College of Thelema: Thelemic Education

J Offline

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

A Facebook page was recently created to evangelize The Thelemic Mass. If you're on Facebook and interested, you can find the page here:
www.facebook.com/jeshelman#/group.php?gid=251928336688

To kick off discussion, I posted our version of The Creed. This has led to a discussion thread on Lashtal:
www.lashtal.com/nuke/PNphpBB2-viewtopic-t-3946.phtml

With all praise to Lashtal, I found it strange that, if the OP's questions were sincere, they weren't posted here, on HeruRaHa.net where they would have more direct access to answers. However, all praise goes to Eilthireach for his answer.

In any case, I just wanted to open the door - prime the pump - for any discussion on this subject here.

M Offline

For making things easier:

THE CREED

I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in his Name CHAOS, ambassador of the Sun upon Earth.

And I believe in one veiled, inexpressible LADY; and in one Earth, in whose womb we are begotten and in whose embrace we shall rest; and in one Mother of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in her Name BABALON, our sanctuary in the sacred grove.

And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in its Name ABRAXAS; and in one Air the sustainer of all that breathe.

And I believe in one Gnostic and Cathólic Church of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is THELEMA.

And I believe in the Communion of Saints.

And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I believe in the Miracle of the Mass.

And I confess one Baptism of WISDOM, whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.

And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.

AOM. AOM. AOM.

I am personally used to Baphomet, but I think ABRAXAS is more appropriate for this purpose.

J Offline

(Thanks, Juan.)

A bit of history...

Aleister Crowley sought to write a mass specifically based on The Book of the Law and conveying its truths in a vehicle of popular religion. He succeeded beautifully. The result was A.'.A.'. Liber XV.

Unfortunately, he also wrote it to include distinctive symbols, and even confidential signs and tokens, of one organization of which he then was a senior officer (O.T.O.). Besides compromising that fraternity’s privacy, it also made the Mass overly narrow if the goal was to reach the most diverse community.

Temple of Thelema, many years ago, undertook a modest rewrite. About 93% of our Mass is Crowley’s sublime original, and the other 7% is our distinctive contribution. The rewrite was intended to accomplish the following purposes:

• To preserve the essence of the ritual as first written.
• To remove details distinctive, and often confidential, to O.T.O., in respect of their entitlement to their own Mysteries. (The Mass isn't at all dependent on these features. They were merely convenient.)
• To fortify it with stylistic elements distinctive to, but not private to, our own rituals.
• To further equilibrate the balance between gender energies in the Mass: Social standards on this issue, thankfully, have shifted in the 90 years since Liber XV was crafted. If there is any ritual where the feminine needs to be on an equal standing with the masculine, it’s this one!
• By subtle tweaking, to enhance the magical and dramatic power of the ceremony, working on the solid basis already present.

The resulting ceremony, reissued under the more accurate and expressive name of The Thelemic Mass, is for all. Though created specifically to serve Temple of Thelema, we welcome its performance by anyone else, and encourage its celebration by as many Thelemites as possible, provided only that, [nb]if it is not celebrated by a warranted T.'.O.'.T.' temple, its celebrants not use our name or infer a relationship.** (In other words, if you ain't us, don't say your us <g>.)

Temple of Thelema has sponsored or supported the celebration of the Mass from the beginning, especially in venues in Southern California; but this hasn't occurred for some years. In the near future, regular public celebration will begin in New York. Though the primary script is a training document confidential to Temple of Thelema, a version suitable for public circulation will be included in the forthcoming new edition of 776 1/2 (estimated release: early March).

T Offline

Hi Jim – I was the one who disagreed with Babalon being compared to “our sanctuary in the sacred grove”. It sounds like an adaptation of wicca, with hints of JG Frazer’s Golden Bough or Robert Graves The White Goddess.

I agree gender energies in contemporary Thelema seem unbalanced when, in fact, a Thelemite should balance the masculine and feminine side in him or herself. So how does one accurately reflect the New Aeon in the Gnostic Mass without reverting back to the Aeon of Isis or being lulled into false security of what lies ahead? How do you reconcile Babalon being compared to “our sanctuary in the sacred grove” with the fact that She is mapped onto the Pillar of Severity?

J Offline

@he atlas itch said

"Hi Jim – I was the one who disagreed with Babalon being compared to “our sanctuary in the sacred grove”. It sounds like an adaptation of wicca, with hints of JG Frazer’s Golden Bough or Robert Graves The White Goddess. "

OK. Understood.

One specific goal in the rewrite was to make sure that each phrase in the Yod paragraph had a corresponding phrase in the Heh paragraph - hence more phrases. In this particular case (aside from other simultaneous levels of meaning), the last sentence of paragraph 1 explicitly refers to the penis. I matched it with a phrase explicitly referring to the vagina, and stylistically consistent with what else was there.

