Rufus Opus

Tag: Teachings

Tag: Teachings

  • Calculating Goetic Correspondences from 777

    Bokonon23 left a comment that he wanted to know more about calculating the correct correspondences for Goetic entities, so here’s a little more detail on the subject.

    I used 777, the correspondence chart developed by Aleister Crowley (from Alan Bennet’s notes, probably) when he was still a member in good standing in the Golden Dawn. This correspondence chart was published in 1909, and reflects the Golden Dawn attributions to magickal subjects.

    To use 777 effectively, you must understand how information is presented in a spreadsheet or table. “Columns” are the vertical data sets, and “Rows” are the horizontal data sets. The first column is the “key scale,” the number that will provide the common reference point for all other columns of data in the table. There are 35 rows of data, and 183 columns of corresponding attributes, items, angels, god names, goetic entities, plants, perfumes, etc. This compendium of information is extremely useful to magicians of all types.

    To find the correspondences of a particular Goetic entity, first find the entity in the columns of goetic spirits (Columns CLV-CLXV, or pages 27-28 [printed page numbers] / 36-37 [pdf page numbers]). Bune/Bime is found to correspond to Key Scale 25.

    Knowing the spirit is associated with Key Scale 25, I then went through the other columns in the table to get an idea of what correspondences related to Bune. All the information in the row labeled 25 had some relation to Bune. Since I was making a physical pot, I paid special attention to the physical items associated with Key Scale 25, the plants, the incenses, and the magickal weapon. I also checked the color charts for selecting the appropriate colored candles to use as offerings for the spirit. Since I am primarily interested in physical results, I used the color charts associated with the material realm, Assiah, which is called the Empress Scale in the Golden Dawn.

  • Chthonic vs. Celestial

    Jake Stratton-Kent wrote the following explanation of his views on the Goetia as a genre (not just a grimoire in a grimoire). I’ve found the information Jake presented really useful in discussions with Goetic and Celestial entities alike since first reading it, and he was kind enough to let me post it here.

    Chthonic versus Celestial
    by Jake Stratton-Kent

    All ancient religions differ from modern religions in several major respects. We’re used to seeing things from a cultural perspective at least partly defined by what is known as *Revealed Religion*, in which *Revelation* (ultimately in the form of a Book) is received from on high (what we might term the *Celestial* region). The centre of gravity of this type of religion is the Celestial region, even though other realms of experience are considered – such as Earth, Hell and the physical universe in general.

    Ancient religions, and ‘primitive’ religion generally, is significantly different. Collectively they are termed Natural Religion (not to be confused with Nature Religion) which in contrast with Revelation from the Celestial realm evolves from the ground up, via deductive reasoning and observation of the world, including perceived supernatural components. It’s centre of gravity is Chthonic – it is notable that the Greeks at every stage of religious development considered the Earth the source of oracular power (contrasting Oracles with Revelations). Note again that this centre of gravity does not exclude consideration of other regions of experience, and thus gods of
    thunder, Sun, Moon etc. are not excluded by this focus.

    In the subsequent development of Greek religion the Celestial gained in importance, while the Chthonic powers for a long time retained divine status (notwithstanding some unpleasant characters in the underworld and elsewhere). My comparison of goetia with African Traditional Religions is intended to reflect this earlier status, and the chthonic ‘centre of gravity’ from which it evolved. The comparison is part of an effort to provide a position from which the pre-devaluation form of goetia may be understood in something like its own terms. In the past – whether in traditional sources, later publications or in discussions on the internet – goetia and dealing with the underworld has almost invariably been seen and described in terms of the later ‘Revealed Religion’ and has assumed the Celestial centre of gravity. That this gives an entirely false idea of how goetia originally operated – prior to devaluation – is obvious once this is taken on board. Otherwise it is very difficult to get past the perspective of Revealed Religion etc. which has prevailed in our culture for upwards of 2000 years.

    Additional perspective may be useful: the ‘goetia’ implicit in my usage is what Cumont called the ‘coarse and ancient goetia’; rites which preceded the adoption of supposed Persian ‘magic’ by the Greeks. That one survived alongside the other does not detract from the fact they had different frames of reference. In later magic goetia is not understood in its own original terms, having become a survival within a host tradition with another perspective. My use of chthonic and
    celestial refers to this aspect of the discussion, and as should be obvious I’m interested in recovering the perspective of goetia rather than of the host tradition (with which we’re all familiar in various guises).

