chapter xiii
The Vision of the
Holy Guardian Angel
There is a very finite limit to which the energy consciously generated and directed by our own ego can effect Magick. There is, however, a deeper, greater, infinite energy, which is not limited by our own limitations. The beginning of a full opening of ourselves as vehicles for the work of this energy, of the recognition of this energy as a greater form of our own Self, of a dramatic influx of this energy, is called the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Knowledge and Conversation is the primary attainment of the Thelemic system, associated with the Sephirah Tiphareth.
There are innumerable models for describing this process. The previous paragraph involved one of mine. Only some of these models will be useful to an individual magician in their attempt to achieve the actual experience that these models attempt to describe. The relationship to the Angel is personal for each individual, and the specific method of invoking the Angel will also be personal to each individual.
In column XLV of Crowley's 777 there is a list of Magical Powers and Mystical States associated with the 32 categories of Kabbalah. The Powers are assigned to each of the 22 paths between the Sephiroth, and the States to the Sephiroth themselves. The States, or Visions, are keyed to the kinds of experiences that might be had by one attuned to the level of consciousness of that Sephirah in virtue of holding the corresponding grade in A∴A∴. The Mystical State associated with Malkuth is 'The Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel'. Every magician, regardless of their engagement or lack thereof with the A∴A∴ system, can be understood as being in Malkuth by the parameters of the system. It follows from this that every magician is entitled to receive this Vision in some form or another consonant with their True Will.
The Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel occurring in Malkuth is clearly distinct from the Knowledge and Conversation of the Angel in Tiphareth, but in what way? Crowley very rarely mentions the Vision, and never clearly defines it. My own definition, as used in this book, is that the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel is any experience of the Angel that falls short of Samadhi — Samadhi being distinctive of the Briatic breakthrough disclosing Tiphareth. The awareness of and relationship to the Angel is progressive. It reaches a distinctive stage of intensity in the Adept, but awareness of the presence of the Angel can occur to the initiate as well. This is the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel. It can (and will) occur spontaneously by the grace of the Angel itself, but it is also appropriate to invoke it. Indeed, it is the natural right of the magician to do so, though their results will necessarily depend upon their own ripeness to receive them. All of the practices in this book preceding this chapter are intended to act to so ripen the magician.
Just as with Knowledge and Conversation, the means to obtain the Vision of the Angel is a lock that each initiate must find their own key to open. Nevertheless, there are traditional methods that may be of value. The major ritual within the Thelemic tradition for the invocation of the Angel is Liber Samekh. This ritual may be appropriate for the accomplishment of the Vision. In the spirit of that possibility, therefore, this chapter will provide a commentary on this ritual, followed by an outline of one possible magical working using Liber Samekh to invoke the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel. As with anything directly involving the Angel, this commentary and the appended working outline can only be suggestive, nor is the working even necessarily recommended.
The following text of Liber Samekh is a composite version prepared by the author for the purposes of this chapter. It is primarily based on an earlier version of the spell included in Crowley's 1904 publication of the Goetia. Omitted here is Crowley's own lengthy commentary, as well as his Kabbalistic analysis of the Barbarous Names of Evocation. While important, Crowley's commentary is aimed at an Adepts level of engagement with the ritual, whereas this chapter attempts only to provide a more general symbolic description. I highly recommend Crowley's discussion of the use of Liber Samekh by the Adeptus Minor, but refer the interested reader to the full presentation of this text in Magick in Theory and Practice.
Liber Samekh
Or, The Bornless Ritual
Thee I invoke, the Bornless one.
Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens:
Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day.
Thee, that didst create the darkness and the Light.
Thou art Ra-Hoor-Kuit: Whom no man hath seen at any time.
Thou art Ia-Besz:
Thou art Ia-Aphophrasz:
Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust.
Thou didst make the Female and the Male.
Thou didst produce the Seed and the Fruit.
Thou didst form Men to love one another, and to hate one another.
I am [insert magical name] Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Khem [or Thelema]:
Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life.
Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel of Ptah-Aphophrasz-Ra: this is Thy True Name, handed down to the Prophets of Khem [or Thelema].
[In the East]
Hear Me:
AR THIAO REIBET ATHELEBERSETH A BLATHA ABEU EBEN PHI CHITASOE IB THIAO.
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
[In the South]
I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God: Who dwellest in the Void Place of the Spirit:
AROGOGOROBRAO SOCHOU MODORIO PHALARCHAO OOO APE, The Bornless One:
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
[In the West]
Hear Me:
ROUBRIAO MARIODAM BALBNABAOTH ASSALONAI APHNIAO I THOLETH ABRASAX AEOOU ISCHURE,
Mighty and Bornless One!
