Gayatri Crowley

Crowley, Gayatri and the Lunar Adorations By Frater Nur-i-Siyah (A 11° in f, B 18° in j) AN IVxiv e.n., Dies Solis

Bubastis Camp Ordo Templi Orientis Valley of Dallas Texas

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

First Phase: New The Thelemic Lunar Adoration Sources of Instruction from the Works of Crowley: 1903-4 – “The Sword of Song,” Sec. II (“Pentecost”), ll. 519-522, 813-816: Aum! let us meditate aright On that adorable One Light, Divine Savitri! So may She Illume our minds! So mote it be! Footnote: 519. Gayatri. This is the translation of the most holy verse of the Hindus. The gender of Savitri has been the subject of much discussion and I believe grammatically it is masculine. But for mystical reasons I have made it otherwise. Fool! 1912 – “Liber IV: ABA,” Part I, Ch. II (“Pranayama and its Parallel in Speech, Mantrayoga”), Mantra 7: Om! tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat. Footnote: “O! Let us strictly meditate on the adorable light of that divine Savitri (the interior Sun, etc.). May she enlighten our minds!”

1918 – “Liber Aleph vel CXI,” Ch. XVI (“De Culte”): (A magical regimen is given but lacks in any mention of the Lunar Adoration which appears in later works.) Now, o my Son, that thou mayst be well guarded against thy ghostly Enemies, do thou work constantly by the Means prescribed in our Holy Books. Neglect never the fourfold Adorations of the Sun in his four Stations, for thereby thou doest affirm thy Place in Nature and her Harmonies.

First Phase (Cont.) Neglect not the Performance of the Ritual of the Pentagram, and of the Assumption of the Form of Hoor-pa-Kraat. Neglect not the daily Miracle of the Mass, either by the Rite of the Gnostic Catholic Church, or that of the Phœnix. Neglect not the Performance of the Mass of the Holy Ghost, as Nature herself prompteth thee. Travel also much in the Empyrean in the Body of Light, seeking ever Abodes more fiery and lucid. Finally, exercise constantly the Eight Limbs of Yoga. And so shalt thou come to the End. 1938 – “Eight Lectures on Yoga,” Second Set (“Yoga for Yellowbellies”), First Lecture, Sec. 9: … every student should make a point of saluting the Sun (in the manner recommended in Liber Resh) four times daily, and he shall salute the Moon on her appearance with the Mantra Gayatri. The best way is to say the Mantra instantly one sees the Moon, to note whether the attention wavers, and to repeat the Mantra until it does not waver at all. [Emphasis mine] 1945 – “Magick Without Tears,” Ch. XVIII (“The Importance of our Conventional Greetings, etc.”): From time to time I have exhorted you with mine accustomed matchless eloquence never to neglect the prescribed Greetings: but I think it just as well to collect the various considerations connected with their use—and in ‘Greetings’ I include ‘saying Will’ before set meals, the four daily adorations of the Sun (Liber CC, vel Resh) and the salutation of Our Lady the Moon.

Second Phase: First Quarter Crowley’s Ideas and Opinions on the Moon and the Gāyatrī Sources from the Works of Crowley: 1912 – “Liber IV: ABA”, Part II, Ch. VII (“The Cup”): This is the Cup of Purification; as Zoroaster says: So therefore first the Priest who governeth the works of Fire must sprinkle with the Water of the loud-resounding Sea. It is the sea that purifies the world. And the "Great Sea" is in the Qabalah a name of Binah, "Understanding." It is by the Understanding of the Magus that his work is purified. Binah, moreover, is the Moon, and the bowl of this cup is shaped like the moon. This moon is the path of Gimel through which the influence from the Crown descends upon the Sun of Tiphereth. And this is based upon the pyramid of fire which symbolizes the aspiration of the student. In Hindu symbolism the Amrita or "dew of immortality" drips constantly upon a man, but is burnt up by the gross fire of his appetites. Yogis attempt to catch and so preserve this dew by turning back the tongue in the mouth. 1912 – “Liber IV: ABA”, Part III, Ch. VII (“The Formula of the Holy Graal: of Abrahadabra and of certain other Words. Also: The Magical Memory”), part V: Qoph in the Tarot is ‘the Moon’, a card suggesting illusion, yet shewing counterpartal forces operating in darkness, and the Winged Beetle or Midnight Sun in his Bark travelling through the Nadir. Its Yetziratic attribution is Pisces, symbolic of the positive and negative currents of fluidic energy, the male Ichthus or ‘Pesce’ and the female Vesica, seeking respectively the anode and kathode. The number 100 is therefore a synthetic glyph of the subtle energies employed in creating the Illusion, or Reflection of Reality, which we call manifested existence.

