The Stele of Jeu ( Bornless Rite ) Project: Part 1

The Stele of Jeu ( Bornless Rite ) Project: Part 1 –

Introduction- Disclosure-Statement of Intent

Six years ago, I did some solo and group work with a medieval magical document called the Arbatel. It was an exciting time. Exhilarating. But the years immediately following the work were fraught with struggle: upheaval, accidents, illness, and a string of jobs from hell. My relevance as a magical practitioner—and also my foothold as a spiritual practitioner—tanked during that time as well. And I wasn’t the only one in the “Arbatel Cohort,” as we called ourselves, who experienced upheaval and setbacks.  Some in the magical community would say, “Well, that is what you get for opening a Pandora’s box in grimoire work.” I would say, however, that upheaval and the rigors of resistance to it are the nature of catharsis, which is the nature of self-revelation and “spiritual transformation.” To quote a lyric from Jesus Christ Superstar, “To conquer death, you only have to die.”

Where I Am Coming From

Although I started my magical career about 12 years ago with a small offshoot of the Dione Fortune lineage, I ultimately did not align myself with any traditional lodge. I did entertain Chaos Magic for a while and liked to think of myself as a “free illuminist”— I otherwise have a life-long, well-mentored background in Eastern spirituality—primarily Advaita Vedanta—an orientation I have returned to and that strongly informs my magic, art, and creative writing. I am also a medical editor/writer by profession with a specialization in psychiatry and neurology. In addition, I am a bit of a nerdy autodidact on the cultural history of magic and mysticism in European `culture. Taken all together, this means that I do not subscribe to the “Spirit model” of magic and I do not take people who claim to practice “traditional” magic all that seriously. So that is my “Disclosure statement.”

So, life has taken a turn for the better. I am making more money than ever before and at a leisurely pace; I got on board with an old friend and collaborator who has become a small publisher through whom I will republish my fantasy fiction series; I am regaining my artistic voice, and I have connected with a new community of Vedantists. As for my “magical me,” I’ve become isolated and bored. I was about to fold it away in the been-there, done-that” bin. Then artist Susanne Iles posted a link to a blog post of a mutual acquaintance on the Stele of Jeu. Encouraged by Susanne, I decided to take it on as a project.

When involved with the Arbatel project, I kept a blog about it. I intend to do the same with my work with the Stele of Jeu, which will shed light on context and also provide insight to other practitioners on new ways to make the text relevant and workable for them.

The Stele of Jeu is a tract within the Greek Magical Papyri and is designated as section V 96-172. The Greek Magical Papyri is a compilation of highly syncretic texts that date from the 2 century BCE to 5 century CE of Hellenized Egypt. They are Greco-Egyptian magical spells and are loaded with references to Egyptian, Greek, Gnostic, Orphic, and Hebrew deities—sometimes all in the same document.

Scholars have said that the Stele of Jeu is an example of an exorcism, given a recurring line in the document that requests deliverance from a spirit. Modern occultists, however, treat it as an exercise in self-transformation—theurgy or apotheosis—in which the aim is to identify with deity. More on what that “means” in an ensuing blog entry.

The document is popularly known as the Bornless Rite based on interpretive ideas applied to it by late 19^th/early 20^th century occultists—namely founders of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Aleister Crowley. It is also known as the Headless Rite because the text is directed to a deity referred to as Akephalos—Greek for “Headless One.” The term could refer to any number of obscure ancient headless deities and it is often assumed to refer to an Egyptian one, but it could refer to something else entirely, which will be the topic of my next two posts.

Preparation for the Rite

Face north, “write the formula” on a parchment, “extend” across the forehead (ie, write the formula, which includes 6 unknown godnames, and wear the parchment as a headband. The modern tradition has been that the formula is the godnames: Aoth, Abaoth, Basym, Isak, Sabaoth, Iao.) Say:

“Make all Spirits subject to Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, the Ether, Earth and under the Earth, dry Land, or Water, Air Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of God may be obedient unto Me!”

The Oration

I invoke you, Headless One!

You who created the Earth and the Heavens,

You who created the Night and the Day,

You who created the Darkness and the Light.

You are Osoronnophris, whom no one has ever seen.

You are Iabas; you are Iapos.

You have distinguished the Just from the Unjust.

You have made the Female and the Male.

You have made the Seed and the Fruit.

You have made men Love and Hate one another.

I am Moses, your prophet, to whom you have revealed your Mysteries, the ceremonies of Israel.

You have produced the Moist and the Dry and that which nourishes all life.

Hear me, for I am the messenger of Phapro Osoronnophris, which is your true name, handed down to the prophets of Israel.

Hear me: Ar, Thiao, Rheibet, Atheleberseth, A, Blatha, Abeu, Ebeu, Phi, Chitasoe, Ib, Thiao.

Hear me and turn away this spirit.

I invoke you, awesome and invisible God who dwells in the void of the spirit.

Arogogorobrao, Sochou, Modorio, Phalarthao, OOO, Headless One.

Deliver this person from the spirit that restrains him.

Hear me: Roubriao, Mariodam, Balbnabaoth, Assalonai, Aphniao, I, Tholeth, Abrasax, Aeoou,

Mighty dH

Hea Headless One, deliver this person.

Ma, Barraio, Ioel, Kotha, Athorebalo, Abraoth.

Deliver this person from the spirit that restrains him.

Aoth, Abaoth, Basym, Isak, Sabaoth, IAO.

He is the Lord of the Gods.

He is the one who the winds fear.

He has made all things by the command of his voice.

Lord, king, ruler, and helper.

Save this soul.

Ieou, Pyr, Iou, Pyr, Iaot, Iaeo, Ioou, Abrasax, Sabriam, Oo, Yu, Eu, Oo, Yu, Adonaie,
Now now angel of God
Anlala Lai, Gaia, Apa, Diachanna Choryn

"I am the headless spirit with my sight in my feet; mighty immortal fire;.

I am the Truth.

I detest the unjust deeds done in the world.

I am the one who makes the lightning flash and the thunder roll.

I am the one who is the shower of life on the earth.

I am the one whose mouth is flame.

I am the one who begets and manifests. 

I am the Grace of the Aion.

My name is a heart encircled by a serpent.

Come forth and follow.