Certain words are said when making the Kabbalistic Cross. The phrase is, " Atah Malkuth, ve Geburah, ve Gedulah, le ohlahm Amen." This means, " Unto thee is the kingdom, the power and the glory unto the ages Amen." This is the final line of the Lord's Prayer as given in the King James Bible, translated into Hebrew to emphasize the Kabbalistic manner with which the passage is interpreted in the Golden Dawn rituals. The manner of this interpretation is partially defined by the portions of the body touched while saying the phrase. Atah (unto thee) is spoken while touching the forehead to represent Kether. The 'thee' therefore refers to the highest spiritual being. Malkuth (kingdom) is said while indicating the lower portion of the body assigned to the Sephirah of the same name, which represents material reality. Therefore reality is the kingdom of the highest spiritual being. The horizontal crossbar is drawn while reciting ve geburah, ve gedulah (the power and the glory), indicating that the two Pillars of Severity and Mercy are referred to. The hands are then held over the heart while saying le ohlahm Amen (unto the ages, Amen). One way of understanding this whole movement is to see it as saying that reality and its apparent dualities, polarities and contradictions are eternally ruled by and reconciled in the highest Spirit as designated by the verticality of the cross and by the heart, in which the initial verticality comes to rest in union with the horizontal. So let's be exceedingly clear about what these terms actually mean. In the light of the general theory above, when we invoke we call forth a specific aspect, or set of aspects, of ourself. When we banish, we banish that aspect. Holding the dagger out before you, go to the South, make the Pentagram and vibrate similarly the deity name - ADONAI. The Star Ruby version of the Kabbalistic Cross uses the same basic movements and symbolism but with Greek words giving a slightly different emphasis on its meaning. The words are: Location on Body

In addition to the Pentagram of the particular quarter's element, an additional Pentagram is drawn at each of the four stations. These are the Pentagrams of Active and Passive Spirit. Active Spirit is given with Air and Fire, Passive Spirit with Water and Earth. The Spirit Pentagrams should be visualized in white light. The Spirit Pentagram is drawn at each quarter before the Pentagram of the specific element. This is to further reinforce that the invocation of any particular force is at the behest of, and under the authority of universal spiritual force. The divine name Eheieh is used with the Spirit Active Pentagrams, AGLA with Spirit Passive. The name of a particular Thelemic deity is placed at each quarter with the Pentagrams. There is a tradition of also visualizing some aspect of the god in question. The text specifies that the name of the deity should be said in a particular manner. One roars the name of Therion, says Nuit, whispers Babalon and yells Hadit. This serves to characterize the 'feel' of the gods. It actually works very well and is highly recommended.All of the elemental signs can be enhanced in their performance by the adoption of the god-form associated with that sign. This procedure is discussed in chapter 9. In that light, in the next post in this series (coming soon), we're going to talk about the more general, all-purpose "hygenic" versions of these rituals—as in, how to use them on a daily basis to keep a general sense of centeredness, clarity and balance.

Having established the Briatic hierarchy at the quarters, the magician now states, " Phlegi gar peri mo aster ton pente, kai ente stele ho aster ton hex hexsteke." Which means, " About me flames the Pentagram, and in the column stands the six rayed star." This is exactly as in the LRP, but in Greek rather than in English. It is very similar in type to symbols found in the so-called 'Emblem Books' of the 1600s. The cryptic emblems depicted in these volumes were not necessarily intended to have a single fixed meaning, but were rather designed to open the soul through their contemplation to a higher spiritual reality. The first vertical movement seems to affirm that the highest principle is identical with the 'Phallus'. Crowley means much more than the merely physical genitalia here, of course. Rather, referred to here is that "Lord secret and most holy, source of life, source of love, source of liberty, force of energy, fire of motion — that art the essence of every true god that is upon the surface of the Earth." [from the collects of Liber XV] Next visualize yourself growing so large that the planets of our solar system are like tiny toy rubber balls spinning near your feet. Soon they are too small to see as even the Milky Way galaxy becomes a small dot of light at your feet. Now visualize a dot of light coming from somewhere far above your head. Know that this is only a tiny bit of the light from this [Divine] source... [and it] forms a brilliant white sphere of pulsating light just above your head. It is nine inches in diameter, about the size of a dinner plate... Point to that sphere above your head with your dagger or finger and "bring it down" by pointing to your forehead, just above and between the eyes. Next, visualize this brilliance filling your head with divine light. While pointing to your forehead vibrate: Ah- TAH (boldfaced syllable denotes emphasis).

The ritual

There seems no real reason why the archangels are omitted at the quarters, other than that the Spirit Pentagrams are perhaps supposed to fill the same role of symbolizing Briah. Depending on their preferences, individual magicians can fill in this step using the wording from the LRP.