Via Solis Cancer Elixir Rite - Year Eight

Today's post is a full script for the Cancer Elixir Rite that we will be performing tomorrow, Tuesday July 9th, at Leaping Laughter Lodge in Minneapolis, MN. Doors will open at 7:30 with the ritual to start around 8 PM.

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. In the center of the altar is placed a cup of wine for creating the elixir, within the Table of Art corresponding to Cancer. The sign Cancer is attributed to "The power of casting enchantments." As I interpret it, this is related to the ability to magnetize or draw things into your life in accordance with your will. So those sorts of intents are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

All stand surrounding the altar. Officiant inhales fully, placing the banishing dagger at his or her lips. The air is then expelled as the dagger is swept backwards.

Officiant: Bahlasti! Ompehda!

Officiant then performs the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. All rotate accordingly.

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

All: MAKAShANaH

Officiant: We take refuge in Hadit, the secret flame that burns in every heart of man and in the core of every star, as we issue the call to our own awakened natures, arousing the coiled serpent about to spring.

All: ABRAHADABRA

Officiant: We 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 we unite our awakened natures with those of all beings everywhere and everywhen, dissolving all obstacles and healing all suffering.

All: AUMGN

Officiant: For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.

All: 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 we commit ourselves – pure and total presence. So mote it be.

II. The Magical Field

Officiant performs the Lesser Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram (Comselh Ananael or standard version). All rotate accordingly.

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.

Officiant: In my breast I carry the mark of the Living God.

All: 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.

III. The Preliminary Invocation

Officiant: 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...

All: Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, who is, and who is coming – IAO

All 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.

All make the Sign of Silence.

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

IV. Tuning the Space

Officiant performs the Greater Invoking Hexagram of Cancer (Hexagram of the Moon in amber with ARARITA, symbol of Cancer in indigo with HVHY). All rotate accordingly. Officiant then reads the unification statement from Liber 963.

1. O Thou burning tempest of blinding sand, Thou whirlwind from the depths of darkness! Yea, as I struggle through Thee, through Thee, my strength is but as a dove's down floating forth on the purple nipples of the storm.

2. O my God, Thou Mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the ceaseless booming of the waves, and the fury of the storm, and all the turmoil of the wind-swept waters; so that I may drink of the porphyrine foam of Thy lips, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.

3. O Thou ten-footed soldier of blue ocean, whose castle is built upon the sands of life and death; I swear to Thee by the glittering blades of the waters, to cleave my way within Thine armed hermitage, and brood as an eyeless corpse beneath the coffin-lid of the Mighty Sea.

4. O Thou Sovran Warrior of steel-girt valour, whose scimitar is a flame between day and night, whose helm is crested with the wings of the Abyss. I know Thee! O Thou four-eyed guardian of heaven, who kindleth to a flame the hearts of the downcast, and girdeth about with fire the loins of the unarmed.

5. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the amber combers of the storm: Thou hast laid Thy lash upon the sphinxes of the waters, so that they may boom forth the Glory of Thy Name.

6. O Thou mighty God, make me as an emerald crab that crawleth over the wet sands of the sea-shore; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may write Thy name across the shores of Time, and sink amongst the white atoms of Thy Being. O Thou God, my God!

7. O Thou thirsty charioteer of Time, whose cup is the hollow night filled with the foam of the vintage of day; drench me in the shower of Thy passion, so that I may pant in Thine arms as a tongue of lightning on the purple bosom of night.

8. O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the forge of Eternity; nor the thunder-throated womb of Chaos: O Thou who art not found in the hissing of the hail-stones; nor in the rioting of the equinoctial storm! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Bring me to the unity of Thy might, and feast me on honeyed manna of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.

9. Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou coruscating star-point of Endlessness; Thou inundating fire of the Void; Thou moonbeam cup of eternal life: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou fire-sandalled warrior of steel; O Thou bloody dew of the field of slaughter and death! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till the music of my throat smiteth the hills as a crescent moon waketh a nightly field of sleeping comets, at the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.

10. O my God, fondle me with kisses and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all my desires are as dewdrops that are sucked from silver lilies by the throat of a young god.

11. O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all the passion of my love is mazed as the bewildered eyes of a youth, who should wake to find his beloved fled away. Yet in the crumpled couch of lust do I behold as an imprint the sigil of Thy name.

12. O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou amber-scal'd one whose eyes are set on columns? O Thou sightless seer of all things! Thou spearless warrior who urgest on Thy steeds and blindest the outer edge of darkness with Thy Glory! O how can I grasp the whirling wheels of Thy splendour, and yet be not smitten into death by the hurtling fury of Thy chariot?

