The Inner Hexagram
by Simon Jester
copyright 2010The Inner Hexagram meditation is usually done immediately following the Middle Pillar Exercise, but may be done completely on its own. It is used primarily to work with the forces of a particular planet or Zodiac sign in a deeper, more meditative way, and helps to tune the psychic aura to the vibrations of the planets and signs. It thus serves as an excellent preparation for further ritualistic invocations, evocations, and the making of talismans consecrated to the particular forces which it helps to focus in a very intense manner. The Inner Hexagram may also be used to banish negative planetary forces from the aura whenever intuition or divination indicate that such negative forces are present. However, before describing this meditation, a brief review of the techniques employed when using the hexagram in ritual practice may be helpful.
Students of the Western Hermetic Tradition are no doubt familiar with the association of the six points and center of the hexagram with the seven planets known to the ancients. (The word “planet” originally had a broader meaning than it is given today, and was used to refer to any celestial body observed to move in a regular cycle through the sky. According to this early usage, both the moon and the sun count as planets.) Here is a diagram showing how the seven planets are assigned to positions on the hexagram:
The hexagram and planets as shown above are also associated with the sephiroth on the Tree of Life. When looking at the diagram, however, it will be noticed that the planet Saturn is shown associated with the topmost sphere of the hexagram, a sphere usually referred to as Da'at in the Qabalistic texts. This sometimes puzzles students who are quick to point out that most traditional tables of correspondence assign the planet Saturn to the sephira of Binah which is located above Geburah at the top of the Left Hand Pillar of the Tree. The placement of Saturn on Da'at is usually explained in terms of the indirect accessibility of the three sephiroth of the Supernal Triangle. Binah, Chokmah and Kether are the three topmost spheres on the Tree of Life, and exist in a rarefied realm beyond the Great Abyss. In the order of emanation, Binah comes closest to the realms that we are capable of perceiving, and the forces of Binah represented by Saturn, the planet referred to as its “Mundane Chakra,” are the aspects of this sephira that are first encountered—but only from the level of Da'at.
To help understand this, picture the lowest seven sephiroth as a kind of mountain range, each mountain reaching higher into the heavens. As you climb up each mountain in turn, you get closer and closer to the planets and stars. Chesed is the highest mountain in the range, and when you reach its peak your body can climb no higher. But at the top of Chesed you find a telescope. Through this instrument, you can at least get some idea of the nature of the celestial objects far above. The ones that are nearer to the earth come into sharp focus relatively easily in the telescope. More distant objects remain faint and nebulous.
In the analogy above, the heavenly bodies are like the Supernal Sephiroth and the telescope is like Da'at. Consequently, all ritual operations and meditations involving the forces represented by any of the Three Supernals can only work through Da'at, for that is as close to these highly spiritual dimensions that we can get while materially incarnate. Because of this, the hexagram rituals employ the Da'at sphere as a kind of “Wild Card” that can stand in for any of the spheres of the Supernal Triangle. By convention, and also because of what might be termed its “metaphysical proximity,” Saturn is the planet chosen to fill in the Da'at space at the top of the hexagram.
In the Greater Ritual of the Hexagram, a planetary force is invoked by drawing the hexagram clockwise beginning at the point assigned to the planet with which you are working. For example, to invoke the forces of the moon, begin at the point of the hexagram assigned to Luna and draw a line up to the point assigned to Mars. Next, draw your line across to the point associated with Jupiter. Finally, draw the line back down to the moon, thereby completing the first triangle of the hexagram. Start the second triangle at the point opposite to the moon, i.e., at Saturn. Draw a line down from Saturn to the Venus position, then across to Mercury, and back up to Saturn. Finish by drawing the astrological sign for the moon in the center, and charge the hexagram by vibrating the word: “ARARITA.” (This is a notariqon for the Hebrew phrase Achad Rosh Achdotho Rosh Ichudo Temu-rahzo Achad, which translates as: “One is His Beginning; One is His Individuality; His Permutation is One.") The same procedure is used for the other planets, always beginning with the point assigned to the particular planet you are invoking. For banishing, adopt the same procedure, only draw the triangles counter-clockwise. If you wish to work with the forces of a particular Zodiac Sign, draw the hexagram of its ruling planet and then draw the astrological symbol for the Sign in the center. The standard “clockwise for invoking, counter-clockwise for banishing” rule applies when using hexagrams for working with Zodiacal forces also.
