Exposition of Bardons

Initiation into Hermetics

Out of the many Adepts that have blessed the west, Franz Bardon stands out as one of the great
pioneers in history. His clarity in writing, ability to extract the essential essence of the sacred teachings
and his ardent efforts in practicing and sharing his wisdom give the western student a great foundation
to begin working with on their Path.

The intention of this writings is to help elucidate, clarify, and when necessary, give more detail in
Bardons Steps of Initiation. Rather than quote Bardons Initiation into Hermetics, i have included a
link to a PDF file of his work that will be used throughout this series. Also included is a link to Dr.
Georg Lomers Seven Hermetic Letters. Although it is little known, Dr. Lomers writing is one of the
primary influences in Bardons Initiation into Hermetics. It is hoped that by including Dr. Lomers
work in this series the reader will gain a deeper understanding of where a lot of Bardons practices
evolved from.

This is not a commentary on Bardons book. The only thing we will be focusing on is his Steps of
Initiation. Before you begin reading this work it is strongly suggested that you read the theories of
Bardons writings to get a better understanding of some of the terms and ideas that will be spoken of
latter in this series. The theoretical part begins on page (6 to 29) in the PDF file of Initiation into
Hermetics.

Possible sources to Bardons practices in Initiation into Hermetics

1. Dr. Lomers Seven Hermetic Letters
2. Ramacharkras works. The most prominent of these are the: Science of Breath, Hatha Yoga
and Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism
3. Alexandra David-Neel

Sadly, Bardons use of Alexandra David-Neels and possibility Evans-Wentzs writings were probably
the only good source he had to the Tibetan Teachings. Although their writings are shining stars in their
day, they contain many errors in transcription and only half teachings with some of the texts that were
translated via a third party. It is known for a fact in our internet and printing age that not only were the
ancient Yogis more advanced in meditational practices, but most of Bardons practices would have
been common introductory exercises that slowly prepared the Yogi for the more advanced techniques
in their magical and ecstatic systems.

While the above is true, it should not in any way belittle or disenchant the western practitioner. For
while Bardons teachings might not be the most advance, they represent one of the most complete
introductory systems a student can hope to find in the West. One thing Bardon has done for the
western practitioner is to extract those practices from the east that are most assessable and beneficial
for the western adept.







Step I (Pages 33 to 41)

If there is one central theme to Step One, it is conscious awareness. In every major initiatory tradition,
becoming aware is the first and most important step on the whole path. In this step Bardon focuses on
being aware of thought, self, hygiene, body, eating and the breath. His three step system of balancing
the work with the Body, Soul and Mind of an adept is one of the most balanced systems out there. It
ensures that the whole of the adept awakens rather than only part. The only thing that is missing is the
emotional/social evolution of the adept. To offset this, there will be some supplementary exercises in
this series to help gain an even better balance.

Mind/Air

The first part of Step One considers thought awareness and control. As we get into this section it needs
to be said that Bardon has a tendency to oversimplify, under explain and have too high of an
expectation at certain stages of the work. This first section is a prime example. Any true veteran of
meditation can tell you that having complete control of the mind takes many, many years. It is not
something that just happens in five or ten minute sessions once or twice a day. Not only that, but to be
able to silence the mind and enter into emptiness is such an advance meditational technique, that it
seems that Bardon is almost setting the beginner up for failure.

A problem with Bardon having introduced these exalted techniques in his work is the silence of those
who have gained a certain mastery over his system. They have either unilaterally agreed not to point
this out to others or they have deluded themselves into believing that they have reached these exalted
levels of meditation themselves. This last would be a true sign of too much will power and not enough
self introspection, awareness and honesty. This is not to say that there are never adepts who have
accumulated such karma that they naturally have the ability to experience these states of mind and
awareness, because i myself have met a few blessed souls with this gift. The reason for pointing this
out is that the beginner should not be discouraged from continuing on the path. These first three
sections are steps we need to work with throughout our lives. Becoming aware and learning to control
our thoughts is something that takes time and patience.

Granted, in a controlled and charged environment these techniques can be accomplished in a relative
short amount of time, the difference is when we step outside that secure place or circle. It is when we
go back into our normal life that we find all the effort we spent in the circle learning how to calm our
minds is nothing compared to the efforts it will take to find that same space within our daily lives. It is
this part of the work that takes time and effort. This is where so many of Bardons students fail to
point out.

In the beginning of becoming aware of thoughts it is better to be an observer rather than recorder of
what thoughts arise. If we jump right into trying to retain what kind of thoughts are flowing through
our minds, we will introduce a stressed energy which inevitable irritates and exasperates the thoughts
into a frenzy. At first, just become aware of thoughts. Do not judge them or try to change them, and
definitely do not get caught up in them. This ultimately is one of the biggest obstacles in the
beginning. What we find is that our minds are constantly getting caught up in our daily dramas,
worries, desires, fears, inspirations, insights, etc

All we have to do is bring our awareness back to being a watcher. All we are doing in the beginning is
watching the thoughts like the water flowing in a river. Sometimes we will see sludge, trash and
maybe even dead bodies or sick things floating by. The idea of becoming aware of the mind is to see it
for what it is; an empty channel from which energies move in and react with our memories via images,
sounds or one of the other senses.

As we gain a better control of this technique we will often notice that there are a lot more thoughts in
our minds then we normally would think. In fact, there are many different levels and degrees of
thought. Once we gain control of our outer thinking mind, which can easily be gained controlled of
with a strong will, then the undercurrents or second layer of thoughts come to the forefront of the
mind. This is the tip of the subconscious iceberg that can take a long time to calm down. As for the
level Bardon is touching upon, it is this first layer of thought control that we are to master; which is
not necessarily hard to accomplish and could feasibly be done in a few weeks of consistence practice
for most practitioners.

