Raja Yoga: First Steps

In Swami Vivekananda's work "Raja-Yoga" she introduces a first step to the work of Raja - Yoga (sometimes considered Yoga of the Will.)

The initial stage is to set up a place of practice.

In this place she recommends keeping fresh flowers as much as possible.

She also requires that the student strive to not think any negative, or angry thought. This is a classic concept - that I've tried to keep in my own space for years. When one works with any type of magic or mysticism and brings their own angst, bitterness, hatred, fear to the location - the very vibraiton of thought imbrues itself into the material of the room.

The room needs to be conditioned with pleasant and right thought.

Further, each day, the student should salute the directions with something similar to this:
"Let all beings be happy; Let all beings be peaceful; Let all beings be blissful."

She has the student of Raja Yoga send this thought out to each of the directions, starting in the East and working clockwise.

What I like to do is integrate my own spiritual work as much as possible. Since Dr. Dee had a vision of the Enochian banners, being in the order of MPH ARSL GAIOL, ORO IBAH AZOPI, OIP TEAA PDOCE and MOR DIAL HCTGA.... I try to start each day off with chanting the order, while i'm in the shower, getting ready for my day.

I found that the order of the banners is actually related to the original Great Table (which I use, instead of the Revised) and it's directions. The banners as I ordered them above, correspond to opposing directions from the original great table... as in the Original Great Table, MPH... was to the West. ORO... was to the East, OIP... was to the North and MOR... was to the South.

So after I read the names of the memorized Enochian God names in the order of the banner, I read them in the order of the directions and add to it Swami Vivekananda's prayer to each direction.

The banners when recipted form a circle. The call of the God Names by Direction forms a cross. Circle and Cross. Similar to the Cirlce and Cross of the Gnostics.

At any rate... that's how I do it.