the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully in red ink and black
upon beautiful paper made by hand
I only just noticed this today while doing some more research on Egyptian art: the Egyptians used red as well as black ink on their religious papyruses (papyri?) such as The Book of the Dead. May not be news to some of you but I thought it was interesting and helps to make a bit more sense of that line in Liber AL.
The text written in red would be for titles and spells:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_the_Dead#Producing_a_Book_of_the_Dead
Some more in-depth explanation of the pigments used in these inks:
Crowley would have been familiar with the Book of the Dead and I guess he would have seen some original papyri of it. Did he leave a record of having been aware of these ink colours and their importance? If not he may have not paid them much attention at the time, his subcouncious mind (or Aiwass) surely did notice and brought it up at the writing of AL.
So why is the "red ink" important for the printing of Liber AL and what parts of the book should be in red? Did Crowley write anything on this? I haven't found anything.
The purpose of the red ink to the Egyptians was for titles and headings, highlighting important terms and for instructions for spells. I don't know if any of this should be applied to AL but here's an example page with "instructions" highlighted:
Oh, I see: this is where we get the word "rubric". This practice of highlighting in red started in ancient Egypt, carried on through the Middle Ages and fell out of fashion when italics and bold started being used instead.
(sorry for double-post, too late to edit previous one).
So why is the "red ink" important for the printing of Liber AL
Many Bibles were/are printed in red & black. I was unaware of the Egyptian tendency. It probably started in Sumeria, with standard black ink and blood.
Then it influemced the Khemites, who influenced the Bible writers, who influenced AC with his Bible obsession as a child, an Wallah! Liber AL is (subconsciously and praeterhumanly )commanded to be printed in red & black on hand-made paper. Machine-made paper is apparently forbidden, so all publishers live in Sin except for the hand-made papyrists.
I don't know if any of this should be applied to AL but here's an example page with "instructions" highlighted:
An interesting distinction - and who is to (nay-)say with authority whether it be right or wrong?
However, from the page given as an example wouldn't the following arguably need to be counted as "instructive" (and therefore be in red) also ?
22. [...;] let all be worshipped, [...] for the Beast & his Bride are they: and for the winners of the ordeal x.
28. Also ye shall be strong in war.
29. [...] All before me.
Meanwhile, the first part of verse 30, which is in red, should surely be in black (as being descriptively non-instructive) instead?
30. My altar is of open brass work:
Arguably yours,
Norma N Joy Conquest
Many Bibles were/are printed in red & black
Ah, I see. Apparently these were called "Red Letter Bibles", the words spoken by Jesus were in red.
So in Liber AL's case do we know what parts should be in red? In the copies you have seen, what bits were in red? Having never read a physical copy I don't know much about this, from a few photos online it looks like the red is mainly used decoratively.
Being too "cheap" to actually buy a copy, I'd like to have a go at printing my own some day. Is there some "official and approved" layout for the ink colours or is it up to the "printer" to decide?
do we know what parts should be in red?
<haha>
In the copies you have seen, what bits were in red? Having never read a physical copy I don't know mu
I have never seen a copy in anything other than black ink, except for Solar Lodge's version (circa '67). It had a stele, front * back, in red, on the end-papers (the first & last pages - those may not be "end-papers" - What do I know?), specifically for the purpose of including red ink. The paper was not made by hand, but it was handled by hands.
or is it up to the "printer" to decide?
Oh, individualism! How exciting. I have never seen a/any/the format for which text gets reddened. AC never wrote about this (that I know of), and every copy he published (that I have seen) was in black ink.
Where will you get handmade paper?
Where will you get handmade paper?
Purchased using shekels from some expensive stationery outlet, possibly - or maybe one is supposed to make it oneself? Just like one (=anyone) is also meant to make one's own magical weapons (sword/dagger, disk, chalice & wand/blasting rod), cabbala, thesis about the meaning of the universe, etc.
