The Path of Initiation - The Holy Guardian Angel

This article is Part Ten of a series. Part One can be found here, Part Two can be found here, Part Three can be found here, Part Four can be found here, Part Five can be found here, Part Six can be found here, Part Seven can be found here, Part Eight can be found here, and Part Nine can be found here.

According to Aleister Crowley, the first "real initiation" in magick is the successful invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Crowley's conception of the HGA was heavily influenced by the Abramelin operation, which is found in The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, also known as The Book of Abramelin. The grimoire date itself to 1458, but the oldest surviving manuscript dates back to the early seventeenth century. It details a long and involved operation that spans either six or eighteen months, depending on the translation. So this stage of the Path of Initiation is not the sort of thing where you can do one ritual and be done with it - at least, I've never come across anybody who's reported that happening.

The experience of the Holy Guardian Angel is highly personal. One of the reasons that the article I published in the Holy Guardian Angel anthology mostly just details a method for establishing initial contact is that most discussion of the experience is not very useful. It is a form of gnosis, and also the experience of contacting a particular being residing in the spirit world. So a bunch of exposition that might be highly valuable to one person might be entirely useless to another, and my own experience might not be typical. Those caveats are unfortunately necessary when addressing this stage of the journey.

One of the big misconceptions about the HGA is that it simply corresponds to your "higher self." That is, it's some sort of a psychological projection that emerges from the "unconscious mind." This fits in nicely with magick as a form of psychotherapy, but it doesn't match the reality that most practitioners experience if they legitimately engage in the work. In fact, what we know now is that while the brain does a lot of unconscious processing, that processing is nothing like what we might call a "mind." An HGA has a fully-formed personality separate from your own, so how it could be a "projection" is anybody's guess.

The higher self idea is only true in one sense, the sense in which if we expand our consciousness high enough up the Tree of Life all things are interconnected and eventually collapse into each other. At that level, you and the angel are part of each other, but the same could be said about you and any other person, or even any other object. In practical terms, the HGA is a spiritual entity that has its own mind, it's own thoughts, and its own ideas. So the most effective way to get the work done is to assume that it is an entirely separate entity with which you are seeking to connect.


An assertion that I have seen thrown around by non-Thelemites is that the Knowledge and Conversation of the HGA is the Western equivalent of enlightenment. It is not. In the Thelemic system, Crossing the Abyss is the equivalent. An Adept may have transpersonal realization, but it is more properly the Master of the Temple who would be on par with Eastern enlightened masters. In Integral Psychology, Ken Wilber does a decent job of mapping the Tree of Life onto the Eastern systems, and if you place the Adept at Tiphareth and the Master of the Temple at Binah on that chart, you will see what I mean.

Crowley wrote up his own Holy Guardian Invocation inspired by the Abramelin working, called Liber Samekh. It is so named because on the Kircher Tree of Life the path of Samekh connects Yesod and Tiphareth. It should be noted, though, that on other versions of the Tree the path is attributed to different letters. The point, though, is that Liber Samekh is designed to produce a transition in consciousness from Yesod, below the Veil of Paroketh, to Tiphareth, above it. This is facilitated by the initiations of Active and Passive Spirit, which serve as preparation for this operation.

Some grimoire purists have pointed out that Liber Samekh is not "Crowley's version of the Abramelin," as it is sometimes called, and this is a correct statement. It was inspired by the Abramelin working, but the ritual procedure itself is very different. The version of Abramelin that influenced Crowley is the Mathers translation, which can be found here. There are more recent versions of Abramelin that are considered better than the Mathers, which was the first English edition of the text and which was not particularly well done. It is also the subject of some debate over whether or not Abramelin and Liber Samekh do "the same thing."

Personally I think that they probably do based on my experience, but as they are very different rituals it is hard to argue the point one way or the other. There are some very strong opinions on both sides, though I cannot think of anyone who has legitimately done both and would therefore know. Without direct experience it is all speculation, my work included, since I have not gone through the traditional Abramelin. I do know that my experience of the HGA lines up with Crowley's writings on the subject, but it is always possible that this ritual might initiate a spiritual contact that is entirely distinct from that conjured by the Abramelin operation.