  • Chthonic vs. Celestial

    Jake Stratton-Kent wrote the following explanation of his views on the Goetia as a genre (not just a grimoire in a grimoire). I’ve found the information Jake presented really useful in discussions with Goetic and Celestial entities alike since first reading it, and he was kind enough to let me post it here.

    Chthonic versus Celestial
    by Jake Stratton-Kent

    All ancient religions differ from modern religions in several major respects. We’re used to seeing things from a cultural perspective at least partly defined by what is known as *Revealed Religion*, in which *Revelation* (ultimately in the form of a Book) is received from on high (what we might term the *Celestial* region). The centre of gravity of this type of religion is the Celestial region, even though other realms of experience are considered – such as Earth, Hell and the physical universe in general.

    Ancient religions, and ‘primitive’ religion generally, is significantly different. Collectively they are termed Natural Religion (not to be confused with Nature Religion) which in contrast with Revelation from the Celestial realm evolves from the ground up, via deductive reasoning and observation of the world, including perceived supernatural components. It’s centre of gravity is Chthonic – it is notable that the Greeks at every stage of religious development considered the Earth the source of oracular power (contrasting Oracles with Revelations). Note again that this centre of gravity does not exclude consideration of other regions of experience, and thus gods of
    thunder, Sun, Moon etc. are not excluded by this focus.

    In the subsequent development of Greek religion the Celestial gained in importance, while the Chthonic powers for a long time retained divine status (notwithstanding some unpleasant characters in the underworld and elsewhere). My comparison of goetia with African Traditional Religions is intended to reflect this earlier status, and the chthonic ‘centre of gravity’ from which it evolved. The comparison is part of an effort to provide a position from which the pre-devaluation form of goetia may be understood in something like its own terms. In the past – whether in traditional sources, later publications or in discussions on the internet – goetia and dealing with the underworld has almost invariably been seen and described in terms of the later ‘Revealed Religion’ and has assumed the Celestial centre of gravity. That this gives an entirely false idea of how goetia originally operated – prior to devaluation – is obvious once this is taken on board. Otherwise it is very difficult to get past the perspective of Revealed Religion etc. which has prevailed in our culture for upwards of 2000 years.

    Additional perspective may be useful: the ‘goetia’ implicit in my usage is what Cumont called the ‘coarse and ancient goetia’; rites which preceded the adoption of supposed Persian ‘magic’ by the Greeks. That one survived alongside the other does not detract from the fact they had different frames of reference. In later magic goetia is not understood in its own original terms, having become a survival within a host tradition with another perspective. My use of chthonic and
    celestial refers to this aspect of the discussion, and as should be obvious I’m interested in recovering the perspective of goetia rather than of the host tradition (with which we’re all familiar in various guises).

  • Why would you want to talk to angels or demons anyway?

    Contacting Spirits that move between the aetheric planes is a relatively simple process, I’ve found. Whether you’re looking to speak with an archangel of a sephiroth, an earth-bound (i.e. goetic) demon, or a planetary intelligence, they’re ready to talk and are just waiting to get in touch with you. The process is simple: draw the symbol that represents them, open a portal to their dimension, and then ask them to show up.

    But why would you want to meet them? For years in my occult practices, I truly believed I had no interest in working with them. I would do a Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP), and sure, that involved calling the four archangels that surround the throne of God, but then I would go on to do whatever ritual I had in mind at the time. Usually, this was either financially related or emotionally related. Either I was trying to get more money by landing a better job, or I was trying to bring peace to an emotionally chaotic situation in my life or in someone else’s. Occassionally I would perform a healing ritual for my sick friends.

    What I’ve found out lately is that I’ve always worked with “spirits.” Whether they are gods of a pantheon, or a sigil I created in my harried Chaos Magick days, the fact is that I would summon intelligent autonomous entities to provide energies to create change according to my will. Since receiving this revelation, I’ve begun studying specific catalgues of spirits, and I’ve found an amazing set of well-defined, documented entities that have greatly expanded my ability to perform targeted magickal rituals.

    Whether I work from the Goetia of the Key of Solomon, the Archangels of the Sephiroth, or the Olympik Spirits of the Arbatel, I’ve found that they are incredibly responsive and willing to perform their assigned duties as quickly as possible. This knowledge has translated to incredible power. Not the “power-mad, dominate the entire universe and reap untold wealth and glory at the expense of all others kind of power,” the physics potential-energy power.

