The Golden Dawn

by Israel Regardie

  Yet—all this was myself. I realized that far beyond the possibilities of bodily thought there were in myself forces, powers, and knowledge far transcending all that the body can ever perceive or imagine in its loftiest flights. In this manner I was able to order and direct the forces of the intellectual brain—the Kerux, Anubis, the “watcher without” being the conscious intellectual brain which thinks and acts in the material body.

  The watcher within, the higher intuitive intellect whose workings are mostly unconscious to the material man. Recognizing now the importance of maintaining this exalted attitude and preventing the entrance of any material and mundane thoughts, my spiritual will ordered the logical intellect, by will-force rather than definite thought, to clear the temple, and the intellect bearing a ray of white light from the supreme and lighted by the lamp of wisdom commanded all material things to stand aloof. Then and not till then the spiritual will, which now seemed to be myself, began to function. It initiated a current of force and commanded the higher intuitional intellect to see that the sphere was properly closed against material thoughts. This was accomplished by a communication between the intuitional intelligence and the physical logical brain, the latter keeping guard over the material body (by this time almost forgotten, its cerebrations having become unconscious).

  The spiritual will now directs the guardian of the west to make sure that all forces operating are forces of good, and in obedience to the spiritual will, whose controlling force is the ineffable power of God himself. This is done by every force treading down the evil and invoking and bringing forward the light into the material. The sensation here should be that every force in the sphere of sensation is in unity and affirming the will of God.

  A certain equilibrium having thus been established, the whole sphere of sensation should be vitalized by the vibratory formula of the Middle Pillar. The sensation is that the consciousness which is in the spiritual will draws in a deep inspiration of divine power from the supreme hierarchy, and by an effort of will sends it down to the guardian of the west, whence it rushes forth in strength and power, vitalizing the genius of equilibrium between the pillars, and thence the whole sphere. The attention is then fixed on each force in turn, now alive and clothed with a definite symbolic form. In this it is desirable to use the forms of the gods of Egypt, so as to avoid the chance of illusion through memory creeping in by the appearance of the human officers one is accustomed to see. Each of these considered in detail assumes a symbolic form.

  Note, that as the present purpose is to examine the reflection of some earthly event or force, the symbology is particularly regarded with reference thereto. Thus the Hiereus specially guards against the intrusion of any material wish or thought or emotion which might disturb the perfect calm of the divining mind. The Dadouchos is not alone the power of heat and dryness but of energy, fire, passion, impetuous zeal; and Stolistes is not alone cold or moisture, but pleasure, love, luxury, etc. In fact the forces of wands and cups. The fiery zeal prepares the way for the prayer which rises from the soul like incense, this prayer being related also to the suffering which is the purification by fire.

  The receptive and negative forces of the cup are those which develop the perception of the symbology of the various forces. The intuitive intellect (Anubis, the watcher within) regulates the imaginative forming of the sphere of sensation itself—guides the formulated movements thereof—keeps alive the light of occult science and grasps the ray of divine wisdom. So the genius of equilibrium, Thmaah, must introduce the question to be investigated, for unless this be done by perfect equilibrium no good result can be attained.

  I now felt every force moved by my own higher intuition, directed by the spiritual will. All thoughts of earth were lost altogether, and only the great forces were perceived, which might produce a material result, but that result was not perceptible. Unless this result is attained at this stage, I have found it useless to go further. I next endeavoured to mark the limits of the sphere of sensation by the consecrations of fire and water. Now a complete establishment of calm and passive equilibrium in the sphere was required, and the formulation of a vortex to draw in the highest spiritual influences. I therefore directed, as in the 0° = 0, the circumambulation of these mighty forces, as it were, a great wheel which set revolving, whose centre was the point of silence, the throne of Harpacrat. The whole sphere then adored the Lord of the Universe.

  At this stage I found that I could formulate the figure of a terrestrial globe in the place of the altar, and fixing the attention on any point of the surface, get a mental picture of what was transpiring there, recognizing at the same time that it took place by the action and reaction of the great forces which moved by the will of God and were therefore in all things perfectly good. This rendered impossible any feeling of joy or sorrow at any event, any hope or any fear, any affection for any individual, or any antipathy. The desire to know became simply a desire to be associated in the knowledge of God and therefore so far united to him.

  Unless this stage is reached at this point, earthly thoughts have intruded, the temple has not been properly cleansed and guarded, and according to my experience no true results can be expected. If this result is attained the process may then be sealed, and the divination may proceed.

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  CLAIRVOYANCE 1

  “The subject of clairvoyance must always be in the highest degree interesting to all who are aspiring after Adeptship even in its lowest grades. … We frequently meet with two opposite attitudes towards the subject, both in the outer world and amongst our junior members. Both these attitudes are hindrances to its proper study, and therefore I shall preface my remarks by a few words concerning each of them.

  “The first is fear of clairvoyance. And the second is a disproportionate estimate of its value.

