Liber Pennae Praenumbra


In the Akasha-Echo is this inscribed:

By the same mouth, O Mother of the Sun, is the word breathed
forth  and  the  nectar  received.   By  the  same breath, O
Counterweight of the Heart, is the manifest created and des-
troyed.

There is but one gate,  though  there  appear  to  be  nine,
Mime-dancer  of  the Stars.  How beautiful thy weft and web,
a-shimmering in the fire-dark of space!

The two that are nothing salute you, Black Flame that  moves
Hadit!   The less and less One grows, the more and more Pra-
NU may manifest.  Do thou now speak to us, the  children  of
the time-to-come; declare thy will and grant thy Love to us!

                 Then spake She That Moves:


I hurl upon ye, Children of Heru!  All ye who love  the  Law
and keep it, keeping Naught unto yourselves, are ye a-blest.
Ye have sought the scattered pieces  of  Our  Lord,  ceasing
never  to  assemble  all that has been.  And in the Realm of
the Dead have ye begotten from the Dead the Shining One.  Ye
then gave birth, and nourished Him.

Thy Land of Milk shall have the honey also, dropped down  as
dew by the Divine Gynander.  The pleasure and delight lie in
the Working, the Whole surpassing far the Parts together.

The Lord of Parts is placed within his kingdom, as  done  by
Beast  and  Bird.   The land of Sun is open but to Children.
Heed the Eternal Child - his Way is flowing-free, and suited
to the Nature of your being.

A Voice crieth in the Crystal Echo:

What means this showing-forth?  Is Time  Itself  awry?   The
Hawk  has  flown  but  threescore  and  ten  in His allotted
course!

She smiles, as beauteous as Night:

Behold, He spreads His pinions yet in flight, showering  and
shaking  forth the Golden Light upon the hearts of men.  And
wherein doth He fly, and by what means?  The Feather and the
Air are His to ride, to bear him ever in his GO-ing.

The pylons of the ages are unshaken, firmly  are  they  Set.
The  Day  of the Hawk has but seen its dawning, and will see









                           - 2 -


its due measure according to the Laws of Time and Space.

The Voice then spoke:

Then has the Vision failed?  Do  I  behold  Thee  crookedly,
thinking Thee to be Whom Thou art Not?

She danced and whirled, scattering starlight in  her  silent
laughter.

I Am Whom I appear to be, at times, and then again I wear  a
triple veil.  Be not confused!  Above all, Truth prevails.

I am the Unconfined.  Who is there to say me  nay,  to  say,
``Thou shalt not pass.''?  Who indeed may say, ``Thy time is
yet to come,'' when Time itself is  my  chief  serving-maid,
and Space the Major-domo of my Temple?

Indeed, O Voice of the Akasha, I am the means by  which  you
speak.  By the same mouth that breathes the Air, do words of
doubt pour forth.  In silence then, do know Me.   For  I  am
come  with  purpose  at  this time, to aid the Lovers of the
Hawk to fly.

                     The Word of Flight


Who falters in the Flight must thereby fall:  the  greatness
of the Gods is in the GO-ing.

When first ye fledged, Beloved of Heru, the shell which  had
protected  long  had broken.  Upon the Wings of Will ye ven-
tured forth, gaining strength and  power  as  ye  flew.   Ye
gained  all  knowledge  of the Feathered Kingdom, whereby ye
became as perfect as the Sun.  The friends and teachers  all
became as brothers.

The regal Swan, the Heron and the Owl - the  Raven  and  the
Cockerel  did  aid  ye.   The Beauty of the Hawk Himself was
granted, the virtues of the  Peacock,  the  Hummingbird  and
Loon.   The  Eagle  did reveal her inner nature and the mys-
teries thereof - behold, ye witnessed how,  with  her  Lion,
she became the Swan.  And the Ibis of the Abyss did show the
Knowledge.

Ye flew, O Kings and Hermits!  And ye fly even  now,  within
the bending loveliness of NU.  But there are those among ye,
and below ye, who would snare your wings and  drag  ye  from
the sky.

Look well within!  Judge well your Heart!  If ye be pure, it
weighs  no  more  than  I.   It will not bear ye down to the
Abyss.  For Gold is Light, but Lead is fatal unto  flying  -
plumb your own depths, in Truth and in self-knowledge.









                           - 3 -


If aught would hinder thee, it is thy  doing.   Behold  this
teaching now within the Temple.

So saying, She-Who-Moves assumed the form of the great Black
Flame, growing from the central shaft and billowing out into
the Void.  The Children  of  Heru  beheld  in  silence,  and
listened to Her words form in their hearts.

Behold!  This lens of Stars now turning in Space before ye -
men  have  named  it well Andromeda.  Through it I flow unto
the holy Moondog, and thence to Ra, and thence to ye, O Pri-
ests.

Ye must not rest content whilst in the Kingdom,  but  strive
and  so  exceed in what is done.  In Love of the Lady of the
North, and in Will of the Prince  of  the  South,  do  every
thing  soever.   In  the power of the Seven-rayed Star do ye
comprehend the Beast.  And from HAD of the Heart do  delight
in thy star-arched darling.