    So why would you want to contact spirits in your magickal path? Because that’s the way magick is done. All magick is based on contacting god in his infinite rays, or the representatives of his energies as they manifest in this world.

    Are you trying to raise the tincture of your sphere to become a better person and advance in the Great Work? Evoke the spirits that exist in the realm of Atziluth of the qabalah. Their very presence will begin to transform your own sphere, raising your tincture (tincture refers to the vibrational level, the intrinsic quality) of your sphere, your soul.

    Looking for ancient knowledge or hidden texts? The list of Goetic entities is replete with spirits capable of bringing you knowledge from the spheres. Entities from Briah and Yetzirah of the qabalah are also great at this. They bring books into your life related to the subjects you ask them about, or simply tell you what you need to know.

    How about getting prosperous or getting health? The spirits of Assiah of the qabalah work at the mundane, physical level. Being closely related to the material realm, they are wonderful resources for manifesting wealth, health and prosperity.

  • 4th Pentacle o’ Jupiter

    Ok, so now I’ve scanned the 4th Pentacle of Jupiter I made:


    I also have a digital image I made in “PowerPoint” of all the stupid things. It’s a rough approximation based on colors I have on my pc, fonts I have on my pc, and images I copy-pasted from Joe Peterson’s web site.

    The outermost circle has Muriel and its seal, then the next circle inwards has Jupiter, Tzadqiel, the characters of Jupiter, and the seal of the Archangel. The circle within has the gloria… psalm, and the innermost circle has the symbol from the Key of Solomon. The coloring below is allegedly based on the Picatrix, according to this site.

  • Solve et Coagula

    The other day, I was reading Ouspensky’s “The Symbolism of the Tarot” over at the Sacred Texts web site (www.sacred-texts.com). In the section “What is the Tarot”, he used the word “problem” in a sentence that shed new light on an old question of mine.

    Regarding the study of IHVH, he said “The study of this Name (or the four-lettered word, tetragrammaton, in Greek) and the finding of it in everything constitutes the main problem of Kabalistic philosophy.”

    He wrote in 1913, and his use of the language is different from my own. When I say I have a problem, I don’t usually think about it as a good thing, or as a subject of research. I think of “Problem” as something that’s bad, negative, something that is impeding my ability to enjoy life. I

  • Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter Results

    Well, that certainly didn’t take long. In the first weekend after creating the talisman, I enjoyed a very pleasant inflow of cash, and multiple long-term opportunities for multiple revenue streams.

    While I was hoping for a cash-cow, single-source bonanza of stupid-wealth, I never quite BOUGHT the lotto tickets, which pretty much ensures no winning there, eh?

    Anyway, I’m very happy with the results. Here’s a brief list:

    • Spouse landed a part-time job watching a friend’s son before and after school, adding about $600 a month to our income; there’s a chance another friend of hers is going back to work as well, and will need someone to watch her son too
    • Spouse had biggest weekend to date in Avon Sales after last week’s Work
    • My “Products and Services” have sold more in the last week than they did in the last year

    There were a few other things that happened rather positively in general. Respiratory infections we’d been fighting since October have left the house. It feels like a gentle “Happy Blanket” has descended on our house, for the most part, except for the ongoing low-grade warfare with my spouse. I scored a professional-grade laser printer-copier-scanner-fax for free. A bunch of other stuff that builds up wealth over time is coming into fruition at the same time.

    Note that even though the Gematria of the figure could be Jupiter-Taurus, and the ritual itself is Jupiter-Cancer, the actual manifestations so far have been in keeping with Jupiter in Capricorn, slow steady, carefully measured growth.

  • The Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter from the Key of Solomon

    I’ve decided to make a talisman of the fourth pentacle of Jupiter from the Key of Solomon. The timing is all wrong, at the moment, and it would be a while if I waited until the stars were aligned right. So this post is about how to make the best of a bad astrological timing through the conjuration of spirits.

    Mathers‘ edition of the Key of Solomon has the following to say about the Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter:

    The fourth pentacle of Jupiter.– It serveth to acquire riches and honor, and to possess much wealth. Its angel is Bariel. It should be engraved upon silver in the day and hour of Jupiter when he is in the sign Cancer.

