The Banner of the South

Thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire"

Hanging upon the southern wall of the temple is the Banner of the South, as if borne aloft by the four commanders of the armies of the Lord of Hosts. In the temple it marks the symbolic portal of entry of the forces of Fire, summoned by the sacred magician and assembled to do his or her bidding.

"And when after all thy phantoms have vanished, thou shalt see that holy and formless fire, that fire which darts and flashes through the hidden depths of the universe, hear thou the voice of fire."

Depicted here in the red of Fire and the southern quarter, the banner is charged with the alchemical sigil of Fire in the flashing color. Red is also the color of alchemical Sulphur.

In our tradition, the south is the quarter of Fire, Courage, and love. It is associated with Geburah, also colored red in the queen scale, and hence with the godname Elohim Gibor.

The archangel of the quarter is Michael, Regent of Fire, angel of Key 14, and leader of the armies of heaven. Michael can be visualized clad in scarlet and green, holding a sword or spear. It is effective to see this figure standing in front of the flaming sun at midday, perhaps with those flames licking along the blade of the sword he carries.

Other denizens of symbolic east include Epona, the white mare, the lion, and all the gods of Fire, such as Sekmet, avenger of Ra.

The elemental beings of the South are the salamanders, and their ruler is Djinn, the melekh or angel who represents their forces at the conscious level.

Control such forces in your own nature, or in the words of the ritual, "be energetic and strong as the Salamanders but avoid irritability and ferocity," and then pray

THE PRAYER OF THE SALAMANDERS

by
Eliphas Levy

Immortal, Eternal, Ineffable and Uncreated Father of All, borne upon the Chariot of Worlds, which ever roll in ceaseless motion; Ruler over the Ethereal Vastness, where the Throne of Thy Power is upraised, from the summit of which Thine eyes behold all, and Thy pure and Holy ears hear all, hear Thou Thy children, whom thou hast loved since before the Ages began. Thy Majesty Golden, Vast and Eternal, shineth above the Heaven of Stars! Above them art Thou exhalted, O Thou Flashing Fire! There Thou illuminateth all things with Thine insupportable Glory, whence flow the ceaseless streams of splendor which nourish Thine Infinite Spirit. This Infinite Spirit nourisheth all, and maketh that inexhaustible treasure of generation which ever encompasseth Thee, replete with the numberless forms wherewith Thou hast filled it from the beginning. From this Spirit arise those most Holy Kings, who surround thy Throne and who compose Thy court. O Universal Father! One and Alone! Father alike of Immortals and of Mortals! thou hast created powers marvellously like unto Thy thought Eternal and unto Thy venerable Essence. Thou hast established them above the Angels who announce Thy Will to the World. Lastly, thou hast created us third in rank within our Elemental Empire! There we ceaselessly burn with Eternal Aspiration unto Thee! O Father! O Mother of Mothers, O Archetype Eternal of Maternity and of Love! O Son, the flower of all Sons! O form of all forms, Soul, Spirit, Harmony and Numeral of all Things! Amen.

Prepared by Emmanuel Rose
Ó Emmanuel Rose 2001