The Lotus of the Temple:

Contacting Extraterrestrial Influences with the Enochian Temple

Copyright 1993 by Benjamin Rowe

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In the supplemental papers to Enochian Temples, I briefly mentioned using the Temple as a gate through which the magician can come in contact with extraterrestrial and extra-solar realms. This paper provides more details on the method. A series of example visions using the technique are published separately.

The visualized structure of the Temple serves primarily as an anchor for the forces of an Enochian Tablet. It holds them in a specific relationship to each other. Their interaction produces fields of magickal force around the Temple which are the major source of its effectiveness. The exact shape of these fields can be changed, and the "altars" composed of the forces of the Servient angels are the means of producing that change.

When the altars are positioned in their quarters inside the Temple, the generated fields follow the shape of the Temple closely. Beginning at the circle where the curtain of the Seniors meets the ground, the fields bulge outwards slightly around the lower Temple as they move upward. Then they curve inwards again, roughly following the line of the roof and of the pillar of the King's name, ending in a small opening just above the level of the sphere created with the three Names of God. The overall shape is much like that of a closed, slightly bulbous flower bud. In this shape, the fields serve to insulate the Temple, keeping the accumulated power inside. Additional power enters through the opening at the top and is held within.

This "closed" form is primarily useful for projects involving the use of powers embodied in the Tablets. Astral explorations, charging of talismans, initiatory works, etc. involving the known Enochian powers all receive a tremendous boost through the use of the Temple.

Moving the altars outside the Temple causes the fields to take on a second shape. The altars are placed on lines passing through the center of the Temple and the diagonally opposing pairs of Kerubic pillars, at a distance from the nearest pillar equal to the distance between the centers of the opposing pillars. As they are moved, the altars drag with them the fields surrounding the Temple, causing them to open up and spread out into a circular, concave formation, curving upwards as they spread out so that at their outermost extent they pass just above the tops of the altars.

Viewed from within the Temple, the fields appear to be composed of numerous concentric rows of overlapping, petal-like shapes. Typically the three or four rows closest to the Temple appear to be solid and opaque, with several additional rows of an increasingly transparent and ethereal appearance. There is no clearly defined outermost row; the fields gradually merge into the general background of the astral environment. Each of these petals embodies energies from a single extraterrestrial source; many of these sources are within the perimeter of our solar system, but many more connect our system with other creative schemes. When examined individually, each petal will be seen to have inscribed upon it a symbolic character or sigil of some sort. These sigils are the key to using the Temple as a gate to the creative schemes the petals embody.

In recent years, the Enochian angels have presented me with a view of existence in which the universe is not a single, unified creation. Rather, it is composed of a myriad of "creative spheres", in each of which a unique pattern or scheme is being developed out of the unlimited potential of the Tao, the underlying "stuff" out of which all things arise. These creative spheres are usually (but not always) synonymous with individual solar systems; a given system in its entirety expresses a single scheme. The planets and lesser bodies within the system express specialized aspects of the scheme, and are connected by a shared structure of "planes" and "qualities"; each planetary scheme reflects in itself all the other planetary schemes within the larger solar scheme. But there is no common interstellar scheme; certain fundamental qualities of matter are shared by all, but these are a small part of the themes expressed by any solar system.

The Enochian magick has an unusual and ambiguous place in this view. While it is anchored in our planet, it is not an intrinsic part of the Earth scheme; nor is it fully a part of the scheme of our solar system. Its most overt aspects are closely connected with these local schemes, but behind this are layered other aspects, many of which appear to have no obvious relationship to anything else within our sphere. The magick does appear to have connections to all things in the universe, as the angels stated to Dee.

These hidden aspects, unlike the overt aspects of the system, do not seem to have any structure or organization. It is as if the creator of the system had built an attractor for magickal forces, yet made no effort to control how those forces linked to his magnet. Their connection to the squares of the Tablets is random, chaotic. Penetration of a particular hidden aspect seems dependent in equal parts upon luck, circumstance, and the nature of the magician, with no guarantees that the feat will be repeatable. Use of the Temple partially alleviates this problem; the reason is fourfold.

First, by rearranging the ordered hierarchy of a Tablet into a three-dimensional form, the inherent ordering of the Tablet is extended into dimensions it did not previously touch. A certain formalism is imposed upon the forces so that, at least insofar as they connect to the Enochian magick, they must conform to the rules of interaction within that system. This means that the magician can now deal with these subtle connections using methods similar to those by which he interacts with the angels of the Tablets, rather than having to haphazardly feel his way into a new relationship each time.

