We would like to present our first translation of Pierre de Lasenic’s, The Book of Works, which was private lodge material for the 1st degree of Pierre de Lasenic’s Horev-Club.
Aside from being initiated into various orders, such as the S.E.S., the Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor and Martinism, Pierre de Lasenic started Universalia with Jan Kefer, however, Lasenic ended up starting a more private lodge called Horev-Club which was for the most serious and dedicated of his personal students.
New video for The Book of Works by Pierre de Lasenic. Lukas Louzecky and Matthew Blankenburg are demonstrating elemental posism.
Lasenic gives concentration exercises seen in Paschal Beverly Randolph’s work, known as Volantia, which is considered a calm training of the will in order to help the student to hone their focus, some of which could also be likened to the ascetic exercises of Georg Lomer’s system, such as being silent for a certain period of time each day.
In The Book of Works, we see material that a student of Franz Bardon’s system would find quite useful. For example, the method of working with the elements in this book could be considered more advanced than one might expect for standard 1st degree initiatory material, however, it was considered for the more serious students, therefore, it can already be assumed that they were somewhat aware of the principles behind the practices and that this was used as a guide, which is why it is so concise, yet one might notice that the technique is also different than Bardon’s method.
Bardon is having the student accumulate the “exoteric elements” (deductive method) while Lasenic is having the student accumulate or evoke the “esoteric elements” from within themselves first (inductive method) and project them outward, but then back inward again (deductive method). Lasenic’s method builds up the elemental energy that one is working with, internally, and the energy is emitted outward in different ways, depending on the element being evoked and released, then when the chosen element reaches the Divine and changes into a different form of the pure element itself, it is brought back from the Divine and to the mage, and then one exhales to release any possible negative energy in which the element may have picked up along the way back to oneself (similar to exhaling in the practice of pore breathing).
This form of elemental work is unique and highly beneficial for the Bardonist in their own personal work of introspection and in achieving elemental balance.
In Bardon’s system, he gives the student the tools to put together their own finger rituals or personal 
rituals associated with the elements. This has caused some confusion over the years as to what exactly Bardon meant, as he left it up to the student to decide as to what exactly they would like for their own personal rituals or finger gestures to be, which they would be developing on their own. For the intuitive magician, however, there is no problem beyond taking the time to think about it, putting it together and carry out their own elemental rituals but, perhaps with Lasenic’s work, one has the opportunity in front of themselves to gain further inspiration for their own personal rituals when it comes to crafting them, which can also help to further solidify their own understanding with many of these ideas which have come from the work of Paschal Beverly Randolph, such as Volantia and Posism itself.
Eventually, the student is introduced to the practice of Identification, which is also a practice seen not only in Bardon’s work, as transference of consciousness, but also in Georg Lomer’s Hermetic Letters, in which it is known as Immersion.
The Quadratrix, which can be likened to the “Quadrapolar Magnet,” can be used as a helpful key in order to better elucidate the following section of working with different elemental posisms throughout the year. Within the diagram of the Quadratrix, we see 4 sides of a square, in which each side represents a different element. These are known as the esoteric elements of the year which lasts for three months out of a year each or an entire season, as there are 4 sides to a square, there are also 4 seasons. Each esoteric element, within the square, is the element that is the least present among the other elements during each season of the year. Then we notice, if we haven’t already, on the outside of the inner square of the Quadratrix, there is a triangle connected to each side or season that the square could represent. A triangle has three points and is, therefore, represented by 3 different exoteric elements. Each point can be represented by a different zodiac sign in which a different exoteric element would then correspond to. Each triangle of the Quadratrix can be considered as an exoteric element during the month in which a particular zodiac sign is active, however, the esoteric elements, which last for 3 months or a season, differ from the exoteric elements, which last for a month at a time or during the time in which the respective zodiac sign is governing.
For the sake of simplicity and in using the Quadratrix as a practical key, let’s look at each side of the square as an esoteric element and each point of the triangles as an exoteric element. Therefore, there are 4 esoteric elements during the year and 12 exoteric elements represented with each corresponding zodiac sign. Also, once the first element becomes exoteric, it is also already becoming esoteric in a sense, because the first exoteric element also becomes the first esoteric element for the next season, during the time in which 3 different elements become an exoteric element for a month each, yet at the same time, when an element becomes an esoteric element for a 3 month period, it is also actively on its way to becoming the first exoteric element for the next season as well.
The Quadratrix could then be described as a key for obtaining elemental balance or magical equilibrium between the electric and magnetic fluid, however, it is a symbolic key that can bring one to the understanding of elemental equilibrium through the practice of the corresponding posism, which is about combining the exoteric elements with the esoteric elements and is to be performed one after another, as one first practices the posism of the exoteric element of that month, followed by the posism of the esoteric element of that month.
In practice, it is incredibly simple. One practices two posisms, one after another, with the exoteric element being practiced first, followed by the esoteric element being practiced immediately after and in a smooth transition from the first posism into the second posism. It is only in theorizing about the practice by itself that one could complicate a simple task and make something that is already simple, more complicated. One does not need to be overwhelmed by Astrology if they have no current understanding of it, as they can simply attribute the corresponding elements to each zodiac sign.
Then one moves into the practice of Tuning, which can be considered as a form of letter magic or astral/sound magic, which has been attributed to J.B. Kerning and which also has similarities to the technique used in Bardon’s third book in which the inner word is internal.
Though the practices in The Book of Works start out as what could be considered intermediate or even advanced for some, it is absolutely suitable for beginners on all levels.
The Book of Works is in English and available to download in the “Download” section.
Enjoy!
Matthew & Astrid