Sacred Space and
Magical Tools
After committing the rudiments of occult knowledge to memory, you may feel it is time to begin to build a dedicated Temple space in which to pursue magic. Many Golden Dawn magicians have a Temple within their own living space, regardless of whether or not they are members of an Order or Temple group. Much of the practical magic of the Inner Order is intended to be worked at the personal level outside of group work. While the Great Work does not require all the furnishings and trappings of a full-blown initiating Temple, there is no question that creating a Sacred Space in which you can practice in security and privacy will be of great benefit.
Keep in mind that there is no such thing as an essential piece of magical paraphernalia. The most important tool in magic is the human mind. Nevertheless, the regalia, Elemental Tools, Altars, and other implements used in magic can greatly enhance your ritual experience and provide focus for your willpower and imagination. The lack of a robe, wand, or any other ritual item should never stop you from going ahead with the work at hand. These items are meant to be supports, not crutches.
Other books provide instruction on how to make Temple implements and regalia, so there is no need for us to do so here. Students who want more information on the items presented here are advised to consult our texts on Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple and Creating Magical Tools.
Watch out for the Cat!
One magician we know painstakingly carved a gorgeous Sigillum de Emeth (the Enochian Seal of Truth) out of a beeswax disk. It took him two weeks to create and before he could even use it, his cat knocked it off the dresser, shattering it completely.
While it is admirable to create magical tools exactly as they were made centuries ago, it is also good to remember that magicians of old used materials that were commonplace for their day. Use what works and try to create things as durable as possible. At some point, you will drop something in the middle of a ritual. Practicality often wins out over flamboyance when it comes to ritual preparation. Most magicians who have practiced their art for a while have stories about someone who tripped over their sash, accidently stabbed a painting, or set their robe on Fire. Our advice: use common sense and, above all, don’t panic if the unexpected happens!
Ritual Clothing
Ceremonial attire can be an important tool for enhancing one’s magical practice. Clothing yourself in ceremonial garb, like taking on a magical motto, is a means of shifting consciousness, of separating yourself from the mundane, secular world. Putting on a ritual robe and other regalia for Temple work is a statement of the magician’s intent—making even the clothing worn a part of one’s total magical environment. Ritual clothing helps focus the mind on the work at hand, putting the magician into a more mystical state of consciousness, and providing a psychological lift that can increase the quality, intensity, and effectiveness of any ritual.
The Tau Robe
The Tau robe (Figure 48) is standard dress for Golden Dawn magicians. In an Order setting, Outer Order members wear black robes while Inner Order members don white robes. The Tau Cross, which looks like the letter “T” when the arms are raised, is the preferred form of this robe. This also refers to the Hebrew Tau, the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. One theory states that this symbol originated among the Egyptians from the image of the wide rack of a bull’s horns and the vertical line of the animal’s face.
The Nemyss
The nemyss or Egyptian headdress (Figure 49) is part of the traditional ceremonial garb of a Golden Dawn magician. It is shown in many ancient papyri as either flowing down the back of the neck or gathered at the back to end in a “tail.” We have chosen the gathered-style of nemyss as more truly representing the symbolism of eternal life, the ankh, which the nemyss is partly based upon.
The ankh cross is a Sacred symbol that indicates the manifestation of the divine life force. It signifies the divine union of opposites; active and passive, male and female. The ankh combines the masculine Tau shape with the feminine oval, alluding to the powers of generation. The circle of the ankh refers to the Sun, the horizontal line to the sky, and the vertical line to the earth. As a Microcosmic sign, the circle represents the human head or reasoning powers, the horizontal line implies arms, and the upright line is the body.
The ankh can also be interpreted as an early form of the emblem of Venus (Figure 50), the only planet whose sigil touches all the Sephiroth when superimposed over the diagram of the Tree of Life. This, too, is very significant to the symbolic makeup of the nemyss. To wear an ankh (Figure 51) in the form of a headdress signifies the striving for eternal life that only spiritual attainment can bring. In Hebrew tradition, the back of the head (Qoph) is covered during worship. It is a symbol that one is in the presence of God. By covering one’s head with the sacred emblem of the ankh, the Golden Dawn magician puts him- or herself in a magical state of mind and calls upon the forces of eternal life and light for protection against all outside influences, including ones that might otherwise enter the subconscious through “the back of the head.”
Figure 50: Venus Symbol on the Tree of Life
By wearing the Tau robe and the nemyss, the magician becomes a complete, living symbol of the ankh.
Sashes
In an Order setting, Golden Dawn magicians wear a long band of cloth over one shoulder as a symbol of their grade. Outer Order members wear a black sash, embellished with the insignia of their rank from the left shoulder to the right hip. Inner Order members wear the same, but with the addition of a similarly adorned white sash running from the right shoulder to the left hip. Solitary students generally do not need to concern themselves with sashes, however.
Cloaks, Mantles, Tabards, and Stoles
One final item we need to mention is an outer garment worn over the robe by officers in a Temple setting as an emblem of their authority, adorned with symbolism in the proper colors. The original form was a cloak or mantle that was well suited to a cold northern clime. Many Temples today, especially those in tropical or subtropical climates, prefer lighter garb such as tabards and stoles. But as with the sash, solo students generally don’t need to worry about these items, unless they wish to design personalized versions of them to enhance their ritual work.
