BAPHOMET XI� Liber XV {Book 15} O. T. O. Ecclesiae Gnosticae Catholicae Canon Missae Edited from the Ancient Documents in Assyrian and Greek by The Master Therion Crowley composed the O.T.O. Gnostic Mass on a visit to Moscow in 1915 E.V. It is the central ritual of the O.T.O., public and private. He gave it its first publication in New York in The International several years later. Variant versions subsequently appeared in The Equinox III(1) (Detroit: Universal, 1919) and in Magick in Theory and Practice (Paris: Lecram, 1929). This edition of the Gnostic Mass is a composite of the three versions. Prepared by Frater HaLayL, it was first published in the journal Ecclesia Gnostica I(3), and is here republished with Frater HaLayL's annotations.--H.B. I OF THE FURNISHINGS OF THE TEMPLE IN THE EAST, that is, in the direction of Boleskine, which is situated on the South-Eastern shore of Loch Ness in Scotland, two miles east of Foyers, is a shrine or High Altar. Its dimensions should be 7 feet in length, 3 feet in breadth, 44 inches in height. It should be covered with a crimson altar-cloth, on which may be embroidered fleur-de-lys in gold, or a sunblaze, or other suitable emblem. On each side of it should be a pillar or obelisk, with countercharges in black and white. Below it should be the dais of three steps, in black and white squares. Above it is the super-altar, at whose top is the St^ele of Revealing in reproduction, with four candles on each side of it. Below the st^ele is a place for The Book of the Law, with six candles on each side of it. Below this again is the Holy Graal, with roses on each side of it. There is room in front of the Cup for the Paten. On each side beyond the roses are two great candles. All this is enclosed within a great Veil. Forming the apex of an equilateral triangle whose base is a line drawn between the pillars, is a small black square altar, of superimposed cubes. Taking this altar as the middle of the base of a similar and equal triangle, at the apex of this second triangle is a small circular font. Repeating, the apex of a third triangle is an upright tomb. II OF THE OFFICERS OF THE MASS The PRIEST. Bears the Sacred Lance, and is clothed at first in a plain white robe. The PRIESTESS. Should be actually Virgo Intacta or specially dedicated to the service of the Great Order. She is clothed in white, blue, and gold. She bears the Sword from a red girdle, and the Paten and Hosts, or Cakes of Light. The DEACON. He is clothed in white and yellow. He bears The Book of the Law. Two CHILDREN. They are clothed in white and black. One bears a pitcher of water and a cellar of salt, the other a censer of fire and a casket of perfume. III OF THE CEREMONY OF THE INTROIT The DEACON, opening the door of the Temple, admits the congregation and takes his stand between the small altar and the font. (There should be a doorkeeper to attend to the admission.) The DEACON advances and bows before the open shrine where the Graal is exalted. He kisses The Book of the Law three times, opens it, and places it upon the super-altar. He turns West. The DEACON: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I proclaim the Law of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty in the name of IAQ. The CONGREGATION: Love is the law, love under will. The DEACON goes to his place between the altar of incense and the font, faces East, and gives the step and sign of a Man and a Brother. All imitate him. The DEACON and all the PEOPLE: 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, the sole viceregent of the Sun upon the Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breathes. And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON. And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET. And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is VELHMA. 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. AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN. Music is now played. The child enters with the ewer and the salt. The VIRGIN enters with the Sword and the Paten. The child enters with the censer and the perfume. They face the DEACON, deploying into line, from the space between the two altars. The VIRGIN: Greeting of Earth and Heaven! All give the Hailing sign of a Magician, the DEACON leading. The PRIESTESS, the negative child on her left, the positive child on her right, ascends the steps of the High Altar. They await her below. She places the Paten before the Graal. Having adored it, she descends, and with the children following her, the positive next her, she moves in a serpentine manner involving 3 circles of the Temple. (Deosil about