Liber Resh and Liber Al
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I have looked for clues to a deeper purpose of Liber Resh. I assume this practice came from Crowley's study of Muslim devotional practices prior to receiving Liber Al.
Liber Legis quotes from Crowley's "paraphrase" of the Stele - or Crowley "paraphrased" the translation to make it fit parts of Liber Al. Regardless:
The light is mine; its rays consume
Me: I have made a secret door
Into the House of Ra and Tum,
Of Khephra and of Ahathoor.
I am thy Theban, O Mentu,
The prophet Ankh-af-na-khonsu!Prior to quoting this, Ra Hoor Khut says, "There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy way in all the quarters, (these are the adorations, as thou hast written)" (III, 38).
The commentaries don't offer any guidance, but this indicates some link between the performance of Liber Resh and "a secret door". A door to what?
I have noticed some association between the quarters/movement of the Sun with phases of initiation or spiritual development. So, might "establish thy way in all the quarters" refer to "they way" throughout those phases of intitiation or development?
I have had great difficulty trying to find information on the meanings of the 4 quarters, separate from the travels of the Sun in Egyptian cosmology. I have found hints of the meanings of the northern and eastern quarters in Golden Dawn material. North, the darkness in which resides the "marvelous seed of the stars" hidden before initiation. East, the golden dawn, or emergence of the light in the magician through initiation. South, the Man of Tiphareth? As described in the Book of Lies. And West, the Man of Kether? I don't have any real reason for the final two attributions, just guessing. And might any of this relate to the practice of Liber Resh?
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@sasha said
"Liber Legis quotes from Crowley's "paraphrase" of the Stele - or Crowley "paraphrased" the translation to make it fit parts of Liber Al."
The English "versification" of the text on the Stele of Revealing was done before Liber L. was received - there are several places in the original manuscript that refer to the verse already having been written. So I don't think there was an retro-fitting of the verse to Liber L., since the verse was written first.
"Prior to quoting this, Ra Hoor Khut says, "There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy way in all the quarters, (these are the adorations, as thou hast written)" (III, 38).
The commentaries don't offer any guidance, but this indicates some link between the performance of Liber Resh and "a secret door". A door to what?"
"Door" is here singular, but this one door seems to exist "in all the quarters". Despite the singular-plural variant, I take this to be the same as the "four gates to one palace" of CCXX I:51, and I take that "one palace" to be Tiphereth.
So my answer to your question - a door to what? - would be: Sun, Tiphereth, center, &c. - pick your symbol of the moment, it's all the same thing.
Compare this to the formula used, for example, in the Golden Dawn traditional Portal ceremony: Each quarter has a gate. The candidate has previously entered by each of these in the individual Elemental grades. In the Portal, one enters "in turn or at once the four gates" and thereby comes to "stand on the floor of the palace". In other words (using the Portal as the model for the moment), one never knows by which route a particular person will make it to the center, to Tiphereth - they may take any one of the gates, or all of them - But, when reality turns inside out, walking out through any of them individually or all of them simultaneously leads one to walk in to the Center.
In relation to Liber Resh, the formula might be stated: Outward turning toward any indidividual aspect of the Sun leads, when successful, to the "entering" inward to the Sun itself, rather than one of its partial aspects or expressions.
"I have had great difficulty trying to find information on the meanings of the 4 quarters, separate from the travels of the Sun in Egyptian cosmology."
These vary with the setting, the ritual, the context. Many rituals (such as the Golden Dawn First Order temple) overlay multiple simultaneous symbol sets. One has to answer questions such as whether to incorporate the Elemental attributes of the quarters with the solar-cycle meanings, and then whether to add the Cube of Space equation to the directions - and on and on (with at least three more layers coming to mind for just one ritual I'm thinking of at the moment). But these are context driven to a great extent.
Just as an example, here is aone of the four invocations of the quarters I've written for a self-dedication ceremony we'll be publishing before the year is out. These verses have several different kinds of symbolism involved, resting foremost on the "solar quarter" symbolism. Is this suitable for what you are trying to sort through? I don't know, but here's the sample in case it helps. (You can find the solar quarters, the Elemental attributions, the Three Rays model just on the surface here - and the Elemental attribution has sub-themes of the Four Powers of the Sphinx and the 4 L's.)
""O Thou, Root of all Wisdom! Thou dost arise in the east, even as Thou art uplifted in my heart. Thou art the dawning of Knowledge: Awaken me to the Knowledge of the Dawn. Admit me into thy Life of LIBERTY.""
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Thanks. That clears things up quite a bit.
