Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
Have you ever wondered how magicians communicate with grimoiric demons or enochian angels, or about the real origins of received texts like Liber AL or the Vision and The Voice? The best way to understand the circumstances of the reception of visions is to gain experience with the techniques that train magicians to experience such visionary states. Once you have had a number of visionary experiences, you will come little-by-little to understand the nature of such experiences and the received texts they at times give rise to.
I recently was discussing this topic with a Frater (brother) of the TGD, and I shared that without basic visionary skill, the magician is simply standing there saying stuff. Magicians perform rituals to tune in to specific spheres of consciousness and expect to experience responses congruent with that sphere. Performing grimoiric evocations, contacting Enochian angels, and invoking deities would all be just elaborate forms of talking to yourself if you cannot see and hear the energies you are calling forth. In this essay I will share: 1. some practices that can help beginners who have trouble with basic visualization, 2. a ritual of the TGD designed for obtaining simple visions, and 3. an example of an early beginner vision from the magical record of a student of the TGD.
Students have differing initial skill levels. If a student finds it easy to visualize images with their eyes closed, they might be ready to move onto the ritual of tattwa vision if they have experience with the pentagram ritual. If not, it may be useful to first pursue a set of exercises adapted from those taught by Carol "Poke" Runyan: 1. Gather four simple physical objects: an old paintbrush (dig out that old watercolor set), a small cup (shot glass works fine), a knife (pocket knives work well, and a disk (can be cut from cardboard; a 6' diameter works well).
2. Study your hands closely for several minutes so that you memorize every wrinkle. Next hold each of the objects in your hand one at a time, closely examining them as you slowly turn them in your hand. It is important that your study of the objects includes the many details we don’t normally pay attention to: what scratches, dents, or writing do the objects have on them? know every minute detail. Do this for 10 min daily for several days before moving on. Really strive to memorize every little detail.
Intermediate practices:
3. For short periods of time, close your eyes and visualize what you are doing. Try to see every detail that you had memorized. Open your eyes to check for accuracy often. Slowly increase the amount of time your eyes are closed. When you lose the image of your hands and the object, open your eyes and study them again. Do this for each object for several minutes at a time for several days.
4. Continue until you can “see” each of them in detail with your eyes closed for long stretches of time (~10 min) without forgetting any tiny details or any breaks in the visualization. Do this successfully for several minutes per day for several days.
Add more advanced practices:
5. Put a little bit of a favorite color of paint in the cup, dip the paint brush in it and draw a letter onto the disk. Study closely and carefully every detail of how this looks, the color, texture, streak, etc. of the paint.
6. Now clean everything off and this time without using paint and with your eyes closed, imagine a color of paint in the cup. Pick up the brush dip it in the imaginary paint and paint a letter onto the disk. Try to see the imaginary letter with as much detail as you did the real paint. Practice with different imaginary colors and different letters. Practice with geometric shapes: pentagram, hexagram, etc.
Still more advanced:
7. with your eyes closed: Pick up the brush and dip it into any color of imaginary paint then paint letters in the air in front of you -as if there were an invisible (or glass) wall floating in the air. Practice this with different colors of paint and different letters and geometric shapes. Later imagine the air-letters glowing brightly, like neon colors under a black light.
8. Later still try drawing simple stick figures and then imagining them making very simple movements. Add more complex exercises of your own devising.
These exercises should bring most students to a level of proficiency in basic visualization that they can engage in obtaining visions. The order of the TGD provides a potent ritual exercise for developing the ability to obtain visions called the ritual of tattwa vision. This practice is derived from older HOGD material and is well suited to assisting the aspirant in gaining experience in astral vison. It may be worth while to first reflect on the order's theoretical framework surrounding the astral plane and body of light. And the aspirant should be experienced with the pentagram ritual, and creating sacred space.