Once we have calmed the outer thoughts enough and gained a secure understanding of becoming a
passive observer, we can then begin to record what thoughts arise out of the subconscious level. As we
do this, we will notice that certain things, ideas, images or whatnot will trigger our outer thoughts to
begin clinging to our worries, dreams, desires, etc. It is at this point that we need to record or
remember what thoughts come to consciousness.

There is a misconception of this first exercise as the ability to control our thoughts. At this point there
is no real control, but rather, an awareness of the thoughts and possibly a basic understanding of their
process of unfoldment if the student is astute.

One reason why the thoughts appear to calm down is that we are overwhelming the mind with a kind
of mantra by bringing our awareness to our thoughts. One way of looking at this is to think of a
mouse. When we bring our awareness to a mouse it instantly disappears behind something. As soon as
we preoccupy ourselves with something mundane and routine we begin to see how the mice come out
and overwhelm us.

Bardon talks about two ways to help bring these little mice out from their hiding spaces. One is to do
daily awareness exercises throughout our life. One way to do these exercises is to work with one thing
at a time. What we find when we practice this type of technique in the beginning is that it takes a lot of
energy to focus our minds on one thing in exclusion to all others. At first this is the case. It is not that
focusing takes a lot of energy, in fact, the more we are focused the more energy we gain from life. It is
only in the beginning when we have to use our energy to deal with the wandering nature of our minds
while trying to keep focused that drains us. Once this has become a natural thing it no longer takes our
energy. One way to look at this is to consider how much energy it takes to learn something. Take for
instance walking. To watch a child learn how to walk is like pulling teeth. At first it takes every ounce
of their energy to just stand up much less walk. Inevitably though, once they learn how to walk they
can run and run for hours.

Start with learning to be aware while brushing the teeth, drinking a cup of water, or eating a piece of
fruit. It is best to start with quick and easy things that take only a moment or two of our lives. Like the
mental awareness early, all we are doing is watching ourselves. One way that we can watch ourselves
is to focus on one of the senses. When brushing our teeth, just be aware of the feel of the bristles on
the gums and teeth. When we are eating a fruit, be aware of the taste and so on. In the beginning the
idea is not to overwhelm ourselves with too much information. If we try to hold onto too many things
at once the thoughts have a greater tendency to wander around or catch us up.

As we get a hold upon these different facades of our lives we can begin to focus on some active action.
For instance, every time we open a door, we become aware of reaching for the door knob, grasping it,
feeling the texture of the metal, wood, glass, etc. twisting the wrist to open the door and then either
pushing or pulling the door open. Another example might be when the phone rings. Instead of
instantly getting up and running to the phone, use it as a trigger to become aware. Breathe for a
moment, then slowly walk over to the phone and lift it off the receiver. Become aware of every step in
the process. Still another thing we can use as city dweller is the sound of a siren to trigger off a
moment of awareness. Send loving and healing thoughts to the ambulance, safety and compassion to
the fire engine, and justice, balance and serenity to the police car and its destination.

Once we can use these active actions we can begin trying to hold passive awareness to other random
things; for instance driving or walking. Utilizing simple techniques as mental noting to help bring our
awareness to what we are doing is very helpful. This helps keep the mind from entering the autopilot
stage. When walking, we can mentally note left foot, right foot, left foot, and so on. Once our minds
make this noting mundane, then we can get more detailed. Lifting, placing, lifting and placing. Left
foot going up, knee bending, shifting weight, placing foot, foot touching the ground and on and on we
can go into detail.

Once i told my loving partner that i could take four hours to explain how i washed the dishes for five
minutes. She did not believe me until after i explained for ten minutes how i reached for the first dish.
There is so much going on with us at any one moment that if we focused our attention on what is
going on within each of the senses, it could take a month to wipe our ass. The point in this exercise is
not to die as we walk to get a cup of water; the idea is to become aware. Taking our time and
watching, listening, feeling, tasting, smelling, moving, sensing, embracing and whatever else we are
doing are just opportunities to do this.

Another simple walking meditation i learned from Kung Fu Theater is to take a certain amount of
steps per inhale and exhale. Start with four steps with the inhale and four steps for the exhale. After
awhile work on taking six steps per inhale and exhale and then eight. There is no need to extend the
steps per breath beyond what comes easily. This is not a contest to see how long we can hold our
breath. It is simply an exercise to help us become conscious of walking and breathing. In other words,
just another thing we can do to help silence the mind.

As we gain a better control over these and similar practices we can begin to integrate them into every
aspect of our lives. As Bardon points out, when we are at work we should not be thinking of
something other than what is before us. And likewise, when we are home we should not bring work
home with us. He says that we are to become like a different person, but i would say that we are just
being aware of the ever present moment. This does not make us into a different person; rather, we are
simply dropping away all the different masks that we wear in life and simply becoming aware of what
is before us.

As we practice this we find that the routine creates boredom. If boredom arises, it is a sign that there is
not complete awareness. When complete awareness arises, it creates bliss and harmony. What we find
in this state is that there is nothing better or worse to do. It is only when the mind begins to wander and
compare sensually more pleasing things that we find our minds losing pure awareness. The point of
these exercises is to simply bring the awareness back to what we are doing. Use mentally noting or
focus on one of the senses in exclusion to all the rest. If we are filing, then we are to feel the paper in
our hands, become aware of the texture, the hairs, its thickness, and so on.

It is a lot easier to keep our minds focused when working with physical actions than when working
with mental phenomena or strings of thoughts. The last stage of the mental exercises in Step One deals
with holding one thought or string of thoughts in exclusion to all others. This, more than any of the
other exercises shows us just how little control we do have over our thoughts.

