THE MAGICAL INVOCATION OF THE HIGHER GENIUS

THE MAGICAL INVOCATION OF THE HIGHER GENIUS. (According to the Formulae of the Book of the Voice of Thoth.) [The ceremony Enterer is the Sphere of Sensation. The Hierophant is the Augoeides. The officers are the Divine Sephiroth invoked. The Enterer is the natural man.] [First let the symbols in the Sphere of Sensation be equilibrated. This is the Opening of the Hall of Truth.] {198} " "The First Invocation." Come forth unto me, Thou that art my true Self: my Light: my Soul! come forth unto me: Thou that art crowned with Glory: That art the Changeless: The Un-nameable: the Immortal Godhead, whose Place is in the Unknown: and whose Dwelling is the Abode of the Undying Gods. Heart of my Soul; self- shining Flame, Glory of Light, Thee I invoke. Come forth unto me, my Lord: to me, who am Thy vain reflection in the mighty sea of Matter! Hear Thou, Angel and Lord! Hear Thou in the habitations of Eternity; come forth; and purify to Thy Glory My mind and Will! Without Thee am I nothing; in Thee am I All-self existing in Thy Selfhood to eternity! [Close now the channels to the Ruach of the Material senses: endeavouring at the same time to awaken the Inner sight and hearing. Thus seated, strive to grasp the same ray of the Divine Glory of the selfhood: meditating upon the littleness and worthlessness of the natural man: the vanity of his desires, the feebleness of his boasted Intellect. Remember that without That Light, naught can avail thee to true progression: and that alone by purity of Mind and Will canst thou ever hope to enter into that Glory. Pray then for that purification, saying in thy heart:] " "First purification and consecration of the candidate by Fire and Water." "Water:" Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. "Fire:" O send forth Thy light and Thy Truth, let them lead me, let them guide me unto Thy Holy Hill, to Thy Dwelling-place! I stand before the Beautiful Gate: before the mighty Portal of the Universe: at my Right Hand a Pillar of Fire; and at my left a Pillar of Cloud. At their bases are the dark-rolling clouds of the Material Universe: and they pierce the Vault of the Heavens above. And ever upon their summits flame the Lamps of their Spiritual Essence! Thou that livest in the Glory beyond that Gate: Heart of my Soul; Thee I Invoke! Come Thou forth unto me, who art my very Selfhood; mine Essence, my Light: and do Thou guard me and guide me through the Manifold Paths of Life: that I may at length become one with Thine Immortal and Imperishable Essence! Unto Thee, Sole Wise, Sole Mighty, and Sole Eternal one, be Praise and Glory for Ever; Who hast permitted me to enter so far in the Sanctuary of Thy Mysteries. Not unto me, but unto Thy name be the Glory! Let the influence of Thy Divine Ones descend upon my head, and teach me the value of Self-Sacrifice: so that I shrink not in the hour of trial; but that my Name may be written upon High, and that my Genius may stand in the Presence of the Holy One: in that hour when the Son of Man is evoked before the Lord of Spirits; and His Name in the presence of the Ancient of Days. O Lord of the Universe! grant Thou that upon me may shine forth the Light of my Higher Soul. Let me be guided by the {199} help of my Genius unto Thy Throne of Glory, Ineffable in the centre of the World of Life and Light. [Now go up to the Altar: formulating before thee a glittering Light: imagine that it demands wherefore thou hast come, &c., and say:] Adoration unto Thee that Dawnest in the Golden! O Thou that sailest over the Heavens in Thy Bark of Morning! Dark before Thee is the Golden Brightness; In whom are all the hues of the Rainbow. May I walk as Thou walkest, O Holiness, Who hast no master, Thou the great Space-Wanderer to whom millions and hundreds of thousands of years are but as one Moment! Let me enter with Thee into Thy Bark! Let me pass with Thee as Thou enterest the Gate of the West! As Thou gleamest in the Gloaming when Thy Mother Nuit enfoldeth Thee! {[}Now kneel at the Altar with thy right hand on the White Triangle, and thy left in the left hand of thine Astral double, he standing in the place of the Hierophant, and holding the Astral presentment of a Lotus Wand by the white band in his right hand, then say, as if with the projected Astral consciousness:] Adoration unto ye, ye Lords of Truth in the Hall of Thmaist, cycle of the great Gods which are behind Osiris: O ye that are gone before, let me grasp your hands, for I am made as ye! O ye of the Hosts of the Hotepischim! Purge ye away the wrong that is in me! Even as ye purged the Seven Glorious Ones who follow after the coffin of the Enshrined One, and whose places Anubist hath fixŠd against the day of "Be-with-us." O Thoth! Who makest Truth the Word of Aeshoori! make my word truth before the circle