When in France Pt 2 - An Oath to End All Oaths
Following on from the previous instalment, A Magical Journey…
Now you can watch! I'm entering uncharted territory. Taking the road that leads to equality, with God. You can't come with me... I must travel alone but you may look on, and marvel.
— Boris Balkan, (about to fail at) The Ninth Gate
There’s something I omitted, when I wrote about France. To explain, I will describe an Operation which commenced just before Easter this year.
Rocket to the Stars
On 4th April 2023 I completed reading The Two Antichrists by Peter Grey (available here) and resolved to undertake a Babalon working of 49 days (7 weeks of 7 days), consisting of devotional practices and magical operations with Soror O.F. I arranged to seek counsel with Frater S.N. on Good Friday, and visit another magical colleague from another Tradition the next day. Following these discussions - along with six steaks, two bottles of whisky, and five bags of firewood - the conclusion was that, while I may not have taken the Oath of the Abyss, the Oath seemed to have taken me, and so I began to consider when and where to repay the favour.
Immediately, contacts began to roll in, including from old O.T.O. colleagues and my friend who subsequently invited us to France. Just before we left for France, I received an unexpected email confirming that the time was right and that the Operation was succeeding. On the drive down to Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer I repeatedly saw signposts for Chateau This-Or-That and after a few hundred kilometres asked Sr O.F. “Where is that castle from The Ninth Gate?”
For those who haven’t seen it, The Ninth Gate is a masterpiece of occult film-making. Johnny Depp stars as Dean Corso, a rake of a rare book dealer, investigating and locating antique books for commission. He is employed by Boris Balkan to seek out and authenticate other copies of The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows, a grimoire purported to be capable of summoning the Devil. In the course of his investigation he encounters sex, murder, cults, and a particular arrangement of the illustration plates which seem to produce the ritual - but the true initiation is to attain by experience and (in my opinion) travel with Babalon.
Through Misty Mountains to Chapel Perilous
L'Eglise Saint-Benoit, Limoux (on the way back, weather was choppy on the way)
The climax of the film takes place at Chateau de Puivert in the South of France, near to the border with Spain - which turned out to be a mere 3 hours from our lodgings. Arriving in France on the Monday, with the Feast of Saint Sara on the Wednesday and journey back to Paris Thursday, that meant the Tuesday was our only window - precisely 7 weeks since committing to the Operation.
Sr O.F. and I travelled through the landscape of lush vineyards and increasingly Spanish architecture, passing Cathar churches and through smaller and smaller towns, winding around misty mountains, until we came to the village at the foot of the knoll on top of which stood the Chateau. Google Maps knows a great many things, but apparently the way to the Chateau’s car park is not one of them, and we were taken up small lanes and an off-road sheer track full of scree. As noted, despite hiring the cheapest possible option from the car rental and expecting a biscuit tin with wheels, we had been given a 4x4 hybrid hatchback, which managed to scramble us up to the back end of the car park.
The final approach was up a small footpath, and armed with only our texts and a mini-bottle of Bordeaux (even the half-bottle screw-tops are delicious in France), we came to the Chateau itself just before sunset. While it is open to visitors in the day as an attraction, we arrived after closing and so had the place to ourselves.
Taking the Leap
We prepared for the Operation, which commenced as follows:
First, Sr O.F. recited the Daughter of Fortitude, as an invocation of Our Lady:
I am the daughter of Fortitude, and ravished every hour from my youth. For behold I am Understanding and science dwelleth in me; and the heavens oppress me. They cover and desire me with infinite appetite; for none that are earthly have embraced me, for I am shadowed with the Circle of the Stars and covered with the morning clouds. My feet are swifter than the winds, and my hands are sweeter than the morning dew. My garments are from the beginning, and my dwelling place is in myself. The Lion knoweth not where I walk, neither do the beast of the fields understand me. I am deflowered, yet a virgin; I sanctify and am not sanctified. Happy is he that embraceth me: for in the night season I am sweet, and in the day full of pleasure. My company is a harmony of many symbols and my lips sweeter than health itself. I am a harlot for such as ravish me, and a virgin with such as know me not. For lo, I am loved of many, and I am a lover to many; and as many as come unto me as they should do, have entertainment.
Purge your streets, O ye sons of men, and wash your houses clean; make yourselves holy, and put on righteousness. Cast out your old strumpets, and burn their clothes; abstain from the company of other women that are defiled, that are sluttish, and not so handsome and beautiful as I, and then will I come and dwell amongst you: and behold, I will bring forth children unto you, and they shall be the Sons of Comfort. I will open my garments, and stand naked before you, that your love may be more enflamed toward me.
— Received by Edward Kelley in operation with John Dee, scrying the 7th Aethyr DEO, 23rd May 1587
A long walk approaching the Gate.
Next, she delivered Liber Cheth as I approached the Chateau gate:
1. This is the secret of the Holy Graal, that is the sacred vessel of our Lady the Scarlet Woman, Babalon the Mother of Abominations, the bride of Chaos, that rideth upon our Lord the Beast.
