Words of Power

In the beginning was the Word, and the word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1.1

The ancient Greek Gnostics called the ‘Word’ the ‘Logos’ and it was determined that the Word came from the very heart of the Pleroma[1] (Fullness) or ‘true creator.’ I say true creator as the Greek Gnostics determined to existence of a Demiurge that was despised as the false creator; the Jehovah of the Jews. This Word ultimately was determined to become embodied in the ‘Son’ who would come to speak on behalf of the Pleroma in order to bring light into the dead world created by the Demiurge.

Since then, words have become an important part of the Western Mystery Tradition. They are seen as sources of power and indeed, the very essence of that power. Words are Spirit in this context. In Medieval times, it was believed that to know the name of a Spirit would bring one power over that Spirit. We can see this even through the story of Rumplestiltskin.

Thelemic Magick takes a body of words it considers important and revelatory and views them as formulae that both lead the Aspirant to greater insights into Initiation and to the crafting of Initiatory processes. The body of these words when considered collectively also reveals the heart and nature of this philosophical system. And though we won’t get to examine every word employed by Thelemic theurgists, it is hoped that this essay will succeed in exposing that light that is the core ‘Logos’ of Thelemic Magick.

ABRAHADABRA is the first of the more important Thelemic words for us to consider as it is the word that Liber AL vel Legis uses to represent the conjunction of Nuit and Hadit in Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Therefore as Crowley says, it represent the Great Work completed and is analyzed accordingly. The word consists of eleven letters with five of them being the letter ‘A,’ which in the Holy Tarot is attributed to the Fool Atu and the Hebrew letter Aleph, equaling 111. This is the first of the lesser paths on the Tree-of-Life. Interestingly enough, the word itself adds to a value of twenty-two, which is the total number of lesser paths on the Tree-of-Life. So there is here, an allusion to the Alpha and the Omega.

If we consider the first five letters as a set, this leaves us with six letters that remain. We can then find two sets of five and six letters, which seem a clear reference to the Pentagram and Hexagram; the two principal rituals of Western Magick. These symbols can be drawn on the Tree-of-Life, connecting all the Sephiroth on the Yetziratic plane. And of course, Tiphareth, the Sun, centers them in the Ruach.

Considering the second set of letters, we find four diverse letters; B, R, H and D. The B and R occur twice to give us the total of six in this set. The B transliterated into Hebrew is Beth; attributed to the Magus Atu and counter-balanced in the Supernal Triad with the Fool Atu noted above. The R transliterates to the Hebrew letter Resh and is attributed to the Sun Atu. By translation, we may derive a clear reference to the House (Beth) of the Sun (Resh), which is of course, the Universe of Stars. And so the letter H in its attribution to the Star Atu works quite nicely as our third of four distinct letters. This leaves us with Daleth; derived from the letter D and attributed to the Empress Atu, which also has Venus as an attribution. As such, the nature of the Universe may be expressed as ‘Love.’

Recalling that ABRAHADABRA is noted in the Liber AL vel Legis as the union of Nuit and Hadit in Ra-Hoor-Khuit (the Sun—Tiphareth), opening the third chapter of the prophecy, and noting that this union is of the nature of Love, we find the key to Thelemic Magick is the product of that union. The nature of that union is found in the next word that we will examine, HRILIU. It is uttered by the Priest (representing Hadit) and Priestess (representing Nuit) at the climactic moment in the Eucharistic part of the Gnostic Mass. Indeed, it is the “Metaphysical Ekstacy” as described by Crowley, of the union of Nuit and Hadit. Gregory Peters in his article “Thelemic Samaya’ notes with great insight, that HRILIU “is the very fabric of existence, the currents of energy that are luminous and void[2].”

This cry of ecstasy may be seen as a shriek of a bird and seems an overt allusion to the IUNGES invoked in the ritual called the Star Ruby. The IUNGES as spirits were considered by the Greek Gnostics to empower the symbols used in theurgic rites. The next in the Star Ruby is to the TELETARCHAE, who were said to be the ‘Masters of Initiation’ and were led by the god Eros, God of Love. Remember, the nature of the Universe is Love, the Greek word for Universal Love being AGAPE.

