Liber HAD Observations

Excerpts from "An instruction for obtaining Hadit":

"17. Let the Aspirant observe duly the Feasts appointed by the A.·. A.·. and perform such rituals of the elements as he possesseth, invoking them duly in their season.This is the second practice of Magick Art (ccxx. II. 35-43)."

"30. Summary continued. Preliminaries.These are the Magick Arts to be practised.
During the preparation, perform the Invocations of the Elements.
Observe the Feasts appointed by the A.·. A.·."

According to the E.G.C. Manual these Feasts may be conducted "as official E.G.C. rites by the membership of the Church under the direct or indirect supervision of a Bishop." The current COLMH mandates in particular the performance of The Invocation of Horus on the Equinoxes by local O.T.O. bodies.

"23. Let the Adept aspire to the practice of Liber XI. and preach to mankind.This is the fourth Practice of Ethics (ccxx. II. 76)."

Liber XI is Liber NU", "An instruction for obtaining Nuit". Citing the verse listed:

"4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L. What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it. But remember, o chose none, to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word."

From the "new" commentary to this verse:

"The last part of this verse presents no difficulty."..."Observe that I am here definitely enjoined to proclaim my Law to men, 'to look forth' instead of retiring from the world as mystics are wont to do. I may then be confident that this Work is a proper part of my Will."

"24. Let the Adept worship the Name, foursquare, mystic, wonderful, of the Beast, and the name of His house; and give blessing and worship to the prophet of the lovely Star.This is the fifth practice of Ethics (ccxx. II. 78, 79)."

Its interesting that points 23 and 24 are the only ones of this Liber to specify an "Adept" (i.e. an individual who has attained the Knowledge and Conversation of his/her Holy Guardian Angel and recognized as such by the A.·. A.·.) They are also the last practices of ethics listed.

"33. Summary concluded.These are the practices to be performed in token of Thanksgiving for success. (...)

2. Preaching of (grk.) Thelema to mankind.
3. Blessing and Worship to the prophet of the lovely Star."

A Grk. word for "thanksgiving" is 'Eucharistos'. And of course the practices that precede this, demand "might" on the part of the aspirant.

M. Motta Quotes

If you want to hear unpleasant truths about yourselves, write to our present address.

The practice of "Yoga" as a system of gymnastics, so common in the United States and other Western countries, has nothing to do with the true practice of Hatha Yoga; the 'sris', 'mahatmas' and 'gurus' who run "Yoga Academies" are, in the worst cases, con-men, and in the best cases amateurs without serious qualifications.

Commenting on the following from Chpt. V of Book IV prt. 1:

Suppose you have chosen a white cross. It will move its bar up and down, elongate the bar, turn the bar oblique, get its arms unequal, turn upside down, grow branches, get a crack around it or a figure upon it, change its shape altogether like an Amoeba, change its size and distance as a whole, change the degree of its illumination, and at the same time change its colour. It will get splotchy and blotchy, grow patterns, rise, fall, twist and turn; clouds will pass over its face. There is no conceivable change of which it is incapable. Not to mention its total disappearance, and replacement by something altogether different!
Any one to whom this experience does not occur need not imagine that he is meditating. It shows merely that he is incapable of concentrating his mind in the very smallest degree.

That is to say, his capacity of self-observation is insufficient to perceive the changes that take place even when his attention relaxes flagrantly. I have had the experience of lazy people - sometimes, also, lying people - coming to me, declaring loudly that they are meditating very well after a quarter of an hour of a first attempt - and then demanding some Grade. Usually, one above mine...

Preaching

Note that Liber LXIV pertains to the path of Shin (the 20th key) and is described as:

An instruction in a suitable method of preaching.

Note also the description of Liber CCC:

A special instruction for the Promulgation of the Law. This is the first and most important duty of every Aspirant of whatever grade. It builds up in him the character and Karma which forms the Spine of Attainment.

See also this quote from Liber CCC:

Note, pray thee, the instruction in CCXX I:41-n-44, 51, 61, 63 k.t.l. on which We have enlarged in Our tract The Law of Liberty, and in private letters to thee and to others. The open preaching of this Law, and the practice of these precepts, will arouse discussion and animosity, and thus place thee upon a rostrum whence thou mayst speak unto the people.

