This is the testimony of all that I have seen, and all that I have learned, in those years that I have possessed the Three Seals of MASSHU. I have seen One Thousand-and-One moons, and surely this is enough for the span of a man's life, though it is said the Prophets lived much longer.
I am weak, and ill, and bear a great tiredness and exhaustion, and a sigh hangs in my breast like a dark lantern. I am old.

The wolves carry my name in their midnight speeches, and that quiet, subtle Voice is summoning me from afar. And a Voice much closer will shout into my ear with unholy impatience. The weight of my soul will decide its final resting place. Before that time, I must put down here all that I can concerning the horrors that stalk Without, and which lie in wait at the door of every man, for this is the ancient arcana that has been handed down of old, but which has been forgotten by all but a few men, the worshippers of the Ancient Ones (may their names be blotted out!).

And if I do not finish this task, take what is here and discover the rest, for time is short and mankind does not know nor understand the evil that awaits it, from every side, from every Gate, from every broken barrier, from every mindless acolyte at the alters of madness.

For this is the Book of the Dead, the Book of the Black Earth, that I have writ down at the peril of my life, exactly as I received it, on the planes of the IGIGI, the cruel celestial spirits from beyond the Wanderers of the Wastes.

Let all who read this book be warned thereby that the habitation of men are seen and surveyed by that Ancient Race of gods and demons from a time before time, and that they seek revenge for that forgotten battle that took place somewhere in the Cosmos and rent the Worlds in the days before the creation of Man, when the Elder Gods walked the Spaces, the race of MARDUK, as he is known to the Chaldeans, and of ENKI our MASTER, the Lord of Magicians.

Know, then, that I have trod all the Zones of the Gods, and also the places of the Azonei, and have descended unto the foul places of Death and Eternal Thirst, which may be reached through the Gate of GANZIR, which was built in UR, in the days before Babylon was.

Know, too, that I have spoken with all manner of spirit and daemon, whose names are no longer known in the societies of Man, or were never known. And the seals of some of these are writ herein; yet others I must take with me when I leave you. ANU have mercy on my soul!

I have seen the Unknown Lands, that no map has ever charted. I have lived in the deserts and the wastelands, and spoken with demons and the souls of slaughtered men, and of women who have dies in childbirth, victims of the she-fiend LAMMASHTA.

I have traveled beneath the Seas, in search of the Palace of Our Master, and found the stone of monuments of vanquished civilisations, and deciphered the writings of some of these; while still others remain mysteries to any man who lives. And these civilisations were destroyed because of the knowledge contained in this book.

I have traveled among the stars, and trembled before the Gods. I have, at last, found the formulae by which I passed the Gate ARZIR, and passed into the forbidden realms of the foul IGIGI.

I have raised demons, and the dead.

I have summoned the ghosts of my ancestors to real and visible appearance on the tops of temples built to reach the stars, and built to touch the nethermost cavities of HADES. I have wrestled with the Black Magician, AZAG-THOTH, in vain, and fled to the Earth by calling upon INANNA and her brother MARDUK, Lord of the double-headed AXE.

I have raised armies against the Lands of the East, by summoning the hordes of fiends I have made subject unto me, and so doing found NGAA, the God of the heathens, who breathes flame and roars like a thousand thunders.

I have found fear.

I have found the Gate that leads to the Outside, by which the Ancient Ones, who ever seek entrance to our world, keep eternal watch. I have smelled the vapours of that Ancient One, Queen of the Outside, whose name is writ in the terrible MAGAN text, the testament of some dead civilisation whose priests, seeking power, swing open the dread, evil Gate for an hour past the time, and were consumed.

I came to possess this knowledge through circumstances quite peculiar, while still the unlettered son of a shepherd in what is called Mesopotamia by the Greeks.

