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by Frater Pyramidatus
_____________________________
Analysis of Title
Liber ATh vel Via Vitae sub figura CCCCI is the title. 'ATh' is the two lettered Hebrew word that
translates as 'Spirit'; it is composed of the first and last letters of the Hebrew Alephbeth. In more
mundane Hebrew ATh translates as 'the'.
It is pronounced eth. The article 'vel' is Latin for 'of''; 'Via' is Latin for 'way'; 'Vitae' is Latin for
'life'. So loosely translated it could mean 'The Book of the Spirit of the Way of Life'. Aleph has a
value in gematria of one; Tau has a value of 400, hence the catalogue number of 401. On the
Qabalistic Tree of Life Tav connects Spheres 9 and 10, Aleph connects Spheres 1 and 2. 9 + 10 + 1
+ 2 equals 22, the number of Paths on the Tree of Life. So this word ATh represents not only
beginning and ending but the totality of the Paths; the 22 Paths are allocated to the Element of Spirit
whilst the Spheres are assigned to the four Lesser Elements of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. 401 is a
Prime Number; indeed the 79th Prime. 79 is the value of BOZ and IAChIN, which Liber 500 says
are the Pillars of the Temple of Solomon. These two Pillars are found in The High Priestess of the
Rider Waite Tarot Deck.
Liber ATh vel Via Vitae has 18 letters, which is 6 + 6 + 6. Later we will see that the 44 Articles
break down into 216 elements. 216 is 6 * 6 * 6. The Hebrew Vav has the value of six, so the initial
letters of 'vel Via Vitae' could be ciphered as 666. When we add up the Hebrew values of the 18
letters we get a result of 737. Also a similar treatment with the numbers of the Tarot Trumps gives
161.
The Hebrew term for Spirit, and the number 666, are both assigned to Tiphereth the sixth Sphere on
the Qabalistic Tree of Life. 666 is the last Mystic Number of Sol, the product of all the numbers
from one to 36; 36 being the square of six.
One should also remember that 401 'condenses' into five, simply by adding the two digits of four
and one. Five is the number of Spirit in general.
The concept of Spirit presiding over the Four Elements can be portrayed in at least four traditional
ways: the pentagram, the truncated pyramid, the Tree of Life and the Calvary Cross of six squares:
The Pentagram
In geometry Spirit corresponds to the dodecahedron, the last in the progression of the five Platonic
Solids when lines are drawn across the interstices of the economical grouping of spheres. In
palmistry Spirit corresponds to the thumb, the most useful and only opposable digit of the human
hand.
The English title given is 'The Rule of the Abbey of Thelema'. We find ATh concealed in the first
and last letters of the English title; which may or may not be a coincidence. The Oxford online
dictionary gives 'rule' as: 'one of a set of explicit or understood regulations or principles governing
conduct or procedure within a particular area of activity.' The same website gives 'abbey' as: 'the
building or buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns.' Etymologically 'Middle English
from Old French abbeie, from medieval Latin abbatia, 'abbacy', from abbas, abbat'. (We have
further controversy here in that the Abbey of Thelema is composed of monks and nuns
simultaneously.) 'Thelema' comes from the Greek (in lower case: ) which is
translated as 'will' or 'intention'. It is the name of Crowley's entire magical, mystical and Qabalistic
school of thought. A follower of Thelema is a Thelemite. The motto 'Do what thou wilt shall be the
whole of the Law' is the greeting of orthodox Thelemites and holds supreme the individualistic Will.
There is some confusion about how 'Thelema' is pronounced. I prefer 'tel-eh-ma' whilst others
prefer 'the-lee-ma' or sometimes 'the-le-ma' or even 'thee-le-ma'. Over the years I have heard ten or
so different pronunciations.
Ad Salutem Thelema
After the title we find '-Ad Salutem Thelema-'. 'Ad' is Latin, I presume, for 'to', 'towards' and 'at'.
'Salutem', according to an online translator means 'advantageous'. The three words taken together
may mean 'towards helping Thelema'. (I used to think it meant 'salutations in Thelema'.)
If we convert 'Ad Salutem' into Hebrew letters we get the gematria value of 156. This is the
number of BABALON, the word found in the Seal of the Argentum Astrum. I do not believe this is
arbitrary.
Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear
rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour &
pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy.
(CCXX, i, 61)
Thus ye have star & star, system & system; let not one know well the
other (Ibid, i, 50)
These two excerpts are from The Book of the Law and as such I refuse to make comment on them.
(I can safely say that 'Ibid' is short for ibidem, the Latin term for 'as above'.) Unlike some
Thelemites I comply with The Comment about our holiest of books. This forbids any commentary
or intellectual opining about The Book of the Law. It is sometimes called The Tunis Comment, and
sometimes The Short Comment.
However this does not stop me inserting Crowley's comments regarding these verses. In his own
words:
The Old Comment for I, 61
Practical and literal; yet it may be doubted whether "to lose all in that hour" may not refer to the
supreme attainment, and that therefore to give one particle of dust (perhaps the Ego) or the central
atom Hadit, her complement, is the act to achieve. (For 'dust' see Liber 418.)
The New Comment for I, 61
This ritual has been thoroughly worked out as an Official Instruction of A.'.A.'. Liber NV, sub figura
XI, see Equinox I, VII, page 11.
The Old Comment for I, 50
Our system of initiation is to be triune. For the outer, tests of labour, pain, etc. For the inner,
intellectual tests. For the elect of the A.'.A.'., spiritual tests. Further the Order is not to hold Lodges,
but to have a chain-system.{WEH NOTE: This was written when Crowley had not yet joined
O.T.O. and before he chartered O.T.O. lodges}
The New Comment for I, 50
It would be improper to make extended commentary on this verse, since the nature of the ordeals is
not to be written. It is only necessary to say that these ordeals are singularly thorough in all ways,
and cannot be dodged. They are real, not formal, tests of the candidate.
Persons accustomed to the schoolboy jokes of Freemasonry please take notice.
insure that he is duly tried and tested, for there are many who think themselves to be Masters
who have not even begun to tread the Way of Service that leads thereto.
5. Now the Great Work is one, and the Initiation is one, and the Reward is one, however
diverse are the symbols wherein the Unutterable is clothed.
6. Hear then the history of the system which this lection gives you the opportunity of
investigating.
Listen, we pray you, with attention: for once only does the Great Order knock at any one
door.
Whosoever knows any member of that Order as such, can never know another, until he too
has attained to mastery.
Here, therefore, we pause, that you may thoroughly search yourself, and consider if you are
yet fitted to take an irrevocable step.
For the reading of that which follows is Recorded.
The Heart of the Master:
Above this parchment, which was partly furled, was a square tablet of white marble, on which,
inlaid in gold, I read these characters about the Image of an Eye within a radiant Triangle.
SS
and this is, being interpreted, "The Great White Brotherhood."
Below was written: With Us Two Thousand Years is as One Day.
Then my Instructor showed me that the Brotherhood send forth one of their fellows every two
thousand years, bringing one Word to serve Mankind as a new Formula of Magick, that it may take
one further step on the long road that leadeth to Perfection.
Also, twice in that period, that is, at intervals of a little more than three, and a little less than seven,
centuries, they send a lesser prophet to prepare the Way of the next Word, and to maintain or to
restore the virtue of the Word then current.
And on the unfurled portion of the chart I read the names of certain of these Brethren, and the
Words as one was uttered after the other. But some I could not read, because the characters were
strange.
After the above quote The Heart of the Master gives a list of members of the GWB. Instead of
giving this short list here are the Gnostic Saints as given in the Gnostic Mass of Liber XV:
Laotze, Siddartha, Krishna, Tahuti, Mosheh, Dionysus, Mohammed, To Mega Therion, Hermes,
Pan, Priapus, Osiris, Melchizedek, Khem, Amoun, Mentu, Heracles, Orpheus, Odysseus, Vergilius,
Catullus, Martialis, Rabelais, Swinburne, Apollonius Tyanus, Simon Magus, Manes, Pythagoras,
Basilides, Valentinus, Bardesanes, Hippolytus, Merlin, Arthur, Kamuret, Parzival, Carolus Magnus,
William of Schyren, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, Roger Bacon, Jacobus Burgundus Molensis the
Martyr, Christian Rosencreutz, Ulrich von Hutten, Paracelsus, Michael Maier, Roderic Borgia Poe
Alexander the Sixth, Jacob Boehme, Francis Bacon Lord Verulam, Andrea, Robertus de Fluctibus,
Johannes Dee, Sir Edward Kelly, Thomas Vaughan, Elias Ashmole, Molinos, Adam Weishaupt,
Wolfgang von Goethe, Ludovicus Rex Bavari, Richard Wagner, Alphonse Louis Constant,
Friedrich Nietzsche, Hargrave Jennings, Carl Kellner, Forlong dux, Sir Richard Payne Knight, Paul
Gaugin, Sir Richard Francis Burton, Doctor Gaerard Encausse, Doctor Theodor Reuss and Sir
Aleister Crowley.
In most places it seems that 'Great White Brotherhood' is an interchangeable term with 'Secret
Chiefs'. Lo and behold we have a wikipedia page about them that begins with the paragraph below:
(From /en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secret_Chiefs)
The Secret Chiefs are said to be transcendent cosmic authorities, a Spiritual Hierarchy responsible
for the operation and moral calibre of the cosmos, or for overseeing the operations of an esoteric
organization that manifests outwardly in the form of a magical order or lodge system. Their names
and descriptions have varied through time, dependent upon those who reflect their experience of
contact with them. They are variously held to exist on higher planes of being or to be incarnate; if
incarnate, they may be described as being gathered at some special location, such as Shambhala, or
scattered through the world working anonymously.
One early and influential source on these entities is Karl von Eckartshausen, whose The Cloud
Upon The Sanctuary, published in 1795, explained in some detail their character and motivations.
Several 19th and 20th century occultists claimed to belong to or to have contacted these Secret
Chiefs and made these communications known to others, including H. P. Blavatsky (who called
them the "Tibetan Masters" or Mahatmas), C. W. Leadbeater and Alice A. Bailey (who called them
Masters of the Ancient Wisdom), Guy Ballard and Elizabeth Clare Prophet (who called them
Ascended Masters), Aleister Crowley (who used the term to refer to members of the upper three
grades of his order, AA), Dion Fortune (who called them the "esoteric order"), and Max Heindel
(who called them the "Elder Brothers")
The A A
The two 'A's are most commonly taken as meaning 'Argentum Astrum' which is Latin for 'Silver
Star'. In fact they have many different meanings some known only to lofty initiates. The Argentum
Astrum is a mystical Order whose Grades correspond to Spheres on the Qabalistic Tree of Life.
One climbs the Sephirah from Malkuth to Kether.
The basic structure of the Argentum Astrum owes a great deal to the Hermetic Order of the Golden
Dawn. It has three Orders based on the three Triads of the Tree of Life. In this Order one only has
dealing with one's immediate superior and one's immediate disciples. For example if one accepts a
person as a Probationer, the Zelator above you that is taking you through the curriculum of
Neophyte will have no dealings with, or even be aware, of that person. (It is this and other
considerations that make the Argentum Astrum an entirely different enterprise than that of the Ordo
Templi Orientis. Indeed the OTO is not mentioned in Liber ATh.)
This Tree of Life diagram, with its manifold correspondences is crucial to not only Thelemites but
many Mystery Schools. It is explained quite well in A Glossary of Thelema.
The best, and relatively recent, book on the Silver Star is The Magical and Mystical System of the
A A by James A Eshelman.
This seal is found at the beginning of Official Documents. The seven letters within the triangles of
the heptagram spell BABALON. This has the value in Hebrew gematria of 156. The numbers
around the central vesica apply a formula of the number seven used seven times to make 156.
If we exclude the circles, the heptagram, vesica and addition symbols, this Seal has 48 elements, or
one less than seven squared.
'SIGILLVM' is Latin for 'seal' or 'sign'; 'SANCTVM' means 'holy', 'sacred' or 'saint';
'FRATERNITATIS' was not found on my online translator, but we will assume it means
'brotherhood'. One possible translation therefore is 'the Sigil of the Sanctified Brotherhood'.
By the mode of Qabalah known as Aiq Bekar the initials of SIGILLVM SANCTVM
FRATERNITATIS are 666; that is Samekh, Samekh and Vav.
Drawing a perfect heptagram, or seven pointed star, was one of the problems of antiquity in that
there exists no way of drawing it precisely with only a compass and set square.
However, the United Nations are trying to stamp out discrimination against women. Around the
world women are more likely to freedoms impaired than men. The United Nations Entity for
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women is one group of many trying to remedy this
situation. I quote from the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against
Women:
Article I
For the purposes of the present Convention, the term "discrimination against women" shall mean
any distinction, exclusion or restriction made on the basis of sex which has the effect or purpose of
impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment or exercise by women, irrespective of their
marital status, on a basis of equality of men and women, of human rights and fundamental freedoms
in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil or any other field.
Article 2
States Parties condemn discrimination against women in all its forms, agree to pursue
by all appropriate means and without delay a policy of eliminating discrimination
against women and, to this end, undertake:
(a) To embody the principle of the equality of men and women in their
national constitutions or other appropriate legislation if not yet incorporated
therein and to ensure, through law and other appropriate means, the practical
realization of this principle;
(b) To adopt appropriate legislative and other measures, including sanctions
where appropriate, prohibiting all discrimination against women;
(c) To establish legal protection of the rights of women on an equal basis
with men and to ensure through competent national tribunals and other
public institutions the effective protection of women against any act of
discrimination;
(d) To refrain from engaging in any act or practice of discrimination against
women and to ensure that public authorities and institutions shall act in
conformity with this obligation;
(e) To take all appropriate measures to eliminate discrimination against
women by any person, organization or enterprise;
(f) To take all appropriate measures, including legislation, to modify or
abolish existing laws, regulations, customs and practices which constitute
discrimination against women;
(g) To repeal all national penal provisions which constitute discrimination
against women.
However noble this convention is does not represent the social norm of many countries where
women are treated like dirt.
We do not have the space to quote all the Biblical sexist statements, but grab a Bible and look up
these references:
Sexual Freedom
Article One tells us that both sexual preferences are allowed. I don't think we should read this as
ALL sexual preferences. Necrophilia, bestiality, paedophilia and even autosexuality should be
shunned. Indeed later on in Liber ATh we find mention of an unspecified Oath of Chastity.
Needless to say the Thelemic ideal of chastity is very different from the Roman Catholic. As
Thelemites we should strive to avoid any 'unclean' act of sexuality, not sexuality per se.
'Heterosexual' is defined as '(of a person) sexually attracted to the opposite sex' and 'involving or
characterized by sexual attraction between people of the opposite sex' when an adjective, and 'a
heterosexual person' when a noun.
'Homosexual' is defined as 'sexually attracted to people of one's own sex' and 'involving or
characterized by sexual attraction between people of the same sex' when an adjective, and 'a person
who is sexually attracted to people of their own sex' when a noun. Origin 'late 19th century: from
homo- 'same'+ sexual.'
Being bisexual it would seem is also okay; indeed not many people are either entirely heterosexual
or homosexual, even though they may not admit it. Crowley was bisexual and used sex in many
forms in his various magical exploits. Crowley wrote homosexual poetry in his White Statins, and
also in the Bagh O Muattar The Scented Garden of Abdullah the Satirist of Shiraz.
He also used homosexuality as a form of sacred magick in his Liber CDXV Opus Lutetianum or
The Paris Working. This Liber is in Class AB, meaning some aspects of it are considered holy in
the Thelemic Canon of writings. At the end of this Liber we find The Holy Hymns to the Great
Gods of Heaven:
I. Juppiter.
Haud secus ac puerum spumanti semini vates
Lustrat, dum gaudens accipit alter aquas;
Sparge, precor, servis, hominum rex atque deorum
Juppiter omnipotens, aurea dona, tuis.
2003, but they are still on the books in 13 states: Alabama, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana,
Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Virginia.
Conservative state legislators refuse to repeal the laws and, in some cases, police still enforce them.
Reportedly, in the past few years more than a dozen LGBT people were arrested for violating those
laws, but the arrestees were freed because prosecutors wont seek convictions based on defunct
laws.
In Oceania we have the Cook Islands, Indonesia (Aceh Province and South Sumatra), Kirbati,
Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu.
According to www.bbc.co.uk homosexuality carries the death penalty in Mauritania, Nigeria,
Sudan, Somalia, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The condemnation of homosexuality has its roots in antiquity. Chapters 18 and 20 of Leviticus
contain the following verses:
You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.
If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they
shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.
Similarly, from The Quran:
Sura 7:80-84 ...For ye practice your lusts on men in preference to women: ye are indeed a people
transgressing beyond bounds... And we rained down on them a shower (of brimstone)
Sura 7:81 Will ye commit abomination such as no creature ever did before you?
Sura 26:165-166 Of all the creatures in the world, will ye approach males and leave those whom
Allah has created for you to be your mates? Nay, ye are a people transgressing.
Sura 4:16 If two men among you are guilty of lewdness, punish them both. If they repent and
amend, leave them alone.
But what of the other side of the coin? What are world's most liberated nations so far as sex is
concerned? According to www.bbc.co.uk gay marriage is allowed in Canada, Uruguay, Argentina,
South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, Iceland, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Denmark,
Netherlands, France and the United Kingdom. Some states in the US and Brazil also permit gay
marriage.
The following is a list of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual) organisations based in the UK:
Unity Bangor LGBT Black Gay Men's Advisory Group Campaign for Homosexual Equality
Campaign for Homosexual Law Reform (Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland) Gay and
Lesbian Humanist Association (GALHA) Gay and Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland (GLYNI)
Homosexual Law Reform Society Intersex UK The Lesbian & Gay Foundation LGBT
Network LGBT+ Liberal Democrats Peter Tatchell Foundation Outrage! Queer Youth
Network (QYN) Stonewall
Thou shalt drain out thy blood that is thy life into the golden cup of her fornication.
3.
Thou shalt mingle thy life with the universal life. Thou shalt keep not back one drop.
We see this symbolism echoed in the eleventh Trump, Lust, of the Thoth Tarot. The description of
this Atu is from A Glossary of Thelema:
LUST KEY XI The twelfth card in the Major Arcana of the Thoth Tarot. It corresponds to the
Zodiac sign Leo and the Hebrew Teth (). The image is dominated by a many headed lion, with a
tigerish headed, snake like tail, and that is mounted by a naked lady. In her left hand she tightly
draws on a red rein, whilst her right hand holds up a homogeneous globule of red-orange liquid, this
being the Holy Graal, or a symbol of the same. The top of the card has ten horns which radiate
into a bluish-yellow spectrum, or star shape, which has ten flowery circles at its perimeter. The feet
of the lion-beast are massively strong, and beneath them are seen nebulous phantoms of hands and
faces, in a soft lurid violet. The woman is a form of Babalon the Victorious Queen, and she is
wanton, lusting and fierce. She is pivotal in Thelema, much as the sun (which rules Leo) is to the
solar system. The beast upon which she rides is the lion-serpent, Leo and Teth combined (Teth
means serpent). We recall the Chakkra of Kundalini, the root of the sexual power, that is likened
to a sleeping serpent that shoots up the spine when awakened through Tantra. Leo, through its
reflex, and opposite, sign of Aquarius signifies the present life wave, the Age of Aquarius. The
ghosts beneath represent the death of the Aeon of Osiris, the repentant, whining and crushed souls
of the previously obsequious spiritual schools; these forms of shame and guilt are brutally ignored,
the Beast and Babalon not even noticing them. This card is a supreme glyph of the pride, energy
and abandon of the Aeon of Horus. Qabalistically, Lust joins the fourth and fifth Spheres, Chesed
( ) and Geburah ( ) , and is referred to as a Reciprocal Path. One of the most important
tasks in traditional Qabalah is to harmonise the moral extremes embodied in these Spheres,
unconditional forgiveness, with furious anger; a whole school know as the Binary Qabalah
springing from this psychology. Ironically, the idea of Lust as violent energy and uncurbed animal
appetites is, Sephirotically, also one of delicate balance, which is probably the stance of Babalon,
who must remain ever vigilant and alert, or be thrown from the back of the Beast.
Although I intend eventually to compose an original matrimonial ritual for the Abbey of Thelema I
found the following from http://hermetic.com/sabazius/wedding.htm:
A Wedding Ceremony
Prepared for the use of E.G.C. clergy
by Helena and T. Apiryon
Version 10/23/95 e.v.
Copyright 1997 Ordo Templi Orientis U.S.A. All rights reserved.
The ceremony of marriage is mentioned in the final paragraphs of Liber XV. In the case of Apostolic
Christianity, holy matrimony expressed the redemption of an otherwise sinful and unclean act
through the blessing of the priest, and the dedication of the act to the service of God by bringing
new children into the Church in accordance with scripturally acceptable procedures. In Thelema,
the Mystery of Marriage is a magical expression of the divine process which continually creates the
Universe, the formula of which is "love under will." The marriage ceremony thus affirms the
inherent sacramental nature of sex. It represents the devotion of the most powerful energies of
human organic life to the service of the Beloved: the revealer of the True Will.
(The Congregation is admitted and seated for the Gnostic Mass. The GROOM, who carries a
wooden wand, and his Best Man, who is armed with a ceremonial sword and carries the BRIDE'S
ring, are seated to the North of the Tomb in the West.
(Music. All rise as the BRIDE, carrying a bouquet of yellow roses, enters with her Bridesmaid, who
is armed with a ceremonial sword and carries the GROOM'S ring. The BRIDE and Bridesmaid take
their seats to the South of the Tomb in the West. All resume their seats.
(The Gnostic Mass begins, and proceeds according to Liber XV until the two to be married have
partaken of communion and have returned. None but the two to be married communicate, the
Children attending them to hold the wand and roses as necessary. For the Collects, The DEACON
strikes a bell at the beginning of Number IX, "Marriage."
(The Negative Child descends to stand with the GROOM, the Positive Child descends to stand with
the BRIDE. The DEACON stands near the High Altar. The PRIEST advances and stands before the
Shrine in the East, facing the Congregation.)
The PRIEST: Brothers and Sisters, family and friends, Brother N. and Sister N. have declared to
me their intention to unite, with love under will, in the Mystery of Marriage. Is it your will to
witness their vows?
The PEOPLE (rising): It is.
The PRIEST (to the BRIDE and GROOM): Please come forward.
The PRIESTESS elevates the Cup.
The BRIDE, followed by the Positive Child and the Bridesmaid; and the GROOM, followed by the
Negative Child and the Best Man, slowly advance up the sides of the Temple, stopping with the
Altar of Incense between them.
The PEOPLE sit.
The PRIEST: The Queen of Heaven hath said, "For I am divided for love's sake, for the chance of
union."
The PRIESTESS lowers the Cup.
The PRIEST (turning to face the GROOM): Brother N., do you affirm that it is your will to unite
with Sister N., with love under will, in the Mystery of Marriage?
The GROOM: I do.
The PRIEST (turning to face the BRIDE): Sister N., do you affirm that it is your will to unite with
Brother N., with love under will, in the Mystery of Marriage?
The BRIDE: I do.
The PRIEST: "So with thy all; thou hast no right but to do thy will. Do that, and no other shall say
nay."
The PRIEST makes the five crosses:
1
3
on the BRIDE
The LORD enlighten your minds and comfort your hearts and sustain your bodies.
The LORD bring you to the accomplishment of your true Wills, the Great Work, the Summum
Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.
Music.
He goes out, the DEACON and the Children following, into the tomb of the West.
The BRIDE and GROOM remain briefly with the PEOPLE to accept their felicitations, then depart
If the above ritual is too long winded there is a shorter on that I found at handfasting.org:
Preparation
Long ribbon or soft rope (~ 3 feet)
Vows to exchange (written by the couple)
Small gifts (or rings) to be exchanged by the couple.
5 rose candles (Quarter and god candle (god candle can be
red))
1 white candle (Goddess candle)
Gifts from the coveners/guests for the couple.
Ritual
Cast the circle normally.
Invoke the Goddess and God normally, or as below.
H. Priest:
Person 1:
H. Priestess asks the other the same thing and gets response.
Couple turn to face each other and join their left hands.
Each now recites the vows they have prepared.
H. Priest:
Dismiss the Quarters, and open the circle. Relax, talk, and party!
A New Name
Although one could chose any terms from the Holy Books, below you will find those that begin
with a capital letter. These are 260 names found in the A.. A.. Publications in Class A:
(A) AAnonin, Abaddon, Abel, Abomination of Desolation, Abrahadabra, Adami , Adonai, Adonis,
gean, Agnus Dei, Ahathoor, Ahrimanes, Aia, Aiwass, Al Ain, Aldebaran, Alpha Centauri,
Ammenti, Ammon-Ra, Amoun, Amprodias, Amrit, Angel of Death, Ankh-af-na-khonsu, Aormuzdi,
Apep, Apis, Apollo, Apophis, Aquila, Ararita, Asar, Astor, Attis, Av, (B) Babalon, Bacchus,
Bahlasti, Baphomet, Baratchial, Belial, Bennu Bird, Bes-na-Maut, Bou-Saada, Buddha, (C) Csar,
Cain, Caligula, Characith, Chian, Choronzon, Circe, Citlalteptl, Coph Nia, Cor Leonis, Cor
Scorpionos, Corinth, Corpus Christi, Cynocephalus, (D) Dagdagiel, Damascus, Damocles, Dan,
Death-Star, Delightful Ocean, Delos, Deva, Diana, Din, Dionysius Zagreus, Duant, (E) Eden,
Eleusis, Enoch, Ephesus, Erinyes, Eros, Eurydice, Eve, Evoe, Exalted One, Eye-in-the-Midst,
Eyeless Hawk, (F) Faltli, Fire Qadosh, (G) Gargophias, Ghebers, Gizeh, Great Deep, Great
Dragon, Great One of the Night of Time, (H) Hades, Hadit, Hathoor, Hementhterith, Hercules,
Hermanubis, Hermes, Heru-pa-Kraath, Heru-Ra-Ha, Heva, Hoor, Hoor-Ra, Horus, Hrumachis, Hua,
(I) Iacchus, Ibis, Ibis-Headed One, Indus, Isis, Ithuriel, Ixion, (J) Jairus, Janus, Jesus, John, Juno,
(K) Kamailos, Khabs, Khem, Kheph-Ra, Kithairon, Kohl, Krsna, Kurgasiax, (L) Lady Nuit,
Lafcursiax, Lao Tan, Leviathan, Lilith, Locusta, Lord Adonai, Lord of the Tempest, Lotus of Isis,
Lucifer, (M) M, Maat, Macedonia, Madimi, Mnad, Maia, Malkunofat, Maria, Marsyas, Mary,
Mati, Maut, Mentu, Messalini, Mi-ca-el, Millions-of-Years, Minerva, Minotaur, Mohammed,
Mongol, Moses, Mother Babylon, Mother Darkness, Mount Meru, (N) Narcissus, Nebul, Nemo,
Neopolitan, Nepthi, Niantiel, Nile, Nu, Nuit, (O) Odyssey, OEdipus, Olympas, Ompehda, On,
Ophir, Ordeal X, Osiris, (P) Pan, Parfaxitas, Penelope, Peradventure, Pertinax, Pharoah, Phil,
Phoenix, Pisacha, Pleiades, Pop, Priapus, Prometheus, Ptah, Pylon, Python, (Q) Queen of Space,
Quelielfi, (R) Ra-Hoor-Khu, Ra-Hoor-Khuit, Ralicu, Rams Eye, Regulus, Rosy Cross, (S)
Saksaksalim, Samajh, Saraswati, Satan, Scarab, Scarlet Woman, Seb, Sebek, Sekhet, Serpent
Queen, Set, Shalicu, Shi-loh-am, Silenius, Siva, Smooth Point, Solomon, Sparrow-God, Sphinx,
Spica, Swan, Sweet Heart, (T) Tahuti, Ta-Nech, Taotzem, Temphioth, Terminus, Than,
Thantifaxath, Thebai, Thebes, Theli, Themis, Thor, Thoth, Thunderbolt, Tiresias, Titan, Tuat, Tum,
Typhon, Tyrian, Tzuflifu, (U) Universal Peacock, Urus, Uranus, Uriens, (V) Venice, Venus, (W)
White Horse, Woman of Abominations, World Elephant, (Y) Yama, Yamatu, Yantra, (Z)
Zamradiel, Zeus, Zion.
I think we can safely assume we are not expected to change our names by Deed Poll.
'Ecology' is defined as 'the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one
another and to their physical surroundings' with the origin 'late 19th century (originally as oecology):
from Greek oikos 'house' + -logy'.
The Holy Books of Thelema are replete with earthly and natural symbolism, and are veritably jam
packed with pagan themes of flora and fauna. Crowley attempts to reconcile Qabalistic monism
with pagan pantheism and succeeds admirably and with profound sublimity. In this regard see
Liber 7 and Liber 65.
Consider the modern geopolitical divide of the so called 'New World Order' and it's opposite the
'Global Village'. In their attempts at creating a one world government the Illuminati (for want of a
better term) are making every nation on Earth dependent upon other nations. We ship coffee from
Columbia to Canada, and beer from Belgium to Brazil and so on. A relatively modern term for our
Abbey of Thelema is 'intentional community' or 'intelligent design community'. As Thelemites we
are self sufficient and autonomous, we eschew the damage done to the environment caused by
shipping goods hundreds of miles for no good reason. Our mantra is thus: Think Globally and Act
Locally. In this connection consider also the 'industrial obsolescence' of multinationals that
deliberately sell products designed to break down prematurely in order to generate 'shelf turnover'.
Also consider the 'single serving' culture of hotels and restaurants the globe over perpetrated for
some vague idea of food hygiene.
So clearly the Abbey of Thelema is part of the Global Village rather than the New World Order
although paradoxically enough a single world religion would be consolidated via Scientific
Illuminism one of whose branches is the philosophy of Thelema.
In the terminology of Hakim Bey the Abbey of Thelema is a 'Temporary Autonomous Zone' to
begin with. If pockets of economic resistance peppered Earth's geography then a complete take
over of the planet would be impossible. Consider The Book of the Law III:4-6 Choose ye an
island! Fortify it! Dung it about with enginery of war! (Make what you will of these words.)
This Article states that the Abbey 'opposes' the ongoing destruction of the Earth, implying political
action on a scale that extends beyond the Abbey itself.
inevitably follow. The Comment warns against the dissemination of personal interpretations of the
book, thus establishing a scriptural tradition resistant to the revisionism that plagued previous
religions and mystery schools. Yet it places supreme emphasis upon individual freedom of
interpretation: << All questions of the Law are to be decided only by appeal to my writings, each for
himself. >> As applied, this creates a climate of freedom without parallel in religious history.
The Comment is found above.
This Comment is sometimes called 'The Tunis Comment' as it was penned in Tunis in 1925. (See
Article 12 below for the concept of the Tunis Configuration.)
'Zen' is the Japanese interpretation of Buddhism.
'Note Bene' means 'mark well', and is often shortened to 'N.B.'. 'Cave' means 'beware', indeed The
Comment is a caveat.
The Abbot stands throughout the ritual on the white square of Kether, facing the centre. The
Candidate begins by standing on the multicoloured square of Malkuth, throughout he faces the
Abbot. The secondary Officer faces the centre of the circle from the opposing side of the Abbot,
and bears the Sword. Both Officers remain motionless throughout, except for the Abbot at the
finale.
The Candidate advances from Malkuth to Chockmah, each Sephiroth in turn. He makes the
following pledges on each respective square:
Malkuth:
I pledge my pain,
And give my worth,
All things the same,
In the Kingdom of Earth.
Yesod:
To you the dreams,
To you the air,
The astral schemes,
And the nightmare.
Hod:
I have no words,
I cannot say,
Yet I will serve,
And still obey.
Netzach:
In Music's womb,
And Passion's fire,
You are my tomb,
My one desire.
Tiphereth:
I slay my soul,
And secret centre,
It is your aureole,
I wish to enter.
Geburah:
The force of fire,
And sword of war,
My one desire,
You are my lord.
Chesed:
The sweetest love,
And meekest lamb,
My star above,
I have no plans.
Binah:
The Great Cruel Sea,
Its vast expanse,
Has swallowed me,
In its cold dance.
Chockmah:
Before your face,
I cannot hide,
There is no space,
There is no I.
Kether:
The Candidate passes his wand to the Abbot, and genuflects.
The Abbot lifts the wand in the Sign of Set and recites The Book of the Law II:53
Fear not, o prophet, when these words are said, thou shalt not be sorry. Thou art emphatically my
chosen; and blessed are the eyes that thou shalt look upon with gladness. But I will hide thee in a
mask of sorrow: they that see thee shall fear thou art fallen: but I lift thee up.
As no 'comment' can be made about The Book of the Law this verse concludes the ceremony.
The candidate for the office of monk or nun is robed in simple tau robe. His or her hood is not
donned and he or she carries no weapons. The candidate stands on the Malkuth square on the Tau
of the Ten Sephiroth. He or she remains on the square of Malkuth and reads the following verses:
Malkuth:
The worldly way of complication,
Shall not become my indignation,
The cup and sword, the disk and wand,
Shall be my only earthly bonds,
I renounce all money and the all the gain,
Except the flowers beneath the rain,
Moth and dust they do destroy,
All earthly plans and greedy joys.
Yesod:
I must not stir the astral schemes,
And will remain in dreamless dreams,
We shall reduce the thousand thoughts,
Into the central point of naught,
We shall constrain the silly sylphs,
Deep beneath the iron will,
I vow to banish all phantasms,
Far into the fiery chasms.
Hod:
Do not indulge in sly wordplay,
One word a time thou wilt say,
Reduce a million words of madness,
Into one verse of joyful gladness,
Mean what you say, say what you mean,
With direct thought, and intent clean,
And if you wish a phrase to play on,
Hear and revolve the word of aeon.
Netzach:
All projections of my heart,
Will surely be of magick art,
The song I sing is pure and true,
My passion belongs alone with you,
I will recite the purest verse,
And learn by heart the ancient words,
All my yearning and desire,
Is renounced for formless fire.
Tiphereth:
The axis of my central soul,
My adamant and golden pole,
Will turn the realm of senses pure,
Avoiding ghosts of senseless lure,
Revolving in a cloudless sky,
The rivers deep and mountains high,
Rejoice beneath the midday sun,
He is in truth the holy one.
Geburah:
The chariot of unicorn,
Dressed in the scarlet uniform,
Swords at sunset, blades at dawn,
You are my foe, you have been warned,
My enemy is plain as day,
You have been told to go away,
Legions massing on mountain high,
Towards our death we quickly fly.
Chesed:
There is one God, one God alone,
We will not cry, nor shall we moan,
That we alone do have the Name,
But that your Highest is the same,
In true faith there is no sect,
Nor clarity of intellect,
The eleventh Sphere is located between Binah and Chesed, the third and fourth Sephiroth.
Remember The Book of the Law I:60 My number is 11, as all their numbers who are of us. [first
sentence]. (Interpret this, as always, as thou wilt.)
In the Qabalah the number eleven represents the magical current of the pentagram and hexagram
combined, sometimes called 'energy tending to change'. The eleventh Hebrew letter is Kaph, which
means 'palm'. By Yetzirah Kaph corresponds to the Tarot card of Fortune; sometimes called The
Wheel of Fortune, which reminds us of the circle of initiation of the eleven monks and/or nuns. The
number 121 is APM 'an end, extremity', and also NMLA 'it is filled', according to Liber 500.
You may think that the 'larger communities' clause is excessive at 121 potential initiates in one
locality. However, the Ordeal of the Pyramid in Article 12 is so difficult to do that it ensures a
population of monks and nuns will only increase slowly. When a cult or religion accumulates it's
maximum number of votaries this is called the 'saturation point'. Article Eight ensures that the
Abbey of Thelema will take decades if not centuries to reach such a point.
If the 'governing council' can not exceed eleven members we have to ask the question: How far
apart does each governing council have to be from another? A country? A county? A town? In
this connexion we see that the non-saturation principle ensures an eventual global dominance of
Thelemic Abbeys. We see each Abbey as a node in a crystalline web that covers the four corners of
the globe.
I propose a method of triangulation that may work. However, this only applies to the present day
as there are so few Thelemic establishments around. Rather than taking national borders into
account we should think instead in terms of pure distance. We should attempt to make each Abbey
exponentially further from the last in order to rapidly increase the worldly dominion of Thelema.
Small gatherings of Thelemites in remote corners should appear less aggressive than a multitude of
us in one nation state. Indeed as Thelemites we influence world events through art and culture
rather than by the sword.
We also have to ask the question: Should different Abbeys be established simultaneously, or one at
a time? It would seem this question depends on so many economic, financial, political and
sociological factors as to be impossible to resolve at present.
The Abbey is a modern day Temple of Apollo. Just as the Spheres of Sun and Earth are separated
on the Tree of Life by Yesod, we should find that our spiritual and mystical inclinations lend a
certain impunity to us so far as geopolitics is concerned. The fact that the Abbey is pledged to have
'a sound financial basis' (see below), rather than profiting from war like many nations, should help
remove suspicions from any governmental jurisdictions in which we sow our seeds of edifice.
Verily, not the rope-makers will I resemble: they lengthen out their cord, and thereby go ever
backward.
Many a one, also, waxeth too old for his truths and triumphs; a toothless mouth hath no longer the
right to every truth.
And whoever wanteth to have fame, must take leave of honour betimes, and practise the difficult art
of--going at the right time.
One must discontinue being feasted upon when one tasteth best: that is known by those who want
to be long loved.
Sour apples are there, no doubt, whose lot is to wait until the last day of autumn: and at the same
time they become ripe, yellow, and shrivelled.
In some ageth the heart first, and in others the spirit. And some are hoary in youth, but the late
young keep long young.
To many men life is a failure; a poison-worm gnaweth at their heart. Then let them see to it that
their dying is all the more a success.
Many never become sweet; they rot even in the summer. It is cowardice that holdeth them fast to
their branches.
Far too many live, and far too long hang they on their branches. Would that a storm came and
shook all this rottenness and worm-eatenness from the tree!
Would that there came preachers of SPEEDY death! Those would be the appropriate storms and
agitators of the trees of life! But I hear only slow death preached, and patience with all that is
"earthly."
Ah! ye preach patience with what is earthly? This earthly is it that hath too much patience with
you, ye blasphemers!
Verily, too early died that Hebrew whom the preachers of slow death honour: and to many hath it
proved a calamity that he died too early.
As yet had he known only tears, and the melancholy of the Hebrews, together with the hatred of the
good and just--the Hebrew Jesus: then was he seized with the longing for death.
Had he but remained in the wilderness, and far from the good and just! Then, perhaps, would he
have learned to live, and love the earthand laughter also!
