Path: typhoon.sonic.net!feed.news.sonic.net!in.100proofnews.com!in.100proofnews.com!cycny01.gnilink.net!cyclone1.gnilink.net!ngpeer.news.aol.com!audrey-m1.news.aol.com!not-for-mail Lines: 27 X-Admin: news@aol.com From: bheidrick@aol.com (B Heidrick) Newsgroups: alt.magick Date: 22 Sep 2003 11:56:57 GMT References: Organization: AOL http://www.aol.com Subject: Re: Liber Samech Message-ID: <20030922075657.03339.00001193@mb-m11.aol.com> Xref: typhoon.sonic.net alt.magick:357223 93 B.D., >Care to comment, Bill Heidrick? That is what you do best isn't it: Comment? When there is an interest voiced, that's often the most economical point of interjection. :-) Some of your remarks about Liber Samekh are off the mark, but that's no big deal. I prefer to use one of the earlier translations of the thing, and the version Crowley mislabeled "Preliminary Invocation of the Goetia" suits me better than Liber Samekh. OTO has no particular push for it, but the ritual is useful. Originally a Greco-Egyptian exorcism ritual c. 6th century e.v. incorporating elements of Gnosticism, the "Bornless Ritual" was appropriated by the G.'.D.'. as an adjunct for HGA work (at least that seems to have been one of the more favored uses). Crowley's Liber Samekh was probably prepared by A.C. for Frank Bennett at Cefalu. It is a good example of how one might bring personal insights into analysis and elaboration of an extant ritual of some complexity. Although many consider Liber Samekh the "right" or "Thelemic" form of the original ritual, I take it mainly as "Crowley did this, now you consider doing it your own way." I like to use the earlier form with a sort of compound chant, using all four voices as elemental signatures, rather than gestures. By varying the pitch, volume and speed of utterance, it's possible to get an effect like the sound of wind. Takes about five minutes. Works for me. 93 93/93 Bill