"I agree gender energies in contemporary Thelema seem unbalanced when, in fact, a Thelemite should balance the masculine and feminine side in him or herself. So how does one accurately reflect the New Aeon in the Gnostic Mass without reverting back to the Aeon of Isis or being lulled into false security of what lies ahead? How do you reconcile Babalon being compared to “our sanctuary in the sacred grove” with the fact that She is mapped onto the Pillar of Severity?"

She's mapped to Binah (and secondarily to Netzach). She is utterly "sanctuary," in the same sense that we say, "Nu is my refuge." She just isn't fluffy <vbg>.

I don't at all know what you mean about reversion to Isis Aeon. Are you using that to characterize any highly differentiated polarization in description? Or something else?

P Offline

I think all the changes work very well, don't think it sounds anything like Wicca.
I used to wonder why it was called The Gnostic Mass after doing some research on the Gnostics. This does fit better.
I'm looking forward to the new book.

J Offline

Thanks, 'Seph.

I don't think it sounds Wiccan either. It does, however, make an effort to speak feminine aspects of the Mysteries in their own 'native voice.'

Yes, "Gnostic" isn't accurate for the Mass in the sense it was supposed to mean, i.e., as a revitalization of the original Gnostic religion. But gnosticism was a hot topic when Crowley used this, and I think he intended to communicate at least a couple of other ideas with the word - and take advantage of the implications. Good marketing for the time.

But his real intention was to write a Mass based on The Book of the Law. Calling it The Thelemic Mass is, I think, a much better approach today.

T Offline

I've been celebrating Liber XV for a while as Priestess, and this intrigues me.
Is the script for The Thelemic Mass available anywhere online?

T Offline

@Jim Eshelman said

"I don't at all know what you mean about reversion to Isis Aeon. Are you using that to characterize any highly differentiated polarization in description? Or something else?"

By reversion to the Aeon of Isis, I mean using symbolism associated with that Aeon to correct imbalances in gender energies in contemporary Thelema. By doing so, there is a risk of occluding how the New Aeon might be “new”.

Frazer and Graves describe the sacred grove as sites guarded by female priestesses where the Goddess was worshipped in pre-Christian pagan Europe. This suggests the sacred grove is a symbol of the Aeon of Isis. Of course this interpretation can be debated. More importantly, when I think of all the accounts of Babalon, from Dee to Crowley to Parsons, She is far more than a return to Nature and cycle of generation.

Dee’s Daughter of Fortitude vision describes Her as Understanding and that “science dwells in Her”. Elsewhere Babalond is described as a harlot and wicked. Her name means Gate of God. By Crowley’s account She is the ultimate femme fatale who exacts a great price from the adept, and that only after crossing the Abyss. She symbolizes worldliness (cf. the description of the Scarlet Woman in TBOTL) - or more precisely, the strange attractor lying behind all great civilizations.

So I cannot help but wonder whether rendering Babalon as “sanctuary and sacred grove” to correct an imbalance in gender energies does not, inadvertently, create the opposite effect – that is, the initiatory power of the Feminine becoming reduced to an appealing and safe description?

Btw the problem of imbalance in gender energies in contemporary Thelema is a very interesting question. I believe this issue is already addressed in the Stele and TBOTL, but for some reason or another, Thelema seems predominantly a boys-only club.

J Offline

@TGoC said

"I've been celebrating Liber XV for a while as Priestess, and this intrigues me.
Is the script for The Thelemic Mass available anywhere online?"

No, it woun't be made available online in the foreseeable future, but will be published (a version stripping out a few details confidential to the Order) in the next couple of months.

J Offline

@he atlas itch said

"
@Jim Eshelman said
"I don't at all know what you mean about reversion to Isis Aeon. Are you using that to characterize any highly differentiated polarization in description? Or something else?"

By reversion to the Aeon of Isis, I mean using symbolism associated with that Aeon to correct imbalances in gender energies in contemporary Thelema. By doing so, there is a risk of occluding how the New Aeon might be “new”. "

It's new because it no longer supppressed the feminine to the exclusive hegemony of the masculine, and requires that both parents - the forces behind both of the last two aeons - be equally present to conceive and birth the child.

I don't think, on inspection, that you'll find the language inconsistent with much that is in Liber 7, for example.

"Dee’s Daughter of Fortitude vision describes Her as Understanding and that “science dwells in Her”."

And she is represented here as Binah as well. Binah is foremost the "root" idea of the Goddess, whatever her particular manifestation.