    Being the erudite occultist that you are, you are no doubt aware that Jupiter is not in Cancer. Nor will he be until June 25, 2013, five years and three months from now. How do we make an effective talisman for a spirit that is specifically supposed to be made at a time that’s beyond our reach? No matter what we try to do now, when Jupiter is in Capricorn, we aren’t going to be able to have it be as propitious as it would be if the timing were absolutely right. But we can try to come close.

    The first thing we’re going to need to do is create the same kind of astrological influences as we would have if the timing were right. We’ll need something to bring in the forces of Cancer to create a backdrop, and then something to bring in the forces of Jupiter to focus those forces through his lens. Since I work so much with the angels of the spheres, I elected to use Muriel, the Angel of Cancer, and Tzadqiel, the Archangel of Jupiter to bring their influences to bear upon this talisman.

    Considering that I’m trying to replicate the sphere of the constellations being in a particular relationship to the sphere of Jupiter, I thought it would be a good idea to draw out the talisman with an additional two spheres represented.

    When I look at any seal that is made of circles, in my mind’s eye I see it as a cross-section of a sphere. The center circle represents the core of what you’re trying to manifest in the mundane realm. Around that is usually some specific manifestation of God or his representatives. Each space between concentric circles represents a particular sphere, and within that sphere you write the symbolic representations of the forces of the higher sphere that you are depending on to make what you want in the center sphere manifest.

    So in the center sphere of the Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter, there’s the Name ADNI on one side of the seal, and the Name Bariel written on the other side. Within the center is the figure that represents what it is we want to manifest, riches, honor, and much wealth. I personally feel it is a derivative of the geomantic symbol “Joy, Laughing, Healthy, Bearded.” It’s in Agrippa’s Three books of Occult Philosopy, Book II, chapter xlviii. Page 398 for those with Llewellyn’s Tyson translation, or here for people looking for a link.

    In the table of geomantic figures, the figure is listed as corresponding to the planet Jupiter and the constellation Taurus. That makes sense. Because the intent of this talisman is to pull down not only the wealth and riches that a luxury-loving Taurus would desire, it is inscribed in silver when Jupiter is in Cancer to include the manifestation of honors and glory that come with Jupiter in Cancer.

    Around this inner circle is inscribed a star of David and Psalms 112:3 “Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endureth for ever.” The Star of David represents the “as above, so below” principle of the Emerald Tablet, and the Psalm describes what part of the above should be made to manifest below, specifically wealth and riches.

    Now, since I’m not in the mood to wait five years for this ritual, I created another circle around this inscription. Within this sphere, I wrote out the name and seal of Tzadqiel and the planetary images of Jupiter. These are all available within Agrippa’s Three Books, and I’m not looking up the reference for it right now. It’s where I found them though.

    Around this circle, I drew yet another circle and inscribed the name of Muriel, the Angel of Cancer along with its seal from The Magical Calendar. The end result is a talisman with four concentric spheres (fitting for Jupiter), with the Seal, the Versicle, Tzadqiel-Jupiter, and Muriel-Cancer represented.

    While drawing out the seal, I definitely felt the presence of Bariel, or at the least the forces represented by the seal manifesting. As I wrote out the versicle, the feeling of the presence became even greater. I felt a tingling in my forehead, which was not anointed with Abramelin oil or any other substance that might have made it feel odd. This spread around my head, and I felt quite stoned by the time I was finished with that part of the talisman.

    I finished the other parts of the talisman another day, in the hour of Jupiter. Before beginning, I conjured my HGA, and then I conjured Tzadqiel to bring the forces of Jupiter to bear and Muriel to bring the forces of Cancer to bear. Within their presence, I wrote out their seals on the talisman. Later tonight, since this is the Jupiter Day, I will be performing a full consecration as I paint the image. I don’t have the tools to inscribe a finely detailed silver talisman at the moment, and to make it big enough to capture all the details, I would need quite a bit more silver than I have on hand. As a result, I’m sticking with Virgin Parchment and paint in the appropriate colors from Agrippa.

    Note that for the conjuration I will be using the modified formal conjuration I discuss in my ebook A Modern Angelic Grimoire, available for purchase from my web site.

  • What the HELL is going on here?

    Magicians. We’re all seeking the powers of the universe, changing ourselves into something greater than we started out as, or at least more pure so we can participate with God in the CREATION of the UNIVERSE. Okay, well, maybe just managing and maintaining the manifestation as it occurs, but being consciously aware of the fact during the planning and processing stages of the project at hand.