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
[In the North]
I invoke Thee:
MA BARRAIO IOEL KOTHA ATHOREBALO ABRAOTH:
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
[In the Center, facing East]
Hear me!
AOTH ABAOTH BASUM ISAK SABAOTH IAO:
This is the Lord of the Gods:
This is the Lord of the Universe:
This is He Whom the Winds fear.
This is He, Who having made Voice by His Commandment, is Lord of All Things; King, Ruler and Helper.
Hear Me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me: so that every Spirit of the Firmament and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land and in the Water: of Whirling Air, and of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me.
Hear Me:
IEOU PUR IOU PUR IAOT IAEO IOOU ABRASAX SABRIAM OO UU EU OO UU ADONAI EDE EDU ANGELOS TOU THEOU ANALALA LAI GAIA APA DIACHANNA CHORUN.
I am He! The Bornless Spirit! Having sight in the Feet: Strong, and the Immortal Fire!
I am He! The Truth!
I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!
I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth.
I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth:
I am he, whose mouth ever flameth:
I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light:
I am He; the Grace of the World:
"The Heart Girt with a Serpent" is My Name!
Come Thou forth, and follow Me: and make all Spirits subject unto Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of the Ether: upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry land, or in the Water: of whirling Air or of rushing Fire: and every Spell and Scourge of God, may be obedient unto me!
IAO SABAO
Such are the Words!
The title 'Samekh' refers to the path of Samekh along the Middle Pillar of the Tree of Life, rising from Yesod to Tiphareth. The associated Tarot trump is Atu XIV 'Art'' Samekh represents the way of ascent of the equilibrated magician to the Knowledge and Conversation of the Angel in Tiphareth.
The spell in its original form is approximately two thousand years old and comes from London Papyrus 46, in the collection of the British Museum. The translation used by Crowley was published in 1852 by Charles Wycliffe Goodwin in his Fragment of a Graeco-Egyptian Work upon Magic from a Papyrus in the British Museum.
In its basic structure Samekh is little different from the other rituals in this book. Its symbolism, like that of the rituals of the Pentagram, is that of the magician at the center of a circle of four quarters. Indeed, Samekh can be seen as the ultimate Pentagram ritual. The key to successful performance of Samekh, what can give it its special power, is described in Crowley's simple instructions to 'invoke often' and to'inflame thyself in prayer'. Repeated regular performance of the ritual over a long period of time with the full focus of the devoted will and concentration of the magician will intensify the Imaginal archetypes to the point of ever increasing Briatic transparency. This Briatic contact is the initial goal of all Thelemic Magick, and Liber Samekh is a ritual where this is directly explicit.
There are various strange words said at each of the four quarters. These come from the original ancient Greek text of the spell and are examples of what scholars call 'Nomine Barbara', or as Crowley translates the term 'Barbarous Names of Evocation'. These are long strings of seemingly nonsense words which often appear in late Classical magical spells. For a number of good examples see the definitive The Greek Magical Papiri in Translation edited by Hans Dieter Betz. There is speculation that the origin of some of these names may have been the widespread practice in late antiquity of speaking in tongues — a practice by no means limited to the Christian sects. Not all of the words are nonsense however. Some of them have important values in Greek gematria or are corruptions of divine names in other languages. To use just one example: the words IAO SABAO that end Liber Samekh are traceable as a Greek form of the Hebrew YHVH TZABAOTH, translated by the King James Bible as 'Lord of Hosts'. Some other words in Samekh are subject to this kind of analysis, but most have no readily discernable meaning. This does not mean they are meaningless, however. The various methods of Kabbalistic analysis and gematria can be used to uncover interpretations. Crowley considered the various Barbarous Names in Liber Samekh to be names or formula of the Holy Guardian Angel, and the version of Samekh published in Magick in Theory and Practice includes various thumb-nail sketches of his analysis of them. Should one decide to experiment with this ritual these may be useful as a guide or inspiration, but Crowley's interpretations relate to his own interaction with his Angel, which will be of a different nature for another magician engaging with this ritual. Therefore, the best way of working with the Barbarous Names is probably to develop and explore one's own Kabbalistic analysis of them.
Crowley suggests that the Minor Adept perform Samekh Astrally in their Body of Light while seated in their Asana. Physical performance is probably adequate for the purpose of the Vision of the Angel. This also allows the magician to gain familiarity with the ritual's structure for later deepening of engagement.
"Thee I invoke, the Bornless one." The Bornless One is that which 'nature hath not formed'. It is immortal, eternal, and the personification of the ground of Being. It is also 'One', the divine Unity.
