The Equinox (Volume III, Number I)

A MASTER OF THE TEMPLE However, on The DAY, the 12th of October, when he came actually to use his Invocation (prepared and illumi- nated during his retirement) expecting the Result might occur, he writes as follows: At precisely 6.50. I entered the Temple, lit the incense and robed. All being in order I knelt in prayer and at 7 P.M. I arose and performed the Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, then, taking the ritual in my left hand and raising the wand in my right, I slowly and clearly read the Oath and the Invocation. Afterwards, I was impressed to make a certain Sign with the wand. And the Word that came to me was... Kneeling, I felt very calm, and I waited . . . afterwards, ac- cording to my understanding, I turned off the light, leaving only the lamp of olive Oil, and I lay down upon the place prepared and waited . . . and all was very dark and still, with a feeling of absolute calm and control, and I waited . . . And nothing happened. Then something seemed to tell me to get up and to kneel again at the altar, yet I waited, but presently I arose and stood at the altar, and I felt “I am that I am”; but there seemed not much joy in the thought, and yet, I knew that I had done all, even the least thing, to the best of mine under- standing and ability . . . And it began to dawn upon me that I had failed, but where and how, I know not. I have been dazzled with no illusionary success, I have overcome the fear of failure, and now, even as a tired warrior, I will go back into the world—and STRIVE. The Next day. Chaos. Reason is quite inadequate to solve the problem. Here followeth a certain’ passage from Ezekiel. “Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke: yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shalt thy tears run down. Forbear to cry, make no mourning for the dead, bind the tire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men. So I spake unto the people in the morning; and at even my wife died: and I did in the morning as I was commanded. And the people said unto me: Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so? Then I answered them. The word of the Lord came unto me saying: Speak unto the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord God . . . Ezekiel is unto you a sign: ac- cording to all that he hath done, shall ye do; and when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord. Also, son of man, shall it not be in the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereon they set their minds . . . In that day shall thy mouth be opened ... and thou shalt speak ... and thou shalt be a sign unto them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.” Amen. 155