Kabbalah-of-the-Golden-Dawn-Pat-Zalewski - D Ank Unlimited

The Early Books 41
wassingularly important. Apart from the experiences of Enoch, the next
most important experience allotted to Merkabah is the Vision of Ezekiel.
A more modem viewpoint would term this an exploration of "Innet
Space" in which the Kabbalist through special meditational techniques
attempts to go through a series of projection workings where his visionary
expressions accord with his teachings. These various archetypes, of
course, varied from individual to individual, but since they were confined
within certain belief structures many similarities between the visions
would occur. This Inner Space concept was taken further by Golden
Dawn Adepti who adopted the Merkabah concept to suit their own special
needs, as shown in the following lecturer'!
The symbol, place, direction, or Plane being known
whereon it is desired to act, a thought ray is sent to the
corresponding part of the Sphere of Sensation of the
Nephesch.V The thought ray is sent like an arrow from
the bow, right through the circumference of the Sphere
of Sensation direct unto the place desired. Arrived there,
a sphere of Astral Light is formed by the agency of the
Lower Will, illuminated by the Higher Will, and acting
through spiritual consciousness by reflection along the
thought ray. This sphere of Astral Light is partly drawn
from the surrounding atmosphere.
The Sphere being formed, a simulacrumv of the
person of the Skryer is reflected into it along the
thought ray, and this united consciousness is then projected
therein. This Sphere is then a duplicate by reflection,
of the Sphere of Sensation. As it is said, "Believe
thyself to be in a place and thou art there." In this Astral
projection, however, a certain part of the consciousness
must remain in the body to protect the thought ray
beyond the Sphere of sensation (as well as the sphere
itself at that point of departure from the thought ray)
from attack by any hostile force, so that the consciousness
in this projection is not quite so strong as the consciousness
when concentrated in the Natural Body in
ordinary Life.
I! This is from an unnamedand undated lecture from Whare Ra temple, copied by Taylor inro his
diary notes in the late 1920s. It appears to be in the style of Mathers, but this is speculation.
11 Part of the Kabbalistic Soul which will be discussed in a later chapter.
" There are a number of definitions of this word but generally one takes it to mean the astral body.