lion and serpent

Lion & Serpentq in J, Anno IVx ~ Volume 7, Number 1

Serpent SpineSoror S.D.M., Anno IVx ~ Graphite on Paper

Ordo Templi OrientisP. O. Box 684098

Austin, TX 78768-4098www.otohq.org

Sekhet-Maat Lodge, O.T.O.P. O. Box 15037

Portland, OR [email protected]

Publisher – Sekhet-Maat Lodge, O.T.O.

Managing Editor - Frater HydraLVX

Columns Editor - Frater Diapason

Typesetting & Layout - Frater Gordon,Frater HydraLVX, Soror Athene Nephthys

Distribution - Soror Ariane

Advertising, Production & Distribution Assistants:

Soror Ariane, Soror Fountain, Soror Ariche

For all letters, submissions, subscriptions, and other information, contact:

[email protected]

Contents Copyright © Anno IVx Ordo Templi Orientisand individual authors except where otherwise noted.

All rights reserved.

The opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors and do notnecessarily reflect those of O.T.O. or of Sekhet-Maat Lodge.

Lion & Serpentthe Official Journal

of Sekhet-Maat Lodge, O.T.O.q in J, Anno IVxVolume 7, Number 1

Serpent Spine by Soror S.D.M. ....................................... Front Cover

Contact Information .............................................. Inside Front Cover

The First Page by Frater HydraLVX ................................................... 4

Glossala-Go-Go by Frater ZyGoat .................................................... 5

Planets and People in the Light of Astrology by Frater la-pgv~ar 671-31 ..... 8

Abramelin Mixing Ritual:Group Version 1 by Soror A. R. G. M. .............................................. 13

Internal Studio by Frater HydraLVX ................................................ 21

The System of Enochian Magick, Part IV:The Round Table of Nalvage by Frater David R. Jones ........................... 22

Website Reviews by Frater HydraLVX .............................................. 26

Book Review by Frater la-pgv~ar 671-31 ........................................ 28

OTO Bodies in the Pacific Northwest ............................................. 30

Classifieds ........................................................... Inside Back Cover

Magus Leper by Frater HydraLVX ....................................... Back Cover

Contents

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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

If there is an award for Understatement of the Year I’d like to offer the following as an entry:“It’s been a while since our last issue of Lion & Serpent.” Well, it has been less than a year,but in that time so much has happened that for many it may have seemed like a lifetime. I’llrecap some of the major events here.

Concurrent with the publication of the last issue, our valley saw three new initiators get theircharters. A good thing, too; since then we’ve had initiations through the Man of Earth seriesa couple of times over, with something over forty candidates.

The Equinoxes and Solstices all had excellent celebrations and feasts. In Spring, Fr. Khabscompiled a fully participatory ritual which engaged the whole audience in mantra to ring inthe Thelemic New Year. Summer Solstice was a beautiful pageant and reading put together byFr. Aleksei. Fall Equinox was a captivating and stunning original ritual, written by Sr. S.D.M.and Fr. Balise d’Anubis, and directed by Fr. Jimmy. At Winter Solstice, we all enjoyed avariety of poetry and short stories, some original work and others picked from among ourmembers’ favorites, in an open mic atmosphere.

Two theatrical productions took place in April, seemingly one on top of the other. The Shipwas an acclaimed and successful production by all accounts which raised the watermark fortheatrical projects in the community. The First Day of the Writing of the Book of the Lawwas a beautiful arrangement of a reading of the first Chapter; three actors played the roles ofAleister, Rose and Aiwass performing their functions in the transmission of the book.

This year we have also seen a large number of visiting members from other states. Visitingmass teams, workshop & seminar instructors, initiators, and candidates for initiation havegiven us all a lot more perspective into what makes this Lodge unique (as well as stealingsome good ideas from elsewhere), and we’ve all had a chance to offer our homes and heartsin fraternal hospitality. Conversely, we’ve seen some of our locals hit the road, the air, andthe sea to visit other areas. Most notably among these, Fr. Aleksei went on a three month jagto Northern Europe and Fr. ZyGoat went East to Thailand, where he remains at the time ofthis writing.

Tragedy touched all of us in the Pacific Northwest OTO when we heard the news of thedeath of our Sister Jeni Moses in Seattle. She was known and loved in the Portland community.Thankfully several of us were able to head north to attend her Greater Feast, which includeda moving and intimate memorial service. The wedding of Fr. A and Sor. O the following daybrought welcome feelings of joy. All in all, the weekend was a powerful and disconcertingjuxtaposition of grief and celebration, which would have been difficult to bear, were it not forthe mutual fraternal support of the community members in Seattle.

In all this time, Lion and Serpent has continued to receive a steady supply of contributions.Unfortunately we can’t get them all in this issue, so if you sent something in and don’t seeit here, fear not! It will be in the next one, which will be out by the Thelemic New Year.

Love is the law, love under will.

The First Pageby Frater HydraLVX

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“In the beginning was the Word, and the Wordwas with God and the Word was God.”

In this essay we will not be focusing on theWord of God as much as on the Voice ofGod. By God, of course, we mean, “thatpart of each of us that creates the world ofour conscious experience.” In other words,the human nervous system. Although myfavorite notaricon of G.O.D. is “Garden OfDelights.”

The Voice and the Word are not often exploredas separate forces. I intend to do just thatbefore I bring them together in the practiceof vibrating the God-Names. We are allfamiliar with the concept of the Logos and ofthe words of Tahuti, Mercury, Hermes andthe rest. Indeed the power to expressthought-forms through symbolic sounds isone of the greatest weapons in the hand of

The Hebrew word for Father AB iscomposed of Aleph and Beth. Beth, theMagician, the Word of God, connects theoriginal Light of Kether to the form-buildingrealm of Binah. Thus it liberates from theimprisonment of things and ideas. Thuswithin the Father we have these dual currents,the Word and the Voice, the Manifester ofIllusion and the Liberator of pure Rapture.One can think of this as Magick andMysticism, but I prefer to think of it as Beingand Doing, inseparable in essence yet distinctin application.

When we are trapped in a verbal reality, ourpatterns of voice become restricted to thefunctional range of language. Our Pegasusloses her wings. Most people are unawareof, or self-conscious of, the natural sound oftheir own voice, without the viral influence

the Master. Illusions are created and bubblesare burst at the utterance of a well timedphrase. Yet this is only one weapon that themouth of the Master can modulate.

The mouth itself exhibits all of the powersof Tetragrammaton. It receives food, andthus does the work of the Disc. It speakswords and thus does the work of the Dagger.It shares love and thus does the work of theCup. And, although this is often overlooked,it can transmit pure vibrating force, and thusdo the work of the Wand. Truly, as All-Creator and All-Devourer, the mouth of theMage is a marvelous demiurge of a weapon.

The word-fixated mind of Hod would haveus think otherwise. Our word-based andthought-bound culture places completeemphasis on the verbal powers and leavesthe vocal powers as an accessory topronunciation. I intend to rectify thisdisservice. To digress into Ka-blah-blah, wecan look at it this way:

of the language filter. Methods of free-formvocalization such as wordless singing, toning,glossolalia, and funny little animal noises canopen a window through the verbal wall andallow us to rediscover one of the most perfectvehicles of consciousness. One can ride theVoice, as in use it as a means to alterconsciousness in conformity with Will. Andall of this feeds back into one’s power tovibrate words more effectively.

I am aware that I am using an enormousnumber of words to discuss non-verbalsound, but I claim the right to do so as amercurial agent of contradiction anddeception. So, before we begin the actualvocal experiments and exercises, I would liketo share with you my favorite key to themysteries, my favorite myth: The Serpentof Wisdom on the Tree of Life.

At the core of so many traditions we find theimage of the World Tree standing at the center

Glossala-Go-Go!By Frater ZyGoat (and the Sylph he rode in on)

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

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of the universe. This Tree embraces therealms of being in its limbs and upon itsbranches are written the sacred Alphabet fromwhich the cosmos was created. We alreadyrecognize this as the Otz Chiim, the HebrewTree of Life, but there is also the TantricKalpa Tree at the center of the Island ofJewels on whose branches are written the 50letters of seed-sounds of the Sanskrit languageof creation. In the North, we have theYggdrassil, on which the Runes are found.The same pattern is modified to fit thedifferent climates, races, and cultures thatthe myths were designed to serve.