All: O Thou Unity of all things: as the sun that rolleth through the twelve mansions of the skies, so art Thou, O God my God. I cannot slay Thee, for Thou art everywhere; lo! though I lick up the Boundless Light, the Boundless, and the Not, there still shall I find Thee, Thou Unity of Unities, Thou Oneness, O Thou perfect Nothingness of Bliss!

V. The Conjuration

Officiant: Oh Glorious and Mighty MURIEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of SARTON, Behold me, and in the name of the same your God, the rushing and watery HVHY, Attend and Appear before us in this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the Sign of Cancer do we rightly desire! Enlighten our understanding, encourage our hearts, and manifest unto us now as we partake of your spiritual realm.

All: So mote it be.

All vibrate the name MURIEL repeatedly until the presence of the angel is perceived by Officiant. Officiant rings Bell Chime to stop the chant. The following section then alternates between OFFICIANT(S) and ALL.

You are holy and your name is holy. You are exalted and your name is exalted. You are mighty and your name is mighty. You are strong and your name is strong. You are honored and your name is honored. You are true and your name is true. You are ancient and your name is ancient. You are blessed and your name is blessed. You are chosen and your name is chosen. You are great and your name is great. You are praised and your name is praised. You are power and your name is power.

Officiant: Gloria Patri et Matri et Filius et Filia et spiritui sancto externo et spiritui sancto interno ut erat est erit in saeculo saeculorum sex in uno per nomen septem in uno...

All: ARARITA

VI. Charging Elixir

Officiant: O rushing and watery HVHY. To thee we present this talisman of our magickal will! We ask thee, Oh Exalted One, to receive this body of our rite into the light of thy presence. As we proceed in making this Elixir of Cancer, charging it with the creative energies of SARTON, we shall achieve a true alchemical ferment, mighty in Yetzirah and vitalized by thy blessing. In partaking of this Mystery, let there be unto us vitality of soul, increase of sight, true gnosis, and complete manifestation of the wonders of thy Sphere!

All make one clockwise circumambulation, visualizing a wall of amber light whirling rapidly in the same direction about the circle. When finished, the wall of light is allowed to fade. Beginning with Officiant and proceeding clockwise, the cup is passed to each participant. Each holds cup and says:

Creature of Wine who art established in the Sphere of Cancer: by my vital force I enliven thee to perfect this work of Holy Magick in the realm of SARTON.

Each participant then passes cup clockwise. When finished, the cup is replaced and all circumambulate the altar 9 times. Officiant then raises power, visualizing a continuous spiral of amber light ascending from the ground at feet, whirling clockwise around body and ascending until it disappears above head. Officiant holds this visualization, and then vibrates the permutation of the divine name once: HVHY

Each participant in turn, clockwise around circle, does the same as above. Note that this is power raised WITHIN YOURSELF. The power raised is NOT being projected into the elixir cup at this point. When finished, all join hands and vibrate once more: HVHY

All now extend hands toward elixir cup. THIS is where the power is projected into the elixir cup. Visualize beams of amber light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full,” Officiant traces the symbol of Cancer in a horizontal plane while vibrating once more: HVHY. This ends the visualization.

All make one complete circumambulation of the circle. Battery: 1. Officiant raises cup.

Officiant: Behold the Elixir of Cancer! For all and for each it is prepared! Let each and all receive its magick virtue!

Officiant(s) drink first, followed by all participants. Each person takes a drink and visualizes or speaks their intent, either to themselves or out loud. The cup should not be entirely drained. When all are finished, Battery: 1.

Officiant: (indicating the cup, which should still contain some of the elixir) Glorious and Mighty MURIEL, we make this offering unto you, that it may nourish and fortify you as you attend to your appointed tasks. Be the ferment of our spiritual alchemy mighty in the crucible of our souls!

All: So mote it be!

VII. Closing

Officiant: O thou MURIEL, Praise and honor be unto thee for the Splendor of thine office and the majesty of thy being. And the blessing of thy God and Mine, the rushing and watery HVHY. Because thou hast diligently answered unto our demands, and hast been very ready and willing to come at our call, we do here license thee to depart unto thy proper place by the name HVHY; without causing harm or danger unto man or beast. Depart, then, I say, and be thou very ready to come at our call, being duly exorcised and conjured by these sacred rites of magick. We charge thee to withdraw peaceably and quietly, and that the peace of the Almighty, Eternal, True, and Living God be ever continued between us. AMEN.

All: So mote it be!

Officiant: 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.

All: 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, ours and others’, come to fruition ultimately and immediately and we remain in a state of presence. AH!

Officiant(s) perform the Qabalistic Cross.

Officiant: I now declare this temple duly closed.