The Mysteries of the Gnostic Mass

THE JOURNAL OF

THE HELEM I C STUD UDI ES VOLUMEI I I ,NUM BER 1 SPRING 2015EV ANNO 111EN •

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The Journal of Thelemic Studies

i

The Mysteries of the Gnostic Mass

THE JOURNAL OF

THE HELEM I C STUD UDI ES

VOLUM EI I I ,NUM BER 1 SPRING 2015EV ANNO 111EN •

theMYSTERI ESof theGNOSTI C M ASS The Journal of Thelemic Studies

ii


THE JOURNAL OF

THE HELEM I C STUD UDI ES

VOLUM EI I I ,NUM BER 1 SPRING 2015EV ANNO 111EN •

theMYSTERI ESof theGNOSTI C M ASS The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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VolumeI I I ,Number1 SPRING 2015EV ANNO 111EN •

SPECI CI ALI SSUE:

The Mysteries of the Gosti! M"ss This special issue is dedicated to all those who hae found !i"ht# !ife# !oe# and !i$erty in their e%perience of this Sacred &ite' So mote it $e' The opinions of the authors herein are solely their own' They do not represent the opinions of The Journal of Thelemic Studies# Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica# Ordo Templi Orientis# or anyone else' The Journal of Thelemic Studies is created ) edited $y *rater IAO+,+' -ou are encoura"ed to contact him with .uestions# comments# and/or su$missions at frater0dot1iao+,+0at1"mail0dot1com The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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Coer art2 $y Mitchell Nolte The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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S;ECIA! ISS(E

TheMysteri esoftheGnosti cMass The Editor

OTO Archies

?'@' Crow

Sa$aBius >

*rater Iaon

Tau ;olyphilus

Soror Matheis ) *rater Jones

Crai" @erry *rater sAM-y-ADhI

IAO+,+





Gre"ory ;eters @rother hmxlm

#y)

*rater M';'D'

Jimmy Tyrrell

@rother O$elos

*rater Enatheleme

@rother Samael

Daid ill

Soror *ieri *acias

Soror *reya

Sister attie Kuinn

Olier Althoen

Olier Althoen


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I ntroducti on #y the E$itor Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

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he Gnostic Mass is an unima"ina$ly su$lime yet unfathoma$ly comple% ceremony' The Mass comple%ity is open only to those who dare to plun"e time and time a"ain into its mysterious depths' On the other hand# the Mass su$limity is accessi$le to all2 at least to all who can "o $eyond simply 3$ein" at Mass4 to en"a"in" in the Mass# to $ecomin" part of the archetypal drama that unfolds with each cele$ration' Then# enfolded in its su$limity# we may hear its mystic callin"s2 Its !aw proclaims the !i$erty of All' Its @eauty emanates the !oe of perfect (nderstandin"' Its Ecstasy cele$rates the Sacrament of !ife' Its Mysteries contain unendin" unfoldin"s of the !i"ht' *or those who hae allowed themseles to participate consciously in the Gnostic Mass L nowin" it to $e the sacred manifestation of the Infinite# the Eternal piercin" the temporal L they now well its su$limity' And if the Gnostic Mass su$limity unlocs the eart# its unfathoma$le comple%ity and depth i"nite the Mind'

mi"ht e%pect' An entire $oo could 5and should9 $e written simply on the connections $etween ?a"ners ;arsial and the Gnostic Mass# or the meanin" of the ?ords A(MGN and IAO as they are used in the Mass# or the formula of Tetra"rammaton as e%pressed throu"hout the Mass# and many other thin"s' The depth of potential o$ects of study and contemplation is truly unfathoma$le'

Alon" with the immense amount of possi$le su$ects# there is a correspondin" amount of contemporary Thelemites who are en"a"in" with this wor' This special issue of The Journal of Thelemic Studies is a showcase of a wide ariety of writin"s on the Gnostic Mass' It is meant to $e a compendium of arious ideas for interested students# as well as a testament to the liely "rowth of the Thelemic current' ;uttin" this issue to"ether was a special treat to me# as I saw that so many people were Bealously enthusiastic a$out the Mass' There is simply not enou"h space to contain all the e%citin" new *or those interested in understandin" writin" and other wor around the Mass that is sym$olism# the Gnostic Mass is a erita$le happenin" across the entire "lo$e' treasure troe' Eery little $it of the Mass is a ?e hae an amaBin" selection of material ra$$it hole that often "oes far deeper than one for this issue# so lets "et ri"ht to it then *raternally#

!oe is the law# loe under will' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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Typescript from +<+=# e'' The note written in the topri"ht corner is in Aleister Crowleys hand and it reads# 3CriticiBe from a practical standpoint ☉ 4 The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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TheMani festo ofthe Gnosti cCatholi cChurch #y %&'& (ro) Ori"inally written in +<88 $y ?'@' Crow and approed $y @aphomet >

Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

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he world has entered 5March# +<789 the New Pon# the A"e of the Crowned and Con.uerin" Child' The predominance of the Mother 5Pon of Isis9 and of the *ather 5Pon of Osiris9 are of the past'

Many people hae not completely fulfilled those formulae# and they are still alid in their limited spheresQ $ut the Masters hae decided that the time has come for the administration of the Sacraments of the Pon of orus to those capa$le of comprehension' The se%es are e.ual and complimentary' 3Eery man and eery woman is a star4 A! +2,' The priestess must now function as well as the priest' The e%pression of the a$oe thesis in pu$lic ritual is to $e"in $y the esta$lishment of the Gnostic Mass which# while adherin" to the ital elements of the most ancient true tradition# fi%es its attention on# and its aims most truly in# the *uture' !oe is the law# loe under will'


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Noteson Crow' sMani festo #y S"#"*i+s ,° Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

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his manifesto was drafted $y Dr' ?5illiam9 @5ernard9 Crow 5+F<=  + in Au"ust and Octo$er +<88 for circulation' Crowley corresponded with Crow from May +<88 throu"h Septem$er +<8H'

Crow# $y profession a $iolo"y teacher# was also an aid occultist and Theosophist# with a wide ran"e of esoteric and reli"ious interests' In +<,<# he founded an eclectic esoteric society called the Order of oly ?isdom# which claimed to teach the hidden nowled"e of the sacred traditions of all nations# past and present' Crow $ecame an author late in his life# and produced such titles as A istory of Ma"ic# ?itchcraft and Occultism 0+<F1# ;recious Stones2 Their Occult ;ower and idden Si"nificance 0+<F1# The Occult ;roperties of er$s 0+<<1# and The Arcana of Sym$olism 0+

Newmans consecration# Crow sent Crowley some of his pamphlets# which initiated Crowleys correspondence with him' Crowley# of course# sou"ht to enlist Crows aid in esta$lishin" the !aw of Thelema and in promotin" O'T'O' and especially E'G'C'# and Crow seemed# at least at first# to $e interestedQ althou"h it is unnown whether Crow eer actually $ecame an initiate' There are no suriin" records of his initiation# and as late as May +<8H# Crowley was su""estin" that Crow send his followers to Gerald Gardner to $e initiated in O'T'O' Two documents pertainin" to Crows relationship to O'T'O' and E'G'C' hae $een circulated in recent years $y indiiduals who oppose the current leadership of O'T'O' One of these documents is purported to $e Crows claim to hae $een duly 3elected4 as head of the &ites of Memphis and MiBraim and the Oriental Templar Order in +<8F# 3in accordance with the constitution and re"ulations4 of the Order# and to hae rele"ated these rites to a su$diision of his own Order of oly ?isdom' This document maes no mention of Aleister Crowley# Theodore &euss# or Carl ellner# or of anythin" pertainin" to Thelema' The document adocates a restoration the ori"inal doctrines of the ni"hts Templars# and it eschews affiliation with any Oriental Templar "roups that do not adhere to these ori"inal doctrines' In his A istory of Ma"ic# ?itchcraft and Occultism # Crow maes it clear that he does not $eliee that the ori"inal doctrines of the Templars included any teachin"s re"ardin" se%ual ma"ic'

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Now# Crowleys documented successor as head of O'T'O' was# of course# arl Germer' Also# the Constitution of O'T'O' does not prescri$e election as the mechanism of succession to the office of O''O' *urthermore# $efore Crows death in +
important document as a !etter of ;atriarchal appointment would "o completely unmentioned' Een if this document were alid# which is far from certain# it does not include any statement of a$dication of supreme authority in E'G'C'# nor does it include any indication that the ri"hts $estowed are# in any way# e%clusie' It would# therefore# hae constituted an appointment of a su$ordinate# possi$ly one of seeral such' Crow neer attempted to actiate E'G'C' in En"land# and neer attempted to assert control oer it elsewhere# so the si"nificance of this document 5if any9 is as moot as that of the other document'

Crows ori"inal te%t read# 3The time has come for i"h Initiates to administer the Sacraments of the Pon of orus to those The other document purports to $e capa$le of comprehension'4 On Crowleys proof Aleister Crowleys appointment of Crow as copy# he struc out the words 3for i"h Initiates4 ;atriarch of the Thelemic E'G'C'# dated Au"ust and wrote in the mar"in# 3I always dislie +<88# the same date as the ori"inal# rou"h draft dra""in" in these claims' @esides# .uite low of the Manifesto' This document 5which# to my initiates can do this wor'4 nowled"e# is unsi"ned9 contains a num$er of Interestin"ly# the words 3the time has striin" stylistic similarities to Crows ori"inal come for i"h Initiates to administer the draft of the Manifesto# $ut there is no copy of it Sacraments of the A"e of orus 4 occur in Crows to $e found in the correspondence archie that alle"ed ;atriarchal appointment document  was made aaila$le to O'T'O'# nor is there any irtually the same words that Crowley purposely mention of it# or een any allusion to it# in any of struc from Crows draft of the manifesto' One the letters therein# includin" the two letters from can only speculate as to why Crowley would Crowley dated Au"ust +<88' The letters in the hae made this correction in one document $ut archie contain considera$le discussion of the not in the other' Manifesto# and one must wonder why such an !oe is the law# loe under will'


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ThePurposeoftheGnosti cMass #y Fr"ter Iaon Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' 3Nor is it "ien to any son of man To hymn that Sacrament# the One in Seen# ?here God and priest and worshiper# Deacon# asper"er# thurifer# chorister# Are one as they were one ere time $e"an# Are one on earth as they are one in heaenQ ?here the soul is "ien a new name# Confirmin" with an oath the same# And with celestial wine and $read Is most delicately fed'4 Aleister Crowley# 3The Seenfold Sacrament4

throu"h which people mi"ht enter into ecstasy as they hae always done under the influence of appropriate ritual' In recent years# there has $een an increasin" failure to attain this o$ect# $ecause the esta$lished cults shoc their intellectual conictions and outra"e their common sense' Thus their minds criticiBe their enthusiasmQ they are una$le to consummate the union of their indiidual souls with the uniersal soul as a $ride"room would $e to consummate his marria"e if his loe were constantly reminded that its assumptions were intellectually a$surd' I resoled that my &itual should cele$rate the su$limity of the operation of uniersal forces without introducin" disputa$le metaphysical theories' I would neither mae nor imply any statement a$out nature which would not $e endorsed $y the most materialistic man of science' On the surface this may sound difficultQ $ut in practice I found it perfectly simple to com$ine the most ri"idly rational conceptions of phenomena with the most e%alted and enthusiastic cele$ration of their su$limity'4 8

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he Gnostic Mass L also nown as 3!i$er >:2 EcclesiR GnosticR CatholicR Canon MissR46 or the Canon of the Gnostic Catholic Church L was written $y Aleister Crowley in +<+, to $e used $y Ecclesia Gnostic Catholica# the ecclesiastical arm of Ordo Templi Orientis' Thou"h it is similar in some ways to the Mass of preious churches# it is written to conform with the !aw of the New Aeon# 3Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'4, Crowley wrote in his Confessions a$out the Mass2

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3uman nature demands 5in the case of most people9 the satisfaction of the reli"ious instinct# and# to ery many# this *rom this .uotation we can see seeral may $est $e done $y ceremonial means' I elements of Crowleys intention $ehind writin" wished therefore to construct a ritual this ritual2 5+9 umanity re.uires a way to satisfy the reli"ious instinct# which may $e done *ound in The E.uino% III2+# also nown as 3The @lue ceremonially' 569 The ritual should allow people E.uino%'4 The te%t can $e found in The E.uino% III2+ and III2+7 as to enter into ecstasy' 5,9 The ritual should

well as most copies of !i$er A@A' , !i$er A!# I287'


8 Confessions# chapter H,'

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cele$rate the su$limity of the operation of Its &ationale2 uniersal forces' 589 The ritual should not shoc umanity re.uires a way to satisfy the our intellectual conictions or outra"e our reli"ious instinct# which may $e done common sense' 5=9 It should not introduce ceremonially' disputa$le metaphysical theories nor imply any statement a$out nature that would not $e Its ;urpose2 endorsed $y a scientist' Crowley also wrote2 The ritual should allow people to enter into ecstasy' 3The world needs reli"ion' &eli"ion must •

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represent Truth# and cele$rate it' This The ritual should cele$rate the su$limity truth is of two orders2 one# concernin" of the operation of uniersal forces' Nature e%ternal to ManQ two# concernin" The ritual should represent and cele$rate Nature internal to Man' E%istin" reli"ions# Truth of $oth internal and e%ternal especially Christianity# are $ased on Nature' primitie i"norance of the facts# particularly of e%ternal Nature' The ;roper Attitude2 Cele$rations must conform to the custom The ritual should $e a oyful cele$ration# and nature of the people' Christianity has not melancholic' 53E%istence is pure oy''' destroyed the oyful cele$rations# !et the rituals $e ri"htly performed with characteriBed $y music# dancin"# feastin"# oy ) $eauty4H9' and main" loeQ and has ept only the melancholy' The !aw of Thelema offers a Cautions2 reli"ion which fulfills all necessary The ritual must cele$rate Truth = conditions'4 accurately' •

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•

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This .uotation also "ies further information2 5+9 An affirmation of the need to satisfy the reli"ious instinct' 569 &eli"ion should represent and cele$rate Truth of $oth internal and e%ternal Nature' 5,9 ;reious reli"ions 5specifically Christianity9 are i"norant of Truth# especially of e%ternal Nature' 589 &eli"ious cele$rations must conform to the custom and nature of the people' 5=9 The New Aeon re.uires oyful cele$rations characteriBed $y music# dancin"# feastin"# and main" loe# not cele$rations characteriBed $y melancholy since we acnowled"e that 3E%istence is pure oy'4 

•

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The ritual should not shoc our intellectual conictions or outra"e our common sense' It should not introduce disputa$le metaphysical theories nor imply any statement a$out nature that would not $e endorsed $y a scientist'

Aside from this# there are other considerations which help to illuminate the purpose of the Gnostic Mass' *irstly# the Gnostic Mass seres a practical purpose of $ein" the primary pu$lic interface of the Order 5the O'T'O'9' It is cele$rated pu$licly at irtually ?e can see that there is a consistent eery O'T'O' $ody on a re"ular $asis and is intention $ehind the Gnostic Mass2 often the first eent or contact that newcomers hae with the Order' In this way# it seres to 5a9 = The E.uino% III2+# 3Editorial'4  !i$er A! el !e"is II2<'


H !i$er A! el !e"is II2<# II2,='

H


introduce outsiders to the Order# 5$9 display its Mysteries in eiled sym$olism insofar as it conceals the I> secret F# and 5c9 satisfy the reli"ious instinct of the people throu"h ceremonial means that is accessi$le to eeryone insofar as it is a pu$lic ritual'

sym$olic of the whole course of nature# mae it God# and consume it''' The ma"ician $ecomes filled with God# fed upon God# into%icated with God' !ittle $y little his $ody will $ecome purified $y the internal lustration of GodQ day $y day his mortal frame# sheddin" its earthly elements# will $ecome in ery truth the Temple of the oly Ghost' Day $y day matter is replaced $y Spirit# the human $y the diineQ ultimately the chan"e will $e completeQ God manifest in flesh will $e his name'4 ++

Secondly# the Gnostic Mass is a Eucharistic ritual' Crowley counsels# 3Ne"lect not the daily Miracle of the Mass# either $y the &ite of the Gnostic Catholic Church# or that of the ;hoeni%'4< This 3Miracle of the Mass4 is the Eucharist# cele$rated in $oth 3the &ite of the Gnostic Catholic Church#4 i'e' the Gnostic Mass# as well as 3that of the ;hoeni%#4 meanin" 3!i$er It should $e a$undantly clear that +7 882 The Mass of the ;hoeni%'4 This 3Miracle of Eucharistic ma"ic was held in hi"h re"ard $y the Mass4 is mentioned within the Gnostic Mass Crowley and seen as $ein" of supreme itself in the Creed that is recited at the $e"innin" importance' Crowley "ies a further e%planation2 of the ritual# 3And# forasmuch as meat and drin 3Our spiritual consciousness acts throu"h are transmuted in us daily into spiritual the will and its instruments upon material su$stance# I $eliee in the Miracle of the Mass'4 o$ects# in order to produce chan"es The Mass as a Eucharistic ritual is therefore a which will result in the esta$lishment of transmutation of material into spiritual su$stance' the new conditions of consciousness As the Master Therion e%plains2 which we wish' That is the definition of 3One of the simplest and most complete Ma"ic' The o$ious e%ample of such an of Ma"ic ceremonies is the Eucharist' It operation in its most sym$olic and consists in tain" common thin"s# ceremonial form is the Mass' The will of transmutin" them into thin"s diine# and the priest transmutes a wafer in such wise consumin" them' So far# it is a type of that it $ecomes char"ed with the diine eery ma"ic ceremony# for the su$stance in so actie a form that its rea$sorption of the force is a ind of physical inection "ies spiritual consumptionQ $ut it has a more restricted nourishment to the communicant'4 +6 application# as follows' Tae a su$stance Essentially# the Eucharistic ritual of the F 3The Gnostic Mass is the central ceremony# $oth pu$lic and priate# of the O'T'O' The reason that it is the central ceremony of the O'T'O' is simply $ecause it is the ritualiBed enactment of the Orders supreme Secret of ma"ic' That Secret emanates from the Soerei"n Sanctuary of the Gnosis# the Ninth de"ree'4 L!on Milo DuKuette I># Arch$ishop of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica# in the 3Miracle of the Mass4 se"ment of Speech in the Silence# a podcast on Thelema2 http2//www'speechinthesilence'com < !i$er Aleph# chapter + 3De Cultu'4 +7 The te%t of this ritual can $e found in The @oo of !ies# chapter 88'

Mass in its most $asic form inoles the transmutation of material into diine su$stance which is then consumed# fillin" the communicant with God and leadin" eentually to the communicant $ecomin" God 53God manifest in flesh will $e his name4 as the preious .uotation


F

++ Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice# chapter 67 3Of the Eucharist and of the Art of Alchemy'4 +6 Confessions# chapter +8'


states9' @y understandin" the purpose of this ritual and cele$ratin" it as it was intended $y its author# we may en"a"e in its Mysteries more consciously' In this way# our $odies may $e ener"iBed $y the Eucharistic elements that hae

$een transformed into spiritual su$stance# our minds may $e "uided $y our nowled"e and understandin" of this "nostic rite# and the flames of our spirit may $e indled to $e consumed in Truth# for this ritual may lead us to that certain spiritual consciousness where$y we may proclaim that we are the Truth'

!oe is the law# loe under will'


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Condi ti onsforEuchari sti cMagi ck #y T"+ Po-y.hi-+s Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

3?ith re"ard to the preparations for such Sacraments# the Catholic Church has maintained well enou"h the traditions of the true Gnostic Church in whose eepin" the secrets are' is a conditionQ for some hours preious is a conditionQ an earnest and continual is a condition' ?ithout these antecedents een the Eucharist of the One and Seen is partially — thou"h such is its intrinsic irtue that it can neer $e wholly V $auled of its effect'4 V Aleister Crowley# Ma"ic2 @oo *our

T

hese conditions are "ien as applica$le to any Eucharistic ma"ic whatsoeer' They would $e pertinent to the lay communicant in the Gnostic Mass# ust as well as the priest' They would also apply to the Mass of the ;hoeni% and other ma"ical operations in which the procedure 3consists in tain" common thin"s# transmutin" them into thin"s diine# and consumin" them'4 +, Note that when Crowley writes of 3the Catholic Church#4 he is indicatin" the Church of &ome in the early years of the first Thelemic century' e is therefore referencin" the traditions maintained prior to the Second :atican Council# which oided or mar"inaliBed some of the ritual traditions supportin" that churchWs Eucharist' In a footnote to the te%t a$oe# Crowley also instructs the student to consult 3the &oman Missal# the Canon of the Mass# and the chapter of Xdefects'W4 The latter document specified appears to $e the &oman ;apal $ull De Defecti$us # which itemiBes defects in the performance of the &oman Mass# alon" with their conse.uences and remedies# if any'

+,

sources# and to CrowleyWs arious writin"s# we should $e a$le to "et a fairly detailed idea of these three central prere.uisites for Eucharistic ma"ic' The first condition is ' ?e are immediately warned $y a footnote in Ma"ic that# 3The ?ord Chastity is used $y initiates to si"nify a certain state of soul and of mind determinant of a certain ha$it of $ody which is nowise identical with what is commonly understood' Chastity in the true ma"ical sense of the word is inconceia$le to those who are not wholly emancipated from the o$session of se%'4 Since Crowley is emphasiBin" the special sense of the term in its use 3$y initiates#4 we may safely disre"ard the &oman Church resources on this particular count'

In the chapter 3On Chastity4 in !i$er Aleph # Crowley adises that 3!oe is an E%pression of the ?ill of the @ody#4 and that chastity consists in maintainin" the purity of that e%pression# throu"h ferency# firmness# and sta$ility' *urther# in !ittle Essays Toward Truth he writes that 3Chastity may thus $e defined as So# with reference to those &oman the strict o$serance of the Ma"ical OathQ that is# in the !i"ht of the !aw of Thelema# a$solute and !i$er A@A'


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perfected deotion to the oly Guardian An"el# and e%clusie pursuit of the ?ay of True ?ill'4

the personal "enius or oly Guardian An"el of the ma"ician# and his law is Do what thou wilt'

In our Gnostic and Catholic Church# cler"y hae taen ma"ical oaths under the ru$ric of our holy orders# our ordination $ein" an initiatory passa"e into the chastity of the ChurchWs Eucharistic mystery' @ut mem$ers of the laity# and een silled ma"icians who are not formally affiliated with the Church# can cultiate the re.uired chastity in the conte%t of the Gnostic MassV$y o$serin" and applyin" their own o$li"ations and consciousness of the Great ?or as communicants'

On the topic of # the &oman Church has chan"ed its rules and standards for the Eucharistic fast oer time# with some traditions and customs particular to certain countries or orders within the church' In De Defecti$us the stipulations for fastin" are classed under 3Defects of the disposition of $ody42

Insofar as chastity 3is connected only $y o$scure ma"ical lins with the se%ual function#4 +8 it depends on the free erotic itality of the indiidual' The li$idinal condition of the Eucharistic operator should not $e weaened $y either denial or satiety' In this respect# it is important to consider the preeminent idiosyncrasy of se%ual appetite' Only the operator can ud"e what se%ual situation $est facilitates his or her own chastity' The idea of su$limatin" the erotic force into the ceremonies# as implicitly adanced $y those sacramentary $odies that re.uire celi$acy of their priests# is actually incorrect $y an an"le of <7' The stren"th of the se%ual char"e induces a Eucharistic current perpendicular to the li$idinal circulation'

6<' The sic# een thou"h they are not $edridden# may tae nonalcoholic li.uids as well as true and proper medicine# whether li.uid or solid# $efore the cele$ration of Mass# without any time limit'

36F' If a priest has not $een fastin" for at least one hour $efore Communion# he may not cele$rate' The drinin" of water# howeer# does not $rea the fast'

,7' ;riests who can do so are earnestly inited to o$sere the ancient and enera$le form of the Eucharistic fast $efore Mass'4

The 3ancient and enera$le form4 dictates that fastin" would commence on the midni"ht $efore the cele$ration of Mass' Durin" the last century# the &oman Church has shown an inclination to lessen the seerity of re.uirements for fastin"# particularly with respect to eenin" Taen as a whole# the ma"ical concept of Masses' ;ope ;aul :I is said to hae reduced the chastity may $e summariBed $y the openin" of fastin" re.uirement for priests to a mere fifteen ;salm C>I>2 @eati .uorum ia inte"ra est2 .ui minutes under some circumstances' am$ulant in le"e domini' “@lessed are those who In Ma"ic # Crowley writes that the are whole in the ?ay# who wal in the law of the 3Ancient Ma"icians4 en"a"ed in ri"orous fastin" !ord'4 The chaste ma"ician has inte"rity # in the 3so that the $ody itself mi"ht destroy anythin" literal sense of 3wholeness'4 The ma"icianWs e%traneous to the $are necessity of its e%istence'4 entire $ein" is dedicated to the wor# and this @ut he claims that modern sophistication permits commitment is a dynamic walin" of the ?ay# the ne"lect of such an 3e%ternal4 re"imen# in not a static position of timid 3purity'4 The !ord is faor of the most scrupulous 3internal purification42 3?e may eat meat# proided that +8 !ittle Essays Toward Truth' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

++


in doin" so we affirm that we eat it in order to stren"then us for the special purpose of our proposed inocation'4 +=

consecration in the followin" cases2 when a priest does not intend to consecrate $ut only to mae a pretenseQ when some hosts remain on the altar for"otten $y the priest# or when some part of the wine or some host is hidden# since the priest intends to consecrate only what is on the corporalQ when a priest has eleen hosts $efore him and intends to consecrate only ten# without determinin" which ten he means to consecrate' On the other hand# if he thins there are ten# $ut intends to consecrate all that he has $efore him# then all will $e consecrated' *or that reason eery priest should always hae such an intention# namely the intention of consecratin" all the hosts that hae $een placed on the corporal $efore him for consecration'4

In my own practice# I hae found that an actual fast of a$out four wain" hours is optimal' Such a rule should $e adusted for the health and meta$olism of the indiidual ma"ician# throu"h trial and e%perience' The fast should permit a full di"estion of prior meals# so that the Eucharist is consumed on an empty stomach' A sli"ht conscious hun"er can $e an asset in the e%ecution of Eucharistic ma"ic# $ut the fast should not $e taen to the point that weaness ensues# or that a deficiency of $lood su"ar creates irrita$ility or loss of concentration' *or Christians the fast is colored $y the notion of a penitential o$serance# which does not apply to the Thelemic ma"ician' Moralistic ar"uments re"ardin" the su$u"ation of concupiscence are also .uite irreleant to our Eucharist' Instead# the essence of the fast is informed $y the idea presented in the creed of !i$er >: # which e.uates the Miracle of the Mass with the meta$olic transformation of food and drin into human actiity and e%perience# i'e' 3spiritual su$stance'4 @y o$serin" a Eucharistic fast# the food and drin of the ceremony is distin"uished as its own meal# a sacred feast set apart and specifically deoted to conscious prosecution of the indiidualWs spiritual wor' The fast promotes an awareness of $oth the sacramental su$stances and the ma"icianWs own $ody as ehicles of the diine force'

This passa"e is especially pertinent with respect to the issue of 3earnestness'4 A mere pretense of enactin" the ritual# whether to impress others# to proide for their instruction# or as a deli$erate deception# will not suffice to effect consecration' Note also that for cler"y to reduce Eucharistic ceremony to pretense is a iolation of sacerdotal chastity as defined a$oe'

Continuity of aspiration is closely related to its earnestness' Continuous aspiration must $e an inherent deelopment of the on"oin" spiritual condition of the ma"ician' It cannot $e a proisional or e%perimental attitude' It cannot $e fei"ned or temporarily posited' Many .uestions The condition of earnest and continual in a Eucharistic ritual may $e resoled on a is in some measure addressed $y the proisional $asis# $ut not the central aspiration of section on 3Defect of intention4 in De the ma"ician' Defecti$us 2 The 3Defect of intention4 passa"e contains 36,' The intention of consecratin" is one additional point which merits discussion2 re.uired'

Therefore

there

is

no

36' It may $e that the intention is not actual at the time of the Consecration

+= !i$er A@A'


+6


$ecause the priest lets his mind wander# yet is still irtual# since he has come to the altar intendin" to do what the Church does' In this case the Sacrament is alid' A priest should $e careful# howeer# to mae his intention actual also'4 This loophole of 3irtual intention4 would certainly not apply to a solo Eucharist lie the Mass of the ;hoeni%' Nor would it apply to the priestWs own communion in the Gnostic Mass# since our ma"ic does depend on the practitionerWs puissance# rather than an alle"ed transmission of "od"ien authority em$odied in 3what the Church does'4 @ut this possi$ility of 3irtual intention4 su""ests# and appropriately so# that the efficacy of the Eucharist for a con"re"ation may $e somewhat independent of a failed 5and thus 3irtual49 intention of the priest' A ma"ician communicatin" as a mem$er of the con"re"ation could receie a full Eucharistic $enefit as lon" as his or her own actual intention were fully formed and maintained' Thus# for the indiidual communicant# the communicantWs intention can $e taen to 3oerride4 that of the Mass officers when considerin" the $enefit to that communicant' This consideration $ecomes especially apt# when considerin" the need for aspiration appropriate to the indiidualWs state of attainment' In his discussion of the oly Oil in Ma"ic # Crowley distin"uishes $etween aspiration on the one hand# and mere spiritual am$ition on the other' Am$ition may $e directed to further attainment $y deelopment of the ma"icianWs nowled"e and a$ilities# $ut aspiration re.uires an orientation to somethin" which is other and $eyond the aspirant' The first aspiration of the true ma"ician is to the nowled"e and Conersation of the oly

Guardian An"el' The aspiration of the adept who has attained to that nowled"e and Conersation will then $e to the interior church# the illuminated $rotherhood which Thelemic scriptures fi"ure under the ima"e of the City of the ;yramids' Those who hae taen their places in the City of the ;yramids aspire to the ma"ic pro"ress and transformation of humanity as a whole' These sta"es are the aspirational se.uence descri$ed in CrowleyWs theories of ma"ic# althou"h precocious operators may aspire $eyond their "rade# and other aspirations may $e the $asis for the wor of ma"icians la$orin" outside of the cate"ories defined $y those theories' The fulfillment of the three fore"oin" conditions does not "uarantee the efficacy of Eucharistic ceremony# $ut they proide the ma"ician with an essential foundation for that wor' They can $e fi"ured under the formula of the masculine trinity of *ather# Son# and Interior Spirit# where2 •

•

•

The *ather is the Sun# the E"yptian &a # the central aspiration of the ma"ician# the radiant heart fuelin" the ma"ic' The Son is Mars# the E"yptian oor # the chastity of the ma"ician# the i"ilant and ferent lim$s defendin" the ma"ic' The Spirit# huit in E"yptian# is the Eucharistic fast# the $alanced appetite of the ma"ician# the warm and ea"er $lood circulatin" the ma"ic'

