Lecture: The Rose Cross

The Rose Cross is associated with a number of different schools of thought, including that of the Golden Dawn, Thelema, the OTO, and the Rosicrucians (also known as the Order of the Rose Cross). Each group offers somewhat different interpretations of the symbol. This should not be surprising as magical, occult and esoteric symbols are frequently used to communicate ideas more complex than is possible to express in speech.

The Cross

Cross-shaped objects are commonly used in occultism too represent the four physical elements. Here each arm is colored to represent one element: yellow, blue, black and red to represent air, water, earth and fire.

These colors are also repeated on the bottom portion of the cross. The white on the upper portion of bottom arm represents spirit, the fifth element.

The cross can also represent dualism, two forces going in conflicting directions yet uniting at a central point. The union of rose and cross is also a generative symbol, the union of male of female.

Finally, the cross’s proportions are made up of six squares: one for each arm, an extra one for the lower arm, and the center. A cross of six squares can be folded into a cube.

THE ROSE

The rose has three tiers of petals. The first tier, of three petals, represents the three basic alchemical elements: salt, mercury and sulfur. The tier of seven petals represents the seven Classical planets (The Sun and Moon are considered planets here, with the term “planets” indicating the seven bodies that appear to circle the earth independently of the star field, which moves as a single unit). The tier of twelve represent the astrological zodiac. Each of the twenty-two petals bears one of the twenty-two letters in the Hebrew alphabet and also represents the twenty-two paths on the Tree of Life.

The rose itself has a myriad assortment of additional meanings associated with it:

It is at once a symbol of purity and a symbol of passion, heavenly perfection and earthly passion; virginity and fertility; death and life. The rose is the flower of the goddess Venus but also the blood of Adonis and of Christ. It is a symbol of transmutation - that of taking food from the earth and transmuting it into the beautiful fragrant rose. The rose garden is a symbol of Paradise. It is the place of the mystic marriage. In ancient Rome, roses were grown in the funerary gardens to symbolize resurrection. The thorns have represented suffering and sacrifice as well as the sins of the Fall from Paradise. ("A Brief Study of The Rose Cross Symbol," no longer online)

Inside the large rose is a smaller cross bearing a another rose. This second rose is depicted with five petals. Five is the number of the physical senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell, and it is also the number of man’s extremities: two arms, two legs, and the head. Thus, the rose represents humanity and physical existence.

THE THREE SYMBOLS AT THE END OF EACH ARM

The three symbols repeated at the end of all four arms stand for salt, mercury and sulfur, which are the three basic alchemical elements from which all other substances derive.

The three symbols are repeated on each of the four arms of the cross, numbering a total of twelve. Twelve is the number of the zodiac, comprised of twelve symbols that circle the heavens throughout the year.

THE HEXAGRAM

Hexagrams commonly represent the union of opposites. It is composed of two identical triangles, one pointing up and one pointing down. The point-up triangle can represent ascending toward the spiritual, while the point-down triangle can stand for the divine spirit descending to the physical realm.

THE SYMBOLS AROUND AND IN THE HEXAGRAM

The symbols in and around the hexagram represent the seven Classical planets. The symbol for the Sun is in the center. The sun is generally the most important planet in Western occultism. Without the Sun, our planet would be lifeless. It is also commonly connected with the light of divine wisdom and the purification properties of fire, and was sometimes considered the visual manifestation of God’s will in the universe.

On the outside of the hexagrams are the symbols for Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, the Moon, Mercury, and Mars (clockwise from top). Western occult thought generally considers the planets in the farthest orbits from the Earth in an earth-centric model) to be the most spiritual, because they are the furthest from the physicality of the Earth.

Thus, the top three planets are Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, while the bottom three are Mercury, Venus and the Moon.

The cross-shaped sign, represented in its simplest form by a crossing of two lines at right angles, greatly predates the introduction of Christianity, in both East and West. It goes back to a very remote period of human civilization. It is supposed to have been used not just for its ornamental value, but also with religious significance. It may have represented the apparatus used in kindling fire, and thus as the symbol of sacred fire or as a symbol of the sun, denoting its daily rotation. It has also been interpreted as the mystic representation of lightning or of the god of the tempest, or the emblem of the Aryan pantheon and the primitive Aryan civilization.

Ankh

Another associated symbol is the ansated cross (ankh or crux ansata) used in ancient Egypt. It was often depicted in the hands of the goddess Sekhmet, and as a hieroglyphic sign of life or of the living. Egyptian Christians (Copts) adopted it as the emblem of the cross.In his book, 

The Worship of the Dead, Colonel J. Garnier wrote: "The cross in the form of the 'Crux Ansata' ... was carried in the hands of the Egyptian priests and Pontiff kings as the symbol of their authority as priests of the Sun god and was called 'the Sign of Life'."

   

Ndj & nfr

Another Egyptian symbol is the Ndj (Cross-ndj (hieroglyph)) - Uses for the hieroglyph: 1— "to protect, guard, avenge", and "protector, advocate, avenger" 2— "homage to thee", (a form of salutation to gods) 3— "discuss a matter with someone", "to converse", "to take counsel". Yet another Egyptian symbol is the nfr - meaning: beauty or perfect.

In the Bronze Age a representation of the cross as conceived in Christian art appeared, and the form was popularized. The more precise characterization coincided with a corresponding general change in customs and beliefs. The cross then came into use in various forms on many objects: fibulas, cinctures, earthenware fragments, and on the bottom of drinking vessels.

De Mortillet believed that such use of the sign was not merely ornamental, but rather a symbol of consecration, especially in the case of objects pertaining to burial. In the proto-Etruscan cemetery of Golasecca every tomb has a vase with a cross engraved on it. True crosses of more or less artistic design have been found in Tiryns, at Mycenæ, in Crete, and on a fibula from Vulci.

According to W. E. Vine, the cross was used by worshipers of Tammuz, an Ancient Near East deity of Babylonian origin who had the cross-shaped taw (tau) as his symbol.

Lecture: THELEMIC MYSTICISM – PART 1 INTRODUCTION TO MYSTICISM

PART 1: INTRODUCTION

The intent of this essay is to set forth the basic theoretical principles and practical methods of Mysticism in the clearest possible language. This will therefore be neither academic nor exhaustive in its extent.

The intended audiences are those who want to learn about Thelemic Mysticism or those who are aware of Thelemic Mysticism but may seek further guidance on their Paths. It is hoped that this essay will help clarify the definition and basic tenets of Mysticism, encourage those who are already aspirants to this Truth, and potentially aid aspirants in avoiding various detours and pitfalls along the Mystic Path.

