by J. Edward Cornelius
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. L, I:40
“Those who regard this ritual as a mere device to invoke or banish spirits, are unworthy to possess it. Properly understood, it is the Medicine of Metals and the Stone of the Wise.” – Aleister Crowley
Although Grady Louis McMurtry (1919-1985) taught the standard Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram as well as The Star Ruby, he also believed that everyone should learn how to utilize a specific verse from Liber AL vel Legis which achieves the same goal. He based his belief on what is written in Magick in Theory and Practice, Chapter XIV Of the Consecrations: with an Account of the Nature and Nurture of the Magical Link. Here Crowley writes regarding both the Consecration and Banishing ritual of your Temple (i.e. body) – “These may now advantageously be replaced by (a) ‘pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect’ (CCXX, I, 44) to banish; and (b) ‘I am uplifted in thine heart; and the kisses of the stars rain hard upon thy body.’ (CCXX, II, 62) to consecrate. For the Book of the Law contains the Supreme Spells.” (p.107) Unfortunately Crowley gives little detail as to how to use these verses but in an essay titled On The Assumption of God Forms (April 23rd 2013) I wrote one method which Grady McMurtry taught me personally upon my assuming both VIIº O.T.O. and Probationer in A.’.A.’. in 1979.
“To begin, you stand perfectly erect, feet together, hands to the side as if they were wings. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in the Qabalistic sphere of Hod-8 (הוד-Mercury), then – ‘Breathe in deeply through the nostrils, imagining the name of the God desired entering with the breath.’ In this case the god is Ra-Hoor-Khuit whom one imagines as a Hawk flying down from Tiphereth-6 (תפארת-the Sun) through the path of The Devil into Hod and into your body. At this point Crowley states that the student – ‘… should then imagine His image as coinciding with his own body, or as enveloping it. This must be practised until mastery of the image is attained, and an identity with it and with the God experienced. It is a matter for very great regret that no simple and certain test of success in this practice exists.’ Only a student can know when the subtle etheric shell surrounding their body has completely transformed or has assumed the god form of Horus properly from head to foot, but once – ‘… it appears to touch the feet, quickly advance the left foot about 12 inches, throw forward the body, and let the hands (drawn back to the side of the eyes) shoot out, so that you are standing in the typical position of the God Horus’, which is a position known as The Enterer. See the illustration in The Equinox Vol. I. No. 1 titled Blind Force. When using this position in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram you would vibrate a specific Name – ‘as rushing up and through the body, while you breathe it out through the nostrils with the air which has been till then retained in the lungs. All this must be done with all the force of which you are capable.’ Crowley further adds in The Collected Works that this – ‘is a sign of high initiation and implies the gathering of force from the Gods and its projection as will toward any object.’ (CWI p. 209) In our case, once the position of Ra-Hoor-Khuit has properly been achieved you utter in Silence, or within:
“For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.”
– Liber AL vel Legis I:44
At the same time you step forward you will imagine all things foreign within your Body of Light being cast away from you in order to make your etheric or watery shell clear, pliable and capable of being molded in a more suitable image.
What Grady taught was a general theory on how this ritual works, similar to The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, in the lower Ruach on the Tree of Life. It could be performed anywhere. The part not mentioned was the fact that in the upper degrees of Ordo Templi Orientis initiates slowly begin to learn the secrets behind sex magick. Once on this path an initiate of VIIº is given Liber De Natura Deorum, Sub Figvra CCXXVIII (228) also known as Of The Nature of The Gods. Grady taught a rather simple, almost straightforward method on how he used AL I:44 and AL II:62 in a more sexual manner. He took no more that fifteen or twenty minutes to explain it. For starters, this method is always to be performed in the nude in one’s privy Chapel as dictated by the Section titled De Aliquo Dei Cultu and De Dei Cultu: Alter Modus. Equally important, in a private letter to one of his students, Crowley states that the over-all “plain instructions” required to accomplish VII° O.T.O. is found in a single verse in Liber AL vel Legis as a Supreme Spell. He then gives:
“There are four gates to one palace; the floor of that palace is of silver and gold; lapis lazuli & jasper are there; and all rare scents; jasmine & rose, and the emblems of death. Let him enter in turn or at once the four gates; let him stand on the floor of the palace. Will he not sink? Amn. Ho! warrior, if thy servant sink? But there are means and means. Be goodly therefore: dress ye all in fine apparel; eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam! Also, take your fill and will of love as ye will, when, where and with whom ye will! But always unto me.”
– Liber AL vel Legis I:51
Unlike the earlier method, you can perform this version standing or sitting in your sacred space but more important, it should be performed every night just before going to sleep. You begin with your eyes closed, breathe in deeply through the nostrils and utter this Mantra per Crowley’s teachings:
Vesta Beata Adsis, da lampada Nobis. Det Semen dominus Terque Quaterque Suae: Det Semen Flamman Vitalem Vimque Deorum, Ominia quae Redeant, Vesta Beata, Tibi.
However, in The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage (1889) we find this important commandment – “Surely it would be a rash thing of a man who should deal with God … to think that he ought to address Him in a jargon, neither knowing what he saith nor what he demandeth.” He goes on to inform us that we must pray in our own “maternal language”. We must clearly understand every single word that we use because how “can ye pretend to obtain any Grace from the Lord, if ye yourselves know not what ye ask?” On this note, for those who do not find Latin an appropriate verbal tool, you can utter the affirmation in your own words as long as you approach this practice humbly, with reverence, sincerity and a pure heart filled with Love. You want to make your statement of Intent known to the virgin Roman goddess Vesta; the protector not only of Rome but all personal buildings, homes and Temples wherein a ‘Sacred Fire’ is tended; which includes your body. You should ask her to “Give her Lamp unto you” while also requesting that “The Master give thrice and four times his Semen to the Woman”. Adding, that with this offering, “Let the Semen give Vital Flame and Strength to the Gods.” What this implies will become apparent as you read on.
