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When doing the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, using the "Star of David" or "Traditional" hexagrams, where do you state "Let the Divine Light Descend", within Analysis of the Keyword? I see at least four different opinions.
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(The opinions are Regardie, Kraig, Christopher and Ciceros).
I insert it right at the end of the Analysis of the Keyword...
"L.V.X... (Luuuuuuuuuuxxxxxx) The Light (Osiris Slain) of the Cross (Osiris Risen).......Let the Divine Light Descend!!!! (Osiris Slain as you visualize your entire body and space fill with the light as it blasts down upon you and through you)"
I can't even say where I learned it that way because I basically learn a ritual and then try other versions/variations until it feels right.
I do the same with the Hebrew pronunciations.
In the LBRP I do both common visualizations at the end where you say "....and in the column shines the six-rayed star"
By both I mean some say to visualize a Hexagram in the middle of you with a Red Triangle and Blue Triangle overlapping to form a Hexagram and some say to visualize a Golden Hexagram above you and below you that shines a column of Golden light with you in the middle.
I visualize both simultaneously to cover all the bases....lol
When doing the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, using the "Star of David" or "Traditional" hexagrams, where do you state "Let the Divine Light Descend", within Analysis of the Keyword? I see at least four different opinions.
Post automatically merged:
(The opinions are Regardie, Kraig, Christopher and Ciceros).
Within the context of the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, the placement of the statement "Let the Divine Light Descend" is indeed a matter of interpretation among different practitioners. Each individual may have their own perspective based on their own studies, experiences, and spiritual preferences. Let's explore the opinions of Regardie, Kraig, Christopher, and the Ciceros and analyze them, some of this is my personal viewpoint.
Regardie, a prominent figure in occultism, suggests that the phrase "Let the Divine Light Descend" is stated during the Analysis of the Keyword, specifically after vibrating the corresponding divine name. According to Regardie's perspective, this moment in the ritual marks the invitation for divine illumination to come forth and infuse the practitioner.
Kraig, another respected author and was a personal friend of mine. He held the opinion that "Let the Divine Light Descend" is to be uttered during the banishing portion of the ritual, after performing the Hexagram Ritual itself. Kraig emphasizes the idea that this statement serves as a declaration of intention, inviting the Divine Light to descend and cleanse the ritual space.
Christopher, whose perspectives on occult practices are widely respected, provides yet another viewpoint. He suggests that the phrase "Let the Divine Light Descend" can be recited during the ritual's final banishing gesture, in alignment with the sequential flow of energy. According to this interpretation, it acts as a seal or finalization of the ritual, ensuring that divine influences are incorporated into the practitioner's sphere of awareness.
The Ciceros, well-known occultists and Golden Dawn experts, offer their insights as well. They propose reciting "Let the Divine Light Descend" during the Analysis of the Keyword but before the phrase "For Thou art mighty.". This interpretation emphasizes the importance of invoking the Divine Light early on in the ritual to establish a connection with higher forces.
The choice of when to state "Let the Divine Light Descend" ultimately depends on one's personal understanding and intention behind performing the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram. It is worth noting that rituals in occult practices evolve and adapt over time, leading to variations in techniques and interpretations. What matters most is the sincerity and focus with which the practitioner engages in the ritual, as well as the alignment of their chosen approach with their spiritual goals.
Ultimately, exploring the different opinions and viewpoints on the placement of "Let the Divine Light Descend" can offer valuable insights and encourage aspiring occultists to delve deeper into their personal practice, experimenting with different approaches and discerning what resonates most strongly with their own spiritual path.
This is really all you need at least at a certain stage of the game. Some people have photographic memory. Some have aphasia. So we're all different. But the ideal is to picture the flashing colors and the colored glyph in the center. As long as you can picture the hexagram and the glyph of the planet, you're doing well.
This is really all you need at least at a certain stage of the game. Some people have photographic memory. Some have aphasia. So we're all different. But the ideal is to picture the flashing colors and the colored glyph in the center. As long as you can picture the hexagram and the glyph of the planet, you're doing well.
Yep plus there are usually Lesser Hexagrams overlayed over Lesser Pentagrams and then Greater Hexagrams overlayed over that with Archangels behind that etc.
