The Rose Cross Ritual

Barleywine

Personally, I like the idea of a druid's circle, outdoors. No anomalies about direction there. But, of course, someone might actually, you know . . . see you out there! :)
 

smw

I was wondering if there were any other reasons for doing this ritual apart from balancing? or why not use the LBRP...I have read some ideas that one affect is to create a contained space which attracts less attention on the astral plane? could this be anything to do with sealing the mixture of winds ie SW fire and water? or nothing to do with it?
 

earthair

Now this is interesting...
Regardie in GD brick says use SE SW NW NE... Regardie in 12 Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment says E S W N with no final big cross and different starting point for inner circle and different name vibration instructions :neutral:

As the 12 Steps revised edition is more recent than GD brick, did he have a change of heart? Improved it? If we go along with a deliberate hiding of true information, then surely he knew everyone reading 12 Steps would cross reference with his GD book and then not trust a word he was saying in 12 Steps? Or maybe vice versa :grin:
 

Barleywine

Now this is interesting...
Regardie in GD brick says use SE SW NW NE... Regardie in 12 Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment says E S W N with no final big cross and different starting point for inner circle and different name vibration instructions :neutral:

As the 12 Steps revised edition is more recent than GD brick, did he have a change of heart? Improved it? If we go along with a deliberate hiding of true information, then surely he knew everyone reading 12 Steps would cross reference with his GD book and then not trust a word he was saying in 12 Steps? Or maybe vice versa :grin:

I have the Falcon Press hardcover GD "brick," and my understanding is that Regardie's objective was to capture all of the original GD papers (both official and unofficial) in one place in as "pure" a form possible (although he couldn't resist adding his own "Frater A.M.A.G." bits here and there).

I don't have 12 Steps (hmm, sounds like a "recovery program"), but perhaps even an international icon of occult wisdom (;) ;)) can learn something over time. I agree with Ravenest (wonder where he is these days) that whatever works as "East" etc. within the confines of your working space is what you go with.
 

Aeon418

Occasionally Regardie played it a bit fast and loose with ritual instructions.

In his book, The Middle Pillar, the positions of Chesed and Geburah are switched in the Qabalistic Cross. He gives no explanation for this swap.

When he published Gems from the Equinox, he decided to mash together two separate versions of the Star Ruby ritual. Why? :confused:

While demonstrating the Rose Cross ritual to a group of students Regardie ended the rite with the Qabalistic Cross instead of the analysis of the keyword. When questioned he just said he hadn't included it in the GD book.

Go figure...
 

smw

[Probably a daft question] but- the way it's described as being done in a walled room and all this talk of corners, may have affected the outcomes for different people on the internet... but is this supposed to create a cube or a sphere or maybe a soft-rounded-edges-type of cube?

According to Eshelman you are creating corners for a cube with a vaulted ceiling. The crosses connect in the form of a square for this purpose. I think that the back and forth of directions is in creating this vaulted ceiling overhead as well.

I found this diagram, I haven't tried it yet, though it looks like it might be helpful for tracking the directions used. Eshelman does give the Rose cross ritual steps as well but I am not sure that can be reposted.


http://www.hermetics.org/images2/rc4.gif
 

earthair

I don't have 12 Steps (hmm, sounds like a "recovery program"), but perhaps even an international icon of occult wisdom (;) ;)) can learn something over time. I agree with Ravenest (wonder where he is these days) that whatever works as "East" etc. within the confines of your working space is what you go with.

lol well the book is a recovery program in the sense that anyone overwhelmed by the mountains of occult books all claiming various things, can achieve sanity in 90 pages :party:

Occasionally Regardie played it a bit fast and loose with ritual instructions.

In his book, The Middle Pillar, the positions of Chesed and Geburah are switched in the Qabalistic Cross. He gives no explanation for this swap.

When he published Gems from the Equinox, he decided to mash together two separate versions of the Star Ruby ritual. Why? :confused:
nstead of the analysis of the keyword. When questioned he just said he hadn't included it in the GD book.

Go figure...

Interesting! And more encouragement to adapt things freely for oneself })


According to Eshelman you are creating corners for a cube with a vaulted ceiling. The crosses connect in the form of a square for this purpose. I think that the back and forth of directions is in creating this vaulted ceiling overhead as well.

I found this diagram, I haven't tried it yet, though it looks like it might be helpful for tracking the directions used. Eshelman does give the Rose cross ritual steps as well but I am not sure that can be reposted.


http://www.hermetics.org/images2/rc4.gif

Just personally speaking- using it to create a sphere results in feelings of protection and invisibility/blending in, but creating a cube, with or without vaulted ceiling, feels much sunnier.
 

smw

Just personally speaking- using it to create a sphere results in feelings of protection and invisibility/blending in, but creating a cube, with or without vaulted ceiling, feels much sunnier.

Sunnier could relate to the rituals solar nature, as I understand it connected to Tipareth on the tree of life with the attributions of the solar (dying gods) Osirus/Jesus. The ritual calls the name of Yeheshua (Jesus) repeatedly. Another suggestion I read was that it paralells in some way the mystery of the Eucharist, transubstantiation- the body of Christ from the sacrament of wine and bread. That the parallel might be the invoking of the Christ spirit within, becoming the body of Christ or something like that... Perhaps that is why a cube with a vault. a bit like raising a temple.. Outside and in.
 

Aeon418

That the parallel might be the invoking of the Christ spirit within, becoming the body of Christ or something like that... Perhaps that is why a cube with a vault. a bit like raising a temple.. Outside and in.

I still wonder why Regardie included the Rose Cross ritual in the One Year Manual without some form of banishing as a preliminary. The R.C. ritual is essentially an invocation. Without some sort of clearing rite prior to it's performance it's kind of like the magical equivalent of eating freshly cooked food off a dirty plate.
Aleister Crowley said:
Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and had better come first. Purity means singleness. God is one. The wand is not a wand if it has something sticking to it which is not an essential part of itself. If you wish to invoke Venus, you do not succeed if there are traces of Saturn mixed up with it.
 

smw

Now this is interesting...
Regardie in GD brick says use SE SW NW NE... Regardie in 12 Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment says E S W N with no final big cross and different starting point for inner circle and different name vibration instructions :neutral:

As the 12 Steps revised edition is more recent than GD brick, did he have a change of heart? Improved it? If we go along with a deliberate hiding of true information, then surely he knew everyone reading 12 Steps would cross reference with his GD book and then not trust a word he was saying in 12 Steps? Or maybe vice versa :grin:

The preface seems to suggest the 12 steps aims to bring a less complex and simplified approach to the Golden Dawn training system.

"It may be that when that time comes he may find himself better able to appreciate the more complex systems of training described in two occult encyclopedias which I have edited. The first, and older one, is The Golden Dawn (Llewellyn Publications). A profound and most effective training system is there described at great length. W i t h his newly-found sensitivity and discipline, the student may discover this is no longer so mysterious or overwhelming as it may once have appeared."

he goes on to mention the Gems of the Equinox, that students find this hard to understand and so might help those interested in Crowley's A.A path too.

*Perhaps the Rose cross ritual he gives is also a simplified version for this purpose, there is just the four quarters, creating a simple sphere rather than a cube with vaulted ceiling.