Its always been curious to me that persons who claim to subcribe to the principles of Thelema are seemingly content to only extend their ideas as far as the nearest neopagans (usually because they're "safe" - please note the safety emphasis by A.C. above). Is it any surprise that these same folks will endlessly criticize fundamentalist christians within the safety of cyberspace or their basement? Can we say "pathetic"? Overall, this speaks for ones confidence and certainty in whats being communicated - assuming that even the barest principles can be agreed upon by a single "individual." The idea that Thelemites are elitist snobs who wouldn't deign to cavort with the likes of "them" (i.e. the successfull in contrast to the losers) doesn't cut it for me anymore. Moreover, it reeks of fear.

Furthermore, the idea that "preaching" is antithetical to Thelema isn't born out by either the Crowley material or his example. If Jerry Falwell and a bad experience with mommy and daddy defines ones terms then this reaction is hardly surprising.

The conversion argument needn't come into the equation either - assuming there is a capability in the application of "pure will." Chuck it up to another selective application of Liber AL in complete opposition to another one of the Prophets instructions - apparently he got over what a number of folks are still hung up on.

Tau

Taking each letter of Tau in full we get 418.

Tau + Vau + Vau + Vau or the Cross ("the Sign of Light", "Mine is the symbol of Osiris") + the Nail (thrice).

The Dagger is Mercury: it is used to calm too great heat, by the letting of blood; and it is this weapon which is plunged into the side or heart of the Magician to fill the Holy Cup. Those faculties which come between the appetites and the reason are thus dealt with.

Students of the gospel will recollect that in the martyrdom of Christ these three were used, the dagger being replaced by the nails.

the Dagger expresses the determination to sacrifice all

-excerpts from Book IV part. 2 chpt. IV

R. Amen! I am willing to be slain.
Verily I shall rise again!

http://www.luckymojo.com/crowley/000tfritual.txt

Its interesting that this isn't noted in Liber D or Liber LVIII. See also this.

"It is Thou!"

Yoga for Magick

"A person who can't sit in one position with comfort and quiet, who can't breathe with evenness and regularity, who can't temporarily still the mind of its many wondering thoughts, who can't channel powerful energies through the body because of ill health - will be hard pressed to spiritually advance."

- James Wasserman, from the intro. to Yoga for Magick by Nancy Wasserman

Notocon VI Presentations and Presenters

http://www.knightstemplar-oto.org/content/notocon/presenters.php

For your consideration

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I proclaim the Law of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty in the name of IAO.

Note that this is pronounced in the east and consists of 26 words. 26 = YHVH. Add 7 and you get another interesting number.

Also note the first words spoken in the West:

The PRIEST: I am (...)

"I am" of course is a translation of the Kether name of God or AHIH.

Anubis75 also pointed this out to me:

I Am A Man Among Men = 93

93 is the Flaming Sword or "the Pentagram unwound" (Abrahadabra as the key of the Pentagram) among other things. The pronouncement of the LOGOS in the East suggests this as a reciprocating formula. This also recalls the Crowely quote, "I am Thelema."

"Even as the lightning lighteneth out of the East and lighteneth even unto the West, so is the coming of the Son of Man." (see Liber 58 - referring to number 111).

Regarding Banishings and Liber XV: when functioning as Priest, I always have the Deacon perform a banishing before Liber XV - particularly as this has the benefit of effectively removing whatever "ghostly enemies" exist and I believe, assists in focusing the Officers. The Priest is, after all, a magician, before being crowned Priest.

