Liber MCMIV
sub figura LXXVI

"The Book of the Law is connected more with the Greek Cabbala than with the Hebrew." - Aleister Crowley, The Confessions of Aleister Crowley, Hill and Wang, 1969 E.V., Chapter 85, Page 835. 

The following was "inspired" on Rudemas Eve of 1983 E.V., written down in a more complex form and tucked away with Crowley's Commentaries to Liber AL vel Legis sub figura CCXX, The Book of the Law, where it rested while numerous individuals claiming either to be Aleister Crowley reincarnated or the Magical Child of the Beast 666 presented, with great fanfare (rather flat and off key) their so-called solutions to the "Riddle of AL", as Chapter II, Verse 76 came to be called by some. These "solutions" were sometimes complex, often irrational and had little or nothing to do with the Greek Qabalah. 

As for that which follows, accept it or reject it and what you may choose to believe its presentation implies as you will. I am merely passing something on - something that, with little doubt, may one day be expanded in many different directions and dimensions. 

"A final revelation. The revealer to come is perhaps the one mentioned in I.55 and III.47. ..." [See Liber ILDH vel XLIX svb figvra DCLXXVI as published in the Newaeon Encyclical Letter of the 1984 E.V. Summer Solstice.] 

"This passage following appears to be a Qabalistic test (on the regular pattern) of any person who may claim to be the Magical Heir of The Beast. Be ye well assured all that the solution, when it is found, will be unquestionable. It will be marked by the most sublime simplicity, and carry immediate conviction. ..." - Aleister Crowley, Magical and Philosophical Commentaries on The Book of the Law, 93 Publishing, 1974 E.V., pages 248-9; pages 258-9 of The Law Is For All, Llewellyn Publications, 1975 E.V. 

"4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L. What meaneth this, o prophet? Thou knowest not; nor shalt thou know ever. There cometh one to follow thee: he shall expound it. But remember, o chosen one, to be me; to follow the love of Nu in the star-lit heaven; to look forth upon men, to tell them this glad word." 

The phrase "glad word" seems to be important. "Word", of course, immediately brings to mind the Greek word Logos, and Aleister Crowley, the Beast 666 or To Mega Therion, was the Logos of the present New Æon of Horus, the Crowned and Conquering Child. However, "word" is qualified by calling it "glad", thus one may be inclined to think that this "glad word", as opposed to "the Word", may refer to something or someone else - in this case both, as riddle and the revealer of the riddle's solution are one in a way that anyone who has experienced samadhi may understand via that experience. 

The word "glad" in Greek is charmosynos, the numeration of which is 1731 (i.e. 600 + 1 + 100 + 40 + 70 + 200 + 400 + 50 + 70 + 200) and 1731 is also the numeration of gnosteros, which means "one that knows or warrants the truth of a thing, Lat. cognitor". [See Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon.] (It is also interesting to note that charmosynos may be rendered as charmosynon, the final Nu, being 50, replacing the final Sigma, being 200, thereby changing the numeration to 1581, which is also the numeration of Chi Xi Stau [Stau = Digamma], that is to say, 600 + 10 [610] + 60 + 10 [70] + 200 + 300 + 1 + 400 [901], and these Greek letters, Chi Xi Stau, represent the numbers 600, 60 and 6, otherwise Six Hundred Three Score and Six...666. [A "score" is 20, multiplied by 3 = 60.]) 

One way to render "glad word" into Greek would be charmosynos logos, the numeration of which is 2104, which is also the numeration of tes doxes tou theou, "the glory of God", as may be found in Romans 5.2 of the Judeo-Christian Bible, and tes eikonos autou, "his (i.e. the Beast's) image", from Revelation 15.2. 

Another way to render "glad word" into Greek would be to join the words thusly: charmosynologos, dropping the final Sigma of charmosynos to do so, thus reducing the original numeration of 2104 by 200, giving the new variation of the word the numeration of 1904 - and as you should know, The Book of the Law was dictated to Crowley by Aiwass, his True Self or Holy Guardian Angel (Supraconscious Self or Mind), in the year of 1904 E.V. Thus the numeration of this book ... MCMIV or 1904. 

The following appears in the scattered notes made by Aleister Crowley which were eventually to become Liber MCCLXIV, The Greek Qabalah [see Magick in Theory and Practice], which was never properly published, said notes being added to my as yet unpublished work on the Greek Qabalah, being, to date, 2,003 pages long, with 9,393 entries of varying length, in three volumes. 