Since the Mystic Goal is universal, much of the language in this introduction will be generally applicable to all forms of Mysticism, regardless of religion or culture. Nonetheless, since the focus of this essay is upon Thelemic Mysticism which is a particular breed or “flavor” of Mysticism, there will be various quotations interspersed throughout the essay from the Holy Books of Thelema and other important writings of The Master Therion. This is to both help show that Thelema reinforces the same essential principles of Mysticism as well as to show the particular language and style used throughout Thelemic writings.

What is Mysticism?

Mysticism is a name for both the Goal and the Path to the Goal of the Mystic.

As a Goal: Mysticism is the direct experience of the ultimate spiritual goal/truth.

Since the Mystic Goal involves a direct experience, it can also be called the Mystic Experience or the Mystical Experience.

“Now the Great Work is one, and the Initiation is one, and the Reward is one, however diverse are the symbols wherein the Unutterable is clothed.”
–Liber LXI vel Causae, line 5

The Mystic Goal cannot be accurately named because it is beyond the normal distinctions that are inherently made by names and definitions. No name, description, or definition could ever be complete, so the Mystic Goal is ultimately nameless. Though the many names and metaphors for this Goal are necessarily partial, the Goal itself is always the same regardless of whether it is called “crossing the Abyss,” “enlightenment,” “cosmic consciousness,” “samadhi,” “union with the Absolute,” “union with God,” “union of subject and object,” “union of microcosm and macrocosm,” “union of opposites,” “attaining Nirvana,” “accomplishing Great Work” or whatever else.

“In the true religion there is no sect.”
–Liber Librae sub figura XXX, line 21

Since the Mystic Goal is the same regardless of time, place, or culture (despite the outward multiplicity of forms), Thelemic Mysticism is nothing new; it is merely a particular set of symbols and methods that achieve the same Truth as every other seeker of enlightenment in human history.

“Aum! All words are sacred and all prophets true; save only that they understand a little…”
–Liber AL vel Legis sub figura CCXX, I:56

Thelemic Mysticism is aware of the many strands of Mysticism throughout human history, and it is therefore able to see beyond the partial truths, symbols, and language in which the Mystic Truth is explained by people of various temperaments and cultures.

In terms of Thelemic language, Crowley sometimes equates “Mysticism” with “Yoga,” the latter of which he defines simply as “Union.” Insofar as Mysticism may be understood as Union with God (or the Absolute, or Truth, or Reality, or whatever else), “Mysticism” and “Yoga” are essentially the same and the terms are interchangeable in virtually all cases of Crowley mentioning them.

As a Path: Mysticism is the Science and Art of achieving the direct experience of the ultimate spiritual truth or goal.

“In all systems of religion is to be found a system of Initiation, which may be defined as the process by which a man comes to learn that unknown Crown.”
–Liber LXI vel Causae, line 2

There are many metaphors for the Path, “the Path” being one of them. The metaphors can only be maps, and they plot and guide the progress of the individual on her way to Goal.

The Path itself is the various means of discipline and training for attaining the Mystic Goal, and the methods are often of the character of meditation and/or devotion.

“There must ever be division in the word. For the colours are many, but the light is one… Therefore do ye fret yourselves because of this. Be not contented with the image… Debate not of the image, saying Beyond! Beyond!”
–Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente sub figura LXV

All cultures have some kind of system of spiritual training – often called “initiation” in Thelema – yet different systems have different methods and different languages for talking about the Path and the Goal. Nevertheless, the Mystic Goal itself is always essentially the same.

A “Mystic” is any individual who has achieved this Goal or is on the Path to the Goal. Mystics are not content with merely having intellectual knowledge or emotional feelings about Truth, Reality, God, the One, or the Absolute (or whatever name suits you best).

“Ye shall comprehend, when, rising above Reason, which is but a manipulation of the Mind, ye come to pure Knowledge by direct perception of the Truth.”
–Liber CL: De Lege Libellum

Whether by choice or being called in some way, Mystics are those who strive toward the direct experience of Truth itself and, with the right attitude and effort, attain this experience. If we make the analogy that the Mystic Goal or Truth is like fire, the philosopher is content thinking about and conceptualizing fire, the scientist is content observing and manipulating fire, the romantic is content feeling love toward and writing poetry about fire, but the Mystic is only content in knowing the fire by being directly burnt and consumed by it.

“There is a physiological (or pathological; never mind now!) state which I call Samadhi; and that state is as real – in relation to man – as sleep, or intoxication, or death.”
–The Soldier and the Hunchback

This Mystic Experience or Mystic Goal is not some transcendent world, object, or state that is somehow removed or distinct from everything else. It is only “beyond this world” by metaphor, not in reality. It is an experience that can (and has) been attained consciously while individuals are still alive and awake. Mystics who attain the Mystic Goal are not physically annihilated and most can and do still function within the world. The Mystic Experience is potentially available to everyone if they apply the right methods, just like cells are invisible but available to be perceived if one properly uses a microscope.

“I love you; I would sprinkle you with the divine dew of immortality. This immortality is no vain hope beyond the grave: I offer you the certain consciousness of bliss. I offer it at once, on earth; before an hour hath struck upon the bell, ye shall be with Me in the Abodes that are beyond Decay.”
–Liber Tzaddi vel Hamus Hermeticus sub figura XC, lines 28-30

Direct experience means not hearing about the Mystic Goal from other people, thinking about it intellectually, or feeling good (or bad) feelings about the idea; it means actually bringing this Goal into our conscious awareness. Direct experience means that we experience the Mystic Goal through a shift in our way of perceiving, a change in our perception itself. We directly experience what the Mystic “Unity” is like in the Mystic Goal in the same way we directly experience what sleep is like in sleeping. It is intimate, immediate, and unmistakable in the same way a headache or intoxication are directly perceived in an intimate, immediate, and unmistakable way. The Mystic Goal is sometimes called “Samadhi” and used in an analogy such Dreaming:Waking::Waking:Samadhi; because it refers to a “state” of consciousness in this way, this is why the Mystic Goal is sometimes called the “Mystic Consciousness” or Unified/Un-differentiated/Cosmic Consciousness.

What Mysticism isn’t

Mysticism is only the pursuit of the Mystic Goal, the direct experience of union with God (as it is most commonly called in our Judeo-Christian, Western world). It is nothing else.

Therefore, Mysticism is NOT these things:

Senses: Mysticism is not the sensory experience of anything, including any tactile feeling, any taste, any smell, any sight, or any sound.

