A microcosm is the smaller parts of a system, usually referring to a smaller part of the cosmos.
Macrocosm:
A macrocosm is the larger whole of a system, usually referring to the whole of the cosmos.
This idea was first thought to be proposed by Pythagoras, but was later popularized by hermeticism through the understanding of the principle of correspondence. The principle of correspondence which states; “That which is Below corresponds to that which is Above, and that which is Above corresponds to that which is Below, to accomplish the miracle of the One Thing.” This understanding presents the idea that there is a similarity of pattern, nature, or structure between smaller, and larger aspects of existence. This understanding was originally applied to the connection between humans, and the universe, and was also a foundation for some forms of panpsychism.
By understanding one you can understand the other, and through this understanding we can gain knowledge of how things work, especially if we are unable to explore, and comprehend the macrocosm. The microcosm will always reflect the macrocosm, and vice versa.This is a beautiful understanding to have, and it is not only good to hold in the understanding of magick, but is also important in the understanding of the universe itself. By learning how to affect one in specific ways we can learn to affect another allowing us to learn about, and be able to effect all of the aspects of existence.
Because this concept is truly an initiatory hallmark and one that seems is so GREATLY misunderstood by budding adepts and Thelemites (it is IMPOSSIBLE to understand in terms of the mind), I thought that after Peter Carroll’s great quote I would share other writings that succinctly POINT toward the correct place of the Holy Guardian Angel concept. This is taken from Israel Regardie’s brief but amazing Ceremonial Magic and he actually quotes another Golden Dawn manuscript in this quote but here it is:
“In a Golden Dawn manuscript entitled “The Microcosm,” the Holy Guardian Angel or the Genius is lengthily but adequately defined in Qabalistic terms as follows:
‘The spiritual consciousness (Daath) is the focus of the action of the Neschamah. The spiritual consciousness is, in its turn, the Throne or Vehicle of the Life of the Spirit which is Chiah; and these combined form the Chariot of that Higher Will which is in Kether. Also it is the peculiar faculty of Neschamah to aspire to that which is beyond. The Higher Will manifests itself through Yechidah… The Shining Flame of the Divine Fire, the Kether of the Body, is the Real Self of the Incarnation… This Yechidah is the only part of man which can truly say EHEIEH, I am. (emph. add.) This is then but the Kether of the Assiah of the Microcosm, that is, it is the highest part of man as Man… Behind Yechidah are Angelic and Archangelic Forces of which Yechidah is the manifestor. It is therefore the Lower Genius or Viceroy of the Higher Genius which is beyond, an Angel Mighty and Terrible. This Great Angel is the Higher Genius, beyond which are the Archangelic and Divine.’
Though Crowley constantly shifted emphasis of meaning relative to the Holy Guardian Angel, it should be noted that throughout his commentary to The Book of the Law, there is no equivocation whatsoever. The Higher Self IS the Holy Guardian Angel – and that is that. No ambiguity is there, no straining of interpretation. It is a clear statement of fact.”
Now to unpack that a little. For those who would call themselves Thelemites yet the Qabalistic terms above are unclear, I’m going to get on the high horse I so often ride on and remind you to bone up on your Qabalah (not that I’m any kind of SUPER genius ;P). But what I feel is a most important distinction and often the greatest misunderstanding concerning the TRUE WILL and HGA is that in one’s initiatory career, the HGA does NOT appear before you and TELL you in words that your TRUE WILL is to go live your dream of being a rockstar or super important magus (or myriad other bloated self images) that your ego always reminds you that you are (if only the rest of the world could catch up to YOU), but that rather the realization of the Higher Will that manifests itself through Yechidah, OR Holy Guardian Angel, is the process by which the Ego is stripped away until a realization of TRUE SELF is reached in SILENCE and thereby the place of one’s Will is KNOWN in Harmony with the Greater Will of the Universal I AM that is the Higher Will. Once this is realized, an adept can, in Love, maneuver within the True Higher Will in perfect Harmony. This realization of True Will does not necessarily mean that all of one’s egoic dreams of grandeur will be realized or that the person YOU (the ego) always felt it SHOULD be will be realized, but it also doesn’t mean it will not. Rather, the adept will understand, beyond thought, his place within the greater scheme and thereby be at peace, free to harmoniously express his Will from the eternal Love that is the True Higher Will of the ever-present I am, the True Self.
Silence your mind. Begin by observing the way the voice in your head speaks to itself: if you immediately say ‘there isn’t a voice’, THAT IS the voice. Doing this will begin to align you with the observing consciousness of the ever-present I am which abideth in Silence. As you observe this voice, this thought, ask yourself “From whence does this thought arise?” or “Who is having this thought?” and a small gap of Silence will arise before another thought springs to your mind. In your meditation, work on extending those Silent moments by this process. Your mind is not who you are. You are the Silent, observing PRESENCE that the mind speaks to, the eternal I AM. You are not your memories; they are simply illusions perpetuated by your mind creating a false sense of self and separation from others. You are not the story of your life you THINK you are, you are simply the presence that is always right here, right now. If you are thinking, you aren’t there. When you are still, you simply ARE. Be Still. Your mind (thoughts) is simply a tool, what it tells you is not the truth, the only truth there is abideth in the Silence of the ever-present I am.
Do this and you will surely experience the spiritual ecstasy that some have called the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel but it will never be the way you had THOUGHT it would be.
“The Hidden Domain Because our physical senses and instruments cannot detect phenomena outside our three-dimensional universe, we are limited in our access to other levels. This does not mean, however, that we do not experience the hidden domain or that access to it is impossible. We reach it not with instruments but by going outside our usual sensory pathways.”
Energy is the fabric of the Universe, and all matter originates from energy. Energy is information, including thoughts, prayers, intentions, and beliefs. Regarding this, some of the highest energetic frequencies in consciousness are universal spiritual truths found in all of the sacred texts.
Consciousness is the omniscient information field that connects everyone and everything. The energy field of consciousness includes:
Subconscious and conscious thought forms of all humans Consciousness of the Soul – Higher Self Consciousness of all that is created by the Divine – Universe Consciousness of the Divine
Concepts in physics relating to energy are evolving based on new findings in the cosmos, which may require a complete rethinking of Einstein’s law of relativity. Not only is the concept of energy shifting on the physical plane of mathematical laws as new discoveries are made in our universe, but a major shift is occurring in global consciousness. Researchers at the Institute of HeartMath say “Humankind is in the middle of a great paradigm shift from a mentality of competition to one of cooperation.”
As the human race goes through the Great Change of transformation in consciousness to create new systems of cooperation and unity on Earth, the energetic push comes from the frequencies encoded in your DNA. These frequencies include lower vibrational shadow frequencies associated with fear, and higher vibrational gift frequencies associated with love. As you transcend your fears and come into a state of unconditional love, you transform your consciousness to a higher frequency band that energizes your DNA creating profound healing in your body-mind. DNA is a biologic quantum field computer, and as such, connects you to the energies of the spiritual dimension and consciousness.
All energies influence each other, sometimes in subtle, but more often in highly significant and unusual ways. If energy waves come together in coherence forming a constructive interference pattern, they create an energy wave of higher amplitude, thus increasing the amount of energy carried by the wave. Increasing the energy of a wave has the potential to amplify its effect on matter, including your body-mind.
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Occult Aspects 