She is spoken of many ways throughout the ritual. The goal here was to match the tone, weight, and inference of the line in paragraph 1 identifying the Phallus (under the name Chaos) as vice-regent (now "ambassador") or the Sun, and name Babalon in a way that expressed a vaginal-themed parallel relating to the mysteries of the Earth. (Babalon as Gaea, essentially.)

"Elsewhere Babalond is described as a harlot and wicked."

She has that side - but not only that side. She is the highest "lower octave" of Nuit, and represents the entire range of woman across (more or less) all characteristics.

"Her name means Gate of God."

That's a semetic pun. But her name is Enochian, and means "harlot." Again, "our sanctuary in the Sacred Grove."

You seem to be only addressing her dark side. That's far too narrow. Her dark aspects are particular expressions of her broadly life-affirming, passionate expression.

"So I cannot help but wonder whether rendering Babalon as “sanctuary and sacred grove” to correct an imbalance in gender energies does not, inadvertently, create the opposite effect – that is, the initiatory power of the Feminine becoming reduced to an appealing and safe description?"

I hear your concern. I do suggest you look more deeply into it. It does seem that you are seeing "sanctuary" as somehow contradictory to her, despite the fact that it is completely consistent with Nuit (under the word "refuge"). Babalon as a more palpable expression of Nuit. (I'm completely ignoring thus far the CCXX explicit equation of Babalon with Isis <g>.)

BTW her initiatory power lies primarily in her capacity and tendency to absorb all things, to take in all, devour all, receive all. That's completely consistent with how this is being used here, as the vagina that hungrily receives and devours - that reception being an important form of deep sanctuary.

M Offline

"Her name means Gate of God."

... In other words, God's vagina...

A Offline

Just like at the top of the page...

T Offline

Thanks everyone for comments, the hints fell into place (I even tracked down that reference to "Groves" in Little Essays). Yes, that line from the TM works fine now..

V Offline

Quoting Jim E:
“With all praise to Lashtal, I found it strange that, if the OP's questions were sincere, they weren't posted here, on HeruRaHa.net where they would have more direct access to answers. “

I posted my criticism on lashtal in response to their news item on the Thelemic Mass, with its link to the facebook page where was posted the Creed. I did first look on this current site to make a comment but found no announcement and no discussion of this Thelemic Mass.

I asked no questions but my criticism is sincere. I presume this ritual is intended to last for centuries or longer. If so, it really ought to be more perfectly worded. As I said, I don’t think you can have an inexpressible Lady. Even if what you are trying to say is that it is impossible to describe the Lady, the sentence becomes conflicted because you have just described her, as veiled. There must be a better word to express what you mean, or it could even be left out.

“and in one Earth, in whose womb we are begotten and in whose embrace we shall rest”
The Earth/Goddess link has not been established in this sentence portion, and so it reads as untrue. The complete sentence mentions three separate things – the Lady, the Earth and Babalon, but there is no explicit link expressed, as in Crowley “one Earth, the Mother of us all, in whose, etc”

Your Creed reminds me of a funeral I went to recently, where the Priest said (twice!) that Jesus had bought us into the Kingdom of Heaven. I think getting the detail correct is important.

Also, I noticed in your brief history, above, you refer to the Gnostic Mass as A.:A.: Liber XV. As far as I am aware it is OTO Liber XV, written for the OTO and intended to function as the broad base of popular appeal for that Order.

J Offline

@VRST said

"I asked no questions but my criticism is sincere. I presume this ritual is intended to last for centuries or longer. If so, it really ought to be more perfectly worded."

It was never classified as Class A or invariable. Rituals evolve and shift for time and context. The underlying formula is likely to be more durable, but the language is a convenience in service to the formula.

It's entirely fair to compare it to the Catholic mass which was split into Eastern and Western churches with different threads of development, and then each of those, in turn, being in continuing evolution and contextual tweaking. Yet the essential formula is intact and barely changed across the last thousand years.

"As I said, I don’t think you can have an inexpressible Lady."

But you can have an "ineffable Lord"? "Ineffable" means "inexpressible."

"Even if what you are trying to say is that it is impossible to describe the Lady, the sentence becomes conflicted because you have just described her, as veiled."

Described, but not expressed. Her full reality remains Mystery.

"There must be a better word to express what you mean, or it could even be left out."

Not left out unless I delete "Ineffable Lord" immediately above it.

"“and in one Earth, in whose womb we are begotten and in whose embrace we shall rest”
The Earth/Goddess link has not been established in this sentence portion, and so it reads as untrue. The complete sentence mentions three separate things – the Lady, the Earth and Babalon, but there is no explicit link expressed, as in Crowley “one Earth, the Mother of us all, in whose, etc”"

Are you approaching this as an English compoisition project, or as a symboligical ceremonial expression? - That aside, I disagree that they are any better connected syntactically in the one phrasing than in the other (aside from the fact that all of these ideas are inherently connected.)

