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The Magickal LightVolume 5 I ssue 4 Apr il 1st 2010
Image © Pino Longchild
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Inside this Issue:
Interview with Amber Jayanti
_______________________________________
Merlin by Gypsy Avalon
_______________________________________
The Order of the Everlasting Day By Marcus Katz_______________________________________
Pagan Festivalby Frances
Billinghurst
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Editor’s Letter
© All text and images in this ezine are copyright of www.magickaschool.com, or of the respective authors, artists and photographers. P l ease respec t the copy r i gh t o f ou r contributors. Submissions to the ezine may not be reproduced elsewhere without the written permission of the original author, artist or photographer, except where they are from copyright free or share alike sources as indi- cated.
Inclusion of photography and art taken from copyright free or share alike sources does not mean that these artist and photographers support or approve of Magicka School.
New Zealand Pagan Festival, P.3
Australian High Priestess, Frances Billinghurst, writes about a recent festival she attended.
The Meaning of Archangels, P.7
Jas Dela Luna writes about the background to Archangels.
Empathy, Development & Control, P.9
Lina B. Humphries discusses what it means to be an Empath.
Interview with Amber Jayanti, P.12
Pino interviews one of the most highly respected Tarot teachers.
Introducing the Order of the Everlasting Day, P.18
Marcus Katz introduces his new magickal order.
Merlin, P.27
Gypsy Avalon concludes the series of Celtic-Arthurian articles.
If you would like to comtribute to The Magickal Light Ezine please email [email protected] for further details.
Highlights
erry Meet everyone! I trust that you are all keeping well.
Before I tell you about the ezine this month I just want to say a big thank you to Natrob87 and Inkky on the Forum who have recently given it a complete overhaul and upgrade. I think you’ll agree it looks better and we will all benefit from the more advanced security features.
This month in the ezine I am delighted to be able to present to you my interview with Amber Jayanti. Amber truly is one of the great Tarot teachers and she was an absolute del ight to question. Her interview on page 12 is one of the fullest that the ezine has carried and has some fascinating information about the floor of the cathedral in Siena.
That’s not all though: Marcus Katz provides us with a glimpse at his new magickal project; The Order of the Everlasting Day which seems to be a fascinating new venture. Francis Billinghurst a s a lways pro v ides an Antipodean perspective with her account of a recent Pa gan festival in New Zealand. There’s a r t i c l e s too f rom ne w contributors Jas dela Luna and L ina B . Humphr ies , not forgetting the last in the series about Ce l t i c-Ar thur ian mythology with a look at Merlin by Gypsy Avalon.
Just one more thing: You will see some changes to the Magicka Shop over the next couple of months . We’ve made some decisions to increase the range of stock and will also soon be showcasing some exclusive Magicka jewelry. Watch out for announcements in the coming newsletters.
That’s it. Enjoy this month’s ezine.
Love and Light,
Pino
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e w Z e a l a n d , a country located at the bottom of the
world, seemingly rather non-eventful (except for when it banned American nuclear warships back in the 1980s which resulted i n t h e “ B i g B ro t h e r ” attempting to impose a trade ban in order to get its own way), known for its sheep population, love of extreme sports, and o u t s t a n d i n g s c e n e r y. However, just below the surface there seems to be another side to this rather laid-back countr y that would not be found in travel books.
New Zealand seems to have a long and rather varied occult history which, whilst rather hidden from view, still offers to intrigue those who stumble across it. I first became aware of this history when, in 2003, I attended the 4th annual New Zealand Pagan Fest whereby Roel van Leeuwen, who was investigating this history for his then PhD, presented a lecture on the topic.
Roel mentioned that when the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn established the Smara gdum Tha l l e s ses Temple in Havelock North (more commonly known as “Whare Ra”) in 1912, it turned out to be one of the last vestibules of that Order, not officially closing until 1978. An offshoot of the Golden
Dawn, the Builders of the Adytum (or “BOTA” ) , founded in 1921-22 by Paul Foster Case, was established in New Zealand in 1963 after a visit by its then head, Anne Davies. Other occult and esoteric organisations exist in New Zealand as well, such as A.M.O.R.C. , the O.T.O., Society of Guardians, and even the Order of the Nine Angles.
During the 2003 Pagan Fest, I worked with Philip Carr-Gomm, author and Chief Druid of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. From that visit, coinciding with the publication of his then book “Druidcraft”, Philip was also attracted to New Zealand, whereby he established the Avrone l l e Schoo l o f Druidcraft. Over a course of a year, during five weekends, each held around the time of the Fu l l Moon, Ph i l ip , together with 20 others, met at various locations each time a round Ne w Zea land to undertake teachings.
Another contact that I made at that initial festival was Mambo Paula Wedo, who at that time was a Vodou Mambo sur point, meaning that she had undergone the second degree Vodou initiation. Since that time, Mambo Paula has returned to Haiti at least twice for various initiations, and more recently to assist in the aftermath of the January earthquake and her Danthor Foundation
New Zealand Pagan Festival by Frances Bi"inghurst
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Frances at the Festival
Philip Carr-Gomm, Chief Druid
Drummer at the Festival
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which was set up to help the orphans in Haiti.
When I returned to the New Zea land Pa gan Fes t in February of this year, some se ven year s l a te r, I wa s accompanied in both the opening and closing rituals by occult philosopher and author Ramsay Dukes. One of my biggest challenges was to write a suitable r i tua l without having worked with Ramsay before and therefore not really knowing what h i s r i tua l influences are. Added to this was my assumption that the New Zealand Pagan scene was still largely solitary, so what I devised was loosely structured to allow for the different individual ist ic styles and personalities that was also su i tab le for about 100 participants (compared to the 250 people who attended the 2003 opening ritual). I also blended together a number of techniques , inc lud ing vibrating Enochian elemental calls, chanting and various movements, to cater for the differing levels of experience.
My own invocation of the Goddess reflected my Wiccan training, whereas Ramsay’s call to the God showed h im Crowley - inf luenced with Therion stomping around the c i rc le . Thi s wa s l a te r embraced when the other men present created an inner circle reciting a version of the God chant I use at various rituals of my own, in comparison to the larger one where the women were circling in the opposite direction reciting the better known Goddess chant.
