Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram
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Categories: Magick | Works of Aleister Crowley
Part of the Magick in Theory & Practice series.
The Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is one of several rituals within "Liber O" written by Aleister Crowley after the techniques of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
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The ritual
From "Liber O" in Magick, Book 4:
This ritual is to be performed after the "Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram".
(i) Stand upright, feet together, left arm at side, right across body, holding the wand or other weapon upright in the median line. Then face East and say:
(ii) I.N.R.I.
Yod. Nun. Resh. Yod.
Virgo, Isis, Mighty Mother.
Scorpio, Apophis, Destroyer.
Sol, Osiris, Slain and Risen.
Isis, Apophis, Osiris, IAO.
(iii) Extend the arms in the form of a cross, and say: "The Sign of Osiris Slain."
(iv) Raise the right arm to point upwards, keeping the elbow square, and lower the left arm to point downwards, keeping the elbow square, while turning the head over the left shoulder looking down so that the eyes follow the left forearm, and say, "The Sign of the Mourning of Isis."
(v) Raise the arms at an angle of sixty degrees to each other above the head, which is thrown back, and say, "The Sign of Apophis and Typhon."
(vi) Cross the arms on the breast, and bow the head and say, "The Sign of Osiris Risen."
(vii) Extend the arms again as in (iii) and cross them again as in (vi) saying: "L.V.X., Lux, the Light of the Cross".
(viii) With the magical weapon trace the Hexagram of Fire in the East, saying, "ARARITA".
- This Word consists of the initials of a sentence which means "One is His Beginning: One is His Individuality: His Permutation is One."
- This hexagram consists of two equilateral triangles, both apices pointed upwards. Begin at the top of the upper triangle and trace it in a dextro-rotary direction. The top of the lower triangle should coincide with the central point of the upper triangle.
(ix) Trace the Hexagram of Earth in the South, saying "ARARITA".
- This Hexagram has the apex of the lower triangle pointing downwards, and it should be capable of inscription in a circle.
(x) Trace the Hexagram of Air in the West, saying "ARARITA".
- This Hexagram is like that of Earth; but the bases of the triangles coincide, forming a diamond.
(xi) Trace the hexagram of Water in the North, saying "ARARITA".
- This hexagram has the lower triangle placed above the upper, so that their apices coincide.
(xii) Repeat (i-vii)
Visualizing the Hexagrams
Liber O provides no specifics on the colors of the hexagrams drawn in this ritual.
One possibility is to use a set of four colors attributed to the elements (such as red, green, yellow, and blue), assigning each to the appropriate hexagram.
Another option is to consistently employ the color scheme called the "Hexagram of Nature," in which the ascending triangle is red, and the descending triangle is blue.
Yet another approach would be to use the Hexagram of Magick, specified as the "Holy Hexagram" in chapter 69 of The Book of Lies and Crowley's comment to it. In that hexagram, the upward-pointing triangle is blue, representing the purity of aspiration in the magician. The downward-pointing triangle is red, to symbolize the inspiration from the Genius or Holy Guardian Angel.
See also
Sites of interest
- Liber O (http://www.hermetic.com/crowley/libers/libero.html)
References
- Crowley, Aleister. (1997). Magick: Book 4. "Liber O." 2nd ed. York Beach, Me. : S. Weiser.
- Crowley, Aleister. (1978). The Book of Lies. New York: S. Weiser.
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