continued, “It may be presumptuous to predict any details concerning the next æon after this.”
That is essentially my attitude as well. As Magus of the Æon of Set, I am an Eye in that
particular Triangle [or Shining Trapezohedron], as it were. The only one who knows for certain
what the next-conceived æon will be, if indeed there should be one, would be the Magus or Maga
who Utters its word.
Above I made reference to æons “in an LBM sense”. Is there a “GBM sense” as well? Indeed
there is, but - like Her-Bak - you are going to have to reflect very carefully upon it to apprehend
it.
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Seen through the lens of GBM, an æon is in fact a living entity, in which its initiates are
“cells”. This is the secret which the Gnostics brought from antiquity, and which so frightened the
Christian dogmatists. The “god” of an æon is thus a creature of the total magical and
philosophical energy of material beings who are initiates of that æon, i.e. who are aware that they
are “components of the god”. [Are you now beginning to see the ancient origins of Hegel’s
concept of an “overmind”?]
Understood in this sense, a GBM working is a way of the “part’s” reaching out to contact,
experience, and/or express the “whole”. This is why true GBM is not even remotely like “prayer”
as the profane practice it. Nor is it mere meditation, in which the mind of the meditator merely
extends to its own limits. It is the greatest secret, and the greatest fulfillment, of unique
existence.
Once an æon is apprehended in this way, a great many veils fall away, a great many
mysteries of what magic is/ why it works are revealed, and indeed the entire “why” of human
consciousness is explained. All you need is the noesis to perceive it. Don’t be concerned if you
don’t attain such noesis the moment you finish your first reading of Black Magic. It is there; and
when you are ready for it, It will be ready for you.
H. The Pentagram of Set
Symbols do not represent the thing itself, the actual phenomenon. It would also be wrong
to think that they are purely and simply schematic formulæ. In operational research the model
is not a small-scale or simplified model of a known object; it is a possible approach to, or
means of getting to know this object. And it is outside reality, in the mathematical universe.
The next requirement is that the analogical machine constructed on this model should
enter into an electronic trance so that it can give practical answers. This is why all the usual
occultist explanations of symbols are useless. They look upon symbols as if they were schemas
that can be interpreted by intelligence at its normal level and so lead immediately to an
apprehension of reality. For centuries they have been treating in this way the St. Andrew’s
cross, the swastika, and the star of Solomon, but have contributed nothing to a study of the
profound structure of the universe.
Einstein, with his sublime intelligence, was able, in a flash of illumination, to catch a
glimpse of the space/time relationship, but without completely understanding or integrating it
into his scheme of things. To communicate his discovery at an intelligible level, and to help
him recapture his own illuminating vision, he drew the sign λ representing the trihedral angle.
This sign is not a schema of reality and means nothing to the mass of mankind. It is a
signal, a rallying cry to all workers in the field of mathematical physics. And yet all the
progress made in this field by the greatest intellects will only succeed in discovering what this
trihedral symbol evokes, but will not be able to penetrate the universe where the law of which
this symbol is an expression actually operates. At least, at the end of this forward march, we
shall know that this other universe exists. 87
The inverse pentagram against a circular field is known as the Pentagram of Set. This
insignia constitutes the Seal of the Temple of Set, and it is also used to identify the six magical
degrees of initiatory membership.
87 Pauwels, Louis & Bergier, Jacques, The Morning of the Magicians. New York: Avon, 1963.
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The pentagram is one of the most ancient symbols known to mankind, dating from
prehistory. 88 89 It is significant mathematically in that it precisely embodies the ratio Φ ( phi), as
the ratio between any longer and shorter line section within the pentagram . 90 91
In ancient Egypt Φ was known as the Sacred Cut. It was employed in all important
construction and artwork. For instance, one-half the base of the Great Pyramid divided into the
apothem equals Φ accurate to 4 significant figures. 92 93
The Greeks too used Φ in art and architecture, naming it the Golden Mean or Golden
Section. 94 A “Golden Rectangle”, where the Φ ratio is equal to the relationship between the
longer and shorter dimensions, appears in the works of artists Leonard da Vinci, Albrecht Dürer,
and George Seurat. In 1876 Gustav Fechner, a German psychiatrist, conducted experiments
which concluded that the vast majority of people “preferred” rectangles in this shape.
Φ also appears in nature. Most spiral growth in nature, notably phyllotaxis (the growth of
leaves and flowers), follows the Fibonacci series, where each number in the series is equal to the
88 Don Webb IV°: “William Arnett’s The Predynastic Origin of Egyptian Hieroglyphs (1982) shows that the
pentagram existed side-by-side with the five-line star, which became common use in the protodynastic Naquada
region (a Setian site). Five-pointed stars were found at Gerza and Tarkhan, all Upper or Middle Egyptian
protodynastic sites. The Tarkhan has a five-pointed star in a circle attached to a boat - one of the first signs of the
journey through the Tuat. Arnett dates all of these to 3500 BCE, but I suspect for various reasons that they’re about
a thousand years earlier.”
