Being the Dissolution into Marriage
When you make the two one, and when you make the inner as the outer and the outer as the inner
and the above as the below, and when you make the male and the female into a single one, so that
the male will not be male and the female not be female . . . then shall you enter the kingdom.
– Gospel of Thomas
Gnostic Church of L.V.X.
Member: A.M.H.R.
By Order of the Acting Council of Elders
The Deacon performs the Star Ruby; places the Priest in the Dark Cell and the Priestess in her waiting station. The Congregation is let into the Hall by the Wedding Parties whom act as Ushers. The Wedding Parties then disappear behind the High Altar.
The Gnostic Mass is assembled and performed to the point through the Ceremony of the Opening of the Veil and before the Priest mounts the steps. And then proceeds to the point at which the Priestess is enthroned upon the Altar, but the Veil is not drawn. The immediate Congregation surrounds the circle and is composed of aspirants robed in their highest grade. Behind them are the Public in fine dress.
Gnostic Mass (portion)
The Deacon then approaches the East and ascends the stairs and turns around to face the hall and presents both arms in the Sign of Benediction proclaiming:
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
I proclaim the Law of Light, Life, Love, and Liberty in the name of
IAO.
The Congregation responds accordingly:
Love is the law, love under will.
The Deacon then returns to his station and leads the congregation in the Articles of Faith:
I acknowledge one secret and ineffable LORD; and in one Star in the company of Stars of whose fire we are created, and to which we shall return; and in one Father of Life, Mystery of Mystery, in His name CHAOS, the sole vice-regent of the Sun upon the Earth; and in one Air the nourisher of all that breathes.
And I acknowledge one Earth, the Mother of us all, and in one Womb wherein all men are begotten, and wherein they shall rest, Mystery of Mystery, in Her name BABALON.
And I acknowledge the Serpent and the Lion, Mystery of Mystery, in His name BAPHOMET.
And I acknowledge one Gnostic and Catholic Church of Light, Life, Love and Liberty, the Word of whose Law is THELEMA and whose Gnosis is the certainty of the divinity of consciousness.
And I acknowledge the communion of Saints, especially of those living amongst us as prophets constantly articulating the ever-evolving spiritual Truth.
And, forasmuch as meat and drink are transmuted in us daily into spiritual substance, I acknowledge the Miracle of the Mass.
And I confess one Baptism of Wisdom, whereby we accomplish the Miracle of Incarnation.
And I confess my life one, individual, and eternal that was, and is, and is to come.
(The Priestess robes during the final chant of these Collects and draws her Sword)
AUMGN AUMGN AUMGN
The Deacon now takes his position before the Dark Cell.
The Priestess then enters the room and draws her sword while invoking in a strong tone:
Silence! the moon ceaseth (her motion),
That also was sweet
In the air, in the air, in the air!
Who Will shall attain!
Who Will shall attain
By the Moon, and by Myself, and by the Angel of the Lord!
She then starts circumambulating the circle in a widdershins direction upon a deosil axis (for she is the Earth revolving about the Sun and spinning on its own axis) calling forth her great power and continuing in her rapture:
Now Silence ceaseth
And the moon waxeth sweet;
(It is the hour of) Initiation, Initiation, Initiation.
The kiss of Isis is honeyed;
My own Will is ended,
For Will hath attained.
The first Child speaks as she continues her dance:
Behold the lion-child swimmeth (in the heaven)
And the moon reeleth:--
(It is) Thou! (It is) Thou! (It is) Thou!
Triumph; the Will that staggered
Before Ra Hoor Khuit!--Hadit!--Nuit!
The second Child speaks as she finished her dance and marches towards the Deacon and the Dark Cell:
To the God OAI
Be praise
In the end and the beginning!
And may none fall
Who Will attain
The Sword, the Balances, the Crown!
The Priestess then casts the Deacon aside with her sword saying:
I am the harlot that shaketh Death.
This shaking giveth the Peace of Satiate Lust.
Immortality jnetteth from my skull,
And music from my vulva.
Immortality jetteth from my vulva also,
For my Whoredom is a sweet scent like a seven-stringed instrument,
Played unto God the Invisible, the all-ruler,
That goeth along giving the shrill scream of orgasm.