“Thou art delicious beyond all taste and touch, Thou art not-to-be-beheld for glory, Thy voice is beyond the Speech and the Silence and the Speech therein, and Thy perfume is of pure ambergris, that is not weighed against the finest gold of the fine gold.”
–Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente sub figura LXV, III:19

This is why virtually every single Mystic mentions the necessity of restraining and/or transcending the senses in some way.

Sensory phenomena may accompany the Path and Goal of Mysticism, and they may even prove useful in various ways, but they are not the Goal itself.

Sensory phenomena are incredibly “intimate” in that they are felt directly, so there are many sensory metaphors and symbols used in Mysticism (e.g. “seeing God,” “tasting the Divine kisses,” “hearing the voice of God,” “smelling the perfume of God,” “touching” or even sexually uniting with God, et cetera)

“Since truth is supra-rational, it is incommunicable in the language of reason.”
–Postcards to Probationers

Intellect: Mysticism is not the intellectual knowledge of anything, including math, science, logic, pop culture, and Mysticism itself (knowing about the Goal is not the same as achieving the Goal; the map is not the territory).

Mysticism is neither Reason nor Faith. The Mystic Goal is often explained to be “beyond” Reason in this way, i.e. intellect, knowledge, logic, or “ratiocination,” and Mysticism has nothing to do with “faith” in the ordinary sense of accepting propositions without evidence. The Mystic demands the supreme evidence of direct experience; they demand certainty, not faith.

Mysticism has nothing to do with knowledge derived through science (empiricism) or through logic (rationalism); Mysticism is concerned with one special class of knowledge, the direct experience of Truth. To distinguish this from normal knowledge, it is often called Wisdom or Understanding or Knowledge with a capital ‘K’ (or “true” or “perfect” is prefixed to the term to make it, for example, “True Wisdom” or “Perfection of Wisdom”).

Knowledge may accompany the Path and Goal of Mysticism, and it may even prove useful in various ways, but it is not the Goal itself.

“Every emotion is an obsession; the most horrible of blasphemies is to attribute any emotion to God in the macrocosm, or to the pure soul in the microcosm. How can that which is self-existent, complete, be ‘moved?'” –Book Four, Part 2, chapter 8

Emotion: Mysticism is not heightened emotions or any other form of emotional experience (heightened, dulled, strange, unique, potent, expansive, contractive, et cetera).
This is why virtually every Mystic mentions the necessity of “taming the lower nature” in order to see the Truth; otherwise one’s vision is clouded.

Emotion may accompany the Path and Goal of Mysticism, and it may even prove useful in various ways, but it is not the Goal itself.

Visions: Mysticism is not visions of any kind, including the most spectacular spiritual visions of 1,000-armed bodhisattvas, the most dazzling display of 1,000-eyed winged beasts, or even the most lofty visions seen in Crowley’s The Vision and the Voice.

Visions necessarily deal with combinations of the above – sense, intellect, and emotion – although they are in the “interior world”; visions are the “inner” parallel of our various sensory experiences, and – to the Mystic – they are equally blinds to the Light of Truth.

Virtually all Mystics of every culture affirm that the ultimate Mystic Goal is beyond names, beyond forms, and beyond all images. In short, a vision of a bodhisattva does not make you a bodhisattva; a vision of Krishna does not make you united with Him; a vision of Horus does not make you the Crowned and Conquering Child. Only through the Mystic’s direct experience of the Mystic Truth does one become a bodhisattva, become united with Krishna, become the Crowned and Conquering Child, or whatever metaphor resonates with you.

“Morality is immaterial; for both Socrates and Mohammed were Christs… Since the ultimate truth of teleology is unknown, all codes of morality are arbitrary. Therefore the student has no concern with ethics as such.” –Postcards to Probationers

Being a Moral Paragon: Mysticism is not about being a moral paragon, a shining example of virtuousness that is associated with being a “saint”; it is not about “being a good person” or even “being a spiritual person.” The various virtues and vices of common religion have nothing inherently to do with Mysticism. Those vices that prevent the full attainment of the Mystic Goal are vices, and those virtues that aid the full attainment of the Mystic Goal are virtues, but these are seen as means toward the end of the Mystic Goal. The Mystic does not embark and travel on the Mystic Path in order to be praised by his colleagues or to be seen as a shining example of morality. Especially within Thelemic Mysticism, morality is simply the means toward the end of attaining the Mystic Goal, and since everyone is unique, the morality may be unique for each individual. This does not mean that Mystics do not care about vice and virtue, but they see them specifically in the context of hindering or helping their attainment of the direct experience of God/Truth/the Absolute. Contrary to being moral paragons, many mystics are actually criticized, persecuted, and reviled by the masses for their “unnatural,” “uncivilized,” or “blasphemous” behavior. Famous mystics like Meister Eckhart, Mansur Al-Hallaj, and even Christ himself were persecuted for their blasphemy, and the “outrageous” behavior of mystics is so pervasive there is even a term for it: “crazy wisdom.”

Causing Change in the World: Mysticism is NOT the change of anything within the world. The bestowal of gifts or alms, the incitement of political change, acts of kindness and malice, the use of divination to ascertain and affect the future, and it is even the progress through any kind of organization (whether “mundane” like a corporation or “sacred” such as an esoteric organization) have nothing to do with the Mystic Path or the Mystic Goal. It is for this reason that Mysticism is often distinguished from Magick, although they inevitably intertwine, interconnect, and – in certain ways of thinking about and enacting Magick – have the same Goal.

Mysticism is ONLY the Goal or the Path toward the Goal of direct experience of the Absolute, the ultimate spiritual Truth, the quintessential Mystic Goal.

Magick vs. Mysticism

Magick is often defined in a way that complements or contrasts Mysticism. Liber ABA: Book Four, the Magnum Opus of Aleister Crowley, has four parts: the first part is titled “Mysticism” and the second part is titled “Magick.”

“The aspiring Magician only analyses himself for the purpose of finding new worlds to conquer… the whole of Magick [is] the science and art of extending, first in oneself, one’s own faculties, secondly in external nature their hidden characteristics.” –Magick Without Tears, chapter 83

Magick is famously defined by Crowley as “the Science and Art of causing Change in conformity with Will.” Magick therefore involves many methods whereby the Magician may progressively expand, conquer, and enrich her Will. The Magician is concerned with more Power to execute her Will through, essentially, more control (of body and mind), more knowledge (of both self and the world), and more skill.

Mysticism is defined above as “the Science and Art of achieving the direct experience of the ultimate spiritual truth or goal.” Therefore, there is no Goal other than attaining this direct experience. Anything that hinders the attainment of this Goal through distraction from the Goal is not part the Path. Anything that helps attain the Goal by focusing further upon the Goal is part of the Path. It is for this reason that most Mystical systems of training involve the divestment of most things that will distract the aspirant through their senses (food, luxury), emotions (sex, intoxication), and minds (mundane knowledge, concern about worldly affairs); it is also for this reason that most Mystical systems do not even bother with “magical powers” (known as siddhis in India) even though they are naturally acquired by many along the Path.

