Abrahadabra Encampment of O.T.O
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418 the quarterly newsletter of Abrahadabra Encampment of O.T.O. Anno IV:xiv Sol 0° Aries, Luna What’s In a Name? 5° Sagittarius Dies Lunæ Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. March 20, 2006 e.v. “Abrahadabra; the reward of Ra-Hoor-Khut.” Volume 1, Number 1 – Liber AL, III:1 IN THIS ISSUE In founding the first body of the Ordo Templi Orientis (O.T.O.) in the state of Maine, What’s In a Name? 1 we had the privilege and opportunity to name the body, and we discussed a number of Fr. Eparisteros, Master potential alternatives. We finally settled on Source of Light 2 Abrahadabra, so I thought it worth noting the by Fr. Azazel Alephomen meanings and connections associated with this Thelemic Texts 4 word and how they may relate to our work. by Fr. L.N.N. Abrahadabra is derivative of the word Stewardship 5 “abracadabra,” whose most commonly cited by Fr. Ash root is from the Aramaic avra kehdabra History of the Tarot 6 meaning, “I create as I speak.” The change in spelling is in recognition of the tenets of by Fr. Eparisteros Thelema by investing the name of the Egyptian Events Calendar 10 god Hadit/Had in the central position. This word is referenced three times in the third chapter of the Book of the Law, the chapter attributed unto the god of force and fire, Ra-Hoor-Khuit. Interestingly enough, it appears in both the Copyright © 2006 opening and the closing lines of that chapter, a significant position for such a magickal word of Abrahadabra Encampment, O.T.O., power. and the individual authors. Aside from being an interesting mantra, its The viewpoints and opinions expressed root meaning, “I create as I speak,” is the theme herein are the responsibility of the of The Magician card of the Tarot, which seems contributing authors. not unfitting for a body of a magickal order such as the O.T.O. Qabalistically, the letter of this card, is the Hebrew letter beth, whose meaning is “house,” and whose spelling in full (BITh) Page 2 Vernal Equinox, 2006 e.v. 418—Abrahadabra Encampment enumerates to 412. Immediately, we see the Source of Light creation of a house or place of gathering as the creative artifact of the magician’s power. Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law. Abrahadabra itself enumerates to 418, which Liber Resh Vel Helios was written by is also the Hebrew letter cheth, spelled in full as Aleister Crowley in 1907, and it first appeared ChITh. (This also serves to explain the name of in The Equinox; the title literally means “The our newsletter, 418.) This letter means a fence Book of the Sun.” It is one of the Class D or enclosure, but also alchemically the furnace, documents, which comprise the “official rituals where the gentle heat of the operation is and instructions.” fostered. The card of this letter is The Chariot, When I was a child and my parents decided whose driver has conquered the opposing forces that I would play the piano (I was an odd boy of light and darkness and brought them under who didn’t like sports), I was informed that I his command. This balance of opposing forces would have to practice for 15 minutes a day. is a fundamental concept of Thelema. Were one This was strictly enforced. I resisted. After to be out of balance, the tempered heat of the every minute or so I would run out into the alchemical furnace would become imbalanced kitchen and see how long it had been. That 15 as well and spoil the operation altogether. minutes would stretch out into infinity. The old As The Magus is 412 (beth) and The Chariot saying that time flies when you’re having fun is 418 (cheth), their difference is six and the (and creeps when you’re not) certainly applied Hebrew letter vau, represented by The here. Hierophant. Thus, we see the house of The At some point in my development, the 15 Magus brought into the perfect balance required minutes was raised to a half hour. I was no to foster success through the mediation of the longer welcome to keep going out and check the Hierophant, whose nature is typified by the slow clock. I stuck to my lesson, which still seemed and determined nature of the astrological sign of to go on forever. I was much better at playing Taurus. The literal meaning of this letter vau is songs by “ear” and not reading them; however, “a nail,” a device that firmly binds one thing to my piano teacher did not see this as useful. another by passing through each. Instead I would be assigned some obscure Thus, the creation of Abrahadabra Brahms piece without any indication of how it Encampment is intended to bring together sounded. I had to learn it note by painstaking individuals and give them a suitable place to note. Once I had learned the piece in this way, it foster their own magickal operation within the sounded mechanical and repetitive and boring. system of Thelema generally and the O.T.O. But I persisted because I had to, and before long specifically. I was playing it with a sort of ease. I had the notes down, but still it seemed laborious. Then If you are interested in learning more about one day while I was playing this piece, I heard the O.T.O., please visit the website of the US the most beautiful music. I looked down and, as Grand Lodge at http://www.oto-usa.org. You if peering from a dream, saw my own fingers may also visit our own website, moving up and down the keyboard. The shock http://www.abrahadabra-oto.org for information was that I was playing this piece without any about Abrahadabra Encampment specifically. conscious effort. It had become automatic, and I “The ending of the words is the Word was simply blown away. Abrahadabra.” – Liber AL, III:75 What does it mean when we are balanced Love is the law, love under will. between sleeping and waking? Dear Sisters and Brothers, this process is no Frater Eparisteros different from any other process of Master, Abrahadabra Encampment, O.T.O. enlightenment. It is why I persisted with the ~~~ 418—Abrahadabra Encampment Vernal Equinox, 2006 e.v. Page 3 practice of Liber Resh Vel Helios. Certainly I was not The Beast, or Perdurabo, It is a Solar Rite that Aleister Crowley wrote or Aleister Crowley. I was me, and therefore I for aspirants to the A.A., to be performed four inserted my magickal name into my daily Resh. times a day. Each station of the Sun is I began to personalize my Resh. It began to addressed, one assumes a God form, and says make more sense. aloud An Adoration. The imagery is that of I persisted. Egyptian Gods, for what better mythology to Still, it remained hollow and pointless. It use than from the Aeon of Horus. was a horrible April, we had 28 days of rain and The formulae of IAO presents itself within no sun, it was all shadows. my personal practice of Liber Resh. I have I persisted. found other testimonials to be no different from The first thing I noticed was that I wasn’t my own. depressed. I usually was in April due to many The first phase is that you speak Resh with factors from the past, but with the lack of your lips, after a while you speak it with your sunlight I usually got in such dark moods that I heart and then and then.… Well, I got really would plan my suicide. Not the case this time. bored, I began to really doubt what I was doing The phrase, “Stars shine even when it’s cloudy,” or why I was doing it, but I persisted. I persisted made sense. for what seemed forever; it became so I persisted. mechanical, so fake, the vain repetition of words… to what end? I recorded as much as I could. That is very dull reading. But I recorded the times and my To quote Crowley: emotions over a period of months. Finally it . “The object of this practice is firstly to happened. Where I used to set my alarm for remind the aspirant at regular intervals exact times, I had stopped doing so; and I was of the Great Work; secondly, to bring there at sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. The him into conscious personal relation solar currents flooded me, and I was all “blissed with the centre of our system; and out.” I came to understand something, and that thirdly, for advanced students, to make something was a statement that all of us know actual magical contact with the spiritual very well: “Every man and every woman is a energy of the sun and thus to draw actual Star.” force from him.” (Confessions, p. 673) There it was: my hidden sun manifest, . “Particularly useful against the fear of shining outwards to greet the Shadow of God. I death is the punctual and vigorous understood that there I was: a God shining forth performance of Liber Resh. Meditate on from within. I was wholly illuminated. All of the sun in each station: his continuous my mechanical actions had paid off! and even way: the endless circle.” Like a lucid dream, this too vanished, and I (Magick Without Tears, Chapter LXIII) was back to the mundane part of Resh.