Book 4 Part II Magick.pdf
Book 4 Part II Magick.pdf Book 4 Part II Magick.pdf
60 Just as if you tell a child not to do a thing—no matter what—it will immediately want to do it, though otherwise the idea might never have entered its head, so it is with the saint. We have all of us these tendencies latent in us; of most of them we might remain unconscious all our lives—unless they were awakened by our Magick. They lie in ambush. And every one must be awakened, and every one must be destroyed. Every one who signs the oath of a Probationer is stirring up a hornet’s nest. A man has only to affirm his conscious aspiration; and the enemy is upon him. It seems hardly possible that any one can ever pass through that terrible year of probaton—and yet the aspirant is not bound to anything difficult; it almost seems as if he were not bound to anything at all— and yet experience teaches us that the effect is like plucking a man from his fireside into mid-Atlantic in a gale. The truth is, it may be, that the very simplicity of the task makes it difficult. The Probationer must cling to his aspiration—affirm it again and again in desperation. He has, perhaps, almost lost sight of it; it has become meaningless to him; he repeats it mechanically as he is tossed from wave to wave. But if he canstick to it he will come through. And, once he is through, things will again assume their proper aspect;
61 he will see that mere illusion were the things that seemed so real, and he will be fortified against the new trials that await him, But unfortunate indeed is he who cannot thus endure. It is useless for him to say, “I don’t like the Atlantic; I will go back to the fireside.” Once take one step on the path, and there is no return. You will remember in Browning’s “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came”: For mark! no sooner was I fairly found Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two, Than, pausing to throw backward a last view O’er the safe road, ’twas gone: grey plain all round Nothing but plain to the horizon’s bound. I might go on; naught else remained to do. And this is universally true. The statement that the Probationer can resign when he chooses is in truth only for those who have taken the oath but superficially. A real Magical Oath cannot be broken: you think it can, but it can’t. This is the advantage of a real Magical Oath. However far you go around, you arrive at the end just the same, and all you have done by attempting to break your oath is to involve yourself in the most frightful trouble. It cannot be too clearly understood that such is the nature of things: it does not depend upon the will of any persons, however powerful or
- Page 17 and 18: CHAPTER II THE CIRCLE
- Page 19 and 20: T CHAPTER II THE CIRCLE HE Circle a
- Page 21 and 22: 15 sides; they have therefore the s
- Page 23: 17 forms a link between the two sym
- Page 26 and 27: THE ALTAR. SIDE DESIGNS FROM DR. DE
- Page 28 and 29: 22 the ground of the navel of the M
- Page 30 and 31: THE HOLY OBLATION DESIGN SUITABLE F
- Page 32 and 33: THE SCOURGE, THE DAGGER, AND THE CH
- Page 34 and 35: 28 (even Sattvas) as evil. This is
- Page 36 and 37: 30 It is now evident why these weap
- Page 39 and 40: T CHAPTER V THE HOLY OIL HE Holy Oi
- Page 41: 35 The phial which contains the Oil
- Page 44 and 45: THE WAND, CUP, SWORD, AND DISK OR P
- Page 46 and 47: 40 seem unconnected with the goal.
- Page 48 and 49: 42 This Magical Will is the wand in
- Page 50 and 51: 44 simply stripping himself of ener
- Page 52 and 53: 46 Renunciation and sacrifice are n
- Page 54 and 55: 48 And though a man may have a trem
- Page 56 and 57: 50 we do perceive that one is bigge
- Page 58 and 59: 52 thin in proportion to its length
- Page 60 and 61: 54 The only reason for choosing a G
- Page 62 and 63: 56 there at the time when he would
- Page 64 and 65: 58 The Tendencies are, however, muc
- Page 68 and 69: 62 exalted; nor can Their force, th
- Page 71 and 72: A CHAPTER VII THE CUP S the Magick
- Page 73 and 74: 67 So that which is round to him is
- Page 75 and 76: 69 H. G. Wells has said that “eve
- Page 77 and 78: 71 There is the lotus of three peta
- Page 79 and 80: 73 But even the beginner may attemp
- Page 81 and 82: 75 flections; while the tendencies
- Page 83 and 84: 77 dew all lose their identity. And
- Page 85: AN INTERLUDE
- Page 88 and 89: 82 The cupboard was bare, And so th
- Page 90 and 91: 84 Little Miss Muffett unquestionab
- Page 92 and 93: 86 This is one of the more exoteric
- Page 94 and 95: 88 But one hardly dare comment upon
- Page 96 and 97: 90 dense physical substance which i
- Page 98 and 99: 92 when I looked back the chair was
- Page 101 and 102: T CHAPTER VIII THE SWORD “ HE wor
- Page 103 and 104: 97 Here is another parable. Peter,
- Page 105 and 106: 99 The Magician cannot wield the Sw
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- Page 109 and 110: 103 cian is blasted by the Thunderb
- Page 111 and 112: 105 The perceptions are meaningless
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61<br />
he will see that mere illusion were the things that seemed so real, and<br />
he will be fortified against the new trials that await him,<br />
But unfortunate indeed is he who cannot thus endure. It is useless for<br />
him to say, “I don’t like the Atlantic; I will go back to the fireside.”<br />
Once take one step on the path, and there is no return. You will<br />
remember in Browning’s “Childe Roland to the Dark Tower came”:<br />
For mark! no sooner was I fairly found<br />
Pledged to the plain, after a pace or two,<br />
Than, pausing to throw backward a last view<br />
O’er the safe road, ’twas gone: grey plain all round<br />
Nothing but plain to the horizon’s bound.<br />
I might go on; naught else remained to do.<br />
And this is universally true. The statement that the Probationer can<br />
resign when he chooses is in truth only for those who have taken the<br />
oath but superficially.<br />
A real Magical Oath cannot be broken: you think it can,<br />
but it can’t.<br />
This is the advantage of a real Magical Oath.<br />
However far you go around, you arrive at the end just the same, and<br />
all you have done by attempting to break your oath is to involve yourself<br />
in the most frightful trouble.<br />
It cannot be too clearly understood that such is the nature of things: it<br />
does not depend upon the will of any persons, however powerful or
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