The Golden Dawn Read online

  The Rose Cross is a lamen or badge synthesizing a vast concourse of ideas, representing in a single emblem the Great Work itself—the harmonious reconciliation in one symbol of diverse and apparently contradictory concepts, the reconciliation of divinity and manhood. It is a highly important symbol to be worn over the heart during every important operation. It is a glyph, in one sense, of the higher genius to whose knowledge and conversation the student is eternally aspiring. In the rituals it is described as the key of sigils and rituals.

  The sword is a weapon symbolizing the critical dispersive faculty of the mind. It is used where force and strength are required, more particularly for banishing than for invoking—as though conscious intellection were allied to the power of will. When employed in certain magical ceremonies with the point upwards, its nature is transformed into an instrument similar to the wand. The elemental weapons of the wand, cup, dagger, and pentacle are symbolical representations of the forces employed for the manifestation of the inner self, the elements required for the incarnation of the divine. They are attributed to the four letters of Tetragrammaton. All of these are worth making, and by creating them and continually employing them intelligently in the ways shown by the various rituals, the student will find a new power developing within him, a new center of life building itself up from within.

  One last word of caution. Let me warn the student against attempting difficult and complex ceremonies before he has mastered the more simple ones. The syllabus provided on a former page for the use of the Minor Adept grades work rather well. The consecration ceremonies for the magical implements are, of their kind, excellent examples of ceremonial work. Classical in nature, they are simple in structure and operation, and provide a harmonious and easily flowing ritual. A good deal of experience should be obtained with the constant use of these and similar types which the student should himself construct along these lines. A variety of things may occur to his mind for which a variety of operations may be performed. This of course, applies only to that phase of his studies when the preliminary correspondences and attributions have been thoroughly memorized and what is more, understood, and when the meditations have been performed. This likewise is another matter upon which too much emphasis cannot be laid.

  Above all, the pentagram and hexagram rituals should be committed to memory so that no effort is required to recall at a moment’s notice the points or angles of these figures from which the invocation of a certain force commences. Short ceremonies should be devised having as their object the frequent use of these lineal figures so that they become a part of the very manner in which the mind works during ceremonial. After some time has elapsed, and after considerable experience with the more simple consecration formulae, the student feeling more confident of himself and his ritualistic capacity, let him turn to the complex ceremonies whose formulae are summarized in the manuscripts Z. 2. These require much preparation, intensive study, and a great deal of rehearsal and experience. Moreover, he must not be disappointed if, at first, the results fall short of his anticipations. Persistence is an admirable and necessary virtue, particularly in magic. And let him endeavour to penetrate into the reasons for the apparent worthlessness or puerility of the aims of these formulae, such as transformation, evocation, invisibility, by reflection on the spiritual forces which must flow through him in order to effect such ends. And let him beware of the booby trap that was set up in the Order—of doing but one of these ceremonies, or superficially employing any phase of the system as though to pass an examination, and considering in consequence that he is the master of the technique.

  My work is now done.

  “Let us work, therefore, my brethren and effect righteousness, because the Night cometh when no man shall labour … May the Light which is behind the Veil shine through you from your throne in the East on the Fratres and Sorores of the Order and lead them to the perfect day, when the glory of this world passes and a great light shines over the splendid sea.”

  —Israel Regardie

  [contents]

  Garden of Eden

  The Fall

  Banner of the East

  Banner of the West

  Lid of Pastos

  Minutum Mundum

  Ceiling of Vault

  Floor of Vault

  Wall of Vault

  Head of Pastos

  Foot of Pastos

  Side of Pastos

  Lotus Wand

  Head of Lotus Wand

  Rose Cross Lamen

  Tattwa Symbols

  Telesmatic Image of Adonai ha-Aretz

  Tarot Crux Ansata

  Enochian Tablet—The First Watchtower

  Enochian Tablet—The Second Watchtower

  Enochian Tablet—The Third Watchtower

  Enochian Tablet—The Fourth Watchtower

  The Sigils of the Angelic Tablets

  [contents]

  NEOPHYTE GRADE PAPERS

  First Knowledge Lecture

  1. The four elements of the ancients are duplicated conditions of:

  Heat and Dryness

  Fire

  Heat and Moisture

  Air

  Cold and Dryness

  Earth

  Cold and Moisture

  Water

  2. The signs of the zodiac are twelve:

  1. Aries, the Ram

  2. Taurus, the Bull

  3. Gemini, the Twins

  4. Cancer, the Crab

  5. Leo, the Lion

  6. Virgo, the Virgin

  7. Libra, the Scales

  8. Scorpio, the Scorpion

  9. Sagittarius, the Archer

  10. Capricorn, the Goat

  11. Aquarius, the Water-Bearer

  12. Pisces, the Fishes

  These twelve signs are distributed among the four triplicities, or sets of three signs, each being attributed to one of the four elements, and they represent the operation of the elements in the zodiac.