Believe it, my brethren! He died too early; he himself would have disavowed his doctrine had he
attained to my age! Noble enough was he to disavow!
But he was still immature. Immaturely loveth the youth, and immaturely also hateth he man and
earth. Confined and awkward are still his soul and the wings of his spirit.
But in man there is more of the child than in the youth, and less of melancholy: better
understandeth he about life and death.
Free for death, and free in death; a holy Naysayer, when there is no longer time for Yea: thus
understandeth he about death and life.
That your dying may not be a reproach to man and the earth, my friends: that do I solicit from the
honey of your soul.
In your dying shall your spirit and your virtue still shine like an evening after-glow around the
earth: otherwise your dying hath been unsatisfactory.
Thus will I die myself, that ye friends may love the earth more for my sake; and earth will I again
become, to have rest in her that bore me.
Verily, a goal had Zarathustra; he threw his ball. Now be ye friends the heirs of my goal; to you
throw I the golden ball.
Best of all, do I see you, my friends, throw the golden ball! And so tarry I still a little while on the
earth--pardon me for it!
Thus spake Zarathustra.
Bringing things back to an overtly Thelemic current we reproduce Liber 106:
BAPHOMET XI
Liber CVI
{Book 106}
Concerning Death
This Epistle first appeared in The International, and its appearance here is dedicated to the late Frater
Superior Hymenaeus Alpha 777 X O.T.O.--H.B.
AN EPISTLE OF BAPHOMET to the Illustrious Dame Anna Wright, Companion of the Holy
Graal, shining like the moon, concerning Death, that she and her sisters may bring comfort to all
them that are nigh death, and unto such as love them.
Beloved Daughter and Sister,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Let it be thy will and the will of all them that tend upon the sick, to comfort and to fortify them with
these words following.
I
IT IS WRITTEN in The Book of the Law: Every man and every woman is a Star. It is Our Lady of
the Stars that speaketh to thee, O thou that art a star, a member of the Body of Nuith! Listen, for
thine ears become dulled to the mean noises of the earth; the infinite silence of the Stars woos thee
with subtile musick. Behold her bending down above thee, a flame of blue, all-touching, allpenetrant, her lovely hands upon the black earth, and her lithe body arched for love, and her soft
feet not hurting the little flowers, and think that all thy grossness shall presently fall from thee as
thou leapest to her embrace, caught up into her love as a dewdrop into the kisses of the sunrise. Is
not the ecstasy of Nuit the consciousness of the continuity of existence, the omnipresence of her
body? All that hath hurt thee was that thou knewest it not, and as that fadeth from thee thou shalt
know as never yet how all is one. Again She saith: I give unimaginable joys upon earth, certainty,
not faith, while in life, upon death. This thou hast known. Time that eateth his children hath not
power on them that would not be children of Time. To them that think themselves immortal, that
dwell alway in eternity, conscious of Nuit, throned upon the chariot of the sun, there is no death that
men call death. In all the universe darkness is only to be found in the shadow of a gross and opaque
planet, as it were for a moment; the universe itself is a flood of light eternal. So also death is but
through accident; thou hast hidden thyself in the shadow of thy gross body, and taking it for reality,
thou hast trembled. But the orb revolveth anon; the shadow passeth away from thee. There is the
dissolution, and the eternal ecstasy in the kisses of Nu! For inasmuch as thou hast made the Law of
Freedom thine, as thou hast lived in Light and Liberty and Love, thou hast become a Free-man of
the City of the Stars.
II
LISTEN AGAIN to thine own voice within thee. Is not Hadit the flame that burns in every heart of
man, and in the core of every star? Is not He Life, and the giver of Life? And is not therefore the
knowledge of Him the knowledge of Death? For it hath been shown unto thee in many other places
how Death and Love be twins. Now art thou the hunter, and Death rideth beside thee with his horse
and spear as thou chasest thy Will through the forests of Eternity, whose trees are the hair of Nuit
thy mistress! Thrill with the joy of life and death! Know, hunter mighty and swift, the quarry turns
to bay! Thou hast but to make one sharp thrust, and thou hast won. The Virgin of Eternity lies
supine at thy mercy, and thou art Pan! Thy death shall be the seal of the promise of our agelong
love. Hast thou not striven to the inmost in thee? Death is the crown of all. Harden! Hold up thyself!
Lift thine head! breathe not so deep--die!
III
OR ART THOU STILL ENTANGLED with the thorny plaits of wild briar rose that thou hast
woven in thy magick dance on earth? Art not thine eyes strong enough to bear the starlight? Must
thou linger yet awhile in the valley? Must thou dally with the shadows in the dusk? Then if it be
Thy Will, thou hast no right but to do Thy Will! Love still these phantoms of the earth; thou hast
made thyself a King; if it please thee to play with toys of matter, were they not made to serve thy
pleasure? Then follow in thy mind the wondrous word of the Steele of Revealing itself. Return if
thou wilt from the abode of the Stars; dwell with mortality, and feast thereon. For thou art this day
Lord of Heaven and of Earth.
``The dead man Ankh-f-na-Khonsu
Saith with his voice of truth and calm:
O thou that hast a single arm!
O thou that glitterest in the moon!
I weave thee in the spinning charm
I lure thee with the billowy tune.
The dead man Ankh-f-na-Khonsu
Hath parted from the darkling crowds
Hath joined the dwellers of the light
Opening Duant, the star-abodes,
Their keys receiving.
The dead man Ankh-f-na-Khonsu
Hath made his passage into night
His pleasure on the earth to do
A Glossary of Thelema by the author, has the following to say about the Tarot Trump of Death:
DEATH KEY XIII The 14th card in the Major Arcana of the Thoth Tarot. It corresponds to the
Zodiac sign Scorpio and the Hebrew Nun (). The central figure of this card is a skeleton bearing a
scythe, and wearing a heavy helmet, this being one form of the Grim Reaper. His bones are black
signifying the entropic and sinister aspect of incarnation, and the World of the Shells, or Qliphoth.
This skeleton is writhing violently, which shows the energy of death, or the endless cosmic dance,
the fact that death is just one phase of life, and that putrefaction is simply another organic process.
There is no clear line between the two states in truth. However, his scythe is long and obviously
sharp, representative of the certain end, inevitable mortality and the swift division from conscious
incarnation. His weapon cuts fast and ruthlessly, having no care for the bereft. Above his helmet is
the Eagle, an old symbol of the life energy that must be returned eventually to restore the balance
between the two worlds. It represents the impossibility of perpetual motion, even on the plane of
spirit and existence, and that all life returns to the Eagle in time. At the base of the design is a
Scorpion, which is the corresponding Zodiac sign; its sudden lethal sting is an apt metaphor for the
cold cruelty of death, where there is neither rhyme nor reason. Nun means fish, which we find
also, representing the unconscious mind, the subterranean depths of the psyche, and the waters of
life. The serpent is a similar idea of putrefaction and death, the death of the vital energy in life, if
not the corruption of its surrounding shell. Extending from the skeleton we find spiralling lines of
force reaching into the distance, within which are imprisoned ghost like nebula of discarnate souls;
this is the procession of the dead, the process of metempsychosis, the journey of the deceased into
new and varying forms. It should be noted, despite the above considerations, that Death when
signified in a divination does not invariably connote the demise of the physical shell, but any
drastic, sudden or irreversible change. It is an archetype of vividly altered consciousness, and its
myriad manifestations, physical death being but one of many. On the Tree of Life, the letter Nun
joins the sixth and seventh Spheres, Tiphereth ( ) and Netzach ( ) . When counted as a
final its value at 700, this being the value of Paroketh ( ( )see Veil of Paroketh), otherwise
known as the Veil of the Temple. This separates the Mundane Triad from the Ethical Triad and
effectively prevents the uninitiated from perceiving the discarnate realm (that which is after life). It
also sequentially renders this Veil, from Sphere six to Sphere seven, and hence it is quite unique.
This is the Qabalistic dogma of why Adepts have no fear of death, as they have rendered the Veil of
Paroketh, perceived the essential continuity of existence and accepted what they cannot change.
We should be very cautious about promoting suicide in any form, but this unpleasantness has at
least been adumbrated. Personally I find suicide abhorrent.
We will end these considerations by quoting The Book of the Law II:21
We have nothing with the outcast and the unfit: let them die in their misery. For they feel not.
Compassion is the vice of kings: stamp down the wretched & the weak: this is the law of the strong:
this is our law and the joy of the world. Think not, o king, upon that lie: That Thou Must Die:
verily thou shalt not die, but live. Now let it be understood: If the body of the King dissolve, he
shall remain in pure ecstasy for ever. Nuit! Hadit! Ra-Hoor-Khuit! The Sun, Strength & Sight,
Light; these are for the servants of the Star & the Snake.
Interpret the above as thou wilt.
This Article confirms the possibility that the Abbot or Abbess may not get round to choosing a
successor. Initiates in the Abbey may change a great deal in a short space of time, such is the
spiritual intensity within. An Abbot may wish to see how a new recruit develops over the weeks
and months. All the monks and nuns hopefully blossom in their own season, under the watchful eye
of the Abbot, and if a seemingly inept Postulant (the first Grade) burns up his or her negative karma
quickly they may become potential leaders. With such rapidly developing initiates choosing a
successor may be no easy task, with much prevarication and ambivalence.
After the death of the Abbot or Abbess the governing council has 30 days to unanimously elect a
new leader. It seems to me this may be difficult in practice. The process of reaching a consensus
may not be immediate but rather based on slow accordance to some form of criteria.
If there is no governing council then the successor is decided by the three highest ranking members.
Rank is determined by the length of time each initiate has spent in the Abbey. However it may be
that the monks and nuns are members of the Silver Star in which case the Grade on the Tree of Life
would determine superiority. This latter system is fairer and cleaner in some respects. How to
reconcile both the Time System and Grade System escapes me.
Because the Ordeal of the Pyramid requires some preparation the new Head is given a year to get
ready. This makes perfect sense. One may think that a triumvirate leading the Abbey could lead to
arguments. However, because most of the Rule of the Abbey is predetermined by Liber ATh most
problems are circumvented by the Bonds of the Order.
it shall be possible to collect and pass out faeces, urine, and utensils,
while food, water, and utensils may be passed in. Let the candidate for
the office of Abbot or Abbess be ceremonially entombed in this
pyramid for exactly ten lunar months, with purifications and
consecrations, during which time he or she shall aspire continually to
Nuit in perfect solitude and silence. He or she shall have nothing
therein save the Holy Books of Thelema, his or her Magical Record, a
pen, a single candle, and matches. The candidate shall be permitted a
single robe, which shall be changed at intervals of one week; sufficient
bedding for the weather; a sufficiency of water, bread, and vegetables
for daily consumption, but absolutely no animal products or drugs;
water, soap, nail scissors, and a cloth once per week; and a container
for urine and the collection of rainwater. The removal of faeces and
urine, and the passing in of food, shall occur once per day, in the midst
of the night, and shall be attended to by the members of the Abbey in
turn, by twos, chosen at random, in perfect silence. At any time the
candidate may terminate the ordeal by breaking his or her Vow of
Silence, at which time he or she shall be removed. Such a candidate
ceases to be a member of the Abbey of Thelema for life. He or she
shall be removed after sunset on the last day. Upon completing the
Ordeal, the Abbot or Abbess shall be installed with all feasting and
rejoicing, and the day of his or her installation shall be kept as a feast
day by the Abbey for the duration of his or her life.
'In a suitable place prepared' could mean a great deal of things. First and foremost it would have to
be silent, with only perhaps the sounds of nature as accompaniment. It would have to be private
land, without possibility of strangers interfering. Preferably it would be away from electrical
appliances or electrical amenities and running water. Ideally it would be sunk into a declivity of the
ground to help prevent detection. One would also consider the more abstract concept of ley lines.
A 'suitable place prepared' might include creating a magical circle around the pyramid, or any
number of magical devices, for instance the sigils of the Goetia, or names of the
Schemhamphoresch, might adorn the land around the construct. It also needs to be protected from
high winds, flooding, lightning and earthquake.
A truncated tetrahedral pyramid is a four sided pyramid with a square on the top. The four sides are
trapezoidal therefore.
The medium and method of construction is left to the imagination. One would have weigh up the
merits and downsides of using wood, metal, plastic, stone, rubber etc. or combinations of material.
Analysing the Article closely, we see that the pyramid must be made in the same place as the Ordeal
is undertaken and not transported from elsewhere.
In the modern world electronic warfare is a reality. One may wish to make the pyramid a Faraday
Cage as well by using metal, typically copper, mesh as part and parcel of the pyramid.
The point at which the pyramid truncated is not specified in the Article. One could make the upper
square length the same as the diagonal, both of these being half the length of the base. Alternatively
one might make the lower edge ten parts long, the diagonals five parts long, and the upper square
edge six parts long. This would give 10 + 5 + 5 + 6 parts in total and yield the number 26, the
number of IHVH the Tetragrammaton. There are 44 Articles in Liber ATh. If we combine a
truncated pyramid with a pyramid (the 'capstone') there are a total of 44 aspects when we count up
the points, edges and faces:
POINTS EDGES FACES
CAPSTONE
TRUNCATION
12
13
20
11
TOTALS
44 is the value of the Hebrew GVLH which means 'captive' or 'captivity'; and also the Hebrew DLI
which means 'Aquarius'. 4 + 4 equals 8, the number of Mercury. The Hebrew letter corresponding
to Mercury is Beth, and this means 'house'.
The 'spirits of the elements' are classically the Salamanders, Undines, Sylphs and Gnomes. I
believe the sigils of the Four Elements are intended. These could either be the triangular
permutations, or the Tattwa symbols, or perhaps both. It could also stretch to the Zodiac signs,
three to each side. The selection below is quite exhaustive:
The base is black as this colour corresponds to the Element of Earth. It may also help the candidate
psychologically as it helps hide the sight of dirt. Consider how off-white colours make one
conscious of stains and marks.
White reflects heat to a degree and this is why it is used in the spring and summer.
The four quarters of the compass are obvious enough. The Four Elements are distributed in
different ways based on the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, or the Lesser Ritual of the
Hexagram. In the Hexagram ritual Fire is the east, Earth in the south, Air in the west, and Water in
the north. In the Pentagram ritual Air is in the east, Fire is in the south, Water is in the west, and
Earth in the north. As one is supposed to be aspiring to Nuit in complete silence and solitude it
would seem that the Hexagram attributions apply.
'The top shall be open to the Sky.' This means that the horizon must not be blocked from the view
one would have if sat above the square truncation. Why is 'Sky' spelt with a capital 'S'?
Qabalistically 'S' is Samekh, which by Yetzirah is Sagittarius the Archer. This may allude to the
Middle Pillar and the Path of the Arrow that leads from Malkuth to Kether up the central Paths of
the Tree of Life. This certainly reminds us of 'aspiring to Nuit'. By Gematria SKY is 90 which is
also the value of DVMM which means 'very silent'. Loosely transliterated DVMM could become
'dumb' which means 'unable to speak'.
We need the pyramid to have a mechanism by which stuff may have ingress and egress. As the
geometrical integrity of the pyramid would be compromised by a hinged opening in a side, a hinged
opening in the floor that leads to a conduit in the ground, combined with a box, pulley and railings
would be best. This would preserve the privacy of the candidate during essential transactions of
food and so on.
I haven't researched so called 'pyramid power' a great deal. However find below a taster from
www.pyramid-cafe.in:
or frequency inside it. Two German scientists, Born and Lertes, also discovered that this
frequency was in the microwave range.
Researchers discovered that items placed under a pyramid stay "charged" for various lengths of
time after being taken from under the pyramid. Crystals and water keeps their "charge" longer than
anything else.
Doctors have been experimenting with Pyramids.
A Canadian hospital tried using a pyramid in their burn ward. The results were that after being
under the pyramid for a few minutes, the patients' pain started to reduce.
They also found that burns areas healed much faster.
How a Pyramid Works ?
Negative Ions help to reproduce and repair body cells. They're transmitted into the body through
the air and are circulated by the blood. Too many positive ions (the result of air pollution) can
cause depression, and ultimately, illlnesses. Thus, negative ions have a beneficial effect on the
body.
Pyramids generate negative ions. In addition, they are believed to have a generally balancing effect
on the body's electromagnetic field. This effect is greatly enhanced if the materials used, is gold or
copper.
* Charging Crystals is a popular use with pyramids. Quartz crystals are most effective for that, as
they hold the charge for several weeks. These crystals can then be used for healing purpose as they
release their charge into the surrounding.
* Large pyramids (the kind you sit inside) are often used for meditation, massage, acupuncture, and
Reiki.
* Many people have also experienced that after sleeping inside a pyramid they find that they need
less sleep and feel more relaxed and at peace when they wake up.
* Many people put their drinking water in pyramids to charge it with the pyramid's negative ions. It
is recommended to put a glass inside a pyramid for about half-an-hour, and large quantities
overnight.
* The pyramid activates the energies of the pineal and pituitary glands Users experience balance,
relaxation, tranquility, well-being, and in some instances, the reduction of headaches.
Evidence From Ancient Egyptian Tombs:
Egyptologists have found well preserved grain in tombs that is thousands of years old. In sharp
contrast, grains stored in modern silos usually spoils after only a few seasons of storage. Grain in
modern silos usually keeps no longer than four years.
The preservation of organic material in pyramids has received a lot of attention in popular books.
In the 1930s, a Frenchman named Antoine Bovis observed that a dead cat in the Great Pyramid did
not decompose. The animal apparently wandered into the King's Chamber and perished before
finding an exit route. The cat's body dried out, although the air in the King's Chamber is always
humid.
The animal apparently wandered into the King's Chamber and perished before finding an exit route.
The cat's body dried out, although the air in the King's Chamber is always humid.
Bovis's observation gave rise to the idea of 'pyramid power,' which preserve organic matter.
Advocates of pyramid power include a French radiologist named Jean Martial; an electronics
engineer from Prague named Karl Drbal; author and biologist Lyall Watson; and physicist Patrick
Flanagan.
Small models made of paper, wood or other materials, have been tested for desiccating organic
matter and sharpening razor blades. Several tests have demonstrated pyramid to be capable of
The candidate must be 'ceremonially entombed'. I devised the ritual below, and although it has
never been performed (as far as I am aware) it seems quite to the point:
There are four steps on the eastern side of the pyramid leading to the open top. (These steps are
temporary and must be removed afterwards.)
The four Officers:
Eastern quarter Officer is clothed, or robed, in scarlet, and bears the wand; astrally assuming the
god form of Ra.
Northern quarter Officer is clothed, or robed, in blue, and bears the cup; astrally assuming the god
form of Kheph Ra.
Western quarter Officer is clothed, or robed, in yellow, and bears the dagger; astrally assuming the
god form of Tum.
Southern quarter Officer is clothed, or robed, in black or dark green, and bears the disk; astrally
assuming the god form of Ahathoor.
All Officers face away from the pyramid, extending a protective influence against the four quarters,
throughout. The purpose of the Ordeal of the Pyramid is for the Candidate to continually 'rise on
the planes'. The purpose of the four Officers is to banish any interference from the horizontal plane,
and the forces that exist on the surface of our planet. All reciting is done anticlockwise, again in an
effort to banish and cleanse.
The Candidate wears only a single robe, of bright blue lined with scarlet, a golden girdle and
provided with a hood. He has fasted, and remained chaste for a suitable period.
The Candidate ascends the first step. The Plane of Disks and the four silences:
Ra:
Gives the Sign of Philosophus.
Behold thou the mystic flame,
The one immortal token,
Shimmering its silent name,
And force ever unspoken.
Traces Banishing Pentagram of Fire with the wand. Gives the Sign of the Enterer, visualises the
pentagram in blue fire, and vibrates 'HADIT'. Gives the Sign of Silence.
Kheph Ra:
Gives the Sign of Practicus.
The stillness of the water's face,
Reflects thine pure devotion,
No feeling leaves its coloured trace,
Or tainting of emotion.
Traces Banishing Pentagram of Water with the cup. Gives the Sign of the Enterer, visualises the
pentagram in blue flame, and vibrates 'THERION'. Gives the Sign of Silence.
Tum:
Gives the Sign of Zelator.
The night is one, the air is still,
No rustling leaves below,
The silent sky no clouds do fill,
With all the stars on show.
Traces Banishing Pentagram of Air with the dagger. Gives the Sign of the Enterer, visualises the
pentagram in blue flame, vibrates 'NUIT'. Gives the Sign of Silence.
Ahathoor:
Gives the Sign of Neophyte.
The globe it turns, this world it spins,
Our orbit goes around,
The axis of a million things,
Without the slightest sound.
Traces Banishing Pentagram of Earth with the disk. Gives the Sign of the Enterer, visualises the
pentagram in blue flame, vibrates 'BABALON'. Gives the Sign of Silence.
All Officers:
AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.
The Candidate ascends the second step. The Plane of Swords, and the addresses to the four
Demonic Princes.
Ra:
Gives the Sign of Vir.
O thou Satan come not hence,
Thine legions are no more,
The wand it brings divine defence,
From Elohim Gibor!
Gives the Sign of Silence
Kheph Ra:
Gives the Sign of Mulier.
Leviathan! Bid thy legions,
Lay locked in depths of hell,
Come not to this sacred region,
In the holy Name of El!
Gives the Sign of Silence.
Tum:
Gives the Sign of Puer.
Lucifer! Command thy servants,
That from this place they fly,
Let there be no sly transference,
In the Name Shaddai El Chai!
Gives the Sign of Silence.
Ahathoor:
Gives the Sign of Puella.
Away from here, thou proud Belial!
All thine armies must divest,
Their demon swords, and not defile,
In Adonai Ha Aretz!
Gives the Sign of Silence.
All Officers give the Sign of Isis Rejoicing.
All Officers:
AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.
The Candidate ascends the third step. The Plane of Cups, and the four virtues.
Ra:
In the attitude of Ptah.
We pray by this sacred pyre,
The fire that can't be lost,
To help our dead man thus aspire,
To the holy flame Qadosh.
Kheph Ra:
In the attitude of Ptah.
We pray that the heavens high,
Give one drop from above,
A man thus dead, he cannot die,
The quintessence known as love.
Tum:
In the attitude of Ptah.
We pray that on the Plane of Swords,
His mind be true and ready,
Even a dead man needs his thoughts,
To be single, clear and steady.
Ahathoor:
In the attitude of Ptah.
We pray for strength of mortal frame,
And body free from ill,
Help this dead man strongly aim,
His instrument of will.
All Officers:
AUMGN. AUMGN.
The Candidate takes the fourth and final step. The Plane of Wands, and the four adorations of Nuit.
All Officers give the Sign of Apophis and Typhon and stare upwards.
Ra:
The one Hadit, the core of fire,
Pushing forward to break the bar,
To the space depths we thus aspire,
Thou distant diamond and lonely star.
Kheph Ra:
We swim through the vast expanse,
Our souls they ever yearn,
The planets spin, and moons they dance,
The constellations turn.
Tum:
Thou art the one true Queen of Space,
Thy song runs ever through it,
The chorus of love does ever race,
Through the firmament of Nuit!
Ahathoor:
We praise the labyrinth so vast,
The infinite adytum,
And legacy of distant past,
Thine pinnacles still heighten.
All Officers:
AUMGN.
The Candidate lowers himself into the pyramid.
All Officers simply stand, abandoning all gestures.
All Officers:
But to love me is better than all things: if under the night stars in the desert thou presently burnest
mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt
come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all; but whoso gives
one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices;
ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in spendour & pride; but always
in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a
single robe, and covered with a rich headdress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or
voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you.
Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!
All Officers give the Sign of Silence.
The steps are removed from the pyramid, and the Officers depart. The Ordeal of the Pyramid has
begun.
Note Bene As no 'comment' can be made about Liber AL, this verse ends the Ceremony of the
Entombment. It is the 61st Verse of that Book, 61 being the value of AIN, that is the 'void' to which
the Candidate will eventually face after defeating Choronzon.
In my Dark Pilgrim, A Poetic Novella you will find a far more involved, yet equally more arbitrary,
account of the ceremony of the entombment of the Abbot or Abbess. This chapter of my fictional
work is written for effect rather than from the standpoint of Qabalistic or Hermetic validity:
Far away from the Order of St. Luke, and an equally vast distance from the pair of lovers, an
assortment of wizards plied their nefarious trade. Before describing the event that transpired it must
be stressed that Magick Art can ultimately only be expressed in empty symbols, and the arbitrary
and dualistic entity known as language. This even though on certain exalted planes one finds that
symbols acquire a living fire all of their own, and that the Holy Ghost of such an undertaking takes
on life even when watered down into unintelligible runes and ciphers. Essentially the opus of this
Art, even though your humble narrator has endeavoured to be faithful in his own, cannot be
understood by the rational mind unless sufficiently initiated. As I recall the events.
A conventicle of ten robed figures stood on the circumference of a great and curiously inscribed
circle, with vestments wholly hooded, and hued alternately in fiery scarlet red and solemn midnight
blue. They stood silent and still, focused with intense gravity towards the centre in which was
positioned a peculiar apparatus, to the extent that an almost telekinetic fury sent invisible embers of
psychic force to this, the apex, the infernal pyramid. Thick coils of sickly sweet smoke spiralled
upwards and mingled with the imminent orange crepuscule of the sinisterly oblique horizon. The
foci of the circle was a wooden pyramid type configuration, carefully daubed with eerily reflective
white sheens; the construct itself reaching some six foot, with a square truncation at its mysterious
summit leaving any contents open to the sky, and offering ingress to all the sky born life, known
and unknown.
A blackly robed figure, without hood, was striding around the pyramid, taking great monstrous
breaths of the electrified air.
Can the wings of the winds understand your voices of wonder? He thrust his verse, and wand,
towards the indifferent cold of the full moon. At this signal the others began barbarously intoning
an incantation in an unknown, and perhaps unknowable, tongue.
Toruzadoo! Toruzadoo! Erem Iadanahay! Erem Iadanahay!
Upon this canvas of murderous mantra, the high priest continued to paint his evocative and lilting
stanza.
O you, the Second of the First! Whom the burning flames have framed within the depth of my
jaws.
Toruzadoo! Toruzadoo! Erem Iadanahay! Erem Iadanahay! The perimeter of the circle pulsed
with passionate and unholy prayer.
Whom I have prepared as cups for a wedding, or the flowers in their beauty for the Chamber of
Righteousness.
Intertwining and weaving through with the choir of acolytes, the Master flitted around the outskirts
of the congregation, lighting on his way nine purple, and distinctly Oriental, lanterns, each solemnly
and thoughtfully, whilst quietly he slowly uttered a quiet song.
Now there are also of my friends who be hermits, but think not to find them in the forest or on the
mountain, but in beds of purple, caressed by magnificent beasts of women, with large limbs, and
fire and light in their eyes, and masses of flaming hair about them. There shall ye find them.
He spoke these words several times, each chorus lost in the incantation that by degrees had
swelled in momentum.
Toruzadoo! Toruzadoo! Erem Iadanahay! Erem Iadanahay!
Nine lanterns radiated their peculiar quality of lilac phosphorescence, lending an oddly vitriolic
ambience to the consecrated circle. The chanting boomed louder and slower, as if the throbbing
chorus had dilated time itself, as though it was veering towards a slow and sustained orgasm of
sound.
In geographical terms the outdoor temple, being more or less equatorial, submerged itself in a rapid
and merciless descent of dusk. The timing had been perfect. Now the only effulgence was lunar,
strengthened in turn by the lanterns which once clothed by night glowed with added vehemence.
The wizard crossed over the periphery of the circle and beheld the pyramidal structure, deifying it
with gestures of awe and supplication. He thronged its peculiar geometries with absorbed
contemplation for a few tense moments as the chanting had slowed down into an indistinct
menagerie of fluid and demonic vowels. Winds of the newly born night encircled the celebrants,
and unearthly incense, that somehow had arisen spontaneously, intoxicated the nostrils of the
interlunar air.
Open the mysteries of your creation! Odo Kikalay Qaa!
Outside the ritual a faint sound of drums mysteriously carried on the wind, as though the
enchantment not only birthed an inebriation of odours and elemental lusts, but a sylph like
heartbeat, an inexplicable rhythm of schizophrenic delirium. At this juncture the infernal chorus
ended, as though dying a natural death, an inevitable anticlimax. The master began his invocation.
He addressed the gods and goddesses of the night sky with an impassioned soliloquy.
I am He! The immortal spirit, having sight in the feet, strong, and the immortal fire! I am He!
The truth! Unity uttermost showed. I am He! Behold! In thy beauty how joyous thou art, O snake
that caresses the crown of our Hearts. I am He! I am Ia Besz, I am Ia A Pophrasz! I am He!
The immortal spirit, having sight in the feet, strong, and the immortal fire! I am He!
The outer sentinels promptly disrobed, revealing half as male, with female counterparts, of various
ages and ethnicities. They submitted themselves to the earth, and horizontally adapted themselves
into a living snake of human flesh, alternately male joined with female, hands clasping ankles, to
form a magically unbreakable chain. On cue, a young and faun like girl, draped in fine gossamers
of white translucent silk appeared, as if from nowhere, but one had the conviction that the entire
ceremony had been geared towards her from the word go. She was strictly silent yet danced merrily
around the circle, the interlocked worshippers ostensibly ignorant of her buoyant footwork. Not
long into the vagaries of adulthood, she radiated a fine olive brown complexion, whilst sporting an
uncharacteristically shaven head. Maybe at most her features were quintessentially androgynous,
chiselled yet soft, expressive yet stern. Like a drunken ballerina she jumped and cavorted
indefatigably along a meandering path delineated by the naked bodies. With eerie silence, and
hardly even a single punctuation of breath or exertion she dallied and spun her web of mystical
choreography for some frenetic minutes. Although possessed by unimaginable vibrancy, the
whisper of the winds blew alone.
Ten lunar months is 280 days. One may think this is excessive, but consider the unfortunate souls
in prison. Some people in solitary confinement never see the sun, have to put up with terrible noise,
and many only get sun filtered through glass bricks. They have no privacy and have to endure the
unsavoury company of other prisoners. I believe many prisoners would trade in their existence for
our little pyramid.
I am unsure about the 'purifications and consecrations'. However we should not underestimate the
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, often known as the LBRP. Who is that does the cleaning
and dedicating? Whether it is the Candidate or the Abbey's members it would have to done in
silence, or preferably entirely on the astral plane.
We quote from A Glossary of Thelema for a list of the Holy Books:
HOLY BOOKS OF THELEMA, THE The Holy Thelemic texts are referred to as A.. A..
Official Publications in Class A. This is a collective title, rather than a single binding; for example
one book under this title omits The Vision and the Voice, Liber 418, and The Paris Working, Liber
415, which are both in Class AB. This dual classification is because the footnotes which accompany
them are not actually part of the Holy Book itself. There are at least 17 Class A Texts, I say at least
because it is always possible others may be added, or some not yet vetted for the general public;
that is Holy Books not yet fully recognised as such. These books are listed below, in order of Libri
number: One Liber B vel Magi, The Book of the Magus; Seven Liber Liberi Vel Lapidis Lazuli,
Adumbratio Kabbal gyptiorum, The Book of Lapis Lazuli; Ten Liber Porta Lucis, The Gate of
Light; 27 Liber Trigrammaton; 31 AL (Liber Legis), The Book of the Law (MS); 65 Liber
Cordis Cincti Serpente, The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent; 66 Liber Stell Rube, The
Book of the Ruby Star; 90 Liber Tzaddi Vel Hamus Hermeticus, The Book of the Hermetic Fish
Hook; 156 Liber Cheth Vel Vallum Abiegni, The Wall of Abiegnus; 220 Liber AL Vel Legis, The
Book of the Law; 231 Liber Arcanorum Atu Tahuti Quas Vidit Asar in Amennti; 370
Liber AAsh Vel Capricorni Pneumatici, The Book of the Goat of the Spirit (or) The Book of
Creation; 400 Liber Tau Vel Kabbal Trium Literarum; 415 Opus Lutetianum, The Paris
Working; 418 Liber XXX rum Vel Sculi, The Vision and theVoice; 813 Vel Ararita 570. These
books are divinely inspired theophanies that defy rational criticisim; their utterances cannot be
changed so much as the style of a letter. See Comment.
We should perhaps include Liber 963 in the list as its 'Note' that precedes it is in Class A.
The Candidate is allowed his or her Magical Record. I am unsure if this includes all magical note
taking at all, or a fresh record in a new book. Surely if one knew one was being entombed then a
great deal of furious writing might take place, dashed down notes rather than a valid Magical
Record. This is a point of controversy.
Having a pen, a single candle and matches is straight forward enough. However, the candle would
have to be vegan.
The single robe will be a bright blue tau robe, lined with scarlet, provided with a hood and golden
coloured girdle. If the Candidate is a Master (see below) the robe is the same as above except it is
scarlet lined with blue. Members of the Silver Star have more elaborate robes.
Sufficient bedding for the weather could mean simply a sleeping bag and pillows. As the Candidate
is open to the elements they would have to be waterproof. Any duvets or sleeping bags must not be
stuffed with feathers.
A sufficiency of water, bread and vegetables is straight forward enough. But does 'daily
consumption' mean that the Candidate does not have to fast on Wednesdays (see below)? It goes
without saying that the water should be bottled natural mineral water. And does 'vegetables'
exclude the Candidate from eating fruit? The definition of 'vegetable' is 'of or relating to plants or
plant life, especially as distinct from animal life or mineral substances.' when looked at as an
adjective. As far as I can tell 'fruits' are a type of vegetable.
No animal products or drugs seems straightforward. It should go without saying that 'drugs'
includes tobacco and caffeine, and drugs prescribed by doctors for health conditions. (The author is
on a powerful anti-psychotic called clozapine which he relies on to sleep.) We should suggest that
those addicted to drugs purge themselves before any Ceremony of Entombment.
Water, soap, nail scissors and a cloth once per week seems fair. The water to wash with doesn't
have to be bottled natural mineral water. The soap must be vegan and under no conditions made
from rendered fat. Nail scissors could be any cheap pair.
A 'container' for urine and rainwater should be something that can be hermetically sealed for
hygiene reasons. Why would one wish to collect rainwater? Surely it should not be drunk. This
also brings up the topic of the Candidate being inundated with rain as the pyramid is open to the
Sky. One solution is to provide a drain in the floor of the pyramid. If the candidate has a
waterproof sleeping bag then all valuable items could be stored in there.
This Article doesn't say anything about a 'container' for faeces. We will just employ common sense
and suggest Number One's and Number Two's go together.
We are then told that the removal of bodily waste, and the passing in of food, shall happen 'once per
day'. Does this mean again that the Candidate does not have to fast every Wednesday like everyone
else? Surely a strict vegan diet is far less nutritious than the French style cuisine (see below) that
other members enjoy.
The transaction of food, water, and waste occurs in the midst of the night. This should not be
merely midnight Greenwich Mean Time, or British Summer Time, but the calculated and precise
middle of the night.
I am not sure how 'in turn' and 'two at a time' can be reconciled. How does one choose at random
all the member of the Abbey in turn and by twos?
Breaking the Vow of Silence could be voluntary or involuntary. One may start screaming and
shouting, and one may start snoring or talking in one's sleep. Snoring can be remedied by an
operation that lasers away a part of the back of the mouth. I have no idea how one stops talking in
one's sleep!
Removing someone from the pyramid might not be easy if the Candidate refuses to be shifted. The
pyramid should be constructed such that it has one side that can be opened on a hinge or pulled
away entirely. This goes against the step design in the Ceremony of Entombment found above
however.
If a Candidate fails the ordeal he or she ceases to be a member of the Abbey for life. But does this
mean any Abbey or just a single Abbey?
As the candidate who fails is removed on the last day one has the responsibility to ensure he or she
isn't just turfed out on the streets, but has a place to go to. It is not wise to 'burn one's bridges' when
dealing with such lofty initiations. Things at such an intensity of mystical energy can go seriously
wrong people can become 'unstuck'. See Membership Prerequisites below.
The feast day of the Abbott or Abbess seems only right for completing such a multifaceted ordeal.
Realignments result in the loss of Birth Licenses, and so discordant genes are slowly removed.
The supreme authority on Earth is the Ecological Council, and it was their warnings of global
catastrophe that helped politically engineer the Control Grid. Everything is recycled. Free and
clean energy exists in abundance from nuclear fusion thorium reactors. The Earth is growing green
again as people are crammed into mega-cities to assuage their environmental impact. The most
highly paid people are no longer bankers, politicians and businessmen but botanists, zoologists and
genetic engineers.
However, in all this utopian perfection, the Control Grid and the Ecological Council harbour a great
secret. Planet Earth has been sealed off. For two hundred years the governments of the world have
known that we are not alone. A myriad of alien species has been watching us jealously for
millennia. Some of these star races wish our downfall and plan on turning us into slaves. The Zeta
Reticulans wish to tamper with our genetics to create hybrid human-Zeta race. They have relied on
cloning to survive but after thousands of years more and more clones are needed and with each
generation they become weaker. The 'Greys', as they are known, plot on this sinister symbiosis of
DNA. Meanwhile the Reptilians simply plan to turn us into slaves. Gizeh Intelligence has several
plans for us, which although not as severe as the Greys or Reptiles, would still result in great
suffering. And again other more primordial and ancient races, known as the Great Old Ones, want
us as a food source and to torture us for amusement.
The benevolent races such as the Andromedans and Nordics have a policy of not interfering with
young races, and because of their indifference offer us little protection.
The Council and the Gridders, since the inception of the Grid, realised that the Earth had to be
sealed off electronically. Under no circumstances could they allow any alien race access to the
Grid. With access to even a fraction of the information in the Beast Computers the Earth would be
a sitting duck, floating in the midst of the galaxy. And so they positioned thousands of small
satellites in near earth orbit. These 'pods', as they became known as, scanned the ionosphere for
fluctuations in the electromagnetic field. Any attempt to penetrate the network of pods results in
automatically triggering a 'jammer' into firing a disrupting beam into space. The jammers can also
fire powerful lasers to destroy alien craft. Any attempt to hack the Beast Computers from outer
space is swiftly stopped by the pods and jammers in microseconds. The entire planet is inside a
militarily coordinated Faraday Cage. We have become hermetically sealed, a lone planet floating in
the vastness of the galaxy. Even the moon has become estranged, whilst various alien armies
periodically use it as a space station, waiting for the Control Grid to fall.
So the Earth and its natural environment are sealed off, with a cybernetic population so engrossed in
its own magnificence that no one cares. Everyone is so enamoured with the endless novelty of
Synthetic Telepathy that considerations of alien societies exist only in carefully contrived fictions.
It is in this future realm that we find ourselves in the office of a pair of Gridders.
Two men, in dark suits and with shaved heads, were hunched over a table-screen. They sipped
coffee from white Styrofoam cups and smoked cigarettes as the computer flashed images of a large
forest from different angles and heights.
