Sol Invictus
I recently read an excellent piece on the role of idols in Thelema on John Crow’s blog, which motivated me to finish this particular write up of the operations which consecrated my last temple. I do assert that Thelema is a religion, after all, but I have also always venerated the images of sun and phallus in my temples. I’ve been suspicious that numerous sudden changes that I’ve seen in my personal life lately, and the prospect of myself moving into a position of authority (rather than starting at the bottom rung of another kitchen of the same size in a bigger city), have been directly related to this working. Normally, I like to wait at least a year before I make a full account of an operation of this nature so that the results can be fully and meaningfully calculated, but I’m excited about it now, so now’s when I’m writing it. The actual work was performed between mid June and the end of July. Although it could be done a bit faster if one were so inclined, it takes roughly six weeks.
Unlike much of the D.O.E. thread, there is nothing in this working exclusive to me personally, and it could easily be repeated by others to, I suspect, great benefit.
The major purpose of this temple was to consecrate and empower an object of solar devotion. I have had, for many years, an image of the sun made from black metal, hollow on the inside, which has sat as the centrepiece of my altar or hung from the ceiling in the east, flanked by a large phallus and a statue of Shiva (I’m the first to admit that a proper reproduction of the Stele would be more appropriate, but Shiva was my introduction to the idea that two apparent opposites could actually be one thing, i.e. creation and destruction, so his presence there has a personal meaning and significance). I had obtained a rather large chunk of quartz, which is the stone that I find “holds” energy in potency for the longest amount of time, which I intended to take through a series of adorations and “enthrone” inside the image of the sun itself, along with written declarations of my Will which described how I would apply my kingship, anointed by genius.
Part I
The longest phase of this ritual is the personal preparation. I wanted to ensure that, when I consecrated the temple and anointed everything in it, that I was in the highest possible spiritual state for manifesting the solar energy of my HGA. To this end, I devoted thirty-six days to preparation before the temple was constructed. For the first thirty days, I performed the invocation of the Bornless One in my astral form upon awakening every morning. I am not a morning person, but thankfully Liber 777 tells us that coffee is a solar drug, so the baggy-eyed among us can breathe a sigh of relief. This part of the operation is preliminary, and simple enough, but vital to the working’s success. One must clearly understand and experience what royalty will mean to one’s own nature and circumstances. This is why the invocation is performed in the morning, so that one fixes the idea of identification with the Bornless One in one’s mind and holds it there (with no small effort) throughout one’s everyday life. The practices described in Crowley’s John St. John, such as the consecration of food and drink to one’s purpose, and the understanding of each act as a sacrament in one’s holy aspiration arose rather spontaneously in my case, although it was some time before I made the connection to what I was doing and the description of Crowley’s mundane-magical retirement described in that document.
No banishing, other manner of invocations, or devotion to any object other than the Bornless One is allowed during this time. Did I mention no banishing? No banishing. Pranayama should be practiced regularly throughout this time as well, for at least half an hour a day, preferably following the morning invocation. Study of Liber LXV should be consistent throughout this time.
On day 30, perform the invocation as usual, and read or recite cap. I of Liber LXV. Over the next twelve hours, all of the chapters of this book are to be read or recited at appropriate intervals between feasting, physical activity, and other merrymaking. For my case, I made vindaloo, lifted weights, and drank a moderate amount of Guinness, the beverage of choice for the guilty catholic and enraptured libertine alike. The intervals should be fairly regular, but the important point is that cap. V must be recited exactly twelve hours after the recitation of cap. I.
Part II
On day thirty one, banish by the pentagram and hexagram, preferably using the method given in Liber CCCXXXIII. On the same day, in the hour of Sol, Banish, using the Enochian watchtower names, the element fire, the element water, the element air, and the element earth, in that order. Next, read or recite the earth key, read or recite Liber LXV cap. I, invoke earth by the pentagram with the Enochian names, and read or recite the first and second keys.
