The Equinox (Volume I, Number VII)

THE TEMPLE OF SOLOMON THE KING Liber VII, and Liber CCXX. It must be clearly under- stood that the Bhagavad-Gita, Anna Kingsford, St, John, and all other writers with the possible exception of Lao Tze, describe nothing higher than Atmadarshanai For the first time in the known history of the world there had arisen the combination of the utmost attainmentwith the intelligence and literary ability to make it comparatively articulate. It is no wonder, then, that we hail Fra. P. as the greatest of all Teachers, This entire experience from the Passing of the Abyss to the Shivadarshana has been so wonderfully described in “Aha! " by Mr. Aleister Crowley, who was privileged to get his material first—hand from Fra, Ρ. himself, that we make no apology for quoting the passage in full. MARSYAS. Ay! Hear the Ordeal of the Veil, The Second Veil ! . . . O spare me this Magical memory! I pale To show the Veil of the Abyss. Nay, let confession be complete! OLYMPAS. Master, I bend me at thy feet— Why do they sweat with blood and dew? MARSYAS. Blind horror catches at my breath The path of the abyss runs through Things darker, dismaller than death! Courage and will! What boots their force? The mind rears like a frightened horse. There is no memory possible Of that unfathomable hell, Even the shadows that arise Are things too dreadful to recount l 39