ABK: Alpha (532) + Beta (311) + Kappa (182) = 1025 

ALGMOR: Alpha (532) + Lambda (78) + Gama* (45) + Mu (440) + Omikron (360) + Rho (900) = 2355. (*Gama is a legitimate alternate spelling of Gamma.) 

YX: Upsilon (1260) + Xi (70) = 1330. 

RPSTOVAL: In Greek characters, 100 + 80 + 200 + 300 + 70 + 6 + 1 + 30 = 787. (Exactly why Crowley did not spell RPSTOVAL out fully in Greek to achieve a numerical equivalent as he did with the other series of letters I cannot say. Perhaps it was because the number would have been too large and cumbersome. Perhaps it was inspiration. Perhaps, although he may have never committed it to paper, he discovered the solution, keeping it to himself, or at least had an inkling of its nature. Whatever the case may be, there are two alternatives I would like to at least give consideration to: [1] Rho Pi Sigma Tau Omicron Upsilon Alpha Lambda = 1181 = deuteron therion, "the second beast" [see Revelation 13.11], etc. [2] Rho Pi Sigma Tau Omega Upsilon Alpha Lambda = 1911 = Philtatops, found in Greek capitals in Crowley's notes and an odd variation of philtatos, "most beloved" or "dearest, most loved, best beloved", and o antichristos, "the antichrist", as can be found in 1 John 2.22 and 2 John 7.) 

4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L    

4..........4........aba, Aba.
6..........6........ea, Abba.
3..........3........Ba.
8..........8........Gad, ge.
ABK........1025.....dynatos, exakosioi exekonta ex.
2..........2........B (second letter of Greek alphabet)
4..........4........aba, Aba.
ALGMOR.....2355.....teleioseos.
3..........3........Ba.
YX.........1330.....christon, kyrio.
24.........24.......'Adith.
89.........89.......Athoth, edeethen.
RPSTOVAL...787......Gordius.
or.........1911.....philtatops, o antichristos.
or.........1181.....deuteron therion, apto, pheggous.

aba: the youth, the strength and freshness of youth; "manhood" in Crowley's notes. 

Aba: An angelic luminary concerned with human sexuality. 

Abba: Father; Aramaic word often used to address God. 

ea: Ah! exclamation of wonder and pleasure. 

Ba: O King! shortened form of Basileu. 

Gad: good fortune; to attack (Hebrew: Gimel Daleth, GD); m. Gad - Rev. 7.5 and Gen. 30.11: "And Leah (cf. Leah Hirsig) said: 'Fortune is come!' And she called his name Gad." 

ge: enclitic particle adding emphasis to the word with which it is associated. (This helps to set the tone of the solution's translation.) 

dynatos: mighty. 

exakosioi exekonta ex: six hundred and sixty-six (666) - Rev. 13.18. 

B: following the number of the Beast, referring to the second beast, the "magical child". 

aba: the youth, the strength and freshness of youth; "manhood" in Crowley's notes. 

Aba: An angelic luminary concerned with human sexuality. 

teleioseos: the fulfillment; the perfection. 

Ba: O King! (See previously.) 

christon: anointed or Anointed One (Christ), as in John 9.22. 

kyrio: master (or lord), as in Rom. 14.4, 16, and Rev. 14.13. 

'Adith: Hadith (the Centre). 

Athoth: One of the 12 Gnostic Powers engendered by Iadalbaoth. 

edeethen: please! ask, beg, pray, implore. 

Gordius: The tier of the famous Gordian Knot, a knot (problem, riddle) so complicated that it resisted all attempts to untie (solve) it. Legend says that whoever could untie the knot would rule over all Asia. No one succeeded, but Alexander the Great cut the knot in two with his sword (symbol of reason and the magician's magical weapon used to banish "demons"). "Cutting the Gordian Knot" is today a figure of speech for solving a problem by direct action. 

NOTE: Aleister Crowley's given name was Edward Alexander, Aleister being a variation of Alexander. And the reference to the sword, the means by which the Gordon Knot was "untied", reminds one of "The Sword of Horus", the feature article of The Newaeon Newsletter and a special magical title of Frater Militaris Ex Divus, the Adeptus Minor motto of Frater Keallach. 

Thus, "4 6 3 8 A B K 2 4 A L G M O R 3 Y X 24 89 R P S T O V A L" becomes: 

Aba (ea) Abba Ba (ge) Gad (dynatos) Exakosioi exekonta ex b aba Teleioseos Ba (christon) Kyrio 'Adith edeethen (Athoth) Gordius. 

This is no more intended to be "good Greek" than is the language of The Book of the Law, written down by Aleister Crowley, a master of the English language, intended to be grammatically and otherwise proper. 