"Thee, that didst create the Earth and the Heavens: Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day. Thee, that didst create the darkness and the Light." The Being of the Angel is ontologically prior to, and is the creator of, all apparent opposites.
"Thou art Ra-Hoor-Kuit." In the original Greek version of the spell, this had the name of Asar-Un-Nefer, or Osiris, rather than of Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Crowley understood this as referring to the God-form assumed by the Hierophant in the Neophyte hall of the Golden Dawn. Based upon his own interpretation of certain passages of The Book of the Law, particuarly AL I: 49, Crowley understood that Horus had replaced Osiris as the Hierophant of the Thelemic mysteries. Insofar as the Hierophant represents the Holy Guardian Angel, Crowley has swapped these names in the ritual. Should the magician have received the name of their Angel, this could also be used in this place.
"Whom no man hath seen at any time." The Angel is not, in its most essential, transcendental aspect, a thing or object. It is that through which things or objects come into being. It is Being itself, rather than some particular being. Therefore, the Angel in its deepest essence is not something that can be objectified under any circumstances. One does not encounter the Angel as a separate being. One is the Angel. In the words of the Anthem of the Gnostic Mass: "Thou that art I, beyond all that I am".
"Thou art Ia-Besz: Thou art Ia-Aphophrasz." These are variant names of the Egyptian gods Besz and Apophis. Besz was a common household deity, represented as a small blue dwarf. With regard to the relationship of this symbolism to the Angel, Crowley writes: "But the 'Small Person' of Hindu mysticism, the Dwarf insane yet crafty of many legends in many lands, is also this same 'Holy Ghost', or Silent Self of a man, or his Holy Guardian Angel. He is almost the 'Unconscious' of Freud, unknown, unaccountable, the silent Spirit, blowing 'whither it listeth, but thou canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth'. [John 3:8] It commands with absolute authority when it appears at all, despite conscious reason and judgment."
The association of the Angel with the chaos serpent Apophis is explored in great depth in the Holy Book Liber 65, and is best studied in that text. Apophis represents the destructive aspect of the Angel, which destroys the false ego and its delusions.
"Thou hast distinguished between the Just and the Unjust." The Angel is the source of the True Will, which is the fundamental basis for personal integrity.
"Thou didst make the Female and the Male." Crowley notes that this statement declares that the Angel has "laid down the Law of Love as the Magical formula of the Universe, that He may resolve the phenomenal again into its noumenal phase by uniting any two opposites in ecstatic passion."
"Thou didst produce the Seed and the Fruit." The Angel is the source of the power of reproduction, generation and regeneration.
"Thou didst form Men to love one another, and to hate one another." The Angel is 'Beyond Good and Evil' (Nietzsche). Illusion and distraction are themselves only phases of a more fundamental unity. There is nothing that is ontologically independent of and distinct from this unity.
"I am [insert magical name] Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit Thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Khem [or Thelema]." The original version of this statement reads: "I am Moses Thy Prophet, unto Whom Thou didst commit thy Mysteries, the Ceremonies of Israel." Crowley recommended replacing 'Moses' with one's own magical motto, and 'Israel' with either 'Khem' (Egypt) or 'Thelema'.
"Thou didst produce the moist and the dry, and that which nourisheth all created Life." This can be read as a reference to the Eucharist of One element. See the discussion of this Eucharist in Chapter 11.
"Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angel of Ptah-Aphophrasz-Ra: this is Thy True Name, handed down to the Prophets of Khem [or Thelema]." This declaration completes the first portion of Samekh. For the first time in the ritual, the magician briefly speaks as the Angel. Ptah is an Egyptian creator deity, and is directly associated with the element of Spirit in the Golden Dawn system. Aphophrasz is Apophis, for which see comment above. Ra is the Sun God. Ra's significance in a Thelemic context is explored in Chapter 8. This name indicates that the Angel is Creator (Ptah), Sustainer (Ra), and Destroyer (Apophis) of the Universe. If the magician has received their own name for their Angel, this could also be used in this place. The ritual originally read 'Prophets of Israel'. As above, Crowley recommended changing this to either Khem or Thelema. The 'Prophets of Thelema' can be understood as including both Crowley as well as the magician themselves.
This completes the first section of the ritual. In the second section, the magician proceeds about the perimeter of the circle, visiting each quarter and establishing it in the light of the Angel invoked in the first section. This is done primarily through the energy raised by the use of the Barbarous Names, which should be recited with force and vigor. The elemental attributions of the quarters are By the Winds. Though the quarters are visited in clockwise order, Crowley suggests moving about the circle counterclockwise, making the sign of Horus when passing the East. This involves making several complete circuits, and is probably in imitation of the similar method of circumambulation in Liber 5 vel Reguli, as described in Chapter 10. The ritual also works effectively with more traditional, clockwise, movement, and the magician should make their own decision as to which method is more appropriate for their use.