There it is Jim. Look... Computer amplify coordinates 23 through 54.5. Said Glyn, who was
officially known as Grid Controller 34YT.
That's just a rock isn't it? Jim looked at his colleague quizzically. It's got dead signals. There's
nothing there.
Look closer...
The screen zoomed in on a group of boulders, partly obscured by oaks and willows.
Computer present thermal readings. Glyn put out his cigarette.
Instantly the large screen showed a heat signature. Glyn pressed an icon and the outline of a seated
human figure became obvious.
How did we miss that? Exclaimed Jim. That is supposed to be a feral zone. I'm calling up his
number.
It's a female.
A hologram of the figure now rotated above the computer, showing the lean curves of a young
woman. Yeah, anyway, run it.
Jim wiped some sweat off his head with a serviette. Computer run access code authorization on
the same coordinates.
NOTHING REGISTED ON THOSE COORDINATES. The digital voice was cold and heartless.
We've got another loose one. Glyn said. Computer remote neural monitoring protocol on
coordinates seven through eighteen.
HEART RATE 53 BEATS PER MINUTE. VISUAL TRAFFIC LOCKED. AUDITORY
TRAFFIC LOCKED. BRAIN SIGNATURE IDENTIFIED AS CITIZEN 5634GTRE GEORGINA
BLUDSON. EVOKED POTENTIALS ANALYSED. MICRO PARAMETERS ASSIGNED.
PLEASE INPUT TIME SIGNATURE.
Time signature common time. Muttered Glyn as he light another smoke. Open auditory
conduit.
Why are you acting like we are on a deadline? Jim sneered.
Okay. You win. Computer open visual conduit. Glyn cracked his knuckles as the computer
screen danced about.
After a few seconds the screen displayed a flickering candle flame.
Who uses candles these days? Said Jim. Well I suppose we've got a loose one. Let's zoom in.
We have a mandate now.
We'll fill in the resource allocation tomorrow. Glyn seemed a little perplexed as he punched a
number into a keypad that he had pulled out of his jacket.
The display monitor gradually homed in. It revealed a small pyramid that enclosed the woman,
oddly enough a square was missing in the top enabling the satellite a clear image.
What kind of escapee would try and hide in a roofless pyramid? Glyn scratched his chin in
disbelief. Is she asleep?
visual at that. And if she's in a Theta state the Realignment may not work.
A manual recall? There hasn't been one of those for years. Jim hoisted up his belt and smiled
sarcastically. They are supposed to walk into the isocubes on their own.
Yes, a manual recall that will probably cost us our jobs.
Well I for one am not going back to that steel mill.
Our only option is for a total upload. Glyn said nervously. Then we scan her memory banks for
how the hell she got slipped and why she's been off the Grid for weeks.
Run it then.
Computer execute the Pandemonium Upload for Georgina Bludson.
MANDATE LEVEL REQUIRED.
Mandate level 66. Execute.
It took the computer twenty minutes to get an overview of the entire content of the mind of whoever
it was sitting in the pyramid. Oddly enough the first image to become evident was a purple
dodecahedron. It spun around on its axis, and slowly became engulfed with an ultraviolet smoke.
Hebrew letters began forming around it, spinning and refracting into different hues and pigments.
The scene was like a kaleidoscopic tunnel of geometric phantasms.
Jesus Christ. Glyn started frantically punching numbers into his security keyboard. Computer I
said mandate level 66. Execute.
MANDATE LEVEL CORRECT. PANDEMONIUM UPLOAD AT ESTIMATED 16%.
The screen had become alive with twisting tendrils of geometric chaos. The odd piece of ancient
Greek, or perhaps Coptic, would twist out of the indeterminate centre, and the letters would give
rise to further shapes, as though uttered forth by some unknown cipher.
We've got a mutie on our hands. Glyn sat down.
UPLOAD ESTIMATED AT 17%
A mind mutant. I never believed in them. Are you sure they're real?
Take a look for yourself. Have you ever seen an upload like that?
No.
TIME DISCREPANCY INDICATED. MICROPAUSE INDICATED. REQUIRE MANDATE
CODE.
Fuck. Glyn spun around on his chair and opened his filing cabinet.
What's wrong?
Our system can't work out the time parameters. I've forgotten the mandate code, this doesn't
happen very often. Where the fuck is the Operating Manual.
MEMORY PARAMETERS COMPRIMISED. REQUESTING MANDATE CODE AND
LEVEL.
On the screen now stood a glowing scarlet image of the Egyptian god Horus. He was surrounded
by glowing orange spheres and circling ravens.
The system cannot work out someone who has no perception of time. This Bludson is in such a
deep state of meditation that she has lost all ideas about the natural passage of time. The system's
database is compromised because it cannot prioritise, or even distinguish, events from concepts in a
mind outside a normal time framework. Glyn frantically scattered files out of the cabinet.
MANDATE AUTOMATIC SHIFT TO GRID CENTRAL
Oh fuck, this is a nightmare. Glyn grunted and held his head in his hands. This person's mind is
a virus. She has no conception of time whatsoever and she's got memetic plague. Some of the
Panther protocols are very knowledgeable in symbol manipulation. Her level of associations
probably goes more than 20 levels deep. She has split neurons as well.
So what do we do?
Manual override the system. Cut our losses. We cannot allow an entire mind upload into the
Beast Computers. We manually override, stop the system, and request a manual recall. We might
lose our jobs, but there is too much at stake.
Jim nodded and pulled out a red plastic card from his jacket. Glyn did the same. At the same time
they inserted their cards into a panel. Glyn closed his eyes and tried to remember the override code.
Computer manual override code Toga Alpha Woodpecker Zero Dolphin Clock.
The screen shut down, dead and cold. Glyn took a deep breath and slumped into his chair.
The phone rang. Glyn picked up the receiver.
Hi is that Grid Controller 34YT?
Speaking. Glyn closed his eyes.
We just had a drastic defence spike in your locale. Can you explain this?
Erm. We had to manually override our system because an escapee slipped us.
What?
I am formally requesting a manual recall.
Can you also explain why the data breach came from inside the Control Grid?
The individual we ran the number on had been ripped, was in a deep Theta state, and exhibited all
the symptoms of mind mutation. We took a unilateral decision to isolate what may have become a
memetic infection.
You do realise that a manual recall for Realignment would be embarrassing.
Yes.
Well our pods are working full time to prevent this spike, which is not easy considering it came
from the wrong direction.
What do we do?
To avoid contagion we can't allow any monitoring. If you say there was no Brain Stem implant,
and, well... what is the environmental data?
No electrical equipment, as you said no ABI, no cohesive informational devices as we can tell.
In that case we might as well allow a small breach.
What?
There is no way this person can bleed any of our databases accurately to an alien intelligence,
mind mutants are useless at being accurate. If we weigh in the factor of potential infection it makes
sense to allow a breach. We will disconnect and hold off.
Understood. Glyn hung up the phone. Computer execute disconnect mandate level one.
At this point the truncated tetrahedral pyramid became an astral space ship. It had breached the
Control Grid and rendered apart the hermetical seal that surrounded the planet. The person inside
was known as 'Hermes' to her friends. With just a pen and paper to record her experiences she
traversed the spheres of the galaxy for the space of nine months. Initiation upon initiation she
travelled through, in perfect silence and perfect solitude, aspiring continually unto Nuit.
conditions of spiritual distress, and for the discovery and development of the True Will of any
person. Those interested are invited to communicate with the author of this book.]
And if it be in a town, the room shall have no window, and if it be in the country, then it is better if
the window be in the roof. Or, if it be possible, let this invocation be performed in a temple
prepared for the ritual of passing through the Tuat.
From the roof he shall hang a lamp, wherein is a red glass, to burn olive oil. And this lamp shall he
cleanse and make ready after the prayer of sunset, and beneath the lamp shall be an altar,
foursquare, & the height shall be thrice half of the breadth or double the breadth.
And upon the altar shall be a censor, hemispherical, supported upon three legs, of silver, and within
it an hemisphere of copper, and upon the top a grating of gilded silver, and thereupon shall he burn
incense made of four parts of olibanum and two parts of stacte, and one part of lignum aloes, or of
cedar, or of sandal. And this is enough.
And he shall also keep ready in a flask of crystal within the altar, holy anointing oil made of myrrh
and cinnamon and galangal.
And even if he be of higher rank than a Probationer, he shall yet wear the robe of the Probationer,
for the star of flame showeth forth Ra Hoor Khuit openly upon the breast, and secretly the blue
triangle that descendeth is Nuit, and the red triangle that ascendeth is Hadit. And I am the golden
Tau in the midst of their marriage. Also, if he choose, he may instead wear a close-fitting robe of
shot silk, purple and green, and upon it a cloak without sleeves, of bright blue, covered with golden
sequins, and scarlet within.
And he shall make himself a wand of almond wood or of hazel cut by his own hands at dawn at the
Equinox, or at the Solstice, or on the day of Corpus Christi, or on one of the feast-days that are
appointed in The Book of the Law.
And he shall engrave with his own hand upon the plate of gold the Holy Sevenfold Table, or the
Holy Twelvefold Table, or some particular device. And it shall be foursquare within a circle, and the
circle shall be winged, and he shall attach it about his forehead by a ribbon of blue silk.
Moreover, he shall wear a fillet of laurel or rose or ivy or rue, and every day, after the prayer of
sunrise, he shall burn it in the fire of the censor.
Now he shall pray thrice daily, about sunset, and at midnight, and at sunrise. And if he be able, he
shall pray also four times between sunrise and sunset.
The prayer shall last for the space of an hour, at the least, and he shall seek ever to extend it, and to
inflame himself in praying. Thus shall he invoke his Holy Guardian Angel for eleven weeks, and in
any case he shall pray seven times daily during the last week of the eleven weeks.
And during all this time he shall have composed an invocation suitable, with such wisdom and
understanding as may be given him from the Crown, and this shall he write in letters of gold upon
the top of the altar.
For the top of the altar shall be of white wood, well polished, and in the centre thereof he shall have
placed a triangle of oak-wood, painted with scarlet, and upon this triangle the three legs of the
censor shall stand.
Moreover, he shall copy his invocation upon a sheet of pure white vellum, with Indian ink, and he
shall illuminate it according to his fancy and imagination, that shall be informed by beauty.
And on the first day of the twelfth week he shall enter the chamber at sunrise, and he shall make his
prayer, having first burnt the conjuration that he had made upon the vellum in the fire of the lamp.
Then, at his prayer, shall the chamber be filled with light insufferable for splendour, and a perfume
intolerable for sweetness. And his Holy Guardian Angel shall appear unto him, yea, his Holy
Guardian Angel shall appear unto him, so that he shall be wrapt away into the Mystery of Holiness.
All that day shall he remain in the enjoyment of the knowledge and conversation of the Holy
Guardian Angel.
And for three days after he shall remain from sunrise unto sunset in the temple, and he shall obey
the counsel that his Angel shall have given unto him, and he shall suffer those things that are
appointed.
And for ten days thereafter shall he withdraw himself as shall have been taught unto him from the
fullness of that communion, for he must harmonize the world that is within with the world that is
without.
And at the end of the ninety-one days he shall return into the world, and there shall he perform that
work to which the Angel shall have appointed him.
And more than this it is not necessary to say, for his Angel shall have entreated him kindly, and
showed him in what manner he may be most perfectly involved. And unto him that hath this Master
there is nothing else that he needeth, so long as he continue in the knowledge and conversation of
the Angel, so that he shall come at last into the City of the Pyramids.
Lo! two and twenty are the paths of the Tree, but one is the Serpent of Wisdom; ten are the ineffable
emanations, but one is the Flaming Sword.
Behold! There is an end to life and death, an end to the thrusting forth and the withdrawing of the
breath. Yea, the House of the Father is a mighty tomb, and in it he hath buried everything whereof
ye know.
All this while there hath been no vision, but only a voice, very slow and clear and deliberate. But
now the vision returns, and the voice says: Thou shalt be called Danae, that art stunned and slain
beneath the weight of the glory of the vision that as yet thou seest not. For thou shalt suffer many
things, until thou art mightier than all the Kings of the earth, and all the Angels of the Heavens, and
all the gods that are beyond the Heavens. Then shalt thou meet me in equal conflict, and thou shalt
see me as I am. And I will overcome thee and slay thee with the red rain of my lightnings.
I am lying underneath this pyramid of light. It seems as if I had the whole weight of it upon me,
crushing me with bliss. And yet I know that I am like the prophet that said: I shall see Him, but not
nigh.
And the Angel sayeth: So shall it be until they that wake are asleep, and she that sleepeth be arisen
from her sleep. For thou art transparent unto the vision and the voice. And therefore in thee they
manifest not. But they shall be manifest unto them unto whom thou dost deliver them, according
unto to the word which I spake unto thee in the Victorious City.
For I am not only appointed to guard thee, but we are of the blood royal, the guardians of the
Treasure-house of Wisdom. Therefore am I called the Minister of Ra Hoor Khuit: and yet he is but
the Viceroy of the unknown King. For my name is called Aiwass, that is eight and seventy. And I
am the influence of the Concealed One, and the wheel that hath eight and seventy parts, yet in all is
equivalent to the Gate that is the name of my Lord when it is spelt fully. And that Gate is the Path
that joineth the Wisdom with the Understanding.
Thus hast thou erred indeed, perceiving me in the path that leadeth from the Crown unto the Beauty.
For that path bridgeth the abyss, and I am of the supernals. Nor I, nor Thou, nor He can bridge the
abyss. It is the Priestess of the Silver Star, and the Oracles of the gods, and the Lord of the Hosts of
the Mighty. For they are the servants of Babalon, and of the Beast, and of those others of whom it
is not yet spoken. And, being servants, they have no name, but we are of the blood royal, and serve
not, and therefore are we less than they.
Yet, as a man may be both a mighty warrior and a just judge, so may we also perform this service if
we have aspired and attained thereto. And yet, with all that, they remain themselves, who have
eaten of the pomegranate in Hell. But thou, that art new-born to understanding, this mystery is too
great for thee; and of the further mystery I will not speak one word.
Yet for this cause am I come unto thee as the Angel of the Aethyr, striking with my hammer upon
thy bell, so that thou mightest understand the mysteries of the Aethyr, and of the vision and the
voice thereof.
For behold! he that understandeth seeth not and heareth not in truth, because of his understanding
that letteth him. But this shall be unto thee for a sign, that I will surely come unto thee unawares
and appear unto thee. And it is no odds, (i.e., that at this hour I appear not as I am), for so terrible is
the glory of the vision, and so wonderful is the splendour of the voice, that when thou seest it and
hearest it in truth, for many hours shalt thou be bereft of sense. And thou shalt lie between heaven
and earth in a void place, entranced, and the end thereof shall be silence, even as it was, not once
nor twice, when I have met with thee, as it were, upon the road to Damascus.
And thou shalt not seek to better this my instruction; but thou shalt interpret it, and make it easy, for
them that seek understanding. And thou shalt give all that thou hast unto them that have need unto
this end.
And because I am with thee, and in thee, and of thee, thou shalt lack nothing. But who lack me,
lack all. And I swear unto thee by Him that sitteth upon the Holy Throne, and liveth and reigneth
for ever and ever, that I will be faithful unto this my promise, as thou art faithful unto this thine
obligation.
Now another voice sounds in the Aethyr, saying: And there was darkness over all the earth unto the
ninth hour.
And with that the Angel is withdrawn, and the pyramid of light seems very far off.
And now I am fallen unto the earth, exceeding weary. Yet my skin trembles with the impact of the
light, and all my body shakes. And there is a peace deeper than sleep upon my mind. It is the body
and the mind that are weary, and I would that they were dead, save that I must bend them to my
work.
And now I am in the tent, under the stars.
The Desert between Bou-Sada and Biskra.
December 8, 1909. 7:10-9:10 p.m.
Find below a digital version of the Gnostic Mass temple, and a Circle and Triangle of Art (however
these are not from the Holy Books either):
Now let there be a veiling of this shrine: now let the light devour men and eat them up with
blindness! Liber CCXX II:14
This is the Book of the Robes of the Outer.
The Robe of a Probationer
The Probationer shall wear a Robe of White Linen or Wool or Silk in the Shape of the Tau, trimmed
in Gold at the neck, sleeves and hem. On the front of the Robe in Scarlet shall be the Upright
Pentagram; on the back, the Hexagram of Nature with the golden Tau in the midst, for "the blue
triangle that descendeth is Nuit, and the red triangle that ascendeth is Hadit." There is no Hood.
The Robe of a Neophyte
The Neophyte shall wear a Robe of Black Linen or Wool or Silk, in the Shape of the Tau, with the
Red Triangle upon the breast, the symbol of "the red three-angled heart set up in the
shrine." The Hood is of the same material, with the Golden Eye in the Silver Triangle upon the
brow.
The Robe of a Zelator
The Zelator shall add a Square of Violet to the Neophyte's Robe below the level of the knees.
The Robe of a Practicus
When this Grade is confirmed by Authority, the Practicus shall add a Sash of Orange to the right
sleeve of the Zelator Robe.
The Robe of a Philosophus
When this Grade is confirmed by Authority, the Philosophus shall add a Sash of Green to the left
sleeve of the Practicus Robe.
The Robe of a Dominus Liminis
When this title is conferred by Authority, the Philosophus shall replace the Black Hood with a
White Hood of the same material, with the Three Neteru in Blue below the eyes. Adepti appearing
as Lords of the Paths shall cover the entire garment with Silver Gauze from head to foot.
N. B. The Robes only correspond to the Grades; they do not indicate them. Any of these Robes may
be worn by a person of whatever grade on appropriate occasions.
Materials Needed
Black material (such as cotton, silk, doeskin, or crepe) 48" wide
Black thread
Tools Needed
Measuring tape
Scissors and pins
Sewing machine
Iron and ironing board
Construction: Preparation of the Material
1. Measure yourself from your neck to the floor. This will be known as measurement A. The
material you buy should be twice the length of measurement A. plus one yard.
2. Wash and dry the material in accordance with the manufacturer's directions. Iron the material if
needed.
Preliminary Cutting
3. Lay the material out lengthwise with the right side up (the side which is to be the outside of the
robe).
4. Fold a section over so that you have a doubled surface equal to A. plus 4". (Note: there will be
a single layer of fabric left over at the bottom.)
5. Cut off the single layer and put it aside for the time being.
6. Make a second fold lengthwise.
Marking the Material
7. With the tape measure, mark the fabric as follows:
2" down from the top right-hand comer.
From the top right-hand comer, mark 4" across the top of the fabric.
14" down from the top right-hand corner. (For a broad person, increase the measurement to 16".)
From the last mark, draw a straight line across to the selvage edges.
From the right-hand fold, measure along the marked line a length equal to 1/2 of your chest
circumference.
Connect the marks to make the following lines:
- A semi-circular curve connecting the two marks at the top of the right-hand corner.
- A diagonal line from the lower left-hand corner of the material to the chest measurement mark.
- A line that curves up 2" from the chest measurement mark and connects with the chest
measurement line at the selvage edge.
Cutting the Material
8. Cut through all layers of material (cutting lines 1 and 2 on the diagram). Unfold the material so
that it looks more like the finished robe.
9. Take the single layer of material that was put aside earlier. Fold it widthwise with the inside out
so that the doubled length is 18". (For broad persons, this measurement will be 20".) Cut off the
single layer that remains at the bottom and put it aside.
29. Turn the robe right side out, try it on and check to make sure that it fits. Iron.
A Simple Robe
The Tau robe may seem too complex for magicians who lack sewing skills. A simple square robe
can be manufactured quickly and easily. Although it is not symbolically correct, the square robe is
better than no robe at all, and it does have a very nice, spiritual feel to it.
Materials Needed
2 to 3 yards of black material, 65" wide
Black thread
Tools Needed
Measuring tape
Scissors and pins
Sewing machine
Construction
1. Fold the material in half lengthwise.
2. At the center of the fabric; cut a circle for the neck.
3. Slip the material over your head though the hole just made and check the length of the robe,
cutting off any excess material. (The robe should almost touch the floor.)
4. Sew up the sides of the robe, but leave 12" open at the top of both sides for arm holes. Hem
around these arm openings.
5. Hem the bottom of the robe as well as the neck opening.
This Trump corresponds astrologically to the Element of Earth and Saturn. Saturn is the bearer of
the scythe, analogous to the razor that we shave our heads with.
Why are we shaving our heads? Perhaps because of these little buggers, known commonly as head
lice:
Are we to shave our eyebrows off as well? Common sense may say 'no', but what is so common
about common sense, as the old saying goes! We'll leave this one up to our Abbot or Abbess.
In Lyall Watson's Supernature we find mention of a pyramid razor sharpener.
Wikipedia says in this excerpt from the page 'Pyramid power':
In 1949, inspired by Bovis, a Czechoslovakian named Karel Drbal applied for a patent on a
"Pharaoh's shaving device": a model pyramid alleged to maintain the sharpness of razor blades.
According to the patent (#91,304), "The method of maintaining the razor blades and straight razor
blades sharp by placing them in the magnetic field in such a way that the sharp edge lies in the
direction of the magnetic lines." Drbal alleged that his device would focus "the earth's magnetic
field", although he did not make it clear how this would work, or whether the device's shape or
materials exerted the effect.
Drbal's contention that razors could be sharpened (or have their sharpness maintained) by alignment
with the points of the compass or the Earth's magnetic field was probably not original to him.
Junior Skeptic magazine discovered exactly similar claims published decades earlier. In 1933, The
Times of London carried letters claiming, "if I oriented my razor bladesN. and S. by the
compassthey tend to last considerably longer" and "The idea of keeping razor blades in a
magnetic field is not quite new. About the year 1900 I found this out."
In 1968, paranormal authors Sheila Ostrander and Lynn Schroeder visited Czechoslovakia, where
they happened across a cardboard pyramid manufactured commercially by Drbal. They met with
Drbal, then dedicated a chapter of their popular 1970 book Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron
Curtain to pyramid power. This book introduced to the English-speaking world both the concept of
pyramid power and the apocryphal origin story about Antoine Bovis.
An 'inverse tau' made at the hairline is basically an upside down 'T' just above the forehead.
Wikipedia says the following about sandalwood:
Sandalwood is the name of a class of woods from trees in the genus Santalum. The woods are
heavy, yellow, and fine-grained, and unlike many other aromatic woods, they retain their fragrance
for decades. Sandalwood oil is extracted from the woods for use. Both the wood and the oil
produce a distinctive fragrance that has been highly valued for centuries. Consequently, the slowgrowing trees have been over harvested in many areas.
Producing commercially valuable sandalwood with high levels of fragrance oils requires Santalum
trees to be a minimum of 15 years old (S. album) the age at which they will be harvested in Western
Australia the yield, quality and volume are still to be clearly understood. Australia likely will be
the largest producer of S. album by 2018, the majority grown around Kununurra, Western Australia.
Western Australian sandalwood is also grown in plantations in its traditional growing area in the
wheatbelt east of Perth, where more than 15,000 ha (37,000 acres) are in plantations. Currently,
Western Australian sandalwood is only wild harvested and can achieve upwards of AU$16,000 per
tonne, which has sparked a growing illegal trade speculated to be worth AU$2.5 million in 2012.
Sandalwood is so expensive, because unlike most trees, it is harvested by removing the entire tree
instead of sawing it down at the trunk close to ground level. This way, wood from the stump and
root can also be used
Sandalwood oil has a distinctive soft, warm, smooth, creamy, and milky precious-wood scent. It
imparts a long-lasting, woody base to perfumes from the oriental, woody, fougre, and chypre
families, as well as a fixative to floral and citrus fragrances. When used in smaller proportions in a
perfume, it acts as a fixative, enhancing the longevity of other, more volatile, materials in the
composite. Last but not least, sandalwood is a key ingredient in the "floriental" (floral-ambery)
fragrance family when combined with white florals such as jasmine, ylang ylang, gardenia,
plumeria, orange blossom, tuberose, etc.
Sandalwood oil in India is widely used in the cosmetic industry. The main source of true
sandalwood, S. album, is a protected species, and demand for it cannot be met. Many species of
plants are traded as "sandalwood". The genus Santalum has more than 19 species. Traders often
accept oil from closely related species, as well as from unrelated plants such as West Indian
sandalwood (Amyris balsamifera) in the family Rutaceae or bastard sandalwood (Myoporum
sandwicense, Myoporaceae). However, most woods from these alternative sources lose their aroma
within a few months or years.
Www.tarladalal.com has the following to say about sandalwood paste:
Sandalwood paste is very easy to make at home. It's not hard at all to make it. But you do need
the block of sandalwood which you have to rub against the flat board with a little water. As you rub
it you will notice the water taking on the colour of sandalwood and getting thick consistency. You
can dilute it with a little bit of water, adding a few drops at a time till you have enough paste. Just
have to be careful not to add too much water. And if you have the powder then just add the right
amount of water or rose water to sandalwood powder making it not too thin or thick. Mix it
thoroughly without forming any lumps. Use as desired.
Due to its high price and scarcity, sandalwood is often adulterated. Hence confirm on the quality
before purchasing.
It also is used as a flavor for foods and beverages. The wood has been valued in carving because
of its dense character.
Sandalwood oil commonly is used as a fragrance in incense, cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps.
Sandalwood with honey is excellent.
Red Sandalwood was used as a food colouring in medieval and renaissance food. Dissolved in
alcohol it makes a scarlet colour.
Sandalwood can be stored indefinitely in a dark, airtight glass container.
Sandalwood paste made with rose water is a popular household remedy for prickly heat. It
prevents excessive sweating and heals inflamed skin.
Sandalwood powder mixed with milk or made into pills is beneficial in the treatment of dysuria.
Its efficacy can be increased by the addition of ajwain water or infusion of ginger.
Sandalwood with honey is valuable in gastric irritability.
Sandalwood oil was used traditionally by herbalists to treat skin diseases, acne, dysentery,
gonorrhoea, and a number of other conditions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, sandalwood oil is
considered an excellent sedating agent.
It is bitter, sedative, cooling and cardiac tonic.
Sandalwood oil is an excellent cleansing, astringent addition to massage and facial oils, bath oils,
aftershaves, lotions and creams.
Sandalwood oil is relaxing, soothing, cooling, centering and sensual.
It is useful in arresting secretion or bleeding and in promoting the flow of urine
An emulsion or the paste is a cooling dressing in inflammatory and eruptive skin diseases.
Regular application of sandalwood paste on the skin during summer has a refreshing effect and
heals any summer boil.
The paste when applied on the temple relieves headache and brings down the temperature in
fevers.
Sandalwood powder mixed with milk or made into pills is beneficial in the treatment of difficult
urination.
It is valuable in gastric irritability and dysentery
Sandalwood oil commonly is used as a fragrance in incense, cosmetics, perfumes, and soaps. It
also is used as a flavor for foods and beverages. The wood has been valued in carving because of its
dense character.
In traditional medicine, sandalwood oil has been used for a wide variety of conditions, ranging
from an antiseptic and astringent to the treatment of headache, stomach ache, and urogenital
disorders.
Wikpedia.com says the following about vermilion:
Vermilion is a brilliant red or scarlet pigment originally made from the powdered mineral cinnabar,
and is also the name of the resulting color. It was widely used in the art and decoration of Ancient
Rome, in the illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages, in the paintings of the Renaissance, and
in the art and lacquerware of China.
The hexadecimal code for vermilion is E34234, and the RGB code is 227,66,52.
In Ancient Egypt, Ahmose-Hennutamehu, (17th Dynasty, 1574 BCE): Henuttamehu was probably a
daughter of Seqenenre Tao and Ahmose Inhapy. Smith reports that the mummy of Henuttamehu's
own hair had been dyed a bright red at the sides, probably with henna.
In Europe, henna was popular among women connected to the aesthetic movement and the PreRaphaelite artists of England in the 1800s. Dante Gabriel Rossetti's wife and muse, Elizabeth
Siddal, had naturally bright red hair. Contrary to the cultural tradition in Britain that considered red
hair unattractive, the Pre-Raphaelites fetishized red hair. Siddal was portrayed by Rossetti in many
paintings that emphasized her flowing red hair. The other Pre-Raphaelites, including Evelyn De
Morgan and Frederick Sandys, academic classicists such as Frederic Leighton, and French painters
such as Gaston Bussiere and the Impressionists further popularized the association of henna-dyed
hair and young bohemian women.
Opera singer Adelina Patti is sometimes credited with popularizing the use of henna in Europe in
the late 1800s. Parisian courtesan Cora Pearl was often referred to as La Lune Rousse (the redhaired moon) for dying her hair red. In her memoirs, she relates an incident when she dyed her pet
dog's fur to match her own hair. By the 1950s, Lucille Ball popularized "henna rinse" as her
character, Lucy Ricardo, called it on the television show I Love Lucy. It gained popularity among
young people in the 1960s through growing interest in Eastern cultures.
Muslim men may use henna as a dye for hair and most particularly their beards. This is considered
sunnah, a commendable tradition of the Prophet Muhammad. Furthermore, a hadith (narration of
the Prophet) holds that he encouraged Muslim women to dye their nails with henna to demonstrate
femininity and distinguish their hands from the hands of men; thus some Muslim women in the
Middle East apply henna to their finger and toenails as well as their hands.
The use of Mehndi and turmeric is also described in the earliest Hindu Vedas.
Until the maturation of their reproductive capabilities, the pre-pubertal physical differences between
boys and girls are the external sex organs.
On average, girls begin puberty at ages 1011; boys at ages 1112. Girls usually complete puberty
by ages 1517, while boys usually complete puberty by ages 1617. The major landmark of
puberty for females is menarche, the onset of menstruation, which occurs on average between ages
1213; for males, it is the first ejaculation, which occurs on average at age 13. In the 21st century,
the average age at which children, especially girls, reach puberty is lower compared to the 19th
century, when it was 15 for girls and 16 for boys. This can be due to any number of factors,
including improved nutrition resulting in rapid body growth, increased weight and fat deposition, or
exposure to endocrine disruptors such as xenoestrogens, which can at times be due to food
consumption or other environmental factors. Puberty which starts earlier than usual is known as
precocious puberty. Puberty which starts later than usual is known as delayed puberty.
Notable among the morphologic changes in size, shape, composition, and functioning of the
pubertal body, is the development of secondary sex characteristics, the "filling in" of the child's
body; from girl to woman, from boy to man. Derived from the Latin puberatum (age of maturity),
the word puberty describes the physical changes to sexual maturation, not the psychosocial and
cultural maturation denoted by the term adolescent development in Western culture, wherein
adolescence is the period of mental transition from childhood to adulthood, which overlaps much of
the body's period of puberty.
'Privily' is defined as 'confidentially or in secret'.
CHASTITY.
Those Works of Ancient and Mediaeval Literature which more particularly concern the Seeker after
Truth, concur on one point. The most worthless Grimoires of Black Magic, no less than the highest
philosophical flights of the Brotherhood which we name no, insist upon the virtue of Chastity as
cardinal to the Gate of Wisdom.
Let first be noted this word Virtue, the quality of Manhood, integral with Virility. The Chastity of
the Adept of the Rose and Cross, or of the Graal-Knights of Monsalvat, is not other than very
opposite to that of which the poet can write:
......Chastity that slavering sates
of Holiness, and bids spring forth the Fountain of the Sacred Blood, splashing its scarlet dew
throughout Space and Time. His Innocence melts with its white-hot Energy the felon fetters of that
Restriction which is Sin, and his Integrity with its fury of Righteousness establishes that Justice
which alone can satisfy the yearning lust of Womanhood whose name is Opportunity. As the
function of the castrum or castellum is not merely to resist a siege, but to compel to Obedience of
Law and Order every pagan within range of its riders, so also it is the Way of Chastity to do more
than defend its purity against assault. For he is not wholly pure who is imperfect; and perfect is no
man in himself without his fulfillment in all possibility. Thus then must he be instant to seek all
proper adventure and achieve it, seeing well to it that by no means should such distract him or
divert his purpose, polluting his true Nature and hamstringing his true Will.
Woe, woe therefore to him the unchaste who shirks scornful the seeming-trivial, or flees fearful the
desperate, adventure. And woe, thrice woe, and four times woe be to him who is allured by the
adventure, slacking his Will and demitted from his Way: for as the laggard and the dastard are lost,
so is the toy of circumstance dragged down to nethermost Hell.
Sir Knight, be vigilant: watch by your arms and renew your Oath; for that day is of sinister augury
and deadly charged with danger which ye fill not to overflowing with gay deeds and bold of
masterful, of manful Chastity!
Below find an excerpt from Liber Aleph, The Book of Wisdom or Folly:
112
DE CASTITATE
My son, be fervent! Be firm! Be stable! Be quick to make Impurity, how one Course of Ideas
seeketh to infringe upon another, to quell the Virtue thereof. Gold is pure, but to drink molten Gold
were Impurity to thy Body, and its Destruction. Law is a Code of the Customs of a People; if it
intrude thereon to alter them, it is an Impurity of Oppression. So also Diet is to be in Accord with
Digestion; Ethics were an Impurity therein. Love is an Expression of the Will of the Body, yea, and
more also, of That which created the Body; and its Operation is commonly between One and One,
so that the Interference of a Third Person is Impurity, and not to be endured. Nay, even the thought
of Third Person hath but ordinary not Part in Love; so that, as thou seest constantly in thy Life,
Love being strong, taketh no heed of others, and some after Interference bringeth Misfortune. Now
then shell we therefore cast out Love, or accept Impurity therein? God forbid. And for this Cause
see thou well to it that in thy Kingdom there be no Interference there with, nor Hindrance from any.
For it is perfect in itself.
In the Abbey of Thelema a more lengthy invocation is made alongside those given in Liber CC.
These are the Adorations from The Book of the Law:
37.
The Latin curving around the upper portion of the Trump is the ancient alchemical formula of
V.I.T.R.I.O.L.. It says: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem which
means 'visit the interior parts of the earth and by rectification thou shalt find the hidden stone'.
However the astute Qabalist will know that the second letter 'I' in 'Rectificando' is not found; indeed
it is hidden behind the twin head of the main character of this Trump:
The word 'I' is another word for the 'soul', the soul is Sol or the sun. In Hebrew the letter 'I' is Yod,
which means 'hand'. By Yetzirah Yod is The Hermit, Key IX of the Tarot:
What do we see in the hand of The Hermit? A solar blaze inside an octahedron. The octahedron
represents the Element of Air, and the thinking faculty.
Considering V.I.T.R.I.O.L. again we see that Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum
Lapidem has 56 letters. 56 is the value of NU, the metaphysical principle of infinite space. The
central 'I', or Yod, of RECTIFCANDO is also the 26th letter of the entire sentence. 26 is the value of
IHVH, the ineffable Tetragrammaton. When missing the 'I' of RECTIFICANDO, we have 55
letters. 55 is the Mystic Number of 10; 10 is Malkuth, or Earth, or the Hidden Stone that we must
find:
So the meditation we perform in the solar salutations of Liber Resh helps us find the Hidden Stone
of meditative bliss. We visit (introspection) the interior parts of the earth (the mind) and by
rectification (meditation) we find the hidden stone (Nirvana enlightenment). With Liber Resh we
unite Tiphereth within with Tiphereth without.
One may consider these profound and far reaching secrets, but in fact they are only the very
fundamentals of our Art Qabalistic. When one has a full grasp of these rudiments one soon finds
their implications become exponentially unfathomable, yet beautiful.
There are many types and approaches to meditation.
Mantras can be spoken or subvocalised. The mantra can be either repeated with a regular rhythm,
or increased gradually with slow drawn out protraction that gradually quickens until reaching a
rapid whisper. I will let Part One of Book Four explain the basics:
This is the proper way to practise a mantra. Utter it as loudly and slowly as possible ten times,
then not quite so loudly and a very little faster ten times more. Continue this process until there is
nothing but a rapid movement of the lips; this movement should be continued with increased
velocity and diminishing intensity until the mental muttering completely absorbs the physical. The
student is by this time absolutely still, with the mantra racing in his brain; he should, however,
continue to speed it up until he reaches his limit, at which he should continue for as long as
possible, and then cease the practice by reversing the process above described.
Any sentence may be used as a mantra, and possibly the Hindus are correct in thinking that there is
a particular sentence best suited to any particular man. Some men might find the liquid mantras of
the Quran slide too easily, so that it would be possible to continue another train of thought without
disturbing the mantra; one is supposed while saying the mantra to meditate upon its meaning. This
suggests that the student might construct for himself a mantra which should represent the Universe
in sound, as the pantacle should do in form. Occasionally a mantra may be "given," "i.e.," heard in
some unexplained manner during a meditation. One man, for example, used the words: "And strive
to see in everything the will of God;" to another, while engaged in killing thoughts, came the words
"and push it down," apparently referring to the action of the inhibitory centres which he was using.
By keeping on with this he got his "result."
The ideal mantra should be rhythmical, one might even say musical; but there should be sufficient
emphasis on some syllable to assist the faculty of attention. The best mantras are of medium length,
so far as the beginner is concerned. If the mantra is too long, one is apt to forget it, unless one
practises very hard for a great length of time. On the other hand, mantras of a single syllable, such
as "Aum," are rather jerky; the rhythmical idea is lost.
One will soon find with staring at a yantra that it is hard to keep one's eyes still. Eventually the
yantra will begin to flicker and morph, and do all sorts of things; sometimes it will seem to breathe.
For an example of 'breathing' go to www.youtube.com and type in 'hallucinogen' for a synative, that
is an electronic drug noteworthy in itself that it dramatically shows the elasticity of consciousness.
In constructing one's own yantras remember the 'complementary' colours, as these will add to the so
called 'flashing' effect. Try and combine red with green, yellow with violet, and blue with orange.
One can also use the Tattwa symbols singly or in combination, however these are more often used
for astral projection rather than contemplation or meditation.
'Chakras' are defined by Wikipedia as:
energy points or nodes in the subtle body. Chakras are part of the subtle body, not the physical
body, and as such are the meeting points of the subtle (non-physical) energy channels called nadis.
Nadis are channels in the subtle body through which the life force (prana) (non-physical) or vital
energy (non-physical) moves. Various scriptural texts and teachings present a different number of
chakras. There are many chakras in the subtle human body according to the tantric texts, but there
are seven chakras that are considered to be the most important ones.
Their name derives from the Sanskrit word for "wheel" or "turning", but in the yogic context a
better translation of the word is 'vortex or whirlpool'.
The concept of chakra features in tantric and yogic traditions of Hinduism and Buddhism.
I don't feel qualified to comment on the system of the Chakras too much. A wealth of information
has been published about them already.
