Announcements from
Lodge Members and Officers

Is there more hope in the dignity and wisdom of Jupiter? No; for the noble senior lacks the vigour of Mars the warrior. Counsel is in vain without the determination to carry it out. The Rite of Jupiter on Thursday evening 3rd June will be held in a venue not finally determined at press time; contact April for details.

Mars, invoked, is indeed capable of victory; but he has already lost the controlled wisdom of age; in a moment of conquest he wastes the fruits of it, in the arms of luxury. The Rite of Mars on Tuesday evening 8th June will probably be held at Grace's Temple of Astrology in Berkeley, but please contact Andy for confirmation.

It is through this weakness that the perfected man, the Sun, is of dual nature, and his evil twin slays him in his glory. So the triumphant Lord of Heaven, the beloved of Apollo and the Muses is brought down into the dust, and who shall mourn him but his Mother Nature, Venus the lady of love and sorrow? Well is it if she bears within her the Secret of Resurrection! The Rite of Sol will be held on Sunday afternoon 13th June; contact Leigh Ann for location.

But even Venus owes all her charms to the swift messenger of the gods, Mercury, the joyous and ambiguous boy whose tricks first scandalize and then delight Olympus. For information regarding the Rite of Venus on Friday evening 18th June contact Cynthia.

But Mercury, too, is found wanting. Now on him alone is the secret cure for all the woe of the human race. Swift as ever, he passes, and gives place to the youngest of the gods, to the Virginal Moon. The Rite of Mercury will be on Wednesday evening 23rd June; contact Charles.

Behold her, Madonna-like, throned and crowned, veiled, silent, awaiting the promise of the Future. She is Isis and Mary, Ishtar and Bhavani, Artemis and Diana. For the Rite of Luna on Monday evening 28th June a location will be announced during the foregoing rites.

But Artemis is still barren of hope until the spirit of the Infinite All, great Pan, tears asunder the veil and displays the hope of humanity, the Crowned Child of the Future. The Rite of Earth will be held at Oz House on Saturday afternoon 3rd July.