One should also study Chapter X The Lamp in Book 4. However, if you see this Lamp solely as a material object hanging in your Temple, you’ve missed the point which Crowley is writing.
While uttering this affirmation your center of focus should be upon the Ajna chakra as if “closing all avenues of sense, as if tyling the lodge.” This area or ‘Point’ refers to the part of the body known as the Yang. Qabalistically it is the sphere of Chokmah (חכמה). It is symbolic of the Sacred Phallus in both men and women and for this reason it is paramount that your imagination should be steadfastly focused on this area which represents the Fixing of Stars. Using either hand you should touch your genital area of Yesod-9 (יסוד) on the Tree of Life. Here resides the Muladhara Chakra, the Seat of the Serpent Kundalini who lies coiled three times, biting her own tail as she sleeps. In this light your hand works externally upon the body or Malkuth-10 (מלכות) on a horizontal level, while the mind works vertically or internally within the Mind or Chokmah (חכמה). Yea verily, is this not the secret of Baphomet and the Measure between Heaven and Earth?
But with over thirty years of nightly practice, I have come to realize that simply holding the genital area does not ‘activate’ the chakra and on that note one’s hand should not be underestimated. Aleister Crowley would agree, referring to the hand as “the tool or instrument par excellence.” (The Book of Thoth p.88) You should never forget that Yesod-9 (יסוד) is your libido, the seat of our animal instincts and your sexuality. The more this area is physically aroused through self-sexual stimulation, while focusing on the Anja, the more you awaken the Serpent Fire or Kundalini from her slumber. You are, in effect, charging your battery. Ritual masturbation should never to be rushed, nor should you lust for results.
As you are being aroused you keep your mind’s eye focused on the Ajna chakra while imagining your etheric shell glowing brighter and brighter around your body as if you were lighting the ever-burning lamp of Vesta. Again, only a student can know when the subtle etheric shell surrounding their body has completely transformed into a Lamp. Once properly Illuminated, you utter – “For pure will, unassuaged of purpose, delivered from the lust of result, is every way perfect.” – Liber AL vel Legis I:44. At the same time you utter this you should be imagining all the phantoms and unwanted things in your Chapel being cast far away from your body as if you were cleaning your Temple. This state should be violent in one’s Mind’s Eye as if it were pure Chaos from which a Star and its Light will be birthed. Do not let this be a gentle pushing away of negativity, let it be forceful or proverbially with fire and sword. Then, with your mind’s eye still focused on the Ajna chakra (Chokmah-2 חכמה), and while still enflamed in prayer in the midst of self-pleasure, you utter in Silence:
“I am uplifted in thine heart; and the kisses of the stars
rain hard upon thy body.” – Liber AL vel Legis II:62
If this ritual is performed at night, as taught to a VII° initiate, you will continue your devotion and worship of the Phallus while drifting off into sleep where God will appear in all His glory and accept his worshiper into His Heaven.
While in this dream state your imagination should be on worshipping and cherishing the Phallus with unwearyingly care while either wielding it or using it devotionally as thou wilt. A setting based on AL I:51 is appropriate. At this point Crowley points out – “And to these let him add Will, consecrating himself with oaths to the service of the Lord, and vowing to make himself a worthy priest [or priestess] unto him. Thus, then, the whole thought being closely knit together and ranged about the Image, as veterans that rally to a standard, let him turn devoutly and intensely his mind to the sole consideration of that Image, figuring to himself that all other thoughts are but as cowans and eavesdroppers.” In either case, whether performed during the day or while going to sleep, you have, in effect, prepared your private Chapel as a vehicle for God and remember, Crowley commands – banish often!
During his lifetime Crowley had to be more cryptic with his descriptions, using metaphors and symbols in order to avoid societal persecution. Times have changed. In layman’s terms this ritual is actually quite simple: you began with an affirmation. Then, while masturbating and focusing your imagination on your Third Eye, you will imagine your etheric Lamp around your body glowing brighter and brighter. At the point of utter arousal, when you are truly inflamed, you Banish the Light of all unwanted things (AL I:44), followed by the Consecration of the Light (AL II:62). If done at night, you continue with a sexual fantasy into sleep remembering that the only law is do what thou wilt.
The secret that is learned in VII° O.T.O. is that Banishing requires just the focus of pure Will to be successful.
This method is not appropriate for group workings, although an assistant can be helpful at times which will enable you to focus solely on your Ajna chakra and the lighting of the Lamp.
Here, in a nutshell, is what you have done. First you used a verse in the First Chapter of Hadit to Banish your mundane Chapel, then you used a verse in the second Chapter of Nuit to Consecrate the space but still secret O Man, and not taught in this essay, is the purpose of a third supreme spell from the Third Chapter of the child, Ra-Hoor-Khuit. But I leave you with this thought to ponder, it being a secret only a Magister Templi truly knows, that one must pick a single peach from the Tree and then:
“Choose ye an island!”
– Liber AL vel Legis III:4
Love is the law, love under will. L, I:57