Although usually done as formal externalized rituals, the hexagram operations may also be performed in a more deeply meditative fashion by visualizing the appropriate spheres and drawing the lines of the hexagram in the desired order within oneself. The technique of visualization used here is identical to that used in the Middle Pillar Exercise and numerous other meditative practices. All such exercises should be preceded by an appropriate banishing ritual in order to eliminate negatives from the outer and inner environments before opening oneself to the other dimensions. In the case of the Inner Hexagram Meditation, use the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram.
If you choose to do the Inner Hexagram Meditation as a continuation of the Middle Pillar Exercise, you will turn to the west after performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram and do the Middle Pillar Exercise as usual. Immediately after completing the final circulation of light, simply move your consciousness back up to the Kether sphere above your head and follow the instructions below. If you want to forgo the Middle Pillar Exercise, just turn to the west after the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram, perform the Qabalistic Cross, and follow the directions from this point on:1. Direct your focus back to the sphere of white light above your head. Vibrate the Names associated with the Kether sphere: “Eheyeh, Metatron, Chioth h'Qadesh.” Ask the powers of the highest sephira to help you invoke the specific planetary energies that you are going to focus on during the meditation.
2. Visualize a bright line of light moving downward from the Kether sphere into the sphere corresponding to the planet you wish to invoke. For the purpose of illustration, I will choose the planet Jupiter which corresponds to the sphere of Chesed. Visualize a sphere of blue light forming in the region of your left shoulder. Vibrate the Names: “El, Tzadqiel, Cashmalim.” Since this is the planet being invoked during the meditation, take time to clearly visualize some of the major correspondences of Chesed before moving on with the rest of the exercise. (For example, visualize a benevolent king attired in blue seated on a throne. He holds a trident in his right hand and his left hand reaches out to pet a white unicorn that stands to the left of the throne. The ocean stretches behind him into a distant sky-blue horizon, and you glimpse a school of dolphins leaping suddenly from the waves. To the right of the king appears the archangel Tzadqiel, also dressed in blue, with the astrological Sign of Jupiter adorning his chest, etc.)
3. Visualize a line of light moving from the Jupiter/Chesed sphere into the region of your groin and genitals. Imagine that the sphere of purple light corresponding to the Yesod sphere and the moon forms here. Vibrate the Names: “Shaddai El Chai, Gabriel, Kerubim.”
4. Visualize a line of light moving upward from the moon/Yesod sphere into the region of your right shoulder. Imagine the a bright red sphere of light corresponding to the Mars/Geburah sphere forms here, and vibrate the Names: “Elohim Gibor, Kamael, Seraphim.”
5. Visualize a line of light moving from the red Mars/Geburah sphere back across to the blue Jupiter/Chesed sphere. Once again vibrate the Names: “El, Tzadqiel, Cashmalim.” and visualize the images and symbolism corresponding to this sephira. You have now completed the first triangle of the hexagram you are forming. Take some time to see this downward pointing hexagram glowing brightly within yourself.
6. Begin to form the second triangle of the hexagram by visualizing an orange colored sphere of light forming in the area of your right side about 9 inches out from your navel. This is the Mercury/Hod sphere. Vibrate the Names: “Yaweh Tzabaoth, Michael, Beni Elohim.”
7. Visualize a line of light moving from the Mercury/Hod sphere upward to your throat. Imagine that a sphere of lavender colored light forms at this location. In its center, visualize a smaller black sphere that symbolizes Binah. Vibrate the Names associated with the third sephira: “Yaweh Elohim, Tzaphqiel, Aralim.”
