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12 - Self Initiation
There is a single main definition of the object of all magical Ritual. It is the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm. The Supreme and Complete Ritual is therefore the Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel; or, in the language of Mysticism, Union with God.
- Aleister Crowley
The repetition of a series of exercises at regular intervals, be they the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the fourteen Buddhist meditations or the magical practices of the Golden Dawn, can precipitate a spiritual crisis. This crisis which is often referred to as a 'Dark Night of the Soul' can result in the transmutation of the individual, that is, in his initiation, if the original practices which caused it are persevered in with unswerving devotion.
This process of transformation is a definite step, not simply an expansion of one's knowledge which is acquired by ordinary persistent study, but a completely new awareness, a penetration into the deeper levels of the psyche, which provides new insight. At the same time, just as the internal conditions of the individual are altered by this initiation, so frequently external circumstances and opportunities simultaneously widen and give the initiate the opportunity to expand the scope of his activity: sometimes a veritable cornucopia is opened to him. This then is magic both as we have come to understand it in this book, and as it is sometimes conceived of.
Since the publication of The Sacred Magic of Abramelin, the Mage by S.L. Macgregor Mathers, (1) and the introduction of its terminology into the practice of the Golden Dawn, it has been conventional to look upon 'the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel' as one of the main ends of a self-initiatory programme.
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[1] First published by George Redway, London in 1889.
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Certainly the wording is quaint and old-fashioned, but the reality of this union is such that dry, overworked phrases like 'illumination' hardly express this overwhelming experience, which is easier to conceive of in anthropomorphic terms. In fact the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel is the result of a 'death' of the Personality and a resurrection. The very essence of all initiations (and this applies no matter what system or 'grade') is a death to one type of existence, and a re-birth to another.
From the Elusinian Mysteries, with their celebrations of the descent of Persephone into the underworld and her return to life in the Spring, through the Masonic mysteries of Hiram, to the Adeptus Minor ceremony of the Golden Dawn, modelled on the death, burial, and later discovery/resurrection of Christian Rosencreutz, (2) allied with the symbolism of the crucifixion/slaying of the Solar God, the same theme recurs. The symbolism in all these rituals is one of continuity, albeit in a different form: the initiation itself is a practical demonstration of immortality.
Just as the ability to astrally project assures the magician that consciousness is not necessarily bound to be located spatially in the vicinity of the physical body, so the essential initiation experience is a death and rebirth into a new state, which assures the initiate that the death at the end of this life is merely another transition, not an end. In an effective initiation this 'death' can be such a very real thing to the candidate that the death of the physical body is no longer feared.
The process of self initiation comes as a result of prolonged hard work, which if possible should be climaxed with a retirement from ordinary life. Abramelin suggests a six-month period, but if, like most people, holidays are few and far between, a week can be set aside and used as a period of intense effort using one of the following techniques, but remembering that the technique alone without the preparatory build up is not nearly so effective.
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[2] The semi-mythical founder of the Rosicrucian Brotherhood.
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There are four things which are important and which must be established before setting out on a retirement, or a programme of self initiation. These are, first of all, a carefully thought out objective for the retirement. Secondly, a detailed list of practices including the times of day on which they are to be done, their duration, and their limits of flexibility. Thirdly, a determination to carry the retirement through for a pre-arranged time regardless of any opposition. The degree of opposition which you will certainly encounter will be proportionate to the degree of success which you attain by persevering during these black periods.
To help maintain your determination it is useful to ritually take an oath concerning the undertaking of the self-initiatory working, in much the same way as you took your magical name or motto upon setting out on the Path. (3) In fact the same ritual can easily be adapted to this purpose using your own ingenuity. This oath should include an outline of what practices you intend to undertake and for what period of time. Don't make it impossible to execute, because it is preferable to live up to a not too demanding programme than to fail to live up to a stringent programme. This ceremony and the oath should be recorded in your Magical Diary, and any deviations from the oath should be recorded and stringently punished.
Aleister Crowley, in Liber Jugorum recommended that any deviations should be punished by using a razor upon your own arm to inflict a small cut every time you stray from your oath. Despite the apparent barbarity of this instruction it has the advantage of impressing the subconscious mind very strongly with the seriousness of your intent and the strength of your Will.
'On each occasion that thou art betrayed into doing that thou art sworn to avoid, cut thyself sharply upon the wrist or forearm with a razor; even as thou shouldst beat a disobedient dog. Feareth not the Horse the teeth of the Camel?
