by Frater Achad Osher 583
4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L.
What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou
know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it. But
remember, o chosen one, to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-
lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word.
–Liber AL II:76
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. –AL I:40
Dear Students, I have fond memories of my enthusiasm as I handed Grady McMurtry a lengthy notebook filled with my ramblings regarding the solution to this particular verse, AL II:76. He gracefully took it and said he’d read it later. We then said good-night to each other and he went upstairs to bed. As for myself, I sat downstairs for awhile. My head was swimming with anticipation as to what he would say in the morning. However, it was not what I expected. At breakfast I asked him what he thought. He simply looked up from his plate of food and replied that he didn’t see the point which I was trying to make. I was floored. I thought that I had made a convincing argument and had laid out the solution very clearly. I tried to explain myself, but he interrupted me.
It was his understanding that Aleister Crowley believed the answer to this riddle would prove beyond a shred of a doubt that the person is the one whom is to follow or to be his prophesied “son.” Crowley initially thought that the “son” was Frater Achad (C. S. Jones). However, although Achad had discovered profound mysteries, he never solved certain important riddles to any great satisfaction. Grady then pulled The Law is for All off my bookshelf shelf and read the comment to this verse, especially noting Crowley’s remark that the solution would “prove any one who should claim sonship.” He then asked me very candidly, “Do you think you’re the son who is to come after Crowley?” In truth, I had no good answer because I had never really thought about it. Yes, I read Liber AL vel Legis and within it I found many codes, mysteries and riddles. I just felt this urge to solve them, nothing more.
Basically, if I had to sum up the one thing which Grady harped on, it would be that I had put the cart before the horse. He kept trying to make me say, “I am the prophesied son.” But I kept saying, “I’m not, nor did I desire to be such.” Yet, he wasn’t listening. He simply reiterated over and over, “Then why try to solve the code?” He made me realize that if I had “solved,” the code then I should be able to come forward forcibly as a Thelemite, with head held proudly high and tell the world that I am the one who is to follow Aleister Crowley! End of subject. And if the world doubts me, I should lay upon it the solution to the riddle of II:76 which would prove beyond a shred of a doubt my claim. In other words, putting the “solution” out first is a cowardly way of testing the waters, without the worry of being called crazy or an ego maniac. It was clearly putting the cart before the horse. I thought a lot about his “soldier approach” towards “attack” rather than being defensive and I realized he was right. After a rather long morning, Grady changed my entire out-look and approach to Liber AL vel Legis. This never stopped me from researching and trying to understand the book, but it changed how I wrote about it.
All this aside, there was a Greater Mystery not yet told. The obvious lesson above was not the real lesson, just the icing. Grady was trying to make me understand that by openly discussing my personal research I took a chance of earthing myself out. Shutting the door as it were on any Gnosis as it was descending. The most important lesson which I learned was that Grady believed it was a normal process for Thelemites to try their luck at solving the mysteries in Liber AL vel Legis. He had no problem with me, or anyone else, researching the book as much as how we presented what we achieved for final analysis. In brief, he taught me the harshness of the reality in regards to my quest. He slapped my ego. And over the years I have seen what he implied time and time again in the writings of Thelemites who seemingly discover Key to II:76, the “Grid” or of English Qabalah. Many of the interpretations are truly brilliant. Yet they all share two things in common. Each of the “interpretations” are as different as night and day. And most individuals who produce ‘solutions’ rarely, if ever, accomplish anything beyond their ramblings. In fact, most fall by the wayside over a relatively brief period of time. Yet, why did they fail? If they had such glorious revelations regarding the mysteries in Liber AL vel Legis then where did they go wrong? And better yet, who decides which solution is convincing and which is simply a Qabalistic regurgitation of musty data? Grady reminded me that the entire Universe is symbolically found upon the simple glyph known as the Tree of Life. In this there is enough leeway for anyone with Qabalah under their belt to weave a spider’s web of interpretations which looks convincing to a fly. Yes, Choronzon is forever quick to aid the students in the formation of phantasms when they turn from the Light. But what does this really imply when we say they’ve turned from the Light?