Second, the field generated by the magickally-charged Temple has a sorting effect upon the subtle connections. When viewed in relation to the two-dimensional Tablets, the connections have the appearance of a twisted tangle of threads surrounding the Tablets, a hairball of magickal forces in which any given connection can be followed for only a short distance before disappearing in the mass. The field acts to straighten these threads of connection and sweep them into a pattern of radial symmetry. The most powerful connections at a particular moment in time form the petals of the lotus around the Temple.

Third, the Temple provides a magickal battery, the power of which can be used to strengthen the connections between the Temple and the source of a magickal thread, amplifying its effect and making its nature easier to perceive.

Fourth, the energy held within the Temple is in a state of perfect balance, and is highly sensitive to small changes. Under the direction of the magician, the energy can be influenced by the force of a given thread or petal, causing it to take a form reflecting the creative scheme of the thread's source-sphere. By the rules of similarity and correspondence, this creates a "gate" through which the magician can pass into that source-sphere.

Obtaining a sigil

1. Begin by ensuring that your Temple is fully charged. If you have not used it lately, it is worthwhile to spend a few days invoking all the Tablet names and channeling the force into the corresponding parts of the Temple. If the Temple has seen recent use then invoking the general Call of the element, the three Names of God, and the Elemental King several times should be sufficient to compensate for any recent losses.

2. Stand in the center of the Temple. Feel the field of force surrounding it, and concentrate on it until you can sense its shape, like a huge closed flower bud with the Temple inside it. If you are capable of seeing it directly with your astral vision, all the better.

3. Cause the altars of the Lesser Angles to move radially outwards, as described above. As you do this, the field surrounding the Temple should unfold like a flower. The field will probably stretch and tear, and dissolve for a few moments into a welter of disconnected lines. But shortly it should settle again into a new form, with the appearance of a many-petaled lotus surrounding the Temple at ground level, curving upwards slightly in a shallow dish-shape.

4. Without moving from the center of the Temple, turn and survey the petals. Look for one that appears to stand out from the rest, which seems sharper or more easy to see. This petal will be one whose power is high at the moment, and with which your nature is already partially "in tune". Thus its source-sphere will be more readily contacted and entered. Once you become accustomed to using the Lotus, you can pick out any petal and amplify it to easy visibility.

5. Move to the petal and examine it closely. Just below the tip you should see drawn an abstract figure, a sigil. Memorize this figure and return your awareness to your physical body.

6. Record the sigil in your magickal notes for future reference. Make another copy of it on a blank piece of paper for immediate study.

Using the sigil

I find that it is best not to obtain the sigil and then try to use it in the same session, or even in separate sessions on the same day. This seems to result in confused and senseless visions. Until you have sufficient experience with the technique to judge what works for you, I would recommend not doing so.

7. Study your copy of the sigil and practice visualizing it until you can hold its image steady in your mind for several minutes.

8. Meditate on the physical copy of the sigil. Silence your mind and focus your attention on it completely for a few minutes. Then relax your attention a bit. See what sorts of feelings, sensations, images, and ideas it calls up in you. Do not record these or focus on them; simply note them in passing and then allow them to fade again.

Through this meditation process, you are acclimating yourself to the sigil's source-sphere. Remember that you are attempting to contact a scheme that is partially or completely alien to the one you are familiar with, and you must adjust your perceptions to match before you can see it with any clarity.

It may be that during the meditation you call up feelings and ideas that seem very bizarre in comparison with your normal perceptions. It is important to remember that these are not the result of something in yourself, nor are they representative of the nature of the sigil's sphere. Rather, they are an indication of a conflict between your normal perceptions and those intrinsic to the source-sphere. The best way to deal with them is to open yourself to them and allow them to wash over you until they fade again of their own accord. The fading indicates that you have accomplished a degree of attunement in the area of conflict.

9. When you are thoroughly comfortable with the sigil, set it aside and do some non-magickal activities for a while.

10. Return to your Temple, again making sure that it is fully charged.

11. Vibrate the name of the Elemental King until the beam of light in the center of the Temple is at a high intensity. Then, using a wand or your finger, draw the sigil within the beam at shoulder height. This should cause the petal with that sigil to become brighter and clearer.

Move to the petal and stand on it. Feel power moving out of the Temple and into the petal, and then rising to engulf you. Try to attune yourself to the feel of this energy. Feel the energy continue to rise above your head and stretch outwards into space as a rope or ribbon of light, eventually connecting to the source-sphere of the petal's energy.

At some point along the path, the ribbon will pass through a gate, door, or wall. This represents the point where the influence of the Enochian magick ceases, and the powers of the source-sphere take full control. Pass through this gate as your ingenium dictates, and move into the alien sphere you want to visit.

