RHP/LHP: What’s the Difference?

MysticLightShinethForth wrote:About the LHP/RHP, I've long wondered about that notion as found in the Book of Orion, because it's different from the average conceptions about LHP/RHP. What's your take on that? To me I'd view more the traversing either of Tree of Life or Tree of Death as constituting the real kernels of RHP/LHP, though that's different even from my approach in aforementioned replies which took into consideration different approaches, mindsets and philosophies, as well traditions and adjoining practices, to occultism and spirituality where RHP would be more in alignment with service to the whole of humanity in a charitable light and under a higher power found either inside or outside, but with a common leaning towards the latter in a greater holistic view of universal totality or oneness, and LHP simply more individualistically centered and sought of Self-realization, evolution, development and introspection, as well as finding the divine spark within rather than anywhere else, though they're not mutually exclusive but one may be more connoted by predominantly light-oriented ways, philosophies and practices and the other by its stark opposites as venturing into more forbidden depths and magickal experience of metaphysical darkness. It might be a popular understanding, though, but seems true to part of my experience. Contrasting and comparing it to the Book of Orion's description I find a harder time to reconcile the two notions, though there might be hidden clues upon closer study of and familiarization with the Tree, as I must admit the Kabbalah is not my strongest point.

Primordial Dragon Website wrote:Gullveig is the Black Dragon and the central head of the Primordial Beast, the undecipherable blackness of raw power that nurtures the seed of immortality; She is the absolute otherness that the mundane mind cannot grasp or comprehend, as only through the pouring blood of the Dragon such voiceless voice can be heard as storm, chaos and devastation.
[…]
Heiðr as a draconian emanation of the Serpent is the ruler of Fire, initiatrix of transgressive magic and teacher of the forbidden arts; the terrifying cave of all abominations. She is the primordial flames from Muspellheimr in abyssal South and the hidden forces of war, torment and poison but also those of intense passion, desire and love. Her mysteries are the secrets of sacred sexuality and these emanations can be found veiled all over the world throughout different cultures and epochs, often shamed and defaced by the frightened forces of a corrupted patriarchy.
[…]
As the left head of the Primordial Dragon the initiate finds Hel, the Shadow, an embodiment of death and ruler of Ice. The queen of Niflheimr and its deadly entourage faced through the West gateway of the abyssal circle of sorcery, Hel presents the necromantic mysteries of the grave, mound and labyrinths of the underworld, the magic of the cold and teachings of the lonely path; She is the restless obscurity during the darkest nights of the soul.

Luis Marques in Violet Throne wrote:
The study of such gnosis aids the seeker in how to walk through the twenty-two initiatory roads in order to achieve communion with each sephirah in a state of spiritual enlightenment. Across the long journey of each personal path the student naturally shifts his awareness and mindset through different focus within the Tree, sometimes ending up relocated to a specific sephirah of thought without conscious effort or training, as they all represent universal spiritual thrones. In terms of personal growth and spiritual evolution, walking through the paths of initiation and reaching a specific sephirah does not mean that you are stalled or accomplished in that sphere. The state of each sephirah above Malkuth is not permanent, as everything in spiritual life is in constant motion and change, moved by chaos, nature and magick. So the sephiroth do not represent planes to master, but schools to learn from. They are not expressed through permanent states of enlightenment, but rather impermanent states of awareness and focus, achieved by successfully walking the twenty-two initiatory paths within the Tree of Life, being accepted by the ethereal guardians of each sephirah and to be trusted within its temple - becoming initiated in its mysteries. The temple of each sephirah embodies different attunements of perception in magickal seats of power, connected by the initiatory archetypes of creation.

Luis Marques in Violet Throne wrote:
They express what is studied within initiatory societies as The Pillars of the Mysteries. The left side of the Tree embodies feminine energies and the right side emanates the male principles, while the center unifies both male and female- described in the occult as the secret path of The Middle Pillar. On the Left there is darkness, mystery, introspection, and the secrets of the unconscious, while on the Right there is light, openness, clarity and the virtues of the conscious mind. agick. They govern the occult foundations of the Left Hand Path and the Right Hand Path, as two opposed beams leading to the same cave hidden in the ether: darkness and light, two faces of the same force— Equilibrium.

The ancient sages have also described the pillars in terms of polarity - the left being negative and the right being positive by tradition - and although such definition is valid in terms of metaphysics and magickal practice I have avoided delving deeper into the specific details of positive and negative energy frameworks, due to its potential for misunderstanding in earlier studies by the initiates with an inadequate cultural and philosophical background that may be conditioned to improper interpretation on the subjects of negative polarity and magickal destruction in spiritual alchemy. The pillars in each side of the Tree express a concept described in Asetianism as the universal duality.

