Pathworking is done by the means of visualisation, using the astral screen that appears when your eyes are closed, and while you are dreaming. In your dreams you travel strange worlds that are normally out of reach. These worlds consist not only of individual astral material, but links through their symbolism to collective layers of consciousness. A Path is such a world that can be accessed consciously and by will, because it is regularly travelled by other magicians.*
"A vision
evoked by the use of the Tree is, in fact, an artificially produced waking dream, deliberately motived
and consciously related to some chosen subject whereby not only
the subconscious content, but also the superconscious perceptions
are evoked and rendered intelligible to consciousness" (...)
"In a spontaneous dream the symbols are drawn at random
from experience; in the Qabalistic vision, however, the picture
is evoked from a limited set of symbols to which consciousness
is rigidly restricted by a highly trained habit of concentration.
It is this peculiar power to turn the mind loose within determined limits which constitutes
the technique of occult meditation" (Fortune;95).*
training
your astral consciousnessIn order to walk the Paths of the Tree, your power of concentration must be trained to hold a space in consciousness that includes a number of selected qabalistic symbols. For training, visualise in your mind a single digit number on a blackboard, then add more numbers until the visualization slips away. Compose your own exercise where you are gradually integrating more senses into the experience, e.g. smell, sound, touch, temperature, etc. Always perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram before such exercises as they too are magic rituals. Do not continue on to pathworking until your visualisations have reached a high level of stability involving a number of senses. Shamans are masters of astral visualisation, and a quite radical approach to "the art of dreaming" is found throughout the shamanistic works of Carlos Castaneda.*
ritual initiation - a group alternative
Another, more powerful way of becoming familiar with the Sephiroth and Paths is through ritual initiations. In such initiations which are usually carried out by orders of the Western Mystery Tradition, a physical Temple is built which is similar to the one visualised in the ritual below, and a number of people are participating who are already familiar with the Path in focus. Both the physical manifestation of the Temple with symbols and the group interaction are adding energy to the ritual:*
"A ritual initiation is the act of linking the microcosmic Sephirah the chakra, with the Macrocosmic Sephirah; it is the introduction of a newcomer to the Sphere by those who are already there. They construct a symbolic representation of the Sphere on the physical plane in the furniture of a temple; they construct an astral replica by concentrated imagination; and by means of invocation they call down into this temple not made with hands the forces of the Sphere of the Sephirah they are working upon (...) these forces stimulate the corresponsing chakras of the initiate and wake them up to activity in his aura" (Fortune;77).*
This website does not include further material on ritual initiations. A comprehensive sourcebook is Israel Regardie's "The Golden Dawn", the 800 page one-volume edition published by Llewellyn in 1998.*
a pathworking ritual
1 Choose a Sephirah or a Path to work with. As all Pathworkings should begin in Malkuth - at the level of your normal sensory consciousness, you can only add new Paths to you inner Tree which are continuations of the ones you have already travelled and become familiar with. Also, don't climb the Tree only though one of the Pillars - finish each level of the Tree before you climb the next. If this is you first pathworking, you should only visit Malkuth. The growth of any Tree begins from the roots.*
2 Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram to construct a safe magical space around you. Make sure to perform it with great care and intensity as you are at the beginning of a long journey.*
3 If you wish to enter a Path or a Sephirah you are unfamillar with, thoroughly study their symbolism (enter through the front page).*
Prepare yourself for building a Temple in consciousness for each Sephirah and a 'surrealistic' landscape for each Path - what would they look like? Look at the related Tarot cards: The small cards for each Sephiroth and Trumphs for the Paths. *
Do not continue until you have at least recorded in your mind the godname, archangel and angel choir of each chosen Sephirah, the hebrew letter, the astrological sign and the tarot trump of each Path. When finished, perform The Qabalistic Cross, then stand or sit down in a comfortable position.*
4 Formulate in the imagination a Temple of Malkuth. Visualise that your are walking towards the Temple which bears the name of the Sephiroth.*
Stop before the building and vibrate slowly the godname of Malkuth: "Adonai ha-Aretz" ('Lord of the Earth'). Feel the presence of this divine energy.*
Now take four steps, one at a time, up the stairs of the Temple. Stop and vibrate the name of the archangel of Malkuth "Sandalphon". Sense the enormous energy of the archangel vibrating through the entire Temple.*
Take the last four steps to the door of the Temple and notice what it looks like. Vibrate three times the name of the angel choir of Malkuth "Ashim" ('Souls of Fire'). See the now Temple being filled with fiery energy creatures.*
Enter the Temple and receive the blessings and healing of the powers in order to bring the Sephiroth's energy into your life. Participate in whatever may take place. (same procedure for any other Sephiroth, except that the names of the powers are different). *
5 If you have chosen to explore a Path leaving the Sephiroth, note a number of exit doors from the Temple with hebrew letters written on top of them (corresponding to the number of Paths connecting with the Sephirah). Look for the door with the hebrew letter for the Path you wish to explore. Notice what it looks like. If this is your first Pathworking, go for Tau connecting Malkuth and Yesod.*
Take a short glance at the tarot card corresponding with the Path, its in your pocket. Open the door and see a 'surrealistic' landscape consisting of visual elements from the card, as if it became three-dimensional. Enter a Path into the landscape through a giant version of the hebrew letter. It seems that the Path is heading towards a remote Temple only slightly visible (the opposite Sephiroth).*
Follow the Path through the landscape and notice anything particular, like in a dream. You probably meet some of the beings shown at the tarot card. If you intend to meet a guide for the trip, one will show up and lead you onwards towards the next Temple. Make sure that each being is not an astral deception: You may ask if the guide works in the name of "Eheieh", the godname of Kether, the supreme Sephiroth. Only interact with beings if their response to this is trustworthy.*
Towards the end of this Path, you will walk through a giant version of the corresponding astrological sign. This means that you are only a moment away from the Temple of the opposite Sephiroth.*
6 Visit the Temple of this other Sephirah by the same procedure as the previous one, except using the godname, archangel and angel choir corresponding with it.*
Choose whether you wish to go on through the Tree with more Paths and Sephiroth or you prefer to return from here. Don't go any higher if you aren't yet familiar with all Paths up to the present level of the Tree.*
7 When you have received the blessings of the final Sephirah of this Pathworking, go back using a hebrew letter exit door from the Temple. Follow the now familiar Path in the opposite direction. Go through all previous Temples and Paths by the same procedure as was used on the way out. Remember to willfully close all doors securely behind you.*
What happens on the way back? Has anything changed? Have you? You always know that you are on a Path when you are learning and get access to new information.*
8 When you are back and have left and shut the door of the Temple of Malkuth, perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.*
back to * copenhagen qabalah