The Equinox (Volume I, Number I)

THE EQUINOX The Hierophant then continues: “Let the Candidate be conducted to the East of the Altar. Honoured Hiereus, I delegate to you the duty of entrusting the Candidate with the secret signs, grip, grand word and present pass-word of the o°=o° Grade of the Order of the Golden Dawn in the Outer, of placing him between the mystic pillars, and of superintending his fourth and final consecration.” The East of the Altar is the place of the Evil Triad, and he is brought there as though affirming that he will trample upon and cast out his evil persona, which will then become a support unto him, but it must first be cast down unto its right place. The Hiereus now confers the secret signs, &c., and during this part of the ceremony the position of the three chief officers is as follows: The Hierophant on the throne of the East; the Hiereus at the East of the Black Pillar ; and the Hegemon at the East of the White Pillar. The three again formulating the Triad and strengthening it. Thus the Higher Soul will be formulated between the Pillars in the place of Equili- brium ; the Candidate at the place of the Evil Triad. The Hiereus now advanceth between the Pillars unto the invisible station of Harpocrates. The signs having been explained, the Hiereus draweth the Candidate forward between the pillars, and for the second time in the ceremony the Higher Soul standeth near and ready to touch him. Then the Hiereus returneth to the East of the Black Pillar so that the three chief officers may draw down upon him the forces of the Supernal Triad. The Candidate now therefore is standing between the pillars bound with the rope, like the mummied form of Osiris between Isis and Nephthys. And in this position doth the fourth and final consecration by the Goddesses of the Balances take place; the Aspirant for the first time standing between the pillars, at the point wherein are localised the equilibrated forces of the Balances, and meanwhile the Kerux goeth to the North in readiness for the Circumambulation, so as to link the latter with the final consecration of the Candidate. The Stolistes then says: “ Frater X Y Z, I finally consecrate thee by water.” And the Dadouchos : “ Frater X Y Z, I finally consecrate thee by fire.” And the effect of this is to seal finally into the Sphere of Sensation of the Candidate the Pillars in Balanced Formulation, For in the natural man the symbols are unbalanced in strength, some being weaker and some stronger, and the effect of the ceremony is to strengthen the weak and purify the strong, thus gradually commencing to equilibrate them, at the same time making a link between them and their corresponding forces in the Macrocosm. The Hierophant then says: «Honoured Hegemon, the final consecration of the Candidate having been performed, I command you to remove the rope from his waist, the last remaining symbol of Dark- ness ; and to invest him with the distinguishing badge of the grade.” 258