Every manifestation is dual and the forces of nature, being always two-sided, unfold in an universal progression of two that as you can see, under the spiritual microscope, are actually an emanation of three; the Left, the Right and the Middle, that unifies both - oneness and completion.

Observing Binah and Chokmah in the Tree of Life, they are on the same vibrational layer but on opposed sides of the universal scale. That is in tune with the antagonistic forces of the archetypical Scorpion and Scarab as learned in the Asetian tradition. However, each sephirah, just like any subtle object of creation, embodies duality within itself. As an example of such reality, the sephirah of Binah being the highest manifestation of the divine feminine in the Tree of Life, has a double face. It is at the same time the holy virgin and the intoxicating sexual beast: a violent expression of the Sexual Flame in its purest and most divine form.

MysticLightShinethForth wrote:
Do you mean the Left side of the Tree of Life has a deeper connection, somehow, inwardly toward the Tree of Death? This may sound like an interesting notion for me to entertain

Primordial Dragon Website wrote:
“The queen of Niftheimr and its deadly entourage faced through the West gateway of the abyssal circle of sorcery, Hel presents the necromantic mysteries of the grave, mound and labyrinths of the underworld, the magic of the cold and teachings of the lonely path; She is the restless obscurity during the darkest nights of the soul.”

Aleister Crowley in “Magick Without Tears” wrote:
Now you must learn Qabalah. Learn this Alphabet of Magick. You must take it on trust, as a child does his own alphabet. No one has ever found out why the order of the letters is what it is. Probably there isn't any answer.
[…]
But our Magical Alphabet is primarily not letters, but figures, not sounds but mathematical ideas. Sir Humphrey Davy, coming out of his famous
illumination (with some help from Nitrous Oxide he got in) exclaimed: The Universe is composed solely of ideas. We, analyzing this a little, say: The Universe is a mathematical expression.
[…]
The Tree of Life has got to be learnt by heart; you must know it back-wards, forwards, sideways, and upside down; it must become the automatic background of all your thinking. You must keep on hanging everything that comes your way upon its proper bough.

At first, of course, all this is dreadfully confusing; but persist, and time will come when all the odd bits fit into the jig-saw, and you behold --- with what adoring wonder! the marvellous beauty and symmetry of the Qabalistic system.
And then --- what a weapon you will have forged!
[…]
What power to analyze, to order, to manipulate your thinking!

And please remember when people compliment you on your memory or the clarity of your thought, to give credit to the Qabalah!

Luis Marques in Asetian Bible wrote:
Another subjective theme under an occultist perspective is the embrace of darkness from the initiate. The jump into the sphere of Da'ath and the confrontation with Choronzon.

Nowadays it is common to use the definitions of Left Hand Path and Right Hand Path to describe two different and somewhat opposed paths within the myriad of occult traditions available. It is also common to parallel Left Hand Path and Right Hand Path with Black and White Magick, while in fact true magick knows no color, nor is it defined by practicing good or evil. Those words are only perspectives, usually from a social or religious point of view, so the concepts of evil are in fact very subjective, and are not the guidelines that define the nature of the magick practices.

The dark path, or Left Hand, is a world of mystical traditions more empowered by introspection, personal evolution and development, usually more connected with the practices of High Magick. They are not so conditioned by religious dogma, are not static in nature, don't follow strict rules and always promote self-achievement and personal conquest, on an evolutionary point of view. So it is easily understood that a dark sorcerer, for example, does not implicitly practice evil magick, although he can if he so wishes. It is up to the sorcerer alone the use he gives to his own knowledge and powers, and that does not define his actions as black or white. That is defined by the techniques and knowledge he uses, as the traditions he follows, and not by the consequences of his mystical practices.

"On the altar of the Devil, up is doron.
Pleasure is pain, darkness is light.
Slavery is freedom, and madness is sanity."
- Anton La Vey

The Asetians are by themselves creatures of darkness. This is easily seen on many manifestations, from their introspective natures, meditative workings, antisocial behaviors, elitist ideologies, magickal practices and, above all, their predatory instincts.

Vampires easily find different ways to harness their powers and fuel their abilities within the dark energies. This is related not only with metaphysical darkness but also with the physical one, since it is common for vampires to access some of their powers more easily at night and usually have a heightened sensitivity towards the Sun and bright light, many even being weakened during direct sunlight.