If so, this could all end up being pretty labour-intensive on its own, and never even mind getting started about the needing to be "beautiful" bit...
Let alone any binding which might also be required in the operation,
N Joy
maybe one is supposed to make it oneself?
That's a novel idea. I wrote an entire book on how to make one's own instruments, starting in the mines, then the refinery, the smelter, the grinding, the polishing, the purifications, the consecrations ... but I neglected to cover parchment, vellum, papyrus, and papier-mache (you can make frogs or a third eye out of this).
But then I directed the clumsy, the ill-begotten, and the lazy folks to various outlets where they might procure a golden brass discus or a new double-edger, or even a chalice (pawn shops are best). But still, nothing in my work allows for plug-and-play, or buy and use ... without shaping, engraving, polishing, purify-ing, and consectrat-ing.
I mean, what's the use if one is just another Amazon.com magician?
On the other hand (dexter or sinster?) ...
https://www.mulberrypaperandmore.com/p-6526-handmade-deckle-edge-indian-cotton-paper-pack-white.aspx
Handmade Deckle Edge Indian Cotton Paper Pack - WHITE
• 200 GSM • Handmade in India • Acid-Free • 5 sheets of 8.5" x 11"
See a complete description and more specifications below.
... or ...
Lot of 10 Blank Egyptian Papyrus
A4 12"x 8.25" (30 x 21cm)
$12.00 Low in stock
AC never wrote about this [i.e. the ink colours]
As I expected, its another one of the "commandments" of AL that was only vaguely defined by Aiwass and never clarified by AC later on (nothing about this in his comment for III:39).
Where will you get handmade paper?
That seems to be easily purchasable as you have shown, but where would the fun be in that? I have a feeling those papyrus sheets might jam your printer.
I had a look at a few papermaking clips on youtube, it seems straightforward enough when reusing old paper (does that count or do you have to chop the trees down "by hand" as well?). It would take some practice before getting a result that could be described as "beautiful". A short clip:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn69DDYSR3c
A longer clip showing the traditional method in Japan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2WXBZQ3S18
Looks pretty laborious. Its cool that these old crafts still continue in what seems like such a "hi-tech" country.
wouldn't the following arguably need to be counted as "instructive" (and therefore be in red) also ?
Yes, that's probably more accurate, it was just a quick example. Highlighting the "instructions" might be a bit messy. Other ideas would be to redden the poetic inserts of I:14 etc, the parts filled in by "Warda the Seer" or the bits crossed out and re-written ("omnipresence of my body"). I hope no religious wars are fought over this in future.
If so, this could all end up being pretty labour-intensive on its own, and never even mind getting started about the needing to be "beautiful" bit...
Let alone any binding which might also be required in the operation
If one had money to burn one could achieve this fairly easily: just order some hand-made paper you like the look of, print the pages on a professional quality printer and then send them off to a book binder. Pricey but do-able and I'm sure the result would be nice enough.
There are of course "cheap and cheerful" alternatives to proper binding, such as those plastic clip thingies.
I wrote an entire book on how to make one's own instruments, starting in the mines, then the refinery, the smelter...
A fascinating subject I've pondered over though even with this you have to draw the line somewhere of how much must be done "by hand" or it descends in to absurdity: did you make the pick axe used for the mining by hand? The charcoal for the smelting? Did you make the axe to chop the tree for the charcoal? Did you make the anvil? Did you mine the ore to make the anvil? Did you make the clothes you were wearing that day? etc...
Liber L, III, 39:
"All this and a book to say how thou didst come hither and a reproduction of this ink and paper for ever -- for in it is the word secret & not only in the English -- and thy comment upon this the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully in red ink and black upon beautiful paper made by hand; and to each man and woman that thou meetest, were it but to dine or to drink at them, it is the Law to give. Then they shall chance to abide in this bliss or no; it is no odds. Do this quickly!"