Do all this, and then,  pass  beyond.   Abandon  aught  that
might  distinguish  thee  from any other thing, yea, or from
no-thing.   If  the  fowler  would  snare  thee,  leave  thy
feather-cloak  a-dangle  in  his  hand  and  soar  naked and
invisible beyond!

But now!  As priests within  the  Temple  are  ye  here,  as
Kings,  and  Warriors,  Magickians  all.   The Way is in the
Work.

The Hidden One of the Abyss now gives  the  two  wherein  is
wrought  the  higher Alchemy: supporting Earth is Chthonos -
learn it well, and all bonds shall be loosed for the  Will's
Working.   Surmounting  Spirit,  there  is  Ychronos,  whose
nature is duration and the passing-away thereof.

The two are one, and form the Kingdom's essence.   Who  mas-
ters  them  is Master of the World.  They are the utter keys
of Transmutation, and keys of the power of  the  other  Ele-
ments.

The Warrior-Priests  received  the  Keys,  and  placed  them
within  their  robes,  to  hold them hidden well above their
hearts.  The  Black  Flame  danced  and  dwindled,  becoming
small,  a quill pen, plumed and pointed.  There being naught
upon which to write, one among the Priests came  forth,  and
laid his body's skin upon the altar as living parchment.

She-Who-Moves wrote thereupon a Word, but shew it not before
them.  In patience waited all the Kings and Hermits, assured
full well of final Understanding.

The Feather grew again, and rounded close its edges,  becom-
ing to their eyes the Yonilingam.  The image came of Ancient









                           - 4 -


Baphomet, the Horned One, who spoke:

Of old ye knew the Key of  Two-in-One  conjoined.   Ye  have
lived  and  loved  full  measure  as  NU and HAD, as PAN and
BABALON.  The Mystery of mine own image do ye also know, for
such  a  Truth  was  for  the ancient Orders of the East and
West.

Bipartite has the Race of Man been in its span.  The  Father
and  the  Mother  made a Child.  I am the elder of the Chil-
dren, true - but now the younger rises to His Day.

The nature of true Alchemy is that it changes not alone  the
substance  of  the Work, but also changes thence the Alchem-
ist.  Ye whose Will it  is  to  Work  thereby,  behold  mine
inverse image, and consider well its meaning for thy Task.

                  The Showing of the Image


From out of the Yonilingam drifted forth a Cloud, violet and
light-shot.   In  the  misty  heart  thereof  a sound arose,
vibrating soft, yet filling everywhere.

Jeweled  and  flashing  rainbow-lights  from  wings,   there
hovered  in the midst a humble BEE.  Striped gold and brown,
soft-haired and curved in form, it shone its eyes  unto  the
Priests and Kings assembled.

Spoke then She-Who-Moves from out of the mist surrounding:

This is the symbol of the Work-to-come, the  Great  Gynander
in its Earthly form.  The Magickian shall grow like unto the
BEE as the Aeon unfolds, a leader and sign unto the Race  of
Man.

What then of its nature doth the BEE show forth?

Behold, it is not male  nor  female  in  the  singular.   It
labors  forth  by  day in constant flight, an egoless do-er,
whose will and the Hive Will are but one.

It gathers up the flower-nectar, flies to Hive and there, in
pure Comm-Union, doth in its very body Transubstantiate.

The nectar is now honey.  Bee to  bee,  it  is  transferred,
speaking  all Hive Mysteries from and to each mouth.  By the
same mouth that first ingathered, is the  honey  spent,  the
secret Alchemy within the Centers turning SilverGold.

The Hive now  lives,  immortal.   With  queen  and  workers,
drones  and builder-bees, soldiers, foster-mothers - all are
one.  In constant life-renewal, the  Hive  breathes  as  One
Being - for so indeed it is.  In the Will of the Hive is the









                           - 5 -


Will of the Bee fulfilled.  Each in its appointed place, the
Bees work out their Will in ordered harmony.

The image fades.  Now the  poised  Plume  moves  in  dancing
fashion,   unfolding  from  the  center  shaft  long  wings,
transforming to the shape of the dark Vulture.

But know, O Children of the Hawk, a Man is not  a  Bee.   He
may profit from the image thereof, to learn of Wisdom in the
Working.   Behold  in  Me  another  image  for  thy  heart's
instruction.

There rose before their eyes the Tower of  Silence,  wherein
the Lovers of Fire lay their dead.

The Vulture form alighted soft therein, and  ate  the  flesh
from  the  corpses, to the bone.  The wind howled, desolate,
in this fearsome place, fluttering the cerements  about  the
ivory bones.

Silently, the Winged One  stared,  gore  smeared  about  her
beak.   Into  the  eyes  of each Priest there assembled, her
baleful gaze did search.  In perfect peace they  beheld  her
searching,  for  each,  as  Warrior,  had  made  of  Death a
brother.  Deliberately then, she unfolded out her wings, and
took to the wind, and soared up from that place.