It's a lot going on wrt to visualization at the same time and trying to keep all the colors in mind.
I can't imagine trying to have the remaining planetary glyphs in the tiny individual corners of the Greater Hexagrams but kudos to anyone who can...lol
Edit: It would also be really difficult imo to vizualize the Elemental/Spirit glyphs at the Pentagram corners.
Same. I have a hard enough time visualizing at a basic level, seeing the flaming crosses, the flaming pentagrams around me, the flaming hexagrams sealing those.
Same. I have a hard enough time visualizing at a basic level, seeing the flaming crosses, the flaming pentagrams around me, the flaming hexagrams sealing those.
I may have written this on here before, but a very cool / helpful thing is to be in an entirely darkened room with a single tealight in glass. Close your eyes a while, then pick up the glass (with the LIT tealight) without ever looking at it.
Then use this to trace a large pentagram in the air in front of you, but keep looking straight ahead. Do NOT look at the candle.
If you do this (in this way) you will see a big "electric blue" pentagram in the air, and you will know how it's supposed to look rather than having to imagine how it might look.
I may have written this on here before, but a very cool / helpful thing is to be in an entirely darkened room with a single tealight in glass. Close your eyes a while, then pick up the glass (with the LIT tealight) without ever looking at it.
Then use this to trace a large pentagram in the air in front of you, but keep looking straight ahead. Do NOT look at the candle.
If you do this (in this way) you will see a big "electric blue" pentagram in the air, and you will know how it's supposed to look rather than having to imagine how it might look.
I recalled someone writing that but forgot it was you. Thank you for the reminder I will definitely do that.
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Today I was able to visualize fairly well. A few modified routines might be the helpers. I must however learn all the traditional LRH rituals first including the Four Forms. I know Christopher wants us to learn the unicursal, but one, it's not standard Golden Dawn, its thelema. Two, its a pain in the ass, though useful with Sol.
When doing the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, using the "Star of David" or "Traditional" hexagrams, where do you state "Let the Divine Light Descend", within Analysis of the Keyword? I see at least four different opinions.
Post automatically merged:
(The opinions are Regardie, Kraig, Christopher and Ciceros).
Firstly, you do NOT use the greater hexagrams for the LRH otherwise it would not be the lesser rite. The lesser hexagrams are elemental as well as planetary. That is the whole point if using them in a lesser rite. People need to stop thinking of the lesser hexagrams as inferior to the greater as the naming convention has proven to be a bad idea: they serve entirely different functions. The lesser ritual is your planetary frame right used to set up the working space and the greater hexagram is used to invoke the planet. The lesser ritual calls the quarters of the planet and thus the heaven there associated while the greater calls the personification of that planet.
Similarly, people will, instead of using a general banishing pentagram for the LBRP, they will use the elemental pentagrams at the quarters. STOP doing that, that's not an LBRP anymore it's a somewhat neutered SRP, and completely undermines the whole point of why the LBRP was developed.
Now, we can proceed.
The correct answer is during the Analysis of the Keyword. You can find the whole ritual, in its proper form, in The Complete Golden Dawn. It does not tell you in the ritual text how to do the Analysis yet it is the same as in the Adeptus Minor initiation ritual, which is provided. You will also find it in the text for the Rise Cross ritual. I recommend studying the formula of the analysis and the keyword, elsewise just say "Let the divine light descend", on its own.
Many authors have adapted the ritual to fit their needs; that is fine. What is not find, is acting like that modified form is the original and/proper way to do the ritual. Many teach their own way, which is to be expected as you should only teach what you know, but they fail to give their students a proper overview of where these techniques and methods are coming from.
The L.V.X. is not used to banish. You've already done that. Now you are calling down the light into your space and into yourself to be aligned with it, and with it, aligned to divine authority and being in your operations.
Case in point people think the LBRP is a simple banishing... It is banishing your perception of the material corpus yes, so that you might witness, eventually, your spirit. So it banishes as to witness the inner light/fire and seat you at Tiphereth. The call of the angels being a very simple and rudimentary invocation.
In the LRH you are working with the elements as they are macrocosmically and in Yetzirah. There are a few places you can work the LRH on the tree.