The Temple
A personal Temple is a space where the magician can control the various components of all magical work, especially when it involves ceremonial operations. The Temple space is a physical embodiment of the magician’s most important tool—the mind. Like the magician’s own psyche, the Temple should be kept clear of all outside influences and astral contaminants.
It is preferable for any Golden Dawn student to have a private space for Temple work. Ideally, the Temple should be set up in a spare room, although if this is not feasible magicians will often move aside furniture in their living room to create a temporary Sacred Space that can be created and dissolved at will. It is important that there be enough space to move around comfortably.
One’s personal Temple space can be as elaborate or sparse as desired, but at the minimum, the student should make or acquire the following items.
• An Altar
• Cross and Triangle
• A white pillar candle and a black pillar candle
• A chalice of Water
• A censer for incense or stick incense holder
• A Banishing Dagger
• The Outer Wand of Double Power
A chalice, incense holder, and pillar candles should be easy to obtain. We’ve discussed the Banishing Dagger and the Outer Wand of Double Power in chapter 4. Other items are described below.
The Altar
The Altar is a primary point of focus, the heart and core of the Temple. Any convenient table, nightstand, or similar piece of furniture can be substituted, so long as it is covered with a black cloth. Another option is a plastic storage tower or cart complete with wheels and drawers. These are inexpensive to purchase and can be covered with an Altar cloth. They also provide an excellent container for ritual tools, candles, robes, and other implements. However, nothing is better than a traditional Golden Dawn Altar (Figure 52).
Figure 52: Double Cubical Altar
The Altar is painted black to symbolize the physical world in which we live—a world sometimes dark and obscure. It is constructed in the shape of a double cube. This alludes to a passage taken from the Emerald Tablet of Hermes which states, “Whatever is below is like that which is above, and whatever is above is like that which is below.” In the Neophyte ritual, this restatement of the Hermetic Axiom is paraphrased as “the things that are below are a reflection of the things that are above.”
The Altar is positioned in the center of the Temple. The pillar candles should be placed on the eastern side of the Altar with the white candle on the right and the black candle on the left. Place the chalice in the northern side of the Altar and the incense on the southern side (Figure 53).
When working in Temple, the magician stands west of the Altar, facing east, the direction of the shining Sun of the Golden Dawn.
Cross and Triangle
The symbol of the Golden Dawn is a red Cross above a white Triangle (Figure 54). These can be made out of paper and laminated, or they can be made from wood, resin, or any other convenient material.
These emblems represent the forces of the Divine Light centered in the white Triangle of the Supernal Sephiroth—Kether, Chokmah, and Binah.
The red Cross is symbolically composed of six equal units, aligning it with Tiphareth. It is placed above the white Triangle, not to dominate it, but to cause it to descend and manifest into the outer world. The Cross and Triangle together represent life and light.
In preparation for personal magical work, the Cross and Triangle should always be placed upon the Altar, acting as a nucleus for the ceremony and attracting the divine forces into manifestation.
Quarter Altars
The four quarters or cardinal directions are important factors in any Golden Dawn Temple. All Temples are oriented to face east, the place of the rising of Sun from which the Golden Dawn takes its name. As the four elements are each attributed to one of these directions, it is advantageous to place four small side Altars in each quarter. Small tables, nightstands, or similar items can be draped in elemental-colored Altar cloths: yellow for Air in the east, red for Fire in the south, blue for Water in the west, and black for Earth in the north. These hold Enochian Tablets, elemental-colored candles, and other appropriate symbolism.
The Pillars
The two pillars are among the most noticeable features of a Golden Dawn Temple. They represent the two columns in the Temple of King Solomon and the two great contending forces of the Cosmos. Symbolic of the outer pillars on the Tree of Life, these are the epic polarities of male and female, day and night, hot and cold, active and passive, positive and negative, etc. Remember that the terms “positive” and “negative” are not meant as value judgments. They are more in keeping with the positive protons and negative electrons of an atom: both are needed in order for the atom to function. They express the reconciliation of opposing forces and the eternal balance of light and darkness that gives rise to the visible Universe.
The White Pillar on the south side of the Temple is called Jachin, and represents the male or Yang principle. It is known as the Pillar of Light and Fire and the positive polarity. The Black Pillar on the left or north side of the Temple is called Boaz, and symbolizes the female or Yin principle. It is also known as the Pillar of Cloud and the negative polarity. These columns are referred to as the Pillar of Force and the Pillar of Form.
In Egyptian symbolism, the pillars represent the Sacred gateway to the Underworld. The two pillars of the Neophyte Hall are ornamented with symbolism consisting of Egyptian vignettes or drawings. The archaic drawings on the Jachin Pillar are painted in black upon a white ground, and those on the Boaz Pillar in white upon a black ground.
The bases of the pillars are black to represent the darkness of matter into which the quintessence of Spirit descends to implement Light and Life. Just above each base is the image of a lotus flower to represent regeneration.
