Aleister Crowley Diary Entry

Thursday, 29 January 1914

Opus XVI

The Sixteenth Working

[Thursday, January 29 — Friday, January 30, 1914.]

The Temple opened at about 10.20 after the Haud secus—again of the soft steady watery type—the god demanded blood. O.S.V. [Crowley] cut a on L.T's breast [Victor B. Neuburg] and offered thereof, L.T. then did a wonderful dance, O.S.V. in śavāsana, O.S.V. became inspired.  The planetary spirits by the way are now plain to see.  Next week the God demands that the image shall be placed in a vesica, and a sparrow (or if not, a pigeon) shall be slain therein before the Accendat, with these words:  "Nunc flavi Jovi spumantem sanguine saevo passerem" or such other words as may be suggested by the Art-Batchelor W. D., who has been sent by Juppiter from London on this account.  The blood only of a sparrow is to remain in the vesica, and to be connected (after the Versicle) with the magi by the Sigil on L.T's heart, right breast left breast and navel on the four nights.  The body is to be burnt.  For the last four nights both flesh and blood are to be sacrificed.  The Temple closed at midnight exactly.  I omitted one other instruction.  From Sunday midnight to Thursday midnight no other food is to be taken but the banquets, not drink, save only pure water.

It is to be noted that since the beginning of this Operation the Bank Rate has fallen to 3 % and Consols improved from 71½ to 76¼, a gain of over £1400 to to O.S.V.

On Saturday O.S.V. received a letter which should bring Pounds 500 within the next two months.

I should mention that the possession of O.S.V. on Thursday night was the most complete and material possession, and has occurred to him most rarely.  The directions were obtained with difficulty, and his whole consciousness was wrapped up in the god, the only expression being these words "Sanguis et Semen."^[1]

1—Latin, "blood and semen."

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