The purpose of the different color text would seem to be to highlight -- to put on a pedestal -- the priceless & perfect words of Liber Legis: i.e., the phrases and versicles of Liber Legis would be in red text, and the intro, commentary, articles and epistles and the like would all be in black text, to differentiate the sacred text from the rest. This tradition has long been used by Christians with their red letter bibles, with the words of Christ in red letter and all the rest in black.
@aleisterion It's also general practice in Christian liturgical books such as breviaries to have the main text in black and parts that require highlighting in red. These are typically titles, rubrics, and often the first letter of the first word in a new paragraph, section or psalm.
I have a feeling those papyrus sheets might jam your printer.
They are specified for many uses, including printing. The reviews claim extremely high quality. I considering getting a pack, but they're too expensive for j
"just finding out" if they will print. The cotton pages I get your feeling from.
do you have to chop the trees down "by hand" as well?
You may order your paper and have it delivered to Lulu. They will print it. You only need to align the text and decide what is black and which is red. Every step that you do yourself, or commission out (a Sin of Omission), takes you one degree closer to the apathetic appellation of "Armchair Magician."
Technically, to qualify for the aphorism of "Constructive Magician" (it's like a Real Master Mason Bricklayer), you have to wander off into the wilder-ness (jungle, desert, mountain, radioactive wasteland, etc), with only a (consecrated) Swiss-Army knife, and a (purified) bottle of water. There are youTube videos on how to survive in various bogs and hellpits), for 40 days, while you get your materials collected, mined, or manufactured.
The more you "make up" yourself, the wider the gold trim on your robe can be.
I hope no religious wars are fought over this in future.
"The Reds versus the Blacks," started by Fr.'. Duck in 2020 e.v., aka "The Colored Ink War," that lasted for 456 years, survived the transition from Osiris/Set to Horus, emerging with a version of Liber AL all printed in red ink, with the names Nuit, Hadit, Ra-Hoor, Aiwass, etc, and the word "because," printed in black. Any reference to Ankh-af-na-khonsu, "my prophet," or other versions of the Aleister, strangely became printed in purple. Can't figure that part out.
and then send them off to a book binder. Pricey
Or go to your local Borg Stationer and have the do the "Perfect-Bound"(TM) maneuver, which is exactly what Lulu does. You can arrange for your own cover design with Ducks in the Pond called Because, happily released from the Pit of the same name, and it might be pricey, but more like 1/10th of what the Borg bindery wants. My personal copy of Inside Solar Lodge - Outside the Law, in leather with those cute spine bumps cost $180 per book. There are 11 of these, floating around, somewhere. I don't know who got them, but I suppose those will be real, rare, collector's items. Their value is decreased, of course, by the fact that no red ink was used, except for my lamen seal stamp. Personally, I'd just go to the Stationer and ask about Perfect-Bound(TM) in hardcover format.
you have to draw the line somewhere of how much must be done "by hand"
I have drawn The Line. In Tibetan, the Word is Ling. Add it up "by the [777] book." Let me explain to you exactly how I practice The School of Instant Magic. AC recommended this format, so it's not exclusive with me. The following has occurred several times ...
Let's do a ceremony. Oh heck, there are hardly any magical instruments left after we destroyed our arsenal, which is required but hardly ever written about in the books. Let's start in the kitchen. Stainless steel platter = disk. Aluminum cup = cup. Knife = dagger. Wooden spoon = wand. Candle = lamp. Dishtowel = altar cloth. Surely you get the picture. If one is to be anal about purification, the weapons may be run through the dishwasher, then anointed with perfume or breath mints crushed and dissolved in olive oil or water while chanting, "I draw the Ling."
That's how it's done. This method does not detract from the fact that I purchased almost all my original instruments new (some used) and fine tuned them (polishing, shaping, engraving).
To build everything from scratch, one would have to re-create the Universe, wouldn't they?
So we have two extremes: Build it from scratch OR buy everything.
A magician who buys everything is known as an "archair," because he skips "the labor of preparation."