         '   

May the o$serance of these conditions inspire# fortify# and fructify our ma"ics# in the name of IAO'



+,


On theFormulaoftheGnosti cMass #y Soror M"theis / Fr"ter Joes Ori"inally pu$lished in the Summer 677H e'' issue of the Coph Nia 3?and4'

Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' 3The Temple descri$ed in !i$er >: follows the pattern of the Tree of !ife' The StYle of &eealin" is stationed at ether' The two pillars are stationed at Chohmah and @inah' The ;riestess sits at the intersection of the ;aths of Gimel 5The i"h ;riestess# !una9 and Daleth 5The Empress# :enus9' The Dais eleates the Supernal Triad# and the :eil stretches across the A$yss' The Altar of Incense is stationed at Tiphareth' The *ont is stationed at -esod# and the Tom$ is stationed at Maluth'4 L Soror elena ) Tau Apiryon # Mystery of Mystery

T

he layout of the Gnostic Mass Temple# set forth in 3Of the *urnishin"s of the Temple4+ clearly delineates the Tree of !ife as e%plicated $y Golden Dawn and used $y Crowley' And thou"h this is supported $y the placement of the Solomonic pillars# traditionally used in e$rew Ka$alah# to indicate Seerity and Mercy# in this schema only the Sephiroth of the Middle ;illar are fully ela$orated $y physical o$ects within the Temple structure itself 5cf' The !ayout of the Temple# $elow9'

them outZ ?e propose that the answers to these .uestions lie in the offices of the Children +H and that a close readin" of the ru$ric of the Gnostic Mass will clear up all of these am$i"uities'

!et us first e%amine these seemin"ly missin" Sephiroth in li"ht of their traditional Golden Dawn attri$utions as e%pressed in !i$er HHH ' The Tree of !ife itself is composed of ertical and horiBontal components# and each Sephira is connected to others $y paths' The lowest tier of the horiBontal components is The pillars or pylons that stand aside the one that is seemin"ly not e%pressed in the main altar represent @inah and Chomah of physical layout of the Gnostic Mass temple# that course $ut this sym$olic relationship does not of od and NetBach' @ut if we e%amine the itself e%tend $elow the a$yss' elemental attri$utions of these Sephiroth we This would seem to leae can see that their function is clearly e%pressed Chesed# Ge$urah# NetBach and in the mechanics of the Gnostic Mass $y the od unaccounted for# at least children' od is "ien the elemental attri$ution so far as their stations are of water and NetBach that of fire' This often concerned' ?here then are the seems stran"e considerin" the sym$olism of remainin" Sephiroth of these these spheres and their planetary correlations# pillarsZ ow are they and their $ut it is $ased on the typically ordinal functions represented in the aluation+F that permeates the Golden Dawn MassZ Did Crowley ust leae + !i$er >:# section I'


+H !i$er >:# section II' +F See CrowleyWs notes to Column >I in HHH '

+8


system and# as !i$er HHH indicates# it was clearly in CrowleyWs mind and thus we can safely assume that any attri$ution of these positions would reflect that attri$ution' ?hen the ;riest is purified and consecrated $y the ;riestess# the Ne"atie Child $rin"s the water from the position of od 5ruled $y water +<9 and the ;ositie Child $rin"s the fire# from the position of NetBach 5ruled $y fire679' A"ain when the ;riest in turn purifies and consecrates the ;riestess# the Children hae assumed their respectie positions at Ge$urah and Chesed' The Ne"atie child proides the water for purification from Chesed 5ruled $y water6+9 and the positie child proides the $urnin" incense from the position from the position of Ge$urah 5ruled $y fire 669' (ntil the conclusion of the Mass the Children stand representin" their respectie ;illars 5sae when they accompany the ;riest 9' At the Consummation of the Elements 6, the Children sere to carry the consecrated elements across the a$yss# the Ne"atie Child in Chesed serin" as the cup $earer and the ;ositie Child in Ge$urah $earin" the ;aten' Chesed# as we hae seen $efore# is ruled $y water and so the office of the Ne"atie Child# as cup$earer# is completely natural and appropriate' The ;ositie ChildWs office in offerin" the Cae of !i"ht is somewhat more comple%' It must $e remem$ered that while the nature of the host is passie and earthy# it contains the fiery oil of A$ramelin and sym$olically represents the seed of the ;riest 5the or fiery aspect of 9 with which he inseminates the Cup ia the !ance or Spear' 68

Much de$ate surrounds the importance of the use of the offices of the Children in the Gnostic Mass# $ut it should now $e clearly understood that without the function of their particular officesQ the entire sym$olism of the Tree of !ife# so central to the mystery of the Mass# is in many ways nullified and left incomplete' !iewise if the ;riestess and Deacon assume these offices# seeral sym$olic and ma"ical pro$lems arise' *irst each con"re"ant is thrust across the a$yss durin" the act of tain" communion' This may $e somewhat nullified in the case of the cler"y# who are used to sym$olically tain" this action in the course of their normal litur"ical practice# $ut it su$ects re"ular con"re"ants to ma"ical forces for which they may not $e prepared or trained# and it denies them the adanta"e of the ecclesiastical function# whose purpose is to $rin" this $lessin" from a$oe for their $enefit' It also denies the Deacon his proper function# at Tiphareth# in marshalin" the con"re"ation# sym$olically reolin" a$out the Sun# which he thereat represents# and sym$olically forcin" the con"re"ants to wander in darness toward the altar' opefully these ar"uments mae clear the duties# responsi$ilities and importance of the office of Children in the Gnostic Mass' In all it would seem proper and $eneficial for $oth the litur"ical and ma"ical purposes of the ritual to use Children in their proper offices as set forth $y Aleister Crowley in his foundational te%t for the performance of this ritual# central to $oth the Ordo Templi Orientis and the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica' !oe is the law# loe under will'

+< 67 6+ 66 6, 68

HHH# col'>I# line F' HHH# col'>I# line H' HHH# col'>I# line 8' HHH# col'>I# line =' !i$er >:# section :III' HHH# col'>!I# line ='


+=


AStructuralModeloftheCollects #y (r"i 'erry Note2 *irst pu$lished in A"ap[# :ol +8 Num$ers + ) 6# Sprin"/Summer 67+, E: Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

T

he seenth Collect of the Gnostic Mass inites us to su$diide the unierse into 3Mysterious ener"y# triform4 and 3mysterious matter in fourfold and seenfold diision'4 The su$diisions of matter total to eleen# which is of course the num$er of the Collects themseles' This inspired me to inesti"ate whether the Collects could usefully $e mapped onto the diisions of ener"y and matter descri$ed $y the seenth Collect'

•

•

•

•

Fth Collect V @irth \Air
Amon" other thin"s# this creates a directional cycle clocwise from the East when usin" Golden Dawn directional attri$utions for the elements'

?e must then decide how to assi"n the seen planets to the remainin" seen Collects' O$iously# si"nificant sets of three# four# Two of our choices are triial  3The Sun4 and and seen entities are e%traordinarily common in 3The Moon4' Gien the close ma"ical the western esoteric tradition# and in the $roader connection $etween planetary Saturn and all the mytholo"y from which it draws' oweer# for forms of Earth 5see e'"' the dual attri$utions of our purposes here# it is most productie to the ,6nd path in Ka$alah9# assi"nin" Saturn to ascri$e them as follows2 3The Earth4 seems warranted as well' The three alchemical principles2 Salt# 3The Saints4# with its stress on 3the mi"ht Sulphur# and Mercury' of man4 and e%clusiely male list of Saints# seems The four elements2 *ire# ?ater# Air# and a clear choice for Mars' Similarly# 3The Earth' ;rinciples4 is e%tremely Mercurial in its deli"ht in The seen traditional planets2 Sol# !una# analysis and moement' This leaes us with Mercury# :enus# Mars# Jupiter# and Jupiter and :enus# which ali"n naturally with Saturn' 3The !ord4 and 3The !ady4' Mappin"s onto any other attri$utions of ?hat# then# of the alchemical principlesZ the same num$ers is "enerally strai"htforward' There are no leftoer Collects for them# so we The last four Collects form an o$ious will hae to oerlay them onto three Collects coherent su$set# deoted to the cycle of human which already hae planetary assi"nments' A life# so it seems reasona$le at the outset to assi"n symmetrical arran"ement seems most pro$a$le# them to the elements' There are a num$er of meanin" that one of them will land on the si%th ways this could $e done which would $e Collect# 3The Earth4V and Salt is the clear choice sym$olically satisfyin"# $ut my own preference is for that correspondence' Similarly# we already •

•

•


+


hae planetary Mercury assi"ned to the adoinin" seenth Collect# so it would seem simplest to place alchemical Mercury there as well' And in the symmetrically correspondin" position on the

other side of 3The Earth4 lies the fifth Collect# 3The Saints4# which is as "ood a fit for Sulphur as it is for Mars' Our ta$le of correspondences now loos lie this2

The Sun

Sol

The !ord

Jupiter

The Moon

!una

The !ady

:enus

The Saints

Mars

Sulphur

The Earth

Saturn

Salt

The ;rinciples

Mercury

Mercury

@irth

Air

!ife

*ire

Death

?ater

The End

Earth

This is a satisfyin" arran"ement# and certainly seems to fulfill the terms laid out in the seenth Collect' @ut the order of the planets is puBBlin"' One would hope that there would $e some rhyme or reason to their se.uence' ?hen dealin" with arran"ements of the planets# it is often useful to consider the traditional se.uence of planetary hours2 Saturn# Jupiter# Mars# Sol# :enus# Mercury# !una' If one arran"es these in a circle and lins the planets correspondin" to the successie days of the wee# this hepta"ram emer"es'


*or e%ample# startin" at Sol 5Sunday9 and moin" three positions clocwise leads to !una 5Monday9# from there# moin" three more positions clocwise arries at Mars 5Tuesday9# and so on throu"h the wee' This arises as a natural conse.uence of there $ein" three full cycles of the seen planetary hours in each day# with three hours left oer 5, % H ] , \ 689Q thus each new day starts with a planetary hour three positions clocwise around the circle from the preious one' O$iously# that hepta"ram 5and the 3moe three positions clocwise4 rule underlyin" it9 does not resem$le the se.uence we hae ascri$ed to the first seen CollectsV$ut it turns out that another one wors perfectly' If we use the rule 3moe two positions counterclocwise4 5or e.uialently# 3moe fie positions clocwise49# a new hepta"ram emer"es'

+H


rim of a turnin" wheel# it is satisfyin" and consistent to discoer that the planets are oinin" in the circular dance as well' *inally# the particular hepta"ram descri$ed $y the se.uence of the first seen Collects is the Star of @A@A!ON# the feminine force identified in the Creed as $ein" co"nate with the Earth# $irth# and death  and hence Startin" at Sol 53The Sun49# we "o manifestation' ow appropriate to find the counterclocwise two positions to Jupiter 53The imprint of the Mother# !atin Mater# root of the !ord49# then two more to !una 53The Moon49# word 3matter4# on the seenfold diision of matter and so on throu"h the first seen Collects' There is an implicit cycle hereQ once we arrie at Mercury 53The ;rinciples49# another two positions counterclocwise $rin"s us $ac to Sol# and the whole se.uence $e"ins a"ain' Gien that we already identified a directional wheel with the elements# and that the three alchemical principles are ery commonly depicted as occupyin" the

It is impossi$le to now whether Crowley intentionally included any of this sym$olism in the Mass' *ortunately# this .uestion is of little importance' ?e# as the current cele$rants and custodians of the Mass# are free 5and also o$li"ated9 to "ie it meanin" ourseles' May the many meanin"s of the Mass spur you to e%cel in !ife and Joy'



+F


Book15:TheNumberofUni on #y Fr"ter sAM-y-ADhI Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' Crowley chose >:# or +=# as the num$er of the @oo 53!i$er49 of the Gnostic Mass' There is always a specific reason for the num$er associated with each te%t# and if you loo ust a little $it# a lot can $e found' If we loo at Crowleys essay 3Gematria4 6= we find# 3+=' I# Jah# one of the ineffa$le namesQ the *ather and Mother united'4 The first two meanin"s are 5A9 a name of God and 5@9 *ather and Mother united'

Son/: 59' This is seen in ceremonialdramatic form in the Mass# most e%plicitly when the !ance enters the Cup to "ie her the 3particle4 in or"asm 53&I!I(49' The !ion and Serpent 3that destroy the destroyer4 6H is then inoed' Each communicant# partain" of the twofold Eucharist and declarin" 3There is no part of me that is not of the Gods4 is that Son# a God# the !ion and the Serpent# the Child orus of @a$alon/Nuit A9 I# or 3Jah#4 is one of the 3ineffa$le 5;riestess9 and @east/adit 5;riest9' *ather and names4 of God' This is the 3one secret and Mother united shows us that this God is neither ineffa$le !O&D4 from the Creed# 3our !ord in masculine nor feminine $ut TwoinOne# ourseles whose name is Mystery of Mystery4 transcendin" opposites and all dualities' The from the ;riests speech on his third step $efore most reco"niBa$le e%ample of this is !eis openin" the eil# and the 3!ord secret and most drawin" of @aphomet who com$ines masculine holy# source of li"ht# source of life# source of and feminine elements in one @ein"' loe# source of li$erty4 from the Collects' It is a This name of God# I or Jah# is name of the i"hest God who is also our Inmost mentioned in $oth 3Sepher Sephiroth4 and Self' This !O&D is inoed e%plicitly and Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice as 3the Mono"ram constantly throu"hout the entire Gnostic Mass' of the Eternal#4 which leads into the ne%t maor @9 *ather and Mother united refers to the aspect of the num$er +=' += relates to Atu >:2 formula of the Tetra"rammaton# the fourlettered The Deil in the Tarot and is e%plicitly name of God transliterated as I: or -: associated with 3the Mono"ram of the Eternal#4 5-od# eh# :a# eh9' In this formula# - is the Jah# when Crowley writes of this Deil in Ma"ic *ather/Chomah# M is the Mother/@inah# : is in Theory ) ;ractice 2

the Son/Tiphareth# and *inal  is the Dau"hter/Maluth' In terms of ma"ical weapons# - and  are the !ance and Cup# which are also the 3weapons4 of the ;riest 5- or I# the *ather9 and ;riestess 5# the Mother9# respectiely' -/*ather and /Mother $ecome 3united4 and produce a Child# :/Son# the Sun' 6 -/*ather and /Mother 5+=9 come to"ether 5+]=9 to mae the 6= Can $e found in HHH and Other Ka$alistic ?ritin"s' 6 - \ +7#  \=# and to"ether they are +='


3The Deil is# historically# the God of any people that one personally dislies' This has led to so much confusion of thou"ht that TE @EAST  has preferred to let names stand as they are# and to proclaim simply that AI?A^ V the solarphallichermetic !ucifer is is own oly Guardian An"el# and The 6H *rom the Mystic Marria"e and Consummation of the Elements near the end of the Gnostic Mass'

+<


Deil SATAN or ADIT of our particular unit of the Starry (nierse' This serpent# SATAN# is not the enemy of Man# $ut e who made Gods of our race# nowin" Good and EilQ e $ade now Thyself and tau"ht Initiation' e is the Deil of the @oo of Thoth# and is em$lem is @A;OMET# the Andro"yne who is the hiero"lyph of arcane perfection' # the :ir"in Seed one with allcontainin" Space' e is therefore !ife# and !oe' @ut moreoer his letter is Ayin# the EyeQ he is !i"ht# and his ôdiacal ima"e is Capricornus# that leapin" "oat whose attri$ute is !i$erty'4 5emphasis added9 This para"raph identifies the Deil with AiwaB# Satan# adit# the serpent in the Garden of Eden# 3The Deil4 of the Tarot# @aphomet# the alchemical Andro"yne' They are 3-od e# the Mono"ram of the Eternal# the *ather one with the Mother# the :ir"in Seed one with all containin" Space'4 This is 3the Serpent and the !ion# Mystery of Mystery# in is name @A;OMET#46F the child that is created $y *ather and Mother# the Eucharist that is consumed $y the communicants# and therefore the communicants themseles' Consider how the !ionSerpent in the ima"e is $alanced $y the Sun and Moon# i'e' it arises with the conunction of the Mother and *ather principles' Just as adit proclaims# 3I am alone2 there is no God where I am#46< each Communicant proclaims their own Godhead after consumin" the Eucharist and sayin"# 3There is no part of me that is not of the "ods'4 Atu >:2 The Deil depicts 5in the $ac"round9 the union of the ;illar/;hallus and the &in" of Nuit/-oni# the conunction of whom 6F *rom the ,rd line of the Creed of the Gnostic Mass' 6< !i$er A! el !e"is II26,'


creates the Goat/@aphomet as the TwoinOne God of Generatie powerQ he is 3orus come to full "rowth'4,7 -od and eh also represent the union of the soul and God 5as it is said9# the 3:ir"in Seed one with allcontainin" Space#4 and therefore represents the union of opposites in "eneral' This sym$olically refers to the union of e"o and non e"o# su$ect and o$ect# in samadhi' Crowley writes# 3The -od and the e com$ine# the *ather and Mother unite# to produce a son# :au' This son is the e%alted state of mind produced $y the union of the su$ect and the o$ect' This state of mind is called Samadhi in the indu terminolo"y'4,+ The Gnostic Mass is therefore also a sym$olic representation of the union of adit 5;riest9 and Nuit 5;riestess9 to produce &a oorhuit# the Sun# the state of samadhi or union with God or nonduality 5or plenty of other names9' The union of the !ance and the Cup as the *ather and Mother united 5the *ather 3dyin"4 in or"asm in the MotherQ the e"o is dissoled in the A$solute in Crossin" the A$yssQ 3Jesus# slain with the !ance# whose $lood is collected in a Cup4,69 are the Greater Mysteries' The !esser Mysteries are those of the Sword and Dis' The Sword and the Dis are the Mind and @ody and refer to the Miracle of Incarnation# the cycle of @irth!ifeDeath that is cele$rated in O'T'O's Man of Earth de"rees# which Crowley connects with 3On# Oannes# Noah# and the lie'4 ,, One could oersimplify and say the !esser Mysteries are how a God $ecomes Man throu"h ,7 Ma"ic in Theory and ;ractice# chapter = 3The *ormula of I'A'O'4 ,+ Ei"ht !ectures on -o"a# 3-o"a for -ellow$ellies#4 3*irst !ecture#4 para"raph ,' ,6 New Comment to !i$er A!# I2H' ,, New Comment to !i$er A!# I2H' The full line is# 3'''John slain with the Sword# whose flesh is placed upon a Dis# in the !esser Mysteries# $aptiBin" with ?ater as Jesus with *ire# with On# Oannes# Noah# and the lie'4

67


incarnation# and the Greater Mysteries are how a Man $ecomes God while liin"' The Gnostic Mass cele$rates $oth the !esser and Greater Mysteries# sometimes simultaneously'

and Mother# ;riest and ;riestess# to form a Child that is seen as TwoinOne' This TwoinOne God can $e seen sym$olically as @aphomet# who is attri$uted to the += th Tarot Trump# The Deil' Therefore $y assi"nin" the Gnostic Mass The ;riest and each Communicant consumes the the num$er +=# Crowley succinctly descri$ed the Eucharist and comes to identify with this Child' rituals purpose in a Ka$alistic cipher' To There are also further mysteries of this num$er# summariBe# the num$er += is the union of *ather which can $e studied in the li"ht of ones initiations into the Man of Earth of O'T'O' !oe is the law# loe under will'

$y IAO+,+ The Journal of Thelemic Studies

6+


TheSymboli cDi mensi onsof theGnosti cMass #y Fr"ter IAO11 Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' man amon" men9 $ein" eleated to Chiah 5ChomahQ the ;riest whose &od is that which i$er >:# most commonly nown as the was# and is# and is to come9' Their final union Gnostic Mass# is a rich and multilayered releases -echidah# the supreme indiiduality of ritual' The Mass has many dimensions# ether# which communes with the entire Tree and the more of these perspecties that one sees# down to Maluth 5the Con"re"ants9' the more one can hae a deeper appreciation of This is ust one dimension of the Gnostic the ritual' Sometimes indiiduals seem to "et stuc in a sin"le dimension and see# for e%ample# Mass "ien as an e%ample' I will now "o throu"h only the dimension that the Mass is a ritual seeral important dimensions of the Mass in a $it enactment of se% ma"ic and a eiled form of more detail to show there are many different the I> O'T'O' supreme secret' This is certainly perspecties from which to iew this ritual' one dimension# $ut to only see one dimension forecloses on the possi$ility of seein" the many If one reads the Mass fairly literally# one perspecties that will enrich oneWs nowled"e# e%perience# and appreciation of the Mass' sees that it is a cele$ration of the forces of Therefore# the purpose of this essay is to discuss Nature' Crowley was a proponent of scientific certain important dimensions of the Gnostic reli"ion that did not flaunt our current Mass# althou"h it will not 5nor can it $e9 a nowled"e of the world' On this he wrote2 completely e%haustie list' 3uman nature demands 5in the case of most people9 the satisfaction of the *or e%ample2 *rom the dimension of the reli"ious instinct# and# to ery many# this ermetic Ka$alah# the ;riest is in Tiphareth# the may $est $e done $y ceremonial means' I &uach or conscious self# with the surroundin" wished therefore to construct a ritual faculties 5Chesed/memory# Ge$urah/olition# throu"h which people mi"ht enter into NetBach/desire# od/reason9 $ein" represented ecstasy as they hae always done under $y the Deacon' The ;riestess is $oth the the influence of appropriate ritual' In Nephesh# the animal soul# as well as the recent years# there has $een an increasin" Neschamah# aspiration toward the diine and the failure to attain this o$ect# $ecause the influ% of diine intelli"ence/intuition' esta$lished cults shoc their intellectual Ka$alistically# the Mass shows the Nephesh conictions and outra"e their common 5MaluthQ the :ir"in ;riestess as Earthly9 $ein" sense' Thus their minds criticiBe their eleated to the Neschamah 5@inahQ the i"h enthusiasmQ they are una$le to ;riestess enthroned as an em$odied form of consummate the union of their indiidual Nuit9# and the &uach 5TipharethQ the ;riest as a

!


66


souls with the uniersal soul as a $ride"room would $e to consummate his marria"e if his loe were constantly reminded that its assumptions were intellectually a$surd' I resoled that my ritual 0the Gnostic Mass1 should cele$rate the su$limity of the operation of uniersal forces without introducin" disputa$le metaphysical theories' I would neither mae nor imply any statement a$out nature which would not $e endorsed $y the most materialistic man of science' On the surface this may sound difficultQ $ut in practice I found it perfectly simple to com$ine the most ri"idly rational conceptions of phenomena with the most e%alted and enthusiastic cele$ration of their su$limity'4 ,8 There is a consistent Thelemic cosmolo"y espoused in the Gnostic Mass that is fairly naturalistic' The cosmolo"y is also reflected in many parts of The @oo of !ies as they were written in the same year and show ery similar iews' The unierse espoused in the Gnostic Mass is a series of dyads2 one mi"ht call them 3pairs of opposites4 $ut they are not a$solutely opposite in many ways# and their function is more to complement and wor with one another' Crowley says 3the unierse 0is1 enclosed in the law of !in"am-oni#4 which is another way to say 3the law of yinyan" 4 or simply complementary dyads'

and adit are Space and Time# or simply Space Time since it is an interwoen continuum' Nuit and adit are the foundations that "ie rise to the potential of a unierse' ?hen manifested in the world# adit $ecomes 3Chaos#4 the 3father of life'4 Chaos is the masculine principle in all thin"s# which on the "randest scale is Ener"y itself# the forces which constitute the unierse' ?hen manifested in the world# Nuit $ecomes 3@a$alon# 3the mother of us all'4 @a$alon is the feminine principle in all thin"s# which on the "randest scale is Matter itself' Therefore# Chaos and @a$alon are the Ener"y and Matter which constitute the unierse' 3GOD is concealed in the whirlin" ener"y of Nature'4 ,= ?e also now that ener"y and matter are essentially the same thin"# so Chaos and @a$alon are consorts representin" MatterEner"y' 30There is1 a seemin" duality of Chaos and @a$alonQ these are called *ather and Mother# $ut it is not so' They are called @rother and Sister# $ut it is not so' They are called us$and and ?ife# $ut it is not so'4, As Crowley comments# 3Chaos and @a$alon_ are really one'4 ,H Chaos and @a$alon are $oth reflected in the Macrocosm and the Microcosm' In the Macrocosm# the !ord is the Sun and the !ady is the Earth' The Sun is 3masculine4 insofar as it "ies life and li"ht# and the Earth is 3feminine4 insofar as it conceies and nourishes life' The union of the life and li"ht"iin" powers of the Sun with the conceptie powers of the Earth "ies rise to all life'

There is an ineffa$le !ord# adit# and an ineffa$le !ady# Nuit# who are consorts' This is mentioned in the Creed 53one secret and Chaos and @a$alon reflected into the ineffa$le lord9# the Collects 53The !ord4 Collect Microcosm are the Generatie ;owers in men and 3The !ady4 Collect9# and elsewhere' Nuit is and women' adit says of himself in The @oo Space and adit is Motion' Another way to say of the !aw # 3I am the flame that $urns in eery 3motion4 is Time# as motion only taes place throu"h the unfoldin" of time' Therefore# Nuit ,= The @oo of !ies' ,8 Confessions# chapter H,'


, The @oo of !ies' ,H The @oo of !ies'

6,


heart of man# and in the core of eery star' I am cele$ration of the the process of Generation# the !ife# and the "ier of !ife# yet therefore is the union of complementary powers to perpetuate nowled"e of me the nowled"e of death'4 ,F !ife' The !ance and Chalice are used to create 3Generatie ;owers4 refers to our lifeener"y and the Eucharist# the masculine reflected in the creatie power in "eneral# $ut especially the Cae of !i"ht and the feminine reflected in the power to se%ually reproduce' 3GOD the *ather ?ine' The Cae of !i"ht is that which fortifies and Mother is concealed in Generation'4 ,< our $odies 53life4Q 3sustenance of endeaour49 The union of Man and ?oman "ie rise and the ?ine is that which italiBes our minds to the perpetuation of new life' This is nown as 53oy4Q 3inspiration of endeaour49' the 3;hallus#4 which is the creatie"eneratie power within each indiidual re"ardless of se%' The name "oes unspoen or is called Mystery of Mystery in the Gnostic Mass# althou"h the ;riest does say 3;halle4 in the rendin" of the :eil' It is called 3the essence of eery true "od that is upon the surface of the Earth4 in the Collects'

Another dimension of the Gnostic Mass is that it is an enactment of the ;ath of Initiation' Initiation is the process of 3spiritual adancement4Q it is called 3the process $y which a man comes to learn that unnown Crown4 87 as well as the path of enli"htenment# the path of The Generatie ;ower of Man is reflected attainment# and many other names' In other in the Sacred !ance and that of ?oman in the words# the Mass depicts the unfoldin" of inner oly Graal or Chalice' These are the transformation' reproductie or"ans 5and their powers9 of the The ;riest represents eery indiidual# the male and female# specifically the penis and the conscious self2 he is the one who under"oes the wom$' The particle represents the Semen or 3heroWs ourney4 in the narratie of the Mass' Seed of the Man# and the wine represents the The other Officers 5;riestess# Deacon# and menstruum of the ?oman' Therefore# one Children9 are 3part of the ;&IEST himself'4 This important dimension of the Gnostic Mass is the shows that the interaction $etween the Officers shows an interaction within eery indiidual# reinforcin" that the Mass depicts an inner transformation' The ;riest $e"ins asleep in the darness of i"norance' The rest of the Mass inoles his awaenin" to the !i"ht of Truth' The ;riestess represents $oth the spiritual forces of awaenin" as well as the o$ect of attainment itself' She can $e seen as the oly Guardian An"el of the ;riest' e is 3directly inspired from ether# the ultimate Self# throu"h the ;ath of the i"h ;riestess# or initiated intuition'4 8+ The ;riestess descends to the Tom$ and ,F !i$er A!# II2' ,< The @oo of !ies'


87 !i$er !>I el Causae' 8+ !i$er Sameh'

68


rends the eil of darness 3$y the power of Iron'4 *inally he inoes Nuit and aditWs union# &a Iron represents Mars or destructie ener"y# and oorhuit# the God within who transcends indiiduals are often called to the path in space# time# and causality# who transcends all the response to tra"edy# crisis# or sufferin" in "eneral' "ods and een death itself' The complete 3The Aspiration to $ecome a Master is rooted in identification with im essentially constitutes the Trance of Sorrow'4 86 The ;riestess raises the Attainment' ;riest in order to 3administer the irtues to the The eil of darness is then thrown open# @rethren'4 This shows the ultimate "oal is to castin" li"ht from the i"h Altar upon the ;riest italiBe others# 3the ?ay of Serice#4 8, essentially and fillin" the whole Temple with $rilliance' The identical with the @odhisatta ow to attain for ;riestess is transformed and is now naed# the sae of all $ein"s' holdin" the Chalice and ;aten# the Godhead that The ;riest is purified and consecrated in is $eyond particular forms with which we $ody and soul# and he o$tains the !ance# a commune in nowled"e and Conersation of the sym$ol of spiritual maturity' Crowley wrote# oly Guardian An"el' The Collects are then 3?hat then is the formula of the initiation of read# each element of the world $ein" inoed# a orusZ It will no lon"er $e that of the Man# perfect# complete# and $alanced Microcosm of throu"h Death' It will $e the natural "rowth of the (nierse' The ;riest then consecrates the the Child' is e%periences will no more $e Cae of !i"ht and the wine with the power of the re"arded as catastrophic' Their hiero"lyph is the !ance# turnin" them into their Diine form# the *ool2 the innocent and impotent arpocrates $ody and $lood of God' These are the elements @a$e $ecomes the orus Adult $y o$tainin" the of the ;riest with which he will interact with the ?and' XDer reine ThorW 0the pure fool seiBes the world2 his $ody and his spirit' They are prepared Sacred !ance'4 88 as such throu"h the 3spiritual power4 o$tained The ;riestWs spiritual fire is indled $y his throu"h the nowled"e and Conersation of his aspiration toward Godhead' Throu"h this# he has oly Guardian An"el' the ;ower to raise the ;riestess to the i"h Altar The ;riest then inoes the hi"hest# in the East# which can $e seen as the sacraliBation ineffa$le Godhead throu"h the Anthem# That or spiritualiBation of the 3lower self#4 the which is 3I $eyond all I am who hast no nature transformation of the materialiBation of ener"y and no name#4 3malefemale# .uintessential# into its more su$tle form of Spirit' After purifyin" one'4 This is the steady aspiration and deotion and consecratin" the now enthroned ;riestess# that propels the ;riest to confront the A$yss# the the ;riest is cast out into darness in the dar dissolution of self where$y the True Self# that ni"ht of the soulQ hain" set upon the ;ath# he which is one with Godhead# arises' The ;riest encounters trials and trou$les' Throu"h his $reas off a particle# which represents 3his Soul# aspiration# the ;riest inoes Nuit in the ;riestess# a ir"in offerin" to his An"el# pressed forth from the ultimate o$ect of desire and union' The his $ein" $y the intensity of this Aspiration'4 8= It ;riest inoes adit in himself# identifyin" with is the final offerin" of the self# the drainin" of the ultimate su$ect# !ife and Motion itself' oneWs $lood into the Cup of @a$alon# where$y one $ecomes annihilated and crosses the A$yss' This occurs in the simultaneous 3&I!I(#4 the 86 !ittle Essays Towards Truth' 8, !i$er !>I el Causae' 88 !i$er Sameh'