2. Thou shalt drain out thy blood that is thy life into the golden cup of her fornication.
3. Thou shalt mingle thy life with the universal life. Thou shalt keep not back one drop.
4. Then shall thy brain be dumb, and thy heart beat no more, and all thy life shall go from thee; and thou shalt be cast out upon the midden, and the birds of the air shall feast upon thy flesh, and thy bones shall whiten in the sun.
5. Then shall the winds gather themselves together, and bear thee up as it were a little heap of dust in a sheet that hath four corners, and they shall give it unto the guardians of the abyss.
6. And because there is no life therein, the guardians of the abyss shall bid the angels of the winds pass by. And the angels shall lay thy dust in the City of the Pyramids, and the name thereof shall be no more. {25}
7. Now therefore that thou mayest achieve this ritual of the Holy Graal, do thou divest thyself of all thy goods.
8. Thou hast wealth; give it unto them that have need thereof, yet no desire toward it.
9. Thou hast health; slay thyself in the fervour of thine abandonment unto Our Lady. Let thy flesh hang loose upon thy bones, and thine eyes glare with thy quenchless lust unto the Infinite, with thy passion for the Unknown, for Her that is beyond Knowledge the accursed one.
10. Thou hast love; tear thy mother from thine heart, and spit in the face of thy father. Let thy foot trample the belly of thy wife, and let the babe at her breast be the prey of dogs and vultures.
11. For if thou dost not this with thy will, then shall We do this despite thy will. So that thou attain to the Sacrament of the Graal in the Chapel of Abominations.
12. And behold! if by stealth thou keep unto thyself one thought of thine, then shalt thou be cast out into the abyss for ever; and thou shalt be the lonely one, the eater of dung, the afflicted in the Day of Be-with-Us.
13. Yea! verily this is the Truth, this is the Truth, this is the Truth. Unto thee shall be granted joy and health and wealth and wisdom when thou art no longer thou.
14. Then shall every gain be a new sacrament, and it shall not defile thee; thou shalt revel with the wanton in the market-place, and the virgins shall fling roses upon thee, and the merchants bend their knees and bring thee gold and spices. Also young boys shall pour wonderful wines for thee, and the singers and the dancers shall sing and dance for thee. {26}
15. Yet shalt thou not be therein, for thou shalt be forgotten, dust lost in dust.
16. Nor shall the aeon itself avail thee in this; for from the dust shall a white ash be prepared by Hermes the Invisible.
17. And this is the wrath of God, that these things should be thus.
18. And this is the grace of God, that these things should be thus.
19. Wherefore I charge you that ye come unto me in the Beginning; for if ye take but one step in this Path, ye must arrive inevitably at the end thereof.
20. This Path is beyond Life and Death; it is also beyond Love; but that ye know not, for ye know not Love.
21. And the end thereof is known not even unto Our Lady or to the Beast whereon She rideth; nor unto the Virgin her daughter nor unto Chaos her lawful Lord; but unto the Crowned Child is it known? It is not known if it be known.
22. Therefore unto Hadit and unto Nuit be the glory in the End and the Beginning; yea, in the End and the Beginning.
— Liber Cheth Vel Vallum Abiegni Sub Figura CLVI
During this time I divested myself of items representing clauses (8)-(10) and, finally, I was at the Threshold. I turned, assumed the attitude of Apophis & Typhon, and spoke the Oath of the Abyss*.
“I. I, O.M., etc., a member of the Body of God, hereby bind myself on behalf of the Whole Universe, even as we are now physically bound unto the cross of suffering:
II. that I will lead a pure life, as a devoted servant of the Order:
III. that I will understand all things:
IV. that I will love all things:
V. that I will perform all things and endure all things:
VI. that I will continue in the Knowledge and Conversation of my Holy Guardian Angel:
VII. that I will work without attachment:
VIII. that I will work in truth:
IX. that I will rely only upon myself:
X. that I will interpret every phenomenon as a particular dealing of God with my Soul.
And if I fail herein, may my pyramid be profaned, and the Eye closed to me.”
— Liber DCLXVI The Master Therion: A Biographical Note
*: Crowley stated, “readers are cautioned that this Oath is traditionally held to be absolutely efficacious and hence not to be taken casually or lightly.”
Standing in the appropriate attitude.
Sr O.F. and I made libations at the threshold, pouring the wine across the gates, and took time to sit in the moment. The Sun went down and illuminated a crescent Moon with Venus pendent over the Gate, and we prepared to journey back; I, a different person, committed to this task.
In case you’re interested, here’s the Chateau at the end of The Ninth Gate, though spoilers of course.
Somewhat more cinematic than my approach.
Given that the 49 days’ working led to taking the Oath, I have coined the term “Abyssiversary” for each 49 days thereafter, the second of which has just passed this week. Despite the dire warnings, I have had few things in my life fall apart - although as I mentioned earlier, there has been enough of that for me in the last five years. Instead, I have had some amazing results which are for another blog post, as are our continued adventures in France at the Feast of Saint Sara.
In the meantime, you can still join us for our next Practitioner Cycle of Star Club as either a trainee or returning Member, and we have a very exciting lecture by Dr Robert Plimer coming up for the Equinox, along with our regular Sol Invictus Open Ritual. I hope to see you there.
Until next time,
In Nomine Babalon.