The celebrant of Solemn Vespers is assisted by a deacon and/or a priest(ess), and wears the alb, stole and cope (red or blue, according to gender)
The deacon wears the alb, stole and dalmatic. The assistant priest(ess) wears the cope.
Other clergy present assist in appropriate choir dress (usually cassock and surplice)
Servers in albs:
Stele Bearer
2 candle bearers
thurifer
book bearer
Organ music accompanies the procession as it enters. The Stele Bearer and two Candle Bearers lead the procession, followed by Thurifer, Book Bearer, a robed choir, then any clergy in choir; next, the celebrant and his assistant deacon and/or priest(ess)
Upon arriving at the altar, those who are not carrying anything bow. The choir, seated on either side of the altar, bow in pairs, and go to their places. Having made the customary reverence, the celebrant and his assistant deacon and/or priest(ess) go to the altar and kiss it.
They then go to the presidential chair. The Candle Bearers place their candles on the first step in front and on either side of the altar, and go to their seats. (It is preferable that the processional Stele be placed on the altar as the Altar Stele; otherwise it is placed out of sight to one side.
If a reading of The Law is to replace the appointed Scriptural Reading, the Deacon carries Liber Legis in the procession and places it on the altar as usual.
The Book Bearer comes to the chair bringing the celebrant's office book. All make the Sign of the Cross (right shoulder before left).
CELEBRANT: O Lord, be my helper
RESPONSORY: And bring me to the bliss of the beloved.
(all stand)
ANTIPHON (chanted): O Thou light
and delight, ravish me away
RESPONSORY (chanted): into the milky ocean of the stars!
ALL (chanted): Hail unto Thee who
art Tum in Thy setting,
Even unto Thee Who art Tum in Thy joy,
Who travelest over the heavens in Thy barque
at the down going of the sun,
Tahuti standeth at his splendor at the prow, and Ra Hoor abideth
at the helm
Hail unto Thee from the abodes of Day.
(All repeat full Antiphon)
CELEBRANT (intoned): I adore Thee by the 12 Unifications, and by the Unity thereof
ALL (sing): O thou Unity of all things: as the water that poureth through the fingers of my hand, so art thou, O god my God...
...Glory unto Thee through all Time and All Space
Glory and Glory upon Glory, everlastingly, Amen.
CELEBRANT: (intoned): I adore Thee by the 12 Gratifications, and by the Unity thereof
(all sing the zodiacal hymn coresponding to the constellation the Sun is currently (sidereally) in.)
Amen.
A short period of silent prayer or meditation. (optional)
Liber 418 in re "the Saints" (from the 12th Æthyr - LOE)
All sit for the reading. The lector comes to the center, bows to the altar, bows to the celebrant and goes to the ambo. He/she reads the appointed Scripture for the day. After the customary reverences, the lector returns to his or her place.
HYMN: "Blood of the Saints"
A short period of silent prayer or meditation.
HYMN: "Dicit de Mentu"
The Thurifer goes to the chair and bows to the celebrant, who prepares incense, assisted by the deacon or assistant priest(ess). The Thurifer bows and, carrying the Thurible, goes to the right of the altar. When the Celebrant stands, all stand and make the Sign of the Cross as the Dicit de Mentu begins. The Celebrant and his/her assistant deacon and/or pries(ess) come before the altar. They bow deeply and go up to the altar, but they do not kiss it. The Thurifer gives the thurible to the deacon or priest(ess) on the celebrant's right. He passes it to the celebrant, and the altar and stele are censed as usual. Having given the thurible to the assistant Priest(ess) or Deacon, the Celebrant returns to the chair.
Standing in front of the chair, the Deacon or assistant Priest(ess) censes the Celebrant. After he has censed the other assistant deacon or priest(ess), he goes to a suitable position where he can cense any clergy in choir and then to the front of the sanctuary, where he incenses the people. The singing of the Antiphon is delayed and appropriate variations are played on the organ until all the incensations are completed. Having received the thurible from the deacon, the Thurifer waits at the center of the sanctuary facing the altar while the antiphon is sung. At the end of the antiphon, he takes the thurible to the sacristy or some other place.
The book bearer comes to the chair and holds the office book open before the celebrant who introduces the final intercessions. Then the deacon, a cantor or lector reads or sings the intercessions, and, led by the choir, the assembly sings the appointed responses.
