The Star Ruby - An Analysis (1 of 3)

Jim Eshelman

No later than 1913, when The Book of Lies was published, Aleister Crowley had written what he termed “a new and more elaborate version of the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram. . . an official ritual of the A.'.A.'..” Later, during the Cefalù period, he revised this ritual, called The Star Ruby.

The Star Ruby is a specialized and alternative banishing ritual of the Pentagram. There is no invoking form of the Star Ruby (though, presumably, one could be created). Before proceeding, it is useful to establish clearly in one’s mind that the symbolism of the Pentagram itself remains constant in the Star Ruby as in earlier forms of the Pentagram Ritual. That is, there is far more that the Star Ruby and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram have in common than not.

Hereafter follows a commentary:

00. “Facing East, in the centre, draw deep deep deep thy breath, closing thy mouth with thy right forefinger prest against thy lower lip.”
The Star Ruby commences by establishing your consciousness in renewed awareness of its position at Tiphereth. For this reason, we view it especially as an Adept’s ritual.

At the beginning of the ceremony, stand in the center of your place of working (or, if the Altar is centrally located, stand immediately east of the Altar). Face the East, the direction (both literally and symbolically) whence originates and emanates all Light. By doing so, you affirm the truth that all power is derived from the One Source of Light and Life, which is manifested to us as the Sun. By standing at the center thereof, you symbolically affirm the nature of your own Identity at the center of the field of operation of the Sun.

Notice that you are not only “giving a sign” — which, by itself, is a powerful symbolic statement — but you also should assume the God Form of Harpocrates. See yourself within the Egg of Blue, as Harpocrates standing upon the crocodiles; or visualize yourself as standing at the center of that other womb, the Vault of the Adepts, with your heel solidly planted upon the head of the serpent. The basic symbolism is much the same. In any case, employ some such formulation, before you go one step further in the ritual, in order to enter a deep silence, to establish the Qabalistic Zero.

Become relaxed. Regularize and deepen your breathing. Consciously center yourself. As you draw in the breath, draw also all of the residuals of random thought about you into this deep, deep Silence. Coil them tightly within the root of your being, absolving them of their differences by your own Silence. This is an important key to the successful performance of the remainder of the ritual.

0. “Then dashing down the hand with a great sweep back and out, expelling forcibly thy breath, cry: Apo pantos kakodaimonos.”
The Greek phrase... literally means, “[Be] utterly away from here, ye evil spirits!” It is, by itself, a powerful brief banishing, and has, we are told, exorcistic authority within the Greek Orthodox Church.

The word daimon, though the origin of the English word “demon,” simply means any spirit. The prefix kako- means “evil.” (In contrast, kalodaimon, or “beautiful spirit,” is another name for the Divine Genius, or Augoeides, or Holy Guardian Angel.) In this present context, “evil” means anything inappropriate to the work at hand, anything at odds with the True Will of the magician or with the specific “bud will” of the operation.

The next part of the ceremony is the formulation of the Qabalistic Cross. Its purpose is to establish the Tree of Life in your aura, centered on Tiphereth. The visualizations are essentially the same as those employed in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram (see BLACK PEARL No. 3). Intentionally dismiss the assumption of the God-form of Harpocrates, and proceed as follows:

**1. “With the same forefinger touch thy forehead, and say Soi...” **
As you vibrate the word, see a blazing sphere of white brilliance a few inches above your head. This is the Kether center.

Soi, pronounced “soy,” means “Unto Thee.” In context of the present sentence, it may also simply be translated, “Thou,” as if in the vocative. It is equivalent to the Hebrew AThH, attah.

The numerical value of soi is 280. This is the area, in square feet, of the seven walls of the Vault of the Adepts. It is also the value of the Hebrew name Sandalphon (SNDLPhVN), Archangel of Mal¬kuth in Assiah. By legend, Sandalphon and Meta¬tron are said to be the same Archangel, seen from a different perspective. The former is “the reconciler for Earth.” The latter is a manifestation of the Divine Presence. Each is representative of the pure descent of spiritual forces from the Highest Crown into balanced manifestation in the Kingdom.