altar, widdershins about font, deosil about altar and font, widdershins about altar, and so to the Tomb in the West.) She draws her Sword and pulls down the Veil therewith. The PRIESTESS: By the power of Iron, I say unto thee, Arise. In the name of our Lord the Sun, and of our Lord ... that thou mayst administer the virtues to the Brethren. She sheathes the Sword. The PRIEST, issuing from the Tomb, holding the Lance erect with both hands, right over left, against his breast, takes the first three regular steps. He then gives the Lance to the PRIESTESS, and gives the three penal signs. He then kneels and worships the Lance with both hands. Penitential music. The PRIEST: I am a man among men. He takes again the Lance, and lowers it. He rises. The PRIEST: How should I be worthy to administer the virtues to the Brethren? The PRIESTESS takes from the child the water and the salt, and mixes them in the font. The PRIESTESS: Let the salt of Earth admonish the water to bear the virtue of the Great Sea. (Genuflects.) Mother, be thou adored. She returns to the West. on PRIEST with open hand doth she make, over his forehead, breast, and body. Be the PRIEST pure of body and soul! The PRIESTESS takes the censer from the child, and places it on the small altar. She puts incense therein. Let the Fire and the Air make sweet the world! (Genuflects.) Father, be thou adored. She returns West, and makes with the censer before the PRIEST, thrice as before. Be the PRIEST fervent of body and soul! (The children resume their weapons as they are done with.) The DEACON now takes the consecrated Robe from High Altar, and brings it to her. She robes the PRIEST in his Robe of scarlet and gold. Be the flame of the Sun thine ambience, O thou PRIEST of the SUN! The DEACON brings the crown from the High Altar. (The crown may be of gold or platinum, or of electrum magicum; but with no other metals, save the small proportions necessary to a proper alloy. It may be adorned with divers jewels, at will But it must have the Uraeus serpent twined about it, and the cap of maintenance must match the scarlet of the Robe. Its texture should be velvet.) Be the Serpent thy crown, O thou PRIEST of the LORD! Kneeling, she takes the Lance, between her open hands, and runs them up and down upon the shaft eleven times, very gently. Be the LORD present among us! All give the Hailing Sign. The PEOPLE: So mote it be. IV OF THE CEREMONY OF THE OPENING OF THE VEIL The PRIEST: Thee therefore whom we adore we also invoke. By the power of the lifted Lance! He raises the Lance. All repeat Hailing Sign. A phrase of triumphant music. The PRIEST takes the PRIESTESS by her right hand with his left, keeping the Lance raised. I, PRIEST and KING, take thee, Virgin pure without spot; I upraise thee; I lead thee to the East; I set thee upon the summit of the Earth. He thrones the PRIESTESS upon the altar. The DEACON and the children follow, they in rank, behind him. The PRIESTESS takes The Book of the Law, resumes her seat, and holds it open on her breast with her two hands, making a descending triangle with thumbs and forefingers. The PRIEST gives the lance to the DEACON to hold, and takes the ewer from the child, and sprinkles the PRIESTESS, making five crosses, forehead, shoulders, and thighs. The thumb of the PRIEST is always between his index and medius, whenever he is not holding the Lance. The PRIEST takes the censer from the child, and makes five crosses, as before. The children replace their weapons on their respective altars. The PRIEST kisses The Book of the Law three times. He kneels for a space in adoration, with joined hands, knuckles closed, thumb in position aforesaid. He rises, and draws the veil over the whole altar. All rise and stand to order. The PRIEST takes the lance from the DEACON, and holds it as before, as Osiris or Pthah. He circumambulates the Temple three times, followed by the DEACON and the children as before. (These, when not using their hands, keep their arms crossed upon their breasts.) At the last circumambulation they leave him, and go to the place between the font and the small altar, where they kneel in adoration, their hands joined palm to palm, and raised above their heads. All imitate this motion. The PRIEST returns to the East, and mounts the first step of the altar. The PRIEST: O circle of Stars whereof our Father is but the younger brother, marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, before whom Time is Ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, not unto Thee may we attain, unless Thine image be Love. Therefore by seed and root and stem and bud and leaf and flower and fru...
Rhagsharr