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IN THEONTINUUM

Vol I No 5

lJo whal Iholl will shall I , llio whole 01 II , law .Love is Ihe law, love lJnder will.

An LXXI 1975 e v Sun n 0 AriesPublished by th College of The1emaP.O. Box 415, ~ v i 1 1 e CA. 95965 by Phyll is Seckler

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The ol lege o f ThelemnFounded in erv ice to

the A A:

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TH MAGICIAN(Trans la ted from Eliphaz Levi ' s vers ion of thefamous hymn)a LORD de l ive r me from h e l l ' s grea t fear and gloomLoose thou my s p i r i t from the la rvae of the tombI seek them in t he i r dread abodes without a f f r i g h t :On them w i l l I impose my w i l l , the law of l i gh t .I bid the nigh t conceive the g l i t t e r i n g hemisphere.Arise , 0 sun, ar i se a moon, shine white and c learI seek them in t he i r dread abodes without a f f r i g h t :On them wi l l I impose my w i l l , the law of l i gh t .Their faces and t he i r shapes a re t e r r i b l e and s t range.These dev i l s by my might to angels I wi l l change.These nameless horroEs I address wi thout a f f r igh t :On them wi l l I impose my w i l l , the law of l i gh t .These are the phantoms pale o f mine as ton ied view,Yet none but I t he i r bla s t ed beauty can renew;For to the abyss of h e l l I plunge without a f f r i g h t :On them w i l l I impose my w i l l , the law of l i g h t .

Ale i s t e r Crowley

Taken from The WingedBeet le

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o

ounded n ServicetotheA :.A:.Care Fra t r e ,o Yhat thou . .ilt sha l l be the whole of the La . .

The ques t ion has come upthey can be in imica l to man;to do t h a t which he . . ould notharmed by these e n t i t i e s from

about a s t r a l e n t i t i e s and whetherwhether a man can be in f luencednormally do, and whether he can beother p lanes .There i s enough mater ia l in occul t ism in genera l which wouldmake it po in t les s fo r us to argue whether a s t r a l beings e x i s t .ornot . Surely such phenomena has been t a lked and wri t t en aboutend le ss ly . \fhat i s not very c lea r is whether the ind iv idua l con-cerned with as t r a l mani fes ta t ions i s responsible for the eventwhich s t a r t l e s and appa l l s him and which may even obsess h is

imagina t ion to such a degree t h a t he i s sure the a s t r a l happeningi s r e a l b;eyorld any doubt .It i s a l so po in t les s to argue whether the as t ra l e n t i t i e sare ou t s ide of ourselves or are ins ide and are a mani fes ta t ion ofunconscious pmiers of which we are fo r the most pa r t in . .oefu li gnorance . Perhaps both th ings a re t rue , perhaps not . Perhaps

it i s the adept who can s e t t l e t h i s ques t ion s a t i s f a c to r i l y forhimse l f . But t h i s does not mean t ha t we should not t r y a lso tos e t t l e it Each of us must s t rugg le towards the Ligh t . As Thele-mites . .e must ever be conscious t h a t . .e are working by the methodof sc ience and t ha t our aim i s a r l i g ~ o u s one, the knowledge ofthe t rue Center of our min Being . As workers in the s c i e n t i f i cmethod ye ought not to become emotional ly involved about theexis tence of a s t r a l en t i t i e s ins ide or outs ide of ourse lves . Weshould t ake a detached, s c i e n t i f i c vie . of as t ra l happeningsand, most important of a l l , of ourse lves . Indeed, t h i s l a t t e rpo in t , t ha t of ourse lves , becomes the most important element inour cons ide ra t ion .

We each see the world only through our o .n eyes, our ownsenses , our own emotional , physical and mental pa t t e rn ings . Inone sense , every th ing any other Sta r sees or fee ls i s very unrea lto us .It i s a knmYn psycholog ica l fac t tha t the l lnconscious mind

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wi l l produce phenomena according to the p ic tu re s offe red to itby the consc ious thought and emotions. I t won' t produce eventsby i n t e l l e c t or reason ing in p a r t i c u l a r , but according to thes t r eng th of emotional p ic tu res . Thought p ic tu re s of pos i t i veemotions and f ee l ings and asp i ra t ions w i l l produce pos i t i ver e su l t s . Thus, in the Banishing Ri tua l , you are present ing theunconscious , ; i th a se r i e s of p ic tu re s and symbols which, i f doneca r e f u l l y ,w i th fu l l a t t en t ion to the p ic tu r ing and imagining ofthe Cross 6f Ligh t , the Pentagrams in blue f i r e , the thought-forms and imaginings of the Gods, the Presence of the Archangelsand how they look, and so fo r th , can never f a i l to impress theunconscious mind with what you want. Likewise, LiTher 7 and Liber65 are f u l l of p ic tu res which impress the unconscious and t h i s i s' ,hy memorizing these books , ; i l l prove an inva luab le a id to you.

Consider , on the o ther s ide of the coin , how fea r managesto produce in the l i f e happenings j u s t t ha t th ing which i s feared .Fear i s so powerful an emotion it eas i ly impresses i t s e l f uponthe a s t r a l l i gh t . What do you th ink a person could produce onthe emot ional or a s t r a l plane through fear? Anything he be l i evesin must be the anSller to t h i s .In The Hagical and Phi losophica l Commentar;ies on the Bookof the Law e might quote from p . 214. 46. Dost thou f a i l ?Art thou sorry? I s f ea r in th ine heart? This verse brings outwhat i s a f a c t in psychology, the necessary connect ion betweenfea r , sorrow, and f a i l u r e . To wi l l and to dare are c lose ly l inkedPO'yers of the Sphinx, and they are based on - to know. I f onehave a r i gh t apprehension of the Universe , i he know himselff ree , immorta l , boundless , i n f i n i t e fo rce and f i r e , then may he'ill and dare . Fear , sorrow and fa i lu re are but phantoms.Also, t h i s i s probably why ~ T h e Book of the Law i s so vehe-ment t ha t lle must Fear not a t a l l ; fea r ne i the r men nor Fates ,nor gods, nor any th ing . Money f ea r not , nor laughter of the fo lkfo l l y , nor any other power in heaven or upon the ear th or under

the e a r t h . - - - Cap. I I I , v . 17.There i s a l so the ques t ion whether obsess ion by a s t r a l beingsor t he i r mani fe s t a t ion to the mind of the beholder could have aphysica l b a s i s . Undoubtedly, in some cases , it does. i e are a l laware of ho,,, the unmated adolescent can produce po l t e rge i s t pheno-mena. This would be based upon the non-sa t i s f ac t ion of the sexurge . This i s one of the most powerful emotions known to us and

the dr ive to sex can bu i ld up emotional s t a t e s which are so pOYlerfu l they can a c t u a l l y produce phenomena very much out of theord ina ry .