The three attributions that now follow are all basic to the primal creative force of the Universe, especially as it is concentrated in and manifested through the Holy Guardian Angel.

2. “thy member, and say O Phalleh...”
Bring your hand straight down to the genital region. See a shaft of white light descend from the Kether center all the way to your feet and beyond, grounding you in the center of the Earth, so that you are a complete bridge between the Heights and the Depths. See and feel this brilliant ray of light as strongly as possible.

O Phalle... literally means, “O Phallus!” It is an anthem, a pæan of praise, unto the Divine creative power now invoked.

Hopefully, it is already evident to most readers of this journal that the use of this phrase is not a sexist concentration on the male physical genitals alone. There should be no mistaking the pulsing, vibrant column of light, surging with life, which has been drawn from the Crown, and which stands upright, brilliant and potent, within the physical body (and also within the more subtle bodies) of the Adept. It is this — and what this symbolizes — to which the Greek phrase primarily refers.

You may miss, however, the more subtle instruction, the one clear interpretive key provided to us by Frater Perdurabo in his open publication of this ritual. It is to these exact words, O Phalleh, that he appended the footnote, “The secret sense of these words is to be sought in the numeration thereof.” Although Qabalistic analysis is warranted for many parts of this ritual, it is this specific phrase to which he pointedly attached this remark. The words O Phalle enumerate to 1,366. This is also the value of the two Greek words phallos + kteis, lingam and yoni; and of he phoneh, “the voice.”

It is clear, therefore, that the author of this ritual intended to signify by these words a force common to both the male and female organs of pleasure and creation. Since phalle refers to the phallus, the female instrument is signified by the letter and word O [the letter Omega], an expression of wonder, an emblem of infinity and finality, and an image of the arched body of Nuit. Together, these two elements, the masculine and the feminine, compose “The Voice,” a single expression of a single Word.

The number 1,366 gives further clues confirming what is intended here. 13 is the number expressing ideas of “love” and “unity.” 66 is the theosophical extension, or summation, of the number 11, the number of the magick force itself (AVD, Ood). The whole, therefore, represents love and unity as expressions of primal magical force. By Tarot, XI and XIII signify Leo and Scorpio, the Kerubic powers of Fire and Water; Teth and Nun, both of which are expressive of serpentine energies, and which, together, manifest the solar and the martial, the 6 and the 5 — Ra and Hoor.

In contrast to the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, this Greek Qabalistic Cross does not include stopping at the heart center. Certainly some magicians have chosen to pause there, and vibrate either the name Aiwass, or that of their own Holy Guardian Angel. However, the entire ritual of The Star Ruby, to which is given the number 25, is based on five points of five elements each; and to add a further (sixth) step to the Qabalistic Cross would be to upset this careful structure. Furthermore, unlike the Qabalistic Cross in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, the final phrase — in this ritual, IAO — confirms and seals the Tipheric center, synthesizing and unifying the solar attributions of the Living God which have by then been articulated.

3. “thy right shoulder, and say Ischuros, thy left shoulder, and say Eucharistos...”
These steps acknowledge the correspondences of Geburah and Chesed in the microcosm, exactly as in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. As your hand moves from your right shoulder to the left, visualize a shaft of white light following the motion of the hand, forming the horizontal shaft of a Cross of Light.

Ischuros... means “strong one,” or “almighty.” It is thus the Greek name of the Sephirah Geburah, “Strength.”

Eucharistos... is the origin of our word “eucharist.” It literally means, “pleasant”; but it also expresses the whole range of meanings attributable to the Sacrament of Limitless Blessing represented by the Sephirah Chesed.

The primal, creative, solar Divinity recognized in the expression O phalle is, by its relationship to Geburah and Chesed, both “All-Devourer” and “All-Begetter,” both Destroyer and Creator.

