A Rite of Isis

A RITE OF ISIS

Operationis personae.

MAGUS White and gold robe and nemmes.
ASSISTANT MAGUS White robe andnemmes.
MAGUS OF FIRE. Black robe, with red triangle upon the breast and back.
SOROR LUNA, and a Musician.

[OPENING]

In the West is the Altar having upon it a statue of Isis and 4 candles, and above it a blue lamp burning. In the North and South are two small altars each having upon them a candle. On the Altar of Incense are three candles.

The station of the MAGUS is North of the Altar, that of the ASSISTANT MAGUS is South of the Altar, and that of the MAGUS OF FIRE is East of the Altar of Incense.

All lights are burning.

(When all are assembled a simple melody is played [short passage incompletely copied] going to their stations. After a pause the MAGUS, ASST. MAGUS. & MAGUS OF FIRE enter, the MAGUS OF FIRE going first bearing the censer, the MAGUS carries a bowl of consecrated water which he sprinkles round the Temple. They pass from the East once round the Temple. The MAGUS OF FIRE takes his station & the MAGUS & ASST. MAGUS pass to the high altar.

MAGUS: GLORIA DEO ALTISSIMO RA-HOOR-KHUIT.

(He faces East.)

MAGUS: Fratres, Let us consecrate the Fire and purify the Temple, in order that the Divine Light alone may be manifest, and all the powers of darkness be scattered. In and through the holy Seven-fold word ARARITA.

(The MAGUS OF FIRE. passes to the East bearing the lighted candle which he hands to the ASST. MAGUS: The MAGUS performs the banishing Pentagram of Fire over the candle, and says:)

MAGUS: I exorcise ye, O ye spirits of evil and powers of darkness, in and through the Name of the Most High God, Elohim, and in the name of the great Archangel of Fire, Michael, that ye abide not in this creature of Fire, but depart hence and seek not to enter again into this Temple of the Magick of Light.

(He makes the invoking pentagram of spirit active & says:)

EHIEH. BITOM.

(He makes the invoking Pentagram of Fire.)

MAGUS: I consecrate thee, creature of fire in and through the name IHVH in the name TzBAVTh and by the might of the Spirit of the Primal Fire, that, through the power of the great Archangel Michael who standeth at the Right Hand of the Altar Incense, thou mayest become of service in the Temple of light, a defense against the assaults of the evil ones, and a source of strength in the Holy Mysteries.

(The MAGUS OF FIRE takes the consecrated candle, bears it to the Altar of Incense, and from it lights all the candles in the Temple, the lamp and the charcoal. He returns to his station.)

MAGUS: Frater [motto of MAGUS OF FIRE], purify the Temple by fire.

(The MAGUS OF FIRE casts incense thrice upon the charcoal and passes round the Temple, bearing the censer, and saying)

MASTER OF FIRE: Incensum istud a te benedictum, ascendat ad te Domine descendat super nos misericordia tua.

(He passes to the centre of the Temple and censes the four quarters, saying, while censing to the East:)

MASTER OF FIRE: In the Name of Raphael.
(To the South.)
In the Name of Michael.
(To the West.)
In the Name of Gabriel.
(To the North.)
In the name of Auriel.
(He returns to his station.)

MAGUS: Fratres: Let us further purify the Temple. Fra. [motto of ASST. MAGUS], perform the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.

(This is done.)

MAGUS: Let the purification be completed by the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram.

(The MAGUS performs this Ritual.)

(All stand at their stations.)

MAGUS: KHABS AM PEKHT.

ASST. MAGUS: KONX OM PAX.

MAGUS OF FIRE: LIGHT IN EXTENSION.

(Facing West All kneel and repeat in a low tone.)

