VIAOV is a Qabalistic magical formula composed from the Hebrew letters Yod (י), Aleph (א), Vav (ו), and final Tzaddi (ץ). Its numerical value is 93 (י=10, א=1, ו=6, ץ=90), linking it to the path of the will of the Father. The name is a cryptic anagram or Notariqon, traditionally interpreted as an abbreviation of the verse “Veni, Imple, Assum, Vicit” (“Come, Fill, Take, Conquer”), a formula of invocation and dynamic completion. It is a formula of the Will of the Father, the active, penetrating force of wisdom that begets all things.

Position on the Tree of Life

VIAOV is specifically attributed to Chokmah, the second sephirah on the Tree of Life. Chokmah is the sphere of pure, transcendent Wisdom, the first emanation of the masculine divine principle. As such, VIAOV is the formula of the Father—the unmanifest wisdom that, when uttered, creates all worlds. It stands opposite the feminine formula of BABALON at Binah, and above the active formula of VITRIOL at Malkuth.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

Chokmah is attributed to the zodiacal sphere of the Mazloth (the fixed stars) and to the planet Uranus in the modern system, representing the primordial, undirected energy of creation. The formula VIAOV thus embodies the sudden, illuminating flash of wisdom that precedes all structured thought—the creative lightning that initiates every cycle.

Historical Context

The formula VIAOV appears most prominently in the works of Aleister Crowley and his circle, particularly within the context of the Liber 777 table of correspondences. It is generally derived from a Notariqon of the Hebrew text of Psalm 57:3—“Yishlah Elohim Viyatzileini” (“God shall send forth and save me”)—or from a longer phrase found in certain medieval Qabalistic texts. In the 777 system, it is one of several formulas assigned to specific sephiroth to express the unique magical character of each sphere.

In the ritual and doctrinal practices of the A∴A∴ and O.T.O., VIAOV is used as a word of power in invocations of the Father aspect of the divine, particularly in the context of the Star Ruby and other ceremonies that align the magician with the pure, undifferentiated will of the universe. It resonates with the number 93, which also corresponds to Agape (Love) and Thelema (Will), signifying that the transcendent wisdom of Chokmah is fulfilled through the union of Love and Will.

In the Table of Liber 777

In the table at Column CLXXXVII (Magical Formulæ), at the row for Sephirah 2 (Chokmah), VIAOV appears as the magical formula of the Father—the explosive, initiating force that, spoken in silence, creates the universe.