1 (edited by montalk 2006-07-13 19:56:41)

Topic: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Download the books by Franz Bardon if you are interested in a lucid treatment of hermetic training. I have a hardcopy of "Initiation into Hermetics" - awesome book - and just finished reading a PDF of "Frabato the Magician" which despite its terse prose is an occult autobiography of Bardon filled with entertaining examples of esoteric principles and metaphysical dramas. As for the exercises themselves, consider them a system of esoteric bodybuilding.

[edit: see my post below for a caveat].

Acquiring fringe knowledge is like digging for diamonds in a mine field.

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Thanks!
Hummm…
Perhaps I will start reading it now.

Bye, Pictus

--------------------
http://pictus.co.nr

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Downloading now. This "esoteric bodybuilding" sounds intriguing!

--Justin

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Initiation into Hermetics was the first book about meditation and esoteric practice that had any use to me. After having read and taken practice into the exercises a lot, I became an esoteric bodybuilder indeed wink …with some negative side effects. I think this book can be bit dangerous as it might lead the seeker to the STS-oriented path of pursuing metaphysical power only if taken as a solitary guideline. But those who know the characteristics of the different paths and have the ability to recognize their motives are perhaps safe. Bardon itself puts a lot emphasis on the necessity of introspection – but only to avoid inner misbalance that might hinder one in the progress of reaching for magical power.
I still wonder what kind of entities he describes in his second book about evocation. All the sigils and the stereotypical names give the impression of typical ancient black magick to me.

A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap. At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death. The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

For what it's worth, Bardon was said to have initially protested the idea of publishing this material since these were the same secrets mortally guarded by mystery schools through the millennia, guarded for concern over misunderstanding and abuse of magical power by those who weren't ready. No doubt, someone who carries the seed of STS self-aggrandizement can use this to better manipulate others. Likewise, someone with the STO seed for divine service can use the same to better serve and guard others.

According to "Frabato" this change of policy from secrecy to public availability was due to too many souls complaining after dying that they were never given a chance to pursue a quicker path because that knowledge was kept hidden, that they were  instead having to fend for themselves and learn slowly and painfully through the school of hard knocks. So it came down to two opposite risks, one of open knowledge being misused versus secret knowledge being kept from those who might need it. The rationale was that mankind was developing to a point through reliance upon technology that a gross imbalance was developing, so it was necessary to put out the esoteric knowledge and offer choice even at the risk of abuse. It fell upon Bardon to do this, and eventually he accepted.

I'm no fan of ritual magic, summoning elementals and all that, and don't plan on reading "The Practice of Magical Evocation" for that reason. It's just that the basic exercises in "Initiation into Hermetics" are what you might find piecemeal as the centerpiece of other systems of self-improvement except here are most of them in one place. But there's a chapter later on about using a magic mirror. That is the info I've been looking for ever since reading about the psychomantium in the Cass transcripts, the mirror in a black room used for scrying. Another reason why I like the book. 

But you can read other modern hermetic works like 'The Stellar Man' by John Baines and cross reference. Good idea to be educated in other material to be more balanced when reading Bardon. I don't think anyone here will have a problem with that. The problem will more likely be the basic vices of forgetfulness, procrastination, and laziness. That's another thing... in the past people were likely to go fanatical over esoteric knowledge and misuse it, or else persecute the messengers for being servants of the devil. Nowadays people tend to be skeptical instead, indifferent, likely to laugh at such craziness, so in a way it's safer today to be fringe than ever before. Another possible reason why the secret society folks are going public - those who don't need to know, won't give a damn.

Acquiring fringe knowledge is like digging for diamonds in a mine field.

6 (edited by Hildegarde 2006-07-07 21:57:04)

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

smile Don't forget the Kybalion. I've noticed the universal laws in it can explain every single phenomena.
It's good that this is made known to everybody. We are living in exciting times!

It's also interesting to note that Franz Bardon has had many reincarnations.
He was Saint-Germain, Nostradamus, Lao Zi (the creator of Daoism) and Hermes Trismegistos aka Thoth (the author of the Kybalion, Emerald Tablets and the manifester of Hermeticism). This is all claimed by Otti Votavova who is Bardon's student.

"The universe is on fire with wonder, beauty, and ecstasy." - From the Undines to Humanity

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

I read Initiation into Hermetics back in my Navy days.
Bardon is definitely no lightweight.