'Thine arm then serveth thee both for a warning and for a record. Thou shalt write down thy daily progress in these practices, until thou art perfectly vigilant at all times over the least action that slippeth from the least of thy fingers.
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[3] See Chapter Two. 144
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'Thus bind thyself, and thou shalt be for ever free.' (4) The practices which Crowley suggests in Liber Jugorum are good for a general training of the Will rather than having an intrinsic value. They include:
'a. Avoid using some common word, such as "and" or "the" or "but"; use a paraphrase.
b. Avoid using some letter of the alphabet, such as "t", or "s" or "m"; use a paraphrase.
c. Avoid using the pronouns and adjectives of the first person; use a paraphrase.
d. Avoid lifting the left arm above the wrist.
e. Avoid crossing the legs.
f. Avoid thinking of a definite subject and all things connected with it, and let that subject be one which commonly occupies much of thy thought, being frequently stimulated by sense-perceptions or the conversation of others,
g. By some device, such as the changing of thy ring from one finger to another, create in thyself two personalities, the thoughts of one being within entirely different limits from that of the other, the common ground being the necessities of life ... Of thine own ingenium devise others.' (5)
These can be incorporated into the practices of your retirement, but should be regarded as supplementary not central. The rigour of the razor could also be modified to a less damaging and masochistic form of reminder, and they could be used a day at a time rather than for the whole week. The practices of Liber Jugorum have the distinct advantage of keeping the practitioner alert and better able to avoid distractions; for one-pointedness of mind is one of the essentials of this work.
The maintenance of a record in your Magical Diary of all practices (no matter how trivial) and of all results or extraordinary events is the fourth and most important requirement. This magical record will enable you to look back over the retirement and assess the cause of apparently irrational and unconnected happenings, which can act as pointers to your development by creating an overall pattern.
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[4] Liber III vel Jugorum Magick in Theory and Practice, by Aleister Crowley pp427-8.
[5] ibid.
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Later this will become invaluable as a record upon which future magical work may be built. The Magical Diary enables you to plot the course of the apparently irrational: it is impossible to over stress its importance. It is also excellent for 'keeping you up to the mark' and preventing boredom from setting in, for any dimunition in the size of each entry becomes immediately apparent.
Of all the possible distractions, boredom is most to be feared. It is unfortunately true that it is easier to suffer an hour of anguish which can at least be dramatic than a quarter of an hour of boredom. These periods of dryness are the necessary lying fallow of the earth.
In alchemical terms, the Dark Night of the Soul is the Nigredo step, in which things are broken down and putrified, the 'solve' before the 'coagula' or the re-integration of the Soul. The Nigredo is the Saturnian heavy, black and leadlike period in which depression and inertia predominate: if these can be conquered by sheer persistence and drive, then the Dark Night of the Soul can be endured till the 'coagula' takes place and the soul is re-born phoenix-like, from the ashes.
Any loss of determination or perseverance half way through will result in the process aborting at the stage of dross or putrefaction: in which case it would have been better if the magician had not originally assayed the experiment. A graphic although fictional illustration of this principle occurs in Bulwer Lytton's story Zanoni in which Glyndon fails the initiatory test and spends the rest of his life regretting it, being unable to either go forward or return to his old condition.
The process of self initiation can be approached in a number of different ways: several are outlined in the following pages. Of these one of the most demanding is that prescribed by Abramelin which is designed for the magician who is able to take six months and devote it solely to his magical training, living a hermit-like existence, whilst keeping up a cycle of prayers, invocations and practices.
As Abraham, the reputed author of the text, puts it:
'He who commenceth this Operation in solitude can elect a place according unto his pleasure; where there is a small wood, in the midst of which you shall make a small Altar, and you shall cover the same with a hut (or shelter) of fine branches, so that the rain may not fall thereon and extinguish the Lamp and the Censer. Around the Altar at the distance of seven paces you shall prepare a hedge of flowers, plants, and green shrubs, so that it may divide the entrance into two parts; that is to say, the Interior where the Altar and Tabernacle will be placed after the manner of a Temple; and the part Exterior, which with the rest of the place will be as a Portico thereunto.
'Now if you commence not this Operation in the Country, but perform it in a Town, or in some dwelling-place, I will show unto ye what shall be necessary herein.
