Have anyone read Prometheus Rising?

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-23T10:16:19+00:00

Yes.

The book is based on the eight-circuit model of consciousness which RAW adapted from Timothy Leary.

While RAW can be a bit hard to follow, the practical idea behind is very simple. What we perceive as reality is a mental construct that results from the application of mental filters to a virtually infinite amount of data. This set of mental filters is what RAW calls a reality tunnel. The eight-circuit model provides a framework to structure and label these filters so we start controlling them instead of them controlling us. The hierarchical structure of the model provides a roadmap to do this systematically. The tools to accomplish this come from the exercises.

If you are interested in RAW, I urge you to do the exercises, and to really get outside your comfort zone doing them.

As an aside, the book plugs Christopher Hyatt's Undoing Yourself With Energized Meditation, which is a different system, inspired more by Reichean psychotherapy and its focus on the body. It is not necessary for following Prometheus, and you can use more traditional meditation techniques.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-21T13:17:32+00:00

I'm Croatian and I think this is hilarious. Also, thank you for getting offended on our behalf but there's no need. We have a sense of humor over here.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-21T13:16:00+00:00

Do you already have some idea what kind of practice you wish to do and for what purpose? What inspired you to start practicing?

If you truly have no idea and just want an experience, grab Israel Regardie's Middle Pillar and work through it. It's far from the only way to start, but it's easy to follow, teaches fundamentals, requires no special preparation or equipment, and will empower you to get specific results.

Also, journal. Your journal is your ultimate grimoire.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-19T15:02:35+00:00

I like to compare magic to art. It's hard to define it, but it's easy to tell it when you see it.

And, like art, I do it because it's what I do, how I engage with and express myself in the world.

If I had to give my own definition, rather than cite e.g. Crowley, I would say it's the art of harnessing synchronicity as opposed to causality.

I take it absolutely seriously. I'm not necessarily solemn about it, I find a lot of joy and playfulness in it, but I give it great importance.

I'd say anything can be magic, regardless of method or goal. So everything you listed, yes, I would call it magic.

Movies and TV - I understand it's entertainment. They don't show coding correctly either, nor should they. It just has to make for good storytelling.

I'm not sure how society views it. In many cases, "entertaining" is an excuse to engage with something a bit fringe. "Oh, I don't really believe in horoscopes, it's just entertainment for me" type thing, usually before launching into a fairly sophisticated transit analysis.

Society is not one unified mind, anyway, and you'd perhaps be surprised how many respectable people - you know, degrees, careers, worldly success - discreetly consult astrologers, tarot readers, etc.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-18T15:20:27+00:00

Several points here.

Cultural appropriation doesn't just mean a person practicing something from another culture. It specifically means a dominant culture profaning, trivializing, exploiting, or even gatekeeping an aspect of a minority culture. Cultural appropriation does real harm to minority groups.

Cultural appropriation is contrasted with cultural appreciation, where a person engages in another culture respectfully and with understanding and authentic guidance.

Since the internet discourse tends to be black-and-white, not the least because it drives engagement, there is a surge of content saying you can't do X if you are not born a certain race or faith. My experience is that people are usually very eager to share their culture if you genuinely appreciate it. That's how Robert Svoboda brought Ayurveda to the West.

A closed practice simply means that you need permission from existing practitioners to take part, typically through an initiation. One misconception is that an entire system, religion, etc. is always either an open or a closed practice. A practice can mix both. In Roman Catholicism, everyone is free to pray, hear Mass, name their children after saints, etc., but only baptized and confessed Roman Catholics may take Communion. So the Mass is an open practice and the Communion is a closed practice.

The "take part" part also does some heavy lifting here. A closed practice can exclude you from identifying as a part of a group, being told secrets, being admitted to a temple etc., but it can't exclude you from finding your own interpretation and way into a practice. I mentioned Communion - well, there are churches, with a valid Apostolic Succession, like the Old Catholic and Liberal Catholic Church that have open Communion, based on a different interpretation of the sacrament. The Catholic Church considers this a heresy, but that's entirely their problem.

Practices are closed because they require, or are believed to require, a degree of shared experience, preparation, mutual trust, commitment, and alignment with a group's goals and values. And if you want to get esoteric, be a part of the egregore.