    On the 21st we went on to Yuno, another short and agreeable march, but on the 22nd we had a most unpleasant day; miles of river bed full of rounded stones had to be crossed, and we forded altogether six rivers. This brought us to the place where the valley divided, and we followed the true left hand branch, which was called the Bralduh Valley. The dividing mountain was buttressed by a great cliff, under which the river ran deeply and swiftly, so that we were compelled to climb a pari about 1,200 feet high. The horses had gone back from some little distance below, the fact was they could not go any farther. I was by this time in fairly decent condition; but it was a long march in the blazing sun over the waterless and interminable slopes. We reached Dasso at about half-past one.
    On the 23rd we went on to Ghomboro. I had been getting a little tired of the fact that Pfannl was always ready to greet me on my arrival and to inform me with a superior smile how many hours he had been at the stage, so this morning I stuck to his heels, and found that he made his records by going top speed all the way. This was a pretty long march, and there was a long pari about 1,500 feet high cutting off the corner which overhangs the Bralduh. This village is on the Hoh Lumba, and not as marked on the map. Eckenstein turned up rather late with a strained knee, which made him somewhat doubtful about being able to march on the next day. However, he was all right the next morning, the 24th, at least so far recovered that the Doctor gave him permission to march, provided he went slowly and took care of himself. I will here re-copy the account of the day's events as I wrote it at the time:
    Saturday May 24th. Left Ghomoboro at 4.40 a.m. with Pfannl and Wesseley. Reached first mud nala at 6.0. Near wall fifty feet high or more and very steep, but dry. Far wall fifteen feet high and nearly vertical, consisting of black mud in which stones (some fairly big) were lodged. I detached Pfannl and Wesseley to let the coolies down the steepest part by a rope. I myself cut a path with a big axe. 300 to 400 cubic feet of mud and stones were dislodged in this process. The coolies could have passed by going fifty yards down the nala, but would certainly have been killed had an avalanche fallen. As it was there were three or four yards in the bed of the nala which were unavoidable; but a coolie would have had plenty of time to escape, as Pfannl could see from above if any was imminent. As it happened none did fall. The mud-line was fifteen feet high. Bulk of coolies safely over at 6.40. I then heard there was another bad place, and started rapidly with Dr Jacot- Guillarmod to help if necessary. We took, perhaps, half an hour to reach this. It was a wide, soft, deep bed of mud, stationary or nearly so. Men were hard at work throwing in stones for a causeway. This I heard later they had been doing for ten days. A way of just sufficient stability was thus made, and all was easy. From here we reached Pakora in an hour or less.
    On the 25th we went on to Askoli. Rather less than an hour beyond Pakora are the hot springs of sulphur. There are several basins and pools, but only one of any importance or beauty. This is a circular pool of about forty feet diameter and just deep enough in the middle to swim. The water is exquisitely clear, and a light steam rises from it. The temperature of the spring is about 35 degs. Centigrade. The basin is formed by very beautiful coraline deposits of calcium carbonate, branching or flowerlike with, perhaps, some sulphide, as the water gives off sulphuretted hydrogen in abundance, and in so pure a state that the unpleasant smell which one associates with the carelessly prepared laboratory gas is not present. Knowles, the doctor, and myself spent about two hours bathing. It was the first decent bath we had had for over four weeks. We reached Askoli a little before noon. By the doctor's orders the party was now to wait for ten days to rest; also there was a great deal of bandobast to make. The Austrians entirely disregarded the doctor's orders and went out every day for long walks during the ten days at Askoli. There was a good deal of illness, which the doctor called influenza, among the servants. I was also not very well; but my time was entirely occupied in constant consultations with Eckenstein. This was the last village. We did not know how many marches there were to our final camp; and we had to make food provisions for all the coolies.
    On the 29th we sent off the first shift of about fifty coolies to Bardonal, a three-days' march, at which place the natives told us was the last "maidan" and firewood. On the 31st Abdulla Khan came to us and said there was about ten pounds of sugar left. We had managed to eat ten pounds a day since leaving Skardu! This was a little too thick. We had up the three men who were in charge of the cooking department, and tried to frighten them; as it proved, in vain.
    On June 2nd we reached the kiltas. leaving everything we could possibly do without in charge of the Lambadar at Askoli. On the 3rd I spent most of the evening with Eckenstein weighing out the flour supply and painting the sacks.
    The great difficulty in undertaking a journey through uninhabited country is that a coolie, though carrying flour only, will eat his own load in about twenty days, consequently the limit to which you can take the men is only ten days out and back. Our Baltis, luckily, could do a great deal more than this. As it turned out, our final camp was fourteen marches from Askoli, and of course this left a very small margin for carrying our own baggage. We had about one hundred loads in all; but this required the constant employment of nearly 300 coolies. Practically every man in the village (and, indeed, in the valley) able to carry a load was in our service. During our absence from Askoli we consumed more than five tons of flour.
    By the 4th everything was finished, and we were lucky enough to spot a row between our three heroes of the sugar supply and the natives. They had been cheating the unfortunate inhabitants in the way that Eastern servants always do unless most carefully looked after, and with an enormous bandobast like ours it is almost impossible to keep constantly on the watch.
    On the 5th we marched. I was foolish enough to follow the coolies instead of looking out my own way for myself. The result was I wasted several hours wandering over the top of Biafo glacier, whereas the bulk of the party only crossed it twice, there being a way below. Just as I got over the glacier, with five coolies, two enormous stones came down from above about twenty yards in front of us. It was now after mid-day, and stones were falling everywhere from the nose of the glacier, and some care had to be exercised, but these two were absolutely gigantic. I went to the larger of the two on reaching the bottom; I found it higher than my own reach, though it had made a pretty big hole in the sand. I reached Korophon a little after four. Korophon consists of a little stunted grass grouped around a vast boulder. Its position is incorrectly marked on Conway's map. I might just as well state here that this map is so inaccurate as to be almost worthless. In some places it is very well done indeed, but that is of no great advantage, as once a map shows any gross inaccuracy one cannot tell till afterwards where it is right and where wrong; and, of course, the great use of a map is its function of prophecy.
    We were very anxious to persuade our men to ford the stream of the Punma and its junction with the main stream of the Baltoro. We promised them if they reached Bardomal the next day they should be paid as if they had taken two days, as on the ordinary marches, but this was a delusion on our part, due again to Conway's map. The rope bridge which he marks is not nearly so far, and on the return journey we made the march by his route quite easily in a day. However, we sent off a committee of natives to investigate the ford and report. They returned and agreed to try. As it turned out we crossed without any difficulty whatever. The distance from the river to Bardomal is a great deal farther than from Korophon to the river; though Bardomal is correctly placed, as far as it is opposite the junction of the two streams. On the 7th we went on to Paiyu, the scenery steadily increasing in grandeur, some of the mountains being magnificent beyond description. At one point we crossed an enormous fan of debris, and on reaching the highest point the Baltoro suddenly thrust itself before our eyes with its towering guard of sentinel peaks. One of great height we took to be the Mustagh Tower of "K2," which latter mountain I shall in future refer to by its proper native name, Chogo Ri, merely passing over with a single word of contempt the ridiculous pretensions of Godwin-Austin to call the second highest mountain in the world by his own cacophonous name. We reached Paiyu before noon. Abdulla Khan, on our counting the fowls, told us that two had died. I am afraid they had, but if they had died in any legitimate way he would, of course, have shown us the bodies. It was quite out of the question, therefore, that we should allow these servants to remain in charge of our base camp as we had intended. We held a summary court martial in the presence of the Chaprasi of the Tehsildar of Skardu, who had come with us, and of the Wazir of Alchori, who had also attached himself to so renowned a convoy as we of course appeared to native eyes; it being the first time in history that six white men had been at one time at Skardu; so Abdulla and his two partners in crime were packed off and sent back. By the coolies who accompanied them we sent warning to all whom it might concern that these men were scoundrels, and that they were to be on their guard against them. As they were packing up for their departure Abdulla Baig, the second of the ruffians, complained that Hassan, a clever and useful little Balti boy whom we had picked up in the Leh Road, and attached to out corps of Naukars, owed him a rupee for a coat. This was Abdulla Baig's old coat, green with brass buttons, and very much worn; which he had discarded when we had provided him with a fine new coat against the cold. The Balti boy said he had paid the rupee; which I have no doubt was true, though probably not by his own will, as the coat was barely worth an anna. Abdulla Khan would, of course, have deducted the cash from his "talab." The whole of the "Arabian Nights" flashed through my mind in a single second, and I saw my way to an act of poetic and Oriental justice. I simply made the two change coats; the old coat was Abdulla Baig's, as Hassan had not paid for it; but the new coat was mine, and I had a perfect right to give it to Hassan. This arrangement greatly pleased the multitude.
   