• 1=10 in Yetzirah which is 5=6 in Assiah
• Intersection of Samech and Pe in Yetzirah
• Tiphereth / 5=6 in Yetzirah.
Now if you are doing the Analysis of the Keyword you are saying you have a direct sight to Kether, aside from the Abyss. So you wouldn't do it at 1=10 inner because you are looking at Yesod, but if operating as 5=6 outer you would, calling the Divine light from Kether of Assiah. If you are at the intersection of Same and Peh in Yetzirah facing Tiphereth in Yetzirah you could pull off calling Kether if Yetzirah because Kether is reflected and exists in Tiphereth through the point of the circumpunct. If you are in Malkuth of Yetzirah it as to come from Tiphereth and then be reflected by the moon. You can do this, but it will be a different experience.
I recalled someone writing that but forgot it was you. Thank you for the reminder I will definitely do that.
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Today I was able to visualize fairly well. A few modified routines might be the helpers. I must however learn all the traditional LRH rituals first including the Four Forms. I know Christopher wants us to learn the unicursal, but one, it's not standard Golden Dawn, its thelema. Two, its a pain in the ass, though useful with Sol.
There technically is only one form of the LRH, however as I've stated before the elemental forms have variants that can be used in a circle to evoke the heavenly sphere.
The lesser forms were designed to be general, not evoking a specific planetary force (Saturn becomes the general here as the Earth point is in the LBRP do to the relationship between Da'ath and Malkuth), however by as early as even the Stella Matutina we see practitioners using the lesser forms to call specific planets in the form of calling the Enochian Seniors which have both an elemental and a planetary nature. This is the only time, aside from calling a planet from a specific Qabalistic world, where you'd want to use a lesser instead of a greater hexagram.
If you take a greater hexagram and trace therein the kerubic sign of an element, it is the equivalent of the elemental form of that hexagram. However, the reason we don't normally do this because I.) aside from the Kerubic sign it doesn't give each senior their own hexagram. 2.) When not calling the seniors, the elemental form puts more emphasis on the element instead of the watchtower/world, 3.) The form better unifies the dual natures instead of just calling one from the other and 4.) following the last point, they more properly balance the working space because you don't just have the same planetary force albeit from a different world, in each quarter. Just a few things to think about. My prefered method combined the simplicity of the greater with the pros of the lesser but may not be the greatest fit for western rituals. I encourage practitioners though, to consider why they use the gates that they do - don't change it until you understand it, but it becomes so routine we don't question it and take it for granted.
As for the universal hexagram, yes, I would hold off on that entirely until you have the established rituals down. While the Golden Dawn does, very briefly cover the universal hexagram, it provides no rituals or exercises therefore or thereof -ir rather if there are, they are in some private library somewhere and are unpublished. So I would not bother until you understand the whole system well enough to write rituals using it.
That having been said there are two forms of the universal hexagram, to add to the confusion:
I. An Alchemical one, which is the one you see in the Golden Dawn. Four points are elemental, two are planetary and the center is pure mediating spirit. I'm not sure how to describe the function to you. I suppose I will say that the top and bottom points represent active(& projective) and passive (& receptive) respectively yet using planetary points of representation instead of elemental representatives. You can think of it as a way to incorporate elemental Hexagrams, active & passive spirit hexagrams and a mediating/general spirit hexagram all in the same figure.
This was experimental, and rather genius, and being both universal and a hexagram was seen to be a step in-between the pentagram and hexagram (consider Crowley's vehicle from Liber O) but alas it did have a few drawbacks Namely, despite having all these features you could only invoke unto the space one force at a time- which i suppose is better than tracing six times to invoke the sun into the space. Yet, even though you trace a pentagram over a pentagram they didn't seem to want to do that here, probably because unless they also had a strictly planetary universal hexagram they'd be mixing a greater and a universal, which they did not appear to like and it was probably damned that memorizing two different sets of correspondences for the same shape was inefficient and just asking for trouble. Indeed, many practitioners today don't like using it in place of a greater because they associate with the other correspondence set even though they don't use it...
