LIBER XIII

VEL

GRADUUM MONTIS ABIEGNI

A SYLLABUS OF THE STEPS UPON THE PATH

A.'. A.'. Publication in Class D.

Issued by Order:

D.D.S. 7� = 4� Praemonstrator
O.S.V. 6� = 5� Imperator
N.S.F. 5� = 6� Cancellarius

51. Let not the failure and the pain turn aside the worshippers. The foundations of the pyramid were hewn in the living rock ere sunset; did the king weep at dawn that the crown of the pyramid was yet unquarried in the distant land?

52. There was also a humming-bird that spake unto the horned cerastes, and prayed him for poison. And the great snake of Khem the Holy One, the royal Uraeus serpent, answered him and said:

53. I sailed over the sky of Nu in the car called Millions-of-Years, and I saw not any creature upon Seb that was equal to me. The venom of my fang is the inheritance of my father, and of my father's father; and how shall I give it unto thee? Live thou and thy children as I and my fathers have lived, even unto an hundred millions of generations, and it may be that the mercy of the Mighty Ones may bestow upon thy children a drop of the poison of eld.

54. Then the humming-bird was afflicted in his spirit, and he flew unto the flowers, and it was as if naught had been spoken between them. Yet in a little while a serpent struck him that he died.

55. But an Ibis that meditated upon the bank of Nile the beautiful god listened and heard. And he laid aside his Ibis ways, and became as a serpent saying Peradventure in an hundred millions of millions of generations of my children, they shall attain to a drop of the poison of the fang of the Exalted One.

56. And behold! ere the moon waxed thrice he became an Uraeus serpent, and the poison of the fang was established in him and his seed even for ever and for ever.

LIBER LXV. CAP. V

{Illustration facing page 4 partially described:

This is an ornamented diagram of the Tree of Life, from Tipheret downward.
   At the bottom of the figure is a solid line, below it the words:
"PROBATIONER
  Liber LXI and LXV
  [In certain cases Ritual LXXVIII.]"
Above this line, to the left: "PORTA", and to the right "PORTAE".
  A triple ringed circle rests on this base line, for Malkut.  Arched between
the rings at the bottom "RITUAL DCLXXI."  Written within the circle are the
words:
"The Four Powers
       of
  The Sphinx
   NEOPHYTE.
   Liber VII.
The Building of the
Magic Pentacle."
   Extending vertically from the circle of Malkut is the path of Taw, with
these words: "Control of the Astral Plane".  This path connects to the circle
representing Yesod.
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Malkut to the left is the path of
Shin, with these words: "Meditation Practice Equivalent to Ritual CXX".  This
path connects to the circle representing Hod.
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Malkut to the right is the path of
Qof, with these words: "Methods of Divination".  This path connects to the
circle representing Netzach.
   The ringed circle representing Yesod has "RITUAL CXX" arched between its
rings at the bottom and the following words written inside:
   "Posture
  Hatha Yoga
Control of Breathing.
   ZELATOR
  Liber CCXX
The Forging of the
  Magic Sword."
   Extending upward from the circle of Yesod is the path of Samekh,
interrupted by the crossing path of Peh.  These words are on it: "Rising on
the Planes".  This path is also interrupted by the center of a crescent before
continuing on to the circle representing Tipheret.
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Yesod to the left is the path of
Resh, with these words: "Meditation Practice equivalent to Ritual DCLXXI".
This path connects to the circle representing Hod.
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Yesod to the right is the path of
Tzaddi (as Crowley considered at this time), with these words: "Meditation
Practice on Expansion of Consciousness".  This path connects to the circle
representing Netzach.
   The ringed circle representing Hod has "NO RITUAL" arched between its rings
at the bottom and the following words written inside:
 "The Qabalah
Liber DCCLXXVII
   Gana Yoga
Control of Speech
   PRACTICUS.
  Liber XXVII
The Casting of the
   Magic Cup"
   Extending horizontally to the right from the circle of Hod is the path of
Peh, with these words: "Ritual & Meditation Practice to Destroy Thoughts".
This path connects to the circle representing Netzach.
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Hod to the right is the path of
Ayin, with these words: "Talismans Evocations".  This path is interrupted by
the left horn of a crescent moon and then continues on to the circle
representing Tipheret.
   Extending vertically upward from the circle of Hod is part of the path of
Mem, with these words: "Leads to Grade of (underline bifurcates path
lengthwise) Adeptus Major".  The path breaks at top without closure.
   The ringed circle representing Netzach has "NO RITUAL" arched between its
rings at the bottom and the following words written inside:
  "Devotion to the
      Order
   Bhakti Yoga
Control of Action
  PHILOSOPHUS.
  Liber DCCCXIII
The Cutting of the
   Magic Wand"
   Extending at an angle from the circle of Netzach to the left is the path of
Nun, with these words: "Mahasatipatthana Etc"  This path is interrupted by the
right horn of a crescent moon and then continues on to the circle representing
Tipheret.
   Extending vertically upward from the circle of Netzach is part of the path
of Koph, with these words: "Leads to Grade of (underline bifurcates path
lengthwise) Adeptus Exemptus".  The path breaks at top without closure.
   A solid line is drawn behind the paths, from the upper arc of the circle of
Hod to that of the circle of Netzach.  Above it are the words "PORTA COLLEGII
ad S.S."
   A crescent moon depends from the circle representing Tipheret, body
centered on the intersection of the "PROTA COL..." and the path of Samekh,
horns touching the outer limit of the circle of Tipheret at the terminus of
the horizontal diameter of that circle.  Within the crescent are the words:
"Control of Thought.  Raja Yoga Harmonizing of the Knowledge
    & Powers already acquired.   Liber Mysteriorum
           The Light- DOMINVS LIMINIS   Lamp
                     -ing of the magic"
   The ringed circle representing Tipheret has "RITUAL VIII" arched between
the rings at the bottom.  Inside is circumscribed an upright pentagram with
the following in the averse pentagon formed by its lines: "ADEPTVS MINOR".
Between the points, inside the circle are these words, clockwise from the top
right: "Ritual", "Revealed", "in Vision", "of Eighth", "Aethyr".
   Finally, there is a half-glory radiant about the upper half of the circle
representing Tipheret.  This is composed of 26 spikes, black with a hollow
flame like a tear-drop extending into each.  The bulbs of the flame-drops
define an arch.  The bottom of the arch is defined by an arc concentric with
the Tipheret circle, and the edges curve up to meet the edges of the half-
glory.  The following words are inside this arch: "The Knowledge &
Conversation of the HOLY GUARDIAN ANGEL".}

