Seeking Recommendation Going to be starting back with RHP from the very beginning. What are some decent books to help me get my life on track with life changes?

[Wildchildx11]

Last time I was using Cicero's Self Initiation to the Golden Dawn. The types of rituals I prefer and which work best for me are pathworking and meditation which is one of the primary reasons why I turned to the LHP, is because it allows for accommodations.

Are there any other books you would recommend for beginners in the Western Esoteric Tradition. I've probably already memorized a lot of stuff in the lower grades, but I know from experience, that sometimes starting again from the beginning can wield new insights.

There was some Kabbalah book that was mentioned by @Diluculo_DelFuego, but I don't remember where you mentioned it or what it was that used Rituals and experiments. If you could mention it here, it would be appreciated. I think I had it downloaded once in the past.

 

[DiLoco_DelEted]

The Middle Pillar by Regardie and Cicero.
A Garden of Pomegranates by Regardie and Cicero.
Kabbalah, Magic, and the Great Work of Self-Transformation by Christopher.
Anything by W.E. Butler.

We have a few of these in the book shares.

 

[Wildchildx11]

The Middle Pillar by Regardie and Cicero.
A Garden of Pomegranates by Regardie and Cicero.
Kabbalah, Magic, and the Great Work of Self-Transformation by Christopher.
Anything by W.E. Butler.

Post automatically merged: May 6, 2024

We have a few of these in the back ok shares.

Already downloaded "Kabbalah, Magic, and the Great Work of Self-Transformation" that was what I was looking for.


I've been trying to meditate and do some pathworking on the Hermetic Qabalah, I think I have too much feminine energy (represented by the pillar of severity), which I know doesn't correspond to gender, so working with the path of Resh between Yesod and Hod may not be entirely great, but I'm trying to work with the book as I go along.

Ended up pacing restless for 4 hours instead.

 

[pixel_fortune]

The types of rituals I prefer and which work best for me are pathworking and meditation

You might actually really like Quareia, which is a 'non-denominational' Western esoteric school of magic. Josephine McCarthy has made all the course materials available free online, and if there's a criticism people have, it's usually that it's too focused on the inner planes, visionary magic and meditation, making inner contacts, etc etc. So you can see why I thought of it. It has a basis in kabbalah but she doesn't use any of the Hebrew names, because she wants people to actually connect to the real energy that's there, not just go "oh yeah Netzach I know that, Green, Venus, Victory".

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[HoldAll]

Yesterday I modified the "A Garden of Pomegranates" thread in the Library to include the original book. My first choice, however, would be "The Mystical Qabala" by Dion Fortune, even if the author is much too fond of the word 'race' for my liking (the book was published in 1935):

Book – PDF - Dion Fortune - The Mystical Qabalah

Download here: 755.2 KB file on MEGA

wizardforums.com

The book that changed everything I thought I knew about the Qabala, however, was "Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed" by Gary M. Jaron because it champions the Zohar/Ari Tree that has no paths between Malkuth and Hod/Netzach (= you have to pass through the realm of illusion and there's no possibility of bypassing it) and Geburah-Chokmah as well as Chesed-Binah paths instead.

Book – PDF - Gary M. Jaron - Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed

The Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed. This is the story of how and why, the Masters of the Occult misunderstood the Jewish Kabbalah. The book serves many purposes. First off, it is an introduction to the Jewish Kabbalah. Next, it is an introduction to the history of how...

wizardforums.com

Apart from that, I think that chaos magic has now become a part of the Western Tradition as well, so you might want to look into it, too, if you haven't already. We have "Liber Null & Psychonaut" by Peter J. Carroll somewhere, that book was a real education for me.

 

[stratamaster78]

It sounds like Visualizations help you so I’ll recommend a few that are in alignment with RHP and in a GD style.

‘Temple of High Witchcraft’ By Christopher Penczak has some good pathworkings for the lower elemental grades as well as the lower Planetary spheres on the Tree of Life.

‘By Names and Images’ by Peregrin Wildoak has really awesome visualizations for every little detail of Rituals for LBRP, LRH, MP, LVX formulae etc etc. Stuff that is almost always left out of other books.

I would also recommend Scott Stenwicks blog/website called Augoeides. He is more of the OTO/Thelema branch of Ceremonial Magick but he has a fantastic Path of Initiation layed out there as well as commentaries on all the Main Rituals as well as many guides to Practical Magick in a GD style.

 

[Wildchildx11]

Yesterday I modified the "A Garden of Pomegranates" thread in the Library to include the original book. My first choice, however, would be "The Mystical Qabala" by Dion Fortune, even if the author is much too fond of the word 'race' for my liking (the book was published in 1935):

Book – PDF - Dion Fortune - The Mystical Qabalah

Download here: 755.2 KB file on MEGA

wizardforums.com

The book that changed everything I thought I knew about the Qabala, however, was "Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed" by Gary M. Jaron because it champions the Zohar/Ari Tree that has no paths between Malkuth and Hod/Netzach (= you have to pass through the realm of illusion and there's no possibility of bypassing it) and Geburah-Chokmah as well as Chesed-Binah paths instead.