@Jim Eshelman said
"In relation to Liber Resh, the formula might be stated: Outward turning toward any indidividual aspect of the Sun leads, when successful, to the "entering" inward to the Sun itself, rather than one of its partial aspects or expressions."
What do you mean by "outward turning"? Simply that ritual adoration of the outward symbol leads to union with or attainment of the inward thing it symbolizes?
@Jim Eshelman said
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@sasha said
"I have had great difficulty trying to find information on the meanings of the 4 quarters, separate from the travels of the Sun in Egyptian cosmology."
These vary with the setting, the ritual, the context. Many rituals (such as the Golden Dawn First Order temple) overlay multiple simultaneous symbol sets."
I meant the meanings of the quarters themselves, rather than the various correspondances. But perhaps I need to ask this more specifically. I guess I normally worry about the meanings of the 4 quarters in Assiah, since I usually only work within it for now. I don't know if they mean anything different in the other worlds. Or perhaps they don't mean anything beyond the meanings given to them by their correspondances.
@Jim Eshelman said
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Just as an example, here is aone of the four invocations of the quarters I've written for a self-dedication ceremony we'll be publishing before the year is out. These verses have several different kinds of symbolism involved, resting foremost on the "solar quarter" symbolism. Is this suitable for what you are trying to sort through?"Exactly! Now I'd love to see the other 3. When and where will you publish it?
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@sasha said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"In relation to Liber Resh, the formula might be stated: Outward turning toward any individual aspect of the Sun leads, when successful, to the "entering" inward to the Sun itself, rather than one of its partial aspects or expressions."What do you mean by "outward turning"? Simply that ritual adoration of the outward symbol leads to union with or attainment of the inward thing it symbolizes?"
That's part of it. And literally - physically - you are "facing outward," i.e., toward a direction. And also that you are using an outer, physical expression of an essentially inner reality.
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@sasha said
"I have had great difficulty trying to find information on the meanings of the 4 quarters, separate from the travels of the Sun in Egyptian cosmology."I meant the meanings of the quarters themselves, rather than the various correspondances."
I'm not sure what you're looking for. Other than the direct astronomical implication ("upper limb of the Sun crosses the visible eastern horizon, adjusting for refraction, &c."), I'm not sure what sort of answers there are that might be separate from the correspondences. I'm not sure there is any intrinsic meaning apart from the physical details and the symbolic correspondences.
Yes, they would have different meanings in the different worlds, simply because the consciousness viewing them would look at them differently.
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Just as an example, here is aone of the four invocations of the quarters I've written for a self-dedication ceremony we'll be publishing before the year is out. These verses have several different kinds of symbolism involved, resting foremost on the "solar quarter" symbolism. Is this suitable for what you are trying to sort through?"Exactly! Now I'd love to see the other 3. When and where will you publish it?"
Name and publication details are being intentionally kept under wraps for now, but - since it is something useful to you here, and since it will be public anyway - here are the other three (current draft). (Copyright 2006, James A. Eshelman & Anna-Kria King, All Rights Reserved - just for the record.)
"O Thou, Root of all Power! Thou art refulgent in the south, even as Thou shinest in Eternal Splendor within my heart. Thou art triumphant Courage: Strengthen me to embrace every experience of life. Admit me into thy Life of LIGHT.
O Thou, Root of all Love! Thou art set in the west, even as Thou hast penetrated the cavernous depths of my soul. Thou art the Silence of the End: Fulfill me in the rapture of thy Stillness. Admit me into thy Life of LOVE.
O Thou, Who art all Power, Love, and Wisdom! Thou, O Sun of Midnight, art the veiled splendor of my heart. Thou art the Hidden Will, the Seed of Truth: Lead me to know and do my True Will. Admit me into the fullness of thy Secret LIFE."
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@sasha said
"Thanks for posting those. Please let us know when the book comes out."
I'm sure I'll remember to post that information hree. It will be the first (and for all I know, the last) publicaiton with Aspirants to Light as the publisher, so it will also be heavily visible on aspirantstolight.org and circulated on its mailing lists - but yeah, I'm sure I'll post that info here, too
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Duquette, in Magick of Thelema, reports the rumor that Crowley recommended a recitation of the last 4 verses of the "versification" of the obverse of the Stele following any of the Liber Resh adorations. I have seen this repeated several places, but I don't know who got if from who. Regardless, doing so appears to place the adorant in the position of identifying hirself with Ankh-af-na-Khnosu.
Does anyone see any particular benefit to identifying with him in that way? Or do you all think I've just read too much into it? Perhaps Crowley, or whoever, thougtht these versus simply worked well because they mention the adorations and their purpose.
