Feast of Babalon

by Alchymia Ghanima, Potestas Babalonis in Terra

First presented at Babalon Rising 2008 e.v.

This ceremony is intended for the adoration of Our Lady Mystery, BABALON the Great Whore, Mother of Abominations. It may be celebrated on any occasion, but it is especially apposite and auspicious on the Feast of the Apparition of the Daughter of Fortitude, which is the 23rd of May, the anniversary of the vision of Edward Kelly pertaining to Our Lady. It is also particularly suited to the Feast of Sir Marvel "Jack" Parsons on June 17: "TIME IS. Ye fools."

--T Polyphilus

There is a veiled shrine encompassing a throne on a dais with steps leading up to it, set in the east. In front of the dais is a bundle of 7 red roses on the ground. In the west is a double cube altar with a decanter of red wine on top of it.

The CHARIOTEER and ARCHER are dressed in black robes with a red sashes about their waists. The CHARIOTEER is standing in the north holding an incense brazier. The ARCHER stands opposite the CHARIOTEER (in the south) holding a red lit candle.

MERETRIX MAGNA is inside the shrine, seated on the throne with the veils closed. She is dressed in fine robes and jewels, and is holding a magnificent chalice.

CHARIOTEER and ARCHER proceed simultaneously to the double altar and place the candle and incense brazier on top of the altar. CHARIOTEER stands behind the altar as ARCHER proceeds to the middle of the ritual space. The CHARIOTEER gestures for attendees to rise.

They stand.

CHARIOTEER: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I proclaim the Law of Light, Life, Love and Liberty in the name of BABALON.

ALL: Love is the law, love under will.

The CHARIOTEER, standing before the altar, gives the step and sign of a Man and a Brother. All imitate the step and sign.
ALL: I believe in one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the Company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name CHAOS the sole viceregent of the Sun upon the Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breathes.

And I believe in one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.

And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET.

And I believe in one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is THELEMA.

And I believe in the communion of Saints.

And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I believe in the Miracle of the Mass.

And I confess one Baptism of Wisdom whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.

And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.

AUMGN. AUMGN. AUMGN.

The ARCHER lights incense in brazier, and walks deosil about the perimeter carrying the brazier (placing it back on the altar when circle is completed).
ARCHER: Come hither; I will show thee the judgement of the Great Whore that sitteth upon many waters. With whom the Kings of the Earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her whoredom. For Her whoredom is a sweet scent like a seven stringed instrument; that goeth along giving the shrill of orgasm. She sits upon a great beast, full of the names of blasphemy. Upon her forehead is written: MYSTERY, BABALON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

CHARIOTEER: Let him that hath understanding reckon the Number of Our Lady; for it is the number of a woman; and Her Number is 156. For as the Mother she is 3 by 52, and as the Harlot she is 6 by 26; but she is also 12 by 3, and that is the pure unity. Moreover, she is 4 by 39, that is, the victory over the power of the 4, and in 2 by 78 hath she destroyed the great Sorcerer. Thus is she the synthesis of 1 & 2 & 3 & 4, which being added are 10, therefore could she set her daughter upon her own throne, and defile her own bed with her virginity.

MERETRIX MAGNA (from within the shrine): Every number is infinite; there is no difference.

ARCHER: I have seen Our Lady drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus! And when I saw her I wondered with great admiration.

The CHARIOTEER takes up the red roses and walks widdershins about the perimeter of the circle. As he speaks he tears the petals from the roses and sprinkles them on the ground.

CHARIOTEER: Wherefore dist thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of Her. There shall be no more red roses, for she has crushed the blood of all things into her cup. This the mystery of BABALON Mother of Abominations, and this is the mystery of her adulteries, for she hath yielded up herself to everything that liveth, and hath become a partaker in its mystery. And because she hath made herself servant of each, therefore is she become the Mistress of All! Not yet canst thou comprehend her glory!

ALL: Hail BABALON, filled with joy!
Ra-Hoor-Khu is with thee.
Blessed and cursed art thou in thy glory,
And glorious the Beast upon whom thou ridest!
Scarlet Woman, Mother of Abominations,
Gather our blood into the golden cup of thy fornication.
AUMGM. AUMGM. AUMGM.

