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Eidolons of Ash
 

A Transcription of Liber Legis

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A transcription of Liber L vel Legis
Sub figura XXXI
given from the mouth of Aiwass to the ear of The Beast.

A personal exploration of the manuscript for personal study.

This document is an attempt to transcribe the manuscript of Liber Legis, also known as The Book of the Law, as written down by Aleister Crowley in 1904. It includes original punctuation, sentence breaks, additional notes, and script revisions made on the actual document.

I have had to make some judgment calls that I fully admit might be in error. I would be very open to different suggestions and especially evidence or commentary regarding Crowley’s changes. This transcription is for research purposes only, and claims no authority as to expertise or special knowledge beyond simple observation and logic.

This transcription is especially useful when looking at a copy of the manuscript. The MS. is reprinted in Magick, 2nd Ed. and in the centennial edition of Liber Legis (Thelema Media, 2004). An online version can be found on the O.T.O. website.

Editorial Guide:

  • Sentences are broken as in the original manuscript in all possible cases. In a few places, additional text was added to the side or between previous lines. In such cases, I have placed the original lines first, followed by any changes.
  • The title numbers refer to the total number of pages in the entire manuscript.
  • Black text refers to the main flow of dictation.
  • Text with lines above refer to text that was literally crossed out or marked over. There are cases when a word was written over or partially corrected. In these cases, it is written with the original crossed out text first, immediately followed by the correction (e.g. oldnew).
  • {Addition}—Text in green brackets refers to text that was included or corrected at the time of the writing, but outside of the main flow of dictation.
  • Text in orange refers to text that was added at a later time. This includes the page numbers at the top right and also the verse numbers in Chapters 2 and 3.
  • Text with underlines are instances where the author literally underlined text.

Title Page

The original title page is not a formal part of Liber Legis, since it was written out by Crowley after its reception. The actual title was probably written on the Third Day or soon after. A short paragraph was added in 1907, which was later amended with a brief note in October of 1909.

Liber
L.
vel
Legis.
given from the mouth of Aiwass to the ear of
The Beast
on April 8, 9, & 10, 1904

This MS (which came into my possession in July 1906) {i.e. I meant I would be its master from that date. a.c. Oct '09} is a highly interesting example of genuine automatic writing. Though I am in no way responsible for any of these documents, except the verse translations of the stele inscription, I publish them among my works, because I believe that their intelligent study may be interesting and helpful. A.C.

Incidentals

The title page also has a set of added numbers and several sketches, shown below.

40+400+10+60+80+400+3+9+4+20=1026

Image:Al titlepage sketches.gif


Chapter I

Written on April 8, 1904

1

  1. Had! The manifestation of Nuit
  2. The unveiling of the company of heaven
  3. Every man and every woman is a star
  4. Every number is infinite: there is no difference
  5. Help me, o warrior lord of Thebes, in my
  6. unveiling before the Children of men
  7. Be thou Hadit, my secret centre, my
  8. heart & my tongue.
  9. Behold! it is revealed by Aiwass the
  10. minister of Hoor-paar-kraat
  11. The Khabs is in the Khu, not the Khu in
  12. the Khabs
  13. Worship then the Khabs, and behold my
  14. light shed over you.

2

Line 9 was replaced with: 

   Above, the gemmed azure is
      The naked splendour of Nuit;
   She bends in ecstasy to kiss
      The secret ardours of Hadit.
   The winged globe,the starry blue,
      Are mine, O Ankh-af-na-khonsu!

                                                                   2
  1. Let my servants be few & secret: they shall
  2. rule the many & the known.
  3. These are fools that men adore; both their
  4. Gods & their men are fools.
  5. Come forth, o children, under the stars
  6. & take your fill of love. I am above you
  7. and in you. My ecstasy is in yours My
  8. joy is to see your joy
  9. V. 1. of Spell called the Joy.
  10. Now yet shall know that the chosen
  11. priest & apostle of infinite space is
  12. the prince-priest-the Beast and in

3

                                                                   3
  1. his woman, called the Scarlet Woman, is
  2. all power given. They shall gather my
  3. children into their fold: they shall bring the
  4. glory of the stars into the hearts of men.
  5. For he is ever a sun, and she a moon. But
  6. to him is the winged secret flame and to
  7. her the stooping starlight.
  8. But ye are not so chosen
  9. Burn upon their brows, o splendrous serpent!
  10. O azure-lidded woman, bend upon them!
  11. The key of the rituals is in the secret word
  12. which I have given unto him

4

                                                                   4
Based on other writing examples, the word "Nuit" in line 6 began as an "M"—see sheet 18 line 11. Crowley does the same thing on the next sheet.
  1. With the God & the Adorer I am nothing: they
  2. do not see me. They are as upon the earth
  3. I am Heaven, and theirthere is no other God
  4. than me, and my lord Hadit.
  5. Now therefore I am known to ye by my
  6. name MNuit, and to him by a secret name
  7. which I will give him when at last he
  8. knoweth me
  9. Since I am Infinite Space and the Infinite
  10. Stars thereforeof, do ye also thus. Bind
  11. nothing! Let there be no difference made
  12. among you between any one thing & any

5

                                                                   5
  1. other thing; for thereby there cometh hurt.
  2. But whoso availeth in this, let him be
  3. the chief of all!
  4. I am MNuit, and my word is six and fifty
  5. Divide, add, multiply and understand.
  6. Then saith the prophet and slave of the
  7. beauteous one: Who am I, and what shall
  8. be the sign. So she answered him, bending
  9. down, a lambent flame of blue, all-touching
  10. all penetrant, hereher lovely hands upon the
  11. black earth & her lithe body arched for love
  12. and her soft feet not hurting the

6

In Commentaries, Crowley writes:

This phrase was totally beyond the comprehension of the scribe, and he said mentally—with characteristic self-conceit—“People will never be able to understand this.”

