The Ritual Of The Elus Cohens
We have extracted the most interesting passages, regarding the Rites and the Circles, from the letters of Claude de Saint-Martin from the time that he was secretary to the Master. We have transcribed them into modern French, adding a minimal punctuation, and have finally put them forward in a less crammed format. Readers wanting to read them in extenso only have to refer to the work by Dr. Gérard Encausse (Papus) on :Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin" and the 50 letters it contains.
Bordeaux, 20h May, 1771
Dear Master, This is the first of the dispatches which we need to send to you. I have sent a packet of 6 pages by this courier, to the address you have given me, 5 containing the Great Ceremony of the "Grand Architects". The sixth contains a prayer, or Invocation, for the Daily Work. I will shortly send you the Tracing Board of the Grade, completely drawn out. You will only have to add the stars38, or Candles, according to the instructions which you will find in the Ceremony. I am also sending you the Words necessary for the reception and ordination; all with the corresponding papers which will be easy for you to find.
On the reverse of the paper which contains the words of the grade, you will find those you will need to use in your Daily Invocation, and which you will also recognize among the papers. The marks O .•. V39 which you will find in this paper indicates that it is the same Word you must repeat. This is what I have done.
As to the manner of using this Daily Invocation, this is what the Master charged me to tell you. He permits you to trace as single Circle, having in the centre the "W"40 and a star or candle. You may have another one in your hand in order to read your paper. This Invocation can be performed every day, at any time, at any hour, if you wish.
You asked if you are in fact permitted to trace the conventional "arbitrary" Signs (N.B. Signs chosen by the Celebrant in a special Ritual), as described at the end of the aforementioned Invocation. The Master has not instructed me about this. However, I do not believe that it is forbidden, seeing that all your designs lean towards the Good, of which I am surely convinced. Moreover, it is a matter which it left to your prudence, so far as you be specifically enlightened by it. I will not speak of the "New Fire". You know that
38 It is difficult to know whether he is using the word "star" analogically or whether it is an old word for a different form of illumination to a candle - PV.
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