Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 10:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 10:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“…the person who has learned the scheme of his nativity, and so knowing his own demon is liberated from fate, is truly favored by divinity.” Porphyry

“For if the demon has been assigned to us from the scheme of nativity, and we may find him from that, how are we released from fate through the knowledge that the demon was given to us according to fate?”

The Holy Guardian Angel does not liberate us from the bonds of karma, instead, fate and karmic circumstances that have been inherited through incarnation are seen in a new light, wherein the causes of things are accurately intuited and understood. By becoming aware of our essential nature, karma may be better understood, our Holy Guardian Angels according to some people is Atman and so it is the awakening of this omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent eternal self that leads to Knowledge and Conversation. That doesn’t in any way indicate that the attainment will liberate us from karma or fate, however, it may lead to greater understanding of the nature of our fate and karma.

“Hence the things now uttered by thee not only conflict with themselves, but they are also at variance with the truth; seeing that the personal demon does not by any means come to everyone by the scheme of his peculiar nativity. On the other hand, its origin, which we will hereafter set forth, was older than this.”

Along with Hadit, the Holy Guardian Angel precedes incarnation and these are the only two constants, therefore our fate in this incarnation is wholly tied up in this life and has very little to do with the essential natures of our angels, although certain aspects of this may be found by studying the nature of our nativity via astrology, the truth is that this angel has been with us since the first incarnation wherein we experienced consciousness and will be there until the end, thus it is not subject to or much concerned with fate in the same way that we are bound by fate in this life.

“If, however it is necessary to reveal to thee the true doctrine in relation to the personal demon let me say this: It is not from one part in the sky, nor from any individual element of the objects that are visible, that he is assigned to us. But there is from the whole world and the various kinds of life in it, and the various kinds of body by which the soul comes down into generated existence, an allotted portion, all our own, divided among us to each of the distinctive qualities in us, which distribution is made according to the ruling disposition of each individual.”

The Holy Guardian Angel is the sum total of the best in us, that which through incarnations have been developed to establish in each person their own uniqueness. Thus, once Knowledge and Conversation is attained it is the Holy Guardian Angel that becomes the vehicle for the True Will, as being those characteristics that have been perfected and through Knowledge and Conversation have found a means of consciously expressing perfection.

“The demon therefore, is present as exemplar before the souls descend into the realm of generated existence. As soon as the soul chooses him for leader the demon immediately comes into charge of the completing of its vital endowments, and when it descends into the body, unites it with the body, and becomes the guardian of its common living principal.”

The Holy Guardian Angel through its superior nature governs what endowments are attracted to the soul or the astral body, this happens by being attracted to that which is sympathetic to its nature. So, naturally, the older the angel the more-pure will be its form, as only that which has been most highly developed through previous incarnations forms part of this body and that which in harmony is attracted and has the chance of so being congealed in life. The intensity of Knowledge and Conversation logically is determined by karma and that the True Will is not short-hand for preternatural communication, but that all may attain to it, but that not all may become mediums of divine inspiration, which is determined by the nature of the angel.

“He guides human beings thus continually till through the sacred Theurgic discipline we shall obtain a god to be guardian and leader of the soul. For then he gives place to the superior, or delivers over the superintendence, or becomes subject, as a tributary, to him, or in some other way is servant to him as to an Overlord.”

“Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the highest are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen, who sorroweth is not of us.” Liber AL II,19

The idea of Theurgy is to make contact with preternatural intelligence so that we may show the beauty of the gods to the world. This cannot be done unless one has attained Knowledge and Conversation, and once it has been attained the soul gives itself over to the influence of what could be called a god or the Secret Chiefs as they are known in Thelema. I believe that Crowley was throughout his life conversant with more than one of these Secret Chiefs. However, in Crowley’s case the best known of these is Aiwass who dictated to him the Book of the Law. As per Iamblichus, once Knowledge and Conversation is achieved it is the aim of Theurgy to give over the superintendence of the soul to a god, something that before this awakening was the responsibility of the Holy Guardian Angel, which guided the evolution of the soul through incarnations, until finally, in its perfected state, Knowledge and Conversation is possible and preternatural communication is attainable.

“From these facts I may easily reply to your next question. For the personal demon does not “preside over specific regions in us,” but simply over all at once.”

“Accordingly it is not right to define ”one demon as guardian of the body, another of the soul, and another of the mind.”