8. Visualize a line of light moving from the Saturn/Binah sphere downward to the area at your left side about 9 inches out from your navel. Imagine that a sphere of emerald green light forms at this place and vibrate the Names associated with the Venus/Netzach sphere: “Yaweh Tzabaoth, Haniel, Elohim.”
9. Draw a line of light from the Venus/Netzach sphere across your stomach and through your navel back into the orange colored Mercury/Hod sphere and vibrate the appropriate Names associated with it a second time: “Yaweh Tzabaoth, Michael, Beni Elohim.” You have now drawn the second triangle and the hexagram you are forming is completed. Take some time to see the upward pointing hexagram glowing brightly within yourself and visualize it interlocking with the downward pointing hexagram.
10. At the center of the hexagram imagine that a sphere of yellow light forms. This is the sun/Tiphereth sphere around which all the other spheres revolve. It is also the center of your Higher Self, the part of yourself that will help mediate and direct the invoked planetary or Zodiacal forces in a way connsonant with your True Will. As you visualize this sphere, vibrate the Names: “Yaweh Eloah v'Da'at, Raphael, Melachim.”
11. In the air directly in front of you, form the astrological symbol for the planet or Zodiac Sign you are invoking. Imagine it glowing before you and then slowly pull it within yourself until you can visualize it superimposed over the yellow sphere in your chest. Vibrate the notariqon “ARARITA” three times to charge the completed hexagram.
12. Now bring a line of light down from the yellow sphere and the shining symbol in your chest until it reaches the area around your feet. Here, you will imagine an olive green sphere of light forming. This is the Malkuth sphere. Vibrate the Names: “Adonai h'Aretz, Sandalphon, Ashim,” and when the line of light reaches this sphere, you will bring the forces of the invoked planet or Sign into material manifestation within yourself and your magic circle. Imagine that the Malkuth sphere fills with the bright light of the invoked planetary or Zodiacal force. The God Form of Malkuth is a young girl seated on a throne. Beside her stands the archangel Sandalphon in olive green robes, and around these two central figures appears a group of men and women in brown and green robes. Visualize these symbolic thought forms receiving the light of the invoked planet or Zodiac Sign and welcoming it as it enters and brightens the world.
13. Visualize light of the appropriate planetary color shining out of the Malkuth sphere at your feet and growing until it forms a sphere of light around you and then fills the room in which you are working. Once more, vibrate the Names associated with the planet or Sign you have invoked. Then perform the Qabalistic Cross to conclude the meditation.
This is an extremely effective way to invoke the forces of a planet or Zodiac Sign, and will help to put you in much deeper contact with these forces. However, if you wish to banish a particular planetary or Zodiacal energy, you must modify the last step of the meditation in the following fashion:
13a. For banishing: when the line of light drawn down from your Tiphereth center reaches the Malkuth sphere at your feet, vibrate the Names associated with Malkuth and then visualize that you are already surrounded by the color appropriate to the planet or Sign. Imagine this time that the light is being pulled into the Malkuth sphere, which absorbs it like a sponge absorbs water. Then, after all the colored light has been absorbed out of the room and into the Malkuth sphere, visualize that it is moving back up through your body and re-entering the appropriate planetary sphere. (For example, red light will symbolize Mars/Geburah energy, and will leave the room and flow back into the Mars/Geburah sphere at your right shoulder. Green light will symbolize Venus/Netzach, and will return to the green sphere by your left side, etc., etc.) When all the colored light has been reabsorbed back into the correct sphere, perform the Qabalistic Cross and conclude the meditation.
The Inner Hexagram Meditation is a very powerful ritual in and of itself, and is an excellent way to prepare oneself for the performance of the other Greater Hexagram Rituals. It helps to balance the external aspects of these traditional rituals with a heightened inner component, and promotes a more lasting harmony between the invoked forces and the Will of the magician.
