From the sun arises all beings
The sun sustains them all
Into the sun they all vanish
What the sun is
That I am
SCARLETT ROUGE’S CEREMONY
Today we come together through this exhibition to ask, what is the origin of religion, and what is its place in humanity? I am no historian nor scientific archeologist, I can not answer these questions factually. But I can say that their is a deep root between art and religion, there is a bond between the artifact and the remembered, between the concept and the concrete, and it is this bond, this root, that links matter to spirit, and it is this spirituality that gives the weight to our paintings, our statues, our monuments, our memorials.
Many years ago, I felt a longing to connect to this ethereal spirit, but I didn’t have the tools, so I looked towards the East where these practices are more commercial, and I practiced and many exercises worked, I enjoyed myself, I experienced the zero point, and yet did not fully find myself. And I realized by looking to other cultures I was not bogged down by their cult or class warfares, and this was good, yet it left me with a disconnect. Because, cults are always informed and born out of their environments, and this is imprinted onto our genes. One day I heard a wise women say, look in your own backyard, all the same stories and practices are hidden there. So I started to look beyond the institutions, and I learned about magik and stared at the books I bought about it on my bookshelves, and finally one day after years of tinkering with the spells of manifestation, I realized the books I was afraid to open were about magical self-realization.
What became clear is the institutionalization of our spirituality into religion created a gap, the ordain verses the pulpit demanded a disconnect between self and our spirit, that quickly turned into a profitable warfare between us and them.The fact of the matter is, in the properties of spirit, if you want to be a fully realized human being, instead of just a human doing, to be a warrior of light, you have to practice bringing the light into yourself, you can’t just sit there and accept a savior and expect something amazing to happen to you- even worse they promise a better life for after you are dead. Who needs it?
What about now? The Bible says we are they Shepards of this land, the song say heaven is a place on earth, you have to make it, do you know what that’s worth?
Today, I will show and guide you through some magikal practices whose origins are drawn from ancient Egypt and the Qabbalah, with and a splash of Christianity- more Catholic than
Protestant. It was developed by Freemasons in the late 1900, it is called the Hermetic Order of
the Golden Dawn. In a sense you can say it is a modern take on ancient symbols and rituals,
which is how I like to think about my art.
Stand with your eyes closed and picture yourself and the very center of the universe. There are
stars all around you as far as you can see, in every direction. Cast your attention up to the very
top of the universe (if such a thing existed) and at the very top of the universe you see a
blindingly brilliant white light. You know that this light is the source from which all things came,
and to which all things will eventually return, focus on it for a second. As you inhale, envision
shaft of light descend from that light, all the way down through the universe, until it reaches the
very top of your head. Right at the crown of your head, envision it as a straw of light. And once
it reaches the crown of your head, it forms a white sphere of energy, about 30 cm in diameter,
sitting right on your cranium. It always has been and it always will connected to divinity. It’s the
purest part of your conscious mind. As we inhale, we are going to envision it glow even
brighter. Inhale, hold, it. Exhale, the air goes out but the energy stays in. And it’s glowing even
brighter than it was before. Now the mantra associated with this energy center is Eheieh. In
Hebrew it means I am, it’s what the burning bush said to Moses whenever he said, who are
you? The bush said Eheieh, but it’s a little more involved then what the English translation, it
really means I am All, I am everything, I am the source from which all came and to which all will
return. So we are going to vibrate that mantra, and as we do that we are going to see the
sphere of light at the top of our head vibrate with the sound. Eheieh. Try, as much as you can,
to feel the vibrate in your cranium.
Now focus on the white sphere of light at the top of your head and as you inhale see that shaft
of light continue down from that sphere, down through the center of your head, all the way to
your throat. Right in the center of your throat, forms a Pearl gray sphere energy, the same size
and shape as the one at the top of your head. It’s right about where your voice box is. Just let
your attention rest in your throat don’t try to force it, don’t strain, just let your attention rest
gently in your throat. Because where your attention goes, that is where your energy is going to
flow. We are going to do that same thing as we did before, inhale and see it glow even brighter
gray, like a bright brilliant full Moon. Inhale, hold it and exhale, the air goes out but the energy
stays in. What the sphere at our throat represents is the divine feminine, everything has two
halves, the yin and the yang, whenever we speak of the divine mother, or the feminine aspect
of divinity, that is what this sphere represents. Like the moon, it represents the reflection of
god/sun, in a poetic way it is a Divine Light that is always shinning but we cannot always see it.
It is about the inner dimension, the embodiment of our creative and expressive energy. The
mantra associated with this sphere is Yeh-yo-wah Elohim, it means Divine Feminine. When
you vibrate the mantra you want to feel it in your throat as much as you possibly can. Yeh-yo-
wah Elohim.
Now focus on that gray sphere of energy at your throat and as you inhale see that shaft of light
that straw continue from down in your throat to the center of your chest. And there right in the
center of your chest it forms a gold sphere of energy. The same size and shape as the other
two. It looks like the sun at noon, sitting right where your heart is, it’s heart warming. And we
are going to do the same thing. We are going to inhale and see it glow even brighter. Make it
glow as bright as you can possibly make it glow with every inhalation. Inhale, hold, exhale, the
air goes out but the energy stays in. Now the mantra associated with this sphere is longest
one, Yeh-yo-wah Eloah va-Daath, roughly it translates to Lord God of Wisdom. It represents
the aspect of ourselves that transforms knowledge into wisdom. Knowledge is something we
take in, in a million different ways every single day. We take it in through books, and
conversations and experiences, but it’s just surface level intellectual knowledge until through
the process of alchemy it becomes combined with divinity and then transmits into wisdom.
