Thelemic Rituals

Thelema incorporates elements from various religious and magical traditions, including Hermeticism, Kabbalah, and ancient Egyptian religion. The practice of Thelema involves performing a number of rituals, which are intended to transform the practitioner's consciousness and bring about spiritual growth. Here are some key rituals used in Thelema:

• Liber Resh vel Helios: This ritual is performed four times daily to attune the practitioner with the movement of the Sun and the natural cycles of the day. It involves the invocation of solar deities and the acknowledgement of the individual's role in the universe.

• The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP): A foundational ritual for cleansing and protection, the LBRP is used to banish negative energies and establish a sacred space for further magical workings.

• Liber Samekh: Also known as the “Ritual for Attaining the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel,” this ritual aims to help the practitioner establish a connection with their higher self or spiritual guide.

• Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass: This central ritual of the Ecclesia Gnostica Catholica, the ecclesiastical arm of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), is a symbolic representation of the spiritual journey from ignorance to enlightenment, culminating in the consumption of the Eucharist, which symbolises the union of the individual with the divine.

• The Star Ruby: An adaptation of the LBRP, the Star Ruby is a banishing ritual that invokes the energies of the five elements and the pentagram to purify the practitioner's surroundings and establish a protected space.

• Liber V vel Reguli: This ritual aims to align the practitioner's will with the cosmic forces represented by the planetary and zodiacal symbols. It is a complex ritual that requires a deep understanding of Thelemic symbolism and the various components of the ritual itself.

• The Star Sapphire: A counterpart to the Star Ruby, the Star Sapphire is an invoking ritual that draws upon the energies of the hexagram to bring the practitioner into alignment with their True Will.

• The Bornless Ritual: Also known as the “Preliminary Invocation of the Goetia,” this ritual seeks to invoke the “Bornless One,” a divine force that represents the practitioner's True Will and Higher Self, to guide and empower the individual in their magical workings.

Liber Resh vel Helios is a ritual in Thelema that is performed four times daily to attune the practitioner with the movement of the Sun and the natural cycles of the day. It involves the invocation of solar deities and the acknowledgement of the individual's role in the universe. While the full text of Liber Resh vel Helios is copyrighted, we can provide you with a summary of the ritual and the main components.

The ritual is divided into four sections, each corresponding to one of the four daily adorations: sunrise, noon, sunset, and midnight. Each adoration involves the following steps:

Stand facing the appropriate direction for each adoration:

• Sunrise: East
• Noon: South
• Sunset: West
• Midnight: North

Make the appropriate magical gesture, known as the “Sign of the Enterer,” and vibrate the appropriate god name:

• Sunrise: “Ra”
• Noon: “Ahathoor”
• Sunset: “Tum”
• Midnight: “Kephra”

Say the following invocation (replacing “X” with the appropriate god name):

“Hail unto Thee who art X in Thy rising, even unto Thee who art X in Thy strength, who travellest over the Heavens in Thy bark at the Uprising of the Sun. Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm. Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night!”

Make the “Sign of Silence” – a magical gesture symbolising secrecy and the absorption of energy.

Perform a brief meditation on the symbolism of the Sun and its position in the sky at that particular time.

By performing these adorations, the practitioner aligns themselves with the energy of the Sun and its daily cycle, acknowledging the ebb and flow of natural forces and their own place within the cosmos.

Liber V vel Reguli is a complex ritual in Thelema that aims to align the practitioner's will with the cosmic forces represented by the planetary and zodiacal symbols. Due to the complexity and length of the full text of Liber V vel Reguli, here we provide you with an overview of the ritual's structure and main components.

Of the name, Crowley notes: “The title is Latin and means Book 5 or Book of the Prince. Regulus is also the name of the star which marks the beginning or 0 degree of the constellation Leo.”

The ritual is divided into several sections:

• The Oath: The practitioner begins by taking an oath to perform the ritual for the purpose of obtaining control of the Four Elements, the Seven Planets, and the Twelve Signs of the Zodiac.

• Opening of the Temple: The practitioner performs a series of ritual actions to open the magical space, which includes the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and the Ritual of the Hexagram. This purifies the space and prepares it for the main part of the ritual.

• The Elemental Invocations: The practitioner invokes the four elements (Air, Water, Fire, and Earth) and their corresponding archangelic and angelic forces, and performs a series of specific gestures and movements. Each element is associated with a cardinal direction, an elemental weapon, and a specific magical gesture.

• The Planetary Invocations: The practitioner invokes the energies of the seven classical planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn), and performs a series of ritual actions related to each planet. Each planetary force is associated with a specific magical gesture, a sacred name, and a corresponding deity.

• The Zodiacal Invocations: The practitioner invokes the energies of the twelve signs of the zodiac, and performs a series of ritual actions related to each sign. Each zodiacal force is associated with a specific magical gesture, a sacred name, and a corresponding deity.

• The Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram: The practitioner performs the Invoking Ritual of the Hexagram to align themselves with the energies of the macrocosm and draw down the divine light into their being.

• The Final Invocation: The practitioner concludes the ritual by invoking their Holy Guardian Angel and stating their intention to manifest their True Will.

• Closing of the Temple: The practitioner closes the ritual space by performing the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Hexagram once more.

This summary provides an overview of the structure and main components of Liber V vel Reguli. To perform the ritual, it is essential to have a deep understanding of Thelemic symbolism, the various magical gestures, and the specific invocations for each element, planet, and zodiac sign.