Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law.
March 20th is the Vernal Equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere, and no matter which hemisphere you reside in, it is a turning point. Each of the Cardinal signs begins at one of these four hinge points that turn the wheel of the year. The term “cardinal” is from a root meaning hinge. Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn; each the start of a new season. Cardinal signs begin things – and so the most cardinal of the cardinal signs can be considered to be Aries, the start of the whole zodiacal year. The Two of Wands, Dominion, is here; a card of Aries. Aries the sign is ruled by Mars, and this particular decan of Aries is also ruled by Mars. It is the start of the New Year, astrologically and Thelemically. It follows the last decan of Pisces, which also happens to be ruled by Mars.
As you can see in the above diagram, this is the “double Mars” point in the cycle of zodiacal decan rulerships. The decan leading up to March 20th is the last decan of Pisces, decan ruled by Mars, and on March 20 the Sun passes into the first decan of Aries, decan and sign ruled by Mars. That’s a whole lot of Mars action!
Appropriately enough, this the Thelemic New Year called the Equinox of the Gods, celebrating the anniversary of the birth of the New Aeon. This is the Aeon of Horus, who is also of Mars. March 20th starts the High Holy Season period, which starts today and continues for 22 days thru April 10th. This stretch of time contains the Feast for the Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law, observed on April 8, 9 and 10, beginning at noon on each day.
March 20, 2018 or Anno V iv, 114 years from inception of the Aeon. This year it falls on a Tuesday, Mars’ day, too.
This 22-day period beginning on March 20th is a good time for path workings, so perhaps a daily meditation on the ATUs is in order. Usually it is done starting with Universe and working towards Fool. Which would have the meditations for April 8, 9, 10 be on the Magus, Priestess, and Fool if starting at Universe, or the Sun, the Aeon, and the Universe if one started at the Fool. How perfect either way!
It is also a good time to reflect on or invoke Horus, or to set aside time each day to read a passage from the Book of the Law, or a translation of the Stele of Revealing. Here is a day by day list of recommended readings, mostly from Class A documents.
Front of the Stele of Revealing and translation:
Top: Hadit, the great god, lord of the sky.
Above left: Ra-Hoor-Khut, chief of the gods.
Above right: The deceased, prophet of Mentu, lord of Thebes, the one for whom the doors of the sky are opened in Thebes, Ankh-f-n-khonsu.
Under altar: bread, water, cattle and fowl.
The deceased, the prophet of Mentu, lord of Thebes, Ankh-f-n-khonsu, true-of-voice, says: “O sublime one! I adore the greatness of your spirits, o formidable soul, who inspires terror of himself among the gods. Appearing on his great throne, he travels the path of the soul, of the spirit, and of the body, having received the light, being equipped, I have made my path towards the place in which Ra, Tum, Khephra, and Hathor are; I, the deceased priest of Mentu, lord of Thebes, Ankh-f-n-khonsu, son of a person of the same rank, Bes-n-Maut, and of the priestess of Amoun-Ra, the mistress of the house Ta-Nech.”
Back of the Stele translation:
The deceased, the prophet of Mentu, lord of Thebes, Ankh-f-n-khonsu, true-of-voice, says: “O my heart of my mother, O heart which I had while I was on earth, do not rise up against me in witness, do not oppose me as a judge, do not charge me in the presence of the great god, lord of the West, because I have joined the land to the great West when I was flourishing on earth!” The deceased, priest of Thebes, Ankh-f-n-khonsu, true-of-voice, says: “O, you who only has one arm, who shines in the moon, the deceased Ankh-f-n-khonsu has left the multitudes and rejoined those who are in the light, he has opened the dwelling-place of the stars (the Duaut); now then, the deceased Ankh-f-n-khonsu has gone forth by day in order to do everything that pleased him upon earth, among the living.”
The following is Aleister Crowley’s quite poetic interpretation of the translations, both front and reverse, and make for a perfect reading during the High Holy Season:
Above, the gemmed azure is
The naked splendour of Nuit;
She bends in ecstasy to kiss
The secret ardours of Hadit.
The winged globe, the starry blue,
Are mine, O Ankh-af-na-khonsu!
I am the Lord of Thebes, and I
The inspired forth-speaker of Mentu;
For me unveils the veiled sky,
The self-slain Ankh-af-na-khonsu
Whose words are truth. I invoke, I greet
Thy presence, O Ra-Hoor-Khuit!
Unity uttermost showed!
I adore the might of Thy breath,
Supreme and terrible God,
Who makest the gods and death
To tremble before Thee: —
I, I adore thee!
Appear on the throne of Ra!
Open the ways of the Khu!
Lighten the ways of the Ka!
The ways of the Khabs run through
To stir me or still me!
Aum! let it fill me!
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-af-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!
Saith of Mentu the truth-telling brother
Who was master of Thebes from his birth:
O heart of me, heart of my mother!
O heart which I had upon earth!
Stand not thou up against me a witness!
Oppose me not, judge, in my quest!
Accuse me not now of unfitness
Before the Great God, the dread Lord of the West!
For I fastened the one to the other
With a spell for their mystical girth,
The earth and the wonderful West,
When I flourished, o earth, on thy breast!
The dead man Ankh-f-n-khonsu
Saith with his voice of truth and calm:
O thou that hast a single arm!
O thou that glitterest in the moon!
I weave thee in the spinning charm;
I lure thee with the billowy tune.
The dead man Ankh-f-n-khonsu
Hath parted from the darkling crowds,
Hath joined the dwellers of the light,
Opening Duaut, the star-abodes,
Their keys receiving.
The dead man Ankh-f-n-khonsu
Hath made his passage into night,
His pleasure on the earth to do
Among the living.
Happy Equinox to all, where ever you are, and what ever you celebrate – it is the start of something new.
Love is the law, love under will.