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Subject: The Practice of Thelemic Magick

by Fra. 137

(copyright, Cabal of the Hawk and Jackal, 1996 E.V. , 92 A.N.

Introduction
This section attempts to deal with the basics, and even to go a bit furthe
r. I should  explain the titles of Handbook1 and Handbook2. Handbook1 was
called The Practice of Thelemic Egyptian Witchcraft, and dealt with the mo
re specialized aspects of Magick used in the Silver Rites1, as well as the
 nature of the Gods and Goddesses mentioned in the ritual given. Since som
e explanation of the tools is needed,  and since an understanding of the s
acred calendar2 is required to do some of these rites, as well as good dea
l of other material, I expanded upon the concepts in the first handbook wi
th this one. But though all witchcraft is ceremonial Magick3, not all cere
monial magick is Witchcraft.4 This dichotomy is of course open to interpre
tation, but I mean to say that Magic is a set which contains Witchcraft, D
ivination, Conjuring, and many other sub-sets. Witchcraft employs ceremoni
es to do Magick, and is therefore ceremonial Magick. Handbook2 is called T
he Practice of Thelemic Magick but includes many sections concerning subje
cts that are useful in the Witchcraft.
I think that even an advanced student of the Art will find something to at
tract their interest. Remember however that each person should formulate t
heir own system of Magick, and that doing this often requires many points
of view to be assimilated. I will therefore recommend that you study many
authors works on these subjects, but most especially the works of Aleister
 Crowley, and other Thelemites.
Much of the material I present in this volume is common to many systems of
 Magick, though the point of view I take is personal. I am a Thelemite and
 The Book of the Law is the most important compendium of spells for me. Th
e material presented in this book is often coached in ancient Egyptian sym
bolism, as is much of the Book of the Law. I have also used much Material
extracted from The Heart of the Master, and many other writings of Aleiste
r Crowley, as well as material from ancient Egyptian sources.
Each person must ultimately find their own way and their own Truth. If our
 Truths are close enough to each other then we may walk the path together,
 if they are not we must go our separate ways. Even then we may learn from
 each other. Exploring our differences necessitates knowing ourselves.
We explore the elementary tools, used in all ceremonies, whether we call t
hem conjuring or witchcraft. Certain principles must be understood in conj
unction with each other and this is elementary Magick, as it has to do wit
h the elements.
Then we deal with an expansion of these ideas into the other tools, and pr
inciples, needed to do well in the Art.
After this we begin to explore the Macrocosmic Realm from the planets outw
ard. The parts of a spell, and some notes on the performance of ritual fol
low this, as well as some more detailed notes on Qabalah.
Finally the Sacred Calendar, notes on the gold Sabbats, and a few other Ho
lidays are given.

The Elementary Plane
Consider these NAMES in further detail:
YHVH (Jehovah or Yaweh), also called the Tetragrammaton :
This name, so Holy that the Jews substitute ADNI (Lord) for it when they e
ncounter it in reading the scriptures aloud, is a key to the nature of the
 task before us.
The Test; to equilibrate the Elemental Archetypes represented by these let
ters of the Tetragrammaton. When we have done this task, we will have comp
leted another, another referred to by the cryptic phrase "the knowledge an
d conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.
Each individual must discover the key that invokes the Angel symbolized by
 the letter SHIN that will form the name:
YHShVH (Joshua, or Jesus, or ISA),  is called the Pentagrammaton. Remember
 that these are only the traditional names of a phenomenon that occurs nat
urally to the Initiate when he becomes an adept. You become the Archetype
of the anointed one. (You don't worship it!)
The tools we will use in this task, have been traditionally called the Ele
mental Weapons. ( Wand - Cup - Lamp - Dagger - Disk). These Tools inspire
others. (The Brand, or Wand, implies the Brassier and Incense;  the Cup in
spires the Fount, the Wine, The Lamp gives a circle of Light, and burns th
e Oil of Wisdom, The Genius; The Dagger implies the cutting of the Sacrifi
ce, protection from that that is without the Circle of Light; The Disk its
elf is both the plate, the salt and the Bread we break. It is also the Sym
bol of the Universe. These tools are used in the tasks of Exorcism, Invoca
tion, and Evocation, that are a part of the Work of the Magician. To Formu
late them and perform the "Great Work" that enthrones Spirit upon the Four
square Mystery of the Name of God, (Throne of the Elements)is the task of
a Man.
Success in the task of equilibration is symbolized by the Pentagram. Thus
a Pentagram may be worn by an Adept as a sign to the spirits that he is Eq
uipped, and equilibrated, as one should be equipped, who is Adept in the E
lementary spheres.


The Elemental Tools
The elemental weapons we will use in the Ordeal are five in number. For th
e final column refer to Liber 1: 6-10. The following list is of associated
 symbols:

Fire
Father
Phallus
Salamander
Sparks
Wand
Createth
Water
Mother
Kties
Undine
Gems
Cup
Preserveth
Spirit
Angel
Union
Magician
Nothing
Lamp
Writeth
Air
Son
Mind
Sylph
Gold
Dagger
Destroyeth
Earth
Daughter
Body
Gnomes
Silver
Disk
Redeemeth

These associations must be grasped with a part of the being beyond the ord
inary to be understood. Even this early in our quest for enlightenment the
 forces involved are of sufficient power to destroy the unwary Magician wh
o has not become an Adept.5 Only if one is an Adept should take up the Art
s of the Evocation of these Elemental Spirits.
First Perfect the Invocation of the Angels of the Quarters6 and the Holy G
uardian Angel7, or Genius, or Atman, or whichever of the myriad of Names w
hich man has made up to approximate the reality of the experience, you cho
ose.
The Elemental weapons, wand, cup, lamp, dagger, and disk, are the tools th
at correspond to the elementary archetypes. The Magician who wishes to beg
in elementary work in Magick must possess these weapons.
Sure, it's nice to have the best possible weapons for one's first set. If
you are involved in an Initiating Magical Order that gives weapons to the
new initiate, then you get the advantage of a good and balanced set to sta
rt with. If not, it is far better to have a jelly jar for a Magick Cup tha
n it is not to have one at all.
Remember that your weapons must be properly balanced, must work together a
s a set. Disproportionate weapons can produce disproportionate results. I
suggest that they be acquired at one time and consecrated from the top dow
n in a ritual that is rooted in the pattern of the Pentagrammaton.
You will find that working with a balanced set of archetypes is far safer
and clearer than trying to focus too much of your attention on one of them
. Remember you are trying to keep your balance. Unbalanced force is the pa
rticular evil that haunts those who overspecialize.
Those who are Tesseract Magicians will find a section called Rite to Empow
er8 in The Appendix to the  Tesseract Working, this section is a Ritual fo
r consecrating the Magical Weapons. Using the dimension of Time to consecr
ate, the Magician both receives the Energy sent from the future and transm
its the current on to the past. This concentrates power through the cone o
f Time. As the number of Magicians working the Rite in the future increase
s so does the power available in the past. Each Magician has two duties, t
o receive the power transmitted from the future, and the second to transmi
t the excess power to the past.
        At the beginning of the process of creating the Tesseract for the
first time there were many miracles manifest about me, this cone of time w
ork is one theory as to where the power to work those miracles came from.
I know, with certainty that this magical system given me continues in the
future, I know because the power is here in the present in great quantitie
s. Imagine the power available to John Dee and Edward Kelly in the creatio
n of the Enochian System, or to any of the prophets of the old religions.
        


Wand of Fire
The Wand of fire is used to cook, to break down the food so that the limit
ed human digestion can better absorb the nutrients. This is especially tru
e of meat, where fire drives away the spirit of the animal killed so that
the life may be absorbed by the human.
The wand is usually a straight branch cut from a sacred tree with the sap
just rising  in it, a green shoot filled with the fire of life. It is good
 to cut one's wand on the Equinox, but watch for the signs of bud and leaf
 to make sure that you have a branch just wakening to Spring.
The wand is cut and prepared, then afterwards consecrated. Perhaps the wan
d is empowered with certain runes upon it. It is carefully peeled, sanded,
 and then the runes are carved or written, afterwards it is  oiled with th
e sacred oil and kept wrapped in red silk before putting it away in the Ma
gick Chest or Altar. The Runes carved upon the wand are different in vario
us traditions. Crowley in Liber A vel Armorum,9 recommends that you devise
 a Deed to represent the Universe, some then represent this deed with a Wo
rd, though Liber A recommends that the Word be reserved for the Dagger.
It's archetype is expressed in the states of matter as plasma,  or fire on
 earth, the male paternal energy.
It is used in activation, impregnation with spirit and force, to evolve th
at upon which it acts. As it is said to give creation and evolution to tha
t upon which it acts, it can be used to activate and empower the Magical t
racings or signs. The chalk is in effect a wand, as is the pen.
The wand is the hollow tube in which fire was carried in the form of coals
 in early times, and the legendary rod by which fire was stolen from the S
un. It celebrates the gift of Fire to Man, one of the Gifts of the Gods.
The wand can also be a blasting rod and channel a stream of spiritual will
.
There are many specialized wands used in the Golden Dawn  or among the Mag
ical tools of other cultures as well. Wands that signify the 7 planets, th
e 12 signs, or a particular officer in a Rite of Initiation, the two lands
 of ancient Egypt, and many other examples, all are useful, but they are n
ot the archtypical fire wand that we have been discussing but rather speci
al purpose instruments in the category of "wand".

Cup of Water
The state of matter to which the cup relates is liquid.
The Cup of Water is symbolic of the water which we need to live, and which
 all must drink. It is representative of the Goddess of the spring from wh
ich the water was drawn. It is also the water in the womb, we are born soo
n after these waters break.
Many people choose as a cup a silver chalice, and this is the form which i
s used in the Gnostic Mass. It is better if it is of solid silver; the win
es and concoctions that it may be asked to contain are hard on silver plat
e.
A great deal of interest was taken in earlier times in obtaining objects t
hat had never been used before, yet the gold in an object may have passed
through many different forms before the one it presently holds, and so may
 the silver. Gold and silver are often reclaimed and reused, many times me
lted and reformed.
I personally like to find objects that call out to me, even if they are us
ed, or antique. If they need to be polished or need another coat of silver
, so much the better. In any case, find and adapt something in such a way
as to make it unique to you.
Silver objects, or gold for that matter, can be electroplated with extra m
etal from time to time if their finish is rubbed off. If you have a plate
chalice be sure to do this, as some of the metals under the silver could b
e unhealthful or toxic. You could consider the new metal to be the consecr
ation  and apply it after any design is graven in the cup.
Some may choose to use the Egyptian Lotus as a design for the Cup. This cu
p, in the Golden Dawn10 Style, was in the form of a lotus with the petals
enameled blue, sometimes with Gold electroplate where the design did not c
over the silver around the rim. There are ceramic and glass designs that a
pproximate this motif as well.
As the Wand symbolizes the quality that extends the Will of man, so does t
he cup symbolize the receptive quality of the Love of woman. Some of the h
ighest spells employ the biological counterparts of these two tools in con
junction, as we should also with their archetypes.
The Cup is symbolic of Love as the wand is symbolic of Will, it is used in
 Invocation as the Wand is used to project the pattern of the sigil in Evo
cation. This is the case when one traces a Pentagram with the wand, it is
the creative aspect of the wand that brings forth the pattern.
After the cup has been made and engraved then consecrated, wrap it in blue
 silk to put away in the altar. As the Wand represents a Deed symbolizing
the Universe, the Cup may be etched with a Number to represent the univers
e.
The cup is kept covered until, by the work of the other weapons, the place
 is prepared so that what is invoked is appropriate to the operation. It h
as been carefully cleaned and covered to keep it from filth. If your cup i
s always left uncovered then it is receptive to any passing shell.
In certain special circumstances, the liquid sacrament contained by the cu
p may be other than water. The ascendancy of the Osirian Aeon replaced the
 spring water with wine, a solar liquid sacrament containing spirits. Some
 replace the sacrament in this Aeon with the elixir vitae11. In Ancient Gr
eece, wine was used as a solvent for certain herbs that had intoxicating p
roperties. To imbibe this unmixed wine to excess could lead to insanity or
 death. The wine was usually mixed with water to taste. Should acidic wine
s or herbs be used, one should be careful to see that a non-reactive metal
 is within the cup. Consider  that  this  may  be  a parable in the Magica
l reality as well. If you invoke in an inappropriate way, or when not prop
erly prepared, you can poison yourself.
There are special cups as there are special wands and wines; for instance,
 cups that are carried in the hands of Nuit, or of the Pharaoh in libation
s to the Gods or men, or the loving cup in the O.T.O. lamen, or the cup in
 the Ace of Cups, the Victory cup given to those who win a contest, the Sa
ngraal, and many others.


Lamp of Spirit
Without Spirit, the element which is not an element, we would not be able
to see to eat the meal which signifies the body of the god or goddess. Thi
s meal was eaten by the loved ones at the funeral of Osiris and was served
 upon his coffin. A later version of this practice can be found in the Chr
istian Sacrament. Around the light all the elements gather. Upon their thr
one is Spirit exalted.
The lamp signifies the Spirit by which we are guided to do our Will. Light
 comes to us in the darkness of ignorance, the previous state from which w
e are led. We become enlightened by the Holy Guardian Angel. Without this
light there can be no Work at all.
The lamp, after the proper ceremonies of consecration, should be wrapped a
nd put into the altar.
If you have a silver candlestick, wrap it in black silk and the candles, a
fter they have been carved and anointed, in white silk. Spirit is passive
as well as active.
A camp lantern may be used as your Magick lamp, if you are out of doors a
great deal with your rites, or a candle within glass so that the wind does
n't get to it.
If you wish to use oil, be wary. If you knock an oil lamp off an altar lit
, you will very likely have a hot and rapidly spreading fire. Consider kee
ping a fire extinguisher where you can get  it. The same goes  for candles
 around hanging cloth.
Oil lamps vary widely but you will need to be able to adjust the wick so t
hat it doesn't smoke and yet gives an appropriate amount of light.
Unless you are intentionally using the scent for some magical purpose, avo
id scented lamp oils. Olive oil is traditional but it smokes and fumes, es
pecially if it has some slight water content, as is likely with cold press
ed olive oil. If you do wish to use olive oil you will find that the best
oil for lamp purposes is the U.S.P. Olive oil available at the drug store.
Remember that each component of the lamp has a particular archetypal meani
ng.
As there are special wands and cups, so there are special spirits and lamp
s or lights of various colors to harmonize with particular vibrations. Spi
rits and candle sticks are coded to call upon certain forces, by color, oi
l, or shape. But always the lamp indicates spirit.
The ancient Egyptians symbolized the stars as lamps of the sky, sailing up
on hidden ships through space. And as "Every man and every woman is a star
",12so may we be considered.


Dagger of Air
This is representative of the power to divide, to banish to exorcise. As t
he mind divides things into categories it does partake of the symbolism of
 this archetype. Air represents the gaseous state of matter. Upon the Dagg
er is graven the Word that the Magician has chosen to represent the Univer
se.
Some may choose to have both a dark and a light handled knife, but whichev
er they use is symbolic of the Air.
As the Wand was symbolic of the Father, the Cup of the Mother, and the lam
p of the Spirit that is between them, so then the dagger is symbolic of on
e manifestation of their conjunction, the Son. As the Wand is active and c
reative, so the dagger is active and divisive. The wand projects unity; th
e dagger cuts things in twain.
Obtaining or manufacturing a dagger can be more or less difficult. There a
re some nice designs out there but you may have to look through a great de
al of them to find one that fits your needs.
In some states you can walk about with a knife in a sheath and so long as
it is not concealed from view, or sharpened on both sides, you would be vi
olating no law. Be careful to check the law of the land before choosing a
weapon. It is better to know than be surprised and taken to jail for a con
cealed weapon in your robes. In your home it is one thing, outside another
.
Though some people will manufacture a knife by filing steel to the proper
shape and then tempering it, others will buy one ready made and adapt it t
o their use by the addition of runes.
Sometimes there is a way to replace the handle with something more appropr
iate, if you find a knife that is almost right.
After the dagger is made and consecrated, perhaps with special runes or sy
mbols, it is wrapped in yellow silk to be put away in the altar or Magick
Chest. Though you may leave your weapons out as symbols, especially as a b
alanced set, you should at least wrap the weapon for a while before use. I
n the dark of the altar and in the dead of night the real consecration com
es.
We use the dagger to banish the place where we work, to cut the plants and
 animals we eat, and to symbolize the deductive power of the mind.
Some traditions use only a stone knife to cut plants. One may purchase sto
ne arrowheads or knap a flint personally. The latter is difficult and dang
erous.
There are specialized daggers: the sword, the ax, the burin, the engraver;
 different and yet the same in that they divide and cut in twain.


Disk of Earth
In some situations this will be a plate of cakes or bread, in some it will
 be a coin of the realm, or some special coin. The disk is representative
of the power to crystallize, to embody in form, and is the solid state of
matter. One union of the Father and Mother is the Son the other is the Dau
ghter.
As the Cup is passive and creative, so are coins passive and divisive, or
perhaps a better word would be receptive rather than passive. Coins are us
ed to compare and are divided in proportion to the worth of something. Thi
s dividing according to the worth of something is inherent in the value of
 the coin. The value is the work we have done for the coin. Someone once s
aid (I forget who) "the true cost of something is the amount of life you e
xpend in getting it". I think this is a good description for the value rep
resented in a coin.
Coins or disks contain as do cups, but where the cup contains the actual t
hing of worth itself, the coin contains the equivalent value of a task - s
tored work, in an abstract symbol.
You may stamp your design upon a metal blank or buy one and engrave what y
ou wish. You could prepare a design of wax and have it cast, or even get a
 museum replica of some ancient coin and have it recast, struck, or plated
 in precious metal. Some traditions use copper, some silver or gold, thoug
h I have seen brass upon one occasion. Finally, you may use photographic t
echniques to etch your design. We engrave our talisman upon the disk in or
der to hold and give form to that which we have done in our Working, so th
at we may call it back into manifestation by the use of that device at a l
ater time, the pattern is a symbol for the Universe.


Other Tools
The following section covers some other useful magical tools, and though p
ossessing them is not as urgent as getting an elementary set together, it
is important to understand their uses. The more advanced operations employ
 quite a few of the following.
Though it is possible to do Magick without even the aid of a body, much le
ss these tools, most beings, at least the ones that I've met, who are real
ly good at it, started with the physical objects and later graduated to vi
sualizing them.
I've found that the activity of a rite done in the subtle planes is differ
ent than one done in physical presence in the outer universe. In the subtl
e planes the act of working is focused in the same manner as the visualizi
ng ability is focused. The Rite resembles, in nature and feel, a dream, an
 internal act. The edges are fuzzy beyond the scope of the visualization.
If a rite is done in physical presence, using the actual objects, at the a
ppropriate time, in a temple, city, planet, galaxy, etc., the image is hel
d in the mind of the macrocosm and is clear to infinity. Internal preparat
ions to act can be kept separate from the act, and the part of the mind th
at hears thoughts will give them the weight of reality rather than dream.
Your magical acts will likewise manifest in reality rather than in your dr
eams.