Now we come to the Serpent of Wisdom,found coiled at the roots of the Tree. In theWest it is called Leviathan or Nechesh orHadit. In the East we have the Kundalini orSerpent Fire. In the North, at the base ofYggdrassil, we have the dragon Nidhög.

And in each of these cultures, there exists atradition or technology for the alteration ofconsciousness through the use of the SacredSounds of the Alphabet of Creation. Bija-Yoga in India. Rune-Goldr in the North, andUnification or Yichud in Jewish mysticism.We want to get to the root of this patternwithout getting caught up in the culturalspecifics. To do this, we must ask, “whatare these Tree-images trying to show us?”and also, “where do these alphabets, words,and sacred sounds come from?”

On the Doorway to the Temple of theMysteries is written the words “KnowThyself.” The tree that includes all worldsis, of course, the human nervous system.The visual connection is obvious, thefunctional connection between the World-Tree and the nervous system becomesapparent when we ask, “what is the structurethe supports all that we experience?”

This is basic enough. Now let us look at theconcept that the letters of the SacredAlphabet are written on the branches orpaths of the Tree. A letter is the glyph of asound-pattern. A sound-pattern is a way of

motion. Thus, when applied to the nervoussystem, we get the idea that the Alphabet ofCreation actually refers to the variouspatterns of nervous function that make upour conscious experience. A letter is apotential state of motion or perception.When combined or permuted, we achieve thecomplex flow of images and events that makeup our apparent reality. Thus we have themany myths of the universe being sung,chanted, spoken, or screamed into Being.This is happening within your body-mindthis very moment.

The paths or branches of the Neuro-verseconnect or relate the various worlds or organsof consciousness. This suggests that thestates of mind symbolized by the letters arethe result of the components influencing eachother, of the selves within each of uscommunicating. This brings us back to theidea of sacred language and forward to theimage of the Wand of Hermes. This glyph,which is a simplified tree with serpentstwined upon it, serves as a universal neuralsymbol. The fact that it is the mostrecognized Mercurial symbol, yet is also asign of healing, is significant to those exploringthe psychosomatic or mind-body interface.

To make sense of this, let’s sum it up:

The Realm of the Gods, the RealityGenerating Mechanism that mankind hassought or prayed to or feared or worshippedfor so long has introduced itself to us againand again, all over the world. Throughdreams, visions, fairytales, myths, andscriptures, it has shown us the image ofWorld-Tree and Life Serpent and has inspireda wide variety of sacred alphabets. This isinevitable since the thing generating thesemessages is also both the subject of themessages and their recipient. It is as if wehave had to use a series of mirrors in order tosee ourselves. The basic context of thesemyths is that the treelike structureresponsible for the formation andmaintenance of our worlds of experience is

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capable of being influenced or even operatedby sound. As we find the sounds that alterthe patterns of nervous function, we find thekeys that alter our consciousness of theworlds within and around us. Most systemsstate that this can be done in a systematicand scientific manner, though they disagreeas to details.

As for the Serpent, it is the symbol ofundulating movement or vibration and of thepotency that activates the potentialconnections upon the Tree. Many initiatorytraditions symbolize the activation orillumination of the nervous system as theascent of the serpent. We can consider this“Winged Snake of Light” to be the Forcemoving through sound, bringing to lifewhatever pattern of potential that it touches.It is like the blood that flows through theveins of the body of God, connecting andenlivening the organs that function togetherto generate what appears to be the cosmos.

What happens when this Serpent strikes?When rapture, or horror, or delight, orconfusion lifts us out of the confines of ourusual lingual and mental patterns, there issometimes a fresh flow of unexpectedsounds. The Gnostic and Coptic names ofthe various phases of Godhead have apeculiar moaning and wailing sound to them.Such phrases as, “Ar-o-go-go-ru-abrao sotoumudorio phalarthao ooo Aepe,” from thepreliminary invocation of the Goetia, or “IaoIauo Iao Aoi Oia Psinother, Therapsi,Opsither,” from the Pistis Sophia seem tohave more than simple grammar behind them.There are states of conscious activity thatcan result in, or be the result of, Glossolaliaor non-verbal use of sound. The specificphrases used may be less important than thestate of mind reached through them. Someof these long strings of sound may have beenwhat naturally happened to the adepts whenthey entered into Gnostic excitement. Othersmay have faithfully recorded the words,believing them to have been the triggers toregain the original state of enthusiasm. Thereare non-grammatical Native American songsthat can last days. It is possible that certain

emotional, mental, and energetic states cancommunicate themselves among enthusiaststhrough their effect of the Voice.

The purpose of all of these paragraphs is tosay this: with the understanding that wealready have the equipment within us, wemay proceed to turn it on and learn to operateit. With the understanding that all particularlanguages of magick are the result of privateGnostic experiences, we may proceed toeither trigger these experiences through theuse of an existing language or, more directly,discover and explore our own sounds.

One way to do this is simple permutation.Starting with the vowels, combine them backand forth with each other rhythmically andmethodically until a new momentum orpattern emerges. Follow this and see whereit leads. Names, melodies, songs, mantras,entire invocations emerge from theenthusiasm of the moment. These names areparticularly sacred because they are pregnantonly with your own immediate connectionto the moment that produced them. Theybecome the vehicle of your mysteries ratherthan the mysteries of a particular culture.Some of them are simply the result of whereyou were when they came through you and,though immensely moving, are fresh onlyonce. Others will recur again and again andmay reveal themselves to be the names andformulae of your personal hierarchy ofarchons, worlds, or angel-familiars. Or, moresimply, you might find a few shortcuts toget you in the mood.

The study of sacred words and systems is amajor branch of the Royal Art. Those whoreturn to the root, however, can find withintheir own private and direct experience asource of Inspired sounds of limitless variety.That root is Gnosis, the “turning on” of theself. Empowered use of Voice is both a pathto this Gnosis and a vehicle for its expressiononce it is ignited.

In the Benediction of the UnpronounceableName may you stop reading and start singing!

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Aleister Crowley’s contemporary “RascalGuru,” G. I. Gurdjieff (1872-1949), througha small portion of the teachings, introducedto the western world the Type systemoutlined in this book review. He claims thatthe teaching represents an extremely ancientknowledge concerning connections betweencertain characteristic of the planets of ourSolar System and humanity. There isseemingly enough valid information inGurdjieff’s teachings on Human Types, andthe further investigations carried out by P.D. Ouspensky, Rodney Collins, and others,to warrant the Magician’s scrutiny.

Thelemites that study Crowley’s systemas outlined in Liber 777 and elsewhere willfind a distinctive difference between the waythe Qabalistic Tree of Life and Gurdjieff’sportrayal of the Enneagram are perceived/function. While the Tree is frequentlyconceived as an ascending and descending(hierarchical) construct, the Enneagram, atleast where Human Types are concerned isconceived as linear. Since the nature ofTypes proceeds from World 242, noparticular Type is “better” or “higher” thanis another – just as a planet is a planet, be itMercury or Jupiter – regardless of thequalities or propensities.

One of the easily appreciable aspects of theType system is that very little time is neededto develop a rudimentary familiarity withthe basic “rules” governing the recognitionof Human Types and their predominantqualities. Another intriguing aspect is thatthe investigations may – and even must – be

carried out in everyday life, moment bymoment through detached self-observation.Although it would undoubtedly take yearsto thoroughly understand this system ofHuman Types, that mastery would be donesimultaneously with regular everydayfamily responsibilities, any and every otheroccupation, profession, career, study. Tobegin with, the investment is predominantlyintellectual, “dividing the attention” so asto observe oneself while participating in andenjoying the abundance of daily life.

The “Seven Sacred Planets,” as they werereferred to by the ancient astronomers/astrologers, are those that are visible to thenaked eye in the night sky. Rather thanfollowing the lines of the Enneagram as doesGurdjieff, we will move outward from thecenter of the solar system, the Sun, andexamine in turn Mercury, Venus, the Moon(also called a “planet” by ancient and neo-astrologers), Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.Considering the statement, “As above, sobelow,” the ancients looked for similaritiesbetween the “heavenly spheres” (theplanets), life on earth, and life inside theindividual.

Planets and People in theLight of Astrology1

by Fra. la-pgv~ar 671-31

1. Zannos, Susan. Human Types, Essenceand the Enneagram, Samuel Weiser:York Beach, ME, 1997

2. ‘World 24,’ the World of ‘Essence,’ aretechnical terms used in Gurdjieff’s system,and can be loosely attributed to the Worldof Yetzirah. ‘World 48,’ where‘Personality’ develops, equates to Assiah,while ‘World 96,’ ‘False Personality,’particularly ‘Chief Feature,’ equates to theQlipphoth. In this terminology, World 24is coated by World 48, which in turn iscoated by World 96. Peeling the onion, aprocedure that often causes tears, bringsone through False Personality, toPersonality, and eventually to Essence.

