Adopting “Divine Forms”
One of the methods of transformation of an embodied being with limitations into something more perfect and less constrained, widely practiced in both the Western and Eastern Traditions, is the so‑called “adoption of divine forms”, or, in the East — the “yoga of deities.”
This approach, in fact, logically and naturally follows from the idea of a correspondence between macrocosm and psychocosmos, and, accordingly, from the possibility of development based on either one.
In other words, since the same elements, flows and actors are described both from the mind’s perspective and from the environment’s perspective, a being’s development can proceed either by direct activation of particular mental matrices or through their objectification in the environment.
At the same time, the matrices being objectified may either be aligned with environmental flows or be seen as projections of the mind. For example, Buddhist “yoga of deities” does not require the search of the ‘world’ for enlightened states personified as deities of the Vajrayana pantheon; it does not matter whether there ever was an “original” being in “reality” who could be called Avalokiteshvara, Manjushri or Vajrasattva. What matters is that the state can be realized in the mind itself, and, accordingly, the practitioner can become Avalokiteshvara — hence there can be infinitely many “Avalokiteshvaras”, all essentially identical.
The Western Tradition proceeds from somewhat different principles: it prefers that the mental matrix corresponds to some “ideal archetype”, and therefore the “adoption of divine forms” typically requires relying on a clearly described, attributed power that can be found in the environment and with which one can engage in subject–object interaction. Put differently, for the Western practitioner the adoption of a “divine form” is eased by the vitality of the “original source” of that form, so both inner attunement to a pantheon and the pantheon’s own vitality are important. For example, the founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn felt an affinity with flows embodied as ancient Egyptian gods, and therefore the rituals of that Order and its descendant Tradition are based on that pantheon. For each practitioner, the degree of attunement to a given mythological system may vary, and consequently the effectiveness of approaches based on it will also vary. This means the practitioner must ask: how well their nature resonates with the pantheon used by this Tradition, and, if there is insufficient inner resonance, they should have the courage to depart from the Tradition’s images and replace them with images more suited to them.
Nevertheless, in any case it is necessary to study thoroughly the semantic fields of systems and pantheons that support one’s practice, and to use them as a support for inner transformation.
Such practice includes two stages: interaction and identification.
In the first stage one searches the environment for flows matching the desired qualities or changes. For example, a Magus seeks inspiration. To do so he must find in the environment the flow of power that most fully embodies that state. Perhaps the image of Odin turns out to be such a flow for him. In order to contact this flow, the theurgist must first study its properties and attributes, understand both the inner essence of the flow and its external manifestations. At the next stage there may arise a need to make an invocation, to concentrate this power and study it through direct interaction. Such an appeal may be more or less ceremonial or ritualized, but as a stage of “inviting” the power to interact it is necessary. At the same time one records the state the mind enters during interaction with the chosen flow — that is, one investigates the deity’s influence on the person. The criterion of success for this stage is achievement of the desired state: for example, the success of interaction with Odin is measured by the inspiration achieved.
If in this way the “adoption of the form” succeeds, the mind gains ‘free access’ to that power, and, say, to acquire that inspiration it will no longer need to perform complex invocations — it will be sufficient to activate the corresponding flow within themselves.
By using the “adoption of divine forms” for the evolution of the mind, one can find and embody powerful ascending flows within oneself that transform the psychocosmos and accelerate its development. The more exalted the forms one adopts, the greater their transformative effect. Nevertheless, it is necessary to remember that in such practice the mind comes into contact with forces that far exceed what its current vessel can withstand, and therefore such interaction, without the necessary caution and gradual escalation, can be dangerous or even fatal. However, if the mind assesses itself realistically, endures the strain and does not break under the “blows of light“, and also does not become possessed or captured by divine powers, it can attain the highest states and levels.
