Book 4 (Part II)

50 we do perceive that one is bigger than the other. That is the fact of practical importance. We do know that persons can be trained to do things which they could not do without training —and anyone who remarks that you can- not train a person unless it is his destiny to be trained is quite unpractical. Equally it is the destiny of the trainer to train. There is a fallacy in the determinist argument similar to the fallacy which is the root of all " systems " of gambling at Roulette. The odds are just over three to one against red coming up twice running; but after red has come up once the conditions are changed. It would be useless to insist on such a point were it not for the fact that many people confuse Philosophy with Magick. Philosophy is the enemy of Magick. Philosophy assures us that after all nothing matters, and that che sara sara. In practical life, and Magick is the most practical of the Arts of life, this difficulty does not occur. It is useless to argue with a man who is running to catch a train that he may be destined not to catch it; he just runs, and if he could spare breath would say " Blow destiny! " It has been said earlier that the real Magical Will must be toward the highest attainment, and this can never be until the flowering of the Magical Understanding. The Wand must be made to grow in length as well as in strength ; it need not do so of its own nature.