Three Prayers (Prayers to Mithras, Lilith, and Zagreus)

The following prayers are those I offer to my personal trinity. They were composed at various times and are in a constant state of revision. The Lilith Prayer was the first I used; however, this version was rewritten a few months ago when I realized the disparity between the Mithraic Prayer and the previous Lilithian Prayer. The Zagrean Prayer was written today. It will undoubtedly be revised in the coming months.

Lord Mithras,

Father and Unconquered Sun,

Through your dedication to Sol Invictus¹ you rose to be with him, to grasp, hands with him, and to feast with him.

May I be as dutiful as you, may you be my aspiration and my crown, May I come to be with you in the never-ending feast among the stars².

May I rise through the planes of the planets. May I ascend through the Zodiac and take my place among the Fixed Stars³.

Through these rites may I rise, may I be made Immortal.

AUMGN

---

Lady Lilith,

First Mother⁴, Mother of Night⁵

You who stood for what you thought was right⁶.

You who uttered the words of magick⁷ before the races of man.

May I be as strong as you, may you be my aspiration and my root. May I dance eternally with you in the pleasures of Night.

May I have health and wealth and strength and joy and peace, and that fulfillment of Will and Love Under Will that is perpetual happiness⁸.

AUGMN

---

Lord Zagreus

By Wisdom Born⁹ and Wisdom Saved¹⁰

You who were born of the Spring and the Dead¹¹ and the Sky¹²

Thus possessing the keys of Life and Death, of Heaven and Hell¹³.

You who gifted us with our spirit¹⁴,

You who shows the path to our will¹⁵.

Let me seek you that I might govern myself,

That I might accomplish my True Will.

AUMGN

---

¹ Mithras and Sol Invictus started as separate Cults, but united with Sol Invictus and Mithras being considered one and the same.

² Stars being souls are a Platonic conception which seems to be present in both Mithraism and Thelema.

³ Interesting how this ties with Ulansey’s Mithraic Mysteries, Various Mystery Schools, certain strains of Gnosticism, Qabalah, etc.

⁴ Lilith was the first Wife of Adam. After fleeing him, she begat children via other spiritual entities.

⁵ Queen of Succubi/Incubi, and other Creatures of the Night.

⁶ She felt no need for subservience to Adam, so she refused. This destroyed her marriage.

⁷ She fled Adam by use of the Tetragrammaton (Spoken). Later she gave her daughter Qalmana to Cain (Qayin) to be his Wife, thus bringing us civilization.

⁸ Lifted from Liber XV

⁹ The Serpent is a symbol of Wisdom, and Zeus took the form of a Serpent to mate with Persephone.

¹⁰ The Goddess Athena saved the Heart of Zagreus which enabled his resurrection.

¹¹ Persephone was the goddess of Spring and the Underworld.

¹² Zeus

¹³ Logical, but borrowing Christian Symbology

¹⁴ The Titans are animalistic urges and powers (similar to the Frost Giants of the North). In the Anthropogony Myth, Man is created from the ashes/fumes of the destruction of the Titans who had Consumed Zagreus (theophagy). Thus man possesses both a Physical and Spiritual component.

¹⁵ The spiritual eternal component of mankind seeks the manifestation of that person’s will.

The Star Sapphire (Notes and Translations)

The Star Sapphire, Liber XXXVI, is the Thelemic Hexagram Ritual. It is interesting for a variety of reasons. First, it contains the proper order of the NOX signs: Puer, Vir, Puella, Mulier, and Mater Triumphans. Second, it has both a tantric and non-tantric interpretation. Finally, there is no stated elemental, planetary, nor astrological attribution. One can infer from the Tetragrammaton, the Tarot, or even the hexagram itself — however, to my knowledge, this is all conjectural. I suspect there may be no attributions other than that of Male-Female, Yang-Yin, and Lingam-Yoni. I see this ritual as ultimately an invocative or evocative rite, just as I saw the Star Ruby as primarily a banishing rite.

One does not call god names in the Star Sapphire. Instead we get the repeated paeans to the Unity. The hexagrams are drawn with variations of “X et Y Unus Deus” followed with “ARARITA”. ARARITA was explained in the earlier post on the Thelemic Hexagram Ritual. “Et” means “and”. “Unus Deus” means “One God”. Thus the formula is “X and Y are One God”. This is consonant with the meaning of ARARITA. The terms are Pater, Mater, Filius, and Filia. These are Father, Mother, Son, and Daughter.

After placing the Hexagrams, the practitioner is charged with “making the Rosy Cross as he may know how”. This is a tantric metaphor. For the non-tantric, people often make the Sign of ‘Orus (aka, Sign of Osiris Slain or Sign of the Cross). You then say “ARARITA” three times while making the Signs of Set Triumphant and of Baphomet (more tantra). The Sign of Set Triumphant is also known as Sign of the Joy of Iacchus or Sign of Typhon and Apophis. The Sign of Baphomet is better known as Mulier.

The rest of the instruction, prior to the Latin, pertains to the tantric performance of the ritual. The Latin translates as follows:

Omnia in Duos	All in Two
Duo in Unum	Two in One
Unus in Nihil	One in Nothing
Haec nec Quatuor nec Omnia nec Duo nec Unus nec Nihil Sunt	These are not Four nor All nor Two nor One nor Nothing

This is followed by another paragraph in Latin:

Gloria Patri et Matri et Filio et Filiae	Glory be to the Father and Mother and Son and Daughter
et Spiritui Sancto externo et Spiritui Sancto interno	and to the Holy Spirit without and within
ut erat est erit	which was, is, and shall be
in saecula Saeculorum	world without end
sex in uno per nomen Septem in uno	Six in One through the names of the Seven in One
Ararita	"One is His Beginning; One is His Individuality; His Permutation is One."