In all, there were about 12 different presenters offering a wide range of talks over the weekend that ranged from the history of European magickal performances (such as Morris dancing and the Mummer Plays), and medicinal New Zealand herbs, through to Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law and the Thelema current, a s we l l a s compar ing Alexandrian Wicca to modern Wicca. My own presentation was on the Dark Goddess whereby the mantra of Kali-Ma was chanted as a way of connecting to Deity. There were a l so a number o f practical workshops as well from cord making and knot magick, through to the tarot, past life journeying and power raising, which was a lot of fun.
Whilst attendance numbers seemed to be down compared to the 2003 event (largely due to the global financial crisis which had hit New Zealand rather severely), there were still plenty to see, listen and do with demonstrations of belly dancing and medieval archery being had, as well as market stalls.
Prior to the closing ritual on the Sunday there was a panel consisting of the presenters sharing our various views and opinions on how to approach covens and finding suitable teachers, as well as the various structures of groups. One thing that I noted that whilst there seems to be a lack of in teres t w i th re spect to training in more disciplined covens, particularly those which are more traditional in their format (ie, that being Alexandrian or Gardnerian),
five of the eight panellists were in f ac t f rom that background, with one having actually trained with Alex Sanders himself in London.
In the closing ritual, Ramsay took on the ro le o f a Mercurial spirit, whilst I the High Priestess from the Rider Waite tarot cards. As the ritual space was opened, each participant took with them a seed that contained within them many memories of the weekend.
A number of comments made over the weekend have been mulling around in my head since February, one being the question of why we were there, at a Pagan festival, as opposed to any other kind of festival? Why do we classify ourselves as Pagans? What does Paganism actually mean to us? What actually sets our practices truly apart from the other spiritual and/or religious beliefs?
With what seems to be the push these days for Paganism to be assimilated with the other more orthodox religions in order to “ease” classification and/or clarification (which, to me, tends to be limited to the descriptions of one particular faith in particular, that of Christianity), sometimes it seems hard to differentiate between what is Christian, Buddhist etc and what is Pagan, in particular with the modern concept that one can be a “Pagan Christian” or a “Christian Wytch”.
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Wicca, in part icular, has seemed to have lost a lot of its boundar ies , so to speak, within the wider community w i th ju s t about anyone classifying themselves as a Wiccan regardless of whether they have been initiated into the Mystery religion stemming from Gerald Gardner that centres around the duality and polarity of Deity.
I am hoping that by the time I return to the 2011 festival, that I may at least have found some answers.
www.templedarkmoon.com, or email
Frances Billinghurst is the High Priestess of the Temple of the Dark Moon, an active “progressive” Wiccan coven which offers courses in Wicca including a 13-lecture correspondence course, as we" as holding public Fu" Moon gatherings. For
further information, write to her at PO Box 2451, Salisbury Downs SA 5108, visit the Temple's web site.
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The Meaning of ArchangelsBy Jas Dela Luna
rchangels serve ONE purpose, they are here to help and serve us. They have no space or time restrictions and can be everywhere at once to aid and assist you. They also serve to offer us Divine guidance, and are simply manifestations of the Divine energy source that flows through all things.
The medie va l Ce les t i a l Hierarchy is a method for classification used still today in angelology. In the Celestial Hierarchy, Archangels fall into the eighth of nine levels. Most Archangels (all of them, other than two that are known), have names that end in the suffix “el”. “El” means “in God” and follows the first part of the archangels’ name and descr ibes the archangels’ “specialty”.
Christianity?
The names o f the f i f teen archangels featured in this article are gathered from Jewish, Caba l i s t i c , Chr i s t i an , and Is l amic anc ient sp i r i tua l practices, texts, and beliefs. These are not the same way that angels are recognized by these religions today, as in ancient times there was a great deal of mysticism involved in each of their practices. For this reason, the Archangels are what I have
dubbed “areligious” and worked with by practitioners of many paths, religious and nonreligious alike.
A l a rge amount o f the information avai lable f rom historical texts are written from a Christian perspective, and it should be noted that Archangels, although “areligious” are heavily influenced by and rooted in Judeo-Christian beliefs.
There was one specific point in Christian history that had a long - l a s t ing e f fect on the pub l i c ’s knowledge o f archangels. It was during the “reign” of Pope Zachary (741-52 C.E.)of the Roman Catholic Church. Pope Zachary believed that the public’s interest in the a rchange l s had been approaching idolatry. The Pope then decided to “official ly” remove the names of seven archangels from the accepted l i st . However, those seven archangels are still included in the list I have provided below:
The Archangels
The list of archangels that I have included in this article is not all inclusive. The actual number of archangels is not agreed upon, but these are the angels that I feel comfortable l i s t ing . A long wi th the Archange l ’s name I ha ve included the meaning of their name and the religious origin of the angel.
Ariel- The name means “Lion of God”. Ariel is Cabalistic in origin.
Azrael – The name means “Whom God helps”. Azrael is Hebrew and Muslim in origin.
Chamuel- The name means “He who sees God”. Chamuel is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Gabriel- The name means “Strength of God”. Gabriel is Judeo-Christian in origin.
“Archangels...are heavily influenced by, and rooted in, Judaeo-Christian
beliefs.”A
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Haniel- The name means “Grace of God”. Haniel is Babylonian and Cabalistic in origin.
Jeremiel- The name means “Mercy of God”. Jeremiel is Judaic in origin.
Jophiel- The name means “Beauty of God”. Jophiel is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Metatron- The name means “He who occupies the throne next to the divine throne”. Metatron is Judaic and Cabalistic in origin.
Michael- The name means “Who is like God”. Michael is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Raguel- The name means “Friend of God”. Raguel is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Raphael- The name means “Healing power of God”. Raphael is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Raziel- The name means “Secrets of God”. Raziel is Judaic and Cabalistic in origin.
Sandalphon- The meaning of the name of Sandalphon is unknown. Sandalphon
is Judaic and Cabalistic in origin.
Uriel- The name means “God is light”. Uriel is Judeo-Christian in origin.
Zadkiel- The name means “Righteousness of God”. Zadkiel is Cabalistic in origin.
Michael tramples Satan by Guido Reni, 1636, Capuchin church of Santa Maria de"a Concezione.
