Crowley, Gayatri and the Lunar

Adorations
By
Frater Nur-i-Siyah

(A 11° in f, B 18° in j)
AN IVxiv e.n., Dies Solis

Bubastis Camp
Ordo Templi Orientis
Valley of Dallas
Texas
 “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”

First Phase: New

The Thelemic Lunar Adoration

Sources of Instruction from the Works of Crowley:

1903-4 – “The Sword of Song,” Sec. II (“Pentecost”), ll. 519-522, 813-816:

Aum! let us meditate aright

On that adorable One Light,
Divine Savitri! So may She
Illume our minds! So mote it be!

Footnote: 519. Gayatri. This is the translation of the most holy verse of the Hindus. The gender of
Savitri has been the subject of much discussion and I believe grammatically it is masculine. But for
mystical reasons I have made it otherwise. Fool!

1912 – “Liber IV: ABA,” Part I, Ch. II (“Pranayama and its Parallel in Speech,
Mantrayoga”), Mantra 7:

Om! tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.

Footnote: “O! Let us strictly meditate on the adorable light

of that divine Savitri (the interior Sun, etc.). May she enlighten our minds!”

1918 – “Liber Aleph vel CXI,” Ch. XVI (“De Culte”):

(A magical regimen is given but lacks in any mention of the Lunar Adoration
which appears in later works.)

Now, o my Son, that thou mayst be well guarded against thy ghostly Enemies, do thou work
constantly by the Means prescribed in our Holy Books.

Neglect never the fourfold Adorations of the Sun in his four Stations, for thereby thou doest affirm
thy Place in Nature and her Harmonies.
First Phase (Cont.)

Neglect not the Performance of the Ritual of the Pentagram, and of the Assumption of the Form of
Hoor-pa-Kraat.

Neglect not the daily Miracle of the Mass, either by the Rite of the Gnostic Catholic Church, or
that of the Phœnix.

Neglect not the Performance of the Mass of the Holy Ghost, as Nature herself prompteth thee.

Travel also much in the Empyrean in the Body of Light, seeking ever Abodes more fiery and lucid.

Finally, exercise constantly the Eight Limbs of Yoga. And so shalt thou come to the End.

1938 – “Eight Lectures on Yoga,” Second Set (“Yoga for Yellowbellies”),

First Lecture, Sec. 9:

… every student should make a point of saluting the Sun (in the manner recommended in
Liber Resh) four times daily, and he shall salute the Moon on her appearance with the Mantra
Gayatri. The best way is to say the Mantra instantly one sees the Moon, to note whether the
attention wavers, and to repeat the Mantra until it does not waver at all. [Emphasis mine]

1945 – “Magick Without Tears,” Ch. XVIII (“The Importance of our

Conventional Greetings, etc.”):

From time to time I have exhorted you with mine accustomed matchless eloquence never to
neglect the prescribed Greetings: but I think it just as well to collect the various considerations
connected with their use—and in ‘Greetings’ I include ‘saying Will’ before set meals, the four daily
adorations of the Sun (Liber CC, vel Resh) and the salutation of Our Lady the Moon.
 Second Phase: First Quarter
Crowley’s Ideas and Opinions on the Moon and the Gāyatrī

Sources from the Works of Crowley:

1912 – “Liber IV: ABA”, Part II, Ch. VII (“The Cup”):

This is the Cup of Purification; as Zoroaster says:

So therefore first the Priest who governeth the works of Fire

must sprinkle with the Water of the loud-resounding Sea.

It is the sea that purifies the world. And the "Great Sea" is in the Qabalah a name of
Binah, "Understanding."

It is by the Understanding of the Magus that his work is purified.

Binah, moreover, is the Moon, and the bowl of this cup is shaped like the moon.
This moon is the path of Gimel through which the influence from the Crown descends upon the Sun
of Tiphereth.

And this is based upon the pyramid of fire which symbolizes the aspiration of the student.

In Hindu symbolism the Amrita or "dew of immortality" drips constantly upon a man,
but is burnt up by the gross fire of his appetites. Yogis attempt to catch and so preserve this dew by
turning back the tongue in the mouth.