It may be translated thusly: 

Father (of) Manhood and Sexuality! O King (of) Fortune! Mighty (Beast) 666! The Second (Beast) (is come to) manhood, the youth [or child], the Perfection*, the Fulfillment (of the promise), O King! Master (of the Temple), Anointed One (who hath achieved) Hadith, (long) implored, called upon and invoked, (in the name of) Athoth (shut up in silence**). Tier of this Gordian Knot, the Antichrist, (thy) most Beloved One, the second beast, (thy Sword, the Sword of Horus, is here!) 

*Elaboration upon such words can be made by reference to the Greek gematria that has appeared in various volumes of The Newaeon Newsletter. 

**89, the numeration of Athoth, is also the numeration of GVPh, Gimel Vau Pe, "shut up", and DMMH, Daleth Mem Mem He, "silence" - see Sepher Sephiroth svb figvra D. 

Although the answer to the riddle is supposed to be "unquestionable", anything can, and everything should be questioned, and no doubt this solution will be disputed by many...as well as elaborated upon. 

A final note regarding the title: 76 (LXXVI) is the difference between 1875 and 1951, the years in which Aleister Crowley and G.M.Kelly, respectively, were born, as commonly reckoned. 76 is also the numeration of Nuith (Digamma = u here), ienai, "to go", einai, "I am, I am to be", and Athene, all to be found in Crowley's notes (Note: Pallas Athene = 418), agalma, "the image" of a god as an object of worship, "any image".

Anno LXXXVI, Sol in Sagittarius 

I. It may be worth noting that, according to A Concise Etymological Dictionary of the English Language by the Rev. Walter W. Skeat, the word "glad" from the Anglo Saxon, "glaed", means "shining, bright, cheerful", with similar meanings in the equally more original forms to be found in other languages. This, perhaps, indicates the nature of this other "word", as well as the solution to the riddle. 

II. Two Greek words with the numeration of 1181 that I did not add to the translation above may be added to the ending to indicate nature, that which follows, etc. (a) apto, "to fasten, fasten to or on, fix upon (a thing)...to fasten upon, attack...to touch, affect...to grasp with the senses, apprehend, perceive...to reach, overtake: to gain...to kindle, set on fire...", and (b) pheggous, or feggous, "light, splendor, luster: sunlight, daylight...light, gladness, joy...", according to Liddell and Scott. Another source defines apto very much the same, but adding "light". 

III. Finally, a personal note: My Thelemic nature as well as my love of and impulse towards Justice has been involving me in battles against crime, from the most minor to the most heinous - battles not only against criminals, but also against uncaring government officials and a generally apathetic, lazy and stupid police force. I live in a community filled with universities and libraries, yet the week after a knifing next door I literally placed myself between a large, bear-like madman and the lives of twenty other people that he had threatened, along with my own. Being a bit too casual, and concerned more for the safety of the others, I took two hits to the face before caving the maniac's chest in with a single kick to end things neatly. A couple of weeks later a would-be rapist that I stopped proved himself a terrible fighter and three times I had him without being touched and could have easily killed him but instead exercised compassion. Truly, "Compassion is the vice of kings" (CCXX II.21), for then I slipped, fell, he had me for a few seconds, got a few good hits in to my face before I was up again, and got away as soon as the police finally arrived to take charge. Had he knocked me unconscious, he would have surely beaten me to death. Fortunately I have a natural resistance to things like intoxication and unconsciousness. The point being, on the verge of making great changes, the "negative", dying old aeon forces are naturally and automatically evoked by the greater manifestation of the "positive" New Aeon forces coming further into Being, naturally attacking the channels of the "93 Current". Be careful. 

Frater Keallach 93/676 (G.M.Kelly) 

KEY: Alpha, A/a = 1; Beta, B/b = 2; Gamma, G/g = 3; Delta, D/d = 4; Epsilon, E/e (short-E) = 5; Digamma, F/f (U,V,W) = 6; Zeta, Z/z = 7; Eta, H/e = 8; Theta, Th/th = 9; Iota, I/i = 10; Kappa, K/k = 20; Lambda, L/l = 30; Mu, M/m = 40; Nu, N/n = 50; Xi, X/x = 60; Omicron, O/o (short-O) = 70; Pi, P/p = 80; Koppa, Q/q = 90; Rho, R/r = 100; Sigma, S/s = 200; Tau, T/t = 300; Upsilon, U/u V/v Y/y = 400; Phi, Ph/ph = 500; Chi, Ch/ch = 600; Psi, Ps/ps = 700; Omega, O/o (long-O) = 800; Sanpi, -) = 900.