8= !i$er Sameh'

6=


or"asm of the spirit wherein Two $ecome One# the dissolution of All into None# and the ;riest has there$y $ecome a Master of the Temple'

descendin" into the darness of the Tom$ that another ;riest may arise and the cycle perpetuate throu"h the "enerations'

Another dimension of the Gnostic Mass is that it represents psycholo"ical transformation' The Jun"ian model of the psyche is especially conducie to $ein" seen reflected in the Mass' The ;riest represents the conscious self# the sense of su$ectiity' This is not confined merely to the e"o# the sense of personal identity# $ut the conscious awareness itself 5within which is the e"o9' The Deacon represents the faculties of the conscious self' The ;riestess represents the (nconscious2 she is $oth the earthly# animal# instinctual side as well as the heaenly# diine side' In particular# she seems to $e identified at parts with the 3anima#4 an anthropomorphiBation of the unconscious mind# and an intermediary $etween the conscious self and the archetypal Self# the true center of oneWs $ein"'

Then# @aphomet is inoed# the Twoin One God who is 3malefemale# .uintessential# one#4 representin" a state of consciousness where opposites are fused into a unity' The ;riest turns around to utter his ?ord' e lowers the !ance# announcin" the !aw# and the Con"re"ants respond in ind# si"nifyin" the descent of this TwoinOne into all parts of the self# the entire Tree of !ife from Supernals to Maluth' This includes the @rethren for whom the ;riest has attained in order that he may administer the :irtues to them' The @rethren tae part in his ?isdom and (nderstandin" throu"h the Eucharist# and throu"h this they come to reco"niBe the Godhead with themseles' 3God manifest in flesh4 is their name' After a final $lessin"# the ;riest e%hausts his purpose and dies# The Journal of Thelemic Studies

The entire Gnostic Mass shows the psycholo"ical transformation of the ;riest "oin" from an identification with the persona to an identification with the archetypal Self# which encompasses the totality of the psyche# $oth conscious and unconscious' The entire process may $e summariBed as2 the ;riest identifyin" with ;ersona → ;riest identifyin" with E"o → encounter with the Shadow → encounter with the Anima → union with the Anima to 3release4 or access the Self with which the ;riest finally identifies' At the $e"innin" of the Mass# the ;riest is in the Tom$ representin" the darness and confinement of $ein" identified with the persona# oneWs outer personality' The ;riestess descends as an unconscious impulse# e%perienced $y the ;riest as an appearance or a wellin"up of unconscious forces' The ;riest is awaened to a 6


self not confined merely to persona# and he $ecomes identified with the e"o'

;riest9' The ;riest and ;riestess unite# representin" the acceptance and inte"ration of the contrase%ual archetype into oneself# i'e' $ecomin" TwoinOne# represented in ima"ery such as the Alchemical Andro"yne or# more aptly# @aphomet' The final proclamation of 3There is no part of me that is not of the "ods4 si"nifies the emer"ence of the archetype of the Self# that which contains all elements of the psyche in a unified totality' This is not the same as 3mystical union4 or samadhi # $ut a sense of complete unity within oneWs own $ein"# the inte"ration of all the parts of oneself into a sin"le whole' Jun" defined indiiduation as2

3$ecomin" an Xindiidual#W and in so far As the e"o# he then e%erts his power oer as XindiidualityW em$races our innermost# his unconscious and ha$itual instincts# last# and incompara$le uni.ueness# it also represented as the ;riestess neelin" $efore implies $ecomin" oneWs own self' ?e $ein" upraised' Then# the ;riest and the Temple could therefore translate indiiduation as are plun"ed into darness as he confronts his Xcomin" to selfhoodW or XselfrealiBation_W 3shadow4# those aspects of the self that are E"otists are called Xselfish#W $ut this# denied# repressed# and feared' is aspiration naturally# has nothin" to do with the carries him throu"h the darness# and eentually concept of XSelfW as I am usin" it here_ he rends the eil to $e met with an ima"e of his Indiiduation# therefore# can only mean a 3anima#4 the naed ;riestess enthroned' The process of psycholo"ical deelopment that anima is the almost lie a reflection in the fulfills the indiidual .ualities "ienQ in unconscious of the conscious self# it is the other words# it is a process $y which a 3hidden opposite "ender in each indiidual#4 man $ecomes the definite# uni.ue $ein" representin" a layer of the psyche deeper than he in fact is' In so doin" he does not the shadow' As Jun" wrote# 3Eery man carries $ecome XselfishW in the ordinary sense of within him the eternal ima"e of woman# not the the word# $ut is merely fulfillin" the ima"e of this or that particular woman# $ut a peculiarity of his nature# and this_ is definite feminine ima"e' This ima"e is astly different from e"otism or fundamentally unconscious# an hereditary factor indiidualism'4 8H of primordial ori"in en"raed in the liin" In other words# the ;riest has immersed or"anic system of the man'4 8 The 3anima4 or ;riestess acts as mediator $etween the himself in the unconscious self sta"e $y sta"e' e unconscious 5the i"h Altar and all within the has united $y 3loe under will#4 i'e' reealed# :eil of the Supernals9 and the conscious 5the accepted# and inte"rated the arious archetypal forces that emer"e# and he has $ecome wholly 8 Jun"# Carl' The Collected ?ors# :olume +H'


8H Jun"# Carl' The Collected ?ors# :olume H'

6H


imself'

issin" the @oo on the ;riestessW chest three times and neelin" in adoration' The ;riest is then in darness for three circumam$ulations of The Gnostic Mass also contains the the Temple' This may represent the 3darness4 dimension of it $ein" a sym$olic# ritual reflection or stru""le that often comes when $e"innin" in of the process of meditation where$y the su$ect the practice of samyama ' Crowley liens this of awareness mer"es with the o$ect in samadhi' aspect of the wor of samyama 5or simply The Temple represents the field of 3-o"a49 to the formula of IAO2 consciousness itself' The ;riest represents the 3In $e"innin" a meditation practice# there su$ect of awareness# the sense of 3I4 or self' The is always a .uiet pleasure# a "entle natural ;riestess represents the o$ect of concentration or "rowth 0dharana and the raisin" up to the deotion' The !ance of the ;riest represents the i"h Altar1Q one taes a liely interest in power of concentration itself' the worQ it seems easyQ one is .uite pleased to hae started' This sta"e Traditionally# the process of concentration represents Isis' Sooner or later it is culminatin" in samadhi is called# as a whole# succeeded $y depressionVthe Dar Ni"ht samyama ' Samyama has three sta"es2 dharana# of the Soul# an infinite weariness and dhyana # and samadhi ' To oersimplify# dharana detestation of the wor 0the three is when the su$ect $e"ins to concentrate on the circumam$ulations of the darened chosen o$ect2 the focus has $een narrowed Temple1' The simplest and easiest acts down to that particular o$ect of concentration so $ecome almost impossi$le to perform' that no other o$ect taes the su$ectWs focus Such impotence fills the mind with away' Crowley writes# 3In the course of our apprehension and despair' The intensity concentration we noticed that the contents of the of this loathin" can hardly $e understood mind at any moment consisted of two thin"s# and $y any person who has not e%perienced no more2 the O$ect# aria$le# and the Su$ect# it' This is the period of Apophis'4 8< inaria$le# or apparently so' @y success in Dharana the o$ect has $een made as inaria$le as the su$ect'4 8F

@y continued con centration# the dharana Dhyana is when dharana has $een $reas into dhyana in the intensified to the point where there is only an piercin" of the :eil and the awareness of the o$ect# een the awareness of influ% of !i"ht from the oneself as a su$ect has faded away' Samadhi is i"h Altar' This trance of the culmination of dhyana where$y $oth su$ect dhyana continues throu"h and o$ect 3mer"e4 or disappear into a nondual out the Collects' unity' This dhyana $uilds In the Gnostic Mass# the ;riestWs !ance is slowly throu"h the Con stroed eleen times $y the ;riestessQ this shows secration of the Elements the awaenin" to dharana # the first sta"e of and the Anthem# and it samyama ' This dharana culminates in the ;riest culminates in the only word spoen simul 8F !i$er A@A# ;art I2 Mysticism'


8< Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice'

6F


taneously $y ;riest and ;riestess in the Gnostic Mass2 &I!I(' At this moment# $oth ;riest and ;riestess hold $oth !ance and Cup and depress the 3particle#4 the last $it of separateness# into the ?ine so that the two $ecome One in samadhi' This 3Eucharist4 of samadhi may $e understood as a su$tler leel of meanin" to what Crowley says when he writes# 3The hi"hest form of the Eucharist is that in which the Element consecrated is One' It is one su$stance and not two# not liin" and not dead# neither li.uid nor solid# neither hot nor cold# neither male nor female' This sacrament is secret in eery respect'4=7 It is 3neither this nor that4 $ecause the samadhi is transcendent of dualities L it is non dual L and it is 3secret in eery respect4 $ecause it is $eyond the possi$ility of communication as all lan"ua"e is inherently dualistic'

The Gnostic Mass also contains the dimension of $ein" an enactment of a Tantric rite' There are an immense amount of similarities $etween Tantra and Thelema# includin" $ut not limited to2 seein" the $ody as 3"ood4 and useful for attainment# seein" the $ody as a microcosm of the (nierse# seein" the world not as maya or illusion $ut as the play of the power of Godhead# the isualiBation of self as Deity# the transcendence of common morality and ethics# et cetera ' In Tantra# there is somethin" called the 3Great &itual4 or the 3Secret &itual#4 which inoles the use of wine 5madya9 and se%ual union 5maithuna9' Sound familiarZ There are 3lefthand4 Tantrics who actually en"a"e in se%ual intercourse and 3ri"hthand4 Tantrics who only en"a"e in se%ual intercourse sym$olically 5with se%ual union itself $ein" sym$olic as well as the isualiBation of se%ual union9'

Shia is the formless# motionless Godhead that is $eyond all forms and e%pression# and Shati is the ;ower of that Godhead when e%pressed in form and motionQ it is ery similar to the concepts of Tao 5Shia9 and of Teh 5Shati9' Shati is often identified with undalini# reinforced in the Mass $y the ;riestessW , and a half circles around the Temple reflectin" the undalini serpent coiled , and a half times around the $ase of each indiidualWs spine' Interestin"ly# ShatiWs sym$ol is that of a trian"le with the ape% downward# which is the sym$ol of &aoorhuit and the si"n "ien $y the ;riestess when she is first raised to the i"h Altar' The ;riestess $ecomes not merely a woman $ut the A$solute ?oman when raised to the i"h Altar# and she $ecomes Shati deoid of all particular forms in the strippin" away all clothin"' @asically# the yo"i identifies with Shia and all his correspondin" propertiesQ the female identifies with Shati# the primordial ;ower inherent in all motion' This is similar to the idea of the Scarlet ?oman as an earthly aatar of @a$alon' Their union is a hieros "amos or 3holy marria"e42 the union of male and female is seen as the union of Shia and Shati# which may $e oersimplified as the ultimate Su$ect and the ultimate O$ect' This union creates the 3andro"ynous Shia#4 nown as Ardhanarishara # which literally means 3the !ord who is half woman'4 Ardhanarishara is essentially a TwoinOne form representin" $oth elements fused into One2 nearly identical ima"es are found in that of @aphomet and of the Alchemical ermaphrodite or 3&e$is'4 This suspension of duality occurs durin" the erotic rapture of union# li$eratin" this 3*orce4 of Ardhanarishara or @aphomet' This Twoin One fi"ure transcends all# includin" space and time2 it therefore is That which is the 3$reath that

=7 Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice'


6<


maest eery God een and Death to trem$le $efore Thee'4 It is the !ion and Serpent that 3destroys the destroyer4 of Death# $ein" That which transcends all manifestation# all motion# and all duality' This is the amrita or am$rosia # $oth words meanin" 3not mortal4 or 3$eyond death4Q this is the true Eli%ir of Immortality# the sacrament of which one may partae and truly proclaim 3There is no part of me that is not of the "ods'4

mentioned are fully fleshed out2 one could easily write a whole $oo on the Gnostic Mass as a Tantric rite# for e%ample' The real point is to emphasiBe that there are# in fact# many dimensions to the Gnostic Mass' I $eliee that the more dimensions one can appreciate# the deeper oneWs e%perience and appreciation of the Mass can $e' Therefore# I hope that this essay will spar in the reader a desire to see the Gnostic Mass as somethin" $eyond merely a Ka$alistic drama or a eiled se%ual ma"ic ritual' There is a ast reseroir of potential It should $e emphasiBed once more that hidden within the central rite of O'T'O'# merely this list is not e%haustie2 there are potentially waitin" for the in"enium and coura"e of an infinite other dimensions at wor in the Gnostic earnest seeer to tap into it' Mass' Also# none of these dimensions that are !oe is the law# loe under will'


,7


Blood oftheSangraal #y Greory Peters Note2 *irst pu$lished in A"ap[# :olume F# Num$er 8# *e$ruary 677H E: *or I am the first and the last' I am the honored one and the scorned one' I am the whore and the holy one' I am the wife and the ir"in' I am the mother and the dau"hter' ' ' '*or I am nowled"e and i"norance' I am shame and $oldness' I am shamelessQ I am ashamed' I am stren"th and I am fear' I am war and peace' Gie heed to me' I am the one who is dis"raced and the "reat one' VThe Thunder# ;erfect Mind The oice continues2 This is the Mystery of @a$ylon# the Mother of a$ominations# and this is the mystery of her adulteries# for she hath yielded up herself to eerythin" that lieth# and hath $ecome a partaer in its mystery' And $ecause she hath made herself the serant of each# therefore is she $ecome the mistress of all' Not as yet canst thou comprehend her "lory'

Omari tessala mara%# tessala dodi phornepa%' amri radara polia% armana piliu' amri radara piliu sonWQ mari narya $ar$iton madara anapha% sarpedon andala hriliu' VThe Cry of the 6nd Aethyr# !i$er 8+F Thou shalt drain out thy $lood that is thy life into the "olden cup of her fornication' Thou shalt min"le thy life with the uniersal life' Thou shalt eep not $ac one drop' V!i$er Cheth el :allum A$ie"ni Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

?

hen the ;rophet Aleister Crowley consciously formulated his True ?ill# the articulated purpose was to teach humanity the sills necessary to achiee the Ne%t Step in its eolutionVthe nowled"e and Conersation of the oly Guardian An"el' This step would $rin" the transformation of the neurotic# conflicted# $lind consciousness of homo @eautiful art thou# O @a$ylon# and normalis to the radiant solar "lory of @riatic desira$le# for thou hast "ien thyself to diine consciousness# resultin" in personality eerythin" that lieth# and thy weaness inte"ration and wholeness with the continuum' hath su$dued their stren"th' *or in that Thus was the Great ?or laid out' The union thou didst understand' Therefore art oly Guardian An"el was 5and is9 the sole thou called (nderstandin"# O @a$ylon# o$ectie of the Outer Colle"e' As descri$ed in !ady of the Ni"ht One Star in Si"ht # this Ne%t Step 3is the essential VThe Cry of the +6th Aethyr# !i$er 8+F The Journal of Thelemic Studies

,+


wor of eery manQ none other rans with it either for personal pro"ress or for power to help oneWs fellows' This unachieed# man is no more than the unhappiest and $lindest of animals' e is conscious of his own incomprehensi$le calamity# and clumsily incapa$le of repairin" it' Achieed# he is no less than the coheir of "ods# a !ord of !i"ht'4 In discussin" this maor achieement# Crowley wrote in The E.uino% +# no' +2

it is all one same phenomena# ariously coloured $y our aryin" &uachsVis# I $eliee# the first and the last of all Spiritual E%perience' *or thou"h e is attri$uted to Maluth# and the Door of the ;ath of is oershadowin"# e is also in ether 5ether is in Maluth# and Maluth in etherV3as a$oe# so $eneath49# and the End of the 3;ath of the ?ise4 is identity with im' So that while he is the oly Guardian An"el# e is also ua# and the Tao'

3 !ytton calls him Adonai in Xânoni#W and I often use this name in the note$oos'

*or since Intra No$is &e"num deI all thin"s are in Ourself# and all Spiritual E%perience is a more or less complete &eelation of im' -et it is only in the Middle ;illar that is manifestation is in any way perfect'

A$ramelin calls him oly Guardian An"el' I adopt this2 5+9 @ecause A$ramelinWs system is so simple and effectie'

The Au"oeides inocation is the whole thin"' Only it is so difficultQ one "oes alon" throu"h all the fifty "ates of @inah at once# more or less illuminated# more or less deluded' @ut the *irst and the !ast is this Au"oeides Inocation'4

569 @ecause since all theories of the unierse are a$surd it is $e er to tal in the lan"ua"e of one which is patently a$surd# so as to mortify the metaphysical man' 5,9 @ecause a child can understand it' Theosophists call him the i"her Self# Silent ?atcher# or Great Master' The Golden Dawn calls him the Genius' Gnostics say the !o"os' E"yptians say Asar (nnefer' ôroaster tals a$out unitin" all these sym$ols into the form of a !ion V see Chaldean Oracles' Anna in"sford calls him Adonai 5Clothed with the Sun9' @uddhists call him Adi @uddha V 5says ';'@'9 The @ha"aad Gita calls him :ishnu 5chapter %i'9' The -i in" calls him The Great ;erson' The Ka$alah calls him Jechidah'

The An"elic consummation may $e sym$oliBed as the "reat .uest for the San"raal' As the Ne%t Step for humanity# the An"el represents the spiritual Sun of consciousness for the entire human race' The icono"raphy of this .uest is represented in Atu :II of the Tarot# the Chariot # which sym$olically ties into the Summer Solstice and the SunWs entry into Cancer2 3The canopy of the Chariot is the ni"htsy $lue of @inah' The pillars are the four pillars of the (nierse# the re"imen of Tetra"rammaton' The scarlet wheels represent the ori"inal ener"y of Ge$urah which causes the reolin" motion'

?e also "et metaphysical analyses of is nature# deeper and deeper accordin" to the su$tlety of the writerQ for this isionV The Journal of Thelemic Studies

This chariot is drawn $y four sphin%es composed of the four eru$s# the @ull# the ,6


!ion# the Ea"le and the Man' In each sphin% these elements are counterchan"edQ thus the whole represents the si%teen su$ elements'4 =+

the rapturous union with the oly Guardian An"el' ain" achieed the nowled"e and Conersation# the Adept is then in possession of the Sacred !ance which must $e dedicated The *our eru$im a$out the chariot wholly to the serice of Nuit' The ourney represent the ?atch Towers of the (nierse# and continues across the A$yss# as the rider sets his are the "uardians of the &osicrucian :ault of eyes steadily on the priBe across the ast desert of Christian &osenreutB that is hidden within the Ni"htVtowards îon 5nwyc \ +=9# the City of the Mount of A$ie"nus# the Mystical Mountain of ;yramids' Initiation' The Seen sides of this :ault refer to Central to the Chariot card is the ima"e of the Seen !ettered Name of the Great Goddess the San"raal ' It is said that this eweled cup is that is the center of all deotion' ?hat is the filled with the 3$lood of Saints'4 The crimson :ault of Christian &osenreutB# $ut the ery yoni $lood is the in" Scale of Colour attri$uted to of the Kueen of eaenZ It is to this that the the sephira @inah# the Great Mother# showin" the ni"htMon carries his Sacred !ance of worship AtBiluthic influence' It is er sacred ?om$ in across the deserts of the A$yss' which this oly Grail is a reflection# as eery last In a footnote Crowley discusses the drop of $lood is to $e spilled unto erVthe ery e$rew letter cheth associated with the Chariot life essence of the initiate "ien oer to er loe' as $ein" a further "lyph of the entire Great It is said that in order to fully enter er# the ?or' The enumeration of cheth in full 5 tyx9 solarphallic An"el itself must $e a$andoned# or has the alue of 8+F# a ey num$er of Thelema' rather "ien oer entirely to er em$race# as One of the primary correspondences is eery last seed of starry fire is "ien to er' A@&AADA@&A# the ?ord of the Aeon# a sym$ol of the completion of the Great ?or# and the formula of its Accomplishment' The association of Atu :II to Cancer further alludes to the sym$olism of this Aeonic formula# as the unitin" of the = 5Man9 and  5God9 in the oly e%a"ram# and the radiant solarphallic "lory of the &ose Cross which $looms therein' This union is represented $y the oly e%a"ram# sym$oliBed $y the astrolo"ical "lyph of Cancer# as discussed in Chapter < of the @oo of !ies and the accompanyin" commentary'

Of this Cup of @lood it is said that 3This is the Mystery of @a$ylon# the Mother of a$ominations# and this is the mystery of her adulteries# for she hath yielded up herself to eerythin" that lieth# and hath $ecome a partaer in its mystery' And $ecause she hath made herself the serant of each# therefore is she $ecome the mistress of all'4 The formula of @A@A!ON is that of 3constant copulation or Samadhi on Eerythin"'4 =6 *rom the @oo of Thoth we read2 3The central and most important feature of the card is its centreVthe oly Grail' It is of pure amethyst# of the colour of Jupiter# $ut its shape su""ests the full moon and the Great Sea of @inah'

The ision of the +6th Aeythr 5!OE9 from !i$er 8+F records the rich tapestry of sym$olism for Atu :II' The Charioteer is descri$ed as wearin" "olden armour# which may $e seen as sym$olic of the achieement of Tiphareth and =+ The @oo of Thoth'


In the centre is radiant $loodQ the spiritual =6 !i$er 8+F# +6th Aethyr'

,,


life is inferredQ li"ht in the darness' These was foretold in the eocations of Dr' John Dee rays# moreoer# reole# emphasiBin" the and Edward elly as the 3dau"hter of fortitude4 Jupiterian element in the sym$ol'4 in the followin"2 The AdeptWs ourney is one of em$racin" the totality of @a$alon# a formula of !oe under ?ill which unites eerythin" with its opposite' This act of constant copulation is an openin" up to the primordial selfawareness of reality# a luminous state of consciousness that is entirely present in eery moment' The Graal is none other than the sacred essel of Our !ady the Scarlet ?oman# the Mother of A$ominations# the $ride of Chaos# that rideth upon our !ord the @east =, Vthat :ictorious Kueen that we do now and loe in the name @A@A!ON2

3I am the dow"hter of fortitude# ) rayshed eery howr# from my youth# for $ehold# I am understandin"# ) science dwelleth in me 2 ) the heens oppress me# They coet and desyre me with infinite appetite few or none that are erthly hae em$raced me for I am shadowed with the circle of the sonne 2 and coered with the mornin" clouds2 My feet are swifter than the wynds# ) my hands are sweter than the mornin" dew' My "arments are from the $e"innin"2 ) my dwellin" place is in my self' The lyon noweth not where I wal 2 neyther do the $estes of the field understand me' I am deflowered ) yet a ir"in' I sanctifie ) am not sanctified happy is he that em$raceth me' *or in the ni"ht season I am sweete# in the day full of pleasure my company is a harmony of many Cym$alls' And my lips sweeter than helth it self' I am a harlot for such as raish me2 and a ir"in with such as now me not2 for lo I am loed of many2 ) I am a loer to many2 and as many as come unto me as they should do# hae theyr enterteynment' ;ur"e your streets o you sons of men# ) wash your howses clean Mae your seles holy# ) put on ri"hteousness Cast out your old strumpets# ) $urn theyr cloathes A$steyn from the company of other women that are defyled# that are sluttish# ) not so handsome# ) $ewtiful as I' And then will I come ) dwell amon"st you' And $ehold I will $rin" forth Children unto you2 ) they shall $e the sons of comfort I will open my "arments# ) stand naed $efore you that your loe may $e more enflamed

3@lessed are the saints# that their $lood is min"led in the cup# and can neer $e separate any more' *or @a$ylon the @eautiful# the Mother of a$ominations# hath sworn $y her holy teis# whereof eery point is a pan"# that she will not rest from her adulteries until the $lood of eerythin" that lieth is "athered therein# and the wine thereof laid up and matured and consecrated# and worthy to "ladden the heart of my *ather ' ' ' And this is the comedy of ;an# that is played at ni"ht in the thic forest' And this is the mystery of Dionysus â"reus# that is cele$rated upon the holy mountain of ithairon' And this is the secret of the $rothers of the &osy CrossQ and this is the heart of the ritual that is accomplished in the :ault of the Adepts that is hidden in the Mountain of the Caern# een the oly Mountain A$ie"nus'4 =8 She was cele$rated in the Gnostic te%t The Thunder2 ;erfect Mind millennia a"o# and =, See !i$er Cheth# erse I' =8 !i$er 8+F# +6th Aethyr'


,8


toward me'4 VActio Tertio Tre$onae Generalis# Cotton Appendi% >!:I It is to this Kueen of eaen that we are to pour out our lies in eery moment# in eery act' act' Th Thee "rea "reatt Graa Graall Ku Kues estt carr carrie iess on into into eternity# towards er sacred starry wom$# $lood soaed and radiatin" with the fiery li"ht of the &osy Cross' Central to the tenet of Thelema is that no one may now the formula $y which any manWs God is found' Others may help show the way and "ie adice $ased on their own e%perienceQ howe howee er# r# the the core core myste mystery ry is alwa always ys un uni. i.ue ue## indiidual# and hi"hly personal' The inocation of the idden God may only truly $e found within' ow ow more more so the then is the wor worship ship of @a$alon indiidual and secretZ Not for the sae of any oaths is er loe ept so close and dear# alth althou ou"h "h these hese too too may may play play a part art in er er deotions' The !oe of @a$alon is all consumin"# all em$racin"' It touches upon eery aspect of our life# to the ery core of our e%istence' In @a$a @a$alo lon n is all all powe power# r# een een as in the the i ind ndu u tantras Shati is said to $e the animatin" force of the the un uni ier erse se## for for 3wit 3witho hout ut Sha Shati ti## Shi Shiaa is == Shaa'4

@a$alonZ ow does eery last drop of $lood pour into er GrailZ In what way can 3constant copulation4 $e practically woredZ The Oath of the Ma"ister Templi includes the clause 3I will inte interp rpre rett eer eeryy phen phenom omen enon on as a part partic icul ular ar deal dealin in"" of God God with with my soul soul'4 '4 ?ith ?ith "re "reat ada adant nta" a"ee we can can prac practi tice ce this this atti attitu tude de lon" lon" $efore $efore holdin" holdin" this "rade and without tain" the oath' God may $e replaced with 3oly Guardian An"el#4 Adonai# @a$alonV whateer aspect of the diine calls to the indiidual' Tryin" to "o thro throu" u"h h the the day day with with this this poin pointt of iew iew will will render een the most seemin"ly insi"nificant acts and and een eents ts pre" pre"na nant nt with with deep deeper er mean meanin in"# "# help helpin in"" to awa awaen en the the corr correc ectt poin pointt of iew iew'' Awareness of the self is ey in this practice' The "reat dBo"chen "uru "uru Namhai Nor$u e%presses a simi simila larr prac practi tice ce in Adice on ;resence and Awareness 2 30T1he continuation in the presence of the true State is the essence of all the ;aths# the root of all meditations# the conclusion of all spiritual practices# the uice of all esoteric methods# the heart of all ultimate teach eachin in"s "s## it is neces ecessa sary ry to see see to maintain maintain a continuous continuous presence without $ecomin" distracted' ?hat this means is2 donWt follow the past# donWt anticipate the future# and donWt follow illusory thou"hts that arise in the presentQ $ut turnin" within oneself oneself## one should should o$ser o$seree oneWs oneWs own true condition and maintain the awareness of it ust as it is'''4

To worship @a$alon is to "ie oneself entirely to e%perience the Diine in the presence of eery moment' In this way the true :ault of the &osicrucians is found within# and the openin" of its central shrine is the enterin" into union with er er# to e%per %perie ien nce the the nae naed# d# awfu awful# l# and and $eau $eautif tiful ul real realit ityy of prist pristin ine# e# prim primor ordi dial al self self awareness' To now @a$alon is to awaen to the luminous radiance of pure consciousness' ow

does

one

"ie

eerythin"

@a$alon is the totality of consciousnessVis the the prim primor ordi dial al self selfa awa ware re mi mind nd'' She She is the the $e"innin" $e"innin" and the end of all paths# and the ery path itself' ?orin" with !i$er Astarte is is another suit suita$ a$le le prac practi tice ce to help help dire direct ct the the inte intens nsee deotions of $hati yo"a towards the Mother of to A$ominations in er many outer forms' The primordial consciousness weaes the

== 3Shaa4 3Shaa4 means means 3dead 3dead## inert'4 inert'4


,=


fa$r fa$ric ic of all all e%pe e%peri rien ence ce## and and we are are all all er er children and of er su$stance' Still# it is in the form form of woma woman n that that She She is most most acce access ssi$ i$le le'' ;syc ;sycho holo lo"ic "icall allyy She She may may $e the the anim anima# a# that that aspect of the unconscious that touches upon the darest# remotest unnown depths of the mind' Consider Consider all women# women# and in particular particular those you hae loed# and see the @eautiful One looin" $ac at you with er eyes' !et eery 3$reath# eery word# eery thou"ht# eery deed4 = $e an act of loe with er' This practice was deeloped e%tensiely in the indu tantras2

3son" that no one could resist' *or in it is all the passionate passionate ache for the moonli"ht# moonli"ht# and the "reat hun" hu n"er er of the the sea# sea# and and the the terr terror or of deso desola late te places cesVall thin" in"s that lure men to the''' unattaina$le'4 3I am the harlot that shaeth Death' / This shain" "ieth the ;eace of Satiate !ust' / Immortality etteth from my sull# / And music from my ula' / Immortality etteth from my ula also# / *or my ?horedom is a sweet scent lie a seenstrin"ed in strument# / ;layed unto God the Inisi$le# the allruler# / That "oeth alon" "iin" the shrill scream of or"asm'4 =<

