Magick Without Tears

37 Death-Fear-Magickal Memory Cara Soror, Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law. You ask me, very naturally, for details of the promise of Nuit (AL, I: 58) "certainty, not faith, while in life, upon death." In the first place, I think that it means what it says. There may be, probably is, some Qabalistic inner meaning: Those four nouns most assuredly look as if there were; but I don't feel at all sure what the Greek (or Hebrew, or Arabic) words would be; in any case, I have not yet made any attempt in this direction. To the straightforward promise, then! Certainly no word more reassuring could be given. But avoid anxiety, of course; remember "without lust of result," and AL, III: 16: "Deem not too eagerly to catch the promises." Now, full speed ahead! Like most promises of this type, it is, one must suppose, conditional. Such a power is clearly of the Siddhi; and my instinct tells me that it is a result of devotion to Our Lady of the Stars. Somehow I can't think of it as a sort of Birthday Present to a Favourite Nephew. "Why not?" You're right, as usual: anything may be a "Play of Nuit." Still, I feel that this would be a rare case. "But doesn't everything have to happen to everybody?" 242