The Visual Invocation of the Godforms
of the OSOGD
0=0 Hall
(Version 1.0)
by Fra. A:.O:.C:.
The working is a guided meditation, with a Narrator and the active participation of the Officers of the Hall and visualized by all.
The original version of this meditation was composed by Fra. OZ and published in "Secrets of a Golden Dawn Temple". Since our godforms are somewhat altered form the original line-up, I've re-written it appropriately, and the dais officers have been added.
The working is best done in a darkened room, to make visualization easier. A single candle of appropriate color should be placed near each Officer's station. Meditative background music, especially of a middle eastern style, may be effacious.
It can be performed by itself and the Hall closed immediately after, or used as a preliminary working to strengthen the power of the godforms for other work. Another variation is to perform the working *before* Opening the Hall, to empower the Opening itself.
Procedure:
- The candles are lit and all Officers begin seated at their stations, wearing their regalia.
- The Narrator gives the description of each godform aloud in turn, which is actively visualized by all participants. The image of the godform is perceived as standing directly in front of the seated officer representing it. When it comes time for the god to speak it's part, the Officer stands up, "stepping in" to the visualized image. When each speech is done, the Officer remains standing and holding the invoked persona of the godform, until all have completed their parts.
- When all have finished, the image invocations should be held for a period of silence before proceeding to other work.
- When the Working is concluded, each officer stands in front of their Station, and on cue from the Narrator, "steps out" of the godform into their normal persona by sitting down. A more formal closing is provided below if desired.
The Text
Narrator:
"Please enter now a state of relaxation. Close your eyes and begin the four-fold breath. Focus for a moment on your breath (pause). Now open your eyes and bring your attention fully within this space. Become aware of the room, and the artifacts in the room, and the other people in the room. (p) Be relaxed yet fully alert. With each breath become more relaxed, and more relaxed. Now enter your own deep meditative state.
"See the artifacts around you, and contemplate their meaning. The double cubical altar of the Universe. (p) The red rose, the red lamp, the chalice of wine, the bread and salt. (p) The red cross and white triangle, that shine with inner light. (p) The White Pillar, and the Black Pillar, each with a glow of red at its summit. (p) The Banners of the East and West, the symbols of our Order. (p) In the East, behind the dais, there is only a veil -- delicate and vibrating, as if alive. (p)
"We are alone in the Temple. The Great Gods await just beyond our sensing. We will to bring these beings to life in our Hall. Nothing awaits us or concerns us but the Great Work, which we shall now begin. (p)
"Now the veil stirs, as if a wind were blowing from behind it...
"On the Northern end of the dais, the image of a tall and stately goddess slowly appears. She has a face and body of translucent gold. She is crowned with a black cap over a vulture crown of red, with a nemyss of black and white. Her collar ornaments are black and white, and she wears a black robe bordered in black and white, down to her bare feet. She carries a blue Ankh and a Lotus Wand with a green flower and a blue stem."
Imperator:
"I am Nephthys, the wife of Set. I am the mother of Anubis and the sister of Osiris and Isis. I ride the bow of the funeral boat accompanying the dead into the Blessed Land, for I am the personification of sunset and the death of the day. With Thoth and Isis I performed the Magick that restored my brother-lover Osiris to life. I am the midwife of the Gods and head of the household, and upon me the stability of the Lodge depends. I wear the mantle of Fire and Severity, and am the symbol of unflinching authority. I am the Imperator of the Temple, and I compel the Lodge to comply with the Order of the Universe."
Narrator:
"On the Southern end of the dais, the image of a voluptuous goddess slowly appears. She has a face and body of translucent gold. She is crowned with a throne over a vulture crown of red, with a nemyss of blue and orange. Her collar ornaments are blue and orange, and she wears a blue robe bordered with gold, down to her bare feet. She carries a blue Ankh and a Lotus Wand with a green flower and a blue stem."