When I was only a youth, travelling alone in the mountains to the East, called MASSHU by the people who live there, I came upon a grey rock carved with three strange symbols. It stood as high as a man, and as wide around as a bull. It was firmly in the ground, and I could not move it.
Thinking no more of the carvings, save that they might be the work of a king to mark some ancient victory over an enemy, I built a fire at its foot to protect me from the wolves that wander in those regions and went to sleep, for it was night and I was far from my village, being Bet Durrabia. Being about three hours from dawn, in the nineteenth of Shabatu, I was awakened by the howl of a dog, perhaps of a wolf, uncommonly loud and close at hand.
The fire had dies to its embers, and these red, glowing coals cast a faint, dancing shadow across the stone monument with the three carvings. I began to make haste to build another fire when, at once, the gray rock began to rise slowly into the air, as though it were a dove. I could not move or speak for the fear that seized upon my spine and wrapped cold fingers around my skull.
The Dik of Azug-bel-ya was no stranger to me than this sight, though the former seemed to melt into my hands!

Presently, I heard a voice, softly, some distance away and a more practical fear, that of the possibility of robbers, took hold of me and I rolled behind some weeds, trembling. Another voice joined the first, and soon several men in the black robes of thieves came together over the place where I was, surrounding the floating rock, of which they did not exhibit the least fright.

I could see clearly now that the three carvings on the stone monument were glowing a flame red colour, as though the rock were on fire. The figures were murmuring together in prayer or invocation, of which only a few words could be heard, and these in some unknown tongue; though, ANU have mercy on my soul!, these rituals are not unknown to me any longer.

The figures, whose faces I could not see or recognise, began to make wild passes in the air with knives that glinted cold and sharp in the mountain night.

From beneath the floating rock, out of the very ground where it had sat, came rising the tail of a serpent. This serpent was surely larger than any I had ever seen. The thinnest section thereof was fully that of the arms of two men, and as it rose from the earth it was followed by another, although the end of the first was not seen as it seemed to reach down into the very Pit itself.
These were followed by still more, and the ground began to tremble under the pressure of so many of these enormous arms. The chanting of the priests, for I knew them now to be the servants of some hidden Power, became much louder and very nearly hysterical.

IA! IA! ZI AZAG!
IA! IA!! ZI AZKAK!
IA! IA! KUTULU ZI KUR!
IA!

The ground where I was hiding became wet with some substance, being slightly downhill from the scene I was witnessing. I touched the wetness and found it to be blood. In horror, I screamed and gave my presence away to the priests. They turned toward me, and I saw a loathing that they had cut their chests with the daggers they had used to raise the stone, for some mystical purpose I could not then divine; although I know now that blood is the very food of these spirits, which is why the field after the battles of war glows with an unnatural light, the manifestations of the spirits feeding thereon.

May ANU protect us all!

My scream had the effect of casting their ritual into chaos and disorder. I raced through the mountain path by which I had come, and the priests came running after me, although some seemed to stay behind, perhaps to finish the Rites. However, as I ran wildly down the slopes in the cold night, my heart giving rise in my chest and my head growing hot, the sound of splitting rocks and thunder came from behind me and shook the very ground I ran upon. In fright, and in haste, I fell to the earth.

Rising, I turned to face whatever attacker had come nearest me, though I was unarmed. To my surprise what I saw was no priest of ancient horror, no necromancer of that forbidden Art, but black robes fallen upon the grass and weeds, with no seeming presence of life or bodies beneath them.

I walked cautiously to the first and, picking up a long twig, lifted the robe from the tangle of weeds and thorns. All that remained of the priest was a pool of slime, like green oil, and the smell of a body lain long to rot in the sun. Such a stench nearly overpowered me, but I was resolute to find the others, to see if the same fortune had also befallen them.

Walking back up the slope that I had so fearfully run down only moments ago, I came across yet another of the dark priests, in identical condition to the first. I kept walking, passing more of the robes as I went, not venturing to overturn them any longer.
Then, I finally came upon the grey stone monument that had risen unnaturally into the air at the command of the priests. It now upon the ground once more, but the carvings still glowed with supernatural light. The serpents, or what I had then though of as serpents, had disappeared. But in the dead embers of the fire, now cold and black, was a shining metal plate.
I picked it up and saw that it also was carved, as the stone, but very intricately, after a fashion I could not understand. I did not bear the same markings as the stone, but I had the feeling I could almost read the characters, but could not, as though I once knew the tongue but had since long forgotten. My head began to ache as though a devil was pounding my skull, when a shaft of moonlight struck the metal amulet, for I know now what it was, and a voice entered into my head and told me the secrets of the scene I had witnessed in one word:

KUTULU.