The 1st version of Liber XXV appears to me particularly appropo. On the other hand, wouldn't The Opening of the Pyramid be even more appropriate? See in particular The Paris Working, The Grimorium Sanctissimum and the pre-Mass ritual formulation by A.C. which I believe included this.

http://community.livejournal.com/oto_community/18648.html

"New" Commentary to Liber AL II: 70

"Exceed by delicacy": this does not mean, by refraining from so-called animalism. One should make every act a sacrament, full of divinest ecstasy and nourishment. There is no act which true delicacy cannot consecrate. It is one thing to be like a sow, unconscious of the mire, and unable to discriminate between sweet food and sour; another to take the filth firmly and force oneself to discover the purity therein, initiating even the body to overcome its natural repulsion and partake with the soul at this Eucharist. We 'believe in the Miracle of the Mass' not only because meat and drink are actually "transmuted in us daily into Spiritual Substance", but because we can make the "Body and Blood of God" from any materials soever by Virtue of our royal and Pontifical Art of Magick. (...)
We therefore train our adepts to make the Gold Philosophical from the dung of witches, and the Elixir of Life from Hippomanes; but we do not advocate ostentatious addiction to these operations. It is good to know that one is man enough to spend a month or so at a height of twenty thousand feet or more above the sea-level; but it would be unpardonably foolish to live there permanently.
This illustrates on case of a general principle. We consider the Attainment of various Illuminations, incomparably glorious as that is, of chief value for its witness to our possession of the faculty which made success possible. To have climbed alone to the summit of Iztaccihuatl is great and grand; but the essence of one's joy is that one possesses the courage, knowledge, agility, endurance, and self-mastery necessary to have done it.
The Goal is ineffably worth all our pains, as we say to ourselves at first; but in a little while are aware that even that Goal is less intoxicating then the Way itself.
We find that it matters little whither we go; the Going itself is our gladness (...)"Be strong!" We need healthy robust bodies as the mechanical instruments of our souls. Could Paganini have expressed himself on the "fiddle for eighteen pence" that some one once bought when he was "young and had no sense"? Each of us is Hadit, the core of our Khabs, our Star, one of the Company of Heaven; but this Khabs needs a Khu or Magical Image, in order to play its part in the Great Drama. This Khu, again, needs the proper costume, a suitable 'body of flesh', and this costume must be worthy of the Play.
We therefore employ various magical means to increase the vigour of our bodies and the energy of our minds, to fortify and sublime them.
The result is that we of Thelema are capable of enormously more achievement than others, even in terrestrial matters, from sexual orgia to creative Art. Even if we had only this one earth-life to consider, we exceed our fellows some thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some an hundredfold.
One most important point, in conclusion. We must doubtless admit that each one of us is lacking in one capacity or another. There must always be some among the infinite possibilities of Nuith which possesses no correlative points of contact in any given Khu. For example, the Khu of a male body cannot fulfil itself in the quality of motherhood. Any such lacuna must be accepted as a necessary limit, without regret or vain yearnings for the impossible. But we should beware lest prejudice or other personal passion exclude any type of self-realization which is properly ours. In our initiation the tests must be thorough and exhaustive. The neglect to develop even a single power can only result in deformity. However slight this might seem, it might lead to fatal consequences; the ancient adepts taught that by the parable of the heel of Achilles. It is essential for the Aspirant to make a systematic study of every possible passion, icily aloof from all alike, and setting their armies in array beneath the banner of his Will after he has perfectly gauged the capacity of each unit, and assured himself of its loyalty, discipline, courage, and efficiency. But woe unto him who leaves a gap in his line, or one arm unprepared to do its whole duty in the position proper to its peculiar potentialities!

Horse Stance Update

Who wast Thou, O Caesar, that Thou knewest God in an horse?

-Liber VII 6:28

Monday, March 5th, 2007 e.v.

I go through several open hand forms. J timed me for 1 minute & 33 seconds. An 18 sec. improvement from last week.

My goal is to reach 5 min. and its painfully obvious that I've got a way to go.

As far as G.D. goes, its becoming less and less likely that we'll be competing in Riceville this year. Driving to Iowa doesn't exactly thrill everyone involved and the competition in the weapons category was more than a little thin (they combined the belts for this) last year. We were also the only K.F. group there - tae kwon do and karate groups being the majority.

A number of us have expressed interest in competing at the local Diamond Nationals although the strictly "kung fu" Aug. tournament in D.C. admittedly interests me more. With either of these, the competition would be much more palpable. However, commitment levels would have to increase amongst the small membership we have in order to really be effective as a group. We'll see.