Praemonstrator:
"I am Isis, the daughter of Nuit and Geb, sister/wife of Osiris, sister of Set and Mother of Horus, who as Ra-Hoor-Khuit now sits upon the throne of the Aeon. I traveled the earth to find the pieces of the body of slain Osiris, and with the aid of Nephthys and Thoth, I brought him back to life. I gained the power of Ra by obtaining his Secret Name by guile, and with that power I punish the wicked and protect the innocent. I am the Queen of Magick, and with Thoth I taught the secrets of magick, medicine, and agriculture to humanity. I am the Protector of Occult Knowledge, and I see to it that in the Temple nothing is relaxed or profaned. I am the Teacher and Instructor of the Lodge, and the Reflector of the Wisdom beyond."
Narrator:
"On the northern side of the Throne, the image of a slender male human body with an Ibis head slowly appears. His skin is the color of the sands, and the feathers of his head are white, with a long, curved black beak. His nemyss is brilliant yellow bordered with mauve. His collar is yellow with a middle band of squares in mauve and green. His tunic is mauve with yellow stripes, and he has a lion's tail. His ornaments are red and green. He carries a blue Ankh and a writing tablet."
Cancellarius:
"I am Thoth, and I have no parentage for I created myself through the power of language. I am the creator of magick, the inventor of writing, teacher of humanity, the messenger of the gods, and the divine record-keeper and mediator. I question the souls of the dead about their deeds in life before their hearts are weighed against the feather of Maat, and both gods and men seek my council in matters great and small. I revealed unto Horus the Younger his True Nature as Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the knowledge of which caused him to cease his war on Set, which would have brought ultimate destruction to the Universe. I am the scribe and recorder of the Lodge, and I represent the authority of the Inner Order over the Outer."
Narrator:
"On the Southern side of the throne, the image of a broad and stately god slowly appears. He wears the tall white crown of the South flanked by feathers striped in white and blue. His face and hands are pale green, the eyes blue, and from his chin hangs the square beard of authority, blue in color and tipped in gold. He wears a collar in bands of red, blue, yellow and black. On his back is a bundle strapped across his chest by scarlet bands. He is in mummy wrappings to his feet, but his hands are free to hold a blue crook and a red scourge."
Past Heirophant:
"I am Osiris, God of the Dead. I am he who is sacrificed and resurrected, he who eternally dies and is reborn. I journey the way of death to bring light to the world. I suffered death by the hand of my only brother Set. It was by love, and through the magick of my sister-lovers Isis and Nephthys, I was brought back to life. I judge all those who pass the tests of the underworld to prove themselves worthy to enter The Blessed Land. At the Equinox of the Gods I passed my throne and scepter onto my son Horus, and now I represent history, authority and the wisdom of experience. I preside over the judgment of souls in this Temple, and represent the rebirth of the soul into the Light."
Narrator:
"Before the center throne of the dais, the image of a tall, majestic god appears. He is lively to look upon, like pure flame. He has the head of a great Hawk, and a body of great strength. He wears the double crown of Egypt, the cone shaped crown of red inside the white crown of the north, with a white plume. His nemyss is purple banded with gold. His face and body are translucent scarlet. He has green eyes and wears a purple beard of authority. He wears a yellow tunic and a kilt of white under a waist cloth of yellow striped with purple, from which depends a lion's tail. His bracelets and anklets are of gold. He carries in his right hand the wand of the Heirophant and in his left, a blue Ankh."
Heirophant:
"I am Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the Crowned and Conquering Child, the Horus of the Horizon. I have inherited the throne of my father Osiris at the Equinox of the Gods. My birth came out of his death, for from his lifeless body, thence I came into the womb of Isis, and thence into this world as successor and avenger. I give honor to my half-brother Anubis, who sacrificed one day of his life so that I might be born. I fought against my father's brother Set, until the futility of my battle was revealed to me by Thoth, who caused me to recall my true origin and purpose. I have now taken my place upon the Throne of the East, and I am the Lord Initiator, the Lord of Silence and of Strength. I watch over the work of these Mysteries, and preside over the journeys of your souls. It is my will to guide you in your search for Wisdom, and unto the discovery of your own true origin and purpose."
Narrator:
"At the throne of the West, an image of a powerfully built god slowly appears. His skin is deep black, and he has an animal, somewhat lizard-like head, a human body and a long tail. His nemyss is of olive green decorated with russet, and his collar is of russet and citrine. He is bare chested, and wears an apron of pure white with a waist cloth of dull red striped with russet. He has no ornaments."