1912 – “Liber IV: ABA”, Part III, Ch. VII (“The Formula of the Holy Graal: of
Abrahadabra and of certain other Words. Also: The Magical Memory”), part V:

Qoph in the Tarot is ‘the Moon’, a card suggesting illusion, yet shewing counterpartal
forces operating in darkness, and the Winged Beetle or Midnight Sun in his Bark travelling
through the Nadir. Its Yetziratic attribution is Pisces, symbolic of the positive and negative currents
of fluidic energy, the male Ichthus or ‘Pesce’ and the female Vesica, seeking respectively the anode
and kathode. The number 100 is therefore a synthetic glyph of the subtle energies employed in
creating the Illusion, or Reflection of Reality, which we call manifested existence.
Second Phase (Cont.)

1913 – “Book of Lies” (Liber CCC), Ch. 18:

ΚΕΦΑΛΛΗ ΙΗ (18)

DEWDROPS

Verily, love is death, and death is life to come.

Man returneth not again; the stream floweth not
uphill; the old life is no more; there is a new life
that is not his.
Yet that life is of his very essence; it is more He than
all that he calls He.
In the silence of a dewdrop is every tendency of his
soul, and of his mind, and of his body; it is the
Quintessence and the Elixir of his being. Therein
are the forces that made him and his father and
his father.s father before him.
This is the Dew of Immortality.
Let this go free, even as It will; thou art not its master,
but the vehicle of It.

COMMENTARY (IH)
The 18th key of the Tarot refers to the Moon, which was supposed to shed dew. The
appropriateness of the chapter title is obvious.
The chapter must be read in connection with Chapters 1 and 16.
In the penultimate paragraph, Vindu is identified with Amrita, and in the last paragraph the
disciple is charged to let it have its own way. It has a will of its own, which is more in accordance with the
Cosmic Will, than that of the man who is its guardian and servant.

1913 – “Liber XV” (The Gnostic Mass), Part V (“Of the Office of the Collects which are
Eleven in Number”):

THE MOON

The DEACON: Lady of night, that turning ever about us art now visible and now invisible in thy
season, be thou favourable to hunters, and lovers, and to all men that toil upon the earth, and to all
mariners upon the sea.

The PEOPLE: So mote it be.

Second Phase (Cont.)

1944 – “The Book of Thoth,” ATU II (“The Priestess”):

The Moon (being the general feminine symbol, the symbol of the second order corresponding
to the Sun as the Yoni does to the Lingam) is universal, and goes from the highest to the lowest. It
is a symbol which will recur frequently in these hieroglyphs. But in the earlier Trumps the concern is
with Nature above the Abyss; the High Priestess is the first card which connects the Supernal Triad
with the Hexad; and her path, as shown in the diagram, makes a direct connection between the
Father in his highest aspect, and the Son in his most perfect manifestation. This path is in exact
balance in the middle pillar. There is here, therefore, the purest and most exalted conception of the
Moon. (At the other end of the scale is Atu xviii, q.v.)

The card represents the most spiritual form of Isis the Eternal Virgin; the Artemis of the
Greeks. She is clothed only in the luminous veil of light. It is important for high initiation to regard
Light not as the perfect manifestation of the Eternal Spirit, but rather as the veil which hides that
Spirit. It does so all the more effectively because of its incomparably dazzling brilliance.
{The tradition of the best schools of Hindu mysticism has a precise parallelism. The final
obstacle to full Enlightenment is exactly this Vision of Formless Effulgence.} Thus she is light and
the body of light. She is the truth behind the veil of light. She is the soul of light. Upon her knees is
the bow of Artemis, which is also a musical instrument, for she is huntress, and hunts by
enchantment.
Now, regard this idea as from behind the Veil of Light, the third Veil of the original
Nothing. This light is the menstruum of manifestation, the goddess Nuith, the possibility of Form.
This first and most spiritual manifestation of the feminine takes to itself a masculine correlative, by
formulating in itself any geometrical point from which to contemplate possibility. This virginal
goddess is then potentially the goddess of fertility. She is the idea behind all form; as soon as the
influence of the triad descends below the Abyss, there is the completion of concrete idea.

It is important to reflect that this card is wholly feminine, wholly virginal, for it represents
the influence and the means of manifestation (or, from below, of attainment) in itself. It represents
possibility in its second stage without any beginning of consummation.

