When reading The Ra Contact, you may come across mention of the “appurtenances.” Defined by Merriam-Webster as “accessory objects” and “a subordinate part or adjunct,” these were items that Ra described as playing an important role in the psychological, mechanical, magical, and metaphysical aspects of maintaining the contact. They consisted of a Bible opened to the Gospel of John, a chalice of water, an incense placed in a holder, and a candle.

We were first introduced to and instructed in the use three of the four the appurtenances in the second session. In 2.5, Ra prompted Don with a little nudge suggesting he might wish to inquire about how to properly use the instrument and prepare for contact. In 2.6, Don dutifully questioned and received the following information about arranging and aligning appurtenances:

The proper alignment is the head [of the instrument] pointed twenty degrees north-by-northeast. This is the direction from which the newer, or New Age, distortions of love/light, which are less distorted, are emanating from, and this instrument will find comfort therein. This is a sensitive instrument, by which we mean the distortions which enter her mind/body/spirit complex come from any of her senses. Thus, it is well to do the following:

Place at the entity’s head a virgin chalice of water.

To the center, the book most closely aligned with the instrument’s mental distortions which are allied most closely with the Law of One, that being the Bible that she touches most frequently.

To the other side of the Bible, a small amount of cense, or incense, in a virgin censer.

To the rear of the book symbolizing One, opened to the Gospel of John, Chapter One, a white candle.

The instrument would be strengthened by the wearing of a white robe. The instrument shall be covered and prone, the eyes covered.

We feel that, though this is a complex of activity/circumstance and may seem very distorted from a purposeful teach/learning experience, these elaborations on the technique of trance will ease the mind distortions of those about the instrument as they perceive improvement in the instrument’s distortions with regard to fatigue.

In 3.4, Ra gave more details as to how three of the four appurtenances provided support and inspiration for Carla while she was in trance:

We will explain the process by which this becomes a significant distortion balancer.

The incense acts as energizer to the physical body of this instrument, signifying its humanity. This is, therefore, a necessity that the wafted smoke is perceived from the same relative angle as the instrument perceives the opened Bible, balanced by the lighted candle signify[ing] love/light and light/love and, therefore, give the mental and emotional, shall we call it, distortion complex of this instrument the sight of paradise and peace which it seeks. Thus energized from the lower to the higher, the instrument becomes balanced and does not grow fatigued.

We appreciate your concern, for this will enable our teach/learning to proceed more easily.

The one appurtenance not described above, the water-filled chalice, was previously addressed in the final two questions of Session 1. When describing how to “nurture” the instrument, Ra gave a series of instructions that included these two:

A gift of water into which the love of all present has been given. This will restore this entity, for her distortions contain great sensitivity towards the vibrations of love, and the charged water will effect comfort.

The charging of the water is done by those present placing their hands over the glass and visualizing the power of love entering the water. This will charge that very effective medium with those vibrations.

Ra elaborated further in Session 3:

Should we have her drink the water from the chalice behind her head after we charge it, or should we use a different glass of water?

That and only that chalice shall be the most beneficial as the virgin material living in the chalice accepts, retains, and responds to the love vibration activated by your beingness.

The basic reason that these appurtenances, or accoutrements, were helpful for Carla while serving as the instrument for the Ra contact was that she was a member of the Altar Guild of her Episcopal Church. Each member would take a turn at dressing the altar at the front of the sanctuary with just these items as portions of each Sunday worship service. So Carla was familiar with these items and their sacred natures from a very young age.

Functionally, the appurtenances nurtured and energized the instrument and the contact. Carla also felt loved in that Ra encouraged these items of special significance to her. And in 40.17, Ra also indicated that they (somehow) offered warmth to the instrument’s body.

We felt that Ra’s subsequent instructions in various sessions regarding the physical alignment of these appurtenances were also code for the alignment and purity of our questioning. That is, if our questions had focused on a transient line of questioning or veered significantly from our spiritual and philosophical bearing, we risked losing the contact.

To explore this topic more, see Chapter 8 of Tilting at Windmills.