Via Solis Taurus Elixir Rite - Year Five (Streaming)

Tonight, Tuesday May 4th, I will be presenting Year Five of the Taurus Elixir Rite. I'll be trying something a little different this evening - streaming live from YouTube instead of Facebook. I'm hoping that by using a YouTube channel instead of Facebook Live we will see more stability in our video presentations. This isn't usually an issue, but we saw some catastrophic failures during the Office of the Readings that we all hope to avoid in the future.

Here is the link to the Leaping Laughter YouTube channel, which is currently empty but will be hosting tonight's live preentation at 8 PM. I will also post any relevant announcements and updates on the Leaping Laughter Facebook page here. YouTube Live should work just like the streaming we have been doing on Facebook Live, except on our YouTube channel rather than our Facebook page.

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 Taurus. The sign Taurus is attributed to "The Secret of Physical Strength," and therefore intents related to strength, healing, vitality, and so forth are most appropriate. The Via Solis Elixir Rites were written by Michele Montserrat in 2010 for the Comselh Ananael magical working group.

I. Opening

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.

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: 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 Taurus (Hexagram of Venus in red-orange with ARARITA, symbol of Taurus in greenish blue with YHHV). All rotate accordingly. Officiant(s) then read the unification statement from Liber 963, alternating the first twelve lines between them and reading the thirteenth together in unison.

1. O Thou summer-land of eternal joy, Thou rapturous garden of flowers! Yea, as I gather Thee, my harvest is but as a drop of dew shimmering in the golden cup of the crocus.

2. O my God, Thou mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the kisses of my mistress, and the murmur of her mouth, and all the trembling of her firm young breast; so that I may be rolled a flame in Thy fiery embrace, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.

3. O Thou fat of an hundred fortresses of iron, crimson as the blades of a million murderous swords; I swear to Thee by the smoke-wreath of the volcano, to open the secret shrine of Thy bull's breast, and tear out as an augur the heart of Thine all-pervading mystery.

4. O Thou Sovran Moonstone of pearly loveliness, from out whose many eyes flash the fire-clouds of life, and whose breath enkindleth the Byss and the Abyss. I know Thee! O Thou fountain-head of fierce aethyr, in the pupil of whose brightness all things lie crouched and wrapped like a babe in the womb of its mother.

5. O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the countenance of my darling: Thou hast unclothed her of white lilies and crimson roses, so that she may blush forth the Glory of Thy Name.

6. O Thou mighty God, make me as a thunder-smitten bull that is drunk upon the vintage of Thy blood; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may bellow through the universe Thy Power, and trample the nectar-sweet grapes of Thine Essence: O Thou God, my God!

7. O Thou black bull in a field of white girls, whose foaming flanks are as starry night ravished in the fierce arms of noon; shake forth the purple horns of my passion, so that I may dissolve as a crown of fire in the bewilderment of Thine ecstasy.

8. O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the golden bull of the heavens; nor the crimsoned fountain of the lusts of men: O Thou who reclinest not upon the Waggon of Night; nor restest Thine hand upon the handle of the Plough! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Urge me in the unity of Thy might, and drench me with the red vintage 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 opalescent orb of shattered sunsets; Thou pearly boss on the shield of light; Thou tawny priest at the Mass of lust: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou chalcedony cloudland of light; O Thou poppy-petal floating upon the snowstorm! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till my frenzied words rush through the souls of men, like a blood-red bull through a white herd of terror-stricken kine, at the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.

10. O my God, comfort me with ease and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all the toil of my life is but as a small white mouse swimming through a vast sea of crimson blood.

11. O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all my labours are as weary oxen laggard and sore stricken with the goad, ploughing black furrows across the white fields of light. Yet in the scrawling trail of their slow toil do I descry the golden harvest of Thine effulgence.

12. O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou mighty worker laden with the dust of toil? O Thou little ant of the earth! Thou great monster who infuriatest the seas, and by their vigour wearest down the strength of the cliffs! O how can I bind Thee in a spider's web of song, and yet remain one and unconsumed before the raging of Thy nostrils?

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 ASMODEL, You who command and rule over the spirits of SHAR, Behold me, and in the name of the same your God, the stabilizing and earthly YHHV, Attend and Appear before us in this circle of art! Full powers and wonders of the Sign of Taurus 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 ASMODEL repeatedly until the presence of the angel is perceived by Officiant. 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 interno et spiritui sancto externo ut erat est erit in saeculo saeculorum sex in uno per nomen septem in uno...

All: ARARITA

VI. Charging Elixir

Officiant: O stabilizing and earthly YHHV. 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 Taurus, charging it with the creative energies of SHAR, 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 red-orange 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 at heart level and says:

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

Each participant then breathes into the wine and passes cup clockwise. When finished, the cup is replaced and all circumambulate the altar 7 times. Officiant then raises power, visualizing a continuous spiral of red-orange 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: YHHV

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: YHHV

All now extend hands toward elixir cup. THIS is where the power is projected into the elixir cup. Visualize beams of red-orange light emanating from both hands and entering into the cup. When the cup feels “full,” Officiant ends visualization, folding hands on breast left over right. All do likewise. Finally, Officiant traces the symbol of Taurus in a horizontal plane while vibrating once more: YHHV

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

Officiant: Behold the Elixir of Taurus! 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 Asmodel, 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 ASMODEL, 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 stabilizing and earthly YHHV. 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 YHHV; 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.

The rite is at an end.