We close with the LVX signs.

The hexagram, both traditional and unicursal, have the planets arranged in sephirotic order. Starting at the top and moving clockwise (that is, doesil or to the right, for those unfamiliar with analog clocks) they are: Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Luna, Mercury, and Mars. Sol resides in the center. For this, I use the unicursal hexagram and progress my starting point along the drawn lines of the hexagram.

Latin	Translation	Starting Point
Pater et Mater Unus Deus	Father and Mother are One God	Saturn
Mater et Filus Unus Deus	Mother and Son are One God	Venus
Filius et Filia Unus Deus	Son and Daughter are One God	Mars
Filia et Pater Unus Deus	Daughter and Father are One God	Luna

Finally, a Rood is a Crucifix. The Rosy Cross is the result of this rite.

Pentagram Rituals (Notes and Translations): Lesser, Greater, and Supreme

The bulk of the Pentagram Rituals are in English. Only the Qabalistic Cross and God names are in Hebrew. The Supreme variant adds Enochian. This Enochian is spoken while tracing the pentagrams, otherwise it is identical to the Greater Ritual.

The Thelemic variants do nothing more than add “Aiwass” to the Qabalistic Cross. Aiwass should be taken as representing the Holy Guardian Angel. As with the Thelemic Hexagram Ritual, the change is minor, but significant.

The text for the Greater and Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram can be found in Liber O. The Greater Ritual is performed by tracing the proper spirit pentagram prior to elemental pentagram. The active elements, Fire and Air, get the Active Spirit pentagram, and the passive elements, Water and Earth, get the Passive Spirit pentagram. E.g., trace Active Spirit pentagram, vibrate EHIH, trace Air pentagram, vibrate YHWH, proceed to next quarter. The Supreme ritual is done by vibrating the Enochian for each quarter while tracing the appropriate pentagrams. E.g. trace Active Spirit pentagram while vibrating EXARP, vibrate EHIH, trace Air pentagram while vibrating ORO IBAH AOZPI, vibrate YHWH, proceed to next quarter.

The original phrase for the Qabalistic Cross is “Ateh Malkuth Ve-Geburah Ve-Gedulah Le-Olahm, Amen” Which translates to “Unto thee, the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory to the ages, amen”. The Thelemic version, “Ateh Aiwass Malkuth Ve-Geburah Ve-Gedulah Le-Olahm, Amen” translates to “Unto thee, Aiwass, the Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory to the ages, amen”. This changes the focus from the tribal desert totem of the early Hebrews to the personal Holy Guardian Angel.

The God names used in these rituals are: EHIH, AGLA, YHWH, ALHIM, EL, ADNI (not all are used in the lesser variant). These names of god mean (in order): I am, Atah Gibor Le-olam Adonai (Notariqon), Tetragrammaton, Gods/Goddesses, God, and My Lords. The Notariqon of “Atah Gibor Le-olam Adonai” translates to “You, O Lord, are mighty forever”. I should also note that in Thelemic parlance, Adonai is a title referring to the Holy Guardian Angel, so this could be "You, my Holy Guardian Angel, are mighty forever".

The Supreme variant uses Enochian. They will be given in order of use, with the Enochian followed by the translation. For Air, EXARP (”Air of Spirit”) and ORO IBAH AOZPI (”He who cries aloud in the place of desolation”). Fire is BITOM (”Fire of Spirit”) and OIP TEAA PDOCE (”He whose name is unchanged from what it was”). Next is Water with HCOMA (”Water of Spirit”) and MPH ARSL GAIOL (”He who is the 1st true creator,the horned one”). Finally, Earth is NANTA (”Earth of Spirit”) and MOR DIAL HCTGA (”He who burns up iniquity without equal”).

For reference, I am summarizing all of this into tables:

Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram
Name	Translation	Quarter / Planet (Element)
YHWH	Tetragrammaton	East / Sol (Air)
ADNI	My Lord(s) / HGA	South / Mercury (Fire)
AHIH	I am	West / Luna (Water)
AGLA	You, O Lord / my HGA, are mighty forever	North / Venus (Earth)

Greater Ritual of the Pentagram
Name	Translation	Quarter / Sign (Element)
AHIH	I am	East & South / (Active Spirit)
AGLA	You, O Lord / my HGA, are mighty forever	West & North / (Passive Spirit)
YHWH	Tetragrammaton	East / Aquarius (Air)
ALHIM	Gods/Goddesses	South / Leo (Fire)
El/AL	God	West / Scorpio (Eagle, Water)
ADNI	My Lord(s) / HGA	North / Taurus (Earth)

Enochian Additions to Supreme Ritual of the Pentagram
Name	Translation	Quarter / Element
EXARP	Air of Spirit	East / Air
ORO IBAH AOZPI	He who cries aloud in the place of desolation	East / Air
BITOM	Fire of Spirit	South / Fire
OIP TEAA PDOCE	He whose name is unchanged from what it was	South / Fire
HCOMA	Water of Spirit	West / Water
MPH ARSL GAIOL	He who is the 1st true creator, the horned one	West / Water
NANTA	Earth of Spirit	North / Earth
MOR DIAL HCTGA	He who burns up iniquity without equal	North / Earth

Thelemic Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram

I primarily use this in its banishing form. Further, I use the form published by David Cherubim, and recommended to me by Gerald del Campo, many years ago. I can no longer find the original online, so I will begin by posting this form of the ritual. As with the “Thelemic” variant of the Pentagram Rite, the changes are minor but hardly cosmetic. Following the text of the ritual will be David Cherubim’s commentary, then mine.

