Agape
Firstly let me point out that western magick and hermetics owes a great debt to the jewish people. The following practice draws heavily on kabbalah but is in no way representative of traditional jewish mysticism. Using the tarot as doorways is not a traditional kabbalistic practice, indeed the order of the trumps on the tree often varies between different hermetic schools of thought as well. The order in which I propose the trumps to be employed is based on my personal experience and the corroborating experience of friends, it is on this basis that I offer it. Whatever sequence is employed they must be done in that order with none missed, consistency is vital.
This whole practice involves an initial guided (scripted) experience, at the centre of which is a rather intense spontaneous (unscripted) experience.
Apart from what follows below you will need to be able to visualise the hebrew letter tau in white light.
The first part of the practice from before:
1
Sit in a posture that is firm but relaxed with an upright back or alternately lie on your back with your arms slightly away from your sides.
2
Do a basic breathing exercise e.g. fill your lungs for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, empty lungs for a count of 4, leave empty for a count of 4. After a while you may feel a gentle rippling in the diaphragm.
3
Do the kabbalistic cross if you know it, or visualise the following:
Above your head but not touching it, a football sized sphere of blinding white brilliance, feel the 'pressure' of this centre's energy on the top of your skull. A beam of pure light travels from this sphere through your body to your feet where the earth sphere forms (the colour being whatever is appropriate for the earth for you). Return to the posture you were in if need be.
4
Now see the 4 archangels surrounding you, speak the name of each as you visualize the following:
In the east Raphael. He stands about 8ft tall, his robe is yellow but his face is too blindingly bright to see clearly. There are flashes of purple light around his form and his robes move in a light breeze.
In the south Michael, also 8ft tall, blinding bright countenance, in red robes holding a red hot (not flaming) sword. There are flashes of green light around him sometimes.
In the west Gabriel, 8ft, face and head again blinding bright, blue robe, holding a cup. Now and then an orange glow about him.
In the north Uriel, also at least 8ft, with a blinding countenance, robes of citrine, olive, russet and black, holding a sheaf of corn.
***
5
In a comfortable position see your physical body as being completely empty, a void, with only a thin skin to denote its shape. See coating you another body, a body of light. Now you must transfer your consciousness, your sense of where you are to this body of white light. However minimal this may seem at the beginning, with practice this will become a total sensory experience, so persist with this and with the following.
6
Rise up in your body of light, above your home, see all the buildings dwindle below you, rise above the earth and see the earth itself recede into the distance.
7
(The Temple of Malkuth; this is a place that has been visited so often that it now has a permanency in the collective unconscious/inner planes.)
You should find yourself in a white mist. Through this mist see some large wooden double doors to a temple like structure. As you approach the doors open and you enter the temple of malkuth. The floor on which you walk is a checkerboard of black and white marble squares. Before you stands a black altar in the shape of two cubes stacked one on top of the other. A small bright flame burns in bowl on the altar. On the far wall you see two pillars. On the left a black pillar and on the right a white one, both have a bunch of grapes at the top and stretch almost to the roof. Between the pillars are 3 tarot trump doorways, you approach, the central one is the the tarot card - world/universe. Standing before this trump/doorway you visualise the hebrew letter tau in brilliant white light. This will activate the doorway and now you can step through it.
8
This is where you see and experience things which are spontaneous and often very personal to you. You will now progress along the 32nd path. You must regularly check, (for illusion) everything you see. So when you encounter something you visualise the hebrew letter tau, if things stay the same or intensify then you are on the right track, if they change you were wandering off the path and you have now corrected this. By visualising this letter the guardian entities relating to this path will help you and watch over you. When you are ready you should return through the tarot doorway to the temple of malkuth. Be sure to deliberately return to malkuth by passing by the experiences and events you have journeyed past. Once in the temple of malkuth turn and face the world/universe card and see if the figure gestures or speaks to you. Exit the temple of malkuth.
9
Descend through the mist back towards the earth, see the earth, see your home, approach your physical form from behind. Deliberately see yourself entering your physical form which is now solid through and through. On doing this feel yourself in your physical body and tense various muscles to help with being solidly back in physical consciousness.