of the Great Gods! Adoration unto Thee, Anubi, who guardest the threshold of the Universe! Adoration unto Thee, Auramooth, purify me with the Living Waters! Adoration unto Thee, Thaumaeshneith, make me Holy with the Hidden Flame! Adoration be unto Thee, O Dark-Bright One! Hoor! the Prince of the City of Blindness! Adoration unto Thee, O Thmaist, Truth-Queen, who presidest at the Balance of Truth! Adoration unto Thee, Asi; adoration unto Thee, Nephthyst. O AESHOORI, Lord of Amennti! Thou art the Lord of Life Triumphant over Death: there is naught in Thee but Godhead! TOUM! Toum who art in the great Dwelling! Sovereign Lord of all the Gods, save me, and deliver! Deliver me from that God that feedeth upon the damnŠd, Dog-faced but human-headed; {200} That dwelleth by the Pool of fire in the Judgment Hall, Devourer of Shades, eater of Hearts, the Invisible foe! Devourer of Immortality is his Name! Unto Thee, Sole Wise, Sole Mighty, and Sole Eternal one, be Praise and Glory for Ever: who hast permitted me to enter so far in the Sanctuary of the Mysteries. Not unto me, but unto Thy Name be the Glory! [Again finish by laying sword on nape of neck, saying: So help me th{e} Lord of the Universe and my own Higher Soul!] [Rise now, and raise above thine head thy hands (the left open and the right still holding the magic sword), and lifting unto heaven thine eyes, strive to aspire with all thy will unto the highest Divinity, saying:] From Thy Hands, O Lord, cometh all good! from Thy Hands flow down all grace and blessing! The Characters of Heaven with Thy Finger hast thou traced: but none can read them save he that hath been taught in Thy school! Therefore, even as servants look unto the hands of their masters, and handmaids unto the hands of their mistresses, even so our eyes look up unto Thee! For Thou alone art our help, O Lord our God! Who should not extol Thee, O Lord of the Universe! Who should not praise Thee! All belongeth unto Thee! Either Thy love or Thine anger all must again re-enter! Nothing canst Thou lose, for all things tend unto Thine Honour and Majesty! Thou art Lord alone, and there is none beside Thee! Thou dost what Thou wilt with Thy Mighty Arm: and none can escape from Thee! Thou alone helpest in their necessity the humble, the meek-hearted and the poor, who submit themselves unto Thee! And whosoever humbleth himself in dust and ashes before Thee; to such an one art Thou propitious! Who should not praise Thee then, Lord of the Universe, who should not extol Thee! Unto whom there is none like; whose dwelling is in Heaven and in the virtuous and God-fearing Heart! O God the Vast One! Thou art in all things! O Nature! Thou Self from Nothing ___ for what else can I call Thee! I, in myself, I am nothing! I, in Thee, I am all Self: and exist in Thy Selfhood from nothing! Live Thou in me: and bring me unto that Self which is in Thee! For my victory is in the Cross and the Rose! [Now pass to the North and face the East: projecting unto the place of the throne of the East the Astral double, and say from thence:] The Voice of My Higher Soul said unto me: let me enter the path of Darkness: peradventure "thus" may I obtain the Light! I am the only being in an Abyss of Darkness: from the Darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the Silence of a primal Sleep. And the voice of ages answerŠd unto my soul: child of Earth! The Light shineth in the Darkness; but the Darkness comprehendeth it not! [Now formulate before thee a great Angel Torch-bearer saying:] Arise! shine! for Thy Light is come! {201} [Pass round the Temple to the South, face West and halt: formulate the Ideal20 of Divine Mercy: and then that of Divine Justice: aspiring with all Thy heart unto each, and say:] Come unto me! O Lord of Love and Pity, come unto me, and let me live in Thy Love! Let me be merciful even as my Father in Heaven is merciful, for Thou hast said: Blessed are the Merciful, for they shall obtain Mercy. Grant unto me that I may attain unto thy Peace, wherein is life for evermore. Come unto me, O Lord of Perfect Justice! Mighty is Thine Arm, strong is Thy Hand: Justice and Judgment are the habitation of Thy Throne! Strengthen Thou, O Lord of Strength, my will and heart, that I may be able, with Thine aid, to cast out and destroy the Evil Powers that ever fight against those who seek Thee! [Formulate now before thee the Two Pillars of Cloud and of Fire, saying:] Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean! Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow! O send forth Thy Light and Thy Truth, let them lead me, let them guide me unto Thy Holy Hill; even to Thy Tabernacles. I stand before the Gate of the West; and the Pillars of the Universe arise in Majesty before me. At my right hand is the Pillar of Fire: and on my left the Pillar of Cloud: below they are lost in Clouds of Darkness: and above in Heaven in unnameable Glory. Let me enter, O Gate of the West! [Pass to South-West and project Astral. Then saith the Guardian of the Gate of the West:] Thou canst not pass by Me, saith the Guardian of the West: except Thou canst tell me My Name! [Saith the Aspirant:] Darkness is Thy Name: Thou art the Great One of the Paths of the Shades! [Saith the Great One of the Night of Time:] Child of Earth! remember that Fear is failure: be thou therefore without fear: for in the heart of the Coward, Virtue abideth not! Thou has known Me now, so pass thou on! [Pass to the North, and exalt again thy mind unto the contemplation of the Mercy and Justice of our God, repeating the foregoing prayers; then say:] Purify me with hyssop and I shall be clean: wash me and I shall be whiter than snow! O send forth Thy Light and Thy Truth, let them lead me, let them guide me unto Thy Holy Hill, to Thy Dwelling-place! {202} Dim before me looms the mighty Gate of the East! on the right the Pillar of Fire, on the left the Pillar of Cloud: stretching from the dark clouds of the World of Darkness to the Bright Glory of the Heavenly Light: Ever affirming to Eternity the Equilibration of the Powers of God the Vast One! Let me pass the Gate of the East Land! Let me pass the Gate of the Tuat, issuing forth with Rƒ in the Glory of Red Dawn! [Pass to the North-East, project Double to the place of the throne of the East, saying:] Thou canst not pass by Me, saith the Guardian of the East, except thou canst tell me My Name! [Saith the Aspirant:] "Light dawning in the Darkness" is Thy Name: the Light of a Golden Day! [Saith the Osiris:] 20 These are the two pillars of the Tree of Life; the first containing the Sephira Chesed, and the second the Sephira Geburah. Child of Earth! remember that Unbalanced Force is Evil: Unbalanced Mercy is but Weakness, Unbalanced Severity is but Cruelty and Oppression. Thou hast known Me now: so pass thou on unto the Cubical Altar of the Universe! [Pass to the West of the Altar, project Astral to between the Pillars, kneel at Altar and repeat in Astral:] " "THE PRAYER OF OSIRIS." Lord of the Universe, the Vast and the Mighty One! Ruler of Light and of Darkness: we adore Thee and we invoke Thee! Look with favour upon this Neophyte who now kneeleth before Thee; and grant Thine aid unto the higher aspirations of His Soul, so that he may prove a true and faithful servant of the Mighty Ones, to the Glory of Thine Ineffable Name, Amen! [Now rise: lift up both hands and eyes towards heaven; and concentrate upon the Glory and Splendour of Him that sitteth upon the Holy Throne for ever and ever, and say:] KHABS AM PEKHT! KONX OM PAX! LIGHT IN EXTENSION! In all my wanderings in Darkness the Light of Anubist went before me, yet I saw it not. It is a symbol of the Hidden Light of Occult Science. [Pass to between the Pillars, and standing thus concentrate upon the Highest Divinity; and there standing in the sign of the Enterer, say:] O Glory of the Godhead Unspeakable! Eternal Master! Ancient of Days! Thee, Thee, I invoke in my need! Dark is all the world; without, within; there is light alone in Thee! Rend asunder, Lord of the Universe, tear aside the Veil of the Sanctuary: let mine eyes behold my God, my King! As it is written: The Lightning lighteneth in the East and flameth even unto the West: even so shall be the Coming of the Son of Man! {203} [And now shalt thou see a light slow formulating into the shape of a mighty Angel, and thou shalt withdraw thyself from this sight and again say:] I saw Water coming from the Left Side of the Temple: and all unto whom that Water came were made whole, and cried: Blessed is He that cometh in the Name of the Lord, Allelulia! O Lamb of God: who takest away the Sins of the World! Grant us Thy peace! I am come forth from the Gates of Darkness: I have passed by the Gate of Amennti: and the Gate of the Taot! Behold! I am come to the Gate of the Shining Ones in Heaven. I stand between the mighty Pillars of that Gate: at my right hand the Pillar of Fire, and at my left the Pillar of Cloud: Open unto me O gate of the God with the Motionless Heart: I am come forth by the T'eser Gate: I advance over the Paths that I know, I know: and my Face is set towards the land of the Maat! [Again formulating the Augoeides.] Come forth, come forth, my God, my King: come unto me, Thou that art crowned with starlight: Thou that shinest amongst the Lords of Truth: whose place is in the abode of the Spirits of Heaven! [When Thou shalt again see the Glorious One thou shalt salute with Enterer; pass between the pillars and circumambulate thrice: reverently saluting the East betimes. Now halt by the Light, facing it, and exalt thy mind unto Its glory, imagine it as encompassing thee and entering into Thy inmost Being, and