Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 4)

Nevertheless, forget not that this practice is dangerous, and may cause the manifestation of evil things, hostile and malicious, to thy great hurt. 45. Concerning a further sacrifice. — Of this it shall be under- stood that nothing is to be spoken; nor need anything be spoken to him that hath wisdom to comprehend the number of the para- graph. And this sacrifice is fatal beyond all,unless it be a sacrificium indeed. Yet there are those who hâve dared and achieved thereby. 46. Concerning yet a further sacrifice. — Here it is spoken of actual mutilation. Such acts are abominable ; and while thev may bring success in this Method, form an absolute bar to ail further progress. And they are in any case more likely to lead to madness than to Samadhi. He indeed who purposeth them is already mad. 47. Concerning human affection. — During this practice thou shalt in no wise withdraw thyself from human relations, only figuring to thyself that thy father or thy brother or thy wife is as it were an image of thy particular Deity. Thus shall they gain, and not lose, by thy working. Only in the case of thy wife this is difficult, since she is more to thee than ail others, and in this case thou mayst act with tempérance, lest her personality overcome and destroy that of thy Deity. 48. Concerning the Holy Guardian Angel.'—Do thou in no wise confuse this invocation with that. 49. The Bénédiction. — And so may the love that passeth ail Understanding keep your hearts and minds through IAÜ AAONAI 2ABAQ and through BABALON of the City of the Pyramids, and through Astarté, the Starry One green-girdled, in the name ARARITA. Amen. 404 —