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Systems of Divination as methods of Initiation

rising and revolving

18:07 / 10.08.05

There are some excellent discussion in this thread about turning divinatory systems into initatory systems, something that I feel is interesting enough to expand into its own thread.

I don't know much about runic systems, but I do know that BOTA use the Tarot as a system of initiation in a similar but more structured fashion to the methodology outlined by GL. I've personally been using the Hebrew alphabet in a similar fashion - a blend of pathworking, meditation, invocation and dreamwork for each letter. Which of course is pretty close to a Tarot approach, if you buy into an association between the letters and the Trumps.

Other systems that come to mind are the outer order of the GD, which uses an elemental five step program and some alchemical systems I've come across. I've also heard of people doing planetary or sephirotic work that is similar.

So - has anyone here worked in this fashion? What benefits / experiences has it involved for you? Any neat ideas on initiating one-self with other divinatory/magical systems? Has anyone heard of anything like this with the I Ching?

nyarlathotep's shoe horn

18:35 / 10.08.05

I stumbled across the Qabbalah while looking for a structure to hang a story on...

and with that, I opened the door to the Tarot, Astrology, the Tao, I-Ching, Alchemistry and the Mayan and Dreamspell Calendars.

I've been mapping these various systems onto one another since then (say about 1999), working on a comprehensive mandala (which is taking its agglutinative time).

I suppose that the narrativisation of these systems was my means for initiation. Each of them lays out a progression (or progressions, depending on which path you choose) - narratives out of chaos.

As my creativity tends to burble out chaotically, I've been trying to regulate my study, however, I've only really had any success with the mayan calendar glyphs.

I've been meditating on the day glyph on the given day - there are twenty of them - and lately meditating on wavespells (13 day periods) by their main glyph - yesterday started the Mirror wavespell, so it's a fortnight of reflection.

I hope to give the I-Ching similar consideration, however, upon delving into it initially, I hurt my brain, and had to stop.

all in good time.
ta
tenix

11:42 / 11.08.05

I found simply using the Yi Jing to be something of an initiation, simpy becuase of the clarity of it's answers, and the absolutely certainty that I was being spoken to - or rather, that my questions were being answered - and I was being given the best advice possible.

I'm aware that I don't know but a fragment of a fragment regarding what there is too know about the Yi, and am sure that there are a multiplicty of different uses. It has simply been around too long for there not to be.

There is a system (actually several different systems, probably) called Plum Blossom divination which pulls readings out of everyday events-I've always found this second best to actual divination proper but I've not taken it as far as I could have. You can also use hexagrams and triagrams from dream incubation.

You might want to check out Steve Marshall's book The Mandate of Heaven for I Ching information. This isn't so much a book about divination as an example of the personal journey into history that deep involvement with a text can bring you.

18:15 / 11.08.05

The BOTA (Builders of the Adytum) devised a deck for that purpose, amongst other reasons of course, but I would say the Major Arcana are an excellent initiation from any deck- especially considered as three sections of seven cards, or as a route up a mountain of understanding (cf. the Hermit card of course).

I think a lot of people come to magic through divination, because (maybe) it's more accessible than some esoterica, and better known in the wide world.