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The Scarlet Letter
Volume III, Number 3 | June 1996 The Feast of the Stars by Fr. Titvs
This ritual was written and performed for the opening of the Thelemic Retreat hosted by Scarlet Woman Oasis in 1996. The Feast of the Stars, which falls on the decan ofAquarius, was originally proposed by Frater Pnesomauma. See past issues of the Scarlet Letter for his original explanations of the crossquarter holidays. I beg your leniency in assessing the measure of this ritual. It is a long, rambling thing illustrating my complete lack of understading of pacing, energy, and drama—not to mention the Mysteries of Thelema. So, there are many aspects that could use revision...although I don't really recommend performing this particular ritual. Fr. Pnesomauma has written far more elegant rituals for the Cross Quarters. In my defense, I can say that I had never written a ceremonial ritual for more than two people before...and there is very little in the way of published knowledge or advice on the subject. I give many thanks to Sr. Lillith, Fr. Sharash and Fr. Theta for their input and suggestions.You definitely saved my hide on that occasion. The ritual officers were wonderful, especially considering that they didn't get the script until a couple of hours before the ritual.You could not get better ritualists than Fr. Hunahpu, Sr. Ixel Balamke, and Fr. Xephyr. Even more thanks has to go to those who helped set up the temple (again, last minute).
Ritual for The Feast of the Stars Officers: PRIESTESS, DEACONUS, OFFICER 1, OFFICER 2 In the temple: Altar in the center with cup, censer, incense, three white candles, bell. Super-altar in the North, behind a veil, with three candles. The people should gather around the center altar in a wide circle,
but not blocking the veil. Officers light candles on altar. OFFICER 1: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. ALL: Love is the law, love under will. OFFICERS 1 & 2: DEACONUS: What is the place? OFFICER 1: We lie between the land and the water. DEACONUS: What is the hour? DEACONUS: Is there aught to declare? OFFICER 1: The sun has reached the 2nd decon of Aquarius, the cross-quarter of the Waterbearer. OFFICER 2: Hail unto thee who art Ra in Thy course, even unto Thee who art Ra in Thy strength, who travellest over the heavens in Thy bark at the turning of the Wheel. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Winter! DEACONUS: Then let us celebrate the Feast of the Stars! OFFICER 1: (going to North) Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye! In the name of our Lord, who is the Lord of the Universe, who is un-named and un-namable, I declare that the first rays of the stars have touched the face of the earth! (draw invoking pentagram of earth) ELOHIM (Gives sign of Earth) (OFFICER 1 goes to E): In the name of our Lord, who beareset the serpent-entwined staff, I decalre that the first light of the stars has been carried on the mighty winds that blow across the whole of the world! (draw the pentagram of Air) ELOHIM (give sign of Air) (OFFICER 1 goes to S): In the name of our Lord, who carries the force of the rod, I declare that the first glow of the stars has rushed forth, propelled by the inferno of life, dancing the dance of ecstasy across the whole of the world! (draw the pentagram of Fire) ELOHIM (give sign of Fire) (OFFICER 1 goes to W): In the name of our Lord, who handeth down the vessel of joy, I declare that the first radiance of the stars has been reflected by every ripple of river and lake, and by every wave of the oceans that cover the whole of the world! (draw the pentagram of Water) ELOHIM (give sign of Water) OFFICER 1 goes to back of altar, facing North: In
the name of our Lord, whom nature hath never formed, I declare that the
first illumination of the stars has permeated this holy temple, filling
it, and all within, with the light of the Queen of Space, our Lady Nuit,
blessing us and redeeming us with her joy, her passion, her love, that
we may have consciousness of the continuity of existence, and know the
ominpresence of her body, yea the ominpresence of her body! Aumgn (draw
the pentagram of Spirit) ELOHIM (give sign of the
Star) OFFICER 1: Soldiers of Thelema. DEACONUS: Do they have a common nature? OFFICER 1: They believe that THEY are Stars, each and every one! OFFICER 2: In their hearts are the fierce fires that shine as bright as Ra himself as he travels across the sky! And yet, as you can see, they sleep. DEACONUS: So they do! Why do they sleep? OFFICER 1: It is the Lion-Serpent. Where once proud and stong, he has turned into an old Water Snake. He has become abased, and refuses yet to let go. OFFICER 2: His jaw is locked tight. His sting is now the sting of cold, of darkness, and of infirtility. He does not yet realize that his time has passed. DEACONUS: Then it is time to invoke our Lady of Space that we may cast out the old Water Snake. It is time for the Stars to awaken! ALL: ( DEACONUS knocks) So mote it be! DEACONUS: Oh Nuit, continuous one of Heaven, blue-lidded daughter of sunset, Thee, thee we invoke. (make sign of rending of the veil) OFFICER 1: Oh, Nuit, who art infinite space and the infinite stars thereof, Thee, Thee we invoke! (makes invoking pentagram of air) OFFICER 2: Oh, Nuit, who art the naked brilliance of the voluptous night sky, Thee,Thee we invoke! (makes invoking pentagram of spirit with cup) DEACONUS: Appear Thou most glorius on the throne of Space! Descend! Abide! Thou who art the circumfrence of the All, who art the vault of the stars, who art the vessel of ecstasy, we invoke Thee! PRIESTESS: I make open the gate of bliss. (Parts the veil and descends from the altar.) I descend from the Palace of the Stars; I greet you, I embrace you, O children of the Earth, that are gathered in the Hall of Darkness. All give hailing sign. PRIESTESS then does her Dance of the Stars. This should be deosil, with three revolutions. She returns to North DEACONUS: Oh, Nuit, the time has come! The sun hath once again travelled a quarter of the sky. The dark of winter is passing. We ask that you enflame our hearts with thine ecstasy — the Stars must be awakened! PRIESTESS: Children of Earth! rejoice! rejoice exceedingly; for your salvation is at hand. The end of sorrow is come; I will ravish you away into mine unutterable joy. I will kiss you, and bring you to the bridal: I will spread a feast before you in the house of happiness. Light, Life, Love; Force, Fantasy, Fire; these do I bring you: mine hands are full of these. DEACONUS: Some fools, doting on the dream, PRIESTESS: That shall end never that began. This is the hour of awakening PRIESTESS: Let them now come forth! If they asspire to the heights of Heaven, let them come forth! If they aspire to the greatness of the gods, let them come forth! They that seek out love, let them come forth! ALL: Starting with the person at the left of PRIESTESS,
and going around, let the People approach PRIESTESS with their candle.
Let them light their candle off of PRIESTESS’s. How She is approached,
and if anything is said to Her, let it be up to the ingenium of the aspirant.
Let them then turn and say: PRIESTESS: I am above you and in you. My ecstasy is
in yours. My joy is to see your joy. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale
or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and
drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and
arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me! To me! To me! OFFICER 1: The Stars have been awakened! OFFICER 2: The Water-bearer has taken Her seat between the Land and the Water. DEACONUS: Let us all, each and every one, shine as gods, forever unto forever. ALL: So mote it be! All depart. |
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