Magick Without Tears

THE NECESSITY OF MAGICK 41 Nescience; and this is very much like the Buddhist idea of Nibbana. We who accept the Law of Thelema, even should we concur in this doctrine theoretically, cannot admit that in practice the plan would work out; our aim is that our Nothing, ideally perfect as it is in itself, should enjoy itself through realizing itself in the fulfillment of all possibilities. All such phenomena or "point-events" are equally "illusion"; Nothing is always Nothing; but the projection of Nothing on this screen of the phenomenal does not only explain, but constitutes, the Universe. It is the only system which reconciles all the contradictions inherent in Thought, and in Experience; for in it "Reality" is "Illusion"; "Free-will" is "Destiny"; the "Self' is the "Not-Self'; and so for every puzzle of Philosophy. Not too bad an analogy is an endless piece of string. Like a driving band, you cannot tie a knot in it; all the complexities you can contrive are "Tom Fool" knots, and unravel at the proper touch. Always either Naught or Two! But every new re-arrangement throws further light on the possible tangles, that is, on the Nature of the String itself. It is always "Nothing" when you pull it out ; but becomes "Everything" as you play about with it,· since there is no limit to the combinations that you can form from it, save only in your imagination (where the whole thing belongs!) and that grows mightily with Experience. It is accordingly well worth while to fulfill oneself in every conceivable manner. It is then (you will say) impossible to "do wrong," since all phenomena are equally "Illusion" and the answer is always "Nothing." In theory one can hardly deny this proposition ; but in practice-how shall I put it? "The state of Illusion which for convenience I call my present consciousness is such that the course of action A is more na tural to me than the course of action B." 1. N + N = Two or Naught; one is the Magical, the other the Mystical, process. You wili hear a lot about this one day!