The Art and Meaning of Magic

by Israel Regardie
Sangreal Series No. 1
A Helios Book
1969
Magic in ast ! "est #o$yright % 196& '.I. Regardie
The Meaning of Magic #o$yright % 196( '.I. Regardie
The Art of Magic #o$yright % 196( '.I. Regardie
The )*blication of This Book +as ,ade $ossible thro*gh the co-o$eration of.
TH SAN/RA0 '12N3ATI1N IN#.
).1. Bo4 56&7
3allas8 Te4as8 96551
)*blished by Helios Book Ser:ice ;)*blications< 0td.8
& The S=*are8 Toddington8 #heltenha,8 /los.
)rinted in /t. Britain by Tha4ted )rinting #o. 0td.8
51 To+n St8 Tha4ted8 sse4.
0ist of #ontents
Magic in ast and "est
The Art of Magic
The Meaning of Magic
Bibliogra$hical Note
Notes on the Ill*strations
MA/I# IN AST AN3 "ST
by Israel Regardie
#o$yright % 196&8 '.I. Regardie
)*blished by Helios8 1969
The )*blication of This Book +as ,ade $ossible thro*gh the co-o$eration of.
TH SAN/RA0 '12N3ATI1N IN#.
).1. Bo4 56&7
3allas8 Te4as8 96551
"hen I +as abo*t se:enteen years of age8 a friend loaned ,e a co$y of Ma>or 0. A. "addell?s
0a,ais,. In those days it i,$ressed ,e tre,endo*sly8 no do*bt beca*se of its ,assi:e si@e. In
e:ery sense it +as a hea:y to,e8 and to,es then s*ggested de$th and +eight of scholarshi$
and insight. Nat*rally I kne+ nothing at that ti,e abo*t Magic8 and beyond a fe+ theoso$hical
all*sions ne4t to nothing of B*ddhis,. So the greater $art of the significance and +ide
er*dition of the book ,*st ha:e $assed ,e by co,$letely8 tho*gh it is a :eritable storeho*se of
kno+ledge.
Then8 o*t of the bl*e it a$$eared on ,y hori@on again8 again thro*gh the agency of a friend. In
the light of the little kno+ledge and e4$erience gained thro*gh the $assage of se:eral years8 its
contents e4cited ,e enor,o*sly--and it +as +ith the *t,ost interest that I reconsidered it. 'or
,e8 one of the things that stood o*t ,ost e,$hatically this ti,e +as the e4traordinary
si,ilarity bet+een--e:en the f*nda,ental *nity of--the highest and ,ost basic ,agical
conce$tions of both ast and "est. "hether this is d*e8 as ,any e4$onents of the astern
+isdo, +o*ld clai,8 to the direct i,$ortation of occ*lt $hiloso$hy and $ractice fro, the
1rient to "estern ci:ili@ation8 it is not ,y intention no+ to arg*e. Nonetheless8 it is ,y
considered belief that in 1ccidental co*ntries there has definitely been a secret tradition on a
$ractical le:el--a tradition +hich for cent*ries has orally trans,itted the finer $art of this
,agical kno+ledge. In fact8 so >ealo*sly reser:ed at all ti,es +as this tradition that by ,ost
$eo$le it +as hardly s*s$ected at all. Aery fe+ +ere the fort*nate indi:id*als +ho in any age
+ere dra+n as tho*gh by in:isible c*rrents of s$irit*al affinity to the concealed $ortals of its
te,$les.
1ccasionally a s,all $ortion of this closely concealed tradition +or,ed its +ay o*t+ards into
books. So,e of these latter are those +hich +ere +ritten by Ia,blich*s and the later
Neo$latonists8 and also by st*dents s*ch as #orneli*s Agri$$a8 )ietro d?Abano8 and li$has
0e:i8 etc. Its cr*der ele,ents fo*nd e4$ression in the far-fa,ed #la:icles8 /ri,oires and
/oetias. Bet for the ,ost $art the tr*e se=*ence of teaching8 and the :ast i,$lications of its
$ractical kno+ledge +ere8 as abo:e stated8 ,aintained in strict $ri:acy. The reason for this
secrecy ,ay ha:e been the feeling that there are only a s,all n*,ber in any age8 in any co*ntry8
a,ongst any $eo$le8 +ho are likely to a$$reciate or *nderstand the dee$er or s*bli,er as$ects
of The*rgy8 the higher ,agic. It re=*ires sy,$athy8 ,*ch insight and a ca$acity for hard +ork8
+hich needless to say fe+ $eo$le $ossess. And there is8 conse=*ently8 b*t little $oint scattering
broadcast these $earls of bright +isdo, +hich can only be ,is*nderstood.
/oetias. Bet for the ,ost $art the tr*e se=*ence of teaching8 and the :ast i,$lications of its
$ractical kno+ledge +ere8 as abo:e stated8 ,aintained in strict $ri:acy. The reason for this
secrecy ,ay ha:e been the feeling that there are only a s,all n*,ber in any age8 in any co*ntry8
a,ongst any $eo$le8 +ho are likely to a$$reciate or *nderstand the dee$er or s*bli,er as$ects
of The*rgy8 the higher ,agic. It re=*ires sy,$athy8 ,*ch insight and a ca$acity for hard +ork8
+hich needless to say fe+ $eo$le $ossess. And there is8 conse=*ently8 b*t little $oint scattering
broadcast these $earls of bright +isdo, +hich can only be ,is*nderstood.
Ind*bitably this concl*sion is corroborated by "addell?s 0a,ais,. In $oint of fact8 a good deal
of so-called esoteric ,agical kno+ledge is there contained--tho*gh it is $resented +holly
+itho*t co,$rehension. Hence his state,ent of that $artic*lar as$ect of 0a,ais, is :itiated
and rendered $ractically +orthless. And +hile I ,ay agree +ith "addell that so,e of the
0a,aistic $ractices ha:e little to do +ith historical B*ddhis,8 his sneers as regards an esoteric
B*ddhis, on the ,agical side of things are si,$ly la*ghable8 for his o+n book is a clear
de,onstration of $recisely that one fact +hich he has $ercei:ed not at all.
His book8 ob:io*sly8 +as intended $ri,arily to be an ob>ecti:e acco*nt of the B*ddhis,
indigeno*s to Tibet and as $ractised by its ,onks and her,its. 2nfort*nately8 the $re>*dices
and ,is*nderstandings of the a*thor are scarcely concealed. So that +hile ind*bitably he did
$ick *$ so,e of the cr*,bs dro$$ed ha$ha@ard fro, the esoteric table of the 0a,as8 and
recorded the, $robably as he fo*nd the,8 ne:ertheless he had not the necessary training8
kno+ledge or insight into the s*b>ect $ossessed *ndo*btedly by so,e of the higher initiated
0a,as +ith +ho, he had con:ersed. The res*lt +as that he +as *nable to ,ake anything of
that infor,ation. In fact8 his acco*nt of their $ractices so*nds si,$ly silly and abs*rd.
)sychologically8 he s*cceeds not in thro+ing ridic*le on the 0a,as b*t only *$on hi,self.
#ertain as$ects of The*rgy or "estern Magic ha:e no+ been co,$arati:ely clearly set forth.
So,e early re:ie+ers and critics +ere of the o$inion that ,y for,er +orkThe Tree of 0ife +as
as $lain an ele,entary state,ent of its ,a>or traditional $rinci$les as had yet $*blicly been
,ade. And 3ion 'ort*ne?s book The Mystical Cabalah8a frank ,aster$iece8 is like+ise an
inco,$arably fine rendition of the ,ystical $hiloso$hy that *nderlies the $ractice of Magic. I
therefore s*ggest that by e,$loying the theore,s laid do+n in those t+o books8 and a$$lying
the, to the ,aterial in "addell?s 0a,ais,8 +e ,ay arri:e at an *nderstanding of so,e
other+ise obsc*re $ortions of Tibetan Magic.
It ,ay be +ell8 at first8 to confess that a good $art of the ,agical ro*tine refers to a $sychic
$lane8 to certain le:els of the #ollecti:e 2nconscio*s8 tho*gh by no ,eans does that +holly
conde,n it as certain ,ystical schools feel inclined to do. 1ther branches concern s*ch
$heno,enal acco,$lish,ents as rain-,aking8 obtaining good cro$s8 scaring a+ay de,ons8 and
si,ilar feats +ith +hich both astern and 1ccidental legend ha:e fa,iliarised *s. 'eats8
,oreo:er8 +hich re=*ire a good deal of e4$laining a+ay by the rationalist and ,echanistic
scientist. 'inally8 there is that *nha$$ily large $art +hich :erges on +itchcraft $*re and si,$le.
"ith this latter8 I a, at no ti,e concerned. B*t I ,aintain8 as a $ri,al definition8 that Magic
+hether of the astern or "estern :ariety8 is essentially a di:ine $rocess--The*rgy8 a ,ode of
s$irit*al c*lt*re or de:elo$,ent. 'ro, the $sychological :ie+$oint8 it ,ay be inter$reted as a
series of techni=*es ha:ing as their ob>ect the +ithdra+al of energy fro, ob>ecti:e and
s*b>ecti:e ob>ects so that8 in the rene+al of conscio*sness by a re-e,ergent libido8 the >e+el of
a transfor,ed life +ith ne+ creati:e $ossibilities and +ith s$ontaneity ,ay be fo*nd. It
co,$rises :ario*s technical ,ethods8 so,e si,$le in nat*re8 others highly co,$le4 and ,ost
diffic*lt to $erfor,8 for $*rifying the $ersonality8 and into that cleansed organis, freed of
$athogenic strain in:oking the higher Self. "ith this in ,ind8 then8 a good ,any of the
a$$arently *nrelated ite,s of Magic8 so,e of its in:ocations and :is*alising $ractices8 take on a
ne+ and added significance. They are i,$ortant $sychological ste$s +hereby to re$air8 i,$ro:e
or ele:ate conscio*sness so that e:ent*ally it ,ay $ro:e a +orthy :ehicle of the 3i:ine 0ight.
A sentence or t+o +ritten ,any years ago by "illia, C*an D*dge in his $a,$hlet An $ito,e
of Theoso$hy e4$ress so e4actly the i,$ression to be con:eyed that it is con:enient to =*ote.
EThe real ob>ect to be ke$t in :ie+ is to so o$en *$ or ,ake $oro*s the lo+er nat*re that the
s$irit*al nat*re ,ay shine thro*gh it and beco,e the g*ide and r*ler. It is only ?c*lti:ated? in
the sense of ha:ing a :ehicle $re$ared for its *se8 into +hich is ,ay descend.E
s*b>ecti:e ob>ects so that8 in the rene+al of conscio*sness by a re-e,ergent libido8 the >e+el of
a transfor,ed life +ith ne+ creati:e $ossibilities and +ith s$ontaneity ,ay be fo*nd. It
co,$rises :ario*s technical ,ethods8 so,e si,$le in nat*re8 others highly co,$le4 and ,ost
diffic*lt to $erfor,8 for $*rifying the $ersonality8 and into that cleansed organis, freed of
$athogenic strain in:oking the higher Self. "ith this in ,ind8 then8 a good ,any of the
a$$arently *nrelated ite,s of Magic8 so,e of its in:ocations and :is*alising $ractices8 take on a
ne+ and added significance. They are i,$ortant $sychological ste$s +hereby to re$air8 i,$ro:e
or ele:ate conscio*sness so that e:ent*ally it ,ay $ro:e a +orthy :ehicle of the 3i:ine 0ight.
A sentence or t+o +ritten ,any years ago by "illia, C*an D*dge in his $a,$hlet An $ito,e
of Theoso$hy e4$ress so e4actly the i,$ression to be con:eyed that it is con:enient to =*ote.
EThe real ob>ect to be ke$t in :ie+ is to so o$en *$ or ,ake $oro*s the lo+er nat*re that the
s$irit*al nat*re ,ay shine thro*gh it and beco,e the g*ide and r*ler. It is only ?c*lti:ated? in
the sense of ha:ing a :ehicle $re$ared for its *se8 into +hich is ,ay descend.E
This conce$tion is like+ise the $oint of :ie+ of o*r ,agical syste,. The technical for,s of
Magic described in The /olden 3a+n8 s*ch as )entagra, and other rit*als8 astral ass*,$tion
of /od-for,s8 e:ocations ;tho*gh not necessarily to $hysical ,anifestation< of ele,ental and
$lanetary s$irits8 skrying in the s$irit-:ision8 and the in:ocation of the Holy /*ardian Angel8 are
all $erfor,ed +ith that single ob>ecti:e held e:er before one. The*rgy and the e4$onents of the
astern ,ysticis,s are th*s in co,$lete accord on the f*nda,ental theoretical $rinci$les.
To ill*strate no+ +hat I ,ean by the co,$lete ,is*nderstanding +hich a $*rely ob>ecti:e
acco*nt of ,agical $ractices is ca$able of achie:ing8 it +ill be fo*nd interesting to consider b*t
a fe+ state,ents ,ade by "addell. 'irst of all8 let ,e =*ote fro, $age 165 ;5nd edition< of his
+ork. EThe $*rest /el*g$a 0a,a on a+aking e:ery ,orning8 and before :ent*ring o*tside his
roo,8 fortifies hi,self against assa*lt by the de,ons by first of all ass*,ing the s$irit*al g*ise
of his fearf*l t*telary . . . Th*s +hen the 0a,a e,erges fro, his roo, . . . he $resents
s$irit*ally the a$$earance of the de,on-king8 and the s,aller ,alignant de,ons8 being del*ded
into the belief that the 0a,a is indeed their o+n :indicti:e king8 they flee fro, his $resence8
lea:ing the 0a,a *nhar,ed.E
S*rely this is a $*erile inter$retation. Tho*gh the fact itself of the ass*,$tion of the s$irit*al
for,s of t*telary deities is $erfectly correct8 the rationale he $ro:ides is infantile and st*$id. So
far as "estern The*rgy is concerned8 cent*ries of effort ha:e sho+n that one of the ,ost
$otent ad>*ncts to s$irit*al e4$erience8 as aiding the assi,ilation of the lo+er self into the
all-incl*si:e $syche8 is the astral ass*,$tion of the ,agical for, of a di:ine 'orce or a /od. By
,eans of an e4altation of the ,ind and so*l to its $resence8 +hilst gi:ing *tterance to an
in:ocation8 it is conceded that there ,ay be a descent of the 0ight into the heart of the de:otee8
acco,$anied $ari $ass* by an ascent of the ,ind to+ards the ineffable s$lendo*r of the s$irit.
So far as the reason for and e4$lanation of this $rocess is concerned8 it ,ay be +ell to state
briefly that according to the ,agical hy$othesis8 the +hole cos,os is $er,eated and :italised
by 1ne o,ni$resent 0ife8 +hich in itself is both i,,anent as +ell as transcendent. At the da+n
of the ,anifestation of the *ni:erse fro, the thrice *nkno+n darkness8 there iss*e forth the
0i:es--great gods and s$irit*al forces8 #os,ocratores8 +ho beco,e the intelligent architects
and b*ilders of the ,anifold $arts of the *ni:erse. 'ro, their o+n indi:id*al s$irit*al essence8
other lesser hierarchies are begotten8 and these in t*rn e,anate or e:ol:e fro, the,sel:es still
other gro*$s. These are they +hich re$resent in the hidden de$ths of the $syche those
$ri,ordial ideas +hich D*ng s$eaks of as archety$al i,ages e:er $resent in the #ollecti:e
2nconscio*s of the race. Th*s it is that thro*gh the *nion of the h*,an conscio*sness +ith the
being of the gods in an ascending scale that the so*l of ,an ,ay grad*ally a$$roach the final
root and so*rce of his being. In the B*ddhist sche,e this is Ethe essence of ,ind +hich is
intrinsically $*re8E the 3har,akaya8 the *nconditioned di:ine body of tr*th. The intent to
frighten ,alignant de,ons has no incl*sion +ithin the sco$e of this techni=*e. "hether the
later hy$othesis is original +ith Ma>or "addell or not is diffic*lt to s*r,ise8 tho*gh the thesis is
co,,on to all $ri,iti:e $eo$les. )robably it +as ,ade by a 0a,a in a lighter :ein to $*t an
end to leading =*estions8 tho*gh at the sa,e ti,e it is tr*e that in ,o,ents of $sychic danger8
the ass*,$tion of a /odfor, is of enor,o*s assistance. Not beca*se the threatening ele,ental
or de,on. for e4a,$le8 is fooled or frightened by the for,8 B*t beca*se the o$erator8 in
o$ening hi,self to one $hase of the di:ine s$irit by the ass*,$tion of its sy,bolic for,8 does
take *$on hi,self or is e,$o+ered +ith the a*thority and do,inion of that /od.
other lesser hierarchies are begotten8 and these in t*rn e,anate or e:ol:e fro, the,sel:es still
other gro*$s. These are they +hich re$resent in the hidden de$ths of the $syche those
$ri,ordial ideas +hich D*ng s$eaks of as archety$al i,ages e:er $resent in the #ollecti:e
2nconscio*s of the race. Th*s it is that thro*gh the *nion of the h*,an conscio*sness +ith the
being of the gods in an ascending scale that the so*l of ,an ,ay grad*ally a$$roach the final
root and so*rce of his being. In the B*ddhist sche,e this is Ethe essence of ,ind +hich is
intrinsically $*re8E the 3har,akaya8 the *nconditioned di:ine body of tr*th. The intent to
frighten ,alignant de,ons has no incl*sion +ithin the sco$e of this techni=*e. "hether the
later hy$othesis is original +ith Ma>or "addell or not is diffic*lt to s*r,ise8 tho*gh the thesis is
co,,on to all $ri,iti:e $eo$les. )robably it +as ,ade by a 0a,a in a lighter :ein to $*t an
end to leading =*estions8 tho*gh at the sa,e ti,e it is tr*e that in ,o,ents of $sychic danger8
the ass*,$tion of a /odfor, is of enor,o*s assistance. Not beca*se the threatening ele,ental
or de,on. for e4a,$le8 is fooled or frightened by the for,8 B*t beca*se the o$erator8 in
o$ening hi,self to one $hase of the di:ine s$irit by the ass*,$tion of its sy,bolic for,8 does
take *$on hi,self or is e,$o+ered +ith the a*thority and do,inion of that /od.
It +as in gy$t8 so far as the +estern for, of ,agic is concerned8 that these cos,ic forces
recei:ed close attention and their =*alities and attrib*tes obser:ed and recorded. Th*s arose the
con:entionalised $ictogra$hs of their /ods +hich are $rofo*nd in significance8 +hile si,$le in
the ,o:ing elo=*ence of their descri$tion. It is the gy$tian /od-for,s that are *sed in
occidental ,agic8 not those of Tibet or India. The technical *se of these /od-for,s consists in
the a$$lication of the $o+ers of +ill and i,agination--as +ell as of so*nd and colo*r. A :ery
$rofo*nd $aragra$h ,ay be fo*nd in The Mahat,a 0etters8 +here F. H. +rote to A. ). Sinnett.
EHo+ co*ld yo* ,ake yo*rself *nderstood--co,,and in fact those se,i-intelligent forces8
+hose ,eans of co,,*nicating +ith *s are not thro*gh s$oken +ords b*t thro*gh so*nds and
colo*rs8 in correlations bet+een the :ibrations of the t+o. 'or so*nd8 light and colo*r are the
,ain factors in for,ing these grades of intelligence . . .E
Tho*gh it is hardly $olitic to enter ,ore dee$ly into this ,atter8 the re,arks of F. H. a$$ly
e=*ally to other forces and $o+ers than ele,ental. The astral for, of colo*r and light ass*,ed
in the i,agination creates a ,o*ld or a foc*s of a s$ecial kind into +hich8 by technical ,odes
of :ibration and in:ocation8 the force or s$irit*al $o+er desired incarnates. By the clothing of
one?s o+n astral for, +ith the ideal fig*re of the /od8 no+ :italised by the descent of the
in:oked force8 it is held that ,an ,ay be ass*,ed or e4alted into the :ery boso, of /odhead8
and so grad*ally ret*rn8 +ith the ac=*isition of his o+n h*,anity8 to that *nna,eable
,ysterio*s Root +herefro, originally he ca,e.
Another instance of "addell?s lack of h*,o*r and insight occ*rs on $age G55. In describing the
training of the no:ice8 it is said that the 0a,a ado$ts a Edee$ hoarse :oice8 ac=*ired by training
in order to con:ey the idea that it e,anates fro, ,at*rity and +isdo,.E It is not kno+n to ,e
+hether any of ,y readers ha:e +itnessed any kind of a ,agical cere,ony8 or heard an
in:ocation recited by a skilled $ractitioner--tho*gh I sho*ld say fe+ ha:e. The tone al+ays
ado$ted is one +hich +ill yield the ,a4i,*, of :ibration. 'or ,any st*dents a dee$ intoning8
or a h*,,ing8 is the one +hich :ibrates the ,ost. Therefore that is the ideal tone +hereby to
a+aken fro, +ithin the s*btle ,agical forces re=*ired. It +ill ha:e been noted too that the best
in:ocations are al+ays sonoro*s and intensely :ibrant. The idea that the :oice sho*ld s*ggest
,at*rity and +isdo, is ,erely silly. This is another instance of "estern conte,$t rather than a
sy,$athetic atte,$t really to *nderstand a foreign syste,. The Tibetan s$eci,ens of rit*al
gi:en by "addell contain an a,*sing n*,ber of 1,s8 H*,s8 Has8 and )hats8 b*t then
"estern con>*rations contain e=*ally a,*sing barbaro*s na,es of e:ocation. Bah8 Agla8 etc.