Book – PDF - Gary M. Jaron - Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed

The Qabalah Gates of Light: The Occult Qabalah Reconstructed. This is the story of how and why, the Masters of the Occult misunderstood the Jewish Kabbalah. The book serves many purposes. First off, it is an introduction to the Jewish Kabbalah. Next, it is an introduction to the history of how...

wizardforums.com

Apart from that, I think that chaos magic has now become a part of the Western Tradition as well, so you might want to look into it, too, if you haven't already. We have "Liber Null & Psychonaut" by Peter J. Carroll somewhere, that book was a real education for me.

Already ahead of you and have the Mystical Qabalah downloaded and the first few chapters read.

It sounds like Visualizations help you so I’ll recommend a few that are in alignment with RHP and in a GD style.

‘Temple of High Witchcraft’ By Christopher Penczak has some good pathworkings for the lower elemental grades as well as the lower Planetary spheres on the Tree of Life.

‘By Names and Images’ by Peregrin Wildoak has really awesome visualizations for every little detail of Rituals for LBRP, LRH, MP, LVX formulae etc etc. Stuff that is almost always left out of other books.

I would also recommend Scott Stenwicks blog/website called Augoeides. He is more of the OTO/Thelema branch of Ceremonial Magick but he has a fantastic Path of Initiation layed out there as well as commentaries on all the Main Rituals as well as many guides to Practical Magick in a GD style.

Thanks for these recommendations. I believe for me, Magick is primarily Will + Intention. Maybe I'm just super lazy, but on days when I have lower energy due to the depression, I may utilize more meditation such as visualizing the LBRP. I have issues with motivation which are probably neurologic in nature that I am working with.

I enjoy pathworking as a substitute.

 

[pixel_fortune]

I have issues with motivation which are probably neurologic in nature that I am working with.

I have ADHD and there's one counterintuitive thing that's helped me in life and magic practice - I know what works for different ADHDers can be wildly different though. (And it'll be repeating some stuff you know sorry)

So, I'm sure you've heard of and probably tried the 'atomic habits' method: what's the smallest, tiniest, quickest version of the habit that you can do, so you cannot possibly be too lazy to do it.

That doesn't work for me, I can and will avoid doing a 30-second daily habit. That's because what's missing is motivation - when I'm motivated, I don't care how much effort I have to put in, I'm excited to do it. And the smaller a habit gets, the less excited I am by it. I cannot get enthusiastic about being able to say "I did a single pushup", who cares. I hate running, but if I didn't, I would be more motivated by deciding to run a marathon than committing to run around the block everyday, and motivation is EVERYTHING for people with ADHD.

I actually find it EASIER to take on a big, complex challenge or project. Like a complicated workout regimen, or in this case Helios Unbound, an Abramelin operation, which is really demanding - so demanding that not many people do it, so it makes me feel excited to think I'll be able to say I have. It feels like a worthy achievement. Or if not complex, something obscure that involves a lot of research, because reading old books makes me feel mage-ly.

Basically, stuff I think is cool motivates me, and that typically means BIG, not tiny minimal habits. the ADHD interest-based arousal system. Obviously you're already thinking that way with going for pathworking which you like, but yeah maybe for you too, the advice to make the stuff you attempt smaller and easier is not good advice

 

[Wildchildx11]

I have ADHD and there's one counterintuitive thing that's helped me in life and magic practice - I know what works for different ADHDers can be wildly different though. (And it'll be repeating some stuff you know sorry)

So, I'm sure you've heard of and probably tried the 'atomic habits' method: what's the smallest, tiniest, quickest version of the habit that you can do, so you cannot possibly be too lazy to do it.

That doesn't work for me, I can and will avoid doing a 30-second daily habit. That's because what's missing is motivation - when I'm motivated, I don't care how much effort I have to put in, I'm excited to do it. And the smaller a habit gets, the less excited I am by it. I cannot get enthusiastic about being able to say "I did a single pushup", who cares. I hate running, but if I didn't, I would be more motivated by deciding to run a marathon than committing to run around the block everyday, and motivation is EVERYTHING for people with ADHD.

I actually find it EASIER to take on a big, complex challenge or project. Like a complicated workout regimen, or in this case Helios Unbound, an Abramelin operation, which is really demanding - so demanding that not many people do it, so it makes me feel excited to think I'll be able to say I have. It feels like a worthy achievement. Or if not complex, something obscure that involves a lot of research, because reading old books makes me feel mage-ly.

Basically, stuff I think is cool motivates me, and that typically means BIG, not tiny minimal habits. the ADHD interest-based arousal system. Obviously you're already thinking that way with going for pathworking which you like, but yeah maybe for you too, the advice to make the stuff you attempt smaller and easier is not good advice

I agree with everything you said. My ADHD is complex, because it ties into the depression and the cognitive and developmental disabilities. I'm not just unmotivated. I also have a lot of fatigue and when my energy is lower, a lot of tasks even the smallest can be physically draining.

Everything sort of ties in to a complex knot.

I had a failed work attempt because I had difficulty breaking things down into smaller steps and the tasks were too large. I personally find breaking things down into smaller parts to be helpful.