This matter is prioritized in the following manner: The items/methods which I think vital to any charging of the Glyph are listed first, immediately below. Following that, I include things which probably aren't neccesary, but are highly desirable. The last category represents items of nuance, untested/unproved ideas and other embellishments. Please note these are my opinions only and that I offer them on no greater authority than my own experience, learning and, in some cases, blatant intellectual bias. Note also that these remarks apply to physical manipulations on the material plane and need not apply to any physical chargings which are dealt with in another paper: "Suggested Guidelines for Charging the Glyph in Assiah".
0. NONREASSIGNMENT. The attributions of the gyph's points shall not be reassigned, i.e., putting Venus where Jupiter ought to go, etc.
1. CIRCUMAMBULATION. The glyph must be drawn in some manner, either utterly in the mind's-eye or via a finger, say, pointing at anything from a purely symbolic representation or a satellite map.
2. INCLUSION. All points, including the center must be addressed in some way.
3. INVERSIONIS. The glyph should not, (at this time, anyway) be charged or used during that period between the Winter's Solstice and the Spring's Equinox. During this time, it should only be visualized as quietly gathering strength and momentum. The color lavender-chased-with-gold should figure heavily in any visualization. It would not be out of line to offer 30 seconds of this visualisation at every meeting or three, 6-12 times during the inversionis.
4. ORDERING. It must also be drawn completely, preferably in the (sunwise) manner prescribed by the G.'.D.'. Hexagram Ritual. * If not in that order, it might be dealt with as a large circle, being traversed sunwise, as was the case in the original construction rite. An exception to this would arise if one is attempting to prokove a certain power of the glyph, in which case the method of reversing the second triangle would be used.
5. VISUALIZATION. This must play the greatest role, as this is being constructed in an astral sense foremost. If persons so inclined and capable would wish to interact with the glyph in an astral body than it should be so.
1. SIMILARITIES. The addressing of each point ought to resemble that of all the other points as they are addressed or envisioned in Assiah. It is especially encouraged that the temples of the planets be built and embellished upon.
2. TIMELINESS. Some attention ought be given to the Timing of the rite, but there is not a clear connection, I think, in the timing of the world of Assiah and that of Yetsirah. Solo rites might well be set upon a day and/or hour with relative ease.
3. ANCHORS ought to be present in the physical sense, for the purpose of attaching the correspondences. The Key is very desirable to use in connection with a rite performed by most or all of the available aprticipants.
4. PREPATORY EXERCISES should be undergone by all concerned as a way of synching their minds and energies to each others and to the task. The Wards Adamant or Middle Pillar exercise is recommended.
5. TEMPLES. Temples should always be visualized with their agreed-upon constructions, or with minor, personal variations upon them.
6. INCENSE appropriate to the Sun or to the particular planets ought be burned, at least in minute quantities.
1. Music might be played. I have envisioned a tape which contains the timing remarks for the Citadel Rousing, followed by seven cuts of music, each appropriate to the sphere and, preferably, in a meaningful order.
2. Short versions (2-3 minutes duration) and longer ones (4 and up) should both exist, with the short ones being performed at every meeting. If the equinoxes, midpoints and solstices were each honored by a "holiday practice", it could be performed in Yetzirah.
3. A large design might be generated which symbolically represents and mnemonically guides the participants in their visualizations.
To expand upon point 2 in the above paragraph, we'd need a set of rites appropriate to a variety of circumstances and numbers of participants. I'd summarize these as Solo Rites (just what the name implies), Short Formula & Long Formula Rites (for 2-7) and Occaisional Rites (2+ participants, upon solar occaisions). All of these rites charge the Greater glyph through manipulations of a smaller representative, the Lesser Glyph. This Lesser Glyph might be anything from a tattoo in one's hand (not recommended at this stage) to an arrangement of altars in an outdoor temple setting.
At this point, it also occurs to me to think about what size group would be ideal to this sort of working. I cannot imagine 12 dedicated folks being able to get along well enough to be useful, so I'm left with 6 and 7 being ideal numbers for a group maximum, knowing that even that many people would be hard to coordinate. I can see the utility of having one individual for each planet and perhaps one to function as the Sun. The possibilities magnify.
The simplest Solo Rite might consist of six or seven tokens by which the points may be represented. To have these tied up with a compass in a linen marked with some representation of the glyph would be a veritable "tool-kit". Along these same lines, I'm reminded of phylacteries and various gimcracks sported by sundry orthodox adherents. I flashed upon an idea that involves affixing the image of the glyph in the bottom of a tin cigarette box, while attaching a compass to the inner lid. Trippy little stash box, eh?
Such small props (the Lesser Glyphs) would be the visual aids/yantra for a brief ceremony as might be designed by the individual but which should at least include visualizations of walking the lines of the glyph, color and number correspondences, 7 spoken orisons and 7 planetary tokens.