Qabalistic meditation can mean many different things, indeed infinite approaches to the Divine
could be made. However, the Middle Pillar Exercise has the most in common with the system of
the Chakras. I quote from A Glossary of Thelema for a brief overview:
ARROW, THE PATH OF THE A Qabalistic term for ascending the Middle Pillar, from the
tenth to the first Sphere. This begins in Malkuth () , then shoots up to Yesod ( ) . This
renders the Veil of Qesheth ( ) , which is Hebrew for bow. This word is formed from the three
Paths that extend from Malkuth. From Yesod it shoots up to Tiphereth (). The Path between
these two Spheres is allocated to Sagittarius I, which is Latin for archer. From Tiphereth the Path
of the Arrow makes its final passage to Kether ( ) , The Crown. The magical weapon assigned
to this Path is the bow and arrow, which may be seen on the lap of The High Priestess, the
corresponding card of this Path, of the Thoth Tarot. It thus represents the transition through the
material, astral, spiritual and cosmic planes. The conventional ceremonial approach is the Middle
Pillar exercise which vibrates God Names, and visualises the appropriate colours of the Sephiroth,
as when the Tree of Life is projected as a map of the human anatomy. Malkuth is visualised at the
feet as a glowing ball of earthy colours (or the tertiary colours of citrine, russet, olive, and black)
and the God name Adonai Ha Aretz ( ) is vibrated several times, feeling the sound
emanating from that point. A column of light is then visualised travelling to the genital region, the
position of Yesod, and the God name Shaddai El Chai ( ) is vibrated, whilst imagining a
violet sphere of light. Similarly Tiphereth is in the solar plexus, the colour is golden yellow and the
God name is Yehowah Aloah Va Dath ( ) . The Sphere of Dath is sometimes
omitted. However, it is located in the pit of the throat, visualised as a ball of lavender and the God
name is Yehowah Elohim () . Finally the shaft of light culminates in Kether as a
blinding white effulgence, a few inches above the skull. The God name is Eheieh ( ) which
means I am. Then begins the circulation of the light which is brought up the Middle Pillar with
each inhalation, concentrated in Kether, and showered over the body with each exhalation, and held
in Malkuth whilst the lungs are empty. Let us refer any sincere seekers to The Middle Pillar by
Israel Regardie.
Pranayama, or breathing exercises are another form of meditation; for which consult Liber 206.
Another Qabalistic meditation is to recite the so called 231 Gates of the Sepher Yetzirah, sometimes
just called the '231 Gates'. These are pairs of Hebrew letters all the way from Aleph-Beth to ShinTau. I prefer to just intone the first syllable of each letter. For example I would say 'Ahh-bay' then
'Ahh-gee', then 'Ahh-dar' and so on. After reaching the 231st Gate of Shin-Tau one can then repeat
in reverse going from Tau-Shin, to Tau-Qoph, to Tau-Tzaddi etc. all the way to Beth-Aleph. As
there are innumerable correspondences for the Hebrew letters one can adapt all kinds of techniques
along with the skeleton of the 22 letters. The diagram below should help illustrate:
One can practise visualisation of the Hebrew letters, or ascend the Sephiroth from Malkuth to
Kether. There is also Merkabah meditation, or the Work of the Chariot, but I know little about that
exalted method.
Another meditative technique is the Eight Pieces of Beautiful Silk Brocade of Chi Kung. (I do not
include Tai Chi Chuan in this treatise as it is strictly speaking a martial art, although it contains
profound elements of meditation.) Meditation can be 'meditation in motion'.
Other forms include gazing at one's reflection, gazing at candles and other more 'spell' like methods.
Finally I will mention the 'Formula of the Rosy Cross', with the caveat that it is not lawful to
divulge details about it. The initiate who approaches the Grade of Adeptus Minor will find out for
his or herself. This formula is studied by the Zelator.
The above version of Will is different from the original in that the word 'I' is not used. The first
personal pronoun in forbidden in the Abbey by all save the Masters and Abbot or Abbess. Please
excuse my liberty of alteration.
The saying of Will is a type of eucharist. I quote the beginning of Chapter XX from Magick in
Theory and Practice:
One of the simplest and most complete of Magick ceremonies is the Eucharist. It consists in
taking common things, transmuting them into things divine, and consuming them. So far, it is a
type of every magick ceremony, for the reabsorption of the force is a kind of consumption; but it
has a more restricted application, as follows. Take a substance <<This may be of composite
character.>> symbolic of the whole course of nature, make it God, and consume it. There are many
ways of doing this; but they may easily be classified according to the number of the elements of
which the sacrament is composed. The highest form of the Eucharist is that in which the Element
consecrated is One.
Fasting between meals seems admirable from the standpoint of health, as does plenty of water.
Again the discerning reader will notice all meals are 'accompanied' by wine, not that wine has to be
drunk. Certainly some Thelemites prefer to stay teetotal, or to let others drink more.
What is the French style of cooking? I quote History of French Cuisine, by Colin Yaniga:
When many Americans think of French cuisine the notion of expensive restaurants and French
fries may come to mind. Like many Cuisines of foreign countries, French cuisine is much different
than our own. It boasts its own rich history that evolved over time from the middle ages to present
day. It has been revered as one of the worlds most refined culinary locations, and there are over
9,000 restaurants in Paris alone.
The history of French cuisine dates back to the middle ages. During this time French meals were
very similar to Moorish Cuisine, and were served in a style called service en confusion, meaning
that meals were served all at once. Meals consisted of spiced meats such as pork, beef, poultry, and
fish. In many cases meals where determined by the season, and of what food was in abundance.
Meats were salted and smoked to preserve, and vegetables were also salted and put in jars to
preserve for the winter months. During this time the presentation of the meal was also very
important. The more lavish and colorful the display, the better, and cooks would use edible items
such as saffron, egg yolk, spinach, and sunflower for color. One of the most extravagant dinners of
this time was a roast swan or peacock, which was sewn back into its skin and feathers to look intact.
The feet and beak were gilded with gold to complete the spectacle.
During the 15th and 16th centuries the French were influenced greatly by the advancing culinary arts
in Italy. Much of this influence was due to Catherine De Medicis (a Florentine princess) who
married Henry duc d'Orleans (who became King Henry II of France). Italian chefs where light
years of ahead of French culinary experts, and had already begun creating dishes such as lasagna,
manicotti, and had experimented using ingredients like truffles, garlic, and mushrooms. When
Catherine married King Henry II, she brought along with her Italian chefs who in turn introduced
Italian culinary practices to the French court. Even though the culinary cultures of these two
countries have taken different roads, the French owe much of their culinary development to the
Italians and their intervention in the 1500's.
The period between the 16th and 18th centuries was also known as the Ancien Regime, and during
this time Paris was referred to as the central hub of culture and economic activity and as such
the most highly skilled culinary craftsmen were to be found there. During the Ancien Regime food
distribution was regulated by the city government in the form of guilds, and these guilds put in
place restrictions that allowed certain food industries to operate in assigned areas. Guilds were
separated into two groups: people who supplied the raw materials to make food, and the people who
sold already prepared items. The restrictions that were put in place by guilds hampered the
development of culinary arts during this time, by restricting certain chefs to assigned areas.
Between the 17th and 18th century there was a development in Haute Cuisine or High Cuisine, and
its origins can be found in the recipes of a chef named La Varenne. Varenne was the author of what
is known today as the first true French cookbook. Unlike the cooking styles of the Middle Ages,
Verennes cookbook (Cvisinier Franois) contained new recipes which focused on more modest and
less extravagant meals. This was an ongoing trend throughout the history of French cuisine, with
more and more chefs continuing to tone down on the abundance of a meal, and focusing on the
ingredients in the meal.
The French Revolution also brought about a turning point in the French food industry, because it led
to the fall of guilds. With guilds no longer in place any French chef could produce and sell any type
of food product he or she wished. This lead to a type of enlightenment within the French food
industry, and more chefs began to experiment with different types of ingredients and dishes. One of
the most prominent chefs of the 18th and 19th century was Marie-Antoine Carme. Carme based
his cooking around the development of what he called his mother sauces. These sauces were
made up of espagnole, velout, as well as bchamel, and where also known as fonds or base
sauces. Carme over the span of his career created hundreds of sauces, many of which are still
being used today in French cuisine.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century there began a modernization of haute cuisine. Much
of this new cuisine owes its development to Georges Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier was chef and an
owner of many restaurants, as well as a culinary writer. Much of Escoffier's methods in
modernizing haute cuisine were drawn from the recipes of Carme. By simplifying Carme recipes
as well as adding his own touches Escoffier was able to develop a new modern French cuisine. In
his efforts to modernize French cuisine Escoffier also developed a system to organize and manage a
professional kitchen. The system was called a brigade system and separated the kitchen into five
sections. In this system each member of a designated section created a specific part of the dish.
The sections included the "garde manger" that prepared cold dishes; the "entremettier" prepared
starches and vegetables, the "rtisseur" prepared roasts, grilled and fried dishes; the "saucier"
prepared sauces and soups; and the "ptissier" prepared all pastry and desserts items. By
reorganizing the manufacturing of dishes within the kitchen Escoffier was able to cut down on the
time that was required to prepare a dish, in turn making professional kitchens more efficient.
Escoffier is a legend in the world of French Cuisine and he has written many famous cookbooks, his
most famous being Le Guide Culinaire which includes over 5,000 recipes.
Since the days of Escoffier there have been many changes in the anatomy of French Cuisine. Over
time new techniques have evolved, and chefs have become more inventive. There has been a
tendency to shy away from larger menus, and the focus has changed from the abundance food
included in a dish, to the quality of the ingredients in the dish. Present day French meal structure is
divided into Le petit djeuner, Le djeuner, and Le dner (Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner). Breakfast
often consists of tartines which are small slices of French bread which are then spread with jelly,
and or pastries. Lunch was once known as one of the largest meals of the day, and in many
professional situations workers would be allowed a two hour lunch break. Though in todays
French society many French workers are allotted an hour for lunch, which most use to eat out or at
the business or schools cafeteria. Dinner in most cases consists of three courses: the entre, the
plat principal or main course, and the cheese or desert course. Some popular French dishes include
Blanquette de veau (blanquette of veal), Coq au vin (rooster in red wine), Bouillabaisse (fish soup),
and Boudin blanc (Delicate flavored sausage similar to bockwurst). Wine is essential item in
French meals, and it to has a rich history in France. In many cases a different wine is paired with
each course in a meal, and each wine is picked depending on what is being served for each course.
Though France is know for its wine, there has been a 60 percent drop in the consumption of wine
during meals throughout France. Instead there has been a rise in fruit juice, water, and beer
consumption, as well as other alcoholic drinks mixed with cider or other mixers.
French cuisine has a rich history, and like many other native cuisines, French cuisine owes it
development to brilliant chefs as well as the some helpful influences from neighboring countries. It
can be assured that French cuisine will continue to evolve and change and that in years to come
brilliant French culinary experts will continue to push the boundaries of the culinary world. Like
many cultures it has taken many years for the French to perfect their cuisine, with each generation
adding something new to the mix. Yet it is because of the chefs of the past generations that a
countrys cuisine can develop to what it is now.
Breakfast shall be vegan. Once again this is very good for one's bowels. We can only wonder what
French style vegan dishes might be!
As for the difference between red and white meat, I quote a brief explanation from Yahoo! Answers:
White meat refers to any light-colored meat, such as fish, seafood, and particularly poultry.
However, in a broader sense, it includes any of the meats that are considered to be less fatty
compared to red meats. The term "white meat" comes from the fact that the meat of chicken is
white in color. Examples of white meat are animal proteins derived from birds (chicken, turkey,
duck, pheasant, etc.), fish, reptiles (alligator meat), amphibians (frogs' legs), crustaceans (lobster,
shrimp, crab) or bivalves (oysters, clams, mussels). Even those that are red, or reddish-colored,
such as salmon, red snapper, or cooked lobsters and shrimp are not red meat; instead they are called
white meat, or lean meat.
Meats that are red when raw but turn pale or white after cooking present a paradox. Officially they
can be considered red meat, as the United States Department of Agriculture does, but producers and
consumers may prefer to categorize them as white meat. The National Pork Board in the United
States has positioned pork as a white meat.
Within poultry, there are two types of meats - white and dark. The different colors are based on the
different locations and uses of the muscles. Dark meats occur in the legs, which are used to support
the weight of the animals while they move. These muscles are designed to develop endurance for
long-term use and contains a large amount of myoglobin, allowing the muscle to use oxygen more
efficiently for aerobic respiration. In contrast the white meat, generally found within the breasts of
the birds, are used for quick bursts of power which requires little of the meat-darkening myoglobin.
Note that this holds for ground-based bird like chickens and turkeys - birds which use their chest
muscles for flight (such as geese and ducks) have dark meat throughout their bodies.
Red meat only refers to mammal meat. The term is often considered misleading, as not all mammal
food appears red, and some non-mammal meat can be red. Significantly, red meat does not refer to
how well a piece of meat is cooked or its coloration after cooking. A steak or hamburger is a red
meat whether it is served rare and bloody, or cooked until it is brown or gray, or even burnt to a
crisp. So is pork, which turns pale to white when cooked, despite marketing slogans to the
contrary.
The Feast Days of The Book of the Law may not be the same as the Feast Days alluded to in Article
34. This I am unsure of, and it may well be left up to the Abbot or Abbess. This is what Wikipedia
says [italics mine]:
The Book of the Law gives several holy days to be observed by Thelemites. There are no
established or dogmatic ways to celebrate these days, so as a result Thelemites will often take to
their own devices or celebrate in groups, especially within Ordo Templi Orientis. These holy days
are usually observed on the following dates:
March 20. The Feast of the Supreme Ritual, which celebrates the Invocation of Horus, the ritual
performed by Crowley on this date in 1904 that inaugurated the New Aeon.
March 20/March 21. The Equinox of the Gods, which is commonly referred to as the Thelemic
New Year (although some celebrate the New Year on April 8). Although the Equinox and the
Invocation of Horus often fall on the same day, they are often treated as two different events. This
date is the Autumnal Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.
April 8 through April 10. The Feast of the Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law.
These three days are commemorative of the three days in the year 1904 during which Aleister
Crowley wrote The Book of the Law. One chapter was written each day, the first being written on
April 8, the second on April 9, and the third on April 10. Although there is no official way of
celebrating any Thelemic holiday, this particular feast day is usually celebrated by reading the
corresponding chapter on each of the three days, usually at noon.
June 20/June 21. The Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Winter Solstice in the
Southern Hemisphere.
August 12. The Feast of the Prophet and His Bride. This holiday commemorates the marriage of
Aleister Crowley and his first wife Rose Edith Crowley. Rose was a key figure in the writing of the
Book of the Law.
September 22/September 23. The Autumnal Equinox in the Northern Hemisphere and the Vernal
Equinox in the Southern Hemisphere.
December 21/December 22. The Winter Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the Summer
Solstice in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Feast for Life, celebrated at the birth of a Thelemite and on birthdays.
The Feast for Fire/The Feast for Water. These feast days are usually taken as being when a child
hits puberty and steps unto the path of adulthood. The Feast for Fire is celebrated for a male, and
the Feast for Water for a female.
The Feast for Death, celebrated on the death of a Thelemite and on the anniversary of their death.
postulantnovicediscipleaspirantadeptmasterabbotabbessarchimandrite
We find 66 letters. 66 is the Mystic Number of eleven, the maximum number of members in a
single abbey.
I wrote a short poem about the seven grades:
There are a some parallels with the famous Maslow's 'hierarchy of needs' and the progress of
initiation with the Abbey, although lacking a watertight correspondence. Below is a simplified
version:
Longevity
According to Dr. Mark P. Mattson, chief of the laboratory of neurosciences at the US National
Institute on Aging, fasting every other day (intermittent fasting) shows beneficial effects in mice as
strong as those of caloric-restriction diets, and a small study conducted on humans at the University
of Illinois at Chicago indicates the same results. According to the US National Academy of
Sciences, other health benefits include stress resistance, increased insulin sensitivity, reduced
morbidity, and increased life span. Long-term studies in humans have not been conducted.
However, short-term human trials showed weight loss. The side effect was that the participants felt
cranky during the three-week trial. According to the study conducted by Dr. Eric Ravussin,
"Alternate-day fasting may be an alternative to prolonged diet restriction for increasing the life
span".
Cancer
Research by Valter Longo and others suggests a potential link between fasting and improved
efficacy of chemotherapy.
The American Cancer Society has yet to endorse fasting as an adjunct to cancer therapy, saying that
"Available scientific evidence does not support claims that fasting is effective for preventing or
treating cancer in humans, although this is now being more fully investigated."
Potential risks
Death occurs if fasting is pursued to the point of complete starvation. People have died from a
Liquid Modified Protein Diet during which they lost an average of 35% of their body weight over a
5-month period.
Changes in blood chemistry during fasting, in combination with certain medications, may have
dangerous effects, such as increased chance of acetaminophen poisoning in people with
hepatotoxicity. Excessive fasting for calorie restrictive purposes, accompanied by intense fears of
becoming overweight, are associated with mental disturbances, including anorexia nervosa.
Medical application
Fasting is often indicated prior to surgery or other procedures that require general anesthetics,
because of the risk of pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents after induction of anaesthesia (i.e.,
vomiting and inhaling the vomit, causing life-threatening aspiration pneumonia). Additionally,
certain medical tests, such as cholesterol testing (lipid panel) or certain blood glucose measurements
require fasting for several hours so that a baseline can be established. In the case of cholesterol,
failure to fast for a full 12 hours (including vitamins) will guarantee an elevated triglyceride
measurement.
Wikipedia talks of people who claim not to need food at all:
Inedia (Latin for "fasting") or breatharianism is the belief that it is possible for a person to live
without consuming food. Breatharians claim that food, and in some cases water, are not necessary
for survival, and that humans can be sustained solely by prana, the vital life force in Hinduism.
According to Ayurveda, sunlight is one of the main sources of prana, and some practitioners believe
that it is possible for a person to survive on sunlight alone. The terms breatharianism or inedia may
also refer to this philosophy practiced as a lifestyle in place of the usual diet.
Breatharianism is considered a lethal pseudoscience by scientists and medical professionals, and
several adherents of these practices have died from starvation and dehydration.
Scientific assessment
Nutritional science proves that fasting for extended periods leads to starvation, dehydration, and
eventual death. In the absence of calorie intake, the body normally burns its own reserves of
glycogen, body fat, and muscle. Breatharians claim that their bodies do not consume these reserves
while fasting.
Some breatharians have submitted themselves to medical testing, including a hospital's observation
of Indian mystic Prahlad Jani appearing to survive without food or water for 15 days, and an Israeli
breatharian appearing to survive for eight on a television documentary. In a handful of documented
cases, individuals attempting breatharian fasting have died. Among the claims in support of Inedia
investigated by the Indian Rationalist Association, all were found to be fraudulent. In other cases,
people have attempted to survive on sunlight alone, only to abandon the effort after losing a large
percentage of their body weight.
Practitioners
Rosicrucianism
The 1670 Rosicrucian text Comte de Gabalis attributed the practice to the physician and occultist
Parcelsus (14931541) who was described as having lived "several years by taking only one half
scrupule of Solar Quintessence". In this book, it is also stated that, "Paracelsus affirms that He has
seen many of the Sages fast twenty years without eating anything whatsoever."
Ram Bahadur Bomjon
Ram Bahadur Bomjon is a young Nepalese Buddhist monk who lives as an ascetic in a remote area
of Nepal. Bomjon appears to go for periods of time without ingesting either food or water. One
such period was chronicled in a 2006 Discovery Channel documentary The Boy With Divine
Powers, which reported that Bomjon neither moved, ate nor drank anything during 96 hours of
filming.
Jasmuheen
Jasmuheen (born Ellen Greve) was a prominent advocate of breatharianism in the 1990s. She
claimed, "I can go for months and months without having anything at all other than a cup of tea.
My body runs on a different kind of nourishment." Interviewers found her house stocked with food;
Jasmuheen claimed the food was for her husband and daughter. In 1999, she volunteered to be
monitored closely by the Australian television program 60 Mintues for one week without eating to
demonstrate her methods. Jasmuheen stated that she found it difficult on the third day of the test
because the hotel room in which she was confined was located near a busy road, causing stress and
pollution that prevented absorption of required nutrients from the air. "I asked for fresh air.
Seventy percent of my nutrients come from fresh air. I couldnt even breathe," she said. The third
day the test was moved to a mountainside retreat where her condition continued to deteriorate.
After Jasmuheen had fasted for four days, Dr. Berris Wink, president of the Queensland branch of
the Australian Medical Association, urged her to stop the test.
According to Dr. Wink, Jasmuheens pupils were dilated, her speech was slow, and she was "quite
dehydrated, probably over 10%, getting up to 11%". Towards the end of the test, she said, "Her
pulse is about double what it was when she started. The risks if she goes any further are kidney
failure. 60 Minutes would be culpable if they encouraged her to continue. She should stop now."
The test was stopped. Dr. Wink said, "Unfortunately there are a few people who may believe what
she says, and I'm sure it's only a few, but I think it's quite irresponsible for somebody to be trying to
encourage others to do something that is so detrimental to their health." Jasmuheen challenged the
results of the program, saying, "Look, 6,000 people have done this around the world without any
problem." Though she claims thousands of people are tuned to this, mostly in Germany, there has
been no verification that any have lived for extended periods without food.
Jasmuheen was awarded the Bent Spoon Award by Australian Skeptics in 2000 ("presented to the
perpetrator of the most preposterous piece of paranormal or pseudoscientific piffle"). She also won
the 2000 Ig Nobel Prize for Literature for Living on Light. Jasmuheen claims that their beliefs are
based on the writings and "more recent channelled material" from St. Germain. She stated that
some people's DNA has expanded from 2 to 12 strands, to "absorb more hydrogen". When offered
$30,000 to prove her claim with a blood test, she said that she didn't understand the relevance as she
was not referring to herself.
In the documentary No Way to Heaven the Swiss chemist Michael Werner claims to have followed
the directions appearing on Jasmuheen's books, living for several years without food. The
documentary also describes two attempts at scientific verification of his claims. As of 2012, four
deaths had been directly linked to breatharianism as a result of Jasmuheen's publications.
Jasmuheen has denied any responsibility for the deaths.
Wiley Brooks
Wiley Brooks is the founder of the Breatharian Institute of America. He was first introduced to the
public in 1980 when appearing on the TV show That's Incredible!. Brooks stopped teaching
recently to "devote 100% of his time on solving the problem as to why he needed to eat some type
of food to keep his physical body alive and allow his light body to manifest completely." Brooks
claims to have found "four major deterrents" which prevented him from living without food:
"people pollution", "food pollution", "air pollution" and "electro pollution".
In 1983 he was reportedly observed leaving a Santa Cruz 7-Eleven with a Slurpee, hot dog and
Twinkies. He told Colors magazine in 2003 that he periodically breaks his fasting with a
cheeseburger and a cola, explaining that when he's surrounded by junk culture and junk food,
consuming them adds balance.
On his website, Brooks states that his potential followers must first prepare by combining the junk
food diet with the meditative incantation of five magic "fifth-dimensional" words which appear on
his website, some of which are words from Kundalini yoga. In the "5D Q&A" section of his
website Brooks claims that cows are fifth-dimensional (or higher) beings that help mankind achieve
fifth-dimensional status by converting three-dimensional food to five-dimensional food (beef). In
the "Question and Answer" section of his website, Brooks explains that the "Double QuarterPounder with Cheese" meal from McDonald's possesses a special "base frequency" and that he thus
recommends it as occasional food for beginning breatharians. He then goes on to reveal that Diet
Coke is "liquid light". Prospective disciples are asked after some time following the junk
food/magic word preparation to revisit his website in order to test if they can feel the magic.
Brooks states that he may be contacted on his fifth-dimensional phone in order to get the correct
pronunciation of the five magic words. In case the line is busy, prospective recruits are asked to
meditate on the five magic words for a few minutes, and then try calling again.
Brooks's institute has charged varying fees to prospective clients who wished to learn how to live
without food, which have ranged from US$100,000 with an initial deposit of $10,000 to one billion
dollars, to be paid via bank wire transfer with a preliminary deposit of $100,000, for a session called
"Immortality workshop". A payment plan was also offered. These charges have typically been
presented as limited time offers exclusively for billionaires.
Hira Ratan Manek
Hira Ratan Manek (born 12 September 1937) claims that since 18 June 1995 he has lived on water
and occasionally tea, coffee, and buttermilk. Manek states that Sungazing is the key to his health
citing Yogis, ancient Egyptians, Aztecs, Mayans and Native Americans as practitioners of the art.
While he and his proponents state that medical experts have confirmed his ability to draw
sustenance by gazing at the sun, he was caught on camera eating a big meal in a San Francisco
restaurant in the 2011 documentary Eat the Sun.
Prahlad Jani ("Mataji")
Prahlad Jani is an Indian sadhu who has claimed to have lived without food and water for more than
70 years. His claims were investigated by doctors at Sterling Hospital, Ahmedabad, Gujarat in
2003 and 2010. The research team reported that he did not consume any food or water during the
testing periods, although they could not comment on his claim of having been able to survive in this
way for decades. The study concluded that Prahlad Jani was able to survive under observation for
two weeks without either food or water, and had passed no urine or stool, with no need for dialysis.
Interviews with the researchers speak of strict observation and relate that round-the-clock
observation was ensured by multiple CCTV cameras. Jani was reportedly subjected to multiple
medical tests. Jani's only contact with any form of fluid was during gargling and bathing, and the
doctors said they measured the fluid that Jani spat out.
The case has attracted criticism, both after the 2003 tests and the recent 2010 tests. Sanal
Edamaruku, president of the Indian Rationalist Association, criticized the 2010 experiment for
allowing Jani to move out of a certain CCTV camera's field of view, meet devotees and leave the
sealed test room to sunbathe. Edamaruku stated that the regular gargling and bathing activities were
not sufficiently monitored, and accused Jani of having had some "influential protectors" who denied
Edamaruku permission to inspect the project during its operation.
Ray Maor
In a television documentary produced by the Israeli television investigative show The Real Face (
) hosted by Amnon Levy, Israeli practitioner of Inedia, Ray Maor () , appeared to
survive without food or water for eight days and eight nights. According to the documentary, he
was restricted to a small villa and placed under constant video surveillance, with medical
supervision that included daily blood testing. The documentary claimed Maor was in good spirits
throughout the experiment, lost 17 lb after eight days, blood tests showed no change before, during
or after the experiment, and Cardiologist Ilan Kitsis from Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre was
"baffled."
Hindu religious texts contain account of saints and hermits practicing what would be called inedia,
breatharianism or Sustenance through Light in modern terms. In Valmiki's Ramayana, Book III,
Canto VI, an account of anchorites and holy men is given, who flocked around Rama when he came
to arabhanga's hermitage. These included, among others, the "...saints who live on rays which
moon and daystar give" and "those ... whose food the wave of air supplies". In Canto XI of the
same book a hermit named Makariis mentioned: "For he, great votarist, intent On strictest
rule his stern life spent ... Ten thousand years on air he fed..." (English quotations are from
Ralph T. H. Griffith's translation).
Paramahansa Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi details two alleged historical examples of
breatharianism, Giri Bala and Therese Neumann.
There are claims that Devraha Baba lived without food.
LIBER ISRAFEL
sub figura LXIV
A.. A..
Publication in Class B.
Imprimatur:
N. Fra A.. A..
[This book was formerly called "Anubis," and is referred to the 20th key, "The Angel."]
0. The Temple being in darkness, and the Speaker ascended into his place let him begin by a ritual
of the Enterer, as followeth.
1.
Priocul, O procul este profani.
2. Bahlasti! Ompehda!
3. In the name of the Mighty and Terrible One, I proclaim that I have banished the Shells
unto their habitations.
4. I invoke Tahuti, the Lord of Wisdom and of Utterance, the God that cometh forth from
the Veil.
5. O Thou! Majesty of Godhead! Wisdom-crowned Tahuti! Lord of the Gates of the
Universe! Thee, Thee, I invoke.
O Thou of the Ibis Head! Thee, Thee I invoke.
Thou who wieldest the Wand of Double Power! Thee, Thee I invoke!
Thou who bearest in Thy left hand the Rose and Cross of Light and Life: Thee, Thee, I
invoke.
Thou, whose head is as an emerald, and Thy nemmes as the night-sky blue! Thee, Thee I
invoke.
Thou, whose skin is of flaming orange as though it burned in a furnace! Thee, Thee I invoke.
6. Behold! I am Yesterday, To-Day, and the Brother of To-Morrow!
I am born again and and again.
Mine is the Unseen Force, whereof the Gods are sprung! Which is as Life unto the Dwellers
in the Watch-Towers of the Universe.
I am the Charioteer of the East, Lord of the Past and of the Future.
I see by mine own inward light: Lord of Resurrection; Who cometh forth from the Dusk, and
my birth is from the House of Death.
7. O ye two Divine Hawks upon your Pinnacles!
Who keep watch over the Universe!
Ye who company the Bier to the House of Rest!
Who pilot the Ship of Ra advancing onwards to the heights of heaven!
Lord of the Shrine which standeth in the Centre of the Earth!
necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the
community,
Recognizing that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality,
should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding,
Considering that the child should be fully prepared to live an individual life in society, and brought
up in the spirit of the ideals proclaimed in the Charter of the United Nations, and in particular in the
spirit of peace, dignity, tolerance, freedom, equality and solidarity,
Bearing in mind that the need to extend particular care to the child has been stated in the Geneva
Declaration of the Rights of the Child of 1924 and in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child
adopted by the General Assembly on 20 November 1959 and recognized in the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (in
particular in articles 23 and 24), in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights (in particular in article 10) and in the statutes and relevant instruments of specialized
agencies and international organizations concerned with the welfare of children,
Bearing in mind that, as indicated in the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, "the child, by reason
of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate
legal protection, before as well as after birth",
Recalling the provisions of the Declaration on Social and Legal Principles relating to the Protection
and Welfare of Children, with Special Reference to Foster Placement and Adoption Nationally and
Internationally; the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Administration of Juvenile
Justice (The Beijing Rules); and the Declaration on the Protection of Women and Children in
Emergency and Armed Conflict, Recognizing that, in all countries in the world, there are children
living in exceptionally difficult conditions, and that such children need special consideration,
Taking due account of the importance of the traditions and cultural values of each people for the
protection and harmonious development of the child, Recognizing the importance of international
co-operation for improving the living conditions of children in every country, in particular in the
developing countries,
ARTICLE THIRTY. The mass media are forbidden within the Abbey
of Thelema.
When I first read this sentence, over a decade ago, I thought it meant merely that journalists and
members of the Press are not allowed with our walls. However, it actually means that all the nodes
of modern mass media are forbidden. This means televisions, radios, computers, Internet,
newspapers and mobile phones are forbidden. This is so because it helps 'hermetically seal' the
Abbey from the whims and caprices of so called 'modern culture'. The mass media is the media of
the 'profane', is open to political machinations and is hardly fitting for the nobility of mind found
with the lofty initiations that Thelema, and perhaps only Thelema, can provide. Put more simply,
the members of the Abbey don't have time to keep up do date with the shifting sands of common
minds and common predispositions.
As a champion of the Global Village concept, the Abbey of Thelema prevents 'autonomy leakage'
that would result from obsequiously pandering to the World Wide Web and its tendencies to
monopolising the media, and therefore the intellect, of people connected to its vast tentacles. The
Abbey of Thelema is 'Luddite' or rather 'Neo-Luddite'; again we refer to Wikipedia:
The term has since developed a secondary meaning: a "Luddite" is one opposed to
industrialisation, automation, computerisation or new technologies in general.
In 1956, a speech in Parliament said that 'Organised workers were by no means wedded to a Luddite
Philosophy'.
More recently, the term Neo-Luddism has emerged to describe opposition to many forms of
technology. According to a manifesto drawn up by the Second Luddite Congress (April 1996;
Barnesville, Ohio), Neo-Luddism is "a leaderless movement of passive resistance to consumerism
and the increasingly bizarre and frightening technologies of the Computer Age."
The term "Luddite fallacy" is used by economists in reference to the fear that technological
unemployment inevitably generates structural unemployment (and is consequently
macroeconomically injurious). If a technological innovation results in a reduction of necessary
labour inputs in a given sector, then the industry-wide cost of production falls, which lowers the
competitive price and increases the equilibrium supply point which, theoretically, will require an
increase in aggregate labour inputs.
Whatever the impact of focussed innovation has on economies we can consider the following
axiom: humanity is growing increasingly independent on machines it does not understand. Indeed
although our Abbey may be slower without the Internet that by no means entails it will be weaker.
A small group that grasps fundamental technologies will inevitably resist the social entropy and
slide towards 'top heavy' systems that become exponentially difficult to maintain. The impetus of
computerised technology is such that constant upgrading and convolutions of innovation place a
strain on resources, and therefore the environment.
Computers simultaneously liberate and captivate us. The true imperialism of planet Earth is, at
least largely, a technocracy.
You may consider me a hypocrite to say all this and actually write these words on a laptop! I
simply remember Crowley when he stated, Below the Abyss Contradiction is Division, Above the
Abyss Contradiction is Unity.
It is far more important that the nodes of media are avoided rather than the Abbey tries to hide from
the scrutiny of the Press. Indeed we are expected to perform public shows, readings and
performances of the writings of Aleister Crowley. 'Public' would entail broadcasting and media
coverage. However, these broadcasts would only be permissible from outside the Abbey's confines.
On a cautionary note, remember how the newspapers slurred the Abbey of Thelema of 1920s'
Cefalu in Sicily.
0.
0. Behold the Yoke upon the neck of the Oxen! Is it not thereby that the Field shall be ploughed?
The Yoke is heavy, but joineth together them that are separate --- Glory to Nuit and to Hadit, and to
Him that hath given us the Symbol of the Rosy Cross!
Glory unto the Lord of the Word Abrahadabra, and Glory unto Him that hath given us the Symbol
of the Ankh, and of the Cross within the Circle!
1. Three are the Beasts wherewith thou must plough the Field; the Unicorn, the Horse, and the Ox.
And these shalt thou yoke in a triple yoke that is governed by One Whip.
2. Now these Beasts run wildly upon the earths and are not easily obedient to the Man.
3. Nothing shall be said here of Cerberus, the great Beast of Hell that is every one of these and all
of these, even as Athanasius hath foreshadowed. For this matter 1 is not of Tiphereth without, but
Tiphereth within.
I.
0. The Unicorn is speech. Man, rule thy Speech! How else shalt thou master the Son, and answer
the Magician at the right hand gateway of the Crown?
1. Here are practices. Each may last for a week or more.
2. (a) Avoid using some common word, such as "and" or "the" or "but"; use a paraphrase.
(b) Avoid using some letter of the alphabet, such as "t", or "s". or "m"; use a paraphrase.
(c) Avoid using the pronouns and adjectives of the first person; use a paraphrase.
Of thine own ingenium devise others.
2. On each occasion that thou art betrayed into saying that thou art sworn to avoid, cut thyself
sharply upon the writs or forearm with a razor; even as thou shouldst beat a disobedient dog.
Feareth not the Unicorn the claws and teeth of the Lion?
3. Thine arm then serveth thee both for a warning and for a record. Thou shalt write down thy
daily progress in these practices, until thou art perfectly vigilant at all times over the least word that
slippeth from thy tongue.
Thus bind thyself, and thou shalt be for ever free.
II.
0. The Horse is Action. Man, rule thine Action. How else shalt thou master the Father, and answer
the Fool at the Left Hand Gateway of the Crown?
1. Here are practices. Each may last for a week, or more.
(a) Avoiding lifting the left arm above the waist.
(b) Avoid crossing the legs.
Of thine own ingenium devise others.
2. On each occasion that thou art betrayed into doing that thou art sworn to avoid, cut thyself
sharply upon the wrist or forearm with a razor; even as thou shouldst beat a disobedient dog.
Feareth not the Horse the teeth of the Camel?
3. Thine arm then serveth thee both for a warning and for a record. Thou shalt write down thy
daily progress in these practices, until thou art perfectly vigilant at all times over the least action
that slippeth from the least of thy fingers.
Thus bind thyself, and thou shalt be for ever free.
III.
0. The Ox is Thought. Man, rule thy Thought! How else shalt thou master the Holy Spirit, and
answer the High Priestess in the Middle Gateway of the Crown?
1. Here are practices. Each may last for a week or more. (a) Avoid thinking of a definite subject
and all things connected with it, and let that subject be one which commonly occupies much of thy
thought, being frequently stimulated by sense-perceptions or the conversation of others.
(b) By some device, such as the changing of thy ring from one finger to another, create in thyself
two personalities, the thoughts of one being within entirely different limits from that of the other,
the common ground being the necessities of life. 2
Of thine own Ingenium devise others.
2. On each occasion that thou art betrayed into thinking that thou art sworn to avoid, cut thyself
sharply upon the wrist or forearm with a razor; even as thou shouldst beat a disobedient dog.
Feareth not the Ox the Goad of the Ploughman?
3. Thine arm then serveth thee both for a warning and for a record. Thou shalt write down thy
daily progress in these practices, until thou art perfectly vigilant at all times over the least thought
that ariseth in thy brain.
Thus bind thyself, and thou shalt be for ever free.
1. (i.e. the matter of Cereberus).
2. For instance, let A be a man of strong passions, skilled in the Holy Qabalah, a vegetarian,
and a keen "reactionary" politician. Let B be a bloodless and ascetic thinker, occupied with
business and family cares, an eater of meat, and a keen progressive politician. Let no
thought proper to "A" arise when the ring is on the "B" finger, and vice versa.
Note Bene I strongly recommend one does not cut oneself, however the text of Liber 3 is included
unedited. Rather a strong elastic band, worn on the wrist, can be pulled and slapped against the
flesh. This makes for a psychological guard without injuring oneself. Alternatively one could get
an electrical ignition mechanism from a safety lighter and apply small shocks to the fingertips.
In the Abbey authority can be implied with a single letter, the word 'I'. This is very different from
other organizations that have to quote reference numbers in legal documents, or lengthy titles that
invoke the bulky, and perhaps clumsy, chain of command.
Avoiding the first personal pronoun reminds most that one's ego self has to be superseded to the
Will of the collective. The True Will must be one and not two. Will is unity of desire. The petty
impulses and whims of one's lower self should be held in check constantly, subservient to the Law
of Thelema; the law of Agape and the Abbey.
ARTICLE THIRTY-FOUR. The entry of the Sun into the signs of the
zodiac, the newness and fullness of the Moon, the birth and puberty of
children, the marriages and deaths of members, the quarter days, and
the feast days prescribed in the Book of the Law shall be observed by
rituals and celebrated by feasts. In addition, the Abbey of Thelema
shall sponsor public readings and performances of the works of
Aleister Crowley, and such other works as the Abbot may authorize.