In that moment, as though whispered fiercely into my ear, I understood.

These are the signs carved upon the grey stone, that was the Gate to the Outside:

An this is the amulet that I held in my hand, and hold to this very day, around my neck as I write these words:

Of the three carved symbols, the first is the sign of our Race from beyond the Stars, and is called ARRA in the tongue of the Scribe who taught it to me, an emissary of the Elder Ones. In the tongue of the eldest city of Babylon, it was UR. It is the Sigil of the Covenant of the Elder Gods, and when they see it, they who gave it to us, they will not forget us. They have sworn!

Spirit of the Skies, Remember!

The second is the Elder Sign, and is the Key whereby the Powers of the Elder Gods may be summoned, when used with the proper words and shapes. It has a Name, and is called AGGA.

The third sign is the Sigil of the Watcher. It is called BANDAR. The Watcher is a Race sent by the Elder Ones. It keeps vigil while one sleeps, provided the appropriate ritual and sacrifice has been performed,: else, if called, it will turn upon you.

These seals, to be effective, must be graven on stone and set in the ground. Or, set upon the altar of offerings. Or, carried to the Rock of Invocations. Or, engraved on the metal of one's God or Goddess, and hung about the neck, but hidden from the view of the profane. Of the three, the ARRA and the AGGA may be used separately, that is to say, singly and alone. The BANDAR, however, must never be used alone, but with one or both of the others, for the Watcher must needs be reminded of the Covenant it has sworn with the Elder Gods and our Race, else it will turn upon thee and slay thee and ravage thy town until succour is to be had from the Elder Gods by the tears of thy people and the wailing of thy women.

KAKAMMU!

The metal amulet that I retrieved from the ashes of the fire, and which caught the light o f the moon, is a potent seal against whatever may come in the Gate from the Outside for, seeing it, they will retreat from thee SAVE ONLY IF IT CATCH THE LIGHT OF THE MOON UPON ITS SURFACE for, in the dark days of the moon, or in cloud, there can be little protection against the fiends from the Ancient Lands should they break the barrier, or be let in by their servants upon the face of the earth.
In such a case, no recourse is to be had until the light of the moon shines upon the earth, for the moon is the eldest among the Zonei, and is the starry symbol of our Pact. NANNA, Father of the Gods, Remember!

Wherefore, the amulet must be engraved upon pure silver in the full light of the moon, that the moon shine upon it at its working, and the essence of the moon incantations must be performed, and the prescribed rituals as given forth in this Book. And the amulet must never be exposed to the light of the Sun, for SHAMMASH called UDU, in his jealousy, will rob the seal of its power. In such a case, it must be bathed in water of camphor, and the incantations and ritual performed once again. But, verily, it were better to engrave another.

These secrets I give to thee at the pain of my life, never to be revealed to the profane, or the banished, or the worshippers of the Ancient Serpent, but to keep within thine own heart, always silent upon these things.

Peace be to thee!

Henceforth, from that fateful night in the Mountains of MASSHU, I wandered about the country-side in search of the key to the secret knowledge that had been given me. And it was a painful and lonely journey, during which time I took no wife, called no house or village my home, and dwelt in various countries, often in caves or in the deserts, learning several tongues as a traveller might learn them, to bargain with the tradespeople and learn of their news and customs.
But my bargaining was with the Powers that reside in each of these countries. And soon, I cam to understand many things which before I had no knowledge, except perhaps in dreams. The friends of my youth deserted me, and I them. When I was seven years gone from my family, I learned that they had all died of their own hand, for reasons no one was able to tell me; their flocks had been slain as the victims of some strange epidemic.

