The Great Work is the purpose behind all the work I do. There are so many ways to approach this topic, but since so much of my early formation and education was in Hermetic Ceremonial Magic, it is fitting to start with the work of Eliphas Levi. Born Alphonse Louis Constant (February 8, 1810 – May 31, 1875), Eliphas Levi Zahed was a French poet, writer, and esotericist who wrote 20 books on magic, kabbalah, and alchemy. While I do not agree with all ideas and images, it would be foolish not to acknowledge how much his work influenced the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn (1887-1903), who would go on to influence so much of modern Druidry, Wicca, magic, and paganism. Remnants of his ideas persist without recognition in so much of modern religion, philosophy, and magic, it would be impossible to name them all. Let's begin with his ideas and definitions and build up our idea of the Great Work. ## What is the Great Work? ### The Emancipation of the Will >[!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 1, p 58](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The Great Work is, before all things, the creation of man by himself, that is to say, the full and entire conquest of his faculties and his future; it is especially the perfect emancipation of his will... Let's clean up that language a little bit and remove the patriarchy from it: > [!tip] The Great Work > First and foremost, the Great Work is the creation of the human by themself. It is the full and entire assumption of control of their faculties and their future, especially the perfect emancipation of their will. The first task of the Great Work is for us to assume control over our faculties and future through discipline, practice, and mindfulness. We learn the tools, practices, and skills that will help us to have the solidity we need to perform the work itself. Before we can even think about what comes next, we have to lay this foundation. #### Discipline and Discipleship Discipline is not the same thing as asceticism, even though they are often confused for each other. These two have been confused for so long, discipline has become a synonym for punishment, and punishment is added to most of its definitions. This patriarchal and foul corruption of the idea has hindered not only the Great Work, but the almost all work. Learning the path and the work of following it is real discipline. In fact, before the flagellant monks corrupted the word, it just meant to learn. Discipline is the work of a Disciple, one who follows a teaching or teacher. The art of discipleship has been lost or replaced by mentorship. A mentor can be anyone with more experience than the mentee. A teacher is a master of the discipline they teach to the disciple. A master of a discipline is not perfect, and does not have complete or absolute knowledge of that discipline. They are person who has practiced the discipline and is capable of doing the work contained within it. As such, they are able to teach the discipline to others. Teachers learn from their disciples as much as the disciple learns from their teachers. The only hierarchy existing between them is the qualification to teach, because all are equal in the work itself. Discipline requires us to control our desires, whims, and actions so we live a good life grounded on wisdom, understanding, knowledge, compassion, justice, appreciation, security, patience, righteousness, and balance. These are the aspects of the Tree of Life and are the Energies of the Divine we are called to embody in the operation of the Great work. Discipleship is the relational foundation for the Great Work. We disciple with Spirit, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Compassion, Justice, Appreciation, Security, Patience, Righteousness, and Balance, either directly or with the aid of a teacher. #### Practice Discipline cannot emancipate the will on its own, practice is required to enliven and embody the wisdom, understanding, and knowledge we have gained. Any idea that cannot be put into practice or in some way experienced through practice is a pure and empty aspect of philosophy, theology, or theory. If we are to perform the operations of the the Great Work, the fundamentals of our ideas must be able to be practiced. Practice is the embodied foundation of the Great Work. It comprises the daily, weekly, monthly, or other periodic or occasional actions we take to enact, experience, embody, or develop the ideas we have learned. We have to be careful when we are developing our practice. There are only so many hours in the day, and we can be tempted to add more practices than we have the time and energy to perform. We don't have to do everything all the time. There are many