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In Gurdjieff’s teachings, there are sevenmajor Human Types, attributed to the SevenSacred Planets. The teaching does not claim,however, that the planets “rule” the peoplewhose Essence shares the same name;rather that there are certain qualitiesevidenced in the planets and in the EssenceTypes thus named. From the point of viewof this system, Essence is the term used todescribe the qualities an individual is bornwith, everything that appears at birth, the“hardware” of our very “personalcomputer,” the physical body. It is anobservable fact that not everyone has thesame abilities. These qualities include skillat manipulating physical items, music,language, mathematics, oratory, etc. In otherwords, Moses, Mozart, Mussolini,Muhammad, Machiavelli, Marilyn Manson,you, and I are all born with certain traits andtalents; these are termed Essential inGrudjieff ’s system. Another aspect ofEssence is that it is demonstrated also in theappearance of the physical body. As withthe physical body, Essence may grow,develop, evolve in a healthy way if giventhe right nutrients and opportunity. It mayalso be stunted or warped when unhealthyrestrictions (from the perspective ofEssence) are enforced.

Personality, from the perspective of thissystem, is the “soft ware” that isdownloaded into the individual by parents,church, school, and the environment ingeneral. When Essence does not developsimultaneously with Personality, animbalance occurs. Essence and Personalityare like two sides of one coin, and the shapeof the coin may warp dramatically if thegrowth of one side exceeds the other. Infact, since Essence is intrinsic to theindividual and Personality a later accretion,Personality should rightfully look to Essencefor direction. Nevertheless, Personality hasbeen exalted in our mechanized society tothe point of repressing Essence whenever it

does not fit the “requirements” of thatsociety. The phenomena is often seen atwork in almost every aspect of today’s‘civilized world,’ from the currenteducational and judicial process’ toemployment opportunities to the vast armedservices and police forces to the prison cell.

Positive/ Negative - Active/ Passive. Eachof the seven Essence Types manifests twoof these innate propensities, for that is whatthey denote in this system. Positive andNegative are intrinsic attitudes towards life,each Type responds predominantly fromtheir perception of one or the other of theseperspectives: “Life is great!” or “Life is adrag.” The same limitations apply to Activeand Passive perceptions: the Activeindividual experiences the environment(everything outside, and even within him-or herself, at times) as something to be actedupon, changed, reconstructed in their ownimage. The Passive individual experiencesthe environment as something that acts uponthem, totally beyond their control, forcingthem to change in order to better fit into theworld outside.

Seven Classical3 Essence Types aredesignated in this system, and they are namedafter the seven planets: Solar (the Sun),Mercuria l (Mercury), Venusian (Venus),Lunar (the Moon), Martial (Mars), Jovial(Jupiter), and Saturnine (Saturn). Just aswith the planets, each Essence Type has itsown particular strengths and weaknesses(called Chief Feature): Mercury does notdisplay the beauty of Saturn’s ring system,nor does Saturn move swiftly, as doesMercury.

3. There also exist “mixed Types,” two ormore predominant Types blent togetherin a single individual. Unfortunately, thelength-limitations of this essay do notallow for their investigation; however afew pictures of mixed Types follow theseven sections on the Classical EssenceTypes.

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SOLAR: Active and Positive. (HumanTypes 241-55) Just as the Sun shines oneveryone, the Solar Type sheds her or hisunabated optimism in a like manner. TheSolar Type is most often encountered inchildren, but may occasionally be found inadults. The variance and diminishment innumbers of adult Solars may be due to theendocrine gland that is thought topredominate in that Type, the thymus,which atrophies after puberty. The SolarType often evidences fine bone structureand fair skin, large and expressive eyes. Thefrailty of the Solar Type often extends tomatters of health, both physical andpsychological. Perhaps due to that frailty,the Solar Type is seen to commit suicidemore frequently than do the other Types.Marilyn Monroe is an excellent example ofthe Solar Type surviving to adulthood. TheChief Feature (major weakness) of theSolar Type is likely to be naiveté.

MERCURIAL: Active and Negative(Human Types (171-87). Just as Mercuryis the fastest moving of the seven planets,the Mercurial is the fastest moving HumanType. Mercurials are also the swiftestthinkers; their minds flash from one thoughtto another at speeds that would (and do!)bedazzle other Types. They are seldom atrest, flitting from room to room, task totask, thought to thought. Mercurials, likethe planet for which they are named, arephysically the smallest of the Types, thinand wiry. Also like the planet, they shinebrightly, smiling engagingly and often, buthave a dark side (Mercury does not revolve;one side remains in constant darkness). Thethyroid, governing metabolism, is thepredominantly active endocrine gland in theMercurial. Sammy Davis Jr. is an exampleof the bright and flashy Mercurial, quickand witty. Due to the speed at whichMercurials think, and because of theirpropensity to view life from an Active andNegative perspective, the Chief Featureis often manipulative power.

VENUSIAN: Passive and Positive (HumanTypes 157-70). Venus, the second closestplanet to the Sun, is shrouded in a thicklayer of clouds; the surface of this planethas never been viewed. Like the reflectivequality of the cloud layer surrounding theplanet, Venusians tend to reflect thethoughts, likes, dislikes, and activities, ofthose around them. Venus revolves onceevery 243 days in a retrograde motion(opposite direction) from (most) otherplanets. Venusians, being Passive, tend tothink slower than the Active Types. Theparathyroid, influencing weakness undercertain conditions, is the predominantlyactive endocrine gland in the Venusian Type.They are soft and sensuous, tending to carrymore weight than is currently deemedfashionable, low in the hips and thighs.Dieting may well camouflage the Venusian’snaturally “pear shaped” body – if friendsdiet and exercise, the Venusian may welldiet and exercise, too. Elizabeth Taylor isan exemplary Venusian. The Chief Featureof Venusians is often nonexistence – noexistence on their own.

LUNAR: Passive and Negative (HumanTypes 139-53). Luna (the Moon) has noatmosphere, is pale and cool – even cold –silent and secretive, with one half of thesurface continually secluded in shadow.Lunars reflect these qualities, viewing lifeas threatening, remaining distant anduninvolved. Lunars are often short androunded, but occasionally tall, tend towardsan unfinished look with soft, pale, puffyskin. The eyes are often large, the face roundwith a weak chin; the hair, fine and thin.Lunars like to remain as inconspicuous aspossible. The pancreas, the producer ofInsulin and other chemicals governing energy,is thought to predominate in the Lunar Type.The Passive and Negative forces that governthe Lunar may produce the cynicismreflected in the cartoons of Graham Wilson.“One [such] Lunar poet, Rainer MariaRilke’s Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge,


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has left a record of a Lunar childhood thatwas made miserable by parents unable toaccept the reality of the child they had”(Human Types 154). The Chief Featureof Lunars is frequently willfulness, althoughfear may also predominate.

MARTIAL: Active and Negative (HumanTypes 207-22). Throughout history, Marshas been perceived as the planet of war.The root of the word, “martial,” is identicalwith that of the Roman god of War, Mars.The tallest known volcano in the solarsystem is found on Mars; in conjunctionwith its dust storms and cyclones, theappellation, “the angry planet,” seemsfitting: it certainly applies to the MartialType. Generally short, thick through thechest and shoulders with abundant bodilyhair, occasionally bowlegged, the powerfulMartial treads her/his way across the planetaccomplishing great feats of strength andendurance. Undoubtedly, the overactiveadrenal gland lends itself to the “success”of these efforts. Unfortunately, no matterhow shortsighted or ill advised the venturemay be, once the Martial Type hasdetermined a course of action, it isunalterable, regardless of consequences. Dueto the Martial’s high-energy output, mattersare quickly settled – for better or worse.Kevin Costner evidences the earmarking ofthe Martial Type. The Chief Feature ofthis Type is destructiveness and power,although fear may also predominate.