Aiwass then replied, “Write this in whiter words. But go forth on.”

He was willing that the phrase should be replaced by an equivalent, but did not wish the dictation to be interrupted by a discussion at the moment. It was therefore altered (a little later) to “the omnipresence of my body.”

It is extremely interesting to note that in the light of the cosmic theory explained in the notes to verse 3 and 4, the original phrase of Aiwass was exquisitely and exactly appropriate to his meaning.

                                                                   6
  1. little flowers Thou knowest! And the sign
  2. shall be my ecstasy, the consciousness of
  3. the continuity of existence, the unfragmentary
  4. non-atomic fact of my universality.
  5. {Write this in whiter words}
  6. {But go forth on} the non-atomic omnipresence of my body.| Done later as above.
  7. Then the priest answered & said unto
  8. the Queen of Space, kissing her lovely brows
  9. and the dew of her light bathing his whole
  10. body in a sweet-smelling perfume of sweat
  11. O Nuit, continuous one of Heaven, let it

7

                                                                   7
  1. be ever thus that men speak not of
  2. Thee as One but as None and let
  3. them speak not of thee at all since
  4. thou art continuous.
  5. None, breathed the light, faint & faery, of
  6. the stars, and two. For I am divided
  7. for love's sake, for the chance of union.
  8. This is the creation of the world that
  9. the pain of disuniondivision is as nothing and
  10. the joy of dissolution all.
  11. For these fools of men and their

8

                                                                   8
  1. woes care not thou at all! They feel
  2. little; what is, is balanced by weak
  3. joys; but ye are my chosen ones.
  4. Obey my prophet! follow out the
  5. ordeals of my knowledge! seek me
  6. only! Then the joys of my love will
  7. redeem ye from all pain. This is
  8. so: I swear it by the vault of my
  9. body; by my sacred heart and tongue;
  10. by all I can give, by all I desire of
  11. ye all.
  12. Then the priest fell into a deep trance or

9

                                                                   9
  1. swoon & said unto the Queen of Heaven
  2. Write usunto us the ordeals write unto
  3. us the rituals write unto us the law.
  4. But she said the ordeals I write not
  5. the rituals shall be half known and
  6. half concealed: the Law is for all
  7. This that thou writest is the threefold
  8. book of Law
  9. My scribe Ankh-af-na-khonsu the
  10. priest of the princes shall not in one
  11. letter change this book; but lest there
  12. be folly, he shall comment thereupon
  13. by the wisdom of Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

10

                                                                   10
  1. Also the mantras and spells; the
  2. obeah and the wanga; the work of
  3. the wand and the work of the
  4. sword: these he shall learn and teach.
  5. He must teach; but he may make severe
  6. the ordeals.
  7. The word of the Law is Θελημα.
  8. Who calls us Thelemites will do no
  9. wrong, if he look but close into the
  10. word. For there are threetherein Three
  11. Grades. the Hermit and the Lover and
  12. the man of Earth. Do what thou wilt

11

                                                                   11
  1. shall be the whole of the Law.
  2. The word of Sin is Restriction. O man!
  3. refuse not thy wife, if she will. O
  4. lover, if thou wilt, depart. There is
  5. no bond that can unite the divided but
  6. love: all else is a curse. Accurséd!
  7. Accurséd! be it to the aeons. Hell.
  8. Let it be that state of manyhood
  9. bound and loathing. So with thy all
  10. thou hast no right but to do thy will
  11. Do that and no other shall say nay.
  12. For pure will, unassuaged of purpose,

12

                                                                   12
  1. delivered from the lust of result, is
  2. every way perfect
  3. The Perfect and the Perfect are one
  4. Perfect and not two; nay, are none!
  5. Nothing is a secret key of this law
  6. Sixty-one the Jews call it; I call it
  7. eight, eighty, four hundred & eighteen.
  8. But they halfhave the half: unite by thine
  9. art so that all disappear.
  10. My prophet is a fool with his one one
  11. one; are not they the Ox and none
  12. by the Book.

13

                                                                   13
  1. Abrogate {are} all rituals, all ordeals, all
  2. words and signs. Ra-Hoor-Khuit hath
  3. taken his seat in the East at the Equinox
  4. of the Gods and let Asar be with Isa
  5. who also are one. But they are not of
  6. me Let Asar be the adorant, Isa the
  7. sufferer; Hoor in his secret name and
  8. splendour is the Lord initiating.
  9. There is a word to say about the Hierophantic
  10. task. Behold! there are three ordeals in
  11. one, and it may be given in three ways.
  12. The gross must pass through fire; let the

14

                                                                   14
  1. fine be tried in intellect, and the
  2. lofty chosen ones in the highest. Thus
  3. ye have star & star system & system
  4. let not one know well the other.
  5. There are four gates to one palace;
  6. the floor of that palace is of silver and
  7. gold, lapis lazuli & jasper are there, and
  8. all rare scents jasmine & rose, and the
  9. emblems of death. Let him enter in turn
  10. or at once the four gates; let him stand
  11. on the floor of the palace. Will he
  12. not sink? Amn. Ho! warrior, if thy
  13. servant sink? But there are means