The two columns are topped with red triangular capitals emblematic of the triune manifestation of the Divine Spirit of Life. And while only two pillars are physically present in the Temple, the threefold aspect of divinity is emphasized through the implied existence of the Middle Pillar of Mildness, for as the Hierophant tells the Neophyte: “There are two contending forces and one always uniting them.”
In the previous section, we recommended that black and white pillar candles be placed atop the Altar to represent these energies. But for readers who want the more traditional pillars, there are a variety of ways to make them. They should be large but not overly so. For a basic set of functional black and white pillars, it is not absolutely necessary that they include the Egyptian vignettes. If desired, you can simply paint the letter Yod (for Jachin) at the top of the white pillar and the letter Beth (for Boaz) at the summit of the black one (Figure 55). Here are some suggestions for creating the pillars:
• Heavy cardboard tubes found inside rolls of carpeting. Two square wooden boxes can be utilized for the bases. Simply cut a circle into the top of the box and slide the tube down into the base.
• Architectural salvage might provide wooden pillars from old houses.
• Long, thick lengths of PVC pipe can be made into pillars and set into wooden bases.
• Use stovepipe bought from a home-builders supply store.
• Round, interlocking plastic trash cans, when placed one on top of the other, can make perfectly smooth, slender pillars.
• Portable pillars can be constructed from cloth and polystyrene or Styrofoam rings (used to make wreathes) purchased from a craft store.
The Triangles composing the pyramid capitals can be cut out of poster board and painted red.
Pillars and Banners (Figure 56) are among the lodge furnishings that the Golden Dawn adapted from Freemasonry. Both groups use these items to symbolize esoteric ideas. But in the case of the Golden Dawn these items are also considered reservoirs of magical power. Not only do they act as barriers and signposts for the eastern and western axis of the Temple, they are also battery points along which the Divine Light can travel from one end of the Temple and back again.
Figure 56: The Banners of the East and West
The white Banner of the East is also referred to as the Banner of Light. It is placed in the eastern part of the Temple to mark the place of the emerging light of morning—otherwise known as the Golden Dawn!
The black Banner of the West is also called the Banner of the Evening Twilight and is placed in the western part of the Temple for obvious reasons.
Ideally, the Banners should be made out of cloth and hung from gold-colored bars on Banner poles painted black and white, respectively. But for the purpose of this book, they can be photocopied and laminated or framed to hang on the walls of the Temple room. The Banners should contain the following symbolism:
Banner of the East
• Field of white
• A golden-yellow Calvary Cross
• A Hexagram formed from a red upright Triangle and a blue inverted Triangle
• A white Tau Cross (T-shaped Cross) in the center
• Red tassels hanging from each of the five corners
Banner of the West
• Field of black
• White upright Triangle
• Red Calvary Cross with gold trim on all edges
• Red tassels hanging from each of the five corners
The white Banner is a symbol of light and purity. It is used as a conduit for bringing the Divine Light-force into the Temple. It can be employed as a protective shield as well as a vehicle for Purification and Consecration within the Temple.
The black Banner is a symbol of restriction and containment used to bar negative energies from the Temple.
Tools of the Adept
The implements described below are traditionally the tools of the Second Order. Many of them are implements belonging to the grade of Zelator Adeptus Minor (ZAM) and above. Like other material presented in this text, we assume that some readers will want to stick to the bare-bones basics while others will use this book as the beginning point of a lifelong magical practice in the Golden Dawn tradition. Therefore, we provide options for both.
The Enochian (or Elemental) Tablets
The Enochian Tablets of the Golden Dawn (also known as the Elemental Tablets) (Figure 57) originated from a system of magic that was developed from the ceremonial skrying of Dr. John Dee and Edward Kelley. Beginning in 1582, the Elizabethan magician and his seer continued to uncover the Enochian system over a period of seven years. The two men accumulated a great quantity of work, including an entire language with its own unique alphabet and syntax. This language, known as the “Secret Angelic Language,” became known as Enochian because it was said to have been the angelic language revealed to Enoch by the angel Ave.
Figure 57: The Enochian (or Elemental) Tablets
The Enochian Tablets are also called the “Watchtower Tablets” because they represent four elemental portals for great angels known as the Chaioth ha-Qadesh or “Holy Living Creatures” depicted as great pillars that support the firmament of heaven. These angels keep watch over all things under their dominion.
Enochian is the unifying system of magic that underlies much of the practical work of the Golden Dawn within the higher grades. It combines Qabalah, tarot, geomancy, and astrology as well as elemental, planetary, and astral work into a unified and comprehensive scheme.
The structure of the Enochian system is based upon a cipher of numerological permutations of elements, arranged on grids of letters such as the four Elemental Tablets. From these Tablets were derived the names of various elemental powers, angels, beings, and spiritual dominions known as aethyrs.
The four Elemental Tablets are assigned respectively to Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Our tradition teaches that each of the elements also contains the other elements within them as well. Therefore, each Tablet is divided into four quarters that represent the sub-elements of that particular Tablet. For example, on the Fire Tablet these include: Earth of Fire, Air of Fire, Water of Fire, and Fire of Fire.
