The Golden Dawn

by Israel Regardie

  Draw sigil of Kerubim in the hexagram. Pause for some while, formulating the godform of Isis.

  In the name of Shaddai El Chai, I proclaim all ye powers and forces of Yesod, that I, Ad Majorem Adonai Gloriam, Neophyte of the Golden Dawn, and a Frater Roseae Rubeae et Aureae Crucis, have summoned ye to my presence for the forming of a true and potent link between my human soul in Malkuth and the great goddess Isis, whose true abode is in the supernals, yet reflected in Yesod, the eternal foundation of all things. To this end I now formulate a magical image of Isis in the Astral Light, so that by its assumption and with the divine aid I may be transformed from corruption into incorruption, and putting aside mortality become divinity itself through the descent of that supernal light which cometh with healing in its wings. And I solemnly pledge myself to use this body of transformation of the goddess Isis for the forwarding of the highest aspirations of my soul, and for the pursuit of the Great Work, that it may in very truth become a perfect body of transmutation. Formulate before me now in the evoked elements of air, O ye powers of Yesod, a true and tangible form of Isis, that through its assumption, my own inner being may be wholly dissolved as though eaten up by the airs of the spirit, and transformed into a divine transfiguration. To the end that by the descent of the Shekinah and my assumption into the Holy Spirit, I may become the embodiment of the true magic of light, and acquire more perfect knowledge to help my fellow men.

  And I now declare that all is in readiness for this magical operation, devoted to the formulation of a body of transformation of the goddess Isis.

  Pass to the west of the temple with fire and water, and place them either side of the formulation of Isis, saying:

  O form of Isis, I formulate thee in the name Ad Majorem Adonai Gloriam, that thou mayest become a living body for the manifestation of the wisdom of godhead. And in the holy names of the goddesses of the scales of the balance, I purify thee with water and consecrate thee with fire, that from the vapours of these elements a basis may be formed for thee in the Astral Light.

  Pass to the east of the altar, facing west. In the west, kneeling at the altar where in the Neophyte ceremony the newly-admitted aspirant would be, formulate the godform of Isis. Imagine that your left hand holds the left hand of the form. Hold the black section of the lotus wand in the right hand, tracing over the form such letters, sigils, and lineal figures as may occur in the following oration.

  In the divine name Shaddai El Chai, I invoke thee, thou great goddess of nature who clothest thyself with the forces of life as with a garment. O thou who art Isis, the high priestess of the silver star, the perfect purity and illumination of the divine presence of the supernal light, whose sphere is Yesod reflecting the light and air from the crown. Lift me up, I beseech thee, through the Path of Tau, and manifest unto me a body of transformation, showing forth thy love and power and stability. Grant unto me the mighty power and help of the archangel Gabriel who rules over the fundamental strength of Yesod, that he may command to my assistance the choir of angels, the Kerubim, that they may formulate with power this form of Isis. Let them give life and vitality unto this form of transmutation before me: Let them bind therein the reflection of the light of the supernals so that by my assumption of it, the body of transformation may become a solid link, tangible and unbreakable with all those powers of love and understanding which rise rank upon rank to the feet of the Holy Spirit. Grant that the wisdom and light of the divine ones may descend and through this form, manifest unto me the true holiness and unsullied vision of the light.

  Vibrate and circumambulate Isis by the vibratory formula of the Middle Pillar. Holding lotus wand by the black end, directing flower over the head of form, say:

  In the name of the Lord of the Universe, arise before me, O form of Isis unto which I have elected to transform myself, so that seeing me, men may see the thing they see not, and comprehend not the divine form that they see.

  Leave altar and move slowly towards the north.

  Pass towards the north shrouded in darkness, O form of Isis into which I have elected to transform myself. The voice of the transformer said, “Let me enter the path of darkness, peradventure thus may I manifest the light. I am the only being in an abyss of darkness, from the darkness came I forth ere my birth, from the silence of a primal sleep.” And the voice of the transformation said unto me, “Child of Earth, the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness comprehendeth it not.” Let the mystic circumambulation take place.

