The best spice for any meal is hunger. And a special kind of hunger is the hunger of the soul, which eats every inch of the Aspirant’s being, every moment of being awake or sleeping. But of all this, certainly the most expensive spice of the Universe is the word. It gives uniqueness to every existence so well. It shapes reality to be real enough, or less real, or unreal, or unbearably easy for the one who likes it that way. One and the same thing becomes an entirely different thing by applying a different word. Each of our grades is one such spice, one different word that always describes the same condition.
But while words may be timeless, our representations of those words are certainly not. Love is the same word, but with so many different meanings that two different people have very different knowledge about love even in the same era, even though they can both claim to love, and both can be right. Someone can mean completely opposite things by the same word. Therefore, the power of words is based on understanding the one who uses them.
Within our Order, we have a fully respectful approach to words. They are hostages of the most sublime love; we have one knowledge of charms, oaths, formulas, names, vibrations, mantras, or invocations. All of these are words, and yet, there are so many of them that the Aspirant is sometimes left at the mercy of the great goddess to guess what is what. Basically, the main confusion is created between words and formulas, so we will focus on this first.
Indeed, words are different from formulas. We witness a complete substitution between these two things too often, and the end effect is similar to when a sentence is translated literally, losing everything from its punch line or rhyme. Each formula contains a complex mechanism within itself, as much as a word includes a very simple lever of action. For a magic formula, it is thus more important to know the meaning and story behind it, even if it has not been uttered at all; for a word, it is important to know the way how to vibrate it more than to know what it means. For example, the formula IHVH is very different from the name – with many beginners simply forgetting the pronunciation of the last H in IHVH. In this way, they weaken the formula considerably, although the same name can be vibrated in a powerful and enlightening way. VIAOV sounds like everything but the word VIAOV for the one who correctly vibrates this formula. It is actually one sound that changes aliquots. Still, there may be magicians who recite it without any awareness of its meaning. Yet, one should know that knowledge of the meaning of a formula does not automatically make a formula a strong vibration that will act upon the Universe, just as a good vibration is meaningless if there is no understanding of what lies at the root of that vibration.
But the problem is when our head makes them stop being anything but the transmission of our own projections, fears, and expectations. Instead of Tahuti, they invoke a shadow. Instead of opening, the same word now blocks, stops, and prevents the light of the LVX from illuminating the Aspirant. Instead of Tahuti being at the prow while Ra-Hoor abides at the helm, there is now an empty shell on the prow, while the worst excretion of the Moon is at the helm, rather than that of the Sun. And instead of this boat of light sailing the natural path, it now goes chaotically being carried away by the currents and rivers of strayed thoughts and corrupt emotions, distracted from the Great Work.
It can be openly noticed that the phenomenon of the words in the A∴A∴ has a very special place. First, every Motto taken by a magician at every grade is the birth of a word and the Logos, and as much as it is a decree of Tiphareth, it is always through the Father of the Logos, Chokmah. Moreover, as a Neophyte, the Aspirant receives hidden word from his Zelator, then, as an accomplished Adept, he receives the name of his Angel, and finally, as Magus, he obtains the word of Æon. All three grades are pervaded by acceptance of certain words that fulfill the utmost domains of human existence, the words shaking the whole Universe, as the ether through which these vibrations are transmitted, from Yesod to Chokmah.
The secret word of a Neophyte is never pronounced in the outer world, and it is never transmitted in the way as it is done with other words. Above all, one should take into account that M….M is not a word but a formula, which only resembles a subtle inner story, and it is necessary to obtain it through one’s Zelator in its proper form. The secret word is the axis of the whole initiation of his, which is fully nourished by the vibration of that word. It never gets transmitted, except to the Neophyte of the A∴A∴, and there are strong reasons why it is so. First and foremost, the very process of finding this word starts much earlier than in Liber Pyramidos, if nothing else, then precisely at this point, reading these words represents an achievement and a valuable process by itself. The very word is a mental arabesque about settling the Aspirant’s soul inside the Pyramid, imprinting his mind into its monumental heart. This word is the formula of conversion of two entirely different currencies; those elemental and those spiritual ones. This word is a translator, which turns IHVH into IHShVH; it is a formula that explains life itself. This word, like magical words of the old times used by a necromancer to raise the dead, will imprint the soul into dead things and bring them to life. It is symbolically responsible for our true awakening, our true initiation. And as every Pyramid is a tomb of the body, so it is equally a cradle of the soul.