HOLY ART THOU, LORD OF THE UNIVERSE.
HOLY ART THOU, WHOM NATURE HATH NOT FORMED.
HOLY ART THOU, THE VAST AND THE MIGHTY ONE.
HOLY ART THOU, HADIT, THOU SECRET FLAME.
HOLY ART THOU, NUIT, THOU STARRY ONE.
HOLY ART THOU, LORD OF THE AEON.
HOLY ART THOU, RA-HOOR-KHUIT.
HOLY, ALL HOLY.

(They rise. The ASST. MAGUS strikes upon the bell, and the MAGUS, goes East of the Altar facing West, and says:)

333—333—333

MAGUS: Unity uttermost showed,
I adore the might of thy hreath, Supreme and terrible God
Wbo makest the Gods and death To tremble before thee:
I, I adore thee!

(The MAGUS returns to his station.)

ASST. MAGUS: Let us meditate upon the Supreme Unity: as it is written below the statue of Our Lady Isis:
“I am all that was, and that is, and that shall be; and no mortal hath lifted my veil.”

(Here follows a few minutes silent meditation.)

[RITUAL]

(When this is done, the MAGUS OF FIRE passes to the East of the Temple and addresses those assembled.)

MAGUS OF FIRE: Brethren: In order that the purpose of the ceremony now about to take place may be made plain to all, I will read a brief explanation of Ecstasy written by Frater Perdurabo.

“‘There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign.”

“So used some of us to sing in childhood, and we used to think of this land as far away, farther even than death that in those days seemed so far.

“But I know this now; that land is not so far as my flesh is from my bones! It is even Here and Now.

“If there is one cloud in this tranquil azure, it is this thought: that conscious beings exist who are not thus infinitely happy, masters of ecstasy.

“So to remove this cloud have I cheerfully dedicated all I have and all I am.

“There is nothing that you enjoy that I do not enjoy as much as you do; and I bear witness that nothing is worthy to be compared with ecstasy.

“What is the path to this immortal land? To the Oriental, whose mind is, so to say, static, meditation offers the best path, a path which to us seems (and indeed is) intolerable, irksome and tedious. To the Western, there is no road better than ceremonial. For ecstasy is caused by the sudden combination of two ideas, just as oxygen and hydrogen unite explosively. “But this religious ecstasy takes place in the highest centres of the human organism; it is the soul itself that is united to its God; and for this reason the rapture is more over- powering, the joy more lasting, and the resultant energy more pure and splendid than in aught earthly. “In ritual, therefore, we seek continually to unite the mind to some pure idea by an act of will. This we do again and again more and more passionately, with more and more determination, until at last the mind accepts the domination of the will, and rushes of its own accord toward the desired object. This surrender of the mind to its Lord gives the holy ecstasy which we seek.

“Now in the ceremony we put the mind of the spectator in tune with the pure idea, say, of nature and love which we call Venus. If he becomes identified with this idea the union is one of ecstatic bliss, and its only imperfection is due to the fact that the idea in question, whatever it may be, is only partial. Ecstasy is therefore progressive. Gradually the adept unites himself with holier and higher ideas until he becomes one with the Universe itself. To him there is no more death; time and space are annihilated; nothing is, save the intense rapture that knows no change for ever.”

In the present ceremony any complete ritual is impossible, but we will endeavour to emphasize one idea, to bring it repeatedly before you, and in this way assist you to unite your minds with it; while you, for your part, must tur n your minds to this idea and hold them fixed by the power of the will, cuffing off all outside thoughts and using all your faculties to the one end of perfect concentration. The success of this ceremony to each of you individually will depend entirely upon this factor, so that it is impossible for me [to] emphasize too strongly the necessity of each of you taking your part in the ceremony with the greatest earnestness, and concentrating your minds upon the one idea.

We will take as the central idea that aspect of the One expressed as Nature, Beauty, Compassion and Love. This idea has been symbolized by many ways. In the East we have the great Lord of Compassion, but the same idea is much more clearly expressed in the conception of the Great Mother of the Gods; this being also the form in which it is found in the West, where we have Isis, Astarte, Aphrodite, Venus, and in the Christian Church, Mary Mother of God, Mother of Mercy and Compassion.