  Pass round once leading the form. Formulate it in the south between two pillars, and place fire and water on either side. Pass to west, endeavouring to visualize the form strongly.

  Thou canst not pass from concealment unto manifestation save by virtue of the name of Elohim. Before all things are the chaos, the darkness, and the gates of the land of night. I am he whose name is darkness. I am the great one of the paths of the shades. I am the transformer in the midst of the transformation. Formulate thou without fear before me as a firm body of transformation, for I am he in whom fear is not. Thou hast known me, O thou form of Isis, pass thou on.

  Pass round once. Bring it to north, between pillars, and place fire and water on either side. Then go east, visualizing Isis.

  Thou canst not pass from concealment unto manifestation save by virtue of the name YHVH. After the formless, the void and the darkness, then cometh the knowledge of the light. I am that light arising in darkness. I am the transformer in the midst of the transformation. Manifest thou therefore as a tangible body of transformation, for I am the wielder of the forces of the balance. Thou hast known me now, O form of Isis, so pass thou on unto the cubical Altar of the Universe.

  Pass to east of altar, formulating Isis as standing west in the place of the candidate.

  And I beheld a great wonder in heaven. A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet, and on her head was the diadem of the twelve stars. O thou queen of love and mercy, thou crowned with the throne, homed as the moon, whose countenance is mild and glowing, hear me, O Isis, hear and save. Isis (vibrate by Middle Pillar), thou who art in matter manifest, mother, queen, and daughter of the justified one, thee, thee do I invoke. O virgin glory of the godhead unspeakable, immortal queen of the gods, I invoke thee. Isis (circumambulate within), by this lotus, the sacred flower of thy life, I invoke thee, I who dwell in the vast hall of living death, crying as thy child Horus towards the Golden Dawn. Isis (vibrate), bid me awake, O mother, from the darkness of this earthy tomb, that I may as the living Osiris speak back to thee. O Isis, thou form of the Holy Spirit, from the marble halls of life, the immeasurable deep of Yesod, the sea of the sacred love, I invoke thee. Isis (circumambulate within), descend from thy palace of the stars.

  O mother, O archetype eternal of maternity and love, O mother, the flower of all mothers, whose voice all Amenti hears. Speak unto me and manifest about me that I may rise from the chaos, from the world of shapeless and illusory forms, of dead men’s husks, and unsubstantial things. O Isis, great queen of heaven, supernal splendour which dwellest in that light to which no man may approach, wherein is mystery and awful silence, come unto me, and make open the gates of bliss. Hail unto thee, O thou mighty mother. Isis, unveil thou, O soul of nature, giving life and energy to the universe. From thee all things do proceed. Unto thee all must return. Thou springest from the sun of splendour, shrouded from all. Lead me to the truth, bright maiden of the night, and guide me in all my wanderings in darkness, as I travel upwards and onwards to the light of the eternal crown. Come forth, O gracious mother. Come unto me and dwell within my heart, thou who art crowned with starlight, who shineth amongst the lords of truth; whose place is in the abode of the light of heaven. Isis (vibrate and circumambulate).

  Now address the body of Isis as though it were physically visible before you at the altar.

  Child of Earth, long hast thou dwelt in darkness. Quit the night and seek the day.

  Draw the form towards you, so that it envelopes you.

  I receive thee as
a true body of Isis, a body of transformation. Khabs am pekht. Konx om pax. Light in extension.

  Analyse keyword and make the L.V.X. signs.

  Before all magical manifestation cometh the knowledge of the light divine.

  Move forward to the pillars and face west. Endeavour to feel the form of Isis as almost physical. Then make the 0° = 0 signs powerfully, and to feel actually in the shape desired. The form should seem as a cloud of mist enveloping you, but not yet wholly visible. When this occurs, but not before, formulate the pillars standing on either side. If not, repeat the conjuration, and then return to pillars. Circumambulate the temple three times, completely enshrouded by form. Then say:

  Thus have I formulated unto myself this transformation.