3?om 3?omen en are are dii diini nity ty## wome women n are are li life fe## women are truly ewels'4 =H 3?omen are heaenQ women are dharmaQ and and wome women n are are the the hi"h hi"hes estt pena penanc nce' e' ?ome ?omen n are are @u @udd ddha haQQ wome women n are are the the SanthaQ and woman are the perfection of ?isdom'4 =F

In this way our Kuest for the oly Graal continues eer onward# that we may aspire to now and e%perience er in our eery moment# always striin" to $e stron"er and more aware# that we may e%perience more of er and finally# In the the tant tantra ras# s# phys physica icall and and isu isuali aliBe Bed d triumphantly# pour our eery last drop of $lood# worship of women as the personification of our ery e%istence# into er radiant and $eautiful Shati Shati is a primary practice' practice' Such rituals may $e Grail' adapted to use for the worship of @a$alon# and !oe is the law# loe under will' are in many ways similar to the tantric aspects of The @oo of the !aw' Are we not enoined to ;lease chec out Gre"ory ;eters new $oo2 come $efore the Goddess of Infinite Space and Infini Infinite te Stars Stars wearin wearin"" only only a sin"le sin"le ro$e# ro$e# and coered in a rich headdressZ To worship er only# in er secret temple# the starlit heaens of NuZ The Spiritual ;ath to The full worship of @a$alon may $e a New Aeon Tantra leel of awareness that is far $eyond what we are capa$ capa$le le of now' now' *or *or intim intimat atio ions ns of this this pure pure e%pe e%peri rien ence ce see see the the :ision :ision of the the 6 nd Aethyr# where the ;rophet is finally wedded with the Godd Goddes esss in ecst ecstat atic ic or"as or"asms ms that that rend render er the the uni un ier erse se comp comple lete tely ly anew anew'' *or *or er er loe loe is uncompromis uncompromisin"# in"# unyieldin"# unyieldin"# and irresisti$l irresisti$le# e# a = !i$er !i$eri el !apidis !aBuli# : 266' 266' =H -oni Tantra' =F ulachudamani Tantra'


$y Gre"ory ;eters ` &eleased July 67+8 ` ` 6+ pa"es ` ` !lewellyn ;u$lications `

=< ;assa"e ;assa"e and translat translation ion of the son" from from the :ision :ision of the 6nd Aethyr'

,


$y IAO+,+


,H


TheAltar,theChali ce and theWand #y 'rother hmxlm #y) Note2 *irst pu$lished in A"ap[# :olume +6# Num$er 8# ?inter 67++ E: Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

LThe Master Therion# Ma"ic in Theory and ;ractice# Chap' >'

T

he followin" considers the a$oe .uotation in li"ht of its connection to The Gnostic Mass  the furnishin"s# weapons and een 3The Creed4 itself $ein" clearly alluded to' In The Gnostic Mass # the ;riest# armed with the consecrated ?and or !ance 3thrones the ;riestess upon the Altar'4 The word 3thrones4 connects the Mother 5h Tetra"rammaton# si"nifyin" hnyb9 with the Kueen who is represented as throned in the Court Cards of the Tarot' Moreoer# this ertical action# from the Tom$ to the i"h Altar# su""ests an identity of the Mother with the Dau"hter# the 3Mystic &eadin"4 of the e$rew letter eh in full $ein"2 3The Mother is the Dau"hterQ and the Dau"hter is the Mother'4 7 The dou$le hXs of the fourfold word are further identified with the Sephiroth 5emanations9 in The :ision and the :oice 2 3Maluth shall $e uplifted and set upon the throne of @inah'4 + 7 See HHH and Other Ka$alistic ?ritin"s $y Aleister Crowley' + !i$er 8+F# 8th Aethyr'


Additionally# An Essay upon Num$er asserts2 3I wish to $e set upon the throne of @inah my supernal mother4 is the 3.a$alistic e.uialent4 of 3the Christian conception42 3I am a fallen creature' I wish to $e redeemed'4 It is the weapon of Earth# the ;entacle 5 h final9 or ;aten $orne $y the :ir"in in The Gnostic Mass # which actiates this process of &edemption2 3?ith the Coin redeemeth e'4 6 In the New Pon# this 3Earthy component4 is reinterpreted as actie and elastic2 3re$oundin"# whirlin" forth# cryin" aloud4, The Cheru$ic $east of h final is the @ull 5Taurus9# the throne of the ierophant in Atu :2 3All mytholo"ies contain this Mystery of the ?oman 0;riestess1 and the @east 0;riest1 as the eart of the Cult'4 8 Accordin" to !i$er Aleph # the @ull is associated to the ?ill 5 9# arma -o"a# the ierophant and the ;hallus2

6 !i$er @ el Ma"i# erse +7' , The @oo of Thoth' 8 !i$er 8+F# n ote to the + th Pthyr'

,F


3And in the &ites of Mithras = the @ull is slain# and his @lood poured upon the Initiate# to endow him with that ?ill and that ;ower to ?or'4 Nota$ly# $oth the 3!ord Meithras4 and the 3!ord ;hallus4 are inoed# the latter $ein" 3hailed4 as well# $y the ;riest in the 3Ceremony of the Openin" of the :eil'4 Associated to the throne # the Altar is also 3the fi%ed ?ill of the Ma"ician#4 as the ;antacle sym$oliBes his arma'

sta$ility 5fi%ed9 are reconciled'

The Altar is further connected to the Mother $y its crimson color 5@inah in the in"s Scale of color9# which su""ests $lood' &emem$er that the ertical component of the hi"h Altar is 88 inches and that this num$er is that of orus 5 Md or $lood in e$rew9 L as well as of hyh) 5the ethername of God and Mystic Num$er of Tiphareth9' < ?hile the ertical path A"ain# this earthy element is not of Sameh connects Sol with !una  the path represented as static# $ut dynamic  the 3actual a$oe it# Gimel # The i"h ;riestess 5i'e' the God worshipped 5 ☉ in the North9 has pro"ressed ;riestess set upon 3the summit of the earth49 from ♉# the la$orious slain @ull of Mithras# to ♊# formulates 3a direct connection $etween the the Children &aoorhuit and oorpaar *ather 0ether1 in his hi"hest aspect# and the Son raat'4 Similarly# the elemental associations of in his most perfect manifestation 0Tiphareth1'4 H7 the East and North .uarters 5Air and Earth Si"nificantly# Crowley identifies the throne respectiely9 hae reersed with the adent of the to the e$rew letter :au 2 3the eart must New Pon'H support and admit the lordship of the hi"her Accordin" to Seats Etymolo"ical Dic consciousness of the ma"ician'4H+ :au # which tionary # the word throne is deried from the means a 3nail#4 may in turn indicate the Gree word !"# 3a seatQ lit' a support#4 and Mercurial Da""erH6 or tip of the Sacred !ance# has a alue of 8<<# the same alue that Crowley Spear or ;hallus# which 3pierces the heart of the "ies for #$%!# 3the moementQ the Dyin" God'4 H, As indicated with the oriel $ehind motion'4F A 3support4 in turn connects the the main fi"ure of Atu :# the nail may also fi%' throne to Sameh # the fifteenth e$rew letter# 3a In connection to the Altar it is noteworthy prop4 or support# and the ertical path leadin" that the principal perfume of Gimel is menstrual from -esod 5☾9 to Tiphareth 5 ☉9 on the Tree of $lood L 3the sym$olical ehicle of the solar li"ht4 !ife' The Ma"ical ?eapon of Sameh is the L and that $lood is the final in"redient listed for Arrow 53swift4# i'e' 3the moement49# whose the composition of Caes of !i"ht or ;aten and Ma"ical *ormulR is ON' As with the connection osts'H8 This sym$olism connects the 3$est of the throne to the ;aten# etc' seemin"ly $lood4 of !i$er A! III268 5Gimel9 with the $lood opposin" ideas such as motion 5olatile9 and 3plun"ed into the side or heart of the Ma"ician = 3The woman entered# !in"am $ein" conoined with -oni# to fill the oly Cup45Tiphareth9' H= Additionally# $ears the Sun from her serpent wom$4 5 The !ost Continent 9' Note that the :ir"in/;riestess is the only ?oman within the Gnostic Mass temple with the "iin" of the step and si"n of a Man and a @rother $y the Deacon and Con"re"ation'  Commentary to !i$er !>:' H Consider also that Titans 59 were $orn from the union of the Sy 5(ranus9 and Earth 5Gaia9' This chan"e is particularly nota$le when comparin" the Greater &itual of the ;enta"ram and !i$er : ' F The Gree Ka$alah'


< See 3*rom Gold *or"e Steel4 in @eauty and Stren"th2 ;roceedin"s of the Si%th @iennial National Ordo Templi Orientis Conference' H7 The @oo of Thoth' 71 777 &eised' H6 !i$er A@A# ;art ,# ch'8 and The @oo of !ies# ch'6' H, !i$er 8+F# note to the 6, rd Pthyr' H8 HHH &eised# col' >!II' H= !i$er A@A' Note the connection of the Arrow to the eart

,<


as the weapon of Sa"ittarius is the arrow# upon the nees of the i"h ;riestess 3is the $ow of Artemis4 $oth weapons pertainin" to Atu >I># The Sun'H As Artemis is the twin of Apollo HH# the final eh of Tetra"rammaton is 3$oth the twin sister and the Dau"hter of au'4 HF Moreoer# the !ord of the Pon is 3two in one 5 au # he # Atu :I# $orn of the union of yod and he 9'4H< The 3summit4 or 3i"h Altar4 in The Gnostic Mass is oriented towards 3the ouse of the @east '4 F7  is the num$er of the sun and 3the final e%tension of the num$er #4 which is the numeration of :au  identified with the throne 'F+ The altar cloth can also $ear a 3sun$laBe#4 which# taen to"ether with the sym$olism of the mountain is reminiscent of Atu >I>2 3the Sun# char"ed with a rose# on mount ert'4F6 Additionally# at the ape% of the super altar is esta$lished the St[l[  # associated to Atu >>' @oth paths 5>> and >I>9 lead to od 5dwh \+=9 and form the foundation of the Cup# whose crown is Gimel'F, Taen to"ether# this sym$olism su""ests the Adeptus who has transmuted and identified the Earth# 3which Thou hast made Thy footstool#4 with the Sun L for it is seal of  which is em$laBoned upon the Ace of Diss 53in whose heart is the SunWs fire49 F8' It is the Ma"ician who identifies his heart as 3the !ord of the *ire of the ?orld#4 with the in"dom2 3 the Kliphoth 0Shells1 of an Adept $ein" $alanced

and trained to fill his Maluth# acated $y the purified Nephesch 03Animal Soul# which perceies and feels4 L the Dau"hter1 which has "one up to lie in Tiphereth 0&uach L the Son1'4F= As Crowley notes# 3The !ord of the Pon 0the Sun1_acts directly on the ?orld of Assiah'4F There is a further connection with the Altar as the throne # and its connection to the Sun' The ;riestess# once throned upon the Altar # holds The @oo of the !aw 3open on her $reast with her two hands# main" a descendin" trian"le with thum$s and forefin"ers'4 This 3descendin" trian"le4 is the special si"n of orus# and is specifically connected to the Altar 2 3It is the flame descendin" upon the altar # and licin" up the $urnt offerin" 4FH 5emphasis mine9'FF Similarly# an 3offerin"4 is specifically identified in part : of The Gnostic Mass when the ;riest touches the ;riestess 3$etween the $reasts and on the $ody4 3!et this offerin" $e $orne upon the waes of Pthyr to our !ord and *ather the Sun that traelleth oer the eaens in his name ON'4F< Now $elow the Altar is the dais of three steps# and it is with the ;riests mountin" of the third and final step that he first inoes 3our !ord in the (nierse the Sun4 to 3appear Thou "lorious upon the throne of the Sun'4 This latter inunction is a paraphrase of CrowleyWs ersification of the St[l[  itself2 3Appear on the throne of &a'4 It is not the ;riest# identified as a Master

or Tiphareth in Atu :I and the :th Pthyr' H The @oo of Thoth' HH Apollo is the H th Name 5@9 of orus in The Inocation of orus' HF Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice# ch',' H< Commentary to !i$er !>:' F7 !i$er : el &e"uli' F+ An Essay (pon Num$er' F6 The @oo of Thoth' F, See Sepher Sepiroth # num$er =7,' F8 &ecallin" the inunction of Atu >I: to 3:isit the Interior of the Earth'4


F= John St' John' F Commentary to !i$er !>:' FH 3In the end he shall offer up the :ast Sacrifice# at the moment when the God lics up the flame upon the altar'4 5!i$er StellR &u$eR# erse ,79' FF One of the sacrificial demarcations $etween the worshippers of Jehoah in the Torah and their nei"h$ors was the insistence that the principal offerin" $e $urnt' See also !i$er A!# III2 6=' F< It is curious that Seats specifically connects the word offerin" to the word fertile'

87


of the Temple#<7 or 3Asar as Man#4 <+ perfected $y The Altar as the 3$osom4 may also the ;riestess# who has in turn $ecome Anhaf indicate the $reast of the mother# which is nahonsu 59# <6 who is set upon the throne ' sym$olical of the phial containin" the oil upon &ather# the last words uttered from $ehind the the altar' The si"n associated to @inah 5 Mater eil are those of the !ord of the Pon# the Triumphans 9 also emphasiBes this $reast 3as if Crowned and Con.uerin" Child2 3_in the new offerin" it to that child'4< And the $reast is Pon the ierophant is orus 5!i$er CC>> # I# indicated in h# Atu >:II# 3The Mother4 of the 8<9'4<, The 3summit of the earth4 has $ecome the Three Goddesses : III2H# such an interpretation is at odds with < !i$er : el &e"uli' # 3The Temple of Solomon the in"'49 <+ !i$er Tau' <6 See 3The Comment called D#4 where this identification is made particularly clear' <, !i$er Sameh' <8 !i$er A@A' <= This "od is associated to the >:th ;ath in Columns >I> and >> of !i$er HHH'


:# :2=' << 3e $e"at meQ in my season/ I must such a son $e"et4 L The Ship' 3The XchildW is @A@A!ON and TE @EAST conoined# the Secret Saiour'4 L !i$er A@A' +77Accordin" to elena and Tau Apiryon2 3an inocation of the oly Spirit oer the Elements and the Con"re"ation'4 See !i$er Aleph# ch'F# and !i$er Sameh# ;oint II' +7+ !i$er Stellae &u$eae# erse 66' *urther2 3Also there is the ision of the fireflashin" Courser of !i"ht# or also a Child# $orne aloft on the shoulders of the Celestial Steed_thou shalt unite all these Sym$ols into the form of a !ion'4 L The Oracles of ôroaster'

8+


3The Creed4 distin"uishes $etween 3one Earth# the Mother of us all4 and 3one ?om$'4 The first is 3the eternal Mother4  Isis represented $y the Altar # her headdressQ +76 3Mother of fertility on whose $reast lieth water'4 The wom$ represents the Chalice # the 3Gier and receier of oy'4 oweer# $oth @a$alon and Isis/Asi are identified with @inah#+7, and in The Supreme &itual # it is the female officer who conceals herself as Isis and operates 3throu"h4 @a$alon' +78 As the 3summit of the earth#4 the Altar is connected to the Mountain of Initiation or Sacred Mountain of the &osicrucianWs# and the $oo called 3The ?all of A$ie"nus4 concerns itself with 3the formula of Attainment $y deotion to our !ady @a$alon'4 +7= Additionally# the Scarlet ?oman# who is identified with 3our !ady @a$alon#4 is 3Scorpio_the ?oman Serpent#4 one of the 3twoinone Chief Officers of the Temple of the New Pon of eru&aa'''4 +7 To"ether# with The @east# they formulate 3One True God'4+7H The ;riestess and the Chalice or Cup could $e perceied as Microcosmic representaties of the Macrocosmic forces of 3The Earth4 and 3The !ady'4 Nota$ly# $oth the Cup and the ;riestess are coered and uncoered 5su""estin" the Si"ns of ;uella +7F and Mulier +7<9' Additionally# the ;riestess has = crosses++7 drawn upon her thrice 5+=9 and the +76 ;erhaps su""estin" the profile of the dais# hi"h altar and super altar' +7, HHH# col'>I> ) >>' +78 The E.uino% I2 >' In the same ritual# 3The shrine in the "loom4 is identified with 3the Mouth of the ?om$'4 +7= The E.uino%# III2<' +7 The E.uino%# I:2 6' +7H See The @oo of !ies Chap' 6,' Also see 3The :ital Triads4 in The @oo of Thoth # where $oth  and += are desi"nated 3Slain Gods'4 +7F 3The Si"n of Chastity'4 +7< 3@a$alon is the >4 L the si"n $ein" su""estie of a cup' ++7 3The sym$ol of God made man# the peculiar hiero"lyph of Christ'4  The General ;rinciples of Astrolo"y'


Cup once 5\ 67 totalQ appa 9' appa is the initial of &#%"# 3the essential4 female principle' +++ (sin" isopsephy# 3Mother4 5 #9 of 3A$ominations4 5'()*9 adds to <8+# the same numeration as 3Io ;an4 5 + !9  the cry of the ;riest durin" 3The Ceremony of the Openin" of the :eil#4 as well as the cry followin" the formulation of the elements in !i$er >>:' Additionally# a comment to the 6 nd Pthyr of !i$er 8+F draws a further connection2 3*rom this it would appear that @A@A!ON_ is the *eminine 5or Andro"yne9 e.uialent L not merely complement of ;an'4 Crowley further associates <8+ to @acchus in his Gree Ka$alah 2 ,' ItWs also perhaps noteworthy that the e$rew e.uialents of the letters C(; are p ] w ] k \ +7 \ n in full \ ♏' Scorpio# which is ruled $y Mars# is associated to the Ma"ical *ormula # whose Ma"ical ?eapon is the Cup and Cross of Sufferin" 5i'e' their com$ination9 and the ?ine'++6 Crowley notes that this attri$ution of the 3Serpent is connected with seeral of the ma"ical weapons# and implies the secret in"ly power of the ma"ician# the essence of the phallic ener"y as employed in transmutation'4 &e"ardin" this 3transmutation4# it is the Ea"le or haw that drops upon the head of the aspirant 3an healin" dew4 with each $ite of the serpent' Additionally# the three letters of this weapon may si"nify the three wands of the Adept and their correspondin" Sephira' As elena and Tau Apiryon note#  is the *ormula sealin" the Creed and 3callin" forth the oly :ir"in who ne%t appears'4 Note that to"ether# the words 3oly :ir"in4 do not appear in !i$er >: # $ut rather in !i$er CC>>>I # erse +H2 3Transformed# the holy ir"in appeared as a fluidic fire# main" her +++ !i$er Sameh' ++6 !i$er I el Ma"i erse F2 3?ith the Cup presereth e'4

86


$eauty into a thunder$olt'4 A"ain# this is a"ency of the Sword 5the 3fored li"htnin"4 of su""estie of Atu >:II# 3The Mother'4 Atu >:I9 in the hand of the ;riestess in The It is the Cup that is acted upon $y $oth Gnostic Mass # the 3fallen dau"hter4 is redeemed the !ance 5;hallusQ 3;riest of the !ord49 and the ia the a"ency of the !ance# which is identified ost 5as the Sun L 3;riest of the Sun49 under the with the ;hallus 5see also !i$er A! I2,H9' This a"ency of Ayin 53O49# the . & !ance transcends time# $ein" $orn 3a"ain and ToDay and the Additionally# in Atu >:# associated to a"ain4  3I am -esterday# ++F Capricornus  where Mars is e%alted# the Altar is @rother of ToMorrow'4 The ?and is in the the Cu$ic Stone upon which the Satyr 5 ry+)s9 3!i"ht ) in the Ni"ht4 L 3*or thou"h I $e oined to the Earth# In the Innermost Shrine of eaen sits and $ears $oth the Cup and the torch 53as am I'4++< The !ance is that 3!ord4 which $oth ++, did his predecessor4 i'e' Atu >I:9' the male 5Chomah9 and female 5@inah9 adore The seatin" of a woman# as in The and then inoe L $ein" One# 3present amon" Gnostic Mass # or man upon the Altar is also us'4 *or the formula of the ?and # unlie that of indicated in The Supreme &itual and !i$er the Cup# encompasses the entire Minutum StellR &u$eR 2 3Also the ;riestess shall see Mundum L it is $oth 3our !ord in the (nierse4 another altar# and perform many ceremonies 5SolarQ4;yramid of *ire49 and 3our !ord in thereon'4++8 This adaption of the Altar su""ests ourseles453the Spiritual ;hallus4Q 3the seed moement analo"ous to what has $een thereof49' mentioned re"ardin" the throne ' *or e%ample# &eflectin" the ;riests moements within name of the 3ouse4 the Altar is oriented The Gnostic Mass Temple2 3The first formula is towards is 8+F in numeration or tyx in full# that of the ?and ' In the sphere of the principle whose Tarot attri$ution is The Chariot 5Atu which the Ma"ician wishes to inoe# he rises :II9'++= The principal fi"ure of this card $ears from point to point in a perpendicular line# and the oly Graal# which is 3the sacred essel4 of then descends'4 +67 The Adeptus has seiBed the @a$alon and the Chariot itself is composed of the Sacred !ance' @acchus 5Tiphareth9 has $ecome fi"ure of the Sun and Moon conoined' ++ In an ;an si"nifyin" 3Occult pu$erty'4 +6+ is early ersion the , of Cups# 3@a$alon4 is 3in the destination on ascendin"# the 3(neilin" of the Chariot of Chaos# $earin" the Graal'4 Accordin" !i"ht#4 is the Altar whereupon is concealed the to elena and Tau Apiryon2 3?e now from Graal' Crowleys other writin"s that 3the sole icere"ent In The Gnostic Mass # the ;riestess 3taes of the Sun upon Earth4 refers to the ;A!!(S# which is# therefore# to $e identified with the the lance# $etween her open hands# and runs them up and down upon the shaft eleen times# name CAOS'4 ery "ently4 at the conclusion of part III of the ?hereas the Man under"oes &esurrection ritual' Note that it is the 3open hand4 or 3palm4 5the Ordeal of the Neophyte Initiation9 from the Tom$ or ;astos within the ;yramid ++H ia the ++, The General ;rinciples of Astrolo"y' ++8 !i$er StellR &u$eR# erse <' ++= Astrolo"ical Cancer associated to the e%treme northern declination' ++ i'e '# The Mar of the @east' ++H 3The metaphor of stones is# on the other hand# of


Tiphareth'4 5Commentary to !i$er = erse =F9' This is connected to the ;yramid or the 6 nd ell# )%"/ and $y isopsephy# to the , rd ell 0" and 1!#)' ++F See !i$er Israfel' ++< !i$er ;yramidos' +67 Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice# ch'6' +6+ !i$er Sameh'

8,


5k9 that is main" this action'

In part I:# it the !ance which opens the :eil followin" spoen E"yptian transliteration from the St[l[  ' Similarly# Ma"ic ?ithout Tears instructs the aspirant to 3ru$4 the wand 3constantly with Oil of A$ramelin#4+66 emphasiBin" that 3A a dua4 3is the $est'4 Additionally# in the Grimorium Sanctissimum # the 3maiden4 inflames 3$oth the fire and the priest with her hands4 It is interestin" to note that $oth the ?and and the and are attri$uted to -od Tetra"rammaton L -od 5 dwy9 in full $ein" 67 5 k9 and multiplied $y itself# +77 52Q 3;erfection ;erfected# the (nity in completion_4+6,

As already noted# at the ape% of the Super Altar is esta$lished the St[l[  ' The word St[l[ appears in Gree in The Star &u$y as / which is translated 3pillar'4 CrowleyWs commentary to !i$er !>: I:2 =F defines the 3lonely pillar4 as 3Chomah# the Creatie ?ord# the ;hallic Mercury# the ?isdom $y which the worlds were created'4 +6= Additionally# the sin"le pillar of !i$er !>: :2=# in conunction with the formula of A$rahada$ra#+6 is defined as the 3phallus of the Macrocosm'4 This 3phallus4 is composed of the ?ord of the PonWs si% 3positie ideas4 or letters# in contrast to 3the oid of the Microcosm#4 composed of fie alephs or 3teis4 5wom$9' AnalyBin" this pillar# the  5or k L JupiterQ fie 99 si"nifies the Cup 5wom$9# whereas the 0 5Ge$urahQ b r h d b r 9 si"nifies the ?and' Also# the Altar taen as 3fourfold4 5which includes 3an attac on the 8 $y the ++49 +6H in conunction with the holy he%a"ram 53phallus of +68

+66 *rom the phial indicatin" the $reast of the Mother' +6, !i$er Sameh' +68 The Super Altar itself su""estin" the Caduceus L the ?and of Mercury' +6= See e$rews ++2,' +6 A Ma"ical *ormula of Tiphareth' See also !i$er Aleph # Chap' FH' +6H An Essay (pon Num$er'


the Macrocosm49 informs 3the unierse enclosed in the law of !in"am-oni'4 +6F It is temptin" to contrast the positie conception a$oe with the e$rew e.uialent of the word ?AND2 d ] n ] ) ] w \ + \ Ny)# 3The Ne"atie# none%istentQ not'4 ?ith the Ace of ?ands# 3the Miracle of the Anatomy of the Child &aoorhuit#4+6< we affirm that2 3the (nierse is Nothin"'4 +,7 The @oo of !ies# chapter +=# addresses this microcosmic/macrocosmic dichotomy2 3As a man loses his personality in physical loe# so does the ma"ician annihilate his diine personality in that which is $eyond'4 Of course# a ma"ician has to hae created and nurtured a diine personality L prior to transcendin" it' In The Gnostic Mass # the Shrine or i"h Altar is initially 3open4# and this is where 3the Graal is e%alted'4 Conersely# the !ance is concealed at the $e"innin" and the end of the ritual within the Tom$ or ;astos' oweer# it is eaen 3which draweth4 the ?and 3into er ?om$'4 3@ut# as one proceeds# the Cross $ecomes "reater# until it is the Ace# the &ose# until it is the ?ord'4

+6F The @oo of !ies # ch'6' +6< !i$er Aleph# ch'67H' +,7 See chapter F of The @oo of !ies'

88


Beli efand Confessi on:TheCreed of Ecclesi aGnosti ca #y Fr"ter M&P&& Note2 *irst pu$lished in *orce ) *ire# the official ournal of SehetMaat !od"e' Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

T

he Creed of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica appears in !i$er >:2 The Gnostic Mass as written $y Aleister Crowley' It directly follows the proclamation of the law in the Ceremony of the Introit' Comprised of ei"ht clauses L si% $eliefs and two confessions L the Creed identifies those forces and doctrines


central to the Mass and the life of each indiidual' The first four clauses of the Creed correspond to Tetra"rammaton# the elemental ma"ical formula e%pressed in the diine name -:' The followin" two affirm the 3communion of Saints4 and the 3Miracle of the

8=


Mass4# these $ein" the essential products of the Mass' The final two acnowled"e parallels $etween !i$er >: and oneWs life' I find myself impelled to address three .uestions' *irstly# what does the recitation of the Creed accomplishZ Secondly# why should it $e included in the MassZ !astly# as it pertains to the Creed# how does $elief fit into the anti superstitious framewors of Thelema and Scientific IlluminismZ In any "roup endeaor# it is wise to ensure that eeryone is on the same pa"e' The Creed seres as a $rid"e to a conceptual commons2 the holy of holies# where earth and sy meet 53Greetin" of Earth and eaen4# as the ;riestess says9' It is thus an eocatie realitymappin" e%ercise# potentiatin" a "estalt that enhances the intimacy of the Mass and entrains the con"re"ants to a common frame of reference' The Ka$alistic $asis of the Creed is eident in its use of Tetra"rammaton and the supernals' 3The ineffa$le !O&D4 descri$es ether# the (n.ualified A$solute or (nconditioned @ein"Q 3the sole icere"ent of the Sun upon the earth4# CAOS# is a name of ChomahQ and @A@A!ON sym$oliBes @inah# Earth# and ?om$' The centrality of "eneratie powers to the Creed L namely# the supernal pair and their synthesis in @A;OMET L connote solar phallicism and se% ma"ic' The Gnostic# Catholic# ecclesiastical# and eucharistic aspects of !i$er >: are addressed in clauses ,' The penultimate clause references @A;OMET $y the term 3@aptism of ?isdom4# identifyin" se% as the ey to the 3Miracle of Incarnation4 in unam$i"uously se%positie lan"ua"e' The final clause posits a transcendent Self unrestricted $y time and space# pointin" to the doctrines of soul# reincarnation# and metempsychosis'

distinctie set of alues that is at odds with institutional patriarchy' &ecitin" the Creed is a firm reection of slae morality' Clause 8 states# 3And I $eliee in one Gnostic and Catholic church of li"ht# life# loe# and li$erty# the word of whose law is Thelema4' In that Thelema 5?ill9 is coterminous with selfdetermination# er$aliBin" the Creed is a potent sym$olic act of re$ellion a"ainst oppressie old aeon doctrines L and# $y pro%y# do"matic theolo"y and institutional reli"ion' It is accurate to iew it as an inocation of orus' @earin" these considerations in mind# the Creed is appropriately se.uenced' The con"re"ation frontloads themseles with a narratie that tri""ers an altered state of consciousness and conte%tualiBes the rest of the ritual' This is ar"ua$ly in the ein of neuro lin"uistic pro"rammin" and selfhypnosis# and !i$er >: proceeds upon the i$rant foundation laid there$y' The word 3$elief4 remains saddled with the fetters of reli"ious do"ma' The method of science demands septicism# not $lind faith L $ut one must $e wary of confusin" septicism with cynicism' The former connotes an openminded suspension of ud"ment and credulity# the latter a predisposition to denial or apathy' The former is a scientific attitudeQ the latter is $ias' ?hile "roundin" the CreedWs articles of $elief in a scientific cosmo"ony# its twili"ht lan"ua"e e%cites the ima"ination# informin" and enhancin" a suprarational ritual state' It is undesira$le for the mind to recoil at fi"uratie lan"ua"e or metaphor'

(nder the paradi"m of Scientific Illuminism# $elief is a pro"rammatic tool' MemoriBin" the ta$les of correspondence in HHH esta$lishes a specialiBed co"nitie superstructure These oerlappin" conte%ts spea to a 5i'e' a neural networ in the $rain9 that responds to ritual stimuli as a prere.uisite to practicin"