Each of the four Elemental Tablets contains four types of squares (Figure 58):
• The Great Cross of thirty-six squares, lettered in black on white, stretching through the entire Tablet.
• The Sephirotic Calvary Crosses, lettered also in black on white, in the four corners of each Tablet.
• The Kerubic Squares, which are usually painted in the elemental color of the Tablet, and are the four squares immediately above each Sephirotic Cross.
• The Servient Squares, usually painted in the elemental color of the Tablet, consist of the sixteen squares of each lesser sub-element beneath each Sephirotic Cross.
Figure 58: Basic Divisions of a Tablet
The most important section on each Angelic Tablet is the central Great Cross whose shaft descends from top to bottom and whose Crossbar divides the Tablet from left to right. The Great Cross is the mechanism that partitions the Tablet: it separates and binds together the sub-elements (also called sub-angles) of the Tablet.
From this Great Cross of letters, various angelic and divine names are produced, which are of supreme importance. First are the “Three Great Secret Holy Names of God,” which are found on the horizontal Crossbar of the Great Cross. This line is composed of twelve letters divided into names of three, four, and five letters each, read from left to right:
• Oro Ibah Aozpi, on the Air Tablet
• Mph Arsl Gaiol, on the Water Tablet
• Mor Dial Hctga, on the earth Tablet
• Oip Teaa Pdoce, on the Fire Tablet
The Three Great Secret Holy Names of God are the major names of the Tablets and are used to open the elemental forces of the four Watchtowers. These names are conceived to be borne as ensigns upon the Banners of very powerful Kings who rule each quarter. The name of the Great King is found in a spiral or whirl of letters at the center of each Tablet. The Kings are:
• Bataivah, the Great King of Air
• Raagiosel, the Great King of Water
• Ic Zod Heh Hal, the Great King of Earth
• Edelperna, the Great King of Fire
These Enochian names of power are commonly called upon in advanced rituals to invoke the elements. Collectively, the Enochian Tablets contain the names of angelic forces that are far too numerous for us to list here.
In addition to the Elemental Tablets, there is a smaller Tablet called the Tablet of Union (Figure 59), referring to the fifth element of Spirit. The four lines on the Tablet of Union are:
• EXARP, attributed to Air
• HCOMA, attributed to Water
• NANTA, attributed to Earth
• BITOM, attributed to Fire
Figure 59: The Tablet of Union
The function of the Tablet of Union, as its name implies, is to unite and bind together the energies of the four Elemental Tablets. Figure 60 shows how the order of the names on the Tablet of Union follows the lines of the Pentagram as well as the four sub-elemental divisions on the larger Tablets.
In an Order setting, students are introduced to the Tablets in the elemental grades, one Tablet per grade. The Tablet of Union is introduced in the Portal grade, which corresponds to the element of Spirit. However, students may frame photocopied or laminated versions of all the Tablets to hang on the walls of their Temple or place on the quarter Altars.
Fully consecrated Enochian Tablets are highly potent talismans and reservoirs of energy. They serve as portals that allow elemental energy to flow into the Temple.
Figure 60: Pentagram Arrangement on a Tablet
The Lotus Wand
The Lotus Wand is the single most useful tool in Golden Dawn magic. This general-purpose wand can be used for all magical situations and rituals. It is especially useful for fine-tuning the invocation and banishment of any and all elemental, Sephirotic, planetary, and zodiacal energies.
In ancient Egypt, the lotus was a symbol of purity and regeneration. For this reason, the Golden Dawn’s Lotus Wand is dedicated to the Goddess Isis. The wand head is a twenty-six-petaled lotus flower made from three layers of petals (Figure 61). The outer two layers each have eight petals that are white on the inside and olive with black veins on the outside. The central interior layer has ten petals that are white on both sides. At the base of the flower is an orange four-sepaled outer calyx.
The shaft of the wand is divided into the King Scale colors of the twelve zodiacal signs. Above and below these are two longer sections of white at the top and black at the bottom, with the white section above the red (Aries) band. The white section is always slightly longer than the black. The magician’s motto is usually painted on the white band.
As a general rule, point with the white lotus flower to invoke and with the black end to banish.
The various colored bands are grasped by holding the wand between the thumb and two fingers when invoking or banishing specific energies (Table 29). If the bands on your wand are too narrow, just make sure that your thumb (the digit assigned to Spirit) is firmly pressed on the appropriate band.
Table 29: How to Use the Lotus Wand
|
Energy Force |
Band |
Reason for band choice |
|
All ten Sephiroth |
White |
Spirit; the Divine |
|
Fire |
Yellow (Leo) |
Kerubic Fire |
|
Water |
Blue-green (Scorpio) |
Kerubic Water |
|
Air |
Violet (Aquarius) |
Kerubic Air |
|
Earth |
Red-orange (Taurus) |
Kerubic Earth |
|
12 zodiacal signs |
Each in accordance with its attributed band |
|
|
Saturn |
Violet (Aquarius) for day, Blue-violet (Capricorn) at night |
|
|
Jupiter |
Blue (Sagittarius) for day, Red-violet (Pisces) at night |
|
|
Mars |
Red (Aries) for day, Red-violet (Scorpio) at night |
|
|
Sol |
Yellow (Leo) for either day or night |
|
|
Venus |
Green (Libra) for day, Red-orange (Taurus) at night |
|
|
Mercury |
Orange (Gemini) for day, Yellow-green (Virgo) at night |
|
|
Luna |
Yellow-orange (Cancer) for either day or night |
|
For planetary workings, it is also acceptable to hold the wand by the band of the sign that the planet is in at the time of the ritual.