15

                                                                   15
  1. and means. Be goodly therefore: dress ye
  2. all in fine apparel eat rich foods and
  3. drink sweet wines and wines that foam.
  4. but Also, take your fill and will of
  5. love as ye whewill, when, where and with
  6. whom ye will. But always unto me.
  7. If this be not aright; if ye confound
  8. the space-marks, saying: They are one
  9. or saying, They are many; if the ritual
  10. be not ever unto me: then expect
  11. the direful judgments of Ra Hoor Khuit.
  12. This shall regenerate the world, the little

16

                                                                   16
In line 1, “world” is a correction over an initial word that is illegible.
  1. ?world my sister, my heart & my tongue,
  2. unto whom I send this kiss. Also, o
  3. scribe and prophet though thou be of the
  4. princes it shall not assuage thee nor
  5. absolve thee. But ecstasy be thine and
  6. joy of earth: ever To me To me.
  7. Change not as much as the style
  8. of a letter; for behold thou o prophet
  9. shalt not behold all these mysteries
  10. hidden therein.
  11. The child of thy bowels, he shall behold
  12. them.
  13. Expect him not from the East nor from

17

                                                                   17
  1. the West, for from no expected house
  2. cometh that child. Aum! All words are
  3. sacred and all prophets true; save only that
  4. they understand a little; solve the first
  5. half of the equation, leave the second
  6. unattacked. But thou hast all in the
  7. clear light, and some though not all in the
  8. dark.
  9. Invoke me under my stars. Love is the
  10. law, love under will. Nor let the fools
  11. mistake love; for there are love and love.
  12. There is the dove and there is the serpent.
  13. Choose ye well! He, my prophet, hath

18

The mark (top graphic) in line 4 is clearly an overwrite, but the original mark is inconclusive. Crowley later claimed it was the Hebrew letter Tzaddi (bottom graphic). Based on an examination of the original strokes (middle graphic) there is a clear "o" shape that does not follow his regular O's, and is not a part of the Tzaddi letterform. There may be minor strokes obscured by the added lines.

Image:Tzaddi 1.gif
Image:Tzaddi 2.gif
Image:Tzaddi 3.gif 

                                                                   18
  1. chosen, knowing the law of the fortress
  2. and the great mystery of the House of God
  3. All these old letters of my Book are
  4. aright; but [graphic] is not the Star. This
  5. also is secret: my prophet shall reveal
  6. it to the wise.
  7. I give unimaginable joys on earth: certainty,
  8. not faith, while in life, upon death; peace
  9. unutterable, rest, ecstasy; nor do I demand
  10. aught in sacrifice.
  11. My incense is of resinous woods & gums
  12. and there is no blood therein: because of
  13. my hair the trees of Eternity.

19

In Commentaries, Crowley writes:

In the original MSS. the second paragraph begins "The shape of my star is"—and then breaks off—the Scribe was unable to hear what was being said. This was presumably because his mind was so full of preconceived ideas about the different kinds of stars appropriate to various ideas. An alternate phrase was subsequently dictated to the Scarlet Woman, and inserted in the manuscript by her own hand.

                                                                   19
  1. My number is 11, as all their numbers
  2. who are of us. {(Lost 1 phrase)} {The shape of my star is—} The Five Pointed Star, with a Circle in the Middle, & the circle is Red My colour is black to the
  3. blind, but the blue & gold are seen of the
  4. seeing. Also I have a secret glory for
  5. them that love me.
  6. But to love me is better than all things: if
  7. under the night-stars in the desert thou
  8. presently burnest mine incense before me
  9. invoking me with a pure heart and the
  10. Serpent flame therein, thou shalt come
  11. a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss
  12. wilt thou then be willing to give all;

20

                                                                   20
  1. but whoso gives one particle of dust
  2. shall lose all in that hour. Ye shall
  3. gather goods and store of women and
  4. spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye
  5. shall exceed the nations of the earth
  6. in spendour & pride; but always in the
  7. love of me, and so shall ye come to
  8. my joy. I charge you earnestly to come
  9. before me in a single robe and covered
  10. with a rich headdress. I love you I yearn to
  11. you. Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous I
  12. who am all pleasure and purple

21

                                                                   21
  1. and drunkenness of the innermost sense
  2. desire you. Put on the wings and arouse
  3. the coiled splendour within you: come unto me
  4. At all my meetings with you shall the
  5. priestess say—and her eyes shall burn
  6. with desire as she stands bare and rejoicing
  7. in my secret temple—To me! To me!
  8. calling forth the {flame of the} hearts of all in her
  9. love-chant.
  10. Sing the rapturous love-song unto me!
  11. Burn to me perfumes! Wear to me jewels!
  12. Drink to me, for I love you! I love you!

22

                                                                   22
In line 1, “lidded” has been changed from “lide”—I believe this is a simple spelling error that was immediately corrected. Also, The N in “Nuit” (line 5) overwrites the letter “M” (as in sheets 4 and 5)—however, it also looks like there is an “i”.
  1. I am the blue-lideded daughter of Sunset; I am
  2. the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night-
  3. sky.
  4. To me! To me!
  5. The Manifestation of MiNuit is at an
  6. end.