I wandered as a beggar, being fed from town to town as the local people saw fit, often being stoned instead and threatened with imprisonment. On occasion, I was able to convince some learned man that I was a sincere scholar, and was thereby permitted to read the ancient records in which the details of necromancy. sorcery, magick and alchemy are given. I learned of the spells that cause men illness, the plague, blindness, insanity, and even death.
I learned of the various classes of demons and evil gods that exist, and of the old legends concerning the Ancient Ones. I was thus able to arm myself against also the she-devil LAMMASHTA, who is called the Sword that Splits the Skull, the sight of whom causeth horror and dismay, and(some say) death of a most uncommon nature.

In time, I learned of the names and properties of all the demons, devils, fiends and monsters listed herein, in this Book of the Black Earth. I learned of the powers of the astral Gods, and how to summon their aid in times of need. I learned, too, of the frightful beings who dwell beyond the astral spirits, who guard the entrance to the Temple of the Lost, of the Ancient of Days, the Ancient of the Ancient Ones, whose Name I cannot write here.

In my solitary ceremonies in the hills, worshipping with fire and sword, with water and dagger, and with the assistance of a strange grass that grows wild in certain parts of MASSHU, and with which I had unwittingly built my fire before the rock, that grass that gives the mind great power to travel tremendous distances into the heavens, as also into the hells, I received the formulae for the amulets and talismans which follow, which provide the Priest with safe passage among the spheres wherein he may travel in search of the Wisdom.

But now, after One Thousand-and-One moons of the journey, the Maskim nip at my heels, the Rabishu pull at my hair, Lammashta opens her dread jaws, AZAG-THOTH gloats blindly at his throne, KUTULU raises his head and stares up through the Veils of sunkun Varloorni, up through the Abyss, and fixes his stare upon me; wherefore I must with haste write this indeed, it appears as though I have failed in some regard as to the order of the rites, or to the formulae, or to the sacrifices, for now it appears as if the entire host of ERESHKIGAL lies waiting, dreaming, drooling for my departure.
I pray the Gods that I am saved, and not perish as did the Priest, ABDUL BEN-MARTU, in Jerusalem (the Gods remember and have mercy upon him!). My fate is no longer writ in the stars, for I have broken the Chaldean Covenant by seeking power over the Zonei. I have set foot on the moon, and the moon no longer has power over me. The lines of my life have been oblitered by my wanderings in the Waste, over the letters writ in the heavens by the gods.
And even now I can hear the wolves howling in the mountains as they did that fateful night, and they are calling my name, and the names of Others. I fear for my flesh, but I fear for my spirit more.

Remember, always, in every empty moment, to call upon the Gods not to forget thee, for they are forgetful and very far away. Light thy fires high in the hills, and on the tops of temples and pyramids, that they may see and remember.

Remember always to copy each of the formulae as I have put it down, and not to change it by one line or dot, not so much as a hair's breadth, lest it be rendered valueless, or worse: a broken star is the Gate of GANZIR, the Gate of Death, the Gate of the Shadows and the Shells. Recite the incantations as they are written here, in the manner this prescribed. Prepare the rituals without erring, and in the proper places and times render the sacrifices.

May the Gods be ever merciful unto thee!

May thou escape the jaws of the MASKIM, and vanquish the power of the Ancient Ones!

AND THE GODS GRANT THEE DEATH BEFORE THE ANCIENT ONES RULE THE EARTH ONCE MORE!

THE Gods of the Stars are Seven. They have Seven Seals, each of which may be used in their turn. They are approached by Seven Gates, each of which may be opened in their turn. They have Seven Colours, Seven Essences, and each a separate Step on the Ladder of Lights. The Chaldeans were but imperfect in their knowledge, although they had understanding of the Ladder, and certain of the formulae. They did not, however, possess the formulae for the passing of the Gates, save one, of whom it is forbidden to speak.

The passing of the Gates gives the priest both power and wisdom to use it. He becomes able to control the affairs of his life more perfectly than before, and many have been content to merely pass the first three Gates and then sit down and go no further than that, enjoying the benefits that they have found on the preliminary spheres. But this is Evil, for they are not equipped to deal with the attack from Without that must surely come, and their people will cry unto them for safety, and it will not come forth. Therefore, set thy face towards the ultimate goal and strive ever onward to the furthest reaches of the stars, though it mean thine own death; for such a death is as a sacrifice to the Gods, and pleasing, that they will not forget their people.

