3 Pyramidos: Passing the Second Pylon

 

3 Pyramidos: Passing the Second Pylon

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

Asar! Who clutches at my throat?

Who pins me down? Who stabs my heart?

I am unfit to pass within this Pylon of the Hall of Maat.

Growth and development demands change and taking responsibility, there is formed a great chasm between the Neophyte, the world and the people around him. Here the Neophyte is left paralyzed, seemingly incapable of willed action. He is asking for consolation, but that is not part of the lesson to be learnt. All the parts of his being are now left without any means of expression and symbolizes the central ordeal of the ritual. He is looking outside of himself to find the cause of his unfortunate circumstances, but he is the initiating officer and the candidate. The sooner he realizes his role in what is perceived as an onslaught against him by the outside world, the sooner he may move forward. Maat is the judge of the dead. Hence the symbolism should be considered within this context, his rebirth into the mysteries can only occur, if he realizes his role as the architect of his own misfortune. It is only from drawing this conclusion that the integration of his being may be affected, and the initiation passed.

With Lustral Water! Let thy flood

Cleanse me – lymph, marrow & blood!

The Scourge, the Dagger and the Chain,

Purge body, breast and brain!

The Fire Informing! Let the Oil

Balance, assain, assoil!

He is suddenly confronted from his rumination with the truth of the ordeal, that he is the cause of the conflict. And with this realization he proceeds again to purify himself with the magickal weapons and the oil and water. "The fire informing" is burning away those things that is a hindrance, thus he is confronted as if looking in a mirror at his deformed self. These parts are recognized for their impurity, for in his current state there is only him and his ill-conceived place in the world.

For I have come with all this pain

To ask admission to the Shrine.

I know not why – I ask in vain

Unless it be that I am Thine.  

 

I am Mentu his truth telling brother,

Who was Master of Thebes from my birth:

The candidate is starting to doubt himself, and it seems as though he is failing in his quest. He feels unfit for initiation, the trauma of this realization has led him to the edge of giving up, but he proceeds. He searches for strength and asks admission to the shrine, a reference to the mysteries into which he will be initiated. Mentu exposed him to himself, and the reason he is referred to as his truth telling brother. Mentu is a god of war, hence he is associated with the will of the candidate and his aspiration, these are the only two things that the candidate is able to rely on, if he is to pass through the second Pylon. We can see that the judge is Maat, but in reality, it is the candidate judging himself and his readiness is determined by how much of himself he is willing to kill. Hereby balance is restored on a higher plane, and he is made fit for the ordeal that follows, which is facing those things that had previously been obscured in darkness. The candidate will have to die completely for him to successfully attain the grade of a Neophyte, thus the symbolism of the Pylon being associated with the judgement of the dead.

O heart of me! O heart of my Mother!

O heart that I had upon the earth!

Stand not thou against me as a witness!

Oppose me not, judge, in my quest!

Accuse me not now of unfitness

Before the great God, the dread Lord of the West!

Speak fair words for ________________. May he flourish

In the place of the weighing of hearts

By the marsh of the dead, where the crocodiles nourish

Their lives on the lost, where the serpent upstarts,

For thou I be joined to the earth,

In the Innermost Shrine of Heaven am I.

I was Master of Thebes from my birth;

Shall I die like a dog? Thou shalt not let me die!

But my Khu that the teeth of the crocodiles sever

Shall be mighty in heaven for ever & ever!

He duly invokes the Great Mother and in the second line establishes her as the Daughter, who has enlivened his aspiration at the outset of the ceremony. Within her presence is found certainty of purpose and the reason he is willing to endure such struggle. Hereby he is forming a conscious connection between Binah and Malkuth, acknowledging via his affirmation the nature of his ordeal. Defending himself against this judgement, he shows his first attempt at understanding and integration. He realizes at this point that there is no turning back, that the gates have been opened and he has no choice but to proceed. This realization is coupled with the certainty that he could never have gotten to this point, unless it was instantiated by the readiness of his being. He and the daughter have become lovers, she has chosen him and therefore he certainly has been the Master of Thebes since birth. Certainty rushes back to fortify his aspiration, and he petitions the god of death himself, so that he may pass by the Pylon. The god of the West refers to the god of the western desert who is Ha and like Osiris (Asar) was the god of the Duat (Underworld), however he was also a god of fertility, and his character gives us the ideas of death and rebirth. The characteristics of death and fertility correspond to Diana or the Moon, whereby we get his connection to Yesod and the Neophyte grade. (Here it may be noted that Heru-Ra-Ha is a name derived to by the name Heru (Horus) and associated to Chesed and the Logos, Ra is the sun god and Tiphareth, Ha is a god of the Underworld and as his name is here congruent with the Neophyte initiation, we may associate him with Yesod. His congruence with Yesod and the Nephesh automatically links him to Binah, demonstrating that Heru-Ra-Ha could be interpreted as the Thelemic version of Baphomet to symbolize the Great Work). Maat corresponds to Libra and the path of Adjustment which is a lesser form of the path of the Empress, both of these cards correspond to Venus and thus their formula which is Agape is a key for passing the ordeal. As Saturn is exalted in Libra and the path of Cheth carries the Shekinah from Binah to Geburah establishing Mentu's connection with Libra and Binah, this part of the ritual clearly shows the connection of these paths and their influence upon the aspirant. The Creative World and the Intellect are here presented as confronted by the influence of Binah upon the candidate, which also gives us the means for overcoming the ordeal. “Their lives on the lost, where the serpent upstarts,” is referring to Hadit’s relationship to Malkuth, who has been awakened by the Shekinah and put upon the Path of Return. Hence the next quote makes reference to Kether as the “Innermost Shrine of Heaven” and serves as an affirmation of the candidate’s fitness. This is accordingly followed by him acknowledging himself as a god, that his Khu shall “remain mighty in heaven for ever & ever”, as he is but the vehicle of Spirit, which is eternal, and symbolized in Hadit’s relationship with Kether, as being dissolved into the Body of Nuit.

