Introduction
In the early days of Sunwheel, when it was a research Camp consisting of
three people meeting in someone's front room, one of the major projects
(alongside Thunder, Perfect Mind) was the design of adaptations
for group performance of the various A.'.A.'. rituals from Appendix VI
of Magick. Versions of Liber V vel Reguli
and the Star Ruby were completed, the latter published in the first and to
date only issue of the Sunwheel journal. Samekh was left
alone on the grounds that it pertained directly to work that was completely
individual and personal. A group adaptation of Liber XLIV,
the Mass of the Phoenix, was later completed by the Hand of Glory Working
Group during a period when Sunwheel was in dormancy, never performed, lost
for some years, and finally recovered only for it to be realised that it
could not be legally performed. A group version of the Star Sapphire
was originally planned by Sunwheel in the period following the completion
of Thunder but owing to disagreements over the interpretation of this
notoriously ambiguous ritual, never completed.
The following approach was suggested by a remark of Frater O.B.’s that the obvious way to avoid these disagreements of interpretation would be to employ the same ambiguities of language in the adaptation as were present in the original, to allow for various readings.
(N.B. The following "interpretation" is not being asserted as the meaning of the Star Sapphire, rather as one way in which the ritual above can be physically performed without breaking any of the rules in the Bodymaster's Handbook.)
The attribution of the officers at the cross-quarters to the letters of Tetragrammaton should be obvious from paragraphs 3-6. Anyone else present beside the six officers should join in as necessity or inclination dictates. At the time of writing I have not worked out any markouts for further audience participation. It should also be relatively straightforward to re-arrange this ritual for four officers.
In paragraph 2 I originally put the NOX signs in the order Puella, Puer, Mulier, Vir. This differs from the order given in Liber XXXVI, being rather based on the formula of Tetragrammaton reversed and thus considered as a formula of involution. Further consideration of this point suggests this was a mistake, as the precise symbolic meaning to the order originally given is still applicable here. The Hexagram can be plotted in two ways on the Tree of Life; centered on Tiphareth, as in the ordinary Hexagram ritual, or centered on Da'ath, as in the "supernal Hexagram" (or "Heavenly Hexagram") outlined in 777 col. CXXIV. The former is centered on Tiphareth, to which the LVX signs are referred; the latter on Da'ath. The signs Puer, Vir, Puella and Mulier are referred to the grades of Adeptus Major, Adeptus Exemptus, and Babe of the Abyss (the last two) respectively; Isis Rejoicing to Magister Templi. So by giving the signs in the order specified one advances into, but not across, the Abyss, and to the centre of the Supernal Hexagram. There are probably relatively few workings in which this would be necessary; there are a few situations in which invocations or banishings of the Supernals are called for but the context is not normally a group working.
An interpretation of 3-6: the officers in question turn to face each other and trace the Hexagram with the appropriate magical weapon, one tracing the ascending triangle, the other tracing the descending triangle at the same time. Since the Hexagram of Liber XXXVI is the "magical hexagram" described in cap. 69 of The Book of Lies, my reading is that the officers representing Yod and Vau should trace the descending triangle, the officers representing Heh and Heh final the ascending triangle.
[P.S.: the above was based on a somewhat superficial analysis. More careful consideration suggests it gives the correct result for Pater et Mater and Filius et Filia but for the Mater et Filius hexagram, hé should make the descending triangle and vau the ascending; in each case the "descending tounge of grace" goes from the "higher" (i.e. the earlier stage of the formula of Tetragrammaton) to the "lower." I am not 100% sure which would be more appropriate for Filia et Pater.]
An interpretation of 7: 5 traces + (or unicursal hexagram), 6 simultaneously traces circle (or 5-petalled rose), then they take one step backwards and give the signs.
(In both of these the two components of the sign should be traced in the same plane or as near as possible.)
In para. 8 I have substituted the Sign of Mentu (=the sign Puer) for the Sign of Set Triumphant on the basis that I have yet to see or come up with any convincing suggestion for what the hell the latter actually is. The identification by L.M. DuQuette and in the editor’s notes to the Blue Brick with "Isis Rejoicing" I find less than convincing; the identification with the Earth sign "Set fighting" is even more problematic. The Sign of Apophis and Typhon is another possibility but there is no obvious reason for using that particular sign at that particular point in the ritual. One reading of the bit with the signs here is: 6 assumes Puella; 5 assumes Puer; 6 shifts to Mulier (=sign of Baphomet or Babalon). This form is shamelessly stolen from the "Supreme Ritual" in Equinox I (10).
Since I had great difficulty in working out what "Also shall Set appear in the Circle" could mean that fitted in with any consistent interpretation of this ritual I simply left that line unchanged.
The obvious ceremonial interpretation of the last sentence in para. 8 is that the ritual to this point is used to consecrate some suitable sacrament (e.g. wine in a cup) which is then passed round those present and consumed.
Possible markouts for the speech in paragraph 9:
| Quarters: | OMNIA IN DUOS |
| 5: | DUO IN UNUM |
| 6: | UNUS IN NIHIL |
| Quarters: | HÆC NEC QUATOR NEC OMNIA |
| 5: | NEC DUO NEC UNUS |
| 6: | NEC NIHIL SUNT. |
Possible markouts for the speech in paragraph 10:
| Yod: | GLORIA PATRI |
| Heh: | ET MATRI |
| Vau: | ET FILIO |
| Heh (f): | ET FILIÆ |
| 5: | ET SPIRITUI SANCTO EXTERNO |
| 6: | ET SPIRITUI SANCTO INTERNO |
| Yod: | UT ERAT |
| Heh: | EST |
| Vau: | ERIT |
| Heh (f): | IN SÆCULA SÆCULORUM |
| 5: | SEX IN UNO |
| 6: | PER NOMEN SEPTEM IN UNO |
| All: | ARARITA. |
I leave any other interpretations of this ritual to the ingenuity of the student. I will, however, note in passing that one ritual of a schismatic O.T.O. derivative (a renegade British Camp) which has since been published refers to "five points of fellowship" but then immediately afterwards names six points (thus affirming the mystic equation of the Adept, 5=6) and in a context which strongly suggests that the formula of the Rosy Cross is being referred to.