[Help] The Qabalistic Cross of Levi

[Omee]

I am interested in hearing people's thought about the difference in crossing from right to left or left to right in their practice when they do rituals. In Levi's high magic book it says:

The sign of the cross which was adopted by the Christians does not belong exclusively to them. It is also Cabalistic and represents the oppositions and the quaternary equilibrium of the elements. We can see with the occult verse of the Lord’s Prayer that we indicated in our Doctrine that there were originally two manners of saying it, or at least two formulas very different from one another to characterize it: one reserved for the priests and for initiates; the other given to neophytes and to the profane. Thus, for example, the initiate, in bringing his hand to his forehead, said: To you; and then added: belongs; and continued while bringing his hand to his chest: the kingdom: then to the left shoulder: justice; to the right shoulder: and mercy. Then one joins the two hands while adding: in the generative cycles. In Latin, Tibi sunt Malchut et Gevurah et Hesed per aeonas. The sign of the cross is absolutely and magnificently Cabalistic, which the profanations of Gnosticism caused to be lost completely to the militant and official Church.

On the other hand the golden dawn invert the cross to draw the tree of life on the person. The thing is, was the qabalistic cross intended to be done right to left or left to right, that's my question and inquiry.

 

[beardedeldridge]

Nothing to add but just personal experience:

I’ve always done it left to right in all of the forms that I’ve ever practiced it. I tried right to left and just couldn’t make it work. But that may be more muscle memory and what I’m used to then for any other reason.

-Eld

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Right to left is the practice of Hebrew.
The Golden Dawn backs into the tree of life, so Geburah is the right shoulder and Gedulah the left shoulder.

 

[KjEno186]

Levi was Catholic. The common Christian gesture of "crossing oneself" is a form of self blessing. Thus it follows that Levi's Cabalistic Cross would describe touching one's left shoulder before the right shoulder since that's what Catholics do while saying, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy ... Spirit." To add to the confusion, apparently Orthodox Chrisitians do it reversed from Catholics because reasons... Something about sheep and goats I guess, but the point to keep in mind is that Levi was Catholic.

What Levi did was change the wording to reflect Qabala specifically for use in Ceremonial Magic. As for the Golden Dawn, it is also well known how they liked to change things around to suit whatever the leadership decided was "correct." If you are following a Golden Dawn-based initiation in order to follow it through the grades, then you would do exactly as instructed by your course material. If you're ornery like me, you'll say to hell with following instructions and do it the way you think it should be done.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

@akenu has a ritual called the Sacred Chamber. I've used it in lieu of the QC with success. Visualization is everything in this case.

Post automatically merged: Jun 28, 2023

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[Omee]

Levi was Catholic. The common Christian gesture of "crossing oneself" is a form of self blessing. Thus it follows that Levi's Cabalistic Cross would describe touching one's left shoulder before the right shoulder since that's what Catholics do while saying, "In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy ... Spirit." To add to the confusion, apparently Orthodox Chrisitians do it reversed from Catholics because reasons... Something about sheep and goats I guess, but the point to keep in mind is that Levi was Catholic.

What Levi did was change the wording to reflect Qabala specifically for use in Ceremonial Magic. As for the Golden Dawn, it is also well known how they liked to change things around to suit whatever the leadership decided was "correct." If you are following a Golden Dawn-based initiation in order to follow it through the grades, then you would do exactly as instructed by your course material. If you're ornery like me, you'll say to hell with following instructions and do it the way you think it should be done.

I was contemplating this or that there was a specific way to look at the tree of life or the orientation of Geburah/Gedulah in that sense when practicing. I was trying to work it out, within how I practice and weigh it against how I want to practice just like you said, try to find my way through it and not follow the formulaic golden dawn method.


Like looking at it like an equal armed cross and it's relation to YHVH, to G.O Mebes courses, I guess I am trying to work more in line with the French-Russian Tradition instead of focusing on the growth in the future iterations in Golden Dawn.

Post automatically merged: Jul 5, 2023

@akenu has a ritual called the Sacred Chamber. I've used it in lieu of the QC with success. Visualization is everything in this case.

Post automatically merged: Jun 28, 2023

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Thank you so much! @akenu 's ritual and material is good but I was more interested in mysteries of the cross after visiting Armenia and seeing their beautiful khachkars in my hikes and travel. I will take all people's reply here into consideration in relation to my practice honestly!

Post automatically merged: Jul 5, 2023

A small Kabbalistic entertaining on my part:

Maybe it's my own idea but people always to look at the Cross as them standing in the tree instead of "entering the tree".

Qof as the back(of the head) , they're putting their back on the Tree, instead of the Door(Daleth), which is the door of equilibrating the elements. I think the emphasis on it being right to left or left to right or this way or that way is that people can just work it out with levi's version first and then try the newer ones if they click with them or not.

 

[KjEno186]

visiting Armenia and seeing their beautiful khachkars in my hikes and travel

That's amazing!

 

[Omee]

After shuffling the whole thing in my mind so much and asking spirits, wondering about it, reading more about it. I think right to left is good or "fits" for now lol.