The Temple
The Temple is the womb of one's rebirth, and of one's initiation into that
 which is beyond a single life. Each of us is reborn every time we pass be
tween the pillars and go out into the world.
The temple is a sanctuary. No argument, or unbalanced force, should follow
 you within this Holy place, which you have purified with many prayers and
 rites.
In general, it is good if the temple has southern exposure, so that the pl
anets may be seen to cross the sky. It is also preferable for it to be ele
vated, as is an upper-story apartment, so that your view avoids urban scen
es. An altar may be placed in the East, or sometimes in the North, so it i
s good if there are walls in these directions to set an altar against, and
 even better if they don't have doors in the center of the wall. A closet
is useful; it helps to have an area to move unused materials, robes, or te
mple furniture out of sight.
Since you will want to inscribe a circle on the floor to work in, there sh
ould be room for you to lie down in the circle and have a foot or so to se
parate your head (and feet) and the circle's edge. So if you are 6 feet ta
ll, you need at least an 8 foot circle. You also need room outside the cir
cle for altars in the four directions, the high altar, it's pillars, the P
entagrams about the circle and whatever else you might be using. The room
should measure 10' x  10' at the absolute least. You could work with less
but you will be more or less cramped.
If there is no way to have a separate temple from your living area, then y
ou must do your best to cover and improvise. Try to get the elements of yo
ur daily life out of sight. Clean as if you were expecting important guest
s, for you are. Draw and consecrate your astral temple after all clutter h
as been put away. Use light to help define it. Place candles to the direct
ions. Improvise.
If you plan to work with a small group, as in a coven, remember that the c
ircle should extend an arms breadth and a foot beyond the circle of joined
 hands. If we are in a properly round circle, then everyone can see all pr
esent without leaning. In the case of a coven or group the size of the cir
cle will depend on the number of people.
Often this means that group activity demands an open space out of doors or
 a rented meeting hall. Be careful in making your choice of place. Decide
in advance how you wish to deal with intruders. If possible, be on private
 land with no trespassing signs posted, or work in a rented hall where the
 owner has an open mind. You should also find out in advance how the owner
 will feel about people prancing about in robes singing strange chants, ac
companied by drums and incense. It's a "private party" and you don't want
any surprises.
Many times you will find that sentries must be posted, drums muffled, and
chants uttered low and secretly. Make no mistake, beware those who would k
ick in your temple door and drag you out onto the street. So be on your gu
ard. One of your first duties should be to make sure that your rites are d
one beyond the range of prying eyes.
The Temple itself is a tool, and you should choose the tools to fit the ta
sk at hand, look up the descriptions of the temple that are given in the G
rimoire that you are using
If you are doing the Abramelin operation, you should attempt to adapt your
 temple to the requirements given in The Sacred Magick of Abramelin the Ma
ge.  If working for the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian An
gel, consider the directions given in the 8th Aethyr of The Vision and the
 Voice.
The description of the setup of the Gnostic mass and or the O.T.O. Rituals
 are given in their rubrics, the number of candles, as well as the other e
lements of the Temple are all very important qabalisticly and should not b
e changed without due consideration .
In each case the temple is used to give context to the Rite.
In the ancient world of course there were temples that were dedicated to o
ne, or a number of Gods. We, as Thelemites, are given some instruction in
the Book of the Law regarding the Temple.


The Circle
The circle is the archetype of containment. The ultimate feminine symbol.
The circle is symbolic, in two dimensions, of the sphere and hypersphere t
hat is the Universe at Large, Nuit! This circle contains all that there is
. All that is, is the child of this circle and that point within its very
heart, Hadit, the magician and the exorcist!
The circle is drawn by stretching a cord. The cord symbolizes the radius t
hat extends between the point in the center, Hadit, and Nuit, the circumfe
rence. The radius has a special significance, symbolizing the love between
 the microcosm and the macrocosm.
The circle binds "nothing". {-1+1=0}. Nothing only is lawful to bind with
this circle, and it is symbolic of the equilibrium between the positive an
d the negative.
Take the cord from your waist to draw the circle, a nail or a stake, at th
e center, holds the other end as you stretch the cord tight and scribe a t
rench an inch or two into the dirt. You can tie a loop in each end and use
 two stakes, one to scribe and the other to hold the center.
Alternately a friend might do, to help you stretch your cord, by holding o
ne end of the cord at the point that will become the center. You may then
take chalk or a wand of wood for scribing the circle upon the ground/floor
. You and your partner represent the two divine archetypes, while the cord
 the third that is produced by your union.
Some systems say to inscribe two or more concentric circles with the names
 of the Gods or Goddesses between their edges. Elaborate hierarchies have
been expressed in this medium. For a simple and useful Thelemic design, se
e "Book 4, part 2", and the "Tau of the Universe" in "The Equinox" facing
the "Treasure House of Images".
About the circle are the various Pentagrams, squares, triangles, and/or ot
her geometric diagrams that are called for in the operation at hand.
The circle is your protection. Do not lean out of it, or attempt to extend
 it after it is defined in physical reality by the chalk. If you were to t
ry this while the operation was ongoing, you might expose yourself to the
malignant forces that gather outside. Any powerful operation attracts forc
es that would oppose it. The circle allows you to establish an equilibrium
.


The Robe
The Robe is best single, though there are many who create complex symbols
by combining robes.
Specialized robes were worn by the priests of all the various Temples of E
gypt. The robe has been a symbol of rank or office, since it was first cre
ated.
From the design of the robe can be determined the task and rank of a perso
n in service to the temple, and so it is often used as a symbol of service
.
As an archetype the Robe often stands for the concealment of certain myste
ries from the eyes of the profane, for the protection of Magicians from th
e prejudice of the community about them. And so Rosecrucians go about in t
he guise of those among whom they move, unseen and unheard.
Specialized robes are of three major aspects.
There is the Robe of Spirit by which the neophyte forms the equilibrium be
tween the active and passive forces, and between the generations- The robe
 by which the neophyte becomes an adept.
This robe is often black or white with a device such as a Pentagram upon i
t, or the pentacle of Egypt that radiates from the single point within. So
metimes the Robes of this rank are silver to represent a particular aspect
 of the Moon, in Yesod. Occasionally those who are applicants to membershi
p wear black robes to symbolize the darkness of ignorance from which they
wish to be initiated into the light of understanding.
The Robe of the Solar Star, by which the Adept becomes a Master, is often
Red or Gold with some such device as a fleur-de- lis, sun-burst, or eye in
 the triangle upon it. The symbol stands for the secret of the control of
the planetary energies. In it the adept strives to perfect the Art that wi
ll allow the completion of the Great Work. Then the Adept goes forth among
 the Masters that control from the Astral Spheres.
The Robe of the Astral, of the Masters, among the Magi had a Zodiac upon i
ts rim to symbolize that the secret of the stars is that about which they
orbit.
Some have even gone so far as to say that the robe of the Masters conceals
 Not. Or that the robe is Purple and Green or of some silk as transparent
as gauze. Most agree that it is single.
Beyond these three robes are the specialized robes such as the seven veils
 of the temple dancer. As she dances, the notes of the octave sound the ke
y within which the song unfolds. During each successive performance she lo
oses a veil. Each mystery is successively unveiled in a sort of dance dram
a that reenacts the actions of the gods and goddesses. See the legends of
Ishtar for the archetype of this dance.


The Cord
This cord, as was said in the section on the Circle, is the means by which
 the Magician binds the only thing that is lawful to bind, Nothing. So thi
s cord symbolizes that which unites you to your Holy Guardian Angel, your
compliment in heaven, as you are Theirs upon earth. In the union of heaven
 and earth are Gods born to do their Will upon the world.
Within this union is bound up all that is needed to enable one to do the G
reat Work. Without it the Work is impossible.
The Egyptians symbolized the Gods that were incarnate upon the world by en
closing their name in a Cartouch, or cord. The two ends of the cord were b
ound in a special way.
The knots that are the simplest and most utilitarian were once bound up in
 mystery. The "Bow" knot that is taught to children to tie their shoes was
 called the Buckle of Isis.
Each knot has its own particular use and symbolic nature. Elaborate knots
were used to "lock" the temple doors each night, and fresh sand was strewn
 upon the floor to show the footprints of any intruder upon the threshold
.
In the initiations of the grades of Wicca the color of the cord or sash of
ten stands for the rank of the Initiate. Sometimes the color order used is
 White, Red, Blue, White representing the lowest rank.
Some use the three primary colors: Blue for the Moon, Gold (Yellow) for th
e Sun, and Red for the Masters beyond (Spirit as Shin).
Lastly, the cord is sometimes considered symbolic of the tie that unites t
he child to the mother. It is cut when the "Child" is born into the societ
y.
Sometimes this cord can be  a belt. You wear it with your robe and from it
 hangs your dagger and purse. Think of the symbolism of this arrangement.
Consider also that this cord is the bondage of ignorance cut from your wri
sts at your Initiation. It now serves to remind you of your connection wit
h the higher worlds.


The Altar
The Altar signifies the Table of the Work. Upon this symbolic support one
places the weapons of Magick.
In early work especially, the directions are in accord with the directions
 of the Winds. In tradition these directions are:
The Tools on the Altar, Elements.
East
Dagger
Air
West
Cup
Water
South
Wand
Fire
North
Disk
Earth
Center
Lamp
Spirit

In later work the directions are often taken from the Zodiacal Directions,
 as given in the Cherubic Signs:
The Tools upon the Altar, Planets
East
Wand
Fire
Lion
West
Dagger
Air
Man
South
Disk
Earth
Bull
North
Cup
Water
Eagle
Center
Lamp
Sun
God

Remember that these directions are not in direct relation to conditions ev
erywhere in the world. What if your local climate does not agree with the
directions of the winds, as is the case in the southern hemisphere? What i
f South is cold, earthy, where North is Hot, fiery? What of places where w
est is not the wet direction but east is? In the case of a strong place of
 natural Magick, it is often dangerous to  ignore the  true conditions in
favor of the archetypal ones.
In Egypt, the source of the Nile was the South, its goal the great North S
ea. The life of man was considered to be crystallized in the arrangement o
f the planets in the south before he was born, and flowed to the great Nor
th where the Stars never set. The life of the Gods rose in the East and se
t in symbolic death in the west. And so the source of the life of Men was
at right angles to the life of the Gods.
The altar is often constructed as a double cube with three of the twelve s
ides concealed; one resting upon the floor, two meeting in  the center. Th
e nine visible faces are often figured, four to the Winds, four to the Che
rubs, one to the Spirit of the Sun.
Some prefer the altar of the Masters to be of open brasswork, covered with
 a cloth of purple, upon which the sun and Moon cavort in that which is No
t the Star.


The Holy Oils
There are two very important oils without which the work may be difficult.
 The oils that stand for the true emissions of the God and Goddess in arch
typical form are; Abramelin oil, the Holy anointing oil of the Spirit of t
he God. And the Shekinah oil of the Goddess given in the Bible as the anoi
nting oil of the Priest of the Lord.
The anointing oil in any temple is made of the spices that are sacred to t
he God or Goddess served within. It symbolizes the action of Spirit upon t
he Earth which defeats death. To be anointed was to be  initiated into the
 mysteries that defeat or pass through death.
The word Christ means Initiate, or Anointed One.
A Coven, or Order, may have a special oil that is used by its members to u
nite them. A Sabbat oil allows people to be identified by scent, as well a
s blessing them in preparation for a meeting.
The oil is also symbolic of the food of Spirit. The oil that fuels the Lam
p is symbolically the oil of wisdom. Wisdom is the fuel of the flame of sp
irit.
Oils and tables of correspondence for the elementary, planetary, and zodia
cal realms have been formed. These help, but a very great deal depends upo
n the skill of the Alchemist in the extraction and blending of a balanced
set of symbols.
There are several principal methods of extraction that have been practiced
 since ancient times.  They relate to the elements: cold pressed to earth,
 vacuum to air, solvent to water, heat extraction to fire.
There are also common methods that relate to elementary processes used in
conjunction with each other. A heated solvent is one obvious combination,
where fire and water are used to extract an essence. This is only one exam
ple of many.
The method of extraction must match the material that forms the basis of t
he operation.
The olfactory sense is one of the most primitive of our senses.  The effec
t of smell upon the brain occurs in the very primitive parts where sexual
impulses have their sphere of influence, as well as intoxicants. Perfumes
have a much deeper effect than we usually credit on those around us.
One might wish to enhance one or another of the elementary, planetary, or
zodiacal aspects in oneself. Some use perfume, and to this end many person
s wear a scent to combat or enhance an aspect, thrown to the natal chart,
or present in the environment.
These scents may be used in the temple proper, or made into an incense as
preferred.


The Censer
The Censer carries the fire of charcoal. Upon it the incense, which repres
ents our prayers, burns. It is the transmitter of our aspirations and pray
ers to the nose of the God or Goddess, and we imagine that our prayers are
 of the nature of sweet smoke.
In the early days of human kind the censer was an  important implement. Th
e coals had to be kept live; the dust of ash must be kept from smothering
the flame. It must breathe. The living flame was all that stood between co
ld desolation, savage predators, and the Tribe. The keeper of the ever-bur
ning flame was a very important shaman, indeed.
The flame itself was possibly captured from a lightning-struck tree. This
"fire from heaven" is still very important. If you find a lightning-struck
 oak, be sure to capture a bit of it for a special occasion, or to make a
hilt for the dagger, for wood touched by lightning is very different indee
d.
The equipment described in The Vision and the Voice, 8th Aethyr, is wonder
ful. I again recommend study of that book. The censer has a copper hemisph
ere and guilded screen, and rests on three silver legs. If it proves diffi
cult to make a censer, there are always many incense censers and burners t
o be had from regions of the world where they are still  in regular use in
 worship.


The Incense
The incense represents the prayer of the Magician. Imagine that the smoke
rises carrying your prayers to the god or goddess. The various instruction
s in the 8th Aethyr concerning the use of the incense are very important.
If you can't manufacture the Abramelin incense called for, you should at l
east be able to obtain sandalwood.
The incense for other operations can be made of sawdust mixed with the app
ropriate essential oil. This gives a powder incense that can be placed upo
n charcoals. Or the incense may be placed upon a screen and set over the c
oals, so that it is slowly heated to give off its smell without smoke. If
a materialization of an evoked spirit is called for, enough smoke should b
e produced to allow the spirit to form a shape for its body.
Stick incense can be made by taking a broom straw, sawdust, and a bit of g
lue (acacia gum mixed thin with water), and forming a punk stick. You draw
 the straw through the glue then through the sawdust, turning it as you go
. Do this repeatedly until it is covered to diameter of 1/8 to 1/4 inch. A
fter it is dry, the essential oils are dropped on the stick and they are w
rapped in foil so that the oil may evenly distributed. After some time the
 incense sticks will be ready to use.
Alternately, the sticks may be purchased unoiled from some commercial sour
ce. The stick is then anointed  with an essence and allowed to dry somewha
t.  If you wish, powdered sandalwood can be used to form the stick.
Rope incense is made of twisted paper rope that has been anointed with a p
erfumed oil.
With all incense, but especially with homemade, be wary of fire danger. Pu
t a good layer of clean sand in your censer and avoid overuse without clea
ning the sand. Be ready for the consequences of tipping your censer over o
n your altar or floor. A little fireplace shovel and whisk broom sure come
s in handy on these occasions, not to mention the Halide fire extinguisher
 in case things start to get out of hand.
Robes with flowing sleeves should be rolled back on the arms when working
with candles and coals, and remember if you do catch your sleeve on fire t
o smother the flames and get the arm to ice water immediately. If you have
 to break a circle during an evocation, to do some first aid, then remembe
r that when you are in the god-form of Hoor-paar-kraat you are invisible t
o the "spirit". This God-form is also one of healing and protection from i
llness and so would be good to assume in any case.


The Bowl
This tool is symbolic of the combination of the Disk and Cup. It is both t
he female symbols in one, Mother and Daughter.
The Bowl is used when one wishes to mix a fluid from the Cup with a solid,
 as in the Gnostic mass where salt and water are mixed. Remember also that
 the bowl is the Archaic Cup.
The Ancients saw the sky as a bowl of stars. Priests of Egypt would pour w
ater from the sacred river Nile over their heads to purify themselves usin
g ritual bowls, sometimes with stars pictured within.
The Font in the Gnostic Mass is another specialized Bowl, in it the salt o
f the earth is mixed with water to bear the virtues of the great sea. The
Priestess uses both of the feminine elements to form a fluid of consecrati
on so that she might bring the priest back to life.
The eastern teachings concerning the bowl are also of note. Since this bow
l is symbolic of the combined female elementary weapons, and thus our powe
r to invoke and evoke, we are often given the command to "keep the bowl cl
ean." If we color the spirit's words with alien elements from the past, ho
w can we see clearly or understand what we see? We must instead carefully
remove alien elements before we begin, and avoid introducing them afterwar
d.


The Sword
Swords are used for the suit of Air in the Tarot. And though the Sword is
not the elementary weapon that the Dagger is, we can't get away from that
association, as all pervading as the Tarot is.
As the dagger is symbolic of the higher mind, so is the sword symbolic of
the lower mind.
The sword has elements of the spear wed to those of the dagger, and so may
 be considered a composite weapon rather of the same nature as the bowl. T
he sword symbolizes the composite male forces, Father and Son off to war,
the evolutionary and divisive forces expressed as a large divisive force.
As the bowl stands for the generations of women, the sword stands for the
generations of men.
There is a very strong martial element that is expressed in the sword. It
is a symbol of war and the force of the warrior.
Swords are carried by priestesses, who are under the protection of Ra-Hoor
-Khuit, to symbolize the union of Venus and Mars, love and will. The sword
 is used in the Gnostic Mass to raise the priest from the dead, to cut the
 veil of the tomb/womb and draw him forth.
It is also used to dub the knight in Masonic  and  certain   other ceremon
ies of knighthood given by various orders. These sometimes give a sword of
 special design to the knight so that it becomes a mark of rank.


The Staff
As the Bowl is a large cup, and the sword a large dagger, so is the staff
a large wand.
The staff, unlike the wand, must offer real support to the body. It must b
ear the weight of the individual who uses it. It is useful as a weapon and
 may be turned into the spear by the addition of the dagger. The spear is
a wand-dominant conjunction of the male elements, as the sword is the  dag
ger-dominant expression.
Also the staff takes on added significance as the measuring rod used to bu
ild the temple. So the staff should be in a certain proportion, and of a p
articular measure. In this capacity it is used to draw out the Magick diag
rams on the temple floor rather like a ruler is used. For most people the
length is equal to their height.
The staff also has come to be used to symbolize office. In the Catholic ch
urch it is used in this manner. There are many other specialized staffs of
 office. They seem to be related to control of situations in the sphere to
 which they relate. As the staff is the measuring rod by which the temple
is built, the temple is derivative from the staff and so symbolic of the p
ower to be high priest within it. As the crook is used to control sheep it
 also symbolizes the control over the flock of worshipers in the Christian
 church.


The Hand Ax
This is an old weapon, old as the Gods, and it came to symbolize Deity to
the Ancient Egyptians. The extension of the hand chopper by the addition o
f a stick gives greater force to the blow, and greater utility to the tool
.
As a symbol of the gods I think that it symbolizes what brought us up to c
ivilization: the combination of diverse elements to make a tool. This is t
he thing that makes us gods upon the planet: that we make tools.
If the Gods are Archetypes of the evolution of humanity, the ax is symboli
c of their first movements upon the planet, and therefore a fitting symbol
 for them. There is a spirit in the union of a short stick and sharp stone
, a spirit expressed in their union, that makes an entire evolutionary jum
p for the human race possible. Once you begin this path you are in the han
ds of the gods, and in danger of the realization that you are one of their
 number.
As for the use of the ax in Magick, it is the symbol of the incarnate Godf
orm that you are. Each act in Magick, even the cutting of wood for the fir
e is symbolic. Some say that the Magick fire is composed of woods that rel
ate to the letters of the Magick Name of the Rite. A table of these letter
s and the woods can be found in  The White Goddess by Robert Graves, and i
n many other traditional works.
Each tree has a nature that is expressed in its wood. And so a wand, or br
anch, cut from that tree carries its portion of this influence to the fire
.


The Triangle and Other Plane Geometric Figures
As the Circle is used to divide the world within, which partakes of the go
ds, from the world without, the triangle is used within a circle to contai
n spirits during evocation. It is the lineal figure with the least number
of points and lines that can contain area. And so it can serve to contain
spirits.
All the geometric figures are important in Magick, but especially those wi
th 0 to 12 points. The nature and use of each is indicated in part by its
geometry.
The gons radiate, the grams concentrate, but the triangle is at the primit
ive stage before the grams separate from the gons. Until the number 5 ther
e is no difference, and so the triangle takes its place as the first geome
tric figure of the odd number series that can contain area, as the square
is of the even number series.
At the level of the five  and six there is a separation between the gons a
nd grams. Here are expressed separately the radiating and concentrating en
ergies for the first time. The Macrocosmic energies are generally related
to the Hexagram and the Microcosmic to the Pentagram; as humans have no ta
il, they look like a centigram when they stand.
Nuit, in the handwriting of Aleister and Rose Crowley, and in the voice of
 Aiwass says, "The shape of my star is the five pointed star, with a circl
e in the Middle and the circle is Red"13.
The Pentagram is the figure used to invoke or banish in the realm of the e
lements, as the hexagram is used in the realm of the planets.
The next two symbols. seven and eight, are also important. They are the fi
rst symbols in which there is a superior and inferior gram, in the odd and
 even number series both.
Seven are the visible planets of the ancients - eight with the earth. With
 each successive level of the system a gram is added and so nine and ten h
ave an inferior, mid, and superior gram.
The Gons in each case radiate the pure influence of the number.
The solids are also important. The altar is formed of double cubes. The cu
rves on the Tree of Life  represent the veils of the negative and are sect
ions of a cone, and there is so much more, but I have no space to digress.
The Hypersolids are especially useful (I've found the Tesseract14 to be of
 great personal utility) but they are beyond the scope of this elementary
study.


