a series of odd coincidences, of inexplicable events, or even of the traditional mysterious 'bumps in the

night'.

At first this sort of thing can be extremely stimulating - as Aleister Crowley once remarked there is a

sort of satisfaction to be derived from being hit over the head by a spirit of whose existence one was

previously unsure - but after a time it can become a bore. One of the purposes of the Rose Cross Ritual

is to protect its user against just such outside interference; 'it encloses the aura', wrote Wynn Westcott

'... it is like a veil. The Pentagrams protect, but they also light up the astral and make entities aware of

you ... When much distracted use the Ritual of the Rose Cross to maintain peace.'

There are other reasons for using the ritual. It can be used, as will be explained later, to help others

who may be in pain or difficulty and, as is said in one of the instructional documents of the Hermetic

Order of the Golden Dawn, 'it is a call to another mode of consciousness and withdraws you from the

physical. It is a good preparation for meditation and ... a form of Invocation of the Higher Wisdom

which is helpful when solving problems or preparing for a difficult interview, or in order to be calm

and strong to help another ... It is a protection against psychic invasion from the thoughts of others or

from disturbed psychic conditions, such as there might be in a place charged with fear, where terrible

things have happened.'

The ritual should be carried out as follows:

Light a stick of incense - an astringently scented variety of joss-stick, such as sandalwood is best;

under no circumstances is it advisable to use the sickly-sweet perfumed 'co-respondent' varieties.

Go to the south-east corner of your temple and outline with your incense a large cross and circle thus:

The topmost point of the vertical component of the cross should extend from slightly above your head

to a little below your solar plexus. The horizontal arm of the cross and the circle should be made

proportionately.

Hold your joss-stick to the centre of your cross and say: YHShVH (pronounce Yeh-hesh-oo-ah)

techniques of high magick king and skinner