The a lcohol ic in advanced s tages a l so produces th ings on thea s t r a l plane . The same i s t rue of those who partake of drugs inan uncon t ro l l ed f a sh ion . Think of the a s t r a l plane as r a the r l i kean unseen Light which i s ext remely p l a s t i c and which can be formed

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a t the r i l l of the opera to r in to t h a t which he des i re s . Then weill have the usua l o ccu l t phenomena which abounds in novels ,accounts of myst ics and r e l ig ious persons , those who see ghos ts ,s p i r i t u a l i s t s , and hundreds of other types . In t h i s extremelyp la s t i c l i gh t everyone goes on crea t ing , whether he knows of itor no t . Sometimes h i s c rea t ions have such a force of emot ional i ty

t h a t they s t ~ y a l i v e fo r a long t ime. 'l 'hese are the dead she l l sof the Qliphoth or of the, ,lower a s t r a l rea lms. Often psychicsi nv i t e these dead s h e l l s in to t he i r auras de l ibe ra te ly and, s incethe sh e l l s have no ves t ige of the soul 1,ho crea ted them, the psychiccan be dreadfu l ly harmed.Then the re are a s t r a l mani fes ta t ions which might occur tos i c k persons . Some persons can a l so produce t h i s type of eventby d e l i b e ra t e l y s leep ing too much. Dreams and a s t r a l occurrencescan be the r e s u l t if the body i s prevented from carry ing out i t swi l l towards ac t ion and movement. C e r t a i n ~ e r s o n s in overs leep ingtoo much slow down the ac t ion of the hea r t and t h i s a f f ec t s theblood surge to the bra in . This in tu rn w i l l produce phantasmswhich the person has in h i s unconscious mind, f r igh ten ing or not ,and 1,hich he himsel f has put the re .Today hyper - insu l in i sm due to a s u r f e i t of sugar and s t a rches ,a l coho l , dep le ted white f lou rs , food addi t ives and other poisonscan l e ad to very de le t e r ious e f f e c t s . I t i s now known, fo r ins tance ,t h a t sch izophren ia can be cured by t ak ing the person a f fec t ed o f fa l l of the above i tems and feeding him a na tu ra l d i e t f o r t i f i e d withc e r t a i n l a rge doses of vi tamins and minera l s . ow many other mentali l l ne sBes could be t r e a t e d in t h i s way i s anyone 's guess . And howmany a s t r a l in f luences could be circumvented by such a regimen as

given to the sch izophren ic should perhaps a l so be our s tudy. Iveshould ask ourse lves if our temporary abe r ra t ion from our t rue S ta rl i g h t was caused by some phys ica l cond i t ion .

How much then, of any persons ' s a s t r a l vis ions or encounterswith a s t r a l e n t i t i e s depends on bodi ly cond i t ions and how much ofthese events would depend on emotional or mental se t?The person who spends h is t ime hat ing , should condi t ions, n r a n t an a s t r a l exper ience , w i l l meet h:is hate face to face. He

has , a f t e r a l l , c rea t ed it. The person who spends a grea t deal o ft ime 1 , i th sc ience f i c t i o n , should he a lso delve in to subconsciousor a s t r a l rea lms, wi l l meet t he re j u s t what he has programmed in toit; which i s , a s t r a l exper iences which sound l ike science f i c t i o n1fhen he comes to r e t e l l the even t .

Ive a l l kn01, t h a t the person who r e l i g io u s ly i nc l ine s to theJesus theory , wi l l see t h a t person on the a s t r a l i f they enflamethe emotions and mind s u f f i c i e n t ly to do t h i s . The re l ig iousexperience i s IUlO1fll to ex ac t l y fit the a sp i r a n t ' s thoughts , emo-t i o n s , and mental p ic tu res which he has presented to the unconscious.

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I hope t h a t by now you have read William James Var ie t i eso f Rel ig ious Exper ience and Dr. Bucke's Cosmic Co.nsciousness .Both of these books wi l l give you qui t e an i ns igh t in to theworkings of the human mind. Though they do not give much in fo r mation on a s t r a l e n t i t i e s , still such appar i t ions are a f f ec t edby our own minds. This i s an extremely important point and weneed very much to s tudy the mind in order to unders tand and evento cont ro l what we term a s t r a l even ts . In shor t , haunt ings canoccur very e a s i l y because of our ignorance of natu ra l L a w ~ . Letu s , t h e n , t r y our b es t to discover what these laws are .I sh a l l quote aga in from the Commentary on Liber AL. 25.Ye are aga ins t the people, 0 my chosen ' - S t i l l deeper, there i sa meaning in t h i s verse app l icab le to the process of persona li n i t i a t i o n . By the people we may unders tand the many-headed andmutable mob which swarms in the slums of our own minds. >lost menare a lmost e n t i r e ly a t the mercy of a mass of loud and vio len temotions , withou t d i s c ip l i n e or even organ iza t ion . They sway with

the mood of the moment. They l ack purpose , fo re s igh t and i n t e l l i gence. They a re moved by ignorant and i r r a t i o n a l i n s t i nc t s , manyof which a f f r o n t the law of se l f -p rese rva t ion i t s e l f , with su ic ida ls t u p i d i t y . The moral Idea which we c a l l ' t he people ' i s thena tu ra l enemy of good government . He who i s ' chosen ' by Hadit toKingship must consequent ly be ' aga ins t the people ' i he i s topursue any cons i s t en t pol icy . The massed maggots of ' l ove ' devouredMark Anthony as they did Abelard . For t h i s reason the f i r s t t a skof the Aspi ran t i s to disarm a l l hi s thoughts , to make himself impregnably above ,the in f luence of an y o n e of them; This he mayaccomplish by the methods given in Liber Aleph , Liber Jugorum ,Thien Tao , and elsewhere . Secondly, he must impose abso lu tes i l ence upon them, as may be done by the 'Yoga '" prac t ices t augh tin Book 4 (Par t I ) , Liber :A'YI", e tc . He i s then ready to analysethem, to organize them, to d r i l l them, and so to take advantage ofthe p ro p e r t i e s p e c u l i a r to each one by employing i t s energies in these rvice of h is imper ia l purpose . (p . 201)

With a l l t h i s laboring then, l e t me j u s t s t a t e t h a t we are a l lrespons ib le fo r events in our own l i ves , whether a s t r a l or phys ica l ,to a s t a r t l i n g degree . One of the di f fe rences between an i n i t i a t eand an un in i t i a t e i s t h a t the former knows t h i s and t akes on ther e sp o n s i b i l i t y fo r h i s c rea t ions . He becomes as emo and tends hi sgarden. He prunes some t endencies and emotions, cuts out somea l t o g e th e r and encourages others - a l l according to the d ic ta tes o fh is True Wil l .

The u n i n i t i a t e , on the other hand, i s l i ke ly to blame any othersource than h imsel f fo r what happens. I t seems to him eas i e r t h i sway i he becomes the pawn of Fate . He does not have to take onthe r e sp o n s i b i l i t y fo r what happens . He can say the ho le event wasdue to cond i t ions beyond hi s con t ro l . U n f o r t u n ~ t e l y t h i s a t t i t u d ecan l ead to i n s an i t y i the a s t r a l event was horrendous enough. I tharms no one to admit t h a t h is own mind may have been respons ib le

