Liber XXV: The Star Ruby

Course Series Description

A walkthrough, demonstration and analysis of Aleister Crowleys ritual Liber XXV or the
Star Ruby.
This course is designed to be part of a workshop, and assumes familiarity with the ritual
on the part of the instructor, as well as practical demonstrations of its performance and
details of mechanics.
This course stands alone, or may be incorporated as a module in a more comprehensive
oundations of Ceremonial !agick course.
Lesson Goals
". To learn, through demonstration and participation, the performance of this ritual
#. $earn the outline of the ritual and its components.
%. To enhance the ritual by understanding the meaning of the &reek words and sacred
names used.
Tools Needed
". Copies of handout 'Star Ruby cheat(sheet)
Background
irst appearing in print with the publication of the Book of Lies in "*"% e.v., the Star
Ruby 'chapter #+ of $iber CCC,,,---) was described by Crowley as a new and more
elaborate version of the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram.
.isciples at the Abbey of Thelema in Cefalu performed the ritual as part of their daily
practices, along with /ill and $iber Resh. The ritual was later modified somewhat and
released in "*#* e.v. as an appendi0 of Magick in heor! and Practice "Book#$ Part
%%%&, where Crowley also noted in chapter "%1
2-t is usually sufficient to perform a general banishing, and to rely upon the aid
of the guardians invoked. $et the banishing therefore be short, but in no wise
slurred 3 for it is useful as it tends to produce the proper attitutude of mind for
the invocations. 4The 5anishing Ritual of the 6entagram 'as now rewritten, $iber
%%%, Cap. ,,7) is the best to use.8
5uilt up from the traditional $esser 6entagram Ritual of the &olden .awn 'see Liber '
vel Manus et (agittae, section -7), while similar in some aspects, the Star Ruby also has
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many significant differences in its structure9 for e0ample, using &reek instead of
:ebrew intonations9 similarly, while its predecessor is suitable for both invoking and
banishing elemental forces, the Star Ruby is e0clusively a banishing ritual 3 and a truly
thorough, focused, and e0ceedingly powerful one. The rituals do build upon one
another, and it has been found beneficial my many to first master the older form before
working with this new and improved ritual.
-n 777, Crowley attributes the ruby to )eburah and to the path of Peh. 5oth are
attributed to the planet !ars, whose number is five. Also, #+;+0+.
Thus, 2Star Ruby Ritual8 is <abalistic code for 26entagram Ritual8 'star of five).
There are actually two versions of the Star Ruby ritual1
The one appearing in he Book of Lies
The one appearing in Crowleys subse<uent works
The primary difference is what names are intoned in each direction, and how they
are intoned.
Opening
The ritual opens with the establishment of the divine form of :oor(paar(kraat in the
operator, as he assumes the Sign of Silence. The successfull establishment of this form
and condition of consciousness is central to the remainder of the ritual, for it establishes
within the magician the center of authority within as the 2still, silent self8 of the .ivine
Child :arpocrates, a symbol of the :oly &uardian Angel that is effectively known and
e0perienced as the True /ill.
rom this center of Silence, the calm depths of true power, lying timeless in eternity, we
now move into action. The lightning flash of /ill is invoked to banish by fiat with a
great swee*8 of the right hand down and out+ e,*elling forcibl! th! breath8 the words
'2away every evil spirit.8).
Qabalistic Cross
The <abalistic cross section of the ritual invokes the solar(phallic regency of &od in all
glory and ma=esty1
/ith the same forefinger touch thy forehead and say , thy member, and say
, thy right shoulder, and say , thy left shoulder, and say
then clasp thine hands, locking the fingers, and cry .
-n the sparse notes to the ritual given in Liber ---, Crowley informs us in a footnote to
the phrase that thesecret sense of the words is to be sought in the
numeration thereof. The isopsephy of this in=unction to the solar(phallic creative &od
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has a value of "%>>, which is identical to that of '+%+) ? '@%"), or yoni ?
lingam. Another phrase with this same value is , 2the voice.8
Thus visualiAing oneself standing as a radiating erect column of light, crying out in
&reek words which may be translatedh!+ ' Phallus+ Might!+ Beneficient+ %.'/ the
creative and irresistible universal currents of $ove, $ife and $iberty are invoked.
-AB
A &nostic trinity e<uated in the &olden .awn with -CR- and $7, in the
Rose Cross Ritual9
The &reek form of 0ah.
Crowley also saw the word symboliAing the stages of magical working1
I '-sis)1 The 2honeymoon8 period of enthusiasm.
A 'Apophis)1 The dark night of the soul.
O 'Bsiris)1 .etermination reborn.
