Ritual XXVIII

The Ceremony of the Seven Holy Kings

(Probationers who are idle or luxurious, shall be given a task suitable to their natures. If they refuse the task from laziness or from a feeling that they have more important business (as their Neophyte may judge) then may V.V.V.V.V. 8° = 3^□ himself inform them with much deference that they are now fitted for admission to the Mystery of the Seven Holy Kings.)

(the Temple is arranged as shewn in the attached illustration[1].) The God of the first Throne hath robes of Deep Blue; second — Violet; 3rd. — Scarlet; 4th. — Orange; 5th. — Green; 6th. — Pale Yellow; 7th. — Bright Blue.The other officers are the Hegemon, clad in white & masked in white, & in his hand is the Phoenix Wand of the Planets; & the Hiereus, masked in black & robed in black, in his hands are the Scourge & Crook. The Candidate, well fed & joyful, clad in the Robe of a Probationer, & crowned with laurel, is led by the Hegemon (his Neophyte) into the Hall. Taken to the altar, on which burns a small fire of odorous wood, cedar or sandal or ligri aloes, he is made to kneel thereat, & the Black officer comes forward threatening him with his scourge & saith:

Hiereus:

Who art Thou?

Hegemon, for Candidate:

I am the Aspirant to the Sacred & Sublime Order of A∴A∴ & I seek the aid of Osiris.[2]

"Hail unto thee, Osiris, triumphant, Lord of Amennta, Lord of Enenet! Hail unto thee, all glorious sun of mercy & justice, upon whose head is the golden crown of light that is invisible to men! Hail unto thee, hail unto thee, sole light in our darkness! Hail unto thee through whom alone (…) may attain unto the Brotherhood Immortal. Deign to guide this aspirant in the straight path, & let him not fall into the way of those who err."

(There is no answer.)

"Let us arise, & seek Osiris."

(They come to the First Throne.)

SATURN

"Welcome. welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration Is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Peace & plenty & contentment & good health & length of days. All these host thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall put ice against thy heart; he shall constrict thy whole being; he shall bring thee to sorrow & poverty & premature old age if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Second Throne.)

JUPITER

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Authority, & the respect of men, & distinction & praise & veneration. All these hast thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall cast thee down, & thou shalt be despised of all men, & thy power shall be broken if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Third Throne.)

MARS

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Courage & energy & force; conquest & dominion. Al these hast thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall burn thee as with fire, & all that thou hast shalt thou lose. And in thy battles shalt thou be overcome, & thou shalt be broken & ground into dust if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does go.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Fourth Throne.)

SUN

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Fame & jollity, & a life fair & open; glory & harmony shall be thy servants, & victory shall wait upon thee as an handmaid. All these hast thou won by virtue of that single Aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall drive thee from the life of men, so that thou hidest in dens & caverns from the light, & thy name shall be lost, & thou shalt suddenly be slain if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Fifth Throne.)

VENUS

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Love & beauty & true happiness, ease & abundance. All these hast thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall destroy love in thee, & all thy beauty shall be blasted, & no word of kindness Shalt thou ever hear again if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Sixth Throne.)

MERCURY

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty Learning, & eloquence, & the power to heal the ills of men. All these hast thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for a thief shall come upon thee & despoil thee; & thou shalt have no more knowledge, & with disease thy body shall dissolve away if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings.

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou, & thou shalt be welcome to my brethren. Pass thou on."

(They reach the Seventh Throne.)

MOON

"Welcome, welcome, welcome, for thou art chosen, O thou that hast aspired to the Brotherhood Immortal. Aspiration is strength, & I give thee of my bounty: Purity & clearness of vision, & all the harvest of delight. All these hast thou won by virtue of that single aspiration. But beware of the black shadow at my side, for he shall darken thine eyes, & thou shalt waste away, & thou shalt go a-cold, & thou shalt suddenly be slain if thou so much as lift thine eyes unto his face. Place therefore thine head upon my knees, that I may put mine hands upon thine head, & bless thee with my blessings."

(He does so.)

"Welcome wast thou to me, as thou wast welcome to my brethren; thou didst but lift up thine hand in aspiration to the Brotherhood Immortal, & thou hast swept the seven chords of the celestial harp. Pass thou on."

They go back, not to the altar, but to the little door of the temple, within which is a dark dungeon. The Hegemon thrusts him furiously into this with hand & foot, all crying aloud "Osiris is a black god." There he must remain for seven hours.

(If at any point previous in the ritual he should say "I ask not these blessings; I seek Osiris. What saith yon silent dark one?" or words of similar purport, the Hegemon answers, removing the hoodwink once and for all, "Verily, thou sayest well; know that Osiris is a black God, & the straight way unto the Sacred & Sublime Order lieth not through the green pastures & beside still waters. But in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, His crook & scourge shall avail thee.

"Take them therefore & fold thine arms upon thy breast; ascend with me the seven steps of the Throne.")

The Aspirant then does so, standing between the officers. The Fourth Throne is removed to leave a passage. The Seven Kings rush upon him & belabor him with their weapons; but he makes his way & they fall one by one; the Seventh upon the Second step, the Sixth upon the Third, the Fifth upon the Fourth, the Fourth upon the Fifth, the Third upon the Sixth, the Second upon the Seventh & the First at the Foot of the Throne. The Aspirant passes over their bodies & takes his seat. They then, each from his place, adore him while the two officers support him on either side, & the Hierophant addresses him: "Frater _____, this day have I symbolically placed thee in the seat of a Brother of the A∴A∴. See to it that thy life truly reflect this gradual conquest of the Posers of the Seven, & never forget that thy path is the path of Osiris, — & that Osiris is a black God."

(They then conduct him from the temple.)

(After the seven hours are past, the Aspirant is rescued by Osiris, the black officer, in the words already given, omitting "Verily thou sayest well" & using a sterner tone for the beginning of the speech. The ceremony then proceeds as before.)

Notes:

[1] [illustration is missing in this copy]

[2] Note: This ceremony can be adapted for working by two officers, the Hegemon assuming each time a different coloured cloak, & the appropriate God-form. But it is most desirable that the full complement of Nine should assist.