1. Facing East, in the center, stand upright, with your feet together, left arm at side, right arm across body, holding the wand or other weapon upright in the median line. Then say:
2. I. N. R. I.
   Yod. Nun. Resh. Yod.
   Virgo, Iacchus, Holy Father.
   Scorpio, Asi, Holy Mother.
   Sol, Orus, Holy Child.
   Iacchus, Asi, Orus,
   IAO.
3. Extend your arms in the form of a Cross, and say: "The Sign of Orus."
4. Raise your right arm to point upwards, keeping the elbow square, and lower your left arm to point downward, keeping the elbow square, while turning your head over your left shoulder looking down so that your eyes follow your left forearm, and say: "The Sign of the Dance of Asi."
5. Raise your arms at an angle of sixty degrees to each other above your head, which is thrown back, and say: "The Sign of the Joy of Iacchus."
6. Cross your arms on your breast, bow your head, and say: "The Sign of the Blazing Star."
7. Extend your arms again as "L" and cross them again as in "X", saying: "L.V.X., Lux, the Light of the Cross."
8. Advance to the East, and with the magical weapon trace the Hexagram, and vibrate: "ARARITA".
9. Turn to the South and do the same.
10. Turn to the North and do the same.
11. Return to the East, completing the Circle, then repeat 1 through 7

Notes by David Cherubim
In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn you did not start the Hexagram Ritual with the Analysis of the Key Word, but with the Qabalistic Cross. Aleister Crowley changed this to balance the ritual, for it pertains to the Hexagram, which is a symbol of Tiphareth, the Sephira of Balance. Unless you feel inclined to do otherwise, I suggest that you always use the Analysis of the Key Word and never the Qabalistic Cross in the Hexagram Ritual. For as it is written, "Equilibrium is the basis of the Great Work."

The Signs used in the Hexagram Ritual are connected with the four Elements and the four Seasons of the Year. They are called the L.V.X. Signs. L.V.X., or Lux, is the Light of the Cross. It is that Great Light which is referred to in the Golden Dawn proclamation, "Khabs Am Pekht. Konx Om Pax. Light In Extension." In the Old Order of the Golden Dawn, the L.V.X. Signs were known as "The Sign of Osiris Slain", "The Sign of the Mourning of Isis", "The Sign of Apophis and Typhon", and "The Sign of Osiris Risen."

The Sign of Orus (or Osiris Slain) is also called the Sign of the Cross; the Sign of the Dance of Asi (or Isis Mourning) is also called the Sign of the Svastika, and by shape it is the letter L of the word LVX; the Sign of the Joy of Iacchus (or Apophis and Typhon) is also called the Sign of the Trident, and by shape it is the letter V of the word LVX; the Sign of the Blazing Star (or Osiris Risen) is also called the Sign of the Pentagram, and by shape it is the letter X of the word LVX. [images omitted]

The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is to be performed after the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. To use this ritual to invoke or banish, you trace the invoking or banishing Hexagram of Earth in all four quarters of your Temple. The so-called Hexagram of Earth can be used in a general way, for simple operations, like the Pentagram of Earth in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. In Liber O Vel Manus et Sagittae we are instructed to trace the four so-called Elemental Hexagrams, which were designed by S. L. MacGregor Mathers. These, however, are unessential. The Hexagram of Earth alone is sufficient. Or you may employ the Unicursal Hexagram, as illustrated below. [images omitted]

In the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, the Four Elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth are attributed differently to the four quarters than in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram to correspond with the nature of the Zodiac: Fire is in the East for Aries, Earth is in the South for Capricorn, Air is in the West for Libra, and Water is in the North for Cancer. When tracing the Hexagrams in the Lesser Ritual, they should be visualized in golden flame. When going from quarter to quarter, you must trace around yourself a Circle of Light by connecting the center of a completed Hexagram to the area that will become the center of the next Hexagram, just like in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram.

Notes by Nexist Xenda’ths
The images are readily available, so I did not include them in this post. For the Signs, they are published under their old aeonic names in Liber O. The Invoking unicursal hexagram is drawn from the top point moving in a downward right direction. The banishing is done likewise, but in a downward left motion. I tend to use the elemental hexagrams from Liber O rather than the only the Earth or unicursal hexagrams. These are Fire in the East, Earth in the South, Air in the West, and Water in the North. Note that this is different that given by Shoemaker in his Living Thelema, which uses the attributions of the Lesser Pentagram Ritual.

David Jones explained to me that the Hexagram ritual’s elemental attributions corresponds to the Enochian system, so I use the Elemental colors of Enochian (White=Fire, Black=Earth, Red=Air, and Green=Water).

Since this ritual is in English, for the most part, little translation is needed. Only INRI and ARARITA need some explanation. INRI is a formula that was adapted from Christianity. An Acronym for Iēsus Nazarēnus, Rēx Iūdaeōrum, or Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews, the Latin alphabet is mapped to the Hebrew (as given on the second line), which corresponds to the Tarot cards of The Hermit (and here), Death (and here), and The Sun (and here). Their study is recommended in understanding this term.

ARARITA is another acronym (Notariqon). It is a latinization of the Hebrew phrase “Achad Rosh Achdotho Rosh Ichudo Temurato Achad”, or, as commonly translated, “One is His Beginning; One is His Individuality; His Permutation is One.”

Again with the Star Ruby (Translation and Notes)

Language is important. Magicians use “barbarous”, “dead” and other strange languages as an aid in bringing about magical consciousness. Some Hebrew, a bit of Enochian, and some Latin force one to enter a state of altered consciousness, if for no other reason, simply because it is something unusual. Still, there is no excuse for not knowing what you are saying. As Abraham von Worms points out, the spirits are not impressed by false erudition. To recite a bunch of syllables is ultimately meaningless, those syllables must have meaning. To this end, I am providing some preliminary notes and translations of the various rituals that I use regularly. The first of these is the Star Ruby, also known as Liber XXV. The primary language of the Star Ruby is Greek.