Also, some Western writers have argued that the HGA is, or is not, the "same" as a "head spirit" found in African traditional religions (ATRs). Sometimes they argue both sides, implying that they are the same and then turning around and saying that they actually meant the exact opposite when criticized. As with this ritual versus the Abramelin, I have no idea. The concepts sound superficially similar, but it also sounds like there are some significant differences in the details. What I find especially silly about this debate is that the people involved usually have not done both, so they also have no idea. That's because all of this hinges on personal gnosis and shifts in consciousness, which cannot be measured or really even observed from an outside perspective.

So my advice is to quit worrying about it, if that's what you are doing. If you want to do something along the lines of Liber Samekh, that's what this article is for. Follow the instructions and you should be just fine. If you would rather go the grimoire route and do the formal Abramelin operation, do that. If you want to seek initiation into an ATR in order to contact a "head spirit," do that. It's all about your will as a magician and how you choose to express it. I also think that anybody who is going to judge you over which choice you make, or argue that their way is the only good way, or engages in whatever bullshit along those lines pops up on the Internet, does not understand how any of this works.

At any rate, Crowley did not compose Liber Samekh out of whole cloth. It is based on the Golden Dawn Bornless Ritual, which in turn is based on a ritual from the Greek Magical Papyri called the Stele of Jeu. The original ancient rite appears to have been an exorcism designed to drive a possessing spirit from a person's body. Still, the invocation itself has proved effective to many magicians over the years even though the modern version is performed for an entirely different purpose. Note also that this "bornless rite" material that forms the principal structure of Liber Samekh is nowhere to be found in the Abramelin text.

Before you start working with this ritual, which is my rendition of Liber Samekh with some notes, you should have completed all the rituals leading up to this point, including the Rites of Approach and Elixir Rites, and be relatively confident that you have obtained the initiations that they represent. You can never be entirely certain, but the more prepared you feel, the better this process will look. A warning - Liber Samekh is not really a "short cut" to doing the Abramelin. It generally takes at least six months of daily practice before your connection with the HGA is stabilized.

It's like an acclimatization process, and as a result it just requires time. You are working to cultivate a particular sort of altered consciousness, and then stabilize your baseline consciousness at that level. Until that stabilization happens, you might be able to communicate with the angel. The angel might be able to communicate with you. But it will be of an intermittent and unreliable nature, and just that is not the full "Knowledge and Conversation." Contact is comparatively easy. It sometimes even happens spontaneously. Stabilization, on the other hand, requires sustained effort to create the sort of "breakthrough" that you need to truly succeed.

In order to perform this ritual, you should first divine your Holy Guardian Angel's name. You can do this using Tarot, employing the method that I discussed in my Holy Guardian Angel anthology article. What you do is this:

1. Compose a heartfelt invocation to your Holy Guardian Angel. This is best left to your own devices, as it is highly personal.
2. Perform this invocation, then shuffle your deck of Tarot cards.
3. Draw three cards. If you get three Major Arcana cards in a row, draw a fourth card. If that's a Major Arcana, draw a fifth. And so forth.
4. As soon as you get a Minor Arcana card, stop. Examine that card, and meditate on it. Either that card represents what is blocking your connection with the angel, or it is telling you that the base name is shorter than three letters. So, for example, two Majors followed by "Completion" could mean that the name only consists of two letters. But two Majors followed by "Interference" probably indicates that the name is longer and something is getting in the way.
5. Convert the Major Arcana cards to Hebrew letters, using whatever attribution system you prefer. Crowley's system is built on the Kircher arrangement, but there are many others. Eliphas Levi's arrangement is also based on Kircher, but with different letter attributions for the Major Arcana.
6. Once you have a name, figure out the gematria. See if you can improve the symbolism by adding AL, IEL, or one of the traditional angel name ending. Use whichever one makes the name work out the best.

Keep in mind that the name produced by this may or may not be the "true name" of the angel. But that's okay. The divined name will work as a "handle" to facilitate the connection, and you can use it in the ritual where "HGA Name" is indicated. Otherwise, you can use something more generic like Adonai, IAO, or some other similar name.

