THE BEST OF THE EQUINOX VOLUME III: SEX MAGICK

CHAPTER 1

LIBER XV

O.T.OECCLESIAE GNOSTICAE CATHOLICAE CANON MISSAE

IOF THE FURNISHINGS OF THE TEMPLE

In the East, that is, in the direction of Boleskine, which is situated on the South-Easternshore of Loch Ness in Scotland, two miles east of Foyers, is a shrine or High Altar. Itsdimensions should be 7 feet in length, 3 feet in breadth, 44 inches in height. It should becovered with a crimson altar-cloth, on which may be embroidered fleur-de-lys in gold, or asunblaze, or other suitable emblem.

On each side of it should be a pillar or Obelisk, with countercharges in black and white.

Below it should be the dais of three steps, in black and white squares.

Above it is the super-altar, at whose top is the Stélé of Revealing in reproduction, with fourcandles on each side of it. Below the stélé is a place for the Book of the Law, with sixcandles on each side of it. Below this again is The Holy Graal, with roses on each side ofit. There is room in front of the Cup for the Paten. On each side beyond the roses, are twogreat candles.

All this is enclosed within a great Veil.

Forming the apex of an equilateral triangle whose base is a line drawn between the pillars,is a small black square altar, of superposed cubes.

Taking this altar as the middle of the base of a similar and equal triangle, at the apex ofthis second triangle is a small circular font.

Repeating, the apex of a third triangle is an upright Tomb.

IIOF THE OFFICERS OF THE MASS

The PRIEST. Bears the Sacred Lance, and is clothed at first in a plain white robe.

The Priestess. Should be actually Virgo Intacta, or specially dedicated to the service ofthe Great Order. She is clothed in white, blue, and gold. She bears the Sword from a redgirdle, and the Paten and Hosts, or Cakes of Light.

The Deacon. He is clothed in white and yellow. He bears the Book of the Law.

Two Children. They are clothed in white and black. One bears a pitcher of water and acellar of salt, the other a censer of fire and a casket of perfume.

IIIOF THE CEREMONY OF THE INTROIT

The Deacon, opening the door of the Temple, admits the congregation, and takes hisstand between the small altar and the font. (There should be a doorkeeper to attend to theadmission.)

The Deacon advances and bows before the open shrine where the Graal is exalted. Hekisses the Book of the Law three times, opens it, and places it upon the super-altar. Heturns West.

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

The Congregation. Love is the law, love under will.

The Deacon goes to his place between the altar of incense and the font, faces east, andgives the step and sign of a Man and a Brother. All imitate him.

The Deacon and all the People. I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; andin one Star in the Company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shallreturn; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name CHAOS, the soleviceregent of the Sun upon the Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breathes.

And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men arebegotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.

And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET.

And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, theWord of whose Law is THELEMA.

And I believe in the communion of Saints.

And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, Ibelieve in the Miracle of the Mass.

And I confess one Baptism of Wisdom, whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.

And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.

AUMN. AUMN. AUMN.

Music is now played. The child enters with the ewer and the salt. The Virgin enters withthe Sword and the Paten. The child enters with the censer and the perfume. They face theDeacon, deploying into line, from the space between the two altars.

The Virgin. Greeting of Earth and Heaven!

All give the Hailing sign of a Magician, the Deacon leading.

The Priestess, the negative child on her left, the positive on her right, ascends thesteps of the High Altar, they awaiting her below. She places the Paten before the Graal.Having adored it, she descends, and with the children following her, the positive next her,she moves in a serpentine manner involving 31/2 circles of the temple. (Deosil about altar,widdershins about font, deosil about altar and font, widdershins about altar and to theTomb in the West.) She draws her Sword, and pulls down the Veil, therewith.

The Priestess. By the power of * Iron, I say unto thee, Arise. In the name of our Lordthe * Sun, and of our Lord * ... that thou mayst administer the virtues to the Brethren.

She sheathes the Sword.

The PRIEST, issuing from the Tomb, holding the Lance erect with both hands, right overleft, against his breast, takes the first three regular steps.

He then gives the Lance to the Priestess, and gives the three penal signs.

He then kneels, and worships the Lance with both hands.

Penitential music.

The PRIEST. I am a man among men.

He takes again the Lance, and lowers it. He rises.

The PRIEST. How should I be worthy to administer the virtues to the Brethren?

The Priestess takes from the child the water and the salt, and mixes them in the font.

The Priestess. Let the salt of Earth admonish the Water to bear the virtue of the GreatSea. (Genuflects.) Mother, be thou adored.

She returns to the West. * on PRIEST with open hand doth she make, over his forehead,breast, and body.

Be the PRIEST pure of body and soul!

The PRIESTESS takes the censer from the child, and places it on the small altar. Sheputs incense therein.

Let the Fire and the Air make sweet the world! (Genuflects.)

Father, be thou adored.

She returns West, and makes + with the censer before the PRIEST, thrice as before.