Chapter II

Written on April 9, 1904

23

                                                                   1
  1. 1 Nu! the hiding of Hadit.
  2. 2 Come! all ye, and learn the secret that
  3. hath not yet been revealed. I Hadit am
  4. the complement of Nu my bride. I am not
  5. extended, and Khabs is the name of my House.
  6. 3 In the sphere I am everywhere, the centre, as
  7. she, the circumference, is nowhere found.
  8. 4 Yet she shall be known & I never.
  9. 5 Behold! the rituals of the old time are black.
  10. Let the evil ones be cast away; let the
  11. good ones be purged by the prophet! Then shall
  12. this Knowledge go aright.
  13. 6. I am the flame that burns in every heart of
  14. man, and in the core of every star. I am

24

                                                                   2
  1. Life, and the giver of Life; yet therefore is
  2. The knowledge of me the knowledge of death.
  3. 7. I am the Magician and the Exorcist. I am the
  4. axle of the wheel, and the cube in the circle.
  5. “Come unto me” is a foolish word; for it is I that
  6. go.
  7. 8 Who worshipped Heru-pa-kraath have
  8. worshipped me; ill, for I am the worshipper.
  9. 9 Remember all ye that existence is pure joy;
  10. that all the sorrows are but as shadows; they
  11. pass & are done; but there is that which
  12. remains.
  13. 10. O prophet! thou hast ill will to learn this writing.
  14. 11. I see thee hate the hand & the pen; but I am

25

                                                                   3
  1. stronger.
  2. 12 Because of me in Thee which thou knewest not.
  3. 13. for why? Because thou wast the knower,
  4. and me.
  5. 14. Now let there be a veiling of this shrine: now
  6. let the light devour men and eat them
  7. up with blindness!
  8. 15. For I am perfect, being Not; and my number
  9. is nine by the fools; but with the just I am
  10. eight, and one in eight: Which is vital, for
  11. I am none indeed. The Empress and the King
  12. are not of me; for there is a further secret.
  13. 16 I am The Empress & the Hierophant. Thus
  14. eleven, as my bride is eleven.

26

                                                                   4
  1. 17. Hear me, ye people of sighing!
  2. The sorrows of pain and regret
  3. Are left to the dead and the dying,
  4. The folk that not know me as yet.
  5. 18 These are dead, these fellows; they feel not. We
  6. are not for the poor and sad: the lords of the
  7. earth are our kinsfolk.
  8. 19 Is a God to live in a dog? No! but the
  9. highest are of us. They shall rejoice, our chosen:
  10. who sorroweth is not of us.
  11. 20 Beauty and strength, leaping laughter and
  12. delicious languor, force and fire, are of us.

27

                                                                   5
  1. 21 We have nothing with the outcast and the unfit:
  2. let them die in their misery. For they feel
  3. not. Compassion is the vice of kings: stamp
  4. down the wretched & the weak: this is the
  5. law of the strong: this is our law and the
  6. joy of the world. Think not, o king, upon that
  7. lie: That Thou Must Die: verily thou shalt
  8. not die, but live! Now let it be understood:
  9. If the body of the King dissolve, he shall remain
  10. in pure ecstasy for ever Nuit Hadit Ra-Hoor-
  11. Khuit. The Sun, Strength & Sight, Light these
  12. are for the servants of the Star & the Snake

28

                                                                   6
  1. 22 I am the Snake that giveth Knowledge & Delight
  2. and bright glory, and stir the hearts of men
  3. with drunkenness. To worship me take wine
  4. and strange drugs whereof I will tell my
  5. prophet, & be drunk thereof! They shall not
  6. harm ye at all. It is a lie, this folly
  7. against self. The exposure of innocence
  8. is a lie. Be strong, o man, lust, enjoy
  9. all things of sense and rapture: fear not
  10. that any God shall deny thee for this.
  11. 23 I am alone: there is no God where I am.
  12. 24 Behold! these be grave mysteries; for there
  13. are also of my friends who be hermits. Now

29

                                                                   7.
  1. think not to find them in the forest or on the
  2. mountain; but in beds of purple, caressed by
  3. magnificent beasts of women with large limbs,
  4. and fire and light in their eyes, and masses
  5. of flaming hair about them; there shall ye
  6. find them. Ye shall see them at rule, at
  7. victorious armies, at all the joy; and there
  8. shall be in them a joy a million times
  9. greater than this. Beware lest any
  10. force another, King against King! Love one
  11. another with burning hearts; on the low men
  12. trample in the fierce lust of your pride

30

                                                                   8
  1. in the day of your wrath.
  2. 25. Ye are against the people, O my chosen!
  3. 26. I am the secret Serpent coiled about to
  4. spring: in my coiling there is joy. If I
  5. lift up my head, I and my Nuit are one.
  6. If I droop down mine head, and shoot
  7. forth venom, then is rapture of the earth,
  8. and I and the earth are one.
  9. 27. There is great danger in me; for who doth
  10. not understand these runes shall make
  11. a great miss. He shall fall down into
  12. the pit called Because, and there he shall

31

                                                                   9
  1. perish with the dogs of Reason.
  2. 28 Now a curse upon Because and his kin!
  3. 29 May Because be accurséd for ever!
  4. 30 If Will stops and cries Why, invoking
  5. Because, then Will stops & does nought.
  6. 31 If Power asks why, then is Power weakness.
  7. 32 Also reason is a lie; for there is a
  8. factor infinite & unknown; & all their
  9. words are skew-wise.
  10. 33 Enough of Because! Be he damned for a dog!
  11. 34. But ye, o my people, rise up & awake!
  12. 35. Let the rituals be rightly performed with
  13. joy & beauty!