Gem Crystals
Every gem has its own geometry and power. I recommend visiting a lapidary
center near you and purchasing gems and minerals in their natural state. G
ems are especially revealing in their natural structure. Though any of the
 Pythagorean solids carved in stone are of particular utility, the sphere
is special.
Quartz captures energy with its hexagonal shape with its 30, 60, and 120 d
egree angles. It is used to capture spirits, especially those that cause i
llness. These spirits should be properly banished  after quartz is used fo
r healing, and the stone is washed with spring water.
Diamond reflects energy with its octahedral and cubic shapes, it is almost
 as rare as quartz is common. It is used to project spirit  in an exactly
opposite way from the way that quartz is used.
Gems may be charged in a circle or triangle when the planets and the Templ
e are in proper alignment, afterwards they are wrapped in the appropriate
color of cloth until that particular energy is needed again. In the grand
rite the Star must be occulted by the planet, and the gem in a setting of
silver and gold must then be exposed to the light when the occultation is
at a particular angle in the sky.
The bucklestone of the Druid was a plano-convex lens of quartz used to cat
ch and focus the rays of the sun to light the sacred fire.
Each stone has its use; study its geometry, and its history, then some inf
ormation may then be divined as to its uses. The columns in 777 are helpfu
l as well, but until one has become a master one may not understand the fu
ll significance of any particular gem.


The Cards of the Tarot
The Cards of the Tarot are, as the Yi Ching of the East is, a balanced set
 of symbols that can be used in many ways:
They can be used for divination, as a mechanism for the Gods, and chance,
to speak with us.
They can be used in projection, as an image or a realm to explore in the a
stral body.
They can be used as an aid to Invocation and Evocation, as part of the set
ting that provides the aids to concentration, or harmonics, that make a ri
tual work.
Each set of traditional symbols that forms a picture of the universal arch
etypes is useful, and there are many of them; tarot, Yi-Ching, names of Ra
, gates of the Tuat, and hundreds of yantras and mandalas the world over.
Each set of symbols gives a particular slant to the operation of its syste
m. Choose one that is fitted to the task that you wish to do. Sometimes th
e warmth of the Tarot is overshadowed by the enigma, and the colder more f
ormal Yi-Ching is more useful.
Don't be afraid to prepare your own set of symbols, Tatvas, cards, runes,
or some set of your own invention. A set that you create will be much more
 instructive than a set you purchase.   Remember however that it is not go
od to undertake a project that is so big that you never get finished, reme
mber also that a partial set is dangerous due to its imbalance.


The Talisman
Talismanic objects are generally used to store a particular archtypical en
ergy so that it may later be called forth. They can be anything from an im
age of the deity to a geometric sketch on papyrus or parchment. They are c
reated with a particular intent, which is captured within the rendering. F
or this to work properly the area should be purified and the mind kept foc
used when any work is being done, and only when they are complete is the d
ivine power called.
There are literally thousands of different forms of construction, and an i
nfinite amount of useful  images. Follow your muse in their exploration.
The Pentagram with the points colored for the elements, and the Hexagram t
hat has been colored to be symbolic of the planets are two traditionally u
seful symbols for use in Magick. They form the basis of the rituals that b
ear their names. There are other schemes but I like to color the Pentagram
 with green for earth, and either black or white for spirit, depending on
the background and coloration of the interior pentagon. For the Hexagram,
consider the king-scale Sephirotic colors for the planets.
As each is engraved in metal, drawn upon parchment, or painted upon paper,
 and after the words of consecration are read, don't forget to tie your ta
lisman in silk until the appropriate time for its use.


The Plane of Reception
The Elemental Plane may be, first looked upon as the plane of "reception".
 The influences of the Planets act directly upon the plane of the Elements
. We may learn, as did the Pagans of Olden Times, to "Draw down the Sun",
or to "Draw down the Moon", into a talisman, or to otherwise pass power fr
om a time of it's abundance for use at other times when it is rare. There
are charged objects and places that have been accumulating power for a ver
y long time, these also may be tapped or used, though there is great dange
r here as well. You must be certain Spirit is enthroned in the Plane of th
e Elements. Certain that the Pyramid of light is formed, the point beyond
the square of the base. Until you stand above the plane of time, to the ex
tent of Space, and look upon your lives stretched out as beads upon a stri
ng, how can you do any lasting work at all? How until you "tell" these "be
ads" that stretch from the Dawn to the Dusk of Eternity, how unless you kn
ow your Name can you call. In what house will you house this pure spirit o
f your Genius. Man know thyself!
In the Magick of this world  and no doubt of many others,  there is a corr
espondence between the elements of the ancients and the states of matter.
Fire is the fire of the sun in its archetypal sense. The others refer to t
he state of matter that most corresponds to the element In the Pentagramma
ton, Spirit is the interaction between the active and passive elements and
 may appear to any of them as their complement, yet it is placed between t
he generations.
The formulae figured in the Tetragrammaton, the son sets the daughter in t
he place of the mother thus becoming his own father, is accomplished by th
e action of the spirit of their union.
This parable is in truth the union of the parts of the self, thus  the  Ad
ept  may arise  from the incest between heaven and earth and stand with fe
et below the hells and head above the heavens. The two divisive elements,
having then overcome universal divisiveness by their union, find that they
 have given birth to a new being which is composed of and more than either
, and in which they are one. They are the Mystick Mother and Magick Father
 of their own enlightened Self. Together they are the Lamp within.


Introduction to the Mystic
The Inward Journey begins in the heart of the seeker. What is within, that
 is in the direction of the Godhead toward the Knowledge and Conversation
of the Holy Guardian Angel.
But how do we do this, and how come we haven't learned to hear that inner
heartbeat before this? It would seem that if it were part of the true path
 of nature for someone to be an Initiate, they would naturally have conver
sation with that Angel which is beyond this particular life that they enjo
y.
Some grow up, some don't. Some go through life and never do anything that
will survive them. If you want to get to the heart of the matter, you have
 to quiet the layers of the self that lie between you and It.
As you stand in your body in the sun, your Shadow (khaibit) lies at your f
eet. It is a two-dimensional representation of the Body (Khat), just as th
e Body is   a   three-dimensional representation of the Spirit (Khu), whic
h extends through time, is beyond one life, and is four dimensional in nat
ure. Its beginning is beyond the Khabs, or house of Hadit. Quiet your demo
ns, fidgets and itches. Quiet your body and what do you find? The ebb and
flow of emotion, the juices of life without which it would not be.
Quiet the ebb and flow, make it silent enough so that you hear the ghost w
ithin you. This is a presence, a life field. It's the animating force that
 seems gone when a body is limp or dead. And it seems strongest when one i
s creating new life. This is the Ba, the human-headed bird that flies from
 the body at death.
Quiet the Ba and the Ab comes into realization, the intelligence, the mind
 and the mental power to change and realize.
Quiet the Ab, the heart, and the Soul of understanding is exposed. Beyond
this are the Spirit and the House of Hadit.
Quiet these parts of being successively  in order to enter successively mo
re subtle and powerful levels of consciousness:
Parts of the Being
Khaibit
2 dimensional
Shadow
Khaat
Body, Belly
Physical Body
Ba
Heart-Soul
Animating Force & Emotion
Ab
Heart
Intelligence & Thought
Ka
Double
Soul
Khu
Fire, Flame, Light
Spirit
Khabs
Star, Luminary, Lamp
House of Hadit



Also mentioned as parts of the soul, though perhaps more specialized aspec
ts than that we give above are;
Parts of the Soul
Sekhem
Power, Sexual Energy
Libido
Sah
Spiritual Body, King
Exhalted Initiate
Ren
Name
True Name of the Being

These are not aspects that are to be quieted. The Sekhem is the Kundalini
force itself, the Magick Power. The Sah is the result of the series of Ini
tiations, the perfected divine Self, and is not a part of the soul in the
same sense as the 7 given above. The Ren is the Name given to a soul at th
e beginning of the path of incarnation, and this is that which you manifes
t as your Will, also not something to be quieted.
The Mystick Experience is a successive, inward realization. Perhaps I shou
ldn't say realization, since the manifestation of what we call reality is
it's realization; perhaps I should say, unfolding of the mystery, or even
unwrapping. It is a slow striptease during which we uncover and seduce our
 Godhead.
The outcome of this process is a Being that is integrated in all its parts
 and purpose. It does one thing, its Will, upon all planes, and that Will
is the Will of the Universe and unstoppable.
Mysticism and Magick  are twin  children, both  of whom are God. The first
 is Hoor-pa-kraat, the second Ra-Hoor-Khut. The inward and outward archety
pes are Heru-ra-ha. One of his eyes is the Sun the other the Moon (Liber A
L:"...for he is ever a sun, and she a moon.").
["Heru", sky god, incarnate God-king, the pharaoh --"Ra", God, King-god, S
un-god -- "Ha", luminary, light giver, exhudent Magick].
By exhudent Magick  I mean the power of  Magick exuded, rather like jasmin
e or rose essence is exuded  in their smell, as a presence in the temple.


Introduction to the Magick
Magick is projective as Mystick is receptive.
As we are oriented toward that which is within self in the Mystick pursuit
 we are oriented toward that which is outside of the self when we do Magic
k.
As we properly prepare the area around us in order to help us to meditate,
 we properly prepare our minds in order to help us to do Magick.
No matter that the different foci are studied in two separate categories,
and often in separate classes, books, and religions, they are both, noneth
eless, absolutely necessary to performance of even the smallest operation
each in the realm of the other.
If, in the practice of the Mystick Art, the place of meditation is inappro
priate or the spiritual environment is impure, then the quiescent state ne
cessary to the unfolding may be difficult to achieve.
The same is true in the practice of the Magick Art. If the whole being is
not united in the purpose of the Spell, then there is manifest in the Work
 a will divided, and the projection may be difficult to produce.
Mystical attainment is as useful in Magick as magical attainment is in the
 Mystick. In the Magick of this world  and no doubt of many others, there
is a correspondence between the elements of the ancients and the states of
 matter. Fire is the fire of the sun in its archetypal sense. The others r
efer to the state of matter that most corresponds to the element.
The Elemental weapons, wand, cup, lamp, dagger, and disk, are the tools th
at correspond to the elementary archetypes. The Magician who wishes to beg
in elementary work in Magick must possess these weapons.
Sure, it's nice to have the best possible weapons for one's first set. If
you are involved in an Initiating Magical Order that gives weapons to the
new initiate, then you get the advantage of a good and balanced set to sta
rt with. If not, it is far better to have a jelly jar for a Magick Cup tha
n it is not to have one at all.
Remember that your weapons must be properly balanced, must work together a
s a set. Disproportionate weapons can produce disproportionate results. I
suggest that they be acquired at one time and consecrated from the top dow
n  in the form of the Pentagrammaton.
You will find that working with a balanced set of archetypes is far safer
and clearer than trying to focus too much of your attention on one of them
. Remember you are trying to keep  your balance. Unbalanced force is the p
articular evil that haunts those who overspecialize.


The Planetary Plane
Consider the Name ARARITA; it is formed as the initials of a sentence whic
h means "One is His Beginning: One His Individuality: His Permutation is O
ne."
In the Hexagram of the Planets the Sun is midmost in apparent speed. Actua
lly what we call the Suns motion in the sky is the motion of the Earth as
it rotates, i.e. Night and Day; or it is the motion of the Earth as it tur
ns about the Sun, i.e. the Year. Rarely ever does anyone speak of the true
 motion of the Sun as it turns about the center of the Galaxy. Even in anc
ient times it was considered a "mundane" truth that the planets revolved a
bout the earth, the "occult" truth was, then as now, that the Sun is the c
enter of the system.
Each of us was born when the planets were in a particular location in the
sky of earth, a synchronistic event. These archetypes were considered to h
ave influence in the life of the person born under them, and still are by
many people.
We may learn to banish their influences and complete the tasks of the Love
r. We may observe the macrocosm and chart our course. We may learn to catc
h this energy in a talisman at one time and relate it, or release it, at a
 later time when it is needed.
Only when we have accomplished these tasks of the Adept, and can maintain
our equilibrium on the Planetary plane, do we dare the Ordeal of the Maste
r. Until the integration of the personality of the Adept occurs upon the P
lanetary planes, the realization of who one truly is has not occurred. Onl
y when this Great Work of realization, of the unity between the Microcosm
within, and the Macrocosm without, has taken place; can we put aside all t
hat we, before, would have called "self", and cross the Abyss.
As only the Adept may with impunity evoke the Elemental Archetypes, as the
 Adept has realized the Spirit of Unity beyond the states of matter; so on
ly the Master may safely call the Planetary Archetypes. We used the lesser
 banishing Ritual of the Pentagram to equilibrate the elements within our
aura, we use the lesser banishing ritual of the Hexagram to do the same ta
sk upon the plane of the Planets. The Ritual, in both cases, that will bri
ng success will more likely be a personal, rather than a general one, yet
the general ones may be used a "types" upon which to construct a more fitt
ing one. They are an exercise that may be used to both learn how such ritu
als work, and illustrate how one may use a Magick Word as a diagram of the
 pattern and type of the Forces. Consider the names in the "Heart of the M
aster" for the Sephiroth, for this kind of use.
The Planetary Spirits are a great danger to the unprepared who invoke or e
voke them, and the danger is traditionally said to relate to the amount of
 time it takes for the planet to return to the position, in the Zodiac, th
at it occupied at the time of the error.


The Planet's Speed
The Planets in order of their apparent speed:
(See Tree of Life for the order of the visible planets)

Inferior Planets:
1. Moon
27 days 7hrs. 43min
27.3 days
2. Mercury
aprox. 1 year
never more than 28 Deg. from the Sun
3. Venus
aprox 1 year
never more than 48 Deg. from the Sun
(Mercury or Venus may be faster in returning in any given year)

Superior Planets:
5. Sun
365.25 days
Really the Earth
6. Mars
780 days
2 yr. 50 days, 2.137 yr.
7. Jupiter
11 yr. 315 days
11.813 years aprox.
8. Saturn
29 yr. 167 days
29.458 years aprox.

Occult planets:
9. Uranus
84.02 years aprox
10 Neptune
164.79 years aprox.
11. Pluto
247.7 years aprox.
(Pluto can take between 12 years and 33 years to pass through an astrologi
cal sign due to it's tilt.)


Planets Sidereal Period
The Planets in order of their Sidereal Period:
(The time it takes a planet to orbit the sun with respect to the stars. It
s Orbital period from it's point of view. Please note as we get further fr
om the Sun these more and more closely match the above figures.)

Terrestrial Planets:
1. Mercury
87.97 days
2. Venus
224.70 days
3. Earth
365.25636 days (1 Sidereal Year)
4. Mars
686.980 days

Gas Giant Planets:
5. Jupiter
11.863 years
6. Saturn
29.458 years
7. Uranus
84.02 years
8. Neptune
164.79 years

Terrestrial Planet:
9. Pluto
248.4 years
Planets Synodic Period
Planets in order of their Synodic Period:(The time between two successive
exact conjunctions of the planet with the Sun, from the point of view of E
arth.)
1. Mercury
115.88 days
2. Venus
366.74 days
3. Neptune
367.5 days
4. Uranus
368.7 days
5. Saturn
378.1 days
6. Jupiter
398.9 days
7. Venus
583.92 days
8. Mars
779.94 days

Superior Planet Rituals
Please note that the opposite point from this conjunction, in the case of
a planet further out than the Earth, is the place that a Heliocentric alig
nment carries the power of the relationship between the Sun and the Planet
 through the Earth! To set up a Ritual for this point do the ritual when t
he planet is opposition the Sun (Geocentric). When a Superior Planet is co
njunct the Sun it's influence passes through the physical body of the Sun
on it's way to us. It's behind the Sun. At the opposition the Sun's influe
nce passes through the Earth on the way to the planet involved. From the p
oint of view of the Sun the Earth is conjunct the Planet.
The Trans-Saturnian Planets are not directly perceived. As they are hidden
 from normal perceptions they act in the plane of the individual aura in a
n occult manner as well, they may move the masses, but be hidden from view
 of the individual.


Inferior Planet Rituals
In this case there are two types of conjunctions: an inferior conjunction,
 when the planet is between us and the Sun; and a superior conjunction, wh
en the Sun is between us and the planet. Therefore both the times given ab
ove, for the use of the ritualist, occur when there is a conjunction. Sinc
e Mercury can never be more than 28 Degrees from the Sun, the maximum angu
lar separation is a semi-sextile. For Venus the angle is 48 Degrees, this
is near semi-square (3 Deg.). It is also pretty close to a Quintile (4 Deg
.).


The Three Keys
The Key to the Elements is said to be Spirit, and may be given in hierogly
phic as an Ankh, or a Wheel of eight spokes. The plane of the Elements, re
ception. With the exception of Spirit.
The Key to the Planets is said to be the Star among them, and may be repre
sented as a dot within a circle, or a Circle with eight rays. The plane of
 the Planets, reflection. With the exception of the Sun.
The Key to the Stars is said to be the Dark Star they circle, and may be r
epresented by a spiral of two arms, or an eight on its side. They plane of
 the Stars, projection. With the exception of the Black Hole.


Between the Realms
Elements to Planets:15
For instance if one were to wish to invoke, evoke, or move through, the "s
pace" between the Elementary symbol and the Planetary symbol, one might wi
sh to represent the particular affinity between the "spheres". For this pu
rpose I use the following table. It is, I assure you, a personal system. (
I wanted to include the "new" or occult planets. I've also found that they
 may be attributed, on the basis of their elemental affinity, among the pa
ths to Aleph, Mem, and Shin. There is no need to stick extra spheres on th
e plane of the Tree of Life.)
In "projecting" I proceed from the elements, to the planets, to the stars.
In "injecting" I "draw down" (opposite to the developmental direction) fro
m the stars, to the planets, to the element.
The colors may be used to set up a temple as well. The Magician (as elemen
tary Spirit) sets up the Temple in the Zodiac colors and evokes (reflects
the light) the planet into the element most naturally receptive to the ene
rgy of the planet occupying that sign.
The Feminine elements (Water, Earth) are the ones that invite easy storage
 for later use (temporal shift forward).16
The Masculine elements (Fire, Air) are those that invite immediate use, du
e to their apparent nature. (They may also be used for a temporal shift ba
ckward, however there are some very real dangers in this. Any temporal wor
k must be considered extremely advanced and NOT for the beginner.
Elements to Planets:
Fire
Yod
Red
Mars, Scarlet
Pluto, Deep Red
Water
He
Blue
Venus, Green
Neptune, Blue
Spirit
Shin
Blk., Wht.
Moon, Silver
Sun, Gold
Air
Vau
Yellow
Mercury, Orange
Uranus, Yellow
Earth
He
Green
Jupiter, Violet
Saturn, Indigo


Planets to Stars:
Pluto, Deep Red
Shin
Scorpio, Green-blue
Nun


Neptune, Blue
Mem
Pisces, Crimson, UV
Qoph


Uranus, Yellow
Aleph
Aquarius, Violet
Tzaddi


Saturn, Indigo
Tau
Capricorn, Indigo
Ayin


Jupiter, Violet
Kaph
Sagittarius, Blue
Samekh


Mars, Red
Pe
Aries, Scarlet
Heh


Sun, Gold
Resh
Leo, Yellow-greenish
Teth


Venus, Green
Dallet
Libra, Emerald green
Lamed
Taurus, Red-Orange
Vau
Mercury, Orange
Beth
Gemini, Orange
Zain
Virgo, Green-yellowish
Yod
Moon, Blue (Silver)
Gimel
Cancer, Amber
Cheth



Notice that the two inferior planets each rule two signs of the Zodiac. Th
ese are many times called Adam & Eve, though some say that the Crescent Mo
on on the head of one of them indicates that she is female. Before The Doo
r stands the Hierophant, before the House stands the Maid of the Wheat. To
 me the "Empress and the Hierophant" implies the Emperor and the High Prie
stess.
The above gives some guidance as to how rituals for the Trans-Saturnian pl
anets may be applied in this process of the  transition between the realms
 Elementary, Planetary, and Astral.
Understand that many Thelemites alter the attributions from the early 777
forms for the letters He and Tzaddi so that they are attributed to differe
nt Tarot cards, see "The Book of Thoth."