Knowing before Breaking

The use of capitals "Me" and "Thee" emphasizes that Hadit was wholly manifested in The Beast. It is to be remembered that The Beast has agreed to follow the instructions communicated to Him only in order to show that 'nothing would happen if you broke all the rules.' Poor fool! The Way of Mastery is to break all the rules -- but you have to know them perfectly before you can do this; otherwise you are not in a position to transcend them.

- from The "new" commentary to Liber AL II: 12

The tendency to advocate the breaking of the "rules" when it comes to what Crowley instructed- as if doing so were as simple as batting an eye, appears to me rather rampant amongst too many aspirants. Do they know what Crowley instructed "perfectly" - or are they more interested in convincing others that they've transcended Crowley?

When I come across people (whom I know haven't mastered or even attempted what Crowley instructed -particularly the yoga), practicing and promoting very different practices from what Crowley advocated - what exactly does that say about their seriousness? If the Aspirant takes "one step" on this path, where is it writ that the practices are then up for grabs? Where exactly does Crowley dismiss the practices or even promotes "variants"?
On the contrary, he repeatedly emphasizes the practices - as they are - over and over again.

Even with having made substantial commitments in some other field of endeavor (like the putting on of plays or participation in a Church ceremony), why would an aspirant assume such a "position" regarding the magick/yogic practices? How consistent is it to rigidly adhere to what is advocated in one place (theres a libidinous tendency here too) and be at complete odds or woefully ignorant of the other?

Unfortunately this sort of tendency has the overall consequence of making Occultism look like a very bad joke - particularly to those folks who have at least a modicum of common sense or who have actually read the material. Without the "method", one's essentially stuck with superstition.

More often than not the real "rule" amounts to this:

If its difficult, skip it and move on to something thats easier and makes you feel good about yourself.

Contrary to the popular caricature of Crowley as simply a "rule breaker", I think his writings indicate a fairly methodical and practical approach to the Great Work. His breaking of the rules was the exception - and a somewhat notable one at that.

XV Observations

Above it is the super-altar, at whose top is the Stele of Revealing in reproduction, with four candles on each side of it. Below the stele is a place for The Book of the Law, with six candles on each side of it.

-excerpt from Liber XV

It's interesting that there are four letters to the words Chokmah and Binah in Heb. and that there are four candles on either side of the Stélé (where these sephira would be if we were to superimpose the Tree of Life onto the super-altar). And of course if you add the three letters that compose the Heb. word Kether, you get 11.

Another consideration is that the 4 candles on either side could signify 44, the number of DM (blood) in Heb. and the number of Horus. Moreover, if one takes the Stélé as 3, one obtains the number 434 or Daleth in full.

Additionally, the Stélé as three could allude to the triple tongue of flame of Atu XX; the three levels of the super-altar signifying the three mother letters and the Caduceus superimposed on the Tree of Life:

Shin-Stélé; the four candles flanking suggesting wings ("under the shadow of the wings of YHVH")
Aleph - The Book of the Law; the six candles flanking where the serpents rest their heads.
Mem - The Holy Graal

As Sabazius and Helena note in their commentary to Liber XV, this 3-fold arrangement may also parallel the O.T.O. lamen.

They also conclude their discussion on this arrangment with this interesting statement:

The twelve candles surrounding the Book of the Law may correspond to the twelve signs of the Zodiac surrounding the Sun, and the Paths which designate them.

Of course if we attribute the number of the Sephira signifying the Sun (Tiphareth) to The Book of the Law, with the six candles flanking on both sides, we acquire 666. Also note that the name Therion has 6 letters and To Mega Therion (see the Ace of Disks), 12.

As alluded to above, this arrangment could suggest a vertical arrangement of the Supernals (see in particular the Cry of the Vth Aethyr):

Kether (Aiwaz) - the Stélé
Chokmah (Therion) - The Book of the Law
Binah (Babalon) - the Holy Graal

Accendat in nobis Therion ignem sui amoris et flammam aeternae caritatis