THE HOLY BOOKS OF THELEMA
by
Barry Van-Asten
The Holy Books consist of books in Class A of which may be changed not so much as the style of a letter: they are the utterance of an Adept completely beyond all criticism. They have a unique style of their own and were written during several exalted spiritual trances by the hand of Aleister Crowley who remained unconscious of the inspired works created through him. The first and most important of the Holy Books to be received by Crowley was LIBER CCXX – Liber AL Vel Legis, Sub Figura CCXX. The book contains three chapters each delivered on three consecutive days in Cairo, Egypt, by an entity named Aiwass, whom Crowley knew to be his Holy Guardian Angel.
Chapter I was delivered between midday and one p.m. on Friday 8th April 1904 e.v; chapter II between midday and one p.m. on Saturday 9th April 1904 e.v. and chapter III between midday and one p.m. on Sunday 10th April 1904 e.v. (The moon in 1st quarter appeared on Thursday 7th April 1904 e.v.). It is generally known as Liber AL or The Book of the Law and has 220 chapters (CCXX). The book signals an end to the old Aeon of Osiris in which we have the sacrificial gods and the notion of doing God’s will on earth, for with the book is the coming of the child and the inauguration of the New Aeon of Horus.
In the year 1907 e.v. Crowley received several more inspired texts which came to be known as The Holy Books of Thelema (further texts followed in the year 1911 e.v.)
LIBER VII – Liber Liberi Vel Lapidis Lazuli, Adumbratio Kabbalae AEgyptiorum, Sub Figura VII. The book is an account of the initiation of a Master of the Temple and the seven chapters refer to the seven planets, thus: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, Sol, Mercury, Luna and Venus. The Book of Lapis Lazuli was received between the hours of eleven p.m. on Tuesday 29th October 1907 e.v. (moon in 3rd quarter) and one-thirty a.m. on Wednesday 30th October 1907 e.v. The full moon appeared on Monday 21st October and Crowley’s 32nd birthday was on Saturday 12th October 1907 e.v.
LIBER LXV – Liber Cordis Cincti Serpente, Sub Figura LXV. An account of the relations of the Aspirant with his Holy Guardian Angel, or the Higher Self, which is the crown of the Adept’s magickal journey and the essence of his magical work. The Book of the Heart Girt with a Serpent has five chapters each referring to the elements, thus: earth, air, water, fire and spirit. The book was received between the evening of Wednesday 30th October 1907 e.v. and Sunday 3rd November 1907 e.v.
LXV= 50+10+5=65, the number of Adonai.
LIBER LXVI – Liber Stellae Rubeae, Sub Figura LXVI. A secret ritual, the Heart if IAO – OAI. The Book of the Ruby Star is a sexual magick rite written in symbols and it was received on Monday 25th November 1907 e.v. (full moon occurred on Wednesday 20th November).
LXVI=50+10+5+1=66, which is the sum of the first eleven numbers and relates to magick, whose Key is eleven.
LIBER CCXXXI – Liber Arcanorum twn Atu tov Tahuti Quas Vidit Asar in Amennti, Sub Figura CCXXXI Liber Carcerorum twn Qliphoth cum suis Geniis, Adduntur Sigilla et Nomina Eorum. The book is a technical treatise on the 22 Trumps of the Tarot. The ‘atus of Tahuti and sigils of genii’ was received on Thursday 5th December 1907 e.v. (the new moon) and Friday 6th December 1907 e.v.; the ‘Sigilla 22’ was copied on Saturday 14th December 1907 e.v. and the text was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CCXXXI=100+100+10+10+10+1=231 which is the sum of the numbers printed on the Tarot Trumps thus: 0+1+2+3+4+5………20+21=231.
LIBER X – Liber Porta Lucis, Sub Figura X. The book is an account of the sending forth of the Master and an explanation of his mission to summon those seeking the Light into the Great Work. The book, called The Gate of Light was received on Thursday 12th December 1907 e.v. (moon in 1st quarter).
X=10. Porta Lucis=Gate of Light, a title of Malkuth, whose number is 10.
LIBER CD – Liber Tau Vel Kabbalae Trium Literarum, Sub Figura CD. The book is an analysis of the Hebrew Alphabet and the Tarot and it was received on Friday 13th December 1907 e.v.
CD=100+300=400.
LIBER XXVII – Liber Trigrammaton, Sub Figura XXVII. The Book of Trigrams of the Mutations of the Tao with the Yin and the Yang. The book was received on Saturday 14th December 1907 e.v.
XXVII=27, the number of permutations of 3 things taken 3 at a time.
LIBER DCCCXIII – Vel Ararita, Sub Figura DLXX. An account of the Hexagram and the method of reducing it to the Unity, and Beyond. Ararita is a name of God, a Notariqon of the sentence ‘One is His beginning; One is His Individuality; His Permutation One’. The book was received in the winter of 1907-08 e.v.
DCCCXIII=813.
DLXX=570 (Vel Ararita).
LIBER I – Liber B Vel Magi, Sub Figura I. An account of the grade of Magus, the highest grade achievable on the physical plane. The Book of the Magus was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
I= the number of the Magus in the Tarot.
LIBER XC – Liber Tzaddi Vel Hamus Hermeticus, Sub Figura CLVII. An account of Initiation and the summons to the Great Work. The Book of the Hermetic Fish Hook was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
XC=90 – Tzaddi= fish-hook.
LIBER CLVI – Liber Cheth Vel vallum Abiegni, Sub Figura CLVI. An account of the tasks of an Exempt Adept. The book – The Wall of Abiegnus (the Sacred Mountain of the Rosicrucians) is a formula of attainment through sex magick and devotion to Our Lady Babalon. It was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CLVI=156 – Babalon.
LIBER CCCLXX – Liber A’ash Vel Capricorni Pneumatici, Sub Figura CCCLXX. The book shows how to awaken and use the magickal current within by the use of sex magick. The Book of the Creation of the Goat of the Spirit was received in the summer of 1911 e.v.
CCCLXX=370 – Creation.