                   The Giving of the Word


Eternity then reigned, Infinite the  veil  that  hung  about
them.

Somewhere, sometime, the veil parted for a moment, and  She-
Who-Moves  strode forth.  More comely than mortal woman ever
was, She glowed in radiance of  pearl  and  amethyst.   Fine
pleated  linen  was Her gown, girded in gold and silver, and
on Her head, a nemyss of starred blue.  Her crown was but  a
single  plume,  free-standing, and in her hands the Ankh and
Wand of healing.

Unto each Warrior-Priest  she  moved,  embraced  and  kissed
them.   Then,  seated  in  the  midst,  She spoke as comrade
equally-ranked.

``All ye who practise well the  High  Art,  hearken.   There
shall  be  nothing  hidden from thy sight.  All formulae and
Words shalt thou discover, being initiated  by  those  whose
Work it is to aid the Law of Will.

``Ye have worked well in all that has been given;  upon  the
Tree of Life are ye founded.  In Tetragrammaton have ye pro-
ceeded; in all the Beast hath given ye have practised  well.
Ye  have  become  Hadit, and NU, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit also.  As









                           - 6 -


Heru-Pa-Kraath did ye abide in  silence.   Ye  know  PAN  as
lover and as godform, and BABALON is bride and self to you.

``The forces of Shaitan have ye  engendered,  calling  forth
the  nexus  of  the  ninety-three wherein to work your Will.
Separation for the joy of Union have ye known,  and  Alchemy
is Science to your Art.

``For those who know,  and  will,  and  dare,  and  keep  in
silence, it goes now further.

``In death is Life - for now as ever has it  been  so.   The
Willed  Death is eternal - keep it so.  Self of Ego, selfson
born of Maya, must be slain on the  moment  of  birth.   The
unsleeping Eye must vigil keep, O Warriors, for the illusion
is self-generate.

``Constant watchfulness is the first  Act  -  the  Abyss  is
crossed by minutes, every day.

``If  ye  would  dance  the  Mask,  then  mask  the   Dance.
Exquisite  must  be the Art in this wise; and balance in the
Center be maintained, or else ye shall  give  unwonted  Life
unto  thine  own  creations.   Tread  carefully this path of
Working, Mage.  A tool, by Will devised, makes an  ill  mas-
ter.

``Now in the Mass, the Eagle must be fed upon what  she  has
shared  in  making.   By  the same mouth that roars upon the
mountain, is the word-act of No Difference given.

``And when Will declares, therein shall join the BEE to  add
the gold to red and white.  The essence of Shaitan is Nectar
here, the Temple is the Hive.  The Lion is the  Flower,  now
betimes, the Eagle invokes the nature of the BEE.

``Within the triple-chambered shrine  is  the  first  nectar
pooled.   The summons of the wand of PAN awakens the portal-
opening bliss.  And from the third and  inmost  chamber,  in
joy  supreme,  the  Sothis-gift, quintessential mead, bounds
forth to join Eagle-tears and Lion-blood.

``Solve et Coagula.  Comm-Union thereby, whereof the  Cosmos
itself dissolveth, and re-forms by Will.  And know, if aught
can be so ordered in the Kingdom,  that  three  or  more  is
zero, as well as older truths.''

Then stirred the Warrior-Priests, and  of  their  number,  a
nameless one stepped forth.

``We know thee, Lady, unspoken though Thy name has been thus
far.   But  say now - what was written on the manskin?  What
is the word Thou givest?''










                           - 7 -


She smiled and drew from out her robe  a  parchment  scroll,
shaped  even as a Star.  Unrolling it, She turned it rounda-
bout, so all might see.


                           IPSOS



``What is this Word, O Lady - how may it be used?''

``In silent wisdom, King and Warrior-Priest.  Let  the  deed
shine  forth  and  let  the word be hidden; the deed is lamp
enough to veil the face.

``It is the word of the twenty-third path, whose  number  is
fifty  and six.  It is the unspoken Abode, wherein the Dance
of the Mask is taught by Me.   Tahuti  watches  without  the
Ape; I am the Vulture also.

``It is the Chalice of Air and Wand of Water, the  Sword  of
Earth  and  Pantacle of Fire.  It is the hourglass and tail-
biting serpent.  It is the Ganges becoming Ocean, the Way of
the Eternal Child.

``It names the Source of Mine Own Being - and yours.  It  is
the  origin of this sending, that channels through Andromeda
and Set.  What race of gods do speak to Man, O Willed  Ones?
The word of them is both the Name and the Fact.

``It is for thy mantram and incantation.  To speak it is  to
bring  about  certain change.  Be circumspect in its usage -
for if its truth be known abroad, it would  perchance  drive
the slaves to madness and despair.

``Only a true Priest-King may know it  fully,  and  stay  in
balance  through his GO-ing flight.  This is all I speak for
now.  The Book of the Preshadowing of the  Feather  is  com-
plete.   Do  what  thou  wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
Love is the law, love under will.''




Donat per Omne
Scriba - Nema
Sol in Capricornus
Anno Heru LXX

Cincinnati