Israel Regardie - The Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic.pdf

VOLUME EIGHT
Altar of the Vault of Christian Rosenkreutz. One leg of the table should coincide with the
Eastern point of the top which later should be coloured in exact representation of the Altar, and
the legs should be black. (A table may have the regular painted top, and others removable,
painted for special purposes. N.O.M.) If desired, the magical Operator, the better to isolate him
or herself, may trace any convenient magical circle of defence upon the floor (consonant with the
force he desires to invoke) wherein to sit while employing the working of the Tripod. (Note: A
circle may consist of a tape and on it at certain places, Telesma or pentacles may be placed. N.O.
M.) The mode of Operation is as here followeth.
The table should be placed with the same orientation as the Altar in the Vault; one leg,
which we will call the apex of the triangle formed by the legs, being placed at the Eastern point
as regards the design upon the top thereof. The Operator will usually, if working alone, find it
best to be seated either at the Western part of the table, or at the point immediately opposite to
that of the Force to be evoked. Let him then place his hands on the top of the table towards each
side thereof. After a certain time, the length of which will depend upon varying conditions, the
Tripod will begin to tilt up and down; and in some cases even a species of explosive knocks may
be heard, which ariseth from a more sudden transmission of astral force from the cone of
reception to the table. Now remember that the movements of the table should be really the
combined product of the Operator and the communicating Force, always supposing that the
Operator be not obsessed by the Force invoked, nor voluntarily self-deceiving. And the
philosophical explanation is of a similar principle to that of the Disc and Ring: only that in this
instance self-deception is even yet more easy.
For the reception of communications by the Tripod some convenient preconceived plan
of correspondences between the tilts of the table and the letters of the alphabet or simple words
should be employed.
This form of magical operation is usually found to be more exhausting than the
employment of the Ring and Disc, seeing that a greater amount of astral Force has to be
employed in the operation. Not only one but several persons may take part in this operation by
the Tripod, but in such cases they should partition among them the points of the table
corresponding either to their natures, or to the Forces with which each intendeth to ally himself.
If there be three persons, let them take Air, Fire and Water, leaving Earth vacant. If five persons,
the Spirit and the four elements, the Spirit being at the point of the East. If six or seven persons
the points of the hexagram and so on, according to the quarters that they occupy, so as always to
form some intentionally and not accidentally equilibrated symbol. Now in the case of several
persons taking part, each one will form his own cone. The synthesis will form together another
Great Cone enclosing the whole, and so a large amount of force may be thus obtained. But also,
careful watch should be kept against both obsession and self-deception.
The greatest harmony should prevail among the Operators for the least discordant feeling
will produce some error or disruption. And remember that in working with the
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