An Enchantment Between the Realms
By the Spirit of the Eagle,
In the Water of the Mirror.
By the Fool and the Star,
In the Ankh and the Eye,
The Wheel of the Galaxy.

In the Mouth of the Emperor,
By the Serpent of the Sun,
The Empress and the Hierophant, Weigh,
The Magus and the Maid, Lovers.
The Priestess and the Word!


Working Between the Realms
When one would work between the realms; concentrate and filter the influen
ce of the Macrocosmic forces into a talisman. Watch! I will show you how t
o "draw down the Stars"! Look close to the Sabbats and feasts, and thence
to the times.
When the time comes, await with your materials until the purification's an
d dedication are done:
1. Catch the influence of a "fixed" Star in a Planetary net.
2. Concentrate the Planetary "rays" in an Elementary talisman.
There is a natural affinity between the receptive elements, water and eart
h, and the accumulation of power in a talisman. The store of women (mother
, daughter - water, earth) is mentioned in Liber AL. Herbs and Spices, bot
tles of carefully colored water (use food coloring for the Sign, Planet, o
r Element involved), paintings, carvings, writings, and whatsoever you wil
l may be used.
As to Fire and Air, these are difficult to retain. Plasma is the "state of
 matter" that relates to fire, thus every Star in the Sky is a storehouse
of Fire, and of a nature. And as many stories of Alladin's lamp and other
spirits in a bottle indicate, Air may also be retained. As many archaeolog
ists have noted there is a strange kind of energy in the air of a tomb sea
led for thousands of years. A spirit in breathing the very air that was br
eathed, thousands of years ago, by those who laid the King in his tomb! An
 air that reverberated with potent spells, and then was sealed. For these
two elements (with the possible exception of the stars in the sky) we must
 resort to other elements to contain, the solidity of earth in the bottle
of air, and the potential of fire on the "water" of the oil of the lamp.
Catching and concentrating are but the two steps between the worlds. One m
ay go as well. In the section of this work called "Between the Realms" it
is spoken of this rigging of the sails of the "Bark of Ra".
You may store energies propitiously in Silver, Gold, Stones of Precious Wa
ters, and in the Ultimate Sparks of the Intimate Fire. Though these are al
l "earth" in their material being, their "soul" has the particular affinit
y of the rank of the Initiate to the Tetragrammaton, The Spirit of the Fir
e, Water, Air, and Earth!

Neophyte * Adept * Magus * Strider between the Worlds!


Aspects Between Planets
or Planets and Stars

Consider the Geometry: (aspects or angles)
Aspect
Angle
Sphere
Diagram
1. Conjunction
0 Deg.
Kether
Dot within a Circle
2. Opposition
180 Deg.
Chokmah
Diameter of a Circle
3. Trine
120 Deg.
Binah
Triangle
4. Square
90 Deg.
Gedulah
Square
5. Quintile
72 Deg.
Geburah
Pentagram
6. Sextile
60 Deg.
Tiphareth
Hexagram
7. Septile
51.43 Deg.
Netzach
Heptagram
8. Octile
45 Deg.
Hod
Octagram
9. Novile
40 Deg.
Yesod
Enneagram
10 Decile
36 Deg
Malkuth
Dekagram



Construction of Geometric Talisman
There are of course other aspects I have not included here, though they ar
e of use, in that I wish to make clear a particular method of Charging a T
alisman in respect to the Sephiroth.   (Remember also that an advanced stu
dent doesn't consider all planets and stars compressed solely to their pla
ce among their signs, but uses Zodiac Latitude to arrive at the actual ang
le of separation between the two bodies.)
You may add the next two angles (for a total of 12), if you wish to work o
nly in the realm of the Astral (Zodiac), for a set of twelve. You may subt
ract all but 7 if you wish to work in the realm of the Planets. Finally, y
ou may use but five, four, or three, if you wish to work in the Elementary
 Plane. In this case however I find it useful to consider the ten Sephirot
h in their sense as the Ladder of Initiation.
The Neophyte may construct a "Coin" of Silver graven with the linear figur
e indicated, and on a propitious day in a prepared place charge it with th
e energy of a Planetary Pair. It should also be graven with the sigil of t
he Planets entwined (or perhaps one on each side) within the "gram".
The Adept may construct a "Talisman" of Gold graven with an appropriate fi
gure, and in the manner of The Lovers, charge it with the appropriate ener
gies. Each partner taking the part of one of the Planets involved, and aft
er the method used in one of the Sanctuaries of the Gnosis.
The Master may construct a "Jewel" of a Stone of Precious Waters and mount
 the stone in silver and gold, but remember it is the Ultimate Sparks of t
he Intimate fire that imbues all the above with their force; and so fail n
ot to expose the Jewel to the influence of the actual light of the Planets
 in the Sky at the culmination of all the previous ceremonies.
The Magus has no need of all this, he uses the Ultimate Sparks of the Inti
mate fire where they are naturally stored, in the Stars themselves. (Deus
ex Homo)
If we do not wish to do a more elaborate ceremony, we may use the influenc
e of the Macrocosm already stored in the heart of a precious gem. In order
 to invoke those energies of a planet that will help us through a difficul
t time astrologically. These stones may be purchased or found in many plac
es and at no great expense, if they are unpolished or unset. Exposing the
prepared stone alone to a beneficent vibration from the planet in the sky
(preferably in good aspect and alone visibly) then wrapping it in an appro
priately colored silk until it is needed will vastly improve it's aid to y
ou when your chart is otherwise afflicted by transits.


To Tack with the Winds
In the Spheres of experience known as the Sephiroth these aspects of your
being are given in their pure forms but in the Macrocosm the planets follo
w their appointed courses careless for the whims of men. We may, however,
see which way the astral wind blows and tack our sails to go where we Will
!
This is indeed the task of all three of the Grades. The Hermit works in th
e Astral, the Lover in the Planetary, and the Men of Earth work in the Ele
mentary Worlds.
In the attributions of the Worlds to the subtle body we have both the Macr
ocosmic action (i.e. Voice for Chesed) and the Microcosmic influence (i.e.
 Thy Righteousness).
You have the elements with which to construct your Rite and the means by w
hich you may divine the "planetary wind" that you must catch to continue y
our going.
To directly Banish or Invoke the planets with the Rites may involve one in
 karma beyond the immediate
A delicate touch is needed in the Adept in order to maintain discipline, a
nd equilibrium. See one who flails about in the grip of the aspects and yo
u see one who has lost equilibrium.


The Practice
We discussed some of the tools of Magick in the previous sections; here we
 take up the use of those tools. Magick is the active counterpart of the M
ystick pursuit. It is as outwardly projecting,  as the Mystick is inwardly
 receptive. The Mystick abilities give us true knowledge of the direction
of the Magical Will. When we know our Will we know the direction in which
to apply our Magick.
This knowledge is inner knowledge, it can't be instilled from outside or l
earned from books or classes. This inner knowledge comes from the Holy Gua
rdian Angel, the being that wears all the bodies of our lives. This Being
communicates the current that comes from the innermost (Hadit) through the
 Khabs(star) and passes it to the consciousness of the magician through th
e Ka (soul). This act is essentially mystical, but it requires preparation
 of both the magician and his environment before it can begin. The act of
equilibration of the elements that is symbolized by the centigram is requi
red.
The second act that is required is the Great Work; one knows this Work fro
m the knowledge and conversation  that the Holy Guardian Angel gives  in t
he culmination of the first act. Now one must do this great work.
The third act that is required is the Crossing of the Abyss. This Abyss is
 said to lie between the ideal (supernal) and the actual (infernals). To c
ross one must have purified oneself from the infernal influence and cast i
t off, lest it drag one into the Abyss. It is somewhat like the ordeal a c
aterpillar must go through to become a butterfly. It is not the worm that
is reborn, but the butterfly that has cast off its wormness and discovered
 a whole new dimension in which to fly.
As the consciousness moves its controlling fulcrum closer to the center, p
ower increases to do one's Will. The price of failure is horrific when the
 power unleashed is so potent.
These, then, are the three great ordeals for which we equip ourselves with
 all our panoply of rites, meditations, and Magick. All these are designed
 to move us from one plane to another. One overcomes the restrictions of t
he elementary plane by learning it's secrets and entering the planetary pl
ane. Through the same process and the one finds oneself in the astral plan
e.


The Parts of a Rite
Initiation (beginning) of anything should never begin until one has some p
articular guidance to do so by means of Mystick practices. There comes a p
oint in any project when one knows one has decided to begin. Formalize thi
s after all materials have been gathered. Write your intentions in your wo
rkbook and then look up the best aspects you can find to accomplish the pr
oject. Plan first, for these things come from within and proceed without.
Preparations may now begin; the spell that was written when the project wa
s initiated is scanned for an equipment list and the temple is banished of
 any alien influence. Fully clean and empty, the magician walks to the cen
ter and formally Initiates the operation with a statement of the purpose i
n an Oath. The geometry is now traced in chalk upon the floor. The fire of
 the power of the Wand will come later in the formal ceremony.
Furniture and altars set up, the Magick Chest (Sometimes the altar is used
 for storage) which stores the materials needed in the Rite is brought wit
hin the circle. After all needs are met within the circle and checked off,
 you attend to the tasks outside the circle. Make sure for instance that n
o fires or other conditions can get out of hand while you are working. Som
etimes a Rite may take far longer than you expect.
All prepared, the Circle and all other geometry's that have not already be
en charged and wrapped are potentiated by the Wand. When the Rite is begun
, do not leave the Circle until your oath is fulfilled.
The Ordeal is the actual performance of the Rite that you planned. You cal
l upon deeper powers in each successive step in the Initiation that you ta
ke. Every Rite advances or retards your progress. Be in the best form poss
ible for the performance of any Magick.
Passage through the Ordeal, of the operation, to the effect of the Rite in
 the Macrocosm is the success for which you did the Rite. Be prepared for
success; the Angel may come! It may be  beyond what you expected it to be.
 The Demons outside the circle might be more infernal than the darkest dre
ams of Poe or Lovecraft. Be ready; many magicians fail at the exact moment
 when success comes to them. They make it through the intellectual aspects
 of the work: reading, memorization, lodge politics, initiation. Then they
 are devastated when a great power comes to their call.


The Working of a Spell
A spell is just what its name implies: a way of divining a Rite from qabal
istic interpretation of the letters of a Magick word, such as the Names of
 God given in the Heart of the Master17. The name is taken as an outline o
f the rite to be done encoded in the order and juxtaposition of the letter
s to one another. Traditional techniques of Qabalah are used to decode the
 meaning; these may be studied in "Sephir Sephiroth" and various other wor
ks.
Words of power are used to control the forces the Magician  works with. Th
ey are the keys that control the great powers, but unless the Initiate has
 an understanding of the Word and the wisdom to use the Name properly, the
 use of it can do far more harm than good. This understanding and wisdom c
an often be attained by meditation and Magick, in constructing a spell bas
ed upon it. This is not without danger, but the only real way to understan
d its nature.
Tables of correspondence such as those in Liber 777 are used to delve into
 the materials that relate to the various letters. But remember that the S
pell devised must also be in harmony with the nature of the word as a whol
e. See my appendix to Heart of the Master for several examples.
Obtain the materials that you have decided upon. Make sure that you don't
leave anything outside the circle that you may need.
Construct your Spell along the lines given above, Initiate, prepare, then
go through the rite itself. Keep clear your purpose through every phase of
 the preparation; this is a part of the Spell as important as the performa
nce itself. Never call upon the Powers without a purpose to which to put t
he energy.
Record faithfully in your workbook those operations that you have done and
 then review the notes in a different ink later. Things take on a more rea
listic tint after the glare of spirit is out of the eyes. The passage of t
ime puts things into perspective. After the emotions evoked by the perform
ance are gone, review the experience with an eye toward refining technique
. Rework the spell until you meet with success.


Divination
The most direct means by which the Divine may make itself heard is to empl
oy a prophet or 'forth-speaker'.  By direct dictation or by indirect inspi
ration the God or Goddess speaks through their representative. If the word
s prove to be reliable then words that regard the future may serve as a gu
ide to action.
Sometimes a person may have developed a more direct path, and through the
direct inspiration of their own god-head they may develop precognitive abi
lities. Adepts throughout the ages report the development of such powers i
n times of need
Another power that arises is clairvoyance, the ability to discern places o
r objects not physically present. As precognition refers to a time in the
future, clairvoyance refers to the present.
One may employ the Tarot cards, using them as a language through which tha
t the inner self, or some other god, may communicate about the past, prese
nt, or future. They may also be used as a tool to explore the spheres that
 they represent.
Astrology is oppressive without the use of Magick, but it is often called
a divinatory tool  due to the fact that its exploration of the cycles of n
ature have revealed much of nature's repetitive patterns. Therefore it can
 sometimes be used to predict or plan the future. Test your assertions by
experiment, and remember that you may use Magick to alter the nature of th
e astrological influences. You can strengthen the positive elements by the
 proper use of ritual, and in extreme cases banish the difficult influence
s. Try not to avoid all the difficult elements of your life, they are nece
ssary to get any lasting work done, but don't let them crush you either.
The old practice of choosing a portion of the sky (called a templum) to wa
tch for a sign is sometimes useful. Such signs are meteors, birds, planets
, comets, novae, or anything else that could transit the portion of sky ch
osen.


Keys of QBLH
There are many mysteries in the various keys of the Qabalah that  may be u
sed to elucidate many of the obscure portions of this  theology, if that i
s what one chooses to call the system we use.  Variant spellings and the p
rocess of reduction can reveal much  hidden meaning. Some of the Keys of P
ower are hidden from the  profane, as much for their protection as for our
s.
Where these Keys are given in Class A material there is even more  importa
nce. Both the processes by which it may be resolved and the  Key may be gi
ven. Where this occurs the Key reveals the lock!
Though I repeat this endlessly, I fear we have arrived where I  must repea
t it again: Where Class A Material is concerned, realize  that there are a
s many meanings as there are Thelemites to  interpret the meaning. All int
erpretation is of a personal nature,  which may or may not apply to anothe
r King. Let no one,  particularly myself, block your True meaning, of any
of these  exalted works, with an intellectually pleasing one of their own.
  There are planes beyond the intellect.
Many Mysteries require two Keys to open, the one revealed, and the  one co
ncealed. If you do not have the one, the other is a distraction. Some view
 this a part of the need to break a system of Initiation into easier steps
; So that these distractions will be kept to a minimum.

QBLH of 78:
Consider the following from a Class A section of The Vision and  the Voice
  Liber 418: 8th Ayther.
"For I am not only appointed to guard thee, but we are of the  blood royal
, the guardians of the Treasure-house of Wisdom.  Therefore I am called th
e Minister of Ra-Hoor-Khuit; and yet he is  but the Viceroy of the unknown
 King. For my name is called Aiwass,  that is eight and seventy. And I am
the influence of the Concealed  One, and the wheel that hath eight and sev
enty parts, yet in all  is equivalent to the Gate that is the name of my L
ord when it is  spelt fully. And that Gate is the Path that joineth the Wi
sdom  with the understanding."
The Key Revealed: AIVAS=78
The Key Concealed: DLLET=78
Now 78 is the number of Cards in the Tarot, and also MZLA, the influence f
rom the Crown, and so it is not surprising that it is one numeration of th
e  Name of the Being that revealed to us Liber AL, the word of the God tha
t wears that Crown, and the spelling  in full, of the  Hebrew Name, of the
 letter of the path that joins two and three on the Tree of Life. (Chokmah
 and Binah, Wisdom and Understanding).  Aiwass is the influence of Kether
and of the Tarot, this influence  being concentrated in the path Dallet.
Take this one step further and apply the formula of reduction. 78 reduced
one time: 7+8=15
Consider this carefully; 15 is the roman numeral of the Tarot card  The De
vil. (Which consideration may be studied in the Black Book of the Yezidi).
 All ideas above the abyss contain within themselves  their own opposite,
we can see the dichotomy Angel/Devil. Consider  further that the symbol of
 Venus, the mirror, reflects. On the  physical plane as well, as we have d
iscovered in recent NASA  explorations, Venus resembles more closely than
anywhere I know of  the classical descriptions of Hell. It has a surface t
emperature  of over 900 Degrees, the surface is bathed in red light, inten
se  pressures, sulfurous fumes, and in most ways is Hell. The  reflected l
ight however has an opposite nature, the variety and  beauty of the atmosp
here of the planet is revealed in the Akashic  light, ultraviolet.
What must be added to this martial Pentagram to show forth the  hexagram?
Venus and Mars, Woman and Man and the influence of the  Concealed One betw
een.
15 may also be considered in reference to the two Hebrew letters  indicate
d by it's numeration. 10 is attributed to the Letter Yod; 5  is attributed
 to the letter Heh. The Tarot equivalence given for  these keys is: The St
ar, or perhaps The Emperor, and the Hermit.  These letters form Yod and He
h, the first two and the last letter  in the Tetragrammaton. All that is n
eeded to complete the system  is a Vau.
We have this Vau in the final reduction to least digit:
15 reduces to 6: 1+5=6
Take note of this hidden Tetragrammaton in the Atu of Thoth attributed to
the Devil.
Let us consider further the Wisdom (2) of this number (78). Notice the 156
? 2 times 78=156, the numeration of the Name  BABALON, whose name is about
 the 7 points of the Silver Star.   (I hope that you can work out the othe
r multiples for yourself, they are all interesting.)
The 8 aspect is revealed in the Name BAPHOMET, whose name is about  the 8
points of the Gold Star.
Adam and Eve are attributed to Netzach (7) and Hod (8). I wonder, what rel
ationship there could be between the "first man" and the "first woman", Ba
phomet and Babalon? The path between them is Pe, attributed to Mars. It ma
y be that the Egyptian name for this planet will help us to see the answer
. Heru-Khuti, or occasionally Ra-Hoor-Khuit is attributed to the planet Ma
rs by the Egyptians. (Does that "first understanding" dawn?) The Crowned a
nd Conquering Child.
Consider the metals given taking  each letter individually as an hieroglyp
h - SILVER=311+GOLD=107.  Together they equal 418, The numeration of the r
eward of  Ra-Hoor-Khuit and the substance of the floor of the Temple. Also
 7  times 8 equals 56. But I digress, more concerning these Keys later  in
 the Book.
(Some persons don't consider it "kosher" to use Hebrew equivalents to the
English in the way that I have done in the words "Silver" and "Gold", I ha
ve followed Crowley's example in so doing, and use the Table given in Seph
ir Sephiroth as a guide. This is not the only way to do such things. One c
an work out almost any numeration one chooses, in the proper dialect of He
brew, by a direct phonetic rendering. So don't get hung up on the formulae
 I have used. The fact that Silver is a metal related generally to the Moo
n, and Gold to the Sun - and the fact that these two celestial bodies are
attributed to the Beast and the Scarlet Woman in the Book of the Law shoul
d not be ignored due to the fact that it doesn't fit someone's else's prec
onceptions concerning how "Qabalah" should be done. I find that it relates
 to the secret of the Ninth Degree O.T.O. and the Key to the Rituals!)
In considering the multiplication of 7 with 8. (The Beast and Babalon, or
Adam and Eve if you prefer.) 50 is the numeration of the Atu Death, and in
 Greek the letter "NU". Could it be that Birth and Death are but two sides
 of the same door? Could it be that it simply depends on which direction y
ou look, to the past, or to the future?
Six is also the Roman Numeral of the Tarot card The Lovers. 6 is  the nume
ration of the Hebrew letter that relates to the sign of  the Zodiac - Taur
us; Venus is usually said to rule Taurus. It's  relation to the Trump call
ed the Hierophant is of particular  importance, as it refers to a passage
in Liber Al given,  interestingly enough in the 15th and 16th Verses of th
e Second  Chapter: (15+16=31, AL or God, and LA or Not. You may also have
noticed that 3+1=4, Dallet, so I've not digressed, I'm still trying to sho
w you the Door. You know, "open the ways".)
"15. For I am perfect, being Not; and my number is nine by the  fools; but
 with the just I am eight and one in eight: Which is  vital, for I am none
 indeed. The Empress and the King are not of  me; for there is a further s
ecret.
16. I am The Empress & the Hierophant. Thus eleven as my bride is  eleven.
"
Later in this work we will consider the Eight lettered name which with the
 addition of the one mentioned above gives 666 for the  numeration of BAPH
OMET. Do study Crowley's commentaries on this  verse, but for now let's co
nsider a few other keys following after  the Beast:
VAD=11: The numeration of IA, a name of God.
NOT=65: The numeration of ADNI, a name of the Lord.
NONE=111:The numeration of ALP, a name of the OX and Letter of the Fool.
NU=56: The numeration of the bride, and concealer of HADIT, as  well as th
e Word of NUIT.
These numeration's were arrived at by taking the O in NOT and NONE  to be
a Vau, by the sound.
As it is Written:
"My prophet is a fool with his one one one: are not the Ox and  none by th
e Book."
(In case I've lost you, I'm relating the one one one to 111, the numeratio
n of NONE  I gave above. Not to mention ALP a spelling "in full" of the He
brew letter Aleph, attributed to the Fool in the Tarot.)
And Also: (Remember silver and gold, united to make 418).
"Now ye shall know that the chosen priest & apostle of infinite  space is
the prince-priest the Beast and in his woman; called the  Scarlet Woman, i
s all power given. They shall gather my children  into their fold: they sh
all bring the glory of the stars into the  hearts of men. For he is ever a
 sun, and she a moon. But to him is The winged secret flame and to her the
 stooping starlight."
And Chapter II verse 78:
"Lift up thyself! for there is none like unto thee among men or  among God
s! Lift up thyself, o my prophet, thy stature shall  surpass the stars. Th
ey shall worship thy name, foursquare,  mystic, wonderful, the number of t
he man; and the name of thy  house 418."
Verse 78 of the second chapter might help elucidate some of this QBLH of 7
8, but what is this name? Now I flashed upon the phrase, fishing for a dou
ble meaning: "worship thy name".
Taking the "sh" in worship as a Shin it's numeration is indeed 666.  (Four
 squared is 16, Virgo and the Hierophant) Now the mystic number of 16 is 1
36. One name for the prophet is Fool, Aleph=1 and that added to the mystic
 number of four squared.; but that is a personal thought, not general. In
General it is good to remark that the mystic number of 36 is 666, so 136 c
ould be interpreted mystically as the Fool 666. If you add ALL the letters
 then ADONAI=136 ("O" as 70 this time. This does not obviate the tradition
al Hebrew Spelling ADNI=65, it simply reveals a further secret, a "Yod".)

