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 door-keeper to attend to the admission.)
T.S.: Custom here is to have someone strike 3-5-3 on a bell as a cue to start. Feb 2005: At least it was for a while; some still do it, but it is far from universal. For a time, strokes on the bell—here and in section VI—were done by a member of the congregation, now this job generally falls to the Deacon.
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.
O.B.: It is customary that the Deacon choose which page the Book of the Law should be open at. Some people consider this to have magical significance.
The DEACON: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I proclaim the Law of Life, Light, Love and Liberty in the name of ΙΑΩ.
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.
T.S.: As has been said elsewhere, in public performances, or any where anyone below Third is present, use the ordinary Masonic sign and step. General practice seems to be, after cutting the sign, the people remain standing in due guard (but see my remarks to the "All rise and stand to order" instruction at the start of section IV).
T.S. (later): Objection has been made (posting on GnosticMass Yahoo! group, August 2003) to my description of the “public” steps and signs (both here and in the entry of the Priest) as “ordinary Masonic,” on the grounds that there are variations in the actual Craft steps and sign used between different Masonic jurisdictions. I will simply note that the regular steps and penal signs described in the endnotes to the “Blue Brick” (also, I believe, Mystery of Mystery) are identical to the steps and penal signs of English Craft Freemasonry as recorded in numerous exposés such as Carlisle (1833) and Hannah (1951); further, we are informed that these were the forms used in O.T.O. at the time Crowley originally wrote the Gnostic Mass (1913), and a passage in an early version of the O.T.O. III° as revised by Crowley (published as facsimile—well, poor quality photocopy—of MS in How to Make Your Own McOTO) indicates that around that time the “secrets” of the O.T.O. I°–III° were, with one exception, identical with those of English Craft Masonry (what are alleged to be the forms used following Crowley’s final (1919) revision of the rituals I° to III° are given in exposés such as King (1973) and Naylor & König (1998); it would not be appropriate for me to here state how far these latter resemble the forms currently used in O.T.O.). I note that in most of the signs in the Duncan’s ritual the thumb is not explicitly stated to be squared, and the steps are significantly different. The “Hailing Sign of a Magician” as used in public Masses is almost identical to the Fellow Craft sign shown in Duncan’s (the exception, as noted, being whether the thumbs are squared) but combines two II° signs of the English working (again, according to Carlisle and Hannah), the sign of Fidelity (r.h. on left breast, thumb squared) and Hailing sign (l.h. raised with arm horizontal from shoulder to elbow, lower arm vertical, hand open, thumb squared).
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 ΘΕΛΗΜΑ.
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.
ΑΥΜΓΝ, ΑΥΜΓΝ, ΑΥΜΓΝ.
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.
O.B.: Some consider that all of the Cakes of Light should be on the Altar. If so, the Priestess brings them in at this point and places them in an appropriate and convenient position. In the description of the officers it states of the Priestess: “She bears the Sword from a red girdle, and the Paten and Hosts, or Cakes of Light.” Please note that this is plural Cakes of Light.
T.S.: To clarify re the above: our practice is that the Paten, as mentioned in sections VI and VIII, etc., is a small plate bearing a single cake, and that the biscuits for the congregation are on a separate and larger serving plate.
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 involoving 3½ 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.)
T.S.: Okay, would everyone like to draw diagrams of what they think this means? Also, which is the 'negative' and 'positive' child?
O.B.: White is positive, black is negative. This still doesn't tell you which is which.
T.S.: My reading of the serpentine procession follows. I will just note this does not agree with either of the two interpretations in Equinox III (10). Actually part of that path needs to shift slightly to avoid the Deacon.
She draws her sword and pulls down the Veil therewith.
T.S.: This has to mean a veil covering the entrance of the Tomb.
O.B.: “pulls down” can of course be taken literally, cf. the photo of W.T. Smith doing the Mass for Agapé Lodge (not that I personally agree with this).
T.S. (later): At the time this was written our Tomb arrangement had a black veil with curtain rings along one edge on a rail above the entrance to the tomb, which could be pulled aside, and was closed again from the inside at the end. Actually current practice in the local groups now tends to favour the literal “pulls down” rather than “draws aside.” (later later) Soror P. has suggested a solution which combines these two approaches, the ‘curtain’ veil being initially open and hidden behind another veil which the Priestess literally tears down, and being drawn shut at the end when the Priest, Deacon and Children retreat into the tomb. She also notes that if the veil is literally pulled down it should be placed somewhere out of the way where the Priest won’t trip over it.
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 mayest administer the virtues to the Brethren.
She sheathes the Sword.
T.S.: Local practice (i.e., practice of the two regular Priestesses associated with the Yorkshire groups) currently seems to disregard this last, instead she gives the sword to the Deacon who takes it up to the altar, and usually ends up hanging around at the top of the steps until it’s time to bring the robe. I am not sure why.
O.B.: As I recall this is so it’s not clanging around and isn’t in danger of getting dropped when they’re getting undressed behind the veil, also so they don’t get impaled when being placed on the altar.
T.S. (later): Sor. P. later said it derived from a practice seen in a U.S. group which she though was a “cool idea.” It is no longer entirely universally followed.
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.
T.S.: As has been said, use ordinary Masonic signs and steps in public performance. Suggestions for music, anyone?
O.B.: Try Parzifal. There's probably something in the Good Friday section.
T.S. (later): Recent performances where the inside of the tomb was draped with red velvet (from left-over bits of altar cloth) suggested we try “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” at this point... (“Red velvet lines... the black box”)
The PRIEST: I am a man amongst men.
He takes again the Lance and lowers it.
T.S.: This can be read in at least two ways; either he holds the thing in one hand, pointing down so the tip is on the floor (this is the preferred reading here for reasons which will become apparent later in this section), or holds it vertically with the butt on the floor.
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 salt, and mixes them in the font.
T.S.: Previously our ‘font’ was a brass bowl sat on a circular table; the table has since been replaced by a vaguely font-shaped plastic bird bath, but a bown is still used; the Priestess pours the contents of the ewer and salt-cellar into it, and subsequently picks up the bowl for asperging the Priest; it is the bowl rather than the ewer which is then retrieved by the black child & handed to the Priest later in section IV.
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.)
T.S.: If no children, the Deacon puts them back on the small altars.
O.B.: This is a right XI° working (figurative) for the Deacon.
T.S. (later): Possibly why the practice seems to be catching on here that in the absence of Children, the Priestess does the fetching and carrying here, and in the corresponding part of section IV the Priest fetches and returns the water and censer (the Deacon at that point is holding the Lance).
The DEACON now takes the consecrated Robe from the 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 ambiance, 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 is must have the Uræus serpent twined about it, and the cap of maintenance must match the scarlet of the robe. Its texture should be velvet.)
T.S.: The Priestess puts the crown on the Priest. Obvious, but for some reason not mentioned.
O.B.: It's not obvious; the Deacon could crown him. As always, what is convenient is important here.
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 the shalf eleven times, very gently.
T.S.: As she does this, he gradually raises the lance from its position with the point on the floor. This anyway is local practice: Sabazius in Red Flame 2: Mystery of Mystery alleges an “Agape Lodge tradition” that the Priest should hold the Lance vertical with its butt on the floor while the Priestess is doing this [inflammatory remarks about Sabazius and Agapé Lodge deleted]. Feb. 2005: This practice is no longer as universal as it was; some Priests hold the Lance in the same “lowered” position (point on floor) until the instruction at the start of section IV to raise it.
Be the LORD present among us!
All give the Hailing Sign.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.