Vibration is a true expression of the word, and it is represented by a special way of use in this external realm. But there are so many wrong ways young Aspirants approach this venture, and we have to accept our own responsibility with our heads bowed for this. Vibration is a signpost to the stars. It does not carry energy in itself; on the contrary, it carries consciousness and serves only to direct energy, which in that case, unmistakably runs toward the field of action.
It is very important to locate the environment in which the word is transmitted – and that is air. In fact, the entire region of Ruach is suitable to be perceived that way. It is through the air that the Angel and Hermes move equally – the Angel with wings on the back, Hermes with winged sandals or talaria. Even Magus floats carried by a winged helmet, and each of them is carried by the vibration of their own words – the Angel by his name, Magus by the word of Æon, Hermes conveying the words of the supreme Zeus. Therefore, we first guide Aspirants to the correct pronunciation and vibration of words, but we can equally notice carelessly spoken words even with very experienced magicians – words without any possibility of conveying anything of force and power. We can often see that the only purpose there is the purpose of dramatizing – the words are recited, but they do not elicit anything of inner gnosis. The Will itself is an expression of the Logos, asked for by Ruach to resonate with – like sound which cannot be perceived without the air.
Names, as far as we speak about regular practices, are supposed to be used in two main ways. The first is to use them as vibration, but just as an ignitor for an inner engine, which is, of course, your mind. Just as you bring speakers close to your ear and turn on bass to the maximum, the vibration will start kicking you at the physical level. The second way is quite different. It is meant to awaken your inner nature just as I will wake you up in the middle of the night by calling your name loudly. The first way draws strength from a purely energetic capacity of sound, the second – from the transmutation of consciousness and attention of a magician who is but detoured by the word. To him, it is like being slapped or splashed with cold water – it actually awakens and directs him to a completely different course of a completely new consciousness.
As for the vibration technique itself, the whole idea is to lower the voice much more than we normally speak until we feel the sound coming down from the mouth into the throat. It is an extremely subtle feeling that must be felt primarily with a completely relaxed throat, and the mouth must be open freely. There must be no convulsions of either the mouth or the throat, which have such a destructive effect on the vibration itself. The easiest way to observe this is in the bathroom. Start from the highest pitch at which you can pronounce the sound A or O, and then go down step by step, and at one point, the whole bathroom will ring and resonate. In the same way, you can find the right resonance in any surroundings, using the strategy of lowering your voice tone by tone. In the end, vibrating in the open nature, you will discover your ideal pitch that works best with your body. It is not about any wisdom but simply the resonance created by your lungs, your throat, and your whole body; in this circumstance, your whole body is an instrument that acts united but as a whole too. Just be patient; the most important thing is to relax. Only then will the vibration start to tremble your body. Remember, if you hold a bass membrane with your hand, vibration will not occur.
Once you have discovered this pitch, hold on to it, and remember it. You can try to find out exactly what the pitch is with the help of an instrument so that you can interpret it later in an instant. Play with that pitch for a while, change letters and sounds, but never change the pitch – even a very small difference completely nullifies the impression of shaking that has been created once you discovered your resonance. You will now notice that the vibration and shaking are clearly felt on the physical plane, especially in your ears. Just a slight increase or decrease in pitch and that vibration will magically disappear; you will still sing the tone with the same force, but it will not be nearly as close to that kind of vibrating as it was when you used to do it a moment ago. Start vibrating now A, E, I, O, U, keeping the pitch you have discovered all the time and not letting it out of your hearing at any cost. We can now see that certain parts of the body react and vibrate to certain sounds, either more or less. Thus the letter A shakes the thorax, the letter I shakes the nasal part, E the throat, O the lower part of the throat, while U shakes the upper part of the throat as much as the mouth. Also, play with moving your mouth; open your mouth wide, and then start closing it, discovering ways the vibration changes. You are now an artist with a palette of colors in the form of sound – this is one of the most wonderful discoveries in practical magick. You will be truly amazed by the performances of so many people who find nothing important in this, and where words are repeated only as much as someone would just want to suggest to you that it is now an essential part of the ritual and nothing more. This is so far from the common understanding of music and the art of sound; for us, music is vibrating air; we follow that vibration completely, finding the ultimate path toward our Yoga.