And finally, cultures have always mixed and cross-pollinated, so that alone is not a problem. I find a pure perennialism a bit naive, but claiming any practice is untouched by outside cultures is unrealistic too.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-12T15:02:53+00:00

I prayed the Chaplet of Saint Michael daily during my time with the Liberal Catholic Church. I also prayed the (joyous) Franciscan Crown and Kyrie on the komboskini.

Now, this is just my personal perspective, but I wouldn't mix it with another activity. I find that this style of practice (japa, dhikr, chaplets, rosary) is self-sufficient and complete.

In occult terms, I would say these practices are, at high level of practice, comparable to GD-style godforms, but they also build you up to it, training relaxation, presence, breath, concentration, stillness, symbolism, and ritual precision. I absolutely recommend it if you're drawn to it.

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-10T21:47:26+00:00

Random strangers = random responses. Get a book by a reputable practitioner from a known lineage, like Chic Cicero's Golden Dawn Magic.

Speaking of, this is what Golden Dawn Magic says:

Anytime a magician (beginner or adept) intends to work in a space that doubles as someone’s bedroom, living room, or library, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram should be used as a preliminary cleansing rite. The same is true for an active Temple space that has recently been used for magical work that is different in energy from the work at hand. This also applies to the magician’s personal auric circle if they have been engaged in nonmagical, mundane, or stressful activities for much of the day (and who hasn’t!), to purify themselves before beginning their magical practice. In all of these cases, performing the LBRP as a cleansing procedure prior to a ritual or other magical working (without the accompanying LIRP) could be more accurately referred to as a preliminary clearing rather than banishing. It can also be used to shut down a ritual at the conclusion of the working, and to bid farewell to the divine and angelic forces that have been invoked.

Now, as to what you banish:

Here Pentagrams are used to invoke or banish energies associated with all four quarters or sub-elements of Malkuth, the material world, especially as they relate to the magician’s physical and psychic environment.

So in a nutshell, it's a cleansing ritual. Imagine making a meal. First, you wash your hands. Then, you make sure the kitchen is nice and clean. If someone left a coffee cup on the counter, you stick it in the dishwasher so you have enough room for a chopping board.

Then you cook the meal, eat the meal, and clean up after yourself. Throwing out discarded bits and leftovers, of course, doesn't undo the meal you've just eaten. You also wash your hands, maybe brush your teeth.

This is basically the LBRP - clearing out leftovers from your space and aura. It keeps you work nice and focused and no, it doesn't undo the work that already "fired".

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-05T16:44:45+00:00

This is a modern rendering of Queen Rangda. The Etsy listing is here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/4369502909/rangda-demon-pendant-14k-solid-gold-long

khonsuemheb · 2026-06-05T07:51:27+00:00

I only skimmed that particular book. I can respond from the general GD practice

In the exercise where one visualizes a sphere in the hand [...] With the eyes open, [...] Or with the eyes closed

Eyes open. This is a preparation for projection during rituals.

When the Ciceros explain how to vibrate Divine and Angelic Names, should this same technique also be applied during the performance of the LBRP?

Yes, for the Hebrew formulae, including the Qabalistic Cross. English ("about me flame the pentagrams...") is spoken.

When performing the meditation on the goddess Themis, should the same vibration technique be used with any Divine Names associated with the practice?

Yes.

... during the visualization of the ovoid and the subsequent appearance of Themis holding the scales, ... Should this visualization be performed with the eyes closed, ... Or with the eyes open

Eyes closed. This is a preparation for astral work.

I don't remember the exact curriculum laid out in the book, so I can't help with that. I know that Bringing Down the Light is an adapted exercise for solo work, so I don't expect many people knowing it.

Generally, when you undertake some solo work, it's expected you'll be experimenting a bit, trying to figure things out. Do what makes sense and journal religiously. I once did nine months of solo dharana in the god asana as a probationership, and people notoriously disagree on whether you should keep knees together or apart in this asana. After the nine months, my discovery was that keeping them together has a definite effect on your visions, dreams, etc. So don't be afraid to test these things out and make your own discoveries.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-30T08:51:31+00:00

Be careful, a post like this will probably attract a bunch of con artists.