If such a conception should appear to you strange, bear in mind that we are but considering manifestations of the One Atman, Allah, God, Self, or what you will. We acknowledge the One — as it is said: “One only without a second”: but manifested in innumerable ways, and hence it matters not under what aspect or form, or through what manifestation we worship. If, at first, our minds are united to lower and partial expressions, remember that this is but the first step on the path; and whatever be the name or the form of the object of our devotion, as we progress we shall, to quote the words of Vivekananda, “see no distinctions. The mighty ocean of love will have entered into us, and we shall see not men, animals, and trees, or the sun, moon, and stars, but shall behold our beloved everywhere and in everything.”

Let us then concentrate our minds upon this one aspect, and whatever words may be used, or whatever symbols may he found in the ceremony, let us use them and apply them to the ohject of our devotion--God or Goddess, Incarnation or Avatara, Teacher, Prophet, or Master, it matters not, for God is all in all.

May all attain. Amen.

(He returns to his station, and there casts incense upon the altar. He remains standing West of the Altar of Incense. The MAGUS and ASST. MAGUS rise and stand facing the Altar.)

MAGUS: I adore thee by the Twelve-fold Certitude and by the Certainty thereof.

(Slight pause.)

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Warrior of steel-girt valour, whose scimitar is a flame between day and night, whose helm is created with the wings of the Abyss. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou four-eyed guardian of light, who kindleth to a flame the hearts of the downcast, and girdeth about with fire the loins of the unarmed.

(All present repeat together.)

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Light and fire of loveliness, whose flaming locks stream downward through the Aethyr as knots of lightning deep rooted in the Abyss. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou winnowing flail of brightness, the passionate lash of whose encircling hand scatters mankind before Thy fury like wind-scud from the stormy breast of Ocean.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Singer of the revelling winds, whose voice is as a vestal troop of Bacchanals awakened by the piping of a Pan-pipe. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou dancing flame of frenzied song, whose shouts, like unto golden swords of leaping fire, urge us onward to the wild slaughter of the worlds.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Might of the most ancient forest, whose voice is as the murmur of unappeasable winds caught up in the arms of the swaying branches. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou rumble of conquering drums who lulleth to a rapture of deep sleep those lovers who burn into each other, flame to fine flame.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Guide of the star-wheeling circles, the soles of whose feet strike plumes of fire from the outermost annihilation of the Abyss. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou crimson sword of destruction, who chasest the comets from the dark bed of night, till they speed before Thee as serpent tongues of flame.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Archer of the darksome regions, who shooteth forth from Thy transcendental cross-bow the many-rayed stars into the fields of heaven. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou eight-pointed arrow of light who smiteth the region of the seven rivers till they laugh like Maenads with snaky thyrsus.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou sovran Paladin of Self-vanquished knights, whose path beth through the trackless forests of time, winding through the Byss of unbegotten space. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou despiser of the mountains, Thou whose course is as that of a lightening hoofed steed leaping along the green banks of a fair river.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time, etc.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Surging of wild felicity, whose love is as the overflowing of the seas, and who makest our bodies to laugh with beauty. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou outstrider of the sunset, who deckest the snowcapped mountains with red roses, and strewest white violets on the curling waves.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time, etc.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Diadem of crowned Wisdom, whose work knoweth the path of the sylphs of the air, and the black burrowing of the gnomes of the earth. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou Master of the ways of life in the palm of whose hand all the arts he bounden as a smoke-cloud betwixt the lips of the mountain.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time, etc.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Lord of primaeval Ba resarkers, who huntest with dawn the dappled deer of twilight, and whose engines of war are blood-crested comets. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou flame-crowned Self-luminous One, the lash of whose whip gathered the ancient worlds, and looseth the blood from the virgin clouds of heaven.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time, etc.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran Moonstone of pearly loveliness, from out whose many many eyes flash the fire-clouds of life, and whose breath enkindleth the Byss and the Abyss. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou fountain-head of fierce aethyr, in the pupil of whose brightness all things lie crouched and wrapped like a babe in the womb of its mother.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Mother of the breath of life, the milk of whose breasts is as the fountain of love, twin-jets of flame upon the blue bosom of night. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou Virgin of the moon-lit glades, who fondleth us as a drop of dew in Thy lap, ever watchful over the cradle of our fate.

