The One Year Manual, Witchcraft and Wicca
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Contents
First published as
Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightenment
by the Sangreal Foundation, 1969
First Samuel Weiser paperback 1975
Preface, ix
The Four Adorations, 1
Body Awareness, 5
Relaxation, 9
Rhythmic Breathing, 15
Mind Awareness, 21
Concentration, Use of the Mantram, 25
Developing the Will, 29
The Rose Cross Ritual, 33
The Middle Pillar Ritual, 39
Symbol of Devotion, 47
Practice of the Presence of God, 51
Unity-All is God, 57
Invoke Often! Inflame Thyself with Prayer, 63
Epilogue, 69
Recommended Reading, 71
Bibliography, 73
This revised edition 1981 by
Samuel Weiser, Inc.
Box 612
York Beach, Maine 03910
Reprinted, 1990
© Israel Regardie, 1975
All rights reserved.
No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmit-
ted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including photocopy, without permission in writing from
Samuel Weiser, Inc. Reviewers may quote brief passages.
ISBN 0-87728-301-X
Cover painting is entitled "The Ascent,"
© 1990, Rob Schouten.
Typeset in 11 point Sabon
Printed in the United States of America by
Baker Johnson, Inc.
Gratefully dedicated to
CARR P. COLLINS, JR.
who suggested and inspired this book,
and without whom it would never have been written —
or completed!
PREFACE
THIS BOOK WAS FORMERLY
entitled
Twelve Steps to Spiritual Enlightment.
Insofar as it
was intended to be a manual delineating a course of practical
study to extend over a period of at least twelve months, that
title seems rather presumptuous. It had been my original in-
tention to entitle it
The One Year Manual.
The title describes
the nature of the book without any pretensions, assumptions
or exaggerated claims.
Several experiences wrankled in my mind not only about
the title but by the Christian references which were really quite
foreign to my outlook. The first blow came when a psychol-
ogist living in Florida corresponded with me about a couple of
my other books. Then she chanced upon the
Twelve Steps to
Spiritual Enlightenment.
It so annoyed her that she wrote me
most emphatically about her disapproval. There was nothing I
could do honestly but to write back agreeing with her and ad-
mitting that I had no great liking for these Christian references
either.
Sometime after that there was an editorial in a small
British magazine
Agape
with whose editor there had been oc-
casional correspondence. This editorial was most critical of
both me and the book. It made me realize the enormity of my
error and how far I had strayed from what was really accep-
table to me.
There were several others that hammered home the
point.
x / THE ONE YEAR MANUAL
Preface / xi
The error consisted simply of being too susceptible to the
suggestions of well-meaning friends. It was their contention
that the inclusion of Thelemic, Egyptian and other pagan allu-
sions, might prove difficult to accept by some readers. Today
it bothers me somewhat to admit that I was swayed by this
specious argument. It was also suggested that if Christian
items were to replace those mentioned above it would insure a
wider circulation and sale of this book.
The outcome of all this is the revision of the book in the
form originally intended before close and dear friends sug-
gested modifications of one kind or another. Most of the
material is identical with that in
Twelve Steps.
The slant,
however, is totally different and may appeal to a different
group of students. In its present form it adheres more closely
to my original intention, and so is more to my own liking.
As previously stated, this manual delineates a course of
practical study to extend over a period of at least twelve
months. Theoretically, it is designed for the ideal student.
Since, however, there is no such "ideal", each student
represents a different problem. Each is a unique personality
with his own character-structure, his own idiosyncracies and
his own way of solving problems in a certain amount of time.
No two students are alike.
Under these circumstances, it must be self-evident that
though designed for a twelve month period, it is more likely
that the student may need to spend a good five years working
with these simple methods. Some exercises may be completed
and mastered in the month prescribed. Other procedures may
require anywhere from three months to a year before any real
mastery or noticeable result is achieved. It is important
therefore to stress patience as a supreme necessity where this
course of study is concerned. Some exercises have as a secon-
dary gain the acquisition of a higher degree of patience.
It would be of infinite value if, while working these exer-
cises, the student kept what I propose to call a Day Book. In
accounting procedures, the Day Book is a journal in which are
entered all the transactions of the day, regardless of what they
are. In this Day Book, or Work Book, that we are considering,
the student should keep a detailed record of every practice that
he engages in. Immediately after performing every exercise, he
should take a couple of minutes from his next task in order to
make entries in this Day Book. He should record the date and
time of the day, the particular exercise he practiced, how
many minutes were devoted to it, what he felt about the man-
ner in which he proceeded, any experiences that may have oc-
curred, and finally his evaluation of the period itself. It might
even be worthwhile recording some extraneous data, such as
the kind of weather prevailing, the temperature within the
room in which he is working and the general emotional mood,
etc.
If this Day Book is scrupulously kept, at the expiration of
a year, regardless of whether it is seen or examined by any
other person, the student will eventually be able to look at his
efforts with fair objectivity. It may come as a distinct surprise
to read through some of his early comments on his first ex-
periences and efforts. He may even perceive a psychological
pattern running through all his exercises and whatever results
accrue from them. No little insight can be obtained from this.
The keeping of the Day Book, therefore, is a matter of prime
importance. Meticulous attention should be given to it right
from the start.
The occult student, at the outset of his studies, is besieged
by hundreds of books describing dozens of practices of every
kind. They promise, directly or otherwise, to bring him to the
very heights of spiritual attainment, no matter how that at-
tainment is defined. But by the very wealth of material is he
overwhelmed. And the result is that, generally speaking, he
does nothing except read. Reading does very little to bring one
to any kind of realization of one's divine nature.
In this manual, it is proposed to burden the student with
These simple injunctions require little elaboration.
Make
haste slowly
would be the ideal maxim for every student to
adopt when starting to study and practice this scheme. It will
pay optimal dividends in the end.
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