Abrahadabra is a word that first publicly appeared in The Book of the Law (1904), the central sacred text of Thelema. Its author, Aleister Crowley, described it as "the Word of the Aeon, which signifieth The Great Work accomplished."[1] This is in reference to his belief that the writing of Liber Legis (another name for "The Book of the Law") heralded a new Aeon for mankind that was ruled by the god Ra-Hoor-Khuit (a form of Horus). Abrahadabra is, therefore, the "magical formula" of this new age. It is not to be confused with the Word of the Law of the Aeon, which is Thelema, meaning "Will".
Crowley replaced the 'C' in "Abracadabra" with an 'H', which the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in their Neophyte ritual linked with Breath and Life[a] as well as with the god Horus.[b] Aleister Crowley had taken the place of Horus or the Hierus officer[b] in the Golden Dawn's Neophyte ritual,[2] which means that he personally gave the response explaining the meaning of the letter 'H'.
Crowley explains in his essay "Gematria" that he changed the magick word to include 'H' because of qabalistic methods. He appears to say that this happened before his January 1901 meeting with Oscar Eckenstein, one of his teachers. At this meeting, Eckenstein ordered Crowley to put aside magick for the moment, and to practice meditation or concentration.[3] In "Gematria", Crowley says he took great interest in Abrahadabra, and its qabalistic number 418, at the time someone ordered him to "abandon the study of magic and the Qabalah". In the Book of Thoth, Crowley refers to Abrahadabra as a 'cypher' of the Great Work.
The word "Abrahadabra" appears repeatedly in the 1904 invocation of Horus that preceded the writing of Liber Legis and led to the founding of Thelema.[4] It also appears in a May 1901 diary that Crowley published in The Equinox.[5]
The essay "Gematria" gives Hindu, Christian, and "Unsectarian" versions of the problem that Crowley intended this magick word to answer. He also gives a qabalistic equivalent for each phrasing, and a brief symbolic answer for each. The unsectarian version reads, "I am the finite square; I wish to be one with the infinite circle." Its equivalent refers to "the Cross of Extension" and "the infinite Rose." Crowley's numerological explanation of "ABRAHADABRA" focuses mainly on this last formulation and the answer to it.
"Abrahadabra" is also referred to as the "Word of Double Power". More specifically, it represents the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm—represented by the pentagram and the hexagram, the rose and the cross, the circle and the square, the 5 and the 6 (etc.), as also called the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of one's Holy Guardian Angel. In "Commentaries" (1996), Crowley says that the word is a symbol of the "establishment of the pillar or phallus of the Macrocosm...in the void of the Microcosm."[6]
Mystical interpretations
Gematria
As with most things found in the mystical works of Aleister Crowley, the word "Abrahadabra" can be examined using the qabalistic method of gematria, which is a form of numerology, whereby correspondences are made based on numerical values.
ABRAHADABRA = 418
ABRAHADABRA has 11 letters
ABRAHADABRA = 1+2+2+1+5+1+4+1+2+2+1 = 22
The five letters in the word are: A, the Crown; B, the Wand; D, the Cup; H, the Sword; R, the Rosy Cross; and refer further to Amoun the Father, Thoth His messenger, and Isis, Horus, Osiris, the divine-human triad.
Also 418 = ATh IAV, the Essence of IAO, translated from Hebrew as “Thou art IAO”
418 = The sum of all integers between 13 and 31 inclusive.
Abrahadabra is from Abraxas, Father Sun, which = 365[7]
418 = 22 x 19 Manifestation
Other
Where AbraCadabra means “I create as I speak” in Aramaic, abraHaDabra, roughly speaking, means “I create the speech”, in Hebrew.
Had is the keyword of Abrahadabra. Had is another name for Hadit, the second Speaker in Liber Legis ("The Book of the Law").