32

                                                                   10
  1. 36 There are rituals of the elements and feasts
  2. of the times.
  3. 37 A feast for the first night of the Prophet
  4. and his Bride!
  5. 38 A feast for the three days of the writing of
  6. the Book of the Law.
  7. 39 A feast for Tahuti and the child of the
  8. Prophet—secret, O Prophet!
  9. 40 A feast for the Supreme Ritual, and a
  10. feast for the Equinox of the Gods.
  11. 41 A feast for fire and a feast for water; a
  12. feast for life and a greater feast for death.

33

In line 3, Crowley wrote "Nuit" and hastily scribbled out the "it"
                                                                   11
  1. 42 A feast every day in your hearts in the
  2. joy of my rapture.
  3. 43 A feast every night unto Nuit, and the
  4. pleasure of uttermost delight.
  5. 44 Aye! feast! rejoice! there is no dread
  6. hereafter. There is the dissolution, and
  7. eternal ecstasy in the kisses of Nu.
  8. 45 There is death for the dogs.
  9. 46 Dost thou fail? Art thou sorry? Is fear
  10. in thine heart?
  11. 47 Where I am these are not.

34

                                                                   12
  1. 48 Pity not the fallen! I never knew them.
  2. I am not for them. I console not: I hate
  3. the consoled & the consoler.
  4. 49 I am unique & conqueror. I am not of the
  5. slaves that perish. Be they damned &
  6. dead! Amen. [This is of the 4: there is
  7. a fifth who is invisible & therein am I
  8. as a babe in an egg.]
  9. 50 Blue am I and gold in the light of my
  10. bride: but the red gleam is in my eyes
  11. & my spangles are purple & green.
  12. 51. Purple beyond purple: it is the light higher

35

                                                                   13
  1. than eyesight.
  2. 52 There is a veil: that veil is black. It is
  3. the veil of the modest woman; it is the veil
  4. of sorrow, & the pall of death: this is none
  5. of me. Tear down that lying spectre of
  6. the centuries: veil not your vices in
  7. virtuous words: these vices are my service;
  8. ye do well, & I will reward you here and
  9. hereafter.
  10. 53 Fear not, o prophet, when these words are
  11. said, thou shalt not be sorry. Thou art
  12. emphatically my chosen; and blessed are

36

                                                                   14
  1. the eyes that thou shalt look upon with
  2. gladness. But I will hide thee in a
  3. mask of sorrow: they that see thee shall
  4. fear thou art fallen: but I lift thee up.
  5. 54 Nor shall they who cry aloud their folly
  6. that thou meanest nought avail; thou
  7. shall reveal it: thou availest: they are
  8. the slaves of because: They are not of
  9. me. The stops as thou wilt; the letters
  10. change them not in style or value!
  11. 55 Thou shalt obtain the order & value of
  12. the English Alphabet; thou shalt find

37

                                                                   15
  1. new symbols to attribute them unto.
  2. 56 Begone! ye mockers; even though ye laugh
  3. in my honour ye shall laugh not long: then
  4. when ye are sad know that I have
  5. forsaken you.
  6. 57. He that is righteous shall be righteous still;
  7. he that is filthy shall be filthy still.
  8. 58 Yea! deem not of change: ye shall be as ye
  9. are, & not other. Therefore the kings of
  10. the earth shall be Kings for ever: the slaves
  11. shall serve. There is none that shall
  12. be cast down or lifted up: all is ever

38

                                                                   16
  1. as it was. Yet there are masked ones my
  2. servants: it may be that yonder beggar is
  3. a King. A King may choose his garment as
  4. he will: there is no certain test: but a
  5. beggar cannot hide his poverty.
  6. 59 Beware therefore! Love all, lest perchance is a
  7. King concealed! Say you so? Fool! If he
  8. be a King, thou canst not hurt him.
  9. 60 Therefore strike hard & low, and to hell
  10. with them, master!
  11. 61 There is a light before thine eyes, o prophet,
  12. a light undesired, most desirable.

39

                                                                   17
  1. 62 I am uplifted in thine heart; and the kisses
  2. of the stars rain hard upon thy body.
  3. 63 Thou art exhaust in the voluptuous fullness
  4. of the inspiration: the expiration is sweeter
  5. than death, more rapid and laughterful than
  6. a caress of Hell’s own worm.
  7. 64 Oh! thou art overcome: we are upon thee;
  8. our delight is all over thee: hail! hail!
  9. prophet of Nu! prophet of Had! prophet of
  10. Ra-Hoor-Khu! Now rejoice! now come in
  11. our splendour & rapture! Come in our passionate
  12. peace, & write sweet words for the Kings!

40

                                                                   18
  1. 65 I am the Master: thou art the Holy Chosen One.
  2. 66 Write, & find ecstasy in writing! Work, &
  3. be our bed in working! Thrill with the
  4. joy of life & death! Ah! thy death shall
  5. be lovely: whoso seeth it shall be glad. Thy
  6. death shall be the seal of the promise of
  7. our agelong love. Come! lift up thine heart
  8. & rejoice! We are one; we are none.
  9. 67 Hold! Hold! Bear up in thy rapture;
  10. fall not in swoon of the excellent kisses!
  11. 68 Harder! Hold up thyself! Lift thine head!