Second Phase (Cont.) 1913 – “Book of Lies” (Liber CCC), Ch. 18:

ΚΕΦΑΛΛΗ ΙΗ (18) DEWDROPS Verily, love is death, and death is life to come. Man returneth not again; the stream floweth not uphill; the old life is no more; there is a new life that is not his. Yet that life is of his very essence; it is more He than all that he calls He. In the silence of a dewdrop is every tendency of his soul, and of his mind, and of his body; it is the Quintessence and the Elixir of his being. Therein are the forces that made him and his father and his father.s father before him. This is the Dew of Immortality. Let this go free, even as It will; thou art not its master, but the vehicle of It. COMMENTARY (IH) The 18th key of the Tarot refers to the Moon, which was supposed to shed dew. The appropriateness of the chapter title is obvious. The chapter must be read in connection with Chapters 1 and 16. In the penultimate paragraph, Vindu is identified with Amrita, and in the last paragraph the disciple is charged to let it have its own way. It has a will of its own, which is more in accordance with the Cosmic Will, than that of the man who is its guardian and servant.

1913 – “Liber XV” (The Gnostic Mass), Part V (“Of the Office of the Collects which are Eleven in Number”):

THE MOON The DEACON: Lady of night, that turning ever about us art now visible and now invisible in thy season, be thou favourable to hunters, and lovers, and to all men that toil upon the earth, and to all mariners upon the sea. The PEOPLE: So mote it be.

Second Phase (Cont.) 1944 – “The Book of Thoth,” ATU II (“The Priestess”): The Moon (being the general feminine symbol, the symbol of the second order corresponding to the Sun as the Yoni does to the Lingam) is universal, and goes from the highest to the lowest. It is a symbol which will recur frequently in these hieroglyphs. But in the earlier Trumps the concern is with Nature above the Abyss; the High Priestess is the first card which connects the Supernal Triad with the Hexad; and her path, as shown in the diagram, makes a direct connection between the Father in his highest aspect, and the Son in his most perfect manifestation. This path is in exact balance in the middle pillar. There is here, therefore, the purest and most exalted conception of the Moon. (At the other end of the scale is Atu xviii, q.v.) The card represents the most spiritual form of Isis the Eternal Virgin; the Artemis of the Greeks. She is clothed only in the luminous veil of light. It is important for high initiation to regard Light not as the perfect manifestation of the Eternal Spirit, but rather as the veil which hides that Spirit. It does so all the more effectively because of its incomparably dazzling brilliance. {The tradition of the best schools of Hindu mysticism has a precise parallelism. The final obstacle to full Enlightenment is exactly this Vision of Formless Effulgence.} Thus she is light and the body of light. She is the truth behind the veil of light. She is the soul of light. Upon her knees is the bow of Artemis, which is also a musical instrument, for she is huntress, and hunts by enchantment. Now, regard this idea as from behind the Veil of Light, the third Veil of the original Nothing. This light is the menstruum of manifestation, the goddess Nuith, the possibility of Form. This first and most spiritual manifestation of the feminine takes to itself a masculine correlative, by formulating in itself any geometrical point from which to contemplate possibility. This virginal goddess is then potentially the goddess of fertility. She is the idea behind all form; as soon as the influence of the triad descends below the Abyss, there is the completion of concrete idea. It is important to reflect that this card is wholly feminine, wholly virginal, for it represents the influence and the means of manifestation (or, from below, of attainment) in itself. It represents possibility in its second stage without any beginning of consummation. 1944 – “The Book of Thoth,” ATU XVIII (“The Moon”): The Moon, partaking as she does of the highest and the lowest, and filling all the space between, is the most universal of the Planets. In her higher aspect, she occupies the place of the Link between the human and divine, as shown in Atu II. In this Trump, her lowest avatar, she joins the earthy sphere of Netzach with Malkuth, the culmination in matter of all superior forms. This is the waning moon, the moon of witchcraft and abominable deeds. She is the poisoned darkness which is the condition of the rebirth of light.