89 See Appendix #94.
90 The concept and significance of Φ may be studied at length in H.E. Huntley’s The Divine Proportion, as well as in
related works in Reading List Category #12.
91 The lines of the pentagram reflect the Golden Mean. Each inside angle of the central pentagon is 108°. Each inside
angle of the five points is 36°. Every line segment of the pentagram divided by the next shorter segment yields:
sin 108°
-------- = 1.618033988749894848204586834365638117720309180…
sin 36°
92 I am particularly grateful to Setian Rodney Scott of Australia for his meticulous corrections and refinements to
the Φ-mathematics summarized in this section, as well as in the previous notes concerning it by other Setians.
93 Assuming that the base to be 440 cubits and the apothem 356 cubits, then the apothem divided by 1/2 the base
yields:
356
---------- = 1.6181818…
440 x .5
94 This entire idea seems to have died with the fall of ancient Greek civilization; it was not rediscovered until the
16th century, when Lucas Picioli published Divina proportione with illustrations by Leonardo da Vinci.
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sum of the two preceding numbers, ie: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34... As this series continues, the
relationship between successive numbers approaches f. 95
The Sacred Cut (or Golden Section) divides a line into unequal sections where
the smaller is
to the larger as the larger is to the whole. Similarly, a Golden Rectangle is one which, when
divided into a square and smaller rectangle, the smaller rectangle is also a Golden Rectangle. Or,
algebraically, Φ2 = Φ +1. 96
This, then, is the “secret” of the pentagram - a fact overlooked completely by most occult
“authorities” of history. All “magic pentangles” - generally embellished with Cabalistic graffiti of
one sort or another - amount to an unconscious effort to use the innate power of the pentagram
even though not recognizing it for what it actually is. The pentagram as used by the Temple of
Set is retained in its pure form, so that the beauty of Φ is undiluted and undefiled. 97
It is portrayed inverse to imply change and movement in place of stasis and rest, and also to
proclaim the evolutionary dialectic of thesis contrasted with antithesis to produce synthesis -
instead of a foreordained and unavoidable absolute standard.
In occult tradition the inverse pentagram has also symbolized Black Magic or Satanism as
opposed to the White Magic of Cabalists and polytheists, symbolized by an obverse pentagram.
The Pentagram of Set is enclosed in a perfect circle (a function of π), representing the
mathematical order of the OU. The pentagram does not touch the circle, however, signifying that
the Powers of Darkness are not derived from or dependent upon that order.
Silver is the traditional color of the night, as gold is of the day. In recognition of the role of
Set as Prince of Darkness and counterpart to the [Horus] light of day, the Temple of Set casts the
pentagram in silver. Silver has also signified initiatory and exclusive religious systems as
opposed to open, mass-oriented ones.
The background color of each degree medallion possesses distinct significance. The color
white (I°) represents the newfound freedom of the mind from myths, misconceptions, and
doctrines resulting from fear and superstition.
An Adept II° wears the pentagram against red. Of all the gods of ancient Egypt, Set alone
was portrayed in red, and red has also been the traditional color of life-oriented religions; the
Blood is the Life.
Those who are Elect to the Priesthood of Set III° wear the Pentagram of Set against black,
symbolizing the individual’s consecration by the Prince of Darkness.
95 The Fibonacci series was named after mathematician Leonardo Pisano Fibonacci . The 23rd number of this series
is 28,657, the 24th; 46,368;
46,368
--------- = 1.6180339882053
28,657
96 Some further properties of Φ:
1 + Φ = Φ2; Φ + Φ2 = Φ3; Φ2 + Φ3= Φ4; a d infinitum.
Φ = (1 + √(5)) / 2
Φ = 1 + 1/(1 + 1/(1 + 1/(1 + 1/(1 + 1/(1 + 1/...)))))...
Φ = (sec 72)/2 =(csc 18)/2 = 1/(2 cos 72) = 1/(2 sin 18) = 2 sin 54 = 2 cos 36 = 2/(csc 54) = 2/ (sec 36)
97 The Book of Coming Forth by Night. The Church of Satan again displayed the pentagram inverse, but only
together with the other symbols which comprise the Sigil of Baphomet. The Moorish name referred to by Set is
obviously the name “Baphomet”. “Khar” is the name of the Egyptian XVI Nome, whose capital was Ba-neb-tett, or
Mendes, and whose god-figure was the famous Goat of Mendes, notorious during the Ptolemaic period of decadence
as a symbol of sensuality.
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A Master of the Temple IV° wears the Pentagram of Set against blue, the traditional color of
the most advanced and accomplished initiates (such as the Philosopher-Kings of Plato’s Republic
or the Priest-Kings of Atlantis).