"Also, I noticed in your brief history, above, you refer to the Gnostic Mass as A.:A.: Liber XV. As far as I am aware it is OTO Liber XV, written for the OTO and intended to function as the broad base of popular appeal for that Order."
It's Liber XV. Those numberings are A.'.A.'. numerations.

PS - The preacher you quoted surely said exactly what he meant. "Redeem" means "to buy back," as in "redeeming a check." The idea is that Jesus bought you out of slavery and paid for it with his crucifixion. - My point isn't to defend Christianity but, rather, to point out that you were pretty snotty about his mistake when, in fact, he was right. You have documented some of your own limitations in understanding what is right in front of you.

We all have these limitations of course, which is why your engagement on this topic is welcome, although your snottiness and beligerence is not.

T Offline

@Jim Eshelman said

"It does seem that you are seeing "sanctuary" as somehow contradictory to her, despite the fact that it is completely consistent with Nuit (under the word "refuge"). Babalon as a more palpable expression of Nuit. (I'm completely ignoring thus far the CCXX explicit equation of Babalon with Isis <g>.)"

Hi Jim - can you clarify this sanctuary aspect of Babalon? I understand 1) how Nuit is our refuge and 2) how Babalon can be a more palpable or lower octave expression of Nuit and 3) the adept is to be reborn in the womb of Babalon.

What does Babalon offer sanctuary against? Premature exposure to the light of the Supernals?

A Offline

"in her Name BABALON, our sanctuary in the sacred grove. "

i wouldnt label it wiccan, more traditional celtic in a sense then this "modern wicca", like a Druids grove ring a bell? i like it, to me its a very powerfull northern european pagan symbol of earth, it complements my pagan beliefs.

" The complete sentence mentions three separate things – the Lady, the Earth and Babalon, but there is no explicit link expressed, as in Crowley “one Earth, the Mother of us all, in whose, etc” "

well the "Lady" came from the Scandinavian diety Freya. and ofcourse her counterpart (brother), is the "Lord", whose name is Frey, which wicca adopted, and both Frey and Freya are earth diety's (in Scandinavian they were part of the Vanir "the earth gods" as opposed to the Aesir "the sky gods") and of course the Earth is the Mother aspect, or the Rune Berkano, people would carve the runes outside on the doors and whatnot of temples and sanctuaries for protection, like the wiccan casting the circle and creating the sacred space. The Earth in celtic and wiccan beliefs is a powerfull symbol of the mother for she does just represent malkuth, the Earth represent the support and structure of the Universe both microcosmic and mascrocosmic, possibly a relation to Shu.

this is my personal take from what i know between the connection of the three, mabye crowley hinted at something completley different i dont know, but just thought i would share.

J Offline

@he atlas itch said

"Hi Jim - can you clarify this sanctuary aspect of Babalon? I understand 1) how Nuit is our refuge and 2) how Babalon can be a more palpable or lower octave expression of Nuit and 3) the adept is to be reborn in the womb of Babalon.

What does Babalon offer sanctuary against? Premature exposure to the light of the Supernals?"

Let's go back and center on the word. The conversation here has run down the lines of "sanctuary = protection, asylum," etc.

But that's a derived meaning. The primary meaning of "sanctuatry" is "a sacred place." Babalon is the inmost sacred place.

"Protection" is a secondary meaning. It's fair, though, to ask about it. I think the key idea here is "place of no harm."

But mostly it is: She IS my chapel!

T Offline

@Jim Eshelman said

""Protection" is a secondary meaning. It's fair, though, to ask about it. I think the key idea here is "place of no harm."

Then how do you reconcile this idea of "place of no harm" against Parson's terrifying vision of Babalon in Liber 49? Or the fact that after the Daughter of Fortitude vision Kelly ran off with Dee's wife and, similarly, after the Babalon Working in the Mojave LRH ran off with Parson's wife? Or Crowley's comparison of Babalon to the Dance of Seven Veils - mirroring Ishtar's dance of the seven veils in Her descent into the Underworld - where Salome ultimately collects the head of John the Baptist as payment? Revelations states that Babalon incites to lust and murders and Her aspects mirror Ishtar who is the goddess of love and war. Out of all my research into Babalon, the Babylonian goddess Ishtar is the closest to Her. If so, how do you reconcile your view of Babalon with the fact that Gilgamesh spurned the advances of Ishtar because Her reputation for destroying Her lovers was well-known. Ishtar retaliates by demanding the Bull of Heaven and then uses it to kill Gilgamesh, proving Her reputation...

These are the historical accounts of Babalon.