The ritual of the Tattwas vision is designed for obtaining visions of the four classical elements, which correspond to the four lower spheres on the qabalistic tree of life. You can read all about this ritual here: Ritual of the Tattwas Vision.
Below is an excerpt of the magical record of a TGD Zelator describing an early experience with the tattwas vision ritual. It is accompanied by commentary written by the student at a later date. This is shared so that students can have some idea how a simple early visionary experience might look.
Experiment with the Tattwa Prithvi (Earth, Malkuth)
Sun. 2001.07.08 ev.
IVviv Sol 16 Can., Lun 21 Aqu., Dies Solis
Still, mostly cloudy. I am calm and concentrated. [A partner] is serving as the scribe.
Performed the lesser invoking ritual of Earth. Completed concentration on the tattwa and fully identified with the idea of earth. Created the door and projected through it in the sign of the enterer. I gave the sign, the god name, and archangel name for Earth. The landscape began to come into view, again I vibrated the archangel name and the vision became clear. I saw a land warped with small, rolling, green hills with short beings moving about in between. It was cluttered with brush and overall a pleasant sight. One of the beings approached, when I gave the proper signs and words he returned them, When asked his name he replied Girth.
He began walking, passed the others, passed the rolling hills until he came to a valley. This valley was barren and without any vegetation. As he proceeded downward, I noticed the ground under my feet was cool. There was no one else in the valley. Though it was a steep climb down, Girth had no problems reaching the bottom quickly. In the center of the valley there stood a great rock, tan and round, about four times his size. Girth lead around the stone to show me there was a large crag in it on the other side. He entered and I followed. The crag leads further downward below the surface at a diagonal pitch. The cave is dark and tight with red stone walls. We are crawling due to the limited space.
By and by the tunnel came to an end. Girth indicated with his hand the wall at the end. And I saw a brilliant crystalline stone about one half inch across. It gleamed and shined in spite of the limited light of the cavern. He proceeded to lead me out of the cave, up the side of the valley, and back to the rolling, grassy hills. I wanted to observe the others like him. Upon closer inspection they appeared to be round and hearty people of jovial countenance. And they were playing, not just the young ones, the adults too. they didn't pay any attention to me. I continued back to the door. Girth gave the saluting sign of Earth and I return it departing in the sign of silence.
Commentary:
The most significant part of the vision is the finding of the precious stone at the bottom of the cave. Deep within Malkuth is the hidden star of the supernal light. Malkah is Binah’s fallen daughter. The 10th sephirah is where the essence and events within all the other sephira culminate and crystalize. Though it seems the lowest of all planes, it is the manifestation and realization of every occurrence in every other. The light of Kether shines deep within the dross of matter. There is light within the darkness. When first you seek (the valley) nothing is found until you dive deeper (the cave) then only is the light apparent. Also where you least expect to find wisdom, often the most is hidden.
GIRTH has a value of 222. Sepher Sephiroth has this to say: "unto the place" "whiteness" "Goodly Mountain" " I will chase". That is: the place of whiteness can be chased into the goodly mountain. That which was shown in the vision seems to apply. By the tarot method the letters render; High Priestess, Hermit, Sun, Strength. The downfall of the master lies in his belief in the strength of his selfhood [ego]. Applying [this] to the vision we can say that the external strength of Malkuth is folly in comparison to that light which is to be found hidden therein. The meanings of the letters are G: camel (Kether to Tiphereth), I: hand (directed energy), R: head (solar consciousness), Th: the serpent [kundalini]. A possible interpretation is: The path from the heart to the supernal is the knowledge of the solar serpent. The Muladharah chakra is activated in the Zelator ceremony, awakening the serpent force. This spirit Girth may be a force of initiation. However, 222 adds up to 6 which points to Tiphereth and makes him seem incongruent with the Prithvi sphere. We would expect a multiple of ten here.
This is of course a very simple operation designed for beginners. More advanced practices give rise to more complex experiences like the one recorded here: Liber Le Monde
Love is the law, love under will.