[Help] Dumb Q about divine light in LRH etc

[pixel_fortune]

The question is basically, "what is divine light?" in a ritual context

I've never had a problem with these before but I was thinking through some cosmology stuff today and it suddenly stopped making sense*

So in the hexagram ritual (and star sapphire I think) you literally say "let the divine light descend" and it's implied to be divine light in the middle pillar and QC

But in standard Neoplatonism, hermetic etc cosmology, the divine is immanent in everything, my floor and walls and own body are physical manifestations of divinity

How can I be drawing down something that's already here?

(I do get that divinity is not literally located above my head, but I'm still drawing divine light to my sphere of sensation / ritual space)

What is actually is "divine light" then, as distinct from divinity, and how can there be more or less of it in a location, if everything is already divine?

* and you may tell yourself, "this is not my beautiful ceremonial dagger"

 

[Al-Zalaam]

I'm fairly certain the Divine Light referenced in most hermetic rituals is the Astral Light, also called LVX.
It is a sort of "avatar" of the Akasha/divine principle in the Astral Sphere, similar to how the Vital Force is the even denser avatar of the Akasha on the etheric plane.
All astral things are supposed to be modifications upon this fundamental LVX, just as all things in the etheric sphere are modifications upon the Vital Force.
In either case, these forces are more tangible, workable forms of the Akasha, the divine essence of the fundamental Source.

The Astral Light or LVX is the finer emanation of the Akasha between the two, however, while the Vital Force is a denser, more crude manifestation closer to the border between the Physical and Astral Spheres, and thus more relevant to practical magic rather than higher spiritual work which the LVX is better suited for.

Being able to manipulate the Akasha directly is an advanced skill that usually requires a degree of mastery over the Elements, but the Astral Light is a more accessible force which can effectively substitute it to a significant degree, which is probably why it is so often used in many systems.

 

[stratamaster78]

You are right in that there is energy or divine light all around us.

I think of it like this …energy …because of the way it has manifested into the physical has taken on the properties of what it has become.

I can pull energy from the Earth but that is Earth Energy primarily even though yes it is also originally from the Divine Source as well.

I think of the Divine light as analogous to the Source.

It is infinite energy and when we tap into that with the QC, MP, and Opening Analysis of the Keyword in the Hexagram rituals we are pulling direct pure Divine Light straight from the source that is shall we say uncontaminated by any other influence.

It hasn’t been affected by the path of physical manifestation.

You direct where it goes and what it becomes or what it adds power to.

 

[Viktor]

I'd say "divine light" is not the divine being itself but rather manifestation of it's truth\reality or revelation of obscured state.

So for instance if you you're performing a ritual and expect temporarily unresolved state to manifest it's potential you would call for divine light to reveal current unresolved state (ex. of a ritual), either for expected or unexpected outcome, which ever turn out be "right".

Rituals can go wrong just like they could go right, it's up to divine powers (evil or good ones) to decide how it's ultimately gonna be,
rather than pushing your own will upon divine powers you let divine powers decide the outcome.

So bottom line is, you call for divine powers to resolve instead of you.

 

[Vandheer]

But in standard Neoplatonism, hermetic etc cosmology, the divine is immanent in everything, my floor and walls and own body are physical manifestations of divinity

This is a very good question imo, but if you ask me, you are seeking a literal answer to a symbolical issue here. I am not a native in English so I will have hard time to out the precise wording but lets see.

First of all, Golden Dawn comes from a time where it was the trend to mix a lot of things, and their craft has barely any resemblance to traditional counterparts.

Middle Pillar is based upon Kabbalistic tree of life, in which we can see Ain Soph Aur, descending down.

I really doubt it literally came down crashing when the "descent" happened, considering the concepts of up and down even wasn't a thing.

Probably its more like this:

The outermost circle would be the Ain Soph or God or Akasha or whatever you want to call it, and the innermost would be Malkuth (perhaps Nogah is more accurate here). It indeed encompasses all.

But just because divinity is in everything, that doesn't mean I can simply shove up a lightbulb in my ass and call it a day because, divinity encompasses it. I would have to use the finer forces and guide them into manifesting, into "grosser" ones, for lack of a better word.