The next invocation in the Star Ruby is of the SUNOCHES, these are spirits that bind and connect, especially employed by the ancient Gnostics in ‘love charms.’ Now, the nature of any connection between any one thing and another is by way of the connecting force that is Love (AGAPE), whether this be the attraction between two lovers or two opposing soldiers on the field of battle[3]. The power of symbols (IUNGES), especially as the formulae of words and the ‘Logos’ or Will (THELEMA) is then an Initiatory experience by way of the Masters of Initiation (TELETARCHAE) and are then bound (SUNOCHES) in the embodiment of the ‘Logos’ or ‘Son’ (THELEMA), which is in Greek, the DAIMONOS or in Thelemic terms, the Holy Guardian Angel and the fourth and last set of Guardian Spirits involved in the Star Ruby. These are ‘the gods’ that form the ‘Company of Stars’ and of which is the assembly of beings that comprise every man and every woman.

We are then as a community, a constellation of Stars. But we are simultaneously, creatures of the Earth. THERION comes from a Greek word whose root, Thera, means ‘beast.’ This is expurgated in some depth by the constellation, Lupus, in The Starry Gnosis. In Thelemic Magick the beast (THERION) is conjoined with BABALON, noted in again, The Starry Gnosis as the constellation of Cassiopeia[4], who subdues or kills her man, which in Thelemic Magick equivocates with bringing him to orgasm. Thus BABALON rides the Beast/THERION.

The ‘Will’ or Light/Logos (LVX in Latin), which is the Star (HADIT), is symbolized by the erect PHALLUS and is that central Star, the Sun or Son as noted above. The Cross has come to symbolize this in the Western Mystery Tradition. Note that when looking at the Stars or the Sun with a slight blurring of vision, four equal-armed rays jut out in ninety-degree angles. The Golden Dawn derived their formula of L.V.X. from this.

Yet in Thelemic Magick, we get the formula VIAOV. This brings the numeration to 93, which is also the numeration of two keywords in Liber AL vel Legis, AGAPE and THELEMA. Crowley notes this formula as a formula of Tiphareth, the Sun. And in his essay on this, he equates the two V’s or Vau’s with the Devil Atu, the lesser path on the Tree-of-Life that leads from Hod or Mercury to the Sun, Tiphareth. The Devil is BAPHOMET, the Lord of Magick and Initiation, which comes under the domain of Magick. And BAPHOMET is the PHALLUS or ‘Horned God,’ the Devil. He is the ruler of illusion and illumination. Note that this is not the Devil that is part of that Christist pantheon that is composed of the three desert religions cursed in Liber AL vel Legis; namely, these being Christianity, Judaism[5] and Islam (amongst others). Ad this is not the same Devil worshipped by an ignorant horde that call themselves Satanists and/or Setians. But this is the God the ancient Templars[6].

The central three letters of the VIAOV formula are described by Crowley as being the ‘Father’ letters to balance the three ‘Mother’ letters of the Hebrew Alphabet. Interestingly enough, Aleph (The Fool Atu—Air) appears in both sets. This leaves Yod (The Hermit Atu—Virgo—Earth—Feminine) and Ayin (The Devil Atu—Capricorn, Earth—Masculine) to balance with Mem (Water) and Shin (Fire). Crowley notes also that the Adept is thus, a Hermit (Yod) to himself, a Fool (Aleph) to his foes, and a Hierophant[7] (Ayin) to his friends. And thus he is ‘Nine’ by nature (Atu IX—The Hermit), ‘Naught’ by attainment (Atu 0—The Fool) and ‘Five’ by function (Atu V—Hierophant). Note that five is the number of a man; naught is the number of a woman and nine, the ‘duality’ (Yesod) where the “business” of Magick takes place (the astral plane)[8].

As the Vau is phonetically equivalent to Ayin, it is also phonetically equivalent to the English letter ‘F.’ And it is in this form that the formula is presented in Liber Reguli, the third of the principal Thelemic rituals noted in this essay. The formula is articulated by Crowley as follows:

F – The series of transformations has not affected his identity; but it has explained him to himself[11].

The next formula in Liber Reguli for us to examine is the central formula of the ritual, LASHTAL. This formula came by way of Frater Achad’s discovery of the ‘Key’ to Liber AL vel Legis. This caused Crowley to change the title of he work from it’s original name, Liber L vel Legis. Achad revealed this prophesied ‘Key’ to be the number 31 and that as representing the division of 93 by 3 as 93 is the numeration of the key words AGAPE & THELEMA by way of the Greek Qabalah and the book is divided into a trinity of gods, each with their own chapter.

The word itself has an overt allusion to the Hebrew qualifier, ‘lastal,’ that when attached to verbs, describes an action that is holy in itself and done for it’s own sake. In Thelemic terms, that would be “unassuaged of purpose” and “delivered from the lust of result.” The word itself is the keyword in the formula for Liber Reguli, which is a formula used to invoke the forces of the Aeon of Horus.