The ritual is performed as followed. You should have successfully achieved the Knowledge and Conversation before moving on to Tiphareth, and that will take awhile. If you move on anyway, the subsequent rituals will probably not work as intended. At best, they will produce a highly reduced effect from how they might otherwise work.

0. The Temple

The ritual space is set up with an altar table in the center. The bell chime, banishing dagger, and invoking wand are placed on the altar.

I. Opening

Inhale fully, placing the banishing dagger to your lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram or Star Ruby.

I take refuge in Nuit, the blue-lidded daughter of sunset, the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night sky, as I issue the call to the awakened nature of all beings, for every man and every woman is a star. MAKAShANaH.

Pause.

I take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as I issue the call to my own awakened nature, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring. ABRAHADABRA.

Pause.

I take refuge in Heru-Ra-Ha, who wields the wand of double power, the wand of the force of Coph Nia, but whose left hand is empty for he has crushed an universe and naught remains, as I unite my awakened nature with that of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering. AUMGN.

Pause.

For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect. All is pure and present are and has always been so, for existence is pure joy; all the sorrows are but as shadows; they pass and done; but there is that which remains. To this realization I commit myself – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

Bell chime.

II. The Magical Field

Perform the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram or Star Sapphire.

All: Now I begin to pray, thou child,
Holy thy name and undefiled.
Thy reign is come, thy will is done,
Here is the bread, here is the blood,
Bring me through midnight to the Sun.
Save me from evil and from good
That thy one crown of all the ten
Even now and here be mine.
AMEN.

Pause.

In my breast I carry the mark of the Living God. I adore thee, thou light of the world. I adore thee thou Light of the Grail. I ask nothing from thee for I am become thee. I and thee are one in the perfection of the Mystery of Life.

Bell chime.

III. The Preliminary Invocation

And before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal, and in the center and around the throne, four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. Without stopping day or night they were saying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming. IAO.

Make the Sign of Apophis and Typhon.

Officiant: Holy art Thou, who art Universe,
Holy art Thou, who art in Nature formed,
Holy art Thou, the Vast and the Mighty,
Source of Darkness, Source of Light.

Make the Sign of Silence.

Lord all mighty and all powerful, hear my Prayers
Command thy holy Angels above the fixed stars
To be Assisting and Aiding of thy people
That I may command all spirits
Of the air, fire, water, earth, heaven and hell
So that we may tend to the glory of God and Man

Bell chime.

IV. Tuning the Space

Perform the Greater Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram for the Sun (Sephirothic). Invoking Sun hexagram in yellow with ARARITA, symbol of the Sun in purple with YHVH ELOAH VE-DAATH.

V. The Invocation - Adapted from Aleister Crowley's Liber Samekh

Section A. The Oath.

1. Thee I invoke, the Bornless One.
2. Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens.
3. Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day.
4. Thee, that didst create the darkness and the Light.
5. Thou art ASAR UN-NEFER ("Myself made Perfect"): Whom no man hath seen at any time.
6. Thou art IA-BESZ ("the Truth in Matter").
7. Thou art IA-APOPHRASZ ("the Truth in Motion").
8. Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust.
9. Thou didst make the Female and the Male.
10. Thou didst produce the Seeds and the Fruit.
11. Thou didst form Men to love one another, and to hate one another.

Section Aa.

1. I am [Your Magical Name] thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Thelema.
2. Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.
3. Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel [Holy Guardian Angel Name]: this is my True Name, handed down to the Prophets of Thelema.

Section B. Air.

A couple of notes here - you do not actually say the quoted English following the words of power. That language describes what you should be visualizing as you vibrate the word. Crowley assembled these visualizations based on the Qabalistic meaning of each letter transliterated into Hebrew for the words he was unable to translate directly. So as an example, AR transliterates to Aleph Resh. Aleph is Air and Resh is the Sun, so Crowley took the meaning to be "O breathing, flowing Sun." The rest are worked out similarly, with poetic license taken in many places.