Third Phase: Full Moon The Gāyatrī of the Hindus

1. The Original Mantra Gāyatrī in Sanskrit:

(Om! tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.) This version is a verse taken directly from the Rg Veda (c. 1000 BCE), Book III, Hymn LXII, verse 10. The Pranava (AUMGN) is added as an additional reminder of the source of all things. It is followed in vss. 11 & 12 with additional hymns in praise of Savitr, the Vedic Sun God who is mentioned in the Gāyatrī Mantra It is named after the meter of which it is composed. The Gāyatrī Vedic meter is arranged with three padas (lines) of eight syllables each thus giving the entire verse in its original rendering a total of twenty-four syllables. There are, however, eleven other variations of this meter in the Vedas which can alter the syllable count from nineteen syllables per stanza to twenty-three. This version of the mantra with the Pranava has twenty-five syllables. The name “Gāyatrī” comes from the Sanskrit terms Gāyantamtrāyate which means, “That which is sung or praised in order to protect.”

Third Phase (Cont.) Some translations of the above verse are as follows: Jones, Sir William (1795): (Om) Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the godhead who illuminates all, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our progress towards the holy seat. Judge, William Q. (1893): Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat. Griffith, Ralph T. H. (1895): (Om) May we attain that excellent glory of Savitar the God: So may he stimulate our prayers. Crowley, Edward (Aleister) (1903): “O! Let us strictly meditate on the adorable light of that divine Savitri (the interior Sun, etc.). May she enlighten our minds!” Danielou, Alain (1964): (Om) Let us contemplate the splendor of the solar spirit, the Divine Creator. May he guide our minds (toward the attainment of the four aims of life). Keshavadas, Sadguru Sant (1978): Let us meditate on Īśvara and His glory. May He enlighten our intellect. Commonly used English translation (Modern Hindu): O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme, sin destroying light; may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.

Third Phase (Cont.) 2. The Gāyatrī Mantra as it is currently and commonly used:

(Om! Bhur Bhuvah Svah! tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.) Here there is an addition of three terms: Bhur, Bhuvah & Svah These are explained as follows: Chart 1. Esoteric Values of the Three Spheres Attributes Bhur Bhuvah Earth, the Sky, the Sphere Part of Cosmos Terrestrial of Space (lokas) Sphere Part of the A U Pranava Veda Rg Yajur He who is the He who is fit to Appellations of Creator. be worshipped. the Lord

Svah Heaven, the Celestial Sphere M Sama He who removes all sin and ignorance.

The usage of these three terms originates in the Yajur Veda as a means to address the different fields of Creation (Earth, Sky and Space) while petitioning a god. (See Yajurveda, Book I, Part 6, Hymn 2; also Book V, Part 5, Hymn 5 and Book VII, Part 3, Hymn 12 & Part 4, Hymn 20)

Third Phase (Cont.) 3. Full Ritual Extension of the Mantra Gāyatrī:

Om Bhur, Om Bhuvah, Om Svah, Om Maha, Om Janah, Om Tapah, Om Satyam. Om tat savitur varenyam Bhargo devasya dhimahi Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat. Om Apo Jyotih Raso ‘mrtam Brahma Bhur Savar. OM Translation: O Earth, O Sky, O Heavens, O Great One O Bornless One, O Light of Wisdom, O Truthful One O Let us meditate upon the splendor of Savitur, the Nourisher. May he illuminate our minds. O You that saves us from the waters of karma, Light of Lights, The quintessence of immortality, Brahma, Earth, Sky, and Heaven. OM This third version of the Gāyatrī is the version that is used when performing the prānāyāma kriyā of the Sandhyā-vandana of Gāyatrī, (i.e., controlled breathing exercises.) One legend associated with this version of the Gāyatrī Mantra states that it originated as a gift granted to the legendary Brahmarsi Visvamitra by the Brahmarsi Vasistha when the latter opened his third eye. The instance leading to the reception of this boon is related as follows: King Vishwamitra was easily defeated by the Rishi Vasistha’s spiritual power when Vishwamitra and his army tried to steal Nandini, the wish-fulfilling cow, from Vasistha. This defeat made Vishwamitra realize that physical might was infinitely inferior to spiritual prowess, and he decided to perform austerities until Vasistha himself acknowledged him as a Brahmarshi (a ‘god among Rishis’). Once he decided upon this course of action he forgot everything else, and concentrated on it alone. Vishwamitra performed terrific austerities, and was awarded various divine titles by various divine beings, but not the title he wanted. Eventually, he decided to force Vasistha to give him what he wanted; he was born a king, after all, and kings are accustomed to getting what they want. Vishwamitra harried Vasistha mercilessly, but nothing seemed to affect Vasistha, not even the death of all of his many sons. Finally Vishwamitra became totally desperate, and crept up in the underbrush near Vasistha’s ashram, holding a sharp knife with which to murder the Rishi who would not acknowledge his accomplishments. Just as he was getting ready to strike he heard Vasistha say to his wife Arundhati, ‘Of all the Rishis today only one deserves the title of

Third Phase (Cont.) Brahmarshi, and that is Vishwamitra. I don’t know why he is so much against me; how have I offended him? When he heard those words Vishwamitra dropped his knife and ran to bow to Vasistha’s feet, saying, ‘Please forgive me.’ Vasistha murmured, ‘But Brahmarshi, there is no need for forgiveness. I am honored at your visit.’ And he blessed him. It was all Vasistha’s play, after all; the play of the Rishis is something that is very difficult to fathom. (as related by Aghora Master Vimalanda to Robert Svoboda [Svoboda, 1993]) The “seven rhythm” Gayatri also has a number of esoteric values associated with it as shown below in Charts 2-4. Chart 2. Values of the “7-Rhythms” of the Pranayam Gāyatrī Rhythm (Vyaŗthi)

Elements (Tattwas)

Subtle Extensions of the Elements (Tanmāntras)

Part of Cosmos (Lokas)

Beings (Devatās)

1. Om Bhur 2. Om Bhuvah 3. Om Svah 4. Om Mahah 5. Om Janah 6. Om Tapah 7. Om Satyam

Earth (Prithivī)

Smell (Gandha)

Earth

Indra

Water (Jala)

Taste (Rasa)

Atmosphere

Varuņa

Fire (Agni)

Form (Rūpa)

Celestial

Agni

Air (Vāyu)

Touch (Sparśa)

Vāyu

Aethyr (Ākāśa)

Sound (Śabda)

Intelligence (Mahat) Consciousness (Puruśa)

Cosmic Mind (Buddhi)

Sphere of the Saints Sphere of the Progenitors Sphere of the Seven Sages Sphere of Truth

Primordial Energy (Prakŗti)

Sarasvatī Guru Śiva

Third Phase (Cont.) Charts 3& 4. Additional Values for the “7-Rhythms” of the Pranayam Gāyatrī Rhythm (Vyaŗthi) 1. Om Bhur 2. Om Bhuvah 3. Om Svah 4. Om Mahah 5. Om Janah 6. Om Tapah 7. Om Satyam

Centers of Consciousness (Cakras)

Location in the Body Base of the Spine

The Celestial Elephant

4; Crimson

Svādişţhāna

Genitals

Alligator

6; Vermillion

Maņipūra

Navel

Ram

10; Blue

Anāhata

Cardiac

Viśuddha

Cervical

Ājña Sahasrāra

Black Antelope White Elephant

16; Smoky Purple

Brow Center

-

2; Bright White

Cerebrum

-

±1000; Gold

States of Consciousness (Avasthā)