1944 – “The Book of Thoth,” ATU XVIII (“The Moon”):

The Moon, partaking as she does of the highest and the lowest, and filling all the space
between, is the most universal of the Planets. In her higher aspect, she occupies the place of the Link
between the human and divine, as shown in Atu II. In this Trump, her lowest avatar, she joins the
earthy sphere of Netzach with Malkuth, the culmination in matter of all superior forms. This is the
waning moon, the moon of witchcraft and abominable deeds. She is the poisoned darkness which is
the condition of the rebirth of light.
 Third Phase: Full Moon
The Gāyatrī of the Hindus

1. The Original Mantra Gāyatrī in Sanskrit:

(Om! tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.)

This version is a verse taken directly from the Rg Veda (c. 1000
BCE), Book III, Hymn LXII, verse 10. The Pranava (AUMGN) is
added as an additional reminder of the source of all things.

It is followed in vss. 11 & 12 with additional hymns in praise of

Savitr, the Vedic Sun God who is mentioned in the Gāyatrī Mantra

It is named after the meter of which it is composed. The Gāyatrī

Vedic meter is arranged with three padas (lines) of eight syllables
each thus giving the entire verse in its original rendering a total of
twenty-four syllables. There are, however, eleven other variations
of this meter in the Vedas which can alter the syllable count from
nineteen syllables per stanza to twenty-three. This version of the
mantra with the Pranava has twenty-five syllables.

The name “Gāyatrī” comes from the Sanskrit terms Gāyantam-

trāyate which means, “That which is sung or praised in order to
protect.”
Third Phase (Cont.)

Some translations of the above verse are as follows:

Jones, Sir William (1795):

(Om) Let us adore the supremacy of that divine sun, the godhead who illuminates all, from whom
all proceed, to whom all must return, whom we invoke to direct our understandings aright in our
progress towards the holy seat.

Judge, William Q. (1893):

Unveil, O Thou who givest sustenance to the Universe, from whom all proceed, to whom all must
return, that face of the True Sun now hidden by a vase of golden light, that we may see the truth
and do our whole duty on our journey to thy sacred seat.

Griffith, Ralph T. H. (1895):

(Om) May we attain that excellent glory of

Savitar the God:
So may he stimulate our prayers.

Crowley, Edward (Aleister) (1903):

“O! Let us strictly meditate on the adorable light

of that divine Savitri (the interior Sun, etc.). May she enlighten our minds!”

Danielou, Alain (1964):

(Om) Let us contemplate the splendor of the solar spirit, the Divine Creator.
May he guide our minds (toward the attainment of the four aims of life).

Keshavadas, Sadguru Sant (1978):

Let us meditate on Īśvara and His glory. May He enlighten our intellect.

Commonly used English translation (Modern Hindu):

O Creator of the Universe, may we receive Thy supreme, sin destroying light;
may Thou guide our intellect in the right direction.
Third Phase (Cont.)

2. The Gāyatrī Mantra as it is currently and commonly used:

(Om! Bhur Bhuvah Svah!

tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.)

Here there is an addition of three terms: Bhur, Bhuvah & Svah

These are explained as follows:

Chart 1. Esoteric Values of the Three Spheres

Attributes Bhur Bhuvah Svah
Earth, the Sky, the Sphere Heaven, the
Part of Cosmos
Terrestrial of Space Celestial Sphere
(lokas)
Sphere
Part of the
A U M
Pranava
Veda Rg Yajur Sama
He who is the He who is fit to He who removes
Appellations of
Creator. be worshipped. all sin and
the Lord
ignorance.

The usage of these three terms originates in the Yajur Veda as a means
to address the different fields of Creation (Earth, Sky and Space) while
petitioning a god. (See Yajurveda, Book I, Part 6, Hymn 2; also Book V,
Part 5, Hymn 5 and Book VII, Part 3, Hymn 12 & Part 4, Hymn 20)
Third Phase (Cont.)

3. Full Ritual Extension of the Mantra Gāyatrī:

Om Bhur, Om Bhuvah, Om Svah,

Om Maha, Om Janah, Om Tapah,
Om Satyam.
Om tat savitur varenyam
Bhargo devasya dhimahi
Dhiyo yo nah pracodayat.
Om Apo Jyotih
Raso ‘mrtam Brahma
Bhur Savar. OM

Translation:
O Earth, O Sky, O Heavens, O Great One
O Bornless One, O Light of Wisdom, O Truthful One
O Let us meditate upon the splendor of Savitur, the Nourisher.
May he illuminate our minds.
O You that saves us from the waters of karma, Light of Lights,
The quintessence of immortality, Brahma,
Earth, Sky, and Heaven. OM

This third version of the Gāyatrī is the version that is used when
performing the prānāyāma kriyā of the Sandhyā-vandana of Gāyatrī,
(i.e., controlled breathing exercises.)