JOVIAL: Passive and Positive (HumanTypes 223-40). Jupiter is the largest planetin the solar system, its awesome gravitationalforce sustaining twelve satellites. The JovialType is very similar in that she/he tends tobe rotund (no waistline), a good parent orbusiness manager; not by chance did Jupiterrule the Roman pantheon. Jupiter’s beautifulswirling clouds, the Red Spot, tend to bereflected in the attire of the Jovial also. Theposterior pituitary gland is thought to be

most active in the Jovial. In nursing mothers,the posterior pituitary gland secretsoxytocin, the hormone of maternal qualities.Due to the Positive influence in the JovialType, parties and social events are mattersof great importance. The Jovial’s ChiefFeature is frequently vanity.

SATURNINE: Active and Positive (HumanTypes 189-205). Saturn is the most distantand thus the slowest moving planet of theseven. The Saturnine Type reflects thesetwo aspects by their seeming aloofness andthe length of time it takes them to considerevery possible angle of a problem beforemaking a decision. Like Jupiter, Saturn ismassive and supports a number of satellites;it also maintains the most awe-inspiring setof multi-colored rings in the solar system.Of all the Types, Saturnines alone evidencean intrinsic knowledge of Types: who worksbest with whom, how to make use of thevarious Types so as to accomplish particulargoals, etc. The Saturnine is easier to identifythan most other types: tall, with stronglyboned frames; striking facial features: highbrows, high cheekbones, strong jaw lines,thin, prominent noses. The anteriorpituitary gland is thought to dominate inthe Saturnine Type. Since this glandregulates the other endocrine glands, it mayhelp to explain the Saturnine knowledge ofother Types, how those glands work and/orfail to work smoothly in any particular Type.The actor, Christopher Walkin, and PrinceCharles of England (almost the entire Englisharistocracy) evidence Saturnine traits, inboth appearance and behavior. The ChiefFeature of the Saturnine is often dominanceor cowardice.

4. The Solar Type is located on theEnneagram where the lines cross (withinthe Informing Triangle below Point 9) thatconnect Point 1 with Point 7, and Point 2with Point 8.


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Point 1 = LunarPoint 2 = MercurialPoint 4 = VenusianPoint 5 = MartialPoint 7 = Jovial

Point 8 = Saturnian

MIXED TYPES (Human Types 269-306) share the Active or Passive, Negative orPositive qualities of both Essence Types; Chief Features are also often shared. Since theMixed Types can only manifest along the lines of the Enneagram that connect the variouspoints (except the Solar4 , which may blend with any other Type), there are limits to thepossibilities. A perusal of the Enneagram (Human Types 257-67) will show the variousmixtures as they occur in nature:

By my lights, the best aspect of Gurdjieff’steaching is that there is no artificiality nec-essary. The student does not depart fromhis or her loved ones to live in a monasteryfor a quarter century to achieve enlighten-ment, isolate from society, neglect worldlyresponsibilities or pursuits, sacrificeworldly pleasures, marriage or having andraising children. The Work, as Gurdjieffcalled his system, is undertaken, performed,and accomplished right HERE and NOW.

Another aspect that caught my immediateattention was Gurdjieff’s relationship withstudents: Don’t believe anything I say! DoThe Work and find out for yourself! Hope-fully, that sentiment will be familiar to ev-ery Thelemite as the words of the Prophet.

Although this book review is hardly an ex-haustive study of Gurdjieff’s teachings onHuman Types, it will, I hope, provide thereader with enough information at least topique her or his curiosity.


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Abramelin Mixing Ritual:Group Version 1

by Sr. A.R.G.M.

The following is a ritual that is based onone I previously wrote to assist me in mix-ing and charging the Sacred Oil ofAbramelin. (for the solo ritual and furtherinformation on the constituent oils, see Lion& Serpent, vol. 4, issues 3 and 4 :“Abramelin for the Masses!”, parts I andII) Like the solo version, It is loosely basedon the Star Sapphire and is directed by thephases of the moon. You will need to ob-tain all the ingredient aromatic and olive oils,plus an incubation jar.

Gather the five essential oil ingredients, at-tributed as follows:

8 parts Cinnamon: Fire, Father4 parts Myrrh: Water, Mother2 parts Galangal: Air, Son7 parts Olive: Earth, Daughter

A fifth element, Abramelin oil from a pre-vious consecrated batch, is included as a“seed” for the new mixture (Spirit).

As 8 drams make an ounce, I find it conve-nient both for measuring the oils and forcost effectiveness in ordering the oils to sim-ply do my ordering and measuring usingdrams as the “parts” measure. Doing it thisway, you end up with 21 drams (a bit morethan 2 ½ ounces) of finished Oil ofAbramelin.

The incubation jar should be of clear glass(so that you can better view the color andconstitution of the oil over time) and shouldbe able to be sealed airtight. It should also,of course, be large enough to hold the fin-ished amount of oil. This glass containerwill be the alembic (womb) in which the oilgestates until it is finished. It does not nec-essarily have to be the bottle in which youplan to store the oil, which can be of col-ored glass or more ornate.

Set up an altar in the East. This can be yourpersonal working altar or the triple altar ofthe Gnostic Mass.

Three operators will perform the mixing ritu-als over the course of one lunar cycle. Theseoperators act as:

Sulfur, Active, RadiantSalt, ReceptiveMercury, Communicative

The Sulfur officer will effect the movementof all energies invoked, forming hexagramsand pouring the oils. Sulfur does not speakor handle material objects alone, but movesand performs various actions. May wear ared or white sash or tabard.

The Salt officer will ensure the fixing of theelements, preparing the working space priorto the ritual and handling all material com-ponents. Salt makes no motion or speech ofhis or her own, but rather is moved byMercury or Sulfur. May wear a blue or blacksash or tabard.

The Mercury officer will voice all invoca-tions and pronouncements. Mercury mayspeak and move, but may not handle mate-rial things alone. May wear a yellow or redsash or tabard

(the color set should be either red/Sulfur -blue/Salt - yellow/Mercury or white/Sulfur- black/Salt - red/Mercury)

I suggest that through the course of themonth, the officers are rotated through theroles so that each is able to fill each func-tion in mixing the oil.

1) Begin on the new moon, or on thefirst Sunday after the new moon, by pour-


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ing the pre-measured amount of myrrhoil into the clean glass incubation jar.Have ready also the cinnamon oil, pre-measured and in another glass bottle.

1a) Salt, Sulfur, and Mercury stand closeto one another in the center of the workingspace facing the altar, forming a triangle.Sulfur and Mercury stand side by side fac-ing the altar, Salt stands immediately be-hind them holding the incubation jar in theleft hand and the container of cinnamon oilin the right. The lids/corks for both contain-ers have been removed and set aside on thealtar (within Salt’s reach, once seated).

All stand, breathe deeply, and clear theirminds.

1b) At the proper moment, Sulfur clapsXXX XXXXX XXX

Mercury recites the opening of the Anthemof Liber XV, from “Thou who art I” to “Tothy child”

All three then give the signs of LVX, Saltforming L, Sulfur forming V and Mercuryforming X, all three then opening into thecross-sign of Osiris Risen.

1c) Both Sulfur and Mercury step asideand bring Salt through between them. Salt isbrought to the altar and seated upon it.

Sulfur and Mercury approach the altar andguide Salt’s right hand so that it holds thecinnamon oil in the middle of the three ofthem. They meditate in front of the openjar of cinnamon oil and inhale its fiery scent.

With the right thumb between the index andmedius, Sulfur makes a unicursal hexagramover the container of cinnamon oil. He thenenergetically gives the sign of Vir.

Mercury proclaims “Father, be thouadored!”

1d) Salt’s arm is again moved back to itsnormal side position. Now the Incubationjar with the myrrh oil is moved to the centerposition. They meditate for a moment infront of the open jar of myrrh oil and inhaleits scent.

With the fingers positioned as before, Sul-fur makes a unicursal hexagram over thecontainer of myrrh oil. He then gives thesign of Mulier .

Mercury proclaims: “Mother, be thouadored!”.

1e) Sulfur takes Salt’s right hand and guidesthe container of cinnamon oil so that it isdirectly over the mouth of the incubationjar. Sulfur holding Salt’s hand, together theypour the cinnamon oil into the container ofmyrrh oil.

As they pour, Mercury declares: PATERET MATER UNUS DEUS ARARITA!

Salt and Sulfur seal the incubation jar andhold the oil before a candle watching thetwo oils swirling and blending together, be-coming one.

Mercury and Sulfur assist Salt to wrap theincubation jar in black fabric. It may then beset on the altar, or remain sitting in his orher lap.

1f) Sulfur claps XXX XXXXX XXX

Mercury declares ABRAHADABRA!

All exit the working space.