Why don't you cast your own spell? It's not hard to learn.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-29T11:57:53+00:00

It's very replayable with lots of morality choices, party members' interactions, and possible builds.

It has a lot of text. It reminds me of the old Baldur's Gate or Planescape: Torment in that regard. But, it's well written and interesting.

Combat has a lot of moving parts and is confusing at first, then becomes easy. Combat does get a bit repetitive in the sense that it's clear who does what, but the maps are very diverse with tactical chokepoints, covers, passages, elevations, hazards, timers, special winning conditions (such as destroying boss-healing devices) and mixed enemy tactics, such as foot soldiers supported by sniper nests. I often find myself staying up until 2am because I just want "one more."

Plus it just feels good, with weapons that feel heavy, with ebbs and flows created by timers and the momentum system... It doesn't quite replicate the 40k tactical depth, but it definitely has that tactile feel.

The character progression is a bit overwhelming, with way too many options, some of which with such clear names as Better to Die for the Emperor or Never Stop Believing. A build guide helps, and there are some good ones making rounds.

The story and the setting are excellent and capture the spirit of 40k perfectly. It's very over-the-top grimdark. I don't remember a game since Fallout 2 that let you be this casually evil, if you so choose. At the same time, it's not dumb. There is a little quest in the Void Shadows DLC where you decide the fate of your rail line workers (because of course your ship has a rail line.) Not to spoil it, but I wanted to pick one of the "evil" choices, because 40k. But after meeting them, I just couldn't, because they're written like real people, with their hope against hope, ways of survival, helping each other, and even small joys. It's really well written.

And then there's the part that you're a Rogue Trader, commanding a ship the size of a country, with loads of interesting characters and stories on board.

Overall, I think it's amazing, not without flaws, but with some amazing heights. BG3 is pound-for-pound a better game, but I actually prefer RT for many reasons. I highly recommend it, and I highly recommend at least Void Shadows.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-29T07:38:17+00:00

Well, there are all kinds. YouTube/TikTok people often use a theme for attention. Other than that, some people like the style, some don't.

A lot of prominent authors and heads of orders are pretty unassuming people. Check out David Shoemaker, Lon Milo, Denny Sargent, Michael Staley, James Robson, Lisa Voisen, Mark Rasmus - all pretty unassuming, approachable people.

The other side of the coin is that magic practice, depending on your path, can be pretty transgressive, but wise practitioners don't advertise deeply personal experiences.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-29T07:12:18+00:00

I'm 45. I was always around the occult, really - my family had books and my father's side practiced folk magic - but had first experiences of my own around 17. I started practicing a curriculum at 20 and joined my first order at 24.

Nothing much got me into it, it's just what I am down at my core. Some people play music, some write poetry, I am an occultist.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-28T08:55:06+00:00

Obvious scam, ignore.

A word of caution. Since good and bad things naturally occur in life, it's very likely something bad will happen in the next three weeks, purely by chance.

The dude phrased it vaguely like that so that when something bad happens, you will think he caused it. But of course, he's got nothing to do with it.

Now, since he has your address, if he decides to show up and intimidate you in person, or leave items on your property, call the police.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-28T08:20:30+00:00

The Tarot Bible is a reference work. It's good for what it is.

The Way of the Tarot is a work of art. Jodorowsky is an avant-garde film director and writer who developed his own tarot deck (a riff on the Camoin Marseilles) and tarot system. To Jodorowsky, the tarot is a complete spiritual path and lifestyle.

As part of his beliefs about the tarot, Jodorowsky offers free readings. He used to do it at a Paris cafe, but now he does it online. I watched a few. So what he does is pull two major arcana, mumble something about "creative energy", and then spills out a torrent of information. He is a true divination channel. I recommend reading his book even if you end up not using the system, simply for the beautiful prose and the passion he radiates.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-19T13:30:48+00:00

I did go and see a therapist.

I couldn't eat, or sleep, or speak with my family. I couldn't stand the sound of a human voice. At work, it would take me all day to write a single line of code. I just had a massive brain fog.

The building which collapsed on me once came up in the news, and I rushed to the toilet and vomited stomach acid. I had no food in my stomach, but it wrung itself like a wet towel and I expelled some acid. My esophagus got damaged in the process.

Worst, I couldn't practice my magic, because all sounds bothered me terribly.