The first spoken line is “Apo pantos kakadaimonos”. This translates (roughly) to “Flee in terror malevolent (shit) spirits”.

Next is the Qabalistic cross: “Soi” (head), “O phalle” (phallus), “ischuros” (right), and “eukaristos” (left). This can be translated as “Unto thee o phallus, strength and thanksgiving”.

Finally, we have the invocation of the quarters, which goes “Pro mou Junges” (”Before me, Junges”), “Opiso mou Teletarchai” (”Behind me, Teletarchai”), “Epi deksia Synoches” (”On my right hand, Synoches”), and “Eparistera Daimonos”(”On my left hand, Daimonos”). This is wrapped up with “Flegei gar peri mou o aster ton pente. Kai en tee stelle o aster ton hex esteeke” which can be translated as “About me flames the pentagrams. In the column shines the six rayed star”.

The only thing left is to explain what you are calling in the four quarters.

Junges
This class of beings are the children of the Father, the bearers of the primordial fire which gives rise to magick and concepts which give rise to motion. This fire & passion is delivered to the Synoches.

Teletarchai
These beings represent the guiding forces of initiation, of progress. They are the children of Junges and Synoches. They are responsible for shaping our Will so that we progress forward toward accomplishing that Will.

Synoches
These beings are the containers of the fire, the mothers which birth creation. The Will, originating from the Junges, is formed by the Synoches and manifested by the Teletarchai. That which we strive to be determines our experiences which result in our current path, the expression of our Will in the current physio-temporal frame.

Daimonos
These are the saints, those who have achieved their will and whose blood fills the Cup of Babalon. They inspire and motivate us, they are our support and our emancipation.

I’ll admit that I am still working on internalizing and expanding my understanding of the beings evoked by the Star Ruby. These descriptions are meant as a starting point.

I find the basic purposes of the attributions correlative with those of the Standard Pentagram rituals. In the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, we have Sol/Raphiel, Luna/Gabriel, Mercury/Michael, and Venus/Uriel. Sol resides in Tiphareth to which is associated the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Luna resides in Yesod which is commonly equated with prophecy, Magick, and Initiation. Mercury is the manifestation of the Will, and Venus is easily the support and benediction of the community.

Crowley viewed this ritual as a Thelemic equivalent to the Greater Pentagram Ritual. However, there are notable changes to the attributions of the pentagrams (though not so much the symbolism of the archangels, as noted in the previous paragraph). While not mentioned explicitly in the text, the attributions are obvious by virtue of the calling of the god-names. Therion is roared like a lion (Leo), Nuit is spoken as a human (Aquarius), Babalon is hissed like a snake (one of the forms of Scorpio), and finally, Hadit is bellowed like a bull (Taurus). Since this is said to be a replacement for the Greater Pentagram Ritual, the sigil of Scorpio should probably be that of an eagle, though one could easily argue that it should be a snake (an eagle would be “cry”).

Testing Ceremonial Magick (Link to an Essay off-site)

https://www.academia.edu/2283146/Testing_Ceremonial_Magick

Excerpt

The world of Ceremonial Magick is rather complicated. Various schools of thought and diverse ideologies have combined over the centuries to fragment the ritual practices of the past into conflicting and often competing methodologies. Combine this with the rise of materialism which dominates Western culture and we find that Magick itself has taken on a dubious character.

Click on the link above to read more.

Accepting the Law

What is a Thelemite?

Thelemites are, by nature, a fiercely individualistic breed. This has been latched onto by a particular demographic that works against the revolutionary nature of Thelema in favor of the continuance of mainstream normative values of modern consumerist culture. However, words actually mean things. Thelemite is no exception. A good baseline for identifying the enemy is through the nature of their antagonism to other people’s insistence of an actual definition for Thelema and Thelemites.

In one such altercation, I came up with a simple and straightforward formulation of what it means to be a Thelemite or a member of the Ordo Templi Orientis (which is a Thelemic organization to which I belong):

(1) A Thelemite is one who accepts the Law of Thelema

(2) The Law of Thelema is defined by Liber AL vel Legis (Liber AL, The Book of the Law)

(2a) Rabelasian Thelema is pure sophistry

(3) Membership in the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO) requires acceptance of the Law of Thelema

(3a) Q.v. Point 2

(3b) This means to accept Liber AL without wanting to change it.

Below are the summaries of the long, and sometimes tedious, discussions that arose from this simple formulation.

A Thelemite is one who accepts the Law of Thelema / The Law of Thelema is defined by Liber AL

Since these are interdependent, it is easiest to address them at one. The word Thelemites appears in Liber AL in verse I:40, where it states “Who calls us Thelemites will do no wrong.” In the D Comment, Crowley states “We who accept this Law may rightly be called Thelemites.” Since the word, as it is commonly used, derives from Liber AL and the comment from the person designated by that text as authoritative on that text states point one in no uncertain terms, we can, for now, accept it as axiomatic.

Many alternative definitions revolved around some formulation of “A Thelemite is someone who is doing their will.” This leads to the second point. What is the Law of Thelema as defined by Crowley? He put forth three statements derived from the text which are meant to summarize the Law of Thelema, much as how Jesus summarized the Law of Christianity as “Love the lord, thy god, with all thy heart and thy neighbor as thyself.” Crowley’s summarized the Law of Thelema as follows:

• Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
• Love is the law, love under will.
• There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.

Given this summation, it seems obvious that any attempt to use the Will as the basis of the definition of Thelemite is actually a clandestine acceptance of the Law of Thelema. One might theorize that attempts to define Thelemite without reference to Liber AL derives from cognitive dissonance with the other portions of the text. Regardless, it is little more than claiming to disagree while affirming each and every point.