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fo r the a s t r a l i nc iden t . I f one had a hand in it then what canone do to d i spe l l the ef fec t s? This way, you have g i v e r r ~ o u r s e l fa p a th out of any d i f f i c u l t y . You have begun to th ink in termsof the warr io r , ready to do b a t t l e aga ins t your own deb i l i t a t ingt endenc ies , whether phys ica l , emotional or menta l . As Thelemites ,we ought not to fo rge t t h a t we are f igh te r s and tha t pa r t of ourf i g h t (nay, a good deal of i t ) is aga ins t those par t s of ourselveswhich i n t e r f e r e with the True Wil l . This i s probably why thet h i rd chap ter of Liber AL i s so fu l l of the sound of ba t t l e .As humans, ' ,e a re the ' c h i l d ' , the product of the play of Hadi twith Nui t .In the Commeliltary to Liber AL we read in Cap. I I , v 19- Is a God to l ive in a dog? No but the highes t are of us . Theys h a l l r e j o i c e , our chosen; who sorroweth i s not of us.A god l i v in g in a dog would be one who was prevented fromf u l f i l l i n g hi s func t ion p roper ly . The highes t are those who havemastered and t ranscended acc i d en t a l environment. They r e jo ice ,

because they do t h e i r Wil l ; and i any man sorrow, it i s c learevidence of something wrong with him. When machinery creaks andgrowls, the eng ineer knows t h a t it i s not f u l f i l l i n g i t s funct ion,doing i t s Wil l , w i th ease and joy.And in Liber Alepp.'\; Cap. De Hoc Modo Dissolut io there i st h i s wisdom. Here t he re fo re w i l l I wri te down the Answer to t h i sInd ic tment of our Wisdom, t h a t every Act of Will i s to be made ini t s Per fec t ion , which Sta t e i s to be a t t a ined accord ing to theseCondi t ions : f i r s t , those of i t s own Law; second, those of i t sEnvironment. Judge t h ine own Case i nd iv idua l ly , each as it pleadeth ;fo r t h e r 'e i s no Canon or Code, s inceevery Sta r ha th i t s own Law

diverse ~ r o m every othe r . ow there i s the Res t ra in t of Conf l i c t ,hich i s Impotence and Disrupt ion; but the Res t ra in t of Disc ip l inei s a F o r t i f i c a t i o n of the Will by Repose and by Prepara t ion , as aConqueror r e s t e t h h is Armies , and feedeth them and looketh to t he i rFurn i tu re and to t he i r S p i r i t , before he j o ine th the Bat t l e . Also,there i s the Res t ra in t of Art , which inc lude th tha t other of Disc i -p l in e , and i t s Nature i s to adorn the Will and to admire i t s Streng thand i t s Beauty, and to enjoy i t s Victory by Ant ic ipa t ion in fu l lConf idence, not f ea r f u l of Time t h a t robbeth them t h a t are ignoran tconcerning h i m , - ~ - ~ - ~ ~ ~ , how he i s but Mirage and I l l u s io n , incapable

to bes iege the For t re s s of the Soul. W'ork thou thy: 1'i'ill, knowing(as I sa id afore t ime by the Mouth of El iphaz Levi Zahed), t hyse l fomnipotent , and th ine Habi ta t ion Ete rn i ty . 0 my Son, a t t end wel lt h i s Word, fo r it i s an Heirloom, ::and a Ring of Ruby and Emeraldin t h ine Inher i t ance .

Here then, i s a path out of d i f f i c u l t i e s with Ast ra l e n t i t i e s .One must f i r s t c lean up one s own house and a t t end to the work ofthe var ious t endenc ies . Then one must seek to knm, and to accomplishthe True Wil l . Se t your f e e t on t h i s Path and no a s t r a l ~ t B t u r Bor fo rce can i n t e r f e r e with you. Is it not sai 'd in Liher ALCap. I , v 42 '.'Let it be t h a t s t a t e of manyhood bound and loa th ing

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So with thy a l l ; thou has t no r i g h t but to do thy wil l .43. o t ha t , and no other sha l l say nay."And in the Commentary to Liber Al under Cap. I I , v . 7 wemight quote t h i s . "Hadit i s both the Naker of I l lu s ion and i t sdes t roye r . For though His i n t e r p l ay with Nui t resu l t s in the

product ion of the F i n i t e , ye t His withdrawing in to Himself i sthe des t ruc t ion the reof . And fu r the r fo r verse 9. "Remembera l l ye t ha t ex i s tence i s pure joy; t h a t a l l the sorrows are butas shadows; they pass are done; but the re is t h a t which remains "This verse i s very thoroughly expla ined in "Liber Aleph"."The b es t in t h i s kind are but shadows", says Shakespeare, r e fe r r ingto ac to rs , The Universe i s a Puppet-Play fo r the amusement of Nuitand l Iadi t in t h e i r Nupt ia ls ; a very Nidsummer Night ' s Dream, Sothen ,e laugh a t the mock woes of Pyramus and Thisby, : the clumsygambols of Bottom; fo r we unders tand the Truth of Things, how a l li s a dance of ecs t a sy ,

Were the world understood,Ye would know it was good,

A dance to a l y r i c a l measureThe natu re of events must be "pure joy ; fo r , obviously , whatever occurs i s the fu l f i lmen t of the w i l l of i t s master . Sorrowthus appears as the r e s u l t of any unsuccessful - t he re fo re , ill-judged - s t r u g g l e , Acquiescence in the order of Nature i s theul t ima te 1Visdom,One must unders tand the Universe per fec t ly and be u t t e r l y in -d i f f e r e n t to i t s pressure , These are the vi r tue s which cons t i tu tea Naster of the Temple, Yet ~ a c h man must ac t 1{hat he w i l l ; fo rhe i s energ ized by h is own n t u r e ~ So long as he works "withoutl u s t of r e su l t and does h is duty fo r i t s own sake , he w i l l knowt ha t the sorrows are but as shadows", And he himsel f i s tha twhich remains"; fo r he can no more be des t royed , or his t rue Willbe thwarted , than Nat te r diminish or Energy disappear , He i s anecessary un i t of the Universe , equal and opposi te to the sum t o t a lof a l l the othe rs ; and hi s Will i s s imi la r ly the f ina l fac to r whichcompletes the equi l ibr ium of the dynamical equat ion, He cannot f a i li f he would; t hus , h i s sorrows are but shadows - he could not seethem i he kep t h is gaze f ixed on h is goal , the Sun,"No , then, i f these quotes have not s e t t l e d your problem, mayI sugges t t h a t they could be memorized and imagined about and pic -tu res made of them, hich you then presen t to your unconscious?

o t h i s of ten enough and it won' t be long before the unconsciouswi l l respond by presen t ing you ,vi th the s e r i e s of events which youwi l l need as a way out of your d i f f i c u l t i e s ,

Fur the r , a long t h i s l i ne , What to do in case of a t t ack? There. a re many paths , I have found the Hiddle P i l l a r Ri tua l i n combinationwith the Banishing Ri tua l to be most e f f i cac ious . You might re fe rto Regard ie ' s book, "The Niddle P i l l a r , Then I ' t h ink I have c lea r lygiven enough quotes fo r you to know t ha t you must aim to the Highestwithin you, whatever t h a t may be fo r the presen t , Ve can c a l l it

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the True Wil l , or the Knowledge and Conversat ion of the HolyGuardian Angel , depending on which s tage of development you arein You must ru t h l e s s l y weed out the unworthy pa r t s 6f yourse l fwhich i n t e r f e r e with t h i s high aim, and you ought wi l l ing ly towork out the de ta i l s of your karma, which you yourse l f have o rdained. Thelema has the most l o f t y idea l s , but these must be,wrked ou t by each ind iv idua l to fit his own case with the guidance of The Book of the Law .

Fur ther a long t h i s l i ne l e t me quote aga in from Liber Aleph .Cap. De Via Per Empyraeum Concerning thy Travel l ings in theBody of Ligh t , or Ast ra l Journeys and Visions so -ca l l ed , do thoul ay t h i s 1visdom to th ine Hear t , 0 my Son, t ha t in t h i s Prac t i ce ,,-hether Things Seen and Heard be Truth and Real i ty , or whetherth :ey be Phantoms in the Mind, ab ide th t h i s supreme ~ f g i c l Value,namely: Whereas the Direc t ion of such Journeys is consc ious lywil led , and determined by Reason, and a lso unconsciously wil led ,by the t rue Sel f , s ince withou t t no Invocat ion were poss ib le , wehave here a Coopera t ion or All iance between the Inner and the OuterS e l f , and t hus an Accomplishment , a t l e a s t p a r t i a l , of the GreatYork.