Hear me ye people of sighing!

The sorrows of pain and regret

Are left to the dead and the dying, 

The folk that not know me as yet.

Liber AL vel Legis: Chapter two, verse 17.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

2 Pyramidos: Passing the First Pylon

 

2 Pyramidos: Passing the First Pylon

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

I know not who I am;

I know not whence I came;

I know not whither I go;

I seek – but What I do not know!

I am blind and bound; but I

Have heard one cry

Ring through Eternity;

Arise and follow me!

Here the Fool laments the nature of his imperfection, albeit he is unaware of the nature of his own deformity. However, he feels an inkling towards that which may point to the true nature of his being and perfection. This inkling is symbolized as a cry through eternity, beckoning him to follow, so that he may rise to the knowledge of his True Will. The cry comes from his innermost being and is directing the Fool towards the Path of Return, and the reason for his search for initiation. Thus, Hadit is here established in the Kingdom and the Crown, as being first realized in Malkuth and that part of the Soul that establishes congruence with tradition, which is eternal and one with Kether. The candidate is androgenous and symbolized in the Fool card with Dionysus having the breasts of a woman, the candidate’s projected perfection is also androgynous in the form of Baphomet. Which is symbolic of the Fool’s final perfection, but within his grade shows his distorted view of the Great Mother, which manifests as the Vampire during the Ordeal of the Neophyte. This perceptual distortion manifests as a great obstacle for the Neophyte, that needs to be overcome before any true progress can be made. Hence, the Neophyte's priority is, “know thyself”, and through his tracing his impressions throughout the grade, he may come to realization. These impressions are traced as to solidify his foundation for further work upon the path, therefore the candidate acknowledges his ignorance and blindness; and that which is to arise, is pointing to his shadow and his anima, and indeed the landscape of his dreamworld.

Asar Un Nefer! I invoke

The Fourfold Horror of the Smoke

Unloose the Pit! By the dread Word

Of the Power that Set Typhon hath heard.

SAZ SAZAZ ANDATSAN SAZAZ

(Pronounce this backwards. But it is very dangerous. It opens the gates of Hell.)

At the outset the candidate invokes genius as a guide for passing the initiation, the smoke accordingly represents the soul and fire that purges the soul of its unwanted, or unclean elements. As Crowley writes in Liber ABA: ‘Into the Magick fire all things are cast. It symbolizes the final burning up of all things in Shivadarshana. It is the absolute destruction alike of the Magician and the Universe.” He continues: “This censor is of silver and gold, because these were called perfect metals; it is upon perfection that the imperfect is burned.” The metals are symbolic of Sol and Luna, or Tiphareth and Yesod whose relationship brings about perfection. Death is necessary for birth and life and is symbolized in the above. The word which opens the gates of hell, destroys the universe and establishes it anew via the incorruptible laws of nature. The effect of the word is the unveiling of the elements of the unconscious that share a similitude with the elements in Malkuth and the Ineffable Name, although they’re nature is distorted as being misunderstood as they are misrepresented. This is hell and has to be conquered for the higher realization to occur, one’s entire being is thus brought into disarray via the above. The Neophyte’s work is then to a large extent with the Nightside of the Tree, and as everything is in the upside-down world; he is standing at the edge of the Abyss and prone to delusions via his proximity. Why anybody would do this, is anybody’s guess, but the Neophyte proceeds! And so, we come to Set Typhon; Set who killed Osiris is symbolic of the adversary sometimes called the anti-self, and Typhon is the devil associated with the unconscious elements that I have mentioned. These archetypes represent the shadow of the magician, the ordeal of the unconscious is thus instantiated by the word, which by the work of the grade is understood and brought into harmony.

“Thou art Sebek the crocodile against Asar; thou art Mati, the Slayer in the Deep. Thou art Typhon, the Wrath of the Elements, O Thou who transcendest the Forces in their Concourse and Cohesion, in their Death and their Disruption. Thou art Python, the terrible serpent about the end of all things!”

Liber 65: Chapter 3, verse 30.

The Fear of Darkness and of Death.

The Fear of Water and of Fire.

The Fear o’ the Chasm and the Chain.

The Fear of Hell and the dead Breath.

