Cake of Light

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Cake of Light is the name of the eucharistic host found within Thelema, the religion adapted from the philosophy of François Rabelais by Aleister Crowley in the early 20th century. It contains meal, honey, and oil for the base ingredients, and is usually cooked in the shape of a small, flat wafer. It appears by name in two important Thelemic rituals: the Gnostic Mass and the Mass of the Phoenix. However, Crowley thought it was important for magicians to perform a eucharistic ritual of some kind daily (from Magick, Book 4, ch. 20):

A Eucharist of some sort should most assuredly be consummated daily by every magician, and he should regard it as the main sustenance of his magical life. It is of more importance than any other magical ceremony, because it is a complete circle. The whole of the force expended is completely re-absorbed; yet the virtue is that vast gain represented by the abyss between Man and God.
The magician becomes filled with God, fed upon God, intoxicated with God. Little by little his body will become purified by the internal lustration of God; day by day his mortal frame, shedding its earthly elements, will become in very truth the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Day by day matter is replaced by Spirit, the human by the divine; ultimately the change will be complete; God manifest in flesh will be his name.

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[edit] Symbolism

The meal contains carbohydrates, oil for fats, and honey for proteins. Cakes of Light have for their symbolism the five elements: meal (Earth), honey (Air), olive oil (Water), Oil of Abramelin (Fire), and wine leavings (Spirit). The Cake of Light can also be identified with the Sun and the sphere of Tiphareth on the Tree of Life.

[edit] Cakes of Light in The Book of the Law

The name for Crowley's eucharist first appeared in his received sacred text, The Book of the Law. The relevant quotes are as follows (from III:23-25):

For perfume mix meal & honey & thick leavings of red wine: then oil of Abramelin and olive oil, and afterward soften & smooth down with rich fresh blood.
The best blood is of the moon, monthly: then the fresh blood of a child, or dropping from the host of heaven: then of enemies; then of the priest or of the worshippers: last of some beast, no matter what.
This burn: of this make cakes & eat unto me. This hath also another use; let it be laid before me, and kept thick with perfumes of your orison: it shall become full of beetles as it were and creeping things sacred unto me.

In simpler language, menstrual blood, semen or the conjoined sexual fluids of a male and female Thelemite form the so-called "blood" component mentioned in the second portion of this quote.

[edit] How to make wine leavings

Items needed:

  • One gallon carboy or thick glass jug
  • Cork or stopper for jug
  • Fermentation lock for jug
  • 1 pkg wine yeast (available from brew supply store)
  • 3 quarts 100% purple grape juice (2 cans frozen concentrate with water)
  • 1 teaspoon vodka

Place juice into glass jug and allow it to reach room temperature. Pour yeast into jug. Cork jug and shake to mix well. Place 1 teaspoon of vodka into fermentation lock and add water to fill fermentation lock about half full. Place fermentation lock on jug. Keep jug out of direct sun at room temperature and let set about 3 weeks. Within 24-48 hours it should start to produce gas that will be let off through the fermentation lock. When it is producing minimal gas, 1-2 bubbles per minute, it is ready. Gently pour off most of the liquid and discard, leaving 1-2 cups of liquid. Swirl jug and mix the leavings in the bottom of the jug with the liquid. Pour this into a mason jar and refrigerate for use in cakes of light. You may pour off more liquid later after the leavings have settled. This will keep for a long time in the refrigerator.

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