Some may (rightfully) argue that Magick and Mysticism are not as opposed as stated here. It is true that Magick and Mysticism both terminate at the same Truth. It is a certain perspective of Magick that is opposed to Mysticism. Magick is sometimes divided into “thaumaturgy” and “theurgy.”
Thaumaturgy – literally “miracle work” – involves causing changes in the world based on magical knowledge and skill including but not limited to divining the future, obtaining money, obtaining love, seeing remote places, virtually any psychic phenomena, or even various ways of improving or perfecting the body, mind, emotions, and will of the individual. This is the type of Magick that is distinguished from and opposed to Mysticism.

Theurgy is the magical practice of achieving union with the Source, the Divine, the Godhead, the One (et cetera). Insofar as Magick is “theurgic,” its aims are identical with those of Mysticism. This is the Magick that is only different in Path but not Goal from Mysticism. The “theurgic” perspective on Magick is the one Crowley takes when he writes at the beginning of Magick in Theory & Practice, “There is a single main definition of the object of all magical Ritual. It is the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm. The Supreme and Complete Ritual is therefore the Invocation of the Holy Guardian Angel; or, in the language of Mysticism, Union with God.”

To the Magician, works of thaumaturgy are useful to help expand the power and dominion of the individual’s sphere of influence. To the Mystic, works of thaumaturgy are distractions at best and delusions that perpetuate falsehood at worst. Thaumaturgy involves most or all of those things that Mysticism is NOT as explained previously. Mystics are concerned with the Mystic Goal and nothing else, and all other things – magical or otherwise – are distractions from that Goal.

INSTRUCTIONS ON THE MIDDLE PILLAR EXERCISE

Issued by the

Thelemic Order

of the Golden Dawn

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The Golden Dawn Middle Pillar Exercise is, to all intents and purposes, a Magical Ritual of Self-Initiation. That is, it is a magical method of commencing the subtle and inevitable process of uniting human consciousness with the divine consciousness, which is symbolized universally by the Light. In other words, it is a dynamic method of the Great Work, and it is worthy of vast attention from those who are truly serious about engaging themselves in the Great Work.

The Middle Pillar Exercise is a proper magical method of commencing the process of making contact with the Light and bringing it into conscious manifestation. But this Light of which we speak has naught to do with the mushy metaphysical mumbo-jumbo prattled and preached by the credulous critters of the so-called Metaphysical or New Age movements. Rather is it a metaphorical symbol for the Holy Guardian Angel or one's Central Self so often symbolized by the Lord of the Solar System, the Sun. It is LVX, the Light of the Cross. It is Khabs, the Light of a Star. The Middle Pillar Exercise is an inner recognition of that Light in the five Spheres of the Middle Pillar of Consciousness. It is a technique for concentrating and crystallizing into being the Light and bringing that Light down into conscious manifestation.

The Middle Pillar Exercise serves as an excellent prelude to any type of spiritual working, for it aligns the human personality with the Divine Self of Kether. All true spiritual work is done under the guidance of Kether. By performing the Middle Pillar Exercise you literally manifest the Light of your own Divine Self, concentrating it into being from your own limitless nature, as a sign thereof, and you gradually bring that Light into the sphere of your own human consciousness which is then transformed into a higher form of potential consciousness of your own True Nature.

The Neophyte should perform the Middle Pillar Exercise slowly and with great care and attention. It is a most effective magical method for awakening the higher currents within, and must be used with great patience and earnest aspiration. This cathartic exercise purifies and nourishes the Aura or Sphere of Sensation with the Divine Light from above. Thus it is a highly potent and serious method of the Great Work. Let the Neophyte begin visualizing each Sphere five minutes separately, vibrating each Name as many times as he/she feels inclined, however five times per Sphere seems an appropriate limit. The Ritual should take no more than 30 minutes to perform. To become identified with the Divine Energy of each of the five Spheres, periodically visualize yourself as a little person existing and moving inside each Sphere. Try to maintain this visualization within each Sphere for a period of five minutes. It is also a good practice in this respect to periodically visualize in the Spheres the letters that make up the God Names of each Sphere. In this way you enhance the meaning and power of each Sphere in your archetypal model of the Middle Pillar.

The White Sphere above the Head is the place of Kether on the Tree of Life. The Indigo Sphere at the Throat is the place of Daath on the Tree of Life. The Yellow Sphere at the Heart is the place of Tiphareth on the Tree of Life. The Violet Sphere at the Genital is the place of Yesod on the Tree of Life. The Green Sphere at the feet is the place of Malkuth on the Tree of Life. These five Spheres naturally correspond with the four Aristotelian Elements (Fire, Water, Air and Earth) and the Quintessence or Spirit (the so-called fifth Element). Thus they also correspond with the five Tattvas or Elements of Eastern Philosophy. Kether is Spirit/Akasha, Daath is Air/Vayu, Tiphareth is Fire/Tejas, Yesod is Water/Apas, and Malkuth is Earth/Prithivi. The Neophyte may find it a valuable practice to visualize in the five Spheres of the Middle Pillar their corresponding Elemental Tattvic symbols. These Tattvic symbols are an Indigo Ovoid for Spirit/Akasha, a Blue Circle for Air/Vayu, an upright Red Triangle for Fire/Tejas, a Silver Crescent for Water/Apas, and a Yellow Square for Earth/Prithivi.

The Middle Pillar Exercise may be performed while standing, sitting, or even lying down. There is no strict rule concerning this matter; it must be left to the experience of the Magician to determine what position shall suit him/her best in this practice. However, it is the more common method among members of the Order to stand erect while performing the Middle Pillar Exercise. In this way we maintain an active conscious role in the practice, less inclined to enter into a passive state of trance or sleep. The Middle Pillar Exercise is capable of inducing a certain species of trance if it is performed for a long period of time in a relaxed or passive state. There is nothing wrong in this, but the object of the Middle Pillar Exercise is to actively manifest the Light in the consciousness of the Magician, to dynamically expand his/her awareness of that Light. It is therefore suitable to stand.

