by wise men of old; they have
made
a Science of Life com-
plete
and
perfect;
and they have given to it the
name of
MAGIC K.
It is the chief secret of the Ancients,
and if the keys have
never been actually
lost, they have certainly
been little
used.^
Again,
the confusion
of
thought
caused
by
the
ignorance
of
the
people
who did not understand
it has discredited
the whole
subject.
It
is now our task to re-establish
this science
in its perfection.
To do this we must criticize
the Authorities;
some of them have made
it too complex,
others have completely
failed
in
such simple
matters
as
coherence.
Many of the writers
are empirics,
still more
mere
scribes,
while
by far the largest class of all is composed
of stupid
charlatans.
We shall
consider
a simple
form
of magick,
harmonized
from
many
systems old
and
new, describing
the various
weapons of the Magician
and the furniture
of his
temple.
We shall
explain
to what each really
corresponds,
and discuss the construction
and the use of everything.
The
Magician
works
in
a
Temple;
the
Universe,
which
is
(be
it
remembered!)
conterminous
with
himself.'
In
this
temple
a
Circle
is
drawn
upon
the
floor
for the limitation of his working.
This circle
is
^ The holders
of those keys have always
kept very quiet about it.
This has been
especially
necessary in Europe,
because of the dominance
of persecuting
churches.
•^By "yourself"
you mean the contents
of your
consciousness.
All without
does
not exist for you.