MERETRIX MAGNA (from within the shrine): The earth, let her be governed by her parts, and let there be division in her. That her glory may be always ecstasy and irritation of orgasm. Her course let it be round with the heavens, and as a handmaiden let her serve them. One season let it confound another, and let there be no creature upon or within her the same. All her members let them differ in their qualities, and let there be no one creature equal with another. For I am Love, and my love is One, and I have divided the One love into Infinite loves; and each love is One, and equal to The One. For I am divided for Love’s sake, for the chance of union.

The ARCHER moves to the center of the circle.
ARCHER: The righteous are never weary of Her kisses, and by her murders and fornications she seduceth the world. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the golden cup of her fornications, which she hath filled to her double!
The ARCHER moves before the shrine while the CHARIOTEER takes the place in the middle of the circle.

CHARIOTEER: How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow given her.

CHARIOTEER moves to stand across from the ARCHER before the shrine.

MERETRIX MAGNA: Despair! Despair! For thou mayest deceive the Virgin, and thou mayest cojole the Mother; but what wilt thou say unto the ancient Whore that is enthroned in Eternity?

CHARIOTEER and ARCHER may move about freely addressing the attendees.

ARCHER: For if she will not, there is neither force nor cunning, nor any wilt, that may prevail upon her.

CHARIOTEER: Thou canst not woo her with love, for she is love. She hath all, and hath no need of thee.

ARCHER: Thou canst not woo her with gold, for all the Kings & captains of the earth and all the gods of heaven hath showered their gold upon her. Thus hath she all, and hath no need of thee.

CHARIOTEER: Thou canst not woo her with knowledge, for knowledge is the thing she hath spurned. She hath it all and hath no need of thee.

ARCHER: And thou canst not woo her with wit, for her Lord is Wit.

CHARIOTEER and ARCHER: She hath it all, and hath no need of thee. Despair! Despair!

MERETRIX MAGNA: How can that which is buried in the pyramids, behold that which descendth unto its apex?

CHARIOTEER (faces the veil & makes the sign Puella): Scarlet Woman Divine! Give unto us thy understanding. For thou hast given thyself to everything that liveth, and thy weakness hath subdued their strength. He steps to the side of the veil

ARCHER (faces the veil & makes the sign Mulier): Mother of Abominations! For in that union didst thou understand. Therefore art thou called Understanding. So pure is Thy light that it preventeth the formation of images, and therefore have men called it darkness.

ALL: Victory to the Lady of Night!
Victory to the Crowned Beast, upon whom thou ridest!
Let me be drunken upon the wine of thy fornications;
Let thy kisses wanton me unto death!
That even I, thy cup-bearer, may understand.

MERETRIX MAGNA: There is no law beyond Do What Thou Wilt!

CHARIOTEER and ARCHER kneel before the shrine, genuflect, then ascend the steps and pull back the veil to reveal MERETRIX MAGNA seated on her throne. She is holding the chalice.

MERETRIX MAGNA: I am the Daughter of Fortitude, & ravished every hour, for behold I am Understanding! I am deflowered & yet a virgin. I sanctify & am not sanctified. I am a harlot for as such that ravish me, and a virgin with such as know me not. (She descends the steps as she speaks.) For I am loved of many, and a lover to many. Happy is he that embraceth me, for in the night I am sweet, in the day full of pleasure. I am sent unto you to play the harlot with you, and to enrich you with the spoils of other men. Thou shalt drain out thy blood that is thy life into my golden cup! Thou shalt mingle thy life with the universal life. Thou shalt not keep back one drop!

CHARIOTEER and ARCHER descend the steps after her, and stand at their beginning positions in the north and south while MERETRIX MAGNA walks about the ritual space.

CHARIOTEER: Then shall thy brain be dumb, and thy heart beat no more, and all thy life shall go from thee; and thou shalt be cast upon the midden, and the birds of the air shall feast upon thy flesh, and thy bones whiten in the sun.