There are many approaches to working with controlling the mind. For space sake, we will focus on the
four basic elemental approaches. Fire is considered the most willful approach, which uses something
like sergeant energy to force the mind to its chosen task. Anything that prevents or becomes an
obstacle is destroyed. Water on the other hand utilizes a gentle approach that simply brings the mind
back to topic. Like a ripple in the water, it patiently waits for the thought to come back to serenity.
Unlike fire, which brings an aggressive, almost war like energy to overcome obstacles, water
understands that life is in motion and just by letting things be without judgment or attachment allows
all things to come back to rest. Those who utilize the Air approach focus on the intrusive thought,
analyzes it until it dissolves back unto where it has come from. While the fire approach sticks to the
chosen target and water gently comes back to the original focus, air moves from the original focus to
the intrusive thought, holding with the same amount of attention until the unwanted thought goes
away, in which case the air then moves back to the intended meditation. The last approach works
through the earth energies. If there is one quality out of the many that stands out with the earth energy
it is stability and endurance. Those who work with the earth approach just keep bringing the thoughts
back to the intended focus. There is no aggression, nor is there this soft gentling of attention, it simply
brings it back. Although the fire energy is known for willpower in the since of burning away all
obstacles, the earth approach simply wares them down. Day after day, the mind keeps coming back to
the focus until it is completely controlled.

Each approach has benefits and disadvantages to them. For instance, fire energy creates aggression,
judgment and agitation in the mind. Water creates fogginess and confusion which leads us to
accomplishing nothing. Air sometimes goes too far down the road of thoughts and ends up getting
swallowed by them, while those utilizing the earth approach get discouraged and overwhelmed. It is
said that those who take the road of fire, gain quickly, but lose it just as quickly. The path of water
leads us to the greatest depths, but also invites melancholy and depression. With Air we gain the
greatest insights, but risk becoming philosophers rather than practitioners. Out of these four
approaches, Earth creates the most stable and strong experiences, but it is a long path with many
pitfalls and times of stagnation.

In the end we simply need to find what approach works best for us. Sometimes we can work with two
or more different styles in order to create a balanced and wholistic approach to meditation. Whatever
our choice, it is very important that we become aware of the unwanted qualities so as to protect
ourselves from getting caught up in them.

Once we have found our way to approach meditation we then can begin the process of finding
something to hold our mind. Sometimes it is a mantra, a song, a simple word, an image, a koan, or just
the breath. Whatever it is, we need to find something that will at least initially hold our attention. Once
we have found it, we need to stick with it. Just like a child who goes from one thing to the other out of
boredom gains nothing, so we will gain nothing if we switch from one topic to another, or one idea,
song, mantra, word, image, or whatever.

Always keep in mind that it takes time to harness the mind and calm the thought process. Once we
have reached high school, this type of control has become a foreign way of relating to our minds. We
have become so externalized, that to bring our consciousness inside to focus on the thoughts creates a
lot of chaos in the beginning.

One thing to remember is that two thoughts cannot exist at the same time within our consciousness.
Like a window which sees one thing at a time, if the mind is fully aware of what is before it, no
thought or thing can enter.

This writing is not meant to be an exhaustive treatment on meditation. For a better understanding of
meditation please refer to some of the links below.

Dr. Lomer utilizes the pea exercise (Pg.26) to help the student work on being conscious during
activities that invite humility. This exercise supports our efforts in becoming conscious while in the
middle of a mundane activity. There are other ways to do this exercise without having to throw peas
around the house. One way is to pick up and do the dishes for someone you live with. Be it a child, a
friend or someone we are in relationship with. The exercise is to be done without complaining or
getting upset with the other person thinking that they are not being fair. The idea is to help support us
in letting go of our attachments towards mundane activities, while helping us to become more aware
and less controlled by our unconscious thoughts and selfish motives.


Spirit/Fire

As you read this work you will notice that i have changed a few things in Bardons system. While his
balanced approach is geared around the spirit, soul and body, my approach will utilize the elements as
a means to create a well balanced system for the aspiring adept. In order to do this i had to shift some
of Bardons teachings and practices around and introduce some of Dr. Lomers work which for some
reason or another Bardon left untouched. As always, it is suggested that the student/adept read
Bardons and Dr. Lomers writings before reading this text.

Step One will follow the other areas and simply begin the process of being aware of the spiritual
aspects of ourselves. This process begins with learning how to have a one minded focus and
strengthening the will. For Step One the student is to write down everything they really want in life.
Consider the following areas when doing this practice; family, friends, work, health, wealth, sex,
monetary status, power, path, spiritual, emotional, mental, etc.

Working with this practice helps us find direction. Most humans never go anywhere or accomplish
anything because they are either weak willed and havent the courage to seek those things they want or
they have so many desires that they are constantly moving in one direction or the other, which
ultimately drains them of energy and prevents them from manifesting their dreams and desires. By
doing this practice we begin the process of manifesting our thoughts.

Another reason for this practice is to give us a general idea of where a lot of our energy is going. Some
questions we should ask ourselves once we have a good list of our desires are: Is this what we want?
How will this shape my life? Does this fit with how I am and who I have in my life today? How will
this change me? Are my dreams reasonable and logical? These and many other questions should be
asked. Sometimes are dreams are rooted from a lack of something in our upbringing and upon further
introspection we find that in truth we really do not care to have them now.

As we grow in this practice we will find ourselves refining and distilling are desires until only a few
stand out above the others. Once this happens, then we can begin the process of focusing our wills and
attention towards manifesting them. One thing we should remember when we do this practice is how it
all fits in with our Path. Defining our Path, what our Path is, what practices are involved, where it is
going and who it awakens us to. These things are necessary for us to understand as we take the first
step towards self-realization and actualization.

Social-Emotional/Water

To work with the social/emotional qualities we first need to learn how and what kind of people cause
us to react. The key is to look into our karma rather than how and why we should blame others for the
things that happen to us.