AL (31 by Hebrew Gematria) is the Hebrew word for God, which sets up the idea of LA (also 31) being ‘Not-God.’ We then get Hadit and Nuit respectively, as God equals 1 (Phallus) and ‘Not-God’ equals 0 (Kteis). The equilibrating sub-formula that represents their union is ShT, a word derived from the Hebrew letters Shin and Teth. These letters correspond to Atus XX and XXI in the Holy Tarot, which together also add to 31. Thus, the word is a three-fold formula that equals 93. And of course, it is said that to be a Thelemite is to commit oneself to that egregore known as the ’93 Current.’

Interestingly enough, Aleph is the Fool Atu, which is Atu 0 and the 0 can easily be substituted by the letter ‘O,’ which is transliterated as Ayin or the Devil Atu, which is BAPHOMET or God as the dual Hermaphrodite; being both man and woman as well as having both a spiritual and animal nature. Ayin of course, may be transliterated as the letter A[12]. Additionally, the attribution of Capricorn to this Atu is appropriate as Capricorn is at the height of the Zodiacal Wheel. Lamed, the other letter employed in the AL/LA sub-formulae is attributed to the Adjustment Atu, which also holds Libra as an attribution. Libra is ruled by Venus, which further explains the nature of God as Love. And the Adjustment Atu is also numbered VIII, suggesting Hod or Mercury, which is the Magickian and as a Sephira is connected to Tiphareth by way of the Devil Atu of which again, the letter Ayin is attributed.

The next word in Liber Reguli for us to examine is AUMGN. This is the one formula in the ritual that does not equal 93, but rather, it is instead, equal to 100 (as per the Ayin substitution for AL/LA noted above). It is derived from the Hindu word to express the Universe, OM. And it transliterates these two letters into AU for O and MGN for M. MGN equals 93 and functions as one consonant; not altering the pronunciation of the Hindu word. Correspondingly, AU functions as one vowel sound, but equals 7. This gives it a correspondence with the Chariot Atu, which contains the ‘Cup of Our Lady Babalon’ and of which we’ve addressed above. The Hebrew letter Cheth is attributed to this Atu and when spelled in full, equals 418. This is the number of the Great Work, which is delineated int eh formula of ABRAHADABRA as discussed at the beginning of this essay.

G – Luna – the triune formula represented by its aspects; new, full and it’s quarter phases[16]

N – Scorpio – the Eagle, Snake and Scorpion as decanates of Scorpio, indicate the triune nature of incarnation

The letters ‘GN’ are silent and reminiscent of the word Gnosis and is further elaborated on by Crowley:

“…the Master Therion proposed to replace the M of AUM by a compound letter MGN, symbolizing thereby the subtle transformation of the apparent silence and death which terminates the manifested life of Vau by a continuous vibration of an impersonal energy of the nature of generation and knowledge, the Virgin Moon and the Serpent…”

“Ye that are Gods, going forth, uttering AUMGN. The Word that goeth from (A) Free Breath. (U) through Willed Breath. (M) and stopped Breath. (GN) to Continuous Breath. thus symbolizing the whole course of spiritual life. A is the formless Hero; U is the six-fold solar sound of physical life, the triangle of Soul being entwined with that of Body; M is the silence of "death"; GN is the nasal sound of generation & knowledge.”

"The essence of this matter is that the word AUM, which expresses the course of Breath (spiritual life) from free utterance through controlled concentration to Silence, is transmuted by the creation of the compound letter MGN to replace M: that is, Silence is realized as passing into continuous ecstatic vibration, of the nature of "Love" under "Will" as shewn by MGN = 40 + 3 + 50 = 93 AGAPH, ThELHMA etc., and the whole word has the value of 100, Perfection Perfected, the Unity in completion, and equivalent to KR the conjunction of the essential male and female principles."

In total, we have the most sacred number of Aleister Crowley’s O.T.O. (not to be confused with any of the various existing orders that make the claim to having succeeded him in the present day; O.T.O., S.O.T.O., T.O.T.O. et al). 100 represents the fact that each of the ten Sephiroth on the Tree-of-Life each have their own Tree of ten Sephiroth. We therefore derive the number 10² or 100. 100 is also the value of the Hebrew letter Qoph, which is the back of the head or the cerebellum where creative and productive forces are situation and elaborated on quite extensively in the writings of Kenneth Grant. Qoph is attributed to Atu XVIII, the Moon Atu and 18 can be reduced by AIQ BKR to 9, which is Yesod. And again, Yesod is the place where the “business” of Magick takes place.