ARCHER: When thy dust shall strew the earth whereon She walketh, then mayest thou bear the impress of Her foot. For blessed are the saints whose blood is mingled in the cup and can never be separate again.

MERETRIX MAGNA (continues to walk the perimeter as she speaks and refreshes the incense if need be): Then shall every grain be a new sacrament, thou shalt revel with the wanton in the market-place, and the virgins shall fling roses upon thee, and the merchants bend their knees and bring thee gold and spices! Ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendor and pride. But always in the love of me. And so shall you come into my joy.

CHARIOTEER: Yea! Verily this is the Truth, this is the Truth, this is the Truth! Unto thee shall be granted joy and health and wealth and wisdom when thou art no longer thou!

CHARIOTEER walks to the double cube altar as MERETRIX MAGNA moves to stand before the open shrine.

He genuflects, then places his hand over the decanter saying:

CHARIOTEER: Vinum Irae Fornicationis Suae.
CHARIOTEER then reverently picks up the decanter.

ARCHER joins CHARIOTEER at the altar, places hand on the decanter and says:

ARCHER: Vinum Irae Fornicationis Suae.
CHARIOTEER takes the decanter to each congregant, each in turn places a hand on the decanter and repeats the phrase, "Vinum Irae Fornicationis Suae." After all present have done thusly, CHARIOTEER then presents the decanter to MERETRIX MAGNA; she kisses the top of the decanter.

MERETRIX MAGNAmakes the invoking pentagram of fire over the decanter, saying:

MERETRIX MAGNA: Pain melted in tears and was pleasure. Death mingled with blood, and was life.

CHARIOTEER opens decanter and fills the chalice with wine.

MERETRIX MAGNA makes her heptagram over the chalice, saying:

MERETRIX MAGNA: Ut Inebriati Simus.

She drinks the entire glass, the CHARIOTEER then refills the glass.
MERETRIX MAGNA (addressing the congregation): All Thine the last wine poured is. The Last in the chalice to drain. All thine the new wine of desire is.

ARCHER: The foam of the serpentine tongue.

CHARIOTEER: The froth of the serpents of pleasure.

MERETRIX MAGNA: More salt than the foam of the sea, now felt as a flame, now at leisure, as wine shed for me!

ARCHER moves from behind the altar to stand before MERETRIX MAGNA, and drinks from her cup as she holds it.
ARCHER: Victory to Our Lady.
ARCHER then leads each congregant one at a time before MERETRIX MAGNA, each takes a drink from her cup as she holds it and says, “Victory to Our Lady”. ARCHER returns each to their seat and brings up the next congregant. CHARIOTEER refills the chalice as needed. It proceeds in this manner until the last congregant is seated. ARCHER then takes the decanter from CHARIOTEER. CHARIOTEER then drinks from the chalice says, “Victory to Our Lady”. ARCHER returns the decanter to the altar.

ARCHER and CHARIOTEER then stand on either side of MERETRIX MAGNA as she stands on the dais.

MERETRIX MAGNA: I am the harlot that shaketh Death, the Bride of Chaos, Queen of Night, The Accursed One, Mother, Lover, Daughter, WHORE! I will not rest from my adulteries until the blood of everything that liveth is gathered into my cup. Wherefore I charge you that ye come to me at the Beginning; for if ye take but one step in this Path, ye must arrive inevitably at the end thereof, and whom I call must follow. Go on in my strength and thine eyes shall glare with the quenchless lust unto the Infinite, with thy passion for the Unknown.

ARCHER: And this is the wrath of God, that these things should be thus.

CHARIOTEER: And this is the grace of God, that these things should be thus.

MERETRIX MAGNAreturns to her throne atop the dais and the ARCHER and CHARIOTEER close the veil.

ARCHER: And the end thereof is known not even unto Our Lady or unto the Beast whom She rideth; nor unto the Virgin her daughter, nor unto Chaos her lawful Lord; but unto the Crowned Child is it known? It is not known if it be known.

CHARIOTEER: For that which was to be accomplished is accomplished, seeing that thou hast faith unto the end of all. Therefore unto Hadit and unto Nuit be the glory in the End and the Beginning; yea, in the End and the Beginning.

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