There is a classic story of a great yogi named Petrul Rinpoche who wandered from one place to
another. One day he found a cave with a renowned meditator in it. Petrul walked in and started to have
a conversation with the yogi. What are you doing, Petrul asked. Practicing the perfection of
patience, the meditator replied. Oh Petrul replied and as he walked over to the meditators food he
grab a piece and started to eat it. After finishing the food Petrul laid down on the meditator bed and
started to rummage through his sacred texts. Watching, the meditator stated to get a little upset. Why
was this stinking bum interfering with his meditation he thought. Petrul unconcerned with the
meditators attention started to rip pages out of the sacred text and fling them around the cave. At this
point the meditator stated to get a little miffed. Getting up, Petrul walked over to the meditator and
leaned in to speak to him. With reeking breath, Petrul slapped the meditators back and said, You
must get a lot of offerings up here in the cave from those in the village. Sly old men like us can really
pull it over their eyes huh. At that moment the meditator lost it and started to yell and scream at
Petrul Rinpoche. In the middle of his tirade Petrul raised a finger as he spoke, Oh, what happened to
your perfection of patience now?

One point of this story is to show us that it takes others to help us on our path. We can sit in our little
circle and think that we are so enlightened and perfect, until we get out in the world and all our
perfection falls to the way side. Maybe we can delude ourselves and blame all the things that happen
to us on others and just excuse our lack of control on some external thing, but the fact is, we have
gained nothing but deluding ourselves into believing we have accomplished or gained something that
we never had in the first place.

We might as well be asleep and think that our dreams are the reality we have control of rather then
ever wake to find it was a lie.

Walking the path of magic does not make us better than others. It does not make us some elite group
that has the power to control the world or to expand our ego mentalities until it swallows the whole
world in damnation. Humbleness should always be the key to the work; humbleness and silence. Let
others believe you are a weak fool and stupid, caught within some level or another. By doing so, you
will fly under the radar of those who get caught up in jealousy or who wish to consciously or
unconsciously wish you harm. Do not get caught up in spiritual hubris and pride. Let your wisdom be
like a whisper that seeps into the soul rather than a boisterous voice that hammers at reason and logic.

Introspection touches upon the emotional and social aspects of our lives. Below are three different
systems of introspection. If the aspirant works with these practices they will gain a deep understanding
of who they are.

Bardon utilizes the positive and negative qualities as a way to create conscious astral mirrors to reflect
back to us the two polar energies of creation. Dr. Lomer uses the stages of life. One way to work with
this is to utilize the basic phases of child development which lightly bases itself off of the planetary
developmental Tree.

Moon: Birth to Three years old
Mercury: Three to Puberty
Venus: Puberty to Eighteen years old
Sun: Eighteen to Twenty-five years old
Mars: Twenty-five to thirty-five
Jupiter: Thirty-five to second Saturn return
Saturn: Second Saturn Return to death

The student should start with Bardons system, organizing as he says the qualities into wanted and
unwanted categories and then filing each into one of the elemental stations. This helps us to see what
elemental energies are predominate in our lives and which ones are lacking. Later in this Exposition
we will go into different ways to balance these energies.

We are to record all this into our diary. As many adepts have pointed out, the magical diary is
absolutely necessary in our development. After utilizing Bardons system, then begin the process of
investigating our past. Look into each point of our lives and see what you find. Always remember
these mirrors or planes in our lives are for our eyes and ears alone. We are to be as honest and
thorough as if we were counting the money a thief gives us to make sure every dollar is there.

Once we have done a sincere investigation of our good and bad qualities and looked into the different
phases of our life, possibly even written out our life history as a story, then begin my process of
Astrological House investigation. By the time the student has gone through these three different
formations of introspection, the initiate will have a complete understanding of who they are and what
they have become. Following is a list of questions based off the energies and topics of each of the
houses in astrology. This last form of investigation looks into the different areas of our lives and
shows us what kind of mask we don in each area.

First House:

How do we start things? Do you need to be pushed, etc
How do you perceive society?
How does society perceive you?
How does life treat you?

Second House Questions:

Who are you?
What do you like to spend money on?
How do you feel about money?
What do you think about people who have everything handed to them on a silver spoon? What
about those who have nothing?
Where do you find safety, security, stability?
What do you value?
What do you identify with?
What materials define you?
What do you hold onto as your core identity?
What is your self esteem?

Third House Questions:

What are your core beliefs?
What things do you have a strong opinion about?
What do you like to learn and explore about?
What kind of thoughts do you have a lot of?
What kind of thought process do you use? Example: linear, symbolic, artistic, mathematical,
cluster, etc
How would you define your mind? Example: cloudy, fuzzy, clear, slow, fast, etc
What does knowledge mean to you?
What happens to your thoughts when:
1. Being confronted
2. Yelled at
3. Worrying over something
4. Contemplating
5. Fantasying
6. Having to explain something
7. When someone is not listening to you
8. When you feel disrespected
How do you learn? Example: Visual, tactile, hearing, hands on, mental, etc
What major things come to mind when you think about your early childhood?

Fourth House Questions:

What is the Foundation of your Path?
Where do you go or what do you do when things get overwhelming?
What was your home life like?
What does Home mean to you?
What kind of subtle ways to you use to get what you want?
How do you relate to your mother?
What does a mom represent to you?
How do you create your home?
How do you resolve issues in your life?
Write your life history?
Look at some of these things of your past
1. Things missed
2. Things that were not liked
3. What you wished were different
4. Some fears
5. Reoccurring dreams
6. What you wanted to be when you grew up
7. Some compromises you had to make
8. Pets
9. Friends

Fifth House Questions:

What do we like to explore?
What does romance mean?
What kind of people excite you?
How do you view children?
What does parenting mean to you?
Where do you go over the top?
What does freedom mean to you?
How would you use more leisure time?
What hobbies do you have?
How do you compete?
Where do you express your creativity?
Where do you seek to be recognized?

Sixth House Questions:

What are your priorities?
What kinds of things do you carry on your shoulders without wanting help from others?
What does it mean to be healthy?
What kinds of food do you like and why?
What are your routines?
What kind of work do you like and dislike and why?
How do you approach work?
Is work and home life separate or do you keep in contact with those you work with in you
home life?
How do you handle authority?
How do you handle being bossed around and what kind of feelings arise when it happens?
How do you relate to pets and what kind of pets do you like?
Where do you try to be perfect?
Where do you slack off?
How do you take care of yourself?
How do you deal with sickness?
How do you feel about needy people?

