An Introduction
The four temples are really the anchor for all inner temple work. They are the sources of all other temples regardless of culture, deity and so forth. The four temples are the formalized expression of the elements Air (East), Fire (South), Water (West) and Earth (North). They all cluster around the central flame out of which all things come; it is a version of the void.
The Temple of Air is associated with learning, formalization, recitation, and religions that use a book/text/the word. It is also the direction of spring, birth, beginnings, and new ideas. At a deeper level it is the source of all sacred utterances and patterns; it is the direction of heralding angels. And at its deepest level it is the whirlwind that dismantles and creates. I think the most powerful vision to come from this temple that I know of is the vision of Ka`aba. I go to this temple when I wish to learn (it is also home to the library) or when I need to voice something. The powers of the East are also powers of the sword, of the blade, of sharpness.
The Temple of the South is associated with fire, summer, volcanoes, healing, cursing, ceremonies, and bright hot power. It is connected to electricity, explosions and war. It is the direction of Male power and life, of the power of the Sun and of underground fire. Most of the ancient male priesthoods were of the South, as in the legend of Atlantis.
The Temple of the West is associated with the Moon, autumn, the Ocean, the Sea temples, genetics, waves of humanity, madness, emotion and pregnancy. It is the polarized partner of the Temple of the East, the East being of the intellect and the West being of emotions. The older Christian churches were balanced around this polarization with the Altar and priest in the East (knowledge and recitation) and the people in the West (generations and emotions). The waves of humanity flow in and out of the Sea Temple of the West.
The Temple of the North is the temple of death, winter, the dark Goddess, the ancestors. It is the temple of time, opening doors to the past and future, thus making it the temple of prophecy. It is the temple of the planet, of gravity, of stone and substance. It is the polar opposite to the temple of the Sun and in ceremonies the priest will sit or stand in the south and the woman will stand or sit in the north; the God and Goddess facing each other
Throughout the life of an esoteric student, he or she will, in phases, work within each of the temples in turn. It may not be in a clockwise rotation, but through time they will begin to learn the mysteries of each temple and how they work. Each temple, each element, has a lifetime of learning within it that begin to show us how our universe operates and where we belong within that universe.
Going into the convocation regularly is a good exercise to do. It is a place of family and learning. It is a place where all power and consciousness comes together.
Going into the temples is also a good practice for learning. It is advisable to work in the first courtyards of the temples and only visit the deeper parts of temples when you feel drawn to work there. It is good to go through to the inner sanctums on your first visit, after that, visit when called upon.
The Vision
Light a candle and still yourself. Close your eyes and be aware of the flame within. Using your inner vision, look at the candle flame, which grows into a column of fire. You are drawn to the fire, it is comforting and gentle and without thinking, you step into the flames. The flames cleanse and regenerate you.
Someone calls your name and you find yourself stepping through the fire and passing into the convocation of Priests and Priestesses. This is the place where priests and priestesses from all time and all worlds come together around the central flame of being at the edge of the void.
You process clockwise around the central flame with the others and you become aware of large gates in each of the four directions. Each gate is guarded by two beings that watch every move that you make.
The Temple of the East
You turn to the east and walk to the east gate. The beings eye you before parting and allowing you to pass over the threshold. Crossing the threshold you find yourself in the Temple of the East. It is a vast temple with 3 successive courtyards. The priests and priestesses of the temple come to greet you and guide you through the temple. This is the place where external religions, organization and the consciousness of civilization come from.
You pass through the first and second courtyard, taking note of what you see and hear. As you approach the deepest part of the temple, you can hear a sound that you vaguely recognize. As the sound gets louder, so does a wind that seems to push you back. The closer to the depth of the temple you go, the harder the wind blows. You begin to lean into the wind as you struggle for breath.
You fall forward into a small space and the wind collects in its power as you observe. Before you is a whirlwind of immense power and out of the whirlwind comes sound. The sound travels out of the wind and takes form before you. The form is beautiful and you gasp as you try to understand the depth of what you are seeing.