Four Quarters
The ritual then proceeds to the establishment of the <uarters, with a flaming pentagram
visualiAed at the forehead and cast forth into each cardinal <uarter with the forceful Sign
of the Dnterer.
Rather than tracing a pentagram, Crowley has you visualiAe one burning
on your brow and then throw it forward while vibrating the appropriate sacred
name.
Crowley gives specific directions on how to intone each word.
Dach gesture concludes with the Sign of Silence.
The older form of the ritual from Liber %%% uses the formula of !"!# in descent around
the perimeter of the circle as the magician moves widdershins, so that to the Dast is
associated ire and the $ion Eerub9 to the Corth is /ater and the Dagle Eerub9 in the
/est, the Eerub of !an and Air9 and finally in the South the element of Darth and the
5ull Eerub. The characteristic vocaliAation of each Eerub is used to pro=ect the name out
into the <uarter1 the roar of the $ion, the scream of the Dagle, the voice of !an, and the
bellowing of the 5ull.
These names and vocaliAations would be changed in the later version of the ritual, using
Therion, Cuit, 5abalon and :adit instead. The later form is more in alignment with the
structure of Liber V vel Reguli.
5abalon1 Corth or /est
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Bf the sacred words used in the original Star Ruby, only 5abalon has been
retained.
She is moved from the north 'earth mother) to the west 'lover).
-n the Gnostic Mass, written about the same time as the Star Ruby,
5abalon is described as 2one Darth, the mother of us all, and in one /omb,
wherein all men are begotten and wherein they shall rest.8
Dros F 6syche
Eros, or erotic love, was originally in the west9 redundant with 5abalon.
Psyche, or mind, is in the south representing
the will of the magician
the -d in the psychoanalytic view of the mind
Chaos 'in the east) is infinite space, the atmosphere, or the *rima
materia.
Bnce again, the Gnostic Mass sheds some light on Crowleys thinking1
Chaos is 2sole viceregent of the sun upon the earth89 and east is the
<uarter of the rising sun.
This passage also speaks of 2one Star in the company of Stars8
-t also mentions 2one Air the nourisher of all that breathes8 'east;air).
Paian
The circle being completed, the magician returns to the center of the circle and raises
2thy voice in the 6aian8 invoking 6an under the starry dome of Cight, and giving the
Signs of C.B.,. in such a way as to show the progression up the Tree of $ife and across
the Abyss.
A paean is an ancient &reek song of re=oicing.
Traditionally to Apollo, but, in this case, to 6an.
Cote that the C.B.,. signs are grade signs in the AA above Adeptus
!inor 'to which the $.7.,. signs correspond).
Compare to the $.7.,. signs used in the &reater 5anishing Ritual of the
6entagram
Cote Buter Brder degree signs used in Resh.
The C.B.,. signs are given in Magick in heor! and Practice 'the grade
signs) and described in Liber Reguli.
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Guardians of the Quarters
Standing in the radiant form of the solar(phallic cross, the magician calls forth the
guardians of the <uarters and the effulgent ensigns of the 6entagram and :e0agram.
The guardians called forth in this ritual are not those of the :ebraic Archangels as in the
$esser Ritual of the 6entagram9 rather, the Star Ruby appears to be working with beings
that first find their description in the Ceoplatonic accounts of 6roclus.
-n $on .u<uettes The Magick of Thelema
2According to the Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster, each individual,
prior to any theurgic ritual, must gain consciousness of the 4agathosdaimon, a
personal guardian spirit or angel who functions as the mediator between the
aspirant and the gods. These guides are called 2-unges8 or 2errymen.8 $iterally
2wrynecks,8 traditionally the birds of the abyss. -unges, Synoches, and
Teletarchae comprise the three celestial -ntelligences or Archangels of Chaldean
cosmology.8
-ynges
Appearing in he 1haldean 'racles, the -ynges are a topic of some debate but are
either1
a wryneck bird
a disk F cord spun overhead to make a whistling noise
a top
a sympathetic magic tool of attraction
Teletarchai
Teletarchai or 26erfectors8 are the Rulers of -nitiation in he 1haldean 'racles,
symboliAing1
-ntellect.
-nitiators or guides 2at all stages of the souls striving towards spiritual
union.8
Synocheis
Also appearing in he 1haldean 'racles, the Synocheis or ConnectorsH!aintainers are1
6otential or dynamic power.
Creators of cohesion.
&uardians of the unity of the cosmos.
:ekates womb has a life(giving fire which is passed on to others. -t spills forth upon the
!aintainers 'Sunocei7).