Concerning the formulation of the Talismatic Atom. The Atom is one of the most significant of all symbols for the modern Magician to understand and apply. The symbol of the Atom, like the Atom itself, is a source of vast potential energy and its value in the world of modern Magick is simply inestimable. The symbol of the Atom does not only represent one of the minute indivisible particles of which, according to ancient materialism, the Universe is composed, but is a symbol of the Whole Universe itself. Its formulation in the Aura of the Magician helps to circulate the Light invoked through the Middle Pillar and awaken his/her consciousness to a more universal mode of awareness or a higher circuit of cosmic potential. This practice of the formulation of the Talismatic Atom also helps to fortify the Magician's power to concentrate. In this simple practice is contained much wisdom for those who have eyes to see.

Concerning the formulation of the Qabalistic or Thelemic Cross. This helps to equilibrate the Light in the Aura or Sphere of Sensation. The Cross in itself is an invocation of the Divine Light of Kether and an equilibration of that Light in the four elemental quarters. By ending the Middle Pillar Exercise with the Cross you are sealing the ritual with the Light of Kether. You also formulate in your Aura the Cross of Light and seal your Aura with that Light. It is a suitable idea at this final point of the exercise to increase the size of the Cross, so that its vertical and horizontal bars extend into infinity. It is this which is the fulfillment of the Golden Dawn proclamation, "Khabs Am Pekht. Konx Om Pax. Light in Extension." After the formulation of the Talismatic Image of the Cross in the Aura, the Magician may find it a suitable practice to compose him/her self in the Sign of Silence, assuming the God-form of Harpocrates in the Egg of Blue.

The Middle Pillar is the Great Key to the Royal Path of Initiation. Thus the Middle Pillar Exercise can be used as an actual method for initiating oneself into the Mysteries of the Light. Initiation is a conscious realization of the Light. It is the beginning of the process of the gradual development of self-awareness and of self-actualization. The initiate is one who has come to a conscious realization of the Light of his/her own True Self, whose consciousness is one with his Inmost Self, with the Star of his/her own celestial nature.

The Light is a metaphor for pure Consciousness, or the unstained awareness of one's True Nature, which is the Eternal Matrix of one's being. It is Awareness of one's Universal Self, that great part of us all which is one with every other thing in the Infinite Universe, that majestic part of our own beings which we so often term the Holy Guardian Angel. It is what the foolish folk call God, and we call the Ideal Identity of our inmost nature. It is the Quinta Essentia or QUINTESSENCE of our being. It is the Light of the Star that we are in truth, and the Burning Radiance of our Eternal Self coursing through the great Heavens of Nuit. It is the Great Mystery of all Prophets and Sages, and the Goal of all Philosophers. It is That to which all men and women attain at their appointed time of death.

Love is the law, love under will.

SELF-INITIATION CEREMONY OF THE ENTERER OF THE THRESHOLD

Issued by the

Thelemic Order

of the Golden Dawn

FOR THE NEOPHYTE

GRADE OF THE

THELEMIC ORDER

OF THE GOLDEN DAWN

REQUIRED

For the Candidate: Black Tau Robe. Red Shoes or Socks. (Note: Black pertains to the Outer Order, referring to the darkness of Matter, which conceals the Light. Red pertains to Mars and to the God Horus. Mars is the Planet of the Warrior and Horus is the Warrior God. Thus wearing Red shoes or socks indicates that you are on the Path of the Warrior-Magician.)

For the Temple: Altar. Temple Pillars of the Sun and Moon (White Pillar with a Gold Sun and Black Pillar with a Silver Moon). Thelemic Golden Dawn Banners of Therion and Babalon (White Banner with a Gold Unicursal Hexagram and Black Banner with a Silver Heptagram). Stele of Revealing. Cup of Lustral Water for Purification. Censer of Incense for Consecration.

For the Altar: Rose in the East. Red Lamp in the South. Cup of Wine (or Water) in the West. Paten of Bread and Salt (or Cake of Light) in the North. Copy of Liber Legis (The Book of the Law) in the Center.

(Important Note: If you do not have any of the Temple requirements listed above, you may substitute them with other similar objects. These objects, however, should be magically consecrated before you apply them in the ceremony. In other words, the objects should be dedicated to the ceremony through Prayer and with Fire [Abramelin Oil], making them fit instruments of your Will.)

THE OPENING

Perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram or Liber XXV, the Ritual of the Star Ruby.

Go to the Center of the Temple, knock 3-5-3 on the Altar, and say:

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Take up the Cup of Purification, hold it up toward the East, and say:

So therefore first the initiate who governeth the works of Fire must sprinkle with the Lustral Waters of the resounding Sea.

Make a Cross in the Air with the Cup, and sprinkle a few drops of Water three times toward the East. Pass to the South, West and North, repeating the purification in each quarter, then return to the East, and say:

I purify the Temple with Water.

Take up the Censer of Consecration, hold it up toward the East, and say:

And when all the phantoms have vanished, thou shalt see that Holy and Formless Fire, that Fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the Universe.

Make a Cross in the Air with the Censer, and swing it thrice toward the East. Pass to the South, West and North, repeating the censing at each quarter, then return to the East, and say:

I consecrate the Temple with Fire.

Circumambulate three times, clockwise, giving the Sign of Horus when passing the East so as to project the force that radiates therefrom, and say:

The Mystick Circumambulation symbolical of the Rise of Light is accomplished!

Go to the Center of the Temple, face East, give the Sign of Horus, and say:

Unity uttermost showed!
I adore the might of Thy breath,
Supreme and Terrible God,
Who makest the gods and death
To tremble before Thee: --
I, I adore Thee!

Appear on the Throne of Ra!
Open the ways of the Khu!
Lighten the ways of the Ka!
The ways of the Khabs run through
To stir me or still me!
Aum! let it fill me!

Return in the Sign of Silence, and then say:

In the Name of the Supreme and Terrible Lord of the Universe, Crowned and Conquering, I declare that the Sun of Light has arisen and the Shadows of Darkness flee away!

Knock and say: KHABS.
Knock and say: AM.
Knock and say: PEKHT.

Knock and say: KONX.
Knock and say: OM.
Knock and say: PAX.

Knock and say: LIGHT.
Knock and say: IN.
Knock and say: EXTENSION.

Knock 3-5-3 on the Altar, and say:

Love is the law, love under will.

Make the Signs of the Neophyte and depart from the Temple in the Sign of Silence.

THE INITIATION

I have gladly received dispensation from Frater A.·. A.·. to initiate myself into the Grade of the Neophyte and to be initiated as a Warrior-Magician of Thelema.

I shall now lose my public name and will henceforth be known as Frater/Soror [Neophyte Motto].

I am the Inheritor of a Dying World. I shall now rise and enter the Darkness!

The Mother of Darkness hath blinded me with Her Hair!

The Father of Darkness hath hidden me under His Wings!

My limbs are still weary from the wars that were in Heaven.

Unpurified and Unconsecrated, I cannot enter the Temple.