Liber CCCCXVIII, 7TH Aethyr: "It is the Universal Peacock that I behold.
And there is a voice: Is not this bird the bird of Juno that is an hundred
, and thirty, and six? And therefore is she the mate of Jupiter."
(In a footnote Crowley notes: JUNO Yod Vau Nun Ayin=136 and that this is t
he fourth of the mystic numbers of Jupiter)
When I first checked into Liber AL, and noticed the mention of the Empress
 and the Hierophant, I thought "of course Venus rules Taurus, not Aries".(
To get back to the Door, you know, Dallet.)
Speaking about rulerships of the Planets in the Zodiac:
The Sun rules Leo
The Moon rules Cancer
Venus rules Taurus
Mars rules Aries
In reference to the verses above we come upon an interesting key:  He, the
 Sun, is in the house ruled by Her, the Moon; Cheth, spelled in  full as C
heth Yod Tau, adds to 418! The Numeration of ABRAHADABRA,  HRU-RA-HA, and
many other correspondences given in "Sephir  Sephiroth", and elsewhere in
Crowley's writings.
Now for the sake of balance consider: She, the Moon is in the  house of th
e Sun; Teth, spelled in full as Teth Yod Tau, adds to  419! The Numeration
 of ABRAHADABRA transposed as indicated in  verse 16, given above, is ABRA
VADABRA which has as it's numeration  11 in it's innermost syllable.
Taking the value of the letters indicated:
Sun, Cancer, Moon, Leo; 200+8+3+9=220 The number of verses in  Liber Al ve
l Legis. 220 is also the Wheel of the Sun by way of the  Tarot. The next r
eduction gives us 4 again. (Back to the Door again.)  Liber CCCCXVIII, 25T
H Aethyr: "On my head is the crown 419 rays far-darting. And my body is th
e body of the Snake, and my soul is the soul of the Crowned Child. Though
an Angel in white robes leadeth me, who shall ride upon me but the Woman o
f Abominations? Who is the Beast? Am not I one more than he? In his hand i
s a sword that is a book. In his hand is a spear that is a cup of fornicat
ion. Upon his mouth is set the great and terrible seal. And he hath the se
cret of the V. His ten horns spring from five points, and his eight heads
are as the charioteer of the West. Thus doth the fire of the sun temper th
e spear of Mars, and thus shall he be worshipped, as the warrior lord of t
he sun. Yet in him is the woman that devoureth with her water all the fire
 of God.
Alas! my lord, thou art joined with him that knoweth not these things."


The Beams of the Temple
Again I'm pretty sure that most of my readers will have already added up t
he three Horizontal paths, but in order to put it into perspective conside
r a complimentary to the traditional pillars of the Tree of Life given bel
ow:
The Pillar of Mercy, from Chokmah through Chesed to Netzach.
The Pillar of Mildness, from Kether through Tiphareth and Yesod to  Malkut
h.
The Pillar of Severity, from Binah through Geburah to Hod.
This Vertical dimension is complimented by the three beams of the Tree.  T
hese beams are formed when a plane of the tree crosses at right  angles th
e aforementioned pillars. Taking the metals corresponding  to the two plan
ets and the sign between them we have the  following:
The Beam of Copper: Venus between Wisdom and Understanding.
The Beam of Gold: Leo between Mercy and Severity.
The Beam of Iron: Mars between Victory and Splendor.
Consider the numeration of these paths, if you have not already  discovere
d it. 4+9+80=93. Love and Will are both given this number  in the Greek Qa
balah. Thelema and Agape. The glyph for Venus is  used as a general archet
ype for Woman, the glyph for Mars is used  for Man. The Lion headed serpen
t carries the Life between them, it  is attributed to the Tarot Trump Lust
.
Again, the sword is attributed as a weapon to Mars and the God  given this
 planet by the Egyptians is Heru-Khuti, or  Ra-Hoor- Khuit. The next path
relates, as I have said, to the  serpent which is mentioned extensively in
 connection with Hadit.  Further, the next path could be taken as an arche
type for woman,  is not Nuit called of old the Heavenly Hathor.
Liber CCCCXVIII, 8TH Aethyr:  "Therefore did I kindle him that had not und
erstanding, and in the  Book of the Law did I write the secrets of truth t
hat are like a  Star and a Snake and a Sword."
Also: "Lo! two and twenty are the paths of the Tree, but one is the  Serpe
nt of Wisdom; ten are the ineffable emanations, but one is  the Flaming Sw
ord."
Liber AL, I, 60:"The shape of my star is - The Five Pointed Star, with a C
ircle in the Middle, & the circle is Red. My colour is black to the blind,
 but the blue & gold are seen of the seeing. Also I have a secret glory fo
r them that love me."
These stars are a particular symbol of Nuit from predynastic times on. Pro
nounced "TUA" as a Hieroglyph it means Priest, Prayer, and Star, depending
 on the context. It was also used upon the ceilings of tombs and houses. T
he rays emanate from the central point unlike the traditional Pentagram of
 modern occult usage. Though I don't quote Archeologists for confirmation
often, let me refer to "Egyptian Decorative Art" by Flinders Petrie. p.88
"The natural ceiling pattern adopted from the early days of Egyptian art w
as of golden stars on a deep blue ground; not a dark daylight blue, as in
modern imitations, but a black night blue. These are always five-pointed s
tars, with a circular spot usually of red, in the centre."
The star makes particular reference to Nuit. The description of  this symb
ol is in the handwriting of Rose Edith Kelly. The  initials of her maiden
name and the Hebrew equivalent of her  married name are also the initials
of Ra-Hoor-Khuit. They are  Resh, He, Kaph. 200+20+5=225 which is five cub
ed.
"Burn upon their brows, o splendrous serpent!"
The Men of Earth are the Army of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, even the woman is  girt wi
th a sword.
The Lovers wear the Lion Serpent of Lust, BABALON and the BEAST  conjoined
.
The Hermit wears the Star of Nuit.
It was written in the old time that Geb was one day showing off to  his fr
iends and opened the sacred box where was the living Uraeus  Serpent that
adorns the Crown of Ra: Khut. (Khut was a Goddess,  she adorned the eye of
 Nu, she was the personification of the  brilliant light. Also Khut-na mea
ns to work Magick) The breath of  the Goddess was of such potency that his
 friends were killed; Geb  himself was badly burned.
Beware, thou who art Men of Earth, of the practice of these  mysteries for
 they refer to the Rose and the Cross. Consider the  Ankh of the Egyptians
; it contains the Vesica and the Tau. It is  in truth the Key of Life, the
 Lingam and the Yoni. It is as the  stick, in the old Chinese tradition, u
pon which an agreement is  made. When the terms of the contract are made i
t is broken and  each party keeps half. At the appointed time, the agreeme
nt  fulfilled, they join to burn it in joy.


The Tree of Life
"I was in bed after a Tesseract working when a spirit came to me and gave
me this incredible lecture on the Tree of Life. I will do the best I can d
o to repeat the gist of it but it wouldn't let me get up to write it down
at the time. It repeated many different parts of it over and over again in
 the hopes that I would remember it."
The only thing that really counts is the Middle Pillar, where the priest a
nd priestess unite to take the Crown of the Kingdom by virtue of the hidde
n Knowledge, the rest of the Sephiroth are attributes of this union.
The 6 is the Sun and the 9 is the Moon, this is the priest and priestess,
and the Mark of the Beast is their union, for all beasts unite in the mann
er that they do. Notice  that even the numbers appear to be reflections of
 each other. How you might ask do the priest and the priestess achieve the
 Crown of the Kingdom? By that very union! And the Knowledge thereof that
is indicated by the missing fruit of that Tree that they have eaten, Daath
. This fruit is the fruit of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.
And what of the other two pillars, and of the War for freedom in their lov
e. They must see the Wisdom of Mercy in Victory and they must Understand t
he Severity  and remember, for the Splendor of the Monument is in remembra
nce of those that have fallen. By this may they come through the Ordeal wh
ich is Bliss.
Consider also the three crossings that add to seven. The crossing from the
 Crown to Beauty, the crossing from Wisdom to Strength, and the crossing f
rom Understanding to Mercy. For these three Sevens are the Ordeal of the L
ady Babalon that unites the Supernal to the World that is her body. Only t
he seventh of seven steps relates to the Time of the Tesseract. That and t
he last of the Paths. Three sevens for 21 and XXI on the Universe that is
created by the Union of heaven and earth.
Those that have achieved this Crown have it forever, throughout Time it ma
nifests.
Three pillars18, Three crossings19, Three beams20.


The Grades of Initiation
"The word of the law is THELEMA. Who calls us Thelemites will do  no wrong
, if he look but close into the word. For there are  therein Three Grades,
 The Hermit, and the Lover, and the man of  Earth. Do what thou wilt shall
 be the whole of the Law."
In the Commentaries  on the "Book of the Law" Crowley relates the first sy
llable to the  Hermit and the Argentum Astrum - The Masters of the Temple.
 The second to  the Lover - The College of Adepts of the Rose of Red and t
he Cross of Gold. The Third to man of Earth - the  Devotee of the Golden D
awn.(Not to be confused with the Group once led by Mathers.)
The Mystic - the Hermit gives of his light to the world and has  true affi
nity to Dallet in a certain secret way.
The Magicians - the Lovers follow the example of the Beast and  Babalon.
The Men of Earth worship at the Blasted House of God. They give  devotion
to Ra-Hoor-Khuit.
(I go into these Grades in much greater detail later in this work. I have
assembled this work from discrete essays, this is one of the places it sho
ws. It doesn't hurt most people's understanding to repeat a truth several
ways, so bear with me.)


The Octagram and Baphomet
From the Wizard Amalantrah, who is with the Boy in the wood, we  learn tha
t the segment of an octagonal column is the equivalent to  his name in a g
eometrical figure. When Crowley was in  communication  with him he asked f
or the Hebrew letters. The  Wizard noted that the "T" was a Tau. Crowley,
long puzzled over  the great Name of eight letters, asked him for the corr
ect  spelling of BAPHOMET. The wizard began to give it to him but was  int
errupted by Crowley before he finished. Now that I have seen his  diary en
try for this working, I can reconstruct it:
The Wizard answered Crowley's query with these seven letters: BETH, ALEPH,
 VAU, VAU, MEM, YOD, TAU and at  that point Crowley interrupted and added
Resh. (A.C. compounded this interruption by using the more traditional att
ributions and came to 729.) When I follow the Wizard's instructions for th
e numerology of this word I  get: 2+1+6+6+40+10+400=465 (the Universe of A
DNI). Add the  RESH:465+200=665. Now that is so close that any fool can se
e the 1  that would give 666.
The eight Lettered name about the Octagram is:
BETH, ALEPH, VAU, VAU, MEM, YOD, TAU, RESH.
If you add the final Aleph in the Lamen, at all, add it in the center of
the Octagram.
  Is it not written in Liber Al vel Legis, Chapter II, verse 15:  "For I a
m perfect, being Not; and my number is nine by the fools;  but with the ju
st I am eight, and one in eight; Which is vital,  for I am none indeed. Th
e Empress and the King are not of me; for  there is a further secret."
Consider this well, you who are Templars. Your Temple was in  the Octagon
of the Dome of the Rock built upon the ruins of the  Temple of Solomon the
 King. You have sworn your fealty to none  other than BAVO MITHRA21, fathe
r Meithra, this and he is the Beast  666!
The King unites within himself the opposites, RA SET:  200+1+60+5+400=666
For the Devotee; WORSHIP: VAU, AYIN, RESH, SHIN, YOD, PE. 6+70+200+300+10+
80=666
All these concepts can be expanded upon by the use of the Mystic  series.
A mystic series is formed when each successive number is added to the numb
er preceding it, let me illustrate - 8 will be our seed:
1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8=36 Thirty Six is then the mystic number of 8  666 is the m
ystic number of 36. These additive progressions have  an underlying philos
ophic principle: the numbers are created in  order and do not cease to exi
st when the next number is created.  In the universe of number then, this
could be related to time. If  we were to look at time as a spatial dimensi
on, for conversation's  sake, then it would appear as a frozen reality fro
m the beginning  to the end of it. All that was or will be, measured from
some  higher dimension, could be seen simultaneously. Just as you, from  a
 higher space than a yardstick, could see all the numbers at  once.
The series interpreted:
8 is Cheth in the Hebrew alphabet and Hod on the Tree of Life as  well. Th
is is close to the Heart of both Crowley and your Jackal  friend, ANPU or
ANUBIS, being attributed (among the Sephiroth) to HOD - the Star  Splendou
r. Crowley called it the great glyph that he adored. In  The Book of the L
aw, as I have quoted earlier in this book, it is  given along with 80 (it'
s reflection) and 418 (its spelling in  full) as a glyph for Nothing. "Not
hing is a secret key of this  law." Rotated, it is also a glyph for Infini
ty.
36 is the Square of 6, Beauty raised to the next higher dimension.  Thirty
 six is also the Hierophant and Adjustment. Further it  reduces to 9-TETH.
 The Sun Rules Leo in astrological parlance and  Teth is attributed to tha
t sign. XI-The Roman numeral on the Tarot  card is the number of letters i
n the Key to the Rituals.  ABRAHADABRA.
The word worship is given 11 times in Liber Al vel Legis and I will leave
it to the earnest student to study its meaning in context22.


Deus ex Homo
All matter that you know was once Hydrogen. All the elements  transformed
in the fire that burns in the core of every star. Your  body itself is, th
erefore, the object link to the Dawn of this  Universe. Look about and wit
hin and take note of the form and  pattern of it's manifestation. All abou
t me I see naught but this  transformed Hydrogen in all its form and patte
rn. Force and Matter are but two phases of it's existence.
Creation continues and God has been in the process of exploration.  Explor
ation of personal potential. It is as if the primal  archetypes were revea
led from within while making love, thus do  they find themselves ourselves
. Thus is it said, "as above, so  below".
USE YOUR OBJECT LINK! Remember! It is your Universe, your  Creation, your
Destiny, your Love under will. The remembrance is  the escape hatch. Only
Initiates truly reincarnate, or escape the cycle of reincarnation.
In order to continue the Great Work, We who remember band together  in an
Order. All thought is creation, thought is a field of  influence by means
of which form and pattern are. As concentration  increases, the field of i
nfluence gains potential, coherence, and  power. A careful ordered group m
ay use their power to build a  ladder of Initiation. This may be thought o
f as a pyramid of  several levels, each higher and containing fewer stones
. When such  an Order meets in the traditional pattern, this ladder is use
d to  purify and concentrate power in successive stages so that the group
mind  may begin to function.
As groups of Cells evolved to become a body so do we evolve to  become an
Order. An Order that we may do our Will in Creation.
By degrees we remember.
By degrees we gain power.
We may then build an association beyond the mask of a single  personality
or lifetime.
In this book are given Keys; if however, you do not find the keyhole of  t
he Door, or  Gate, you can not use them. If you are not skilled they are v
ery  dangerous for they unlock alike Heaven or Hell.


Selections from the Heart of the Master
by Aleister Crowley
 (And this admittedly personal interpretation by Fra 137)
In the study of many of the works of the Prophet I've found that there is
an implied outline. This outline is sketched on the Tree of Life, that dia
gram we've worked so hard to memorize.
Most of you will have noticed this on the numbered verses, and where there
 are 7 Chapters,  or 32 verses, or 22 verses or 12 Chapters the scheme is
obvious. Where the material is not presented in verses, or tabular form, t
he student must have assimilated the scheme of the Tree of Life in order t
o perceive the implied outline. It is possible that in this later circumst
ance that some would see it differently than I. So in case you haven't not
iced my warnings before: BE ON YOUR GUARD, accept no Dogmas! (ESPECIALLY M
INE). You ought to go and read the Book yourself! But maybe it's as obviou
s to you as to me.
I constructed these abstracts to use in preparing rituals.


The Cherubs
Tawny Lion  - (Leo - Fire): The Wrath of the Master is the Energy of Love.
Buffalo Cow - (Taurus - Earth): The Work of the Master is the Nourishment
of Life.
Babe - (Aquarius - Air): The Way of the Master is Innocence of Liberty.
Golden Eagle- (Scorpio - Water): The Woe of the Master is the Rapture of L
ight.
The above are pictured about a Wheel of Eight Spokes, which has been used
to symbolize Spirit. They are said to have been begotten by His Will.
Man - (Sun - Spirit):
The Masters voice breaks into Song: The Word of the Law is THELEMA


The Names on the Tree

#
Sphere
Name
Attribute
Bird
Body
0
Ain



Nothing All
00
Ain Soph



No Limit
000
Ain Soph Aur



Boundless Light
1
Kether
AUMGN
Prime Mover
Swan
Point
2
Chokmah
AL
Name
Phoenix
Stars
3
Binah
AMEN
Understanding
Raven
Saturn
4
Chesed
SU
Righteousness
Eagle
Jupiter
5
Geburah
AGLA
Energy
Hawk
Mars
6
Tiphareth
IAO
Rapture
Pelican
Sun
7
Netzach
HRILIU
Imagination
Dove
Venus
8
Hod
ABRAHADABRA
Ingenuity
Ibex
Mercury
9
Yesod
Mu
Truth
Vulture
Moon
10
Malkuth
(Motto)
(Work))
(Your H.G.A.)
Earth

Note that the above formulae written down in 1924 are complete for the Sep
hiroth, unlike those of Liber 777 which leave out Names. They do differ fr
om those he gives elsewhere.
Birds relate to Air due to their power of flight. If we were to attribute
the primary "World" he is representing, I suppose it would be YETZIRAH. Ag
ain this doesn't limit the action of the NAMES of Power, but the focus of
this work. The Names themselves relate to ATZILUTH. They are upon the thro
ne of the Sephira in BRIAH, and manifest in ASSIAH, in the Planet Star or
Sphere indicated.