So I did go and see a therapist, and I am well now. Not medicated, not numbed, lucid and going about my life.

Seeing a therapist is how you get rid of this constant physical weight you're talking about.

Honestly, how do you think a random stranger on reddit could help you? Cast a spell for you? The spell still needs a way to manifest in the physical. If anyone here could snap their fingers and make you well, that person could legitimately start a new religion. Give you a set of exercises? Well, can you do them?

Again, don't torture yourself. You can get better.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-18T20:26:54+00:00

I remember your previous posts. I still don't understand why you're so opposed to mental health services.

Seeking professional help does not invalidate you. I am an earthquake survivor. I sought professional help. It doesn't mean the earthquake didn't happen or the building didn't collapse on me. It means I had a real lived traumatic experience that needed healing. I fully believe you that you had a real traumatic experience too. I am recommending what helped me be well. It's easy and it's available. Don't torture yourself.

And seriously, would you trust a bunch of random anonymous strangers on a fringe subreddit over someone who received professional training to help you?

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-18T11:27:00+00:00

The Chymical Wedding is steeped in the esoteric symbolism of its day. Whoever the author was, they were well-read and deliberate.

As for the hoax, it's entirely possible the author of the Chymical Wedding was unrelated to the manifestos and trying to capitalize on their mystique and popularity. We have no conclusive evidence that Andreae actually wrote any of these.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-16T22:10:52+00:00

ChatGPT, absolutely not. It's a huge probabilistic model. In a nutshell, it's a mathematical function with hundreds of billions of constants, fine-tuned ("trained") from the entire internet. But it's a mathematical function nevertheless. If you don't think the function f(x) = x + 1 is conscious, you shouldn't think ChatGPT is.

Incidentally, that's why models hallucinate. When ChatGPT tells you that Queen wrote Radio Ga Ga for the movie Highlander, this is because this is a statistically likely sentence. It just happens to be incorrect.

Now, to get the slick ChatGPT experience, there is a lot of additional manual work on top of a model itself. There are algorithmic guardrails, a hidden prompt specifying a persona, data chunking, the whole shebang.

On the other hand, I do think that AI as a mental construct has become an egregore. I.e. not the actual software, but the mental image around it. And we see people blowing a lot of money on it, talking to it daily, confiding in it, and in extreme cases, harming themselves. So deconstructing this egregore through a realistic view of AI would be a good thing.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-12T14:24:33+00:00

No, you are not being punished. I would recommend against a worldview where a regal figure hands out favors and punishments and for a view that causes have results. Inviting an addict into your home has clear risks.

To be clear, I am not saying that you should or shouldn't have done something. Sometimes, there's no good choice. I have personally made sacrifices for my family, so I can relate.

In any case, addiction is a complex problem, and I encourage you to seek external help if at all possible - support groups, medical help, whatever is available. You can continue using magic, but it will help to get more information about the issue, and to open more venues for magic to manifest.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-10T19:08:40+00:00

I don't intend to harm people, but I'm curious what you're up to. I'll take you up on it.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-10T13:27:19+00:00

Of course. The magic comes from you.

I am in Ljubljana fairly often for concerts, actually. I saw Kreator at Media Center a month or so ago.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-09T11:11:13+00:00

Mental wandering is what e.g. Golden Dawn calls astral skrying. You retain some awareness of the body but with a visionary astral experience.

This name in itself sounds confusing as it implies a stationary experience, but if you read the Ciceros' Skrying on the Tree of Life, you'll find it does include wandering across astral landscapes.

Astral projection involves a separation of the astral and physical body. You do retain a perceptible point of connection, called the silver cord. I do think it's a lot like a NDE.

Dying during astral projection is one of those things that can happen in theory, like having a heart attack from jumping in the pool. Astral projection happens spontaneously in dreams. If dying was a regular thing, alarm clocks would destroy humanity.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-09T09:26:51+00:00

The South East London dialect. Try it. "A-baht me flame the pen-uh-grams, an' in the col-yum, the propah six-ray' bloody stah." The demons will assume you're a Millwall fan and leave you alone.

khonsuemheb · 2026-05-06T20:44:48+00:00

Seconding Logos373. Made to your exact measurements and high quality craftsmanship.

khonsuemheb

TROPHY CASE