Basically what @Al-Zalaam said. Symbolically descending from finer to grosser, going "down". Thats what I think.

 

[pixel_fortune]

Thanks everyone, I don't have any specific responses, but this is all really helpful

 

[Roma]

The standard format human has a vertical stream of Light that enters through the head and anchors in the heart

There are many interferences possible such as dark layers on top of the head and the heart that bounce off most of the Light

In the standard format human the Light from On High typically comes from the planetary Logos (uses this planet as Its body of incarnation) or the Logos of this solar system

Some humans have their Light from various stars such as Sirius and Regulus. Some get their Light from our galactic Logos

The simplest test of the source is pushing the lightbody of the human out of the atmosphere of this planet, then out of this solar system, then out of this galaxy, then the universe, and the cluster of universes, then the cluster of clusters...

When the lightbody hits resistance, that usually indicates the Light does not come from further out.

There was one exception. A human that clearly came from far out, hit resistance when she pushed her lightbody to the edge of this planet's atmosphere. That was clearly wrong, so after a moment I told her to do it again while saying "I have authority" and she went straight through and outside the cluster of clusters. She was being programmed by adverse intelligences so that she would not exercise her spiritual authority and functionality.

Some "humans" have multiple streams of Light that generate harmonics in the chakras above the head. The harmonics allow direct resonance with the Intent of The Source of All

Some humans have the stream of Light on an angle. The greater the angle, the less useful

Of course I could be wrong. Do your own experiments

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

The question is basically, "what is divine light?" in a ritual context

I've never had a problem with these before but I was thinking through some cosmology stuff today and it suddenly stopped making sense*

So in the hexagram ritual (and star sapphire I think) you literally say "let the divine light descend" and it's implied to be divine light in the middle pillar and QC

But in standard Neoplatonism, hermetic etc cosmology, the divine is immanent in everything, my floor and walls and own body are physical manifestations of divinity

How can I be drawing down something that's already here?

(I do get that divinity is not literally located above my head, but I'm still drawing divine light to my sphere of sensation / ritual space)

What is actually is "divine light" then, as distinct from divinity, and how can there be more or less of it in a location, if everything is already divine?

* and you may tell yourself, "this is not my beautiful ceremonial dagger"

Actually, from reading The Golden Dawn, Modern Magick; and Kabalah, Magic, and the Great Work of Self-Transformation; I only see "Let the Divine Light Descend" in the Middle Pillar Ritual.
I tried that in both, and noticed no difference with the LRH, while it nearly knocked me on my ass with the MPR.
Funnily enough, I never noticed that crucial key, and wondered why the MPR always made me warm all over but never knocked back or down by Divine energy.
Thank you !!

 

[HoldAll]

So in the hexagram ritual (and star sapphire I think) you literally say "let the divine light descend" and it's implied to be divine light in the middle pillar and QC

But in standard Neoplatonism, hermetic etc cosmology, the divine is immanent in everything, my floor and walls and own body are physical manifestations of divinity

How can I be drawing down something that's already here?

I'd say that while the divine may be in fact immanent in everything, we are just not yet able to perceive it that way, hence we're doing all those exercises. I'm still having trouble to visualize the divine light during the QC; sure, I am able to subscribe to the philosophical view that god is in everything and all that but it's another matter entirely to actually feel it. We picture the divine light as part of specific exercises, not because the divine actually consists of white visible light, that's just a conceptual crutch to train the mind.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

My bad, you do in fact in the LRH say "Let the Divine Light Descend!", near the end of the ritual, after Analysis of the Keyword.

Post automatically merged: Dec 30, 2023

Upon further investigation, Christopher does not mention it until Portal, which appears to be yet another blind.
Kraig mentions it in Modern Magick, yet he uses the Four Forms method starting in Air grade.
Regardie uses the "tradtional" or "Star of David" forms for all seven planets, yet also refers to Let The Divine Light Descend after the formulation and analysis of the keyword, as Kraig does, while Christopher does not.
The unicursal/Crowley form is used by Christopher, while not used with Kraig or Regardie.
So I must learn and use all three forms. As I am working with all three, and two books simultaneously, nay, make that three.