Ischuros enumerates to 1,580. Eucharistos enumerates to 1,886. Neither number has a well-established significance in the Qabalah. We are, however, quite taken by their sum, 3,466. In Hebrew, the central language of the Qabalah by which all numbers ultimately are analyzed, this number is written:

G Th S V

Here are the letters (Th, S, G) corresponding to the three Paths of the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life — Gimel, representing the number 3,000, being larger and therefore of preeminent importance. To them is appended Vav, the number 6, an emblem of the Sephirah Tiphereth at the very center thereof. This symbol of the Middle Pillar is created by the words formulating the balanced crossbar to that very shaft.

**4. “then clasp thine hands, locking the fingers, and cry IAO.” **

Upon the center-point of this cross of scintillating silver-white light, a rose now blooms. Both the location of this vibration directly over the heart, and the solar mantra IAO..., clearly characterize this refocusing as being Tipheric in nature.

IAO needs little or no explanation. Its numerical value in Greek is 811, a union of the chief numbers of Hadit (8) and Nuit (11). It is perhaps significant, given the localization of this vibration, that 811 is also the value of the Greek mastos, “breast.”

This concludes the Qabalistic Cross. Being well established in the Tree of Life, centered at Tiphereth, the magician next goes forth to purify and balance the four Elemental Sephiroth below, those which pertain especially to the functions of Desire, Intellect, Subconsciousness, and Sensation within the microcosm. In doing so, the pattern followed is that of the Four Elements in the sequence Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. The Adept’s actions are thus the expression of the Holy Tetragrammaton, YHVH, extending its initiating Voice into manifestation. The pattern is the Macrocosmic attribution of the Elements as employed within the Vault of the Adepts.

5. “Advance to the East. Imagine strongly a Pentagram, aright, in thy forehead. Drawing the hands to the eyes, fling it forth, making the sign of Horus, and roar Chaos. Retire thine hand in the sign of Hoor pa kraat.”
From the center, the Adept moves outward to the circumference, extending his or her Light unto the realm of the Four Elements. The first such movement is to the East, the direction attributed to Fire and the feline Kerubic Powers of Leo, corresponding to the letter y in Tetragrammaton.

Reaching the East and facing outward, pause a moment to formulate, as you will, the gate of the quarter. You may also wish to formulate yourself as being in the theurgic form of the Lion Kerub of the quarter. Then “imagine strongly,” upon the center of your forehead, a bright, hot, ruby red upright Pentagram. Draw your hands together to your forehead, framing the Pentagram. Then vibrate the name Chaos... by drawing in the Name with your breath and moving it downward through your body; then extending forward your hands in the Sign of the Enterer and propelling the Pentagram forward, expanding, unto the infinite reaches of space, while simultaneously releasing the Name outward by your voice and with vibration. (Remember, in Greek “the voice,” he phoneh, is equal to O phalle, which you previously have established.) Conclude with the Sign of Silence.

Notice that the name is “roared.” These details of vocalization may be employed or ignored. They are more of a hint than an instruction. The roar is the sound of the Lion Kerub of Fire. The real instruction is more complex than simply the sound of the voice. It refers to employing every device of force and form to amplify to yourself an awareness of the Element of Fire.

Chaos... is a name corresponding to the Sephirah Chokmah. It is thus a Divine Name of Fire. The name enumerates to 871, which is also the value of such Greek words as skotaios, “secret, dark,” and agnizo, “to purify.”

**6. “Go round to the North and repeat; but scream Babalon.” **
From the East, the magician moves counterclockwise (which, in this ceremony, is taken as a banishing direction) round to the North, the quarter attributed to Water and the Kerubic Powers of Scorpio, corresponding to the letter Heh in Tetragrammaton.

In passing to the North, extend the arm to form a connecting circle, from the center of the Pentagram in the East to a matching place in the north. Liber XXV. Please note, however, that neither are such instructions given in Liber O with respect to the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram or Hexagram, even though such a circle is a part of the those rituals. The correct understanding of this situation surely lies in Aleister Crowley’s evident and frequent oversights in writing lucid ritual instructions.] Pause to formulate, as you will, the northern elemental gate. You also may wish to formulate the theurgic form of the Kerub guarding this Quarter. Then “imagine strongly,” upon the center of your forehead, a bright, hot, ruby red Pentagram. Proceed as before, vibrating the name Babalon. Conclude with the Sign of Silence.