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Empathy, Development and Controlby Lina B. Humphries
This month Lina discusses what it means to be an
Empath and how to control and utilise this
ability.
mpathy is the ability to read or sense others’ emotions and
state of mind. This gift can be quite frustrating as emotional atmospheres can become o ver whe lming for the empath . Be ing in l a rge c rowds where there a re considerable amounts of mixed emotions can be a struggle and living in a big city or just going to work or schoo l can become a hardship. For someone who is just discovering that they have this empathetic ability it can be quite a challenge!
Here are a few things to remember from my personal endeavors in controlling my empathetic abilities:
- You should begin to take note to how you are feeling, several times a day. Stop what you a re do ing and pay attention to how you feel and
your state of mind. Also take note of your surroundings; for example, whether you are with a group of people or in a huge c rowd. Note the differences between the state of mind induced when in the presence of people and that of how you are when you are a lone . Thi s he lps teach discernment between yourself and others.
- You must meditate or at least sit quietly and learn to watch your thoughts and emotions. The more aware you are about your state of mind and your feelings, the easier you can tell them apart from someone else’s.
Meditation is also a great way to develop a sort of shield; a shield that protects you from receiving energy from those around you. It can also be used as a very good way to filter the receiving of energy.
There will be a difference in the quantity of feelings you receive when the shield is developed and up, compared to how you feel when your shield is not in use. This shield is a great defense mechanism and one that can be expanded and worked on.
- Practicing a statement such as "This anger belongs to ..., but this is my feeling..." will
help sensitize you to the different "feel" of each person and their emotions/thoughts or state of mind. Everyone is different and they all give off different energies. The goal here is to distinguish what belongs to you and what belongs to others.
- Try to find an activity that brings solidity into your physical self. This can help with the extra stress you may have to deal with. It will also help to prevent you from getting sick by keeping the energy circulating. A simple walk or jog is great!
- Once you learn to identify your energy and distinguish that from others you have to find a method of releasing it from you. Grounding and centering is a great method of sending the energy back to Ear th . There a re other methods available as well; these include visualization, the use of song or chanting.
Whatever is chosen, make sure that it is done on a regular basis, otherwise the energy wi l l cont inue to circulate within you and may become heavy and stale.
E
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Empathy, Development and Control by Lina B. Humphries
Empathy, l ike psych ic abilities or telepathy, is a gift. Although at times it may seem as though no good can come of it, once it is fully developed and once it is under control, it can be used for positive things. Helping others during sensitive times when they feel as though no one can understand what they are experiencing is just one example of how this gift may be used. So don’t let being empathet ic become too overwhelming. Take your time in developing your skills and be proud of what you can accomplish.
Lina returns next month with the
beginning of a series on dreams.
She is a mentor assistant on the Magicka School
Forum
The Circle of Life Tarot by
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Pino Longchild interviews Amber Jayanti
I first came across Amber Jayanti many, years ago when I bought her book Living the Tarot in a sma" esoteric shop in Greenwich, London that now no longer exists. I am delighted to be interviewing her for the ezine this month.
I want first to ask you about yo u r t h r i l l i n g Ta r ot Illumination Journey, which took place earlier in 2009. It was a vacation tour (on w h i c h s t u d e n t s w e re invited) that took in some i m p o r t a n t It a l i a n Ta ro t landmarks. Can you tell us about the journey and also do you have anything similar planned for the future?
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, che meraviglia! What a wonder fu l and illuminating journey this “once in a lifetime” trip, to enjoy the glories of Tarocchi and promote the Italian translation of Tarot for Dummies, aka Tarocchi per Negati, was!
Our group: Visited with the prolific, ingenious and most humble Tarocchi artist, Master Osva ldo Menegazz i a t Il Meneghe"o in Milan; trained to rural Riola to Hermantena and Ernesto’s absolutely mind -
blowing Museo Dei Tarocchi, a t a r o c c h i dream come t r ue ; mar ve led a t the marb le pavement of the The Cathedral of Siena; pilgrimaged to Il Gardino Dei Tarocchi, to embibe the ma gni f icent scu lpture ga rden c reated by the incomparable Niki De Saint Phalle, certainly the 8th wonder of the world; were blessed with the gracious Italian hospitality of the folks from Lo Scarabeo; and luxuriated for a few blissful days a t the Fe d e ra t i o n o f Damanhur, taking classes with the i r t a rot teachers extraordinaire, appreciating their community and meditating in their exquisite temples.
The trip was also sprinkled with pr ivate Ta r o c c h i co l lectors generously sharing their antique collections.
On part of that tour you went to the Cathedral of Siena. I was unaware that t h e cathed ral had Tarot symbolism on its floor. It s o u n d s a b s o l u t e l y fascinating, who put the symbolism there and why? Are there other religious buildings that contain such symbols?
Hermes Trismegistus
The inlaid marble mosaic floor is one of the most sumptuous of its kind in Italy, covering the entire f loor of the already astounding cathedral. This work occurred between the 14th and 16th centuries, with about 40 a r t i s t s making the i r contribution. The floor consists of 56 panels in different sizes. They represent the Cumaean, Delphic, Persian and Phrygian sibyls aka oracles or prophets, scenes from the Old Testament, allegories and virtues. I believe we ’ re ta lk ing roots of the Renaissance Tarocchis . The earliest scenes were made by a graffito technique: drilling tiny holes and scratching lines in the marble then filling these with
Amber Jayanti Th.D., is a graduate of the Builders of the Adytum's (BOTA) t h i r t e e n - y e a r l o n g training in the Qabalistic Mysteries as well as a student of esoteric Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic teachings and practices. H e r s p a r e t i m e i s dedicated to social and political activism. She is a world renown expert on the Tarot.
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bitumen or mineral pitch. In a later stage black, white, green, red and blue marble intarsia were used.
The uncovered floor can only be viewed for 6-10 weeks each year, generally including the month of September. The earliest panel is probably the Wheel of Fortune dep ic ted in a lmost e ver y Tarocchi deck, laid in 1372.