Be the PRIEST fervent of body and soul!

(The children resume their weapons as they are done with.)

The Deacon now takes the consecrated Robe from the High Altar, and brings it to her.She robes the PRIEST in his Robe of scarlet and gold.

Be the flame of the Sun thine ambience, O thou PRIEST of the SUN!

The Deacon brings the crown from the High Altar. (The crown may be of gold orplatinum, or of electrum magicum; but with no other metals, save the small proportionsnecessary to a proper alloy. It may be adorned with divers jewels, at will. But it must havethe Uraeus serpent twined about it, and the cap of maintenance must match the scarlet ofthe Robe. Its texture should be velvet.)

Be the Serpent thy crown, O thou PRIEST of the LORD!

Kneeling, she takes the Lance, between her open hands, and runs them up and downupon the shaft eleven times, very gently.

Be the LORD present among us!

All give the Hailing Sign.

The People. So mote it be.

IVOF THE CEREMONY OF THE OPENING OF THE VEIL

THE PRIEST. Thee therefore whom we adore we also invoke.By the power of the lifted Lance!

He raises the Lance. All repeat Hailing Sign.

A phrase of triumphant music.

The PRIEST takes the PRIESTESS by her right hand with his left, keeping the Lanceraised.

I, PRIEST and KING, take thee, Virgin pure without spot; I upraise thee; I lead thee to theEast; I set thee upon the summit of the Earth.

He thrones the PRIESTESS upon the altar. The Deacon and the children follow, they inrank, behind him.

The Priestess takes the Book of the Law, resumes her seat, and holds it open on herbreast with her two hands, making a descending triangle with thumbs and forefingers.

The PRIEST gives the lance to the Deacon to hold, and takes the ewer from the child,and sprinkles the PRIESTESS, making five crosses, forehead, shoulders, and thighs.

The thumb of the PRIEST is always between his index and medius, whenever he is notholding the Lance.

The PRIEST takes the censer from the child, and makes five crosses, as before.

The children replace their weapons on their respective altars.

The PRIEST kisses the Book of the Law three times.

He kneels for a space in adoration, with joined hands, knuckles closed, thumb in positionaforesaid.

He rises, and draws the veil over the whole altar.

All rise and stand to order.

The PRIEST takes the lance from the DEACON, and holds it as before, as Osiris orPthah. He circumambulates the Temple three times, followed by the DEACON and thechildren as before. (These, when not using their hands, keep their arms crossed upontheir breasts.)

At the last circumambulation they leave him, and go to the place between the font and thesmall altar, where they kneel in adoration, their hands joined palm to palm, and raisedabove their heads.

All imitate this motion.

The PRIEST returns to the East, and mounts the first step of the altar.

THE PRIEST. O circle of Stars whereof our Father is but the younger brother, marvelbeyond imagination, soul of infinite space, before whom Time is ashamed, the mindbewildered, and the understanding dark, not unto Thee may we attain, unless Thine imagebe Love. Therefore by seed and root and stem and bud and leaf and flower and fruit dowe invoke Thee.

Then the priest answered & said unto the Queen of Space, kissing her lovely brows, andthe dew of her light bathing his whole body in a sweet-smelling perfume of sweat; O Nuit,continuous one of Heaven, let it be ever thus; that men speak not of thee as One but asNone; and let them speak not of thee at all, since thou art continuous.

During this speech the Priestess must have divested herself completely of her robe.See CCXX. I. 62.

The Priestess. But to love me is better than all things; if under the night-stars in thedesert thou presently burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, andthe serpent flame therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thouthen be willing to give all; but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in that hour.Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shallexceed the nations of earth in splendour and pride; but always in the love of me, and soshall ye come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a single robe, andcovered with a rich head-dress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled orvoluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense,desire you. Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me!To me! To me! Sing the rapturous love-song unto me! Burn to me perfumes! Drink to me,for I love you! I love you. I am the blue-lidded daughter of sunset; I am the naked brillianceof the voluptuous night-sky. To me! To me!

The PRIEST mounts the second step.

The Priest. O secret of secrets that art hidden in the being of all that lives, not Thee dowe adore, for that which adoreth is also Thou. Thou art That, and That am I.

I am the flame that burns in every heart of man, and in the core of every star. I am Life,and the giver of Life; yet therefore is the knowledge of me the knowledge of death. I amalone; there is no God where I am.

The Deacon and all rise to their feet, with the Hailing sign.

The Deacon. But ye, O my people, rise up and awake.

Let the rituals be rightly performed with joy and beauty.

There are rituals of the elements and feasts of the times.

A feast for the first night of the Prophet and his Bride.

A feast for the three days of the writing of the Book of the Law.

A feast for Tahuti and the children of the Prophet-secret, O Prophet!

A feast for the Supreme Ritual, and a feast for the Equinox of the Gods.

A feast for fire and a feast for water; a feast for life and a greater feast for death.

A feast every day in your hearts in the joy of my rapture.