'Ye shall choose an Apartment which hath a Window, joined unto the which shall be an uncovered Terrace (or Balcony), and a Lodge (or small room or hut) covered with a roof, but so that there may be on every side windows whence you may be able to see in every direction, and whence you may enter into the Oratory. In the which place the Evil Spirits shall be able to appear, since they cannot appear within the Oratory itself. In the which place, beside the Oratory towards the quarter of the North, you shall have a roofed or covered Lodge, in the which and from whence one may be able to see the Oratory. I myself also had two large windows made in my Oratory, and at the time of the Convocation of the Spirits, I used to open them and remove both the shutters and the door, so that I could easily see on every side and constrain them to obey me.
The Oratory should always be clear and clean swept, and the flooring should be of wood, of white pine; in fine, this place should be so well and carefully prepared that one may judge it to be a place destined unto prayer.
The Terrace and the contiguous Lodge where we are to invoke the Spirits we should cover with river sand to the depth of two ringers at the least.' (6)
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[6] S.L. McGregor Mathers (trans) The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin, the Mage. De Laurence, Chicago, 1948. pp74-75.
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The operation is to commence on the first morning after the celebration of the Passover (approximately the Vernal Equinox):
'Firstly: Having carefully washed one's whole body and having put on fresh clothing: precisely a quarter of an hour before Sunrise ye shall enter into your Oratory, open the window, and place yourselves upon your knees before the Altar, turning your face towards the window; and devoutly and with boldness ye shall invoke the Name of the Lord, thanking Him for all the grace which He hath given and granted unto you from your infancy until now; then with humility shall ye humble yourselves unto Him, and confess unto Him entirely all your sins; supplicating Him to be willing to pardon you and remit them. Ye shall also supplicate Him that in the time to come He may be willing and pleased to regard you with pity and grant you His grace and goodness to send unto you His Holy Angel, who shall serve unto you as a Guide, and lead you ever in His Holy Way and Will; so that ye fall not into sin through inadvertence, through ignorance, or through human frailty.
'When ye shall have performed your orations, close the window, and go forth from the Oratory; so that no one may be able therein to enter; and ye shall not yourselves enter again until the evening when the Sun shall be set. Then shall ye enter therein afresh, and shall perform your prayers in the same manner as in the morning.' (7)
Abraham the Jew describes his successful encompassing of this operation as follows:
'Finally I resolved to follow the example of ABRAMELIN, and I divided my house into two parts; I took another house at rent, which I in part furnished, and I gave over to one of my uncles the care of providing the necessaries of life and the needs thereof. Meanwhile I with my wife and a servant remained in my own house, and I began to accustom myself to solitary life, which it was to me extremely difficult to support, because of the melancholic humour which dominated me, and I lived thus till the season of Easter which I celebrated with all the family according to custom.
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[7] ibid pp64-66. 148
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Then first, on the following day, in the Name and to the honour of God Almighty the Creator of Heaven and of Earth, I commenced this holy operation and I continued it for Six Moons without omitting the slightest detail, as thou wilt understand later. And the period of the Six Moons being expired, the Lord granted unto me His Grace by His Mercy; according to the promise made unto our forefathers, since while I was making my prayer unto Him He deigned to grant unto me the vision and apparition of His holy Angels, together with which I experienced so great a joy, consolation and contentment of soul, that I could neither express it nor put it into writing. And during the three days, while I was enjoying this sweet and delightful presence with an indicible contentment, my Holy Angel, who God the Most Merciful had destined from my creation for my Guardian, spake unto me with the greatest goodness and affection; who not only manifested unto me the Veritable Magic, but even made easier for me the means of obtaining it.
He confirmed as being true the Symbols of the Qabalah which I had received from ABRAMELIN; and he gave me the fundamental means by which I could have and infinitude of others in my operations according to my pleasure, assuring me that he would instruct me fully thereon. (These symbols are all like those of the Third Book.) He gave me further very useful advice and admonition, such as an Angel could give; how I should govern myself the following days with the Evil Spirits so as to constrain them to obey me; the which I duly followed out fulfilling always from point to point his instructions very faithfully, and by the Grace of God I constrained them to obey me and to appear in the place destined for this operation; and they obligated themselves to obey me, and to be subject unto me. And since then even until now, without offending God and the Holy Angels I have held them in my power and command, always assisted by the power of God and His Holy Angels.