Wheel of Fortune, Duomo Siena
The Four Virtues (Temperance, Prudence, Justice and Strength) and Mercy date from 1406, are seen in the remarkable Tarocchi Du Mantegna that dates from the mid - 1400 ’s , the Car y -Yale Visconti Tarocchi and numerous other tarot decks down through the ages. Of course, there is an
awesome depiction of Hermes Trismegistus reputed to be a source of hermetic, magical, a l chemica l and , hence , Qaba l i s t i c w i sdom and inspiration since antiquity.
Yo u a re p ro b a b l y b e s t known for your book Tarot for Dummies, which was a best seller in the USA and provides a starting point for many who are interested in the Tarot. Where, though, did your studies with the cards originate, and can you i n c l u d e h e re yo u r associations with BOTA (Builders of the Adytum).
Like so many love affairs, it was love at f irst s ight in 1967. Perhaps the draw came from previous lifetimes, as it’s been suggested, or from my intense hunger to make sense of/get per spect ive on what wa s happening in my life and the world.
Af ter read ing ju s t about everything I could find on the subject, which was not very much at the time, I began looking for teachers. A tarot teacher and student of BOTA, suggested I give the lessons a t r y. Wel l , the course work resonated deep l y. Ha v ing completed the BOTA studies, I feel blessed to have given it the time and attention it so richly deserved. Although some tarot folks say that BOTA does not offer anything new, ageless Wisdom is certainly not new! All of the mystico-spiritual systems being propagated today are some kind of reconfiguration of such Wisdom.
I was stirred to extend my BOTA learning with travel to India, Nepal, Thailand, Turkey and Egypt. Such resulted in my
investigation of Hinduism, Buddhism and Sufism/Islam; t radit ions that are l ight l y touched upon in the BOTA studies. These most enriching and inspirational endeavors have more than convinced me that the Qabalistic Tarot and Tree of Life form a bridge between the inner traditions of the East and West. The recent release of “closet” Qabalist, Carl Jung’s Red Book, has further underscored this for me.
My personal favourite work of yours is Living the Tarot. What distinguishes it from many Tarot books is its emphasis on application and i n t e g r a t i o n . C o u l d yo u explain to our readers why this is so important?
Yes, the book’s emphasis on taking the teachings discussed and integrating them into one’s life is an elaboration on seeds planted within me from the BOTA lessons. Agonizing it can be at times, I feel obliged to encourage others to also “walk the talk.” That is, to take the tarot out of the world of the theoretical into the world of practical spirituality. (That’s why one of my students started calling me a “practical mystic.” Although it’s a title that isn’t always a breeze for me to live up to, it has stuck—because it does give me something to live up to!)
Studying the symbolism and meanings of the Major Arcana, and for that matter the entire deck, is certainly valuable, yet learning such on a cellular level, by putting the teachings into use—living the cards, on a daily basis has an essential role in understanding the symbolism.
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This aspect of the book deems the Qabalistic Tarot to be a viable spiritual tradition.
I best mention that I had the pleasure of doing a new edition, Living the Qabalistic Tarot (RED WHEEL WEISER 2004), with the addition of more details on the Qabalistic Tree of Life. Here’s a thanks to Mary K. Greer for helping me to publish the book’s first edition in 1988, twenty-two years ago.
What is your favourite Tarot deck and why?
Each deck, like both its maker and each one of us, is unique, beautiful and beloved in its own way. For some teaching I use the coloring book style black and white BOTA deck as students can color each card not only as an aspect of themselves, but with their particular skin and hair tones, etc. I also use this deck because coloring-in a card i s a form of meditat ion - - -offering the opportunity to recall a card’s meaning, intuit its deeper significance and imprint its symbolism.
Of course, much like learning classical music helps one to improvise, learning the classical tarot helps one to work with other decks. For this reason, I greatly appreciate the Rider-Smith-Waite as so much has been written about it and there are so many variations of it—the Albano Waite, Universal Waite, Golden Rider, and so on.
You describe yourself as a student of “Hindu, Buddhist and Sufi/Islamic teachings.” Have these faiths influenced how you see the Tarot and if so how?
Study and pract ice of the esoteric side of these teachings has shown me what they have in common with Judaism and Christianity. For instance: the entire physical universe is Divinity ‘coming into being,’ the emphasis of loving kindness as well as the workings of “cause and effect,” aka Karma. Over times I have come to see the Tarot to be a system of symbols communicating and honoring the core principles of the world’s great religio-spiritual traditions. To re i te ra te , fo r me the Qabalistic Tarot and Tree of Life create a bridge between the traditions of East and West. As a peace activist since the 60s, I experience the Tarot promoting peaceful co-existence between re l i g ious g roups , hence countries.
In the mid 1970s you set up the Santa Cruz School for Tarot and Qabalah Study. What are the aims of this o rg a n i z a t i o n a n d h o w successful has it been in realizing them?
The Santa Cruz School for Tarot & Qabalah Study was founded in 1975 to make the study and experience of the Qabalistic Tarot and Tree of Life more accessible. Instruction aims at guiding and supporting each student's development (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) and to he ighten her /h i s awareness o f Rea l i ty - - the inseparability of spirit and matter. Emphasis is on a balance of theory and the practical application and integration of spiritual principles into everyday life.
The curriculum also teaches students to use what they have learned to help foster this de ve lopmenta l p rocess in
others. Over the years I’ve had the joy of guiding hundreds of students through the school’s program that now offers 6 years of material. While the school is often a tremendous amount of work, I feel truly honored to be passing the Great Work along to others.
Yo u r w o r k , St e p p i n g Through Addictive and Co-d e p e n d e n t B e ha v i o u r i s d e s i g n e d t o s h o w t h e correlation between 12 step support programs and the l a s t s e v e n c a rd s o f t h e Tarot's Major Arcana. How effective a compliment to mainstream therapy do you regard the Tarot as being?
Effectiveness has to do with the ability of both the therapist/consultant to work with the Tarot as well as the client’s openness to working with the cards. Here intention is key. That is, how the Tarot is being used -as a mirror, diagnostic tool or indicator of future events. I exper ience the Tarot functioning as a potent adjunct to psychotherapy v i a the Jungian-type exploration of: archetypes, the phenomena of synchronicity, the collective unconsc ious and persona l subconsc ious . A l so , a s compelling means of diagnosis s imilar to the Roarschach, Meyers-Briggs and Thematic Apperception tests, among others.
