MAGICAL STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS:
SECRETS OF PATHWORKING
by Osborne Phillips

MODULE 8.1

http://www.aurumsolis.co.uk
E-mail: paracletian@tiscali.co.uk

Copyright © 2002 by Leon Barcynski
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without prior permission in writing of the author

MSC MODULE 8
Unit 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
MAGICAL POWERS

Pathworking is primarily a powerful mode of awakening and directing the inner faculties of the psyche for the purpose of spiritual progress and initiation. For this primary purpose, Pathworkings are most effective when performed in series – that is, in ascending sequence from the 32nd Path to the 25th Path. 
If the series is being worked for the first time, both forms of the 26th and 24th Paths will necessarily be included in their due sequence.
A series of Pathworkings of this kind is self-balancing within the pattern of the Tree of Life, and no concern need be felt with regard to the effects of any energies which may have been released by the workings and which may, for a time, have remained unassimilated.
Sometimes, however, it may be desirable, or necessary, to perform a particular Pathworking out of series, as follows:

Categories of selective working
	1 -- A group may decide to perform a Pathworking on the occasion of a reunion or similar gathering. Or an individual may feel a need to perform some particular Pathworking on account of an instinctive or intuitive impulse, with no desired result of the working either specified or even clearly known.
	2 -- An individual may decide to make use of a suitable Pathworking for the purpose of enhancing or developing his or her inner potential on some specific line, or in order to combat some inner weakness or defect. 
	3 -- An individual or a group may decide to use a Pathworking to help gain a purpose that is definably magical: that is, it is intended to produce change in the outer as well as the inner worlds. In that case, the use of a Pathworking will be supplemental to another operation that is of an actively magical nature and is directed to the same purpose.

	In order to determine which Path should be worked to further a given purpose, in either category 2 or 3 above, consideration should be made not only of the influences upon the Paths but also, with due regard, of the Spheres of commencement and destination.  
	The following is a general guide to some of the objectives for which the aid of Pathworking is most suitably sought in the two categories under consideration, with the recommended Paths for these purposes:

Category 2
For the individual operator
To gain access to particular sources of inner power

Constructive attitude in human affairs (for) – 28th Path
Depression, despondency, (to overcome) – 32nd Path
Diligence in acquiring a skill – 30th Path
Domineering, to overcome tendency to – 26th Path
Family disputes, to have healing influence in – 29th Path
Fear, to face one’s greatest – 27th Path
Fortitude generally (for) – 31st Path
Grief, to assimilate – 24th Path
Harmonious influence, to spread – 29th Path
Healing, power in (to gain) – 30th Path
Higher Self, to strengthen bond with – 25th Path
Inner conflicts: for insight to resolve one’s own – 24th Path
Inner conflicts: for understanding of other people’s – 24th Path
Intuition, general (to develop) – 32nd Path
Quarrels generally, for skill to avert – 27th Path
Selfishness, self-conceit, to overcome – 26th Path
Self-confidence, to develop – 25th Path
Spiritual progress, to promote – 25th Path
Studies, for application in – 28th Path

Category 3
For individual or for group
Pathworking used in conjunction with other working

(A – For specifically magical or spiritual objectives:)
		Alchemy, for all works of – 30th Path
		Assumption of God-forms – 25th Path
		Astral Projection, for general practice of – 25th Path
		Astrological work, to acquire intuition for – 28th Path
		Banishing, rites of, for psycho-spiritual equilibrium – 27th Path
		Body of Light, to strengthen (for Astral Projection) – 32nd Path
		Body of Light, to strengthen (for the Watcher) – 32nd Path
		Discipline, to enhance spiritual consciousness – 27th Path
		Exorcism, Sublimation – 26th Path
		Holy Guardian Angel, for invocation of – 25th Path
		Invisibility, rites of – 32nd Path
		Serpent-fire, Kundalini, arousal of – 31st Path
		Mirror Magick – 29th Path
		Noble Truths of Inner Vision, power to interpret – 30th Path 
		Past Life Recall, works concerning – 31st Path
	Prophetic insight, to gain or increase – 30th Path
		Protection of the home (rites for) – 26th Path
		Protection while travelling (rites for) – 25th Path
		Psychism, to gain or increase higher forms of – 25th Path
		Scrying, Crystal-gazing – 29th Path
		Sex Magick – 24th Path
		Visualization, to develop power of – 32nd Path
		Visualization, to fructify the creative power of – 30th Path
		
(B – For magical work related to life situations:)
		Adolescents, for understanding towards – 24th Path
		Animals, for work on behalf of – 29th Path
		Artistic inspiration, to gain – 30th Path
		Career, for insight in planning – 28th Path
		Debate, for effective skill in – 27th Path
		Education, to promote any form of – 28th Path
		Emotional fetters, for freedom from – 31st Path
		Emotional problems, to help sufferers from – 24th Path
		Generosity, to promote a spirit of – 26th Path
		Healing, for a specific – 25th Path
		Justice, for success in regard to – 27th Path
		Love, for its triumph over obstacles – 27th Path
		Partner in life, to find a suitable – 27th Path
		Patterns of destiny, analysis of – 32nd Path
		Peace, to promote (at any level) – 28th Path
		Prosperity, for increase of – 29th Path
		Tolerance between partners, to promote – 26th Path
		Work, to find suitable – 28th Path