This name is said to be “screamed.” This is the characteristic sound of the Eagle, the Kerubic image which Crowley learned (in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn) to attribute to the Element of Water. [FN: Throughout, initiates of Temple of Thelema should substitute the Kerubic images attributed to the respective elements, as taught in the Apprentice Degree.] As before, the intention here is that the magician employ everything available to amplify the awareness of the Element of Water.

Babalon is, of course, the name of the Great Mother, the Divine Feminine, consort and mate of Chaos, corresponding to the Sephirah Binah. It may thus be employed as a Divine Name of Water. The name enumerates to 156, the characteristics of which were explored at length in “Qabalist’s Qorner,” BLACK PEARL No. 3.

7. “Go round to the West and repeat; but say Eros.”
From the North, move counterclockwise round to the West, the quarter attributed to Air and to the Kerubic Powers of Aquarius, correspond¬ing to the letter Vav in Tetragrammaton.

In passing to the West, extend the arm as before to continue the fiery red connecting circle. Pause to formulate, as you will, the western elemental gate. You also may wish to formulate for yourself the theurgic form of the Kerub of the Quarter. Then “imagine strongly,” upon the center of your forehead, the ruby red Pentagram and proceed as before, vibrating the name Eros. Conclude with the Sign of Silence.

According to the ritual script, this name is to be “said.” Speech is the characteristic sound of “Man,” the Kerubic image that Crowley first learned to attribute to the Element of Air.

The name Eros is used in this ritual as the complement of Psyche. The reference is mythological. Eros and Psyche are a complementary pair corresponding to the final two letters of Tetragrammaton, Vav and Heh-final. Eros is thus linked especially to Tiphereth, and may be conceived with all of his mythological attributions (including, for Air, his wings), especially as a youth of splendid solar beauty. (These are conceptual rather than visual el¬e¬ments. No image is employed in combination with Divine Names.)

Eros enumerates to 375. It is surely no accident that this is the value of the Hebrew name ShLMH, Solomon; nor that it is the value of the Name KMAL, Kamæl, “Desire of God,” spelled in plenitude (KP MYM ALP LMD).

8. “Go round to the South and repeat; but bellow Psycheh.”
From the West, move counterclockwise, extending the connecting circle as before, round to the South, the quarter attributed to Earth and to the bovine Kerubic Powers of Taurus, corresponding to the letter Heh-final in Tetragrammaton.

Pause a moment in the South to formulate, as you will, the gate of that quarter. You also may wish to formulate upon yourself the theurgic form of the Bull Kerub of Earth. Then visualize, extend, and charge the ruby Pentagram as in the other three quarters preceding, but with the Name Psycheh, the complement of Eros. Her name... literally means, “the soul,” and may be taken as indicative of the Nephesh and the sphere of sensation.

This name is said to be “bellowed.” This is, of course, the characteristic sound of the Bull.

**9. “Completing the circle widdershins, retire to the centre...” **
The completion of the widdershins (counter-clockwise) circle is obvious in meaning. Then, having effectuated your extension into the Four Elements, retire once more to the Center, Tiphereth, whence you began this particular work. What now follows is the central of the five parts or points of this Liber XXV. It consists of five signs, and the utterance of a phrase consisting of five letters.

**10. “and raise thy voice in the Paian, with these words Io Pan with the signs of N.O.X.” **
This one phrase is, at first, the most confusing in the entire ritual, due to lack of careful explanation. It is potentially subject to numerous interpretations; but we know Crowley’s intent.