As you know, trans-personal approach to psychotherapy is one that has come to the fore within the last 20 years or so. Cer ta in Tarot c l i ents periodically come in for what they jestingly label, “my double therapy appointment.” When a client is ready, this approach takes her/his attention beyond
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the personal or “l ittle me” picture, to the trans-personal, “big me” picture of what ’s occurring in one’s life. I believe I s ta ted ear l i e r that the aforement ioned i s what attracted me to the Tarot in the first place.
In Cosmologist and Mystics Meet you have written about the relationship between science and mysticism. Do you believe it’s important that they meet and if so, why?
It has been my experience that science and mysticism are two sides of the same coin. I believe the “meeting” of science and mysticism breaks down another bar r ie r to in terpersona l communication, and therefore facilitates spiritual development. Science and mysticism teach many of the same things, yet in different terms or languages. In regard to the concept of the S ix Days of Creat ion, our understanding may be greatly improved if we change our human concept of days into that of Divine Days. Doing this allows each "day" to refer to an entire Age. On the first day of c reat ion the Most High commands, "Let there be light (aka sub-atomic photons): and there was light." Cosmologists state that gravity became a separate force, tearing away from the stil l unified basic forces of nature. Here too, the still expanding universe teems with the primary components of life-with quarks and anti-quarks, the smallest known constituents of matter-along with electrons and other exotic particles, emanating from the exploded nebula giving forth light. This explosion, or the "Big Bang," is the first stage of evolution
recognized by most scientists. There’s an article on my website that tells more about this. http://www.practical-mystic.com/
You created Oils of the Tarot f o r t h e Pe r f u m e r ’s Apprentice Shop. Scent can be a key to path working, can you tell us about the connection between scent and Tarot?
Linda f rom the Pe r f u m e r ’s Apprentice enjoyed helping me create essential oils for Qabalistic Tarot and Tree of Life for me. With only a couple of variations, the scents I use were codified by the Order of the Golden Dawn (1888).
Of course, research in the fields o f neuropsycho logy and aromatherapy has shown that our sense of smell brings up memories faster and for longer durations than any of our other senses. Since the beginning of human histor y, a lchemists , shamans , gur us and other mystico-spiritual practitioners have used resins, and floral essence, in the form of oils and incense, to alter, modify and heighten awareness. This is why I recommend usage of the scented oil associated with each of the Qabalistic Tarot Cards and sephiroth (spheres) on the Tree o f L i fe a s a way o f contributing to a deeper, more fu l l bodied and automatic recollection of its principles. Along this line, I wear the scent of a card or sphere on the Tree of Life as I’m studying, writing about, teaching or living it.
You are a Th. D (Doctor of Theology) what main things has your study of religions shown you?
First, with regard to that Th.D, I’d like to clarify how I came by it. After reading my voluminous writings, my Builders of the Adytum mentor, and then Pres ident o f the Order, commented that I had earned, and should use, the title of Th.D. Because titles are often superfluous status symbols, it took me a few years to actually add the letters to my name. Okay, on to your question.
My s tudy and pract ice o f numerous esoteric religions and sp i r i tua l t r ad i t ions ha s repeatedly shown, the presence o f the One Div ine Consciousness in the manyness of creation. For example: the teachings of Advaita Vedanta can be perfectly aligned with the journey up the Qabalistic Tree of Life ’s middle pi l lar and consequently, and the path that Christ and Buddha, amongst others, took to enlightenment. I ’ l l ca l l on the Shema , the “watchwords,” of the ancient Hebrew people to fur ther answer this question.
The Shema, the most sacred of the ancient Hebrew “Words of Power,” or “mantras . ” was handed down to Moses along with the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai. When translated from the Hebrew, the word Shema means, “Listen.” It is a call to attention from the Most High to the Hebrew people. However, from my point of view, the Shema is a “heads up” not only to the Jewish people, but to all people, as it affirms that all of creat ion , the animate and inanimate, creatures great are small, is divine in essence and origin.
In addition to emphasizing the sacredness of life in all forms, these teachings have shown me
16
what I can do to eliminate suffering -be it human, animal and/or planetary. Last but not least, the physical world is a proving ground for the soul and the certainty that everything fits together in the greater scheme of things.
W h a t a re yo u r l a t e s t projects?
Taking care of my “Living Temple,” is an ongoing project. This includes remaining healthy by swimming, biking and eating well, but not too much. Doing this balances out the rest of what I do, helping me to be the best person and Qabalistic Tarot facilitator that I can be.
I am in the process of getting a timely book on the Qabalistic Tree of Life ready for online purchase. Looking forward to teaching at the London School of Tarot for two weekends in September: 11-12/18-19 and some other work in Europe that’s in the process of jelling.
Since, what I regard to be the coup d ’etat occurring in the U.S. in 2000 when Bush, Inc. did their power grab, I ’ve felt compelled to be more politically active. Working in the Peace Mo vement loca l l y and in Washington DC with Codepink, invo lved in E lect ion Protection--being part of the gra ssroots movement that brought election fraud to the attention of the general public and media . I ’m present l y working towards “Health Care for All.” For me being spiritual means having a socia l and political conscience, yet without undue attachment to the results -like the sphinx in the Wheel of Fortune. Also, relinquishing my a ver s ion to canva ss ing a ne ighborhood in a vot ing
district different from mine to help remove a corrupt politician from office, or getting on a bus or plane etc. when it has the potential to help build the critical mass for a better world.
What makes Amber Jayanti laugh or sing?
When I’m on the Tree of Life’s middle pi l lar, the absolute absurdity of what’s going on in the world—sometimes referred to a s the PLAY of consciousness, makes me laugh. Sing? I love to sing and chant? Like most singers, my feelings---love, joy, sadness, anger and so on move me to express myself through song . Chant ing , whether in Sanskrit, Hebrew, Latin or English etc., gives me a “time- out” from the world so that I can return to it ready for the next round.
With Respect & Love,Amber Jayantiwww.practical-mystic.com
Amber Jayanti, thankyou.