Hiereus:
"I am Set, the God of the Darkness, the strongest of the Divine Company. I stand at the helm of the Barque of Millions of Years, which no other god dare do. Every night before Dawn I slay Apep, the demon of Entropy, so that the Sun may rise again over the two lands. I am the Isolator and Separator, the eternal opponent of Stasis and Mindlessness. I slew my own brother, the great god Osiris, to balance the scales of Life and Death. For as was ordained, Osiris was brought back to life by our sister Isis and my wife Nephthys, and became the God of Death and Resurrection. I battled my brother's son Horus, who in his youth held me accountable for his father's death. Now I am at peace with he who is now called Ra-Hoor-Khuit, who sits opposite me upon the Throne of the East in his father's former place, according to the natural Order. I am the protector of the Lodge and the giver of Secret Knowledge. Upon my ladder your souls climb to the highest, and my secret name is Set-Heh, the God of Unending Futurity."
Narrator:
"In the space between the Pillars, the image of a strong and agile goddess slowly appears. She wears a black nemyss bound at the brow with a purple band from which rises, in front, a tall ostrich feather of red and green stripes. She wears a banded collar of red, yellow, blue and black. Her tunic is emerald green reaching to her feet, where it is banded to match the collar. She has purple and green shoulder straps and a purple girdle banded in red, yellow, blue and black. Her face and body are a natural Mediterranean red-brown. She wears bracelets of emerald and red, and carries a combined form of a lotus and phoenix wand. It has an orange flower, a blue stem and ends in and orange sign of infinity. In her left hand she carries a blue Ankh."
Hegemon:
"I am Maat, Goddess of the Ultimate Truth, whose very name means Order and Harmony, and I am the balance which existed before anything in the Universe... even before the birth of the gods. In my presence none remain unchallenged, neither by the gods nor by their own hearts. I weigh the hearts of all souls of the dead and decree their fates, and if they are found wanting, they are cast unto the demon Apep, which devours them. All things before and without me are disorder and entropy, without form or substance. My place in the Temple is to give Truth to it's works, for nothing is true without me. I sit upon the balance point within the Temple between the pillars of ultimate Light and ultimate Dark, and I see that which is not seen by any others. Be wary of my words as they come to you!"
Narrator:
"In the south-west near the portal, an image of a strong god slowly appears. He has the head of a black jackal, very alert, with pointed ears pricked up. His nemyss is purple banded with white. He wears a collar of yellow and purple bands, and a tunic of yellow flecked with tufts of his black hair. His body is deep red. His waist cloth is yellow striped with purple and from it hangs a lion's tail. His ornaments are purple and gold, and he carries a red lamp and a caduceus wand with a blue shaft and red wings."
Kerux:
"I am Anubis of the East, the son of Osiris and his sister-lover Nephthys. Although the gentle Nephthys bore me from the union with the brother of her husband, Isis her sister took me and raised me as her own. The Queen of Magick become my second mother, and from her I learned the magick of the gods. Thus do I walk both upon the earth and in the realm of the gods, and I serve as messenger to gods and mortals. I am the Walker Between the Worlds, the guide and guardian of the Ways. I show the pathway from this world to other worlds, and my lamp leads the way for the journey of the soul. I shall guide and protect all souls who seek their higher nature."
Narrator:
"In the North of the Hall, the image of a full-bodied goddess slowly appears. She wears a Blue conical crown of the North, from which springs a delicate golden plume, over a vulture head-dress of orange and blue. Her face and body are a natural pale color, and her pale blue tunic reaches to her feet. She carries an orange Ankh and a blue cup, shaped like an orange flower on a blue stem."
Stolistes:
"I am Aura-mooth of the Sky, beloved of Nuit, the Star Goddess. I am the Waters through which the course of each day and the journey of the soul must flow. I am the Water of the Northern Rains. Mine are the cow, the cat and the lioness, all sacred creatures of the blood of life. I hold the cup of the Lustral Waters of Life, the cauldron un-dry, and I bring this power of the presence of the Divine to this Temple. Special blessings I attend, and I show the way of the Heart of the Waters to those who are able to feel."
