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Page 1 of 21929 · PDF PAGE 45
…inted in Equinox I, III, pages 170-190, where he will see exactîy why these things are to be used. Of course, as the student advances in knowledge by expérience he will find a progressive subtlety in the magical universe corresponding to his own; for let it be said yet again! not only is his aura a magical mirror of the universe, but the universe is a magical mirror of his aura. In this chapter we are only able to give a very thin outline of magical theory — faint pencilling by weak and wavering fingers — for this subject may almost be said to …
1929 · PDF PAGE 41
…sp of your affairs than would otherwise be the case. By the use of this System the magician is able ultimately to unify the whole of his knowledge — to trans¬ mute, even on the Intellectual Plane, the Many into the One. * The reader can now understand that the sketch given above of the magical Hierarchy is hardly even an outline of the real theory of the Universe. This theory may indeed be studied iii the article already referred to in No. V of the Equinox, and, môre deeply, in the Book of the Law and the Commentaries thereon: but the true unde…
1929 · PDF PAGE 84
…which every man is, remains itself, irrespective of whether earth perceives it or not. Now it so happens that the root GN signifies both knowledge and génération combined in a single idea, in an absolute form independent of personality. The G is a silent letter, as in oür word Gnosisj and the sound GN is nasal, suggesting therefore the breath of life as opposed to that of speech. Impelled by these considérations, the Master Therion proposed to replace the M of AUM by a compound letter MGN, symbolizing thereby jthe subtle transformation of the a…
1929 · PDF PAGE 19
(Illustration: It is my Will to inform the World of certain facts within my knowledge. I therefore take “magical weapons”, pen, ink, and paper ; I Write “incantations” — these sentences — in the “magical language” i.e. that which is understood by the people I wish to instruct; I call forth “spirits”, such as printers, publishers, booksellers, and so forth, and constrain them to convey my message to those people. The composition and distribution of this book is thus an act of __ . MAGICK by which I cause Changes to take place in conformity with …
1929 · PDF PAGE 152
… the Circle and the Triangle. Operations of this class are therefore often successful, even when the Magician has little or no technical knowledge of Magick. Almost any duffer can “pull hinself together”, devote himself to study, break off a bad habit, or conquer a cowardice. This class of work, although the easiest, is yet the most important ; for it includes initiation itself in its highest sense. It extends to the Absolute in every dimension; it involves the most intimate analysis, and the most comprehensive synthesis. In a sense, it is the …
1929 · PDF PAGE 153
a System similar to his own. That is, they can be compelled naturally by cognate consciousness. For instance, one may wish to obtain the knowledge put forth in this book. Not knowing that such a book exists, one might yet induce some one who knows of it to offer a copy. Thus one’s operation would consist in inflaming one’s Will to possess the knowledge to the point of devoting one’s life to it, in expressing that will by seeking out people who seem likely to know what is needed, and in imposing it on them by exhibiting such enthusiastic earnest…
1929 · PDF PAGE 113
…ver occur twice in precisely the same circum- stances.) 1 “Further, my ‘laws’ must always take nearly ail the more important éléments of knowledge for granted. I cannot say — finally — how an electric current is generated. I cannot be sure that some totally unsuspected force is not at work in some entirely arbitrary way. For example, it was formerly supposed that Hydrogen and Chlorine would unité when an electric spark was passed through the mixture ; now we “knowJ that the presence of a minute quantity of aqueous vapour (or some tertium quid) …
1929 · PDF PAGE 95
our compréhension of ourselves as we are. Each accession of knowledge must indicate with unmistakable accuracy the solution of some enigma which is propounded by the Sphynx of our own unknown birth-city, Thebes. The complicated situation in which we find ourselves is composed of éléments \ and no element of it came out of nothing. Newton’s First Law applies to every plane of thought. The theory of évolution is omniform. There is a reason for one’s prédisposition to goût, or the shape of one’s ear, in the past. The symbolism may change ; the fac…
1929 · PDF PAGE 15
E<r<7£ai àôàvaToç OeSç, 7.u^pozoçy oux tzi 0\>rjz6ç Pythagoras. “Magic is the Highest, most Absolute, and most Divine Knowledge of Natural Philosophy, advanced in its Works and wonderful operations by a right understanding of the inward and occult virtue of things; so that true Agents being applied to proper Patients, strange and admirable effects will thereby be produced. Whence magicians are profound and diligent searchers into Nature j they, because of their skill, know how to anticipate an effect, the which to the vulgar shall seem to be a …
1929 · PDF PAGE 16
…ction which magic and science alike hâve exercised on the human mindj hence the powerful stimulus that both hâve given to the pursuit of knowledge. They lure the weary enquirer, the footsore seeker, on through the wilderness of disappointment in the présent by their endless promises of the future: they take him up to the top of an exceeding high mountain and shew him, beyond the dark clouds and rolling mists at his feet, a vision of the celestial city, far off, it may be, but radiant with unearthly splendour, bathed in the light of dreams.” Dr.…