One legend associated with this version of the Gāyatrī Mantra states that
it originated as a gift granted to the legendary Brahmarsi Visvamitra by
the Brahmarsi Vasistha when the latter opened his third eye. The
instance leading to the reception of this boon is related as follows:

King Vishwamitra was easily defeated by the Rishi Vasistha’s spiritual power when Vishwamitra
and his army tried to steal Nandini, the wish-fulfilling cow, from Vasistha. This defeat made
Vishwamitra realize that physical might was infinitely inferior to spiritual prowess, and he decided
to perform austerities until Vasistha himself acknowledged him as a Brahmarshi (a ‘god among
Rishis’). Once he decided upon this course of action he forgot everything else, and concentrated on it
alone.

Vishwamitra performed terrific austerities, and was awarded various divine titles by various divine
beings, but not the title he wanted. Eventually, he decided to force Vasistha to give him what he
wanted; he was born a king, after all, and kings are accustomed to getting what they want.
Vishwamitra harried Vasistha mercilessly, but nothing seemed to affect Vasistha, not even the
death of all of his many sons. Finally Vishwamitra became totally desperate, and crept up in the
underbrush near Vasistha’s ashram, holding a sharp knife with which to murder the Rishi who
would not acknowledge his accomplishments. Just as he was getting ready to strike he heard
Vasistha say to his wife Arundhati, ‘Of all the Rishis today only one deserves the title of
Third Phase (Cont.)
Brahmarshi, and that is Vishwamitra. I don’t know why he is so much against me; how have I
offended him?

When he heard those words Vishwamitra dropped his knife and ran to bow to Vasistha’s feet,
saying, ‘Please forgive me.’ Vasistha murmured, ‘But Brahmarshi, there is no need for forgiveness. I
am honored at your visit.’ And he blessed him. It was all Vasistha’s play, after all; the play of the
Rishis is something that is very difficult to fathom. (as related by Aghora Master Vimalanda to
Robert Svoboda [Svoboda, 1993])

The “seven rhythm” Gayatri also has a number of esoteric values

associated with it as shown below in Charts 2-4.

Chart 2. Values of the “7-Rhythms” of the Pranayam Gāyatrī

Rhythm Elements Subtle Extensions Part of Beings

(Vyaŗthi) (Tattwas) of the Elements Cosmos (Devatās)
(Tanmāntras) (Lokas)

1. Om Earth (Prithivī) Smell (Gandha) Earth Indra

Bhur
2. Om Water (Jala) Taste (Rasa) Atmosphere Varuņa
Bhuvah
3. Om Fire (Agni) Form (Rūpa) Celestial Agni
Svah
4. Om Air (Vāyu) Touch (Sparśa) Sphere of the Vāyu
Mahah Saints
5. Om Aethyr (Ākāśa) Sound (Śabda) Sphere of the Sarasvatī
Janah Progenitors
6. Om Intelligence Cosmic Mind (Buddhi) Sphere of the Guru
Tapah (Mahat) Seven Sages
7. Om Consciousness Primordial Energy Sphere of Śiva
Satyam (Puruśa) (Prakŗti) Truth
Third Phase (Cont.)

Charts 3& 4. Additional Values for the “7-Rhythms” of the Pranayam

Gāyatrī

Rhythm Centers of Location in Vehicles Lotus

(Vyaŗthi) Consciousness the Body Petals and
(Cakras) Color
1. Om Base of the The Celestial
Mūlādhāra 4; Crimson
Bhur Spine Elephant
2. Om
Svādişţhāna Genitals Alligator 6; Vermillion
Bhuvah
3. Om
Maņipūra Navel Ram 10; Blue
Svah
4. Om Black
Anāhata Cardiac 12; Red
Mahah Antelope
5. Om White 16; Smoky
Viśuddha Cervical
Janah Elephant Purple
6. Om
Ājña Brow Center - 2; Bright White
Tapah
7. Om
Sahasrāra Cerebrum - ±1000; Gold
Satyam

