Chicago Gnosis Podcast The Gnostic Academy of Chicago

"Before thou set'st thy foot upon the ladder's upper rung, the ladder of the mystic sounds, thou hast to hear the voice of thy inner GOD in seven manners.
"The first is like the nightingale's sweet voice chanting a song of parting to its mate. The second comes as the sound of a silver cymbal of the Dhyanis, awakening the twinkling stars. The next is as the plaint melodious of the ocean-sprite imprisoned in its shell. And this is followed by the chant of Vina. The fifth like sound of bamboo-flute shrills in thine ear. It changes next into a trumpet-blast. The last vibrates like the dull rumbling of a thunder-cloud.
"The seventh swallows all the other sounds. They die, and then are heard no more." ―The Voice of the Silence
Discover the kabbalistic significance of the seven mystical sounds, which symbolize how the soul or consciousness ascends, through the initiatic path, up the famous kabbalistic Tree of Life, specifically the seven inferior Sephiroth: Malkuth (physicality), Yesod (vitality), Hod (emotions), Netzach (mind), Tiphereth (willpower), Geburah (divine consciousness), and Chesed (Innermost Spirit, Atman). This lecture explains the relationship of the seven mystical sounds with the crucifixion of the Intimate Christ, whose seven esoteric utterances resound within the initiate dying to psychological impurity upon the sacrificial cross of alchemy.

This lecture builds on Kabbalah: The Yoga of the West, outlining the cultural, psychological, and spiritual contexts of Jewish mystical traditions. Kabbalah possesses a rich corpus embodying multiple levels of meaning and practice, codified within introductory, intermediate, and advanced knowledge. Discover these three tiers of instruction through the writings of Gershom Scholem, Manly P. Hall, Dion Fortune, Samael Aun Weor, and the Zohar.

Fire possesses mystical properties, which is why many religious traditions, cultures, and mythologies equate it with the divine presence. Through serene observation of a candle, practitioners can develop preliminary concentration. While watching the flame in the beginning, the mind will start to think and wander. However, with continuity of application, we establish profound attention without exertion or thought. The beauty of this simple practice is to become cognizant of our perception's qualities: are we attentive and clear, or clouded and distracted? Gently recalling the practice, again and again, we redirect, clarify, and strengthen our attention, thereby preparing our consciousness for authentic meditation.

"The black magicians of the Black Lodge struggle to swerve initiates off the path. This is why it is necessary, urgent, that the devotees defend themselves from the attacks of the tenebrous ones. Thus, it is urgent to learn how to do so... We must chant these mantras with all of our soul. We must chant them with profound emotion. This is how we defend ourselves from the tenebrous ones." —Samael Aun Weor
Learn how to defend yourself against negative forces through the power of prayer, faith, and divine remembrance. This practice conveys the Conjuration of the Four (a means of balancing psychological elements and purifying our environment), the Conjuration of the Seven (a potent technique for rejecting intense negativity), and the Invocation of Solomon (a prayer for receiving superior guidance from the spiritual hierarchies)  
Resources:
Conjuration of the Four Video
Conjuration of the Seven Video
Invocation of Solomon Video
Explanations for Conjurations of the Four, the Seven, and the Invocation of Solomon

“The pupil must regain the child-state he has lost ere the first sound can fall upon his ear. The light from the ONE Master, the one unfading golden light of Spirit, shoots its effulgent beams on the disciple from the very first. It’s rays thread through the thick dark clouds of matter. Now here, now there, these rays illumine it, like sun-sparks light the earth through the thick foliage of the jungle growth. But, O Disciple, unless the flesh is passive, head cool, the soul as firm and pure as flaming diamond, the radiance will not reach the chamber, its sunlight will not warm the heart, nor will the mystic sounds of the Akasic heights reach the ear, however eager, at the initial stage.” —The Voice of the Silence
This sacred scripture provides a didactic teaching on the essence of spiritual practice: dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation), and samadhi (comprehension, ecstasy), which was practiced within the most ancient schools of mysteries and presently within gnostic institutions founded by Samael Aun Weor. Learn how to initiate, sustain, and perfect the stages of meditation, so as to experience the highest reality and end the psychological causes of suffering.

A brief, guided relaxation practice to open the doors of imagination (perception of non-physical imagery) and psychological introspection (the internal analysis of oneself). By combining deep breathing with the study of the mind, practitioners can access a state of meditation (the in-depth understanding of any perceived phenomenon).