Crowley suggests beginning each quarter by tracing the Pentagram of the quarter's element, followed by the sigil of the Enochian King of that element, then the appropriate A∴A∴ grade sign. The Barbarous Names are then recited.
The symbols of the Enochian Kings are not especially amenable to tracing. As a suggested variation, Enochian tablets with the sigils already on them can be placed at the quarters. To activate the tablet, point the wand (if using one) at it. Trace the Invoking Pentagram of Spirit, visualized in incandescent white light. This should be in its Active form for Fire and Air, Passive for Water and Earth. Make the sign of the Rending or Closing of the Veil, respectively. Follow this with the Invoking Pentagram of the element, visualized in the corresponding color. While making this second Pentagram say: "In the Name of [God-Name of element], I summon thee [insert name of King, e.g. in East TAHAOELOJ], and all powers under thee." The God-Names of the elements are: Earth — Adonai-Ha-Aretz, Air — Shaddai-El-Chai, Water — Elohim Tzabaoth, Fire — YHVH Tzabaoth. Follow with the corresponding A∴A∴ grade sign, as described in Chapter 7.
In the 5°=6 version of this ritual, the magician assumes the God-Form of the Elemental King while reciting the Barbarous Names. This can be a useful inclusion for those experienced in the Enochian system.
At each of the four quarters, following the declaration of the Barbarous Names, there is the 'Charge to the Spirits'. This is the portion beginning, "Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto me." There is an oral tradition of saying this with a single breath. The charge seals the Angel's energy over the quarter. It is very important to understand that the dominion invoked is not that of the autonomous ego, but rather that of the Angel itself. 'All Spirits' includes the component aspects of the magician themselves, which are informed with regard to their True Will by this ritual.
In the third and final section of Samekh, the magician returns to the center, facing East. The entire magical Universe having recognized its integral alignment with the reality of the Angel, the magician now concentrates their full energy on the greatest possible recollection of this Gnosis.
The third section of Samekh has two parts, corresponding to Active and Passive Spirit. First comes the acknowledgement of the Active dominion of the Angel over the elements and the magician. Make the invoking Pentagram of Spirit for Actives. Give the sign of the Rending of the Veil. Trace the Mark of the Beast. Perform the full Analysis of the Keyword. Recite the Barbarous Names.
"This is the Lord of the Gods: This is the Lord of the Universe: This is He Whom the Winds fear." Crowley equates 'Winds' with thoughts, because they distract the Self from Itself.
"This is He, Who having made Voice by His Commandment, is Lord of All Things; King, Ruler and Helper." 'Voice' is the divine logos.
Repeat the charge to the Spirits.
The final part of Samekh corresponds to the Passive aspect of Spirit, representing the fusion of the consciousness of the Angel with every plane of reality, as well as the deepest passive communion of the magician with their Angel in the depths of their heart.
Make the Invoking Pentagram of Spirit for Passives. Give the Sign of the Closing of the Veil. Trace the Mark of the Beast. Perform the Full Analysis of the Keyword. Declare the final sequence of Barbarous Names.
"I am He! The Bornless Spirit!" In the concluding invocation the magician fully reveals her identity with the Angel, speaking in the first person.
"Having sight in the Feet." The feet correspond to the Sephirah Malkuth. The Angel's feet are therefore Assiah, that part of the Angel's being that is the magician themselves in their existence as a particular being. 'Having sight' means that the Adept can see reality from the perspective of the Angel, rather than from only the ego's viewpoint.
"Strong, and the Immortal Fire!" The Angel is the source of Shakti, the fundamental energy of the Universe, physical, Imaginal and sexual. 'Strong' can also refer to sexual erection.
"I am He! The Truth!" The Angel is the innermost Truth-of-Self.
"I am He! Who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!" The Angel is the source of the True Will, the inner foundation of personal ethics.
"I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth." The Angel is the source of all magical power. This power, in its highest phase, is represented by the letter Aleph, whose shape is that of a thunderbolt.
"I am He, from whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth." The Angel is the fount of life and consciousness.
"I am he, whose mouth ever flameth." The Angel is the source of the logos, the basis of meaning itself.
"I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light." The Angel creates particular existence out of love, so that the Self can encounter the Self in love.
"I am He; the Grace of the World." The Angel is the inner guide, guru and Hierophant. It is the root of all that is true and beautiful in the world.