,at*rity and +isdo, is ,erely silly. This is another instance of "estern conte,$t rather than a
sy,$athetic atte,$t really to *nderstand a foreign syste,. The Tibetan s$eci,ens of rit*al
gi:en by "addell contain an a,*sing n*,ber of 1,s8 H*,s8 Has8 and )hats8 b*t then
"estern con>*rations contain e=*ally a,*sing barbaro*s na,es of e:ocation. Bah8 Agla8 etc.
"ith this =*estion of so*nd in ,agical con>*rations I ha:e dealt at so,e length else+here.
S*ffice to re,ark here that in The Secret 3octrine Mada,e Bla:atsky s*ggests that the
:ibratory *se of con>*rations and so*nd generally ha:e a $rofo*nd significance. ESo*nd and
rhyth,8E she obser:es8 Eare closely related to the fo*r ele,ents . . . S*ch or another :ibration in
the air is s*re to a+aken corres$onding $o+ers8 *nion +ith +hich $rod*ces good or bad
res*lts8 as the case ,ay be.E The +hole s*b>ect of so*nd8 and the e,$loy,ent of so-called
barbaro*s na,es of e:ocation8 re=*ires thoro*ghly to be st*died before one dare s*ggest an
e4$lanation acc*sing either Magi or 0a,as ,erely of a $ose of +isdo,.
1ne notes +ith aro*sed attention too that the Tibetans ha:e a for, of +hat is called here in the
1ccident the Cabalistic #ross. 1n $age (5G of his book8 there is the follo+ing descri$tion.
EBefore co,,encing any de:otional e4ercise8 the higher 0a,as $erfor, or go thro*gh a
,anoe*:re bearing a close rese,blance to ?crossing oneself? as $ractised by #hristians. The
0a,a gently to*ches his forehead either +ith the finger or +ith the bell8 *ttering the ,ystic
1,8 then he to*ches the to$ of his chest8 *ttering Ah8 then the e$igastri*, ;$it of sto,ach<
*ttering H*,. And so,e 0a,as add S:a-ha8 +hile others co,$lete the cross by to*ching the
left sho*lder8 *ttering 3a, and then Ba,. It is alleged that the ob>ect of these ,ani$*lations is
to concentrate the $arts of the Satt:a8 na,ely the body8 s$eech8 and ,ind *$on the i,age or
di:inity +hich he is abo*t to co,,*ne +ith.E
)rior to co,,enting *$on the abo:e8 it is i,$erati:e to indicate certain
f*nda,ental theories to be fo*nd in so,e books of the Cabalah. If the
reader is fa,iliar +ith 3r. ",. ". "estcott?s s$lendid Introd*ction to the
St*dy of the Faballah or +ith 3ion 'ort*ne?s ,ore recent book The
Mystical Cabalahhe +ill ha:e seen there a diagra, attrib*ting the Ten
Se$hiroth to the fig*re of a ,an. Abo:e the head8 for,ing a cro+n8 is Feser
+hich re$resents the di:ine s$irit8 and at the feet is Malk*s8 +hile to the
right and left sho*lders are attrib*ted /e:*rah and /ed*lah8 Mars and
D*$iter8 )o+er and Ma>esty. In Cabalistic $ne*,atology8 Feser is a
corres$ondence of the Monad8 the dyna,ic and essential self-hood of a
,an8 the s$irit +hich seeks e4$erience thro*gh incarnation here on earth.
That this Se$hirah or $otency is $laced abo:e the head rather than8 say8
+ithin the brain or in the centre of the heart8 is highly significant. It is the
light of the S$irit +hich shines al+ays into the darkness belo+. ;EThe s$irit
of ,an is the candle of the 0ord.E And again8 E"hen his candle shined *$on
,y head and by his light I +alked thro*gh darkness.E< This is an idea +hich
has its $arallels in other syste,s too. 'or e4a,$le8 in The $ito,e of
Theoso$hy +e find D*dge +riting. EIt is held that the real ,an8 +ho is the
higher self8 being the s$ark of the 3i:ine8 o:ershado+s the :isible being8
+hich has the $ossibility of beco,ing *nited to that s$ark. Th*s it is said
that the higher S$irit is not in the ,an8 b*t abo:e hi,.E
All ,ystical and ,agical $roced*re has as its ob>ect so to $*rify the lo+er self that this higher
Self +hich nor,ally only o:ershado+s *s and is seldo, in f*ll incarnation8 ,ay descend into a
$*rified and consecrated :ehicle. The the*rgic tradition asserts that8 by the $ro$er $erfor,ance
of the Cabalistic #ross a,ongst other things this end ,ay be acco,$lished. As a de:otional
e4ercise or ,editation8 it is *sed in collaboration +ith the for,*lation of certain lineal fig*res8
the :ibration of na,es of $o+er8 and follo+ed by the in:ocation of the fo*r great archangels.
Its +estern for, is as follo+s.
1. To*ch the forehead8 and say Atoh ;Tho* art<
5. To*ch the breast8 say Malk*s ;the Fingdo,<
G. To*ch the right sho*lder8 say :e-/e:*rah ;and the )o+er<
(. To*ch the left sho*lder8 say :e-/ed*lah ;and the /lory<
6. #las$ing the hands o:er the heart8 say le-1lah,. A,en ;for e:er8 A,en.<
6. Here follo+ s*itable )entagra,s ,ade facing the cardinal =*arters8 and the :ibration of
na,es of $o+er.
9. 4tend the ar,s in the for, of a cross8 saying.
&. Before ,e Ra$hael8 Behind ,e /abriel.
9. on ,y right hand Michael8 on ,y left hand A*riel.
17. 'or before ,e fla,es the )entagra,.
11. And behind ,e shines the si4-rayed Star.
15. Re$eat 1-68 the Cabalistic #ross.
So far as this little rit*al is concerned8 one ,ay describe its action as *nder se:eral heads. It first
in:okes the $o+er of the higher Self as a constant so*rce of s*r:eillance and g*idance. It $laces
the s*bse=*ent $roced*res *nder the di:ine aegis. Ha:ing then banished by the tracing of the
a$$ro$riate $entagra,s all non-essential beings fro, the fo*r cardinal $oints +ith the aid of the
fo*r fo*r-lettered na,es of /od8 it then calls the fo*r Archangels--the fo*r concreti@ed
f*nctions of the interior $sychic +orld8 and the d*al $air of o$$osites--to $rotect the s$here of
,agical o$eration8 that is the circle of the Self. In closing8 it once again in:okes the higher Self8
so that fro, the beginning to the end8 the entire cere,ony is *nder the g*ardianshi$ of the
s$irit. The first section8 co,$rising $oints one to fi:e8 identifies the higher Self of the o$erator
+ith the highest as$ects of the Se$hirotic *ni:erse. In fact8 it affir,s the so*l?s essential identity
+ith the collecti:e conscio*sness of the +hole of ,ankind.
If one atte,$ted a f*rther analysis8 the Hebre+ "ord Atoh8 ,eaning ETho*E8 +o*ld refer to the
di:ine +hite brilliance8 the higher Self o:ershado+ing each ,an. By dra+ing do+n the 0ight
to the $it of the sto,ach--+hich sy,bolically re$resents the feet8 since to bend do+n to the
feet +o*ld ,ake an a+k+ard gest*re--the :ertical shaft of a cross of 0ight is established in the
i,agination. The hori@ontal shaft is affir,ed by to*ching both the sho*lders8 and :ibrating
+ords +hich state that the =*alities of the higher self incl*de both $o+er and ,a>esty8 se:erity
and lo:ing-kindness. =*ilibri*, is the es$ecial characteristic of the cross as a $artic*lar
sy,bol8 and the tracing of the Cabalistic #ross +ithin the a*ra affir,s the descent of the s$irit
and its e=*ilibri*, +ithin conscio*sness or +ithin the ,agical s$here. This ,eaning is f*rther
e,$hasised by the gest*re of clas$ing the hands o:er the Ti$haras centre8 the heart $lace of
har,ony and balance8 and saying le-1lah,8 A,en8 fore:er.
The Sanskrit +ord Satt:a i,$lies $*rity and rhyth, and har,ony8 and of the three /*nas or
=*alities refers to S$irit. Si,ilarly in the "estern e=*i:alent of this sche,a8 Alche,y8 the three
=*alities are corres$ondences of the three ,a>or Alche,ical $rinci$les8 Salt8 S*l$h*r and
Merc*ry. 1f these the 2ni:ersal Merc*ry is an attrib*tion of Feser--that holy angel +ho is the
di:ine g*ardian and "atcher8 o:ershado+ing the so*l of ,an8 e:er a+aiting an ordered
a$$roach so that its :ehicle ,ay be lifted *$ to its o+n glory. There is here8 then8 a :ery great
rese,blance bet+een the Tibetan de:otional e4ercise and that +hich is en>oined as one of the
,ost i,$ortant $ractices of the Cabalistic Magic of the 1ccidental tradition.
In that section of the book +here "addell describes the 0a,aistic celebration of the *charist8
another i,$ortant $arallelis, is to be fo*nd. It describes ho+ the $riest or la,a +ho cond*cts
the cere,ony is obliged to ha:e $*rified hi,self d*ring the greater $art of the $receding t+enty
fo*r ho*rs by cere,onial bathing8 and by ha:ing *$lifted his ,ind thro*gh contin*al re$etition
of ,antras or in:ocations. The act*al descri$tion of the inner or ,agical as$ect of the rit*al8
+hile not $artic*larly +ell stated8 is gi:en for +hat it is +orth. E:erything being ready and the
congregation asse,bled8 the $riest8 cere,onially $*re by the ascetic rites abo:e noted8 and
dressed in robe and ,antle8 abstracts fro, the great i,age of the B*ddha A,itay*s $art of the
di:ine essence of that deity8 by $lacing the :a>ra of his rdor >ehi t?ag *$on the nectar :ase
+hich the i,age of A,itay*s holds in his la,$8 and a$$lying the other end to his o+n boso,8
o:er his heart. Th*s8 thro*gh the string8 as by a telegra$h +ire $asses the di:ine s$irit8 and the
0a,a ,*st ,entally concei:e that his heart is in act*al *nion +ith that of the god A,itay*s
and that8 for the ti,e being8 he is hi,self that god.E
After this ,editation8 the rice-offerings and the fl*id in a s$ecial :ase are consecrated by :ery
EfierceE in:ocations and cy,bal ,*sic. Then the consecrated food and +ater is $artaken of by
the asse,bly.
'ro, the the*rgic :ie+$oint the rationale of the *charist is =*ite si,$le. There ,ay be
inn*,erable ty$es of *charist8 all ha:ing different ends in :ie+. A s*bstance is chosen ha:ing
a s$ecial affinity according to the doctrine of sy,$athies for a $artic*lar kind of s$irit*al force
or god and cere,onially consecrated. Th*s a +heaten +afer is of the s*bstance of the
#orn-goddess8 attrib*ted either to the $o+ers of Aen*s8 or to the ele,ent of arth8 $resided
o:er by #eres or )erse$hone. )enetrati:e oils +o*ld be s$ecially referred to the ele,ent of 'ire8
the t*telary deity of +hich is Hor*s. 1li:es +o*ld be sacred to the force re$resented by the
astrological sign A=*ari*s8 the ele,ent Air8 and the goddess Hathor. And +ine is referred to
3ionysi*s and the solar gods generally8 1siris8 Ra8 etc. By an elaborate table of
corres$ondences it is $ossible to select any s*bstance to be the $hysical basis for the
,anifestation of a s$irit*al idea. The consecration8 cere,onially8 of the ,aterial basis by ,eans
of an in:ocation of the di:ine force acco,$lishes +hat is :*lgarly called the ,iracle of
trans*bstantiation. To *se ,ore $referable ,agical ter,inology8 the s*bstance is transfor,ed
fro, a dead inert body into a li:ing organis,8 a talis,an in short. The consecration charges it
and gi:es it a so*l8 as it +ere.
o:er by #eres or )erse$hone. )enetrati:e oils +o*ld be s$ecially referred to the ele,ent of 'ire8
the t*telary deity of +hich is Hor*s. 1li:es +o*ld be sacred to the force re$resented by the
astrological sign A=*ari*s8 the ele,ent Air8 and the goddess Hathor. And +ine is referred to
3ionysi*s and the solar gods generally8 1siris8 Ra8 etc. By an elaborate table of
corres$ondences it is $ossible to select any s*bstance to be the $hysical basis for the
,anifestation of a s$irit*al idea. The consecration8 cere,onially8 of the ,aterial basis by ,eans
of an in:ocation of the di:ine force acco,$lishes +hat is :*lgarly called the ,iracle of
trans*bstantiation. To *se ,ore $referable ,agical ter,inology8 the s*bstance is transfor,ed
fro, a dead inert body into a li:ing organis,8 a talis,an in short. The consecration charges it
and gi:es it a so*l8 as it +ere.
At this >*nct*re8 I ,*st register ,y e,$hatic disagree,ent +ith those +riters on science and
Magic +ho i,$ressed *nd*ly or in the +rong +ay by ,odern $sychology8 e4$lain the effect of
a talis,an as d*e entirely to s*ggestion. This is sheer nonsense. And I can only ass*,e that
+hoe:er ,akes this sort of arg*,ent is +itho*t the least e4$erience of this ty$e of ,agical
+ork. It is this kind of e4$erience +hich co,$rises or sho*ld co,$rise the first $art of one?s
early $ractical +ork in the technical side of Magic. And lack of e4$erience in e:en this
ele,entary as$ect of technical :irt*osity :itiates e:ery o$inion on other for,s.
"e are confronted here by the sa,e $roble, that arose o:er a cent*ry ago in another s$here.
The early great ,agnetisers after Mes,er--great na,es like de )*yseg*r8 3ele*@e8 d* )otet and
0afontaine--clai,ed that by ,eans of +ill and i,agination they +ere able to o$en the,sel:es
to an infl*4 fro, +itho*t and then to trans,it fro, their o+n organis,s a s$ecies of :ital
$o+er or ani,al ,agnetis,. This force $er:ading all s$ace they clai,ed co*ld be *sed
thera$e*tically. 0ater on8 +hen atte,$ting to a$$ro$riate the trance $heno,ena and healing
,ethods ina*g*rated by the ,es,erists8 $hysicians of the orthodo4 school eli,inated the
theory of an act*al trans,issible force and in its stead e,$loyed the theory of s*ggestion.
Beginning +ith Braid and contin*ing thro*gh a line of :ery fine in:estigators8 a d*$lication of
,agnetic $heno,ena +as achie:ed $*rely by $sychological ,eans +itho*t reco*rse to any
hy$othesis of ani,al ,agnetis,.
B*t beca*se $heno,ena can be $rod*ced by one ,ethod does not necessarily i,$ly that its
d*$lication by another is false. It ,ay +ell be that si,ilar feats can be acco,$lished by =*ite
se$arate techni=*es based *$on differing hy$otheses--each :alid in its o+n s$here and each
ca$able of e4$laining one set of facts. In any e:ent8 the reality of ani,al ,agnetis,8 or the
trans,ission of +hat in the ast has been ter,ed $rana8 :itality8 has ne:er been dis$ro:ed.
1n the contrary8 it is a si,$le ,atter to $ro:e it =*ite ade=*ately. 0et any nor,al healthy
$erson s*s$end his fingers o:er the ar, of a second $erson8 i,agining and +illing that his
$rana co*rses o*t fro, his fingers in long fil,y strea,ers of energy. If the second $erson sits
=*ite still and c*lti:ates an ob>ecti:ity of feeling and +aiting. he +ill soon sense either a cold
dra*ght on that ar, or a tingling in his o+n finger ti$s +hich $roceeds fro, the infl*4 of
$rana. This is an e4$erience =*ite a$art fro, s*ggestion8 for it ,ay be atte,$ted +ith those
+ho ha:e no idea of the f*nda,ental $rinci$les in:ol:ed and +ho8 therefore8 are not directly
s*sce$tible to s*ggestion on this score. S$ontaneo*sly8 and +itho*t $ro,$ting8 they +ill
obser:e the fact that a tangible trans,ission of :itality has been effected. It sho*ld be $ossible
to test it by so,e :ery delicate instr*,ent. Moreo:er8 in a dark roo,. these strea,ers iss*ing
fro, the fingers can be readily seen if the hand is held in front of a black cloth.
to test it by so,e :ery delicate instr*,ent. Moreo:er8 in a dark roo,. these strea,ers iss*ing
fro, the fingers can be readily seen if the hand is held in front of a black cloth.
'*rther,ore8 one?s ability to generate this $o+er is ca$able of c*lt*re. I ha:e elaborated this
the,e fro, the $oint of :ie+ of a*tothera$y in The Art of Tr*e Healing. And it is also ,y
s*ggestion that the interested reader cons*lt 3r. Bernard Hollander?s +ork Hy$notis, and
Self-Hy$notis, +here the $roble,s of s*ggestion and ani,al ,agnetis, are disc*ssed at so,e
length in connection +ith e4$eri,ental +ork--and that ,ost intelligently.
Briefly8 let ,e say that s*ggestion does not in:alidate in the least the fact of ani,al ,agnetis,8
nor the effect of a charged talis,an. 'or8 as I ha:e inti,ated8 +e are confronted by the sa,e
$roble, that years earlier had arisen as to +hether the trance and thera$e*tic $heno,ena of
,es,eris, +ere indeed d*e to s*ggestion or to a s*rcharge of :itality. If $o+er can be $assed
to an indi:id*al as I contend it can8 +hy not to so,e s$ecific s*bstance +hich is $artic*larly
a$$ro$riate in its nat*re to recei:ing a chargeH Tradition has al+ays asserted that ,etals8 ge,s
and $recio*s stones8 :ell*, and $arch,ent ,ake good ,aterial bases for talis,ans. If the
:itality of the o$erator be a*g,ented by si,$le ,editation e4ercises s*ch as ha:e been
described in The Art of Tr*e Healing8 or by the straightfor+ard ,agical ,ethods of in:ocation
and :is*ali@ation of /od-for,s8 then a :ery $o+erf*l charge is i,$arted to the ,aterial basis of
the talis,an.
1f itself8 ho+e:er8 the talis,an is nothing. It only beco,es efficacio*s +hen $ro$erly
consecrated and :italised. Th*s the *charistic s*bstance is +orthless as s*ch *ntil it has been
d*ly consecrated by an a$$ro$riate ,agical cere,ony8 and trans,*ted into the :ehicle of an
a$$ro$riate ty$e of force. The ,ode of consecration is of co*rse8 another ,atter8 not to be
described here inas,*ch as it is a lengthy and technical b*siness. 1ne of the i,$ortant $arts of
s*ch a cere,ony for the consecration of a talis,an or a *charistic s*bstance8 is the ass*,$tion
of the /od-for, astrally. "hen the o$erator has deter,ined the nat*re of the di:ine force he is
desirio*s to in:oke8 and ha:ing selected the ,aterial s*bstance congr*o*s in nat*re to that
force8 he ,*st endea:o*r d*ring his cere,ony of consecration so to e4alt the s$irit +ithin hi,
that he act*ally beco,es identified8 in one +ay or another8 +ith the conscio*sness of that
$artic*lar force or deity. The ,ore thoro*gh and co,$lete is this dyna,ic *nion8 the ,ore
a*to,atic and si,$le does the ,ere s*bse=*ent charging of the teles,ata beco,e. In the case
of the *charist the idea8 ho+e:er8 is not only s$irit*al identification +ith the deity as a
$reli,inary to the ascent to the *nkno+n *ni:ersal /od8 b*t the alche,ical trans,*tation of
the lo+er :ehicles into a glorified body. "hile the higher conscio*sness of the Mag*s ,ay
certainly be dissol:ed in ecstasy8 it beco,es i,$erati:e to create a ,agical link bet+een that
di:ine conscio*sness and his $hysical body and e,otions. Therefore8 the cere,onial
,agnetising of a ,aterial s*bstance8 be it a +afer or +ine or herb8 i,$regnates it +ith that
sa,e di:ine force. Its cons*,$tion ass*,es that trans,*ting force into the :ery being and fibre
of the Mag*s8 to carry o*t the +ork of transfor,ation. As the $se*dony,o*s Therion once
+rote. EThe ,agician beco,es filled +ith /od8 fed *$on /od8 into4icated +ith /od. 0ittle by
little his body +ill beco,e $*rified by the internal l*stration of /odI day by day his ,ortal
fra,e8 shedding its earthly ele,ents8 +ill beco,e in :ery tr*th the Te,$le of the Holy /host.
3ay by day ,atter is re$laced by S$irit8 the h*,an by the di:ine8 *lti,ately the change +ill be
co,$leteI /od ,anifest in flesh +ill be his na,e.E
It re=*ires so,e little ,agical e4$erience f*lly to a$$reciate this8 b*t this si,$lified e4$lanation
+ill I think thro+ ,ore light on the act*al nat*re of the cere,ony than does the descri$tion of
"addell.