    Colors of the Sephirot and matching planets can be used in larger ways, instead of being concentrated into small designs. Rooms in a house may be colored and decorated to emphasize particular Sephirot, becoming spaces to experience the subtle qualities corresponding. Consider a room matching the Sephirot Yesod. The colors are chosen to stress correspondence to that Sephira and the Moon, perhaps a purple carpet, blue walls and silver trim. Silver stars can be painted on the ceiling, crystals hung from those stars on slender threads and perhaps a mirror ball can be suspended in the center. Mirrors are helpful in such a room; and the lighting should be subdued, limited to a few shaded lamps or candles. A person in that place will tend to be more in the mental way of Yesod than in any other. Attempts to rigorously apply logic will be muted and the mind will drift a little. Such a place is not good for mathematics, but very good indeed for reading to acquire new ideas or inspiration. It's a suitable location for at TV set, a half unreal window on the world. Magick of the Moon performed in such a room would be more effective than in an average spot. Just entering a room decorated in such a way will induce a matching pattern of mind.
    A Tipheret room would be best in the center of a house, preferably with windows that can catch the morning light. Purple for Leo correspondence can work with the carpet, but the walls should be a bright yellow, with the woodwork trimmed in antique gold. Draperies may be yellow and sun-rise pink. There should be a central light fixture in the ceiling, bright enough to illuminate the room. This is a good place for study, perhaps for a computer. A dining table may be placed in the center of the room. Such a room produces a "shadow tree" within Tipheret. Actions in such a place tend to be balanced and comprehending of many aspects of living. In a room like this, there is less of a tendency to get lost in fantasy and more of an inclination to address those aspects of living that are whole, not fragmented or elusive.
    Decorating living space in ways like these can have a profound effect on the mind. It need not be confined just to rooms. A shady garden makes a good Netzach, while either a home office or a tool shed can be adjusted to the qualities of Hod. Malkut and the front porch are a good match. Binah suits a library or study. Either Geburah or Chesed will do well as a bedroom, surprisingly enough. The kitchen is naturally Keter. If your home is large enough for all of that, and you have a central hall apart from the entry-way, call it Da'at. Music rooms are rare these days, but Chokmah has a tendency to be elusive. The house itself can be attributed to the Sephira of Wisdom, if nothing else will suit.

    Consider, if a mosquito bites you, does the mosquito care how important you are?

    Crowley's rituals should be considered practice and examples - a starting place from which you go on to develop your own methods.

    We are born old. We grow young in mind as the body ages - unless we get confused with some silly bit.

    Some things that nourish the heart: Pleasant thoughts, small animals and living things turning with the seasons. - also the sense of doing something useful.