"ABRAHADABRA is "The key of the rituals" because it expresses the Magical Formulae of uniting various complementary ideas; especially the Five of the Microcosm with the Six of the Macrocosm."[8]
"Abrahadabra is the glyph of the blending of the 5 and the 6, the Rose and the Cross."[8]
References
Notes
^Regardie (1989), p. 118: "Hiero: Is there any peculiarity in these names? Hierus: They all commence with the letter 'H'. Hiero: Of what is this letter a symbol? Hierus: Of life; because this letter 'H' is our mode of representing the ancient Greek aspirate or breathing, and Breath is the evidence of Life.
^ abRegardie (1989) links Horus with the letter 'H' on p. 345, and with the Hierus, p. 338, 352.
Crowley, Aleister (1996). The Law is for All. Tempe, AZ: New Falcon Publications. ISBN1561840904.
Crowley, Aleister (1996b). "Commentaries on the Holy Books and Other Papers". The Equinox. York Beach, Maine: S. Weiser. IV (1).
Crowley, Aleister (1997). Magick: Liber ABA, Book 4, Parts I-IV (Second revised ed.). Boston: Weiser. ISBN0877289190.
Secondary sources
Regardie, Israel (1989). The original account of the teachings, rites and ceremonies of The Golden Dawn (6th ed.). Woodbury, MN: Llewellyn Publications.
Sutin, Lawrence (2002). Do What Thou Wilt: A Life of Aleister Crowley. Macmillan. ISBN978-0312252434.
Other sources
Thelemapedia. (2004). Abrahadabra. Retrieved April 16, 2006.
abrahadabra, this, article, about, magic, word, album, dimmu, borgir, album, this, article, relies, excessively, references, primary, sources, please, improve, this, article, adding, secondary, tertiary, sources, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar. This article is about the magic word For the album by Dimmu Borgir see Abrahadabra album This article relies excessively on references to primary sources Please improve this article by adding secondary or tertiary sources Find sources Abrahadabra news newspapers books scholar JSTOR December 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message Abrahadabra is a word that first publicly appeared in The Book of the Law 1904 the central sacred text of Thelema Its author Aleister Crowley described it as the Word of the Aeon which signifieth The Great Work accomplished 1 This is in reference to his belief that the writing of Liber Legis another name for The Book of the Law heralded a new Aeon for mankind that was ruled by the god Ra Hoor Khuit a form of Horus Abrahadabra is therefore the magical formula of this new age It is not to be confused with the Word of the Law of the Aeon which is Thelema meaning Will Contents 1 Description 2 Mystical interpretations 2 1 Gematria 2 2 Other 3 References 3 1 Notes 3 2 Citations 3 3 Works cited 3 3 1 Primary sources 3 3 2 Secondary sources 3 4 Other sources 4 Further readingDescription EditCrowley replaced the C in Abracadabra with an H which the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in their Neophyte ritual linked with Breath and Life a as well as with the god Horus b Aleister Crowley had taken the place of Horus or the Hierus officer b in the Golden Dawn s Neophyte ritual 2 which means that he personally gave the response explaining the meaning of the letter H Crowley explains in his essay Gematria that he changed the magick word to include H because of qabalistic methods He appears to say that this happened before his January 1901 meeting with Oscar Eckenstein one of his teachers At this meeting Eckenstein ordered Crowley to put aside magick for the moment and to practice meditation or concentration 3 In Gematria Crowley says he took great interest in Abrahadabra and its qabalistic number 418 at the time someone ordered him to abandon the study of magic and the Qabalah In the Book of Thoth Crowley refers to Abrahadabra as a cypher of the Great Work The word Abrahadabra appears repeatedly in the 1904 invocation of Horus that preceded the writing of Liber Legis and led to the founding of Thelema 4 It also appears in a May 1901 diary that Crowley published in The Equinox 5 The essay Gematria gives Hindu Christian and Unsectarian versions of the problem that Crowley