Magick in Theory and Practice (Section 1)

made to impinge on the manj by the normal means of contact if possible, if not, by attacking some sensitive spot in his subconscious sensonum. But the heaviest rod will not land the smallest fish unless there be a line of some sort fixed firmly to both. The Third Class is characterized by the absence of any existing link between the Will of the Magician and that controlling the object to be affected. (The Second Class may approximate to the 1 hird when there is 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 own. Nature is independent of, and indifferent to, man’s affairs. A storm is caused by atmospheric conditions on a scale so enormous that the United efforts of ail us Earth-vermin could scarcely disperse one cloud, even if we could get at it. How then can any Magician, he who is above ail things a knower of Nature, be so absurd as to attempt to throw the Hammer of Thor? Unless he be simply insane, he must be initiated in a Truth which transcends the apparent facts. He must be aware that ail Nature isa continuum, so that his mind and body are consubstantial with the storm, are equally expressions of One Existence, ail alike of the self-same order of artifices whereby the Absolute appréciâtes itslf. He must also hâve assimilated the fact that Quantity is just as much a form as Qualityj that as ail things are modes of One Substance, so their measures are modes of their relation. Not only are gold and lead mere letters, meaningless in themselves yet appointed to spell the One Namej but the différence between the bulk of a mountain and that of a mouse is no more than one method of differentiating them, just as the letter “m” is not bigger that the letter “i” in any real sense of the word. 1 I. Professor Rutherford thinks it not theoretically impracticable to