The ZONEI and their attributes, then, are as follows:

The God of the Moon is the God NANNA. He is Father of the Zonei, and the Eldest of the Wanderers. He is long of beard, and bears a wand of lapis lazuli in his palm, and possesses the secret of the tides of blood. His colour is Silver. His Essence is to be found in Silver, and in camphor, and in those things bearing the sign of the Moon. He is sometimes called SIN. His Gate is the first you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is also Silver.

This is his Seal, which you must engrave on his metal, on the thirteenth day of the Moon in which you are working, having no other person about you who may watch you in its manufacture. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should be removed only after the Sun has gone to its rest. No ray of sunlight should strike the Seal, lest its power be rendered nil and a new Seal must needs be cast.

The Number of NANNA is Thirty and this is his Seal:

The God of Mercury is NEBO. He is a very old spirit, having a long beard, and is the guardian of the Gods, as well as the keeper of the knowledge of Science. He wears a crown of one hundred horns, and the long robe of the Priest. His colour is blue. His Essence is in that metal known as Quicksilver, and is sometimes also found in sand, and in those things bearing the sign of Mercury. His Gate is the Second you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is blue.

This is his Seal, which you must write on perfect parchment, or no the broad leaf of a palm tree, having no other person about you who may watch you in its construction. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as you desire its use, and then, it should be removed only when its light is in the sky. Such is also the best time for its manufacture.

The Number of NEBO is Twelve and this is his Seal:

The Goddess of Venus is the most excellent Queen INANNA, called of the Babylonians ISHTAR. She is the Goddess of Passion, both of Love and of War, depending upon her sign and the time of her appearance in the heavens. She appears as a most beautiful Lady, in the company of lions, and partakes of a subtle astral nature with the Moon God NANNA. When they are in agreement, that is, when their two plants are auspiciously arranged in the heavens, it is as two offering-cups split freely in the heavens, to rain the sweet wine of the Gods upon the earth. And then there is great happiness and rejoicing. She sometimes appears in armour, and is thereby a most excellent guardian against the machinations of her sister, the dread Queen ERESHKIGAL of KUR. With the Name and Number of INANNA, no Priest need fear to walk into the very depths of the Underworld; for being armed, in Her armour, he is similar to the Goddess. It was thus that I descended into the foul pits that lie gaping beneath the crust of the earth, and commanded demons.

She is similarly the Goddess of Love, and bestows a favourable bride upon any man who desires it, and who makes the proper sacrifice.

BUT KNOW THAT INANNA TAKES HER OWN FOR HER OWN, AND THAT ONCE CHOSEN BY HER NO MAN MAY TAKE ANOTHER BRIDE.

Her colour is the purest White. Her manifestation is in the metal Copper, and also in the most beautiful flowers of a field, and in the saddest death of the battlefield, which is that field's fairest flower. Her Gate is the Third you will pass in the rites that follow, and in which place you will be of a heart to stay; but turn you face to the road that leads beyond, for that is your genuine goal, unless the Goddess choses you. Her Step on the Ladder of Lights, built of old in Babylon and at UR, is White.

This is her Seal, which you must engrave on Copper, Venus being exalted in the Heavens, with no one about watching its construction. Being finished, it is to be wrapped in the purest silk and lain safely away, only to be removed when need arises, at any time.

The Number of INANNA is Fifteen, by which Number she is frequently known in the incantations of the Dispensation, her Seal is the following.

This God of the Sun is the Lord SHAMMASH, son of NANNA. He is seated upon a throne of gold, wearing a crown of two horns, holding a sceptre aloft in his right hand and a flame disk in his life, sending rays in every direction. He is the God of Light and of life. His colour is Gold. His Essence is to be found in gold, and in all golden objects and plants. He is sometimes called UDUU. His Gate is the Fourth you will pass in the rituals that follow. His Step on the great Ladder of Lights is Gold.

This is his Seal, which you must engrave in gold, when the Sun is exalted in the heavens, alone on a mountain top or some such place close to the Rays, but alone. Being finished, it should be wrapped in a square of the finest silk and lain aside until such time as it is needed.