Find below a table of the correspondences of the Zodiac from A Glossary of Thelema:
Liber XV
O. T. O.
Ecclesi Gnostic Catholic
Canon Miss
Edited from the Ancient Documents in
Assyrian and Greek by The Master Therion
Below it should be the dais of three steps, in black and white squares.
Above it is the super-altar, at whose to is the Stele of Revealing in reproduction, with four candles
on each side of it. Below the stele is a place for The Book of the Law, with six candles on each side
of it. Below this again is the Holy Graal, with roses on each side of it. There is room in front of the
Cup for the Paten. On each side beyond the roses are two great candles.
All this is enclosed within a great Veil.
Forming the apex of an equilateral triangle whose base is a line drawn between the pillars, is a small
black square altar, of superimposed cubes.
Taking this altar as the middle of the base of a similar and equal triangle, at the apex of this second
triangle is a small circular font.
Repeating, the apex of a third triangle is an upright tomb.
The DEACON brings the crown from the High Altar. (The crown may be of gold or platinum, or of
electrum magicum; but with no other metals, save the small proportions necessary to a proper alloy.
It may be adorned with divers jewels, at will But it must have the Urus serpent twined about it,
and the cap of maintenance must match the scarlet of the Robe. Its texture should be velvet.)
Be the Serpent thy crown, O thou PRIEST of the LORD!
Kneeling, she takes the Lance, between her open hands, and runs them up and down upon the shaft
eleven times, very gently.
Be the LORD present among us!
All give the Hailing Sign.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
But to love me is better than all things; if under the night-stars in the desert thou presently
burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the serpent flame
therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to
give all; but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall gather goods
and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the
earth in splendour and pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. I
charge you earnestly to come before me in a single robe, and covered with a rich head-dress. I
love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and
purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and arouse the
coiled splendour within you: come unto me! To me! To me! Sing the raptuous love-song unto
me! Burn to me perfumes! Wear to me jewels! Drink to me, for I love you! I love you. I am the
blue-lidded daughter of sunset; I am the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night-sky. To me!
To me!
The PRIEST mounts the second step.
The PRIEST:
O secret of secrets that art hidden in the being of all that lives, not Thee do we adore, for that
which adoreth is also Thou. Thou art That, and That am I.
I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star. I am Life, and
the giver of Life; yet therefore is the knowledge of me the knowledge of death. I am alone;
there is no God where I am.
The DEACON and all rise to their feet, with the Hailing sign.
The DEACON:
But ye, O my people rise up and awake.
Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.
There are rituals of the elements and feasts of the times.
A feast for the first night of the Prophet and his Bride.
A feast for the three days of the writing of the Book of the Law.
A feast for Tahuti and the children of the Prophet-secret, O Prophet!
A feast for the Supreme Ritual, and a feast for the Equinox of the Gods.
A feast for fire and a feast for water; a feast for life and a greater feast for death.
A feast every day in your hearts in the joy of my rapture.
A feast every night unto Nu, and the pleasure of uttermost delight.
The PRIEST mounts the third step.
The PRIEST:
Thou that art One, our Lord in the Universe the Sun, our Lord in ourselves whose name is
Mystery of Mystery, uttermost being whose radiance enlightening the worlds is also the
breath that maketh every God even and Death to tremble before Thee - By the Sign of Light
appear Thou glorious upon the throne of the Sun.
Make open the path of creation and of intelligence between us and our minds. Enlighten our
understanding. Encourage our hearts. Let thy light crystallize itself in our blood, fulfilling us
of Resurrection.
A ka dua
Tuf ur biu
bi a'a chefu
Dudu nur af an nuteru.
The PRIESTESS: There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.
The PRIEST parts the veil with his lance. During the previous speeches the PRIESTESS has, if
necessary, as in savage countries, resumed her robe.
The PRIEST:
IO IO IO IAO SABAO
KURIE ABRASAX KURIE MEITHRAS KURIE PHALLE.
IO PAN, IO PAN PAN IO ISXURON, IO ATHANATON IO ABROTON IO IAO. XAIRE
PHALLE KAIRE PANPHAGE KAIRE PANGENETOR.
HAGIOS, HAGIOS, HAGIOS IAO.
The PRIESTESS is seated with the Paten in her right hand and the cup in her left. The PRIEST
presents the Lance, which she kisses eleven times. She then holds it to her breast, while the
PRIEST, falling at her knees, kisses them, his arms stretched along her thighs. He remains in this
adoration while the DEACON intones the Collects. All stand to order, with the Dieu Garde, that is,
feet square, hands, with linked thumbs, held loosely. This is the universal position when standing,
unless other direction is given.
The Lord
The DEACON: Lord secret and most holy, source of life, source of love, source of liberty, be
thou ever constant and mighty within us, force of energy, fire of motion; with diligence let us
ever labour with thee, that we may remain in thine abundant joy.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Moon
The DEACON: Lady of night, that turning ever about us art now visible and now invisible in
thy season, be thou favourable to hunters, and lovers, and to all men that toil upon the earth,
and to all mariners upon the sea.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Lady
The DEACON: Giver and receiver of joy, gate of life and love, be thou ever ready, thou and
thine handmaiden, in thine office of gladness.
The PE_PLE: So mote it be.
The Saints
The DEACON: Lord of Life and Joy, that art the might of man, that art the essence of every
true god that is upon the surface of the Earth, continuing knowledge from generation unto
generation, thou adored of us upon heaths and in woods, on mountains and in caves, oenly in
the marketplaces and secretly in the chambers of our houses, in temples of gold and ivory and
marble as in these other temples of our bodies, we worthily commemorate them worthy that
did of old adore thee and manifest they glory unto men,
(At each name the DEACON signs with thumb between index and medius. At ordinary mass it is
only necessary to commemorate those whose names are italicized, with wording as is shown.)
Laotze and Siddartha and Krishna and Tahuti, Mosheh, Dionysus, Mohammed and To Mega
Therion, with these also Hermes, Pan, Priapus, Osiris and Melchizedek, Khem and Amoun
and Mentu, Heracles, Orpheus and Odysseus; with Vergilius, Catullus, Martialis, Rabelais,
Swinburne, and many an holy bard; Apollonius Tyanus, Simon Magus, Manes, Pythagoras,
Basilides, Valentinus, Bardesanes and Hippolytus, that transmitted the Light of the Gnosis to
us their successors and their heirs; with Merlin, Arthur, Kamuret, Parzival, and many
another, pr&127;phet, priest and king, that bore the Lance and Cup, the Sword and Disk,
against the Heathen; and these also, Carolus Magnus and his paladins, with William of
Schyren, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, Roger Bacon, Jacobus Burgundus Molensis the Martyr,
Christian Rosencreutz, Ulrich von Hutten, Paracelsus, Michael Maier, Roderic Borgia Poe
Alexander the Sixth, Jacob Boehme, Francis Bacon Lord Verulam, Andrea, Robertus de
Fluctibus, Johannes Dee, Sir Edward Kelly, Thomas Vaughan, Elias Ashmole, Molinos, Adam
Weishaupt, Wolfgang von Goethe, Ludovicus Rex Bavari, Richard Wagner, Alphonse Louis
Constant, Friedrich Nietzsche, Hargrave Jennings, Carl Kellner, Forlong dux, Sir Richard
Payne Knight, Paul Gaugin, Sir Richard Francis Burton, Doctor Gaerard Encausse, Doctor
Theodor Reuss, and Sir Aleister Crowley - Oh Sons of the Lion and the Snake! with all thy
saints we worthily commemorate them worthy that were and are and are to come.
May their Essence be hre present, potent, puissant and paternal to perfect this feast!
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Earth
The DEACON: Mother of fertility on whose breast lieth water, whose cheek is caressed by air,
and in whose heart is the sun's fire, womb of all life, recurring grace of seasons, answer
favorably the prayer of labour, and to pastors and husbandmen be thou propitious.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Principles
The DEACON: Mysterious Energy, triform, mysterious Matter, in fourfold and sevenfold
division, the interplay of which things weave the dance of the Veil of Life upon the Face of the
Spirit, let there be Harmony and Beauty in your mystic loves, that in us may be health and
wealth and strength and divine pleasure according to the Law of Liberty; let each pursue his
Will as a strong man that rejoiceth in his way, as the course of a Star that blazeth for ever
among the joyous company of Heaven.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
Birth
The DEACON: Be the hour auspicious, and the gate of life open in peace and in well-being, so
that she that beareth children may rejoice, and the babe catch life with both hands.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
Marriage
The DEACON: Upon all that this day unite with love under will let fall success; may strength
and skill unite to bring forth ecstasy, and beauty answer beauty.
The PE_PLE: So mote it be.
Death
The DEACON: Term of all that liveth, whose name is inscrutable, be favourable unto us in
thine hour.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The End
The DEACON: Unto them from whose eyes the veil of life hath fallen may there be granted
the accomplishment of their true Wills; whether they will absorption in the Infinite, or to be
united with their chosen and preferred, or to be in contemplation, or to be at peace, or to
achieve the labour and heroism of incarnation on this planet or another, or in any Star, or
aught else, unto them may there be granted the accomplishment of their wills; yea, the
accomplishment of their wills. AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
All sit.
The DEACON and the children attend the PRIEST and PRIESTESS, ready to hold any appropriate
weapon as may be necessary.
3
5
2
4
Confirmation at puberty, when only the persons confirmed partake. The Sacrament may be reserved
by the PRIEST, for administration to the sick in their homes.
The PRIEST closes all within the veil. With the Lance he makes crosses on the people thrice, thus.
The PRIEST:
The LORD bless you.
The LORD enlighten your minds and comfort your hearts and sustain your bodies.
The LORD bring you to the accomplishment of your true Wills, the Great Work, the
Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.
He goes out, the DEACON and children following, into the Tomb of the West.
Music. (Voluntary.)
(The above pledge form has the original writing of Crowley, however I have taken the liberty of
rearranging the words.)
'Superscribed' is defined as 'write or print (an inscription) at the top of or on the outside of a
document'.
We need to distinguish between genuine spiritual authority and the stereotypical 'cult leader' that
prospers by duping people. The table below is intended to be suggestive more than anything else:
GENUINE SPIRITUAL INDIVIDUAL
Encourages healthy diet, and good sleep pattern. Only allows a low-protein diet, and demands
sleep deprivation.
Never uses guilt, shame, or emotional blackmail. Makes followers terrified to try and escape.
Writes and teaches a variety of subjects.
Lays out his or her series of grades at the outset. Has circles within circles and a secret hierarchy.
Encourages one continues with one's profession. Demands one works solely for the group.
Is clean and polite, and moderate.
Recommends sobriety.
However, I must admit that the Abbey of Thelema does exhibit some aspects of a cult. But then
again so did every religion the world over in their formative phases.
Having no children of his own, the author feels it best to let Crowley talk about educating young
people. It makes perfect sense to quote Liber Aleph, The Book of Wisdom or Folly, as he wrote it in
his capacity of a Magus to his magical son. Find below parts 36, 40, 42 & 96 of Liber Aleph:
36
DE LIBERATATE IUVENUM
O thou that art the Child of mine own Bowels, how shall I write to thee concerning Children? For
herein is the Gordian Knot in our whole Rope of Wisdom, and it may not be severed by Sword, no,
not of a Greater than Alexander the Two-Horned. And it is a Balance like that of the Egg, and the
Violence of a Columbus will but crack the tender Shell which we must first of all preserve.
Now Sentinel to this Fortress standeth a certain Paradox of general Application, and in this large
Order I will declare it, so that its particular Sense may enlighten thee hereafter. And this is the
Paradox, that there are Bonds which lead to Slavery, and Bonds which lead to Freedom. All we are
bound in many Fetters by Environment, and it is for ourselves in great Part to determine whether
they shall enslave us or emancipate us. And I will make clear this Thesis to thee by the Way of
Illustration.
40
DE VOLUNTATE IUVENUM
Long, o my Son, hath been this Digression from the plain Path of my Word concerning Children;
but it was most needful that thou shouldst understand the Limits of true Liberty. For that is not the
Will of any Man which ultimateth in his own Ruin and that of all his Fellows; and that is not
Liberty whose Exercise bringeth him to Bondage. Thou mayst therefore assume that it is always an
essential Part of the Will of any Child to grow to Manhood or to Womanhood in Health, and his
Guardians may therefore prevent him from ignorantly acting in Opposition thereunto, Care being
always taken to remove the Cause of the Error, namely, Ignorance, as aforesaid. Thou mayst also
assume that it is Part of the Child's Will to train every Function of the Mind; and the Guardians may
therefore combat the inertia which hinders its Development. Yet here is much Caution necessary,
and it is better to work by exciting and satisfying any natural Curiosity than by forcing Application
to set Tasks, however obvious this Necessity may appear.
42
.
DE DISCIPULIS REGENDIS.
I will have thee to know, moreover, my dear Son, the right Art of Conduct with them whom I shall
give thee for Initiation. And the Rule thereof is one Rule; Do that thou wilt shall be the whole of
the Law. See thou constantly to it that this be not broken; especially in the Section thereof (if I dare
say so) which readeth Mind thine own Business. This is of Application equally to all, and the most
dangerous Man (or Woman, as has occurred, or I err) is the Busy-body. Oh how ashamed are we,
and moved to Indignation, seeing the Sins and Follies of our Neighbours! Of all the Occasions of
this Grievance the most common is the Desire of Sex unsatisfied; and thou knowest already, even in
thy young Experience, how in that Delirium the Weal of the Whole Universe appeareth of no
Account. Do thou wean thy Babes from that Simplicity, and instil the Sense of true Proportion. For
verily this is a Way of Madness, Love, unless it be under Will. And the Cure of this Madness is not
so good as its Prevention, so that thou shouldst be beforehand with these Children, shewing them
the right Importance of Love, how it should be a sacred Rite, exalted above Personality, and a Fire
to enlighten and serve Man, not to devour him.
these with the school and possibly with the Local Children's Services (LEA).
If your child is currently in school, you are required to inform your child's head teacher in writing
before you withdraw your child. The head teacher will then inform the (LEA) and remove your
child from the school's register. There is no legal requirement for you to allow the local authority
access to either your home or child.
The Education Welfare Service (EWS) will almost certainly make contact with you to ensure that
you are meeting your duty to provide an education to your child. However, you should be allowed
some short period to settle in to your new routine before having to supply detailed information on
your provision.
If they are unhappy about your provision, they will write to you to explain their concerns and ask
for further information. In rare cases, if the local authority remains unsatisfied with your provision,
they can issue a School Attendance Order which requires you to either provide further evidence of
education or enrol your child at a school named in the order within 15 days. Such an order can be
challenged in court. In all the actions they take the Local Authority must act in the best interests of
the child.
BURN OUTS
These people have been so abused spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally and
financially, that they are barely able to function on a normal basis.
Some "burn-outs" exhibit the Post Traumatic Stress syndrome that is commonly
experienced by war survivors. They are usually very confused, perhaps even physically ill,
afraid and unable to trust anyone, most of all themselves.
FIND OUTS
These are people who are given, or stumble onto information which explains the situation
enabling them to leave the mind control without fear and guilt.
These people usually take several years to work through the adjustment to normal living
and attitudes. Education, scriptural as well as secular, cultivating new friends and
establishing a new environment and restoring one's God-given personality are most helpful.
The more one learns, the greater the healing.
time he has found out that it is socially unacceptable to voice any doubts.
STAGE SIX:
The denial stage in which the person decides to ignore all the warning signs. They are actually
afraid of or angry at anyone who has information that exposes the deceit of the organization. Some
people NEVER get past this stage. They are hostile towards any information that spotlights the
deceit and errors of the group.
STAGE SEVEN:
The "Don't know what to think" stage. MANY people get stuck here. They will try to figure things
out on their own. They are suspicious of everyone. They don't trust the friends or ministers and
they don't trust themselves. They don't trust traditional Christianity. They don't trust the
information that exposes the group. They may not trust the scripture and might try to find reasons
to believe the Bible wasn't translated correctly. This stage is very critical. The stress of it can cause
illness, anxiety, nightmares, emotional problems, marital problems, divorce, and destructive
accidents because of so much mental preoccupation, suicide [suicidal feelings], hostility and anger.
Some report a problem with nausea, clenched teeth or other outward signs of tension. This stage is
extremely painful and frightening. Usually the longer a person or his family has been in the group,
the more painful it is. At this stage, some people try to reason with the leaders. They will either
arrange for visits or write long agonizing letters. Some hope that they can change the system or get
some members to agree with them. They are AMAZED at the total inability of the members to hear
what they are saying. However, some members will agree with their arguments, pat them on the
head and try to smooth their ruffled feelings.
STAGE EIGHT:
The state in which a decision is made to leave the group. The person may go in several directions.
They may become angry at God, or become an agnostic or atheist. They may try to start their own
spiritual quest or church in the home. They may reach out to secular psychology for relief. Or, they
may hook into another cult. They may decide to just let the spiritual part of their life hang in midair for awhile. Some people get stuck in a yo-yo syndrome: they will leave the group, go back to
the group, leave, go back, leave and go back. They rarely ever figure out what the group believes or
even what they believe. Or, they may become born again as a result of doing some intense praying,
in-depth study and reaching out to normal Christian information. This stage is extremely crucial. If
a married couple doesn't agree or reach this stage together it can destroy their marriage. Almost
total rejection from the group and family inside occurs if the person announces his new allegiance
to Christ instead of to the cultic system.
STAGE NINE:
The state in which the old personality disintegrates and a new one is formed. The person will get
rid of old clothes, old hairstyles, old possessions. Some people experience a lot of anxiety in
adjusting to a new identity because their whole self concept was so closely tied to the group attitude
towards themselves. New interests, charitable activities and hobbies are found. Bible study and
Bible classes become the new excitement if one has been born again. The person rejoices at every
new day and has a sense of peace. The world looks beautiful, people seem wonderful, nature seems
to glow with the power and beauty of God. If a satisfactory church is found the person finds a great
deal of happiness.
STAGE TEN:
The person is in constant amazement at the difference between the old life and the new life. The
person is able to pity those who are still in the old group and will eventually be able to laugh about
his old experiences. The person will often want to reach out to others whom he has known while in
the group. He feels a strong need to talk about the experience in order to understand the strong
emotions and confusion he felt while inside the group. Talking to other ex-members seems to be
the best therapy for those going through this process. Writing down what one has heard,
experienced and believes [is also very helpful].
However, this Article also provides a bone of controversy. If one cannot leave if one is under
'penance' or 'shunning' what doe this mean? Will one be locked up? How can this be if the Abbey
of Thelema is the epitome of freedom and responsibility?
I really don't like to say this, but, it seems the Abbey of Thelema has to have a form of
incarceration.
A prison cell may be needed if a monk or nun went mad. Indeed the stress of initiation may be too
much for some.
I reproduce the following article from the United Nations website:
Body of Principles for the Protection of All Persons under Any Form
of Detention or Imprisonment
Adopted by General Assembly resolution 43/173 of 9 December 1988
Scope of the Body of Principles
These principles apply for the protection of all persons under any form of detention or
imprisonment.
Use of Terms
For the purposes of the Body of Principles:
(a) "Arrest" means the act of apprehending a person for the alleged commission of an offence or by
the action of an authority;
(b) "Detained person" means any person deprived of personal liberty except as a result of
conviction for an offence;
(c) "Imprisoned person" means any person deprived of personal liberty as a result of conviction for
an offence;
(d) "Detention" means the condition of detained persons as defined above;
(e) "Imprisonment" means the condition of imprisoned persons as defined above;
(f) The words "a judicial or other authority" means a judicial or other authority under the law whose
status and tenure should afford the strongest possible guarantees of competence, impartiality and
independence.
Principle 1
All persons under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be treated in a humane manner and
with respect for the inherent dignity of the human person.
Principle 2
Arrest, detention or imprisonment shall only be carried out strictly in accordance with the
provisions of the law and by competent officials or persons authorized for that purpose.
Principle 3
There shall be no restriction upon or derogation from any of the human rights of persons under any
form of detention or imprisonment recognized or existing in any State pursuant to law, conventions,
regulations or custom on the pretext that this Body of Principles does not recognize such rights or
that it recognizes them to a lesser extent.
Principle 4
Any form of detention or imprisonment and all measures affecting the human rights of a person
under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be ordered by, or be subject to the effective
control of, a judicial or other authority.
Principle 5
1. These principles shall be applied to all persons within the territory of any given State, without
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion or religious belief, political or
other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, birth or other status.
2. Measures applied under the law and designed solely to protect the rights and special status of
women, especially pregnant women and nursing mothers, children and juveniles, aged, sick or
handicapped persons shall not be deemed to be discriminatory. The need for, and the application of,
such measures shall always be subject to review by a judicial or other authority.
Principle 6
No person under any form of detention or imprisonment shall be subjected to torture or to cruel,
inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. 1 No circumstance whatever may be invoked as a
justification for torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Principle 7
1. States should prohibit by law any act contrary to the rights and duties contained in these
principles, make any such act subject to appropriate sanctions and conduct impartial investigations
upon complaints.
2. Officials who have reason to believe that a violation of this Body of Principles has occurred or is
about to occur shall report the matter to their superior authorities and, where necessary, to other
appropriate authorities or organs vested with reviewing or remedial powers.
3. Any other person who has ground to believe that a violation of this Body of Principles has
occurred or is about to occur shall have the right to report the matter to the superiors of the officials
involved as well as to other appropriate authorities or organs vested with reviewing or remedial
powers.
Principle 8
Persons in detention shall be subject to treatment appropriate to their unconvicted status.
Accordingly, they shall, whenever possible, be kept separate from imprisoned persons.
Principle 9
The authorities which arrest a person, keep him under detention or investigate the case shall
exercise only the powers granted to them under the law and the exercise of these powers shall be
subject to recourse to a judicial or other authority.
Principle 10
Anyone who is arrested shall be informed at the time of his arrest of the reason for his arrest and
Principle 31
The appropriate authorities shall endeavour to ensure, according to domestic law, assistance when
needed to dependent and, in particular, minor members of the families of detained or imprisoned
persons and shall devote a particular measure of care to the appropriate custody of children left with
out supervision.
Principle 32
1. A detained person or his counsel shall be entitled at any time to take proceedings according to
domestic law before a judicial or other authority to challenge the lawfulness of his detention in
order to obtain his release without delay, if it is unlawful.
2. The proceedings referred to in paragraph 1 of the present principle shall be simple and
expeditious and at no cost for detained persons without adequate means. The detaining authority
shall produce without unreasonable delay the detained person before the reviewing authority.
Principle 33
1. A detained or imprisoned person or his counsel shall have the right to make a request or
complaint regarding his treatment, in particular in case of torture or other cruel, inhuman or
degrading treatment, to the authorities responsible for the administration of the place of detention
and to higher authorities and, when necessary, to appropriate authorities vested with reviewing or
remedial powers.
2. In those cases where neither the detained or imprisoned person nor his counsel has the possibility
to exercise his rights under paragraph 1 of the present principle, a member of the family of the
detained or imprisoned person or any other person who has knowledge of the case may exercise
such rights.
3. Confidentiality concerning the request or complaint shall be maintained if so requested by the
complainant.
4. Every request or complaint shall be promptly dealt with and replied to without undue delay. If the
request or complaint is rejected or, in case of inordinate delay, the complainant shall be entitled to
bring it before a judicial or other authority. Neither the detained or imprisoned person nor any
complainant under paragraph 1 of the present principle shall suffer prejudice for making a request
or complaint.
Principle 34
Whenever the death or disappearance of a detained or imprisoned person occurs during his
detention or imprisonment, an inquiry into the cause of death or disappearance shall be held by a
judicial or other authority, either on its own motion or at the instance of a member of the family of
such a person or any person who has knowledge of the case. When circumstances so warrant, such
an inquiry shall be held on the same procedural basis whenever the death or disappearance occurs
shortly after the termination of the detention or imprisonment. The findings of such inquiry or a
report thereon shall be made available upon request, unless doing so would jeopardize an ongoing
criminal investigation.
Principle 35
1. Damage incurred because of acts or omissions by a public official contrary to the rights contained
in these principles shall be compensated according to the applicable rules or liability provided by
domestic law.
2. Information required to be recorded under these principles shall be available in accordance with
procedures provided by domestic law for use in claiming compensation under the present principle.
Principle 36
1. A detained person suspected of or charged with a criminal offence shall be presumed innocent
and shall be treated as such until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had
all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
2. The arrest or detention of such a person pending investigation and trial shall be carried out only
for the purposes of the administration of justice on grounds and under conditions and procedures
specified by law. The imposition of restrictions upon such a person which are not strictly required
for the purpose of the detention or to prevent hindrance to the process of investigation or the
administration of justice, or for the maintenance of security and good order in the place of detention
shall be forbidden.
Principle 37
A person detained on a criminal charge shall be brought before a judicial or other authority provided
by law promptly after his arrest. Such authority shall decide without delay upon the lawfulness and
necessity of detention. No person may be kept under detention pending investigation or trial except
upon the written order of such an authority. A detained person shall, when brought before such an
authority, have the right to make a statement on the treatment received by him while in custody.
Principle 38
A person detained on a criminal charge shall be entitled to trial within a reasonable time or to
release pending trial.
Principle 39
Except in special cases provided for by law, a person detained on a criminal charge shall be entitled,
unless a judicial or other authority decides otherwise in the interest of the administration of justice,
to release pending trial subject to the conditions that may be imposed in accordance with the law.
Such authority shall keep the necessity of detention under review.
General clause
Nothing in this Body of Principles shall be construed as restricting or derogating from any right
defined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
It is at this point that we recognise an order older that our own: that of Freemasonry. I believe that
our Abbey's incarceration room should not be the archetypal and clinical dungeon, but a place to
reflect. I do not feel qualified to comment on Freemasonry as I am not one. However, I reproduce
an article on the so called 'Chamber of Reflection'.
used in the first degree in the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite, the French Rite, the Brazilian
Rite and other rites derived from the ones just mentioned. The word chamber is an archaic term for
room and the word reflection means, according to the Oxford Dictionary of Current English,
reflecting or being reflected; reflected light or heat or colour or image; discredit or thing bringing
discredit; reconsideration (or reflection); idea arising in the mind, comment (on or upon). Albert
G. Mackey in his Encyclopedia of Freemasonry explains that the Chamber of Reflection is: ...a
small room adjoining the lodge, in which, preparatory to initiation, the candidate is enclosed for the
purpose of indulging in those serious meditations which its sombre appearance and the gloomy
emblems with which it is furnished are calculated to produce. It is also used in some of the
advanced degrees for a similar purpose. This small room or chamber, which does not necessarily
adjoins the lodge room, is dark, with the walls painted black, or, as in one case I saw, imitating a
rocky underground cave. It contains the following: a simple rough wooden table on which we find:
a human skull, usually on two crossbones, a chunk of bread, a pitcher with water, a cup with salt, a
cup with sulphur, a lighted candle or lantern, an hourglass, paper, ink and pen, a wooden stool or
chair painted on the wall: a rooster, a sickle, the acronym V.IT.R.I.O.L.(U.M.) and various sayings.
Before commenting on these symbols, let us follow a candidates journey into the Chamber of
Reflection on the day of his initiation. The profane, dressed in a black (or at least dark) suit and tie,
is brought to the Lodge building by his sponsor. He must not meet any of the other brethren. The
Treasurer and the First Expert, an officer, who in the rituals we observe here would be equivalent to
the Senior Steward, both dressed without any masonic insignia, meet the candidate. The Treasurer
collects the necessary fees and returns to the lodge room. The Expert stays with the candidate,
while the sponsor also goes into the lodge room. The Expert blindfolds the candidate and
introduces him into the Chamber of Reflection and gives him a piece of paper with questions that
the candidate must answer. He also indicates to the candidate that he must also write on the paper
his moral and philosophical testament. The Expert also instructs the candidate that when he has
finished this task, he should ring a bell to manifest that he is ready to proceed with the rest of the
initiation. He is also told that once the door is closed he should remove the hoodwink. Once our
profane does that, he sees the chamber and the objects described earlier.
THE CHAMBER
The chamber reminds ones self of the caves where primitive men lived. In psychoanalysis, it is a
symbol of regression. It is also a symbol of the maternal womb. The profane is regressing to a time
of innocence and to a state in his mothers womb. When he emerges from the chamber, it shall be
as if being born as a new man. Contrariwise, the cave can also be the symbol of a sepulchre, as the
tombs of the ancients in biblical times. Thus, the chamber indicates, at the same time, a beginning
and an end: the end of ones life as a profane, and the beginning of a new life as an initiate in search
of light, truth and wisdom. This can also be interpreted as a form of resurrection. This motif of
death and resurrection is mentioned in Plutarchs Immortality of the Soul thus: The soul, at the
moment of death, goes through the same experiences as those who are initiated into the great
mysteries. The word and the act are similar: we say telentai (to die) and telestai (to be initiated) .
THE SKULL
Together with the crossbones, sickle and the hourglass, the skull naturally refers to mortality and is
linked to the alchemical references also present in the chamber. The alchemists aimed at
transmuting base metals into silver and gold through the process of putrefaction. So must the
profane transmute his nature, through a symbolical burial in the chamber, into a new transformed
man in the form of an initiate. In alchemy this is called the Great Work. Indeed, mans refinement,
transmutation and transformation from a brute base metal into gold requires great work! The skull
in alchemy, named caput mortuum, is the epitome of decline and decay. The crossbones are usually
tibias, the weight-bearing bones of the lower legs.
placed under the figure of the rooster. These two words intimate to the candidate that he must
possess these qualities in order to succeed in his Masonic life. The symbols, allusions, allegories
and metaphors of the rituals are not plain. The Freemason must scrutinise them persistently in order
to appreciate their richness and deep significance, and be vigilant that the lessons learned therefrom
be not forgotten.
VARIOUS SAYINGS
Besides the profusion of symbols in the Chamber of Reflection, as our candidate removes the
hoodwink, he will read various sentences on the wall. Most often he will read the following
sayings: If you think we will find out your defects, you will feel uncomfortable among us. If
curiosity spurred you towards us, go away. If you are capable of deception, tremble, you will be
found out. If you take notice of human differences, leave, we do not know them here. If your soul
is fearful, do not proceed! If you persevere, you will be purified, you will overcome darkness, you
will be enlightened. In some rites, such as the Brazilian Rite, other sentences may be found on the
wall, such as: Think of G-d, with humility. If you want to live well, think of death. Serve your
country with devotion. Remember the great citizens who were Freemasons. Know thyself. If your
heart is well intentioned, go on and you will have our support.
QUESTIONS
As mentioned earlier, our candidate was given a piece of paper with questions, which he must
answer in order to proceed with the initiation.
PHILOSOPHICAL TESTAMENT
The answers to the questions asked of the candidate become the initial point towards the elaboration
of his philosophical and moral testament. The philosophical testament provides a glimpse of the
attitude and character of the future initiate and is unique to each individual. The candidates true
nature will be shown in his answers to the proposed questions as well as in his philosophical
testament. On the other hand, it can also bring him discredit, depending on his answers. In the
Chamber of Reflection, he has time to reconsider his request for admission in our Fraternity. If his
motives are not pure as admonished by the writings on the wall, or if he is fearful and not
courageous enough, then he might not be able to keep inviolate the secrets of Freemasonry.
Furthermore, solitary in the Chamber of Reflection, our prospective initiate can ponder on the
questions presented to him, on his life, and future. Therefore, the reflection to which the title of this
Chamber refers is not just the pondering of the candidate, but primarily the reflection of his own
inner being. This could bring him discredit in certain cases. Note that all the dictionary meanings
of the word reflection invoked at the beginning of this exposition are represented in the Chamber
and obey the same hierarchical order.
THE MIRROR
In another ritual of French origin, the Rectified Scottish Rite, during the first degree initiation, the
concept of reflection expressed in the sense of giving back a likeness as in a mirror, is revealed in
another way. At the moment the hoodwink is dropped from the candidates eyes and he sees for the
first time the faces of his brethren around him, the Worshipful Master says: It is not always before
oneself, that one finds his enemies. That which is to be feared the most is many times behind
oneself. Turn around! When the candidate turns he sees himself in a mirror. This means that the
enemy can be also within. Incidentally, the word mirror is, in Latin, speculum, deriving from the
verb speculor, which means to scrutinise. That is exactly what one does in the Chamber of
Reflections, as he scrutinises himself and the symbols around him.
1. To modify the behaviour of a member. This approach seeks to influence, encourage, or coerce
normative behaviours from members, and may seek to dissuade, provide disincentives for, or to
compel avoidance of certain behaviours. Shunning may include disassociating from a member by
other members of the community who are in good standing. It may include more antagonistic
psychological behaviours (described below). This approach may be seen as either corrective or
punitive (or both) by the group membership or leadership, and may also be intended as a deterrent.
2. To remove or limit the influence of a member (or former member) over other members in a
community. This approach may seek to isolate, to discredit, or otherwise dis-empower such a
member, often in the context of actions or positions advocated by that member. For groups with
defined membership criteria, especially based on key behaviours or ideological precepts, this
approach may be seen as limiting damage to the community or its leadership. This is often paired
with some form of excommunication.
Some less often practised variants may seek to:
Remove a specific member from general external influence to provide an ideological or
psychological buffer against external views or behaviour. The amount can vary from severing ties
to opponents of the group up to and including severing all non-group-affiliated intercourse.
Shunning is usually approved of (if sometimes with regret) by the group engaging in the shunning,
and usually highly disapproved of by the target of the shunning, resulting in a polarization of views.
Those subject to the practice respond differently, usually depending both on the circumstances of
the event, and the nature of the practices being applied. Extreme forms of shunning have damaged
some individuals' psychological and relational health. Responses to the practice have developed,
mostly around anti-shunning advocacy; such advocates highlight the detrimental effects of many of
such behaviours, and seek to limit the practice through pressure or law. Such groups often operate
supportive organizations or institutions to help victims of shunning to recover from damaging
effects, and sometimes to attack the organizations practising shunning, as a part of their advocacy.
In many civil societies, kinds of shunning are practiced de facto or de jure, to coerce or avert
behaviours or associations deemed unhealthy. This can include:
restraining orders or peace bonds (to avoid abusive relationships)
court injunctions to disassociate (to avoid criminal association or temptation)
medical or psychological instructing to avoid associating (to avoid hazardous relations, i.e.
alcoholics being instructed to avoid friendship with non-recovering alcoholics, or asthmatics being
medically instructed to keep to smoke-free environs)
using background checks to avoid hiring people who have criminal records (to avoid association
with felons, even when the crimes have nothing to do with the job description)
'Infraction' is defined as 'a violation or infringement of a law, agreement, or set of rules'.
Jedi prisoners planning to sue prison service for 'not recognising Star
Wars religion'
CONVICTS who follow the Jedi Knight Star Wars religion are planning to sue the prison service
for discrimination for not recognising their faith.
The group of inmates claim their beliefs are treated as a joke despite Jedi being the UKs seventh
most popular religion.
There are at least 50 Jedi convicts in UK jails and a number of them have contacted the Jedi Knight
Society and Temple of the Jedi Order to get backing for their "long" legal fight.
One of the unnamed inmates said they were "disgusted" Jediism was not among 18 religions
recognised by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
The proposed legal fight was sparked by a prisoner at the 622-capacity HMP Isis in Thamesmead
who contacted inmates magazine Inside Time.
The unnamed prisoner's letter, which was published two weeks ago, claimed he had been denied the
"right" to follow the religion, which has 180,000 devotees across the UK.
It sparked three other inmates from prisons in south east London to contact one another by post and
e-mail to discuss how to protest.
Followers of approved religions, which include Paganism and Rastafarianism, are given "special
dispensation" and access to "prayers packs".
They are also given days off work in prison for religious holidays.
The Jedi prisoner who said he was refused permission to follow his religion at HMP Isis said he was
unhappy that his religious freedom was being denied.
In his letter published earlier this month, he wrote: "I recently put in an application asking that I be
'Viarvum Viae' might loosely translate as 'the way of the ways'. 868 is the value of the Hebrew
NThIBITh. Liber 500 states that this means 'semitae' which is Latin for 'highways'.
The Paths in black are the nine Paths below Adeptus; those in gold the seven Paths below Magister
Templi; those in blue the three Paths below Magus; and those in red are the three Paths below
Ipsissimus.
Liber O.
This test corresponds to the Hebrew Tau. This letter connects the tenth Sphere of Malkuth with the
ninth Sphere of Yesod. The so called 'Veil of Qesheth' separates Malkuth from the rest of the Tree.
Whereas Malkuth is the material universe Yesod is the astral. 'Body of Light' is another term for
'Astral Body'. Liber O, catalogued under number 6, requires proficiency in basic Qabalistic
correspondences, the assumption of Egyptian god forms, the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the
Pentagram, the Great Ritual of the Pentagram, the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram and the creation
of an astral double. Finally this Liber requires success in the so called 'Rising on the Planes'. I do
not know of any specifics with the test itself I suspect this may vary from Adept to Adept.
Liber H H H.
Liber HHH is catalogued under the number 341. This is the combined value of Shin, Maim and
Aleph; these being the three Mother Letters referred to the three Elements of Fire, Water and Air
respectively. I am assuming that as this test corresponds to Shin that the part of Liber 341 meant is
SSS. This involves the energy of Kundalini stored in the base of the spine. As no other test in Liber
868 has a title that seems to involve Kundalini I am assuming that the 'Passage of the King's
Chamber' is the spinal column and that this test requires a control of the nerve stems from the
cerebellum to the coccyx.
Liber H H H.
I am unsure if this test refers to the AAA or the MMM part of Liber 341.
This Liber teaches us to think in reverse, using various techniques. It also teaches us how to
remember previous incarnations. It would seem the 'Divining of Destiny' is to know about one's
previous lives and the mass of karma behind one. To pass this test one must know one's immediate
present in relation to the entirety of one's complete cycle of incarnations.
I feel uncomfortable explaining part of The Book of the Law, however I will quote a line from it and
allow the reader to make up his or her own mind. Here is Liber 220 1:61
But to love me is better than all things: if under the night stars in the desert thou presently burnest
mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt
come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all; but whoso gives
one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices;
ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in spendour & pride; but always in
the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a single
robe, and covered with a rich headdress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or
voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you.
Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!
Liber XVI.
Liber 16 has the title Liber Tvrris vel Domvs Dei. The basic practise is to destroy thoughts as they
arise. Peh, the Hebrew letter of this Path, means 'mouth', which in this sense means that which
creates thoughts via words. It is these thoughts/words that must be destroyed in their inception.
Success in the sixth test would imply an ability to stop thinking completely. It may not be a
coincidence that the sixth Sphere is Tiphereth represents the silent centre of the Tree of Life.
Liber CCCLXX.
