to that oath, even when it was a long forgotten memory. Having just reread it, it explains a lot about my attitude on proper conduct within a magickal group but that is another story.

What matters here, is that you are swearing to live a certain way, perform certain tasks, and reach for certain ideals that are consistent with your magickal/spiritual values. You are promising the Universe and your Holy Guardian Angel that you will perform or else! That is a huge 'or else' that will not be enforced by any government or group. It will be enforced by your very soul. There is no greater task master.  Take such an oath in the presence of what you find to be holy and then work to live up to it. It took many years for my teacher to appear but appear he did. He arrived when I was ready and not a moment before. 

A word of caution: Taking such an oath for a specific reason (ie finding a teacher) can backfire. Taking such an oath because you feel a calling to be a mage, Bodhisattva, or simply to the divine is more effective. Let the gods send what you need rather than demanding what you think you need. There is a huge difference. 

That last paragraph, will likely get some comments from folks strongly disagreeing with me. Consider those comments. A mage has a mind of his own and blindly follows no one.

Personal Work

Last night, I consecrated a necklace I wear to Pan.



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Early in my learning, my magickal partner and I painted a ceremonial circle on canvas. In the circle are the angelic names in the corresponding colors and on the outer edge are the god names used in the LBRP. I spent so much time on it that I was able to visualize it while doing the LBRP even when it wasn't out. It made remembering who goes where easier for me. The one downside is I tend to "see" the angels as more of a color than a form but I'm sure that will change eventually.