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Liber CXXXII (132)
[Note: First part up to section Gamma probably written 28 May 1943. Wilfred Talbot Smith noted on his original copy "Recvd 7 Oct 43"—G.J. Yorke.]
ΑΠΟΘΕΟΣΙΣ 132
May 28 '43 e.v. 3.30 p.m. G.M.T.
BIRTH OF AN IDEA
666 making consideration of the True Will or Destiny of Fra∴ 132 [Wilfred T. Smith] was haunted persistently by the word Apotheosis. The Qabalistic value of this word is 645, which added to 132 gives 777![1] His work had been based on very varied reports concerning Fra∴ 132: friends, enemies and critics. He was able to reconcile all the conflicting accounts by this Idea: his memory then suggested Louis Bromfield's book "The Strange Case of Miss Annie Spragg". In the deepest purport of this book he saw the adumbration of the method by which Fra∴ 132 might come to full Initiation, the perfect realisation of his self, and the free fulfilment of his True Will.
This came to Fra∴ 666 as a dazzling light thrown upon this very difficult case. He was impelled to take an Omen and then an Oracle, and later to act up a Genethliacal figure. (This last heads these remarks: comment follows in due course). The Omen was the 58th [I Ching] Hexagram, Tui, the watery part of Water; and the Marriage of Water with the Sun, the child thereof. Roughly interpreted, this means a pleasing solution, and success through the Image of Illumination.
The Oracle was AL. III. 18. "Now this mystery of the letters is done, and I want to go on to the holier place": incredibly apt: this might well be the utterance of Fra∴ 132 at this juncture.
The Magical Ring of Fra∴
666 stopped so as to cover the letters n to t in the
words "on to the" in the MS. of Liber AL. The word "to"
תו
is the Hebrew
אתה,
Thou; N
נ
is
Fra∴ 132 himself should be very specially qualified to appreciate these Qabalistic significances: perhaps better than any other member of the Order.
The Horoscope: this is one of the most astonishingly fortunate figures that Fra∴ 666 has ever set up in his whole life.
Fra∴
666 has from the beginning been baffled by the extraordinary
Figure of the Heavens at the nativity of Fra∴
132. There are no less than 8 planets in close—remarkable
close; the limit of divergence is only 5°—aspect. Add
W. T. Smith
12.40 A.M. 9-6-85 Tunbridge Kent
Yet no corresponding qualities could be found in the man. He has no birth, no breeding, no education; physically he is a meagre specimen; mentally and morally he possesses every vice, every defect conceivable. Spiritually he has no attainments to his credit; his achievements are null. To set off these flaws, he can boast a few virtues; even his persistence in upholding the Order may have been due to self-preservation rather than to loyalty.
These facts are patent: Fra∴ 666 has set them forth less from personal observation than from the reports of friends and admirers.
Accordingly, the horoscope is completely absurd and nonsensical: indeed "a giant's robes upon a dwarfish thief."
Yet, with all that has been said against Fra∴ 132 there is no doubt that Something in him demands and received the most extravagant, blind, unreasonable devotion.
Fra∴ 666 was struck, while making these observations, by certain curious parallels between his personality (and his effect upon those who know him) and that of Cyrus Spragg, the "Prophet" of Louis Bromfield's book. This book must be read with very great care, or it will be fatally misunderstood. The Key is in the last fact cited by Horace Winnery at the end of § ii of the last chapter.
The simple, the astounding Truth, flooded the mind of Fra∴ 666 with light. It explains all obscurities, it reconciles all contradictions. We have all of us throughout been blinded by a single misapprehension, precisely as if a staff of Astronomers, mistaking a planet for a star, observed its motion, and so found nothing but irritating, bewildering, inexplicable attacks upon the "Laws of Nature."
All becomes clear on recognizing the fundamental mistake: Wilfred T. Smith, Fra∴ 132, is not a man at all; he is the Incarnation of some God.
666.
Section β. Dead Reckoning: And the Port.
It having been discerned above in α that Fra∴ 132 is an incarnation (not necessarily an avatar) of some god, it is expedient to discuss divers implications of this thesis.