I do not +ish to disc*ss in ,ore than a fe+ +ords the :alidity of a *charistic cere,ony
celebrated other than by the o$erator hi,self. Bearing in ,ind that a $ro$erly $erfor,ed
*charistic cere,ony res*lts in the $rod*ction of a talis,an8 it beco,es clear that this kind of
o$eration is $rinci$ally of benefit to hi, +ho $erfor,s it. It see,s to ,y +ay of thinking a
*seless rite to $artake of the *charist en bloc. The B*ddha is s*$$osed to ha:e re,arked that
no cere,onies are of the least a:ail in obtaining sal:ation or rede,$tion. To ,e8 it see,s not
that he attacked the ,agical tradition in these +ords8 b*t rather +holesale cere,onies in +hich
the a*dience $lays no acti:e $art at all. There is no +illed sti,*lation of their o+n s$irit*al
$rinci$les--it is a $assi:e :icario*s $artici$ation in the labo*rs of other $eo$le. Magic8 +ith
B*ddhis,8 agrees +ith Mada,e Bla:atsky?s dict*, that Ethe $i:otal doctrine of the soteric
$hiloso$hy ad,its no $ri:ileges or s$ecial gifts in ,an sa:e those +on by his o+n ego thro*gh
$ersonal effort and ,erit . . .E
There is one final to$ic I sho*ld like to refer to at so,e length before lea:ing this co,$arati:e
st*dy. In so doing it is necessary to lea:e "addell for the ,o,ent to refer to the +ritings of
t+o other Tibetan scholars8 Mada,e Ale4andra 3a:id Neel and 3r. ". B. :ans "ent@. Both
of these scholars ha:e +ritten +ith sy,$athy and *nderstanding on Tibetan religion and
,agical $ractices. The s*b>ect to be considered is a Tibetan ,ystery $lay in relation to "estern
,agical rit*al.
E#hodE is a kind of ,ystery dra,a8 and the ,agician or yogi is the sole actor therein. 3r. :ans
"ent@8 in his ,asterly introd*ction to the translation of the $lay or rit*al in Tibetan Boga and
Secret 3octrines e4$lains that EThe #hodE Rite is8 first of all8 a ,ystic dra,a8 $erfor,ed by a
single h*,an actor8 assisted by n*,ero*s s$irit*al beings8 :is*alised8 or i,agined8 as being
$resent in res$onse to his ,agic in:ocation. Its stage setting is in so,e +ild a+e-ins$iring
locality8 often in the ,idst of the sno+y fastnesses of the Tibetan Hi,alayas8 t+el:e to fifteen
or ,ore tho*sand feet abo:e sea-le:el. #o,,only by $reference it is in a $lace +here cor$ses
are cho$$ed to bits and gi:en to the +ol:es and :*lt*res. In the lo+er altit*des of Bh*tan and
Sikki,8 a densely +ooded >*ngle solit*de ,ay be chosenI b*t in co*ntries +herein cor$ses are
cre,ated8 s*ch as Ne$al and India8 a cre,ation gro*nd is fa:o*red. #e,eteries or localities
belie:ed to be ha*nted by ,alignant and de,oniacal s$irits are al+ays s*itable.
E0ong $robationary $eriods of caref*l $re$aration *nder a ,aster of#hod are re=*ired before
the no:ice is dee,ed fit or is allo+ed to $erfor, the $sychically dangero*s rite . . . At the
o*tset8 the celebrant of the #hod Rite is directed to :is*alise hi,self as being the /oddess of
the All-'*lfilling ;or All-)erfor,ing< "isdo, by +hose occ*lt +ill he is ,ystically e,$o+eredI
and then8 as he so*nds the thigh-bone tr*,$et8 in:oking the g*r*s and the different orders of
s$irit*al beings8 he begins the rit*al dance8 +ith ,ind and energy entirely de:oted to the one
s*$re,e end of realising8 as the Mahayana teaches8 that Nir:ana and the Sangsara are8 in
reality8 an inse$arable *nity.
EStan@as three to se:en incl*si:e s*ggest the $rofo*nd sy,bolis, *nderlying the rit*alI and this
sy,bolis,8 as +ill be seen8 is de$endent *$on the 'i:e 3irections8 the corres$onding 'i:e
E#ontinentsE of the la,aic cos,ogra$hy +ith their geo,etrical sha$es8 the 'i:e )assions
;hatred8 $ride8 l*st8 >ealo*sy8 st*$idity< +hich the yogin tri*,$hantly treads *nder foot in the
for, of de,ons8 and the 'i:e "isdo,s8 the antidotes to the 'i:e )assions . . . In the ninth
stan@a co,es the dra,atic s$earing of the ele,ents of Self +ith the s$ears of the 'i:e 1rders
of 3akinis. As the Mystery $roceeds8 and the yogin $re$ares for the ,ystic sacrifice of his o+n
fleshly for,8 there is re:ealed the real significance of the #hod or ?c*tting of?.E
Th*s the #hod as e4$lained by :ans "ent@ is seen as a highly intricate ,agical cere,ony in
+hich the la,a8 identifying hi,self +ith a /oddess thro*gh the :is*alised ass*,$tion of her
astral or ideal for,8 in:okes +hat +e in the "est +o*ld call angels8 s$irits and ele,entals to
attend *$on his cere,ony. These he deliberately in:ites to enter his o+n s$here. No longer
does he act8 as in other s$eciali@ed for,s of in:ocation8 by selecting one $artic*lar force only
and atte,$ting forcibly to kee$ all others o*t fro, his s$here of conscio*sness. No+ he ,akes
a :ac**, as it +ereI he o$ens hi,self co,$letely8 and +holly rece$ti:e $er,its +hate:er
infl*ences +ill to $er,eate hi, thro*gh and thro*gh8 and $artake of his nat*re. In one sense8
he sacrifices his being to the,. His ,ind8 his e,otions and feelings8 and the organs and li,bs
of his $hysical body8 and the ,in*te cells and li:es co,$osing the,8 are all handed o:er to the
in:aders for cons*,$tion8 if so they +ish. E'or ages8 in the co*rse of rene+ed births I ha:e
borro+ed fro, co*ntless li:ing beings--at the cost of their +elfare and life--food8 clothing8 all
kinds of ser:ices to s*stain ,y body8 to kee$ it >oyf*l in co,fort and to defend it against death.
Today8 I $ay ,y debt8 offering for destr*ction this body +hich I ha:e held so dear. I gi:e ,y
flesh to the h*ngry8 ,y blood to the thirsty8 ,y skin to clothe those +ho are naked8 ,y bones
as f*el to those +ho s*ffer fro, cold. I gi:e ,y ha$$iness to the *nha$$y ones. I gi:e ,y
breath to bring back the dying to life.E
It is briefly8 a :ery idealised for, of $ersonal sacrifice in +hich the +hole indi:id*ality is
o$ened *$8 hy$othetically8 to +hate:er desires to $ossess it. As a ,agical o$eration it ,*st
rank :ery high in technical :irt*osity8 and for hi, +ho is s*fficiently endo+ed +ith the ,agical
gifts to $erfor, it a ,ost effect*al rit*al so far as res*lts are concerned.
The final stage of the dra,a is ably described by M,e. 3a:id Neel in this $assage. ENo+ he
,*st i,agine that he has beco,e a hea$ of charred h*,an bones that e,erges fro, a lake of
black ,*d--the ,*d of ,isery8 of ,oral defile,ent8 and of har,f*l deeds to +hich he has
co-o$erated d*ring the co*rse of n*,berless li:es8 +hose origin is lost in the night of ti,e. He
,*st realise that the :ery idea of sacrifice is b*t an ill*sion8 an offshoot of blind8 gro*ndless
$ride. In fact8 he has nothing to gi:e a+ay8 beca*se he is nothing. These *seless bones8
sy,bolising the destr*ction of his $hanto, EI8E ,ay sink into the ,*ddy lake8 it +ill not ,atter.
That silent ren*nciation of the ascetic +ho reali@es that he holds nothing that he can reno*nce8
and +ho *tterly relin=*ishes the elation s$ringing fro, the idea of sacrifice8 closes the rite.E
In atte,$ting a co,$arison bet+een this #hod Rite and *ro$ean ,agical rit*als8 +e are at the
o*tset confronted not by the $roble, of inferiority of conce$tion or technical skill8 as ,any
ha:e heretofore tho*ght8 b*t by a :ast difference of ,eta$hysical o*tlook. That is to say8 there
is a ,arkedly en*nciated o$$osition both of $hiloso$hic and $rag,atic ai,. In co,,on +ith all
schools and sects of B*ddhis,8 the Mahayana is directly antagonistic to the ego idea. The
+hole of its $hiloso$hy and ethical code is directly concerned +ith the eli,ination of the EIE
thinking. It holds that this is $*rely a fantasy bred of childish ignorance8 :ery ,*ch as the
,ediae:al notion that the s*n circ*,a,b*lated the earth +as the res*lt of i,$erfect
kno+ledge. Therefore the +hole of its religio*s and $hiloso$hic sche,e is directed to+ards
*$rooting this fantasy fro, the thinking of its disci$les. This is the Anatta doctrine8 and its
i,$ortance to B*ddhis, is gro*nded in the belief that fro, this fantasy s$ring all sorro+ and
*nha$$iness.
ha:e heretofore tho*ght8 b*t by a :ast difference of ,eta$hysical o*tlook. That is to say8 there
is a ,arkedly en*nciated o$$osition both of $hiloso$hic and $rag,atic ai,. In co,,on +ith all
schools and sects of B*ddhis,8 the Mahayana is directly antagonistic to the ego idea. The
+hole of its $hiloso$hy and ethical code is directly concerned +ith the eli,ination of the EIE
thinking. It holds that this is $*rely a fantasy bred of childish ignorance8 :ery ,*ch as the
,ediae:al notion that the s*n circ*,a,b*lated the earth +as the res*lt of i,$erfect
kno+ledge. Therefore the +hole of its religio*s and $hiloso$hic sche,e is directed to+ards
*$rooting this fantasy fro, the thinking of its disci$les. This is the Anatta doctrine8 and its
i,$ortance to B*ddhis, is gro*nded in the belief that fro, this fantasy s$ring all sorro+ and
*nha$$iness.
*ro$ean Magic8 on the other hand8 o+es its f*nda,ental doctrines to the Cabalah. "hilst
ha:ing ,*ch in co,,on +ith the broad o*tlines of B*ddhis,8 the ,eta$hysics of the Cabalah
are essentially egocentric in a ty$ically *ro$ean +ay. Ne:ertheless8 the ter,s of its $hiloso$hy
are so general that they ,ay be inter$reted freely fro, a :ariety of angles. "hilst decrying the
ills and li,itations that acco,$any the false ego sense8 it e,$hasises not so ,*ch the
destr*ction of the ego as8 +ith tr*e "estern $racticality8 its $*rification and integration. It is a
:ery *sef*l instr*,ent +hen it has been ta*ght the needf*l lesson that it is not identical +ith
the Self8 b*t only one $artic*lar instr*,ent8 one s,all $hase of acti:ity co,$rised +ithin the
larger s$here of the total indi:id*al. Hence8 the $ractical the*rgy that arises as a s*$erstr*ct*re
fro, the basic theoretical Cabalah ,*st also be affected by s*ch a :ie+$oint. Instead of
seeking to re,o:e the ego as s*ch8 it seeks to e4tend the li,ited borders of its hori@on8 to
enlarge its sco$e of acti:ity8 to i,$ro:e its :ision and its s$irit*al ca$acity. In a +ord so to
enhance its $sychological +orth that in taking cognisance of the *ni:ersal Self $er,eating all
things8 it ,ay beco,e identified +ith that Self. Here8 then8 is a f*nda,ental distinction in the
$oint of :ie+ en:isaged.
D*st as the E#hodE has its roots in the $ri,iti:e Bon ani,is, of $re-B*ddhistic Tibet8 ha:ing
been :ery clearly re-sha$ed by the Mahayanists8 so the "estern Rit*al I $ro$ose to consider
here also has a :ery cr*de origin. It dates $ossibly to the cent*ries i,,ediately $receding o*r
o+n #hristian era. EThe Bornless Rit*alE8 +hich is the na,e it has co,e to be kno+n by8 ,ay
be fo*nd in its ele,entary for, in 'rag,ents of a /raeco-gy$tian "ork *$on Magic8
$*blished in 1&65 for the #a,bridge Anti=*arian Society by #harles "ycliffe /ood+in8 M.A.
The rit*al has since *ndergone considerable transfor,ation. 'ro, a si,$le $ri,iti:e $rayer to
+ard off e:il8 in the hands of skillf*l the*rgists trained in the "estern tradition of the /olden
3a+n8 it has been e:ol:ed into a highly co,$le4 b*t ,ost effect*al and ins$iring +ork. The
Rit*al8 as s*ch8 no+ consists of a lengthy $roe,8 fi:e ele,ental in:ocations8 and an elo=*ent
$eroration. Sand+iched bet+een the, is a *charistic cere,ony.
In the $rolog*e8 the o$erator identifies hi,self +ith 1siris by ,eans of the :is*alised
ass*,$tion of the gy$tian /od-for,. That is to say8 he for,*lates abo*t hi, the for, of
1siris. His i,agination ,*st be $ictorially keen and :i:id eno*gh to :is*alise e:en the s,allest
details of dress and orna,entation in clear and bright colo*r and for,. As a res*lt of this effort8
if he is s*ccessf*l8 no longer is the cere,ony cond*cted by a ,ere h*,an being. 1n the
contrary8 the in:ocations and co,,ands iss*e forth fro, the :ery ,o*th of /od-head. 1siris in
,agical sy,bolis, is h*,an conscio*sness itself8 +hen finally it has been $*rified8 e4alted8 and
integrated-- the h*,an ego as it stands in a balanced $osition bet+een hea:en and earth8
reconciling and *niting both. In a /olden 3a+n initiation rit*al8 one officer8 +hilst ass*,ing
the astral ,ask of the /od8 defines its nat*re by affir,ing. EI a, 1siris8 the So*l in t+in as$ect8
*nited to the higher by $*rification8 $erfected by s*ffering8 glorified thro*gh trial. I ha:e co,e
+here the great /ods are8 thro*gh the )o+er of the Mighty Na,e.E
integrated-- the h*,an ego as it stands in a balanced $osition bet+een hea:en and earth8
reconciling and *niting both. In a /olden 3a+n initiation rit*al8 one officer8 +hilst ass*,ing
the astral ,ask of the /od8 defines its nat*re by affir,ing. EI a, 1siris8 the So*l in t+in as$ect8
*nited to the higher by $*rification8 $erfected by s*ffering8 glorified thro*gh trial. I ha:e co,e
+here the great /ods are8 thro*gh the )o+er of the Mighty Na,e.E
The la,a8 +hen $erfor,ing the #hod Rite8 like+ise i,agines hi,self to be one of the dakinis8
The /oddess of the All-'*lfilling "isdo,. She8 so r*ns the inter$retation of Mada,e
Ale4andra 3a:id Neel8 re$resents esoterically the higher +ill of the la,a. The conce$ts of both
rit*als act*ally are :ery si,ilar.
B*t here the rese,blance8 s*$erficial indeed8 ends. 'or in the #hod rit*al the la,a or her,it8
in:oking the :ario*s orders of de,ons and s$irits8 identifies the, +ith his o+n :ices and so
sacrifices hi,self. He sees his ego co,$rised of hatred or +rath8 $ride8 l*st8 >ealo*sy and
st*$idity8 and thro+s these =*alities to the in:ading s$irits and de,ons for cons*,$tion. He
:is*alises his body as a cor$se being dis,e,bered by the +rathf*l goddess8 and its organs also
being $reyed *$on by a host of ,alignant entities. In a fe+ +ords8 a s$ecies of dissociation is
intentionally ind*ced.
No+ in the "estern syste,8 the :ario*s orders of ele,entals are also in:oked fro, their
stations d*ring this Bornless Rit*al. B*t they are co,,anded to flo+ thro*gh the Mag*s +ith
a :ie+8 not to $reying *$on hi, and th*s destroying hi,8 b*t to $*rify hi,. The intent is totally
different. At each station or cardinal =*arter8 the a$$ro$riate t*telary deity is in:oked by ,eans
of the for,*lation of the astral for, and the $ro$er lineal fig*res. In the ast8 as a res*lt of the
:ibration of the a$$ro$riate barbaro*s na,es of e:ocation that Eha:e a $o+er ineffable in the
sacred ritesE8 and by en*nciating the "ords of )o+er8 the Syl$hs r*sh thro*gh his s$here of
sensation like a gentle @e$hyr blo+ing the fo*l d*st of $ride before the,. The Sala,anders8
raging fro, the So*th8 cons*,e +ith a b*rning fire the >ealo*sy and hatred +ithin hi,. 0*st
and $assion beco,e $*rified by the 2ndines in:oked fro, the "est8 as tho*gh the Mag*s +ere
i,,ersed in $*rest +ater fro, +hich he iss*es s$otless and consecrated. "hilst the /no,es8
co,ing fro, the North8 cleanse hi, fro, sloth and st*$idity8 e4actly as ,*ddy and i,$*re
+ater is cleansed by being filtered thro*gh sand. The o$erator8 all the +hile8 is conscio*s of the
in>*nction a $ro$os the ele,entals gi:en in one of his initiations. 1r rather8 the in>*nction has
beco,e a $art of his *nconscio*s o*tlook *$on life. EBe tho*8 therefore8 $ro,$t and acti:e as
the Syl$hs8 b*t a:oid fri:olity and ca$rice. Be energetic and strong as the Sala,anders b*t
a:oid irritability and ferocity. Be fle4ible and attenti:e to i,ages like the 2ndines8 b*t a:oid
idleness and changeability. Be laborio*s and $atient like the /no,es8 b*t a:oid grossness and
a:arice. So shalt tho* grad*ally de:elo$ the $o+ers of thy so*l8 and fit thyself to co,,and the
s$irits of the ele,ents.E
The ele,ental in:ocations o:er--:ery diffic*lt +ork8 to do +hich re=*ires at least se:enty or
eighty ,in*tes of intense ,agical concentration--the o$erator8 being con:inced of the $resence
of the in:oked force and the sal*tary effect of their res$ecti:e $*rifications *$on hi,8 begins
the second stage of his +ork by in:oking the fifth ele,ent8 the alche,ical =*intessence8 Akasa
or the ther8 in both its negati:e and $ositi:e as$ects. The effect of these t+o in:ocations is to
e=*ilibriate the ele,entals already co,,anded to the scene of o$erations. Also8 it tends to
$ro:ide an etheric ,o*ld or astral :ac**, into +hich the higher s$irit*al forces ,ay descend to
,ake contact +ith the 2nconscio*s $syche of the o$erator.
$ro:ide an etheric ,o*ld or astral :ac**, into +hich the higher s$irit*al forces ,ay descend to
,ake contact +ith the 2nconscio*s $syche of the o$erator.
At this >*nct*re it is c*sto,ary to celebrate the ,ystic re$ast +hich again see,s the re:erse in
intention of the #hod ban=*et. At least8 the re:ersal is only a$$arent. The Mag*s celebrates the
*charist of the fo*r ele,ents8 after reciting $o+erf*lly the nochian in:ocation of the
,ystical Tablet of 2nion beginning 71 Son*f :aorsagi goho lada balta--EIreign o:er yo*8 saith
the /od of D*stice . . .E The $erf*,e of the rose on the altar8 the lo+ fire of the lighted la,$8
the bread and salt8 and the +ine are th*s $o+erf*lly charged +ith the di:ine force. So that as
he $artakes of the ele,ents8 the infl*4 of the s$irit ele:ates not only his o+n ego b*t all the
inn*,erable cells and li:es +hich co,$rise his o+n lo+er :ehicles of ,anifestation. And ,ore
too8 for it affects all the s$irit*al beings8 angels8 ele,entals8 and s$irits +ho8 in ans+er to
in:ocation8 no+ $er:ade his astral s$here. Th*s he acco,$lishes that +hich the tenets of all
,ystical religion en>oin8 the ele:ation of all the inferior li:es as ,an hi,self e:ol:es. This he
does8 in this case8 by the agency of the ,agical in:ocations and the *charist8 so that not only
does he hi,self beco,e blessed by the i,$act of the di:ine s$irit8 b*t so do all the other beings
$resent $artake +ith hi, of the glory. There is no +ith-holding of blessing. 'or here8 as in the
#hod Rite8 there is no retention of $o+er fro, any being.
At the o$ening of the cere,ony8 all forces and all beings +hatsoe:er are caref*lly banished by
the a$$ro$riate banishing rit*als so as to lea:e a clean and holy s$ace for the celebration of the
cere,ony. B*t into this consecrated s$here all the orders of ele,entals8 co,$rised +ithin the
fi:e-fold di:ision of things8 are called. And it is this ,ighty host +ho8 ha:ing $*rified the
s$here of the ,ag*s by ha:ing cons*,ed the *ndesirable ele,ents +ithin hi,8 are consecrated
and blessed by the *charist and the descent of the ref*lgent 0ight. The +hole o$eration is
sealed by the $eroration.
EI a, HeJ The Bornless S$irit8 ha:ing sight in the feetJ
Strong and the I,,ortal 'ireJ I a, He the Tr*thJ I a, He +ho hate that e:il sho*ld be
+ro*ght in the +orldJ I a, He that lighteneth and th*nderethJ I a, He fro, +ho, is the
sho+er of the life of earthJ I a, He +hose ,o*th e:er fla,ethJ I a, He8 the Begetter and
Manifester *nto the 0ightJ I a, He8 the /race of the "orldJ ?The Hearth girt +ith a Ser$ent? is
,y Na,e.E
It coincides +ith the re-for,*lation of the god-for, of 1siris. And +ith each cla*se of the final
hy,n8 the ,agician ,akes the effort in i,agination to realise that they ans+er to the di:ine
=*alities and characteristics of the /od8 +hose 0ight is e:en no+ descending *$on hi,. The
end res*lt is ill*,ination and ecstasy8 a trans$orting of the conscio*sness of the ,ag*s to an
identity +ith the conscio*sness of all that li:es8 an ineffable *nion +ith the 0ight8 the 1ne 0ife
that $er,eates all s$ace and ti,e.
