To Heal the Sick

Editor’s Note: As the magickal community is likely aware, our dear friend and colleague Donald Michael Kraig is currently undergoing some difficult health challenges. While Don works on his recovery, we will be sharing some guest blog posts from friends, authors, and other noted community figures. Please enjoy this guest blog post by Chic Cicero and Sandra Tabatha Cicero, Chief Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as re-established by Israel Regardie and authors of a vast number of books, including The Essential Golden Dawn, Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition, and Tarot Talismans.

In one of the higher grade ceremonies of the Golden Dawn, the Aspirant is told the story of Christian Rosenkreutz, legendary founder of the mysterious fraternity known as the Rosicrucians. One of the “rules” that a sincere Rosicrucian was expected to follow was, “to profess nothing other than to heal the sick, and that freely.” This is usually interpreted metaphorically to mean that the knowledgeable Adept had a spiritual obligation to combat ignorance in the world. However, the Rosicrucians were said to be masters of the healing science of alchemy, so they were also thought to be able to cure actual disease and illness.

For thousands of years, healing the sick has been one of the main goals of magic. In ancient times, disease was believed to be caused by harmful spirits that entered the body. Ancient shamans and priests dressed in the skins of lions and other powerful totem-animals in order to cure illness and exorcise the offending spirits. Magic was an important part of medical treatment and the sick were brought to the temples to be healed either by incantations and exorcism, and drugs and herbal remedies. Priest-magicians often used a combination of physical as well as psychical therapeutics.

Of course advances in modern medicine have greatly increased our understanding of the human body and the various causes of disease. One should always consult a doctor whenever a health issue is involved. And yet, more and more doctors are beginning to appreciate the benefits of what has been called “energy psychology” or “noetic therapy,” such as the healing effects of music, imagery, touch therapy, and prayer. These techniques are nothing new­—Albert Szent-Györgyi, the 1937 Nobel Laureate in medicine, stated that that, “In every culture and in every medical tradition before ours, healing was accomplished by moving energy.”

Ceremonial magicians specialize in moving life-force energy (often called prana, chi, or the “astral light“) to effect change. We do this through the faculties of willpower, visualization, and imagination, aided by the various tools of magical correspondences such as color, astrological attribution, names of power, and so on.

So how does one go about doing this? There are several ways, but here are a few of them.

• Israel Regardie taught that the Middle Pillar Exercise of the Golden Dawn was a perfect ritual for healing one’s self as well as others. Based on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, a Middle Pillar Healing Exercise uses the energy centers of the Sephiroth by visualizing them superimposed over the sick person’s body and then imagining a brilliant Divine Light flushing out all signs of illness. Added focus can be given to the Sephirah corresponding to the illness and various colors assigned to the energy centers can also be visualized.

• Another method employs the therapeutic qualities of Tiphareth as embodied in the Golden Dawn’s Rose Cross Lamen in order to restore the health and vitality of another person. One version of this technique, called “A Rite of Healing,” can be found on the HOGD blog.

• Finally, you could make a talisman for the specific purpose of healing a friend or loved one. A talisman can be made from virtually anything, including a ring, gemstone, crystal, piece of artwork, tarot card (etc.), so long as it is ritually charged after its construction. Our book Tarot Talismans explains how to pick the appropriate cards for a healing, create a ritual tarot spread, invoke specific angels and archangels, and perform a ceremony to restore good health.A talisman could also be constructed in a traditional fashion on paper, parchment, wood, or any other convenient material and painted yellow for Air, the element often associated with health and healing. Divine Names, magical figures, healing affirmations, and the name of the sick person could be added in the flashing or complimentary color of violet. (One favorite affirmation from the Golden Dawn’s toolbox for this purpose is, “The Light hath Healing in its Wings.”)

Today people seek out doctors and nurses rather than shamans and priests for medical advice, ­and rightly so. But healing is best done when body and mind work together. Therefore it is only natural that we as magicians and “energy movers” should be called upon in times of need by friends and family to use our knowledge to “heal the sick and that freely.”

Our thanks to Chic & Tabatha for their guest post! Chic and Tabatha are Chief Adepts of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn as re-established by Israel Regardie (www.hermeticgoldendawn.org). The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, of which Chic is the Imperator and Tabatha is the Cancellaria, is an international Order with temples in several countries. Tabatha is also the Imperatrix of the Societas Rosicruciana in America (www.sria.org).

Chic and Tabatha share an enthusiasm for Ceremonial Magic and the Hermetic arts. Their books, which are published by Llewellyn, include The Golden Dawn Magical Tarot kit, Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple, The Essential Golden Dawn, Tarot Talismans, The Babylonian Tarot, and Self-Initiation into the Golden Dawn Tradition. They have also edited and annotated new editions of Israel Regardie’s classics The Middle Pillar, The Tree of Life, A Garden of Pomegranates, and The Philosopher’s Stone.

Visit their author page for more information, including articles and books.

More information on Donald Michael Kraig and how you can help can be found at the Heal Don Kraig Facebook group.