Which leads us to:
II. The planetary version which we have already alluded to. This is just a universal hexagram with the same points as a greater, with the center solar point. Now, many use this as a simpler way to invoke Sol. You certainly can, and I do something similar but with the original universal hexagram.
Now, you may have noticed that while you can use the lessers to call the Seniors you can not use them to call the King. So what do? Well you can trace all six of the greaters... but they do not have an elemental affinity unless you place a kerubic sign.
But we we do better, because the original universal, which is really a Spirit hexagram, is both elemental and planetary and gives us our solar point.
Now you can evoke the king from the Solar point if you simply just wish to work with the King...but the King is formed from all six seniors and us the spirit-intelligence working within the tablet.
If I want the spirit and celestial harmonies of the tablet I do the following:
I. Greater hexagram of Sol with kerubic sign
II. Unicursal/Spirit Hexagram from spirit point.
It is easier if you think the top point as active/projective spirit, the bottom as passive/receptive spirit and the middle point as mediating spirit which is the point where Tiphereth is rooted in Kether. This is also the key to understanding the Star Sapphire. Think of the duality here of the sun and moon instead of sun as harmony and it makes sense. The center point is the one star in sight.
Also notice that we made a spirit hexagram after a greater hexagram, the inverse of doing a spirit pent before an elemental one. I will leave you to ponder why.
There is different reason to believe that the Golden Dawn wanted to construct a proper Supreme Ritual of the Hexagram, but had opted, at least for the time being, to just use a Saturn hexagram to calk the supernal light from Binah instead of Kether. Crowley's Star Sapphire was an attempt to correct this.
Lastly, what each point calls depends entirely on the spirit the hexagram is fixated upon. For example:
• If the center point is focused upon the King, the elemental points call the Calvary Cross angels while the sun and moon points call the "good" and "evil" forms of the King respectively.
• If the center point is fixed to the Calvary cross the elemental points call to the kerubic angels if the quadrangle. The solar point is them in orderly harmony and the lunar point, in potential and chaos. I know I said that the solar point wasn't harmony, spirit point was. I also said there's a lot going on here with the universal hexagram and it is hard to explain. Think of it like this: active Spirit works with the intelligence of the tablet while passive spirit works with the blind Spirit of the tablet- because Enochian beings are both, and neither, angels and intelligences.
• If the spirit point is centered on the tablet of union it is EHNB, the elemental points are both the Kings and the Elemental names of the Tablet. How so?
Remember that the Kings aren't just Sol, but the spirit of each tablet. In the name BITOM, B represents the spiritual root core nature of the King of the Tablet of Fire, and ITOM the four quadrangles of the tablet and their emergence through the Calvary Cross. In so far as the Tablet of Union IS the Great Black cross, the sol point becomes the intelligence of the whole Great Tablet and the lunar point as the blind Spirit thereof.
There are also here, Alchemical correspondences to Micro and Macroprospus.
Firstly, you do NOT use the greater hexagrams for the LRH otherwise it would not be the lesser rite. The lesser hexagrams are elemental as well as planetary. That is the whole point if using them in a lesser rite. People need to stop thinking of the lesser hexagrams as inferior to the greater as the naming convention has proven to be a bad idea: they serve entirely different functions. The lesser ritual is your planetary frame right used to set up the working space and the greater hexagram is used to invoke the planet. The lesser ritual calls the quarters of the planet and thus the heaven there associated while the greater calls the personification of that planet.
Similarly, people will, instead of using a general banishing pentagram for the LBRP, they will use the elemental pentagrams at the quarters. STOP doing that, that's not an LBRP anymore it's a somewhat neutered SRP, and completely undermines the whole point of why the LBRP was developed.
Now, we can proceed.
The correct answer is during the Analysis of the Keyword. You can find the whole ritual, in its proper form, in The Complete Golden Dawn. It does not tell you in the ritual text how to do the Analysis yet it is the same as in the Adeptus Minor initiation ritual, which is provided. You will also find it in the text for the Rise Cross ritual. I recommend studying the formula of the analysis and the keyword, elsewise just say "Let the divine light descend", on its own.