Rhythm States of Powers Vital Airs Sheaths or

(Vyaŗthi) Consciousness (Śaktis) (Prāņas) Obstructions
(Avasthā) (Kośas)
1. Om That Which
Excretory Food Sheath
Bhur Wakeful (Jāgrat) Holds the
(Vyana) (Annamaya)
Earth (dakini)
2. Om Procreative
Evacuatory Vital Sheath
Bhuvah Dreaming (Svapna) Energy
(Apana) (Pranayama)
(Rakini)
3. Om Digestive
Distributive Mental Sheath
Svah Deep Sleep (Suşupti) Energy
(Samana) (Manomaya)
(Lakini)
4. Om Awakening to Higher Respiratory Sheath of
Respiratory
Mahah Consciousness Energy Intellect
(Prana)
(Turīya-Jāgrat) (Kakini) (Vijnanamaya)
5. Om Mystical Vision The Power of Transformativ Bliss Sheath
Janah (Turīya-Svapna) Speech (Sakini) e (Udana) (Anandamaya)
6. Om Perfect
Direct Perception
Tapah Thinking Cosmic Ego Soul
(Savikalpa)
(Hakini)
7. Om Enstacy without Form Sakti
Cosmic Mind “God”
Satyam or Seed (Nirvikalpa) Katyayani
Third Phase (Cont.)

4. Gāyatrī as a Goddess, Mother of the Vedas

A Few Elements of Gāyatrī Sadhana:

A. Prayer to Mā Gāyatrī:

Yā sandhyāmaņdalagatā yā trimurti-svarupiņi/
Sarasvatī yā Sāvitrī tām vande veda-mātaram//
Yā viśva-jananī devī yā trimūrti-svarūpinī/
Gāyatrī-rūpiņī yā hi tām vande sapta-mātŗkām//

(Goddess who is the Sun, who is of triune form,

who is both Sarasvati and Sāvitri – I bow to Her, the Mother of the Vedas.
Goddess who is the Mother of the worlds, who is of triune form
and who is of the form of the Gāyatrī – I bow to that form of
the Seven Mothers)

B. Meditation on Mā Gāyatrī:

Muktā-vidruma-hema-dhavalac-chāyair
Mukhais-tryakşanair-
Yuktām indu-nibaddha-ratnamukuţām
Tattvārthavarņātmikām/
Gāyatrīm varadābhayāńkuśakaśāh
śubhram kapālam guņam
śańkham cakram arthāravindayugulam
Hastair vahantim bhaje//

I Meditate on the Goddess Gāyatrī who has three eyes on each of her five faces, whose faces are the
color of pearl, coral, gold, black, blue and white gemstones, who wears bejeweled crowns set with the
crescent moon, who is composed of syllables signifying the Supreme Truth and who has ten hands,
two of which are in the gestures of bestowing boons and the offering of refuge with the others bearing
the goad, the whip, the white skull, the conch, the mace, the discus and two lotuses. I do adore Her.
Third Phase (Cont.)

The Murti of the Goddess Gāyatrī

Examples of Gāyatrī Yantras

 Fourth Phase: Third Quarter
Complications and Possible Alternatives

After reviewing Crowley’s instructions and comparing it to the

classic method of employing the Gāyatrī mantra we are left with a few
problems to consider:

1. The Gāyatrī is anything but a Lunar mantra

2. The translation of Savitur to Savitri by Crowley shows a lack
of understanding as to the distinctions between the two.

So we are left to ask why would Crowley suggest the usage of this
most solar of all ancient phrases to greet and adore “Our Lady of the
Moon”?
The Gāyatrī as it is commonly used is recited at the three stations
of daylight. However, among certain Tantric sects, the Aghori in
particular, the recitation of the “true” Gāyatrī mantra (as opposed to the
Savitri which is primarily what we have studied thus far) should be
performed initially in water and at night so as to counteract the
continual activation of the Surya Nadi, the main Solar channel of the
subtle body, that results from the mantra’s usage. The water (and the
Moon, if present) helps stimulate the Candra Nadi, the main Lunar
channel of the subtle body. This balance helps limit any unfortunate side
effects that may arise from the recitation of the activated Gāyatrī.
Even though this practice does lend some credence as to why
Crowley would have recommended its usage at night time, it does not
lend credibility to the mantra’s usage as a means to adore the Moon.
Additionally, the usage of the Gāyatrī at night would only be
necessary for someone who had received this mantra in an initiatory
context. The mantra would have to be associated and tied into the
energies that were revealed during the student’s initiation for it to be able
to work effectively. Since the Gāyatrī is not a mantra that is received in
this fashion in the Thelemic context it would not be necessary to utilize
this technique. Perhaps Crowley did obtain the mantra in this fashion,
however, to the best of my knowledge the ceremonial transmission of this
mantra, its true esoteric meaning as well as techniques for harnessing it
are not part of any work of Crowley’s currently available to the public.
 Therefore, I feel it would be safe to say that if one was to utilize
Crowley’s instructions and dutifully perform a Lunar Adoration, it would
Fourth Phase (Cont.)

be necessary to find an alternative to the Solar Gāyatrī. Along that line of

thought I feel there are two main courses that may be taken to fulfill this
obligation.