The soul in the above quote may be called the astral body or the unconscious, the harmonizing and congealing of these perfected parts is what gives way to Knowledge and Conversation, the soul may then be seen as all of these parts working together as a unified whole under the guardianship of the Holy Guardian Angel. Only once this union is achieved is there any chance of success in Theurgic operation.

“There is accordingly, one personal guardian demon for every one of us. It is not right to assume that it is common to everyone, or that it is common at all. But only that it is present with every individual as his own.”

Although there has been assigned a Guardian Angel to every one of us, only some angels have matured enough to carry the torch of the gods to illuminate this world. The nature of one’s angel may be found within the context of our own uniqueness, those things that make one an individual. Things like talents; and interests that one has been unconsciously drawn to, and those things of beauty that speak to our souls, are all indicators of the nature of our True Wills as it pertains to the nature of our angels. Thus, our relationship with our Holy Guardian Angels may be cultivated by contemplating the nature of beauty and our unique relationships to it.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 9:

 

Theurgy of Iamblichus Part 9:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

“Let no one be surprised even though we say that there is a certain matter that is pure and divine. For it originates from the Father and Demiurgos of the universe and possesses a completeness of its own suitable for a receptacle of gods. At the same time nothing obstructs the superior races from being able to illuminate the lower orders from their own substance. Nor does anything hold matter back from participating of the superior natures. So far as it is perfect, pure and evidently good it is not an unsuitable receptacle of the gods.”

Material sacrifices at Theurgic rites are prepared in such a way that they are made to be in harmony with the nature of the celestial races. Theurgy is hence a means of joining the corporeal and the incorporeal and creating a dialogue between the soul and the gods. Sacrifices in these ceremonies play a major role for accomplishing this as they speak to the noetic faculty directly as their nature is already in harmony with the physical, emotional and intellective components of the participants, and as these sacrifices also hold within them symbols that are only unconsciously perceptible, they also serve to make the participants receptive to the Light. They are employed as vehicles for creating the inner dialogue that may drive the participants to reach the heavens and unite with the gods, raising them to ecstasy via this expansion.

“The Theurgic discipline, therefore, recognizing these things and thus discovering with others the suitable receptacles of the gods according to the individual peculiarity of each, often joins together stones, plants, animals and sacred aromatics, perfect and godlike and afterward forms from all these a receptacle complete and pure.”

The aim being success, contemplation and observing ethics is necessarily not enough. The Theurgist thus uses every mode of symbolism at his disposal to enliven the soul by means of Celestial Fire to unite with the gods. Therefore, studying the symbolism and becoming proficient in the art of sacrifice is of major importance to the Theurgist, as matter is the first separation and connection between mankind and the gods. Thus, by purifying matter and harmonizing it to the nature of the gods, we change its perceived nature by allying it to the nature of the soul and the gods, so that we may know the divine in matter and connect entirely with the Celestial Natures.

“No sacred performance takes place properly, without the supplications in the prayers. But continual exercise in them nourishes our mind and spiritual nature, makes the reception chambers of the soul vastly more spacious for the gods, opens the arcana of the gods to human beings, accustoms us to the irradiations of the Light, and to degrees perfects the qualities within us to conjoining with the gods, brings us back again to the very summit.”

We do not think in words, thoughts are expressed in words but a thought is a visual representation of an idea. The symbolism found in prayers are full of vivid imagery that may be likened to the Ideal Forms of Platonism hence giving it the anagogic quality necessary for enlivening the spirit. Through daily observance of these prayers, one is becoming accustomed to the influx of the Light by bringing the soul into closer relationship with the Light where in all is connected and through which final union is attainable. This accustomization is necessary, as it is only through systematic degrees that the soul may be made ready for the influx of the Light that results in union with the gods. Thus, it is via this practical means, being the daily observation of prayer that we are made perfect and worthy for communion with the gods.

“It likewise augments the divine love and lights up the divine quality of the soul. It also cleanses away everything from the soul that is of a contrary character, and removes whatever about it is of an eather like character and luminant spirit as far as it is allied to the sphere of generated existence. It likewise makes perfect a good hope and confidence in respect to the Light, and, in short, brings to perfection those who are exercised in these disciplines, so that we may call them Companions of the Gods.”

Firstly, the goal is not to escape material existence but to bring the light’s inspiration down into matter thus transforming it by showing the beauty of the gods, this beauty is certainly found in prayers and texts such as The Holy Books of Thelema and it is by studying, memorizing and reciting these texts that we are raised to perfection and the soul is congealed, or in other words the Stone of the Wise is transmuted. This is the Great Work, and it is only once perfection is attained that an individual has the capacity for the divine communion, which in Thelema is called Knowledge and Conversation and the realization of the Great Work, which is guided by the True Will, being an individual’s expression of his unique relationship with the gods. 