1. Om Bhur

That Which Holds the Wakeful (Jāgrat) Earth (dakini) Procreative Dreaming (Svapna) Energy (Rakini) Digestive Deep Sleep (Suşupti) Energy (Lakini) Awakening to Higher Respiratory Consciousness Energy (Kakini) (Turīya-Jāgrat) Mystical Vision The Power of Speech (Sakini) (Turīya-Svapna) Perfect Direct Perception Thinking (Savikalpa) (Hakini) Enstacy without Form Sakti or Seed (Nirvikalpa) Katyayani

3. Om Svah 4. Om Mahah 5. Om Janah 6. Om Tapah 7. Om Satyam

Lotus Petals and Color

Mūlādhāra

Rhythm (Vyaŗthi)

2. Om Bhuvah

Vehicles

Powers (Śaktis)

Vital Airs (Prāņas)

12; Red

Sheaths or Obstructions (Kośas)

Excretory (Vyana)

Food Sheath (Annamaya)

Evacuatory (Apana)

Vital Sheath (Pranayama)

Distributive (Samana)

Mental Sheath (Manomaya)

Transformativ e (Udana)

Sheath of Intellect (Vijnanamaya) Bliss Sheath (Anandamaya)

Cosmic Ego

Soul

Cosmic Mind

“God”

Respiratory (Prana)

Third Phase (Cont.) 4. Gāyatrī as a Goddess, Mother of the Vedas A Few Elements of Gāyatrī Sadhana: A. Prayer to Mā Gāyatrī: Yā sandhyāmaņdalagatā yā trimurti-svarupiņi/ Sarasvatī yā Sāvitrī tām vande veda-mātaram// Yā viśva-jananī devī yā trimūrti-svarūpinī/ Gāyatrī-rūpiņī yā hi tām vande sapta-mātŗkām// (Goddess who is the Sun, who is of triune form, who is both Sarasvati and Sāvitri – I bow to Her, the Mother of the Vedas. Goddess who is the Mother of the worlds, who is of triune form and who is of the form of the Gāyatrī – I bow to that form of the Seven Mothers) B. Meditation on Mā Gāyatrī: Muktā-vidruma-hema-dhavalac-chāyair Mukhais-tryakşanairYuktām indu-nibaddha-ratnamukuţām Tattvārthavarņātmikām/ Gāyatrīm varadābhayāńkuśakaśāh śubhram kapālam guņam śańkham cakram arthāravindayugulam Hastair vahantim bhaje// I Meditate on the Goddess Gāyatrī who has three eyes on each of her five faces, whose faces are the color of pearl, coral, gold, black, blue and white gemstones, who wears bejeweled crowns set with the crescent moon, who is composed of syllables signifying the Supreme Truth and who has ten hands, two of which are in the gestures of bestowing boons and the offering of refuge with the others bearing the goad, the whip, the white skull, the conch, the mace, the discus and two lotuses. I do adore Her.

Third Phase (Cont.)

The Murti of the Goddess Gāyatrī

Examples of Gāyatrī Yantras

Fourth Phase: Third Quarter Complications and Possible Alternatives After reviewing Crowley’s instructions and comparing it to the classic method of employing the Gāyatrī mantra we are left with a few problems to consider: 1. 2.

The Gāyatrī is anything but a Lunar mantra The translation of Savitur to Savitri by Crowley shows a lack of understanding as to the distinctions between the two.

So we are left to ask why would Crowley suggest the usage of this most solar of all ancient phrases to greet and adore “Our Lady of the Moon”? The Gāyatrī as it is commonly used is recited at the three stations of daylight. However, among certain Tantric sects, the Aghori in particular, the recitation of the “true” Gāyatrī mantra (as opposed to the Savitri which is primarily what we have studied thus far) should be performed initially in water and at night so as to counteract the continual activation of the Surya Nadi, the main Solar channel of the subtle body, that results from the mantra’s usage. The water (and the Moon, if present) helps stimulate the Candra Nadi, the main Lunar channel of the subtle body. This balance helps limit any unfortunate side effects that may arise from the recitation of the activated Gāyatrī. Even though this practice does lend some credence as to why Crowley would have recommended its usage at night time, it does not lend credibility to the mantra’s usage as a means to adore the Moon. Additionally, the usage of the Gāyatrī at night would only be necessary for someone who had received this mantra in an initiatory context. The mantra would have to be associated and tied into the energies that were revealed during the student’s initiation for it to be able to work effectively. Since the Gāyatrī is not a mantra that is received in this fashion in the Thelemic context it would not be necessary to utilize this technique. Perhaps Crowley did obtain the mantra in this fashion, however, to the best of my knowledge the ceremonial transmission of this mantra, its true esoteric meaning as well as techniques for harnessing it are not part of any work of Crowley’s currently available to the public.