Having extended “downward” from Tiphereth into the lower Sephiroth, the Adept now reaches upward, toward the Supernals. With respect to the Elements, the net effect is to establish a central column of Spirit at the hub of the other four, reaching not only unto Tiphereth, but unto Binah; for the signs of N.O.X. are the AA Signs of the Grades associated with the Sephiroth from Geburah through Binah. (The signs themselves may be found in Liber Reguli or in Appendix F to The Mystical & Magical System of the A.'.A.'., and are not repeated here.)

And, as before you extended your consciousness into the Elements of your being, purifying the functions of Desire, Intellect, Subconsciousness, and Sensation, so now, from the same Center, do you reach as well into the higher and transpersonal realms of Volition, Memory, Gnosis, and Intuition.

The exact ritual method is as follows. Say:

[:qkrh2dq4]N. (give the Sign of Puer, 6=5, corresponding to Geburah)[/qkrh2dq4]
[:qkrh2dq4]O. * (give the Sign of Vir, 7=4, corresponding to Chesed)[/qkrh2dq4]
[:qkrh2dq4](With a brief pause of silence, give the Sign of Puella = the first sign of the Babe of the Abyss)[/qkrh2dq4]
[:qkrh2dq4]X. (give the Sign of Mulier = the second sign of the Babe of the Abyss)[/qkrh2dq4]
[:qkrh2dq4]NOX — IO PAN[/qkrh2dq4]
[:qkrh2dq4](Give the Sign of Mater Triumphans, 8=3, corresponding to Binah)[/*qkrh2dq4]Io Pan may be studied in *The Book of Lies, * along Qabalistic lines, and in Liber VII. The most important consideration is that Pan is not only the name of a certain god, but is also the Greek word meaning “all.” Pan is The All.

The name Pan itself enumerates to 131. In the Greek gematria tables, this is also the value of such words as goneh, “birth, origin, seed;” amoibeh, “change;” and paleia, “dove.” However, the entire phrase, Io Pan, enumerates to the prime number 941, the value of the Greek machlos, “wanton, lustful.”

**11. “Extend the arms in the form of a Tau, and say low but clear: Pro mou IYGGHS, opiso mou TELETARCHAI, epi dexia SYNOCHES, eparistera DAIMONOS. Phlegei gar peri mou ho astehr ton pente kai en tei stehlei ho astehr ton hex estehke.” **
This is pronounced [given phenoetically, can’t reproduce it here in plain text].

It means: “Before me, Iunges. Behind me, Teletarchai. On the right, Sunokhes. On the left, Daimonos. For about me flames the Pentagram, and in the column stands the Hexagram.”

The instructions in the ritual seem simple enough. This section parallels the invocation of the four Archangels in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram, as wardens of the Quarters. The only apparent complexity is in understanding exactly who these new guardians are, and what they look like.

But there is a subtlety that would be easy to miss, a detail not existing in the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram. The cross shape in which one stands is not only understood to be a shape symbolically related to the 32nd Path, it is also explicitly said in this place to be “in the form of a Tau.” The Greek Tau or the Hebrew Tav (also often transliterated “Tau”) is attributed to Saturn. In the immediately prior stage of the ritual, the magician raised his or her consciousness unto Binah, the Sephirah of Saturn, and gave the sign of the grade attributed thereto. Therefore, this is not just the earthen lead of the 32nd Path with which the Adept now works, but a much more uplifted and complex representation of the planet Saturn. It is, at once, both Tav and Binah; or, rather, it is the idea of Tav to one who has understood something of Binah, and has opened himself or herself somewhat to the transpersonal consciousness thereof.

The 5° initiate of the Temple of Thelema, on encountering this action, surely will recall the occasion of his or her initiation into Second Order, and the obligation on that occasion — stripped of the Dying God elements of earlier generations, yet preserving the essential symbol here implied. All of the elements of that moment may be assumed to be present now, in this assumption of the Sign of the Cross. And this Sign, traditionally a sign of Osiris, is also one of the four Signs directly attributed to Tiphereth and the 5=6 Grade of A.'.A.'.. It therefore signifies a further precise transition in this Ritual of the Star Ruby. You, who began this ritual by establishing yourself in Tiphereth, then extended downward to the lower Sephiroth, then recentered in Tiphereth, then reached upward unto the higher Sephiroth, now center again within the Tipheric center from which the operation began and in which it shall be completed.