Much attention has been given to the definition of the word accept. The valid definitions of accept range from “to receive” to “affirm” to “agree to marriage.” While I personally love the image created by the last definition, I suspect that such an interpretation is not what Crowley intended (though Liber Astarte could make an argument in favor). Instead, let us look at the statement “Accept The Book of the Law” in context. Both the OED and Websters provide example sentences whereby the degree of affirmation changes due to the nature of the object being accepted. “To accept a present” gives a different meaning than “to accept a treaty” (which is also different from “to accept a proposal of marriage”). How did Crowley view Liber AL? Did he view it as a neutral item, akin to a pen or a sweater, or did he view it as a treatise for the emancipation of the human race?

In his preface to Liber AL (4 Jan 15), Crowley says, “This Book explains the Universe,” “This Book lays down a simple Code of Conduct,” and “The establishment of the Law of Thelema is the only way to preserve individual liberty and to assure the future of the race.” It seems clear that Liber AL is an object of such import that its acceptance cannot be a neutral act. Such acceptance necessitates some level of approval for the contents therein. Further, the language used in his description indicates a conformance to the Law one has accepted. One adheres to a code of conduct. I will leave further examination of the nature of Liber AL and what constitutes acceptance to the reader.

Rabelaisian Thelemites is pure sophistry

From time to time, people appear trying to lay claim to the title of Thelemite but rejecting the system put forth by Aleister Crowley by invoking Rabelais. Rabelais is an important figure, which is why he is mentioned in The Antecedents of Thelema (4 Jan 15). However, Rabelais work was a work of fiction. Neither did it involve magick, occult theory, Eastern traditions, Qaballah, or Knowledge and Conversation with one’s Holy Guardian Angel. These things derive from Crowley. If they are practicing a somewhat libertine monastic tradition rather than magick, we might lend some credence to their claims. Invariably, however, they are merely trying to justify their smorgasbord approach to Crowley’s Thelema.

Membership in the OTO requires acceptance of the Law of Thelema

Strangely, this assertion also causes a stir of controversy. This is a simple matter of stated policy. As per the FAQ on Blazing Star Oasis’s website, "If you decide to pursue full membership, as a I°, you will be stating that you accept The Book of the Law as written, without wishing to change it. Even in the Minerval degree, you will be expected to make a commitment to uphold the ideals of freedom set forth in The Book of the Law." (4 Jan 15)

Since this is listed on an official OTO website, I do not believe it is a violation of any oaths for me to state that I remember being required to do precisely this. It should be born in mind that the Minerval degree is a guest degree and actual membership is counted as starting from the First degree. It should also be mentioned that the requirement is an official policy regardless of whether it is enforced with any degree of consistency. The fact that it is a requirement but not adequately enforced is one of the reasons why this essay came to be.

We can also engage in debate on the meaning of the word accept. However, these arguments are the same as above and their resolution is also the same. In fact, the argument for the nature of Liber AL takes on more force as Liber AL is presented here as a foundational document around which the members of the order are meant to organize themselves.

Conclusion

As we can see, the points laid forth are supported by the internal logic and consistency of the materials referenced. Criticisms that the definition of Thelemites being derived from Liber AL is circular reasoning are not relevant due to fact that Thelema and Thelemites are defined by Liber AL and the other class ‘A’ material. To argue such would be like claiming that Rousseau’s idea of the “Social Contract” is invalid purely because it is referenced in Of The Social Contract, Or Principles of Political Right (Du contrat social ou Principes du droit politique).

Given that these points are valid, one can also conclude that there are many people who profess to be Thelemites but are in violation of these points. It is obvious that they are mistaken. Anyone who ignores, rejects, or wants to change Liber AL vel Legis — i.e, anyone who does not accept Liber AL — is not a Thelemite. Given the stated policy of the Ordo Templi Orientis, anyone who is not a Thelemite is not qualified to be a member of that order.

Addendum

Such is the nature of the work, people who are within the Thelemic tradition but are not Thelemites will eventually fall prey to the cognitive dissonance inherent in working with a value system to which they do not subscribe. Such people will typically fall in one of two ways. One is to try and change Thelema into socially accepted cultural norms. The other is to leave the order. The first harms Thelema by subverting it into just another variation of the dominant paradigm which is, in itself, a carry-over of the previous aeon. The second merely means that the person has wasted time and effort in a system for which they are unsuited. For a list of the first, look at what people are saying and see how it differs from some strand of the dominant societal discourse. For a list of the second, look for “big names” within the order who are no longer active or are now antagonistic. They will often say things like “I was never really a Thelemite,” “I never liked Liber AL,” or “<group/religion> suits me better.” Far better to spend the time engaging in introspection now rather than finding out, a decade down the road, that you are happier being a Buddhist.

Book Review: Living Thelema by David Shoemaker

David Shoemaker, the Chancellor of the International College of Thelema, has presented us with a new introductory Thelemic text, Living Thelema (2013), which provides the novice with an outline for starting with the Thelemic material. He begins with some comments on basic practices, moves on to some material tied more clearly to his A∴A∴ work, and finishes with some advice on how to integrate this material into a Thelemic lifestyle. This material is aimed for those drawn to Thelema, but who do not have significant exposure to the works of Aleister Crowley or occultism in general.

I should probably begin by stating that I am not a fan of beginner books. They tend, by virtue of being targeted at beginners, to reduce the material to a ridiculously unusable level. They try to cover for their paucity of information by utilizing bland platitudes which are, far too often, nothing more than standard opinions culled from Western (typically American) society.

I am not claiming that Dr. Shoemaker avoids these pitfalls. However, I found them to be far less egregious than other books in this category. The fact that Dr. Shoemaker can actually write makes this book stand out from the others of its kind.