  “Both of these attitudes arise from a misunderstanding of its true character. People imagine that somehow the power of clairvoyance is obtained secondhand from the powers of evil; or that its exercise will bring those who practice it under their influence. Or, on the other hand, they imagine that the power of clairvoyance will save them a great deal of trouble, and give them a short and easy path to the information and guidance they desire. In fact, that these may almost be attained at will. Nay more, would such a power not fully satisfy that curiosity which is one of the pitfalls of the superficial student?

  “The properly trained clairvoyant need have no fear that he will thereby expose himself to the powers of evil. It is the untrained natural clairvoyant who is in danger. Training will give him knowledge, discipline, and protection, such as will protect him from the onslaught of the averse powers.

  “On the other hand, let him who desires to save himself trouble and to gain knowledge to which he has no claim, be very well assured that only ‘in the sweat of his brow’ can he obtain this power and exercise it in security. And that he who seeks to gratify his curiosity will either be mortified by disappointment or distressed by discoveries he would much prefer not to have made. Trained, humble, and reverent clairvoyance is a great gift, opening up new worlds and deeper truths, lifting us out of ourselves into the great inpouring and outpouring of the heart of God.” 2

  The earliest experiments in clairvoyance as taught by the Order are with the tattwa symbols. These, with their traditional names, significances, symbols, and colours are:

  Akasa—Ether or Spirit.

  Symbol: black or indigo egg.

  Vayu—Air.

  Symbol: a sky-blue disc or circle.

  Tejas—Fire.

  Symbol: a red equilateral triangle.

  Apas—Water.

  Symbol: a silver crescent.

  Prithivi—Earth.

  Symbol: a yellow square or cube. 168

  3In brief, the traditional occult concept of the tattwa is that of a vital current of ether or force—the Hindu pranas—which issues in a steady stream from the sun. That stream is fivefold, and flows around our Earth, vitalizing its astral substance or its sp
here of sensation. In short, they are the currents of sub-planes of the Astral Light. The theory has it that the element of Akasa is strongest at dawn, when the sun rises, and its power continues for the space of two hours, when its force subsides and glides into Vayu, air. This also persists or is in course for the same period. Each tattwa or current of force is believed to exist strongly for this length of time, each merging at the end into the succeeding tattwa in the order given above. After the current of Prithivi is exhausted, the cycle recommences with Akasa and continues in the same order again and for the same periods.

  As no element on our plane can exist in an unmixed form, but contains within itself the constituents of all the others, or possesses several grades or planes of its own substance, so each tattwa is subdivided into five divisions, currents, or planes. Akasa of Akasa, Spirit of Spirit, would be the most tenuous and purest form of that element, the integral nature of spirit—its highest essence. Vayu of Akasa would refer to its airy quality; Tejas of Akasa to its fiery and dynamic aspect; Apas of Akasa, its fluidic and watery phase, while Prithivi of Akasa, its most terrestrial phase, or that aspect of its power which more nearly than the others contacts the earth. The same fivefold division, in the same fivefold order, applies equally to the other elements.

  The student is strongly urged to make these symbols and have a set of them with him for working. The primary or simple tattwa should be made about two or two and a half inches in height. It is recommended that coloured papers be used rather than water colours, since the brilliance of the former is much greater than the latter. The lacquer paints which are now easily obtainable may also be used to good effect. If the symbols are cut from coloured papers, they should be pasted on clean unused cards length upwards. The method of indicating a sub-tattwa, or a charged or compound tattwa, is to paint or paste upon the principal symbol a smaller symbol of the charge or sub-element. Thus, in the case of Tejas of Prithivi, fire of earth, Prithivi which is the major symbol should be made about two and a half inches square, whilst the red triangle, each angle about half an inch long, should be pasted in the centre of the larger symbol. It is a useful preliminary also to write on the back of the card the appropriate divine and angelic names.

  The method of using these tattwa symbols for clairvoyance is a simple one. My remarks in the following example will refer to the element of Prithivi, earth, the yellow square, and what is said of this will apply equally well to the remaining symbols. Though the method is simple, it is far from foolproof, and the description of it should be read several times.

  The student should be calm and quiet and, sitting in his chair, take the card bearing the symbol of the yellow square in his hand and gaze intently at it for about twenty seconds. Quickly transferring his attention from the symbol to any white surface, such as the ceiling or a sheet of paper at his side especially provided for the purpose, he will see, by reflex optical action, the same shape but in a direct complementary colour. This will be a sort of luminous lavender-blue or pale translucent mauve. The actual tint of this complementary colour will depend wholly on the depth of the yellow used in the first place, as well as upon the lighting conditions prevailing at the time of the experiment.

