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Page 1 of 21929 · PDF PAGE 147
…uence of hieroglyphics, and the changes which we apparently operate are in an objective sense illusions. But the Light serves us in this way. It enables us to see ourselves, and therefore to aid us to initiate ourselves by showing us what we are doing. In the same way a watchmaker uses a lens, though it exaggerates and thus falsifies the image of the System of wheels which he is trying to adjust. In the same way, a writer emplovs arbitrary characters according to a meaningless convention in order to enable his reader by retranslating them to ob…
1929 · PDF PAGE 88
…n that men’s fixed beliefs and customs may be radically altered by a féw friendly explanations. Both show a curious fondness for oüt-the-way learning, preferring recondite sources of knowledge they adopt eccentric appearances. Both inspire what can only be called panic fear in absolute strangers, who can give no reason wFatever for a repulsion which sometimes almost amounts to I. Levi, on her deliberately abandoning him, withdrew his protection from his wife; she lost her beauty and intelligence, and became the prey of an aged and hideous pithe…
1929 · PDF PAGE 45
… whole knowledge. Fhe knowledge of exoteric science is comically limited by the fact that we hâve no access, except in the most indirect way, to any other celestial body than our own. In the last few years, the semi-educated hâve got an idea that they know a great deal about the universe, and the principal ground for their fine opinion of themselves is usually the téléphoné or the airship. It is pitiful to read the bombastic twaddle about progress, which journalists and others, who wish to prevent men from thinking, put out for consumption. We …
1929 · PDF PAGE 121
…tly impossible to attain great variety in the smaller numbers. But this fact illustrâtes the excellence of our system. There is only one way of striking 2 knocks, and this fact agréés with the nature of Chokmah; there is only one way of creating. We can express only ourselves, although we do so in duplex form. But there are three ways of striking 3 knocks, and these 3 ways correspond to the threefold manner in which Binah can receive the créative idea. There are three possible types of triangle. We may understand an idea either as an unity trip…
1929 · PDF PAGE 40
…nst the Magical Hierarchy is futile. One cannot call it incorrect — the only line to take might be that it was inconvénient. In the same way one çannot say that the Roman alphabet is better or worse than the Greek, since ail required sounds can be more or less satisfactorily represented by either; yet both these alphabets were found so liitle satisfactory when it came to an attempt at phonetic printing of Oriental languages, that the alphabet had to be expanded by the use of italics and other diacritical marks. In the same way our magical alpha…
1929 · PDF PAGE 150
… must, therefore, be an object suitable to the nature of our Operation, and we must hâve some such means of applying its force to such a way as will naturally compel the obedience of the portion of Nature which we are trying to change. If one will the death of a sinner, it is not sufficient to hâte him, even if we grant that the vibrations of thought, when sufficiently powerful and pure, may modify the Astral light sufficiently to impress its intention to a certain extent on such people as happen to be sensitive. It is much surer to use one’s m…
1929 · PDF PAGE 136
… clearly set forth in His Words: it is His simplicity that baffles the unworthy. I hâve chosen the expressions in this Chapter in such a way that it is likely to mislead those magicians who allow selfish interests to cloud their intelligence, but to give useful hints to such as are bound by the proper Oaths to devote their powers to legitimate ends. Thou hast no right but to do thy will.” “It is a lie, this folly against self.” The radical error of ail uninitiates is that they define “self” as irreconciliably opposed to “not-self.” Each élément…
1929 · PDF PAGE 18
…world, I must then explain and justify my position by formulating a définition of MAGICK and setting forth its main principles in such a way that ALL may understand instantly that their soûls, their lives, in every relation with every other human being and every circumstance, dépend upon MAGICK and the right compréhension and right application thereof. I. DEFINITION. MAGICK is the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in confor- mity with Will. XVI —
1929 · PDF PAGE 17
…ettanti and eccentrics, weaklings seeking in “Magic” an escape from reality. I myself was first consciously drawn to the subject in this way. And it has repelled only too many scientific and practicai minds, such as I most designed to influence. But is for MAGICK ALL. I hâve written this book to help the Banker, the Pugilist, the Biologist, the Poet, the Navvy, the Grocer, the Factory Girl, the Mathematician, the Stenographer, the Golfer, the Wife, the Consul — and ail the rest — to fulfil themselves perfectly, each in his or her own proper fun…
1929 · PDF PAGE 47
… the male magician to cultivate those female virtues in which he is déficient, and this task he must of course accomplish without in any way impairing his virility. It will then be lawful for a magician to invoke Isis, and identify himself with her; if he fail to do this, his appréhension of the Universe when he attains Samadhi will lack the conception of maternity. The resuit will be a metaphysical and — by corollary — ethical limita¬ tion in the Religion which he founds. Judaism and Islam are striking examples of this failure. To take another…
