The following represents one method of attaining Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. It may be incorporated into the traditional Abramelin Operation, or it may be practised as a method in its own right. The present author chose to do the latter: it is thus theoretically possible to attain KCHGA without undertaking the austerities required by the Abramelin operation, though it will take somewhat longer (e.g. several years, as opposed to just 6 months).
The method is based on the fact that, according to "777" the Spiritual Experience of Malkuth is "the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel". Now it so happens that once, I was reading Aleister Crowley's "Confessions", in which he tells of one conversation he had with his Golden Dawn mentor, Allan Bennett. Crowley happened to mention that he had heard that there was a particular method of vibrating the name of "Adonai Ha-Aretz" (hebrew - "Lord of the Earth") which summoned the Holy Guardian Angel: however, apart from this brief reference, he never said if Bennett actually told him - and if so, Crowley never to my knowledge said what it was. "Adonai Ha-Aretz", of course, happens to be the Grand-name of Malkuth.
It therefore occurred to me that this method of vibration to which Crowley referred was in fact the very method of achieving the Spiritual Experience of Malkuth. But what was it? Not knowing, I just filed the matter in the back of my mind for the time-being and concentrated on other things.
Some time later, and one night I was in the middle of a Lucid Dream. It is my practise to use Lucid Dreams to perform my morning rituals: the Middle Pillar Ritual, the Invoking Pentagram and Hexagram Rituals. I started the Middle Pillar Ritual ... and quite spontaneously discovered THE METHOD, which I describe below. I was so surprised this first time that unfortunately I woke up, and had to do my Rituals waking.
How do I know that my experience was genuine? Firstly, it was exactly what Crowley suggested it might be: a method of vibrating "Adonai Ha-Aretz". Secondly, it has the precedence of being essentially an authentic Golden Dawn magickal technique - it just so happens this particular form of it is not in fact mentioned anywhere in the literature of the Golden Dawn.
But thirdly and most importantly, when I first performed it, I experienced a sudden and overpowering burst of energy, which was exactly like the way the "Kundalini" phenomenon is described. I had been practising Yoga for a long time before this, and had from time to time experienced momentary samadhi, so I was able to recognise the manifestation of Kundalini, which is its by-product. I had also suspected that KCHGA was in fact a kind of Samadhi itself. Up til that moment this had been purely speculation: yet here I was, experiencing something which tended to prove my previously held view.
Moreover, I tried repeating the same procedure in subsequent Lucid Dreams, and I experienced like results. I even tried doing it whilst awake and Astrally Projecting: again, similar results. I should point out that as I became more used to this, I was able treat the kundalini-like phenomenon with equanimity, so I could thus maintain my Lucid Dream or Astral Projection state afterwards. This is very important, because it allows one to develop what start off as one-off visions into actual Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.
One final word, before I get down to the juicy details: it is possible that this Method is not exactly what Crowley or Bennett had in mind when the former wrote "Confessions". However even if it is not "The" method it is certainly "a" method - and it has the benefit of having the most trustworthy provenance imaginable - IT WORKS.
This is probably the most important point. I had developed this faculty over a period of four or five years before I first Invoked my HGA. I go into more detail about Lucid Dreaming in my essay of the same name.
This may or may not be significant - I mention it because it is what I did, so perhaps there is a link between the fact of my success and my particular Magical path. Perhaps the link in question is The Etheric Link itself! I would certainly not rule it out.
Again, this may or may not be significant - but it is certainly highly useful to not be limited to performing this method in your sleep. Of course, if you are following the curriculum of the Golden Dawn, as I said you should in step 2, you should have learnt or should be learning to project Astrally anyway.
Unlike steps 2 and 3, this is really essential to the success of the method. It is helpful to draw pictures, in full colour, of these God-forms as they are described in the Golden Dawn Z-1 documents. It is vitally important to be able to accurately visualise both of them at Will. Practise Assuming these God-forms. You should realise also the connection of these two God-forms to the Neophyte Signs of the Enterer and of Silence.
Essential. These must be like second-nature.
If this is the first time you have attempted this method, you will probably experience an overwhelming surge of energy, which whilst Ecstatic, is so surprising that you end your Lucid dream or Astral Projection prematurely. If this should happen, you should make the best of your efforts: physically make the Sign of Silence, whilst meditating upon Harpocrates; then record your results and try again later, or the next day.
If on the other hand you are now experienced in this method, you should feel an ecstatic surge of energy, combined with emotions of peace, cathartic release, etc etc, but it is not so surprising - hence you are able to maintain your Lucid dream or Astral projection state. Therefore you now have standing in front of you an impressive Angel, who by rights should indeed be your own Holy Guardian Angel. You should now do what you should always do when meeting entities on the Astral Plane: test it by Signs and Names. Theoretically, the Angel will make the sign of a Zelator, and say it comes in the names of "Adonai Ha-Aretz", "Sandalphon", etc. If something is not quite kosher, banish it straightaway with a Pentagram - however, if you have followed the above steps correctly, this is unlikely in the extreme.
Now the Angel has tested right, and has confirmed it is your Holy Guardian Angel, you should then ask it its name. This is very interesting, because the name by which your Holy Guardian Angel chooses to make itself known to you invariably contains an allusion to what the main thrust of your Magickal work is going to be. This could be by gematria; or it could be an actual word in e.g. Hebrew, Enochian, or perhaps Greek or Coptic which is significant by its literal meaning. Or if not by its literal meaning, then by some other association. Furthermore, a simple way of meditating is to call to mind your Holy Guardian Angel and repeat its name as a mantra - this can often be effective in its own right.
Once you have found that this method works, you can use it to deepen your relationship with your Holy Guardian Angel, and thereby at length attain KCHGA. Here are my recommended tips:
The Book of the Sacred Magick of Abramelin the Mage - (trans.) Macgregor Mathers;
Magick In Theory and Practice;
777;
Confessions - all by Aleister Crowley;
The Mystical Qabalah - Dion Fortune;
The Golden Dawn - Israel Regardie.