  Immediately this mauve square is seen, the student should close his eyes and endeavour to visualize in imagination this mauve square as standing before him. This clearly perceived by the mind’s eye, let the student at once imagine that it enlarges itself, becoming an object large enough for him to pass through. The next step is to imagine that he is actually passing through this square, as though it were a door. The best method of doing this is to employ the Neophyte sign, the Sign of the Enterer, which is that of “groping for light.” It is essentially a projecting sign, and the effect should be of having projected himself through this door or gateway. It is recommended that the student rise to his feet at this juncture and, still visualizing the enlarged square (with closed eyes of course), perform this Sign of Horus physically and, believing himself through it, sit down ready to commence the vision.

  One of the other instructions puts it thus: “First meditate on the element selected, soak yourself in it till, if it be fire, you feel hot; if water, wet, and so on, all the time coordinating the symbol with your sensations. Then, laying aside the symbol and closing your eyes, endeavour to project and enlarge that symbol before you, regarding it as a gateway through which you are to pass. … Deliberately will to pass through the gateway. Let him imagine that he can hear it close behind him.”

  Yet another version, this time written by D.D.C.F.,4 says: “Keep up the design, form, and colour in the Akasic aura, as clearly as they appeared in material form to the outward seeing. Transfer the vital effort from the optic nerve to the mental perception, or thought-seeing as distinct from the seeing with the eye. Let one form of apprehension glide on into the other. Produce the reality of the dream vision by positive will in the waking state. … Then maintaining your abstraction from your surroundings, still concentrated upon the symbol and its correlated ideas, you are to seek a perception of a scene or panorama or view of the plane. This may also be brought on by a sense of tearing open, as a curtain is drawn aside, and seeing the ‘within’ of the symbol before you.”

  The principal idea is to imagine the symbol, in its complementary colour, as a door and to pass through it. Having imagined that there has been a passing through the door, and clearly realizing, in this instance, the mauve square behind him, the seer should make an effort to look about him. Let him endeavour to see objects, entities, or some sort of landscape. Most always these take the form of pale stilled pictures, seen as it were with the mind or the eye of imagination. Hillocks, meadows, rocks, vast brown boulders may be seen, and what is most important, there should be a strong sense of being within the element; the seer should understand, as he has never quite realized before, the true nature, the “feel” of earth.

  Before aught else occurs, the divine names appropriate to that element should now be vibrated, beginning with the deity name. The student should vibrate each slowly and audibly several times. Thus, he would vibrate Adonai ha-Aretz, three or four times, then the name of Auriel the archangel of earth, followed by the name of Phorlakh the angel of earth. These will usually suffice though the Hebrew name of the element and cardinal quarter may also be employed. Various changes may now be perceived to occur to the landscape; it will become alive, vivified and dynamic, and the sense of the element should become even more clearly and vividly defined.

  Also a being may appear, one whose characteristics pertain to the element of earth, and his garments, their colours, and his other ornaments should be in the appropriate colours. Under no circumstances should the seer wander from his doorway alone; he should always wait until one of these elemental beings or “guides” appears, and he should continue vibrating the names until one does appear, or until he obtains the sense that one is present. Sometimes, and with some students, there is no clear vision of these occurrences or beings, but only a sense or intuition or powerful instinct that such and such a thing is happening, and that such a type of being has appeared. This often is more trustworthy than the use of sight or other sense.

  The guide, having made his appearance, is to be tested by every means at the seer’s disposal. First of all, it is well to assume the sign of the grade to which that element is referred. In this instance, the sign of the Zelator should be made, by physically as well as astrally raising the right arm to an angle of forty-five degrees. The guide should answer this with the same sign or another which is unmistakable proof that he belongs to the element and has been sent to act as guide. If there is deception, these signs will cause him distress or at once the vision will break up or the false guide will disappear. He should also be asked clearly and deliberately whether he comes to act as guide in the name of the appropriate deity name. If all this strikes the seer as satisfactory, and his doubts settled, let him follow the guide to wherever he is being led, carefully noting whither he goes, and asking questions about
the element or whatever he sees.

  A very important thing is here to be noted. On these subtler planes, or within the realms of these symbols, form takes on symbolic implication which we, on Earth, have obscured if not lost. It is only human beings who swathe themselves in garments whose shape and colour bear no relation to their true character. “Even on our own plane, the clothing of animals is pregnant with meaning, and on the astral plane this is far more emphatically the case. An elemental may, for some purpose of its own, masquerade for a time in alien garb, but we are given a certain definite procedure to follow in dealing with them.”

  The signs of the elemental grades, the vibration of divine and angelic names, and the tracing of appropriate pentagrams are symbols which powerfully affect these elemental inhabitants of the astral and prevent or disclose deception. It is but rarely that there will be necessity to resort to anything so drastic as the pentagrams in these tattwa visions, for the vibration of the Hebrew name either of the element or of the archangel will restore order and harmony. The true form, colour, clothing, even adornments such as jewels and embroideries are consonant to the element and character of the beings under discussion. And unless they are, the seer may be sure he is being imposed on and should act accordingly—at once. In a short while, after only a few astral experiences, these symbolic ideas will have been sufficiently familiar to the student to enable him at once to detect error or imposition.