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Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
The first verse - "I am the Lord of Thebes," &c. - isn't used until one is 2=9 A.'.A.'. - at which point there is a very specific relevance. As you wrote, only the last four.
This informaiton is the tradition handed down through the generations in the Soror Estai lineage of A.'.A.'..
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Just as an example, here is aone of the four invocations of the quarters I've written for a self-dedication ceremony we'll be publishing before the year is out. These verses have several different kinds of symbolism involved, resting foremost on the "solar quarter" symbolism."
I have adapted these four invocations to my Liber Resh work. For almost the last two months, I have recited the appropriate one prior to each of my daily solar adorations. I find that it adds a great deal to it, providing much material for meditation. The invocations have a very devotional feel to them that stengthens the adorations for me.
Has anyone else tried this? I recommend giving it a try.
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@sasha said
"I have adapted these four invocations to my Liber Resh work. For almost the last two months, I have recited the appropriate one prior to each of my daily solar adorations. I find that it adds a great deal to it, providing much material for meditation. The invocations have a very devotional feel to them that stengthens the adorations for me."
Thanks for letting me know, Sasha. I'm delighted they have been so fruitfull for you.
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I want to take my performance of Liber Resh up a notch. Crowley, in Liber Resh, recommends two things:
"Also it is better if in these adorations thou assume the God-form of Whom thou adorest, as if thou didst unite with Him in the adoration of That which is beyond Him."
Regarding the assumption of godforms - Do y'all think he really means doing so in the sense that one would do this in a GD or, I assume, a ToT ceremony? If so, then each performance will turn into a 30 or 40 minute long thing. Based on my experience of godform assumption, I damn well better banish afterwards, and probably before as well. Doing the LBRP 8 times a day, more like 10 or 11 if I include my other daily work, sounds good in theory, but... This just led me to wonder if he didn't mean something much simpler. Or maybe something more reckless
Regarding the adoration of That which is beyond him - I interpret this several ways. 1) Do something like an adoration of the Lord of the Universe while still wearing the godform. No problem. Or 2) I have no idea.
Does anyone have anything else interesting they do with Liber Resh?
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@sasha said
"Regarding the assumption of godforms - Do y'all think he really means doing so in the sense that one would do this in a GD or, I assume, a ToT ceremony? If so, then each performance will turn into a 30 or 40 minute long thing."
It's a matter of practice. Assumption of a god-form, with practice, takes a few seconds. (Liber Resh doesn't contemplate a full ceremonial invocation of the god to accomplish this - just the assumption of the form.)
There are alternate interpretations of that instruction in Resh, but the straightforward interpretation you've made is surely the primary meaning intended, and also the most common.
"Based on my experience of godform assumption, I damn well better banish afterwards, and probably before as well."
Some of us, at different times, have always preceeded Resh with additional "hygenics" - in particular, a Pentagram Ritual. It isn't a common practice, and I've personally only done it as an early experiment and then during a particularly critical Working.
What's contemplated here is formulating the theurgic image in imagination, causing it to conform spacially with your own physical body, and substituting the perception of occupying the theurgic image for the perception of occupying your physical body. Whether one goes further and looses consciousness into the god-consciousness is in the "personal practice" or, more commonly, the "personal results," category.
"Regarding the adoration of That which is beyond him - I interpret this several ways. 1) Do something like an adoration of the Lord of the Universe while still wearing the godform. No problem. Or 2) I have no idea."
Liber Resh doesn't contemplate a separate action for this. The line you are quoting - see par. 6 on ordoaa.org/liber200.htm - is referring to the versical or Resh itself. That is, the Resh verse from pars. 1-4 is (as it were) "the adoration of That which is beyond Him."
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@Jim Eshelman said
"It's a matter of practice. Assumption of a god-form, with practice, takes a few seconds. (Liber Resh doesn't contemplate a full ceremonial invocation of the god to accomplish this - just the assumption of the form.)"
I feel like I always belabor the point, but just so I get this... So you mean something more like just doing the visualization part of a godform adoption. I imagine that doing this everyday can eventually lead to some pretty intense identification with that deity, eliminating the need for a full invocation, as well as producing the results safely without any need for banishment afterwards or taxing yourself.
Thanks once again for the help.
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@sasha said
"I feel like I always belabor the point, but just so I get this... So you mean something more like just doing the visualization part of a godform adoption."
That is the god-form adoption. (It's the form component.)
The specific technique of assumption of a form shouldn't be confused with, say, a full invocation.