And this with so great a prosperity of our house, that I confess that I held myself back from the vast riches which I could have accumulated; although I possess enough to be counted among the number of the rich, as thou wilt know when thou shalt be more advanced in age. May the Grace of the Lord, and the defence and protection of His Holy Angels never then depart from me ABRAHAM, nor from my two sons JOSEPH and LAMECH; nor from all those who by your means and by the Will of God, shall receive this operation! So be it!' (8)
Admittedly the practices there described, if carried out in every detail would be an ideal form of self initiation, but it is seldom that the aspiring magician finds that he has six months completely at his disposal.
Another type of magical retirement was recorded by Aleister Crowley in his magical diary John St. John. (9)
'You will perceive in these pages a man with all his imperfections thick upon him trying blindly, yet with all his force, to control the thoughts of his mind, so that he shall be able to say "I will think this thought" at any moment, as easily as (having conquered Nature) we are all able to say "I will drink this wine and not that wine".'
This retirement was designed to enable him to explore the world of his mind with as great a facility as man has been able to explore the world of nature over the last century.
The retirement did not however, take Crowley out of the mainstream of things, for we find him still having the occasional citron presse at the Dome and entertaining his mistresses in between the more serious business of the retirement. The essence however was the psychological pressure built up by repeating again and again practices such as the IAO (10) mantra, For more details see Aleister Crowley's Liber CCVI in Magick in Theory and Practice, pp405-06.
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[8] ibid pp25-26.
[9] Published as a supplement in Crowley's periodical, The Equinox Vol I, No 1. London, 1910.
[10] The cyclic repetition of IAO (Ee-ay-oo) used in conjunction with pranayama breathing.
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Middle Pillar exercise, (11) Augoeides (12) invocation, and so on. Quite often in the course of his notes we come across exclamations of frustration, failure, and boredom, but towards the end of the retirement the pall begins to lift and the retirement gathers momentum, culminating in the experience of Samadhi.
Although Crowley disposed of his meditations, mantras and magical practices in an irregular pattern throughout the day, it is advisable to maintain a fairly strict regimen of times with well defined hours off for walking, reading or resting. An additional technique for building up the magical pressure is to limit food and alcohol intake and eliminate any sexual activity during the period of retirement. (13) As the number of distractions and outlets are thus limited, you are forced to come to terms with the deeper layers of yourself.
Examples of suitable invocations of the Holy Guardian Angel which could be used during such a retirement follow.
The First Invocation
'Come forth unto me, Thou that art my true Self: my Light: my Soul! come forth unto me: Thou that art crowned with Glory: That art the Changeless: The Unnameable: The Immortal Godhead, whose Place is in the Unknown: and whose Dwelling is the Abode of the Undying Gods. Heart of my Soul; self-shining Flame, Glory of Light, Thee I invoke. Come forth unto me, my Lord: to me, who am Thy vain reflection in the mighty sea of Matter! Hear Thou, Angel and Lord! Hear Thou in the habitations of Eternity; come forth; and purify to Thy Glory My mind and Will! Without Thee am I nothing; in Thee am I All-self existing in Thy Selfhood to eternity!'
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[11] See Appendix III.
[12] Augoeides is a Greek term corresponding to the Holy Guardian Angel. The type of invocation used is very much a matter of personal preference and intuition.
[13] Of course there are also other magical practices where the reverse holds true.
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First purification and consecration
'Water: Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
'Fire: O send forth Thy light and Thy Truth, let them lead me, let them guide me unto Thy Holy Hill, to Thy Dwellingplace!
I stand before the Beautiful Gate: before the mighty Portal of the Universe: at my Right Hand a Pillar of Fire; and at my left a Pillar of Cloud. At their bases are the dark-rolling clouds of the Material Universe: and they pierce the Vault of the Heavens above. And ever upon their summits flame the Lamps of their Spiritual Essence!
'Thou that livest in the Glory beyond that Gate: Heart of my Soul; Thee I invoke! Come Thou forth unto me, who art my very Selfhood; mine Essence, my Light: and do Thou guard me and guide me through the Manifold Paths of Life: that I may at length become one with Thine Immortal and Imperishable Essence!
'Unto Thee, Sole Wise, Sole Mighty, and Sole Eternal One, be Praise and Glory for Ever; Who hast permitted me to enter so far in the Sanctuary of Thy Mysteries. Not unto me, but unto Thy name be the Glory!