And t he re fo re i s Confusion or Terror in any such Prac t i cean Error fea . r ful indeed, br ing ing about Obsess ion, ' fhich i s a temporary or even it may be a permanent Divis ion of the Persona l i ty ,or Insan i ty , and t he re fo re a Defeat most f a t a l and pernicious , aSurrender of the Soul to Choronzon.And fo l lmf ing t h i s , fe read in De CuI tot ha t t hou mayst be f e l l guarded aga ins t thy ghos t lythou work cons tan t ly by the Heans prescr ibed in our

Now, 0 my Son,Enemi es , doHoly Books.Neg lec t never the four fo ld Adorat ions of the Sun in hi s fourSta t ions , fo r thereby thou dos t a f f i rm thy Place in Nature and herHarmonies.Neglect n o t the Performance of the Ri tua l of the Pentagram,and of the Assumption of the Form of Hoor-pa-Kraat .Neglec t not the da i ly Miracle of the Mass, e i the r by the r i t eof the Gnost ic Catho l ic Church, or t h a t of the Phoenix.Neg l ec t not the performance of the Mass of the Holy Ghost , asNature hers

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t seems more n a tu r a l to you and demand the s p i r i t s name youwi l l f ind t h i s a grea t help . Usual ly in imical s p i r i t s w i l l d i s -so lve before a pentagram and p u r i t y of asp i ra t ion on your par t .All s p i r i t s have to obey s ince you are complete and they are not .Al l s p i r i t s whatever no mat ter how f r igh ten ing , are pa r t i a l b e i ~ g sHan i s both God and animal and a l l in between. Man i s a pe r fec tS ta r in h i s t rue Nature . You l i t e r a l l y c a n t be haunted in f luencedor harmed by a s t r a l beings ,unless you yourse l f have cu t yourse l fo f f from your t r u e S ta r natu re or godhead. Remember always t ha tyou are a God and t ha t you can command and crea te as does a God.I f you have cu t yourse l f of f from the True Sel f , then you can a l sor e s t o re the l i n k s ince you are Hadi t in your inmost Sel f and havet h i s pm-rer .

So nm{ dear bro ther , you have your work cu t out fo r you. onot sh i rk t h i s {ork fo r t would but hamper you on your Path tothe r e a l i z a t i on of your own Sta r ry Nature . }fay you trin your Bat t l e .Love i s the la { love under , d l l

F r a t e r n a l l y ,

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THE GR DES

Taken fromTHE QUINOXVol. I No 2pag e 243

. , . . .

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LlBER RESH vel HELlOSSub Figura CCO. These are the adorations to be performed by aspirants tothe A..A;.1 Let him greet the Sun a t dawn, facing ;cEast , giving thesign of his grade. And l e t him say in a loud voice:Hail unto Thee who a r t Ra in Thy r is ing even ':unto Theewho a r t Ra in Thy strength, who t rave l les t over the Heavens inThy bark a t the Uprising of the Sun.Tahuti standeth in His splend 'our a t the prow, and Rs.-Hoorabideth a t the helm.Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night2. Also a t Noon, l e t him greet the Sun, facing South, g1v1ngthe sign of his grade. And l e t him say in a loud voice:Hail unto Thee who a r t Ahathoor in Thy triumphing, even

unto Thee who a r t Ahathoor in Thy beauty, who t rave l les t overthe heavens in Thy bark a t the Mid-course of the Sun.Tahuti standeth in His , splendour a t the prow, and .iRs.-Hoorabideth a t the helm.Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Morning3. Also, a t Sunset, l e t him greet the Sun, facing West, givingthe sign of his grade. And l e t him say in a loud voice:Hail unto Thee who a r t Tum in Thy set t ing even unto Theewho a r t Tum in Thy joy, who t rave l les t over the Heavens in Thybark a t the Down-going of the Sun.Tahuti standeth in His splendour a t the prow, and Ra-Hoorabideth a t the helm.

Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Day4. Lastly, a t Midnight, l e t him greet the Sun, facing North,giving the s ign of his grade, and l e t him say in a loud voice:Hail unto Thee who a r t Khephra in Thy hiding, even unto Theewho a r t Khephra in Thy si lence, who t ravel les t over the heavensin Thy bark a t the Midnight Hour of the Sun.Tahuti standeth in His splendour a t the prow, and Ra-Hoorabideth a t the helm.Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Evening.5. And a f te r each of these invocations thou shal t give the signof si lence, and afterward thou shal t petform the adoration thatis taught thee by thy Superior. And .then do thou compose Thyselfto holy meditat ion.6. Also t is be t te r i f in these adorations thou assume the Godform of Whom thou adorest , as i f thou didst unite with Him in theadoration of That which is beyond Him.

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7. Thus sha l t thou ever be mindful of the Great Work whichthou hast undertaken :to perform, and thus shalt thou bestrengthened to pursue t unto ' the attainment of the Stone "ofthe Wise, the Summum Bonum, True Wisdom and Perfect Happiness.from M a ~ i c k in Theory and Practiceby Aleister Crowiey. Pp. 425-6

"38. So tha t thy l ight is in me & i t s red flame is as a swordin my hand to push thy order . There is a secre t door that Ishal l make to establ ish thy way in a l l the quarters (these arethe adorat ions, as thou hast writ ten) , as i t is said,The l igh t is mine; i t s rays consumeMe: I have made a secret doorInto the . House of Ra lnd T.um,Of Kbephra and ~ h a t h o o rI am Lthy Theban, 0 Mentu,The prophet Ankh-af-na.-khonsu "

from Liber Al vel Legis, Cap. I I I"37. I adore thee in the song-I am the Lord of Thebes, and IThe inspired forth-speaker of Mentu;For me unveils the v e i l ~ d sky,The se l f - s la in Ankh-af-na-khonsuWhose words are t ru th , I invoke, I greetThy presence, 0 Ra-Hoor-Khuit

Unity uttermost showedI adore the might of Thy breath,Supreme and t e r r ib le God,Who makest the gods and deathTo t r e m b ~ e before Thee:-I , I adore theeAppear on the throne of RaOpen the ways of the KhuLighten the ways of the KaThe ways of the Khabs run throughTo s t i r me or s t i l l meAum l e t t f i l l me

from Liber Al vel Legis, Cap. I I I(Note: the middle verse of the above is a most holy and powerfuladorat ion. I t may be said thus:"A ka duaTuf ur biuBi a a chefuDudu nur af an nuteru ")

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See Magick in Theory and Practicep 35

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For the Signs of the Grades please refer to Magick inTheory and Practice, p. VIII."Ra Hoor is the Sun God; Tahuti is the Egyptian Mercury;Khephra is the Sun a t midnight."

From Magick Without Tears, by A.C. p. 8"Note the Four Quarters or Four Solar Stations Enumeratedin l ines 3 and 4 of the f i r s t Stanza, and compare the r i tua l givenin Liber Samekh." * . ,.

From Commentaries on the Book of the Law.P. 275Compare the four quarters as used in The Banishing Ritual.

