FR. «MDRV»and«MDNM» SOR. GEMINI. «MDRV»White Dancing Robe and Black Robe.
«MDNM»VIRGO. «MDRV»Green Robe.«MDNM»
FOUR PROBATIONERS.
«MDRV»Mercury is throned between the Twins. At the west of the Altar is Virgo, and his four attendants.«MDNM»
I
«MDRV»[Full light.«MDNM»
MERCURY. 22-333-333.
The Speech in the Silence.
The Words against the Son of Night.
The Voice of Mercury in the Universe in the Presence of the Eternal Gods.
The Formulas of Knowledge.
The Wisdom of Breath.
The Radix of Vibration.
The Shaking of the Invisible.
The Rolling Asunder of the Darkness.
The Becoming Visible of Matter.
The Piercing of the Coils of the Stooping Dragon.
The Breaking Forth of the Light.
«MDRV»[All being seated, the FOUR PROBATIONERS rise from among the other PROBATIONERS and march to the altar.]«MDNM»
FIRST PROBATIONER. 333-333-22. Brethren, let us kindle the holy perfumes in honour of the most divine God.
ALL FOUR PROBATIONERS. «MDRV»[While he does so.]«MDNM» Hail unto the most divine Lord Mercury!
FIRST PROBATIONER. «MDRV»[To Fr. GEMINI]«MDNM» Our Brother, child of the Voice, we ask Thee for thy help. Wilt thou purify the Temple, that we may proceed with the Invocations?
FR. GEMINI. I am one with you, Brethren!
«MDRV»[He rises and performs the Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram. While he does so, the FOUR PROBATIONERS stand facing the assembly.]«MDNM»
FR. GEMINI. Let the rites of Mercury be celebrated.
«MDRV»[They turn round, facing the altar again.
[MERCURY reads Gemini and Virgo sections from 963 at altar.]
[The big lights are put out; only a small purple light remains.]«MDNM»
FIRST PROBATIONER. O Thou Lord of Harmony! Master of the Right Will, Thou who hast brought unto us the divine seeds of self-knowledge--we, the humble Servants of the children of Thy voice, we call on Thee to lead us out of our Ignorance!
CHORUS OF THREE OTHER PROBATIONERS. We call Thee, O Thrice Holy!
FIRST PROBATIONER. O Thou, Divine Worker! Master of all that is Divine! Herald of all that is coming! Builder of our House! Holy art Thou, Thou that knowest the Supreme Mysteries!
CHORUS. We call Thee, O Thrice Holy!
FIRST PROBATIONER. O Thou, All Good, we call Thee!
«MDNM»VIRGO. I. «MDRV»[Rising.]«MDNM» Not Good alone, Brethren! But all complete in the perfect Equilibrium.
FR. GEMINI. Ay, The Balance must be kept even. Sister, let us invoke the Lord of Knowledge!
«MDNM»VIRGO. He gave unto you, children of His Voice, the Power of the making of fair things. Sing ye unto your Shepherd!
FR. GEMINI. «MDRV»[Rises and stands before MERCURY.]«MDNM» O Spirit, O Divine Messenger, Mighty One, most mighty circling and all comprehending Divine Bearer of the Wand, hail! Coelestial, aetherial, inter-aetherial, water like, air like, fire like, earth like, like unto light, like unto darkness, shining as do the Stars, moist, hot, cold Spirit, hail to Thee, ever laughing Child-God, all-knowing. Through Thee alone can we hope to reach Light and Truth. «MDRV»[Returns to his seat.
[SOR. GEMINI plays accordingly.«MDNM»«FN1Hungarian Dance No. 2: Brahms.»
«MDRV»[A short pause.«MDNM»
MERCURY. At the Ending of the Light,
At the Limits of the Night,
Stood Mercury before the Unborn ones of Time.
Then was formulated the Universe;
Then came forth the Gods thereof,
The aeons of the Bornless Beyond.
Then was the Voice vibrated;
Then was the Name declared.
At the Threshold of Entrance,
Between the Universe and the Infinite,
In the Sign of the Enterer
Stood Mercury, as before him
The aeons were proclaimed.
In Symbols did he record them;
In Breath did he vibrate them;
For between the Light and the Darkness did he stand.
II
«MDRV»The Temple in Darkness«MDNM»
MERCURY.
