An Exploration of The Great Cross of the Western Watchtower.
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Introduction – The Great Cross of the Western Watchtower – The Fourth Enochian Call – The Three Secret Names of God – The King – The Seniors: (Saturn – Jupiter – Mars – Venus – Mercury – Moon )
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Recently, as part of my ongoing magickal work, I have been skrying into the Great Cross of the Western (Water) Watchtower, the English lettering of which I have reproduced above.
In Enochian Magick, the Great Cross of each Watchtower is unlike the lesser Angles thereof: I shall briefly summarise the differences:
- The Great Cross gives the “Three Secret Names of God”, and the name of The King, which apply to the whole tablet. In the Golden Dawn, they are even used on occasions which do not otherwise involve Enochian Magick per se, e.g. the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram, the Opening by Watchtower, the Magickal Formulae of the Elemental Grades, etc.
- The Great Cross is attributed to the small cards of the Tarot – cards 2 to 10 of each suit (not the Aces). It is also attributed to the 36 decans of the Zodiac. The Lesser Angles are more to do with the Tarot Trumps, with Geomancy, with the Sephiroth, and with the elements and 12 Zodiacal signs.
- The Great Cross gives the names of 6 “Seniors”, who together with their counterparts on the other tablets make up the 24 Seniors of the Book of Revelations. These Seniors are attributed to the Planets of classical astrology (the King of the Tablet represents the Sun).
- The Seniors of the Tablet are in a way macrocosmic and are invoked with the Hexagram: unlike the entities of the Lesser Angles which are microcosmic and invoked with the Pentagram.
Hence, it is important to understand the Great Cross of each tablet because:
- One gets a feel and an understanding for the Enochian Names one is most likely to use in ones everyday magickal practice;
- By learning about the Seniors one learns how Planetary Magick works in the Enochian System.
The Great Cross of the Western Watchtower
Below are two versions of the Great Cross of the Western Watchtower, with
Enochian lettering, and the appropriate colours. Why two? S. L. Macgregor
Mathers, in the original G.’.D.’. instruction, suggests two different ways of
colouring: the first, simply in the colours of the Elements, the second using
Zodiacal and Planetary Colours.
The Great Cross of the Water Tablet: Elemental attributions
The Great cross but with Zodiacal attributions
Depending on which version of the particular square is invoked (i.e. Elemental vs Planetary/ Zodiacal), different forces become involved. During my skrying into these squares it would appear that the meaning of two different versions of the same square could either be similar or dissimilar, to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the individual square. Yet each version comprises part of the whole meaning of the square in question.
In any event, the Great Cross is divided into three main areas:
- The “Linea Patris” – The Line of the Father. This is the left-hand central column, from top to bottom, but does NOT include the square of the central row. It represents the Cardinal Signs of the Zodiac.
- The “Linea Filii” – The Line of the Son. This is the right hand central column, but again does not include the square of the central row. It represents the Mutable Signs of the Zodiac.
- The “Linea Sancti Spiritus” – The Line of the Holy Spirit. This is the central row itself. It represents the Fixed (i.e. Kerubic) Signs of the Zodiac. It is also the row from which are derived the Three Secret Names of
God (See below).
The Fourth Enochian Call
All of the squares in the Great Cross are “activated” by one of the following: the Third Call (Air Tablet); the Fourth Call (Water Tablet); the Fifth Call (Earth Tablet); or the Sixth Call (Fire Tablet).
The Fourth Call was therefore the one I used throughout this skrying project. Here it is, written out phonetically according to the G.’.D.’. style of pronunciation:
Otahil lusidi babage od dorepeha gohol: Gi-cahis-ge avovago coremep PeDa, das sonuf vi-vi-iv? Casaremi o-ali MAPeM, sobam ag corempo carep el? Casaremeg caro-od-zødi cahis
od vageg, das te capimali cahis capima-on, od lonsahin cahis ta elo CaLA. Torezødu noreqo-u-asahi od af caosga: bagi-le zødi-re Mad, das I od apila. Do O I A ip Qo-a-al, zødaca-re od zødameran obelisonug resat-el a-af no-re molap.
