Papa Legba - The Gate Keeper

Papa Legba, Open the gate for me
Atibon Legba, Open the gate for me
Open the gate for me Papa that I may pass
When I return I will thank the Lwa

A Master of the Temple - First Exercise

This simple exercise appears in Liber CLXV - A Master of the Temple, by Aleister Crowley:

Rise to time, and without undue haste, wash and dress, robe yourself and enter the room you have set apart; burn a little incense and turning to the East repeat some simple orison such as: “May the light of Adonai arise within me, may it guide me through this day and be as a lamp to lighten my darkness.” Then make a general confession, as shortly as possible, of your last day’s work and enter it in your diary, after which sit down in a comfortable position and do the following.

With your hands upon your knees and your head straight, take in a breath in measured time inwards and concentrate the whole of your thought on that breath as it flows into your lungs, cutting away all other thoughts that may arise at the time; then exhale the breath, still keeping your thought fixed on it. Do this for some ten minutes or a quarter of an hour, and mark down in your diary the number of “breaks,” or any result. The whole of this practice must be performed rhythmically and harmoniously.

Liber CLXV A MASTER OF THE TEMPLE

Vodou Ancestor Diet

Vodou is all about the ancestors. They are expected to help you in your endeavours just as your parents would. To begin, we want to set up a dialogue with the ancestors. This consists of sharing your first cup of coffee (or whatever) of the day with them, by pouring half of it on the ground.

The following rubric should be practiced for 21 days beginning October 11th and ending on October 31st, the day of the dead. The 1st of November is the special date for the Ghede mysteries, when the dead come out of their cemeteries, possess their horses, and come amongst us to amuse themselves as souls incarnated or reincarnated.

To all who have gone before ...
To those who are named (pour libation) ...
To ... (fill in names of ancestors)
To those whose names have been forgotten,
Lost in the seas of time (pour) ...
To those whose bones lie within and upon the land (pour)
(Raise the cup) To you, from the living (drink).

At the end of the 21 day diet, we can set up the ancestors altar.

John Dee - Oration for Wisdom. Prayer of John Dee.

Morning and Evening Oration: for Wisdom.

  In the Name of God the Father, of God the Son, and of God the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

  Almighty, Everlasting, True and Living God stretch forth, now, to my help: Lord of Lords, King of Kings, Jehovah Lord of Hosts, hasten to my assistance.

  Glory to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, and is now, and will be always, even unto the Age of Ages:  Amen.

  Teach me to properly sense, and to rightly discern, (O Father of all things,) For I desire your Wisdom, because it is all that is: Give your word to my established practice,(O Father of all things,) and fix your wisdom in my heart.

O Lord Jesus Christ (who art the true wisdom, of your eternal, and Omnipotent Father) Most humbly I entreat your Divine Majesty, that you might think myself worthy, in respect of my general piety, to promptly send forth your Wise and tested Philosophical assistance, to that fulfillment of understanding and perfection, that will be of the greatest value towards the enlarging of my praising and glorification to you. 

And when no one is subject to Death, and at last there is Life in the Earth, to which office is it that I will have been fitted: In particular to whom, according to your eternal foresight, will your beneficent eminence have assigned me: Moreover, truly and most humbly it is my most burning and most steadfast quest to your Divine Majesty, that you would think worthy to send forth from heaven to me, your good Spiritual Ministers and Angels, Namely Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and even Uriel: and (in accordance with your Heavenly favor ) as often so ever as any other of your true and faithful Angels, who might completely and perfectly inform and furnish me, in the true and accurate, knowledge and understanding of your Secret Mysteries and Mighty Works (Concerning the properties of all of your Creatures and the best use of those natures) and of the unavoidable necessity for the Decree of our Deaths; to the praising, honoring, and glorification of your name; and to confirm to me, and of others (through me) of your many faithful encouragements: and to the disorder and ruin of your enemies.  Amen.

    Let the Will of Jehovah Zebaoth be done: Let the Will of Adonai be done, let the will of Elohim be done, O Blessed and Most Beneficent Almighty Trinity, yield to me (John Dee) this request, for such a method, whereby to most appease you.  Amen.

Prayer of John Dee

O Almighty, Eternal, the True and Living God: O King of Glory: O Lord of Hosts: O thou, the Creator of Heaven, and Earth, and of all things visible and invisible: Now, (even now, at length,) Among others thy manifold mercies used, toward me, thy simple servant John Dee, I most humbly beseech thee, in this my present petition to have mercy upon me, to have pity upon me, to have Compassion upon me: Who, faithfully and sincerely, of long time, have sought among men, in Earth: And also by prayer, (full often and pitifully,) have made suit unto thy Divine Majesty for the obtaining of some convenient portion of True Knowledge and understanding of thy laws and Ordinances, established in the Natures and properties of thy Creatures: by which Knowledge, Thy Divine Wisdom, Power and Goodness, (on thy Creatures bestowed, and to them imparted.) being to me made manifest, might abundantly instruct, furnish, and allure me, (for the same,) incessantly to pronounce thy praises, to rend unto thee, most hearty thanks, to advance thy true honor, and to Win unto thy Name, some of thy due Majestical Glory, among all people, and forever." [Sloane Manuscript 3191, Folio 45; British Museum; presented here with today's spelling.]