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

It has come to my attention that training the personal will in the manner outlined by Bardon -- to become a master of one's own destiny -- carries the danger of pushing one deeply into an STS existence of darkness and spiritual separation. The reason is that with enough willpower consolidated under the ego, even the beneficial guiding influences of the heart, destiny, divinity, and the higher self may be overridden whether intentionally or unwittingly. To use that level of willpower responsibly, one would have to be equally as wise and aware as those higher intelligences, which in our current physical incarnations is impossible.

I am reminded of something the C's said in regards to L. Ron. Hubbard:

C's wrote:

Q: VB says here that the STS group, i.e. alien/human consortium I suppose, tried to co- opt Ron's work by recalling him back into Naval service. Apparently, they had tried bribes, and this didn't work, so they felt that kidnapping with all its attendant pain, drugs and mind altering tech would work. Was Ron subjected to kidnapping, pain, drugs and mind altering technology? 
A: Ron? L. Ron Hubbard was in charge of his destiny. Period. 
Q: Was part of the destiny that he was in charge of include the kidnapping, pain, drugs and mind altering technology. 
A: That sounds more like the modus operandi of him and his associates at the "company."

"L. Ron Hubbard was in charge of his destiny. Period." was not a complement, and now I understand why. Aleister Crowley and other left hand path occultists are big on training the will. It is the only way to break away from the "tyranny of divinity" and take power into one's own (ego's) hands. Also this from the Ra Material:

Ra wrote:

Questioner: Was Himmler in any way in contact with his higher self?

Ra: I am Ra. We remind you that the negative path is one of separation. What is the first separation: the self from the self. The one known as Himmler did not choose to use its abilities of will and polarization to seek guidance from any source but its conscious drives, self-chosen in the life experience and nourished by previous biases created in other life experiences.

So be aware that a highly developed will used to consciously micromanage everything makes for STS advancement. If that's your idea of fun, go for it.

Total lack of willpower is not good either. What is its place? Put simply, willpower works best to restrain or override the lower impulses, while the heart is the best motivator for following the higher impulses. Awareness plays the role of discerning between the two impulses, understanding them, and knowing how to apply this understanding. Will to restrain, heart to motivate.

Ideally, the baser self, meaning the conduit of negative influences like social and genetic programming and the various matrix forces, should be subordinate to you, while you in turn should be subservient to your higher self. Therefore your will should have dominion over the baser self yet not interfere with the higher self. Notice how the things you truly love to do require no willpower since the energy of interest and enthusiasm propel you. By discerning and answering the calling of your heart, you are provided with the necessary energy and strength.

Acquiring fringe knowledge is like digging for diamonds in a mine field.

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Hi Montalk

You made some great points.
Being reverent towards your Higher Self and the higher light is important. Unless you have developed enough spiritually maturity and perception to decide on how you will go about life and completing your soul lessons, then you must be advised and guided by a higher power. If not, then you may end up going in circles or devolve.
On another note, I don't think STS advancement is possible with the Bardon system.

"The universe is on fire with wonder, beauty, and ecstasy." - From the Undines to Humanity

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

It does take an iron will to overcome religious and societal programming. 
One must be ready to cut off relations and associations with those who would
try to bind you to their way of slavery.  Impeccability could be seen by some
as micromanagement, but I see it as being prepared.

11 (edited by heandras 2006-07-14 15:23:33)

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Montalk, that was exactly was i felt about the work of Bardon, but seemingly didn't think through on what reasons this feeling based.
I think the danger of providing means to grow willpower and metaphysical muscles is not very obvious if one has already dug through all the philosophical background that is provided through sources like Ra, the C’s, Mouravieff […] and thereby has grown an awareness of the underlying principles. With that foundation, a drifting off to the (unreflected) STS-mode isn’t that easy. As incarnated humans we are forced to sustain a least a little bit of STS-behaviour, but I think there is a difference between having awareness of that fact and having no awareness and being totally under the control of ones internal base-programming.
Bardon announces his books as universal solution for spiritual progress, what definitely is not the case – at least, if one is walking the right hand path. I can tell about Germany, where his books are quite commonly known but information about deeper spiritual principles are rare… I observe very often in forums, that people know a lot about magical practice but have only very fuzzy concepts about positivity/negativity. Insights have grown mostly only that far, that “positive"  and “negative” are synonyms for destructive/constructive consequences of ones actions. And because you can’t judge about the consequences of your actions forehand, black magic and white magic doesn’t exist. A concept that goes to the root of the problem – spiritual polarity – plainly doesn’t exist. The reason is that sources like the Ra-Material and the C’s transcripts are available only in English and most people are either not capable of, or too lazy to read a foreign language. Luckily some people feel feel the difference and act based on their feelings. But for people who put more emphasis on reasoning, things look bad.
I think a significant characteristic of the STO-path is the urge to gain insight in the principles of life without an underlying motive to manipulate the outer world. Maybe the consequence is a greater alignment with the flow of things and a life more in tune with higher principles. Therefore, for beings on this path it is necessary to recognize the characteristics of both polarities to avoid being misled or trapped by the “dark"  side (the dark/ego-components of ones own being as well).
The left hand path needs insight into the principles of life only that far, as is necessary to manipulate the outer and inner world according to ones desires (knowledge that is provided by Bardons books). Insight into spiritual polarity is unnecessary because a STS-adept actually walks the negative path and STO doesn’t interfere.
I didn’t want to suggest that taking practice into the exercises provided in his books makes one a black magician, but the danger exists when taking this source as singular guide. A spiritual mature person is able to utilize that knowledge without getting sidetracked for sure.