(Translation: I have placed My feet in the south, and looked about me saying: Are not the Thunders of Increase numbered 33 which reign in the Second Angle? Under whom I have place 9 6 3 9, whom no one hath yet numbered except One? In whom the second beginning of things are and wax strong, which also successively are the true numbers of time, and their powers are as the first 4-5-6. Arise ye sons of pleasure, and visit the Earth: for I am the Lord your God which is and liveth for ever. In the name of your Creator, move and show yourselves as pleasant deliverers that you may praise Him amongst the Sons of Men.)
I received some insights into the nature of the call whilst conducting my skrying sessions: e.g:
“…das sonuf vi-vi-iv” – The Second Angle is this Watchtower.
“…sobam ag corempo carep El” – If no-one except the First has numbered them, how do we know there are 9 6 3 9? Because it is “The First” who is the original author of these calls. In the Second Call, ehnb (“Ehanub”) is referred to as the Second of the First: so the First, or One, must be an entity superior to Ehanub, perhaps representing the Tablet of Union as a whole… The Call which is unknown on Earth, which is of Godhead, refers to “the One”.
“capimaön” – There are a number of ages of Time. The last one ended and present one began with the reception of the Enochian materials by Dee and Kelley.
“nore-qo-u-asahi” – The “Sons of Pleasure” of the Fourth Call, who are the beings of the Western Watchtower, bring harmonious changes to people.
The Three Secret Names of God
These are derived from the horizontal “Linea Sancti Spiritus”. It is divided into three, from left to right: the first is a group of three squares; the second, of four squares; and the third, of five squares. Hence, as the Linea Sancti Spiritus of the Western Watchtower is
| m | p | h | a | r | s | l | g | a | i | o | l |
the three names of God for this tablet are mph arsl gaiol (“Empehe Aresil Ga-i-ol”). The corresponding names of the other tablets are derived in the same way.
These names will already be familiar to Adepts who practice the G.’.D.’. version of the Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram – for it is these which are vibrated when one comes to trace the kerubic symbol of the element (nb: remember – the Linea Spiriti Sancti represents thhe Kerubic signs of the Zodiac). These names are also, in addition to the King, used in the Elemental Grade ceremonies. They are thus INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT NAMES because they are almost always used even if the object of the ceremony is not Enochian Magick per se.
Why use these Names, then, if Enochian Magick is not being used at a given time? In “Golden Dawn Enochian Magick” Patrick Zalewski reveals a paper by Mathers not included in the material for a Zelator or Theoricus Adeptus Minor. It seems that Mathers envisaged a complete synthesis of the four Watchtowers,
and the “Tree of Life in A Sphere” – which itself is a synthesis of both Astrology AND Astronomy, together with the Tarot and the Tree of Life. It appears that it was Mathers’ intention that an Adept would eventually combine all the elements of G.’.D.’. Magick into one harmonious whole.
Note how the threefold name will always refer to the Fixed Sign of the Zodiac for the Element in question (in this case water) – i.e. the Kerub of that Element.It is suggested by Mathers that the Threefold Name represents the Supernal Triad; the Fourfold Name, the Tetrad of the Elements; and the Fivefold Name, the Pentagram.
The King
The King of the Watchtower is a being whose name is formed from eight central squares of the Great Cross, thus:
| A | A | ||
| R | S | L | G |
| O | I |
Starting from the square at the left, one reads in a clockwise fashion, as if following a spiral into the centre: R-A-A-G-I-O-S-L (pronounced “Ra-agi-osil”). This incidentally is the way to find the names of the Kings of the other Watchtowers: BATAIVAH (“Bata-ivahe”) – Air; EDLPRNAA (“Edalperena-a”) – Fire; and ICZHHCAL (“Iczod-hehecal”) – Earth.
The important points to remember about the role of the King, for each tablet, are as follows:
- The King is to be imagined as a being who bears the Three Secret Names of God as a Banner – see above.
Because the King rules the whole tablet, it is in some way indicative of the qualities of all the entities within its Watchtower. More directly, just as the Sun illuminates all the other planets of the Solar system, the King lends its influence to the Seniors of the tablet: for each Senior shares two squares of its name with that of the King.