The incubation jar will be later set securelyin a warm place (85-100°F is ideal) to circu-late and further combine (not digest, as Ihad written in the earlier version – there isno plant matter to decompose or ferment inthis operation - therefore no digestion cantake place, only circulation and a more per-fect union of the oils through the convec-tion caused by the gentle, even heat). Plac-ing the jar on top of or near a heater orheating vent, in summertime sun, or in ahome made sand bath all work well.

Once a day or every other day the contentsof the jar should be swirled around to assistin the blending. Note any change in the coloror consistency of the oil. After swirling, re-wrap and replace the jar in the warm place.Keeping it wrapped in black fabric will helpabsorb and hold in the heat.

2) One week later at the first quarterof the moon, unwrap the incubation jar


15

and pre-measure the proper amount ofgalangal oil into a separate bottle.

2a) As before, Salt, Sulfur, and Mercurystand close to one another in the center ofthe working space facing the altar, forminga triangle. Sulfur and Mercury stand sideby side facing the altar, Salt stands immedi-ately behind them holding the incubationjar in the left hand and the container of cin-namon oil in the right. The lids/corks forboth containers have been removed and setaside on the altar (within Salt’s reach, onceseated).


2b) Sulfur claps XXX XXXXX XXX


All three then give the signs of LVX as be-fore.

2c) Both Sulfur and Mercury step asideand bring Salt through between them. Salt istaken to the altar, and seated upon it.

Sulfur and Mercury approach the altar andguide Salt’s left hand so that it holds theincubation jar of blended oils in the middleof the three of them. They meditate in frontof the open jar and inhale the scent deeply.

They then guide Salt’s right hand so thatthe container of galangal oil is positioned inthe middle of the three of them (incubationjar is lowered).They meditate in front ofthe open jar of oil and inhale its expansive,spicy scent.

With the right thumb between the index andmedius, Sulfur makes a unicursal hexagramover the container of galangal oil. He thengives the sign of Puer.

2d) Sulfur takes Salt’s right hand and guidesthe container of galangal oil so that it isdirectly over the mouth of the incubationjar. Sulfur holding Salt’s hand, together theypour the galangal oil into the container ofblended cinnamon and myrrh.

Mercury declares: MATER ET FILIUSUNUS DEUS ARARITA!

Salt and Sulfur seal the incubation jar andhold the oil before a candle watching theoils swirling and blending together, becom-ing one.

Mercury and Sulfur assist Salt to wrap theincubation jar in black fabric. It may then beset on the altar, or remain sitting in his orher lap.

2e) Sulfur claps XXX XXXXX XXX

Mercury declares ABRAHADABRA!

All exit the working space.

Replace the incubation jar in the closed boxor cabinet. Swirl frequently as before.

3) At the full moon, or the first Sun-day after the full moon, unwrap the in-cubation jar and prepare a pre-measuredbottle of fine virgin olive oil.

3a) As before, Salt, Sulfur, and Mercurystand close to one another in the center ofthe working space facing the altar, forminga triangle. Sulfur and Mercury stand sideby side facing the altar, Salt standing imme-diately behind them holding the incubationjar in the left hand and the container of oliveoil in the right. The lids/corks for both con-tainers have been removed and set aside onthe altar (within Salt’s reach, once seated).




All three then give the signs of LVX as be-fore.

3c) Both Sulfur and Mercury step asideand bring Salt through between them. Salt istaken to the altar, and seated upon it.

Sulfur and Mercury approach the altar andguide Salt’s left hand so that it holds the


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incubation jar of blended oils in the middleof the three of them. They meditate in frontof the open jar and inhale the scent deeply.

They then guide Salt’s right hand so that itholds the olive oil in the middle of the threeof them. They meditate in front of the openjar of oil and inhale its familiar earthy scent.

With the right thumb between the index andmedius, Sulfur makes a unicursal hexagramover the container of olive oil. He then givesthe sign of Puella

The incubation jar remains in the middle, inSalt’s hand.

3d) Sulfur takes Salt’s right hand and guidesthe container of olive oil so that it is di-rectly over the mouth of the incubation jar.Sulfur holding Salt’s hand, together theypour the olive oil into the container ofblended oils.

Mercury declares: FILIUS ET FILIA UNUSDEUS ARARITA!

Salt and Sulfur seal the incubation jar andhold the oil before a candle watching theoils swirling and blending together, becom-ing one.

3e) Mercury and Sulfur assist Salt to wrapthe incubation jar (extra-securely) in blackfabric. All three place right hands on it, andgive the sign of silence with the left. Theincubation jar is placed in a closed box orleft covered on the altar. All three covertheir eyes, turn their backs on it and leavethe room.

Later, the jar may be removed to a secureplace where it will remain undisturbed. Ifwarm weather, burying it in the earth – orbetter yet, a compost heap - would be good.This time, DO NOT uncover or swirl thejar of blended oil to look at it over the nexttwo weeks. Leave it undisturbed to circu-late and digest further during the period ofthe waning moon. Don’t peek!

4) On the final week (on the newmoon, or the first Sunday after the newmoon), retrieve the wrapped jar and pre-

pare a small bottle of residue from yourlast batch of Abramelin oil (or a littlebit of someone else’s Abramelin oil).

4a) As before, Salt, Sulfur, and Mercurystand close to one another in the center ofthe working space facing the altar, forminga triangle. Sulfur and Mercury stand sideby side facing the altar, Salt standing imme-diately behind them holding the containerof “seed” Abramelin oil. The incubation jaris on the altar.




All three then give the signs of LVX as be-fore. After they open into the final cross(Osiris Risen) Salt assumes the sign ofPuella.

4c) Both Sulfur and Mercury step asideand bring Salt through between them. Salt istaken to the altar as before (Salt maintainsPuella, though).

Salt stands before the altar. Sulfur and Mer-cury together touch Salt on the body andjoin hands behind him/her as Puella opensinto Mulier . Salt then is seated on the altar.

Sulfur and Mercury assist Salt in unwrap-ping and opening the incubation jar.

4d) Sulfur takes Salt’s right hand and guidesthe container of Abramelin oil so that it isdirectly over the mouth of the incubationjar.

Sulfur makes a unicursal hexagram over thecontainer of Abramelin oil and incubationjar together. Both Sulfur and Mercury drawnear to Salt and the containers.

Sulfur places both hands on Salt’s two hands(holding the two containers). They thentogether let fall a drop of the Abramelinseed while Mercury declares:

FILIA ET PATER UNUS DEUSARARITA!


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4e) All three quickly inhale alungful of the scent from the openincubation jar, and release it cry-ing: ARARITA! ARARITA!ARARITA!

4f) Setting the empty containerof Abramelin seed oil aside, Saltrises from the altar in the Sign ofMater Triumphant, holding the jarof oil as the Child. Sulfur andMercury kneel on one knee withhands raised in joyful adoration.

4g) Salt and Sulfur place bothhands upon the container of oiland walk around the circle to-gether, holding the jar between andin front of them. They present itto the quarters as they go whileMercury walks before them tri-umphantly declaring:

OMNIA IN DUOS: DUO INUNUM: UNUS IN NIHIL:HAEC NEC QUATUOR NECOMNIA NEC DUO NEC UNUSNEC NIHIL SUNT!

All return to the east and support/ elevate the oil proclaiming to-gether:

GLORIA PATRI ET MATRI ETFILIO ET FILIAE ET SPIRITUISANCTO EXTERNO ETSPIRITUI SANCTO INTERNOUT ERAT EST ERIT INSAECULA SAECULORUMSEX IN UNO PER NOMENSEPTEM IN UNO ARARITA!

The oil is placed on the altar. Allthree return to the center and givethe signs of LVX.

Sulfur claps XXX XXXXX XXX

Mercury declaresABRAHADABRA!

The oil may now be decanted intodram bottles or into its own stor-age bottle.

NOTESSECTION 1)

Prior to beginning the ritual, a standard opening ofthe working space should be performed (the decla-ration of the Law/93 , an asperging, censing, andbanishing pentagram / hexagram ritual(s)). It may behelpful to minimize or refrain from eating dairy prod-ucts or other mucous-causing foods a day or twobefore each working to improve sensitivity to thevarious scents.

Sor. S.D.M., Fr. Aegis, and I “test drove” this ritualthrough the lunar cycle beginning with the new moonon Monday 1/14/02 and ending with the followingnew moon on Monday 2/12/02. The phases of themoon on the Mondays of that cycle (during thetime of our work) fell in the fixed signs as follows:

1/14/02 new moon 15* Aquarius (Sol 25* Capri-corn)

1/21/02 first quarter 8* Taurus (Sol 2* Aquarius)

1/28/02 full moon 10* Leo (Sol 10* Aqu.)