The Priestess then opens the veil of the Dark Cell with her sword and says:
By the power of +Iron, I say unto thee, Arise. In the name of our Lord the +Sun, and of our Lord + ..., that thou mayst administer the virtues to the Brethren.
The Priestess then sheathes her Sword and takes three steps backwards; standing with both arms giving the Sign of Benediction.
The Priest, issuing from the Dark Cell, holding the Lance erect with both hands, right over left, against his breast, takes the first of three steps corresponding to the three modes of existence; Birth, Life, and Death-so called. These steps culminate just in front of the Priestess.
The Priest then kneels to worship the Lance. As his knee hits the floor, the Child chimes the Bell. Next the Priest says:
I am a man among men.
The Priest then lowers the Lance and says:
How should I be worthy to administer the virtues to the Brethren?
The Lance is then raised and the Priest arises.
The Priestess turns to greet the approaching Child with an ewer of Water in one hand and Salt in the other. She then sprinkles Salt into the Water and mixes it with her hand while proclaiming:
Let the salt of Earth admonish the Water to bear the virtue of the Great Sea.
She then genuflects before the Child while stating:
Mother, be thou adored!
The Priestess then rises and turns; taking some Water and makes three crosses over the Priests forehead, breast and body while declaring:
Be the Priest, pure of body and soul!
The Priestess then turns to see the other child approaching with the open censor in one hand and incense in the other. She places incense on the hot brick while proclaiming:
Let the Fire and the Air make sweet the world!
She then genuflects before the Child while stating:
Father, be thou adored!
The Priestess then rises and takes the censor, making three crosses as before over the Priest while declaring:
Be the Priest, fervent of body and soul!
The Deacon then takes the scarlet and gold Robe from the High Altar and brings it to the Priestess whereupon she covers the shoulders of the Priest and declares:
Be the flame of the Sun thine ambiance, O thou Priest of the Sun!
The Deacon returns for the crimson Nemyss and gold Crown, bringing it again to the Priestess whereupon she crowns him and proclaims:
Be the Serpent thy crown, O thou Priest of the Lord!
The Priestess then kneels, taking the Lance between her open hands, running them up and down upon the shaft very gently for eleven strokes and culminating at the end of the last stroke with the flinging of her hands to the heavens and proclaiming:
Be the Lord present amongst us!
The Congregation responds with:
So mote it be.
The Priest then invokes:
Thee therefore whom we adore we also invoke. By the power of the lifted Lance!
He then raises the Lance and the Congregation cowers and howls.
The Priest takes the Priestess by her right hand with his left, keeping the Lance raised. He then proclaims:
I Priest and King greet thee and meet thee.
The Deacon takes his place at his station.
He raises her to her feet and states while escorting her to the High Altar (hands passing over the head of the Deacon-who then genuflects as they pass over):
I ascend with thee to the summit of the earth wherein you are enthroned and adored.
The Deacon has arisen and turned to the Priest having enthroned the Priestess upon the altar. The Children following in rank, behind him and to their respective stations.
The Priestess takes the Book of the Law, resumes her seat, and holds it open on her breast with her two hands, making a descending triangle with thumbs and forefingers.
The PRIEST gives the lance to the Deacon to hold, and takes the ewer from the child, and sprinkles the Priestess, making five crosses, forehead, shoulders, and thighs.
The thumb of the PRIEST is always between his index and medius, whenever he is not holding the Lance.
The PRIEST takes the censer from the child, and makes five crosses, as before.
The children replace their weapons on their respective altars.
The PRIEST kisses the Book of the Law three times. He kneels for a space in adoration, with joined hands, knuckles closed, thumb in position aforesaid.
He rises, takes back his Lance and faces the congregation.
Nuptial Ceremony
The Bride and Groom enter from their respective sides of the High Altar having been waiting behind it. The Bride accompanied by her Father and the Groom accompanied by his Mother. Both parents are dressed in fine apparel They are escorted by the Children of the Mass to the Deacons station and joined by the Deacon who awaits them.
Pageant music is heard.