Seventh House Questions:

How do you deal with confrontation?
What kind of thoughts arises within your mind when confronted with aggressive energy?
How do new relationships begin in your life?
What qualities do you look for in a partner?
What does marriage mean to you?
How do you feel and deal with being dependent upon others?
What kind of people do you see as your enemy?
What do you expect in a relationship?
What do you except in a relationship?
What kinds of things do you project on others?
What qualities or character traits do you have a hard time dealing with? In yourself and in
others?
What personification do you project in a group setting?
What kinds of things do you sacrifice for those you care about?
How might your friends perceive you?

Eighth House Questions:

What do you think most other people value?
How do you handle responsibility?
What beliefs do we have about death?
What kind of feelings and thoughts arise when contemplating death?
How do you feel about the trials in your life? Why do they happen?
What role do instincts play in your life?
What role does greed, jealousy, passion, lust, and power play in your life?
What major kinds of conscious shifts have happened in your life?
What does having control mean to you?
How do you feel about sex?
What kinds of major separations have you had in your life?

Ninth House Questions:

What are some major religious and philosophical beliefs you hold onto?
What do you think about the news we get on TV and in Newspapers?
How do you go about learning things?
How do you find meaning in your life?
Where would you like to travel and why?

Tenth House Questions:

What was your relationship like with your father?
What does the dad archetype represent to you?
How do you behave in public verses in private?
What image do you wish to project to the world?
What do you wish to be recognized and admired for?
How do you go about making things better in the world?
What do you believe your destiny is?
What are some of your ambitions?
What pushes you in life?

Eleventh House Questions:

What kinds of friends do you look for?
What kinds of groups, clubs, organizations, etc. do you gravitate towards?
What kind of qualities do you expect in your friends?
What archetypal role do you fill in your friendships?
What does spirituality mean to you?
How do you deal with having to work in a group setting?
What is a perfect society to you mean?
What kinds of things do you visualize in your life?
What things stimulate your creativity?

Twelfth House Questions:

What is the highest union possible in life?
What kinds of things do you lose yourself to?
What does wholeness mean?
How do you feel about suicide?
How has drugs and alcohol effected your life?
What things confuse you?
How do you conform?
Where do you set your boundaries?
How do you escape and what pushes you to do it?
What kinds of dilemmas arise within your life?
How do you view dreams?


One thing that Dr. Lomer suggests in his first letter (Pg.15) is to do nightly meditations on our daily
activities to ascertain our success and failures. This exercise is suggested in many different meditative
traditions, where in the evening we look at how well we accomplished the goals and in the morning we
set those goals that we wish to accomplish. As we enter into sleep we gently set within our minds our
goals so as to fall asleep with the imprint of what we wish to accomplish the following day. This will
ensure that these subliminal messages will sink deeper into our subconscious while we sleep. By
combining Lomers technique with Bardons suggestion of keeping a diary of our failures and
successes we gain a superb way to empower ourselves.

This process of introspection is the first step in gaining control of ourselves.






Physical Body/Earth

This section deals with three areas:

Exercise and Bathing/Hygiene
Breathing
Eating and Drinking


Physical Exercises

Bardon suggests rubbing the body down until the blood is circulating near the surface of the skin and
then taking a cold shower/bath after which we again rub our bodies briskly with a rough towel until we
are warm. Dr. Lomer suggests basically the same thing, but at night before we enter into our beds. I
have found both systems beneficial, though Bardons is more productive towards harmonizing the day.
Lomers system is very helpful with dream work. Upon reading Dr. Lomers writings you will notice
that dream work is something he emphasizes greatly while Bardon for the most part leaves it
untouched.

The only thing else i would add to Bardons curriculum is to rub the kidney area of the back in a
circular motion starting from the lower area out and then up and in towards the spine and down. This
circulation helps accumulate heat in the kidney region, the importance of which will be talked about
later in this text.

(A quick side note for those who work with this system. I have experienced an interesting side effect with consistently
scrubbing my body with abrasive towels as is instructed by Bardon. After a few weeks of working with this I started to
notice this intense pinching or needle like feeling all over my body. Not a comfortable feeling mind you. After isolating the
source to the scrubbing I realized that excessive rubbing of the skin can cause it to become very dry. This in time can cause
excruciating discomfort as I experienced. The two things I have noticed that help with this is to rub olive oil or some other
nice oil onto the body after rubbing or do a salt glows as a way to vitalize the body rather than an abrasive towel. The only
other thing that I have found helpful is to simply skip a few days to allow the skin to balance itself out before doing it
again. This side note is added only for those who find themselves in a similar situation).

After showering and scrubbing the body, Bardon recommends exercising in some way. He avoids
suggesting anything specific, which at this point i will simply follow his lead and not go into any detail
on any one system of exercises. Some simple ideas are walking, yoga, swimming, biking, running,
playing sports, hiking, martial arts, Tai Chi, Qigong, etc. The idea is that we slowly bring our bodies to
a healthy and balanced state.

Dr. Lomer on the other hand suggests in his second letter three different ways to help us gain control
over the body (Pg.50). First he instructs us to control opening and closing the fingers on our hands in a
statically tense state. One thing this practice does is help us control our bodies; a thing that most of us
probably think we can already do. Another thing this practice helps us with is becoming aware of our
bodies; the bone structure, nerves, blood, muscle, mental intention, etc. The second practice Dr. Lomer
has us work with is calming the body and aligning our intention, action and breath into one fluid
movement. His practice of filling a cup with water and having us move our arm to and away from our
bodies without spilling it reminds me of an old story.