Crowley uses F here to refer to the Greek digamma, which has a sound that lies between "the English long o and long oo, as in Rope and Tooth." So IAF is not pronounced with an F sound, but rather as "IAO" with a slight lengthening of the O sounds. So "IAF" is the same "IAO" - a Gnostic formulation of the Tetragrammaton - that is found in the Gnostic Mass and elsewhere. Crowley transliterates this digamma to the Hebrew Vav.

AR "O breathing, flowing Sun!"
ThIAF "O Sun IAF! O Lion-Serpent Sun, The Beast that whirlest forth, a thunder- bolt, begetter of Life!"
RhEIBET "Thou that flowest! Thou that goest!"
A-ThELE-BER-SET "Thou Satan-Sun Hadith that goest without Will!"
A "Thou Air! Breath! Spirit! Thou without bound or bond!"
BELAThA "Thou Essence, Air Swift-streaming, Elasticity!"
ABEU "Thou Wanderer, Father of All!"
EBEU "Thou Wanderer, Spirit of All!"
PhI-ThETA-SOE "Thou Shining Force of Breath! Thou Lion-Serpent Sun! Thou Saviour, save!"
IB "Thou Ibis, secret solitary Bird, inviolate Wisdom, whose Word in Truth, creating the World by its Magick!"
ThIAF "O Sun IAF! O Lion-Serpent Sun, The Beast that whirlest forth, a thunder- bolt, begetter of Life!"

The conception is of Air, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Bird, "the Holy Ghost", of a Mercurial Nature.

Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth, on dry land and in the water; of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Section C. Fire.

I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God: Who dwellest in the Void Place of the Spirit:

AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRAO "Thou spiritual Sun! Satan, Thou Eye, Thou Lust! Cry aloud! Cry aloud! Whirl the Wheel, O my Father, O Satan, O Sun!"
SOTOU "Thou, the Saviour!"
MUDORIO "Silence! Give me Thy Secret!"
PhALARThAO "Give me suck, Thou Phallus, Thou Sun!"
OOO "Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust! Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust! Satan, thou Eye, thou Lust!"
AEPE "Thou self-caused, self-determined, exalted, Most High!"

The Bornless One. (Vide supra).

The conception is of Fire, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Lion of a Uranian nature.

Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Section D. Water.

In this section, Crowley refers the student to the formula of IAF, or rather FIAOF, noting that the latter will be superior in practice. This is the same "FIAOF" that is found in the Elevenfold Seal portion of Liber V vel Reguli. It is pronounced with a oo sound close to that in "book" added to the beginning and end of "EE-AH-OH."

Hear Me:

RU-ABRA-IAF "Thou the Wheel, thou the Womb, that containeth the Father IAF!"
MRIODOM "Thou the Sea, the Abode!"
BABALON-BAL-BIN-ABAFT "Babalon! Thou Woman of Whoredom. Thou, Gate of the Great God ON! Thou Lady of the Understanding of the Ways!"
ASAL-ON-AI "Hail Thou, the unstirred! Hail, sister and bride of ON, of the God that is all and is none, by the Power of Eleven!"
APhEN-IAF "Thou Treasure of IAO!"
I "Thou Virgin twin-sexed! Thou Secret Seed! Thou inviolate Wisdom!"
PhOTETh "Abode of the Light..."
ABRASAX "...of the Father, the Sun, of Hadith, of the spell of the Aeon of Horus!"
AEOOU "Our Lady of the Western Gate of Heaven!"
ISChURE "Mighty art Thou!"

Mighty and Bornless One! (Vide Supra)

The conception is of Water, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Dragon-Serpent, of a Neptunian nature.

Hear Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Section E. Earth

I invoke Thee:

MA "O Mother! O Truth!"
BARRAIO "Thou Mass!" (in the sense used by physicists)
IOEL "Hail, Thou that art!"
KOThA "Thou hollow one!"
AThOR-e-BAL-O "Thou Goddess of Beauty and Love, whom Satan, beholding, desireth!"
ABRAFT "The Fathers, male-female, desire Thee!"

The conception of of Earth, glowing, inhabited by a Solar-Phallic Hippopotamus (sacred to Ahathoor) of a Venereal nature.

