Court Ritual
Another thing I picked up from _Taoist Master Chuang_:
Taoist ritual is in large part a conversion of Chinese imperial court ritual to a religious context.
This is true of tantric ritual in a way as well. What is a mandala but a diagram of the power-relationship between ruler and ruled?
Court ritual can be valuably converted into magical ritual. Just like initiatic ritual, a la the Golden Dawn Z2 paper - either for internal meditation or external performance.
I'm going to have to get _Icons of Power: Ritual Practice in Late Antiquity_ out from the library.
My idea is, for an HGA invocation:
To figure the HGA in the form of one of those ghostly, ethereal portraits of a late Roman Emperor. To visualize every aspect of his coronation, from the bath beforehand, to the solemn process, the rainments of the court and attendents, the solemn ascent of the throne, the bringing forth of the diadem of pearls, its placement upon his head to the fanfare of trumpet and organ, offerings by foreign potentates, etc. All in minute detail according to the ancient protocols.
Posted by bluepyramid
at 12:14 AM EDT