A magician who builds everything from scratch is known as that dietary "God" or "The Creator" etc.
There are are few grades or degrees or shades of difference in between these two yin-yang opposites. They are marked with Lings or Lines.
Who cares? Everybody must draw their own Line.
versicles of Liber Legis would be in red text, and the intro, commentary, articles and epistles and the like would all be in black text
Yes, of course. I even remember reading it in this context long ago, the application revolving around the word, "comment." I never paid much attention, for I had no aspiration to print such a holistic document ... The Equinox of the Gods was AC's major attempt in this regard, and he regarded it as fulfilling that injunction, but I don't remember seeing the red ink.
and often the first letter of the first word in a new paragraph, section or psalm.
Oh, yes. That's the kind I remember from my childhood. Red first letters. I thought that was cool. I only ever saw but two of them, I think.
...] I hope no religious wars are fought over this in future.
- Yes, but I've come across even stranger stupider reasons for religious schisms/wars... It would even be almost as seriously silly as having one over "fill/kill"! (wouldn't it??)
If one had money to burn one could achieve this fairly easily: just order some hand-made paper you like the look of, print the pages on a professional quality printer and then send them off to a book binder. Pricey but do-able and I'm sure the result would be nice enough.
But that's cheating, if we're talking about doing everything youroneself! Shiva has more or less dealt with the oh so beautiful paper & associated products
I wrote an entire book on how to make one's own instruments, starting in the mines, then the refinery, the smelter...
Re the Binding afterwards: you'd have to rear the cow from birth and skin the hide for the leather, then tan it. Next, you'd have to sew the (65?) pages in, using binding cotton you'd picked from the fields yourself & then processed. All simples enough so far, yah?
There are of course "cheap and cheerful" alternatives to proper binding, such as those plastic clip thingies.
No, most definitely cheating with that one methinx...
A fascinating subject I've pondered over though even with this you have to draw the line somewhere of how much must be done "by hand" or it descends in to absurdity
Or, "to sweat smelt, or not to smelt: that is the question"? In other words that is to decide how much of the "commandments" to ignore (i.e. not bother with) - taking the value judgement that they're not really all that (important).
Incidentally, the thought does occur that it might only be the comment itself which is to be printed in red ink (and black) etc:
Liber L, III, 39:
"[...] and thy comment upon this the Book of the Law shall be printed beautifully in red ink and black upon beautiful paper made by hand
but although it's grammatically true it doesn't seem the most rational explanation (though since when is Liber L ever about rationalism?!)
The injunction "Do this quickly!" is still waiting to be fully/properly fulfilled; the centennial edition and 93 Publishing's Magickal & Philosophical Commentaries were editions that combined red and black print effectively, but they certainly weren't produced on actual handmade paper. Maybe the Aeon of Horus is stalled and will not be comically comickally cosmickally enabled to progress further without the commandment being comickally carmickally karmically completed?
Every step that you do yourself, or commission out (a Sin of Omission), takes you one degree closer to the apathetic appellation of "Armchair Magician."
That you don't do, shirley? Or am I missing something?
I take it "Armchair Magician" is the same as "Amazon.com Magician" <earlier?> (This might also make him/her the same as what P.-R. Koenig might maybe call a "McMagician"?)
you have to wander off into the wilder-ness (jungle, desert, mountain, radioactive wasteland, etc)
Where "the sky is raining fishes, it's a mutation zoo zone... Going down Damnation Alley? Well, good luck to you! ("Thank you Dr. Strangelove, I said thank you Dr. Strangelove for going doo-lally & giving me the heritage, of ashes and post-atomic dust" - with acknowledgement to Bob Calvert)
The more you "make up" yourself, the wider the gold trim on your robe can be.
And if you're lucky and really good at it, you might even qualify for a sash....
A seriously swishy one!
N Joy
you'd have to rear the cow from birth and skin the hide for the leather, then tan it.