Interestingly, a journal recently released an advance article on the tendency to psychologize occultism. The target of the article was Dr. Israel Regardie.1 Like Dr. Shoemaker, Dr. Regardie was a psychologist. It is only natural, perhaps, that the disturbing tendencies to sacralize psychology and psychologize occultism are also present in Living Thelema. For the most part, this trend is a potentiality, but it is something to be aware of — and possibly be on guard against.

The book itself is divided into three parts: Tools for the Journey, Perspectives on the Path of Attainment, and Life Outside the Temple. The first covers basic terminology and rituals. The second moves to a more theoretical framework, discussing tools such as tarot and alchemy within the initiatory framework of the A∴A∴. The final section is sacred psychology. I am not dismissing the value of psychology, nor am I saying that it isn’t important for the magician to be balanced; however, I do feel that there is a risk of conflating spirit and the mind. While the maxim “As above, so below” is a given, we must not forget that one is above and the other below — or, to use language more in keeping with Shoemaker’s book, it is a mistake to restrict the neshemah by the rules of the ruach.

While the author’s background in psychology casts an interesting slant on the material, I find his selection of what to include and what not to include more interesting. For starters, the book does not include an index. Any book without an index is difficult to use as a reference. This indicates to me that the work is not really intended for actual use. At best it is intended as a one shot that can be easily discarded after being read.

Further, despite several locations where it would be wholly appropriate, there is no reference to De Cultu. In part one, there are various sections detailing the practices appropriate for the beginner. The importance of these practices are given time and again in Crowley’s work, but are listed and presented most succinctly in De Cultu.

While it is phased in, which either implies that the work is dangerous and/or complicated, most of the elements from De Cultu are present in part one of Shoemaker’s book. While I do not recall it being explicitly mentioned, I will just grant him the study of the Holy Books. He discusses Resh, the pentagram rituals, astral work, and yoga. However, of the three Masses listed, only Liber XV, the Rite of the Gnostic Catholic Church, is mentioned. According to Crowley, a eucharistic rite should be performed daily. The omission is doubly strange as this practice ties with several points that he elaborates in his section on getting started — specifically, 1) magical hygiene, 2) calling/directing magical force, and 6) forging a link with one’s HGA.

This omission is common. Either because of its solitary nature (which allows the magician to partake of the sacrament outside of the group) or because of the minor use of blood, the Mass of the Phoenix has fallen from favor. I am not saying that Dr. Shoemaker has caved to social pressures by excluding this rite from his section on the eucharist. It may be an honest oversight. Perhaps his lineage introduces this practice later. However, it is obvious that by not including the directions from Crowley, he bypasses the supposed controversy altogether.

This leads to another issue. In chapter six, dealing with the hexagram rituals, Dr. Shoemaker tells us that the elemental attributions given by Crowley in Liber O are incorrect. He states that the elemental directions given are those valid within the Vault of the Golden Dawn and instructs the reader to use the attributions for the Lesser Pentagram Ritual. He gives no explanation as to why the attributions are not relevant outside the vault, nor does he cite any source that uses his elemental attributions. Given that the Hexagram Rite is on a higher plane (in the author’s parlance, macrocosmic rather than microcosmic), and that various pentagram rituals have different attributions (e.g., the Star Ruby puts Fire-Leo in the East rather than Air), I would think that some justification for this change would be warranted. As it stands, it seems that Dr. Shoemaker just decided Crowley was wrong and just grabbed the attributions of the Lesser Pentagram Ritual from habit.

Part two is where this book becomes interesting. Part one is rather mechanical, covering the basics of De Cultu. Part two is where we can see some of the authors own opinions and ideas. Two chapters which stand out are the chapter on the Tarot as it relates to the System of Initiation within the A∴A∴ and the chapter on the Chakras. This is a practical interpretation of the poetical form present in The Wake World. Thus, one starts in Malkuth. The grade of Zelator, being in Yesod has its tasks related to the Universe card (which is attributed to the path leading from Malkuth to Yesod). Likewise, Practicus’ tasks are tied to the Aeon and Sun cards. Finally, Philosophus is tied to the Moon, Emperor, and Tower cards. The presentation is clear and useful.

Dr. Shoemaker’s chapter on the chakras is also interesting. He bypasses the whole energy vortex slant, which was popularized by the Theosophical/New Age movement, and instead focuses on their relationship to the sephirah, i.e., their symbolic meaning, and thus to the related A∴A∴ degrees. He does not discuss the chakras in relation to the OTO, instead referring the readers to the diagram in the Equinox III:10. While I may have practical reservations about the mapping of the Hindu system to the Hermetic Qabalah as put forth by Crowley, it is important to know them so as to understand what Crowley meant when he referred to the chakras. Dr. Shoemakers refusal to regurgitate the New Age claptrap that has accreted on the doctrine is refreshing.

Altogether, Living Thelema is a beginner’s book and suffers from many of the problems that all beginner’s books seem to have. I don’t see it as having a significant reread factor. Further, Part one could have been greatly reduced without loss. The chapters on the HGA and True Will are useful since they define these terms as the author uses them. The chapter on Ritual Construction is undoubtedly useful for the beginner. The rest could be replaced by a copy of de Cultu with footnotes on where to find the practices described.

Part two is the more interesting section, and I would have liked to see this section expanded. The weakest parts seem to be the chapters on Alchemy, in particular, the one titled 21st Century Alchemy. Part three was pretty much a total wash for me. As I mentioned earlier, I find the intersection of psychology and occultism to be limiting for occultism and unfair for psychology.

As a beginner’s book, it will have more value for the true novice than others of its kind. Since I found something interesting, it is actually on the top of the list. If you are a beginner, by all means, buy this book. Just promise that you will actually read the referenced Crowley materials, which, despite rumors to the contrary, are not that difficult.