One Interpretation of the Names
 (Hebrew Qabalah)
AUMGN - Swan - 100 (750 using Nun final)
In the center the mystic slain God ASAR; on either side the High Priest an
d High Priestess. A Fool and his Death. The descent of Spirit into Matter.
 The Attribution is to The Crown, Kether. The Magick is done upon a White
Ground.
AL - Phoenix - 31
The Fool and his Adjustment. The Mystery of the Weighing of the Heart. Ale
ph (the feather in Egyptian hieroglyphs) is weighed in the scale against t
he chela's heart. God (AL) and Not (LA); OX (Aleph) and Ox Goad (Lamed). T
he Star rises from the flames of it's death. The Attribution is to the Sta
rs. The Magick is done upon a Gray Ground.
AMEN - Raven - 96
In Heliopolis and the City of the Pyramids is this Name Amen worshipped. W
ho would stand between a Fool and his Death. This Fool is the Prophet of t
he Aeon and all men stand before.  This is of the Star and the Hierophant.
 The attribution is to Saturn and Understanding. The Magick is done upon a
 Black Ground.
SU - Eagle - 66
Six and Sixty are the Hierophant and his Art, as is the number of the vers
es in the Nuit Chapter in Liber Al vel Legis, Goddess of Infinite Space an
d the Stars thereof. The center of the Galaxy we call Home, and about whic
h all the Stars of our Zodiac and the Sun rotate, is in the direction of S
agittarius. Hierophant of the Galaxy and Teacher of the Stars. The Arrow p
oints at the Galactic core. The attribution is to Jupiter and Glory. The M
agick is done upon a Blue Ground.
AGLA  - Hawk - 35
The Hawk with the Leopard speckled breast. Indeed thou art God of the Aeon
. In the midst of the Company of the Brothers of the Argentum Astrum stand
s the Priestess of the Silver Star, girt with a sword, and holding the sca
les of Justice. The attribution is to Mars and Power. The Magick is done u
pon a Red Ground.
IAO   - Pelican - 17 (81 Ayin as O)
The Pelican feeds it's children with it's own life blood (by tradition) as
 does the Sun our Star feed us with the substance of itself with the life
giving energy from it's own Heart. Isis Apophis Osiris: The Signs L.V.X. L
ight! So stand they the Fool and the Virgin before the Hierophant. So stan
d they before Baphomet. The attribution is to the Sun and Beauty. The Magi
ck is done upon a Golden Ground.
HRILIU - Dove - 261
The Dove cries softly as a woman making Love. The Call at the coming of th
e Lord. The Fool and the Art of RA, the  Sun in Space is this Act. Lust is
 the Art of the Fool of the Sun. The Serpent of Light is the Foundation of
 Life. The attribution is to Venus and Victory. The Magick is done on an E
merald Ground.
ABRAHADABRA - Ibis - 418
Nothing by the Book; yet the Key to the Rituals. The Five A's form the Pen
tagram. The Prophet of RA, the Initiation of an Universe. Unity. The Door
on None. Thrice the square root of the mystic number of this Sphere is his
 Name, 666. The attribution is to Mercury and Splendor. The Magick is done
 upon an Orange Ground.
MU - Vulture - 46
The Moon is mother of Earth, Hierophant of the Water, and the maid of the
Corn. The Vulture of Mut sits upon Truth of the Foundation. The Hierophant
 and the descent of Spirit into Matter. The attribution is to the Moon and
 the Foundation. The Magick is done upon a Purple Ground.
(Your True Name Here) - X -
The Name X is upon the Ground of the Kingdom, For Earth is upon the Cross
of Night. The Attribution is to the Bride of God and the return of the CRO
WN and SPACE. The Magick is done on a ground of Black, Russet, Citrine, an
d Olive.
If two people, trained in QBLH, approach a Name in order to construct a ri
tual or a symbol, they will very likely arrive at different but related re
sults. What I have tried to do is indicate the odd point, the rare interpr
etation. I've outlined the Rite to be done, but not given it. Each must ap
proach the Arcanum of these Names in his or her own way, with their own ex
perience and background. After all we are removing the veils from our own
eyes with these rites. The Truth is overt, the occult Key is how to cast a
side the blindfold of our preconceptions and ignorance so that we may see
it. Since each person has to unravel the knot they themselves have tied, I
 can only speak in generalities which may or may not help.


Short Interpretation of the Names

1. AUMGN
100
Qoph, Magick Mirror
2. AL
31
Ox & Goad
3. AMEN
96
Heirophant of the Star
4. SU
66
Hierophant of the Arrow
5. AGLA
35
Pentagram of Adjustment
6. IAO
17
Sword of the Hermit
7. HRILIU
261
The Fool with the Art of RA
8. ABRAHADABRA
418
Chariot of the Hermit of the Universe
9. MU
46
Hierophant of Water
10. X
x
?

The numeration of the Nine Names - 1070 - A great Fool and the Devil.



The Key
More Concerning the Key to the Rituals - 418 - ABRAHADABRA "Thrice written
, the square root of the Mystic number of 8." (All the Numbers added, up t
o and including 8, add to 36.) The Square root of 36 is 6, thrice written
is 666.
Thrice 6 is also 1 and 8, or 18. (mystic number of 36 is 666).
"my number is nine by the fools; but with the just I am eight, and one in
eight: Which is vital, for I am none indeed." (Liber AL)
"Nothing is a secret key of this law . I call it eight, eighty, four hundr
ed & eighteen." (Liber AL)


Carmen

The Pan Pipe:
7. Saturn
Wisdom
Forms matter space time
Experience
6. Jupiter
Virtue
Spends his life
Mercy
5. Mars
Energy
Revolves all
Change
4. Sun
Order
Gathers Worlds of Light
Beauty
3. Venus
Love
Destroys all to recreate
Fate
2.Mercuy
Reason
Governs the Wonder
Chance
1. Moon
Purity
Absolves His Will
From Ill


The Ten Secret Joys of the Master
 (notes on the Heart of the Master)

0 - Nothing is all. - Silence
00 - No Limit - Silence
000 - Sum - Boundless Light - Silence
1. - Thou - Thy Point of View - Essence of Silence Focused
2. - Thy Name - Word - Will - Existence - Chance - Thunderer
3. - Thy Understanding - Love - Music
4. - Thy Righteousness - Necessity - Majesty - Voice
5. - Thy Energy - Movement - Fulfillment - Fire - Martial Music
6. - Thy Rapture of Beauty - Expression - Symphony
7. - Thy Imagination - Triumph - Quick Thrills
8. - Thy Ingenuity - Mutability - Splendour
9. - Thy Truth - Stability is Change - Trumpeting of Elephant
10. - Thy Ideal of Passion - Perfection - Realization - Maiden Voice
Please note that these abstractions are taken by subject from the original
 work in order to elucidate the symbolism of the Sephiroth of the Tree of
Life and the Prophet's conceptions thereof, study them in context. This is
 what I would have highlighted in the original.
It's interesting due to it's personalization of principles that the studen
t usually doesn't internalize. When we think of these Spheres of the Sephi
roth as Objective  we leave out half the truth, the subjective half, and a
s I have said above, this is where we have to remove the veils.
In order to enhance our ability to do the Work, we may need to enhance our
 energy, or some other attribute of our own being. The Microcosm has infin
ite capacity in all these areas of experience, but we might have to kick o
ut the jams to get at it.


Cycles
Life, and the universe at large, is cyclical. These cycles, since they are
 intermixed, produce a large scale diversity. In this diversity the influe
nces between various elements of reality in motion result in us and the un
iverse in which we live.
If we were capable of understanding the influences of all the cycles, with
in and without us, we would be able to predict all phenomenon with certain
ty.


Microcosmic Cycles
I use the term Microcosmic Cycles, in this instance, to refer to the cycle
s and flows in the human body. There are even smaller cycles and fluctuati
ons, far beneath the perceptions of the mind, but these are for another ti
me and place.

Sleep Cycles:
The daily sleep cycle, whether it is longer or shorter, is one that rules
our body, fitting it for the expected activity to come. Just before waking
, certain chemicals are emitted by the body to begin to speed up the metab
olism and prepare the body to begin the day. Toward the evening the metabo
lism slows, to prepare us for sleeping.
People often work out of harmony with these natural flows of life, and thi
s often causes us grief. We get jet lag, or sleeplessness when the job cha
nges shifts, due to the disruption of the sleep cycle. It is important to
be aware of the changes in our physical state of awareness and suit the ac
tivities in which we are engaged to it. Especially when we are preparing t
o do ritual Magick. It is useless to fall asleep during meditation, or to
be so focused in the days labor that we can't even perceive the more subtl
e planes.
This cycle has to do with the earth turning before the sun, and secondaril
y with the seasons that are caused by the tilt in the axis of the earth. T
hose who are Thelemites and who practice Liber Resh at morning, noon, suns
et, and midnight, will notice that they are much more fitted for some task
s than others at the various times. Your clairvoyant abilities may be enha
nced when the line between sleep and waking is blurred, your draftsmanship
 when you are fully awake, your creativity when you are freshly awakening.
 These things are different for different persons; experiment and record y
our results.

Lunar Cycles in the Body:
Since we evolved upon this planet, along with all the other plants and ani
mals, we are influenced by the cycles about us. The most obvious, of cours
e, is the cycle of day or night, but there are also the more subtle cycles
 corresponding to the next brightest astronomical object, the Moon. The me
nses in women follows the lunar cycle to a greater or lesser degree, and t
his more obvious affinity may have been one of the rationales for placing
women as the principal leaders in the Rites of the Moon in some of the anc
ient temples. There were other traditions in ancient Egypt, with the male
gods Thoth, and Khonsu, as well as others related to the moon.
Lunar rites will help regularize the ebb and flow of the rhythms, and of t
he bodies of the men and women that participate in them. Some experimental
 evidence shows that watching the moon regularly seems to help the body ge
t those elements that are concurrent with the lunar cycle in order - simpl
y seeing it. It is a shame that many people are so jaded by the artificial
 environment that they never notice the phase of the moon.
Plants sometimes control various aspects of their life cycles by the moon,
 as do other animals.

Seasonal Cycles:
I don't think that human beings are as seasonally affected as some other a
nimals - bears for instance - but they do sometimes get seasonal depressio
ns in cases of greater sensitivity. They also act quite differently in one
 season than another.
The symbolic activities that are related to the Witches' Wheel are related
 to the agricultural necessities brought about by cultivation. But there i
s a much older, underlying awareness of the seasons that predates language
; if there were not,  then the human race would never have survived the wi
nters and evolved into us.
An awareness of how you react to the various seasons can also help you to
plan the timing of longer rituals, or workings. If one is aware of ones ow
n limitations, and the limitations of the environment, then success is mor
e easily attained.

Cycles in a Lifetime
Rites of Passage:
One of the more important losses that modern civilization has inflicted up
on us is the loss of so many of our rites of passage. These celebrate the
stages of life with rites of Magick. These rites give a particular securit
y to the people undergoing them and the ones giving them. They console by
defining a persons place in society. The more clearly they do this, the be
tter. Birth, puberty, coming of age, coming into leadership, and death, we
re all celebrated in primitive times with specific rites.
We pass from the womb to the world outside. The rite is intended to symbol
ically celebrate the ordeal of the experience, already undergone in actual
ity, and conclude with the bestowal of the childhood name, and the magical
 ceremonies, and sometimes talisman, that will aid the new born to survive
 to the next stage.
When the bodily signs give evidence that the child can participate in the
bestowal of life (puberty) and/or the child loses its virginity, the rite
that symbolizes the passage from childhood to adulthood is celebrated. Wha
tever the thin veneer of civilization, adulthood in nature is reached when
 the child gains the ability to have children.
If the group is one that has a separate men's and women's lodge, then this
 will be the stage when they are initiated into the mysteries thereof. The
y are generally under the sponsorship of one or both parents until the you
ng adult is ready to leave home.
When the time comes to leave the home to go out into the world on one's ow
n, a ritual is often held as well;, one that passes full responsibility to
 the new full adult, or citizen, or member.
Often, if there is not a period of religious training, or a pilgrimage, th
e ceremony of marriage is the first chance that the adult has to function
separately from the parents. In any case' the next rite celebrates the los
s of separateness between any two people, now that their lives are one, as
 their bodies have been, or will be. The group reminds the couple of the r
esponsibility that they have to each other and to any new life that they m
ay bring into the world.
In some rare instances, where realism has entered the religious observance
 of the culture, there is also a ceremony for the dissolution of a couple'
s bonds after they have accomplished all their goals together.
A celebration is often held when the last child goes into the world, or a
new one is conceived.
The greatest celebration of all happens when someone dies.


Macrocosmic Cycles
The level of understanding that the humans have of their place in the univ
erse seems to follow their evolution of awareness of the center of rotatio
n of the universe about them.   First, they came to notice that the stars
repeat their seasonal patterns each year, apparently turning about the ear
th, and so they came to see that the earth was the center of their univers
e. Later, they came to understand that the cycles of the planets were regu
lar as well, this led them to the truth  that the Sun, and not the earth,
was the center of the system of planets, and so they thought, of the unive
rse. And now in this Aeon we have come to know that the sun orbits the cen
ter of the galaxy, and that it, and all points whatsoever are the center o
f the universe. You might think of the whole universe as an expanding sing
ularity.   Each secret came to be known in each successive Aeon. Each gave
 a different and more subtle focus to the reality held in the mind, drawin
g the human race onward. First we thought that the world itself was the ce

nter of All, and so we spread out upon most of the lands of the earth in t
he Aeon of Taurus and set our feet on the whole ball of wax. In the Aeon o
f Pisces we learned to navigate the seas.

Geocentric Astrology:
The Archetypes that most of us use to think about the influences of the pl
anets and stars were worked out by the Greeks and the Romans from the rese
arch done by cultures that preceded them. They related the planets and con
stellations to the legends of their gods and goddesses. These legends gave
 us the nature of the influences that various planets have upon the earth.
 Whether the effect, empirically observed through the centuries, is due to
 the belief of the mass of humanity, or to more subtle influences, will pr
obably never be proven. And yet many cultures have similar beliefs concern
ing the effects of various stars and planets on events and persons.
In traditional astrology, the variables that work within the hierarchy are
 the elements, which are influenced  and acted upon by the planets  and th
e signs. It is often said that the planets influence is colored by the sig
n it occupies, by the other planets aspects to it, and by the elements it
acts upon.
The signs of the Zodiac should not be confused with the constellations, fr
om which they have precessed and are now separated. They are instead the 3
0 degree arcs measured from the Equinoctial point itself. They have the sa
me names as the constellations that are so often confused with them. As th
ey precess with the Equinoctial point, they are motionless in comparison w
ith the seasons. This is what called attention to precession: that the sta
rs of the constellation Aries rose later than the first day of spring, and
 would rise later and later  with the passage of each generation.
Before 3000 years ago the constellations of the zodiac themselves were use
d as the markers of the seasons and the year. Yet since the true stars pre
cess at the rate of 1 degree every 72 years, with respect to the vernal Eq
uinoctial point the markers go out of synch with the seasons. The sun actu
ally rises in the place where the constellations Pisces and Aquarius overl
ap, far from Aries.
Sidereal astrology attempts to fix a point where the constellations and th
e signs overlapped  before they precessed out of sync, and then mark off e
ven 30 degree arcs from a particular marker star to form the Sidereal Sign
s. These then are allowed to precess naturally. Where they commonly place
their borders would bring the age of Aquarius in about the year 2150.   So
me very interesting results may be attained with equal 30 degree arcs mark
ed from the position that the sun held at the Equinox of the Gods in 1904.
An Equinox of the Gods occurs when the Equinoctial point has precessed bac
kward another 30 degrees from the last place it happened. In other words w
hen the sun is in the last second of the last minute, of the last degree,
of the sidereal sign Aquarius, the age of Aquarius began. There was an Equ
inox of the Gods. Horus replaced Osiris as King of the Gods, the living Go
d succeeded the dead and risen one. This will occur again as the days of t
he Great Month tick by, one every 72 years. The Great year of 12 Aeons is
about 12,500 years long. Each sign  and each Aeon have a duration of about
 2,150 years. We are in the first century of our Aeon and have 20 more to
go.
Ancient Egyptians  and Modern Thelemites alike  share a theory that these
astronomical great months, or Aeons, mark periods of time when a particula
r God rules the world. This doesn't mean that all the other gods have ceas
ed to exist, it only means that there is a different administration, a dif
ferent book of rules. This Aeon is the Aeon of Horus, the Crowned and Conq
uering Child. It began on the Vernal Equinox in the year 1904 of the vulga
r era.
Should we have been as powerful as the Ancient Egyptians we might have bui
lt a wonderful temple, aligned in such a way as to forever enshrine the mo
ment in stone. As it was, the star temple built by Khufu was borrowed for
the purpose, and the book of rules handed down in a hotel room, and ignore
d by the scribe in his wife's attic for many years to follow. See The Equi
nox of the Gods for a full account of the circumstances.

Heliocentric Astrology:
Remember that geocentric astrology is earth oriented, and that there is a
further secret: that the Sun is the center of the planetary system, of whi
ch the earth and the moon are a part. As we center our consciousness upon
the earth, and upon the moon that orbits it, when we work in the elementar
y planes, so we must center our consciousness upon the Sun if we wish to w
ork in the planetary spheres. It was generally known that the sun was the
center of the movement of the earth and planets in the classical period, a
t least by higher Initiates. After the onset of the dark age of Christiani
ty much that which was known  was lost.
The apparent death of the sun - daily, yearly, etc. -happens to conceal a
deeper secret once the truth concerning it is known. Remember that nature
is the true teacher. We only err when we misinterpret her secrets. We were
 looking at the rotation of the earth and mistook it for the turning of th
e Sun; and later when this secret was learned, we forgot the research of t
he classics and took the earth to be the center of the rotation of the pla
nets. It took another leap of consciousness, and a last gasp from ignoranc
e, before humans understood that the sun is the center of the system.
You may use any of the three systems that we have mentioned already in pas
sing: the Tropical Zodiac, the Sidereal Zodiac, or the Constellations in f
ront of which the planets actually transit for the backdrop of the activit
y in the solar system; each has its uses. The Tropical Zodiac is generally
 used in reference to matters of the world. It is of more use in planning
the Sabbats, and grand celebrations, (along with the Tropical Zodiac) than
 the Heliocentric Zodiac.
The Heliocentric Zodiac is of most use to the Adept who wishes to harness
and control planetary forces, rather than elementary ones. It is the plane
 of activity upon which aeons manifest their change, and upon which humans
 go to space. There are mysteries here that transcend  more mundane coordi
nate systems.

Galactocentric Astrology:
As the earth is more central to the Gaia-Luna planetary pair, and the Sun
to the Solar System, so a very large black hole is central to the rotation
 of all the stars in the galaxy.
Every star in the zodiac circles a point located at 25 degrees and 58 minu
tes of Sagittarius, tropically. There is an x-ray and radio source there t
hat is most likely this black hole, it is called Sagittarius A.
Our sun is on the outer edge of one of the two spiral arms of the Galaxy;
it is one of 250,000,000,000 suns, most of which have planets. We're about
 35,000 light years from the center of the galaxy, and will rotate around
the center about 72 or so times in the suns lifetime. The plane of this or
bit forms the galactic frame of reference.
This plane of reference is principally of use to those who are masters, fo
r it has to do with the interrelations of the races of many different plan
ets, and suns. It offers a perspective on certain secrets of Magick that m
ay be more or less universal among intelligent races of the galaxy.
Consider how universal some of the rites that we do may be. The tilt of th
e earth's axis causes the sun to appear to rise higher and lower in the sk
y with the change of the seasons; this would give the same Equinoxes and S
olstices no matter what the planet. One would be to the cold direction, on
e to the hot, one to the wet and one to the dry. These may be opposite in
one dimension or another, as they are in the southern hemisphere, but all
four "elements" of the ancients will be represented. Follow this line of r
easoning, when the time comes you might be surprised at what the term univ
ersal really means.