It +ill be conceded I ho$e that the "estern conce$tions of Magic are in no +ay inferior8 as so
,any *nfort*nately ha:e co,e in the $ast se:eral years to belie:e8 to those $re:alent in Tibet
and the ast. It is only that the $hiloso$hic for,s are so,e+hat different. And this difference
has its root in :arying $sychological needs--and these at no ti,e are irreconcilable. has its root in
:arying $sychological needs--and these at no ti,e are irreconcilable.
Here then I ,*st content ,yself +ith these co,$arisons bet+een :ario*s $oints of ,agical
interest co,,on to both ast and "est. My desire to co,$are the, s$rang originally fro, a
$er*sal of Ma>or "addell?s really er*dite book--+here the reader ,ay find other ite,s of great
and absorbing interest. B*t I do feel that *nless he has the ,agical key to these $ractices and
:ario*s cere,onies +hich the 0a,as $erfor,8 he is a$t to be bored and left +itho*t a $ro$er
*nderstanding of the,. "ith all d*e res$ect to the astern +isdo, for +hich ass*redly I ha:e a
great and $rofo*nd re:erence8 it is ,y belief that in this instance a st*dy of The*rgy as
de:elo$ed by "estern geni*s is ,ore ca$able than a*ght else of thro+ing an ill*,inating ray
on the tr*e nat*re of s$irit*al de:elo$,ent by ,eans of the $ath of Magic. There are ,any
$aths to the one goal of the Beatific Aision. 1f these $aths8 ,editation is one. )robably in its
de:elo$,ent of ,editation and the $*rely intros$ecti:e $rocesses of Boga8 the ast is far in
ad:ance of the "est. #ertainly there is no better te4t-book on that s*b>ect than the )atan>ali
Boga A$horis,s8 And I a$$reciate the fact that Bla:atsky bro*ght Theoso$hy fro, the ast.
B*t The*rgy has cli,bed to s*n-ill*,inated heights in the "estern Schools. 1*r hidden
sanct*aries of initiation8 +here Magic has long been s*ccessf*lly e,$loyed8 b*t all too rigidly
s*$$ressed fro, the notice of the o*ter +orld8 ha:e a finer8 nobler and ,ore s$irit*al
inter$retation than any to be fo*nd in astern syste,s.
'or ,yself8 I can only say that e4$erience de,onstrates that The*rgy ,akes no conf*sion in its
state,ent of ideals. It introd*ces no s*$erstitio*s chaos concerning the fear of de,ons8 etc.8
+hich is only too a$$arent in the Tibetan sche,e8 >*dging fro, "addell?s book. :ery ,agical
effort of the 0a,as is described as being d*e to fear or hatred of e:il s$irits8 tho*gh I do not
do*bt b*t that ,any la,as ha:e a finer *nderstanding of their syste, than this. The*rgy
n*rt*res the ideal that its techni=*e is a ,eans of f*rthering one?s s$irit*al de:elo$,ent so that
thereby one ,ay cons*,,ate the tr*e ob>ects of incarnation. Not selfishly8 b*t that one ,ay be
the better able thereafter to hel$ and $artici$ate in the ordered $rogress of ,ankind to that
$erfect day +hen the glory of this +orld $asses8 and the S*n of "isdo, shall ha:e arisen to
shine o:er the s$lendid sea.
TH ART 1' MA/I#
by Israel Regardie
#o$yright % 196(8 '.I. Regardie
)*blished by Helios8 1969
The )*blication of This Book +as ,ade $ossible thro*gh the co-o$eration of.
TH SAN/RA0 '12N3ATI1N IN#.
).1. Bo4 56&7
3allas8 Te4as8 96551
1f all the s*b>ects +hich co,$rise +hat no+adays is called 1cc*ltis,8 the ,ost ,is*nderstood
of all is Magic. :en Alche,y8 +hich to so,e of *s is annoyingly dark and obsc*re8 e:okes far
,ore sy,$athy and *nderstanding as a r*le than does Magic. 'or e4a,$le8 the $sychologist
D*ng has obser:ed of alche,y in his essay The go and The 2nconscio*s that Eit +o*ld be an
*n$ardonable de$reciation of :al*e if +e +ere to acce$t the c*rrent :ie+8 and red*ce the
s$irit*al stri:ing of the alche,ists to the le:el of the retort and the s,elting f*rnace. #ertainly
this as$ect belonged to itI it re$resented the tentati:e beginnings of e4act che,istry. B*t it also
had a s$irit*al side +hich has ne:er yet been gi:en its tr*e :al*e8 and +hich fro, the
$sychological stand$oint ,*st not be *nderesti,ated.E Bet Magic8 strange to say8 recei:es no
s*ch e:al*ation--e4ce$t insofar as the ter, Magic is allied to the *nconscio*s8 and is said to
re$resent a $ri,iti:e atte,$t to cognise the 2nconscio*s. There is8 hence8 hardly ,ore than the
barest ,ini,*, atte,$t to arri:e at an *nderstanding of its $rocesses. 'or the ,o,ent8 I do
not +ish to analyse the $ossible reasons for this a,a@ing $heno,enon. "hat is ,ore to the
$oint8 ho+e:er8 is to $ro:ide so,e ,ore or less intelligible a$$roach to the s*b>ect so that
gi:en an initial gli,$se of the bright light flooding the +orld of ,agic8 ,ore $eo$le ,ay feel
dis$osed to de:ote >*st a liltle of their energies and ti,e to its st*dy. The ad:antages and
benefits are s*ch as to ,ake this effort e4tre,ely +orth +hile.
)*tting it si,$ly and briefly8 let ,e say at the o*tset that Magic concerns itself in the ,ain +ith
that self-sa,e +orld as does ,odern $sychology. That is to say8 it deals +ith that s$here of the
$syche of +hich nor,ally +e are not conscio*s b*t +hich e4erts an enor,o*s infl*ence *$on
o*r li:es. Magic is a series of $sychological techni=*es so de:ised as to enable *s to $robe ,ore
dee$ly into o*rsel:es. To +hat endH 'irst8 that +e shall *nderstand o*rsel:es ,ore co,$letely.
A$art fro, the fact that s*ch self-kno+ledge in itself is desirable8 an *nderstanding of the inner
nat*re releases *s fro, *nconscio*s co,$*lsions and ,oti:ations and confers a ,astery o:er
life. Second8 that +e ,ay the ,ore f*lly e4$ress that inner self in e:ery-day acti:ities. It is only
+hen ,ankind as a +hole has reached8 or $erha$s +hen the ,ore ad:anced ,en and +o,en in
the +orld ha:e e:ol:ed8 so,e degree of inner realisation that +e ,ay e:er ho$e for that ideal
*to$ian condition of things--a +ide tolerance8 $eace8 and *ni:ersal brotherhood. It is to ends
s*ch as these that Magic o+es its raison d?etre.
the +orld ha:e e:ol:ed8 so,e degree of inner realisation that +e ,ay e:er ho$e for that ideal
*to$ian condition of things--a +ide tolerance8 $eace8 and *ni:ersal brotherhood. It is to ends
s*ch as these that Magic o+es its raison d?etre.
A$$roaching the ,atter fro, another $oint of :ie+8 it ,ay be said that Magic deals +ith the
sa,e $roble,s as Religion. It does not +aste its or o*r :al*able ti,e +ith f*tile s$ec*lations
+ith regard to the e4istence or nat*re of /od. It affir,s dog,atically that there is an
o,ni$resent and eternal life $rinci$le--and there*$on8 in tr*e scientific fashion8 lays do+n a
host of ,ethods for $ro:ing it for oneself. Ho+ ,ay +e kno+ /odH Here8 as before8 there is a
+ell-defined and elaborate techni=*e for dealing +ith the h*,an conscio*sness as s*ch and
e4alting it to an i,,ediate e4$erience of the *ni:ersal s$irit $er,eating and s*staining all
things. I say ad:isedly that its techni=*e is +ell-defined. 'or the syste, has an abhorrence of
the attit*de of those good-nat*red b*t ,*ddle-headed thinkers +ho8 ref*sing to acce$t their
h*,an li,itations as they are no+8 ai, too high +itho*t dealing +ith the ,anifold $roble,s in
the +ay.
0et *s ass*,e that yonder b*ilding is ten storeys high. Ho+ ,ay +e reach the roofH #ertainly
not by ignoring the :ery ob:io*s fact that at least t+o h*ndred feet inter:ene bet+een *s and
the roofJ Bet that is $recisely the attit*de of the so-called si,$licity c*lt in ,ystical religion.
/od8 they affir,8 is an e4alted state of infinite conscio*sness to +hich the ,icrocos,ic ,ind
,*st be *nited. So far8 so good--and here Magic is in accord +ith their :ie+. Therefore8 these
$eo$le $ro$ose to atte,$t gaining the s*,,it of attain,ent by ignoring the ste$s bet+een ,an
as +e find hi, no+ and the s*$re,e end-- /od. It is as tho*gh they +ished to >*,$ fro, the
gro*nd to the roof of the aforesaid b*ilding.
Magic ado$ts a slightly different attit*de. It is one8 ho+e:er8 +hich is ,arkedly si,ilar to the
co,,on-sense attit*de of the ,ythical ,an in the street. To get to the to$ of the b*ilding +e
,*st either cli,b the :ario*s flights of stairs leading there8 or else take the lift *$+ards. In
either case8 it is a grad*ated $rocess--an e:ol*tion8 if yo* +ish.
Man8 holds the ,agical theory8 is a ,ore or less co,$licated creat*re +hose se:eral fac*lties of
feeling8 sensation8 and thinking ha:e slo+ly been e:ol:ed in the co*rse of aeons of e:ol*tion. It
is fatal to ignore these fac*lties8 for e:idently they +ere e:ol:ed for so,e *sef*l $*r$ose in
ans+er to so,e inner need. Hence8 in as$iring to+ards di:ine *nion8 s*rely a la*dable goal8 +e
,*st be =*ite s*re that o*r ,ethod8 +hate:er it is8 takes into consideration those fac*lties and
de:elo$s the, to the stage +here they too ,ay $artici$ate in the e4$erience. If e:ol*tion is
held *$ as a s*itable $rocess8 then the +hole ,an ,*st e:ol:e8 and not si,$ly little bits or
as$ects of hi,8 +hilst other $arts of his nat*re are left *nde:elo$ed at a $ri,iti:e or infantile
le:el of being. Moreo:er8 these fac*lties ,*st be so trained as to be able to EtakeE the enor,o*s
tension s*re to be i,$osed *$on the, by so e4alted b*t ne:ertheless so $o+erf*l an
attain,ent. ach fac*lty ,*st be deliberately trained and carried stage by stage thro*gh :ario*s
le:els of h*,an and cos,ic conscio*sness so that grad*ally they beco,e acc*sto,ed to the
high $otential of energy8 ideation8 and ins$iration that ,*st ine:itably acco,$any ill*,ination
and an e4tension of conscio*sness. 'ail*re to consider s*ch a :ie+$oint in ter,s of its
dyna,ics *ndo*btedly ,*st acco*nt for the catastro$hies so fre=*ently enco*ntered in occ*lt
and ,ystical circles.
To $resent a bird?s-eye :ie+ of the entire field of Magic8 let ,e s*,,arily state that for
con:enience the s*b>ect ,ay be di:ided into at least three ,a>or di:isions. 1ne-- 3i:ination.
T+o -- :ocation and Aision. Three -- In:ocation. I +ill define each se$arately and at so,e
little length.
"ith regard to the first di:ision8 the ,agical hy$othesis is =*ite definite. It holds that di:ination
is not *lti,ately concerned +ith ,ere fort*ne-telling--nor e:en +ith di:ining the s$irit*al
ca*ses in the backgro*nd of ,aterial e:ents8 tho*gh this latter is of no little *ni,$ortance. 1n
the contrary8 ho+e:er8 the $ractice of di:ination +hen cond*cted aright has as its ob>ecti:e the
de:elo$,ent of the inner $sychic fac*lty of int*ition. It is an enor,o*s asset s$irit*ally to ha:e
de:elo$ed an e4=*isite sensiti:ity to the inner s*btle +orld of the $syche. "hen carried on for a
s*fficiently long $eriod of ti,e8 the $ractice b*ilds slo+ly b*t efficiently a s$ecies of bridge
bet+een the conscio*sness of ,an and that dee$er hidden $art of his $syche of +hich *s*ally
he is not a+are--the 2nconscio*s8 or higher Self. In these dee$er s$irit*al as$ects of his nat*re
are the di:ine roots of discri,ination8 s$irit*al discern,ent8 and lofty +isdo,. The ob>ect of
di:ination is =*ite si,$ly8 then8 the constr*ction of a $sychic ,echanis, +hereby this so*rce of
ins$iration and life ,ay be ,ade accessible to the ordinary conscio*sness8 to the ego. That this
,echanis, is concerned at the o*tset +ith $ro:iding ans+ers to a$$arently tri:ial =*estions is
by itself no ob>ection to the techni=*e itself. The $reli,inary a$$roaches to any st*dy ,ay see,
*n+orthy to or inco,$atible +ith that st*dy. And di:ination is no e4ce$tion to the general
trend. Nor is the ob>ection :alid that the techni=*e is o$en to fre=*ent ab*se by *nscr*$*lo*s
charlatans. B*t $ractised sincerely and intelligently and assid*o*sly by the real st*dent8
conscio*sness grad*ally o$ens itself to a dee$er le:el of a+areness. EThe brain beco,es $oro*s
to the recollections and dictates of the so*l8E to *se a c*rrent theoso$hical e4$ression8 is a tr*e
state,ent of the act*al res*lts of the training. As the ob>ect of analytical $sychology is the
assi,ilation of the re$ressed content of the 2nconscio*s to the ordinary +ake-a-day
conscio*sness8 so by these other ,agical ,eans the h*,an ,ind beco,es a+are of itself as
infinitely :aster8 dee$er and +iser than e:er it realised before. A sense of the s$irit*al as$ect of
things da+ns *$on the ,ind--a sense of one?s o+n innate high +isdo,8 and a recognition of
di:inity +orking thro*gh ,an and the *ni:erse. S*rely s*ch a :ie+$oint ele:ates di:ination
abo:e the le:el of a ,ere occ*lt art to an intrinsic $art of ,ystical endea:o*r.
/eo,ancy8 Tarot and Astrology8 these are the f*nda,ental techni=*es of the di:inatory syste,.
/eo,ancy is di:ination by ,eans of earth. At one ti,e8 its $ractitioners act*ally *sed sand or
black earth in +hich to trace its sigils and sy,bols--a ty$ically $ri,iti:e or ,ediae:al ,ethod.
Today /eo,antic di:iners *se $encil and $a$er8 relying *$on gra$hite in their $encils to
for,*late8 theoretically8 a ,agical link bet+een the,sel:es and the so-called di:ining
intelligences or ele,entals of arth. It is8 so far as ,y o+n e4$erience goes8 a highly efficient
techni=*e8 and I can clairn at least an &7K degrce of acc*racy o:er se:eral years. Tarot is the
na,e of a set of cards8 se:enty-eight in n*,ber8 +hich +ere introd*ced into *ro$e in either
the fo*rteenth or fifteenth cent*ry fro, . . . H No-one kno+s +here they ca,e fro,. Their
origin is a co,$lete ,ystery. At one $eriod in *ro$e there +ere no s*ch cards a:ailable8 so far
as +e can see. At another ti,e8 the cards +ere circ*lating freely. 0ittle ,ention need be ,ade
of astrology8 since that has long been one of the ,ost $o$*lar ,ethods +ith +hich the $*blic
has been ,ade fa,iliar. Anyone +ho $ractises these ,ethods +ith this ob>ecti:e in ,ind +ill
ass*redly beco,e a+are of the res*lts I ha:e described. And +hile8 it is tr*e8 his =*erents for
di:ination ,ay recei:e $erfectly good ans+ers to the =*estions they ha:e asked8 de$arting fro,
his threshold in the s$irit of gratit*de and +onder8 the int*iti:e de:elo$,ent accr*ing to hi,
+ill constit*te the ,ore i,$ortant side of that transaction.
ass*redly beco,e a+are of the res*lts I ha:e described. And +hile8 it is tr*e8 his =*erents for
di:ination ,ay recei:e $erfectly good ans+ers to the =*estions they ha:e asked8 de$arting fro,
his threshold in the s$irit of gratit*de and +onder8 the int*iti:e de:elo$,ent accr*ing to hi,
+ill constit*te the ,ore i,$ortant side of that transaction.
It is +hen +e lea:e the relati:ely si,$le real, of di:ination to a$$roach the obsc*re s*b>ect of
:ocation that +e enter dee$ +aters. Here it is that ,ost diffic*lty has arisen. And it is in
connection +ith this $hase of Magic that the greatest ,is*nderstanding and fear e:en has
de:elo$ed.
In order to el*cidate the ,atter8 let ,e again t*rn to the ter,inology of ,odern $sychology.
The ter, Eco,$le4E has achie:ed a fairly +ide notoriety d*ring the last =*arter of a cent*ry
since the circ*lation of the theories of 're*d and D*ng. It ,eans an aggregation or gro*$ of
ideas in the ,ind +ith a strong e,otional charge8 ca$able of infl*encing conscio*s tho*ght and
beha:io*r. If ,y interest is Magic8 then nat*rally e:ery ite, of infor,ation ac=*ired8 no ,atter
+hat its nat*re8 is likely to be b*ilt by association into that constellation of ideas cl*stering
aro*nd ,y interest--beco,ing in the co*rse of years a thoro*gh-going co,$le4. Mrs. Dones ,y
dairy+o,an8 beca*se of her $rofessional $redilection8 +ill ha:e her co,$le4 centering abo*t
,ilk and co+s and b*tter and the $rice of eggs.
1:er and abo:e this definition8 ho+e:er8 is the ,ore s*btle one of a gro*$ of ideas or feelings
congregating abo*t a significant or do,inant $sychic the,e8 s*ch as se4 or the need to
o:erco,e inferior feelings8 or so,e $sychic +o*nd of childhood8 tying or locking *$ ner:o*s
energy. Th*s8 as a res*lt of re$ression8 +e ,ay find a co,$le4 of +hich the $ossessor is totally
*nconscio*s--a co,$le4 e4$ressing itself in a sense of insec*rity8 obsession by ,orbid
*nreasonable fears8 and $ersistent an4iety. Moreo:er8 a constellation of feelings and ,oods and
e,otional reactions ,ay e4ist +hich ha:e beco,e so $o+erf*l and yet so obno4io*s to reason
as to ha:e beco,e co,$letely s$lit off fro, the ,ain strea, of the $ersonality. "hat ,odern
$sychology calls a co,$le4 in this sense8 the ancient $sychology of Magic8 +hich had its o+n
syste, of classification and no,enclat*re8 na,ed a S$irit. The syste, of classification +as the
Cabalistic Se$hiros or the ten f*nda,ental categories of tho*ght.
Th*s8 sho*ld +e essay translation of ter,s8 the sense of inferiority +e ,ight call the s$irit of
Ti$haras8 +hose na,e is said to be Soras8 inas,*ch as the S*n8 one of its attrib*tions or
associations8 is considered the $lanetary sy,bol of the indi:id*ality. Hence an affliction to the
$ersonality8 +hich ,ay be considered a general or ro*gh definition of the inferiority sense8
co*ld +ell be referred to Soras--since the s$irit in the case of each Se$hirah is considered e:il.
That co,$le4 e4$ressing itself in insec*rity is the s$irit of Besod and the Moon8 +hose na,e is
#hash,odai. This s$here of Besod re$resents the astral design or fo*ndation i,$arting stability
and $er,anence to $hysical sha$es and for,s8 in a +ord it is a sy,bol of sec*rity and strength.
Sho*ld +e be confronted +ith a case +here the e,otions +ere s$lit off fro, conscio*sness--
this is the infl*ence of the s$irit of Hod and Merc*ry8 Ta$hthartharath. 1ne +allo+ing in
e,otional chaos8 ha:ing ref*sed to de:elo$ e=*ally conscio*sness and the rational fac*lties8 is
s*b>ect to the s$irit of Netsach and Aen*s8 Haniel. A $*rely destr*cti:e or s*icidal ne*rosis
+hich ca*ses one to e4hibit the sy,$to,atic tendency deliberately to break things8 or to *se
the, in attack against oneself8 is of a ,artial =*ality8 belonging to /e:*rah and Mars8 the s$irit
Sa,ael.
/e:*rah and Mars8 the s$irit
Sa,ael.
This8 nat*rally8 is the s*b>ecti:e $oint of :ie+. That there is a $*rely ob>ecti:e occ*lt theory I
do not deny8 b*t that cannot be dealt +ith here.
Ho+8 no+adays8 do +e deal +ith the $sycho-ne*roses in the atte,$t to c*re the,--to eli,inate
the, fro, the s$here of the $atient?s thinking and feelingH )rinci$ally by the analytical ,ethod.