  Thus to fire belong Aries, Leo, Sagittarius:

  Thus to earth belong Taurus, Virgo, Capricornus:

  Thus to air belong Gemini, Libra, Aquarius:

  Thus to water belong Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces:

  3. To the ancients, six planets were known, besides the sun, which they classed with the planets. They also assigned certain planetary values to the north and south nodes of the moon—that is, the points where her orbit touches that of the ecliptic. These they named:

  Caput Draconis Head of the Dragon and

  Cauda Draconis Tail of the Dragon

  Since the discovery of two more distant planets, Neptune and Uranus or Herschel,1 these two terms have been partially replaced by them. The effect of Caput Draconis is similar to that of Neptune. The effect of Cauda Draconis is similar to that of Uranus.

  The old planets are:

  Saturn

  Sol

  Jupiter

  Venus

  Mars

  Mercury

  Luna the moon

  4. The Hebrew Alphabet is given on page 53. Each letter represents a number and has also a meaning. Five letters have a different shape when written at the end of a word and also a different number.

  Mem (final) Of these finals, Mem is distinguished by being the only oblong letter.

  The other four—Kaph, Nun, Pe, Tzaddi—have tails which should come below the line as shown. Hebrew and Chaldee 2 letters are written from right to left.

  The Hebrew Qabalists referred the highest and most abstract ideas to the emanations of deity or Sephiroth. They made them ten in number. Each one is a Sephirah, and when arranged in a certain manner they form the Tree of Life.

  Hebrew letters are holy symbols. They should be carefully drawn and square.

  The Sephiroth are:

  1. Kether

  K-Th-R

  The Crown

  2. Chokmah

  Ch-K-M-H

  Wisdom

  3. Binah

  B-I-N-H

  Understanding

  4. Chesed />
  Ch-S-D

  Mercy

  5. Geburah

  G-B-U-R-H

  Severity

  6. Tiphareth

  Th-Ph-A-R-Th

  Beauty

  7. Netzach

  N-Ts-Ch

  Victory

  8. Hod

  H-O-D

  Glory

  9. Yesod

  Y-S-O-D

  The Foundation

  10. Malkuth

  M-L-K-U-Th

  The Kingdom

  The Dagesh or pointing which represents the vowel sounds in modern Hebrew script is not given. It was a later invention to standardize pronunciation and is described in Hebrew grammars.