Hear Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether: upon The Earth and under the Earth: on dry land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Section F. Spirit

Hear Me:

AFT "Male-Female Spirits!"
ABAFT "Male-Female Sires!"
BAS-AUMGN "Ye that are Gods, going forth, uttering AUMGN. (The Word that goeth from (A) Free Breath. (U) through Willed Breath. (M) and stopped Breath. (GN) to Continuous Breath. thus symbolizing the whole course of spiritual life. A is the formless Hero; U is the six-fold solar sound of physical life, the triangle of Soul being entwined with that of Body; M is the silence of 'death'; GN is the nasal sound of generation & knowledge)."
ISAK "Identical Point!"
SA-BA-FT "Nuith! Hadith! Ra-Hoor-Khuit! Hail, Great Wild Beast! Hail, IAO!"

Section Ff.

This is the Lord of the Gods:
This is the Lord of the Universe:
This is He whom the Winds fear.
This is He, Who having made Voice by His commandment is Lord of all Things; King, Ruler and Helper. Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.

Section G. Spirit

Hear Me:

IEOU "Indwelling Sun of Myself"
PUR "Thou Fire! Thou Sixfold Star initiator compassed about with Force and Fire!"
IOU "Indwelling Soul of Myself"
PUR (Vide Supra)
IAFTh "Sun-lion Serpent, hail! All Hail, thou Great Wild Beast, thou I A O!"
IAEO "Breaths of my soul, breaths of mine Angel."
IOOU "Lust of my soul, lust of mine Angel!"
ABRASAX (Vide Supra).
SABRIAM "Ho for the Sangraal! Ho for the Cup of Babalon! Ho for mine Angel pouring Himself forth within my Soul!"
OO "The Eye! Satan, my Lord! The Lust of the goat!"
FF "Mine Angel! Mine initiator! Thou one with me - the Sixfold Star!"
AD-ON-A-I "My Lord! My secret self beyond self, Hadith, All Father! Hail, ON, thou Sun, thou Life of Man, thou Fivefold Sword of Flame! Thou Goat exalted upon Earth in Lust, thou Snake extended upon Earth in Life! Spirit most holy! Seed most Wise! Innocent Babe. Inviolate Maid! Begetter of Being! Soul of all Souls! Word of all Words, Come forth, most hidden Light!"
EDE "Devour thou me!"
EDU "Thou dost devour Me!"
ANGELOS TON ThEON "Thou Angel of the Gods!"
ANLALA "Arise thou in Me, free flowing, Thou who art Naught, who art Naught, and utter thy Word!"
LAI "I also am Naught! I Will Thee! I behold Thee! My nothingness!"
GAIA "Leap up, thou Earth!" (This is also an agonising appeal to the Earth, the Mother; for at this point of the ceremony the Adept should be torn from his mortal attachments, and die to himself in the orgasm of his operation.)
AEPE "Thou Exalted One! It (i.e. the spritual 'semen', the Adept's secret ideas, drawn irresistibly from their 'Hell' 3 by the love of his Angel) leaps up; it leaps forth!
DIATHARNA THORON "Lo! the out-splashing of the seeds of Immortality"

Some form of adoration may be placed here, prior to the attainment section. You may use the adoration you composed in order to divine the angel's name, or some other piece. Since we've been working with Liber 963, this would be where you could insert material from the "169 Cries of Adoration" chapter, as this chapter is an extensive adoration of IAO. You don't necessarily need to recite the entire thing as it's quite long - though with a practice like this, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Feel free to experiment with selections from it, or to create a new set of adorations that are entirely your own.

The Chapter known as
The Hundred and Sixty-Nine Cries of
Adoration and the Unity thereof