The next day, again in the hour of Sol, banish air, water, and fire, but NOT earth. Then, follow the same formula: recite the air key, recite the next chapter in Liber LXV, invoke air by the pentagram, and finish with keys one and two. Obviously, doing this for all of the elements will take five days. For this time, except as a preliminary to this stage of the practice of part II, do not use any other banishing or invoking. On the fifth day, instead of banishing, perform the greater invocation of the pentagram, read or recite keys one and two, read or recite Liber LXV cap. V, and finish with the invocation of the Bornless One.
Upon attaining this state, sleep! On the last day, rise, bathe, and begin to consecrate the temple space that you intend to use for the operation. Other related work, like dealing with Goetic kings, the worship of solar deities, or the invocation of solar angels is also appropriate to this space. The important part is setting up and adoring the image of the sun. I employed no rituals to do this. Some passages of the Qur'an, Surah 93 and Surah 91 v. 1-10 in particular, are appropriate for this, as are the adorations of Ra-Hoor-Khuit from the Stele of Revealing translated rather poetically in Liber AL.
Part III
This part can be broken up into segments, or the order can be varied. I wanted to experiment more with that aspect of this working, but have not yet done so. There are, in part three, three ceremonies. One for the King in his role of Lord of the Wheel of Fortune, or Jupiter, one for the King in his role as blood of the land, or Sol, and one for the messenger of the King who enacts his Will in the kingdom, or Mercury. The appropriate planetary hours and days should be observed.
The altar set up for this part is very important. I drew on my altar with chalk, but if you have the properly consecrated materials all the better. The sun was placed in center against the wall, set upon a brass plate on which images of the zodiac had been inscribed, to symbolize the sun ruling over the twelve fixed stars as Lord of the Universe. To the right, I drew the Mark of the Beast with the appropriate 666 design, and placed the phallus at the point at which the circles intersect. To the left, I drew a hexagram containing a pentagram, with the points of the hexagram connected by solid lines to suggest a cube, above which is written “ABRAHADABRA”. In the middle of the altar, before the image of the sun, is placed or drawn the appropriate planetary square from Agrippa, surrounded by the appropriate divine names in Hebrew.
Begin with the banishing ritual of the pentagram and hexagram.
Follow this with the invocation of the Bornless One. Anoint the stone, the altar, the parchment, the pen, and the wand. Write the declaration of Will on the parchment, and place it over the image of the pentagram within the hexagram.
Read or recite the first two Enochian Keys in Enochian, cap. V of Liber LXV, and the first two keys in English.
Follow this with a reading or recitation of the appropriate chapter of Liber VII to the planet with which you are working.
Follow this with a prayer or confession to the God. For Jupiter I selected Amoun-Ra, Horus for Sol, and Thoth for Mercury. This can be prepared, but I personally prefer to be spontaneous for the “confession” portion of any working.
Follow this with a recitation or reading of Liber Ararita.
Throughout, the stone should be placed at square one of the kaema which is being employed for this ritual. Describe, spontaneously from your own understanding, the relation of this number to power, authority, and kingship. Using the wand, move the stone to square two, and do the same. Continue until you reach the last square of the kaema. These devotions should become more intense as you progress, and hopefully some poetry might somehow creep into them. Do not, however, prepare a speech for each number. This must be done at the moment, by ingenium.
Following this, place the stone upon the parchment over the pentagram within the hexagram. To seal this up in blood, as it where, the hand of the master brought that forth, and the stone and parchment are both anointed, while a portion of the substance is consumed.
Place the stone and parchment within the image of the sun (different material equipment will require slightly different methods for this, but intelligent and creative people can figure that out) and prostrate yourself before it, declaring worship unto the Lord of the Earth and the Twelve stars.
Oh, and a small self-righteous footnote. I know that I emphasize this a lot, but let me say it one more time: I worked six days a week while I did this. I had a pretty full social life. I was certainly well established as a party animal. How did I find time to work, party, study, do my yoga, and do these magick rituals? Well, I don’t have television, I rarely watch movies, I don’t play video games, I don’t eat junk food that slows down my body and mind, I don’t have stoner buddies dropping by randomly to pass out on my couch, and I don’t resent working to get what I want. People blame their responsibilities for the lack of time that they have to commit to a big working, but its never the responsibilities eating up time. Its the indulgences. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t have indulgences, but I am saying that you should stick to the indulgences that are really important to you. Hell, that’s what being a king is all about!