O Light in Light! O flashing wings of fire!
The swiftest of the moments of the sea
Is unto thee
Even as some slow-foot Eternity
With limbs that drag and wheels that tire.
O subtle-minded flame of amber gyre,
It seems a spark of gold
Grown purple, and behold!
A flame of gray!
Then the dark night-wings glow
With iridescent indigo,
Shot with some violet ray;
And all the vision flames across the horizon
The millionth of no time--and when we say:
Hail!--Thou art gone!
The Moon is dark beside thy crown; the Sun
Seems a pale image of thy body bare;
And for thine hair
Flash comets lustrous with the dewfall rare
Of tears of that most memorable One,
The radiant Queen, the veiled Paphian.
The wings of light divine
Beneath thy body shine;
The invisible
Rayed with some tangible flame,
Seeking to formulate a name,
A citadel;
And the winged heels are fiery with enormous speed,
One spurning heaven; the other trampling hell;
And thou--recede!
O Hermes! Messenger of inmost thought!
Descend! Abide! Swift coursing in my veins
Shoot dazzling pains,
The Word of Selfhood integrate of Nought,
The Ineffable Amen! The Wonder wrought.
Bring death if life exceed!
Bid thy pale Hermit bleed,
Yet life exude;
And Wisdom and the Word of Him
Drench the mute mind grown dim
With quietude!
Fix thy sharp lightnings in my night! My spirit free!
Mix with my breath and life and name thy mood
And self of Thee.
«MDRV»[SOR. GEMINI plays accordingly.«MDNM»«FN1Sarabande: Bach.»
«MDRV»[A short pause.«MDNM»
FR. GEMINI. Master, be it thy pleasure to perform the Invocation of Mercury.
«MDRV»[All PROBATIONERS rise and join the four others in front of the altar.]«MDNM»
MERCURY. «MDRV»[Leaves throne.]«MDNM» Majesty of the Godhead, Wisdom-crowned Thoth, Lord of the Gates of the Universe: Thee, Thee we invoke!
O Thou of the Ibis head: Thee, Thee we invoke!
Thou who wieldest the Wand of Double Power: Thee, Thee we invoke!
Thou who bearest in Thy left hand the Rose and Cross of Light and Life: Thee, Thee we invoke!
O Thou whose head is as an Emerald, and Thy Nemyss as the night sky-blue! Thou whose skin is of flaming orange, as though it burned in a furnace: Thee, Thee we invoke!
Behold, I am yesterday, to-day, and the brother of The Morrow! I am born again and again. Mine is the unseen force from which the Gods are sprung; that giveth life unto the dwellers in the watch-towers of the Universe.
I am the charioteer of the East, Lord of the Past and the Future. I see by mine own inward light; Lord of Resurrection, who cometh forth from the dusk, and whose birth is from the House of Death.
O ye two divine hawks upon your pinnacles, who keep watch over the Universe! Ye who company the bier unto the House of Rest. Ye who pilot the Ship of Ra, ever advancing onwards unto the heights of Heaven!
Lord of the Shrine which standeth in the centre of the Earth!
Behold He is in me and I in Him!
Mine is the radiance in which Ptah floateth over his firmament.
I travel upon high.
I tread upon the firmament of Nu.
I raise a flashing flame with the lightning of mine eye, ever rushing forward in the splendour of the daily glorified Ra, giving my life to the dwellers of Earth.
If I say "come up upon the mountains,"
The Celestial waters shall flow at my word;
For I am Ra incarnate,
Khephra created in the flesh!
I am the image of my Father Tmu, Lord of the City of the Sun!
The God who commands is in my mouth;
The God of Wisdom is in my heart:
My tongue is the sanctuary of Truth:
And a God sitteth upon my lips!
My word is accomplished each day, and the desire of my heart realises itself, like that of Ptah when he creates his works.
I am Eternal; therefore everything acts according to my designs, and everything obeys my words.
Therefore I say unto Thee: come forth unto me from thine abode in the Silence, unutterable Wisdom, All-light, All-power! Thoth, Hermes, Mercury, Odin, by whatever name I call Thee, Thou art still un-named and nameless to Eternity! Come thou forth, I say, and aid and guard me in this Work of Art.
Thou, Star of the East that didst conduct the Magi! Thou art the same, all pr