How special is the nature of the word Abrahadabra, which, as a formula, has power when vibrating but contains so many meanings and processes that inhabit our minds when we think of the whole story that just leans on that word. The power is not exclusively in vibrating – but in our consciousness now riding this vibration by its understanding – it can be equally read to ourselves or even in silence, and that sublime instinct occurs just as strongly.
But the word of the Law of the Æon is Thelema, which also has importance, but its power is in a completely different matter. The word is a condition, and the formula is a process, that is the current under which all states are perceived in the laws where the being of the magician resides. Both words and formulas can be vibrated and spoken, shouting, or performed in silence, but one Neophyte must certainly know the difference and relationship between those. Every formula can be a word that vibrates, but not every word can be a formula. This is such an important statement. The difference between words and formulas is exactly like the difference between water and ice. We can control the force of our own impact with ice and shape it so that it remains standing for some time after we have carved it. That carved message can be seen by completely different people – it lasts for a while, and then, the time affects it and changes it to a new form – through a new Æon or new consciousness through some new Law. That ice melts and becomes water – turning into a completely different form, but keeping the same essence. But water is the precursor of all ice and its ultimate end; it is the condition of life itself – tasteless, odorless, epithet-free, colorless – and yet full of pure impulse. It takes the form of the vessel where it finds itself – like the Will, which, when directed to sound, now completely changes the one who uses the very sound. Indeed, that is the whole and true purpose of the vibrations of names and magical words. As ice containing that lovely water, so LVX is in the essence of all words.
So let us do something practical and quite simple, with what we have come up with before. Let us start vibrating the sound of “I,” as in “Italy.” Let us keep doing it for a while, completely calm, with the throat and mouth relaxed. Let us feel the vibration in the chest area, then the throat, and finally, in the nasal area. Under no circumstances should you push the air out of the lungs, let it pass through the throat in a sound form of the letter I, completely passively and without any additional action other than the exhalation itself. Let us do a couple of vibrations like this and enjoy the sound scratching and shaking us, in a similar way as a cat does while purring. We will now do something quite different, moving the vibration with a completely qualitative leap.
Now, continuing to vibrate in the same way, raise your right index before your eyes, and simply focus all your attention on the tip of that finger, imagining that now all vibration you clearly feel is moving toward that spot. In fact, you do not need to do almost anything. Sheer looking at the tip of that finger makes the vibration feel right in the part where you are looking and where your gaze and attention are focused. It will look as if your throat is in that right index finger and that all the sound and trembling is actually coming from that place. Practice the transmission of vibration from one finger to another by looking at them and imagining the vibration and exhalation of air from that very spot. This is such a remarkable trick that once you have mastered it, and it does take a few minutes to understand, your vibration will never be the same again. The difference is like the difference between scratching and genital arousing, leading to orgasm. It is the same mechanical reaction that leads to a completely divergent physiological response. You can vibrate and shift your attention to parts of the body that are injured or sick. We will go even further – now we will learn to speak through a particular part of the body, through the tip of the finger, for example. In the end, let the spot itself pulsate in silence, without any external vibration, let the only movement be the Pure Will looking and directing its attention to that part of the body. This exercise can be practiced so that the whole body becomes one resonator box for the Will. But we really think that even the vibration itself, no matter how intensely experienced during this simple trick, does not deserve any of our attention, unless it is caused by the Will; that is to say, Will and intention is the only true producer of sound, everything else is just changing a resonator box. Sound is created primarily in the mind, never in the throat, lungs, or right index finger.
Vibration is not the only way to use words in our art; on the contrary, there are certain goals when the method of vibrating cannot bring anything good. Barbaric names draw strength from a completely different psychological effect, which uses a similar mechanism like Mantra Yoga.