Hold the black band only for material and mundane matters.
The lotus flower is not to be touched during ritual, but in Sephirotic and spiritual workings, the flower should be directed toward the forehead.
For those readers who might not wish to create a full-fledged Lotus Wand, there are two perfectly good alternatives: the Outer Wand of Double Power, which is a good all-purpose wand, or the Rainbow Wand from Donald Michael Kraig’s Modern Magick. The Rainbow Wand is a Lotus Wand without the lotus flower on top.
The Magic Sword
The Magic Sword (Figure 62) is to be used in all cases where great force and strength are required, but principally for banishing and for defense against evil forces. For this reason, it is attributed to Sephirah Geburah and of the planet Mars. The sword is to be used with great respect only for banishings, protection, and certain rituals where the force of Geburah is needed to bar and threaten.
Any convenient sword of medium length and weight may be adapted to this use, but the handle, hilt, and guard should be wide enough to write the necessary inscriptions on. Every part of the handle is to be painted red, although a strip of leather can be wrapped around the grip for added comfort. In addition to divine names and sigils of Geburah and Mars, protective Pentagrams are added in green to the hilt:
• Godname: Elohim Gibor
• Sephirotic archangel: Kamael
• Sephirotic angels: Seraphim
• Planet: Madim (Mars)
• Planetary angel: Zamael
• Planetary intelligence: Graphiel
• Planetary Spirit: Bartzabel
• Magical motto: add your own
For a more basic Magic Sword, simply paint the handle red.
The Elemental Weapons
The four Elemental Weapons or tools are the Earth Pentacle, the Air Dagger, the Water Cup, and the Fire Wand (Figure 63). These are the tarot symbols equating to the divine name YHVH. They have a certain bond and sympathy between them, so that even if only one is to be used, the others should also be present, just as each of the four Elemental Tablets is divided into four quarters representing the other three elements bound together within the same Tablet.
Figure 63: The Elemental Weapons
The Fire Wand
The Fire Wand is used in all magical workings that involve elemental Fire. This wand falls under the Hebrew letter Yod of the Tetragrammaton and is a potent symbol of the magician’s willpower. It should not be used in anything other than a ritual that involves the elements.
The shape of the wand is phallic: it is a cone mounted on a shaft. The symbolism of the cone may be derived from the association of the circle with the Triangle or pyramid, and may also be a form of the solar glyph. In any event, the flaming Yods painted around the cone firmly establish its masculine Fire energy.
The Fire Wand is the most challenging of all the Elemental Weapons to construct. The problem it presents is that a magnetic wire must run through its center, end to end. The Golden Dawn manuscripts suggest making the wand out of bamboo cane, which has a natural hollow running through it, but this is not the most satisfactory way to create it.
The wand is traditionally painted red with three yellow Yods on the cone and four yellow rings on the shaft. One recent innovation is to paint the wand completely in the flashing Fire colors of red and green without any yellow. Divine and angelic names and sigils are painted in green on the red portions of the wand:
• Divine Name: Elohim
• Archangel: Michael
• Angel: Ariel
• Ruler: Seraph
• River of Paradise: Pison (River of Fire)
• Cardinal Point: Darom (South)
• Element: Ash (Fire)
• Magical motto: add your own
Options: In addition to using bamboo, a simplified but functional way to get a magnetized wire into the Fire Wand is to create it out of PVC or copper tubing instead of wood. Readers who simply wish to create a basic wooden wand without all the bells and whistles can forgo the magnetic wire and the Hebrew writing.
The Water Cup
The Water Cup is used in all magical workings relating to the nature of elemental Water, under the presidency of the Hebrew letter Heh of YHVH. The Cup is to be marked with eight raised, etched, or painted lotus petals.
This is one implement whose construction seems to vary with the ingenuity of the magician making it. The Golden Dawn instructions suggest that any glass cup with a stem can be used, and paper petals attached. Although this method is the least satisfying and easiest to break, it appears to have been the most common method used to create the Cup in the early days of the Order.
Many magicians have a way of finding a metal, ceramic, or wooden cup that will work nicely for the Water Cup and has the added advantage of sturdiness and durability. Metal cups or goblets made out of brass or pewter are easy to find in many department stores or flea markets. Eight petals can be cut out of leather or card stock and glued to the cup for the required design.
The Water Cup should be painted blue with the outlines of the petals and the Hebrew names and sigils in orange:
• Divine Name: EL
• Archangel: Gabriel
• Angel: Taliahad
• Ruler: Tharsis
• River of Paradise: Gihon (River of Water)
• Cardinal Point: Maarab (West)
• Element: Mayim (Water)
• Magical motto: add your own
If a simpler design is more to your liking, you can leave off the Hebrew writing and sigils.