41

                                                                   19
  1. breathe not so deep—die!
  2. 69 Ah! Ah! What do I feel? Is the word
  3. exhausted?
  4. 70 There is help & hope in other spells. Wisdom
  5. says: be strong! Then canst thou bear more
  6. joy. Be not animal; refine thy rapture!
  7. If thou drink, drink by the eight and ninety
  8. rules of art: if thou love, exceed by
  9. delicacy; and if thou do aught joyous, let
  10. there be subtlety therein!
  11. 71 But exceed! exceed!
  12. 72 Strive ever to more! and if thou art truly

42

There are two sets of curved lines, above and below, to connect the numbers “24” and “89”
                                                                   20
  1. mine—and doubt it not, an if thou art
  2. ever joyous!—death is the crown of all.
  3. 73 Ah! Ah! Death! Death! thou shalt long for
  4. death. Death is forbidden, o man, unto thee.
  5. 74 The length of thy longing shall be the strength
  6. of its glory. He that lives long & desires
  7. death much is ever the King among the Kings.
  8. 75 Aye! listen to the numbers & the words:
  9. 76 4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y
  10. X 24 89 R P S T O V A L. What
  11. meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest
  12. not; nor shalt thou know ever. There
  13. cometh one to follow thee: he shall

43

                                                                   21
  1. expound it. But remember, o chosen
  2. one, to be me; to follow the love of
  3. Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth
  4. upon men, to tell them this glad word.
  5. 77 O be thou proud and mighty among men!
  6. 78 Lift up thyself! for there is none like unto
  7. thee among men or among Gods! Lift up
  8. thyself, o my prophet, thy stature shall
  9. surpass the stars. They shall worship thy
  10. name, foursquare, mystic, wonderful, the
  11. number of the man; and the name of

44

                                                                   22
  1. thy house 418.
  2. 79. The end of the hiding of Hadit; and
  3. blessing & worship to the prophet of
  4. the lovely Star!


Chapter III

Written on April 10, 1904

45

The word “black” in the note at the top could be another word, but not that I can tell. The handwriting identifies the author as Crowley. This comment refers to a large liquid stain in the middle of the sheet. Below is a tracing of the stain.
Image:Stain.gif
                                                                   1

         leave stain on paper—not in black

  1. 1 Abrahadabra! the reward of Ra Hoor Khut.
  2. 2 There is division hither homeward; there is a
  3. word not known. Spelling is defunct; all is not
  4. aught. Beware! Hold! Raise the spell of
  5. Ra-Hoor-Khuit.
  6. 3 Now let it be first understood that I am
  7. a god of War and of Vengeance. I shall
  8. deal hardly with them.
  9. 4 Choose ye an island!
  10. 5 Fortify it!
  11. 6 Dung it about with enginery of war!
  12. 7 I will give you a war-engine.
  13. 8 With it ye shall smite the peoples and

46

                                                                   2
  1. none shall stand before you.
  2. 9 Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! this
  3. is the Law of the Battle of Conquest: thus
  4. shall my worship be about my secret house.
  5. 10 Get the stélé of revealing itself; set it
  6. in thy secret temple—and that temple
  7. is already aright disposed—& it shall be your
  8. Kiblah for ever. It shall not fade, but
  9. miraculous colour shall come back to it
  10. day after day. Close it in locked glass for a
  11. proof to the world.
  12. 11 This shall be your only proof. I forbid argument.
  13. Conquer! That is enough. I will make easy

47

                                                                   3
The “a” and “u” in “abstruction” (line 1) each have double underlines. Also, in line 9, the upper-case “H” in “Heathen” clearly overwrites an original lower-case “h”.
  1. to you the abstruction from the ill-ordered
  2. house in the Victorious City. Thou shalt
  3. thyself convey it with worship, o prophet,
  4. though thou likest it not. Thou shalt have
  5. danger & trouble. Ra-Hoor-Khu is with
  6. thee. Worship me with fire & blood; worship
  7. me with swords & with spears. Let the woman
  8. be girt with a sword before me: let blood
  9. flow to my name. Trample down the hHeathen; be
  10. upon them, o warrior, I will give you of their
  11. flesh to eat!
  12. 12  Sacrifice cattle, little and big: after a child.

48

                                                                   4
In line 4, “thereof” was likely changed from the word “therefore” since the “o” clearly overwrites the letter “f”. Also, the “folk” correction in line 11 overwrites what I believe was initially to be the word “fools”.
  1. 13  But not now.
  2. 14  Ye shall see that hour, o blesséd Beast, and
  3. thou the Scarlet Concubine of his desire!
  4. 15  Ye shall be sad therefof.
  5. 16  Deem not too eagerly to catch the promises; fear
  6. not to undergo the curses. Ye, even ye, know not
  7. this meaning all.
  8. 17  Fear not at all; fear neither men nor Fates,
  9. nor gods, nor anything. Money fear not, nor
  10. laughter of the foofolk folly, nor any other power
  11. in heaven or upon the earth or under the
  12. earth. Nu is your refuge as Hadit your

49

                                                                   5
  1. light; and I am the strength, force, vigour, of
  2. your arms.
  3. 18 Mercy let be off: damn them who pity.
  4. Kill and torture; spare not; be upon them.
  5. 19 That stélé they shall call the Abomination
  6. of Desolation; count well its name, & it shall
  7. be to you as 718.
  8. 20 Why? Because of the fall of Because, that
  9. he is not there again.
  10. 21 Set up my image in the East: thou shalt buy
  11. thee an image which I will show thee, especial,
  12. not unlike the one thou knowest. And it shall
  13. be suddenly easy for thee to do this.