Here The Fool is making reference to those things that I have already mentioned. The darkness and death are clear references, to Yesod, darkness being the astral plane and death is that which is to be burnt up by the fire. Death is thus symbolic of those aspects of being that conflict with the purpose of an initiate, and his Great Work. In the next line water and fire symbolize the emotions, in their most primal manifestations, fire is martial and water maternal or masculine and feminine. These parts of being, unless brought under the control of the will of the magician, serve to threaten the magician's progress during the course of his initiation. The chasm and the chain, again symbolize the Nephesch’s distorted view of the world and is associated with the ordeal of the Vampire, and Binah’s influence on the mind and heart of the candidate. Complacency may inspire uncertainty, and the inability to move forward, for what is overcome in hell, serves to transfigure the self, which must be reborn into the new life.

The Fear of Him, the demon dire

That on the Threshold of the Inane

Stands with the Dragon Fear to slay

The Pilgrim on the Way

Thus I pass by with force & care

Advance with Fortitude and Wit,

In the straight Path, or else their snare

Were truly Infinite.

The demon mentioned is fear itself and so the aspirant invokes the Powers of the Sphinx, which are here listed as, force and care, fortitude, and wit. These accordingly correspond to the Powers of the Sphinx in the manner that follows. Force and care are to Dare and to Keep Silent, fortitude is to Will, and wit is to Know. Developing and learning how to use these powers is likened to the straight path in the second to last line.

Dost thou fail? Art thou sorry? Is Fear in thine heart?

Where I am these are not.

Pity not the fallen! I never knew them. I am not for them. I console not: I hate the consoled and the consoler.

Liber AL vel Legis: Chapter 2, verse 46, 47, 48

“Love is the law, love under will.”

1 Pyramidos: The Building of the Pyramid

 

1 Pyramidos: The Building of the Pyramid

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

Hail, Asi! Hail, Hoor-Apep! Let

The Silence speech beget!

(Two strokes on the bell, banishing spiral dance.)

Asi is Isis, this is the path of The Priestess and links Tiphareth to the Supernal Triad and the influence of the Great Mother is intensified along this path. Tiphareth accordingly is the sphere of the intellect and associated to Hoor, who is Horus in his martial aspect. Apep is Apophis, the snake that chases the sun across the horizon, and associated with the elements. The first part of the ritual thus establishes clearly the aim, that is to raise the aspirant into a conscious relationship with Yesod. The rays of Tiphareth would then illuminate the astral plane so that a new foundation is established via an aspirant’s work with the elements and the process of initiation.

Words against the Son of Night.

Tahuti speaketh in the Light

Knowledge and Power, twin warriors shake

The invisible they roll asunder

The darkness; matter shines, a snake.

Sebek is smitten by the thunder

The Light breaks forth from under.

Son of night is more than likely referring to the darkness that has not yet been illuminated by the intellect, as the candidate has not yet become aware of these hidden parts of being. This may be pointing at the martial character of Hoor, who is associated with Vau and Tiphareth, who unveils via an act of courage and will, that which was hidden. The darkness is Yesod, matter refers to Malkuth and the connection between the Sephiroth and paths that is established by the serpent. The serpent is that serpent which connects all the Sephiroth on the Tree of Life and brings the influence of the Goddess into the lowest world, where it is perceived as the Shekinah in Malkuth. It is necessary for this connection to be made so that a solid link may be established between Malkuth and Yesod, for initiating the aspirant and to raise him from the world of matter into the world of Yesod. Sebek is the Crocodile that collected Osiris’ remains, from which Horus was conceived, hereby the purpose of the ritual is further established. As being a ceremony of birth into the Aeon of Horus, as Horus, and harmonizing the will and aspiration of the candidate with the current of the Crowned and Conquering Child. Thus, the light breaks forth from under as the Shekinah’s influence is received in Malkuth, with perfection perceived and projected outward as the aim of initiation.

O Thou, the Apex of the Plane,

With Ibis head and Phoenix Wand

And Wings of Night! Whose serpents strain

Their Bodies, bounding the Beyond

Thou in the Light & in the Night

Art One, above their moving might!

Here reference is made to Mercury and the Supernal Triad. It is helpful to consider the candidate for initiation as the Fool of the Tarot and thus in the above Mercury refers to the path of Beth. Light and Night although certainly symbolic of Tiphareth and Yesod, is also congruent with Binah and Chokmah from whose union the L.V.X. is brought into the Tree of Life. Mercury is the great teacher and through our dealings with this God we come to learn via experience, although the Fool is here seeking direction from this God intently. The wings of night and the straining serpents are clear references to the caduceus of Hermes. The One, above their moving might refers to Kether, which holds the potential for creation within itself and is the progenitor of the second and third Sephiroth. The first two parts of the first part of the ritual is then to establish consciously a connection with the Shekinah by acknowledging Juno’s place as the Great Mother. Note also: that there has now been a clear connection established between the first, second, third and twenty second paths on the Tree of Life. Which are symbolized in the Holy Tarot by the Fool, the Magus, the Priestess and the Universe and links Kether to Chokmah, Binah and Tiphareth. Hereby the link between Malkuth wherein Juno is realized to be the Great Mother is formed with Yesod via the path of The Universe. As Yesod symbolizes the Astral plane and Night, Tiphareth is accordingly associated with the intellect. Earth’s connection to Saturn is established through a candidate’s dealing with the Shekinah (Juno) and represented as the Universe ATU. The Above quote also serves as mapping the Middle Pillar and symbolically invokes Tetragrammaton.

