Kabbalah, Magic and the Great Work of Self Transformation A Complete Course by Lyam_Thomas_Christopher.pdf

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KABBALAH,
MAGIC
AHD THE GREAT WORK Of
SELf-TRAHSfORMATIOH
A
COMPL€T€ COURS€
LYAM THOMAS CHRISTOPHER
Llewellyn Publications
Woodbury, Minnesota
Contents
Acknowledgments
Vl1
one
Though Only a Few Will Rise
two
The First Steps
1
15
35
three
The Secret Lineage
four
Neophyte
57
89
five
That Darkly Splendid World
SIX
The Mind Born of Matter
129
175
seven
The Liquid Intelligence
eight
Fuel for the Fire
227
ntne
The Portal
267
ten
The Work of the Adept
315
Appendix A: The Consecration of the Adeptus Wand
331
Appendix B: Suggested Forms ofExercise
345
Endnotes
353
Works Cited 359
Index 363
Acknowledgments
The first challenge to appear before the new student of magic is the
overwhehning amount of published material from which he must prepare a road map
of self-initiation. Without guidance, this is usually impossible. Therefore, lowe my
biggest thanks to Peter and Laura Yorke of Ra Horakhty Temple, who provided my
first exposure to self-initiation techniques in the Golden Dawn. Their years of expe-
rience with the Golden Dawn material yielded a structure of carefully selected ex-
ercises, which their students still use today to bring about a gradual transformation.
WIthout such well-prescribed use of the Golden Dawn's techniques, it would have
been difficult to make progress in its grade system.
The basic structure of the course in this book is built on a foundation of the Golden
Dawn's elemental grade system as my teachers passed it on.
In
particular, it develops
further their choice to use the color correspondences of the Four Worlds, a piece of
the original Golden Dawn system that very few occultists have recognized as an ini-
tiatory tool. I also build upon their idea to prescribe planetary invocations as part of
the process. Not only is it important for the student to experience the four elements
in sequence; a gradual, balanced introduction to the planets provides a valuable foun-
dation for future work as an adept as well.
I would also like to thank Dr. Anodea Judith for writing such a Western-friendly
introduction to the chakra system. Not only do I require my students to read her book
Wheels afLift,
but I specifically assign a couple of the grounding exercises from it.
Also, there is my friend Janet Blake, to whom I am so indebted as a ritual partner.
Janet is one of the few powerful magicians I have known. Her ability and willing-
ness to test my foggy ideas have been crucial to the evolution of the curriculum in
this book. Janet and I both share in the idea that teachers should no longer initiate
vii
viii
Acknowledgments
students into "private clubs," but that they should instead help them individuate. It
continues
to
be my good fortune to work side by side with such a model Humanist.
Additional ideas have come about from the questions of my students, whom I
would also like to thank. I have never learned more than I have in playing the role
of their teacher. Jake Gordon and Rick Phillips have been particularly mature and
inquisitive in their own development, demanding answers from me that have con-
tributed to this book.
And where would this project be without editors? A special thank-you goes to
my friend-my evening jewel-Professor Winifred Storms for providing a much-
needed outsider's perspective.
It
is all too easy to forget how impenetrable occult
jargon is to those who are not immersed in it daily. Thank you for your valuable
advice, Winnie!
one
Though Only a Few Will Rise
Magic. It has been with us since the birth of civilization. But what is it,
and how does one become a magician? This book is dedicated to the student of life
who stands at a crossroads, at the place where two paths meet. One path is mun-
dane and well worn, and the other is the way of magic.
Magic is the art of transformation, of altering consciousness and experiencing the
life changes that result. It is a science of empowerment, of using word, image, and
gesture to reach into the darkness and set free the imprisoned faculties of the soul.
For this reason, its power is forbidden.
A person may sit quietly sometimes and marvel at the irony of his life. He partic-
ipates in a booming materialistic culture that stifles his spiritual needs for the sake
of its progress. Despite the grandeur of technology, the modern progressive world
restrains the individual from exploring the depth and breadth of his own soul. His
parents and teachers have cautioned him to stay safely in the norm-to be success-
ful,
become rich, and start a family. It is disreputable for
him
to strive for anything
outside of those lines.
But it can't be helped that there is the occasional quiet moment-between phone
calls, perhaps, or after a movie-when he feels a different possibility. Sometimes it
takes the form of a soothing calm, sometimes a radical curiosity. And sometimes it
becomes a nagging doubt. A silent voice asks, "Is this all I was made for? Why is
the life I am
expected
to live not enough?"
We have been deceived. The purpose that Western society has created for the indi-
vidual is a sham. Mesmerized by a mirage of "happiness" that hovers around material
1

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