There are two types of evolutionary development, but only one that concerns us here; the first is what has been the traditional work of the White and Black Schools of Magick; the evolutionary development of the human race, homo sapiens on an individualized scale. The whole of the study and practice of Magick in the making of a Mage is about primarily about this. And of course, the second is to accomplish the same on a racial scale, which we will address here. The reason to separate the two ideas is entirely practical. At this stage in our racial development, and especially in contemporary society where youth is worshipped, for the individual to truly accomplish the Great Work, the effort is a lifetime worth of work that can’t be accomplished at a young and child-bearing age.
Generational development is then exceedingly slow as there is little difference between the pairing of DNA strands of two parents who may have already started on the effort; subsequently having the appropriate tendencies (karma), and any other two parents. By implication here, we are asserting that the accomplishment of the Great Work must alter the natural manifestation of the DNA in its process of mitotic replication; restoring health and vitality to the Mage. The only enhancement generationally would be for the older male Mage to then mate with a younger woman and at least one that has the appropriate, recognizable tendencies. This has been echoed in the Court Cards of the Book of Thoth.
Practical homogamy then, despite even the difficulty in the odds of effectuating a program remains as much an erstwhile goal as it is a natural process. In the mundane socio-political world of the twentieth century, it was an integral part of the philosophy (the not necessarily the practice) of eugenics. In practice, all cultures that grant their young the right to choose their own mates, are indeed utilizing a natural form of eugenics in the form of intellection, emotional and physical attraction. And we may say that this is ramped up a bit in those cultures that still select mates for their young; but is more readily compromised for socio-political and business reasons; an interesting philosophical discussion beyond the scope of this essay.
However, we can say that in order to effectuate and enhance the gestation and birth of an evolved human being, the now, outdated system of selective breeding holds a certainty that is left to chance in the modern mating institution. Homogamy is a generational tool that utilizes selective breeding in order to improve a lineage of planned births. This requires for us an institutional priesthood of men and women; carefully selected for their virtues and recognized by the hierarchical establishment of the church. The inherent problem is a sensitive issue as this requires also the conformity of wills for the two individuals involved in the planned union; the ‘mystical marriage.’ It therefore becomes incumbent upon the hierarchy to maintain the respect of the laity and that a sisterhood of Princesses be established to carry on the work of the Goddess.
This thesis dovetails perfectly with the new Doctrine of Tetragrammaton, where the Earthy component, He’ final, the Daughter, is set upon the Throne of the Mother, to awaken the Eld of the All- Father. The NAME itself, accordingly, is no longer a fixed symbol, emblem of extension and limit, but a continuously revolving sphere; in the words of Zoroaster, “rebounding, whirling forth, crying aloud”.—Book of Thoth
She bears within her body the secret of the future. Her sublimity is further emphasized by the disk which she bears; for in the centre thereof is the Chinese ideogram denoting the twin spiral force of Creation in perfect equilibrium; from this is born the rose of Isis, the great fertile Mother…she is Womanhood in its ultimate projection. She contains all the characteristics of woman, and it would depend entirely upon the influences to which she is subjected whether one or another becomes manifest. But in every case her attributes will be pure in themselves, and not necessarily connected with any other attributes which in the normal way one regards as symbolic. —Book of Thoth
Even more specifically, we can strive to produce a ‘Magickal Childe’—a superior human being; ethically, physically, intellectually and spiritually, by producing an homunculus or two homunculi that would then mate in order to create that superior or ‘Magickal Childe.’ This child can be said to embody all the virtues of humanity; avoiding all racial shortcomings and flaws; a Supramental being. This is also as sensitive a conversation as we might want to hold with the general public that goes to the heart of the establishment of the Sanctuary of the Gnosis with all its implications, rights and privileges. And as we’ve clearly implied, the work of the homunculus is really the same effort on a racial scale; the problem then to be addressed is specifically, after the incarnation of the Goddess and the balance that brings to us, what next?
Well, we then must concern ourselves with the concern of creating the homo superior; an evolutionary leap that is essentially, alchemical in its nature. As found in the IXth Degree papers of Crowley’s O.T.O., a fetus, no older than two months in gestation may become an homunculus, as the reincarnating ego is said by him to enter the foetus at three months. For it is at about three month’s time that the fetus is able to attract a soul of an equivalent karma or nature and tendency to that which has been genetically hardwired into the fetus. When this occurs, it becomes impossible to create the homunculus. But, it is asserted that the attraction of a reincarnating ego may be prevented and an elemental or planetary spirit may instead, be drawn into the foetus; one that is suitable for the karmic nature of the fetus, which can only be determined by those qualities already found in the parents. Crowley’s instructions on the procedure are very precise:
Take a suitable woman willing to aid thee in this Work. Explain to her fully the precautions to be taken and the manner of life necessary. Let her horoscope be, if possible, suited to the nature of the homunculus proposed; as, to have an incarnate Spirit of Benevolence let Jupiter be rising in Pisces with good aspects of Sol, Venus, and Luna; and with no notable contrary dispositions; or so far as may be possible.
