1954 · CLOSE READING
Magick Without Tears
Magick Without Tears (1954), PDF p. 92
Original page
Enlarge ↗
Highlights use the original PDF text layer. OCR-only matches may not be visible on the scan.
Transcription
Download text ↓raw extractionoriginal embedded textReview: unreviewed
THE 0=2 EQUATION
59
electric capacity, colour, moral attributes, and so on. But this
remark, although necessary, leads us rather away from our
main thesis instead of toward it.
P. What happens when we put a minus sign before the
index (that small letter up on the right) instead of a plus?
Quite simple. X2 = Xl + 1 = Xl + Xl . With a minus, we divide
instead of multiplying. Thus, X3 - 2 = X3 -:- X2 = Xl , just as
if you had merely subtracted the'} from the 3 in the index.
Now, at last, we come to the point of real importance to
our thesis: how shall we interpret XO? We may write it,
obviously,
as Xl -
1
or xn-n. Good, divide. Then
Xl -:- Xl = I. This is the same, clearly enough, whatever X
may be.
Q. Ah, but what we started to do was discover the
meaning of Nothing. It is not correct to write it simply as 0;
for that 0 implies an index 01 , or 02, or on. And if our
Nothing is to be absolute Nothing, then there is not only no
figure, but no index either. So we must write it as 0° .
What is the value of this expression? We proceed as before;
divide.
on
I
o = on - n = on -:- on = -
X -
.
I
0"
Of course on -:- I remains 0; but I -:- on = 00.
That is, we have a clash of the "infinitely great" with the
"infinitely small"; that knocks out the "infinity"
(and
Advaitism with it!) and leaves us with an indeterminate but
finite number of utter variety. That is: 0° can only be
interpreted as "The Universe that we know."
R. So much for one demonstration.
Some people have
found fault with the algebra; but the logical Equivalent is
precisely parallel. Suppose I wish to describe my study in one
respect: I can say "No dogs are in my study," or "Dogs are
not in my study." I can make a little diagram: D is the world
of dogs; S is my study. Here it is:
Page provenance & review flags
Stable page ID: e7a83bd7c68d4e96894f9e69:p00092
Line breaks are preserved. Reading order and OCR accuracy may need review.
Printed page label has not been verified.
- No automated review flags. This does not establish transcription accuracy.