Preparation For Battle

"Choose ye an island! Fortify it! Dung it about with enginery of war! I will give you a war-engine. With it ye shall smite the peoples; and none shall stand before you. Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! this is the Law of the Battle of Conquest: thus shall my worship be about my secret house." Liber al vel Legis 3:4-9

In his commentary, Crowley thought the island referred to a state of mind by which each star can prepare for spiritual battle against invading energies, thoughts and ideas. He also, in his second comment, considered these verses a reference to preparation for physical warfare. In a sense, both viewpoints are correct. A warrior must be both mentally and physically prepared.

As we observe the dissension of the spiritual war to Earth, causing nations and neighbors to enjoin in perpetual battle over foolishness like land rights, religious and racial differences, we understand the importance of isolation and getting prepared to defend ourselves.

Thus the island might be a literal island of land surrounded by water, or it could be a fortified home on a hilltop or hidden in a secluded place. The fortifications might include several months of food and water, medical supplies, blankets, warm clothing, tools, a supply of firewood and matches. Or they might involve an intense training of the human mind to work to its full capability.

The command to "Dung" the island with the "enginery of war" strongly suggests physical preparation for battle. These are old English words. Dung is a reference to manure, although it also can mean things that are repulsive. The word enginery means exactly what it sounds like. War machinery.

But there is something more here. Horus promises: "I will give you a war-engine. With it ye shall smite the peoples; and none shall stand before you." Whether this message is directed to the members of the new Church of the Sun, or to one specific individual, perhaps the Beast, does not matter. I believe this war-engine will involve right brain functioning, perhaps the use of telekinetic energies, or simply psychic knowledge of where to be to dodge the bullets and survive the apocalyptic horrors to come.

But the promise that "ye shall smite the peoples, and none shall stand before you," suggests a powerful magick. Crowley thought it was a reference to a tank, which was a most formidable weapon in his day. The armada of contemporary weaponry of the 21st Century, however, makes the tank obsolete. That Horus might give a small band of followers a weapon that smites armies that use computer guided bombs and missiles, deadly sound frequencies, H.A.A.R.P., chemical and biological agents, psychological trickery and terrorism strongly suggests divine intervention.

Even at that, the old rules of warfare still apply. "Lurk! Withdraw! Upon them! this is the Law of the Battle of Conquest." It is the way armies and individuals have successfully defeated enemy forces throughout time. Contemporary terrorist groups find this extremely successful in battling the most formidable of armies. Among the most brilliant of these are the al-Qaeda, a skilled and very secret Moslem group that strikes when and where they are least expected, and then withdraws, to lurk in hiding for long periods of time; sometimes for years, before striking again.

Such attacks, to Horus, appear to be a form of worship. He declares: "thus shall my worship be about my secret house." It is almost as if the al-Qaeda are reading the Book of the Law. For them, the sacrifice of themselves for their god, Allah, is a religious experience. This is why they can strap bombs on their bodies and walk into crowded buildings. Or fly aircraft into the side of the World Trade Center.

But is this the kind of extreme thinking expected of the followers of the Church of the Sun? I do not believe physical sacrifice is included in the mix. The "engine of war" will be something quite unique.