"The Theurgic priest through the power of ineffable emblems, commands the cosmic spirits, not as a human being nor as making use of a human soul. On the other hand, as one preexisting in the order of gods, he makes use of threatenings more terrible than he can make from his own being alone."

When in these rites the Theurgist makes use of threats aimed at demons, he is acting in union with the Demiurge and not merely having been raised to union with the gods but is acting as an agent of the Logos. He demands obedience from the demons by employing ineffable symbols, these along with the affirmations present in the prayers all serve to raise his rank and status in light of the operation. Whereby he may with confidence utter the threats and curses when conversing with the race of demons. The Theurgist is not merely claiming through this drama to be a prophet of god, but is affirming his status as a god, this is validated for the Theurgist via the symbols and sacrifices that have raised his consciousness to such a level, by expanding and uniting all parts of his being, that he is indeed at this point of the ritual one of the gods.

"...I say, in the ineffable symbols being preserved occult and in the unutterable essence of the gods never being repressed by the contrary allotment---this is not endurable even by sound for the demons to listen to that belong around the earth, namely: that they are diverse in quality, or that they are unhallowed beings, and that on this account such a style of threatening words has a certain appropriateness to them. No one, however utters a threat to the gods, nor is any such mode of prayer addressed to them."

The symbols used that are ineffable are essentially incorruptible, as they have been received via the method of Theurgy and have been kept away from the profane and is the reason for their effectiveness. As demons are the first of the celestial races, their invocation naturally follows the sacrifices at the start of the operation, and since they are tied into our lower natures, threats are perfectly suited for commanding their obedience in these operations.

"It receives a word or command from another, but it neither makes use of intelligence of its own, nor distinguishes the true and the false, or the possible or impossible. Such a race of beings when threats are held over them incessantly, are thrown into agitation and filled with amazement."

The demons must be brought under the control of the will, and it is only by conscious effort that this is achieved. The threats and commands work as demons have no will of their own and depend on the intelligence and will of the magician to be animated into action. This is a very important point and also illustrates why it is important for us to control our thoughts, as thoughts are what give fire to these spirits and leads us to action. So, whether employing the formula in this essay and threatening the spirits or not, the magician is a god compared to the demons, and so the threats, commands and curses are rather meant to establish this fact firmly in the mind of the Theurgist and is not meant to be a form of self-deceit, but by doing so the Theurgist is affirming his rank within the hierarchy.      

 

“Love is the law, love under will.”

 

Death:

 

Death:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

The 24^th path is attributed to the Death card and the Hebrew letter Nun. Its zodiacal and planetary correspondences are Scorpio and Mars, and its element is water. The card indicates the death of the old so that something new may be born from the decay, or the transformation of certain unconscious elements is experienced as a death. I guess it could be as simple as the cycle of life and death, that the putrefying dead fertilizes the earth, so that new life can emerge from the decay. Oversimplifying this card leads to a lot more questions than answers though, which has especially been true in my own study of the card. In the case of transformation spoken of above, the death suffered during such an ordeal is the result of willful self-sacrifice and it is experienced as painful for the simple reason that one is giving up things, or killing off parts of himself, he has become too comfortable with. Therefore, it is self-sacrifice as he is willingly killing that which isn’t in service to the whole, and to be reborn with a clearer conception of self and a more focused will. So, "change is stability" and is symbolized by the Scythe which is a symbol of Saturn (death) but more it is symbolic of the unchanging laws of existence itself, it is a constant force in nature wherein the play of life and death is perpetually enacted, and to which we are all subject, it then indicates coming into consciousness.

As I have mentioned in a previous essay, this card represents a certain aspect of the Formula of ON and so it is interesting to note the symbol of crucifixion corresponding to it. As, it is only through the death of the old self that the Christ may emerge, or the formula of Love under Will, may be realized. This is one interpretation of the sacrifice associated with the path, the card also represents the redeeming qualities of self acceptance that may transform one into a more complete person. However in a formal reading it may indicate anything that needs to be given up, or something that has already been given up and is now causing the state of uncomfortableness that the card is suggestive of. If all goes well the current circumstances should give way to opportunities of positive change, which was the aim of bringing these circumstances about in the first place. Therefore, the card is associated with rebirth and awakening, but it is indeed symbolic of death and putrefaction, and a positive outcome is still something that will have to be fought for, and explains the card’s martial correspondence.   