(He lays the Wand etc. on the altar, uses the Scourge on his buttocks, cuts across with the Dagger upon his Breast tightens the Chain of the Bell about his forehead saying.)

The Lustral Water! Smite thy flood

Through me lymph, marrow & blood!

(Anointing the wounds, say):

The Fire Informing! Let the Oil

Balance, assain, assoil!

The candidate is here acknowledging the ordeal of initiation as corresponding to these parts of himself, The Scourge is used on his buttocks to excite the animal nature and corresponds to Sulphur. The scourge is used against the Nephesh. This ordeal has to do with one's conduct with regards to social and personal responsibilities. Such responsibilities include things like work and household chores for example, all the things that have us live well together in civilized society. As Crowley writes in Liber ABA: “The Dagger is Mercury: it is used to calm too great heat, by the letting of blood; and it is the weapon which is plunged into the side or heart of the Magician to fill the Holy Cup. Those faculties which comes between the appetites and the reason are thus dealt with.” The dagger is used for as Crowley states "those faculties which comes between the appetites and the reason are thus dealt with" it has to do with impulse control, the Neophyte may find that he is incapable of abstaining from certain activities which he knows will cause him difficulty if he partakes in them. He may find himself continually promising himself that he won't do that again, as it would have repercussions for the future, only to find he is incapable of stopping himself. The dagger is thus aimed at this, to awaken the intellective faculty that is there to keep such behavior under control. Crowley writes: “The Chain is Salt: it serves to bind the wandering thoughts; and for this reason, is placed about the neck of the Magician, where Daath is situated.” The Neophyte starts working on the astral plane, wherein the symbols he encounters could lead to delusions if misinterpreted. The delusions manifest as negative or paranoid thoughts about people in general, his intuition runs wild, although a lot of what he is aware of is true, he lacks the experience to maintain control. Although, these thoughts could be real, he may fail to see that he is the same as everyone else, except that the difference is most people aren't aware enough to notice, so they easily go on with their daily lives. This is if he's lucky, if the symbols have been completely corrupted, his intuition may just be paranoia, in which case he needs a doctor. Once the Neophyte realizes these things for what they are and where they stem from, he can start confronting them successfully and move forward.    

So Life takes Fire from Death, & runs

Whirling amid the Suns

Hail Asi! Pace the Path, bind on

The Girdle of the Starry One!

Asi is Isis and points to the Priestess ATU which is intersected by the Empress to join Chokmah and Binah. the Empress is said by Crowley in the Book of Thoth to be an aspect of Nuit, the nature of this path is union through love and corresponds to Venus. A girdle is a garment of Venus and as this path is of the Supernal Triad, the Starry Girdle is indicative of forming a connection with this idea, being symbolic of Nuit. Asi being the path that joins Kether and Tiphareth is associated with Life and Death as per its connection to Hecate and Diana, the gate of Life and Death is in this instance illustrative of childbirth. It is via the interplay of these paths and these ideas that L.V.X. or Spirit is brought into the Creative World and creates the Formative World. L.V.X. can easily be seen as whirling amid the suns not only for its creative potential but for the fact that everything in the universe is joined and connected within this all-pervading Light, the nature of which is Love.  

 (Sign of the Enterer):

Homage to Thee, Lord of the Word!

(Sign of Silence):

Lord, we adore Thee, still & stirred

Beyond infinity.

(The Secret word)

It seems to indicate accepting the responsibility of the Grade, being given the Word and of keeping Silent. The Logos is brought into the Creative World through the path of Vau, which is attributed to the Hierophant ATU. It is through the influence of this path that initiation is received, and which establishes the link between an aspirant and the Logos. Therefore, it is the Lord who gives the secret word unto the candidate. 

For from the Silence of the Wand

Unto the Speaking of the Sword.

And back again to the Beyond

This is the toil & the Reward

This is the Path of HUA Ho!

This is the Path of IAO.

The sword and wand are indicative of the Logos and the Great Work, as the Adept in Tiphareth is a vehicle of the Word and interprets the Logos to create a work of Beauty that is in line with the Law of Thelema. The aim of every aspirant is to accomplish the Great Work; hence this is already emphasized at the start of one's journey. Next the toil and Reward is to remind one of the difficulty of that which he is about to embark on, and certainty is demanded even at the outset as a requisite for success. IAO is the Greek name of God and the equivalent of Yod-Heh-Vau-Heh, the name is associated with Isis, Apophis and Osiris. The symbolism of the name is also connected to the path of Mem which is the Hanged Man, it symbolizes Life, Death and Rebirth, for it was through Osiris’ dying that Horus was conceived. This idea is reiterated throughout the ritual as it is the goal of the ceremony. Essentially the candidate is dramatically enacting the story of how Horus was born, this is to harmonize his position within the current Aeon of the Crowned and Conquering Child.