There was an old farmer who had heard of a great teacher in the mountains that could help him find
peace and enlightenment. Having tilled the soil all his life, raised three children and buried his wife of
50 years, he had experienced and come to know all the great joys of life and so now he sought for the
greatest peace through enlightenment. After weeks of searching the farmer had found the temple
where this great teacher resided, but upon entering the outer courtyard he was told to wait outside. For
three days he sat without food or water, while it rained and some of the teachers students ridiculed him
for wasting his time or belittled him because he was a simple farmer. After three days the teacher
asked the farmer to come in and inquired on why he was so persistent in waiting outside. The farmer
being a simple minded man merely told the great teacher he had nothing else he cared to do. The
teacher told the farmer he would teach him if he could walk around the room three times with a cup of
water filled to the brim without spilling a drop. Having agreed with the teacher the farmer was given a
cup of water filled to the very top. At first the farmer was uncertain why this teacher would even
bother with him, a simply farmer, for who was he to be given a chance to listen to his great teachings,
much less receive private instructions. At first everything in the room was dead silent. Everyone
watched, some with uncertainty while others looked on with anger, jealousy, bitterness, frustration and
even animosity towards this dirty old man who had taken their teachers attention away from them.
This silence of course would have wrecked havoc on many young yogis, for they would be worried
about how well they performed or what other people thought. For the old farmer, it was simply an
empty room he had lived to long to care how he was doing or what other people thought about him.
After the first circle around the room everything became loud. Drunken people falling down before
him, drums beating, horns blaring, commotion in every corner and yet nothing seemed to distract the
farmer. On the last round the most beautiful women provocatively danced before him, piles of riches
and loads of the most precious items were strewn before him, yet never once did he waver, much less
spill a drop of the water. At the very instant that the farmer finished his third circumambulation
everything disappeared. Right as the cup was about to dissolve the farmer saw what was to become of
the water and so he lifted the cup to his lips and drank every drop of water before it could spill to the
floor. Silence fell in the room as the teacher looked upon him. The teacher touched the farmers hand
as he spoke, What have I to teach thee. For there is nothing I can give that you do not already know
or possess. With that, the teacher bowed before him, kissed his hand and disappeared.

While this story is not directly connected to the teachings of Bardon or Dr. Lomer, it does have
something to teach us. Control is ultimately one of the greatest keys to the work. Control of our
bodies, control over how we are affected by others, control over all the small and big distractions that
come up in our lives, and control of our desires and how they move us in life.

The last meditation Dr. Lomer instructs us to do is walking meditation. The Buddhist tradition has
mastered this technique far beyond even necessary to reap the benefits of what a western adept needs.
At the end of this chapter are two links that talk about this practice.


Breathing Exercises

While there are hundreds of ways we can accumulate energy, the top six are: Food, sun, other entities,
emotions, consciousness and breath. Out of these, breath is always present until the moment these
bodies die. When breath is gone, so will the life of these vehicles.

Bardons system of breathing ignores most of the science of Pranayama, otherwise known as the
Breathing techniques of the Yogic traditions. Instead, he integrated only one of the many secrets of
Pranayama that was passed on from Guru to student. In doing this, he has left behind a lot of good
stuff that he probably never knew or felt uncertain about in his work.

This first step in Bardons system talks about mental/astral impregnation of the breath in order to
manifest our wills. This is done by infusing the akasha principle with some intention so as to charge
the electromagnetic fluids that are taken into our bodies. As these fields of energy are absorbed into
our astral bodies via our astral matrix it passes into the spirit via the mental matrix. In other words, we
charge the air with our intention and take it into ourselves. Then through a process of integration the
intention is infused into our finest structures where it can begin the process of unfolding within our
lives.

There is an old Indian story that helps us understand the process of pranayama. There was a noble who
had been imprisoned in the highest tower of the kingdom. One day his love came to the bottom of the
tower and cried for his return. Seeing her distraught, he told her to get a beetle, honey, fine silk thread,
cotton thread, tisel and some rope. When she brought all these things the next day he told her to rub
the honey on the horns of the beetle, tie the silk thread onto its back and put it on the tower facing up
towards him. The beetle smelled the honey on its horns and so started to walk up to the noble thinking
that the source of the smell was coming from him. Once the beetle reached the noble he untied the silk
thread and told his love to tie first the cotton thread, then tisel, and finally the rope so he could pull it
up and escape.

This story teaches us the process of working with pranayama. The beetle and honey of course
represent our primal natures and desire. The silk thread represents the akasha principle and setting
intention. The cotton thread is the prana or electromagnetic energy with which we charge it with our
wills, the tisel is our physical breath and the rope represents our thinking minds.

On pages 95 and 119-120 Dr. Lomer talks about breath impregnation. One difference between Bardon
and Dr. Lomer is where they place it on their paths. Dr. Lomer had it later in his letters because he
believed the ability of the initiates imagination was not fully developed enough to work with this
technique. Bardon on the other hand has introduced it from the very beginning, for although the
student might not have complete control over their imagination faculties, the more we work with
something the better we become. This technique is vital towards the later develop of the adepts path.
This is why it is important to work with this system from the beginning. One thing that needs to be
highlighted is Bardons instruction to avoid moving from one desire or another before the first one has
manifested (Pg.38-39). As he points out from an old proverb, Those who chase two hares at one time
will catch none. This is very important to remember.

For space sake this chapter will only touch upon a few things the science of Pranayama has to share
with us. For a more exhaustive treatment on some of these techniques please refer to the texts linked at
the end of this chapter.

Some basic things to consider when working with breathing techniques:

Breath is made up of a fluid matrix which binds and/or acts as a connecting link or conduit between the spiritual
and physical realms.
The nose is a filter that not only eliminates many toxins in the air but also prevents cold air from entering the body
and harming the lungs and other organs.
Purify the nasal passage by sniffing up water through the nose and allow it to drain down the back of the throat,
and then spit it out of the mouth. Then blow the nose with some tissue of some sort. This technique and similar
ones can be found in many of the classic yoga texts like Hatha Yoga Pradapika, Siva Samhita, Patajalis Sutras,
etc The benefit of this technique is to help clear out any toxins residing in the nasal passage, help clear out
phlegm or snot that might otherwise interfere with our concentration and balance our nostrils so we can reap the
full benefits of working with the breath.
Three parts to the breath: Inhale, exhale and retention. Retention is split into two parts, one with the breath and
one without breath.
Inhale by classical standards is recognized as the female breath because it takes it within itself while the male
breath would be the creative exhalation. Using Bardons system, the inhale would be considered the magnetic
quality of breath which received the impregnation sent through the ethereal planes while the exhale would be the
electric part of the breath.
The left nostril is the magnetic side while the right is the electric side. When holding the left nostril closed and
breathing through the right we are inviting energy into our bodies, when we switch this and hold the right while
breathing out and into the left nostril we are calming our bodies down.