100 also reduces to 1 and is described in the Sanctuary of the Gnosis of Crowley’s O.T.O. to be the expression of Unity as extended into complete manifestation in terms of the symbolism of pure number. And of course, manifestion is dual in nature. If we "Divide, add, multiply, and understand." –AL I.25, we get the following:

10+2=12 or 7 – The Zodiac (Binah) and seven sacred planets or Cheth (Atu VII) and the Great Work (418), which results in attaining Binah

(Atu X: 2*5; 2 is duality suggested by the biune star, Sirius and 5 is the value of Heh)

The first key revelation of the Gnosis in Crowley’s O.T.O. is described as the Four Powers of the Sphinx, which is also a part of the Neophyte Grade of the A^A^. These are given in the Third Degree Initiation and are in Latin, Scire, Velle, Audere and Tacere or Knowledge, Will, Courage and Silence, respectively. The initials of these four Latin words are used to form the sentence: Sub Umbra Alarum Tetragrammaton, which can be loosely translated as “Under the shadow is the sign of Jehovah.” AS we noted at the beginning of this essay, the ancient Greek Gnostics considered Jehovah to be the Demiurge or false god who created this ‘dead’ world and which needed the ‘Logos’ (THELEMA) in order to bring Light, Life, Love & Liberty to this darkness; this shadow of the Pleroma. And if we take the final initials of the sentence, Sub Umbra Alarum Tetragrammaton, we find the letters BAMN, which can be re-arranged in alphabetical order in order to create ABMN; giving us AB (Abba) or Father and MN (Water, Scorpio—the hidden fecundation) or Mother, and the true Thelemic Tetragrammaton.

[1] The Pleroma emanated a host of thirty ‘Aeons’ of which one, the Demiurge, tried to emulate the Pleroma and produce its own creation…this world. The mission of the ‘Redeemer’ was to bring the souls ‘trapped’ in this world to the true Universe by way of Gnosis.

[2] That which is luminous would refer to Hadit as that which is void would refer to Nuit. These two currents, positive and negative, form the basis of Crowley’s formula, 2=0 or the annihilation of opposites.

[3] Cf. Crowley’s essay on the Tower Atu.

[4] We may also consider the constellation of Andromeda as a further articulation of this story. The themes of the myth developed in the story of the stars have a recursive nature and repeat themselves as ‘leitmotifs’ as the plot unfolds.

[5] The idea that Judaism is a cursed religion has proved a controversial idea in some Thelemic circles as Liber AL vel Legis also says: AL I.46 & 47: "Nothing is a secret key of this law. Sixty-one the Jews call it; I call it eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen. But they have the half: unite by thine art so that all disappear." But in AL III.53, we read: "With my claws I tear out the flesh of the Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and Din." Din is the operative word here. The Jews once carried and preserved the light and for many years as Motta pointed out in his teachings. And thanks to them, we get the Holy Qabalah. But in their failure to recognize the nature of the present mundane Aeon, they have lowered themselves to the stature of the other two desert religions where for so many centuries they were well above.

[6] As much as the Tower Atu should probably have been renamed ‘War’ as Crowley suggested, this Atu probably should be renamed Baphomet in order to eliminate the reference to a term so engrained in the common zeitgeist that there is functionally no way to rehabilitate it.

[7] Crowley most likely is seeing Baphomet as the Hierophant and is not referring to the Atu by the same name.

[8] The reference to “business” comes from Crowley’s Wake World and ultimately is the annihilation of opposites, giving us the idea of duality.

[9] Cf. The Hermit Atu.

[10] The Initiated interpretation of the Oedipus cycle by Aeschylus is hinted at in Crowley’s essay on the Court Cards of the Holy Tarot.

[11] This is a perfect explanation of the mystical teaching that we are all as Stars, omniscient, omnipresent and omnipotent as per the Gnostic Mass.

[12] By substituting Ayin for Aleph, we get a numeration of 100, which is valuable as will be explained later in this essay.

[13] The Virgin is matter as unimpressed by spirit.

[14] The light has then crystallized itself into matter, thus ‘redeeming’ it.

[15] But this is not a real death as energy can not be destroyed; only the false ego-making arrangement of elements is destroyed in their relation.

[16] The Moon receives the light of the Sun and represents the body in Astrology. We then have another symbolic representation of the Light infusing itself into matter for the redemption or evolution of matter.