Hail Asi! Hail, thou Wanded Wheel!

Alpha & Delta kissed & came

For Five that feed the Flame.

The above is still referring to Tiphareth and the Supernal Triad. However, the above reference is made to both the Logos and the Shekinah, the latter here called Asi as the path of Gimel or the Moon. The Wanded Wheel is the Wheel of Fortune which connects Chesed to Netzach and carries with it the influence of the Logos into the Astral Triad. (Although the wheel may also be hinting at the Tarot itself as a glyph of the Great Work). This inspiration descends all the way down into the lowest world to initiate the Neophyte. Therefore, the Five that feed the Flame are Chesed, Geburah, Netzach, Hod and Yesod, the planetary spheres from which Tiphareth draws inspiration, which is reflected into the Astral Triad. Alpha and Delta may be referring to the influence from the Supernal Triad manifesting in the Creative World via Chesed as the Demiurge when considering the imagery presented in the above quote.

Hail, Hoor-Apep! Thou Sword of Steel!

Alpha & Delta and Epsilon

Met in the Shadow of the Pylon

And in Iota did proclaim

That tenfold core & crown of flame

Hail, Hoor-Apep! Unspoken Name!

The quote refers to the emanations on the Tree of Life, Qabalistically Alpha and Delta and Epsilon adds up to ten as Alpha is the first letter and Delta the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Epsilon being number five gives us ten as the ten Sephiroth on the Tree of Life. This point is emphasized by Iota being the tenth letter in the Greek alphabet and attributed to Malkuth. Alpha, Delta and Epsilon are congruent with Kether, Chesed and Geburah and it is from these spheres that Tiphareth is informed by the Shekinah and reflects the influence of the Goddess into the Astral Triad. The initiate is perceiving this influence through Yesod from Malkuth, which is here symbolized by the Shadow of the Pylon. The second last line reenforces this idea by forming a connection between Malkuth and Kether, and gives us the aim of the ceremony, which is to form a relationship between the candidate and the Tree of Life. 

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Elementals and Ceremonial Magick:

 

The Elementals and Ceremonial Magick:

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

The Tarot is split into three parts, these are the Trump cards, the Court cards and the Suits. The Major Arcanum, ATU’s or Trump cards deal with the individual. While the Minor Arcanum is of a more general nature and concerned with the Sephiroth and the Tetragrammaton.

This structure starts with the Aces, and these are placed in Kether as representing their nature, which can be understood as the first whirling of elemental force, such as an idea that is still unmanifested. Kether does not correspond to any specific letter of the Ineffable Name, but instead as it holds the potential of existence within itself, corresponds to all four letters. Thus, all the Aces are placed there to indicate this idea. These symbolize an idea that is unrealized, but in its inception may be sensed by the individual. Crowley wrote in the Book of Thoth concerning these cards. “The point to remember is that, both in appearance and in their meaning, the Aces are not the elements themselves, but the seeds of those elements.” 

Along with the aces there are the Court Cards, or the Dignitaries composed of Knights, Queens, Princes and Princesses. These form part of the Suit Cards which are also composed of the cards relating to the sephiroth such as the Aces and form the last part of the Tarot. They are the ones through to the tens of every suit. Thus, the two of Disks is Binah of disks and the ten of wands is Malkuth of Wands. But for this essay I will concentrate on the purely elemental cards, which are the Court Cards or the Dignitaries, and as will be observed form the Four Worlds on the Tree of Life.

The Minor Arcanum is split up into four suits that correspond to the four elements, these are Wands, Cups, Swords and Disks. These correspond to the ineffable name as follows, Wands-Fire-Yod-Chokmah, Cups-Water-Heh-Binah, Swords-Air-Vau-Tiphareth, Disks-Earth-Heh final-Malkuth. The four dignitaries of the Tarot accordingly also correspond to these suits the Knights are Fire, the Queens, Water, the Princes, Air and the Princesses, Earth. Thus, a Queen of Wands represents Water of Fire and Prince of Swords is Air of Air. These represent different types of people and are linked to the Emotional, Sensual, Intellectual and Spiritual faculties. Along with other traits, although for the purpose of this essay, the four mentioned should suffice. Some people are more spiritual than others and this trait is associated with Wands and Fire and some are more emotional, and they are considered waterier in their natures. The harmony of an individual’s elemental nature is important to consider when reading the cards, for example, Fire and Water are inharmonious and indicates an unbalanced individual, whereas Fire and Air are in perfect Harmony, and indicates an extremely intelligent pioneering and spiritually minded individual.