A Magus V° wears the Pentagram of Set against purple, the traditional color of royalty,
because he is distinguished from the Masters of the Temple by being Tasked by the Prince of
Darkness with the Utterance of a Word.
An Ipsissimus VI° wears the Pentagram of Set against gold. The symbolism of this color is
known to the Masters of the Temple.
An Honorary Setian (a non-Initiate of the Temple so designated by virtue of distinguished
service to the Temple or Æon of Set) wears the Pentagram of Set against green, symbolizing the
natural universe in which the recipient dwells. In this case the Pentagram of Set appears in gold,
symbolizing the non-initiatory character of this honor.
The full-size (2” diameter) medallion of the Temple of Set may be worn with formal,
semiformal, or casual attire, but never with such garb as to reflect ill upon its dignity. Under
ceremonial circumstances Initiates of degrees I°-III° maywear it together with a black robe
trimmed in the individual’s degree-color (I°=white, II°=red, III°= silver). Initiates of degrees
IV°-VI° wear either robes of the appropriate degree color or black robes trimmed in the
individual’s degree-color. III°+ Initiates may wear a black clerical collar.
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And now ... the magical chapters:
“Of a Neophyte, and How the Black Art Was Revealed unto Him by the Fiend Asmoel”
- Aubrey Beardsley, 1893
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18: Magic
Poor men, most admirable, most pitiable,
With all their changes all their great Creeds change
For Man, this alien in my family,
Is alien most in this, to cherish dreams
And brood on visions of eternity,
And build religions in his brooding brain
And in the dark depths awe-full of his soul.
Are born and reach their prime and slowly fail,
And all their little lives are self-fulfilled;
They die and are no more, content with age
And weary with infirmity. But Man
Has fear and hope and phantasy and awe,
And wistful yearnings and unsated loves,
That strain beyond the limits of his life,
And therefore Gods and Demons, Heaven and Hell:
This Man, the admirable, the pitiable.
- James Thomson
A Voice from the Nile
It is the curse and the blessing of humanity to exist simultaneously in two worlds: that of
the tangible real and that of the intangible ethereal. Unlike all other animals we are not content
with physical life’s sensations; despite sober argument and methodical science we never quite
believe that “this is all there is” to our existence. We are drawn, some gently, as in fantasy and
dream, some more insistently and passionately, to - something else, something greater,
something that lifts our being and our significance clear out of nature, far beyond the realms
of atoms and molecules: an magnificent mælstrom of gods and daemons for whom “reality” is
but a poor crutch for brutes on the periphery of their much larger universe.
If the mystic is content to dream about this other universe and the artist to convey glimpses
of it in music, paint, or pen, it is the passion of the magician to interact with it. The magician
seeks to draw its presence and power into the lesser world, to change that world by its touch.
The magician fumbles at this. There are no ordinary tools Here that he can reliably apply
There, and the great rays of the gods that flow so inexorably and thrillingly through “nature” are
just as elusive. They are to be glimpsed out of the corner of one’s eye, unexpectedly. The
magician struggles
to fashion new and different tools for control which he, in his semblance as
sentient, natural man-beast, can use reliably and repeatedly, as one would a wrench or hammer.
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To non-magicians his efforts may appear bewildering, even foolish. They are illogical. They
don’t make sense. They are but “melted into thin air”. Perhaps they are even harmful in that they
entice others into the same useless folly, draining energy which might better be put to serious,
practical labor. The magician may thus find himself ignored as an irrelevant eccentric, perhaps
even ostracized as someone dangerously insane.
Yet he continues with his great work, his search for tools. Sometimes he thinks he has
indeed found or fashioned just such a different kind of wrench or hammer, and he writes down
descriptions of it and instructions for its use. Sometimes other magicians, in their quest for tools,
come across what he has written and try his ideas for themselves. And sometimes they indeed
seem to work, and so another brick has been added to the bridge between Here and There. Let us
now examine, and perhaps venture out upon that bridge.
The Temple of Set defines magic according to two general categories: White and Black.
These have precise meanings which may quite different from the way the terms are casually used
by nonSetians. To begin with, neither category is inherently “good” or “evil”; the categories
encompass techniques only. Either may be used for intentionally or unintentionally beneficial or
harmful purposes.
A. White Magic
Conventional religious ritual is a device for autohypnosis of the celebrant and varying
degrees of mass-hypnosis for the audience. The mechanical liturgies have a relaxing, dulling
effect upon the mind, placing it in the ( alpha-wave) mood most receptive to the conditioning
(i.e. the sermon or other main body of the ritual).
White Magic (WM) is a highly-concentrated form of such ritual. The practitioner seeks a
focus of his awareness and powers of concentration via an extreme degree of autohypnosis. The
technique may be used simply for meditation or entertainment through mental imagery (“astral
projection”). Or it may be used to focus the will towards a desired end - a cure, curse, etc. To