  The Hebrew Alphabet

  Letter

  Power

  Value

  Final

  Name

  Meaning

  A

  1

  Aleph

  Ox

  B, V

  2

  Beth

  House

  G, Gh

  3

  Gimel

  Camel

  D, Dh

  4

  Daleth

  Door

  H

  5

  He

  Window

  O, U, V

  6

  Vau

  Pin or Hook

  Z

  7

  Zayin

  Sword or Armour

  Ch

  8

  Cheth

  Fence, Enclosure

  T

  9

  Teth

  Snake

  I, Y

  10

  Yod

  Hand

  K, Kh

  20, 500

  Kaph

  Fist

  L

  30

  Lamed

  Ox Goad

  M

  40, 600

  Mem

  Water

  N

  50, 700

  Nun

  Fish

  S

  60

  Samekh

  Prop

  Aa, Ngh

  70

  Ayin

  Eye

  P, Ph

  80, 800

  Pe

  Mouth

  Tz

  90, 900

  Tzaddi

  Fish-hook

  Q

  100

  Qoph

  Ear, Back of head

  R

  200

  Resh

  Head

  S, Sh

  300

  Shin

  Tooth

  T, Th

  400

  Tau

  Cross

  Note by Regardie: Readers of the above who have perused my Tree of Life and Garden of Pomegranates will note the difference in Hebrew pronunciation, and in order to avoid any further confusion an explanatory note must here be added. As is true of every language, in Hebrew there are several quite distinct dialects. There are, however, two principal ones which should be mentioned. The Ashkenazic, a dialect mostly in employment in Germany, Poland, and Russia, and the Sephardic used in Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean generally. Now since the Qabalah attained its prominence in Spain, most Qabalists have employed the Sephardic dialect. Personally I have found that the Ashkenazic dialect answers more nearly than the other to the requirements of transliteration into English, and many problems that have assailed modern students would have been nonexistent had they known of the pronunciation which I employed in my former works. Actually, however, students must discover which of these two suits his own personal predilection and answers to the necessity imposed by the results of study and experience. The Order teaching employs the Sephardic pronunciation, and I have not ventured to interfere with that in any way at all. I simply mention the matter here to render impossible the likelihood of confusion arising.

  First Meditation

  Let the Neophyte consider a point as defined in mathematics—having position but no magnitude—and let him note the ideas to which this gives rise. Concentrating his faculties on this, as a focus, let him endeavour to realize the immanence of the divine throughout nature, in all her aspects.

  Begin by finding a position, balanced, but sufficiently comfortable. Breathe rhythmically until the body is still and the mind quiet. Keep this state for a few minutes at first—and for longer as you get more used to preventing the mind from wandering. Think now of the subject for meditation in a general way—then choose out one thought or image and follow that to its conclusion.

  The simplest rhythm for the beginner is the Fourfold Breath.

  1. Empty the lungs and remain thus while counting four.

  2. Inhale, counting four so that you feel filled with breath to the throat.

  3. Hold this breath while counting four.

  4. Exhale, counting four till the lungs are empty.

  This should be practiced, counting slowly or quickly till you obtain a rhythm that suits you—one that is comforting and stilling. Having attained this, count the breath thus for two or three minutes, till you feel quiet, and then proceed with the meditation.

  The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram

  Take a steel dagger in the right hand. Face east. Touch thy forehead and say Ateh (thou art). Touch thy breast and say Malkuth (the Kingdom). Touch thy right shoulder and say ve-Geburah (and the Power). Touch thy left shoulder and say ve-Gedulah (and the Glory). Clasp thy hands before thee and say Le-Olam (forever). Dagger between fingers, point up and say Amen.

  Invoking Pentagram

  Make in the air towards the east the invoking pentagram as shown and, bringing the point of the dagger to the centre of the pentagram, vibrate the deity name—Yod He Vau He—imagining that your voice carries forward to the east of the universe. Holding the dagger out before you, go to the south, make the pentagram, and vibrate similarly the deity name—Adonai.

  Go to the west, make the pentagram, and vibrate Eheieh. Go to the north, make the pentagram, and vibrate Agla. Return to the east and complete your circle by bringing the dagger point to the centre of the first pentagram.

  Stand with arms outstretched in the form of a cross and say: Before me, Raphael; behind me, Gabriel; at my right hand, Michael; at my left hand, Auriel; before me flames the pentagram—behind me shines the six-rayed star.

  Again make the Qabalistic cross as directed above, saying Ateh, etc.

  For banishing use the same ritual, but reversing the direction of the lines of the pentagram.

  Banishing Pentagram

  The Uses of the Pentagram Ritual

  1. As a form of prayer the invoking ritual should be used in the morning, the banishing in the evening. The names should be pronounced inwardly in the breath vibrating it as much as possible and feeling that the whole body throbs with the sound and sends out a wave of vibration directed to the ends of the quarter.

  2. As a protection against impure magnetism, the banishing ritual can be used to get rid of obsessing or disturbing thoughts. Give a mental image to your obsession and imagine it formulated before you. Project it out of your aura with the saluting sign of a Neophyte, and when it is about three feet away, prevent its return with the Sign of Silence. Now imagine the form in the east before you and do the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram to disintegrate it, seeing it, in your mind’s eye, dissolving on the farther side of your ring of flame.

  3. It can be used as an exercise in concentration. Seated in meditation or lying down, formulate yourself standing up in robes and holding a dagger. Put your consciousness in this form and go to the east. Make yourself “feel” there by touching the wall, opening your eyes, stamping on the floor, etc. Begin the ritual and go round the room mentally vibrating the words and trying to feel them as coming from the form. Finish in the east and try to see your results in the Astral Light, then walk back and stand behind the head of your body and let yourself be reabsorbed.3