A slight comment. In the West, the current “mainstream” reflects a certain rollback into traditionalism following the syncretism (Chaos magic and similar) of recent decades. However, in those places where people do not plunge into extreme debates about the origins of commas in grimoires and whose God has been longer in the pantheon, it is now considered good form to describe practices as generally as possible, with comments such as “clarify with your Gods what needs to be adjusted in the protocol”. Overall, it is somewhat like what you do. A moderately accepted practice seems to be called transvocation. Obviously by analogy with evocation and invocation. Emphasizing the focus on the transformation of the receiving consciousness.
Allow me a small addition: The maximum development occurs for a magician when, out of the multitude of connected Forces, he defines and chooses the one that dominates within him. Only then, together with the chosen Direction of the Forces, does he begin to grow as a magician and achieve full blossoming. This choice can arise as a personal choice or as a proposal from the Elders. One warning – the Forces do not like betrayal. If you choose, don’t just receive but also help. Otherwise, the outcome can be tragic for the magician.
The word “choice” is not very applicable here. We do not choose our gods; we do not choose our nature. We search for them, we find them (or do not find them). The more sincerely our search is, the more honest we are in it, the greater the chances of finding “outside” what is inside us, and thus finding a suitable foundation for manifesting our essential properties, for self-realization. In any case, while creating a world around us, we simultaneously and inevitably create ourselves, and it is essential that those we are building correspond maximally to our own potentialities, our own nature.
But….. we are already dealing outside with what is inside us even without special searching and conscious choosing. Consciously or unconsciously, we attract into our lives only that which is like us, which resonates with our internal properties. And….. perhaps we do not lean on the gods; rather, the gods, which we ourselves have created – lean on us and feed on our energy. And….. who knows – did we find the essential properties of the transcendent monad within ourselves, or did we find the results of the consequences of childhood psychological traumas or some very important mental-emotional refuse that wise elders shoved into the tabula rasa of our perception bubble – which is essentially completely worthless…
Yes, and… when we interview our guardian angel, are we not actually interviewing the demon tempter? – Who knows whose voices are speaking to us and whose words seem right to us. Perhaps it is just a ritual play of imagination that we sincerely believe in…
An interview with the Guardian Angel… hmm
Let’s start by noting that not everyone has angelic energies. Recently, one of our magicians received a guardian angel as a gift from the Archangel of Life for completing a task well.
In fact, it was a Guardianess, a strong girl with four wings.
And what happens during the interview is essentially communication with one’s own soul. After all, it is the Soul that has specific desires and influences the striving for development.
Sometimes I feel like you just believe in fairy tales. Perhaps at those moments I manage to forget that I am a storyteller myself.
With Respect.
Fairy tales? Of course!
A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it…. )
Do you have developed vision? I invite you to my world. I’ll introduce you to dragons. We can take a peek at elves.)
“My poetry will not be printed,
What is handwritten, will be taken away with me”
–
I write from nowhere –
To the addressee, who is not here,
Well, to nowhere, that instead,
With words, actions – to take into account
And personality, life, and Universe,
Thousands of pages of theories –
A sum of those gone – on the day – Consequences,
An endless step, an endless chance,
Not complying, living like whores,
Not understanding, the language of love – desperately,
Clinking bones,
The skeleton crumbled,
Into pants (the human complex)
Gods will answer, what – where,
What By the calendar
Of the calculation of the human.
–
To answer God / for the crematory,
What in war
And for souls, bodies – The Collection of History;
–
I write – to anyone;
Not shameful and not disgraceful?
Selling whores,
Worthless and weak;
And this is truth – Filth,
What – don’t you like?
In me, you reflect.
–
Save me, Lord,
So that I do not become angry,
Oh, Guardian Angels,
So act actively,
Not to overcome (me, yes alone, and he alone)
Us – this Pain,
–
I want to change time,
There, where love,
Are you with us – God?
–
I stand on the Barricade –
Fathers – Sons,
I am not afraid – of Bullets –
With me – the Lord –
And the pen has changed,
I do not want to write,
I replaced it
With Coal, Blood, Re(cry),
–