The Number os SHAMMASH is Twenty and this is his Seal:

The God of Mars is the mighty NERGAL.

He has the head of a man on the body of a lion, and bears a sword and a flail. He is the God of War, and of the fortunes of War. He was sometimes though to be an agent of the Ancient Ones, for he dwelt in CUTHA for a time. His colour is dark red. His essence is to be found in Iron, and in all weapons made to spill the blood of men and of animals. His Gate is the Fifth you will see as you pass the Zones in the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Light is Red.

This is his Seal, which must be engraved on a plate of Iron, or on paper in blood, when Mars is in exaltation in the heavens. It is best done at night, far from the habitations of men and of animals, where you cannot be seen or heard. It must be wrapped first in heavy cloth, then in fine silk, and hid safe away until such times as it is needed. But to take not to use this Seal hastily, for it is a sharp Sword.

The Number of NERGAL is Eight and this is his Seal:

The God of Jupiter is the Lord of Magicians, MARDUK KURIOS of the Double-headed Axe. MARDUK was born of our Father, ENKI, to do battle against the forces of the Ancient Ones, and he won a powerful fight, subduing the armies of Evil and putting the Queen of the Ancient Ones beneath his foot. That Serpent is dead, but dreams. MARDUK was bestowed Fifty Names and Powers by the Council of the Elder Gods, which Powers he retains to this day. His colour is Purple. His Essence is in the material tin, and in brass. His Gate is the Sixth that you will come upon as you follow the rituals that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights in Purple.

This is his Seal, which you must engrave on a plate of tin or of brass, when Jupiter is strong in the heavens, while making special invocation to ENKI Our Master. This shall be wrought as the others, and wrapped in pure silk and lain away until the time for its use. Know that MARDUK appears as a mighty warrior with a long beard and a flaming disk in his hands. He carries a bow and a quiver of arrows, and treads about the heavens keeping the Watch. Take care to summon his assistance in only the most terrible of circumstances, for his might is powerful and his anger fierce. When thou hast need of the power of the star Jupiter, call instead one of the appropriate Powers listed within these pages, and they will surely come.

The Number of Marduk is Ten and this is his Seal:

The God of Saturn is NINIB called ADAR, the Lord of Hunters and of Strength. He appears with a crown of horns and a long sword, wearing a lion's skin. he is the final Zonei before the terrible IGIGI. His colour is the darkest black. His Essence is to be found in lead, in the burnt embers of the fire, and in things of death and of antiquity. The horns of a stag are his symbol. His Gate is the Last you will come upon in the rites that follow. His Step on the Ladder of Lights is Black.

This is his Seal, which you must engrave on a leaden plate or bowl, keeping it well hidden from the eyes of the profane. It should be wrapped and put away as all the others, until its use is desired. It should never be removed when the Sun is in the sky, but only after the night has fallen and the earth grown black, for NINIB knows the best the ways of the demons that prowl among the shadows, looking for sacrifice. he knows best the territories of the Ancient Ones, the practices of their worshippers, and the locations of the Gates. His realm is the realm of the Night of Time.

His Number is Four, as the quarters of the Earth, and the following is his Seal:

THIS is the Book of Entrance to the Seven Zones above the Earth, which Zones were known to the Chaldeans, and to the ancient races that preceded them among the lost temples of UR. Know that these Zones are governed by the celestial spirits, and that passage may be had by the Priest through those lands that border on the Unzoned Wastes beyond. Know that, when Walking thus through the Sea of Spheres, he should leave his Watcher behind that It may guard his body and his property, lest he be slain unawares and must wander throughout eternity among the dark spaces between Stars, or else be devoured by the wrathful IGIGI that dwell beyond.

Know that thou must Walk the Steps of the Ladder of Lights, each in its place and one at a time, and that thou must enter by the Gates in the lawful manner, as is put down in the Covenant; else thou art surely lost.

Know that thou must keep purified for the space of one moon for the Entrance to the first Step, one moon between the First and the Second Step, and again between the Second and the Third, and so on in like manner. Thou must abstain from spilling thy seed in any manner for like period of time, but thou mayest worship at the Temple of ISHTAR, provided thou lose not thine Essence. And this is a great secret.