From my skrying, the qualities of Ra-agi-osil in particular are similar to the role of the suit of Cups in Tarot – Cups, being attributed to Water. Generally speaking, there were two messages I was receiving consistently
regarding Ra-agi-osil. Firstly, the role of the beings of this Watchtower is to bring what was metaphorically described as “bringing water to the thirsty”. This was to be interpreted as bringing kindness, generosity, beauty, and the energy to achieve ones goals to the oppressed, the disadvantaged, and also just to the
plain needy.
The second message emphasised the importance of being able to control and bring harmony to ones emotions. The implication was that the beings of the Water Tablet enable the Magician or someone on whose behalf the Magician is acting to do just that, even in the face of a variety of traumatic or trying situations (some of which were specified in the further course of my skrying). Moreover, these beings do not simply work on the emotions, but give the subject the wherewithal to deal with the cause of the situation, even if it is exterior to oneself.
The Seniors
“You are our Lord and our God, You are worthy of glory and honour and power, because You made all the universe and it was only by Your will that everything was made and exists.” Revelations 4:11.
With these words, the twenty four elders or “Seniors” seated around the Throne of God (“the One”) are said to continually praise Him, by throwing their crowns before Him and prostrating. The 24 Seniors are described as kingly figures, dressed in white robes, wearing golden crowns and seated on golden thrones.
These Seniors are mentioned in four places in the Book of Revelations – chapters four, five, seven and eleven. On two of these occasions, (ch. 4 and ch.11), they are simply described as praising God: although on the other two, one of the Seniors (it is not mentioned if it is the same one each time),
addresses the Seer (St. John the Divine) directly, to explain the meaning of what is happening.
Therefore, by reading the Book of Revelations, we may assume that the 24 Seniors have two main functions:
- To worship God; and
- To explain to the Seer the Mysteries of the Universe.
Furthermore, from my skrying, I received the following information. The role of Seniors is to praise God (this has special significance for me as I associate the praise of God with bhakti yoga) Note how the Seniors cast their Crowns before the throne, when praising the One. This has a double
significance: first, it is the supreme act of humility, to sacrifice the symbol of ones kingship before God; secondly, the Crown is of course the title of Kether. The Seniors are in effect saying that their “Kethers;” belong not to them but to the One Who Sits on the Throne. It is as if the Divine Will is expressed through their Yechidahs, which are their Divine Sparks (the Yechidah is attributed to Kether). I am told that what this in effect means is that the Seniors are responsible for sustaining the power of God throughout the
Universe.
Note the two central squares: “S” and “L”. By reading outwards from the centre, we obtain the names of six of the twenty-four Seniors, thus: SLGAIOL, LIGDISA, SOAIZNT, LSRAHPM, SAIINOV, LAOAZRP. For the rest of this page, I shall refer to the phonetic spelling of the names according
to the Golden Dawn style of pronunciation, i.e:
Silga-iol, Ligdisa, So-a-izodnut, Lasirahepem, Sa-i-inov, La-o-azodrep.
By going to the other three Watchtowers, and analysing the Great Cross of each in the same way, we get the names of the 18 remaining Seniors.
Each of the six Seniors in each tablet are attributed to one of the Planets of Classical Astrology, the Sun itself being attributed to the King. In the Water Tablet, the attributions are as follows:
| Ligdisa | Saturn |
| Sai-inov | Jupiter |
| Lasirahepem | Mars |
| Silga-iol | Venus |
| So-a-izodnut | Mercury |
| La-o-azodrep | Moon |
Moreover, their counterparts in the other Tablets share the same attributions and in the same respective order.
I shall now set out the main details I discovered about the Seniors during my skrying:
ligdisa – Ligdisa – Saturn
From central “L” to bottom of Linea Filii
Maternal love, Mother Earth. Agriculture and irrigation, especially in parched areas. Healthy old age. The power of destroying ones Ego in Sex Magick. The power to integrate Versatility and Will in order to escape from danger (in contrast to a situation where trying to do everything results in achieving nothing). The Teacher of eloquence in all things watery (i.e. in the sense of Saturn the Teacher. Contrast this with Soä-izødnut, the Mercury Senior). The power and the engine which brings “gifts” (the boons of Watery Magick) to
people.