2/4/02 last quarter 25* Scorpio (Sol 17* Aqu.) <noactivity, waning period>

2/11/02 new moon 23* Aqu. (Sol 23* Aqu.)

1a) Original, undifferentiated state. Nothingness.

1b) The dimensionless moment when action be-gins, after which follows the Invocation:

Sulfur, the active force, starts the first movementswith an invocation of eleven strikes. Throughoutthe ritual, Sulfur makes a total of 77 strikes.

Mercury, communicator of the Word, next invokesthe source of LVX, that which is ONE, ultimate,essential, in verse:

Thou who art I, beyond all I am,Who hast no nature, and no name,Who art, when all but thou are gone,Thou, centre and secret of the Sun,Thou, hidden spring of all things knownAnd unknown, Thou aloof, alone,Thou, the true fire within the reedBrooding and breeding, source and seedOf life, love, liberty, and light,Thou beyond speech and beyond sight,


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Thee I invoke, my faint fresh fireKindling as mine intents aspire.Thee I invoke, abiding one,Thee, centre and secret of the Sun,And that most holy mysteryOf which the vehicle am I.Appear, most awful and most mild,As it is lawful, to thy child!

In response, the light appears (LVX) sepa-rates itself into the three principles of be-ing, the three states, activities, or shaping-forces: Salt, Sulfur, Mercury. Salt, the basicform of the material appears first with thesign of the Mourning of Isis, signifying thatthe light has passed the gate of potentialform into the realm of actual form. Thencethe destroying force arises, with Sulfur inthe sign of Apophis, and the apparent death/occlusion/transformation of light-in-matter,with Mercury in the sign of Osiris Slain.All three make the cross-sign of OsirisRisen, a statement of the equilibrium of allthree officers as well as a sign of the perfec-tion of matter through their influence uponit.”

These three forces, now established, in turncompose and act upon the four elementsrepresented by the oils utilized (which al-ways come from the Salt officer). Thesethree in combination with the four make aunity of seven, in itself comprising the to-tality of the event by uniting the operators,their intent and action, and the substancethat is the fruit of their successful comple-tion of the mixing, drawing all back to One.

1c) This inhalation of the essence is veryimportant, and should not be rushed through.We did six deep inhalations, each of us plac-ing a hand on Salt’s hand while it was beingmoved around between us, exhaling only todraw in more scent with the next breath.The inhalation of these essences is the com-munion between the operators and the oilitself. This is probably the most importantaspect of the ritual to take care to performwell.

Sulfur uses the typical hand position of thePriest in Liber XV as a wand to form andenergize the hexagram. A mudra signifyingdirected, united opposites. The type ofunicursal hexagram used is up to the magi-cians performing the rite – they can be all-solar (starting at the topmost point), solarand lunar, according to the active or passiveelements they are cast over (beginning atthe upper and lower points respectively),or the specific elemental hexagrams for eachelement (the four side points). We used allsolar hexes in this first run.

Vir – “Man” ; the “Father” / fire force withinthe cinnamon oil is recognized and pro-claimed.

1d) The essence of the Myrrh is inhaledand communed with, as before with the cin-namon.

Mulier – “Woman” ; the “Mother” / waterforce within the myrrh oil is recognized andproclaimed.

1e) The marriage of the Father and theMother, of fire and water in the realm ofFire of Earth (the essential oils are exem-plary Fire of Earth substances, being thefiery component of any plant – in this cir-cumstance, specifically, Fire of Fire of Earthcombines with Water of Fire of Earth).

PATER ET MATER UNUS DEUSARARITA – “Father and Mother One GodArarita”

ARARITA - notariqon for “Achad RoshAchadotho Rosh Iechudo TemurahzoAchad” – “One is His Beginning, One isHis Being, His Permutation is One”

1f) Eleven strikes are repeated, the decla-ration of the accomplishment is made –ABRAHADABRA, the union of the fiveand six, the microcosm and macrocosm. TheOne Work in the beginning, the One Workin the end. The closure of this phase of theoperation.

SECTION 2

The blending in of the “Son” oil (galangal)takes place during the continued increase of


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the moon, waxing into the first quarter.

2c) Puer, - “Youth” (male) ;the “Son” / airforce within the galangal oil is recognizedand proclaimed.

2d) The marriage of the Mother and theSon, of water and air. (In the physical mix,the “Mother” is actually the “Mother-Fa-ther” cinnamon-myrrh oil which unites withthe air-oil).

MATER ET FILIUS UNUS DEUSARARITA – “Mother and Son One GodArarita”

SECTION 3

The blending in of the last of the four ingre-dient oils, the addition of the “Daughter”oil (olive), takes place at or near the fullmoon, the peak of the positive/growth phaseof the moon. The moon is filled with theSun’s light as they stand opposite one an-other in the heavens, balanced, complemen-tary.

3c) Puella – “Young Girl”; the “Daughter”/ earth element within the olive oil is recog-nized and proclaimed.

3d) The marriage of the Son and Daughter,of air and earth. (In the physical mix, the“Son” is the total resulting product of theprevious combination of the “Mother-Fa-ther-Son” oils in one substance.)

FILIUS ET FILIA UNUS DEUSARARITA – “Son and Daughter One GodArarita”

3e) As we left the working space, weshielded our eyes with both hands, or witha forearm.

Now that all four elements have been com-bined, they are securely covered and re-moved from view to more perfectly blendand unite in silence and secrecy through thedark period of the waning moon. The fur-ther breaking-down of the discrete elements(solve) and formation of the new and singu-lar virgin substance (coagula) is accom-plished during this period of “rest”.

SECTION 4

New moon, the Sun is conjoined with theMoon.

The virgin Abramelin oil having been pre-pared, it is now ready to receive the fifthelement, spirit, in the form of a single dropof previously charged and consecrated“seed” oil. One drop of this oil is really allthat is needed.

Note of interest: At the finish of the previ-ous working session (2 weeks prior), ratherthan empty out the font of salt-water usedfor asperging the space, the water was al-lowed to evaporate completely out, leavingthe salt crystals still in the glass. There weretwo forms of salt crystal: one formed a ringof tiny crystal-complexes adhering to thecircumference of the glass container (font)wall making very organic looking shapes,like plants or flowers. This was very firmlystuck to the glass. The other form was ofseveral large, individual six-sided (cubic)crystals at the bottom of the glass whichslid freely. These crystals varied in size fromabout 1-3 mm, and each had inside of it anearly perfect maltese cross! The crosseswere plainly visible (approx. .75 – 2.5mmacross) and looked as though they had beenetched inside the otherwise clear crystals,similar to the appearance of frosted glass.We used these crossed crystals in the freshwater of the font for this final session’spurifications.

4b) This section done as usual, except thatSalt assumes Puella at the end of the seriesof LVX signs. Salt here is mirroring the vir-gin state of the oil in the incubation jar.

4c) Salt opens into Mulier to signify suffi-cient maturity and readiness to receive thedrop of seed oil. Salt will also “give birthto” the new oil as the Mother/Matter/Ma-trix.

4d) The marriage of the Daughter and theFather, of earth and fire/spirit. This com-pletes the circle of the elements, and as it is


20

not possible for earth to join with fire ex-cept through the media of the other twoelements, signifies that all elements havebeen joined one with another to allow forthe fire of heaven to be brought down toearth. This new thing that spans the dis-tance, which is of all of them as well asbeing none of them is the elusive fifth ele-ment, spirit. The drop of seed oil repre-sents this in a concentrated and symbolicmanner.

This seed oil can also be viewed as the newoil’s “inheritance” from all other batches ofAbramelin that have come before, a tributeand link to the originator of the oil in thedistant past. The new batch, in turn, mayprovide the seed for a future batch. Thisview would make the seed oil a travellingconcentrate not only of symbolic and mate-rial elements, but of time and space as well.

The marriage of heaven and earth imagerydescribed above could be visualized as aninfinitely expanding vertical line. And thephysical and material inheritance imagerydescribed above could be visualized as aninfinitely expanding horizontal line. Thenever ending (and visible, sensible) cyclicprocesses that are characteristic of bothcould be visualized as a circle at the placewhere these lines intersect. A rose-cross.

FILIA ET PATER UNUS DEUSARARITA – “Daughter and Father OneGod Ararita!”