'Let the influence of Thy Divine Ones descend upon my head, and teach me the value of Self-Sacrifice: so that I shrink not in the hour of trial; but that my Name may be written upon High, and that my Genius may stand in the Presence of the Holy One: in that hour when the Son of Man is evoked before the Lord of Spirits; and His Name in the presence of the Ancient of Days. O Lord of the Universe! grant Thou that upon me may shine forth the Light of my Higher Soul. Let me be guided by the help of my Genius unto Thy Throne of Glory, Ineffable in the centre of the World of Life and Light.
'From Thy Hands, O Lord, cometh all good! from Thy Hands flow down all grace and blessing! The Characters of Heaven with Thy Finger hast thou traced: but none can read them save he that hath been taught in Thy school! Therefore, even as servants look unto the hands of their masters, and handmaids unto the hands of their mistresses, even so our eyes look up unto Thee! For Thou alone art our help, O Lord our God! Who should not extol Thee, O Lord of the Universe! Who should not praise Thee! All belongeth unto Thee! Either Thy love or Thine anger all must again re-enter! Nothing canst Thou lose, for all things tend unto Thine Honour and Majesty! Thou art Lord alone, and there is none beside Thee! Thou dost what Thou wilt with Thy Mighty Arm: and none can escape from Thee! Thou alone helpest in their necessity the humble, the meek-hearted and the poor, who submit themselves unto Thee! And whomsoever humbleth himself in dust and ashes before Thee; to such a one art Thou propitious!
'Who should not praise Thee then, Lord of the Universe, who should not extol Thee! Unto whom there is none like; whose dwelling is in Heaven and in the virtuous and God-fearing Heart!
'O God the Vast One! Thou art in all things!
'O Nature! Thou Self from Nothing - for what else can I call Thee! I, in myself, I am nothing! I, in Thee, I am all Self: and exist in Thy Selfhood from nothing! Live Thou in me: and bring me unto that Self which is in Thee! For my victory is in the Cross and the Rose!
'The Voice of My Higher Soul said unto me: let me enter the path of Darkness: peradventure thus may I obtain the Light! I am the only being in an Abyss of Darkness: from the Darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the Silence of a primal sleep.
'And the voice of ages answered unto my Soul: child of Earth! The Light shineth in the Darkness; but the Darkness comprehendeth it not!' (14)
It is possible however to approach self initiation in another, less intensive way. This technique is an extension of the path workings and skryings outlined in Chapter Six. The actual work is no less demanding, and the persistence and discipline is no less rigorous - but it is possible to proceed at a gentler pace that may be more suited to the modern magician who has to concern himself with earning a living and, in many cases, family ties.
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[14] Extracted from passages used in the Neophyte initiation ritual of the Golden Dawn.
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The technique involves the construction of an astral temple and an approach to it through a well-defined route, which the magician formulates by using his visualization capabilities. This he gradually establishes by going over the route with a close attention to detail time after time until it is 'inscribed', as it were, on the astral and remains the same every time he traverses it. Once his temple is constructed and he is thoroughly familiar, both with the route and the building itself, inside and out, he may send out a 'call' for an initiator to come to him, and, if he persists, sooner or later a contact is made with his Holy Guardian Angel.
First it is necessary to become absolutely familiar with the details of the route, which must be decided upon before the operation. The magician can write his own, but to begin with it is useful to use a description that has already been formulated, such as the following. But remember, visualize details as much as possible and read and re-read the sequence over and over again until you are absolutely familiar with it.
Only commence the practice after you have written out the description and are completely familiar with every detail of the scene, from the type of trees encountered on the way down to the minor details of the architecture.
A fairly extensive preparatory period (say two months) should be undertaken with the magician regularly spending about an hour each day (15) (without missing a single day) going through the following sequence:
a. Relaxing. To relax, one must be aware of tension, so the beginning of this exercise involves tensing every muscle as hard as possible, and then, when fully aware of the tension, letting it go. Repeat several times until you are sure that all the tension has gone out of your body.
b. 2/4 Breathing Sequence.
1. Empty your lungs. (Don't force the breath out.)
2. Breathe in to a mental count of four. (Use your pulse to measure the speed, and if you have taken a full breath before the end of the count modify your rate of breathing.)
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[15] Ideally at dawn.
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3. Hold the breath for a count of two. (Do this with the abdominal muscles, not by closing the throat.)