"e enco*rage the $atient to narrate freely his life-history8 to delineate in detail his early
e4$eriences in connection +ith his father and ,other8 his reactions to brothers and sisters8 to
school and $lay,ates and the entire en:iron,ent. He is asked to d+ell $artic*larly on his
e,otional reaction to these earlier e4$eriences8 to re-li:e the, in his i,agination8 to reco*nt
and analyse his feelings to+ards the,. Moreo:er8 his drea,s at the ti,e of analysis are
s*b>ected to a caref*l scr*tiny. This is necessary beca*se the drea, is a s$ontaneo*s $sychic
acti:ity *ninterfered +ith by the +aking conscio*sness. S*ch acti:ity re:eals $resent-day
*nconscio*s reactions to the sti,*li of life--reactions +hich ,odify8 e:en for, his conscio*s
o*tlook. In this +ay the $atient is enabled to realise ob>ecti:ely the nat*re of this co,$le4. He
,*st detach hi,self fro, it for a short s$ace of ti,e. And this critical ob>ecti:e e4a,ination of
it8 this *nderstanding of its nat*re and the ,eans +hereby it ca,e into being8 enables hi,8 not
once and for all8 b*t grad*ally and +ith the $assage of ti,e8 to o*st it fro, his +ays of
thinking.
Magic8 ho+e:er8 at one ti,e $roceeded according to a slightly different techni=*e. It too
realised ho+ de:astating +ere these nat*ral b*t $er:erse +ays of thinking8 and ho+ cri$$ling
+as the effect they e4ercised on the $ersonality. Indecision8 :acillation8 inca$acitation of
,e,ory8 anaesthesia of feeling and sense8 co,$*lsions and $hobias8 besides a host of $hysical
and ,oral ills8 are the res*ltants of these co,$le4es or s$irit-do,inants. So co,$letely is the
$atient at the ,ercy of obsessing ,oods as al,ost to be beside hi,self8 th*s s*ggesting to the
:i:id i,agination of the ancients an act*al obsession by so,e e4traneo*s s$irit entity. So8 in
order to restore ,an to his for,er efficiency8 or to the standard of nor,ality8 these afflictions
,*st be eli,inated fro, conscio*sness.
As its first ste$8 Magic $roceeded to $ersonalise the,8 to in:est the, +ith tangible sha$e and
forr,8 and to gi:e the, a definite na,e and =*ality. It is the nat*re of the $syche s$ontaneo*sly
to gi:e h*,an characteristics and no,enclat*re to the contents of its o+n ,ind. In doing this8
the ,agical syste, recei:es the official blessing8 if I ,ay say so8 of no less a ,odern
$sychological a*thority than 3r. #. /. D*ng. In his co,,entary to The Secret of the /olden
'lo+er8 D*ng na,es these co,$le4es Ea*tono,o*s $artial syste,s.E Referring to these $artial
syste,s8 he asserts. EBeing also constit*ents of the $sychic $ersonality8 they necessarily ha:e
the character of $ersons. S*ch $artial-syste,s a$$ear in ,ental diseases +here there is no
$sychogenic s$litting of the $ersonality ;do*ble $ersonality<8 and also8 =*ite co,,only8 in
,edi*,istic $heno,ena.E It is8 as I ha:e said8 a nat*ral tendency of the h*,an ,ind to
$ersonalise these co,$le4es or gro*$ings of s$ecial ideas. As another $roof of this8 +e ,ay cite
the $heno,enon of drea,s8 in +hich =*ite fre=*ently the $atient?s $sychic diffic*lties or
co,$le4es are gi:en sy,bolically so,e h*,an or ani,al for,.
)roceeding a ste$ f*rther8 the ancient science of Magic $ost*lated that to eli,inate this
co,$le4 it +as necessary to render it ob>ecti:e to the $atient?s or st*dent?s conscio*sness so
that he ,ight ac=*ire so,e recognition of its $resence. "hilst these s*bconscio*s knots of
e,otion8 or astral s$irits8 are *nkno+n and *ncontrolled8 the $atient is *nable to control the,
to the best ad:antage8 to e4a,ine the, thoro*ghly8 to acce$t the one or to re>ect the other.
'irst of all8 +as the hy$othesis8 they ,*st ac=*ire tangible8 ob>ecti:e for, before they ,ay be
controlled. So long as they re,ain intangible and a,or$ho*s and *n$ercei:ed by the ego8 they
cannot ade=*ately be dealt +ith. By a $rogra,,e of for,al e:ocation8 ho+e:er8 the s$irits of
the dark *nder+orld8 or co,$le4es of ideas inhabiting the dee$er strata of *nconscio*sness8
,ay be e:oked fro, the gloo, into :isible a$$earance in the ,agical triangle of ,anifestation.
:oked in this technical +ay8 they ,ay be controlled by ,eans of the transcendental sy,bols
and for,al $rocesses of Magic8 being bro*ght +ithin the do,inion of the sti,*lated +ill and
conscio*sness of the the*rgist. In other +ords8 they are once ,ore assi,ilated into
conscio*sness. No longer are they inde$endent s$irits roa,ing in the astral +orld8 or $artial
syste,s d+elling in the 2nconscio*s8 disr*$ting the indi:id*al?s conscio*s life. They are
bro*ght back once ,ore into the $ersonality8 +here they beco,e *sef*l citi@ens so to s$eak8
integral $arts of the $syche8 instead of o*tla+s and gangsters8 grie:o*s and dangero*s ene,ies
threatening $sychic *nity and integrity.
Ho+ are these e:okedH "hat is the technical $rocess of rendering ob>ecti:e these a*tono,o*s
$artial-syste,sH Magic $arts co,$any here +ith orthodo4 $sychology. Many ,onths of tedio*s
analysis at enor,o*s financial o*tlay are re=*ired by the $resent-day $sychological ,ethod to
deal +ith these $roble,s8 and fe+ there be +ho are strong eno*gh or $atient eno*gh to $ersist.
The ,agical theory $refers a drastic for, of e,otional and ,ental e4citation by ,eans of a
cere,onial techni=*e. 3*ring the :ocation cere,ony8 di:ine and s$irit na,es are
contin*o*sly :ibrated as $art of a lengthy con>*ration. #irc*,a,b*lations are $erfor,ed fro,
sy,bolic $ositions in the te,$le--these re$resenting different strata of the *nconscio*s8
different regions of the $sychic +orld. Breath is inhaled into the l*ngs8 and8 rather like the
$ranaya,a techni=*e of the Hind* Bogis8 ,ani$*lated by the i,agination in s$ecial +ays. By
,eans of these e4ercises8 conscio*sness is sti,*lated to s*ch a degree as to beco,e o$ened8
des$ite itself8 to the enforced *$+elling of the content of the 2nconscio*s. The *$+elling is
not ha$ha@ard b*t is definitely controlled and reg*lated. 'or the Cabalists +ere thoro*ghly
fa,iliar +ith the ideas of s*ggestion and association8 arranging their con>*rations so that by
,eans of association of ideas there +o*ld be s*ggested to the $syche the train of ideas
re=*ired--and only that train. The $artic*lar $artial-syste, is then e4*ded fro, the s$here of
sensation and $ro>ected o*t+ards. It e,bodies itself in so-called astral or etheric s*bstance
nor,ally co,$rising the interior body +hich ser:es as the fo*ndation or design of the $hysical
for,8 and acting as the bridge bet+een the body and the ,ind8 of +hich it is the :ehicle. The
astral for, no+ reflecting the $artial syste, $ro>ected fro, the 2nconscio*s8 attracts to itself
$articles of hea:y incense b*rned co$io*sly d*ring the cere,ony. /rad*ally8 in the co*rse of
the cere,onial8 a ,aterialisation is b*ilt *$ +hich has the sha$e and character of an
a*tono,o*s being. It can be s$oken to and it can s$eak. 0ike+ise it can be directed and
controlled by the o$erator of the cere,ony. At the concl*sion of the o$eration8 it is absorbed
deliberately and conscio*sly back into the o$erator by the *s*al for,*la. EAnd no+ I say *nto
thee8 de$art fro, hence +ith the blessing of ;the a$$ro$riate di:ine na,e go:erning that
$artic*lar ty$e of co,$le4< *$on thee. And let there e:er be $eace bet+een ,e and thee. And
be tho* e:er ready to co,e and obey ,y +ill8 +hether it be by a cere,ony or b*t by a gest*re.E
Th*s the defect in conscio*sness ca*sed by the s$irit obsession is re,edied and8 beca*se of the
accession to conscio*sness of the tre,endo*s $o+er and feeling in:ol:ed in s*ch a re$ression8
the $syche of the o$erator is sti,*lated in a s$ecial +ay8 according to the nat*re of the s$irit.
To reca$it*late8 the $*r$ose of :ocation is that so,e $ortion of the h*,an $syche +hich has
beco,e deficient in a ,ore or less i,$ortant =*ality is ,ade intentionally to stand o*t8 as it
+ere. /i:en body and na,e by the $o+er of the sti,*lated +ill and i,agination and e4*ded
astral s*bstance8 it is8 to contin*e to *se ,eta$hor8 s$ecially no*rished by the +ar,th and
s*stenance of the s*n8 and gi:en +ater and food that it ,ay gro+ and flo*rish.
'a,iliarity8 of co*rse8 is re=*isite before this ty$e of Magic sho*ld be atte,$ted. It re=*ires
st*dy and long training. Ard*o*s and $ersistent toil needs to be *ndertaken +ith the
a$$ro$riate for,*lae before one dare a$$ly oneself to so for,idable and $erha$s dangero*s an
as$ect of the ,agical ro*tine. B*t it has this ad:antage o:er the analytical $roced*re. lt is
infinitely s$eedier +hen once the techni=*e has been ,astered and the s$ecial association
tracks ha:e been fa,iliarised8 and considerably ,ore thoro*gh and effecti:e as a cathartic
agent. I ho$e one day to see a ,odification of it in c*rrent *se by o*r $sychologists.
There is an i,$ortant :ariation of this techni=*e. At first sight8 it ,ay see, to bear b*t little
relationshi$ +ith the :ocation ,ethod. B*t it too has as its ob>ecti:e the necessary
assi,ilation of the *nconscio*s content of the $syche into nor,al conscio*sness. Its ob>ect8
also8 is the enlarging of the hori@on of the ,ind by enlarging the st*dent?s intellect*al
conce$tions of the nat*re of the *ni:erse.
To arth is attrib*ted a yello+ s=*are.
The ele,entary technical $rocesses of this ,ethod call for the dra+ing or the $ainting of
colo*red sy,bols of the ele,ents arth8 Air8 "ater8 'ire and ther. ach of these has a
different traditional sy,bol and colo*r.
Air is a bl*e circle.
"ater is a sil:er crescent.
'ire8 the red triangle8
and ther is the black egg.
After staring intently at the sy,bol of so,e one $artic*lar ele,ent for se:eral seconds8 and then
thro+ing the :ision to so,e +hite or ne*tral s*rface8 a refle4 i,age of the co,$le,entary
colo*r is seen against it. This is a nor,al o$tical ill*sion +itho*t ha:ing in itself any s$ecial
significance. The o$tical refle4 obtained8 the st*dent is co*nselled to close the eyes8 i,agining
that before hi, is the sy,bolic sha$e and co,$le,entary colo*r of the ele,ent being *sed. The
sha$e is then to be enlarged *ntil it see,s tall eno*gh for hi, to :is*alise hi,self +alking
thro*gh it. Then he ,*st $er,it the fantasy fac*lty of the ,ind f*ll and *ni,$eded $lay. "hat
is $artic*larly i,$ortant is that at this stage he ,*st :ibrate certain di:ine and archangelic
na,es +hich tradition ascribes to that $artic*lar sy,bol. These na,es ,ay be fo*nd in the first
:ol*,e of ,y +ork The /olden 3a+n.
In this +ay8 he enters i,aginati:ely or clair:oyantly by ,eans of a :ision8 into the ele,ental
real, corres$onding to the nat*re of the sy,bol he has chosen. By e,$loying ele,ent after
ele,ent8 he ac=*ires a sy,$athetic contact +ith the *nderstanding of the se:eral hierarchical
$lanes e4isting +ithin Nat*re8 and th*s +idens tre,endo*sly the s$here of his conscio*sness.
'ro, the $sychological $oint of :ie+8 +e ,ight *nderstand the ,agical theory to i,$ly that
the 2nconscio*s ;+hich has been co,$ared to the nine-tenths of an ice-berg concealed *nder
+ater and not at all :isible< ,ay be classified into fi:e $rinci$al layers or s*b-di:isions. These
fi:e le:els corres$ond to the fi:e ele,ents8 the ,ost s*$erficial being arth8 and the dee$est
being ther or S$irit. By follo+ing s*ch a :ision or fantasy techni=*e the candidate?s ordinary
conscio*sness is enabled to cross the other+ise i,$enetrable barrier s*bsisting bet+een it and
the *nconscio*s. A link is for,ed bet+een the t+o as$ects of ,ind8 a bridge is constr*cted8
across +hich the $syche ,ay $ass at any ,o,ent. ntering these :ario*s $sychic le:els by +ay
of an i,aginati:e $ro>ection is analago*s to for,ing an association track by ,eans of +hich
idea8 ins$iration8 and :itality are ,ade a:ailable to conscio*sness.
The :ision th*s obtained corres$onds generally to a sort of drea,8 e4$erienced ho+e:er in a
f*lly conscio*s state-- one in +hich none of the fac*lties of conscio*sness8 s*ch as +ill8
criticis, and keen $erce$tion are in any +ay in abeyance. The goal of analysis8 fro, the
synthetic and constr*cti:e $oint of :ie+8 is acco,$lished readily by s*ch ,eans. A +ide range
of kno+ledge and feeling is thereby o$ened *$ and assi,ilated +itho*t strain or diffic*lty to
the ad:antage and s$irit*al de:elo$,ent of the indi:id*al.
Inter$retation of the :ision is an i,$ortant factor. The neglect of inter$retation ,ay acco*nt for
the intellect*al sterility and s$irit*al e,$tiness so fre=*ently obser:ed in those +ho e,$loy
si,ilar ,ethods. Ac=*aintance +ith the ,ethods of D*ng?s sy,bolic analysis of drea,s and
s$ontaneo*s fantasies ,ay be e4tre,ely *sef*l here8 $ro:iding a *sef*l ad>*nct to the
Cabalistic reference of sy,bols to the ten Se$hiros of the Tree of 0ife. Before $assing on8 it is
interesting to note that D*ng gi:es to+ards the end of his book T+o ssays on Analytical
)sychology an acco*nt of a $atient?s s$ontaneo*s fantasy +hich is c*rio*sly si,ilar to the
tatt+a techni=*e I ha:e >*st described. He calls it a E ?:ision? +hich by intense concentration
+as $ercei:ed on the backgro*nd of conscio*sness8 a techni=*e that is $erfected only after long
$ractice.E It is so interesting that I a, constrained to =*ote it here. EI cli,bed the ,o*ntain and
ca,e to a $lace +here I sa+ se:en red stones in front of ,e8 se:en on either side8 and se:en
behind ,e. I stood in the ,iddle of this =*adrangle. The stones +ere flat like ste$s. I tried to
lift the fo*r stones that +ere nearest to ,e. In doing so I disco:ered that these stones +ere the
$edestals of fo*r stat*es of gods +hich +ere b*ried *$side do+n in the earth. I d*g the, *$
and so arranged the, aro*nd ,e that I stood in the ,iddle of the,. S*ddenly they leaned
to+ards one another so that their heads to*ched8 for,ing so,ething like a tent o:er ,e. I
,yself fell to the earth8 and said8 ?'all *$on ,e if yo* ,*st8 for I a, tired.? Then I sa+ that
beyond8 encircling the fo*r gods8 a ring of fla,e had for,ed. After a ti,e I arose fro, the
gro*nd and o:erthre+ the stat*es of the gods. "here they fell to the earth fo*r trees began to
gro+. And no+ fro, the circle of fire bl*e fla,es shot *$ +hich began to b*rn the foliage of
the trees. Seeing this I said ?This ,*st sto$. I ,*st go into the fire ,yself so that the lea:es ,ay
not be b*rned.? Then I ste$$ed into the fire. The trees disa$$eared and the ring of fire
contracted to one i,,ense bl*e fla,e that carried ,e *$ fro, the earth.E
si,ilar ,ethods. Ac=*aintance +ith the ,ethods of D*ng?s sy,bolic analysis of drea,s and
s$ontaneo*s fantasies ,ay be e4tre,ely *sef*l here8 $ro:iding a *sef*l ad>*nct to the
Cabalistic reference of sy,bols to the ten Se$hiros of the Tree of 0ife. Before $assing on8 it is
interesting to note that D*ng gi:es to+ards the end of his book T+o ssays on Analytical
)sychology an acco*nt of a $atient?s s$ontaneo*s fantasy +hich is c*rio*sly si,ilar to the
tatt+a techni=*e I ha:e >*st described. He calls it a E ?:ision? +hich by intense concentration
+as $ercei:ed on the backgro*nd of conscio*sness8 a techni=*e that is $erfected only after long
$ractice.E It is so interesting that I a, constrained to =*ote it here. EI cli,bed the ,o*ntain and
ca,e to a $lace +here I sa+ se:en red stones in front of ,e8 se:en on either side8 and se:en
behind ,e. I stood in the ,iddle of this =*adrangle. The stones +ere flat like ste$s. I tried to
lift the fo*r stones that +ere nearest to ,e. In doing so I disco:ered that these stones +ere the
$edestals of fo*r stat*es of gods +hich +ere b*ried *$side do+n in the earth. I d*g the, *$
and so arranged the, aro*nd ,e that I stood in the ,iddle of the,. S*ddenly they leaned
to+ards one another so that their heads to*ched8 for,ing so,ething like a tent o:er ,e. I
,yself fell to the earth8 and said8 ?'all *$on ,e if yo* ,*st8 for I a, tired.? Then I sa+ that
beyond8 encircling the fo*r gods8 a ring of fla,e had for,ed. After a ti,e I arose fro, the
gro*nd and o:erthre+ the stat*es of the gods. "here they fell to the earth fo*r trees began to
gro+. And no+ fro, the circle of fire bl*e fla,es shot *$ +hich began to b*rn the foliage of
the trees. Seeing this I said ?This ,*st sto$. I ,*st go into the fire ,yself so that the lea:es ,ay
not be b*rned.? Then I ste$$ed into the fire. The trees disa$$eared and the ring of fire
contracted to one i,,ense bl*e fla,e that carried ,e *$ fro, the earth.E
3i:ination8 :ocation and Aision are the $reli,inary techni=*es of Magic. "e ha:e obser:ed
that there is considerable >*stification for their e,$loy,ent-- +hen there is ade=*ate
*nderstanding of their ,eaning and technical $roced*re. B*t these are $reli,inary ,ethods
only. They are b*t ste$s leading to the cons*,,ation of the s*$re,e sacra,ent. The ine:itable
end of Magic is identical to that concei:ed of in Mysticis,8 *nion +ith /od-head. Magic
concei:es of di:inity as S$irit and 0ight and 0o:e. It is an all-$er:asi:e and o,ni$resent :ital
force8 $er,eating all things8 s*staining e:ery life fro, the ,ost ,in*te electron to the largest
neb*la of ,indstaggering di,ensions. It is this 0ife +hich is the s*bstrat*, of the entirety of
e4istence8 and it is this $ri,al conscio*sness in +hich +e li:e and ,o:e and ha:e o*r being. In
the co*rse of ,anifestation8 cos,ic centres de:elo$ +ithin its infinit*de8 centres of lofty
intelligence and $o+er8 +hereby the cos,ic high tension ,ay be ,odified and red*ced to a
lo+er key so as *lti,ately to $rod*ce an ob>ecti:e ,anifestation. These cos,ic centres of life
are +hat for the ,o,ent +e ,ay na,e the /ods ;not s$irits<--beings of enor,o*s +isdo,8
$o+er and s$irit*ality in an ascending hierarchical scale bet+een *s and the *nkno+n and
*nna,ed /od. The $artic*lar hierarchy that they for, recei:es in Magic a clear classification in
ter,s of the Cabalistic Tree of 0ife.
In an earlier $aragra$h I ga:e the ,eta$hor of a ,an stri:ing to reach the roof to$ of a se:eral
storeyed b*ilding. No+ Magic concei:es of s$irit*al de:elo$,ent in an analogo*s +ay. That is
to say8 it concei:es a $ersonal e:ol*tion as $rogressi:e and orderly. 3i:inity is the ob>ecti:e +e
seek to reach8 the roof to$. "e8 those of *s cherishing the ,ystical ideal8 are belo+ on the
gro*nd. Not +ith one lea$ ,ay +e attain the s*,,it. An inter:ening distance de,ands to be
tra:ersed. To reach the roof +e ,*st *se either stairs or lift. By ,eans of the ,agical techni=*e
+e e,$loy the in:ocation of the /ods8 +ho ans+er ,eta$horically to the stairs or lift8 and
atte,$t *nion +ith their +ider and :aster conscio*sness. Since they re$resent the se:eral
cos,ic le:els of energy and ,ind inter:ening bet+een *s and the s*$re,e goal8 as +e *nite
o*rsel:es in lo:e and re:erence and s*rrender to the,8 by so ,*ch the nearer do +e a$$roach
to the *lti,ate so*rce and root of all things.
atte,$t *nion +ith their +ider and :aster conscio*sness. Since they re$resent the se:eral
cos,ic le:els of energy and ,ind inter:ening bet+een *s and the s*$re,e goal8 as +e *nite
o*rsel:es in lo:e and re:erence and s*rrender to the,8 by so ,*ch the nearer do +e a$$roach
to the *lti,ate so*rce and root of all things.