practices we will do for a time to develop skill, habit, or experience, then we stop. Cultivating our practice is an ever evolving process. Like all things in this world, nothing lasts forever. Our goal is never to compete with or judge our practice with that of others. When [[Brigid]] asked me to make an oracle card deck for meditation, that became part of my practice and is not something others need to do unless they are asked and they agree to perform the work. The purpose of our practice is to hone, evolve, develop, experience, and embody the ideas we have learned. It is meant to help and perfect us, not to take up our entire life. Practice prepares, sustains, and supports our lives, not the other way around. #### Mindfulness [[3- Mindfulness|Mindfulness]] is the third of [[0- The Five Spiritual Faculties|The Five Spiritual Faculties]] that will be the base of our operation of the Great Work, and it is a vital tool in the emancipation of the will that will help us gain control of our faculties and our future. Practice builds mindfulness and mindfulness supports practice. Discipline embodies mindfulness, and mindfulness sustains discipline. These three work together in a spiritual machine running at the heart of the Great Work. Any of these three can start our path, but all three are necessary to accomplish all we seek to accomplish. Mindfulness is the interior foundation of the Great Work. At its simplest, mindfulness is being aware of the present moment. That is it. It sounds so simple, but is something we are so easily distracted from. As we familiarize ourselves with mindfulness, we learn the power it has to heal, soothe, and restore us. #### The Freedom of the Will >[!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 1, p 19](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The first of all magical sciences being the knowledge of one's self, so is one's own creation first of all works of science; it comprehends the others and is the beginning of the Great Work. Through [[#Discipline and Discipleship]], [[#Practice]], and [[#Mindfulness]], we learn to examine ourselves, learning who and what we are, applying names to the different aspects of our identity, vocation, and aspirations. This process begins with understanding ourselves: our gender identity and presentation, sexuality, ethnicity, likes and dislikes, and interests. These are ever evolving aspects of our nature, and we will grow and change throughout our lives as we deepen our meditations on our self. The next stage of the process is different for everyone. We may be allured to a particular teaching or teacher, a certain practice we want to take on, or through the basic practices of mindfulness or [[Prayer]]. Whatever allurements call to us is the beginning of our path. My path began with a draw to follow Jesus and learn his ways. This lead me to ceremonial magic, [[Druidry]], Catholicism, Buddhism, Neo-Hasidism/Judaism, [[What is Creation Spirituality|Creation Spirituality]], Sufism, Din-i Ilahi, then finally to Irish Paganism. Throughout my life and my practice, I have melded all of these springs of wisdom and the streams flowing from them into the river of my faith and practice, into my path. Today, I call myself a Christopagan Druid who practices Creation Spirituality, but elements of all these streams of wisdom are still with me. It would be impossible for me to separate one stream from another in my practice or teaching, because all of the waters have mixed and mingled to make the understanding and wisdom I have now. I call the path I follow, Creation's Paths, and call myself a Wayfarer. Any wisdom I have to share is born from these many wells. I don't expect everything I believe and practice to resonate with anyone. It is the product of the path I have walked. No teacher or student should ever expect obedience or acceptance of everything they believe and practice. Our goal must always be to teach the path as we have walked it in order to help others walk their path. This is what it means to emancipate our will. We develop our will through discipline, practice, and mindfulness so we can exercise our will in the operation of the Great Work, and destroy the desire within us to enforce our will on others. So it is we develop an emancipated will so we can perform the real operations of the Great Work. For some people, this emancipation of will is the whole of the Great Work they are called to do. This is why it is vital for us through this process to discern our vocation so we can see the aspect of the work we are called to perform. ### Symbolic Language of the Great Work >[!