"I imagine that doing this everyday can eventually lead to some pretty intense identification with that deity,"
Yes, many have found that it does.
The core of the method - quoted from Liber O - is as follows:
"The student, seated in the "God" position, or in the characteristic attitude of the God desired, 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."
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Does anyone have any information on the additional or instead-of verses for Liber Resh which Crowley supposedly taught to his own students? I believe they are supposed to be taken from Liber AL (source: DuQuette's "Magick of Aleister Crowley").
Also, today was the first day I began performing Liber Resh, based on how simple it is and Duquette's note that it is an extremely powerful ritual. Also, Jim recommended it along with LBRP and MPR as part of his "6 months to eye-opening" curriculum (he didn't actually call it that, exactly).
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@Redd Fezz said
"Does anyone have any information on the additional or instead-of verses for Liber Resh which Crowley supposedly taught to his own students? I believe they are supposed to be taken from Liber AL[/quote[
I suspect you are referring to the part referenced in paragraph 5 of Liber Resh: " And after each of these invocations thou shalt give the sign of silence, and afterwards thou shalt perform the adoration that is taught thee by thy Superior." Yes?Since we've published this for the general public previously (in I.T.C., for one), I see no reason not to give it here. The adoration is from CCXX, Cap. III:
"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! The light is mine; its rays consume Me: I have made a secret door Into the House of Ra and Tum, Of Khephra and of Ahathoor. I am thy Theban, O Mentu, The prophet Ankh-af-na-khonsu! By Bes-na-Maut my breast I beat; By wise Ta-Nech I weave my spell. Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit! Bid me within thine House to dwell, O wingéd snake of light, Hadit! Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit!""
This changes a little at A.'.A.'. 2=9.
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@Jim Eshelman said
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@Redd Fezz said
"Does anyone have any information on the additional or instead-of verses for Liber Resh which Crowley supposedly taught to his own students? I believe they are supposed to be taken from Liber AL[/quote[
I suspect you are referring to the part referenced in paragraph 5 of Liber Resh: " And after each of these invocations thou shalt give the sign of silence, and afterwards thou shalt perform the adoration that is taught thee by thy Superior." Yes?Since we've published this for the general public previously (in I.T.C., for one), I see no reason not to give it here. The adoration is from CCXX, Cap. III:
"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! The light is mine; its rays consume Me: I have made a secret door Into the House of Ra and Tum, Of Khephra and of Ahathoor. I am thy Theban, O Mentu, The prophet Ankh-af-na-khonsu! By Bes-na-Maut my breast I beat; By wise Ta-Nech I weave my spell. Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit! Bid me within thine House to dwell, O wingéd snake of light, Hadit! Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit!"This changes a little at A.'.A.'. 2=9."
"This is also published in Duquette's book, but without the clarification that this is the "adoration" referred to! Well, I said both for this morning-- but only the first verse of the additional adoration-- is that right? I assumed it was one verse for each time of day.
This is good to know because I had no idea what the "adoration taught by your superior" was supposed to be. But, apparently I did it right. Well, minus the assumption of the god forms (I just said the words and felt good for doing so).
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@Redd Fezz said
"This is also published in Duquette's book, but without the clarification that this is the "adoration" referred to! Well, I said both for this morning-- but only the first verse of the additional adoration-- is that right? I assumed it was one verse for each time of day."
No. The whole thing each time.
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Yes, I have changed my username (previously Sasha), but anyway...
@jmiller said
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@Jim Eshelman said
"Just as an example, here is aone of the four invocations of the quarters I've written for a self-dedication ceremony we'll be publishing before the year is out. These verses have several different kinds of symbolism involved, resting foremost on the "solar quarter" symbolism."I have adapted these four invocations to my Liber Resh work. For almost the last two months, I have recited the appropriate one prior to each of my daily solar adorations. I find that it adds a great deal to it, providing much material for meditation. The invocations have a very devotional feel to them that stengthens the adorations for me."
I have now worked with these invocations for more than nine months. The power of it continues to grow for me. They have basically become daily prayers to my HGA. Praying four times each day, every day to her has begun to have an impact on my understand of Will in general, my ability to pick up clues about my Will, and my relationship to my HGA. Certainly I could attribute these impacts to the sum total of all of my magical work, but I think these prayers deserve the bulk of the credit. So, again, I recommend the practice to others. And I'd love to hear about the experiences of others with this.
I should say that I see Resh also as partly a set of prayers to my HGA, but much less direct than the above prayers. The two seem to have taken on different roles for me and to produce differing results or states of consciousness.