8


ceremonial ma"ic' (sin" techni.ues such as isualiBation# the i$ration of ma"ical formulas# and sym$olic "estures# the practitioner tri""ers a crescendo of psychose%ual ener"y representatie of or"asm and directs it toward a desired outcome' @elief is the ehicle of the reification of ?ill' ?hile any $elief can yield ma"ical alue if properly held L no matter how a$surd L there are distinct $enefits in scientific "roundin"' *or e%ample# it is less liely to induce the rational mind to protestQ rational $eliefs are easier to ustify to oneself# and thus easier to incorporate' oweer# CrowleyWs emphasis on yo"a necessitates the su$limation of the rational# conscious mind to ?ill L to $ecome ar$itrary or onepointed' As Swami :ieananda wrote in &aa -o"a2 3The -o"i is supposed to hae finished his

period of controersy' e has had enou"h of that# and has $ecome satisfied' e only studies to intensify his conictions'4 @y honin" $elief into a tool# one aoids $ecomin" the tool of $elief' ;roperly understood# the Creed $ecomes a ma"ical weapon a"ainst superstition# tyranny# and oppression' In choosin" to $eliee consciously in the aim of selfempowerment# in identifyin" with the timeless oer the time$ound# the third power of the Sphin% comes into play2 to dare' As ;rometheus dared to steal fire from the "ods# as Mele Taus dared to defy the CreatorWs command to $ow to Adam# $y recitin" the Creed each con"re"ant dares to swim a"ainst the current# proclaimin" that each indiidual is the One God L and initin" all to partae of the oyous sacrament of life in a spirit of total responsi$ility and loe under will'



8H


TheFuncti on and OperantTermsof theCreed oftheGnosti cMass #y Ji33y Tyrre-Note2 *irst pu$lished in !ion ) Serpent# :olume F# Num$er 6# Anno
Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

I

wish to $e"in $y statin" 5not in apolo"y9 that I e%pect ery little of what I write in this essay to $e ori"inal' The Creed# $ein" simple# strai"htforward# and $ased on rudimentary and easily o$sera$le scientific concepts# lends itself primarily to three particular approaches in writin" a$out it2 the first $ein" ela$orate paraphrases of what is already e%plicit# the second $ein" illustrations of personal epiphanies which may or may not $e releant to the e%perience of those outside the area of effect of said epiphanies 5and which we must accept as possessin" aryin" de"rees of comprehensi$ility and/or sanity9# and the third $ein" practical e%aminations re"ardin" the function and utility of the Creed as serin" and adancin" the formula

In my limited e%perience of EGC communities# it is customary for the Deacon to "ie a short speech or pream$le to the ;eople prior to admittin" them into the Mass temple' This speech consists of a num$er of instructions re"ardin" temple decorum and er$al/"estural participation# which the ;eople are e%pected to follow as a courtesy to the rest of the participants# and to the officers of the Mass'


of the Mass in "eneral' Of the three aforementioned approaches# the second is the only one that is liely to contain much ori"inal thou"ht or material' Since it is not my purpose here 5nor is it my interest9 to impose or proliferate my personal interpretations of any portion of the Mass# I am "oin" to mae a conscious effort to refrain entirely from employin" the second approach# aoid somewhat 5althou"h not entirely9 the first approach# and focus primarily on the third' In the final analysis# it is much $etter that e%planations of thin"s $e useful than that they $e ori"inal or een interestin"' ?hile I hope that the reader will find this essay interestin"# it is my utmost aspiration that they will find it useful'

;articipation on this leel is understood to $e inoluntary and re.uired for admission into the temple# and does not assume or re.uire any understandin" of the necessity or function of the instructions' *urthermore# it is accepted that understandin" of the specific import of these instructions 5steps# si"ns# attitudes# etc'9 is not a necessary re.uirement for understandin" the formula of the Mass itself' *or this reason# it is possi$le to re"ard participation on this leel to $e passie in nature# and to $e concerned primarily with synchroniBin" the $ehaioral component of 8F


the ;eople' Similar to the DeaconWs speech $efore admittance# the Creed is also a pream$le to su$se.uent eents' oweer# rather than $ein" desi"ned to enforce inoluntary uniformity on a er$al and "estural leel# its purpose is to illustrate the fundamental principles which mae possi$le the fulfillment of the formula of the Mass and to er$ally confirm the ;eoplesW actie $elief in them'

with a necessary# primary# and effectie safe"uard a"ainst disharmony# distraction# and disruption of the current of ener"y that is $ein" channeled throu"h this formula# and of the success of the Mass itself' In order to understand the importance of the recitation of the Creed in proidin" this amplification/isolation# it is useful once a"ain to contrast the recitation of the Creed with the reception of the preliminary speech $efore enterin" the temple'

(nderstandin" or a"reement with these principles is not e%plicitly re.uired for one to $e The reception of the speech does not rely admitted into the temple# $ut sincere and on actie contri$utions from the ;eople in order informed a"reement with the principles of the to $e successful' In order to fulfill the purpose of Creed is a prere.uisite to understandin" or this speech# it is only necessary that they listen to $enefitin" from the formula of the Mass' *or this what is $ein" said to them# and follow the reason# it is possi$le to re"ard the recitation of appropriate instructions at the appropriate times the Creed 5as one eentually comes to once inside the temple' ?hile they are certainly understand its principles9 as $ein" actie in welcome to as any .uestions that may enhance nature and to $e concerned primarily with their understandin" of the details $efore enterin" synchroniBin" the conceptual component of the the Temple# they are not re.uired to do so' ;eople' The recitation of the Creed# on the other hand# en"a"es the ;eople in an actie# pu$lic# and decisie 5at least within the temple9 statement of @elief and Confession' *or all In any "roup ritual it is important that the practical intents and purposes# we can assume thou"hts and intent of the participants $e that any .uestions they may hae a$out any of synchroniBed and amplified within the confines the principles they are affirmin" throu"h this of the temple and that disharmonious thou"hts recitation hae $een 5or will $e9 settled and intent $e isolated and/or $anished from the elsewhere' same confines'

The Creed is recited aloud and in unison' Admittedly# this is the most common mode of pu$lic recitation for any ind of "roup affirmation# $ut it is more than simple conenience that maes this mode of pu$lic recitation useful in a ma"ical sense# as will $e e%amined in the followin" para"raphs'

The Mass is desi"ned to $e a pu$lic ritual# open to all# and as such its participants and officers cannot $e assured at all times that eeryone in attendance has a sufficient "rasp of 5or sufficient a"reement with9 the formula communicated throu"h it# nor can they allow that to $e a necessary re.uirement for the success of In ma"ical ritual# as in other arenas of the ritual' The recitation of the Creed# aloud and communication and interaction# the spoen word in unison# proides the participants and officers is one of the most powerful forms of inocation The Journal of Thelemic Studies

8<


5second only to the written word in the pu$lic arena9' ?e can thin a$out thin"s as much as we lie# and perform any num$er or ariety of thou"ht e%periments in connection with any num$er or ariety of su$ects# and neer hae to commit to them anythin" other than whateer time or ener"y it too to entertain the thou"hts in the first place' It is not necessary to en"a"e any critical portion of oneWs personal inte"rity or identity in the su$ect of the unspoen theoretical construct in order to treat it in a satisfactory fashion'

participants need not $e concerned with any disharmonious thou"hts 5that remain unspoen9 within the mind of the speaer' Therefore# the er$al $uffer created $y such recitation effectiely a$sor$s these disharmonious elements and is sufficient to insulate any sin"le participant from the possi$ly wanderin" or conflicted thou"hts of any other participant' The operant supposition here is2 if it wasnWt spoen# it does not operate within the confines of the temple# and is thus irreleant or none%istent'

The ne%t .uestions that naturally arise in the course of this analysis are2 ?hat e%actly are these principlesZ ?hat are the operant terms in these statements of affirmation# and how do they sere to affirm the arious principles in the Creed# in accordance with the "rammatical structure of the statementsZ

that .uestion# I will leae that la$or to the writers of those other essays and concentrate my ener"ies upon the latter'

!iewise# recitation in unison forms an ?ith the spoen word# howeer# instant syner"istic relationship with all other especially in a pu$lic arena# the ery act of participants in the temple in that it seres to speain" en"a"es the personal inte"rity of the synchroniBe and amplify the thou"hts and intent speaer and $inds themto a de"ree proected throu"h the recitation' If recitin" aloud commensurate with their leel of personal is sufficient to proect a thou"ht or intent and inte"rityto a personal identification with the esta$lish its dominion in the temple# recitin" su$ects of the statements in accordance with aloud and in unison is sufficient to effectiely their "rammatical structure' amplify the intensity of the thou"ht proection &ecitin" aloud also fulfills completely the and its dominion in the temple $y a factor e.ual function of isolatin" disharmonious thou"hts or to the num$er of participants in the temple and intents from the confines of the temple' Since the to channel this proection into the fulfillment of act of speain" en"a"es the speaer on the the formula of the Mass throu"h the "rounds of their inte"rity and identity# the act of concentration of the indiidual 5and "roup9 will# speain" also creates a condition where the other in accordance with the principles affirmed in the Creed'

There are ei"ht statements of affirmation in the Creed' Si% of them are .ualified $y the operant term of @elief# and two of them are .ualified $y the operant term of Confession' In Other essays hae $een written re"ardin" order to determine how these operant terms the former# and they are far more elo.uent and sere to affirm the arious principles of the informatie than I would e%pect anythin" that I Creed# we must e%amine the meanin"s of these hae to say on the su$ect to $e' *urthermore# words# and how they relate to the arious classes since it is not my intent in this essay to e%plore of phenomena identified in the statements The Journal of Thelemic Studies

=7


themseles' Definitions 5e%cerpted dictionary'com9 are as follows2

from

2 @ebliee4# ' t' 0imp' ) p' p' @elieedQ p' pr' ) $' n' @eliein"'1 +' To e%ercise $elief inQ to credit upon the authority or testimony of another' 6' To $e persuaded of the truth of# upon eidence furnished $y reasons# ar"uments# and deductions of the mind# or $y circumstances other than personal nowled"e' ,' To re"ard or accept as trueQ to place confidence inQ to thin' 2 Conbfess4# ' t' 0imp' ) p' p' ConfessedQ p' pr' ) $' n' Confessin"'1 +' To mae acnowled"ment or aowal in a matter pertainin" to oneWs selfQ Now that we hae our definitions# it is possi$le to e%amine how these terms operate in alidatin" the arious statements of affirmation in the Creed' The first si% statements refer to occult representations of "enerally accepted phenomena such as certain natural processes and the e%istence and function of certain heaenly $odies' Since we do not hae direct e%perience of any of these thin"s# it is necessary for us to accept them on the faith that they e%ist and function as descri$ed accordin" to the $est and most current scientific nowled"e' @elief in this capacity en"a"es all three of the listed definitions of the term' ?e credit these thin"s upon the testimony of others 5i'e'# we are not all astronomers# so we hae not all done the necessary wor to satisfy ourseles independently of the e%istence of the sunQ we are not all $iolo"ists# so we hae not done the necessary wor to liewise satisfy ourseles of the


microscopic appearance and $ehaior of spermatoBoa# etc'9 $ecause as a society we hae accumulated a $ody of scientific nowled"e that is sufficient to $ear out these postulates' The e%istence of this $ody of scientific nowled"e empowers us to persuade ourseles of the truth of these statements throu"h informed reasons# ar"uments# and deductions of the mind' The fact that all of the su$ects dealt with in these si% statements 5if considered outside of their occult trappin"s9 are accepted $y all educated people to $e rudimentary and fairly selfeident 5in li"ht of the current state of scientific research9 allows us to re"ard and accept them as true with little or no conscious effort' Since it is impossi$le een for scientists with hi"hly specialiBed trainin" to hae direct nowled"e and e%perience of the su$ects they analyBe and study# the $est orientation that they 5or we9 can truthfully claim toward any of them is that of informed $elief' The first si% statements of affirmation in the Creed# $ein" statements on su$ects of this order# thus could not $e truthfully .ualified $y any other operant term than that of @elief# which maes it ideal as an operant term# and alidates indisputa$ly the statements in which it operates' The final two statements in the Creed refer respectiely to the phenomena of @irth and !ife' Since these are phenomena that eery liin" $ein" has a direct and 5to a "reater or lesser de"ree9 intimate connection with throu"h direct e%perience# it is not necessary to .ualify them throu"h a term such as @elief' Een without a ast corpus of scientific nowled"e to $ear it out# one can easily and confidently acnowled"e that they were $orn and that they are indeed alie at the moment of acnowled"ment' Acnowled"ment in this fashion en"a"es the listed definition of the term 3Confess'4

=+


In any ma"ical operation# it is necessary to hae oneWs postulates and o$serations readily at hand# so that one may rally them to oneWs use effortlessly and seamlessly' The Creed is or"aniBed in such a way as to not only facilitate that purpose# $ut to facilitate it in an essentially uncontrolled "roup settin"' The orderin" of the statements# the operant terms within# and the manner of recitation are all necessary elements

for the fulfillment of that purpose# and thus to the fulfillment of the formula of the Mass' @y studyin" the function and architecture of the Creed on this leel# it is possi$le for the practitioner to "ain a "reater understandin" and appreciation for the selfcontained $eauty and splendor of the cosmic model that e%presses itself throu"h the formula of our central rite'



=6


Gnosti cCatholi cvs.Ni ceneCreed #y 'rother O#e-os Note2 *irst pu$lished in !ion ) Serpent# :olume +8# Num$er ,# Anno +7= EN'

O

ne of the many perspecties from which to e%plore our creed is $y contrastin" it with those of other churches' The Nicene Creed# +,+ with its historical placement in re"ard to our own antecedents and its similar syntactic structure# shares a num$er of o$ious touchstones with the creed of Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica +,6 which further hi"hli"ht the doctrinal differences' Some of these points come so close that the EGC Creed 5EGCC9 can $e iewed as a response to or possi$ly a rectification of that which has in its arious permutations sered as an e%plicit foundation for many of the maor threads of Christian churches' 3!et the eil ones $e cast awayQ let the "ood ones $e pur"ed $y the prophet4+,, apparently e%tends $eyond rituals to the $roader case of statements of $elief# as well' The first three statements of $elief in the EGCC outline primary entities which form the hi"hest leel of reality# as $oth physical and metaphysical structures2 Chaos# @a$alon# and @aphomet' This interrelated triplicity $ears correspondence to the Nicene Creeds 5NC9 depiction of God the father# Mary/oly Spirit the mother# and Jesus the son' *or the creatie force of the unierse# the +,+ Committee of Diine ?orship of the (nited States Conference of Catholic @ishops# 3Te%tus translationis partium .uarundam Ordinis Missae Missalis &omani# e% editio typica tertia eiusdem e%cerptarum# lin"ua an"lica e%aratus#4 pa"e <' +,6 !i$er >:2 The Gnostic Mass' +,, !i$er A! # II2='


EGCC descri$es the hierarchical descent from the "eneral to the particular# startin" from its secret and unspeaa$le# perhaps inoluted# source' Thou"h one amon" many on the "rander scale# the Sun# to us humans# is the most primal manifestation of that force# whose presence on Earth 5named Chaos9 is the perasie mystery of life itself as the sole e%ecutor of the Suns power' The most particular and least rarified eidence of this force is the airdrien process of meta$olic respiration' ?e see this descent reflected in the downward traersal of the Ka$alistic Tree of !ifes middle pillar 5!O&D \ ether# Sun \ Tiphareth# Chaos \ -esod# and Air \ Maluth9 as well as in the letters comprisin" the ineffa$le name itself 5 hwhy9' This is a rather detailed metaphysic when compared to the NCs elucidation of the creatie principle as God the *ather# who is ery simply descri$ed as $ein" the unassaila$le source of all thin"s manifest and transcendent# period' The ela$orate description is saed for Jesus# the Son' Of his life little mention is made# $ut his $irth# death# and resurrection as well as the specifics of why people ou"ht to care a$out him are thorou"hly descri$ed' In contrast# the correspondin" principle in the EGCC# @aphomet# is depicted only to the e%tent that he is the 3Serpent and the !ion'4 Outside the creed $ut within the conte%t of 3!i$er >:#4 this lion snae pairin" is further conte%tualiBed as $ein" the father of the Gnostic Catholic saints as well as the ones who 3destroy the destroyer4 as the

=,


consecrated elements are mi%ed' +,8 @oth @aphomet and Jesus fulfill the role of the $ein" the issue of the *ather and Mother' The NC places special emphasis on the notion that Jesus was not 3made4 $ut 3$e"otten4 of the father and the mother# ostensi$ly to promul"ate the understandin" that he was a man rather than a purely spiritual $ein"' The same holds for @aphomet who is $e"otten# not made# from the min"lin" of the $ody and $lood in the cup' oweer# the purpose for Jesus manifestation is so that he can suffer sacrifice and then resurrect himself for the eerlastin" life of the fallen manind' As a perfect inersion and rectification of this formula# @aphomet is $orn as the reiification of mans sacrifice of life and oy# identifyin" the ;riest and ;riestess as the diine operants themseles# Chaos and @a$alon' Jesus was $orn to sufferQ @aphomet is a oy to $e"et' The Mother proides another set of clear distinctions' Jesus is $e"otten $y God the *ather on a ir"in# Mary# with the implication that this is the sort of purity re.uired in order to sere as a suita$le essel for Gods holy issue# the $aptism for the for"ieness of sins' @a$alon# howeer# far from $ein" ir"inal 5for the common uses of 3ir"inal#4 at any rate9# is an indiscriminate whore# the mother of us all who "ies her wom$ to all taers who are willin" to offer in ecstasy a final sacrifice of their last drop of $lood' +,= As the $earer of @a$alons cup in the Gnostic Mass# the ;riestess $e"ins as a simple ir"in who after inoin" the ;riest is then 3upraised4 $y him throu"h acts of se%ual con"ress into her sanctified form as the whore who is then suited to $ear the offsprin" wrou"ht of the sacrifice of life and oy in the $aptism of wisdom'

see still lar"er differences in function and aim of the two creeds' Stated only tacitly within its te%t# Ori"inal Sin is the .uiet architect of the NC' Each point is carefully struc to delineate that God and man are ery separate# one $ein" all powerful and the other weaQ that his in"dom in eaen is eternal# thou"h man and his world are notQ that salation comes from su$mission to an authority outside the imperfect and ephemeral self' The EGCC depicts a radically different reality where man is GodQ where the proclaimant is himself a"eless and eternal# perpetuatin" the world throu"h the promul"ation of his perfect willQ an indiidual in the company of those inspired $y the irile oly Spirit that moed the 3saints of the true church of old time4 to carry the "nosis from its primordial ori"in into our current day# and onwardQ and a miraculous identity $etween the process that fires our $rains# muscles# and "ametes and that which connects us as producers and partaers of the transcendent'

On a scope encompassin" the respectie spiritual en"ines arisin" from these triplicities# we +,8!i$er >:2 The Gnostic Mass' +,= See The :ision ) the :oice# especially the +6 th Aethyr'


=8


TheGnosti cCatholi cCreed: SeedsofSelfKnowledge #y Fr"ter E"the-e3e Note2 *irst pu$lished in !ion ) Serpent# :ol' :I# Num$er 6# Anno
T

he word 3creed4 is defined as a $rief authoritatie formula of reli"ious $elief' It is also synonymous with reli"ion and ideolo"y' The Gnostic Catholic Creed may therefore $e considered a declaration of the $eliefs of the con"re"ation# as well as a sym$olic representation of the Ecclesia and of the Mass itself' An understandin" of this formula may $e"in with studyin" the correspondences of the sym$olism presented line$yline and from a holistic perspectie' Such sym$olic correspondences can $e found $y e%aminin" the .a$alistic si"nificance of specific words within the creed and $y relatin" passa"es to other sym$ol sets# includin" the Tree of !ife# the Tarot# and western mytholo"ies' In addition# an informal interpretation of the more readily understood passa"es will $e fruitful' ?hile I hae attempted to collect and summariBe a wide ariety of interpretie information here ia research# such data can only point wealy toward the true mystery# which arises with practice# meditation and isualiBation'

Throu"hout the rest of the Creed# Crowley uses all capital letters on words that are either nown to $e of Gree or unnown ori"in# or words to which he applied isopsephy 5Gree "ematria9 in other wors' The word 3!ord4 The Journal of Thelemic Studies

stands apart from the others# as it is clearly an En"lish word' Neertheless# the application of isopsephy to this word# transliterated to the Gree alpha$et# reeals layers of meanin"' If we resole the 3O4 in !O&D to the Gree di"amma # the total alue of the word $ecomes +87' Crowley was occasionally fond of main" this li$eral transliteration# pro$a$ly $ecause of that letterWs ori"in in the ;hoenician waw ' Another Gree word# which also adds up to +87# is 34on3# meanin" lust# deli"ht# or oy' The implication is that in some way# this !O&D is identical with 34on3# and also that 34on3 is secret and ineffa$le' This is an apt association $y my reconin"# especially "ien the Collect# entitled 3The !ord#4 which reads as follows2 3!ord secret and most holy# source of li"ht# source of life# source of loe# source of li$erty# $e thou eer constant and mi"hty within us# force of ener"y# fire of motionQ with dili"ence let us eer la$our with thee# that we may remain in thine a$undant oy'4 +, ?hat is truly remara$le# howeer# is that the word 34on3 5pronounced 3hedoneh49 has a striin" phonetic similarity to the e$rew ynd) 53Adonai49# which means# in En"lish# 3!ord#4 and is used throu"hout the @i$le to refer to that God# who is also secret and ineffa$le' +, !i$er >:# 3The !ord4 in The Collects'

==


This !ord corresponds to adit# to ether The company of Stars of which this Star is on the Tree of !ife# and to the St[l[ of &eealin" a mem$er corresponds to Nuit# to the ne"atie in the Mass' eils surroundin" the Tree of !ife# and the ;riestess and ;aten in the Mass'

It can $e ar"ued that Crowley is talin" a$out somethin" else here# somethin" separate from the secret and ineffa$le !ord# due to the structure of the sentence' Also if the !ord is secret and ineffa$le# then this passa"e cannot# $y definition# $e a description of it' Throu"hout the Mass# Crowley refers to the !ord in two conte%ts# and pro$a$ly means two different thin"s' *or e%ample# 3In the name of our !ord the Sun# and of our !ord _ #4 0sic1 where the second 3!ord4 referred to cannot $e named# and an ellipsis is apparently used in place of any name or description' 5elena et al'# +<<=9

ere Crowley identifies a Thelemic deity $y name' Chaos# in Gree# is spelled 5ao6 # which ealuates to FH+' Other words that share this alue include2 a7o6# pain or sorrowQ 68o9a:o6# secret or darQ ;a?# to purifyQ and a8?n# 3a"ainst oneWs will'4 These associations may seem confusin" at first or contradictory to the nature of deity# $ut they match well the isions descri$ed in the +8th Aethyr of The :ision and the :oice where Chaos speas to Crowley2 3is oice comes in a whisper2 O thou that art master of the fifty "ates of (nderstandin"# is not my mother a $lac womanZ O thou that art master of the ;enta"ram# is not the e"" of spirit a $lac e""Z ere a$ideth terror# and the $lind ache of the Soul# and lo een I# who am the sole li"ht# a spar shut up# stand in the si"n of Apophis and Typhon'

The description a$oe can refer to the sun# Sol# materially' The sunWs li"ht "ies us life throu"h the ener"y it proides to e"etation# which is the $asis of all our nutrition' In this way# we are literally created of the sunWs fire' Our physical $odies will return to this source $y the same means# as we are di"ested $y arious insects that then pass us on to the plants' The plants then conert our car$on to su"ars in the process of photosynthesis# where the sunWs fire finally rends our ery molecules asunder'

I am the snae that deoureth the spirit of man with the lust of li"ht' I am the si"htless storm in the ni"ht that wrappeth the world a$out with desolation' Chaos is my name# and thic darness' now thou that the darness of the earth is ruddy# and the darness of the air is "rey# $ut the darness of the soul is utter $lacness'4 +,H

A more esoteric interpretation could $e that each of us is a Star in the company of StarsQ that we are the Gods of our own creationQ that we create our $odies and minds and return to our ori"inal state after death' This Star corresponds to &aoorhuit# to Aiwass# to the oly Guardian An"el# to Tiphareth on the Tree of !ife# and to the ost in the Mass' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

And a"ain in the 8th Aethyr2 3@lacness# $lacness intolera$le# $efore +,H !i$er 8+F# +8th Aethyr'

=


the $e"innin" of the li"ht' This is the first There is a "ood deal of commentary on erse of Genesis' oly art thou# Chaos# this passa"e# which seem to $e summariBed in Chaos# Eternity# all contradictions in footnote =2 terms4 +,F 3These words are pro$a$ly @A@A!ON# To intellectually resole the seemin" contradiction of findin" this dar desolation as the *ather of !ife# we can turn to the natural sciences' As the *ather of !ife# it maes sense that is nature would seem to su""est death and an a$sence of life L for life is $orn of these thin"s in nature' In the physical unierse# conseration of ener"y demands that no ener"y $e lost or "ained L there is always the same amount of ener"y in the unierse' This $ein" the case# utter desolation would indicate the a$solute ma%imum in potential ener"y# without form' This is the $e"innin" of creation'

ChAOS# TA&O'4

+87

One way that @a$alon could conceal Chaos is if the latter were spelled# in the e$rew# 3sw(k#4 totalin" +=# the same alue as @a$alon' These correspondences# alon" with some further su""estions in the commentary on the a$oe passa"e# desere further research and meditation' Accordin" to Crowley# only a Master of the Temple may comprehend the mystery of Chaos' 5Crowley# +<
Chaos corresponds to Chomah on the Tree of !ife# and to the ;riest in the Mass' Chaos# as icere"ent 5;riest9# performs the ?e can .a$alistically erify that e is the function of the sun 5oly Guardian An"el9 *ather of !ife' This can $e done throu"h throu"h the medium of the Air 5the !ance L see pythmenes 5Gree ai. $eer L addin" the $elow9' numerals of a wordWs alue to reach a ind of 3root alue49 and notari.on 5correspondin" initial letters to core concepts9' The alue of 5ao6 is FH+# which reduces throu"h pythmenes to H# the alue of the letter Beta which# Air is one of the four Alchemical traditionally in Gree notari.on # stands for @o elements' The ori"inal Gree word is a3<# and it 5!ife9' carries the additional translations of mist and There is one passa"e in The :ision and cloud' ?ithout air# no life on earth 5that we the :oice # which possi$ly su""ests an alternate now of9 could transmute $ase matter into spellin"' ?hile this spellin" is certainly ener"y' Indeed# the lowest forms of life# such as unconentional# it does indicate new depths of al"ae# all re.uire sunli"ht and air at a minimum correspondence' *rom the Hth Aethyr2 to surie 5those that lie in water e%tract o%y"en 3Now there is a word of four letters that and nitro"en "asses thence9' In this physical containeth in itself all the mystery of the sense# nourishment is indeed proided $y air to Tetra"rammaton# and there is a word of all that $reathes' seen letters which it concealeth# and that The alue of the word is +7<# which a"ain concealeth the holy word that is the corresponds to B
+,F !i$er 8+F# 8 Aethyr' +,< !i$er 8+F# Hth Aethyr'


+87 !i$er 8+F# Hth Aethyr'

=H


rulership# with êus# of the world of the Gree Gods and the Earth' ;hilolaos# a ;ytha"orean# relates the element of air to Dionysos' Euse$ius# $ishop of Caesarea# attri$uted air to Athena' ;lato corresponded air to the octahedron# one of the fie perfect solids' 5@arry# +<<<9 (sin" pythmenes# the alue of the word is reduced to +' The Gree initial a is traditionally attri$uted to air $y notari.on# as is the e$rew )' These $oth hae a alue of +' The Gree a is also the first letter of ana9o3 5east# sunrise9' The one Air corresponds to the path of a on the Tree of !ife# to The *ool 5Atu 79 in the Tarot# and to the !ance in the Mass' This fra"ment concludes the first sentence in the Creed' The four parts of this sentence are all related in the sense that they all hae predominantly masculine attri$utes'

The sentence structure in this passa"e is sli"htly different than that a$oe' In this case# there are three parts to the sentence# and mere commas rather than semicolons separate each part' Therefore# it can $e ar"ued that they all refer directly to @a$alon' Still# Crowley capitaliBed the initial letters of Earth# Mother# and ?om$# which may offer additional hints to the nature of @a$alon' Earth# in Gree# is =a:a# which ealuates $y isopsephy to +=' Other words sharin" this alue are2 Ea# "oddessQ 4:a# asunder or throu"hQ and :# 3thou art'4 ;ythmenes reeals that the root alue of += is # which corresponds to aFFa# or father' This fact 5in addition to the mysteries of Chaos e%plored a$oe9 may shed The Journal of Thelemic Studies

some li"ht on the passa"e in the Anthem of the Mass# which reads# 3Malefemale# .uintessential# one# / Man$ein" eiled in ?omanform'4 The initial letter E of Earth pro$a$ly transliterates to the Gree 3# which in and of itself is a word in Gree meanin" 3I was'4 The meanin" of 3 $y notari.on is# curiously# era' The initial letter = of =a:a has a alue of ,# clearly correspondin" to @inah on the Tree of !ife' Mother# in Gree# is G393<# which ealuates to 8=' Curiously# this is e%actly ,77 more than the alue of @a$alon' (sin" pythmenes# we a"ain arrie at the alues of += and  5see Earth a$oe9' Other words with the alue of 8= include2 G9aFo3# chan"eQ 4:a8a:o8<:6:a# ri"hteous ud"mentQ 4:oFoo6 # hurled $y êusQ and >H=Ga# $ond' ?om$# in Gree# is 4EH6# which ealuates to ++,<' Another word with this alue is =?9a# lau"hter' This alue does not reduce to += or # lie those a$oe# throu"h pythmenes' &ather# the di"its add up to +8# which $reas down further to =# the same as the alue of  a4# ad or adit' A"ain# this is an ultimately feminine sym$ol with a fiery and masculine association' The num$er = is also related to the sphere of Ge$urah on the Tree of !ife# ar"ua$ly the most masculine 5$ut fundamentally feminine9 mem$er of the feminine ;illar of Seerity' This seems appropriate' Of the three concepts# Earth# Mother# and ?om$# the latter is the most easily related to "eneration# a typically 5metaphysically9 masculine trait' The initial letter ? of ?om$ pro$a$ly transliterates to the Gree di"amma # which carries the alue of # there$y maintainin" the connection with Mother and Earth a$oe' It may also transliterate to ome"a # which $y itself means the end# or the last# and is sym$olic of the seenth heaen of the Christian Gnostics' @a$alon is spelled aFaon in Gree# =F


and er alue is +=' This num$er does not appear ery remara$le at first "lance# as there are few and relatiely meanin"less other words with the same numerolo"y' ;ythmenes "ies us +6# su""estin" the Bodiac and the complete macrocosm' Applyin" pythmenes a"ain# we "et ,# the num$er of @inah on the Tree of !ife and the alue of the letter =' The meanin" of = $y notari.on is =a:a 5see a$oe9 and =nna?# to $e"et or to $e $orn' The associations to Earth# Mother# and ?om$ are clearly eident'

letter 3r'4 Crowley felt that this spellin" resoled the etymolo"y of the word# $ecause it has a phonetic similarity to a title meanin" 3*ather Mithras'4 5(nfortunately he does not reeal what title this mi"ht $e'9 Another etymolo"ical theory that Crowley lied# $ut which was not supported $y the new spellin"# was that @aphomet was a corruption of FaE3 G39o6# $aptism of wisdom'+8+