say:] I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live again: and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me shall never die! I am the First and the Last, I am He that liveth but was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, and hold the keys of Hell and of Death! For I know that my Redeemer liveth; and that He shall stand at the latter Day upon the Earth. I am the Way: the Truth and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me. I am purified: I have passed through the Gates of Darkness unto Light! I have fought upon Earth for good: I have finished my Work: I have entered into the Invisible! I am the Sun in His rising: I have passed through the Hour of Cloud and of Night! I am Amoun, the Concealed One: The Opener of Day am I! I am Osiris Onnophris, the Justified One. I am the Lord of Life Triumphant over Death: There is no part of me that is not of the Gods: I am the preparer of the Pathway, the Rescuer unto the Light! I am the Reconciler with the Ineffable! I am the Dweller of the Invisible! Let the White Brilliance of the divine Spirit descend. [A long pause.] Thus at length have I been permitted to comprehend the Form of my Higher Self! Adoration be unto Thee, Lord of my Life, for Thou hast permitted me to enter thus {204} far into the Sanctuary of Thine Ineffable Mystery: and hast vouchsafed to manifest unto me some little fragment of the Glory of Thy Being. Hear me, Angel of God the Vast One: hear me, and grant my prayer! Grant that I may ever uphold the the Symbol of Self-sacrifice: and grant unto me the comprehension of aught that may bring me nearer unto Thee! Teach me, starry Spirit, more and more of Thy Mystery and Thy Mastery: let each day and hour bring me nearer, nearer unto Thee! Let me aid Thee in Thy suffering that I may one day become partaker of Thy Glory: in that day when the Son of Man is invoked before the Lord of Spirits, and His Name in the presence of the Ancient of Days! And for this day, teach me this one thing: how I may learn from Thee the Mysteries of the Higher Magic of Light. How I may gain from the Dwellers in the bright Elements their knowledge and Power: and how best I may use that knowledge to help my fellow-men. And, finally, I pray Thee to let there be a link of Bondage between us: that I may ever seek, and seeking, obtain help and counsel from Thee Who Art my very selfhood. And before Thee I do promise and swear; that by the aid of Him that sitteth upon the Holy Throne, I will so purify my heart and mind that I may one day become truly united unto Thee, who art in Truth my Higher Genius, my Master, my Guide, my Lord and King! The result of these magical experiments was twofold. First, by degrees P. was accumulating against himself a power of evil which was only awaiting a favourable moment to turn and destroy him.21 This is the natural effect of all that class of magic which consists in making a circle, and thus setting the within against the without, and formulating duality, the eternal curse. Any idea in the mind is of little importance while it stays there, but to select it, to consecrate it, to evoke it to visible appearance, that is indeed dangerous. {205} For as he advanced from grade to grade, penetrating further and further into the mysteries of occult 21 Whilst deep in these magical practices his house in London became charged with such an aura of evil that it was scarcely safe to visit it. This was not solely due to P.'s own experiments; we have to consider the evil work of others in the Order, such as E.F.E.J., who, envious of his progress and favour with the Chiefs, were attempting to destroy him. (See "At the Fork of the Roads," THE EQUINOX, vol. i. No. 1, p. 101.) Weird and terrible figures were often seen moving about his rooms, and in several cases workmen and visitors were struck senseless by a kind of paralysis and by fainting fits. knowledge, he saw ever more clearly that most of the members of the Order of the Golden Dawn were scarcely worthy of his contempt; yet in spite of the folly of the disciples he remained loyal to their master D.D.C.F. He could not yet know that the chief is as his disciples, though raised to a higher power. For like attracts like. Secondly, these practical workings taught him, more certainly than years of study and reading, that there was but one goal to the infinite number of paths seen by the beginner, and that the ultimate result of the HB:Shin of HB:Shin Operation, the highest of the ceremonial operations of the Golden Dawn, was similar to that of "Rising on the Planes." Having made this important discovery he abandoned his intended experiments in ceremonial Divination and Alchemy, and towards the close of 1899 retired to the lonely house that he had bought for the purpose of carrying out the Sacred Operation of Abramelin the Mage. {206}