THE MASS OF THE PHOENIX
A∴A∴
Publication in Class D
The Magician, his breast bare, stands before an altar on which are his Burin, Bell, Thurible, and two of the Cakes of Light. In the Sign of the Enterer he reaches West across the Altar, and cries:
Hail Ra, that goest in Thy bark
Into the Caverns of the Dark!
He gives the sign of Silence, and takes the Bell, and Fire, in his hands.
East of the Altar see me stand
With Light and Musick in mine hand!
He strikes Eleven times upon the Bell 3 3 3 — 5 5 5 5 5 — 3 3 3 and places the Fire in the Thurible.
I strike the Bell: I light the flame:
I utter the mysterious Name.
ABRAHADABRA
He strikes Eleven times upon the Bell.
Now I begin to pray: Thou Child
Holy Thy name and undefiled!
Thy reign is come: Thy will is done.
Here is the Bread; here is the Blood.
Bring me through midnight to the Sun!
Save me from Evil and from Good!
That Thy one crown of all the Ten
Even now and here be mine. AMEN.
He puts the first Cake on the Fire of the Thurible.
I burn the Incense-cake, proclaim
These adorations of Thy name.
He makes them as in Liber Legis, and strikes again Eleven times upon the Bell. With the Burin he then makes upon his breast the proper sign.
Behold this bleeding breast of mine
Gashed with the sacramental sign!
He puts the second Cake to the wound.
I stanch the blood; the wafer soaks
It up, and the high priest invokes!
He eats the second Cake.
This Bread I eat. This Oath I swear
As I enflame myself with prayer:
“There is no grace: there is no guilt:
This is the Law: DO WHAT THOU WILT!”
He strikes Eleven times upon the Bell, and cries
ABRAHADABRAI entered in with woe; with mirth
I now go forth, and with thanksgiving,
To do my pleasure on the earth
Among the legions of the living.
He goeth forth.
COMMENTARY
44 is the special number of Horus; it is the Hebrew blood, and the multiplication of the 4 by the 11, the number of Magick, explains 4 in its finest sense. But see in particular the accounts in Equinox I, vii, of the circumstances of the Equinox of the Gods.
The word “Phoenix” may be taken as including the idea of “Pelican”, the bird which is fabled to feed its young from the blood of its own breast. Yet the two ideas, though cognate, are not identical, and “Phoenix” is the more accurate symbol.
This chapter is further explained in Chapter 62 [of The Book of Lies – T.S.].
It would be improper to comment further upon a ritual which has been accepted as official by the A\A\.
[I append chapter 62 of the Book of Lies – T.S.]
62
KEFALH XB
TWIG?1
The Phoenix hath a Bell for Sound; Fire for Sight; a Knife for Touch; two cakes, one for taste, the other for smell.
He standeth before the Altar of the Universe at Sunset, when Earth-life fades.
He summons the Universe, and crowns it with MAGICK Light to replace the sun of natural light.
He prays unto, and gives homage to, Ra-Hoor-Khuit; to Him he then sacrifices.
The first cake, burnt, illustrates the profit drawn from the scheme of incarnation.
The second, mixt with his life's blood and eaten, illustrates the use of the lower life to feed the higher life.
He then takes the Oath and becomes free—unconditioned—the Absolute.
Burning up in the Flame of his Prayer, and born again—the Phoenix!
NOTE
1: Twig? dost thou understand? Also the Phoenix takes twigs to kindle the fire in which it burns itself.Notes
The adorations “as given in Liber Legis” are generally believed to be the four verses of poetic paraphrase from the Stélé of Revealing from “Unity uttermost showed” through to “Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit!”
Crowley presumably leaves it to the ingenium of the student just what the “proper sign” is, though a specific instruction may have been issued to those in communication with the A.'.A.'.
As with any ritual practice involving blood-letting, it is respectfully suggested that the aspirant performing this ritual take basic precautions to avoid infection, such as sterilising any blades used before and after, and cleaning the wound and applying antiseptic afterwards.—T.S.
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