ARABIA MOUNTAIN WORKING APRIL 29, 2012
The Great Arabia Mountain Working began the season (March-November) for 2012 on April 29, 2012, with an episcopal consecration, a workshop on the "undocumented points chauds" discovered in the course of the Working, points Work, a healing circle. Congregational Illuminism continues to expand its free metaphysical Work, open to all through such gatherings, local bodies and our presence on Facebook Causes.
Congratulations to Tau Palamas upon his consecration on Arabia Mountain, during a gathering of free illuminists on 29 April 2012. Members of at least 3 Congregational Illuminist chartered local bdies were present for a healing circle, "undocumented points chauds" Workshop, points Working as well as the consecration of Tau Palamas by Tau Sir Hasirim, Tau Dositheos and Shin Sashia assisting.
Beloved Brothers and Sisters in the Light,
I would like to report on my experience on Arabia Mtn this past weekend. As all true initiations, it is still going on in terms of illumination, but I will go ahead and post what I'm feeling thus far.
Firstly, let me assure you that this report is delivered without the slightest amount of hubris as I have entered this stream somewhere around the student/probationer stage...I am a noobie. Be that as it may, since the consecration and points empowerments, I have experienced a compelling amount of clarity about things that ultimately are beyond me and my scope of study. I'm not sure if the ideas I am about to put forth have any far reaching significance, but in the least they are significant to me.
· Our Consecration opens the priest/priestess to this system's holistic nature and frees us from piecemeal thinking. When the Consecration "takes", then the overarching sense received is akin to advaita--Free Illuminism takes shape as a whole.
· The points chauds are sufficiently elastic to allow for individualized interpretation
· The points chauds have a direct relationship to the Memphis+Misraim degrees on a deep level. The numbers, degree references, places on the body, etc, are not, therefore arbitrary--yet they are wide ranging and encompass mystery traditions of the East and the West
· Each point has a word to be vibrated with it. Following the Western Mystery Traditional practice of always invoking the Highest first-- this will, in general, be the Sacred Word of the Degree. (Strongly vibrate the Sacred Word thrice while giving the point) This could be further extended to group work by having the group circle about the one receiving the point and vibrating in unison, possibly even using overtone chanting to call upon angelic harmonies. Additionally, the point can be re-activated later on away from the group by vibrating the SW in a self-initiatory way.
· Each point/degree has a battery or series of knocks. These could be used in an invoking manner before the empowerment to summon the intelligence connected with the point. Reference the "Mass of the Phoenix" for an example of using the knocks with a bell or gong as on option.
· The token or grip of the degree is the seal--the cork or stopper on the container of the body where the hot point is activated. This can be given directly after point is given as a formal closure to the activation.
· The sign is used to "test the spirits" in scrying the point. For example, in the 59th* you, "place the open right hand below the eyes, thumb erect and forming a square on the temple" (Compleat Rite of Memphis, Greenfield, p120). When scrying the 59th point and you come across an entity, test the entity by giving the appropriate degree sign. If he is a trickster or astral baddie, he or it will dissolve when sign is given. Otherwise, it may give you a word, phrase or open a gate or door, etc.
· The points may induce a sigil. For example, as I received the 97th, a clear image surfaced in my mind. Not sure if it is a collection of points that will cause this or if maybe each point has its own. Also they may be very individual and elastic. (See below image of the sigil)
I hope this adds to the overall body of experience with this wonderful free flowing system! Thank you to all involved.
Pax,
+Palamas
INITIAL HOMILY PREPARED FOR CONSECRATION TO THE ASSEMBLED FREE ILLUMINISTS FROM CONSECRATION ROCK, ARABIA MOUNTAIN, APRIL 29, 2012
April 29th, 2012 Arabia Mtn., Lithonia Ga
Episcopal Consecration Homily
By Father Palamas
+In the Name of the Father, and of the Mother and of the Holy Spirit.
I am so overwhelmed and full of joy at this gathering. It is truly an auspicious event. This year marks the eleventh year of my formal involvement in the Western Mystery Tradition, beginning on the night of 9-11-01, when I became an Entered Apprentice Freemason the very same day that the Twin Towers fell in New York City. It was a night full of mystery and it was the culmination of much “head work” on my part-study and research, that lead me to the Temple of Masonry. Eleven is certainly an important number in the world of Magick. I recall that night very well. We were sitting in the Fellowship Hall finishing dinner before ascending the steps to the preparation room and Lodge room proper, when the Worshipful Master stood up and brought us all to attention with the clinging of his fork with his glass of sweet tea, saying, “Many of you called me today to ask if we would still meet tonight after the horrible events in our country today. My response to you then and to all of you present is that we most certainly will and more especially because of today’s events. We will join in Freedom and Solidarity to welcome a new brother into the Temple of Liberty.” And now, here we are meeting in Free Communion-eleven years after, continuing the search for Light and the work of Service to Others.