Dip your thumb in the Lustral Water, make with it a Cross on your Brow, sprinkle yourself three times, and say:

I purify myself with Water.

Make a Cross with the Censer, and waving it toward yourself three times, say:

I consecrate myself with Fire.

Enter the Temple, go to the foot of the Altar, face East, and say:

I, [Neophyte Motto], proclaim that it is my Will to be initiated as a Neophyte of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn.

The One Law of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn is the Law of Thelema: "Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. Love is the law, love under will." In freedom I have entered this Temple to initiate myself as a Neophyte, and only in freedom must I obligate myself to anyone or anything. The Sun of Light came not to bind, but to free humanity. In freedom I must do my Will. I have no right but to do my Will. I will do that, and no other shall say nay.

I now place my hands on the Book of the Law to signify my Will to exercise the Law of Liberty, and I will now take the Oath of the Neophyte.

THE OATH OF
THE NEOPHYTE

I, [Neophyte Motto], being of sound mind and body, having resolved to prosecute the Great Work, do, of my own free Will, hereby and hereon, most solemnly promise and swear upon the Book of the Law:

To discover my True Will.

To understand all things.

To love all things.

To endure all things necessary for the discovery of my True Will.

To aspire to the Knowledge and Conversation of my Holy Guardian Angel.

To work without lust of result.

To banish the illusions.

To rely only upon Myself.

To dedicate my every thought, word and deed to the discovery of my True Will.

May the Order crown the work, lend me of its wisdom in the work, and enable me to understand the work!

I will now seal this solemn Oath of Obligation three times with my lips on the Book of the Law.

Kiss the Book of the Law three times and then put it back on the Altar.

I will now place myself in the Northern part of the Temple -- the place of Forgetfulness, Weakness and Necessity, and of the greatest symbolical Darkness.

Go to the Northern part of the Temple, and say:

The Voice of my Undying and Secret Soul said unto me, "Let me enter the Path of Darkness and, peradventure, there shall I find the Light. I am the only Being in an Abyss of Darkness; from an Abyss of Darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the Silence of a Primal Sleep."

And the Voice of Ages answered to my Soul, "I am He who formulates in Darkness ― the Light that shineth in Darkness, yet the Darkness comprehendeth it not."

I will now perform the Mystick Circumambulation in the Path of Knowledge that leadeth unto Light!

Circumambulate clockwise, but without Signs. Stop in the South after the second passing of the East, and say:

Unpurified and Unconsecrated, I cannot enter the Path of the West.

Dip your thumb in the Lustral Water, make with it a Cross on your Brow, sprinkle yourself three times, and say:

I purify myself with Water.

Make a Cross with the Censer, and waving it toward yourself three times, say:

I consecrate myself with Fire.

Twice purified and twice consecrated, I may approach the Gateway of the West.

Continue to Circumambulate, but halt in the West, imagine a Threatening Force emanating from the West, and say:

Darkness is the Name of the Guardian of the West, O Thou Great One of the Paths of the Shades.

Fear is failure and the forerunner of failure. Therefore I shall fear neither men not Fates, nor gods, nor anything. For Nu is my refuge, as Hadit my Light; and Ra-Hoor-Khuit is the strength, force, and vigor of my arms.

Continue to Circumambulate, but halt in the North after passing the West, and say:

Unpurified and Unconsecrated, I cannot enter the Path of the East.

Dip your thumb in the Lustral Water, make with it a Cross on your Brow, sprinkle yourself three times, and say:

I purify myself with Water.

Make a Cross with the Censer, and waving it toward yourself three times, say:

I consecrate myself with Fire.

Thrice purified and thrice consecrated, I may approach the Gateway of the East.

Continue to Circumambulate, but halt in the East, imagine an Illuminating Force emanating from the East, and say:

Light Dawning in Darkness is the Name of the Guardian of the East, O Thou Light of a Golden Day!

Unbalanced Power is the ebbing away of Life.
Unbalanced Mercy is weakness and the fading out of the Will.
Unbalanced Severity is cruelty and the barrenness of Mind.

Go to the West of the Altar, face East, and say the Invocation to Horus.

THE INVOCATION
TO HORUS

O Thou Supreme and Terrible Lord of the Universe, Who art the Crowned One: the Hawk-Headed Lord of the Sun: Conquering Child of the New Aeon: Lord of the Force and the Fire of the World: Thee, Thee, I invoke!

Hear me, Thou Supreme and Terrible One, and grant that my Will be done: that I be initiated and instructed in thy Wisdom and thy Power: that I be granted the strength and courage to uphold and exercise thy Way of Liberty, as a God who is free to do my True Will among the legions of the living; and grant unto me the comprehension of all that will bring me nearer unto Thee!

Teach me, Lord Horus, more of thy Mystery and thy Mastery; let each day and night bring me nearer unto Thee! Let me aid Thee in thy Great Work upon the earth, so that I may one day become truly united unto Thee in all Thy Infinite Glory of Light, Life, Love and Liberty.

I invoke Thee, Lord Horus, to guard and guide me through the many Paths of Life, that I may at length become one with thy Supreme and Terrible Essence! O Lord of the Universe, grant Thou that upon me may shine forth the Light of my True Soul; and let me be guided by the help of my Holy Guardian Angel unto the attainment of Thy Infinite Light.

And from hereon, teach me this one thing: how I may learn from Thee the Mysteries of thy Sacred Magick of Thelema: that I may obtain the Knowledge and Power of my True Will, and thus attain to the Knowledge and Conversation of my Holy Guardian Angel; and how best I may use that Knowledge and Power to assist my fellow men and women to accomplish the Great Work on earth.

And finally, I implore Thee, to let there be a link of unity between us; that I may ever seek, and seeking, obtain Freedom and Knowledge in Thee who art my very Selfhood, that I may duly partake of thy Supreme Spirit of Power to attain the Philosopher's Stone, the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom, and Perfect Happiness.

AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.

Make the Signs of the Neophyte, and say:

I am the inheritor of a Dying World, but I am now called to the Living Beauty. I am a wanderer in the Wild Darkness, but I am now called to the Living Light. Long have I dwelt in Darkness -- but I will now quit the night and seek the Day! For I am now a Neophyte of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn! May the Light of the Dawning Sun extend upon me!

KHABS AM PEKHT.
KONX OM PAX.
LIGHT IN EXTENSION.

THE SECRETS
OF THE GRADE

Go to the East of the Altar. Face East.

I will now proclaim the Signs and Word of the Neophyte.