2sing the $lan of the Tree of 0ife as his g*ide8 the ,agician in:okes the lo+er /ods or
Archangels as they are na,ed in another syste,8 desiro*s of ,ingling his o+n life +ith8 and
s*rrendering his o+n being to8 the greater and ,ore e4tensi:e life of the /od. Th*s his s$irit*al
$erce$tions beco,e finer and ,ore sensiti:e8 and his conscio*sness beco,es +ith ti,e
acc*sto,ed to the high tension of the di:ine force flo+ing thro*gh hi,. His interior e:ol*tion
$roceeding8 he in:okes the /od of the Se$hirah or $lane i,,ediately abo:e. 'ollo+ing the
sa,e $roced*re8 he atte,$ts to assi,ilate his o+n essence8 his o+n integrated conscio*sness8
to that of the di:inity he has in:oked. And so on--*ntil finally he stands *$on the lofty 3arien
$eak of s$irit*al realisation8 *nited +ith the transcendental life of infinity8 feeling +ith *ni:ersal
lo:e and co,$assion8 conscio*s of all life and e:ery thing as hi,self +ith s*$re,e :ision and
$o+er. As Ia,blich*s8 the Neo$latonic the*rgist8 once e4$ressed it. EIf the essence and
$erfection of all good are co,$rehended in the gods8 and the first and ancient $o+er of the, is
+ith *s $riests ;i.e. the*rgists or ,agicians< and if by those +ho si,ilarly adhere to ,ore
e4cellent nat*res and gen*inely obtain a *nion +ith the,8 the beginning and end of all good is
earnestly $*rs*edI if this be the case8 here the conte,$lation of tr*th8 and the $ossession of
intellect*al science are to be fo*nd. And a kno+ledge of the /ods is acco,$anied +ith . . . the
kno+ledge of o*rsel:es.E
So ,*ch for theory. Ho+ does the art of in:ocation $roceedH Most i,$ortant of all is the
i,aginati:e fac*lty. This ,*st be trained to :is*alise sy,bols and i,ages +ith the *t,ost
clarity8 ease8 and $recision. The necessity for this s$rings fro, the fact that certain /od-for,s
are to be :is*alised. Most $o$*lar in ,agical techni=*es are the gy$tian /od-for,s. There
see,s to be a certain =*ality of s$ecific definiteness abo*t for,s s*ch as 1siris8 Isis8 Hor*s and
N*it8 for e4a,$le8 +hich renders the, $ec*liarly effecti:e for this kind of training. In another
syste,8 +here the Archangels are synony,o*s +ith the di:ine /ods8 for,s are :is*alised based
*$on an analysis of the indi:id*al letters co,$rising of /od-na,e. That is to say8 sho*ld +e
e,$loy the De+ish Cabalistic syste,8 each Hebre+ letter has attrib*ted to it a colo*r8
astrological sy,bol8 di:inatory ,eaning in Tarot and /eo,ancy8 and ele,ent. "hen b*ilding
*$ the so-called Teles,atic i,age of the Archangel in the i,agination8 +e take each letter as
re$resenting so,e $artic*lar $art or li,b of the 'or,8 and so,e $artic*lar sha$e8 feat*re8 or
colo*r. Th*s fro, the letters of its na,e8 a highly significant and elo=*ent for, is ideally
constr*cted.
Seated or Iying in a $erfectly rela4ed $hysical state8 one in +hich no ,*sc*lar or ner:o*s
tension can send a dist*rbing ,essage to the brain8 the st*dent endea:o*rs to i,agine that a
$artic*lar /od-for, or Teles,atic I,age s*rro*nds hi, or coincides +ith his $hysical sha$e.
So,eti,es b*t a fe+ ,in*tes s*ffice to $rod*ce a conscio*s realisation of the $resence8 tho*gh
,ore often than not a good ho*r?s +ork at the least is re=*ired to $roc*re +orth+hile res*lts.
As concentration and reflection beco,e ,ore intense and $rof*nd8 the body beco,es :italised
by strea,s of dyna,ic energy and $o+er. The ,ind8 too8 is in:aded by 0ight8 great intensity of
feeling8 and ins$iration.
The na,e of the /od or Archangel is ,ean+hile fre=*ently :ibrated. This :ibration ser:es t+o
ends. 1ne8 to kee$ the ,ind +ell concentrated on the ideal for, by ,eans of re$etition. T+o8
the :ibration a+akens in the de$ths of the ,icrocos,ic conscio*sness that ,agical fac*lty
+hich is akin or corres$onds to its ,acrocos,ic $o+er. Rhyth,ic breathing like+ise is
*ndertaken so as to tran=*ilise ,ind and body8 and to o$en the s*btler $arts of the inner nat*re
of the o,ni-$resent all-$er,eating life. Ais*alisations of the letters of the Na,e ,oreo:er are
$ractised. According to traditional r*les8 the letters are ,ani$*lated by the ,ind as ,o:ing
+ithin the for,s8 or occ*$ying certain i,$ortant $ositions on $le4*ses or ,a>or ner:e centres.
The totality of these ,ethods cons$ire to e4alt the conscio*sness of the o$erator8 to lift *$ his
,ind by no de:io*s or *ncertain ro*te to a nobler interior $lane +here is a $erce$tion of the
,eaning and transcendental nat*re and being of the /od.
1:er and abo:e all these ,ethods8 or8 ,ore acc*rately8 co,bining these techni=*es8 is a final
$hase of Magic +hich I $ro$ose only to to*ch *$on in brief--Initiation. The necessity and
rationale of this $rocess de$ends *$on the $ost*lated ability of a trained initiate to i,$art
so,ething of his o+n ill*,ination and s$irit*al $o+er to a candidate by ,eans of a cere,ony.
S*ch a ,agnetic trans,ission of $o+er is concei:ed to stir *$ the inner fac*lties of the
candidate--fac*lties dor,ant and obsc*red for ,any a sorry year. As )sell*s8 another
Neo$latonist once re,arked of Magic8 EIts f*nction is to initiate or $erfect the h*,an so*l by
the $o+er of ,aterials here on earth8 for the s*$re,e fac*lty of the so*l cannot by its o+n
g*idance as$ire to the s*bli,est int*itions8 and to the co,$rehension of 3i:inity.E
Since the di:ine $rinci$les of ,an are obsc*red and latent +ithin hi,8 so that conscio*sness8 of
itself and by itself is *nable to cli,b to the distant heights of s$irit*al inti,acy +ith *ni:ersal
life8 Magic in the hands of a trained and e4$erienced Mag*s is the ,eans +hereby that ecli$se
of the inner light ,ay be o:erco,e. By ,eans of se:eral initiations8 the seeds of a+akening are
so+n +ithin the so*l. 0ater they are fanned and sti,*lated into an acti:e li:ing fla,e lighting
the brain8 ill*,inating the so*l8 and $ro:iding the necessary g*idance to acco,$lish the
$*r$ose of incarnation.
The n*,ber of cere,onies and their detailed i,$lication ,*st differ8 nat*rally8 +ith different
syste,s8 tho*gh in general ,eaning all are in co,$lete accord. In one syste, of initiation
+hich is of es$ecial significance to ,e $ersonally8 the ,a>or initiation cere,onies are se:en in
n*,ber. The first of these is a cere,ony of $re$aration8 consecration and $*rification8 bringing
to the d*ll ga@e of the neo$hyte so,e :ag*e inti,ation of the 0ight to +hich he as$ires and
+hich see,s lost in the di, darkness afar. The seed of the 0ight is so+n dee$ly +ithin hi, by
+ay of s*ggestions e,bodied in rit*al s$eeches so that8 ti,e and de:otion to the +ork acting
as inc*bating agents8 it ,ay gro+ and blosso, into the f*ll-gro+n tree of ill*,ination and
di:ine *nion. The ne4t fi:e cere,onies are concerned +ith de:elo$ing +hat are ter,ed the
ele,ental bases of the so*l. #onscio*sness8 $laced *nder the s*r:eillance of the 0ight8 re=*ires
to be strengthened in its ele,ental as$ects. So that +hen the 0ight *lti,ately does ind+ell the
so*l of ,an8 the ele,ental self ,ay be strong eno*gh and $*re eno*gh to s*$$ort the so*l so
that it ,ay safely bear the f*ll br*nt of the di:ine glory. At first8 this ,ay not a$$ear $erha$s an
*rgent necessity. B*t if one re,e,bers the $athologies of ,ysticis,8 the +ell-,eaning b*t
scatterbrained and *n$ractical $eo$le of this +orld +ho ha:e been totally *nfitted for the
con=*est of life by a ,ild s$ecies of $sycho-s$irit*al e4$erience8 then the ,agical ro*tine
obtains so,e degree of >*stification. It is in :ain that the +ine of the gods is $o*red into old
cracked :essels. "e ,*st ,ake certain that the :essels are intact and strong8 ca$able of
retaining and not s$illing the +ine $o*red fro, abo:e.
con=*est of life by a ,ild s$ecies of $sycho-s$irit*al e4$erience8 then the ,agical ro*tine
obtains so,e degree of >*stification. It is in :ain that the +ine of the gods is $o*red into old
cracked :essels. "e ,*st ,ake certain that the :essels are intact and strong8 ca$able of
retaining and not s$illing the +ine $o*red fro, abo:e.
The fi:e ele,ental cere,onies ha:ing been e4$erienced8 and the seeds of the di:ine arth8 Air8
"ater8 'ire and ther so+n +ithin the h*,an so*l8 the candidate is ready for the final initiation
of this $artic*lar series. The central $oint of this initiation is the in:ocation of +hat co,,only
is called the higher Self8 or the Holy /*ardian Angel. This is the central core of the
indi:id*ality8 the root of the 2nconscio*s. Before *nion +ith the Infinite ,ay be en:isaged8 it
is necessary that e:ery $rinci$le in the h*,an constit*tion be *nited so that ,an beco,es one
*nited conscio*sness8 and not a disconnected series of se$arate discrete conscio*snesses. The
intelligence of the $hysical cells co,$rising the body8 the $rinci$le of the e,otions and
feelings8 the s$here of the ,ind itself8 these ,*st be *nited and bo*nd together by a conscio*s
realisation of the tr*e nat*re of the Self e,$loying the,8 the higher /eni*s. Integrity $rod*ced
thro*gh the agency of the telestic or initiatory rites8 then the +hole h*,an being8 the entire
,an ,ay set forth *$on that lengthy b*t inco,$arable bright road +hich leads to the end8 and
to the beginning also8 of life. Then8 and only then8 is ,an able to realise the ,eaning of life8 and
the $*r$ose of his ,*ltit*dino*s incarnations on earth. No longer is a :ag*e ,ysticis,
co*ntenanced and idealised as a co+ardly esca$e fro, the diffic*lties and t*r,oils of this life.
"ith these latter he is no+ ca$able of dealing and8 ,oreo:er8 of co,$letely ,astering the,8 so
that no longer do they ensla:e hi,. By no ties either of attach,ent or disg*st is he bo*nd to the
d*ties of this earth--ties +hich ,*st necessitate his f*rther and contin*ed incarnation *ntil he
has s*ccessf*lly se:ered the,.
'reedo, obtained thro*gh the ac=*isition of integrity in its tr*est and di:inest sense8 then the
ne4t ,agical ste$ in e:ol*tion is $ossible of recognition and achie:e,ent--the conscio*s ret*rn
of ,an to the di:ine 0ight fro, +hich he ca,e.
TH MANIN/ 1' MA/I#
by Israel Regardie
#o$yright % 196(8 '.I. Regardie
)*blished by Helios8 1969
The )*blication of This Book +as ,ade $ossible thro*gh the co-o$eration of.
TH SAN/RA0 '12N3ATI1N IN#.
).1. Bo4 56&7
3allas8 Te4as8 96551
"e li:e today in a +orld of great ,aterial $rogress and ,echanical ingen*ity. 1n e:ery hand is
flo*ted the social ad:antages of the +orld-+ide co,,*nication be=*eathed to *s by s*ch
,odern in:entions as a:iation8 radio and s$ace-craft. Ti,e see,s to disa$$ear in the face of
s*ch things8 and s$ace d+indles al,ost to nothing. The $eo$les of the earth are dra+n far
closer together than e:er they ha:e been before in recorded history. By +ay of $arado48
ho+e:er8 si,*ltaneo*sly +ith this *ni=*e ad:ance in scientific $rogress8 a large $ro$ortion of
,ankind is s*$re,ely ,iserable. It s*ffers the $angs of dire star:ation beca*se scientific
,ethods ha:e yielded an o:er-$rod*ction of foods and ,an*fact*red articles +itho*t ha:ing
sol:ed the $roble, of distrib*tion. Bet ,odern science has beco,e in:ested +ith a nat*re
+hich originally +as not its o+n. 3es$ite the chaos of international affairs8 and the fear of
another catastro$hic +ar $resent in the ,inds of ,ost $eo$le8 it has beco,e robed in a ,ighty
grande*r8 al,ost of di:inity. )erha$s it is beca*se of this feeling of insec*rity and fear that this
condition has co,e abo*t8 for the h*,an $syche is a co+ardly thing at core. "e cannot bear to
be honest +ith o*rsel:es8 acce$ting the idea that +hilst +e are h*,an +e are bo*nd to feel
insec*rity8 an4iety and inferiority. Instead8 +e $ro>ect these fears o*t+ards *$on life8 and in:est
science or any body of kno+ledge +ith :ast $otential of affect so as to bolster *$ o*r d+indling
f*nd of co*rage. So science has beco,e8 thanks to o*r $ro>ected affect8 an a*thority that hardly
dares to be =*estioned. "e cannot bear that it sho*ld be =*estioned for +e ,*st feel that in
this s*b>ect at least is a*thority8 *nshakeable kno+ledge and the sec*rity +e so dearly cra:e.
The $heno,enon is hardly dissi,ilar to that of a fe+ cent*ries ago +hen religion8 for,al
religion of the ch*rches8 +as the reci$ient of this obeissance and res$ect. 'or ,any $eo$le8
science has no+ beco,e their intellect*al keynote8 by +hose ,eas*ring rod--des$ite their o+n
$ersonal ne*roses and ,oral defects--all things soe:er are r*led8 acce$ted or re>ected.
)*rs*its no ,atter of +hat nat*re +hich te,$orarily are not $o$*larly fa:ored8 e:en tho*gh in
the, lies the ho$e for the s$iriti*al ad:ance,ent of the +orld8 or s*b>ects +hich do not $ossess
the sanction of those +ho are the leading lights in the scientific +orld8 are a$t th*s to recei:e as
their lot neglect and gross ,is*nderstanding. "hen ,any folk are introd*ced to Magic8 for
instance8 the first reaction is either one of stark fear and horror--or else +e are greeted by a
s,ile of the *t,ost condescension. This is follo+ed by the retort intended to be de:astating
that Magic is synony,o*s +ith s*$erstition8 that long ago +ere its tenets e4$loded8 and that
,oreo:er it is *nscientific. This8 I belie:e8 is the e4$erience of the ,a>ority of $eo$le +hose
$ri,e interest is Magic or +hat no+ $asses as 1cc*ltis,. It see,s that >*st as their ho$e for
sec*rity and their desire for *nshakeable kno+ledge beco,es $ro>ected *$on science8 so their
inner fears and *nfaced terrors are $ro>ected *$on this ,altreated body of traditional
kno+ledge8 Magic. 3isconcerting this reaction can ,ost certainly be8 *nless criticis, and the
call for definitions i,,ediately is resorted to. By these ,eans alone ,ay +e +ho cha,$ion
Magic obtain a begr*dged hearing.
their lot neglect and gross ,is*nderstanding. "hen ,any folk are introd*ced to Magic8 for
instance8 the first reaction is either one of stark fear and horror--or else +e are greeted by a
s,ile of the *t,ost condescension. This is follo+ed by the retort intended to be de:astating
that Magic is synony,o*s +ith s*$erstition8 that long ago +ere its tenets e4$loded8 and that
,oreo:er it is *nscientific. This8 I belie:e8 is the e4$erience of the ,a>ority of $eo$le +hose
$ri,e interest is Magic or +hat no+ $asses as 1cc*ltis,. It see,s that >*st as their ho$e for
sec*rity and their desire for *nshakeable kno+ledge beco,es $ro>ected *$on science8 so their
inner fears and *nfaced terrors are $ro>ected *$on this ,altreated body of traditional
kno+ledge8 Magic. 3isconcerting this reaction can ,ost certainly be8 *nless criticis, and the
call for definitions i,,ediately is resorted to. By these ,eans alone ,ay +e +ho cha,$ion
Magic obtain a begr*dged hearing.
Science is a +ord ,eaning kno+ledge. Hence any body of kno+ledge8 regardless of its
character--+hether ancient8 ,ediae:al8 or ,odern--is a science. Technically8 ho+e:er8 the +ord
is reser:ed $ri,arily to i,$ly that kind of kno+ledge red*ced to syste,atic order. This order is
enco,$assed by ,eans of acc*rate obser:ation e4$eri,entally carried o*t o:er a $eriod of
ti,e8 the classification of the beha:io*r of nat*ral $heno,ena alone8 and the ded*ction of
general la+s to e4$lain and to acco*nt for that beha:io*r. If this be the case8 then Magic ,*st
like+ise clai, incl*sion +ithin the sco$e of the sa,e ter,. 'or the content of Magic has been
obser:ed8 recorded and described in no *ncertain ter,s o:er a great $eriod of ti,e. And tho*gh
its $heno,ena are other than $hysical8 being al,ost e4cl*si:ely $sychological in their effect8
they are of co*rse nat*ral. /eneral la+s8 too8 ha:e been e:ol:ed to acco*nt for and e4$lain its
$heno,ena.
A definition of Magic $resents a rather ,ore diffic*lt task. A short definition +hich +ill really
e4$lain its nat*re and describe the field of its o$eration see,s $ractically i,$ossible. 1ne
dictionary defines it as Ethe art of a$$lying nat*ral ca*ses to $rod*ce s*r$rising effects.E
Ha:elock llis has :ent*red the s*ggestion that a ,agical act is a na,e +hich ,ay +ell be
gi:en to co:er e:ery concei:able act in the +hole of life?s s$an. It is Aleister #ro+ley?s
s*ggestion that EMagic is the science and art of ca*sing changes to occ*r in confor,ity +ith
+ill.E 3ion 'ort*ne slightly ,odified this by adding a co*$le of +ords-- Echanges in
conscio*sness.E The anony,o*s ,ediae:al a*thor of The /oetia8 or 0esser Fey of Fing
Solo,on has +ritten a $roe, to that book +here occ*rs the $assage that EMagic is the highest8
,ost absol*te8 and ,ost di:ine kno+ledge of Nat*ral $hiloso$hy . . . Tr*e agents being a$lied
to $ro$er $atients strange and ad,irable effects +ill thereby be $rod*ced. "hence ,agicians
are $rofo*nd and diligent searchers into Nat*re.E
Ha:e these definitions ta*ght *s anything of a $recise nat*re abo*t the s*b>ectH )ersonally I
do*bt it :ery ,*chI all are too general in their sco$e to tend to+ards edification. 0et *s
therefore cease seeking definitions and consider first of all certain as$ects or f*nda,ental
$rinci$les of the s*b>ect8 After+ards8 $erha$s8 +e ,ay ha:e s*fficient tr*st +orthy and
e:idential ,aterial at o*r dis$osal to for,*late ane+ a definition +hich ,ay con:ey so,ething
intelligible and $recise to o*r ,inds.
"ithin the significance of the one ter, Magic are co,$rehended se:eral =*ite inde$endent
techni=*es8 as I shall ,ention on a later $age8 in another essay. It ,ay be ad:antageo*s to
e4a,ine so,e of these techni=*es. Before doing so8 ho+e:er8 it ,ight be +ell to consider a
$art of the *nderlying theory. I kno+ ,any +ill say by +ay of criticis, of this disc*ssion8 that it
is nothing b*t $ri,iti:e $sychology--and only the $sychology of a*to-s*ggestion at that. There
+ill be a decided sneer8 barely concealed.
e4a,ine so,e of these techni=*es. Before doing so8 ho+e:er8 it ,ight be +ell to consider a
$art of the *nderlying theory. I kno+ ,any +ill say by +ay of criticis, of this disc*ssion8 that it
is nothing b*t $ri,iti:e $sychology--and only the $sychology of a*to-s*ggestion at that. There
+ill be a decided sneer8 barely concealed.
Ho+e:er8 this ob>ection does not co,$letely dis$ose of the s*b>ect by any ,eans. A :ery great
deal ,ore re,ains to be said. Not that I +o*ld deny that in Magic the $rocess of
self-s*ggestion is absent. Most certainly it is $resent. B*t +hat I ,*st e,$hasise here is the
fact that it is $resent in a highly e:ol:ed and elaborate for,. It al,ost ,akes the technical
a$$roach of so,e of o*r ,odern e4$eri,enters look $*erile and *nde:elo$ed. "e are not to
s*$$ose for one ,o,ent that the inno:ators and de:elo$ers of the ,agical $rocesses in days
gone by +ere nai:e or fools8 *na+are of h*,an $sychology and the str*ct*re of the ,ind itself.
Nor that they refrained fro, facing ,any of the $sychic $roble,s +ith +hich +e no+adays
ha:e had to deal. Many of the early ,agicians +ere +ise and skilled ,en8 artists and sages8
+ell-:ersed in the +ays and ,eans of infl*encing and affecting $eo$le.