Narrator:
"In the South of the Hall, the image of a lithe, strong goddess slowly appears. She wears a tall red crown of the South, flanked with two feathers in green-barred black, over a vulture headdress of red and green. Her face and body are of a natural ruddy appearance, and her simple red tunic reaches to her feet. Her collar is red and green, and she carries a green Ankh and a brass censer trimmed in red and green."
Dadouchos:
"I am Thaum-Aeush-Niaeth of the Sky, Goddess of war and transformation. I warm the body and I fire the passions of the heart. I am the Fire of the Southern Winds, bringing the dry desert heat which consecrates through the energy of the spark of Life. I bring the power of the Sacred Flame to bless the Temple. I show the sharp and quick lightning that is the way of illumination, and I burn the desires of your souls for this light. Do not mistake me, or my words!"
Narrator:
"At the Portal, the image of a strong god slowly appears. He has the head of a black jackal, very alert, with pointed ears pricked up. His nemyss is black banded with white. He wears a collar of black and white bands, and a tunic of white. His body is deep red. His waist cloth is white striped with black and from it hangs a lion's tail. His ornaments are black and silver, he carries a black Ankh, and a Sword with a brass hilt and a red grip."
Sentinel:
"I am Anubis of the West, the reflection of Anubis of the East, the messenger of this Temple, as Nephthys, our Mother, is the reflection of Isis, the Mistress of Magick. I guard and guide the entering and leaving of all forces who pass to and from this sacred place. None may pass me but those who carry the passwords gained from the journey of seeking the Light. These are the Keys to the Mysteries, and the keys to gaining entrance to the higher Mysteries. I stand at the place of the Beginning, and it is by my Way that all who begin this path may first enter the place of Light."
(The following can be added for an new initiate after the declaration of the Sentinel, or for a visualization by the other members participating in the Hall, if desired.)
Narrator:
"Let the other sorors and fraters of the Lodge stand and face the east, and let Har-poor-kraat, God of Silence and Mystery, be invoked now from the invisible presence. From the place to the east of the altar, at the feet of the Hegemon, blooms a giant lotus flower with petals of white. And from this flower is projected, before each of you remaining sorors and fraters, the image of a young god. His youthful face and body are a very light golden tone, with deep, profound blue eyes. His hair is dark yet shines with a golden light, and a lock of hair, denoting youth, curls round his face on the right side. His collar is banded yellow and blue. His waist cloth is yellow and blue with a golden girdle, from which hangs a lion's tail. His wristbands are banded yellow and blue. The fingers of his left hand rests upon his lips. Step forward and take on the godform of Har-poor-kraat, and place your fingers to your lips in the sign of Silence." (done)
[The Closing]
For a more elaborate and formal closing: the Officers, following the cue of the Narrator, circumnabulate to the east of the altar and face the west, pausing for a moment. Then they proceed doesil to the west and face east. Then the officer takes one full step backwards, "stepping out" of the visualized godform which is left behind. Then the Officer continues around the altar and again faces the east. Officer and godform "face each other" for a moment, then the Officer gives the S.O.E. and the S.O.S., and returns to her or his station. The image of the godform is visualized as fading away as the Officer walks away from the altar.
Narrator:
"The Temple of Truth is around us, and the gods are with us. For a moment, let us all allow what is here to become one with what is within."
Then the Narrator calls out each officer one at a time by title and godform, i.e.: "Let the Sentinel come forth, Anubis of the West!" and each performs the above actions, after which the Narrator announces, "Anubis of the West has departed." Proceed in reverse order of the Invocation, except those invoking Har-poor-kraat shall go last, with the pronouncement "Let the Fraters and Sorors of the Lodge come forth, Har-poor-kraat!", and they simply step backwards in place to divest themselves. When all have finished, the Narrator concludes the meditation.
Narrator:
"The Temple around us becomes the room around us on the physical plane once again. We become fully aware of our own human bodies as our attention turns to the rhythm of our own breath. We feel ourselves fully present in this time and place. We feel alert and alive. We retain the essence of the experience, aware that we have walked with the Gods."
- Finis -