Grady made me realize that there must be something which we’re all missing. We all can’t be right. We all can’t be wrong. His interpretation of this phenomenon was very profound and would inevitably lead to a major transformation of attitude in our branch of the A.’.A.’. The change was simple. We believe everybody is right — to a certain extent. As an example, we want our students to delve deeply into Liber AL vel Legis with force and fire and to study the book in-depth. However, we tell our students that what they discover or interpret, no matter how profound, is the Law to their Universe and no one else’s. We try to explain the difference between merely reading the book or obtaining Gnosis (Knowledge) from it. If Gnosis descends correctly it allows the book personally speak to a student. It aids them in unraveling the Laws of their Star. This is the ultimate Secret as to what an individual accomplishes when they solve certain codes and mysteries found within Liber AL vel Legis. Basically, they have passed through the first stage which is merely exposing a Malkuthian foundation for a way of Thelemic life. Yes, as a man of Earth the gross had to pass through fire and understand the basic Law, which is for ALL. But once within the next stage of the Lover the fine must be tried in intellect. A student must learn the Laws of their Star and, since no two Stars are identical, there must be many solutions to different mysteries found within Liber AL. This Knowledge is not, nor can it ever be, the same.
The tragedy lies within the nature of the 93 Current or Solar connection itself. This encompasses one’s Ruach which spirals around the Heart Chakra, or Tiphereth, the Sun. This is our conscious ego. This creative force is what often leads a student astray and is symbolically portrayed in The Fool card. It shows a person who has climbed the sacred Mountain. They have seen the Sun (or their Star) in All its Beauty. But then, instead of pursuing the Light they turn from it and descend the mountain toward Malkuth. Their ego drives them blindly forward as they babble to the world of the glorious visions they have perceived regarding Liber AL vel Legis. Sadly, in their blindness, they walk off a cliff while being lead by the dog of intellect. This dog is the reasoning mind. It is the Folly of Ego by which the student is being tried. Any good Qabalist will tell you that if you have seen Truth, that Truth can never manifest on Malkuth. This is a fact. What you scream forth is like the early utterance of the superman of Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra. The best lesson one can learn is that in the end you will never change the World by telling others the vision of your Star. If they have not perceived their own Light, then what makes you think they’ll understand yours? However, you can change the world by your Will which has Power due to your vision. This is what Nietzsche calls the Will to Power.
Dear Students, it is no secret that we are revolutionary thinkers. The best advice we can give to you is to keep silent. Go deeper within, not without. Speech only earth’s-out the Gnosis for the beginner and forces the current to follow the course of birth, life and death as it wallows on the plane of Malkuth. But remember o man death is forbidden. In Silence is infinity (Nuit) perceived. Never forget that Liber AL vel Legis was dictated by Aiwass the minster of the god Hoor-paar-kraat who is also known as Harporcrates, the god of Silence. It is our belief that there are three obvious chapters to Liber AL vel Legis. Of Birth, Life and Death. The Father, Mother and Son. Hadit, Nuit and Ra Hoor Khuit. The fourth chapter, not found in Liber AL vel Legis, unveils the Greater Mysteries to the weary traveler who has conquered the Holy Mountain. This chapter can only be written by the individual after he or she has embraced the Goddess in the form of the Daughter as Babalon. This is the Truth behind the Graal when the Daughter assumes the throne of her Father. This Truth lies in the very fact that the chapter is NOT (Nuit) man-ifested, nor can it be. This Truth is the source of your Power and gladly this Word should be carefully guarded as a precious stone given to the wise.
“Here is Divine Wisdom which Fools will never Understand.
The solution to II:76 is nobody else’s business.”
Love is the law, love under will. –AL I:57
[Editor’s Note: The majority of the information is taken almost verbatim from Chapter II, verse 76 of the private Commentaries on Liber AL vel Legis by Frater Achad Osher and slightly edited into this Epistle with added info.]
Since posting this article on our website I have been inundated with over a dozen emails attacking what I’ve written as being total garbage while including the ‘real’ solution to the code as ‘proof’ to what they’re talking about. Each one of you were probably thinking that you were the ‘only’ one who was emailing me with the ‘real’ solution. I can only shake my head in amusement and chuckle, “Damn, this article has hit some people right in their Ego!” But I wonder, have they really read the article? If they had and understood it, they wouldn’t be so stupid as to send me feeble banter of the lowest personal nature. Yes, Virginia, Thelemites are an entertaining lot!