I adore Thee by the Hundred and Sixty- Nine Cries of Adoration and by the Unity thereof.
O Thou Dragon-prince of the air, that art drunk on the blood of the sunsets! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Unicorn of the storm, that art crested above the purple air! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou burning sword of passion, that art tempered on the anvil of flesh! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou slimy lust of the grave, that art tangled in the roots of the tree! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou smoke-shrouded sword of flame, that art ensheathed in the bowels of earth! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou scented grove of wild vines, that art trampled by the white feet of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou golden sheaf of desires, that art bound by a fair wisp of poppies! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou molten comet of gold, that art seen through the wizard's glass of Space! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou shrill song of the eunuch, that art heard behind the curtain of shame! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bright star of the morning, that art set betwixt the breasts of night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou lidless eye of the world, that art seen through the sapphire veil of space! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou smiling mouth of the dawn, that art freed from the laughter of the night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou dazzling star-point of hope, that burnest over oceans of despair! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou naked virgin of love, that art caught in a net of wild roses! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou iron turret of death, that art rusted with the bright blood of war! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bubbling wine-cup of joy, that foamest like the cauldron of murder! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou icy trail of the moon, that art traced in the veins of the onyx! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou frenzied hunter of love, that art slain by the twisted horns of lust! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou frozen book of the seas, that art graven by the swords of the sun! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou flashing opal of light, that art wrapped in the robes of the rainbow! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou purple mist of the hills, that hideth shepherds from the wanton moon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou low moan of fainting maids, that art caught up in the strong sobs of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou fleeting beam of delight, that lurkest within the spear-thrusts of dawn! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou golden wine of the sun, that art poured over the dark breasts of night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou fragrance of sweet flowers, that art wafted over blue fields of air! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mighty bastion of faith, that withstandest all the breachers of doubt! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou silver horn of the moon, that gorest the red flank of the morning! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou grey glory of twilight, that art the hermaphrodite triumphant! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou thirsty mouth of the wind, that art maddened by the foam of the sea! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou couch of rose-leaf desires, that art crumpled by the vine and the fir! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bird-sweet river of Love, that warblest through the pebbly gorge of Life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou golden network of stars, that art girt about the cold breasts of Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mad whirlwind of laughter, that art meshed in the wild locks of folly! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou white hand of Creation, that holdest up the dying head of Death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou purple tongue of Twilight, that dost lap up the lucent milk of Day! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou thunderbolt of Science, that flashest from the dark clouds of Magic! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red rose of the Morning, that glowest in the bosom of the Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou flaming globe of Glory, that art caught up in the arms of the sun! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou silver arrow of hope, that art shot from the arc of the rainbow! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou starry virgin of Night, that art strained to the arms of the morning! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sworded soldier of life, that art sucked down in the quicksands of death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bronze blast of the trumpet, that rollest over emerald-tipped spears! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou opal mist of the sea, that art sucked up by the beams of the sun! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red worm of formation, that art lifted by the white whorl of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mighty anvil of Time, that outshowerest the bright sparks of life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red cobra of desire, that art unhooded by the hands of girls! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou curling billow of joy, whose fingers caress the limbs of the world! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou emerald vulture of Truth, that art perched upon the vast tree of life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou lonely eagle of night, that drinkest at the moist lips of the moon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wild daughter of Chaos, that art ravished by the strong son of law! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou ghostly night of terror, that art slaughtered in the blood of the dawn! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou poppied nectar of sleep, that art curled in the still womb of slumber! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou burning rapture of girls, that disport in the sunset of passion! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou molten ocean of stars, that art a crown for the forehead of day! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou little brook in the hills, like an asp betwixt the breasts of a girl! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mighty oak of magic, that art rooted in the mountain of life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sparkling network of pearls, that art woven of the waves by the moon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wanton sword-blade of life, that art sheathed by the harlot call'd Death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mist-clad spirit of spring, that art unrob'd by the hands of the wind! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sweet perfume of desire, that art wafted through the valleys of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sparkling wine-cup of light, whose foaming is the heart's blood of the stars! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou silver sword of madness, that art smitten through the midden of life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou hooded vulture of night, that art glutted on the entrails of day! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pearl-grey arch of the world, whose keystone is the ecstasy of man! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou silken web of movement, that art blown through the atoms of matter! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou rush-strewn threshold of joy, that art lost in the quicksands of reason! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wild vision of Beauty, but half seen betwixt the cusps of the moon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pearl cloud of the sunset, that art caught up in a murderer's hand! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou rich vintage of slumber, that art crushed from the bud of the poppy! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou great boulder of rapture, that leapest adown the mountains of joy! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou breather-out of the winds, that art snared in the drag-net of reason! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou purple breast of the storm, that art scarred by the teeth of the lightning! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Pillar of phosphor foam, that Leviathan spouteth from's nostrils! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou song of the harp of life, that chantest forth the perfection of death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou veiled beam of the stars, that art tangled in the tresses of night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou flashing shield of the sun, as a discus hurled by the hand of Space! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou ribald shout of laughter, that echoest among the tombs of death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou unfailing cruse of joy, that art filled with the tears of the fallen! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou burning lust of the moon, that art clothed in the mist of the ocean! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou one measure of all things, that art Dam of the great order of worlds! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou frail virgin of Eden, that art ravished to the abode of Hell! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou dark forest of wonder, that art tangled in a gold web of dew! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou tortured shriek of the storm, that art whirled up through the leaves of the woods! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou dazzling opal of light, that flamest in the crumbling skull of space! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red knife of destruction, that art sheathed in the bowels of order! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou storm-drunk breath of the winds, that pant in the bosom of the mountains! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou loud bell of rejoicing, that art smitten by the hammer of woe! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red rose of the sunset, that witherest on the altar of night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bright vision of sunbeams, that burnest in a flagon of topaz! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou virgin lily of night, that sproutest between the lips of a corpse! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou blue helm of destruction, that art winged with the lightnings of madness! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou voice of the heaving seas, that tremblest in the grey of the twilight! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou unfolder of heaven, red-winged as an eagle at sunrise! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou curling tongue of red flame, athirst on the nipple of my passion! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou outrider of the sun, that spurrest the bloody flanks of the wind! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou dancer with gilded nails, that unbraidest the star-hair of the night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou moonlit pearl of rapture, clasped fast in the silver hand of the Dawn! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wanton mother of love, that art mistress of the children of men! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou crimson fountain of blood, that spoutest from the heart of Creation! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou warrior eye of the sun, that shooteth death from the berylline Byss! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Witch's hell-broth of hate, that boilest in the white cauldron of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Ribbon of Northern Lights, that bindest the elfin tresses of night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red sword of the Twilight, that art rusted with the blood of the noon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sacrificer of Dawn, that wearest the chasuble of sunset! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bloodshot eye of lightning, glowering beneath the eyebrows of thunder! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou four-square Crown of Nothing, that circlest the destruction of worlds! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou bloodhound whirlwind of lust, that art unleashed by the first kiss of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wondrous chalice of light, uplifted by the Maenads of Dawn! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou fecund opal of death, that sparklest through a sea of mother-of-pearl! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou crimson rose of the Dawn, that art fastened in the dark locks of Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pink nipple of Being, thrust deep into the black mouth of Chaos! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou vampire Queen of the Flesh, wound as a snake around the throats of men! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou tender nest of dove's down, built up betwixt the hawk's claws of the Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou concubine of Matter, anointed with love-nard of Motion! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou flame-tipp'd bolt of Morning, that art shot out from the crossbow of Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou frail blue-bell of Moonlight, that art lost in the gardens of the Stars! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou tall mast of wreck'd Chaos, that art crowned by the white lamp of Cosmos! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pearly eyelid of Day, that art closed by the finger of Evening! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wild anarch of the Hills, pale glooming above the mists of the Earth! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou moonlit peak of pleasure, that art crowned by viper tongues of forked flame! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wolfish head of the winds, that frighteth the snow-white lamb of winter! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou dew-lit nymph of the Dawn, that swoonest in the satyr arms of the Sun! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mad abode of kisses, that art lit by the fat of murdered fiends! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou sleeping lust of the Storm, that art flame-gorg'd as a flint full of fire! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou soft dew of the Evening, that art drunk up by the mist of the Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou wounded son of the West, that gushest out Thy blood on the heavens! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou burning tower of fire, that art set up in the midst of the seas! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou unvintageable dew, that art moist upon the lips of the Morn! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou silver crescent of love, that burnest over the dark helm of War! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou snow-white ram of the Dawn, that art slain by the lion of the noon! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou crimson spear-point of life, that art thrust through the dark bowels of Time! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou black waterspout of Death, that whirlest, whelmest the tall ship of Life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou mighty chain of events, that art strained betwixt Cosmos and Chaos! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou towering eagre of lust, that art heaped up by the moon-breasts of youth! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou serpent-crown of green light, that art wound round the dark forehead of Death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou crimson vintage of Life, that art poured into the jar of the Grave! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou waveless Ocean of Peace, that sleepest beneath the wild heart of man! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou whirling skirt of the stars, that art swathed round the limbs of the AEthyr! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou snow-white chalice of Love, thou art filled up with the red lusts of Man! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou fragrant garden of Joy, firm-set betwixt the breasts of the morning! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pearly fountain of Life, that spoutest up in the black court of Death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou brindle hound of the Night, with thy nose to the sleuth of the Sunset! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou leprous claw of the ghoul, that coaxest the babe from its chaste cradle! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou assassin word of law, that art written in ruin of earthquakes! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou trembling breast of the night, that gleamest with a rosary of moons! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Holy Sphinx of rebirth, that crouchest in the black desert of death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou diadem of the suns, that art the knot of this red web of worlds! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou ravished river of law, that outpourest the arcanum of Life! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou glimmering tongue of day, that art sucked into the blue lips of Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou Queen-Bee of Heaven's hive, that smearest thy thighs with honey of Hell! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou scarlet dragon of flame, enmeshed in the web of a spider! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou magic symbol of light, that art frozen on the black book of blood! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou swathed image of Death, that art hidden in the coffin of joy! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red breast of the sunset, that pantest for the ravishment of Night! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou serpent of malachite, that baskest in a desert of turquoise! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou fierce whirlpool of passion, that art sucked up by the mouth of the sun! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou green cockatrice of Hell, that art coiled around the finger of Fate! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou lambent laughter of fire, that art wound round the heart of the waters! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou gorilla blizzard Air, that tearest out Earth's tresses by the roots! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou reveller of Spirit, that carousest in the halls of Matter! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou red-lipped Vampire of Life, that drainest blood from the black Mount of Death! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou little lark of Beyond, that art heard in the dark groves of knowledge! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou summer softness of lips, that glow hot with the scarlet of passion! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou pearly foam of the grape, that art flecked with the roses of love! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou frenzied hand of the seas, that unfurlest the black Banner of Storm! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou shrouded book of the dead, that art sealed with the seven souls of man! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou writhing frenzy of love, that art knotted like the grid-flames of Hell! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou primal birth-ring of thought, that dost encircle the thumb of the soul! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!
O Thou blind flame of Nothingness, as a crown upon my brow! I adore Thee, Evoe! I adore Thee, IAO!