intended this magick word to answer He also gives a qabalistic equivalent for each phrasing and a brief symbolic answer for each The unsectarian version reads I am the finite square I wish to be one with the infinite circle Its equivalent refers to the Cross of Extension and the infinite Rose Crowley s numerological explanation of ABRAHADABRA focuses mainly on this last formulation and the answer to it Abrahadabra is also referred to as the Word of Double Power More specifically it represents the uniting of the Microcosm with the Macrocosm represented by the pentagram and the hexagram the rose and the cross the circle and the square the 5 and the 6 etc as also called the attainment of the Knowledge and Conversation of one s Holy Guardian Angel In Commentaries 1996 Crowley says that the word is a symbol of the establishment of the pillar or phallus of the Macrocosm in the void of the Microcosm 6 Mystical interpretations EditGematria Edit As with most things found in the mystical works of Aleister Crowley the word Abrahadabra can be examined using the qabalistic method of gematria which is a form of numerology whereby correspondences are made based on numerical values ABRAHADABRA 418 ABRAHADABRA has 11 letters ABRAHADABRA 1 2 2 1 5 1 4 1 2 2 1 22 The five letters in the word are A the Crown B the Wand D the Cup H the Sword R the Rosy Cross and refer further to Amoun the Father Thoth His messenger and Isis Horus Osiris the divine human triad Also 418 ATh IAV the Essence of IAO translated from Hebrew as Thou art IAO 418 BVLShKIN or Boleskine 418 RA HVVR or Ra Hoor 418 הרו רא הא a Hebrew spelling of Heru Ra Ha 418 AIϜASS a Greek spelling of Aiwass 418 The sum of all integers between 13 and 31 inclusive Abrahadabra is from Abraxas Father Sun which 365 7 418 22 x 19 ManifestationOther Edit Where AbraCadabra means I create as I speak in Aramaic abraHaDabra roughly speaking means I create the speech in Hebrew Had is the keyword of Abrahadabra Had is another name for Hadit the second Speaker in Liber Legis The Book of the Law ABRAHADABRA is The key of the rituals because it expresses the Magical Formulae of uniting various complementary ideas especially the Five of the Microcosm with the Six of the Macrocosm 8 Abrahadabra is the glyph of the blending of the 5 and the 6 the Rose and the Cross 8 References EditNotes Edit Regardie 1989 p 118 Hiero Is there any peculiarity in these names Hierus They all commence with the letter H Hiero Of what is this letter a symbol Hierus Of life because this letter H is our mode of representing the ancient Greek aspirate or breathing and Breath is the evidence of Life a b Regardie 1989 links Horus with the letter H on p 345 and with the Hierus p 338 352 Citations Edit Crowley 1997 Liber Samekh Crowley 1991 ch 6 The Book of Results Sutin 2002 p 85 The Equinox I 7 1912 THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING IV in The Equinox I 4 1910 Crowley 1996b p page needed Crowley 1996 p 24 a b Crowley 1974 p page needed Works cited Edit Primary sources Edit Crowley Aleister 1974 Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on the Book of the Law Montreal 93 Publishing Crowley Aleister 1991 The Equinox of the Gods New Falcon Publication ISBN 978 1561840281 Crowley Aleister 1996 The Law is for All Tempe AZ New Falcon Publications ISBN 1561840904 Crowley Aleister 1996b Commentaries on the Holy Books and Other Papers The Equinox York Beach Maine S Weiser IV 1 Crowley Aleister 1997 Magick Liber ABA Book 4 Parts I IV Second revised ed Boston Weiser ISBN 0877289190 Secondary sources Edit Regardie Israel 1989 The original account of the teachings rites and ceremonies of The Golden Dawn 6th ed Woodbury MN Llewellyn Publications Sutin Lawrence 2002 Do What Thou Wilt A Life of Aleister Crowley Macmillan ISBN 978 0312252434 Other sources Edit Thelemapedia 2004 Abrahadabra Retrieved April 16 2006 Further reading EditCrowley Aleister 1982 777 and Other Qabalistic Writings York Beach Me S Weiser Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Abrahadabra amp oldid 1125728740, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