The name @aphomet dates $ac at least as far as the ni"hts Templar' Other similar deities Crowley has a "reat deal to say a$out date $ac at least as far as the Manicheans and @a$alon in The :ision and the :oice and other Christian Gnostics' The ideas that elsewhere' She $ears the cup# and collects the @aphomet represents hae always $een thou"ht $lood of the saints therein' er consort is Chaos' of as eil $y dualists who $eliee that flesh and A $eautiful depiction of @a$alon can $e found in matter are manifestations of eil forces' @aphomet represents "eneration# and any sym$ol Crowley and arrisW Thoth Tarot 5Atu >I9' depictin" "eneration or incarnation is in @a$alon corresponds to @inah on the Tree harmony with im' +86 of !ife# and the cup in the Mass' The association of the lion and serpent to @aphomet "ies further clues to is nature' There is a Christian Gnostic depiction of -lda$oath as a lionheaded man with a serpent The case of @aphomet is a curious one' wrapped around im' -lda$oath# in the The wordWs ori"in is unnown' In CrowleyWs Christian Gnostic mytholo"y# is the deity Confessions he relates the tale of his frustration at responsi$le for the creation of the Earth and its not findin" the correct spellin" of this name 5as inha$itants' e was a $lind idiot God# who could no spellin" he could deise yielded sufficiently not see the other deities around im 5actually si"nificant alues $y his reconin"9# and asin" a a$oe im9 and therefore mistaenly thou"ht e spirit for "uidance' In it# the spirit tells the was the only God' Many sects of Christian spellin" of @aphomet as it mi"ht transliterate to Gnosticism re"arded im as eil $ecause of is the e$rew2 rtym(w)b ' (sin" the e$rew essential flaws# and $ecause of the flaws of is "ematria# this adds to H6<# which is < , and creation' oweer# most Thelemites do not corresponds to J3Ea6# the name 5which literally e.uate flesh and matter as intrinsically eil# so means 3stone#4 and in this conte%t# the cu$ical therefore @aphomet# our e.uialent of cornerstone of the Church9 that Jesus "ae to -lda$oath# is not re"arded as eil either' e is ;eter' The word 68aE3# ship or essel# also the result of the union of Chaos and @a$alon and e sym$oliBes the union of opposites' shares this alue' ?hat is odd a$out this spellin" is that it ends in resh # which transliterates to the En"lish The Journal of Thelemic Studies

+8+ Confessions# chapter F=' +86 3The Gnostic Mass with Annotations and Commentary4 $y Soror elena and Tau Apiryon'

=<


@aphomet corresponds to Tiphareth on the Tree of !ife# and the Deacon in the Mass'

It is dou$tful that the potential readers of this document will re.uire much ela$oration on the meanin" or numerolo"y of the word E3Ga' It means 3will4 and its alue is <,' This alue is shared $y a=aK3 # loe' That our Church is Gnostic and Catholic simply means that we $eliee in direct# unmediated nowled"e of deity# and that our Church is uniersal and comprehensie' 5See Dictionary definitions of the terms'9 The repetition of the initial letter 3!4 in 3!i"ht# !ife# !oe and !i$erty4 draws attention to itself' The alue of the letter  is ,7# and its meanin" $y notari.on is 3lion'4 The repetition of four s "ies us a total alue of +67# the num$er of on 5the Gree word for 3$ein"4 and the E"yptian word for the sun9' There is also a sym$olic correspondence $etween these words and the hwhy formula2 !i"ht \ y # !ife \ h # !oe \ w # !i$erty \ h' The Church and the word E3Ga correspond to Maluth on the Tree of !ife# and the physical con"re"ation and temple in the Mass'

(p to this point in the Creed# there seems to $e a ind of chronolo"ical cosmolo"y depicted' The Creed $e"ins with the most ineffa$le and here we are at the leel of the most physical' !iewise# the maority of the Mass seems to $e a pa"eant depictin" the same' At this The Journal of Thelemic Studies

point in the Creed 5and in the Mass9# the trend $e"ins to reerse itself in the act of communion' Communion in the Mass consists of eatin" the physical manifestation of Chaos 5the $ody of God9# and drinin" that of @a$alon 5the $lood of God9' @ut the wine is also the $lood of the Saints L our ancestors' These were indiidual human $ein"s and characters from myth that em$odied# in some way# the phallic principle in our culture' ?hether Gods# or $ards# or mystics# martyrs mytholo"ical or literal# or what hae you# the Saints listed in the Mass hae uniersally $een a positie# "eneratie force in the ?estern Esoteric Tradition' That list is far from comprehensie 5or een representatie9# and it may $e ar"ued that all those who actiely participate in our mystical current will $ecome Saints at death# for we all must rest in the ?om$ of our creation' ?e must also return to the Star in the company of Stars' There$y# in addition to $ein" the $ody of God# the host in communion may $e seen as the SaintsW $odies ust as the wine is the $lood' This act of communion represents the realiBation of a spiritual union $etween the con"re"ants and the tradition' It also is an act of sharin" $etween con"re"ants# and stimulates feelin"s of intimate fellowship and rapport L toward each other and toward our predecessors the Saints' ?e are mem$ers of their community# and we were $efore we were $orn' Communion is communication also# and therefore su""estie of nowled"e and Conersation with the oly Guardian An"el' The communion of Saints corresponds to the path of s# and to the communion in the Mass'

7


The Miracle of the Mass occurs in the consumption and di"estion of the Eucharist' This is the process where$y we unite opposites within ourseles# tain" in Chaos and @a$alon to $ecome the child# @aphomet'

de"ree# sym$oliBin" $irth'

?e eat eery day# and we unite opposites constantly in this way throu"h the ery function of our $odies' Daily we perform transmutationQ daily we turn the lead into "oldQ and daily our actiities nourish the spirit' It is perhaps the consciousness of these processes# and the awareness of their relationship to the rest of our world# which maes it a miraculous occurrence'

;hysically# there is only one way to accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation without the interention of adanced medical technolo"ies' The @aptism of ?isdom is it' The act of se% is not the terminal meanin" of this sym$olism# howeer# for se% is itself sym$olic' Our own @aptism of ?isdom came at conception# $ut eerywhere is conception tain" place' Our thou"hts# our actions# our loe# eery physical law of nature and eery ma"ical practice facilitate the process of intercourse L of union'

This Miracle taes place not at Mass L or een in the twele hours it taes to di"est the materials after Mass L $ut oer the course of years or een decades# as nutrients are stored# deposits left in arteries# practices o$sered# and awareness e%panded in the $ody# mind# and spirit' There is no completion to this Miracle' Een after death# the process continues' It is the process# and not the result# which is miraculous' It is actually physically miraculous $ecause it represents an isolated anomaly at e%treme ariance with the rest of the nown unierse' The Second !aw of Thermodynamics states that entropy always increases' ;erhaps a caeat should $e added for our e%perience2 that as Chaos increases# so shall e multiply'

Neertheless# this passa"e is far more materially $ased than that of @aphomet# which is also concerned with the union of opposites 5note also the possi$le etymolo"ical relationship $etween @aphomet and the @aptism of ?isdom mentioned a$oe9' It is the first of the two confessions in the Creed' The word 3confession4 implies that this is not a metaphysical metaphor# $ut a physical fact# for to confess is to mae somethin" nown' ?e are main" nown that se%ual intercourse alone $rin"s incarnation' The sym$olic and reerent lan"ua"e of this confession of the se% act supports the popular Thelemic doctrine that se% and se%ual sym$olism are diine# and that se%ual ta$oo is unnecessary'

The Miracle of the Mass corresponds to The @aptism of ?isdom corresponds to the path of +# and to the moment in the Mass -esod on the Tree of !ife# and to the font in the Mass' when the ;riest and ;riestess cry# 3&I!I(4

This confession is foreshadowed immediately prior to the commencement of the Creed# when the con"re"ation performs the step and si"n of Man and @rother# ?oman and Sister L the old Masonic step and si"n of the first The Journal of Thelemic Studies

After conception and $irth# we e%perience life' Each of us is sin"ular# e%istin" as a distinct entity foreer' *urthermore# we will foreer hae a past# present# and future that we relate to' The confession made here descri$es the oly +


Guardian An"el# our 3hi"her self4 that is independent of our worldly identity' The Creed has methodically pro"ressed from the passa"e a$oe re"ardin" the Gnostic and Catholic Church L the material $asis of the con"re"ation L to the diine and separate self in each of us'

formula within the Creed'

My life corresponds to Tiphareth on the Tree of !ife# and to the censer in the Mass'

It is in the $est interest of any that study and attend the Mass to perform such an e%e"esis as this# or to meditate upon the meanin" of the Creed in another manner' In either case# it is my hope that your path to "nosis $e made .uicer $y this $rief e%ploration of the sym$ols therein

Crowley transliterates aum"n to aF G=n# demonstratin" a"ain that numerolo"y is of far "reater importance than phonetic spellin" when it comes to words of this nature' &i"htfully so# for it is in the correspondences where we find meanin" in the word' Its alue is +77# correspondin" to the Gree a=n:a 5lust9 L a"ain the underlyin" principle of the union of opposites' @y pythmenes# the alue is the same as that of Air' This word is a Thelemic mantra ' As such# it literally represents the aspiration of the con"re"ants# as they conspire to unite in $reath and i$ration# raisin" the spiritual consciousness of each' It is also su""estie of our immanent oneness with God and the diinity of our seles' Our mantra corresponds to the three Supernal spheres on the Tree of !ife 5@inah# Chohmah# and ether9# and the altar in the Mass' This concludes the line$yline analysis' !ooin" at our Creed as a whole# there appears to $e a correspondence to the Gloria section of CrowleyWs Star Sapphire ritual 5see The @oo of !ies 9 ' It may $e appropriate to e%amine and compare the Gnostic Mass to the Star Sapphire# as well as other eucharistic rites 5such as the Mass of the ;hoeni%9' Also# I hae found a ind of recursie e%pression of the hwhy

The Creed depicts the act of creation# and the aspiration of the created' It foreshadows future repetition of this cycle# demonstratin" $y e%ample that there is no part of us that is not of the "ods'

@arry# ieren 5+<<<9' The Gree Ka$alah2 Alpha$etic Mysticism and Numerolo"y in the Ancient ?orld' -or @each2 Samuel ?eiser' Crowley# A' 5+
!oe is the law# loe under will' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

6


Magi calEnergyi n theGnosti cMass #y 'rother S"3"eDo what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

T

he Gnostic Mass  lie irtually all ceremonial rituals  utiliBes what is called 3ma"ical ener"y#4 3ma"ical force#4 or 3ma"ical power'4 This ma"ical ener"y is a mysterious force that operates under the control of the Ma"ician# the indiidual who consciously employs it to effect his or her ma"ical ends' The nature of ma"ical ener"y is o$scure# and it is often descri$ed in multiple# sometimes contradictory ways' ?e may $e"in to understand what ma"ical force is# at least its theoretical aspects# $y understandin" how Crowley understood and used the term in arious ways'

which caresses the chee of our fair Mother# and which descends from the sy to mediate $etween us and our *ather the Sun $y communicatin" the oly ;rana into our $lood throu"h Inspiration'4 This connection $etween $reath and prana# or ma"ical force# is the rationale for the practice of pranayama# which inoles the re"ulariBation and control of the $reath' ;ranayama is not technically the control of prana directly# $ut it is the control of prana throu"h the control of $reath# which is understood as a primary ehicle of prana ' ;ranayama tends to produce a certain ind of sweat which can $e seen as a parallel to or identified with that spoen of in The @oo of the !aw2 3'''the dew of her li"ht $athin" his whole $ody in a sweet smellin" perfume of sweat'4 +8, This connection will $e further deeloped in the ne%t main section of this essay'

Ma"ical force is understood in one way as 3prana#4 the indu term for ener"y' ;rana has $een called 3ener"y#4 the 3lifeforce#4 or the 3italiBin" principle4 of the unierse# and it has its particular e%pression in the microcosm of Man' ;rana as the lifeforce is therefore connected with the idea of $reath# or the 3$reath of life#4 which There is a particular tripartite diision of is a name for the italiBin" principle of !ife in !i"ht utiliBed in the ermetic Order of the arious systems' *or the indus it is prana# for Golden Dawn# which uses three different terms the Chinese it is chi# for the Japanese it is i# and to descri$e different 3types4 or 3aspects4 of force2 for the e$rew it is ruach 2 all these terms Au$# Aud# and Aur' This Order and its tenets essentially e.uate 3$reath4 and 3spirit4 or 3life o$iously influenced CrowleyWs thinin" "reatly' force'4 In this way# we may lien it to that which Au$ is a ind of lunar force# associated is mentioned in the Creed of the Gnostic Mass# 3I $eliee''' in one Air the nourisher of all that with the terms 3O$i4 and 3o$eah#4 and Crowley $reathes'4 Sa$aBius reinforces this interpretation calls it 3the astral li"ht_ an illusory thin" of in his commentary to this line of the Creed# 3As witchcraft 5cf' O$i# O$eah9''' 0which is1 slu""ish# the &uach # it is the oly Spirit# the Mind of the *ormatie ?orld# and the Son of the *ather# +8, !i$er A!# I26H'


,


icious4+88 and 3the secret *ire of O$eah'4 +8= This is contrasted with Aud # which is called 3Special fire or li"ht of the Sacred Ma"ic of !i"ht# !ife# and !oeQ hence XOdic *orceW4 +8 and 3Aud is almost \ the undalini force 5XOdicW force9''' 0which is1 3een# ecstatic'4+8H Aud is specifically the form of !i"ht or force that is understood as 3ma"ical force4  reinforced $y the fact that Aud 5A:D9 enumerates to ++# the num$er of Ma"icQ he also e.uates it with the undalini force within Manind 5which we will come $ac to in a moment9' Aur is "enerally a term used for !i"ht in "eneral and specifically refers to Diine !i"ht  it is associated with 3Ain Soph Aur#4 the !imitless !i"ht that forms the ,rd Ne"atie :eil of E%istence on the Ka$alistic tree of !ife' In the Golden Dawn system# which Crowley undou$tedly piced up on and utiliBed# the ;racticus ,\F☐ ritual e%plains that Au$# Aud# and Aur are the threefold forms of *ire 5understood here as another name for !i"ht or force9' The Au$ is the 3Astral4 and 3;assie4 form of *ire# Aud is the 3:olcanic4 and 3Actie4 form of *ire# and Aur is the 3Solar4 and 3E.uili$rated4 form of *ire' ?e mi"ht sym$oliBe these three forces in the microcosm as the passie ) undirected force in Man 5Au$9# the actie ) directed force in Man 5Aud9# and the Diine or macrocosmic force that imposes upon Man in ecstasy and illumination 5Aur9' ?ithin the conte%t of ma"ical ritual# and the Gnostic Mass in particular# it can $e understood that 3ma"ical force4 is understood as Aud# the actie and directed form of force# directed $y the intent of the Ma"ician' This is confirmed in !i$er Aleph where Crowley writes +88 !i$er !:III' +8= !i$er Aleph' +8 Sepher Sephiroth' +8H !i$er !:III2 Gematria'


of the sym$ol of the !ion# 3Of this# !ion# o my Son# $e it said that this is the Coura"e of thy Manhood# leapin" upon all Thin"s# and seiBin" them for their ;rey''' in The @oo of Thoth e is the Atu called Stren"th 0or X!ustW when he finalQy created his Thoth Tarot1# whose Num$er is E!E:EN which is Aud# the !i"ht Odic of Ma"ic' And therein is fi"ured the !ion# een TE @EAST# and Our !ady @A@A!ON astride of im# that with her Thi"hs She may stran"le im'4 There is# of course# also the cryptic note at the end of CrowleyWs discussion of Atu >I2 !ust in The @oo of Thoth which reads# 3*urther study of this card may $e made $y close e%amination of !i$er >: 0i'e' The Gnostic Mass1'4 There is thus a direct connection $etween Aud# ++# Atu >I2 !ust# and the Gnostic Mass in particular' undalini is the 3serpent power4 within each indiidual which lies dormant# coiled ,  times in the Muladhara chara at the $ase of the spine' It represents the ma"ical force of Man which is awaened and $rou"ht pro"ressiely up the spine to the Ana chara in the forehead 5the 3third eye49 wherein it unites with the 3!ord of All#4 and the $liss of samadhi or ecstatic union of su$ect and o$ect occurs' ?e hae seen already that Crowley e.uates the actie# directed ma"ical force of Aud with undalini' *urther# the e.uation of undalini with prana is fre.uent in many te%ts# and their connection is often e%plained $y the fact that undalini is the prana as manifested in the microcosm of Man' undalini is an idea tied up ery closely with those of Shia and Shati# as well as the cosmolo"ical notions that they imply' :ery $riefly# Shia is the formless# inert# $oundless and infinite Godhead that is (nmanifest# whereas Shati 5which literally means 3power49 is the force and form# actie# 8


$oundless and infinite Godhead that is ManifestQ they are always understood to $e One# Shia Shati# and their separation is only due to i"norance' A Ka$alistic analo"y would $e that the Ne"atie :eils# or Nau"ht# is Shia# and any deiation from that Nau"ht would $e Shati# includin" the +# the initial ;ositie manifestationQ Crowley liens them to the Tao 5Shia9 and the Teh 5Shati9 in his Tao Teh Chin"Q in Thelemic ontolo"y# Shia would $e 7 and Shati would $e 6 5or That which causes thin"s to appear as 69' Certain sects of indus therefore $eliee that the entire unierse is the Manifestation of Shati# which is another way of sayin" the world is a manifestation of ;ower 5NietBsche was a$out a millenium $ehind the indus with that particular thou"ht9'

most o$ious e%amples# the ;riestess circumam$ulates the Temple ,  times $efore descendin" to the Tom$# reflectin" the undalini serpent that is coiled ,  times at the $ase of the spine' The ;riestess is literally "irt with a sword# identifyin" her with the Scarlet ?oman in whom 3is all power 0Shati1 "ien'4 More su$tly# the ;riestess "ies the si"n of the descendin" trian"le when placed upon the Summit of the Earth 5the i"h Altar9# which is the sym$ol of &aoor huit $ut it is also the special sym$ol of Shati called the Triona which appears depicted inside seeral charas 5centers of force infused $y Shatiundalini9 in the spine' There is also the fact that she is an ecstatic female fi"ure that appears a$oe the ;riest# ust as Shati is depicted 3ridin"4 Shia in se%ual em$race which Shati is understood to $e manifested in is essentially the same in essence as @a$alon Man 5meanin" the human indiidual9 as Shati ridin" the @east in 3Atu >I2 !ust'4 undalini# the serpentpower aforementioned# The ;riest# too# is identified with 3ma"ical and it is $y her risin" up the spine to unite with force4 in arious ways2 he is crowned with a her !ord Shia in the Ana that enli"htenment is Serpent as a crown which reflects the attained' Therefore# undalini is understood as illumination of the -o"i when the Serpent the manifestation of ;ower 53Shati49 or !ife undalini reaches the $row' In !i$er A!# adit 5 prana 9 in the indiidual' identifies himself with the Serpent in seeral places# showin" adit is manifested as ma"ical force in the sym$olic form of the Serpent' The It is nota$le that this serpentpower of ;riest identifies himself with adit on the second ma"ical ener"y or force is e%plicitly identified as step toward the :eil' *urther# the ;riest carries the 3feminine4 Shati# whereas it is common in the !ance which is sym$olic of the Middle ;illar ?estern thou"ht to associate power/actiity with of the Tree of !ife and all a%is mundi fi"ures the masculine and receptiity/passiity to the 5such as 3the worldash wonder tree4 sym$ol of feminine' A parallel is found# of course# in -""drasil utiliBed in the Anthem of the Mass92 in @a$alon and the Scarlet ?oman in whom 3is all certain indu te%ts that discuss undalini# the power "ien4 +8F and who is 3"irt with a sword'4 +8< spine of the -o"i with its charas is identified The ;riestess in the Gnostic Mass is identifia$le with Mount Meru# a form of the 3oly with Shatiundalini# especially at certain points Mountain4 a%is mundi archetype that can also $e 5althou"h it should $e said that $oth ;riestess seen in the sym$ols of Mount îon of the and ;riest ery clearly interact and identify with e$rews# Mount Olympus of the Grees# and this Serpent force at arious times9' To name the Mount A$ie"nus of the &osicrucians 5to name $ut a few9' The !ance is therefore sym$olic of +8F !i$er A!# I2+=' manifested ma"ical force# the undalini +8< !i$er A!# III2++' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

=


3e%tended4# which is reinforced $y the fact that the ;riest inoes Nuit 3$y seed# and root# and stem# and $ud# and leaf# and flower# and fruit4 which can $e considered to $e sym$olic reflections of the H charas depicted as arious forms of a Tree# of which the !ance is a sym$ol' Consider these thin"s in relation to what Crowley remars in Ma"ic2 3The Serpent which is coiled a$out the Crown means many thin"s# or# rather# one thin" in many ways' It is the sym$ol of royalty and of initiation# for the Ma"ician is anointed in" and ;riest 0as the ;riest in the Mass1' It also represents adit_ The serpent is also the undalini serpent# the Ma"ical force itself# the manifestin" side of the Godhead of the Ma"ician 0Shati1# whose unmanifested side is peace and silence 0Shia1# of which there is no sym$ol' In the indu system the Great ?or is represented $y sayin" that this serpent# which is normally coiled at the $ase of the spine 0Muladhara chara1# rises with her 0ShatiWs1 hood oer the head of the -o"i 0reflected in the ;riestWs cap of maintenance1# there to unite with the !ord of all 0Shia1'4 +=7 ?e can therefore see an identity $etween the Serpent# undalini# adit# and ma"ical force' To these we may add the 3Aud4 of Ma"ic and the prana# at least as it is specifically manifested in the indiidual' *urther sym$olism can $e understood when Shati or undalini is understood as the &edeemer2 it is the force which li$erates the -o"i from the cycle of re$irth of samsara and the illusion of maya' In this way# it is  to use the ?estern e.uialent  the Messiah# or one mi"ht say 3the messianic force4 or 3redemptie force'4 Crowley writes2 +=7 !i$er A@A # ;art II# chapter <'


In Daath is said to $e the ead of the "reat Serpent Nechesh or !eiathan# called Eil to conceal its oliness' 5NChSh 0Serpent1 \ ,=F \ MShICh 0Messiah1# the Messiah or &edeemer# and !:-ThN 0!eiathan1 \ 8< \ M!:Th 0Maluth1# the @ride' It is identical with the undalini of the indu ;hilosophy# the wanseon of the Mon"olian ;eoples# and means the ma"ical *orce in Man# which is the se%ual *orce applied to the @rain# eart# and other Or"ans# and redeemeth him'4 +=+ ?e therefore see an identity $etween undalini# the ma"ical *orce in Man# the Messiah# and the Serpent Nechesh' Crowley also adds in this .uotation that this is 3the se%ual *orce'4 In the indu understandin"# the se%ual force is $ut one form  althou"h perhaps the most powerful and olatile form  of Shati or undalini# as Shati is 3power4 itself and represents all *orce# $oth in the Macrocosm of the (nierse and in the Microcosm of Man' (ndou$tedly# this is also true in our system# $ut we reco"niBe the se%ual *orce as the most potent manifestation of ma"ical *orce in "eneral# and it should $e clear that the Gnostic Mass utiliBes this se%ual aspect of undalini# or ma"ical force' Een in the indu system# Shati is represented in se%ual coition 5called maithuna 9 with Shia# si"nifyin" their ecstatic union' The parallel with the ;riest and ;riestess is liely o$ious to most' In closin" this $rief e%ploration# there are two notes to mae that may seem o$ious to some readers $ut are still worthwhile to point out' *irstly# it is worth repeatin" that this ma"ical force# or undalini or Aud or whateer name we +=+ !i$er !:III2 Gematria'




wish to call it# is within $oth the ;riest and ;riestess' On the material plane# this means that all indiiduals# re"ardless of their $iolo"ical se%# possess undalini or ma"ical force' Accordin" to indu doctrine# if one did not hae this force in some measure# one would $e dead since it is the iifyin" lifeforce itself' In our terminolo"y# 3Eery man and eery woman is a star#4 and also 3I $eliee_ in one Air the nourisher of all that $reathes'4 If anythin"# this undalini is in all $ut e%presses itself in different ways# different formulas of force for the different se%es2 the we mi"ht call these the 3formulas4 of the lin"am and yoni# which are ritualistically depicted in the !ance and Cup of the ;riest and ;riestess' +=6 @oth are necessary for the accomplishment of the ma"ical "oal of the Mass' As Crowley writes# 3The soul is $eyond male and female as it is $eyond !ife and Death' Een as the !in"am and the -oni are $ut dierse deelopments of One Or"an'''4+=, This parallels the notion that the 3 #4 another term used often $y Crowley which is e.uated with undalini and ma"ical power# is actually $i"endered and not solely the property of $iolo"ical males' The ;hallus is properly understood not as the lin"am# $ut as the lin"amyoni'+=8 ?e can therefore see that 3the sole icerent of the Sun upon the Earth4 is the

Generatie power of 3eery man and eery woman#4 reflected ritualistically into the interactions $etween ;riest 5lin"am 9 and ;riestess 5 yoni 9' Secondly# it is worth nothin" that# althou"h this se%ual aspect of ma"ical force is utiliBed in the Mass# there is no se%ual contact  let alone se%ual intercourse  in the Mass itself' This implies that the sym$olic enactment thereof contains ma"ical force in itself# and it is not simply the physical acts of se%uality that are identifia$le with undalini# ma"ical force# etc' Een in their sym$olic depiction  for e%ample# in the stroin" of the !ance or its depression into the Cup  they are not simply 3$linds4 for physical se%Q on the contrary# the acts of physical se% are material manifestations of hi"her principles# the striin" toward the union of su$ect and o$ect in samadhi # the union of Shati and Shia in the fully risen undalini' Consider what Crowley says a$out the actual# physical act of se% and its ritualistic use in his essay 3Ener"iBed Enthusiasm#4 let alone what that implies for sym$olic or ritualistic depictions of se%2 3In the sacramental and ceremonial use of the se%ual act# the diine consciousness may $e attained''' Admit 0se%Ws1 reli"ious function# and one may at once lay down that the act must not $e profaned' It must not $e undertaen li"htly and foolishly without e%cuse_ I need hardly emphasiBe the necessity for the strictest selfcontrol and concentration on their part' As it would $e $lasphemy to enoy the "ross taste of the wine of the sacrament# so must the cele$rant suppress een the minutest manifestation of animal pleasure''' the se%ual e%citement must $e suppressed and transformed into its reli"ious e.uialent_ It is# indeed# of the first

+=6 It is nota$le that many ;riests descri$e their e%perience of the Mass as a ind of contraction into a point# and many ;riestesses descri$e their e%perience as one of e%pansion# which reflect the ma"ical Ima"es of adit and Nuit# respectiely# as in 3In the sphere I am eerywhere the centre# as she# the circumference# is nowhere found''' I am the Ma"ician and the E%orcist' I am the a%le of the wheel# and the cu$e in the circle' XCome unto meW is a foolish word2 for it is I that "o4 5 A! # II2H9 +=, The @oo of !ies# chapter ,=' +=8 This identity $etween the ;hallus and !in"am-oni is seen throu"h Gree isopsephy where the phrase 3O ;hA!!E4 5as in the Star &u$y9 in Gree is e.ual to the alue of the words 3;hA!!OS4 5lin"am 9 and 3TEIS4 5 yoni 9 added to"ether' 0Ω ΦΑΛΛΕ \ F77]=77]+],7],7]= \ +,Q ΦΑΛΛΟΣ \ =77]+],7],7]H7]677 \ F,+Q ΚΤΕΙΣ \ 67],77]=]+7]677 \ =,=Q therefore2 F,+]=,= \ +,'1


H


importance for the cele$rant in any phallic rite to $e a$le to complete the act without een once allowin" a se%ual or sensual thou"ht to inade his mind'4 +== One mi"ht say this all really reduces to# and all naturally follows from the simple and su$lime inunction# 3@e not animalQ refine thy rapture4+= The essential point# to summariBe our arious tan"ents# is that se%uality and the se%ual force are form of ma"ical force 5or undalini9 and possi$ly its most powerful form thereofQ ma"ical force is# after all# e.uated with the life force and se% is the act $y which life perpetuates itself' Nonetheless# the se%ual force must $e conscious# controlled# and directed for it to $e properly considered 3ma"ical force'4 This will $e further e%plored in the ne%t main section of this essay' The Gnostic Mass is a sacred rite wherein this ma"ical force as manifested in se%uality is utiliBed ritualistically to accomplishment its ma"ical ends'

su$stance need not $e conceied as XmaterialW in the crude sense of :ictorian science_94 +=H It is conceied as a su$tle ener"y that may not $e 3material4  that is# it does not operate on matter in the way that "raity or electroma"netism do' Around the turn of the 67th century# it was popular for ma"ical force in "eneral to $e e%plained $y a sort of 3aether4# often identified with the nowdiscarded scientific theory of the luminiferous aether# wherein traels 3ma"ical force4 or 3astral li"ht4 or whateer similar terminolo"y' Since the aether is not an empirical construct# this e%planation can only remain a ind of .uaint metaphor for whateeritis that is really "oin" on  it is retained in the Gnostic Mass itself in the line 3!et this offerin" $e $orne upon the waes of Aethyr_4 If ma"ical force or prana is an o$ectie force in some way# een if 3non material4 in some sense# then it wonWt $e a$le to $e measured with typical measurement tools which# of course# measure material thin"s'

This also relates to the tendency to attri$ute the charas to arious physiolo"ical correlates such as nere ple%uses2 aside from these facts $ein" constantly sewed $y authors so that they fit their theories# there is no clean The precedin" discussion of ma"ical force correlation of charas to nere ple%uses in the or ener"y was to show that this idea has many $ody# and the indus themseles insist that the names and has appeared in many systems' It is charas and the undalini that may ini"orate prana# chi# i# ruach# and undaliniQ it is called them are a form of 3su$tle4# i'e' not material# ariously 3ma"ical ener"y#4 3ma"ical force#4 or force' They are# in the end# mis"uided attempts 3ma"ical power4Q it is often identified with the to alidate a spiritual e%perience and practice $y se%ual force or seen as manifested particularly tryin" to show how it supposedly fits into the stron"ly in se%uality' Nonetheless# what is current materialistic paradi"m of science' On this ma"ical force reallyZ front of seein" prana and/or charas as material Crowley discusses this $riefly in Ma"ic in in some way# we must hold our ton"ues# at least Theory ) ;ractice where he writes# 3;rana or until there is some way to possi$ly measure such XforceW is often used as a "eneric term for all a force that has essentially eluded scientists to this inds of su$tle ener"y'''There is some "round for day' the $elief that there is a definite su$stance 5This There is another possi$le approach# which +== !i$er DCC>I2 Ener"iBed Enthusiasm' += !i$er A!# III2H7'