1 Plaisance. Israel Regardie and the Psychologization of Esoteric Discourse

Note: a version of this review first appeared in the Coph Nia Wand 2015.

On Fuck-ups & an Apology

Why should you study and practice Magick? Because you can't help doing it, and you had better do it well than badly. - AC, MWT:2

I don’t believe in hiding my mistakes. Assumptions of infallibility lead to stagnation. I do not deny my error, neither do I attempt to clear the record of all evidence of my mistakes. I will, however, make notes on prior posts to indicate that there are errors and where corrections can be found. This records the evolution of thought and progress of the thing involved.

The goal of occultism is, in my estimation, perfection. Perfection is (most likely) unattainable. The moment we achieve, or come close to, perfection, our new clarity of vision allows us to see flaws in our original conception. From this we can formulate a new goal. By admitting our mistakes, we can thereby rectify them, and thus become one step closer to perfection. Rejoice in those who correct you, for they are aiding you in your quest for perfection. [One should differentiate between someone disagreeing with you and proving that you are wrong. Test the spirits of the corporeal as well as those summoned to your circle.]

That being said, let me get to the point of this post. While I have been studying, and practicing, Thelemic ritual for some time, they tended to move in bursts and spurts. I committed the various rituals to memory and continued on. Sadly, it seems that the fallow periods caused me to forget some elements and when I started up again, my brain filled in the forgotten pieces. Some of these were probably correct, but many were wrong. This can be evidenced by the various addenda and errata I have had to make for the various articles I have posted. Over the past year or so, I have been performing these rituals daily and their errors have become more pronounced. People would come and drop information that clarified points. The frustration of being corrected has caused me to refer to the source documents again and again.

This brings me to the first point, constantly review the source material. Liber O is invaluable. Any ritual not there can be found on the web. Check multiple versions to ensure that you aren’t finding some strange variant. This is especially important if one has taken a hiatus. Reverify to make sure you haven’t regressed to prior misconceptions and bad habits. Make notes and use them. When I start a new ritual, I type it up and set it with my collection for reference during my practices. Eventually, it will be committed to memory and then it goes into an inactive pile which is available “just in case”.
So, to sum up, I apologize to any and all of you who may have been led astray by my errors. Please look forward to corrected versions being written.

Errata: Yet another addendum to the TLRP

Found out that my elemental attributions for the LRP were off. A friend of mine explains them using Enochian. The reason why the LRP is mapped to the tree in such a weird way (standing on the back) is that the angels are in those places (i.e, the Enochian planetary attributions for the angels put them there). There is a rough correlation with the Powers of the Sphinx as well.

• Raphiel: Yahweh: East: Sun/Tiphareth/Air
• Michael: Adonai: South: Mercury / Hod / Fire
• Gabriel: Ehieh: West: Luna / Yesod / Water
• Uriel: AGLA: North: Venus / Netzach / Earth

Confucianism, Thelema, and Tradition [418 Words]

This is the last of my targeted word count writings. Future work will be less artificially constrained.

Recently, I have been fascinated by Confucianism. It created a meritocratic system of self-cultivation that lasted for centuries. While its practice may never have matched its ideals, I think we can learn much from this tradition. The official Thelemic viewpoint on Confucianism is favorable as well. The prophet references it in his new comment for verse III:53. Mongol is taken to be a probable reference to Confucianism (personally, I think it refers to all traditions of the “Mongols”). It, along with Buddhism, Hinduism, and the Qabalah, are taken as correct in essence, but imperfect in practice.

These practices have, by virtue of Crowley, Guénon, and Evola, had their flesh torn, as per III:53. The sole exception seems to be Confucianism. Crowley addressed Buddhism, Qabalah, Taoism, and the two traditions from III:51-52 (Christianity and Islam). Guénon dealt with Hinduism, Christianity, and Islam. Evola addressed Buddhism. These aren’t exhaustive, but reflect their work in conjunction with III:50-54. Other than a brief mention in Evola’s work on Taoism (in itself, a brief gloss), Confucianism has been largely ignored. This is unfortunate, as few traditions have the innate restorative power for a world fallen into the Kali Yuga as does Confucianism. It’s meritocratic methodology would restore the “confusion of the castes” that Guénon and Evola chronicled. Further, it would be self-selected and free from any bias other than the inherent bias of ascription to the principles being espoused (in this case, Thelema). Also, the intent of Confucianism seems to be replicated in Crowley’s vision of the AA and the reading lists.

The purpose of Confucianism is the cultivation of the superior man. To achieve this, one studies and practices the prescribed teachings. Beyond this, many Chinese dynasties utilized Confucian knowledge as the base for selecting government officials. Testing was a necessary component and one’s score determined one’s position within the government. These tests looked much like those I have seen for entrance into the A∴A∴. While some questions were capable of being answered by rote memorization, certain questions were designed so as to allow the student to show their own comprehension and internalization of the material. These questions had no specific answer (though they probably had wrong answers).


The A∴A∴ system, as it was written by Crowley, seems to be Confucian in nature. One is given Thelemic texts to study, along with materials meant to illuminate understanding and provide background to the texts. These are conjoined to practices which are meant to provide an experiential reference.

Commentaries for AL III:50-54 (Old & New, there is no published "D" commentary for chapter III)

The Old Comment for this entire section is brief.

Appears to be a plain instruction in theology and ethics. I do not understand “Din.” Bahlasti = 358, and Ompedha, perhaps, 210. [Old Comment III:48-62]

All other commentary is from the new comment.

III:50:Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!
III:51:With my Hawk's head I peck at the eyes of Jesus as he hangs upon the cross.

We are to consider carefully the particular attack of Heru Ra Ha against each of these 'gods' or prophets; for though they be, or represent, the Magi of the past, the curse of their Grade must consume them.