The Children return to their stations and take up the items for the Consecration and Purification and hand them over to the Parents who stand beside the couple. They then return forming a triangle behind the couple to be Wed.
The Priest and Priestess then descend from the High Altar and approach the couple. The Priestess arms the Bride with her Sword and the Priest does likewise with his Lance. The Priest and Priestess then form a triangle behind the Deacon.
The Wedding Parties of the Couple will then enter the Hall from their places in like manner to the Wedding Couple. They are dressed in fine and matching apparel and surround the Circle immediately beyond its perimeter.
The Deacon directs the parents to perform the rites of Purification and Consecration. The Parents will each then circumambulate the Circle thrice within the confines of the surrounding wedding parties and hand their instruments to the Deacon upon completion. The Deacon will then Purify and Consecrate the Couple and the Parents resume their stations.
The Priest then recites the Oration to Nuit:
O circle of Stars whereof our Father is but the younger brother, marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, before whom Time is ashamed, the mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, not unto Thee may we attain, unless Thine image be Love. Therefore by seed and root and stem and bud and leaf and flower and fruit we do invoke Thee.
Then the priest answered & said unto the Queen of Space, kissing her lovely brows, and the dew of her light bathing his whole body in a sweet-smelling perfume of sweat: O Nuit, continuous one of Heaven, let it be ever thus that men speak not of Thee as One but as None; and let them speak not of thee at all, since thou art continuous!
The Priestess then recites the Oration of Nuit:
But to love me is better than all things: if under the night-stars in the desert thou presently burnest mine incense before me, invoking me with a pure heart, and the Serpent flame therein, thou shalt come a little to lie in my bosom. For one kiss wilt thou then be willing to give all; but whoso gives one particle of dust shall lose all in the hour. Ye shall gather goods and store of women and spices; ye shall wear rich jewels; ye shall exceed the nations of the earth in splendour & pride; but always in the love of me, and so shall y come to my joy. I charge you earnestly to come before me in a single robe, and covered with a rich headdress. I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you. Put on the wings, and arouse the coiled splendour within you: come unto me! To me! To me! Sing the rapturous love-song unto me! Burn to me perfumes! Wear to me jewels! Drink to me, for I love you! I love you! I am the blue-lidded daughter of Sunset; I am the naked brilliance of the voluptuous night-sky. To me! To me!
The Deacon assumes the Sign of Silence
The Couple proclaims in unison: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Deacon: What is thy will?
Couple: To enjoin upon a common path together.
Deacon: To what end?
Couple: For Beauty's sake and for Love
Deacon: To what end?
Couple: That the manifestation of our Love may be shared with all.
Deacon: To what end?
Couple: That we may each fortify the other in the accomplishment of the Great Work.
The Deacon holds both arms in the Sign of Benediction and leads the entire wedding party in the vibration of AUMGN.
The Congregation responds with: Love is the law, love under will.
The Deacon instructs:
The principle of love in such a union of Stars is the agent that turns two people from their once divided paths as they now both look in the same direction and not at one another. As this is their will, they have the inertia of the universe at their disposal.
The Congregation responds with: So mote it be.
The couple then exchange rings and/or vows which they intend to employ in guiding their partnership.
The Deacon then questions the couple individually and by name:
_________________ is it your will to consummate this marriage with _________________?
Each responds with: It is my will.
The Deacon then proclaims:
If it be both thy wills to form this union then let it de done, for we who are here assembled rejoice in thy joy. Let thy paths arc parallel in your free-fall unto Our Lady of the Stars. "O man! Refuse not thy wife, if she will! O lover, if thou wilt, depart! There is no bond that can unite the divided but love: all else is a curse."
The Priest and Priestess conclude the rite by saying simultaneously:
"...thou hast no right but to do thy will."
Triumphant music is heard and the immediate cast congratulates the happy Couple. The Wedding Party escorts all others without the Hall and rejoins the immediate cast for photos and other similar rites of passage. The Weapons are returned to the Priest and Priestess.
The crowd has now assembled outside. First the Children leave, then the Wedding Parties, then the Parents, then the Priest and Priestess. The Deacon next leaves to introduce to the crowd the newly married couple.
All proceed to the reception.