"The Heart Girt with a Serpent is My Name!" The Heart is the Adept. The Serpent is the Angel. This image should be studied in conjunction with Liber 65. Its origin is the Orphic mysteries, where the Universe was represented as an egg wrapped about with the serpent of Time.
There is a final repeat of the charge to the spirits, through which the magician should direct the greatest possible power.
"IAO SABAO. Such are the Words!" This is the Greek version of YHVH Tzabaoth, the name of God corresponding to Netzach. Netzach means 'Victory', and can be understood to refer to the success of the magician in their invocations.
There are a number of possible ways of integrating performance of Samekh with a working to invoke the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel. My own purely personal suggestion is to perform a 22 day operation based on the 22 Letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Each day's performance of Samekh is keyed to a different letter, in sequence, from Aleph to Tav. This should be understood as constructing a kind of magical ladder, down which the Angel descends the Tree, from Kether to Malkuth, striking the magician fully on the final day. The working can be timed such that the final day coincides with some astrologically relevant time, Equinox or Solstice, for example. This is inessential. What is more important is that the working be carried through fully, with few or no gaps between rituals. This regularity is crucial to 'build up the charge' of the working. If something happens to break off the working, one can always start over again with Aleph when returning to it. The individual magician must be the judge of this. Mathew 6: 5-6 is also of relevance. It cannot be overemphasized that the working should be undertaken with the utmost seriousness.
If possible, perform all 22 workings in a Temple space dedicated to that purpose, where each day the Tarot trump corresponding to that day's Hebrew letter is prominently displayed.
Upon entering the temple, Banish thoroughly with the rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram. Purify and Consecrate. Make a statement of intent:
"I, [magical motto], do hereby declare that it is my will to achieve the Vision of my Holy Guardian Angel. Humbly yet frankly, I request my Angel to grant me this Vision, for it is permitted for the Man of Earth to see the Angel, though not to know or converse with it. To this end I open the gates of the paths from the Crown to the Kingdom, each in turn. May the Holy Spirit pass down them: and may the keys of Spirit unlock the way of the lightning flash to empower my soul, so that the veils may be lifted and my Spirit see. So Mote It Be!"
Look at the Tarot trump for that day. Vibrate repeatedly the name of the associated Hebrew letter. Declare: "I welcome my Holy Guardian Angel to descend through this path."
Perform Liber Samekh.
Recite aloud a chapter of one's choice from Liber 65.
Give the License to Depart: "And now I say unto all spirits convoked by this rite, depart in peace unto thine habitations and abodes, and may the blessing of the Highest be upon you in the name of Nuit, Hadit and Ra-Hoor-Khuit, and be there peace between us, and be thou ever ready to come, when thou art called. So Mote it Be!"
Purify and Consecrate. Banish using the rituals of the Pentagram and the Hexagram.
As the Vision of the Holy Guardian Angel is a personal relationship of the magician with their Angel, it is impossible to lay down precise details as to what the possible results of a successful working would be. The Angel interacts with us in accordance with our True Will and our receptive ripeness to be a proper vehicle for its Power. The God will not indwell a filthy Temple.
The magician should not assume failure due to a lack of spectacular result. The Angel often communicates itself to the soul in darkness, silence, obscurity and mystery. Indeed, in many ways this is a superior, deeper mode of communion. Conversely, should some dramatic success be obtained, the magician should humble themselves exceedingly, for the Vision of the Angel is the power of Malkuth, the lowest Sephirah upon the Tree of Life, and this constitutes the first, not the last, full step upon the path.
Whatever our results, we must understand that what wondrous experiences we may attain, or powers wield, are ultimately by the Grace of the Angel alone. Therefore, let us strive to put aside our self-distractions from our own divine course, and if it be our Will dedicate ourselves to the practice of the Spiritual Exercises of Thelema.
… Love is the law, love under will
Written in Service to the Work
Of the True and Invisible
Order of the Silver Star
In the 97th Year of the Aeon of Horus
In the Valley of Berkeley, California
Crowley, Aleister, 777 and other Qabalistic Writings, Samuel Weiser, York Beach, Maine, 1986, pg. 12.
Crowley, Aleister, Magick: Book 4, pg. 513-542.
Crowley, Aleister, The Goetia, pp. 5-10.
Ibid, pp. 11-13.
Betz, Hans Dieter (ed.), The Greek Magical Papiri in Translation, University of Chicago, Chicago, 1992.
Crowley, Aleister, The Law is for All, pg. 31.
Crowley, Aleister, Magick: Book 4, pg. 524.