The being reaches over and breathes across your face. The breath travels through your body as the power of air passes through you.
It is time to leave, you can return here to learn and work, but for now, you respectfully leave the temple. You pass through the courtyards of the temple and emerge out of the gate back into the convocation.
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Temple of the South/Temple of the Sun
You turn south and walk to the threshold of the south. The guardians both place a hand on you to feel if you are worthy of passing through. They remove their hands and you fall forward over the threshold and into the Temple of the South.
Again you pass through the first two courtyards, communing with the priests and priestesses that you meet. Some of them walk with you as you move towards the deepest part of the temple. As you approach the inner sanctum you get hotter and hotter until you feel as though you could stand the heat no more.
Two priests pull back a veil that hides the inner sanctum and you find yourself before a gentle flame burning out of nothing. Instinctively you reach to touch it and the fire grows into a column of light. Out of the light steps a woman who glows like a star. In her center is a face of a man fashioned out of the shape of the sun.
Compassion flows from her and as she reaches out to touch you, you begin to weep. She catches your tears and places them in a casket. Her eyes look into yours and you feel her strength course through you to your hands.
She tells you to pass on her touch by touching others. As you look down at your hands, the woman vanishes and you find yourself stood once more before the still silent flame. This is the flame at the center of all being and is the center of all creation.
The flame within you surges as you withdraw from the inner sanctum and you walk back through the temple to the convocation.
Temple of the West/The Sea Temple
Walk around the convocation until you find yourself before the gates of the west. The guardians bow as you walk up to them and they watch to see what you do. Bow back to them with respect. The guardians smile widely and let you pass by. Crossing over the threshold you find yourself in the first courtyard of the Temple of the West. It is full of people.
You walk through, pushing deeper into the depth of the temple until you find yourself near the inner sanctum. You see a veil before you, which you pull to one side as you step through.
You find yourself on a beach at midnight, with the full moon shining on the water. A woman walks from the water and stands before you. Without speaking, she reaches out and cuts your skin. Your blood seeps out and mingles with the seawater.
A priest appears and hands her a goblet. In it are the tears that you shed in the south temple. The woman pours the tears over the wound so that they mix with the blood. You feel your body beginning to change as the power of the west flows through you.
You recognize the woman as the Goddess as she reaches out to touch you on the forehead. Her touch opens the void within you briefly and when you fully emerge again, the Goddess has gone leaving you stood before a priest who stands with one foot in the sea and one on the land. He tells you to return here to commune with him and to learn about the power of the west.
You both bow to each other and you turn away, returning back through the temple and into the convocation. Stepping over the threshold back into the convocation you feel the change within you that came from the blood and tears.
Temple of the North/The temple of the Dark Goddess
You stand at the threshold of the north as the guardians watch you. They stand aside to let you pass and you step over the threshold of the north carefully.
You find yourself in a large old temple with a passageway that runs through the temple to the deepest sanctum. Again, you are drawn to the deepest part of the temple and as you approach that area a priestess steps out to guide you.
She takes you into a small circular cave and then backs out quietly. You look around and suddenly realize that they way you came in has vanished and you are in a cave with no way out or in. The walls of the cave seem to move closer and closer to you until you feel as though you are going to be crushed.
Once your fear falls away, you discover that the space feels alive and safe. A woman appears before you in a heavy cloak. She smiles and then opens her cloak to reveal the void. Coming closer to you, she holds the cloak open and you move forward to be hugged.
As she wraps the cloak around you in an embrace, everything vanishes until there is stillness. No cave, no woman, no you: only stillness. The silence is comforting and you feel as though you have come home. You want to stay in this space forever but someone keeps calling your name.
You look up and find yourself in the first courtyard of the temple with priests and priestesses surrounding you. They reach out to touch you in communion, telling you to return often to learn the secrets of the north. They escort you to the threshold and watch as you pass back into the convocation.
Walk into the center and commune with the central flame to help you assimilate your experience before passing back through the central flame back into the room where you first started. When you are ready, open your eyes and blow out the candle, sending the flame back into the void.
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