A feast every night unto Nu, and the pleasure of uttermost delight.

The PRIEST mounts the third step.

The Priest. Thou that art One, our Lord in the Universe the Sun, our Lord in ourselveswhose name is Mystery of Mystery, uttermost being whose radiance enlightening theworlds is also the breath that maketh every God even and Death to tremble before Thee—Bythe Sign of Light * appear Thou glorious upon the throne of the Sun.

Make open the path of creation and of intelligence between us and our minds. Enlightenour understanding.

Encourage our hearts. Let thy light crystallize itself in our blood, fulfilling us ofResurrection.

A ka dua
Tuf ur biu
bi a'a chefu
Dudu nur af an nuteru.

The Priestess. There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.

The PRIEST parts the veil with his lance. During the previous speeches the PRIESTESShas, if necessary, as in savage countries, resumed her robe.

The Priest. IO IO IO IAO SABAO KURIE ABRASAX KURIE MEITHRAS KURIEPHALLE. IO PAN IO PAN PAN IO ISCHURON IO ATHANATON IO ABROTON IO IAO.CHAIRE PHALLE CHAIRE PAMPHAGE CHAIRE PANGENETOR. HAGIOS HAGIOSHAGIOS IAO.

The Priestess is seated with the Paten in her right hand and the cup in her left.

The PRIEST presents the Lance, which she kisses eleven times. She then holds it to herbreast, while the PRIEST, falling at her knees, kisses them, his arms stretched along herthighs. He remains in this adoration while the Deacon intones the collects.

All stand to order, with the Dieu Garde, that is, feet square, hands, with linked thumbs,held loosely. This is the universal position when standing, unless other direction is given.

VOF THE OFFICE OF THE COLLECTS, WHICH ARE ELEVEN IN NUMBER

(THE SUN)

The Deacon. Lord visible and sensible of whom this earth is but a frozen spark turningabout thee with annual and diurnal motion, source of light, source of life, let thy perpetualradiance hearten us to continual labour and enjoyment; so that as we are constantpartakers of thy bounty we may in our particular orbit give out light and life, sustenanceand joy to them that revolve about us without diminution of substance or effulgence forever.

The People. So mote it be.

(THE LORD)

The Deacon. Lord secret and most holy, source of life, source of love, source of liberty,be thou ever constant and mighty within us, force of energy, fire of motion; with diligencelet us ever labour with thee, that we may remain in thine abundant joy.

The People. So mote it be.

(THE MOON)

The Deacon. Lady of night, that turning ever about us art now visible and now invisiblein thy season, be thou favourable to hunters, and lovers, and to all men that toil upon theearth, and to all mariners upon the sea.

The People. So mote it be.

(THE LADY)

The Deacon. Giver and receiver of joy, gate of life and love, be thou ever ready, thouand thine handmaiden, in thine office of gladness.

The People. So mote it be.

(THE SAINTS)

The Deacon. Lord of Life and Joy, that art the might of man, that art the essence ofevery true god that is upon the surface of the Earth, continuing knowledge from generationunto generation, thou adored of us upon heaths and in woods, on mountains and in caves,openly in the marketplaces and secretly in the chambers of our houses, in temples of goldand ivory and marble as in these other temples of our bodies, we worthily commemoratethem worthy that did of old adore thee and manifest thy glory unto men, Laotze andSiddartha and Krishna and Tahuti, Mosheh, Dionysus, Mohammed and To Mega Therion,with these also Hermes, Pan, Priapus, Osiris and Melchizedek, Khem and Amoun andMentu Heracles, Orpheus and Odysseus; with Vergilius, Catullus, Martialis, Rabelais,Swinburne, and many an holy bard; Apollonius Tyanaeus, Simon Magus, Manes,Basilides, Valentinus, Bardesanes and Hippolytus, that transmitted the Light of the Gnosisto us their successors and their heirs; with Merlin, Arthur, Kamuret, Parzival, and manyanother, prophet, priest and king, that bore the Lance and Cup, the Sword and Disk,against the Heathen; and these also, Carolus Magnus and his paladins, with William ofSchyren, Frederick of Hohenstaufen, Roger Bacon, Jacobus Burgundus Molensis theMartyr, Christian Rosencreutz, Ulrich von Hutten, Paracelsus, Michael Maier, JacobBoehme, Francis Bacon Lord Verulam, Andrea, Robertus de Fluctibus, Johannes Dee, SirEdward Kelly, Thomas Vaughan, Elias Ashmole, Molinos, Wolfgang von Goethe,Ludovicus Rex Bavarise, Richard Wagner, Alphonse Louis Constant, Friedrich Nietzsche,Hargrave Jennings, Carl Kellner, Forlong dux, Sir Richard Payne Knight, Sir RichardFrancis Burton, Doctor Gérard Encausse, Doctor Theodor Reuss, and Sir AleisterCrowley—oh Sons of the Lion and the Snake! with all Thy saints we worthilycommemorate them worthy that were and are and are to come.