Therefore, I feel it would be safe to say that if one was to utilize Crowley’s instructions and dutifully perform a Lunar Adoration, it would

Fourth Phase (Cont.)

be necessary to find an alternative to the Solar Gāyatrī. Along that line of thought I feel there are two main courses that may be taken to fulfill this obligation. 1) Since the Gāyatrī is a meter either find or construct an adoration dedicated to the highest qualities of the Moon using this meter thereby accomplishing both the letter and the spirit of the instruction while subtracting the potential of error. 2) Construct a ritual from scratch that does the same as the above. Regarding the first option I will include herein some researches I have done previously on the Candra Gāyatrī. 1. Chandra Gāyatrī: “Om. Ksiraputraya vidmahe Amrtatattvaya dhimahi Tanno Candrah pracodayat.” “Om. May we realize that Son of the Ocean of Milk. Let us meditate on that elemental principle of divine nectar May Chandra, the Luminous, illuminate us.” In Hinduism Candra is synonymous with Soma the divine ambrosial drink of the Vedas. Soma is also the elixir of sacrifice indicating Candra as the fuel of that sacrifice. In this role he is constantly offered, destroyed and renewed. As a murti (form) Candra is a luminous white god clothed also all in white with golden ornamentation and upon whose forehead rests a crescent. He carries a mace which dispels obstacles and gives the Abhaya (fear dispelling, refuge offering) mudra. He is said to ride both in a three-wheeled chariot drawn by ten jasmine-white horses as well as atop a white antelope. He is often accompanied by two queens or accompanies the Sun. (Danielou, 1964) He is primarily called Candra (the Lustrous), but other names for this serene deity are Indu (Drop [of Soma]), Sasin (Marked-with-a-Hare), Nisakara (Maker of the Night), Naksatranatha (Lord of the Constellations), Sitamarici (Having Cool Rays), Sitamsu (Having White Rays), Mrganka (Marked Like a Deer), Sivasekhara (Crown of Siva), Kumudapati (Lord of the Lotus) and Svetavajin (Drawn By White Horses). (Ibid)

Fourth Phase (Cont.) The moon is also seen to represent the “chalice of semen, the essence of mind”. Legend has it that the moon is constructed of the ashen bones of Lord Kama, the God of Lust, after his incineration at the hands of Lord Siva. One may then say that Candra is born of Lust that has been refined through the fires of the Destroyer, and who, once refined, is further annihilated through sacrifice and who then gains permanence through constant renewal. As practitioners in the Western Hermetic Tradition we are accustomed to viewing the moon as being related to the Qabalistic Sephira of Yesod, the Foundation, and some of the descriptions in Hinduism appear to be harmonious to our understanding of this Emanation. The moon is seen as being the host of the primordial waters from which all images arise and disappear. It is also viewed as being the intermediary sphere between the world of Formation and the sphere of the divine Sun, and serves as a bridge between the two. Candra also cools the earth from the heat of the Sun’s love with its milky rays. According to Vijayananda Tripathi in his Devata tattva (1942, mentioned by Danielou) worship of Candra besides bestowing physical beauty also allows the worshipper to “gain the ability to concentrate his mind.” This ability to focus concentration certainly seems to be in line with what Crowley was suggesting when he asked us to “note whether the attention wavers, and to repeat the Mantra until it does not waver at all” during our adoration.

