Modern ceremonial magic is derivative of a number of esoteric systems from sev
eral cultures, most of which claim to be Hermetic or Egyptian in origin. They uni
versally rely upon the device of Association to convey spiritual concepts and depend exclusively on the premise of Hermetic philosophy that material and immaterial forces are mirrored
in
each other. However, both of these approaches can be fraught with misconceptions. The doctrine of Association is often misapplied, due to a philosophical lack of understanding the fundamental universal causes. As a result, erroneous effects are attributed to planets in astrology or imprecise remedies are advocated in natural healing. Similarly; the noble Hermetic premise of '1\s above, so below" is sometimes grasped as a fated condition of life, diverting the student from the self-determination espoused by the ancient philoso
phers to understand more deeply and work in harmony with creation.
The Greek conception of cosmic order was based on five primeval elements in the universe: Fire, Earth, Air, Water, and the Quintessence (literally; the "fifth prop
erty or element"). These are touched upon in the Corpus Hermeticum, although only the four physical elements are specifically articulated:
. . . if all the four elements are combined together in fit proportions, then the creature is so made as to be ardent in action, light of move
ment, and solid in structure. For the earthly element is that which makes the body solid, the watery element is that which makes it dif
fuse itself so as to unite with things, the airy element is that in us which causes movement, and all these are roused to action by the fire in us.
Excerpt XXVI: 18
The planetary scheme of the Hermetic system, with its emphasis on ascend
ing, transformative processes, is often confused with the material emphasis of the elemental order, which itself represents the powers that descended into the physical world. The latter gives rise to a set of correspondences regarded as the Ceremonial Scale, an intrinsic tool in the practice of ceremonial magic. Here, the components of the universe are expressed in their Hellenistic forms as Fire, Earth, Air, and Water. Though this particular model is a remnant of Graeco
Roman magical thinking, the Egyptians did use a similar quaternary in their cer
emonial protocol, particularly in temple and funerary rites. However, the four principles were usually personified as two pairs of Neteru, polarized forces in physical balance around a concrete structure, such as the corners of the temple, tomb, or sarcophagus.
The fifth element-the Quintessence of Aristotle and the medieval alchemists who followed his teachings-was known as aether to the Greeks and akasha in Hindu cosmology. In Egyptian metaphysics, the fifth principle entering the qua
ternary is usually a figure from which the four are originated, and which presides over their activity. For instance, Ra (the celestial Sun) presides over the cosmic activity of Shu, Tefuut, Nut and Geb; Heru (the earthly Sun) elevates the powers of the four organs of the human body through the actions of his four "sons":
Imset, Daumutef, Qebsenuf, and Haapi.
The use of a four-pointed graphic figure in meditation practice, the mandala, has long been a Far Eastern device to effect the focusing of psychic energy.
Modern psychology acknowledges the importance of the quaternary figure as a stabilizing figure for the psyche. And in the ceremonial magic practiced today, the quaternary forms the basic structure of ritual activity. The consecration of the four quarters of a ritual space, the invocation of the four elemental forces,
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and the fourfold process of invocation, manifestation, communion, and dispersal are part of a typical spiritual practice. Cosmology and symbolism are often hybrid fabrications of esoteric traditions, but the use of quaternary symbolism, stemming from antiquity, often provides viable results.
The view that all physical manifestation is patterned after the quarternary and its source is demonstrated in the Ceremonial Table of Elements (pages
47-49),
acollection of correspondences embodying the Hermetic-Platonic concept of the five physical realms. In this instance, the scale represents powers which affect human beings primarily through the five elemental forces .
Modern esotericism is in many ways removed from the natural simplicity of the Sacred Science, emphasizing, for instance, the complex associations of the seven planes and the five elements far more than the blueprint from which they originate. Today, it is common to fmd a veil of Egyptian symbolism covering a body of knowledge derived from such diverse notions of Hermetic scholarship as taught through the ages, much of which is valid in context with its original, non-Egyptian sources. And though the full disclosure of Egyptian esotericism is still lacking, a voluminous amount of original material exists to study. In later chapters we will examine much of this material-derived from both temple and tomb-to glean the details of the Sacred Science.
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