1. The word "god" implies a fact; it is no question of convenience, as when the Ephesians called Barnabas Jupiter, and Paul Mercury.
2. The incarnation of a god is an exceedingly rare event to become known, although frequent enough when he makes it secretly "to take his pleasure on the earth among the legions of the living." It being known, it is important to ascertain his purpose, especially when (as in the present case) the material envelope has been so perfectly constructed that he himself is not fully aware of it.
3. One must distinguish such cases very sharply indeed from that phenomenon—in these days so common as to constitute an appreciable percentage of the population, and to exercise notable influence upon society—of the incarnation of elementals.
Nor is a "god" here to be confounded with a "daimon" or "angel," even although his function wholly or in part prove to be that of an "angel," or messenger, or "prophet." [Cf Liber AL I. 7. There is no reason to suppose that Aiwass is, or is not, a living man.]
4. By "god" is to be understood a complete macroscopic individual, as contrasted with human-elementals, who incarnate partial—planetary or zodiacal—intelligences of higher or lower rank in the Yetziratic Hierarchies; such as salamanders, undines, sylphs and gnomes in human form.
5. It is of the first importance for those who would reap full benefit from the sojourn of such a being on this planet that they should understand his nature; they ought "to know his name." [cf. Neophyte ritual of the G∴D∴ and J. G. Frazer's remarks on this formula in The Golden Bough.] To determine his identity is a task of notable magnitude: what means are at the disposal of the Enquirer?
In a matter of such moment it would be rash to rely upon the ordinary methods of divination; and in this case astrology fails to afford even a suggestion.
The letter of Fra∴ 132 to Fra∴ 666 of Feb 3 1943 e.v. seems to supply a hint. The letter was written in a state of intense excitement: "in vino veritas." Fra∴ 132 himself seems to regard himself as a "prophet" of the Law of Thelema, and even of Fra∴ 666 himself, adulating that very human brother in fantastically unbalanced and exaggerated language. If this were so, the fact would be immediately manifest when Fra∴ 132 began to "prophesy"; but even so, no light is thereby cast upon the problem of his identity.
6. Fra∴ 132, having hitherto been unconscious of his true Nature, is plainly incompetent to announce offhand who he actually is in the celestial orders; and his tempestuous and thwarted career while in subjection to the hallucination that he was human in the full sense has presumably obfuscated his intelligence, and masked his countenance with the thousand irrelevant but direly deceptive excrescences, as it were a handsome youth smeared in the ordure-troughs of Cachau.
7. It must therefore be his primary object to recognize himself.
With this end in view, he must first of all withdraw completely from further occasion of contamination; and he must devise for himself—with some help as this essay may be able to render him—a true method of self-realization.
This aim is of course that of initiation itself; but in the normal man the self to be realized is altogether beyond identification with any person; it is universal, and identical for all of us, since ultimately we differ only as points in a boundless space; that is, by position, which is itself only recognizable by virtue of imperfection in the analysis!
8. In this case Fra∴ 132 has to realize and to proclaim his identity and function very much as Fra∴ 666 regards himself in the light of what is spoken of him in The Book of the Law. He ought to be able to say simply: I am Apu-t, or Kabeshnut, or Thoum-aesh-neith, or as may be the case. It will not serve the present purpose to accept Asar, or Ra, or one of the Universal Gods, such as whom all men are in a sense incarnations.
It is not necessary that the god should have been incarnated at (or before the birth of Wilfred T. Smith. A quite possibly significant moment might have been the Summer Solstice of 1916 e.v. or the Winter of 1909 e.v., when terrific forces were set in motion by the Chiefs of the Order.[2]
The "child" might well have been begotten by the "Paris Working" (January 1914) or as the result of some of the immense Enochian Invocations: in the latter case the name of the "god" required might be found on the Watch Towers of the Universe, and his nature determined by analysis of the squares concerned.
Another possibility, suggested by the place of residence of Fra∴ 132, is that one of the aboriginal "Red Indian" gods may have seized the opportunity somehow afforded by Fra∴ 132's state at the moment.