1929 · PDF PAGE 37
…s theology is given in Liber CCXX, AL vel Legis which forins Part IV of this Book 4. Hence I can only outline the matter in a very crude way; it would require a separate treatise to discuss even the true meaning of the terms employed, and to show how The Book of the Law anticipâtes the recent discoveries of Frege, Cantor, Poincaré, Russell, Whitehead, Einstein and others. I
1929 · PDF PAGE 71
…is-idea persists, but is now the formula for incarnating demi-gods, or divine kings; these must be slain and raised from the dead in one way or another. 1 Aeon of Horus. Two sexes in one person. FIAOF: 93, the full formula, recognizing the Sun as the Son (Star), as the pre-existent manifested Unit from which ail springs and to which ail returns. The Great Work is to make the initial FF of Assiah (the world of material illusion) into the final FIF of Atziluth,2 the world of pure reality. Spelling the Name in full, FF -f- IFD -f- ALP -f- OIN -f- …
1929 · PDF PAGE 143
…as hitherto treated the immensely important subject of the Magical Link. It might almost be called the Missing Link. It has apparently always been taken for granted; only lay writers on Magick like Dr. J. G. Frazer hâve accorded the subject its full importance. Let us try to make considérations of the nature of Magick in a strictly scientific spirit, as well as, deprived of the guidance of antiquity, wc may. What is a Magical Operation? It may be defined as any event in Nature which is brought to pass by Will. We must not exclude potato-growing…
1929 · PDF PAGE 22
principles whose interplay învolves different orders of idea connected with each other in a way beyond our présent compréhension. (Illustration: We are able to light cities by rule-of-thumb methods. We do not know what consciousness is, or how it is connected with muscular action ; what electricity is or how it is connected with the machines that generate it; and our methods dépend on calculations involving mathematical ideas which hâve no correspondence in the Universe as we know it. *) (12) Man is ignorant of the nature of his own being and p…
1929 · PDF PAGE 48
…still further exaggerated. Let him, before beginning his Work, endeavour to map out his own being, and arrange his invocations in such a way as to redress the balance. 2 This, of course, should hâve been done in a preliminary fashion during the préparation of the weapons and furniture of the Temple. To consider in a more particular mammer this question of the Nature of Ritual, we may suppose that he finds himself lacking in that perception of the value of Life and Death, alike of individuals and of races, which is characteristic of Nature. He h…
1929 · PDF PAGE 53
The formula of the Cup is not so well suited for Evocations, and the magical Hierarchy is not involved in the same way; for the Cup being passive rather than active, it is not fitting for the magician to use it in respect of anything but the Highest. In practical working it consequently means little but prayer, and that prayer the “prayer of silence”.1 The formula of the dagger is again unsuitable for either pur- pose, since the nature of the dagger is to criticise, to destroy, to disperse j and ail true magical ceremonies tend to concentration…
1929 · PDF PAGE 26
…ns. It is the Art of applying that under¬ standing in action. (Illustration: A golf club is intended to move a spécial bail in a spécial way in spécial circumstances. A Niblick should rarely be used on the tee, or a Brassie under the bank of a bunker. But also, the use of any club demands skill and expérience.) (24) Every man has an indefeasible right to be what he is. (Illustration: To insist that any one else shall comply with one’s own standards is to outrage, not only him, but oneself, since both parties are equally born of necessity.) (25)…
1929 · PDF PAGE 16
… on the worid. This is no small service rendered to humanity. And when we remember further that in another direction magic has paved the way for science, we are forced to admit that if the black art has done much evil, it has also been the source of much goodj that if it is the child of error, it has yet been the mother of freedom and truth.” Ibid. XIV
1929 · PDF PAGE 107
… are again two formulæ exactly opposite in nature. A word may become potent and terrible by virtue of constant répétition. It is in this way that most religions gain strength. At first the statement “So and so is God” excites no interest. Continue, and you meet scora and scepticism: possibly persécution. Continue, and the controversy has so far died out that no one troubles to contradict your assertion. No superstition is so dangerous and so lively as an exploded superstition. The newspapers of to-day (written and edited almost exclusively by m…
1929 · PDF PAGE 117
…and most effective dances is the ordinary waltz-step combined with the three signs of L.V.X. It is much easier to attain ecstasy in this way than is generally supposed. The essence of the process consists in the struggle of the Will against giddiness; but this struggle must be prolonged and severe, and upon the degree of this the quality and intensity of ecstasy atained may dépend. With practice, giddiness is altogether conquered; exhaustion then takes its place as the enemy of Will. It is through the mutual destruction of these antagonisms in …