[All]: O Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all space: Glory and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

MAGUS: O Thou Sovran All-Beholding eternal Sun, who lappest up at the constellations of heaven as a thief a jar of ancient wine. I know Thee!

ASST. MAGUS: O Thou dawn-winged courtesan of light, who makest me to reel with the kiss of Thy mouth, as a leaf cast into the flames of a furnace. Glory be unto Thee through all Time and through all Space: Glory, and Glory upon Glory, Everlastingly. Amen, and Amen, and Amen.

(They kneel. Slight pause. The ASST. MAGUS strikes upon the bell.)

MAGUS: Deep, deep Thy sombre Sea,
Spouse of eternity!
Mother, we cry to Thee:
Hear us, Maut, Mother!

MAGUS OF FIRE: Beauty and life and love!
Let fly Thy darling dove!
Bend to us from above Lady Ahathor!

ASST. MAGUS: Virginal Queen of Earth,
Late love, and last of birth,
Loose, loose the golden birth,
Nephthys, the crowned one!

[All]: Sound, sistron, sound afar!
Shine, shine, O dawning Star!
Flame, flame, O Meteor Gar!
Isis, Our Lady!

(They stand)

MAGUS: O Thou Mother of the breath being the milk of whose breasts is as the fountain of love, twin-jets of flame upon the blue bosom of night. I know Thee!

O Thou Virgin of the moonlit glades, who fondleth us as a drop of dew in Thy lap, ever watchful over the cradle of our fate.

ASST. MAGUS: 333—333—333

MAGUS: Hail unto Isis! Hail!

SOROR LUNA: (As a recitative.)
I AM ALL THAT WAS AND THAT IS AND THAT SHALL BE AND NO MORTAL HATH LIFTED MY VEIL

[ALL]: Hail unto Isis Our Lady of Life! Hail! All Hail!

(The MAGUS OF FIRE passes to the East beating the censer, and kneels before the Altar. The MAGUS and ASST. MAGUS approach, the latter bearing the incense. The MAGUS throws incense upon the censer, and he and the ASST. MAGUS return t o their stations.)

(The MAGUS OF FIRE elevates the censer.)

ASST. MAGUS: Crown Her, O crown Her with stars as with flowers for a virginal gaud!

MAGUS: Crown Her, O crown Her with Light and the flame of a downrushing Sword!

ASST. MAGUS: Crown Her, O crown Her with Love for maiden and mother and wife!

MAGUS: Hail unto Isis! Hail! For She is the Lady of Life!

(The MAGUS OF FIRE rises and carries the censer to the Altar of Incense. All seat themselves in Asana.)

MAGUS: A KA DUA
TUF UR BIU BI A'A CHEFU
DUDU NER AF AN NUTERU

(This Mantra is chanted by the Magus and is then taken up by the ASST MAGUS and by all present, and is repeated continuously with ever increasing speed and loudness, until the MAGUS is satisfied that all are united in the Divine Harmony. During the repetition the lights are lowered until there remains only the blue lamp above the Altar and the candles burning.)

