This ritual working of the famous cryptic Gnostic text was a
major project of Sunwheel back in the days when it was a research camp
consisting of three people meeting in someone's front room. Fratres OOO,
O.B. and D.I.C.E. spent several months arguing about the precise
interpretation of worm-eaten Coptic manuscripts.
What follows is the end result of this process. Originally scheduled for
publication in the second issue of the Sunwheel journal, when that
publishing project fell through the working notes ended up being filed
away for a few years. Barring a successful, though not entirely
satisfactory, performance at a national O.T.O. event three years ago
this ritual has languished in obscurity. Better known by reputation
than first-hand knowledge, it is now unleashed upon the world following
my repeated pestering of Frater O.B. for copies of his working notes and
an explanation of the same. Anyway, enough of my waffle – here
it is.
The requirements for this ritual are: a large space, lots of people
(minimum 17, 23 for preference) and ten candles (some notes on how the
ritual can be adapted for a smaller group, 5 at an absolute minimum,
are given at the end).
| A |
For it is I who am the first and the last.
| Chorus assume and hold sign Puella on "For" |
| B | It is I who am the revered and the despised. |
| A | It is I who am the whore and the holy one. |
| B | It is I who am the wife and the virgin. |
| A | It is I who am the mother and the daughter. |
| A & B | I am the members of my mother. |
| |
| B |
It is I who am the barren one and many are my brood. |
Chorus assume and hold sign Mulier on "It" |
| A | It is I whose wedding is great |
| B | And yet I have not taken a husband. |
| A | It is I who am the midwife and she who does not bear. |
| B | It is I who am the solace of my labour pains. |
| A | It is I who am the bride and the bridegroom. |
| B | I am the child of my husband, |
| A | And the mother of my father, |
| B | I am the sister of my husband. |
| A & B | And it is he who is my offspring. |
| A | It is I who am the slave of my servant. |
| B | It is I who am the mistress of my offspring. |
| A & B | Yet it is he who begot me on the day of my birth
And in due time my power is from him. |
| B | It is I who am the staff of the power of his youth. |
| A | It is he who is the rod of my old age. |
| A & B | And whatsoever he wills happens to me. |
| |
| A |
It is I who am impenetrable silence,
And the idea whose return is ecstasy. |
Chorus assume and hold sign Mater Trimphans on "It" |
| B | It is I who am the cacophany of voices,
And the logos whose image is manifold. |
| A & B |
I am the utterance of my own name. |
Scribe completes circumambulation. |
The chant is as follows: The people in the circle chant IHOUEAW quickly
(H is the Greek Eta, pronounced almost as in 'air'; W is the Greek Omega,
pronounced almost as in 'rope'); the chorus and people at the quarters chant
AEHIOUW slowly, vibrating each letter over the time it takes the people in
the circle to do an entire cycle.
The scribe circumambulates widdershins, a total of two and a half times,
finishing at 10. The pace of circumambulation obviously needs to be varied
depending on the length of the speeches and distance between candles.
| A |
Why, O ye who love those who hate me,
do ye hate those who love me? |
Scribe extinguishes candle 1 on "Why" |
| B | O ye who deny me, affirm me. |
| A | And ye who affirm me, deny me. |
| B | O ye who are true to me, lie to me. |
| A | And ye who lie to me, be true to me. |
| B | O ye who know me, ignore me. |
| A |
And ye who are ignorant, know me. |
Chorus assume and hold Puella |
| |
| B |
For I am knowledge and ignorance. |
Scribe lights 2 on "For" |
| A | I am shame and I am boldness. |
| B | I am shameless and I am ashamed. |
| A | I am strength and I am fear. |
| B | I am war and I am peace. |
| |
| A & B |
Hear me! |
Scribe extinguishes 3 |
| A |
It is I who am the disgraced and the mighty.
Give heed to my poverty and my wealth.
Do not ignore me when I am cast out upon the earth,
And you will find me in your houses.
Do not leave me cast out upon the dungheap,
And you will find me in the kingdoms.
Do not mock my disgrace.
Do not cast me down among the needy
For it is I who am the compassionate and the cruel. |
| |
| A & B | Hear me! |
| B |
Hate not my obedience, nor love my will.
In my weakness, do not forsake me.
And be not afraid of my power.
Why do you scorn my fear and curse my pride?
I am she who is present in all fear and boldness.
I am she who is present in all weakness and strength.
It is I who thrive in a pleasant place
I am foolish and I am wise.
Why have you hated me in your counsels?
For I shall be silent among those who are silent,
And I shall appear and speak.
Why then have you hated me O men?
