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Liber CCC
{Book 300}

Khabs am Pekht

This Epistle is important in that it helps place the work
of the O.T.O. as a temporal organization in perspective. Addressed by The
Master Therion to his magical Son Frater V.i.o. 8°=3 (Parzival X° O.t.o.),
it has a special relevance to modern times. It first appeared in The
Equinox I(3)
(Detroit: Universal, 1919). Most of the quotations are from Liber Legis--The
Book of the Law.--h.b.

An Epistle Of Therion 9°=2, A Magus Of A.·.a.·. To His Son, Being An Instruction
In A Matter Of All Importance, To Wit, The Means To Be Taken To Extend The
Dominion Of The Law Of Thelema Throughout The Whole World.

Son,

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

Firstly,
let thine attention be directed to this planet, how the Aeon of Horus
is made manifest by the Universal War. This is the first great and direct result
of the Equinox of the Gods, and is the preparation of the hearts of men for
the reception of the Law.

Let Us remind you that this is a magical formula of cosmic scope, and that
it is given in exact detail in the legend of the Golden Fleece.

Jason, who in this story represents the Beast, first fits out a ship guided
by Wisdom or Athena, and this is his aspiration to the Great Work. Accompanied
by many heroes, he comes to the place of the Fleece, but they can do nothing
until Medea, the Scarlet Woman, puts into his hands a posset 'drugged with
somnolence, Sleepy with poppy and white hellebore
' for the dragon. Then Jason
is able to subdue the bulls, sacred to Osiris, and symbolical of his Aeon and
of the Magical Formula of Self-Sacrifice. With these he plows the field of the
world, and sows therein 'the dreadful teeth of woe, Cadmean Stock of Thebes'
old misery,' which refers to a certain magical formula announced by The Beast
that is familiar unto thee, but unsuited to the profane, and therefore not further
in this place indicated. From this seed armed men sprung to life; but instead
of attacking Him, 'mutual madness strikes The warriors witless, and fierce
wrath invades Their hearts of fury, and with arms engaged, They fell upon each
other silently, And slew, and slew.
' Now then, the Dragon being asleep, we
may step quietly past him, and 'rending the branches of that wizard Oak, With
a strong grasp tear down the Fleece of Gold.'

Let us only remember not to repeat the error of Jason, and defy Ares, who is
Horus in his warrior mood, that guardeth it, lest He strike us also with madness.
Nay! but to the glory of Ra-Hoor-Khuit and the establishment of His perfect
kingdom let all be done!

Now, O my son, thou knowest that it is Our will to establish this Work, accomplishing
fully that which We are commanded in The Book of the Law, 'Help me, O warrior
lord of Thebes, in my unveiling before the children of men!
'--and it is Thy
will, manifesting as thou hast done in the Sphere of Malkuth the material world,
to do this same thing in an even more immediate and practical way than would
naturally appeal to one whose manifestation is in the Heaven of Jupiter. So
therefore We now answer Thy filial petition that asketh good counsel of Us as
to the means to be taken to extend the Law of Thelema throughout the whole world.

Direct therefore now most closely thine attention to The Book of the Law itself.
In It we find an absolute rule of life, and clear instruction in every emergency
that may befall. What then are Its own directions for the fructification of
That Ineffable Seed? Note, pray thee, the confidence with which we may proceed.
'They shall gather my children into their fold; they shall bring the glory
of the stars into the hearts of men.
' They `shall'; there is no doubt. Therefore
doubt not, but strike with all thy strength. Note also, pray thee, this word:
'The Law is for all.' Do not therefore `select suitable persons' in thy worldly
wisdom; preach o˙enly the Law to all men. In Our experience We have found that
the most unlikely means have produced the best results; and indeed it is almost
the definition of a true Magical Formula that the means should be unsuited,
rationally speaking, to the end proposed. Note, pray thee, that We are bound
to teach. 'He must teach; but he may make severe the ordeals.' This refers,
however, as is evident from the context, to the technique of the new Magick,
'the mantras and spells; the obeah and the wanga; the work of the wand and
the work of the sword.'

Note, pray thee, the instruction in Ccxx I:41-n-44, 51, 61, 63 k.t.l. on which
We have enlarged in Our tract The Law of Liberty, and in private letters to
thee and to others. The open preaching of this Law, and the practice of these
precepts, will arouse discussion and animosity, and thus place thee upon a rostrum
whence thou mayst speak unto the people.