I . By thy name of Ra, I invoke Thee, Hawk of the Sun, theglorious one2. By thy name Harmachis, youth of the Bri l l ian t Morning, Iinvoke Thee3. By thy name Mau, I invoke Thee, Lion of the Midday Sun4. By thy name Tum Hawk of the Even, crimson splendour of theSunset, I invoke Thee5. By thy name Khep-Ra I invoke Thee, a Beetle of the hiddenMastery of Midnight "

From Th.e Equinox of the Gods p. 81"Our re l ig ion, therefore , for the People, is the Cult of the

Sun, who i s our par t icular s ta r of the Body of Nuit, from whom, inthe s t r i c t e s t sc ien t i f ic sense, come th is earth, ' a:. chilled sparkof Him, and a l l our Light and Life ."From Commentaries on the Book of the Law.pp. 267-8

* Liber Samekh is to be found in Magick in Theory and PracticePages 265 to 293.

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ONE STAR IN SIGHTThy f e e t in mire , th ine head in murk,o man, how pi teous thy p l ig h t ,The doubts t h a t daunt , the lls t h a t i r k ,Thou has t nor w i t nor wi l l to f igh tHow hope in h ea r t , or worth in work?No s t a r in s ightThy Gods proved puppets of the pr i e s t ."Truth? A l l ' s re la t ion " science sighed.In bondage with thy b ro ther beas t ,Love t o r tu red thee , as Love 's hope diedAnd Love 's f a i t h r o t t ed . Life no l e a s tDim s t a r descr ied .Thy cr ing ing ca r r ion cowered .and cra,,,ledTo f ind i t s e l f a chance-cas t clodWhose Pa in was purpose less ; appal ledThat aimless acc iden t t hus t rodI t s agony, t h a t void sk ies sprawledOn the va in sodAll sou ls e t e r n a l l y e x i s t ,Each i nd iv idua l , u l t ima te ,Pe r fec t - each makes i t s e l f a mis tOf mind and f l e sh to ce lebra teWith some tw in mask t he i r t ender t r y s tIns a t i a t e .Some drunkards , dot ing on the dream,

Despai r t h a t t should die , mistakeThemselves fo r t he i r own shadow-scheme.One s t a r can summon them to wakeTo s e l f ; s t a r - s o u l s se rene t h a t gleamOn l i f e ~ calm l ake .That s h a l l end never t h a t began.All th ings endure because they are .o what thou w i l t , fo r every manAnd every woman i s a s t a r .Pan i s not dead; he l i v e t h , PanBreak dmVll the barTo man I come, the number ofA man my number, Lion of Ligh t ;I am The Beast whose Law i s Love.Love under w i l l , his roya l r i g h tBehold within , and not above,One s t a r in s ight ,Ale is te r Crowley,Taken from Magick inTheory and Prac t ice .

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"Debate not of the image, sayingB ~ y o r l d BeyondOne mounteth unto the Crown by themoon and by the Sun, and by thear row, and by the Foundation, andby the dark home of the s t a r s fromthe b lack ear th .

Ale i s t e r CrowleyLiber 65,Liber Cordi Sc i n c t iSerpente. Cap / I ,v .9

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THE L DDER"1 w i l l a r i s e and go unto my Father"

M LKUTHDark, dark , a l l dark I cawer, I cr inge.Only above me i s a c i t ron t ingeAs i f some echo of red , gold , and blueChimed on the nigh t and l e t i t s shadow through.Yet I who am thus prisoned and ex i l edm the r i g h t h e i r of glory , the crowned chi ld .

I match my might aga ins t my Fa te ' s ,I g i rd myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win: -L i f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye ever las t ing doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come in .

T UI pass from the c i t r i ne : deep indigoIs t h i s t a l l column. Snakes and vul tu res bendTheir hooded hate on him t h a t would ascend.o may the Four av a i l me Ageless woe,Fear , t o r tu r e , throng the th resho ld . Lo The endOf mat ter the immensity of th ingsLet loose - new laws, new beings , new condi t ions ;Dire chaos; see these new-fledged wingsFai l in i t s vaguenesses and inan i t ions .Only my c i r c l e saves me from the hateOf a l l these monsters dead ye t animate.

I match my might aga ins t my Fate ' sI g i rd mysel f to reach the u l t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win: -Li f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come in .YESOD

Hai l , thou fu l l moon, 0 flame of AmethystStupendous mountain on whose shoulder r e s tThe Eigh t Above. More s tab le i s my c res tThan th ine - and now I pierce thee , v e i l of mis tEven as an arrow from the war-bow springsI l eap - my l i f e i s se t wi th l o f t i e r th ings .

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I match my might aga ins t my Fate ' s ,I g i rd myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win: -Li f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory s h a l l come i n .

S MECH (and the cross ing of the Path of P ~Now s w i f t , thou azure sha f t of fading f i r e ,Pierce th rough the rainbow Swif t , 0 swif t how streamsThe world by Let Sandal phon and his qu i reOf Angels ward me Ho what plane t beamsThis angry ray? Thy swords, t hy sh ie lds , thy spearsThy cha r io t s and thy horsemen; , Lord Showered spheresOf meteors war and blaze ; but 1. am I ,Horus himsel f , the t o r r en t of the skyAflame - I sweep the stormy seas of a i rTowards t h a t grea t globe t h a t hangs so golden f a i r .

I match my might aga ins t my Fate ' s ,I gi rd myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win: -L i f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come i n .TIPHERETH

Hai l , ha i l , thou sun of harmony.Of beauty and of ecs tasyThou rad iance b r i l l i a n t and boldThou ruby rose , thou cross of goldHai l , cen t re of the cosmic planHai l , mystic image of the ManI give the s ign of s l a i n Asar .I give the s ign of Asi towering.I give the s ign of Apep, s t a rOf black Destruct ion a l l devour ing .I give thy s ign , Asar re - r i sen : -Break , 0 my s p i r i t , from thy prisonI match my might aga ins t my F a t e ' s ,I g i rd myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win: -L i f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye e v e r l s t i ~ g doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come in .

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GINEL (wi th the cross ing of the path of Teth)Hai l , v i rg in Noon, br igh t Noon of HerThat i s God's thoughland minis te rSnow-pure, sky-blue, immaculateHecate , in Thy book of FateRead thou my name, the soar ing soulThat seeks the supreme, sunless goal

And thou, grea t Sekhet , roar Arise ,Confront the l ion in the wayThy calm indomitable eyesLi f t once, and look, and pie rce , and s layI am pas t . Hai l , Hecate UntrodThy s teep ascen t to God, to GodLo, what unnamed, unnameableSphere hangs above insc rutable?There i s no v i r tue in thy k is sTo a f f r o n t t ha t sou l - l es s swart abyss .

I match my might aga ins t my Fa te ' s ,I gi rd myself to reach the u l t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win:Li f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come in .D TH

I am insane, Ny reason tumbles;The tower of my being crumbles.Here a l l i s doubt , d i s t r e s s , despa i r :There i s no force in s t rength or prayer .I f pass I may, it i s by mightOf the momentum of my f l i gh t .I match my might aga ins t my F a t e ' s ,I gi rd myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm myself the war to win:Li f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye li t up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory sha l l come in .GUIEL (and the cross ing of Daleth)

Free from t h a t curse , loosed from t h a t prison;From : a l l t h a t ru in am I r i sen

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Pure still the v i rg i n moon begui lesMy azure passage 1vith her smi les .Now 0 what love div ine redeemsMy dea th , and ba thes it in her beamsWhat sacr ing t r ansubs tan t i a t e sMy f l e sh and blood, and incarna tesThe q u in t e s s en t i a l Pan? What shoreStre tches beyond t h i s sec re t door?Hail 0 thou sevenfold s t a r of green,Thou four fo ld g lo ry - a l l t h i s teenCaught up in ecs tasy - a boonTo pass me s ing ing through the moon

Nay I knew not what glory shoneGold from the brea th l e s s b l i s s beyond:But t h i s I know t ha t I am goneTo the h ea r t of God's grea t diamondI match my might aga ins t my Fa te ' s ,I g i r d myself to reach the ul t imate shores ,I arm :myself the 1far to win: -L i f t up your heads, 0 mighty gatesBe ye lift up, ye eve r l a s t ing doorsThe King of Glory s h a l l come i n .

