Ritual of the Ruach

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Here’s a Hermetic Ritual Framework designed to work directly with the Ruach to confront and transmute the fearful, cruel, and self-destructive thought-forms embodied in the Thoth 9 of Swords (Cruelty). This framework draws on Western Hermetic Qabalah, Tarot magick, and planetary invocation, incorporating the Solve et Coagula process (dissolution and reformation).

Ritual of the Ruach: Unmasking and Transmuting the Inner Cruelty (9 of Swords)

Purpose

To invoke the Ruach (Rational Soul) to consciously analyse, name, confront, and correct subconscious fear, cruelty, and self-torture as symbolized in the Thoth 9 of Swords — transforming these mental poisons into clarified, illuminated thought aligned with the True Will and the Solar Self (Tiphereth).

Preliminary Preparation

• Altar: Place the Thoth 9 of Swords card in the center, flanked by the Lovers (Zain) and The Sun (Resh) — representing Ruach’s sword of discrimination (Zain) and the Solar Self it serves (Resh).
• Tools: Sword, dagger, or wand of Air (for Ruach). Mercury talisman or symbol. A black mirror (optional) for scrying subconscious images.
• Incense: Frankincense and Lavender (Air purification and Mercurial clarity).
• Candles: 2 yellow (Mercury/Air) and 1 gold (Solar Tiphereth).
• Planetary Hour: Best in the Hour of Mercury, especially on Wednesday (Day of Mercury).

Step 1: Opening Invocation — Ruach Arises

Face East. Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) to clear the astral space.

Then intone:

“I call forth the Ruach within me, rational soul, bearer of the sword of analysis and the light of knowledge. By the breath of YHVH Elohim, by the winds of Raphael, and by the quicksilver path of Kokab, rise within me, O Ruach, and reveal the shadows of my Nephesh, that I may name and bind them.”

Step 2: Card Scrying and Confrontation

• Gaze into the 9 of Swords.
• Meditate until images, sensations, or memories arise — allow the subconscious to speak. Record these insights.

Speak aloud:
“Nephesh, I call you forth. Show me the roots of this fear, this cruelty within me. Reveal your hidden face.”

• Use a black mirror if desired to project the image into form.
• Note the irrational stories, ancestral patterns, or inner accusations that arise.

Step 3: Rational Dissection (Solve)

• Move into analytical mindset — become the detached Ruach. Break down the thoughts into simple parts:

  • What is the origin of this fear/cruelty?
  • What assumptions or beliefs sustain it?
  • What emotional hooks give it power?
  • What is illusion, and what is truth?

• Write these out on paper, consciously separating false fear from valid caution. This is the critical Ruach function — discriminating the real from the false.

Step 4: Reframing with Hermetic Light (Coagula)

• Place the 9 of Swords between Zain (The Lovers) and Resh (The Sun).
• Speak aloud the corrected narrative you have constructed — a truth that replaces the old fearful script.

Example (adjust to your personal insight):

“I am not bound by the voices of cruelty within me. I am the conscious wielder of the Sword of Ruach. I cut through the illusions of fear and call forth the Solar Light within me. The Sun rises in my mind, and the cruel night dissolves into dawn.”

• Draw the Hebrew letters Zain (ז) and Resh (ר) over the 9 of Swords with your wand/sword, affirming that Ruach (Zain) serves the Sun (Resh), not the Nephesh.

Step 5: Evocation and Binding of the Fearful Thought-Form

• Call forth the thought-form (name it if you can — in Hermetic magick, naming is binding).
• Trace the Banishing Pentagram of Air over the black mirror or wherever you have externalized the fear.
• Speak:

“You are known. You are named. You are bound to my Will. I dissolve you into nothingness, for your story is false, and the light of truth consumes you.”

• Burn the paper with the old irrational script if desired.

Step 6: Affirmation of True Will and Solar Rebirth

• Hold the Sun card to your heart.
• Intone the Solar Name: YHVH Eloah ve-Da’ath (יהוה אלוה ודעת).
• Affirm the new corrected belief (your personal Solar Truth) as a daily mantra or talisman inscription.
• Meditate briefly in silence, feeling Ruach serving the higher Neshamah.

Step 7: Closing and Grounding

• Thank Raphael, Mercury, and your own Ruach.
• Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram again to seal the Work.
• Extinguish candles from East to West, symbolizing the dissolution of inner night.

Post-Ritual Work

• Journal insights.
• Use the corrected belief/mantra for 9 days (9 to counteract the 9 of Swords).
• Optional: Draw a personal sigil combining Zain (ז), Resh (ר), and the corrected belief, and carry it with you as a talisman.

Short Form (Daily Maintenance)

After the main ritual, you can maintain this work with a simple daily invocation:

“Ruach within me, sword of truth, reveal and dissolve all illusions of fear. My mind is clear. My Will is pure. My Sun shines brightly.”

Notes on Higher Guidance (Neshamah)

If you seek to align this corrected Ruach with higher intuition, you can meditate on the Priestess (Gimel) after the ritual — asking for higher revelation to further clarify the path. This aligns with the Supernal Light filtering into the rational mind.

Thank you for your interest, comments, and supportive donations. May you live long and prosper.

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