4e) Though up to this point in the ritualSulfur and Salt do not speak at all, once thecircle/circuit of the elements has by theiractions been completed, all three officersunite to partake in the essence and speakwith one voice.

4f) Or, Salt may present the jar to allowSulfur to place one hand upon it (Salt andSulfur each hold the jar with one hand.) Bothstand side by side with their backs to theeastern altar. Salt points to the earth withthe other hand (the one not on the jar), Sul-fur points to heaven. Mercury kneels on

one knee before them, hands raised in ado-ration.

4g) The new oil is presented to the fourdirections, to the world at large. Mercurydeclares as they go: All in Two: Two inOne: One in None: These are Neither Fournor All nor Two nor One nor None!

Then all three proclaim:

Glory to the Father and Mother and Sonand Daughter, and to the Holy Spirit Exter-nal, and to the Holy Spirit Internal, whichWas, Is, and Shall Be, World Without EndSix in One through the Names of the Sevenin One, ARARITA!


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Internal StudioFrater HydraLVX, Anno IVx ~ Digital Art

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by Fr. David R. Jones

APOLOGIA

I have been under the weather so as aninterlude before continuing our discussionabout the Watchtowers I would like tointroduce one of the a priori constructs.The Round Table of Nalvage. This is arevision of an early piece so some of thematerial may be familiar.

THE ROUND TABLE OF NALVAGE

“All things are in order. Thus saith theMessenger of him which is the God ofWisdom. Is your worthiness such, as youcan merit so great a mercy? Or are yourvessels cleansed, and made apt to receiveand hold the sweet liquor, pureunderstanding itself?”

The System of Enochian Magick, Part IV:The Round Table of Nalvage

Figure 1. The Round Table of Nalvage

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from the Spirit Action ofTuesday April 10, 1584 (1)

AGNITIOThe correction of the table from theCotton Appendix was first brought to myattention by my G.H. frater N.G.

PART I. THE SUBSTANCE

“He standeth upon his round table ofCrystal, or rather of Mother of Pearl:There appear an infinite number of letterson the same, as thick as one can stand byone another. The table is somewhatinclined on one side:” (2)

h c r ui d z s a i

l a o i g o d hu m z r u r r ca b n a f o s ah d a z s e a s

i a b r d ilang

(3)

From this Table Nalvage (4) ‘counteth andconfereth places and letters together’ toform the actual form of the Table deliveredto Dee and Kelly, and shown above:

Delivered to Dee and Kelly in CracowPoland during the Spirit Action ofTuesday April 10, 1584, this Tableprecedes, almost directly, the beginning ofthe reception of the Calls (5) and may beidentified with the Key or Calling ‘not tobe opened,’ as it completes the necessarysum of 49 mentioned with theintroduction to the Calls in the next SpiritAction:

“I am therefore to instruct and informyou, according to your Doctrine delivered,which is contained in 49 Tables. In 49

1. From the Spirit Action of Tuesday April10, 1584, which begins the bookMENSIS MYSTICUS SAOBATICUS.Vide pg. 73 Meric Casaubon’s A TRUE &FAITHFUL RELATION . . . . (w/ newmaterial by Clay Holden). New York:Magickal Childe, 1992. (HereafterT&FR)

2. Ibid.

3. Pg. 76 T&FR, Casaubon has

h c r u i d z s a i

l a o i g o d hu m z r u r r ca b n a f o s as d a z s e a s

i a b r d i l a n g

with an ‘s’ for ‘h’ in the leftmostcolumn.

4. The first notable discussion of this Tablein modern times took place in twoarticles published in the 1970s:

Geoffrey James, “Enochian evocation:the true Calls”, Gnostica 47 (1978),pp.12-20, 74-77

[no discussion but a short mention of thetable of Nalvage on p.17; the article ispart 4 of a series on evocation by James]

Osborne Phillips, “Commentary: Thetrue ‘True Calls’”, Gnostica 50(1979),pp. 10-12 [with a reproductionof Sloane MS 3191 f.7v and the author’sportrait; he does not mention Nalvagetable at all but criticises James forrelying on Casaubon’s version of thecalls, concluding that “the present writerpersonally assures everyone interestedthat the text of the Calls in _Book V_[of _Magical Philosophy_ - thenforthcoming] is the authentic, andtherefore the definitive, version”.]

{notae R. Prinke, 1996 <http://www.hollyfeld.org/heaven/Email/enochian-l/9612/msg00080.phtml>}

5. Spirit Action for Friday April 13,1584;vide T&FR pp. 73-83

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voices, or callings: Which are the NaturalKeys, to open those, not 49. but 48. (forOne is not to be opened) Gates ofUnderstanding, whereby you shall haveknowledge to move every Gate, and to callout as many as you please, or shall bethought necessary, which can very well,righteously, and wisely, open unto you thesecrets of their Cities, & make youunderstand perfectly the (6) contained inthe Tables. Through which knowledge youshall easily be able to judge, not as theworld doth, but perfectly of the world, andof all things contained within the compassof Nature, and of all things which aresubject to an end.” (7)

from the Spirit Action ofThursday April 12, 1584 (8)

The Table itself consists of 4: 3 X 3tablets named Continents.

i d z s a ia o i g o dm z r u r r

b n a f o sd a z s e ai a b r d i

The Continents are ordered from theupper left to the lower left to the upperright and ending with the lower right. Sothat the concourse of the forces throughthe inner square of the Table progresses ina path that would form an inverted capitalletter ‘N.’

1st 3rd

2nd 4th

The 1st and 2nd Continents are said to bedignified. The 3rd not yet dignified, but tobe dignified. And the 4th is described asbeing without glory or dignification. TheLatin appellations assigned to each repeatand emphasize the same sentiments. Theupper left quadrant is called the “VitaSuprema,” ‘ the highest life.’ The lowerleft is simply “Vita,” ‘the life.’ The upperright is described as “Vita non dignificata,sed dignificanda,” that is ‘the life notdignified, but which shall be dignified.’And of the lower right it is said, “Vita estetiam haec, sed quae peperit mors”meaning ‘Even this is life, but lifewhich will be payed with death.’ (9)When combined the 4 Continents form aninner tablet of 36 squares. (10)

6. ‘that’ for ‘the’?

7. I have modernized the spellingthroughout, but I will cease to do sohenceforth to facilitate transcriptionalcomparison.

8. T&FR pg. 77 et passim.


9. I have given this passage itstransferative meaning, a more literalrendering would be

‘. . . but the life that will be suspendedby death.’

10. 6 X 6 = 36, the number of places in themagikal square of the Sun, supporting B.Rowe’s supposition (THE TABLET OFGOD. <http://www.hollyfeld.org/Esoteric/Email/enochian-l/index>. Wed,13 Nov 96 18:30 EST.) that the figuremay be intended as a lamen. The shapesof the Table of Nalvage and the Lamen

25

i d z s a ia o i g o dm z r u r rb n a f o sd a z s e ai a b r d i

Attached to the sides of this inner tabletare 4 linear segments of 4 squares each,centered on the 4 sides of the inner tablet.

h r c u

l hu ca ah s

l a n g

Making the total number of squares in theTable 52. (11)

1. The Substance is attributed to Godthe Father. 2. The first circular mover, the circum-ference, God the Son, The finger of theFather, and mover of all things. 3. The order and knitting together ofthe parts in their due and perfect pro-portion, God the Holy Ghost. Lo thebeginning and end of all things.” (12)

shown in Libri Quinti Appendici areessentially similar, though not identical.Vide Pat Zalewski GOLDEN DAWNENOCHIAN MAGIC. St. Paul MN:Llewellyn, 1994. pg.132 & pg. 152 Thisrelationship is similar to that betweenthe Black Cross that divides the GreatTable and the cross formed by the linesof the Father, Son and Holy Ghost thatforms the crosses that separate thesubquadrants in each of the terrestrialTables.

11. 5 + 2 = 7, 5 X 2 = 10, 5 - 2 = 3.

12. Op cit. T&FR p. 74

Angels Descending from Heavenby Gustav Dore

26

Cult Classic

The Hermetic Library

www.hermetic.com

Few websites are so frequently used by webgeek Thelemites. Hermetic.com is a treasuretrove of writings so vast that even I don’t knowthe full contents.

The centerpiece of this site is the section titledThe Libri of Aleister Crowley. Much ofCrowley’s writing can be found here, conve-niently catalogued by liber number. I cannoteven estimate how often I use this. Collectionslike this can be found in a few different places,but none so beautifully, consistently and intu-itively presented as they are on hermetic.com.