1929 · PDF PAGE 88
…radically altered by a féw friendly explanations. Both show a curious fondness for oüt-the-way learning, preferring recondite sources of knowledge they adopt eccentric appearances. Both inspire what can only be called panic fear in absolute strangers, who can give no reason wFatever for a repulsion which sometimes almost amounts to I. Levi, on her deliberately abandoning him, withdrew his protection from his wife; she lost her beauty and intelligence, and became the prey of an aged and hideous pithecoid. Aleister Crowley’s wife insisted upon do…
1929 · PDF PAGE 59
… half of the formula which symbolises the Great Work which we are pledged to accomplish. The first step of this is the attainment of th^ Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel, which constitutes the Adept of the Inner Order. The re-entry of these twin spouses into the womb of the mother is that initiation described in Libe»* 418, which gives admission to the Inmost Order of the A.*. A.*. Of the last step we cannot speak. It will now be recognised that to devise a practical magical ceremony to correspond to Tetragrammaton in this …
1929 · PDF PAGE 29
… aforesaid conditions. Let us make an analogy. A nation must become aware of its own character before it can be said to exist. From that knowledge it must divine its destiny. It must then consider the political conditions of the world ; how other countries may help it or hinder it. It must then destroy in itself any éléments discordant with its destiny. Lastly, it must develop in itself those qualifies which will enable it to combat successfully the external conditions which threaten to oppose its purpose. We hâve had a recent example in the ca…
1929 · PDF PAGE 156
…for if not, they could not affect him. He is the Microcosm of his own Macrocosm, whether or no either one or the other extend beyond his knowledge of them. He must there¬ fore arouse in himself those ideas which are clansmen of the Thunderstorm ; collect ail available objects of the same nature for talismans, and proceed to excite ail these to the utmost by a Magical ceremony; that is, by insisting on their godhead, so that they flamewithin and without him, his ideas vitalising the talismans. There is thus a vivid vibration of high potential in…
1929 · PDF PAGE 57
known to us; and as our knowledge and understanding of those facts increase, so should we endeavour to adjust our idea of what we mean by any symbol. At the same time let us reflect that there is a certain definite consensus of expérience as to the corrélation of the various beings of the hierarchy with the observed facts of Magick. In the simple matter of astral vision, for example, one striking case may be quoted. Without telling him what it was, the Master Therion once recited as an invocation Sappho’s “Ode to Venus” before a Proba- tioner o…
1929 · PDF PAGE 42
…btains them. Yet this is true also, that, once the language is mastered, one can divine the unknown by study of the known, just as one’s knowledge of Latin and Greek enables one to understand some unfamiliar English word derived from those sources. Also, there is the similar case of the Periodic Law in Chemistry, which enables Science to prophesy, and so in the end to discover, the existence of certain previously unsuspected éléments in nature. Ail discussions upon philosophy are necessarily stérile, since truth is beyond language. Tliey are, l…
1929 · PDF PAGE 108
…tageously combined ; en the one hand infinité frankness and readiness to communicate ail secrets ; on the other the sublime and terrible knowledge that ail real secrets are incommunicable. 1 It is, according to tradition, a certain advantage in conjurations to employ more than one language. In ail probability the reason of this is that any change spurs the flagging attention. A man engaged in intense mental labour will frequently stop and walk up and down the room — one may suppose for this cause — but it is a sign of weakness that this should …
1929 · PDF PAGE 81
…s developed: the word AUM. The word AUM is the sacred Hindu mantra which was the suprême hieroglyph of Truth, a compendium of the Sacred Knowledge. Many volumes hâve been written with regard to it j but, for our présent purpose, it will be necessary only to explain how it came to serve for the représentation of the principal philosophical tenets of the Rishis. of classifying observed facts. One is reminded of the Democracy, who, on being informed by the Minister of the Interior that the scarcity of provisions was due to the Law of Supply and De…
1929 · PDF PAGE 56
…d knew that every statement contained an absurdity. He therefore said: “Let me déclaré this Work under this title: 'The obtaining of the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian AngeP ”, because the theory implied in these words is so patently absurd that only simpletons would waste much time in analysing it. It would be accepted as a convention, and no one would incur the grave danger of building a philosophical system upon it. With this understanding, we may rehabilitate the Hebrew System of invocations. The mind is the great enemy; so…
1929 · PDF PAGE 155
… no possibility of approaching the second mind by normal means, as sometimes happens). This class of operations demands not only immense knowledge of the technique of Magick combined with tremendous vigour and skill, but a degree of IVIystical attainment which is exceedingly rare, and when found is usually marked by an absolute apathy on the subject of any attempt to achieve any Magick at ail. Suppose that I wish to produce a thunderstorm. This event is beyond my control or that of any other manj it is as useless to work on their minds as my ow…