9. Do these suggestions conflict with the original thesis? Is the case rather on of permanent possession of a man by a god? This question recalls the phenomenon observed in the late Fra∴ Lampada Tradam [Victor B. Neuburg], who became for periods (on one occasion it extended to eleven days) the vehicle of such deities as Isis, Jupiter, and Pan; also of obsessing demons, who were of course exorcised without delay, but often with extreme difficulty.
During such times Fra∴ L.T. lost completely all his human characteristics, his awareness of the world about him, and lived in uninterrupted consciousness of the deity that was then possessing him, and manifested the qualities of that godhead in singular perfection, untainted, unalloyed, by any corporate externalization of the vehicle.
10. The case of Fra∴ 132 seems quite different. He appears almost continually thwarted, enraged, the imprisoned god chafing at his base confinement, and the "human" qualities those rather of some animal other than a man. Only in the ecstasy of the performance of his sacerdotal function in the Gnostic Mass, and when similarly freed by equivalent magical conditions, did Fra∴ 132 exult in the fullness of his self-realization in freedom; but still, through failure to understand the true nature of the phenomenon, neither wholly satisfied with the present, nor capable of manipulating the future.
11. The strategical aspect of the task which confronts Fra∴ 132 is accordingly simple, clear, straightforward, and capable of being carried through in triumph on lines well-known, well-tried, and already proved applicable with satisfaction to an by Fra∴ 132 himself.
The problem may be succinctly stated as follows:
To initiate himself to the point at which he may be classed in the hierarchy to which he belongs, so as to be recognizable by himself, and by observers of adequate skill.
The further Work of self-initiation up to the final resolution of the pantomorphous tensorial equation: Naught≡two≡one≡many≡all (in א and ω dimensions) is clearly the business of the god himself to undertake; but it may be laid down on considerations of general principle that the first conditions of its success must be that the god has perfectly fulfilled the particular purpose to execute which he embarked upon so extraordinary and hazardous an undertaking as to incarnate in human forms.
12. The True Will of Wilfred T. Smith, or of Fra∴ 132, is from Α to Ω identical with that of every other star: videlicet, to discover, understand and enjoy his own original Universal Perfection by postulating it in terms of every possible Imperfection in every possible dimension; but the True Will, at any given moment, of any particular complex of Imperfections is for the individual so composed to discover by the accepted Formulae. And it is certain that to be baulked of success in this "Next Step" is to be barred temporarily from attainment of the broader, deeper, and ultimate "Great Work."
13. For the observer, therefore, who is bound by the Oaths of the Great White Brotherhood to assist Fra∴ 132 in his Work, receiving in turn the benefit appointed it will be especially useful to study the following sections of this Essay.
Section γ. The Captain: Ship's Discipline: Hints on Navigation.
[1.] It must appear of little really vantage to the divine Tenant of any human mansion to be aware of the name assigned to him by his neighbours, or even by the man who shelters him; but from a shallow and temporary standpoint it may be well for him to take measures that will ensure his proper treatment by, and even assistance from them. The problems of all concerned will be simplified if he is fitted with an accurate appellation. He must be able to fulfil himself with the least possible friction; this implies a preparation and a safeguarding of the conditions of the incarnation. Thus confident in reliance on the understanding, goodwill, and assistance of his appointed guardians, he must take the utmost pains to realize himself, to develop his nature so as best to carry out the purpose to accomplish which he has undertaken this rare and difficult form of strategy.
2. The divine nature must never be contaminated or cheapened by human associations. He must be seen and heard by his attendants only, except in actual ceremonial or when "prophesying."
The most difficult of all his tasks will be to establish and maintain proper relations with those attendants. "No man is a hero to his valet." But that is exactly what he must be; and he must achieve this simply, without artifice, pose, or superficial play upon the emotions of his guardians.
3. It should be most convenient for him to dwell in a tent or "shack," preferably on some remote yet consecrated place such as "Temple Hill" where his food could be supplied from the neighbouring G.H.Q. [Great Headquarters] of the S. G. M. G. now called Rancho RoyAL. He should occupy himself in building single-handed a Chapel or Temple from the materials there abounding, or till his own garden, or both.
