Gnostic Pagan Initiation Course - 4
2. PREPARATION The prospective Initiate will by now already
have begun to locate books, etc. This
section will address the mental attitude & physical preparedness for the
student to receive Gnosis.
a) Examination of Conscience This is a practice Initiates engage in
every day, even after Initiation. It is meant to activate & reinforce a
state of self-awareness & honesty. The goal is to create a positive
“interior dialogue” (Jung’s term) within the Initiate. Interior dialogue is the
ego thought process that weighs, evaluates, praises, condemns, etc. It
represents both an internalization of external data (the environment) and
externalization of unconscious material. Mental or emotional distress is experienced
as a conflicting dialogue. The goal is to maintain a “friendly” dialogue with
your self. This is best achieved by being totally honest with your self. The
closer one approaches Gnosis—or a “state of grace” in which the subject and
object are in harmony—the interior dialogue merges into a silent unified
awareness.
For the student, Examination of Conscience is specific as relating to
individual motives & goals in taking this course. What do you want to get
out of it? Your motives may be varied & complex. For example, is your
search for power? knowledge to inflate your ego, thereby allowing you to feel
superiors to others? People are often drawn to Ritual Magick in order to gain a
sense of control over their environment. Others seek to overcome insecurity.
None of these things are right or wrong. Certainly this Course will empower the
Initiate with knowledge & knowledge is power. However, more importantly,
the Course is designed to expand awareness & a sense of connectedness with
the Earth and other living beings. The point is to look deeply within & be
honest about what you see. This isn’t an assignment to turn in, but to practice
at least once a day.
b) Hatha Yoga, Meditation & The Body of Light Hatha Yoga is the
physical practice by which the body is strengthened & invigorated and the
mind sharpened & focused. Preferably, Students will have a copy of Richard
Hittleman’s YOGA 28 Day Exercise Plan. Just about any other illustrated Yoga
manual for beginners will do, but with the Hittleman book everyone will be on
the same page. You will need a mat exclusively used for the Yoga exercises.
Burning incense during Yoga is appropriate. Many teachers recommend that Yoga
be practiced in the nude.
[Students are directed to the free on-line course Hatha Yoga]
You may consider joining a local community Yoga class.
Try to practice every day or at least every other day. Mornings are the
best time for yoga, although physically more difficult as the body tends to be
tight & constricted. A little marijuana immensely relaxes the muscles &
enhances the visualization process—but that’s purely an individual
consideration.
The mental aspect of the exercises is to visualize the internal
energy being channeled through the slow & fluid motion of the body. As one
becomes familiar with the charkras (inner body points of energy & nerve
connection), the visualization will be focused on them during the exercises.
For the FIRST WEEK students will follow Hittleman’s Day 1 & 2 Plan
(Pages 13-22). These exercises include (1) CHEST EXPANSION (2) BACK STRETCH (3)
COBRA (4) TRIANGLE (5) KNEE & THIGH STRETCH.
For the SECOND WEEK continue all of the above plus the additional
movements (Pages 22-25) for CHEST EXPANSION, KNEE & THIGH STRETCH, BACK
STRETCH, SIMPLE TWIST & COBRA.
From this stage on the student may add exercises as desired. Always
perform #1, 2 & 3.
Following yoga (this may be no more than 15 mins. to begin with) is the
time for Meditation. At this stage we suggest the focus of meditation be on the
Image of The Goddess. Simply sit in the lotus position or whatever sitting
position is comfortable, and calmly observe the image. If the mind wanders
focus on deep breathing (prana), then return observing the image.
The Mantra of OM or AHHH-OOUUU-MMMM may be chanted verbally or mentally.
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Now let’s address the issue of diet.
The ideal is, of course, total vegetarianism, but that can be very difficult
for different reasons. It is important not to focus on this as a moral
issue, and consequently set up a whole self-defeating cycle of guilt. If you
are not already vegetarian, simply set aside one day a week—make it the same
day each week—to not eat meat or fish.
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Fasting (except for water) at least one day a month is an excellent
practice & to be encouraged.
Another form of fasting is a Day of Silence. This is a day without
talking, computing, watching TV, listening to the radio or recorded music, etc.
If you’re going to do this right, there must be NO EXCEPTIONS. It is a great
time to work on your Book of Life.
The Body of Light refers to the various physically based centers of
vital energy including the charkras (stimulated by Yoga). It is the ancient
Egyptian Ka or soul. Whether or not it can be trained to leave the body
(“astral travel”) or, survives the death of the physical body, is not our
concern at this point. The exercises in this section activate Gnosis of the
Body of Light. An obvious benefit of this spiritual discipline is that the
physical body will be more healthy & enlivened. The Initiate will actually
begin to feel the energy field (“aura”) that envelops the physical body.
ASSINGMENT #6: Begin Yoga Practice. Establish your vegetarian
& fast days. Record your reactions to all the Spiritual Practices in your
Book of Life.
Students cannot proceed to the next section until all previous assignments have been completed & emailed as required.
From this point on students will receive lessons via email as corresponding assignments are received.
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Files specific to the closed School course beyond
this point
have been deleted
Return to COURSE OUTLINE
Update 02/08
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