Resolution or balancing of forces
•	When a Pathworking is used selectively, according to the principles set forth above, a further simple working, designed to balance or to resolve the forces that have been awakened, follows it.  
•	One series of such workings is given in the next chapter.
•	These are called balancing or resolution workings entirely according to the context in which they are to be used.
•	These additional workings are not, of course, required for use with Pathworkings that are performed in their ascending sequence: this mode of Pathworking being, as has been said, self-balancing within the pattern of the Tree of Life.

Principles of use for category 1
Here, the Pathworking is performed without the individual or group being aware of any precise magical need requiring fulfilment, or of any imbalance in cosmos or microcosmos that requires correction. Such need or imbalance may or may not exist. Again, the energies evoked by the Pathworking may even overcompensate some slight lack.
	  Immediately after any Pathworking in this category, therefore, a simple ritual of balancing is performed, according to the following chart. This will not negate the effects of the Pathworking, but will neutralise any excess of energies of the Sphere of destination that may remain unabsorbed.

		Path worked			Balancing working
32	Binah
31	Netzach
30	Netzach
29	Hod
28	Hod
27	Hod
26	Malkuth
25	Malkuth
24	Malkuth

(In the specific context of “balancing” the forces of the seven planetary Sephiroth, the authentic and traditional Qabalistic pattern is as follows:
Binah-Yesod. Chesed-Geburah. Geburah-Chesed. Tiphareth-Malkuth. Netzach-Hod. Hod-Netzach. Yesod-Binah.
	Observe that Binah is balanced by Yesod, Tiphareth by Malkuth. The balance is not Binah-Malkuth, Tiphareth-Yesod, as is sometimes proposed.
	The soaring spirituality of Tiphareth needs to be “earthed” in Malkuth, even as he who attains to Adepthood in the Solar Sphere is bound to impose his will upon the world of the four elements.
	The formative and restrictive influence of Binah should be counterbalanced by the astral vibrancy of Yesod. Inexpertly handled, the current Binah-Malkuth could result in complete magical inertia.)

Principles of use for category 2
	Within this category, Pathworkings are performed by an individual for the purpose of bringing about change within his or her psyche.
	This use of Pathworking differs from category 1 in two very important respects:
•	First, there is a known and definite need to be met, whether a positive quality to be developed or a defect to be remedied.
•	Secondly, before performing the Pathworking, the operator makes, aloud, a specific Declaration of Intent.
The Declaration of Intent should be incorporated into the Formula for Opening a Pathworking, and should replace the simple proclamation of section 2. In form, it should run something like the following:

Form of Declaration of Intent
	In Living Light and Luminous Life, I call upon my Higher Self to bear witness, and upon my astral self to give heedful attention and potent assistance, that (here specify the inner development intended) has been truly and firmly resolved upon, and that to aid the inner harmony needful to this development, a working of the …… Path of the Tree of Life will now be undertaken. 
	
There is no question of an “unused surplus” of Sephirothic influence here, and the energies evoked by the Pathworking will be assimilated by the psyche of the individual. 
Immediately after the Pathworking a resolution working should be undertaken, according to the following chart. This working will relate to the Sphere of destination itself, adding force and emphasis to the Pathworking in a manner that will impress itself powerfully upon the psyche of the operator. 
The resolution workings, for category 2, are as follows:

Path worked			Resolution working 		
32	Yesod
31	 Hod
30	 Hod
29	 Netzach
28	 Netzach
27	 Netzach
26	 Tiphareth
25	 Tiphareth
24                                           Tiphareth

Principles of use for category 3
	In this category, the important factor is not the type of purpose for which the Pathworking is performed, but the fact that to attain this purpose an operation of practical magick is also employed. In such a case, the Pathworking inevitably becomes subordinate to the operation of practical magick. 
Consequently:
•	No Declaration of Intent should be introduced in the Formula for Opening a Pathworking.
•	 The Pathworking text itself should not be in any way altered to accommodate the purpose of the magical operation. 
•	The magical operation alone must carry, within its own structure, all that is needed for the direction of energies to the desired objective.
	The relationship, as regards the order of events, between the Pathworking and the associated operation of practical magick will be determined not only by the nature of the objective but also by the methods and expertise of the director of the operation.
	No matter what position is allocated to the Pathworking, when it is given it should be concluded with a resolution working, chosen in accordance with the following:

Path worked			Resolution working 		
32	Yesod
31	 Hod
30	 Hod
29	 Netzach
28	 Netzach
27	 Netzach
26	 Tiphareth
25	                                          Tiphareth
24                                            Tiphareth