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New Worlds Spring/Summer 2013 Issue

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The Llewellyn Encyclopedia

Term: Great Work

DEFINITIONS

Great Work: The union of Man and the Universe, the fusion of the Microcosm and the Macrocosm. The integration of the Lower and Higher selves.
source: The Thoth Companion, by Michael Osiris Snuffin

Great Work:

The path of self-directed spiritual growth and development. This is the object of your incarnation and the meaning of your life. The Great Work is the program of growth to become all that you can be—which is the realization that you are a "god in the making." Within your being there is the seed of Divinity, and your job is to grow that into the Whole Person that is a "Son of God." It is a process that has continued from "the Beginning" and may have no ending but it is your purpose in life. It is that which gives meaning to your being.

In this new age, you are both teacher and student and you must accept responsibility for your own destiny. Time is of the essence! Older methods give way to new ones because the entire process of growth and self-development has to be accelerated. Humanity has created a time bomb that’s ticking away, and only our own higher consciousness can save us from self-destruction. But—have faith and do the Great Work for it is all part of a Great Plan.

The Great Work is not denial and restriction but fulfillment. There’s not just one narrow Path, but many paths—one for each of us.

Suggested Reading:

Denning & Phillips: Foundations of High Magick

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke


ARTICLES

Review of The Gilded Tarot
Summary: A spectacularly beautiful Tarot deck using modern digital art that is firmly based on the Rider-Waite-Smith model—making it easy to use for traditionalists and beginners, as well as a compliment for any book—yet significantly original so it ...
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Review of Tarot of the Celtic Fairies
Summary: A beautifully illustrated deck that perfectly melds the traditional legends of the Celtic fairies with the symbolism of the Tarot. Although it is surprising to find such elegant matching, the Celtic imagery adds much to the traditional ...
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Review of The Pictorial Key Tarot
Summary: More than just another RWS copy, The Pictorial Key Tarot takes the original RWS concepts and brings them into the 21st century. It uses the same basic symbolism as the RWS, but enhances it in places to make Waite’s original ideas clearer ...
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Astral Projection Story #5 - Death's Other Side
One hot day in May 1967, 16-year-old Reinee Pasarow of La Crescent, California, awoke suffering from the effects of a severe allergic reaction. A doctor was summoned and he gave her an injection, then left, assuring her that she would be fine. Over ...
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How Does Astrology Work?
Astrologers use the birth chart and other calculations to consider every kind of question imaginable. The most frequently asked questions are about romance or finance and career. When will I marry? Will this relationship last? Will this business ...
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Review of the Celtic Oracle
Summary: The twenty-two oversized cards of the Celtic Oracle provide both an excellent divination tool as well as an introduction to Celtic studies. It elegantly combines Celtic astrology with the Ogham (or Celtic alphabet) and tree symbolism ...
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What is Hypnosis?
Hypnosis is a daydream-like state. In this state, the person’s conscious mind becomes quiet or passive. The hypnotist introduces suggestions into the powerful subconscious mind. Let’s take a brief, slightly technical look at how the brain operates. ...
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Review of the Voices of SaintsTarot deck
Summary: A delightful deck with medieval-style illustrations of 78 famous Saints. The Little White Book gives one or two of their major feats along with brief divinatory meanings. For divination you must use the LWB as the images do not have the ...
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Review of The Vampires Tarot of the Eternal Night
Summary: The theme of vampires lends itself to the shadowy aspects of human experiences. The Tarot, by its nature, sheds light in the darkness. This deck, with its dual nature, helps us explore the darkness, whether within or around us, while ...
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Kamasutra Tarot Review
Kamasutra Tarot Review Summary: While catching the flavor of 17th and 18th century Indian art, this deck seems to force the explicit sexual images into fitting the Tarot model. Still, a collection of such art is rare and valuable, making this a ...
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Imbolg Ritual
Setup The items needed for this ritual include: Six green candles for the altar; Enough candles to place at the perimeter of your circle; A white altar cloth (white is the predominant color to symbolize winter’s hold, with the green candles ...
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This article is about the nodal axis from the perspective of evolutionary astrology. A central teaching within Evolutionary Astrology is that the Soul contains within it two antithetical, yet co-equal, desires: one to return to source, and one to separate away. Evolution occurs as the Soul progressively purges and exhausts separating desires from... read this article
The Mibramig Magical Tarot
Cultivating Bliss: 4 Ways to Explore Your Inner Garden
Exercise: Asking for a Dream Visit from a Loved One in Spirit
The Final Secrets of Enochian Magick
Career Opportunities for 2013 by Sun Sign

Most recent posts:
The Hidden Factor of Magick
"Will this ritual or spell really work?" There are really only two possible answer to this question: "No" or "I don't know." There are some...

Dreaming with the 4 of Cups
The Book of Shadows Tarot, volume 2: So Below is now available! This morning, I shuffled my deck, fresh from the box and drew a card for this...

I Saw Your Future And He's Not It Author Louise Helene on Examiner.com
Check out a fascinating interview with I Saw Your Future And He's Not It author Louise Helene on Examiner.com, detailing her book and relationship...


One of the questions I often receive is a request for contact with an occult group, order, coven, etc. As a policy, I don't recommend such...



Llewellyn's 2013 Moon Sign Book Llewellyn's 2013 Moon Sign Book
Conscious Living by the Cycles of the Moon

By: Llewellyn
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Llewellyn's 2013 Astrological Calendar Llewellyn's 2013 Astrological Calendar
Horoscopes for You Plus an Introduction to Astrology

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Price: $13.99 $7.00 On Sale!
Llewellyn's 2013 Witches' Calendar Llewellyn's 2013 Witches' Calendar
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Llewellyn's 2013 Witches' Datebook Llewellyn's 2013 Witches' Datebook
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Llewellyn's 2013 Magical Almanac Llewellyn's 2013 Magical Almanac
Practical Magic for Everyday Living

By: Llewellyn
Price: $10.99 $5.50 On Sale!