17
Before Egypt......There was Babylon
Over four thousand years ago, the Sumerians
built the world's first cities near the flood-
plains of ancient Mesopotamia, sometimes
called Babylonia. Their sophisticated
civilization was so influential that elements of
Sumerian culture, including mythology and
the system of writing, would survive for
millennia. The "Land between the Rivers"
was a land that lived and breathed magic,
where celestial gods and capricious spirits
watched over human activity. According to
the author and tarot artist Sandra Tabatha
Cicero, the powerful deities and mysterious
incantations of ancient Babylonia can be seen
as the very root of the Western Magical
Tradition.
The Babylonian Tarot is the only deck ever
published on the deities, legends, and magical
symbolism of ancient Mesopotamia, the
oldest civilization on Earth. Beautifully
original in concept and design, this deck
remains faithful to tarot tradition. The
Babylonian Tarot includes five extra
cards—one Trump and four court cards—yet
retains the traditional zodiacal, elemental, and
planetary associations of modern decks. The
companion book included, A Guide to the
Babylonian Tarot, gives detailed descriptions
of each card, including the deity or spirit
depicted and its mythological significance, as
well as divinatory interpretations for both
upright and reversed positions. This
guidebook also contains two new spreads
designed specifically for The Babylonian
Tarot, and a table of elemental, astrological,
and qabalistic correspondences.
The Babylonian Tarot
by Sandra Tabatha Cicero
ISBN 0-7387-0716-3
The Babylonian Tarot
www.llewellyn.com
www.freewebs.com/babylonian-tarot/index.shtml
The Babylonian Tarot
18
Raine Hill says: The publisher did such a wonderful job on the layout and the fact that it is full-color inside and out is just breathtaking. I hope you and your Pagan child/ren enjoy!
I am offering personalized copies for sale at http://www.myspace.com/rainehill and at http://www.rainehill.com
Where To Buy: Chain bookstores, online stores and many small, independent stores will be carrying this book. If you favourite store doesn't have "Growing Up Pagan", please ask them to order it!
http://www.schifferbooks.com
Check your bookstores first!
Finally, a children's workbook designed for Pagan families! Rich, exciting stories to read together and discuss, as well as activities to reinforce lessons in a fun way. Chock-full of p u z z l e s , g a m e s , mythology, beautiful illustrations, and Pagan symbols, this workbook t e a c h e s t h e b a s i c Wiccan belief system. Let this be a family affair, with parents, o lder s ib l ings, and young children taking part in a "something-for - e v e r y o n e " P a g a n experience. A teaching tool for Pagan families, or others who want to teach their children diversity.
Growing Up Pagan
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The Order of the Everlasting Day Introducing the Order of
the Everlasting Day
n this unique Voice of the Seasons column, I would like to introduce
readers to the Order of Everlasting Day, a new form of Occult Order based on ancient principles, which is now accepting candidates. It has taken me some 25 years to develop this system, called WEIS (Western Esoteric Initiator y System ) and I would particularly here like to discuss apprenticeship and teach ing . You may see elsewhere on Magicka and at the end of this column for details on joining the Order of Everlasting Day (OED) which is open to all students of any background.
Introduction
“On an evening before Easter Day, I sat at a table, and having (as my custom was) in my humble prayer sufficiently conversed with my Creator, and considered many great mysteries (whereof the Father of Lights his Majesty had shown me
not a few) and being now ready to prepare in my heart, together with my dear Paschal Lamb, a sma", unleavened, undefiled cake; a" of a sudden arose so horrible a tempest, that I imagined no other but that through its mighty force, the hi" on which my little house was founded would fly into pieces.”
So begins the first section of the C h e m i c a l We d d i n g o f Christian Rosencreutz, dated 1616 , a be wi lder ing and bedazz l ing a l l egor y o f spiritual progress through Alchemy. What follows in the story is an invitation to a
wedding, presented by “a fair and glorious lady, whose garments were a l l sky -coloured, and curiously (like Heaven) bespangled with golden stars”. The journey which the character then proceeds upon, and their experience at the Wedding, is a clear depiction of inner growth and development, through the complex symbol ism of chemistr y, romance and magick.
You can read the entire piece at the link I have provided at the end of this column, along with two other allegories of the spiritual ascent in the WEIS.
I
20
These are study pieces and in true esoteric fashion make more sense the further along the path one travels.
It is the romance and magick of this journey that I would like to write about in this column. We have yet another Easter day just today, as I write this, and I would wish to offer a similar invitation to a wonderful new journey of the spirit for al l readers. However, we must first look at apprenticeship and what it means in the Wester n Esoteric Initiatory System.
Apprenticeship
The concept o f apprenticeship has almost vanished from western society outside of specialist trades and certain professions. In our educational system, we are taught from the outside in, and the modes of learning a re const ra ined wi th in propositional knowledge and logico-deductive reasoning. [1] We rarely learn how to be creative, intuitive, nor the nature of belief, our place in the world, and the nature of awareness and our relationship to the Universe. Our spiritual nature is stifled.
It has been the Western Esoteric Initiatory System (WEIS) which has maintained the personal route to spiritual ascent, through hermetic and Gnostic teachings, against the
preoccupation with science, wealth and formal education. Unfortunately, this tradition – this route – has been viewed as through a glass dimly for many generations. It is now exper ienc ing a ne w renaissance; scholars are recovering vast tracts of forgot ten mater i a l , practitioners are sharing more experience more rapidly, and together we are generating a new esotericism. Arguably, the first seeds of which were seen in the birth of neo-paganism and the re v iva l o f the Witchcraft, Wiccan, Druidic and Pagan movements.
But to find an authentic teacher requires that they be experienced in the journey. A wonderful demonstration of this journey and the role of the teacher (and the outcome) is to be found in the film, The Silent Flute (1978, also known as the Circle of Iron). This was co-writtten by martial artist Bruce Lee, drawing on Tao i sm, Zen and the teachings of Krishnamurti.