Hildegarde wrote:

On another note, I don't think STS advancement is possible with the Bardon system.

If not with this, then through which system, that is publicly known? Remember, STS is about power and control. The whole book is written on that topic – controlling the power of ones thoughts, the elements, growing discipline, making schedules when to practice and so on. Honestly, I haven’t taken a look into it for years but that’s what I remember smile

A man is born gentle and weak. At his death he is hard and stiff.
Green plants are tender and filled with sap. At their death they are withered and dry.
Therefore the stiff and unbending is the disciple of death. The gentle and yielding is the disciple of life.

12 (edited by Hildegarde 2006-07-15 02:58:43)

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

heandras wrote:

If not with this, then through which system, that is publicly known? Remember, STS is about power and control.

Heandras is power or control necessarily bad?
Are they not just tools which we may use to execute whatever intentions the user may have?
Power can be used positively. People who make positive influences in our lives have to be strong and powerful.
Power makes you expand and grow. However it is just a tool and to seek power itself as a means to an end is not balanced.
Control is also another tool. It's made up of two things: organisation and concentration. Without these, we would not be
able to grow. Without a direction (organisation) and effort (concentration) we would not be able to advance positively or negatively.

So we must be clear on our definitions here. When I referred to STS it had connotations of negativity/imbalance/egotism/separation from the source/illusion/black magic. This is what I meant. If you do not have noble intentions, integrity and balance, it would be impossible to advance in the Bardon system.

Below is a part of a page regarding Introspection. If you still had STS intentions and behaviours, Divine Providence would continually force you to review your intentions on whether you are suited to this goal. Read the epilogue in IIH. It will help you understand this.

The below is sourced from Hermetic University Online - Course CF103: Initiation into Hermetics Step One

Nita wrote:

Step 1: Magical Schooling of the Soul: Introspection

...

Introspection also points out when we are using our power of belief to create our own little world. It will eventually block even the best magician from reality. I have seen many talented people do this to themselves. We have to look at reality with no rationalization and as a real person. Other than that, we are harming ourselves and living our lives in delusion. It is the path to mental illness.

Introspection also points out rationalization. Rationalization is when you look at something you do. You are ashamed of it and instead of telling the truth and taking responsibility for your actions you do something else. You pick upon another person so you can blame him or her for your actions. You make excuses for yourself, which is not the same as explaining what happened. People who have already judged the other person do not want to hear the truth. Explaining what happened and taking responsibility purges yourself of wrongdoing and lets you see the real person you are. It is the only way to list your flaws and good points in this exercise. People who do not want to listen may be a problem but you know what you really are as a person.

Delusion is another thing that introspection fights. I cannot count the people I have met who are sure they are special. We are all children of God and all of us have our own talents and abilities. The only thing that makes us special is what we do with them. It is how we live our life and what good we bring into this world. We are wasting our talents by living in delusion. Ignoring reality will eventually lead us down the road to instability and in magic stability and balance is everything.

Introspection is what makes us real people who can use our extra senses with perception and talent. We can set the right causes into effect and bring good to this world and ourselves by our actions. It is what teaches us every little bit of ourselves where we can never be confused by accepting something that is not of us into ourselves.

I help many people with spiritual problems and them not knowing themselves cause most of these problems. They delude themselves or rationalize about what they are instead of accepting themselves. They through ego will let in anything negative that plays upon how special they are until to their dismay they have imbalances and serious problems in life. They have been abused and had negative experiences that negative energies attach to, as they have never resolved their issues.