The Dignitaries of the Tarot also correspond to the elementals in the same way, the Knights of Wands, Salamanders, the Queens of Cups are the Undines, Princes of Swords the Sylphs and the Princesses of Disks correspond to the Gnomes. Since the aim of magick is first to establish equilibrium between these elements, I will try and construct a coherent ritual for doing this, or even just to aid in communicating with these elementals. When opening one’s temple for ritual we usually start with the Pentagram and Hexagram rituals. The elementals correspond to the Pentagram and it may be helpful in High Magick to use them as a means of raising our faculties to communicate with the Higher Words, that correspond with the Hexagram and the Angels, Arch Angels and Gods. This can be done by following the rules of symbolism and the way in which they stimulate our senses and our psyches. The first thing then is constructing an appropriate temple for the purpose of one’s ritual. And since the Tarot is in perfect harmony with the laws that govern Magick, we may use the Dignitaries to communicate with the elementals. I suggest enlarging the cards and placing them in their appropriate quadrants. Thus, Knights in the South, Queens in the West, Princes in the East and Princesses in the North. This should serve to enliven one’s psychic faculties, especially once the circle has been constructed.

The circle shall be made up of five circles, these are associated to the different parts of the ritual. It should be a 9 foot in diameter circle in the middle, with four smaller circles about five feet in diameter at each of the elemental corners, North, South, East and West. The circle in the Middle is dedicated to the Macrocosm and the God being invoked and the surrounding circles are dedicated to the Elementals or the Microcosm. There should be five participants to make the ritual work, the Priest stands in front of an Altar in the middle and the assistants occupy the smaller ones. Below is the qabalistic hierarchy for invoking the Elemental Kings.

Element	Devine Name	Archangel	Angel	Ruler	King
Earth Gnomes	Adonai-Ha-Aretz	Auriel	Phorlach	Kerub	Ghob
Air     Sylphs	Shadai-Al-Chai	Raphael	Chassan	Ariel	Paralda
Water Undines	Elohim-Tzabaoth	Gabriel	Taliahad	Tharsis	Nicha
Fire Salamanders	Jahovah-Tzabaoth	Michael	Aral	Seraph	Djin

 The ritual starts with the Priest performing the LBRP followed by each participant in turn along with the Priest reciting the corresponding prayer of the elementals, starting with the Salamanders and ending with the Gnomes. Following the prayer, a carefully devised invocation is read to each of the elemental Kings, the officer then spins around clockwise and ends his part by drawing the appropriate active and passive and invoking pentagrams over the elemental images, that are placed in view in front of each altar. Similarly, and in unison with the assistant the Priest does the same, they end with the signs of rending and closing the veil and the sign of Harpocrates. Next the Priest performs the Hexagram rituals and ends these preliminaries with the Bornless Ritual, while performing these rituals each participant accordingly draws the Pentagrams and Hexagrams that correspond to each quadrant along with the Priest, while vibrating the appropriate names of God. The Ritual ends with an invocation performed by the priest to the God which the operation is dedicated. When finished, the ceremony should be followed by the appropriate banishing rituals for clearing the space.

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Empress:

 

The Empress:

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

The Empress ATU corresponds to the fourth path on the Tree of Life and connects Chokmah and Binah. It is associated with the Hebrew letter Daleth and the planet Venus. Depicted on the card is The Empress seated in a position as if cradling an infant, in front of her are two spheres with halfmoons inside, or fertilized ova. The background gives the impression of a womb, at her feet is a pelican caring for her offspring and on the right is the symbol of the sun and the Holy Grail. There are two birds, a sparrow and a dove perched upon what Crowley calls flaming uprights, and certainly reminiscent of ovaries. In her right hand she holds a lotus flower which is symbolic of Isis and her connection to the path of Gimel.

“Now hath Nuit veiled herself that she may open the gate of her sister.” Liber Arcanorum:

The Empress represents Venus in her highest form as Venus Genetrix, who is an aspect of the Great Mother. She is nature in its purest form, the essence of which is Love. She symbolizes the union of opposites and motherhood, and her name means “foundress of the family”. She is Venus as caregiver and mother, thus in the card we see two fertilized ova, giving us the idea of a womb and gestation. The body of Nuit unites everything with everything else in the universe, so this card is that aspect of the universe that pervades existence, and as we have learned, ‘nature is not just, but she is precise’. Although her pervading essence is none other than unconditional Love, which gives us her nature as mother, and that all is united within her body gives us the other characteristics of Venus. This is an important idea, and we need to act in accordance with it, as Nature is not dependent on us, but we are dependent on her. There is no duality in this idea, there is only Love, and for us to find union in and through her, would mean perfection. As illustrated in the following quote from the Book of Thoth:

“The White Eagle in this trump corresponds to the Red Eagle in the Consort card, the Emperor. It is here necessary to work backwards. For in these highest cards are the symbols of perfection; both the initial perfection of Nature and the final perfection of Art; not only Isis but Nephtys.”

Crowley wrote that within the alchemical symbol of Venus is the whole Tree of Life contained in the following quote from The Book of Thoth:

“There is furthermore the alchemical symbol of Venus, the only one of the planetary symbols which comprises all the Sephiroth of the Tree of Life. The Doctrine implied is that the fundamental formula of the Universe is Love. [The circle touches the Sephiroth 1,2,4,6,5,3; the Cross is formed by 6,9,10, and 7,8.]”

