Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 2)

in the process itself. The judgment can do no more than the facts presented to it warrant. It is naturally impossible in most cases to make sure that some important factor has not been omitted. In asking, “shall I be wise to marry?” one leaves it open for wisdom to be defined in divers ways. One can only expect an answer in the sense of the question. The connotation of “wise” would then imply the limitations “in your private définition of wisdom”, “in reference to your présent circumstances.” It would not involve guarantee against subséquent disaster, or pronounce a philosophical dictum as to wisdom in the abstract sense. One must not assume tliat the oracle is omniscient. By the nature of the case, on the contrary, it is the utterance of a being whose powers are partial and limited, though not to such an extent, or in the same directions, as one’s own. But a man who is advised to purchase a certain stock should not complain if a general panic knocks the bottom ont of it a few weeks later. The advice only referred to the prospects of the stock in itself. The divination must not be blarned any more than one would blâme a man for buying a house at Ypres three vears before the World-War. As against this, one must insist that it is obviously to the advan- tage of the diviner to obtain this information from beings of the most exalted essence available. An old witch who has a familiar spirit of merely local celebritv such as the toad in her tree, can hardly expect him to tell her much more of private matters than her parish magazine does of public. It dépends entirely on the Magician how he is served. The greater the man, the greater must be his teacher. It follows that the highest forms of communicating daemons, those who know, so to speak, the court secrets, disdain to concern themselves with matters which they regard as beneath them. One must not make the mistake of calling in a famous physician to one’s sick Pekinese. One must also beware of asking even the cleverest angel a question outside his ambit. A heart specialist should not prescribe for throat trouble. The Magician ouglit therefore to make himself master of several methods of divination; using one or the other as the purpose of the moment dictâtes. He should make a point of organizing a staff of such spiriis to suit varions 168