Lbrp Archangel Attributes Options

I would like to begin practicing the LBRP and have gone through much memorization and study to get to the bottom of all the elements of the ritual to understand what I'm going to be doing and what things mean. Before this however, I've noticed when researching the attributes of the archangels which as many of you know play a big role in the ritual, they are quite varied depending on where you look. I know visualization is an important factor and I believe also knowing how efficient and precise you are being in regards to accuracy contributes to a successful, positive outlook upon ritual completion. I can't go into it wondering if the attributes I chose to contemplate for each archangel is correct or not. Is there some universal key I'm missing here that could answer this for me or something? How do the rest of you get by this?

Nope, no master key or universal truth. Just you and your work.
'Occult' is occult for several reasons that relate specifically to this kind of inquiry.

Occult is secret or hidden because it is a type, content and source of knowledge and understanding that can not be reach except through you actually being part of the process your studying.
Its not a thing that can be known through researching texts. (or extremely rarely.... particularly at the beginning)
Its only worthwhile if your are including all of yourself, not just your analytical / intellectual self, into your work.
That is . . . you'll only REALLY understand when you are performing the work.

Second, its occult because its only true (for you) when its your specific truth that your working with/on. Anyone else explaining the nature of the "correct" attributes of the Archangels is only true for them.
For you, it might as well be lies.

Find a basic approach to them, Angel=directions=attributes..... or Angel names=hebrew letters=attributes ..... or "this book I like has a working set of correspondences"= "I can use this for now until 'they' explain themselves"
Or start with something simple, color and direction . . . or simply take one name at a time and meditate on that, develop a usable personal set of attributes and move on to the next one.
Whatever, just start working with it/them. Once you start to incorporate the actual association you develop between YOU and them, then the 'right' set of attributes will start to develop for you


(one of the secrets is that it take time to develop..... it just does, no way around)
(another secret is that it really doesn't matter what you start with . . . its gonna change)

This post has been edited by palindroem: Jun 20 2010, 05:34 AM

Hm, interesting. I find it strange that something like the attributes of the archangels that are used specifically to call them can only be learned after they've been called. It would seem that learning the attributes in the first place would prove useless considering that it doesn't really matter with what they are called with. I have heard before of the uniqueness of these types of works but I always usually associated them with the experiences and lessons rather than to the process of a ritual itself. I am probably wrong though. I will try your method however I'm still a bit lost since I'm not really sure where to even research true basics. As you've said it's all different. I apologize if I'm being a pain, I'm merely curious and quite insistent on gathering the most accurate info for my work as possible.

The attributes of the archangels need to be 'owned' by the magician. If the magician is clairvoyant they might evoke them one at a session and take lessons from each seeting their elemental nature , the colour of the energy surrounding them and at what corner or direction they appear.. But if the magician has not developed sufficient clairvoyance yet then let them choose the orientation which is particular to their path .

For example the Wiccan and Hermetic attributes are opposite with Earth being at North for Wiccans , generally and Earth being at South for Hermetic Magicians generally.

And the Goddess pose may be prone with her right hand fire , it is at the East. But the God pose may be supine and the right hand of fire is then at the West.

Imho the right hand like Kaballah is male and fire and rph
The left hand is female and water and lph
In either case the hands are generally E & W and fire and water , as you will.

There are many variations of course .
Imho ;
North Gabriel Air Green (which is confirmed in Yoga but contrary to IIH)
East Uriel/Auriel Fire Orange ( I use Goddess orientation )
South Raphael Earth Red
West Michael Water Blue

I do not believe that your choice can be wrong.If you own it , go with it.
I find that it does help to create the elements strongly in your sacred space.
If there is a fireplace sit so it is at your right hand. If there is a window consider that Air or if you like Light and therefore Fire , again as you will.
I tend to have circle at night because clairvoyance is best without interference from sunlight . I crack the window and therefore it is air at night and no light comes through so that is sorted.

Now a window or fireplace can not be moved cheaply or easily so choose a room well.

And place elements to anchor your four corners.
A candle or fireplace can be fire
An open window with a windchime can be air or a fan or
fogger/mister with coloured lights beneath water can serve for water or air as you will.
A fountain can be water.
A big potted plant or a small potted tree can be Earth .

Alternately you can use the symbols ie ; wand, cup, dagger, and pentacle.

Sorry Priest . . . sometimes I'm not direct enough.

Its easy to want to have a "complete" intellectual grasp on the work before you start . . . but that simply misses what the real process (and value) of the work is.
Simply, you won't ever get all the pertainant details before you start. The real details, you discover in the process of doing.
There's the analogy of playing baseball. You can do all the learning and theory about baseball you want, but you really don't know anything about how the game is
played until you get in there and play.
The LBRP is the same (actually, all magick is)
It almost won't matter what associations and correspondences you adopt for the Archangels now.
Pick any, and start working.
This will start to build a relationship with them and you will begin (by some form of magickal osmosis) refining a set of associations that are more
truly appropriate to you (and to your connection with the 'archangels').
Its more a matter of your intention and drive/passion then some human set of equivalencey's.
Personally I stated with Rapha - East - Yellow/blue; Micha - South - Red/green; Gabri-West-Blue/orange; Uri-North-Brown/Green/malkuth colors. Each associated with and element and a time of day. They could start as blobs of color and character . . or as rarified Raphaelian images of angels.
But in truth, they are fundemental rays of divine presence. "They" do not define themselves are colors, directions, or elements . . . we do.
"They" simply are what they are. This is assuming you believe they even have an independent external existance.
My associations have changed and evolved from the moment I started doing that work.
Yours will too.

This post has been edited by palindroem: Jul 6 2010, 10:44 AM