Many authors have adapted the ritual to fit their needs; that is fine. What is not find, is acting like that modified form is the original and/proper way to do the ritual. Many teach their own way, which is to be expected as you should only teach what you know, but they fail to give their students a proper overview of where these techniques and methods are coming from.
The L.V.X. is not used to banish. You've already done that. Now you are calling down the light into your space and into yourself to be aligned with it, and with it, aligned to divine authority and being in your operations.
Case in point people think the LBRP is a simple banishing... It is banishing your perception of the material corpus yes, so that you might witness, eventually, your spirit. So it banishes as to witness the inner light/fire and seat you at Tiphereth. The call of the angels being a very simple and rudimentary invocation.
In the LRH you are working with the elements as they are macrocosmically and in Yetzirah. There are a few places you can work the LRH on the tree.
• 1=10 in Yetzirah which is 5=6 in Assiah
• Intersection of Samech and Pe in Yetzirah
• Tiphereth / 5=6 in Yetzirah.
Now if you are doing the Analysis of the Keyword you are saying you have a direct sight to Kether, aside from the Abyss. So you wouldn't do it at 1=10 inner because you are looking at Yesod, but if operating as 5=6 outer you would, calling the Divine light from Kether of Assiah. If you are at the intersection of Same and Peh in Yetzirah facing Tiphereth in Yetzirah you could pull off calling Kether if Yetzirah because Kether is reflected and exists in Tiphereth through the point of the circumpunct. If you are in Malkuth of Yetzirah it as to come from Tiphereth and then be reflected by the moon. You can do this, but it will be a different experience.
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There technically is only one form of the LRH, however as I've stated before the elemental forms have variants that can be used in a circle to evoke the heavenly sphere.
The lesser forms were designed to be general, not evoking a specific planetary force (Saturn becomes the general here as the Earth point is in the LBRP do to the relationship between Da'ath and Malkuth), however by as early as even the Stella Matutina we see practitioners using the lesser forms to call specific planets in the form of calling the Enochian Seniors which have both an elemental and a planetary nature. This is the only time, aside from calling a planet from a specific Qabalistic world, where you'd want to use a lesser instead of a greater hexagram.
If you take a greater hexagram and trace therein the kerubic sign of an element, it is the equivalent of the elemental form of that hexagram. However, the reason we don't normally do this because I.) aside from the Kerubic sign it doesn't give each senior their own hexagram. 2.) When not calling the seniors, the elemental form puts more emphasis on the element instead of the watchtower/world, 3.) The form better unifies the dual natures instead of just calling one from the other and 4.) following the last point, they more properly balance the working space because you don't just have the same planetary force albeit from a different world, in each quarter. Just a few things to think about. My prefered method combined the simplicity of the greater with the pros of the lesser but may not be the greatest fit for western rituals. I encourage practitioners though, to consider why they use the gates that they do - don't change it until you understand it, but it becomes so routine we don't question it and take it for granted.
As for the universal hexagram, yes, I would hold off on that entirely until you have the established rituals down. While the Golden Dawn does, very briefly cover the universal hexagram, it provides no rituals or exercises therefore or thereof -ir rather if there are, they are in some private library somewhere and are unpublished. So I would not bother until you understand the whole system well enough to write rituals using it.
That having been said there are two forms of the universal hexagram, to add to the confusion:
I. An Alchemical one, which is the one you see in the Golden Dawn. Four points are elemental, two are planetary and the center is pure mediating spirit. I'm not sure how to describe the function to you. I suppose I will say that the top and bottom points represent active(& projective) and passive (& receptive) respectively yet using planetary points of representation instead of elemental representatives. You can think of it as a way to incorporate elemental Hexagrams, active & passive spirit hexagrams and a mediating/general spirit hexagram all in the same figure.
This was experimental, and rather genius, and being both universal and a hexagram was seen to be a step in-between the pentagram and hexagram (consider Crowley's vehicle from Liber O) but alas it did have a few drawbacks Namely, despite having all these features you could only invoke unto the space one force at a time- which i suppose is better than tracing six times to invoke the sun into the space. Yet, even though you trace a pentagram over a pentagram they didn't seem to want to do that here, probably because unless they also had a strictly planetary universal hexagram they'd be mixing a greater and a universal, which they did not appear to like and it was probably damned that memorizing two different sets of correspondences for the same shape was inefficient and just asking for trouble. Indeed, many practitioners today don't like using it in place of a greater because they associate with the other correspondence set even though they don't use it...