Regarding the four Guardians: Their names are all Greek plurals deriving from The Chaldean Oracles. Yet, every intuition says that in this ritual they are to be seen as singular beings, not as swarms of spirits. Multiplicity is a distinctive characteristic of Yetzirah, even as unity is of Briah; and it is a Briatic (Archangelic) level of guard¬i¬an¬ship that is warranted here. It is our view that, in writing The Star Ruby, Crowley did not delve deeply into the ancient meanings of these names but, rather, simply knew that he needed Greek names for this purpose and used what was at hand. Whatever beings are posted here must serve the same function as the Elemental Archangels in the Lesser Banishing Pentagram Ritual.

The names themselves may be studied in The Chaldean Oracles (the edition by G.H. Frater Sapere Aude is recommended), and also in an article titled “The Star Ruby: An Analysis,” written many years ago by a young A.'.A.'. Neophyte and published in IN THE CONTINUUM, Vol. III, No. 3.

The means of developing magical images (so-called telesmatic images) for these Guardians will be the subject of Part II of this article, in the next issue of BLACK PEARL.

**12. “Repeat the Cross Qabalistic, as above, and end as thou didst begin.” **
Repeat the Qabalistic Cross as given above in steps 1 through 4, and then repeat steps 00 and 0.

Jim Eshelman

@RifRaf said

"Is there anyway you could post your piece on the Chakra's and their stimulation within each of the O.T.O. grades? I had that on my old computer and quite enjoyed it."

That wasn't for public distribution, since it discusses confidential details of the O.T.O. rituals.

FiliusBestia

93, I read over this, and had a couple questions: Is it incorrect to use the visualization of Harpocrates as on the lotus rather than the crocodiles? I understand the Fool symbolism therein, just wondering. Also, is there ANY difference in the Harpocrates in the Egg, and that of standing upon the serpent's head in results? I notice that you wrote KAKO- rather than KAKA-DAIMONOS. I'm not too knowledgeable on Greek, but I always pronounced it as KAKA. This is wrong? How does Gimel add to 3000? I never knew to extend the circle using the arms. Thanks for that.

Jim Eshelman

@FiliusBeastia said

"93, I read over this, and had a couple questions: Is it incorrect to use the visualization of Harpocrates as on the lotus rather than the crocodiles?"

I wouldn't say it's wrong. Since you're physically standing, it is advantageous (but not required) that you assume a form of the god that is standing (whereas the lotus form is seated).

"I understand the Fool symbolism therein, just wondering. Also, is there ANY difference in the Harpocrates in the Egg, and that of standing upon the serpent's head in results?"

Yes, they're quite different symbols in some ways. Same god, different myths.

"I notice that you wrote KAKO- rather than KAKA-DAIMONOS. I'm not too knowledgeable on Greek, but I always pronounced it as KAKA. This is wrong?"

Yes. That's a common joke - people want to call them "shit-demons." But the prefix is pronounced KAKO.

"How does Gimel add to 3000?"

Thousands are written in Hebrew by starting the letters again but writing them much larger.

FiliusBestia

93 Jim, Thank you.

Zoasa

A beautiful description.

I think I have only one question.. No three.

Why were the names changed in this version?

Why was Babalon’s position changed?

Is there any more significance between this version and the other?

I will let you know that the imagery is well written and I appreciate this. I would have a tendency to use this version over the other until I understand the imagery of the other.

Jim Eshelman

@fnewburn4236 said

"Why were the names changed in this version?"

They weren't changed in this version. This is the original. There was a later version with different names. (See Part III.)

"Why was Babalon’s position changed?"

You apparently have only seen the later modification of this. See Part III.

"Is there any more significance between this version and the other?"

I started to answer this, then realized I don't really know what you're asking. (I was making up a question in my head instead of understanding your question.)