The DEACON: Lord visible and sensible of whom this earth is but a frozen spark turning about thee with annual and diurnal motion, source of light, source of life, let thy perpetual radiance hearten us to continual labour and enjoyment; so that as we are constant partakers of thy bounty we may in our particular orbit give out light and life, sustenance and joy to them that revolve about us without diminution of substance or effulgence for ever.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Lord
The DEACON: Lord secret and most holy, source of light, source of life, source of love, source of liberty, be thou ever constant and mighty within us, force of energy, fire of motion; with diligence let us ever labour with thee, that we may remain in thine abundant joy.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Saints
The DEACON: Lord of Life and Joy, that art the might of man, that art the essence of every true god that is upon the surface of the Earth, continuing knowledge from generation unto generation, thou adored of us upon heaths and in woods, on mountains and in caves, openly in the marketplaces and secretly in the chambers of our houses, in temples of gold and ivory and marble as in these other temples of our bodies, we worthily commemorate them worthy that did of old adore thee and manifest thy glory unto men.
[List of male Saints here as in Liber LXV]
Oh Sons of the Lion and the Snake! With all thy saints we worthily commemorate them worthy that were and are and are to come. May their Essence be here present, potent, puissant and paternal to perfect this feast!
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Earth
The DEACON: Mother of fertility on whose breast lieth water, whose cheek is caressed by air, and in whose heart is the sun's fire, womb of all life, recurring grace of seasons, answer favorably the prayer of labour, and to pastors and husbandmen be thou propitious. With love we honor them that did of old adore Thee and manifest Thy Victory unto The world.
[List of female Saints here]
O boundless ecstasy of the Naught, who gatherest the Blood of all the Saints into thy Cup! With all thy Daughters of The Sangraal, we honor and love Her that is above, within, and about us. May thine essence be here manifest, mystical, mighty, and maternal to magnify this feast.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The Principles
The DEACON: Mysterious Energy, triform, mysterious Matter, in fourfold and sevenfold division, the interplay of which things weave the dance of the Veil of Life upon the Face of the Spirit, let there be Harmony and Beauty in your mystic loves, that in us may be health and wealth and strength and divine pleasure according to the Law of Liberty; let each pursue his Will as a strong man that rejoiceth in his way, as the course of a Star that blazeth for ever among the joyous company of Heaven.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
Death
The DEACON: Term of all that liveth, whose name is inscrutable, be favourable unto us in thine hour.
The PEOPLE: So mote it be.
The End
The DEACON: Remembering especially [Ns -- people we wish to commemorate], we further pray:
All stand for the End Collect as it is sung.
COMMUNION
At this point, a three-fold communion takes place. The Thurifer and another Acolyte (acting as Aquifer or water-bearer) take places at the south and north sides, respectively, of the front trans-aisle, where are set (respectively): table bearing a brazier with lit coals, two pens and several slips of paper; and a basket and a scallop shell containing pure water.
Each congregant (ushered as necessary) goes first to the north, where s/he places an offering of non-perishable food (for later donation) into the basket held by the Acolyte. At the conclusion of this act, the Acolyte dips the right index finger into the water and signs the congregant on the forehead with a water (downward-pointing) triangle, saying:
AQUIFER: I follow Thee, and the waters of Death fight strenuously against me. I pass unto the Waters beyond Death and beyond Life.
The congregant next goes to the south, where the Thurifer instructs hir to write on one of the slips of paper a message to some one of hir dead and to throw the paper on the brazier. This being done, the Thurifer censes the congregant with three swings in a fire (upward-pointing) triangle, saying:
THURIFER: Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
Finally, each congregant passes to the east for the Eucharist; the Celebrant offers the cake, saying:
CELEBRANT: In the brown cakes of corn we shall taste the food of the world, and be strong.
The Deacon or assistant Priest(ess) offers the cup, saying:
DEACON: In the ruddy and awful cup of death we shall drink the blood of the world, and be drunken!
During the communion, music should either be voluntary, or may be the Edgar F. Day setting of the Coverdale translation of Psalm 139.
All rise.
CELEBRANT: Now I begin to pray--
ALL: Thou Child
Holy Thy name and undefiled!
Thy reign is come: Thy will is done.
Here is the Bread; here is the Blood.
Bring me through midnight to the Sun!
Save me from Evil and from Good!
That Thy one crown of all the Ten
Even now and here be mine. AMEN
The CELEBRANT: Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law
ALL: Love is the law, love under will
CELEBRANT: The LORD bless you.
The LORD enlighten your minds and comfort your hearts and sustain your bodies.
The LORD bring you to the accomplishment of your true Wills, the Great Work, the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.
The Celebrant and Deacons go to the altar and kiss it. Then they come to the pavement, where the stele bearer and candle bearers and other servers have already lined up. After the customary reverence, the procession leaves in the same order as it entered.
