The Rites of Eleusis

6 earnestly seeks. Then came a prolonged and intense silence, after which the Master of the Ceremonies dismissed us in these words : By the Power in me vested, I declare the Temple closed. So ended a really beautiful ceremony—beautifully conceived and beautifully carried out. If there is any higher form of artistic expression than great verse and great music I have yet to learn it. I do not pretend to understand the ritual that runs like a thread of magic through these meetings of the A∴ A∴ I do not even know what the A∴ A∴ is. But I do know that the whole ceremony was impressive, artistic, and produced in those present such a feel- ing as Crowley must have had when he wrote : So shalt thou conquer Space, and lastly climb The walls of Time ; And by the golden path the great have trod Reach up to God ! THE WHY AND HOW OF ECSTASY “ There is a land of pure delight, Where saints immortal reign.” SO used some of us to sing in our childhood. And we used to think of this land as far away, farther even than death that in those days seemed so far. But I know this now : that land is not so far as my flesh is from my bones ! It is even Here and Now. If there is one cloud in this tranquil azure, it is this thought ; that conscious beings exist who are not thus infinitely happy, masters of ecstasy. So to remove this cloud have I cheerfully dedicated all I have and all I am. That I do not overvalue ecstasy is shown by this, that I am not one who denies himself the good things of this world. There are too many mystics going about like the fox who lost his brush.