This Sabbath is from a Thelemic Holy Book, Liber A'ASH vel Capriconi Pneumatici
sub figura CCCLXX. This rite is sexual and mystical in nature. This test is one of sex magick. We
remember that the Tarot Trump corresponding to Ayin is The Devil, and one this Trump we clearly
see an erect phallus symbolised. I am unsure what success in this test would mean.
Test Eight:
To my mind skrying is peering into other planes. I think of this as using a medium of crystal
gazing, but I know other magicians skry without trappings. Samekh, the Hebrew letter of this test,
means 'prop', and we can think of a 'ladder' as a type of prop. I am not sure but climbing the 'Ladder
of Jacob' might involve tracing the Elemental Hexagrams of the seven planets. Success in skrying
might mean being able to look at hidden things, and this being verified scientifically.
Liber XXV.
There is some confusion about this Liber XXV. I quote Frater T.S. from Nu Isis Working Group:
The citation here makes no sense if Liber XXV is taken as being the Star Ruby. In Liber XIII, the
practice of mahasatipatthana (a form of Buddhist meditation) is ascribed to this path, and Liber
CCVI also refers to a Liber XXV concerned with this. It has not been traced. Liber XIII refers the
aspirant to Science and Buddhism (in The Sword of Song) for mahasatipattthana.
Liber CDLI.
As it is very to the point we do not have to sacrifice much space to include this Liber in full:
LIBER CDLI
Class B
(The 15th Chapter of Liber CDXIV)
XV
Of Eroto-comatose Lucidity
The Candidate is made ready for the Ordeal by general athletic training, and by feasting. On the
appointed day he is attended by one or more chosen and experienced attendants whose duty is (a) to
exhaust him sexually by every known means (b) to rouse him sexually by every known means.
Every device and artifice of the courtesan is to be employed, and every stimulant known to the
physician. Nor should the attendants reck of danger, but hunt down ruthlessly their appointed prey.
Finally the Candidate will into a sleep of utter exhaustion, resembling coma, and it is now that
delicacy and skill must be exquisite. Let him be roused from this sleep by stimulation of a
definitely and exclusively sexual type. Yet if convenient, music wisely regulated will assist.
The attendants will watch with assiduity for signs of waking; and the moment these occur, all
stimulation must cease instantly, and the Candidate be allowed to fall again into sleep; but no
sooner has this happened than the former practice is resumed. This alteration is to continue
indefinitely until the Candidate is in a state which is neither sleep nor waking, and in which his
Spirit, set free by perfect exhaustion of the body, and yet prevented from entering the City of Sleep,
communes with the Most High and the Most Holy Lord God of its being, maker of heaven and
earth.
The Ordeal terminates by failure---the occurence of sleep invincible--- or by success, in which
ultimate waking is followed by a final performance of the sexual act. The Initiate may then be
allowed to sleep, or the practice may be renewed and persisted in until death ends all. The most
favourable death is that occurring during the orgasm, and is called Mors Justi.
As it is written: Let me die the death of the Righteous, and let my last end be like his!
I have never experienced the Sleep of Siloam, and I think it typical of Crowley to have given us the
keys to fucking someone to death.
Liber O.
In a newer version of Liber 868 this test corresponds to Tarot Trump eight rather than eleven. This
is because Crowley had not switched the numerical attributions of Lust and Adjustment (previously
called Strength and Justice).
I think the Sphere in question is Tiphereth as Sol rules Leo, and the Lion is the astrological ruler of
the Lust Trump. Supposedly if one had the protection of the sun then one would be indestructable.
Excuse my overblown language and lack of understanding of this test.
Liber
There is no Liber for this grand evocation. It seems the original redaction of the Liber did not
include a catalogue number to help in this test. Evocation is 'calling forth' whilst invocation is
'calling in'. This test may mean 'evocation to visible appearance'. The 'mighty ones' probably refer
to the Egyptian pantheon; perhaps the Greek/Roman pantheon. However I am unsure.
Liber DCCCXXXI.
This book is indeed signified being called Liber Yod and the letter of the test is Yod. 'Emanation' is
another term for 'Sephiroth'. Therefore this test refers to the First Method of the three detailed in
this Liber. This involves systematically banishing the Five Elements, the seven planets, the Zodiac
Signs and then the Sephiroth. We can assume that to pass this test one would have to undergo
subjective changes as well as merely performing the ritual with only objective perfection.
Liber XXX.
Liber 30 is a philosophical treatise on practical morality and ethics. I am totally unsure what this
test involves.
Liber CLVI.
This Liber is a Thelemic Holy Book, normally referred to as Liber Cheth. It deals with a
particularly harsh form of crossing the Qabalistic Abyss, from the Sphere of Mars to that of Saturn.
I am unsure of a 'ritual' of the Holy Graal but it would probably be sexual in nature. It would
involve death, sacrifice and recklessness. This may sound mad but to complete this test one would
have to die; beyond that I do not feel qualified to speak.
Liber MCXXXIX.
Liber 8 has already been reproduced above in the treatment on Article 15. This is a Liber that
details a very long ritual that is performed over serveral months. I am unsure how this test would be
taken.
Liber V.
This is an elaborate circle casting. It is technically within most people's grasp so we can safely
assume the test is more than merely performing it without any hiccups. Perhaps the 'formulation'
spoken of is an actual visible appearance of a pentagram. I have heard that some magicians can do
this.
work without attachment: that I will work in truth: that I will rely only upon myself: that I will
interpret every phenomenon as a particular dealing of God with my soul. And if I fail herein, may
my pyramid be profaned and the Eye closed to me. Witness my hand [motto]
__________________________
There is a relatively new occult science called Astrocartography. Using a program called Astrlog
5.40 I calculated where the planetary zeniths were at the advent of the New Aeon. I input into this
program: the 20th March 1904, 7:58pm EST (with no daylight savings time). Although I am unsure
if it makes any difference I also input Cairo, Egypt; that is 31:23 East and 30:05 North. The
software gave me the longitudes and latitudes of 15 different heavenly bodies at this precise time. I
have included a table of coordinates and a rough illustration to give you an idea. (Note that in the
illustration the points indicated by the glyphs are just at their very bottoms.)
Heavenly Body
Longitude
Latitude
Sol
167 E
0S
Luna
151 W
12 N
Mercury
163 E
4S
Venus
141 E
12 S
Mars
177 W
7N
Jupiter
172 E
1N
Saturn
127 E
16 S
Uranus
77 E
24 S
Neptune
99 W
22 N
Pluto
114 W
15 N
Chiron
107 E
14 S
Ceres
67 E
19 S
Pallas
56 E
14 N
Juno
110 E
9S
Vesta
126 W
20 N
Each one of these zenith points can be extended in a great circle of the same longitude but differing
latitude. Below is a list of cities that share longitude, with a slight margin in some cases, with the
planetary zeniths:
Sol 167 E = Kingston, Norfolk Island, Australia.
Luna 151 W = Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Mercury 163 E = n/a
Venus 141 E = Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
Mars 177 W = Adak, Alaska, United States & Mata-Uta, Wallis and Futana, France
Jupiter 172 E = Christchurch, New Zealand
Saturn 127 E = Seoul, South Korea & Wonsan, North Korea & Naha, Japan
Uranus 77 E = Trivandrum, Shimla, New Delhi, Bangalore all in India
Neptune 99 W = San Antonio, Texas, United States & Mexico City, Mexico & Acapulco,
Mexico
Pluto 114 W = Calgary, Canada & Yellow Knife, Canada
Chiron 107 E = Hue, Vietnam & Bandung, Indonesia
Ceres 67 E = Karachi, Pakistan
Pallas 56 E = Ufa, Russia & Perm, Russia
Juno 110 E = Kuchang, Malaysia & Yogyakarta, Indonesia & Semarang, Indonesia
Vesta 126 W = n/a
This gives us 26 cities which may or may not be suitable for an Abbey of Thelema. According to
the internet there is an O.T.O. Encampment in Anchorage.
I also plotted the intersections of longitude and latitude of all 15 bodies and made a note of the
coordinates wherever they met over land; most of the intersections were above water and thus
ignored.
The latitude of Sol was 0 south and intersected
I believe that my astrocartographical look at things reveals one perfect correspondence. This is
where the Mercury latitude of 4 degrees south intersects the Venus longitude of 141 east. This lines
up perfectly with the borderline between Papua New Guinea and Papua . It also is, Qabalistically
speaking, the Path between Venus and Mercury, or Netzach and Hod, and that is of course The
Tower of the Tarot deck.
I think Papua New Guinea is signified rather than Papua as it is a Commonwealth country. I have
copied and pasted the article on PNG from www.wikipeida.org:
History
Humans first arrived in Papua New Guinea around 42,000 45,000 years BP.
Agriculture was independently developed in the New Guinea highlands around 7000 BC, making it
one of the few areas in the world where people independently domesticated plants. A major
migration of Austronesian speaking peoples to coastal regions of New Guinea took place around
500 BC. This has been correlated with the introduction of pottery, pigs, and certain fishing
techniques.
More recently, in the 18th century, the sweet potato was brought to New Guinea, having been
introduced to the Moluccas by Portuguese traders, who obtained it from South America. The far
higher crop yields from sweet potato gardens radically transformed traditional agriculture; sweet
potato largely supplanted the previous staple, taro, and gave rise to a significant increase in
population in the highlands.
Although headhunting and cannibalism have been practically eradicated, in the past they were
practised in many parts of the country as part of rituals related to warfare and taking in enemy
spirits or powers. For example, in 1901, on Goaribari Island in the Gulf of Papua, a missionary,
Harry Dauncey, found 10,000 skulls in the island's Long Houses. According to the writer Marianna
Torgovnick, "The most fully documented instances of cannibalism as a social institution come from
New Guinea, where head-hunting and ritual cannibalism survived, in certain isolated areas, into the
Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies, and still leave traces within certain social groups."
Little was known in Europe about the island until the 19th century, although Portuguese and
Spanish explorers, such as Dom Jorge de Meneses and Yigo Ortiz de Retez, had encountered it as
early as the 16th century. Traders from Southeast Asia had visited New Guinea beginning 5,000
years ago to collect bird of paradise plumes. The country's dual name results from its complex
administrative history before independence. The word papua is derived from an old local term of
uncertain origin. "New Guinea" (Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer
Yigo Ortiz de Retez. In 1545, he noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen
along the Guineacoast of Africa. Guinea, on its turn, is etymologically derived from Portuguese
word Guin.
In the nineteenth century, Germany ruled the northern half of the country as a colony for some
decades, beginning in 1884, as German New Guinea. The southern half was colonised in the same
year by the United Kingdom as British New Guinea. In 1904 with the passage of the Papua Act,
1905, it transferred this territory to the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia, which took on
its administration. Additionally, from 1905, British New Guinea was renamed the Territory of
Papua.
During World War I, German New Guinea was occupied by Australia, which after the war was
given a League of Nations Mandate to administer it. Papua, by contrast, was deemed to be an
External Territory of the Australian Commonwealth, though as a matter of law it remained a British
possession. This was significant for the country's post-independence legal system. The difference
in legal status meant that up, until 1949, Papua and New Guinea had entirely separate
administrations, both controlled by Australia.
The New Guinea campaign (19421945) was one of the major military campaigns of World War II.
Approximately 216,000 Japanese, Australian, and US servicemen died. After World War II, the two
territories were combined into the Territory of Papua and New Guinea, which later was simply
referred to as "Papua New Guinea".
However, certain statutes continued to have application only in one of the two territories. This
territorial difference of law was complicated further by the adjustment of the former boundary
among contiguous provinces with respect to road access and language groups. Some of the statutes
apply only on one side of a boundary that no longer exists.
The natives of Papua appealed to the United Nations for oversight and independence. The nation
established independence from Australia on 16 September 1975, and maintain close ties. (Australia
continues as the largest aid donor to Papua New Guinea). Papua New Guinea was admitted to
membership in the United Nations on 10 October 1975.
A secessionist revolt in 197576 on Bougainville Island resulted in an eleventh-hour modification
of the draft Constitution of Papua New Guinea to allow for Bougainville and the other eighteen
districts to have quasi-federal status as provinces. A renewed uprising started in 1988 and claimed
20,000 lives until it was resolved in 1997. Following the revolt, the autonomous Bougainville
elected Joseph Kabui as president in 2005 and he served until 2008. He was succeeded by his
deputy John Tabinaman, who continued to be re-elected as leader until the election of December
2008, which James Tanis won.
Anti-Chinese rioting involving tens of thousands of people broke out in May 2009. The initial
spark was a fight between Chinese and Papua New Guinean workers at a nickel factory under
construction by a Chinese company. Native resentment against Chinese ownership of numerous
small businesses and their commercial success led to the rioting. The Chinese have traditionally
been merchants in Papua New Guinea.
Politics
Papua New Guinea is a Commonwealth realm; as such Queen Elizabeth II acts as its Sovereign and
Head of State. It was expected by the constitutional convention, which prepared the draft
constitution, and by Australia, the outgoing metropolitan power, that Papua New Guinea would
choose not to retain its link with the Commonwealth monarchy. The founders, however, considered
that imperial honours had a cachet that the newly independent state would not be able to confer with
a purely indigenous honours system, so the monarchy was retained. The Queen is represented by
the Governor-General of Papua New Guinea, currently Sir Michael Ogio. Papua New Guinea and
the Solomon Islands are unusual among Commonwealth realms in that Governors-General are
selected by the legislature rather than by the executive branch.
Actual executive power lies with the Prime Minister, who heads the cabinet of 31 MPs from the
ruling Coalition, which make up the government. The current Prime Minister is Peter O'Neill. The
unicameral National Parliament has 111 seats, of which 22 are occupied by the governors of the 21
provinces (2 new ones were approved by Parliament in 2012) and the National Capital District
(NCD). Candidates for members of parliament are voted upon when the prime minister asks the
Governor-General to call a national election, a maximum of five years after the previous national
election.
In the early years of independence, the instability of the party system led to frequent votes of no
confidence in Parliament with resulting changes of the government of the day, but with referral to
the electorate, through national elections only occurring every five years. In recent years,
successive governments have passed legislation preventing such votes sooner than 18 months after
a national election and within 12-month of the next election, and in December 2012 the first 2 (of 3)
readings were passed to prevent votes of no confidence occurring within the first 30 months. This
restriction on votes of no confidence has arguably resulted in greater stability, although perhaps at a
cost of reducing the accountability of the executive branch of government.
Elections in PNG attract large numbers of candidates. After independence in 1975, members were
elected by the first past the post system, with winners frequently gaining less than 15% of the vote.
Electoral reforms in 2001 introduced the Limited Preferential Vote system (LPV), a version of the
Alternative Vote. The 2007 general election was the first to be conducted using LPV.
In foreign policy, Papua New Guinea is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, Pacific Islands
Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) of countries and was accorded Observer status
within ASEAN in 1976, followed later by Special Observer status in 1981. It is also a member of
APEC and an ACP country, associated with the European Union.
Since August 2011, there was a political crisis between the parliament-elect Prime Minister, Peter
O'Neill (voted into office by a large majority of MPs) and Sir Michael Somare, who was deemed by
the Supreme Court (in a December Opinion, 3:2) to retain office. The stand-off between Parliament
and the Supreme Court continued until the July 2012 National Elections, with legislation passed
effectively removing the Chief Justice and subjecting the Supreme Court members to greater
control by the Legislature, as well as a series of other laws passed, for example limiting the age for
a Prime Minister. The confrontation reached a peak, with the Deputy Prime Minister entering the
Supreme Court, during a hearing, escorted by some police, ostensibly to 'arrest' the Chief Justice.
There was strong pressure amongst some MPs to defer the National Elections for a further six
months-1-year, although their powers to do that were highly questionable. The Parliament-elect
'Prime Minister' and other cooler-headed MPs carried the votes for the writs for the new Election to
be issued, slightly late, but for the Election itself to occur on time, thereby avoiding a continuation
of the Constitutional Crisis. The crisis was tense at times, but largely restricted to the political and
legal fraternity, plus some police factions, but the public and public service (including most police
and military) standing back. It was a period when, with increased telecommunication access and
use of social media (notably Facebook and mobile phones) the public and students played some part
in helping maintain restraint and demanding the leadership to adhere to Constitutional processes
and not to defer the Elections and the people's say in who should be their legitimate representatives
for the next five years.
Under an Amendment of 2002, the leader of the party winning the largest number of seats in the
Election is invited by the Governor-General to form the Government, if he can muster the necessary
majority in Parliament. The process of forming such a coalition in PNG, where there is little
ideologically binding parties together, involves considerable horse trading right up until the last
moment. Peter O'Neil emerged as Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister after the July 2012 Election,
and formed a Government with the former Governor of East New Britain Province, Leon Dion as
Deputy Prime Minister.
Law
The unicameral Parliament enacts legislation in the same manner as in other jurisdictions that have
"cabinet," "responsible government," or "parliamentary democracy": it is introduced by the
executive government to the legislature, debated and, if passed, becomes law when it receives royal
assent by the Governor-General. Most legislation is actually regulation implemented by the
bureaucracy under enabling legislation previously passed by Parliament.
All ordinary statutes enacted by Parliament must be consistent with the Constitution. The courts
have jurisdiction to rule on the constitutionality of statutes, both in disputes before them and on a
reference where there is no dispute but only an abstract question of law. Unusual among
developing countries, the judicial branch of government in Papua New Guinea has remained
remarkably independent, and successive executive governments have continued to respect its
authority.
The "underlying law" (Papua New Guinea's common law) consists of principles and rules of
common law and equity in England common law as it stood on 16 September 1975 (the date of
Independence), and thereafter the decisions of PNG's own courts. The courts are directed by the
Constitution and, latterly, the Underlying Law Act, to take note of the "custom" of traditional
communities, with a view to determining which customs are common to the whole country and may
be declared also to be part of the underlying law. In practice, this has proved extremely difficult
and has been largely neglected. Statutes are largely adapted from overseas jurisdictions, primarily
Australia and England. Advocacy in the courts follows the adversarial pattern of other common law
countries.
This national court system used in towns and cities is supported by a village court system in the
more remote areas. The law underpinning the village courts is 'customary law' and these courts are
discussed further on the Law of Papua New Guinea page.
Human rights
Papua New Guinea is often labelled as potentially the worst place in the world for gender violence.
A 2013 study in The Lancet found that 41% of men on Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea,
reported having raped a non-partner while 14.1% reported having committed gang rape. According
to UNICEF, nearly half of reported rape victims are under 15 years of age and 13% are under 7
years of age while a report by ChildFund Australia citing former Parliamentarian Dame Carol Kidu
claimed 50% of those seeking medical help after rape are under 16, 25% are under 10 and 10% are
under 8.
Administrative divisions
Papua New Guinea is divided into four regions, which are not the primary administrative divisions
but are quite significant in many aspects of government, commercial, sporting and other activities.
The nation has 22 province-level divisions: twenty provinces, the Autonomous Region of
Bougainville and the National Capital District. Each province is divided into one or more districts,
which in turn are divided into one or more Local Level Government areas.
Provinces are the primary administrative divisions of the country. Provincial governments are
branches of the national government Papua New Guinea is not a federation of provinces. The
province-level divisions are as follows:
1. Central
2. Chimbu
(Simbu)
3. Eastern
Highlands
4. East New
Britain
5. East Sepik
6. Enga
7. Gulf
8. Madang
9. Manus
10. Milne
Bay
11. Morobe
In 2009, Parliament approved the creation of two additional provinces: Hela Province, consisting of
part of the existing Southern Highlands Province, and Jiwaka Province, formed by dividing Western
Highlands Province. Jiwaka and Hela officially became separate provinces on 17 May 2012.
Geography
At 462,840 km2 (178,704 sq mi), Papua New Guinea is the world's fifty-fourth largest country.
Including all its islands, it lies between latitudes 0 and 12S, and longitudes 140and 160E.
The country's geography is diverse and, in places, extremely rugged. A spine of mountains, the
New Guinea Highlands, runs the length of the island of New Guinea, forming a populous highlands
region mostly covered with tropical rainforest, and the long Papuan Peninsula, known as the 'Bird's
Tail'. Dense rainforests can be found in the lowland and coastal areas as well as very large wetland
areas surrounding the Sepik and Fly rivers. This terrain has made it difficult for the country to
develop transportation infrastructure. Some areas are accessible only on foot or by aeroplane. The
highest peak is Mount Wilhelm at 4,509 metres (14,793 ft). Papua New Guinea is surrounded by
coral reefs which are under close watch, in the interests of preservation.
The country is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, at the point of collision of several tectonic
plates. There are a number of active volcanoes, and eruptions are frequent. Earthquakes are
relatively common, sometimes accompanied by tsunamis.
The mainland of the country is the eastern half of New Guinea island, where the largest towns are
also located, including Port Moresby (capital) and Lae; other major islands within Papua New
Guinea include New Ireland, New Britain, Manus and Bougainville.
Papua New Guinea is one of the few regions close to the equator that experience snowfall, which
occurs in the most elevated parts of the mainland.
Ecology
Papua New Guinea is part of the Australasia ecozone, which also includes Australia, New Zealand,
eastern Indonesia, and several Pacific island groups, including the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
Geologically, the island of New Guinea is a northern extension of the Indo-Australian tectonic plate,
forming part of a single land mass which is Australia-New Guinea (also called Sahul orMeganesia).
It is connected to the Australian segment by a shallow continental shelf across the Torres Strait,
which in former ages had lain exposed as a land bridge, particularly during ice ages when sea levels
were lower than at present.
Consequently, many species of birds and mammals found on New Guinea have close genetic links
with corresponding species found in Australia. One notable feature in common for the two
landmasses is the existence of several species of marsupial mammals, including some kangaroos
and possums, which are not found elsewhere.
Many of the other islands within PNG territory, including New Britain, New Ireland, Bougainville,
the Admiralty Islands, the Trobriand Islands, and the Louisiade Archipelago, were never linked to
New Guinea by land bridges. As a consequence, they have their own flora and fauna; in particular,
they lack many of the land mammals and flightless birds that are common to New Guinea and
Australia.
Australia and New Guinea are portions of the ancient super continent of Gondwana, which started
to break into smaller continents in the Cretaceous era, 66130 million years ago. Australia finally
broke free from Antarctica about 45 million years ago. All the Australasian lands are home to the
Antarctic flora, descended from the flora of southern Gondwana, including the coniferous
podocarps and Araucaria pines, and the broadleafed southern beech (Nothofagus). These plant
families are still present in Papua New Guinea.
As the Indo-Australian Plate (which includes landmasses of India, Australia, and the Indian Ocean
floor in between) drifts north, it collides with the Eurasian Plate. The collision of the two plates
pushed up the Himalayas, the Indonesian islands, and New Guinea's Central Range. The Central
Range is much younger and higher than the mountains of Australia, so high that it is home to rare
equatorial glaciers. New Guinea is part of the humid tropics, and many Indomalayan rainforest
plants spread across the narrow straits from Asia, mixing together with the old Australian and
Antarctic floras.
PNG includes a number of terrestrial ecoregions:
Admiralty Islands lowland rain forests forested islands to the north of the mainland, home
to a distinct flora.
Central Range montane rain forests
Huon Peninsula montane rain forests
Louisiade Archipelago rain forests
New Britain-New Ireland lowland rain forests
New Britain-New Ireland montane rain forests
New Guinea mangroves
Economy
Papua New Guinea is richly endowed with natural resources, including mineral and renewable
resources, such as forests, marine (including a large portion of the world's major tuna stocks), and in
some parts agriculture. The rugged terrain including high mountain ranges and valleys, swamps
and islands and high cost of developing infrastructure, combined with other factors (including
serious law and order problems in some centres and the system of customary land title) makes it
difficult for outside developers. Local developers are handicapped by years of deficient investment
in education, health, ICT and access to finance. Agriculture, for subsistence and cash crops,
provides a livelihood for 85% of the population and continues to provide some 30% of GDP.
Mineral deposits, including gold, oil, and copper, account for 72% of export earnings. Oil palm
production has grown steadily over recent years (largely from estates and with extensive outgrower
output), with palm oil now the main agricultural export. In households participating, coffee remains
the major export crop (produced largely in the Highlands provinces), followed by cocoa and
coconut oil/copra from the coastal areas, each largely produced by smallholders and tea, produced
on estates and rubber. The Iagifu/Hedinia Field was discovered in 1986 in the Papuan fold and
thrust belt.
Former Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta tried to restore integrity to state institutions, stabilise
the kina, restore stability to the national budget, privatise public enterprises where appropriate, and
ensure ongoing peace on Bougainville following the 1997 agreement which ended Bougainville's
secessionist unrest. The Morauta government had considerable success in attracting international
support, specifically gaining the backing of the IMF and the World Bank in securing development
assistance loans. Significant challenges face Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare, including gaining
further investor confidence, continuing efforts to privatise government assets, and maintaining the
support of members of Parliament.
In March 2006, the United Nations Development Programme Policy called for Papua New Guinea's
designation of developing country to be downgraded to least-developed country because of
protracted economic and social stagnation. However, an evaluation by the International Monetary
Fund in late 2008 found that "a combination of prudent fiscal and monetary policies, and high
global prices for mineral commodity exports, have underpinned Papua New Guinea's recent
buoyant economic growth and macroeconomic stability. By 2012 PNG had enjoyed a decade of
positive economic growth, at over 6% since 2007, even during the Global Financial Crisis years of
2008/9. PNG's Real GDP growth rate as at 2011 was 8.9%., and 9.2% for 2012, according to the
Asian Development Bank. This economic growth has been primarily attributed to strong
commodity prices, particularly mineral but also agricultural, with the high demand for mineral
products largely sustained even during the crisis by the buoyant Asian markets a booming mining
sector, and particularly since 2009 by a buoyant outlook and the construction phase for natural gas
exploration, production, and exportation in liquefied form (Liquefied Natural Gasor "LNG") by
LNG tankers (LNG carrier), all of which will require multi-billion-dollar investments (exploration,
production wells, pipelines, storage, liquefaction plants, port terminals, LNG tanker ships).
The first major gas project is the PNG LNG project of a consortium led by ExxonMobil, scheduled
to commence production in late 2014, for export largely to China, Japan, South Korea and other
Asian countries. This ExxonMobil-led consortium includes a PNG company named Oil Search,
based in Port Moresby, which has a 29% share.
A second major project is based on initial rights held by the French oil and gas major Total S.A. and
the US company InterOil Corp. (IOC), which have partly combined their assets after Total agreed
in December 2013 to purchase 61.3% of IOC's Antelope and Elk gas fields rights, with the plan to
develop them starting in 2016, including the construction of a liquefaction plant to allow export of
LNG. Total S.A. has separately another joint operating agreement with the PNG company Oil
Search.
The Anglo-Dutch major Royal Dutch Shell has indicated in 2011 that it is considering the
possibility of investing in gas exploration and production in Papua New Guinea.
Further gas and mineral projects are proposed (including the large Wafi-Golpu copper-gold mine),
with extensive exploration ongoing across the country.
Economic 'development' based on the extractive industries carries difficult consequences for local
communities. There has been much contention around river tailings in the vast Fly River,
submarine tailings from the new Ramu-Nickel-cobalt mine, commencing exports in late 2012 (after
a delay from landowner-led court challenges), and from proposed submarine mining in the
Bismarck Sea (by Nautilus Minerals). One major project conducted through the PNG Department
for Community Development suggested that other pathways to sustainable development should be
considered.
The PNG government's long-term Vision 2050 and shorter-term policy documents, including the
2013 Budget and the 2014 Responsible Sustainable Development Strategy, emphasise the need for a
more diverse economy, based upon sustainable industries and avoiding the effects of Dutch Disease
from major resource extraction projects undermining other industries, as has occurred in many
countries experiencing oil or other mineral booms, notably in Western Africa, undermining much of
their agriculture sector, manufacturing and tourism, and with them broad-based employment
prospects. Measures have been taken to mitigate these effects, including through the establishment
of a sovereign wealth fund, partly to stabilise revenue and expenditure flows, but much will depend
upon the readiness to make real reforms to effective use of revenue, tackling rampant corruption
and empowering households and businesses to access markets, services and develop a more buoyant
economy, with lower costs, especially for small- to medium-size enterprises.
The Institute of National Affairs, a PNG independent policy think tank, provides a report on the
business and investment environment of Papua New Guinea every five years, based upon a survey
of large and small, local and overseas companies, highlighting law and order problems and
corruption, as the worst impediments, followed by the poor state of transport, power and
communications infrastructure.
Land tenure
The PNG legislature has enacted laws in which a type of tenure called "customary land title" is
recognised, meaning that the traditional lands of the indigenous peoples have some legal basis to
inalienable tenure. This customary land notionally covers most of the usable land in the country
(some 97% of total land area); alienated land is either held privately under state lease or is
government land. Freehold Title (also known as fee simple) can only be held by Papua New
Guinea citizens.
Only some 3% of the land of Papua New Guinea is in private hands; it is privately held under 99year state lease, or it is held by the State. There is virtually no freehold title; the few existing
freeholds are automatically converted to state lease when they are transferred between vendor and
purchaser. Unalienated land is owned under customary title by traditional landowners. The precise
nature of the seisin varies from one culture to another. Many writers portray land as in the
communal ownership of traditional clans; however, closer studies usually show that the smallest
portions of land whose ownership cannot be further divided are held by the individual heads of
extended families and their descendants or their descendants alone if they have recently died.
This is a matter of vital importance because a problem of economic development is identifying the
membership of customary landowning groups and the owners. Disputes between mining and
forestry companies and landowner groups often devolve on the issue of whether the companies
entered into contractual relations for the use of land with the true owners. Customary property
usually land cannot be devised by will. It can only be inherited according to the custom of the
deceased's people. The Lands Act was amended in 2010 along with the Land Group Incorporation
Act, intended to improve the management of state land, mechanisms for dispute resolution over
land, and to enable customary landowners to be better able to access finance and possible
partnerships over portions of their land, if they seek to develop it for urban or rural economic
activities. The Land Group Incorporation Act requires more specific identification of the customary
landowners than hitherto and their more specific authorisation before any land arrangements are
determined; (a major issue in recent years has been a land grab, using, or rather misusing, the
Lease-Leaseback provision under the Land Act, notably using 'Special Agricultural and Business
Leases' (SABLs) to acquire vast tracts of customary land, purportedly for agricultural projects, but
in an almost all cases as a back-door mechanism for securing tropical forest resources for logging
circumventing the more exacting requirements of the Forest Act, for securing Timber Permits
(which must comply with sustainability requirements and be competitively secured, and with the
customary landowners approval). Following a national outcry, these SABLs have been subject to a
Commission of Inquiry, established in mid-2011, for which the report is still awaited for initial
presentation to the Prime Minister and Parliament.
Demographics
Papua New Guinea is one of the most heterogeneous nations in the world. There are hundreds of
ethnic groups indigenous to Papua New Guinea, the majority being from the group known as
Papuans, whose ancestors arrived in the New Guinea region tens of thousands of years ago. The
other indigenous peoples are Austronesians, their ancestors having arrived in the region less than
four thousand years ago.
There are also numerous people from other parts of the world now resident, including Chinese,
Europeans, Australians, Filipinos, Polynesians, and Micronesians (the last three belonging to the
Austronesian family). Around 40,000 expatriates, mostly from Australia and China, were living in
Papua New Guinea in 1975.
Papua New Guinea has more languages than any other country, with over 820 indigenous
languages, representing 12% of the world's total, but most have fewer than 1,000 speakers. The
most widely spoken indigenous language is Enga, with about 200,000 speakers, followed by Melpa
and Huli. Indigenous languages are classified into two large groups, Austronesian languages and
non-Austronesian, or Papuan, languages. There are three official languages for Papua New Guinea:
English, Tok Pisin, and Hiri Motu.
English is the language of government and the education system, but it is not spoken widely.
The primary lingua franca of the country is Tok Pisin (commonly known in English as New Guinea
Pidgin or Melanesian Pidgin), in which much of the debate in Parliament is conducted, many
information campaigns and advertisements are presented, and until recently a national newspaper,
Wantok, was published. The only area where Tok Pisin is not prevalent is the southern region of
Papua, where people often use the third official language, Hiri Motu.
Although it lies in the Papua region, Port Moresby has a highly diverse population which primarily
uses Tok Pisin, and to a lesser extent English, with Motu spoken as the indigenous language in
outlying villages. With an average of only 7,000 speakers per language, Papua New Guinea has a
greater density of languages than any other nation on earth except Vanuatu.
Health
Public expenditure was at 7.3% of all government expenditure in 2006, whereas private expenditure
was at 0.6% of the GDP. There were five physicians per 100,000 people in the early 2000s.
Malaria is the leading cause of illness and death in New Guinea. In 2003, the most recently
reported year, 70,226 cases of laboratory confirmed malaria were reported, along with 537 deaths.
A total of 1,729,697 cases were probable.
Papua New Guinea has the highest incidence of HIV and AIDS in the Pacific region and is the
fourth country in the Asia Pacific region to fit the criteria for a generalised HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Lack of HIV/AIDS awareness is a major problem, especially in rural areas.
In June 2011, the United Nations Population Fund released a report on The State of the World's
Midwifery. It contained new data on the midwifery workforce and policies relating to newborn and
maternal mortality for 58 countries. The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Papua
New Guinea is 250. This is compared with 311.9 in 2008 and 476.3 in 1990. The under 5 mortality
rate, per 1,000 births is 69 and the neonatal mortality as a percentage of under 5's mortality is 37.
The aim of this report is to highlight ways in which the Millennium Development Goals can be
achieved, particularly Goal 4 Reduce child mortality and Goal 5 Improve maternal health. In
Papua New Guinea the number of midwives per 1,000 live births is 1 and the lifetime risk of death
for pregnant women is 1 in 94.
Religion
The courts and government practice uphold the constitutional right to freedom of speech, thought,
and belief, and no legislation to curb those rights has been adopted. The 2000 census found that
96% of citizens identified themselves as members of a Christian church; however, many citizens
combine their Christian faith with some traditional indigenous religious practices. The census
percentages were as follows:
Roman Catholic Church (27.0%)
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea (19.5%)
United Church (11.5%)
Seventh-day Adventist Church (10.0%)
Pentecostal (8.6%)
Evangelical Alliance (5.2%)
Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea (3.2%)
Baptist (2.5%)
Church of Christ (0.4%)
Other Christian (8.9%)
Bah' Faith (0.3%)
Indigenous beliefs and other (3.3%)
There are also approximately 4,000 Muslims in the country. Majority belong to the Sunni group,
while a small number are Ahmadi. Non-traditional Christian churches and non-Christian religious
groups are active throughout the country. The Papua New Guinea Council of Churches has stated
that both Muslim and Confucian missionaries are active, and foreign missionary activity in general
is high.
Traditional religions were often animist. Some also tended to have elements of Veneration of the
dead, though generalisation is suspect given the extreme heterogeneity of Melanesian societies.
Prevalent among traditional tribes is the belief in masalai, or evil spirits, which are blamed for
"poisoning" people, causing calamity and death, and the practice of puripuri (sorcery).
Culture
It is estimated that more than a thousand cultural groups exist in Papua New Guinea. Because of
this diversity, many styles of cultural expression have emerged; each group has created its own
expressive forms in art, dance, weaponry, costumes, singing, music, architecture and much more.
Most of these cultural groups have their own language. People typically live in villages that rely on
subsistence farming. In some areas people hunt and collect wild plants (such as yam roots) to
supplement their diets. Those who become skilled at hunting, farming and fishing earn a great deal
of respect.
On the Sepik river, there is a tradition of wood carving, often in the form of plants or animals,
representing ancestor spirits.
Sea shells are no longer the currency of Papua New Guinea, as they were in some regions sea
shells were abolished as currency in 1933. However, this tradition is still present in local customs;
in some cultures, to get a bride, a groom must bring a certain number of golden-edged clam shells
as a bride price. In other regions, the bride price is paid in lengths of shell money, pigs, cassowaries
or cash. Elsewhere, it is brides who traditionally pay a dowry.
People of the highlands engage in colourful local rituals that are called "sing sings". They paint
themselves and dress up with feathers, pearls and animal skins to represent birds, trees or mountain
spirits. Sometimes an important event, such as a legendary battle, is enacted at such a musical
festival.
Sport
Sport is an important part of Papua New Guinean culture and rugby league is by far the most
popular sport. In a nation where communities are far apart and many people live at a minimal
subsistence level, rugby league has been described as a replacement for tribal warfare as a way of
explaining the local enthusiasm for the game (a matter of life and death). Many Papua New
Guineans have become instant celebrities by representing their country or playing in an overseas
professional league. Even Australian rugby league players who have played in the annual State of
Origin series, which is celebrated feverishly every year in PNG, are among the most well known
people throughout the nation.
State of Origin is a highlight of the year for most Papua New Guineans, although the support is so
passionate that many people have died over the years in violent clashes supporting their team. The
Papua New Guinea national rugby league team usually plays against the Australian Prime Minister's
XIII (a selection of NRL players) each year, normally in Port Moresby.
Other major sports which have a part in the Papua New Guinea sporting landscape are Australian
rules football, Association football, rugby union and, in eastern Papua,cricket.
The capital city Port Moresby will be hosting the Pacific Games in 2015.
Cuisine
The cuisine of Papua New Guinea is very varied, and usually features locally abundant fruit and
vegetables along with rice, fish and seafood. Due to the country's colonial history, it's heavily
influenced by European, Chinese and Indonesian cooking. The staple dish is sago, a powdery
starch made from the sago palm that is highly versatile and is often served alongside cooked
seafood, meats and greens.
Education
A large proportion of the population is illiterate, with women predominating in this area. Much of
the education in the country is provided by church institutions. This includes 500 schools of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church of Papua New Guinea. Papua New Guinea has six universities apart
from other major tertiary institutions. The two founding universities are the University of Papua
New Guinea based in the National Capital District, and the Papua New Guinea University of
Technology based outside of Lae, in Morobe Province.
The four other universities which were once colleges were established recently after gaining
government recognition. These are the University of Goroka in the Eastern Highlands province,
Divine Word University (run by the Catholic Church's Divine Word Missionaries) in Madang
Province, Vudal University in East New Britain Province and Pacific Adventist University (run by
the Seventh-day Adventist Church) in the National Capital District.
Transport
Transport in Papua New Guinea is heavily limited by the country's mountainous terrain. Port
Moresby is not linked by road to any of the other major towns, and many remote villages can only
be reached by light aircraft or on foot. As a result, air travel is the single most important form of
transport for human and high value freight. In addition to two international airfields, Papua New
Guinea has 578 airstrips, most of which are unpaved. Assets are not maintained to good operating
standards and poor transport remains a major impediment to the development of ties of national
unity.
Air travel
Air travel is the single most important form of transport in Papua New Guinea, for the transport of
humans and high density/value freight. Airplanes made it possible to open up the country during its
early colonial period. Even today the two largest cities, Port Moresby and Lae, are only directly
connected by planes.
