176 
MAGICK WITHOUT TEARS 
possibility and therefore one facet of Truth. "Rest" is an 
idea: so immobility is one of the moving states. A certain 
state of mind is (almost by definition) "eternal," yet it most 
assuredly begins and ends. 
And so on for ever-I fear it would be nugatory, pleonastic 
(and oh! several other lovely long adjectives!) to try to guard 
you from these hydra-headed and protean booby-traps; you 
must tackle them yourself as they arise, and deal with them 
as best you can; always remembering that often enough you 
cannot tell which is you and which is the Monkey Puzzle, or 
who has won. ("Everybody's won; so everybody must have a 
prize" applies beautifully.) And none of it all matters a row 
of haricots verts sautes; for the conclusion must always be 
Doubt (see that beastly Book of Lies again-there's 
a 
gorgeous chapter about it) and the practical moral is this: 
these contradictions 
don't 
occur (or don't 
matter) 
in 
Neschamah. 
And if the above remarks should embolden you to 
exclaim: "Perhaps a little drink would do me no great harm" 
I shall feel that I have deserved well of my country! 
For-see Liber Aleph, after Rabelais-the Word of the Last 
Oracle is TRINe. 
This plaint of yours tails off-and 
perks up in so 
doing-with 
confession of Ambition, and considerations of 
what you must leave over to your next life. Very right! but 
all that is covered by your general programme. It is proper to 
assimilate these ideas with the fundamental structure of your 
mind: "Perhaps I had better leave 'The Life and opinion of 
Battling Bill, the Ballarat Bruiser' till, shall we say, six 
incarnations ahead" - But perhaps you have acquired that 
already. 
No, better still, concentrate on the Next Step! After all, it 
is the only one you can take, isn't it? Without lust ofresult, 
please!