Sometimes, drawing the sigil in the King's beam is sufficient to open a gate. The landscape visible through one of the open sides of the Temple will change, or the entire Temple will seem to be transported to a new location. If this happens, make use of it, and do not attempt to use the petal as described above.

12. At the gate, or immediately after passing through it, you should meet a guardian or guide. If you do not, wait until one appears before proceeding. Test the being who appears; all such beings will respond positively to the pentagrams of Spirit, and should be able to return the LVX signs without difficulty. Other tests may suggest themselves to you at the moment of the encounter.

Note that while the petal being explored is connected with a Temple of an elemental Tablet, neither the source-sphere nor the guardians need partake of the nature of that element. You are working here with the hidden, non-elemental aspects of the Tablets. If the being chooses to take on a symbolic form, it will generally reflect the nature of the sphere, or a mixture of that sphere with the Earth-sphere.

These beings may at times attempt to test you, or demand that you perform some activity that will further attune you to the alien sphere. Follow these demands as your nature dictates, but do not attempt to force an entry into the sphere. If you find that you cannot in good conscience follow the guardian's demands, then return to your Temple and end the vision. Wait a few days, and then try again. Sometimes a second attempt will not require the same tasks as the first.

13. Allow the guardian to guide your explorations on the first entry into the sphere. They will give you some general information about the sphere, indicate something of its basic structure, and provide you with an assemblage of symbols related to it. In later explorations, you can use this information to explore without the guide's assistance. Continue the session until the guide indicates he is finished, or you begin to feel strain, fatigue, or signs of mental confusion.

14. Before leaving the guide, he should give you his name. The gematria value of the name should in some way reflect on the nature of the sphere, or the nature of the guide. Additionally, he should give you a talisman, about five inches in diameter. One side of this talisman will show the sigil of the sphere, possibly with some additional detail. The other side of the talisman will show a table, usually having five rows of letters with the top and bottom rows having three letters and the middle rows showing five. Make careful note of the letters shown in this table, and record them when you complete the vision. The guide may suggest some actions to take with the talisman to fix its power permanently.

15. Return to your Temple and erase the sigil from the King's beam to close the gate. Take any suggested actions with the talisman. Pull the altars back within the Temple to close the lotus. Finally, close the Temple as you are wont to do, and end the vision.

Further remarks

It is important that you preserve any talisman given to you in a secure place on the astral plane. The set of directly accessible petals changes gradually over time, following a complex cycle; the petal for a given source-sphere may not be visible when you attempt to make a later visit. You can use the talisman to cause it to temporarily re-appear during its out-of-phase periods. Do this either by wearing the talisman as a lamen and standing in the King's beam, or by simply placing it on the floor of the Temple in the beam.

Further, a physical representation of the talisman will provide an anchor for the energies of the source-sphere, enabling you to achieve a degree of contact with it without the need to return to the Temple.

Even though the letters on the back of the talisman may appear to form "words", the magician should not attempt to speak or vibrate them. The letters actually form a symbolic matrix, in which the relationship of each to all letters surrounding it is important. A linear interpretation of the matrix -- using the letters as words -- cannot express all the necessary relationships present.

Four of the events described in the method above -- the gate, the guardian, the guardian's name, and the talisman are "standard" features of exploring the lotus. These all occurred in my own explorations without expectation or other prompting on my part. They can be expected to appear in some form in most visions of the petals. The beings involved in my explorations say that the talisman in particular is an essential part of any successful vision.

However, it can be expected that there will be exceptions to these rules. These will mostly occur in instances where the sphere or power contacted is not, in fact, alien to our own sphere. Among these may be incidents of contact with other spheres within the solar system, contacts with unusual aspects of the Enochian creation itself, and contacts stemming from alien influences already acting within the Earth's sphere.

As well, since many of these connections are to truly alien spheres, the magician loses most of the means by which the validity of the vision can be judged. The traditional Tree of Life and its correspondences do not apply, nor do the symbols of astrology or the usual human pantheons. The only means remaining is the self-consistency of the information provided in the vision, and it will often take several visits to a given sphere before the magician has sufficient information to judge in that manner. This being the case, a detached attitude towards the results, a suspension of judgment, becomes very important.

As a general rule, the petals in the ring closest to the Temple will represent sphere that have the highest degree of resonance with our local system. These will thus be the easiest to contact and the easiest to understand. I would recommend that practitioners limit themselves to the three innermost rings of petals for some time before attempting to explore those in rings further out.