+=H Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice# chapter +6'

F


is that the notion of 3ener"y4 sprin"s from a su$ectie# firsthand e%perience of some ind' This firsthand e%perience mi"ht $e called a 3phenomenolo"ical fact4 in the same way that one e%periences pain# sadness# or e%citement and no nowled"e of any physiolo"y is re.uired to ustify the fact that pain# sadness# or e%citement are felt as real' That is to say2 people hae an e%perience of feelin" somethin" lie 3ener"y4 or 3ma"ical force4 moin" within their own minds and $odies# and this has $een "ien the name prana# chi# undalini# etc' The ery fact that an almost identical phenomenon has $een descri$ed and has names in arious lan"ua"es attests that this  at least the e%perience of ener"y in some form  is $asically uniersal across cultures' In a sense# this is what is important to ritual and ma"ic in "eneral as it is the firsthand# direct e%perience of the indiidual which counts' If the e%perience of the

Cele$rants of the Mass often spea of 3moin" ener"y4 or 3feelin" the ener"y4 5or the lac thereof9' ?hile there is a$solutely no mention thereof in the actual ru$ric of the Gnostic Mass+=F# it is not surprisin" that Ma"icians  familiar with other forms of ceremonial ma"ic in theory ) practice  will see arious opportunities for 3ener"y wor4 in the +=F It may $e that somethin" amountin" to this mi"ht $e intended $y the note in the ru$ric# 3Certain secret formulR of this Mass are tau"ht to the ;&IEST in his Ordination4Q unfortunately it seems we will neer now what was meant $y that phrase' Sa$aBius notes# 3Some commentators hae alle"ed that these Certain Secret *ormulae are none other than the secrets of the Ninth De"ree O'T'O' O$iously# this cannot $e the case if the ;riest $ein" ordained is not an initiate of the Ninth De"ree of O'T'O' oweer# certain secret formulae of this Mass are set forth in certain of the essays herein#4 $y which he presuma$ly means the Tetra"rammaton 5-:9 and ;enta"rammaton 5-Sh:9 as they are the two formulae to which he refers often'


;riest# for e%ample# is that certain words# moements# and thou"hts lead to an e%perience of ma"ical ener"y and its manipulation to e%perience certain thin"s# such as the 3moement4 of ener"y or its culmination in ecstasy# then it does not matter at all whether this ma"ical force is material# nonmaterial# su$ectie# o$ectie# or anythin" else' In CrowleyWs words from !i$er O # 3It is immaterial whether these e%ist or not' @y doin" certain thin"s certain results will followQ students are most earnestly warned a"ainst attri$utin" o$ectie reality or philosophic alidity to any of them'4 Therefore# we may most $eneficially tae a pra"matic stance on ma"ical force  not wishin" to stae a claim on some .uitepossi$ly false notion of this ma"ical force as material and empirically erifia$le  as the firsthand e%perience of this 3force4 or 3ener"y4 and its arious results when directed are what matter 5pun not intended9'

ritual' The e%perience of 3ener"y4 itself is "oin" to $e uni.ue to each indiidual# ust as any one personWs e%perience of anythin" will $e different from anotherWs' Nonetheless# there are some common threads that seem to at least $e somewhat uniersal' ?hat appears to $e the most uniersal firsthand sense of ener"y is a sense of heat' This is unsurprisin" as there are parallels in other traditionsQ the most o$ious is the indu notion of tapas which refers to spiritual austerities 5includin" mantra# concentration# etc'9' The term tapas literally means 3heat4 and it is $y the arious spiritual practices that a yo"i "enerates the 3spiritual heat4 of aspiration' This is paralleled in a oly @oo of Thelema where a similar idea is spoen to usin" alchemical <


ima"ery2 3'''in the alem$ic of this spiritual althou"h often connected thereto  is the feelin" alchemy# if only the Belator $low sufficiently of 3chills4 or oneWs hair 3standin" on end'4 upon his furnace all the systems of earth are Another is a feelin" of li"htheadedness# similar consumed in the One nowled"e'4 +=< to when oneWs $ody is oerheated from e%ertion# Aside from the sym$olic notion of althou"h this sense in particular may indicate that 3spiritual heat#4 ener"y is felt as a literal heat in oneWs 3essel4 is not stron" enou"h to contain the the $ody# and can een lead to a certain type of 3ener"y'4 As it is said in !i$er A!# II2H7# sweat' This is spoen of in the conte%t of 3?isdom says2 $e stron" Then canst thou $ear practicin" pranayama 5which we earlier saw is more oy'4 essentially the practice of controllin" 3ma"ical eat# chills# and li"htheadedness are all ener"y4 throu"h manipulation of the $reath9# particularly sensory or isceral e%periences where Crowley writes# 3If ;ranayama $e connected with the e%perience of ener"y' There properly performed# the $ody will first of all are also more 3perceptual4 chan"es such as the $ecome coered with sweat' This sweat is contraction of focus or e%pansion of awareness# different in character from that customarily often occurrin" in ;riest or ;riestess respectiely' induced $y e%ertion' If the ;ractitioner ru$ this There are# no dou$t# other ways in which ener"y sweat thorou"hly into his $ody# he will "reatly mi"ht $e felt L it may $e felt as a sharp shoc# an stren"then it'4 +7 electric impulse# a diffuse warmth# or really This sweat is mentioned in !i$er A! and anythin" else2 there is no reason to e%clude a echoed in the Gnostic Mass itself when the ;riest priori any particular manifestations of ma"ical says 3'''the dew of her li"ht $athin" his whole ener"y' The only way one can $e certain how $ody in a sweetsmellin" perfume of sweat'4 ++ they are "oin" to e%perience it is to simply $e Nota$ly# at this point# the entire Con"re"ation mindful while en"a"in" in ritual in order to alon" with the Deacon and Children are all in a $ecome aware of chan"es in sensation and pose of adoration on their nees with their hands perception that mi"ht accompany this 3moin" of raised a$oe their hands lie little flames of ener"y'4 illumination# the tapas or 3spiritual heat4 $y which the ;riestWs aspiration is led to the :eil to rend it' In practice# one mi"ht feel oneWs $ody filled with heat# oneWs face mi"ht $ecome flushed# oneWs arms and le"s mi"ht seem to $e particularly warm# and it seems to $e particularly pronounced if one is focusin" attention upon a particular point of the $ody 5e'"' the area of the $reast or heart mi"ht $ecome especially warm if focusin" thereon9' Ener"y is also e%perienced in other ways' The most common other than a sense of heat  +=< !i$er ;orta !ucis' +7 !i$er &: el Spiritus' ++ !i$er A!# I26H'


3

H7

5circa +H<79Q India# Nurpur'


?e hae treated the theoretical and e%periential sides of 3ma"ical ener"y4 or 3ma"ical power#4 yet the practical .uestion remains2 how mi"ht the Ma"ician "enerate and employ this ener"y to their ritualistic ends As to the "eneration of ma"ical ener"y# one method has $een mentioned repeatedly thus far2 pranayama' This includes the formal practice of pranayama wherein one sits in a determined posture# or asana# and $reaths for ery specific counts of e%halation# inhalation# and retention for a specific amount of time' Nonetheless# we mi"ht include any method that intentionally alters the $reathin" pattern under the headin" of pranayama '

another source of ma"ical ener"y for the cele$rants of the Mass' The "eneration of ma"ical ener"y is also done in anythin" that is an inocation of any type' Alon" with the more e%plicit inocations such as the 3Thou who art I_4 of the Anthem# there are more su$tle inocations such as the circumam$ulations of the Temple $y arious Officers# the use of ?ords of ;owers 5A(MGN and IAO are the most fre.uent in the Mass9# and certain "estures 5the Cross# or 3the Si"n of !i"ht4# is the most fre.uently used inocatory "esture as well as the stroin" of the !ance# arious touches and isses# etc'9

The use of $reath in the Mass is A special 3type4 or 3class4 of inocation somethin" that is not written into the ru$ric itself# would $e those of a se%ual nature' ?e hae $ut many traditions hae $een passed down already seen the intimate lin $etween the notion throu"h word of mouth' It is an important means of ma"ical ener"y and se%ual force# and the of accessin" 3ma"ical ener"y4 in the cele$ration Gnostic Mass definitely utiliBes at least the of the Mass# and further details as to how the sym$olic enactment of se%uality to effect its ends' arious Officers of the Mass mi"ht employ $reath Therefore# the parts of the Mass that are will $e treated in the ne%t section of this essay' particularly 3se%ual4 in nature can $e seen as specifically focused on the "eneration or :isualiBation is another primary ehicle of dischar"e of ma"ical power throu"h the ehicle "eneratin" ma"ical ener"y' The isualiBation of of se%ual e%pression' The stroin" of the !ance arious thin"s L includin" !i"ht# ener"y# sym$ols# eleen times# the raisin" of the !ance# the and so on L can $e used to "enerate ma"ical piercin" of the :eil $y the !ance# the naedness ener"y' *or e%ample# durin" the liftin" of the of the ;riestess and the ;riestWs the adoration !ance# the ;riest mi"ht isualiBe the shaft of the thereof durin" the Collects# and the identification !ance as $ein" im$ued with electric ener"y of the particle of the ost with the ;riestWs sperm which is emitted in a "reat !i"ht from the tip of are all fairly e%plicit e%amples of the weddin" of the !anceQ or2 durin" the consecration of the se%ual force to the inocation of ma"ical ener"y ost# the ;riest mi"ht isualiBe ener"y in the Mass' The simultaneous or"asm of descendin" from the !ance into the ost to 3&I!I(4 from $oth ;riest and ;riestess mae it the @ody of God' &e"ardless of the depressin" the !ance into the Cup is an e%plicit content of isualiBation# the act of isualiBin" is e%ample of the dischar"e of ma"ical ener"y throu"h se%ual sym$olism' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

H+


&e"ardless of details# the se%ual nature of the Mass has the potential to "enerate se%ual ener"y  to "enerate desire# passion# ma"netism# and similarly se%uallychar"ed sensations  that can $e consciously controlled and directed as ma"ical force proper' (ltimately# all of these arious techni.ues for the "eneration of ma"ical ener"y must come under the "eneral techni.ue of concentration# or focused attention' It is the concentration of the Ma"ician that "ies ma"ical power its purpose# control# and direction' It is the difference $etween simply li"htin" a fire and li"htin" a fire to $e used for cooin" food# $etween dischar"in" electricity and the directed use of electricity to power somethin"'

most o$ectiona$le form' The most intense spirituality of purpose is a$solutely essential to safety 5This is a matter of concentration# with no ethical implication' The dan"er is that one may "et somethin" which one does not want' This is W$adW $y definition' Nothin" is in itself "ood or eil'94 +6 This concentration one thin"  or 3intense spirituality of purpose4  $ecomes especially important when utiliBin" forces such as se%uality# for which our conditioned ha$it is to descend into pure animalistic indul"ence rather than the transmutation thereof to effect ma"ical ends'

It should $e noted# in concludin" this section# that there are dou$tless plenty of other means to "enerate ma"ical ener"y' The list is not It is stated unam$i"uously in !i$er intended to $e e%haustie# $ut the most common !i$rae2 3To o$tain Ma"ical ;ower# learn to and o$ious cases hae $een noted a$oe' control thou"htQ admit only those ideas that are in harmony with the end desired# and not eery ?e hae seen that ma"ical ener"y is stray and contradictory Idea that presents itself'4 "enerated throu"h wor with the $reath The prere.uisite to the channelin" of ma"ical 5 pranayama 9 # isualiBation# inocation# and ener"y or power in the Mass 5or in any ritual9 is se%uality' ?e hae also seen that ma"ical ener"y therefore the a$ility to concentrate the mind# to is directed throu"h the power of concentration or control thou"ht# to limit focus to the tas at hand focus of attention' Anyone who wanted to without distraction' There is an unnown and $ecome more proficient and utiliBin" ma"ical possi$ly infinite de"ree to which one mi"ht hone ener"y in the Mass# or in any ritual# would do oneWs concentration sills# so it is unreasona$le to well to en"a"e in e%ercises that stren"then the e%pect someone to $e an 3e%pert4 $efore core faculties of $reath control# isualiBation# and attemptin" to 3moe ener"y4 in the Mass or concentration+,# and a "eneral familiarity with other rituals' Nonetheless# a "eneral foundation oneWs own a$ility to 3enflame oneself in prayer4 of sill in concentration is the necessary $asis for throu"h inocation# se%ual or otherwise# is the successful "eneration and direction of o$iously $eneficial as well' *or the more ma"ical ener"y' This is the reason for CrowleyWs adanced student# the study of certain oly warnin"2 @oos is recommended to supplement oneWs 3The Ma"ician may easily $e understandin"# especially !i$er AWash el oerwhelmed and o$sessed $y the force Capricorni ;neumatici# !i$er Stellae &u$eae# which he has let looseQ it will then and portions of !i$er A!' pro$a$ly manifest itself in its lowest and +6 Ma"ic in Theory ) ;ractice# chapter +6' +, !i$er E "ies practices for pranayama and concentration'


H6


?e now hae a $asic seleton of understandin" of ma"ical ener"y# $oth in theory ) practice' ?e hae seen that ma"ical ener"y  also nown as 3ma"ical force4 and 3ma"ical power4  was nown under arious names such as the lifeforce# prana# Aud# undalini# and ;hallusQ that it resides in $oth men and womenQ and that ultimately we may not 5or may neer9 now of its true nature# $ut we may wor with it in a pra"matic way where certain results occur from certain actions' ?e hae seen that ma"ical ener"y is typically felt as heat# chills# li"ht headedness# and the e%pansion / contraction of awareness' ;ractically# we hae seen that ma"ical ener"y can $e "enerated throu"h $reath# isualiBation# inocation# and se%uality and it is channeled throu"h concentration' All of these ideas form the $uildin" $locs from which we may construct an understandin" of how we mi"ht "o a$out "eneratin" and directin" ma"ical ener"y in the Mass'

The Children of the Mass hae no speain" roles within the ritual# which leads to many feelin" lie participatin" in the role of Child is not much more than actin" as 3Temple furniture'4 *irst of all# the lac of speain" roles "ies the Children the opportunity to focus e%clusiely  at least at first  on proper posture 5remainin" in the Attitude of &esurrection for lon" periods is definitely itWs own asana practice9# moin" in a mirrored fashion with one another# and learnin" to adapt to the une%pected which ineita$ly occurs' These thin"s are all worthwhile practices in themseles and the sills they stren"then will undou$tedly aid the indiidual in their eentual cele$ration as Deacon and/or as ;riest/;riestess' On top of this# the role of Child is a perfect place to start to $e"in to e%periment and wor with ma"ical ener"y' ?e can# in fact# see the role of Children as $ein" that of the ;riest and ;riestess $ut 3on a lower octae#4 ust lie the ;rince and ;rincess of Tetra"rammaton may "row to $ecome the in" and Kueen' The 3;ositie Child4 and 3Ne"atie Child4 can then wor with ener"y $etween themseles as do the ;riest and ;riestess with each other' It mi"ht $e noted that the 3ener"y flow4 of the ;riest and ;riestess is almost entirely 3ertical4 if we ima"ine looin" down on the Gnostic Mass temple with the i"h Altar at the top 5correspondin" to the Supernals of the Tree of !ife9' The ChildrenWs 3ener"y flow4 $etween each other is then almost entirely 3horiBontal#4 $alancin" out that of the ;riest and ;riestess'

This discussion will not $e e%haustie as there are as many ways to wor with ener"y in the Mass as there are indiiduals 5or# perhaps# as many as there are different permutations of different 3Mass teams49' These are merely su""estie# to "ie directions of in.uiry and e%periment for each indiidual to e%periment' If there is one uniersal piece of adice I mi"ht offer# it is that  re"ardless of whateer it is one is doin"  there should $e a reason for doin" it' There should $e an intention "uidin" the actions# and the only way to truly 3do it wron"4 is to "enerate and direct ener"y without any particular aim or rationale' It is the fact that ener"y is controlled and directed that maes it the power ?hateer the Children decide to do in of a Ma"ician# one who causes Chan"e in conformity with ?ill# rather than simply any terms of worin" with ma"ical ener"y# they should decide to"ether $efore the Mass $e"ins' person off the street' &e"ardless of what specific wor is $ein" done# it The Journal of Thelemic Studies

H,


should ideally $e paralleled or mirrored $y the other Child for the sae of sym$olic and ma"ical e.uili$rium within the Temple' ?hat follows are seeral e%amples of what the Children mi"ht do if they were to attempt to wor with ma"ical ener"y' This is o$iously not official in any way2 the e%amples are meant to $e purely su""estie# to help Children to fi"ure out somethin" they mi"ht e%periment with in order that they mi"ht find what wors $est for them'

$ody# and e%halin" it lie a olcano e%pellin" fire into the atmosphere' The fire and air traels oer to the Ne"atie Child who inhales it# et cetera' Another e%ample I hae heard has $een the Ne"atie Child isualiBin" a typical ?ater trian"le 5ape% downward9 $etween the two Children# while the ;ositie Child isualiBes a typical *ire trian"le 5ape% upward9Q to"ether# their isualiBations form the e%a"ram of union in the middle' My personal preference is to simply focus upon $reath and the simple isualiBation of cyclin" $reath# $ut it may $e adanta"eous to certain indiiduals to hae more comple% isualiBations# een if only to practice the faculty of isualiBation while Childin"'

*irstly# the Children may focus on their $reath' The $reath should $e made deeper and lon"er# althou"h I firmly caution a"ainst strainin" and/or eriness with $reathin"' This intentional $reathin" alone is a worthwhile practice# and mi"ht $e profita$ly e%perimented with for Communion is a time that is ripe for seeral Masses without any other additions' ener"y wor# aside from the rest of the Mass One mi"ht add the isualiBation of where the Children are irtually always facin" ima"inin" that# when inhalin"# one is drawin" in each other and can $e practicin" cyclin" $reath the $reath of the other Child and# when or other forms of ener"y wor' The Children e%halin"# one is 3feedin"4 the other Child with can# of course# continue their ener"y cyclin" oneWs own $reath' This 3cycle4 of ener"y is# in $etween one another' I personally prefer to focus "eneral# a typical pattern of ener"y wor as it my attention on the Communicants as they come represents a dynamic e.uili$rium# and the up# since  at this point in the ritual  they are the foundation of all Ma"ic is e.uili$rium' *urther# central focus' There are nearly infinite options of the 3cyclin"4 can act as a sort of motor or what to do at this point# $ut here are some feed$ac loop# where the continuous cyclin" of e%amples' ener"y has the effect of feelin" that the ener"y is "ettin" stron"er# warmer# more intense# and similar sensations' This "eneral principle can $e e%tended to irtually any ener"y wor $etween two indiiduals# includin" $ut not limited to the ;riest and ;riestess'

One mi"ht cycle $reath with the other Child in $etween Communicants comin" up to the i"h Altar# and then focus oneWs ener"y upon the Communicant# directin" ener"y to their hearts# their Solar center'

One mi"ht also channel the ener"y into One mi"ht add other isualiBations on top the Cae of !i"ht and "o$let of ?ine that the of the $reathin" and cyclin"' *or e%ample# I hae Communicant receies# infusin" it with een heard of the Ne"atie Child isualiBin" that they more ma"ical ener"y' Since the offerin"s are of inhale the $reath from the ;ositie Child !ife 5Cae of !i"ht9 and Joy 5?ine9# the ;ositie 5cyclin"9# $ut the e%hale is isualiBed as a Child can mentally say 3I am !ife and the "ier waterfall that rushes as a rier oer to the ;ositie of !ife4 while focusin" on the Cae of !i"ht the Child' The ;ositie Child then isualiBes inhalin" Communicant is retriein" and consumin"' The this 3rier#4 $rin"in" up the ener"y throu"h the Ne"atie Child mi"ht mentally say 3&emem$er The Journal of Thelemic Studies

H8


all ye that e%istence is pure oy4 while focusin" isses' (pon placin" the @oo on the superaltar# on the ?ine the Communicant is retriein" and the Deacon may turn and proect out this !o"os consumin"' throu"h their pronouncement to the One mi"ht een completely stop 3ener"y Con"re"ation' Durin" the recitation of the Creed# wor4 durin" Communication and simply "ie the Deacon can isualiBe the entire Temple oneWs focused attention to the Communicant as formin" lie a new (nierse# and the words of they partae of the Eucharist' All of these# a"ain# the Creed fillin" the (nierse with its arious are simply su""estions to "et oneWs own thou"hts laws and ener"y and motion' ?hen handed the "oin" as to how one mi"ht use ma"ical ener"y in ;riests !ance# the Deacon can isualiBe that they are holdin" a superchar"ed ;romethean rod of the Mass as a Child' diine ;hallic ener"y' Durin" the Saints Collect# the Deacon can isualiBe the crosses $ein" traced The Deacon also has many opportunities on the Cup which holds the $lood of the saints# to wor with ma"ical ener"y durin" the Gnostic or upon the $ac of the ;riest as a successor and Mass' It has $een noted# thou"h# that the wor of heir of the Saints' As a side note# one should the Deacon is actually unlie the Children or the always chec with others if one is "oin" to do ;riest and ;riestess in a specific way# which is isualiBations such as this L the Deacon mi"ht that the Deacon must eep what Tau ;olyphilus simply as if it would $e alri"ht to draw the called 3surface presence'4 +8 The Deacon cannot crosses on the ;riests $ac durin" the Saints or simply "et lost in the ener"y lie Children or lie whether they hae any preference themseles' the ;riest and ;riestess tend to do# $ecause he is There are# of course# many other opportunities responsi$le for the ;eople and the Temple in for the Deacon to utiliBe ma"ical ener"y durin" "eneral' e is# in this way# the 3ma"ician4 of the the Mass# $ut I will leae them up to the readers Mass  or een the 3e"o4 of the Mass  which has own in"enium and e%perience to find those to mae sure that the candles are all lit# there are which most authentically e%press their own enou"h wines for Communion# that disruptie ma"ical ideals' people are dealt with accordin"ly# that someone hain" a cou"hin" fit "ets some water# or deal The ;riest and ;riestess are naturally the with the infinite other thin"s that can 5and hae Officers of the Gnostic Mass that most o$iously and will9 "o awry durin" a Mass' wor with ma"ical ener"y' Eery step the ;riest Nonetheless# there are still many times to or ;riestess taes# eery word they spea# eery wor with ma"ical ener"y as Deacon' The "esture they mae are all infused with the followin" list is# once a"ain# simply su""estie potentiality of "reat ma"ical power' There are instead of comprehensie' The Deacon $e"ins innumera$le ways the ;riest and ;riestess can with the 3ma"ical weapon4 of The @oo of the mae use of ma"ical ener"y in the Mass L far too !aw' The Deacon can ima"ine holdin" the ?ord numerous to een $e"in to mention the many of God# or !o"os# in their hands as they possi$ilities' I will note that 3$reath wor4 approach the i"h Altar with reerence' After $etween the ;riest and ;riestess is liely the $est $owin"# the Deacon can tae a deep $reath and foundation for 3moin"4 the ener"y of the Mass' infuse the @oo with ener"y throu"h their three There are seeral points where this is particularly natural and efficacious2 +8 See 3Adice for Deacons4 $y Tau ;olyphilus'


H=


+9 ?hen the ;riestess neels to stroe the !ance eleen times# this "ies an opportunity for the ;riest and ;riestess to $reathe in harmony with one another and with the stroin" of the !ance'

conoined $reathwor $etween the ;riest and ;riestess $efore the 3&I!I('4

It mi"ht $e added that the ;riest 3$reathin" with4 the ;riestess can mean many thin"s' The two simplest meanin"s of this are 5a9 69 Durin" the Collects# when the ;riest is inhalin" ) e%halin" at the same time as one adorin" the ;riestess on his nees# there is another# or 5$9 inhalin" while the other e%hales ample opportunity for worin" with and ice ersa' My personal preference is the $reath and ener"y' This is an especially latter# as it reflects a cyclic motion of $reath and "ood time to 3turn up4 the ener"y# as ener"y similar to that recommended preiously there are no words or actions for either for the Children' ?hat wors $est must# as ;riest or ;riestess to worry a$out durin" always# $e a result of ones own personal this period' e%perimentation and e%perience as well as the ,9 Durin" the commi%to of ;article and colla$oration with what ones ;riest/;riestess is ?ine# there can $e a moment of comforta$le with'

In concludin" this article# I wish to once a"ain firmly impress upon the mind of the reader that this essay is not meant to include all aspects of 3ma"ical ener"y#4 either in theory or in practice' An entire $oo could 5and should9 $e written on such thin"s'

As a final reminder# I $eliee we must always remem$er that all these discussions# all these ideas# all these e%periments# and e%ercises are all 5ideally9 in order to deepen our e%perience of the Gnostic Mass# to further appreciate its manifold Mysteries# to $rin" the This essays intention is simply to $rin" *lame of nowled"e more $rilliantly to the awareness of indiiduals to the deeper humanind# and to more oyously and aspects of our wor in the central rite of our oly $eautifully en"a"e in our True ?ills' Order' There is an amaBin" repository of Nothin" I hae said is a$solute# nor is it potential in this $eautiful ritual that is simply meant to $e' The arious su""estions for ener"y lyin" fallow# waitin" for the inection of sincere wor are ust that2 su""estions' I $eliee in 3The aspirants earnest intention and Beal' The many Method of Science#4 so I heartily encoura"e you eils that $lind our perception of the intensity of to e%periment with arious approaches and see this rituals !i"ht are also the portals we may pass throu"h to True ?isdom and ;erfect appiness' what wors for yourself' !oe is the law# loe under will'


H


Wi thi n theTomb #y "4i$ Hi-Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

I

stand within the tom$ clothed in a sin"le white ro$e holdin" my lance $efore me' I attempt to wait patiently# a myriad of thou"hts flashin" throu"h my mind' 3My feet hurt'4 3I hope I donWt screw up a line'4 3?here is that deaconZ ShouldnWt she $e finished instructin" the con"re"ants $y nowZ4 The wei"ht of my role in the ritual that I am a$out to perform feels heay as I shift $ac and forth from one foot to another' Suddenly# I hear the door open and the hushed mutters of the con"re"ation as they enter and $e"in to tae their seats' I hear the clearin" of throats# a sneeBe# further hushed conersations .uicly trailin" off as the deacon adances to the altar with The @oo of the !aw' My e"o "ies one last flurry of thou"hts and ima"es# usually last minute instructions as to the structure and pro"ression of the ritual' Then the deacon speas2 3Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' I proclaim the law of li"ht# life# loe# and li$erty in the name of IAO4

trance' My eyes $ecome heaylidded and my thou"hts still as the con"re"ation intones the triple pranaa and all fall silent' I hear the door open as the priestess and the children enter the temple' 3Greetin" of Earth and eaen4 After a $rief silence# I hear the priestess and the children $e"in to moe' Throu"h my halfclosed eyes# I occasionally "limpse shadows moin" in a serpentine manner around the altar of incense and the font' I now that I am their aim' They come to resurrect me from the tom$ that imprisons me' I allow my heay eyes to close as the priestess stops $efore the eil to my tom$' I hear the distinctie sound of her sword clearin" its sca$$ard as she draws aside the eil' 3@y the power of iron# I say unto thee# Arise4

My e"o consciousness $e"ins to still as the con"re"ation responds# 3!oe is the law# loe under will4 I hear the con"re"ation rise and mae the step and si"n of a man and a $rother and my e"o finally# $lessedly# falls silent as the con"re"ation recites the creed' My mind and $ody fall into wellworn patterns and I mentally recite the creed with the mem$ers of the con"re"ation that I am a$out to sere' It is at this point that I fall into a The Journal of Thelemic Studies

HH


The eyes of the priest open' They are no lon"er my eyes' The priest "aBes out of the tom$ The priest taes his first $reath' and is "reeted with the $eautiful ision of the temple arran"ed for mass# the e%pectant con"re"ation# the children# and the priestess' It is 3_and of our !ord_4 at this moment that I fully $ecome the archetype of the priest' The colors of the ritual officersW The priest e%hales as the priestess sheathes "arments and the arran"ement of the temple utterly silences my consciousness as I fully slip her sword' 3_that thou mayst administer the into the moment' There is no future' There is no irtues to the @rethren'4 The priest emer"es from the tom$ with the first three re"ular steps# past' There is only the eternal NO?' prepared to $e purified and consecrated $y the elements and to sere the $rethren' 3In the name of our lord the Sun_4 !oe is the law# loe under will'


HF


I nsi ghtsi nto thePri estessRole #y Soror Fieri F"!i"s Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

I

hae only cele$rated as a noice ;riestess in pu$lic cele$rations of !i$er >: a few times# $ut I wanted to share my e%perience of doin" such in hopes that 5+9 I will spread the oys and fee$le communications of the "nosis accompanyin" the role# and 569 I would loe feed$ac from $oth ;riestesses and non ;riestesses alie' I want to $uild on my current understandin" 5as always9 in the spirit of fraternity and of "rowth' I am an En"lish maor at San *rancisco State# and with that caeat# I will enture to e%plain that I am iewin" the insi"hts that I hae had as ;riestess as particularly phenomenal $ecause it seems as thou"h I hae $een "ranted# throu"h the performance of the role# a practically concrete e%perience of a slice of Crowleys Nuit metaphor'

Star#4+F and 3let each pursue his ?ill as a stron" man that reoiceth in his way# as the course of a Star that $laBeth for eer amon" the oyous company of eaen'4+< The list is not e%haustie# and I inite you to find more places in the corpus where he draws up this connection $etween Man and Star' So what does this mean for the ;riestess on the altarZ On the first step of the dais# the ;riests first utterance can $e interpreted as an address to her# sayin" 3O circle of stars'4 ?hen I heard this line with the implications of the metaphor of 3Star4 carryin" a meanin" for 3Indiidual#4 it was further .ualified $y the shape 3circle4 L as it also happens to $e the shape made $y the indiidual con"re"ants of the Mass L I could not help $ut to identify L personally identify L as that circle of people in the room'

In many places# Crowley presents Nuit as This further catapults us deeper into our representin" 3the company of heaen#4 += and poet;rophets metaphorical representation of the 3Infinite Space# and the Infinite Stars thereof#4 + world around# and within# us' Thin of all the which leads us towards another# e.ually places youe read or heard in Crowleys wors e%pansie metaphor of stars as indiiduals' It has where he uses the human $ody as a sym$olic $een written in aryin" de"rees of metaphor representation of a community# society# or 5somethin" is 9 and simile 5somethin" is lie 92 or"aniBation of indiiduals' In his Ei"ht !ectures 3eery man and eery woman is a star#4 +H 3for in on -o"a # he entures to e%plain the deeper each Man his Inmost !i"ht is the Core of his nature of -o"a and (nion# etc# $ut also taes the time to illustrate how eery cell in a comple% += !i$er A!# I26' + !i$er A!# I266' +H !i$er A!# I2,'