10
write down you experience.
11
Thank the archangels for helping you, say that they should depart now but you would always appreciate their guidance.
12
Have something to eat, go to the pub, generally do something 'grounding'.
Please do post here or email me about your experiences.
Love
Agape
This whole practice involves an initial guided (scripted) experience, at the centre of which is a rather intense spontaneous (unscripted) experience.
Apart from what follows below you will need to be able to visualise the hebrew letter tau in white light.
The first part of the practice from before:
1
Sit in a posture that is firm but relaxed with an upright back or alternately lie on your back with your arms slightly away from your sides.
2
Do a basic breathing exercise e.g. fill your lungs for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4, empty lungs for a count of 4, leave empty for a count of 4. After a while you may feel a gentle rippling in the diaphragm.
3
Do the kabbalistic cross if you know it, or visualise the following:
Above your head but not touching it, a football sized sphere of blinding white brilliance, feel the 'pressure' of this centre's energy on the top of your skull. A beam of pure light travels from this sphere through your body to your feet where the earth sphere forms (the colour being whatever is appropriate for the earth for you). Return to the posture you were in if need be.
4
Now see the 4 archangels surrounding you, speak the name of each as you visualize the following:
In the east Raphael. He stands about 8ft tall, his robe is yellow but his face is too blindingly bright to see clearly. There are flashes of purple light around his form and his robes move in a light breeze.
In the south Michael, also 8ft tall, blinding bright countenance, in red robes holding a red hot (not flaming) sword. There are flashes of green light around him sometimes.
In the west Gabriel, 8ft, face and head again blinding bright, blue robe, holding a cup. Now and then an orange glow about him.
In the north Uriel, also at least 8ft, with a blinding countenance, robes of citrine, olive, russet and black, holding a sheaf of corn.
***
5
In a comfortable position see your physical body as being completely empty, a void, with only a thin skin to denote its shape. See coating you another body, a body of light. Now you must transfer your consciousness, your sense of where you are to this body of white light. However minimal this may seem at the beginning, with practice this will become a total sensory experience, so persist with this and with the following.
6
Rise up in your body of light, above your home, see all the buildings dwindle below you, rise above the earth and see the earth itself recede into the distance.
7
(The Temple of Malkuth; this is a place that has been visited so often that it now has a permanency in the collective unconscious/inner planes.)
You should find yourself in a white mist. Through this mist see some large wooden double doors to a temple like structure. As you approach the doors open and you enter the temple of malkuth. The floor on which you walk is a checkerboard of black and white marble squares. Before you stands a black altar in the shape of two cubes stacked one on top of the other. A small bright flame burns in bowl on the altar. On the far wall you see two pillars. On the left a black pillar and on the right a white one, both have a bunch of grapes at the top and stretch almost to the roof. Between the pillars are 3 tarot trump doorways, you approach, the central one is the the tarot card - world/universe. Standing before this trump/doorway you visualise the hebrew letter tau in brilliant white light. This will activate the doorway and now you can step through it.
8
This is where you see and experience things which are spontaneous and often very personal to you. You will now progress along the 32nd path. You must regularly check, (for illusion) everything you see. So when you encounter something you visualise the hebrew letter tau, if things stay the same or intensify then you are on the right track, if they change you were wandering off the path and you have now corrected this. By visualising this letter the guardian entities relating to this path will help you and watch over you. When you are ready you should return through the tarot doorway to the temple of malkuth. Be sure to deliberately return to malkuth by passing by the experiences and events you have journeyed past. Once in the temple of malkuth turn and face the world/universe card and see if the figure gestures or speaks to you. Exit the temple of malkuth.
9
Descend through the mist back towards the earth, see the earth, see your home, approach your physical form from behind. Deliberately see yourself entering your physical form which is now solid through and through. On doing this feel yourself in your physical body and tense various muscles to help with being solidly back in physical consciousness.
10
write down you experience.
11
Thank the archangels for helping you, say that they should depart now but you would always appreciate their guidance.
12
Have something to eat, go to the pub, generally do something 'grounding'.
Please do post here or email me about your experiences.
Love
Agape