Take now a man suitable; if convenient, thyself or some other Brother Initiate of the Gnosis; and so far as may be, let his horoscope also harmonize with the nature of the work.
Let the man and woman copulate continuously (but especially at times astrologically favourable to thy working) and that in a ceremonial manner in a prepared temple, whose particular arrangement and decoration is also suitable to thy work. And let them will ardently and constantly the success of thy work denying all other desires. Thus proceed until impregnation results.
Now let the woman be withdrawn and carried away to a place prepared.
And this place should be a great desert; for in such do rarely wander any human souls seeking incarnation.
Our issue here is of concern for the natures of the parents involved in the operation and the nature of the child-homunculus to be born. In Crowley’s novel Moonchild, the details of the operation and a specific nature of the creation of the homunculus are rendered with only the details being overtly discussed. The nature of the creature is only alluded to, but we can see clearly that it is in some way a child of the Moon; hence, by deduction, the incarnation of the Goddess. And certainly, its import is in bringing balance both to the martial or masculine nature of war by the incarnation of the divine feminine, as well as balancing the establishment patriarchy with the matriarchal influence that has been rejected in Western spirituality. Of course, at this point, Western religion has abandoned spirituality altogether, which has added severity to this imbalance.
The novel on one hand, fulfills itself in terms of the magickal formula of the Obeah & the Wanga without the dire necessity of a working couple themselves taking on the task of formulating an homunculus; simply by the publication of his novel. But then an important question arises; for what reason could somebody possibly want to take on the enormity of the task of creating an homunculus? Certainly, the usual magickal evocation of planetary or elemental spirits would suffice for the work of most if not all working mages on this planet; such evocational work serving the evolutionary development of the individual. And we can clearly see that the birthing of the homunculus in the novel had much to do with the evolutionary development of people on a racial scale; this being precisely the reason to do this work.
It is worthwhile then to consider the raison d’être of the work of Alchemy, which is to enhance the processes of nature that we might quicken the evolutionary development; both of substances and of the individual. These substances then become medicines that also serve to physically evolve the body to a state of ‘immortality’ (so-called) that simultaneously brings a spiritual benefit to the whole of the individual; the work itself requiring the spiritual development of the Alchemist: the Alchemist and his or her lab are One…the One Thing of the Alchemist (cf. the Emerald Tablet). An alchemical project is also briefly described in Crowley’s IXth Degree paper on the Homumulus:
The classical method of making the homunculus is to take the fertilized ova of a woman and to reproduce as closely as may be, without the uterus, the normal conditions of gestation therein.
For: in the case of ectopic gestation, it is clearly possible for the ovum to develop for a considerable period; and a child of 4½ months weighing nine ounces, has been known to live for over an hour after delivery. These considerations encourage us. Life is indefinitely adaptable, and life originally appeared in a planet bacteriologically sterilized by temperatures of many thousands of degrees Centigrade. There is therefore every reason to hope that, starting as we do with the proper First Matter, we may be able to devise conditions of its growth in a ‘culture’, just as we have done in the case of the simpler organisms.
The White Tincture of the Alchemists was in this connection a replica of the Liqor Amnii, and their Red Tincture a substitute for Blood.
Test tube gestation is routine science today; the White Tincture being the amniotic fluid, which is composed of mostly water with electrolytes, but around the third month of gestation begins to include proteins, carbohydrates, lipis, phospholipids and urea; the latter of which also contributes to the formulation of meconium. As well, the White Tincture contains a quantity of stem cells that will produce the various organs of the human body. The fetus literally breathes this; inhaling and exhaling the fluid in much the same way as the human being will later breath the particles of the Aethyr of which our bodies are truly composed. And the Red Tincture is in this case, the menstrual blood, which nourishes the fetus.
Within the stem cells of course, are the mitochondria of which we should note were once bacteria that formed a symbiotic relationship with eukaryotic cells (cells with a true nucleus), which is why they have DNA. They are in the cytoplasm of the female ova; the sperms carrying almost no cytoplasm. Hence matrilineal succession and goddess worship. Mitochondria (the ‘Mitochlorians’ in Star Wars) reproduce independently in the cytoplasm of the cell and do not require that the cell divide for it to reproduce. And yet, a portion of the DNA of the mitochondria has been incorporated into the nucleus of the host cell and so it cannot live independent of the cell. This is an evolutionary specialization that connects the mitochondria with the collective of cells called homo sapien.
It is in these mitochondria that we find a symbiotic being with a collective consciousness that moves the stem cells to their specialized tasks with other implications that need yet to be investigated. But certainly we can also find application in the alchemical lab and in terms of Kenneth Grant’s formula for the XIIth Degree and Liber XXXVI. Waiting on an LH surge in the woman; this being the time when egg production in the woman is at its strongest. Any menses released immediately after this would contain the most eggs, which in themselves are too small for us to isolate. Mixing this with sperm can provide a strong ratio for the possibility of extra-fallopian fertilization. The menses itself serves as the culture media for this possibility and the whole should be stored in an incubator.
From this point, we have moved deep into theoretical and experimental territory. And we can only refer the interested student to the Formula of On and the Mutus Liber.