  Still in the east, utter the following conjuration:

  Shaddai El Chai, almighty and ever living one, blessed be thy name, ever magnified in the life of all. (Vibrate the name by the Middle Pillar, and mystic circumambulation.) Grant unto me the power and presence of the archangel of Yesod, Gabriel, who rules over the Kerubim, that they may vitalize and make strong this form of the godhead, so that it may be moulded as upon a firm and stable foundation, and inspired as a living body of Isis. Grant also unto me that this form of Isis which I have formulated may remain clear and strong so long as I shall have need of it, and that I may retain it under proper control and guidance until it shall have accomplished the work of transformation.

  Return to altar, addressing the form.

  O thou form of Isis, which I have created to envelope and transform me, be thou in truth open to the divine presence, the understanding and love of the supernals. Be thou open to the wisdom and glory of the goddess Isis so that thou mayest be a living soul within me, and to prove my transfiguration, a body and soul of resurrection. For the desire of the heavenly house hath eaten me up, and I desire to be with thee, O Isis. Implant within me the seeds of love and understanding, so that I may prosper in the Great Work and assist others to its glory.

  Before leaving the temple with the godform, say:

  In the name of Yeheshuah, the redeemer, I do now suffer all spirits who may have been bound by this ceremony, and who are not now needed in the work of transformation, to depart unto their abodes and habitations, with the blessing of YHVH.

  Having obtained the desired effect, and when the form no longer is needed, return to temple and shatter the form with the conjuration.

  In and by the name Shaddai El Chai, with the aid of Gabriel, great archangel of Yesod, and the Kerubim, I do now banish the powers of Yesod, and all the spirits of air from this form. Disintegrate it, I command ye, by all the divine names, and depart ye in peace unto your habitations, and let there ever be peace between me and you. Dissipate every vestige of this form, and let its elements return into their component parts. I now cast it forth. Let it cease to be.

  In the name Shaddai El Chai, I now declare this temple closed.

  Perform the Banishing Rituals of the Pentagram and Hexagram.

  [contents]

  SPIRITUAL DEVELOPMENT

  Hekas, hekas este bebeloi.

  Face east, make Qabalistic cross, and perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, with the black end of the lotus wand, holding it by the white band. Then perform the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram. Make the full L.V.X. signs.

  Advance to altar without wand and take therefrom the fire wand. Face south, raise the wand above thy head, and slowly circumambulate with Sol, saying:

  And when, after all the phantoms have vanished, thou shalt see that holy and formless fire, that fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the universe, hear thou the voice of fire.

  On reaching south, making the invoking fire pentagram and say:

  Oip Teaa Pedoce. In the names and letters of the great southern quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the watchtower of the south.

  Replace wand on altar, take cup, and go west. Sprinkle to west and circumambulate temple with Sol, saying:

  So therefore, first, the priest who governeth the works of fire must sprinkle with the lustral water of the loud resounding sea.

  On reaching west sprinkle with water, make invoking water pentagram and the sign of the eagle’s head, and say:

  Empeh Arsel Gaiol. In the names and letters of the great western quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the watchtower of the west.

  Replace cup, take dagger, strike towards east, and circumambulate with Sol, saying:

  Such a fire existeth, extending through the rushings of air, or even a fire formless, whence cometh the image of a voice; or even a flashing light, abounding, revolving, whirling forth, crying aloud.

  On reaching east, strike forward with dagger, and make invoking air pentagram, saying:

  Oro Ibah Aozpi. In the names and letters of the great eastern quadrangle, I invoke ye, ye angels of the watchtower of the east.

  Replace dagger. Take pentacle, go north, shake thrice, and circumambulate with Sol, saying:

  Stoop not down into the darkly splendid world wherein lieth continually a faithless depth and Hades wrapped in gloom, delighting in unintelligible images, precipitous, winding; a black, ever-rolling abyss, ever espousing a body, unluminous, formless, and void.

  Reaching the north, shake pentacle thrice and with it make invoking earth pentagram, saying:

  Emor Dial Hectega. In the names and letters of the great northern quadrangle I invoke ye, ye angels of the watchtower of the north.

  Replace pentacle. Take incense, go west of altar, face east, raise it, describing active equilibriating spirit pentagram, saying:

  Exarp Bitom.