This formula of Love is thus alluded to in Liber Pyramidos, as presented in the formula of Alpha, Delta, Epsilon, and Iota. This is the only formula that may raise The Fool to perfection and is also represented in “Love is the law, love under will.” Thus, her role in Magick becomes quite apparently one of the most essential features of any operation, in fact without this ingredient an operation will almost certainly result in failure. It is along this path that Chokmah and Binah is united and through what Crowley calls “the Gate of Heaven” which is another name for this card, it indicates the womb in which the formed and the formless, the light and the darkness unite, to give birth to the Creative and the Formative Worlds, finally settling in the World of Matter. This process establishes a connection between the Heh and Heh final of Tetragrammaton, and the means by which the cycle of creation revolves and is renewed. The symbolism is very much congruent, not only with Liber Pyramidos and the ritual's emphasis on light and darkness, but also The World Egg wherein Phanes, the God of Light gestates in the lap of Erebus (Darkness), thus establishing the myth’s association with The Empress. This connection is found along the intersection of Gimel and Daleth, with Isis as mother, the card is thus likened to a Door to illustrate the idea of conception. It may also be pointed out that the moon's influence stretches all along the middle pillar as in the World of Formation, Isis becomes Yesod, thus linking Tiphareth to Malkuth, establishing a direct link with the Supernal Triad and hence the whole tree. The Fool, once having unified the unbalanced aspects of self, passes through this Door, and is reborn into the New Life. This idea is presented by the background of the card, which is indicative of a gate or entrance, or as Crowley writes in The Book of Thoth:

“At the back of the card is the Arch or Door, which is the interpretation of the letter Daleth. This card summed up, may be called the Gate of Heaven.”

TO VENUS.  

HEAV'NLY, illustrious, laughter-loving queen, 

 Sea-born, night-loving, of an awful mien; 

Crafty, from whom necessity first came, 

 Producing, nightly, all-connecting dame. 

 'Tis thine the world with harmony to join, 

 For all things spring from thee, 0 pow'r divine. 

 The triple Fates are ruled by thy decree, 

 And all productions yield alike to thee: 

 Whate'er the heav'ns, encircling all, contain, 

 Earth fruit-producing, and the stormy main, 

 Thy sway confesses, and obeys thy nod, 

Awful attendant of the Brumal God. 

 Goddess of marriage, charming to the sight, 

 Mother of Loves, whom banquetings delight; 

 Source of persuasion, secret, fav'ring queen, 

 Illustrious born, apparent and unseen;

 Spousal, Lupercal, and to men inclin'd, 

 Prolific, most-desir'd, life-giving, kind. 

 Great sceptre-bearer of the Gods, 'tis thine 

 Mortals in necessary bands to join; 

 And ev'ry tribe of savage monsters dire 

 In magic chains to bind thro' mad desire. 

 Come, Cyprus-born, and to my pray'r incline, 

 Whether exalted in the heav'ns you shine, 

 Or pleas'd in od'rous Syria to preside, 

 Or o'er th' Egyptian plains thy car to guide, 

 Fashion'd of gold; and near its sacred flood, 

 Fertile and fam'd, to fix thy blest abode; 

 Or if rejoicing in the azure shores, 

 Near where the sea with foaming billows roars, 

 The circling choirs of mortals thy delight, 

 Or beauteous Nymphs with eyes cerulean bright, 

 Pleas'd by the sandy banks renown'd of old, 

 To drive thy rapid two-yok'd car of gold; 

 Or if in Cyprus thy fam'd mother fair, 

 Where nymphs unmarried praise thee ev'ry year, 

 The loveliest nymphs, who in the chorus join, 

 Adonis pure to sing, and thee divine. 

 Come, all-attractive, to my pray'r inclin'd, 

 For thee I call, with holy, reverent mind.

Thomas Taylor: The Mystical Hymns of Orpheus.                                                                                                                                            

“Love is the law, love under will.”

The Magus:

 

The Magus:

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

The Magus ATU is ruled by Mercury and the Hebrew letter Beth. This card depicts a golden Hermes or Mercury with the four magickal weapons floating about him, also floating around him is a scroll, quill and the Orphic Egg. He is L.V.X. and the scroll and the quill symbolize his office as the god of writing and indicates creativity and that potential for creation that union brings. Beneath him is the Ape of Thoth, who is another, lesser aspect of Mercury. It is numbered the first card in the Tarot and corresponds to the second path leading from Kether to Binah as the Fool is numbered 0. The caduceus behind him has a dove flying down from the winged globe above his head and represents the Logos.

The Magus ATU symbolizes duality, the union of opposites and eventual mastery over them. It is the ecstasy experienced in union that leads to conception, it should be remembered that the Fool, Empress and Magus together, are indicative of sexual magick. This card relates to the interplay of opposites such as masculine and feminine, which have to be united in order for the Fool to develop. It is this path and one’s relationship to the path that suggests the Fool’s becoming, which is experienced as death or ecstasy. The card is symbolic of one’s relationship to nature and the way in which union is experienced as creative and continuous, in other words harmonizing one's inner and outer worlds by way of adaptation. 