1) Since the Gāyatrī is a meter either find or construct an

adoration dedicated to the highest qualities of the Moon using this meter
thereby accomplishing both the letter and the spirit of the instruction
while subtracting the potential of error.

2) Construct a ritual from scratch that does the same as the above.

Regarding the first option I will include herein some researches I

have done previously on the Candra Gāyatrī.

1. Chandra Gāyatrī:

“Om. Ksiraputraya vidmahe

Amrtatattvaya dhimahi
Tanno Candrah pracodayat.”

“Om. May we realize that Son of the Ocean of Milk.

Let us meditate on that elemental principle of divine nectar
May Chandra, the Luminous, illuminate us.”

In Hinduism Candra is synonymous with Soma the divine ambrosial drink of the
Vedas. Soma is also the elixir of sacrifice indicating Candra as the fuel of that
sacrifice. In this role he is constantly offered, destroyed and renewed.

As a murti (form) Candra is a luminous white god clothed also all in white with
golden ornamentation and upon whose forehead rests a crescent. He carries a mace
which dispels obstacles and gives the Abhaya (fear dispelling, refuge offering) mudra.
He is said to ride both in a three-wheeled chariot drawn by ten jasmine-white horses
as well as atop a white antelope. He is often accompanied by two queens or
accompanies the Sun. (Danielou, 1964)

He is primarily called Candra (the Lustrous), but other names for this serene deity
are Indu (Drop [of Soma]), Sasin (Marked-with-a-Hare), Nisakara (Maker of the
Night), Naksatranatha (Lord of the Constellations), Sitamarici (Having Cool Rays),
Sitamsu (Having White Rays), Mrganka (Marked Like a Deer), Sivasekhara (Crown
of Siva), Kumudapati (Lord of the Lotus) and Svetavajin (Drawn By White Horses).
(Ibid)
 Fourth Phase (Cont.)
The moon is also seen to represent the “chalice of semen, the essence of mind”.
Legend has it that the moon is constructed of the ashen bones of Lord Kama, the
God of Lust, after his incineration at the hands of Lord Siva. One may then say that
Candra is born of Lust that has been refined through the fires of the Destroyer, and
who, once refined, is further annihilated through sacrifice and who then gains
permanence through constant renewal.

As practitioners in the Western Hermetic Tradition we are accustomed to viewing

the moon as being related to the Qabalistic Sephira of Yesod, the Foundation, and
some of the descriptions in Hinduism appear to be harmonious to our understanding
of this Emanation. The moon is seen as being the host of the primordial waters from
which all images arise and disappear. It is also viewed as being the intermediary
sphere between the world of Formation and the sphere of the divine Sun, and serves
as a bridge between the two. Candra also cools the earth from the heat of the Sun’s
love with its milky rays.

According to Vijayananda Tripathi in his Devata tattva (1942, mentioned by

Danielou) worship of Candra besides bestowing physical beauty also allows the
worshipper to “gain the ability to concentrate his mind.” This ability to focus
concentration certainly seems to be in line with what Crowley was suggesting when
he asked us to “note whether the attention wavers, and to repeat the Mantra until it
does not waver at all” during our adoration.

Regarding the second option, I have included the following rites made by
Thelemites over the years who also have found the Gāyatrī lacking in its
ability to address “Our Lady of the Moon”

1. Liber ‫ ג‬vel Lunae (2003 e.v.) (from Lion & Serpent, vol. 8, No. 1)

Liber ‫ ג‬vel Lunae

By ‫אלי בן אלף‬
being a 3-fold Graeco-Thelemic Lunar adoration adapted from Liber ‫ ר‬vel Helios

Care Fratres et Sorores,

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

This paper is an adapted work by myself in the attempt to develop some form of
appropriate nightly adoration for the moon.