    It is helpful to learn from animals, although the learning may be below the level of reason. A bear may admire a sunset, but a horse can understand a joke. A horse sees a standing human face to face. That simply looks to a horse like the front end of another horse with a short nose, buggy eyes all in front, small teeth and silly ears. Since this is usually more funny to a horse than threatening, a horse with few worries likes humans.

    Some people see only dumb animals in the forest. Others see elemental spirits and hold conversation with them. Neither is wrong. There are different worlds, not only in the astral but in the material. The important things are: 1. to be able to see these worlds. 2. to be able to known which world one is in at any given time.
    Incarnation is strange, and we are all gods and angels out of the sky. Incarnation limits us. Our senses can only perceive so much, our brains only hold so much in consciousness. We use a pattern at any given time to put those things together as a "world". Different patterns make different worlds - such a world is the way you hold a point of view, not a total and all- encompassing thing.

    If everything were perfect, there would be no point in incarnation. It's for doing things, and there has to be something to do. If we waited until the right thing to do next was a certainty, we would never move.
    People often look for an easy way rather than do the work. Those are the souls who have chosen to hold back from incarnation, hoping that it will not hurt them if they do not touch the world. They are almost, but not quite here. It's the same thing as the first time one learns to swim. There is a small but significant difficulty of getting into the water. Many people don't want to take the last step for that reason, a fear of committing to change.
    The cast of the mind can form the body. The mundane mind is structured to conserve. It tries to hold the pattern of this life. That's good, in that it prevents chaos. That's bad, in that it doesn't want to change, even when change is necessary. Find new paths and connections between ideas and points of view. The mind is happy with that, since it is either something not already labeled or a new connection between trusted states of thought.

    Ritual is a tool, to help the mind focus and move more precisely. The mundane mind is very busy setting limits to what we do and seem to be. It is often necessary to go into a ritual or a different state of mind to get past that and make magical changes. In such an attempt, sometimes it works and sometimes the mundane mind stops it from working. This only means that different things need to be tried.
    It is important to make a clear statement before a ritual, about the purpose of doing the ritual. If that is well formulated, things are more likely to go easily. If it is too loosely formulated or only a light idea in the mind, things can get rough - like trying to move a heavy object without noticing that one's toe is in the way! Practice. The intent must be simple; no hidden questions, doubts or vagueness. To say it in words helps, since otherwise it may be too vaguely present in the mind.
    The intent of the "right question" is to formulate a simple pattern in the mind that can be held throughout the working. It's like holding a carving tool just so, to carve exactly what is wanted, no more and no less. Often, preparation ritual helps with this.
    Occasionally the answer to a ritual request is a small war, a time of forcing change by means that may be unpleasant. Will moves through the world as a knife through soft butter, but sometimes we retain the point of view of the butter! That's a way of saying that attachments to things that are not conformal to one's will can produce pain.

    There is no such thing as a balanced diet, only a correct meal, one meal at a time. In some parts of the day, week, month and year, different foods are needed. When you wake, you need to replace things used in the night. When you work, you need to replace things used in the working. When you approach sleep, you need to avoid those things that hinder sleep. Those are not the same things.

    Time only flows one way, from past through present to future, for the physical body. In terms of the spirit, that limitation is not true. Predicting the future by divination is one approach, but dreams tend to be more like memories rising from the past or from the future. "Remembering the future" is possible, because the effect is much the same in a dream coming from past or future.
    Beyond the material world, instead of time being a moving sequence, it's a sort of extension, like a four dimensional shape. To say that you will not be alive in the future at some point is no different from saying that you are in one place in space and not in another. You are eternal, but not everywhere in every way.

    Trust, aid and otherwise love others, but don't always expect them to help when you need help. They are fine in their own nature, as far as they take it; but like dealing with elemental spirits, there are things that don't work. It makes no more sense to expect a fire elemental to fetch you water than it does to expect a friend who fears new things to help you in an unfamiliar situation. The fire elemental may promise, but does not understand the promise, regarding water. It is the same for people who have not learned or tried to do particular things. They may think themselves able and honestly promise, but they really don't know the way. This does not mean that you can't depend on people, only that people are fallible and it's a good idea to be cautious.

    Each point is the center of the world. Move from one point to another and the world seems to change, violently or otherwise. It everts, taking the new point as its inmost center.

    There is mortal death, which gives a passage into another life. There is the death of the lower spirit, which gives awakening to eternity without taking the life of the body.

Events Calendar for June 1999 e.v.

    The viewpoints and opinions expressed herein are the responsibility of the contributing authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of OTO or its officers.

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