Most exoteric breathing techniques deal with some form of cleansing or purifying practices. Some
purification techniques are meant to help the body find a balance, while others are intended to prepare
the body for awakening/inviting more energy into it.

Some of the more esoteric practices of breath work are used to accomplish certain goals or desires.
Some of the desires could be as simple as overcoming certain defects within ourselves or to program
ourselves to be a certain way, while other techniques are meant to awaken magical powers such as
clairvoyance, levitation, etc. or to even work with conscious transference (something that will be
talked about later in this work) or theurgic union with the divine (something that will not be talked
about in this text).

Impregnating the breath to create change is very rewarding and empowering, other benefits that come
when we work with the breath are control of the mind and emotions by the directed force of paying
complete attention to the breath in exclusion to all other things. Another great benefit gained from
breathing is the pure awareness that comes from just paying attention to the motion, sound and feel of
the breath as it enters and leaves our bodies. When this awareness arises in our lives a peace, serenity
and clarity fills us in a way that few other things in life can offer us.

One thing missing in this step is the simple awareness of breathing itself. Next we will talk about the
process of breathing and some different ways we can become aware of that process.

Breathing transports oxygen into the body and carbon dioxide out. This process creates energy-rich
molecules our bodies need to oxygenate our blood, which in turn helps our cells thrive and grow. The
second major reason for breathing is to help our bodies eliminate wastes like carbon dioxide.

The process of breathing starts of course either in our mouth or nose. All esoteric traditions and even
most modern doctors suggest breathing through the nose. The nose is a filter to help prevent foreign
matter from entering into our systems and a conduit to help warm the air before it enters our lungs.
Add on top of that an energetic channel from which we can affect our minds, bodies and spirit,
breathing from the nose is a very necessary tool in pranayama. Once the air enters our nose it moves
into the nasal cavity and from there to the larynxes and into the trachea. Once it enters the trachea the
air moves down into the bronchi and then into the lungs where the diffusion of gas takes place. From
here oxygen enters into the blood before taken to every point of the body.

When breathing is allowed to go on autopilot the process is control by the autonomic nervous system
called the medulla oblongata. This part of the brain controls the gas exchange which in turn keeps the
acid-base in the body balanced so as to maintain proper homeostasis.

It is suggested that the reader research scientific websites to gain a better grasp of the breathing
process. While i have tried to give a basic overview of breathing, there is a lot more information
available that can be beneficial to the Adepts path.

Once we have an understanding of the breathing process we can begin to work with the twenty-four
ways of becoming aware of the breath.

1. Air on tip of nose
2. Air in back of nose
3. Air in throat
4. Temperature of air
5. Smell
6. Air going in and out the left nostril
7. Air going in and out the right nostril
8. Air entering and leaving the top of lungs
9. Air entering and leaving the center of the lungs
10. Air entering and leaving the bottom of the lungs
11. Air coming in the lungs as a whole
12. Air going out of the lungs as a whole
13. Stomach moving out
14. Stomach moving in
15. Chest rising
16. Chest sinking
17. Diaphragm going down
18. Diaphragm moving up
19. Sound of the breath coming in
20. Sound of the breath going out
21. Labeling of the breath going in and out
22. Feel of the clothing while breathing
23. Feel of the oxygen as it enters the body
24. Feel of the nitrogen and carbon dioxide as it leaves the body

Take five minutes a day to work with one of these breath awareness practices. Not only will this help
us gain awareness of our breathing, it will also help us find which particular technique is best suited
for us accomplishing our goals.

As we end this section we need to remember that these practices are not meant to create or change our
external reality. While it is possible, the ramifications and misdirection of energy can have unwanted
consequences, not to mention a possible waste of energy. We must remember that when we seek
external manifestation beyond our own sphere that we will have to contend with our karma, other
peoples fears and desires, and the Universes intention for our lives. When we seek to manifest
something like winning the lottery, we find ourselves in a very difficult situation. Dr. Lomer and
Bardons systems are intended towards self knowledge and mastery, not becoming rich and famous. If
that is the readers intention and desire, than you should stop reading now, because you will only
waste your energy and create much suffering in your life.


Eating

As Bardon points out, we impregnate food and water the same way we do the breath. The only major
difference is the effect it has on the material realms. Food and water being solid have a greater affect
on our physical reality than breathing techniques. From a relative perspective this appears to be true
because of the speed at which things manifest. Experiment and see for yourself.

Before we get into what Bardon has to say it would serve us well to talk about food in general. While
Bardon avoids discussing what foods to eat, Dr. Lomer on the other hand is very specific in regards to
not eating meat. While this would seem folly for the aspiring Adept who is just learning to work with
energy, it is of the utmost value. Bardon is of the opinion that we can transmute any negative energy
that is in food, this is true to a certain extent and that is one reason why we pray and bless our food.
Who of us though can at this point on our path change water into wine? The reason for saying that is to
point out how knowledge and experience does not lend itself to us so readily. What we end up doing
instead of clearing the negative energy from the food is infuse ourselves with all the negative energy,
hormonal fear and terror, the death of life, and any pesticides, herbicides, hormones or whatnot that
were put into the animal before it was killed. For a fuller discussion of this refer to (Pg.47) in The
Seven Hermetic Letters.

