The Scarlet Letter
Volume III, Number 1 | Sept. 1995
Group Deck Tuning Ritual
by Fr. Sar Shalom
With small enhancements and contributions from
Sr. Lillith, Fr. Xephyr, Fr. Kestrel, & Sr. Breanna Ashtara


C = Center Q = Quarters

0. Temple Setup

Double-cube altar in the center, decorated in the colors of Sol.

Upon the altar:
Four elemental tools:
    Dagger
    Censer
    Chalice
    Pentacle
Wooden Box
Palace & Silence Cards
Each member's Gate cards, face down
Bell
Book of the Law

Each member should have his/her Persona card.


1. Banishing

Perform the Star Ruby
Knock 55555-666666
Perform the Star Sapphire


2. Palace Opening

The Book of the Law is passed from Center to the East, around the circle deosil back to the East.
E performs bibliomancy & the
Book is replaced on the altar.

C: knocks 333-55555-333
C: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I proclaim the law of light, life, love, and liberty in the name of IAO.

Q: Love is the law, love under will.

C walks the circle deosil, inside the quarters, saying: There are four gates to one palace; the floor of that palace is of silver and gold; lapis lazuli & jasper are there; and all rare scents; jasmine & rose, and the emblems of death. Let him enter in trun or at once the four gates; let him stand on the floor of the palace.

Q gives the appropriate elemental grade signs, saying: Amn.

F: Hail unto Ra in his rising!

S: Hail unto Hathoor in her triumphing!

W: Hail unto Turn in his setting!

N: Hail unto Kephra in his hiding!

C turns up the Gate cards, saying: The gates of the palace are open!

Q steps forward, saying: and we stand upon its floor.


3. Deck Opening

C knocks 333-55555-333.

C: Brothers & sisters, is it your will for this deck to be opened now in your presence?

Q: It Is.

C: Brothers & sisters, do you approach this deck and each other with Love under Will?

Q: We do.

C opens box, saying: Then your will is done.

C removes the Silence Card.


4. Palace Card

C knocks 55555-1-55555.

C walks to NE and passes the Palace Card widdershins around the circle. When it returns to him, he resumes his station in the center.

C invokes Kether: Thou who art I, beyond all I am Who hast no nature and no name, Who art, when all but though are gone, Thou center and secret of the Sun. Thou hidden springs of all things known And unknown, thou, aloof, alone. Thou, the true fire within the reed, Brooding and breeding, source and seed Of life, love, liberty and light, Thou beyond speech and beyond sight. Thee I invoke, my faint fresh fire, Kindling as mine intents aspire. Thee I invoke, abiding one, Thee, centre and secret of the sun And that most holy mystery Of which the vehicle am I. Appear most awful and most mild As it is lawful in thy child.

N: On dry land

W: And in the water

F: Of whirling air

S: And of rushing fire

C formulates an averse pentagram, and flings it East in the Sign of Horus.

E answers with the Sign of Silence, and flings the pentagram widdershins around the circle.

N answers with the Sign of Silence, and flings the pentagram widdershins.

It continues thus until it returns to the East, who sends it back to the Center.

C answers with the Sign of Silence, and uses the same finger to touch the Palace card.

C: Kether is in Malkuth

Q: As Malkuth is in Kether

C: As above

Q: So below

C lays the Palace Card in the box, saying: Brother and sisters, The Palace is erected!

Q: So mote it be.


5. Silence Card

C rings the bell once.

C walks to the Northeast and passes the Silence Card deosil around the circle. It returns to him.

Q rotates deosil to guard the crossquarters while C returns to the center.

Perform The Elevenfold Seal (Adapted from the Harpocratic Octohedron by Fr. P):

All clap 1-333-333-333-1.

C uses right thumb betwixt index and medius:
Circle over head: Nuit!
To the genitals: Hadit!
To the heart: Ra-Hoor-Kuit!

Q: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.

C using the same thumb:
Right to left at nostrils: Aiwass!
Left to right at chest: Therion!
Right to left at waist: Babalon!

Q: The word of the law is Thelema.

NE vibrates at feet: Lashtal
NW vibrates at groin: Thelema
SWvibrates at solar plexus: Viaov
SE vibrates at throat: Agape
C vibrates at crown: Aumgn

Q: Love is the law, love under will.

All clap 333-55555-333 and exclaim: Abrahadabra!

C faces SE, visualizing a golden cross at his heart. He brings pneurna up from the earth to the crown, back down to the heart, where it blooms upon the cross as a red rose.

C flings the rosy cross SE in the sign of Horus, vibrating: Hoor-Paar-Kraat!

SE answers with the Sign of Silence, using the right hand, and directs pneuma SW with the left index finger, whispering: Siges.

C rotates SW, and repeats the process.

It continues thus until the circle is complete.

C faces East, makes the rose bloom again on the cross, but flings it upwards in the attitude of Typhon, vibrating: Hoor-Paar-Kraat!

All make the Sign of Silence.

C faces SE and uses his left index finger to bring pneuma from overhead to the SE, whispering: Siges.

SE sends the rosy cross to the NW with the Sign of Horus, vibrating: Hoor-Paar-Kraat!

NW answers with the Sign of Silence, then directs pneuma to C's feet with the left index finger, whispering: Siges.

C rotates SW, and repeats the process. It continues thus until the circle is complete.

C faces East, makes the rose bloom again on the cross, but lets it drift down to his feet. He touches the earth and brings a column of pneuma up to the overhead rosy cross, vibrating: Heru-Ra-Ha!

Q vibrates: Nypios.

C faces West in the Sign of Puer, saying: I praise the luxuriant rapture of innocence, the virile and pantamorphous ecstacy of all-fulfillment; I praise the Crowned and Conquering Child whose name is force and fire, whose subtlety and strength make sure serenity, whose energy and endurance accomplish the attainment of the Virgin of the Absolute; who, being manifest, is the player on the sevenfold pipe, the great god Pan, and being withdrawn into the perfection that he willed, is silence.

The Elevenfold Seal is repeated as above.

C: Brothers & sisters, the Palace stands in security and silence.

Q make the Sign of Silence.


6. Persona Cards

The first member claps 333-55555-333 and passes their card to the other members. While they focus on it, he announces his identity as he will. He takes back his card and walks to the center.

The member takes the Oath:
I, [name], enter the palace [the member lays his Persona Card in the box] and demand the right of communication [the members picks up his Gate card] with the dwellers therein. Furthermore, I forswear revealing the location or appearance of the palace.

All: Oyez!

Each member repeats the process in turn.


7. Deck Closing

C knocks 333-55555-333.

C: Brothers & sisters, is it your will for this deck to now be closed?

Q: It Is.

C: Brothers & sisters, do you leave this deck and each other with Love under Will?

Q: We do.

C: Then your will is done.

C lays the Silence Card face down in the box, and closes it.


8. Palace Closing

C knocks 333-55555-333.

E: Hail unto Ra in his strength!

S: Hail unto Hathoor in her beauty!

W: Hail unto Tum in his joy!

N: Hail unto Kephra in his silence!

Q steps back.

C: The gates swing shut, but you hold the keys.

Q gives the appropriate elemental grade signs.

C: The Palace is closed.

Q: So mote it be.


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