Preparing for the Pathworking Test

Ophiel

I have been responding to another post in the Book/Media section, about a brand new Donald Kraig book, "Tarot and Magic," and wanted to share with you cabalists a technique I developed for studying the path assignments on the Tree. It 's really a powerful tool, and hopefully someone else will find benefit from it, too.

First off, this will work better if you have a basic understanding the the Tree and the colors assigned to each sphere. Also, if you are beginning to memorize the Tarot card assignments to each path. You might want to start off small and work just the bottom section of the Tree, say the paths between/up through Hod and Netzach.

Okay, you probably know the routine...relax, start off at your astral temple, if you have one. If not, start off here, in Malkuth. Create an image strong in the colors of Malkuth. Look around a bit. You've got to find a way to get around. I simply use mental travel, if I want to move, I will it. I look up and see a transparent tunnel above and will myself up it...and meet THE WORLD. It might help at first to hang around the card scene for a while, and then it's time to travel on. Above the card is be a purple spherish area. Will yourself into it, take in the color, the Moon, water, all that good Yesod stuff. Above will be two similar tubish type areas. The one to the left will take you to THE SUN and the one to the right, THE STAR. I imagine myself actually turning in the appropriate direction to reinforce my memory of the Tree paths. Of course, from Malkuth, you have two other sky tubes, one leading to Hod (thru the card JUDGMENT) and to the right, to Netzach (thru THE MOON.) I'm using the GD assignments for this.

Once you are in the other spheres, you can do similar exercises of memory.

If you have memory lapses, you know what areas of the Tree you need to work more on...and eventually you can ride through the entire Tree and it is no longer a mysterious labyrinth.