KETHERI am passed th rough the abyss of f l a m ~Hear ye t h a t I am t ha t I am

THE RETURNBehold I c lo the mine awful l i g h tIn yonder body born of nigh t .I t s mind be open to the h igherI t s h ea r t be luc id- luminousThe Temple of i t s own des i reThe Temple of the Rosy Cross 'As Horus sped the f lame, Harpocra tesReceive the f lame, and se t the soul a t ease.I ,"ho was One am One, a l l l i gh tBalanced with in me, ordered r i gh t ,As it was ever to the i n i t i a t e ' s ken,Is nov', and s h a l l be evermore. Amen

A1eis te r Crov,leyfrom THE WINGE BEETLE, 1910

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64 Let him come through the f i r s t ordeal i t will be tohim as s i lver .65. Through the second, gold.66. Through the th ird , stones of precious water.67. Through the fourth, ult imate sparks of the intimate f i re .

This too will be proven to him who wil l and can.The Tree of Life in the Qabalah represents ten spheresarranged in three pi l l a r s , the centra l one of these containingfour, and the others three each. These spheres are at t r ibutedto cer ta in numbers, planets , metals, and many other groups ofthings; indeed a l l things may be referred to one or other ofthem. The four ordeals now to be described :'represent the ascent of the aspirant from the tenth and lowest of these spheres,

which refers to the Earth, unregenerate and confused, in which 'the aspirant is born. e r i se th in the f i r s t ordeal to thesphere cal led the Foundation, numbered 9, and containing, amongother ideas , those of the generative organs, Air, the Moon, andSilver . I t s secret Truth is tha t S tab i l i ty i s ident ica l withChange; of th is we are reminded by the fact that any multipleof 9 has 9 for the sum of i t s digi t s .The in i t ia te wil l now perceive that the sum of the motionsof his mind i s zero, while, below the ir moon-like phases andthe i r Air- l ike divagations, the sex-consciousness abides untouched, the true Foundation of the Temple of his body, theRoot of the Tree of Life tha t grows from Earth to Heaven. This

Book is now to him as s i lver . e sees i t pure, white, andshining, the mirror of his own being that th is ordeal has purgedof i t s complexes. To reach th is sphere he has had to pass througha path of darkness where the Four Elements seem to him to be theUniverse ent i re . For how should he know that they are ' no morethan the l a s t of the 22 segments of the Snake that is twined on ;:the Tree?Assai led by gross phantoms of matter, unreal and uninte l l igib le , his ordeal is of te r ror and darkness. e may pass onlyby favour of his own s i l en t God, extended and exalted withinhim by vi r tue of his conscious act in affronting the ordeal .The next sphere reached by the aspirant is named Beauty,numbered 6, and referred to the hear t , to the Sun, and to Gold.Here he is called an Adept . The secre t Truth in th is place isthat God is Man, symbolized by the Hexagram, ( in which two t r i angles are in ter laced) .In the l a s t sphere he learnt tha t his Body was the Templeof the Rosy Cross, tha t i s , that t was given him as a place

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wherein to perform the Magical Work of unit ing the oppositionsin h is Nature. Here he is taught tha t his Heart is the Centreof Light . I t i s not dark, mysterious, hollow, obscure even tohimself , but his Soul is Lto dwell there, radiating Ligl: t onthe six spheres which surround i t ; these represent the variouspowers of his mind. This Book now appears to him as Gold; itis the perfect metal , the symbol of the Sun i t se l f . e seesGod everywhere therein .

To th i s sphere hath the aspirant come by the Path calledTemperance, shot as an arrow from a Rainbow. e hath beheldthe Light , but only in division. Nor had he won to th is sphereexcept by Temperance, under which name we mask the a r t of pouring freely for th the whole of our Life, to the l a s t sp i l th ofour blood, yet losing never the l eas t drop thereof .Now once again the adept aspires and comes to the spherecal led the Crown numbered I , referred to the God Ra-Hoor-Khuit

himself in man, to the Beginning of Whirling Motions, and theFirs t Mode of Matter. I t s secret Truth i s that Earth i s Heavenas Heaven is Earth, and shows the aspirant to himself as beinga s t a r . All that seemed to him r ea l i ty is not eV,en to be deemedi l lus ion , but a l l one l igh t infusing s ta r and s ta r . The Many,each of them, are the One; each individual , no twain al ike , yeta l l ident ical : th is he knows and i s , for now the Word hathl ightened his soul 's girders . (The logic of the Ruach - thenormal i n t e l l ec t - i s transcended in Spir i tual Experience. I ti s , evidently, impossible to "explain" how th is can be.)In the'Number 6 he saw God interlocked with man, twot r i n i t i e s made one; but here he knows that there was never

but one.Thus now th i s Book is ' s tones of precious water ' ; i t s Lighti s not the borrowed l igh t of gold, but is shed through the Booki t s e l f , clear-spark l ing , flashed from i t s facets . Each phrasei s a diamond; each is diverse, yet a l l , ident ical . In each theone Light laughsNow to th i s sphere came he by the Path cal led the HtghPriestess; She is his Si lent Sel f , virgin beyond a l l ve1ls,made f ree to teach him, by v i r ~ u of th is th i rd ordeal wherein,passing through the abyss, he has str ipped from him every ragof falsehood, his l a s t complexes, even his phantasy that hecal led I . And so he knows a t l a s t how the soi led har lo t ' sdress was mere disguise; naked in Moonlight shines the maidenBodyBeyond the O ~ e how shal l he pass on?which is in every place the Centre of All?girders of our souls need l ightening, i f we

dom of such Truth as th is

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Now in the ' s tones of precious water ' the Light leaptclear indeed, but they were not themselves tha t Light. Thissphere of the One is indeed Ra-Hoor-Khuit; is not our Crownedand Conquering Child the source of Light? Nay, he is f in i teform of Unity, child of two married in f in i t ies ; and in th isl a s t ordeal the aspi rant must go even beyond his Star , findingtherein the core thereof of Hadit , and losing t also in theBody of Nuith.

Here i severywhere;now no more.no Path tha t he may t read, for a l l i s equallynor is there any sphere to at ta in , for measure is

There are no words to make known the Way or the End, wherethe End is one with the Way; th is only is said, that to himtha t hath passed through th is fourth ordeal th is Book is as'ul t imate sparks . No more do they re f lec t or transmit theLight; they themselves are the original , the not-to-be-analysedLight, of the ' int imate f i r e of Hadit He shall see the Bookas t i s , as a shower of the Seed of the Stars "

Taken from the Magical and Philosophical Commentaries onThe Book of the Law. pp. 94 297.

