Bornless Ritual
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The Bornless Ritual, also known as the Preliminary Invocation, is a ritual with a long history and deep roots in various occult traditions, particularly within Western Esotericism. It is often associated with ceremonial magic, in which it has been generally used as an Invocation of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, since it was introduced as such by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It is also called the "Headless Rite" or the "Invocation of the Bornless One".
History[edit]
The ritual is derived from an ancient Greek manuscript called the "Papyri Graecae Magicae" (PGM), specifically from a text known as "Stele of Jeu the Hieroglyphist in his letter" (PGM V. 96-172).[1] This manuscript contains a collection of magical spells and rituals from late antiquity, dating back to the 2nd century AD. The original ritual was intended as a rite of exorcism. It refers to "Moses" and the "ceremonies of Israel", suggesting a Jewish influence.[2]
Here is an example stanza from the text as translated by Hans Dieter Betz:
I summon you Headless One, who created earth and heaven, who created night and day. [...] I am the Favor of the Aion; my name is a heart encircled by a serpent.[1]
It was first published in England in 1852 by Charles Wycliffe Goodwin as Fragment of a Graeco-Egyptian Work Upon Magic for the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. In 1899, E. A. Wallis Budge included excerpts from it in his book Egyptian Magic.[2]
Uses[edit]
The Bornless Ritual is a lengthy invocation that calls upon various divine and angelic forces, including invoking the power of the "Bornless One" or the "Headless One", often interpreted as an aspect of divinity beyond human comprehension. The ritual is designed to invoke spiritual power, divine protection, and aid in various magical workings. The ritual has been adapted and incorporated into various magical systems, including the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the A∴A∴.
In the Golden Dawn, it was used as an invocation of the knowledge and conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel. Aleister Crowley, a prominent occultist and founder of Thelema, included his version of the ritual in his book "Liber Samekh". It is a core method and milestone in Thelema, and is often considered the proper preliminary invocation to the Ars Goetia since it was introduced as such by Crowley.[3]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Citations[edit]
- ^ a b Betz (1996).
- ^ a b Guiley (2006), p. 47.
- ^ Sumner (2004).
Works cited[edit]
- Betz, Hans Dieter (1996). "PGM 96-172: Stele of Jeu the hieroglyphicist in his letter". The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. p. 103. ISBN 978-0-226-04447-7.
- Guiley, Rosemary (2006). "Bornless Ritual". The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy. Facts On File. pp. 47–8. ISBN 978-1-4381-3000-2.
- Sumner, Alex (2004). "The Bornless Ritual". Journal of the Western Mystery Tradition. 1 (7).
Further reading[edit]
- Budge, Wallis (1899). Egyptian Magic. Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Company – via Google Books.
- DuQuette, Lon Milo (2003). The Magick of Aleister Crowley: A Handbook of the Rituals of Thelema. York Beach, Maine: Weiser Books.
- Regardie, Israel (2007). Ceremonial Magic: A Guide to the Mechanisms of Ritual. Aeon Books. ISBN 978-1-904658-10-8.
- Stratton-Kent, Jake (2012). The Headless One. West Yorkshire: Hadean Press.