The Western Gate

Gateways Through Stone and Circle
Frater Ashen Chassan
Azoth Press

Being the first of the two books on spirit summoning (The second being;- Gateways through light and shadow) , as I tend to do things arse about face, why not read the second book first? Which I did, Now we’re back to the start……
Primarily this book is about receiving the spirits via the medium of crystal gazing viz: “Art of Drawing Spirits into Crystals”

Gateways through Stone and Circle uses methods chiefly employed in Francis Barrets book ~ the Magus. These based on the preparation of a ‘tuned’ circle/space and the relics/tools to enable and facilitate the seer in their objective. Elaborate drama and scenery, but the construction of the objects and methods all honed to focus the mind to its goal. To train and obsess the mind to achieve its aim.

Gateways through Stone and Circle follows familiar themes as read in most ceremonial works. Names hold power both in their gematria which holds clues to their synchronous nature with other words of the same number and also, by symbol. Names are used, perceived and sounded, above this, it is the language of symbol that speaks, thus sigils are used to represent the ‘name’. As an analogy symbols are the language pre-Babel when there was land and sea and air, without borders or division, when difference was merely as an older brother to a younger.
Artwork depicts universally, as does symbol, think Roadsigns or Warning labels. A Sigil inherently is composed by means of drawing perhaps the name of the deity by its gematria onto a magic square, equally synonymous with the deity. Perhaps that sigil is a colour synonymous with the planetary attribute assigned or noted of the deity. perhaps it is scented with likewise incense and oils of that deity. Perhaps, it is crafted on a particular day, or season, and moon tide, perhaps even by a planetary observation. What needs must, is that a sigil is created, again by the mind obsessed with the link between what is created and what it portrays.
Gateways performs this exercise without skipping, and it is as clear and concise as needs be.
Frater Chassan, as he did in Gateways Light and Shadow also reiterates (Hang on…. this is the first book~ Remember ! ) the necessity for consecration of all objects used in the ritual, together with notes and guides for creating all the tools themselves. These are worthy endeavours regardless. In matters and concerns of these- haste is a rude word, everything should be planned and tuned in accordance with aspects so pleasing to the rite. This all takes time, there should be no fast track quickfix so loved by the hordes of GenZ witches, and to be fair we’re all guilty somewhere of wanting an accelerator.
I remember someone telling me when I first started to study qabbalah, It will take me about 5 years to get to grips with the basics, another five years to understand some of the complexities, Another 10 years before you understand the ‘Tree’, and another 20years before you forget it all, because its now instilled within your psyche…. Something like that. 30 years? 40 years ??? what’s he say !? I can’t be arsed to wait that long. But it was true, and in fact, they probably are conservative estimates.
Thats not to say the practise of drawing the spirits via a crystal will take years, but certainly it would be better to consider aspects auspicious in the heavens, just to make it perfect. Or else, throw together what have you, light your candle and dabble and be damned with it all. … that’s the difference between Frater Chassans offering here and the little penny dreadful occult booklets offered us in the late 70’s/ 80’s ~ Star something and Finbarr books. The Good ol’ Days.
If you’re going to be serious about this indulgence, then would it matter so much if you were to take the time and do it properly?
I have only in the last ten years formulated the patience to create oil paintings over a long time, when before I’d rush and couldn’t wait to finish to start the next one. Most of those efforts are in a landfill somewhere I presume.
I’ve, actually reformatted this review, because it was all over the place…. so actual review above, and mindless wanderings below;- They are after another sic.manna of course.

Digredi:

My main method of discourse with any entity is Lucid dream, not least because I lucid dream frequently and easily;-

स्वप्नदर्शन ~Svapna-Darsana~ In dream state

My next method would be in a daydream state, that avenue of reverie between disconnection with the sensory objective world and attachment to the thoughts arising in the mind. Again this is easy and more akin to self-hypnotic state, but I do find the discourse arising is subjective, even if it be random without conscious prompting by my mind,… if not subjective then at least contrived.

कल्पनादर्शन ~Kalpanā-Darśana ~Seeing with Imagination

The Method included in Barrets book, and used within Gateways is via the medium of looking directly into the crystal ;-

प्रत्यक्षदर्शन- pratyakṣadarśana~ Direct Vision/ seeing with the eyes.

And The Method I use, in the waking world, a slight variation is to view the crystal ball by its reflection in an obsidian disc.

प्रतिबिम्ब दर्शन ~ Pratibimba ~ Viewing by means of reflection.

This method itself was prompted by Lucid dream, more a discource on the nature of creation, that duality being a reflection is (ahem) mirrored by this method, and it has proved effective…..

At the highest, beyond all manifestation, lies the infinite, unbounded reality known in Qabbalah as Ain Soph — the Limitless, this, the primordial point before time and measure, before the manifest. This corresponds in Vedantic thought to Suṣupti (सुषुप्ति), the dreamless, causal state of the Self, in which all potential exists in unmanifested unity. Here there is neither form nor differentiation, only the latent seed of creation, resting in infinite stillness and silence. It is the Unborn, the Unknowing, the still and the stagnant at complete harmony with itself as it iswithout dynamism, opposition or momentum.

From this absolute potential, the first emanation flows down the Middle Pillar as Kether through VaDaath to Tiphareth. This realm corresponds to Turīya (तुरीय), pure or transcendental consciousness. Turīya is the eternal witness, the unchanging Self, through which all subsequent manifestations find coherence. It is the sphere of unity and conscious, as well as its dynamic opposite~ possibilities and therefore unknowing, It is both the light that illuminates all that will be, and the veil. It is Duality by Reflection.
” Badru, you wish not to face your own reflection in the sphere of ‘God, but by the knowledge of ‘God, if then that highest sphere is even as the blemished crystal, see not directly into it, but by means of its opposite, thus, The Crystal Sphere is seen by the Obsidian Flat Disc. To reflect is to emulate.”¹

As consciousness continues its descent along the Middle Pillar, from Tiphareth to Yesod, subtle forms and impressions emerge, mirroring the Vedantic Svapna (स्वप्न). In this state, the mind projects patterns, archetypes, and subtle worlds, just as Yesod gathers and channels the formative energies before they manifest. It is the dreamlike blueprint of creation, where the unseen structures of reality are shaped and prepared for materialization.

Finally, at the lowest point of the Middle Pillar, from Yesod to Malkuth , the fully manifest universe emerges, corresponding to Jāgrat (जाग्रत्) — waking consciousness. This is the realm of Sensory limitation and experience, where the Self perceives the world in its multiplicity, and form appears fully in space and time. Just as Malkuth receives the energies from the higher spheres and grounds them into the physical plane, Jāgrat is the tangible expression of consciousness in the waking world.

so what pray tell has the digression above got to do with the book? Most of it is derived from’ meditative’ scrying and discourse, the images and the ‘spirit’ are not of concern. Although I have heard all the qabbalistic terms beforehand some of the sanskrit ones I have not and had to research. Of course they could be old words I have dismissed, forgotten and in the reverie state and ritual re-surfaced, which still, in itself is a wonder.

Header Imager Taken from;-An astrologer looking at the sky with a demon inside a circle (London, British Library, MS Royal 6 E VI, f. 396v, London, c. 1360-1375).

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¹Taken from Devas Sublime Book Four, personal journal/ Book of Shadows.