Jacksons International Airport is the major international airport in Papua New Guinea, located 5
miles from Port Moresby.
Papa New Guinea may be the ideal place for an Abbey of Thelema because:
It is an ecologically diverse country, and we are sworn to help protect Our Lady Babalon
(the Earth).
The English pound is very strong and property may be more affordable.
Liber vel Via Vitae Sub Figur CCCCI THE RULE OF THE ABBEY OF THELEMA -Ad Salutem Thelema- "Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall
wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall ye come to my joy." (CCXX, i, 61) "Thus ye have star & star,
system & system; let not one know well the other" (lbid, i, 50) ARTICLE ONE. The Abbey of Thelema shall consist of aspirants to the Great White Brotherhood, or A A, of both
sexes and sexual preferences. ARTICLE TWO. The rite of initiation in the Abbey of Thelema shall take the form of a matrimonial union between the monk or nun and 666 or 156,
according to his or her biological identity. The new monk or nun shall take a new name based on the Holy Books of Thelema. ARTICLE THREE. Neither the Abbey of Thelema nor its
members shall discriminate against any person on the basis of their race, national or ethnic origin, sex or sexual preference, or age. The Abbey of Thelema is completely non-sectarian
and non-dogmatic. The Abbey of Thelema is ecologically responsible and opposes the continuing destruction of the body of Our Lady Babalon (the Earth). ARTICLE FOUR. The study
and discussion (discussus) of the Book of the Law are forbidden. However, the reading, realization, and interpretation of the Law are not forbidden. This prohibition is moreover
specific to the Book of the Law, and does not apply to any other Book. The Comment is the most "Zen" of all of Aleister Crowley's writings. Note Bene! Cave! ARTICLE FIVE. The
Word and the Letter of Truth, and the sole Rule of Life, is the Holy Books of Thelema (Official Publications of the A A in Class A). These books represent the utterance of an Adept
entirely beyond criticism, and may not be changed. The individual right of interpretation is, however, absolute. Books may only be added to the Canon on the Authority of the
Collegium Summum, by the Chief of the A A. ARTICLE SIX. The Head of the Abbey of Thelema is the Abbot or Abbess. He or she is appointed for life, except as provided for in
Article X. The Abbot or Abbess manifests the True Will of the Abbey, speaks for the community, and is the sole source of power, strength, and authority within the Abbey, the Abbey's
Magical Link to the Highest. Each Abbey shall have its own Abbot or Abbess, and no Abbot or Abbess shall have power or authority over more than one community, except as provided
for in Article VIII. ARTICLE SEVEN.Every member of the Abbey shall swear a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess. ARTICLE EIGHT. The maximum number of the
community shall be eleven. However, abbeys may congregate in larger communities, in which case they shall be governed by a council of abbots or abbesses. In no case shall the
governing council exceed eleven members. ARTICLE NINE. Each Abbot or Abbess shall appoint his or her successor at or prior to his or her death. Failing that, the new Abbot or
Abbess shall be chosen by unanimous agreement of the governing council of which he or she was a member within thirty days. Should he or she not have been a member of a governing
council, then his or her successor shall be chosen unanimously by the three highest ranking members of the Abbey within one year from the date of his or her death. In the interim the
Abbey shall be governed by a triumvirate of the same members. ARTICLE TEN. The new Abbot or Abbess shall appoint a Regent to act in his or her name until such time as the new
Abbot or Abbess has completed the Ordeal of the Pyramid (see Article XII), which he or she shall undertake within ten days of his or her appointment. ARTICLE ELEVEN. The Abbot
or Abbess may be removed from office by the unanimous agreement of all the inhabitants of the Abbey or the governing council (if any), other than himself or herself. ARTICLE
TWELVE. The Ordeal of the Pyramid. In a suitable place prepared let a truncated tetrahedral pyramid be constructed. On the sides of the interior are sigils in colour corresponding to the
spirits of the elements, painted on a white base. The base of the interior shall be painted black, and the exterior shall be painted white or black according to the season (spring and
summer or autumn and winter respectively). The top shall be open to the Sky. The height of the pyramid shall be equal to the height of a man, and the rest shall be proportional. Let the
sides of the pyramid be oriented to the four quarters of the compass. The pyramid shall be constructed such that it shall be possible to collect and pass out faeces, urine, and utensils,
while food, water, and utensils may be passed in. Let the candidate for the office of Abbot or Abbess be ceremonially entombed in this pyramid for exactly ten lunar months, with
purifications and consecrations, during which time he or she shall aspire continually to Nuit in perfect solitude and silence. He or she shall have nothing therein save the Holy Books of
Thelema, his or her Magical Record, a pen, a single candle, and matches. The candidate shall be permitted a single robe, which shall be changed at intervals of one week; sufficient
bedding for the weather; a sufficiency of water, bread, and vegetables for daily consumption, but absolutely no animal products or drugs; water, soap, nail scissors, and a cloth once per
week; and a container for urine and the collection of rainwater. The removal of faeces and urine, and the passing in of food, shall occur once per day, in the midst of the night, and shall
be attended to by the members of the Abbey in turn, by twos, chosen at random, in perfect silence. At any time the candidate may terminate the ordeal by breaking his or her Vow of
Silence, at which time he or she shall be removed. Such a candidate ceases to be a member of the Abbey of Thelema for life. He or she shall be removed after sunset on the last day.
Upon completing the Ordeal, the Abbot or Abbess shall be installed with all feasting and rejoicing, and the day of his or her installation shall be kept as a feast day by the Abbey for the
duration of his or her life. ARTICLE THIRTEEN. The Abbot or Abbess shall be entirely supported by the Abbey, and shall be provided with a private room, chapel, and bathroom,
furnished in the style of King Lamus. Other than his or her administrative responsibility, the Abbot or Abbess shall devote himself or herself entirely to the tasks of the A A and such
other work as he or she may see fit (see Article XLII). ARTICLE FOURTEEN. The Abbot or Abbess may appoint officers to carry out the practical and administrative work of the
Abbey, at his or her convenience, in which case they shall receive the same obedience of the community to which the Abbot is entitled, subject to his or her authorization and approval.
ARTICLE FIFTEEN. The Abbey shall maintain a Thelemic temple in accordance with the specifications prescribed in the Thelemic Holy Books. It shall be equipped for the tasks of the
A A and the celebration of the Gnostic Catholic Mass, for which additional props shall be kept available as needed. ARTICLE SIXTEEN. Every member of the Abbey shall wear a
bright blue tau robe, lined with scarlet and provided with a hood, with a golden girdle optional. The masters shall wear a scarlet tau robe, lined with blue. The Abbot or Abbess shall
wear a bright blue tau robe, as above, emblazoned with the Eye of Horus in scarlet. Members of the A A may wear the robe of their grade (see Article XLII). ARTICLE
SEVENTEEN. All male members of the Abbey shall shave the head with the exception of a single lock in the centre of the forehead, or an inverse tau at the hairline made with
vermilion sandalwood paste. ARTICLE EIGHTEEN. All female members of the Abbey shall wear their hair bobbed and died with optional red or yellow henna. ARTICLE NINETEEN.
The children of the Abbey shall be encouraged to go naked in order to free them from the bond of sexual shame. ARTICLE TWENTY. Upon reaching puberty each child shall be
initiated privily by the oldest member of the Abbey of the opposite biological gender, whereupon he or she may become a full member of the Abbey. ARTICLE TWENTY-ONE. Every
member of the Abbey shall be vowed by a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess and by a Vow of Simplicity. Concerning the Vow of Chastity it is not here written. ARTICLE
TWENTY-TWO. The day shall be divided by a tom-tom, bell, or other alarum, at 6 a.m., 12 noon, 6 p.m., and 12 midnight, followed immediately by a communal Adoration of the Sun,
according to the formula of Liber CC, followed by one hour of solitary meditation, except on Sunday (see Article XXXI). ARTICLE TWENTY-THREE. Meals shall be served twice
daily, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. All meals shall be eaten communally in silence, and shall be preceded by the saying of Will. All members of the Abbey shall fast between meals, save for
the imbibition of water. All meals shall be accompanied by wine. Dinners may be cooked in the French style. Breakfast shall be vegan. Red meat shall only be served on the feast days
of the Book of the Law. White meat shall not be served more than three times per week (see Article XXXIV). ARTICLE TWENTY-FOUR. The morning shall be dedicated to work and
physical training and exercise. The afternoon shall be dedicated to intellectual study, magic, or meditation, according to the member's grade. The evening shall be dedicated to the
communal recitation of the Cries of Adoration of Liber CMLXIII, or other chants, performances, readings, celebrations, or observances, with the approval of the Abbot, except on
Wednesday (see Article XXVII). ARTICLE TWENTY-FIVE. The Abbey shall consist of seven grades, as follows: postulant, consisting of one year of service; novice, consisting of two
years of physical training; disciple, consisting of three years of intellectual study; aspirant, consisting of four years of magical work; adept, consisting of five years of mystical work;
master; and the Abbot or Abbess, who is created by the Ordeal of the Pyramid. An abbot or abbess serving on a governing council shall be referred to as an archimandrite. ARTICLE
TWENTY-SIX. The members of the Abbey shall fast totally on each Wednesday. ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN. Every Wednesday night the Abbot or Abbess shall preach to the
community, commencing at 7 p.m., according to the formula of Liber LXIV. ARTICLE TWENTY-EIGHT. All monks shall be addressed as "Brother." All nuns shall be addressed as
"Sister." The Abbot and masters shall be addressed as "Father" or "Mother" in accordance with their biological gender. Monks and nuns may be addressed by a superior or equal by their
chosen names or, if they are also members of the A A., mottoes, or an acceptable abbreviation or English equivalent thereof. Children shall be addressed by their given names.
ARTICLE TWENTY-NINE. The corporal punishment of children is forbidden. ARTICLE THIRTY. The mass media are forbidden within the Abbey of Thelema. ARTICLE THIRTYONE. The use of the first personal pronoun is forbidden by all save the masters and Abbot. ARTICLE THIRTY-TWO. The members of the Abbey shall greet each other with the words
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law," followed by the reply, "Love is the law, love under will." The farewell is "Love is the law, love under will," reiterated. ARTICLE
THIRTY-THREE. Any discord or disagreement between the members of the Abbey shall be brought to the immediate attention of the Abbot or Abbess or an officer appointed for the
purpose. Once the cause of such a discord or disagreement is identified, the Abbot or Abbess shall appoint a test, such that the result of the test shall determine the resolution of the
discord or disagreement by indicating the True Will in the matter, which shall be interpreted by the Abbot or Abbess. Once resolved, any further discord or disagreement for the same
cause shall be considered to be a breach of the Vow of Holy Obedience, and punishable by penance. ARTICLE THIRTY-FOUR. The entry of the Sun into the signs of the zodiac, the
newness and fullness of the Moon, the birth and puberty of children, the marriages and deaths of members, the quarter days, and the feast days prescribed in the Book of the Law shall
be observed by rituals and celebrated by feasts. In addition, the Abbey of Thelema shall sponsor public readings and performances of the works of Aleister Crowley, and such other
works as the Abbot may authorize. ARTICLE THIRTY-FIVE. The Mass of the Gnostic Catholic Church shall be celebrated every Sunday at 12 noon, following the Adoration of the
Sun. ARTICLE THIRTY-SIX. Those who do not accept the Law of Thelema may not trespass upon the consecrated grounds of the Abbey. Above all entrances to the Abbey the motto
"DO WHAT THOU WILT" shall be superscribed. Guests and new members shall sign the following pledge form immediately upon admission to the Abbey: "I do solemnly declare that
I accept the Law of Thelema, that I will devote myself to discover my True Will, and to do it." Those who refuse to sign must be expelled. ARTICLE THIRTY-SEVEN. Members of the
Abbey may, by special dispensation of the Abbot or Abbess, work in the world on behalf of the Abbey, in which case any or all of their duties may be forgiven them, for the duration of
their absence from the Abbey, without penance. ARTICLE THIRTY-EIGHT. The admission, expulsion, and advancement of members of the Abbey shall be at the personal discretion of
the Abbot. Penances may be exacted by the Abbot at his or her personal discretion, excluding corporal punishment. The education of the Abbey's children shall be the personal
responsibility of the Abbot. ARTICLE THIRTY-NINE. Any member of the Abbey may leave the Abbey without shame simply by informing the Abbot of his will, provided he or she is
not under any penance or shunning at the time. ARTICLE FORTY. Any member of the Abbey who fails to observe the Rule of the Abbey of Thelema shall be shunned. The duration of
shunning shall be determined by the Abbot, according to the severity of the infraction. ARTICLE FORTY-ONE. Any person may establish an Abbey of Thelema in accordance with this
Rule. Each Abbey shall endeavour to incorporate itself as a religious order, in accordance with the laws of the jurisdiction in which it is located, and to establish itself on a sound
financial basis. In particular, the Abbey shall endeavour to acquire any land or property which may become available in its vicinity, in order to enlarge its domain. Abbeys shall extend
hospitality to each other's members, at the discretion of the Abbot. ARTICLE FORTY-TWO. Any Abbot or Abbess who satisfies the criterion of the twenty-one tests may confer the
instruction, grades, and initiations of the Great White Brotherhood, or A A, in the name of the A A, as an Exempt Adept of the A A. ARTICLE FORTY-THREE. Any person
soever may claim the grade of Master of the Temple by taking the oath of the grade, subject to recognition of a recognized Master of the Temple of the A A. ARTICLE FORTYFOUR. Each Abbey of Thelema shall be located at a power point based on the figure genethhacal for the moment of the advent of the New Aeon. The name of the Abbey shall be based
on the god names of the Holy Books of Thelema and shall be derived from the significant planets for the chosen location. If local mythology attests to a regional power point the Abbey
shall be oriented to that.
Membership Prerequisites
1. You must be a Thelemite, and accept The Book of the Law, and the Comment of that Book.
Belonging to more than one religion is a matter of Adeptus Within, and cannot be dealt with
here; suffice to say Thelema is merely a branch of Scientific Illuminism and not the root of
the Tree thereof.
2. You must have the permission, and blessing, of your family to join the preliminary internet
group. This means father, mother, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, in-laws and legal
guardians, wives and husbands, girlfriends and boyfriends. If your loved ones are
inquisitive about the Exclusive Thelemic Commune then show them a printed copy of Liber
ATh vel Via Vitae for perusal.
3. You must be free and in good social standing (or in good standing for at least a few years).
You cannot join if in prison, jail, psychiatric care, under a probation officer, or under
restrictions from your government in any form. In other words you must be a citizen of
planet Earth. We reserve the right to apply for criminal and civil records in each case.
Honesty is the best option. We are not saints by any means and not worried about civil law
suits; although some criminal offences would reflect badly on our community and therefore
a basis for declining membership.
4. You must be sufficiently worldly, or fortunate, that residence in an Abbey of Thelema would
not deprive you of income and therefore place you at risk.
5. You must have accommodation elsewhere in the world, be it through family, fortune or other
circumstance, so that if expelled from the Abbey you have something to fall back on. You
must be able to ensure suitable accommodation elsewhere for at least three months from the
date of your initiation.
6. You must have created something that is guaranteed to outlive your mortal being. Be this a
work of art, a book, a boat, a building, a sculpture, or even a child; it guarantees you a place
in the Shades of the Empyrean, and constitutes the mass of your karma as somehow infinite.
7. You must be willing to work on behalf of the Abbey, outside its walls, in order to generate
income for the Abbey's survival.
8. You must promise to keep your affiliation, membership, and knowledge of the Abbey of
Thelema hidden from the scrutiny of the mass media. In the Internet Age the definition of
'mass media' is hazy at best, and this also is more a matter of Adeptus Within, and cannot be
entered into here.
heavy metal concert as 'cultish'. The Abbey of Thelema is not a cult but will be called so; yet is
more refined and well balanced, and more 'human' than many mass media and entertainment
enterprises that are referred to as 'entertainment'. I also think that the Boyd Cult Scale misses a very
important factor: the mass recruiting of followers. It seems to me that 90% of cults are concerned
with getting as many followers as possible where the Abbey of Thelema is exclusively for small
groups. The Abbey of Thelema is not a 'cult', it is a Mystery School of the Ancients.
Thelemic Politics
Dear John Bull,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The mass media is forbidden in the Abbey of Thelema. However, no doubt the tabloid press will
malign our spiritual college as unconventional, blasphemous and simply looking for trouble
(excuse the writer if he is not as inventive as a journalist). Please, please, leave us alone; we are a
private household that simply, in the grand scheme of things, display some incongruous anamolies
to other private households of similar stature. We are not looking to become celebrities, media
villains or a scapegoat scandal. It was the 1920s abuse from various newspapers that ruined
Crowleys happiness in Cefalu, Sicily. We hope to continue that mans magical, mystical and
literary legacy well into the 21st century and any media attention would simply be at best a thorn in
our side and most probably break our hearts into jigsaw pieces Do you not have bigger fish to
fry than a small community of Thelemites? Again, please let us be, our business is with a
magick and mysticism not wholly on your plane and we believe any mischief that is wrought
against us will just make you appear more like the thumbscrew than the winepress. If our supposed
notoriety makes us headline news, for good or ill, you will be basely caricaturing and parodying
the salt of the earth. You will undoubtedly have brought upon yourselves the punitive current
and no sane party actually desires this. We wish only to make our peace with God, as is the goal of
every religion, including Thelema. Can you photograph and write reports about Him? Do you
really possess that level of audacity? I repeat: we are a private Abbey and home of Law respecting
men, women and children who do not wish to be disturbed, repackaged by various official media,
and thrown into an unforgiving collective unconscious. Just because we have the words: DO
WHAT THOU WILT engraved above our points of ingress and egress does not entitle you to spy
on us and twist our message! Give us a break! It has been 85 years now since the press has been
almost universally demonising Aleister Crowleyand guess what? People in general have stopped
caring. Write a story about travel to Mars, the bionic man or perhaps even the Loch Ness Monster.
Leave us eleven poor souls in peace.
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
Ordo Templi Orientis
Dear Temple,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
At the above address you will find a recently established Abbey of Thelema, called presently Amen
House. We intend to follow an apocryphal book called Liber ATh vel Via Vitae sub figura CCCI.
We have all ACCEPTED Liber AL, but we have differing opinions as to the 1925 Tunis Comment,
and these things cannot be discussed in a promontory letter. The writer once went to join the Order,
in his youth, expecting to take the First Degree, but he actually failed Minerval. He presently does
not wish O. T. O. duties and privileges as there is enough task mastering to engage him here at the
Abbey. Obviously this letter is at once one of declaration and hope for feedback. Please send a
member of any Triad to come and see and inspect us. We actually desperately NEED constructive
criticism from a trained Thelemite. You will be received well initially. But who knows where this
will lead? As regards our Postulants who maybe members of the O. T. O. (in its varying
manifestations) the writer is not at liberty to speak. As you will already know the Abbey is run
more along A A lines than the quasimasonic manifesto of the Ordo Templi Orientis. But with such a
building the old distinctions (especially in regard to mundane advantages of sharing or teaching
magick) are increasingly becoming blurred. Whilst we will not set up a conference centre on the
tutelage of astrology for instance (for money that is) we might find it necessary to accept an
anonymous contribution to pay for essentials. If you wish to see an outline of our financial forecast
we may do so if an appropriate person can be found. What help do we need from you? Only one
thing, that you continue in your sworn task to widen the worldly dominion of Thelema/Scientific
Illuminism and that you do this with flair and absolutely no fear of the consequences; this is what
Crowley did and he forms part of skeletonic history itself. The division in Thelemics is necessary
for its evolution we simply ask that you hope for a new bud to bloom in its season.
Salutation on all points of the triangle
Establish at thy Kaaba clerk-house: all must be done well and with business way.
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
Dear Grand Lodge of England,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Dear Members of the Lodge,
You will now be aware of an Abbey of Thelema, called Amen House, at the above address. What
your opinions of this Abbey are is no concern of ours whatsoever. This, as you already understand,
is necessarily so. (The person who writes this letter once asked to join a Masonic Lodge. He
knocked on the door (the side door) three times and was answered by a middle aged man. He said,
I want to join the Freemasons.
How old are you?
19.
Come back when you are 21.
Can I please come in for just five minutes.
No.
At this point there was a slight altercation. The writer smashed a bottle of red wine on the wall that
sides the door, the fluid went onto various places. The middle aged man replied Silly lad. And
then he closed the door. The writer then proceeded to violently knock the door, in batteries of three,
several times, until a small amount of blood was left on its wooden surface from his split knuckles.
He was then carted off by the police and charged with drunk and disorderly in a public place.)
I am not a Freemason. MABN = 93 = 719. And ABRAHADABRA implicitly. This is not nearly
as unfortunate as it sounds. As you will find in the rubric of the Ordo Templi Orientis: we in no
way infringe the just privileges of the Grand Lodge of England or any other jurisdiction which is
recognised by it. And so on. If you wish to send a representative from the Lodge he will be
warmly welcomed by us all, recognition of adepthood is not necessarily an issue either. Any other
information that is required or desirable can be requested at the above electronic mail address. We
simply ask that you do not use the language to perhaps infiltrate and maybe even sabotage us.
There are eleven of us and five million of you so please do not ask for a repeat of David and
Goliath.
at LEAST SOME of the U. K.s mental institutions are in direct contravention of the principles we,
as Thelemites, hold closest to our hearts On this admittedly tenuous basis we ask that if any of
your esteemed Fellows visit the Abbey any perusal is made on a strictly non-professional basis. All
other incriminating literature that the Abbey of Thelema associates with is freshly published
(electronically and otherwise) if one wishes to attempt a group diagnosis of what may appear to be a
sociological anathema.
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
To the spy,
Dear Operative,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
This is left as an open letter to one whom we expect to infiltrate our hallowed walls; you
obviously know who you are because YOU WILL be alone. Please think twice about spying on
us. MYSTERY IS THE ENEMY OF TRUTH is something you should memorise, or perhaps
forget completely. Who is your favourite? Do you know where your loyalties lie? Do you know
exactly what it is you are doing in Amen House? Because WE DO! When you were told to
infiltrate (whether it was a real person or a voice in your brain) Us were you given a specific
objective? If the answer is yes then please do what thou wilt and leave us to concentrate on Rising
on the Qabalistic Planes. If the answer is that you were told to simply nose around then kindly
FUCK OFF A Thelemite simply does not lie to another, let alone his or her immediate superior
and if you are wearing one of our robes, using our books and sleeping with our store of women (not
understanding of Rule of Chastity of course) then beware that IF and WHEN we sniff you out you
will pay a dear price. The punitive current will be entirely yours! Besides I am no longer
persuaded to waste my INK (black ink) on you and your ill fated ilk!
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
To the unwary
Dear Pilgrim,
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Firstly, pilgrim alone, or of a group, thankyou for visiting the portal of Amen House. We exist,
amongst other reasons, to invite in guests, friends and family (and on occasion enemies) into our
home. The person who wrote this letter was himself a Thelemic pilgrim for many years and he can
sympathise perhaps with some of your angst! Do you honestly expect the vitriol that troubles you
to cease once the portal is flung to one side? We are a serious spiritual Order with a more or less
rigid routine of work and play and we simply cannot afford, on many mediums, to allow someone,
or some group, entrance purely because they claim to be sincerely Thelemic. And you must also
know well that this tears our hearts in two! Also, we do not expect of you displays of devotion,
trials of initiation, rites of passage or even a hefty financial donation! Just accept us, and leave
us in peace, and the tolerance that comes from a pure human heart that has within it the full
spectrum of nobility. You can enter our House, if you so will, but beware! Note Bene! Cave! If
someone is in the House, you ring the bell and you will be cordially invited in. You will then be
given a short document called Liber ATh vel Via Vitae sub figura CCCCI, which forms the
guidelines by which we operate. You will then be told to sign a simple pledge form stating simply
that you wish to perform your True Will whilst on the consecrated grounds of the Abbey. State the
formulaic expression of your True Orbit to whoever prevents themselves, and the time you think it
will take; you will be quickly told if such an action is appropriate here. If there are vacancies for
membership at the Abbey you can apply for membership as a postulant; there is a strict vetting
protocol (mainly bureaucratic) that must be adhered to however So knowing this, stranger, walk
in with an open mind and a foolish heart but do not be surprised when you discover that the truth is
a two-edged sword, and that the walk home is longer and more depressing than a true Thelemic
pilgrimage!
PILGRIM BE A PILGRIM NO MORE.
Love is the law, love under will.
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
To the scientists
Dear Scientific Council,
Do what thou wilt shall be shall be the whole of the Law.
You by now may be aware of an Abbey of Thelema, called Amen House, located at the address
given above. We hope one of your delegates or associates will soon visit us. Do not be dissuaded
from doing so by our ostensible appeals to unbridled anarchy. Thelema recognises itself as a
branch of what is perhaps best termed as Scientific Illuminism; HOWEVER as we practise
magick also this letter is serving as a guard against hostilities between disciplines and as an open
hand of reconciliation over intellectual stances. Are you still with me? I hope so. Is the Unified
Field Theory the chance that all scientific models will eventually converge and find an
unprecedented congruence? This is our understanding at the Abbey anyway. Please, please, please
do not preclude the magical systems of Aleister Crowley from this HOPE of complete unification.
We are certain that members of your council have not only dismissed Thelemic magick as nonsense
but wish to ridicule, marginalise and eventually destroy us! An autocracy has never truly existed on
Earth, and the members and friends in Amen House believe that an attempt at an uncompromising
technocracy (the real life effect to scientific stipulation) is potentially malefic, certainly dangerous
and ultimately dehumanising. What is needed at this crucial time is once again balance.
Hypothetically speaking, can you possibly imagine the consequences of excluding the magick of
Crowley from our nave attempts at a U. F. T. simply because it belongs to an ancient paradigm(s)?
Let me, without wishing to, lead you to believe that the consequences could be dreadful the all too
obvious nature of the human body without the omnipresent and beautifully vague notion of the soul,
is maybe a simple analogy. But I suspect this last paragraph is stating the obvious. Why is Thelema
scientific? Integral in our field is the Qabalah and this admittedly composes both our bedrock and
keystone of thought. Qabalah is mathematical, geometric and linguistic. It is a science, perhaps
imperfect, stretching back millennia one could indeed argue that it is PRIMORDIAL. Our
ceremonial temples are the laboratories of the spirit, we have mathematically theorised gestures,
astrological timing, geometrically constructed furniture and trappings (of our art), magical
records that form our constant guide and recapitulation through the labyrinth of experience, one of
our watchwords is THE METHOD OF SCIENCE, THE AIM OF RELIGION, we study anatomy
(yoga postures), psychology (meditation and creative visualisation), colour theory, dymaxions and
synergy, chemical gnosis and athletic psychology. We are scientists, we are magicians, but nobody
seems to believe we are anything but very eccentric! Magick does actually work, and we are trying
to prove so under trial for the good (and especially the balance) of humanity. However we need
much more time.
Love is the law, lover under will
Frater Pyramidatus 93 = 719
8 My initials are B. A. N., this spells the word 'ban', which means to 'curse' or 'prohibit'. This is
the opposite of 'do what thou wilt'. Identification through contradiction.
9 The letters 'B', 'R', 'I', 'A', & 'N', in Hebrew are Beth, Resh, Yod, Aleph and Nun. These have the
value of 263, which is also that of the word GMTRIA, or Gematria, which means literally
'geometry'. It does not mean 'numerology', for which see The Canon, by William Stirling. If we
take the final 'N' as a final Nun, it counts for 700 instead of 50, and we arrive at the number 913
which is the value of The First Word in the Old Testament, about which alone entire volumes have
been written, BRAShITh. It would be presumptuous to attempt to give this sacred word a definition.
I can only refer the seeker to Liber 2911.
10 My middle name is 'Adam'. If we convert this into Hebrew, yet we take the 'M' as a final
value, we get 1 + 4 + 1 + 600. This is 606 and the value of the Hebrew word OTzMVTh, this
means 'quintessentiality' or perhaps even 'spirit'. The Rule of the Abbey of Thelema is often
abbreviated to Liber ATh. ATh means 'spirit'. OTzMVTh also has five letters, equating it with the
pentagram which is the universal symbol of Spirit.
11 We convert my surname of 'Newman' into its Hebrew equivalents of Nun, Heh, Vav, Maim,
Aleph and Nun and we get the values of either 152 or 802 depending on whether the final Nun is
taken as 50 or 700. 152 is the value of NTzIB, which is the Hebrew word for 'residence' or 'station';
or maybe 'abbey'? 802 is the value of ATh, which means 'spirit', multiplied by two. Liber ATh is
'The Rule of the Abbey of Thelema'. 802 is also the value of IShIBH ShLM OLH which means
'The Assembly'.
12 'Brian Adam Newman', using small values for the letters only gives the value of 461, which is
the value of the Hebrew word AThIN, which means, according to Liber 777, 'firm, strong, rigid,
hard, rough, protruding'. Notice that it begins with the letters ATh, as in Liber ATh. These letters
can also be a metathesis of the old English military expression T.I.N.A., or 'there is no alternative'.
13 If I was a Member of Parliament, and not merely a Real Human Being, my full title would be
R. H. BRIAN ADAM NEWMAN, and then I would be a corporation whose value in Hebrew
would be 666.
14 The twelfth letter of my name is 'W' which transliterated into Hebrew is Vav, this letter when
spelt in full, or 'VV' (according to the Assiatic spelling), has the value of twelve.
15 The eleventh letter of my name is 'E', which adds up to five in Hebrew. 'Magick is the Art and
Science of causing Change to Occur in Conformity with Will'. 'E' is Heh which has the value of
five, 'W' is Vav and has the value of six. Magick is often expressed as 5 + 6 = 11. The first letter of
my name if 'B' which corresponds to The Magus within the Greater Mysteries (Major Arcana) of the
Tarot deck.
16 'BRIAN ADAM NEWMAN' is an anagram of 'I AM A BRAND NEW MAN'.
17 'Brian' is a Celtic name meaning 'hill'. 'HILL' is Hebrew for 'Lucifer', although it is
pronounced 'hellal'.
18 I was born on Tuesday, October 18th 1977, which in the Catholic calender is the day of St.
Luke. Also I was born in a place, now knocked down, called St. Luke's Hospital, in Guildford. The
word 'Luke's' sounds very similar to the Latin word LVX, whereof the essential etymology of the
word 'Lucifer', or 'The Light Bringer'. 1977 is The Year of Snake in the Chinese Zodiac. The snake
get stepped on by all the other animals, but he is the only friend of the dragon. The snake is a
symbol of Lucifer in the Book of Genesis, or the tempter to partake of the fruit of the Tree of
Knowledge of Good AND Evil. I was born with my eyes open.
19 If we use an Equidistant Letter Skip (E. L. S.) of two, on my name, we get BINDMEMN.
From this we can get the two words 'bind me'. This refers to the The Rule of The Abbey of
Thelema, or Liber ATh vel Via Vitae sub figura CCCCI. Remember that the word 'religion' comes
from the Lation 'religio' which loosely means 'to bind together in one belief'; and the opposite of the
Latin 'negligens'. Thelema is a religion, in my humble opinion; 'humble' being the operative word.
20 If we spell the word ADAM in full it is ALP DLTh ALP MIM, in Hebrew. This has the value
of 111 + 434 + 111 + 90 = 746, respectively. This is the value of the Hebrew words MMVNIM,
which means 'a civil officer'; MQVM which means 'a place'; and ShMVTh which means 'The
Names'.
'framed' by the authorities because he or she can prove that he or she was not compromised in a way
others might try to pretend he or she was compromised. It also proves the aspirant is keeping a
record of truth, whilst the clandestine Satanic network never records anything they ever do on
paper.
Meditation Thelema encourages the practise of meditation to enable the aspirant to control their
own minds at will. The end result of practising meditation is the realization of Timelessness. This
state results in the aspirant becoming spiritual in nature, and they then dissociate from the Pain
Factory we call 'Earth'. The New World Order fears people who are genuinely spiritual, and they
are constantly seeking to divorce us from Nature.
The Exponential Study of Qabalism As stated above the Qabalah is a system which in itself is
neither good nor evil, however most of the people Adept in the art are consciously or unconsciously
working for their own self interest. The benefit of studying Qabalah to a great degree of flexibility
and fluency is that the control codes that may have been set up in your early life are easily
scrambled. Humanity is in the main controlled by words, covert or overt, and the person with a
high vocabulary, secular or occult, is far harder to control. The Dark Adepts have utilised their own
bastardised version of the Qabalah to keep others under the whip. They fear the Qabalist who is
truly fluent as they know full well that control codes can slip easily away in the mind of him or her
with a great and subtle vocabulary. This is the reason why hypnotists use scripts and contrived
designs rather than creative poetry. Again Thelema is a religion based on creative and poetic
Qabalah, that encourages creativity of all kinds as a therapeutic and cathartic tool.
The Study of Logic The New World Order utilises as system of control known as the Hegelian
Dialectic. This is explained as 'Thesis-Antithesis-Synthesis'. It is a crude yet devastating way of
hurting people. In the Freemasonic world this is known as 'Ordo ab Chao', which is Latin for 'Order
from Chaos'. In the Tarot it is known as 'solve et coagula' which is Latin for 'dissolve and
coagulate'. In military language it is known as 'divide and conquer'. David Icke refers to this
pernicious dialectic as 'Problem-Reaction-Solution'. All this nonsense is the enemy of True Will, as
the will must be one and not two. Thelema espouses the study of philosophy, and such terms as
'syllogism', 'sophistry', 'hypocrisy', 'ontology', 'teleology' and so on. A fundamental idea in Thelema
is that 'every idea contains an inherent contradiction within itself', which may sound like madness.
However this is true from the standpoint of enlightenment. Reason is ultimately futile, it collapses
ultimately. The truth is that humans do things for emotional reasons and them rationalise them later.
The Dark Adepts know this well. Typically the Dark Adept will seem to offer you many choices,
but he knows that you will pick on of the said choices, and that all will lead to your eventual ruin.
For instance, if someone said, Do you prefer whiskey or wine? you might think that they are
presenting you with freedom of choice, when, however if they really had your best interests at heart
they would say, What is your favourite thing about alcohol?. This is a facile example of the
Hegelian Dialectic. The Dark Adepts constantly think in binary, and try to suck you down
somehow. Thelema expounds basic training in philosophy to help you see if a person is a Sage or a
Savage.
The Belief in God Frater Pyramidatus at the time of writing is a long way from God. His
subjection to mind control has been quite complete, he hears a voice in his head that constantly
swears. He is alone and struggling. However, in the Holy Books of Thelema we find the word
'God' written several times. And I would like to imagine that every time this word is mentioned it is
mentioned in an extremely positive context. We can only assume that if God is mentioned in a
religion's literature in a positive light then said religion is monotheistic. I do not believe the Dark
Adepts believe in anything except their own misplaced powers and obsessions.
The Study of Comparative Religion The psychopaths that run the show here on Earth are quite
happy to pit people against each other on religious grounds. For instance a war has been waging in
Europe for hundreds of years against people who believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth had children, and
people who do not believe Jesus Christ of Nazareth had children. Thelema encourages the study of
comparative religion, especially along Qabalistical lines, which seeks parallels between faiths
separated by the gulf of culture, and of course divided by the unfathomable labyrinth of different
tongues. Most religious wars are based on cultural expressions of faith, such as dietary habit,
clothing, marital laws and so on. These cultural differences often have no connection to the
religions they are associated with. Thelema studies the parallels between faiths and seeks to find
the Truth, and does not concern itself with labelling, and exploiting the neuroses of psychopathic
clerics and overeducated professors. Religion was designed to ease cerebral congestion and help
people to live together, not to encourage schizophrenia and sectarianism. To call oneself a
Thelemite on would arguably have to be grounded in Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Islam,
Hinduism and many other Paths. The Dark Adepts simply wish to encourage conceit on religious
lines, hoping that some minor point of dogmatic schism will lead to the first drop of blood, sexually
repressed instincts to the full sweep of the sword, and then the good old fashioned instinct for
revenge will surely do the rest.
Esoteric Analysis of Christianity The Holy Bible is required reading in Crowley's Order. It is
stated that the Hebrew and Greek originals have Qabalistical value. Crowley states in Magick
Without Tears that the Legend of the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ of Nazareth is a great example of
the White School of Magick. He also states that Thelema is the purest from of the White School.
He states that Christianity, through differing factions has become fragmented and lost in scholastic
bickering. Crowley's motto as an Adept had a Latinised form of 'Christ' as part of it. Crowley's
idea of Christianity was very twisted because he was traumatised by his early upbringing by certain
people and he came to loathe what he perceived as Christianity. He came to loathe the
congregations as sanitized livestock, and the preachers as ego trippers. However, he did appreciate
the fundamental truths of Christianity such as words like 'love'. Indeed if 'Do what thou wilt shall
be the whole of the Law', and 'Love is the law, love under will', then if that love is under the
statement 'Do what thou wilt', then the whole body of teaching of Thelema could be described as
'unconditional love'. (Frater Pyramidatus writes this as he is subjected to psychic abuse, and vitriol
of the most unproductive kind, and swearing voices that simply to not go away. It seem as though
the voice in his head is the diametric opposite of unconditional love. But he writes on.)
Mystery is the Enemy of Truth The constant tool of the Dark Adepts is to stop people thinking
out loud. The moment a Dark Adept realises he has put a thought in your head you are scared to
express, then they use that like a tool, or rather a worm, to manipulate you. The whole psychology
of superficial division goes on unabated. Crowley indeed told people exactly what he thought of
them. The only defence against this is to avoid such types. They will suck your life like leeches. If
you find yourself in the presence of someone who you are afraid to tell the truth to then simply
leave. Or say something like, I do not want to tell you my opinion. Or perhaps, I am frightened
to express myself. etc. It that doesn't work and you really can't avoid them, then play them at their
own game and make them keep the thought in their own stupid heads that you are spiritually purer
than them and watch them wriggle around like worms. They feel not. Thelema tries to arrive at
truth, even if that truth is philosophical at best, or based on logical contradiction.