Thou must needs call upon thy God in the dawn light and upon thy Goddess in the light of dusk, every day of the moon of purification. Thou must summon thy Watcher and instruct it perfectly in its duties, providing it with a time and a place whereby it may serve thee and surround thee with a flaming sword, in every direction.

Thy clothing for the Walking should be fair, clean and simple, but appropriate to each Step. And thou should have with thee the Seal of the particular Step whereupon thou Walkest, which is the Seal of the Star appertaining thereunto.

Thou must needs prepare an alter to face the North, having upon it the statues of thine deities, or some such suitable Images, an offering bowl, and a brazier. Upon the earth should be inscribed the Gate appropriate to the Walking. If above thee is the Sky, so much the better. If there be a roof above thine head, it must be free from all hangings. Not even a lamp should be suspended over thee, save in Operations of Calling, which is discussed elsewhere (if the Gods grant me the time!).
The only light shall be from the four lamps upon the ground, at each of the four Gates of the Earth: of the North, one lamp; pf the East, one lamp; of the South, one lamp; and of the West, one lamp. The oil should be pure, with no odour, or else sweet-smelling. The perfumes in the brazier should also be sweet-smelling, or especially appropriate to the Star where thou wouldst desire Entrance, after the fashion of thy country.

The Seven Gates here follow:

THIS IS THE FIRST GATE, THE GATE OF NANNA, CALLED SIN:

THIS IS THE SECOND GATE, OF NEBO:

THIS IS THE THIRD GATE OF INANNA, CALLED ISHTAR:

THIS IS THE FOURTH GATE OF SHAMMASH, CALLED UDDU:

THIS IS THE FIFTH GATE, OF NERGAL:

THIS IS THE SIXTH GATE, OF LORD MARDUK:

THIS IS THE SEVENTH GATE OF NINIB, CALLED ADAR:

And the Ritual of the Walking must follow the formulae herein described:

First, thou must observe the moon of purification. In this time, thou mayest not eat meat for the space of seven days preceding the last day of the moon, and for the space of three days preceding the last dat of the moon thou mayest not eat anything whatsoever, save to drink sweet water. On the last three days, thou must invoke, in addition to thy God and Goddess, the Three Great Elder Ones, ANU, ENLIL, ENKI, by their proper invocations. And the Number of ANU is Sixty, the Perfect Number, for he is Father of the Heavens. And the Number of ENLIL is Fifty, and he is the Father of the Wind. And the Number of ENKI is Forty a most excellent Number, and he is our Father, of all who would tread these forgotten paths, and wander into Lands unknown, among the Wastes, amid frightful monsters of the Azonei.

Second, on the Night of the Walking, which must be the thirteenth night of the moon, having begun on the previous thirteenth night, thou must approach the Gate with awe and respect. Thy Temple is exorcised. Thou must light the Fire and conjure it, but the invocation of the God of Fire, and pour incense thereon. Thou must make offering to the Deities on the altar.

Third, thou must light the four lamps from the flaming brazier, reciting the invocation proper to each of these Watchtowers in its proper place, summoning the respective Star.

Fourth, thou must recite the invocation of the Watcher, thrusting the Sword into the Earth at Its station, not touching it until it is the appointed time for Its departure.

Fifth, thou must take the Seal of the Star in thy right hand, and whisper its Name softly upon it.

Sixth, thou must recite the Incantation of the Walking, loudly, and in a clear voice, as thou walkest about the Gate in a circular fashion, beginning at the North and walking to the East, then to the South, and to the West, the Number of turns being equal to the special Number of the Star.

Seventh, thou must needs arrive back at the centre of the Gate, before thine altar, at which time thou must fall to the ground, looking neither to the right no to the left at what may be moving there, for these Operations attract many kinds of wandering demon and ghost to the Gates, but in the air above the altar whereupon thou wilt presently see the Gate opening for thee and the Spirit-Messenger of the Sphere greeting thee in a clear voice, and giving thee a Name, which thou must remember, for that is the Name of thy Passing the Gate, which thou must use each time thou passeth thereby. The same Spirit-messenger will meet thee and, if thou know not thy Name, he will forbid thee entrance and thou wilt fall to the Earth immediately.