50

The ominous “x” in line 6 follows Crowley's pattern for the lowercase form (image on the left). An example of an upper case X (on the right, from sheet 42) shows a marked difference. You may draw your own conclusions as to any related meaning.

Image:X(letter).gif  Image:X(uppercase).png
                                                                   6
  1. 22. The other images group around me to support
  2. me: let all be worshipped, for they shall
  3. cluster to exalt me. I am the visible object
  4. of worship; the others are secret; for the Beast
  5. & his Bride are they: and for the winners of
  6. the Ordeal x. What is this? Thou shalt know.
  7. 23 For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings
  8. of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and
  9. olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth
  10. down with rich fresh blood!
  11. 24 The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then
  12. the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the

51

                                                                   7
  1. host of heaven: then of enemies; then
  2. of the priest ofor {of} the worshippers: last of
  3. some beast, no matter what.
  4. 25  This burn: of this make cakes & eat withunto
  5. me. This hath also another use; let it be
  6. laid before me, and kept thick with perfumes
  7. of your orison: it shall become full of beetles
  8. as it were and creeping things sacred unto me.
  9. 26  These slay, naming your enemies & they shall
  10. fall before you.
  11. 27  Also these shall breed lust & power of lust in
  12. you at the eating thereof.
  13. 28  Also ye shall be strong in war.

52

                                                                   8
  1. 29 Moreover, be they long kept, it is better; for
  2. they swell with my force. All before me.
  3. 30 My altar is of open brass work: burn thereon
  4. in silver or gold.
  5. 31 There cometh a rich man from the West who
  6. shall pour his gold upon thee.
  7. 32 From gold forge steel:
  8. 33 Be ready to fly or to smite.
  9. 34 But your holy place shall be untouched
  10. throughout the centuries: though with fire and
  11. sword it be burnt down & shattered, yet
  12. an invisible house there standeth and
  13. shall stand until the fall of the Great

53

                                                                   9
  1. Equinox, when Hrumachis shall arise and
  2. the double-wanded one assume my throne and
  3. place. Another prophet shall arise, and bring
  4. fresh fever from the skies; another woman shall
  5. awake the lust & worship of the Snake; another
  6. soul of God and beast shall mingle in the
  7. globéd priest; another sacrifice shall stain
  8. the tomb; another king shall reign; and blessing
  9. no longer be poured To the Hawk-headed
  10. mystical Lord!
  11. 35. The half of the word of Heru-ra-ha, called
  12. Hoor-pa-kraat and Ra-Hoor-Khut.

54

The two comments, written later in pencil, refer to the eventual addition of Crowley's poetic interpretation of the text from the Stele of Revealing. In Comments, he writes:

This passage now following appears to be a dramatic presentation of the scene shown in the Stele. The interpretation is to be that Ankh-f-n-Khonsu recorded for my benefit the details of the Magical Formula of Ra Hoor Khuit. To link together the centuries in this manner is nothing strange to the accomplished Magician; but in view of the true character of Time as it appears to the Adept in Mysticism, the riddle vanishes altogether.
                                                                   10
  1. 36  Then said the prophet unto the God.
  2. 37.  I adore thee in the song
    {"I am the Lord of Thebes" etc from vellum book}
  3. Unity —
    {———"fill me"}
  4. 38. So that thy light is in me; & its red flame
  5. is as a sword in my hand to push thy
  6. order. There is a secret door that I shall
  7. make to establish thy way in all the quarters
  8. (these are the adorations, as thou hast written)
  9. as it is said:
  10. "The light is mine" etc
    {from vellum book to "Ra-Hoor-Khuit"}

55

                                                                   11
  1. 39 All this and a book to say how thou
  2. didst come hither and a reproduction of
  3. this ink and paper for ever—for in it is
  4. the word secret & not only in the English—
  5. and thy comment upon this the Book of the Law
  6. shall be printed beautifully in red ink and
  7. black upon beautiful paper made by hand;
  8. and to each man and woman that thou
  9. meetest, were it but to dine or to drink
  10. at them, it is the Law to give. Then they
  11. shall chance to abide in this bliss or no;
  12. it is no odds. Do this quickly!
  13. 40 But the work of the comment? That is easy; and

56

                                                                   12
  1. Hadit burning in thy heart shall make swift
  2. and secure thy pen.
  3. 41.  Establish at thy Kaaba cl a clerkship-house:
  4. all must be done well and with business
  5. way.
  6. 42.  The ordeals thou shalt oversee thyself, save only
  7. the blind ones. Refuse none, but thou
  8. shalt know & destroy the traitors. I am
  9. Ra-Hoor-Khuit and I am powerful to protect
  10. my servant. Success is thy proof: argue not;
  11. convert not: talk not over much! Them
  12. that seek to entrap thee, to overthrow thee, them
  13. attack without pity or quarter & destroy them
  14. utterly. Swift as a trodden serpent turn

57

                                                                   13
In line 10, it seems that "harlot" was initially to be "whore".
  1. and strike! Be thou yet deadlier than he!
  2. Drag down their souls to awful torment: laugh
  3. at their fear: spit upon them!
  4. 43 Let the Scarlet Woman beware! If pity and
  5. compassion and tenderness visit her heart
  6. if she leave my work to toy with old
  7. sweetnesses then shall my vengeance be
  8. known. I will slay me her child: I will
  9. alienate her heart: I will cast her out
  10. from men: as a shrinking and despised wharlot
  11. shall she crawl through dusk wet streets, and
  12. die cold and an-hungered.