Note, pray thee, this mentor: 'Remember ye that existence is pure joy; that
all the sorrows are but shadows; they pass and are done; but there is that which
remains.
' For this doctrine shall comfort many. Also there is this word: 'They
shall rejoice, our chosen; who sorroweth is not of us. Beauty and strength,
leaping laughter and delicious languor, force and fire, are of us.
' Indeed
in all ways thou mayest expound the joy of our Law; nay, for thou shalt overflow
with the joy ther, and have no need of words. It would moreover be impertinent
and tedious to call again thine attention to all those passages that thou knowest
so well. Note, pray thee, that in the matter of direct instruction there is
enough. Consider the passage 'Choose ye an island! Fortify it! Dung it about
with enginery of war! I will give you a war-engine. With it ye shall smite the
peoples; and none shall stand before you. Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! This is
the Law of the Battle of Conquest: thus shall my worship be about my secret
house.' The last phrase suggests that the island may be Great Britain, with
its Mines and Tanks; and it is notable that a certain brother obligated to A...a...
is in the most secret of England's War Councils at this hour. But it is possible
that all this instruction refers to some later time when our Law, administered
by some such Order as the O.T.O. which concerns itself with temporal affairs,
is of weight in the councils of the world, and is challenged by the heathen,
and by the followers of the fallen gods and demigods.

Note, pray thee, the practical method of overcoming opposition given in Ccxx
Iii:23
-n-26. But this is not to Our immediate purpose in this epistle. Note,
pray thee, the instruction in the 38th and 39th verses of the Third Chapter
of The Book of the Law. It must be quoted in full.

'So that thy light is in me; and its red flame is as a sword in my hand
to push thy order.'

That is, the God himself is aflame with the Light of The Beast, and will himself
push the order, through the fire (perhaps meaning the genius) of The Beast.

'There is a secret door that I shall make to establish thy
way in all the quarters (these are the adorations, as thou hast written) as
it is said:

The Light is mine; its rays consume

Me: I have made a secret door

Into the House of Ra and Tum,

Of Khephra, and of Ahathoor.

I am thy Theban, O Mentu,

The prophet Ankh-f-na-khonsu!

By Bes-na-Maut my breast I beat;

By wise Ta-Nech I weave my spell.

Show thy star-splendour, O Nuit!

Bid me within thine House to dwell,

O winged snake of light, Hadit!

Abide with me, Ra-Hoor-Khuit!'

In the comment in Equinox I(7) this
passage is virtually ignored. It is possible that this 'secret door' refers
to the four men and four women spoken of later in The Paris Working, or it may
mean the child elsewhere predicted, or some secret preparation of the hearts
of men. It is difficult to decide on such a point, but we may be sure that the
Event will show that the exact wording was so shaded as to prove to us absolute
foreknowledge on the part of That Most Holy Angel who uttered the Book.

Note, pray thee, further, in verse 39, how the matter proceeds:

'All this'--"i.e". The Book of the Law itself.

'and a book to say how didst come hither' "i.e". some record such
as that in The Temple of Solomon the King.

'And a reproduction of this ink and paper for ever' "i.e". by some
mechanical process, with possibly a sample of paper similar to that employed.

'--for in it is the word secret and not only in the English--' Compare Ccxx
Iii:47, 73.
The secret is still a secret to Us.

'And thy comment upon this the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully
in red ink and black upon beautiful paper made by hand;
' i.e. explain the text
'lest there be folly' as it says above, Ccxx I:36.

'And to each man and woman that thou meetest, were it but to dine or to drink
at them, it is the Law to give. Then they shall chance to abide in this bliss
or no; it is no odds. Do this quickly!'

From this it is evident that a volume must be prepared as signified-- Part
IV of Book 4 was intended to fulfil this purpose--and that this book must be
distributed widely, in fact to every one with whom one comes into social relations.

We are not to add to this gift by preaching and the like. They can take it
or leave it.

Note, pray thee, verse 41 of this chapter:

'Establish at thy Kaaba a clerk-house; all must be done well and with business
way.'

This is very clear instruction indeed. There is to be a modern centralized
business organization at the Kaaba--which, We think, does not mean Boleskine,
but any convenient headquarters.

Note, pray thee, in verse 42 of this chapter the injunction: 'Success is thy
proof: argue not; convert not; talk not overmuch.
' This is not any bar to an
explanation of the Law. We may aid men to strike off their own fetters; but
those who prefer slavery must be allowed to do so. 'The slaves shall serve.'
The excellence of the Law must be showed by its results upon those who accept
it. When men see us as the hermits of Hadit described in Ccxx Ii:24, they will
determine to emulate our joy.

Note, pray thee, the whole implication of the chapter that sooner or later
we are to break the power of the slaves of the slave-gods by actual fighting.
Ultimately, Freedom must rely upon the sword. It is impossible to treat in this
epistle of the vast problems involved in this question; and they must be decided
in accordance with the Law by those in authority in the Order when the time
comes. Thou wilt note that We have written unto thee more as a member of the
O.t.o.,
than in thy capacity as of the A.·.a.·., for the former organization
is co-ordinate and practical, and concerns itself with material things. But
remember this clearly, that the Law cometh from the A.·.a.·., not from the O.t.o.
This Order is but the first of the great religious bodies to accept this Law
officially, and its whole Ritual has been revised and reconstituted in accordance
with this decision. Now then, leaving The Book of the Law, note, pray thee,
the following additional suggestions for extending the Dominion of the Law of
Thelema throughout the whole world.