For I am a barbarian among barbarians. |
| |
| A |
It is I who am Sophia to the Greeks |
Scribe lights 4 on "It" |
| B | And the gnosis of barbarians. |
| A | It is I who am judgement,
Of Greeks, and of barbarians. |
| B | It is I whose image is great in Khem. |
| A | And who hath no image among barbarians. |
| B | It is I who hath been hated everywhere, |
| A | And who hath been loved everywere. |
| B | It is I who am called Life. |
| A | And whom ye have called Death. |
| B | It is I who am called Order, |
| A | And whom ye have called Chaos. |
| B | It is I whom ye have chased. |
| A | And it is I whom ye have seized. |
| B | It is I whom ye have scattered, |
| A | And ye have gathered me together. |
| B | It is I who hath shamed ye, |
| A | And with whom ye have been error. |
| B | It is I who keeps no festival, |
| A | And whose festivals are many. |
| A & B | I am Godless
And my Gods are many. |
| |
| B | It is I upon whom ye have reflected, |
| A | And ye have ignored me. |
| B | It is I who am unschooled, |
| A | And ye learn from me. |
| B | It is I whom ye have ignored, |
| A | And ye reflect upon me. |
| B | It is I from whom ye have hidden, |
| A | And to whom ye are manifest. |
| B | Yet whenever ye hide yourselves, |
| A | I, too, shall show myself forth. |
| B | For whenever ye show yourselves forth, |
| A | I, too, shall hide from you. | Chorus to Mulier |
| |
| B |
Take me from their pain of understanding |
Scribe extinguishes 5 on "Take" |
| A | And take me to yourselves in the understanding of pain. |
| B | Take me to yourselves from destruction and oppression. |
| A | And take me to yourselves in liberty and generation. |
| B | Out of shame,
Take me to yourselves shamelessly. |
| A | And out of shamelessness,
Put my members to shame within you. |
| B | Come to me, ye who know me
And ye who know my members. |
| A | And establish the great ones among the many. |
| B | Come forward to childhood. |
| A | And do not despise it because it is small and paltry. |
| B | Nor cause the scattered greatnesses to turn away from the smallnesses. |
| A | For it is from greatnesses that smallnesses are known. |
| B | Why do you curse me and honour me? |
| A |
Ye have wounded and ye have had mercy
Do not separate me from the first you have known. |
| B |
And cast no-one out
Nor turn anyone away
For He shall turn ye away,
And ye shall know Him not. |
| A & B | It is I who know the first
And those after them, know me. |
| |
| A & B |
It is I who am the Perfect Mind. |
Scribe lights 6 on "It" |
| B | It is I who am the knowledge of my seeking, |
| A | And the finding of them who seek after me, |
| B | And the command of those who ask of me, |
| A | And the power of the power by my knowledge |
| B | Of the Angels who have been sent at my word, |
| A | And of Gods among the Gods at my command, |
| B | And of spirits of every man who exists with me, |
| A | And of every woman who dwells within me. |
| |
| B | It is I who am the honoured and the praised. |
| A | It is I who am the scorned and despised. |
| B | It is I who am peace. |
| A | And war has come because of me. |
| B | I am a foreigner, and a native. |
| |
| A | I am wealth of essence and she who has no essence. |
| B | Those who come from my fusion of essences are ignorant of me, |
| A | And it is those who dwell in my essences who know me. |
| B | Those who are nigh unto me, know me not, |
| A | And those who are far from me have known me. |
| B | On the day that I am nigh unto ye, ye are far from me. |
| A | And on the day that I am far from ye, I am nigh unto ye. |
| |
| B | It is I who am the heart. |
| A | It is I who am the natures. |
| B |
It is I who am the creation of the spirits, through intercourse with the souls. |
| A | It is I who am restraint and the unrestrained. |
| B | It is I who am joining and dissolution. |
| A | It is I who am persistence, |
| B | And it is I who am weakening. |
| A | It is I who am descent, |
| B | And it is to me that people ascend. |
| A | It is I who am condemnation, and pardon. |
| |
| A & B |
I, I am sinless
And the root of sin derives from me. |
Scribe extinguishes 7 on "I" |
| B | It is I who am lust in appearance,
|
| A | And interior self-control.
|
| B | It is I who am the sound of fair speaking,
|
| A | And the Word that cannot be grasped.
|
| B | I am mute,
|
| A | And many are my Words.
|
| B | Hear me softly,
|
| A | And learn from me harshly.
|
| |
| A |
I am she who cries out
And I am cast forth upon the face of the Earth.
It is I who prepare the bread and wine of my mind.
It is I who am the Gnosis of my name.
It is I who cry out, and it is I who hear.
I am the manifest and the unmanifest.
It is I who am the accuser and the apologist.
It is I who am called truth and iniquity.
I am the seal of my tomb. |
Scribe lights 8 on "I" |
| |
| B |
You honour me with praise,
And you whisper against me.
You who are defeated pass judgement
Before sentence is passed against you.
For it is in you that the judge and the judgement reside.
If you are condemned by it, who will forgive you?
And if you are acquitted by it, who can restrain you?
For what is inside of you is outside of you.
And that which moulded you has stampted an impression inside of you.
And what you see outside of you
You see inside of you.
It is manifest, and it is your body.
| Scribe extinguishes 9 on "You" |
| |
The signs Puella, Mulier and Mater Triumphans are from the NOX signs,
described in Liber V vel Reguli. The signs
Adoration of the Graal and Dashing of the Graal were devised for this
ritual and are roughly as follows: The Sign of Adoration of the Graal is
given, starting in the Mulier position, raising the arms up and forward
slightly until almost vertical, the hands forward and the edges of the
palms together, open but slightly curved, palms up, as if supporting
something about the size and shape of a football. The Sign of Dashing the
Graal is given from this position by throwing both arms forward, down,
and then back, finishing in something like the final position of Rending
of the Veil, but below horizontal. The gesture may be used to spill energy
over a focal point or material basis. For example, this ritual has been
used to consecrate and charge a stack of copies of Liber AL, some
of which have subsequently been given to new Sunwheel members.
It is possible to perform this ritual with a smaller group of people
by simply putting the candles on the ground and having the chorus – an
absolute minimum of two people – around the circle, with half doing
the fast chant and half the slow chant.
It may be useful to have one or two music stands in the centre for
copies of the script.