58

                                                                   14
  1. 44. But let her raise herself in pride. Let
  2. her follow me in my way. Let her
  3. work the work of wickedness! Let her kill
  4. her heart! Let her be loud and adulterous;
  5. let her be covered with jewels, and rich
  6. garments, and let her be shameless before
  7. all men!
  8. 45 Then will I lift her to pinnacles of power:
  9. then will I breed from her a child mightier
  10. than all the kings of the earth I will fill
  11. her with joy: with my force shall she see
  12. & strike at the worship of Nu she shall
  13. achieve Hadit.

59

                                                                   15
  1. 46. I am the warrior Lord of the Forties: the
  2. Eighties cower before me, & are abased
  3. I will bring you to victory & joy: I will be
  4. at your arms in battle & ye shall
  5. delight to slay. Success is your proof;
  6. courage is your armour; go on, go on, in
  7. my strength; & ye shall turn not back for
  8. any.
  9. 47 This book shall be translated into all
  10. tongues: but always with the original in
  11. the writing of the Beast; for in the

60

A grid is drawn covering the entire page. Seven lines (eight squares) across marked a—h and nine lines (ten squares) down, marked 1—10. There is a line drawn diagonally across the page, intersecting squares 1c, 2c, 3c, 4d, 5d, 5e, 6e, and 7e. The intersected letters are: s t B e t I s a y f a. The "circle squared" graphic is to the right.

Image:Circlesquared.gif
                                                                   16
  1. chance shape of the letters and their
  2. position to one another: in these are mysteries
  3. that no Beast shall divine. Let him
  4. not seek to try: but one cometh after
  5. him, whence I say not, who shall
  6. discover the Key of it all. Then
  7. this line drawn is a key: then this
  8. circle squared [graphic] in its failure is a
  9. key also. And Abrahadabra. It shall
  10. be his child & that strangely. Let him not
  11. seek after this; for thereby alone can he
  12. fall from it.

61

                                                                   17
  1. 48 Now this mystery of the letters is done, and
  2. I want to go on to the holier place.
  3. 49 I am in a secret fourfold word, the blasphemy against
  4. all gods of men.
  5. 50 Curse them! Curse them! Curse them!a
  6. 51 With my Hawk’s head I peck at the eyes of
  7. Jesus as he hangs upon the cross
  8. 52 I flap my wings in the face of Mohammed &
  9. blind him
  10. 53 With my claws I tear out the flesh of the
  11. Indian and the Buddhist, Mongol and
  12. Din.
  13. 54 Bahlasti! Ompehda! I spit on your

62

                                                                   18
  1. crapulous creeds.
  2. 55 Let Mary inviolate be torn upon wheels:
  3. for her sake let all chaste women be
  4. utterly despised among you.
  5. 56 Also for beauty’s sake and love’s.
  6. 57 Despise also all cowards; professional soldiers
  7. who dare not fight, but play: all fools despise.
  8. 58. But the keen and the proud, the royal and
  9. the lofty; ye are brothers!
  10. 59 As brothers fight ye.
  11. 60 There is no law beyond Do what thou wilt.
  12. 61 There is an end of the word of the God

63

                                                                   19
  1. enthroned in Ra’s seat, lightening the girders
  2. of the soul.
  3. 62 To Me do ye reverence; to me come ye
  4. through tribulation of ordeal, which is
  5. bliss.
  6. 63 The fool readeth this Book of the Law, and
  7. its comment & he understandeth it not.
  8. 64 Let him come through the first ordeal &
  9. it will be to him as silver
  10. 65 Through the second gold
  11. 66 Through the third, stones of precious water.
  12. 67 Through the fourth, ultimate sparks of the
  13. intimate fire.

64

                                                                   20
In Commentaries, Crowley writes:

“Coph Nia”: the original MS. has "—"; left incomplete as not having been properly heard. The present text was filled in later in her own hand by the first Scarlet Woman.
  1. 68 Yet to all it shall seem beautiful. Its
  2. enemies who say not so, are mere liars.
  3. 69 There is success
  4. 70 I am the Hawk-Headed Lord of Silence
  5. & of Strength; my nemyss shrouds the
  6. night-blue sky.
  7. 71 Hail! ye twin warriors about the pillars of
  8. the world! for your time is nigh at hand
  9. 72 I am the Lord of the Double Wand of Power
  10. the wand of the Copha? {Force of Copha Nia—} but my
  11. left hand is empty, for I have crushed

65

                                                                   21
  1. an Universe; & nought remains.
  2. 73 Paste the sheets from right to left and
  3. from top to bottom: then behold!
  4. 74 There is a splendour in my name hidden
  5. and glorious, as the sun of midnight is
  6. ever the son
  7. 75 The ending of the words is the Word
  8. Abrahadabra.
  9. The Book of the Law is Written
  10. and Concealed
  11. Aum. Ha.


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