"e kno+ that they *nderstood a good deal abo*t hy$notis, and the Ind*ction of hy$noidal
states. It is highly $robable that they s$ec*lated8 as ha:e done inn*,erable ,odern
$sychologists8 *$on technical ,ethods of ind*cing hy$noidal states +itho*t the aid and hel$ of
a second $erson. B*t they soon beca,e a+are of all the obstacles and barriers that beset their
$ath. And these +ere ,any. I belie:e that in Magic they de:ised a highly efficient technical
$roced*re for o:erco,ing these diffic*lties.
"hen #o*e so,e years ago b*rst *$on o*r startled hori@on +ith his s$ectac*lar for,*la of
Eday by day in e:ery +ay I a, getting better and betterE ,any belie:ed that here at last +e
+ere $resented +ith the ideal ,ethod of getting do+n to brass tacks8 of finally being able to
i,$inge *$on the 2nconscio*s ,ind8 so called. H*ndreds of tho*sands of $eo$le s*rely ,*st
ha:e gone to bed at night8 deter,ined to ind*ce a rela4ation that +as as nearly $erfect as they
co*ld obtain8 and atte,$ted to enter the land of sl*,ber +hile ,*ttering slee$ily the ,agical
for,*la o:er and o:er again. 1thers listened to ,*sic in di,ly lighted roo,s *ntil they
e4$erienced so,e sense of e4altation and then ,*,bled the healing $hrase *ntil they felt that
s*rely so,e fa:o*rable res*lt ,*st occ*r.
Ass*redly so,e l*cky $eo$le got res*lts. They +ere8 ho+e:er8 fe+ and far bet+een. So,e of
these did o:erco,e certain $hysical handica$s of illness8 ner:o*sness8 so-called defects in
s$eech and other ,anneris,s8 and th*s +ere able to better the,sel:es and their $ositions in the
+orld of reality. 1thers +ere less fort*nate--and these +ere by far the greater n*,ber8 the great
,a>ority.
"hat +as the diffic*lty that $re:ented these $eo$le8 this large ,a>ority8 fro, a$$lying the
,agical for,*la *ntil s*ccess +as theirsH "hy +ere they not able to $enetrate that :eil
stretched bet+een the :ario*s le:els of their ,inds.
Before +e ans+er these =*estions--and I belie:e that Magic does really ans+er the,--let *s
analy@e the sit*ation a little ,ore closely.
The *nconscio*s in these syste,s of so called $ractical $sychology8 ,eta$hysics8 and
a*to-s*ggestion8 is considered a sl*,bering giant. These syste,s hold that it is a :eritable
storeho*se of $o+er and energy. It controls e:ery f*nction of the body e:ery ,o,ent of e:ery
day8 nor does it slee$ or tire. The heart beats se:entyt+o ti,es $er ,in*te8 and e:ery three or
fo*r seconds o*r l*ngs +ill breathe in o4ygen and e4hale carbonic acid and other +aste
$rod*cts. The intricate and co,$le4 $rocess of digestion and assi,ilation of food +hich
beco,es $art and $arcel of o*r :ery being8 the circ*lation of blood8 the gro+th8 de:elo$,ent
and ,*lti$lication of cells8 the organic resistance to infection--all these $rocesses are concei:ed
of as i,,ediately *nder the control of this $ortion of o*r ,inds of +hich +e are not nor,ally
a+are--the 2nconscio*s.
This is only one theoretical a$$roach to the 2nconscio*s. There are other definitions of its
nat*re and f*nction +hich altogether $recl*de the $ractical $ossibility of resorting to
s*ggestion or a*to-s*ggestion for co$ing +ith o*r ills. 'or e4a,$le8 there is the definition
$ro:ided by D*ng +ith +hich in ,any +ays I a, in sy,$athy8 and it ,ight be +orlh o*r +hile
to =*ote it at so,e length.
He +rote in Modern Man in Search of a So*lthat E,an?s *nconscio*s like+ise contains all the
$atterns of life and beha:io*r inherited fro, his ancestors8 so that e:ery h*,an child8 $rior to
conscio*sness8 is $ossessed of a $otential syste, of ada$ting $sychic f*nctioning . . . "hile
conscio*sness is intensi:e and concentrated8 it is transient and is directed *$on the i,,ediate
$resent and the i,,ediate field of attentionI ,oreo:er8 it has access only to ,aterial that
re$resents one indi:d*al?s e4$erience stretching o:er a fe+ decades.... B*t ,atters stand :ery
differently +ith the *nconscio*s. It is not concentrated and intensi:e8 b*t shades off into
obsc*rity8 it is highly e4tensi:e and can >*4ta$ose the ,ost heterogeneo*s ele,ents in the ,ost
$arado4ical +ay. More than this8 it contains8 besides an indeter,inable n*,ber of s*bli,inal
$erce$ions8 an i,,ense f*nd of acc*,*lated inheritance-factors left by one generation of ,en
after another8 +hose ,ere e4istence ,arks a ste$ in the differentiation of the s$ecies. If it +ere
$er,issible to $ersonify the *nconscio*s8 +e ,ight call it a collecti:e h*,an being co,bining
the characteristics of both se4es8 transcending yo*th and age8 birth and death8 and8 fro, ha:ing
at his co,,and a h*,an e4$erience of one or t+o ,illion years8 al,ost i,,ortal. If s*ch a
being e4isted8 he +o*ld be e4alted abo:e all te,$oral changeI the $resent +o*ld ,ean neither
,ore nor less to hi, than any year in the one h*ndredth cent*ry before #hristI he +o*ld be a
drea,er of age-old drea,s and8 o+ing to his i,,eas*rable e4$erience8 he +o*ld be an
inco,$arable $rognosticator. He +o*ld ha:e li:ed co*ntless ti,es o:er the life of the
indi:id*al8 of the fa,ily8 tribe and $eo$le8 and he +o*ld $ossess the li:ing sense of the rhyth,
of gro+th8 flo+ering and decay.E
/ranted this kind of definition8 the +hole idea of s*ggesting ideas to this Edrea,er of age-old
drea,sE so*nds *tterly $res*,$t*o*s. 1nly a si,$leton8 li:ing a s*$erficial intellect*al and
s$irit*al life8 +o*ld ha:e the a*dacity to dare gi:e this EbeingE s*ggestions relati:e to b*siness8
,arriage8 or health. S*ch a conce$t then i,,ediately r*les o*t the *se of s*ggestion8
de,anding ,ore so$histicated a$$roaches.
'or the ti,e being8 and only for the $*r$ose of this dissc*ssion8 let *s grant :alidity to the first
conce$t of the *nconscio*s as being a titan +ho +ill res$ond to s*ggestions if the latter can be
gotten thro*gh to hi,. The theory goes8 therefore8 that if8 in the face of so,e bodily ill or
disf*nction8 +e co*ld literally tell the 2nconscio*s +hat +e +ant done8 these res*lts co*ld
occ*r in ans+er to o*r concentrated +ish. Theoretically8 the theory so*nds all right.
2nfort*nately8 for one thing8 it does not take into consideration the fact that early in life an
i,$enetrable barrier is erected +ithin the $syche itself. A barrier of inhibition is b*ilt *$
bet+een the *nconscio*s and the conscio*s thinking self--a barrier of $re>*dices8 false ,oral
conce$ts8 infantile notions8 $ride and egotis,. So $rofo*nd is this ar,o*red barrier that o*r
best atte,$ts to get $ast it8 aro*nd it8 or thro*gh it are *tterly i,$otent. "e beco,e c*t off
fro, o*r roots8 and ha:e no $o+er8 no ability8 to contact the dee$er8 the instinct*al8 the ,ore
$otent side of o*r nat*res.
The :ario*s schools of a*to-s*ggestion and ,eta$hysics all ha:e different theories and
techni=*es +ith regard to o:erco,ing this barrier. That so,e $eo$le do s*cceed is
*n=*estionable. 1ne ,eets al,ost e:ery day an indi:id*al here and there +ho is able to
Ede,onstrateE--to *se the ghastly +ord they so glibly e,$loy. These fe+ are able to i,$ress
their 2nconscio*s ,inds +ith certain ideas +hich fall as tho*gh *$on fertile soil8 fr*ctify and
bring sal*tary res*lts. These +e cannot deny--,*ch as so,eti,es +e +o*ld like to8 so
offensi:e is their s,*gness8 their dog,atic attit*de8 their *nthinkingness.
B*t by far the great ,a>ority of their de:otees fail la,entably. They ha:e not ob:io*sly been
able to o:erco,e this diffic*lty by the e,$loy,ent of the *s*al ro*tines
I a, s*re the ancient sages and ,agi kne+ of these $roble,s--kne+ the, :ery +ell. I a, also
=*ite s*re that they reali@ed that the techni=*e they *sed +as8 a,ongst other things8 a $rocess
of s*ggesting a series of creati:e ideas to the,sel:es. B*t +hat I a, e=*ally certain of is this.
They had $erfected an al,ost ideal ,ethod +hich $ro:ed itself able to $enetrate this hitherto
i,$enetrable endo$sychic barrier. They +ere able to reach this i,$risoned titan locked *$ in
the hearts of e:ery one of *s8 and set it free so that it co*ld +ork +ith the, and for the,. Th*s
they beca,e al,ost Iyrical in their descri$tions of +hat co*ld not be acco,$lished by the
indi:id*al +ho e,$loyed their techni=*es +ith co*rage and $erse:erance.
As I say8 they kne+ of the e4istence of this $sychic ar,oring8 and kne+ it only too +ell. All
their ,ethods +ere directed to ,obili@ing all the forces of the indi:id*al8 reinforcing his +ill
and i,agination8 to the end that he co*ld o:erco,e hi,self to reali@e his kinshi$8 his identity
and *nity +ith the *nconscio*s self.
"hat these ,ethods +ere8 I ho$e to describe in so,e s,all detail in these $ages. So,e of the,
,ay a$$ear irrational to *s. They certainly are irrational. B*t that is no arg*,ent for re>ecting
the, s*,,arily. A great $art of life itself is irrational. B*t it is inc*,bent *$on *s to acce$t life
in all its as$ects8 rational and irrational as +ell. 1ne of the :ery earliest things a $sycho-analytic
$atient learns is this one fact--that he has at least t+o sides to his nat*re8 a rational and an
irrational side. Together they co,$rise a single discrete self8 his $ersonality. If he denies the
:alidity or e4istence of either one of the,8 he does :iolence to hi,self and ,*st s*ffer
accordingly. Both of these t+o factors ,*st be $er,itted to e4ist side by side8 the one affecting
the other. In this +ay8 the indi:id*al gro+s8 intellect*ally8 e,otionally and s$irit*ally8 and all
his +ays +ill $ros$er. "ith denial8 nothing b*t tro*ble8 ne*rosis and disease can follo+.
the other. In this +ay8 the indi:id*al gro+s8 intellect*ally8 e,otionally and s$irit*ally8 and all
his +ays +ill $ros$er. "ith denial8 nothing b*t tro*ble8 ne*rosis and disease can follo+.
These irrational $rocesses that +ere instit*ted of old as the techni=*e of Magic co,$rise the
*se of in:ocation or $rayer8 of the *se of the i,agination in for,*lating i,ages and sy,bols8 of
e,$loying the religio*s sense to a+aken ecstasy and an intensity of feeling8 of rates of
breathing that +o*ld alter the acc*sto,ed ne*ro-$hysiological $atterns and so render ,ore
$er,eable the barrier +ithin the ,ind itself. :erything that +o*ld cond*ce to a heightening of
feeling and i,agination8 that +o*ld lead to the instigation of an o:er$o+ering ecstasy8 +o*ld
be enco*raged8 for it +o*ld be in this $sychological state that the nor,al barriers and confines
of the conscio*s $ersonality co*ld be o:er-ridden in a te,$est*o*s stor, of e,otional
concentration.
It +as the ancient theory that the *nconscio*s or the dee$er le:els of the $syche co*ld be
reached $rinci$ally by t+o ,ethods. These +ere intense concentration8 and intensity of
e,otion. The for,er is e4tre,ely diffic*lt of achie:e,ent. #ertainly there are ,ethods +hereby
the ,ind itself ,ay be trained so to concentrate that e:ent*ally a f*nnel8 as it +ere8 is created
by the ,ind8 thro*gh +hich s*ggestions co*ld be $o*red into the *nconscio*s to +ork their
+ay o*t in the :ario*s +ays desired. B*t s*ch ,ethods are for the :ery fe+. There is only an
indi:id*al here and there +ho has the $atience and the indo,itable +ill to sit by hi,self for a
certain $eriod d*ring the day8 and each day8 and s*b>ect hi,self to an iron ,ental disci$line.
The e,otional intensity8 +hile not easy to c*lti:ate8 at least is ,ore +ithin the bo*nds and
$ossibilities of achie:e,ent than is the other. It +as this ,ethod that the ancient ,agicians
c*lti:ated to a :ery fine art. They de:ised inn*,erable ,eans +hereby the nor,al $hysiological
habits co*ld be changed and altered8 so as to $er,it of this i,$inge,ent *$on the *nderlying
basis of the self.
To s*,,arise8 there is 3i:ination8 the art of obtaining at a ,o,ent?s notice any re=*ired ty$e
of infor,ation regarding the o*tco,e of certain actions or e:ents. 'ort*ne telling so-called is
an ab*se. The sole $*r$ose of the art is to de:elo$ the int*iti:e fac*lties of the st*dent to s*ch
an e4tent that e:ent*ally all technical ,ethods of di:ination ,ay be discarded. "hen that stage
of de:elo$,ent has been reached8 ,ere reflection *$on any $roble, +ill a*to,atically e:oke
fro, the int*iti:e ,echanis, +ithin the infor,ation re=*ired8 +ith a degree of certainty and
ass*rance in:ol:ed that co*ld ne:er be ac=*ired sa:e fro, an inner $sychic so*rce.
Another $hase--$erha$s that +hich has been stressed ,ore than all others--is #ere,onial Magic
in its +idest sense. #o,$rised +ithin this e4$ression8 are at least three distinct ty$es of
cere,onial endea:o*r8 all8 ho+e:er8 s*b>ect to one general set of r*les or go:erned by one
,a>or for,*la. The +ord Ecere,onialE incl*des rit*als for initiation8 for the in:ocation of /ods
so-called8 and the e:ocation of ele,ental and $lanetary s$irits. There is also the enor,o*s
s$here of talis,ans8 and their consecration and charging. #ere,onial is $robably the ,ost ideal
of all ,ethods for s$irit*al de:elo$,ent since it entails the analysis and s*bse=*ent sti,*lation
of e:ery indi:id*al fac*lty and $o+er. Its res*lts are geni*s and s$irit*al ill*,ination. B*t
$ersonal a$tit*de is so $otent a factor in this ,atter8 as +ell as in di:ination8 that altho*gh the
+ord EArtE ,ay be a$$lied to co:er their o$eration it +o*ld be *n>*st to Magic to deno,inate
it a Science.
+ord EArtE ,ay be a$$lied to co:er their o$eration it +o*ld be *n>*st to Magic to deno,inate
it a Science.
The third8 and in so,e +ays the ,ost i,$ortant branch for ,y $artic*lar $*r$ose at the
,o,ent8 is Aision8 or the Body of 0ight techni=*e. It is +ith this latter that I shall deal
e4cl*si:ely in this essay8 as it contains ele,ents +hich I feel ans+er ,ore definitely to the
re=*ire,ents of a Science than any other.
In disc*ssing Magic8 the reader?s $ardon ,*st be so*ght if reference is contin*ally ,ade to a
technical $hiloso$hical syste, na,ed the Cabalah. They are so interlaced that it is +ell-nigh
i,$ossible to se$arate the,. Cabalah is theory and $hiloso$hy. 1n the other hand8 Magic is the
$ractical a$$lication of that theory. In the Cabalah is a geo,etrical gly$h na,ed the Tree of
0ife8 +hich is really a sy,bolic ,a$ both of the *ni:erse in its ,a>or as$ects8 and of its
,icrocos,8 ,an. 2$on this ,a$ are de$icted ten $rinci$al continents8 so to say8 or ten fields of
acti:ity +here the forces constit*ting or *nderlying the 2ni:erse f*nction in their res$ecti:e
+ays. In ,an these are analysable into ten facets of conscio*sness8 ten ,odes of s$irit*al
acti:ity. These are called the Se$hiros. I cannot enter ,ore f*lly into an o*tline of this ,a$ here
tho*gh I ha:e re$eatedly referred to it here and in other essaysI b*t the reader +ill find it
ade=*ately described in :ario*s books or articles on the s*b>ect.
No+ consider +ith ,e that es$ecial Se$hirah or s*btle as$ect of the *ni:erse called by the
Cabalists Besod. Translated as the s$here of the 'o*ndation8 it is $art of the Astral 0ight--an
o,nifor, $lane of ,agnetic8 electric8 and *bi=*ito*s s*bstance8 inter$enetrating and
*nderlying the +hole of the :isible $erce$tible +orld. It acts as a ,ore or less $er,anent ,o*ld
+here*$on the $hysical +orld is constr*cted8 its o+n acti:ity and constant change ens*ring the
stability of this +orld as a co,$ensating factor. In this +orld f*nction the dyna,ics of feeling8
desire and e,otion8 and >*st as the acti:ities of this $hysical +orld are engineered thro*gh the
,odalities of heat and cold8 co,$ression and diff*sion8 etc.8 so in the astral are o$erati:e
attraction and re$*lsion8 lo:e and hate. Another of its f*nctions is to e4ist as the ,e,ory of
nat*re8 +herein are a*to,atically and instantaneo*sly recorded e:ery act of ,an and e:ery
$heno,enon of the *ni:erse fro, ti,e i,,e,orial to the $resent day. The nineteenth cent*ry
Mag*s8 li$has 0e:i8 has +ritten of this astral 0ight that. EThere e4ists an agent +hich is
nat*ral and di:ine8 ,aterial and s$irit*al8 a *ni:ersal $lastic ,ediator8 a co,,on rece$tacle of
the :ibrations of ,otion and the i,ages of for,s8 a fl*id and a force8 +hich ,ay be called in
so,e +ay the I,agination of Nat*re....E And again he registers the con:iction that it is Ethe
,ysterio*s force +hose e=*ilibri*, is social life8 $rogress8 ci:ili@ation8 and +hose dist*rbance
is anarchy8 re:ol*tion8 barbaris,8 fro, +hose chaos a ne+ e=*ilibri*, at length e:ol:es8 the
cos,os of a ne+ order8 +hen another do:e has brooded o:er the blackened and dist*rbed
+aters.E
It is interesting to glance fro, this the*rgic conce$t to a $sychological one +hich is not :ery
*nlike it. The follo+ing $aragra$h is ,ore or less of a $ara$hrase of D*ng?s ideas concerning it8
c*lled fro, an essay of his entitled Analytical )sychology and "eltanscha**ng.It is an
e4tension of the ideas $re:io*sly =*oted. He defines it first of all as the all-controlling de$osit
of ancestral e4$erience fro, *ntold ,illions of years8 the echo of $rehistoric +orld-e:ents to
+hich each cent*ry adds an infinitesi,ally s,all a,o*nt of :ariation and differentiation.
Beca*se it is in the last analysis a de$osit of +orld-e:ents finding e4$ression in brain and
sy,$athetic ner:e str*ct*re8 it ,eans in its totality a sort of ti,eless +orld-i,age8 +ith a
certain as$ect of eternity o$$osed to o*r ,o,entary8 conscio*s i,age of the +orld. It has an
energy $ec*liar to itself8 inde$endent of conscio*sness8 by ,eans of +hich effects are $rod*ced
in the $syche that infl*ence *s all the ,ore $o+erf*lly fro, the dark regions +ithin. These
infl*ences re,ain in:isible to e:eryone +ho has failed to s*b>ect the transient +orld-i,age to
ade=*ate criticis,8 and +ho is therefore still hidden fro, hi,self. That the +orld has not only
an o*ter8 b*t an inner as$ect. That it is not only o*t+ardly :isible8 b*t also acts $o+erf*lly
*$on *s in a ti,eless $resent8 fro, the dee$est and ,ost s*b>ecti:e hinterland of the
$syche---this D*ng holds to be a for, of kno+ledge +hich8 regardless of the fact that it is
ancient +isdo,8 deser:es to be e:al*ated as a ne+ factor in for,ing a $hiloso$hic +orld-:ie+.
I s*ggest8 then8 that +hat the Magicians i,$ly by the Astral 0ight is identical in the last resort
+ith the #ollecti:e 2nconscio*s of ,odern $sychology.
Beca*se it is in the last analysis a de$osit of +orld-e:ents finding e4$ression in brain and
sy,$athetic ner:e str*ct*re8 it ,eans in its totality a sort of ti,eless +orld-i,age8 +ith a
certain as$ect of eternity o$$osed to o*r ,o,entary8 conscio*s i,age of the +orld. It has an
energy $ec*liar to itself8 inde$endent of conscio*sness8 by ,eans of +hich effects are $rod*ced
in the $syche that infl*ence *s all the ,ore $o+erf*lly fro, the dark regions +ithin. These
infl*ences re,ain in:isible to e:eryone +ho has failed to s*b>ect the transient +orld-i,age to
ade=*ate criticis,8 and +ho is therefore still hidden fro, hi,self. That the +orld has not only
an o*ter8 b*t an inner as$ect. That it is not only o*t+ardly :isible8 b*t also acts $o+erf*lly
*$on *s in a ti,eless $resent8 fro, the dee$est and ,ost s*b>ecti:e hinterland of the
$syche---this D*ng holds to be a for, of kno+ledge +hich8 regardless of the fact that it is
ancient +isdo,8 deser:es to be e:al*ated as a ne+ factor in for,ing a $hiloso$hic +orld-:ie+.
