I've failed in this particular endeavor. I was attempting to work with one archangel of the planets (as listed in Trithemius and Heidrick's resources) each day this week. I made it as far as Michael on Sunday. (Note: Michael is associated with the sun in Trithemius notes instead of Raphael. My own work with Raphael supports the Trithemius correspondences that put Michael in Tiphareth/Sun and Raphael in Hod/Mercury.)
By Monday, I was exhausted. I was working with the archangels of the planets in the planetary hours of the planetary days. Due to my work schedule, I was waiting until 3:38 or 3:39 a.m. each night. The day time hours fell when I was at work, and the earlier night time hours coincided with the time I spent with my family.
The results of my Saturday working with Tzaphkiel of Saturn were very pleasant. Previous expereinces with Saturn had been unpleasant, and depressing. For this operation, I started with the LBRP, went on through Liber Samekh to invoke my HGA, and then performed the evocation of Tzaphkiel. The results were immediate.
Tzaphkiel appeared in the shewstone, and I stated my intention, to integrate the energies of saturn into my magickal sphere. Tzaphkiel agreed to help with this, and I felt the saturnine energies flowing into me, pooling in my fore-arms (of all places), like a weight was applied directly to my muscles and bones. Tzaphkiel explained the use of that energy as part of the operation.
Sunday I worked with Michael, following the same pattern. I got a false spirit the first time who wouldn't enter the consecrated shewstone. I banished and conjured Michael again, this time with the desired result. I asked for him to help integrate the energies of the sun into my sphere, and he agreed. The feeling was again physical as the solar essence entered my sphere. This time I felt it in the base of my lungs, and Michael explained that the key to accessing solar energies was in the breath. The four-fold breath excites solar energies (inhale for four seconds, press the breath down in your lungs for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, wait four seconds, and repeat) in your sphere.
Monday I made a half-hearted attempt to contact Gabriel, but I fell asleep. Tuesday I was going to work with Gabriel and Kammael to "catch up," but I figured it was a bad idea, and chose to stop the operation there for now.
Working with each planet for as little as one day seems to give useful results, but not a lot of depth of understanding of each of the planetary powers. I started to understand the binding aspects of Saturn, and its application in assiah, but before I really integrated the energies, I was on to the Sun. In the future, I'll pick up with Luna, but spend more time than just one day integrating lunar energies, and so forth throughout the planets.
Head for the Red: The ongoing adventures and insights of a magician's attempts to accomplish the Great Work.
Maybe one planet a week.
ReplyDeleteI've found variations of the middle pillar useful for this, and also easy to fit into a busy schedule. Rather than one intense ritual a week, perhaps a low grade intensity throughout the week, like Crowley's Liber Resh vel Helios.
Liber Resh is solar, so not really useful for harmonizing all of the planets.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'd recommend using the Orphic Hymns for the planets on a daily basis in the correct day/hour combo in conjunction with some meditation on the planetary symbol/square etc. This is simple, doesn't take long, and works over time.