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he Em t ess

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THE FLOWER OF EROSWith a t o rn and bleed ing hea r tAnd bowed head I pass byOn e te rna l course ; as a s t a r t h a t wheelsThrough the naked, t o r tu red sky.Oh, Eros, p i t i l e s s God, t h a t se tThe s t a r s and I amid the g l i t t e rOf f a l l e n t ea r s and the f r e tOf an anguished cry .Oh, Eros, p i t i l e s s God no end i s thereTo Thy f laming dar t which piercesThe cen te r of my being and sendsHe ree l ing along my course , l i k e Circe ' sLover t ransformed in to swine; b l i n ~ l yCaught and enmeshed in d es i r e with facesSet aga ins t the divine . Oh, Eros see

Thy ravaging t r a ce sAnd ye t t he re l i e s hidden in T ry playA brea th from the heaven of soul .A brea th which whispers through shadowAnd t ea r s of a shining magical Whole.I f the pain of love i s so grea t and it kindlesThe hear t i n to flame so t h a t l i f eAnd dea th are the same and mingleAs joy and sorrow unro l l ;I f the re i s heard a c a l l from the forcesWhich unwind the unravel ing threadOf l i gh t and darkness ; the sp i r a l of play ,The pathway of l i f e on which the f ee t t read :I f the ca l l i s so grea t t ha t it sha t te r sThe tower of l iv ing so ca re fu l ly b u i l t :I f love becomes a l l t h a t mat tersAnd the sa c r i f i c e i s blood:And Thy face, Eros , once laughing and gayBehind the poisoned d a r t s , changes and growsIn to a whisper ing roa r , a present iment __Of t ha t grea te r God, the One t h a t goesFrom tower to tower and razes them a l lWith l augh ter div ine and c ~ a z y and playsA song o f s i l ence and speech and His c a l lLike Light t h r o Y k h t r t i i ~ y f l o w sAnd Death i s nea re s t to Love and embracesThe l i v in g h ea r t ; and the s p i r i t i s to rnBy the s t rugg le of fo rces and the f i r eHas l e f t nothing but ashes . Within i s bornUnshadowed Ligh t , Godlike , v i rg i n and pure,Rooted among the swine, but the Spi rL tEnflamed to Nirvana . Then Thy f lower,Oh, Eros life s Cross adorns Heral

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O T O

LI ER CLXICONCERNING THE L W OF THELEM

. .

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LIBER CLXIO.T.O.

CONCERNING THE LAW OF THELEMAAn Epistle writteu to ProfessorL K - whoalso himself waited for the New lEo II concerning theO.T.O. and its solution of divers problems of Human So-ciety particttlarly those cOllceming Property and nowreprinted for Gel/eral Circulation.

My Dear SirDo what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. I wasglad to receive your letter of inquiry with regard to the M essage of the Master Therion.I t struck you naturally enough that on the surface there islittle distinction between the New Law and the canon ofAnarchy; and you ask, How is the Law to be fulfilled inthe case of two boys who want to eat the same orange?" Butsince only one boy (at most) can eat the orange, it is evidentthat one of them is mistaken in supposing that it is essentialto his Will to eat it. The question is to be decided in thegood old way by fighting for it. All that we ask is that thefighting should be done chivalrously, with respect to thecourage of the vanquished. As brothers fight ye " Inother words, there is only this difference from our presentstate of society, that manners are improved. There aremany persons who are naturally slaves, who have no stomach to fight, who tamely yield all to anyone strongenough to

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THE EQUINOXtake it. These persons cannot accept the Law. This also isunderstood and provided for in the Book of the Law: Theslaves shall serve. But it is possible for any apparent slaveto prove his mastery by fighting his oppressors, even asnow; but he has this additional chance in our system, thathis conduct will be watched with kindly eye by our authorities, and his prowess rewarded by admission to the r ~ k s ofthe master-class. Also, he will be given fair play.You may now ask how such arrangements are possible.There is only one solution to this great problem. . t hasalways been admitted that the ideal form of government isthat of a benevolent despot, and despotisms have onlyfallen because it is impossible in practice to assure the goodwill of those in power. The rules of chivalry, and those ofBushido in the East, gave the best chance to develop rulersof the desired type. Chivalry failed principally because it.was confronted with new problems; to-day we know per-fectIy'what those problems were, and are able to solve them.It is generally understood by all men of education that thegeneral welfare is necessary to the highest development ofthe particular; and the troubles of America are in great partdue to the fact that the men in power are often utterly devoidof all general education.I would call your attention to the fact that many monasticorders, both in Asia and in Europe, have succeeded in sur-viving all changes of government, and in securing pleasantand useful lives for their members. But this has been possible only because restricted life was enjoined. However,there were orders of mjlitary monks, like the Templars, whogrew and prospered exceedingly. You recall that the Orderof the Temple was only overthrown by a treacherous cou p228

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CONCERNING THE LAW OF THELEMAd etat on the part of a King and of a Pope who saw their re.actionary obscurantist and tyrannical programme menacedby those knights who did not scruple to add the wisdom ofthe East to their own large interpretation of Christianityand who represented in that time a movement towards thelight of learning and of science which has been brought to. fruition in our own times by the labours of the Orien.talistsfrom Von-Hammer-Purgstall and Sir William Jones toProfessor Rhys Davids and Madame Blavatsky to saynothing of such philosophers as Schopenhauer on the onehand; and by the heroic efforts of Darwin Huxley Tyndalland Spencer on the other.I have no sympathy with those who cry out against property as if what all men desire were of necessity evil; thenatural instinct of every man is to own and while man rema ins in this mood attempts to destroy property must notonly be nugatory but deleterious to the community. Thereis no outcry against the rights of property where wisdomand kindness administer it. The average man is not so unreasonable as the demagogue for his own selfish ends pretends to be. The great nobles of all time have usually beenable to create a happy.family of their dependents and unflinching loyalty and devotion have been their reward. The.secret has been principally this that they considered themselves noble as well in nature as in name and thought it foulshame to themselves i any retainer met unnecessary misfortune. The upstart of to-day lacks this feeling; he musttry constantly to prove his superiority by exhibiting hispower; and harshness is his only weapon. In any societywhere each person has his allotted place and that a placewith its own special honour mutual respect and self-respect

229

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THE EQUINOXare born. Every man is in his own way a king, or at leastheir to some kingdom. We have many examples o suchsociety to-day, notably universities and all associations ofsport. NO.5 in the Harvard crew does not turn round inthe middle of the race and reproach NO.4 for being merelyNO.4; nor do the pitcher and catcher of a crack baseball ninerevile each other because their tasks are different. It is tobe noted that wherever team-work is necessary social tolerance is an essential. The common soldier is invested witha uniform as well as his officer, and in any properly trainedarmy he is taught his own canons of honour and self-respect.This feeling, more than mere discipline or the possession ofweapons, makes the soldier more than a match morally fora man not so clothed in proper reverence for himself and hisprofession.

University men who have passed through some crisis ofhardsftip or temptation have often told me that the backboneof their endurance was the old shop. Much of this is evidently felt by those who talk of re-establishing the old tradeguilds. But I fear that I digress. I have, however, now placed before you the main points ofmy thesis. We need to extend to the whole of society thepeculiar feeling which obtains in our most successful institutions, such as the services, the universities, the clubs.Heaven and hell are states of mind; and i the devil be reallyproud, his hell can hurt him little.

It is this, then, that I des.ire to emphasize: those whoaccept the New Law, the Law of the ..Eon of Horus, thecrowned and conquering child who replaces in our theogonythe suffering and despairing victim of destiny, the Law ofThelema, which is Do What Thou Wilt, those who accept it230

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CONCERNING THE LAW OF THELEMAI say) feel themselves immediately to h kings and queens.Every man and every woman is a star is the first state

ment in the Book of the Law. In the pamphlet, The Lawof Liberty, this theme is embroidered with considerablecare, and I will not trouble you with further quotation.You will say swiftly that the heavenly state of mind thusinduced will be hard put to it to endure hunger and cold. The. thought occurred also to our founder, and I will endeavourto put before you the skeleton of his plan to avert such misfortune (or at least such ordeal) from his adherents.In the first place he availed himself of a certain organization of which he was offered the control, namely, the O.T.O.

