This book and its companion volumes have been commissioned by the Hagia of Templum Babalonis, Aureavia. These books are intentionally not an exposition of modern day Thelema and its history or its philosophy. This modern movement is terribly limited in its understanding of much of anything beyond the life and views of its drug-addicted founder. Nor are these books an ally to the fantastical charades which underpin the weekend adventures of the so-called neo-pagan or wiccan movements. Rather these books are an attempt to relate the history and philosophy of the Great Liberating Mother, whose Temples throughout time have always been the source for all other magical traditions, whether they realize this fact or not. The task of writing these books has been made more difficult by the fact that we are bound by oaths of secrecy concerning the most important Methods and Principles of this Temple. But perhaps most importantly of all, it should be understood most clearly that this book is probably not meant to be read by you, or most of the others whom will most likely read it. No. In fact these books are meant for only a select few - those women and men who have served Babalon before, under any number of different names and in many different places. These books are a calling to them, a calling to their Hearts and Spirits, with the hope that the words herein might resonate within them and awaken them again to Her service and to Her fold, so that they may survive in providence what certainly lays ahead.

The knowledge in these chapters are sourced from the copious ongoing communications between the Company of Gods, with Babalon at their head, and Her devotees in Her Temple. As always, we seek to make this Temple a more perfect vehicle of Her Will. We lead by Her example, in life as in death.

In Nomine Babalon et Vox Sanctae Meretricis.



A note on pronunciation. Ophidians follow the dialect and phonetics of Babalon as She speaks in Temple. To moderns, our pronunciations may sound somewhat different than what they have acccepted as common pronunciation.

Nuit:   Noo-et    not Nu-weet

Hadit:   Had-et    not Ha-deet

Ra Hoor Khuit:   Ra-Hoor-Khu-et    not Ra-hoor-khu-eet

Thelema:   Thel-eh-mah or Tehl-eh-mah    not Thah-leem-ah

Note that in the Egyptian language the determinative ending –t often signifies a female name, and is spoken with less emphasis than the root name itself. The same follows for all Goddess names, such as Aset, Bastet, Pakhet, Sekhmet, Mut, Selket, etc. The word "Thelema" is pronounced by Babalon exactly as the Ancient Greeks pronounced the word, not as in the modern Greek pronunciation that is in vogue amongst commoners today.