    But here I am reading John Dee this week, and come to find out, one of the “greater” magicians of recorded history was fumbling in just as much dark as me. He spent all that time with Kelley developing (or receiving, if you will) what amounts to a system of planetary magic. He conjured and cajoled, enticed and entreated God to send him these spirits that revealed a system of magic that he never even used.

    Heading back to Agrippa, the man was a brilliant librarian, researcher, and reporter. But for all his knowledge, he was just like us too. A man who had to keep his public and private beliefs strictly regimented. The only evidence we have that Agrippa actually performed magic is his obvious “insider’s” understanding of the material he recorded. That inference can’t even be made objectively. We have to experience the results of the operations he describes to realize what he is recording between the lines. Based on that experience, we can begin to understand the deeper implications of his writing.

    Leap ahead a couple years to Crowley. A great magician, an eager and prolific promoter of occult philosophy, Crowley stands out in history for his intelligence, wit, and most offensively to some, his self-confidence. Yet read through Soror Achitha’s Vision of the Amalantrah Working, and you see that Crowley in his magickal practice was a sulky, petulant, ignorant man. Not ignorant in terms of knowledge, learning, or experience, but ignorant of what is to come. He worries about money, and worries about plans to go to Cairo. He is revealed to be a whiner to the spirits, much like Dee and Kelley both. He shows a deep concern for his safety and well-being that speaks volumes, at least to me, of his lack of faith that “existence is pure joy.”

    Across history to the present day, magicians are fumbling in the dark, trying to figure out what the HELL is going on, and trying to influence things to work out in their favor. Their private diaries reveal them to be very small and very dependent upon the forces they work with for their mental well-being. Their greatest contributions to their fellow occultists are little more than sign posts and travel commentaries about the realms they visit.

    It’s baffling.

    From my own limited experience in the occult, in conjuring the spirits, in speaking with the intelligences of the spheres, in traversing the heavens that lie between us and God Almighty, I have seen things that make my toes curl in wonder and awe. I have done things that are miraculous in every sense of the word. In my conversations with the spirits of the realms, I’m no whining supplicant, begging for scraps of answers or a pittance to get to Egypt in the spring. I’m not demanding answers about God or the heavens, or secrets of the cosmos. I’m a traveler in the macrocosmic realms, a co-worker with the spirits in the microcosmic realms. There is no thing or state of existence beyond my ability to access and manifest through ritual activities. There are no limits beyond the practical.

    So just what the HELL is going on here? Am I the only magician that uses magic to rise above the problems of mundane existence? By no means is my life, or my skill in the Art of magic perfect and complete. My recent escapades with Bune seem to be unprecedented among my fellow magicians for example, although they have confirmed in one way or another through their own magical works that the source of the problem was related to the way I had approached the idea of being a Hierophant.

    The point is, when I found out what was going on, the first thing I did was fix it. Using magic. That’s my general approach to everything. It works really well. I use Magic to get ideas about what I should be doing in my mundane life. I use it to get ideas about what spiritual activities I should be pursuing. I use it for food, health, safety, and travel. With the knowledge I get reading and meditating, I create and perform rituals that bring about what I want to happen in my life and my world.

    I know I’m not the only one that does this. I talk to many magicians on the internet across the world who are doing the same thing. What I don’t understand is why it’s so relatively rare. The number of magicians in control of their lives is staggeringly low. Most people interested in the occult are interested in the power to control their worlds, but compared to the number of people interested, the number of people doing the Work, doing the magic that transforms their existence is less than half of one percent.

    Magic. It’s what a magician does. It’s not a last resort, it’s a first resort. The lungs breathe, the liver filters, the brain processes. The magician does magic. The magician is in control of their world, not isolated from other influences, but in a position of authority in determining which of the opportunities life will present, and how those opportunities will come about.

    There’s too much slap-dash going on. People slap together a quick one-time rite, and dash off to the next thing, which is usually something they are reacting to. There’s little or no actual proactive planning and implementation of their lives. They’re content to sit back and follow the script they’ve been given for the most part, with a little dabbling here and there.

    I’m not advocating any “Left Hand Path” philosophy here, but I do want to point out that YOU are not a passive part of existence. You have choices to make that affect many others. If you choose not to choose, you still have made a choice, to quote Rush. You’re an active part of existence, and magic gives you the keys to the Kingdom. You’ve got at your beck and call the very spirits that make up the world. Why on earth would you not choose to use them?

