The Death Posture

[Xenophon]

Various LHP books recommend use of the "Death Posture" as a highly needful practice. Most also warn against its use by folks with health problems. I ran across an article by Alan Chapman on

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. Apparently it's a reprint from the now defunct "Head of the Baptist" site. Entitled (fittingly) "Alan Chapman on the Death Posture," it argues that the old stand-on-tiptoes-with-arms-a-twist-till-you-collapse is a misreading of Austin Spare's "Book of Pleasure." Apparently all that is wanted is mirror-gazing followed by serious physical exertion, ending in meditation in the yogic "death posture" (which last is scarcely onerous.)

Anyone tried this? I gave it a go a couple of hours ago. Too early to say whether it's useful or not. Still, the article gave an interesting slant on exegesis of Spare's "demented" writing. Chapman's choice of word word there, not mine.

 

[Yazata]

Head of the Baptist

Loved that site. After that the other guy (forgot his name) had a site called oeith (occult experiments in the home).

death posture

I thought that was closing the mouth and nose with one hand?

 

[Xenophon]

Loved that site. After that the other guy (forgot his name) had a site called oeith (occult experiments in the home).


I thought that was closing the mouth and nose with one hand?

Spare's storied version was the arched back against he wall, but he might've had variations. I've seen the word used in different ways by different people. Michael Kelley in his "Seven Dragon Grimoire" (I think) hints it's any practice where you put all awareness into one part of the body. But he gives no real details.

 

[Yazata]

Okay, read a minute and saw I remembered correctly.

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This is how DMK described it in Modern Magick as well.

The death pose (so not posture) is simply laying in star-shape, it's a yoga pose. Matter of fact, I do that every day after (daily) rituals and have added the Star and the Snake into it.

 

[Xenophon]

That's pretty close to what I expected. The "Death Pose" mystique seems to have attached itself to what Spare intended as a preliminary physical exercise.

 

[Konsciencia]

Sounds interesting.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Various LHP books recommend use of the "Death Posture" as a highly needful practice. Most also warn against its use by folks with health problems. I ran across an article by Alan Chapman on

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

. Apparently it's a reprint from the now defunct "Head of the Baptist" site. Entitled (fittingly) "Alan Chapman on the Death Posture," it argues that the old stand-on-tiptoes-with-arms-a-twist-till-you-collapse is a misreading of Austin Spare's "Book of Pleasure." Apparently all that is wanted is mirror-gazing followed by serious physical exertion, ending in meditation in the yogic "death posture" (which last is scarcely onerous.)

Anyone tried this? I gave it a go a couple of hours ago. Too early to say whether it's useful or not. Still, the article gave an interesting slant on exegesis of Spare's "demented" writing. Chapman's choice of word word there, not mine.

The Hatha Yoga corpse pose comes to mind. In combination with breathing and visualization of lifecycle of humans, this could be beneficial.