Wisdom is something you know on a soul level, so that is what this mantra is referring to.
It sounds like this Yeh-yo-wah Eloah va-Daath.
Now see the shaft of light continue down from that golden sphere in the center of your chest,
down through your abdomen, until it reaches the center of your pelvis, and right in the middle
of your pelvis, cradled by your hips it forms a sphere the same size and shape as the previous
ones, only this one is purple in color. And we going to inhale and see it glow brighter purple,
make it glow as bright as we possibly can. Inhale, hold it, exhale, the air goes out but the
energy stays in. Let your attention rest in your pelvic area, become aware of what that part of
your body feels like, doesn’t try to change it, just feel it. Feel how your clothes touch that part
of your body. The mantra associated with this sphere Shaddai El Kai, what this sphere of
energy represents, what it proceeds over is the unconscious, the subconscious, the land of
dreams and imaginations and symbols, the deeper parts of ourselves that are always at work.
It sounds like Shaddai El Kai. And just try to feel the vibration in your pelvis, not just in your
throat, not just in your chest.
Now focus on the purple sphere of energy at the center of your -Elvis and see the shaft of light
continue down through your legs into your feet. There circling your feet forms another sphere
of energy, this one as paradoxical as it sounds, it’s a brilliant black light. Completely occulting
your feet. Inhale and hold it, exhale the air goes out but the energy stays in. And see the sphere
of light glow even brighter black, see it’s iridescence, like the color of a raven’s feather. And
breath in life force into it, and make it glow even brighter and more vivid. This sphere of energy
represents the hardcore physical world, it’s our physical bodies, the mantra associated with
this is Adonai ha-Aretz, it literally translates to Lord of the Earth. That’s you, that’s us, it
represents the fact that we were meant to be co-creators of reality, not merely to sit and
passively accept whatever comes our way. When you hear the Lord’s Prayer in the Bible, when
it says ‘Thy kingdom come, thy will done on earth as it is in heaven’, that is this sphere of
energy, it’s our job with every passing day to make this sphere, this level of reality a little more
like heaven. We are the lords of the earth. This vibration sounds like Adonai ha-Aretz. Try to
feel the vibration in your feet. And now see that black sphere and the shaft of light, amd see
the shaft of light continue all the way down into the center of the Earth, and at the center of the
Earth see another giant sphere of energy, brilliant and green. The shaft of light descending from
your feet connects to it. This giant green sphere of energy is the chi of Earth itself, it what we
refer to as Mother Nature. So now you are connect through the straw of light that passes
through the center of your body with the chi of heaven above you and the chi of earth below
you. Just reflect on that for a second and this time when you inhale see that shaft of light that
descends through the center of your body glow even more vivid, and more bright, make it as
bright as you can possibly glow. Inhale and see that shaft of light glowing, hold it, exhale the air
goes out but the energy stays in.
And now open your eyes and look around you. Lightly stomp your feet, clap your hands, this
helps us ground us back into our physical body.
The Qabalistic Cross
Stand facing East, imagine a brillant white light touching the top of your head. Reach up with your index and middle finger to connect with the light and bring it down to your body.
Forehead Chant: Atah (Thou Art)
Heart Chant: Malkuth (the Kingdom)
Right Shoulder Chant: Ve-Geburah (the Power)
Left Shoulder Chant: Ve-Gedulah (the Glory)
Imagine a complete cross of light running from head to feet and shoulder to shoulder, bring hands outward, up and together, chanting Le-Olahm, Amen (Forever, unto the Ages)
THE LESSER BANISHING RITUAL OF THE PENTAGRAM (Outer energies)
(Using the Outer Wand of Double Power- this cleanse and makes a space sacred)
Still facing East, use the wand to trace a large Lesser Banishing Pentagram in front of you,
thrust the wand into its center (do not let it drop) and vibrate Yeh-yo-Wah, visualize the
pentagram in flaming blue light. Facing West, vibrate Adonai. Facing South, Eheieh.
Facing North, Agla.
Keep arm extended, turn to face East, extend both arms out in form of T cross, and say:
Before me Rah-Fay-yel, the archangel of Air rises out of the clouds, a yellow triangle with
a violet glow points upwards to the stars, imprinted with the caduceus wand.
Behind me Gah-bree-el, the goddess of the Seas steps out of the waves, a blue triangle
with an orange aura points down towards the valleys, the image of a hand carrying
chalice impressed on her bosom.
On my Right Mee-kah-yel, the archangel of Fire alights out of the flames, a red triangle
stands erect surrounded by incandescent green luster, carrying a sword on his shoulder.
On my Left Ur-ee-el, the goddess of Earth ascends from the vegetation, a green triangle
pointed downwards towards the core of life, she radiates iridescent hues, and carries the symbol of ripen wheat.
Then say, For about me flames the pentagram, and in the column shines the Six-rayed
Star.