Which leads us to:
II. The planetary version which we have already alluded to. This is just a universal hexagram with the same points as a greater, with the center solar point. Now, many use this as a simpler way to invoke Sol. You certainly can, and I do something similar but with the original universal hexagram.
Now, you may have noticed that while you can use the lessers to call the Seniors you can not use them to call the King. So what do? Well you can trace all six of the greaters... but they do not have an elemental affinity unless you place a kerubic sign.
But we we do better, because the original universal, which is really a Spirit hexagram, is both elemental and planetary and gives us our solar point.
Now you can evoke the king from the Solar point if you simply just wish to work with the King...but the King is formed from all six seniors and us the spirit-intelligence working within the tablet.
If I want the spirit and celestial harmonies of the tablet I do the following:
I. Greater hexagram of Sol with kerubic sign
II. Unicursal/Spirit Hexagram from spirit point.
It is easier if you think the top point as active/projective spirit, the bottom as passive/receptive spirit and the middle point as mediating spirit which is the point where Tiphereth is rooted in Kether. This is also the key to understanding the Star Sapphire. Think of the duality here of the sun and moon instead of sun as harmony and it makes sense. The center point is the one star in sight.
Also notice that we made a spirit hexagram after a greater hexagram, the inverse of doing a spirit pent before an elemental one. I will leave you to ponder why.
There is different reason to believe that the Golden Dawn wanted to construct a proper Supreme Ritual of the Hexagram, but had opted, at least for the time being, to just use a Saturn hexagram to calk the supernal light from Binah instead of Kether. Crowley's Star Sapphire was an attempt to correct this.
Lastly, what each point calls depends entirely on the spirit the hexagram is fixated upon. For example:
• If the center point is focused upon the King, the elemental points call the Calvary Cross angels while the sun and moon points call the "good" and "evil" forms of the King respectively.
• If the center point is fixed to the Calvary cross the elemental points call to the kerubic angels if the quadrangle. The solar point is them in orderly harmony and the lunar point, in potential and chaos. I know I said that the solar point wasn't harmony, spirit point was. I also said there's a lot going on here with the universal hexagram and it is hard to explain. Think of it like this: active Spirit works with the intelligence of the tablet while passive spirit works with the blind Spirit of the tablet- because Enochian beings are both, and neither, angels and intelligences.
• If the spirit point is centered on the tablet of union it is EHNB, the elemental points are both the Kings and the Elemental names of the Tablet. How so?
Remember that the Kings aren't just Sol, but the spirit of each tablet. In the name BITOM, B represents the spiritual root core nature of the King of the Tablet of Fire, and ITOM the four quadrangles of the tablet and their emergence through the Calvary Cross. In so far as the Tablet of Union IS the Great Black cross, the sol point becomes the intelligence of the whole Great Tablet and the lunar point as the blind Spirit thereof.
There are also here, Alchemical correspondences to Micro and Macroprospus.
Wow, thank you, for clarifying several points and concepts here. Thank you very much
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Off to study the LRH, GRH and all things RH.
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I see. The "Ritual of the Hexagram" per Regardie's "The Golden Dawn" (Book Four), is not the LRH, the LRH is the one mentioned in Kraig's "Modern Magick" (Air - Lesson Four).
I see now the directions for the elements are different than those in the pentagram ritual. They follow the macrocosmic course, the course of the planets. It's funny how fire is the two upward triangles drawn in the east, the south the star of David of Earth, the top or diamond shape for air in the north .. and the water goblet shape triangles in the west.
Quite different than the directions we are used to in the Neophyte or Zelator grade.
The only reason the unicursal is being used by me is because of the other main book I'm working through, Christopher's "Kabalah, Magic and the Great Work of Self-Transformation".
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The LRH is in The Golden Dawn Book Four, on second reading. However, I don't see the difference between using a unicursal hexagram and the planetary hexagrams in TGD B4, that I guess arw f9r the GRH or the SRH.