+F !i$er Aleph# ;reface' +< !i$er >:# 3 The ;rinciples4 in the Collects'

H<


or"anism 5lie our own $odies9 fulfills its purposed function toward the achieement of 3the "eneral welfare4 of the "reater whole' +H7 e succinctly says that# 3?e are communities#4 meanin" that our $odies are composed of interdependent units or cells' Thin a$out that for a moment' It seems easy enou"h to intellectually comprehend# $ut this is e%actly what Im attemptin" to coney in this short writin"' As a ;riestess on the altar# with my own personal set of cells fully e%posed and ulnera$le# I truly felt that I was that community# that "roup of Stars sittin" circularly in the con"re"ation# cele$ratin" to"ether# as one'

instrument in the ma"ical enironment' As I sat on the altar# identifyin" myself as that 3circle of stars4 in the room# I did hae a sense of $ein" o$ectified# and not in the peoratie way' As each communicant stood $efore me# I thou"ht# 3I am an ima"e of you#4 with 3you4 floatin" faintly in the space $etween the plural and the sin"ular' e writes a"ain of this same idea in another named 3On the *ormula of the Moon#4 sayin" that# 3The Nature of the -in is to $e still# and to encircle or limit# and it is as a Mirror# reflectin" dierse Ima"es without Chan"e in its own ind'4+H6 A mirror is an o$ect# and an o$ectie one# as well' It is 3still4# lie the ;riestess# and it As you can ima"ine# a state of seres to 3encircle or limit#4 as I feel the ;riestess consciousness that inoles moments of does for the community of con"re"ants# as a identification with a unit or "roup $eyond ones "roup and as indiiduals' own personal self can $e ery disconnectin"# As you can see# the nuances of my almost lie an unhin"in" sense of disassociation' e%perience of ;riestess reflect a deeper alue of In !i$er Aleph # this "ets e%plained deeper# and mine# and that is one of community' My a"ain# in metaphor' In a chapter called 3The relationship and function towards the ;riest is# at Ka$alistic ey to this Art#4 Crowley speas to this point in my EGC career# a"ue at $est' If the nature of the Scarlet ?oman2 3I# $ein" the anythin"# I conceptualiBe him as far as his first !o"os appointed thereunto# did create an Ima"e admittance allows2 as 3a man amon" men#4 or in of my !ittle (nierse in the Mind of the ?oman other words# a mem$er of the community of of ScarletQ that is# I manifested mine whole con"re"ants who has $een selected from them Ma"ical Self in her Mind' Thus then in er# as in all# to represent and to sere them all 5as does a Mirror# hae I $een a$le to interpret myself to the ;riestess herself# althou"h in a different# more myself'4+H+ This messa"e is $ein" "ien from the pluralistic way9 throu"h the ceremony of the perspectie of the Ma"ician or# perhaps# the Gnostic Mass' ;riest in the Gnostic Mass e.uation# $ut the I hope# too# that this writin" will help nature of the ;riestess e%perience is also e%pand the e%periences we hae as con"re"ants' reealed in his description' She $ecomes useful If# in our chairs on the 3sidelines#4 we can to him when she $ehaes as a reflectie isualiBe# appreciate and potentially identify ourseles as the ;riest and ;riestess durin" a +H7 Ei"ht !ectures on -o"a# -o"a for -ahoos# *irst !ecture' +H+ !i$er Aleph# chapter F8'


+H6 !i$er Aleph# chapter <+'

F7


cele$ration of the Mass# then how wonderful it will $e to e%pand that common phrase 3participatory ritual4 to new hei"hts Instead of appreciatin" a ;riestess as an indiidual fulfillin" a role# how marelous would it $e to appreciate her as an ima"e of me# and of us# and appreciate her as an indiidual who has sacrificed her su$ectie self# so that she may e%ercise her 3*ormula of *orce4 to encircle or limit us# and# lie a Mirror# reflect us $ac to ourseles' Throu"h her# we are afforded the "lorious opportunity to interpret ourseles to ourseles# $oth as indiiduals and as a whole community' ?hen we say# 3There is no part of me that is not of the "ods#4 affirmin" the diinity within

ourseles as indiiduals# I inite us all to hear# too# the reer$eratin" echo of that line as "ien from the perspectie of the ;riestess# as far as she represents us all in the con"re"ation2 There is no part of her# meanin" us# that is not of the "ods' That is to say# there is no one indiidual in our "roup who is not of these selfsame "ods' As we distin"uish ourseles from the "roup# approachin" the altar to partae of the Eucharist# and to declare ourseles diine# we do not step outside of the "roup# $ut rather allow ourseles to $e encircled $y it' Thus# 3eery ;art of thy Nature reoiceth with eery other ;art# communicatin" ;raise'4



F+


AsArtCan Devi se: Musi cfortheGnosti cMass #y Soror Frey" Note2 *irst pu$lished in A"ap[# :olume +,# Num$er +# Sprin" 67+6 E:' Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

?

hen I stated my intention to write ori"inal music for the Gnostic Mass at NOTOCON 67++# I was thinin" a$out a time when three of my Oasis sisters and I san" 3appy @irthday4 in spontaneous# perfect# fourpart harmony in an upscale Italian restaurant to one of our friends' ?e astonished ourseles as much as eeryone else around us with our musicianship# and eer since that day# I wanted to harness it a"ain for somethin" e%traordinary'

more we em$race the possi$ilities of music in this ritual and how it can $enefit us' ?hen our esteemed ;riestess at NOTOCON 67++ shared with me how much the music of the Gnostic Mass moed her and eeryone who was there listenin"# I new that this ourney was ust "ettin" started# and it was "oin" to $e wide open to anyone who dared to tae it'

The challen"e with usin" music in the That e%traordinary day came in Au"ust Gnostic Mass is CrowleyWs scanty directions in 67++ as I trem$led nerously at my ey$oard in !i$er >: ' Consider the si% areas of the Mass the center of a dynamic "roup of musicians# not where music is o$li"atory# and at these points no nowin" what my piece would inspire in the indication is "ien that it is optional or oluntary2 $i""est room of Thelemites IWd eer seen' It +' 3A(MGN' A(MGN' A(MGN' would either $e total success or total failureQ I ' The child enters with the couldnWt sense a middle "round anywhere' In the Christian Church# most eery ind of music has ewer and the salt'4 $een tried and ud"ed for appropriateness at 6' 3e then neels and worships the !ance eery leel since the Middle A"es# and there is with $oth hands' '4 no shorta"e of discussion and professional opinion in the matter' oweer# in EGC there is ,' 3e raises the !ance' All repeat ailin" a lot less tal and de$ate# partly $ecause of the Si"n' '4 law of 3Do what thou wilt#4 $ut also $ecause# so 8' 3e_shows ost to the ;EO;!E holdin" far as I new in 67++# no ori"inal piece of in andpaper choral music with the scope and the ;aten $eneath it# turns# replaces ;aten $readth of the Gnostic Mass had eer $een and ost# and adores' '4 attempted' =' 3e_shows the Cup to the ;EO;!E# @ut discussions around music in the turns replaces the Cup# and adores' Gnostic Mass will liely "et more common the '4 The Journal of Thelemic Studies

F6


' 3e uncoers the Cup# "enuflects# rises'

'4 :ery little is said a$out how this music is to $e played# and for how lon" and with what' *or the entry of the ;riestess and the Children# for instance# should the music $e heard as the ;riestess says# 3Greetin" of earth and heaen4Z Should it accompany her serpentine wal all the way to the tom$Z And what is the impetus for hain" music at that particular pointZ Similar .uestions arise for the rest of the Mass# particularly the last three points# where the only direction "ien is simply# 3Music#4 and nothin" at all is said a$out its duration or characteristics' Con"re"ations the world oer hae different solutions to these .uestions' One is simply to not hae any music at all and aoid confusion alto"ether' Another is to hae recorded music L either one lon" recordin" to $e played throu"hout the ritual# or a series of clips to hi"hli"ht the o$li"atory points' ItWs possi$le to hear recordin"s from all oer the New A"e spectrum and $eyond# from electronica to chant# tri$al drummin" to Dead Can Dance# and still more' Still another possi$ility for music durin" the Mass is to hae lie musicians# $ut then the .uestions arise2 ?hat instrumentsZ Can there $e sin"in"Z If so# on what te%tZ Many of us would $e comforta$le with launchin" a drum circle or chant# or employin" our resident roc artists to contri$ute# $ecause anythin" remotely 3churchy4 or ecclesiastical would run counter to the impulse of the New Aeon'

rites hae their real ori"ins in a more mystical tradition that predates Christianity L the cults of Osiris# Mithras and Dionysus# to name a few L and the Gnostic Mass simply clarifies this' So it would not $e out of the .uestion to hae or"ans# an"elic choirs# $rass ensem$les# strin" .uartets# or any num$er of musical resources that hae $een characteristic of Christian churches for a thousand years# so that we may set them s.uarely in the New Aeon and let people now what all that pomp and "randeur was really a$out' Not lon" after I decided to compose music for the Mass# I was handed a musical settin" of the Anthem $y *r' '' ++,+ that had $een used with some success in seeral different con"re"ations# and our Grand Master and his ;riestess adised me that they wanted it sun" at the upcomin" NOTOCON' Since the two of them specifically wanted this Anthem settin" at their Mass# it seemed natural to draw inspiration from it for the si% other o$li"atory points in !i$er >: that call for music' The end result would $e a multimoement sacred wor with *r' '' ++,+Ws anthem as the central feature' In a way# itWs e%actly lie the Masses and sacred cantatas of traditional Catholic and ;rotestant Churches that tae a sin"ular elementVwhether itWs a fol melody# sacred chant# or $it of scriptureVand spin it out into a comple% piece that could easily $e a musical concert unto itself' So the o$li"atory points for this Gnostic Mass settin" would $e lie rays from the central Sun of the Anthem# proectin" its harmonic and melodic elements in different directions' I would set it for a trio of female oices and or"an# with a unison choir# drums and fin"er cym$als added to the Anthem to set this moement apart and encoura"e con"re"ational sin"in"'

Or would itZ Thin $ac to what had Crowley compose !i$er >: in the particular way that he did2 he intended it to correspond to the litur"y of the &oman Catholic Church' In fact# it is a correction of that litur"yQ it acnowled"es that the &oman and Orthodo% for The Journal of Thelemic Studies

F,

The ne%t challen"e was to mae the music the o$li"atory points a truly uni.ue The Mysteries of the Gnostic Mass

e%pression of the Gnostic Mass itself' *or this I went directly to !i$er >: and read the first section# 3On the furnishin"s of the temple'4 Since music is a mathematical art form e%pressed in acoustic physics# it made sense to loo for inspiration in the physical layout of the temple'

The he%a"ram is one of the most simple and ele"ant ways of illustratin" spiritual union# whether you call it enli"htenment# nowled"e and Conersation with the oly Guardian An"el# the Sacred Marria"e# or the Great ?or accomplished' And o$iously# in the Gnostic Mass it is "nosis ' *or this ima"e to e%ist at the heart of our temple as well as to $e featured in so many of our most common rituals is no accident# and so I naturally ased myself how I could su""est the he%a"ram in music for !i$er >: ' I fi"ured that since this he%a"ram is made up of two interlocin" trian"les# these would $e easy to represent in music notation lie this2


The first thin" that came to my attention was the Tree of !ife ima"e seen when the temple is iewed from a$oe# and particularly the he%a"ram whose center is the fire altar occupyin" the point of Tiphereth2

It made sense to hae these musical 3trian"les4 $e as o$ious to the ear as to the eye studyin" the score# so that I wouldnWt hae to re.uire listeners to $e music theorists to mae the connection' To eep it simple and listena$le# I se.uenced these up and down trian"les in a minimalist# ;hillipGlass style to create a sort of mantra on 3IO4# a Gnostic "odname used fre.uently in the Mass'

F8


implications# not the least of which is the ;riestess herself' And so when I $rou"ht this idea to"ether with some harmonic colorin" $orrowed from the @ecause I intended to hae these choral section of '' ++,+Ws anthem# the trian"ular fi"ures sun" $y a trio of female oices# undulatin" mantra could now $e shaped to it would further emphasiBe the 3threeness4 of the accompany the serpentine wal of the ;riestess music and een point towards @inah and all its all the way to the tom$'

The trian"le fi"ures reappear in su$se.uent two e%ceptions2 the two o$li"atory points in the moements of the piece# and the upward trian"le Mass where the @ody and @lood of God are always appears with the downward# with only indicated2


F=


Note that the upward trian"le sym$oliBin" fire is indicated for the @ody of God# where the downward trian"le sym$oliBin" water is indicated for the @lood of God' 5These could conceia$ly $e reersed at the discretion of those officiatin"# if there is preference to sym$oliBe fire with the downward trian"le and water with the upward trian"le# followin" Eliphas !ei'9

alltoofamiliar 3church4 moment where a mied up cantor says# 3;lease turn in your hymnal to num$er 8=_4 and interrupts the re"ularly scheduled pro"ram for a musical interlude' The seamless flow from one action to the ne%t in the Gnostic Mass seems to call for music that simply proides an aura around what is already tain" place'

I also intended to eep the te%ts as simple The clima% of the entire wor is of course as possi$le# and to use only neutral owel sounds the Anthem of *r' '' ++,+# and the hummin" and small phrases directly from !i$er >: ' This section that immediately follows to mar the final helps to eep focus on the action of the Mass# o$li"atory point of music in !i$er >: was and to hae the music $e a comment on what is desi"ned as a distant echo of one of the happenin" in the ritual# rather than an action AnthemWs most distin"uishin" harmonies2 totally separated from the ritual' Nowhere is the


F


This is also the final appearance of the musical he%a"ram# and at this moment it most stron"ly points toward the possi$ility of "nosis and the consummation a$out to tae place'

o$ious that 3we did it'4 And that was itself a ind of "nosis ' *or that# I am "rateful to all the sisters and $rothers who helped to mae it all possi$le# not the least of whom was the Grand Interestin"ly# at NOTOCON this moment Master himself for his "enerous support and was followed $y moist eyes and a happy si"h of feed$ac' May we all loo forward to the relief from the sin"ers around me# when it was possi$ility of hain" music carry us toward "nosis more and more in the future' !oe is the law# loe under will'


FH


CakesofLi ghtand theBuzzaboutBeeswi ng #y Sister H"ttie 6+i Note2 *irst pu$lished in A"ap[# :olume <# Num$ers , ) 8# *e$ruary 677F E:' Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw' 6,' *or perfume mi% meal ) honey ) thic leain"s of red wine2 then oil of A$ramelin and olie oil# and afterward so en ) smooth down with rich fresh $lood' 68' The $est $lood is of the moon# monthly2 then the fresh $lood of a child# or droppin" from the host of heaen2 then of enemiesQ then of the priest or of the worshippers2 last of some $east# no matter what' 6=' This $urn2 of this mae caes ) eat unto me' This hath also another useQ let it $e laid $efore me# and ept thic with perfumes of your orison2 it shall $ecome full of $eetles as it were and creepin" thin"s sacred unto me' 6' These slay# namin" your enemiesQ ) they shall fall $efore you' 6H' Also these shall $reed lust ) power of lust in you at the eatin" thereof' 6F' Also ye shall $e stron" in war' 6<' Moreoer# $e they lon" ept# it is $e erQ for they swell with my force' All $efore me' V !i$er CC>>2III

I

$e"an performin" the Gnostic Mass as a noice priestess oer a year a"o' This new role launched me into an e%ploration of XCaes of !i"htW that I had not preiously "ien any thou"ht' ow do you mae CaesZ ?hat are the essential in"redients in CaesZ ?hat is the E'G'C'su""ested way to mae CaesZ


Thou"h they are an important part of our central pu$lic and priate ritual# there is some deiation in the method of producin" Caes of !i"ht' A .uic search of the Internet will "arner an assortment of recipes to choose from# $ut a standard recipe is not "ien'

FF


The E'G'C' Manual thanfully "ies us sanctioned "uidelines within which to wor2

them $y the introduction of fresh liin" $lood'4

3*or all official cele$rations of the Gnostic Mass# e%cept for those priate cele$rations of the Gnostic Mass at which all participants hae specifically re.uested otherwise# the Caes of !i"ht proided $y the cele$rants to the con"re"ation shall $e made with the followin" in"redients and with no other in"redients2

The actual preparation of Caes of !i"ht is not e%actly the topic most e%pounded upon# as we can see' In this essay# I will address what is to me one of the more controersial in"redients2 wine leain"s' 3ow can wine leain"s $e controersialZ3 one mi"ht as' Simply putVmost people do not now what they are' A surey of recipes finds that most maers are usin" somethin" that I shall loin"ly refer to as Xwine "ooW' This "oo is made $y a simple reduction of red wine or port# conducted at low temperature to aoid scorchin" the wine# and eaporatin" off the +7 ethanol and the lar"e amount of the water contained in the wine# until left with a few ta$lespoons of a thic wine syrup' My first $atch of Caes was made with one of these recipes replete with wine "oo' Some lucy few "et the lees from wineries# which are essentially pulp# "rape sins# salts# and dead yeast' I am not one of those few so my search continued'

i' Meal 5any "round edi$le "rain9Q ii' oneyQ iii' !eain"s of red wineQ i' Oil of A$ramelin 5a $lend of cin namon# myrrh# "alan"al and olie oils9Q ' Olie oilQ and i' Optionally# one of the followin" in"redients may $e added2 ` !iestoc $lood o$tained le"ally from a $utcher shop or a farmQ or ` Ash from Caes of !i"ht made accordin" to any reasona$le interpretation of CC>> III26, and which hae $een $urned in I wondered2 are either lees or "oo what accordance with CC>> III26=4 was ori"inally intendedZ As always# when faced A useful instructionQ thou"h not all items with this .uestion# I turned to the commentary for direction or elucidation' A er all# who would are .ualified or defined# leain" room for wide now $etter than Crowley how he interprets thisZ interpretation' In the 3New Comment4 in the !aw is for All # In Ma"ic in Theory and ;ractice # Crowley writes2 Chapter >>2 Of the Eucharist and of the Art of 3Meal2 ordinary wheaten flourQ leain"s2 Alchemy# the footnote to the suita$ility of Caes the 3$eeswin"4 of port should $e "oodQ of !i"ht in the Eucharist of three elements# Oil of A$ramelin2 tae F parts of oil of Crowley tells us2 cinnamon# four of oil of myrrh# two of oil 3The Caes of !i"ht are uniersally of "alan"al# seen of olie oil'4 applica$leQ they contain meal# honey# ;lain enou"h# ri"htZ ?e now what those and oil 5car$ohydrates# fats# and protein# the three necessaries of human nutrition92 oils are and the wheaten fl our is easy# $ut what also perfume of the three essential types is this 3$eeswin" of port4 he referencesZ Durin" of ma"ical and curatie irtueQ the su$tle the fermentation process# leain"s settle to the principle of animal life itself is fi%ed in $ottom of the cass which contain salts that are The Journal of Thelemic Studies

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ulti ultimat matel elyy form formed ed into into crea cream m of tartar tartar'' Th This is tartarate is found in the lees of wine 5remem$er the salts9# $ut is $est formed as a secondary crust in port and some wines# pure in consistency# that come comess off off in shin shinin in"" fla flaes es or scal scalees that that resem$le $eesW win"s# hence $eeswin" of port'

The three main types of acid in "rape $erries# and thus in wine# are tartaric acid# malic acid# and to a lesser e%tent# citric acid' The leain"s or lees that precipitate 5fall out9 durin" the wine main" process contain the salts of these acids# such as potassium $itartarate# "rape sins and pulp# and unused yeast'

The scales of tartar are a re a $yproduct of the wine main" process and hae $een used in $ain" for years' In fact# "rapes are the only si"nificant natural sourceQ it is only in modern Citric acid concentration is low naturally# $ut times that we are unaware of this $yproduct# as can $e increased intentionally to "ie wine an we tend to follow recipes more than understand e%tra fruity fl aor' It is used to marinate meats# the chemistry inoled' ?hat is the purpose of to "ie lowcalorie $eera"es# sweets# and $reads cream of tartar in $ain"Z Een thou"h I hae it a sharp sour tasteQ in ice cream to preent fat in my spice rac# I could not hae told you what coa"ulationQ and in $ath products and e"eta$le it actually does $efore main" my own Caes of washes as a mild anti$acterial' !i"h !i"htt led led to this this rese resear arch ch## e%ce e%cept pt its its use use in merin"ue' A recipe calls for it# I use it# $ut I did Malic acid concentration is determined $y "rape not now ' ariety and climate' It has similar application to In A Te%t$oo of Sanitary and Applied citric acid# $ut is nown to $e more smoothly Chemistry# or# The Chemistry of ?ater# Air# and continuous in flaor than citric acid' It is o en *ood 5Summerfield# 5Summerfield# +<+H9# I found the followin" used in e%tremely sour flaored candies' entry2 3Sodium $icar$onate and cream of tartar are often used to render dou"h li"ht' The A Tartaric acid concentration is determined $y first of these may $e mi%ed with the flour# "rape ariety' It is o en remoed from wine and the la er with the water that is used in usin" a cold filtration process' It is used in mi%in" the dou"h# or $oth may $e sifted $ain" to sta$iliBe and increase the olume of and mi%ed with the flour_ The tartarate is e"" whites and to produce a creamier te%ture in made from ar"ols that are collected in su"ary desserts' It is used commercially in so the $ottom of wine cass in the process of drins# desserts# and photo"raphy products# and fermentation'4 can $e used to clean $rass and copper This instruction# howeer# calls for the cooware' mi%in" of $ain" soda and cream of tartar 5and incidentally maes $ain" powder9# which maes the dou"h li"hter primarily due to the acid$ase reaction of the alali sodium $icar$onate and the tartaric acid salt# releasin" car$on dio%ide# thus li"htenin" the dou"h with microscopic pocets of "as' Our recipe does not call for $ain" sodaQ The Journal of Thelemic Studies

howeer# there is some ar"ument for the cream of tartar leaenin" the dou"h throu"h its own reac reacti tion on to heat' eat' on oney itse itself lf is an acid acidic ic compound# thou"h# so why would we want to use cream of tartar# another acidic componentZ ?hen used without the correspondin" c orrespondin" $ase# it is <7


said to mae the dou"h stiff er and stron"er# hold holdin in"" its its shap shapee well well## thus thus mai main" n" it a ey ey in"redient in main" your own playdou"h'

iden identi tifi fied ed $y Cro Crowle wley# the ?iipedia recipe proides an easy method to "enerate leain"s'

(sin (sin"" McGe McGeeW eWss On *ood and Cooin"2 A stron"er dou"h is sensi$le for main" The Science and !ore of the itchen as itchen as a "uide# the perfume descri$ed in !i$er CC>> # III2 6,8' I deeloped a $asic recipe usin" the proportions I can also see how it would $e useful in main" of a type of Cae that had the least amount of our Caes# as can anyone who has seen a Cae e""s 5which are o$iously o$iously not an in"redient# in"redient# $ut e%plode into a rain of crum$s' Could that $e its the the lost lost mois moistu turre the they proi roide de was was easil asilyy only purposeZ Is it simply to lend sta$ility to the repl replac aced ed with with hon honey ins instead tead of the more more shape of the Cae aesZ Or cou could it hae an stan standa dard rd su"ar su"ar found found in Cae Cae recip recipes es9' 9' Th Thee interaction with the honeyZ temperature shown is optimum for aoidin" hard In candymain"# an acid 5cream of tartar te%ture or peaed surfaces in Cae$ain"' This or lemo lemon n uic uice9 e9 enha enhanc nces es a proc proces esss call called ed temperature is hi"her than most Cae of !i"ht inersion in the disaccharides such as sucrose# recipes call for# $ut seems reasona$le $ased on wherein the car$ohydrate $reas down into its $ain" e%perience' component su"ars# modifyin" the te%ture of the I $aed the thic and shiny $atter in two cand candy' y' one oneyy $ein $ein"" a polys polysacc acchar harid idee woul would d formats2 indiidual cooies and a ery thin sheet $enefi $enefitt from from this this Xin Xiner ersio sionW nW $y preen preentin tin"" the Cae' The formula was off # and it tasted a little crystalliBation of the honey in the Cae# which lie play dou"h# with too much cream of tartar can lead to the hard# crunchy Caes you may and not enou"h honey' It was also discolored hae hae e%per e%perien ienced ced'' oney oney is also hy"ros hy"roscop copic ic from the addition of ash# and franly# the wine and will $rin" moisture to the Caes as they sit# flaor and color were missed $y some tasters' stallin" the process of "oin" stale' The Caes themseles were $est made in the sheett and and then then cut cut with with my smal smalle lest st $isc $iscui uit t In the the arti articl clee on Cae Caess of !i"h !i"htt from from shee cutter er'' Th They ey came came out out li"ht li"ht## thin thin## and and easi easily ly ?iipedia # a recipe for main" your own wine cutt leain"s is "ien# where "rape uice is fermented eaten# not re.uirin" a lar"e amount of li.uid to in a u"' It seems to $e a ery easy way to wash down# which can $e annoyin" in a Cae# accumulate 3thic leain"s of red wine#4 $ut I and the honey did not crystalliBe' find it unsui suita$le for my uses' Since the The followin" recipe was deeloped to commentary $y Crowley calls for $eeswin" $y correct the flaor and the hue2 name name## he spec specifi ifies es whic which h salt salt from from the the wine wine +/6cup whole wheat fl our' mai main" n" proc proces esss we shou should ld use' use' Th Thee lea leain in"s "s ,/8cup all purpose fl our# un$leached' resultin" from fermentation does not lead to the production of tartaric acid alone# $ut to a $lend +/6tsp cream of tartar of tartaric# malic# and citric acids and their salt +/6tsp "nostic ashes deri deria ati ties es'' Th Thee .u .uan anti tity ty of each each acid acid $ein $ein" " + +/8cup pure honey' determined $y the "rowin" location of the "rapes used in the production of the "rape uice# as the +/6c +/6cup up oli oliee oil oil with with see seera rall drop dropss of relatie acidity is dictated $y climate and soil' A$ramelin oil' *or those who wish to use the more comple% ;reheat the oen to ,=7*' Mi% the dry 3thic leain"s4 rather than the more purified salt The Journal of Thelemic Studies

<+


in"r in"red edie ient ntss in a smal smalll $owl $owl## sift siftin in"" for for $est $est te%tur te%ture' e' Mi% the li.uid in"redie in"redients nts in a lar"e lar"e $owl# whisin" until well mi%ed and somewhat aerated' *old in the flour mi%ture slowly# until thorou"hly moistened' ;our $atter out on elly roll pan or other lar"e rectan"ular pan# ensurin" a thin Cae'

the circle'

Crea Cream m of tar tartar tar turn turneed out to $e an ine%pensie and easy way to mae tasty# so # stru struct ctur ural ally ly soun sound d and and sli" sli"ht htly ly fluff fluffyy Caes Caes'' Those who enoy the red wine flaor can use lees from a winery or leain"s from an old $ottle of port port or prod produc uced ed from from "rap "rapee uic uicee and and still still @ae @ae +7+ +7+== mi minu nute tes# s# un unti till ed"e ed"ess $e"in $e"in $enefit from the tartarate# $ut a wine reduction is $rownin"' !et cool# and cut with small circle cug only flaorin" and is not indicated $y Crowley or er' Maes ,7 to +77 Caes# dependin" on siBe of the E'G'C' Guidelines' !oe is the law# loe under will' wil l'


<6


Angli can Chantand theEGC Collects #y O-i4er A-thoe Do what thou wilt shall $e the whole of the !aw'

A

n"lican chant was deeloped in the early twentieth century for con"re"ational sin"in" of unmetrical poetry# especially the psalms and canticles' The purpose is to presere the free# irre"ular rhythm of the words# while allowin" more ariety than simple monotonin"' Its structure is simple enou"h to allow con"re"ations to sin" to"ether easily# yet fle%i$le enou"h to accommodate erses of aryin" len"ths' The Collects of the EGC are essentially unmetrical poetry# and as such are well suited to the structure of An"lican chant' There is# howeer# one maor difference' The ;salms and Canticles in an An"lican church are meant to $e sun" $y either the con"re"ation as a whole# or $y a trained choir' In either case# they are written in 8part harmony' In the EGC Gnostic Mass# the Deacon alone intones the Collects' This precludes the possi$ility of music in multiple parts' The harmonic aspects of An"lican chant are# howeer# entirely separate from the metrical aspects# and are not structurally essential' ?e may therefore discard the former while usin" the latter for our purposes' The $asic unit of chant is composed of ten tones L a recitin" tone followed $y three inflection tones# and a second recitin" tone followed $y fie more inflection tones' This 3sin"le chant4 sets one erse of te%t' A dou$le chant is twice as lon"# and sets two' ?ith the e%ception of the Death Collect# the chants presented in this olume are all dou$le' The Journal of Thelemic Studies

I hae included two ersions of the Saints Collect' The short ersion includes only the italiciBed namesQ the lon" ersion includes all officially reco"niBed Saints as of June 677<# e'' It is important to note that the conention of usin" half notes for the recitin" tones and .uarter notes for the inflection tones is for conenience of readin" only' No rhythmic or metrical hierarchy is implied $y this' The only rhythmic considerations should $e those of natural speech' Crowley did not diide the Collects into erses# $ut we must do so if we are to use this method of chant' ere I offer one such diisionQ there are certainly other possi$ilities' *urthermore# the tones of the chants may $e chan"ed without affectin" the rhythmic structure' Melodic e%perimentation is encoura"ed' See appendi% for some alternate chants' the te%t must $e mared# or 3pointed#4 to indicate which sylla$les are to $e sun" to each tone' There are si% mars used in this olume' Mars used in the pointin"2  corresponds to a $ar line in the chant' It tells the sin"er when to moe on to the ne%t measure# and indicates that the followin" sylla$le is to $e stressed' connects two or three sylla$les to $e sun" to a sin"le tone'  identifies one sylla$le to $e sun" to two tones' V indicates that the recitin" tone is to $e omitted' <,


b diides the erse in half# and corresponds to the dou$le $ar after the fourth tone of the chant' A $reath is usually taen here' j indicates a erse to $e sun" to the second half of a dou$le chant# when otherwise it would $e sun" to the first half' Olier Althoen June 677< olieralthoenkhotmail'com

Sources2 @rown# &ay *' The O%ford American ;salter' New -or2 O%ford (niersity ;ress#+<8<' ?yton# Alec# ed' The An"lican Chant ;salter' New -or2 The Church ymnal Corporation# +


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The followin" alternate chants may $e used with any Collect


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The Mysteries of the Gnostic Mass

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