CHAPTER III
THE ALTAR
THE
Altar represents
the solid
basis of the
work, the
fixed Wiir of the Magician;
and the law under which
he works.
Within
this
altar
everything
is kept, since
everything
is
subject
to law.
Except
the Lamp.
According to some authorities
the Altar should
be made of oak to re-
present
the stubbornness
and
rigidity of law;
others
would
make it of
Acacia,
for Acacia
is the symbol
of resurrection.
The Altar
is a double
cube, which
is a rough
way of symbolizing
the
Great
Work;
for
the doubling of the
cube,
Hke
the
squaring
of the
circle,
was
one
of the
great
problems
of antiquity.
The
surface
of
this Altar
is
composed
of
ten
squares.
The
top
is
Kether, and
the
' It represents the extension of Will.
Will
is the Dyad
(see section on the Wand)
;
2x2
= 4.
So the altar is foursquare, and also its ten squares show 4.
10 = i + 2 +
3 + 4-
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