.aimones
2aimones are the plural of 2aimwn or demon, which, in classical &reek,
represents1
&ods or goddesses
Souls of men of the golden age, acting as tutelary deities
Spiritual or semi(divine being, inferior to the &ods
'$iddell F Scott, )reek34nglish Le,icon)
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-n he 1haldean 'racles+ :ekate is associated with daimones because she
is associated w the moon, and the !oon is
considered the intermediary between :eaven F Darth, and
connected wH daimones as intermediaries between men and gods
Closing
The rite then concludes with the Iabalistic Cross again, followed by the banishing by
fiat.
Star ub! "s# LBP
:ighlight ma=or differences between the Star Ruby and the traditional $5R61
The circle is cast widdershins, not deosil.
6entagrams are cast, not drawn.
Dach name is vibrated differently.
The paean 'invocation of 6an) is new, as are the C.B.,. forms.
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eferences
Primary References for Star Ruby
Crowley, Aleister. "*@J. The 5ook of $ies which is also falsely called 5reaks1 The
/anderings or alsifications of the Bne Thought of rater 6erdurabo 'Aleister Crowley)
which Thought -s -tself Kntrue. A Reprint with an Additional Commentary to Dach
Chapter. Samuel /eiser1 Cew Lork. The Star Ruby ritual originally appeared here.
Crowley, Aleister, .esti, !ary and /addell, $eila. "**M. Magick$ Liber .B.+ Book #+
Parts %3%V. #
nd
revised edition. Samuel /eiser1 Lork 5each, !D. A great reference for
the popular rescension of Star Ruby, containing e0planatory endnotes.
Books on The Chaldean Oracles
/estcott, /illiam /ynn. he 1haldean 'racles of 5oroaster. Collectanea :ermetica.
Theosophical 6ublishing :ouse1 $ondon, "@*+. Reprinted by /eiser as collectanea
6ermetia, this is the version of the Bracles with which Crowley would be most familiar.
Three specialiAed works dealing with aspects of he 1haldean 'racles particularly
relevant to the Star Ruby are1
Athanassiadi, 6. "***. The Chaldean oracles1 Theology and theurgy. -n 6.
Athanassiadi F !. rede 'Dds.), Pagan Monotheism in Late .nti7uit!. B0ford.
Nohnston, Sarah -les. "**J. :ekate Soteira1 A Study of :ekates Roles in the Chaldean
Bracles and Related $iterature. Scholars 6ress1 Atlanta.
Ronan, Stephen. "**". :ekates iyn01 An ancient theurgical tool. .le,andria "1%#"(
%%+.
Two e0cellent 'but very difficult to find) references on he 1haldean 'racles are1
$ewy, :. "*M@. O"*+>P Chaldaean Bracles and Theurgy1 Couvelle Qdition par !ichael
Tardieu. 6aris.
!a=ercik, Ruth. "*@*. The Chaldean Bracles1 Te0t, Translation, and Commentary. D. N.
5rill1 $eiden.
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$andout %& Star ub! Cheat'Sheet
5egin facing east9 move counterclockwise as needed.
&ive gesture of e0orcism and cry 2A:(po 6A:C(tos EA(ko(.A-(mon(os.8
Cross Qabalistic
Touching 7ibrate Actual word !eans
orehead
Soy Soi 2Thy8
6elvis
o A(lay B 6halle 2phallus8
Right shoulder DDS(koo(ros -schuros 2mighty8
$eft shoulder you(ka(RDD(stos Ducharistos 2benificent8
Arms folded ee(ah(oh -AB &nostic godname
Banishing
acing
-magine pentagram in
forehead and, giving
Sign of the Dnterer,
throw pentagram out
while intoningR
:ow to intone /ord to -ntone &esture
Dast
Roar Therion Sign of Silence
Corth Say Cuit Sign of Silence
/est /hisper 5abalon Sign of Silence
South 5ellow :adit Sign of Silence
-n he Book of Lies, the original version of Star Ruby gives different names for the
<uarters.
2Completing the circle widdershins, retire to the centre, and raise thy voice in the 6aian,
with these words -B 6AC, with the signs of C.B.,.8
("ocation
Direction
/ho
6RB moo ee(LKC(gayss '-unges)
oh(6DD(so moo the(leh(TAR(kai 'Teletarchai)
eh(pee .D,(ee(ah soo(CB(cay(ees 'Synocheis)
ep(ah(RDD(stair(ah dai(!BAC(ase '.aimones)
$D&(ee gar 6A-R(ee moo o A:(steer tone 6DC(tay
E-D en TAL STDD$(ee(ay o A:(steer ton :D, es(TDD(kay
Close with the Cross Cabalistic.
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