The Signs are two. The First or Saluting Sign is given thus: <Advance your left foot about 12 inches, throw forward your body, and stretch both arms out.> This is the Sign of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the Conquering Child of Force and Fire, the Supreme and Terrible Lord of our Order of Thelema. It has also these names: "The Sign of the Enterer of the Threshold", "The Sign of Consecration" and "The Sign of Attacking". It represents the involution and bringing forward of the Light into the material to aid the Will of the Neophyte in his/her search for and aspiration toward his/her True Self. It is a Sign of tremendous Attacking Force and of projection of Will Power. It may be used in the Magical Acts of consecrating and charging Talismans or other objects of the Great Work.

The second Sign is the Sign of Silence, and is given thus: <Place your right fore-finger on your lower lip.> This is the Sign of Hoor-Paar-Kraat, the Concealed Child of the New Aeon. This Sign has a double meaning. Firstly, it is the Sign of Defense. It is a Protection against all attack and danger of obsession. Secondly, it alludes to your obligation to keep sacred and inviolate all real secrets and true mysteries of the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn, to keep silence regarding those most holy secrets and mysteries in the presence of the profane, to never reveal what must not be told. The first sign is always answered by the second.

The Word of the Neophyte Grade is HOOR-PA-KRAAT. It is the Egyptian Name for the God of Silence, also called Harpocrates in the Greek tongue. Hoor-Pa-Kraat is the Concealed Child of the New Aeon and represents the Current of Forces ruling the earth at present. He is a Universal Symbol of the Silent Self or Holy Guardian Angel within. His Name, or the Word of this Grade, can be used as an Invocation of the Spirit of the Grade. When properly vibrated in the Sign of Silence, it becomes a Magical Word of Spiritual Power and Protection for the Neophyte of Magick.

Advance forward and place yourself between the two Pillars of the Temple, and say:

I will now perform the final Purification and Consecration.

Dip your thumb in the Lustral Water, make with it a Cross on your Brow, sprinkle yourself three times, and say:

I purify myself with Water.

Make a Cross with the Censer, and waving it toward yourself three times, say:

I consecrate myself with Fire.

I will now perform the Mystick Circumambulation in the Path-way of Light.

Circumambulate clockwise, three times, giving the Sign of Horus on passing the East.

THE LECTURE
OF BALANCE

Now position yourself between the Two Pillars of the Temple, assume the Stance of Equilibrium (Sign of the Cross), and say:

I will now read and impress upon myself the Lecture of Balance, so that I may understand the importance of the Path of Equilibrium as essential to magical progress.

Learn first ― Oh thou who aspirest unto our New Order of Thelema! ― that Equilibrium is the basis of the Great Work. If thou thy self hast not a sure foundation, whereon wilt thou stand to direct the forces of Nature?

Know then, that as man is born into this world amidst the Darkness of Matter, and the strife of contending forces; so must his first endeavor be to seek the Light through their reconciliation.

Thou then, who hast trials and troubles, rejoice because of them, for in them is Strength, and by their means is a pathway opened unto that Light.

How should it be otherwise, O man, whose life is but a day in Eternity, a drop in the Ocean of Time; how, were thy trials not many, couldest thou purge thy soul from the dross of the earth?

Rejoice therefore, O Initiate, for the greater thy trial the greater thy Triumph!

Yet, oh aspirant, let thy victories bring thee not vanity, for with increase of Knowledge should come increase of Wisdom. He who knoweth little, thinketh he knoweth much; but he who knoweth much hath learned his own ignorance.

Thou therefore who desirest Magical Gifts, be sure that thy soul is firm and steadfast; for it is by flattering thy weaknesses that the Weak Ones will gain power over thee.

Humble thyself before thy Self, yet fear neither man nor spirit. Fear is failure, and the forerunner of failure: and courage is the beginning of virtue.

Therefore fear not the Spirits, but be firm and courteous with them; for thou hast no right to despise or revile them; and this too may lead thee astray. Command and banish them, curse them by the Great Names if need be; but neither mock nor revile them, for so assuredly wilt thou be led into error.

A man is what he maketh himself within the limits fixed by his inherited destiny; he is a part of mankind; his actions affect not only what he calleth himself, but also the whole Universe.

Worship, and neglect not, the physical body, which is thy temporary connection with the outer and material world. Therefore let thy mental Equilibrium be above disturbance by material events; strengthen and control the animal passions, discipline the emotions and the reason, nourish the Higher Aspirations.

Remember that unbalanced force is but folly and stupidity; that unbalanced severity is but cruelty and oppression; but that also unbalanced mercy is but weakness that would allow and abet ignorance.

Act passionately; think rationally; be Thyself.

True Ritual is as much action as word; it is Will.

Remember that this earth is but an atom in the Universe, and that thou thyself art but an atom thereon, and that even couldest thou become the God of this earth whereon thou crawlest and grovellest, that thou wouldest, even then, be but an atom, and one amongst many.

Nevertheless have the greatest self-respect, and to that end sin not against thyself. The sin which is unpardonable is knowingly and willfully to deny truth, to fear knowledge lest that knowledge pander not to thy prejudices.

To obtain Magical Power, learn to control thought; admit only those ideas that are in harmony with the end desired, and not every stray and contradictory idea that presents itself.

Fixed thought is a means to an end. Therefore pay attention to the power of silent thought and meditation. The material act is but the outward expression of thy thought. Thought is the commencement of action, and if a chance thought could produce much effect, what cannot fixed thought do?

Therefore, as hath already been said, Establish thyself firmly in the equilibrium of forces, in the center of the Cross of the Elements, that Cross from whose center the Creative Word issued in the birth of the Dawning Universe!

THE PROCLAMATION
OF THE NEOPHYTE

In the Name of the Supreme and Terrible Lord of the Universe, Crowned and Conquering, and by the magical lineage of Frater A.·. A.·., I now proclaim that I, [Public Name], who will henceforth be known by the Motto [Neophyte Motto], have initiated myself as a Neophyte in the Thelemic Order of the Golden Dawn.

Make the Signs of the Neophyte.

THE CLOSING

Go to the Center of the Temple, knock 3-5-3 on the Altar, and say:

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

Go to the East of the Temple.

Take up the Cup of Purification, hold it up toward the East, and say:

So therefore first the initiate who governeth the works of Fire must sprinkle with the Lustral Waters of the resounding Sea.

Make a Cross in the Air with the Cup, and sprinkle a few drops of Water three times toward the East. Pass to the South, West and North, repeating the purification in each quarter, then return to the East, and say:

I purify the Temple with Water.

Take up the Censer of Consecration, hold it up toward the East, and say:

And when all the phantoms have vanished, thou shalt see that Holy and Formless Fire, that Fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the Universe.