The myth surrounding Scorpio is that Orion who was the son of Poseidon and Euryale was the most beautiful man alive, who as the son of Poseidon could walk on water and one of the Heroes of Greek mythology. Orion used to hunt with the goddess Artemis, and according to Apollo who got jealous of their friendship, Orion bragged that he was a better hunter than Artemis. Apollo went to his sister and convinced her that Orion should be killed for his transgression, so the two of them went to their mother Leto, who sent a giant scorpion to kill Orion. The plan worked and the scorpion successfully murdered the giant. Orion was later immortalized as the constellation of Scorpio. The qabalistic significance of this story is very hard to miss, Orion is presented as the most beautiful man in the world who Artemis must’ve been in love with, but he was only human. Apollo had to kill Orion in order for the union between him and his sister to take place, their union is necessarily accompanied by the self-sacrifice symbolized in this card as those things in the psyche of the individual that have been a hindrance to realizing the True Will are transformed and integrated.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

Art:

 

Art:

“Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

This is the 25^th path on the Tree of Life and is represented by the letter Samekh and the Art Atu, which used to be called Temperance in the old Tarot decks. This path is associated with alchemy and transformation, it connects Tiphareth to Yesod. The figure on the card is Artemis who is the goddess of fertility and the twin sister of Apollo. Tiphareth being associated with awakening and Yesod with the unconscious puts the symbolism into perspective. Another symbol of this path is a seeded womb and it is along this path that the Magickal Childe experiences birth. The dichotomies of The Tower, The Devil, Art and Death Atus are all indicative of the attainment of K&C and the Formula of ON. All these paths should thus be interpreted within the above-mentioned context. All opposites are united along this path, the individual is made perfect and raised to Knowledge and Conversation. The Soul is congealed and transmuted by the radiation emanating from the light of the Sun. The Magickal Childe having been conceived in Malkuth via the initiate's initial awakening by the Shekinah is here completely realized and born in Tiphareth as perfect union between the Unconscious and the Ego is achieved and the microcosm is united with the macrocosm, thus the Royal Wedding is so to speak consummated.

A violent process is experienced along this path and may be likened to a mother in labor, all opposites below Tiphareth are brought into congruence and transmuted, until perfect union is attained. Therefore, the Alchemical symbols of Salt, Sulfur and Mercury are represented here, as Crowley said it is raising the individual in a vertical line to Knowledge and Conversation. The beauty of union is expressed in the symbolism of this card, an orgasmic union that lays bare to perception the final union, which is the dissolution of Hadit into the All, whom we call Nuit.

 "37. I shoot up vertically like an arrow, and become that Above."

"38. But it is death, and the flame of the pyre."

"39. Ascend in the flame of the pyre, O my soul! Thy God is like the cold emptiness of the utmost  heaven, into which thou radiatest thy little light."

Liber VII, Chapter 1:

This path is symbolized by an arrow as the one that pierced Chiron and is associated with Artemis as the Huntress and Yesod. Chiron was a Centaur, he was very wise and an advisor to many Greek heroes, one day Heracles accidentally shot Chiron and pierced him with an arrow, it was so painful that Chiron wanted to die. Prometheus took pity on Chiron and made him mortal to end his suffering, in death Chiron was again immortalized as he became the constellation of Sagittarius. Thus, an adept is without guidance and works under the auspices of Knowledge and Conversation with his Holy Guardian Angel, which is experienced as an inbreathing of divine inspiration. Artemis is the goddess of the Moon, fertility, motherhood and the hunt, the sphere of Yesod symbolizes the lower astral and the unconscious, this is expressed in the characteristics of the goddess. Apollo is the sun god, he is a god of poetry and music, being associated with Tiphareth, he represents the Great Work having been accomplished. The Veil of Paroketh is pierced along this path, thus the path is symbolized by an arrow piercing the veil which separates the Ethical and Astral Triads, as being shot into the air and piercing a rainbow called Qesheth, certainly an allusion to the Soul of Asar-Un-Nefer and the Luminous Body. Sagittarius is thus symbolized by an arrow to illustrate this point, as the arrow belongs to Artemis, twin sister of Apollo as the Moon reflects the light of the Sun at night. The union of love and will is then an expression of the attainment and “Love under Will” is therefore its formula.

I,41: There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse. Accursed! Accursed be it to the aeons! Hell. 

Liber AL:

“Love is the law, love under will.”