The Invisble Basilica of Sabazius is also foundon hermetic.com, and contains Helena and TApiryon’s analysis of Liber XV: The GnosticMass. This presentation is one of the mostextensive, content-rich, and elegant uses ofbarebones HTML I have ever seen. The scriptof the mass is given, with hyperlinks, oh, everyother word or so, directly to their correspond-ing footnote. If you’re familiar with the mass,you can just scroll through the footnotes page,since the notes are clearly labeled to indicatewhat section they refer to. It’s beautiful. Butwait, there’s more! Short biographies (and bib-liographies!) of the saints in the mass. “Essays,Homilies, Sermons, and Harangues.” Officialand unofficial E.G.C. rituals. Sound files. I couldkeep going for a long time.

All that said, The Libri of Aleister Crowleyand The Invisible Basilica of Sabazius are onlytwo out of fourteen major sections on thehermetic.com website. Props to Al Billings forhis skill and labor in setting up, maintaining,and expanding the site since December of ’96.

Website Reviewsby Fr. HydraLVX

Cult Watch!The Cult Test

http://www.omnimag.com/archives/mind_brain/cult/

Can you beat the mind-control game? Origi-nally published in OMNI Magazine, this exer-cise was written by Keith Harray, Ph.D. Thepurpose of the exercise is to facilitate self-analy-sis in the reader, whereby she will discoverfundamental elements of her independence, ten-dencies to enter destructive relationships, andmethods to nurture independence and healthyrelationships. Thoughtful and extensive com-mentary follows each question, and you will besurprised at what you learn! If you Dare, pointyour browser to this site!

27

Cult KookyThe Brick Testament

www.thereverend.com/brick_testament/

The (much abbreviated) Old and New Testaments of the Bible, accompanied by over 400photographic illustrations. All the photos are of Lego sculpture.

Legos!

The photos are clear and well composed. What’s more, somehow the Legos seem expres-sive. A fun way to refresh your Christian studies. Other hilarious work by the artist, theReverend Brendan Powell Smith, can be found through his site’s main page atwww.thereverend.com.

Cult of PersonalityLiveJournal

www.livejournal.com

LiveJournal has become insanely popular among Thelemites the world over as the mediumof choice for all sorts of purposes. This site allows you to set up your own html-friendlyjournal where you can post your essays, personal experiences, favorite links du jour,artwork, rants and diatribes. But it’s not just your everyday journaling tool. You can seteach entry to be private, public, or “friends-only”. You can even set up specific sub-classes of friends - for example, your closest friends with whom you share your mostintimate thoughts. People can comment on your journal as well (an optional feature) whichleads to the inevitable debates that Thelemites are so (in)famous for.

www.thereverend.com/brick_testament/

28

DuQuette, Lon Milo. Angels, Demons &Gods of the New Millennium: Musingson Modern Magick. York Beach, ME:Samuel Wiser, 1997

Mr. (better known to the reader as Brother/Archbishop) DuQuette’s writings reflect hisout-going personality accurately: insightful,humorous, satirical, wise, witty, and candid.

From his opening line, “I am a Thelemite,” tothe closing sentence, “I have a feeling that ifwe were to conjure Solomon to visible ap-pearance today and ask him how he achievedsuch perfection, the wise wizard would an-swer by simply telling us all to ‘Go to hell!’”(italics added), Brother DuQuette never failsto enlighten, clarify, and tickle the funny boneof the reader - unless, perhaps, they happento be one of those whom he christensChristlemews, his condensation of Christian,Moslem, and Jew.

In Chapter I, Confession, wherein BrotherDuQuette describes his “relationship (or lackof relationship)” with the A\A\, the readergains much insight concerning Crowley’s au-gust Magical Order.

After reading this particular chapter (and be-fore, if truth be told), the question that struckme most powerfully was: Does one base theintegrity of her or his spiritual developmentupon a documented-on-paper lineage, or uponthe results of his or her personal work? Aninteresting question!

Chapter II, Qabalah - Zen of the West, touchesupon the possible links between Qabalah andthe esoteric traditions of Freemasonry, theKnights Templar, Rosicrucianism, and cer-emonial magick. It also gives the reader a gooddeal of information on the Tree of Life,Gematria, Notariqon, Temura, and the Shemha-Mephorash (the Biblical 72 Names of God).

Chapter III, The Emerald Tables of Hermesand the Invocation of the Holy Guardian An-gel, discusses “the Secret Work Chiram TelatMechasot” and points out that “Chiram is theUniversal Agent… ‘one in Essence, but threein aspect’”: therein lies much food for thought

Chapter IV, The Precession of the Equinoxesand the Metamorphosis of the Gods, assiststhe reader to understand how it occurs thatthe gods of a new age evolve to become theOfficers in the Universal Temple to initiatehumanity with a new magical formula: “Thegods of one age become the devils of the age tofollow. The priests look forward to the com-ing age and see only the end of the world.”

Chapter V, Passing the Pylons, invites thereader inside the Lodge wherein some of themysteries of initiation are divulged. My per-sonal favorite (in some ways) is Chapter VI,Devil be my God. Basically, this chapter is ahistory lesson, and after the slipshod mannerwith which I avoided any actual commentaryupon Chapter V, some particular details willbe given.

Book Review

29

In the year 415 e.v., one Cyril, Bishop of Al-exandria, was given the task of rendering areasonable doctrine from the various traditionsthat compose(d) the Christian faith. This was(is) no mean task, as one can imagine: at thattime, Alexandria was the center of learning forthe Western world. To add to the goodBishop’s difficulty was the presence ofHypatia, “The most respected and influentialthinker of her day,” and her school, the Neo-Platonic Academy, wherein studied the creamof Alexandria’s youth. Apparently, Hypatiahad some concerns of her own with “The Chris-tian movement . . . its intolerance of otherfaiths and its dangerous preoccupation withmiracles and wonders.” To counterbalancethe movement, Hypatia revealed “The paganroots of the faith and systematically unmaskedthe absurdities and superstitions . . . of themovement.”

In the long run, however, and at the instigationof Cyril, one Peter the Reader, “Mustering arag-tag collection of fellow hermits,” stormedthe city and shelled the “devil possessed”Hypatia. That is, she was kidnapped, strippednaked, beaten to death with clubs, and “(be-cause of an on-going debate over the soul’seternal status if the corpse remained whole),”the flesh was scraped from her bones with (ofall things!) oyster shells.

The library at Alexandria, the repository ofthe greatest collection of pagan knowledge inthe world, suffered a similar fate soon thereaf-ter at much the same hands.

With Chapter VII, Demons are our Friends,Brother DuQuette moves from the dark anddismal history lesson to a brighter and morehealthy topic. Therein, he assures us, “I donot worship the Christlemew God. Neitherdo I believe in their devil, heaven, hell, judg-ment, or redemption. I do, however, believethat these concepts portray (albeit crudely)certain fundamental truths concerning the na-

ture of human consciousness.” He quotesCrowley from, The Book of the Goetia ofSolomon the King, “The spirits of the Goetiaare portions of the human brain,” and tells thereader, “Like it or not, we all come hard-wiredwith a complete set (twelve six-packs) ofGoetic demons.” An interesting statement -and a humorously curious metaphor! VeryDuQuettesque.

In this chapter, Brother DuQuette informsthe reader that he does not use the traditionalformula for “calling” these spirits into mani-festation. Do what thou wilt shall be the wholeof the Law applies here as much as it does inevery matter on every plane of “reality,” andpractitioners are cautioned to follow their ownguidance and to trust in the results of theirown experiments. The Great Work, fromBrother DuQuette’s perspective at the veryleast, is result (not goal!), rather than process,oriented: Magick in Practice.

On the last page, we are offered more food forthought with these lines from Crowley’s TheMagician, translated from Eliphas Levi’s ver-sion of the famous Hymn:

These are the phantoms pale of mine astonied view,Yet none but I their blasted beauty can renew;For to the abyss of hell I plunge without affright:On them will I impose my will, the law of light.

Fair treatment and shared benefits dispersedamongst one’s trusted “employees” assures ahigh level of loyalty, and the “darker” aspectsof our nature are only so because we have notas yet shined the Light, Life, Love, and Lib-erty of the One Law of Thelema unto theirrealms.

by Fr. la-pgv~ar 671-31

30

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RPSTOVAL CAMP

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31

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