Liber Aleph

LIBER ALEPH VEL CXI 154 Ec De Leone (Of the Lion) F this, Lion, o my Son, be it said that this is the Courage of thy Manhood, leaping upon all Things, and seizing hem for their Prey. His letter is Teth, whose Implication is a Serpent, and the Number thereof Nine, whereof is Aub, the secret Fire of Obeah. Also Nine is of Jesod, uniting Change with Stability. But in the Book of Thoth, He is the Atu called Strength, whose Number is ELEVEN which is Aud, the Light Odic of Magick. And therein is figured the Lion, even THE BEAST, and Our Lady BABALON with Her Hands upon His Mouth, that She may master Him. Here I would have thee to mark well how these our Symbols are cognate, and flow forth the one into the other, because each Soul partaketh in proper Measure of the Mystery of Holiness, and is kin with his Fellow. But now let me show how this Lion of Courage is more especially the Light in thee, as Leo is the House of the Sun that is the Father of Light. And it is thus: that thy Light, conscious of itself, is the Source and Instigator of thy Will, enforcing it to spring forth and conquer. Therefore also is his Nature strong with hardihood and Lust of Battle, else shouldst thou fear that which is unlike thee, and avoid it, so that thy Separateness should increase upon thee. For this Cause he that is defective in Courage becometh a Black Brother, and to Dare is the Crown of all thy Virtue, the Root of the Tree of Magick. o