Saturday, February 21, 2009

Renovating the Astral Temple

Last year, when working my way through the JM Greer book "Learning Ritual Magic" I created an/my astral temple. The book described what the temple was to look like and the instructions were to practice visualizing the space, and then using it for ritual. As I recall, I had some trouble with the visualizations, until I thought to reach out and touch the furnishings and the walls of the temple, itself. After that, it was easy, I was there. It was a real place and exactly as described in the book-except perhaps for the size. There was no mention of size in the book, and when I told DH of my pacing out the walls, he was surprised at just how big the space was. Other than that, everything that I described to him was familiar. It was a ritual magic/Golden Dawn style temple.



Over the last few weeks, it has been changing. At first, I wasn't aware of my changing it, and I was concerned. But now that the renovations are, if not completed, at least at a resting point, I can see how this new temple fits me so much better.



It is still has the appearances of a human constructed space. But rather than a room, it is an open pavilion. The round floor is a black material, perhaps marble, and the domed roof is supported by a series of doubled pillars, so that there are 2 pillars with a narrow space between them, a large arched opening, then 2 more pillars, and another large arch, the pattern repeating itself all around the circle. The roof has an oculus, so it is open to the sky. Pillars and roof are white, again perhaps marble. The whole space is very to the outside, and airy. There are trees all around, but not so dense that light and space cannot be seen between them.

This is a comfortable and above all easy place for me to work. I suspect that the renovation project may not be finished, but at this point I am happy with it. Because, I suspect, it is mine.

7 comments:

Jason Miller, said...

I am mildly freaked out right now.

You have almost exactly described one of the rooms of my astral temple.

Lavanah said...

Interesting. And yeah, mildly freaky. But I'm not sure if I am totally surprised, now that I know.

Hibiscus Moon said...

Sounds like a gorgeous astral temple.

Lavanah said...

I've always worked in circles and spirals, when not working under someone elses specific instructions otherwise.

Soror Gimel said...

I am not at all surprised that by following a druids version of an astral temple, it morphs into something less... uhm humanly constructed. I have often thought that the Divine architect would have called for more trees in any decent temple :) More proof that the Work is an ever evolving process involving changing our own universes :)

Would it be too presumptous to start decorating them with silks...

Lavanah said...

The silks may show up. If and when they do, I won't be surprised if they are in glorious jewel tones, rather than black.

My tree circle (the one that is in the yard, and I have to protect from non-astral deer)doesn't seem to want furnishings of any sort, other than the compass rose center stone. The trees and the sky seem to be All. It can be breathtaking.

Lavanah said...

The silks may show up. If and when they do, I won't be surprised if they are in glorious jewel tones, rather than black.

My tree circle (the one that is in the yard, and I have to protect from non-astral deer)doesn't seem to want furnishings of any sort, other than the compass rose center stone. The trees and the sky seem to be All. It can be breathtaking.