  Describe passive equilibriating spirit pentagram, saying:

  Hcoma Nanta. In the names and letters of the mystical Tablet of Union, I invoke ye, angels of the celestial spheres, whose dwelling is in the invisible. Ye are the guardians of the gates of the universe; be ye also the watchers of my mystic sphere. Remove and banish far the evil; strengthen and inspire me that I may preserve unsullied this my body, as the abode of the mysteries of the eternal gods. Let my sphere be pure and holy so that I may be able to enter into the centre of my being, and become a partaker of the secrets of the divine light.

  Pass to the north. Take lotus wand and say:

  The visible sun is the dispenser of light to the earth. Let me therefore form a vortex in this chamber that the invisible sun of the spirit may shine thereinto from above.

  Circumambulate with Sol thrice, saluting with 5° = 6 signs as you pass the east. Go west of altar, face east, and extend arms in the form of a cross, say:

  Holy art Thou, Lord of the Universe.

  Holy art Thou whom nature hath not formed.

  Holy art Thou, the vast and the mighty one,

  Lord of the light and the darkness.

  Take lotus wand by white band, perform invoking hexagram ritual of the supernals, and pentagram ritual of spirit, and say:

  Supernal splendour which dwellest in the light to which no man can approach, wherein is mystery, and depth unthinkable, and awful silence. I beseech thee, who art Shekinah and Aimah Elohim, to look upon me in this ceremony which I perform to thine honour and for my own spiritual development. Grant thine aid unto the highest aspirations of my soul, in thy divine name YHVH Elohim, by which thou dost reveal thyself as the perfection of creation, and the light of the world to come.

  I implore thee to grant unto me the presence of thy archangel Tzaphqiel. (Trace sigils as required and vibrate powerfully.) O Tzaphqiel, thou prince of spiritual initiation through suffering and of spiritual strife against evil, aid me, I beseech thee, to conquer the evil that is in me by the binding and controlling of my mortal parts and passions.

  O ye strong and mighty ones of the sphere of Shabbathai, O ye Aralim, Aralim, I conjure ye by the mighty name of YHVH Elohim, the divine ruler of your realm, and by the name of Tzaphqiel, your archangel. Aid me with your power, in your office to place a veil between me and all things belonging to the outer and
lower world. Let it be a veil woven from that silent darkness which surrounds your abode of eternal rest in the sphere of Shabbathai, that in this chamber of the divine mystery, I may hear nothing that comes not from on high, and see naught that may distract my vision from the glory of the eternal crown. That I may behold only the holy vision that descends from that divine brilliance, the scintillation and coruscation of the divine glory. That divine brilliance, that light which lighteth the universe, that light which surpasseth the glory of the sun, beside which the light of mortals is but darkness. That in the closing of my physical senses to the vibrations of the outer and the lower, I may learn to awaken those spiritual faculties by which I may attain at length to perfect union with divine and unalterable being.

  Consider the divine ideal, and say slowly:

  From thine hands, O Lord, cometh all good. From thine hands flow down all grace and blessing. The characters of nature with thy finger thou hast traced, but none can read them unless he hath been in thy school. Therefore, even as servants look unto the hands of their masters and handmaidens unto their mistresses, even so do our eyes look up unto thee, for thou alone art our help, O Lord of the Universe. All is from thee, all belongeth unto thee. Either thy love or thine anger all must again re-enter. Nothing canst thou lose, for all must tend to thine honour and majesty. Thou art Lord alone, and there is none beside thee. Thou doest what thou wilt with thy mighty arm and none can escape from thee. Thou alone helpest in their necessity the humble and meek-hearted and poor who submit themselves unto thee; and whosoever humbleth himself in dust and ashes before thee, unto such a one art thou propitious. Who should not praise thee, O Lord of the Universe, unto whom there is none like, whose dwelling is in the heavens and in every virtuous and god-fearing heart.

  O God, the vast one, thou art in all things. O nature, thou self from nothing, for what else can I call thee. In myself, I am nothing, in thee I am self, and exist in thy selfhood from nothing. Live thou in me and bring me unto that self which is in thee, Amen.