LIBER XIII

VEL

GRADUUM MONTIS ABIEGNI

A SYLLABUS OF THE STEPS UPON THE PATH

Quote LXV. Cap. V. vv. 52-56 *

* WEH NOTE --- This line seems a printer's error, the quotation was made on page 4.

1. The Probationer. His duties are laid down in Paper A, Class D. Being "without," they are vague and general. He receives Liber LXI. and LXV.

   [Certain Probationers are admitted after six months or more to Ritual XXVIII.]

   At the end of the Probation he passes Ritual DCLXXI., which constitutes him a Neophyte.

2. The Neophyte. His duties are laid down in Paper B, Class D. He receives Liber VII.

   Examination in Liber O, Caps I.-IV., Theoretical and Practical.

   Examination in the Four Powers of the Sphinx. Practical.

   Four tests are set.

   Further, he builds up the magic Pentacle.

   Finally he passes Ritual CXX., which constitutes him a Zelator. {5}

3. The Zelator. His duties are laid down in Paper C, Class D. He receives Liber CCXX., XXVII., and DCCCXIII.

   Examinations in Posture and Control of Breath (see EQUINOX No. I). Practical.

   Further, he is given two meditation-practices corresponding to the two rituals DCLXXI. and CXX.

   (Examination is only in the knowledge of, and some little practical acquaintance with, these meditations. The complete results, if attained, would confer a much higher grade.)

   Further, he forges the magic Sword.

   No ritual admits to the grade of Practicus, which is conferred by authority when the task of the Zelator is accomplished.

4. The Practicus. His duties are laid down in Paper D, Class D.

   Instruction and Examination in the Qabalah and Liber DCCLXXVII.

   Instruction in Philosophical Meditation (Ghana-Yoga).*

   * All these instructions will be issued openly in THE EQUINOX in due course, where this has not already been done.

   Examination in some one mode of divination: "e.g.", Geomancy, Astrology, the Tarot. Theoretical. He is given a meditation-practice on Expansion of Consciousness.

   He is given a meditation-practice in the destruction of thoughts.

   Instruction and Examination in Control of Speech. Practical.

   Further, he casts the magic Cup.

   No ritual admits to the grade of Philosophus, which is {6} conferred by authority when the Task of the Practicus is accomplished.

5. The Philosophus. His duties are laid down in Paper E, Class D.

   He practises Devotion to the Order.

   Instruction and Examination in Methods of Meditation by Devotion (Bhakti- Yoga).

   Instruction and Examination in Construction and Consecration of Talismans, and in Evocation.

   Theoretical and Practical.

   Examination in Rising on the Planes (Liber O, Caps. V., VI.). Practical.

   He is given a meditation-practice on the Senses, and the Sheaths of the Self, and the Practice called Mahasatipatthana.

   (See The Sword of Song, "Science and Buddhism."

   Instruction and Examination in Control of Action.

   Further, he cuts the Magic Wand.

   Finally, the Title of Dominus Liminis is conferred upon him.

   He is given meditation-practices on the Control of Thought, and is instructed in Raja-Yoga.

   He receives Liber Mysteriorum and obtains a perfect understanding of the Formulae of Initiation.

   He meditates upon the diverse knowledge and power that he has acquired, and harmonises it perfectly.

   Further, he lights the Magic Lamp.

   At last, Ritual VIII. admits him to the grade of Adeptus Minor.

6. The Adeptus Minor. His duty is laid down in Paper F, Class D. {7}

   It is to follow out the instruction given in the Vision of the Eighth AEthyr for the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.

   [NOTE. This is in truth the sole task; the others are useful only as adjuvants to and preparations for the One Work.

   Moreover, once this task has been accomplished, there is no more need of human help or instruction; for by this alone may the highest attainment be reached.

   All these grades are indeed but convenient landmarks, not necessarily significant. A person who had attained them all might be immeasurably the inferior of one who had attained none of them; it is Spiritual Experience alone that counts in the Result; the rest is but Method.

   Yet it is important to possess knowledge and power, provided that it be devoted wholly to that One Work.]

   {8}