Figuring Out Abramelin (A ‘How To’ Discussion)

Greetings Aspirants!

So we have entered another Abramelin season, and I’m getting more questions about how to properly perform the Rite.  (A little late for Easter, but it’s still good that folks are asking the right questions.)

The following exchange took place between me and (I believe) two different aspirants on the Abramelin Group at Yahoo.  It concerns Abraham’s take on religion, women, sex and even magickal timing.  If you’ve been wondering about these issues in the Abramelin Rite yourself, then perhaps this will be of some help:

See:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abramelin/message/1393

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/abramelin/message/1396

Thank you so much to everyone that replied. The reason I.m afraid to do it wrong is because someone posted in February that they done the operation and failed twice which is scary!

Most people who do the operation do not do it correctly. They bring to it everything they *think* the aleady know, and are convinced they can create a “better version” of the Rite by adding extra rituals, quiting early, praying to different gods, etc, etc. Or, just as often, they think they know what Knowledge and Conversation “really is” – and they are usually wrong – so they spend the entire time striving for the wrong goal.

I’m sure it is possible to fail at the Rite even if you do everything correctly.  My wife was considering undertaking it herself, but divinaions strongly suggested she not attempt it. However, barring a situation where your Guardian Angel (head spirit) simply says “no”, I couldn’t imagine anyone failing if they keep to the Rite as it is presented and put aside their ill-informed opinions about how it “shoudl work” or what it “really means.”

 These warnings and those in the text are really good to be mindful of and I appreciate being told and reminded. 
 
I’ve never been known to have problems with reading comprehension but I find the text very hard to make sense of. I’ve read both translations several times and I’m still not clear on it being acceptable for people of any religion to perform the Abramelin.

This is a sticky point in the system.  The German original states that the only person who cannot perform the Rite is a Jew who has converted to another religion.  The French version was modified to suggest that no one who has changed their birth religion can do it. 

The modern take is generally that one should not *deny* their birth religion,* but recognize that it contains truth and beauty like all religions at their core.  And since you were raised with it, and imprinted with it at an earyly age, it is important to ackowledge it even if you’ve moved on from it later in life.

(* Note that, in days past, it was necessary to publicly deny one’s birth religion as part of the conversion process.  It is much less common for that to be required today.)

Still, no matter how you slice it, the bottom line is that both versions of Abramelin say the same thing:  You don’t have to BE a Christian or Jew to perform the Rite, but you still basically have to accept that the Judeo-Christian God is indeed the One and Only Big Guy and anything else is false.

This is one of those very few places where I have to call bullshit on Abraham’s part.  Much like his claim that women must not perform the Rite.

You mention people praying to different Gods; the prayer (orison) in chapter 12 is clearly to the Judeo-Christian God and our confessional appeals are also addressed to Him.

Yes and no.  In its original context – you are correct (see above).

However, we are fortunate today that the Qabalah has spread into many different systems, and in many cases the Hebrew terms used are considered more like formula than as names of an actual bearded guy living in the clouds.  For example, you are told to pray to “Adonai Tzabaoth” – which literally translates as “Lord of Hosts.”  In other words, you are praying to the God in Charge of Angels and asking Him to send one of those Anegls to you.  It doesn’t matter who you personally think that Lord of Hosts “is” or “is not.”  The Great Spirit in charge of Angels is indeed who you have to pray to regardless of your personal religion.

 Also, we are commanded to keep Jewish holidays. It’s okay if you aren’t Jewish now – but you still need to pray to YVHV and observe His feasts.

Like all holidays, the Jewish ones are drawn from ancient pagan festivals.  Holidays are based on the movement of the heavens and the turn of the seasons.  Whether you call it “Ostara” or “Easter” or “Passove”, you’re still going to start the Operation at the same time of year and you’ll still be celebrating the Spring.

So, during this period, do you put aside your own faith and holidays?

No!  But you do need to understand that – ultimately – your holy days and the Jewish ones, and the Christian ones, and the Wiccan ones, etc, etc, etc are all basically the same thing.  Each religion puts their own window dressing on them, but your job is to see beneath that dressing to the core.

As an adept (which you are strivig to become), you should be able to walk into ANY place of worship in ANY religion, participate in the observances, and ACTUALLY MEAN IT.  Hang-ups about any one religion’s window dressing must be abolished.

 The 20th chapter makes it sound like those who perform the operation are obliged to worship YVHV for the rest of their lives, so perhaps conversion is implicit. Is that correct?

In its original context – I think it is.  But that is the bias of Abraham, not your HGA.  My own Guardian led me to Gnosticism, Shamanism, some Buddhism and the Golden Dawn without delay.  But I still confess and pray to the Lord of Hosts every Sunday.  (Sunday because I was raised Christian -see?)

 There are other topics I’m unclear on; I could go on Abraham’s comments on being a woman

Total BS from Abraham.  Not his fault – sign of the times.

or point 33 in the 20th chapter.

“(33) Take well heed during the six Moons or months to lose no blood from your body, except that which the expulsive virtue in you may expel naturally of its own accord.”

This troubles you?

In fact, I find this point kind of interesting.  He says in one place that women MUST NOT be given the Operation.  But, then, here at point 33 we see what appears to be an allowance for menstruation.  LOL

From what I can tell, the anti-woman thing comes strictly from Abraham himself, and not from the text Abramelin the Mage gave him.

I find both troubling, but the consensus now is that women can perform it anyway. Also, celibacy is recommended in the second period, however marital relations are permitted. (?)

Marital relations are allowed during the first portion of the Rite.  By the final phase, no sex at all.  Sex = spiritual heat, and you want to be as spiritually cool as possible.

Lastly, the rite should be commenced on the day following Passover for Jews or Easter for Christians, but can be begun at anytime. (?)

Yes, but I *strongly* suggest starting it at the recommended time.  Abramelin is a Solar Rite, and the given timing has you begin as the Sun begine to wax and end when the Sun begins to wane.  Doing it at another time removes you from that natural cycle.
 
I don’t want to create a better version or whatever, but even for someone who wants to be painstakingly observant, the text is so confusing it’s difficult to guess what’s required. I know others have figured it out, although many figure it wrong. I don’t want to set myself up for failure from the get-go.

Nike siad it best:  Just Do It.  As Abraham tells you, your Angel will appear at the end of it all and correct any mistakes you made.  Those corrections might take weeks, months or years – but if your heart is in it they will be corrected and you will achieve your goal.

LVX
Aaron