Thus it is the eyes of 'Jesus' – his point of view – that must be destroyed; and this point of view is wrong because of his Magical Gesture of self-sacrifice.

One must not for a moment suppose that this verse supports the historicity of 'Jesus.' 'Jesus' is not, and never was, a man; but he was a 'god,' just as a bundle of old rags and a kerosene tin on a bush may be a 'god.' There is a man-made idea, built of ignorance, fear, and meanness, for the most part, which we call 'Jesus,' and which has been tricked out from time to time with various gauds from Paganism, and Judaism.

The subject of 'Jesus' is, most unfortunately, too extensive for a note; it is treated fully in my book 888.

III:52:I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed & blind him.

Mohammed's point of view is wrong too; but he needs no such sharp correction as 'Jesus.' It is his face – his outward semblance – that is to be covered with His wings. The tenets of Islam, correctly interpreted, are not far from our Way of Life and Light and Love and Liberty. This applies especially to the secret tenets. The external creed is mere nonsense suited to the intelligence of the peoples among whom it was promulgated; but even so, Islam is Magnificent in practice. Its code is that of a man of courage and honour and self-respect; contrasting admirably with the cringing cowardice of the damnation dodging Christians with their unmanly and dishonest acceptance of vicarious sacrifice, and their currish conception of themselves as 'born in sin,' 'miserable sinners' with 'no health in us.'

III:53:With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din.

“The Indian.” The religion of Hindustan, metaphysically and mystically comprehensive enough to assure itself the possession of much truth, is in practice almost as superstitious and false as Christianity, a faith of slaves, liars and dastards. The same remarks apply roughly to Buddhism.

“Mongol:” presumably the reference is to Confucianism, whose metaphysical and ethical flawlessness has not saved its adherents from losing those ruder virtues which are proper to a Fighting Animal, and thus yielding at last a civilization coeval with history itself to the barbarous tribes of Europe.

“Din” – 'severity' or 'judgment' may refer to the Jewish Law, rather than to the Faith (ad 'din') of Islam. Assuming this, the six religions whose flesh must be torn out cover the whole globe outside Islam and Christianity.

Why assault their flesh rather than their eyes, as in the other cases? Because the metaphysics, or point of view, is correct – I take Judaism as Qabalistic – but the practice imperfect.

III:54: Bahlasti! Ompehda! I spit on your crapulous creeds.

 By sound Bahlasti suggests “hurling” or “blasting;” Ompehda is not too phantastically onomatopoetic for 'an explosion."

Note: References to the missing Appendix were removed.

Liber Resh [666 Words from May 23]

Liber Resh vel Helios sub figurâ CC is listed as the second practice in de Cultu. The first being to study and practice the Holy Books. The initial version I was taught had two parts: the adoration of the solar god of the quarter and the “adoration that is taught thee by thy Superior.” The initial adoration that I was taught was a subset of “A Paraphrase of the Inscription upon the Obverse of the Stèle of Revealing,” starting with the verse “Unity uttermost showed!” Since then, I have learned an extended form. This form is said to have been taught by Crowley at the Abbey of Thelema. I will break this down into five parts. Parts two through four have associated footwork. Steps one, three, and five have associated god forms.

Resh is to be performed at dawn, noon, dusk, and midnight. For these I use solar noon and midnight, so it is not at precisely 12 o’clock. Also, if I forget a station, I will still perform it. E.g., if I forget noon, at dusk I will do Noon Resh, then Evening Resh. As for fitting this into the daily practice, My morning has Star Ruby, Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Pentagram, and Resh. Noon/Midnight has Resh. Evening has Resh, (Phoenix)*, and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

In the Morning, face East (which you will be if you just finished your TLIRP), make the Sign of the Enterer and say “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.” From the Sign of the Enterer, flow into the Sign of Vir. Next, make your feet into a reversed ‘L,’ with the right foot facing forward and the left forming a 90° angle.

Facing forward from this position, recite the solar adoration from Liber Resh, “Hail unto Thee who art Ra in Thy rising…” Once complete, bring the left foot parallel to the right, forming an ‘I.’ Cross the arms to assume the Sign of Osiris Risen and recite the entire Obverse of the Stèle of Revealing. Once that is complete, rotate the right foot to form a 90° angle, drop your arms, face the next quarter, and sing “A ka dua / Tuf ur biu / bi a'a chefu / Dudu nur af an nuteru” as per the instructions in Liber XV.

Finally, make the Sign of Mulier, and say “Love is the law, love under will.” Finish with the Sign of Silence.

The other quarters are similar. For Noon, face South, make the Sign of Mulier, adore Ahathoor, and finish with the Sign of Puer. Dusk requires one to face West, adore Tum, and close with the Sign of Puer. Midnight faces North, has the Sign of Puella, adores Kephra, and creates a loop by ending with Vir. One should notice that the Signs of NOX of each quarter match the Thelemic deity from the Star Ruby and Liber V.

The Obverse of the Stèle of Revealing can be recited in various ways. One can sing it. It can sound quite beautiful. I believe it is reminiscent of Christian devotionals. Since I cannot sing, I avoid this. For me, I chant the adorations in full sentences, or at least in component parts. (“Above the gemmed azure is the naked splendour of Nuit” *pause* “She bends in ecstacy to kiss the secret ardours of Hadit.”) Choose the method that you enjoy best.

The image of Ra is that of a hawk-headed lord. On his head rests a solar disk entwined with a serpent. Ahathoor, a variation of Hathor, is a Cow Goddess, depicted as a woman with long cow horns in which is nestled a solar disk and serpent. Tum is depicted as the one who takes the soul of the departed king to the stars. He is depicted as a man wearing the royal headdress or dual crowns, and is associated with the serpent. Kephra is imagined as a dung beetle. One should imagine these forms when performing one’s adoration.