Lesson 5 - Magick and Mysticism
10.26.2003
In previous lessons we established that Gnosis refers to the knowledge of something gained through intimate experience of that thing. This especially refers to divinity, nature, ourselves and others. We have also seen that Lucifer is an "angelic being" who guides us toward attainment of that divine knowledge. Most people don't want that Knowledge because it would mean giving up or at least altering their Beliefs. We have also seen that to be divine means having the knowledge of both good and evil. This is a disturbing concept in itself for most people who find comfort in a dualistic view of the universe. To move towards God is not to move away from evil.
We have also looked at the three broad divisions of an individual and the cycle of existence through the story of Prometheus, Hercules and Chiron (the Centaur). There is the divine aspect (typically called the "Holy Guardian Angel" in Western occultism), the Personality (the aspect we most often identify ourselves with) and the Animal Nature (the atavistic "leftovers" from our evolutionary past.) The cycle of existence is this: Our "Angelic" Self descended took on physical incarnation in order to obtain the knowledge needed to become more god-like. In order to adapt, the Persona is created. The combination of the mental construct of the Persona and the physically encoded Animal Nature results in the sensations of suffering. Through this suffering, the Persona reaches a stage of refinement where it can begin to notice the influence of the Holy Guardian Angel. Efforts can be made to strengthen that influence. Eventually, the Persona undergoes apotheosis and the force behind the Animal Nature is totally redirected to divine pursuits. Total and complete Sovereignty is obtained. This is the Gnostic Luciferian paradigm in a nutshell.
So how do we go about treading this path intelligently? There are two main components: Ritual and Devotion; also referred to as Magick and Mysticism. These two methods also mythological correspond to the lineage of Cain and Seth (respectively.) To use a technological analogy, the main purpose of Magick is to rewire our "circuitry". Mysticism plugs it in. In practice, the division between these two methods is quite blurry. If done correctly, ritual will include elements of devotion. Also, the results of devotion will also cause a modification of the circuits. Therefore, you could technically use only one of these methods and still have success. However, why limit yourself? "The word of Sin is Restriction." (AL I.41) You will greatly accelerate your progress if you utilize both of these transformative techniques.
The first step is to gain at least a modicum of control over your Animal Nature. There are many ways to do this. Simply observing your actions and objectively scrutinizing your motives is of immense value in this. There are also rituals designed to help bring your Animal Nature and Persona into alignment with your Angelic Self. These rituals are traditionally given out right away to the "Neophyte" (literally "young flower", used to refer to someone just starting to travel the path) who is expected to practice (and study) them. The most common of these found in Western occultism is the "Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram" or "LBRP". If you haven't encountered it, please obtain a copy and read it. The traditional version can be easily found with a simple web search and my Enochian version can be found here on this site.
The LBRP starts by aligning the magician with the cosmic forces (including an abstraction of The Most High.) It then goes on to clear the magicians environment and aura of all unbalanced influences. New influences are called in from the Angelic/Divine realm in a balanced way. The magician then reaffirms hir alignment with cosmic forces and the "Most High." My own recommendation is to use the LBRP until you become quite familiar with it, ideally on a daily basis. Then, if you so desire, you can move on to something more your style (like the Thelemic "Star Ruby" or the Ogdoadic "Setting of the Wards of Power".) It's a good idea to start off with the LBRP even if you aren't comfortable with it. If you aren't continually challenging and thereby expanding your comfort zone, you aren't following the path of the Gnostic Luciferian. [Note: I don't currently recommend daily practice of the LBRP, but feel free to do your own research and make up your own mind.]
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