Often I am asked by friends what I’m currently working on, as I am usually involved in some study or practice that seems exotic to them. Once such friend, who is now an Episcopal Priest, Fr. Josh, would always ask questions that were leading towards, “…so what’s the point?” I call this approach, the “So What? Test.” There are many reasons and causes that have led me here today but I want to focus on one in particular that most fully expounds upon my answer to the “So What? Test”.
One day, my friend Mike caught me doing something odd with my fingertips at Gardunos restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was around 15 years ago on a camping trip across America after graduating from college. He was use to my craziness and simply said, “Whatcha doing with your fingers there?” And so, I showed him-when you take your thumb and index finger and get them extremely close together, yet not quite touching, you can sense an electrical charge or pulse, like in Reiki. You can imagine how this Civil Engineer out of Ga. Tech responded to this, yet I was in earnest and steadfast in my conviction that there was something to it.
Several years later, after my Masonic endeavors began, I found myself blindfolded and on my knees at the home of Chic and Tabby Cicero! Have I piqued your imaginative curiosity yet? I was experiencing/receiving the Neophyte Grade of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. At the apogee, the zenith moment of that degree, where the officers are raising their vibratory rate to a fever pitch and the whole temple is about to burst into a spiritual orgasm of light, while the Hierophant brings down that light into the Aspirant’s sphere-I felt a surge that began as a hair standing tingle on the scalp and descended into a cascading current down my neck and spine that caused me to loose my balance a bit! Chic’s response to the description later on was a knowing smile.
A couple of years later, I was beginning a Graduate program @ Naropa University, a Buddhist College in Boulder CO. It was an intensive summer program in Contemplative Education that included meditation 2-3 times a day, yoga, tai chi and various Dharma Arts. This particular day, I was taking the introductory Qi Gong class from an elderly Mandarin gentleman who was reportedly one of the first to bring Tai Chi and Qi Gong to the United States. He was a lovely man, gentle and joyous to be around. After holding animal postures as long as possible we took a break and I approached him with a singular question-“Why are my feet on fire!” He smiled and put his arm around me, while I rubbed on my feet that genuinely felt hot. He gestured to the man next to me and said, “This man here has been in training with me for the past 8 years and has not felt this yet and here you get it in the 1st lesson!” He put me in a headlock and ruffled my hair continuing, “Oh, but don’t you get the big head about it, everyone has this-you just got lucky and were receptive today!” “What is it?” I asked incredulously. “Qi, Chi, Ruach, Spirit…whatever you need to call it”.
A few years later, back at the Ciceros, I was asking Chic for some personal instructions with the Middle Pillar exercise as I wasn’t really getting that much out of it outside of frightening my ex-wife with weird vibratory sounds. He suggested that the problem lie in my failure to strongly visualize the descent of light. So, a few weeks after this instruction I tried it again with his suggestions on a lonely stretch of beach in Florida that bordered a preserve. It was a full moon and I was completely alone. The practice clicked!. As I drew the light back up my spine, towards the end of the practice, aligning my breathing with my visualization until the light reached my head-suddenly the light burst from my crown into a shower of electricity and chills covering my body like a poncho. It brought tears to my eyes…they were healing tears. I was in a failed marriage and the light began the break out of it.
There are many other points in between where this has occurred as well, but these experiences have had their culmination more recently in a practice that my new wife and I have developed. Our love for each other is explosive and contagious. Once we got together my wife quickly identified two power spots on our property, one we call the vortex, where we place our hands-one up and one down over each others-within a circle, and charge each other up like the positive and negative poles of a battery. Then we bring that energy to a third party-a friend or someone in need who comes to visit us and let the energy flow to them. The results have ranged from absolute peace in one man who can be rather type A-he immediately went to the couch and silently slipped into a peaceful sleep-to streams of tears from a woman who has suffered through an abusive relationship. She fell to her knees and bathed in the light for quite a few moments.
And so this brings me to the “So What? Test”. What is all of this about? Is it simply to feel the heebie jeebies running up and down my spine? Is it only for self knowledge? Are all of these initiations and ordinations and today’s consecrations about fortifying the fortress of the Self? The answer is self-evident. This light-this creative, healing and consecrating reservoir of energy is meant to be given freely to others. Like the Paschal Candle at Easter that lights all of the other candles of the parishioners attending-the source of this light is not in the least bit diminished by the spreading and sharing of itself. So today I fully receive this Light and Consecration in Free Communion so that I may turn around and freely give it to others.
+++Gloria Patri, et Matri, et Spiritus et Sanctus, Amen
Click to viewFREQUENTLY UPDATED LIST OF LODGES, TEMPLES, NODES - CLICK HERE
OUR PRIMARY INTERNET PUBLIC PRESENCE ON CAUSES - CLICK HERE