The Formula of the Neophyte
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Can someone explain to me the nature & importance of the Formula of the Neophyte? I read the chapter relating thereto in Magick In Theory & Practice but I am still unclear about it.
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The Formula of the Neophyte in 160 Syllables
Hoodwinked and bound around thrice by a cord
Drawn by that which I am aiming toward
To an Oath I'm sworn as my fear waxes
I circumambulate on my axis
At the occidental quarter I rest
I'm shown a glimpse of the Lord of the West
And now with my energy rekindled
Dance I to the quarter oriental
My hood removed, I get more than a glance
Of the Eastern Lord with Sword and Balance
The Sigil of Sulpher we thus create
Between two Pillars, black and white, I'm sate
And with the Eucharist I seal the Rite
And project myself into Astral flight
What once was darkness is coming to Light
As I'm conferred the Grade of Neophyte -
A serpent flame sparked,
Burned, within a pure heart
And bid Nuit, a house, to dwell
So then! The war begins
Stranger from a stranger land
Lead me by a rose in hand
Unto her house, I fell
Purified by Khuits spell
Towards the light, that ends, a funnel:
Shackles, that were freedoms tunnel
I threw them to the ground!
For the light of knowledge
It is silence in sounds
Death! Come feed, on life proud
In a night, thy forms a shroud
Shall I sing ? My Love, a song
As the all it comes, it witnesses,
An arrow as I bowA momentary twinkle...
Lead on by the word
Knocks, resounding, they are heard
Setting, down, past what is West
Go child! Star serpent!
Fear. is not thy gaze
A rivers water plows the way
Till a rise above that grave
Into a circle, a circle flames
To light faces and a mane
One, not one, not in vain
Rush forth to extend a name
One, was not one, on that day
As if you would want it
Any, or another way -
Can someone give me an example of a ritual following said formula other than the G.D.'s 0=0 ritual & Pyramidos?
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@Red Eagle of Death said
"Can someone give me an example of a ritual following said formula other than the G.D.'s 0=0 ritual & Pyramidos?"
Read the Z-2 paper in the Golden Dawn 5=6 material. It shows how to adapt this to multiple other purposes.
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@Red Eagle of Death said
"Can someone give me an example of a ritual following said formula other than the G.D.'s 0=0 ritual & Pyramidos?"
..a simplified Thelemic adaptation of the Neophyte ritual of the Golden Dawn:
Temple furnished with altar in the midst & Pillars of J & B between altar & eastern station. To the east is a shrine to Therion (I use a large reproduction of Atu XI) & to the west a shrine to Babalon (I use a large reproduction of Atu XIII). Before being brought into the temple the candidate is bound thrice by a cord and blindfolded. He is then purified with water with the words Asperges me, Therion, hyssopo, et mundabor; lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor and consecrated with oil with the words Accendat in nobis Therion ignem sui amoris et flammam aeternae caritatis. The candidate is then led into the temple and, before the altar, facing east, he is made to kneel. The words A ka dua Tuf ur biu bi a'a chefu Dudu nur af an nuteru are spoken by the initiator before an oath is extracted from the candidate. He is then led to the northern station of the temple with the words I deliver thee unto the north, domain of Earth; Malkuth; Alchemical Salt; Tamas Guna. The candidate is then led around the temple, passing the eastern station twice, to the southern station where he is haulted with the words Thou canst not bear the Lord of the West with out further purification & consecration. The candidate is "". He is then led to the western station where his blindfold is momentarily removed to reveal to him the shrine to Babalon, & the words With courage conquering fear shall ye approach me: ye shall lay down your heads upon mine altar, expecting the sweep of the sword. But the first kiss of love shall be radiant on your lips; and all my darkness and terror shall turn to light and joy. Only those who fear shall fail. The blindfold is replaced and the candidate is led around the temple, this time passing the eastern station once, to the northern station where the candidate is again haulted with the words Thou canst not bear the Lord of the East with out further purification & consecration. The candidate is further "". He is then led to the eastern station where his blindfold is momentarily removed to reveal to him the shrine to Therion, & the words My adepts stand upright; their head above the heavens, their feet below the hells. But since one is naturally attracted to the Angel, another to the Demon, let the first strengthen the lower link, the last attach more firmly to the higher. Thus shall equilibrium become perfect. The blindfold is replaced & the candidate is again led before the altar, facing east, and made to kneel. The initiator then takes his place to the east of the altar, between the Pillars, &, after removing the blindfold of the candidate, the initiator officially confers the Grade upon him. The candidate is then led east of the altar, before the Pillars, & the secrets & signs of the Grade are communicated to him. For a fourth & final time the candidate is purified & consecrated & the words A ka dua Tuf ur biu bi a'a chefu Dudu nur af an nuteru are spoken before sealing the ritual with a cake of light or eucharist of the four elements.
729
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Thanks A.! this gives me a lot to work with!
Jim: Do you know the history behind the formula? where it originates or the first signs of it?
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@Red Eagle of Death said
"Jim: Do you know the history behind the formula? where it originates or the first signs of it?"
Its literal history is that it was extracted, after the fact, from the Neophyte ceremony of the Golden Dawn.
There is a very specific formula underneath all the details. I've never seen it published. In fact, I've been meaning for 10 years to get it written in detail, and have only managed to give a couple of lectures on it to our Second Order so they at least have the outline. I don't know that it's the best of formulae, but it's extremely useful to understand it and, sometimes, to apply it. (Half of what you need to understand it is in Chapter 16 of the new edition of 776 1/2. The other half is an unpublished alchemical sequence.)
But, more importantly - for those who have been admitted by that formula (including Neophytes of A.'.A.'.), adapting the formula to multiple purposes is an extremely valuable practice because it builds the formula more intimately into one's cells. If this is the formula on which one is relying for one's initiation, then building it into one's cells has enormous value.