Chapter One

Gate Symbolism

Readers already familiar with medieval ceremonial magick (and with the esoteric disciplines in general) will remember that there is a distinction made between the microcosm and the macrocosm. The microcosm is usually thought of as "our world," meaning our immediate frame of reference, our immediate perception of reality. The macrocosm is the world "out there": usually beyond our immediate understanding or perception. As magicians, we seek to enter the realm of the macrocosm consciously, in order to effect change on the microcosm. The macrocosm is the sphere where the planets move in endless rotations, presumably affecting our daily lives with their passage through the zodiac. The common person is at the mercy of the planetary tides; the astrologer attempts to time his or her actions in accordance with them. The magician attempts to neutralize the effects of certain tides and enhance the effects of others, thereby rewriting the natal and transit charts in accordance with will. The common person and the astrologer are passive observers of the macrocosm; the magician is an active participant in the machineries of joy. While such a role may be extremely attractive to those of us who must struggle by day to cope with the distant motions of the stars—"the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune"—there is a price to be paid before such a desire can pay off. There is a great deal that we do not know about the workings of the macrocosm: much that takes place is invisible to ordinary eyes. Although the same rules govern both micro and macrocosms, we know so little about either one that tampering with the machinery is dangerous—not only to ourselves bu