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 1, p 11](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The Philosophical Stone, the Universal Medicine, the transmutation of metals, the quadrature of the circle and the secret of perpetual motion are neither mystifications of science nor dreams of delusion. They are terms which must be understood in their proper sense; they formulate the varied applications of one and the same secret, the several aspects of a single operation, which is defined in a more comprehensive manner under the name of the Great Work. There are a lot of ways to talk about the Great Work and each one comes with its own methods, practice, and wisdom. Here is a short list of examples: * The Great Work * The Philosopher Stone * The Universal Medicine * The Transmutation of Metals * The Squaring of the Circle * The Secret of Perpetual Motion * Achievement of Gnosis * Enlightenment/Illumination * Moksha * Nirvana * Salvation/Redemption * Heaven * The Holy Grail * [[7- Tikkun Olam|Tikkun Olam]] * Harmony with the Tao * Becoming a Sage * Harmony/Balance This list could go on forever. I use the phrase, The Great Work, because it implies something that we do. It doesn't imply a fixed finishing point that we are pressured to achieve in life. The Great Work will not be finished by any one person, but it is something we collectively do our parts in. The Great Work we are called to do is everything from creating the best version of ourselves to the co-creation of the world in concert with the Divine. Each of us will have our own vocation, which we will continually discern throughout our lives. This is why we always speak of the Great Work through analogy and symbolism. Since we each have our own individual tasks to do that share a common framework and method, these symbols and analogies allow us to discuss the work without getting bogged down in the multitude of different tasks we are engaged in. The symbol lets us have a shared language to discuss those things that are hard, if not impossible, to put into words. ### The Cycles of the Great Work Now that we have established some of the basics, let's laydown a brief overview of the methods we will use to perform the operations of the great work. #### The Five Spiritual Faculties [[0- The Five Spiritual Faculties|The Five Spiritual Faculties]] originate in Buddhism, and the form I use was taught by Thich Nhat Hanh. They form a functional model of the operation of will we can employ to build ourselves and our practice up. The five faculties are: 1. [[1- Faith|Faith]] 2. [[2- Effort|Effort]] 3. [[3- Mindfulness|Mindfulness]] 4. [[4- Concentration|Concentration]] 5. [[5- Wisdom|Wisdom]] These are the five bases we build our practice on, the five strengths we use in the work, and the five capacities we cultivate within ourselves. Each of them fuels the next in an endless round. There is so much to say about them, and I will do that in their own essays. #### Teshuvah and Tikkun Teshuvah and Tikkun form the heart of the Great Work. ##### Teshuvah Teshuvah (תשובה) /tʃuvɑː/ is the Hebrew word for "Return." We return after we chet (חטא) /χɛt/, or "go astray." This is where we have to talk about the controversial and often misunderstood topic of sin. I am not a big fan of the word sin, because it has collected a lot of patriarchal and controlling ideas that don't belong with it. When I search for synonyms for sin the list is depressing: immoral act, wrong, wrongdoing, act of evil/wickedness, transgression, crime, offense, misdeed, misdemeanor, error and the list goes on and keeps getting worse. We don't even get close to the right definition until the eleventh word. The metaphor of the spiritual life is walking a path. Chet/Sin is straying off the path and Teshuvah is returning to the path. We can leave the path on purpose, because we lost our way, or because the path is unclear and we simply lose our way. We might miss the signs and take the wrong path or mistake the sign and go in the wrong direction. While there can be a moral, ethical, or volitional element to wandering off the path, it isn't a required element, so it shouldn't be assumed. Teshuvah is the practice we use to perfect ourselves and our wills. As we learn and refine our understanding of our individual path, we return to the path we should be walking. Remember, being judgmental is the primary root of evil in this world. The purpose of Teshuvah is not to judge or condemn ourselves or others, it is to ensure we don't loose our way and wander from the path. ##### Tikkun Olam Tikkun Olam (תיקון עולם) /tiː-kuːn' oʊ-lɑːm'/ literally means, "Repairing the World." We are not repairing the world because it is intrinsically broken or because of original sin. We are repairing the world because of the harm we, or our ancestors or predecessors, have caused and because