Even should we find a teacher, our resistance is profound, for we are taught a lack of trust in our own early educational experience. The gifted C.S. Nott , a s tudent o f G.I . Gurdjieff, whilst talking about how Gurdjieff ’s teachings would often provoke friction, also writes:
In my childhood, and indeed later on in life, a" sorts of persons, .om my parents to my superior officers in the army, were constantly te"ing me what to think, feel and do. Outwardly I accepted their views, inwardly I doubted them: I doubted whether they were speaking .om inner conviction due to direct experience. Now I had met a man who, I was convinced, was speaking .om his own experience when he pointed out my faults and weaknesses. By his own efforts he had overcome these things, and he fu"y understood my needs. The older pupils also, when they answered my questions about the system, spoke only .om their own direct experience.[2]
The roles of teacher and student in the WEIS are complex and mutable. Whilst we have no formal mystery school or guild structure, the Order of Everlasting Day (OED ) does operate according to a graduated system of teaching and this is paramount to the success of the Work. The nature of hierarchy and control is moot, in that any self-organising and natura l p rocess ha s an ine v i tab le h ie ra rchy o f function.
21
The Teacher State
So what sort of teacher should you expect to f ind? The teacher of the WEIS is not particularly given to the role o f Adept , Gur u or S i fu . Indeed, outside of cult-like g roups , the ro le o f author i ta t i ve teacher i s difficult to maintain without re sor t ing to contro l l ing behaviour. The experience of the state of a contemporary teacher is best depicted in the late Da Free John’s short p iece , the Ma n o f Understanding. In one section, he writes:
The man of understanding is not entranced. He is not elsewhere. He is not having an experience. He is not passionless and inoffensive. He is awake. He is present. He knows no obstruction in the form of mind, identity, differentiation and desire. He uses mind, identity, differentiation and desire. He is passionate. His quality is an offense to those who are entranced, elsewhere, contained in the mechanics of experience, asleep, living as various forms of identity, separation and dependence. He is acceptable only to those who understand. He may appear no different .om any other man. How could he appear otherwise? There is
nothing by which to appear except the qualities of life...[3]
The Student’s Journey
The Wester n hermet ic t rad i t ion conta ins a description of the trials and tribulations you will face as you progress in the initiatory system. You will also see that it is a process which exhausts all possibility of attachment and escape as you come to realise the truth. And even at the last stage, there is still the potential to be ensnared by illusion:
Thence the human being rushes up through the cosmic .amework, at the first zone surrendering the energy of increase and decrease; at the second evil machination, a device now inactive; at the third the i"usion of longing, now inactive; at the fourth the ruler’s arrogance, now .eed of excess; at the fi/h unholy presumption and daring recklessness; at the sixth the evil impulses that come .om wealth, now inactive; and the seventh zone the deceit that lies in ambush.[4]
Here we see a clear depiction of a way of exhaustion; as each zone or grade is attained, the psychic devices of the
“earthborn man” (“child of earth” in the Golden Dawn Neophyte init iat ion ) are disabled, in order that the next grade can be attained, and ultimately entry into the “ogdoadic region” is attained. [5]
It is this teaching that I present to candidates to the OED. It is a difficult but authentic path, and one to which not all are suited, for it is also a long journey requiring patience and dedication. It leads to what is called the Knowledge and Conversation of your Holy Guardian Angel.
The Scale of the Journey
The WEIS is graduated into specific “grades” or states of awareness . These a re modelled on the Tree of Life, but also from earlier texts which are rare l y known, dating a century prior to the Golden Dawn. The Golden Dawn offered Grades within se vera l months o f the preceding Grade, or suggested that only a nine-month period was a minimum between s ign i f i cant s teps in the system. In practice, it is my experience that in most cases, several years may be required between Grades. In a work of this scope, the normal process of ageing is a key component of the spiritual work.
22
The everyday experience of l i f e pro v ides more opportunities to learn and g row in Wisdom and Understanding (in Kabbalah, Ma l k u t h , exper ience ; Chockmah, Wisdom; Binah, Understanding) and growth comes from this constant teaching. The contemporary mystic Bernadette Roberts, in her “Experience of No-Self ” and “Path to No-Self” books, writes of the mystical path being undertaken naturally as we age, if we are open to it. Inevitably, physical birth is a primary initiation, and death a sacrifice of the self. We have no choice in this matter.
The patience required to make progress is phenomenal and this is in part why the first grades are extremely slow and require discipline and dedication. To some extent, these train the faith of the cand idate . We must remember that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen – one of my teachers once said, “Hope is waiting for the bus because you are at a bus station and have read the bus timetable. Faith is getting on the bus”.
Conclusion
I hope in this column I have provoked your interest in the WEIS and the OED, the Order of Everlasting Day. It is
a cherished hope that you will accept the invitation to take part in the activities of the Order and enga ge wi th spiritual progress in the heart of the initiator y system. There has never been a better time for such teaching to be presented ane w. I look forward to welcoming you soon.
The Worker is hidden in the Workshop.
You can join the Order now as a Candidate: http://www.everlastingday.org
Notes
[1] Ken Robinson, Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative, p. 61
[2] C. S. Nott, Teachings of Gurdjieff, p. 55
[3] Da Free John, ‘The Man of Understanding’, in The Knee of Listening, p.269
{4] Brian P. Copenhaver, Hermetica (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1992) p. 6. See also Salaman, van Oyen, Wharton & Mahé, The Way of Hermes (London: Duckworth, 1999) p. 23
[5] Copenhaver, Ibid, p. 6
Reading Suggestions
(i) Vision of Zosimos
h t t p : / / w w w. l e v i t y. c o m /alchemy/zosimos.html
(ii) Chymical Wedding of Christian Rosenkreutz
h t t p : / / w w w. l e v i t y. c o m /alchemy/chymwed1.html
(iii) The Wake-World, Aleister Crowley
www.hermetic.com/crowley/libers/liber095.pdf
Tarosophy by Marcus Katz
"From the first steps in reading Tarot through metaphysical correspondences and on to professional marketing, this book has it all! Marcus Katz's Tarosophy is a work of intelligence and depth, featuring tons of Tarot tips and exercises that will help you explore the wisdom of the cards in a manner that is accessible, playful and practical.Highly recommended."
—Mary K. Greer, author of 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card
Marcus Katzwww.farawaycentre.comwww.tarotprofessionals.com
23
Marcus Katz
Marcus Katz has been studying and teaching Witchcraft and Magick for over thirty years. He is an initiated Witch and teaches Magick, Kabbalah and Witchcraft at the Far Away Centre in the heart of the English Lake District. He is the Director of Tarot Professionals and the first person in the world to be awarded a Masters Degree in Western Esotericism at the prestigious University of Exeter. He is presently a PhD Researcher in the history of Occult Groups. His courses on Magicka include the Magician’s Kabbalah and the Zodiacal Rituals.