Luis Marques in Violet Throne wrote:
Unknown to the world and unseen to the eyes of mortals Aset rises as Queen of darkness, the divine shadow of death; Mother of torment and crafter of nightmares. Her inscrutable face revealed by the pale light of the Moon is so terrifying that knowledge of Her abominating powers was erased from the pages of history, now only spoken through whispers and taught in secret. Many ancient myths were obfuscated and retold under different light, until popular knowledge from later dynasties portrayed a decadent and misunderstood understanding of the original Aset, now lost to those practicing the arts of old outside of the wisdom of unbroken mystery schools. The indescribable nature of the infernal aspect of this primordial Goddess can only be understood through initiation and communion with Her elder Fire. To study this element of Asetian gnosis and pursue those hidden teachings is the path of the warrior - a sword of the samurai as conqueror of the soul. It is a dangerous and treacherous road where the spirit is challenged and tested to the point of primal manifestation. The breath of life is consumed and any value that life once had stands on the edge of a timeless blade: one held by the storm of Her gracious hands.

This facet of darkness seeded by Aset is also present in the inner nature of the Asetians and an element of spiritual abstraction that is also embraced by Asetianists of different nature. Darkness should not be interpreted as a manifestation of evil as it is in fact an essence of liberation and the path of illumination through wisdom. It is the denial of ignorance, the breaking of ego and the opposing of vanity, falsehood and dishonesty. Such dark seed can only be found within and never in the judgment of others that should be discarded or recycled as empowering accomplishment.

A student of the occult may be faced with the misinformed notion that a dark or light tradition, just like the philosophies of left hand and right hand path, are in some way related with the practice of black magick and white sorcery - that is utterly false and a misguided expression of ignorance. In truth magick knows no color and attaches to no polarity; it cannot be defined by evilness or goodness. Good and evil are merely perspectives tied to a tapestry of ethics, religions, ideals and culture, so they cannot define the nature of magick. To describe something as evil is highly subjective, with definitions varying according to person and culture.  Magick is not evil nor is it good as that remains in the mind of the practitioner; its results can be everything, for every form of magick can be used to heal just as it can be used to harm. The learned occultist understands that deadly poison on the right amount becomes medicine.

No true examination of the elusive nature of darkness would be complete without differentiating between archetype and entity. Most spiritual and religious cultures have developed archetypal systems to channel magickal thought, project intent and direct prayer, frequently related to a psychological and magickal construct tied to symbolism or a strong ideal but sometimes veiled beneath the banner of an entity that is merely conceptual and of talismanic quality but not representative of an expression of deity. In history we can find the names of Lucifer, Satan, Lilith, Jesus and countless others that convey and represent a philosophical idea manifested as archetype through collective consciousness. Such archetypal forces can be consciously explored in ritual and worked with in prayer but it remains important for the initiate to understand that these spiritual constructs are not real entities, or in other words, they are not divine beings or bearers of the living flame that we describe as soul.

Being a creation of the human mind and its unlimited potential for religious imagination, the many names worshipped throughout history differ from those found within the Ancient Egyptian pantheon, developed not from the roots of archetype but unveiled by the untold mysteries of divine infinity. There is power and inspiration to be harnessed in archetype but the enlightened seeker understands how such forces operate and manifest, often driven and empowered by the condensed energies, religious focus and committed faith established within those archetypes across the centuries - a power that can be bound, manipulated and explored by magickal will but not the spiritual manifestation of a superior consciousness that can be genuinely interacted with.

Jonathan wrote:I guess I wanted to ask you all this before but given that you shared the exact quote now that makes it the perfect timing. What are your thoughts on how Primordial Dragon very clearly honors Lilith, through Heiðr as the Dragon Head of Fire, but also plainly named as Lilith, despite the aforementioned quote from the Asetian Bible?

The Primoridial Dragon Website wrote:Being particularly discernible in the so often misunderstood daemonic figures of Lilith and Naamah, the mother of abominations and ruling queen of Sitra Achra is a power frequently abused, exploited and misrepresented in contemporary esoterica but of great importance within the Path of the Dragon. Through a sterile approach to mysticism and magic, perpetuated by uneducated attempts to sanitize and censor witchcraft to make it more palatable, tame and safe to a wider audience of no skill and merit, modern examinations of Lilith vehemently remove all of the adamantly dangerous, immoral and uncomfortable sides that make this Serpent force such a potent entity of communion not to be approached lightly. This often results in the widespread of teachings that bear no genuine fruit and a frail approach that has no place in this tradition.

Jonathan wrote:I guess I wanted to ask you all this before but given that you shared the exact quote now that makes it the perfect timing. What are your thoughts on how Primordial Dragon very clearly honors Lilith, through Heiðr as the Dragon Head of Fire, but also plainly named as Lilith, despite the aforementioned quote from the Asetian Bible?

