This text is an excerpt from the forthcoming book “High Magic in the Western Mystery Tradition” by Salomo Baal-Shem. Salomo Baal-Shem asserts his moral right to be indentified as the only author of this work. Including the right of reproduction in whole or part in any form. The text of this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form of by any means, electronic or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out or circulated without the consent of the Author/Publisher in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition being imposed on any subsequent purchaser.
The following meditation, and the further meditation practices which build upon it contain enormous potential for students of the Mysteries, enough in themselves for several years of serious work. Some will recognise this potential, whilst others will unfortunately say that it is only fantasy. But Agrippa and Paracelsus had already known "All magic depends on the imagination".
In this meditation you will investigate your soul through the archetypal symbol of the Inner Temple. With every meditation this Inner Temple will become more substantial and, with time, will develop into a powerful thought-form. Furthermore, you will meet, first, your Lower Guardian Spirit, and, secondly, your Higher Guardian Spirit i.e. Holy Guardian Angel.
Your Lower Guardian Spirit represents your Lower Self or a certain aspect of your Lower Self (shamans also call it a guardian animal, a power animal, or a totem. Shamans often report that their own power animal has a rather earthy sense of humour!) This Guardian either takes on the form of a real or mythical animal, sometimes appearing as a composite of various other creatures. Everyone was given such a Guardian at birth.
Your Holy Guardian Angel is the embodiment of your Higher Self. It is the link between your soul and the Divine Source out of which the Divine Spark of your soul emerged long before this incarnation. Some people also call it the Inner Teacher or Spiritual Guide. It appears in a human (or human-like) form, either as an angel or as an old, wise man or woman. It occasionally also appears as a being of light or an awe-inspiring figure consisting of fire. If it appears in the form of an angel it often has wings, sometimes more than one pair - in ancient texts we read of angels with four, sometimes even six pairs of wings. ... Its task is to help you find the right way in your life, and its advice will always further you spiritually. It will, however, not tolerate you asking questions of him which you can find out for yourself. It will also not tell you anything which you are not ready for. It will always spur your further development on down the path of light, and, should you turn to dark powers and false paths, it will withdraw from you, leaving you alone, waiting until you again turn to the light. If your motives are impure it will not appear, but, if your intentions are pure it will never leave your side.
Make sure that you are able to remain undisturbed for a while. Switch off the telephone or take it off the hook. Sit comfortably on a chair, making sure that your back is straight.... close your eyes. ... and briefly tense all the muscles in your body, then relax. ... take a deep breath in... hold it in for a moment... and breathe out. Now breathe calmly and regularly. Note for a moment any sounds you may hear around you. ... identify them. ... and then let all those sounds simply flow through you. Do not attempt to block them out, but just let them go in one ear and out the other. Now devote your entire attention to the meditation, nothing else is important.
An image of a large double door forms in front of your eyes. ... The image becomes clearer. ... You see before you a double door, such as one from the middle ages, with iron decoration. ... Now you see it clearly in front of you. The stone archway is hewn from ancient granite. The iron hinges are slightly rusted, and a fine layer of dust lies on the threshold.
Your physical body is pleasantly relaxed and in deep meditation. ... the meditation becomes deeper and deeper with every passing moment... You no longer feel your physical body... Image your non-physical body getting up whilst your physical body remains seated, unmoving. ... Take a step forwards and observe this non-physical body. It is your astral body which will be needed for all such journeys. Go towards the door. ... Knock three times on it. The knocking results in a dull thud. Then the doors begin to open. The rusty hinges creak as the mighty doors open, slowly, as if by an invisible hand.
Ahead of you is a long, straight path. Nobody is on it. You feel a fresh breeze. Going through the door you feel you are entering another world. ... Your visualisation becomes ever clearer... At the end of the path you see a building in the distance which is so far away that you can only just make it out. You decide to take the path to it.
The building is a temple. This Temple symbolises you and your soul. Man, so the Mysteries tell us, is a Temple of God, and therfore you are a Temple of Light.
Whilst on the way to the Temple, take a look at the landscape around you. What does it look like? Do you see anything in particular? Do you see someone else or another building in the distance? Note how the shapes and colours of this astral landscape become clearer and clearer the longer you are here.... Now and again you will come to crossroads, other paths meeting this one, leading to different places. This is the astral plane and there are many different places and beings here. Not all of these being will be well-disposed towards you. The most are, however, harmless. Nevertheless, it is best not to speak to anyone, and do not turn off the path (this advice is often found in myths and fairy tales, but is not so much to do with possible dangers - which are unlikely - but rather the avoidance of unnecessary diversions and distractions.) Simply keep going forward. The path is safe and nothing untoward can happen to you. Later, when you have learnt your way around, you can explore this world in a bit more detail.
As you get closer to the Temple you see that it is surrounded by a protective wall. The wall represents your aura, protecting you from unpleasant influences.
In front of the entrance in the wall you will meet a being - your Lower Guardian Spirit. It either has the form of an animal or of a mythological creature.