Also in relation to Ligdisa I am given the following message, relating to the Adept’s wider duty to the world and the universe as a whole, both now and far removed in time. Reflection on incidents of great suffering teach mankind the most fearful lessons about itself. Ligdisa bestows the power to learn what is wrong with society and mankind – and to discover the solutions thereto. Note how many incidents are a “conspiracy of egregores” (both sentient and non-sentient) linking up in an unholy and unwholesome complex * . In regard to the same subject, Ligdisa gives the power to destroy evil. Note how much evil
derives from “false pleasures” (e.g. illegal drugs, taking delight in other people’s misfortunes, etc): also the scale is massive. An initiate who has transcended time is aware of distant past and distant future, and realises that what may appear as a catastrophe in the short term may in long term actually
help to eradicate Evil.
(* One example I was given was the murder of Stephen Laurence, in the UK. Laurence, a black student, was murdered not just by a gang of racist youths, but also by all the causes them to act the way they did, e.g. poverty, poor education, disconnection from any form of spirituality, low self-esteem, coming into contact with violent criminals and other people with prejudiced attitudes, etc. All these causes conspired to cause this murder, as indeed they do in regard to racism in the UK generally. The implication is that it is not enough to lock-up the wrongdoers, all the root causes have to be eradicated as well – either by normal or paranormal means.)
saiinov – Saï-inov – Jupiter
From central “S” to top of Linea Patris
Thunderstorms. (A curious observation here: During one session, I was tracing an Invoking Hexagram of Jupiter to invoke this Senior. At the exact moment of vibrating “Saï-inov” there was a clap of thunder outside!) Saï-inov is relevant to marriages: there seems to be a
somewhat Taoist notion that a man should think what he has to give: harmonise the male & female by understanding the female perspective. Protecting men on sea-voyages. Saï-inov grants the qualities of leadership and energy to those in need of them (think: Jason, captain of the Argo). Saï-inov bestows the kind of qualites that one expects in an initiate of Chesed, e.g. Peaceful rulership, being the Spiritual leader of the people by leading them in prayer. Bringing light to the people and bring them out of their winter. An initiate of Chesed should be sensitive to the psychic tides of time and space. Diplomacy – the ability to find a peaceful solution in a difficult or dangerous situation.
Also in regard to the above, some advice was given on the nature of Rulership. A true ruler puts a great value on peace, and will resist e.g. using force to settle problems which can be sorted out by delicate negotiations. Rulership depends on a firm society, and the basis of a firm society is a passive source of pleasure i.e. one on which the people don’t need to expend any effort to enjoy. (e.g basic amenities such as fresh water supply, plentiful food etc. The point being the Society only grows and develops the less its members have to worry about their basic everyday needs.) Political ascendancy should be exercised for the benefit of Nature and the Environment. There should be a harmony of man (male) and nature (female). It is thus possible to discern what is “natural” and indeed “moral” by establishing what agrees with the harmony of nature.
lsrahpm – Lasirahepem -Mars
From central “L” to left-hand end of Linea Sancti Spiritus
Lasirahepem is concerned with the sex-drive, particularly in regard to sexual relationships, marriages, etc: but this Senior is also responsible for the discrete effects of the sex-drive in social relationships which are not sexual per se. (Note how this coincides with the idea of the role of Mars in Astrology, and the suit of Cups in the Tarot.) Lasirahepem acts to make the Martial energy “well-dignified” in any given situation. For example: Lasirahepem gives the energy which causes new relationships to blossom and grow. He saves marriages which would otherwise be broken up by “unpleasant cogitations” – suspicion, mistrust – which themselves are examples of “ill-dignified” Martial energy at work. He ensures that all instances of revelry are events of happiness for all, and causes acts of merry-making and indeed love-making to be transmuted to the Good, and lead on to beneficial consequences. (If the Martial energy were ill dignified in the above circumstances, some of the consequences might be unhappiness, alcoholism, jealousy, all the kinds of Neurosis described by Freud and Reich, etc.)
Lasirahepem also bestows the energy which is the root motive power which causes people to seek happiness generally. This includes the ability to carry on in the face of obstacles. I am here given a piece of wisdom: Transcend Your Ego, so you can share in other people’s happiness. Moreover, you should be happy yourself so you can contribute tot the happiness of everyone who transcends their ego.
slgaiol – Silgaï-ol – Venus.
From central “S” to right-hand end of Linea Sancti Spiritus.
