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 two decanters 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 lit red 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 proceeds to the double-cube altar, stands beyond it and faces the shrine; then places the candle on top of the altar. ARCHER steps to the center before the shrine facing the CHARIOTEER. They gesture for attendees to rise.

All stand.

ALL: Love is the law, love under will.

The CHARIOTEER, standing at the altar, gives the step and sign of a Man and a Brother. All imitate the step and sign.

The ARCHER goes to the double-cube altar, lights incense in brazier, and walks deosil about the perimeter carrying the brazier.

At the end of the deosil revolution, the ARCHER places the brazier back on the double-cube altar, while the CHARIOTEER proceeds to the shrine. The CHARIOTEER stands beside the roses with back to the shrine.

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 13, 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 7 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 didst 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!

CHARIOTEER & ARCHER address the shrine while standing opposite each other (North & South) in the center of the ritual space.

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.

ARCHER (addressing the congregation): 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!

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, and refresh the incense if necessary.

ARCHER: For if she will not, there is neither force nor cunning, nor any wit, 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 & ARCHER stand before the shrine opposite each other.

ARCHER (faces the veil & makes the sign Mater Triumphans): 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 bow, 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 follow MERETRIX MAGNA as she circumambulates making a circle and a figure-eight about the ritual space. After the circumambulation, the CHARIOTEER and ARCHER stop on the north and south sides of the double-cube altar, while MERETRIX MAGNA continues to walk about the ritual space.

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

ARCHER and CHARIOTEER each place their right hand over the decanter directly in front of them and say:

ARCHER & CHARIOTEER each pick up a decanter and proceed to opposite sides of the ritual space. They take their decanter to each congregant on their side of the space. The congregants each in turn place their hand on the decanter repeating: "Vinum Irae Fornicationis Suae."

After all present have done thusly, CHARIOTEER & ARCHER then present the decanters at the same time to MERETRIX MAGNA; she kisses the top of each decanter.

MERETRIX MAGNA (makes a large heptagram over the decanters, saying): Pain melted in tears and was pleasure. Death mingled with blood, and was life.

CHARIOTEER & ARCHER open decanters and fill the chalice in turn unatil the wine is just below the brim of the chalice.

She drinks all the wine in the chalice, the CHARIOTEER & ARCHER then refill the chalice again from both decanters.

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 places decanter down on the dais, moves to stand before MERETRIX MAGNA, and drinks from her cup as she holds it.

ARCHER then leads each congregant one at a time before MERETRIX MAGNA; each takes a drink from her cup as she holds it, and then says, “Victory to Our Lady”. MERETRIX MAGNA wipes the brim of the chalice with a red cloth after each drinks. 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, and refills the chalice if needed. CHARIOTEER then drinks from the chalice, then says, “Victory to Our Lady”. ARCHER & CHARIOTEER return the decanters to the double-cube altar.

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

MERETRIX MAGNA: I am the harlot that shaketh Death! She that exists in all fears and strength in trembling. Blessed be they that feel the sting of my scourge upon them, compelling them to Destruction and Creation which are one. Mother, Lover, Sister, Daughter, WHORE! I will not rest from my adulteries until the blood of everything that liveth is gathered into my golden 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 MAGNA returns 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 shall be accomplished, at 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.

The Alchemy of Babalon: or, some ramblings from the author.

Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

This ritual is meant to be a condensed grand overview of Our Lady Babalon; as represented in texts by Aleister Crowley, John Dee, The Bible, and translated Egyptian & Babylonian tablets. I do not purport to be any great authority or scholar. I have only my own experiences and research to go on. But I think that in the beginning that’s all anyone really has. I encourage all who are interested in the subject of Babalon to do their own research as I have done. Then take from it what you will, and may it benefit you who do!

The main thing I want to talk about here is the symbolism of the Eucharist in this ritual. All the dialog in the ritual expounds on Babalon’s nature and attributes. But there is an alchemical process inherent in the Eucharist that I want to focus on. This Eucharist expresses our ultimate union with Babalon. It begins the same way that all endeavors do: it is invoked. Then the decanter filled with wine is passed around and each congregant touches it with their hand. This action is of each individual moving their own Will forward. It is reaching up to the divine, pouring out their life’s blood to accomplish their own True Will. While each congregant reaching out with different unique wills, it is always the same wine they into which they are putting their energy. This is to show how we are all united as a community. The congregants are reaching out both individually with their own Will, but also as a congregation, a community with the same goal of accomplishing the Great Work.

This energy is gathered up via the decanters and brought before the Meretrix Magna (Babalon) who consecrates it, then consumes it--thus symbolically transmuting the wine. Representing how we are all transmuted in the fires of Babalon. Our impurities, things that hold us back from accomplishing our True Wills, are burned away. This can, in my experience, be severely unpleasant but absolutely necessary to progress forward. By doing so we achieve “Understanding”.

The wine is then poured from both decanters and mixed in the Cup. This is to show we are all united with the Divine. All are one, all are none. And just as the congregation reached out to the divine, the Divine reaches down to them as the Cup is poured out. Each drink from the Cup, receiving what they put into it, which is themselves purified and re-created. That was my intention anyway. I’m sure everyone else has their own interpretation.

To me personally, this ritual represents the sum of my spiritual journey from my First to my current degree. I was always constantly working on it during that time span. In a way it was the background music for my life then, and still is now. It grew as I did, changing here and there. I first preformed it publicly at the Babalon Rising festival in 2008. It has morphed into the more polished version I now present to you. May it inspire you and aid you in the accomplishment of your own True Will.

Love is the law, love under will.

Soror Meretrix Potestas Babalonis

PRINCIPAL SOURCES

• "Liber Cheth vel Vallum Abiegni" (Liber 156)
• The Vision & The Voice - Aethers 2, 12, & 16
• Liber Al vel Legis
• "The Daughter of Fortitude" by Edward Kelly and John Dee
• The Bible - Revelations, Chapter 17
• "Dolores" by A.C. Swinburne
• The Book of Lies by Aleister Crowley
• 777 by Aleister Crowley
• "Jezebel" by Aleister Crowley
• "Thunder, Perfect Mind" from the Nag Hammadi Library
• Babylonian Magic and Sorcery by Leonard W. King

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