1. All those who have accepted the Law should announce the same in daily intercourse.
'Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law' shall be the invariable
form of greeting. These words, especially in the case of strangers, should be
pronounced in a clear, firm, and articulate voice, with the eyes frankly fixed
upon the bearer. If the other be of us, let him reply 'Love is the law, love
under will.
' The latter sentence shall also be used as the greeting of farewell.
In writing, wherever greeting is usual, it should be as above, opening 'Do
what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
', and closing 'Love is the law,
love under will.'

2. Social gatherings should be held as often as is convenient, and there the
Law should be read and explained.

3. The special tracts written by Us, or authorized by Us, should be distributed
to all persons with whom those who have accepted the Law may be in contact.

4. Pending the establishment of other Universities and Schools of Thelema,
scholarships and readerships and such should be provided in existing Schools
and Universities, so as to secure the general study of Our writings, and those
authorized by Us as pertaining to the New Aeon.

5. All children and young people, although they may not be able to understand
the more exalted heavens of our horoscope, may always be taught to rule their
lives in accordance with the Law. No efforts should be spared to bring them
to this emancipation. The misery caused to children by the operation of the
law of the slave-gods was, one may say, the primum mobile of Our first aspiration
to overthrow the Old Law.

6. By all manner of means shall all strive constantly to increase the power
and freedom of the Headquarters of the O.T.O.; for thereby will come efficiency
in the promulgation of the Law. Specific instructions for the extension of the
O.t.o.
are given in another epistle.

Constant practice of these recommendations will develop skill in him or her
that practiseth, so that new ideas and plans will be evolved continually.

Furthermore, it is right that each and every one bind himself with an Oath
Magical that he may thus make Freedom perfect, even by a bond, as in Liber III it is duly written. Amen.

Now, son, note, pray thee, in what house We write these words. For it is a
little cottage of red and green, by the western side of a great lake, and it
is hidden in the woods. Man, therefore, is at odds with Wood and Water; and
being a magician bethinketh Himself to take one of these enemies, Wood, which
is both the effect and the cause of that excess of Water, and compel it to fight
for Him against the other. What then maketh He? Why, He taketh unto himself
Iron of Mars, an Axe and a Saw and a Wedge and a Knife, and He divideth Wood
therewith against himself, hewing him into many small pieces, so that he hath
no longer any strength against His will. Good; then taketh He the Fire of our
Father the Sun, and setteth it directly in battle array against that Water by
His army of Wood that he hath conquered and drilled, building it up into a phalanx
like unto a Cone, that is the noblest of all solid figures, being the Image
of the Holy Phallus Itself, and combined in himself the Right Line and the Circle.
Thus, son, dealeth He; and the Fire kindleth the Wood, and the heat ther
driveth the Water afar off. Yet this Water is a cunning adversary, and He strengthened
Wood against Fire by impregnating him with much of his own substance, as it
were by spies in the citadel of any ally that is not wholly trusted. Now then
therefore what must the Magician do? He must first expel utterly Water from
Wood by an invocation of the Fire of the Sun our Father. That is to say, without
the inspiration of the Most High and Holy One even We ourselves could do nothing
at all. Then, son, beginneth the Magician to set His Fire to the little dry
Wood, and that enkindleth the Wood of middle size, and when that blazeth brightly,
at the last the great logs, through they be utterly green, are nevertheless
enkindled.

Now, son, hearken unto this Our reproof, and lend the ear of thine understanding
unto the parable of this Magick.

We have for the whole Beginning of Our Work, praise be eternally unto His Holy
Name, the Fire of our Father the Sun. The inspiration is ours, and ours is the
Law of Thelema that shall set the world ablaze. And We have many small dry sticks,
that kindle quickly and burn through quickly, leaving the larger Wood unlit.
And the great logs, the masses of humanity, are always with us. But our edged
need is of those middle fagots that on the one hand are readily kindled by the
small Wood, and on the other endure until the great logs blaze.

(Behold how sad a thing it is, quoth the Ape of Thoth, for one to be so holy
that he cannot chop a tree and cook his food without preparing upon it a long
and tedious Morality!)

Let this epistle be copied and circulated among all those that have accepted
the Law of Thelema.

Receive now Our paternal benediction: the Benediction of the All-Begetter be
upon thee.

Love is the law, love under will.

Vhrion 9°=2 A.·.a.·.

Given under Our hand and seal this day of An XII, the Sun our Father

being in 12° 42´ 2\" of the sign Leo, and the Moon in 25° 39´ 11\"

of the sign Libra, from the House of the Juggler, that is by Lake

Pasquaney in the State of New Hampshire.
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