The Air Dagger
The Air Dagger is to be used in all magical workings of the element of Air, and falls under the Hebrew letter Vav of YHVH. It is to be used with the three other Elemental Tools. In symbolism, the dagger can be likened to the tip of the spear, cast through the Air to hit its target.
There should be no confusion between the Magic Sword and the Air Dagger. The Magic Sword is under Geburah and is for strength and defense. These two implements belong to different planes and any substitution of one for the other will serve to undermine your magical efforts.
In a similar vein, the Air Dagger is not to be used in rituals that call for a plain dagger, such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. For the LBRP, a black-handled dagger of no special design should suffice.
The blade of the dagger should be between four and six inches. The handle of the Air Dagger is yellow, the color assigned to elemental Air. The handle should be wide enough to add the appropriate divine names and sigils, painted in violet.
• Divine Name: YHVH
• Archangel: Raphael
• Angel: Chassan
• Ruler: Arel
• River of Paradise: Hiddikel (River of Air)
• Cardinal Point: Mizrach (East)
• Element: Ruach (Air)
• Magical motto: add your own
If a simple Air Dagger is all you require, then paint the handle yellow and leave off all writing.
The Earth Pentacle
A pentacle is a circular disk that serves as a container for the magical forces inscribed on it. The Earth Pentacle of the Golden Dawn is used in all workings pertaining to the nature of Earth, and is under the presidency of the Hebrew letter Heh Final of the Tetragrammaton.
One or both sides of the pentacle are inscribed with a white Hexagram superimposed over a circle that is divided into the colors of Malkuth. A white border along the edge contains the divine names and sigils of elemental Earth.
The four quarters of the pentacle are painted in the Queen Scale colors of Malkuth to indicate the sub-elements that exist within the makeup of the tenth Sephirah. The citrine quarter is the airy part of Earth, formed from the mixture of orange and green (Hod and Netzach). Russet is the fiery part of Earth, formed from the mixture of orange and violet (Hod and Yesod). Olive is the Watery part of Earth, created from combining green and violet (Netzach and Yesod). Black is Earth of Earth, a combination of all the colors grounding in Malkuth.
The white Hexagram is a symbol of the divine union of opposites, the marriage of Fire and Water. It represents perfect harmony and reconciliation. The white border symbolizes the Divine Spirit surrounding and binding together all four sub-elements of Malkuth.
Circular disks around five inches in diameter and between half and three-fourths of an inch in thickness can be purchased at craft stores and inscribed with the necessary symbolism on both sides including the divine names of Earth:
• Godname: Adonai
• Archangel: Uriel
• Angel: Phorlakh
• Ruler: Kerub
• River of Paradise: Phrath (River of Earth)
• Cardinal Point: Tzaphon (North)
• Element: Aretz (Earth)
• Magical motto: add your own
Other than the magician’s magical motto, the writing on all four tools is traditionally painted in Hebrew letters with black paint.
To create the simplest form of the Earth Pentacle, inscribe the Hexagram and Malkuth quarters on one side only. You can leave off the Hebrew and sigils. Paint the bottom side black.
The Rose Cross Lamen
The word “Lamen” comes from the Latin word for “plate” and indicates a symbolic breastplate that generally signifies the magician’s rank, authority, or power. A Lamen is a magical pendant worn by the magician in ritual. It is suspended from a cord, ribbon, chain, or collar so that it hangs over the heart center of Tiphareth.
Lamens come in an endless variety of shapes and symbolism. Golden Dawn officers wear Lamens to indicate their specific station and duties within the Hall. Another type of Lamen is talismanic in nature; it functions as a storehouse for the particular energy that the magician wishes to attract. Some Lamens contain the sigils of angels or Spirits that the magician wears only when working with those particular beings.
The Rose Cross Lamen (Figure 64) can be described as the key symbol or a magical coat of arms for the adept of the Second Order. Based on the Rosicrucian symbolism of the red rose united to the golden Cross, it combines a vast amalgam of ideas and forces that lie at the heart of Hermetic magic, including the elements, planets, zodiacal signs, Sephiroth, Hebrew alphabet, Pentagrams, Hexagrams, alchemical principles, etc. The Lamen is a complete synthesis of the masculine, positive, or King Scale of color attributions. This single emblem is described as “the Key of Sigils and Rituals” and it represents the Great Work itself, balanced and completed.
Figure 64: The Rose Cross Lamen
The four arms of the cross are attributed to the four elements in their proper colors. The white portion belongs to Spirit and the planets are embodied in the Hexagram. The floriated ends of the arms show the symbols of the three alchemical principles.
The central rose is a symbol of the entire manifest Universe. It contains twenty-two petals assigned to the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and the twenty-two Navitoth on the Tree of Life. The petals of the rose are arranged in three rows that divide the Hebrew alphabet into the three Mother Letters (elements), the seven Double Letters (planets), and the twelve Simple Letters (signs). When properly painted, the rows of petals should resemble a perfect artists’ color wheel. At the very center of the rose is a white glory containing a five-petaled red rose with four green rays and a six-squared golden Cross.