Silgaï-ol is concerned with harmony and kindness in relationships. The power to overcome difficulties. The energy of perseverance, in order to see e.g. relationships through. Psychic power. False hopes and illusions endanger relationships, but this Senior can dispel and get rid of such illusions. This Senior can save oneself from a disastrous relationship by dispelling illusions, especially at the outset – exposing a false lover, etc. The ability to counteract or prevent malicious or harmful speech, thereby preventing disharmony in relationships.
Rule both the ego and emotions with the aid of the Spirit. Silencing the mind in contemplation; hanging on to eternal life and thereby contemplating divinity; Child-like enthusiasm or innocent friendliness; these three are the keys to harmony in relationships generally (think: Harpocrates).
soaiznt – Soä-izødnut – Mercury.
From central “S” to bottom of Linea Patris.
Soä-izødnut seems to have quite a diverse number of functions, however all of which are characteristically “Mercurial” e.g. Eloquence. Soä-izødnut enables one to avoid the frustration of not being able to realise what one believes one deserves, e.g. by using intelligence, meticulousness, energy and ambition. The ability to communicate in such a way as to calm someone’s emotions and restore peace, even in the most difficult situations (because these are the times when emotions run high). The power to calm down war like hostilities, enable wars to cease and become constructive force. Speaking peace generally.
Inspiration to poetry (think the “Communication of Romance”). The Miracle of Healing – Soä-izødnut inspires compassion for the suffering is most important i.e. to effect a cure, and helps one meditate on the suffering felt by the patient (“only the wounded healer heals”).
The inventive spark for someone involved in quests. Stealth in warfare, fighting in an alien environment. Being able to prevent people who find mirth in evil pleasures – by acting quickly, and by foretelling the future.
Acquisition and consolidation of power, by actively communicating the benefits of ones office. Note how maintaining distance leads to doubt and resentment, but bringing the people to oneself – or going to them – leads to belief and approval.
I also receive some advice about mystical practice. The Ego should realise it is in its own interest to extinguish itself as Samadhi is the greatest experience. Also, note the Importance of following a disciplined procedure when dealing with the unconscious.
laoazrp – Laö-azødrep – Moon.
From central “L” to top of Linea Filii.
Laö-azødrep provides the true happiness by calming ones emotions and making one perfectly contented. Laö-azødrep advises that one should abandon militarism in order to enjoy sensual happiness. The ability to eradicate antagonism from ones emotions and thereby achieve real happiness. The ability to be compassionate towards another’s feelings and thereby help them. I am given a number of examples, all to do with ones emotional involvement in diverse Watery matters, where Laö-azødrep may help. When in the middle of a tempestuous love affair, ones emotions are in turmoil – this Senior allows one to both feel
the full extent of ones emotions and dedicate them to spiritual matters.Taking emotions and relationships at high speed is bad – dangerous for both parties. Hence Laö-azødrep allows one to control emotions and thereby spell success for the relationship and happiness for all concerned. This Senior also helps people who have great hopes for their relationships which bear not
relation to reality.
The ability to master nature and thereby triumph in spite of natural circumstances which would otherwise force one to abandon ones task. The power to dispel illusions and bewitchments – and to cast them. Regarding Nature, I am given some teaching re: environmental issues. It is important that
everything develops at its proper pace. If the forecasted end result is brought about prematurely, this may be unnatural… If it developed at its proper pace, not only would the main-end result come to fruition but also a number of side-effects would occur, which may be important in their own right. Hence, take
e.g. genetic engineering. By creating the desired end product one is missing out a number of side-effects which are also important in the evolutionary process. However these “side-effects” may prove to be more important that the actual result being sought – either in a major way or in ways which are far too subtle
to understand.
Wisdom and intuition in watery matters. Sacrifice parts of your life and ego, and thus derive great power. It is only when the Ego is united with the Self that it is not dissolute. This is to be judged from the viewpoint of whether Ego is united with Self. This is a peculiar notion, which seems to contradict received notions about Mysticism. In most traditions one is taught that the key to enlightenment is to dissolve ones ego. However, what is being proposed here is that this is the wrong way to look at it. Whilst one is unenlightened, the Ego is already in a state of dissolution: it is only when one is enlightened that the Ego should be considered as properly intact. Actually this need not necessarily mean that one has to change ones mystical practices…
(My other essay, Revelatio Revelationum, may be of relevance at this point for further
study.)
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