Bardon talks about blessing and charging the food with complete intention before consciously eating
it. Consciously is the key word. Every moment we eat is a chance to invite full awareness. From
cutting the food, spooning or forking it, bringing it to our mouths, placing it in our mouth and then
slowly eating it by cherishing every taste, texture, smell and sight. We are to avoid reading, watching
TV, or for that manner, getting into conversation with others. Dr. Lomer goes even further by
instructing us to visualize and think about the process of the food (Pg102-103). How it grew from
seed, was nurtured with the soil and water, how many suns and moons shined upon it, how many
nights did it basked in the starlight, how it was harvested, transported, etc. This practice can do
nothing less than invite thankfulness and awe. To learn more about this and about Dr. Lomers
practices of autosuggestion while eating refer to (Pg.104) in the Letters.

Bardon advises us to work in cooperation with the breath impregnation. This is a very good
suggestion. If we include washing away the obstacles that prevent our intentions from manifesting
when we shower, we have a thorough system to help us manifest our wills. Another thing that we can
do to help our impregnation is to eat those foods which natural lend their selves towards manifesting
our wills. For instance, if we wish to rid ourselves of sickness and so charge our food with health and
well-being, it would not hurt to eat foods that naturally help these things manifest; garlic being one of
them. This can work energetically as well. Simply refer to the hundreds of magical correspondence
books out there to find foods, herbs and minerals that lend themselves to our intention.

Another thing that Dr. Lomer suggests on (Pg.49) is to avoid filling the belly. This concurs with many
of the eastern and western esoteric traditions; specifically the meditative ones. By filling the belly we
invite lethargy, gluttony, energetic disruption and weakness of will.

The key to proper eating is purifying the food of all negative energy, charging it with our intentions or
desires, consuming every bit while utterly enjoying and relishing every bite as if it is our last. Keeping
completely aware of our intention and with complete trust and belief knowing every microgram of
intention we put in is fully saturating every cell of our bodies. Add to that infusing ourselves with its
sacred source, the solar and lunar energies that were implanted within its growth and being thankful
for every single bite. If we can understanding and apply all that, then we have a solid grasp of what
eating consciously means.


Water

As Bardon points out, water is an indispensible element of life and magic. While used in every faade
of life, the two most important uses for the adept are purification and charging. Bardon differentiates
between using water to impregnate verse using it as a capacitor or accumulator. The second of which
comes up later in his work. For this first step our focus is on using water as a matrix for impregnating
and a medium for purification. Do not bother thinking upon using it as an accumulator or worrying
over what he was talking about in regards to the temperature, etc. Those things do not come into play
until much later and in fact, can confuse the beginning student who wishes to understand the science
of water.

In Bardons work he mentions two practices in Step One. The first is using it to wash away
difficulties, failures, negativity, etc. He mentions the most productive means to do this is to use
running water, or what many traditions call living water. The purpose for this is that it takes away the
unwanted energy while at the same time creating positive energy. One thing Bardon mentions that
seems a little odd is not submerging the head. It is uncertain why he suggests this, because complete
submerging has the greatest affect; especially since most issues are rooted in the mind. The only
reasons that comes to mind energetically is a specific intention of differentiating the process of
purification from baptism, not fully entering into the spiritual realms, separating the concept of mind
and body, not diluting the mind as we wash these things from us, etc. As far as i know, there is no
tradition that suggests not submerging the head. In fact, most traditions make a point to get every inch
of the body wet to help rid it of any residue or to completely infuse it with the intended charge. Doing
away with other traditions, the author has also found it very important to completely submerge the
body when doing ritual purifications or infusions. The only other reason i can come up with is that
Bardon was taking into consideration the initiates limitations in not being able to always submerge
completely.

Whatever the reason for Bardon suggesting not to submerge our heads, i have found it more
productive and powerful to do so.

One more technique needs to be introduced with Step One. On (Pg.145) of the Letters Dr. Lomer talks
about charging water by writing messages on a piece of paper and allowing the sun or moon light to
shine through the paper into the water. This technique is reminiscent of Dr. Masaru Emoto who took
pictures of water crystals that were charged with certain words, colors, musical vibrations, etc. Take a
look at his work to get a better understanding of what i am saying: http://www.life-
enthusiast.com/twilight/research_emoto.htm


Overview of Step I

Step One is all about becoming conscious and beginning the process of controlling our lives; mentally,
emotionally, physically and spiritually. It is not easy, but it is possible, and it all starts with these
simple steps towards realization.

Mind/Air
Becoming aware of the thoughts and the thinking process
Recording the thoughts that arise
Daily awareness practices
Single pointed thought meditation
Pea Exercise

Spirit/Fire
Write down every desire

Social-emotional/Water
Introspection
Creating the white and black astral mirrors
Searching our past
Analyzing the different areas in our lives
Nightly review of the day

Physical Body/Earth
Shower purification and daily rejuvenation
Some form of consistent exercise
Finger tension exercise
Water balancing
Walking meditation
Breath impregnation
Breath awareness
Eating impregnation
Conscious eating
Magic of using water


Daily Schedule

Morning
Wake up in the morning and set your intentions and goals for the day
Rub the body briskly, especially the kidneys
Take shower
Do exercises
Meditate
Work with conscious Eating and impregnation

Daytime
Daily awareness practice
Pea/Cleaning exercise
Do introspection and write down desires
Walking/Finger tension/Water Balancing exercises (Do one a day: Then Rotate)
Work with conscious Eating and impregnation
Do Dr. Lomers Water Charging technique by writing on a piece of paper, etc.

Evening
Work with conscious eating and food impregnation
Breath awareness and impregnation
Meditation
Days review


Online Resources

Reference these two texts throughout this work
Initiations to Hermetics
Seven Hermetic Letters

Yogic Texts
Patajalis Yoga Sutras
Hatha Yoga Pradapika
Siva Samhita

Texts on the science of breathing/pranayama
Science of Breath and Philosophy of Tattvas
Science of Breath
Science of Pranayama
Mindfulness of Breathing

Meditation Texts
Essentials of Meditation
Fundamentals of Meditation