4. Breathe out for a count of four.
5. Hold the breath out for a count of two.
6. Repeat stages 1-5 until a smooth rhythmical sequence is established.
c. Perform the Qabalistic Cross (see Appendix I).
d. Perform the Middle Pillar Exercise (Appendix III).
e. Visualize your route as if you were actually taking it, building up the pictures as strongly as possible and really 'living' it. Go through the visualized path to the City of Bridges, locate the main thoroughfare and make your way to the Central Temple. (16)
f. Enter the Central Temple and 'enflame yourself with prayer'.
g. Return by the same route with as much attention to detail as you used when coming to the City.
h. Take notes, immediately and in detail, in your Magical Diary.
An example of an archetypal path working which could be used as it stands, or adapted to your own needs, follows.
Description of the route
You are approaching a walled city - around you is a barren, desolate landscape, and the walls tower above, bleak, grey and forbidding. They give the impression they have been standing there since the beginning of time.
Immediately in front of you are the double gates of a city behind the walls. They are huge, and right above them is stationed a sentry, helmeted and armed with a single spear.
The path you are standing on stretches back behind you, and you know, as you stand before the gates that you have travelled that path a long way to bring you to this point.
Suddenly, the gates swing slowly open, and you pass between them. Immediately you are aware that the cold grey atmosphere has given way, here, to bright sunshine. The roads of the city are broad and clean and lined with trees, and the houses are high and give a faintly Mediaeval impression.
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[16] These references will become clear at the end of the chapter.
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Everywhere you look, there are sparkling silver streams that wander, seemingly randomly through the city, in and out of its roads. And everywhere, there are bridges, which form the city's most striking feature, such that it seems a veritable City of Bridges.
Soon, you find your way to the central thoroughfare, broad, clean and leading straight into the heart of the city. A few people tall, lithe and tanned, with golden hair promenade up and down this street, but they don't seem to notice you.
As you proceed, you realize that this city is familiar to you. You recognize it, and suddenly it seems as if the city becomes aware of you, making you feel welcome. A curious feeling of lightness comes over your body and unconsciously you walk a little higher and a little straighter with a little more spring in your step. Now you are approaching your objective, for the thoroughfare opens up into a vast courtyard in the centre of which is an enormous building. You have reached the Central Temple.
When you have reached this stage and not only read the description of your route until you are thoroughly familiar with it, but also travelled it in visualization until it lives for you, you will have no difficulty in continuing to the next stage, which is to enter the temple and establish the contact.
Description of the Temple
The entrance to the temple is reached by a broad flight of white marble steps flagged on either side by two large sphinx-like statues. At the top of the steps there is a square heavy wooden door, inlaid with brass and of considerable age. On either side of the door are two tall marble pillars. As you mount the steps the door swings inwards and you pass through into a hall of vast dimensions. Two rows of pillars, whose capitals high above you support a central dome, extend into the distance. Like the Pantheon the centre of the dome is open, allowing the rays of the sun to penetrate to the altar in the centre of the floor.
The altar, also made of white marble is shaped like a double cube, and waist high: across it lies a sword, patterned in a fashion similar to a crusader's sword. Also on the altar are a dagger, chalice, and lamp.
In the East is a high white marble throne, and between it and the altar are two enormous pillars, one of a black stone and the other one glowing faintly silver. Set on the floor between them is an inlaid black marble circle.
At this point you move from your position in front of the altar travelling clockwise to the centre of the circle where you turn and face West. From this point of balance the magician should 'inflame himself with praying', and wait.
It is now that the care you have put into the preliminary build up of this practice will pay off: if you have really 'created' this temple on the astral, then the vortex formed by your impassioned yearning for your Holy Guardian Angel should open the channel through which you will achieve the initiation that you are seeking.
Thus, as in the practices prescribed by Abramelin and Aleister Crowley it is necessary first to invoke the Holy Guardian Angel. Upon making this contact it is then possible to assay the practice of invocation and the perilous waters of evocation. The last two chapters in this book deal with these two supreme skills of the magician, invocation and evocation, both of which should only be assayed by the magician who has trained himself to that point of certainty and balance, 'armed himself at all points' as Crowley puts it, where he can with equilibrium and integrity command those non-physical entities without being unbalanced by them.
Even the invocation of a god implies a partial operation, the god being but one aspect of the most high God. There is also the very subtle danger that the magician will only invoke those gods most consonant with his own nature thereby accentuating any already unbalanced tendencies in himself. (17) If, however, contact has already been made with the Holy Guardian Angel, he is much less liable to error.
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[17] Crowley himself tended to concentrate on Jupiter and Mercury, the qualities of the latter very accurately reflecting the strengths and shortcomings in his character.
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