You should keep doing introspection of the mind and your actions for the rest of your life. I have a pdf file I will send students that request it that will help them with this practice also. I also have a few books that can be bought that will help with this also.

Introspection is the only method that will work as we are stopping our patterns of behavior. I have said many times that some of the worse decisions I have ever made have been when I was reacting and not thinking. It is true of everyone. Magic is about getting results. It is not about rationalization, delusion, ego, and self-importance. It is about doing good, being a real person, connecting to the Now and the Unity. It is not about judging others or personal power. It is about being a real child of God.

"The universe is on fire with wonder, beauty, and ecstasy." - From the Undines to Humanity

13 (edited by Hildegarde 2006-07-15 03:02:33)

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

heandras wrote:

The whole book is written on that topic – controlling the power of ones thoughts, the elements, growing discipline, making schedules when to practice and so on. Honestly, I haven’t taken a look into it for years but that’s what I remember smile

Regarding control of thoughts, this is what I have researched on this:

Rawn Clark wrote:

The problem with the word "control" is that we English speakers usually take it to mean "the exercise of restraint or direction over" our thoughts, but this is clearly NOT what Bardon is advising with this exercise. My visitor pointed out that the secondary meaning of the word is closer to the German original. That secondary meaning is "a standard of comparison", as in a "control subject" within a scientific experiment.

So, what Bardon was really intending, and which the standard English translation seems to obscure, is that with this first exercise,  the student is merely taking stock of what normally transpires in the human mind. In other words, passively observing the machinations of the mind, without involvement, in order to understand the territory itself.  This provides the 'control' or standard, which is an essential prerequisite to the work of altering how the mind functions.

Instead of using thought control, maybe thought calibration would be a better word for it.

"The universe is on fire with wonder, beauty, and ecstasy." - From the Undines to Humanity

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

montalk wrote:

It has come to my attention that training the personal will in the manner outlined by Bardon -- to become a master of one's own destiny -- carries the danger of pushing one deeply into an STS existence of darkness and spiritual separation. The reason is that with enough willpower consolidated under the ego, even the beneficial guiding influences of the heart, destiny, divinity, and the higher self may be overridden whether intentionally or unwittingly. To use that level of willpower responsibly, one would have to be equally as wise and aware as those higher intelligences, which in our current physical incarnations is impossible.

This brings up something interesting for me.  For years, I was friends with and loosely identified a woman as my teacher.  She tried very hard to maintain that role/ illusion of being wiser than me, but it didn't take long for me to see through it.    I won't go into that, but one thing she always harped on me about was how I didn't "control my body" enough.  IOW, she got angry when I didn't push myself beyond the point of being tired or hungry.  She said I was too "into my routine," which was "so Virgo."  Well, in this case,  I always knew that tuning into the body was a way to tune into intuition, but she wouldn't listen.  She had a vested interest in using my gifts to make money for herself, so I never took her admonitions too seriously.   

She was very into contol, will, domination of her life and everyone else's, etc.  She was also very drawn to highly structured systems, like the quasi- Freemason organization she tried to get me into.  She also wound up having to have two thirds of her stomach removed in a dangerous bypass because of bleeding ulcers.  Gee-- maybe there is something to that 'body-listening' thing after all.

As time went on, I realized she was probably the most self-service-oriented person I knew.  That was incredibly dangerous, as she pretended to be a highly spiritual person who wanted to lead others down the path.  What she was, was a predator.  After I broke with her completely, I couldn't believe how long it took me to realize she wasn't just misguided, but evil.

Anyway, all that to say that I think you're onto something important there.

Re: Franz Bardon on hermetic wisdom and magick

Good points and observations. To avoid throwing the baby out with the water, we gotta keep in mind that theories and systems are not accountable for their misapplication or misinterpretation, though some are definitely pretty flawed or incomplete in themselves.  I think anyone with a well-rounded perspective gained from other esoteric and metaphysical sources can make responsible use of the Bardon system.

That said, this does hit home the problem with systems that are big on technique and skimpy on theory. Or at least, systems that claim themselves to be so complete that further study outside the system is discouraged. Sometimes they put colored filters onto your mind to bring out the contrast of the ideas studied, but these in turn might skew or suppress the perception of ideas outside the system. Like Fourth Way schooling, for instance, which despite its intriguing practicality comes up short in the long run; the effects can be similar to what you observed of that woman, Lono.

Acquiring fringe knowledge is like digging for diamonds in a mine field.