4. To emphasize the solemnity of his dedication, and its irrevocable nature, it would be wise for him to cause the Mark of the Beast to be tattooed upon his forehead, or in the palm of his right hand; also if choose, over his heart and upon his Mons Veneris.
5. He must always wear special robes appropriate to his nature and his work:
(a) Ceremonial vestment correct for his particular godhead (b) working dress, the most convenient and comfortable for his daily life and work (c) whatever robes may be proper for any ceremonial of the Order in which he may be taking part.
6. "unassuaged of purpose." He must not make speeches designed to bring about any course of events in the outside world. His words must be Utterances, followed by Silence. They must be confined to "prophecies," definite outbursts of divine self-expression. There must be no reporting of these Utterances and no writings on any sacred topic. He must train his personal attendant as Athos did Grimaud in The Three Musketeers to understand his requirements with a minimum of speech. (Arrangements must be made for a medical visit to Fra∴ 132 at short regular intervals.)
7. It may be that, in order to fulfil his nature and mission, he must receive, from time to time, secret visitors. Such visits must be limited to a single aim, and while they last, all restrictions may be cancelled; the visit will have its own ceremonial amenities. But, the purpose of the visit once attained, there is to be no repetition; nor, before that, any undue frequency. The error to be avoided is that the tendency to establish normal human relations with any person is compelling: it must be eschewed, as utterly fatal to his whole mission.
Applications to visit him must be
allowed or disallowed by Fra∴
8. Fra∴ 132 is to formulate his own "Oath of the Beginning"; he is advised to submit a draft of this for approval and suggestions of Fra∴ 666.
Fra∴ 666 may revise the terms of this Oath from time to time as Fra∴ 132 develops.
9. There should be a period of preparation pending the full assumption of his Dignity by Fra∴ 132.
These suggestions following may be of use.
α) Fra∴
β) Fra∴ 132 should begin to attune himself to the final regimen at once by making a Great Magical Retirement, living alone, and seeing no one except for (say) two hours weekly conference with the Committee to discuss minor problems that may arise in the course of the preparations.
γ) His main Work will of course be to use such practices, invocations, etc., as will help him to establish his Identity. Until this is discovered, beyond all possibility of error, there is a risk of making plans which could conflict with that Identity. E.g. a King or Oreads would require a mountain Dwelling; a King or Undines a lake, river, or seashore; a Son of Demeter a Grove: and so on for all.
(Nevertheless, the suggestions above put forward of Temple Hill as an Abode and the Building of a Chapel with garden as the material side of the work, came spontaneously and it may be not wholly without inspiration.)
δ) During the period of preparation it is of the very greatest importance that no hint soever of the significance of the activities of those concerned should reach the outer world; and the strictest silence in respect of the matter should be most straitly enjoined upon every member of the Order; not even among themselves should it be mentioned, much less discussed. The sole exception to this rule: Fra∴ 132 and the Committee; and they, to the exact contrary, should discuss nothing whatever that does not appertain to the business of the preparations.
1—[The sum is the result of Crowley having misspelled "apotheosis" in Greek as in the subtitle; the correct total is 1375.] 2—[The summer solstice of 1916 was the date of Charles Stansfeld Jones's assumption of the grade of Magister Templi, to which Smith was a witness. In the winter of 1909 Crowley received the series of apocalyptic visions through the Enochian "keys" of John Dee entitled The Vision and the Voice.]
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,
and T (of th)
ט
.
So that those letters might be read—"Thou, between the Lion
and the Dragon" (or Serpent). The 4 letters add to 465 = 5 x
93: (Add this also to 645: the result is 1110.)
is 12th exactly on the place of 132's radical
shews
the intervention of the Masters of the
on the cusp of 11th shews the friendly invention of 666. It
is exactly on the place of 666's radical
, his
Magical Will.
the Lady of the Figure, culminating, and
in 10th
show good fortune attending the Discovery
in 10th may shew permanence of the fame attaching to it.
is in the 9th house—philosophy, science and religion.
support
from the Trine, aspect. They shew the Word and the Will
taking charge of 132's life.