The Outline of Initiation
Some aspects of initiation are predominant in the worlds mystery religions
 and magical orders. Membership is often divided up into three principle c
lasses. These follow the classes given in The Book of the Law, very closel
y in most cases.
The Man of Earth  comprises the class of membership involved in the elemen
tary operations, and corresponding magical rites, performed for the benefi
t of the Temple. Often their initiations recelebrate the stages of life. T
hey are born into the temple, in a ceremony appropriate to whatever focus
the temple has.
There are other ceremonies that celebrate  dawn and birth, noon and life,
sunset and death, midnight between death and birth, in addition to the one
s used in the O.T.O., but I've found much in common between them.
Besides these keys of life, there are the ordinary celebrations and Sabbat
s. These follow the progress of the Elements as they relate to the midpoin
ts of the Cherubic Signs: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. Not to menti
on those celebrations done at the solstices and equinoxes.
This eightfold system may predate the twelvefold zodiac; it is found by di
viding the space of time between the equinoxes and solstices equally to ob
tain the mid-season dates.
Before advancement to the next stage, where one becomes adept, there is a
test in the ability to maintain equilibrium in all parts of the one's bein
g.
Magical and Mystical power enables one to safely handle the amplified powe
r in the planetary plane. If one is an adept one can easily pass these tes
ts of equilibrium, for one has knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guar
dian Angel, and will have been properly taught and informed. Shadow, body,
 anima, heart, soul, and spirit must be properly integrated before approac
hing the mysteries of the corona of the Sun, integrated mystically and ade
pt magically.
Knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel is something which n
o phrase or description can adequately  describe. Crowley says that he ado
pted this phrase because it is so quaint that it is not likely to mislead
(by the reader assuming that it is a true description of the phenomenon).
Crowley seems to have gotten the phrase from The Sacred Magick of Abrameli
n the Mage  but it was used by Aiwass when he came as Angel of the 8th Aet
hyr. This portion of The Vision and the Voice contains the instruction of
Aiwass as to attaining the knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian
 Angel.
When one has the perspective of many lives, and now that the being that li
ved them is fully conscious, it may better judge what one's will is. Once
the Great Work is known, this must be done before advancement to the stage
 of Master.
Needless to say, one prepares oneself by preparing a place for the operati
on, and many long prayers and purification's are performed, of greater and
 greater intensity. After a period of time during which one is purified an
d consecrated, there comes success. Study the process and details in the a
forementioned books.
In the grade of the Lovers, which is sometimes taken to be a description o
f the Angel and the Adept, one enters the rank of the temple where one has
 to take responsibility to those that are above, and for those who are bel
ow  one's rank in standing. Usually, it implies some sort of role in leade
rship.
The Masters are beyond the abyss. That is to say they have transcended the
 actual and are focused upon the ideal. They are answerable to no human. T
hey are not always incarnate and may only shed their light upon the world,
 distant as the stars of Space. The ordeal of crossing the Abyss is descri
bed in the 10 Aethyr of The Vision and the Voice and may also be studied i
n Magick in Theory and Practice and in any other places among the writings
 of Aleister Crowley.


The Gold Sabbats
 (Notes on the Sacred Year in Tropical Notation.)
The Spokes of the Wheel of the Year

Sun 0 Deg. Aries
Vernal Equinox
Ra
Sunrise
Sun 15 Deg. Taurus
Mid Spring
Neith, Duamutef
Earth
Sun 0 Deg. Cancer
Summer Solstice
Ahathoor
Noon
Sun 15 Deg. Leo
Mid Summer
Serket, Kebekhsenuf
Fire
Sun 0 Deg. Libra
Autumn Equinox
Tum
Sunset
Sun 15 Deg. Scorpio
Mid Fall
Nepthys, Hapi
Water
Sun 0 Deg. Capricorn
Winter Solstice
Khephra
Midnight
Sun 15 Deg. Aquarius
Mid Winter
Isis, Imset
Air

Please note that, though these fall near the traditional Sabbats of the wi
tches (and other groups of Initiates), they have been moved days away from
 the true midseason points by calendar reform. You should consult an ephem
eride for the time and date of the true midseason rather than trust to tra
dition if precision is needed in the time of the  Rite. Some see fit to ce
lebrate on a particular day of the week nearest to the true time. (Such as
 Sunday, due to these being Solar Feasts.)
Note also in the section on the Gods preceding that there are different at
tributions to the Son's of Horus, and of course the Goddesses that guard f
or the different realms, only one is given here, consider whether you work
 in the realm indicated, or another.


Dates and celebrations
(Dates approximate, see an ephemeride)

Rituals & Feast
New Date, Aprox.
Traditional Name
Old Date, Calendar
Vernal Equinox
March, 20


Mid Spring
May, 5
Beltane
May ,1
Summer Solstice
June, 21


Mid Summer
August, 7
Lammas, Lugnasad
August ,1
Autumn Equinox
September, 22


Mid Autumn
November, 7
Samhain, Halloween
November, 1, (Oct.31)
Winter Solstice
December, 21
Yule

Mid Winter
February, 5
Imbolc, Bridgit
February, 2

Liber AL rituals and feasts:
Liber AL II.35: "Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.
"
Liber AL II.36: "There are rituals of the elements and feasts of the times
."
Some consider the two verses given above to refer to the mentioned  dates.
  The rituals of the elements being done at the Midpoint of the fixed, or
Cherubic, signs of the Zodiac. These are attributed to the elements in a t
raditional manner, and to the Magick Weapons. The celebrations of the anci
ents, of many cultures, reflected the nature of the symbolism of these fix
ed signs in their celebrations.
In the following section are given a bit of the old lore concerning the oc
tal holidays of old, as well as the feastdays that are in "The Book of the
 Law". There is much that is not included, but an entry should at least se
rve as an indication of the direction for further research and experiment.


The Sacred Calendar
The calendar for a group of Initiates is an important part of the Magick t
hat they do. If there is to be any harmony among them they must find a tra
dition with which they may all identify.
The "working across time" that such a tradition allows may take some time
to build, but remember that some harmonies may be established with the tim
es, prior to the great Christian Heresy against Deity, that God is separat
e from Man.
Much that was clear has been muddied with the natural progression of the m
ovement of the stars with respect to the seasons. More has been deliberate
ly forgotten. Most of us, residing in the cities as we do, have lost sight
 of the simplest truths of the ancients.
I'm still surprised that many people, never having noticed before, call th
e weather service alarmed that the moon is in the sky in the daytime.
Venus is reported as a UFO by supposedly trained observers.
Movies and TV shows sometimes use the word "Galaxy" and "Solar System" int
erchangeably, despite the fact that one refers to Billions of Suns (stars)
, and the other refers to our sun and its planets.
Many people in business, that I have spoken to, don't seem to understand t
he difference between a planet and a star, or that the sun is in fact a st
ar that is near to us.
So it doesn't surprise me that they promulgate simple religions, that teac
h separation of God and Man, that do not recognize or teach any harmony wi
th nature,  and that discourage any closer investigation of their theology
 by stating that all that is required of man is blind faith!


The Gold Sabbats
 (Does not include the (Lunar) Silver Sabbats, they change dates every yea
r)
Vernal Equinox - Sun 0 Degrees Aries - March 20 (see ephemeride)
This is attributed to the Direction East, being the time that the Sun is e
xactly between the "Night" of the Winter Solstice and the "Day" of the Sum
mer Solstice.
In Babalon this was the time of the annual congress of the Gods, they met
to decide the fate of the world, and men.
In modern times we see this day is the symbolic "sunrise" of the Great Day
, the year. The Vernal Equinox, New Years Day to Thelemites, is the beginn
ing of our sacred year. We mark the start of the Solar cycle here rather t
han at the winter solstice, for the beginning of the Aeon of the Crowned a
nd Conquering Child occurred here in 1904. The Ritual to be done is given
in The Equinox of the Gods and is called "INVOCATION OF HORUS ACCORDING TO
 THE DIVINE VISION OF W., THE SEER."
The password, for the period of time until the Autumnal Equinox, is chosen
 from one of the Class A Holy Books.  The method generally used is to take
 the Magick Ring, and opening the Holy Books at random, choose a word with
 the Ring. Keep your eyes closed and place the ring on the open page. Now
without moving it look and see which word it touches most. This word is th
en given to the members. Since the local members are well known to the Bla
ck Guard, the principle use of this word is the case where someone claims
to have been invited by a member to the meeting. In this case the member w
ill have given the guest a sentence containing the word to say to the blac
kguard, not the word itself, nor even the frequency with which a new word
is chosen. If the sentence contains the word (and a bit of the personality
 of the person inviting) the Black Guard will admit the guest to those fun
ctions which he or she has a right to attend. It is likely that passwords
will be revealed to the profane, but not often and not for long.
In ancient times, on this day or at mid spring, a sacrifice of blood is gi
ven that the crops of the celebrants be propitious in the year to come. I
suggest that the Mass of the Phoenix, Liber XLIV, may be used prior to the
 ceremony rather than the bowl of blood and shreds of human flesh used thr
oughout the ancient world. Also in ancient times, perhaps as human sacrifi
ce was prohibited, a bowl or cup of menstrual blood was sprinkled on cakes
 or fields to make them fertile. In The Gnostic Mass, Liber XV, there is a
lso a ritual that practices these Mysteries.
In view of certain health problems that could theoretically happen, though
 I've never heard of any occurring, some celebrate the Sacramental rite on
ly with those with whom they are, or are willing to be, lovers.  Others us
e wine, or other spirits, to purify the Lion and Eagle just prior to the c
eremony. Still others dry these substances to powders in direct sunlight.
In order that there be an equilibrated Sacrament both the Lion, in the for
m of semen, and the Eagle, (white and red) in the form of the Kala of exci
tement, and menstruation, may be used. For instructions on the preparation
 of this sacrament. See especially the verse and comment of: Liber AL III.
34 and Liber AL III.23 - III.29.

Liber AL - April 8,9,10
Liber AL II.38: "A Feast for the three days of the writing of the Book of
the Law."
Beginning at exactly high noon, a reading of The Book of the Law begins th
e Feast. We have found that there are both advantages and disadvantages to
 involving the attendees in a round-robin reading. A round-robin reading i
s one in which each takes a verse, or line from the MS, and reads it in tu
rn. The advantage is that all participate, the disadvantage is that not ev
eryone is an orator. Following the reading the feasting begins. The decora
tions and method of celebration are determined by the Chapter in question.
April 8 - Nuit Chapter
Most verses can be considered as instructions in the relations of Nuit wit
h her worshippers. Consider that verse 17 may refer also in another way, p
ause slightly after the word "not". Liber NU (Liber LVI) gives further ins
tructions for those, who know who they are. If ever there were an excuse f
or a religious orgy this day is it. On this day, of all days, obey the ins
tructions in Liber AL I.51-52: ". Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fin
e apparel: eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! Also
take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where, and with whom ye
will. But always unto me. (52.) If this be not aright; if ye confound the
space-marks, saying: They are one, or saying, They are many; if the ritual
 be not ever unto me; then expect the direful judgments of Ra-Hoor-Khuit!"
 Remember all the verses in this chapter may be considered as instructions
 in this respect. Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass, at the very least, should be
 performed (See Liber AL I.61-63).
April 9 - Hadit Chapter
As before, most verses, of this chapter may be considered as instructions
in how worship is to be conducted. This is the chapter with the instructio
ns on all the feast days.
For those that wish another interpretation of Liber AL I.57: ". All these
old letters of my Book are aright, but (Tzaddi) is not the Star." Now cons
ider this, if all the other letters are aright then no other letter can be
 exchanged with Tzaddi, it IS "not the Star.", in and of itself. In Liber
AL II.15 "For I am perfect, being Not;.", gives the final hint.
I figure most of you may have noticed that the image of Hadit is a Sun dis
k with the wings of His flight through the sky. Now we all now know that t
he Sun is Star, however the particular aspect of the Sun we are addressing
 is that aspect that is hidden from our view at all times; the core of the
 Star. Liber AL II.2: "Come! all ye, and learn the secret that hath not ye
t been revealed. I, Hadit, am the complement of Nu, my bride. I am not ext
ended, and Khabs is the name of my House." Liber AL II.6: "I am the flame
that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star.".
We may conduct this feast in a particular manner, Liber AL II.22 "I am the
 Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight and bright glory, and stir the hear
ts of men with drunkenness. To worship me take wine and strange drugs wher
eof I will tell my prophet, & be drunk thereof! They shall not harm ye at
all. It is a lie, this folly against self. The exposure of innocence is a
lie. Be strong, o man! lust, enjoy all things of sense and rapture: fear n
ot that any God shall deny thee for this." Liber AL II.8: "Who worshipped
Heru-pa-Kraath have worshipped me; ill, for I am the worshipper."
April 10 - Ra-Hoor-Khuit Chapter
Liber AL III.11: ". Worship me with fire & blood; worship me with swords &
 with spears. Let the woman be girt with a sword before me: let blood flow
 to my name. Trample down the Heathen: be upon them, o warrior, I will giv
e you of their flesh to eat!"
Liber AL III.12-15: "Sacrifice cattle little and big: after a child. But n
ot now. Ye shall see that hour, o blessed Beast, and thou the Scarlet Conc
ubine of his desire! Ye shall be sad thereof." (Some see in this verse a c
elebration to be done after the birth of a child.) Kill the fatted calf, t
his is an assembly of warriors, armed for the fight. Men and Women armed a
like with sword and spear, (the symbol of air and fire, both extended from
 the dagger and wand). Verses 21-38 give very specific instructions on the
 preparation of the Temple in respect to this feast.
The O.T.O. is just such a group of warriors, and understand clearly, you w
ho would contend with the forces of restriction; we fight, we don't play.
You are in great danger in any combat, physical or otherwise.
Liber AL III.42 "The ordeals thou shalt oversee thyself, save only the bli
nd ones. Refuse none, but thou shalt know & destroy the traitors. I am Ra-
Hoor-Khuit; and I am powerful to protect my servant. Success is thy proof:
 argue not; convert not; talk not overmuch. Them that seek to entrap thee,
 to overthrow thee, them attack without pity or quarter & destroy them utt
erly. Swift as a trodden serpent turn and strike! Be thou yet deadlier tha
n he! Drag down their souls to awful torment: laugh at their fear: spit up
on them!" As Crowley notes: "'Ordeals': refer to the Comment on Chapter I,
 verses 32 seq. 'traitors': see Liber 418. 1st Aethyr."


Midspring - Sun 15 Degrees of Taurus - May 5 (aprox.) - Earth
In olden times realize that the constellations had not been reduced to 12
signs. The great ages, or Aeons, were considered in a different light. Sin
ce the sky was the basis of all their considerations, observational astron
omy, and not mathematical calculations, would be used to announce the "age
" or Aeon.
They would have considered that the first new moon, after the Vernal Equin
ox, marked the beginning of this age. Then they would have sacrificed the
white bull with golden horns, as they did at each new year, so long as the
 equinox occurred while the sun was still in Taurus.
The Bull of Heaven (Gud.anna) was created by ANU, at the insistence of ISH
TAR so that Gilgamesh would be defeated for the insult, of refusing Her ad
vances.
In the time of Nebuchadnezzar, 604-561 BC, half a century after the sack o
f Thebes by the Assyrians, the Babylonians are still referring to the exal
tation of the moon as in Pleiades, so by this time the constellations stil
l had not been taken that extra step into becoming the "Signs of the Zodia
c", much less had they been separated into "Signs" & "Constellations".
The rule of this king in Babylon was roughly concurrent with the rein of t
he Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty in Egypt, the time of Ankh-af-na-Khonsu. T
his is also the time of the Babylonian Captivity of the Israelites, and th
at by this very king. Nebuchadnezzar II.
Neibo (or Nabu), the Scribe of the Gods, was associated with the city of B
orsipa, and was considered also to be the personification of the sky at th
e winter solstice, marked by the helical rising of the star Aldebaran (The
 Star of the Tablet upon which the scribe would "forecast" fate).
Today, due to 1 degree of precession every 72 years, this star has become
one of mid spring, rather that the Equinox. The traditional day for this F
east is May 1, Beltane. The Names associated with this Cherubic sign may b
e studied in the sections preceding. But especial attention must be paid t
o the nature of THERION, remember what has been said in the preceding sect
ion of BAVO MEITHRA. (BAPHOMET). If you wish you may study the significanc
e of the Bull in the worship of Meithra, baptism will take on a whole new
significance when considered in the light of the position of Orion under t
he constellation of Taurus.
Consider the significance of the Apis Bull, the star-studded leather of th
e Priest of Heliopolis. They sometimes wore a leather garment that had gol
d "Tua" stars with jasper centers, it was dyed a very dark blue. If one we
re wrapped in it, it seemed as if one were wrapped in the skin of the Cow
of Heaven with it's many stars.
There were the young men and women, the Bull dancers of Crete, who leaped
over the backs of the sacred animal in the spring rites. Remember that eve
n 10,000 years ago at Katul Hayuk, there were the Bull horn studded temple
s to the Goddess of grain. This Constellation then led all the others at t
he Equinox of Spring.   Much later came the legends of Hathor the heavenly
 cow of the sky, and later still the OX, and Fool, prophet of NUIT, the Fe
ast of the Height of Spring, the adornment of the Phallus, the erection of
 the Ben-Ben pillar, and of the May pole.
In order to make clear a feast that has not been given much attention in T
helemic circles let me give a bit of the history of the celebrations of ol
d. Bel tane means the fire of Bel, and is dear to the heart of Bel Imn.
Upon a high place, after all the fires in the country were extinguished th
e night before, the materials were gathered to prepare the sacred fire. As
 has been done, upon the earth, for millennia: a plank of oak is placed un
der an erected pole and turned in its frame till it kindle. (A sacrificial
 victim may have been tied to the pole by young maids by many turns of rib
bons, which when tight, begin to turn the pole till it kindle.) When fire
begins to spark a species of agaric mushroom is fed to the flame till it b
urst to full flame. A cake baked with eggs is baked in the heat. This cake
 has a hole through the middle through which the sacred cows are milked. W
hen it is broken and eaten one bit contains a black stone, or bit of charc
oal. The next year, unless the majority of the celebrants interfere, this
person would be sacrificed to BAAL or BEL. This Godname is also the word f
or Ball or Sphere as well as the name of a God.
Sometimes a second fire was lighted and the victim placed "between the fir
es" on the same day. In later times, or if he be favored, he would leap th
ree times through the flame, the sacrifice of one's enemies by fire being
frowned upon.
The Bailfire, which also comes of the root BAAL, must be made of particula
r woods. The cattle were driven around the fire in the apparent direction
of the sun in the sky, clockwise, and then between the two fires. It is al
so carried three times in the same direction, in the case of "need", to bl
ess a house, temple or a person. The Hearth fires were then rekindled thro
ughout the country from these sacred flames.
In later years a "May Queen" would be elected from among themselves, by al
l the girls who were not married. She would then mount a Horse and ride nu
de through the center of town. This was a great honor and the horse was th
e white horse symbolic of Epona. Not a few times did this practice reduce
the number of unmarried girls, but probably not in the way it would if the
 practice were revived in modern times.
In a modern celebration some light a Bel-fire when the Sun is 15 Degrees o
f Taurus.
For this feast there is a sacred fire made of several woods. These are of
the plants and trees sacred to the planets in the sign (or in some cases t
he constellation of) Taurus.
The location of Venus, which rules Taurus, is used to indicate which woods
, plants, and perfumes that are used in the balefire. The celebrants wear
robes or clothes of red, or jewels of topaz. The Hierophant of the Mysteri
es conducts his Initiations at this time in the Spring. At this time the "
Rite of the Door" is celebrated as in Egypt of old. (Note. This relates to
 the Empress and the Hierophant.) The section of The Treasure House of Ima
ges for Taurus is read, following that of the Sun, and after all preparati
ons have been completed.


Summer solstice - Sun 0 Degrees Cancer - June 21 aprox.
As the Equinox was the "sunrise" of the year, this day is the "noontime" o
f the year. The time of the Greatest light, for those in the northern hemi
sphere. The further north or south of the equator that you go, the greater
 the extremes. It is the opposite in the southern hemisphere, there it is
the time of the greatest darkness, and all these Gold Sabbats must be adju
sted to the conditions there. Here, we celebrate the Feast of the Day. Wha
tever your location on the earth, this is the time when the Sun is at it's
 extreme northern declination.
In Egypt this was a very sacred day, about this time of year the Star call
ed Sothis, Sopdet, or Sirus, rose in the rays of the sun just visible. Thi
s marked the beginning of the inundation, or the beginning of the Nile flo
od. We know that in later times an adjustment must have been made due to p
recession (1 degree backward for each 72 years).  The tears of Isis have b
rought the Nile to full flood, they will water the corn-filled image of Os
iris, from this flood will arise the emerald shoots of the "reincarnation"
 of the God of grain.
This was also a time among the Celts to give gifts to the Goddesses of the
 healing springs. Where a spring of water gushed from the ground, or colle
cted in a deep well they would plant flowers, deck the place with colored
ribbons and decorations made of flowers. They would also sometimes cast gi
fts of silver or gold or jewels into the water.
At about this time another celebration was held by games of prowess. Arche
ry and games were held with a great feast. Sometimes in the case of drough
t, or for a special offering, a stream would be diverted into a ditch dug
beside its bed. Then an animal would be sacrificed upon the stream bed and
 a fire built for roasting beside it. After the sacrifice the games and co
oking began. When the meal was ready the meat would be shared among them a
nd the stream would be allowed to return to its old bed.
Some would roll great wheels of yellow cheese down the hill in a contest.
The house whose cheese held together best would do well in the coming year
.
As the "twin" Godform Heru-ra-ha, called Hoor-pa-kraat and Ra- Hoor-Khut,
presides over the Equinox's; so we relate the time that the Sun is exalted
 to Hadit, the winged disk, the image of the Sun flying through the Sky. T
he enemies of Egypt would be struck down with hallucinations of raging col
or, should they be foolish enough to attempt to cross the desert to attack
 the King. Consider the Resh symbol of this feast as well, AHATHOOR the No
on day Sun (Hathor); remember that this Goddess, besides being related to
Aiwass by way of the path Dallet, is the House of Horus. She is the femini
ne aspect of the heat of the sun, in which he dwells as in a house. As Cro
wley says in his commentaries on the first verse of the second chapter of
Liber AL: "As Had, the root of Hadit, is the manifestation of Nuit, so Nu,
 the root of Nuit, is the hiding of Hadit."