    Why didn’t Dee use the Angelic system of magic he received? Why didn’t Agrippa put his skills in the occult arts to use to keep from having to recant his writings? Why didn’t Crowley just manifest the cash to go to Cairo if he was that worried about it?

    Was it a lack of faith in their magic? Was it that they, like so many magicians today, believed that magic is interesting and neat, but when the rubber meets the road, you have to deal with life from the mundane? I don’t know. It doesn’t make sense to me.

    I understand that things won’t always work out the way you expect, and that’s fine, but one thing I’ve learned in this Great Work is that I am in control of what I experience in life. There is nothing beyond my ability to research, conjure, and influence. Sometimes the influence will be on my own expectations, changing what I want as I learn why things are the way they are. But there’s nothing my Daimon and I can’t handle, manipulate, and shape into what ought to be.

    So let’s all kick it up a notch or two. No whining, no fear. Let honest curiosity and righteous indignation fuel our endeavors. If money is a problem, conjure cash and multiple streams of income. If health is a problem, conjure healing and aid. If something is broken, fix it. If you don’t know how to fix it, find out how to fix it. You’re one meditation away from the brightest intelligences in the universe, literally.

    And trust the things you’re studying and learning in the occult. It really is real. And there’s nothing to be afraid of. You’ll be just fine.

  • Solve et Coagula

    The other day, I was reading Ouspensky’s “The Symbolism of the Tarot” over at the Sacred Texts web site (www.sacred-texts.com). In the section “What is the Tarot”, he used the word “problem” in a sentence that shed new light on an old question of mine.

    Regarding the study of IHVH, he said “The study of this Name (or the four-lettered word, tetragrammaton, in Greek) and the finding of it in everything constitutes the main problem of Kabalistic philosophy.”

    He wrote in 1913, and his use of the language is different from my own. When I say I have a problem, I don’t usually think about it as a good thing, or as a subject of research. I think of “Problem” as something that’s bad, negative, something that is impeding my ability to enjoy life. In Ouspensky’s mind though, a problem is the central core of a philosophy.

    It got me thinking about how philosophy is a solution to a problem. When you have a problem, you try to solve it, and that got me thinking about the old alchemical axiom, Solve et Coagula.

    I’ve tended to think about the process of Solve et Coagula as the process of breaking apart a conglomeration into its individual parts, refining it, and bringing the parts back together as a new and better whole. That’s how the Great Work has manifested for me. But to the Solve stage, you must first recognize on some level that there is a problem that needs to be solved. What’s my problem? What is it that I’m trying to solve?

    The goal of “reuniting with God” is the solution to being separated from God. I’ve understood for a long time that the separation is only one level of existence, and that ultimately no one is separated from God. Through the Logos, the way back to Union and communion with the Divine was paved. So my problem isn’t that I’m not united with God.

    I perform the Great Work because I want to be a better person. I want a stronger character, I want to pass on a legacy of doing the right thing for my fellow incarnate beings to my children and grand children. I want to help people, and not be a selfish, lazy, ungrateful man. My problem is that I do the wrong thing instead of the right thing.

    At any given moment, I have a pool of energy I can draw on to do something. I can go for a walk, give money to the poor, or insult some moron who cut me off in traffic. The potential for whatever I do is always there.

    How that energy manifests is determined by what I decide to do. My decisions are influenced by my impulses towards selfishness, and how I’m going to make myself happy in the next moments. I’m a conglomeration of parts, some parts of me want to do the right thing, others jsut want to do the lazy thing. The way I make my decisions is heavily influenced by these component parts. The parts of myself that have control over my energy resources, my potential determine what I’m going to decide to do with my potential in any given moment, in any situation.

    The solve process is where the component parts are melted down, and the imputities are taken away. The Great Work is to get rid of the negative components, and allow the positive components to dominate the decisions, to control the manifestation of the potential I carry.

    So what is the Great Work? At this point, it’s a series of little problems that need to be Solved and Coagulated. Each of my “High Magic” rituals need to be focused on resolving the problems in my character that I’m made aware of through the Conversations with my HGA. There are areas of ignorance about the roles of the archangels I need to Solve. There are problems of the heart, mind, and spirit, each of which will need to be addressed, and in the process, perhaps the greater Work will be accomplished.