Regarding the second option, I have included the following rites made by Thelemites over the years who also have found the Gāyatrī lacking in its ability to address “Our Lady of the Moon”

1. Liber ‫ ג‬vel Lunae (2003 e.v.) (from Lion & Serpent, vol. 8, No. 1) Liber ‫ ג‬vel Lunae By ‫אלי בן אלף‬ being a 3-fold Graeco-Thelemic Lunar adoration adapted from Liber ‫ ר‬vel Helios Care Fratres et Sorores, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. This paper is an adapted work by myself in the attempt to develop some form of appropriate nightly adoration for the moon. Within the context of Book 4, Crowley gives the Vedic Gayatri mantrum, which he suggests performing upon viewing the moon nightly. Yet after constant and regular

Fourth Phase (Cont.) performance of this practice I still felt the inclination to flesh out something more along the lines of the solar adorations of Liber Resh vel Helios. The following ritual adaptation is the result of that work. I offer this work as a gift to my brothers and sisters, known and unknown to me, that they may derive as much enjoyment and fulfillment from it as I have. Please feel freeto utilize and experiment with this ritual, as you will. And with that may you readily attain to the Great Work, the Summum Bonum, the Stone of the Wise, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness. Bright Blessings to you all. Love is the law, love under will. The signs utilized for this ritual are as follows: For the waxing moon the sign of Puella (the girl/Selene) is given for the opening; for the full moon the sign of Mater Triumphans (the mother/Artemis); for the waning and dark of the moon, the sign of Isis in Mourning (crone/Hecate) is given. For the second half of the oration the sign of Mulier or Isis in Welcome as a general sign of Luna is given. The Sign of Silence should be given at the conclusion of both sections. This adoration may also be performed in conjunction with the Gayatri Mantrum.(1) (For 9 days after the New Moon) Hail unto thee who art Selene in thy waxing. Even unto thee who art Selene in thy Brightness, Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun. Helios caresses the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her realms.... Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X. (For 4 days either side of the Full Moon) Hail unto thee who art Artemis in thy Fullness. Even unto thee who art Artemis in thy Brilliance, Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun. Helios blazes upon the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her realms.... Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X. (For 9 days before the New Moon) Hail unto thee who art Hecate in thy waning. Even unto thee who art Hecate in thy Darkness, Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun. Helios concealeth the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her realms.... Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

Fourth Phase (Cont.) INVOCATIONS Ceaseless change that is stability I adore the Light on thy Breast Supreme and excellent Goddess who makest the Gods and the blessed to tremble before thee I...I adore thee Appear within the navel of Nu Lighten the ways of the Kha Open the ways of the Khu The ways of the Khabs run through To stir me and still me.... AOM1 Let it fill me Thy light is mine thy beams embrace me I have wrought the sacred gates into the groves of Selene, of Artemis and Hecate I am thy Athenian O Chaos thy prophet N.(2) By Βαβαλον my breast I beat By Θεριον I weave my spell Show thy star splendor O Nuit Bid me within thine house to dwell O winged snake of light Hadit Abide with me Ra Hoor Khuit! Notes: 1. The Vedic Gayatri Mantrum may be inserted in its entirety at this point. It is given phonetically as follows: AOM (Burbu Vas Vaha) Tat Savitur varenyam Bhargo Devasya Dimahi Dhiyo yo na Pratyodyat. A reasonably good translation of this can be found in Crowley’s Book 4, Part 1, Chapter II 2. Here may be inserted the practitioner’s own magickal name or motto.

Fourth Phase (Cont.) 2. Lunar Adorations (1993 e.v.) (From the Scarlet Letter v. I, no. 2) Lunar Adorations (1993 e.v.) by Fr. Pi (A.K.A. T Poliphilus, Dionysos Thriambos) Monthly, on the night when the Moon is new, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Hecate gliding through the heavens, who treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou Eye that blinkest in Thine Enigma upon the Night of Pan. Chaos leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty. Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in Love. Also, on the night when the Moon is in its first quarter, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Artemis gliding through the heavens, who treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou Eye that openest in Thy Stalking upon the Night of Pan. Chaos leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty. Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in Liberty. Also, on the night when the Moon is full, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Celene gliding through the heavens, who treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou Eye that gazest in Thy Mystery upon the Night of Pan. Chaos leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty. Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in Light. Also, on the night when the Moon is in its third quarter, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Diana gliding through the heavens, who treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou Eye that closest in Thy Dreaming upon the Night of Pan. Chaos leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty.

