martinez de pasqually & the office of the holy spirit

I received this book from Amazon last week, having ordered the hardback edition. It is a thing of beauty, and reminds me of the Penguin books of my youth in some way!

The Holy Spirit was of great importance to Pasqually in his work in the Elus Cohen, and the system combined a gruelling regime of observing the traditional Hours with theurgical work to be performed alone and in groups. The operations were followed by a period of meditation in which the operator would seek signs of approbation from La Chose, or manifestations of the Holy Spirit. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that one of the most important religious exercises for Pasqually was the Office of the Holy Spirit, which, in his case, combined the traditional working with prayers and Psalms specific to his praxis. Indeed, he writes to his students that they are to recite the De Profundis and Miserere Mei daily, together with the Office of the Holy Spirit regularly each Thursday.

The author explains how the various Offices were arranged into Hours which saw the monks reciting them at fixed times of the day, providing the discipline which Pasqually sought to instil in his followers. There is a comprehensive explanation of the major Psalms used in the system, together with some keen insights into the theology-theosophy of Pasqually.

The second part of the book provides a translation of the liturgy of the Hours of the Holy Spirit, which Pasqually himself recommended to his disciples, as well as a transcriptions and translation of the important Office of the Holy Spirit from the Walters manuscript.

Beautifully produced and thoughtfully laid out and illustrated, this book should be of great interest both to liturgical historians and those who are interested in the Order of Elus Cohen, but till now have found the Office of the Holy Spirit an elusive document.