As you come closer still you see the entrance to the Temple. This is a double door with iron decoration, not dissimilar to the one you used to enter this world. This door is, however, not so old and rusty as the first. There is also a significant difference: Your initials are engraved upon a coat of arms above the archway.
In the distance you see a being standing before the door. ... Your Lower Guardian Spirit is waiting for you in front of the gate to your Inner Temple. It takes the form corresponding to Its nature. ... The image is initially not so clear. ... But as you get closer, it becomes more distinct. ... Wait until you see the image clearly. ... Greet it. ...
It answers: "I am your Guardian Spirit. ...And I will always be there for you. ... You can call me at any time when you need help or when you are lost, or simply when you want my companionship. I will immediately come to your aid. You can also summon me in your everyday life should you need protection, help or courage. I will help you and give you strength. All you must do is visualise me clearly."
If you only have limited practice in the art of meditation it may be not so easy to see the image of your Lower Guardian Spirit so clearly. If this is the case, it is enough to simply feel an initial sense of its presence. The image will become clearer in future meditations.
Ask your Lower Guardian Spirit whether you may enter. ... It explains to you: "You only have to lay your hand on the door for it to open. Only you can open the door. The doors will only move to your touch."
You follow its instructions... and as soon as you touch them the mighty doors swing open almost silently. You see a wonderful garden. Your Lower Guardian Spirit accompanies you on entering and the doors close behind you. You feel very contented in this garden, feeling "at home" here. This is a place of safety and revitalisation. ... Feel the wonderful atmosphere of this place.
You look around the garden and, on closer inspection, you see that perhaps your garden is, in some places, untended. Here and there there may be weeds. In other places there are perhaps empty flower beds where nothing grows. But colourful flowers and tended shrubs can make this into a place of immense pleasure. The Inner Garden represents your emotions. On later visits you may tend and explore this garden further.
At the centre of the garden is a
well and you see a path which leads through the garden past the well to the Temple. The well is old and covered with moss. It contains crystal clear, fresh water. On the edge of the well is a silver cup. This is a magical well and contains hidden secrets, secrets which will be revealed to you later.
Go now further towards the Temple. There are seven steps up to the entrance. The entrance is a gold-plated, glittering double bronze door. In front of the entrance are two huge pillars representing the powers of polarity - the active and the passive within you. Look carefully at the Temple. What does it look like? What is the style of the Temple? It may contain elements from one or more traditions, or it may be of a universal nature.
You climb the seven steps up to the entrance whilst your Guardian Animal, which has accompanied you up to this point, waits at the front of the entrance. Look carefully at the gold-coloured bronze doors, shining like pure gold. Which motifs or scenes do you see on it? Are they religious? Or perhaps simply ornamental? The bronze doors open to your touch.
Upon doing this you enter a long hall. The walls of the hall are covered with bookshelves. There are also old scrolls. On the left side are all those books which are freely available, and on the top row are a few books upon which years are written. These begin with the year of your birth and go to the present year. These books contain all the thoughts and experiences of your life up to this point. There are also few specific books on subjects which are, or were, close to your heart.
In addition, there are also books which are of general interest to you. These include books on Qabbalah, tarot, astrology as well as books on gardening - which will help you to keep your garden well-tended - and many other subjects.
If you want to, the next time you come here you can look at all of these books in more detail. ... The library may perhaps be disordered at some points, indicting confusion in your thinking. Clearing the library will help you get your thoughts in order. Pay attention to book titles which are not in their proper place. A look in these books may be helpful.
Those books on the right may only be read when you have received permission to do so. Attempting to read them without this permission will, only result in finding empty pages. These are books containing information about the Mysteries which you are not ready to read at this point. They also contain information concerning the development of mankind or the past and which must be guarded well. This part of the library directly links you with mankind's knowledge.
At the wall opposite the entrance there is a podium upon which is a particularly large, ancient book. This book has a golden lock, the key to which you will be given at a later point when you are ready for it. This book contains the records of your previous incarnations.
This entrance hall and the library represent your consciousness mind. At the end of the entrance hall you see a curtain on the left side of the back wall. This curtain covers the entrance to the Inner Sanctuary. Look at its colour and form. The curtain has various motifs and ornaments upon it.
A large, ancient chest with iron decoration stands in the corner of the library. All sorts of useful objects are found therein.
A white robe and a simple white cord are hanging on the wall next to the entrance through which you came. Underneath you see a pair of sandals in your size. Next to these you also see a silver bowl with water from the well, as well as a cloth and a linen towel. Take off your old clothes, ... purify yourself with the water, ... feel how the dirt of everyday life is washed from you and how clean and pure you become... dry yourself, ... and then put on the robe and sandals, and tie the cord around you. ... Now you are ready to enter the Inner Sanctuary. The Inner Sanctuary represents your spiritual soul.