Jonathan wrote:I guess I wanted to ask you all this before but given that you shared the exact quote now that makes it the perfect timing. What are your thoughts on how Primordial Dragon very clearly honors Lilith, through Heiðr as the Dragon Head of Fire, but also plainly named as Lilith, despite the aforementioned quote from the Asetian Bible?

Victor wrote:

Jonathan wrote:I guess I wanted to ask you all this before but given that you shared the exact quote now that makes it the perfect timing. What are your thoughts on how Primordial Dragon very clearly honors Lilith, through Heiðr as the Dragon Head of Fire, but also plainly named as Lilith, despite the aforementioned quote from the Asetian Bible?

The Asetian Bible and the Violet Throne, like with many of Master Luis Marques’ teachings, dare to provide important clues into the mysteries by hiding them in plain sight, sometimes paired among initiatory trappings for the unaware. This has been openly explained in the contents from the very early editions of these esoteric texts, which makes them incredibly complex of profound study even at points where the language is apparently simple. A signature of Marques’ cryptic teaching methods.

I think the most important reference of note concerning this is how the Lilith embraced and celebrated through the Tradition of the Primordial Dragon is not the same Lilith that you find in modern cults through Satanism and Luciferianism or other similar paths, which have a fundamentally flawed understanding of primordial Lilith. The Lilith of Primordial Dragon, embodied through Heiðr, is the primal force of abomination and the fountain of forbidden magic. She is literally the Sacred Cave of the mysteries and the grand initiatrix of fire sorcery, sexual magic and primordial gnosis. The ruling queen of the Tree of Death (Sitra Achra). That is profoundly different from how New Age subcultures perceive and sanitize Lilith, as all those people would get obliterated at soul level by coming even close to such colossal power.
It’s not randomly for no reason or due to elitism that these forces are safeguarded behind many locks of initiation, and will remain so, but because most occultists of our time are plainly not ready to tap into them and would have their unstable egos shattered to pieces in ways that are extremely dangerous. The spiritual consequences of this tradition are permanent and this can’t be understated.

So while Lilith the Abomination is of vital devotion to devotees of the Primordial Dragon, and through such current intimately tied to Asetians and the culture of Asetianism (see the Seven Scorpions of Aset and the flaming sword of Serket as gnostic cues to such abominating powers), the Lilith of popular culture and superficial occultism remains irrelevant to this sorcery as those are two very different things: one is a primordial being beyond the abyss, the other is an esoteric archetype filtered by human cultural understanding and tied to a myriad of divergent egregores. Confusing both things would be a most grievous mistake.

Victor wrote:

Jonathan wrote:I guess I wanted to ask you all this before but given that you shared the exact quote now that makes it the perfect timing. What are your thoughts on how Primordial Dragon very clearly honors Lilith, through Heiðr as the Dragon Head of Fire, but also plainly named as Lilith, despite the aforementioned quote from the Asetian Bible?

The Asetian Bible and the Violet Throne, like with many of Master Luis Marques’ teachings, dare to provide important clues into the mysteries by hiding them in plain sight, sometimes paired among initiatory trappings for the unaware. This has been openly explained in the contents from the very early editions of these esoteric texts, which makes them incredibly complex of profound study even at points where the language is apparently simple. A signature of Marques’ cryptic teaching methods.

I think the most important reference of note concerning this is how the Lilith embraced and celebrated through the Tradition of the Primordial Dragon is not the same Lilith that you find in modern cults through Satanism and Luciferianism or other similar paths, which have a fundamentally flawed understanding of primordial Lilith. The Lilith of Primordial Dragon, embodied through Heiðr, is the primal force of abomination and the fountain of forbidden magic. She is literally the Sacred Cave of the mysteries and the grand initiatrix of fire sorcery, sexual magic and primordial gnosis. The ruling queen of the Tree of Death (Sitra Achra). That is profoundly different from how New Age subcultures perceive and sanitize Lilith, as all those people would get obliterated at soul level by coming even close to such colossal power.
It’s not randomly for no reason or due to elitism that these forces are safeguarded behind many locks of initiation, and will remain so, but because most occultists of our time are plainly not ready to tap into them and would have their unstable egos shattered to pieces in ways that are extremely dangerous. The spiritual consequences of this tradition are permanent and this can’t be understated.

So while Lilith the Abomination is of vital devotion to devotees of the Primordial Dragon, and through such current intimately tied to Asetians and the culture of Asetianism (see the Seven Scorpions of Aset and the flaming sword of Serket as gnostic cues to such abominating powers), the Lilith of popular culture and superficial occultism remains irrelevant to this sorcery as those are two very different things: one is a primordial being beyond the abyss, the other is an esoteric archetype filtered by human cultural understanding and tied to a myriad of divergent egregores. Confusing both things would be a most grievous mistake.