The concept of illusion is perhaps the most fundamental idea in Eastern Gnosticism. The entire philosophical and theological foundation of Eastern perception is to differentiate the real from the unreal, truth from falsehood, reality from illusion, the “rope from the snake.” The modern age moves in a decidedly different direction, secular and religious alike. The…
The Alchemy of Blood and Bones – Integral pathways through the journey of transformation
“The chances of finding a human existence are one in a hundred. Now that you have found one, if you fail to practice the sublime Dharma, how could you possibly expect to find such an opportunity again? This is why it’s crucial that you take advantage of your situation. Conceiving of your body as a servant or…
The Hand as Instrumentum Magicum – Five spaces of sacramental embodiment | Excerpt from Entering the Desert: Pilgrimage to the Hinterlands of the Soul
“Lead me from unreal to the Real, Lead me from darkness to light, Lead me from death to immortality.” – Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Upon entering the inner desert of the soul and navigating the outer desert of the world, the concepts of “mind” and “body” dramatically expand and are symbolized by the magical instrument of…
Approaching the Gateway of Saturn: Creating a conduit of communion with the Dead| Tantric Physics
“More heavenly than those glittering stars we hold the eternal eyes which the Night hath opened within us. “ – Novalis One of the most important concepts underlying the Voudon Gnostic current is the idea of Kaivalya or “aloneness.” This concept stands in distinct contrast to the ideas of Samadhi, Moksha and Nirvana. The Yatinda-Mata-Dipika, a…
Trance Ritual for Travel in the Ghost Worlds of Universe B – Merciless Pathways | Psalms of the Desert
“The offering of the Mass becomes the magickal method whereby cosmic logic enters human experience, since it is something which is happening both on earth and in the heavenly worlds. The action of the God of Sacrificial Fire, Agni, makes this possible.” –Michael Bertiaux, Voudon Gnostic Workbook (Magickal Childe, 1988) The purpose of this ritual…
Let None Put Faith in the First Sown Fruit
“Let none put faith in the first sown fruit not yet his son too soon; whim rules the child, and weather the field, each is open to chance.” Havamal In the modern world we see the majority seek instant gratification, instant satisfaction, and instant success. We see individuals crying over being judged or being made…
Transmission: Even Hell Itself is a Dwelling Place
“Even Hell itself is a dwelling place.” ( Jigoku mo sumika) Japanese culture is rife with allusions to ghostly worlds and intimations of the Land of the Dead bleeding into the mundane world of “reality.” The tradition of Buddhism also seeps into almost every aspect of Japanese life, exoteric and esoteric. One of most interesting…
The Reward of Refusal – Ayurvedic Insights into Discrimination on the Path
The ancient Indian system of medicine Ayurveda has much to offer the modern world. Ayurvedic texts such as the Ashtanga Hridaya and the Charaka Samhita are filled with extensive commentary on human suffering, pathology and disease and are a veritable treasure house of healing wisdom which can assist in the transformation of outdated western allopathic…
Dhumavati, The Widow – Merciless Pathways | Names of the Dark Goddess
She is perhaps the least examined and most feared of all the Tantric Goddesses, She who has a taste for Blood, chews the corpses of Demons, is ugly, filthy and carries the horn of Yama, the God of Death, Dhumavati. Her worship if often forbidden and She is said to inhabit desolate deserted spaces. Unlike…
Chinnamasta, The Keys of This Blood – Merciless Pathways | Names of the Dark Goddess
Of all the Dark Wisdom Goddesses, perhaps none are more complex, disconcerting or gruesome as Chinnamasta. Self- decapitated , feeding Herself and Her devotees with her own blood, and dancing on a copulating couple, Her name literally means “a severed head.” Each of these images carries a Gnostic message and functions as a doorway into…