On pushing aside the curtain you come into a square hall, in the middle of which there is a quadratic altar which gives off a magical aura. A blue glass bowl containing a light stands upon the altar. The light represents the Divine Source from which we all originate. It is an ever-burning lamp. Acknowledge the light by placing the left hand on your heart and raising your right hand in greeting and bowing. ... there is a chair before the altar on which you may meditate or pray. In each of the four quarters you see large curtains on the wall. In front of you in the east there is a golden curtain, on your right in the south a scarlet curtain, behind you in the west a deep blue curtain and in the north an emerald green curtain. These four curtains conceal the entrances to the elemental realms.
Stand, or kneel, in front of the altar and, using your own words from your innermost depths, ask for spiritual guidance from your Holy Guardian Angel. ... Presently a hatch opens up in the ceiling and a form descends, a being which has a unique presence. ... This is your Holy Guardian Angel.
Your Guardian Angel speaks to you: "I greet thee" ... You, too, greet him. ...
He says: "I will lead thy soul on the right path with my advice, throughout the course of thy life, and especially in thy magical and mystical development. ... The hatch and the golden ladder are an entrance into the spiritual world, and when the time is right I will take thee up into this world. ... Perhaps later thou shalt meet other inner teachers there, too."
You feel the immense wisdom and love radiating from your Holy Guardian Angel. ... You can call upon your Guardian Angel in this Temple at any time and ask for advice. ... Your Holy Guardian Angel is also the one to ask for permission for access to the parts of the library which are currently not accessible to you. Perhaps he will also reveal other secrets of the Temple, if you are ready for them. ... If you want, you can now ask for his advice in personal matters, or simply listen to whether he has something to say to you.
...
When the time is over thank your Guardian Angel and say goodbye to him. ... He lays his hand upon your forehead and says: "Be blessed... May the light in thy heart illuminate thy soul both for thy own sake and for the sake of thy fellow men." ... Acknowledge the light and thank it in the same way as you did upon entering. ... Now leave the Inner Sanctum. ... Take your robe off, ... Put on your old clothes again and leave the Temple.
You walk down the seven steps and, on entering the garden again, you see your Lower Guardian Spirit waiting for you... Crossing the garden you come to the magic well. ... Pause for a moment. ... Take the silver cup and use it to take some water out of the well. ... It has the power to heal and will re-vitalise you. Drink. ... Feel how the pleasantly cool water tastes on your tongue and refreshes your throat.
Go back to the doors through which you came. ... Say goodbye to your Lower Guardian Spirit and leave the garden. ... The doors close automatically behind you. ... Return to the path which brought you here.
... You soon reach the large double door, ... and through this door you leave the astral level. You hear the creak of the iron hinges, the mighty doors shut behind you, closed firmly. ... You see before you your physical body quietly sitting. ... go up to it... Allow your astral body once again to join with your physical body. You hear the sound of the two bodies coming together again, and they are one.
Do not forget that you can return to your Inner Temple at any time. Remember that the Inner Temple is no illusion. It has its own real existence on the astral level, consisting of astral material. You can re-vitalise yourself or relax in your Inner Temple. But do not use this exercise as escapism from everyday life.
If you are serious about undertaking magical training, it is, however, important to visit your Inner Temple at least once a week. Two or three times a week would be better, but ideally this exercise should be done every day.
The construction of the Temple corresponds to the human soul thus:
You become conscious once again of the noises in your surroundings. ... You feel the chair you are sitting on. ... Take a deep breath... ... hold it for a moment... and breathe out... and then slowly open your eyes.
If you have done this meditation for the first time keep your eyes open for signs of your Lower Guardian Spirit in the physical world, either as a real creature of its own kind, or as a picture, postcard, a figure in a documentary film on animals, or in any other form. When this happens make a note of it (respect any animal of this kind and take care not to harm it).
As soon as you have got to know your Lower Guardian Spirit (your Guardian Animal), it is advisable to regularly perform the Guardian Spirit Ritual, a description of which is to be found here.
Now you may drink something to ground yourself, and make some notes about the results of this meditation (It would be a very good idea to make a meditative diary for this exercise). The meditation is now finished.
Inner Sanctum (spiritual soul - Neshamah)
Entrance hall and library (mental soul - Ruach)
Garden (emotional soul - Nefesh)
Wall (aura)
This meditation is part of the Correspondence Course of the Brotherhood of the Eternal Light.
We are an internationally recognized mystery school and magical lodge and offer serious magical training based on the principles of the mystical Qabbalah (Kabbalah, Kabbala, Kabala), Hermetic magic and the Western Mysteries. Magical training in an authentic mystery school (or magic school, and/or magical order) of the Western Mystery Tradition is the spiritual and mystical preparation for initiation of the student of the mysteries. Like every true magical lodge or magic school and every true Hermetic order we take training in magic very seriously. We stand in the spriritual tradition of the Rosicrucians and do not only teach the ancient ritual magic (or ceremonial magic), the Egyptian magic, the Celtic magic and the Greek Mysteries, but also the classical pillars of the Hermetik Tradition such as astrology and Tarot.
The following meditation, and the further meditation practices which build upon it contain enormous potential for students of the Mysteries, enough in themselves for several years of serious work. Some will recognise this potential, whilst others will unfortunately say that it is only fantasy. But Agrippa and Paracelsus had already known "All magic depends on the imagination".