Thelemic Candlemas Ritual

This ritual may performed independently as a stand alone rite, or incorporated into the Mass proper, should it fall on Feb 2nd or 3rd. At sunset (or any other solar angularities for that matter).

Of the furnishings of the Temple

Upon the altar is the Stele of Revealing, A large red votive for Our Lady Babalon, (lit) a smaller white one (unlit) before it for the Lord, and six yet smaller white candles, 3 on each side. There should also be icons of A) Isis and Horus as Madonna and Child, B) Isis, and C) Harpocrates (these last two will not be on the altar yet).

The Priest is robed in white, wearing a red cope and stole. He does not wear the chasuble, nor the cap and crown, nor does he bear the lance. Or if the Priestess presides, she is clothed in white, blue and gold, bearing the sword from a red girdle.

The officers and people with unlit candles assemble outside of the Temple by a font, with the image of our Lady, the cup of lustral water and the thurible. The following Hymn is sung (if desired, as accompaniment for a procession to the font, otherwise around the font once all have gathered):

This is the daughter of BABALON the Beautiful, that she hath borne unto the Father of All.
And unto all hath she borne her.

This is the Daughter of the King.
This is the Virgin of Eternity.

This is she that the Holy One hath wrested from the Giant Time,
and the prize of them that have overcome Space.

This is she that is set upon the Throne of Understanding.
Holy, Holy, Holy is her name, not to be spoken among men.

For Koré they have called her, and Malkah,
and Betulah, and Persephone.

And the poets have feigned songs about her, and the prophets have spoken vain things,
and the young men have dreamed vain dreams;

but this is she, that immaculate,
the name of whose name may not be spoken.

Thought cannot pierce the glory that defendeth her,
for thought is smitten dead before her presence.

Memory is blank, and in the most ancient books of Magick
are neither words to conjure her, nor adorations to praise her.

Will bends like a reed
in the tempests that sweep the borders of her kingdom,

and imagination cannot figure so much as one petal of the lilies
whereon she standeth in the lake of crystal, in the sea of glass.

This is she that hath bedecked her hair with seven stars,
the seven breaths of God that move and thrill its excellence.

And she hath tired her hair with seven combs,
whereupon are written the seven secret names of God

that are not known even of the Angels, or of the Archangels,
or of the Leader of the armies of the Lord.

Holy, Holy, Holy art thou, and blessed be Thy name for ever,
unto whom the Aeons are but the pulsings of thy blood.

The icon is ritually bathed in the font, and reverently dried off.

The officers process in solemnly bearing aloft the image of The Lady, which they set down on the altar to the left of the Isis/Horus image. On the extreme left of the altar they set down the cup of Lustral Water; to the extreme right, the Thurible with incense. The candles are placed likewise.

The Priest advances to the East and bows. He turns to the People and says: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

The People reply: Love is the law, love under will.

The Priest: Let us celebrate the Purification of Our Lady, who hath brought the quickening Light of our Lord the Sun into the Temples of our hearts.

The priest the purifies the Altar, The Officers, the people and the Temple with these words:
Asperges me, Therion, hyssopo, et mundabor. Lavabis me, et super nivem dealbabor.

Likewise with the thurible, saying:
Accendat in nobis, Therion, ignem sui amoris et flammam aeternae caritatis.

The Priest, standing at the epistle side of the altar, blesses the candles in these words:
Lord of Life and Light, Bless these candles and make them holy. May we who carry them to honor the waxing Light walk in the way of the Law of Thelema, and come to the Life which abideth in Light, yea, the Life which abideth in Light.

The Priest then purifies the candles with water, and consecrates them with fire using the above formulae.

The Priest lights a taper from the Babalon candle saying:
Is not the starry heaven shaken as a leaf at the tremulous rapture of your love? Am I not the flying spark whirled away by the great wind of your perfection?

Yea, cried the Holy One, and from Thy spark will I the Lord kindle a great light.
(here he lights the Horus candle with the taper)
I will burn through the grey city of the old and desolate land; I will cleanse it from its great impurity.

He then sings the Canticle from Liber 418, 9th Æthyr, whilst the Cantor or choir chant the chorus; as they do so, the people approach the altar and light their candles from from the Horus candle.

V. Who is this that cometh forth from the Abyss from the place of rent garments, the habitation of him that is only a name?
Who is this that walketh upon a ray of the bright, the evening star?

R. Glory unto him that is concealed, and glory unto her that beareth the cup,
and glory unto the one that is the child and the father of their love.
Glory unto the star, and glory unto the snake, and glory unto the swordsman of the sun.
And worship and blessing throughout the Aeon unto the name of the Beast, four-square, mystic, wonderful!

V. Who is this that travelleth between the hosts, that is poised upon the edge of the Æthyr by the wings of Maut?
Who is this that seeketh the House of the Virgin?
(R.)

V. This is he that hath given up his name. This is he whose blood hath been gathered into the cup of BABALON.
This is he that sitteth, a little pile of dry dust, in the city of the Pyramids.
(R.)

V. Until the light of the Father of all kindle that death.
Until the breath touch that dry dust.
Until the Ibis be revealed unto the Crab,
and the sixfold Star become the radiant Triangle.
(R.)