Amen, and Amen of Amen, and Amen of Amen of Amen, and Amen of Amen of Amen of Amen.

Impromptu meditation or adoration may be performed here. When finished:

Section Gg. The Attainment

1. I am He! the Bornless Spirit! having sight in the feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire!
2. I am He! the Truth!
3. I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!
4. I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth!
5. I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth!
6. I am He, whose mouth ever flameth!
7. I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light!
8. I am He, The Grace of the Worlds!
9. "The Heart Girt with a Serpent" is my name!

Section H. The "Charge to the Spirit"

Come thou forth, and follow me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether, upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land, or in the Water: of Whirling Air or of rushing Fire, and every Spell and scourge of God, may be obedient unto me!

Section J. The Proclamation of the Beast 666

IAF:SABAF (F is digamma here also, so "EE-AH-OO SAH-BAH-OO.")
Such are the Words!

VI. Closing

May Life, Light, Love, and Liberty be extended universally to all under the regency of the one law of Thelema. May all attain the Stone of the Wise, the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.

May the benefit of this act and all acts be dedicated unto the complete liberation and supreme enlightenment of all beings everywhere, pervading space and time. So mote it be. May the benefits of practice, mine and others’, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence. AH!

Perform the Qabalistic Cross.

I now declare this temple duly closed.

Bell Chime. The rite is at an end.