There is a great way of pronouncing invocations where they are uttered whispering; it is also a trick of the mind that automatically increases attention when words are spoken quietly. Have the Aspirant read an invocation he usually practices in a complete whisper, almost in silence, and he will notice a delicate change in the quality of his consciousness that occurs after such utterance.
One special aspect of the words in our Order is the magical Motto; too many Aspirants think that it is as strong and fierce as the power and fierceness of the deity, as the Motto is clumsily named. The Motto must never be strong nor anything that has the characteristics of a similar kind. It must be yours, and it must be you in exactly the same way; it must be you long before you realize yourself. It is the name which you had had long before you were even born.
There is a very convenient way of vibrating, reminiscent of goat bleating, where the vocals are not repeated in one continuous breath but intermittently and very rapidly. Not one vowel, but a lot of short bursts of a vowel with minor pauses in between that remind of a goat bleating. It is a mental trick that, when mastered, which really takes just a few minutes, gives a whole new level of vibration of any name, and is eerily effective when used together with the sign of Horus. This way of vibrating can be clearly felt even when you are vibrating in complete silence, only by remembering this method in your mind. This can be perfected to such an extent that after a few times of such imaginary intermittent vibration, it can be felt in a particular part of the body, or even in the whole body to such an extent that the entire body really begins to tremble.
Vibrating with your mouths closed should also be mentioned; try to pronounce A, E, I, O, U while clearly feeling and hearing the difference between the letters. Then you need to move on to more complicated letters. The only condition is that the mouth does not open, not even for a moment. This kind of magical mumbling is exceptionally effective and makes this practice something like mild energy purring. The only condition is to make a larger jaw movement than usual, all with your lips closed.
It is certainly inevitable to mention the Enochian language, which has a very special place in our art, especially since all its greatness lies in the fact that it is quite self-regulatory to each Aspirant. In fact, whatever we pronounce, the result will be the same. Sometimes I skip some parts of keys or say something different on purpose, sometimes I improvise, but whenever I had Will before “change,” it seems that Enochian force will pour itself towards that mold in the same manner. It appears that the whole point of Enochian is in a simple mind trick used by children – simply start speaking a language that does not exist, and in a couple of minutes, your being will be drunk by the very specific change in awareness. I tried to experiment, and I read a text from the internet in a language that I do not know at all (try to copy some text with google translate and choose some totally weird language), and after that, I invoke the names. Results are fascinating, as I get exactly the same visions with complete success. As long as I am doing for what I do not know that I am doing, that work always brings complete success, all on the condition that the Will for success has been manifested beforehand.
There are only a few more practical tips related to the Mantra; when you repeat it, imagine there is a dark cave in the center of the Chakra. Try to use the Mantra to call the one who is in that cave to go outside. This small detail only is enough to trigger things in a completely different manner and bring a whirlwind of ferocity that changes the consciousness of the Aspirant so indisputably and to such an extent that he will remain boyishly enthusiastic for days for he has discovered such effective magick.
Also, after you choose a certain Mantra, say it quite slowly at first. Repeat it a couple of times at a slower pace. Try to do the next two things; slow recitation of the Mantra, but also a long pause between repetition. After a few times, and you must not count, say the Mantra a little faster while also shortening the pause between utterances. After several such repetitions, you should recite the Mantra even faster, with even shorter breaks, until the Mantra is so fast that you will say it without any interruption mumbling it with your lips. Now speed it up even more. The mumbling becomes just a miniature movement of the lips, as the Mantra turns into a pure sound. Now, speed it up to the extremes. No lips can move anymore; no sound can be heard; let the whole feeling of the Mantra be within your mind imagining how the inner sound accelerates even more and becomes pure light. It radiates more and more as it keeps accelerating. Imagine how warm and radiant that pulsing light is, and now all your thoughts are like flies clinging to that light. Millions of flies keep on sticking, more and more, all flies from the wilderness of your mind, with that light attracting them faster and faster. Finally, the last step is the easiest one – now, turn off that light.
Frater 273
Frater 273 | Reflections on Thelema 