V. Blessed is not I, not thou, not he, Blessed without name or number who hath taken the azure of night,
and crystallized it into a pure sapphire-stone,
who hath taken the gold of the sun, and beaten it into an infinite ring,
and hath set the sapphire therein, and put it upon his finger.
(R.)

V. Open wide your gates, O City of God, for I bring No-one with me.
Sink your swords and your spears in salutation, for the Mother and the Babe are my companions.
Let the banquet be prepared in the palace of the King's daughter.
Let the lights be kindled; Are not we the children of the light?
(R.)

V. For this is the key-stone of the palace of the King's daughter.
This is the Stone of the Philosophers.
This is the Stone that is hidden in the walls of the ramparts.
Peace, Peace, Peace unto Him that is throned therein!
(R.)

(This Hymn is repeated if all the candles are not yet lit by its conclusion.)

The Procession

The Priest (bearing the Horus candle) and other other officers then lead the people in procession out of the Temple and around the building singing this Hymn:

Weary in the grey land waiting
Sleeping though with open eyes
Few are those who even see it;
Fewer, those who recognize
Light on the horizon gleaming,
Calling all to wake and rise.

Laden are the laboring shoulders
Chafing 'neath the tyrant's chain.
Thirsty are the throats, the spirits
Yearning for the healing rain.
Heavy are the hearts that languish
Bound about with fear and pain.

What now is this Word resounding
That to wond'ring ears is borne
Murm'ring like a distant thunder,
Blaring like a herald's horn,
Whistling like a hunting falcon
On the breezes of the morn?

On his throne, the tyrant trembles
As the Lotus Flow'r unfolds.
What was in its heart once hidden,
Unconcealed we now behold:
'Tis the Child that will o'erthrow him
As the Prophet hath foretold.

Though His breast and arms be naked,
Though His figure be but slight,
Slavery and death and sorrow
From before His face take flight ­
Son of the Transcending Mother,
Lord of Silence and of Might!

Yea, the little Babe so tender
Nursing at His Mother's teat,
Yet the tyrant's crown shall trample
Underneath His tiny feet,
And the cruel king confounded
He shall cast down from his seat.

Let Thy Love and Light fulfill us,
Lord of Life and Liberty.
Let us shelter in Thy stillness,
In Thy strength and certainty.
Let our refuge be forever
In Thine Egg of Blue with Thee.

Lovely Child, adorned in beauty
Here behold thine altar rise;
Here the sacred flame is kindled
That my prayer touch the skies.
Do Thou come indwell this temple
That within my bosom lies.

Now let Earth and Heav'n together
One great hymn of glory raise,
Every voice in song be lifted
In a paean of Thy praise.
Let Thine holy Name be blessèd
Even to the end of days!

As the procession returns, they are met by an officer (ideally the Priestess, as a representative of the Goddess) at the door, bearing the icon of Harpocrates; she then leads the procession into the church, the people assuming their regular places, the Priestess and the other officers proceeding to the altar where the icon is reverently placed thereon.

The Priest: The light is come to the darkness, and the darkness is made light.

Then is light married with light, and the child of their love is that other darkness, wherein they abide that have lost name and form.

Therefore did I kindle him who had not understanding, and in the Book of the Law did I write the secrets of truth that are like unto a star and a snake and a sword.
(He kneels briefly in adoration.)

The Priest: Now is the Pillar established in the Void; now is Asi fulfilled of Asar; now is Hoor let down into the Animal Soul of Things like a fiery star that falleth upon the darkness of the earth.
Through the midnight thou art dropt , O my child, my conqueror, my sword-girt captain, O Hoor!

But I have burned within thee as a pure flame without oil. In the midnight I was brighter than the moon; in the daytime I exceeded utterly the sun; in the byways of thy being I flamed, and dispelled the illusion Therefore thou art holy pure before Me. Therefore thou art My virgin unto eternity.

All kneel briefly in adoration.

The Priest turns to the altar, where the images of Isis and Horus are now restored side by side, and declares:
Mater et Filius, Unus Deus ARARITA.

Turning now to the people, he raises hands in blessing, saying:
Gloria Patri et Matri et Filio et Filiae et Spiritu Sancto Externo et Spiritu Sancto Interno; ut erat, est, erit, in saecula saeculorum, Sex in Uno per nomen Septem in Uno ARARITA.

The Deacon rings the bell 333-55555-333, and recites:
Now I begin to pray. Thou child!
Holy Thy name and undefiled!
Thy reign is come; thy will is done.
Here is the Bread, here is the Blood.
Bring me through midnight to the Sun!
Save me from Evil and from Good!
That Thy one crown of all the Ten
Even now and here be mine. AMEN.

The Priest may deliver an exhortation here, should he wish.

The Final Blessing

Using the Horus candle, the Priest makes the cross upon the people.

The Priest: The Lord bless you.

The Lord enlighten your minds and comfort your hearts and sustain your bodies

The Lord bring you to the accomplishment of your True Wills, the Great Work, the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.

The Priest, with the candle, then exits the Temple in procession, followed by the other officers.

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