Zoasa

I think I was asking if it was stronger, weaker or used for different things. I have read that the posting of certain angels can be changed or have other angels or gods in their places depending on what you want accomplished. Since the book did not go much into details I did not try to do this. I don't remember where I read this though (so long ago).
Now that I understand that it was the original, that sheds some more light.

Laertes

so Jim I am wondering why is the original version different from the one I have in the appendix of Liber ABA? If Crowley changed the ritual, shouldn't we be doing his revised version?

Jim Eshelman

@Laertes said

"so Jim I am wondering why is the original version different from the one I have in the appendix of Liber ABA?"

Crowley wrote a different version for Magick in Theory & Practice. You'd have to ask him why. (I could guess, but it would only be a guess.)

Appasrently you haven't been reading the footnotes/endnotes in ABA, because some of this history is discussed quite minutely (through multiple drafts of the book which trace the evolution of the rewrite).

I cover more on this in Part III.

"If Crowley changed the ritual, shouldn't we be doing his revised version?"

Not necessarily. - When you study the underlying formulae (which are complementary to each other - a key part of the ritual is exactly reverse-order in one from the other) you discover some of key differences that make it a different ritual for a different context. For example, the one in MT&P follows a sequencing appropriate for First Order (below Tiphereth) work, while the original (and IMHO by far the better of the two) presumes adepthood as a starting point (or, at least, symbolically presumes Tiphereth as a starting point).

There is also the matter that the one in MT&P wasn't finished. We can see where he was going, and it's no big deal to finish it along those lines, but there are internal markers that it was tweaked on the fly and insufficiently proofread and corrected before going to press.

Remember BTW that there is no evidence from diaries or observers' records that Crowley ever performed this ritual even once! In the '30s and '40s he instructed the one remaining O.T.O. lodge under his jurisdiction to do the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, and wrote/sent new and deeper instructions on that ritual for their use. The Star Ruby may have never been more than a mental exercise for him.

AEternitas1

My understanding is that the one in Magick in Theory and Practice was the more Thelemic of the two versions, at least more obviously so.

poor+blind+misfit

Since I can remember, I have been under the impression that the East was classically associated with Air, the North with Earth, the West with Water, and the South with Fire.

Then, when I began using the Star Ruby, I was under the impression that Crowley had switched the elemental attributions of Earth and Air. So that Earth was in the East and Air in the North. The source of my research was:

www.lionserpent.com <----- which is the personal site of a person associated with:
www.scarletwoman.org/aboutus.html <------- an lodge of the Caliphate OTO in Austin.

At that lionserpent site there are numerous commentaries upon Liber XXV, and one of them even diagrams the quarters and their elemental attributions as I have desribed.

At any rate, I've had some experience using the ritual with those attributions and experienced some phenomena I perceived to be related to my Work the the ritual. Now I see in Mr. Eschelman's descriptions that he's assigning the elements entirely different than either version I've ever used. It dawns on my that my results with the Star Ruby might have been of a different nature given the different attributions. Indeed using Earth in the East changed my life forever.

I'm just wondering if you would care to discuss the different attributions as cited by Mr. Eschelman on this forum, and those cited at the above links from a Caliphate web page, the (in)validity of either, and any ideas concerning not only the usage of either version but also thoughts regarding the psychospiritual results of each.

Thanks. -Cody

93 93/93

Jim Eshelman

@poor+blind+misfi said

"Since I can remember, I have been under the impression that the East was classically associated with Air, the North with Earth, the West with Water, and the South with Fire."

That's called the Microcosmic scheme. The G.D. Second Order used a Macrocosmic scheme that is Fire in the east, Earth in the south, Air in the west, and Water in the North. (YHVH counter-clockwise from the east.) This is what the original Star Ruby uses.

The later version of the Star Ruby uses a third framework that is neither of the two above. It is YHVH in reverse order counter-clockwise from the east.

"ow I see in Mr. Eschelman's descriptions that he's assigning the elements entirely different than either version I've ever used."

It depends on the version of Star Ruby. The original uses the classic Second Order macrocosmic scheme; the later one reverses it.