In this year 5.7, the last of the fifth seven-year period of the Plan, whose Goal is the “Creative Liturgy of the Group and of the Work”, we intend to focus on the seven aspects of the seventh creative energy, which manifests as Order, Ritual and Ceremonial Magic, publishing excerpts from “The Book of Rituals”.
Today is the turn of its Third aspect:*
“A rite is and must always be innovative, like everything that taps into divine life. This third quality is often neglected, and so the entire liturgy, that is, the set of rites, instead of ensuring the progress and final success of the enterprise, suffocates it under a blanket of effective prescriptions and ends up being a dead weight, which we are, nonetheless, often unable to let go.
This very serious danger must naturally be carefully avoided, by inserting among its formulas those variable elements, with a preordained development, that guarantee the ascending spiraling movement towards the summit. The rite must safeguard the spiral within itself.
A set of ritual formulas, though, however large it may be, sooner or later repeats itself, that is, it starts all over again, supported by the same structure. When this happens, due to the neglect of its guardians or the inaction of the performers or because it has exhausted its mission, in short it closes like a snare around its own creature, preventing it from breathing freely, denying it that “new” it lives on.
(…)
The rite must therefore have a spiral propellent structure, following the celestial example of solar motion, which never starts again, every year, from the same astronomical position. In order to fully understand the importance of this phenomenon, think that precisely that failure to close the circle on itself allows planetary life to continue its development and progress; otherwise every creature would soon die asphyxiated, with complete arrest of the entire evolution.
Whoever designs a ritual must take this law into account, albeit knowing that the duration of validity of his work is in any case set from the beginning, just in order to avoid premature interruptions. The issue is having, as already said, suitable formulas of renewal and cyclic variation, inserted as safety factors in the body of the ritual itself.
However, it is equally, if not more, indispensable that each of the performers renew their individual commitment each time and shake the dust of custom from the mind and the heart. He must be prepared to recite it as new, and indeed strive to do it better and better and with more intense fervour. If he neglects this precaution (a primary one, which we should have for any task), words, gestures, lights and sounds gradually lose their vigour, then their meaning, and finally become corrupted. (…)
It is therefore recommended to constantly watch over oneself and the group. Unlike what happens for a musical performance, which has in itself no other capacity for revival than the fervour of the musician (the score being immutable and therefore destined to be buried by the unstoppable variation of culture), the ritual performance, which aims at enlivening substance, cannot ignore the continuous renewal of the fundamental energy.
***
The serious theme of renewal brings to light a point that has already been mentioned earlier: rituals, although composed with foresight, certainly have a term of validity. Which law sets the duration of their effectiveness? A general answer to the question certainly goes beyond the usefulness of these notes, although a first approach can be attempted, at least as regards the rituals contained herein.
They intend to accompany and support the work of the System, which aims at executing a Plan: therefore their validity depends on its fulfilment. This is a first answer.
But when will the Distant Goals be attained or realised? Which major cycle does success depend on?
It must be recognised that now we are unable to answer similar – and other – questions with justified accuracy. However, it is a matter of a considerable duration, perhaps centuries-old or even more, in any case such as to require great and careful perseverance, and it involves the task of correct transmission to a certain number of future generations.
It will be good to stop at this point, faced with the vision of a certainly severe but not impossible commitment, which will require from everyone their best resources, but not exceeding their potential.
A vision, if it is grandiose, does not frighten, but fills the heart of the disciple with joy.”
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* This article is published to orient minds and hearts to today’s peak (from the heliocentric point of view) of the enduring square between Saturn (3rd Ray) and Uranus (7th Ray). (See article on their compound cycle and also From linear to cyclical time).
True. The Vision, if grandiose, does not frighten, but fills the heart of the disciple with joy….It fills a future vision that should always inspire AND not depend on the outer structure, which is a linear or time contained construct. The Universe is actuality, at a higher level of reality ,beyond the consciousness of the knower (human lower case knower, not Knower) (mortal not immortal).(Master not human) (This is why an Avatar comes, as it is beyond what is currently known, and has decayed.).. A “design” (idea) which is at a level or place before time and space have put it in their place…and in their place,(of time and space) it must eventually die, as time and space if measured by their definitions, the applied finite container, is limited. As “mortals” are so limited in “form”. which by our definition of self is so qualified and quantified…. Logic itself, as is science, by its definition, is but this finite container, which is relative and by such must die…It dies into another relative contained body…its laws are only repeatable by its body.(it exists by x and y axis…by duality)..Such is the death of the body, and a new generation produces a new body, which must also die….A ritual which is based on a body (of knowledge or belief) can only bring life to the body of itself, so it is finite, and as finite, it must die. Immortality, which is unknown to the mortal, cannot be known by the mortal using mortal definitions…True spiritual realization is transcendent, beyond the body….but when known thru the “body”, must decay and die…There is a way to transcend this death, as this is the spiritual quest. It is by hologram, as in the hologram, time and space are overcome, it exists everywhere and always, so it cannot die. It is defined by the fact that it is beyond time and space…it cannot be separated……and the great heresy of .separateness is death. This hologram needs no container, and can “contain” immortality for the mortal to understand….and as such, will the death of the ritual be overcome ,if the ‘ritual” is the hologram….That is why the hologram, can hold the Great Singularity….which is the Chiron paradigm “Chiron and Group Fusion”….so read the comments I have made about this, and realize that the universe only dies in its bodies, but lives in its thoughts….as the Creator always Is, and in the immortal state, the relative body is not the Life. So we need a new definition of life….such is the hologram.. and this definition will ‘”connect” as it is true synchronicity, as this is the cause of synchronicity, hidden in the body as its idea, but when born into the body, it dies. Its cause is hidden until immortality is realized, which is the initiation into it, as death is overcome and made immortal….such is the divine story universal, but known to mortal man only as “body” or ritual in form….a transcendent idea, without the hologram, must use the body….and must decay….and cannot be known by the consciousness which is less that it, and as such it must die in the body….a living symbol is the hologram which transcends this limit….this is the “Creator Atom” This is Logos, not Logic…..