I have done this.
you'd have to sew the (65?) pages
My current copy of AL contains nine (9) pages. It includes The Comment (a mandatory appendix). Ten (point type - so you know it hasn't been reduced in size by using 4 point type like the heathen Chinese do for patent remedy labels and instruction manuals.
It does not have any red typos, or even inked type. I plan to remedy that when I have a free leisure hour, or so.
All that being said, I would smallen the pages, and increase the type size for children and old people and all the folks who read poorly or need glasses. So the page count will increase.
As for including a copy of the original scribble, I will either omit, or ("Drink Me") shrink a lot. Probably, I will give the Borg address of some site that posts this sort of thing.
taking the value judgement that they're not really all that (important).
They're not.
it might only be the comment itself which is to be printed in red ink (and black) etc:
Yes, we just covered that (2-3 days ago. "And the Comment shall be ..."
But I would so like to see the paraphrase from the stele in red.
it doesn't seem the most rational explanation
The Comment is a Warning. Warnings are traditionally and practically red.
That you don't do, shirley? Or am I missing something?
Grammar Nazi. Look, I don't have time to proofred my cosmically channeled twaddle.
Incidentally, the thought does occur that it might only be the comment itself which is to be printed in red ink (and black) etc
It could be read that way but then it would imply that only the comment should be on handmade paper and the rest of the book not, which seems a bit odd. Doing just the comment page would be a much easier to achieve project though, it could then be hung on the wall as a sort of "icon".
cosmically channeled twaddle
.
cosmically channeled twaddle
[Duck posts a link[
Yeah. That stuff. Who has time to proofread when you're in a trance?
you'd have to rear the cow from birth and skin the hide for the leather, then tan it.
I have done this.
That's some achievement. I hope the book it eventually went to bind was worth it!
taking the value judgement that they're not really all that (important).
They're not.
Depending on where the Line is drawn, of course (vis-a-vis the commandments).
it might only be the comment itself which is to be printed in red ink (and black) etc:
Yes, we just covered that (2-3 days ago. "And the Comment shall be ..."
So we did. But I thought I'd just add a bit more to it. (Any objections? 😆 )
it doesn't seem the most rational explanation
The Comment is a Warning.
Good point: the Comment does at least contain in part a (most direful) Warning.
That you don't do, shirley? Or am I missing something?
Grammar Nazi. Look, I don't have time to proofred my cosmically channeled twaddle.
Look you too (boyo), I wasn't trying to be a Grammar Nazi there. I was thinking that there might have been a hidden meaning to your saying "do" that I hadn't been alert enough to pick up on (hence my volunteering that I may have missed something). It wasn't intended as a putdown - and I thought we'd been through this before, when I recommended that it might be generally quite helpful if you were not quite so hypersensitive about it. Though I am rather put in mind of the expression "never apologise, never explain" when it comes to your good self, as I don't really have the time for it either.
cosmically channeled twaddle
[Duck posts a link[
Yeah. That stuff.
I didn't think (or say) what you posted was twaddle. But I suppose, if you insist say so...?
N Joy
That's some achievement. I hope the book it eventually went to bind was worth it!
It was/is not worth it, because that part never got printed. Some people still live on farms and ranches. I did, from 1969 to '72, and again for half a year in '81. These things to do with animals are so common that they need not be cited ... if you're a farmer or a rancher. They are as common as pushing icons on a phartsmone's screen.
I should mention that these animal duties are dirty, messy, and unappealing to the higher self of each of our 5 senses, plus the 6th, of course. Urine. Poop. Blood. Scraping the hide over and over to get it clean. Tanning chemicals. I have determined that ranchers who slaughter animals have something missing in their niyama portfolio. Farmers who raise vegetable products, including legal cannabis for medicinal usage, avoid the animal configuration and are more like Buddhists.
Depending on where the Line is drawn, of course (vis-a-vis the commandments).