	For I am divided for love’s sake, for the chance of union.
	This is the creation of the world, that the pain of division is as nothing, and the joy of dissolution all. Liber AL vel Legis Chapter 1:29 and 1:30

Mercury is the God of knowledge, and this is indicated in the path, as one is forced to adapt and learn from the conflict that arises from one’s role in “the world of contending forces”, this is and should be an ecstatic experience, fostered by Love. The Magus’ influence is always felt to a greater or lesser extent, it is the nature of these “contending forces”, that when united, transformation is achieved. The Fool is depicted as Dionysus and the ecstasy resulting from this union is likened to the story of his resurrection by Semele. This is another version of the story of Osiris, or Jesus; the violent nature of these stories along with other subject matter, are indicative of sexuality and ecstasy, Love or union. Dionysus was torn to pieces as a baby, his mother Semele (a virgin) was fed his heart, wherefrom he was resurrected to become a god, and after which he lived out his days as an Olympian. He is the god of the vine and associated with ecstasy and fertility; his nature is thus clearly defined as sexual. Mercury’s role in this struggle for transformation, is to highlight one’s inner struggle, as indicated in the Fool’s androgenous character. Thus, he is called the Great Trickster, as his relationship to the growth of an aspirant is entirely dispassionate. We are always learning; the onus is on the aspirant to adapt and grow, this is only achieved through adapting to the mercurial force in nature. Stagnation therefore is putrefaction and "Change is Stability", the realization of which also is a key for successful initiation. Again, from this analogy may be inferred that these cards above the Abyss are especially suited for studying the Neophyte initiation and together, as stated, they relate to sex magick; although they are symbolic of a truly universal formula and experienced in every waking moment. It should be noted: that the Magus is not necessarily a beneficent card, the situation and the outcome is uncertain, and may at times be painful or pleasurable and demands nurturing new points of view, in accordance with the changes taking place. “Logically also being the Word, he is the law of reason or of necessity or chance, which is the secret meaning of the Word, and the condition of its utterance. This being so, and especially because he is duality, he represents both truth and falsehood, wisdom and folly.” The Book of Thoth: This is where Mercury as the trickster presents himself, and his influence demands the utmost vigilance for this reason. Life is the best teacher and although stern, there are those who may acquiesce. Perhaps even be recognized for their valiant struggles toward progress; thus, Mercury is a god of writing, and tyrants have always raised the best poets. 

"This card therefore represents the Wisdom, the Will, the Word by whom the worlds were created. [...] It represents the Will. In brief, he is the Son, the manifestation in act of the idea of the Father. He is the male correlative of the High Priestess. Let there be no confusion here on account of the fundamental doctrine of the Sun and Moon as the Second Harmonics to the Lingam and the Yoni; for as will be seen in the citation from the Paris Working, the creative Mercury is of the nature of the Sun." The Book of Thoth:

Here is a quote from Liber Pyramidos, wherein the above formula is dramatically expressed, it marks the end of the ceremony, as a celebration of the New Life:

"Hail Hoor Apep! thou sword of Steel!

Alpha & Delta and Epsilon

Met in the Shadow of the Pylon

And in Iota did proclaim

That tenfold core and crown of flame

Hail, Hoor Apep! Unspoken Name!

Hail, Hoor! Hail Asi! Hail Tahuti! Hail,

Asar Un Nefer! Through the rendered veil.

I am Thyself, with all Thy brilliance decked

Khabs Am Pekht."

Hoor Apep is Horus Apophis and symbolizes the idea of the struggle for Life against the forces of nature and the necessity of Death. Asi and Tahuti represent the Sun and Moon, as and the Fool and the Priestess. The Priestess in relation to The Empress can be compared to the Gate associated with the Moon and symbolic of a womb and birth, the Sun is symbolic of ecstasy in sexual union, representing the creative potential of the Fool as the Sun and Logos/Word. Hoor is the Sun as Life and Apophis the duality of nature, he is the Shadow, which threatens to tear one apart, although revered for its implication towards Truth and Beauty. Asi is the Moon and another name for Isis, and Tahuti is the Magus or L.V.X. and paired with Asar Un Nefer (myself made perfect), symbolizes him in his solar creative aspect. Thus, Asar Un Nefer is symbolic of the Fool's becoming, and may be expressed as Protogonous, realizing his true identity as Phanes or Thelemically Hadit. Thus, Alpha-Delta-Epsilon, qabalistically enumerates to ten as 1+4+5=10 and the ten sephiroth on the Tree of Life and significant of the Great Work, or Phanes/The Fool. The point illustrated is then made clear in the fourth line by Iota being the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet. The "sword of Steel" may be interpreted as the Lightning Flash or Flaming Sword mapping the paths and establishing the Tree of Life. Above Yesod the Tree of Life is illuminated by the Sun, but Malkuth is in the Moon's shadow on the Middle Pillar, explaining the third line. This initiation is meant to unite the triads on the tree and raise the candidate's consciousness to unite with the sphere of Yesod, and illuminate the astral plane with the rays of Tiphareth. This brings us to the end of the first verse alluding to Kether and Spirit and drawing one's attention to its association with Malkuth. As the saying goes, 'the Crown is in the Kingdom and the Kingdom is in the Crown', wherein the aspirant is inspired by Malka the Daughter, who is an aspect of Spirit descending through the four worlds.

“Love is the law, love under will.”