what are the principles of 'ritual magic'?

[Plenum]

Ra offers a basic explanation here:

64.4 ↥ Questioner: Thank you. Could you explain the basic principles behind the ritual which we perform to initiate the contact and what I would call the basic white magical rituals— principles of protection and other principles? Could you please do this?

Ra: I am Ra. Due to your avenue of question we perceive the appropriateness of inclusion of the cause of this instrument’s transitory vital energy distortion. The cause is a bias towards the yearning for expression of devotion to the One Creator in group worship.

This entity was yearning for this protection both consciously in that it responds to the accoutrements of this expression, the ritual, the colors and their meanings as given by the distortion system of what you call the church, the song of praise, and the combined prayers of thanksgiving and, most of all, that which may be seen to be most centrally magical, the intake of that food which is not of this dimension but has been transmuted into metaphysical nourishment in what this distortion of expression calls the holy communion.

The subconscious reason, it being the stronger for this yearning was the awareness that such expression is, when appreciated by an entity as the transmutation into the presence of the One Creator, a great protection of the entity as it moves in the path of service to others.

The principle behind any ritual of the white magical nature is to so configure the stimuli which reach down into the trunk of mind that this arrangement causes the generation of disciplined and purified emotion or love which then may be both protection and the key to the gateway to intelligent infinity.

but as far as I am aware, the term 'magic' was coined in a time before the principles of the conscious and the unconscious mind had been laid out.

so in a way, I only see different ways/techniques of accessing the unconscious mind, and these fall into the class of 'magic', although it is not a term that I would ever use to describe what I do.

how do you understand ritual magic?

[ChickenInSpace]

Repetition and focus to access or modify the subconscious. Conditions will slant STO/STS use.

Roughly.

=)

[Adonai One]

Obsolete.

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Catalyst creating a Significator, manifesting a Great Way into the Potentiator is all that's needed.

[Unbound]

Positive ritual magic has two functions - communion/communication with other entities/spirits/deities for specific tasks or to add group force towards specific intention (such as manifestation) or for invocation of the true self, positive self empowerment and atavism/memory induction.

Most importantly however is the way ritual magic can work in groups. This form of magic is useless for those who are obsessed with "natural" or willed magic or whom want to "do everything" or are insistent on their own power or designs. Group ritual (whether that be with others incarnate or disincarnate beings) is a communal effort of intention.

That being said, there are of course plenty of forms of ritual magic which are done "solitary" although most of these still make communion with spirits and entities, there are only a few forms which are totally self-focused (which rarely venture outside of self-serving purposes) although they can be workable.

The working principle? Ritual drama is a microcosm. It can reflect on the macrocosm in profound ways.

[Plenum]

Most importantly however is the way ritual magic can work in groups. This form of magic is useless for those who are obsessed with "natural" or willed magic or whom want to "do everything" or are insistent on their own power or designs. Group ritual (whether that be with others incarnate or disincarnate beings) is a communal effort of intention.

thanks Tanner. I think this was the aspect I was overlooking. The group element.

cheers!

[Unbound]

Oh, I would add the definition of ritual as a sequence of events with specific intention. These events may take place completely within the mind and indeed the advanced levels of ritual magic do not make any use of outer rituals or appearances (although it is usually preferred when doing group rituals as the physical plane works as an interface between each consciousness).

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Most importantly however is the way ritual magic can work in groups. This form of magic is useless for those who are obsessed with "natural" or willed magic or whom want to "do everything" or are insistent on their own power or designs. Group ritual (whether that be with others incarnate or disincarnate beings) is a communal effort of intention.

thanks Tanner. I think this was the aspect I was overlooking. The group element.

cheers!

This singleness of thought then can be used by the positive adept to work in group ritual visualizations for the raising of positive energy, by negative adepts for the increase in personal power.

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I would also add that group prayer is probably the most common form of group ritual, and really prayer in general is probably the most basic, common form of ritual.

[Adonai One]

Group ritual magic in progress, empowering the United States of America and its troops:

[Unbound]

Aha Yes that is one way you could look at it, although that is not really related to ceremonial magic in the traditional sense. I see what you are saying, but just because magic in ritual form can take that appearance or intention, that in no way means that defines or expresses what ritual magic actually is. You are colouring it with connotations that are not directly relevant to its principles, but rather to its possible uses.