(At the conclusion the ASST. MAGUS: strikes once loudly upon the bell. The MAGUS OF FIRE takes up the censer and passing to the East places it upon the Altar. He then goes to the North, taking the place of the ASST. MAGUS: who advances to the West of the Altar, facing East. The MAGUS and MAGUS OF FIRE seat themselves in Asana. The ASST. MAGUS kneels, rises and places incense upon the censer, and recites:)

ASST. MAGUS: Mother of Light, and the Gods!
Mother of Music, awake!
Silence and Speech are at odds:
Heaven and Hell are at stake.
By the Rose and the Cross I conjure;
I constrain by the Snake and the Sword;
I am he that is sworn to endure —
Bring us the word of the Lord!
By the brood of the Bysses of
Brightening, whose God was my sire;
By the Lord of the Flame and the Lightning,
the King of the Spirits of Fire;
By the Lord of the Waves and the Waters,
the King of the hosts Of the Sea,
The fairest of all whose daughters was mother to me;
By the Lord of the Winds and the Breezes,
the King of the Spirits Of Air,
In whose bosom the infinite ease is that cradled me there;
By the Lord of the Fields and the Mountains,
the King of the Spirits of Earth
That nurtured my life at his fountains
from the hour of my birth;
By the Wand and the Cup I conjure,
by the Dagger and Disk I constrain;
I am he that is sworn to endure;
make thy music again!
I am the Lord of the Star and the Seal;
I am Lord of the Snake and the Sword;
Reveal us the riddle, reveal!
Bring us the word of the Lord;
As the flame of the sun, as the roar
of the sea, as the storm of the air,
As the quake of the earth — let it
soar for a boon, for a bane, for a snare,
For a lure, for a light, for a kiss for a
rod, for a scourge, for a sword —
Bring us thy burden of bliss —
Bring us the word of the Lord!

(He kneels. Ave Maria is then sung; softly, by Soror Luna at the West of the Temple, or in an adjoining room, accompanied by a muted violin. Silence. The ASST. MAGUS. rises, places incense upon the censer and goes to the South of the Altar to the station of the MAGUS, and takes up his Asana. The MAGUS goes to thee East of the altar, and faces West)

MAGUS: Roll through the caverns of matter,
the world’s irremovable bounds!
Roll, ye wild billows of ether! the
Sistron is shaken and sounds!
Wild and sonorous the clamour,
vast in the region of death.
Live with the fire of the Spirit, the
essence and flame of the breath!
Sound, O sound!
Gleam in the world of the dark,
where the chained ones shall
tremble and flee!
Gleam in the skies of the dusk,
for the light of the dawn is in me!
Light on the forehead, and life in the
nostrils, and love in the breast,
Shine, O Tbou Star of the Dawning,
thou Sun of the Radiant Great!
Shine, O shine!
Flame through the sky in the strength
of the chariot-wheels of the Sun!
Flame, ye young fingers of light, on
the west of the morning that run!
Flame, O Thou Meteor Car, for my
fire is exalted in thee!
Lighten the darkness, and herald the
daylight, and waken the sea!
Flame, O flame!

(The MAGUS goes West of the Altar and places incense upon the censer.)

MAGUS: Crown Her, O crown Her with stars
as with flowers for a virginal gaud!
Crown Her, O crown Her with Light
and the flame of the down- rushing Sword!
Crown Her, O crown Her with Love
for the maiden and mother
and wife!
Hail unto Isis! Hail! For She is the
Lady of Life!

(He kneels. Slight pause.)

MAGUS: ISIS CROWNED!

(All remain in perfect silence. After a pause the ASST. MAGUS: strikes upon the hell softly 333, after another, and longer pause he again strikes 333, and yet again after a still longer pause, 333. Then in another room is played a low simple melody, dying off very softly at the conclusion.)

SILENCE

(The Magus rises after a long Pause. The ASST. MAGUS strikes upon the bell once loudly.)

MAGUS: GLORIA PATRI ET MATRI ET FILIO ET FILIAE ET SPIRITUI SANCTO EXTERNO ET SPIRITUI SANCTO INTERNO UT ERAT EST ERIT IN SAECULA SAECULORUM SEX IN UNO PER NOMEN SEPTEM IN UNO

ARARITA

AMN

(The M. resumes his Asana. Silence for a few minutes. The Officers rise and pass out of the Temple. Then all depart in perfect silence, there being only sufficient light to permit of this.)