When the First Gate has been entered and the Name received, thou wilt fall back to Earth amid thine Temple. That which has been moving about thy Gate on the ground will have gone. Recite thine thanksgiving to the Gods upon thine altar, strike the Sword of the Watcher that It may depart, and give the incantation of INANNA which say how she conquered the realm of the Underworld and vanquisheth KUTULU. All Idimmu will vanish thereby and thou wilt be thus free to depart the Gate and extinguish the Fire.

Thou mayest not call upon NANNA till thou hast passed the Gate of NANNA. Thou mayest not call NEBO until his Gate hast thou passed. Similarly for the rest of the Gates. When thou hast ascended to the limit of the Ladder of Lights, thou wilt have knowledge and power over the Spheres, and wilt be able to summon them thereby in times of need.
This will not give thee power over the ABSU, however, this power being obtained differently by the Ritual of Descent. This Ritual thou wilt undertake in the fifteenth day after the thirteenth of the month when thou hast summoned the Gate of MARDUK to open. For MARDUK slew the Fiends, and INANNA, the Goddess of the Fifteen, conquered the Netherworld, where some of theirs still dwell. This is a most perilous Rite, and may be undertaken by any man who as the formulae, whether he has passes the previous Gates or not, save that it is best advised to have passed through MARDUK Gate before venturing forth into the Pit.
For this reason, few have ever opened the Gate of ADAR, and spoken to the Horned One who resideth there and giveth all manner of wisdom regarding the operations of necromancy, and of the spells that hasten unto death. Only when thou hast shown thy power over the Maskim and the Rabishu, mayest thou venture forth to the Land of the IGIGI, and for that reason was this Covenant made, that none shall safely Walk through the sunken valleys of the Dead before having ascended to MARDUK, nor shall they breach the Gates that lie beyond ADAR until they have seen the Signs of the Mad God and felt the fury of the hellish Queen.

And against the Ancient Ones, there is only defence. Only a madman, indeed, such as I am called!, can hope to have power over Them that dwell in the Outer Spaces, for their power is unknown, and the number of the hordes uncounted, and each day they breed more horrors than a man's mind can conceive, the sight of which he can hardly bear. There was a time when the Gate to the Outside was open too long and I witnessed the horror that struck, of which words cannot speak, and of which writing can only confuse.
The Ancient One that had escaped into the Inner World was forced back through the Gate by a magician of great power, but only at a great loss to the villages and flocks of the Island. Many sheep were slain after an unnatural fashion, and many devoured, an many Bedou rendered senseless; for the mind perceives what it is shown, but the sight of the Ancient Ones is a blasphemy to the ordinary senses of a man, for that come from a world that is not straight, but crooked, and their existence is of forms unnatural and painful to the eye and to the mind, whereby the spirit is threatened and wrenches loose from the body in flight.
And for that reason, the fearful utukku xul take possession of the body and dwell therein until the Priest banish them back to whence they came, and the normal spirit may return to its erstwhile neighbourhood.

And there are all the ALLU, frightening dog-faced demons that are the Messengers of the Gods of Prey, and that chew on the very bones of man. And there are many another, of which this is not the rightful place wherein they may be mentioned, save to warn the Priest against the ambitious striving against the Ancient Ones of the Outside, until mastery is acquired over the powers that reside Within. Only when ADAR has been obtained, may the Priest consider himself a master of the planes of the Spheres, and able to wrestle with the Old Gods. Once Death Herself has been stared in the Eye, can the Priest then summon and control the denizens of Death's darkly curtained halls. Then can he hope to open the Gate without fear and without that loathing of the spirit that slays the man.

Then cane he hope to have power over the demons that plague the mind and the body, pulling at the hair and grasping at the hands, and the screaming vile Names into the airs of the Night.

For what comes on the Wind can only be slain by he who knows the Wind; and what comes on the seas can only be slain by he who knows the Waters. This is it written, in the Ancient Covenant.