I s*ggest8 then8 that +hat the Magicians i,$ly by the Astral 0ight is identical in the last resort
+ith the #ollecti:e 2nconscio*s of ,odern $sychology.
By ,eans of the traditional The*rgic techni=*e it is $ossible to contact conscio*sly this $lane8
to e4$erience its life and infl*ence8 con:erse +ith its ele,ental and angelic inhabitants
so-called8 and ret*rn here to nor,al conscio*sness +ith co,$lete a+areness and ,e,ory of
that e4$erience. This8 nat*rally re=*ires training. B*t so does e:ery de$art,ent of science.
Intensi:e $re$aration is de,anded to fit one for criticial obser:ation8 to $ro:ide one +ith the
$artic*lar scientific al$habet re=*ired for its st*dy8 and to ac=*aint one +ith the researches of
one?s $redecessors in that real,. No less sho*ld be e4$ected of Magic--tho*gh all too often
,iracles are e4$ected +itho*t d*e $re$aration. Anyone +ith e:en the slightest :is*al
i,agination ,ay be so trained as to handle in b*t a short +hile the ele,entary ,agical
techni=*e8 by +hich one is enabled to e4$lore the s*btler as$ects of life and the *ni:erse. To
transcend this E,any-colo*red +orld.E To gain ad,ittance to loftier real,s of so*l and s$irit is
=*ite another ,atter. 1ne calling for other fac*lties and other $o+ers8 $artic*larly a fiery
de:otion and an intense as$iration to the highest.
B*t +ith the latter8 I a, not >*st no+ concerned8 e:en tho*gh it is the $*lsing heart and ,ore
i,$ortant as$ect of The*rgy. It is +ith the scientific as$ect of Magic8 its ,ore readily :erifiable
as$ect8 that I shall deal no+. lse+here I ha:e gi:en as traditional attrib*tions or associations
to the s$here in =*estion the follo+ing sy,bols. Its $lanet is said to be the Moon8 its ele,ent
Air8 its n*,ber Nine8 its colo*r $*r$le--and also sil:er in another scale. The )earl and
Moonstone are its >e+els8 aloes its $erf*,e8 and its so-called di:ine na,e is Shaddai l #hai.
The Archangel attrib*ted to it is /abriel8 its choir of Angels are the fo*r Fer*bs r*ling the
ele,ents8 and its geo,antic sy,bols are )o$*l*s and Aia. The Tarot sy,bols a$$ertaining to
this s$here are those cards in each of the fo*r s*its n*,bered IL8 and closely associated +ith it
also is the t+enty-first tr*,$ card entitled EThe "orld.E Here +e find de$icted a fe,ale for,
s*rro*nded by a green garland. Act*ally this tr*,$ card is attrib*ted to the thirty-second $ath
of Sat*rn +hich connects the ,aterial $lain to Besod. Ho+8 no+8 arises the =*estion8 ho+
+ere these sy,bols and na,es obtainedH "hat is their originH And +hy are they so called
attrib*tions or corres$ondences of that Se$hirah called the 'o*ndationH
'irst of all8 ,editation +ill disclose the fact that all ha:e a nat*ral har,ony and affinity one
+ith the other--tho*gh not $erha$s readily seen at the first glance. 'or e4a,$le8 the Moon is8 to
*s8 the fastest ,o:ing $lanet. It tra:els thro*gh all the t+el:e signs of the @odiac in abo*t
t+enty-eight days. The idea of ra$id change is there i,$licit8 re:ealing the conce$t that the
astral8 +hile al,ost a ti,eless eternal de$osit of +orld e:ents8 is ne:ertheless the origin of
,*tations and alterations +hich later infl*ence the $hysical +orld--in the sa,e +ay that
i,$*lse and tho*ght ,*st $recede any action. Its ele,ent is air8 a s*btle all $er:ading
,edi*,--co,$arable to the astral light itself--a ,edi*, +itho*t +hich life is =*ite i,$ossible.
Nine is the end of all n*,bers8 containing the $receding n*,bers +ithin its o+n s*,. It al+ays
re,ains itself +hen added to itself or ,*lti$lied8 or s*btracted8 s*ggesting the f*nda,ental
all-incl*si:e self-s*staining nat*re of lhe real,.
t+enty-eight days. The idea of ra$id change is there i,$licit8 re:ealing the conce$t that the
astral8 +hile al,ost a ti,eless eternal de$osit of +orld e:ents8 is ne:ertheless the origin of
,*tations and alterations +hich later infl*ence the $hysical +orld--in the sa,e +ay that
i,$*lse and tho*ght ,*st $recede any action. Its ele,ent is air8 a s*btle all $er:ading
,edi*,--co,$arable to the astral light itself--a ,edi*, +itho*t +hich life is =*ite i,$ossible.
Nine is the end of all n*,bers8 containing the $receding n*,bers +ithin its o+n s*,. It al+ays
re,ains itself +hen added to itself or ,*lti$lied8 or s*btracted8 s*ggesting the f*nda,ental
all-incl*si:e self-s*staining nat*re of lhe real,.
"hat is still ,ore i,$ortant8 ho+e:er8 fro, the scientific :ie+$oint is that they are things8
na,es8 and sy,bols act*ally $ercei:ed in that s$here by the skryer in the s$irit-:ision. As a
,atter of solid $roof8 one co*ld =*ote n*,ero*s :isions and astral >o*rneys obtained by
different $eo$le in different $laces at different ti,es8 in +hich all the traditional sy,bols a$$ear
in dyna,ic and in c*rio*sly dra,atic and :ital for,.
Magic8 as already re,arked8 is a $ractical syste,8 and e:ery $art has been de:ised for
e4$eri,ent. ach $art is ca$able of :erification *sing a$$ro$riate ,ethods. ach st*dent ,ay
check it for hi,self8 and th*s disco:er the realities of his o+n di:ine nat*re as +ell as of the
*ni:erse both +ithin and +itho*t hi,8 inde$endently of +hat any other ,an ,ay ha:e +ritten
in books. "e ask for e4$eri,entI de,and it e:en8 for the sake of ,ankind. "e in:ite the
earnest and sincere st*dent to e4$eri,ent for hi,self +ith that techni=*e described in #ha$ter
Ten of ,y book The Tree of life8 and then co,$are his res*lts8 the >o*rney to any one )ath or
Se$hirah8 +ith the corres$ondences briefly delineated in ,y other +ork A /arden of
)o,egranates or in 3ion 'ort*ne?s book The Mystical Cabalah.It is +ith the *t,ost
confidence that I say one h*ndred astral >o*rneys obtained in that +ay +ill corres$ond in e:ery
instance +ith the ,a>or sy,bols8 na,es8 n*,bers8 and ideas recorded in the se:eral books of
the Cabalah.
0et ,e =*ote fro, the record of a colleag*e an ill*,inating $assage or t+o ill*strating +hat I
,ean. The follo+ing is a E:isionE or +aking drea,--fantasy of the so-called thirty-second $ath.
E"e ,arched do+n the +ide indigo road. There +as a clo*dy night-sky--no stars. The road
+as raised abo:e the general le:el of the gro*nd. There +as a canal each side beyond +hich +e
co*ld see the lights of +hat a$$eared to be a large city. "e +ent on like this for a long +ay8
b*t then I noticed in the distance a tiny fig*re of a +o,an8 like a ,iniat*re--she see,ed to be
naked8 b*t as she dre+ near8 I sa+ a scarf floating ro*nd her. She had a cro+n of stars on her
head and in her hands +ere t+o +ands. She ca,e to+ards *s :ery =*ickly8 and I ga@ed
fascinatedly at a string of $earls reaching fro, her neck to her knees--and ga@ing8 fo*nd that +e
had $assed thro*gh the circle of her $earls8 and she had disa$$earedJE
The st*dent of the Cabalah +ho has only a $assing ac=*aintance +ith Tarot sy,bolis,8 +ill
recogni@e here the t+enty-first At* of EThe "orld8E the $ath attrib*ted to Sat*rn8 linking the
$hysical to the astral +orlds. He +ill $robably be :ery s*r$rised to learn that the sy,bols on
these cards re$resent dyna,ic and e4ceedingly :ital realities. B*t I ,*st $ass on to a brief
descri$tion of the entrance to Besod.
ENo+ the sky is clear and f*ll of stars... The Moon8 a great yello+ har:est ,oon8 rises slo+ly
*$ the sky to a f*ll arch . . . and +e sa+ the ,oonbea,s shining on the high $*r$le +alls of a
city. "e did not delay to look abo*t8 b*t ,arched =*ickly to the centre of the city8 to an o$en
s$ace8 in the ,idst of +hich +as a ro*nd te,$le like a ball of sil:er. It +as a$$roached by nine
ste$s8 and rested on a sil:er $latfor,. It had fo*r doors. Before each +as a large angel +ith
sil:er +ings... Inside8 +e +ere in a :ery airy $lace. 0ight bree@es lifted o*r clothes and o*r
hair--the interior +as :ery +hite and clear sil:ery--no colo*rs. S*s$ended in the centre +as a
great globe8 like the ,oon itself.... "hile +e looked +e sa+ that the globe +as not s*s$ended
in the airI it rested on i,,ense c*$$ed hands. "e follo+ed the ar,s *$ and sa+8 far *$ near
the roof8 dee$ dark eyes looking do+n8 dark like the night sky. And a :oice said . . .E
0ittle $oint +o*ld be gained to contin*e +ith the rest of the =*otation. This $assage is gi:en
here solely that the reader ,ay refer to the descri$tion of the astral $lane in the te4tbooks8 and
then to the rec*rrence in this :ision of the ,a>or sy,bols8 and the dyna,ic for, of
dra,ati@ation. 0et the st*dent take good notice of the $resence of the correct n*,bers8 colo*rs8
$lanetary attrib*tions8 and abo:e all the hint as to ho+ ,*ch :al*able kno+ledge ,ay be
ac=*ired. Note the fo*r doors to the Te,$le--re$resenting the fo*r ,a>or ele,ents of fire8
+ater8 air and earth. 'or this astral +orld is also referred to the ther ;of +hich the ele,ent Air
is a s*rrogate<8 the fifth ele,ent8 =*intessentialising the lo+er ele,ents8 the Te,$le to +hich
the other ele,ents are b*t doors. S*s$ended in the centre of the te,$le +as a globe8 sy,bolic
$ossibly of the ele,ent Air itself +hich8 in the Hind* Tatt+a syste,8 is re$resented by a bl*e
s$here. Before each of the doors stands an angel. These are the fo*r Fer*bic Angels8 the
:ice-regents of the fo*r cardinal =*arters and ele,ents r*ling o:er a $artic*lar ele,ental +orld
*nder the do,inance of one of the letters of the Tetragra,,aton. )ossibly they are
re$resentations of the interior $sychic deli,itation of the so*l?s s$atial area8 so to s$eak8 the
absence of +hich +o*ld indicate an *nhealthy diff*sion or de-centrali@ation of conscio*sness.
Also the fo*r cardinal $oints of s$ace +o*ld be re$resented by these fo*r angelic
fig*res--concreti@ations8 too8 of the do*ble $lay of the ,oral o$$osites. ast is o$$osite to
+est8 and north o$osite to so*th8 +hilst each of these =*arters has attrib*ted to it so,e
$artic*lar ,oral =*ality or $sychic f*nction. The sense of being in an airy $lace +ith light
bree@es bears o*t the for,al attrib*tion of air--a c*rio*s confir,ation of the d*ality of ,eaning
i,$lied in $ne*,a8 +ind and s$irit8 a d*ality +hich occ*rs not only in the /reek8 b*t in
Hebre+8 Arabic8 and a host of $ri,iti:e lang*ages.
Indi:id*al after indi:id*al has been trained inde$endently to :isit this and other Se$hiros.
"hile each :ision is so,e+hat different in its detail and for, to that here =*oted8 ne:ertheless
there is a startling *nani,ity so far as concerns the essential sy,bolic feat*res. This constit*es
definite scientific $roof of the s*r$re,e reality of the +orld of Magic8 and de,onstrates the
$ossibility of $ersonal e4$eri,ent and research. Scientific research is $ossible in this +orld of
astral or 2nconscio*s realities8 beca*se they are effecti:e things8 that is8 ob>ecti:e infl*ences
that +ork and infl*ence ,ankind. This s$here is the de$osit of the +orld e4$erience of all
ti,es8 and it is therefore an i,age of the +orld that has been for,ing for aeons8 an i,age in
+hich certain feat*res8 the so-called do,inants8 ha:e been elaborated thro*gh the co*rse of
ti,e. These do,inants are the r*ling $o+ers8 the gods and archangels and angels--that is
re$resentations of do,inating la+s and $rinci$les f*nctioning in the cos,os. And since it is a
+orld f*nctioning in the brain str*ct*re and sy,$athetic ner:o*s syste, of e:ery indi:id*al it is
a +orld +hich is o$en to e:ery one +ho +ishes to o:erco,e the fear +hich cent*ries of
,al-ed*cation ha:e $ro>ected *$on it8 and disco:er for hi,self ane+ the reality of its dyna,ic
*rges and infl*ences.
,al-ed*cation ha:e $ro>ected *$on it8 and disco:er for hi,self ane+ the reality of its dyna,ic
*rges and infl*ences.
"ith b*t little ingen*ity8 s$ecific tests ,ay be *ndertaken +ith the ob>ect of testing the
relationshi$ bet+een geo,etrical sy,bols8 the :ision obtained therefro, by ,eans of the body
of light techni=*e8 and the corres$ondences of these fig*res recorded in the $ro$er books. It has
been +ritten that :ario*s ele,ents--'ire8 "ater8 S$irit8 Air and arth---are attrib*ted to the fi:e
$oints of the )entagra,. 3e$ending entirely on the direction in +hich the lines are traced8 so
+ill the fig*re in:oke or banish the beings $ertaining to that ele,ent. 'or e4a,$le8 if the
st*dent traces the in:oking )entagra, of 'ire in each of the fo*r cardinal =*arters8 and then
e,$loys the sensiti:e sight of the Body of 0ight +hich $re:io*sly he has c*lti:ated8 he +ill see
a$$ear al,ost i,,ediately the fire ele,entals or Sala,anders8 the $ersonali@ed fiery
constit*ents of his o+n $syche. The tracing of the banishing fire $entagra, +ill see the,
literally sc*ttle a+ay +itho*t hesitation8 s*bsiding into the 2nconscio*s real, to +hich they
belong8 and fro, +hich they +ere called. 1r let the st*dent do this e4$eri,ent in the $resence
of a reliable clair:oyant8 not ,entioning +hat fig*re is being traced. The res*lts +ill be highly
ill*,inating. I kno+ so,e ob>ection ,ay be raised by i,,ediately res$onding Etele$athy.E B*t
so far as I can see8 the res$onse aro*ses far ,ore obsc*re $roble,s than the rationale to +hich
ob>ection is ,ade8 for tele$athy certainly re=*ires e4$lanation along scientific and de$endable
lines8 =*ite diffic*lt at this stage of the ga,e. These and a host of other rigoro*s tests constit*te
definite and $recise scientific e4$eri,ent of a significant and highly a*thoritati:e nat*re.
In the sense that se:eral $eo$le ,ay tra:el to certain $aths and there *ndergo e4$eriences
+herein the essential feat*res are identical or in +hich the $sychic do,inants coincide8 Magic
,ay be ass*,ed to be a definite8 coherent science. It is $recise and acc*rate. Magic is the
acc*,*lated record of $sychic and s$irit*al e4$erience +hich +e ha:e inherited fro, the $ast8
fro, for,er generations of ,ankind.
1n the other hand8 it is clear that each of these :isions +o*ld differ ,aterially as to conte4t8
that is in the dra,atic sense. The conte4t8 act and scene so to s$eak8 de$end entirely *$on
$ersonal idiosyncrasy8 intellect*al integrity8 and the s$irit*al ca$acity to disco:er and absorb the
tr*th8 +hether it is $ainf*l to the ego or not. "here the $ersonal ele,ent enters so $o+erf*lly
as it does here8 the ad:ent*re ,*st be labelled an Art. #reati:e i,agination in one $erson +ill
be *sed to for,*late +ith an established con:entional set of sy,bols a +hole string of
incidents and e4$eriences--ill*,inating and tending to the e4$ansion of his
conscio*sness--+hich to the :ision of a si,$le *ni,aginati:e $erson +o*ld occ*r in far si,$ler
and ,atter-of-fact for,.
So$histicated $eo$le8 +ith a s,attering of ,odern $sychology8 are likely to ass*,e that Magic
discloses nothing b*t the hidden de$ths of the 2nconscio*s. They +ill say that these >o*rneys
are co,$arable to drea, e4$eriences +hich are referred to the +orking and dra,ati@ing $o+er
of the s*bconscio*s ,ind. "hat difference does it ,ake if the Cabalists na,ed this s$here or
ty$e of conscio*sness the 'o*ndation or Astral "orld and the ,oderns the 2nconscio*sH The
ter,s are cognate8 and the sy,bols interchangeableI both ,ean the sa,e thing8 +hen all things
are considered. If Magic $ossesses +ea$ons that are ,ore $enetrating and incisi:e than
scientific ones8 shall +e re>ect the, beca*se Magic is the discredited ho*se +here they are
storedH If ,agical ,ethods re:eal o*r secret sel:es ,ore directly8 and *nlock the :ast store of
+isdo, and $o+er +ithin o*r so*ls8 sho+ing *s ho+ to control the, in +ays that neither
$sycho-analysis nor any ,odern science has s*cceeded to do8 sho*ld +e not be foolish to re>ect
its benefitsH
storedH If ,agical ,ethods re:eal o*r secret sel:es ,ore directly8 and *nlock the :ast store of
+isdo, and $o+er +ithin o*r so*ls8 sho+ing *s ho+ to control the, in +ays that neither
$sycho-analysis nor any ,odern science has s*cceeded to do8 sho*ld +e not be foolish to re>ect
its benefitsH
Magic is a scientific ,ethod. It is a :alid techni=*e. Its a$$roach to the *ni:erse and the secret
of life?s ,eaning is a legiti,ate one. If it assists *s to beco,e ,ore fa,iliar +ith +hat +e really
are8 it is a Science--and a ,ost i,$ortant one. And to the scientist8 +hether he be $sychologist
or $hysicist8 it +ill o$en *$ an entirely ne+ *ni:erse of tre,endo*s e4tent. If it s*cceeds in
,aking *s better ,en and +o,en8 a little ,ore kind and genero*s8 a little ,ore a+are of the
s$irit*al heights to +hich +e are ca$able of cli,bing +ith b*t a little e4ertion8 then it is the
religion of religions. And sho*ld it s$*r *s to greater efforts in order to render life and li:ing
,ore bea*tif*l and intelligible8 sho*ld it ,ake *s ,ore an4io*s to eli,inate *gliness8 s*ffering8
and ignoble ,isery8 s*rely it is an Art before +hich all other M*ses ,*st bo+ the head and
bend the knee in re:erential and $erennial $raiseJ
Regardie. The Art and Meaning of MagicI
Bibliogra$hical Note
BIB0I1/RA)HI#A0 N1T
In EMagic in ast and "estE the ,agical techni=*es referred to are dealt +ith in so,e detail in
MA/I#A0 RIT2A0 MTH13S by ". /. /ray.
In EThe Meaning of MagicE the techni=*e referred to as a$$earing in EThe Tree of 0ifeE
#ha$ter 17 is described by /areth Fnight in a contrib*tion to TH N" 3IMNSI1NS
R3 B11F edited by B. 0. "ilby. The #orres$ondences ,entioned as being in EA /arden of
)o,egranatesE are also described in detail in A )RA#TI#A0 /2I3 T1 CABA0ISTI#
SBMB10ISM by /areth Fnight and the s*b>ect is also dealt +ith in TH 0A33R 1'
0I/HTS by ". /. /ray.
The books +hose titles are ca$italised abo:e8 in addition to 3r. Regardie?s TH ART 1'
TR2 HA0IN/8 ,entioned in the te4t8 are all $*blished by Helios.
N1TS 1N TH I002STRATI1NS
In EThe Art of MagicE the Tatt:as described are ill*strated in colo*r. The 3i:ine and
Archangelic Na,es referred to as being listed in EThe /olden 3a+nE are as follo+s.
le,ent Sy,bol 3i:ine Na,e Archangel
ARTH yello+ s=*are A31NAI HA ARTM A2RI0
AIR bl*e circle SHA33AI 0 #HAI RA)HA0
"ATR sil:er crescent 01HIM TMABA1TH /ABRI0
'IR red triangle DH1AAH TMABA1TH MI#HA0
THR black o:al HIH BHSH2AH
It sho*ld be noted that this is one $artic*lar tradition and that other $ractitioners ,ay *se
alternati:e corres$ondences. In the colo*r $lates +hite is *sed instead of sil:er +ith regard to
the crescent beca*se this is fo*nd to gi:e easier res*lts and the o$tical refle4 +ill be fo*nd to be
sil:er.
In the diagra, of the Ten Se$hiroth as a$$lied to ,an referred to in
EMagic in ast and "estE the n*,bers gi:en refer to the Se$hiros as
follo+s.
1--Feser
5--#hock,ahI G--Binah
(--/ed*lahI 6--/e:*rah
6--Ti$hares
9--Net@achI &--HodI
9--Besod
l7--Malk*s.
The one left blank at the throat is 3aas.