The Line is drawn from the core of Terra Firma, through the vertical axis of one's dork vehicle, straight up through the Borg's electromagnetic energy field, to one's imprint anchor on the causal plane, and thence to infinite infinity. There are no commandments on this Line. Other lines, that have moral and superstitious considerations, do not go straight up and down, and so everyone with a crooked line must make their own decisions on how to handle the application of their twisted configuration.
I was thinking that there might have been a hidden meaning to your saying "do" ...
Do, do not, don't. Hidden, obscure, occult. Might, maybe, never.
These [^] are the nine vehicles of liberation. Eight are contrived; only one is true.
hypersensitive
No. I was doing the "insulted channel who sometimes mixes up words and contexts who got caught in a grammar tense mixup and everything came out backward." It was a pan-o-mine, one that Duck got but other thought I was Sirius, which I am but in another manner.
The key word of the puzzle is Twaddle, and not only in the English.
I didn't think (or say) what you posted was twaddle.
Of course you didn't. Nobody said you did. I (me) said it was twaddle (Tuatable). I am poking pointed sticks at myself, and perhaps this is confusing.
So why is the "red ink" important for the printing of Liber AL
Many Bibles were/are printed in red & black. I was unaware of the Egyptian tendency. It probably started in Sumeria, with standard black ink and blood.
Then it influemced the Khemites, who influenced the Bible writers, who influenced AC with his Bible obsession as a child, an Wallah! Liber AL is (subconsciously and praeterhumanly )commanded to be printed in red & black on hand-made paper. Machine-made paper is apparently forbidden, so all publishers live in Sin except for the hand-made papyrists.
The use of blood as red ink is interesting, and possibly correct. However, wouldn't this ink turn brown upon drying?
A further point is that the use of red may well be quite natural and normal; after all, even the runes were commonly dyed red in teutonic times.
Markus
Dwtw
I put together an illuminated version that uses red for all the verse numbers, most of the title page, and the title and signature of the Comment:
https://solignere.com/holy-books-of-thelema
It's an interesting question as to what should be in red. If you went with the red-letter bible approach, then all the actual words of the three deities would be in red, "I am alone, I am Nuit, etc" with the other stuff in black, like "Then the priest fell into a deep trance or swoon", etc. Granted, that's not a lot of black, but it's something.
Of course, a strict reading of the verse might be construed as only applying to the Comment - in which case I would think that the quotes from CCXX would be in red, and the rest in black.
Litlluw
O.L.
Pretty sure in Egyptian writing, both Hieratic and Demotic, red represented a magical truth or spell, or incantation. Years ago I visited Egypt and went to The Museum of Antiquities in Cairo. I saw several Books of the Dead on display. One reminded me of Crowley's passage in The Vision and the Voice, "Osiris is a black god" Because the papyrus indeed portrayed a black Osiris. The museum also houses the stele of Revealing. Could Crowley have seen the same papyrus?
It's an interesting question as to what should be in red.
I have added this tak to my burden. My List of Burdens, that is. I shall not use any standard format, and will thus avoid the errors of the past. The profit, the holy chosen one, who appears as The Great Beast who climbs out of the pit ... he never set a red rule, so I will invoke Tahuti and he can pick the reds.
Of course, a strict reading of the verse might be construed as only applying to the Comment
I am all for strict interpretation. It saves all that "WTF?" mental effort. I confess that I believe in the Comment Only reading, but I shall extend the redness to the mercurially-selected portions of the AL text, and the title page. Maybe O.M.'s Intro too (you know, the one where an Aeon became officially fixed at 2,000 revs).
red represented a magical truth or spell, or incantation.
Yes. You have extended the Light to illuminate the very essence of the Application of Redness. Red ink is a substitute for writing a spell in blood.
@shivaThank you for your kind compliment. I am in the process of transcribing the Vision and The Voice by hand. 1) To study it 2) The Master Ipsissimus has promised to give me dreams that might illuminate the more obscure points. To write is an act of magic(k) My dreams are at first confusing, but when analyzed, the symbolism is Kabbalistic.