Large white rays springing from behind the rose at the intersecting arms of the cross are waves of the Divine Light issuing forth, and the letters and symbols on them refer to the Analysis of the Keyword described in chapter 8.
In addition to alchemical symbols, the back of the cross is ornamented with the following inscriptions in Latin: “The Master Jesus Christ, God and Man,” and “Blessed be the Lord our God who hath given us the Symbol Signum.” These serve to emphasize the Rosicrucian origins of the symbol. Below these sentences is the magical motto of the magician.
Many practitioners make this Lamen out of heavy cardboard that is then painted in the appropriate colors. For a sturdier Lamen, use wood.
If you wish to make your own Rose Cross Lamen, paint it as follows:
The Arms
• Right Arm: Blue with orange symbols
• Left Arm: Red with green symbols
• Top Arm: Yellow with violet symbols
• Bottom Arm: Upper half: white with black symbols. Lower half: citrine, olive, russet, and black with white symbols.
The Center of the Rose
• Gold Cross with green glories and a red rose of five petals in the center
• Background circle of white
The Petals of the Rose
|
Aleph |
yellow petal, violet letter |
|
Beth |
yellow petal, violet letter |
|
Gimel |
blue petal, orange letter |
|
Daleth |
green petal, red letter |
|
Heh |
red petal, green letter |
|
Vav |
red-orange petal, blue-green letter |
|
Zayin |
orange petal, blue letter |
|
Cheth |
yellow-orange petal, blue-violet letter |
|
Teth |
yellow petal, violet letter |
|
Yod |
yellow-green petal, red-violet letter |
|
Kaph |
violet petal, yellow letter |
|
Lamed |
green petal, red letter |
|
Mem |
blue petal, orange letter |
|
Nun |
blue-green petal, red-orange letter |
|
Samekh |
blue petal, orange letter |
|
Ayin |
blue-violet petal, yellow-orange letter |
|
Peh |
red petal, green letter |
|
Tzaddi |
violet petal, yellow letter |
|
Qoph |
red-violet petal, yellow-green letter |
|
Resh |
orange petal, blue letter |
|
Shin |
red petal, green letter |
|
Tau |
blue-violet petal, yellow-orange letter |
The back of the cross is completely white with black lettering. The Lamen is suspended from a yellow collar or chain and wrapped in white silk when not in use.
The Rose Cross Lamen can be used for:
• Meditation on various symbols it contains.
• Memorization of the King Scale colors assigned to the Hebrew letters.
• Divine protection during magical work.
• Creating sigils drawn from the Hebrew letters on the rose.
• Healing rituals that draw upon the various energies and their symbols as depicted on the Lamen.
• Projecting energy from the magician’s Tiphareth center through a symbol on the Lamen.
• Use in the Supreme Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram.
• Use in magical work with the three alchemical principles.
• A mandala of all the magical forces the magician works with.
• A talisman to attract the Higher and Divine Genius.
• Consecrating the magician’s aura with divine symbols through frequent use in magical work.
The Rose Cross Lamen is traditionally worn by advanced magicians. Some readers might wish to gain more proficiency in the work before creating this intricate Lamen. For a basic, less complicated version, simply paint a gold Cross with a red rose. The back of the Lamen can be all white with just your magical motto and protective Pentagrams in black.
Temple Consecration Ritual
The following ritual is a simple rite you can use to consecrate your Temple space and all magical paraphernalia and tools within it. Keep in mind that some of the items described in this chapter, specifically the Tools of the Adept, have their own traditional consecration rituals that can be found in Israel Regardie’s book The Golden Dawn. Nevertheless, you can use the ritual given here for a general-purpose consecration of any implement in your Temple.
1. Begin with your personal Pre-Ritual Meditation Practice.
2. Perform the LIRP.
3. Retain the vision from the Qabalistic Cross of the shaft of Divine Light blending Spirit and matter within you. The strongest point of this light is at your Tiphareth center. Will and visualize the light going down your arm as needed when tracing figures, purifying, or consecrating.
4. Trace a Cross over the chalice of Water and say: “Unto the Highest do I, (state your magical name), consecrate this chalice of Water that it may be rendered pure and holy, like unto the Celestial rivers of paradise.”
5. Trace a Cross over the censer of incense and say: “Unto the Highest do I, (state your magical name), consecrate this censer of incense that it may be rendered pure and holy, like unto the sweet fragrance of the Celestial Temple of which this Temple is a reflection.”
6. Take up the cup and purify the room with Water, starting in the east and moving clockwise around the room. Trace a Cross followed by the Invoking Water Triangle in all four quarters (Figure 65). (The three lines of the Triangle may be traced, or the magician may simply mark the three points of the Triangle by sprinkling Water thrice toward the quarter.) As you do so, say: “So therefore, first, the Priest who governeth the works of Fire, must sprinkle with the lustral Waters of the loud resounding sea.” Visualize the pure, clear Water cleansing your Sacred Space. Return the cup.
Figure 65: Triangles for Purification and Consecration
7. Take up the incense and consecrate the room with Fire, starting in the east and moving clockwise around the room. Trace a Cross followed by the Invoking Fire Triangle in all four quarters. (The three lines of the Triangle may be traced, or the magician may simply mark the three points of the Triangle.) As you do so, say: “And when after all the Phantoms are banished, thou shalt see that Holy and Formless Fire, that Fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the Universe, hear thou the voice of Fire!” Visualize the Holy Fire of the Divine Spirit sanctifying your Temple space. Return the incense.