Websites:http://www.farawaycentre.comhttp://www.tarotprofessionals.com
24
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25
Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple
The act of constructing a wand or other ritual
object is an act of magic. The magician spends
an extraordinary amount of time creating ritual
objects, not because it is only through these
objects that magic can rightly be performed, but
because the act of creating is a magical process of
growth, one which initiates the development of
the will in accordance with the divine intent or
purpose. This in turn contributes to the success
of the ritual.
This is the most complete book to date on the
construction of the many tools used in the
Golden Dawn system of magic. Here is a unique
compilation of the various tools of the Golden
Dawn, all described in full: wands, swords,
elemental tools, Enochian Tablets, altars, temple
furniture, banners, pillars, thrones, lamens,
mantles & robes, ritual headdresses and
ceremonial clothing, admission badges, and much
more. This book provides complete step-by-step
instructions for the construction of nearly 80
different implements, all displayed in
photographs or drawings, along with the exact
symbolism behind each and every item.
Secrets of aSecrets of aGolden DawnGolden Dawn
Templeby Chic Cicero & Sandra Tabatha Cicero
ISBN 1-870450-64-7
Temple
http://www.thoth.co.uk/index.html
www.hermeticgoldendawn.org
26
Pictures and L inksMerlin By Gypsy Avalon
The boy was found but revealed that there was a hollowed out stone beneath the base where a red and white dragon were fighting. The dragons were dug out and the boy interpreted their fighting as a war between the Britons and the Saxons.
Merlin
Merl in changes Uther Pendragon into the likeness of Gorlois, husband of Igraine, which results in the birth of Arthur.
The Grail Quest
Celtic OriginsThe cauldron of the Dagda was one o f the four myst ica l symbols revered by the Celts. It had two magickal properties. It cou ld produce un l imi ted supplies of food and it could regenerate l i f e . It wa s associated with the cauldron given to the King of Ireland by Bran the ancient king or god of Britain whose head was buried at the Tower of London in order to guard the l and . Another magick cauldron in Celtic mythology is that of Cerridwen, which bestowed the gifts of prophecy
erlin
The character of Merlin has t aken on many gu i ses throughout Ar thur ian Mythology.
Myrddin Wylt (Wild)
Myrddin Wylt was a court prophet of Gwenddleu. He had poetic skills and wrote long poems. When Gwenddleu was defeated in battle, Myrddin succumbed to his grief at losing his master and fled into the woods where he lived as a wild man.
Lailoken
In this story, Lailoken was rescued from the woods and brought back to court. He eventually began prophesising again and also took on the role of the court’s fool.
Ambrosius
This figure is combined with Myrrdin Wylt in the time of Vortigen. Vortigen attempted to construct a castle yet it kept collapsing. His seer advised him to sacrifice a young fatherless boy and sprinkle his blood on the foundations.
MMerlin, C13th Manuscript
Depicted in the Nuremberg Chronicle 1493
Enlisting the help of a giant to build Stonehenge
(MS British Library, Egerton 3208)
27
Arthur’s Return
A tale is told that once in the hills of Gwynedd, a shepherd boy stumbled upon a cave entrance under a hazel tree and crawling into the cave came upon a circle of seven knights sleeping and Arthur himself sitting asleep at a stone table in the middle of them. His hair and fingernails had grown long and a horn and sword lay beside him on the table. When the boy tried to lift the sword, Arthur half roused from sleep, demanded to know if it was time yet, where upon the boy ran away in fear. Other versions of the story have the boy blowing the horn twice and half waking the sleepers who again demand 'Is it time?', but the boy flees rather than daring to blow the horn a a third time and wake them completely. The idea of an enchanted cave in which Arthur lies with his best knights ready to wake and defend the land in need is a powerful one and brings us back full circle to the Celtic origins of his kingship.
This conclude the series on Celtic and Arthurian Mythology. I hope you have enjoyed journeying into these mystical realms which my Celtic-Arthurian Wicca is based on. Avalon Blessings, Gypsy
and inspiration on the great Welsh bard Taliesin.
Taliesin himself was the author of the early poem Preiddeu Annwn in which Arthur and his companion set off in the ship P r y d w en to reco ver a myster ious pear l r immed cauldron guarded by the nine Ce l t i c pr ie s tes ses in the Other wor ld k ingdom of Annwn. Its properties included perpetual nourishment and ferti l ity. They made seven expeditions and at the end only seven knights returned. It is not known if they ever found the cauldron, but it may be the same cauldron Bran tried to bring back from Ireland in the Ma b i n o g i on . Other Celt ic sources speak of the magickal cup of the sea god Manannan m a c L i r , wh ich had discriminating properties in that it would break into pieces if a lie were told over it.
From Celtic sources, then we have the idea of a magick cauldron, a severed head and a discriminating cup. All these symbols reappear in the various retellings of the Grail Legend
The Grail and ArthurIn some respects the stories of the Holy Grail sit uneasily within Arthurian mythology. It is the ultimate quest for the knights and for many a hopeless one. The flower of Arthur's knights go after it and the fellowship of the Round Table is effectively broken. Yet in other respects the Arthurian setting is the only one capable of bearing such a story. We have seen how the individual quests of the knights made them autonomous figures in their search for self mastery.
Their only religious counselors were the holy hermits they met at remote shrines on their jour neys - remnants o f the anc ient Ce l t i c mona st ic settlements. This alternative source of religious teaching provided the appropriate setting for the mysterious Grail.
Avalon
The “isle of apples” was the final resting place of Arthur. Arthur’s death takes place in the last battle, where he and his son Mordred fight and impale one another with their spears.
The dying king asks his knight Bedivere to cast excalibur into the lake and makes this request three times as Bedivere cannot find it in his heart to dispose of the sword.
On the third request the sword is cast and a lady’s hand rises from the lake, catches it and brandishes it three times in the air then returns under the water. Excalibur has at last returned to its final resting place.
When Bedivere returns he finds Arthur has been taken by a barge, escorted by the nine sisters of Avalon, including his sister, Morgan Le Fay back to Avalon.