Within the context of Book 4, Crowley gives the Vedic Gayatri mantrum, which he
suggests performing upon viewing the moon nightly. Yet after constant and regular
Fourth Phase (Cont.)
performance of this practice I still felt the inclination to flesh out something more along the
lines of the solar adorations of Liber Resh vel Helios. The following ritual adaptation is
the result of that work.

I offer this work as a gift to my brothers and sisters, known and unknown to me, that they
may derive as much enjoyment and fulfillment from it as I have. Please feel freeto utilize
and experiment with this ritual, as you will. And with that may you readily attain to the
Great Work, the Summum Bonum, the Stone of the Wise, True Wisdom and Perfect
Happiness.

Bright Blessings to you all.

Love is the law, love under will.

The signs utilized for this ritual are as follows: For the waxing moon the sign of Puella
(the girl/Selene) is given for the opening; for the full moon the sign of Mater Triumphans

(the mother/Artemis); for the waning and dark of the moon, the sign of Isis in Mourning
(crone/Hecate) is given. For the second half of the oration the sign of Mulier or Isis in
Welcome as a general sign of Luna is given. The Sign of Silence should be given at the
conclusion of both sections. This adoration may also be performed in conjunction with
the Gayatri Mantrum.(1)

(For 9 days after the New Moon)

Hail unto thee who art Selene in thy waxing. Even unto thee who art Selene in thy
Brightness, Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios caresses the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her realms....
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

(For 4 days either side of the Full Moon)

Hail unto thee who art Artemis in thy Fullness. Even unto thee who art Artemis in
thy Brilliance, Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios blazes upon the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her
realms....
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.

(For 9 days before the New Moon)

Hail unto thee who art Hecate in thy waning.
Even unto thee who art Hecate in thy Darkness,
Who travellest across the heavens in the absence of the Sun.
Helios concealeth the splendor of her brow and Hermes ever guideth through her realms....
Hail unto thee through the abodes of N.O.X.
Fourth Phase (Cont.)
INVOCATIONS

Ceaseless change that is stability

I adore the Light on thy Breast
Supreme and excellent Goddess
who makest the Gods and the blessed
to tremble before thee
I...I adore thee

Appear within the navel of Nu

Lighten the ways of the Kha
Open the ways of the Khu
The ways of the Khabs run through

To stir me and still me....

AOM1
Let it fill me
Thy light is mine
thy beams embrace me
I have wrought the sacred gates
into the groves of
Selene, of Artemis and Hecate
I am thy Athenian O Chaos
thy prophet N.(2)
By Βαβαλον my breast I beat
By Θεριον I weave my spell
Show thy star splendor O Nuit
Bid me within thine house to dwell
O winged snake of light Hadit
Abide with me Ra Hoor Khuit!

Notes:
1. The Vedic Gayatri Mantrum may be inserted in its entirety at this point. It is given
phonetically as follows:
AOM
(Burbu Vas Vaha)
Tat Savitur varenyam
Bhargo Devasya Dimahi
Dhiyo yo na Pratyodyat.
A reasonably good translation of this can be found in Crowley’s Book 4, Part 1, Chapter
II

2. Here may be inserted the practitioner’s own magickal name or motto.

Fourth Phase (Cont.)

2. Lunar Adorations (1993 e.v.) (From the Scarlet Letter v. I, no. 2)

Lunar Adorations (1993 e.v.)

by Fr. Pi (A.K.A. T Poliphilus, Dionysos Thriambos)

Monthly, on the night when the Moon is new, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Hecate gliding through the heavens, who
treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou
Eye that blinkest in Thine Enigma upon the Night of Pan. Chaos
leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty.

Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in
Love.

Also, on the night when the Moon is in its first quarter, let the magician face Her and
proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Artemis gliding through the heavens, who
treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou
Eye that openest in Thy Stalking upon the Night of Pan. Chaos
leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty.

Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in
Liberty.

Also, on the night when the Moon is full, let the magician face Her and proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Celene gliding through the heavens, who
treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou
Eye that gazest in Thy Mystery upon the Night of Pan. Chaos leadeth
Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty.

Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in
Light.

Also, on the night when the Moon is in its third quarter, let the magician face Her and
proclaim:

Hail unto Thee who art Diana gliding through the heavens, who
treadest upon the clouds and drinkest the nectar of the stars; Thou
Eye that closest in Thy Dreaming upon the Night of Pan. Chaos
leadeth Thee in the dance, and Eros singeth Thy beauty.
Fourth Phase (Cont.)

