Liber O

The student must FIRST obtain a thorough knowledge of Book 777, especially of columns I., II., III., V., VI., VII., IX., XI., XII., XIV., XV., XVI., XVII., XVIII., XIX., XXXIV., XXXV., XXXVIII., XXXIX., XL., XLI., XLII., XLV., LIV., LV., LIX., LX., LXI., LXIII., LXX., LXXV., LXXVII., LXVIII., LXXIX., LXXX., LXXXI., LXXXIII., XCVII., XCVIII., XCIX., C., CI., CXVII., CXVIII., CXXXVII., CXXXVIII., CXXXIX., CLXXV., CLXXVI., CLXXVII., CLXXXII.

When these are committed to memory, he will begin to understand the nature of these correspondences. (See Illustrations The Temple of Solomon the King in this number. Cross references are given.)

If we take an example, the use of the table will become clear.

Let us suppose that you wish to obtain knowledge of some obscure science.

In column XLV., line 12, you will find "Knowledge of Sciences."

By now looking up line 12 in the other columns, you will find that the Planet corresponding is Mercury, its number eight, its lineal figures the octagon and octagram. The God who rules that planet Thoth, or in Hebrew symbolism Tetragrammaton Adonai and Elohim Tzabaoth, its Archangel Raphael, its Choir of Angels Beni Elohim, its Intelligence Tiriel, its Spirit Taphtatharath, its colours Orange (for Mercury is the Sphere of the Sephira Hod, 8), Yellow, Purple, Grey, and Indigo rayed with Violet; its Magical Weapon the Wand or Caduceus, its Perfumes Mastic and others, its sacred plants Vervain and others, its jewel the Opal or Agate; its sacred animal the Snake, &c., &c.

You would then prepare your Place of Working accordingly. In an orange circle you would draw an eight-pointed star of yellow, at whose points you would place eight lamps. The Sigil of the Spirit (which is to be found in Cornelius Agrippa and other books) you would draw in the four colours with such other devices as your experience may suggest.

And so on. We cannot here enter at length into all the necessary preparations; and the student will find them fully set forth in the proper books, of which the "Goetia" is perhaps the best example.

These rituals need not be slavishly imitated; on the contrary the student should do nothing the object of which he does not understand; also, if he have any capacity whatever, he will find his own crude rituals more effective than the highly polished ones of other people.

The general purpose of all this preparation is as follows:

Since the student is a man surrounded by material objects, if it be his wish to master one particular idea, he must make every material object about him directly suggest that idea. Thus in the ritual quoted, if his glance fall upon the lights, their number suggests Mercury; he smells the perfumes, and again Mercury is brought to his mind. In other words, the whole magical apparatus and ritual is a complex system of mnemonics.

[The importance of these lies principally in the fact that particular sets of images that the student may meet in his wanderings correspond to particular lineal figures, divine names, &c. and are controlled by them. As to the possibility of producing results external to the mind of the seer ("objective," in the ordinary common sense acceptation of the term) we are here silent.]

There are three important practices connected with all forms of ceremonial (and the two Methods which later we shall describe). These are:

1. Assumption of God-forms.
2. Vibration of Divine Names.
3. Rituals of "Banishing" and "Invoking".

These, at least, should be completely mastered before the dangerous Methods of Chapters V. and VI. are attempted.