The Directions of the Elements
One of the most often asked questions I've encountered about the elements is "Why are the elements in the directions that they are?" These directions are pretty much uniform in ceremonial magick as well as most "traditions" of Wicca and neo-paganism.
Over the years I have heard some of the most ridiculous theories about this, one seems the most popular has seemed to be something along the lines of "In Continental Europe the elements were thus attributed because the ocean was to the West, the warm climates and deserts to the South and the cold climates to the North." This is completely ridiculous. If we follow logic like this then on the British Isles we would have to evoke water all around. It simply bears no logic. So why are the elements attributed as they are?
The answer is in Astrology, or more simply, in the wheel of the Zodiac. And a clue to this can be found in, of all places, a book of the Bible.
Recently in a discussion about Genesis or Berashith someone quoted verses from Ezekiel which are the dead-on clue for the directions of the elements. The verses are as follows:
And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.
As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man in the front, the four had the face of a lion on the right side, the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four had the face of an eagle on the back."
-Ezekiel I:5-10
These verses give us four faces: a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle.
Kabbalistic magick gives us four Kerubs in Eden: a man, a lion, an ox and an eagle. Each of these Kerubs is attributed to a direction.
Man=East, Lion=South, Ox=North and Eagle=West.
Liek the wild theories about the elemental directions I have also heard wild theories about the attributions of the Kerubs. Here is a simpler explanation that seems sorely overlooked to the point of irritation, and the Golden Dawn Greater Ritual of the Pentagram gives us the answer, yet still it seems ignored.
Man=East=Air=Aquarius,
Lion=South=Fire=Leo,
Ox=North=Earth=Taurus
and Eagle=West=Water=Scorpio.
You will notice that the Astrological house corresponds to the elemental ruler, the Kerubs correspond to the Astrological house. You can't figure out the correspondence between the Eagle and Scorpio check Egyptian mythology and legend and you will quickly find it.
Even more can be found in investigation. Some things that may even raise an eyebrow (check in Hebrew).
I'm sure that some of my resources may piss off some pagans but I don't aim to please but offer what light is there. Each persons personal prejudices are their own problem.
Concerning the Divine Names Evoked
These being YHVH, ADONAI, EHEIEH and AGLA.
The purpose of this ritual is the creation of astral space and asserting yourself within that space.
YHVH has no translated meaning, but the name has many meanings when the four letters are scrutinized with Kabbalah. Among it's many correspondences and meanings is the letters correspond to the Four Worlds: Atziluth, Briah, Yetzirah and Assiah.
ADONAI translates to "Lord".
EHEIEH translates to "I AM".
AGLA is Notarikon (or acronym)for Ateh Gibor LeOlam Adonai which translates to "Thou art mighty forever, Lord".
So it is possible to believe that, with the evocation of these names, the practitioner is asserting him/herself as "Lord of the Four Worlds and mighty forever". But this is only a personal theory.
Another Elemental Note
One can also note that the elements in this ritual reflect a balance and polarity.
Fire (the most active of elements) is balanced by Earth (the most passive of elements).
Air is balanced by Water.
Importance Of The Ritual
Few people tend to realize the importance and usefulness of this simple ritual.
It helps the practitioner develop visualization and vibratory skills, with enough practice the ritual can be done astrally or by simply standing still and projecting the consciousness using your visualization skills to perform the ritual in your mind.
The ritual is not only used to create space and assert your power within that space, it can also be used to banish troubling thoughts, obsessions or personal traits or habits. Concerning this I must assert that I reccomend the method as simply outlined inthe notes on the LBRP in the "Golden Dawn", not the method offered by D.M.Kraig which actually could increase obsession by the focus, in fact it could offer the obsession easy manifestation, because in essense that is what he is asking you to do, give your obsession or "inner demon" manifestation so you can banish it. If used properly this can be more easily done by following the GDs guidelines for banishing "troubling thoughts and I've found it to work quite well thus far in my life.
"Astral Garbage"
A by-product of consistent practice of this ritual that I have experienced as well as some of my fellow magickians and it is also noted in Donald Michael Kraig's book "Modern Magick".
Whatever ritual you perform, whatever magick you perform is reflected in the astral. This in turn creates a link to the astral so that at times you may experience what Kraig (and myself) label "Astral Garbage". This comes in the form of visual "hallucinations", you may see things from time to time out of the corner of your eye, something move or drift by when you know nothing's there.
It's nothing to be alarmed about. I always find it a bit amusing myself. A couple of times, after completing a ritual I've actually seen sparks and electric-like fire fly through the house across the ceiling or the floor. And I've seen the standard ghosts out of the corner of my eye, but only when I've been doing rituals regularly. It's not schizophrenia or lunacy, it's simply flotsam from the astral link created through the ritual work.
It's nothing to worry about, if anything, in my opinion, it's a sign that you're doing it right.
Additional Note-It seems I need to offer some clarification here since I've recently taken some heat from this note on "Astral Garbage". In my life and "career" I have had no problems with this when it is the simple product of re-starting regular ritual practice, however there have been times when the LBRP has brought the attention of malevolent sorts (Crowley and others I know call them dog-faced demons) and in such instances I took proper measures to expel them. But we must realize, especially on this page which is directed at beginners, that not all are experienced at discerning between the benign astral prephiral visions and the actual energies or entities that you should take alert to.
So let me say that particularly in the case of evocations or when evocations have been done never ignore any unnatural feelings or visions, even if they are simply shadows (this I know all too well).
But a beginner has no business whatsoever of doing evocation in the first place.
So I add my final disclaimer on this subject of "Astral Garbage", when you experience any foreign feelings or visions promptly re-banish and additionally perform the Rose Cross Ritual.
In other words, better safe than sorry. And I don't want anyone bitchin' that some dog-faced demon ate their lunch because they listened to me.
Golden Dawn's Rose Cross Ritual
On the same subject of the astral link: One of the points of the Rose Cross Ritual in the Golden Dawn was to sort of act as a blanket to cover the astral space you created with the Pentagram ritual.
Basically the Pentagram Ritual lights up in the astral like Las Vegas, and this can attract a lot of attention, sometimes unwanted attention, but the Rose Cross sort of draws a curtain around the space.
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