The Practice of Ceremonial Magick The planet called Earth at around 2011 is becoming
increasingly dependent on machines that we do not understand. This is axiomatic. The people
pulling the strings are perhaps one in a million. This is not a democracy, nor an aristocracy, nor
meritocracy, it is a technocracy. We are becoming increasingly reliant on gadgets that we have no
comprehension of. In contrast Thelema teaches Ceremonial Magick, and this requires
determination, will, focus, yet more importantly in this connection a knowledge of crafts closely
linked to the Earth such as herbalism, wand craft, dowsing, astrology and so on down the line. The
technocrats are useless without their gadgets, whilst the Ceremonial Magician is not. There is here
a difference between sorcery and Magick, but generally even sorcerers will fare better when
someone pulls the plug. Frater Pyramidatus has used computers extensively but only in the main
for research purposes and to write books that deal with the Hermetic Arts and thus to provide a
lifeline to those completely swamped in technological and computerised mayhem. A religious
system that encourages traditionalist ceremonial prepares the Individual for the time when the plug
is pulled (Apocalypse), whilst the fat cats that rake in profits from useless virtual novelties are
simply waiting for their victims to take the inevitable plunge. Let's just say the Eskimo will do
better than your average 'code monkey'. There is of course much middle ground, and is not illegal
to learn about fishing online, nor will you be arrested for playing chess online with a guy from
Egypt, nor will you be evicted for playing Mah Jongg with a lesbian that lives in Glasgow. But the
middle ground is vanishing.
The Theory of Information Doubling The human race is being swamped in information. I would
hazard a guess that the amount of inventions we have are doubling around every three months.
There is a theory that in 2015 or thereabouts, there will be a flashpoint of knowledge where human
information will be doubling so quickly, something like every second, that all previous ideas and
notions of reality will be off the cards. So what kind of information will be prevalent after this?
The largest self referenced body of knowledge. You might say scientific knowledge is the most self
referenced but this is actually the opposite of the truth, because scientists depend on specialisation
of fields. You have experts in rhinoceros excrements; the breeding habits of earwigs; the moons of
Jupiter; the psychology of Portuguese transsexuals; the interaction of haloperidol and lorazepam in
overweight teenagers; experts in one of any innumerable alphabets and so on into unfathomable
depths. It is almost a universal requirement in most university seminars to say the words, Well I
must admit this is not really my area, however I must say... So we will be lost in a sea of
disconnected knowledge. So obviously Thelema, as a self referenced body of 'general knowledge',
a truly encyclopedic school of initiation, tailored for everyone, will triumph ultimately.
And so I end this short paper. All I can say is that Thelema is a White School, although the mud
thrown at it still sticks. Frater Pyramidatus is divided in himself as yet, but he fears not the
whitewash. He strives for silence and dissolution in the infinite. But the thrusting point is beyond
his own sardonic narcissism. He is engaged in founding an Abbey of Thelema, and although he
may not be building it brick by brick he hopes his small reformatory for lost souls such as himself
will do some good. In his researches he has not uncovered a Thelemic Abbey that does 'exactly
what it says on the tin' so far. This is because the mass media is forbidden. In an age where the
micro media and the mass media are exponentially fusing into a hideous All Seeing Eye, he thinks
that they probably wish to be left alone. The absence of something in existence either means one of
two things: a) an absolute non requirement of the said thing, or b) a desperate need of the said thing.
Reading the above ten points you might come to the conclusion that the latter is evidently true.
Does this world really need another 20 000 computer programmers? Or 15 000 translators?
Perhaps we need another type of profession that lives between the hordes of so called 'Christian'
swarms and the Dark Adepts that joke and giggle in their squalid palaces as they languidly pull the
strings. It's up to you to decide. But just remember the next time someone shakes your hand, looks
you in the eye and says, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law, that he or she might be
telling the truth! Thelema means Freedom!
beyond criticism, and may not be changed 22. The individual right of interpretation is, however,
absolute 23. Books may only be added to the Canon on the Authority of the Collegium Summum,
by the Chief of the A.'. A.'. 24.
ARTICLE SIX.
The Head of the Abbey of Thelema is the Abbot or Abbess 25. He or she is appointed for life 26,
except as provided for in Article X. The Abbot or Abbess manifests the True Will of the Abbey 27,
speaks for the community 28, and is the sole source of power, strength, and authority within the
Abbey, the Abbey's Magical Link to the Highest 29. Each Abbey shall have its own Abbot or
Abbess 30, and no Abbot or Abbess shall have power or authority over more than one community
31, except as provided for in Article VIII.
ARTICLE SEVEN.
Every member of the Abbey shall swear a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess 32.
ARTICLE EIGHT.
The maximum number of the community shall be eleven 33. However, abbeys may congregate in
larger communities, in which case they shall be governed by a council of abbots or abbesses 34. In
no case shall the governing council exceed eleven members 35.
ARTICLE NINE.
Each Abbot or Abbess shall appoint his or her successor at or prior to his or her death 36. Failing
that, the new Abbot or Abbess shall be chosen by unanimous agreement of the governing council of
which he or she was a member within thirty days 37. Should he or she not have been a member of a
governing council, then his or her successor shall be chosen unanimously by the three highest
ranking members of the Abbey within one year from the date of his or her death 38. In the interim
the Abbey shall be governed by a triumvirate of the same members 39.
ARTICLE TEN.
The new Abbot or Abbess shall appoint a Regent to act in his or her name until such time as the new
Abbot or Abbess has completed the Ordeal of the Pyramid (see Article XII) 40, which he or she
shall undertake within ten days of his or her appointment 41.
ARTICLE ELEVEN.
The Abbot or Abbess may be removed from office by the unanimous agreement of all the
inhabitants of the Abbey 42 or the governing council (if any) 43, other than himself or herself.
ARTICLE TWELVE.
The Ordeal of the Pyramid.
In a suitable place prepared 44 let a truncated tetrahedral pyramid be constructed 45. On the sides
of the interior are sigils in colour corresponding to the spirits of the elements, painted on a white
base 46. The base of the interior shall be painted black 47, and the exterior shall be painted white or
black according to the season (spring and summer or autumn and winter respectively) 48. The top
shall be open to the Sky 49. The height of the pyramid shall be equal to the height of a man, and
the rest shall be proportional 50. Let the sides of the pyramid be oriented to the four quarters of the
compass 51. The pyramid shall be constructed such that it shall be possible to collect and pass out
faeces, urine, and utensils, while food, water, and utensils may be passed in 52. Let the candidate
for the office of Abbot or Abbess be ceremonially entombed 53 in this pyramid for exactly ten lunar
months 54, with purifications and consecrations 55, during which time he or she shall aspire
continually to Nuit in perfect solitude and silence 56. He or she shall have nothing therein save the
Holy Books of Thelema 57, his or her Magical Record 58, a pen 59, a single candle 60, and matches
61. The candidate shall be permitted a single robe 62, which shall be changed at intervals of one
week 63; sufficient bedding for the weather 64; a sufficiency of water 65, bread 66, and vegetables
67 for daily consumption, but absolutely no animal products 68 or drugs 69; water 70, soap 71, nail
scissors 72, and a cloth once per week 73; and a container for urine and the collection of rainwater
74. The removal of faeces and urine, and the passing in of food, shall occur once per day, in the
midst of the night 75, and shall be attended to by the members of the Abbey in turn, by twos 76,
chosen at random 77, in perfect silence 78. At any time the candidate may terminate the ordeal by
breaking his or her Vow of Silence 79, at which time he or she shall be removed 80. Such a
candidate ceases to be a member of the Abbey of Thelema for life 81. He or she shall be removed
after sunset on the last day 82. Upon completing the Ordeal, the Abbot or Abbess shall be installed
with all feasting and rejoicing 83, and the day of his or her installation shall be kept as a feast day
by the Abbey for the duration of his or her life 84.
ARTICLE THIRTEEN.
The Abbot or Abbess shall be entirely supported by the Abbey 85, and shall be provided with a
private room 86, chapel 87, and bathroom 88, furnished in the style of King Lamus 89. Other than
his or her administrative responsibility, the Abbot or Abbess shall devote himself or herself entirely
to the tasks of the A.'. A.'. 90 and such other work as he or she may see fit (see Article XLII) 91.
ARTICLE FOURTEEN.
The Abbot or Abbess may appoint officers to carry out the practical and administrative work of the
Abbey, at his or her convenience 92, in which case they shall receive the same obedience of the
community to which the Abbot is entitled, subject to his or her authorization and approval 93.
ARTICLE FIFTEEN.
The Abbey shall maintain a Thelemic temple in accordance with the specifications prescribed in the
Thelemic Holy Books 94. It shall be equipped for the tasks of the A.'. A.'. and the celebration of the
Gnostic Catholic Mass 95, for which additional props shall be kept available as needed 96.
ARTICLE SIXTEEN.
Every member of the Abbey shall wear a bright blue tau robe, lined with scarlet and provided with a
hood, with a golden girdle optional 97. The masters shall wear a scarlet tau robe, lined with blue
98. The Abbot or Abbess shall wear a bright blue tau robe, as above, emblazoned with the Eye of
Horus in scarlet 99. Members of the A.'. A.'. may wear the robe of their grade 100 (see Article
XLII).
ARTICLE SEVENTEEN.
All male members of the Abbey shall shave the head 101 with the exception of a single lock in the
centre of the forehead 102, or an inverse tau at the hairline made with vermilion sandalwood paste
103.
ARTICLE EIGHTEEN.
All female members of the Abbey shall wear their hair bobbed 104 and died with optional red or
yellow henna 105.
ARTICLE NINETEEN.
The children of the Abbey shall be encouraged to go naked in order to free them from the bond of
sexual shame 106.
ARTICLE TWENTY.
Upon reaching puberty each child shall be initiated privily by the oldest member of the Abbey of
the opposite biological gender 107, whereupon he or she may become a full member of the Abbey
108.
ARTICLE TWENTY-ONE.
Every member of the Abbey shall be vowed by a Vow of Holy Obedience to the Abbot or Abbess
109 and by a Vow of Simplicity 110. Concerning the Vow of Chastity it is not here written 111.
ARTICLE TWENTY-TWO.
The day shall be divided by a tom-tom, bell, or other alarum 112, at 6 a.m., 12 noon, 6 p.m., and 12
midnight 113, followed immediately by a communal Adoration of the Sun, according to the formula
of Liber CC 114, followed by one hour of solitary meditation 115, except on Sunday (see
Article XXXI).
ARTICLE TWENTY-THREE.
Meals shall be served twice daily, at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. 116 All meals shall be eaten communally in
silence 117, and shall be preceded by the saying of 'Will." 118 All members of the Abbey shall fast
between meals, save for the imbibition of water 119. All meals shall be accompanied by wine 120.
Dinners may be cooked in the French style 121. Breakfast shall be vegan 122. Red meat shall only
be served on the feast days of the Book of the Law 123. White meat shall not be served more than
three times per week 124 (see Article XXXIV).
ARTICLE TWENTY-FOUR.
The morning shall be dedicated to work and physical training and exercise 125. The afternoon shall
be dedicated to intellectual study 126, magic 127, or meditation 128, according to the member's
grade. The evening shall be dedicated to the communal recitation of the Cries of Adoration of Liber
CMLXIII 129, or other chants, performances, readings, celebrations, or observances, with the
approval of the Abbot 130, except on Wednesday (see Article XXVII).
ARTICLE TWENTY-FIVE.
The Abbey shall consist of seven grades, as follows: postulant, consisting of one year of service
131; novice, consisting of two years of physical training 132; disciple, consisting of three years of
intellectual study 133; aspirant, consisting of four years of magical work 134; adept, consisting of
five years of mystical work 135; master 136; and the Abbot or Abbess, who is created by the Ordeal
of the Pyramid 137. An abbott or abbess serving on a governing council shall be referred to as an
archimandrite 138.
ARTICLE TWENTY-SIX.
The members of the Abbey shall fast totally on each Wednesday 139.
ARTICLE TWENTY-SEVEN.
Every Wednesday night the Abbot or Abbess shall preach to the community, commencing at 7 p.m.,
according to the formula of Liber LXIV 140.
ARTICLE TWENTY-EIGHT.
All monks shall be addressed as "Brother." 141 All nuns shall be addressed as "Sister." 142 The
Abbot and masters shall be addressed as "Father" or "Mother" 143 in accordance with their
biological gender. Monks and nuns may be addressed by a superior or equal by their chosen names
144 or, if they are also members of the A.'. A.'., mottoes, or an acceptable abbreviation or English
equivalent thereof 145. Children shall be addressed by their given names 146.
ARTICLE TWENTY-NINE.
The corporal punishment of children is forbidden 147.
ARTICLE THIRTY.
The mass media are forbidden within the Abbey of Thelema 148.
ARTICLE THIRTY-ONE.
The use of the first personal pronoun is forbidden by all save the
masters and Abbot 149.
ARTICLE THIRTY-TWO.
The members of the Abbey shall greet each other with the words "Do what thou wilt shall be the
whole of the Law," 150 followed by the reply, "Love is the law, love under will." 151 The farewell
is "Love is the law, love under will," reiterated.
ARTICLE THIRTY-THREE.
Any discord or disagreement between the members of the Abbey shall be brought to the immediate
attention of the Abbot or Abbess 152 or an officer appointed for the purpose 153. Once the cause of
such a discord or disagreement is identified, the Abbot or Abbess shall appoint a test 154, such that
the result of the test shall determine the resolution of the discord or disagreement by indicating the
True Will in the matter 155, which shall be interpreted by the Abbot or Abbess 156. Once resolved,
any further discord or disagreement for the same cause shall be considered to be a breach of the
Vow of Holy Obedience, and punishable by penance 157.
ARTICLE THIRTY-FOUR.
The entry of the Sun into the signs of the zodiac 158, the newness 159 and fullness 160 of the
Moon, the birth 161 and puberty 162 of children, the marriages 163 and deaths 164 of members, the
quarter days 165, and the feast days prescribed in the Book of the Law 166 shall be observed by
rituals 167 and celebrated by feasts 168. In addition, the Abbey of Thelema shall sponsor public
readings and performances of the works of Aleister Crowley 169, and such other works as the
Abbot may authorize 170.
ARTICLE THIRTY-FIVE.
The Mass of the Gnostic Catholic Church shall be celebrated every Sunday at 12 noon 171,
following the Adoration of the Sun.
ARTICLE THIRTY-SIX.
Those who do not accept the Law of Thelema may not trespass upon the consecrated grounds of the
Abbey 172. Above all entrances to the Abbey the motto "DO WHAT THOU WILT" shall be
superscribed 173. Guests and new members shall sign the following pledge form immediately upon
admission to the Abbey: "I do solemnly declare that I accept the Law of Thelema, that I will devote
myself to discover my True Will, and to do it." 174 Those who refuse to sign must be expelled 175.
ARTICLE THIRTY-SEVEN.
Members of the Abbey may, by special dispensation of the Abbot or Abbess 176, work in the world
on behalf of the Abbey 177, in which case any or all of their duties may be forgiven them, for the
duration of their absence from the Abbey, without penance 178.
ARTICLE THIRTY-EIGHT.
The admission 179, expulsion 180, and advancement 181 of members of the Abbey shall be at the
personal discretion of the Abbot 182. Penances may be exacted by the Abbot at his or her personal
discretion 183, excluding corporal punishment 184. The education of the Abbey's children shall be
the personal responsibility of the Abbot 185.
ARTICLE THIRTY-NINE.
Any member of the Abbey may leave the Abbey without shame simply by informing the Abbot of
his will 186, provided he or she is not under any penance or shunning at the time 187.
ARTICLE FORTY.
Any member of the Abbey who fails to observe the Rule of the Abbey of Thelema shall be shunned
188. The duration of shunning shall be determined by the Abbot 189, according to the severity of
the infraction 190.
ARTICLE FORTY-ONE.
Any person may establish an Abbey of Thelema in accordance with this Rule 191. Each Abbey
shall endeavour to incorporate itself as a religious order 192, in accordance with the laws of the
jurisdiction in which it is located 193, and to establish itself on a sound financial basis 194. In
particular, the Abbey shall endeavour to acquire any land or property which may become available
in its vicinity 195, in order to enlarge its domain 196. Abbeys shall extend hospitality to each
other's members 197, at the discretion of the Abbot 198.
ARTICLE FORTY-TWO.
Any Abbot or Abbess who satisfies the criterion of the twenty-one tests 199 may confer the
instruction 200, grades 201, and initiations 202 of the Great White Brotherhood, or A.'. A.'., in the
name of the A.'. A.'. 203, as an Exempt Adept of the A.'. A.'. 204.
ARTICLE FORTY-THREE.
Any person soever may claim the grade of Master of the Temple 205 by taking the oath of the grade
206, subject to recognition of a recognized Master of the Temple of the A.'.A.'. 207.
ARTICLE FORTY-FOUR.
Each Abbey of Thelema shall be located at a power point 208 based on the figure genethhacal 209
for the moment of the advent of the New Aeon 210. The name of the Abbey shall be based on the
god names of the Holy Books of Thelema 211 and shall be derived from the significant planets 212
for the chosen location 213. If local mythology 214 attests to a regional power point 215 the Abbey
shall be oriented to that 216.
women that were not fair, well-featured, and of a sweet disposition; nor men that were not comely,
personable, and well conditioned.
Item, Because in the convents of women men come not but underhand, privily, and by stealth, it
was therefore enacted that in this house there shall be no women in case there be not men, nor men
in case there be not women.
Item, Because both men and women that are received into religious orders after the expiring of their
noviciate or probation year were constrained and forced perpetually to stay there all the days of
their life, it was therefore ordered that all whatever, men or women, admitted within this abbey,
should have full leave to depart with peace and contentment whensoever it should seem good to
them so to do.
Item, for that the religious men and women did ordinarily make three vows, to wit, those of chastity,
poverty, and obedience, it was therefore constituted and appointed that in this convent they might be
honourably married, that they might be rich, and live at liberty. In regard of the legitimate time of
the persons to be initiated, and years under and above which they were not capable of reception, the
women were to be admitted from ten till fifteen, and the men from twelve till eighteen.
place. In every resting-place were two fair antique arches where the light came in: and by those they
went into a cabinet, made even with and of the breadth of the said winding, and the reascending
above the roofs of the house ended conically in a pavilion. By that vise or winding they entered on
every side into a great hall, and from the halls into the chambers. From the Arctic tower unto the
Criere were the fair great libraries in Greek, Latin, Hebrew, French, Italian, and Spanish,
respectively distributed in their several cantons, according to the diversity of these languages. In the
midst there was a wonderful scalier or winding-stair, the entry whereof was without the house, in a
vault or arch six fathom broad. It was made in such symmetry and largeness that six men-at-arms
with their lances in their rests might together in a breast ride all up to the very top of all the palace.
From the tower Anatole to the Mesembrine were fair spacious galleries, all coloured over and
painted with the ancient prowesses, histories, and descriptions of the world. In the midst thereof
there was likewise such another ascent and gate as we said there was on the river-side. Upon that
gate was written in great antique letters that which followeth.
emeralds, diamonds, &c., but there was such a sympathy betwixt the gallants and the ladies, that
every day they were apparelled in the same livery. And that they might not miss, there were certain
gentlemen appointed to tell the youths every morning what vestments the ladies would on that day
wear: for all was done according to the pleasure of the ladies. In these so handsome clothes, and
habiliments so rich, think not that either one or other of either sex did waste any time at all; for the
masters of the wardrobes had all their raiments and apparel so ready for every morning, and the
chamber-ladies so well skilled, that in a trice they would be dressed and completely in their clothes
from head to foot. And to have those accoutrements with the more conveniency, there was about the
wood of Theleme a row of houses of the extent of half a league, very neat and cleanly, wherein
dwelt the goldsmiths, lapidaries, jewellers, embroiderers, tailors, gold-drawers, velvet-weavers,
tapestry-makers and upholsterers, who wrought there every one in his own trade, and all for the
aforesaid jolly friars and nuns of the new stamp. They were furnished with matter and stuff from
the hands of the Lord Nausiclete, who every year brought them seven ships from the Perlas and
Cannibal Islands, laden with ingots of gold, with raw silk, with pearls and precious stones. And if
any margarites, called unions, began to grow old and lose somewhat of their natural whiteness and
lustre, those with their art they did renew by tendering them to eat to some pretty cocks, as they use
to give casting unto hawks.
height in their state of matrimony; and did entertain that mutual love till the very last day of their
life, in no less vigour and fervency than at the very day of their wedding. Here must not I forget to
set down unto you a riddle which was found under the ground as they were laying the foundation of
the abbey, engraven in a copper plate, and it was thus as followeth.
his dear Son hath set before us, without being distracted or diverted by his carnal affections and
depraved nature.
The monk then said, What do you think in your conscience is meant and signified by this riddle?
What? said Gargantua,the progress and carrying on of the divine truth. By St. Goderan, said the
monk, that is not my exposition. It is the style of the prophet Merlin. Make upon it as many grave
allegories and glosses as you will, and dote upon it you and the rest of the world as long as you
please; for my part, I can conceive no other meaning in it but a description of a set at tennis in dark
and obscure terms. The suborners of men are the makers of matches, which are commonly friends.
After the two chases are made, he that was in the upper end of the tennis-court goeth out, and the
other cometh in. They believe the first that saith the ball was over or under the line. The waters are
the heats that the players take till they sweat again. The cords of the rackets are made of the guts of
sheep or goats. The globe terrestrial is the tennis-ball. After playing, when the game is done, they
refresh themselves before a clear fire, and change their shirts; and very willingly they make all good
cheer, but most merrily those that have gained. And so, farewell!
ABBEY OF THELEMA.
Floral Games, July 28, 1877.
To be enacted, represented, and performed for and by the maidens of Weyland Village and the
country round. The games will commence at three p.m. But those who arrive earlier will find
dinner laid for them in the long marquee at one. The Band will begin to play at two, and will go on
with intermissions all the day.
At 3 p.m.There will be a canoe race on the river between Brother Peregrine and Brother Lancelot.
The prize will be permission to bestow a gold locket on any one of the guests.
At 3.30The Wizard of Assam.
At 4 p.m.A game of Polo, in which the Monks of the Abbey will each worthily play a monkly
part.
At 5 p.m.There will be a running race for the younger girls. Prize, a new bonnet to be selected by
the winner.
At 5.30 p.m.Tea in the long marquee.
At 6.30 p.m.A Lottery in the Lottery tent.
At 7.0 p.m.The performance of a new and original village Comedy, written especially for this
entertainment by Sister Desdemona. Music and songs by Sister Cecilia. The characters will be
sustained by the Brethren and Sisters of the Order.
At 8 p.m.A concert of old English music.
At 8.30 p.m.Dancing and Lighting of the Lamps.
At 9.30 p.m.Supper in the Long Marquee.
At 10 p.m.A Grand Surprise, by Brother Peregrine.
At 10.30Fireworks.
The guests are invited to enter freely all the tents, especially that of the Gipsy, and that of the Magic
Mirror.
God save the Queen.
This programme looked very pretty indeed edged round with flowers, and beautifully printed, as I
have said, in red and gold. It was presented to every visitor, on arriving at the lodge gate. There
were about a hundred and fifty girls in all. They came from all sorts of places for miles round; they
came on foot; they came in spring carts ; they came in omnibusses; they came in vans. They came
hours before the time. They came dressed in their very best, and in the happiest mood. But though
they knew something of the preparations which had been made, they were not prepared for the
splendour and beauty of the scene which awaited them; for the Venetian masts, the streaming
banners, the bright tents, the musicwhich began sooner than was advertised, because there were
so many who came as early as noonand the crowd which went to and fro, and gave life to
everything.
There were no men except the servants, for the monks did not appear till the time came for their
performances. Ladies there were in plenty come to see the fete, the real purpose of which was
known only to Desdemona and Miranda, but no gentlemen were admitted with them. I do not think
the rural nymphs lamented the absence of their swains. Some few might, perhaps, have allowed a
transitory feeling of regret that so much care on their appearance would have no result in attracting
some other girl's young man; some might have felt that with a bashful lover at one's elbow things
would have seemed more complete. But with most there was a feeling that the shepherd swains
would certainly have got drunk, as they did at Mr. Dunlop's festival, and so spoiled everything.
Fancy a lot of drunken louts among these beautiful tents and flags. Village beauty is a flower of not
unusual occurrence, as many of my readers have observed. In Gloucestershire there is a prevalent
oval type which sometimes gives a face of singular sweetness: in Somersetshire the type is squared
off, somehow, and when you get a pretty face there it carries an expression of something like
sullenness: the Hampshire folk, with their brown hair and round faces, are sometimes comely: and
the Northumbrians with their long faces, blue eyes, and gentle voices, are often charming. At
Weyland Park, which, as everybody knows, is in no one of these counties, the average of village
beauty was not, perhaps, very high, but there was plenty of health in the rosy faces, and of vigour in
the sturdy arms: considered as the mothers of England's future sons they afforded reason for
rejoicing; but the general type of face was decidedly common. Yet there were exceptions.
No one among them all who could have guessed the real reason of this lavish preparation for a
simple girls' merry-making. To Miranda, no expenditure could be too lavish, so that It was for
Alan. With a sorrowful heart she provided this magnificent entertainment as a sort of welcome to
his wife; supposing that his wife was among the hundred and fifty country nymphs who graced her
feast.
The Brothers and Sisters dropped In one by one, and fell into the places assigned to them in the
programme. The canoe race was paddled on the narrow little river, as tortuous as the Jordan, by
Tom Caledon and Brother Peregrine, and it was won by Tom because his adversary, in his extreme
eagerness to win, lost his balance and upset, to the rapturous joy of the assemblage. But some
thought that he upset himself on purpose, in order to present the pleasing and interesting spectacle
of a figure dripping wet embellished with duck-weed, and running over the lawns to change
flannels. In former days this amusement used always to be provided on Procession-day at
Cambridge; the boats taking it, I believe, in turns to sacrifice themselves on the altar of public
derision. Sister Desdemona presented Tom Caledon with his prize, a gold locket and the permission
to give it to whatever girl he pleased.
There was a general flutter among the maidens as he stood like a sultan, the locket in his hand.
They stood grouped together in little knots, as if jealous of each other; and all eyes were open, all
lips parted in eager expectation of his choice. There was one girl among them who looked at Tom
with a kind of confidence she alone among them all. She was a fair haired, blue-eyed girl; tall,
pretty, and of graceful figure.
Alma thinks she's goings to get it, they murmured. There's lots prettier than her.
Tom, however, did not give It to her. He stepped straight to where, quite In the background,
little Prudence Driver, Alan's librarian, stood little thinking of the honour that was about to fall upon
her. She was not pretty, nor was she graceful, but Tom knew how Miranda regarded her, and he
thought to please the Abbess. An angry flush rose to the cheek of the girl they called 'Alma,
but there was no possibility of disputing the award.
The Polo fell rather flat, although the Brothers played well and with address. Polo does not
powerfully appeal to the village maiden's imagination. Then there came the lotteryall prizes
and no blanks. The prizes were articles of costume, useful and ornamental. Nelly held the bag, and
each girl on drawing her number rushed straight to the lottery-tent, to see what was her prize.
Then came the wizard with his Indian conjuring tricks, which made them breathless with wonder
and terror. And all this time the music played under the trees; and there was the gipsy's tent, in
which your fortune was told for nothing, and you came out knowing exactly not only what kind of
husband you were to have, but also, what Mrs. Harris yearned to extort from Mrs. Gamp, your
"number."
And thenah ! thenthere was the tent of the Magic Mirror. Within among many curtains, and in
a dim twilight, sat an aged, white-bearded man in black robes and wonderful hat, who asked your
name and your age, and who then invited you to behold yourself in a mirror. That was not much to
do, but as you looked, your own face disappeared and behind it came a picturea scene in your
future life. And then this remarkable old man told you things. These must have been different
because some of the girls came out with heaving bosoms, glistening eyes, flushed cheeks, and pallid
lips, gasping in anticipation of the promised joy. But some emerged with downcast looks, pale and
trembling, their day's enjoyment gone. The prophet was no other than Brother Peregrine himself; it
was no business of any one's that he had with him in the tent a certain wise woman who
whispered him little secrets about every girl as she came in. She was invisible behind a curtain. I
regret to say that the fame of this wonderful sorcerer spreading upwards, so to speak, many of the
ladies and some of the Sisters sought the tent of the Magic Mirror. Among these was Nelly who
came out looking sad and disappointed, and when she met Tom sighed and said, I
am so sorry that I went into the tent of the Magic Mirror. Poor Tom!"
Now Tom knew who was the sorcerer, and he gathered that his rival had taken a mean advantage by
means of his magic spells. Therefore he inwardly cursed all necromancers. Where was Alan?
Miranda was disappointed at his absence. He had faithfully promised to comeand now evening
was approaching and the beauty of the fete was over, but there was no Alan.
The play, which was a light burletta, with village girls and pretty songs, was well received,
and the concert was endured. And then they began to dance, for the sun was down now, and the
summer twilight was fallen upon the trees and the park, and they were lighting the coloured oil
lamps. It was a new Vauxhall, only none of those present could remember the splendours of that
place. And what with the coloured lights and the band and the glamour of the whole, a sort of
intoxication seized the girls, and they became, in a way, possessed of the Bacchante madness,
in so much that they laughed and sang, and seized each other by the waist and whirled round madly
till they fell. And among them all ran in and out that tall thin man, with the lines in his face, whom
they called Brother Peregrine, who whispered to one and danced with another and conjured for a
little group, all at the same time, and with unflagging activity.
As for the rest of the monks, they were dancing with such as knew how to dance, except Mr.
Caledon, whom all the girls knew; and he walked up and down among the lights with Miss
Despard, whom they knew as well. And her face was melancholy. And Miranda moved here and
there always graceful, always queenly with her little court, consisting of Desdemona, Cecilia, and
Mr. Rondelet, happy in her experiment but for one thing, that Alan, for whom this entertainment
was designed, was not present.
At ten the supper was served. There was a sort of high table at which sat Miranda, with her court.
She was looking up and down the lone rows of eirl-faces before her with a critical but disappointed
eye.
They giggle dreadfully, she whispered to Desdemona, who was sitting beside her.
People who live far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife generally do giggle, Desdemona
replied.
And I am not at all sure about their temper. Look at that black-haired girl; should you think she
was good-tempered
Certainly not, said Desdemona. know the sortshort of patience, hasty in wrath, and
unreflecting in the matter of punishment. She would box Alan's ears every day till he brought her to
Weyland Court.
I have looked up and down the rows at the table; but I can see no one who in the least degree
approaches Alan's simple ideal. I despair!
So much the better, my dear, because the fancy may pass away. We have always got our right of
veto. Just suppose, however, that these girls knew what we know. Fancy the airs, the bridlings, the
jealousies with which these Cinderellas would receive the gracious Prince when he came. I
suppose, by the way, that he will come some time this evening?
He said he would. One would think, said Miranda, with a little bitterness, that he would feel
some little interest in the assembly.
But supper seemed to be over. What was the surprise promised by Brother Peregrine? He answered
the question himself; that is to say, his Indian servant brought him a small box. With this in his
hand, he begged Miranda's permission to make a little speech.
What are you going to do? she asked.
I am going to minister to their vanity, he replied. In my experience of the uneducated
only the uneducated portionof your sex, I have found that to minister to their vanity is to afford
them the most lively gratification. I am going to make one girl supremely happy, two or three
madly envious, and the rest proud of their sex and of themselves.
He took Miranda's permission for granted and advanced to the front, facing the long tables at which
the girls had taken supper.
Girls, he said, holding solemnly before him the mysterious box, I promised you a surprise with
which to close the day. It is here, in this box. In the days when the old gods pretended to govern
the world, and made such a mess of it that we have been ever since occupied in setting things to
rights which they blundered over, there was once a banquetnot so good a banquet as this at which
we have just assisted, but still a creditable feed. And while the gods were sitting over their wine
and the goddesses looking at each other s dresses the girls began to wonder what on earth all this
unintelligible patter meantsome one who shall be nameless threw among the assemblage a
golden applea golden apple, he repeated, on which was inscribed, 'For the Fairest.' The
adjudgment of this apple produced great disasters to the human race, which mattered nothing to her
who received it, because she scored a distinct triumph over her rivals. This preamble brings me to
the box. Trumpeters, if you please.
The two trumpeters of the Abbey, who had meanwhile stationed themselves at either side of the
speaker, but on a lower step, blew a great and sonorous blast.
This golden apple, the orator went on, supposed to have been quite lost for many thousands of
years, has been miraculously preserved to the present day. It is in my possession; it is in this box. I
am about to restore it to its original use. Trumpeters, if you please."
While they blew again, the attention of the girls being now thoroughly aroused and their
interest excited to the highest point, Brother Peregrine opened the box, and took out, suspended
by a silver chain, an apple, wrought, or seeming to be wrought, in solid gold. He handed this to his
Indian servant, who, bearing it reverently on a cushion, passed down the lanes of the girls, allowing
them to hold it in their hands, to weigh it, and to gaze at it. The dark Indian, with his turban and
white tunic, the silver chain and the golden apple, and the mystery of the whole thing, filled all
hearts with a trembling eagerness.
That apple, continued Brother Peregrine, is offered to the fairest of you all. The ladies of the
Abbey of Thelema do not propose to enter into competition. It is for their cruests alone that this gift
is offered. Point me out the fairest."
There was first a dead silence, and then a confused hubbub of tongues, but no one was proposed.
This will not do, said Tom Caledon. Let them separate into committees and vote.
It was difficult, but was effected at last by the process of dividing them into groups of ten and
making them select the two prettiest girls from among themselves. This reduced the number of
candidates from a hundred and fifty to thirty. The thirty were then ranged in a row, while their less
fortunate sisters sat behind, silent, and devoured by irrepressible envy.
The number must be still further reduced, said Brother Peregrine. I must have three presented to
me, among whom I shall choose the fairest.
Again Tom Caledon managed the business. He gave them voting-papers and collected their votes.
There were thirty voters. When the papers were unfolded it was found that there were thirty
nominations. It thus became apparent that every girl had voted for herself. This was discouraging,
but Tom began again, offering each girl two votes. The result of this method was that there was a
distinct and large majority in favour of three girls, whom Tom Caledon placed before the giver of
And a precedent has been laid down for us. Like the Idaean shepherd, I adjudge the prizeto
Aphrodite.
He stepped down, and laid the chain once more round the neck of Alma Bostock. The other two
girls, without a word, turned away, and, with heavily-laden eyes, pressed through the crowd, and so
into the outer night. Under the trees, beyond the light of the coloured lamps, they spoke to each
other.
What did she promise to give him? asked Black Bess, with heaving bosom and parted lips.
I don't knowI don't care. A Cat, replied the other. Then they separated by the space of two
yards and a half, and, sitting down upon the grass, broke into sobbings and cries. But within the
marquee it was the hour of Alma's triumph. There was a murmur of approbation as Brother
Peregrine suspended the chain round her neck. Indeed, she was the prettiest, and, at that moment,
as she stood there, her eyes brightened, her cheek flushed, the silver chain round her neck, the
golden apple at her heaving breast, every eye upon her, the hands of all applauding, her whole
frame swaying beneath the excitement and victory of the moment, Alan Dunlop entered the
marquee. Miranda, Nelly, and Desdemona, with the other Sisters, were stepping from the platform
to congratulate the victor; the band was striking up a triumphant march; the girls were all laughing
and talking together. Alan concluded, rashly, that the whole thing had been got up by Miranda for
his own benefit. In this sweet-faced village girl, the queen of the festival, he saw the maiden whom
Miranda had chosen for himself, and he caught her hand with effusion.
Miranda, he whispered, with the deepest feeling, you have found for me the girl I have been in
search of. I thank youfor a wife.
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wilt, 1
WILT, 1
wine, 1
winter, 1
with, 17
within, 5
without, 2
women, 1
Word, 1
words, 1
work, 6
works, 2
world, 1
dedicated, 3
derived, 1
destruction, 1
determine, 1
determined, 1
devote, 2
died, 1
Dinners, 1
disagree, 1
disagreement, 3
disciple, 1
discord, 4
discover, 1
Link, 1
local, 1
located, 2
location, 1
lock, 1
love, 3
Love, 2
lunar, 1
LXIV, 1
made, 1
magic, 1
magical, 1
Magical, 2
room, 1
Rule, 3
RULE, 1
Salutem, 1
same, 3
sandalwood, 1
satisfies, 1
save, 3
saying, 1
scarlet, 3
scissors, 1
season, 1
writings, 1
written, 1
X, 1
XII, 1
XLII, 2
XXVII, 1
XXXI, 1
XXXIV, 1
ye, 4
Ye, 1
year, 2
years, 4
yellow, 1
Zen, 1
zodiac, 1
1 ,
A L WH S D O Z K V G R C N Y J U F Q B MX I T E P
1
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
First I analysed all the single words in Liber ATh. After this I looked at key phrases. Finally I
looked at combinations of words from Liber ATh that totalled to 93, the key number of Thelema.
1a
2 AA
5 all
6 Law = as
7 Ad
9 was
10 has
11 laws
12 so
13 do
14 who = shall
15 an = also
18 go
19 or
20 Vow
21 on = no = and
22 X = day = a.m
23 land = I
24 own = Lady = hood = god
25 of = local = at
26 Class = CC
27 days = always
28 Word = is = Holy
29 Sky = he
30 world = Will = any
31 work = to = lock
32 what = well = Mass = last = his
33 words = nor = know
34 Via = two = she
35 by
36 works = Sun = Our = oath = my = man = head = goods
37 vel = pass = may = in = for = age
38 only = joy = food = are = act
39 twos = such = sole = soap = full
40 ye = nail = hour = have = hair
41 whole = wear = Should = save = if = her
42 tau = Sub = star = noon = new
43 than = red = each = does = Book
44 tasks = love = follows = case = added
45 shave = nun = not = Horus = black = be
46 swear = one = me = lunar = Lamus
47 Zen = which = use = room = p.m = it = daily = bond = Aeon
48 out = Link = fast = child = books = body
49 sound = Moon = male = fails = Cave = Canon = bell
50 Thus = SIX = nuns = cloth
51 vowed = race = monk = Let = drugs = base
52 wilt = thou = sex = sandalwood = same = rich = its
53 year = the = that = sign = ordeal = made = carry
54 yellow = with = over = meals = four = basis = alarum
55 see = naked = grade = both
56 this = shame = Rule = monks = date
57 while = top = season = most = LXIV = King = based
58 zodiac = years = Sunday = signs = henna = from = form = colour
59 take = once
60 grades = died = death = claim
61 vegan = random = name = chants = cause = candle = but
62 week = order = occur = animal
63 ten = per = leave = larger = Church = Above
64 upon = sides = robe = equal = bread = blue
65 wine = water = Those = pen = more = golden = fit = Eye = deaths = Babalon
66 rest = names = here = Earth = come
67 turn = then = study = place = must = cooked
68 XII = they = passed = Life = into = chosen
69 sigils = saying = oldest = magic
70 XLII = women = Note = lined = followed = CCXX = behalf = apply
71 style = speaks = meat = chapel
72 sexual = other = open = magical = lbid = grounds = domain = discord = Abbot
73 store = power = Great = feast
74 under = them = right = changed = ceases
75 union = totally = scissors = Record = months = CCCCI = breach
76 sponsor = props = NINE = night = media = jewels = FORTY = FIVE = Abbess
77 other = gather = Crowley = abbots
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