Then let him summon the force of ALIM by word and will, making the sign of 496 in
Life.

Let him conclude each of these proclamations with the sign of silence, and let him continue
by making the signs of N.O.X.

Then shall he perform an adoration by which the spirit shall descend, that ALIM become
ALHIM, and he too drink the nectar of the stars.

When all this is accomplished, let him compose himself to holy meditation, until he taste
the dissolution. And let this vary according to the Moon, so that with Hecate he shall
become lost in [Ayin], with Artemis he shall become lost in [Beth], with Celene he shall
become lost in [Nun] and with Diana he shall become lost in [Peh].

And thus may he be grasp the celestial patterns of Life, yea and more, the patterns of
Death, that these patterns serve him as a map and a recipe in his execution of the Great
Work, the fruits of which are True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.

Notes:

In Crowley's Eight Lectures on Yoga he indicates that there are lunar adorations
corresponding to the solar adorations of Liber Resh. He suggests the Hindu mantra
gayatri, which is actually another solar adoration. This ritual is suggested to play the part
of the lunar adoration. Another possibility would be to use a modification of the invocation
of Thoth found in Liber Israfel, as Thoth is the Egyptian god of the moon.

Possible options for the adoration to invoke the spirit include Liber LXV 1:1, and the
"Prologue of the Unborn" from Liber VII.

The 496 Signs

Signs: The 496 signs are my own work. There are four signs; each is made in a standing
position with the arms held straight and the hands in fists, so as to describe with the fists a
vesica in front of the magician.

Light: Hands are held together below the waist, and brought up to crossed wrists above
the head.

Life: Hands are held with crossed wrists above the head, and brought down to come
together below the waist.

Love: Hands are held together above the head, and brought down to crossed wrists below
the waist.
Fourth Phase (Cont.)

Liberty: Hands are held with crossed wrists below the waist, and brought up to come
together over the head.

The vesica formed in each case can be used as a frame for visualization.

3. Liber Qoph vel Hecate

LIBER QOPH vel HECATE
Sub Figura C
By Orryelle Defenestrate

Hail Luna, as you rise, IxChel,

Kia, Lady pale,

Queen of dreams, Cast your spell,

Of triple veil
Ar-iadne, Ar-ianhrod, Ar-achne Moerae,
Hail Hecate
Of faces three,
Shining from afar,
Spider of Destiny
In your web of Silver Stars

WAXING MOON:
Hail Diana, Huntress,
As you draw your silver bow,
Hail Artemis and Io,
Oh Horned waxing luminous present glow
Nu and numinous maiden crescent shewn

Hail Clotho, Spinner of life's thread

Drawn forth from Nix Night
Turning Fate's first strands
With nimble hands
Twining twixt the dark and bright

FULL MOON:
Hail MoonMother,
Full and fecund, round and bright,
Isis, We draw you down from the night,
With your cauldron-womb of luminous white
Fourth Phase (Cont.)
Hail Lachesis, Weaver, Craft your web
Weave the lines between the times
Of wax and wane; And tides
Of flow and ebb
Gossamer silver cords
Of dreaming draw together

In your matrix matted of matter and ether

DreamMother, give Birth
As your light shines down to Earth

WANING MOON:
Hail, Grandmother Spider,
Crone and crow,
Wisewoman, elder, seer,
Help us face, and destroy
Our fear
Hail Hecate of the Crossroads,
Oh old and ominous presence glowing
Your waning numinous crescent going

Hail Atropos, Cutter,

With your waning silver scythe,
You cut
the thread of Life.

DARK MOON:
There is a fourth face, though unseen
There is a fourth path, whom few know
A fourth Fate, who awaits
In shadow

Hail Kali, Blackness,

From whom the kalas of Time emiT
Three Norns converged,
Past, present, future merged,
On the path of Blood beyond the Wheel we surge and scry

To Caer Arianhrod, Castle in the Sky

Hail Nought, Not, Nuit, Maat,

Yours the dark and secret art
Fourth Phase (Cont.)
While crone's scythe cuts breath and with death
The thread of life appears to dwindle
From No-thing you craft another mask
And re-splice it back, on another track
To Clotho's spindle

“Love is the law, love under will.”