8. Start by consecrating the (Altar) thus: With the cup of Water, trace a Cross followed by the Invoking Water Triangle over the (Altar). Raise the cup and say: “In the name of the Lord of the Universe, who works in Silence and whom naught but Silence can express. I purify this (Altar) with Water.”
9. With the incense, trace a Cross followed by the Invoking Fire Triangle over the (Altar). Raise the incense and say: “In the name of the Lord of the Universe, who works in Silence and whom naught but Silence can express. I consecrate this (Altar) with Fire.”
10. Visualize the two Triangles and the cross you have traced on the (Altar) in white light. Combined, the traced figures form an image of the Banner of the East in flaming brilliance, marking the (Altar) with the Sacred protection and power of the Divine Light-force. Concentrate strongly on this vision.
11. For every item or implement in your Temple that you wish to consecrate, repeat steps 8 through 10 above, replacing the word (Altar) with the name of whatever item you are consecrating.
12. When finished, say: “Most holy and Source of all things, Source of Love, Source of Life! The Vast and the Mighty One! Bless this Sacred Space with your Divine Power! Help me, a true seeker of Wisdom, to establish this Temple as a fit dwelling place for the Holy Light Divine, so that I may advance in the Great Work. To Thy Name be the glory! Amen!”
13. Say: “I now release any Spirits who have aided this ceremony. Depart in peace. Go with the blessings of Yeheshuah Yehovahshah.”
14. Perform the LBRP.
15. Finally say: “The rite is ended. So mote it be.”
Purification and Consecration
Purifying the Temple with Water acts to ritually cleanse the Temple in a passive way, not unlike a blessing. It is a gentler way of cleansing as opposed to the Banishing Ritual. Consecrating the Temple with Fire sanctifies it. This action charges and vitalizes the Temple, dedicating it as a Sacred Space. Both actions together have a balancing effect that equilibrates and calms the area after banishing.
The following is a standard Golden Dawn formula for cleaning and sanctifying the Temple space with Water and Fire. It is often added to a magical working after the appropriate banishing rituals have been performed. In this mode, the Purification and Consecration are always performed one right after the other.
Purification
1. Take up the cup of Water. Go to the east.
2. Stand at the eastern edge of the Hall facing east. Hold up the cup of Water and trace the figure of a Cross (up, down, left, right). Then sprinkle some Water thrice in the form of an Invoking Water Triangle.
3. Purify the Temple in the same manner in the south, west, and north, while saying the following: “So therefore, first, the Priest who governeth the works of Fire, must sprinkle with the lustral Water of the loud resounding sea.”
4. When returning to the east, hold up the cup and say: “I purify with Water!” Replace the cup.
Ritual Note: The above speech can be broken up as the magician circumambulates the Temple and traces the figures thus: East: 
“So therefore first …” South: “the Priest who governeth the works of Fire …” West: “must sprinkle with the lustral Waters …” North: 
“of the loud resounding sea.” Returning to east, holds up the cup and says: “I purify with Water!”
Consecration
1. Take up the incense. Go to the east.
2. Stand at the eastern edge of the Hall facing east. Hold up the incense and trace the figure of a Cross (up, down, left, right). Then wave the incense thrice in the form of an Invoking Fire Triangle.
3. Consecrate the Temple in the same manner in the south, west, and north, while saying the following: “And when after all the Phantoms are banished, thou shalt see that Holy and Formless Fire, that Fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the Universe, hear thou the voice of Fire!”
4. When returning to the east, hold up the incense and say: “I consecrate with Fire!” Replace the incense.
Ritual Note: The above speech can be broken up as the magician circumambulates the Temple and traces the figures thus: East: 
“And when after all the Phantoms are banished …” South: “thou shalt see that Holy and Formless Fire …” West: “that Fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the Universe …” North: “hear thou the voice of Fire!” Returning to east, holds up the incense and says: “I consecrate with Fire!”
Review Questions
1. What is the most important magical tool?
2. What is the name of the Golden Dawn’s headdress?
3. What symbol is the headdress derived from?
4. What is the symbol of the Golden Dawn?
5. What shape is the Altar?
6. What is Jachin?
7. What is another name for the Banner of the East?
8. What is another name for the Banner of the West?
9. Where did the Enochian Tablets come from?
10. What is the fifth Enochian Tablet called? What does it do?
11. What is found on the horizontal Crossbar of the Great Cross on each Elemental Tablet?
12. Where is the name of the Great King found on each Elemental Tablet?
13. What can the Lotus Wand be used for?
14. Who is the Lotus Wand dedicated to?
15. What do the bands of the Lotus Wand signify?
16. What implement is attributed to Geburah?
17. What are the four Elemental Weapons? How do they relate to the Tetragrammaton?
18. Where does the word “Lamen” come from?
19. What is the Rose Cross Lamen based on?
20. How are the rose petals arranged on the Rose Cross Lamen?