Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 2)

relation of two ideas each of winch is itself as subject to change without notice” as a musical programme. Divination, in the nature of things, can do no more than put the mind of the querent into conscious connection with another mind whose knowledge of the subject at issue is to bis own as that of an expert to a layman. The expert is not infallible. 1 he client may put his question in a misleading manner, or even base it on a completely erroneous conception of the facts. He may misunder- stand the expert’s answer, and he may misinterpret its purport. Apart from ail this, excluding ail error, both question and answer are limited in validity by their own conditions 3 and these conditions are such that truth may cease to be true, either as time goes on, or if it be flawed by the defect of failure to considei some circum- stances whose concealed operation cancels the contract. In a word, divination, like any other science, is justified of its children. It would be extraordinary should so fertile a mother be immune from still-births, monstrosities, and abomons. We none of us dismiss our servant science with a kick and a curse every time the téléphoné gets out of order. The téléphoné people make no claim that it always Works and always Works right.1 Divination, with equal modesty, admits that «it often goes wrong; but it Works well enough, ail thmgs considered. The science is in its infancy. Ail we can do is our best. We no more prétend to infallibility than the mining expert who considers himself in luck if he hits the bulPs eye four times in ten.” The error of ail dogmatists (from the oldest prophet with his “literally-inspired word of God” to the newest German professor with his single-track explanation of the Universe) lies in trying to prove too much, in defending themselves against critics by stretch- ing a propably excellent theorv to mclude ail the facts and th^ fables, until it bursts like the overblown bladder it is. Divination is no more than a rough and ready practical method which we understand hardly at ail, and operate only as empincs. Success for the best diviner alive is no more certain m any particular instance than a long putt by a champion golfer. Its calculations 1. Exce.pt in New York City. — 172 —