Mid-Summer - Sun 15 Degrees Leo - Sept 22 aprox. - Fire
The Mid-Summer festival in Babylon was celebrated by bathing the image of
Tamuz "true son of the deep water". In Alexandria the images of Adonis and
 Aphrodite  were also committed to the waves.
Among early Christians the feast of St. John the Baptist was celebrated in
 stead of, but in the same way as the ancients celebrated these feasts. A
general baptism to symbolize the god- form, then a general public baptism
or cleansing. There is a bonfire burned after the general bathing to keep
off the cool of the coming evening. As is the usual case in these festival
s much wild oats were sewn, both of the figurative and of the actual varie
ty. For this is a festival of the crops, and of fertility.
In Germany young men and their lovers leapt high over the bon- fires to ma
ke the hemp grow tall. (You tell me why all the Rituals to make the hemp g
row tall, I don't know myself, maybe they made a lot of rope.)
In some of the countries of Scandinavia, a mid-summer "Bride" was elected
and she then chooses a "Husband". Though they were not married they must s
pend the coming night together, and do what must be done, to assure the fe
rtility of the crops. In the more remote past the Man chosen to spend the
night with the "Bride" was killed when the sun rose, or forbidden to ever
again lie with the woman who served as "Bride" on that night.
Liber AL II, 15: "For I am perfect, being Not; and my number is nine by th
e fools; but with the just I am eight, and one in eight: Which is vital, f
or I am none indeed. The Empress and the King are not of me; for there is
a further secret."
Perhaps it is only a curiosity that the festival of Mid-Summer occurs in t
he midmost of the Sign Leo, and that this is the sign of the Hebrew letter
 Teth=9 (419 spelt in full). The Season begins with the Sun at the beginni
ng of the Sign Cancer, Cheth=8 (418 spelt in full). The Beginning and Mid-
point of Summer. These signs signify, by their rulerships of Sun and Moon,
 the Beast and his Bride.
In this case as in those before it there are many hints of practices under
taken by the ancients at this time of year. First note, as has been done b
efore, the colors, jewels, and other symbols for the Sign of Leo.
By using Liber 777 you may undertake to determine what "heavenly" players
(the Planets) are to be included in the Setting of the Sign of Leo. Rememb
er that the Tarot Atu attributed to this sign is Lust.
Now that the setting is prepared the most predominant symbols in the ancie
nt celebrations could be "purged" and added in the proceedings. For instan
ce the Rite of Baptism of the Gnostic Church could be profitably performed
 after the Mystery play in which the Archetypes are presented. The nude co
uple running into the water, or sprinkled by it, prior to the public rites
 is a traditional touch.
Note that the rite of Enthronement of a King at Thebes involves just such
a Baptism. The Gods representing the cardinal points approach the Candidat
e in the center of the sacred pool, after the first pylon, and pour the "w
aters of Life" over his head from electrum ewers to wash away any mortalit
y, and expose the God that upon the fulfillment of the Rite will become Ki
ng of all the lands circled by the Sun. Further remember the Baptism of Fi
re in the House of the Flame!


Feast of The First Night of the Prophet and His Bride - August 12
This Feast celebrates the beginning of a series of workings between Rose a
nd Crowley that would eventually lead to the reception of the "Book of the
 Law" in Cairo.
In order to complete the series, some may insist on celebrating the first
night of all the women who held the post of Scarlet Woman, and the Beast.
Whatever may have happened later it was Rose who uttered "they are waiting
 for you" and led the Prophet to his Revelation!
There is of course the obvious form of Celebration of this feast; emulate
the behavior of the Prophet and his Bride on their wedding night.
Some might wish to re-enact; a marriage of a couple at this time, and the
Gnostic ceremony appropriate thereto, could kick off an evening of general
 revelry as couples renew their relationships. This Feast, following the t
emporary liaisons of the preceding feast, could be viewed as the renewal o
f the relationship with ones more permanent "mate". A healing of any rifts
 that may have gone before.


Autumn Equinox - Sun 0 Degrees of Libra - Sept. 22 approx.
This is the balance of day and night, called Equinox, that leads to the Gr
eat Night celebrated in Winter Solstice. This is the midpoint of the year
that began at the Vernal Equinox.
In some traditions a new password is chosen at each succeeding Equinox. Th
is practice assures that a Brother or Sister long absent will have to be i
ntroduced and given the password to gain access to the gatherings.
At this time in Egypt the King walked around the walls of his City as did
the Sun in the Sky. He carried a walking stick with him which symbolized t
he fact that the Sun would diminish in strength until Winter Solstice. Thi
s festival is called the "Birth of the Suns walking-stick".
In Summer this time was the new-years, the re-emergence of the Green after
 the parched summer months. The Hierogules and the Hierophant, or the King
 would celebrate this with the sexual rites with the Hieros Gamos Rite. In
anna (later called Ishtar) made love with here returning lover Tamuz. Tamu
z spent half the year in the Underworld, his sister
Geshtinanna would upon this date enter the underworld in place of her brot
her, she was released at the Vernal Equinox when her brother descended.
Remember that this is the time of balance. Some may choose to celebrate th
e rite of the Weighing of the Heart, which is attributed to the time of th
e passage of the Sun into Libra.
Should one wish to study an example ritual, there was one in the Golden Da
wn that was used for either Equinox.
In preparing for this rite we should consider the aspects of the other pla
nets to the point of the crossing, i.e. 0 Degrees Libra rather than the wh
ole of the Sign of Libra.
The colors of Libra may be used as a backdrop and some such drama as is in
dicated by the planets in aspect to this point or the symbolism of the Atu
 Adjustment may be used to good advantage, the Ox-goad opposite to the Ox
on the paths of the Tree of Life.
It will always be illuminating to write a ritual to fit the circumstances
of each of these "turning points" of the Sun, if however no one in your gr
oup has the time to work out a more fitting rite, another may be adapted.
If the Rite of the Weighing of the Heart is used, remember that one is cas
ting off their "sins" and declaring them not to be a part of their being a
ny longer. You must understand that the Egyptians considered a man may be
reborn each morning with the Sun. A ritual could make this renewal more re
al. A King had several names each taken at an appropriate time.

Crowley's Lesser Feast - Sun 19 Degrees Libra - October 12
This Feast is that of Crowley's Birthday. It is the lesser feast due to Li
ber AL II, ".; a feast for life and a greater feast for death". Some Gnost
ics celebrate a Crowley Mass on this day, and due in part to the similarit
y between the names, give gifts to family and close friends. Some, recount
ing that this is the beginning of the Prophets service upon the earth, giv
e gifts of services for their friends, or the Order, and save the giving o
f material gifts for his Greater Feast on Dec. 1.
Invocation of the presence of the Prophet to aid in the Work is propitious
 on his Lessor or Greater Feast day. (I've met so many "re-incarnations" o
f the Prophet, that it seems to me many people must be subconsciously doin
g this particular invocation. They can't all be the "true" re-incarnation,
 or can they?
Liber AL I,56: ."All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only tha
t they understand a little; solve the first half of the equation, leave th
e second unattacked.".
All questions of the Law are to be settled by consulting the writings of t
he Prophet each for himself. A point made by another is a hint of helpful
experience (sometimes interference) by another traveler upon the road, not
 a dogma.
The prophet was born with his sun a few degrees west of Spica in the Const
ellation of Virgo (not the Sign). This is one of the "Stars of the Crown"
from The Vision and the Voice  Liber 418, 15th Aethyr, "And the tablet bla
zeth ever brighter till it filleth the whole Aire. And behold! there is on
e God therein, and all the letters of the stars in his crown , Orion, and
the Pleiades, and Aldebaran, and Alpha Centauri, and Cor Leonis, and Cor S
corpionis, and Spica, and the pole-star, and Hercules, and Regulus, and Aq
uila, and the Ram's Eye."

Grady's Lesser Feast - Sun 25 Degrees Libra - October 18
Grady's sun is even closer to Spica, though to the East of it as Crowley's
 is to the West. You might say that Spica translates the light of the Conj
unction of their Suns. The word "Caliph" is generally held to refer to the
 Office of successor to the Prophet. His feast has been celebrated by givi
ng him gifts and a general feast.

Mid-Autumn - Sun 15 Degrees Scorpio - November 7 aprox. - Water
The Traditional day for this feast is November 1, however the night before
 this a Hallowed Evening, or Halloween, was celebrated in which a feast wa
s prepared for the loved ones departed.
In the Ancient times all of the fires among the Celts were extinguished an
d all new fires relit by runners from the sacred fire, lit after appropria
te ritual and sacrifice, at Tlactga People in Ireland used to go from door
 to door collecting money and the preparations for this feast. Candles wer
e lighted on Samhain to bless those who had died.
There was much feasting and rejoicing. People bobbed for apples, saw appar
itions and fairies who walked abroad on the Halloween.
In the woods strange rites were done by the wise to lay to rest those who
walked in unrest. Natural loops of wood formed when a vine or tree looped
down to earth again to reroot were crept through thrice for their blessing
. Again the divination with the cake was done with a coin symbolizing rich
es, coffin chip for death, sloe berry for longevity, and a ring for love.
Whoever received the object in their cake was blessed by that power symbol
ized.
In some places a place was set at the table to invite the spirit of a sain
t long dead to dine. Huge bonfires were lighted and circles made of their
ashes, torches run through the cities.
This was a time also of the mysteries of Hecate, the thin old moon. Rememb
er the water baptism that accompanied the celebration of the Sun in mid-Le
o. The Lighting of the Sacred fire here should give a hint of balance, the
 sun being in mid-Scorpio. The fire lighted with the sun in fixed water, t
he baptism with the sun in fixed fire. Now think for a moment. You can nev
er see the sign that the sun is in, it's light obscures it. The only way t
o tell where the sun is, is to know where it must be by the stars opposite
. Those that rise in the east when the sun sets.
With this in mind realize that there are the rites of Mid- Aquarius and Mi
d-Taurus to balance as well.
Again many Thelemites will want to celebrate a Gnostic Mass and, especiall
y at this time, use the long list of the Gnostic Saints rather than the ab
breviated one. After the saints are present among the celebrants a feast i
n which they are viewed as participants might be appropriate. People could
 dress in the costumes of these persons and entertain the others with quot
ations from their works or tales of their valor. Death is but transition a
nd you may be sure that some of these are, in fact, physically present, if
 they were not it would be a sad day for the O.T.O.
Note that this is a feast of Water, or Scorpio. Take to heart the triune s
ymbolism attributed thereunto. The Eagle, the Serpent, the Scorpion. This
also is a Sign of Regeneration and there will be many strange children bor
n of the Sexual energy of this night, corporeal and not.
The decorations may be prepared by using the symbols traditionally attribu
ted to the Atu of Thoth and the columns of Liber 777, as has been said bef
ore.
Check out the relations of the planets in this sign of the Zodiac by consi
dering their aspects with each other and thrown to them from other places
in the Zodiac.
As in all the Cross-Quarterly Sabbats it is a good idea to do a General in
vocation of the Four Cherubic Signs after the pattern of Liber Samekh, the
 Watchtowers, Liber Regulae, or another rite of your own device, prior to
the special emphasis upon Scorpio.

Crowley's Greater Feast - Sun 9 Degrees Sagittarius - December 1
At this time the sun was very near Antares in the Constellation of Scorpio
 (not the sign) and the symbolism could not be more appropriate. The legac
y of the Prophet at the time of his death should be celebrated and the Gre
ater Ritual that he asked to have done should certainly be considered for
public use. May he be blessed in the way that he Will. Remember he was a h
abitual reincarnate by his own admission and your rite must not sink into
past-tense morbidity. Some choose to give gifts at this the Greater Crowle
y Mass, after all it is his gifts to us we celebrate. Again note that Cor
Scorpionis is another of the "Stars of the Crown" to  which we have previo
usly referred. The celebrations referred to the "Fixed Stars" separate fro
m the calendar date and precess 1 degree every 72 years. Later there will
be two feasts: one to mark the Suns conjunction with the Star, another a c
alendar anniversary that stays more, or less in sync with the seasons.

Winter Solstice - Sun 0 degrees Capricorn - December 21 aprox.
This Feast is the celebration of the greatest Night, as the Summer Solstic
e is the celebration of the Greatest Day.
In the Northern Hemisphere the sun is furthest to the South, bringing Summ
er to the Southern Hemisphere, and the arc of it's daily passage is lowest
 in the sky. The longest night. After this time the sun will rise slowly h
igher each day, so this time of the turning of the sun was taken as the be
ginning of the New Year, though the heart of winter yet remains.
The Persians Celebrated the Birth of the Savior Meithra on the 25th of Dec
ember in ancient times, and from this practice the Christians took the dat
e of the birth of their Savior as well.
This is the Midnight of the Year. Liber AL III, 74 "There is a splendour i
n my name hidden and glorious, as the sun of midnight is ever the son".
Among the Egyptians at the time of winter solstice a gilt cow was carried
seven times round the temple. Again note that Ahathoor is related to the h
eat of the noon-day sun and this is the time of the midnight of the year.
After this the outsides of the houses were kept illuminated the whole nigh
t with oil lamps throughout the whole of Egypt.
The Persians celebrated the festival of fire called Sada or Sasa at the so
lstice and kindled bonfires everywhere. Some even sent fire aloft tied to
birds, or thrown, or whirled through the air.
In Syria and later in Egypt the Birth of the Sun was celebrated in the inn
er shrines of the Temples and at midnight the priests and priestesses woul
d rush out exclaiming "The Virgin has brought fourth", amid much shaking o
f the Sistrums; and "The Light is Waxing" amid sounding of instruments of
music.
In the East the Goddess thus represented was Astarte or Ishtar, in Egypt H
athor. The image of Harpocrates (Son of Ra and Hathoor) was brought forth
and exhibited to the worshippers.
Liber AL II, 8: "Who worshipped Heru-pa-kraath have worshipped me; ill, fo
r I am the worshipper."
Though a feast of Khephra could be held at this time to celebrate this the
 longest night. The Lights and Rites to Hathor may be seen as calling fort
h the heat of the Sun that will be higher each day hence till the Solstice
 of Summer.
This is the time of the Rite of the Pool of Heliopolis, remember that wors
hip is the stated function of He who wears the sidelock; that, that we wor
ship, we are! Deus ex Homo.
For those who wish this is again a time of the giving of gifts, some may n
eed help to make it through the winter.
Remember to check the planets and other macrocosmic signs before construct
ing a rite and arranging the decorations from 777.  The lighting of bonfir
es or of lights is an old tradition, as is a torch procession and the sing
ing of songs.

Mid-Winter - Sun in 15 Degrees Aquarius - Feb 4 approx. - Air
The Traditional time of this feast is February 2, called Candlemass, Imbol
c, or Briget's Day.
This celebration in Scotland is related to the revival of vegetation and i
n the olden times a young woman may have "revived" an older man, symbolizi
ng the winter again coming to life to give birth to the Spring.
In later times a bed of straw, illuminated by candles, was prepared and wi
th the mistress of the house leading the chant "Briid is welcome" three ti
mes. Upon arising the ashes of the fire are checked for the imprint of Bri
id's Club, propitious if found.   In other parts of Europe men and women w
ould leap high with the sowing of seed and clap rods and clubs together wh
ile rushing at each other at breakneck speed, leaping high to show the Cro
ps how high to grow.
Again we must realize that the ancient tradition of invoking the opposite
forces to those in the Macrocosm. This Celebration of Air, Aquarius being
the Cherubic sign of Air could be celebrated by everywhere "greening" the
earth, by planting the seed to come forth in the Spring. The astrological
setting, or rites from the Holy Books of Thelema, may be used to celebrate
 the Divinity of Man. For Man is the Cherub of Air. The bonfire and Tantri
c practices of the Ancients may be propitious where they are the Will of t
hose concerned, and are a fine tradition, though dangerous in modern socie
ty.



1  Magick connected to the Moon
2 The rites of the Sabbats have to do with the Sun and seasons, we call th
em the Gold Sabbats
3 At least that aspect of witchcraft that employs ceremonies, is ceremonia
l Magick.
4 In the Cabal of the Hawk and Jackal, and in its various covens, we refer
 to the lunar rites as "Silver Esbats" and those that refer to the Sun at
the stations of the year as "Gold Sabbats".

5 One who has "Knowledge and Conversation" of the Holy Guardian Angel.
6 The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, and the Star Ruby, Liber 25, deal wi
th the quarters as in the Elementary Directions. Air to the East, Fire to
the South, Water to the West, and Earth to the North. The Lesser Ritual of
 the Pentagram calls the Archangels about the Magician and the Holy Guardi
an Angel within. Raphiel to the East, Michael to the South, Gabriel to the
 West, and Arial to the North. These are mentioned in the form of the Four
 Holy Creatures in Ezekial's Vision. Raphiel means "Healing of God", Gabri
el means the "Strength of God",  Michael means the "Likeness of God", Arie
l means "Light of God".
7 Crowley used Liber Samekh, SMK 120, to achieve Knowledge and Conversatio
n.
8 The Structure of Mind/Time contains the reference, from The Appendix to
the Tesseract Working.
9 See p656 in Book 4, all the Magical Weapons are described in this work.
10 The Golden Dawn was an Occult Order Founded in 1875, the year of Crowle
y's Birth. There were many prominent members. Aleister Crowley and Israel
Regarde among them.
11 The Elixir Vitae is the elixir of life. It can confer miraculous power
to a Sigil, and even heal a mortal wound or illness. It must be properly e
mployed by the Magician, and not for any selfish end, or it's use is fraug
ht with danger.
12 Liber 220, I, 3
13 Liber 31 includes this complete phrase, Liber 220: 1, 61, has "The Five
 Pointed Star with the Circle
in the Middle and the circle is Red."
14 See The Tesseract Working, The Tesseract Ritual, The Handbook to the Te
sseract Working, and Concerning the Witchcraft.
15 The following Table gives a rather personal set of correspondences that
 are used to compress the set of Symbols.

16 The Tesseract material is very much concerned with the consecration and
 use of the elementary tools by the use of the dimension of time. Most esp
ecially see the Handbook to the Tesseract Working.
17 This book, by Aleister Crowley, was published in London by the O.T.O. i
n 1938
18 The middle pillar adds to 26 and is Union. The white pillar adds to 13
and is called the pillar of Mercy. The Black pillar adds to 16 and is call
ed Severity. The whole of it is the Mystic number of 10 or 5 by ll.
19 Each of the are 7 and the whole of them are 21
20 Daleth for woman and Venus, Teth for the lust between man and woman and
 union, Pe for Man and Mars. Their union is  93.
21 Times have surely changed since I wrote this piece. Templars in the OTO
 often do not swear their oaths to Baphomet. This name has been interprete
d as referring to the Motto of Aleister Crowley, as it is used in the ritu
al, and the last two Kings of the United States have substituted their own
 Mottoes either in its place or after it. I asked Grady once why he and Ge
rmer had not substituted their mottoes for Crowley's. "You misunderstand"
,he said, "Crowley reformed the rituals of the OTO for Reuss along Thelemi
c Principles, Templars have always sworn an oath to Baphomet, and not to a
 man, even if they obey their superior in the field. This is why we are an
 'Order' and not a 'Cult' we don't follow a private individual we follow a
 metaphysical principle, Karl and I both understood this".
22 Those who have the first edition of The Book of the Jackal will have al
l the cites given. This is important not only to this word, but to the stu
dy of many other aspects of Magick in The Holy Books.

EOF