This great Order accepted the Law immediately, and wasjustified by the sudden and great revival of its activities.The Law was given to our founder twelve years ago; the9.T.0. came into his hands eight years later, in the vulgaryear 1912 . I t must not be supposed that he was idle duringthe former period; but he was very young, and had no ideaof taking practical measures to extend the Dominion of theLaw: he pursued his studies.However, with the sudden growth of the O.T.O. from

9 2 E.V. onward, he began to perceive a method of puttingthe Law into general practice, of making it possible for menand women to live in accordance with the precepts laid downin the Book of the Law, and to accomplish their wills; I don.ot say to gratify their passing fancies, but to do that forwhich they were intended bylheir own high destiny. For inthis universe, since it is in equilibrium and the sum total ofits energies is therefore zero, every force therein is equal andopposite to the resultant of all the other forces combined.The Ego is therefore always exactly equal to the Non-Ego,

23 1

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e.

THE EQUINOXand the destruction of an atom of helium would be as catastrophic to the conservation of matter and energy as if a million spheres were blotted into annihilation by the will of God.I am well aware that from this point you could draw mesubtly over the tiger-trap of the Freewill Controversy; youwould make it difficult for me even to say that it is better tofulfil one s destiny consciously and joyously than like astone; but I am on my guard. I will return to plain politicsand common sense.

Our Founder then, when he thought over this matterfrom a purely practical standpoint, remembered thoseinstitutions with which he was familiar, which flourished.He bethought him of monasteries like Monsalvat, of universities like Cambridge, of golf clubs like Hoylake, ofsocial clubs like the Cocoa-Tree, of co-operative societies,and, having sojourned in America, of Trusts. In his mindhe expanded each of these to its n i power, he blended themlike the skilled chemist that he was, he considered their excellences and their limitations; in a word, he meditate(l prnfoundly upon the whole subject, and he concluded with thevision of a perfect society.

He sawall men free, all men wealthy, all men respected;and he planted the seed of his Utopia by handing over hisown house to the O.T.O., the organization which shouldoperate his plan, under certain conditions. What he hadforeseen occurred; he had possessed one house; by surrendering it he became owner f a thousand houses. He gaveup the world, a.nu found it at his feet.Eliphaz Levi, the great niagician of the middle of the lastcentury, whose philosophy made possible the extraordinaryoutburst of literature in France in the fifties and sixties by232

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CONCERNING THE LAW OF THELEMAas any member of the Order wills is handed over to the GreatOfficers either as a gift or in trust. In the latter case it isadministered in the interest of the donor. Property beingthus pooled immense economies are effected. One.lawyerdoes the work of fifty; house agents let houses instead ofmerely writing misleading entries in books; the O.T.O controls the company instead of half-a-dozen isolated and impotent stockholders. Whatever the O.T.O findeth to do itdoes with all its might; none dare oppose the power of a cor- poration thus centralised thus ramified. To become a member of the O.T .O. is to hitch your wagon to a star.But if YOll are poor? f you have no property? TheO.T.O. still helps you. There will always be unoccupieqhouses which you can tend rent-free; there is certainty ofemployment if you desire it from other members. f youkeep a shop you may be sure that O.T.O. members will beyour customers; i f you are a doctor or a lawyer they will beyour clients. Are you sick? The other members hasten toyour bed to ask of what you are in need. Do you need company? The Profess House of the O.T.O. is open to you. Doyou require a loan? The Treasurer-General of the O.T.O.is empowered to advance to you without interest up to thetotal amount of your fees and subscriptions. Are you on ajourney? You have the right to the hospitality of the Mas. ter of a Lodge of the O.T.O. for three days in anyone place.Are you anxious to educate your children? The O.T.O. willfit them for the battle. Are you at odds with a brother? TheGrand Tribunal of the O.T.O. will arbitrate free of chargebetween you. Are you moribund? You have the power toleave the total amount that you have paid into the Treasury235

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THE EQUINOXof the O.T.O. to whom you will. Will your children beorphan? No; for they will be adopted if you wish by the Master of your Lodge, or by the Grand Master of the O.T.O.In short, there is no circumstance of life in which theO.T.O. is not both sword and shield.You wonder? .You reply that this can only be by g n r ~osity, by divine charity of the high toward the low, of therich toward the poor, of the great toward the small? . Youare a thousand times right; you have understood the secretof the O.T.O.

That such qualities can flourish in an extended commu-nity may surprise so eminent and so profound a student ofhumanity as yourself; yet examples abound of practices themost unnatural and repugnant to mankind which have con-tinued through centuries. I need not remind you of Jaga-nath and of the priests of Attis, for extreme cases.fortiori then, it must be possible to train men to i n e ~pendence, to tolerance, to nobility of character, and to goodmanners, and this is done in the O.T.O. by certain very ffi ;cacious methods which for I will not risk further wearyingyou) I will not describe. Besides, they are secret. Butbeyond them is the supreme incentive; advancement in theOrder depends almost entirely on the possession of suchqualities, and is impossible without it. Power being themain desire of man, it is only necessary ~ o to condition itspossession that it be not abused.

Wealth is oino account in the O.T.O. Above a certain grade all realisable property, with certain obvious excep-tions-things in daily use, and the like-must be vested inthe O.T.O. Property may be enjoyed in accordance with thedignity of the adept of such grade, but he cannot leave it idle236

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CONCERNING THE LA V OF THELEMAor sequestrate it from the common good. Hc may travel, forinstance, as a railway magnate travels; but he cannot injurethe commonwealth by setting his private car athwart thefour main lines.

Even intellectual eminence and executive ability are at acertain discount in the Order. Work is in f.ariably found forpersons possessing these qualifications, and they attain highstatus and renown for their reward; but not advancement inthe Order, unless they exhibit a talent for government, andthis will be exhibited far more by nobility of character, firmness and suavity, tact and dignity, high honour and goodmanners, those qualities (in short which are, in the bestminds, natural predicates of the word gentleman. Theknowledge of this fact not only inspires confidence in theyounger members, but induces them to emulate theirsemors.

In order to appreciate the actual working of the system,it is necessary to visit our Profess-Houses. I t is hoped thatsome will shortly be established in the United States ofAmerica. Some are like the castles of p l ~ d i a v a l barons,some are simple cottages; the same spirit rules in all. Histhat of perfect hospitality. Each one is free to do as hewiI1;and the luxury of this enjoyment is such that he becomescareful to avoid disturbance of the equal right of others.Yet, the authority of the Abbot of the House being supreme,any failure to observe this rule is met with appropriate energy. The case cannot really arise, unless circumstances arequite beyond the ordinary; for the period of hospitality isstrictly limited, and extensions depend upon the goodwill ofthe Abbot. Naturally, as it takes all sorts to make a worldand we rejoice in that diversity which makes our unity so- 237

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THE EQUINOXexquisite a miracle-some Profess-Houses will suit one person, some another. And birds of a feather willleam to flocktogether. However, the well-being of the Order and thestudy of its mysteries being at the heart of every member of .the Order there is inevitably one common ground on whichall may meet.I fear that I have exhausted your patience with this lette. .and I beg you to excuse me. But as you know, out of theabundance of the heart the mouth speaketh . . . you areperfectly right to retort that it need not speak so much .I add no more, but our glad greeting to all men: Love isthe law, love under will.

I am, dear sir,Yours in the Bonds of the Order,

J B MASON.

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