Make a Cross in the Air with the Censer, and swing it thrice toward the East. Pass to the South, West and North, repeating the censing at each quarter, then return to the East, and say:

I consecrate the Temple with Fire.

Circumambulate three times, counterclockwise, giving the Sign of Horus when passing the East, and then say:

The Mystick Circumambulation is accomplished. It is the symbol of the Fading Light.

Go to the Center of the Temple, face East, give the Sign of Horus, and say:

Unity uttermost showed!
I adore the might of Thy breath,
Supreme and Terrible God,
Who makest the gods and death
To tremble before Thee: --
I, I adore Thee!

Appear on the Throne of Ra!
Open the ways of the Khu!
Lighten the ways of the Ka!
The ways of the Khabs run through
To stir me or still me!
Aum! let it fill me!

Return in the Sign of Silence.

Nothing now remains but to partake of the Mystick Repast, composed of the symbols of the Four Elements, and to establish myself in the Center of the Holy Cross, in the Sanctuary of my Soul.

Take up the Rose.

I inhale the perfume of this Sacred Rose, as a symbol of the Element of Air and Liberty.

Smell the Rose.

I feel the warmth of this Sacred Flame, as a symbol of the Element of Fire and Light.

Spread your hands over the Fire.

I eat this Cake of Light (or Sacred Bread and Salt), as a symbol of the Element of Earth and Life.

If you are not using a Cake of Light, then dip the Bread in the Salt and eat it.

And finally, I drink this Sacred Wine (or Holy Water if under twenty-one years of age), as a symbol of the Element of Water and Love.

Make a Cross with the Cup and drink from it.

It is done!

Replace the Cup.

Knock and say: KHABS.
Knock and say: AM.
Knock and say: PEKHT.

Knock and say: KONX.
Knock and say: OM.
Knock and say: PAX.

Knock and say: LIGHT.
Knock and say: IN.
Knock and say: EXTENSION.

Now say:

In the Name of the Crowned and Conquering Lord of the Universe, I declare that the Temple of the Neophyte is duly closed.

May what I have partaken maintain me in my search for the QUINTESSENCE, the Stone of the Philosophers, the SUMMUM BONUM, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.

Knock 3-5-3, and say:

Love is the law, love under will.

ABRAHADABRA.

Make the Signs of the Neophyte toward the East of the Temple, and depart from the Temple in the Sign of Silence, yea, depart from the Temple in the Sign of Silence.

Ritual Signs of the Golden Dawn

Ritual signs are positions assumed by the body, whether physical or astral. Their use is common in Thelemic ritual magick. The following sets of signs were assigned by Aleister Crowley to the various Grades of his order, the A.'.A.'.. The first sets (the Neophyte, elemental grade signs and L.V.X. signs) were derived from the grade signs of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Such signs often have multiple uses and meanings, depending on the context.

Neophyte Signs

Common title: The Enterer. Horus.
A.'.A.'. grade: 0°=0°
Description: The Sign of the Enterer is performed by taking a step forward with the left foot, and then leaning the body forward while thrusting out with both hands, fingers outstretched, as if reaching for something.






Common title: Silence. Harpocrates.
A.'.A.'. grade: 0°=0°
Description: Standing upright, left hand at the side, place the tip of the index finger of the right hand just on the lower lip.

Elemental Grade Signs

Common title: Earth. The God Set fighting.

A.'.A.'. grade: 1°=10°
Description: Advance the right foot, and swing the right arm up and forward at a 45° angle, with the left arm back and down, also at a 45° angle.








Common title: Air. The God Shu supporting the sky.
A.'.A.'. grade: 2°=9°
Description: Arms raised, elbows bent 90°, forearms vertical, with wrists bent as though holding up the sky.







Common title: Water. The Goddess Auramoth.
A.'.A.'. grade: 3°=8°
Description: With thumbs and index fingers, place the hands together on the torso, forming a downward-pointing triangle.








Common title: Fire. The Goddess Thoum-aesh-neith.
A.'.A.'. grade: 4°=7°
Description: With thumbs and index fingers, place the hands together on the forehead, forming an upward-pointing triangle.








Common title: Spirit. The Rending and Closing of the Veil
A.'.A.'. grade: Dominus Liminis
Description: Properly speaking, this is two different signs, where the magician is either tearing open a split veil or closing it. The forearms should be roughly parallel to the floor.

The L.V.X. Signs

Common title: Osiris Slain. The Cross.
Letter of LVX: [+]
A.'.A.'. grade: 5°=6°
Description: At shoulder level, hold arms straight out at the sides to form a cross.







Common title: Isis Mourning. The Svastika.
Letter of LVX: L
A.'.A.'. grade: 5°=6°
Description: Right arm is bent at 90°, upper arm parallel with the ground, forearm pointing upwards, fingers extended. Left arm is the same, but with the forearm arm pointing downwards. Head faces to the left and down. Right foot rests on its ball, with the knee bent.







Common title: Typhon. The Trident.
Letter of LVX: V
A.'.A.'. grade: 5°=6°
Description: Raise arms above the head at an angle of 60° to each other, and throw the head back, as if looking upwards. Stand up on the balls of both feet.








Common title: Osiris Risen. The Pentagram. Attitude of Resurrection.
Letter of LVX: X
A.'.A.'. grade: 5°=6°
Description: Standing upright, cross the arms over the chest, right over left, so that the open hands rest on the shoulders.

The N.O.X. Signs

Common title: Puer. Khem. Horus and Mentu.
Letter of NOX: N
A.'.A.'. grade: 6°=5°
Description: Right arm forms an "L", with closed hand, thumb pointing towards the head. Closed left hand rests at the base of the torso, thumb pointing away from the body.






Common title: Vir. Pater. Amoun. Attitude of Pan or Bacchus.
Letter of NOX: O
A.'.A.'. grade: 7°=4°
Description: Place closed hands at the temples with thumbs facing outwards, resembling horns.







Common title: Puella. Venus Pudica. The Sign of Chastity.
A.'.A.'. grade: Babe of the Abyss
Description: Standing upright, place open right hand over the breast, and the open left hand over the groin.








Common title: Mulier. Isis in Welcome. Sign of Babalon. Attitude of Baphomet.
Letter of NOX: X
A.'.A.'. grade: Babe of the Abyss
Description: Arms form a 90° angle above head, elbows bent slightly, with hands open. Feet are a little over shoulder width apart, facing forward. Head looks upwards.




Common title: Isis Rejoicing. Mater Triumphans. Isis with Horus.
A.'.A.'. grade: 8°=3°
Description: Head looking downwards, the right hand pinches the left nipple, while the left hand cradles just below solar plexus, as if holding a baby.