Magick Without Tears

REINCARNATION 301 spirited character of the animal employed to draw it. The cushions indicate its use to convey man rather than merchandise; its hood that rain sometimes falls, or that the sun is at times powerful. The springs would imply considerable skill in metals; the varnish much attainment in that craft. Similarly, let the adept consider of his own case. Now that he is on the point of plunging into the Abyss, a giant Why? confronts him with uplifted club. There is no minutest atom of his composition which can be withdrawn without making him some other than he is, no useless moment in his past. Then what is his future? The "Victoria" is not a wagon; it is not intended for carting hay. It is not a sulky; it is useless in trotting races. So the adept has military genius or much knowledge of Greek. How do these attainments help his purpose, or the purpose of the Brothers? He was put to death by Calvin or stoned by Hezekiah; as a snake he was killed by a villager, or as an elephant slain in battle under Hamilcar. How do such memories help him? Until he have thoroughly mastered the reason for every incident in his past, and found a purpose for every item of his present equipment,2 he cannot truly answer even those Three Questions that were first put to him, even the Three Questions of the Ritual of the Pyramid; he is not ready to swear the oath of the Abyss. But being thus enlightened, let him swear the Oath of the Abyss; yea, let him swear the Oath of the Abyss.3 2. A brother known to me was repeatedly baffled in this meditation. But one day being thrown with his horse over a sheer cliff of forty feet, and escaping without a scratch or a bruise, he was reminded of his many narrow escapes from death . These proved to be the last factors in his problem which, thus completed, solved itself in a moment. (O.M. Chinese Frontier, 1905-6) 3. The above is quoted from Liber Thisharb; see Magick in Theory and Practice, pp.420-422.