Fourth Phase (Cont.) Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in Life. Let him conclude each of these proclamations with the sign of silence, and let him continue by making the signs of N.O.X. Then shall he perform an adoration by which the spirit shall descend, that ALIM become ALHIM, and he too drink the nectar of the stars. When all this is accomplished, let him compose himself to holy meditation, until he taste the dissolution. And let this vary according to the Moon, so that with Hecate he shall become lost in [Ayin], with Artemis he shall become lost in [Beth], with Celene he shall become lost in [Nun] and with Diana he shall become lost in [Peh]. And thus may he be grasp the celestial patterns of Life, yea and more, the patterns of Death, that these patterns serve him as a map and a recipe in his execution of the Great Work, the fruits of which are True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.

Notes: In Crowley's Eight Lectures on Yoga he indicates that there are lunar adorations corresponding to the solar adorations of Liber Resh. He suggests the Hindu mantra gayatri, which is actually another solar adoration. This ritual is suggested to play the part of the lunar adoration. Another possibility would be to use a modification of the invocation of Thoth found in Liber Israfel, as Thoth is the Egyptian god of the moon. Possible options for the adoration to invoke the spirit include Liber LXV 1:1, and the "Prologue of the Unborn" from Liber VII.

The 496 Signs Signs: The 496 signs are my own work. There are four signs; each is made in a standing position with the arms held straight and the hands in fists, so as to describe with the fists a vesica in front of the magician.

Light: Hands are held together below the waist, and brought up to crossed wrists above the head. Life: Hands are held with crossed wrists above the head, and brought down to come together below the waist. Love: Hands are held together above the head, and brought down to crossed wrists below the waist.

Fourth Phase (Cont.) Liberty: Hands are held with crossed wrists below the waist, and brought up to come together over the head. The vesica formed in each case can be used as a frame for visualization.

3.

Liber Qoph vel Hecate LIBER QOPH vel HECATE Sub Figura C By Orryelle Defenestrate Hail Luna, as you rise, IxChel, Kia, Lady pale, Queen of dreams, Cast your spell, Of triple veil Ar-iadne, Ar-ianhrod, Ar-achne Moerae, Hail Hecate Of faces three, Shining from afar, Spider of Destiny In your web of Silver Stars

WAXING MOON: Hail Diana, Huntress, As you draw your silver bow, Hail Artemis and Io, Oh Horned waxing luminous present glow Nu and numinous maiden crescent shewn Hail Clotho, Spinner of life's thread Drawn forth from Nix Night Turning Fate's first strands With nimble hands Twining twixt the dark and bright

FULL MOON: Hail MoonMother, Full and fecund, round and bright, Isis, We draw you down from the night, With your cauldron-womb of luminous white

Fourth Phase (Cont.) Hail Lachesis, Weaver, Craft your web Weave the lines between the times Of wax and wane; And tides Of flow and ebb Gossamer silver cords Of dreaming draw together In your matrix matted of matter and ether DreamMother, give Birth As your light shines down to Earth

WANING MOON: Hail, Grandmother Spider, Crone and crow, Wisewoman, elder, seer, Help us face, and destroy Our fear Hail Hecate of the Crossroads, Oh old and ominous presence glowing Your waning numinous crescent going Hail Atropos, Cutter, With your waning silver scythe, You cut the thread of Life.

DARK MOON: There is a fourth face, though unseen There is a fourth path, whom few know A fourth Fate, who awaits In shadow Hail Kali, Blackness, From whom the kalas of Time emiT Three Norns converged, Past, present, future merged, On the path of Blood beyond the Wheel we surge and scry To Caer Arianhrod, Castle in the Sky Hail Nought, Not, Nuit, Maat, Yours the dark and secret art

Fourth Phase (Cont.) While crone's scythe cuts breath and with death The thread of life appears to dwindle From No-thing you craft another mask And re-splice it back, on another track To Clotho's spindle

“Love is the law, love under will.”