Using my cigarette-tin outlined above, I might extract the seven tokens from within and arrange them about my place of meditation in accordance with the dictates of the compass. I would then invoke the six planetary critturs, whether they be Olypmic Spirits, Graeco-Roman god-forms or whomever as one might envision the archangels of the quarters, calling the Sun up last. My visualizations of their presences would include color, and number. Perhaps a view of the god-form coming upon the scene of the particular altars we have already visualized at each point. I might then imagine myself walking along the vertices, honoring each god-form before returning to the center, where I might, say, have my grosser elements burned away at the Temple of Apollo. I would dismiss the forms and recollect the tokens into the box.
A Short Formula, for closing a particular meeting of some or all of the interested parties, might involve laying out a tile, linen or other Lesser Glyph, placing the Key Peice at it's center, then taking turns drawing the Gyph with an extended forefinger, all the while uttering the appropriate verse from the final charging. Tokens and batteries might be incorporated as well. This formula is designed to honor the minimum requirements of the rite while not taking too very long or requiring any memorization. A fair-sized panel might be contrived which not only holds a representation of the Glyph but also the associated line from the "Solar Verse" of the Closing Rite of Sol. This tile or linen might be reversible, in that an inverse design might be made on one side and used in connection with rites held in the inversionis.
Long formulas represent either more elaborate versions of the Short formula given above, else they are designed for outdoor activity involving a fair number of individuals. One rite I've pondered would involve six lamp-stands or somesuch (each quite suggestive of their planetary significance) arranged in a circle perhaps 20' across. This Lesser Glyph could be actually circumambulated after tying it, in potentia et spiritu, to the Greater Glyph. Anything from an elementary circle-casting-sort of affair to a full-scale mystery play could be performed within the confines of this arrangement.
Lastly, we have the Occaisional Rites, which must be performed at Solstice and Equinox, it being recommended that a Long Formula take place at the midpoints. Each occaision is teated differently, with the midpoint between the Winter's solstice and the Spring's Equinox being the "deadest" insofar as any charging of the glyph would go. Second "deadest" would be the Winter Solstice itself. The suggested order and theme of events is offered as follows:
At the Spring Equinox, the Sun is born. A circumambulation of the Greater Glyph is in order. This is an occaision marked by a light-hearted, yet fairly sober sense of purpose, without wild partying and carrying on. If the two-sided tile is used as above, the tile is flipped from its "dormant" side unto its "active" side. Mercury would be a natural guide to any festivities, and so, arts of magick might be planned or begun.
At May Day, a Long Formula takes place, perhaps during other festivities. It's theme would not have to be overtly sexual (as Pagan practices sometimes are) but then again . . . It probably wouldn't hurt for the Glyph Magicians to arrange their temple privately and use it in whatever manner might be arranged among themselves and their liasons. This all could easily have a cast of Venus to it.
Upon the Summer's Solstice, the Sun King comes into his power. This is the biggest, most formal event, representing both the "birthday" of the Glyph and the beginning of the period of strongest influence, the maturity of the energies gathered. A circumambulation is called for, as is an Yetziratic working of some scale and complexity. If someone developed a mystery-play format, this would be the best opportunity to use it, either in the Greater or the Lesser Glyph. Contests, big fires and large parties (not neccesarily one's own) are appropriate as well. This is the Sol of Sol holiday.
Lammas would hold a fairly generic Long Formula, celebrating the Sun in it's continuing strength. Mars could provide a good theme for this time.
The Fall's Equinox is much the same, with a circumambulation, an Yetsiratic rite and a harvest-party all combined. Music is especially appropriate. This is all rather Jovial in character.
Samhain marks the period of "inevitable decline" and preparation for dormancy. A fairly somber rite might be planned or a presentation given in association with another community event. Saturn obviously rules rites designed for this occaision.
Winter's Solstice marks the point at which the power of the gyph becomes inactive. If the two-sided tile is used as above, the tile would be flipped such that the "dormant" side is up. This rite could lawfully have some Lunar overtones, for the moon is often the only evidence of the sun's presence in the night.
The planetary metaphors given above seem to suggest themselves quite naturally to me, and as such leaves us with the midpoint between the Winter's Solstice and the Spring's Equinox as the odd man out. Upon this occaision, (if it be marked at all) The Glyph should only be remarked upon as a "slumbering giant", ready to rise into action at the designated time. It should not be visualized, except as a dim web of slow-moving forces, perhaps emanating from six brilliant points. I feel inclined to say that any scheme which admits of reincarnation of a life must also have a token of Death or of the bardo, and the holiday called Candlemas would not function badly for this. This, to me, is the time of dreaming, planning, "thinking up the world" in the time before the world begins again.
These above outlines are, of necessity, fairly general in character and are offered to provide a sort of framework upon which to hang an infinite number of cloaks, so to speak. It is hoped that much is added in addition to these remarks, and that other chargings of the Glyph might occur at any time save that of the inversionis.
* There is certainly room here for the use of the Unicursal Hexagram, but, as the points are assigned differently, a study needs to be undertaken and a report written to detail the remarks.
This page is part of The Companions of the Glyph Website.