while the world is good it is not perfect. That perfection is the unending process we strive toward through the operation of the Great Work. Each of us will approach Tikkun Olam differently. but the basic pattern is the same. It always starts with restoring and repairing ourselves so we are capable of performing the work before us. The work always starts within, then flows out to our lives, then where it interacts with the lives of others. We cannot teach or share the work if we have not first done it ourselves. While there will always be more practical, embodied activities as part of the work, it is rooted in our devotional, mystical, creative, and prophetic work. #### Prayer, Ritual, and Mediation As devotees, mystics, creatives, and prophets, a lot of our work is bound up in Prayer, Ritual, and Meditation. ##### Prayer In brief, prayer is simply how we respond to life. It arises from our actions, thoughts, and words, as a continuous stream into the cosmos. While it can be a particular text or practice, it is at its root the thought, intention, and energy we put out. We can learn to pray better, but we are always praying, whether we know it or not. ##### Ritual Ritual, or Ceremony as some people prefer to call it (I think ritual and ceremony are different, but that is another essay), is an intentional and focused spiritual practice. If you pray in the morning, or every night before bed, those are rituals. They can be complex or simple, but they are always intentional and focused. ##### Meditation >[!info] Definition from Oxford Languages via Google > **med·i·tate** > /ˈmedəˌtāt/ > *verb* > *gerund or present participle: meditating* > > think deeply or focus one's mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation. Meditation is a broad category of practices. It works/operates as a part of both prayer and ritual, but constitutes a number of practice01s in and of themselves. #### The Cycles of the Year There are two main cycles of the year that could be called the Wheels of the Year. The Four Fire Festivals or cross-quarter days are spiritual, devotional, or sacred days rooting us into the tradition. The Four Solar Festivals are spiritual holy days that connect us to the seasons of the year. The dates that I am giving are for the Northern Hemisphere where I live, in the southern hemisphere these dates can be changed to fit the seasons better. ##### The Four Fire Festivals ###### Samhain (November 1-3) Samhain /ˈsɑːwɪn/ is the harvest and the beginning of Winter. We make offerings to the ancestors and connect with them. Peace is declared, and gathering and feasts are called. The Souls of the dead return home on November 2nd. ###### Imbolc (February 2) Imbolc /ɪˈmˠɔlˠɡ/ is focused on the family, the home, and [[Brigid]]. It is a celebration of new life. ###### Bealtaine (May 1-3) Bealtaine /ˈb(j)ɒltɪnə/ is the beginning of summer where the otherworld opens and the spirits are close to us. ###### Lúnasa (August 1) Lúnasa /ˈluːnəsə/ is the first harvest festival and a celebration of first fruits. We give thanks to the spirits for protecting the harvest. ##### The Four Solar Festivals ###### Ingathering/Alban Elfed (September 22) Feast of the Ingathering or the Light of the Sea ###### Yule/Alban Arthuan (December 21) The Light of Arthur ###### Alban Eiler (March 21) The Light of the Earth. The new life is celebrated ###### Midsummer/Alban Heruin (June 21) The Light of the Shore ## The Three Rays > [!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 2, p 64](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > Like all magical mysteries, the secrets of the Great Work have a triple meaning: they are religious, philosophical and natural. Philosophical gold in religion is the Absolute and Supreme Reason; in philosophy, it is truth; in visible nature, it is the sun: in the subterranean and mineral world, it is the purest and most perfect gold. Hence the search after the Great Work is called the Search for the Absolute, and this work itself is termed the operation of the sun. Another way of saying that is: > [!quote] Gareth Knight, Dion Fortune and the Three-fold Way > The Green Ray consists of the nature contacts in the broadest sense, and encapsulates most mythopoeic formulations relating to nature and to the Earth, including Elemental and Faery traditions. The Orange Ray describes the study of symbolism and its manipulation in ceremonial or visualized forms, frequently in terms of the Tree of Life of the Qabalah. The Purple Ray denotes religious mysticism, a direct approach to the spirit, and the devotional way usually expressed in the West in Christian terms. I also connect this with Jesus' teaching: > [!quote] John 14:6-7 > Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him, and have seen him." These are the three paths into and of the work. We can spend an entire life on just one, or we can walk more than one or all three. They are a good tool for understanding and categorizing the work we are called to do ### The Purple Ray of Devotion This is the Way of Devotion, the religious meaning of Levi. [[1- The Purple Ray of Devotion|The Purple Ray]] is our experience and practice corresponding to the path on the Tree of Life from [[10- Malkuth|Malkuth]] (Kingdom) to [[9- Yesod|Yesod]] (Foundation), which is on the Middle Pillar of Mildness or Aspiration. This is the path of devotional and religious mysticism where we interact and call upon the spirits and saints of our faith. ### The Green Ray of Nature This is the Truth of Nature, the natural meaning of Levi. The [[2- The Green Ray of Nature|Green Ray]] is our experience and practice of and in Nature corresponding to the path on the Tree of Life from [[10- Malkuth|Malkuth]] (kingdom) to [[7- Netzach|Netzach]] (Victory), which is on the Pillar of Mercy or Energy. This is the path of empathy where we encounter the spirits of land and nature, the fae, and what could be called the natural intelligences. This is the path of Natural Mysticism. ### The Orange Ray of the Great Work This is the Life of the Great Work, the philosophical meaning of Levi. The [[3- The Orange Ray of the Great Work|Orange Ray]] is our experience and practice of Ceremonial, Magical, and Meditational work corresponding to the path on the Tree of Life from [[10- Malkuth|Malkuth]] (kingdom) to [[8- Hod|Hod]] (Splendor), which is on the Pillar of Severity or Form. This is the disciplined and discipled mysticism where we work with the energies of the cosmos through symbolism and action. # The Magnetic Chain > [!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 2, p 61](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The Great Work in Practical Magic, after the education of the will and the personal creation of the Magus, is the formation of the magnetic chain, and this secret is truly that of priesthood and of royalty. To form the magnetic chain is to originate a current of ideas which produces faith and draws a large number of wills in a given circle of active manifestation. a well-formed chain is like a whirlpool which sucks down and absorbs all. The chain may be established in three ways – by signs, by speech and by contact. The Magnetic Chain is how we share the insights we have gained and the work we are doing with others. It is how the work spreads. This is the heart of my priesthood. ## The Chain of the Sign > [!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 2, p 61](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The first is by inducing opinion to adopt some sign as the representation of a force. While there are many signs I use in my work. I created two signs to define my work: ### The Christopagan Druid Sign ![[Christopagan Manifesto Square.png|300]] This sign merges the Staurogram, a pre-Christian symbol of the Divine that was adopted by Christianity to mean God, Christ, or the Cross, and the Awen which has become the symbol for modern Druidry. ### The Four Colored Knot ![[Creation's Paths (1080 x 1080 px).png|300]] This is the main symbol of Creation's Paths and is an endless knot in four colors representing the four paths of [[What is Creation Spirituality|Creation Spirituality]]. ## The Chain of Speech > [!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 2, p 61](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The magic chain of speech was typified among the ancients by chains of gold, which issued from the mouth of Hermes. Nothing equals the electricity of eloquence. This is my writing, newsletters, podcasts, and stories. ## The Chain of Contact > [!quote] [Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic Its Doctrine and Ritual, translated by A. E. Waite, part 2, p 61](https://www.holybooks.com/transcendental-magic-its-doctrine-and-ritual-by-eliphas-levi/) > The third method of establishing the magic chain is by contact. Between persons who meet frequently, the head of the current soon manifests, and the strongest will is not slow to absorb the others. The direct and positive grasp of hand by hand completes the harmony of dispositions, and it is for this reason a mark of sympathy and intimacy. This is the community I am building to spread these ideas and help more people find their way into the Great Work. --- # See Also %% Begin Waypoint %% - **1- The Three Rays** - [[1- The Purple Ray of Devotion]] - [[2- The Green Ray of Nature]] - [[3- The Orange Ray of the Great Work]] - [[Esotericism]] - [[Magic]] - [[The Great Work]] %% End Waypoint %%